All's Fair in Love and War...Right?

Chapter 3: The Witches 4

Lily cleared her throat after telling them everything. It was very early in the morning and Lily had woken Helena, Brittney, and Jessilyn up.

"So are you guys in?" she asked.

"I don't know. Wouldn't we get in trouble?" Brittney looked slightly worried.

"Of course not, I'm a prefect after all. We'll prank without breaking any rules," Lily said hastily.

"Oh...well, I guess that's alright then. I'm in," Brittney declared.

"Fabulous. What about you Helena?" Jessilyn raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, all right! I've always wanted to get back at them for what they did to my dress robes..." Helena was still sore about the incident last year when they soaked her dress robes with Permanent Pink Wizard's Ink at the Yule Ball. It had been an accident, meaning to end up on Snape. It was also on of the pranks where Jessilyn had stubbornly refused to take part in, which she claimed was why it was unsuccessful.

"Great! I think we should come up with a group name," Lily announced.

"How about 'The Witches Four'?" Brittney suggested.

"That's perfect," Jessilyn agreed.

"Now let's go declare war." Helena grinned.

"Bloody hell! Oi, Prongs, get over here!" Sirius shouted, still examining the bulletin board as though if he stared enough, the tinted pink parchment would disappear.

"What is it?" James asked a little annoyed. He was in the middle of his horribly long Potions homework and was in a bad mood. He read the piece of parchment and his face expressions changed several times, from boredom to disbelief to shock to awe and finally to...happiness.

"This is fantastic! Quick, call Jessilyn. We need to plan!" James almost burst out into a dance. "She could help us."

"Err--Prongs, I'm sure you're ecstatic that you can now prank on Lily, but they're on the same side."

"Who is, Padfoot?" James asked, confused.

"Jessilyn."

"What? That's absurd! She's a Marauder." James shook his head and scanned down the parchment again. "Blimey! You're right! So we'll just have to prank against her?"

"Against who?" Remus Lupin, the other member of The Marauders interrupted, coming down from the boys' dormitories. His sandy-colored hair was short and kept unlike James and he was slightly shorter than him. His face was strangely slightly scared. Unlike the other two, he had a quieter nature.

"Jessilyn," James said, looking as if he didn't believe himself.

"What? I thought she was a Marauder," Peter Pettigrew asked, appalled. He was the last Marauder and didn't really fit in with the rest. He was short, stocky, and a bit pudgy.

"Yes, but look." James handed over the parchment that he had unpinned from the bulletin.

"Huh. I guess we will just have to prank against her," Remus finally said after examining it thoroughly. Peter still looked unsure.

"Lyn! We got your message!" James called gleefully as he entered The marauders' headquarters.

The Marauders' headquarters took the appearance of a room full of chamber pots. A password was required for the room to reveal its true form. Sirius, James, and Jessilyn had discovered an empty room one night. The three of them came back the next day and put many charms and enchantments on it.

A long conference table where they discussed and planned took up most of the room. Along one wall was a huge bookshelf filled with the books they needed to learn spells, hexes, charms, and for the pleasure of reading. Above that five signed pledges that each of The Marauders took were framed and hung proudly. On another wall a group picture of James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter was stuck on. Opposite of that was a framed picture of Jessilyn with "The Marauder's Girl" engraved on the bottom. It swung open after a password was given to reveal the Marauder files containing the details and plan of every prank they ever played.

Jessilyn looked up from the essay she was writing at the table. Tucking a loose strand of chestnut colored hair behind her ear, she widened her eyes innocently.

"Whatever are you talking about, James?" she asked with mock surprise.

"I'm talking about this!" James held up the parchment that all four girls had signed, declaring war with The Marauders.

"Oh, that!" Jessilyn grinned. James sat down across from her.

"Did Evans really agree to this?" James asked suspiciously.

"She was fuming," Jessilyn explained. "We bumped into Severus on the way back."

"Snape? I don't know why you bother with him," James said with disgust.

"You should leave him alone," Jessilyn retorted in a hard voice. James frowned at her fierceness in defending his arch enemy.

"Well this is going in the files. And you'll have to sign this too." James showed her the contract that they came up with. It said she couldn't reveal any Marauder secrets.

