This is the second book in the Dark Side series. It is the sequel to The Beginning of It All. The Lost Days follows the Marauders in fifth to seventh Years

CHAPTER ONE Muggle Introductions

"An entire summer without you?" cried Lily, as the Hogwarts Express took a winding turn. "What am I supposed to do?"

Talia gave the slightest of sniffles as she rolled onto her side and continued to sleep.

Ophelia shrugged. "I would invite you to join us if I didn't think it was going to be the dullest time we will ever experience." Remus nodded in agreement.

"Petunia's just finished her last year at school"

"That means she'll be leaving home. That's good news, Lil." said Sirius.

"For anyone but me it would be good news." she continued. "Unfortunately, she's elected to live at home while she attends college. For four more years."

"Petunia's going to college?" repeated Ophelia. "I always thought she would end up being a tart."

"She would fail miserably." said Lily, with a slight smile.

A knock at the glass door halted their conversation.

Pandora Cygnus was standing in the hall, accompanied by her sneering friends, Winifred McNaughton and Mikela Kuven.

"Hello Sirius." she said, in what she probably thought was a sweet tone. "What are you doing this summer?"

He frowned. "What do you care?"

Pandora smiled. "Well I just thought that you may like to get together. Maybe go out for a mug of Butterbeer?"

James choked back a laugh. Mikela shot him a scathing look.

"I'm speechless." he replied. "How 'bout I get back to you in a few years?"

Pandora looked as though she had just tasted something extremely sour, as her features contorted into an ugly expression. "Let's see if you feel the same way come September. See you soon, Sirius."

She closed the door behind herself, leaving Sirius to turn a bright shade of maroon. "Not one of you says a word." he threatened.

"Wow." Ophelia giggled. "That was, er... help me out here James."

"Why wouldn't you take the poor girl out for some Butterbeer?" laughed James.

Peter grinned. "If you won't, mate, I will." Everyone in the compartment burst out laughing.

"Your mother would be so happy, Sirius." said Ophelia. "You could date your way into Slytherin."

"Yet another reason stay away from her." he smirked, easing up a bit.

The trolley came round and Sirius bought a heap of Cauldron Cakes in hopes of making his friends forget about the encounter.

When they reached King's Cross, James, Lily and Peter quickly found their parents in the bustling crowd and said their good-byes.

Remus, Ophelia and Talia had made arrangements with Noah and Helena to meet them in Paris. They would be traveling by Muggle train and would arrive at their destination the next day.

But Sirius had made no such arrangements. He stood across from them awkwardly, shuffling his feet.

"Maybe they forgot." Talia suggested.

Sirius shook his head. "No." He peered around the station and groaned. "I should find Regulus. They would never abandon their perfect Slytherin son. Try to have fun."

"Don't forget to write!" Ophelia hollered as he was leaving. "Or I'll send you a curse!"

The three siblings found the train for Paris at Platform Two and boarded.

Talia ran down the corridor and threw herself inside an empty sleeper compartment, kicking her trunk under the seat. She cracked open a book entitled 'Learn French in Ten Days'.

"What are we supposed to do for two months in France?" Remus whined, tucking away the last of his cake.

Ophelia thought for a moment. "It's where Helena grew up. I'm sure she'll have things for us to do; sights to see, family to visit."

"J'adore fromage." said Talia proudly.

"You love cheese?" Remus repeated. "When will you ever need to know how to say that?"

"If we go to a restaurant." she answered.

"We can meet Muggles." said Ophelia excitedly.

"Cute Muggle boys." added Talia, looking up from her book.

"You better not desert me." said Remus. "Alone with our parents in a foreign country was not on my list of things to do over break."

Ophelia pinched his cheek. "Aww, just think of it as quality time."

"I could organize my notes for the OWLs." he said happily.

Talia slapped his arm. "The OWLs are a year away. Don't bring them up on our first day of summer, you prat."

"I agree with Tal." said Ophelia. "You mention them once more and I will be forced to hex you." She stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm going to the dinner car. Anyone coming?"

Remus yawned. "Maybe later."

Ophelia left and found herself a table in the crowded cabin.

"Excuse me?"

She looked up to see a tall boy, smiling warmly at her. "Hullo." he said. "Er, do...you...speak...English?" he asked loudly.

She chuckled. "Yes."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god, no one else on this train does. May I join you?"

"Yes, of course."

He sat down across from her and extended his hand. "I'm Ian Howard."

"Ophelia Lupin." she replied, shaking his hand cordially.

"That's a name I've never heard before."

"Funny, I was going to say the same about yours. It's not every day I meet someone named Ian."

