DISCLAIMER: ALL HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and the respective publishing companies. I do own Jenn Parksen, Lori Wilson, and Monica Sinclair as well this twisted version of the plot. This is, of course, a simple Fan-Fiction that I have written in order to retain some semblance of sanity and dignity.
Chapter 7: Questions and Answers
Sirius and Remus left the Great Hall early. They had expected James to meet them there once he had finished with his detention, but considering Filch's temperament they figured James might not be done for yet another four hours. Remus piled a plate high with James's favorite foods before leaving the hall, knowing that James would be half starved by the time he returned. They whispered softly as they wound their way up stairs, through passageways, and down corridors, neither of them paying much attention to their surroundings as they contemplated what horrible chore Filch might have set James to performing for his detention. They were just nearing the Hospital Wing when they heard a commotion as Madam Pomfrey loudly evicted a hapless student from the ward.
"Go. Shoo. You have been here for well over three hours! It is past time you let the sick rest in peace!" Madam Pomfrey stormed as she slammed the door shut and locked whoever it was outside of the ward.
Sirius and Remus looked at each other and started laughing, recalling the numerous times they and the rest of the Marauders had been similarly thrown out of the Hospital Wing. They turned the corner and were slightly surprised to see the chagrined student still hovering around the now locked ward. Remus continued on past, oblivious to whom was standing outside the ward, but Sirius stopped when he recognized the student who was standing there.
Looking extremely lost and lonely, Jenn Parksen was simply staring at the barred door with an anguished expression on her face. Frowning at her obvious misery, Sirius waved for Remus to go on ahead with James's food as he leaned against the wall next to where Jenn was standing.
"Hey you," Sirius said as he gave her his best smile.
Jenn looked up at the sound of his voice but didn't say anything in reply, after a moment she turned away from Sirius and the Hospital Wing and began slowly walking back towards the Gryffindor tower. Frowning, Sirius quickly pushed away from the wall and hurried after her; falling in step beside her he watched her from the corner of his eye for a moment before speaking up again.
"Err… um… How is Lily doing?"
Jenn only shrugged her shoulders in response, her eyes intent on the floor beneath her feet as she walked.
"Oh," Sirius said quietly. "I hope she gets better soon, Jenn."
At the sound of her name Jenn stopped and glanced up at Sirius again. She searched his eyes for several minutes before she finally spoke to him. "Thank you, Bla… err… Sirius. That means a lot to me."
She turned to continue on her way when he gently grabbed her elbow and turned her back to face him.
"Jenn, I wanted to ask you something," He started as he caught her eye. "I wanted to know… I mean… what I wanted to ask is… is will you go with me to Hogsmeade?" Once he said it Sirius nervously bit his lip as he waited for her response. "When we have a Hogsmeade Weekend that is."
"You really want me to go with you? This isn't some prank or dare or anything?" Jenn asked intently in return, her voice slightly breathless and more then a little nervous.
"I am asking you in all seriousness, Jenn," Sirius answered softly.
Narrowing her eyes, just the tiniest bit, Jenn studied Sirius for several seconds before she answered him. "Then I have only one answer for you. Not in your wildest dreams would I even think of turning you down."
"Oh," Sirius replied in disappointment. "I see – did you just say you wouldn't think of turning me down?"
Laughing softly at his look of confusion Jenn took his hand and gave him a gentle tug. "That is exactly what I said."
"So, you'll go with me?" Sirius asked, still a little unsure of her answer.
"Yes, Sirius, I will go to Hogsmeade with you," Jenn smiled a small lopsided smile as Sirius grinned down at her. He laughed out loud suddenly and whooped and hollered till he slipped and almost fell down backwards.
Together they walked the rest of the way to the Common Room, chatting about various classes and homework assignments. Sirius feeling quite proud of himself for having succeeded in cheering Jenn up and getting her mind off of Lily. Once they stepped inside, they went their separate ways as Jenn headed upstairs to her dorm and Sirius wondered over to where Remus and James were sitting quietly in the corner talking.
"He's been avoiding us since the end of last year though. Don't you think we ought -" Remus was sputtering as Sirius came over to sit down with them and interrupted.
"Ragging on the rat again, Moony, old boy? I told you we should never had played that trick on him last year in front of the whole school. He never forgave us for that you know."
