Saturday dawned, brilliant and bright in Lily's eyes and the agenda for the day was full; it was a Hogsmeade day (the Quidditch season began in two weeks and Lily was happy to meet her obligation to cheer on her friend during the game, but also meant she would miss the next Hogsmeade trip).
In her head, Lily mentally tallied the places she needed to go; her supply of ink had quills had suffered a great amount, and so Scrivenshaft's was a given. She also wanted to make a stop at the bookstore, hoping to collect a copy of a book Flitwick had suggested to her; the library only had one copy, in bad shape from previous holders.
She'd promised she would also go to Spintwitches with Marlene, who was in need of a new broom cleaning set (in which Lily hoped her friend would be distracted, for her birthday was coming in early November and Lily really needed to find her a present), before meeting with the rest of her friends for a late lunch at the Three Broomsticks.
And not only was it a Hogsmeade weekend - it was Halloween. No doubt, the Gryffindors would be celebrating in the Common Room; but Lily knew her and her friends (old and new) would be celebrating in another way.
Lily felt as if things were looking up.
"Let's go," she sighed impatiently. "I was hoping to get back in time for a nap."
"Nap!" Marlene crowed indignantly. "What young witch needs a nap?"
"This one." Lily smiled, sitting cross legged on her bed as Marlene got dressed. "If I need to win again, I need my rest."
Marlene scoffed. "You need a lot more than rest to win." She pulled on a sweater over her head - therefore unprepared for the pillow Lily had spelled to smack her in the face.
"Oi," Marlene cried, nearly falling back. "Uncalled for."
"If you weren't so rude," Lily responded with a smile. "You deserved it."
"Alright, alright!" Marlene cried, holding her hands up in defense against another assault of pillows. "I'm ready, let's go." As if she weren't the one causing them to them to be late.
By the time the two Gryffindor girls made it down to the courtyard, the rest of the students had already left; only a few milled about. Lily shivered against the late October breeze, pulling her jean jacket a little closer around herself. "Scrivenshafts first?" she asked her blonde friend.
"But Quidditch," Marlene pouted, seemingly unaffected by the cold weather.
"Scrivens' is on the way." Lily pointed out, as if explaining this to a child.
"Which means we can hit it up on our way back to the castle," Marlene reasoned, smiling in satisfaction.
Lily sighed. "Fine." She allowed herself to be pulled along by her friend.
As they made their way towards the small village of Hogsmeade, Lily couldn't help but notice how less… busy everything seemed. Ever since the attacks outside of Hogwarts spread and the news of fatalities grew slowly, the Wizarding World seemed tense… At least, Lily thought, that's how it felt to her. She shivered again, regretting wearing her maroon wrap-skirt, but glad to have worn her tall, worn boots.
Marlene chattered on, falling into the habit of needed to fill the silence, more for her own comfort than anything else. Her brother was nearing the end of his recovery, but was still in St. Mungo's under bed rest. Lily knew this… and so she hummed and nodded as appropriate as the two friend walked towards the (dreaded) Quidditch shop, one of the storefronts that appeared to be the most busy.
Lily looked back at Scrivens' with longing, before being pulled (rather roughly) through the doors and into the chaotic shop of Spintwitches, filled to the brim with flying gear and equipment.
At least, Lily thought, she could scope out what she might be able to get Marlene for her birthday. The blonde herself would no doubt be too distracted to pay attention to her.
And as expected, Marlene released her grip on Lily's arm and darted towards the nearest display stand, fawning over little bits and bobs. The redhead followed dutifully, mindful not to touch anything.
"You know, if you want to become an Auror, you'll have to get used to the idea of a broom," Marlene pointed out.
Lily narrowed her eyes. "That's what Apparition is for."
"Not always," her friend replied matter of fact. "Marc said so."
"I don't believe you."
"That's fine," Marlene grinned, moving onto the next end cap full of pro-Quidditch team memorabilia.
