Summary: We're all great here, honestly! It's not like I've been overwhelmed with boys, books, and a brewing war! Yes, things are shaping up in a way that I'm not, but what can you do? Year seven hits everyone hard. Brace for impact. Sequel to "Laugh it Off". Remus/OC, James/Lily, Sirius/OC

Rated T for strong language, mild violence.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. (do kids these days use disclaimers any more? lol I'm old)

A/N: Hey y'all I'm back, if you haven't read Laugh it Off you probably should because nothing is going to make sense. If you need a quick recap, check out chapter 24 of Laugh it Off, I went ahead and put in a summary!

Chapter 1: Brace for Impact

Y'know that feeling that you're falling while you're asleep? Then the sudden jolt back into reality, like nothing had ever happened? I think it's got me wrapped around it's traumatising little finger, because every time I wake up, I still can't believe it.

Half of my family have pledged themselves to the Dark Lord, and it's been taking me a little more time to process than I thought it would. I keep thinking that when I wake up everything will be normal again, but it never is. And whereas going home for the holidays was always a little awkward before, I think hexing each other on sight might make Christmas dinner unsalvageable now.

To be honest, I haven't had too much time to think about all of that anyway, since I'd spent the summer waiting tables at the Leaky Cauldron, hoping to scrape by just enough to get me through to September. Of course with a mouth like mine, tips are few and far between sometimes. Raffie was able to help a little, but ever since he chickened out of whatever ritualistic nonsense the Death Eaters wanted him to partake in, he's not been able to leave the flat much. Most of my earnings were going towards his advance rent, just so he could keep the place.

Speaking of Raffie, the tosspot hasn't said more than two words to me since I rescued his sorry arse from a life on the streets. I suppose I can't expect too much, things were bound to be a little tense given that the very people he'd been pressured to join had previously murdered my best friend's mum and attacked me, among other things.

Because of all of that, I've been counting the seconds until I could go back to school and see my friends. With everything that's been going on lately and a brother who's now frightened of his own shadow for company, I missed just taking the piss with everyone.

Instead, of course, as per usual, I was too early to the station and ended up popping into the shops for a bit too long, nearly missing the train. I then had the utter pleasure of starting that journey with a compartment full of curious first-years, whom I'm not sure even my chatty mini-me Charity could compete with. Had I been in the mood to humor them, I might have given better advice, but hey, at least I didn't send them into the Black Lake to say hi to the giant squid like I'm sure James and Sirius would have.

By the time I was able to get them off of me, bloody kids, my friends had already found me. Well, at least James had.

"Elsa, darling! We thought you'd missed the train!" James Potter said, nonchalantly flashing his gleaming Head Boy badge in my direction.

I laughed and shut the door on my gaggle of rabid first-year companions to give him a quick hug. "Yeah, and how is it exactly that we're standing here, two equal delinquents, and you've become Head Boy?"

James adjusted the badge proudly. "I'd like to think I'm doing a rather splendid job, thank you very much."

I let it go, just for today, and gestured for him to lead the way. "Well go on then, your highness."

"To the prefect compartment?"

"No, you absolute wanker, not to the prefect compartment."

James gave a good-hearted chuckle. "Clearly someone's bitter she didn't get picked," James said as he led me down the narrow corridor of the train.

"Oh yes, I'm just about to burst with jealousy! What will I do with my time if I'm not preoccupied telling first years to piss off and pipe down?"

James rolled his eyes and continued leading, making a rather dramatic point to open compartments to shush people along the way. Most of them looked stunned to see James Potter, the detention frequenter, prankster, and partier, wearing a Head Boy badge. I felt the same.

"As soon as I figure out my actual duties, I'll resent that comment, for now, here you are."

"I'm in your debt, my lord," I said, peeking into the compartment, which was nearly at the end of the carriage.

James snorted and left, but he had, in fact, led me to the correct place since it was packed with my friends, minus Remus and Lily who must have either been patrolling or at the fabled prefect's compartment. Sirius and Peter were on one side comparing chocolate frog cards, and Alice and Mary were on the other, chatting away.

I knocked on the glass and slid the door open. "How is it that you had to send Head Dingbat out there to find me instead of one of you common lot?"

