Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All the characters (save Kathy) belong to J.K.Rowling along with settings, objects and anything else you recognize from the Harry Potter series. All the dates are correct according to hp.lexicon and wikipedia.
ENJOY!
Until The Clock Strikes Twelve – Chapter One
It was 6 hours later that Sirius finally emerged from the boys dorms after his sulk. At least he'd managed to get the rest of his Transfiguration and Potions homework completed (with a little help from Remus, unknown to him).
He scanned the common room as he came down the spiral staircase and entered the warm and cosy looking room. James and Remus were sat near the fire playing a game of wizard's chess; Peter watched eagerly, his head turning to look at Remus and James in turn as they made their moves.
Lily sat not too far away from the boys laughing at something Kathy had just said while she let her paint her nails dark red. Running his fingers through his black hair he made his way over to the chess match.
"How it going?" Sirius asked, taking a seat near to James.
"I'm losing again." James grumbled as Remus tactfully took out James's Knight with his Castle. "Dam! And I was going to get your King next turn!"
"How may I ask? Especially as my King is very well protected." Remus told James gesturing towards the well positioned Queen, Knight, Castle and 4 Pawns.
"He's got a point mate!"
"Yeah, well at least I don't sulk in my room for 6 hours because a girl ate my bacon and because you won't admit your undying love for Sniv-"
"I do not love Snivellus!" Sirius shouted, causing Kat and Lily to let a shrill laugh from where they sat.
"Come on guys!" Remus requested quickly. "Do you have to argue over some stupid dare? It's not as if he said that you have to forget about Lily forever after Midnight. You only have to say one simple line in front of half the school. It's not like anyone will actually believe you Prongs."
"I suppose. Sorry Pads." James said earnestly as he took out one of Remus's Pawns with his Queen.
"Me too mate, and just so you know that was a bad move."
"Huh?" James asked turning his head to look at the chess board, just in time to see Remus move his king and…
"Check mate!"
"Dam!" James swore hitting his head on the table sending chess pieces flying. "Re-match?"
Remus raised his eyebrows while Peter said the words he was thinking. "But he's already beaten you 10 times in a row!"
"Ten times?" Sirius said letting out his bark of a laugh.
"What? I wasn't concentrating. I was worried about you mate!" James replied.
"'Course you were. Or do you mean you're reputation."
"Padfoot. Prongs." Remus warned. Both the boys sighed and muttered 'Sorry'
"Anyone for a snowball fight?" Kat suddenly said bounding up to the Marauder's and diving onto Sirius. "Or are you scared I'll knock the stuffing out of ya?"
"Keep dreaming Steele!" Sirius said picking Kat up and throwing her onto sofa.
"Oh! So that's how you like your women is it Black?" Kat asked leaning back and fanning herself as if flustered by Sirius motion.
"Like I said. Keep dreaming."
"M'okay" Kat said sitting up. "So is that a yes then?"
"Yes!" Sirius growled while the other's nodded.
"Are you joining in Lily?" James asked hopefully looking across at the pretty red head.
"Yup, just as long as I have Black and Lupin on my team." Lily replied.
"I'm offended. Don't you want me or Potter?"
"Nope. Because I want to whoop your arse!"
"I'm sure Potter will let you 'whoop' his arse anytime!" Kat grinned, making Lily blush.
"Come on let's go before it begins to get dark." Remus said cutting in during the awkward silence that had followed Kathy's statement.
Fifteen minutes later all six seventh years were out in the grounds. At least seven inches of thick white snow lay in front of them from the large front doors all the way to the Forbidden Forest in the far distance.
"Wow!" Lily gasped in amazement, "It's beautiful."
"Just like you." James muttered in Lily's ear. She blushed quickly, but pretended she hadn't heard his words.
"Ok then. So it's me, Potter and Pettigrew against Lily, Black and Lupin right?" Kat asked rubbing her hands together to keep them warm.
"Yup." Remus nodded. "And no magic is allowed. We have 15 minutes to build up a barricade and create ammunition."
"We bags the top of the hill!" Peter shouted running to the area.
"Dam!" Lily, Sirius and Remus said in unison while Kat yelled in joy and James shouted "Go Wormy!"
"Time starts now!" Lily shouted, running off down the hill and beginning to build the barricade.
"Oi, Evans." Sirius said, grabbing Lily's shoulder. "You start making the snowballs. Remus and I can build a barricade more quickly than you." Lily nodded and began squeezing the snow in her hand into balls.
Back up the hill James and Kat were building a barricade of their own while Peter made their snowballs.
Within 15 minutes both teams had built sturdy blockades and had plenty of ammo. "This is going to be great!" Kat squealed in excitement. Then standing up, she went to call out that they were ready to start. But just as she opened her mouth a very well aimed shot from Sirius hit her square in the jaw. She fell over stunned while Sirius team gave out a loud cheer. Sitting up, Kat spat out her mouth full of now melted snow, her face twisted into pure anger and humiliation. "THIS IS WAR BLACK!" she yelled, picking up a snow ball and lobbing it down the hill and over the opponent's barricade. A yell of pain told her she had hit someone, someone male at least. But whether it was Black or Remus she couldn't tell.
"Good shot Kat!" James smiled, thumping her on the back before he too threw a snowball down the hill.
Lily squealed as a second snowball went flying towards them and hit her shoulder.
