♥️ 𝒥𝒾𝓁𝓎/𝐵𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓃♥️

【Sirius and Marlene scheme. James and Lily dress up...】

(collab with Hufflepuff_Prankster rosytea-- 1-800-DISASTER-GAYYY )

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Marlene McKinnon was extremely nosy. It was a well known fact around Hogwarts and multiple incidents could be credited to her nickname 'Poke-Nose-McKinnon'. She was most famous for the 'Ravenclaw Misunderstanding' of 1975– an event that most Hogwarts students old enough to remember tended to burn from their memories.

However her way of learning secrets she wasn't supposed to know wasn't all bad. In fact, her talent for gossip eventually lead to a date with her now boyfriend– Sirius Black.

And it was with him that she found herself, in the Gryffindor common room, one week before Halloween...

(24th October 1977)

"This is killing me."

I really had tried my best to keep my big nose out of things— actually scratch that, I have a lovely nose, it just seems to like being in other peoples business. Regardless, I had tried to stay out of it. But it was getting harder by the passing second.

"Marlene, you better not scheme..." Sirius lifted an eyebrow warningly. I turned to face him on the couch and flashed my cutest pout (which was easy as I happen to be ridiculously cute).

"...without me."
AH-HA! Yes! I grin and shift closer so we can continue our conversation in hushed tones.

Actually, now might be the time to explain the situation at hand: you see it's no secret that James fancies Lily. He's told me, he's told Sirius, Remus, Peter, Alice, Johnathan, Gracie, Andrea, Mary, Emmeline, Benjy— hell he's even told Lily for Merlin's sake! However it's a lesser known fact that Lily fancies James. This little bit of golden information had only been spread to a select few including Mary, Alice, Sirius and myself. (Well... technically Lily never actually told me and Sirius. I found out from eavesdropping on Alice and I told Sirius immediately but that's besides the point!)

The matter at hand was, neither party had the nerve to approach the other with their feelings! Lily was too busy worrying about being a hypocrite and James didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable– which is sweet I suppose but entirely impractical. You see, that's why me and Sirius have to scheme. Really we were left with no choice...

"So, you're the queen of schemes, sweetheart, what's the play?"

I pretended to think for a moment, for his benefit– make him feel included, you know? But really I've had a plan in motion for weeks...

(13th October 1977)

"Hey Marls!" Lily Evans smiled at her best friend as she sat opposite her at the breakfast table.

"Hey, sleep alright?"

Lily sighed, "are you kidding? I'm head girl, I'm organising the halloween dance pretty much on my own since James is training his team for the quidditch final and I still don't have a costume!"

Marlene smirked, stealing a glance over at James across the table. He hadn't heard and was busy laughing with the other marauders.
"It's a shame you won't let us sneak out to the movies to get inspiration. I heard the boys went not that long ago and they saw one of those old 50's movies." (Lily didn't seem to be listening anymore, rolling her eyes and diverting her attention to her toast instead.) "although," Marlene continued, "that mightn't have been for inspiration. Maybe they just went to snog muggle girls."

That got her attention. Lily's head shot up in a flurry of red hair which she tried to hide as a stretch.
"Well that's against school rules!"

"Oh, fuck rules, Lily!"

"Marlene!"

"What?"

"Ugh!"

Lily stood with a flourish and pulled Marlene's hair on her way out the great hall. She might have been upset that her braid was ruined but it seemed an ample sacrifice now the idea was planted in Lily's head...

(24th October 1977)

"So you tricked her?"

I groaned, "no, I influenced her! That's different!" Isnt it? Yes.

"That's manipulation... I love it."

Instantly my mood changed. He was on board! Perfect.
"You do?"

"Sure. So what did you say to James?"

"That's where things get tricky, you see. I haven't done it yet. Maybe you could help me?"

An odd look crossed Sirius' face and I began to wonder if my fucked-up schemes were maybe a smidge too far... maybe.

"I have a confession to make." He said instead of whatever break up speech I thought was coming.

"Let's hear it."

"I might have already said something to James about the costume..."

I could have kissed him... actually, I did kiss him. What a wonderfully twisted boyfriend I have! You haven't lived if you haven't manipulated your best friends together. What a fantastic couple we are!

"Let's hear it then! How'd it go?"

(18th October 1977)

Sirius found James leaving the library, he'd met up with Lily to fill out detention slips and discuss a change in patrol rota, and... something else he was too bored to recall.

