AN: I started this story a couple of months ago so some of you might recognise it, but I have made a couple of changes to it and have decided to publish it again. It is basically the same story but I wasn't quite happy with the other one.

The story is about the Marauders and their years at Hogwarts. It starts at the beginning of their Fifth Year and it is different from canon. I have made a change by inserting a new character into the story and the idea is to explore how things could have been different if this character existed. You'll soon see that some things have already changed. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Harry Potter characters etc.

Chapter 1 – Quarrels

It was general knowledge to anyone who attended Hogwarts between the years 1971 and 1978 that Potter and Evans did not like each other. Neither Potter nor Evans did anything to conceal this fact. In fact they were very open about it – a bit too open according to some students. Their disputes had become known as Evans-Potter-Quarrels. It was not a particularly original name, but once it had become known there really was no changing it.

It was no surprise to any Hogwarts student when an Evans-Potter-Quarrel occurred. Evans-Potter-Quarrels were a part of everyday life at Hogwarts. There was the occasional student who went so far as to call them ordinary though there was nothing ordinary about them. An Evans-Potter-quarrel was never normal and the enactment never dull. It was as good as impossible to predict when such a quarrel might occur, and the topic of the quarrel required even more skill to foresee. When it came to Evans-Potter-Quarrels, there were only two things one could be sure of:

1) An Evans-Potter-Quarrel always led to another Evans-Potter-Quarrel

2) An Evans-Potter-Quarrel was no ordinary quarrel

The day our story begins was a rather sunny day. The weather was reasonably warm and it wasn't too humid. It was the first of September 1975 and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was gradually being filled with amiable chatter and happy students catching up with their friends. It really was a perfect day and therefore it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that an Evans-Potter-Quarrel was on the way. Except for the poor, unsuspecting first years, but no one really paid them any attention.

Among the first to arrive on the platform had been a pretty red-haired girl with her parents. She hadn't brought any siblings with her and almost as soon as she had crossed through the barrier to the platform, she disappeared onto the train. The girl's name was Lily Evans and she appeared some ten minutes later clad in a new school uniform and with a shiny badge glittering on her chest. Her parents, who had until then been looking rather uncomfortable and peering nervously around themselves, now sported similar looks of pride. If Lily Evans' sister had been present she would probably have left the platform right about now. As it was, she wasn't there, and the parents could fawn over their youngest daughter with no interruption whatsoever. Lily Evans was about to start her Fifth Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and she had been chosen as a prefect.

Sure, Lily Evans had tried the badge on before – more times than she'd care to admit – but there was something special about wearing it on the platform. In her uniform. Where everyone could see her.

Presently, she was saying her goodbyes to her parents. Usually, she would talk with them until the train left, but this year she had prefect duties and Lily Evans was nothing if not dutiful. She would carry out her prefect duties to perfection. After the final hugs had been exchanged, she therefore re-entered the train, and her parents left the platform. They were both muggles and not entirely comfortable in the magical surroundings.

Among the last to arrive on the platform was an elderly couple along with two teenagers: a boy and a girl. Both of the teenagers had dark, messy hair and hazel eyes that gleamed mischievously. Their names were James and Jamie Potter and a couple of twins had never been more alike. The only thing that divided them was the fact that they weren't twins.

James and Jamie were cousins. It was a curious coincidence that their names were James and Jamie and that their appearances were strikingly similar but they weren't twins. They really weren't. Both cousins loved attention but if there was one thing they were tired of it was this particular question:

"So you really aren't twins?"

"No, we really aren't twins."

"You really are cousins?"

"Yes, we really are cousins."

"Really?"

"Are you really in need of a hearing aid or are you really very stupid?"

In the end it didn't matter if James and Jamie were twins or not. They had grown up together and they loved each other like siblings. James' parents were just as much Jamie's parents as they were his even though she addressed them as 'Aunt Euphemia' and 'Uncle Fleamont' and not as 'mum' and 'dad'.

Jamie was the daughter of Gardenia and Michael Smith. Gardenia Smith, née Chastain, was the sister of Euphemia Potter. Gardenia Chastain had been born a squib. She had grown to resent her sister, her parents and everything connected to the wizarding world. At the age of seventeen she had run away from home. She had eventually married Michael Smith, a muggle, and together they had had three children: Jeffrey, John and Jamie. For the first time in her life, Gardenia was truly happy and she had stayed happy for the first twelve years of her marriage.