"It is not a joke Padfoot, we need to find-"
"We did everything for Wormtail, Remus, aside from a prank and a joke here or there we kept him out of harms way and helped him with his homework. If you ask me he's just jealous because we all skate by without any trouble and he has to work and suffer through every class," Sirius retorted.
"You do have a point Padfoot, but so does Moony. Peter has not been himself at all this year. He won't eat his meals with us for the most part, he won't sit with us in class like he used to, and he doesn't even beg and whine at us to help him with his homework anymore," James intoned as he sat picking at his food.
"I'm just saying we shouldn't worry about the little rat," Sirius replied. "He'll come around and talk to us when he forgives us for pranking him and needs help with final exams at the end of the year."
"Perhaps you are right Padfoot. He's tried the silent treatment with us before and it never lasted too long," Remus admitted with a near silent sigh. "James, you really should eat something. That's two meals you missed today."
"Sorry Moony, I'm just not that hungry. Filch made me scrub the windows on greenhouse 1 today and I have to finish the last side and then start on the inside windows tomorrow. I think I am going to go back up to bed and sleep it off. Besides we have Quidditch practice in the morning."
"Okay Prongs, we might as well all get some rest," Remus murmured as the three of them stood up and headed up to their dorm.
Jenn sat on her bed staring out the broken window wondering how the book had gotten back in the castle after Lily had thrown it out. Something just wasn't right about that book at all. She had spent the entire afternoon in the Hospital Wing hoping Lily would wake up and they could talk about. Unfortunately Lily didn't wake once and Madam Pomfrey had thrown her out of the Hospital Wing for trying to wake her up.
Jenn smiled halfheartedly to herself at this point because Madam Pomfrey can be so prissy and fussy about disturbing the patients. Her night had looked fairly dismal and boring indeed until Sirius had asked her out.
He is so sweet, Jenn thought to herself with a crooked smile.
She was still sitting there when she heard a shout come from the Common Room below. Frowning she climbed out of bed and hurried over to the door so she could peek out and see what was going one. To her surprise she saw Monica talking with a boy over by the fireplace. She shouted a second time and then turned and headed for the stairs.
Jenn ducked back inside the room quickly and closed the door carefully, so Monica wouldn't know she had been watching. Climbing into bed, she pulled the covers up over her head as her thoughts returned to the book and Lily. A knock sounded a moment later and Jenn poked her head out long enough to call "Enter," before snuggling back under the blankets once more. Monica walked in, muttering to herself, and took a seat on the edge of Jenn's bed. Jenn laughed silently as she listened to Monica's one-sided rant.
The younger girl stayed just long enough to inquire about Lily before leaving for her own room, which was one floor above the seventh year girls. Jenn shook her head and chuckled to herself again as she tried to get comfortable and let her thoughts settle on Monica's odd behavior of late. Lori and Jenn figured she was involved with a boy because she hadn't been spending as much time with them during class breaks and on weekends. In fact, the only time Monica didn't sneak off was during the reading of the Potter book. How Weird. Jenn thought as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Lori entered the room a few minutes later, carrying a large stack of books and several rolls of parchment. Seeing that Jenn was already fast asleep, she tucked away her homework and dumped the books into her trunk before getting ready for bed herself. Before pulling her curtains closed, she glanced over at Lily's bed and sighed softly at finding it empty. I hope Madam Pomfrey lets her out soon, Lori thought to herself as she plumped her pillows. We all miss her, but Jenn is completely lost without Lily. Even Monica seems adrift now too. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was; Maybe tomorrow…
Sunday morning dawned dull and gray as several students dragged themselves out of bed. Sirius, James and Remus were dressing warmly and taking their brooms out of their trunks preparing for an early morning Quidditch practice. While at the same time Lori and Jenn were dressing in hopes of being allowed to sit with Lily in the Hospital Wing. Jenn had picked up a couple of books that she was planning on reading quietly while she sat near Lily, while Lori was taking her Charms book and extra parchments to finish up an essay that was due on Monday.
James and Remus trotted down the stairs as the girls emerged from their room. Sirius was having trouble finding his shoes and came barreling out of the boys room just as Jenn and Lori were walking down the stairs. Lori stopped and tried to grab Jenn's arm, but missed as Sirius crashed into her and they both fell head over heels down the stairs again.
This time Sirius landed on top of Jenn and lay dazed as she pushed and shoved trying to get him off of her.
"Huh?" Sirius asked as he slowly realized where he was.
