A/N: Chapter 2! Coming up fast special for y'all, since I'm off for vacation during the next few days. (Might come back and edit, though.)

Chapter 2: Day One—At Number Twelve Grimmauld Place

Note: the Italics are 'secrets' from Lily's thoughts.

James's POV

"Do you even think you can do the undoable, Prongs?"

Padfoot again. Asking weird questions.

"Shut up, Padfoot," I muttered, trying to flatten down my forever-messy hair.

"For once, you know," starts dear Pads once more, "I actually am looking at someone else using the mirror."

"Wow, what a surprise," chirped sarcastic Moony, whose head is still in his book.

"It's never going to work, poor Prongs," sympathizes Wormtail.

"Lily's coming here, guys, you know that," I repeat once more.

"Moony, tell me, I have never heard that news before. I think it was in his dream," Padfoot waltzes around the room, seemingly having fun in torturing me.

And Moony just has to help him every time. "What Padfoot is trying to say, Prongs, is that you've been saying this ever since we have arrived."

"And that was?" I raise my eyebrow.

"Eh, ten minutes ago?" Wormtail says, fumbling with his hair clumsily like he has nothing to do.

Seems like ten years.

Oh. Oh Merlin. SHE'S here!

Lily's POV

Who would have thought a pureblood, powerful family such as the Blacks would live in a Muggle district?

I glance down at the paper on my hands again, the paper written by that familiar scrawny writing of Black.

You will find the Black Mansion at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

What is this, a joke? To my left is the Muggle mansion Number Eleven and the right the Thirteen. Whatever happened to Number Twelve?

It cannot be that bad, Lily. The game hasn't even started. Calm down. Maybe it's some sort of—magic, yes, must be. Having made that decision, eyes close, I imagine in my mind of seeing Number Twelve, which, all of a sudden to my surprise, springs up from nowhere. I swear, the whole building expands in front of my eyes, to its oblivious neighbors.

Never mind, this is the wizarding world, isn't it?

Shaking my head, I approach the old stone steps and press the doorbell.

The wooden door with number twelve on it squeaks open a little, and I can see a hazel eye peering from inside.

In less than a second, the door fully swings open, revealing a lavishly beautifully luxurious decorated hall…and, to my dismay, the four marauders grinning brightly: Potter, the closest one to me standing beside Black, whose right side stands Lupin, engrosses in a book I've never seen before. Pettigrew, meanwhile, hides shyly at the back of his bookworm friend.

"Welcome, Evans," bows Black in an elegant fashion that almost makes me giggle, "To the Black Mansion."

James's POV

There she is, standing opposite me, looking hotter than ever even in her simple jeans and t-shirt.

And did I mention I'm going to get to see her 24 hours for the next seven days?

Blis—

Ouch! Padfoot didn't have to hit my head like that. Good grief, now my Lilyflower's staring at me like I'm some kind of stalker.

"Say something!" hisses my best mate, "Stop daydreaming for Merlin's sake. This is the moment you've been waiting for—for, er—the last twenty minutes, isn't it?"

"Ah, um…" Where have all the words gone? When I see her face, everything just disappears from my mind—it's seeing a dream come true. "Hi, Evans. Glad to know we'll be—"

Marauder Secret #2: Sometimes the cocky Potter mumbles when it comes to girls. Strange, isn't it?

"Finally you're talking," she huffs, "For a second there I honestly thought you were some kind of stalker."

Marauders Secret #3: They like staring at you when you're not looking—creepy, and probably thinking dirty thoughts.

Silence comes into the room like an uninvited guest.

"So," Padfoot starts again, "No need for introductions, eh? Let's just head upstairs, then I can show you your room. C'mon, let's take a tour," he leads her up the stairs, only me following, while Moony and Wormtail resorts to the living room.

Though I have offered to help her carry her stuff, Lily refuses. (Note to self: Plan A—Mr. Nice Guy fails.)

"This," Padfoot points at the elegantly engraved nameplate on the door, (Lily pretends as if she didn't hear. Cough, cough.) "Is my room. No entrance till knocking."

Marauders Secret #4: Hypocritically, marauders tend to love privacy, whereas snooping in others' (especially the GIRLS' dorms to get a—ahem—certain piece of clothing) rooms is probably their most favorite thing.

Instead, Pads knocks loudly three times on the door of the next room, marked 'No entrance without the express permission of master Regulus Black,' and a loud, deep voice shouts out, "What'd ya want this time, huh, Sirius?"

"Get your big head out of the room, Reg, and introduce yourself to our guest!" yells Pads in the equal voice volume that even Lily cuffs her hands over her ears.

"A guest? A—guest?" by the end of the second repeat, Regulus Black, same looks but shorter and less handsome (ugh, Pads would kill me for admitting this) sneakily opens the door, chuckling a bit as his own brother, losing balance from leaning too much on the door a second ago, falls flat face down on the floor. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he exclaims to Padfoot's surprise, "You're not telling me, in addition to those boys--"

"Those boys are my friends, Reg," stabling himself on the ground once more, Pads says in a sharp voice I've never heard before, but Regulus ignores him, fixated at scanning Lily from head to toe. "—You're roping in a girl? Boy, are we gonna have fun," he muses in mock gladness.

"Shut it, Reg," being beckoned by his completely opposite sibling, Regulus, stealing a quick glance at Lily, smugly returns to his room, shutting the door loudly. Padfoot sighs and says to Lily, "Just wanted to introduce you to my much-loved brother."

"I see you have a pretty lovely family there, Black," my girl nods, understanding Pads' situation.

Marauders Secret #5: It contradicts my beliefs to say this, but don't judge a marauder from his appearance and sayings, unless of course an annoying blood-related person isn't involved.

"Hope he's not—" I say, thinking of the next possible thing.

"Oh yes, he will. 'Cause there's only us, him, and Kreacher," Pads cuts me off, "That's why I have you two met him there."

Unexpectedly, Lily and I sigh at the same time.

Boy, are we going to have a lot of trouble.

Lily's POV

With a brother like Regulus, the 'bully' Slytherin fourth-year Seeker, it's no wonder Black's close to losing his sanity as it is.

After that disastrous meeting, Black shows me my small room, next to Regulus's, with its one bed and closet.

"Settle in, Evans, and we'll meet you for dinner later," Potter grins, "Oh, in case you're wondering," he winks suggestively (Ew, excuse me, but ew), "My room's right next to yours, do come in anytime, but it's Remus and Peter too, so—" a violent tug from behind stops him, "See you."

Marauders Secret #6: No matter how gentlemanly they appear to be, marauders are marauders: that is, naughty thoughts and Quidditch-addicted.

With a little wave, he and Black disappears, and I'm left alone. At last.

Phew, a whole day of a magically hidden mansion, Black's maniac brother, and Potter's inserting disturbing thoughts into my head—it just can't get any worse.

Though his hazel eyes are so nice to look at—

Wait, where did that thought come from?

Oh no, Lily, you're NOT going insane simply by staying in a house full of St. Mungo's escapees, I try telling myself.

After unpacking my suitcase, a trip to the bathroom before dinner to freshen up wouldn't hurt. So, gathering my stuff, I head out.

The second I open the door, a thought returns to my head. Remember what I said about how my situation's possibly NOT going to worsen?

It just has.

"OH. MY. GOD."

A/N: Hee, a cliffhanger :P

(And introducing Regulus Black…)

Don't worry, the next chapter's coming up soon. Won't let you wait.

Thanks to everyone who's dropped by, reading and/or reviewing!

I'd love to hear what you think,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (with virtual cookies) to my reviewers and readers!

Your ever humble fanfic writer :)

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