Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, so all complaints go directly to JK.
`*`*`*`
Lily Evans and Grace Greenleaf were hard at work in the Gryffindor common room when there was a ruckus at the portrait hole.
"What time is it?" Lily asked Grace.
"Eleven," she answered.
"The Marauders," they said together, and went back to work as though nothing had happened.
Sure enough, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew came in the commons. They didn't look very happy, in fact, Peter and James seemed to be mad at Sirius. They all looked in desperate need of a shower.
"Padfoot, how could you?" James cried.
"I wasn't thinking," replied Sirius sheepishly.
"No," said James, "you weren't. You could have hurt someone!"
They continued up the stairs into their room.
The two sixth year girls stared at each other in shock.
"Wow," said Lily, "whatever that was about, I'm glad I'm not there."
"Yeah, I wonder what they did this time," said Grace.
"They didn't say anything to us, it must have been bad."
"Yeah, no sexist comments."
"I wonder how we got off so easily."
`*`*`*`
James walked into the Great Hall by himself the next day. Sirius was with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, and Serverus Snape. Remus was at the hospital wing, and Peter was asleep.
James looked around to see where he could sit. He glanced over at a group of girls who were all giggling, a group of guys all talking about Quidditch, the random people who were hurriedly finishing their homework for their first period, and his gaze fell on two girls.
One had red hair and green eyes and was petite, and the other had brown hair and brown eyes, and was taller. He placed them as Lily Evans and Grace Greenleaf, who were in his classes, but he never talked to them.
"The ministry over in the United States is having a lot of problems with the muggle government. Apparently, not enough is being done about the pollution all the muggles are causing. I went there over break, and let me tell you, it was in sad shape. I saw a lake that looked more like a garbage dump. The forests! Oh the forests! They're in SUCH bad shape. Whole forests have been destroyed," Grace was saying to Lily.
"That's horrible," said Lily.
"Yeah, muggles destroy everything, don't they?" James added.
Lily and Grace both turned and glared at him.
"You do realize that we're both muggle born," ssaid Lily.
James didn't seem fazed by this at all.
"Oh, I don't mean you. You're witches. Mind if I sit here?" He sat down without bothering to listen to their answer.
"Make yourself right at home," said Grace sarcastically.
"Thanks," smiled James.
He proceeded to pile food on his plate.
"Wow," said Lily, "I don't eat that much in a week."
"Yeah," said James, "but women usually don't. I mean, they don't need it like we men do."
"Excuse me," said Lily, "what is that supposed to mean?"
"Woah," said James, "I didn't mean for you to take offense. It's just that…" he trailed off.
"Just that what?" asked Grace.
"Just that girls don't have to do as much as guys. I mean, we have to work and support you. You just stay at home and take care of the children and clean the house."
`*`*`*` He left the Great Hall and ran into Sirius, who burst out laughing at the sight of him.
"Thanks, Prongs," he said, "I haven't laughed like that in awhile."
A green-haired James turned his tentacle-covered face, and put the gaze of his now red eyes on Sirius, "I had a bit of a disagreement with two girls."
"If that's a bit of an agreement, I don't want to see a lot of a disagreement."
"Haha, very funny. Let's all laugh at James."
"Okay, if you insist." Sirius then laughed several times, while pointing at James.
"SHUT UP! Just unhex me already!"
Sirius stopped. "Why should I unhex you?"
"Cuz if you don't Snape is going to find out that you're secretly gay and that you love him."
"I am NOT gay!"
"That's not what Snape's gonna think."
"Fine, I'll unhex you!"
He unhexed James, and a sad look took his face again.
"I've been banned from Quidditch."
"YOU'VE WHAT??????????" cried James.
"Been banned from Quidditch."
"Says who?"
"McGonagall."
"Who does she think she is?"
"Um, I'm guessing a teacher."
"Yeah, well, what gives her the right to kick you off the team?"
"James, listen to yourself! She's a TEACHER. Maybe I should refresh your memory as to what a teacher is. A teacher teaches students, that'd be us. She can deal out punishment, which she does, to people who have done something wrong, like me."
"Who does she think she is?" repeated James, clearly not listening to whatever Sirius was saying. "The match between Slytherin is in a month! We'd have to train someone COMPLETELY new!"
