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All In The Name of Love
A/N Firstly, I suggest you read Score All To Us - Nil To Snape before reading this, as this is SATUNT's sequel. Secondly, I'd like to apologise to those of you who read this when it was Chapter 21 onwards - I'm really sorry about that - believe me, it wasn't deliberate. Fanfiction.net wasn't overly keen on accepting any files I submitted, and this has been edited so that it coincides with information JKR has released about the marauders. On the advise of someone who read Score All To Us - Nil To Snape, I have chaptered this. It should make it easier to read, I hope, and it shouldn't take as long to upload.
This is dedicated to Arabella, who did a fantastic job of editing it for me, and always makes me laugh with her comments. Thanks, I really appreciate what you do.
Chapter 1 - Cecelia, Eleanor, Felicity and Lily
The end of August. The summer holidays were entering their close. Four girls, about sixteen or seventeen years old were travelling down Portabello Road.
"Flick!! You're incorrigible!" A petite girl with long red hair, which was pulled off of her face, and huge emerald eyes laughed at the tallest of them.
"What? It's not my fault he was a peeping tom. He deserved it!" Felicity Howell, a pretty brunette, looked at her, brown eyes innocent.
"Don't look at me like that!"
"Yeah, but Lil, did you see his face when she called him a-"
"Okay Ellie, there's no need to repeat it. Lily looked scandalised the first time round!"
"I'm looking on the bright side. She didn't try anything illegal. Can you imagine her dad's face. 'I'm terribly sorry Mr Howell, but Felicity is currently an inmate of the nearest gaol. They said they'd let her out if you went to get her!' He'd never agree to us visiting again!"
They reached a large Victorian house, with a mahogany front door and shining brass knocker. It opened, and a tall man with dark brown hair and twinkling blue eyes greeted them.
"Come on in! Flick, aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Well, if you'd let us come in! Is Kat asleep? What's Mags doing?"
"Yes, Kat's asleep, and Mags was muttering about lunch." As they spoke they moved into what must have been the living room. It's main feature was the cast iron fireplace, above which was a huge mirror. The room was furnished comfortably, with blue sofas and yellow walls. Books were scattered on the coffee table, and a newspaper was folded neatly on a chair.
"Dad, these are Lil, Cee, and Ellie. My friends from Hogwarts." Hogwarts was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That was the unusual thing about the four girls, and the inhabitants of the house. They were all magically talented.
Mr Howell gestured for the girls to sit down. They were a good-looking group, no one could deny that. Eleanor Silver had icy blue eyes, and silvery fair hair that fell in ruler straight masses, to touch her shoulders. Cecelia Hall, on the other hand had wavy black hair that fell to her knees, and deep, dark eyes. Combined with Lily Evans's Celtic beauty, and Felicity's own charisma, they were very pleasing to the eye.
A woman the complete opposite of Felicity entered the room. This was Flick's stepmother, Mags. Together with her new half sister, Katherine, and her father, they made up the Howell family. Felicity and her father were Welsh, but had lived in America for eleven years, after Flick's mother died when she was five years old. When her father had married Mags, they moved back to England, where her father had a job, and Felicity transferred to Hogwarts, where she had quickly become a member of the group that Lily, Cee and Ellie formed.
"Hi! You must be Mrs Howell." Lily said to the short woman with the golden hair and grey eyes.
"Call me Mags. And I'm guessing that you're Lily?"
"Red hair a dead giveaway. Oh well, we all pay for our sins."
"Not at all. It's a lovely colour. I was actually referring to your height. Flick said that I'd know you straight off, and for once I'd be able to look down on someone. She's cheeky, our Flick, I'll grant you that!"
"Tell me about it!" Lily groaned, good-naturedly.
"What's she been saying now?"
"You don't want to know! How's Katherine?"
"She's fine, and we're calling her Kat. Much shorter when I have to yell for her you know."
"Only if she's like Flick!" Ellie chimed in. "If she's more sedate then you won't need to call her, she won't be given to running off."
"You're Ellie, I know, which makes you Cee. Come on girls. I've got lunch in the kitchen, and we can have a good old natter. Flick's dad's off to work now, so it'll just be us women."
"I pity the neighbours!" Mr Howell said, under his breath.
"What was that, Daddy darling?" Felicity asked, innocently.
"Nothing!"
It was an afternoon indulged in gossip and laughter. They were a gregarious lot, and given to doing things so outrageous that no one would think to ban them. A particular favourite was an incident at the end of the previous school year.