"It's not like I'm afraid of flying," Lily said stiffly, glaring at her friend.
Marlene gave her an innocent look. "I didn't say you were afraid."
Lily scoffed. "They're practically death traps! If I recall from 1st year, it was you who careened out of control and nearly knocked me off my broom."
Marlene waved her off. "Faulty school brooms. I grew up on a broom, you know."
"Right," Lily retorted, remembering a past summer visit to her friend's house, where Marlene had gotten a huge telling-off for riding her broom unsupervised.
She jumped as James's voice came from behind her. "McKinnon, be sure to pick up that new trimmer we talked about."
"Aye, Captain," Marlene grinned, having no issue with following his orders. Lily knew the blonde would never argue against new gear. As Marlene left to navigate through the store, Lily turned fully to face James, slightly alarmed at his proximity due to the business of the store.
"Hello," Lily greeted nicely enough, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Dear Merlin, was she back to being awkward? What the bloody hell for? She chalked it up to the tension that she knew was still there.
"Hey," James responded with a easy smile before turning away, as his only intention had been to talk to Marlene.
"Wait!" Lily blurted without thought. He turned with a curious look. She glanced around, finding Marlene's blonde hair towards the back of the store. "I need help with Marlene - her birthday is coming up and I'm not quite sure what she'd want from here." His eyebrows raised in surprise then furrowed in suspicion as Lily looked at him expectantly.
"Uh, sure," he said, taking his eye off of her face to scan the vicinity. She waited patiently as he searched for something specific. Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for, brushing past her to pick up a box too large to fit into her pocket. He handed it to her.
"Ah, yes." Lily hummed, as if she knew what it was, turning it over in her fingers. When she looked back up at him beneath her lashes, James was giving her a look as if he knew she was lying, but smartly did not comment.
Lily chanced a look back to where Marlene had gone and quickly became nervous when she saw her friend making her way back towards her. "Here," she said, practically shoving it back at him and then digging in her jacket pocket for a handful of change. "Do you mind buying this for me? I'll pick it up from you later."
For a moment, it looked as if he would say no, but relented. She dropped the sickles into his open hand, hoping it was enough to cover the cost.
He tucked the box behind him just as Marlene appeared beside them, her expression rather miffed. "Sorry, Potter. Seemed like they were all out."
James raised a shoulder. "Maybe next time. I'd better go. See you guys later." He turned and smoothly disappeared into the crowd.
"Ready to go?" Marlene asked, drawing Lily's attention away from his back.
She smiled, relieved. "Let's get out of here. It's almost lunch time - and we should swing by Honeydukes before we meet up with everyone."
"Sounds great to me."
A while later, both of the girls entered into the Three Broomsticks with arms full of bags, out of breath and looking ruffled.
"What happened to you?" Emmeline asked with concern as Lily dropped the bags onto the floor next to their table, Marlene in tow. She plopped into the open seat and brushed the loose hairs out of her face.
"Fifty percent off all candy," she huffed. "It was a madhouse." The big toe on her right foot throbbed, having been trampled by a greedy Ravenclaw.
"I'm pretty sure I caused a bloody nose," Marlene confessed, taking her own seat. The bag she held was overstuffed and she was able to catch a chocolate frog before it fell onto the floor.
"Mar," Emmeline scolded, before plucking a box of jelly beans from the blonde's bag.
Marlene shrugged carelessly. "It was only a second year. And the shopkeeper cleaned him up before it started gushing everywhere."
Lily laughed, recalling the scene. "It was pretty bad; but it at least cleared out the shop for a little bit. But I don't think he's going to be returning to Honeydukes anytime soon."
She took scan the lowly lit room. It was busy, as expected, and she recognized many of her fellow classmates having a good time. Halloween was always sure to raise spirits, despite the spooky holiday. "Where's Dorcas?"
