Virgo et Vernula

Chapter 1: The Dinner

T H E streets were packed.

It was a special day in Diagon City, that was for sure. The Diagon market square, which was busy enough on a usual day, was filled with hundreds and hundreds of bodies scrambling about for a ticket; or if they'd already gotten one, they were lounging about talking to friends and loved ones, flirting shamelessly with one another, or scolding their children.

James Potter hadn't gotten his ticket yet. Impatience had been eating at him, and it showed through his folded arms and tapping feet. He'd been standing behind a big, burly man with firm muscles, whom he'd identified as Sloan the Butcher – no one quite had arms like he did. Time had ticked away for at least five minutes as the man flirted with the curly-haired lady at the booth.

Bloody butcher, James thought furiously. I don't have the time for this.

He craned his neck around to glance at the large, stone clock that hung proudly in the middle of the square. Four already? It was the middle of the summer and the sun would not set until eight, but still… Madam had ordered that he and Sirius be back by five…

Just as James turned around again, the butcher finally waved the lady off and walked away, whistling merrily to himself, a little golden ticket glinting in his fist.

"About time," James muttered, stepping forward. "Three tickets please."

The booth lady didn't give him the same dazzling smile she'd given the man before him. Rather, she looked him up and down skeptically. "Have you got the money for that?"

"Yes," he snapped, flushing slightly. "And no, I didn't steal it, if that's what you're thinking."

She raised her hands up in defense. "Sorry, kid. Just checking."

"Yeah well," James said, rolling his eyes at the word 'kid.' He had turned seventeen a couple of weeks ago. "Here's the money. Six pounds would be the price, yeah?"

She didn't answer him. Instead, she pulled the coins towards her and counted them carefully, even raising some of them to the light as if to check for any signs of deceit.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" James said, thoroughly annoyed now. "It's real, alright? I've saved up for this since January!"

"My apologies," she said brightly as she reached down below the counter and drew out three of the golden tickets. James couldn't believe she was about to hand them to him – he'd been looking forward to this day since he was six years old. "Here you go, lad. Stay out of trouble."

"Yeah, yeah." He practically snatched the tickets out of her hand and stalked off, trying not to look too happy.

The Firebolt Festival. The very name was known throughout the whole of Parvahal. It was a special day for the whole Kingdom-a day of excitement, joy and release from the hardships of their daily lives. People frequently blessed the Oddment People for providing them with the festival, for their arrival was the reason for the festival being held.

The Oddment people were a group of entertainers that traveled the roads of Parvahal. Every year, during the summer, they would assemble and make their way towards Diagon Castle for the annual festival. People from all over the Kingdom came to see them, make a few gold coins, and enjoy themselves. Though he had never seen them for himself, James had heard that they never failed to delight.

"James! James!" A loud voice that could only belong to his best friend, Sirius Black, came from his right. "Did you get them?"

It took him a few minutes to spot exactly where Sirius was amongst the bustling crowd, but soon, Sirius' grinning face appeared before him as he squeezed his way between two giggling girls. They were eyeing him with interest, but Sirius paid them no mind. Even in the plain, brown, very worn shirt, and the faded trousers he wore- almost exactly the same as the outfit that James was wearing - , he still attracted the attention of a few females.

"I did!" James felt himself grinning too. "Can you believe this? We finally get to go to the Firebolt Festival. Thank Heavens for days offs. Never mind that for now – did you get the supplies?"

"Right here," Sirius said, pulling up the heavy-looking bags he held in both hands. "Got the milk, the eggs, the funny-looking shrunken things…"

"You mean the raisins?"

"Yes those… and Sloan helped me out with the meat."

"Oh, Sloan the Butcher?" James snorted, grabbing a few bags from Sirius. They began to make their way from the center of the cobble-stone streets towards a big church with red brick walls. "The git. He just wasted about ten minutes of my time flirting with that wench of a booth-lady back there."

"He must have rushed off to get a ticket after he cut me up some veal," Sirius laughed at the mental image of Sloan running. "I tell you, he may be an ass, but he sure knows his way around a knife. Besides can you blame him? I saw that lady – she was fairly attractive."

