Chapter Four
Mischief Managed
"I still cannot believe that boy!" Lily was close to crying in indignation as she sat opposite a rumpled-looking Severus.
"You should be used to it by now," Severus sneered, large nostrils curling in disgust. Lily sighed huffily. "I just don't see how someone could be such a downright prat!"
Lily had hurriedly changed into her school robes while she'd still been on the train, and while Severus had remained thankfully Stunned. She had then waited patiently for her friend to awaken, since she did not know how to bring people out of unconsciousness yet and she couldn't possibly ask an older student to do it for her because:
a) Fellow Gryffindors would be highly suspicious of having to help a slumbering Slytherin without a valid reason.
b) Although she attempted not to have a prejudice against Slytherins unlike most of her classmates, she just didn't have it in her to ask an older Slytherin for help (and she doubted that the Slytherin would oblige anyway).
c) Anyone who did help would be bound to tell either the Head Boy or Girl, as it isn't everyday that boys are unconscious from Stunning spells on the train journey; it's usually back at school where most problems occur. Especially in the case of the Head Girl, discovering what had happened to Severus was not desirable.
So all in all, Lily Evans was in an irritable mood when Severus finally opened his eyes.
Rather grumpy after disembarking the train packed with shoving Third Years, Lily didn't even have it in her to search for the friendly groundskeeper, Hagrid, to say hello, like she usually did. Nonetheless, the unmistakeable cries of "Firs' Years, Firs' Years!" rang through the cold night air. I'll visit him sometime this week, she promised herself. The thought gave her a small smile. Some things never changed.
Having had to perform her new Prefect duties of rounding up all of the younger students, making sure everyone had spaces in the horseless carriages, Lily and a tagging-along Severus had been forced to share a carriage with a loud group of Gryffindor Second Year boys, much to their delight. As the carriage rattled along, jolting the students every now and then, the sky turned an ominous inky colour, the Second Years' voices grew steadily louder, and Lily and Severus's attitudes on life in general grew steadily darker.
"People like Potter shouldn't be allowed to attend schools where there are other live children," Lily was muttering, her rant growing as Severus's eager black eyes latched onto her angry face. "Who knows what creatures like him and his cronies are even capable of? I mean, I won't deny that they're bright, which is strange considering - "
"Bright?" Severus started, his voice incredulous. Lily scowled at him for interrupting her raving, which had actually been making her feel better. "How can you say that they're bright when they act like animals?"
Lily blew out air through her mouth in exasperation. "What I meant to say is that although they're bright, they use their talents in the wrong ways, for instance creating the most hideous hexes when they could actually be doing something more useful!" Her voice had risen to a point where the chattering Second Years became momentarily silent, staring at her as if she were odd. Lily glared back at them threateningly until they quickly resumed their chatting.
"Potter and his friends couldn't manage to do something useful even if they tried," Severus snarled. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who is as conceited and insufferable in my life."
Lily frowned slightly. "Hang on there, Sev," she began as Severus watched her warily. "What about the kind of people you've been spending time with? Aren't they just as bad, if not worse?"
Severus was silent as Lily scrutinised him. "You don't know what you're talking about." he bit back rather viciously.
Lily flinched. "Explain why your friends landed a First Year girl in hospital, then." she said, her tone suddenly cold.
More silence. Lily studied Severus for a few minutes, waiting for him to speak, but it seemed that he had no plausible comeback. "Well." she frowned, continuing to look at Severus, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. "I may detest Potter, but I'm afraid to say that I can't imagine him and Black hurting a little girl. To be frank, the very thought is disgusting."
Severus's head snapped up at her words, eyes burning. "What's your problem with me having other friends?"
Lily blinked, clearly shocked and upset by Severus's hostile reaction. "I just don't see why you choose to spend your time with people like that." she said quietly, lowering her eyes.
Severus watched wistfully as Lily's long lashes brushed against her pale cheek. His heart plummeted; he immediately felt guilty. He thought about reaching out and lifting her chin, but that thought quickly vanished as soon as it appeared. Severus sighed, slumping back against his seat, feeling as if something heavy was pressing his shoulders down.
"You never wrote back."
Lily's voice lilted back into his spiralling thoughts. "Or came around." She finally looked up at her friend, green eyes blazing. "You live just around the corner, Sev." Her tone was a little accusing.
This time it was Severus who looked away, feeling uneasy, as he always did when he was forced to discuss his family. "My father…"
"Again?" Lily's voice was immediately understanding. She reached out and held Severus's hand, empathetic. He jumped a little at the contact, his sallow skin tingling where her smooth hand fit into his. Lily didn't seem to notice Severus's reaction, as she continued talking softly, since she didn't need an answer from him.
"I was stuck with Petunia all summer." Severus made a face at the mention of her sister. Lily's voice turned bitter as her eyes drifted. "But I don't suppose my summer was worse than yours."
Severus winced, though he tried to remain impassive. "I'll soon be out of there." Lily gave her friend a reassuring smile.
In a sudden bout of anger, Severus lashed out, kicking in front of him. Unfortunately he hit the knee of one of the Second Years, who turned to scowl at him, face set. "Watch where you put your feet, Snivellus." It seemed that almost every Gryffindor knew of Severus's ridiculous nickname. The boy's friends snickered unkindly. "Why are you sitting with Gryffindors, anyway? Don't you have any mates in your own House?"
Lily was aghast at the young Second Year's over-confident, rude attitude, making her think instantly of James Potter, again. Why does that deranged boy keep popping up in my head? she thought, irritated at herself. The boy was grinning, as if he'd just said something extremely witty. He was quite big for a Second Year, as Lily thought about it. She opened her mouth, about to sort out the situation, but Severus got to it first.
"I'm friends with Mulciber and Avery, so you had better watch your mouth."