"Well, you're gonna have to hold tryouts, cuz I can't play 'till next year."
"Why? I mean, Snape's ok! He didn't get bitten or die!"
"I know. I pointed that out to McGonagall and she claimed that I had no feelings for other human beings."
"I could have told you that."
"Hey! I care about my fellow human beings."
"Yeah, your FEMALE, fellow human beings."
"Ya know what? Let's just drop this and post something up in the commons about a new beater."
"Ok."
`*`*`*`
Grace and Lily came into the commons after their last class of the day to see a group of people clustered around a sign.
The group was talking excitedly.
"I wonder what's going on," said Lily.
"Shall we find out?"
"I guess."
They walked over to where everyone was standing, and craned their necks, trying to read the sign.
"Wow Lils!" said Grace. "You should try out! You're an awesome beater!"
Lily smiled, "Thanks, I think I will tryout. You should too."
"Me? But I'm not as good as you."
"Yes you are! Besides, it's good practice."
They did their homework halfheartedly, both thinking about the next day.
`*`*`*`
"Alright," said James the next day, "you'll be trying for the beater position. We're looking for someone tough, someone who's not afraid of their own shadow. We have a match against Slytherin, and we want to win!"
Cheering emitted from the crowd.
"During the tryouts," James continued, "we will watch all of your skills. You will have to do a lap around the field, then we'll throw 10 bludgers at you, and you'll have to hit the target we provide for you."
He pointed at Sirius, who was bringing out a life-size, cardboard cutout of Snape. It was scowling, but would repeatedly scratch his head as though he was confused. "Quidditch?" it said. "I dunno much about Quidditch. Is that a sport?"
Laughter came throughout the crowd.
"My God," said Lily, rolling her eyes, "they never give up the Snape thing, do they?"
"No. They never give up throwing their trash in the lake, either. Have you ever talked to the giant squid about it? He is SO upset about it. The merpeople aren't very fond of them either."
"The giant squid told you that? How do you communicate with the giant squid."
"I speak for the animals. Oh, and there's a special charm Professor Flitwick told me."
"Can you teach it to me sometime?"
"Yeah, maybe I'll tell it to the Marauders, too. They can hear first hand how they suck at keeping our environment safe."
"Evans," cried James, "you're up. Let's see what you can do!"
Grace wished Lily good luck, and Lily started on her lap.
She was by far the fastest. Even James couldn't hide his admiration of that. Sirius hadn't even had been that fast.
She managed to get all ten of the bludgers in Snape, which was a feat no one else had managed. There was also the impressive touch that the bludgers had made a big L shape.
Grace also did alright. She wasn't as fast as Lily, but she managed to get all the bludgers in Snape.
They rest of the tryouts were guys. Everyone, however, knew that Lily would make the team, because she was by far the best.
Which explained why Lily was so upset the next day when she looked at who had made the team, and saw Frank Longbottom's name.
"What?!" cried Grace. "How could he not have chosen you? You were by far the best! Frank couldn't hold a candle to you!"
Lily didn't say anything, but she went over and congratulated Frank.
She then went over to James, who was laughing with his friends.
"James, could I have a word with you?" she asked.
"Look, if it's gonna be yelling at me about the whole Quidditch thing, forget it," he answered.
"It's not."
"Ok." They walked over to a corner.
"I wanted to know why I didn't get picked. Just for future reference," she hastily added.
"Oh, that. Well, you fly quite well and you did a fine job on the poster of Snape."
"Well, it all becomes clear now why you didn't pick me," she said sarcastically.
"Well, you fly well for a GIRL. But we don't need a GIRL, we need a Quidditch player."
"JAMES POTTER! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU DIDN'T PICK ME FOR THE TEAM JUST BECAUSE I'M FEMALE?!" cried Lily, outraged.
"Lily, Quidditch is a man's sport. It's too rough for a girl, you might get hurt or break a nail or something."
A fuming-mad Lily walked up to her room, not trusting herself to speak to James.
`*`*`*`
Chapter One Quidditch Tryouts
The Gryffindor team needs a new beater!
Tryouts are being held tomorrow after classes.
Go Lions!
~James Potter, Captain~
A/n: oooo, I think everyone hates James now. Don't worry. Lily's strong. She knows how to deal with him!
Please review and tell me what you think!