Emmeline pointed across the room towards the bar, where Dorcas was collecting butterbeers for the table. The 6th Year girl though was being distracted by Thomas Burke, a 7th Year Gryffindor, as he obviously chatted her up. Lily's friend seemed pleased by the attention of the boy, laughing at a joke and touching his arm on purpose.
"Alice is with Frank." Emmeline pointed the opposite way and Lily caught sight of the two Gryffindors sitting in a booth alone.
"What is this, Valentine's?" Marlene slouched in annoyance. "I could really go for a butterbeer right now," she called loudly, trying to get Dorcas's attention from across the pub. It failed to work (but attracted the eyes of many annoyed patrons).
"I'll go grab them," Lily offered, moving to stand. It was easy enough to dodge and maneuver around the busy tables to get to her friend at the bar. She politely cleared her throat to announce her presence. "Hey, Dorcas."
Her friend turned towards her and Lily could tell she was a bit charmed.
"Evans," Burke greeted with a clean smile. "How are you?"
She smiled genuinely. "Doing well, thanks." She reached forward to grab the three bottles in front of Dorcas. "Just collecting the drinks for the girls." She balanced the glasses carefully in her hands, stealing a quick swig for herself from one of the bottles. It warmed her belly.
"Ah, yes." He looked about, catching sight of Emmeline and Marlene back at the table. He gave a friendly wave that the other two returned (Marlene, Lily noticed, a little less enthusiastic). "Meadowes was just telling me about your Halloween ritual."
Lily nearly spat out the butterbeer. She glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, was she?"
"Sharing candy with the 1st Years. Like the muggles do for tradition." He smiled sincerely, looking truly interested. Behind him, Dorcas was giving her an insulted look, as if offended Lily thought she had shared the Game.
Lily smiled brilliantly, feeling a little ashamed at having been silently chastised. "It's their first Halloween at Hogwarts, of course. Want to make it fun."
"Very inclusive," he agreed. "Say, want to join Rochester and I at the Halloween feast tonight?" He pointed at his fellow 7th Year classmate, and Lily recognized him easily. Tall and blonde. Right, she thought to herself - Daniel Rochester.
Dorcas was giving her a pleading look, silently trying to convince Lily to say yes.
Lily thought about it for a second longer. "Sure."
"Cheers," Burke said with a pleased smile. "I bet he'll be as happy as I am that you two can join us."
"Better get back to my table," said Dorcas shyly as she made to stand. Lily could see the tiniest amount of pink in her cheeks.
Burke raised his glass with another disarming grin. "I'll see you later."
"You will," Dorcas promised with her own smile.
When they walked away far enough, Lily laughed. "When did that happen?"
Dorcas couldn't be shamed, laughing giddily. "I've been working to get his sodding attention all year. It finally pays off!"
"Don't go ditching us for a boyfriend," Lily teased, nudging her friend so that she moved more quickly towards their table. Dorcas was trying to sneak another glance back at the Gryffindor boy.
Marlene glared openly. "What was that all about?" The tone in her voice was still slightly annoyed, but she accepted the bottle of butterbeer from Lily happily.
Lily smirked as she sat down in her spot. "Dor's got a date," she said in a low voice. The girls around her gasped, as if she shared a clandestine secret.
Dorcas glared at her warningly, but the effect was ruined by her smile. "Shut it. I believe you happened to agree to a double-date."
Lily gave her a look as she took another sip of her butterbeer. "I did not."
"Were you not just standing there with me?" Dorcas laughed. "Burke invited Rochester - it's a double-date."
Lily waved her off. "I'm there for moral support. Burke wasn't asking for me to be Rochester's date."
Dorcas gave her an incredulous look, glancing back over her shoulder towards the two Gryffindor boys seated against the wall. Skeptical, Lily followed her friend's gaze towards the other side of the room. Her eyes met Rochester's.
He raised his glass in a silent greeting, an excited smile on his lips.
She whipped back around, with an embarrassed groan. "I didn't think he'd think of it as a date."
