Lily closed the door and turned to walk down the stairs into the common room. She couldn’t help but smile a little bit. She still couldn’t believe that she was going to be in on a prank. Especially one with James Potter and Sirius Black.
Lily smiled happily as she exited the portrait hole, walking without destination, through the halls of Hogwarts. She wandered the hallways, up one staircase and down the next. The anticipation of the night ahead of her gave her new found energy. She didn’t feel tired. Another thing that Potter was right about; taking risks was healthy.
Homework had been erased from her mind, finals seemed distant, and school seemed a place just to be. She felt weightless, as though there wasn’t a care in the world. It was a nice feeling. As she descended the large marble staircase, she heard someone call her name.
She turned in the direction of the voice, and the smile that had been on her face faltered for a second before she put it back on. “Hi, Liam,” she greeted, somewhat exasperated.
It wasn’t as though she didn’t like Liam. Lily really did. How could one not at least like their boyfriend of two months? She had always thought he was attractive. His blonde hair and baby blue eyes were the envy of many girls. She thought that he was handsome as well. It was just that lately, Lily had been thinking of him as well,
Annoying. But, he was what the model boyfriend should be. Exceedingly smart and what appeared to be exceedingly perfect.
“What are you doing down here? I thought you were going to help Mary with her Charms essay,” Liam asked, a genuine smile mixed with confusion on his face.
“Umm….yeah. I was, but then I told her I would start it with her a little later. I really need to work on studying for McGonagall’s Transfiguration final,” Lily stated easily.
“Oh, well I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out tonight, you know spend some time together. We haven’t in ages,” he asked hopefully as they began to walk back up the stairs.
“I know. I’ve just been busy with all these finals and rounds with Remus. I just want to make a good impression before the summer so I make sure that I make Head Girl,” Lily justified.
Liam looked at her as if she were crazy. “C’mon Lily, we both know that we are shoe-ins for Heads next year. Who else beside us?”
Another reason Lily thought he should be perfect; he was a Ravenclaw prefect as well.
“Well, there’s always Emma Vance from your house, and Remus Lupin has a pretty good shot too,” Lily answered lamely.
“Emma Vance?” he scoffed. “Please, she’s been with every guy in our year practically, not exactly Head Girl material. Just now I saw her running off with a fifth year. Ran out of guys in our grade. As for Head Boy, Remus Lupin? The nut job that is sick for a week once a month? Dumbledore isn’t that far off of his rocker. He hangs out with Potter and Black, what kind of example would that set?”
“Just because they aren’t obsessed with schoolwork, doesn’t mean that they aren’t leaders,” Lily said as they eyed the library. “That is what the Heads are supposed to do. Lead the school, being picture perfect isn’t in the job description.”
“But it sure does help! What kind of leader is running off, poking fun and pulling pranks on Slytherins every month? What kind of leader disappears for a fourth of the school year?” Liam asked laughing. “Stop trying to kid yourself, Lily. We are going to get the spots, don’t worry.”
He leaned over and put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Lily shifted uncomfortably, finally reaching the library. The wonder of walking around aimlessly stopped abruptly as she saw it. She pulled out of his embrace and forced a smile.
“So, do you want to hang out or not?” Liam asked, still smiling.
Would he stop smiling for one second? Could that be any more annoying? Lily thought to herself.
“Can’t. I promised Mary I would help her with Charms remember? I’m sorry, I’ve got to go study, I’ll talk to you later, right?” Lily replied.
“Yeah,” Liam leaned his head down and kissed Lily, who kissed him back before waving and walking towards the library.
She looked back as he walked away and held his hand up in farewell. She turned to face the library and shook her head a little.
“Lily! What was that all about? Why did you run off talking about James Potter?” Mary ambushed Lily the second she walked into the library and at full volume, causing the librarian to kick them out. They angrily walked out of the door that Lily had just walked through. Lily started the conversation this time.
“I’ll tell you,” Lily answered, trying to calm down her friend as they walked. “But you have to promise not to tell anyone and you have to do something for me.”
“Sure, no problem, Lily, just tell me what this is all about,” Mary asked with obvious curiosity.
“Well, I’ll help you with your paper now, but if Liam comes looking for me tonight, you have to tell him that I’m helping you then. You know, cover for me. I have stuff to do tonight, and I swear I’ll fill you in tomorrow morning. Just if he sees you by yourself, tell him that you went to get a book or something. Can you do that?”
Mary nodded her head as they walked into the common room. Lily smiled and thought See Potter, you’re not the only one who can plan.
***
“We’re going to have to do it kind of late, Prongs. We have to make sure that no one is going to wake up in the middle of it,” Sirius whispered to James as they walked through the halls toward the library. A final bit of research was needed to make sure the execution of the prank that night went smoothly.
“Yeah, I guess we’re going to have to tell Evans a later time. Do you think one would work?” James conspiratorially whispered.
“One would work for what, exactly?” the voice of Liam Burke cut into their conversation, effectively causing the three of them to stop in the middle of the hallway just outside the library.
“Oh, Burke, how absolutely unpleasant it is to see you. Been well?” James asked with mock concern.
“Just as well as you, Potter. Care to tell me what you were talking about?” Liam asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Not in particular, no, but thanks for the concern,” Sirius answered. “It’s not like its really any of your business anyway. C’mon, Prongs.”
Sirius knew they didn’t have time for James to get in another Lily argument. He grabbed James shoulder to turn him around. Then, they both started to walk away, their backs to the Ravenclaw, when Liam said exactly the wrong thing.
“As a prefect, and as Lily’s boyfriend, it’s my business,” Liam said, summoning every voice of authority he could muster to put into the sentence.
