Addressed To Trouble, a harry potter fanfic

Author's Note: It's been over two months since I've updated any of my stories. So this is a way of making it up to my readers and making new ones. I hope you enjoy and please leave a review at the end.

--Addressed To Trouble--

This is the note that has passed many hands

Let it go and see where it lands

The Rules

You must write at least one thing on the note

The next recipient must not know who had it last or who sent it

They must be unsuspecting to receiving the note

It's all about secrets – don't tell anyone who was who

Who's the one you really love?

What's the secret that you hide?

Now it's safe to confide

When push comes to shove

"Lily, we've got to go to lunch but we'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, see you later," Lily responded with a sigh. Her bag had just ripped for the fourth time that week and she wasn't looking forward to collecting scattered and shattered items of hers from off the Charms room floor.

She bent down to retrieve her belongings, sighing exasperatedly as she blew hair out of her eyes. Summer was approaching and the room was hot. There was nothing good about her mood for the day. Fate was screwing with her and she wasn't at all pleased.

"Evans," purred a voice from behind her.

"Not in the mood, Potter," she snapped without looking back. She knew the voice. She knew it all too well.

"You could at least give me a chance," James protested.

"For what?" she asked, throwing a nasty glare at him from over her shoulder. "For you to ask me out again and for me to once again say no?"

James sighed. "No. You could give me a chance to let me be your friend or at least talk to you. You could be nice to me."

"Could?" Lily mimicked, stopping in her collections and standing to face him. "I've given you plenty of chances, Potter, and you blew every single one of them. You don't deserve any more chances."

He bit his lip and glanced out the window behind her. "Fine," he growled, his voice deep but his eyes far away. "But every single time you think of me rest with the regret that I could have been the one."

"Don't quote love poems, Potter," Lily said softly. "It just isn't your style."

He threw her a glance of hurt and anger before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

"Shut up, Fate," Lily hissed into the empty room. "I don't need your help today. It's bad enough as it is."

She bent down again to resume collecting her quills and ink. She reached underneath the table for a stray hair tie that'd flung away but instead of her fingers meeting the typical form of her scrunchie, she met the smooth shape of parchment. She closed her hand around the shape and pulled it out to examine it. It was obviously a note folded into a triangle – or paper football, as she'd always referred to them in muggle London – but it looked positively frayed and worn.

She flipped it over in her hand a couple times, weighing the pros and cons of opening the note. After a moment she gave into curiosity and pulled the flap to read its contents.

"'This is the note that has passed many hands. Let it go and pass it on to see where it lands,'" she read. She turned the paper over and saw a number of small notes and random confessions crammed into the corners or some flat out in the middle in large bold writing. She continued to read the note until nothing was new. "This is stupid," she said, rolling her eyes. Lily finished packing her bag back up before pocketing the note and walking to dinner.

It might be stupid but it was something to try.

"Oy, Evans, what took you so long?"

"Alice! You sounded like Potter for a minute there! It scared me!" Lily joked.

"Oh, sure it scared you. I'm sure you just got your hopes up thinking it was Potter instead of me." Alice wriggled her eyebrows in Potter's direction.

"Shut up or I curse off your gorgeous locks," Lily growled.

"Okay, tiger, I'll stop," Alice laughed. "But really… what took you so long?"

"The boy prevented me from getting my stuff in a timely manner," Lily said simply as she picked a piece of turkey to nibble on.

"Ahh," Alice said wisely. After a second she added, "That long for a snog?"

Lily stabbed her fork into Alice's arm.

"Owwww! Chill out, Evans! I was just making a joke!"

"Pick another target for such jokes," Lily said evilly.

Alice agreed to never again make a James-and-Lily joke and Lily agreed to take the fork out of her arm.

"Hey, do you have any lip balm I could borrow, Lils?" Alice asked a moment or two later.

"Sure," Lily nodded, her mouth full of mashed potatoes. "Right pocket, front of my robes," she said although it came out sounding like, "Rff pmmck fnnt mhbs."

Alice nodded and reached into said pocket for strawberry-flavored lip balm. Along with it she pulled out the note.

"Hey, Lils, what's this?" she asked, waving the note in front of her nose.

Lily swallowed. "Nothing… just something stupid."

