Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing, and definitely nothing.
A/N: Revised: 8/1/06
Song Lyrics: "8th World Wonder" by Kimberly Locke
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Chapter Six
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"Where are those little weasels?" Filch growled.
It was now 8:10 (PM). Detention started at 8:00 (PM). So if we add up everything, we get ten minutes late. Hmmm, they're in trouble. . .
The group were to meet in the Great Hall where Filch would direct them to their detentions. Lily and Snape were there. Not a single sign of the Marauders.
"Those idiots. Always late. Always." Lily muttered to herself.
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"Alright, if they don't get here in thirty seconds someones going to be punished-" Filch was cut off as the three (Peter didn't get detention) boys ran through the Great Hall doors and came to a halt in front of Filch, panting.
Snape sneered at them. Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. Filch glared at them.
"Er, hello, Mr. Filch. Is it time for our detention?" James asked.
"It was time fifteen minutes ago, Potter!" Filch roared.
"Well, you see, sir, a staircase moved and we got lost. . ." Remus trailed off, finding that making up an excuse was a lost cause.
"That'll be an extra detention for you three." Filch said gleefully.
The Marauders groaned as Snape smirked at them and Lily gave them an When-will-you-ever-grow-up? look.
James replied to her with a look that said, Hey-Evans-looking-gorgeous.
Lily replied with, Don't-look-at-me-that-way-you-egosentric-pompous-prat-of-a-boy.
James was going to reply with a really good, I-know-I'm-great look, but Remus stepped on his shoe and told him to-
"-pay attention or get another detention."
James gave Lily one last look before turning his attention back to Filch's rantings.
Sirius looked at Remus proudly,"You just said a rhyme!" He hissed happily.
Remus looked at Sirius incredulously,"What are you on about?"
"Youy rhymed. Attention, detention. Ring any bells?" Sirius asked.
"I don't think they're considered as rhyming words-" Remus was cut off.
"If you two are about finished going on about limes, I'd like to give your directions for detention." Filch said loudly.
"Actually, sir, we were talking about rhymes. . .please continue." Sirius said politely, nodding his head in Filch direction.
Remus ((and Lily)(and Snape)(And that old grumpy barn owl, Grumpy)(Don't even ask)) rolled their eyes.
James snickered.
Filch glared nastily at Sirius before continuing,"Lupin, Snape. You'll be working on the trophy case."
Remus groaned and looked tiredly at Snape.
Sneery Snapey sneered at Remus.
The others gave Remus sympathetic looks.
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Remus and Snape had just walked out to do their great detention with trophies. Honestly, you'd think by all of the detentions done cleaning the trophies, you'd be blinded by the gleam of them. Oh, well.
Filch turned back to the last three. He grinned a horrible grin. A horrible, horrible grin. An absolutely awful grin. A just disgusting- Anyways. . .
"You three will be working in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, tonight. I'm sure you will have a lovely detention. Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha-" Filch broke out in fits of coughing just during the climax of his great evil laugh.
James and Sirius snickered and Lily glared at them.
"On with you!" Filch yelled, waving his hand towards the Great Hall doors.
The other left quickly,Lily very reluctant to spend detention with Idiot One and Two.
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James entered Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and breathed in deeply. Choking a bit by the smell. "Um, mmm, it smells. . .nice in here, eh, Sirius? Evans?"
Lily looked around disgustedly, while Sirius imitated James.
"Honestly." Lily muttered, watching Sirius and James stick their wands in one of the toilets then daring each other to lick them.
She walked away from them, grabbed a bucket and sponge from a storage closet and began scrubbing the floor.
James and Sirius stopped daring each to lick their wands to watch Lily.
"You know, Lily, you could just use magic to clean up around here. Filch won't know." James said twirling his wand around trying to impress Lily, only to drop it in a toilet. A clogged toilet.
Lily snorted and shook her head,as James looked down disgustedly at his wand. It was one thing to drop your wand in a toilet with clear water, but an entirely different thing to drop it in a not-so-clear toilet. Sirius leaned over James, smirking at the wand.
"Ugh, it's covered in crap." James moaned holding his nose.
"Be my guest, Potter. Use your wand." Lily replied as though nothing happened.
James glared at her and laughed dryly,"Ha. Ha. Ha. . .I'll just go get a sponge and help you."
