Disclaimer: Some nail polish, three tubes of lip gloss, ten pairs of shoes, and some sketches. That's it.
SEPTEMBER 2ND SIXTH YEAR
Scarlet was sitting at the Gryffindor breakfast table, glaring at her plate. She stopped when the intensity of her glare caused her food to catch fire. Anyway, there were only two Gryffie girls in her year besides herself. Riley Tomson was a devious girl with golden eyes and dark brown hair. A.J. King had intense blue eyes and blue-black hair. Actually a distant cousin of Shawn's.
Both girls were bright, funny, and tricky, but Scarlet missed Shawn, Trista, and Jay. Suddenly, she felt arms around her. Sirius was sitting on her right, his arm draped over her shoulders, and James was on her left, his arm snaked around her waist. The latter's close proximity caused Scar's heart to beat faster, and she was almost sure he could feel it.
"Good morning, beautiful," they chorused. Scarlet grinned. Of course. Get the Marauders, get POWER! Yes, Scar was… SLIGHTLY… power-hungry.
"Morning Zexy, 'Ottie."
"WAIT!" cried Sirius. "Who's who?"
"Well, you can be Zexy, and Jamez will be 'Ottie. Okay?"
"Okay."
Scarlet realized James was watching her intensely. Once again, she smooshed the urge to run her fingers through his messy hair.
"What?" she asked.
"You remind me of someone, is all."
"Oh, a lozt love, maybe?
"You could say that. She was more glorious than the rising and setting sun," he said dreamily.
"She muzt 'ave been zomezing."
"Yeah, she was. Lily Evans."
"Oh, ze Lily Aevans you thought I might be related to?"
"Her. She was a Slytherin, you know. With hair as fiery as her temper and eyes the most intriguing shade of green. You look and act a lot like her, actually. She was perfect, but she'd never let herself admit it."
"What 'appened to her?" Scar asked curiously. She wondered what the Hogwarts gossip chain had cooked up for her disappearance.
"Some say it was suicide, others say she was murdered by a crazed ex boyfriend. It's possible she was kidnapped. But some seem to think she ran off to be a Death Eater."
Lily gasped. The Hogwarts Gossip Chain is rather imaginative, huh? "What do you zink 'appened?"
"I think she ran away because of something that happened. Something life-threatening. She probably went to France. She always talked of going there one day."
"You two were cloze, zen?"
"No, not really. She never returned my feelings for her. I think she rather hated me, actually. But God, did I love her."
"Love?"
"Love."
"Hey Prongs, remember that time that Hufflepuff kid proposed to her in fourth year?" asked Sirius.
James laughed sadly. "Yeah, I do."
"Well?" asked Scar, eager to hear their version.
"Well, Lily practically ruled the school. She had every guy drooling over her. So one night, this Hufflepuff kid proposed to her. She kept giving him all these reasons of why she couldn't, but the sod didn't get it. So she socked him. Now he's got a scar to remind him that only James Potter can asked Lily to marry him and live."
Scar laughed out of true amusement. Then she stopped. That name… Prongs. Where had she heard it before. Then the memory of a fourteen year old girl tapping a red rose against her lips faded into her mind. Prongs. The cotton candy kisser. God, this was going to be hard.
James watched Scarlet laugh. She reminded him so bloody much of Lily. He felt himself slipping, and was suddenly aware that he was falling for this girl.
But he had sworn never to be in love with anyone other than Lily when she left. So how could he be falling for Scarlet? Simple. Lily Evans was always out of his reach. She was a Slytherin, which made her untouchable. And when he got too close to her heart, she made the wall around it harder to get through. Then she disappeared. Completely gone from his eyes, but not his heart. Scarlet was here. A Gryffindor. A solid, tangible being, not a figment of his heart-broken imagination.
Scarlet Avens was an achievable goal. Something he could hang onto. Something real.
Sirius watched James watch Scarlet. Not good. By that look, Sirius could tell James was falling for her. But he couldn't! He had sworn he would love Lily for the rest of his life. So James had to stay free until she came back. She had to come back. Operation: Keep James Away From Scarlet (O: KJAFS) commenced.