Last Chapter: "STOP THAT CHICKEN!" He roared, stumbling over a horrified third-year and lunging at the white bundle of feathers. He caught it, finally, but just as he slammed onto the thing with all of his weight, the animal changed back into a pillow, and feathers exploded across the common room. All eyes were on the bizarre spectacle, though there was mostly a startled silence. Except, of course, for two seventeen-year-old boys, who were curled over laughing by the staircase. Remus clutched his side, gasping for breath, and Peter had fallen to the floor into a helpless heap of wild laughter.

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"That's absolutely nonsensical! Why should we imitate the harebrained customs of muggles?" Rabastan Lestrange protested, his arms folded firmly across his chest. He was seated in a large armchair of the Head's common room, somehow managing to retain his regal air even as he slouched lazily, his right foot over his left knee. Lily had hardly gotten out of her mouth the plan for the Hallowe'en dance before there was a jumble of dissent from the Slytherin section of prefects. She had been expecting as much, but she still wasn't sure of what to say in response.

"What can you expect," muttered another Slytherin in an undertone, nudging the girl next to him, "with a mudblood as Head Girl." Lily couldn't quite make out what he said, so she simply took a breath, gathering her arguments and looking toward the prefects from the other houses. She was just about to begin speaking again when she was interrupted a second time.

"What did you just call her?" James snapped, hazel eyes blazing behind his glasses. Lily flew out of her chair immediately, flinging her arms between James, who was glaring menacingly, and Augustus Rookwood, who had jumped to his feet at the threat. She was horrified at the prospect of James relapsing into his old habit of hexing people just because he wanted to, and her not preventing it.

"Stop it, both of you - Potter," She shot him a look.

"He called you a - "

"I don't care what he said. Rookwood -" she rounded on the sixth year slytherin. "If you have something to share, be sure to say it so we can all hear you. Is there something you'd like me to know?" she inquired, eyes wide and innocent. For a moment there was total silence as each of the prefects waited to see what he would say. Even the two Hufflepuff girls who had been murmuring commentary throughout the meeting were silent.

"No, Evans, there isn't." Rookwood shot James another dirty look before sitting down next to Rabastan, seething. Lily imagined if he were a cartoon character, smoke would be emanating from his ears in plumes.

"Does anybody else have any opinions on the matter?" Lily asked, running a hand through her dark red hair absently, attempting to prevent her discomfort from showing by keeping her expression composed. The semi-confrontation had raised her blood-pressure and she felt her neck warming up with a vague sense of anxiety she was determined to strangle before it became more obvious. There was a short pause before Emmaline Vance, a Ravenclaw prefect, raised one dainty hand.

"I think it's a superb idea. It's something fun for everybody, and it's a dance - who doesn't enjoy a good dance? I'm sure you'll find that most people won't have an issue with it." She turned to the boy next to her, eyes asking for some back up, and he nodded in assent.

"Thank you, Emmaline," Lily said with sincerity, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. At least people in the other houses weren't so averted to her idea. Emmaline smiled politely.

"All right then. Everybody in favour of our muggle-themed Hallowe'en dance, raise your hand," James called, seemingly having gotten a hold on his emotions. He raised one of his hands, a lop-sided smile on his lips, and most everybody else raised their hand as well. Even a fifth year Slytherin prefect raised her hand slowly, glancing around nervously as though she'd be struck down for doing so. Soon all but Lestrange - whose outrage had faded into perturbance - and Rookwood, whose iron gaze could have stunned a basilisk, had their hands raised, The other fifth year Slytherin appeared indifferent, but clearly was not as brave as the girl, and kept his hand in his lap.

"I suppose that's decided then," James' smile widened into a bright grin. "Everybody's stationed where we discussed earlier. If you have any problems you can speak with Evans or myself. Cheers!" The prefects stood up, filing out of the common room one by one, until only Rookwood remained. Lily had already headed up to her room to begin schoolwork, so James didn't bother to play nice as he spun to face the Slytherin.

"What do you want, Rookwood?"

Rookwood smirked, obviously reveling in the adverse affect he had on the Head Boy. "You know, Potter," He said quietly, eyes flashing, "Mudbloods and blood traitors are no different in the eyes of the Dark Lord."