"Stupid enough to let me read?" Alice asked hopefully.

"I don't think you should… it doesn't fit the rules." Lily reached out for the note and placed it back in her pocket.

"Rules?" Alice asked dumbly. "There are rules to a note?"

"Yeah," Lily replied dismissively.

"What kind of note is it?" Alice pressed.

"I'm not sure… it's just gossip-y, I think."

"Oh…" Alice said quietly.

Lily swallowed the last bite of her turkey before standing up. "I've got a bucket load of homework to do tonight, so I'll be up in the dorm if you need me." She gave Alice a hug before walking out of the Great Hall.

Alice turned as someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Oh hi, Morwena," she said happily, smiling into her friend's face. "What's up?"

"Not much…" Morwena said simply. "Have you heard about the new thing that's flying around?"

"No…" Alice said, confused. "What is it?"

"Some sort of note that makes you confess things to it. It's not bewitched or anything… it's just a note." She looked around as if in search of the note.

"So that's what it is," Alice said, nodding.

"Yeah, basically."

The two girls sat in silence for a moment.

"So Hogwarts is in deep bollocks, right?" Alice asked.

"Definitely."

Silence isn't a virtue anymore,

It's a chore to keep a truth locked inside,

Chances can't be given,

For giving in would be a sin,

I want what I cannot have,

After pushing it away many times,

Love is a secret,

That I cannot tell

"Ah, shite," grumbled Peter.

"What?" Sirius asked, only half paying attention.

"I keep getting hit by things all day long!"

"Hit?" Remus asked, joining the conversation.

"Yes! Someone's out to get me or something!" Peter exclaimed, rubbing his head and pocketing something white.

"Peter, Peter, Peter," Sirius said sadly, shaking his hand. "You've known that for a long time – why start worrying now?"

Peter glared. "Fine," he growled. "You get hit by parchment and rubber-bands and some white substance and bird poo and some random shoe that someone through and don't you dare come to me when you get hurt!" Peter sniffed dramatically and stalked out of the classroom.

"When do you think he'll notice we're still in class?" mumbled James, who had just watched Peter's declaration.

"I have no clue…" Sirius said, watching for Flitwick's reaction to a student having stomped out of the classroom.

"He won't be back for a while," James concluded.

"If he gets lost again I think we won't see him for another week or so," Sirius agreed.

It's too late to turn back, I've made my decision. And sadly there's no one here to ask for help. No one to hear. No one to understand.

Friendships fray with age,

Passing times and passing days,

Love built in what should have not,

Lost and confused

He's the best. We've hit the bases.

'Too in love to see the differences,' that's what the Divination teacher says. Hah. Load of toast, if you ask me.

I love her. If only she knew it.

The week went by quickly. All anyone could talk about was a secret note that was flying wildly about Hogwarts. Normally the school would be abuzz with gossip of who had written what and who thought who was in love and all the juicy details hidden in the note. But surprisingly everyone took the note seriously: no one spoke of what they wrote, they didn't talk about what was in the note; nothing. They spoke of it but never of its contents.

But everyday secrets were read and people learned all about their friends, enemies, act-alikes, and their companions.

"Mr. Longbottom, I highly suggest putting that away!" screeched McGonagall shrilly as she saw Frank flick a small piece of parchment across the room.

"Yes, ma'am, sorry," he mumbled quietly, turning back to his work.

Who knew it'd be so fun to Do It in the staff room?

There's a Spell-Shooter to the left of Hagrid's cabin. Avoid it or you get hit.

AL.

"I'm getting paranoid."

"We already knew that, James."

"Stuff it, Padfoot."

"We apologize for Sirius's… oddities… please continue, James."

"Thank you, Moony. As I was saying… you know that sodding note that's going around school?"

"Very much aware of it, yes."

"Well… I picked it up the other day cause someone had dropped it on the floor… and there's a lot of stuff in girls' writing – some good, some bad – but I'm wondering if—if Evans wrote anything in it."

Sirius, Remus and Peter stared blankly at him.

"Uhh…" Remus said, clearing his throat.

"So, what I guess, ummm…" James said, forgetting why he'd wanted the Marauders' help in the first place, "is… umm… could you guys help me figure out which is Evans's?"

