Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.
Authors note: So.....I haven't touched this story since......I don't even remember when. But I was on my fanfiction page and I saw this story and decided that I would read it again, just to see if it was any good, and I kind of liked this so I decided I would try to pick it up again. I don't really remember where I was originally going with this, but I have a few ideas as to where I can go with it now. I'd like to say thanks to the only person who reviewed my story Moonshine 369. Without you I don't think I would have the heart to finish. Anyway on to the story that I should have finished forever ago.
Chapter 3: Here we go again.....
Lily and Friends POV
Lily stormed back to her friends compartment with the map to the heads common room clutched in her hand. She couldn't believe it, and yet she should have seen this coming. She had completely forgotten about the separate common room that she read about in Hogwarts a History. But, it just couldn't be true. She had to share a common room with....with.....him.
"Hey Lily, back already? What's wrong now?" Claire looked at the frazzled Lily with concern. If this was how Lily was going to be after every meeting with the new head boy, this year was going to be very long indeed.
"This is what's wrong!" She shoved the map Dumbledore had given her in Claire's face and sat down in her seat next to the window. The country side zipped past and oddly enough seemed to calm her slightly. It's not the end of the world, just my world.
"What's this? A map to a room in Hogwarts? What's the big deal?" Claire was confused, but she didn't like where this was going. She had never even known this room on the parchment existed, but there had to be a reason why it had made Lily so upset. But Lily wasn't answering any questions. She just stared out the window and Claire could tell she was trying to calm herself down, which was good and it looked like she was making progress.
"Lily! What the heck is going on?!" Oh Jane, the always impatient one. Her and Alice had never been as in sync with Lily as Claire was, but she still should have learned by now not to yell at Lily when she was upset. Things never really ended well.
"What's going on? I'll tell you what's going on. I have to share a common room with that poor excuse for a head boy!"
"Yeah....so? You have been doing that for the past six years, why are you getting so upset about it now?"
"That can't be what she is talking about Alice. What else would explain the map?" Jane took the map from Claire and studied it. "Lily.....is this the heads common room?"
"Yes. That's where the two heads must live together. According to Dumbledore it increases proficiency." All of the progress Lily had made in calming herself was starting to go up in smoke as she recalled the conversation with Dumbledore. As much as she respected her head master, she couldn't help but wonder if the old man really was off his rocker. James Potter and Lily Evans living in close quarters together. Alone. Anyone who had known the two would understand why this was just insane.
"Live together? Isn't that a bit....inappropriate?"
"No Alice, the heads common room still has all the charms to prevent anything from happening, just like the Gryffindor common room."
"Um....yeah...Jane how did you know that? I thought I was the only one who has read Hogwarts a History."
"You are. It says so on the back of the map."
"Oh..right."
"So wait, you aren't going to be in our room anymore?" Claire couldn't believe it. Sure she would still have Alice and Jane, but her and Lily had been together since they were in diapers and she couldn't imagine anything different.
"Well I can come and visit every once in a while, but Dumbledore said he would prefer it if we stayed there as much as possible."
"So when you come by it will be just like a sleepover!"
"Um, Jane everyday is like a sleepover. We sleep in the same room every day."
"Which is exactly why that's not like a sleepover. We live together so it's not really a sleepover, but now Lily will be visiting so she will be coming to sleep over. Don't even think of questioning my logic Claire."
"Ha ha ha, ok ok I get it. I won't dare to question you again oh smart one." Claire half bowed down to Jane while trying to remember if any of the other past heads have had to stay in their common room. She couldn't remember the heads actually ever leaving since for the past few years there was always a representative from Gryffindor. She had even been friends with the head boy last year and she had never heard him talk about a separate common room. Dumbledore had to be up to something, but there was no way she was going to mention that to Lily. Meanwhile, Lily was looking over the map again trying to process all the information placed on her and seemed to be coming to terms with it. Whew! That's a relief.
"You know what, I am NOT going to let bloody Potter ruin my last year at Hogwarts. I'll still have you guys to keep me from going completely bonkers."
"Duh! Now come on, this is officially a Potter free zone. We are not allowed to speak of said Marauder. So.....did anyone else see how absolutely amazing Sirius Blacks hair looked?"
