From Beginning to End

Chapter 18: Secret's Out

  The third weekend of the year had come, and the boys were desperate for something to do. Remus wasn't with them but that happened sometimes.

"We could play Truth or Dare," Peter suggested.

It took a few minutes to explain the concept of the game to the two purebloods but they were quickly on board.

"Okay I'll start," Peter said. "James, truth or Dare."

"Dare, obviously."

The three chuckled. This really was just going to be a game of dares.

"I dare you to eat a piece of grass."

James snorted before shoving several strands of the green plant into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed without so much as a grimace.

"Delicious. Sirius, Truth or Dare?"

The game continued this way for the next twenty minutes. Many stupid dares were done and it was a miracle no Professor or prefect had given them detention yet.

Sirius spotted a familiar head of red hair sitting by the black lake reading. Perfect.

"James, truth or dare?"

"Dare!"

"I dare you to go ask out Evans," he pointed to where the girl was sitting.

James snickered. He stood and smoothed out his clothes and hair, though it was useless. This was going to be easy too. Ever since he'd made the quidditch team, birds had been approaching him left and right. Surely Lily couldn't reject his charm and finesse.

He strutted the fifty odd meters to where she continued to read, oblivious to the happenings around her. It had rained recently so her hair was a bit frizzy and over the summer puberty had begun so her face was rather spotty. She was sporting a lovely combination of reading glasses and braces both of which she'd been lucky to receive right before coming back to school.

James smirked to himself, there was no way she'd reject someone like him.

"Hey, Evans."

Lily startled, slamming her book closed with a loud thud.

"Potter? What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping to ask you something."

Her brow furrowed but she nodded. "Alright. What is it?"

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Lily's eyes shot open, her glasses slipping down her nose, mouth opened slightly in shock. Potter was a git, a downright nuisance and yet he was asking her out. He'd just made the quidditch team, he was wildly popular, pureblooded, could get whatever he wanted when he wanted it. Why on earth was he showing an interest in her?

Either way, curiosity got the best of her. Besides, how cool would it be to be dating the most popular second year in all of Hogwarts?

"Alright."

James grinned widely. "Brillant! That was even easier than I thought," he laughed.

"So, what did you have in mind?"

"Huh?"

"For the date. What did you have in mind?" Lily clarified.

"Oh." James scratched the back of his head a sudden pang of guilt shooting through him. "Yeah, sorry that was a dare. We're not actually going out. My mates and I were just playing a game."