AN/ hullo so this is it here we are at the beginning. I'm excited and anxious and I kind of have to pee so there's that. I apologize since this doesn't include the stereotypical James and Lily story plot line. I refuse to do that. I also refuse to hate on Peter. I can't do it; I hate what he did but I don't hate him. So there's that.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but some records and a hope that I don't fail math
The Stars and the Moon
Or
"Tired"
What three boys weren't prepared for this year was a war. What one boy had already known about was a war. What two girls were scared was going to happen was a war. What two girls knew was going to happen was a war. But that's in years to come for right now these eight sixth years are bound in the safety of the walls at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though even under the watchful eye of the headmaster, an evil darkness seeped in. But more on that later. Because right now a new year is beginning and with it the usual expectations and maybe something more.
She was perfect. She was nice. She was smart. She didn't fight with him and she didn't pretend. She didn't dream.
Absolutely perfect.
James Potter watched the petite- but in no way weak- Ravenclaw flounce over to her table where she was greeted by a clash of bronze and blue.
She was perfect but not for him.
He looked back to where his mates were and prepared himself for a new year.
"Well you're still with that bird?" asked Sirius Black, "I thought you were only with her because of-" He shut up once he saw the scowl his best mate wore. James took a seat with his fellow Marauders.
The Marauders with their clever antics and impressive pranks, are comprised of four boys of seventeen. Remus Lupin, a tall sandy-haired bookworm. Though to the Marauders he's Moony for a whole other set of characteristics. Peter Pettigrew, a short blonde with a tad of accident prone, he earned the name of Wormtail. The effortlessly elegant, in every sense of the word, Sirius Black, whose loyalty branded him as Padfoot. Their fearless, and stubbornly so, leader with his hair askew and square glasses, you could say he gained his name, Prongs, for other traits. His name is James Potter.
What his three mates don't know is that James had received news that made him almost miss the train and take a carriage up with his girlfriend rather than his friends. No they knew none of this, but they know James. Something was wrong but they know better than to ask, so they sat and watched the first years be sorted into their respected houses.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat cried and the final first year- a small pig-tailed, freckled girl- stumbled over to her new home.
Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and the Great Hall fell into uneasy silence. Everyone was on edge waiting to hear what he had to say about the darkness that was resting at the back of everyone's minds. "Students," the Headmaster began, "welcome to another year of schooling. The road ahead is unclear and clouded from the sight of all but here you have a chance. A few reminders: the forbidden forest is out of bounds and if anyone sees a small green fluffy ball please contact me I have seemed to misplaced it." He smiled like he was sharing an inside-joke but only himself was in on it. "A word to the wise: good luck. Let the feast begin." With a dramatic clap of his spindly hands the feast appeared.
Sirius muttered something along the lines of, "Mad hatter," before grabbing a large piece of chicken. Remus wasn't eating; it hadn't gone unnoticed. The full moon was only a night away and while the Marauders' typical nightly escapade was something of a regular occurrence, it still set them all on edge.
As the food was cleared and all stomachs were filled the Prefects began to guide the students up to their common rooms while the upperclassmen gathered the password and filed quickly up to their dormitories. James Potter couldn't help himself but to seek out the familiar locks of red hair that belonged to Ms. Evans. He had prided himself on forgetting her and moving on; he got a girlfriend, a witty Ravenclaw by the name of Monica Partly; he forbade himself to even say her name (he also forbade his mates from this action); and he focused on Quidditch and his Transfiguration homework. He had nearly forgotten- as he claimed- the feisty red head. Nearly.
"Evans!" Nearly. "Oi! Evans!"
She spun around, hair flying and green eyes sparkling, "Potter?" The regular annoyance in her tone didn't go unnoticed rather ignored.
He couldn't help himself, his signature smirk played across his lips and he ran a hand through his already unkempt hair. "Good Holliday?"
Eyes rolling she turned back to the first years and Remus, and began, again, the assent to Gryffindor Tower. The path upward was twisting, turning, and ever changing. Upon arrival the passage inside was blocked by a portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress, humming pompously. "Password?" Her tone was stiff and prim. "Corntoads," Lily replied and the portrait swung open to reveal a cozy room of red and gold with warm fires and cushy armchairs. The first years gawked in awe while the rest crammed in and lounged around. Others ran up the spiral staircases to go unpack and rest up for the start of term. Around this time is when Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black crowded James, practically dragging him to their dormitory.
