Playing the Part
By: Shrk-bait
Chapter 7: The Dangers of Lily Evans
The heart has reasons that reason does not understand. -- Jacques Benigne Bossuel
She barked the password, "scourgify" and tapped her foot impatiently as the Fat Lady revealed the entrance and attempted to spark a conversation with her, which she responded to coldly.
She was far to irked to bother with making friends with a portrait at this point. She wanted to conserve her anger, and unleash it all upon the one person she felt truly deserved it.
"Potter! You . . . me . . . talk . . . now!" she commanded, not bothering to conceal her feelings.
"You called ever so lady-like?" he countered, flashing his trademark grin.
Once he noted the serious glaring from Lily's eyes, he quickly wiped off his face and modified his response to her.
"Sorry. S'up Evans?"
"Change it back. I knowyoumay think this is some sort of joke, but other people take this play extremely seriously. If you think for one second that being Head Boy gives you the right to change Professor Harris' choices, you've got another thing coming to you." She reprimanded, eyes glinting ferociously.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" he scratched his head, tilting it to the right ever so slightly.
"I'm talking about this. It's really not funny, Potter." She sighed angrily, thrusting the scroll at his face.
He looked at it cautiously and gingerly unraveled it, his eyes growing wide as he saw his own name on the list – the leading role, nonetheless.
"Congrats, Evans. Or should I say, Lady Capulet?" he laughed at his own joke. "Oy Padfoot, Moony! Get in here!"
"Yes, oh mighty Potter? Is there a reason why you are calling us to the Common Room when we were in the middle of a thrilling chess match?" Sirius grumbled, mockingly placing his hands crossly on his hips.
"Don't listen to him, Prongs. My victory over Padfoot was imminent. You simply delayed the destruction of his knight and eventual defeat. So, what exactly did you need us for?" Remus clarified, a smug look on his face.
"No it wasn't Moony! Even ask Wormtail! What do you say? He wasn't about to win, was he Pete?" Sirius asked indignantly.
"Uh . . . no comment?" Peter grinned, while Sirius continued to mutter huffily.
"Have you seen this? Harris must not hate us as much as she lets on. We all got rather decent roles." James pointed animatedly towards the paper.
"Well I'll be. Who'd have thought? Me . . . Sirius Black . . . an actor. Actually, I always knew I would be famous." He grinned. "Famous or infamous, at least."
"Kudos Prongs. Quite an accomplishment. I'm surprised she even considered us for roles. After the show Padfoot put on in her class a few years back, I would never have guessed." He admitted, obviously flabbergasted.
"Just make sure you don't mess up, Prongs. Because I'll be in the audience, watching your every move." Peter cackled evilly. "Don't choke, mate."
"Wormtail . . . you know me better than that. I thrive on pressure." James reassured him, while Lily shot them all a disgusted look.
"Now that you're all updated on the situation . . . and have all had your fun . . . change it back." Lily insisted, having dealt with enough of the Marauders for one day.
"Evans, love, I know you want to do wonderfully on your N.E.W.Ts, but you really need to get some sleep. You're going crazy, darling." Sirius slung his arm casually around her shoulders.
"Black, doll, you're crazy if you think I'm going to fall for another one of your pranks. There is no way Potter, king of insensitive, bigheaded prats, could have been chosen to be Romeo, one of the most caring, romantically written characters ever. There is no way Professor Harris could possibly be so susceptible to the acclaimed 'Potter Charm'." Lily shoved his arm away, the volume of her voice rising.
"Believe it or not, dear, I have heard nothing about any plans to send out fraud list of roles for the play. And I . . . hear everything that goes on in the heads of the rest of these mischievous miscreants. I'm the brains of the operation, you know." He grinned, displaying his pearly whites to Lily.
"Oh, really, sweetie? I thought you were the senseless idiot who takes the blame for it all. My mistake." She stressed, catching on to Sirius' carefree game.
