Here's the fourth chapter. It's about 6.5k words. If you haven't noticed, each chapter is longer than the next. I'm doing that on purpose. I'm trying to keep the chapters long but they probably won't end up being any longer than 20 pages each, especially now that school is starting back up.
I didn't get as many funny reviews this time, but I did enjoy the ones I got. Hope some of you enjoy this. Hope it gives the rest of you something to flame about.
Sirius Black's Sordid Affair
Part IV
Living well is the best revenge.
Dorothy Parker
The feast was wonderful, as always. There was new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, as usual. The first years looked terrified, routine. But there was one significant thing missing, which all the returning students and the professors noticed.
There was no big Marauder prank.
Now, people weren't stupid. They saw that Sirius was not sitting with the other Marauders and they saw who he was sitting with. Some had even heard a bit of Lily and James' explosive argument on the train. However, not being stupid, they were uneasy. Everyone knew Sirius and James were closer than best friends, closer than brothers. Even if there was a girl involved, the two couldn't stay angry with one another long.
It meant there would be an even bigger prank later.
The Ravenclaws all decided it would be smartest to stay far away from the Marauders so there would be nothing for them to retaliate against. The Hufflepuffs were a steady bunch. They rarely had any trouble with the Marauders and didn't anticipate any this year (unless their Quidditch team was better than they remembered – which all of them, even their Captain, doubted).
The Slytherins, however, were a vindictive bunch and some of them saw this separation of forces as the perfect chance for revenge. It was those vengeful glares that had Lily shuddering every time she caught the glance of Mulciber or Avery or any of their friends.
Even the professors were not naïve enough to believe that their promotion of James Potter to Head Boy was responsible for the calm.
Perhaps that was why, during dessert, Flitwick poked cautiously at his pudding with his spoon and wand. When nothing exploded, he tucked in with gusto, evidently expecting something to disrupt his enjoyment of dessert.
Sirius sent glares down the table toward James from his spot next to Lily throughout the feast. The glares were reciprocated and more than once the two boys found themselves staring at one another. James couldn't help noticing how closely Lily was sitting to Sirius. He conveniently missed that Marlene was just as close to her.
They managed to make it through the feast without a fight breaking out. James stayed behind, waving Peter and Remus off. He stayed as all of the other students trickled away. He tried to follow Lily's head of red hair through the crowd but she was quite a bit shorter that much of the student body. He lost her as Sirius stepped behind her. Instead he stared at the back of Sirius' head. Few people at Hogwarts were taller than Sirius.
The tables were empty. Most of the professors were gone.
"Mr. Potter."
James stood. "Headmaster."
"If you would follow me, we can go to my office."
James nodded.
"So, James, how was your summer? I trust it was relaxing?"
James thought about the long hours in his father's study being lectured and the long hours with the house elves learning humility. He snorted. "Not particularly, sir."
"Something to do with your and Sirius' current rocky relationship?"
"Somewhat, sir."
They arrived at the statue guarding Dumbledore's office. "James, it is best to remember who our friends are during times like these. Sometimes, in fits of anger, people do things they don't mean."
"I understand, sir." It made James wonder if Dumbledore really did know everything that occurred at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore's office held enough curious artifacts to momentarily distract James. He was leaning in to examine what looked to be a chalice of some sort when Dumbledore spoke. "Have a seat."
The headmaster was already behind his desk. He studied the Head Boy over his half-moon spectacles. The silence got to be too much for James.
"Why me?" he blurted out. "Me 'n' Sirius hold the record for most detentions in well over a hundred years – we looked it up. So why me? Why not Mo – I mean Remus? Wouldn't he be the better choice?"
"Your friend Moony," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at that and James wondered if he knew the meaning behind the other nicknames as well, "was considered. However, he lacks something that you and your friend Mr. Black possess in force."