"JANE!" All three girls jumped on their friend and started laughing hysterically. There was no doubt about it these girls would be friends for life, no matter what incredibly handsome boy came between them.
Marauders POV
I'm sharing a room with Lily Evans. I'm sharing a room with Lily Evans. James walked back to his friends compartment in a daze. He couldn't believe it, he would essentially be living with Lily Evans. Sure he had basically been doing that for the past 6 years, but now it would be different. It would just be the two of them. Together. I'm sharing a room with Lily Evans........
"Hey James, what's up with that goofy smile?
"I'm sharing a room with Lily Evans."
"Whoa whoa whoa! What?! Sharing a room with Evans? Isn't that exactly what all those stupid charms that keep the boys out of the girls dormitories are trying to avoid?"
"That's not what he means Sirius, he's probably talking about the heads common room. They share a common room but each head get's their own bedroom. I think I remember reading something about it in Hogwarts a History."
"Yeah, what Remus said. But I'm still sharing a room with Lily Evans."
"But how are we going to plan pranks if you are off wooing your lady!?"
"We can still plan pranks Sirius. I'm not going to be with her ALL the time. She'd kill me first."
"But James, if you really want Lily to start liking you don't you think it's time to mature a little and stop playing pranks?"
"Stop playing pranks? Remus you can't be serious! That would just be.....horrible! We wouldn't be the Marauders without pranks! Right James? James? I don't like that face. That's your thinking face. There is nothing to think about what are you doing?"
"Sorry Sirius, but Remus is right. Lily hates it when I play pranks."
"You can't do this! Prankless Marauders! That's just not right!"
"He has a point Remus. I love playing pranks. But I love Lily too. Isn't there a way to have both?"
"Well, if she really is going to like YOU then the pranks kind of come along with it don't they. Well then I guess you should just not do as many, or as extreme as they used to be."
"That will work. Hopefully."
"You know Prongs, if I didn't know how much you cared about this girl then there would be no way I'd let her come in between us and our pranks." Sirius knew his best friend really and truly cared about said Miss Evans, and even though she was a bit to goody-goody for his liking, she really wasn't a bad girl. She was pretty and smart and from what he had heard from their mutual friend Claire she was actually a fun person to be around. And, also according to their mutual friend, she really didn't hate James all that much, she was just stubborn. But Claire only knew that because she knew Lily so well. Sirius had to take her word for it because from what he could tell, Lily hated James with a passion.
"Thanks Padfoot. Don't worry, everything will work out."
"Yeah it better. Now can we not talk about Evans now."
"Sure, what do you want to talk about?"
"How about how fabulous my hair looks today."
"SIRIUS!"
Lily and Friends/ Marauders POV
There was no feeling better than the drowsiness after the welcome back feast at Hogwarts. Lily could never get over the beauty of her school at night. The glow from the floating candles, the ceiling bewitched to look like the night sky, and the delicious food that magically appeared on the plates in front of them always made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It made her feel like she was finally home. But the initial comfort never lasted too long. Not as long as the Marauders were enrolled. Lily decided to sneak a peek over at said Marauders and found them hunched over there food huddled together, probably planning something. Great. What are they up too?
"Can we never have a nice quiet welcome back feast without those boys ruining everything?"
"What happened to ' I am NOT going to let bloody Potter ruin my last year at Hogwarts.'? Besides it doesn't even matter. They just add a bit more entertainment."
"Entertainment? Claire, they could hurt someone!"
"They never do Lily. They may slightly embarrass people on occasion, but unless said people are Slytherins they always end up laughing in the end. They are careful not to pull pranks on someone who can't take it Lily."
"Right, and that prank they played on Severus was careful." Severus Snape had once been one of Lily's good friends, but it seemed like the constant company of the muggle born hating Slytherins had had an effect on him and he had turned against her and called her a mud blood, a term for muggle borns that those high and mighty pure blood wizards used to degrade them. Lily would have handled the situation herself, except Potter and the rest of the bloody Marauders had overheard and took it upon themselves to defend her. Lily had never seen Potter so angry, or seen Severus so humiliated.
