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Disclaimer: All hail the great JK Rowling, she created Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, Lily, Snivellus and all the characters you recognise! Ariella Higgins and some characters to come are MINE, and all MINE, so there. ;) If you happen to have a character in your story called Ariella Higgins -- uhh, sorry, but it's completely coincidental!
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**Chapter One**
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"Do I love him?" Lily Evans sighed, mainly to herself, referring to Sirius Black, but her best friend Ariella Higgins had all ears open.
"Impossible," Ariella replied, sliding herself down to sit next to Lily, their backs against Lily's four-poster. "You can't know until you actually get with him. Infatuation, I say."
"How do you know, Ariella, you've only ever been out with a guy once," Lily said, smiling and running her fingers through her thick crimson hair. "Nothing against you, of course. Will you be asking Lupin out anytime this century? Before the sparks flying between the both of you burn me to death?"
"It could be a possibility," said Ariella with a swift smile -- a smile that only Ariella could do. "He asked me if he could borrow my quill yesterday," Ariella added with a short giggle.
"Oh, goodie!" said Lily sarcastically. "Should we have a party?"
"Actually, I am feeling a bit social," said Ariella, standing up, grabbing Lily by the hand and pulling her to her feet as well. "Care to go down to the Common Room? I promise you can stare at Black as much as you like, as long as I get to stare at my Moony."
"Moony?" Lily repeated, confused, as the two girls closed the dormitory door behind them.
Ariella shrugged.
"It's what his friends called him."
"I thought so," said Lily, eyebrows furrowed. "They all have such stupid nicknames."
They girls reached the Common Room, which was only half-full due to the fact that most of the students were Hogsmeade for a special Valentines Day night visit. However, a certain group of Gryffindor Seventh Year boys were huddled together by the window, discussing -- something no doubt mischievous.
"Look at him," said Ariella, sighing dreamily at Lupin after she and Lily had settled themselves down into two armchairs by the roaring fire that faced James, Sirius, Remus and Peter's group. "His hair, so soft and such a lovely colour --"
"May I ask you a question, Ariella?" Lily said, lounging back in her armchair. "Do you actually like Remus or his hair?"
"Both," said Ariella with another swift smile.
Lily couldn't stand watching Sirius run his fingers through his hair every twenty seconds, no matter how much she liked him, so she took her eyes off him for a while, and began to watch Ariella stare continually at Remus.
Lily was quite jealous of Ariella's innocent, furiously curly blonde hair which reached past her shoulders. Ariella didn't even need a spell to do it -- her hair was natural. She was really quite tall as well, about three inches taller than Lily, and gangly as well. Ariella wasn't the smarter one out of the two, Lily being the one to help her with homework (although Ariella often asked Remus sweetly for him to help her). But what she lacked in intelligence she more than certainly made up for in kindness and humour. It was Ariella who always had a comforting arm, a joke to shine through the darkness.
Lily's eyes moved inevitably from Ariella to the boys. The Marauders they called themselves. James and Sirius -- the idiots; the pranksters; the ones that always got a laugh. Remus -- the only one with a sensible streak, but still an idiot. Peter -- the follower; the hopeless one. They made her laugh, and still did sometimes (especially when it was Sirius telling the joke), but by Seventh Year it was just a little hard not to be a bit tired of some of their pranks. You had to hand it to the boys; their tricks were all ingenious due to the fact that they spent more time planning them than doing their homework.
Her eyes flitted back to Ariella, who was still staring at Remus. Lily was afraid that her friend would soon bore a hole through him by her constant staring, so she decided to begin a conversation.
"You ... uh ... didn't happen to get anything for Valentines Day today, did you Ariella?" Lily inquired.
"As a matter of fact, I did," said Ariella, finally swinging around to speak to her friend. "I have no idea who sent it, but ..."
Ariella shrugged, reached into her pocket, pulled out a violet piece of parchment and handed it to Lily. Lily unfolded it and began to read:
Dearest Ariella, Over the years I have been watching every one of your graceful moves. I am
dearly in love with you.
Your eyes are like the ocean, and just as deep. Your face is like an
angel's, as is your voice. Every single strand of your hair is like a
flowing stream golden in the sunlight.
Ariella Higgins, you have charmed me.