A little bit of defensive anger flowed through James at that and he leapt to defend his friend. "Is it because he's a werewolf? He didn't have anything to do with that prank on Snape, that was all Sirius. And Remus is way smarter than me or Sirius! So just because—"
Dumbledore held up his hand and James stopped abruptly. James could see his amusement. "The decision has nothing to do with the events of last year or with Mr. Lupin's unfortunate condition. The reason you were chosen over he or Mr. Black…" he noticed James' look of disbelief. "Yes, Mr. Black was considered," Dumbledore told him, bemused. "But the reason you were chosen is for your charisma, Mr. Potter. You have a great talent for leadership. Making you Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team last year was somewhat of a test. You rose to the occasion beautifully. Your reaction to your best friend's actions also secured the spot for you. I have said this before and I will likely say it again: It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. Despite your previous altercations with Mr. Snape, you saved his life. That, I believe, deserves some recognition."
"But Remus—"
"Unfortunately does not share your ability to lead," Dumbledore smiled gently, "as evidenced by how many detentions you and Mr. Black have served."
James was silent for a moment. "I guess that makes sense."
"I am pleased you think so. I assume you are no longer planning to decline the position?"
"No sir."
"Excellent. Now, Mr. Potter, I want you to be aware of this; the world outside of Hogwarts is a bit chaotic. Some of that will leak into Hogwarts. Your professors will do their best to ensure that none of the students are affected by this, but I know some students are already taking steps to find their place outside of these walls. Please be aware that some incidents may occur. Do your best to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
James studied the headmaster's expression. He remembered the reports of muggle killings and the attacks on muggle-borns. "You have something planned, don't you?"
"'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing,'" Dumbledore quoted, reaching a hand up to stroke Fawkes' neck. He returned his blue gaze to James. "I, myself, would like to be considered a good man, wouldn't you?"
James nodded wordlessly.
"Now, you should be getting to bed. I trust you remembered the list of passwords I sent you over the summer? Yes? Alright. The entrance to the Head Tower is on the fourth floor, behind the portrait of Harrieta the Horrible. You know the one? Good, good. Off you go."
James nodded and began to walk. He knew exactly where the portrait was, just like he knew exactly where the Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff common rooms were. Lily would probably be there already. James ruffled his hair. That girl would be the death of him. Luckily, living with her would give him plenty of chances to talk to her.
So he thought.
He entered the room that was supposed to be his home for the remainder of his time at Hogwarts. The first thing he was impressed by was how cozy it was. The common room wasn't too big and had lovely, dark wood floors. There were two armchairs and a couch in front of the fire. Over the mantle hung a giant rendition of the Hogwarts crest. To either side of the room was a heavy wooden door. "Head Boy" was inscribed over the left door, "Head Girl" over the right.
His assumption of having Lily to himself, however, was proven desperately wrong. She was curled up on the couch with her head on – who else? – Sirius Black's shoulder. They were muttering quietly, but when the portrait slammed shut (James admitted he probably put a bit too much force into it) they both looked back at him. He noted that Lily's eyes looked red and puffy, even from ten feet away.
"Getting cozy?" he asked nastily.
Lily rubbed roughly at her eyes and Sirius sent him an angry glare. He almost – almost – felt bad. Then Sirius whispered something to Lily and kissed her on the forehead. Lily smiled at Sirius and muttered something back. The raging monster James recognized as jealousy reared up.
Lily stood and started to walk to her bedroom. "If I catch you and Black shagging in the Head dorms, I'll give you both detention for a month."
"I'll make sure to return the favor if I catch you and Hackleburst, then."
Lily padded into her bedroom and shut the door with a slam. James watched her go before turning back to look at Sirius. "What the fuck are you still doing here?"
Sirius kicked his legs onto the couch and leaned back against the arm. "Lily asked me to stay. Said she'd be right back. Got a problem with it?"
"Yeah, I don't want you anywhere near her."
"Well, that's your problem, isn't it, mate? She seems to want me around."
"This is my dorm too," James retorted angrily, "and I don't want you in it."
"Then I guess I'll just have to go wait in her bedroom while she changes, won't I?" Sirius made to stand up but James pushed him back down.
"Whatever, stay here. But if I fucking see you snogging her or – or anything else, I will fucking murder you, got it?"
