Not Alone, a harry potter fanfic

Disclaimer: Don't own any Harry Potter characters 'cept Charlie.

Summary: One-shot about a fifth Marauder and her heartaches. How will the boys deal?

A/N: Songs are "Welcome to my Life" by Simple Plan; "Broken" by Seether with Amy Lee; and "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden. I suggest you listen to these songs as you read as it will definitely add to the storys quality.

Not Alone

Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew sat in the Common Room staring at the fire. "We should through him off the bloody Astronomy Tower," Sirius said suddenly, breaking the solemn silence.

"Yeah," the others agreed. The Marauders were silent again. They were talking about the ex-boyfriend of the fifth member of their little rule-breaking group, Charlotte (Charlie) or Rosette as they called her. She had become an official Marauder in their 2nd year after a truly spectacular show of Slytherin bashing on her part.

You see, the Slytherins had been teasing her for a while and one week in their second year, she had finally had enough. She had jinxed Severus Snape in the middle of a crowded corridor, albeit there were thankfully no teachers around. Snapes cronies had come to his beck and call and Charlie had found her self suddenly surrounded by over 7 angry Slytherins. But she hadn't been the slightest bit afraid, she had been outrageously furious. She had taken them all on and had jinxed, hexed, or cursed each and every one of them without getting hit by a spell once. That act of bravery and troublemaking had pretty much sealed her friendship with Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter.

About a month later, they had learned that she was also an illegal animagus, a panther. So they had nicknamed her Rosette, though who knows why is anyone's guess. They all had an incredibly close bond and when one of them got hurt, the others jumped to defend that person.

And that bond was what led the four boys to sitting in the common room contemplating possible ways to bring physical harm to Bobby Kawasaki, Charlie's two-timing, gold-digging, prat of a bloody ex.

"Do you think we should go check on her?" Peter asked.

"Yeah," Remus responded. "I think we should. She seemed pretty upset. She might not want to be alone right now."

The four Marauders made their way quietly down the corridor to the prefects hallway, where all the prefects quarters were located. There were exactly 13 rooms on this corridor before it dead-ended. The girl and boy prefect from every house from year 5 and up share a quarter; as did the Head Boy and Head Girl.

The four Marauders crept down the hallway. The 6th year Gryffindor prefects' quarters were located behind the third portrait on the right side of the hallway. It was actually a rather interesting set up. On the right side, behind portrait # one was 5th year Gryffindor prefects, then 5th year Slytherins, then 6th year Gryffindors, 6th year Slytherins, 7th year Gryffindors, and finally 7th year Slytherins. The left side was like that only with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. At the very end of the dead-end corridor was a portrait that led to the Head Boy and Head Girl's quarters.

The portrait that guarded their destination was a picture of a mermaid sitting on a rock surrounded by currently sleeping dolphins. The portrait was there by special request of Charlie to Dumbledore as dolphins were her favorite animal. Sirius mutter the password to the giggling mermaid and the portrait swung open.

The moment the four Marauders emerged from the short little hallway into the beautiful scarlet and gold common room, they were met with a wand pointing at them. The wand belonged to the 6th year Gryffindor boy prefect, Aaron Thomas. "Oh, it's just you," he said, relief evident in his voice as he lowered his wand and stuck it back in his robes. "Sorry, can't be too careful, what with that crazy mass murdering wizard out there."

"It's okay," James said. "Is Rosette here?"

"Yeah, she came in about and hour ago. Hasn't come out of 'er room since."

"Thanks, Aaron," Remus said, as the four walked toward the staircase that led to Rosette's room.

"The door's locked," Aaron called after him. "I already tried Alohamora, it didn't work."

Sirius gave a thumbs up to signal that he had heard him as he rounded the bend in the spiral staircase. He thought he heard Aaron muttering something about "bloody Marauders" as he ascended the stairs.

When they reached the door Sirius pointed his wand at the handle and was about to mutter a spell to open it, when Peter grabbed his arm. "Wait, Sirius. What if she's in there doing…girl things?"

Sirius looked at Peter funny. "She's more depressed than a user. What kind of "girl things" do you think she would be doing?" he asked before pointing his wand at the handle again and saying, "Astrikinus".

