(07 : ONE WOULD KILL . . .
THE OTHER)

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     JAMES POTTER WAS BURSTING WITH excess energy after running his hands through his hair for the umpteenth time that day. He couldn't believe that he finally had a date with Lily Evans — he still had a dozen doves to dispose of because his longtime crush didn't need to be wooed like he thought. A part of James wanted to think his charm had finally worn her down after six years, but he knew it was more likely that she still felt guilty after their argument. You didn't need to be a Ravenclaw to notice that James had shrunk in on himself those past weeks.

Whether it was out of guilt or not, James would absolutely take a pity date. All he needed was an hour or two with her at The Three Broomsticks and then she would see he was so much more than his suave prankster reputation. The boys had all gone ahead with the first carriages for the day — it was the penultimate trip before Christmas break, so almost all of the school were going to finish up their gift shopping — whilst James was waiting for his date in the common room. Of course James hadn't even started his own shopping yet, but that was beside the point.

"Oi, Evans!" James called, immediately regretting it. Somehow, his flirting abilities — or lack thereof in Sirius' opinion — flew out of the window when it came to Lily. "Where are you going?"

With several heavy tomes pressed to her chest and the girl's wand sticking out of her bun, it was apparent that she didn't have time to stop for a chat — much less a date. "The library. Not that it concerns you."

As the redhead tried to rush past him, he was hot on her heels. "B-But it's Hogsmeade weekend," he stammered as his semi-composed state melted away.

"Exactly. The library will be empty and I might actually be able to enjoy Christmas break for once instead of being swamped with revision." Lily refused to turn around to meet his eyes the entire time they spoke. "I already finished my Christmas shopping and Marlene promised to bring me back some taffy from Honeydukes."

His confusion soon evaporated into disbelief. Whilst he had witnessed the extent of the girl's sharp tongue before, he never pinned her as the cruel type. "So, what? You were planning to stand me up? Leave me looking like a fool for all your friends to laugh at when they return?" The Gryffindor choked back a mocking laugh. "To think I actually fancied you. I know some of my pranks are harsh, but this — this is something else, Evans. You set out to humiliate me when all I ever did was lo—like you."

Immediately, she spun around. "You're talking rubbish, Potter. I have no bloody clue what you're on about," she insisted as her face flared firetruck red. "But, for the record, you never liked me. I know you think you did, but you don't even know me. You couldn't tell me my favourite colour, or my mother's name, or anything of substance. All you've ever done is behave like — like an arrogant toe rag that kept pulling on my pigtails because you were so desperate for attention. Please stop deluding yourself already."

By the end of her rant, she was breathless. Lily was tired of the boy's inability to take a hint — she thought their last argument had sealed the deal, yet he was once again talking to her and accusing her of . . . standing him up? For what, she wasn't quite sure.

Not many things made James speechless, but he fumbled for a response as his crush dared to raise an inquiring eyebrow at him. Although her words were like fatal blows to the heart, he resolved to drown his sorrows with his friends — preferably in firewhisky if the newly-of-age Sirius had anything to do with it. However, at the last moment, he turned around to see Lily hadn't moved from her spot, even she was taken aback by her outburst. On a whim, he coldly shouted, "Evans?"

Looking at her shiny black shoes, she didn't even glance up as she replied, "Yeah?"

"Your favourite colour is purple — not a dark purple, a soft one like lilac. Your mother's name is Eleanor. You're left handed, but learnt to use your right after your sister made fun of you for it." James shrugged, a determined glint in his eyes. "But I don't know you."

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     Juliet was unnerved. Despite inviting her out on a date, Regulus Black feigned disinterest the entire time they roamed the streets of Hogsmeade. He was constantly looking over his shoulder and she practically pulled him through the crowd at one point. If they didn't step up their game soon, nobody would ever fall for their engagement tale. Whilst it wasn't uncommon for pureblood marriages to be arranged, she knew her engagement was serving as a smokescreen for the Dark Lord's rise to power, so they needed to have enough charisma and chemistry to keep Wizarding Britain distracted. 

    "Look, I don't exactly want to be spending my free time with y—" started Juliet.

"As opposed to with who? It's not like you have many friends." His comment wasn't mean, it was honest.

"Low blow, Black." Unaffected, she rolled her eyes and continued, "If we're going to be splashed over the society pages, we need to work on making this more believable. Like you said at the party . . . might as well get to know each other." She smirked. "It might help me sell my story to the aurors when I'm inevitably arrested for mariticide."

"Hah, hah. You're so funny — I'm in stitches," deadpanned Regulus. He waited half a second before letting out a weak cough and added, "I'm not feeling that well though. Maybe we could head back?"

Juliet crossed her arms. "You don't have to lie. Frankly, that was pathetic and you shouldn't be the one making excuses when you asked me out."

"I didn't ask you out." He frowned. "I was planning on it though. Juliet, as much as it pains me to say it, I don't hate being around you and it'd be nice if I don't end up marrying a stranger in a few years. Today . . . it's really not a good day for me. I made plans back at Hogwarts."

