The Effects Of Love

Chapter One-Trouble with Rivals

Lynn sat next to Lily and Maggie at the Great Hall the next morning, fear written all over her face.

"We need to be careful of what we say," she said to them. "Especially around the you know whats."

"Why?" Lily asked her from behind the Narnia book four: Prince Caspian.

"Because Sirius came up to me last night and asked me what a Despiser was. I told him it was a stupid word that we use, nothing serious. Oh, Maggie, next meeting this Saturday, you know where and when. Spread it, okay?"

"We'll have to use different words," Maggie said. "I know where and the I know when, got it. I'll handle the Huffs."

"I'll get Jules or Sev to get the Snakes," Lynn informed.

"And Mac'll cover the Black Birds," Lily said, taking a bite of toast. "The only things that are missing in these books is love, there isn't enough in them."

"Probably for a good reason," Lynn said, grabbing their time sheets from McGonagall, and handed them to their owners. She looked at her schedule. "Potions, great," she said enthusiastically. "You know, I get treated like I'm a Snake in that class. I'm telling you, Professor Yeager treats me like one. The only reason why is cause I'm 'gifted' in the art of potions."

"You're lucky," Maggie said. "I get treated like a regular King of Beasts. I don't think I'll do very well in my O.W.L. this year."

"I find Potions quite boring all the same," Lily said through her now reading the time sheet.

"Well, that's not a good thing to hear, especially coming from you Evans," someone said behind Lynn and Maggie. He made them flinch slightly.

"Oh would you just bugger off Potter!" Lily cried.

Lynn looked at Maggie, who looked back, then they both looked at Lily and gave her evil smiles. They stood up and faced James. Little did they know he was accompanied by the whole Marauder gang. Without showing themselves being suprised that they didn't know the other three were there, Lynn led Maggie in a pitiful laugh.

"What're you laughing at Miller?" James asked her, threateningly.

Lynn laughed a little harder. "What is exactly what I'm laughing at."

James and the other three gave her confused looks. James looked at Maggie, then at Lily. The three girls burst out laughing. They were laughing so hard that Lynn and Maggie had to sit down, Lynn placed her arm on Maggie's shoulder, laughing into it, Lily had to hold herself from falling into her plate of toast and eggs. Each girl had tears in their eyes.

The Marauders looked at each other in puzzlement. What is going on?

All of a sudden, Remus and Sirius both burst out laughing.

"What're you two laughing about?" James commanded.

"S-sorry Prongs," Sirius managed to say. "B-b-but if you unders-s-stand what she just said..."

"Oh, I get it," Peter said thoughtfully, although he wasn't laughing, as half the hall was at this moment. "You asked what she laughing at. She was laughing at you, Prongs, and she tried to insult you by calling you a what."

James' face went red as he soaked in what Peter had just said. He leaned down close to Lynn's ear.

"I'd watch my back if I were you," he whispered.

At that, Lynn stopped laughing. Her worst nightmare had just came true. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in fear. She looked helplessly at Lily, and when finding that she was no help, she looked for the other Despisers. Seeing that they were of no help, she stood up again and faced James, who had a smirk on his face.

Adding to her wide eyes and open mouth, she started breathing heavily. She ran out of there with out a second glance at the Marauders.

---

She kept glancing back at James during Potions, only just to find him glaring at her. She quickly turned back to her potion that her and Maggie were paired up to do.

She had just insulted James, in front of the whole school. All her friends and fellow Despisers were laughing, and then some. So why did she feel guilty?

"Don't you worry about a thing," Maggie said, interrupting her thoughts. "I'll brew this potion all by myself, and with my way of making potions, I'll probably screw it up. Do you mind helping me?"

Lynn shook her head, ridding her of the terrible pranking thoughts, and looked at the potion, trying to concentrate.

"Sorry Mags," she mumbled.

"What's up?" She handed Lynn the ladle to check the potion with. Amazingly, it was as perfect as Snape's was. Meaning it was the perfect potion, so far.

"I'll tell you later." Lynn placed the ladled potion back into the cauldron.

"Well, whatever it is, don't you worry about that, and get your attention onto this potion. I'll be right back.

Lynn grabbed her arm. "You're leaving me? Alone?"

Maggie smiled with half amusement and half confusement. "Yeah, we need the vial for our potion don't we? Plus, I'm going to clean up a bit. You'll be fine, I'm only going to the back of the room." With that, she left Lynn, alone and vulnerable.