Sirius's jaw dropped. "You've got to be KIDDING me, Prongs! There are over two hundred tiny notes on that thing! There isn't any way—"

"Yes, actually, there is," said Remus wisely.

"Really?" James asked, his eyes growing happily in excitement.

"Yeah… we just need Evans's help."

Lily, will you please talk to me?

Sorry, a bit busy. Taking notes. Like you should be.

Oh, please, Lily. History of Magic isn't that important!

To you, it might not be. What do you want?

Well… Potter's been trying to get your attention the past twenty-six minutes.

And I'm purposely ignoring him. Anything else?

Well, just…

Hurry up, Alice, I need to be taking notes!

Consider passing notes a close equivalent.

Alice!

Oh, fine, Lily. No. Nothing else.

Alice— Could you meet us after class? It's sort of important. Thanks. –Remus

Remus—Yeah, sure, I can. See ya soon. –Alice

Alice glanced down the hall after class, wondering where Remus and the other marauders could be. She let out a shriek as something wrapped around her upper arm and pulled her behind a tapestry.

"Merlin, don't scare me like that next time!" she exclaimed, brushing herself off.

"Sorry," James mumbled.

She looked him up and down. He looked positively wretched. She took pity on him. "It's okay," she said nicely. "But how can I help you?"

"We," Remus said, "need your help. With—with getting Lily's handwriting."

Alice looked at him oddly. "Why?" she asked.

"Because—" Remus began.

"Because I need to know what Lily wrote about me in that note," James said suddenly, his voice strong and urgent.

Alice took a moment. "Sure," she said, nodding. "How soon do you need it?" she asked.

James and Remus exchanged glances.

"As soon as you can get it," Remus said slowly. "Why?"

"Because," Alice said, a mischievous grin creeping across her face, "if you're going to get her handwriting… why not get it admitting to something?"

Apparently Dumbledore's planning an extra Hogsmeade trip at the end of the week.

She's all I want to know, all I want to see. Will she go out with me?

This note stuff is a load of utter bollocks. Get a life, people.

Yes, I agree with the utter bollocks person. This note bollocks is only addressed to trouble. Complete and utter trouble.

"Latest news repot," said Alfred, one of the Hufflepuff sixth years, over the din of the breakfast crowd the next day. "It's been reported that a certain Snape was seen tossing The Note down the stairs yesterday afternoon." He waved hello to a couple Gryffindors and smirked a flirtatious smirk towards Lily before saying goodbye to the marauders and heading back to his table.

"Well that can't be good, can it?" asked Frank, who was sitting next to them.

"What can't?" asked Peter, James and Sirius glancing in his direction.

"Snape having had the note. I wonder who he pledged true love to," Frank replied, eating his toast nosily.

"How do you know he pledged true love?" Remus asked.

"Have you seen the note?" Frank asked. "That's all it's full of. A lot of 'I love you' bollocks and 'Will you go out with me?' – too many of them, really."

Sirius laughed and threw a knowing look towards James. "Yeah, we can't have any of that, now can we?"

"Oh, stuff it, Pads," James growled.

"Well either way," Frank said, getting up from the table. "I'm sure there are a bunch of girls here thinking that the bloke they like just asked them out. It's trouble, I tell you." He waved goodbye to the marauders before walking out.

"You think so?" Sirius asked thoughtfully.

"Most definitely," Peter said, nodding.

"Then I've got to go primp myself a bit… a bunch of lovely ladies are probably waiting for a quick snog before class. See ya, mates," he said before leaving.

"Yeah, you know… I've got to go see Sprout about something… see you two in class," Peter said hurriedly before rushing off.

James sighed and looked at Remus. "Just us then, or are you leaving too?"

"Just us," Remus agreed.

James sighed again. "So what's your plan?"

"A spell."

"A spell?"

"Yep. A simple spell. Like making Padfoot sniff Peter's bedsheets and then having him run off and find him by smell."

"You're going to make Sirius sniff Lily's handwriting then find it on the note?" James asked, puzzled.

Remus laughed. "No… I'm going to use the spell to compare her handwriting and all the other handwriting's on the page… and the matching writings will just pull at each other – like a magnet."

"A mag-what?" James asked, even more puzzled.

"Oh forget it."

