For Love or Funny?

I awoke to Carlotta, my owl pecking me irritably.

"Geroff, Cici!" calling my beloved Pygmy Owl by her nickname. And then I saw a piece of parchment attached to her leg. I opened it, and in James Potter's messy scrawl---

Meet me at the Astronomy Tower after dinner.

(You know why.)

No, I didn't. And then last night's conversation with Molly came back to me.

"Molly! Molll-lly! Mollllllllly!" I cried shrilly.

Molly's head appeared between her bed shades.

"'Sup?" she asked groggily.

"What in Merlin's name did you send to James Potter?" I demanded.

Molly grinned sheepishly.

"I knew how you felt about him, so I ahm, gave you two a little push. Sent him a note, I did." Molly looked pleased with herself.

"But James knows my handwriting! It couldn't have been in my handwriting unless..." I groaned loudly.

"Yep. You remember Hartman Woods?"

Molly was taking this ever too cheerfully.

"Do I ever," I remarked dryly.

"And how you loved him?"

"Unfortunately."

"And how you were going to send that letter? But never did?"

"The one that said, "I love you...Lily?" I asked, tracing the words in the air as I said it.

"Mhmm. That's the one. Well, I---"

"Don't tell me, I don't even wanna know, Mol."

"---Sent it to him. James, that is."

"God."

"Sorry!" exclaimed Molly hastily.

"I mean, thank God you did, Molly, 'cause I'd be stuck without him forever!"

Molly let out a sigh of relief.

"Now," said Molly, regaining her usual spirit and peppiness, "What on earth are we going to do with your hair?"

"Th' funny thing about Lily is, mate," Said Sirius to James in their dormitory, "Last afternoon she sounded like she wanted to slaughter you... and now this?" Sirius' voice dripped with revulsion as he picked up the fluffy piece of parchment with Lily's name signed on it.

Remus nodded from behind his usual pile of books.

"But I've liked her for ages," protested James, pushing back his slick, dark, hair.

"I know, but it could be a trap," said Sirius.

"What?!" demanded James incredulously, "Evans wouldn't do that!"

"She could," prompted Remus.

"One never knows with girls, O James," said Sirius.

"Merlin! I just sent her an owl to meet me after dinner!" howled James, staring at the clock.

"Oops," said Peter.

Everyone stared at him.

"Shutup, Wormtail," said James.

Wormtail complied grudgingly.

"Well, happy trapping," said Remus rather grimly, and turned back to his book, The Sorcerer's Stone, by Nicholas Flamel.

"Oh my! I have to be there in about three seconds if I'm not going to be late!" yelled James, taking everyone by surprise.

Sirius cocked his head.

"Then get dressed, stupid git."

Sirius seemed strangely unaffected by this proclamation.

"New girl?" asked Remus quietly to Sirius.

Sirius seemed surprised that Remus had guessed the source of his odd behavior, but nonetheless nonchalant.

"Yep. Her name is Nymphadora, otherwise known as Tonks. She's a Metamorphagus, so she's---"

"hot?" supplied a newly dressed James.

"Very," agreed Sirius eagerly.

"Bet Lily's hotter," said James almost at once.

"No way," protested Sirius.

"Yes way."

"No."

"Yes."

"No to either of you because my girl is way hotter than either of yours," said Remus calmly, still behind his stack of volumes.

"Your girl?" asked James, peering to one side of the stack of books.

"I didn't know you were into girls, Moony," said Sirius sounding impressed. He did the same as James.

"I'm not."

"But...you..?" James looked at Remus in an odd way.

"Yeah!" said Sirius supportively, looking just as confused as James.

"He just said it to shut you up," said Peter wisely, "and if you don't move, Prongs, Lily will give up on you."

But James didn't move. Everyone, including Remus, stared at Wormtail.

"My God, Wormtail! I didn't know you were that smart!" exclaimed James with enthusiasm, "Hey! What' s that, an IQ of nine now?"

Sirius looked equally amazed.

"He's right, you know, Prongs. You'll be late for meal soon," said a bored-sounding Remus.

"Let's just all go, Tonks is waiting for me," suggested Sirius.

The boys all agreed and clambered loudly down the stone steps into the common room below.