He laughed loudly, thinking it a joke. As he laughed, the the chains and buttons on his leather jacket bobbed up and down.

"That's an interesting jacket you're wearing." she said. "What are the pins for?"

"Mostly concerts that I've been to." he replied.

"What's a concert?"

Ian's jaw dropped. "You don't know what..." he glanced at her plain jeans and t-shirt. "Do you go to a boarding school?"

"Uh, yeah. Boarding school. I go to boarding school." she replied quickly. "Just like every other normal teenager."

"I thought so. A concert is where a band plays live." said Ian. "Like Led Zeppelin, or the Who, or"

"Black Sabbath?"

"Right. I'm actually going to a Sabbath show next month. Did you want to come?"

"Are you taking the piss?" she asked.

"No, I'm being serious. My mate's girlfriend was supposed to come with us but fortunately they broke up last week."

"Fortunately?" Ophelia repeated.

"Yes, we didn't get along with her."

"Who, Petunia?" a pretty girl guessed, sitting down next to Ian.

"Ophelia, this is my sister Becca." he said.

"Nice to meet you." said Becca. "So are we talking about Petunia?"

Ian nodded. "Yeah, I was offering her ticket to Ophelia here."

"Wait," Phe chuckled. "You wouldn't be talking about Petunia Evans, would you?"

"Yes, do you know her?"

"Well, I know of her. I'm best friends with her sister"

"You're friends with Lily?" Becca asked, wide-eyed. "Petunia said that she was a...criminal."

"A criminal?" Ophelia screeched. "That's insane. Lily's the brightest wit-..er, student in our class."

Becca punched her brother in the arm. "See? What did I tell you? I knew she was lying from the moment Nigel introduced us to her."

"Ouch." Ian winced. "Stop doing that!"

Remus, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, sat down next to Ophelia. "Phe, is it just me or do these Muggles" he stopped mid-sentence upon noticing those sitting across from them. "Oh..hello..."

"Hello." said Ian and Becca in unison. "What's a Muggle?"

"Er... it's just one of those words we use around school." answered Ophelia.

"Right! It means"

"Old people."

"Yes. Old people." replied Remus.

Ophelia introduced her brother to Ian and Becca, and the four of them ordered supper.

"How long will you all be staying in Paris for?" Ophelia asked, taking a sip of something called root beer. It reminded her a bit like Butterbeer, if only less foamy.

"As long as it suits us." answered Ian. "We're backpacking through France through Western Europe."

Remus and Ophelia exchanged a confused glance. "Backpacking?"

"We're traveling with some friends." said Becca. "On our own schedule."

"It's kind of a last hurrah before we all leave for university." Ian added.

"We should do that, Rem." said Ophelia.

"Sure, I'll keep that in mind for when we graduate in a few years." he chuckled.

"Why are you both going to Paris?" asked Becca.

Remus made a face. "To visit our parents."

"You should give us your phone number so we can call you and hang out." said Ian.

"Our phone number!" giggled Ophelia. "For our telephone. So you can call us over the telephone lines!"

"Er... right." replied Ian nervously. "Can we have it then?"

"Well...no. We don't have a telephone."

"I didn't know that was possible in this day and age." said Becca.

Ian frowned. "What's your address then?"

"Oh, you won't be able to find our house." answered Ophelia. "There's all kinds of protective char" Remus elbowed her under the tablecloth. "I mean"

"Why don't you just give us the address where you're staying at, and we'll find you?"

Becca shrugged and quickly scribbled down the name of the hotel they were staying at.

Following a few more hours of friendly conversation (and just as many near-blunders), they all retired for the night, with promises to get together over the next few days upon arrival in Paris.

Ophelia lay awake in her bunk, listening to Remus and Talia breathing softly. She found herself going over the day's events, as she usually did when trying to fall asleep.

"Stupid Petunia." she thought to herself. "Telling everyone that sweet Lily is a criminal." She rolled onto her stomach, closing her eyes. "Ian was pretty cute. And nice. So was Becca."

Soon her thoughts mixed in with her dreams, as she imagined Ian and Becca were actually wizards and ended up transferring to Hogwarts.

Until a giant bear with Sirius' voice ate them.

Ophelia awoke the next day, giggling about her dream. "Right. Like Sirius won't end up being a wombat."

Remus and Talia joined her in the dinner car for a quick breakfast. They packed up their things and were ready when the train pulled into the station.

Talia shaded her eyes with her hand, searching through the people. "It would be so much easier with magic." she muttered.

Remus laughed and pointed to where Noah and Helena stood, fitting in quite well with the Muggles. "It's only two months."

"It could be worse." grinned Phe. "We could be spending the summer at Grimmauld Place."