The door creaked open and the four entered to find the room empty and to hear the shower running in the bathroom. "See," Peter squeaked, "She is doing girl things."

"She's just taking a shower, Wormtail, get a grip," James said, exasperatedly, "That's not a girl thing, that's something everybody does…well unless you Snivellus," he added, almost as an after thought.

They took the time while she was in the shower to really look around her room. They hadn't actually been in here for more than a few moments since Charlie had been made prefect. The room itself demonstrated Charlie's great skill at magic. It had to be magically enlarged because it was at least twice as big as any bedroom they had ever seen in Hogwarts.

They were four doors leading off the room (though one of them was well hidden since it blended in with the wallpaper). One door was the one they had just come through. On the other side of the room were two doors side by side that led to the bathroom and what Sirius assumed to be the walk in closet Charlie was always bragging about.

Up against the west wall was a huge canopy bed with a dolphin comforter on it and blue plush pillows. Beside the bed was a lovely mahogany bedside table with a wizarding stereo on it and an antique looking dolphin lamp. Various stuffed dolphins, dolphin pictures (that don't move) and dolphin knick-knacks were strategically positioned around the room.

On the east wall was a mahogany dresser and desk, between which was the hidden door. The entire wall behind the bed was a huge mural of under the ocean with dolphins and mermaids and coral and tropical fish.

Five little mahogany tables on which crystal statues of dolphins and mermaid sat took up the area between the end of the bed and the desk and dresser. The five tables were positioned in a semi circle. There was a couch beside the desk and a chair beside the door to the stairs. Peter sat on the couch, Remus sat in the chair, James sat by Peter and Sirius sat on the end of Charlie's bed.

A few moments later Charlie came out of the bathroom wrapped in a red and gold towel, dark brown hair dripping wet and clinging to her bare neck and shoulders, large bags under her puffy red eyes. "Go away," she said in a shaky voice when she came out, without even looking at them.

"Hey," Sirius said, walking over to her and touching her arm. "You alright?"

She pulled out of his grasp and walked over to her walk in closet and disappeared in the doorway. A moment later she came out wearing short shorts and a white spaghetti strap undershirt. Her hair was dry now and pulled up in a messy bun.

She walked over to the bedside stand and popped a CD into the stereo.

"Rosette?" Peter asked, concerned for his friend. "Are you okay?"

She turned to look at them for the first time. "Do I look okay, Wormtail?" she asked before plopping face first onto the bed, feet hanging off the end arms hanging off the sides, as the music started to play, telling them all they needed to know about how exactly she was doing.

Do you ever feel like breaking down?

Do you ever feel out of place?

Like somehow you just don't belong

And no one understands you

Do you ever want to run away?

Do you lock yourself in your room?

With the radio on turned up so loud

That no one hears you screaming

No you don't know what it's like

When nothing feels all right

You don't know what it's like

To be like me

To be hurt

To feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No you don't know what it's like

Welcome to my life

Do you want to be somebody else?

Are you sick of feeling so left out?

Are you desperate to find something more?

Before you life is over

Are you stuck inside a world you hate?

Are you sick of everyone one around?

With their big fake smiles and stupid lies

While deep inside your bleeding

No you don't know what it's like

When nothing feels all right

You don't know what it's like

To be like me

To feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No you don't know what it's like

Welcome to my life

No one ever lied straight to your face

And no one ever stabbed you in the back

You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay

Everybody always gave you what you wanted

You never had to work it was always there

You don't know what it's like , what it's like

To be hurt

To feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No you don't know what it's like

To feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No you don't know what it's like

Welcome to my life

They just stood there, staring at their friend lying with her face buried in the pillows and crying her heart out, wondering what they could do for their friend and really, really wanting to throw Bobby Kawasaki off the Astronomy Tower.

"Evans!" James hissed as he threw yet another book at the 6th year girls dormitory door from the bottom of the stairs. "Evans!"

Moments later, the dormitory door opened and a sleepy Lily Evans came out, shooting a vicious glare at the Marauder boys. "What?"

"Get down here, we need your help," James said.

Lily joined the boys in the Gryffindor common room reluctantly. "What?"

