Hey all! I'm sorry this took SO long to get up! I had the stomach flu, then strep, then my baby got pink eye and a yeast infection . . . It was a fun time.
A few of you have mentioned reading my other version of this story to get ahead - you can, but I wouldn't recommend it as I've changed and added a lot. Plus my writing and some characterization greatly improved for this version, so . . .
Shout out to Lillian Smith for the great review! That was awesome and I hope to see more from everyone!
For the rest of the week the distance between Potter and Black was painstakingly evident. If anything, it was growing.
Knowing from their conversation that their spilt might be because of her gnawed at Lily considerably. Because she wasn't friends with either them she didn't exactly feel like she could talk to them either - to clarify she had no interest in either one of them. So instead, she observed their tense silence and brooding mood. Potter, especially, seemed less inclined to taunt her, and when he did, they were only half-hearted remarks.
After a week of observing this, Lily decided to go to the one person who she could talk to: Remus.
After Lily had talked to him about his troubles the previous year, he had become quite close with Potter, Pettigrew, and Black. The faculty had even coined the term 'Marauders' for all the mischief-making they got into. Lily suspected that Remus had finally confided in them whatever he needed to let out. He loosened up quite remarkably, though still never to the extent of the other three. They seemed to form an imposable team, naming themselves the Marauders. It was quite fitting actually.
"Mary, have you seen Remus?"
On Saturday morning, Lily slid onto the bench in the Great Hall among the chatter of Gryffindors. There was bright yellow sunlight streaming from the enchanted roof over plates of bacon and biscuits.
"Hullo Lily. No, I haven't," Mary replied.
"He left about fifteen minutes ago," pipped Raven. "Him and Sirius."
"Potter's still not eating with him then?"
Raven shook her head. "I think he and Peter came down a while ago, but they left before Sirius showed up. James still seems to be in an awful irritated state whenever they're around each other."
"Ahh, well, I'll just have to find Remus later, then. What are you lot talking about?"
"Hogsmede," Mary said promptly with a self-satisfied smile. "And Rav, you've really ought to stop blushing every time you say Potter's name. It's a dead giveaway."
"Oh . . ." She bent her head under the black curls as more color rose to her cheeks
Lily tsked. "Oh, leave her alone, Mary." The blonde piqued her eyebrows at this change in Lily. "Even I have the heart to admit she's entitled to her feelings. Even if I can't believe they're for James Potter," she sighed, shaking her head in dismay.
"Not what you were saying last week . . ." Mary sang under her breath and buttering toast.
"So," Lily said forcefully to change the subject, "we were talking about Hogsmeade?"
Alice, who'd been silent throughout the exchange, gave an eerie smile. "I want to see the Shack," she whispered. Her eyes glinted in a frightening way.
The others hesitated.
"Er . . . Why's that, Alice?" Mary asked, a bit unsure. "Not planning on killing anyone, are you?" The last was supposed to be facetious, but Mary's voice was a little pitchy.
"Don't be daft," Lily gave a pointed look in Alice direction. "Nobody's killing anybody; I don't want the whole trip to be ruined."
Alice casually shrugged. "S'pose I could wait for an eclipse," she said dryly. "Less likely to be seen that way."
Lily waved her fork in the witch's direction. "There you go, that's the way to think, Levilly."
"Is anyone else concerned about our conversation's complete lack of a moral compass?" Raven asked, having emerged from behind her curls.
The two girls shrugged.
" Right."
"So what is this place?" Lily asked. She looked to Alice, biting into a piece of toast. "'The Shack?'"
"It's called the Shrieking Shack," Mary's eyebrows danced tauntingly. She lived for moments like these.
She leaned forward as if telling a ghost story. "They say every once in a while - if you're unlucky enough - you hear the screams of someone who's been killed there. All the locals talk about it, but it's supposed to be a secret."
Lily felt her eyebrows creep up. "And someone really died there?"
"Murdered," Mary said fervently.
"C-c'mon," Raven spun her fork nervously, "you don't actually think that happened . . . "
"Why not?" Mary challenged eerily. "I heard that not everybody can hear it. Arnold McKinnons and Marlene Pierce heard it, and last year Jean and Garrett Trumble heard it the night he was almost kicked out for getting into that row with Melvin. D'you remember? They were at the Shack when it happened." Lily and Raven shifted a bit in their seats.