Have a magical Valentines Day.
Yours truly,
..............
"Oh," said Lily, frowning. "His name appears to be Dot Dot Dot, Dot Dot Dot Dot, Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot, Dot Dot. I can imagine, when you get married they'll say, 'I now present to you, Mr and Mrs Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot.'"
Ariella rolled her eyes.
"I knew you'd make fun of me, that's why I didn't show it to you this morning," Ariella said, snatching back the letter. "So -- who do you think gave it to me?"
"It obviously wasn't Potter," said Lily, "his vocabulary doesn't extend as far as 'Your eyes are like the ocean, and just as deep.'"
"I guess that rules Sirius out as well," said Ariella smoothly. Lily opened her mouth to object, but then privately agreed with Ariella.
It wasn't his brain cells that attracted Lily; it was his scruffy black hair that his fingers frequently made their way through, his steely grey eyes almost always smiling with excitement, his shirt that always had the top two buttons undone ...
"Earth to Lily: do you realise you've been checking Black out for the last minute?" Ariella's voice rang through Lily's ears. She was right. Lily's eyes quickly snapped back to her best friend.
"Yeah ... sorry, Ariella," said Lily.
"What about Remus?" said Ariella hopefully.
Lily grabbed the letter off of Ariella again and re-read it.
"'Ariella Higgins, you have charmed me.'" Lily read. "Somehow, that doesn't really sound like Remus. If he was going to write a love letter it would be a poem."
"Since when are you an expert on Remus?" queried Ariella.
"Because," Lily replied, "I remember talking to him about what we found romantic last year, and he said he thinks poems are incredibly romantic."
"Interesting," Ariella said vaguely. "Mental note to self: if I ever write Remus a love letter, I'll make sure it's a poem."
"Hmm," said Lily pensively. "How did you get the letter? Did someone give it to you, or did you just find it on your bedside table or ... what?"
"Erm, it actually flew into the side of my head," answered Ariella.
"Flew?"
"Yeah," said Ariella, nodding. "It was a paper plane, and I'm guessing that it came in through our dormitory window."
"Oh, wonderful," said Lily sardonically, "that means that it could have been anyone. It could have been Scarlett playing a trick on you."
"I hope not," Ariella said. Mirabelle Scarlett was a Slytherin girl in the same year as Lily and Ariella. She was a stuck-up rich snob, tall with black ringlets and pale white skin, and didn't get on with Lily and Ariella very well.
"I say we either shouldn't even bother finding out who wrote this, or worry about it in the morning," said Lily. "Let's go back up to the dorm."
Ariella nodded, and she and Lily stood up, spun around to head over to the Girls' staircase, but found themselves face-to-face with James, Sirius and Remus, and Peter hidden behind them.
Sirius -- Lily's heart skipped a beat, and she could almost feel Ariella's heart do the same as her wide blue eyes fixed themselves on Remus.
"You can't be going to bed yet, girls," said Sirius suavely, grinning at James. "We were just coming to talk."
"About ...?" Ariella asked, but Sirius had his hands on Lily and Ariella's backs, gently forcing them to sit back in their armchairs. James, Remus and Peter had taken a seat opposite the girls, and Sirius flopped back between James and Sirius.
"About our great mate, Snivellus," said James. "You know, we just can't stand slimy little toe rags such as Snivelly. We're looking for a little assistance from you two."
"As in, helping you out with some dumb prank?" Lily said. "I'm telling you now -- no, no ... and no."
"It's not a dumb prank!" said Sirius defensively. "It's pure genius!"
"And we just need some beautiful girls such as yourselves to help out," said Remus, winking at Lily and Ariella. Ariella turned pink.
Wow, Lily thought. It must be a good prank if Lupin's encouraging it, and he's meant to be the sensible one.
Lily sighed and folded her arms.
"Fine, guys, tell us what you want us to do, and we might consider it."
James signaled for them all to lean, looked around the common room for any eavesdroppers and then leant in himself, beginning to explain the latest Marauder joke.