Alice and Sirius both jumped up right away to give me a hug. Sirius got there first, and although we'd basically resolved the feelings and all that nonsense, I still couldn't help but swoon a little at the lovely smell of his hair.

Damn that boy.

"Well to be honest, love, we figured you'd missed the train," Sirius said, sitting back down.

Alice pulled me in next. "It was bound to happen one year, at least we thought."

I sat down between her and Mary, giving the latter a short "hello", and crossed my legs. "Very funny. For your information, I was at the platform so early I just got a little distracted."

"Where, the candy shop?" Peter said, snickering.

I shot him a dirty look, then mumbled a shameful "yes".

"Well let's see it then," Sirius said, briefly distracting Peter to switch out one of his Dumbledore's with Peter's rarer Gwenog Jones card.

"See what?" I said.

"The candy, for Merlin's sake, show us the candy!"

I scoffed. "What makes you think I'd even save any for you lot! There's a trolley for a reason, get your own!"

"Well, it is spilling out of your pockets," Peter pointed out.

I shoved a stray lolly back in. "Is not."

Alice grabbed a licorice from the pocket of my Hollyhead Harpies cardigan and tossed it to Sirius. "Happy now?"

Sirius faked gagging on Peter's shoulder. "Elsa, how can you eat that stuff! It's positively revolting!"

I reached across the aisle to snatch the licorice back and popped a chunk in my mouth.

"Because I'm not a candy snob," I said mightily.

Peter snorted. "We know that."

Alright, so I walked into that one.

I looked him dead in the eye and crossed my arms. "Now can I expect anything else from your comedy repertoire or is fat joke the only thing on the menu this evening?"

"That's enough, you two," Alice said, grabbing another sweet for herself. "It hasn't even been an hour!"

I grumbled a bit, but the compartment eventually dissolved into silence as we all enjoyed the fruits of my lack of self control, that is until the train came to an abrupt halt.

"The bloody hell was that," Sirius said, poking his head out the door.

"Dunno," Peter replied, peering around him.

There was another jolt and I grabbed on the the bottom of the seat to stop from pitching completely forward. We were moving again.

"That was weird," Mary said, scooting closer to the window. "Oh my God."

We all moved to look out the window, and I couldn't help the audible gasp that feel from my lips.

"Merlin," Peter said.

Amidst the beautiful scenery we'd passed through was a village, nearly all up in smoke. Above it all was the Dark Mark, glowing a sickly green against the cloudy September sky. It looked exactly like it had in the papers; a large skull, with a snake slithering out of the mouth. There was no mistaking who it belonged to.

I closed my eyes to ward of the nausea that came with knowing my father or Devon might have had something to do with it. I saw Sirius do the same, and imagined he must have felt the guilt too.

Alice looked to be on the verge of tears as she excused herself. If I was feeling bad, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to look at a scene so similar to the one your mother perished in. I debated following her, but Mary beat me to the punch and took off after her quickly retreating form.

Remus popped his head in not long after, sitting silently in Alice's spot.

"You all saw it as well?"

I nodded, moving closer to him.

"Something has to be done," Sirius said darkly. He then excused himself and left Peter, Remus, and myself in silence, perhaps all thinking the same thing.

When we finally arrived at Hogwarts, more specifically, to my unashamed delight, the feast, it was quieter than usual. Whispers of what exactly had happened on the train swept through the Great Hall, and even the usually rowdy first-years were talking in hushed voices.

Remus and I were sat at the end of the Gryffindor table as always, surrounded by James, Sirius, Lily, and Alice. Peter had complained of a stomachache after a train ride spent eating candy, and Mary had disappeared to sit with her other friends.

"Do you think they'll even get to the sorting this year?" Alice said, nervously looking down the table towards our headmaster.

"Don't be silly," Lily said, "of course they will."

Emmeline Vance, who was further down the table, echoed the sentiment to Marlene McKinnon, who I couldn't believe would even care to ask, considering her normally indifferent and dare I say bitchy attitude.

See, I said some things never change.

They did get on with the sorting, and our end of the table mustered up what we could to cheer for all the new Gryffindors.