"Honey, what I say is true. I just allow Remus over here to take the role as 'brains' of the Marauders, when actually, it's all about me. I just feel pity for the poor boy. As for the rest of them, they'd be lost without me. Poor blokes. Can you imagine the Marauders without a Sirius Black? Inconceivable!" he declared, defiantly shaking his fist into the air.
"I wouldn't dare to think of it, babe. Everyone sees the rapt attention you pay in every single one of your classes. How could theynotrealize your brilliance? What about your modesty? Now that is unsurpassable."
"Well, su—" he began, grinning.
Lily had an excellent sense of humor, from his point of view. Once you got past all the stressing, responsible, slightly insane side(s) of her.
"That's enough of that, you two. I think you've sucked the English language dry of all the endearing pet names that I can tolerate." Remus admonished, smirking.
"What a party-pooper." Sirius pouted, winking at Lily. She sent him a small smile, rolling her eyes jokingly.
"Ha! I won." She declared, throwing her hands upward in triumph, while Sirius hung his head in defeat, still smiling.
"I'm a shame to the Marauders. Well, I'm off to go bawl in a corner, rocking myself back and forth in a corner while contemplating how I could possibly have been defeated by you, Evans." He inched towards the exit, dramatically pretending to burst into tears.
"You go ahead and do that, Black." Her attention shifted to the remaining boys. "Well, that was entertaining. Now, I'm off to Professor Harris' office to see who really got cast."
She strode swiftly out the door, while James shrugged at Remus and ran after her.
"Evans, hold up. I'm coming with you."
"Why? To see me horribly embarrassed when I have to tell Professor Harris about your pathetic joke?" she scathed.
"Two reasons, actually. One, to prove that I didn't pass out a fraud list of roles. And two, to figure out how the hell I managed to be cast as Romeo."
"Oh, so you don't think you deserve it either?" she raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued.
"It's difficult a concept to grasp and I'll let you in on my little secret. I'm not perfect." He lowered his voice, his face full of seriousness, though his eyes twinkled playfully.
"What? How could this be? You're fans would be so devastated if they knew!" she exclaimed, exaggerating every last word.
"I know!Shh . . . don't tell. Truth is, I didn't even want to have a huge part in the play. That's why I didn't even try out for Romeo. There are probably guys out there who would be much more dedicated to playing the part. I hadn't even known what the play was about until the day before auditions." He replied, truthfully modest.
"Are you saying that you read Romeo and Juliet in one night and completely understood it?" she asked, incredulously.
"Why? Is that bad?"
"N-no. It's just . . . very . . . difficult. What, with all the old English and everything."
Was he putting on a mask, so she would let her guard down? He seemed so sincere, but then again, he was a good actor. If he was telling the truth and really didn't change the cast, he must have been, for Professor Harris to offer him the leading role.
They reached the second floor corridor, right in front of the Muggle Studies classroom. James grabbed the handle and opened the door, motioning for Lily to enter.
She stared at him for a moment, puzzled, before entering.
Professor Harris was seated at her desk, swiveling in her chair, her hair secured on top of her head with a few accurately placed pencils – rarely seen at Hogwarts. But then again, the professor wasn't really one to conform to the norm.
"May I help you two?" she asked, staring through her glasses while sucking on the end of a quill.
"Yes, actually. I was wondering if I could see the list of cast members for the play." Lily asked curtly.
"Erm . . . sure, but why didn't you simply pick up a scroll in the Great Hall?" she muttered skeptically, while rummaging through the messy contents piled on top of her desk. "Ah ha! Gotcha. Here are my personal notes. I don't have any other copies of the list."
She handed Lily the paper, full of scrawls and scribbles in the margins. Lily skimmed through the paper, with James peering at it over her shoulder.
It read:
Romeo James Potter
Juliet Lily Evans.
With an arrow pointing to the two circled names, there were minute scribbles of what looked like the word 'chemistry'.
Lily shuddered at the mere thought. James habitually ran a hand through his tangled hair, his face pouted in confusion.
