Emily: If you’ve read our bio, you know how this story came about. If not, who cares? *Laughs* Anyway, Lily and I decided to start this story one night as we chatted on AIM. We discarded another attempt before this one stuck. It was written in a very simple style- I would write a few sentences and Lily would pick up after that. (Yes, I wrote the first sentence, but that doesn’t matter- Lily did a great job. She’s gonna hit me for this, but oh well.) So, we hope you enjoy this and keep in mind that it is the work of two geniuses. *bows out to applause…and tomatoes*
Lily: How you can tell the difference between our writing...I’m the funny one. Emily may have provided the first sentence, but I got the ball rolling. And rolling well, I may add. Anyway, why wouldn’t I do a great job? I don’t get As in English for nothing. You can keep the tomatoes aimed at Emily. Hit me with one and I’ll hurl a rock at your face. So enjoy. And read my fan-fiction! [elle_EVANS]
CHAPTER ONE- DIMMING
Sirius Black -Hogwarts heartthrob- came running down the dormitory stairs. "JAMES! OI, PRONGS!" he called. He caught sight of a very beautiful young lady, and stopped to kiss her swiftly. He didn't remember if she was the one he was currently dating....or if he even was dating someone....He didn’t think so. What was wrong with this one? From what Sirius could see…nothing; great body, wonderful face, nice lips… That’s beside the point, Black! shouted that annoying green midget in his head.
"PRONGS!" he called, breaking away from the girl and running out of the common room.
James was walking around the corner when he heard his name being called. From the low tone, he knew it was Sirius. He sighed, but headed for the stairs as the rushing youth fell toward him.
"SIRIUS! Get off of me!" shouted James, roughly shoving the young man often mistaken for a twin off of him. James collected his breath after the harsh contact with the cold stone floor.
Sirius grinned at James who was flat on his back. “Sorry mate.” Pushing himself off his friend, he pulled James up by the arm and patted his shoulder as if dusting off cobwebs. James rolled his eyes and shoved Sirius hand away. “What’s eating you, Prongsies?”
"Nothing. Well, it’s Evans, again."
Sirius groaned. "That's old news. I've got a better idea."
"Fine. What's your idea?" asked James. Sirius smiled in a way that James thought ‘evil.’ "Oh bollocks," he muttered.
"I was thinking about a back-to-Hogwarts-after-Christmas-party."
"Is the name long enough?' asked James sarcastically.
“No, it’s not actually. Let’s call it the ‘Super-back-to-Hogwarts-after-Christmas-hosted-by-the-one-and-only-Marauders-party.’” Sirius laughed at James blank stare. “What? I like it. Sounds American!”
"American? It sounds crazy!"
"That’s why it sounds American!"
James rolled his eyes and sighed. "So, what do you need me for?'
"Are you kidding?" asked Sirius, aghast. "You’re just as much the life of the party as I am." Suddenly, he stopped because of James’s expression. Oh no. "This doesn’t have anything to do with Evans, does it? Wanting to change for her?" Sirius cursed softly.
James just glared at his dark friend. He knew Sirius didn't want him chasing after a girl who seemed impenetrable after asking her on a date for so long. Sirius didn't want him to get hurt, but if James stopped trying, he would never get a yes, if getting a ‘yes’ was possible. James turned away and walked up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.
"Oi! Prongs! What about the party!?" called Sirius, running up the stairs after James.
"You can throw it yourself. You're a Marauder. I’ll get in the way…"
"Oh, come on mate! I’m sorry. You've just been so mad lately! I mean so…different!"
"You know something? And it seems to be working! Evans actually smiled at me today! She smiled. Do you understand what that means to me Padfoot?"
"That she smiled?!" asked Sirius stupidly.
"Throw the party yourself. Have a blast." And James walked away.
Sirius was left standing with his arms outstretched, incredulous. Curse you, Evans!
James sat down at the table across from Lily once he got upstairs to the common room. Sirius, who was running at his heels, accidentally sat on James’s lap after he came to a sudden and misbalancing stop. He just as quickly jumped up. "Sorry, didn't intend for that to happen." Sirius glanced around the room for a moment before his gaze landed on top of the redhead. "Hello, Ms. Evans. How's your evening?"
James glared at his so-called mate.
Lily Evans, a beautiful girl with red hair and emerald fire for eyes, looked up at Sirius with a look of long suffering. "I was doing fine until you came up. And, judging from your insane smile, you're up to something. I suggest you stop now. It's our last year; do you really want to cause trouble?"
"Key words there- ‘last year’. Of course we want trouble. We want to go out with a-"
BANG!
"What the-!" Lily turned around to see the portrait entrance open with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew covered in neon pink slime.
"Bit messy out there," piped Peter. He looked up onto the glaring face of Lily and cowered behind Remus.
"There's been an accident with the Slytherins," explained Remus.
"Nice going, Moony!" Sirius exclaimed. He almost clasped his mate's shoulder before realizing the slime dripping off his shoulder. "UGH! Moony that is disgusting!"
