Before the Prophecy: The Life of the Marauders

Disclaimer: I own nothing about Harry Potter in the previous two chapters I have written. What a surprise, I own nothing in this chapter either. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling. Whoop-de-doo. I think I'll go wallow in my self-pity now.

Authors Note: Okay, my new spiffy chapter is up. Please, give me your comments and suggestions. In other words, REVIEWS make me very HAPPY. Here's a small diagram for you to remember

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Also, there is a reference to popular culture in this chapter, mentioning Prince Charles. Remember, in the seventies, he was a teenager…not some fifty-year old man with two kids and a new bride named Camilla. XD

Chapter Three: Crabs and Crickets

As the compartment doors swung open, James Potter found a red head pacing back and forth, mumbling some incoherent words under her breath.

The girl glanced up at James as she heard his footsteps. "You are la—" Her intense green eyes, that just a moment ago were full of impatience, now grew wide in surprise. "Potter?" She asked astonished.

James just smiled. "No, I'm a death eater in disguise. Of course it's me," he said. He walked past a blubbering Lily and glanced around the room. "It's quite nice," He observed.

The compartment was a bit larger than the normal one, and the cushions were made of deep crimson velvet, instead of the plaid cotton used regularly. In between the two cushioned seats, was a small table made of Cedar. The walls were painted with striped colors of red and brown to match the cushions. Before James could glance around the room any longer, Lily had stridden over towards him.

"Just what do you think you're doing Potter?" She said as her face scrunched up slightly. It appeared that she was trying her hardest to maintain her dignity, instead of yelling at him. She placed her left hand on her hip, tapping her foot slightly in annoyance.

James turned back to face Lily, smirking slightly. "Lily, Lily, Lily," He shook his head back and forth as he said this. James placed a hand on the small table and leaned on it lazily. He ran a hand through his tousled locks as he explained. "Now, I think we should be on first name terms, don't you?" He looked down at the table and noticed a small fruit bowl was placed in the center of it. James pleased his mild hunger by taking the nearest apple and biting into it.

Lily cried in frustration and took the apple from him, wincing at the bitten mark in it. "Those apples," She said, her eyes darting towards the untouched fruit. "Are for the head boy and girl only! Uttering the last words in a deathly whisper she gazed at him with the up most revulsion. "What did you do? Hex the real head boy and trap him in the luggage compartment?"

James put his hand over his heart melodramatically and said. "Oh, that hurt Evans. It just so happens that I am /the/ head boy this –" James was interrupted however, by Lily who started to laugh. He stared at her, confused by her sudden change in mood. Soon, he grew annoyed as he noticed small tears were forming in her ducts. They were not from sadness, but complete and utter amusement.

"Head boy?" Lily asked rhetorically. "You? I suppose it makes sense—" This time, Lily was interrupted by James who was growing slightly irritated by her disbelief. True, he didn't believe it himself at first, and neither did Sirius, but that doesn't mean /she/ had the right to mock /him/.

"Yes that's bloody right it makes sense!" James said irritably. He practically threw himself down on the chair, as if displaying his right to sit there. To further prove this unnecessary point, James placed his hands behind his head and used the table as a foot rest.

"Get your dirty feet off that!" Lily screeched. She walked over and attempted to push James's bulky school shoes off the table. It didn't do much good. James graced six feet, and large feet along with it. Lily however, was vertically challenged, reaching five foot three on a lucky day. With a groan, she attempted to push his feet off the table. She sighed as his feet didn't budge. "Move them," She said venomously.

James irritability was now dwindling, as Lily became the annoyed victim instead of him. "Well, you could use the magic word you know," James teased.

Lily responded by cheekily replying, "Which magic word Potter?" Lily grinned and flicked out her wand, which moments ago had been tucked safely in the inside of her cloak. "I know oh so many now. Let's see…I could stun you, make your tongue five feet long with purple dots, flip you upside down, put horns on your ears, cut off your-" Lily stopped as James huffed and dropped his feet with a large thump. Lily smiled, obviously pleased that she one the small battle. "I was going to say-before I was so rudely interrupted,"

At this point, James opened his mouth in defiance, but Lily continued, too quick for him to utter anything more than a, "but"

"It makes perfect sense that you are head boy. In fact, I don't see how Dumbledore could not have picked you," Lily said innocently. James failed to notice this and smiled foolishly.

