A/n: I spelled duel wrong on purpose.

Disclaimer: I own Dawn and Sabina

Just Another Day

Chapter 3: Meetings of Many Kinds

James approached the front compartment where a conference table had been set up. He could hear Lily speaking to the group, answering all their questions.

"No, I do not know who the head boy is," she said, "however, I hope he gets himself in here in the next minute, or…"

James smirked as he strode in. "Sorry I'm late. I got lost on the way."

"Aren't you a little old for a prefect, Potter?" spit out a sixth year Slytherin.

He was so proud of his lack of reaction: he didn't even glare. "Sorry, Berkley. I forgot to mention, I'm head boy."

There was a dramatic gasp from all the girls except Lily. James smiled appreciatively at them.

"No!" cried Berkley. "You can't both be Griffindors."

"Both Griffindors?" James appeared to notice Lily for the first time. "Oh, congratulations, Lily, I always knew you'd make it."

"Thanks," she smiled. "Now, we need to get down to business." At the collective groan, she promised, "it isn't very much.

"All we need is for all of you to sign up for patrol shifts, as well as take this sheet of parchment with a list of the following meetings. There should be one about every two weeks. Anything else, James?"

"Only this: Quidditch teams have mandatory try-outs this year, even if the team is already full. I'm not sure why they have this new rule, but if we all abide by it, it will make everyone's first week back easier."

"Who are the Quidditch captains this year?" asked a Hufflepuff girl. "I want to be able to tell the right person."

"I'm the Griffindor captain," said James. "Berkley is the Slytherin captain, I believe. And then its…"

"Jacqueline Milconiwitz and Richard Lummadue for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, respectively," said Lily.

James was speechless.

"If that's all, you can go now," she said, a bit awkwardly, now that she had a Marauder staring at her. As soon as they all filed out, she asked him. "What?"

"Since when has Lily Evans become a Quidditch expert?"

"Since Lily Evans became head girl. And Lily Evans has a question for you."

"Ask away."

"Since when has James Potter cared about being head boy?"

"Are you disappointed that you get to share a room with me?"

"No… I… WHAT?"

James smiled. "You didn't know that the heads of the houses share a private room?"

"No one told me."

"It's just one of those Hogwarts legends. It thought everyone knew."

"If it's a legend, how do you know it exists?"

He looked down, a bit embarrassed. "We found it fourth year."

Lily laughed. "I should have expected that. So… where is it?"

"You know the broom cupboard in the prefect's bathroom?" She nodded. "Well, if you're the right person, like the head boy or girl, or a guest, -"

"Or someone who is under a polyjuice potion?"

"Or someone in that circumstance, yes," allowed James, "the door opens into a common room with two bedrooms and bathrooms off to the side."

"It sounds big for two people."

"The heads are rarely there. They both have beds in their old dorms, so they can stay with their mates if they choose. Or if the other becomes an insufferable git. Or if they were dating and break up. There are lots of different reasons to keep a separate bed."

"Well, since its so big, do you want to have a party tonight?"

James smiled. "This from Miss Lily Evans, the perfect head girl?"

"I'm not perfect."

"I think you are."

Lily flushed bright red and didn't seem to have anything to say, but glancing at James she realized he was blushing too. They seemed to have the same idea, and both moved to the door of the prefect compartment, crashing into each other.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Though she was highly embarrassed, Lily was able to laugh at the situation. "Now this is a horrible beginning," she said. "If my roommate won't speak to me, I'm sure no one else will. So, are we having a party or not?"

"I'll bring butterbeer," said James weakly, grateful that she had changed the subject. "I could get it by 9:15."

"The feast ends at 8:30."

"Yes?"

"And Professor Dumbledore will want to speak with us afterward…"

"And…"

"And that will take at least until 9:00."

James sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So Sirius will be getting the butterbeer."

"Sorry to spoil all your fun so soon. But I didn't ask how you were going to get the butterbeer."

"That is an improvement, I guess," he said, though he looked a bit disappointed. "Aren't you the slightest bit curious?"

"My dear James, the curiosity is overpowering. As is the instinct to turn you in."

"You wouldn't."

"I've been working at this for six years. I wouldn't have a choice."

"You can't fight with that logic," said James, coming up to the door. He then made a noisy show of rattling the door handle, and loudly said, "Hey, Lily, I'm glad we got that over with," before he pushed the door open.

"What was that for?"

"So we don't have to endure their painfully bad explanations of what they weren't doing." In fact, this was exactly what Sirius had been prepared to give, had James not conveniently notified him of his presence.

"Alright, cards on the table," he'd said, as soon as James had left the compartment. "James likes Lily."

"Really?" Dawn rolled her eyes. "I hadn't noticed. None of the, 'Gerogie, what's Lily doing today?' 'Is Lily going home for Christmas?' 'I didn't see Lily at breakfast, is she sick?' gave me a clue."

