Incredible
Hermione Potter
I was cleaning out my closet one day when I came across a box of stuff. My mother's tidy printing said 'Remus's Hogwarts Stuff''. Out of curiosity I opened it up, there was my scarlet cap and gown and underneath that, a picture. I remembered that year so well.
Ah Hogwarts again, I'm a fifth year this time. Sirius, James and Peter 24/7. Though I'm not too sure that's a good thing. Oh well, as I entered The Great hall I felt sort of bad about missing the sorting, but Severus Snape deserved having dungbombs set off in his trunk after stealing James's prefect badge. Fortunately all McGonagall did was lecture us, FOR AN HOUR!
According to the rumors there was a hot new girl named Leigh? We couldn't figure out what house she was in. James and I were walking down the corridor when James saw Lily Pedersen. Lily and James started talking; it was obvious they each had a huge crush on each other. Suddenly there was a loud squeal, "Fur-Fur the Freaky Temperamental Turtle," and suddenly a bouncy brunette was on James's back.
"Sunny!" James cried as he reached back to tickle her.
"Stop it! I'm allergic to tickles," she squeaked.
"Uh I take it you two know each other," I said noticing Lily shooting dirty looks at "Sunny".
"Oh yeah, turtle boy and I go way back, don't we Chris?" she asked of James.
" You would be…," Lily asked.
"Sorry, blond moment, I'm Leigh Diggins, quintessential witch," she punctuated this with an extravagant bow.
"Right. Why did he call you Sunny?"
"My middle name is Allison and, I'm assuming you know his middle name is Christopher, hence Fur-Fur," Leigh explained.
"Sunny, I'm begging you, call me James," he pleaded.
"Fine, but you have to show me around the castle."
"Deal," he replied as they walked off.
"Ooh, let's Monkee walk!" she cried.
Sirius, who walked up half way into the conversation, muttered, "Jeez, James already snagged the new babe."
"I don't see what is so special about her," Lily replied as she walked off.
Through out the next week Sunny, as she insisted we call her, and James were inseparable. Wherever they went it was SunnyandJames JamesandSunny. One night James called an emergency Marauders meeting and he brought Sunny. "Well boys, today is the day. It's ready, we can become animagi now."
Peter leapt off of his chair, " Don't talk about that in front of HER!"
"Peter don't be an idiot. Sunny here is my inspiration for the potion," he then switched over to a horribly pompous voice, "And now my lovely assistant shall throw aside the curtain and Viola!" with that the bubbly brunette was a yellow Labrador retriever.
We were dumbfounded, but Sunny as usual was not at a loss for words, "Now do you get the whole Sunny thing?" she asked.
"Uh…yeah," was all I could muster. This apparently ditzy girl had managed to do what we had been struggling with for two years, and it seemed she had done it a while ago too. I had a new respect for Sunny.
"Good, 'cause now we get to sit around and make sure none of these morons," she smiled sweetly at James, "Go off and get themselves killed. We couldn't have that now could we?"
"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn,' was all James said in reply.
"Why Rhett, how could you say such things to a lady?" she said in mock disbelief.
"Will you two shut up so we can get going?" Sirius pleaded.
"I suppose," Sunny replied.
As my three friends ladled out the potion I watched in excitement and asked, "So what animal do you want to be Sirius?"
"I'm not sure maybe I'll be a-," but Sunny interrupted him.
"Dimwits, you don't get to pick your animal, it picks you," she stated as if it was obvious.
"So as a Lab, you are loyal and kind?" James said.
"*Coughsuckupcough*" Sirius coughed.
"That's right Jamie, and you'd be a turtle. You know, a little slow on the uptake," and James's frown she said quickly, "or how about…a stallion."
"Uh huh, suure," James replied as he took a sip of his potion. Peter and Sirius followed in suit. Three seconds later they fell to the ground. I rushed over to help but Sunny held me back.
"That's suppose to happen, they will wake up in an hour or so," she explained as she leaned up against the wall and slid down to a seated position.
"I never got the chance to ask you how you became an animagi," I asked.
"Kinda stupid really. My three best friends are all half bloods like me. One day, Sam, Noodle, Zoe and I were playing in my parents' library when we came across the book with the potion in it. We thought it was a pretend book but we recognized the ingredients as some of that nasty smelling stuff in my parent's tall cupboard. To make a long story short, we made it, it worked, I was a dog, Sam a fox, Zoe was the skinniest cat I've ever seen and Noodle, a duck."
"A DUCK!" I cried in disbelief.