Sirius' gray eyes were cold. "You had your chance and you buggered it up. If she wants to snog me, that's her choice. You don't get a say anymore."
James nearly hauled off and punched him. "I know," he hissed.
They stared at one another angrily for a moment before Sirius' gaze softened. "Look, Prongs, I know you hate me, but you screwed up. It's going to have to be you that fixes it. She still—"
Lily's door opened again and they both turned to look at her. She had changed from her robes into a tank top and sleep shorts with little broomsticks on them. "You coming, Sirius?"
Any tension that had been lost returned. "You're sleeping in there with her?" James hissed.
Sirius shrugged and left the couch.
As soon as Lily's door closed, James stormed into his room. He stood perfectly still in front of the closed door for a full minute. Then he grabbed the nearest object and hurled it against the stone walls. He continued until everything that had been in the room was lying on the floor, broken. Then he cursed and yelled until he was hoarse.
Finally he collapsed on the bed and looked around. For a second, he'd though he and Sirius could go back to normal. He thought they still that bond between them that had made them best mates for six years. Then Lily bloody Evans had to ruin it.
That girl will kill me, he thought and started to clean up the mess he'd made.
~~~…~~~
James woke up early, planning to go for a run before anyone else was up. When he left his room, he noticed that Sirius was on the couch. Much as he wanted to wake him out of spite, he valued his privacy more. Too bad Sirius was a light sleeper.
Sirius sat up and looked around with bleary eyes. "Prongs?"
James stopped on his way out of the dorm. "What?"
"Yer mah bes' mate, ya know? I love you, man."
James fidgeted with his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "I know Padfoot. Go back to sleep."
"Righ'."
Sirius laid back down and was out in seconds. James ruffled his hair with a sigh and exited through the portrait hole.
It was early enough that the sun had not risen. There was mist over the grounds and the air was cool but not cold. James was glad for that. He wasn't wearing a shirt as he didn't like the feeling of sweaty fabric.
He stretched just outside the castle doors, spending a few minutes getting loose. He started off slow, jogging to the Quidditch pitch. Once there, he sped up a bit as he circled the pitch. For him, it was a good place to run. No one was ever out on the pitch as early as he was. When he scheduled practices, he always had them start right about when he would finish jogging. The early hour that the Gryffindors practiced ensured that their strategies wouldn't be seen by the other houses. As much as he loved the late nights roaming with his friends, he preferred the early mornings for himself. It was quiet and peaceful on the grounds then.
Sometimes, on very rare occasions, Sirius would join him and they would run silently or talk about serious topics that they wouldn't normally talk about. Sometimes it was about the future. Sometimes it was about their families. Sometimes it even turned to Lily and James' feelings about her.
James resisted the urge to sigh. Going with Felicia Hackleburst to that dance and snogging her had felt so natural. It had almost been like he'd forgotten that Lily had finally said yes. He didn't know how that was even possible. When she'd agreed to go with him, he'd felt like he was soaring. After the fight with Sirius, James hadn't been fully happy until she had told him she would meet him in the Great Hall.
He thought of all the girls he'd snogged over the years. People thought of Sirius as the playboy but in reality, Sirius had only shagged a few girls. He'd kissed a few more but had only had two serious girlfriends.
James, on the other hand, had been with a lot of girls while trying to forget about Lily. In terms of girls he'd had sex with… he thought it might be in double digits. It might be in the mid-teens. And he'd snogged plenty of girls. He'd gone on dates with just as many. Each time Lily rejected him, he'd find someone new to take out. He suddenly felt kind of sleazy and he remembered one of his father's lessons.
They'd been in his study as usual. "James," his father had said, "women are more fragile than you would believe. The smallest thing will break her heart and make her cry. When your mother and I were still at Hogwarts, one of her friends had a dog back at home. Now, she'd never met the dog for herself and she and the other girl weren't even all that good of friends. But when that dog ran out in the street and got hit by a car and your mother found out, she sat and cried for an hour.