"Umm… okay."

"But it'll work."

"Gotcha."

"Do you really?"

"Nope. Not at all."

"I thought so."

"No, Alice, I've told you already!"

"But, Lily, please!"

"No!"

"Lily, you're being very irration—"

"Don't give me bollocks about being irrational, Alice!" Lily yelled. "I've been very rational – I've just finally given up!"

"But you shouldn't!"

"But I did! So quit telling me to do this and that about it because I won't!"

"It's not too late!"

"YES IT IS!" Lily screamed back. Her face was red as well as her eyes with tears pouring down her face. Her voice adopted a choked tone as she whispered, "It's too late, Alice. I gave up. My heart let it go."

"But, Lily," Alice said quietly. "It's not, it's really not. You don't know that it's too late. It's never too late. It's not too late until someone says no."

"I've already said no, Alice. I've given up," Lily said, sniffing.

"Lily, you really should just—"

"NO!" Lily exclaimed loudly one last time before fleeing out of the girls' dormitories, her cloak billowing behind her and the distinct sound of sobbing echoing in the stairs.

Two days passed in silence. No one had heard anything about The Note and Alice and Lily weren't talking. The marauders (mainly James) were growing restless, wanting to get the note back in his hands and find out what Lily had written. But nothing was going according to plan. Alice hadn't approached them about the 'defeat' she'd promised and it pained James even more to see Lily fleeing from classrooms from time to time, choking back tears. He'd often asked Remus to go find out what had been wrong but he refused to do anything about it, claiming it as 'girl problems.' But time was ticking away and even Sirius was getting his knickers in a twist.

"I don't see how you managed to persuade me to do this, Prongs," Sirius mumbled.

"You wanted to cheer me up… and you lost the bet that I wouldn't steal McGonagall's knickers."

Sirius grumbled unhappily.

"So up you go then, mate," James said happily.

More grumbles.

"C'mon, Pads," James whined. "They're just lacy knickers from a Slytherin first year."

Even more grumbles.

"C'mon, up you get! We need pictures!" James tugged on his wrist.

A hiss emitted from Sirius's teeth.

"Oh, bad kitty," James scolded. "You have to wait until you're in front of the camera to do your role-playing!"

It was a comfort to James to know that he had at least a bit of happiness in his life.

Alice— I'm sorry about the other day. I really am. Maybe you're right. Maybe I do really feel those emotions and I'm just scared. But I waited! I did wait for another chance but it never came. I can't wait around forever. He hates me now because of all my rejection. I just… I just can't do anything about it because I know I'll get hurt if I do. I just can't… don't you understand? Well, hopefully you can forgive me. I need your advice and help more than anything right now. Much love, --Lily

"Remus! Remus!" Alice exclaimed, chasing after him that afternoon.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to face her.

"I've got it, I've got it, I've got it!" she squealed happily, brandishing a folded piece of parchment in front of his nose.

"Oh, thank you!" he said gratefully, taking the note from her. "If Peter did his job, we should be getting the note back to us, too."

"I'm so happy!" Alice sang, bouncing up and down.

"It's apparent," Remus said, rather dryly.

"Well let me know how it all goes!" she said before skipping off to the library.

"Decently, hopefully," Remus mumbled.

"So it's like a magpie?" Sirius asked as they all stood over two pieces of parchment.

"A magnet!" Remus breathed for the sixty-seventh time that night. "A mag-net."

"Ohhh, gotcha."

"You don't, Sirius, so don't even try to," Remus mumbled.

"Hey! I heard that!" he exclaimed indignantly.

"Stuff it, mate," James growled. "We've got to get this done."

Sirius shut up.

"Thank you," he said. "Well… get on with it, Remus."

Remus took a deep breath then tapped The Note first, then Lily's note twice, before mumbling the spell and whacking both pieces of parchment.

"That was it?" Sirius asked in disbelief. "You would think there'd be glowing lights or som—"

"SIRIUS!" James growled.

"Right. Stuff it. Got it."

James glared at Sirius. "Okay," he said, turning his attention to Remus. "Now what?"