"Exactly what I was going to say if-" James was now interrupted by Lily who was actually interrupted by James in the first place. Confused?

"As /I/ was saying. You are the perfect person for head boy, since your bloody head is the biggest one I've ever seen in the seventeen years of my short existence!" Lily shouted, flailing her arms in the air. "Now tell me where the real head boy is, or I'll have to tell Professor Dumbledore you have attempted to hinder my responsibilities of fulfilling my /rightful/ duty as head girl!"

James sat up straight and removed his hands from behind his head. "Now wait a tick! I am head boy! I can prove it," Lily turned towards him, folding her arms on her chest as if she dared him to even try.

James stood up and mumbled something incoherent. He sunk his hands into his outside cloak pocket and fumbled through it, furrowing his brow in concentration. Licking the top of his lip, James took out several objects and placed them on the table. He noticed Lily glancing over, obviously trying to pretend she wasn't interested.

On the table, James had thrown out three pieces of crumpled up paper, one knut, several Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans, a piece of Drooble's bubble gum, and a key. "It's one of the notes," James said quickly.

"Well obviously," Lily said, rolling her eyes as she took a seat across from him. "It's not like Dumbledore gave you a jelly bean encoded with a secret message. Really, the things boy's keep in their pockets. It's revolting!"

James stopped looking in his other one, which turned out to be empty and asked Lily. "Well what's in yours than?"

Lily blushed and muttered. "I don't see how that's any of your business or concern Potter. It isn't relevant to this conversation."

James leaned foreword over the table, his face a mere meter or two from Lily's. "Oh, but it is. Since we are conversing about the possessions in my pocket, it is only fair we discuss the ones in your pockets. It's practically a rule."

Lily chuckled and unsuccessfully tried to turn it into a cough. If James thought she found him amusing, who knows what might happen. "A rule Potter? Under what pre-tenses is this pocket rule ever mentioned? Is it written down on some document?"

James smiled, pleased she had forgotten, or more realistically, put aside the head boy issue for a moment. "One of my rules, as big-headed boy is," James smirked. "If one head asks for private information that isn't relevant to any head student agenda, than the other is deserved the chance to ask as well,"

"Oh really?" Lily asked, glancing down at the objects strewn across the table, amused. "Of course, for this to work, you would have to actually be head boy in the first place…which you have yet to prove,"'

"I'm getting to it," James muttered. He reached for the first crumpled up note and unfolded it in a way where it would be impossible for Lily to see any of it's' contents.

"You're so immature Potter," Lily said. "If I had wanted to look at your worthless slips of paper, I would have done it by now."

James responded by widening his eyes and saying, "Na-uh," in a childish tone, causing Lily to smirk. Once again, she tried to stifle it unconvincibly.

James eyes scanned the first note, which when unfolded revealed a memo from Sirius that morning. He had found it in the bathroom, next to his sink. It replaced James's toothbrush In scrawled writing it said,

Sorry for using your toothbrush on my shoes. They were dirty and I didn't want to use my own. I owe you a new one.

--Padfoot.

P.S.: I ate the last chocolate chip muffin too, so I owe you one of those as well.

James chuckled and passed it to Lily who was eying it. "Just a note from Sirius," He explained as Lily read it. "He's a bit odd, that one is," Lily said, smiling all the same.

James nodded in agreement and opened the next note.

At this one, James felt a blush creeping up on his cheeks. In no possible way, could he let Lily see this one. In the center, was a drawing of a small snitch. Drawn inside the snitch, were the initials "L.E."

Below this, was the familiar scrawled writing of Sirius.

L.E. Prongs? I'm guessing this doesn't stand for Lorenzo Esquire, that prat in Slytherin does it?

L.E…hmmm….what could that stand for?

The writing changed to a smaller, closely knit together handwriting that James recognized as his own.

Sod off Padfoot.

Sod off? It's not my fault you're a pathetic nincompoop.

I am not a nincompoop.