"I have to say I think the boys' end of year feast fiasco was the best!" Ellie giggled.
"What did they do to the poor boy then?"
"Poor boy? Mags, this is Severus Snape we're talking about. He tried to get James expelled!" Flick exclaimed.
"How? Why?"
"It doesn't matter. Suffice to say, he deserved all he got."
"Doesn't he always?" Cee asked, laughing.
"Stop side tracking." Lily chastised them. "We always said that Snape's hair was greasy enough to fry food in, and the boys, um, put it into practise."
"I don't like the sound of that!" Mags' words were those of a mother, but she was trying to conceal her laughter.
"Neither did I." Lily agreed. "But when did they ever listen to me?"
"James listens to you." Felicity stated, wickedly.
"Not always." Lily replied, blushing.
"Most of the time." Cee muttered. Mags seemed to sense that they were on dangerous ground, and she promptly changed the subject. By the time Lily, Cee and Ellie had to leave, all were happy again, and the afternoon had been spent, for the most part, in high jinks.
Lily's birthday was on the last day of August, one day before the beginning of school, making her the youngest of the group that produced most of the mischief in their year. She lived in a cottage, with her mother and father. Her elder sister, Petunia, had been married for ten days, and was currently enjoying a honeymoon on the French Riviera. Lily had to admit that Petunia's in-laws were rich, but her new brother-in-law, Vernon Dursley, left her cringing. He had intolerance for anything 'unnatural' to rival Petunia's, and Lily, in her capacity as a witch, was just about as abnormal as you could get in his eyes. Not that she was all that bothered. Ever since she had found out, her sister had barely spoken to her, and while Lily regretted the lost companion, she and Petunia had never been close, so it was no great loss.
On the morning of her birthday, she was greeted by an ocean of presents, including several from her wizarding friends. She opened the gift from her parents first. It was a gold watch, studded peridots, which happened to be her birth stone. Exclaiming over its beauty, she moved on to the present her sister had left for her. A writing pad and envelopes. No surprise there. Petunia had given her that every year since she had turned twelve. She had collected a range of hues, and coloured inks to go with them, that being Petunia's chosen Christmas gift. Her next present included a letter.
'Lil lovey,
Sorry, this is going to have to be a quickie. Kat's screaming, and Dad's on the warpath. I think the lack of sleep is finally getting to him. Well it's not my fault there's a baby in the house, I'm being as quiet as a mouse. (Take that look off your face. I can be quiet you know, it's just no fun!) The whole point of this is to wish you a happy birthday. Getting on a bit now, aren't you? Seventeen. Before you know it you'll be old and grey, rambling on about what it was like 'when I was young', perish the thought. I hope you like the present. Have a great day, eat lots of chocolate, and be merry!
luv 'n' stuff
Flick'
Flick's present turned out to be a book of charms, charms being Lily's favourite area of magic. Cee sent a box of Chocolate Frogs, and Ellie went for a book token. Eventually there was only one letter left. Lily knew who it was from, and waited until her parents had started working, before reading it in the privacy of her bedroom, looking out at the magnificent view her window gave.
'Dear Lily,
It seems I spend my life writing to you, but I couldn't not send this. After all, it's your birthday. I was actually aware of that fact before I got a letter from Flick, and another from Ellie, and one from Cee, but something tells me they have little faith in me. Anyway, many happy returns (pretty mundane thing to say, huh?) I know I don't go in for slushy stuff...' Just the big brother act, Lily thought ruefully, 'but I found this poem, and I thought you might like it.
What is love? It's often asked
Is it what I feel as I walk past
A pretty girl, or is that only
A feeling born because I'm lonely?
Love is special, I say
Love is there for you, come what may
A feeling that you'll know when it hits you
A feeling that makes one from two.
Love is the experience you'll never forget
The warmth that will never let
You feel alone, it's always there
The one whom you love will always care.
They say some love is unrequited
I say love comes, its never invited
For everybody, woman or man
There is a love you'll understand.
And once you find that love
Cherish it. It is above
All those empty dreams of old
And is far more precious than any gold.
Happy birthday Lily. Have a great day. I hope you like the present.
Lots of love
James'
Lily smiled as she read the poem, and then turned to the package that accompanied the letter. Her boyfriend was notoriously unromantic. He'd been at her sister's wedding, and his primary interest had been the food. So he must have gone to a lot of trouble to find a rhyme that she would like. Lily herself didn't go in for all things lovey-dovey, but that didn't make her any less the romantic. Her friends often joked that the reason she had fallen for James had been his devilish streak, in spite of her protests to the contrary.
