The Marauding Five : Year Four

AN: Ack!! I got all the way to year four! The characters are now almost fifteen – and what do you want now? aah!! Although homework are here, I still find time to write o_o; I'm unbelievable! Okay, and through the questions!! Why not penguin? Yea, I thought it'd be fine until my friend pointed out that penguins can't be found in a Forest. Yep. She's very sane. And very prim-to-fact type. If I tell her Lily'll be a cow, she'll say, "Won't the Shrieking Shack collaspe then?" o_o; she needs her head checked. Anyway, if I can't think of a perfect animal for Lily and the Fifth Marauder, I'll just invent one!! Hah! That's so much easier! And for Rachie V., I think maybe you'll get your wish for this being L/J. I'm planning for it this year…

bunny chan

Disclaimer: blah blah blah. I said already. So, you ask? Whatever…

The Marauding Five : Year Four

Chapter 1: S/He's My WHAT?!

Another day came for the villagers in the quiet Loopy Village. Well, maybe not exactly quiet, since four kids – ahem. Teenagers – were devising something in the Evans' home. Maybe that couldn't be classified as quiet, since they were making odd noises randomly, but that was enough for the Evans household.

'Okay, and a little bit of this,' Lily said, dropping a tiny drop of purple liquid into a cauldron.

'No!! Lily, that is antidote! We need penicillin juice!!' Sirius yelled, stopping the drop from dropping.

'Yikes!' Lily yelped, dropping the whole bottle of antidote. 'But it was labeled Penicillin!!'

'You read wrong, Li,' James said. 'That was the wrong sticker.'

'Why is your father so clumsy?' Lily muttered.

'Hey! How should I know?' Sirius protested.

'I know!' James exclaimed.

'What?'

''Cause he's Sirius' father!! I mean, Si's clumsy, isn't he?'

'Yeah… good point!' Lily congratulated.

'Are we ever gonna finish this?' Remus sighed.

'Yes, yes!' Lily said impatiently as she drop a drop of the same potion into the cauldron.

'Lily!' Sirius moaned.

'What?'

The potion sizzled in response. From floating thick masses of white, it turned into a watery green, a red pink, turquoise, navy and finally deciding the color of black. The four gazed at it in dismay before Sirius glared at Lily.

'Look what had you done!' Sirius moaned.

'I'm sorry!'

'Even Remus isn't that bad!!'

'I'm sorry, Si!'

'What?! That's all? We have to start all over!'

'Um… sorry…'

'Sirius, leave it,' James said quietly to the boy. He immediately looked calmer.

'Sure. We can always try again. And besides, knowing who the fifth Marauder isn't gonna be that important,' Sirius shrugged.

'What fifth what?' Gram said blankly from the door.

'Gram!'

'Remember Voldemort? He said something about the fifth Marauder!'

'We wanna find out whom!'

'So we tried brewing the potion to track people down.'

Gram laughed.

'Tracking potion will never tell you who that person is!'

'Oh, then you know?' Lily said.

'If I know, I'd have told you already!'

Remus looked at her suspiciously.

'I think not. You're fed-up with us already, and having the fifth mischief maker will certainly send you to the asylum.'

'He's right,' James said.

'Well, I certainly and solemnly promise that I do not know about the fifth whatever. All in the name of mischief,' Gram said.

'You serious?' Sirius said.

'Yes. Now, wouldn't you like some food?'

'Oh boy, I'm famished!!' Lily jumped to the door.

'Wait up!!' James called, running after her.

'I'm coming!!!' Remus yelled.

'Some people don't know how to clean things,' Sirius muttered, picking up the cauldron and start wiping all the mess.

'Why, Sirius! I didn't knew you could clean things!' Gram said, surprised.

'Well, now you do.'

'Maybe I should write it in the record tabloid?'

'Gram!'

'Kidding, kidding! Now, isn't your stomach tingling?'

Sirius thought for a short moment before gasping and running down the stairs.

'Actually, are they ever getting their head checked?' Gram said worriedly.

After filling themselves right to the toppest brim ('Even a bottomless pit can get full!' Sirius retorted when Lily pointed that he's stomach is bottomless), the four returned to Lily's room as Sirius drew out the cauldron. Remus stared.

'Sirius? You kept it?'

'Yeah, why not?'

'You never keep anything. Are you sick?' James said, reaching to feel his forehead.

'No! Why? Is it a crime? Huh? Huh?'

