Please Believe Me

"Get lost, Potter!"

"Come on, Evans! It's a Hogsmeade trip today! Won't you go out with m--"

"No, no, no, and a hundred times NO! I'll kiss the Giant Squid first! Just leave me alone!"

"Evans, please--"

"Potter, how many times do I have to refuse before you understand?! I don't want to go out with you!"

"Evans--"

"No, Potter! You're an arrogant prat, and I refuse to associate with you any further! I have better things to do with my time! Now, if you'll excuse me, A GOOD DAY TO YOU!"

And with that, a furious redheaded girl stormed from the Gryffindor breakfast table and out of the Great Hall, leaving a very disappointed young man with messy dark hair standing amidst the snickers from the rest of the Hall.

Of course, it was always amusing to see how Lily Evans managed to reject James Potter. Even after six years of trial and error, James still hadn't learned; he kept asking the same question, and Lily kept giving the same answer. But while James hadn't figured out how to put variety in his requests for a date, Lily had found an amazing assortment of ways to say "no." The answers just kept getting better and better.

James now sulked over to the opposite end of the table, where three other boys were eating their breakfast. He plopped himself onto the bench next to Sirius Black with a grunt. Sirius patted James on the shoulder as his form of consolation. Opposite him, Remus Lupin had his nose buried in a book (again) and had obviously missed the whole confrontation. Next to Remus, Peter Pettigrew was casting furtive glances at James from behind an oversized coffee mug, perhaps to see how James was faring after such embarrassing treatment from the temperamental Evans.

"Well," Sirius finally managed to say. "That was interesting. . . I didn't know Evans had it in her to be so--vindictive. . ."

"Sure, Padfoot," Remus mumbled from behind his book. "I had no doubts of that after she managed to jinx all our hair pink. . . although, seeing as you did deserve it, after mooching the Gryffindor girls' underwear and hanging it from the Astronomy Tower. . ."

"So, Prongs," Peter cut in with a squeak. Whether the squeak was due to the aftereffects of a sleepy Animagus transformation or puberty, the Marauders had yet to decide. "Are we still going to Hogsmeade today?"

James let his head fall on the table with a loud thunk, then groaned in obvious despair.

Sirius gave Peter a dirty look. "I think that's a 'no,' Wormtail," he growled, and the mousy boy's face fell.

James mumbled an incoherent sentence, his forehead still resting on the table.

"Pardon?" Sirius asked, turning back to his best friend.

"I can't take it anymore!" James roared suddenly, sitting bolt upright. "I WILL get Evans to go out with me, I swear it! There is NO--BLOODY--WAY I'm going to take another 'no' from her! I'll--I'll--" And there he paused as he realized he didn't know what he was going to do to make her accept.

"Ingenious and ingenuous, Prongs, that's the key," Remus murmured and turned a page.

Silence from the other Marauders. "English, Moony?"

Remus sighed and closed his book to stare pointedly at James. "You need to be creative, and you need to show her you mean it," he explained patiently. "Just asking her isn't enough anymore--you've been doing that ever since first year, for Merlin's sake. You need to do something different, something catchy... like give her a gift, or sing her a song, or--"

A Muggle light bulb almost visibly flashed on over James' head.

"Moony, you're bloody brilliant!" James leaped from his seat in excitement. "You just gave me the best idea EVER!"

"What?" Sirius, Peter, and Remus chorused.

"Rehearsal--Room of Requirement--just GO!" was all that James would shout over his shoulder as he sprinted out of the Great Hall.

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James Henry Potter was known by many names at Hogwarts. James, Potter, James Potter (when McGonagall was really mad at him), Prongs, Gryffindor Seeker, Snitch stealer, Quidditch star, Quidditch brat, arrogant prat, loser, heartbreaker, hottie, the-one-boy-every-girl-but-Evans-wants-to-date James.

And don't forget James the Magical Guitarist.

As the story goes, when the said James was four or five years old, he was pressured by his parents into learning to play a musical instrument. It was only proper, they insisted, for a boy of good pureblood standing to learn at least the rudiments of the fine art of music. And so, ignoring the little boy's tantrums and pleas for mercy, they ordered James to choose an instrument.