"I expected you to have more trust in me." Jessilyn pouted. "You made it a rule, remember? It is considered a great crime to mistrust another fellow Marauder. In doing so you are insulting the Marauder pledge," she recited.

"It's just in case," James said, handing her a quill. Jessilyn shrugged and signed.

"Do you want me to put them both in the files?"

"Yeah," James confirmed.

Jessilyn hopped up and approached the large framed picture of her. She said the password and it swung open to reveal a vault. She opened a drawer and filed the two documents.

"By the way, there are Quiddich tryouts tomorrow morning, nine o'clock sharp," James told her.

"Great, I'm sure you'll give me a wake-up call. Well, I've got to start planning for this war. Tell Sirius I want my bracelet back, will you?" she said over her shoulder as she walked towards the door.

"He's still sleeping," James called after her.

"Perfect." Jessilyn smiled lightly and left.

Jessilyn quietly tiptoed into a particular boy's dormitory. All of the beds except for one were empty. The occupied one had its curtains closed. Jessilyn spotted the nightstand next to it and hurried over. She opened the drawer and fumbled around, searching for a glint of shining metal. It wasn't there. Cussing quietly, she looked in the trunk lying at the foot of the bed. It wasn't there either.

"You could just ask me, you know."

Jessilyn didn't even jump. She straightened up and tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. The curtains had parted and Sirius Black was smirking at her. Jessilyn tried to disregard his haughty Black good looks.

"You wouldn't have given it to me."

"No I wouldn't have," Sirius admitted. Jessilyn scowled.

"Give it back," Jessilyn said childishly.

"You're extremely amusing when you're irritated," Sirius mused as Jessilyn narrowed her eyes.

"I am going to curse you into oblivion if you don't give it to me!"

"Good luck without your wand!" He snickered. Jessilyn opened her mouth angrily but no words came out. She had forgotten that they took her wand. Just then, James strode in. Hope flashed across Jessilyn's face.

"James, make Sirius give me my wand back so I can curse him."

"Sorry, but I think I'll side with Sirius for this one."

Sirius laughed in the background while Jessilyn scowled again.

"I'll tell Lily about that one time..." Jessilyn let her threat trail off, knowing James knew what she was referring to.

"Sirius, give her her wand back," James said immediately.

"I'll give you your bracelet back. You'll have to find another way to get your wand." Sirius pulled it out from his pocket and reached for her wrist. He fastened it on and Jessilyn let it go. She sat down at the edge of his bed, satisfied for now.

"Whose Quiddich captain now that Oliver's gone?" Jessilyn asked James.

"Spencer Fields, so you'll have no problem getting onto the team."

"What's that suppose to mean?" she demanded.

"It's obvious he fancies you," James replied.

"The reason I'll make the team is because I'm the best damn Seeker out there," Jessilyn snapped defensively.

"Kind of full of it, aren't you?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"That's what happens when you hang around the cockiest guys in Hogwarts." Jessilyn rolled her eyes.

"POTTER!" The sudden shattering scream of Lily Evans caused James to jump several feet.

"I've got to go," He said hastily to Sirius and Jessilyn's amusement.

"She must have remembered he took her wand," Jessilyn said.

"I'd like to know where James is running to," Sirius said.

"Now, where did you say you put my wand?" Jessilyn asked casually.

"Oh, it's right here." He drew the nine inch, mahogany, unicorn hair, wand out of his pocket and held it up.

Jessilyn lunged for it, trying to wrestle it out of his hands. After a minute of struggling, Sirius had Jessilyn pinned down on the bed. She unsuccessfully tried to squirm out from under him. Both of them were breathing heavily. Her wand was still in Sirius's hands. Jessilyn pouted.

"Can I please have my wand back?" Jessilyn breathed. Sirius blinked, lost in her robin's egg eyes for just a second.

"Alright, it was a nice try," Sirius agreed.

"Ahem." Remus, standing in the doorway, cleared his throat. Sirius hastily got off of her and handed her her wand.

"I got my wand back!" she called gleefully, jumping up. "Oh, I have to meet Lily and the others. See you guys later!" Jessilyn disappeared out the door, missing the look Remus gave Sirius.