"But they're also much stronger than you would believe. They'll haul themselves up off the ground, dust themselves off and start doing what needs to be done to help everyone else out. At least, that's what a truly good woman does. When my parents died, I wouldn't go out for days. Your mother knew them too and loved them also. But when she saw the state I was in, she dragged me out of bed and made me do what needed to be done. She took care of their affairs and their funerals and stayed by my side through all of the condolences. That's how I knew she was the one for me.
"But if you break a woman's heart, if you use her, she'll remember that. She'll remember that a man did her wrong and it will be hard for her to ever trust one again. So if you gain a woman's trust and you think that she might be the woman you'd like to spend the rest of your life with, you better be damn sure you keep that trust. Otherwise you'll be working harder to get her back than you worked to get her in the first place." The meaningful stare his father had given him then had been almost too much to bear.
James finished his jog and climbed up into the stands to watch the sun rise. If his father knew the kinds of things he'd said to Lily the previous day, he'd have him washing dishes with the house elves until his grandkids were at Hogwarts. His father might also try out that muggle phrase of washing his mouth out with soap.
The sunrise was beautiful. James made his way back out of the stands, hoping that Sirius and Lily would still be asleep. He knew himself. If he saw them together again, he might not be able to control his mouth.
For once, luck was on his side. Sirius was still snoozing on the couch and Lily's door was still shut. James gathered his uniform for the day and took a long shower, letting the hot water wash away the sweat and stress he'd already gathered. It was still early – too early for breakfast. If Sirius hadn't been on the couch, if he and Lily hadn't been fighting, he might have waited in the common room with a book to walk Lily down to breakfast. As it was, he ended up back in bed, fully clothed.
Just a little while, he thought and closed his eyes.
~~~…~~~
Sirius awoke with a major pain in his back. It seemed that he'd curled up on the couch after leaving Lily's room. He'd been hoping to talk to James again, but he had never emerged from his room. Sirius checked the time. James had probably already been out for his morning run too.
The young man stretched, hoping to get the pain out of his back. As he was doing so, Lily came out, already dressed in her uniform.
"Sirius? What are you doing here?"
He looked sheepish. "I fell asleep on the couch."
"You do know there is an extra bed in each bedroom, right? If you're tired and don't want to go back to Gryffindor Tower, I'll set the bed up for you."
Sirius pulled his hair back into a little ponytail. It had become his new style over the summer. He thought he looked sexy with his bangs hanging around his face and the rest of his hair pulled back. "Alright, I'll take you up on that next time." He looked down at his rumpled clothing. "I ought to get changed. Want to come with me or will I meet you down at breakfast?"
They had plenty of time before classes started. "I'll go with you. Dorcas and Marlene will probably be getting ready now."
There were a few students on their way to breakfast while Lily and Sirius walked to Gryffindor. Lily waved and smiled and tried to ignore any looks of pity that people tried to give her. No one had heard the full story but plenty of people had heard them shouting at one another on the train. Normally, Lily Evans and James Potter yelling at one another would be nothing to worry about. However, normally Lily didn't run off in tears and skip the first prefect meeting of the year.
The Gryffindors, at least, had enough sense not to say anything. Lily ran up to the girl's dormitory while Sirius went to his dorm to change.
Marlene was putting on her mascara and Dorcas was digging in her trunk for something. Alice was still in bed with her covers over her head, attempting to ignore her roommates. Mary was absent.
"Lose your knickers again, Dorcas?" Lily asked, snickering.
"Always thinking about my knickers, Lily. I'm going to have to start rethinking your sexuality if you keep it up," Dorcas replied, finally emerging from her trunk with a clean pair of socks.
"Hey Lily. How was last night with the Head Bastard?" Marlene asked, emerging from the bathroom.
Lily shrugged. "Didn't see much of him. Sirius said he wasn't happy about him being there though."
"He's just jealous of Sirius. He'll get over it soon and be asking you out again in no time."
"And you better make him work at it," Dorcas chimed in. "The bastard."
"Why would I say yes again?"
Marlene gave her a doubtful look. "You know why. He may have done something stupid but you still like him."
Lily sat on Marlene's bed. "He is still being an ass to Sirius. And if I say yes again, who's to say he won't do the same thing?"