So, in order to save his masculinity from the umbrage of playing something "sissy", James chose to play the guitar. And he discovered that he was actually pretty good at it.

Within a few years, James was jamming away on his guitar as well as anyone else. And by the time he was accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he had discovered and sought to emulate the magic of a certain Muggle band topping the charts throughout Britain--much to the chagrin of his conservative mother. ("They're Muggles, for Merlin's sake! Their singing is well-nigh the worst I've ever heard--and they don't even know how to spell their own name properly!")

When James arrived at Hogwarts, the first thing he did was to search for a group of friends with similar interests--namely, other boys who wanted to have a good time. And he didn't have a hard time finding them: Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James became the closest of friends within the first week of school.

The second thing James did was transform his group of friends into a model of his favorite band, the Beatles.

Sirius, like James, had been pressured into learning a musical instrument for the sake of his pureblood heritage. Unlike James, Sirius was forced by his neurotic mother into an Unbreakable Vow that he would learn to play--or perish in the attempt. ("Thank Merlin the woman didn't specify what instrument, or else I might be playing the bloody harp by now.") Sirius also chose to play the guitar; but since his singing capabilities were a sight worse than James', he was happy to take up the position of second guitar.

Remus was also a pureblood and had also been trained in music. But, being the good and gentle little boy that he was, he chose to play the piano. He preferred to play classical music, but if his two best friends insisted. . . he became the keyboard master of their band.

Peter, however, was another matter. He had barely any musical capabilities: he couldn't sing, he had trouble reading music--the list went on. The one talent he had was that he could carry a steady beat, no matter what natural disaster occurred during a performance. And so, the other three boys had given Peter a pair of drumsticks and instructed him never to sing unless his very life depended on it.

Thus, the Magical Menagerie of Marauders (as a fifth-year Sirius suggested to name their band) was born.

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It was late in the afternoon by the time the four Marauders came out of the Room of Requirement, exhausted but radiant. James had insisted on practicing until every note, every word was to his heart's content. James and Sirius had their guitars slung over their backs, Peter carried his drumsticks, and Remus was the only one empty-handed, as it was extremely difficult to carry a piano around all the time.

Now, the only thing left to do was find the audience.

According to their Marauders' Map, Lily Evans was working in the back of the library; and so the Marauders made their way to the realm of the strict Madam Pince. When they entered, Madam Pince sent them a beady glare, giving an especially nasty look to the two guitars. But they ignored her--at least, James did; his gaze was reserved for the redhead finishing her homework at a far table, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

She was so oblivious that she never noticed the four Marauders assemble themselves in a half-circle around her table. By the time she did, looking up blearily from her work, it was too late to stop them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," James announced loudly to the rest of the library as he and Sirius unstrapped their guitars. Remus conjured a small upright piano out of thin air, while Peter Transfigured a nearby textbook into a set of drums. The other students in the library turned to stare at them, and Madam Pince looked simply horrified. "I would like to dedicate this song to the girl of my heart--Lily Evans."

The said Lily looked ready to faint from embarassment as James and Sirius strummed the opening chords. Madam Pince finally shook herself out of her shocked stupor to storm over, prepared to chase the boys out of the library. She was unnoticed by all present--except Remus. He had only a moment to decide between continuing his untarnished reputation as a model student or rescuing his best friend from failure and certain heartbreak.

Oh, what the hey, he thought, and he cast a Silencing Charm on Madam Pince just as she was about to speak. She was left with her mouth opening and closing like a beached fish.

James began to sing...

Oh! Darling

Please believe me
I'll never do you no harm
Believe me when I tell you
I'll never do you no harm...

Oh! Darling

If you leave me
I'll never make it alone
Believe me when I tell you

Don't ever leave me alone...

