true loves poison • james potter

2

"What do you have first?"

"Potions."

"Potions."

Elizabeth and Melissa looked over at Lori's timetable as the three walked through one of the many Hogwarts halls.

Lori grinned, "Potions."

The girls looked over each other's time tables, comparing them to their own until they made it to the dungeons for Potions. At least they had one class with all three of them.

In the end, Lori had three classes with neither Liz or Melissa, Liz had three alone as well, but Melissa only had one without either of them.

"Lucky bitch." Lorelei teased.

"Oh but Lori, you have all your other classes with the Gryffindors," Liz said dramatically as she sat down.

Lori sat next to her and laid her head down on the table, "How am I supposed to survive a whole year in these conditions?"

"At least it'll be entertaining," Melissa said as she rubbed Lori's back.

Lori huffed, "Entertaining my ass. Watching Black flirt with every breathing thing is not entertaining."

"What about watching Potter throw himself at Evans?" Liz asked.

"Poor Lily is being harassed and you find it funny."

"What about Pettigrew?" Melissa asked.

"When has he done anything interesting?" Liz countered.

"Lupin?" Liz tried.

Lori sat up, "There are other people in my classes who are not those four."

"They're the ones everyone pays the most attention to-" Melissa tried before Lori cut her off.

"Well maybe people should stop paying so much attention to Potter, or Black, or Lupin or whoever else."

Liz, used to Lori's distaste for the Marauders, smiled softly, "Who else would they pay attention to? You know how people like to gossip."

At Lori's sharp inhale, Melissa spoke quickly before kicking Elizabeth's shin under the table, "They are giving the gossipers constant material to talk about, which we should all be grateful for."

Liz grumbled under her breath while their professor entered, and began talking.

But Lorelei wasn't paying any attention to his beginning of the year spiel. Instead, she thought about how she could shift the balances of power at Hogwarts.

What did Black or Potter even do that she couldn't? Besides have dicks.

Black flirted with everyone. She could do that.

Potter flirted with Evans obsessively, but he was unfortunately also known to have "fun" every once in a while. While Lori found that personally distasteful (loudly declaring your affection to someone, but sleeping around however you pleased) she could do that too.

Both of those options seemed easy, which unsettled her. Was all she had to do to be "popular" or whatever the four were, was flirt with people?

So, Lorelei came up with a project for the year.

First, figure out what kept people talking about Potter and Black, specifically (because as far as she was aware, the other two didn't do anything special to be considered "popular").

Second, destroy their hold on the social ladder at Hogwarts.

Easy enough.

<>

"It's a way I can complete the dare and take down the idiots."

Melissa and Liz exchanged glances.

The girls were sitting at lunch, and Lorelei had just told them her brilliant plan.

"Not that I don't doubt you could," Melissa started, "But don't you think it's a lot of work for very little in return?"

Lorelei shrugged, "I just don't see the point in spending the next two years of my life blending into the background, and their reactions to it all will be worth it." At their still-not-sold faces, she added. "Especially not with what awaits us outside of Hogwarts."

A moment of contemplative silence passed before she added, "You two don't even have to do anything! It's a solo venture."

Melissa sighed, "I would just hate for you to get hurt because of an idea you had because of the dumb ass dare I gave you."

"It's not because of the dare, it's just because I can and want to." Lorelei smiled and looked at Liz. "What do you think?"

Liz looked between her and Melissa. "I'll support you no matter what." She said before adding a moment later, "And hey, it might be good for you to get out there again."

Sensing the conversation drifting to a more serious topic, Lori clapped her hands together, "I'm glad you are on board, because I need your help investigating."

"Investigating?" Melissa smiled, "What are we investigating?"

"What has everyone so enraptured with Potter and Black."

Liz snorted, "Like it's not obvious."

Looking at her friend, Lorelei tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

Liz chuckled before looking at her face, "Oh you're serious. I have a hard time believing you don't know what keeps people talking about those two."

Lori sighed, "I know that girls love them because they think they somehow have a shot, and guys envy them, and emulate them to try and get more girls. But is that really it?"

"Well, I know they keep the teachers attention because they're constantly causing mischief. And like you said, basically everyone wants to get in their bed to see why everyone wants to get in their bed." Liz rambled.

"It's because they're unfairly attractive."

Both Lori and Liz's heads snapped over to her, causing a slight flush to paint her cheeks, "I do have eyes you know."

Lorelei half scoffed, half laughed. "Those two even have Melissa under their thumb."

"Oh come on, even I agree with Melissa. They may act like monkeys, but they have the looks to rival Greek Gods." Liz countered. "You can't tell me you don't think they're not attractive."

Lori's jaw dropped, "Attracted to the enemy, me?" She grinned, "They wish."

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I hope you love Lorelei because I certainly do