(chapter 1)
Plans, Plotting, and Punctuality
Thrice Defied Him was originally the title of another fic of mine before I changed it to Lily Gets Her Letter, to clear up any confusion there might be.
All characters, excluding Farah (so far) belong to the infamous J.K. Rowling, not myself. sigh
If anyone has suggestions or constructive criticism, email me at or just put it in your review.
I'd like to give LOTS of thanks to my beta reader, Jackie, who was a LOT of help with this fic. Thanks Jackie!
Well… here goes:
James' POV:
I can't believe I let Lily get me in detention again. Okay – it wasn't completely her fault, but she knows good and well that I can't concentrate when she sits in front of me in Charms! But there is an upside; Lily's landed herself in detention for once with her snide comments. The best part is, she's serving detention with me!
I can't wait, or hold in my excitement for that matter. So far, I've tackled Sirius and Peter with the good news. They skipped out on Charms to visit Moony. Speaking of ol' Remus…
"Remus!" I yelled as I barged into the Hospital Wing. I'll hold off on tackling him until later; after all, he had his werewolf transformation lastnight. Remus made such a great audience for my story. He makes the most stunning "shocked" faces I've ever seen. Maybe he ought to think about acting… But leave it to Moony to burst my big, happy bubble and bring me crashing back to Earth.
"That's great, James! But have you considered that Lily is probably even less pleased with you than usual after you landed her in detention?"
"I did not get her into detention! I didn't make her call me a… hairy baboon." I flinched a little. I hate it when Lily calls me names, even though I'm certain she's masking her obsessive affections…
"Whatever you say, Prongs."
Sometimes Moony makes me want to hit him.
"Also," Oh, great. Here he goes again. "You'll more than likely be under strict supervision in detention. It's not like you can make her fall head-over-heels in love with you while scrubbing trophies in muck with Filch."
Remus is very lucky that he's in the Hospital Wing right now… I think Remus has realized the murderous look on my face, because his eyes are really wide. "Madame Pomfrey! Er… could you bring me some… new bandages?"
I left the Hospital Wing with considerably lower spirits than when I went in. I went to find Sirius. He'll help me form a plan to woo my redheaded goddess.
Lily's POV:
"James Eugene –" I couldn't help but giggle. Eugene is such a funny name "– Potter is the most insufferable prat that has ever roamed the halls of Hogwarts."
"Relax, Lily. You shouldn't have sat in front of the poor boy in Charms in the first place. You know how he gets…"
And Farah Adelese is the second most insufferable prat that has ever roamed the halls of Hogwarts, for taking his side. No… Farah is the third. James' best friend and fellow Marauder, Sirius Black, is the second.
"Farah, you don't get it! It's not just the fact that I've got detention; it's that Potter practically stalks me. If he could move on to someone else – there are plenty of other fifth years for him to obsess over – I wouldn't have detention in the first place!"
"Look at the bright side, Chumpkin. You get to serve detention with James Potter, sexy Quidditch player, charming hunk, and best friend to Sirius Black!" Chumpkin. I hate that nickname. Another reason to loathe Potter, as well. It's his fault I'm stuck with the ridiculous name in the first place. He tried to call me "chipmunk" once, and it came out wrong. Farah has never let me live it down. I ignored it for now, though, to respond to the worse part of her statement.
"Farah, you know just as well as anyone that I'm the last person to enjoy the presence of James Potter. And what does Sirius have to do with it?"
"He's a hunk, of course."
Sometimes I doubt the sanity of Farah Adelese. She had a thing for Peter Pettigrew, once… We both try to forget that.
I sighed. "Just suck it up, Lily. You can take it!" I'll have to. It's either suck it up, or look like a depressed mess in front of Potter, and be teased about it for the rest of my life.
James' POV
Remus doesn't know what he's talking about. I can totally woo my sweet Lily in detention. She's completely besotted with me!
"Potter, if you look at me like that one more time, I swear I'll hex you into next week!"
Even if she tries to pretend she's not. I know all about the urges going through her mind. Any moment now, she's going to give in to them and push me against a trophy case – right in front of Filch – and admit everything. Her journal filled with extensive love poems about the two of us, my picture hidden under her pillow…
"Potter! Pay attention to the cleaning. If you don't hurry up and get serious, we'll be here all night."
"You say that like it's a bad thing, my little Chumpkin," I said and put my arm around her. "Besides, it's your fault we're here in the first place."
She shoved my arm away. Out of rage or nervousness, I don't know, but I didn't like it either way. "I'm the reason we're here? You're the one who wasn't paying attention to Professor Flitwick!"
"Ah, yes, but I wasn't paying attention because you we're sitting in front of me. You know how I get when you do that." Completely distracted staring at that strikingly gorgeous head of red hair, that's how I get. "And let's not forget your little… comment to dear ol' Flitwick." Lily looks so cute when she's angry… "A hairy baboon, was it, that you called him?"
"That comment was for you and you know it!"