"Georgie, sarcasm like that is bad for your health," said Sirius, rolling his eyes at her. "Now that they're sharing a room and everything, he won't have to ask you that anymore. And I'm starting a betting pool to see how long it will take for her to fall for Miguel's charm."

"Miguel?" Sabina raised an eyebrow.

Remus tried to speak through his laughter. "It's his… middle name… doesn't…. want others… to know."

"I thought it was Michael. He told Lily last year."

"That's exactly what he tells everyone," said Sirius with a completely straight face. "Anyway, Bina dear, you are the lucky one to place the first bet."

Dawn scoffed. "Lucky? Honestly, Bina, you're not going to humor this latest trend towards insanity are you?"

Sabina blushed lightly at her friend's disapproval, but her dark eyes were determined. "Three knuts says two weeks," she said, handing the money to Sirius.

"Two weeks?" Dawn was seething that they'd bet on her best friend.

"She already likes him," answered Sabina meekly.

"Five knuts for two months," said Remus, throwing his money at his friend, "because anyone who likes James and order needs time to choose between the two of them."

"Fine. Four knuts says Christmas. If I know Lily, choosing between order and James has the potential to take a long time," sighed Dawn, knowing she'd lost. "Happy now?" she asked, throwing her head back and resting her feet on the seat across from her.

"Thrilled, Georgie," answered Sirius. "And though I know I'll loose money, I have to say one week, because my buddy Prongs will beat me senseless if I don't."

"He wouldn't, would her?" asked Sabina, with a hint of concern in her voice.

Sirius and Remus shared a glance. "Miguel? Nah, he's a head boy at heart. If stupid and prone to bouts of insanity at times."

"No wonder you two are such good friends," muttered Dawn.

"Just take a nap, Georgie. We've got tryouts next week."

"I don't know how you feel about your spot on the team, Black, but I think mine's pretty firm…"

"It's a new rule that Madame Hooch is enacting this year. Don't ask me why."

"My dear Sirius, I'm never going to ask you anything again. Does anyone know what time it is?"

"Nice resolution, Georgie, but the time is 10:45."

"Gah!" The skilled chaser lobbed a book at his head.

He caught it and looked at the title. "Hmmm…Sense and Sensibility… learning anything?"

"It's Lily's book!"

There was a rattle at the door, and the heads of the houses walked in, apparently unnoticed by the four already in the compartment. Sirius was whispering with Remus, though James heard the words, "bet," and "more money," from their corner of the compartment. Sabina was watching them with curiosity, and Dawn was lounging, reading Sense and Sensibility, much to Sirius' amusement.

Suddenly Sabina seemed to notice them. "Oh, hello, Lily. How'd the meeting go?"

"Lovely," she smiled. "Though Berkley gave us a little trouble."

"My dear Lady Lilikins," cried Sirus, "as a knight of Griffindor, I swear to defend thee.

He earned an odd look from his lady and a kick from James. "Up, cur!" he cried to the latter, in a thick and horrible French accent. "For thine insult upon my honor, I shall have at thee!"

James began to talk through his nose. "Ah, so you challenge me to a deual?"

"Your perception es better zan your accent!"

"Fortunately, my fencing skills are better as well," he cried, creating a wooden sword, lunging at Sirius, who summoned blunted scimitars to either hand. They brought the fight out into the hallway and gathered quite a crowd.

Bringing his sword up, then cutting down to his friend's feet, James felt he had won. "The parry's wrong!" thought Sirius, but it didn't matter, he wasn't playing to win. He felt his legs go out from under him. "It's only a flesh wound!" he bellowed.

"Yeah, right," said James, throwing a devastating blow under Sirius' arm.

"No!" Sirius miraculously regained the use of his legs and stumbled back against a compartment wall several down from the Marauder's compartment. "James! We were… friends."

James bowed his head in remorse for his "late" friend, then marched back to where Lily was watching. "My lady," he said, dropping to one knew and kissing her hand.

"Oh brave knight!" she said, laughing, and gave him her handkerchief.

"I wear it always, next to my heart," he said, folding it and placing it in his shirt pocket.

"Sir James," she sighed, taking his arm, "what about Sir Sirius?"

"He lived a good life, madam," said James, without turning around. "He lived a good life." And with that, they retired back to compartment seven, with Sirius watching them go.

"I am so good," he muttered to himself. "If there isn't a holiday for me someday, I'll kill myself so there will be one."

But then you'll be dead, he thought.

"Yes, that would be a blow."

Well, you can have a near death experience, barely recover, and then save the world.

"Yes! That sounds like a good plan, Sirius." He smiled to himself, and then grinned suggestively at a fifth year girl who happened to be walking past. She almost swooned.

He laughed out loud. "I am so a god."