Lily was already opening the first-aid kit and rummaging the contents quickly.

'Sirius' sick, Sirius' sick … now, where's the panadol?'

'Lily, calm it! I'm not sick! I. Am. Not. Sick,' Sirius repeated slowly.

'But you cleaned up this place!' Remus cried.

'Okay, I'm just bored, fine? Can we get on with this? Lily ruined it.'

'Sure.'

And with that, they set out to find the ingredients all over again. James was kicking open the boxes in the store room; Lily next to him, pouring at every medicinal plant there is; Sirius was busy looking at the dusty corners; Remus was throwing almost everything from the spare boxes.

Finally, they gathered back in the room to start what they had tried to start all over again.

'If finding the fifth Marauder is gonna be this hard…' Remus muttered.

'Hey! It's not often we find one, right?' Sirius reminded.

The three stared at him again.

'Sirius, are you sure no one arranged your head?' James started.

'Yes.'

'And are you sane?' Lily said. She rethought this. 'I mean, are you insane?'

'Yes.'

'What went wrong? Hit your head?' Remus said.

'No.'

'Dang. Thought I'd get him there,' Remus muttered.

'Skip this question and get the potion brewing!' Sirius said impatiently before taking a daisy root from Lily and chopping it skillfully.

'Oh, fine. But that was my job to chop that root!' Lily said.

'Who cares?'

'Me! Who else?'

'Okay, you take my job on setting the temperature then.'

'Okay.'

After fifteen minutes and a couple of arguments about who does what, they finally had the potion bubbling in the cauldron. It was then that James just thought of something.

'Lily? Why didn't you just use your powers?'

Lily slapped her hand onto her forehead. Then she blinked.

'Oh yea- wait! I forgot my powers can't be used to trace people. Mom's can, I think,' Lily said, biting her nails. The perspective of asking her mother to use her powers is troubling, since she'll most probably not agree to have another Marauder roaming about. Besides, her mother had kept trying to force herself into Lily's mind to see how far she'd gone…

'Well, I reckon no then. We'll just have to try with this potion,' Sirius said, holding out a thick book before consulting it. 'Boil for five minutes.'

'It's about time,' Remus said, checking the clock.

Together, they pulled the cauldron into the yellow sunshine before dipping in a kingfisher's feather into it. It seemed as if mists of smokes were floating all about it and the liquid – or gas – is pouring out more and more of the mist. James took hold the the feather before chanting a few words from the book.

'Wind, sun, moon, water and earth

grant us powers to find the one

with gleaming sunshine we bestow thee

show us the one who binds our soul.'

Remus blinked and consulted the book.

'James, are you sure?' Lily said nervously as the feather turned into a shade of red and green.

'That was from the book.'

'Well, that page alright,' Sirius said. Remus cleared his throat.

'What?'

'Um, I think we have a mistake here. See, we need lily roots, not daisy; rainbow wind, not tribow; massively chopped trunks, not tribal dance punks,' Remus said.

The four moaned in resignment.

'After me running after those tribal dancing punks,' Sirius groaned.

'Tribow is so hard to find!!' James wailed.

'And lily!! Where are we to find one in this place? We can't even find a single seed!' Lily wailed, louder.

'Last choice. Ask Lily's mother for help,' Remus said.

'I'm staying here! You three go!' Lily said at once.

'Why?'

'Tired! I can't battle my mum now!'

'Curesta!' Remus called, and Lily began to shone a little

'I hate it! Remus, I don't wanna go down!'

'You're cured from tireness anyway.'

'Don't wanna!'

'Okay. We won't ask today then,' James sighed.

Lily just nodded.

'Now let's just dump this thing,' Sirius muttered, pulling the cauldron out. He tipped some over the window just as shrieks were shrieked out.

'Aaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!! I'm covered with red spots!!!!!!!!!'

'Oops! Petty's down there,' Lily grinned.

'How come?'

'Weeding. Detention from dad. Looks like she had chicken pox!'

'This is a potion for cluck-pox? Cool! We'll keep it for Snape!' Sirius said.

'We'll try to ask if you mum has any more potion books tomorrow. I'll see you at Mischief Portal,' Lily said to James as he climbed over the ladder down, pulling a face at the horrified looking Petunia.

'I think mum wants me have a haircut. Says this hair's too long,' Sirius winced as he pulled a strand of his shoulder-length black hair.

Remus laughed as he tried imagining Sirius Black with his haircut. Lily just rolled over.