The Second Year shut up abruptly at Severus's mention of his friends, turning and whispering feverishly to his mates, who kept shooting Severus mutinous glares.
Lily looked at her friend, her mouth slightly open. "Sev! You can't threaten anyone, especially since it was you who kicked him!"
Severus gave her a defensive look. "Why are you standing up for him? I'm the one who's your friend!"
Now I know how Remus feels, Lily groaned internally. Being a Prefect isn't turning into anything good. Most of her thoughts had been rather morbid lately.
The carriage gave a final jolt, causing a flustered Lily to nearly land in the Second Year's lap. The boy winked at her as his friends' laughter rang through the crowded room. Lily snootily turned her nose upwards, looking down at the rowdy Second Year. "Respect for your elders, please." She saw the boy eye her Prefect badge warily.
"Can't respect him," the Second Year turned on a glowering Severus. "He kicked me!"
"Oh don't be so immature," Lily found herself snapping. "That was an obvious accident."
The boy was silenced with the look on Lily's face, though his eyes burned as he glared at Severus, who was now smirking. Lily rolled her eyes. Boys.
So it was to no one's surprise that Lily was the first person out of the stuffy carriage.
As a herd of energetic students rushed past her, Lily stood still, a statue alone in a busy market square. She raised her shining eyes to the heavens, before plop! A droplet of water had landed in her eye. She wiped it away, frustrated.
"Lily?"
She felt certain that she was about to scream at whoever dared speak to her. Honestly, she had heard more than enough 'Lily?'s for one day. Whoever she spoke to, things seemed to turn around and bite her. She spun around, about to embark on a rant about 'disturbing a Prefect's piece of mind' (what was the point of being a Prefect if you couldn't have a little fun with the authority?) when she saw that it was Severus standing right behind her, another statue, gazing at her with concern. Lily realised that it must have looked like she had been crying. She laughed, the musical sound filling Severus's ears. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Sev."
And then it started to rain.
Lil groaned out loud. "For the love of Merlin!"
"Wouldn't you much prefer the love of Potter, Evans?"
Lily clicked her neck as she turned to spot James Potter stalking past her, grinning from ear-to-ear. She scowled, feeling her temperature rise despite the pouring cold rain. "I'd much prefer the love of - " She quickly scanned the crowds to see who she could mention that would really annoy Potter. "…Remus."
James quickly composed his horrified expression as Sirius dragged him along by his robes, a timid-looking Remus trailing behind them. Remus shot Lily a desperate look, which she didn't quite comprehend, before disappearing into the growing throng leading to the entrance of Hogwarts.
Now whose knickers are in a twist? Lily thought smugly, though she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at the look on Remus's face. She shook her head, wet hair hanging in front of her face, before dragging Severus along by his robes towards the dry castle, much the same as Sirius had done to a gaping James.
Entering the Great Hall sopping wet, Lily sighed with relief at the sight of the thousands of candles floating above the four House tables. It immediately filled her with a warmth she couldn't explain. Well, apart from the obvious fact that I'm sopping wet. However, the warmth was rapidly replaced with a slight chill as she remembered that she couldn't sit with her only true friend, as it always had been. She mumbled "Later," to Severus, who was looking at her with a hurt expression. What is everyone's problem today? Sighing, she rushed off to make sure that all of the students were seated. Merlin, I feel like a mother, she thought, grumbling. Perhaps this job would be much more suited to the likes of strictly-rule-abiding Mary MacDonald. She suddenly smiled, remembering that it was her, after all, who had the badge, not snotty, stuck-up Mary, who seemed to remind her of Petunia, for obvious reasons.
In fact, she spotted Mary as she was pointing a couple of Third Year girls to an empty space. The swot was scowling at her with resentment whilst gazing longingly at Lily's shiny Prefect badge. Another memory struck Lily as she remembered the look of longing in Petunia's eyes when Lily had shown her the daisy...
"Look what I can do, Tuney!"
Lily ground her teeth together. Honestly, it's not going to get you anywhere if you keep pining about the past-Petunia, she scolded herself. She took to smiling sweetly at a bewildered Mary, restraining herself from giving a coy little finger-wave. Now that would be taking it too far.
Lily sat down next to a bubbling Hestia, who was jabbering to a politely listening Alice Prewett. Alice caught Lily's eye and smiled knowingly, as if to say that Hestia Jones. Alice was probably one of the only remotely normal people in Lily's dorm, between snotty Mary and bouncing Hestia. Lily liked Alice, although Alice was more than often in a world of her own. She loved to constantly sketch and doodle, and was pretty good at it, too. Her class notes were usually in a bit of a jumble, as nearly every space had been filled with a drawing of some sort. Whenever Lily borrowed Alice's notes, they were therefore quite tricky to decipher. She didn't know how Alice did it.
To Lily, life was much simpler if everything surrounding her was meticulously clean and in order. It was almost a habit, the way she organised her notes and tidied her belongings without complaint, enjoying herself in the process. Most of her dorm mates, as in Hestia and Alice, thought it was strange, but Lily would reply with a small shrug, saying "A clean room is a clean mind", something her mother had always repeated to her when she was a child.
Mary, to no one's surprise, was only similar to Lily in the way that she too was very organised. The difference between Lily and Mary was that whereas Lily let the other two girls do as they pleased when it came to tidying, Mary would stick her nose into everyone's business, shrieking "Hestia, get your clothes off of the bathroom floor, and Alice, will you pick up your drawings!"
Lily chuckled, and saw Alice and Hestia looking at her with slight concern. She shook her head at them, turning towards the platform in front of the teachers' table, where Professor McGonagall was swiftly walking forward, carrying a stool and an old, very familiar hat.