Sirius chuckled and followed James, grabbing a bucket and sponge and joining James and Lily.
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"You know, we're lucky Myrtle the Boring hasn't come by yet." Sirius pointed out thirty minutes later.
Lily and James looked up, behind Sirius. "Black, shut up!" Lily hissed quietly, jerking her head secretly behind Sirius.
"What? I'm right and you know it. Can she get anymore boring?" Sirius asked, ignoring Lily and James protests.
"Boring am I?" A shrill voice said behind Sirius.
Sirius stopped scrubbing abruptly and spun around to find Moaning Myrtle herself.
"Oh! Hello, Myrtle! We were just talking about you! Is that a new pair of glasses? They look absolutely stunning on you!" Sirius asked slyly, examining Myrtle's thick glasses. "You look like you've grown taller too! And- oh my- have you lost weight?" He asked after Myrtle just stared angerily at Sirius.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Your such a dimwit, Black."
"NO, YOU STUPID BOY! YOU'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED IN HERE! DON'T YOU KNOW THIS IS THE GIRLS BATHROOM? AND. . .actually, I got a new pair of glasses just before I died. Do you like them?" Myrtle asked excitedly, forgetting what Sirius had called her previously.
Sirius smirked at James and Lily, before turning back to Myrtle,"Oh, yes. They're gorgeous! They, er, magnify your pretty. . .er, black eyes. Yeah, they're just swell." Sirius finished.
Myrtle sighed dreamily at Sirius,"Thanks, Whatever-Your-Name-Is-Boy." She said then glided slowly away through a wall.
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Lily walked to the next sink to scrub it clean when she stopped.
It had gotten very quiet. Too quiet.
Even if Lily liked the peaceful state of things, she knew Black and Potter were anything but peaceful or quiet. Where were Potter and Black anyway- ?
"AHHH!" Lily screamed as soapy water was poured over her head, followed by laughter.
"BLACK, POTTER! UGH, YOU LITTLE DOLTS! . . ." Then said in a quieter, whiny voice,"It burns too!"
James looked at Sirius accusingly,"You said you got the water! Not the soapy water!"
"Sorry, sorry. I thought I got the water. They look the same!" Sirius protested.
James grabbed another water bucket and a soapy water bucket,"Do these look the same to you, Sirius?" James asked, holding the buckets up to Sirius.
"Yes. Yes, they do." Sirius answered firmly.
"Sirius, the soapy water has huge clumps of soap at the top! The water doesn't!" James replied back, exasperated.
Meanwhile Lily was still sputtering and spitting out soap bubbles,"I can never have a normal detention, can I? No, it has to involve giant grass piles or flying underwear (we won't get into that story), or "vicious" nifflers. She couldn't have had detention with Remus and Sneery Snapey cleaning trophies. Or finishing homework with Emma and Alice in their dorm. That's what Emma and Alice were doing while she was in detention. . .Little did she know. . .
Gryffindor, fifth year girls dorm
"Erm, I choose "A". I think that's the best answer." Emma answered uncertainly. These quizzes were hard! She should have studied harder or at least thought about the choices beforehand.
"Okay, let's tally up your score. . ." Alice said, counting up Emma answered, then looking back at Witch Weekly's September-1975 edition.
"It says you are a delicate, yet bossy person. You can't stay in a relationship long before you break off. You also need to practice up on your kissing skills. You have bad hair days, every day. You also have trouble making decisions." Alice finished, snorting.
"I haven't even been in a relationship before! Unless you count the time I held hands with a boy, but he was my cousin. . .that was only because me mum and his mum wanted to get a cute picture of us together. And with the kissing thing, I've never even kissed anyone before! . . .well, my cousin did kiss my hand once when we were four, but again, it was only because of our mums!" Emma finished.
Alice raised an eyebrow.
Emma sighed defeated,"I should have studied harder for this test. I could have done so much better."
Zooms back to Lily, James, and Sirius
Lily sighed at the thought of being anywhere but here. She was brought out of her thoughts as something cold and wet hit her in the head.
"What in Merlin- ?" Lily questioned, looking down. Her eyes narrowed. It was sponge. She looked to see James and Sirius staring at her shocked.