'Well, I've a transformation tonight so…' Remus said.

'Bye then,' Lily waved them from the door.

'Bye!' Remus called.

'You won't see me tomorrow,' Sirius muttered as he stomped into his house next door.

'It's not gonna be that serious! You're not that desperate, are you?' Lily laughed.

'Sadly, I am,' Sirius called back before slamming the door. Melissa's voice could be heard yelling at her son to not to slam the door when he comes back.

'-and get it through that thick head of yours, Sirius!' Melissa yelled.

'I had it through, but you just kicked it out!' Sirius said.

'What?'

'It was in, but you just kicked it out!!'

'That's it, Sirius Black! You get no lunch today!'

'WHAT????!!!! That's cruelty to children!'

'Ahem. I recall you saying that you're no kid.'

'Fine, a Marauder! C'mon mum!'

'No! And that's final, Sirius! And tomorrow, you're going to that hairdresser whether you like it or not!'

'What if I said that I don't love it?'

'It's the same, Sirius.'

Lily shook her head. The argument between Sirius and his mother could go as off as it could be. Sometimes, the both would even forget what they're arguing about since both were quite absent-minded about things.

Closing the door, she went up the stairs, only to collide with her dreadful sister. Petunia was applying cream onto her red chicken-poxed face, but to nothing. They were magical and Petunia couldn't find a way to rid of them.

'Lily, put me back right now!' Petunia yelled.

'Shan't,' Lily said, poking her tongue.

'I have a date with Vernon tonight!'

'Who cares?'

'Put me back!'

'Shan't! 'sides, you look nice like this.'

Petunia flushed even more.

'When will this rid off?' Petunia asked sullenly, knowing she'd been defeated.

'Lets see… about a month or two, since this is from a potion we made. We had the potion made quite strong, mind you, and the potion-pox isn't one to last for only two weeks. This lasts at least a month. In your case, it'll be two,' Lily grinned. Petunia wailed loudly before running into her room and slamming the door. Outside, she hung a huge "Do Not Disturb" sign, added (in scrawly crayon) "Beauty In Deep Sleep – Only Prince Allowed".

'SIRIUS!!!! YOU SLAMMED THE DOOR AGAIN???' Melissa yelled.

'Mum, it wasn't me!!!!!!' Sirius screamed.

Maybe I should find mum now, Lily said to herself. She did a double thought.

'Gram!'

'Yes dear? I'm down here!' came Gram's cheerful voice.

Lily jumped down the stairs, two by two before landing softly on the ground. She bounded towards the living room and plopped down right next to Gram.

'Gram, am I named after someone?' Lily asked. Remembering the faithful day Voldemort attacked and the kids called Lily, James, Sirius and Remus during Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts; when her parents – the Marauders' parents – were in Hogwarts.

'Pardon?'

'Am I named after someone? No, not flower or anything,' Lily repeated. Gram set her experiment on Junk Pellets (throws junks when it sizzled) on the table before turning to her granddaughter. Lily waited patiently.

'Well, yes. So is James, Sirius and Remus,' Gram said.

'Why?'

'It's because-' Gram started. Lily urged her to go on, but the old witch stopped. 'Sorry, top secret.'

'Gram!'

'Just kidding! Well, they were once your parents' friends at school. They died though, from what Rose and William said to me,' Gram said.

'How?'

'I think they were pushed off the cliff or something. I can't recall.'

'At Hogwarts?'

'At Hogwarts. There was this mad professor and he sorta went berserk and saw them walking nearby the edge of the cliff. Course, you know the rest then,' Gram said.

Lily shivered.

'Remembered who's the fifth one then? Voldemort said there was a fifth,' Lily said.

'Yes. She was another of the gang at that time. However, she was believed to possess dark magic.'

'A she?'

'Yep!'

'Dark magic? Not dark arts?'

'Dark magic. More known as a black mage, though. They were rare, these days and those.'

'How come?'

'Um, extinct? Your mom didn't tell me much there.'

'Gram, do you think that the fifth Marauder is still in existance?'

'Why should that be? We have four and far worst than before,' Gram winced.

'What d'you mean?'

'Well, the Lily, James, Sirius and Remus in your parents' days were not all that bad. They just go on Riddle only, goodness knows why.'

'Maybe family rebellion?'

'Har har. Lily, they were quite odd. Anyway, I think you four are far worst. Your mother told me that those five those days were far better together than one of you.'