The Sorting seemed to go by very quickly, and Lily found her eyes wondering absently further down the table to where James Potter and co where sitting. Every single one of them seemed to be talking in low voices; Sirius and James looking extremely excited, Remus looking somewhat grim. Lily frowned. She had often wondered why Remus chose to be friends with Potter and Black, of all people. She supposed he did have to share a dorm with them, yet she thought that perhaps, and the thought scared her, the rowdy twosome sometimes took advantage of the quiet Remus. She shuddered; she would make sure Remus was alright after supper.
Lily looked up from her swirling thoughts, realising that the Sorting had ended, and that the Headmaster of Hogwarts was standing.
Albus Dumbledore wore robes of deep purple, much similar to the colour of the stormy sky above reflected in the raining magical ceiling. He smiled down at his students benignly, patiently waiting for silence. He need not have talked; his penetrating gaze seemed enough to keep the students in order. A hush fell over the school as every head turned towards Professor Dumbledore. The Headmaster's keen blue eyes roved over the children, and it seemed to Lily that his eyes met every student, giving her the distinct feeling of being x-rayed. She felt Dumbledore's eyes meet hers for a second, and saw them twinkle. Before she could make anything of this, the moment was gone, and the Headmaster was looking ahead as if their eyes had never met.
As Professor Dumbledore began his familiar start-of-the-year speech, Lily felt her mind wandering, which was unusual. This school year's start had her feeling detached from everyone else, when she would normally be bouncing in enthusiasm at being back, listening with rapt attention to Dumbledore's every word.
"And now, let us feast, for I am sure that is the only thing on your minds at this very second!" Professor Dumbledore chuckled, and with a mighty wave of his hands appeared the delicious food they had all been awaiting, as he had so correctly predicted.
Lily ate monotonously, listening with a dull detachment to the surrounding chatter. She found herself wondering if this year, there would be only four girls in their dorm, instead of five? Would the fifth bed remain empty, haunting the girls until they finished their time at Hogwarts?
"Can I talk to you, quickly?"
Lily nearly choked on her broccoli as she turned to meet sad olive eyes. "Remus," she managed to sputter with some dignity. Thank you for dragging me out of my depressing thoughts, she wanted to say, but wisely kept her mouth shut. The boy stood behind her, awkwardly shifting from foot-to-foot, as if he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be there. Lily glanced towards Potter - he was laughing uproariously at Black, who was shovelling chicken down his throat at inhuman speed. Lily felt slightly nauseous. She resolutely turned her back on the animals, facing an unsettled Remus. "How may I be of assistance, Prefect?" she said cheekily, attempting to lighten his mood. It didn't work.
"Why did you say that you'd prefer my love?" His words came out in a jumbled rush. Lily blinked.
"Oh," She'd nearly forgotten that by now. "I just wanted to irritate Potter," She looked up into Remus's eyes, sincere. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. You're a great person." She had meant to say friend, before realising that she hadn't actually known him for that long. "I mean," She shook her head; she was muddling this all up. "I want us to be friends." Lily gave Remus an earnest smile.
Remus let out a breath that Lily hadn't realised he'd been holding. He seemed relieved; though just a little. "Listen," he began, rather urgent. Lily frowned. "I know that you and James have your differences - "
Lily let out a hollow laugh. "Certainly,"
Remus ploughed on, serious. "Just - please don't mention me around him, I mean, that you like me, or anything. It gets really complicated."
Lily's frown deepened. "I don't understand?"
Remus sighed. "I don't blame you," he muttered.
"Remus," Lily had suddenly remembered an earlier worry. He considered her warily. "Do Potter and Black - I mean, do they take advantage of you?" she blurted out.
This time it was Remus's turn to frown. "What?" This was clearly the last thing he expected her to say. To Lily's surprise, he let out a laugh. "Certainly not. They're the best mates I could ask for," She saw his gaze shift to James and Sirius, who were now making their asparaguses levitate above Mary MacDonald's unsuspecting head, attempting to laugh silently (without much success). "Honest."
Lily studied him for a second loner, noting his fond smile as he considered his friends. And it was in that second that she finally decided to believe him, reluctant as she was.
"And Severus - " she suddenly started, determined to get something more out of this rather odd conversation, but Remus silenced her with a look. He jerked his head towards Potter and Black, whose asparaguses had managed to get themselves tangled in a fuming Mary's plait.
"Later," he grinned at her, visibly more relaxed, before practically jogging off to join his friends. Lily smiled as she realised she had said the exact same thing to Severus.
She turned back to her food, only to realise that the main course had been replaced with pudding. She shrugged, about to reach for some fudge, when she felt another gaze upon her.
"Why were you talking to Remus Lupin?"
Lily found Hestia and Alice looking at her with interest. She turned back to take her fudge, at ease. "Why not?"
Hestia and Alice exchanged a knowing look. Lily hated it when they did that. She found herself realising that she actually much preferred the company of boys, who were the simpler species. Girls were just too interchangeable. Look at Petunia…
"I mean, I suppose he's good-looking, in a lost-puppy sort of way," Hestia had been babbling. Lily blinked. How do I always manage to successfully zonk out whenever Hestia is yabbering? "But, well, isn't he a little… odd?"
Lily was pretty close to giving Hestia an eye-roll. "Define 'odd'." She had an idea of what Hestia was going to say, yet she felt like listening to the girl grapple for answers herself.
"Well, he's always been off-colour, wouldn't you say? And he never talks," Hestia looked aghast at this. Yes, what a frightening concept for you to grasp, Hestia, Lily thought wryly. "And he's so pale - "
"I'm pale," Lily interjected, pretending to look hurt. She couldn't help herself.
"Yes, well," Hestia warbled, looking for something plausible to say. "You're a porcelain kind of pale,"
"Classifying people's levels of paleness now, are we?" Lily said, amused.