James turned around causing Sirius to stop. James gave Liam a smug look while Sirius rolled his eyes, an expression that clearly read, here we go again.
“That is the best you’ve got? The prefect card? Really? See, Burke, I thought you were so much smarter than that. I guess just let anyone into Ravenclaw these days,” James retorted patronizingly.
“No, I’m pulling the “Lily’s-my-girlfriend-stay-the-hell-away-from-her” card,” Liam replied with the same tone James had just used.
By now, the two of them were within a foot of each other, glaring openly into the others face. James laughed a little, a small scoff as if what he said was hilarious, and raised his eyebrows, shaking his head up and down.
“Okay, you can play the card. That doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you anything,” James smiled and turned around and started walking again with Sirius. Without turning around he shouted, “Hogwarts’ girlfriends don’t last forever, Burke. You won’t be playing that card much longer.”
***
Liam stared at the retreating bodies of Potter and Black and instantly turned towards the Gryffindor Common Room. Legs pumping hard as he made it up the staircases to the portrait of the Fat Lady, once he finally made it he began to look around instantly for a Gryffindor to let him come inside.
Anger was not the word he would have used to describe his emotions at that very moment. Perhaps royally annoyed was a better phrase. Royally annoyed at James Potter.
Royally annoyed that no one was coming along to let him into the Common Room. He began to pace in front the portrait, the Fat Lady not even noticing his presence for all the wine that she had consumed. No one was coming along, or coming out, until a tall, thin, Mary MacDonald came out from behind it, followed by the one person he wanted to see.
“Afternoon, Lily,” he said with a hint of ice in his tone.
She hadn’t noticed his presence, and now that it was announced she tensed up. Wondering in her mind about why he was, well she would have said, royally annoyed at her.
“Hey, Liam, Mary and I were just going-“ she started but was interrupted by his accusation.
“What are you and Potter doing together at one?” Liam questioned.
Lily’s tried to downplay her facial expressions as she asked what he was talking about. He couldn’t be talking about the prank could he? How could he have known? Potter wouldn’t….would he? she thought to herself.
“I just ran into Potter and he and that Sirius Black were talking about how they were changing the time of something to one and they had to tell you. Care to explain?” Liam’s annoyance, quickly turning into anger at her act of ignorance.
Lily just stood there, opening and closing her mouth, unable to form a justification.
“Oh, you remember, Lily. McGonagall asked him to help you with the new Transfiguration notes. Didn’t you say that was tomorrow sometime,” Mary, who had been silent for the entire conversation, answered and then widened her eyes, giving Lily a look that clearly said I’m covering for you, now agree.
Lily recovered quickly, “Yeah, that’s right. Thanks, Mary. It must have just slipped my mind. He had originally said at noon, he must have some other plans or something.”
She smiled, trying to pass off her innocence, and Mary did too. Liam looked between them skeptically, full understanding lacking on his face.
“C’mon Mary,” Lily started again, “Let’s go get that Charms book from the library. I’ll see you later, Liam,” she reached up and kissed his cheek before turning around and walking away.
Once out of earshot of Liam who they had left at the portrait hole, Lily opened her mouth to thank Mary profusely but she held up her hand to stop the flow of thanks.
“Don’t sweat it, Lily. I’ve got your back. You just have to promise me one thing,” Mary stated matter-of-factly.
“After what you did for me back there? You name it, Mary,” Lily replied instantly, as for the third time that day they eyed the library door.
“Stop being so damn blind, Liam’s not for you.”
***
“Your boyfriend’s going to punch me.”
“Do you deserve it?”
“Possibly.”
Lily gave him a knowing look, a small smile on her face.
“Ok, probably.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Basically that you two are going to break up any day now because its not like you two are going to get married right out of Hogwarts.”
“I can’t believe you told him that! People get married right out of Hogwarts!” Lily stated, smacking James shoulder. Lily and James had stayed behind researching the finer points of the prank in the library, while Sirius insisted that he would be no help and Mary suddenly realizing that she could write the essay on her own. They were walking back to the common room when James shouted a loud “Hey!” in response to Lily punching him.
“Seriously though Evans, the only people who do that are crazy,” James retorted.
“No! What if they are really in love with each other?” Lily asked, looking for his honest answer.
“Well, are you really in love with Liam?” James asked not really expecting an answer and therefore was surprised when she did answer.
“I don’t think so,” Lily said barely above a whisper, looking straight ahead.
“It does seem like he thinks you are,” James added off-hand. “I mean, he just acts like he knows everything about you, but I don’t think he does.”
“How do you know? You don’t know everything about me,” Lily replied and then stopped outside of the portrait hole as James gave her the password and they both walked through the portrait hole into the common room.
“Yeah, but at least I’m trying,” James said sincerely. He walked up the stairs and shouted from inside them, “See you at one, Lily.”
Learning To Live by MarauderWannabe
Chapter Notes: I'm so sorry for the extremely long wait but the first half of this semester has been killer and I haven't had any time for writing fanfics. Add on top of that the fact that the queue was closed, it just added to the delay. As always, all JKR's, the characters, the overall plot, setting, creatures, the little pieces of wood with lights coming out of them. Yeah, I don't own any of that.
Chapter Endnotes: I know a lot of people were expecting the prank in this chapter, but it just wasn't in the cards. Liam, the annoying brute, just felt the need to have practically a whole chapter dedicated to him. He's based on a real person, named Dan, who was so annoying that he got a character based off of him in my fanfic. So, hats off to him.
read and review, peace out,
kel aka marauderwannabe