Everything had changed the first of June 1967. It was Jamie's seventh birthday and Gardenia and Michael had spent weeks preparing the perfect party for their perfect daughter. The day arrived, as did the guests, and everything went splendidly according to plan. Until Jeffrey and John tried to ruin Jamie's birthday cake and Jamie made both her brothers vanish. In front of everyone. And by everyone, I mean everyone: Gardenia and Michael, Michael's family, all of their friends and all of their neighbours. Even the dog across the road started to bark. Gardenia started crying hysterically but whether it was due to the disappearance of her boys or Jamie's accidental magic is still unknown.

After the initial chock everything was a bit chaotic until the wizarding authorities arrived and obliviated all of the guests. The brothers were retrieved and their mother threw her arms around them. They each got a big piece of cake while Jamie… Jamie had no idea what on Earth had just happened.

As the obliviating team was leaving, a wizard turned towards the distressed parents and said: "Your daughter will become a fine witch someday. It isn't everyday you see a seven-year-old vanish people like that."

That very afternoon Jamie was placed on the Potters' front steps along with a small suitcase, watching as her parents drove away. Little did she know that this would be the last time she ever saw them. At least for a very long time.

James Potter had found her a couple of hours later while playing in the garden. He had run into the house, where his parents were preparing dinner, declaring that there was a crying girl on the front steps.

That evening was the first time Euphemia had spoken to her sister since she ran away from home. It was also the shortest conversation she had ever had with her. She had refused to tell anyone, even her husband, what her sister had said about the poor girl, but it made Euphemia livid every time she thought about it, right until the day she died. A month after this disastrous conversation, Euphemia and Fleamont Potter adopted Jamie and since that day she had been Jamie Potter. The name Smith was never again uttered in the Potter-household.

Looking at her face, as she stood on the platform, there was nothing to suggest that Jamie was unhappy with her life. In fact, she looked rather content, standing next to her cousin.

"Don't get into too much trouble this year," Euphemia admonished the teenagers standing before her.

"It was like living in an owlery last year," Fleamont added, "All those letters… I'm not saying you shouldn't prank any Slytherins but try not to get caught quite so much, will you?"

James and Jamie high-fived behind their backs as Euphemia sent her husband a reprimanding glare. Afterwards they said their goodbyes, both of the teenagers promising to write. There really was no point in asking them to because all four of the Potters knew that James wasn't going to and Jamie would have done it regardless.

After a final hug, the cousins boarded the train. James was first aboard and disappeared from sight before Jamie had a chance to stop him. Not that she wanted to. As usual, Jamie had stubbornly refused any help as she tried – and failed – to lift her own trunk aboard. After a couple of tries, she angrily kicked the trunk, refusing to cry out as she hurt her foot. Her parents were lost somewhere in the crowd and she was left looking stupid. Of course it was her own fault, but Jamie chose to ignore this fact as she silently cursed James.

"Careful there, Jamie Jam."

Jamie had been about to ask some other student for help when a voice made her stop. She let out an audible sigh and turned around to greet her smug friend as he made a show of lifting her trunk aboard with a single hand.

"Hello Sirius."

Sirius Black was his usual smirking self, sending Jamie a wink before heaving his own trunk aboard as well.

"Hello to you too, my fair lady," Sirius smiled, "Had a good summer? I can see you haven't done anything to approve your muscle mass or lack thereof."

"I had a perfectly fine summer, thank you very much." Jamie chose to ignore his last comment, starting down the train in search of her cousin, leaving Sirius to manage his own trunk along with his own. "Why didn't you come to see us?"

She could hear Sirius sighing behind her but he didn't elaborate. He was supposed to come stay at Potter Manor for the last weeks of the holidays, but he never came. James and Jamie had both written but he ignored their questions every time, simply answering that he looked forward to September.

"I wish you'd tell us what was going on," Jamie continued, never one to back down when Sirius clammed up.

"You should learn to remember the feather-light charm. It'll save you a lot of time in the future. In fact, I seem to remember telling you the exact same thing last year. And the year before that."

Jamie turned around to send him an annoyed glare only to catch him winking at Paige Alton.

