A/N Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Thank you jajagelato for betaing this.
For my fun, crazy friend Invisiblegirl3. Everyone reading this, I defiantly recommend her stories if you like Harry Potter or Gallagher Girls! Invisiblegirl3, you are awesome, both as a friend and a writer! This is for you, enjoy!
The excitement level of Hogwarts students and staff of all ages rose drastically as the first owl was spotted entering through the windows of the Great Hall. Soon, owls were flying everywhere and mail was raining down on the delighted students below.
"Ah, mail delivery." Remus Lupin sighed happily as the Daily Prophet fell next to his plate. Eagerly, he reached over, grabbed it and began to read it, devouring every word.
"And we lost him." James Potter laughed as his bookworm friend lost himself to the articles in front of him.
"So did you hear about James-the prank king-Potter's new prank, Wormtail?" Sirius Black asked his friend as he reached for a roll. Seeing Peter Pettigrew's interested face he continued, "It was pretty brilliant. I never thought he would ever have the guts to prank Lily Evans of all people."
"What did you do?" Peter asked impatiently.
"Ah, Sirius flatters me." James replied, "It was nothing. There may have been an animated button army, sprouting out complete gibberish in Lily's voice, getting her in trouble in History of Magic, but how am I supposed to know?" He winked at his friends.
"Speaking of Lily; looks like even she got some mail." Peter said looking past James. James turned around to see Lily looking at a letter with interest. This was surprising to the Marauders; Lily almost never got mail except for her monthly parental letter, but she had gotten that the other day. Every so often she would look over at him and whisper to her friends, laughing. Suddenly James got a glimpse of the envelope, causing his heart to race. It can't be! James thought quickly. "I'll be right back." He told his friends before walking over to the table he has been dreaming to sit at for years.
"Hey Lily, what's that?" James said slyly, hiding his dread and peeking over her shoulder. Quickly, seeing him, Lily closed up the envelope.
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.
"What's in that envelope?"
"None of your business Potter!" Lily suddenly snapped, while scooping up her books and quickly leaving. Annoyed, James went back to his friends.
"Bad luck mate." Remus said causally flipping to the next page of the paper.
"I don't get it, what is so important about that envelope?" Peter asked looking at his friend in confusion.
"It's not the envelope that matters; it's what's in the envelope that matters!" James said frustrated. Peter looked at Remus in confusion but the Marauder just shook his head at him and shrugged.
"I knew she got it," James continued muttering to himself. "Her hiding it proves it."
"Okay guys its official," declared Sirius, joining the conversation, "James has truly lost it."
"No, didn't you see it? The seal on the envelope?" James looked around at the sea of confused faces around him. "It's from Zonko's, they never send people letters unless it contains receipts for large items. She is planning something."
James' friends looked at each other before bursting into laughter. "Oh mate, you are so in trouble. An angry Lily is always dangerous." Sirius teased, gasping between laughs.
Annoyance bubbling up inside of him, James stood up and gathered his things.
"I'll prove it to you." he said and he turned away and sauntered out of the Great Hall without looking back. He could hear his friends behind him but he ignored them, only starting to run when he was sure he was out of sight.
Quickly checking the large clock in the entrance hall, he noticed that it was 8:45. Okay, I have an hour before classes start to find Lily and get that envelope before she gets her revenge. 60 minutes before, if I know Lily well enough (which I totally do after stalkin-just noticing her briefly for six years) my first class will be a nightmare. He thought to himself, climbing the changing, swooping stairs. Now where would she be?
To his relief, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a girl with dirty blonde hair that looked familiar talking to another girl. The 6th year girl, who he recognized after a few seconds to be Haley Flanagan, a Ravenclaw, was also a friend of Lily's! He had seen her talking to Lily a couple of times including in the Great Hall!
"Hey!" he gasped, tired after his quick flight up the never-ending stairs. "Haley right?"
"Yeah," she said after giving a quick glance to her friend "And you're James Potter, I've heard Lily talk about you. You know it's rude to interrupt righ-"
"Have you seen Lily?" he quickly interrupted again.
Haley sighed in annoyance. "She went towards the Owlery mumbling about sending an important business letter or something." She had a mischievous glint in her eyes but James, in the rush he was in, barely noticed and cast his quick suspicion aside.
"Thanks!" he shouted, running off. Up the spiral stairs he fled once again, barely paying attention to where he was until finally he saw a head of fiery red. Skidding to a stop, James hid behind a pillar just as Lily turned around. Seeing nothing particularly suspicious, she shrugged slightly and continued walking.
James peeked his head out, checking to make sure she was far enough away so that she wouldn't see him. Of course I don't have my invisibility cloak today of all days!
Ducking behind every thing possible, James trailed Lily all the way to the Owlery, glaring at those who dared to even glance at the hiding boy. Finally James had his chance to grab the envelope. As Lily entered the Owlery and bent over to give her letter to her owl, James pulled out his wand.
"Accio letter!" He whispered as the original letter gave a slight jerk, releasing itself from Lily's pocket before flying over to him. Lily whipped her head around, but saw nothing; James already running quietly away only pausing to take a breath when he reached the Gryffindor tower. Great just enough time to foil her plan! Gleefully he thought.
"Phoenix feather" he gasped. The portrait swung open. Only once he had sat down by the fire, did he take a good look at the envelope. The seal was Zonko's alright, printed fairly fresh on a slightly crinkled envelope. Holding his breath, James broke the seal and pulled out the pale blue paper inside. He unfolded it.
There was nothing, no writing at all. It seemed to be just a plain piece of paper.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice spoke sharply from the doorway. Lily stepped towards him, the fury in her eyes shooting lasers across the room. His so-called friends stood behind her, trying not to laugh but horribly failing.
Shocked, James tried in vain to hide the envelope and sputter out a logical explanation.
"It's a good thing I charm all my letters for the writing to turn invisible if people are going to be snooping around for it after I have opened it. Honestly, what were you possibly thinking?"
Still failing to get any words out, Remus spoke up for him, "he thought that your letter was from Zonko's."
"Why on earth would you think that?"
Flipping the letter over and showing her, James finally grabbed all the words needed to make a sentence. "Just look at the seal! Zonko's! You were planning something, a prank, weren't you?"
Furious, Lily snatched the envelope, showing him the front. Close up, the seal, though resembling Zonko's, was completely different. "This is my family's seal, you moron!"
Throwing the envelope to the ground, Lily fumed out of the room, grumbling under her breath the whole way out.
"Well, Prongs, you certainly proved it," Sirius said grinning. "Lily certainly can be scary when angered." Feeling sorry for his friend (though not completely because he had it coming) Remus elbowed Sirius, and quickly ushered Peter and Sirius out of the room to leave James to be left only with his embarrassment.
James slumped down in his chair. His hand tingled as the letter he still held, glowed and vibrated. Looking closely at it he realized that writing had appeared. The once seemingly black paper now read: Never try to embarrass me in class and think you can get away with it. Consider yourself pranked, "prank king". Suddenly James noticed a change in the envelope on the ground too. The seal became one he knew so well, Zonko's, before becoming the simpler one. The writing had changed again as well: I am a witch you know.
At first he was furious. Why that sneaky, deceiving witch! He thought. How dare she embarrass him like that, causing him to act like a fool in front of the whole school and his friends due to the fact that she made him so was she thinking?
Gradually, however, a wide grin started to spread across his face.
What a genius! That's my girl! He thought proudly, shaking his head.