Veiled Revelations

Chapter Three

Lifestyles

Professor McGonagall walked to the center of the room, turned around, and began to introduce the new year's lesson, which was wandless magic. "Wandless magic is a particularly difficult branch of magic. The most popular form, apparation, you have already mastered." Peter hung his head. He still had to pass the test. Remus patted him on the back from behind. "One of the most difficult forms of wandless magic is the Animagus spell, which is very closely monitored by the Ministry of Magic. You learned the basics of the spell in your third year, ["And mastered it in our fifth..." James muttered only loudly enough so the Marauders could hear] but I will give you a simple layout of the process of the spell further on this year. ["Been there..." Peter whispered.]"

"Now," said Professor McGonagall, continuing. Sirius was still flushed with anger over his encounter with Meliflua and was picking at a crack in the desk. James, already bored with the lesson, attempted to lighten the mood with their favorite torture subject: Severus Snape

"Padfoot..." James said in an undertone, turning his head ever so slightly. Sirius looked up at him without moving his head and grunted. He looked truly demonic. "How long d'you think it would take me to make Snivelly's ears hit McGonagall?"

"You?" Sirius mused, the mischievous old glint back in his eyes. "Thirty seconds. Me? Twenty."

"Oh-hoo!" James laughed. "Is that a challenge, Monsieur Padfoot?"

"It is indeed, Mademoiselle Prongs," Sirius said, the sides of his mouth now twitching.

"First you challenge me, then you accuse me of being single?!" James mocked anger, grinning wickedly. "You're on, Black!"

"Bring it, Potter!"

"Put your books and quills away," McGonagall continued. James's and Sirius's heads shot up from their desks. Remus stared dumbfounded at the teacher whose favorite items in the whole world were textbooks and anti-cheating quills (which he, James and Sirius had figured out three years ago).

"Did she just say..." Sirius started in complete shock.

"Yeah..." Remus blinked. "Yeah, I think she did..."

"As you know, your N.E.W.T. tests are this year, and they will determine your career path after Hogwarts. Of course, as we all know, there is more to life after Hogwarts than your career." As McGonagall paused to take a breath, Sirius let out a whistle. Most of the class laughed. Even McGonagall looked on the verge of a smile.

"Yes, Mr. Black," she said. "I am talking of your personal lives after Hogwarts. The Ministry requires a three month Lifestyles course, taken in addition with your lessons. I will pick your partners--"

This, of course, was too much for Sirius, who had completely forgotten the brush with Meliflua earlier. He almost jumped out of his chair. "Yes! I've been waiting for an assignment like this! Finally it'll be legal!"

The class erupted into laughter. Dorcas, a tall, kind of brunette and kind of blonde Gryffindor next to Lily blushed at Sirius. He winked at her, and she practically swooned. "Not those kinds of partners, Mr. Black!" McGonagall said furiously, but the sides of her mouth were twitching. "We will be simulating marriages so you can each learn what it is like to have responsibilities other than careers. Now, these partner appointments were chosen at a complete random. I will begin your appointments."

Professor McGonagall pulled out a scroll, and every girl except Lily Evans turned her head towards Sirius. He raised an eyebrow sensuously in their direction, and they all turned and started talking and giggling to each other excitedly. "Amelia Bones, you are paired with...Sirius Black."

An eruption broke from somewhere in the middle of the room. The very attractive Ravenclaw prefect with brown hair and blue eyes turned to look at Sirius. He grinned at her, and her face turned bright red. Dorcas looked rather put out.

Remus shook his head. "Even when you don't choose, Padfoot, you end up with one of the best looking girls in our year!"

"That's 'cause I'm just damn good-looking, Moony," Sirius said smoothly, running his hand through his black hair. It, of course, fell back perfectly into place.

"I just don't get it," Remus shook his head, focusing again on McGonagall.

"Lily Evans," McGonagall continued. James sat bolt upright in his chair, and the three boys looked encouragingly at him. "You are paired with...Severus Snape."

Sirius gagged. Remus's mouth dropped open and Peter turned to look nervously at James, who was staring at McGonagall as though she were a mental patient at St. Mungo's. Lily was frozen in her chair, desperately looking around for help, but everyone avoided her eyes. Everyone...except James Potter. Her only hope, she mouthed

"Help me!" He nodded, dumbfounded.

"Alice Hodge, you are paired with--"

"Excuse me, Professor," James interrupted her. She looked at him in shock as he stood up.

"May I help you, Mr. Potter?"

"Not simply me, Professor, but every decent person in this room," he answered.

