Win a Date with a Marauder
Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is JKR's. I once read a story, and the theme of that one was `Win a date with James Potter' and Lily didn't enter under a false name. Just wanted to write that here anyway, because I sort of got my idea from there, and didn't want anyone accusing me of stealing. o=
I took a looooooooong break. My brain is mush. So this is probably crap. I don't have a beta. Love it if someone would volunteer to help me out. I kind of suck at grammar and stuff. I'll update my other stories as soon as I get time. My math teacher is a horror. I hate her. x.x
Oh, and please REVIEW. I'll probably update sometime this week, or at the latest, by Sunday. I'm busy all Saturday, and going to America soon, so packing. o= But yea. You probably don't care. xD
Read on. VERY SHORT.
-x-
"Olivia Forrester. Favourite animal? Cats."
"Nope. Padfoot will no doubt not get along with a cat person."
"Sandy Moore. Best physical feature?..."
"What's the matter? Let me see that…oh. Put that aside. We definitely have to look into that one."
"Jacqueline Hatcher. Best first date location? Black Manor."
"Uh uh. Most certainly not. He needs a date for the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade visit, not a bloody bride."
"Alisha Thomas. Hogwarts House? Slytherin."
"Perhaps not the best choice…"
"Jared Winston. Best…"
"Hang on… that's a bloke. Erm… skip that one please."
"Natalie Forde. Favourite drink? Firewhiskey."
"Put that in the keep file."
"Rebecca Wilson. Ever played a game which required a removal of clothes? Yes."
"Oh, keep that one too."
"Stephanie Dayes. Fears? Dogs and thunderstorms."
"No… Padfoot has a certain attachment to dogs."
"Brianna Ramon. Ever fantasized about Sirius? If so, what was it? The answer is yes. The fantasy involved raspberries, pumpkin juice, whipped cream, scarves, mirrors…"
"Thanks, no need to continue reading that. I get the picture. Rather unwelcome picture, but I get it nonetheless."
"Okay. Next applicant is Emily Wickers. Favourite Quidditch team? The answer is `I don't like Quidditch."
"Oh that one goes straight to the reject pile. Don't want to give Padfoot a heart attack by showing him that."
Surrounded in a flurry of parchment, two Gryffindors were sitting in the midst of the questionnaires, going over each one and separating them into two piles of rejects and finalists. Now, it made sense that one of the Gryffindors was there, but why was James Potter sitting there, reading the questionnaire answers with a third year?
Deanna Barns was helping James with going over Sirius' prospective dates for the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade Trip. The Marauders had started this annual contest ever since fourth year, when Sirius had gotten so many invites, he had picked them by doing a contest. James lazily pulled out his wand and vanished away the reject pile with a flick. It was getting rather huge.
He nodded at Deanna. "Thanks for helping me. I think I'll leave the rest for Remus to finish up." After all, it wasn't only his job to pick out Sirius' date. It was also Moony's and Wormtail's. He's gone through half the ones that had been mailed; Moony and Wormtail could sort the rest of them. Deanna had helped him out because she had a bit of a crush on Sirius.
She had wanted to pick up a few tips on what would get accepted and what wouldn't for when she filled out her own questionnaire. James hadn't had the heart to tell her that when she was in fifth year and old enough to enter, Sirius wouldn't be at Hogwarts anymore. He gathered the finalists' pile. There were about 7 or so letters that he had put aside for Moony to look at.
Now you're probably wondering; what the heck is going on? The halls were buzzing with chatter and echoing with giggles. Girls were buying new dress robes and exchanging tips on the best way to accent the shape of their eyes. They were taking care to apply just the right shade of lipstick and to wear the most beautiful hair accessories. It was that time of year again.
It was the week before Valentine's Day and girls were getting ready for the annual "Win a date with a Marauder" contest. The contest consisted of three different stages. The first was obviously when the Marauder met the girls in the Leaky Cauldron and split them up into four groups. Prongs, Padfoot, Wormtail and Moony (the last one with reluctance.)
The second stage was a questionnaire that the girls had to take and mail back to the Marauders via owl mail. The third and final stage was a date with their respective Marauder if they made it that far. Over the last two weeks, the first two stages had been carried out. The questionnaires were just starting to arrive back to the Marauders and they were going through prospective dates.
The people that entered the contest were bound by a charm to see the contest to the end if they made it that far. The best part about this "contest" was that you didn't know who your finalists were until the third and final stage of the competition. The rest of the Marauders picked for you. James had no idea who he was going on a trial date with this week.
Sure, he trusted his mates to pick out someone decent, but knowing Sirius' jokester nature, he wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with a bloke from Ravenclaw. Although, that really wasn't quite all that funny. But things around Sirius were always unpredictable. Hopefully, Moony wouldn't give in to him and actually pick out someone worthwhile.
-x-
To some people predictable is boring. To others, predictable means order, control and organization. Some people look forward to their predictable day, when they get up exactly at 6:30, always get up from the left side of their bed, always bush their teeth before washing their face.
One Lily Evans, Head Girl, and female student of Gryffindor had very predictable days. In fact, her schedule all throughout fifth and sixth year had been very much the same with the exceptions of a few subjects here and there. She enjoyed her predictable life. She looked forwards to all her humdrum doings.
In fact, she had as of the end of sixth year, even began expecting to argue with Potter and reject him. It was a part of her day. It felt incomplete if she didn't. Would she ever admit that to anyone? Of course not. And when she had walked onto the Hogwarts express, on September 1st, proudly supporting the head girl badge on her uniform, her day had turned very unpredictable.
For one thing, she certainly hadn't expected to see Potter lounging about in the Heads compartment. She had told him off with great relish, saying that "This compartment is for Heads only Potter. Get out." If Lily hadn't been leaning against the compartment door, she certainly would have fallen as her eyes fell on what James had fished out of his pocket.
The Head Boy badge. Things had gotten steadily unpredictable from then on. Jam-Potter had actually paid attention and contributed in the Prefects meeting. He hadn't asked her out the whole time, he hadn't even complimented her on how her auburn hair looked or how her dress looked. He had done nothing.
And frankly, Lily had felt lost. What was going on? Where was the Potter she knew? This new one was altogether too different. And the new Potter stayed. By the time it was Christmas, Lily had ashamedly admitted to herself that she had fallen for him. Hard.
Maybe it had something to do with his strange humour, which always made her laugh, or his Quidditch skills, or maybe that lopsided grin that made her go weak in the knees. Or perhaps it was the fact that he didn't like her anymore? Lily didn't want to believe the last reason.
Was she really that shallow? Had she enjoyed the attention that James had showered on her? Whatever the reason was, the fact was that one Lily Evans was now crushing on one very handsome, hazel eyed, black haired marauder. Then one day, she had done something utterly foolish.
No doubt the house elves had mixed something in her morning pumpkin juice for she had entered the "Win a date with a Marauder" contest. Why would she do such a silly thing? To blatantly show everyone that she liked James? But you see, Lily Evans hadn't entered.
Meg Andrews had.
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