A Lily By Any Other Name

Act VII: James

"What do you mean you can't do it anymore?!"

James' hair was sticking out in multiple different directions, a perfect embodiment of how frantic he felt.

Marlene bit her lip and looked at Sirius. For what reason, he didn't know. What he did know was that it was a week before the show and the lead actress was apparently dropping out last-minute.

"I'm sorry, James. There was an incident after DADA class yesterday. A Slytherin hexed me." Marlene said bitterly, her voice hoarse and scratchy. "One of those future Death Eaters, or whatever. It made my throat swell up and it was so hard to breathe, I just-"

Her eyes were suddenly wide, as if she was reliving the moment. James quickly let his anger subside. He had heard of what happened. It took the combined efforts of Remus, Peter, and Joshua (a seventh year and Gryffindor Chaser) to make sure he didn't burst out of the Gryffindor Common Room to fight Malfoy and Crabbe personally. From what he had pieced of the attack, no one had ever heard of the spell's incantation. He himself had never heard of a spell with such effects, leading him to believe it was a homebrew. Which pointed to a certain oily-haired snake he would have very much liked to squash if it weren't for everyone holding him back.

"Madam Pomfrey reversed the swelling, but she said I shouldn't be talking too much if I could help it, and especially not loudly, for at least two weeks. Which means definitely no dramatic soliloquies. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, it's not your fault and I don't blame you. I really hope you feel better soon." James said softly.

He sat down, not yet defeated but tired all the same, his head hurting as he tried to come up with a solution. Months of preparation and learning how to run/organize a stage play only for him to completely forget about understudies? This couldn't be happening.

"I'm not all here for bad news though," Marlene began.

James raised an eyebrow as she seemed to share a look with Sirius. "Is that so?"

"You're in luck, actually. Because I just so happen to know someone who knows Juliet's lines like the back of her hand." Marlene grinned. "And she also owes me, so consider it done."

James leapt to his feet, relief washing over him. "Thank you so much, Marlene! Ah, you're a life saver! I'll talk to her by the end of the day to coordinate rehearsal times and get Mary to altar the costume. Hopefully that wouldn't be a problem... I'll need to bribe her with a dozen Fizzing Whizbees packs since it's so last minute... But anywho, who do you have in mind?"