James' hand flew to his robes, and in a flash he whipped out his wand, closing in on the Slytherin in half a moment. "You'll be expelled for that."

"Oh? By what witness? The batty Head Boy who's known to curse Slytherins without provocation? That's what you're going to do now, eh? Go ahead, blood traitor." Rookwood managed to keep his silky voice even and low, so as to insure he wasn't overheard.

"Not today, you filthy bastard." Though he wanted nothing more than to hex Rookwood into the next century, he simply grabbed the other boy by the tie, opened the portrait hole and shoved him out of the opening. The portrait slammed closed in his wake.

-:-

"Sirius Black!" James strode purposefully through the corridors, clutching his two-way mirror in front of him and not bothering to look where he was going. Several students sidled out of his way as he stormed down toward the Headmaster's office.

"All right, Prongs?" Sirius' face appeared before him quickly, grey eyes glazed over in boredom. The stone background behind him was blurry and his image shook with motion, one could only assume that he was walking the halls. "What's got you in a right state?"

"Rookwood!" James spat, as though the name left a sour taste in his mouth. "He's a bloody Death Eater, I know it. Calling me a blood traitor, and Lily a - a - you-know-what!"

"Did you just call Evans Lily?" Sirius laughed. He looked away from the mirror for a moment, then back down, sniggering. "Heads up, Prongs!"

"Argh!" James nearly lost his grip on his mirror as he collided into somebody somewhat larger than him. Sirius guffawed as they both caught their balance.

"You git!" James shoved his mirror back into his robe pocket and turned to face his friend. "I'm going to get you when you least expect it, Black!" He snarled, before grinning once again.

Sirius held up their map, which James figured was how his friend found him so quickly. He pulled out his wand and muttered "mischief managed," before putting the map and his mirror into his robes.

"I saw how close you were and couldn't resist. So what's this you're going on about? Regulus calls me a blood traitor all the time, and he's not a Death Eater," He reminded James, throwing an arm over his friend's shoulders as they began to walk again.

James shook his head, tempted to remind Sirius that Regulus was only fourteen; he still had time to be a Death Eater, but he wouldn't dare bring up such a touchy subject in that trivial manner, so he ignored the reference and continued. "He was talking about Voldemort, calling him the 'Dark Lord'... Anyway, I wanted to ask you what the password to Dumbledore's office is. Didn't Flitwick send you there for charming the chairs in his classroom to do the Irish Jig?" Sirius shook his head.

"No way, he almost gave me extra credit for that little ditty! Didn't though, said it sent the 'wrong message.' Why, you gonna tell Dumbledore?" They turned a corner, ducking under a fifth year who was suspended by the ankles from the ceiling. That was quite a common site lately; it was a bit of a competition to see who was off their guard, and who could cast the spell first.

James shrugged, ruffling up his hair absently, "I dunno, what do you suppose I do?" Sirius' expression turned scheming, "Well, I think you could guess what I would do... it involves a few dungbombs, and a possible visit from 'The Grim.'" He laughed. James chuckled, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance. Didn't Sirius realise that this wasn't like their previous spats with Slytherins? This absurd war was coming closer to their lives with every moment, and now there were people even in the school who had pledged their allegiance to Voldemort. He quickly caught himself, though. He couldn't possibly get short with Sirius for being Sirius; he was only trying to help.

"I have to go to Dumbledore," He decided, knowing it was the right thing to do as he said it. "Is he in his office?" Sirius pulled out the map, and they both searched it thoroughly, but soon realised the Headmaster was nowhere to be found.

"He's not even here again," Sirius' eyes screwed up as he searched the map a second time, before he finally gave up. He stopped walking, leaning heavily against the wall. "He's been absent a lot, lately. What do you think he's up to?"

"Who knows, probably something that has to do with the war," James offered darkly. "I suppose we can tell McGonagall, want to come with me?"

"Of course, mate."

-:-

"D'you think Remus is queer?" Mary asked suddenly, looking up from the part of her comforter that she was decimating. Lily blinked, toying with that thought for a moment. She finally shook her head, laughing lightly.