McGonagall looked perturbed, but nonetheless amused. "Oh? And how so, Potter?"

James shook his head. "I understand what you are trying to do here, Professor, but it simply won't work."

"Indeed?"

"Yes. You see, Professor, if this were real life, we would choose our own partners."

"I'm afraid, Potter, that your personal feelings cannot change the rules of this classroom."

"Yes, but my personal feelings are far better than the rules, Professor."

"While you may think so, I highly disagree."

"Why is that, Professor?"

"Please, Potter. Judging by your school record I have every reason not to abide by your personal feelings."

"True, but I am Head Boy."

"Only this year, Potter, and you haven't had much time to prove yourself trustworthy."

"But I am."

"Yet we have only your word to convince us."

"I think he's trustworthy!"

"Enough from you, Mr. Black. Potter, sit down. Class, this is the way it is going to be. The entire faculty decided over the summer." McGonagall returned to her scroll and almost called another name.

"Oh come on, Professor!"

"Mr. Potter! Five points from Gryffindor for being incessantly rude!" McGonagall looked positively flustered, and Remus thought that she'd explode any minute. "Now this has gone quite far enough. I will have no more interrupting--"

"How do you expect to get accurate results from this Lifestyle course if we hate our 'spouse'?! I say, let the students choose!" There was an uproar of agreement as James took his seat. Remus looked warily at McGonagall, who looked about ready to curse James into extinction. Sirius clapped him on the back, but James turned to Lily. She, in turn, smiled slightly, and then turned hastily back to the front of the room.

"Five points from Gryffindor for interrupting me a second time in my class, Potter. Any more of this and Gryffindor will have lost the House Cup already! However..." she sighed, looking at all the students closely. "I don't want it to be said that I wasn't fair. Very well, then, Potter. We shall ask the class," Shaking her head, she muttered, "This class is becoming Ministry of Magic policies, not Transfiguration. All those in favor of Potter's plan, please stand up." The entire class stood.

Except Severus Snape. No one really noticed except Remus. He had, by chance, glanced in Snape's direction, to find him sitting firmly in his chair. Snape turned around ever so slightly and noticed Remus looking at him. He quickly stood up, but Remus knew the last look he was shot. There was going to be hell to pay for him seeing the truth. Remus nevertheless nudged Sirius and explained quickly to him.

"No way...Moony, you don't think Snape..."

"I think so, Padfoot, but don't tell Prongs. He'll kill Snape before N.E.W.T.s, and then he'll be expelled..."

"Fine, fine," McGonagall conceded, motioning for the class to resume their seats. "Ladies, you have until the end of this week to pick a gentlemen as your partner for Lifestyles. Gentlemen, you have until the end of this week to attempt to get a girl to 'marry' you. ["Too easy," Sirius muttered to Remus, who couldn't force down his smile.] You will be informed when the next meeting is. You are dismissed." She turned back to her desk as the class jumped as one out of their seats. However, if the guys thought it would be easy to get a 'spouse', they were terribly mistaken.

By Day 3, the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff seventh year boys were standing huddled together in the Great Hall, as breakfast was commencing. They were discussing, in anguished tones, why the girls weren't even mentioning Lifestyles. The Slytherins walked by several times, until Remus finally took charge and told them to either stop walking by or to join them. They joined.

"Haven't they figured out that they've only got two days left to pick a potential husband?" whispered Michael Conway, a Ravenclaw prefect.

"Maybe they've all decided to go stag on the Lifestyles thing..." wondered Nicholas Dickenson, the Hufflepuff prefect.

"You can't go stag on this," a Slytherin boy named Nolan Wilkes said, rolling his eyes. "It's a marriage thing, idiot." The tensions rose suddenly.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen..." said Sirius, shaking his head. For once, he was the one to settle the tensions. "Don't you get it? They're playing us!" Most of the boys looked confused.

"Be serious," Wilkes said.

"I am Sirius," Sirius grinned.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Padfoot, will you ever see how stupid that joke is? Quit it already! Listen," said Remus, turning to the other men. "Do you think a bunch of girls would seriously just walk up to a guy and ask him? No. She's going to play hard to get as payback for all the times the guy she liked kept her confused. It's only natural."

"Ooo...." said the seventh years.

"Girls!" shrieked Peter suddenly, and all the boys spread out to assume what they thought were sexy and desirable poses (Sirius didn't have to try) except James, who was searching for Lily, and Remus, who couldn't stop himself from laughing at the other boys' poses.

The girls, which turned out to be all the Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and well-hidden Slytherin seventh years, waved and sat at their House Tables.

"Payback." Remus said, shaking his head, and the others nodded solemnly.

