Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

The past month all the students had learned everything you could possibly know about Shakespeare, and all his plays. They had done in-depth studies of Romeo and Juliet, and had even written a paper on it. All that was left now was to try out for the actual play. Students were allowed to pick which part they wanted to try out for.

Lily had decided on trying out for Juliet, since there weren’t many other roles for girls to play. She had been practicing, figuring if she had to try out, she may as well be prepared, and know exactly what she was doing. Her and Remus had worked on their lines together, as well as the dancing, since a major scene in the play involved that. Even though she convinced him to try out for Romeo, he decided on the Frair instead.

James of course had been practicing with Sirius to be Romeo, and Peter had also been helping with rehearsal, though he said he was only going to go for a small part. He hated being the center of attention.

“Ready for try outs today?” Sirius asked Remus and James at breakfast.

“I think so,” Remus said with a shrug. “I have been practicing a lot with Lily.”

“I’m ready,” James said answering Sirius’ question before talking to Remus. “How do you think she is going to do?”

“Personally, I think Lily fits the role of Juliet perfectly, she is good at her lines, and acting, as well as dancing,” Remus said grabbing some sausage. “I hope she gets it, it will give her a much needed confidence boost.”

James didn’t say anything; he just kept his thoughts to himself. Such as how he hoped he would be able to get the part of Romeo, and that Lily would get Juliet. Maybe then he could show her that he wasn’t so immature and they could develop a friendship.

“What are you trying out for again?” Lily asked her friends, since she couldn’t really keep it all straight. They had changed their minds so many times; it was making her head spin.

“I’m trying out for nurse,” Phoebe said through a mouthful of eggs.

“Lady Capulet,” Donna said.

“Juliet,” both Amy and Bridget said.

“I hope Sirius Black gets Romeo,” Amy said dreamily as she poked at her pancake. "He would have to kiss me then."

"If you told Sirius you would put out, he would kiss you anytime you wanted," Lily said aggrevated.

“Well if you get Juliet, who would you want to be Romeo?” Bridget asked Lily.

“Anyone but the four Marauders,” Lily said rolling her eyes at their group name.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Classes ended at two that day for Seventh years, since all of them were required to tryout. Since lunch, they had transformed the great hall into a stage, with plenty of seats for people to sit and watch the tryouts. They were going in order from character, then from their in alphabetical order. Lily had a while to wait since Juliet was the second to last tryout, Romeo being the last.

“Don’t be nervous Phoebe, you’ll be fine,” Lily said to her friend, who was shaking with anxiety.

“But all these people are watching!” Phoebe said looking around the packed hall.

“What do you expect? When you are in the real play, there will be even more,” Lily said shoving her friend out of the row into the aisle so she could line up for her turn.

Lily glanced around the hall and saw Remus sitting a few rows back, across the aisle with his friends. She waved and mouthed good luck to him, and just smiled at James when he waved to her. He had been trying to be nice to her since that comment she had overheard.

When Remus went up for his try-out Lily clapped for him, then sat back and watched. He was very good, and she sincerely hoped that he got the part. Finally the moment of truth came; Lily rose up from her seat and lined up. She was starting to feel the heat, and when she was up next, her knees began to shake slightly.

“Evans, Lily,” Professor Burbage called. Lily took a deep and climbed the steps of the stage. The lights were bright as they focused on her, and it was instantly ten degrees hotter. She put her hands behind her back standup as tall as she could while the five people judging her took down notes before she started.

“She is so nervous,” Remus said quietly to James as he watched her.

“I hope she does alright,” James said quietly, then hushed when the professor spoke again.

“Alright Miss. Evans, now we ask that you do any monologue that you like, but please tell us which one it will be,” she said.

“I will be doing the second one, from Act two,” Lily said her voice shaking slightly.

“Alright, you may proceed,” the professor said as she set down her quill and looked at Lily intently.

Lily took a deep breath closing her eyes for a moment to get into character, when she opened them she began, her voice clear, and loud, but very beautiful. “'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself.”

She stopped, and was surprised to hear a couple of claps emitting from the hall more than all the girls had who had tried out for Juliet. Lily could not see off the stage from the lights but she heard Remus cheer for her.

“Wow,” James breathed looking at Lily on the stage. She had done that perfectly, with her body movements, and her voice.

“I told you,” Remus said quietly.

“I hope I get to be Romeo if she is Juliet,” Sirius said with a laugh.

“Thank you Miss. Evans, now we need you dance with Micheal Hault, and read off some lines with him,” the professor said, and Lily did as instructed. She had danced beautifully, and before she knew it she was done and off the stage.

“Good job dear,” Remus said catching her before she took her seat.

“Thank you,” Lily said with a small shy smile before taking her seat.

Last were the tryouts for Romeo. Sirius was up before James, and all the girls squealed as he did his part, and Lily just sunk in her seat, trying to block out her friends girlish comments. Then it was James’ turn, and Lily found herself perking up just a bit. She had to see this, secretly she hoped he would mess up, it would bring him down a few notches.

“Alright Mr. Potter, what monologue will you be doing?” One of the judges asked him.

“I will be doing the monologue from act three from the conversation between Romeo and Friar Laurence,” James said confidently. He was not nervous being in front of all these people, he was used to it from playing Quidditch.

“Proceed,” Burbage said with a smile on her face.

“'Tis torture, and not mercy: heaven is here, where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog and little mouse, every unworthy thing, live here in heaven and may look on her; but Romeo may not: more validity, more honourable state, more courtship lives in carrion-flies than Romeo: they my seize on the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand and steal immortal blessing from her lips, who even in pure and vestal modesty, still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin; but Romeo may not; he is banished: flies may do this, but I from this must fly: they are free men, but I am banished. And say'st thou yet that exile is not death? Hadst thou no poison mix'd, no sharp-ground knife, no sudden mean of death, though ne'er so mean, but 'banished' to kill me?--'banished'? O friar, the damned use that word in hell; howlings attend it: how hast thou the heart, being a divine, a ghostly confessor, a sin-absolver, and my friend profess'd, to mangle me with that word 'banished'?” James said acting out the anguish that Romeo felt during this speech. People clapped, and he danced with a girl, though he did not catch her name, and read lines before leaving the stage.

The rest of the seventh years finished trying out, and once it was over they professor announced that the cast list would be posted on her office door in week, after breakfast. The students filed out muling over who had the best tryouts, with the names Sirius Black, James Potter, and Lily Evans on their lips as well as a couple of other students.