"But . . . it's not possible . . ." she mused, eyes glowing dangerously.
She hated the truth.
"Told you." He whispered in her ear before addressing the Professor. "Why exactly was I chosen? I didn't even go to the Romeo auditions."
"You were the only person who fit the role of Romeo. Just like Miss Evans, here, is the only one who could possibly play the part of Juliet." She responded, shrewdly.
Lily's mind wandered to the face of an extremely good-looking Ravenclaw. He was the perfect Romeo . . . not Potter.
"I tried out for Tybalt! Why didn't I get Tybalt?" he frowned, his voice rising slightly.
"Well, I felt that Mr. Davies was much better suited for the part. After watching you fill-in as Romeo during the Juliet auditions, it was quite obvious that no one else could have done any better."
Lily scoffed, frowning. The room was silent, as James contemplated the work he'd have to put in as the lead, while Lily mourned the fact that she'd have to spend less time with Scott, and more time with . . . Potter.
"Now, if there's nothing else to discuss, I have to correct these exams for my Muggle Studies class." She stated briskly, implying her wish for them to leave. "Honestly. Some of these kids are daft. Refrigerators that heat up foods that were frozen in the microwave. Dim, I tell you!"
James, already on his feet walked through the doorway. Lily, on the other hand, lagged behind. She had one more question.
"Are you sure I'm the right person for the part?" she inquired timidly, on her way out the door.
Professor Harris looked up from her papers. She pushed the rim of her glasses up with her finger and stared peculiarly at Lily.
"Miss Evans. I have seen and studied many plays, I've watched many girls try to play Juliet at this institute, and not one of them played the part better than you. You and Mr. Potter, well, you're the perfect Romeo and Juliet. Now, does that answer your question?" she sighed.
Lily nodded, feigning understanding.
Me? And Potter? The perfect Romeo and Juliet? That's it. She's drunk. Figures, she mulled.
Just as she shut the door behind her, James leaped out from behind the corner, yelling "Boo!"
She recoiled, letting out a startled cry. Then . . .
:whack:
The next thing she knew, James let out a thunderous bellow and cupped his hands over his nose.
"Bloody hell, Evans. Was that really necessary?" he mumbled through his hands.
"Sorry! You scared me. It was a . . . a . . . reflex." she apologized, though she couldn't help but let out a diminutive smile.
"I'm sure." He retorted sarcastically. "You've been waiting to do that since you met me. Don't try and hide that smile, Evans."
"Alright then, I won't." she drawled, amusement intertwined in her words. "But seriously, are you okay?"
She thought about what Charlotte had said, about giving Potter a chance. As reluctant as she was, she understood where Charlotte was coming from. And as difficult as it may be, she resolved to make a conscious effort to offer him a bit of credit. She would think of it as a test. Yes, a test of character.
She saw him as a challenge of her emotional control. Her temper, to be specific. There was no one in the world that could push her buttons like he. And Lily was adamant about changing that. She didn't like the thought of anyone having the upper hand. If she couldn't have control, her world would be chaotic.
"Yeah, nothing but a little blood." He shrugged it off.
"How much is a little?" she asked, trying to examine his nose, which he was obstinately covering with his hands. "Don't be so difficult and just let me see it!"
"Never!" he hollered, retreating further down the hallway.
She advanced upon him, smirking menacingly. Letting out an evil sounding cackle, she began poking at his stomach and sides.
"Surrender, Potter!" she demanded, all the while, prodding him.
He fought hard, attempting not to laugh. Eventually, Lily's persistent tickling overwhelmed him. He chortled, letting his hands fall to his sides.
"Yay! I won!" she declared, a victorious look on her face.
She glanced at James' nose, which on the other hand, looked defeated and battered. It was swollen, turning a nasty shade of violet, with a thick globular liquid smeared around it.