"Er, no, I've never thought that. Why, do you think he is?" Lily questioned, eying her friend carefully. Mary had quickly looked back toward her blanket again, and was systematically tearing at it with her nails as before. She had dragged Lily up to the Gryffindor girls' dormitories in order to be able to have a normal conversation with her, as it seemed that they didn't get as much time to be together as usual.

"No," Mary said finally, still not looking up. "It's only, I dunno. He never seems to have a girlfriend. I mean, have you seen him? He's got a lot going for him, he's intelligent, sweet, a Marauder, and, you know, he's far from looking like a troll." Without warning, her cheeks reddened quickly, she knew Lily could see straight through her.

"Mary! Do you fancy Remus Lupin?" Lily had not seen that coming at all. Mary usually went for the Sirius Black type - loud, funny, sexy. She'd never had her pegged as somebody who'd like Remus Lupin.

"Shhh! The whole castle'll hear you!" Mary stopped pulling apart her blanket, and ducked her head, embarrassed. "It's just a silly crush," she insisted.

Lily smiled teasingly, "Of course, Mary... why don't you ask him to the Hallowe'en ball, he'd go with you, you know."

"No way!" Mary looked mortified at the very thought of asking him such a thing, "If he asked me, but I could never!" She shook her head, her wavy dark hair bouncing off her shoulders. "Anyway, what's going on with you and Potter?" She raised her eyebrows, eager to change the subject.

Lily shrugged, "We're getting on all right, I suppose. He almost hexed a Slytherin today in the prefect meeting, though." She shook her head, eyes closed disapprovingly. "That's what bothers me, he's so unpredictable and still isn't really mature, but I suppose he's trying..." She shrugged again, lost for words. She didn't like the fact that her palms were sweating, or her stomach was doing odd flip-flops. She hoped that Mary didn't pick up on any of this; her friend could be considerably shrewd when it came to such things as this. Not that there's anything for her to notice, she told herself sternly, I do not like James Potter. My palms are just sweaty because it's warm in here, and too much pumpkin juice upsets anybody's stomach...

"Well what did the Slytherin do? Surely James didn't want to hex him for no reason," Mary said reasonably, her face returning to its normal colour. She no longer was picking anxiously at her bedspread, but was twirling a stray hair around her finger absently.

"What? Oh, right. I dunno actually. It was Augustus Rookwood - you know, the sixth year. He said something; I didn't hear him." She made a face, like it was no big deal, but her cheeks tingled again and she knew they were turning pink with embarrassment, as she remembered what had happened. 'What did you just call her?' his voice rang in her mind with astounding clarity. He'd been defending me.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure it was something insulting. You can't blame the boy for everything, you know."

-:-

"Mister Potter, this is a steep accusation. You are aware that such things cannot be taken lightly in light of recent events." Professor McGonagall's mouth was set in a firm line as she studied James and then Sirius for the hundredth time. She'd attempted to send Sirius on his way, as he wasn't involved in the incident, but knew that James would tell his friend everything that happened anyway, so in the end she allowed him stay. She had made James go through the entirety of what had happened in great detail, but still didn't seem content.

"You say that there was nobody else there as witness?" James noted that when McGonagall was angry or stressed, her Scottish accent became more pronounced. Now it was as thick as cold molasses. James nodded, wishing that hadn't been the case.

"He waited until the others left. But you know I wouldn't make this up, Professor." Though he said it like a statement, his eyes were almost pleading. Mcgonagall shook her head slowly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Potter. I shall mention this to Professor Dumbledore when he returns from his meeting, and it will be looked into thoroughly. For now though, there's nothing more you can do." James nodded grudgingly, not quite appeased. He felt like she didn't really trust his account. Could he blame her, really? Had he not devoted his first six years at Hogwarts to terrorising those Slytherins who annoyed him? And Dumbledore, in a meeting? What type of meeting required him to leave school grounds? He didn't mention that particular thing though, as he turned to leave with Sirius. She would be a little to curious as to how he gleaned that bit of information.

"Thank you, professor," He mumbled, starting off in the direction of the door.

"And Potter?" McGonagall added, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around to face her once again.

"Yes, professor?"

"Please don't take matters into your own hands - that goes for you as well Mister Black. I assure you, Professor Dumbledore and myself shall take great interest in this until we get to the bottom of it."

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