"What does Sirius have to do with any of this?" Marlene asked.
"If he can't even forgive his best friend then he hasn't changed at all. And it would really hurt Sirius if James forgave me but wouldn't forgive him."
Dorcas and Marlene exchanged looks. "Alright," Marlene admitted, "I'll give you that one. But your other argument is still weak."
"How's that?" Lily was indignant.
"James isn't the type to cheat. He made a mistake but I don't think he's stupid enough to make it twice," Dorcas told her.
Lily hugged Marlene's stuffed rabbit. "What if he only wanted to go out with me to have sex or snog?" she mumbled.
Marlene joined her on the bed and hugged her. "Oh sweetie…" She rubbed Lily's back. "I don't think that's all he wants. I understand if you need to take a while or if you don't want to date him at all… but I think he truly wants you not just your body."
"He names bloody Quidditch plays after you," Dorcas said, snorting. "'Alright guys, we're gonna try the L. E. P. this time, and you better get it right! Lily's going to be at this game!'" Dorcas said in an awful imitation of James. Lily had to smile a bit at that one.
"L. E. P.?" Lily asked, amused.
"Potter claims it means the 'Lily Evans Plan," but I'm pretty sure it actually means 'Lily Evans Potter."
Lily tossed Marlene's rabbit toward Dorcas but missed pretty spectacularly. Dorcas smirked while Marlene jumped to retrieve her rabbit.
"Hey, don't bring Muff-Muff into this! He's innocent!"
Dorcas rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Lily, Muff-Muff is innocent. Anyways, I'm starved. Let's get out of here."
Lily followed her friends down the stairs. Sirius was leaning against the rail at the bottom of the stairs waiting.
"What took you so long? Have to reapply your makeup or something?"
"You know, now that we're back at Hogwarts, you really don't need him anymore. I know he was your back-up friend over the summer, but you have us again. You can fire him," Dorcas said in a stage whisper.
Lily laughed. "No, remember, he's useful for carrying trunks and such."
"That's true."
Sirius grinned. "And I can do things for her you never can," he winked.
"Oh yes, we've heard," Marlene purred.
Lily shoved her a little bit but Sirius gasped in false embarrassment. "Lily, don't tell me you kiss and tell!"
"Guys. Me. Hungry. Breakfast is downstairs. Let's go," Dorcas told them, grabbing one of her friends in each hand. She left Sirius to follow them.
The four of them managed to find enough empty seats, partially helped by Sirius' terse order of, "Move. Now," to a first year sitting next to an empty seat across from two other empty seats. The first year scrambled off. Lily attempted a disapproving look but only managed a mildly amused one.
Dorcas took a seat first and immediately helped herself to a stack of blueberry pancakes. She smothered them in blueberry syrup. Sirius dove under the table and clambered to the other side, popping up in the seat next to a third year girl who squealed when he appeared. He patted the seat next to him with a mouth full of bacon.
"Hellacious Head Hottie, join me."
Lily rolled her eyes but crawled under the table to sit beside him. His side of the table had chocolate chip pancakes. The fifth year boy she ended up beside gave her a look like she was crazy. She smiled.
"Apple?" she offered. He shook his head and turned back to his own friends. Lily shoved the apple into her school bag as a snack for later before forking a few chocolate chip pancakes onto her plate. She tore them apart with her fingers to eat them.
James had just joined Remus and Peter further down the table. His hair was still slightly damp but was dry enough to begin sticking up in several directions. He snagged a chocolate chip pancake from Peter's plate and shoved it into his mouth whole.
"Hey!"
"Ever heard of a fork, James?" Remus asked, making a face.
James just opened his mouth full of pancake at Remus before chewing it up and swallowing. He poured himself a glass of milk and drank half of it. "Has McGonagall come around with the schedules yet?"
"Not yet."
"And the post still isn't here?"
"Nope."
James sighed and helped himself to a banana.
"Still haven't spoken to Sirius, I see."
Peter looked back and forth between the two of them, nervous.
"Sure I did," James told him, relaxed. "I told him I'd murder him if I saw him and Lily snogging."