"Bingo," he said, pointing to the letters on Lily's note which jumped off the parchment and scuttled across The Note to find their partners. They gathered in a circle around Lily's handwriting, all standing like a large blob. "Now to see what she wrote," he said. "Shoo," he mumbled to the letters as they ran back to their original parchment. Remus took the paper and read:

"Silence isn't a virtue anymore,

It's a chore to keep a truth locked inside,

Chances can't be given,

For giving in would be a sin,

I want what I cannot have,

After pushing it away many times,

Love is a secret,

That I cannot tell"

"Deep," Sirius mumbled, with an approving nod.

"Stuff it," James growled. He glanced to Remus. "What now?" he asked.

"Write back."

It had seemed like a good idea at the time but nerves had persuaded James to believe that what he had done was indeed not a good idea.

"Calm down, James."

"James. CALM. DOWN."

"Yeah, mate, just chill."

But he couldn't. He wouldn't. Not until he got a response.

"Hey, Lily, where you heading?" Alice asked coolly from her bed in the dormitory. "The library?"

"Yeah, I was. Why?"

"Could you return this book for me, please?" she asked, pulling out a book from under her bed to hand to Lily.

"Sure," she said, taking the book.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

Lily walked down the hall, thinking of what Alice had said a couple days ago. Nothing seemed right in their conversation, but it all seemed to make sense, confusing as it was. Lost in thought, she didn't see Remus approaching her, and, apparently, he didn't see her.

"Oh! Sorry!" he exclaimed, bumping into her as they both lost their books.

"It's okay, Remus," she said, helping him gather his books.

"Thanks," he said, as he continued up the stairs.

Lily sighed and bent down to pick up her own book. She stopped suddenly, seeing a piece of parchment protruding from the front cover. She glanced around her. Normally she wouldn't read Alice's stuff but she didn't want the next student to check out her book to see it. And all she would do was open it up to see who it was from…

She picked up the paper along with the book and unfolded it as to read its contents. It read:

Lily--

Her heart jolted. It was for her, not Alice.

I would have normally written this in The Note that's going around school but I think that you should know that I still very much have feelings for you.

Lily sighed as she continued walking and reading.

I wish I could be confident in knowing that you feel the same way for me. I love you too much to ever give up. I look for you every morning and watch you when you're near the other blokes… I don't want you in danger and I don't want you to ever be taken advantage of. I care too much for you to ever let that happen.

She rounded the corner, still reading, a small smile playing on her lips.

It's not like you always say it is – I want you because I want you, not because I 'can't have you.' You are my sunshine and you light up my day. Are you still walking? Are you smiling? Do you want me? Do you want me to ask again? Will you say yes?

Lily grinned as she continued to read, not watching her steps as she followed the familiar path to the library.

I want you, Lily, more than anything. So, please, just look up and say yes. Just, please, say yes.

James

Lily stopped and glanced up, still smiling. Before her stood James, looking nervous and scared, a small smile on his lips. He looked at her expectantly.

She smiled brighter as small tears slid down her cheeks.

"Just, um, so you know," James said, "even if you say, um, no… I'm still going to kiss you."

She grinned. "Okay," she said quietly. "Ask."

James took a deep breath. "Miss Lily Evans… will you please go out on a date with me?"

"No," she said flatly. James's smile fell. "I'll go on every date with you," she said, before laughing.

James grinned before pulling her close and kissing her. His hands slid down to her waist as he pulled her ever closer, trying to get her as close as possible even though they were (but it wasn't close enough for James). He kissed her long and he kissed her hard. He loved her and he would never let her out of his sight. Not that he did anyways.

"Prongs! Get your love-sick arse over here! You've got some explaining to do!" shouted the voice of Sirius.

James pulled back and grinned at Lily. "Mind if I jolt?" he asked.

"Why might you be running?" she asked.

"I just sent flyers with Sirius modeling Slytherin knickers to all the students."

"Oh… then go ahead and run," she said, laughing. She gave him a peck on the lips before he took off around the corner. A second later Sirius appeared, running in James's direction.

"And you'd better get this spell off, you prick! I don't like wearing these knickers all the time!"

--THE END--

Author's Ramblings: I got the idea for the note ages ago. I wanted to do it but never got the chance. So this was the closest thing. If you liked it, please review! And if you got all the way to the end – thank you!

To my regular readers: Updates on the two stories coming soon! I promise!