She tore the paper from the package, and was greeted by an ornately decorated box. Curiously, she opened it, and inside nestled two miniature white doves. Lily smirked. Perhaps James was a romantic after all. Being products of the magical variety, the models moved, and one tucked it's head daintily under it's wing. Gently, Lily placed the box on her bedside table, and then went off to find her mother.
Chapter 2 – King's Cross Station
The next day, Lily's father transported her to platform nine of King's Cross Station. After a hurried goodbye, he left her for his work. She, in her turn, made use of a large group of German tourists in order to cover her entrance to the magical platform nine and three-quarters. No sooner was she in then a call greeted her.
"Lily! Lil! Over here!" She hurried over to greet Flick.
"Flick! Thanks for my birthday present. How's your dad?"
"Like a bear with a sore paw, but I'm not bothered - I'm at Hogwarts, he's in London, there's quite a bit of mileage between us."
"You can say that again. There's Ellie. ELEANOR!" Ellie, in her turn, joined them.
"How're you doing guys? Have you seen Cee?"
"Nope. And I don't expect to see her until ten minutes before we're due to leave. You know Cee, always leaves everything till the last minute." Lily laughed at Felicity's light-hearted insult, and Ellie joined her. Lily was about to speak when a hand came over her eyes, and a voice whispered
"Guess Who!"
"Grow up Sirius!" she said, scathingly.
"Getting priggish in our old age are we?" Sirius Black countered, looking at her searchingly.
"Who're you calling old? And why are you staring at me as though I've suddenly sprouted tentacles?"
"Oooh! Good idea!"
"Nice one Lil, lovey, you've given him another idea to use on Snape." Felicity said, sarcastically.
"Well, why are you staring at me?" Lily asked, ignoring Felicity.
"I just wondered..."
"What?" Felicity asked sharply.
"Well, are you still a prefect?" Lily blushed. She'd be hoping to keep this under wraps for as long as possible, especially regarding Sirius.
"Not exactly." Sirius looked at her, questioningly.
"Okay, okay, I'm Head Girl. And don't fall about laughing."
"Dumbledore's more romantically inclined than I thought." Sirius muttered. "Well, Lily," he said, in his usual clarion tones, "you'll be pleased to know that lover boy is your counterpart."
"I will?" She asked.
"Why not?"
"You've been on a planning committee with James, and you're asking why I'm not over the moon to know that he's Head Boy?"
"Oh, I see your point?"
"Which one?" Ellie asked.
"Well," Flick said, cutting Sirius off, "Either Lil's worried about James' tendency to, um, dominate planning sessions, or she's concerned that they'll get very little work done."
"Flick!" Lily exclaimed. "What exactly do you think we do?"
"Go over spells?" Flick asked impishly.
"Ha ha, very funny." Lily replied scathingly. "Some friend you are." She turned to Sirius. "Where is James, anyway?"
"Here." James said, coming up behind her. While he was not as tall as Sirius, he dwarfed her figure only a little over five feet, and had unruly black hair and blue eyes that sparked electrically.
"Where've you been?" Lily demanded.
"Looking for Remus. Why?"
"Just wondered." She replied, evasively. "Cee's here. I can see her. Give her a wave someone."
"Why can't you?" James asked.
"Oh use your brains," she replied. "She won't be able to see me through you, will she?"
"Well, you saw her."
"By peering round you. Stop being so pedantic. Anyone would think you'd-" he cut her off with a kiss, which was greeted with a chorus of whistles.
"Shut up." he said to his friends good-naturedly. "That's the only way to keep her quiet!" Lily glared at him, and turned to Cee. As Felicity had predicted, Cee had left very little time for mounting the train, and all of them hurried to the compartment that Flick had reserved earlier, by strewing all her luggage around it.
"Do you have enough luggage?" Sirius asked, gaping.
"Ah, leave her alone Sirius, she's a girl!" James drawled.
"Listen to the pot calling the kettle black!" Lily said, gesturing towards Sirius own luggage. "Between your stuff, and Flick's, how are we all supposed to fit in?"
Lily was right to be concerned. By the time everyone's belongings were packed into the compartment, there was only enough space for seven people. And Flick, Cee, Ellie, James, Sirius, Peter and Remus had beaten her to it.
