CHAPTER 9

About four years later.

"Prefect!" cried Sirius Black. "How on earth did you get Prefect?!"

"Well, Sirius, one of the Fifth year Gryffindor boys has to get it, and it's not likely to be you," Remus replied.

"Maybe Dumbledore reckoned you could keep us under control," offered James.

"He reckoned wrong!" said Peter excitedly. "Have you guys thought of any good pranks for this year yet?"

"Not yet, Peter," said James, leaning back lazily in his seat.

"But school hasn't officially started yet," said Sirius with an evil grin.

The door to the compartment opened. James sat up immediately, for it was Lily Evans, her long red hair hanging to her collar bone.

"Remus, you've got to come to the Prefect's meeting," Lily said.

"Right," Remus replied.

He stood from his seat and offered an apologetic look to his friends before following Lily out of the compartment. James huffed an angry sigh and returned to his lazy slump.

"Should've been me," he huffed.

"No, it shouldn't have," laughed Sirius. "You're just jealous 'cause Remus'll be spending time with Evans."

They were in Fifth year now, and were well on their way to becoming the kings of Hogwarts. They had certainly fulfilled their First year promise to be pranksters. Remus was the most sensible of the four, most definitely the reason behind Dumbledore's decision to make him a Prefect. That wasn't to say Remus stayed completely out of trouble. In fact, he had a way of disappearing every now and then for a day or two at a time. The other three had sworn to each other that this would be the year they found out what trouble he was getting into.

They bought sweets from the trolley and caught up on their summers while they waited for Remus to return. James had spent the summer with his parents in the United States. Peter was kept at home so his mother could take every chance she got to coddle him. Sirius stayed at home for the summer as well, but definitely not because his mother wanted to coddle him. She had threatened no less than fourteen times to kick him out of their home at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in London. Sirius would have happily obliged were it not for his father keeping him practically under lock and key. They hated that Sirius, their firstborn son, was a Gryffindor. Now, it was their second son that they coddled.

"Hello, Sirius," came a sneering voice from the door of the compartment.

"Regulus, you've just spent an entire summer with me. Can't you handle it on your own for an hour?" said Sirius sardonically.

"Just coming to see if you'd improved the company you keep," said Regulus Black, Sirius's brother who was now in Fourth year. He looked around the compartment haughtily.

"I guess you haven't," the younger Black added, and left.

"I can't believe you're related to him," said Peter incredulously.

The Black brothers could have been twins. Unlike their predecessors, the Black sisters, Sirius and Regulus were almost identical. Both had cool, grey eyes, handsome features, and dark, black hair, though Sirius kept his significantly longer than Regulus did. But besides their appearances, Sirius and Regulus Black had absolutely nothing in common. Primarily, Regulus was a Slytherin.

"That was painful," said Remus as he returned to the compartment to join his friends.

Peter and Sirius laughed.

"Who else made Prefect?" asked James, obviously curious to know who else would be spending time with Lily Evans.

"Nina Garza and Michael Fisher from Ravenclaw," said Remus, ticking them off on his fingers. "Stephen Wallace and Elizabeth Holcombe from Hufflepuff."

He paused for a moment.

"Oh, and Anne Warlow," added Remus.

Sirius pretended not to be interested.

"Not Snape, though?" asked James.

"Not Snape," Remus assured him. "Some other bloke . . . Stanley something."

"Brian Stanley," Peter said.

"That's him," said Remus.

"At least Snivellus won't be hanging around Lily," said James sourly. "I can't wait to see him this year."

"Me neither," agreed Peter.

There was a moment of silence as the four of them ate, Peter offering Remus some of his Every Flavour Beans. Sirius shook his shaggy hair out of his face.

"You said Warlow's a Prefect?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Wow, Sirius! A full thirty seconds before you asked!" joked James.

"I'm not that transparent, am I?" asked Sirius.

"Yes," replied the other three simultaneously.

"And yes, Anne's a Prefect," Remus added. "A no, she didn't ask about you, and no, I don't think she and Stanley are dating."

Sirius paused, for Remus had answered precisely the two question he had been about to ask. He furrowed his brow.

"You say she and Stanley aren't dating. Is there someone else?" Sirius said suspiciously.

"Not as far as I know," laughed Remus.

"Good," said Sirius firmly

"I almost wish I hadn't made Prefect," said Anne Warlow as she returned to the compartment where Severus was sitting alone.

"At least you'll be able to take points off the bloody Gryffindors," Severus replied.

Anne laughed and plopped down next to him. Severus would be completely alone in his compartment if it weren't for her, which was unusual considering the train was remarkably full.

"If you tell me Potter made Prefect, I'm quitting Hogwarts," added Severus.

"You say you're quitting at least four times a year," Anne said with a laugh. "And no, Potter isn't a Prefect. Lupin is."

Severus grumbled something but seemed placated. Anne munched on a Cauldron Cake in silence for a moment before continuing.

"Lily Evans made Prefect," she said.

Severus's onyx eyes shot up to meet Anne's green ones.

"Why would I care about that?" he spat.

"Oh, I didn't think you would," Anne shrugged, and returned to her Cauldron Cake.

Anne's reply wasn't really true, of course. Anne Warlow was rubbish at schoolwork, probably the reason the Sorting Hat decided against Ravenclaw on her first day at Hogwarts. But there was one thing she was rather clever with, and that was relationships. She had learned all the ins and outs of Hogwarts social politics by the end of her First year. It was a very Slytherin quality, the ability to judge how relationships work and which ones would prove most beneficial at any particular time. Anne could read people. She could read in Severus's eyes, yes, his dark, almost expressionless eyes, that he had feelings for Lily Evans.

He denied it. He denied it even to himself. Severus would never want to have feelings for anyone, much less a student in Gryffindor. Anne never pestered him about it; she cared about him too much to embarrass him that way. But she never missed an opportunity to let slip some tidbit of information about the redheaded Gryffindor. Evans was fair skinned with freckles, bright red hair, and emerald eyes. She was beautiful and, most of all, she was kind. Even to Severus. So, Anne very quietly supported his feelings for her, and waited for the day he would soften his harsh exterior and let something happen with Lily Evans.