Fine, but your still pathetic. I'm in love. I'm loony. I'm loony. I have no life because I follow Lily around all day.

Piss off. At least I didn't eat the pot pouri in the hotel by the Leaky Cauldron

It smelled good!

James quickly folded it and muttered. "Not this one," Lily raised a brow in amusement.

"Well what's on that one than?" Lily asked.

"Nothing," James squeaked. "Just a bit of parchment."

"Just a bit of parchment?" Lily repeated. "Well than I can see it if isn't anything important right?"

"No," James said defiantly. "It wouldn't interest you."

Lily laughed. "You think toothbrushes interest me? Hand it over Potter."

"Never," James said smirking, for he thought he had won. James placed it in his cloak pocket and wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "You'd have to come over here to get it."

"Oh is that so?" Lily asked. "Fine, never mind tha-ACCIO NOTE!" She cried, as James loosened his grip. It flew into Lily's face and she quickly opened it.

"Hey!" James said, reaching over in attempts to grab it. Lily smirked and looked down at it. James mumbled something, his ears turning red. As Lily read it, her face started to turn considerably pinker.

"Erm…well is it that one?" She asked, handing James the note back and pretending she hadn't read anything.

James shrugged and he carefully opened the note, taking a deep breath. James let out a sigh of relief. There was Professor Dumbledore's familiar handwriting, informing James that he was head boy. "Yes it actually is," James said, now eagerly handing Lily the note.

Lily took it slowly, but glanced at it quickly, her eyes widening. James on the other hand, looked quite smug and rather happy with himself. He leaned back in his seat and hummed, waiting for her reaction.

"No," Lily said quietly. "No, this can't be. You—you—you must have forged this note or something!" She cried in desperation.

James stiffened his back. "Oh come on. You can't believe that. Look, I've got the badge right here!" James removed his cloak, revealing his oxford shirt, tie, and badge. Lily stared at it for a moment and looked up at him. "You could have STOLEN it," She cried.

James stood up now, getting angry. "Why can't you just believe me? Am I that bad! You know most girls would be ecstatic to be working with me!"

Lily who had started to pace back and forth turned. "James Potter! You are the most irritating boy I have ever met!" She said it in such a dramatic tone that it sounded almost humorous. In fact, James started to chuckle.

Lily started to storm out of the compartment and James called after her with one last statement. He just had to win. "Anyone ever tell you Lily? That you look positively ravishing when you mad?" Lily turned around and grabbed an old school book left by a former head. She pursed her lips and chucked it at him. Due to James quick reflexes, he ducked in time. However, he was not fast enough for the next one. This was a much heavier book and was not aimed at his head, but at his well erm…you know. James didn't even see it coming, until it was too late. It hit him and he fell down with a groan. "Evans!" He gasped as he watched her walk off, her long red hair moving in the breeze.

Lily's POV

Lily chuckled as she heard James fall to the ground. "Stupid prat," She muttered. Lily walked through the passageway, and stopped at one compartment door, located on the left of the train. She flung it open, with a smug look on her face as she turned to see three bickering teens.

"Really Alice...Frank is nice and all, but he is no Prince Charles,"

"Well, I wouldn't want a prince anyway. All they do is sip tea and play that boring muggle game…I think its Crabs."

"And…Prince Charles is a muggle."

"He's still gorgeous,"

The rather pointless discussion was being conversed by the three teenage girls in the compartment. "It's called Cricket," Lily said, getting the trios' attention. They looked up and the one nearest the door stood up.

"Right, Cricket. I was close," The standing girl, with short blond curls said.

"Oh yes Alice, because Crickets and Crabs are both so similar," Morgan McLaggen said sardonically. "Really, you should write to Darwin and tell him you have found some error in his lifetime study of evolution. It turns out insects and crustaceans are the /exact/ same thing." The bespectacled girl raised her head up at Lily and nodded. "I'm awaiting the details."

Lily groaned inwardly and plopped down next to their other friend, Lucille Jenkins, a tall girl with mousy brown and hair and numerous freckles. Lucille tended to be the mediator, keeping the peace between the four friends. "Actually," Lucille said, as she closed the book she was reading. "I'm pretty sure Darwin dealt with /human/ evolution…not crabs and insects. She is right though Alice. You weren't close."