If Lily looks so ravishing when she's mad… I've never seen her happy. She never laughs around me. I'll have to try my luck at that… I'll have my moment soon enough, whenever trusty Sirius and our ally Mr. Peeves provide a distraction for Filch…
"CRASH!"
There it is… the distraction. By the sound of it, Sirius and Peeves had worked it out – whatever they did – so that Filch would have to walk as far away from Lily and I as possible, while still being able to hear the commotion from here when it happened.
"I'll be right back," Filch said. "And don't you two try sneaking out!"
I put on my most innocent face. "Don't worry, Mr. Filch! I'll be perfectly wonderful." It's amazing how much a salute can bother someone, especially when they're busy. Filch walked out of the trophy room grumbling about Peeves. Filch hates Peeves.
Lily just got a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. She looks beautiful with any kind of look on her face… "You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Her voice shook. "Nervous, Lily? It's nothing to be ashamed of! I mean, any girl would want to faint at her luck, being alone in a room with me."
I've never been punched in the stomach before – I prefer hexes to actual physical contact – but it sure hurts. "What was that for?" It feels like all of the breath just got sucked out of my lungs. She's a girl! How did she do that?
"For everything."
"A nice kiss would've been more appropriate, Chumpkin!"
"Really? Not from me, I hope. Jane Midgen is single… Maybe I can talk her into kissing you."
Ew. Ew, ew, ew. "She's all… pimply. You can't do that to me! You don't want to. Especially when you'd be fuming with jealousy!" That ought to put her in her place. Wait – wasn't I going to try to make her laugh?
"Hey Lily, why did the chicken cross the road?"
"What?"
Okay – different approach. Everyone laughs when they're being tickled, even Remus. Wow… Lily even looks smashing when she's scared! "It's okay, Lily. Tickling never hurt anyone." That was a bit of a lie. Remus and I hung Snivellus by his pants and tickled him once. By his screams… I assume it hurt a little. A lot. But Lily didn't need to know that; she disapproves of my fellow Marauders and I giving Snape what he deserves in the first place.
"Tickling?" Lily backed herself into a corner. She can't escape me now! I reached over to tickle her, and got the breath knocked out of me all over again. How in the world did I fall for that twice? Wait – I'm a wizard! "Rictusempra!" Finally, the girl got to laughing. Lily angry is absolutely nothing compared to Lily happy. Okay – not exactly happy, but laughing.
"P-Potter! You better s-stop-" the poor thing can't even get the words out.
"Stop tickling you? Oh, no, my Chumpkin. Not after those punches. In fact…" I performed another little spell. "Wingardium Leviosa," I said, flicking my wand. It amazes me how often I use the spells I learned in first year.
"POTTER!"
"Calm down, flower. What's your favorite spell? Can't get the words out? I'll just tell you mine, then. I adore summoning spells." I murmured the spell and Lily flew toward me. Summoning spells aren't my best; I'm actually more of a Transfiguration kind of guy. That's my excuse for Lily tumbling right into me. Apparently, knocking the breath out of the person that cast a spell on you reverses the spell they cast, because Lily was no longer laughing.
"James Eugene –" Lily giggled a little. What's so funny about my middle name? True, I find it a little embarrassing, but others aren't allowed to laugh at it, especially my true love! "- Potter! I though you were low before, but now-"
"Miss Evans, Mr. Potter. I've got more important things to take care of now than watching a couple of kids clean." Thank Merlin for Filch walking in. I don't know if I can handle any more stomach punching. "You're dismissed."
I regret having to leave Lily, but I will anyway, because I don't fancy the prospect of the breath knocked out of my lungs, especially when she's angry. Sirius should be waiting for me by the one-eyed statue…
Lily's POV:
Pacing through the trophy room sure helps me get out my rage. The filth on my skin is going to take forever to clean off. No, not the trophy dust, but the grime of Potter. As satisfied as I was at the effect my punch to the stomach had on Potter – he seemed genuinely surprised – I didn't like much that I had to touch him to do it.
The nerve of him! Tickling me like – a piece of parchment on the floor? It must have fallen out of Potter's cloak. I think I'll keep it for myself. The git deserves something taken from him, even if it is just an old bit of parchment.
I strolled out into the hall, making my way up to Gryffindor Tower.
"Ready?" I heard someone say. I stopped dead.
Tonight has proven to be a very exciting night. First punching Potter, now whispering in the hallway. I crept toward the whispering. Who else should I have expected, but the Marauders?
"What do you mean you can't find it?"
Remus looked outraged. "After all the time we put into that map!"
"I bet Lily's got it…"
I listened while Potter told them about the detention. It scares me how rude guys are in public, but they're even worse in private! I almost vomited, between Sirius asking if James saw my knickers and Pettigrew's "did you snog her?"
In my pocket, at this very moment, is something extremely important to the Marauders. A map, apparently. I've always read about blackmail cases in books, but I've never dealt with one in real life. Farah will find this very intriguing…
Farah's POV:
Normally, my best friend Lily is the most prompt, punctual person in the history of Hogwarts – but not tonight. Merlin forbid the girl be on time tonight, leaving me pulling at my hair in anticipation.