'Thanks a lot. I really treasured that,' Lily said sarcastically.

'Really? I was hoping that you would,' Gram replied.

'Lets see… what's this?' Lily said, picking up the junk pellet.

'Oh, new experiment. Maybe you'd like to give it a try, dear?'

'Gladly. What do I do?'

Gram eagerly whispered the instructions and the two giggled.

'Count it on me!' Lily laughed as she sped off outside to the Rittardo's.

Just as expected, Tally Chapman and Elley Rittardo are playing by the swing outside the old-fashioned french cottage, chatting away and giggling at half the time. Lily rammed open the gate and rushed in.

'Hey! Guess what I found?' Lily called.

'What?' Elley said, interested. Elley is a researcher on magical pranks, and the Marauders were always her target on finding newly invented pranks. However, she had learnt to not bet with their items, since she always had such complicated times finding out their spells since the Marauders didn't bother to put anything in order.

'Hi Lily! Finished Divination?' Tally greeted.

'Just as always. Just too easy,' Lily sighed.

'Yeah, to you,' the blonde girl muttered.

'How's Dan?' Lily asked. Immediately, her friend blushed in a very bright shade of red. Seeing that her cousin was too tongue-tied and too absorbed in her fantasy, Elley took it to herself to tell Lily.

'Well, lover girl's in for the hearts,' Elley grinned. Mischievous as always, the young nineteen-year-old was always a never too old for her age.

'Huh?' Lily said blankly.

'Dan invited her to be his girlfriend. Since then, she's always in cloud nine,' Elley laughed.

'Congratulations!' Lily wished. 'You have a pond somewhere?'

'Here,' Elley said, taking out her wand. She checked for prying eyes, found none, and waved the little stick. Voila! A large pond appeared out of nowhere.

'Wow! Look, mind if I leave something here?' Lily said.

'Sure.'

'Thanks! Gotta run!' Lily yelled behind her as she sprinted off.

'What did she left?' Elley said, puzzled.

'Dan…' Tally said dreamily.

'Knock outta it,' Elley muttered. Just then, a sizzle could be heard, and soon, the cottage and garden disappeared behind a whole pile of broken junks.

Laughing hysterically, Lily ran off from her hiding place and towards her home. Then…

'Ow!'

'Yeow!!'

'What did you do that for?' the two casualties yelled at each other, both rubbing the bruises on their heads. Lily looked up.

'Oh, James!'

'Oh, it's you,' James muttered, picking himself up. He helped the redhead up as she brushed down the dust.

'What are you doing here?' Lily asked.

'Lets see… mum gave me some money. Thought I'd get some bangs. You?'

Smirking, Lily pointed at the pile of junk nearby. James gaped in awe.

'Gram sure have nice ideas!' James said.

'Yep! Can't say I'm proud about it!' Lily chirped.

'Going anywhere?'

'Home.' Lily thought for a bit. 'Actually, I think I'll go get some crackers. Have some muggle money left.'

'Okay, sure. Heard the racket in Sirius' house?' James said.

'Who wouldn't? His mum's really into rules these days!' Lily said.

'And I quote her, "If we don't get his head back now, he'll lose it forever!" unquote,' James said.

'Well, quite true. Hey, Tally and Dan got together!'

'That's news! When? How? Where?'

'I just got it today, so you can't dig anything out.'

James shrugged. 'I knew they'd get together though.'

'Oh, I asked Gram about those kids in the past years.'

'What did she say?'

Lily turned to relate what her Gram had just said, right to the very end of the story.

'So, now we know that this last Marauder is a raven-hair and a girl. How easy is that gonna be?' Lily concluded.

'If only we have a picture…' James muttered. 'Think these muggle firecrackers'll work in Hogwarts?'

Lily inspected the firecrackers. 'Guess so. 'sides, no machine in them, right? Only explosives.'

And they paid for fifty firecrackers.

'Hmm, they're cheap these days,' James said, counting the change.

'Good. I could use these frightening Snape,' Lily said.

'Not to forget Pettigrew!' Sirius grinned out of nowhere. 'Thought I'd enjoy first.'

'Why, no lunch?' James grinned.

Sirius' stomach growled in response as he blushed. 'Yeah.'

'Your mum said anything 'bout our fifth gang?'

'Tried asking her. She shooed me out,' Sirius said.

'Gee, mum got worked up,' Remus said.

'Where did you come from?' Lily asked.

'Same as Sirius,' Remus sighed.