"And he's, you know, a milky pale," Hestia stammered lamely, not sounding too sure of herself now.
"Milky pale? Really, Hestia," Lily groaned in exasperation, causing Hestia to look flustered.
"An off-milk colour, then! And what's with him always missing class? Honestly, I don't know how he doesn't manage to get in more trouble for all of that!" she concluded, rather out of breath.
"You do know that he's the other Prefect in our year, don't you?" Lily said, giving startled Hestia a sly grin.
"Really?" Hestia gobbled, trying to compose herself. Alice merely looked mildly surprised. Nothing much shocked that child.
"Yes, you can even go and confirm with Potter or Black for further proof, if you like," Lily smiled sweetly at Hestia, who turned red. All of the girls in her year had a bit of a fancy for either James or Sirius, much to Lily's annoyance. Whatever happened to brains rather than beauty? Though I suppose Potter and Black unfortunately possess both, Lily reflected grudgingly.
"I'll take your word for it," Hestia mumbled into her plate, resigned, returning to her food in surprising silence. Alice and Lily burst out laughing, having finally succeeded in making Hestia Jones shut up, even if it was just for a few peaceful minutes.
As the last dinner course disappeared, Lily rose, feeling full and considerably more content than she had when she'd arrived. She stretched before introducing herself to the nervous First Years with a smile, leading them up to the comfort of the Gryffindor Common Room whilst pointing out distinctive Hogwarts landmarks along the way.
"The staircases move?!" shrieked a young boy in both fear and wonder. Lily laughed as the students jumped, grabbing the banister as the staircase swung itself through the air.
"So do the paintings," she gestured towards a portrait of an old man grumbling to himself, eyeing the students beadily as they gasped, before saying: "Bah, humbug!"
"It really is magic," a girl whispered in awe to her wide-eyed friend as they took in their surroundings. Lily sighed reminiscently as she watched them, remembering the first time she had walked through Hogwarts' doors. She was rather enjoying herself. "Follow me," she smiled at the two girls.
The little group had reached their destination, which seemed to be nothing more than a large portrait of a large lady dressed in pink. "Good evening, Agnes," Lily said politely, nodding her head in the Fat Lady's direction.
"Ah, Lily," the Fat Lady winked at her. "My utmost congratulations on your becoming a Prefect! Not that it was unexpected, of course." Lily smiled gratefully as the Fat Lady's face turned professionally serious. "Password?"
Lily blinked once, then twice. The First Years tottered behind her, all looking drowsy. Many thoughts blossomed in Lily's head at once. How am I supposed to know the new password? Why didn't I bother to find out? If only I hadn't been thinking of bloody James Potter for practically the whole suppertime… Some Prefect you are, Lily! She was honestly at a loss of what to do.
"Gorliens," came a voice behind her, sounding a little out-of-breath. Lily whipped around to see a slightly panting Remus standing behind her, another crowd of gawking First Years trailing behind him.
She gave him a dazzling smile. "You're a life-saver," she sighed happily as they piled through the portrait entrance.
"Nope," Remus grinned as he walked past her. "Just a Prefect."
Lily chuckled happily as she gave the delighted First Years a brief tour of their new living quarters.
Finally having finished her tiring yet strangely satisfying duty, Lily dragged herself up the winding stairs to her dorm, where she found the other girls quietly getting ready for bed. It was most unusual to find her three dorm mates so silent, especially on the first night back, when Lily found her eyes drifting to the empty fifth bed. Unfortunately, that particular bed happened to be right next to hers.
She bit her lip, striding over to her bed and pulling off her robes with vigour, averting her eyes from the empty space beside her. As she struggled with getting her robes over her head, she felt a presence beside her shoulder.
"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, you know, about Remus," Hestia's voice was matter-of-fact; she didn't sound very sorry. Typical strong-headed Hestia. Lily didn't reply - she continued with her robes-struggle. "It's just, well, I thought that you really didn't like that crowd." Hestia was giving a nonchalant shrug as Lily managed to shove the last of her oppressive robes over her head.
"I don't," she started, instantly irritated with Hestia, who never seemed to cease with her chatter. "He's just… different."
"Ooh," Hestia's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Like your Snivellus person? Is he… extra-special?" She gave Lily an annoying wink.
"Oh my gosh, Hestia, he's just completely different from animalistic Potter and Black, not every boy who I spend time with is someone I fancy." Lily grit her teeth together. "And in case any of you were wondering," she continued, turning to face both Alice and Mary too, who had been not-so-secretly listening in, "I don't fancy Severus, not 'Snivellus', we're just friends, not that it's any of your business anyway." She really was getting tired of the constant girly gossip that seeped through their dorm walls, since Lily knew that all of the girls in her year whispered about her seemingly 'strange' friendship with Severus.
"Take it down a notch, Lily, I was just trying to be nice." Hestia raised her hands mock-defensively, laughing too loudly.
"Well perhaps you should try a different approach," Lily struggled out of her uniform before pulling on her pyjamas, not looking at Hestia. "I don't know what everyone's problem with Severus is, he's never done anything bad to any of you."
"Wrong," Mary's sharp voice rang out through the room. "You're wrong." Lily turned to see Mary's eyes burning. "He and his Slytherin friends hexed Charlotte."
"Oh come on, as if more than half the boys in our year don't hex eachother silly?" Lily snapped. She saw Hestia's eyes flash in the direction of the empty bed.
"No, this was different." Mary suddenly looked really upset. "They really hurt her."
Lily felt cold, as if someone was breathing chilled air down her back. Like a Dementor, she thought. "What are you talking about?"
All three girls exchanged glances, and Lily felt like disappearing into her bed sheets. She felt abruptly exhausted, dead on her feet.