"We don't know what to do about Rosette." James was fidgety, as were the others, and they truly looked clueless.

"Who?" Lily asked, her sleep fogged mind not registering whom James was talking about.

"Charlie!" he said, exasperated. "We don't know what to do."

"What's the problem with her?" she asked, sitting on the couch and resting her head on her arms.

"Don't go back to sleep, Lily, this is serious," Sirius said.

"Charlie, isn't that you other little troublemaking pal?" Lily asked.

"Yes!" Sirius said, as if they were finally getting somewhere.
"What happened to her?"

"Her two timing, gold-digging ex-boyfriend happened," Remus said, disgusted that any man could treat a woman like that.

"Oh," Lily said, now fully awake. "And she's moping, right. Not coming out of her room. Not talking to you. Listening to sad songs while burying her face in a pillow, am I close?"

"On the money!"

"Yeah, I went through something like that, although this sound infinitely worse."

"Well, what do we do?" Peter asked.

"You've got to get her back out there. You've got to be supportive of her and be her friend. You've got to show her that she isn't alone in this big sad world," Lily said.

"Umm…how?"

"Well, what's something she like, something she'll respond to?" Lily asked them.

"Well," Remus said. "She likes music. She expresses her feelings through music."

"Then write her a song, or find one that fits the situation and sing it to her," Lily said as if it was sooo obvious.

"Us," Peter squeaked. "Sing?"

"Yes, Peter, sing. Now if you'll excuse me I have to sleep." And with that, Lily was gone back up the staircase where they couldn't follow. The four just sat staring at each other for a moment, before launching into discussing a plan to help their friend.

Two days later and Charlie had still not come out of her room. She had had the house elves bring her meals to her and she had been skipping her classes. The Marauders were worried so they decided to launch their plan tonight.

At 9pm they were standing once more outside of Charlie's room. Opening the door once more, they found Charlie lying on the bed; face up, listening to sad music.

There's so much left to learn and no one left to fight I wanna hold you high and steal your pain 'Cause I'm broken when I'm open And I don't feel like I'm strong enough 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

And I don't feel right when you're gone away

Sirius walked over and took out the CD and replaced it with another. Charlie sat up and watched him with red rimmed eyes as he went to join the other three in front of the door. The music came on and the Marauder boys began to sing.

"When you feel all alone," Sirius sang.

"And the world has turned its back on you," James sang.

"Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart," Remus continued.

"I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you," Peter sang.

"It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold," Sirius carried on.

"When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore," James finished the first verse.

"Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone," they all sang together.

"When you feel all alone,"Remus started the second verse.

"And a loyal friend is hard to find," Peter continued.
"You're caught in a one way street," Sirius sang.
"With the monsters in your head" James sang.
"When hopes and dreams are far away and,"Remus continued.
"You feel like you can't face the day," Peter completed the second verse.

"Cause there has always been heartache and pain," Sirius sang.
"And when it's over you'll breathe again," James sang.
"You'll breath again," Remus sang.

"When you feel all alone," Sirius sung.
"And the world has turned its back on you," James sang.
"Give me a moment please," Remus sang.
"To tame your wild wild heart," Peter sang.

"Let me be the one you call , if you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone," they all sang twice.

"Let me be the one you call, if you jump I'll break your fall (you're not alone, Sirius sang)
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night (no, no, you're not alone, Sirius sang)
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart (you're not alone, Sirius sang)
If you need to crash then crash and burn (if you need to crash and burn, you're not alone, Sirius sang.)
You're not alone," James, Remus and Peter sang.

"Let me be the one you call, if you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart (you're not alone, Sirius sang)
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn (no, no, you're not alone, Sirius sang)
You're not alone," James, Remus, and Peter sang until the music faded out.

All the while, Charlie was staring at them looking like she wanted to burst out crying. When the song ended Sirius looked at Charlie, "You're not alone, Charlie," he said. "We're here for you."

"Oh guys!" she gushed, throwing her arms around James and Sirius as Remus and Peter patted her back awkwardly. She cried a moment with her head on Sirius's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered eventually.

Sirius smiled. Things were going to get better, he just knew it.