So I've edited this chapter...and changed it a whole bunch. :] i like this one more, and it fits with the story more. Sorry guys for the change!
xoxo
Care
"What should I get Louis for his birthday?" I asked James and Rory seriously as I bounded into the boys' dorm. I knew Louis was getting some help in potions from Teddy so I was alright to talk to James and Rory for at least a half hour.
It'd been a week and a half since I'd made the quidditch team, and everything was going well while Wes and whoever had punched Wes on the quidditch pitch that day served out their detentions. We'd won our last game against Ravenclaw by over 200 points (150 are from the snitch, mind you, so don't go getting too excited) and Teddy had been so happy we hadn't even needed a post-game recap of what we did wrong.
"Just get him some candy or a remember-all or something." Rory suggested, and I frowned, shaking my head.
"It has to be good." I said seriously. "I mean, I haven't known him that long and we're, um, best friends and stuff and I want to make sure to do this right." I frowned, sitting on James's bed and picking up a book and flipping through it lazily, before looking up. "I mean, James, you're his cousin, so you're almost off the hook. And Rore...well actually, you've got the same issue, so what are you getting him?"
"I dunno." Rory said, shrugging. "Just some candy. I'm trying to convince my sister to pick me up some in Hogsmeade this weekend. Maybe some prank things, but that doesn't seem very... Louis."
"I know!" I exclaimed. "I thought about everything—I can't think of anything to get him, though, I'm so annoyed." I glared, and James grinned at me.
"He'll like whatever. Louis knows he's hard to buy for." James said honestly, and I met his gaze desperately. "You're actually freaking out about this, aren't you?" He asked me after a moment, and I nodded, running a hand distractedly through my hair.
"I wish we could go to Hogsmeade." I said quietly. "I really need to get him a good present."
"Louis won't care." Rory informed me seriously. "Just send away for something."
"No, he will." I said determinedly. "Everyone pretends they don't care and then they get a good present and they're thrilled. Even I do it." I informed them, and James frowned at me, before his expression went blank: he was trying to wrestle a smile. He flipped open his trunk and pulled out a massive cloak and a piece of parchment, putting them on the bed. I lifted the parchment and glanced down at it, unfolding the paper and looking down at it. It was old, ratty.
"James, what...?" I asked after a moment, confused.
"Marauder's Map." He said quietly, obviously trying to play it cool, and I waited a moment before scowling at him. He was being stupid.
"Oh, quit it with the suspense and explain," I ordered. "I know you're psyched to tell us what you mean and you just wanna try to get us as excited as you are." James scowled at me for a second before his eyes flashed with a grin: he was excited.
Rory laughed a little bit, and James hit his arm before continuing. "Okay, my grandpa, Teddy's dad and their two friends made it, it's this map thing that shows you where everyone is and it's got all these secret passages and stuff." James said hurriedly, and I nodded, trying to take this seriously. Teddy's dad and James's grandfather had been best friends, and I knew that both of them had died heroes, fighting Voldemort. Dad had practically taught me a course on the Wizarding Wars before I hit Hogwarts: he wanted to make sure that I didn't walk in with any misinformation, or get myself into any problems because I didn't know enough. Dean had apparently been really brave and been kidnapped and stuff, too, but Dad had been less detailed about that. Anyway, making fun of this probably wasn't the best idea if Teddy's dead father had been vital to the creation of it. "Teddy gave it to me—says he's memorized it, got it from my dad." He grinned again. "It's the best, honest."
"You're sure he's not fooling you?" I asked suspiciously, frowning at the paper. It was ancient, yellowing with age, so the timeline fit, but it looked so... unassuming.
"Yeah, James, this looks..." Rory's nose wrinkled as he tried to think of an appropriate word. "Not like that." He said rather eloquently, and James snatched it out of my hands and gently placed it on the bed. I traded amused looks with Rory.
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," James murmured, laying his wand tip against the paper, and ink spread out from where his wand tip had been to spider web across the page, creating ancient-looking, ornate designs, and, after a few moments, words: Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, purveyors of aid to magical mischief-makers, are proud to present the Marauder's map.
"Awesome," Rory murmured, staring down at the paper. James reached down to unfold it carefully, but as he did, the paper no longer seemed to have any folding creases at all. It covered almost the entire bed when he entirely unfolded it, and I grinned, looking for Gryffindor tower. I grinned at the three dots that were practically on top of one another: Rory Corner, James Potter, Serafina Finnigan.