"So my theory is," she continued, "only couples can hear the screams. I bet the man was murdered in a love triangle gone terribly wrong."
"Whoa," Raven breathed.
The others sat back; realizing they had leaned forward during her story.
"Hmm . . ." Lily mulled over this with her piece of toast, left forgotten during the tale. "So what do you lot think? Think we should go?"
"Go where, Evans?" They all jumped.
Potter was standing a few feet back, but he was standing alone. None of the others accompanied him.
"The Shrieking Shack," Mary said.
Potter's hazel eyes danced. "You know that place is haunted," he immediately said.
Always eager to make an impression . . .
"So I've heard," Lily said dryly. She was suddenly uninterested.
"Hiya, Evans." His voice had dropped some (which she found totally ridiculous) and put his hands in pockets.
"Mhm," she hummed in a non-committal way. She turned back to her plate. Potter shrugged and picked up something a few spaces down the table.
"What are you doing back here, Potter? Didn't you lot eat just a while ago?" inquired Mary.
He grinned. "Yeah, but Peter left his book, and I wanted more food." He held up a Potions textbook and presently started gathering food from the table.
"Boys," she said. "I wish I could hold half as much as you lot and still look as thin."
Potter grinned through the corn muffin in his mouth. He had an armful of pastries when he lowered the muffin and said in a disappointed voice, "Awwwe, no more turnovers?" He scrunched up his face.
"Here, take mine." Raven perked up immediately, turning violently red.
When she handed over the pastry he grinned. "Thanks, Rav" – she turned purple – "I owe you one. Remus said they were cherry today."
He winked and departed, replacing the muffin in its carrier, his mouth.
"I think I might die," Raven looked both breathless and ill.
"Don't give him the satisfaction," Alice said in a serious tone.
The girls giggled and continued to munch on their breakfast.
The opportunity to speak with Remus Lupin conveniently presented itself in Charms the next day, where Black and Potter sat in the back as far away from each other as possible (both dozing off), and Severus had Care of Magical Creatures with the other Slytherin third years. As soon as Flitwick instructed they get into pairs, Lily dashed over to Lupin and sat down, beating a hurt looking Pete.
She smiled apologetically to Peter and Remus looked at her with pleasant surprise. "Hi Lily," he said. "What's up?
"Remus, I've got to talk to you," Lily whispered pointedly. She swept the room with her gaze to make sure everyone was busy finding other pair. Potter looked a little lost without a partner, seeing as Pettigrew had immediately switched to sitting with Black. Eventually, Potter had to settle working with Darold Washner from Ravenclaw.
Remus looked at Lily patiently, "What about?"
Lily decided to cut to the chase. "What's going on between Potter and Black?" she started intently at his face, not wanting to miss a single reaction.
Lupin hesitated. "Lily. . . I . . . I don't think I should be telling you that."
"Please Remus? In the sake of our friendship? In the sake of their friendship?"
Remus gave a bitter bark of laughter. "I'm sure when it comes to their friendship, the best thing is not to tell . . . anybody." He eyed her with a sidelong glance.
Lily chewed her lip in frustration and glanced up to made sure Flitwick was busy explaining what they would be doing with their partners.
Lupin gave her a curious look. "Why do you want to know, anyway? I thought you tired to stay away from James and Sirius as much as possible."
Lily blushed a litte, caught.
"I – I don't know. I mean, their silence is so present it's distracting," she said brusquely. "I've just gotten used to their noise."
Lupin nodded absentmindedly.
"Well . . . Then could you tell me a vague topic of their fight? That wouldn't cause too much harm, would it? Just a tiny-winy hint?"
Remus hesitated again. "Ehh . . ."
"Please?"
Staring at her large, green, pleading eyes, he caved. "I . . . suppose . . . Maybe."
Lily brightened and leaned in eagerly, and he backed up slightly.
"It's about . . . a girl," he seemed to be choosing his words carefully again. Lily's heart sank. Turning back to the lesson, Remus easily swished his wand and conjured a paint design on the vase.
But . . . they never explicitly said it was about her. Isn't it just as likely they both had a crush on someone else?
"So . . . I'm guessing they both like her right?" Remus remained a calm, impassive expression, but he was watching her closely.
"Well . . . Then that's brilliant! Because if Potter likes someone else, then he'll probably have less time to bother me. I'm betting Sirius liked her first because Potter. . ." the light in her eyes dimmed a little when she saw Remus' pained look. "Because Potter . . . seems to like . . . me."