Lily nodded and asked. "What are we talking about here anyway? I caught something about crabs and Prince Charles."

Morgan brushed back a strand of her short black hair and informed Lily, "Oh, Alice here was just obsessing over Frank. She was telling us how sweet he is and how cute he is and how gor—"

"Oh be quiet," Alice said, her pale blue eyes darting at Morgan in annoyance. She turned to Lily and asked with an eager tone, "So, who is the head boy?" She leaned in closer, as if Lily was about to reveal some useless gossip.

"You won't believe it if I told you," Lily said, shaking her head in grievance. "Can I look at that?" She asked, pointing to Lucille's witch weekly. Lucille nodded, her hazel eyes staring aimlessly out the window.

"Oh just tell us!" Morgan whined, now looking almost as excited as Alice.

"Fine…it's Potter," Lily said, folding her arms and looking at the three.

Morgan snorted slightly. "Potter? James Potter?"

"What other Potters do we know Morgan?" Alice asked, looking over at Lily with concern. "Oh how awful Lily. Of course, Frank says that James really isn't that bad. He really likes you a lot."

"Frank likes Lily?" Morgan asked, raising her brow. Morgan tended to tune out whatever she wanted and listen in to what she wanted to hear. In a way, she was a bit like a female Sirius.

"No silly," Alice said, shaking her round head. Her soft curls bounced as she explained. "James like Lily. Frank says that James talks about her all the time in the dorm room. It's always Lily this and Lily that or I wonder what Lily will think…"Alice giggled softly. Morgan just rolled her eyes.

Lily felt a small blush creeping up on her cheeks, and she wasn't sure why. "He talks about me?" Lily asked innocently, trying to pry information out of Alice. Luckily, Alice was like a non-stick pan. Information can off quite easily. She just loved to dish it out, like a non-stick pan and pancakes.

"Oh yes," Alice said, getting excited again. She did exactly what Lily hoped she would do, give out so much information, that Lily was almost sick of the topic she had asked about in the first place. "Frank says he sometimes over hears the Marauder's talking at night about things. I asked him what type and he kind of smirked and asked if one of my friends was Lily Evans. I said of course silly. She is only like my best friend—"

Morgan interrupted Alice and in the most polite tone she could muster asked.

"I'm sorry Alice, but how does this pertain to anything…at all?" Lucille and Lily had difficulty holding back chuckles, but Alice didn't notice.

"I'm getting there," She said impatiently. "Anyway, he says that James is obviously like in love with Lily because anytime anyone mentions her name, he gets this weird glossy look in his eye and asks about her." Alice chuckled. "Perhaps you should give him a chance."

"She has a point there Lily," Lucille spoke up, watching Lily look at her two friends in shock. "I mean, you have to admit, James is really good-looking."

"More like gorgeous," Morgan commented.

"You guys!" Lily cried in defiance. "Since when is everything about looks?"

"It isn't," Lucille said. "But James has matured a bit and you still say he's an ugly conceited prat."

"I never said he was ugly." Lily muttered.

"HA!" Morgan shouted, causing the other three to flinch. "I knew, it you're in denial! Denial! Denial!"

"Oh sod off," Lily said, in a playful manner. "I still hate his stupid guts."

"Even if their gorgeous guts," Lucille added, causing the four girls to burst in a giggling fit. After they stopped laughing, Lucille asked. "So, what did you do when you found out James was head boy?"

Lily mumbled something incoherent and blushed.

"What's that?" Morgan asked, leaning in. "All I heard was mumble-mumble-prat-mumble,"

"I said I chucked two books at him. One missed his head and the other hit the prat in the family jewels,"

"Lily!" Alice said, over the three laughing girls as Morgan did an impersonation of James. The funny thing was, it was quite uncanny in resemblance.

Author's Note: Done. Wow. This was rather long. Eight, almost nine pages. Please, please, comment on my chapter. I think the ending seemed a bit rushed, but I'm not sure. Also, I was wondering if the dialogue seemed realistic. I tried saying it in my head, but I wasn't sure. Remember, REVIEW! It makes me happy.