"Exactly! She would never give Sloan the time of the day!" James cried. "Actually, you know what, scratch that. She and Sloan would make a perfect couple, seeing as they're both condescending idiots. You know, she pretty much told me she didn't think I could afford those tickets."

"Hate to break it to you, James," Sirius said as they slipped into the alley by the church, where the noise level considerably dropped, "but you kind of can'tafford them."

"Yeah," he sniffed in reply. "But she doesn't have to say it."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Get over it, mate. It's been like this for twelve years."

James glanced at him curiously. It was usually Sirius who complained about their poverty to anyone who would listen. He didn't like the clothes they wore (something that struck James as odd, seeing as it was all they could afford) he didn't like the condescending looks that were thrown their way on a daily basis, he didn't like having to save up shilling by shilling for anything he wanted, and most of all he didn't like working as one of the several servant boys at the Snape Manor.

To James, it was a familiar lifestyle he had accepted long ago, when at the age of five, his parents had died of an unknown illness. It had left him alone on the streets of Diagon, with no means of supporting himself. Yes, his parents had acquired a fair bit of wealth and land in their lifetimes, but it was not something that James could touch until he was eighteen years of age. He couldn't wait till the following summer when he could finally quit from the Manor and start his own life.

Sirius, on the other hand, had a different story. He'd run away at age five from his wealthy parents; they had never wanted a son and grew tired of him quickly, eventually deciding to send him to an aunt who lived abroad. So quite unlike James, Sirius had no brimming vault in the Diagon Bank that sat waiting for him to turn eighteen. He'd lost everything he had, and it often left him feeling bitter, unwanted and hopeless. James felt like it was his job to cheer Sirius up when he got like that. In his opinion, there wasn't a problem because as soon as he turned eighteen he was dragging Sirius with him.

Although at the present time it seemed like Sirius was in a pretty good mood. In fact, he was humming loudly to himself, swinging the bags back and forth.

"Oh, the festival is going to be fantastic," he told James happily. They both ducked under a narrow ledge and took a left turn into another alley that always smelled faintly of fish. "You reckon anything interesting is going to happen?"

"You mean like last year?" James grinned. Though they hadn't attended themselves, they'd heard a fight had broken about between two farmers – it had been a rather stupid quarrel, but it soon progressed into a full out riot that had nearly burned down the Castle. "Nah, I don't think that'll happen again anytime soon. King Cates nearly had a fit, he did. Heard he kept screaming bloody murder about his precious petunia flowers. The fool, what did he expect? He holds the festival every year in his own courtyard, and all sorts of performers attend, including flame throwers. He must expect that something will get burnt down every once in a while!"

"Exactly," Sirius agreed. "But really, mate, think of all the attractive birds that will be there!"

"Sirius, they're the same girls that you see in the market every day."

"Ah yes, but… remember James. This festival applies to all of Parvahal, not just Diagon!" They both jumped over a little fence that was intended to keep people out a little thatched house, ducked under the clothes line quickly and dashed out the other side for fear of being caught trespassing. It was a routine they'd practiced many times, preferring to take the short way back to the Manor rather than use the bridge. "Girls from all over the kingdom will be there! Girls from Fray, Ombra, Lichen, Kansted and… you know, those other cities that no one really cares about. Oh we'll get all spiffy and good-looking – not that I'm not already good-looking, mind you – and we'll dazzle all the wealthy birds with their fancy dresses and their held up pinkys."

James laughed uproariously. "Sirius! You do know it's a festival, not a ball. Everyone from around the Kingdom is allowed to go, not just the rich. As long as you can buy the tickets. But I don't doubt that some of the wealthy will be lingering around under their little umbrellas," he scoffed.

They were almost at the Manor now. Before them stood a large, sturdy hedge about twenty feet high, that seemed almost impossible to penetrate. But after years of comings and goings, James had discovered a hole in the hedge that was big enough for someone his size to crawl through; it led to the back of the Manor. And though Sirius was a little bigger than he was – by just a bit – he was able to crawl in through the hole as well.

"Reckon the Princess will be there?" James asked excitedly.