By the end of the day, the seventh year men were again huddled in the Great Hall at dinnertime, each of them save Remus were looking dreadfully panicky

"This is insanity!" cried Thomas Hahn, Ravenclaw, and the others agreed. "Don't they know they have one day left?!"

"Technically...two..." said James hopefully.

"Guys," Remus started. Every one of them turned to him, hoping for words of comfort. "I've been thinking hard on this all day, and I think I've put it together. It's really simple: We cannot move in a herd. We need to split into little packs or go solo, because I think the girls don't want to approach a guy when he's in a huge group. We never approach a girl if she's surrounded do we?"

A look of enlightenment entered the boys' eyes. "Ahh...."

"Sounds good!" said Sirius.

"Excellent!" agreed Michael Conway.

"We'll check back here tomorrow at dinner time and see what's happened." Remus said.

"Five Sickles Sirius is picked first," Nicholas Dickenson said.

"Nah," Sirius retorted. "Five Sickles Remus is picked first."

"Are you serious?" Remus gasped.

"Why yes I am." Sirius snickered. Remus glared at him on account of the stupid joke.

"You're on," said Nicholas, and others took up the bet.

As the Gryffindors went to take their usual seats, Remus looked questionably at Sirius. "Padfoot," he said. "Give me a break. Every girl in our year wants to ask you."

Sirius, however, shook his head. "No way. There are some, Moony, who desire the sensitive, prefect-type," he said, grinning sneakily.

Remus's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Who?"

But Sirius wouldn't say another word.

By the end of the day, it turned out that Remus's plan had worked. Eleven guys had been asked to be a girl's 'spouse'. Remus, as Sirius had expected, had been picked first. As Sirius collected his five Sickles from a disgruntled Nicholas and several other boys, Remus recounted his adventure to all the guys, who were listening attentively to his every word.

"So who is she, Remus?" asked Thomas Hahn in envy.

"Marlene McKinnon. She came up to me right before Potions and said that if I were to propose to her she wouldn't hesitate to say yes."

"But she turned all red when she was appointed with Sirius!" exclaimed Peter, who had yet to find himself a partner.

"Who wouldn't?" Sirius asked as he pocketed his money, his tone completely indifferent. "She didn't really like me, though. Seriously, what self-respecting woman wouldn't want some of this?" He added, gesturing to himself.

"Most wouldn't," James muttered. The matter of Lily Evans had yet to be discussed.

"And who'd you get for a partner, Padfoot?" Peter asked innocently.

Sirius grinned maliciously. "Dorcas Meadowes."

"No way," Peter chuckled.

"Way. We sealed it with a kiss...and more..."

"Alright," Remus interrupted loudly, "Way too much information. Back to business: We can't meet tomorrow night because that will be after our Transfiguration lesson, and we'll all know by then. Remember: if possible, walk alone."

Friday morning came, as did the rumors on who was asked out that following night. Six more guys had been asked, and that left only James and Peter.

"Don't worry, Prongs," Sirius said as he dumped steak and kidney pudding onto James's plate. He wasn't eating anything. "Someone'll pick you. You're popular."

"Dammit, Sirius, it's not that," James said angrily. "Is Lily Evans really going stag on this? All the guys who've been picked have not been picked by her."

Sirius smirked. "If she goes stag...I do know one stag..."

"Shut it, Padfoot. Don't get my hopes up."

"I'll never get a girl..." Peter moaned.

"Oh, come off it, Wormtail, of course you will!" Sirius said. "Just wait."

"I doubt that," Peter said glumly. "Who in the world would ask me to marry them?"

"You think I'm super popular for no reason?" Sirius scoffed. "I network, Wormtail! I know things."

Peter's head jumped up. "Like what?"

"Oh nothing...but I bet if you walked alone along the Hufflepuff table you'd have someone with you by the time you got to the front of it."

Peter jumped up and practically ran to the Hufflepuff table. He walked slowly along the edge of it, until he was only one section from the front. As he approached the end of the long, many sectioned table, he was joined by someone - Remus Lupin.

Peter hung his head. "I can't have you as a Lifestyles partner, Moony."

Remus laughed. "Trust me, I wouldn't want it that way. Come with me."

Without another word, Remus led Peter out of the Great Hall and to the moving staircases. "You go first," Remus said as they approached the first staircase. Peter went forward, and Remus made to go on, but took a jump back when the staircase moved. Peter grabbed frantically at the railing and watched Remus smiling up at him. Remus was soon joined by Sirius and James, who had obviously been following the whole time.