"This is really cool, James," I acknowledged, glancing up at him to grin.
"This is our way into Hogsmeade," James corrected, but grinned back before looking back down at the map. "If we just take this thing behind this tapestry right here—we can get there easily. And this cloak," James grinned, reaching under the map to pull out the cloak we'd accidentally covered up. "Is an invisibility cloak, so we can get out of the castle without being seen." I nodded, grinning even bigger.
"Perfect." I rubbed my nose, trying to think this through. "Alright, well, at eleven, let's meet at that tapestry. On Saturday, I mean." I murmured, and James nodded. "And make double sure no one sees this, James. Like, double triple sure. Because Rostov would love nothing more than to take these away and deduct like a lifetime's worth of points from Gryffindor."
"I'm not an idiot," James retorted, frowning suddenly. "And you should probably get out of here before Malcolm comes up and gets all annoying." Malcolm Jorkins was James and Rory's other roommate, a boy I saw often sitting alone in the common room and felt kind of bad for.
"All annoying?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in an invitation to explain.
"He'd tattle. We're not supposed to have girls in our dorms." Rory explained. "He's such a prat—he told on you being up here the other day to Teddy who made us swear up and down we'd never take advantage of a girl or something, almost called you up there—Malcolm made us sound all creepy and stuff." He sounded angry, and I frowned.
"Weirdo." I muttered. Aside from the fact that I trusted James, Louis and Rory (as well as Neil, their other other roommate, but we weren't friends), it wasn't like any of them were quite at the age where I needed to worry about being taken advantage of. The guys still blushed if I hugged them too long. And I was perfectly capable of standing up for myself, in addition to that.
"Yeah." Rory agreed in irritation. James was just glowering darkly down at the map, and I rolled my eyes.
"Lighten up, Jamesie," I said, using Victoire's much-hated nickname, and James scowled at me. "Fine, fine, I'm leaving. You guys are no fun anyway." I said dryly, standing up, and James looked regretful instantly.
"We'll come with—anyone up for some Wizard's chess?"
---
Saturday morning, at eleven AM, I forced Edie into distracting Louis while I slid out of the Great Hall. James and Rory were already at the tapestry, James's expression flat while Rory was practically jumping up and down with excitement.
"You look like a puppy," I informed Rory as I walked up, and James smirked. Rory rolled his eyes, but didn't stop grinning, making him look slightly insane for a moment.
"Come on, this is awesome." He said, and I grinned back, silently agreeing. I stepped forward and James unfolded the giant cloak in his arms, shaking it out once before I stepped in closer, and he draped the massive thing over us.
And then we were invisible.
And let me tell you, being invisible is the weirdest feeling, hands down. Mostly it's only obvious when you pass a mirror, or a window or something, but it's looking into a reflective surface and knowing you're there, but not seeing yourself. It's actually sort of disorienting.
James, Rory and I crept silently through the passageway and into the basement of Honeydukes Candy Shop, a fifteen minute walk, and we threw off the cloak there. I shivered at the cold October air—it was only thirty degrees or so, uncommonly cold, and slipped up the stairs into my Honeydukes, trying to look casual as I smiled at a few third years James, Louis and I passed on our way out.
"Score." Rory murmured as we stepped onto the street, and I stiffened to avoid shivering. "Okay, so—Louis's present. What are we getting him?" Rory demanded, and my eyebrows rose.
"Let's all go in on one big thing." I said delightedly. "Come on—I can't think of anything and anything worth getting him will be expensive." I continued, when Rory shot me a doubtful look. James was watching me raptly, his attention peaked by something I was doing, but I didn't bother with him. I was going to get Louis a birthday present today, and it would be fantastic—end of story. Also, James had been jumpier since the bludger incident: whenever we weren't with a crowd of people we knew—the common room, his dorm, the classroom, the hallways—he grew more nervous. I knew he still hadn't quite slid past the concern that someone was trying to take my life—and I couldn't blame him.
"I'll do it." Rory said, shrugging, and James nodded, glancing around. It was weird to be in this swarm of students without any first years—we earned ourselves a few peculiar looks as we stood in the middle of the frozen pathway between the shops, James's cloak and map stuffed into my over-sized bag.