Remus, normally the voice of reason of the Marauders, threw an orange at James' head. He hit him square in the forehead. "You're an idiot."
"True," James admitted, rubbing his forehead.
Remus caught him looking down toward Lily and her group. "Can you talk to her without being an ass?"
James ruffled his hair. "Probably."
"Alright, then let her know when the next prefect meeting is."
"Er… when is it?"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Thursday, remember? You said it on the train."
"Oh, right." James finished his banana and stood, tossing the peel onto his plate. Peter wished him luck. As soon as James was gone, he turned to Remus.
"What's going on?"
James tapped Lily on the shoulder and nudged his glasses up.
"What do you want, Potter?"
He noticed that Marlene and Dorcas were giggling over something that looked suspiciously like a Head badge. He looked at his robes self-consciously. Nope, his was still there. "I just wanted to let you know when the next prefect meeting is."
He pointedly ignored Sirius. Lily stared at him. "Err. I uh, just wanted to let you know about the next prefect meeting."
There was half a minute of silence before Lily made a frustrated noise. "And?"
"Oh, right! Thursday. I figure people should kind of know their schedules by then." James looked toward Dorcas. "Try-outs are going to be Wednesday afternoon, by the way. I need the team from last year to go to them if they still want to be on the team. The notice will be up in the common room with the exact time tomorrow."
"That mean me too?" Sirius asked obstinately.
They boys locked eyes. "Yeah," James said lowly, "If you want to be on the team again."
Sirius nodded. "I'll be there."
"Alright. Pass the word around to the rest of the team, would you?" James asked, looking at Dorcas again.
She stopped briefly while eating a stack of pancakes saturated in maple syrup to nod. She muttered a suggestion to Marlene, who was still holding Lily's badge just out of the Head Girl's sight.
Lily (Silly, unobservant girl, James thought), was still looking at him. James shifted uncomfortably, looking back at her.
"Anything else, Potter?" Lily finally asked.
James couldn't stop himself. He swore he tried, but he couldn't. "I think your hair's ruddy brilliant!"
More than just Sirius and Lily were staring at him now. He flushed and glared around at the other Gryffindors. They mostly looked away, giggling at him under their breath.
Lily was also a little pink, but seemed confused. "Th-thanks?"
"Um, right. I'll just go then." He turned and walked a few steps before turning back. "Just though you should know, McKinnon and Brooks are doing something to your badge." He squinted at it and leaned toward them to see better. "Er… I think it says… 'Hellacious Head Hottie?'"
Lily grabbed at her robes where the badge should have been as James walked away. He heard her squeal, "Give it back! Traitors!" as he walked away.
Remus held out the plate of chocolate chip pancakes when he sat down again. "That seemed to have gone well."
James glowered as he took a bite of pancake. "I told her that her hair is 'ruddy brilliant,'" he muttered. Remus had the courtesy to try to disguise his chuckle as a cough.
"Better than telling Sirius you'll murder him," Peter said in an attempt to be helpful.
"Peter has an excellent point there."
James sullenly ate another pancake and ignored his friends.
~~~…~~~
The seventh year Gryffindors had N. E. W. T. level Transfigurations that day. After studying for days on end, Lily had managed an 'Exceeds Expectations' in the class and made it into the seventh year Transfigurations.
The Marauders, of course, had done very well with little studying. Remus had quizzed them occasionally, asking them conceptual questions until his fellow Marauders had used their Transfiguration skills on the werewolf's books and quills to prove that they could handle the exams. Peter had developed a particular knack for kitchen transfigurations. Remus became very fond of a tea set that had once been a rather homely bunch of wren-feather quills. In contrast, he rather despised the canaries James had set loose after Remus' nagging on his birthday.
Lily was determined to do better this year. Marlene and Dorcas were both going to be in the class with her, but she had her eyes set on someone else.
She tucked her arm into Sirius'. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?"
"You, my friend, are going to sit with me this year."
"Why would I do something like that?"
"Because you want me to get an 'O' on my N. E. W. T. s this year."