Sirius rolled his eyes. He grabbed a bag from James' hand and shoved it through the hole, hoping the eggs wouldn't break. "What's your obsession with the Princess, James? Honestly."

"Have you seen her?" James asked, also shoving a few bags through the hole. "She's the fairest maid in the land, Princess Roselyn."

"She's also the snobbiest maid in the land," Sirius pointed out. "She always has the most condescending look on her face when you see her drive by in her pretty little carriages. Stopping the crowds on the street just so she can pass by, having someone hold an umbrella over her head – even when it's barely drizzling, glaring at people who get in her way… she's nothing more than a spoiled rich girl in my opinion."

"All that is true," said James, "but it doesn't change the fact that she's beautiful."

Sirius shook his head. "I dunno… her face is a little bit too…" he wrinkled his nose, "much. I don't see the appeal."

James merely rolled his eyes. He was familiar with his best mate's stubbornness. His question hadn't even been answered, but he knew already that Princess Roselyn was not one to attend the Firebolt Festivals. She probably was too snobby – as Sirius had said – to mingle amongst the commoners of the land. It was unfortunate, as she really was very attractive.

A few moments later, they stood on the other side of the hedge, collecting the bags they'd tossed in first. The sun was still high in the air, and it was a shame to return to the Manor. Not that the Manor was in any way depressing or dismal. In fact it had a rather inviting look to it, what with its heartily wooden walls and the lavish flora that decorated the window sills and the front door. It was just the people who lived in the Manor that made it so oppressive.

Half the size of the Royal Castle itself, the Snape Manor stood about 30 feet high with sixteen bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a grand, crystallized staircase. As the name would suggest, it belonged to Lord Snape, who resided in it with his wife and son, Severus. They were one of the richest families in Diagon, though they could not boast being the richest. The honor of that title quite obviously belonged to King and Queen Cates. Though it was traditional for every city in Parvahal to have only one lord who governed the people and reported back to the King, Diagon had at least seven lords. As the capital of the kingdom, Diagon City did not need a lord to govern it, because the King and his castle were situated there. It often caused bitterness amongst the lords of Diagon, since they did not get a share of land to rule, but the comfort and riches of Diagon were usually enough to suppress any form of rebellion and keep the lords happy.

Disgruntled at having to spend such a fine day inside, James and Sirius pushed open the heavy back door and trudged into the Manor, walking directly into the kitchens.

The kitchens were always the busiest part of the building. The entire staff – which consisted of fourteen servant boys including James and Sirius, five maids, and one Head Cook – was constantly moving in and out the kitchens, because there was always something that needed to be done. Today, there seemed to be even more people than usual. Smoke from foods being fried, boiled, or steamed hung thick in the air, but it did not faze the two boys. They had grown up with it.

"Ah you're back! About time, we've been waiting for the raisins!"

A deep, cheerful voice came from the left corner of the kitchen and James and Sirius hurried over to it. The owner was standing behind a stove, chopping carrots into a large pot; he was a large, built man, with curly black hair, which was hidden under his white chef's hat. James and Sirius lifted the bags unto the counter, grinning at him.

"But Cook," James said, "I say we made pretty good timing."

"You did say before five," Sirius pointed out.

"And would you look at that –" James added, in mock-surprise.

"It's before five!"

Cook – for that was his name – tutted, though a slight curve in his lips betrayed amusement. "Busy day today boys, no time for your games. I need you two to get to those crabs! Lord Snape has invited a few more maidens for dinner today, and we only have about an hour left to prepare."

Sirius scoffed and began emptying out the bags. "Is he still looking for a wife for Severus? Honestly, you'd think he'd have given up by now. It's pretty obvious no one would want to marry that."

Cook shot Sirius a warning look, but he was laughing. "Now, now Sirius. Severus is the Lord's son. He's just reached manhood and he ought to start getting himself married." He added under his breath, "Maybe if he gets married he'll leave the house a little bit more."

"Afraid to say that isn't guaranteed," James said as he shook his head. "See, his father's going about it all wrong. He invites maidens of royal descent and good blood, hoping they'll take interest to his son and marry him, when in reality… there's not one maid who would willingly marry Severus."