"Of course, he thought of it as a date," said Marlene with an eye-roll. "That's all sixteen and seventeen year old boys think about. You know, among other things." Lily took a long swig of her drink, her cheeks warm.
Dorcas spoke up. "Besides. It's not going to hurt anyone if you join him for dinner. If you don't like him, just don't see him again. Simple as that."
Lily hummed in thought, turning slightly in her seat to inconspicuously check out the 7th Year. "I guess you're right. He's probably not going to take it seriously, right?"
"Right," Dorcas grinned, still a little love-struck.
Marlene cleared her throat in a less conspicuous way. "Unless… of course, you'd rather see someone else?"
The redhead glared at the blonde balefully, turning back in her seat. She scoffed. "No," she said in a clipped tone. "I really hadn't thought about any one else, at all."
She didn't miss the way her friends shared a look that showed they did not believe her.
"Knock it off. Nothing's happening," she snapped. "Can we move on?"
Her friends looked properly chastised and did as requested, moving on to dividing the candy as tradition. From her rucksack, Emmeline pulled out handmade paper bags decorated with witches' hats and potion bottles. Marlene dumped the large bags of candy onto the tabletop, the chocolate and sweets nearly taking up the entire table.
Lily reached for her butterbeer, the bottle almost knocked over by a chocolate frog. She pulled out a piece of parchment from her jacket, reading over it once more. "There's only three girls, and then four boys." The parchment listed out the 1st Years names. "Being a Prefect definitely comes in handy," she murmured, pleased. She accepted a bag from Emmeline and began grabbing an assortment of candies to fill the bag.
"Less than last year," Emmeline noted absently.
The words hung in the air as the table momentarily froze. The four girls sitting at the table looked at each other awkwardly, no one saying what the others were thinking out loud. There were less muggleborns.
"Did we get too much candy?" Dorcas asked, as a way to break the odd silence.
"Nah," said Marlene casually. "Means for everyone, yeah?"
Lily nodded enthusiastically, focusing on the task at hand. "Maybe some left for us, too," she smiled, trying to ease the tension a little. It worked.
"I get the extra lemon drops," Emmeline said immediately.
Lily laughed, making a sour face. "They're all yours," she assured. "As long as I get the leftover sugar quills!"
Marlene huffed. "But you always get the chocolate frogs."
"No, that's me!" Dorcas cackled, plucking a lone frog and tearing it open. It nearly got away, hopping towards Lily hurriedly to escape.
Putting together the bags were easy enough; with a quick swish, her bag was tied with a neat black and orange bow. The girls worked on the Halloween trick or treat bags until they were interrupted - by Burke and Rochester.
"We were just heading out," said Burke in a friendly manner. "Wanted to say goodbye - and we'll see you later?" He stood behind Dorcas's chair, his hand on the back of the seat.
Dorcas gave him a brilliant smile as she turned in her seat. "Definitely, you will." She touched a hand to his arm smoothly.
"See you at dinner, Lily?" Rochester asked, standing beside his friend. He stood on the other side of the table, beside his friend. Lily briefly wondered if she could pull off flirting as easily as Dorcas could. Would she have touched him on the arm as well?
Instead, Lily smiled and nodded shyly. "See you then, Daniel."
The two boys left them then, as the girls watched as they made their exit out of the Three Broomsticks.
"At least Rochester's fit," Emmeline murmured, chin resting in her hand.
Lily guffawed loudly, pressing a hand to her heart. "Vance!" she scolded, acting overly offended. "How scandalous, you talking about a bloke like that."
Her friend smiled slyly, shrugging. "If things don't work out…"
Lily laughed, using a finger to flick a lemon drop towards the girl's face. Emmeline dodged it successfully, sticking her tongue out at Lily. "Back to work, now!"
When they were done, the four girls settled back into their seats. It was past the lunch hour and most of the crowd inside the pub had already departed.
Lily stretched in her seat, working out the kinks in her shoulder. "Come on, Mar. You'd promised we'd stop by Scrivenshafts. We'd better head out now before it gets too late."