"Oopsie. Er, sorry Lily. That didn't mean to happen. Let's just forget get it happened, eh?" Sirius asked.
Lily groaned, ignored Sirius and James and walked back her bucket, mumbling complaints.
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Lily walked up to the portrait hole with Potter and Black just behind her. She turned to tell Potter and Black thanks for ruining her evening, but found no one.
"Potter? Black?" Lily called.
She heard a few snickers and chuckles, before silence again.
"Just got out of detention they're already breaking rules again." Lily said angerily. She turned back to the Fat Lady, said the password, walked in, then headed to her dorm.
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"Hey." Lily greeted glumly as she entered her dorm.
"Lily! Wonderful to see you again! How was it?"
Lily pointed to her crusty, soapy hair and wet clothes without saying anything.
"That bad, huh?" Emma asked.
"Yes." Lily said moodily. "The only thing good about tonight was watch as Potter dropped his wand into a bowl of crap."
Emma and Alice looked at her questionably.
"Don't ask." Lily muttered, pushing Emma and Alice off her bed (she didn't know why they couldn't use their beds. There wasn't anything special about her bed). She dropped down to her bed, falling asleep without changing or doing anything else.
- - -
(Just Before Lily Came In)
"I didn't think you liked gum, Em." Alice stated, watching Emma blow a huge bubble.
"Oh, I don't really. There's just this contest with Drooble's gum where you can win the latest broomstick yet, The Arrow 6000." Emma said dreamily.
Alice rolled her eyes and continued reading an article of Witch Weekly.
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Lily sat up groggily,"Ugh, it's so bright." She murmured. Lily sat up from bed and opened her curtains surrounding her bed then quickly shutting them. She yawned and stretched, running a hand through her hair. She stopped as she felt something. . .In. . .Her. . .Hair.
"What- ? AHHH!" Lily screamed as she felt around, pulled at whatever was in her hair. It was gooey and stringy. It was gum.
"Lily, what is it?" Alice asked groggily, opening Lily curtains, Emma behind her. Their eyes widened as they looked at the gum attached to Lily's long, red hair.
"Oh. My. Broomstick." Emma whispered faintly.
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"AHHH!"
The Marauders awoke with a start as they heard a feminine scream.
"What? Don't make me go under the waterfall. . .er, what's going on?" Peter asked.
"I dunno. . .zzzz. . ." Sirius answered, beforing falling back on his pillow, snoring. Peter shrugged and did the same.
"I could have sworn that was. . ." Remus trailed off, looking over at James.
"Evans." James answered for him.
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A group of first years were up early doing some homework together when they heard-
"AHHH!"
"What was that?" One asked quickly.
"I think that was Crazy Lady Evans." Another whispered frightened.
The group gasped and peered around suspiously.
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"AHHH!"
"Was that Miss Evans?" Mcgongall asked herself as she graded some essays at her desk.
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Lily stormed into the Hospital Wing alone.
She told Emma and Alice she needed to cool off, along with go to the Hospital Wing to see if Madame Pomfrey had anything to get rid of the gum.
Emma had admited to chewing gum on Lily's bed last night. She thought she must have accidently dropped some the gum she was chewing ("How can you not notice gum dropping from your mouth?").
Lily looked around and called,"Madame Pomfrey?"
Madame Pomfrey came bustling out of her office a few seconds later looking concerned at Lily,"Are you alright, dear?"
"Oh, I'm fine. . .no, I'm not fine. See I have some. . .gum in my hair and was wondering if you can get it out." Lily asked turning to show Madame Pomfrey.
Silence.
". . .Well. . .I can get rid of the gum. . ." Pomfrey trailed off.
Lily smiled excitedly,"Really? How?"
". . .Cut. . .it. . ."
Lily's face changed fast,"WHAT?"
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James looked up from from his breakfast,"I could have sworn that was-"
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"Crazy Lady Evans!" The First Years chanted faintly.
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"You mean. . .you. . .have to. . .cut. . .my. . .hair?" Lily asked, chin trembling.
Her hair was very long and she like it that way. Just to the middle of her back. It wouldn't be so bad if the gum was at the lower part of her hair, but it wasn't. . .no, instead it was a little above her shoulders.
