James awoke Saturday morning to an owl standing on his chest, staring at him. He screamed and rolled off his bed as the owl flew up and hooted happily.
"Blood bird…" He groggily murmured, scratching the top of his head where he had bumped it on the wall.
He snatched the parchment rolled up on its leg and cocked his eyebrow… the bird didn't leave. He sighed and opened up the parchment, thinking it to be last minute homework questions from Peter, or maybe Sirius asking how to tie his shoes again:
James,
I've given this quite a bit of thought. And I've come to the conclusion that, yes, I will go on a date with you. I hope that the next Hogsmeade day is okay with you.
Sincerely,
Lily
P.S. Please don't tell the girls, or the Marauders, that I've accepted your offer; only you and I know.
James's heart leaped as he let the paper fall to the ground. Lily Evans actually said "yes" to him! He must've been dreaming! No… his dreams contained a lot more than just that… quite a lot more.
He remembered the little tawny owl sitting on his bed and scrounged his room for a spare bit of parchment:
Lily,
Hogsmeade sounds great! And, don't worry, your secret's safe with me.
Sincerely,
James
He rolled up the letter and strapped it onto the owl's outstretched leg. He sighed as he watched it fly out the window… wait, the window wasn't open. The bird crashed with a 'thud' into the window and collapsed onto the still. James ran to pick it up, when he noticed that the bird didn't belong to Lily.
"Oh well," He said, "She probably didn't want to raise suspicions."
He opened the window and gave the tiny bird a light push. Then, he folded Lily's letter and shoved it into his pocket. After, James ran to get dressed and go to breakfast.
iIi
As James sat at the breakfast table, the other Marauders began to pile in around him.
"…Prongs? What's with the goofy smile? And are you wearing… aftershave!" Remus sat next to James and got a whiff of the air.
James didn't pay any attention and stared at the wall across from him in a dreamy state.
Then, Sirius noticed a peace of parchment sticking out of James's pocket. He lunged his hand forward and pulled it out.
"What's this James? A love letter from Peter?" Sirius joked.
"NO!" Peter blushed.
James snapped out of his trance and grabbed at the letter helplessly as Sirius held it out of his grasp.
"Should I read it out loud, boys?" Sirius wiggled his eyebrows and began to unfold the letter.
"Yes!" Remus and Peter screamed aloud.
"NO!" James retaliated.
Sirius cleared his throat, "Dear James." Remus and Peter laughed, James sat down in defeat.
"I've given this quite a bit of thought," Sirius read dramatically, "And I've come to the conclusion that, yes, I will go on a date with you…" Sirius slowed down as Remus's and Peter's jaws dropped open, "Sincerely, Lily." He didn't bother to read the rest of the letter and was anxious to see who wrote it.
"I never thought I'd say this but… Sirius's plan actually worked…" Remus gawked.
"I never thought I'd hear it…" Sirius gave the paper back to James.
"You guys aren't supposed to know!" James hissed, shoving the letter back into his pocket, "Quick! Sit down like nothing happened!"
Lily, Lauren, Lyzzi, and Linda walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the end of the table next to the Marauders. Lauren ran down to the boys and gave Remus a swift kiss and sat down.
"How's my Remmy?" She asked.
The other Marauders snickered.
"Lauren, how many times, I don't like being called Remmy!" Remus fumed.
"Aw, I'm sorry, babe." She kissed him again and strode off to sit back down with the girls.
James and Peter both made cooing noises and taunted "Remmy."
Sirius's eyes, once again, bored into Remus's.
"WHAT?" Remus asked, thoroughly annoyed.
Sirius shook his head, "You don't treat her right."
"What do you care? It's not like you would do any better with another girl!" Remus waved Sirius away.
"Just because I have one-night stands when I'm single doesn't mean I wouldn't treat a girlfriend with respect!" Sirius stormed off with his books. Where, nobody knew.
All the girls looked up at this outrage and Lyzzi, Lily, and Linda stared accusingly at the boys at the table. Lauren, however, watched Sirius and left the table after him.
Remus paid no attention and the other girls went back to their food.
iIi
Lauren stealthily followed Sirius all the way to the Quidditch Pitch until she tripped over some Slytherin equipment.
"Shit!" She silently cursed.
Sirius whipped his head around and smirked when he saw Lauren try to hide behind the broomsticks.
"I… um… came to see if you were alright." She got out of behind the broomsticks and knocked them over in the process.
"I'll be fine… Remus just gets to me sometimes, that's all." Sirius sat down on the players' bench in the Gryffindor tent.
"Oh? What about?" Lauren sat down next to him.
"Nothing…" Sirius sighed; he wished he could tell her.
"No, tell me!" She lifted his head with her finger.
"I can't…" He stood up and walked back to the Pitch.
"Sirius Alexander Black!" Lauren screamed after him.
Sirius whirled around with tears dancing in his eyes, "I just don't think he treats you right!" He screamed back.
Lauren's face contorted in anger, "My Remmy treats me just fine! How would you know anyway?" She scoffed.
"You know what, maybe I don't know! Maybe I'm being ridiculous for thinking…" Sirius stopped himself short.
"Go on, say it! For thinking you know how to treat a girl. Well, you don't, Sirius!" Lauren stormed off towards the castle.
"FINE! Forget I was going to say anything!" He yelled back at her.
"FINE!" She slammed the front doors to the castle closed.
iIi
Sirius walked back to the common room pale-faced and weal.
"Padfoot, mate, what happened?" James laid his book down, folding down the page in to save his spot.
"Nothing. But, Moony, I think you should go comfort your girlfriend." He walked up the stairs to the dormitories, laid on his bed, and closed the curtains.
Remus looked up from his game of chess with Peter and saw Lauren curled up in a ball, crying in front of the fireplace.
"Lauren, love, what's wrong" Remus comforted her in his lap, her head on his chest.
"Sirius said that… y-y-you don't treat me r-r-r-right." She gulped and wiped away the mascara streaming down her face.
Remus sighed and put his chin on her head, "You know I love you and that I have so many Prefect duties. And not to mention you have Quidditch."
"I know. It just hurt so much." She got up and wiped away the rest of her tears, "I must look ridiculous." She tried to wipe the wrinkles from her shirt and skirt, and took her cloak off.
"You look fine, darling." Remus wiped the extra mascara from her face.
He took her face in his hand and kissed her forehead, nose, then her lips.
"I love you, Remus." Lauren sighed.
"I love you too, Lauren." Remus replied.
iIi
Later that day, Remusdisappeared to the library, and Lauren remained in the girls' dormitory,leaving Peter, James, Lily, Lyzzi, and Linda in the common room. Linda was laying on the couch with Peter, looking out the window at the Quidditch pitch. James stared longingly at Lily studying with Lyzzi for Transfiguration.
"…Potter…Potter?" Lily threw a balled up parchment in his direction.
"Oh… yeah?" He asked, snapped out yet another trance.
"What do you know about Animagi?" She yelled from across the room.
"Quite a bit…" James blushed.
"Could you help us then?" She hesitated.
"Sure!" He practically flew out of his seat and across the room.
Then, the three of them got into a deep discussion until Lyzzi had to use the restroom. This was James's chance to ask Lily more about Hogsmeade.
"Um… Lily… about the letter you wrote me this morning…" James loosened his tie and gulped.
"What letter?" Lily furrowed here eyebrows and looked up from her parchment.
"You said that you would go to Hogsmeade with me…" James breathed heavier.
There was a long silence. Then, James impatiently pulled the letter out of his pocket and shoved it into her hands. She murmured as she read it. Then…
"I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" Lily screamed in embarrassment, agony, and fury.
