James's auror parents have been murdered by Deatheaters though we don't know the details. After discovering startling news about his lineage James tries to breakup with Lily in order to 'protect' her in which she replies that he is an idiot (which he is as we all very well know!). Now the Marauders, Lily and Mia have come up with a plan in order to spy on the Slytherins to see what they are hiding… well what they are hiding that we haven't already figured out that is…
Flirting, Seducing and Other Fun Stuff
"Mia you've got a horrible fever. There is no way in heck that as your best friend I'm going to let you risk your arse like this!"
"You mean you'd let me risk it if I wasn't sick?" Mia replied artfully before coughing into the thick scarlet covers.
"O sod off McKinnon. There's no way your going through with this and that's final." Lily said in a mixture of a motherly-yet- as- head-girlish-sort-of-way. Apparently that's possible…
"But Lils you need me! How else are you going to get this done with? Flirting your way into the Slytherin common room just doesn't seem like a very Lily Evans type of thing to do honestly." She said chocking out her words between two fits of coughs.
"Don't bother with that right now," she said absentmindedly twiddling with Mia's sheets as she was perched on the side of her bed. "Did you see Madame Promfrey?"
"Yah and the mad nurse gave me a hundred or so different goodness-knows-what concoctions and planned to keep me bed ridden for a week… Goodness and that was just when I brought Randy Kline in because he got a paper cut. No thank you!"
"Right… right." She sighed. "It doesn't really matter Mia- don't worry about it."
"Whatd'ya mean don't worry about it? Lily a mad man is trying to take over the world and all you're telling me is to go see the bloody nurse?"
"Mia its O-KAY. Don't worry you can flirt and seduce the secrets out of the Slytherins and save wizarding-kind next week."
"Huffah!" said Mia half heartedly. "But what about your Jamie?"
"Huh?"
"Jamsie Wamsie Poo?"
"Who?"
"Potter!"
"Oh!"
"Oh is right Lils."
"Oh well… James will understand."
"Lils… no seriously I'm fine… better off then him at least. I can do this seriously… let me." Mia said sincerely starting to sit up but Lily pushed her back in the bed forcefully muttering to herself.
"Well… I can always… it can't be too hard… I am said to be better then 'Tunia and she's engaged…"
"Lily?"
"Hm?" she said in the middle of her musing.
"What are you… no you aren't seriously thinking of seducing Malfoy and them? Oh dear God, James will kill me," she groaned. "O he's just going to adore me for letting you go off on some Slytherin let alone some Death Eater."
"Well like you said we can't let him down." Lily said with a small smile.
"But you're too… goodish and Muggle born, Lily I am not letting you!" she said stubbornly before dissolving into a coughing fit again.
"They're still guys aren't they? Pureblood… Muggle born… they're slightly slow when they want to be…"
"Well then I hope you aren't going to wear that." Mia said with an evil smirk playing on her lips eying her uniform.
"What's wrong with… oh no Mia get that thought out-of-your-head-right-now!" Lily chirped shaking her head madly as if a feverish (literally- her temperature was 100) girl had enough power in to take away her freedom of choice or what not.
"Lily, come on think seductress."
"Maybe we should wait until next week… then you can go along acting like the scarlet woman you really are…"
"I resent that," Mia said distinctly. "Now go see how short my black skirt is on you… no not that one… yes that one!"
OOOOOOOOOOooooooooooOOOOOOOOOO
"Can we go now?" Sirius moaned from his position- spread across (handsomely at that) one of the chairs in the common room as James sat by the fireplace and turned around and shushed his friend quickly jerking is head toward Sirius's fan club who was eying him adoringly… like usual.
"O yes, I forgot that they could be spies… yes those second years have as much of a chance as Wormtail mate." Sirius chuckled.
One such girl overheard part of this and burst into tears thinking he meant it in that way.
James not noticing this said darkly, "Sirius this is not just another prank."
His best mate straightened up for a second, eying him seriously, "I know Prongs."
James sighed sending him a grin (that made one of Sirius's fan club swoon as the other looked at the traitor in disgust…all of his fan club converted a whiles back when they figured out all hope was lost) and shook his head at Sirius's bipolar attitude, which he wouldn't honestly change for anything.
The schools' reaction upon hearing the death of the parents (and parent like figures when you think about it) of Hogwarts' golden boy (and his equally as crucial on the social pyramid mate) was very… insensitive to say the least.
