Marauders' Match-Making Inc.

            *More writing.  Thank you a ton for all your reviews and input (even though some of the suggestions I haven't put to use, since I already have this story planned out).

            One person asked where the Lily and James action is. SSHHH!!  I can't write that yet.  I'm not about to go through that long series of dates just to have them get together real fast.  I have to drag it out forever and twist it into a bunch on sailor knots until it kills off all my readers.  LoL.  I'm just kidding about that, but it will take a while.  No one ever said falling in love was easy or fast.  Reality television doesn't count…I mean, do you really think ALL those people on television are in love?

            That's about all I have to ramble on about.  Thanks for reading, and I hope you like Chapter 11.

                        -Kait*

Disclaimer: The plot of this story is based on the ABC Family movie, "See Jane Date." The characters are property of J.K. Rowling. The only thing that belongs to me, are the changes I made to the plot I borrowed, and the new characters that you don't know from the Harry Potter books. Is that alright with you then?

Chapter Eleven- Calling In For Reinforcements

            "She won't talk to me," James mumbled to Sirius, at their meeting in the Leaky Cauldron.  Remus and Peter both had "prior engagements" as they put it.  "Why won't she talk to me?"

            "I dunno, mate," Sirius said sympathetically, looking out the window from his stool at the bar.

            James modeled a look of disgust on his face.  Was Sirius blind?

            "She's talking to you," he said bitterly.

            "I saved her from a date with Gilderoy Lockhart," Sirius smiled smugly and when on, "I would think that would make her have to talk to me, out of thanklessness or something."

            "You mean, thankfulness, graciousness, right?"

            "Yeah, sure," Sirius replied, waving it off with a quick shrug.

            "So what you're saying is that Lily won't talk to be because I haven't been able to be a knight in shining armor for her?"

            James slammed down his glad in frustration.  Looking around at the crowded bar didn't help much either.  Everyone else appeared to be happy there, what with it being "Free Drinks Night" and all.

            Then he glanced back at his best friend and sighed.  He hadn't understood girls at Hogwarts and apparently, he didn't know anymore about them now more than ever.  He just did not get it.

            Sure, he had gotten the picture as to why Lily was mad at him.  What puzzled him was why she insisted on staying angry at him and not the others.  Perhaps it was because he had taken the blame…or because he had done more of the planning…But whatever it was, James had a feeling he would never know.

            But before he had a chance to ponder these thoughts any further, Sirius finally spoke up.

            "Do I look like the Lily-expert, mate?"  He asked and accompanied it with a little smirk.  "I have no idea what goes on in her head or what she considers to be rational thinking."

            "Are you saying that she's—"

            "What I am saying," Sirius started again, interrupting the sputtering James, "Is to give her some time and she'll talk to you again.  Or at least, that's what people say works."

            James grinned a bit and almost felt somewhat better.

            "Since when did you become the 'All-Knowing Sorcerer'?"

            His companion laughed and muttered darkly, "Well, we know it doesn't run in my family."

                                                            -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

            Lily Evans was once again sitting in her apartment on the sofa watching another re-run of her favorite television show.  Ice cream, her current best friend, was sitting peacefully in its carton beside her until commercial breaks came on and she attacked it with her spoon.  Triple fudge was Lily's cure to everything.

           

            Back to the beginning, huh?  She thought this as she stabbed the carton again and shoved a spoonful in her mouth.

            Petunia wanted an answer as to who is going to be her guest. She had already left five messages on the machine.  Now you can ignore your sister for a hell of a long time but you can't ignore five telephone messages.  It's just not humanly possible.

            Unless Lily wanted Petunia to come over and track her down…

            And Lily certainly didn't want that.

            Talking to Petunia on the phone was one thing…But Petunia in the flesh…That would be too much for someone who had just ate a carton and a half of triple fudge ice cream to handle.