"Just walk around the school alone for a little!" Sirius called up. "You'll get a date! Just be alone for about an hour!"

"D'you think this'll work?" James asked quietly to Remus and James.

Sirius shrugged. "Worth a shot. He's never alone, so maybe some girl's just been too shy, ya know?"

"What if he's cornered by Slytherins up on the fifth floor or something?" James asked exasperatedly.

Sirius frowned. "The kid's gotta learn to fend for himself. He can't keep relying on us."

Remus watched in silence.

"What're you guys doing?" Peter squeaked down at them, but not loud enough for them to hear him. They simply waved at him. His staircase joined a platform, and he jumped off of the treacherous stair, alone on a landing. Seemingly alone, that is. A very attractive seventh year Hufflepuff girl with short, blonde hair and starry blue eyes stepped nervously out of the shadows. Peter spun around.

"Hi..." She said nervously.

Peter waved foolishly. "Hi."

She looked around uncomfortably. "Well...what are you doing up here? I never see you alone."

"No..." He muttered. He was desperately trying to remember this girl's name. He wished the other Marauders were with him. James would make a good impression just by being there. Remus would have automatically recalled the girl's name and Sirius would've had her on a date with him in no time. He felt sick, He wondered if he could just skirt around her and run into the bathroom, and no one would ever notic- Bethany. Bethany Dolohov! "So...uh...Bethany...what're you doing up here?" He grinned at his intelligence in remembering her name. He now remembered who she was. She was the sister of a Slytherin who had graduated Hogwarts two years ago named Antonin Dolohov.

She blushed. "Well...my stupid friends...they tricked me into getting on a staircase on my own, telling me that I'd find a Lifestyles partner by being alone. I'm never alone."

Peter laughed, in spite of himself. "Same thing happened with me!" They were quiet for a few moments, laughing to themselves. Then her words worked their way into Peter's mind. "You don't have a Lifestyles partner!" He exclaimed, a little too excitedly.

She nodded. Realization swept over her face. "You don't either!"

Peter laughed in relief. "Will you fake marry me so we're not embarrassed in class?"

Bethany laughed. "I'd love to fake marry you, Peter." Just then, a staircase leading upwards came to their level. She was obviously going up. She glanced at him, hesitated, and then rushed forwards. She gave him a little peck on the cheek, and rushed onto the stair as it began to move. Peter stood alone, gaping up at her with a stupid little smile on his face, and then jumped onto the staircase he had come up on, and headed down to the awaiting Marauders.

They looked up as they saw him coming down. Remus frowned, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You can't just give up that fast, Wormtail!" James sighed. "Don't just go up, look around quickly, then come back down! Gimme a break!"

Peter looked at them and, for the first time in his entire life, laughed at them. "The joke's on you for once! I already got me a date!" They gawked at him. "Bethany Dolohov, Hufflepuff. She's pretty darn good looking!"

"Good job, Wormtail!" Sirius laughed, in that bark like sound, clapping Peter on the back. He fell forward, but Remus and James caught him and steadied him again.

Amidst the joy and the thumping on Peter's back, James separated himself from the Marauders and headed for the outside. Only Remus noticed him go, but knew better than to say anything. James obviously needed some time alone. It was still nice weather on the grounds of Hogwarts, and James headed to the favorite spot of the Marauders - a beech tree on the edge of the lake, with a perfect view of the Hogwarts campus. He walked slowly, lost in his thoughts. He leaned up against the tree, looking out at the sparkling lake waters. As he was in the middle of his thoughts, he felt a tap on his arm. He spun around, looked and found Lily Evans looking up at him. He blinked stupidly at her, and opened his mouth to talk, but found that no comprehensible words would come out of it. "Erm...ga...blub...er...hee...gwup...gloob...."

"Hello, Potter," she said impassively, and then, without waiting for him to say anything, plugged on. "Look, I owe you for getting me out of that Snape thing, so..." She bit her bottom lip, as if doing this against her better judgment. "Will you fake propose to me so I can fake say yes so we're fake married?"

James smiled, knowing he looked like an idiot. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to. Erm...err...Lily...will you fake marry me?"

She nodded, and there was a very awkward silence between them. "So..."said James, trying to kill the awkwardness. This wasn't exactly what he prayed for every night, but at least he could spend time with her. He thought a joke would be the best way to kill this. "Do we seal it with a kiss, Evans?" He asked slyly, suddenly wondering, in panic, whether he'd gone too far.

To his surprise, she smiled at him. "A hand shake will do."

He nodded. "Excellent idea. A hand shake, then." James Potter and Lily Evans shook hands.