Chapter Twenty: Of Jealousy and Revenge

*Lily looked at the girl in awe. How could she be so bold as to ask someone so soon, and that… brash? She had been so rude in her mannerisms… would James tell her yes? Would he fall for that? Lily knew her friend had better taste than that, but still… sometimes stranger things happened.

James looked at Eva and blinked. And then blinked again. Did the girl have any idea who she was talking to? She had been so rude just to barge into their conversation like that, and then to ask him to the ball? James was into the old fashioned thinking that the boy had to be the one doing the asking, not the other way around.

“Eva, as much as I would love to…”

“Great!” The girl chirped.

“No.” James stopped her. He couldn’t let her think he was going with her.

“No? No what?” Eva asked confused.

“Sorry Eva. I’m already going with someone else.” He covered quickly. Lily’s heart fell. While James was covering up with Eva, she slipped into the shadows and then away into the halls. When James turned around, he found himself alone. Where had his Lily gone?

“Lily?” He called out. When he got no response, he decided to go looking for her.

Lily knocked lightly on the door and waited patiently to be let in. As the blast of warm air hit her when the door opened, she flung herself into strong arms and just let them hug her.

“Lily!” Hagrid cried out in surprise as the girl flung herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly, knowing something was wrong. Bringing the girl into his house, he sat her down in the warm chair by the fire and handed her a cup of tea. She placed the tea down and hiccupped.

“Lily, what’s happened?” Hagrid asked.

“I don’t know Hagrid. I don’t even know why I’m so sad.” She hiccupped again and wiped away hot tears that shimmered in her eyes. It was odd. She always seemed to hiccup when she was upset.

“Tell us what went wrong?”

“We were at dinner and Professor Dumbledore announced that the formal ball was coming up… and I hate balls, so of course as soon as I had finished dinner I left, but James caught me in the halls, and then when we were talking, this girl came up and asked if he would go with her…”

“And he said yes?”

“No, he said no!”

“Then why are ye so upset?”

“Because he told her he was already going with another girl!” Lily yelled. Her hands flew to her mouth and she gasped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.” Hagrid chuckled.

“It’s alright. I understand you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous! I’m just… hurt. I mean, I hate balls, and I don’t want to go, but still… I felt… I don’t know! What’s wrong with me Hagrid? I’ve never felt so sad, no, not sad, but… betrayed in all my life.”

“Lily dear, you wanted to go with James, didn’t ye?”

“No! Well, I mean, no. I didn’t want to go at all!” She blushed and hiccupped.

“But if you did want to go, you would have wanted to go with him, right?” Hagrid pushed, grinning widely.

“I suppose.” She blushed redder still.

“Because you love James.”

“No! There is no such thing as love.” Just then, the door flew open.

“Lily! I’ve been looking for you!” James rushed in, shutting the door behind him. “Hello Hagrid. Now then! Lily! Why’d you run off like that?”

“Hello to you too James.” Hagrid sulked slightly.

“James.” Lily whispered.

“Lily, what’s wrong?” James asked, concerned. He knew when something was wrong, and this was definitely one of those times.

“Nothing. Why would something be wrong?” Lily whispered.

“Because if nothing were wrong, Lady Lily, you wouldn’t have run off.”

“Maybe I just wanted to visit Hagrid while you went and saw your girlfriend?” She spat dejectedly.

“Girlfriend?” Now James was very confused. “Lily, you know I don’t date.”

“Really? I supposed you did now. I mean, you already had a date for the formal, so I just…”

“I do?” James asked. Now everything was coming into picture. Had she been… jealous? James shot Hagrid a questioning glance, and watched the big man wink and nod. As bad as James felt for making Lily feel worried, he also felt euphoric. “Hey Lily?”

“Yes?” She whispered.

“Tell me something?”

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you want to go to the dance?”

“Because I don’t dance.” She snipped. She couldn’t tell him the real reason. She just couldn’t tell James everything… he already knew so much… she was already so liable to get hurt… at least she could save a little piece of her heart from pain if she hid what little she had left.

“Funny.” James laughed. Lily looked up.