With a frustrated groan Jamie continued down the train corridor. Her best friend was good looking – there was no denying that. His black hair, stormy grey eyes and high cheekbones turned girls into mush just about every minute of every day. He had become even more handsome over the summer holidays. He was also several inches taller than Jamie now, something she was infinitely less pleased with. She remembered the days when she was the same height as the boys. She missed those days.

"In here." James interrupted her train of thought by appearing out of nowhere, grabbing hold of her arm and dragging her into the compartment that Jamie had nearly missed.

"You could have helped with the trunk," Jamie complained.

"But you said you didn't need my help." James sent her an innocent look, which Jamie returned with a displeased glare.

"Haven't seen Sirius have you?"

"He's flirting with Alton," Jamie replied.

"Who?"

"That Ravenclaw-girl," Jamie elaborated, "You know… The tall blonde one?"

"Ah…"

"Yes."

Despite his delay, it didn't take Sirius long to catch up with them. "There you are," he smiled, throwing himself into the nearest vacant seat. "Good to see you, James, mate."

"You too." James gave Sirius a short smile before asking, "Why didn't you come this summer? Mum and Dad kept worrying about you."

"Change of plans." Sirius shrugged noncommittally, quickly changing the subject, "Where's the food trolley?"

"The train hasn't even started moving yet." Sighing, Jamie grabbed for the rucksack James had been carrying and pulled out a brown paperback. "This is for you, from Aunt Euphemia. She wants to know why you didn't come this summer."

"Mrs Potter is an angel," Sirius grinned, yet again avoiding the question.

James sent Jamie a resigned look, indicating that she should drop it. She would, for now. But she would drag it out of Sirius eventually. The boy had never been able to keep a secret from her.

"I suppose Remus is up at the prefect carriage?" she asked at last.

"Probably," Sirius munched, his mouth full of chicken and salad.

"You are lovely, you know that?" Jamie asked him, "Tell me… When you go on dates do you eat too, or do you just…"

"The girls don't care how he eats, Jams."

"They really don't," Sirius agreed.

"Well, they should."

The rest of the train ride continued in much the same fashion. James, Jamie and Sirius were eventually joined by Remus who pretended not to be proud of his prefect badge even though they all knew that he was. Jamie made sure to congratulate him while James and Sirius teased him. As a result, he sent her an appreciative smile. Sure, Jamie would rather be expelled from Hogwarts than become a prefect, but she knew how important it was to her bookish friend.

Everything was actually rather peaceful (compared to how their train rides usually were). It wasn't until Evans entered the compartment that things started going awry.

At the sight of the red-haired girl, James immediately sat up straight, abandoning the game of exploding snap, he had been playing with Jamie. His shift caused the cards to explode in her hands, and Jamie sent James a less-than-amused-glare.

"Evans," he smiled, hand running through his hair, "How's it going?"

The girl glared at James but didn't say anything. Jamie, whose hands now sported burn marks, turned towards Evans and exclaimed, much like her cousin: "Evans! How was your summer? I see you were made a prefect, congratulations!"

"Thanks…" Evans replied slowly, ignoring the summer-comment, before turning to Remus, "It's your turn to parole in a bit."

"Coming," he replied getting to his feet.

"Didn't you have a good summer?" Jamie asked, trying to get Evans to talk. She hated when people ignored her questions and Evans always ignored her questions.

"I did, thanks."

"Not going to ask how mine was? Isn't that a bit rude?" Jamie was frowning now – a frown she had spent hours practising to perfection.

James was sending her irritated looks, but Jamie really didn't care. Her hands still hurt, and she couldn't understand James' infatuation with the girl. Sirius was staring out of the window, looking bored. Sensing an oncoming storm, Remus had sat back down again, hiding behind a newspaper, preferring not to take sides. Remus actually liked Evans though Jamie couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was because she liked books and sweaters. She supposed Remus could use another friend that liked books and sweaters.

"Did you have a good summer, Potter?" Evans eventually asked, already on her way out, not waiting for the answer.

"No." Jamie's answer was short. It made Evans stop.

"You didn't have a good summer?" she asked.

"Oh, I did, sorry." Jamie sent the girl an apologetic glance, "Just wanted to see your reaction." The apologetic glance was quickly replaced by a dazzling smile that made just about everyone forgive the girl on sight. Of course, Evans was an exception.