To her surprise, no one came up to Lynn. Maggie stopped by every now and again to check on the potion and clean up whatever Lynn didn't need.

Ha ha, What. She thought to herself. She started to laugh a little bit, then remembered the expression on James Potter's face. She laughed quietly to herself, but she still shook her shoulders when she laughed and James had heard her laughing.

No doubt about this morning. He thought.

"Are you all right Prongs?" Sirius asked. "You've been adding things in correctly. That's not like you mate."

"I'm gonna get her back for that Padfoot," James said through clenched teeth as he stirred the potion three times to the left, then four times to the right.

Sirius watched him with horror in his eyes. "How to mess up a potion that your best mate has carelessly made correctly. Hmmm..." He took the ladle from his friend, who didn't seem to notice.

Lynn had just poured her potion in the vial and was getting up to go hand in to the teacher.

Thankfully, Sirius had managed to stir an extra time that he needed to, and had it already in the vial. James grabbed the vial and quickly walked to the front where Lynn was, and purposely bumped into her, causing her to lose her grip on the vial and drop it. The liquid dissolved instantly.

Oh no! I hope I hope, she didn't...NO!!!! Maggie had already cleaned out the cauldron. Lynn glared at James.

"OOPS, sorry. I really didn't mean to," he said, sarcastically.

"What's going here?" Someone came up to them. Lynn quickly looked to see who it was that had joined them, only to see that it was Sev. She quickly looked back at James, who hadn't broken his gaze from her.

"Clumsy What here bumped into me, causing me to drop my vial. It broke, no more Draught of Piece."

Sev and Maggie, who had also joined a second later, glared at James like Lynn had been. He moved his eyes, not his head, and looked at the three scowling at him. Clearly realizing he was outnumbered, he looked back at Lynn, slid his freehand behind his back, and snapped to get the other three's attention.

Peter was watching everything that was going on from where he sat with Remus. He fought the urge to jump up and hex that greasy git as soon as he joined Lynn's side, and Maggie following suit. He watched as James gave an urgent call to them. Peter nudged Remus, causing him to spill some of the potion on the ground and watched it dissolve instantly. He turned to Peter.

"Wormtail!" he yelled.

"James is calling us," he whispered to Remus.

Remus looked over at James and saw that he was snapping at them.

Sirius had looked over at Remus and Peter as Remus yelled "Wormtail!" He watched as Peter whisper something to Remus, and watched the two stand up and come his way. He pushed his chair out to block them from going any further.

"Where's the fire?" he asked them.

"Prongs is calling us," Peter said, and pointed to James. "He's outnumbered. He's needs help."

Sirius looked from Peter, to James, to Peter, then back to James. He nodded and stood up.

Where are they? James thought urgently. He stopped snapping once he felt their presence coming closer.

"Trouble Prongs?" Sirius asked once he got to his friend's side. "I don't think it fair to outnumber someone three to one."

Lynn drew her gaze from James and rested on Sirius. "I don't suppose four to three is fair either?" She looked at the Slytherin table and saw Jules. She was watching the scene intently. Lynn motioned for her to come, and without hesitation, she joined Lynn's side. "Now, it's fair. Four to four. I get Potter."

"I'll take on Snape," Sirius suggested.

Snape smirked. "With pleasure."

"I'm taking Lupin," Jules declared.

"That leaves you and me Pettigrew," Maggie said through a wide smile that spread across her face.

"All right, all right, enough. Take it outside on your own time," Professor Yeager came up behind the four Despisers. The class groaned. They were hoping to see a duel brewing up. "You four," she pointed to the Marauders, "fifty points each. You should know better than to cook something besides potions here in my class."

"I was going to give Maggie and Lynn my potion, Professor," Sev said. He turned his back on the Marauders and faced Professor Yeager. "Potter here bumped into Lynn and caused her to drop her vial of the perfect Draught of Peace potion. Since I have extra, I thought I would give them some."

Professor Yeager smiled at Sev. "That's very thoughtful Severus. Fifty points to Slytherin."

Sev looked at Lynn and smiled. "Not all hope's lost."

"We'll be seeing you four after class," James growled, still not taking his eyes off of Lynn.

Lynn smiled back at him. "I'm pretty sure Lily would absolutely love it if you picked on a few of her best friends What." Lynn was getting used to call James What. It was still funny. She and Maggie went to their desks, and Sev and Jules went back to the Slytherin side of the room.