"Get off me you great oaf!" Jenn cried as she pushed at him again. "You're squishing me to smithereens!"
Sirius gazed down at her in puzzlement and then jumped up quickly when he realized who he was squishing.
"Oh, Jenn, I am so sorry!" he apologized as he offered her a hand up.
Jenn grunted as she took Sirius's hand and let him haul her to her feet. She glared at him as she wiped the dust from her pants unaware that Lori, Remus, and James were watching in stunned silence. Finally, when Jenn registered their audience she turned and headed to towards the exit, ignoring all three boys as Lori came to her senses and hurried to catch up with her. Without looking back, the two girls left the Common Room.
"Hey Padfoot?" James asked with a frown.
"Hmm?"
"What was that all about?"
"Huh? What? That? Nothing, I just tripped and we fell down the stairs again," Sirius replied evasively.
"You know Prongs, he was acting just as weird yesterday morning when he and Parksen were down here standing in each other's arms." Remus smirked.
"Really," James asked in interest. "Do tell!"
Sirius frowned at his two best friends and then turned and picked up his broom from the floor. Maintaining a stony silence, he left the Common Room with the other two laughing behind him. It was not until they reached the Quidditch pitch and met the rest of the Gryffindor team that Sirius forgot to ignore them and they climbed on their brooms to race around the field twice before practice began.
Once in the air James forgot all his troubles as the wind tugged at his hair and rushed by his face. Feeling the freedom that only a flying broom can give him he turned and dived towards the ground. Twisting and weaving, he out paced his friend with a natural ease. Then he shot up and rolled over and over as he dodged a Bludger that had been released for the practice. All too soon, he turned his mind from playing to practicing.
An hour later they all landed and packed up the balls before trudging back into the castle for a quick bite to eat. As James stepped into the Great Hall he searched the Gryffindor table hopefully for Lily. He saw Jenn first and sitting with her was Lori and the fifth year Monica. But no Lily. James felt his heart sigh regretfully and his shoulders slumped wearily as he walked down the length of the table and took his usual seat next to Sirius and across from Remus.
"Why so glum, chum?" Sirius asked as he took a huge bite out of a roast beef sandwich.
"Lily isn't here."
"Mffh," Sirius replied with his mouthful.
"Sorry, Pads, I didn't catch that," James smirked as he picked up an apple and started munching it.
"Sorry, I said Oh," Sirius clarified as he swallowed. "Jenn said she never woke up once yesterday."
"Maybe I'll go see her today once I am done with detention."
Remus and Sirius both exchanged worried glances at James's long face as they watched him play with his food. After they finished eating the three Marauders left the Great Hall and headed upstairs to change out of their practice clothes. As they passed the Hospital Wing, James craned his neck around in hopes of getting a glimpse of Lily, but there was no sign of her in the beds near the door.
Sadly he turned from the hospital and caught up to Remus and Sirius at the top of the stairs. Together they made their way to their Common Room and then trudged upstairs to change. Ten minutes later with books in hand they were parked in front of the fireplace finishing up the last of their essays that were due the following day. At ten till two James packed up his books and headed out to greenhouse one to finish the rest of his detention.
Silently he took out the bucket of soap and the scrub brush and trudged around to start where he'd left off the day before. Filch only stopped by once around two-thirty to check that he was there and working and told James to come to his office when the inside windows had been completed.
Five hours later James trudged up to the caretaker's office and knocked twice. While he waited for Filch to open the door James glanced around the corridor in both directions and frowned. He felt as if someone was watching him. Shaking himself, he turned back as Filch's door opened and he handed over the bucket and brush as he informed the caretaker that he had finished. Filch grunted and then dismissed James without even demanding that James wait inside while he went to check the greenhouse windows.
Stunned, James stood stock still as Filch closed the door in his face. Scratching his head James waved Filch's odd behavior off as Filch just being Filch and headed back up to the Common Room. It was well after seven o'clock and supper was long since over.
He had just given the password to the Fat Lady and was stepping inside when he felt as if he was being watched again. Frowning he searched the corridor before he shrugged the feeling off and closed the portrait door. Remus and Sirius were both waiting with a huge plate of food and James felt as if he hadn't eaten all day.
Sitting down he dug in without a word and continued to eat until the food was gone. For the next two hours they three of them joked and discussed the coming week's classes before they headed up to bed.