"Prongs! C'mere!"

James yelped as he was pulled into a choke hold by his best mate, ruffing up his already messy hair.

"Fuck! What are you doing?"

"I've had an idea!"

"Never a promising sign."

Sirius kneed him in the shin and James yelped yet again.

"Fine! Just tell me!"

Sirius let go of James and guided him up to the Gryffindor tower, doing a decent job of hiding his grin (though maybe it was just customary to see Sirius with an impish grin these days).

"I've had an idea for your Halloween costume!"

"My— oh Padfoot, if you suggest another terrible group costume I have permission from Moony to slap you!"

He seemed to cower away at that, and the foreboding left hand James was brandishing his way.
"Alright! Alright! It's not that! It's a singular idea, okay?"

"Right."

"How about Danny Zuko from Grease?"

James frowned for a moment, the pureblood upbringing was handicapping his memory for Muggle pop culture.
"Which one is he?"

"John Travolta!" Then, as if to demonstrate, Sirius began running his hand over an imaginary quiff in his hair, prancing around the, gracefully, empty corridor.

"Oh him? Yeah I remember now. That's actually not as bad as your other suggestions."

"My other suggestions were impeccable and I cannot believe you didn't like them!"

James nearly did take up Moony's permission to slap him.
"I'm sorry, Pads but I'll be damned before I turn up to the Halloween Ball dressed as fucking Fred from 'Scooby Doo!'"

"I thought that was inspired! I'd be Scooby!"

"WE KNOW!"

Sirius tutted, "alright fine. Not a fan– I get it. Peter would have made a gorgeous Velma is all I'm saying."

James snorted, "that's one thing we agree on." He began strolling ahead and Sirius finally allowed himself a supercilious smirk. He hadn't gotten round to mentioning Lily's love for Grease...

(24th October 1977)

"How did you even know Lily liked Grease?!"

Sirius grinned, "I heard you two talking about it."

Ahh that made sense. Lily talked about the bloody movie a lot.
"We are such evil geniuses."

My evil genius boyfriend grinned, wolfishly. "We are indeed. And now: we wait."

We wait. I've never been very good at waiting but I'll give it a go.

(31st October 1977)

James Potter's hair stood up in a quiff, a leather jacket braced his broad shoulders and a white T-shirt with blue jeans completed the look.

Sirius Black was grinning as he watched James perfect his hair in the dorm mirror. He wore a clipped 1920's suit and his hair over his shoulders– tonight he was the Clyde to Marlene's Bonnie. There were fake bruises and splashes of blood on his shirt that Lily had charmed there for him (wearing a pair of dungarees and a 40's updo– delighting Sirius even more).

"Do you think this'll do?" James asked him, turning round and straightening his jacket.

"You look smoking hot, my dear Prongs. Absolutely spiffing."

"You're overselling it, mate."

Sirius sighed, "alright you look decent."

"Good." James stood up in one swift motion and nearly sprung out the door. In all honesty, Sirius was surprised that he'd not asked once about Lily before leaving when he appeared at the doorframe, leaning up to hold the top.

"Sirius?"

"Yup?"

"Is Lily coming?"

Sirius nearly laughed at the predictability of his best mate.
"She organised half this night. Of course she's coming, and I think you'll like who she's coming as."

James frowned but it was hard to tell whether it was at his own stupidity or curiosity.
"Right, yeah. Of course. I'll see you down there? I take it you'll be meeting your Bonnie before you leave?"

Sirius nodded, "my costume won't be complete without my criminal accomplice." James left and Sirius allowed himself to grin at the irony of his sentence. Marlene was his accomplice alright.

(31st October 1977)

"Ow! Mary for Merlin's sake that hurts!"

Marlene McKinnon glanced over to study the commotion: Lily was sitting on a stool while Mary (in a Hollywood style dress caked in blood) yanked and pinned Lily's hair into an updo. Lily herself was wearing a pair of faded dungarees and a shirt with a knot round the waist. Clearly she'd taken Sirius and her advice to go as Calamity Jane.

"Lily, quit moaning! You'll look beautiful if you stick it out for five minutes!"

"Fine but I don't want to lose anymore hair cells okay?"

"YOU WOULDN'T IF YOU HELD STILL!"

Marlene laughed, unable to hold it in for much longer.
"Better listen to her, Lils. You know what happens when Mary gets in a mood."

"I do not get in moods!"

This time Alice spoke from the bathroom: "yes you do, dear."

