A/N: Alliriyan is kind of the most awesome person ever who dealt with all my whining, bitching and moaning over this chapter. She contributed the funny one-liner that you'll actually laugh at. If you like Bleach this is me pimping her fic 'Hell Butterfly'.
Recap: Lily, Snape and James meet on the Hogwarts Express, James and Snape get into a fight when Lily breaks her leg because of the trick step, Lily befriends Alice and Frank, the other marauders are introduced and Snape spends his first quidditch game sitting with the gryffindors.
The Greater Fools
Chapter 2: Second Year
x-x-x
"Oh shit!"
"Lily. Language."
"Sorry mum," the young witch demurred before choosing a more appropriate expletive. "Frick, we're going to be late."
Harriet Evans bit her lip and pulled her blond hair into a high ponytail, "She's going as fast as she can."
"You should have seen her a couple weeks ago when she was getting ready for that rally," said George Evans. "I'm almost sure she missed it."
It was then that Petunia clunked down the stairs in white platform shoes. She wobbled on her way down. At age sixteen, Petunia Evans was almost a full foot taller than her little sister, even without her ridiculous shoes. Her blond hair hung to her waist in perfect waves, framing her makeup-less face. "I heard that Dad, and what I'm doing is important. The world is changing." She looked down her nose at Lily, "And she doesn't even know it because you won't talk about it and she's not even a part of it."
Petunia had taken to sermonizing the Hippie movement whenever she and Lily found themselves in the same room. Her older sister had dedicated many hours to educating her in an area her admittedly sometimes-conservative parents wouldn't.
"Sure whatever, peace and love, but I'm going to be late for the train. Can we go?"
Lily was twelve when her sister took part in a peace movement, she couldn't have understood what it was Petunia was protesting against. She hadn't seen the pictures yet. She hadn't listened to the news.
In only a few years Lily would participate in fighting for the end of a completely different war, but for now her biggest concern was getting to King's Cross on time.
x-x-x
Timing is very important. Especially when one is twelve years old. A twelve year old fluctuates, changes, grows and regresses. A twelve year old is an irrational creature subject to the turbulence of puberty, peer pressure and complicated new emotions.
Lily, a girl who months ago had not thought twice about what she looked like on any given morning, come one day begins to fret over her hair, the length of her skirt, the amount of freckles she has, how tall she is, how clumsy she is, how silly her laugh is and an innumerable amount of other things. Lily has discovered a strange new flutter when she thinks of James Potter and his silly scarf or Sev and his bashful, crooked smile.
This was not necessarily a problem since Sev was where he'd always been and she didn't quite know what to do with these new feelings anyway.
On the other hand, just as all the other boys were growing out of such things, the unfortunate James had a very brief affair with the idea that girls are icky.
x-x-x
"Hey Lil," James shrugged uncomfortably and shoved his hands into his pockets when she approached him in front of Sirius, Remus and Pete. He saw her ears pinken, she must have noticed how awkward he was being and it was embarrassing her. Something in him felt exasperated and a prick of panic at her presence set him on edge. He'd been avoiding her for the whole first week of classes, and didn't see any reason to stop now. "I've um, got to practice for quidditch tryouts, I'll see you!" then he was off like a shot, leaving her with his friends, who she had never been very comfortable with.
"See you," mumbled the downcast girl even though he was gone.
The boys stared at her silently a bit, before her furious blush spread from fringe to chin and she all but bolted for the portrait hole.
x-x-x
"He's not so bad you know," she told Severus when he caught her staring in Herbology and nudged her with his shoulder.
"He's a prat," he informed her unrepentantly, failing to figure out how she didn't see it. He thought she had more sense than the rest of the Gryffindors. "He's just gonna get you in trouble."
Lily sighed, "Give him a chance? For me? He can really be very sweet." She turned her back on him to look at Potter and there was something in her eyes that made him tear the Q'rzfa weed more furiously than warranted from it's soil.
x-x-x
More sighing. Lily was beginning to make a habit of it and it was driving James to distraction.