Marlene nodded, draining the last of her butterbeer. "Okay - I wanted to stop by that clothing shop, too - that place behind Puddifoot's?"
"Sure," Lily replied. "I was hoping to grab a couple of pair of tights anyways. Em, Dor, do you think you guys can grab the rest of these bags and take them back to the dorms?"
"No problem," Emmeline said immediately. "Though, I guess I'll have to make sure Dorcas cn find her way back, sick with love and all that…"
Lily laughed as Dorcas swiped at her friend while trying to stop grinning - it didn't work.
"I'll see you at dinner," Marlene mimicked Burke's low voice, waggling her eyebrows and sidestepped an oncoming swing from Dorcas as well.
"Come on," Lily laughed, dragging Marlene out of the pub by her arm. "Before she hexes you!"
"Oh, please - that'll be you soon enough! You and Rochester, the perfect couple." Marlene tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and pretended to swoon.
Lily laughed again and hip-checked her friend. "Shut up, Mckinnon - or I'll knock you out."
The Hogsmeade trip had been successfully; the two girls had returned a couple of hours before dinner was served. Lily was pleased that she would have enough time for a quick nap before heading down to dinner, only chucking off her jean jacket before falling into bed. She had almost forgotten about the 'double-date' until Dorcas burst into the dorm room, rushing to the bathroom to fix her makeup and hair.
"Wha's going on?" Lily mumbled, rubbing tiredly at her face. She felt where the pillow creases had left lines on her face and winced.
"Dinner!" Dorcas sang, running a brush haphazardly through her hair. "We've only got 30 minutes!"
Lily looked about the empty dorm room, still not quite fully awake. "That's plenty of time, Dor. Don't worry."
"I can't help it!"
The redhead studied her friend, intrigued by the girl's nervousness. "I've never seen you like this." Lily pulled a face, not having given the dinner date much thought. But, she thought reasonably, she might as well make an effort, too. Pulling herself out of bed, she rifled through her trunk to find her nice cream coloured fleece sweater. It matched nicely with the maroon wrap-skirt she was still wearing from Hogsmeade, and the wrinkles left over from the nap came out easily with a quick charm.
With still plenty of time till they were to meet their dates, Lily lounged on her bed, flipping through her Charms notes while Dorcas continued fretting over her appearance. Lily had to drag her friend out of the dorm, before they were too late.
Burke and Rochester were already seated further down the Gryffindor table. As soon as they entered the Great Hall, Dorcas looped her arm through Lily's, holding tightly. When they came up to the 7th year boys, one of their friends brought them to the boys' attention.
When Burke caught sight of them, he stood immediately. Silently, Lily approved of his gentlemanly actions, as he directed the two girls to sit between himself and Rochester. The table in front of them was decorated lavishly, Halloween a very serious celebration.
Once settled into her seat, Lily smiled at her 'date'. "Hey Daniel."
"Call me Danny," he insisted, and his smile was very sincere. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Definitely - Can you hand me to the pumpkin juice?"
He did so easily, collecting a goblet and pouring the drink for her. For the smallest moment, Lily felt nervous - what was she supposed to do here? Flirt? Laugh? Then shook herself. "Thanks," she said, taking a long drink.
She snuck a look at Dorcas, who was already focused on the conversation she was having with Burke. They were in their own world.
"So how's your year been so far?" Danny asked, pouring himself a glass.
"Great! I mean, I was a bit nervous - I heard that 6th year can be pretty rough if you're not prepared. But I doubt it's anything compared to 7th."
"Actually, it hasn't been too bad this year; but I can't say the homework is much lighter than it was last."
"Ah, so another year of drowning." Lily surmised.
He chuckled, his features handsome with humour. "Pretty much," he admitted.
They fell quiet then, digging into their meals and Lily felt that it was at least an amicable silence, while those around them chatted happily.