"Do you honestly think that your Snivelly friend is as innocent as he makes out to be?" Mary's voice rose to something near a nervous shriek.
"You don't even know him," Lily replied in a low voice.
"I know him enough to know that he is not to be trusted! Just look at what he did to Charlotte!"
"Mary, why do you always insist on dragging Charlotte into the conversation?" Hestia moaned.
"You can't just try to forget about her! Why do you all go on pretending that she never existed?"
"Because we don't live in the past!" Lily realised it was her whose voice had risen. All three girls stared back at her.
"What's happened to you, Lily?" Alice's voice whispered out of the shadows after a spell of silence.
Lily slumped down on the edge of her bed, feeling a throbbing headache coming on. She closed her eyes, defeated. "I grew up."
"Ladies?"
Does no one bother knocking around here anymore? But when Lily opened her eyes, it was to see Professor McGonagall standing at their door, eyes moving warily from girl to girl. Lily realised what the teacher saw: Mary was on her feet, fists balled and eyes red. Hestia looked slightly scared, which was most unnatural for her boisterous character, and Alice's eyes were wide as she slunk half-concealed in the shadows, watching quietly. Professor McGonagall's mouth spread into a thin line.
"I'm sorry to bother you," the girls lowered their eyes, abashed, "but I have someone I need to introduce."
Lily's eyebrows mashed together in a frown. Wasn't the time for introductions way past? It was already ten o'clock.
Without warning, a tall girl stepped into the lamp-light from behind McGonagall. She really was uncommonly tall - if Lily didn't know better, she'd have thought the figure was a boy. But the girl was - strange. There was no other way to put it. Her hair was as black as a raven's wing, tumbling down to her hips - it looked as if she couldn't be bothered with a hairbrush. And her face - she was bone-pale, and her eyes were different colours; one was sky-blue, the other sea-turquoise. The stranger didn't have eyebrows or eyelashes. Which is even stranger, Lily reflected, as her hair is so dark.
The silence following was absolute.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat decisively. "This is Torinn Mauler. She's here to replace - " her eyes flashed to Mary's shocked face. "Here to be your new roommate."
No one spoke. Torinn Mauler's intimidating gaze penetrated every girl. Lily held her stare; Torinn didn't flinch. It was as if she didn't need to blink. "Now I know that this is different, considering most students start at Hogwarts in their First Year, but this is an exception." McGonagall's eyes rove over every girls' face steadily, as if searching for a weakness. "I expect each of you to make our new student welcome." That sounded more like a threat than a statement, Lily thought grimly. Then without another word or explanation, Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and left the girls to stare at eachother.
Lily was the first to break the filling silence. "Where is your luggage, Torinn?" she asked kindly. Torinn just looked at her.
"I haf no loogage." Lily jumped - she hadn't expected the girl to be a foreigner. Torinn's voice was low and guttural.
"Excuse me?"
Lily turned to shoot Mary a warning frown. She is such an insensitive prick. "Do you even speak English?" Mary glanced at Hestia, as if sharing a secret.
"Clearly she speaks English, Mary, otherwise why would she be at a British school?" Lily felt annoyed. She would hate to be in Torinn's position right now. Couldn't Mary at least make the new girl feel welcome on her first night away from home?
Lily turned back to Torinn before Mary could say something rude again. "Why don't you have any luggage? You need school books!"
Torinn just gave an accentuated shrug in reply, her bony shoulders looking pinched. Without another word, she glided over to the fifth bed, ripping the hangings around her, out of sight.
When Lily turned her gaze away from Torinn's silent bed, it was to see Hestia and Mary communicating silently. They immediately ceased when they realised that Lily was watching them with a frown on her face. She wanted to scold them for being so exclusive, but she didn't want Torinn to hear. She glared at the gossiping girls before resolutely pulling her own hangings around her bed, hugging her pillow to stop herself from crying. It had been a long day, and it was going to be an even longer night.
Then again, maybe the new girl felt worse.
"Remus!"
"Sod it, d'you think he's fallen asleep?"
"Doesn't matter either way, he's still got to do it."
"Right you are, Captain."
"Shut up, James."
Maybe if I pretend to be trapped in a deep slumber, they'll let it go, Remus tried to convince himself, though he knew that would never be the case, especially considering this was James and Sirius he was talking about. Better get it over and done with before they decide to wake me up using other unknown methods. Grudgingly, he opened his sleep-encrusted eyes. Oh Merlin.
"There you are, Sleeping Beauty." Remus could make out the glint of James's glasses, his friend's toothy grin.
"Not with the Muggle nursery rhymes again, Potter."
"They're faerie tales!" James whined, as if this made them seem somehow more desirable. All this earned was a snort from Sirius.
"You keep telling yourself that. Anyway, up and at 'em, Lupin! Don't want to miss our little deadline."
"You're sure about that, aren't you," Remus grumbled under his breath, hauling himself out of his bed. He could barely make out the figures of his fanatical friends in the darkness. "What time is it, anyhow?" he yawned, ruffling his bed-head hair. Ah great, picking up habits from James.
"The time we agreed on earlier, nutter." Sirius laughed.
"You're the nutter."
"Sod you."
Remus smiled. "Where's Peter?"
"Here," came a high-pitched squeak near the door.
"So eager to leave already, Pettigrew?" Remus could make out Sirius's smirk in the near-darkness. "I like it."
"No, I'm not - I mean, I - "
"The point is, Peter, no one really cares?" said James in mock concern. That shut Peter's stammering up abruptly.
"Right." Sirius clapped his hands together as Remus tried to 'shush' him, without much success. "Let's get this cracking!" He muttered "Lumos" under his breath, his wand tip alighting. "Are you ready, mate?" Remus knew that Sirius was directing this question at him. His friend's face was lit up with an eager hunger that Remus had come to acknowledge with uneasy, rather mad situations.