Usually one to sit in the very front row, Lily always sat behind him these days. Perhaps because he always made certain that any available seats next to him this year were full. Her presence provoked disquiet in his mind that he really really hated and that made him very uncomfortable whenever she was around. Worse still; she became prone to staring at him in a considering way. This was the most unnerving change of all. Whenever he noticed he always felt the need to loosen his tie or run a hand through his hair to smooth it out, as though if he could pinpoint whatever was making her stare and fix it, it would all end and he could stop feeling like his face was going to burn off at all times.
Another sigh.
"Could you stop that?!"
Oh god.
Oh no.
He didn't.
Apparently he had because he found himself standing, half turned to face the stunned redhead in an utterly silent classroom. His face blazed worse than ever. "Thank you." He squeaked with a finality meant to save face. He sat back down and tried to pay attention to the rest of Aunt Minnie's lecture.
As soon as they were dismissed Lily ran out the door, bumping into Remus, who bumped into him on the way out. He was thankful when the other boy kept mouth shut and followed him to lunch.
Suddenly, in the middle of the conversation Remus tilted sideways to look around Peter, who turned to see what he was staring at. "What do you think's the matter with her?" asked Peter jerking a thumb over at Annie Schwartz, who was a fifth year Hufflepuff. She was combing through the newspaper like she was searching for spiders, almost ripping the pages in her haste to get through the whole thing.
"Her older brother is an Auror-in-training," Andrew Belmont, another fifth year and sitting one seat over, replied in a whisper. "Hasn't heard from him in the past couple of weeks."
"Maybe he's just been busy?"
By the look of Annie, they seriously doubted that she thought so.
Further down the table Frank was staring at Lily with a quizzical look on his face. She's sat down across from him and sunk as low as possible into her seat, guarding her expression behind a curtain of hair. The only visible parts of her were her bright red ears. He groaned; sometimes he forgot she was a 12-year-old girl. Not really sure how to deal with non-girlfriend related emotional problems he threw a biscuit at her and hoped that the ensuing battle would take her mind off whichever boy (it oscillated between Severus and James) had hurt her feelings this week.
x-x-x
It was before Christmas when Sirius began to notice that Remus had some sort of incident every month like clockwork. In September there was some problem with ministry paperwork (what with him being a half-blood) and he had to go home to sort it out. In October he got a bout of the flu and had to stay in the hospital wing overnight. In November and then December his mum was sick. She'd been sick an awful lot last year too.
Once a month he'd wager.
Sirius shared this strange observation with James and Peter the night before Christmas hols were to begin. Remus was the only one of the group going home. It would be perfect. They could do all the research they wanted without him knowing.
"It's his business," Peter protested, not looking forward to reading during his supposed holiday.
"And that makes it our business. As his friends," concluded Sirius.
They spent the next three days combing through every section of the library. They went to professor Vector and Monsieur Pomfrey separately asking about monthly ails. Neither was of any help.
All the while Lily Evans, the only other Gryffindor in their year that stayed at the castle, tried to make them include her but to no avail, especially with Snape coming as a package deal. Whatever was up with Remus they didn't want him in the loop, even if it meant forsaking Lily's admittedly very useful help.
x-x-x
It was decided that their only remaining option was the restricted section. And like many students before (and after) them they decided that the only way second years like them were going to be able to get their hands on a single book was to sneak in.
On Christmas Eve they snuck out of their beds, down the stairs to the common room. And careful not to wake the Fat Lady, they slipped out into the eerie darkness of the castle after curfew. Sirius led the way, carrying a lamp. It was after what seemed like hours of painstakingly looking around corners and muffling their footsteps-so much that they were almost dragging across the floor –they made it through the doors of the library.
Quietly as they could they crept up to the locked grate separating the restricted section from the rest. "How are we-?" Peter began but was shushed by Sirius, who pulled out a brass key. It unlocked with a quiet snikt.
"Where did you get that?" James exclaimed, only just remembering to keep his voice down.
"My cousin Andromeda married some bloke named Ted who might just be the coolest adult ever. He gave it to me and told me to make some mischief, and so I'm making mischief. He's right good for Andy I should think." Then he pushed open the grate. It made a horrible screeching noise that reverberated in the former silence of the library.
They all stood very very still. They had heard a squeak. They dared not even breathe.