The cogs in her mind were turning with this revelation, but she thought better on commenting on it. Instead, she flashed Regulus an understanding smile and finally took notice of how few people she knew out today. A suspicious amount of Slytherins had stayed behind at the castle and she half-wondered if she wasn't invited to something or it was a coincidence.

"Next time, tell me, yeah? I received a note in class, I guess I shouldn't have just assumed it was from you," she mentioned. "You should head back if you've already made arrangements."

Regulus questioned, "Aren't you coming?"

"Merlin, no! I've been dying for a warm butterbeer all day."

"You should come. I don't know if I trust you stay out of trouble if I leave," he teased, only a vague note of concern in his tone. "I heard you had quite the run in with James Potter the other day."

    Pushing her housemate in the direction of the castle, she yelled, "Goodbye, Regulus!"

     "Wait!" Regulus slipped something off his fingers — it was an ostentatious silver and green ring with the Black family crest on. "Don't ask questions, but I want you to wear my ring for now. Just in case anyone tries to mess with you today."

     Juliet was caught off guard by the action and didn't quite care for the blatant display of possession, no matter how noble his intentions. However, he left no room for argument and she slipped the ring into her coat pocket as she watched him walk away.

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Nursing his fourth butterbeer in The Three Broomsticks, James barely noticed when a beautiful redhead slid into the seat opposite him. After his argument with Lily, he sought to rant to his friends, but they had to yet to show up. James contacted Sirius over their two-way mirrors when he initially struggled to find the boys and explained he needed a drink, but they had yet to show up. Apparently Peter had an accident, so Sirius and Remus were waiting for him to get the all clear before meeting up with James.

"Why do you look like you saw Dumbledore naked?" asked Juliet, realising he was still swirling the liquid in his glass five minutes after she had sat down.

     James jumped. "Wh—Merlin, you shouldn't scare people like that."

    "You mean I shouldn't . . . quietly sit in an empty seat in an extremely busy pub?"

    "Yes," he nearly yelled. "Is that why you came over here? There's nowhere else to sit?"

    "Yep. Well, that and it's kind of sad to see you sat on your own. You have this lost little look on your face and I decided to take pity." Her teeth were blinding as she shot him a toothy grin and stole a swig of his drink. "You're welcome."

    A minute of silence passed between the two. James tapped the table impatiently and Juliet merely stared at him expectantly.

   "What?"

    "You never answered my question. Why do you look like you saw Dumbledore naked?" she pressed, truthfully not knowing why she even cared. All she did know was that she felt extremely satisfied when the infamous prankster's lips twitched at her question. "I know I said we weren't friends — and we're still not — but something about James Potter not laughing feels wrong to me. It's like a cosmic imbalance. You know, I'm the cold-blooded snake and you're the modern Romeo."

Juliet was so busy gesticulating she didn't even notice the muggle reference slip. James most certainly did, but he filed that away for another time and instead argued, "That's not true. You're not —"

Realising how flustered he was, she waved him off. "It doesn't bother me, Potter. We all have our roles to play — more so than ever these next few years," she said nonchalantly. "I know who I need to be to survive. Do you?"

"You can't really believe any of this matters after school," he rebutted.

    "Maybe it won't matter to you. You're popular, James, everyone loves you, but everything that happens inside those castle walls most definitely matters to other people." She paused. "Do you think Severus will forget about all the pranks you pulled on him the second he's graduated? Do you think all the people who've been wronged by one of your little friends will forget that in battle? Because they won't. Everything you do now will be remembered. Knowing that, tell me, are you really going to keep chasing after a girl that can only lead you to tragedy?"

    Boldly, James met her gaze. "I don't understand why you're telling me this. I don't understand why you keep telling me about the upcoming war."

    "Because," she shook her head angrily, "I don't want you dead. I don't like you, but I don't want you dead. You're so good sometimes, too good. From where I'm standing, it's painfully clear that you're being prepped for war without knowing what you'll be fighting against."

    "But I know what I'm going to fight for. I know I'm going to fight for my friends."

    She snorted. "I know what you're fighting for — you're Gryffindor through and through, of course it would be something noble like that. Except, the other side don't care what you're fighting for." Juliet lowered her voice, adding, "Your honour won't hold up against the killing curse. If love and friendship held any weight, You-Know-Who would already be dead. The people on his side? They only see things in blood."

"You don't understand. I would die for my friends."

"Cute," she commented. "But, would you kill for them?"

James opened his mouth to answer, but was promptly interrupted by the windows in The Three Broomsticks shattering with an almighty smash.

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A.N: I can't even tell you how excited I was to get this chapter up. I had this planned FOREVER. I love how little we know about the Marauders because I get to play upon the start of the war like this. Also, I really don't want Lily to be perceived as a bitch because that's not at all who she is to me, but James' perspective is a little skewed when he's so in love. Anddddd, the Reg/Juliet interaction was deliberately awkward but they're simultaneously my babies because I love Reg too.