He wasn't ready. "Ready."
Sirius's grin widened, as did James's. "Cloak," Sirius barked in an offhand voice to his companion.
"Oi! What's the magic word?" James's eyes twinkled.
"James Potter is an attention-seeking prat?"
"You're far off, Black."
"Just pass me the sodding Cloak, James." Sirius huffed impatiently. James rolled his eyes, though he was still grinning. He whipped a silvery substance out from his pants pocket; the material seemed between liquid and solid.
"You do the honours,"
With that, James professionally whirled the Invisibility Cloak around the three boys, although it was admittedly getting harder to cover them as the boys were now so tall.
"Pettigrew, where've you scuttled off to you naughty boy?" Sirius teased, causing James to chortle and Remus to shake his head. "Come on, the longer we wait, the more we'll be suffocated by Potter's steadily expanding ego." James had stopped chortling to cuff Sirius on the head. The Cloak slipped a little. "Watch it," Sirius growled, baring his canines at an unfazed James.
Peter shuffled towards them and squeezed under the Cloak - the lack of space really was getting out of hand. "I think you should really consider cutting back on the cakes," Sirius pondered thoughtfully as Peter's rotund bum moved far too close for his comfort. Peter simply looked too nervous to reply.
"Follow me," James whispered with dramatic air.
"That doesn't make any sense, since in case you hadn't noticed we're all currently stuck under the Cloak together," Sirius grumbled.
"You're just upset because you're currently getting shoved into Peter's bum." James replied simply. Sirius grit his teeth together in agreement.
"Wait," Peter practically crashed into a still James, whose head had turned to face Remus, bringing up the rear. "Remus, do you have the solution?"
This question may have seemed strange to an innocent bystander, yet Remus nodded firmly, eyes flashing down to the tin in his hand. "Obviously," he grinned mischievously. James mirrored his expression before continuing his crusade.
They shuffled down to the portrait hole, fumbling as they climbed through the confined space. "Pettigrew, would you mind not rubbing your bum on me every chance you get?" Sirius threatened through a pursed mouth. Peter mumbled something unintelligible to which no one payed attention.
At last out of the stuffy corridor, they inched along the many hallways, grumbling all the while. James, Sirius and Remus were now all so tall that the Cloak barely covered the four of them - their feet were clearly visible.
"James, watch where you put your feet you clumsy chicken!"
"I'm the clumsy chicken? Says the one who can't stop clucking about Peter's buttocks under his breath."
"Well you would if he kept shoving it into your - "
"Shh!" The bickering boys skidded to a stop as Remus pulled on Sirius's pyjama top.
"Stop groping, Lupin."
"No! Mrs Norris."
This sentence had the desired silencing effect on all four boys.
Keen red eyes glowed out of the shadows from beside a statue. "Sodding mongoose," Sirius muttered under his breath vindictively. Remus supposed he was remembering their last unfortunate encounter with the creepy caretaker's cat. It was as if Mrs Norris was caretaker Filch's personal slave, although she did his bidding more than willingly; now Filch had another pair of feet to patrol corridors after hours, or rather, four feet.
"Quick, crouch down!" Remus hissed.
"Looking sharp, Lupin," James praised. With difficulty, the boys bent their knees, knocking eachother in the process. At least we're slightly better concealed now, Remus fretted, but definitely more uncomfortable.
"I solemnly swear that mangy thing has it in for us!"
"Quit making solemn swears, Sirius. And of course it has it in for us if you keep on whining and give us away!"
Sirius glared at each and every one of them. "Peter, do something!" he hissed.
Peter's mouth fell open in shock, perhaps because this was one of the rare times that Sirius called him by his first name, or because suddenly the issue of Mrs Norris had fell upon him to solve. His watery eyes moved to James fearfully. "W-What am I supposed to do?"
Sirius rolled his eyes impatiently. "Are you really as thick as you look, Pettigrew?" So it's back to the surname immediately, then, Remus mused. "Untie your drawstring."
"Now who's the one who's groping?" Remus teased, though he too was baffled at Sirius's order.
"Not you too, Remus!" Sirius shook his head. James was watching Sirius in amusement. "Just give them to me."
Peter gawked for a few more seconds, before he pulled out his pyjama pants' drawstring, hands shaking slightly, handing them to Sirius, who grinned in response.
"Now watch and learn, boys,"
Peter's eyes were wide as he watched Sirius levitate his drawstring out from under the Cloak. Mrs Norris's eyes gleamed even redder, if that was possible, as she tracked the drawstring with her peripheral cat-vision. How can she not be evil, with those red eyes to top it off? Remus inwardly shuddered.
Sirius was having fun as he made the string wobble like a worm just above the cat's nose. Mrs Norris finally dropped her composed facade, playfully catching the wiggling string in her paws like the cat she was supposed to be.
"And that is why they say that I've got the looks and the brains in our group." Sirius chimed with a flourish of his wand as Mrs Norris scuttled off after the crawling string.
"What? Who says that?" James scoffed, though he sounded irritated. Remus shook his head. Trust James and Sirius to bicker over something like that.
"Um, what am I supposed to do about my pants?" Peter whimpered, clutching his baggy trousers.
"You'd better hold them up, I don't want your bum any closer to me," Sirius wrinkled his nose. "Onward, men!"
After more scuttling and whimpering from Peter's direction, the dysfunctional group finally reached their destination. James gave a satisfied sigh, before whipping the Cloak off of everyone.
"James! We could be seen!" Peter looked very much as if he wanted to crawl back into the comfort of his bed.
"Only if you keep whimpering," Sirius looked perfectly at ease, of course. "Ugh," He quickly jumped away from Peter's behind, eyeing his slipping pyjama pants.