When the other three Marauders looked at him, he gave a rather obvious facial expression which said: Don’t let on that it was us! They just rolled their eyes.
"This was you, wasn't it?" asked Lily, closing her book with a decisive snap that caused the four young men to jump.
"Of course it was dear Lily!" cried Sirius. The other slapped their foreheads. "Even Prongs here helped. Whoops." It was too late before he realized what he had said. Even though he was Sirius, the guy who had many girls, he understood what his best mate was going through. "I mean, it was my idea, but..." he whispered this second part, "…James helped."
"Of course he did." Lily levitated her bag up her dormitory steps and then marched out of the common room.
"Wait, Lily!" Remus called. Then he shouted to Sirius, "You fool!"
Remus ran out of the common room after Lily, who was most likely going to see what was going on with the Slytherins. Lily, who wasn’t as cold toward Remus as the other Marauders, stopped and waited for him to catch up. Running with slime on your shoes isn’t exactly easy.
"Sirius doesn't know what he's saying. I wasn't lying when I said the Slytherins started it. We did plan a prank, but someone uncovered it before it could go off. I don't understand what happened. Don't be mad at James."
"You really expect me to believe that?" asked Lily, glowering at Remus.
"Yes," was the single-worded reply.
"You and those other three...children...have been playing pranks for the past seven years. I’m supposed to believe an excuse that's been used countless times? I can't do that Remus, even for you. And especially not for Potter.”
"Why would I lie? I'm not covering it up for James. Any of us! I really mean it…this time. Our prank blew up and the Slytherins are behind it. Please!" pleaded Remus.
"Sorry, Remus. I've been fooled too many times. Just be content with me not removing any house points." Lily turned away. "I have to go see to the Slytherins."
"For all the help it'll do you..." whispered Remus as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He sighed and watched Lily walk away. He was telling the truth. He and Peter had gone to set off the prank, but somehow the Slytherins had figured it out, and then used it against Peter and himself. But off course, the Slytherins got slimed just as much.
Remus found it amazing that even though Lily was so smart, she was so blind. She must've seen James's attempts to change. He had finally "seen the light". The stupid, stupid light! There was no use in trying to convince her. She was as stubborn as James was. Remus had a gut feeling that the Slytherins were goign to get back at the Marauders...He only hoped Lily would understand that he wasn't lying. He walked through the portrait hole and sat across from James. With a flick of his wand, he cleared the pink goop.
"Sorry mate," stated Remus to James, before taking in his still form. He was sitting straight in his chair, his hazel eyes unseeing. Remus waved his fingers in James's face. "James? Are you alright? Prongs?"
Sirius moved behind Remus’s chair and took a look-see at James himself. "Oh Merlin! Something is really wrong now… Oh! And Remus, you smell like perfume soap." Peter walked toward the seat beside James and looked sad. He was afraid. If Sirius and Remus didn't know what to do, then there must be no hope left. He could feel a tear at the edge of his eye.
Remus looked at Peter still covered in neon pink slime, muttered the same spell to clean him off. He noticed the pitiful look on the slim boy's face.
"Peter, don’t start crying. You've seen James like this before. It's just one of his Lily-hates-me-but-I-love-her moods. He'll get over it," intoned Sirius, though the way his head was tilted and the expression on his face made him seem as if he didn’t quite believe it himself. “Though…”
"Sirius, I don't think he's going to get over this in any meaning of the word 'quickly.' He loves her,” muttered Remus, shooting a pitying look at James. “He’s tried rather hard this year to change for her, so every time she shoves him off, it gets a bit harder for him. Just look at him. He's been like this for four minutes now. You know James' middle name is 'Can't Sit Still.'"
“It is?" asked Peter, raising his eyebrow. Remus and Sirius mimicked the action as they looked at each other.
"Of course it is, Peter. His name is James 'Can't Sit Still’ Potter," said Sirius sarcastically. Peter caught the tone and deflated, looking down at his shoes.
Sirius patted James's shoulder awkwardly, trying to comfort his mate, but to no avail. "You’re right. This one is different. We need to do something! I won’t see my best mate act like a dingbat zombie. And those freaks are freaky!”
"You're right Sirius…for once. We do need to do something. This isn't like James."
"Are you serious?" asked Sirius happily surprised that he actually got something right.
"No, you are." Remus smirked as he used the age-old joke. Sirius laughed.
"Haha. That I am! But what should we do about Prongs," he whispered. Remus and Peter came closer.
"I think that dance of yours is a good idea. We can somehow get them together," muttered Remus.
"I like the way you think, Moony. It's very much like a Marauder."
"That I am, Sirius." Remus gave them a toothy grin which made him look so wolf like. "First, I think we should move him up to bed."
"You know what would be creepy, Moony?" Sirius whispered. Remus raised his brows and Peter put his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. "…if he looks exactly like that when we wake up. Very creepy…" Remus shook his head while Peter looked frightened like the rat he is. Remus hid his chuckle and started to levitate James, in a sitting position, up the dormitory steps. James head lolled to the side, still focused on nothing in particular. Remus and Sirius sighed in synch and followed their zombie-like friend up the stairs.