Who knew how long they stood there, waiting for the quiet footsteps to grow closer. Whoever it was was between them and the exit. Closer, closer still-
Lily Evans tripped into view, rubbing her eyes, still in jeans and a jumper and clutching a book in her right hand. "Hallo," she said.
"Did you follow us here?!" demanded James, disbelieving.
She burned bright red to her ears, the way she did when she got angry. "Of course not! I fell asleep reading. What are you lot doing here at-" she glanced at her watch and her eyed bugged out. "2AM?! OH FUDGE OH F-" Peter reacted quickest, pressing a hand over her mouth to stifle the noise, but it was too late.
In the distance they heard Mrs. Norris' cane clatter against the floor and Filch's whining at her to slow down.
They ran.
Through the door and down the stairs, a hard left through a hallway to get to the great hall. Up the main staircase, another left towards Gryffindor tower. Four pairs of heavy footfalls barreled up up up three flights until Lily felt the horrible marble jaws of the trick step. The boys continued, not noticing their fallen comrade. They arrived at a row of abandoned classrooms, picked one and locked the door behind them.
"Where's Lily?" James whisper-yelled urgently.
Back on the stairs Lily sighed angrily and grunted while yanking on her leg to free it. "Come on comeon comeonecomeonecomeon!"
"Ms. Evans."
Why do these thinks always seem to happen to me?
Mrs. Norris was a tall, gangly old woman whose age could have ranged from 100 to 150. She walked with a limp, aided and abetted by her trusty cane and her trustier assistant caretaker; a young, but equally crotchety looking man named Filch.
"Out of bed are we?"
"Mrs. Norris! I! I um- well you see I-!"
"We'll see what your head of house has to say about this," and with a strength that disputed Mrs. Norris' supposed dependence on her cane she gripped Lily under the arms and pulled her right off her feet and out of the trick step. She set her down and moved her grip to her already blushing, burning ear. "Come along young lady. Argus! Stop lollygagging and follow."
"Oh fiddlesticks."
x-x-x
The second day back after Christmas Holidays Remus confronted his fellow Gryffindor as they were about to leave Defense class. The other boys were in no way ready to divulge what it is they were looking for in the restricted section but he knew a looser, less likely to lie convincingly, tongue he could interrogate.
James had not so much let slip, as ranted and raved about how Lily Evans had stupidly gotten caught after hours and demanding (without requiring or really wanting) an answer as to why she hadn't tattled on them. A guilty conscience, which James blamed his mother for, was plaguing him every time he even thought of her. It was apparently a frequent subject on his mind lately because he hadn't shut up about it since he'd gotten back to the castle.
"Lily, wait up with me for a second?" Her eyes widened in surprise when she glanced over her shoulder to see who was calling her name.
"Go on without me," she told Snape, who was narrowing his eyes at the other boy.
She rolled her eyes then smiled, "What's up?"
"About Christmas…"
"It was good, and yours?"
"No," he hesitated for a moment then continued, "I mean, the whole thing in the library. Do you know what they were looking for?"
"Oh," a dark look settled on her face, "I didn't ask, but honestly I'd like to know that myself. Why wouldn't they tell you?" She must have realized her tactlessness because she began waving her arms wildly around, making slashing motions, "No no! I mean, I'm sure it's nothing. I don't think they're intentionally excluding you or anything. I was just curious. I mean, you were gone! So it's probably nothing, oh crud. I am so so sorry, I didn't mean it that way or-!"
Remus, unaccustomed to her tirades, wasn't entirely sure how to stop it. "It-it's really ok Lily, I didn't take it that way. I swear."
Luckily, he was saved when Alice abruptly poked her head into the classroom, "Hiya, did you forget you were supposed to meet me like 10 minutes ago? I found my old notes for History of Magic if you want. Oh hey Lupin. Did I interrupt something?"
He tried to assure he that she hadn't but Lily was still mid-apology.
"Lily went loony didn't she?"
"Yeah."
"She does that. It's the whole nice girl thing. She can't handle insulting someone."
x-x-x
Sirius laid a hand on Lily's shoulder and the other over his heart. His voice contained so much emotion as he honored her, "You have served the cause well, Evans. Your steadfast lack of snitch-ery is greatly appreciated and your sacrifice will me remembered always." He took a deep, labored breath, "On behalf of the Marauders I salute you." He brought his fingers to his temple and with a stiff upper lip drew it away and stood at attention, waiting for the inevitable laughter.