"Ugh . . . you're such a liar, Potter. It looks broken, for goodness sake. Men are so . . . stubborn. C'mon. You've got to go to the Hospital Wing." She diagnosed, pulling at his robes.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Women are so . . . pushy." he mumbled, plodding along next to her. "And dangerous. Most definitely."
"I said I was sorry!" she insisted in a lighthearted tone, smiling innocently.
"Oh, I just assumed that was for brutally accusing me of planting false audition results in the Great Hall, while having no actual evidence, other than your intense loathing of me." He spat out unperturbedly.
She winced, hating the fact that she was wrong.
"Fair enough. About that, I'm also, really sorry. I just assumed . . ."
"You just assumed that I, James Potter, you're life-long enemy and the bane of your existence, could never score a part that you felt was fitting for your oh-so-dreamy Ravenclaw boyfriend prospect."
His hazel eyes displayed a tint of green pigment, intently awaiting Lily's response to his last comment.
"Erm . . . is it that obvious?" she grinned, sheepishly. "That I fancy him? And that I made a rather hasty conclusion because of my dislike for you?"
The hints of emerald deepened, branching through the iris and filling his eyes with a sort of resentful quality – whether or not it had anything to do with the twinge of envy he felt in the pit of his stomach was debatable.
"Yes on both counts. But no worries, milady. I forgive you for breaking the bridge of my nose and for blaming me for Davies' obvious lack of talent." He smugly assured her.
She stopped. Just when she had thought he wasn't so bad.
"What? Obvious lack of talent? Huh! Scott Davies has more talent in his pinky finger than you do in your entire being!" she growled.
I knew it. It's still the same Potter, only trying a tiny bit harder to be more polite and hide his insufferable stupidity. Still the same cocky prat I have always hated, she thought.
"Think what you want to think, Evans. Let's just see who's Romeo . . . could it be? Oh yes, it is . . . drum roll please . . . James Potter!"
"Ooh! You're so arrogant! If I hadn't already broken your nose, I would do it again. In fact, I think I'll wait until Madame Pomprey heals you. Then I can break it again, once it's healed, just for the hell of it."
James grinned, putting his hands up in a mock surrender.
She narrowed her eyes, looking at him distrustfully through emerald slits.
Why is he smiling? Why is he always smiling? Like it's a joke, she reflected. I HATE that. Potter and his stupid jokes.
While she was thinking, he had snuck off into the Hospital Wing, under the strict protection of Madame Pomprey.
She swung open the door, only to see him sitting on a bed, an ice pack pressed to his nose, while the nurse looked around for her wand.
"Mr. Potter, I've seemed to misplace my wand, so you're broken nose will just have to stay broken for a little longer." She informed him, mystified as to how she could have misplaced her wand.
James noticed Lily, who was glaring murderously at him. He smirked in response, which only seemed to make her blood boil.
"How exactly did you break your nose anyway, Mr. Potter?"
"Oh . . . accident?" he suggested, his illustrious pride preventing him from admitting that Lily Evans had been the sole cause of his injury.
"Oh, honestly. You children and your accidents." She complained, still searching for her missing wand.
Finally, she noticed Lily's presence in the room.
"Miss, may I help you?"
"Huh? Oh, erm . . . no, actually. I just came to . . . um . . . check on Pott—my fellow Head, to see if he was alright." She covered smoothly.
"Aw. Well, he's going to be just fine. The scoundrel just broke his nose, but it'll be right in no time, just as soon as I find my wand." She cooed.
Lily sent her a sweet, innocent smile.
"Alright, then. Thank you so much for taking care of him. His recovery is very important. And I just wanted to thank you for your services." She gushed, eloquently.
Waving goodbye, she left the room, but not before giving James a clear look of irritation.
"Such a sweet girl. And such a good Head Girl. So kind, that one is. I bet she wouldn't hurt a fly." She praised, while James rolled his eyes.
"Humph. Riiight. Obviously, she feels no remorse in hurting a Potter . . ." he scowled, holding the ice to his numb nose.