"Ugh! You guys suck! Who goes to a halloween party as a Doris Day character anyway? Wasn't she like... a silent movie actress?"

Lily shook her head. "She was famous in the late 30's - 40's. Talkies were replacing silents in the late twenties."

Marlene rolled her eyes. "I fully support your right to dress as Doris Day, Lils,  but I draw the line at smartassery. Why do you know so much about the film industry back then anyway?"

Lily shrugged (and received a thump on the shoulder from Mary), "I wanted to be a 40's movie character so I researched it."

"No particular reason you wanted to be a 40's star?" Marlene asked as innocently as possible.

"Not really." But she was blushing and that was all the answer Marlene needed.

(31st October 1977)

"You look fantastic."

"I know."

Sirius laughed and held open the door of the great hall for her, allowing her to duck under his arm and into the Halloween madness.

There were bowls on punch on most tables, all of them circular and dressed in purple, orange and black table cloths. The ceiling was charmed to portray a thunderstorm but it couldn't be heard over the abundance of music that consumed them upon entry. It was safe to say Lily and James had done a fantastic job.

"This place is awesome," Sirius said, nodding his head in approval.

"I'll have to tell Lily she's impressed the Sirius Black. She'll be delighted."

The aforementioned Sirius Black scowled at his girlfriend, grabbing her hand and taking her to a corner of the hall with a decent vantage point.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Well, Prongs is over there with Frank and Lily hasn't arrived yet. We worked hard to make this scheme work so we're going to bloody enjoy seeing their faces when they see each other."

This was an incredibly good point. "Lily is going to feint, I swear to Godric!"

"That was the idea, sweetheart."

"Shut up as let's look out for Lily! Then I'm going to show you my superior dance skills."

"Bring it on!"

(31st October 1977)

Lily nearly went into static shock when she first saw James. Somehow she imagined it must be illegal to turn up to a Halloween party looking like he walked out a movie, her favourite movie.

James hadn't turned round yet. She'd just watched Remus be dragged away by Alice, an amused Frank laughing along with them but all Lily could think about was that it left James alone.

Before she really knew what she was doing, Lily had tapped his shoulder, holding her breath.

"Remu— oh Agrippa's aunt!"

Lily yelped when James nearly jumped out his skin and smacked her with his elbow.
"Merlin, Lily, I thought you were Remus!"

Lily smirked when she heard the opportunity to draw reference to her costume.
"'You thought I was a man?!'" (It was a very cheap reference but James laughed ostentatiously loud.)

"I could never mistake you for anyone, Evans. Despite the Calamity Jane ensemble."

Lily blushed and looked away –a harder feat than once thought because James really was fantastic...

(31st October 1977)

"Come on Remus! One dance, please!" Alice was tugging at his sleeve and offering him her best puppy dog eyes (which were surprisingly very good. Alice was annoyingly cute).

"Fine! But prepare to be disappointed."

James smirked, "interesting bedroom catchphrase."

"Fuck off."

Remus allowed himself to be dragged away so James could never be sure if he heard the reply of "never!"

Being left alone at a party wasn't unheard of but James didn't like feeling left out. Alice, Remus and Frank were dancing; Peter was trying to impress a date and Sirius and Marlene were nowhere to be seen.

Remus tapped him in the shoulder and he turned.
"Remus— oh Agrippa!"

James turned to see Remus but the sight he was confronted with was the very opposite of what he expected. Instead, the person in front of him was a lot smaller, hair a lot longer and a silky auburn, there were freckles on her face as well but mainly on the arms of her rolled up shirt sleeves.

This was not Remus. This was Lily Evans. Beautiful, funny, delightful Lily Evans and somehow she'd managed to dress as one of his favourite movie characters ever. The chances were minute.
He wasn't sure what to say in her presence. It seemed a little too lovely.
"Merlin, Evans, I thought you were Remus!"

She smirked, "you thought I was a man?!"

James grinned at her use of the iconic line. "I could never mistake you for anyone else, Evans, despite the Calamity Jane ensemble."

The atmosphere around them seemed to have shifted like they wore peach coloured glasses. Everything was electric. Everyone was buzzing.

"Want to dance?" James extended a hand to her, a loose curl had broken free from his quiff and was curling round his eyebrow.

"Sure." (Lily tried desperately to fight the overwhelming urge to correct the loose curl.)

The song was a bright and energetic– a swing tune, a little outdated for the late seventies but it was enjoyable to dance to.

