The Life-Ruiners
Chapter 2: An Old Friend
Summary: James and Sirius have fun ruining the lives and reputations of many girls at Hogwarts. However, James gets tired of sleeping with girls that'll do it with him the moment he starts to seduce them—he wants a challenge. He hears a rumor that one Lily Evans is saving herself for marriage (or at least true love). That's the kind of challenge he's looking for. There's just one problem: she's heard rumors about him too. Based on Cruel Intentions.
Rating: R for language, sexual themes, sensuality, and possible violence
Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowling's characters or settings, nor do I own any plot elements taken from Cruel Intentions.
A few days later, James and Sirius decided to visit James' cousin Melanie. Well, she wasn't his cousin per say, she was actually his third cousin once removed, but they were related enough so that people thought that it would be disgusting if they went out. That killed James, because she was the hottest girl at Hogwarts, and he James Potter, hadn't slept with her.
He wasn't completely sure if Sirius had—Melanie was always so secretive about her love life. However, James was almost sure he had. Sirius was the best-looking guy at Hogwarts, apart from himself, and, although most people didn't know it, he knew that Melanie got around.
When he went into the Prefect's room he was surprised to see Melanie talking to a woman and her daughter in the commons area. He was even more surprised to find that it was no one other than Mrs. Codwell, his parent's long-time friend. She was involved in politics, something to do with relations to muggle politicians, and she had hated James ever since he was a little kid.
James thought it best not to interrupt, for the time being, and motioned to Sirius to get behind one of the many leather couches in the dimly-lit common room and listen in. He could hear Melanie talking to Mrs. Codwell and her daughter, but couldn't really decipher what she was saying.
"I can't tell you how happy we are that Cecile will be attending Hogwarts with you this semester." Mrs. Codwell roused, "You've always been an inspiration to her. We just hope she can rise to the high standards in which you've set for her."
"I'll do my best." Melanie replied, flashing her notorious fake smile that had been practiced to the point where it had finally reached perfection.
"Melanie is one of the most popular students at Hogwarts. Do whatever she says and you will go far." Mrs. Codwell said to her daughter. Then, turning to Melanie she asked, "How do you do it? Where do you get your strength?"
"Well, I know this sounds corny but whenever I feel the temptation of peer pressure, I turn to God and he helps me through the problem." Melanie replied, taking out her trademark silver cross.
James had to shove his fist into his mouth to keep from laughing. So this was the bullshit story she was telling everybody? Well, yeah, she turned to that cross whenever she was feeling down—but not because it represented God, but because it hid her secret stash of cocaine.
"Oh that's beautiful." Mrs. Codwell replied, and Melanie couldn't help herself from smirking.
"What are the boys like?" Florence asked suddenly.
"Florence! Is that all you can think of? You must forgive her." Mrs. Codwell said, looking abashed.
"Oh it's perfectly understandable. Most of the boys that matriculate at Hogwarts are upstanding young gentlemen. However, there are the occasional bad apples." Melanie explained.
"Like your cousin James and his friend Sirius." Mrs. Codwell interjected. "I can't believe they didn't expel them after what they did to the school nurse."
"I hear she's recovering quite well." James said, stepping out from behind the couch.
"NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN MRS. CODWELL!" Sirius shouted in Mrs. Codwell's ear.
"You remember my daughter Cecile?" Mrs. Codwell asked, as though she had not just voiced how horrible she believed Sirius and James to me.
"Why yes I do." Sirius said, remembering the girl from one of the many parties he had been to at the Potter's.
"My what an adorable shirt your wearing." James lied, looking at the plain muggle shirt with a koala bear that Florence was wearing.
"Thanks my daddy bought it for me in Australia." Florence said, grabbing her skirt to look at it.
"Really?" Sirius asked, smiling mischievously. "How are things down under?"
The effect was immediate—James and Sirius both laughed and gave each other a high-five and left the room, Melanie bit her lip and looked away to keep from laughing, Florence looked confused, and Mrs. Codwell closed her daughters legs.
"I'm so sorry." Melanie said, turning to Mrs. Codwell with her hand over her heart.
"Well I think we'll be going." Mrs. Codwell said, getting up to leave, "Thank you so much for all your help."
"Of course." Melanie replied, then she turned to Florence and said, "Call me and we can plan your curriculum."
"Okay." Florence said smiling happily.
After Mrs. Codwell left, James came back into the room and turned to look at his cousin.
"If I had known that there would be morons up here in the Prefect's House, or I wouldn't have come up." He said.
"I'm just taking the poor girl under my wing…" Melanie said, trying to sound casual. She then looked up at her cousin and saw that he was frowning. "What's wrong with you today?" she asked.
"I'm sick of sleeping with these insipid Hogwarts whores. Nothing shocks them anymore." He explained with asperity.
"Well you can relax. I have a mission for you."
"What?" James asked looking up, not really interested.
"Your remember Court Reynolds?" Melanie asked
"The Bulgarian freak?" James clarified, not really sure where this was going.
"That's the one." Melanie exclaimed, "Well I went to great lengths to please Court. Huge sacrifices were made on my part to keep him happy."
"Sorry." James said, getting bored.
"In any event, my feelings were hurt when I learned that Court had fallen for someone else."
"You don't mean…" James said, looking up at his cousin, a smile playing on his face."
"None other than Florence Codwell."
"So that's what this is all about."
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Melanie said, sitting on the couch, "When I get through with Florence, she'll be the premier tramp at Hogwarts. And poor court's new little princess will be damage goods."
"Why go through somebody else? Why not go to the source?" James asked, moving out of the doorway and sitting on the fireside couch.
"Because if there's an attack made on Court, it could be traced to me. And we can't have that can we? Everybody loves me. And I intend to keep it that way"
"Hmmm…I see your point. Why should I care?"
"Because I need you to seduce our young Cecile." Melanie said seductively climbing on top of James, and straddling him, playing with his hair.
"I can't." James sighed.
"Why not?" Melanie asked harshly, climbing off of him as quick as a bullet.
"C'mon Melanie, it's too easy. I have a reputation to uphold."
"Fine I'll just ask Sirius." Melanie mused.
"You know who a challenge is?" James went on, pretending his cousin hadn't said anything.
"Oh yes, Sirius told me about your poor little virgin." Melanie said, rolling her eyes.
"Can you imagine what this would do for my reputation? Seducing the Muggle Prime Minister's daughter who plans to wait? She'll be my greatest victory!"
"You don't stand a chance. Even this is out of your league." Melanie retorted.
"Care to make a wager on that?"
"Gladly." Melanie replied, smiling.
"Alright, what are the terms?"
"Your broomstick?" Melanie proposed.
"My nimbus?" James asked, scandalized. If she was going to ask for his nimbus, there had better be something really good in this for him. "What do I get?"
"Me…"
"What makes you think I'd go for that bet? There were only 15 of those models made!"
"Because I'm the only person you can't have and it kills you."
"No way." James said turning and heading towards the exit to the 4th floor corridor.
"Anytime, anywhere." Melanie offered, laying herself out on one of the couches.
"Deal…" James said, shaking her hand and turning to leave. "Well, duty calls. My last conquest should make for an exciting entry."
He was speaking of his journal where, Melanie had it under good authority, that he kept records of every girl he had ever slept with, all the information and private details he could think up about her, in case he needed them for future blackmail.
"Oh gee your journal. Could you be more weird?"
"Could you be more desperate to read it?" James asked knowingly, leaving his cousin speechless.