Left With YOU

Chapter 1

By Mrs. Padfoot

Author's Note:  Well, wasn't this quick?  Am quite proud of myself.  I ALMOST stopped for the night at the scene change but Mrs. Prongs didn't let me (she is responsible for the first two lines of that section.  So yes.)

...so welcome to Left With YOU the official sequel to Stuck With YOU, with distinct similarities, and all the SWY originals.

Yeah.

Have fun.

**

            "I'm bored," Sirius Black informed Lily Evans.

            All too knowledgeable about what Sirius Black's boredom streaks led to, Lily ducked further into the couch, trying to hide behind her potions book.

            "Liiiiily," he whined.

            Lily wondered if she could conjure an invisibility spell without her wand.  Sure, she had never done wandless magic before now, but she had a feeling that at the moment, she was desperate enough to pull it off.

            "Lilikins," said Sirius in his most pitiful, childish voice.

            "Go AWAY Sirius," she told him.

            "I didn't do anything!" he said.

            "No, not yet – but I have had too much experience with your little boredom relievers not to be suspicious of your motives," said Lily without looking up from her Charms book.

            "But Lily – remember Hide and Go Seek? and Red Rover? and Dodgeball? and Sardines?  Those were fun!"

            "I managed to avoid most of those, thank goodness – and Sardines was NOT fun in the least!"

            Which, of course, it wasn't.

            Really.

            "Lily – "

            "NO!  NO!  And for the last time, NO!" she had thrown her book on the couch, stood up, and was now glaring at him with all the force she possessed.

            Which, apparently, was not enough force to back down a determined Sirius.

            "I WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN ONE MORE STUPID LITTLE SIRIUS GAME!" screamed Lily.

            "But it's not a stupid little SIRIUS game," said Sirius, "it's Dumbledore's game."

            "What?" asked Lily.

            "Weren't you at breakfast this morning?" asked Sirius, confused.

            "No," said Lily.

            "Dumbledore announced his GREATEST PLAN EVER this morning at breakfast!"

            "Which is?" said Lily, raising an elegant eyebrow with great skepticism. 

            "It's called a scavenger hunt," said Sirius.

            "A scavenger hunt," repeated Lily.

            "I can explain it if you want," said Sirius, grinning hugely.

            "That's okay, I know what a scavenger hunt is," said Lily.

            "You do?" asked Sirius.

            "Yes," said Lily.

            "Well, anyway, Dumbledore's organizing a school-wide scavenger hunt," said Sirius happily.

            "Okay," said Lily, looking at Sirius blankly.

            "You have to do it in pairs, and it's voluntary – "

            "It's voluntary?"

            "Yeah, so – "

            "So I don't have to do it?" asked Lily.

            "Well, technically, no, but – "

            "Oh good," said Lily, "you had me worried for a minute there!"

            She turned around and walked away.

Sirius blinked.

            "Wait – no – LILY!"

            "What?" she asked, turning around.

            "You have to be my partner!"

            "Why?"

            "Because I don't have one!"

            "So?"

            "So I need one!"

            "Good for you," said Lily, "find someone else."

            And she promptly turned back around and headed for the girl's staircases.

            "But Lily," said Sirius, "I want you to be my partner!"

            "Too bad," she said, "I've had enough experience with you."

            "I wouldn't say that if I were you," said Sirius, grinning.

            "And why not?"

            "Because," said Sirius, "a month ago, I woke up because I was thirsty – "

            "Sirius – " said Lily "I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR THIRST CYCLES!"

            "Thirst cycles?  That's a new one," said Sirius.

            "I DON'T CARE!  LEAVE ME ALONE AND TELL SOMEONE ELSE ABOUT YOUR STUPID SLEEP HABITS!"

            "But Lily, you really wanna hear about this one night," said Sirius.

            "No, Sirius, I really don't," she said.

            "No, you do – see, that night, there were people sleeping on the couch – and I saw them, and suddenly I wasn't thirsty any more, so I went back to bed."

            "Good for you, Sirius," said Lily, clearly annoyed.

            "But Lily – this was the night after the infamous Sardines game," said Sirius.

            "And why would I care?"

            "Because maybe you – saw – who was sleeping on the couch that night too?"

            Realization hit Lily like a runaway broomstick.

            But goddammit, Sirius wasn't supposed to know about her sleeping on the couch with James that night!  With her head on his shoulder, for heaven's sake!  No one was supposed to know about that!  It was a closely guarded secret!

            "Are you trying to blackmail me, Sirius?" she asked quietly.

            "Course not, Lilykins," said Sirius sweetly, "just trying to get a nice, intelligent partner for the game of the century."

            "I hate you."

%%%%

            Why did it always seem that Lily got dragged into these stupid little things? Oh, right. Sirius. Sirius Black. The blackmailing bastard.

            Every time. EVERY TIME.

            Looking around the hall, Lily noticed James (for the first time, mind you – don't get any ideas) was partnering with BOTH of those Ravenclaw girls.

            Including Stephanie Glenn.

            Who was quite obviously flirting with him.

            And James was quite obviously enjoying it.

            And Lily was quite obviously NOT jealous.

            ...she didn't like James in that way.  Really.

            She just thought they should get a room.

            Honestly.

            "Dammit," groaned Sirius, "why do I always get stuck with the wrong partners?"

            "Excuse me," said Lily, "but you BLACKMAILED me into this!"

            "Yes, but – " Sirius whined.

            Inspiration struck Lily.

            "You want to be with – what's her face – Alexandra, don't you?"

            "Wow, that was an amazing deduction, Sherlock," said Sirius sarcastically.

            "No – why don't we switch her into our group and me out – that way I won't have to be with you any more!"

            "Gee, thanks," said Sirius.

            "No really, I think it could work!"

            "I – " Sirius began.

            But Lily was already dragging him towards the group of three.

            "Hello," said James happily upon seeing the two approaching him.

            "Hi," said Lily, "Sirius and just aren't getting along, so we were wondering if one of you would be willing to switch places with me to be with Sirius."

            "Preferably Alexandra," said Sirius dreamily.

            Lily and James tried to hide their disgusted expressions.

            "No," said Stephanie, "I'm staying with Alex."

            "I... fine," said Lily, "Sirius, you switch into THEIR group, and James can be in ours."

            "But – " began Stephanie, but Alex gave her a look and she gave in.

            "The things I do for you and your stupid little crush," said Stephanie under her breath.

            "It goes both ways, Steph," said Alex.

            "ARE WE SWITCHING OR NOT?" asked Sirius.

            "Yes," said Lily, "we are switching.  Right James?"

            "Right Lily," said James, who was looking like exams had been canceled.  Which, of course, they hadn't been, but that's beside the point.

            "OKAY," said Lily, grabbing James by the arm and dragging him across the hall away from Stephanie.  Not that she had anything AGAINST Stephanie being near James.  She just –

            Oh, nevermind.