"You cannot defend that low life, he deserved it Lily! He's not the same kid we were friends with before Hogwarts. When are you going to accept that?" Claire had also been friends with Snape when they were younger, although she never really trusted or liked him as much as Lily had seemed to. Deep down she had always know he wasn't any good, and he had proved her right the moment he became a typical Slytherin.
"I could have handled that myself, they didn't have to step in and handle it for me. No one deserves to be humiliated like that." Severus had hurt Lily. Badly. But that still didn't justify that prank.
"Oh come on Lily....." But Claire never got to finish. She started to hear a quite humming noise that seemed to be getting louder. Throughout the Great Hall other students were starting to notice the noise to and eventually every head was turned in the direction of the sound. It was coming from outside the doors of the Great Hall, and was getting closer. Oh no. Here we go again.
Suddenly the doors burst open and about 20 different kinds of fireworks lit up the Great Hall. Panic filled the room as some students ducked under the tables (mostly first years who had no idea that this could be considered normal) while others screamed with either fear or excitement. The Marauders had jumped onto the table and started to direct the fireworks like they were directing an orchestra. The fireworks zoomed and zipped, diving and spiraling all around the Great Hall perfectly in sync and actually quite beautiful. James glanced over at Lily to see just how mad she was and what he saw nearly knocked him off the table. Lily wasn't mad. In fact, she was smiling as she watched the fireworks zoom past. Hmmm, this year might be easier than I thought. And with that James went back to directing the fireworks, now with even more grace and excitement making the firework display even more breathtaking. Finally the display came to an end with a final bang as the fireworks merged together creating the Hogwarts emblem right above the professors table. Speaking of professors.......James could tell that certain professors (McGonagall especially) did not seem to be impressed by the fireworks display and looked like they were about to blow up into many different colors as well. But, thank goodness for the Headmasters brilliant sense of humor.
"Well my dear Marauders, it looks like we are off to another entertaining year. I'm sure the rest of the staff would like an explanation for this little show."
"Well Professor Dumbledore, we thought that since this will be our final year at this magnificent school we thought we would start the year with a bang and what better way to do that than with fireworks."
"Well Mr. Black it seems like you have succeeded. And with that I guess now would be as good a time as any to dismiss everyone off to their respected common rooms. First years, just follow your houses respected Prefects and they will show you the way to your common rooms. Good night everyone. Sleep well, tomorrow should be an exciting day." And with that the students got up and started filing out of the Great Hall, the first years with looks of amazement, dread, and exhaustion all mixed into one. James, feeling rather proud of himself, sauntered over toward Lily and her friends. Unfortunately, it seemed like the cheerful Lily he had seen during the prank had left leaving the frustrated and angry Lily here for him to deal with.
"Well Miss Evans, how did you like the show?" Lily turned to face him slowly with a look of pure disgust. Uh oh. Here we go again.
"How did I like the show? Really? You aren't even head boy for a day and you are already making a mess of things! You're unbelievable." And with that Lily stormed off to her common room. Unfortunately (for both of them) James was forced to follow her.
"Lily, It was just a harmless fireworks show."
"Yeah I know you wanted to 'start the year off with a bang'." They had made it to the entrance of the common room, a painting of Romeo and Juliet. Lily told them the password (Fidelis Amor) and stormed in. She was so angry she wasn't even paying attention to the room itself. James was too busy trying to pick up the pieces.
"Lily. Lily! I'm sorry I thought you were enjoying it. I saw you smiling."
"You think I enjoyed it? Are you kidding? Someone could have gotten hurt."
"How could anyone have gotten hurt? We had those fireworks under control."
"Well.....you could have lost control of them and it could have hit someone." This answer was a lame one and Lily knew it. The truth was she really had enjoyed the prank. The show was actually quite breathtaking and it was an excellent display of the boys magical abilities as much as she didn't want to admit it. And as far as Potter was concerned, she wasn't going to.
"Yeah whatever Evans, you could also loosen up and have fun for once!"
"I'm sorry if my way of having fun does not involve potentially hurting people. Now if you'll excuse me." Lily stormed off angrily to her room leaving James alone in the common room hurt and confused. This was not the kind of bang he'd been hoping to start the year off with.
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Authors note: Again I'd just like to say I'm sorry about the incredibly long delay and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Read and Review!!!