"You didn't get an 'O' last year?"
Lily smiled deceptively. "That's why you're going to be sitting with me this year." She began to drag him to the front of the class.
"Not there, I'm not," said Sirius, stopping in the middle of the aisle. The smaller girl stopped as well, unable to move him.
"Oh come on, it'll be good for you."
Sirius snorted. "I got an 'O' and I sat in the back. I'm not sitting in the front where Minnie will notice when I'm sleeping."
Lily scowled. "Fine. Then where do you want to sit?"
Sirius turned and made his way to the back of the class again. He went to the corner where he usually sat.
"This is way too far back! I won't be able to see to take notes!"
"Fine. You sit in the front and I'll sit back here."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. Compromise. We'll sit in the middle."
"Where some wanker can kick the back of my chair? No thanks."
"Please Sirius? I have to get an 'O.'"
"Alright, alright. But I'm hexing anyone that kicks the back of my chair."
"Fair enough. If you'd like, I could do a Shield Charm on your seat?"
The handsome young man smirked. "I'd rather practice my hexes."
"Mr. Black, I do hope you are not talking about hexing people while in my class."
Sirius gave his most charming smile to Professor McGonagall. Neither had realized she was there. "Of course not, Minnie. I meant in Defense, of course."
McGonagall knew better. "Please take your seats, Mr. Black, Miss Evans. And Miss Fortescue? Do take care to keep your feet away from Mr. Black's chair."
Sirius and Lily sat and class began. Lily furiously scribbled notes, nudging Sirius every once in a while to wake him from his naps. In the back of class, James alternated between watching McGonagall pace and doodling on his parchment. He determinedly kept his eyes off of Lily and Sirius.
Remus and Peter were each half paying attention to their professor. Both had talent in Transfigurations – Peter less than the rest of the Marauders, but it was only in comparison to them that he lacked. He had managed to become an Animagus.
Just when James thought he might actually have to start paying attention out of boredom, class ended.
He was already getting fed up with seeing Sirius and Lily walking around together all of the time. Luckily for him, Remus grabbed his arm and stopped him from saying anything.
"James, keep it together."
His werewolf friend always knew better than the rest of them. James just had to keep reminding himself of that. If Remus said it was a bad idea, it usually was a bad idea. Like having a one-handed race to the top of the tallest tree in the Forbidden Forest. Remus had said that was a bad idea. James and Sirius had both spent some time in the Hospital Wing for that one.
James took a deep breath. "Right."
~~~…~~~
Remus was beginning to feel like a bloody babysitter. James had to be stopped nearly every hour and reminded of the fact that he and Lily would never make up if he continued being an ass. Sirius needed to be reminded – discreetly – of the fact that James was practically stalking him (Remus pointedly ignored the fact that they had all of the same classes). Peter was pestering him for help in class nearly constantly. Lily may have been the only one of his friends he didn't feel like strangling. Even Mary – calm, sedate, bloodyMaryMacDonald, was beginning to annoy him.
If that was anything to go by, he might have to murder the lot of them in their sleep and elope with Lily.
Now that was a thought. Maybe James and Sirius would unite in their hatred of him (in the afterlife, of course. They would most definitely be included in the massacre) and make up. What was the saying? The enemy of your enemy is your friend? He and Lily could be happy together – in a purely platonic way. They both like books and chess. And chocolate. The chocolate bit was important.
"Remus, you all right?"
He was torn from his thoughts by Lily's soft voice. He had escaped to the library in their free period before lunch. He figured if he stayed there until their next class, he could avoid the rest of the Marauders. "Yes, sorry, I'm fine."
Lily took a seat next to him. "They're driving you mad too, aren't they?" she asked wryly.
"Beyond so, I'm afraid," he admitted.
"I kind of wish the end of last year never happened. The four of you would still be okay and James would be asking me out every week and I'd be ignoring him. You'd still have all of your best mates with you at the next full moon. I'd be ordering prefects away from the front doors on those nights," Lily smiled weakly.
"I didn't realize you knew."
"Of course I knew. Can't miss it, when you know what you're looking for. I haven't told anyone though, don't worry."
