A Siriusly Good Prank (Marauders/Jily/Wolfstar)

9-No, I'm Lily

"Are you cold?" James whispered.

"Kinda," Lily said.

James brushed her arm. "You're shivering," he said. "Shall we grab you a Slytherin sweater, too?"

"Not funny." But she ducked her head, and James caught a flash of her smile.

They walked forward, where the corridor to the dormitories lay. The girls dormitories were clearly on the right; the boys on the left.

"Salazar didn't care much for separating them, huh?"
James breathed. He knew his face was close to hers. Lily didn't seem to mind.

"Guess not." Lily hesitated. "Severus and Avery's door is second on the left."

James, who had been reaching for the first door, raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to ask the obvious question."

"He was my best friend," Lily said. "This isn't my first time in the Slytherin dormitories."

"The Slytherins didn't mind you being in their top secret hideout?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "We were like, twelve."

"There are twelve-year-old delinquents who act like perfectly innocent children."

"If you're referring to yourself and Sirius, you were less subtle than you think."

James laughed quietly. "Let's go, then, Miss Perfect."

Lily narrowed her eyes in mock irritation, then carefully turned the doorknob and pushed the door open a crack.

"They're asleep," she whispered. "Lucky for us."

"For us?" James crooked a smile. "You're really starting to enjoy this, aren't you?"

Lily flushed. "I am not."

James snorted and opened the door just wide enough for them to slide through, leaving it open a crack. "Okay," he said. "Where's Avery's stuff?"

But Lily was looking across the room, a disgusted expression on her face. James followed her gaze to where Severus lay, sprawled across his bed, greasy hair hanging in his eyes. His robes were draped at the foot of his bed, upon them an anti-Muggle-born pin James had noticed a few of the more horrible Slytherins wearing. He felt a spurt of hatred and glanced at Lily.

"Oh, fine," she whispered. "But we're taking the pin. And we're going to fucking burn it."

"You're on," James said. "Get some scarves, ties, anything green and silver and replace it with this stuff." He passed her the stack of Sirius's stuff, ducking out from under the Cloak, then turned to face Snape. Resisted the urge to punch him in the face.

"Accio Pins," he whispered. Every pin in the room zoomed towards him, and he shoved them in the pocket of his robes.

"Ready?" a voice whispered. He felt the air beside him, and Lily whisked up the Cloak and dropped it over his head, so they were both invisible again.

"Yeah," he said. "Let's go."

............

Lily watched as James ran upstairs with Severus's stuff before she turned to examine the pile of pins she was supposed to be throwing in the Gryffindor common room fire.

Why would Severus be part of this? Why would he turn against her to join up with this cult of people who hated what she was?

"It's an accident of birth," she whispered. "How am I supposed to help it?"

"Lily?"

James had returned, Cloak-free, now wearing just a sweatshirt and jeans, his hands full of the hateful pins. "Come on, let's burn these things."

Lily nodded, trying not to look James in the eye, not wanting him to see her tears. James, being James, noticed them anyway.

"Lily, they're not worth it," he said. "They're not. It's ridiculous." He grabbed up a pin and chucked it into the fire.

"He was my best friend, James." Lily tossed another pin, watching as the flames ate away at it.

"He doesn't deserve to be," James said roughly, throwing a pin as forcefully as possible. "He doesn't deserve to be anywhere near you."

Lily hurled another pin into the fire.

"In fact," James continued, dropping an arm around her, "the only reason you should be crying is because you won't go out with me and you know it's a mistake."

For some reason, that struck Lily as hilarious and she burst out laughing, burying her face in James's shoulder.

"So that's a yes?" James teased, but Lily could hear the actual hope in his voice.

"You idiot," she mumbled. "Yes. Fine. I'll go out with you, James Potter."

James let out an incredulous whoop. "You can't be serious," he said. "You're serious?"

"No, I'm Lily."

James stared at her. Lily smiled weakly.

Then James threw his arms around her abruptly, startling her.

"James," she protested.

"You made a Sirius joke." He stepped back. "You are actually the most amazing person I've ever met."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Okay. It's three o'clock in the morning. I'm going to bed."

"Go ahead." James's smile seemed wider than usual, brightening the whole room. "See you tomorrow."

Hesitating slightly, Lily leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight," she said.

And the last thing she saw, heading up the stairs, was James joyfully throwing the last of the pins into the fire, his smile brighter than the tallest of the flames.