'My mum gave me some money to shut up,' James said, pointing at the bag of firecrackers.

'What about you, Lily?'

Lily rambled the tale of what her Gram had told her for the second time that day.

'Our clue is so little,' Remus sighed.

'I bet my mum will get bonkers if I asked too,' Lily said. 'Wonder why.'

'Sad memories? Mum says that they were close to them,' James said.

'Good point.'

They were quiet for a while.

'Hey, guess what's on my list to torture Snape?' Sirius said, breaking the glass.

'What?' James said.

'I think it's not worth listening if you forgot to bring it,' Lily said.

'Yeah, like our first year,' Remus said.

'Well, I had the potion recipe written down…'

'Really? We're giving him a month of chicken pox? Cool!' James said.

'Speaking of it, Petunia's mourning already,' Lily laughed, remembering her sister.

'Why? Vernon whatever-his-name-is died? Heaven!' Sirius said.

'No, it's that chicken-wizard-pox! She's totally horrified that she had a wizard equivalent of chicken pox!'

'Anyway, what're we gonna do with these again?' Remus asked, pointing at the bag of fireworks.

'Remus, Remus, Remus,' Sirius clucked.

'Don't Remus me. I know I'm Remus,' Remus said, obviously annoyed.

'Remus, Remus, Remus,' James echoed.

'James! Don't do that! It's annoying!!' Remus said.

'Remus, Remus, Remus,' Lily said.

'Lily! Not you too? C'mon! Just tell me!' Remus begged. The other three started laughing.

'We're gonna bomb Snape and gang, remember?' James said, finally taking pity on him.

'Thanks. That took a long time,' Remus muttered. He looked around, sniffing as his head turned. Finally, he set his eyes on a french cottage and scrunched up his face. 'Ugh! What happened there? That's the Rittardo's, isn't it?'

Lily followed his eyes and nod.

'It sure stink. Never thought they had it in them to make their house too homely,' Sirius mused.

'Wow! Look at those junk! Old car, flat tyres, plastic wrapers…' James trailed on.

'Yuck. It's disgusting,' Remus said.

'Well, it looked nice to me,' Lily said, half laughing and half crying.

'Yes, simply elegant,' Sirius said. 'Lily, you're outta your mind! Someone out there surely has done this and you expect the neat and clean Rittardo to do this?'

'Yes and no.'

'Huh?'

'Well, I wanted to try out this thing' – Lily pulled out a pellet – 'but I need a subject. Emily agreed to help and it turned out this way.'

'What's this?' Remus asked.

'Gram's most spectacular and smelliest invention; the Junk Pellet!!!' James said, holding it like a prized possession, which probably is.

'It sounds, um, odd,' Remus said, choosing his words carefully.

'Junk Pellet sounds very stupid,' Sirius said. He thought for a while. 'Well, maybe not as stupid as I'm to get a haircut tomorrow. Mum says it'll go straight off. No more shoulder length or anything.'

The three stiffled their snorts as they imagined Sirius' long hair gone.

'Well, uh, you ought to do something then,' James said.

'Umhm,' Lily agreed.

'Ah hey!!! I've got an idea, Si!' Remus exclaimed happily as the bulb lighted up in his head.

Sirius leaned eagerly forward.

'You could chop it off yourself?' Remus said meekly. Sirius hit him.

'Remus! I thought you could come up with something better!!!' Sirius yelled.

'Well, sorry! Si, you don't have to be so harsh! Oww!!!' Remus cried.

'Break it up already!!' James said, pulling the two apart.

'Yeow…' Remus muttered, nursing a few minor (very minor) scratches made from Sirius' stubby nails.

'I think I'll get nightmares tonight,' Sirius muttered. Lily just laughed at the whole event.

**

Lily woke up the next morning feeling cheerful and full-spirit. Just then, she heard a loud yell from the nearby house. Sirius' house.

'LILY EVANS!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AREN'T YOU GONNA GET UP??????'

Lily pushed cottons into her ears first. Once Sirius starts shouting, he will shout for almost the rest of the day.

'It's my birthday?' Lily said to herself, pulling a calender nearby. August 9. Yep, definitely her day.

'LI!!!!! RE!!!!!! JAM!!!!!! I'M OFF TO THAT HAIRDO-WHAT-EVER-IT-IS!!!!!!' Sirius called again.

Since when is Sirius so eager to go to the hairdresser? He said he will have nightmares. Odd.