"Yes. . .I'm afraid so, dear. . .I'll just go get- get the scissors." Madame Pomfrey said walking slowly into her office for scissors.
Lily's lip trembled even more. The word "scissors" made it even more real.
She was going to get her hair cut short. Way short. Way too short.
"Okay, now. Here are the scissors." Madame Pomfrey said coming up to Lily, holding the scissors in one hand and wand in the other. She waved her wand at the scissors making them levitate and come alive like some some sort of invisible hairdresser.
Lily winced as she felt the scissors start snipping her hair. . .her wonderful hair. . .
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Classes had ended hours ago and dinner had just ended.
Lily had not come to any of her classes and didn't go to dinner.
"Hey, girls." The Marauders greeted a glum Hestia, Emma, and Alice.
The girls nodded a greeting and sighed in a depressing manner.
"What's with you lot?" Sirius asked.
"Lily." Emma said sighing again.
"What's wrong with Evans?" James asked.
"We haven't seen her." Alice stated.
"So? We don't see Remus for long portions of the day since he hides away in the boredom zone- AKA -the library- studying. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with him." Sirius replied.
Remus scowled and punched Sirius in the arm.
"Ow. . ."
The girls just sigh in unison then walked away to go outside.
"What's with them?" Peter asked.
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"Hey, you. Yeah, you. No, not you! You! No, Borris, sit back down. Yeah, you- no, not you, Borris! You! Yes! Come here!" James yelled across the common room later that afternoon.
A second year walked over to them,"Yeah?"
"Er, have you seen Lily Evans come in the common room?" James asked.
"Oh, you mean Crazy Lady Evans?" A dawning look caming upon the second years face.
James raised an eyebrow,"No. . .Lily Evans."
"Crazy Lady Evans."
"No, Lily Evans. Have you seen her?" James asked, irritated.
The second year stared at James, then grin like he knew something no one else did,"Crazy Lady Evans."
"No! Not Crazy Lady Evans! She's not crazy! She's Evans! Now have you seen her?" James asked.
"I saw Crazy Lady Evans run out of the room this morning, but other than that, no."
James sighed at the words "Crazy Lady Evans", but said nothing. "Alright, thanks."
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"Come on, let's get to the library before breakfast. We have to finish this essay!" Remus whined, pushing the sleepy Marauders out of the portrait hole the next morning.
"Hold your hippogriffs, Remus!" Sirius said, just now puting his left sock and shoe on.
"We don't have time to hold our hiffogriffs, Sirius!" Remus hissed, giving them all another shove.
Along the way Hestia, Emma, and Alice joined them on the way to the library. They still hadn't seen Lily.
They had just walked around a corner when someone came around the corner in the opposite direction.
Result?
Collision.
"Ouch!"
"You're on my foot!" "
"Get off my hair!"
"I think I sat on and broke an ink well. . ." Peter trailed off, slowly standing up; trying to look at his behind.
Sirius burst out laughing,"Correct you are, Peter."
Peter hurridly walked off to change pants.
"Black, do you mind?" A girls voice said from below him.
Sirius looked down to see Hestia under him,"Oh, hello, Hestia! What are you doing?"
"I'm being sufficated by you! Now get up!" She hissed, pinching him.
Sirius stood up rubbing his arm, glaring at Hestia. Hestia got up, along with the rest. The rest including Emma, Alice, and. . .Lily.
James turned to Lily grinning,"Didn't see you yesterday, Evans. Where were you. . ." He trailed off.
Everyone turned to Lily, gaping in shock.
Lily's once long, red hair was now just below her ears, hair clips in the front, holding the hair back some.
Lily turned red and looked down.
"Lily. . ." Alice breathed.
"Oh. . .My. . .God. . ." Remus murmured, for once that morning forgeting about finishing the essay.
"Lily! Your hair- it's- er. . ." Hestia whispered.
"What did you do to your hair, Evans? It was all long and stuff, now it's all not long and stuff. . ." Sirius asked confused.
"It's. . .er, short. . ." James trailed off, a bit dazed.
Emma didn't say anything.
Lily sighed and sniffed,"I know. It looks awful. It's dreadful. I had to cut it though."
"Why?" Remus asked.
"Because someone accidently left gum in my bed. It got in my hair and couldn't get it out unless the hair came with it." Lily explained miserably.