After what seemed like an eternity of watching nervous first-years nearly pass out as their names were called, Dumbledore finally stood to address the hall.

"I know that what many of you saw on the Hogwarts Express was alarming, but I will take a moment to remind you, that all of you are very much safe here at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore's statement caused the student body to stir, and chatter filled the Great Hall again.

The headmaster cleared his throat. "I would also like to introduce to you all to our new Defense against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Lyons."

"Erins didn't last long, did she mate?" James said, nudging Sirius with his elbow as a blonde man with dark blue robes stood.

Sirius just smiled weakly and agreed. That was strange behavior, even coming from someone who takes the recent attacks, forgive me, as seriously as he does.

James seemed to notice this as well, but dropped the subject. Whatever was bothering him, it made for a short dinner.

Remus excused himself and I followed him after the rest of the announcements had been made, and we walked in silence back to the common room.

"What do you reckon?" I said as we stepped through the portrait hole and headed for what had always been deemed the '7th year' couch.

It may be gloomy and terrible right now, but I waited for six years to claim that thing and it bloody well better be worth it.

"About the village?"

I nodded.

Remus ran a hand through his sandy hair. "I dunno. I don't see why they burn things to the ground like that. Maybe they're looking for something?"

I shrugged and curled into the arm of the couch. "Who knows," I said, admiring the view of the common room from my rightful throne. "Anyway, how was your summer?"

Remus smiled. "It was nice actually. Would have only been better if you were there."

I hit him on the arm lightly. "Nice save."

"James and Sirius were over for a bit, Peter as well. I was there when James got that damned head boy letter."

I had to laugh. "You're not jealous are you?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Only a little, and who knows, James is a born leader, he's probably more cut out for it than me anyway."

"James is a Quidditch captain. All he has to do to lead them is yell and threaten to beat them with their own brooms."

As if on cue James himself stormed through the portrait hole with all of the first-year Gryffindor boys in tow, glasses completely askew and red as a tomato.

Remus and I did our best to stifle our laughter as he marched them up the steps to the first year dormitories, barking orders the whole time.

A few minutes later he stomped down the stairs and sat in between Remus and I, still fuming. "Bloody twits, they left me stuck in a trick stair while they chucked a Slytherin banner down the stairs! And then this little bastard named Randall nearly sent me down with it!"

"Oh don't be ridiculous James, they're just children!" I said, trying not to snicker too much.

Lily appeared just then with the girls, and seemed to have the situation totally under control, calmly pointing out things in the common room as her group continued to giggle.

James groaned and ruffled his hair. "I'm never going to impress her like this! I can't keep those little parasites under control and it's only day one!"

Remus patted him on the shoulder. "You've only been Head Boy for a day, give it time. And if they continue to misbehave, just consider it payback for all the things the previous Head Boys had to put up with from you."

There was a loud crash near the staircase and we looked just in time to see a trunk with the name "Potter" come crashing down into the common room.

A boy with brown hair snickered next to the bannister and stuck his tongue out when he saw James' rather pathetic expression.

"Oi!" I yelled up to the boy, who perked up and looked in my direction. "If you don't put that back right now we'll have you expelled! Don't you know they notify McGonagall if you trespass in another dorm, especially the Head Boy's?"

At the mention of our fearless deputy headmistress, the boy paled and hurried down the stairs to retrieve the trunk.

"See, easy," I said, turning back to James. Instead I found Charity, who was millimeters from my face.

"Merlin, Charity!"

"Elsa, thank goodness, I've been looking for you!"

Oh Lord.

A/N: Hey there people of the internet, long time no see! Do people still use this site anymore even? Ok so years ago I had the idea to make this a whole series with 3 parts and everything, and honestly that fell through almost immediately. It took me like, 6 years to finish Laugh it Off and all I had to do back then was high school. But despite that Elsa is my baby (come on, we all have that one OC)and I love her so much I always find myself coming back to Laugh it Off, and to be honest if I edit it any more it's going to be unrecognizable. So, I decided to continue her story with no promises of ever coming to any sort of good conclusion. So if you're just here for fun, welcome! It's gonna be a long ride.

Thanks for reading, and please review, constructive criticism is always welcome!

xx Val