But Sirius is always weird, so maybe he went normal?

Even more weird.

Hurriedly, Lily got out of bed, only in time to see Sirius bouncing happily next to Melissa and walking towards the hairdresser.

Now the just-fourteen-year-old-for-eight-hours was totally confirmed that one of her closest friends is definitely, unchangingly, truly and very sadly (maybe happy?) turned normal.

Just then, the opposite window slammed open as a groggy looking face looked out at the window next to Lily's house. James. He isn't wearing his glasses and his eyes had the blurry look in them. If possible, the hair looked even more ruffled than ever.

'Sirius Black, are you mad?' James mumbled.

'He left already,' Lily called from her window.

'Huh? Oh, Lily. Happy birthday! We're same age now,' James said.

'Yeah. Sadly,' Lily said. 'I'll be over soon!'

'Okay.' And slam! The windows were shut.

Lily quickly jumped into a t-shirt and pants, washed and brushed, grabbed her wand, pulled her potions box and dumped some potion books into a bag before running down the stairs, five at a time. She quickly pulled some leaves off her mother's pot plant at the foot of the stairs and threw them into her bag. She started wearing her slippers and is ready to dash out in a second just when her grandmother stopped her.

'Lily Evans! What are you doing?' Gram said.

'Going off to James', why?'

'Your parents wants a word with you, dear.'

'Oh sure, whatever.'

Lily walked to the sofa where her parents are waiting, determination set on their faces.

'Hi mum, hi dad, can I go now?' Lily said.

'Lily, we want to tell you something,' Rose started, fumbling with her hands.

'What?' Lily said. What is it now?

'Don't be too surprise or too angry with us, please, but this is really important,' William said.

'Really? Then I'll be off now. James' expecting me,' Lily said, ready to set off.

'Lily, it's important! You have to know it!' Rose said.

'Sure. How come you wouldn't let me read your minds?'

'Lily, we know today's your birthday and you want to enjoy that now, but this is really urgent.'

'Fine, what could be this urgent anyway?'

'Lily, this may come to a shock to you.'

'Just say it already!'

'You're-'

Rose is cut off by loud voices outside the door.

'Dad, why must I come? I have things!' James' irritated voice came.

'Just keep it to yourself! Rose just sent me a message,' Yvonne hushed.

'See? They're waiting already!' Edward said. 'Hey William!!'

'Hi Edward! Guess it's time huh?' William said, greeting his pal.

As their parents were passing 'hello', James pulled Lily away from them.

'What's this all about?' James inquired.

'I don't know! They wouldn't let me read their minds!' Lily wailed softly.

'So how?'

'Just wait and see. Today's odd. Si goes to hairdresser with a smiling face. Parents having something "urgent" to say…'

'Now you two,' Yvonne said.

'What?' the two said in unison.

Rose took a deep breathe. 'Lily, James, it's time to tell you the truth.'

'Yes, very funny, har har. Unless I'm suddenly engaged to him without knowing it, I'm known as super-girl,' Lily said sarcastically.

'Hey, then I'll beat Voldemort if that ever happens!' James joked.

'Actually…'

-*-

Miles away, Sirius heard what sounded familiarly like his best friends' voices.

'S/HE'S MY WHAT?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

'Mum? That Lily and James?' Sirius asked.

Melissa looked up. 'What?'

'That scream. It sounded like them.'

'You're kidding. They're miles away from us,' Melissa said.

Sirius just shrugged.

-*-

Remus was busy stuffing his ears with cotton. Whatever it is that is happening at Bluebells Cup (Lily's house), they were sure making a racket out of it. What's so special about s/he is their what?

Maybe I'm hallucinating… those two won't scream for nothing at all, Remus said to himself as he rolled over in bed, pulling the covers up higher.

**

Sirius came back from the hairdresser looking pleased with himself. He stopped by at the Evans' to see how the potion has been doing (he suspected that they'll bring it to Lily's house) and also to see Petunia Evans' yucky face covered with wizard-pox, as the girl called it.

Opening the door, he looked around. Lily and James were white in face and their parents were happily chatting away about Merlin-knows-what. Melissa went straight home.

'What?' Sirius said to the two teenagers. 'Oh, here's your present Li.' The boy pushed a box to Lily. she received it numbly.

'W-what's it?' Lily stuttered. Sirius looked at her oddly. Now what is wrong?

'Open it.' With fumbling hands, she tore open the package. A complete set of a fifteen volume book about charms and practically half of Zonko's products.