"Sure." James said after a moment. "Let's get him something like a...a..." James glanced around us, before his eyes landed on a store window filled with owls in cages. He grinned suddenly. "An owl! If we all do it—I mean it'll be expensive—but he has to use Victoire's." James said after a moment, his words rushing out with the speed of a good idea, and I raised my eyebrow.
"I'll have to be a small one." Rory warned. "It takes like fifty galleons to buy a real, good one. And we've only got—what, forty five?—between us."
"Nah, I have a lot more than that." I said cheerfully, and James shot me a look. I grinned at him. "My dad sent the winnings he got for having me be in Gryffindor because Mum made him, and Alec's Mum has been sending me an allowance." I swallowed, my heart hurting a little bit. I hadn't talked to my parents since the bludger incident—and they hadn't been sending Wes mail either, which broke my heart a little bit. I may have been angry with my parents, but it was a long leap from being angry and being silent. And I felt bad that I was dragging Wes into it. But after my apology letter the night of the fight with Gallagher, they hadn't written me anything but a howler, so I figured the ball was in their court, now. "So what color should it be?" I asked easily, after getting an awkward look from Rory, and James's expression slid back into stony.
"Like... light brown. Like Duke, sort of." Rory decided arbitrarily, and I pursed my lips for a moment before shaking my head.
"But I think a dark owl suits him..." I murmured as we walked into the store.
"Sera?" I heard my brother's voice, and I froze dead, hesitating before I turned around, a guilty smile on my face.
"Hi Wes." I said slowly, and James and Rory stared at my brother in terror. Wes was standing with his friends, Devon and Arthur, and two girls, Rena and Ivy, all from fourth year. All of Wes's friends were shooting us sympathetic smiles: Wes just looked pissed off. "What's up?" I tried to keep my tone light and friendly, but Wes's intensely angry look silenced me.
"How the hell did you get past Longbottom?" He demanded, annoyed and crossing his arms over his chest. I swallowed, shaking my head once and remaining silent. "Sera, come on!" Wes groaned, walking closer to me, grabbing my arm and dragging me away from my friends by a few feet, enough that we were out of earshot. "Mom will legitimately kill you." He said quietly.
"She'd have to be talking to me to do that." I responded grimly. "Besides, it's not like she'll find out. And...Look, Wes, I swear, it's totally innocent. We're getting Louis a birthday present." Wes stared at me for a moment, looking caught between amusement and irritation, before a small smile flickered on his face.
"You're insane." He informed me. "You're risking being caught out here—you, a first year, who's already gotten in trouble and nearly gotten yourself killed—because you want to get your new best friend a birthday present." He grinned, chuckling, and I shoved him.
"Shut up. It wasn't like I had much of an option. And James and Rory needed something too, so it just worked out." I protested, shoving his shoulder. "By the way, you're gaining older brother points for not flipping out." I added after a second, and Wes's grin dropped.
"Serafina," He said seriously, running a hand through his hair and looking genuinely concerned for a moment. "You're turning into a full-time job, okay? And you're my sister and I'm here for you and shit, but I don't want to be your babysitter. If you get in trouble, I'm genetically obligated to go help you out, but that should be, at most, once or twice a school year. It's already been a bunch of times." He frowned at me. "And let's not forget that either someone's trying to kill you or you're just the most accident prone kid on the planet, okay? Go back to the castle. Tell me what you want for Louis, I'll buy it for you." I considered this idea—but I wanted to get something good for Louis. And I couldn't go back to my friends with my tail between my legs saying I had to go back up to the castle because Wes told me to. I had some pride.
"Nah, I wanna choose it. We won't be long, Wes, I swear it—we just want a present and some candy and we'll go right back." I said after a moment, trying to make the idea sound as appealing as possible.
"Sera." He said flatly, shaking his head once. "No. Go back to the castle."
"Stop, Wes." I scowled at him. "I'm not gonna get caught, anyway. Besides, if I do, it's not like we're doing anything sinister. And that'll go a long way with the teachers." Wes glowered down at me, his message loud and clear. "You can't make me." I finally said, hating that I sounded like a toddler. Wes didn't say anything and we scowled at each other for a few moments before he turned away. I smothered a smirk as I walked back to Rory and James.