Remus laid his chin on his forearms. "Can't say I'm surprised. I'm more shocked that no one else has realized it."
"They see what they want to see." Lily checked the time. "I ought to be getting to lunch. If you need anything, let me know."
Sometimes, Remus thought, I can see why James loves that girl. He shook his head in wonder. He thought briefly about following Lily to lunch, then remembered that the other Marauders would be there. Maybe he'd just stay there until it was time for his next class. It was only the first day and he was already fed up.
~~~…~~~
Peter Pettigrew was never very good at making friends. In grade school, he'd been so awkward most people avoided him. It didn't help that he had gone to a muggle grade school. The other kids had thought him weird when he used words like "muggle" or talked about Gringotts and Diagon Alley.
Now though, he had friends. James and Sirius were the outgoing ones; they'd been the ones to draw him into their group. Remus was the sensible one of them. He made their schemes logical and made sure they would work. They were smooth, they were smarter than him. He felt that by knowing them, he had improved. He felt incredibly attached to each of them.
When his father had died, it was Sirius and James that had picked him up and taken him drinking. They'd helped him forget for a little while that his mother was heartbroken and that he would never see his father again. After that, it was Remus that had helped him deal with the loss.
They were his best friends. They helped him develop and get social skills so he could make more friends. They'd been together for six years.
But now Sirius had betrayed James. Peter didn't know what to think of that. At first, he had just stuck with James and Remus. But now Remus was talking to both Sirius and James. But James was still mad at Sirius.
It was confusing to have to choose who to side with. But Sirius had done something very bad; he'd almost gotten the lot of them in trouble. And then he'd touched Lily Evans – they all knew she was off limits.
Peter didn't know what to think so he didn't want to be around Sirius. He'd stick with James and just pretend Remus wasn't talking to the both of them.
It was only the first day of class and he was already confused.
~~~…~~~
Marlene tossed her school bag onto her bed and kicked off her shoes. Dorcas was already in the room, laying in her bed with a Quidditch magazine. Marlene watched her for a minute. Dorcas didn't turn the page.
"Hey, Dork, you alright? You've been staring at that page forever."
Dorcas blushed a little and turned the magazine around. Flying across the page was a handsome young man, probably around nineteen years old. He had close-cropped black hair and mocha skin. In the picture, he dove, tossing a red ball out of the picture and catching it when it flew back to him. Marlene didn't see anything special about him.
"Okay? Who is he?"
"Gershon Meadowes." Dorcas turned the magazine back toward her and stared at it again. "He's the Chaser for Ireland."
"I thought there were three Chasers on a Quidditch team."
"Look how fit he is."
Alice walked in and looked between the two of them. "Is she alright?"
"I think they're putting love potions in the pages of her magazine now," Marlene told her.
"Oh my God, he's playing near here in a few months!"
"Have you ever heard her sound like this?" Alice asked, concerned.
"No, I haven't."
"I need to go find the Marauders," Dorcas said, standing abruptly.
Marlene stopped her. "Dorcas, sit down. Think about this for a minute. What are you trying to do?"
"Marlene, I am going to that game and they are going to help me figure out a way to get to it." Marlene had pushed her back onto the bed.
"How about you get a ticket first, then see about getting there."
Dorcas nodded. "Right. Sorry. I just… I've got this feeling that I need to be there."
As Dorcas started to scribble away on a piece of parchment, a concerned glance passed between Alice and Marlene. This was not normal behavior.
It was only the first day of school and Dorcas was already infatuated.
~~~…~~~
AN: Alright, the next chapter is probably going to be late. First off, it's not completed yet and I'm trying to stay a couple of chapters ahead. Second off, I move back to the dorms next week and start classes the week after. And I'm terrible at updating stories anyways (See Kokoro no Dorobo and Fighting the Good Fight). So if you don't see from me for a while, fear not. I will return.
On another note, I'm not sure I'm happy with the Remus/Lily interaction here. I hope everyone understood that he thinks of her in a purely platonic manner and that he was joking about the eloping with her bit.