"Why?" Evans placed her hands on her hips.

"Jamie," James warned, but she ignored him.

"Well… You obviously didn't care. I just tried to make you care a bit. A prefect should care about her fellow students' welfare, right?" She looked around, seeking confirmation from the others in the room. They were all ignoring her except for James who was glaring daggers at her, "I'm simply trying to make you a better prefect." Jamie knew that she was being unreasonable and behaving like a stubborn child but she really didn't like that girl. Everyone put her on a pedestal when in fact she was rude and didn't care about anyone that didn't follow her unwritten rules. At least, that was what Jamie had been telling herself for the last four years.

"Why?" Evans repeated her question.

"That the only thing you can say?"

"Jamie," James repeated but didn't say anything else. Jamie could do just about anything and he would forgive her.

"Don't you ever grow up?" Evans exclaimed, "Aren't we a bit too old to pick fights for no reason whatsoever?"

"You're the one raising your voice."

Evans was just about to walk away, and Jamie was almost about to let her, when Snivellus aka Severus Snape turned up. There was another good reason not to like Evans: she associated with the likes of Snape. How could she hate Jamie and her friends so much yet spend time with him? How could she of all people spend so much time with someone who thought she didn't have the right to be a witch?

"Now see what you did," James commented under his breath.

"Snape! How was your summer? I see you were made a prefect, congratulations!" Jamie repeated her exact words to Evans, only changing the name from 'Evans' and 'Snape'. Whereas Sirius and James bothered other people – Slytherins – by being rude towards them, Jamie always remained exceptionally polite. And cheery. She found that it tended to annoy people even more. People could yell at her, hex her, and annoy her to no end. Jamie would remain calm and collected and unnaturally happy all the way through. Some people secretly referred to her as Jolly Jamie. James, who knew her better than anyone, could count on one hand the times he'd seen her be truly angry. The best thing about it all was how she always managed to make Evans livid.

Snape ignored the question, simply whispering something to Evans, before walking away. For some reason or another, James and Sirius had decided not to join in on the fun.

"Your friend is rude, Evans."

"Whatever," she replied, before walking away.

"Wasn't that rude? I think that was rude." Jamie addressed the rest of the compartment, its occupants simply rolling their eyes.

"Even I find your antics annoying, Jamie Jam."

"Well… That is sort of the point." Jamie stuck out her tongue, sending Sirius a teasing smile, before dropping the subject entirely. She would get back at Evans later. The day had barely started.

Unfortunately, Jamie did not get her sweet revenge.

She had not planned on spending her first night back at Hogwarts in detention, yet there she was, on her knees, scrubbing the floor of the prefects' bathroom. It wasn't even dirty because it hadn't been used in two months. It was, after all, the first day of school. Were the teachers even allowed to give out detentions on the very first day back? Wasn't there some sort of law against it, something to do with student rights and whatnot?

"Jamie, catch!" She was pulled out of her thoughts by a dirty cloth flying across the room in direction of her face. Luckily, James wasn't the only one with good reflexes in the family, and she caught it before it smacked her in the face.

"Honestly?" She looked up and sent her angriest glare in the direction of Sirius who most certainly was the one who threw it.

"You were looking melodramatic again."

"And so you decided to start throwing things at me? Honestly, you could have hurt me or something... You know what?" Inspiration suddenly struck her right there between cubicle four and five, "If you throw that bucket Remus is holding at my head I will have a legit reason for going to the Hospital Wing. There is no way Madam Pomfrey would send me back here. Go on, hit me!" She sat up expectantly.

"Jams, he's not going to throw a bucket at your head."

Jamie turned around to send an angry glare in her cousin's direction, "Let him make his own decisions!"

"I'm not going to throw a bucket at your head," Sirius told her, "If anyone deserves to get out of this detention, it's me, so you are welcome to throw it at my head, if you want to, but I am most certainly not going to throw it at yours."

"That is so unfair, it was my idea!"

"Nobody is going to throw buckets at each other's heads, so you may as well stop arguing," Remus interfered, "If you concentrated on the work at hand, we would be able to finish this much faster."

Remus Lupin… Always the voice of reason.