"Oh…I …?" She blinked once, twice, three times. "I don't know what to say Sirius, that was really nice of you to say. Also, what are the marauders?"
"I've decided we needed a cool name. See James? She's not so bad!" He clapped the other boy on the back.
James blushed and stammered something unintelligible under his breath.
"It's not his fault that he's slower to mature than everyone else."
With a loud smack, James' hand met the back of Sirius' head.
x-x-x
"So, would you like to take part in a marauder's scheme? For real this time, of course."
Lily and Alice looked up from their History of Magic textbooks at Remus. "I'm not sure I want to be a part of it," she said.
She glanced at Alice who giggled and buried her nose back in her book, "Don't look at me, I want absolutely no part of this."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Did Black send you?"
"James actually," (A snort from Alice's direction), "I think this is the metaphorical 'olive branch'."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"What's wrong with Lily's face?" asked Frank a moment later as he sat down between them. "You know if you keep doing that it'll get stuck."
"That's just her face," Alice informed him with a sniff and a smirk, "She's torn between her rule abiding nature and how absolutely dreamy James is."
The subject of the couple's gossiping looked up, having finally heard them, gathered her things and flounced away. But not before thumping Alice on the head with a rolled up scroll of parchment.
x-x-x
Lily didn't know why she was awake, but now that she was she couldn't get back to sleep. With a sigh she got out of bed and stretched her arms high above her head. Then she heard that half remembered noise from her dream.
"Ooouuufff."
And then she heard it; grunts of pain and then "Sshhhhhh."
She opened the door and walked down the stairs in her nightdress. At the bottom of the stairs she found James and Peter lying in a heap at Remus and Sirius' feet. "Serves you right," Remus was saying.
"What-? Guys?"
"Lily!" James exclaimed from under Peter's thigh.
"SHH." She hissed automatically, making a face.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly, "Um, hi."
"What are you guys doing? You know that boys can't get up these stairs right? And it's like-" she glanced at her wristwatch, "2 am."
"Exactly," said Sirius, "prime time to spread a little havoc."
"There is absolutely no way that I will ever agree to help you! I'm tired, I want to sleep, you're going to get caught and somehow it'll end worst for me because that's apparently how things work now. I have learned my lesson." She huffed, "The answer is no."
x-x-x
The next morning, all the portraits in the entire castle had been rearranged. Those who used them to navigate took the wrong corridors and staircases, the portraits themselves shouted in alarm and exasperation.
And five Gryffindor students slept their way through breakfast and their first class.
x-x-x
When his best friend almost tipped her chair over in her haste to be seated in second period potions, Severus Snape knew trouble was afoot. Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew had traipsed in right behind her, without a care in the world.
"Where have you been?" he demanded of the out of breath Lily.
"I slept through breakfast. Any chance you remember how to transfigure anything into something edible?" she rummaged through her bag, looking for nourishment.
"Just rocks into really tasteless brussel sprouts."
"As opposed to the regular, delectable kind."
"I think it's their way of trying to make us eat healthier, because I'm pretty sure chocolate is easier."
"Don't let The Man keep you down Sev, flower power."
He chortled, thinking of Petunia this summer, decked out in her flower printed dresses, fringed vests and peace signed necklaces; talking about art, The Beatles, liberation and the Americans' war.
"I changed my mind," he declared imperiously, "I'm okay with brussel sprouts if it means I don't have to be a part of that."
"I don't know, it seems like we miss a lot of what goes on in the world when we're here."
"You mean what goes on in their world."
A/n: I'm not really sure where Hippie Petunia came from, but I kind of really like this headcanon. I haven't read much HP fics but it seems that she's the least developed character in most of them, while I find her fascinating.
PS: I really really want Lily and Lupin to have a bromance.
PPS: ToastWeaselofDoom asked me what I meant by Mcgonagall being James' aunt. I meant it in the Ted Moseby sort of way; like great friends with parents, raised seeing her as family. Thanks so much for your feedback by the way!
Please don't forget to leave a review to tell me what you think!
-Fiercy
