A/N: If a character in any way shape or form resembles one of Austen's, then it is. I've got the next couple chapters completed, but I'm wary of posting them because I don't have the entire plot worked out yet and I'm afraid I might have to massively edit them later on. But I should have it figured out before long, and have them posted. Within the next few days. Also, someone said they wanted me to finish my HP fanfic...Harry the Muggle, was it? I've been wanting to finish that, but I'm too busy right now to get involved in more than one fanfic at a time. But the semester ends in about a month, so after that hopefully I will be able to work on it some. Same with the Anne fanfic. Thanks for all the reviews...keep 'em coming, good or bad, I just want to know people are actually reading this! Sorry this is such a long note...I'm going to shut up now.

When they entered the House, Charles and Will were there to greet them.

"Lizzy! You actually decided to grace us with your presence – Good God," he exclaimed under his breath, gripping Will's arm suddenly. He had just noticed Jane, whose eyes shone radiantly with the glow that comes after a good cry. She was wearing a thin blue dress that revealed, tastefully, all her feminine curves. Her cheeks flushed under his intense stare. Lizzy observed all this and decided to rescue them from the awkward pause.

"Charles, this is my older sister Jane. Jane, this is Charles Bingley. He and his friend over there tried to kill me this afternoon."

Jane smiled shyly. Will, standing slightly off to the side, looked at Elizabeth with vague interest, trying to place her. Ah, yes, the football girl. He was mildly amused by her sportive way of talking, but in general disapproved of her style. She was wearing a plain white tank top, a flowy brown skirt that fell just below her knees, and flip flops. She had attempted to pin her dark brown hair back with a clip, but several wavy strands of it had escaped and were hanging sloppily around her face. She was also quite thin; yes, she must work out a great deal. He reminded himself that he generally preferred the curvier girls, like that tall blonde standing beside her…Jane, was it?

"It's so nice to meet you!" Charles cried, beaming at Jane. "Where are you from? You must be so tired; it must have been such a long drive! Come sit down right here, and I will bring you a drink. What do you want? We have everything. A cosmopolitan?"

Jane laughed. "I'm fine, really. I live in Richmond – only an hour away. It's not so bad."

"Not so bad! An hour away! And you must have driven during rush hour, too. Please sit down. I will be back in two seconds. If I'm not, you can punch me." He dashed away to the bar, and returned in about ten seconds with a tall glass, which he promptly handed to Jane, who did not punch him.

"How is it? Not too strong, I hope. Or would you rather it be strong? I can add more vodka. Here, give it to me; I'm going to add some more vodka."

"No! I like it like this. How did you know cosmopolitans were my favorite drink?"

"I've read your book, Jane. Now, tell me, do you go to school in Richmond, or what?"

"I'm taking some classes at a community college by my house. But I spend most of my time waiting tables. If I can save up enough money, I'd like to transfer here in the fall, actually. Our family isn't extremely well off, you know. Lizzy got a full ride due to being ridiculously smart. Anyway, I'd like to go to the school of education, if they'll let me in."

"If! Jane, I'll see that they do."

Jane blushed, and as the night wore on, all thoughts of her cheating boyfriend slipped out of her head, and she found herself, willingly or no, literally taken off her feet by this amiable Charles Bingley.

Lizzy, meanwhile, was engaged in a lively debate with her roommate Charlotte, who had just shown up, about whether or not Mary Crawford in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park secretly tended toward lesbianism. Charlotte was sure she did.

"Char, have you even read the book, or are you basing this all off the movie?" Lizzy asked, taking a large gulp of beer.

"Just because you're the English major, it doesn't mean you're the only one that ever read a book, Elizabeth," Charlotte replied rather snippily.

"Well, that's shocking. Still, I just don't see it. You're reading way too much into it. You have to remember that back then, women overall were much more physically intimate with each other than they are now."

"Truly one of the most unfortunate aspects of modern society," remarked Will Darcy, who had just joined them.

Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Come to throw another object at my head, I suppose?"

"Not unless it gets in the way of the bar. Your head, that is," he said with a smile. But looking closely at him, it did not appear to Lizzy that he had been drinking at all. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to…"

He was cut off as a tall, preppy sorority girl with bleached blonde hair and a designer sundress stumbled over and wrapped her arms around him. "Will," she hiccupped, "I've been looking everywhere for you! Who are they?" she asked disdainfully, looking at Lizzy and Charlotte.

"They are sophomores Elizabeth Bennet and her roommate…I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name," Will said to Charlotte.

"You didn't quite ask for it," Elizabeth cut in.

"It's Charlotte," said Charlotte, flashing Lizzy an angry look. Lizzy shrugged.

"Ah, yes. Charlotte. And this is Caroline Bingley. Bing's little sister. You know Bing, right?" Will turned to look at Charles, noting with surprise how affectionately he was dancing with that tall blonde girl – the hot sister of Lizzy's.

"I know Charles, if that's who you mean," said Lizzy. "He was very helpful earlier today in the Sunken Gardens, after you tried to murder me – "

"Ughhh…" said Caroline suddenly, "I'm so bored. Will, come dance with me honey. What? You aren't actually going to stand here talking to these people all night, are you?"

"Actually, Caroline, I was going to – "

But she dragged him away without giving him a chance to say what he was going to do. Lizzy thought he had been about to ask her to dance, and though a small part of her was flattered that she had been able, perhaps, to attract Will Darcy – the most known person on campus – she told herself she would not under any circumstances have said yes. The fact that he had still failed to apologize for maiming her this afternoon was insufferable.