"Right you are," Sirius agreed. "Except… maybe Bertha. She's always whining about finding a husband to whisk her away from poverty."

"Well, Bertha's pretty desperate."

"Exactly my point."

Cook merely shook his head in amusement. It wasn't a new thing for James and Sirius to go on about Severus Snape, the heir to the Snape fortune. It wasn't a new thing for anyone to go on about Severus, really… The kitchens were a safe haven, though, completely out of reach from the ears of the Snape's. In truth, it was the only rule you had to know when you lived as a servant or a maid: what was said in the kitchens, stayed in the kitchens.

Nevertheless, however much Cook enjoyed the humorous company of the two boys, he had to send them packing. There was still so much to be done, so much to be cooked. On days like this, he felt like there were just not enough people working down there…

"James, get to those crabs while Sirius finishes unpacking these," he ordered while he reached into the cabinets below him to search for the salt. "About twenty will do. Don't let them run off like last time."

"Aye aye Captain," James saluted. He turned and made his way down the long kitchen, receiving a few shouts of greeting from the other servant boys. James waved back, but didn't stop to talk. They would have plenty of time to talk later. He, however, paused when he caught a glimpse of red at the sinks.

Grinning, he changed his direction.

"Lily, my angel face," James cried, sidling up to the short redhead. She was in her uniform – a blue dress and apron – and was scrubbing furiously at the plates in the sink. Her fiery red hair was tied up in a bun, but a few stubborn strands framed her tired, pretty face. "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you James," she said wearily, still scrubbing.

James frowned as he took in her unusually tired features. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her face was pale and drawn. She even had a little stain on her usually spotless white apron. "No, I mean it," he said sincerely, bending over to get a better look at her face. "How are you?"

"I said I'm fine," she replied with stubborn determination, never meeting his eye.

"You look awful," he pressed.

"Wow, thanks. Don't lay it on too thick, would you?"

"I'm serious Lily, you look really tired."

"Well, I haven't been getting much sleep," she replied easily, though the casual nature of her tone didn't fool him.

"Why not?"

"No reason."

"Lily."

Finally, she sighed and reluctantly paused in her washing. With a flick, the soap suds on her hands flew into the sink before she turned around to face James.

"Did you get your tickets?" she asked carefully, wiping her hands on the front of her apron.

James raised an eyebrow. "I see you're trying to change the subject."

"I see it's not working," Lily smiled.

"Subtlety has never been your strong point, angel."

"It's an art that I doubt I will ever perfect."

"That much," James said, "is obvious."

Lily just smiled and turned back to her dishes. James looked at her for a moment before leaning his back against the edge of the sink and continuing.

"I did get the tickets. I can't wait to tell Remus about them. You haven't seen him, have you? He's not in the kitchens."

"He's attending to the guest rooms," Lily replied crossly. "Apparently, some of those wenches – excuse my language – some of those maidens will be staying for a couple of weeks at the least. I don't see why they should. They've obviously got their own homes. I just can't wait till Severus gets bloody married already, so we can be done with this whole ordeal."

"Language, Lily," James teased, although it didn't bother him. In fact, it was one of the many things he liked about Lily Evans. She was funny, pretty, sharp, witty and only younger than him by a year. He'd even had a bit of a crush on her three years back when she'd first been taken in as a maid. Such feelings had quickly been pushed away though. There was just no having a relationship with anyone as a servant boy. It didn't help that Lily was essentially responsible for her family's well-being. They lived back in Ombra, and because of an injury her father sustained, it seemed that every single shilling she earned was sent back to them. Since he had known her, she had been quiet and reserved, always focused on her higher goal of supporting her family.

She was doing a lot better now. Severus Snape seemed to have taken a shine to the vivacious young redhead, and as a result, she earned almost double what the other maids earned. Not charity, of course. Lily would never accept just seemed to pull little extra jobs for her out of the blue, thereby increasing her pay. It made Lily uncomfortable, even if she was earning more. She wasn't stupid, and she knew what was happening. She just knew better than to question it.

"Here, let me get that for you," James said suddenly, motioning to the remaining dishes.

