Chapter 8:
Trouble in Paradise

About a week had passed since Lily had said yes to James.

She was beginning to worry about what would happen if he found out about her bet with Rose.

Not, of course, that she regretted making it, she simply felt guilty about using James as the center of it.

Yeah, she really, really, REALLY regretted ever making that stupid bet.

She sat in her dorm, finishing her homework, contemplating. She could tell Rose the bet was off, but then she'd have to pay and explain to James why she paid Rose twenty galleons for no apparent reason.

But then she wouldn't be able to win. And despite everything, Lily had an extremely stubborn, competitive streak. She wanted to stay with James for a long time, and unless something strange happened, she would definitely win the bet easily. The only thing she felt guilty about was being paid for it.

She was about to get up to tell Rose the bet was off, when there was a knock at her window.

"Psst! Lily!"

"...James? What are you doing here?" She opened the window, and he stepped inside.

He grinned his trademark lopsided grin. "It was the only way I could think to get into the girls' dorms. Come on, let's go!"

"Go where?"

He smiled at her again. "You'll see..."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her, not towards the door as she had expected, but towards the now-open window. She followed him with only slight apprehension.

"JAMES! The ROOF!"

He looked back at her shrewedly. "You aren't scared, are you, great and glorious head girl?"

Lily groaned. She hated her competitive side. She bowed. "Of course not, brave, courageous head boy. Lead the way through the dark and dangerous unknown."

James laughed. They stepped out onto the roof, which had been turned into a magnificent marble stairway up to something Lily couldn't quite see. James put his hands over her eyes and led her all the way up.

When they finally reached the top, James took his hand off her eyes, and Lily gasped. It looked like a room made of clouds. She grinned at James and started using the floor as a trampoline. He watched her for a few minutes, then joined in the bouncing.

After a few more minutes of various childlike tricks, James pulled Lily to a stop. They looked at each other for a moment before James leaned over and kissed her. They stood like that for a few moments before pulling away. James cleared his throat. "I wanted to make up for the Hogsmeade day we spent pranking Sirius."

Lily laughed. "You don't have to. That was probably the best time in Hogsmeade I'd ever had."

"Well, I've wanted to do this for a long time, and I needed an excuse."

James flicked his wand, causing a fully set table and chairs, complete with a menu, appeared. He ushered her into one of the chairs, and sat in the other one. "Tell your plate whatever you want, even if it isn't on the menu. Those are just for decoration."

She ordered chicken and pasta. He ordered steak and fries. They dined together for a while, just enjoying each other's company. After a while they retired to the cloudy couch James found (or conjured) on the other side of the cloud-room. The longer Lily spent with James, the more guilty she felt. She really needed to tell Rose to cancel the bet.

"James..."

He kissed her forehead. "Yes, love?"

Her heart jumped. "I'm really sorry..."

James felt suddenly cold. "Sorry for what?"

She felt inexplicably drowsy. "I need to tell Rose... Tell Rose to cancel the bet..." She drifted off to sleep.

James was mildly confused. "What bet?" he wondered aloud. When he saw Lily asleep, he picked her up, carried her down to her dorm, and tucked her into bed. She shivered and turned over for a minute, then relaxed. Her breathing became deep and even. James sighed. He wondered if the bet she mentioned had anything to do with him. He dismissed the thought as soon as it came. Lily wasn't that sort of person.

Was she?

James walked to the steps that led to the Common Room, then slid down the inevitable stone slide.

He looked around. Sirius and Rose were nowhere in sight, but Violet and Remus were studying together in a corner. He walked over to them.

"Do either of you know anything about a bet Rose made with Lily?"

Violet looked uncomfortable. "Maybe... why?"

"She said she wanted to tell Rose the bet was off. Just before she fell asleep. I didn't want to wake her up to ask."

Violet looked almost relieved. "Oh that... Don't worry, James, it was nothing to do with you. Something about care of magical creatures or something..."

James looked rather suspicious. "After a date, she usually randomly spouts wanting to cancel bets about care of magical creatures? How stupid do you think I am? What was the bet REALLY about!"

Violet looked pleadingly at Remus. He shrugged and gestured at James, who looked livid. She sighed. "Rose and Lily made a bet at the beginning of the year. Rose said that if Lily didn't have fun on one date with you, she'd give her ten galleons. If she did, Lily'd have to pay Rose five and kiss you. Then you asked her out, Lily had an epiphany, realized you were a good guy, and said yes. Rose realized the money-making opportunity and made another bet with Lily. I'm guessing it's that bet Lily wanted to call off. She probably felt bad about being paid to go out with you when it was something that she realized she should have done from the beginning anyway."

James sank into a chair. "She went with me to Hogsmeade.. Because of a bet?"

Violet and Remus nodded apprehensively.

"But at least she really likes me now, right?" James looked so worried and lost.

Violet took pity on him. "Of course she does. That's why she wanted to call the bet off."

Then James' nervousness turned to anger. "Why? Why did she do that? I'm not some experiment rat! How could she have done this to me!"

Violet just stared at him. "I'd save that for after you thought about it more. Go to sleep, James. Lily really likes you. She wouldn't have wanted you to find out about this. I'll tell Rose Lily cancelled the bet."

James got up wordlessly and headed to the Marauder dorm. Remus watched him go. "Lily shouldn't have done that." He said quietly.

Violet nodded. "It wasn't right."

"I think I should go make sure James doesn't kill himself or something. Want to come?"

"To your dorm?"

He gave a funny little half-grin. "Sleepover?"

Violet laughed. "Fine. But only this once."

Remus chuckled. "That's what all Sirius's dates say..."

Violet hit him in the arm.

A/N: There had to be at least one nauseatingly fluffy chapter. More Sirius/Keilani behavior to come. Tell me if you want more scheming.