"Right," James immediately took charge, face set. "We are currently lurking in the dingy dungeons, housing those unfortunate persons who found themselves Sorted into the sadistic House of Slytherin."
"Dun dun duuuunn," Sirius sang in a low voice for effect, grey eyes sparkling wickedly. Peter looked even more scared by this. Remus felt a grin slip onto his face, although he was sure his stomach had just plummeted.
James turned slowly to face Remus, eyes twinkling in the moonlight behind his glasses. "This is your time to shine, Remus old boy,"
Remus was sure he would gag. Instead he gave James a smile which he hoped was convincing.
"Now remember the signature, won't you?" James's face had turned suddenly serious.
Remus tried a chuckle. "Come on, have a little trust in me." James clapped him on the back.
"Aw, look at him," Sirius had been watching Remus all the while with a sly grin. "He's all fluttery and excited! He is such a good pet!"
"Sirius - " Remus protested, before his friend had ambled over to him, scratching his hair madly as Remus attempted to pry him off without success.
"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?"
"Think it's about time you got your own dog, mate," James mused, watching his friends' playful exchange with amusement.
"Like dear mother would ever let me," Sirius scoffed, offhand, as he finally let go of Remus, who was struggling to breathe properly.
"Can't you ever be serious, Black?"
"I'm always Sirius Black." Sirius gave a haughty toss of his head as James rolled his eyes, grinning. "Hope you're not too out of breath to perform your mission now, Lupin?" Sirius winked at Remus, who gathered himself quickly.
"Never," Remus said. "You know how I love a life of adventure, me."
James and Sirius laughed, and Peter, although looking a little nervous at the prospect of being left alone with the two rowdy boys, smiled at his friend. "Good luck, Remus,"
Remus felt suddenly proud as he turned to the nondescript stone wall they were facing. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Anguem."
The wall gave an ominous moaning sound as it slid sideways to reveal a long, stone corridor, lined with flickering lights that cast strange shadows. Remus felt a shudder run down his spine. The password a Ravenclaw had given him at supper had worked. He was a little disappointed.
James gave a low whistle as he peered down the passageway. "Trust the Slytherins to live in a crypt resembling a troll's cave,"
"Where they belong," Sirius added viciously, though he was grinning in an evil sort of way. He grabbed the Cloak from a transfixed James, shoving it into Remus's hanging hands. "I solemnly swear…" he started, grey eyes flashing meaningfully to a gawking Remus.
"…that I am up to no good." Remus managed to whisper. Then, without turning around to look at his friends, he draped the Cloak over his slightly shaking body, stepping forward. As the stone wall creaked closed behind him, Remus whipped around to catch the watery blue eye of Peter as the boy stared after his friend, scared.
Trapped. Like the animal you are.
No. He mustn't panic. Taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to steady himself, he clutched the tin in his hand tight, walking to the entrance straight ahead.
He paused at the ornate entrance, eyes taking in the scene ahead of him.
James was wrong: the Slytherin Common Room had a grand, almost aristocratic atmosphere to it, though it still gave Remus the shivers as he caught sight of a skull hanging above the large fireplace. A sodding skull? Why?! He couldn't wait to tell James and Sirius. If I ever get out, that is. No. Positive thoughts.
This room certainly had the opposite feeling to the cosy warmth of the Gryffindor Common Room. The place was lit with green lamps, and furnished with dark wooden, rather straight-backed chairs. Remus's wide eyes swiftly moved to one of the windows, sure that something had just caught his eye. He nearly jumped out of his skin: gazing back at him was something that had long, curling green tentacles and sharp little horns sticking out all over its body, a leer on its devilish face. Remus wasn't sure if the creature could see him under the Cloak or not, but he certainly felt like it could. The creature banged its little fists against the window, its mouth open in something like a cackle, before swimming away as quickly as it had appeared.
Swimming. Remus remained frozen, mouth agape. He couldn't believe that the Slytherins actually had windows looking into the lake. What if the Giant Squid decided to pop by for a hello? Or a horde of angry mermen chose to hammer their spears against the flimsy glass window?
He had to stop his vivid imagination from getting the better of him. Stay focused. But how?
He swivelled slowly, eyes calculating his options. Where is the Fifth Year boys dormitory? Remus decided on a whim to look in the same place that his dorm was. We really didn't think this through properly. He bit his lip, shakily shuffling up the stone steps to what he hoped was the right destination.
Remus hadn't realised that his eyes were closed until he opened them, finding himself in a room decorated much similar to the dark Common Room. He blinked, eyes flashing towards a sound to his left. Heart beating wildly, he saw the sleeping figure of Severus Snape, greasy hair covering his face, realising that the sound was actually a snort of a snore. Remus suppressed a sudden strange urge to laugh. So this is the right place. Just need to get this over and done with.
More scared than ever, Remus managed to take off the Cloak with care, feeling awfully vulnerable. He took out his wand, hand shaking, and muttered a spell to open the tin he was holding. Inside the tin was a strange product that James and Sirius themselves had invented: Liquifying Goo. James had been extremely proud, and Sirius had tested their new invention on an unsuspecting Third Year Slytherin earlier that day. The product had the exact effect they had been hoping for, much to their delight.
With practised motions, Remus waved his wand at the oozing yellow goo, levitating it before spreading it like butter across the floor of the Slytherin's dorm. It dawned on him in his stupor that it would not do to remain on the floor while he spread the goo, in fear of being stuck there himself until morning. Remus shuddered at the thought. Wisely, he balanced himself on top of Severus's closed trunk as the latter turned noisily in his bed. I am going to kill James and Sirius for making me do this, he thought angrily. Especially Sirius, as it was his bloody idea in the first place!