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A/N: I wonder what the Marauders are up to...? Hmm. There's my first ever chapter! I would really appreciate it if you reviewed my story, so please do so! Constructive criticism is most welcome. xoxo DreamingPhoenix
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Disclaimer: All hail the great JK Rowling, she created Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, Lily, Snivellus and all the characters you recognise! Ariella Higgins and some characters to come are MINE, and all MINE, so there. ;) If you happen to have a character in your story called Ariella Higgins -- uhh, sorry, but it's completely coincidental!
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**Chapter One**
============
"Do I love him?" Lily Evans sighed, mainly to herself, referring to Sirius Black, but her best friend Ariella Higgins had all ears open.
"Impossible," Ariella replied, sliding herself down to sit next to Lily, their backs against Lily's four-poster. "You can't know until you actually get with him. Infatuation, I say."
"How do you know, Ariella, you've only ever been out with a guy once," Lily said, smiling and running her fingers through her thick crimson hair. "Nothing against you, of course. Will you be asking Lupin out anytime this century? Before the sparks flying between the both of you burn me to death?"
"It could be a possibility," said Ariella with a swift smile -- a smile that only Ariella could do. "He asked me if he could borrow my quill yesterday," Ariella added with a short giggle.
"Oh, goodie!" said Lily sarcastically. "Should we have a party?"
"Actually, I am feeling a bit social," said Ariella, standing up, grabbing Lily by the hand and pulling her to her feet as well. "Care to go down to the Common Room? I promise you can stare at Black as much as you like, as long as I get to stare at my Moony."
"Moony?" Lily repeated, confused, as the two girls closed the dormitory door behind them.
Ariella shrugged.
"It's what his friends called him."
"I thought so," said Lily, eyebrows furrowed. "They all have such stupid nicknames."
They girls reached the Common Room, which was only half-full due to the fact that most of the students were Hogsmeade for a special Valentines Day night visit. However, a certain group of Gryffindor Seventh Year boys were huddled together by the window, discussing -- something no doubt mischievous.
"Look at him," said Ariella, sighing dreamily at Lupin after she and Lily had settled themselves down into two armchairs by the roaring fire that faced James, Sirius, Remus and Peter's group. "His hair, so soft and such a lovely colour --"
"May I ask you a question, Ariella?" Lily said, lounging back in her armchair. "Do you actually like Remus or his hair?"
"Both," said Ariella with another swift smile.
Lily couldn't stand watching Sirius run his fingers through his hair every twenty seconds, no matter how much she liked him, so she took her eyes off him for a while, and began to watch Ariella stare continually at Remus.
Lily was quite jealous of Ariella's innocent, furiously curly blonde hair which reached past her shoulders. Ariella didn't even need a spell to do it -- her hair was natural. She was really quite tall as well, about three inches taller than Lily, and gangly as well. Ariella wasn't the smarter one out of the two, Lily being the one to help her with homework (although Ariella often asked Remus sweetly for him to help her). But what she lacked in intelligence she more than certainly made up for in kindness and humour. It was Ariella who always had a comforting arm, a joke to shine through the darkness.
Lily's eyes moved inevitably from Ariella to the boys. The Marauders they called themselves. James and Sirius -- the idiots; the pranksters; the ones that always got a laugh. Remus -- the only one with a sensible streak, but still an idiot. Peter -- the follower; the hopeless one. They made her laugh, and still did sometimes (especially when it was Sirius telling the joke), but by Seventh Year it was just a little hard not to be a bit tired of some of their pranks. You had to hand it to the boys; their tricks were all ingenious due to the fact that they spent more time planning them than doing their homework.
Her eyes flitted back to Ariella, who was still staring at Remus. Lily was afraid that her friend would soon bore a hole through him by her constant staring, so she decided to begin a conversation.
"You ... uh ... didn't happen to get anything for Valentines Day today, did you Ariella?" Lily inquired.
"As a matter of fact, I did," said Ariella, finally swinging around to speak to her friend. "I have no idea who sent it, but ..."
Ariella shrugged, reached into her pocket, pulled out a violet piece of parchment and handed it to Lily. Lily unfolded it and began to read:
Dearest Ariella, Over the years I have been watching every one of your graceful moves. I am
dearly in love with you.
Your eyes are like the ocean, and just as deep. Your face is like an
angel's, as is your voice. Every single strand of your hair is like a
flowing stream golden in the sunlight.
Ariella Higgins, you have charmed me.