'Wow! That's a lot! Thanks Si!' Lily said in a slightly excited tone.

'What happened? Why are you two spacing out like this? You look like dead fishes!' Sirius said, concerned.

'He…' Lily started.

'She…' James began.

'Don't freak me out. It's only noon and I don't wanna have a bad day,' Sirius said. 'Where's Remus?'

'Here,' Remus said in a weak voice.

'Good. Why're they like this?'

'Blank. I'm kinda tired myself…'

'God… someone please tell me what happened!!!'

'Hey, heard it? My neighbour's moving. Said Sirius' yells were deafening each morning of Summer,' Remus chuckled.

James seemed glad at this change of subject, because he spoke up. 'Well, I heard a wizard family is also moving in.'

'Oh, good,' Lily said in the same tone.

'You sure you alright?' Sirius asked.

'When am I alright?'

'Good point. But it's your birthday, so cheer up!'

'No! I saw this coming sometime two years ago!' Lily said.

'Oh?' James said.

'True!! Remember the time I showed you my thinking paper?'

'Yes…'

'It was sometime there!!!! I didn't get to find out what it was about cause it went as soon as it came! Oh why didn't I run off when I see the pattern of the conversation?' Lily moaned.

'Well, things don't come that easy, Li,' James shrugged.

'What happened?' Sirius demanded.

Lily muttered something under her breathe.

'Sorry? Didn't hear ya,' Remus said.

She said it again.

'Pardon?'

The girl repeated her words as Sirius and Remus started inflating their cheeks. James deflated them.

'Your parents both made you two engaged cause of some bond Li's mum suspected?!' Sirius choked. Remus said nothing but laughed all the way to the floor. Lily and James both swelled up like a super-sized bullfrog.

'Don't you dare tell a soul; especially Tally!' Lily warned as fire burned all over her.

'Oh, don't worry! Not a soul, not a soul,' Remus promised.

'Sirius?' James said. He was laughing. Lily looked about to cry.

'Okay okay, I promise. Not even a single living thing or ghost, happy?'

Lily smiled in satisfactory.

'Good. Make sure you keep your word. Si, your haircut is stupid!'

Sirius' shoulder-length hair was gone, replaced by the one like James and Remus'. Boy-like.

'Yeah, I know, but I always have a way, don't I?' Sirius grinned.

'Yes, but it looked like a "no" in this case,' James said, pulling at a very short strand of fringe.

Sirius' grin broadened.

'It look so much like real, doesn't it?'

'What? What did you do?' Remus said.

Happily, Sirius yanked hard at his hair. The three gaped at him.

'Hey!! Are you so insane that you're pulling your own hair off?' James said, trying to stop him. Sirius just went on yanking and pulling his hair hard and just as Lily and Remus were about to help James stop him, a black wig fell off Sirius' head and onto the ground. The trio (James, Lily, Remus) stared hard.

'Aren't I a genius? I magicked some wig that look like my real hair and wore it! The hairdresser cut the wig, not my hair!' Sirius laughed. The three at first looked in shocked. Then they allow themselves to smile and from there, they burst into peals of laughter.

'Oh, Sirius! How did you ever think of this!' Lily laughed.

'I had a nightmare about it…' the boy replied sullenly.

'How does it goes?' Remus asked.

'See, I was going to the hairdresser when she turned out to be a witch; no, not any ordinary witch. An evil witch with a blotched nose and a green and yellow pupils for eyes. Just then, a monster of a dog came and hit that witch. Then Voldemort – it looked like him though – showed up and somehow, I feel like I'm in an aquarium. And Voldemort was having tropical fishes and goldfishes for pets! Can you believe it? And he said to me "Sirius, I want you to bath my fishes – one by one – everyday and make sure they are groomed, shined, cleaned, fed and beautifully trimmed by tail." I saw one of the fishes wearing wig, and that's how I had the idea.'

James tried to absorb everything in.

'Voldemort has fishes for pets?' James said at last.

Sirius just shrugged.

AN: And I did have a dream where Voldie has fishes for pet *shudder* he wants me to groom it, bath it and all. He even ask me how much will it cost to buy those fishes a swimming pool! Honest! Yeah, blame this miniature head of mine to think of weird things, even in the middle of the night. And I'm so sorry this is short!!! Dad gave me very limited time on the computer and this is what I'd managed to finish!!!!!! Please review for me!!!