Emma winced at "someone","Sorry, Lily." Emma said quietly.
Lily stared at Emma then walked in front of Emma,"It's okay, Emma. I forgive you. It'll grow back. . .along time from now. . .but it will grow back. . ." Lily laughed,"Besides, now it'll be easier to take care of, yeah?"
Emma's lips trembled, just before she burst into tears,"I'm so sorry, Lily!" She said hugging Lily.
Lily looked a bit surprised, before she, too, burst into tears, patting Emma's back.
Hestia and Alice sniffed trying to hold back tears,"Don't leave me out!" Alice cried, running up to Lily and Emma, joining the group hug.
"Me either!" Hestia agreed, sniffing as tears fell down her face; she ran up to the group hug as well.
The boys stared at the girls.
"What? Why are they crying?" Sirius asked, confused.
"I-"
"Okay, I got the pants changed. I don't think the stain'll ever come out though. Man, those were my lucky pants too! . . .er, why are the girls crying? And- wait. Lily's hair is. . .short! When did that happen?" Peter asked, more confused then Sirius right now.
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Lily sat writing furiously at a table around the Gryffindor common room's fireplace. She was desperately trying to finish all of the essay's she'd missed from her day of hiding.
Swish!
Lily stopped. What was that? She shook her head and continued writing.
Swish! Swish!
Lily sighed and looked around. Nothing. What was going on?
Lily turned around in her seat and surveyed the common room. No one else was there. She was the only one down there- "Potter! When did you get down here?" Lily asked loudly as she turned around only to jump back in surprise. James Potter was lounging in a chair across from Lily, casually smirking.
"Guess you just missed me." He lied.
Lily sighed and ignored James, turning back to her essay.
It worked for a few minutes, till James took her quill from her hand.
Lily glared at James, who was grinning at her, holding her quill,"Nice quill."
"I know. Can I have it back?" Lily asked, holding her hand out.
James shook his head, grin widening.
Lily glared furiously at him, then grabbed her school bag, pulling out another quill.
James' face fell some as he saw the new quill and watched Lily go back to her essay, ignoring him again.
He grabbed her inkwell next.
"Argh, Potter! Don't you have somewhere you have to be?" Lily asked, grabbing her school bag once again, taking out another inkwell.
"Not really." James answered, quickly grabbing the new inkwell from Lily.
Lily growled in anger before pulling out yet another inkwell.
James snatched that one too. And the next one.
Lily pulled out another one, glaring at James.
"Geez, Evans. How many of this things do you have?" James asked, trying to balance four inkwells.
Lily didn't answered, just ignored him.
James grabbed the inkwell. "Argh!" She fumed.
"That's my last one, Pothead!" Lily yelled furiously.
"Ha!" James laughed in triumph.
"Accio inkwells!" Lily said, pulling out her wand.
"No!" James yelled, trying desperately to hold onto the inkwells. No luck.
They all came flying back to Lily.
She put four in her bag and one on the chair next to her, out of Potter's reach.
James grumbled and leaned back in his chair watching Lily intently.
"You look different." He stated after fifteen minutes of silence.
"I know." Lily replied cooly.
"Your hair's. . ."
"Short. I think we got to that part already, Potter." Lily finished for James.
"It still looks good, though. . .You still look good." James said after silence again.
Lily stopped writing for moment, Potter's words sinking in, she inwardly shook herself and continued writing.
"Better than anyone else. You always have." James added.
"Listen, Potter, stop trying to make me feel better. I know my hair's awful. I can deal with it." Lily said look up, then backed up some. James had leaned forward some over the table.
James chuckled,"Even if you hair did look awful, I'd still think you were great. You don't think I'm shallow enough to only think about looks, would you?"
Lily opened her mouth to retort angerily, but was cut off as James brought his lips to hers swiftly, kissing her gently. He pulled back just as quick, grinning, then sprinted up the stairs,"As I already tried to point out: Your hair's bloody awesome! Night, Evans!" James yelled, then ran up the steps and to his dorm, slamming the door and, no doubt, locking it, not knowing what Lily Evans would do.
Back in the common room sat a fuming short haired red-head. "Why that little git!" She hissed angerily. "He kissed me. Again!"
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A/N: Revised: 8/1/06