"So Thom was telling me how you guys like to help celebrate Halloween with the 1st years. That's really sweet." He showed her genuine interest.
"Yes, I think that was one of the things I missed the most coming to Hogwarts - I mean, not that there wasn't enough to keep me busy - But I always missed trick-or-treating."
"Yeah, I always got dragged to my aunt's Halloween parties - more for adults than anything. All I remember is sulking. Didn't even get candy."
Lily sympathized verbally. "Definitely doesn't sound the most fun."
"Well, you'll have to let me know if you guys have any candy left over - I would love some."
She smiled brightly, then purposefully pulled a face. "I don't know… I'm already fighting to get some leftover candy. I'm not sure I should share."
He laughed. "Well, I'm sure we could work something out."
Her shoulders raised in a shrug. "Depends on what-"
There was a sound that disrupted the chatter in the Great Hall; Lily wasn't quite sure where it came from at first. It was a howling sound, like wind mixed with a wolf's. A couple of students around them clapped their hands over their ears, the sound loud and terrifying.
"What is that?" Dorcas yelled over the sound. Lily shook her head, her heart pounding.
One of the 7th Year boys across from her yelped loudly, the sound almost inaudible. The ghost of the Fat Friar had appeared before them, his head popping up in the mashed potatoes. A scream released from the Hufflepuff table behind them and Lily whipped around to see the cause.
One of the cooked turkeys on the table had jumped up - headlessly, it danced a jig on the tabletop, much like a can-can dancer.
Peeves appeared above the Slytherin table, juggling nearly a dozen dinner rolls - one escaped from his grasp and landed heavily into a bowl of gravy. It's contents exploded, covering the face of a dark-haired Slytherin. She screamed in anger.
Shocked into laughter, Lily slapped a hand over her mouth to cover the sound.
A dozen of the Hogwarts' ghosts were appearing, just as various items on the tables began a dance - the howling overhead soon lessened, turning into an odd whistling that sounded awfully close to 'Double Trouble'.
Daniel nudged her and pointed up towards the head table; even the cooked bird on the table between McGonagall and Dumbledore was dancing - rather sensuously, Lily thought. McGonagall looked downright offended.
Lily laughed freely now, knowing this was clearly a prank. She glanced down the table, trying to locate the Marauders - but they were nowhere to be seen.
Soon enough, the song ended and so did the food's gig. Laughter lingered amongst the students, happily amused by the nights entertainment. Dorcas poked a finger at the leg of the turkey in front of her. It remained motionless. "Bet you I know who was in charge of that," Dorcas whispered conspiratorially in Lily's ear. She laughed loudly.
The rest of the Great Hall was left in high spirits, but soon calmed down to finish dinner.
"I'm sure you weren't expecting a dinner and a show," said Danny with an smile.
Lily laughed with him. "Can't say that I was - but I can't say it wasn't entertaining," She glanced around once more, trying to find the four boys she knew were the culprits. She then turned back to him with a guilty. "But we probably should be heading back to the dorms - I always like to make sure we set up all the candy before the 1st years get back."
A look of disappointment swept over Danny's features, but it was soon covered with a genuine smile. "Maybe we can do dinner again? Or I can join you in the library sometime?"
"That sounds great," said Lily. "Maybe give me a heads up on what to expect for 6th Year exams?"
He laughed. "Lily," he tsked. "That would be cheating."
"Nah," she disagreed with a smile as she stood. "Nothing wrong with getting a leg up." His eyebrows rose comically at her wording and she felt her cheeks redden. "That's not what I - poor choice of words," she winced.
Danny played it off as nonchalantly as he could. "I knew what you meant."
Lily laughed awkwardly, patting Dorcas's back to get her attention away from Burke's. "Come on, Dor, we should be heading up." The blonde seemed reluctant, but did as told, stepping up and away from her spot.
"See you later, Burke," said Dorcas rather breathlessly.
"Bye, Meadowes," he responded with a wink.