Lily paused to glance at him. "No James, I'm fine. Really. Go on and do what you're supposed to do."

"I've got time," he insisted. "Come on Lily, go rest. There's only a few left anyways."

She looked at him uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he said firmly. He gently took the plate she was holding from her hand and bumped her to the side with his hip. "Off you go."

She looked as if she didn't know what to do for a few moments. But then her face split into a dazzling smile and she patted James affectionately on the back. "Thanks James."

"Oi!" James yelped as the water from her hand dripped through his thin shirt. "Watch it, little girl." He flicked a tiny bit of water in her face and she blinked in surprise.

"James!"

He merely gave her a cheeky grin, to which she rolled her eyes and walked away with a big smile on her face.

Four hours later… four immensely stressful hours later, the dinner was over.

The seven maidens, their parents, and Mr. and Mrs. Snape sat around the huge dining table with the warm light of the chandelier above their heads and the food in their bellies. They made conversation about everything and nothing, and the sound of their laughter rang in the massive dining hall.

They were all incredibly beautiful, the seven maidens. How could they not be? Their blood was the finest of the land, their parents the richest. Their hair looked as though spun by the finest silk and their dresses more expensive than a miner's yearly wage. They had been handpicked specially by Mr. and Mrs. Snape – or Tobias and Eileen as they were more informally known – to dine with them that night.

Eileen Snape thought they were perfect, and wondered how Severus was going to pick from them all. That is, if he even spared any of them a glance. Her son had been silent and moody all through the dinner… well, more silent and moody than usual. He'd kept his expression neutral and barely even contributed to the dinner conversations. Eileen had expected him to at least look at the girls – they were extremely beautiful – but he'd only given them each a appraising look, and then scowled down at his food for the rest of the dinner.

Eileen was worried. Severus would be turning nineteen the following January, and he'd barely even started to show any interest of the opposite gender. She wasn't sure if he had just not matured enough yet, or, worse, he was not looking to be married. The idea was preposterous. How else would the Snape name be carried down through their descendents? How would they even get descendents?

No. Severus must marry. There simply wasn't another option.

Speaking of her son, where was Severus?

She looked around the dining table. They were all conversing with another, but Severus's seat was empty. No one seemed to have noticed.

"You. You," Eileen hissed at the nearest maid, who was clearing away the empty dishes, "Lillian." The girl had bright red hair and emerald green eyes and looked startled at being addressed, but she promptly pulled herself together and glided over to Eileen, a few dishes balanced neatly in her hand.

"Ma'am?" she asked politely.

Eileen was a little bit surprised at her efficiency, but quickly waved it off. "Where is my son?"

"Severus?" Lily asked in surprise.

"Yes Severus, you daft girl, do I have another son?" Eileen snapped. "Where is he?"

The girl flushed slightly but said in a steady voice, "My apologies Ma'am. I don't know where Severus is. I was under the impression he was dining with you."

Eileen would have cursed, were she not in the presence of company. This was the opposite of what she had wanted. The whole point to these girls being here was for Severus to pick…

"Go find him," Eileen ordered."Tell him that I simply insist that he joins us at the table."

Lily gave a brief curtsey and headed towards the kitchen, blood boiling. How dare that vile woman call her daft? How dare she? Just because Lily was her servant, it gave her absolutely no right to treat her like dirt beneath her shoes. It was one of the worst things about working as a maid for Lily: having to tolerate being treated as one's inferior. The Snape's were plain rude to every one of their staff, bordering on cruel, in fact. And taking it all in stride rebelled against the very essence of Lily's nature.

Just as she heatedly reached for the kitchen door, it was pushed open before she could touch the handle. Lily quickly took a step back to avoid being hit in the face – if not for her grace, the entire pile of dishes she had been holding would have crashed to the floor. As it was, she was barely able to keep them together.

"Woops, didn't see you there, angel."

Of course it was him.

"Damn it, James, there are 'In' and 'Out' signs on the doors for a reason," Lily said angrily. She shoved past him into the almost empty kitchen. Even though James was her best friend in the whole Manor, his blatant disregard for rules or guidelines irked her to no end sometimes.

