Mischief Managed!

21.

The door to the Room of Requirement burst open, and three Marauders and one captive looked up, appearing supremely guilty. Thankfully, it was only Sirius, who leant back out the door and dragged Emmeline inside by the crook of her arm. Sirius pushed her forward a few steps, falling behind her to lean back on the door.

Emmeline crossed her arms, regarding the three boys and one girl. This, of all things, was not what she had suspected. In fact, Emmeline was coming to the conclusion that this did not look good at all.

"What on earth is going on here?" she demanded darkly.

James tentatively stood up. "Well, you see, Em, Padfoot here-" Remus elbowed him in the ribs hastily –' I… I mean Sirius here caught Rita… spying on Sc-Scummy and…"

James cheeks began to colour, and Sirius rolled his eyes. Stepping forward, he slung an arm around Emmeline's shoulders, bracing her gently.

"What James is trying to tell you, but is too sensitive to get the words out, is that Art Scamander was having sex with Felicity Faust – and Rita here was watching, taking photos and transcribing it for the benefit of our dear Lily."

Remus coughed, although to James' ears it sounded suspiciously like 'no tact.'

Emmeline uncrossed her arms slowly. Then she crossed them again. James watched, fascinated, as her colouring changed from white with shock to red with anger. Something in those normally gentle blue eyes suddenly didn't look so gentle.

"Art's cheating on Lily?" she finally murmured.

James looked at her, shocked. Had Emmeline sounded –triumphant? But as swiftly as James' suspicion was aroused, it was gone: one look at Emmeline's face proved her to be anything but triumphant. In fact, James decided that livid might be a more accurate description.

Her teeth were clenched painfully, as were her fists, and it was clear that Emmeline Vance wanted to punch something. Preferably, some one.

James nodded earnestly. He quickly stepped forward and guided her toward a second lounge, which had conveniently materialized adjacent to the first one. She looked like she needed to sit down.

"I know-" he gulped. "I know its an awful shock. But Em, I don't think we should tell Lily."

"We have to tell her! He's sleeping with another girl!"

Sirius perched on Emmeline's other side. "Actually, from the little James and I saw, it didn't look like much sleepingwas going on."

Slap.

Sirius flinched, massaging his cheek, as he slowly rose and backed away from Emmeline. Emmeline looked slightly horrified. "Oh, gosh," she murmured. "I'm so sorry… Sirius, do you always have to be so smug?"

"Don't turn that back on me, Vance," he retorted. "You were the one who slapped me!"

Remus silenced Sirius roughly with a hand to his mouth. "Shut up, Sirius. You're not helping."

"Em, we can't tell Lily," James implored Lily's best friend. "She's stressed enough as it is, and we all know that Art gives her enough trouble. She doesn't deserve this, too."

"But then she won't break up with that lying, cheating bastard," Emmeline growled. "Do you have any proof, Potter?"

James winced, looking mortified. "Actually, we-"

"I have proof," Rita butted in. Peter glared at her. "I've been following him for months. Do you know he's slept with fourteen different girls since he's been with Lily?" She giggled.