Well, no that wasn't true.
Those who were also affected by the building war (which was a plentiful) had told him sincere regards. But when you are still in your own pain at 'how could this happen to me?' it's hard to sympathize with others.
But a plethora of the sympathies he got… were sickening… is Marauder popularity that he seemed to kind of forgot about this year seemed to come crashing back to him… and still…. It was hard to ignore the 'I'm so sorry James… really am…' from a smiling suggestively Hufflepuff, without being appalled how people tended to try and use everything to their advantage…
James inwardly thanked Lily so much for practically screening all the sympathizers before they talked to him… a weird act that some may take the wrong way of being controlling or what not but he understood where she was coming from and was quickly mimicked by the other Marauders.
He wouldn't know what he would do without them… Lily without her comforting smiles, Sirius with his cocky 'mate,-it'll-be-okay' brother-like ways, Remus with his understanding and Peter for just being there.
"Finally, Lillers is here! Jamie let's GO!" Sirius chanted dragging him out of the portrait hole, gesturing to Remus to go. (Peter was staying as back up…)
"Hey Lils, where's McKinnon?" Sirius asked looking past her shoulder as if she was hiding the o-so-attractive brunette behind her.
"Er… yah." Lily smiled taking James off to the corner before he disappeared under the cloak. "Hey James just a second, okay?"
"God- Lily we are trying to do a bust here! Don't you think you can have your broom closet time later!" Sirius called as she did this while Remus coughed something that sounded oddly like 'well if Mia was here' which Sirius chose to ignore.
"James," she said from the corner (away from Sirius hearing distance- which is quite far…). "I love you, okay?"
"Huh?" he said confused smiling slightly. "Are you breaking up with me or something?"
"No… just remember that. Okay?"
"Definitely… and er... dido."
"I'll remember that as well." She said as he disappeared under the cloak and she slowly made her way down to the floor where the Slytherin dormitory laid.
From under the cloak Sirius once again was onto more serious topics for discussions. "Where is McKinnon?"
"Sirius she's probably there… already got in and waiting for us." Remus said reasonably as they moved across slowly. It had been so much easier when they were eleven… now they were all tall teens… no… men fully grown through by now and well… goodness it was harder… but they would NOT let Sirius transform… that turned out badly once when Filch's cat spent a good long time chasing him… apparently interested or something….
So as they walked along they saw a strange fifth year flash a pin at Lily (who was not under the cloak…).
"Oh God, is that one of those 'it won't last' pins?" Remus asked in a mixture disgust, amazement and amusement. "I thought they were long gone… for at least a month or so, at least since Valentines day? Padfoot I though there was some sort of self-destruct thing on them."
"Which may or may not have been activated…" he smirked. "I still personally have my doubts."
"Sirius! That's it Remus you're the best man…"
"Hey!" Sirius said starting to grovel… the best man tends to get lots of attention on said day, (if he had a subconscious it too would add something along the lines of- especially from those bridesmaids…. And he had a good idea who that 'honor' position belonged to… ).
After fifteen minutes or so they slowed down (even more so) as they reached what more or less is known as 'Slytherin territory' considering that there was no classes around, needed rooms or anything that would require any non-Slytherin to wander that around there (unless it was to die the Quiditch team's uniforms pink which of course had NEVER been done… er… lately), and Lily approached the corner where Mia was supposedly suppose to meet Lucius Malfoy. But, instead there seemed to be no site of her curly hair anywhere and instead they saw Lily approach the dark silhouette waiting there leaning impatiently sneering as he saw the head girl approach.
"What do you need Mudblood?" he smirked as she walked towards him.
"Well Malfoy, you have a way with words," she smiled. "But I'm here… do you really think I don't know what my best friend is up to? Really…"
"So are you going to turn us in Evans?" he said as she took to taking off her cloak.
"What is she doing?" Sirius whispered as he watched a stunned James see his girlfriend… well in less then he may or may not have ever. "I thought Mia was doing this."
"Or hopping," Remus whispered back as he made to check James was still alive.
A pleased Malfoy then seemed to continue talking as he lead her to the common room and they followed (quietly).
The Marauders have been in this place a total of exactly six times… always for pranks but this time they needed a more fool proof plan. Well apparently this wasn't it… but it was too late to turn back now.
"If he touches her I will…." James seethed watching Lily who was still quite uncomfortable with the idea inch away from Malfoy as the other Slytherins gathered around.