Okay… I'm completely exaggerating. But I'm just so bored! "Wait up for me," she said before she left for detention, "so you can comfort me while I tell you all about my sure-to-be scarring experience."
Well, I'm waiting. She's got me pacing the dorm, waiting for her to get back and tell me everything. Lily's got detention with James Potter! Now Lily is a very strong-willed girl, I know. James has been asking her out since the Hogwarts Express at the start of this term, and she's held out against him for almost 2 months already! I don't know anyone else who can do that. But even Lily and the hatred for James she's been harboring since first year can't resist for long that hunky, loveable, sexy, Quidditch-playing -
"Miss me?"
When a girl walks in a room with flushed cheeks, any sane 15-year-old girl – or guy, for that matter - would assume that she's been snogging. And I am most certainly a sane 15-year-old girl. "Chumpkin! I knew you'd give in to that Potter charm eventually-"
I have quite a few interesting talents, but unfortunately for me, there's one that doesn't involve being able to swallow a noodle and pull it back out of my throat – jumping to conclusions, and always being wrong about them. Okay, so it's not exactly a talent… more like a curse.
"Farah Adelese! I have not given in to that insufferable git!"
"Sorry, Lily." So I was wrong. Apparently, the red fused in her cheeks was caused by rage, not snogging.
"But I do have the best news ever!" Wrong again. Why am I always wrong?
"Good news, Lily, after a detention with your enemy? Or maybe he's not your enemy anymore, and you're hiding it from –"
"Farah, I've got blackmail on the Marauders!" Blackmail… My favorite kind of mail – to send, of course, not receive. Some people prefer orange mail, and the particularly strange ones like animal print, but I -
"Do you realize what this means?"
"Of course I realize what this means, Chumpkin." Her cheeks turned red a little. I love the effect that calling her Chumpkin has. I thank Potter for that lovely little nickname. Had he learned how to talk correctly, I would never have though of calling Lily 'Chumpkin'. "It means I can blackmail Sirius into a broom closet with me." Sirius Black is the most gorgeous being ever to have stepped foot in the Great Hall…
"No, Pet. It means I can make Potter quit stalking me." Pet. I hate that name. I guess it's payback for me calling her 'Chumpkin', but the fact that I deserve it a little doesn't make it any less cruel. 'Pet' was derived from the name Peter Pettigrew, because I had a thing for him once. I try not to think of that, though.
"Why would you want Potter to quit stalking you?" Has the girl never actually looked at him before?
"You know just as well as anyone that I can't stand him. And Potter only likes me because he can't have me, anyway. If I put an end to the foolishness now, I can save myself from years of embarrassment."
Lily can be a big, blind idiot sometimes. She doesn't think ahead. Has she never considered that one day she might actually like Potter? She'll regret rejecting him now.
"So what is this blackmail over?" It better be good, or she'll have gotten up my hopes of Sirius in a broom closet for nothing. Sirius, me, dark closet… Merlin, he's gorgeous!
Lily pulled a blank piece of parchment out of her robe.
"And old bit of parchment? This is your blackmail? I was expecting proof that they set Snape's robes on fire last week, but Lily…" Potter must have cast a Confundus charm on the poor girl…
"No, Farah, I'm not crazy." Is Lily an Occlumens? I've never considered it before, but that would sure explain a lot.
"Prove it."
"I heard the Marauders whispering in the hall about something that fell out of Potter's pocket during detention. A map." She pointed to the parchment sitting on her bed. "That. That map – I'm sure it's got concealing charms on it – is how they manage to pull off all their stunts. I'll bet you anything it shows every passage they've ever discovered at Hogwarts, and a lot more, I'm sure."
Honestly, Lily doesn't think sometimes. I guess I'll have to point out the obvious for her. "Why use it for blackmail, when we can use it for ourselves? Think, Chumpkin! Marauder secrets at our fingertips…"
"I've already thought of that. We've just got to figure out how to work the thing, first, and form a good plan…"
Lily is an absolute genius. Who else would have thought up her brilliant plan? Okay – the Marauders themselves probably would have, but Lily won't be flattered to hear that, so I'll keep it to myself. Finding the passage to Hogsmeade will be the easy part. It's surprising the Marauders when we get there that will be a little difficult.
"There happens to be a flaw in your brilliant plan, though, Miss Evans."
"What's that?"
"We don't know how to work this map yet."
"Well, then, we'll have to fix that. Let's get some sleep first, though; trophy cleaning is exhausting, especially with Potter staring at you the whole time. We'll work on it in the morning, and we've got the whole weekend to spare. After that, we can get down to the fun part of the plan, the blackmail." Lily giggled. "It is a brilliant plan, isn't it? I'm such a genius to think of it."
Honestly, she calls James conceited?
Well... that's all for chapter 1! R&R, please!
And thanks again to Jackie...
:Savanna: