A/N, Chapter 4 has arrived, see it as a Valentines gift if you want (even though it has nothing to do with valentines day)
Thanks to "N" and OtterPatronus27 who reviewed! It makes my day!
Also thanks to my beta who helped me fix this disaster of a chapter.
R&R (is it forbidden and stuck up to ask people to review?)
/Liz
In the semi-darkness Sirius saw all colour drain from Marlene's face. Sirius' mind automatically started going through a list of people who possibly could have been the subject of an attack.
"What?" she slurred.
"Mary was attacked on her way back from the library."
"Is she alright?"
"I don't know." Lily breathed, continuously tapping her foot on the ground. "I just heard about it. Alice is on her way to the hospital wing right now."
"Let's go then, quickly." Marlene linked her arm though Lily's and they hurried off across the pitch to the changing rooms. Sirius didn't follow them, this was their personal matter. He stood still in the darkness which only seemed to increase with each moment that passed. If James was to find out what had almost happened, he would be dead. But it hadn't. Nothing had happened. He tried to reassure himself, yet he knew that, had Lily not shown up when she did, things very well might have.
Sighing, he finally made his way towards the castle. He was cold and wet and the rain was still pouring down, all he really wanted to do was take a warm shower and go to bed. Not until he was halfway up to the castle and, in the light of a lantern, saw two silhouettes moving towards the whomping willow, did he remember what night it was.
He rushed up to the castle doors, in his rush almost falling flat on the stone steps leading up to the entrance hall, and up the stairs. He tumbled into an almost empty common room. James and Peter sat in front of the fire with a chess game in between them and looked up as he almost fell through the portrait hole, knocking over a stool as he did so.
"So it's time to show up now?" Peter asked stiffly.
"I'm so sorry. I forgot…"
"You know, when you said you would check something I didn't know you meant on the other side of the country." James eyed him.
"I said I was sorry."
"There is no need to apologise to us." Peter moved his knight to knock over James' queen. "But Moony was really bummed you weren't here."
"You know, the reason I wasn't here was because MacDonald got attacked." This wasn't the whole truth, but James and Peter's utter disappointment were enough to send him back to Grimmauld Place that first Christmas after he began Hogwarts.
"What?" James' expression transformed from anger and disappointment to shock. "Is she okay?"
Sirius shrugged. "Dunno, Evans and Marls were going to check on her."
"You talked to Evans?" James asked. "Knight to C4," he added, and his knight moved and hit Peter's bishop over the head.
"Not really. Me and Marls were talking and then she came and she and Marls went away." Sirius shrugged as if it had no real meaning although, in truth, he had chosen his words carefully.
"Who did it?" Peter asked.
"Dunno," Sirius said again.
"I bet it was Avery. In that group of evil people, he is the most evil," Peter said with a shiver.
"I'll beat him up. I bet whatever hurt her was Dark Magic." Sirius clenched his fists.
"You won't do anything stupid now, will you, Padfoot?" James asked. "Besides, we don't even
know if anyone attacked her. She might just have slipped, or accidentally done something to herself."
"Prongs, I know it's MacDonald we're talking about, but not even she would manage to get a spell that wrong," Sirius said and, just as he was about to finish his thought, the portrait hole swung open and Lily, Alice and Marlene entered, all three looking worried.
"How's she?" Sirius asked, leaning over the back of the sofa.
"Madam Pomfrey hasn't got a clue what's happened. They're transferring her to St. Mungo's right now," Marlene answered, staying where she was, halfway through the common room on the way to the dorms with her arm wrapped around Alice's shoulders.
Sirius nodded and sank down in the sofa again while Marlene continued towards the dorms.
"Told you, Dark magic," he sighed, but he couldn't remember ever feeling more disappointed that he'd been right.
"Your argument just became more valid," James admitted. "But my request for you not to do anything stupid still stands."
"Don't you get it, Prongs? This is my family. My brother, my cousins. They're the ones doing this. I can't just sit and watch, can I?"
James looked like he was about to say something but he fell quiet again.
"Should we go up?" Peter nodded towards the dorm. "It's late."
Sirius was quick to agree. Even if the fire had warmed him, his toes were still stiff in his thin sneakers.
Remus woke up in the hospital wing. The by now familiar feeling of not being able to move, had he wanted to, was overshadowed by a pain in his right arm. He looked over to see an unfamiliar scar running the length of his upper arm. It wasn't bleeding, but the skin was still thin and pink.
"Good morning, Mr. Lupin. Feeling better?" Madam Pomfrey, efficient as usual, hurried into the ward and didn't give him a chance to answer before handing him a bottled potion and a small cup.
"One cup now, and one in an hour," she instructed and set them down on the nightstand.
Remus put the cork back in the bottle and raised the cup to his lips when the ward doors were slammed open and James, Sirius and Peter stumbled in. Ignoring Madam Pomfrey's comments that this was really not the time, Sirius took the chair from the bed next to Remus while James settled on the chair already by his side and Peter sat at the foot of his bed. '
"You okay mate?" James asked, grinning and handing him a pack of chocolate.
"I am now." Remus made an attempt to smile and took the chocolate from his friend's hand., putting the cup down on the nightstand.
"You know MacDonald was attacked yesterday?" Sirius asked once he'd opened the chocolate and the others, as usual, had told him they didn't want any.
"Mary? Really? Is she okay?"
"Not really, they moved her before you got in, I believe." Sirius leaned forward in his chair and took the potion from the nightstand.
"Moved her?"
"To St. Mungo's," James filled in, rather matter of factly.
"What?" Madam Pomfrey had taken care of him after every full moon for five years. Remus had almost started to believe there was nothing she couldn't heal.
"Who did it?"
"Moved her? I guess it was Dumbledore." Sirius sniffed the potion, pulled a face and put it down on the nightstand. "Honestly, Moony, how do you drink this?" Sirius added.
"Well obviously I was asking about the name of who moved her, genius," Remus sighed. "No, who attacked her."
"Oh, that. Dunno. Peter's money is on Avery though."
The puzzle fell into place in Remus' mind. The picture it painted sent a shiver up his spine and made him feel sick.
"What if it was me?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" James eyed him.
"Who attacked her?"
"What? Why would you think that?" Peter exclaimed, horrified.
"She was attacked last night, just before I got back in, Madam Pomfrey can't cure her, no one knows what's happened." Remus felt positive he was going to be sick. "All evidence points towards it." He swallowed hard.
"Moony!" James reached forward and grabbed his hand. "It couldn't have been you."
"How-" Tears formed in his eyes.
"She was attacked outside the library." Sirius patted his shoulder.
"Well, how do you know I wasn't-"
"Moony, I think we'd know if you'd been running around the castle all…bunny-like." James grinned and patted his hand. "Don't worry."
Marlene didn't really mind waking up at dawn, she felt bad for Dumbledore though. He couldn't possibly be awake this early. She'd tried to tell Lily and Alice that, but every attempt to had been shut down and now they were hurrying through the empty Hogwarts corridors before the sun had
even risen above the mountains.
Alice was the first to reach the stone gargoyle. She stopped and turned to Lily and Marlene. "What do we do now?" she asked.
"Give it the password," Lily yawned. "It's 'bubble-gum'."
Marlene, knowing from Mike, her brother, that only the Head Boy and Girl were given the password to the Headmaster's office, wondered how Lily knew it. She didn't get a chance to ask, however, because the gargoyle turned and revealed a stone staircase. Lily stepped onto it and it started rotating upwards, bringing her up with it. Marlene glanced at Alice before she too stepped onto the steps.
A short while later they found themselves standing outside a wooden door. Hesitantly, Alice stretched her arm forward and knocked. A minute passed, and Marlene began to think her statement that the headmaster wasn't awake was true. Then the door opened wide and Dumbledore appeared. He was wearing a striped, light purple night-gown, which proved Marlene right.
"What can I do for you girls this early?" he asked.
"We're terribly sorry to disturb, sir, but you see, we were wondering if you knew how Mary MacDonald is." Alice was so well-mannered Marlene wanted to go back in time and push herself out a window for her own blunt tone when she talked to teachers. She knew it wouldn't change it though.
"I'm afraid I don't," Dumbledore said. "But I can assure you that the Healers are taking good care of her."
"When can we see her?" Lily blurted when Dumbledore finished.
"I suggest you wait until we have information from St. Mungo's about Ms. Macdonald's state." Although he had just been abruptly woken on a Saturday morning Dumbledore's voice was calm, pleasant even. "If I were you I would come back by noon, and we will make a decision regarding your visiting her."
"We will, sir. Thank you," Alice said as Dumbledore began to close the door.
"Well that was a disappointment," Lily said. Alice nodded gloomily.
"I told you we'd wake him," Marlene murmured, just loud enough for the others to hear.
"I guess I'm supposed to ask what the matter is with you," Alice sighed, "but I can't be bothered.
Will you just tell us?"
Marlene didn't even know herself what was the matter. For starters, they had a pile of homework,
most of which she hadn't started nor knew how to do, then there was everything with Mary and Cody. She'd had her first Quidditch practice, which had turned out to be more exhausting than Marlene had believed it would be, finishing the day off with the attack on Mary, and her and Sirius stepping outside the box of acceptable behavior towards your almost brother's best friend.
"Oh, nothing. Just tired," she lied, not knowing if it was a lie if she didn't actually know what the truth was.
"So what do we do now?" Lily asked.
"Wait?" Alice suggested.
"Not much else we can do," Lily sighed.
"We could sneak out, you know." Marlene shrugged.
"Please tell me you're kidding." Alice stopped and turned to face her.
"Nah, we'll just ask the boys, that is, James, to help us. They've been doing it for years."
Marlene bit her tongue, knowing she shouldn't have said that much.
"They have done what?" Lily turned too, her expression like Professor McGonagall's.
"Sneaking out," Marlene sighed.
"That's so irresponsible! I can't believe you knew and did nothing."
"It's not like I gave them my permission or anything," she explained. "They do as they please and for your own safety you don't interfere."
"For their safety you should. Who knows what danger they could be getting themselves into, especially in times like these," Lily argued back.
"I don't control them, Lily, what do you not understand."
"Well, if you won't do anything about it, I will. Surely McGonagall will be able to contain them."
"You can't be serious, Lils, they're not in any danger."
"How can you know that?" Lily raised her voice. "No one is safe these days. Just look what happened to Mary…" She stopped, swallowing hard.
In the seconds following no one said anything, then Alice said something that made Marlene question whether she was dreaming.
"I think we should do it."
"What? Alice, just think about the consequences. Even if we all make it there alright, we can still get caught. It's 'the marauders' we're discussing here. Aren't they known for getting in trouble?"
Lily's voice was not quite as loud as before, but still above normal.
"Come on Lils. Isn't it worth it?" Alice said.
"No, it's not." Lily crossed her arms. "Sorry guys."
Alice sighed. "Fine."
"So, breakfast?" Marlene turned to the other two.
"Sure." Alice shrugged.
"She's at St. Mungo's." As the third group of students passed by their seats at the table, whispering, Alice had gone very pale and Lily's tea cup stood unfinished in front of her. "They say it was the Cruciatus Curse."
"It's a rumour," Marlene clarified, both to her friends and the passing group of Hufflepuff students.
"You don't know that," Alice mumbled.
"It's Hogwarts. Everything's a rumour."
"I saw them last night, she looked dead." Two Slytherins passed them.
Lily dropped her spoon onto the table.
"It's not true," Marlene said forcefully, trying her best to keep her voice from shaking.
"Lily!" Hestia Jones hurried over to their table just as Marlene was forcing herself to finish her toast. "Did you hear about Mary?"
Lily nodded.
"You know, there were some Ravenclaws out last night, and they said they heard a scream."
Marlene shivered.
"But what do they know really? It's all rumours. Don't worry. I'm sure Mary's fine," Hestia continued.
"Mm." Lily picked up the spoon she'd dropped and put it back into the tea cup. "Right."
"Come on, Lily!" Alice begged. They were back in the dorm, Lily was sitting on her bed reading, Marlene was pacing the room and Alice tried to convince Lily that sneaking out was the right thing to do.
"I said no." Lily closed the book in her lap and looked up.
"Didn't you hear them? She looked dead. Dead, Lily."
"There're only three hours to lunch."
"Yes. Three hours and then what?" Marlene stopped walking back and forth and fell down on her bed. "Then Dumbledore will maybe start planning for us to visit. At this pace we'll get there by Christmas."
"Since when do you care?" Lily snapped.
"Lily!" Alice exclaimed.
"Sorry." Lily looked down at her hands.
"Of course I care. Just because I don't love her doesn't mean I wanna see her dead."
"I know," Lily mumbled. "I just snapped."
"Yeah, we got that." Marlene pulled herself up in a sitting position.
"We should do it, shouldn't we?" Lily swallowed.
"What?"
"We…should sneak out."
"Really?" Marlene turned to her.
"I mean. What if she really is hurt? Or...worse. I'm not saying it's a good, or sensible, idea," she sighed. "But it's the best we've got."
"Okay." Marlene rose from the bed. "I'll go see if I can find James, you two pack."
"Pack? What're we supposed to pack?" Alice asked.
"I don't know! I'm just trying to get moving. Money? Some of those magazines Mary loves?" She hurried out of the dorm.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask them," Lily admitted with a sigh.
The Gryffindor boys' dorm was empty of Marauders. Frank and Arnold, however, told her
they'd left half an hour ago.
Marlene was just about to leave the common room to go looking for them when the four boys in question came in through the portrait hole. James had his arm around Remus' shoulders and Peter walked on Remus' other side. Remus appeared to be fully relying on James to stay standing.
"Hey, Sirius!" At the sound of her voice he jumped, as if he'd been caught in the middle of something he wasn't supposed to do.
"Can I talk to you?" She mouthed.
He nodded and went over to her.
"Listen, Marls. About yesterday, can we talk about that another time. I'm-"
"It's not that." She cut him off.
"It's not?" He took a step towards her, furrowing his brows.
"No. What's the probability of us getting out of school?"
"We?"
"Me, Lily and Alice."
"Pretty high."
"Okay, what're the possibilities of getting from here to London, in to St. Mungo's to visit Mary?"
"Slightly slimmer. Merlin, Marls. That's something even I wouldn't do."
"Well it's an emergency."
"What? MacDonald? What's happened to her?"
"We don't know! That's the bloody problem!"
"Okay, calm down."
"Yeah? Would you want me to tell you to "calm down" if James was hurt and you didn't know what happened and people said he looked dead!"
"Come on, I think comparing MacDonald to Prongs is a bit of a leap."
"Fine. We'll just figure something out ourselves." She turned to storm off.
"No, wait." Sirius grabbed her wrist. "I'll help you."
The bus made a sharp turn, making all the chairs slide across the floor and bang into the opposite wall, before stopping abruptly. The conductor followed a thin woman out from what Sirius had referred to as "the Knight Bus". Based on her experience from the few minutes on board the bus Alice knew she, despite how much she'd always hated it, would prefer to travel by broom any day of the week. The others didn't seemed to enjoy the mean of travel any more than she did. Lily was on the edge of her chair next to Alice and held onto the window sill as if her life depended on it, and Marlene's face was steadily growing whiter.
"What is this bus even for? Torturing people?" Lily mumbled, as the bus made a twirl to avoid a barn.
"I told you. It's the knight bus." Sirius seemed the only one unaffected by the bus's twists and turns. "My parents were crazy when it was put into use, said it was a shame us wizards had to retort to 'simple Muggle inventions'. They weren't the only ones, it caused a lot of attention. Many purebloods didn't think it was necessary. Right, McKinnon?"
Marlene didn't reply. All of her energy seemed to be put into not throwing up.
"For once I must agree with them," Lily said. "This really is unnecessary. We've got brooms, and Floo powder, and Apparation."
There was a loud bang and the setting outside the bus window changed from green fields and barns to a busy London street in the blink of an eye before the bus, suddenly and with such force Alice was thrown off her chair, stopped.
"Mr. Black. This is you." The conductor informed them and offered his arm to Alice to help her up.
Alice had been to the hospital once before, to visit a great aunt or something? Alice tried to recall her name, maybe Lilia? The waiting room looked just as she remembered it, chairs lined up against the walls and outdated magazines in baskets and on table around the room.
They reached the front desk, occupied by a young thin witch with high cheekbones and the facial expression of someone who would've liked to be anywhere but there.
"What can I help you with?" she asked in a monotonous voice.
"Hello. I'm Sirius Black, this is Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans and Alice Fortescue. We've come to visit Mary MacDonald."
"Identification?"
"Er…"
"Everyone visiting must show legitimation," she explained, eyeing them suspiciously. "It's a matter of everyone's safety you understand. Sirius Black, was it?"
"My family has made huge contributions to the hospital. Couldn't you make an exception?"
"Well…I don't believe-"
"I don't think you understand." Sirius smiled. "My family could destroy you."
The witch's eyes widened and she quickly flipped through the folder in front of her."She's on fourth floor, up the stairs and to your left." She pointed up the stairs. "I am very sorry about the inconvenience. Tell your parents we are very happy about their contribution."
"Okay, that was amazing," Lily admitted as they walked up the stairs.
"Being a Black does have its advantages."
"Sirius!" Marlene exclaimed. "You can't say that."
"I didn't say it was good advantages."
"Advantages are always good, that's the purpose of them," Lily put in.
"Okay, fine." Sirius crossed his arms.
Alice returned to the ward with a glass of water in one hand and a pack of Bertie Bott's Beans in the other. She put them down on the nightstand beside Mary's bed before sitting down in one of the empty chairs. Mary was asleep, her brown hair still in the side braid she'd worn the day before. The Healer had told them they could stay but Mary was not likely to wake since she was under a sleeping potion.
"She looks really peaceful," Marlene remarked. "If she was always like this I might be able to stand her." Lily gave her a sharp look, signaling this wasn't the time.
"I don't get why you're still angry with her. The Hogsmeade problem is solved and your date will beat hers," Sirius said. He was standing a bit away from the girls in his usual careless manner. Lily didn't have a clue what he was talking about and, reading from her frown, neither did Alice.
"That was only part of the problem." Marlene rolled her eyes at Sirius. "Why do blokes not understand that conflicts are bigger than that?"
"Can someone fill me in on what's happening?" Lily asked. "Since when is Sirius involved in this?"
"You didn't tell them?" This comment was so obviously directed towards Marlene that Lily felt like she interrupted an intimate moment by simply being there.
"Didn't really get the chance to," Marlene sighed.
"Right, MacDonald," Sirius said.
"Okay, one of you tell me what all this is about." Alice gestured between the two of them.
"She's going to Hogsmeade with me."
"What?" Alice frowned.
"As friends," Marlene filled in.
A million questions immediately popped into to Lily's head. However, she was stopped from asking them by Mary, who turned and let out a groan before opening her eyes.
"Oh, heey guuys," she said, her voice dragging.
"Hi, Mary, how're you feeling?" Alice asked, leaning forward.
"Where am I?" she murmured.
"St. Mungos. You were attacked in the corridor last night."
"Ohhh, thaaat. Yees. That big bloke in Slytherin, Muliret or something…he raised his wand and then everything just went black."
Lily turned and met the others' glances and knew they thought the same as she did. Although the name Mary had given wasn't exactly right, there was no doubt who she was supposed to mean. Mulciber, the tall and muscular Slytherin student who seemed to be involved in half of the incidents on the school grounds. Severus had been friends with him for years, if friends was what you could call them. To Lily they rather seemed like a group of people who shared a dark sense of humour and a hatred against everyone different from themselves.
The Healer, who had been dealing with a little boy whose face was covered by deep cuts, now came over to the bed where Mary was. "Ms. MacDonald, you're awake," she said to Mary and then, turning to the others she added quietly, "We will need to run some tests on her. You should leave." Sirius looked like he was about to start an argument for the sole purpose of it, but instead followed the others out of the ward.
Fifteen minutes later Lily and Sirius were alone in the hospital cafeteria. The others had wanted to visit the hospital shop and Sirius had, to Lily's surprise, offered to stay while she finished her cup of tea. He was watching her intensely.
"Is there a reason you stayed?" she asked, feeling like she was being assessed on her ability to drink tea.
"I'm glad you asked, Evans," he replied and Lily sighed, ready for a long speech about whatever reason he had this time for James to be her soul mate. "I need your help," he admitted.
"What?" Lily looked up.
"You remembered what I said before?" Sirius tried, obviously feeling uncomfortable talking about it. Lily shook her head. "About Hogsmeade…" he tried.
"Oh, with Marlene?"
Sirius nodded. "James will be so pissed about it."
"You haven't told him?"
"I didn't really have time to. It happened just yesterday, after Quidditch practise. Then it all got
kind of interrupted by the attack."
"I know Marls said you're going as friends…" Lily said, considering whether or not to say the words. "But you'd make a cute couple. Odd, but cute."
Sirius seemed taken aback by her words. "We are not a couple," he said, screwing up his face.
"I'm simply doing her a favour. One friend to another, but James won't like it."
"Why not?"
"Don't tell him-"
"That is highly unlikely."
"-Okay, then don't tell Marls. He tends to be very…protective of her."
"Really?" Lily asked, frowning.
"Yes, almost as protective as he is of you."
"He's not protective of me!"
"Oh really? Then what's your explanation for why Avery was in the hospital wing looking like a
gorilla for three days after he called you a mudblood?"
Lily tried her best to keep her frown but it proved extremely difficult and soon she was covering her mouth to hide how amused she actually was by it.
"Merlin, that was him? Some impressive Transfiguration work, when was that even? Like, third year?"
Sirius nodded and smiled too. "You know you're laughing about something James did, right?"
"I don't approve of some of what you're up to, that doesn't mean I lack a sense of humour."
"Okay then, back on subject. What should I do?"
"Honestly, Black, I have no idea why you're asking me," Lily said. "I'm shitty at giving advice and even shittier at reading people, yet everyone always comes to me with their problems for some reason."
"Woah, sorry." Sirius raised his hands to stop her rambling.
"It's fine. Well…can't you just tell him you're going as friends?"
"You really don't know Prong…eh, James."
"You know I don't. Well...why don't you just ask him to take her?"
"Nah." Barely had the words left his lips before his face lit up.
"What?" Lily asked.
"Why don't you go with him?"
"You're joking, right!"
"No. If you go with him it will take his mind off what he won't describe as anything but a
disaster."
"Oh, so that's what you're doing, Black? Using me as a distraction to cover up your mistake?"
"It's not a mistake."
"You are making no sense right now, Black, you know that?" Lily swallowed the last of her tea.
"You're taking her to Hogsmeade, though she isn't your date and you don't have any feelings for her, but you don't want anyone else to do it instead and although you know very well that it is something that will make your best friend in the entire world mad, you claim it's not a mistake." Lily heard her own voice rise as she spoke. "And people say girls can't make up their minds." She shook her head with a sigh.
Sirius opened his mouth to reply.
"We can go back to Mary now," Alice announced, she and Marlene re-entering the cafeteria. Then noticing Lily's frown, she asked. "What's happened."
"Nothing," Sirius said quickly. "Let's go."
Lily searched his gaze but he clearly avoided it.
The same Healer as before was in the ward. On their way in she stopped them. "We've given her a bit of pain relief, she reacted quite strongly to it, so she's a bit dizzy," she warned them in a hushed voice.
"Do you know what happened to her?" Lily asked.
The healer hesitated. "We do, but it's confidential. However, she should be out by Monday."
Lily nodded and they all proceeded towards Mary's bed. She was tucked up against a hill of pillows with a magazine on her lap.
"Hi honey. How are you feeling?" Alice asked, sitting down on one of the chairs beside her bed.
"I'm good." Mary looked up and smiled. Something in her eyes was childlike.
"I heard you'll be out of here in time for the Hogsmeade visit," Lily said.
"Yeah. I don't really care 'bout that though," Mary continued in her childish voice. "I'm only goin' with 'im 'cause it would make Marlene pissed."
Everything seemed to stop for a minute as Lily wished Marlene had gone to the bathroom, or anywhere that caused her not to be in the room at the moment when those words were uttered.
"I knew it!" she squealed, rushing forward she slapped her hand across Mary's arm. She looked ready to start a full fight, but before she had a chance to, Sirius grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her backward. The Healer came hurrying over and ordered them all to leave the ward immediately.
They were ushered into a room by a nurse and the door shut behind them. The room was small, with only a desk and a plastic chair; it felt cold and uninviting. Lily took one of the chairs while Sirius stood against the wall, still holding Marlene against his chest. Alice was left to wander back and forth across the tiled floor, counting every time her trainer made contact with the floor. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen. They were in trouble, she knew it.
She'd reached forty before the door opened again and even before entering the room Alice knew who it was. Dumbledore didn't look angry, like Alice had expected, but rather worried and disappointed. She followed his every movement, as he closed the door and placed himself in the middle of the room.
"I expect you know why I'm here," he started. Alice felt her stomach tighten and she swallowed hard as she nodded quietly.
"Yes, sir," she whispered. Lily nodded in agreement.
"I must say I hadn't expected this from you. You've acted very irresponsibly and placed youselves in danger."
Alice felt sick.
"Professor, it was my idea." Marlene stepped forward from where she and Sirius stood against the back wall.
"Ms. McKinnon?" Dumbledore looked over.
"I thought we would just see Mary and then return. The others didn't want to, really. But I convinced them. And, about what just happened, I'm very, very sorry. It will not happen again."
"Very well, Ms. McKinnon. I am afraid you'll have to tell that to Professor McGonagall when we return to school, she will be the one deciding your punishment," he sighed. "And what are you doing here, Mr. Black?"
"I helped them out of the school."
"May I ask how?"
"I'm afraid you may not. What kind of a marauder would I be if I let the headmaster in on our secrets?"
The ghost of a smile seemed to cross Dumbledore's lips. However, it was gone within seconds.
"You will go to McGonagall right away when we arrive back at school. Now, let's get moving and they might still be serving lunch when you're done."
"I am disgusted." Professor McGonagall announced unnecessarily. "Not only did you sneak out of school and to London when Professor Dumbledore himself had told you not to, but in the hospital you, Ms. McKinnon, hit a fellow student." She stopped and took a deep breath as if talking about it was causing her physical pain. "Now, Professor Dumbledore has left it to me to decide about your punishment. Thirty points will be taken from Gryffindor for each of you, and you will all serve two hours' detention every Friday for the next month and, of course, we will inform your parents about what has happened." Alice didn't know what made her more panicked, her father finding out she had broken the rules, or breaking her spotless record. She was so deep into her own thoughts that she didn't notice McGonagall had finished and the others were leaving the room until Lily tugged her arm.
"I can't believe her," Marlene cursed as soon as the office door shut behind them. "Two hours, every Friday, for a month. She doesn't appear to understand I have a social life."
"You are partly responsible though. You didn't have to hit Mary," Lily reminded her.
"I didn't mean to," Marlene defended herself, "but she was making me so frustrated, that was the last drop."
"Still," Lily pushed the entrance door open and stepped out on the grounds. "There was no need to hit her. As soon as she gets out of that hospital you two will sit down and talk things out like adults because I'm sick of you two not being able to be in the same room without you two trying to kill each other through telepathy or something. "
"I will talk to her, if she'll talk to me." Marlene crossed her arms.
Lily sighed, put didn't pursue the subject.
"Did you see Mary?" Dorcas came over to them.
"Yeah," Alice said.
"And?"
"She's fine." Lily looked up, smiling.
Dorcas breathed out in relief before plopping down next to Marlene in the grass.
"Got detention too, while we were at it," Marlene muttered.
"Really? How much?"
"Two hours' every Friday night for a month."
Dorcas pulled a face and leaned back towards the oak tree.
"I can't believe she actually gave you detention," Marlene turned to Alice. "Before this, you'd never put a toe out of line."
Marlene was right. Alice had never broken a rule before, but now she had and she would be punished for it.
Lily pulled out that day's edition of The Daily Prophet and opened it. Everyone was quiet for a while before Lily sighed and by now everyone knew that sigh could only mean one of two things. Alice's gaze had, for the last five minutes, been traveling over the water surface trying to find the giant squid and now she turned to face Lily instead.
"What's it this time?" Marlene asked, she too looking up.
"'Someone' has been putting Muggles under Imperius curses." Lily sighed again.
"Can you imagine the damage that'll cause? Innocent muggles going around acting under the
power of the Death Eaters," Marlene asked.
Alice shivered at the thought.
"They're sick. All of them. Anyone who has any kind of opinions that purebloods are better than anyone else is welcome to fight me," Marlene continued.
"Most of them are not even in it because they are stuck up, they honestly believe it's the right thing," Dorcas put in.
"That's the problem, isn't it?" Marlene asked. "I mean, if they were all just stupid they wouldn't be able to cause such problems."
Alice thought about this for a moment and her mind couldn't help but slip to her father. He sometimes had a quite old-fashioned opinion about everything and so too in the ever active discussion about blood status. Although her father had never said he agreed with Voldemort, he had suggested it. He couldn't really help it though, he came from a long line of full blood witches and wizards, he didn't know any better. She hummed along with the others in agreement although her thoughts were still occupied.
"You did what?" James asked, not angry or upset but his voice lacking its usual warmth.
"Calm down, Prongs." Sirius didn't know if calm down were the right words but he couldn't find anything more suitable. "It's not that big a deal."
"Not a big deal?" James raised his voice a little. "She is basically my sister, Pads. And you're my brother. And now the two of you are dating?"
"Slow down a bit, Prongs. We're not dating; we're just going to Hogsmeade together, as friends."
"Can you promise nothing will happen then?" James demanded and the second's hesitation from Sirius' side seemed to be enough of an answer for him. "That's it. I'm taking her instead."
"No! Prongs. I promise, nothing will happen." Sirius had no idea why those words hurt so much to say. He didn't want anything to happen, did he?
"Good," James said. "One of you would just end up hurt, and I'd have to pick up the pieces."
Sirius, not wishing to stay on the subject, started retelling what had happened after they left the school, leaving out his conversation with Lily. Lying to James felt terrible although he told himself it wasn't really a lie, more like avoiding part of the truth.
"Marls slapped her?" James asked, half amused when Sirius reached the end of the story.
Sirius nodded. "Although that's not the important part. It was Mulciber, he attacked her. Remind me to hex that idiot the next time I see him."
"Solving violence with more violence, Pads?" But before Sirius could put in that this was an entirely different thing he added, "That's my brother."
They moved towards the mirror on the fourth floor when James nodded towards it and asked:
"Should we go?"
"And do what?"
"Three Broomsticks?"
"She'll recognize us."
"But she won't tell."
"You've got a point."
"So…?"
"Let's go."
As they passed James knocked on the frame on the big wall mirror and it swung open. They darted through the opening and stumbled down the first few steps of the stone staircase.
"We were going to the kitchen to get breakfast for Moony after you left and Grant came up to us-"
"Which one?" Sirius interrupted.
"-Caroline, so no need to worry. However, she asked if we'd seen Moony and we, of course, said he was still asleep and that he wasn't feeling well. She asked if he'd be better this weekend and not to put words in her mouth but-"
"-Sounds like Moony's got himself a girl," Sirius concluded.
"Exactly. She'd find him this afternoon. If all goes well it looks like me and Peter will be the only ones going stag this time."
Sirius laughed, more out of habit than because the stag joke was actually funny anymore.
They passed the post office and Sirius remembered the last time they had gone down here. It had
been last May, to get the mandrake leaves James dad had sent for them.
"This is crazy, they'll recognize us," Remus said, buttoning up his school robe all the way. The sun had disappeared almost completely behind the mountains and the air was chilly.
"It's the post office, w've never even been in there," James reminded him as he swung the door open. He crossed the office floor in a few steps. "Beautiful night, huh?" he said to the man behind the desk, who only huffed. "We're picking up a package from Fleamont Potter."
Sirius had expected there to be some level of security, and they had a made up story to explain why they were there. However, the man just nodded and, with a heavy breath, rose from the chair
and reached for a package on the upper shelf and put it into James' hands.
Sirius smiled, it felt like so long ago, even though it'd only been a few months. They had gone to the three broomsticks afterwards that time too, Madam Rosmerta had served them butterbeer and
sandwiches.
Sirius never thought he'd wanted butterbeer more than he did now. It was truly freezing outside and the wind grabbed Sirius' cloak and almost blew him off course. Hearing the door slam closed behind them was a relief and Madam Rosmerta looked up.
"My favourite customers!" she exclaimed, so loud that the other visitors (which were few compared to a Hogsmeade weekend) looked up. "What brings you here today?" Then, a little
afraid, she added, "it's not Hogsmeade weekend yet, is it?"
"No Rosmerta, not until next weekend," James reassured her, "but we were simply craving some
of your delicious butterbeer. You won't tell on us, will you?"
"Of course not, James, you know that," she smiled. "I just had a delivery this morning, come with me." She grabbed them by the hands and led them into a room behind the bar.
While Rosmerta opened a large barrel and poured the butterbeer into three glasses, Sirius caught sight of the bottles of firewhiskey on the shelf on the opposite wall. Rosmerta looked up and must have known, or at least suspected, because she said, "I can't serve you that."
Sirius bulged his lip and looked at Rosmerta with puppy eyes.
"Sorry." Then, handing him and James a glass of butterbeer each and keeping one herself she said, "A toast."
"With butter," James filled in and Rosmerta cracked a smile.
"And cheese," Sirius added. Rosmerta threw her head back in laughter as Sirius emptied half his
cup in one sweep. No sooner had he whipped the foam mustache from his top lip than there was a firm knock on the door and an all too familiar voice came through.
"Rosmerta. I don't know what you're doing in there but Horace and I want our drinks."
Sirius turned and his eyes met James, both of them fully aware what was about to happen.
"Back door." Rosmerta mouthed, before slipping out of the front door. "I'm terribly sorry, Minerva." They heard her say as the door closed behind her. While James fiddled with the back door lock Sirius turned and snatched a bottle of firewhiskey and, closing his cloak over it, he and James tumbled out in the cold.
