Boys will be Boys

Boys Will Be Boys
By Mrs Grim

Chapter Six
A Redhead's Fury

Lily tried to forget her "Potter" problems. But, it's really hard to get drunk on butterbeer, unless you're a house elf. To give her credit, she got pretty close. However, it did nothing but make her a bit sick and rather crabby also.

Lily plopped down on her bed after lunch and pulled a face.

Dara stood above her, her arms folded.

"Lily…"

"Whoops."

"Lily!"

"I didn't mean to…per se…"

"Lily! You explain to me right now why James Potter only has one leg!"

Lily scrunched up her face, "He's James Potter for one…I don't like him…"

Dara huffed, "Lily! This isn't about liking anyone…"

"I know, I know…I was just, y'know, afraid that I might start to really like him." Lily reflected briefly on how stupid this sounded.

"So?" Dara countered.

Lily was struck speechless. Recovering, she stammered, "S- so?"

Dara sat down next to her, "God, Lils! He's not Snape!"

Lily laughed, "Thank God! Can you imagine TWO of them frolicking about Hogwarts?! Ugghhh!" She shook her head, "I don't know, Dara. I just don't want to like him." There was that phrase again…She sulked, "It's HIS fault. He's so, so annoying!"

Dara laughed suddenly.

"What?"

"You," Dara laughed, "You are so funny! Geez, girl! Going to the ball with him is not like signing marriage papers!"

Lily shuddered at the thought, "Thank God. Oh, Dara, don't listen to me! I'll try to be nice, okay?"

Dara regarded her skeptically, "Okay… You're lucky Mme. Pomphrey can fix his leg by tomorrow night…What was that?" She asked quickly.

"I said," Lily repeated, "That I wish she couldn't because I don't want to go to a bloody ball. But I will, if it will make you happy."

"Yes, Lily, it will…"

"Well, at least one of us will be content…"

*~*~*~*~*

"No way," James Potter declared flatly.

"C'mon, Prongs…"

"Sirius, this was your worst idea ever…and you've had some pretty bad ones."

Sirius rolled his eyes and plopped into a chair by the bed.

"It's not that bad, James."

"Sirius. She took my leg off. What could be worse. She's totally unhinged."

"Then you should get on well together," Sirius commented and James sneered.

"C'mon, Jamesie!"

"Don't you call me that."

"What're you going to do? Jump out of bed and hop after me on one leg?"

Silence.

"I'll take that as a no…James, she's not that bad."

James snorted, "If you feel that way, I'll trade you dates."

"No way, José."

"See?! You're afraid of her too!"

Terrified, Sirius thought, but he said, "Of a girl? Come now, Prongs…Are YOU afraid of her?"

"Hell, yeah! That girl can CURSE!"

Sirius patted James on the shoulder, "You'll do fine, old pal! You'll do just fine!" He winded his way out of the room wearing a smile that James wanted to curse off of his smug face.

*~*~*~*~*

Lily entered the Hospital Wing after classes that day. Mme. Pomphrey was busy with a student who had had an accident on transfiguration class, so she got in unnoticed. James was busy with his Charms assignment and he didn't notice her until she cleared her throat.

"Yes?" he asked icily.

"I have been sent- I mean, I came to apologize," She said just as coldly.

"Really?" he asked mockingly, "I suppose that you're going to tell me that it was all an accident. I'm sure you've taken off peoples legs all the time."

Her eyes were like green steel, "Keep talking if you want no legs-" she caught her self and bit her lip, "I apologize. It won't happen again."

"Evans!" he called to her as she turned, "You're blushing! Does this mean something? Perhaps you're discovering feelings for me-"

"Rage, I assure you," she answered coolly, "Don't get your hopes up." She walked to the door and turned, "Oh, and by the way, you did the assignment wrong. I thought you might want to know. Dear me, Potter…even Peter understood that…" The door closed on her supercilious smirk.

James began to have serious, serious doubts about tomorrow night.

*~*~*~*~*

James was able to walk on two legs by late that night. He hated this weird feeling that he got now that he had the proper amount of legs. He got urges to hop about at times. He was, at the moment, attempting to do his homework. The common room was occupied with only a handful of students, a warm fire in the fireplace, and several pincushions that had escaped from transfiguration earlier that day. They were being studiously ignored by those in the room.

"Blasted charms!" James was no genius, be he was quite a clever guy. He was DYING in charms class though. Of course, he'd never admit it…It was a nice principle, but there was the teensy little problem that Flitwick had a habit of calling out the scores when he handed assignments back.

"Why don't you ask Lily?" a sweet voice floated to his ears.

"No," he answered flatly, "You should know better than to even suggest such a thing, my dear." He saw the paper in her hand, "Can I copy yours?"

Dara plopped down next to him in frustration, "James-"

"No, no, no!" he fairly shrieked, jumping up form the couch, "WHY does everyone insist on setting me up with Lily?" He realized he'd set himself up too late, "Wait, can I take back that last sentence?"

Dara shook her head and pulled him back down, "you asked, so you're going to get it. You're perfect for each other! You KNOW it! Or, at least, you will by the time I'm through…Get your fingers out of your ears, James Potter or so help me God- Oh, thank you. Now, where was I?"

"You were just about wrapping it up," James replied, standing up with alarming alacrity and bounding towards the stairs that led to his room, "See you tomorrow," with a bright smile, he disappeared.

Dara's face was etched with fury and suppressed amusement. How long would it take them to find out that they were a perfect match? She suddenly realized something. Her charms paper was missing. Her statement was half annoyed and half admiring.

"Bloody hell!"