Have a magical Valentines Day.
Yours truly,
..............
"Oh," said Lily, frowning. "His name appears to be Dot Dot Dot, Dot Dot Dot Dot, Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot, Dot Dot. I can imagine, when you get married they'll say, 'I now present to you, Mr and Mrs Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot.'"
Ariella rolled her eyes.
"I knew you'd make fun of me, that's why I didn't show it to you this morning," Ariella said, snatching back the letter. "So -- who do you think gave it to me?"
"It obviously wasn't Potter," said Lily, "his vocabulary doesn't extend as far as 'Your eyes are like the ocean, and just as deep.'"
"I guess that rules Sirius out as well," said Ariella smoothly. Lily opened her mouth to object, but then privately agreed with Ariella.
It wasn't his brain cells that attracted Lily; it was his scruffy black hair that his fingers frequently made their way through, his steely grey eyes almost always smiling with excitement, his shirt that always had the top two buttons undone ...
"Earth to Lily: do you realise you've been checking Black out for the last minute?" Ariella's voice rang through Lily's ears. She was right. Lily's eyes quickly snapped back to her best friend.
"Yeah ... sorry, Ariella," said Lily.
"What about Remus?" said Ariella hopefully.
Lily grabbed the letter off of Ariella again and re-read it.
"'Ariella Higgins, you have charmed me.'" Lily read. "Somehow, that doesn't really sound like Remus. If he was going to write a love letter it would be a poem."
"Since when are you an expert on Remus?" queried Ariella.
"Because," Lily replied, "I remember talking to him about what we found romantic last year, and he said he thinks poems are incredibly romantic."
"Interesting," Ariella said vaguely. "Mental note to self: if I ever write Remus a love letter, I'll make sure it's a poem."
"Hmm," said Lily pensively. "How did you get the letter? Did someone give it to you, or did you just find it on your bedside table or ... what?"
"Erm, it actually flew into the side of my head," answered Ariella.
"Flew?"
"Yeah," said Ariella, nodding. "It was a paper plane, and I'm guessing that it came in through our dormitory window."
"Oh, wonderful," said Lily sardonically, "that means that it could have been anyone. It could have been Scarlett playing a trick on you."
"I hope not," Ariella said. Mirabelle Scarlett was a Slytherin girl in the same year as Lily and Ariella. She was a stuck-up rich snob, tall with black ringlets and pale white skin, and didn't get on with Lily and Ariella very well.
"I say we either shouldn't even bother finding out who wrote this, or worry about it in the morning," said Lily. "Let's go back up to the dorm."
Ariella nodded, and she and Lily stood up, spun around to head over to the Girls' staircase, but found themselves face-to-face with James, Sirius and Remus, and Peter hidden behind them.
Sirius -- Lily's heart skipped a beat, and she could almost feel Ariella's heart do the same as her wide blue eyes fixed themselves on Remus.
"You can't be going to bed yet, girls," said Sirius suavely, grinning at James. "We were just coming to talk."
"About ...?" Ariella asked, but Sirius had his hands on Lily and Ariella's backs, gently forcing them to sit back in their armchairs. James, Remus and Peter had taken a seat opposite the girls, and Sirius flopped back between James and Sirius.
"About our great mate, Snivellus," said James. "You know, we just can't stand slimy little toe rags such as Snivelly. We're looking for a little assistance from you two."
"As in, helping you out with some dumb prank?" Lily said. "I'm telling you now -- no, no ... and no."
"It's not a dumb prank!" said Sirius defensively. "It's pure genius!"
"And we just need some beautiful girls such as yourselves to help out," said Remus, winking at Lily and Ariella. Ariella turned pink.
Wow, Lily thought. It must be a good prank if Lupin's encouraging it, and he's meant to be the sensible one.
Lily sighed and folded her arms.
"Fine, guys, tell us what you want us to do, and we might consider it."
James signaled for them all to lean, looked around the common room for any eavesdroppers and then leant in himself, beginning to explain the latest Marauder joke.
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A/N: I wonder what the Marauders are up to...? Hmm. There's my first ever chapter! I would really appreciate it if you reviewed my story, so please do so! Constructive criticism is most welcome. xoxo DreamingPhoenix
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