Lily was not going to let some-idiot-Deatheater-wannabe-grope-her-when-she-won't-even-let-her-own-boyfriend-most-of-the-time.
This was weird… last year she was so very sure he wanted to get laid or snog senseless or whatever… but once again she was proven wrong… they were just teenager she knew that all his suggestive jokes were just that… jokes… So yes, it was okay… but sometimes… Urgh… not the time to think about it though!
"James… relax." Sirius said reassured maybe just a bit that it wasn't you know who (the other one) doing this work as they silently stood by carefully under a charm (put on by Lily of course) so they would camouflage more or less in the room… but still it was risky.
Lily wasn't doing much better.
"Well I knew you were too good for Potter," Snape sneered. "With him and his dear parents and all… we sure got a laugh."
Lily gave a pained smile she hoped wouldn't look too dreadful as James noticed contentedly that her fists were clenched very tightly.
"We knew you were a talented Mudblood… still a different one at that… the Dark Lord has seen this Evans…" Lucius said, as if he in particular was his right hand man or something… boys always ragging about their connections… even as there practically- fiancés looked on with poisonous stares.
"Well… yes… Potter got dreadfully boring after that. But still after so long I thought I'd lead him on or something… poor sap… for the fun of it at least." For faking it Lily could be pretty malice.
Where they that pathetic? A smirk and a short skirt and suddenly they believed her?
"Surely… if you are ever bored again…"
I'm going to gag… was more along the lines of what Lily was thinking.
"But there are some things the Dark Lord expects Evans… there are some… requirements… we are not a recruiting party. Our secret must not get out… at least not now… here… we must protect out legitimacy until the time is right."
"Still, it's been over practically eight years Malfoy… sure only in the past some has it been anything noticeable with a name and face… but aren't you ready now? Isn't the Dark Lord in power?"
"Evans… no… you don't know how these things work… we'll tell you and do try not to let on about your… background," LeStrange sneered as James felt like whacking him but was held back by Remus.
And of course James held back… and Lily's fists were clenched even tighter through it all.
And afterwards standing up to leave with mentions of 'telling Mia', and was walked past the portrait hole she felt sickened when she felt a hand go around her waist but relaxed when realized its' familiarity seeing a slightly visible James.
"You scared me half to death," she whispered making sure they were out of range taking off the charm quickly noticing that Remus and Sirius had left… smart of them. "You made it all right?"
"Practically killed me Evans… learning you were trying to lead me on and what not."
"Well… yes you had to learn eventually James," she smiled moving closer to him.
"You do realize you just got yourself trapped into a lot of trouble?" he said and she noticed the seriousness in his worried tone and smiled softly.
"Don't worry about it."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you trust me?"
"Seriously, after finding out that you were playing me the whole time… no…" he said smiling as well but still not fully relaxed at all and trying to hide it well enough.
"Well good then," she said quickly checking her watch. "Well enough sleuthing for now."
"Lily Evans…not wanting to sleuth around?"
"Surprise, surprise, it's one in the morning. Happy Birthday Potter," she smiled as realization dawned over him and she guided him towards a near by broom closet.
Someone was watching this all, a boy with dark oily hair that hung over his eyes in appalling manner very opposite of Sirius's sighed from his corner as he saw the couple move away.
Severus Snape of course wouldn't be fooled… he knew there was too much good in her… sadly it was a lie but he could have hoped that she would consider it… and once again there was another secret he would keep.
I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY…
I HATE this chapter (urgh) but I needed to get SOMETHING out there… urgh… I wrote my self into a hole that I HAD to get out of… Listen… I am seriously a screwed up person! (Just moved a month and a half ago… eeks… like I've complained many times previously HALF WAY AROUND THE WORD!) But seriously that's not an excuse… I did what I swore I'd never do when I started I know… but honestly my finals are the end of next month but I have vacations until the 14th of January so I hope to have a chapter up before then… don't worry I'm not giving up! I just reread and skimmed previous chappies trying to recall the story and goodness I love it… it's sappy, cheesy, and icky at times but I still love what I started and will continue…. And look for changes in QoF and others…
I'M SUCH AN IDIOT! Please I hope some people are still reading! PLEASE STAY WITH ME:) (Also do expect replies… new system rocks… and a new New Year one shot along with tons of other stuff coming out slowly but surely!)
Like always,
TajM