            Should I call him…?, she wondered.  Maybe it was too much to chance from just a friend.  Plus there was the run-in she had had with him earlier….He hadn't been to keen on talking to her.  In fact, he seemed destined to avoid her and that was an odd thing, even for him.  He seemed to always be there for her to fall back on…but could she count on him now?  Could she chance asking him to be her date to the wedding?

            And if she did ask him, would he pull anything at the wedding?

            She couldn't put it past him.

            But Sirius was her only hope…

            She decided to ring his house, in hopes that he might be home.

            "HELLO?!" A quite loud voice shouted from the other end.

            Lily was not sure if he was joking, if he seriously didn't know how to use the telephone or if he had just taken another blow to the head.

            Perhaps he's drunk, she ventured a guess.

            "Is this how you always answer your telephone?"

            "Yeah," he boomed, "Can you hear me?"

            She sighed and spoke again, "Lower your voice, Sirius.  I can hear you perfectly.  Although, my eardrums thank you for the crazy wake-up call."

            "Sorry," he whispered and took the receiver away from his mouth, "Is this better?"

            "Didn't you ever take Muggle Studies?  It would be a little better if you just talked with a normal tone."

            Just as he was about to answer, Sirius was interrupted by a person across the way of his cozy living room.

            "Who's on the telephone?" James asked as he grabbed a butterbeer and threw himself onto the couch nearby.

            No one, Sirius mouthed, I'll be right back.

            "Sure thing."

            As he exited to the next room over, James snapped open the bottle and took a swig of his drink.

            "So what is going wrong, Lily?" Sirius asked, just merely curious. "I don't think you have ever called be before.  Got another date with Gilderoy you need to get out of?"

            "Not exactly, Sirius," She said and cringed slightly.  "But I do need a favor to ask of you."

            "Shoot away." 

            He seated himself in a comfortable chair and settled in for a long conversation.  Then, he involuntarily began to fiddle with the curtains on the windows and he glanced at the snow outside mixed with soft moonlight.

            "Well, you know Petunia's having this wedding, right?"

            "Sure.  You have only mentioned it a couple times," he laughed, a smile gracing his handsome face.

            "Yeah…I know," she grinned through the phone and started to twist the telephone chord around her finger.  "I just…was wondering…if you would, could possibly want to be my date to it."

            "…What?"

            He nearly choked on nothing.  He definitely hadn't been expecting her to ask that.

            "Oh…I mean, I understand if…you don't want to…"

            "No," he said firmly and sat up in his chair "I don't mind at all.  I'll go."

            "Really?" She questioned incredulously. "Alright then…It's at two p.m. on Saturday.  And a nice outfit or even a suit would be most desirable.  Petunia would turn into the ninja bride if we waltz on into the church in wizard attire."

            "Are harmless practical jokes acceptable, Miss Lily?"  Sirius joked, waiting for her reaction.

            "Not at all.  I want to see if you can truly live up to you're name," she replied seriously.

             "Oh, but babe, I am already a star."

            "Ha-ha," she laughed.  If he had been anywhere near her, she would have smacked him.  Or hexed him.  It would have depended on whether or not her wand was closer or her hand.

            "Well…I have to go, but I'll call you back later," he said flirtatiously.

            "Do you even have this number?"

            "I have your address.  That should be enough for me to find you," he grinned.

            "Stalker," Lily countered, laughing at his ridiculousness.

            "See you…," he glanced around suspiciously just for kicks, "…Soon…Lily…"

            "'Bye, Nut-case."

            She couldn't believe it.  She was going to the wedding with…Sirius…of all people?

            Still…she was happy he had agreed.  Better call Petunia…

            On Sirius's end of the line, he hung up and walked over a room to his best friend.  He felt particularly content for helping out a friend.  That was the good deed for today…

            "Who was that?" James grinned, looking up from the Daily Prophet he had snagged from the coffee table.

            "It was...umm...hrm..."

            Now to explain it to James, without getting hexed…