They were all quiet for about ten seconds, before Sirius suggested, "How about I take the bucket to the head, and you help get me to the Hospital Wing, Jamie? Then we'll both have an excuse to get out of here."

"Deal."

"It is after all the gentlemanly thing to do," Sirius said to no one in particular as Jamie stood up to go get the bucket, "Can't just go around hitting Jamie Jam over the head."

"Sit down," Remus said sternly, "Nobody's going to hit anybody over the head with anything."

"You're such a kill-joy," Jamie mumbled but sat down all the same. "That is exactly why you were made a prefect."

"Well one of us had to become one," Remus said, "There are no other boys in our year in Gryffindor except for the three of us," he pointed at himself, Sirius, and James.

Remus Lupin… Couldn't really argue with the guy. Because Jamie had no answer she threw the dirty cloth at him and said, "Since this is actually your bathroom, the least you can do is concentrate on the work at hand." He rolled his eyes but didn't answer. She was almost positive she could see a smile on his face as he turned away.

"What was so important anyway that you think you deserve to get out of this detention more than us?" James stuck his head out from under one of the sinks and looked at Sirius, "Wouldn't have anything to do with the blonde Ravenclaw who kept prancing past our compartment on the train, would it? What was her name again? Paige Alton?"

"The blonde one?" Remus had yet again abandoned his work… Lazy Lupin. To be fair though, he was the only one who had actually managed to do anything productive.

"Don't tell me you and Platinum-Paige have a thing," Jamie stared incredulously at Sirius, "Since when?" She didn't think that anything other than winks had passed between them. Then again, knowing Sirius, she should have suspected it coming.

"Since it-has-yet-to-happen," he said, "I am in detention, remember?"

"Oh…" She sent him a half-apologetic smile, but really, she wasn't that sorry. It didn't seem as though he was missing out on much. Platinum-Paige had the IQ of a five-year-old and she wasn't that attractive.

"Bet she won't be too happy with you tomorrow," James grinned, and this time he became the one on the receiving end of Sirius' cloth throwing.

"Caught it faster than you," Jamie trilled under her breath.

"Yeah, right. We both know I'm the better chaser of the two of us."

Jamie gave James an incredulous glare. "In your dreams, perhaps."

"Guys," Remus interrupted the cousins, "It's bad enough that I am in detention on the first night back. Please don't subject me to your I'm-better-than-you-banter."

"Well I am better."

"Jamie…"

Jamie glared at Remus but quickly lowered her eyes when he gave her the I-am-not-amused-glare. It was even more impressive than Jamie's frown but, of course, he had had a lot of practise.

They continued to clean the bathroom in silence. Usually, McGonagall's detentions weren't so bad. Normally, they just had to write a whole bunch of lines or make some extra transfiguration assignments. Today, though, she had decided that they needed to be taught a lesson. So here they were, on their knees, scrubbing the prefects' toilets on the first night back. James theorised that she wanted to give them a sufficient punishment from the start in the hopes that they would behave themselves for the rest of the year. Personally, Jamie thought that she meant to rub it into their noses that they didn't become prefects. Well, except for Remus who, of course, actually became a prefect. Perhaps she wanted to show him that he wouldn't have become a prefect if there had been other boys in Gryffindor. Except that that… didn't really make sense. It didn't matter though. None of them ever wanted to become prefects anyway. Except for Remus who pretended that he didn't but actually, secretly, did. But for the rest of them, prefect duties would only have taken up precious time that could be used to prank Slytherin Snakes instead.

The next time Jamie looked up was when Lily Evans barged into the bathroom. Honestly, she thought. It was their first night back. She had only been a prefect for three hours and already she had decided that ordinary bathrooms were beneath her. She really didn't like that girl.

When she noticed the Marauders she stopped and her mouth formed a little 'O'. Clearly she hadn't expected to see them here.

"What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like we're doing?" Jamie looked over at Sirius who rolled his eyes at her. Remus on the other hand looked just the teeniest tiniest bit ashamed and James was… well, he was being James. He ruffled his hair and tried to come up with something intelligent to say. Unfortunately for him, his hair ruffling turned out to be in vain as Evans turned her eyes on Jamie.

"Already in detention, Potter?"

"Trying to break a record," Jamie smirked, "Ten minutes slower than last year, but I do think we deserve points for serving it on our very first night back. In fact, I think that is an accomplishment in itself. It'll sure be hard to beat next year."