The four boys, simply put, were playing their hearts out. James and Sirius were strumming their guitars and allowing their dark hair fall into their eyes. Remus was pounding away on the piano, sweat dripping from his auburn hair onto the keyboard. Peter struck the drums quite masterfully, his sticks flying from one taut skin to the next, and he winked at a few pretty girls who had approached as the band had begun playing. They ignored him, however, as their attention was fixed on the lead guitarist and singer, James.

When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well, you know, I nearly broke down and cried...
When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well, you know, I nearly broke down and died...

Oh! Darling

If you leave me
I'll never make it alone
Believe me when I tell you
I'll never do you no harm...

James snuck a peek at Lily from the corner of his eye. It was hard to tell which was redder, her hair or her face. "Believe me, darling!" he called to her, and her face definitely went a shade redder than her hair.

When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well you know I nearly broke down and cried...
When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well you know I nearly broke down and died...

For the final refrain, the other three Marauders joined in with James, as rehearsed earlier in the Room of Requirement.

Oh! Darling

(Oh! Darling)

Please believe me

(Please believe him)
I(He)'ll never let you down
(Believe him, darling)
Believe me(him) when I(he) tell(s) you
I(He)'ll never do you no harm...

The Marauders let the last notes fade away into the air before taking a bow to the now applauding and roaring crowd around them. But while James had eyes only for the furiously-blushing Lily, the other three boys had eyes only for the furiously purple-faced librarian now standing in front of them. A student had taken pity on Madam Pince and broken the Silencing Charm for her--and Merlin, was she angry.

"How DARE you!" she shrieked. "Absolutely no respect--creating such awful noise--sacrilege to my books! You hooligans! You infidels! Get out--out--OUT!!"

The Marauders didn't need a second warning, not with Madam Pince about ready to explode. They hightailed it out of there without a fight.

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"D'you think it worked?" James asked the Marauders morosely as they filed through one of the many hallways of Hogwarts. Sirius had slung his guitar over his shoulder; but James still carried his in playing position, strumming a chord or two as he walked.

"Don't worry, Prongs," Sirius reassured him. "Even if she doesn't fall for it, there were plenty of other girls in the library who did."

"But the other girls aren't the point, Padfoot," James sighed dreamily. "It's only Evans that matters. She's intelligent, good-looking, witty, charming--"

"POTTER!!"

"How about 'loud'?" Remus asked as the girl in question stormed up from behind.

"Is this how it's going to work, Potter?" Lily fumed. "I refuse to go out with you, you come and interrupt my work to humiliate me in front of everyone I know? Or are you just going to stoop lower next time?"

James looked horrified. "Of course not, Evans," he stammered. "I just wanted to show you that I meant what I said. I--I--" And he spluttered into silence, unsure of how to continue.

Lily elegantly arched an eyebrow. "Yes?"

James dropped his gaze to his shoes. The other three boys, sensing that their leader was uncomfortable by the way his ears were rapidly changing color, simultaneously dropped back into the shadows of the corridor.

James cleared his throat. "I really do love you, Lily Evans," he said, not looking up.

Silence. Then, "Really?" Lily asked.

"Really." James' ears had by now turned the color of overripe cherries.

More silence. "Did you know that you sing really well?"

James' ears flushed an even deeper red. "Well. . . it's one of my more hidden talents," he mumbled.

("Yeah, along with having common sense, I suppose. . ."

"Shut it, Moony!")

"And did you know," Lily continued, "that the Beatles are my favorite band in the whole wide world?"

James looked up to stare at Lily. "No," he said slowly. "But they're my favorite band, too."

"I figured as much." And with that, Lily threw herself onto James in a surprising and passionate kiss.

James found that it was hard to hold Lily in his arms while still holding a guitar. So, rather than interrupt the rather delectable kiss taking place, he executed a perfect backhand toss of his guitar without releasing Lily. Sirius saw James' intentions and stepped forward just in time to catch the instrument in midair. With both hands now free, James proceeded to caress the girl of his dreams as tenderly as he could. In the background, Peter punched his fist in the air victoriously as Sirius and Remus did a silent victory dance together in the empty corridor.

James' plan had worked. He had finally convinced his darling Lily to believe him.

FINIS