“What?”

“I don’t dance either. Would you like to spend a night with me in common room?” He asked her. Lily blinked in disbelief.

“What? James, your date?”

“I said that to get out of going with Eva. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. So? How about that night?”

“You’d give up the ball just to be with me?”

“In a heartbeat Lady Lily.” She said nothing, but flung herself into James’ arms. He caught her and hugged her close, inhaling the scent of her sweet perfume.

“Thank you.” She whispered. James simply pulled her in closer, craving more closeness than they had. He loved her… he really did.

“Come on Lily, let’s go back to the school. I’m sure everyone is worried about us.”

“Alright then. Thank you Hagrid.” She smiled at the bigger man.

“Anytime, anytime.” He wished them so long, and then they were gone.

>>>)(<<<

“Why don’t you take that filthy girlfriend of yours and get lost Black!”

“Yeah! We don’t want to look at dirt like that in our halls.”

“Shove it Malfoy, Snape!” Sirius yelled at the two heckling Slytherins. He was standing in front of the Gryffindor common room with Arabella right behind him, just as mad.

“Yeah. Speaking of dirt! You two aren’t good enough to wipe the dirt from our feet, so just leave!” She added. Sirius shot her a look, and she backed up, knowing he didn’t want her involved.

“Why you dirty little tramp! I cannot believe she’s pure blood! Sickens me.” Malfoy shuddered. “I’m leaving. Coming Snape?” Malfoy called as he walked away laughing.

“I’d rather be anywhere than here.” Snape called after him. However, he made no move to leave. “How’s Lily? I hear she’s banging all the boys in Gryffindor. So what do you say Black? Evans any good in bed?” He smirked.

“You dirty, sick bastard!” Sirius screamed in Lily’s defense. “Don’t you dare go dragging her name through the mud!”

“Why not? She is mud! A mudblood!” Snape laughed.

“Heartless freak!” Arabella screamed.

“Ara, leave. I’ve got this.” Arabella glared at him.

“Don’t get into trouble Si, I don’t want to have to visit you in the hospital wing while everyone else is dancing.” Then she nodded finality and went through the portrait.

“What are you going to do about it Black?” Snape grinned evilly.

“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we see how tough you really are? The Whomping Willow, tonight, eleven thirty. Or are you too much of a chicken?” Sirius challenged.

“Never!” Snape spat.

“Then we’ll see how tough you really are!”

“Fine. Eleven thirty tonight. You’ll regret this Black!” And Snape stormed off. Sirius let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and stepped through the portrait.

“Is he gone Si?”

“Gone Ara babe. We won’t be seeing him for a while, I guarantee it.”

“I hope not.”

“Seeing who?” Lily asked as she joined them.

“Snape.”

“Well, that’s good news.” Lily smiled.

“Hey Lil! Did you decide to come to the ball?” Sirius grinned.

“No. But James decided he wasn’t going. He volunteered to stay with me here in the common room. Nice of him, don’t you think?” Arabella and Sirius exchanged glances. “Well, I need to go. I’ll see you two later.”

“Bye Lily!” They chorused.

“What does Lily think of James?” Sirius asked Arabella.

“What does James think of Lily?” Arabella countered. They smiled evilly.

“She loves him?”

“Lily doesn’t believe in love, or so she claims. But she is attracted to him, and for more than just his looks. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s in love with him.”

“He’s loved her since the beginning of the year. Or at least, it’s obvious. He’s still denying it. Drives Remus and I crazy most of the time. Oh well.”

“Don’t you hate not seeing them together?” Ara sighed.

“All in good time dear. If this was some cheesy movie, I’d devise a plan to hook them up, but we all know those plans always backfire.”

“Oh Si!”

“No, really!”

“Si, it’s late, it’s ten. I’m going to go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning, alright?”

“Night hon.”

“Night.” But Sirius wasn’t concentrating on his girlfriend’s words. He was contemplating what he was going to do to Snape. Just as his mind began to twist, Peter walked by. “Peter!” He yelled.

