Time Travel is a Complicated Thing, Isn't It?

Chapter 4 - Hello My Look-Alike

James heard cheering all the way from the boys dormitories. Those new girls are causing some trouble. They would be good for pranks, wouldn't they?

Suddenly the door opened. Remus the Prefect came in with 2 new boys. 

Bloody hell! One looks almost exactly like me. James studied him.

"Guys, this is Harry Planter and Ron Ald. Please don't prank them." Remus said.

Harry was staring at James, funny. He stared back. Ron poked Harry in the side and Harry shook his head and whispered something into Ron's ear. 

James cocked his head, confused. They seem to be very secretive.

Ron rolled his eyes and hissed loud enough for James to hear, "Enjoy it while it lasts!"

"Enjoy what?" James asked.

Ron smiled nervously and said, "W-well, there is this... chance of being sent back to an American orphanage and well, it's about a 90% chance. We hate orphanages." James nodded, half-convinced.

Suddenly the door burst open. There stood the girl who just ranted in the Great Hall.

"Xing!" Harry exclaimed.

She smiled and looked around.

"Bloody hell, this place is messy. Ron, Harry where are you sleeping?"

Ron and Harry pointed at the bunk bed, furthest from the door. Xing took out her wand and muttered a few words while waving her wand. A few swirls of sparkles circled the bunk bed before the bunk cushion soaked it in.

"What'd you do?" James asked. Sirius, Remus, and Peter stared intently at her, waiting for an answer. She didn't even acknowledge he existed. She waved her wand and the trunks that Ron and Harry were carrying floated over to their respective beds. She swished the wand again and the items floated out and settled in their places.

"What did you do?" James repeated. Nobody but Lily ever ignored him. He was curious. She wasn't affected by what his dad called 'the Potter charm'.

She finally turned around but didn't even look at him.

"Harry, Ron," she said, "You're safe now." She winked.

She's pretty, but not as pretty as my Lily-flower. James thought.

Ron and Harry smirked and glanced at James.

They climbed onto their beds and said, "Good night." They clicked the lights off, while James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter crept out of the dormitory and into the common room.

James said, "There are 4 new people. What does that mean?"

"Pranks!" Sirius and Peter chorused. Remus remained quiet.

"What's wrong, Moony?" James asked.

Remus spoke, "I literally just said don't prank them. I've noticed they're really good at spells. After all, they've escaped from experienced death-eaters. I think, it's best to leave them alone. I mean, weren't you listening to Xing when she was ranting?"

James thought for a moment and said, "No, not really." Remus facepalmed and said, "Fine, whatever, she's going to give you a hard time-"

"Ooh, our little Moonpie has a crush!" James sang.

Remus reddened and continued, "-then. I'm not participating in these pranks. The amount of times more I'm going to tell you is 107 multiplied by 0."

3 blank looks stared at him.

Remus facepalmed again and said, "I forgot you are pure-bloods. Good. Night!" He walked back up the stairs.

"What's wrong with him?" Sirius asked.

"I think Remus does have a crush on one of the new girls."

"Wow."

"So, what are we going to prank them with?"

"Paint."

-----The Next Day-----

James waited patiently for Harry and Ron to wake up. The sensors were to sense when they woke up and then pour paint on them. He saw Harry stir. James bit his lip with anticipation. Harry opened one eye and smirked. Suddenly paint poured all over James and he screamed. He reddened. Literally. The paint was red. Sirius started crying tears of joy. Remus mouthed, "Told you," while Peter was trying his hardest not to laugh and failed.

The door flew open, and there stood Xing, in her Gryffindor robes. Her hair was in pigtails with 2 strands on each side of her face.

"Harry, are you alri-, oh, that's who screamed. I thought you were having nightmares again." Xing exclaimed.

She turned to James and smirked while saying, "And that's why you don't prank us."

James tried to be defiant, "I'll be pranking you and your dormitory next."

"Ooh, Lily's going to be so aaannngrry!!" She sang.

"Wait, you stay in Lily's dormitory?"

"Of course! You won't be able to prank them! I'll make sure of it!" With a flourish, she skipped out of the room and to who knows where.

"Is she always like this?" James asked his look-alike. Harry smirked wider while he got off the bed and pushed Ron off the bed. Another bucket of paint spilled, not on James this time - he was glad, the paint was rather disgusting - but on Sirius. Remus, Peter, Harry, and Ron started giggling again, and Xing appeared at the doorway again.

"Ooh, you guys better clean up - wait, here you go, Peter!" She smiled.

"Wha-" suddenly another bucket of paint spilled onto Peter and Harry and Ron were on the floor hacking laughs.

"What was that for? Why doesn't Remus get a bucket full of paint?" Peter complained.

"Because - oh poor beds, they're disgusting -" she swished her wand and the beds cleaned and tidied itself, "- Remus didn't participate in the prank."

"How did you know?" Sirius asked.

"I have my ways." Her eyes sparkled. She then said, "Come on boys!" She twirled her wand and Harry and Ron's hair straightened, their pajamas turned into robes, and they looked clean and freshened up.

"Come on, let's go eat breakfast! Hermione is waiting for us by now!" She skipped out again, and this time, with Harry and Ron hurrying after.

The Marauders stared at them in shock.

James asked the question they all had, "How did they backfire the prank?"

Remus shrugged and said, "Told you not to prank them. As Xing said, they have their ways."

"Oooooh," Sirius sang, "Now you're quoting your crush!" 

Remus' eyes turned slightly red due to his werewolf, "No way! That's your crush!"

Sirius blushed and said, "Nah."

James gaped, "So 2 Marauders like that girl!"

"NO!" Remus said irritably, he walked out of the room.

"Why is he so grumpy today?" James asked.

"Prongs. The full moon is in 5 days."

James flushed, "Oh. Right."

Peter spoke up, "Let's go clean ourselves. I mean, we can't go to breakfast like this! It starts in 5 minutes!"