"What the..." James murmured, and I shook my head, walking straight into the store.
"Don't ask, just keep walking." I murmured to him as they followed me in, and I waited until Wes and his friends had moved past the window, Wes sulking, before grinning at Rory and James. "He tried to talk me back to the castle." I said.
"You'd think he'd know better than anyone you were the stubbornest girl on the planet." Rory said, shaking his head mockingly as we browsed the smelly store. I tried not to wince as I stepped on owl droppings.
"I know, right?" I asked flatly. "And I told you not to ask because I know this won't last very long, so let's choose an owl and get on with it."
Twenty minutes later James, Rory and I had bought an owl and were halfway up to the shrieking shack. Rory had dared me that I was too much of a scaredy cat to go near it, and then, of course, I'd had to prove that I was perfectly happy to walk near it.
We were pretty alone in the woods—Hogsmeade was a big couples thing, and the fact of it was, no one really wanted to see the Shrieking Shack when they were on a date. I was a little bit creeped out—it was a cold day, and aside from that, it was a dark day: the clouds had covered the sun completely and were dark gray.
"Haha, you're scared." Rory teased under his breath, and I smirked.
"If I'm scared," I said loudly. "Why are you the one whispering?" James grinned lightly at me and I grinned back, stepping closer to the fence. I tripped for a moment and James leaned forward to catch my arm—and a scarlet colored spell slammed past us and into the fence.
I twisted around, my nearly-numb fingers already grappling with my many pockets to remember which one I put my wand in. There were men behind us—seven of them, emerging from the trees, and my heart pounded in my chest. They were dressed in dark cloaks, their hoods up but without masks, so I immediately ruled out death eaters.
Another spell slammed out from one of them and I tugged James and Rory down to the ground as I dropped to my knees myself, trying desperately not to panic as I glanced around: you could see the main street of Hogsmeade, on one side of the property of the Shrieking Shack, but it was really far—I doubted anyone could hear us.
"Sectusempra," One of the men murmured solemnly.
"Protego!" Rory cried desperately, and the spells collided midair as all three of us struggled to stand up. "Oh, hell—bloody hell." He mumbled unhappily, shooting a wild look at me, and James stepped protectively in front of me, and I laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to move around him.
"Hiding behind Mr. Potter, Miss FInnigan?" One of the men asked me, stepping forward with a smirk. He knew James's name—he probably knew mine, and Rory's too. I fiddled with my wand, trying to remember a spell—any spell—that would send a message, or at least make a big enough commotion that someone would notice we were in trouble. "That doesn't seem very brave. Maybe you don't belong in Gryffindor." He chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes, stepping out from behind James. I couldn't duel with these guys—I knew that. So I had to get talking. Immediately. "Especially considering our intent--to put your friends in danger over your own well-being: well that's not very Gryffindor at all."
"Yeah, because you're a good example of bravery. Attacking three kids." I taunted, backing James and Rory up to the fence. We had to get out of here.
"Sera, not now," James whispered in my ear, gripping my arm. "They're here for you, they've gotta be. You have to stay behind me, okay?" He whispered, and I shook my head once.
"Aww," The same man said mockingly. "Somebody's got a little crush on a girl..." James blushed scarlet and scowled angrily at the man, his eyes flashing, while I glanced up at James, surprised. Rory's nervous gaze flicked to me and I felt my own breath begin to come faster. I was freaking out. "Well, no matter, that'll be resolved quickly."
"Protego!" Rory shouted at the men, and I grabbed James and Rory's hands and shoved them in front of me, sprinting into the forest behind the men. I screamed as curses whizzed past us, and James pulled me in front of him, pushing me forward as we stumbled through the forest--and it was getting darker, not because it was night, but because the top of the trees were getting thicker. A spell grazed Rory's arm, and I heard him cry out, slipping myself between him and the attackers as we sprinted.
"Hell, hell, hell." James muttered as a spell smacked into my shoulder, and I screamed as I went down. James stopped beside me and looked panicked as I scrambled to my feet.
"Keep going!" I told him, and Rory stopped a few feet up, realizing we'd stopped. James pulled me behind a tree and Rory slipped behind one a little further a head as I caught my breath, and he was pulling off his sweatshirt, balling it up and pressing it to my back.
"Your shoulder's a mess." He murmured to me.