“What?” Peter asked dumbly. “Oh, hi Sirius. Listen, tonight’s a full moon, are you going to want to visit Remus?” Peter lowered his voice.

“Yeah. You willing to work?” Sirius grinned. This was all too simple.

“Sure. I just had a run in with Snape, so my back is a little sore, but…”

“Snape beat up on you?” Sirius narrowed his eyes and watched Peter’s face pucker.

“Again.” The pudgy boy confirmed.

“Want to get even?”

“How so?” Peter asked skeptically.

“Want him to have a little run in with a wolf-man?” Peter picked up on Sirius’ evil grin. He understood what Sirius wanted to do. And if Sirius thought it was a good idea, chances were James did too. Well, if his two friends thought it was a good idea, maybe they were finally beginning to include him more!

“I’m in!” Peter rubbed his grubby hands together. “I’ll have to cancel a date with Cynthia, but I’m in. What time?”

“Eleven thirty.”

“I’ll be there.” And they went their separate ways- Peter to cancel his date and Sirius to get ready. Unable to find James, Sirius just planned on without him, knowing that his best friend was probably with Lily somewhere, hopefully working out their… feelings.

Soon it was eleven thirty, and Peter and Sirius met under the Whomping Willow. Peter looked nervous- he was wringing his hands and pacing back and forth, while Sirius just kept a mighty smirk upon his face.

“So what’s the plan?” Peter finally asked.

“Simple. Change and hide under the willow. Then, when you hear Snape and I talking, you push the knot, and then I’ll push Snape into the branches. He’ll have to go through the tree and into the Shrieking Shack to get out! After he’s past the tree, you let me in, and then we’ll watch him squirm! We won’t let him get bit or anything, just scare the hell out of him is all! It’s brilliant! It’ll be the best prank we’ve ever pulled on the greasy git!”

“I love it!” Peter exclaimed. Then they heard footsteps, looked at each other, and nodded. Peter slowly shrank, his front teeth becoming longer and yellow, while a long tail appeared and finally fur grew. In his rat form, he slunk under the tree branches and got into position. Sirius simply waited for Snape.

“Black! So here I am! What’s your test of strength? Or have you forgotten you don’t have enough brains to come up with one?” Snape gloated.

“Really? Trust me, it takes brains to come up with all the pranks I’ve pulled on you before.”

“I thought that was all Potter.”

“So you admit James is smart then, huh?”

“No!” Snape reddened, but Sirius just laughed. “You dirty little-” But just as Snape began to speak, the Whomping Willow’s branches opened.

“So Snape, still not afraid? Go on ahead, it won’t hurt you. Not much! The worst part is still to come!” Sirius laughed and pushed Snape into the tree branches, which shut, snapping violently behind him. Sirius laughed wickedly in the night.

“Hey Sirius. What’s so funny? Come on, shut it or you’ll wake the whole castle!” Sirius gasped and chocked on the air.

“James!”

“Yeah. Who were you expecting, Snape?” James smirked.

“Nah, he’s already come and gone. Jamesie boy, you missed it! Oh Prongs, it’s the best prank yet! We let Snape into the Whomping Willow, and then when he gets into the Shriek Shack, he’ll be scared to death! It’s great, don’t you think?”

“You what!” James yelled. “Sirius! Remus doesn’t know to stop himself! What happens if he attacks!” Sirius’ grin dropped.

“I, uh,”

“You didn’t think about that, did you? You expected that Snape would know not to get too close! Padfoot!” Just then the branches opened again, and both James and Sirius transformed to run beneath them.

As they ran, they forgot about Peter, who trailed after them, thinking it was great fun to be pulling such a brilliant plot in Snape. Soon they reached the main room, and managed to catch a glimpse of Snape before he entered the room where Remus was being held. James and Sirius both returned to their human form and called after him.

“Snape, stop! Stop!” But Snape paused only for a moment to look back at them.

“Think I’m chicken do you boys? I’ll show you a thing or two about my bravery! Good thing you’re here too Potter, wouldn’t want this to go to waste!”

“No!” James yelled.