"Perhaps you should try not to break it at all," Evans all but sneered and Jamie could see how she longed to give her another detention right there in that exact moment. But of course she didn't. She was too well behaved. Perhaps Jamie would have liked being a prefect after all. She would have no qualms about handing out detentions. And Evans would have hated Jamie for getting the job.

"And Remus," Evans turned her attention to the infinitely redder-in-the-face occupant of the room, "I would expect better of you, now that you're a prefect. I had to show the first years to the tower all by myself."

"Oh no, oh Evans! How did you find your way?" Jamie exclaimed with horror in her voice as Sirius let out an ill-disguised snort.

Evans turned her gaze back at Jamie, who had to admit that she admired that gaze of hers. But then Jamie was used to it, so she didn't let it bother her. Instead she sent the redhead her most dazzling smile and winked at James who was glaring daggers at her behind Evans' back. Jamie knew that he had made his mind up to try and ask her out but surely, it could only be meant as a joke. Cousins did not start dating their sibling's nemeses. Jamie most certainly would not start dating Snivellus Snape.

Evans was positively fuming by now but instead of riling her further Jamie turned her attention back to the tiles.

"It wasn't our intention to get a detention," James told Evans slowly, "It just sort of happened."

"Really?" Evans raised an eyebrow.

"Really," James replied but as Jamie glanced up at him and he glanced back at her at the same time, he instantly started to snigger and thereby ruined his innocent expression.

"You are absolutely impossible!" Evans stamped her foot for a bit of emphasis, "How the two of you," she pointed at James and Jamie, "Ever got into Hogwarts, I don't know. How you haven't become expelled will most certainly remain a mystery until the end of time."

Sirius was grinning in the background, making faces behind Evans' back.

"You, Black!" It seemed Evans saw him too, "You are not an inch better, and every time I look at your sorry face I thank Merlin that you weren't also born a twin!" With those words she stomped out of the bathroom and left the Marauders staring after the slamming door.

"We are not twins!" James and Jamie exclaimed at the same time, but Evans was already gone. They all looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter, even Remus who took her words a bit more to heart than the others.

"Mate," Sirius spluttered, "You may want to wait for a bit before you try your luck with her."

When they had stopped laughing, Jamie took a look around the bathroom. "Don't you guys think it looks clean?"

"Yes," James sighed, "But it doesn't matter. If we leave before Minnie allows it she'll just give us another detention."

"But it's the first day of school," Jamie whined and threw the last cleaning cloth at Remus' bucket, "It's not fair."

"Yeah, well, I think that Minnie thinks, it's fair." James sent his cousin a smile but it didn't make her any happier.

"Next year you can plan the back-to-school prank without me," she declared, "I won't miss another party."

"As if you'll be able to stay away," Sirius laughed, "You looove pranking the Slytherins."

"That's because they deserve it," she told him, "It serves them right. And after they've spent their holidays being pampered by their pompous parents their egos need to be taken down a few notches."

"Because you're not at all pampered," Sirius smirked.

As Jamie no longer had any cloths left to throw at him, she settled for her coldest glare. "I am not at all pampered."

"Of course not." Sirius winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"If anyone is pampered," James said and looked directly at Sirius, "It's you. Whenever you come to our house, it's like Jamie and I don't exist anymore."

"See, now you're exaggerating," Sirius said and puffed a strand of hair away from his eyes, "I don't believe it's possible to forget Jamie Jam. You, perhaps, but certainly not Jamie Jam."

The girl in question smiled at Sirius as James muttered something incomprehensible under his breath and finished off with, "Jerk."

"I still think Aunt Euphemia and Uncle Fleamont pamper you more than us," Jamie said a little while later, "Of course we can't be totally sure… You haven't been there since Christmas, and my memory has become a bit foggy…"

Sirius was saved from answering when the door opened once again and professor McGonagall entered.

"Well, well…" she looked around the room before fixing her gaze on the teenagers, "It looks decent so you are free to leave."

They all scrambled to their feet, as McGonagall continued, "I hope you have all learnt your lesson. I know better than to think I'll never see you in detention again but if you can stay out of trouble for the rest of the week, I'll consider it a considerable improvement." After this little speech she vanished the cleaning supplies before giving them their wands back and leaving the bathroom.

