The Queen, The Knight and The Marauders

11. The Unexpected

Chapter 11

"I'm sorry, Professor, but could you repeat what you just said. I have a what?"

"A detention, Miss Boot, three of them as a matter of fact."

"I'm terribly sorry, Professor, but I just couldn't hear you right. It sounded as if you were telling me I have a detention. Three detentions. Me?!"

"You heard quite correctly, Miss Boot."

"But, Professor McGonagall, I don't get detention."

"You do now, Miss Boot. First one is this evening in my office, seven o'clock. You'd do well to take your books with you, as you'll be finishing all of the coursework you've neglected to finish or hand over for the last two weeks. Seven o'clock, Miss Boot — don't be late."

Lily stared after her in utter disbelief.

"O tempora, o mores!" Sirius cried behind her.

"Shut up, Black, or I will shut you up," she snarled at him.

"Ooh, will you use your mouth to do it because if so, I'm all yours," he said, winking at her.

"Yes, certainly. My lips shall form the words as I will curse your lips off your face and literally make your teeth walk out of your mouth. Good luck catching them after they run away. The last person who — shall we say experienced the sensation — only managed to find five of his. I can assure you it will make speaking very hard and unpleasant."

"Um, yes, I can imagine," Sirius mumbled, holding his hand before his mouth as if trying to prevent his teeth from running away.

"She's beauty, she's grace, she'll punch you in the face!" Alice singsonged next to Lily. Lily gave her a look, which Alice completely ignored.

Sighing, Lily sat back on seat and sipped at her steaming cup of darker-than-Voldemort's-soul coffee. Caffeine could make her forget the idiots that surrounded her, at least for a while.

Of course, being at Hogwarts, her zen mood could not last for long. A few seats beside her, James was dropping down plates and cups from the table as he climbed on top of it, standing and using Sonorus on himself.

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, witches and wizards, friends and Slytherins, may I have your attention please! I have a very important question to ask, and I will need this Hall to be absolutely silent. Yes, that includes you, Sirius!"

The Hall immediately fell silent, as the students and teachers showed varying degrees of annoyance, amusement and disgust on their faces.

"Who dared him to do this one?" Alice asked Remus.

"It's always Sirius, isn't it?" Remus answered, rolling his eyes. Alice shrugged, smirking and turning to watch Evans, who had gone quite pale.

"Not again," they could hear her mumbling.

Lily and Frank looked at each other confused looks on their faces.

James had conjured a bouquet of red roses, which he was now holding in his hand as he walked to stand in front of Lily Evans.

"My dear Evans, you have denied your feelings for me far too long. So, I ask you — for the four hundred and sixty-ninth time, as I've been told — will you go out with me? What do you say, Evans?"