"Hey! How did Dorcas know we'd been to see Mary?" Marlene asked as they headed back to the Gryffindor tower.
Alice and Lily looked at each other.
"Lily talked to her," Alice said.
"What? When?"
"This morning, when you went looking for James. I just thought she should have the choice to go with us."
"She didn't want to?"
"No. She didn't want to be any trouble," Lily shrugged. "She felt guilty though, thought it was her fault."
"That's crazy. Why?"
"She and Mary had been in the library and she went ahead while Mary was packing up her stuff."
"And you managed to get her to say all this?" Marlene asked. "She doesn't seem to talk much."
"She's just…insecure, and shy." Lily thought back to that night at the beginning of the term. She hadn't told the others about it, and she didn't think Mary had either.
"Are they all like that? Hufflepuffs."
"Your sister's a Hufflepuff," Alice remarked.
"Okay, get it." Marlene sighed.
"I was quiet too when we first met." Alice shrugged.
"You're still not the most talkative person I know."
"Yeah, but I'm competing with Potter and Black."
"You know when you're even less talkative?"
"When?"
"When Longbottom's mentioned." Marlene smiled triumphantly. Lily didn't think the subject change was as smooth as Marlene's face led her to believe.
"Oh, shut up." Alice looked away.
"See! Told you so!" Marlene gestured between Lily and Alice.
"Where are they?" Peter wondered out loud for the third time that afternoon. Remus didn't reply, mostly because no answer was really necessary. James and Sirius sometimes disappeared for hours at a time, often reappearing having earned themselves another detention. However, they always returned for dinner. They'd have to show up soon though, because there were only another fifteen minutes before the doors to the Great Hall opened for dinner.
"Fancy a game of chess?" Remus asked.
"You always win," Peter groaned.
"Okay, what about Exploding Snap then?"
"Sure," Peter agreed. "I'll just get the cards from my drawer." He rose from his chair in the common room and went up the stairs.
Remus was sure no more than twenty seconds had passed before Caroline Grant filled Peter's vacated chair.
"Hi, Remus." Remus was surprised she even knew his name, she was a year above him and always surrounded by groups of people, why would she bother noticing him?
"Hello, Caroline."
"I was thinking. Maybe, if you're not doing anything then, you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me."
The question was clear and couldn't be misunderstood in any way, yet Remus doubted he'd heard right. Then Sirius' throwaway comment popped into his head "I've always thought she and Remus would make a beautiful couple." No, it couldn't happen.
"Are you sure you're thinking of me? You might be looking for Ruben, he's a 7th year. I think I saw him heading down to dinner, you might be able to catch up with him." He was only trying to be helpful and when Caroline gave a snort of laughter his stomach tightened.
"I'm looking for you, idiot." She didn't use idiot the way Remus was used to hearing it. The way
Lily shouted after James or the way the girls Sirius took to Hogsmeade and broke up with, this was playful.
"Er…okay. Well, I guess…" He felt like an idiot, not the playful kind, the full blown awkward type you were supposed to run from, yet Caroline sat still, her blond hair falling over her shoulders and her straight and symmetrical nose pointing his direction. "Sure."
"Great. I'll meet you in the entrance hall at half past nine at Saturday then." With that she rose and went over to her group of friends by the window before Remus could get another word in.
The moment she left Peter appeared from behind a bookcase, his smile revealing he had been lurking there for a while.
"Congratulations Moony!" he said when he sat down in the now empty chair.
"I made a fool of myself." Remus hid his face in his hands.
"No you didn't," Peter reassured him, "if you did she seemed to like it."
"I've never been that embarrassed in my life."
"What's up with Moony?" Came another voice from above. Sirius and James clearly had returned.
"He's got a date," Peter announced.
"I made a fool of myself," Remus repeated to the newcomers.
"I'm sure you didn't," Sirius said.
"I did. And the worst part is, I said yes."
"What?"
"I said yes, I said I'd go to Hogsmeade with her."
"And you didn't want to?" Peter asked.
"Of course I didn't want to!" Remus snapped. "I could never."
"I'm not getting this," Sirius said, plopping down on the sofa
"I can't. I'll go, I'll like her, I'll have to break up with her before she notices anything. That is, if she doesn't break up with me first."
"You're reading too much into this Moony," Sirius said, "you're not committing to anything past Saturday."
"Of course you'd say that," Remus murmured, "you never commit past Saturday. Merlin, what happened to you?" Remus looked up to find James and Sirius looking out of place, their robes out of place and James' glasses on end. "Found a broom closet, did you?"
"The weather happened," James muttered, putting his glasses back in place and nodding out the window. Remus had failed to notice it was blowing full storm outside.
"And actually, I've committed behind Saturday this time," Sirius said proudly.
"You have? Who?" Peter wondered.
"McKinnon."
"Really?"
"As friends," James put in sharply.
"Yes, of course, however, I can't dump her after this because Prongs would kill me. So I'll have to be on my best behavior."
"Yeah, you'd better be," James murmured.
"So, dinner?" Peter asked, standing.