Before long, the goo had successfully oozed itself across the remainder of the floor, solidifying expertly so that at first glance, one might think the floor of that the Slytherins' dorm was a dull yellow colour. Remus gave a sigh of relief, before he remembered he had nearly forgotten the most important thing. He turned to the dorm mirror, and from his uncomfortable position balancing on Severus's trunk, messily etched the words with his wand: Mischief Managed.
James was all about getting a name for themselves, though in secret. He said that whenever they completed a particularly brilliant prank, they must never haste to sign somewhere these important words, for recognition that their mischief-making had been complete. "It'll be like a secret society," James had marvelled, hazel eyes twinkling as they always did whenever he was excited. "Except that there are only four members." Remus remembered Peter beaming at this.
There. Remus's hands ached from all the wand work. Happy, James? He clicked his neck whilst looking at his work, before realising that he hadn't left anywhere for him to put his feet.
Remus's heart started beating frantically, as if it wanted to leap out of his chest and leave him, stranded like he was. His wide eyes jumped around the room, searching desperately for any way out of this mess he had created. What will McGonagall say when she finds out that I did this? And Professor Dumbledore? Will I lose my badge? Remus's lip quivered. Will I be expelled?
His eyes rested on the only possible way out. He would simply have to travel via the Slytherins' beds - there was no other way. Remus cursed himself inwardly again and again, gritting his teeth.
Slowly, trying not to shake, he tentatively nudged one of his feet onto the end of Severus's bed. The slumbering figure grunted, only to turn in his sleep. Remus breathed out through his nose, carefully placing his other foot on the bed, eyes tracking Severus the whole time. Thankfully, it seemed that the boy had sunk even deeper into sleep, for he did not stir again.
Remus closed his eyes, then opened them again. It was only one more bed before he was close enough to reach the door. He could do this. No I can't.
Biting his lip, Remus jumped.
He landed on the other boy's bed, causing it to groan and creak. Why in the name of Merlin are these beds so old? he winced. The sleeping boy sprang up, hair wild, eyes large as he looked to see what had awoken him. By this time Remus had jumped without a second thought onto the clear floor of the entrance and was running, cloak off, not caring who he woke up, just knowing that he had to get out of there before the boy saw him.
Remus thought he heard voices behind him, but he didn't stop. By the time he reached the end of the gloomy corridor he was wheezing. The stone wall creaked open too slowly, and Remus found the time to quickly throw the Cloak on top of him. Now he heard footsteps, he was sure of it. The others better have gone back to the dorm, he thought in a desperate haze as he scooted out of the Slytherin Common Room like a mouse out of its hole, the wall groaning shut behind him. He ran and ran and ran, trying to ignore the growing pain in his left leg where he had mauled himself during the last full moon. He skidded to a halt in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, breath coming out unevenly as he clutched his side.
"Excuse me?" Remus panted, looking for signs of life in the sleeping portrait. "Gorliens." he urged.
The Fat Lady slowly opened her eyes, taking in the scene before her. "And what do you think you're doing up so late, young man?" She scowled. "I don't suppose you're part of that rowdy group earlier? No respect," she tittered.
Remus was momentarily struck dumb before an idea blossomed into his head like a flower. He accentuated his wheezing, promptly falling dramatically onto his knees, which he didn't really mind doing. "I," he spoke in short gasps. "Have a-asthma-a…"
The Fat Lady's eyes widened abruptly. "Goodness," she stood up. "I don't know what that is, but you certainly don't look too - "
"P-please," Remus began choking, although he was in actual fact trying to stop himself from laughing. How can I possibly laugh at a time like this? He didn't know, he didn't care.
Thankfully the Fat Lady seemed to have bought his act, for she swung open her portrait without further hesitation. Before she could notice that Remus had made the whole thing up, he scuttled through the portrait hole, tears of unbeknown laughter running down his face.
Before entering his cosy dorm, Remus swung the Cloak around himself once more, wanting to see how his friends were reacting. He grinned evilly: he felt like a new person. A proper prankster.
He edged into the room, seeing that someone had turned on a lamp. James was pacing up and down restlessly, while Peter watched him in silent terror. Sirius was slumped against his bedpost, his head in his hands. Remus stifled a laugh: he had never seen James and Sirius so vulnerable.
James stopped his pacing abruptly, causing Peter to flinch. "When will he be back?"
Sirius raised his head, his expression one of distress. "What if he doesn't come back?" he spat. "What if those Slytherins are doing awful things to him this very sodding moment?"
"Don't," James breathed, eyes flashing to the door as if expecting Remus to come skipping in any minute. "He'll make it. I know he will."
Remus smiled, deciding that even though it was their fault that he had to do that gut-wrenching prank in the first place, he needn't make them fret any longer. James believes in me.
With a flourish he whipped off the Cloak, grinning from ear-to-earn, eyes large with new-found adventure. "Gotcha!"
Peter jumped while emitting a high-pitched shriek, James's glasses slipped down his nose and Sirius sprang up from his slumped position on his bed. "You made it, mate! You made it out alive!" he cried.
Remus rolled his eyes, still smiling widely. "'Course I did, didn't I?" he narrowed his eyes at a gawking Sirius. "I was watching you for about five minutes, and I solemnly swear you looked like you were about to cry." he mocked. Sirius leapt at his friend, punching him hard on the shoulder.
"You've got nerve." he grinned back at Remus, grey eyes suddenly lighter.
Remus looked at James. "I did it," he breathed, holding up the empty tin of goo as a souvenir.
James clapped him on the back, eyes twinkling. "Mischief Managed."
A/N: Hey fanficcers! What do you make of Torinn and Charlotte? Does Lily know Severus as well as she thinks? And what will happen the next day after Remus's prank? The reason why I updated this chapter so quickly is because I wrote it roughly the same time as the previous one, just adding a few things. Enjoy, keep reviewing! :D