But it was too late; Snape had already rushed into the room. James and Sirius ran after him and transformed once more into their animagi states. When they entered the room, they found Remus in his werewolf form, hunched over a screaming Snape. Snape had a fat shard of wood in his hands that he was desperately using to try to hold off the werewolf, but with Remus’ sharp teeth, it wasn’t much help. James ran up and used his stag horns to prod Remus away from Snape and hold him at bay while Sirius grabbed hold of Snape’s robes and pulled him out of the room.

Finally James dashed away from Remus and out the door behind Sirius. He stopped when he saw a bawling Snape holding onto a big, black dog. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter scramble towards them in his rat form. And then as Peter slowly became human again, James felt like banging his head against the wall.

“What?” Snape suddenly saw Peter. He pushed the black dog away from him and looked from one animal to another. Then he glared and began screaming. “You nasty Marauders! You’re animagi!” James was the next to decide the jig was up. He returned to his human state and let Snape yell at him. Then Sirius returned to his human form and grinned doggishly.

“Scared Snape?” He snickered. Then he winced. “Damn Snape! Don’t you ever cut your fingernails? You dug them into my skin so hard I think you cut me!”

“Cut you? Cut you! You bastard! You could have killed me! I would have become a werewolf! If you we…”

“What is going on here gentlemen?” A very stern McGonagall stood over all four of them. They were in deep this time…

>>>)(<<<

“Tell me boys! What was going through your heads? You could have gotten him killed! Worse! You could have made Remus guilty for turning Severus into a werewolf! Do you have any idea how idiotic, dangerous, and irresponsible you three have been this evening? Why! The nerve! How dare you! This will call for more than your average detention, that I assure you.” McGonagall finally had to sit down and put her hand over heart to calm it down.

“You have disappointed me greatly this evening boys. I thought more highly of you than this.” Dumbledore frowned as he looked upon the Marauders, minus Remus.

“Professor, we’re terribly sorry.” Peter stammered.

“Sorry? Sorry for nearly killing an innocent student? Mr. Pettigrew, sorry will not be enough! This is ground for expulsion!” McGonagall threatened.

“What? Professors, we’re sorry! I wasn’t thinking, and…” Sirius tried.

“You certainly weren’t!”

“Professors?” James asked quietly. “This is all my fault. I’m the one who thought of the prank, I’m the one who forced them into doing. I threatened them if they didn’t. It was my fault. Please, if you’re going to punish someone, put the blame on me and let them go. They’re just as innocent as Snape.”

“Mr. Potter?” McGonagall looked heartbroken. “Of all people… And I had thought that you had turned over a new leaf, I really did.”

“James. I am sorely disappointed in you.” The look on Dumbledore’s face practically broke James’ heart.

“James!” Sirius began. But McGonagall held her hand up. “Mr. Black., I think that if Mr. Potter is your friend, you should be rather angry with him for forcing you along. Still, you could have come to one of us with this problem. This doesn’t leave you off the hook. Very well.” She paused. “Mr. Black, detention for three weeks. Mr. Pettigrew, the same punishment for you. Now then. Mr. Potter. Since you are the above all guilty party, I not only strip you of your position on the House quidditch team, I sentence you to detention for three weeks.”

“The quidditch team?” Sirius gasped. But James kept his head downcast.

“Yes Professor.”

“And fifty points are being deducted from Gryffindor for all of you. I’m warning you boys. One more slip up at this school, no matter how close you are to graduation, and we will not hesitate to expel you. I hope you realize how dangerous what you tried to do was. Dismissed!” And the boys, too scared to say much else, filed out the door in silence. Half way down the corridor, they started.

“James, you didn’t have anything to do with the idea! Why’d you tell her that?” Sirius yelled at him.

“What? You worried that you won’t get credit?” James smirked sadly.

“No! More like angry that you thought you should take all the blame!” Sirius yelled.

“Don’t worry about it. Besides Sirius- I figure you can replace me on the quidditch team more easily than you could replace yourself.”

“Thanks James.” Peter growled. He was still mad they had gotten caught. Now his record was once again marred by the two boys he thought were his friends. Some friends! One day they would pay! He would make sure of it. *