"We have bigger issues." I reminded him. James hesitated before nodding, and he pointed his wand straight up.
"Relashio." He murmured, and sparks flew from his wand, effectively shooting into the sky--and setting the trees above us on fire.
Holy Jesus.
"James!" I shouted frantically as I heard crackling above us, and the men behind us catching up. "What--" I shut myself up long enough to grab his wrist and pull him along after me. I waved Rory along and we went deeper and deeper into the forest. "You set the forest on fire." I shouted at James, stopping for a moment, and Rory stared at him, but grabbed my arm to drag me along before I began to move again.
"What the hell, Potter?" He demanded, and James just scowled at both of us, continuing to run. My shoulder was pounding and my stomach was ready to turn itself inside out with nervousness, but Rory's arm was hurt and he'd kept running, so I wasn't going to give up before him.
We kept running for a few minutes before I was officially too out of breath to keep moving, and we slowed first to a jog, then to a complete stop, listening carefully to make sure we couldn't hear anyone. We couldn't, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. These men were obviously magical, and there were spells to make us not hear anything.
"Where are we?" Rory asked me as he gasped for breath, and I shook my head, trying to catch my breath myself. I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm a bit, getting a full view of the gash there: I winced. It was red and raw, and bleeding quite a bit, but didn't look that deep--and he could still move his arm. All of this was good news.
"Jeez." I murmured. This was a problem. We couldn't force Rory to run if he was hurt. "Okay, can we contact anyone or something?" I asked softly, looking back at James, who shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know any spells like that..." I continued apologetically.
"The fire'll catch someone's attention and I'm pretty sure your brother must have seen us head toward the shrieking shack." James said noncommittally, and I raised my eyebrows. "Also someone'll notice we're missing by dinner." He shrugged, and I raised my eyebrows.
"Wes probably won't notice till tomorrow morning." I told him. "And maybe not then. It's not like we do anything together. Louis will notice, when you're not at dinner, though." I shrugged. "He won't know where we are, though."
"Professor Longbottom will make an announcement." Rory murmured. "Wes'll tell my brother, probably. And they'll say something once they realize we never got back."
"So we just have to wait." I murmured. "And hope those prats don't find us before Hogwarts does.
"What if they do find us?" Rory demanded, sounding scared, and I swallowed. "I mean, we're miserable fighters. We're just reading the textbook in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I'm not even doing that well in the class anyway."
"We'll run if they come back." I said unsurely, and then I turned my back to Rory and he gasped.
"Sera--your shoulder is really bad." He murmured. I shrugged nervously, sliding away from both the boys, but James looked worried.
"Wish I could see it." I said in irritation as I tried to twist to see it, earning myself a twinge of pain. I winced and James's concern increased ten-fold as he took a few steps closer from where he'd been standing. I was wavering, a little, I realized, and I felt sort of tingly.
"Sit down, Ser." He said softly, and I raised my eyebrows: he didn't usually show emotion, much less towards me. "Come on. If you pass out that's not gonna help anyone."
"Fine, but I'm not gonna pass out." I murmured, sitting cross-legged on the ground, then curling up against the tree at my back, and James sat beside me, and I felt a light pressure on my back. He was pressing his sweatshirt to my back, and Rory had his hand clamped over his cut, looking a little nauseous. I closed my eyes, leaning back into James, who sighed softly.
"Deep breaths, Ser." James reminded me softly. "Come on, don't pass out." He sounded pleading.
"My shoulder hurts." I told James. "Ow."
"Sera, I'm being serious." James retorted, suddenly sounding urgent. "Rory--dammit, help!" James sounded absolutely panicked but I couldn't really remember why, or what I was supposed to do about it. I still felt like I was spinning, even though my eyes were closed. Rory evidently wasn't helping, because then James sort of snapped. "CORNER!" James roared.
"Sera, don't fall asleep." Rory ordered finally, sounding tired. "James'll have a panic attack." I opened my eyes to squint at Rory. "Hey. Stay awake." He told me, and I shook my head sleepily.
"Tell James to take a breather." I mumbled sleepily, and James groaned behind me.
"Sera!" He hissed.
"James!" I mocked softly, and he relaxed a little.
"Okay, Sera." He said after a minute. "I'm gonna make you stand, if you don't start talking to me." But I was already out cold.