Her eyes met Lupin's.
'Three years' Potter had said.
"It is about me, isn't?"
Lupin smiled as a bitter apology.
With this confirmation all the pieces fell into place. Their conversation, Potter's reaction, Sirius' guilt. Then Lily thought of their lesson, when Potter had uncharacteristically blushed. He had been staring at her lips for some reas - Oh. Lily turned pink herself when she realized what Potter had probably been thinking. She looked away, hoping to avoid Remus' detection. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask. He was good that way.
"You really are too smart for your own good, Lily."
Lily let out a breath and slumped against her chair.
"And, Sirius is starting to like me now too, isn't he?" she asked glumly. "That's what has Potter all upset."
Remus nodded grimly. "James was barely starting to realize that he might actually have real feelings for you, not just some left over eleven year old crush, when Sirius just started to look at you in a different lighting as well," he said dryly.
"Oh, why do boys have to be so stupid?"
"Thanks."
"Oh, you know what I mean."
Everything in Potter's and Black's fight made sense now, and Lily partially felt as though she were responsible. And that turned to irritation.
It's not like Lily ever wanted his attention! She just got stuck with it. And now Black was being sucked in, too. The fight was just because Potter couldn't get over himself and Black couldn't keep his eyes off anyone of the female gender.
In fact, the more Lily thought about it, the more she surmised that the whole thing probably came down to Potter fancying her. Black must have caught on because of how much attention Potter put on her in the first place. Honestly, if he'd just leave her alone none of this would have happened! They wouldn't be in a fight and she wouldn't be at the heart of it.
"Lily, none of this is your fault." Remus seemed to have read her thoughts. "They could fix it, but they're both too thick-headed to."
Lily nodded mutely.
"James refuses to talk to Sirius because he feels as though Sirius betrayed him. And even though you've made it painstakingly clear that you have no interest in James, I think James is worried you might actually date Sirius. They've always had a bit of a competition on who the handsomer bloke is." After a pause, he said thoughtfully, "I suppose . . ."
"What? What is it?" Lily asked.
"Well, I was just thinking; James knows you don't like him. But if James knew you didn't want to date Sirius – You - You don't want to date Sirius, right?"
"Of course not," she said briskly.
Remus looked a bit relieved. "Then he might loosen up a bit. Maybe even forgive Sirius. Of course, that's just a theory."
"Yeah," Lily nodded, already forming a plan. "A good one."
"Wait, what am I doing here?" She physically shook her head to clear her head. "I don't need to go out of my way to play referee for those two. Let them solve their own problems! After all, I can only put up with so much of him in a day."
So why would I go talk to him? Lily thought. I won't! Remus was watching her with a curiously amused face.
"So you'll do it then," he concluded.
"Ohhh, Remus, I don't want to," Lily whined.
"No one's forcing you to Lily," Lupin said casually. A little too casually.
"It would only benefit me really," he sighed. "I wouldn't have to play mediator between the two every day. And you obviously wouldn't mind if Sirius and James never spoke again."
Lily deadpanned.
"Their friendship would fall apart . . . James would become hopelessly depressed. . . Sirius would start drinking – well, earlier than I imagine he plans to. And it's not like you'd have to tell James you like him or anything -"
"Because I don't."
"— you'd just have to subtly hint that you're uninterested in Sirius. It's quite simple really."
"But talking to him. . . taking it the wrong way. . . He'll just grow more full of himself . . ." Lily sounded as if she were pleading to Remus, as if he would bestow upon her his permission not to intervene.
Lupin gave her a pointed look and she almost caved.
Seeing that he wasn't going to getting close enough with that tactic of persuasion, Remus turned the conversation in a different direction.
He sighed. "Not even if it was for your dear friend Remus who only just last year opened up to those two on your recommendation? I suppose I don't need friends . . ."
Lily smacked his arm and gaped at him incredulously. "Oh come on Remus, that's so unfair. You know I would do it if –"
"Good! It's settled then?" He wasn't going to force her, but she knew he'd be disappointed if she refused.
Curse the evil ways of friendship. Curse men. Curse Potter and his bloody problems.
"Yes, alright already, I'll do it," she snapped.
"Good." He grinned.
A/N: Share with your friends and loved ones! Leave me a message/review to tell me what you think. There should be some good Lily-James interaction coming your way. ;)