Lily Evans and the Marauder's Secrets

Consequences

Author's Note: Thanks for all the love and comments on this fic! Every interaction makes my day :) Enjoy!

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The next morning towards the end of breakfast (during which I warn James enough with my eyes he good-naturedly sits across the table from me), Barnaby delivers a furled parchment to me. I don't open it because I'm too caught up in discussion with Alice, James, and the rest of the Marauders about our Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment due this morning. I'd made what I thought was an innocent comment about the concealment charms on the Hogwarts Express being dangerously close to violating the regulations outlined by the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office at the Ministry, only to have Peter, Sirius, and Alice take immediate offense. Remus backed me up, and James, infuriating as he is, flipped side to side playing devil's advocate.

We're still arguing as we finish eating and leave the Great Hall. It's only as we cross the grounds to Herbology that Alice nods at the scroll in my hands and I remember it.

"What's that?" she asks.

"Probably a note from Dumbledore – maybe he already wants to meet again? Or I guess it could be from Slughorn..." I trail off as I unfurl the parchment and see who it's from.

"Lil?" Alice asks sharply. "You okay? You just went as pale as Nearly Headless Nick."

"What's on that?" James yanks the note from my hands. I don't stop him. When he reads it, he bursts out laughing.

"What?" Alice asks.

James passes it to her, and Sirius, Peter, and Remus crowd around to read. I picture the words as their eyes skim down the parchment.

Miss Evans,

Despite what Mr. Potter says, I know you have no Head Girl matters to attend to during the very first Transfiguration class of the term. This was further confirmed by other students who confided in me that you spent my class period with Mr. Severus Snape, who should not be participating with you in any Head duties, as he is not even a prefect.

As a consequence, you will report to my office this evening at 8 pm to serve your detention.

Best wishes,

Professor McGonagall

"Evans!" Sirius exclaims. "You're going to detention! Congratulations!"

"I can't have detention," I whisper. "I'm Head Girl."

"So?" Peter asks. "James has been to loads of detentions, and he's Head Boy. Remus too, and he's been a prefect since fifth year. No one cares."

"I have detention," I say. The words in that order don't make any sense.

"I should have skipped with you," James says.

"Yes, then maybe McGonagall would have thought we were actually up to Head duties," I say, just as James says, "Then we could have gone to detention together."

We stare at each other, confused.

"That would not be better," I say finally.

"More fun though," he counters.

"Not the point," I say.

"Speak for yourself, Evans," Sirius says. "But just know I think the rest of us have plenty more detention experience to speak with authority. And trust me when I say fun is definitely the point of detention."

I ignore him. We've reached the greenhouses, and I'm presented with the dilemma of where to sit. Usually I sit with Alice, Marlene, and... Emmeline. Remarkably, up until this morning, I've been able to avoid having to sit with her, except in Defense the first day and that hardly counts as I was far too distracted by James to really be bothered.