Instead of leaving like Lily expected him to, James shut the door behind him and walked up to her.

"Someone's in a testy mood," James pointed out.

"No, someone's not," she replied shortly. "You just threw a door in my face, why would I be testy?"

"It was an accident. Calm down Lily," he said soothingly.

"I am calm!" Lily exclaimed angrily, slamming the plates down unto the counter.

James raised an eyebrow.

She took a deep breath, actually trying to calm down. She'd been easily irritated lately, a probable result of the so few hours of sleep she was getting per night.

"Listen," she said wearily, "James, you haven't seen the git around have you?"

It took James a moment to realize who Lily was talking about. There were a lot of 'gits' that she could have been referring too. He wrinkled his nose quite adorably and she felt herself soften automatically. "Snivellus?"

Lily couldn't help but crack a smile. "Yes, him. You haven't seen him, have you? Apparently he ditched the dinner – I don't blame him, to be honest. But now I'm stuck having to go find him for his dear old mummy."

"Can't help you, I'm afraid," he shook his head sympathetically. "I've barely seen him all day."

Lily sighed. Just her luck. Where could Severus even be?

She glanced at James and realized he'd taken off his white waistcoat. "You turning in?"

"Yeah," said James grinning. "Gotta be up early. Big day, you know?"

Lily smiled painfully at him. "Oh yes, the Festival. I'd almost forgotten. Have fun, will you? For both of us. I really wish I could go," she ended wistfully.

"Yeah, well, there's always next year," James said casually. "So you can actually start saving up for a ticket."

An awkward silence hung in the air. It was a conversation they'd been skirting around for months and months: what they were going to do once James turned eighteen?

It wasn't a matter of what they were actually going to do. They both knew that. James knew he was getting out of the Snape Manor as fast as his legs could carry him, grabbing his gold, and renting a room near the market square for him and Sirius. Lily knew she was… well Lily really wasn't sure of anything. She could not imagine life at the Manor without James, she really couldn't. He was her rock. He was the only person who made life there tolerable, save for Remus and Sirius, but apparently they would be leaving too. After all, she had long since known that Remus would be leaving to become a scribe amongst the Oddment People the second he was of age. And she supposed the other four maids were nice as well, but she just wasn't as close with them. She couldn't just quit… her whole family was depending on her… perhaps if she found another job…

Lily pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. She still had a year to figure things out. "Well g'night then," she said tiredly.

James looked at her for a moment, before giving a small smile. "Good night, Lily."

He watched as she turned and headed through the left exit door, no doubt to look for Severus. After the door swung back behind her, he looked around the kitchens, letting out a breath and ruffling his messy, black hair. It was almost completely empty, except for one servant boy drying the washed dishes who went by the name of –

"Oliver m'boy!" James said moving to the brown-haired boy. "About to head up?"

Oliver looked up at James, his young, round face almost slack with drowsiness. He was one of the youngest servant-boys, at the age of thirteen. James had taken a shine to him the moment he'd stepped into the Manor, and Oliver adored him in return. However, Oliver seemed to have gotten it into his head that, for being the youngest of the staff, he had to work twice as much as any of them, including Cook. He would run around asking if anyone needed any help, insisting on delivering that help, and even doing jobs that no one had asked him to do. It was admirable, yes, and the whole staff had grown to love the bright, young boy, but sometimes – like now – James had to grab hold of him and pull him back down to Earth when he was dangerously close to overworking himself.

"How about we drop that," James said gently and grabbed the dishcloth from Oliver's hand, "and trot off to bed."

"No, no," Oliver shook his head, and his shaggy brown hair flew everywhere. "James, I have to finish –"

"No," James said. "Someone can finish this off in the morning. Tomorrow's a Saturday. I mean it Oliver. Let's go."

Oliver hesitated for a second, but it seemed his exhaustion overpowered his determination. His shoulders dropped, and he withdrew from the sink. James took the boy by his shoulders and led him through the right exit door.