The door was shut and locked. The four boys looked at each other in turn before any of them spoke. "What's happened?" the quiet voice of Peter rang true, as they stared down James. He didn't look any of them in the eye, he couldn't, he wouldn't. It was Sirius's turn, "Mate is- is it true?"
As Sirius Black stayed with the Potters this summer he learned quite a bit about the dangerous job James's father held and while Sirius hadn't been present at the time the news arrived, he had noticed something was wrong when he arrived after his outing.
With one last solemn look at the floor James, finally answered, "He- he's been given a leave. The ministry is worried about the last set of threats and how- how it seemed like-" But James didn't need to finish; they all knew about the threats sent by You-Know-Who and how he's been trying to recruit purebloods and how the Potters are a powerful and prominent family. James lied down on his four poster bed with his hands behind his head. He was indeed restless and thus couldn't just lay there when his mind wouldn't quiet. "It's the beginning of the year."
"Really I didn't notice," Remus replied dryly. But Sirius had already caught on. "You think we should start it now- Pete get the cloak and map- we have work to do." The mischievous glint lit up the Marauder's eyes, and the rest finally caught on.
"A tradition is a tradition," James spoke in a sage voice, knowing full well what was about to commence was anything but wise.
Lily Evans had two problems that constantly took refuge in her head. Two problems she could not easily forget. These problems were: Severus Snape and James Potter. Two questions that answers could never be found. Lily had succeeded quite well in avoiding both of them and luckily had continued to elude Severus. Sadly it was quite a different outcome with the other.
"Evans!" An annoyingly familiar voice called out, she walked faster, "Oi! Evans!"
She knew she had to turn around as she could hear the snickers from the fifth years. Bunch of gossiping and annoying twits. She spun around ready for him to fall into his similar routine: smirk, mess with hair, ask her out. But only two out of three occurred and he asked a generically friendly question. It was wrong, all wrong. Puzzled- though she didn't let it show- she went back to Remus without a word.
When they had reached the tower, Lily ran up to the dormitory where she had hoped to find her missing friends. Instead she found one of her other roommates, a girl named Caitlyn.
Caitlyn was pretty, in a blonde and blue-eyed, sense of the word. She had a quiet disposition and was overshadowed by her close friends in Hufflepuff.
"Hello Caitlyn. Break good?" Lily asked kindly.
"Hmm? Oh, yes had a lovely time in the country," the girl replied in a dreamy voice. Lily was just going to reply when in stumbled Mary and Marleen, who of which Lily had been in search of.
"Oh Lily you'll never believe what just happened," cooed Mary, "Dylan Thorton just asked me to Hogsmeade- whenever our first trip is- isn't it brill?"
Lily simply nodded her head. She was quite used to Mary's fawnings over a bloke- or more regularly blokes- and knew to just let her continue till Mary needed to breathe. "He's so handsome and a Ravenclaw." She continued.
Marleen rolled her eyes, "What does him being a Ravenclaw have to do with anything?"
"It has to do with everything."
Mary flounced down onto her four poster while Marleen sat at the vanity and brushed her hair. "So Lily-dear, has James asked you out yet? We've been at school for about two hours, I would've expected at least three by now." Marleen smirked.
Mary grinned, "Oh no, more like ten."
"Actually when he called me out, he didn't ask me out he was being- well he was being," Lily thought for a moment, "pleasant."
"James Potter being anything less than a prat? Call the Daily Prophet!"
They all laughed at this.
Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad.
Hidden under the invisibility cloak James and Sirius went about the wand work of their start of term prank while Remus and Peter prepped the Great Hall. It would be a great prank and one that would annoy Filch. Mrs. Norris slipped into the small corridor outside of the Entrance Hall. Sirius and James quickly threw the cloak around their exposed arms and wands but not before a loud meow escape the despicable cat. Mrs. Norris ran out of the corridor quickly, no don't to find Filch.