Professor Yeager dismissed the class once all the potions were turned in. Guess who was first out? The Marauders. They waited for the other four to emerge. When they finally did, it was when the class had already left for lunch.

Lynn smirked at James once she saw him. "I'm not only expecting you, but someone else as well." Some of her hair fell in front of her eyes as she stared death like at James.

Sirius had to breath in deeply at this. Damn she looked fine. Although, his moment of admiring was squashed when Snape removed the hair and tucked it behind her ears. He sneered at her. How could she let him touch her like that? I would be much more gentle...

"Are you going to stand there, or will I have to push my way through?" Lynn badgered at him.

Sirius smiled and looked expectantly at her.

Lynn looked back at Jules and nodded. Jules went back into the Potions classroom, and returned a few seconds later with an angry looking Professor Yeager.

"Will you four kindly move so these good students can pass?" She ordered more like instead of asking.

The Marauders moved into the entrance hall, followed by the four Despisers and a hungry looking Professor Yeager.

"Shall we take this outside?" Jules asked.

James nodded in agreement.

"Fine," Lynn said. "But I have to get something first." Without a response, she disappeared into the Great Hall.

"She would rather eat instead of duel?" James asked, more to his buddies than to anyone else.

"She hates to fight on an empty stomach," Sev answered. He and the other two looked behind the four and smiled wickedly.

James turned around to see what it was they were smiling about. His face went pale again. Why had Miller brought Evans?

"Just wanted to see how well you fight in front of the one you fancy," Lynn teased.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter all looked at James expectantly.

Are you really going to take that crap? Sirius thought intensely.

"Well, I don't know about you four, but I'm ready to go outside," Lily said as she walked past, making sure to brush against James as she passed. The Despisers followed Lily and Lynn out the doors onto the grounds. The Marauders followed suit.

As soon as they were all outside and paired up, Lily cleared her throat. "We only have thirty minutes to do this, so hurry it up, I don't want to be late Arithmancy."

"As you wish Evans," James said, flashing a smile towards her. "I'll win this just for you."

"And I'll win this for the hell of it!" Sirius yelled.

"Likewise," Lynn said, her wand at the ready.

"Ready, Lupin?" Jules asked.

"More than ever Hunter."

"Scared, Pettigrew?" Maggie held her wand at her side, not seeming to really notice everyone else was at the ready.

"You wish."

"I'm going to have fun with you, Snivillus!" Sirius roared.

"Oh yeah. Same here," Sev said more calmly.

Lily looked back at the castle. "Ready?" she yelled.

Lynn had her wand pointing right at James' glasses. "I'd be scared if I were you, What. I know all the unforgivables and then some."

"That doesn't scare as half as you think, Miller. I'm going to get you back for what you did to me this morning, whether I win this or not."

"What was that, What?" Lynn held her hand up to her ear. "All I heard was, 'blah blah blah, I'm a stinky skunk.'"

"Get set!" Lily yelled, not taking her eyes off of the castle.

Lynn heard Sirius chuckling. She thought to herself, You won't be laughing as much as you are now later.

"Wands at the ready!" She waved her hand.

"What in the name of Merlin?!" someone yelled from a distance. The four Despisers looked at the castle, horror struck. The Marauders did the same, confused.

Mac Hunter was running down towards them.

Lynn smiled to herself. Good thing Mac was a Prefect. She heard Sirius groan. Her smile widened. He turned to face her, her smile not fading, but getting wider.

"Oh darn," she said sarcastically. "Looks like the big tuff Ravenclaw Prefect stopped us."

"You're afraid," Sirius said to her. "Had to have Hunter here to rescue you."

"You know, I wasn't joking when I said I knew all unforgivables and then some. I could hex you right now if I wanted to, and no one would care." She said this with more venom in her voice. Of all the Marauders, Sirius was the one she hated most.

"Are you so sure about that?" Remus walked up to them.

Lynn smirked. "Remus Lupin, the smarty pants of the Marauders. Prefect, aren't you? Well, Mister high and mighty, you almost had your prefect merit badge stripped if Mac wasn't here and you got caught dueling."

Remus' eyes went wide. She was right. His rivalry with Jules got in the way, he forgot about his responsibility as a Gryffindor Prefect.

"Th-that's not fair!" He stammered. Lynn smirked at him, then walked to her friends, who were waiting for her.