Love & Pranks

Chapter 1 Introductions

Sirius was cool and collected this morning. This was unusual, due to the fact that he had awoken to having ice water dumped on his head. This would have normally been followed by Sirius chasing James around their dorm shouting crude things, and waking half the tower up.

Because of this, Sirius knew that this day was special. He always felt in control and relaxed on days when good things happened.

The day passed as usual, with Sirius losing fifty points for misbehaving, and gaining sixty for intellectual comments.

***

The Great Hall was full of aggravated students.

"Why hasn't dinner been served yet?" Peter grumbled.

Lily turned to James, who was sitting across from her. "Like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I got a letter from my cousin this morning. It turns out that we had a great Aunt still alive and she died yesterday, and left everything she owned to my cousin. I mean everything!" She paused. "You guys would like her. She's a real prankster; she loves to make trouble!"

Just then Dumbledore stood and addressed the Hall. "Students of Hogwarts, I have wonderful news. It seems we have a new student." The Great Hall doors opened and a figure walked in. "This is Jamie Felton who is a transfer student from Ashfield in Australia. She will be joining our sixth years!"

Dumbledore swished his wand and the Sorting Hat came zooming in, and up to the staff table.

"Can you see what she looks like?" James asked.

"No, she's too far away. Her name sounds familiar, though," Remus replied, as the Sorting Hat was placed on Jamie's head.

"Let's see! Where to place you? You have aspects of every house! You have the ambition of Slytherin, the loyalty of Hufflepuff, the smarts of Ravenclaw and the courage of Gryffindor," the Sorting Hat whispered into Jamie's ear. "But you'd best go in ... GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table cheered and clapped in response.

The Marauders could be heard over the crowd, yelling their congratulations. As Jamie walked closer to their table, Sirius noticed that she was rather attractive. She had long brown hair streaked with red, and was tall and slender. She stopped right behind Remus and Lily. The two turned around and looked up at Jamie.

"Hi, can I sit here?" she asked, eyeing Lily.

"Sure," Remus replied instantly. She looked at him and smiled, then looked back at Lily. "Lily, don't you recognise me?" she said as she sat between Remus and Lily.

Lily looked at her dumbfounded. "Am I supposed to?"

"Well, yeah! We've only known each other our whole lives," Jamie said, looking at Lily and starting to laugh. "Don't you know your own cousin? Lily Evans doesn't even know her cousin when she sees her," she said trying to keep her laughter at bay.

Lily looked at her then suddenly squealed, "Jamie!" and threw her arms around Jamie's neck and hugged her. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter looked at them stupidly.

Lily turned and looked at them and started laughing. "You guys should look at yourselves!"

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" James said looking at Lily pointedly.

"Oh, sorry. Jamie, this is James Potter, sitting across from me; Remus Lupin, whom you're sitting next to; Peter Pettigrew on the other side of Remus; and Sirius Black, sitting across from you," Lily stated, gesturing to each in turn.

Jamie shook each of their hands, lingering a little too long on Sirius. Sirius noted her eyes were amazing; they were chocolate brown with specks of emerald green; an odd combination, but they made him melt.

"And everyone, this is my cousin Jamie Felton. She's more bad than good, really. Remember, I was talking about her before?" Lily looked at Jamie in surprise. "Hang on! You never told me you were a witch!"

"Well, you didn't tell me that you were one!" Jamie said, smiling.

"Well, I guess I didn't tell you for the same reason you didn't tell me. I didn't want to make you jealous, seeing as how we both grew up in hopes of becoming witches," Lily said.

"Yeah, sounds about right," Jamie said. "Now about that introduction you gave me..."

"Well it is true! You aren't exactly good!"

"Well things change, and promises have been made. In short, to get into Hogwarts, I had to promise my old headmaster I wasn't going to do any more pranks," Jamie said, with a hint of exhaustion.

"Well I think you came to the wrong place then," Sirius said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah, especially if you get involved with these guys," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

Jamie looked up and saw Dumbledore watching them, with a look of amusement on his face.

"Well, I think Dumbledore agrees," Jamie said, nodding to Dumbledore.

They all looked up and saw the Headmaster watching them, and started laughing.

"Come, I'll show you to your rooms' mistress," Lily said, while Jamie started laughing at the use of old nicknames.

"Ok, Lily Pily," Jamie said, getting up, while the boys followed suit.

"We'll walk you ladies upstairs, then," Sirius said, throwing Jamie his award-winning smile (the award was given to him by the Sirius Black Fan club).

***

"Goodnight boys," Jamie said sweetly, starting up the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories after Lily.

They reached the top of the stairs and went into the sixth door on their right, which stated the two girls' names.

"This will be our room; we have a room to ourselves," Lily explained.

"Good," Jamie said, looking around the large room with interest. It had two large four-poster beds, with red hangings surrounding them.

"So do you actually expect me to believe that you're going to keep your promise?" Lily asked, as the two girls prepared for bed.

"Yes, I am going to keep my promise," Jamie said matter-of-factly. She changed into her pyjamas. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because your you! You cannot resist the urge to prank," Lily reasoned, raising a solitary eyebrow at Jamie.

"Oh shush, I'm going to bed!" Jamie exclaimed, pulling her hangings around her.

***

On the other side of the tower, four boys were discussing the new girl.

"I think I'm in love!" Sirius screamed at the top of his voice.

James rolled his eyes. "That's what you said about Julie, remember?"

Sirius sighed loudly, pretending he hadn't heard James. Remus threw a pillow at Sirius, hitting him in the back of the head. A pillow fight erupted.

Through a flurry of pillows and feathers, Sirius gasped, "But she's not Julie, is she?"

Chapter 1 end.