"That could have been worse," Remus mumbled as they all quit the bathroom shortly thereafter, "She didn't raise her voice once."

"That's because she thought the prank was funny," Sirius said and threw his arms around Remus and Jamie, "I'm almost positive I saw her snort."

"Minnie doesn't snort," Jamie disagreed.

"She most certainly does."

"I'm with Sirius," James declared, "She thought it was funny and that's why she didn't yell."

"Well…" Jamie stated, "The Slytherins did look rather smart with those unicorn horns."

"Perhaps she was just too tired to yell," Remus suggested.

"Nah… I don't think Minnie gets tired," Jamie commented, "I have never seen her tired. She is like a… a…"

"Vampire," James supplied, "That the word you're looking for?"

"Of course not you dunderhead," Jamie replied before stopping short.

"What?" Sirius who'd had his arms around Jamie stopped abruptly, awkwardly stopping Remus as well causing James to bump into Sirius' back.

"I forgot my tie," Jamie explained, "I took it off when we were cleaning so it wouldn't get soaked in the bucket… Just keep going, I'll catch up."

"Sure?" James sent her an inquiring look, and Jamie simply rolled her eyes.

"I can find my own way back, thanks," she said, before taking off running in the direction from which they had come. When she finally re-entered the bathroom she saw the tie immediately. She had thrown it haphazardly across one of the sinks and despite all her efforts it had become wet anyway.

"Typical," she muttered, leaving the bathroom, "Just my luck." Then again, it was nothing a short heating charm wouldn't fix.

"So you think McGonnagall's a vampire."

Jamie stopped short at the words and turned around. Rosier was standing right there, in the middle of the hallway, flanked on either side by Mulciber and Pettigrew. They must have been following them, the slithering Slytherin snakes.

"What do you want?" Jamie already had her wand out of her ropes. There was no point in taking any chances.

"Well…" Rosier looked lacily around the hallway before taking a little step closer, "At first I wanted to talk to you about the little stunt you pulled during dinner, but now I'm more interested in whether you really think McGonagall is a vampire."

Mulciber chuckled and took a step forward, so he was next to Rosier, "McGonagall a vampire?" he repeated, "That is the stupidest thing I've heard in a long while." He turned around to face Pettigrew before continuing, "This is the reason why the likes of her should not be allowed in here. Her unintelligence lowers the IQ of the rest of us."

"You should work a bit on your eavesdropping skills." Jamie replied, trying to sound helpful but not quite succeeding, "Is it really that hard to identify a joke?"

"I would be careful, if I were you." Mulciber lowered his voice. "We wouldn't want any accidents to happen, would we now?"

Jamie opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. James was the smart one when it came to retorts. Jamie was generally okay, but not right now it seemed. Times were changing and the Slytherins were braver than they had been the year before.

"Nothing to say?" Mulciber asked.

Because she didn't know what else to do, Jamie turned around and continued down the hallway as if she hadn't been stopped at all. She willed herself not to walk to fast, at least not until she was out of sight. Then she ran the whole way back to the Common Room. Luckily, the snakes didn't come slithering after her. Not tonight anyway…

She found her friends in the sofas in front of the fire.

"Found your tie okay?" James asked. He was engaged in a game of exploding snap with Sirius and didn't look up. If he had, he might have discovered the closed off look on her face.

"Yeah," Jamie replied, sitting down next to Remus who was already engrossed in a book.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, looking up from the pages.

"No, I'm fine." Jamie sent him her most reassuring smile before grabbing a magazine from a nearby table.

She was fine. She wasn't going to let a couple of Slytherins ruin her evening. Especially not Rosier, Mulciber and Pettigrew. Honestly… And she most certainly was not going to tell the boys about it. Sometimes she really hated being the girl. She wasn't going to let them defend her as if she couldn't take care of herself. She was just as well equipped as they were, although it didn't make it any easier being a muggle-born. Especially not a muggle-born with the Potter-name. Was it even possible to be a muggle-born and a blood traitor at the same time? According to the Slytherins it was. And it wasn't a good thing.

AN: So… That was the first chapter. I really hope you like it, and I would love to hear what you think. Constructive criticism is always appreciated :-)