"That was harsh Prongs!" Sirius called, "Hitting Lily. She's only a girl! No offence." He added hastily to the girl next to him.
"None taken."
"What and you hitting me doesn't count how?" came Kat's voice.
"I said girl Steele. Not wench!"
"Bastard!" Kat yelled.
They were soon in a fully fledge snow war. Sirius, Remus and Lily were loosing badly with their down hill disadvantage. Twenty minutes after the fight began Sirius sat down panting, his back against their snow wall.
"You know what?" Sirius said looking at his two comrades. "I think it's time to go over the top!" he said dramatically placing a hand over his heart. Lily and Remus nodded and followed suit by placing their hands over their hearts too.
"We do solemnly swear to the flag of Hogwarts to go down bravely and to fight unto the end like true Gryffindor's." Taking his hand off his heart he got ready to jump over the barrier. "FOR GRYFFINDOR! WHERE DWELL THE BRAVE OF HEART!" Sirius yelled taking the leap and landing neatly on the other side. Then letting out a war cry he took full sprint up the hill towards Kat, James and Peter closely followed by Remus and Lily.
"Invasion!" James yelled, leaping up and starting to bombard the three students now running towards them, arms over their heads.
Peter laughed and started pick up snowballs and handing them to James who continually threw them, mainly aiming for Sirius. However Sirius finally reached their barricade and taking a flying leap dived over the barrier tackled Kat to the ground. She let out a scream as she tried to fend off the boy, but he was just too strong.
Lily and Remus soon followed Sirius's act; Remus diving onto Peter who surrendered straight away and Lily diving onto James.
"Bad idea Evans!" James laughed as he pushed Lily of himself and rolled so he was kneeling above her. He looked down and grinned at her, pinning her arms to the ground. James gazed into Lily's eyes. They were so beautiful, so bright in the winter's light, like fresh grass springing through the last of the winter's frost.
Lily's breath slowed as she too gazed into James eyes. The warm hazel behind his lenses warmed her heart and made her feel whole, she felt safe and protected underneath gaze. James lowly moved closer to Lily, his lips inches from hers.
"Lily…" he breathed moving even closer.
"James…" she breathed back, beginning to close her eyes.
However, Kathy who had still been struggling against Sirius strength had seen the danger out of the corner of her eyes. She had to keep her money safe; she needed to do some quick thinking.
"RAPE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs relaxing her muscles causing Sirius too fall against her. It had worked. James and Lily pulled away from each other in shock from Kat's words.
"RAPE!" she yelled again, moving her legs apart slightly just to make the act look more convincing.
"Padfoot!"
"What!?" Sirius said pushing himself up and giving Kat a famous Black glare. "I didn't do anything. It was her!" he told the others as he rolled of Kathy and pointed at her accusingly.
"Me?" Kat asked, trying and failing to look innocent.
Lily rolled her eyes before glancing at James and then at Kat. Hang on, why did Kat stop her from kissing James? If she'd kissed him Kat would have been in the money… unless she had another bet; a bet with Black. Now then, that wouldn't surprise her. She must have bet more than 10 Galleons; otherwise their bet would be pointless to Kat. Kat was using Lily as her safety line. To make sure she won the bet with Black. Lily smiled to herself and shook her head. This was just like Kat, not that Lily was going to complain. If she followed Kat's plan not only would she get Potter, but she'd be 10 Galleons up. Not a bad deal really when she thought about it.
"Ah-chu!" Peter sneezed quite suddenly.
"I think we'd better go in and get changed." Remus said wisely as he too began to shiver.
Everyone agreed and they were all soon having hot showers.
"Kat?"
"Yup?"
"How much have you bet Black?"
"20 Galleons, 12 Sickles and 4 Knuts."
"Okay."
"Hang on!" Kat said suddenly pushing the soapy hair out of her eyes and banging on the shower wall to Lily who was on the other side in a separate shower compartment. "How do you know about mine and Black's bet?"
"Do I look like I have 'stupid' stamped across my forehead?"
"No…"
"How about: I nearly kiss James and you start shouting 'RAPE' at the top of your voice to divert our attention. You don't want me to kiss James until then because a) you'll get more money. And b) you want to make Black all excited because he thinks he's won his bet between you and him-"
"And him and James."
"And him and James… WHAT!?"
"Oh didn't you know?"
"Know what?"
"Black bet James that he wouldn't be able to get you to go out with him before the end of this year. If you don't agree to go out with him then Potter will have to stand up in front of the whole school and say that he was blind before and now he realises his true love is for Snivellus, and not for you, Lily."
"So there are three bets revolving around me and James getting together?"
"Yes. And those are just the ones I know of. Who knows how many more there are around the school." Kat chuckled as she slipped her head under the warm water of the shower and rinsed her hair.
"Some people really do having nothing better to do with there time do they?" Lily enquired as she ringed her hair out and wrapped it a towel. She then wrapped a large towel around herself and stepped out of the cubicle.
"Nope!"
"Are you finished yet?"
"Yup!" Kathy said as she opened her cubicle door and stepped out wrapped in a fluffy pink towel.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"I've never understood why you have a fluffy pink towel. You're always a black girl normally."
"Well they don't do towels in black do they?"
"I suppose." Lily laughed as they went off into their dorm to get changed into their warmest pyjamas.
I hope you like it, and please review. I hate having about 200 hits and only 5 reviews. It's very off putting. I might not continue if you don't review... and yes that would be a bit of Black mail... :D