"Yes a duck, if you knew her it wouldn't seem that odd. But you won't believe how surprised we were when we found out it was a real potion. Still, we never told our parents and they never found out."
"Do you miss your friends?"
"Indubitably," she said.
"You have this red stuff on your robes,"
"Actually it's magenta. Did you know you have a freckle on your leg?" she said cracking up.
I looked at her like she was insane. "Sorry inside joke,"
Over the next hour I felt as I really got to know Leigh not just Sunny. "Ooh, look they're moving," I pointed out.
She checked her watched, "The hour is over," then she sneaked over to James and yelled in his ear, "IT'S ALIVE,"
James who had been rising slowly sat up like a shot. *POP* *POP* *POP*. James, Sirius and Peter were gone and in their places were a dog, rat and a stag.
"Sirius, you dawg, you," I said in response to his form.
"Awe, look at those little padded feet," Sunny cooed, then she moved over to Peter, "Be careful, you wouldn't want my owl mistaking you're tail for a worm would you?"
"We could decorate those prongs of yours like a Christmas tree James," I said.
James was the first to change back, "Shut up Moony."
***
Every month the five of us would go roaming the grounds. Life was going great, until one day in October when a ministry owl approached Sunny. Confused as she was she took the letter. As she read all life and spark in her eyes went out. She threw down the letter and raced out of the Hall to Gryffindor tower. James read it quickly and raced after her. I picked up the letter and read something that made my heart break,
Dear Ms. Diggins,
I regret to inform you that last night your parents were killed buy You-Know-Who.
I stopped reading and ran after my friends. When I got into the common room I saw Sunny perched on James's lap, silent tears running down her face. "Oh James, I can't believe I'll never see my mum and dad ever again. They are gone forever. I am an official orphan what am I going to do now?"
"Shh, honey it is going to be alright, Mom and Dad would be offended to hear you talking like that. You know that they would want you to stay with us, they are your godparents you know."
"You're right," was all she could get out.
As I walked over to them I said, "Sunny I'm so sorry, do you want me to tell McGonagall you won't be at classes today?"
She glanced up at me pleadingly, "Would you Moony? I'm just gonna stay here forever."
It shattered my heart to see her looking so forlorn. She stood up to go to her room, "Night James, I love you."
"It's only 6:30, but I love you too."
"Whatever," was her only response.
***
As the days passed Sunny seemed to be repairing herself, but her smiles seemed empty. Two days before Halloween she seemed to be her old self when she announced at the breakfast table, "There's going to be a talent show."
Sirius looked at her like she had sprouted seven extra heads, "So, you're point is?"
"What you criminal masterminds aren't going to enter?"
"Hey we don't break the rules we just fracture them, slightly," I replied.
"You stick to that story Moony. Seriously though, Remus could play the sax, Sirius could tell jokes and I'm going to sing. If only I could find someone to sing with me…"
"Uh uh, no way Jose," James said quickly.
"Fine. I'm gonna go practice." And she walked off humming.
Sunny suddenly got hit buy a rash of mediocre jokes that seemed to be made buy one of those jealous girls. James was letting off steam by hitting Snape with various hexes, my personal favorite was the hippie charm. For three days he walked around passing out flowers telling people to 'Make love, not war'.
Snape still had flowers in his hair for the talent show. Most people played instruments, or danced, but I was bored to tears. I would have left but I promised Sunny I would support her so I had to stay. Finally she came on stage mike in hand:
Unforgettable, That's what you are.
Unforgettable, Though near or far.
Like a song of love that clings to me,
How the thought of you does things to me.
Never before has someone been born.
Unforgettable in every way.
(Suddenly a male voice joined Sunny's as James stepped on stage)
And forevermore that's how you'll stay.
That's why darling it's incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am unforgettable, too.
No never before has someone been born.
Unforgettable in every way.
And forevermore that's how you'll stay.
That's why darling it's incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am unforgettable, too
As they took their bows, the crowed burst into cheers. Unsurprisingly, the two took home the first place trophy. Gryffindor house threw a party to celebrate but I saw Sunny slip out of the Portrait Hole. I followed her to the library, she slipped into one of the tables in the back where she sat down and cried.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Oh, Remus, hi. It is just that Unforgettable was my parent's song, they danced to it at their wedding and they always danced to it on their anniversary, October 31st."
"Sunny, I didn't know."
"Why should you. This year started out so great, coming to Hogwarts with you, James and the rest. Life was magnificent."
"Yeah you and Prongs are quite the dynamic duo," I said looking into her eyes.