And so they danced. The two of them danced until their legs ached from moving and chests hurt from laughter. They danced until the evening bled into night, forgetting who and where they were supposed to be.

"I think Sirius and Marlene are watching us." Lily whispered in James' ear as they swayed back and forth to a wizard love song, not fully registering that's what they were doing. It seemed so natural now.

"Then let's give them something to watch," he replied, using his finger to tip her chin.

Lily's eyes were wide but not with surprise, more so confusion. She stared into him, not at him, with something almost resembling reverence.
"Like what?"

James paused and Lily raised an eyebrow, still swaying their hips in time with the music, his hand still under her chin with the other on her waist.
"I was going to make a Grease reference but I never saw the end of that movie. Me and Padfoot got kicked out the cinema."

Lily laughed like stardust and James tried not to feint at the sound.
"Well I'll tell you one thing. Sandy and Danny definitely kiss."

James smiled, his own eyes slightly lidded, drunk off her gaze. "Would you mind awfully if we followed suit?"

"Not at all."

Everything seemed to happen far too slow and far too fast all at once. Lily's hands came to rest at the nape of James' neck, tangling in his hair. James pulled her closer and moved the hand under her chin to gently cup her cheek.

Lily's lips were soft and they tasted like coca-cola lip balm. She kissed him unhurriedly, leaning further into him.
He couldn't help smiling as he pulled her closer, utterly intoxicated.

It wasn't clear who pulled away but they were both grinning when they did. Lily glanced over to Sirius and Marlene, giggling in their Bonnie and Clyde costumes and high fiving each other.

"Oh merlin," Lily whispered, locking eyes with James again, this time wide with suspicion.

"What is it?"

"It was them."

"What?"

She jerked her head towards the conspiring couple.
"They set this up. They managed to make sure we both came here in a costume the other would love. They knew this would happen."

James shook his head, "bastards."

"Well I mean... it did work..."

He looked down at her; red hair slipping out its updo, freckles fighting through the thin layer of makeup, and those adorable dungarees. She did look a little like a Calamity but a calamity for James.

"It did." He kissed her nose, "I suppose we owe them a thank you?"

She shook her head then pushed herself onto the tips of her toes, kissing him properly, "we don't owe them shit. Poke-Nose-McKinnon does not deserve to be smug."

"Fine by me. As long as you never stop kissing me."

She smiled up at him, feeling like she might burst. Looking at him there, smiling back she knew somehow; even if it was their first day together; even if they might wake up hungover with no idea what happened; somehow she knew he was the one.

"I can't believe you've never seen the end of Grease!"

"Shut up, Evans!"

(31st June 1978)

"Do you think we might have done too good of a job? Getting them together?" I ask Sirius, looking up to gage his reaction.

He only smiles. We watch Lily and James from the other end of the Black Lake. He's on one knee, looking like a bloody idiot while Lily cries and, arguably, looks like even more of an idiot; she's nodding frantically and all of a sudden she's on the ground with him. Even from here it's obvious they're both crying.

A very small part of me wants to know exactly what they're saying to each other between the tears and the kisses. I don't even think he has a ring. Idiot.

Sirius puts his arm around me and I lean into him, realising what a stupid question I've asked. Conspiring to get those two together was the best thing I've ever done.

I didn't get my nickname from nowhere, it was earned from a shit tonne of bad instances and until now I thought the only good thing I'd gotten from it was Sirius. But I look at Lily and James. Two of my best friends in the world. And they're crying, and they're laughing, and they're in love, and they're getting fucking married! It's that moment that I realise every single time I've ever been branded Poke-Nose-McKinnon doesn't matter to me.

It doesn't matter because I can see Lily and James. I can look at them and honestly say I played a part in creating a love so strong I doubt death could infiltrate it...

"We need to get out of here. This feels like an invasion," Sirius says, pulling me by the middle and dragging me inside.

I take a glance over my shoulder and pick up the pace. "Oh absolutely, I agree. This is not for our eyes. Holy shit, I'm scarred."

"Just hurry the fuck up McKinnon, before we have to witness the proof the stork theory is bogus."

"Shut up, drama queen! They're not gonna shag!"

"I don't want to stick around to find out!"

"It might be funny?"

"Just shut up and keep moving, honey."

"Ugh! Fine!"

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Thank you so much to the amazing people that helped with this! You guys are super talented thanks for the ideas! Hope you liked it! :)