In the Entrance Hall, they reached the magnificent crystallized staircase that led up into the rooms of the mansions. Chatter from the dining hall drifted across to them but they paid it no mind. The Snape's were to show the maidens their rooms themselves, as was only polite. It had been hours since the servant boys had carried their heavy trunks to their rooms, and the maids had fluffed their pillows earlier that morning. Yes, it had been a busy, busy day. Cook had retired to his home ("Mustn't keep the wife waiting. She'll have my head, she will."), the night lights had been lit, and the windows had been shut to keep the chilly night air out.

"This way," James said softly. He guided Oliver to the right of the stairs where, like a broom cupboard, there was a door under them. He threw it open to reveal a staircase going down to the basement of the Manor. He and Oliver trudged down the stairs, trying not to make too much noise, as the basement was the home to the staff. As they reached the bottom, a hallway lit by many torches appeared to them.

James pushed open the closest door to him, and stuck his head into the room.

"Alright, boys?"

It was only five boys in the room, but the room looked like at least a dozen people lived there. It appeared as though a hurricane had struck the place. Straw from their mattresses along with the few clothes the boys owned littered the ground. Unused coats hung on the posters of the beds, and dirty boots were scattered below the window. In the center of the room however, a wide circle had been cleared away from the floor, and four boys sat around in a circle. There was a full bottle in the middle.

"Have you got Oliver, James?" the blonde one asked, as they all swiveled round to look at him.

"Right here," James rolled his eyes, pushing Oliver in by the small of his back. "Take care of him, yeah?"

"I don't need to be taken care of," Oliver mumbled as he kicked off his shoes and crawled into his bed.

"Right," James grinned. He winked at the boys on the floor. "Keep that bottle away from him, he isn't legal yet."

They all laughed. None of them were legal yet themselves, and James knew it. They were after all, only a couple years older than Oliver. Heck even James wasn't legal yet, but there were many ways to get around the law.

"Oh James don't be such a killjoy!" cried the one with black hair and deep brown eyes, who already appeared slightly tipsy. "Let him have some fun! We're living the high life down here!" He raised the bottle, not even noticing when a bit of the amber liquid splashed on to his pants.

"Hush it Byrd," the blond one rolled his eyes, and the other two laughed. "Anyway James – you're going to the festival tomorrow, aren't you? Make sure to bring something back okay?"

"Will do," James smiled. He bade them good night then shut the door behind him. Glancing at the staircase – was Lily still looking for Severus? – he crossed the hallway and opened the door opposite the one he'd just left. This room, his room, was cleaner than Oliver's, though not by much. It had the same layout, except they had four beds instead of five – the beds stood against the walls opposite from one other. The lights had been extinguished, so he knew his roommates were asleep. The sounds of snoring could only belong to McCollins and Sirius.

James smiled, feeling happy. He was spending a whole day out of the Manor tomorrow. For the first time since he could remember, he would have no responsibilities, no errands, odd jobs or anything of that sort to carry out. He would be out in the sun with his two best friends…

"James?"

Speaking of best friends, a soft voice came from the bed adjacent to James'. James instantly recognized it as Remus's.

"Sirius said you got the tickets," he continued sleepily.

James pulled off his shirt, and grinned at Remus' lying form. "I did. Hold on to your socks Remus, tomorrow's going to be a great day."

Remus gave a light chuckle. "I know."

In a few seconds, his breathing had deepened and James shook his head. The boy could fall asleep anywhere. James kicked off his worn, leather shoes and crawled into his bed, humming in his head what he imagined to be a tune of a wild adventure and of swords and princesses and stormy love triangles, but in reality he sounded tone-deaf.

A/N: Wow, okay phew. So it causes me physical pain... physical pain when you add my story in to your favorites or alerts and then not review :( SERIOUSLY.

I'm really proud of this chapter! It's not gone through the beta phase completely but I just wanted to post it because it was killing me. Thanks to my beautiful betas, homeric and Pointless Nostalgic!

Anyways, so guys, I worked really hard on this and it would mean the world to me if you just took a few seconds of your time to review :)

Also, I have to give credit, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke was a big inspiration for this story. That's even where I got the name 'Ombra' from. And obviously credit to the queen, J.K. Rowling. All hail and such. I own the story, though! Just not the characters.

Next chapter: The Festival!