She mumbled, "Yeah," before she leaned into a kiss.
It was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me, It was like an explosion was going off inside my head. We pulled apart and she smiled. Then the mental alarm went off. It was screaming, you idiot you just kissed the girl James loves! He's gonna kill me! With these thoughts streaming through my head I ran out leaving behind a very confused Sunny.
When I got back to the common room I went directly up to bed trying to avoid James as much as humanly possible. I got up late the next morning to an empty dorm, the rest of the guys were probably down at breakfast. I got dressed quickly and made my way down the stairs. I heard voices talking.
"James, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but," it was Lily Cooper, "last night I saw Sunny kissing Remus in the library," her eyes flicked up to me and apologized. I didn't feel resentful, in fact I felt thankful to Lily for giving me a way to discuss this with James. "I gotta go," and with that she left us to talk in private.
I walked slowly down the remaining stairs slowly, "Listen James, I'm really sorry I wasn't thinking."
He…smiled, "Moony why didn't you tell me, I mean you two are perfect together."
"What!" I exploded, "But you love her, she loves you!"
"Well…yeah of course I do. Aunt Patricia dropped her off to play at my house, like, everyday when we were little."
"AUNT PATRICIA!"
"Yeah, Sunny's mom." He said with a rather confused expression on his face.
I just grabbed James's arm and ran off to the Great Hall. When we arrived I just grabbed Sunny and Lily's arm (with that third one that conveniently pops out when ever you need it j/k) and pulled them into the corridors. "We need to talk, James you explain to Lily and I'll talk to Sunny."
Sunny was pissed, apparently she didn't like being run out on after kissing I'd have to keep that in mind. "What do you want Lupin,"
"Sunny, listen I ran out last night because I thought that I had just kissed James's…girlfriend."
Her angry face scrunched up, "Eww, that's just plain Icky."
"Think back on all of our conversations, did you ever mention the fact that you were cousins."
"Riiight…" she muttered, "does that mean you DO like me?"
"Of course I do Dingbat."
Those conversations were the beginning of two very permanent relationships. We were still together at graduation. Lily and James wanted to get married right away but Sunny and I weren't quite ready for that. Sunny stayed with her cousins and on that fateful night nobody noticed the body of a small dog on the lawn of the mangled house.
I turned over the photograph and smiled at the untidy scrawl,
Sunny and Moony, the ultimate oxymoron, together forever, 1977
A small tear trickled down my cheek. I put the stuff back in the box. I decided to go for a walk in the muggle part of the town. (Yippee the pizza's here! Ok I'm back) I paid little heed to the shops I passed but something made me enter the animal shelter. I decided to take a look at the dogs. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a very forlorn looking Labrador. I stopped by her run and she came racing over to me and started licking my hand.
"Well Sir, I must say you are something special, that is the first time Allie has really reacted to anybody, well except for a rather greasy haired person, she didn't like him much."
"She must be an excellent judge of character," I said and then on an impulse I said, "I'll take her."
"Really!" the attendant said in surprise.
So after a mountain of paper work I was leading Allie home. When we got there I introduced my self, "Well, Allie I am Remus Lupin your new best friend. God, you look just like sunny don't you," I turned around to fill up her water dish. When I turned back around I saw something that made me drop the bowl in my hand.
"Hi, Moony."
"Sunny! What on earth are you doing here!" I exclaimed.
"You adopted me."
"But why did you spend 13 years as a dog?"
"That night Voldemort knocked me out and I didn't come to for a while and when I did I had lost my memory. But, today when you came in it all came flooding back. That is why I wanted you to take me here so I could change back. Won't your girlfriend mind having your old flame living with you?"
"What girlfriend? And our flame isn't old, Sunny," with that I reached under my shirt and pulled out a gold chain with half a sun on it, "I've never taken it off."
She pulled out a silver chain with half a moon on it, "Neither have I. Oh Remus I love you so much, will you marry me?"
"Of course Dingbat."
"Will you stop calling me that!"
The End
Disclaimer: I own Fur-Fur the Freaky Temperamental Turtle, my dad owns Sunny. Anything that looks familiar is not mine.
A/N: This is my longest fic yet. 9 whole pages (before html, now it is like 22)! Aren't you proud of me! I have been working on this for so long it is like six pages (front and back) written out. I would like to thank Mr. M**** for having a very boring Spanish class. My English teachers for having so much writing time even after I have finished the assignment, because that is where I wrote most of this story. The pizza man for delivering this tasty meal to my door. And now I'm just getting carried away if you want me to stop rambling, Review!