"Bloody cat," James muttered under his breath. They quickly finished the enchantments needed and began to go back up to the common room, planning to meet Remus and Peter there. What they met instead was completely unexpected.
Lily Evans sat on the window seat starring dreamily out the window to where the moon glowed and the stars shined.
The red-headed Prefect couldn't sleep as was usual with the start of term. With all her usual expectations and nervous thoughts running amuck in her head she would have never be able to sleep. The window seat in the common room had the best view of the starry night sky. With one last glance around at her sleeping roommates, she sneaked down to the warm, inviting and graciously empty common room. The stone wall against her back was cold and the stars winked in and out of existence. While reading about the great Sorcerer and famous muggle Astronomer, Galileo, Lily had studied a quote of his till it was engraved in her mind. "I've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
Lily knew that stars were just balls of fire that could be charted and mapped and changed in accordance to the moon and earth's position to the sun. But a part of her- larger than she'd ever be willing to admit- still believed that they were more than that. They were something worth watching and were something of great patience; for while she watched them they stared right back predicting her dreams and their ends.
Her revive was broken when the portrait door swung open and in stepped nothing. Curious Lily got up from her perch and glided over to the hole. "Is someone there? Hello?" she called of timidly.
No reply.
She stretched out her hand to where she thought the premonition was from. She didn't hit anything but something did bump into a table nearby only raising her curiosity more. The Prefect followed the direction the apparition had created noise from last. The sound disappeared up a set of stairs, and Lily was left in bewilderment. She rubbed her eyes chalking it up to either tiredness or one of the ghosts. Shaking her head she walks back to the window seat and pulls her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them.
The sky was a dark blue that night and let the darkness shadow the grounds of Hogwarts. While the darkness hid the ground far below, moon and starlight seeped into the large window, giving Lily's skin a blueish tint. The fires were slowly dimming letting the starry night be the main source of light.
"Evans?" A voice spoke from a bit away and while it was voiced as a question the tone suggested it to be more of a statement. Glancing her eyes away from the infinite wonder she turned to see who might have called to her at this time of night.
"Oh hello," she wanted him to go away.
"Um why are you- why are you out here this late?" he wanted to wait for his two friends to arrive.
They both wanted to be alone. James should have left her alone. Lily should have just gone upstairs. But he hardly did what he should, and she was there first. So the inevitable must occur at some point. "Do you need something, Potter?" the annoyance in her voice was obvious.
"Need? Well I don't really need much of anything right now," the grin was as evident in his tone as it was on his face.
"Then is there a reason you must bother me?" the rolling of her eyes was implied even if she didn't physically do it.
"Because it's great fun," he just loves to fire her up.
"Can you be any more of a nuisance?" she didn't disappoint.
"Well," he walked in his ever casual gait, closer to her, "I could certainly try." His signature smirk featured on his lips while the moonlight caught his spectacles and made his hazel eyes sparkle with amusement. Her eyes hardened with anger and irritation. The way her hair was effortlessly wavy and the dreamy gaze hadn't completely escaped her, didn't go unnoticed by James.
I have a girlfriend, he thought.
To save him- though it was more a source of luck- in walked Remus and Peter. For what it was worth the two were chased down many halls and floors till they had finally lost their trail of Filch. They just wanted to sleep. "Come on James," Remus gritted, "leave her in peace for once and let us go to sleep."
James- for once in his life- did what he was told and went up to the sixth year dormitory but not before one last glance over his shoulder to see the redhead staring out the window once more.
In the dormitory they found Padfoot half-asleep waiting for them. They didn't speak just went about getting ready for bed. They didn't need to voice their thoughts, for once they were louder than words.
Once again- like it has so many times before- a new year at Hogwarts starts. With it the usual hopes and expectations and worries. With it another set of eager students. This year- quite unlike the ones before it- brings the tide of something new. But as many have already learned new is not always good. So the stars shine over the school that first night, dying and being born in a place so far away. And thus our story begins.
AN/ okay so that the first chapter. I really only liked the poetic bits and the Daily Prophet piece. This took a lot of starting then stopping then restarting. Please review and tell me what you think about James having a girlfriend, Monica.
Reviews are fabulous.
Cheers,
Lotus Jade