Lily gave it two days before she'd catch them snogging in a broom closet somewhere. "That seems to have gone well," she said, leading her friend away from the group of 7th Year boys towards the end of the table, where her friends were.
"It did," Dorcas gushed, squeezing Lily's arm tightly. The redhead made a noise of complaint and Dorcas lessened her grip sheepishly. "I think I'm in love."
Lily laughed. "Dor - you only sat with him for what, like an hour?"
"Oh, but his eyes. And he wants to work for the ministry - his mother works in the Department of Mysteries, did you know? And he has a younger and older sister - which totally means he already knows women. I can't wait till we go out again."
Emmeline caught sight of them first and waved. "How'd it go?" she asked when they came closer.
"Wonderful," Dorcas swooned.
"Merlin woman, have some dignity!" Marlene teased, flicking a pea at the love-sick teenager. It smacked against Lily's cheek instead.
"Hey," Lily complained, swiping the pea residue off of her skin. "I thought you were good at Quidditch? Oh, nevermind - we should probably be heading up. I think the 1st Years will be done soon!"
Marlene groaned, standing from her spot. "I shouldn't have eaten so much. I am totally going to regret this later."
Emmeline chuckled, following closely behind beside Alice (who regrettably left Frank behind). "I warned you." The halls and the main staircase were bare, most of the students still in the Great Hall eating.
"Yeah, yeah," Marlene said. "At least we have a couple hours till the game."
"Oh, going to take a nap, are you?" Lily gave her a mocking look. "I didn't think young witches needed rest." Marlene glared openly.
"Alright, alright - we've got First years to focus on, right?" Emmeline pointed out, stepping between the two.
"Yes, we do!" Lily smiled. They came upon the Fat Lady's portrait. "Headless Horseman," she supplied, but the portrait remained still. The Fat Lady shrugged and fanned herself. "Headless Horseman?"
Alice reached forward and tried to pry it open. "Did the password change?"
Lily frowned. "No, it should be good until tomorrow afternoon."
"Here," Marlene cut in impatiently, stepping up to the portrait. "Head-less Horse-man," she said slowly, as if the Fat Lady couldn't hear her. "Come on, open up, you!"
The painted woman glared at her rudeness. Lily came up beside Alice and tried to help pry it open, digging her nails into the frame. It gave way suddenly, both Alice and Lily falling back into the girls behind them.
"What -"
It was as if opening the door set off an alarm - a shrill screech nearly deafened the girls, as smoke and dust spilled out from the portrait. Lily nearly gagged, coughing fiercely to clear her throat.
Emmeline released a scream and pointed through the portrait hole - Lily nearly fell back a second time as a grey figure slide out of the fog, screeching loudly as it came towards them. Its face was sunken, empty sockets - it looked like a deformed banshee coming to attack them.
And then it exploded into a great cloud of smoke before it could reach them. From inside the portrait, Lily could hear sounds of gleeful laughter. She waved her wand in a quick swoop, clearing dust and smoke from the air.
Just as she suspected, the four marauders were just inside the common room, having seen the girls' reaction to the fake banshee. "Ha, ha, very clever," she said, stepping through the entrance as they others followed.
Sirius was belly laughing, clutching at his side as he wiped tears. Peter was just as rambunctious, nearly collapsed on the floor.
"We certainly thought so," James laughed, clapping a hand onto Remus's shoulder, who even looked quite amused himself.
Marlene glared at them, wagging a finger in their faces. "You better watch your backs."
Sirius laughed again and shrugged. "It was too good to pass up - and we wanted to be sure to test out the spell on you ladies first."
"How'd you know it was us?" said Lily grumpily, feeling her heartbeat slow finally.
"We have ways," James answered with his easy smile.
Sirius waved his hands, gesturing them to leave. "Now hurry up and move before the next people come in."
Lily felt as if she should really be chastising them (or at least Remus, of all people) but had to admit that it was in the Halloween spirit. "Carry on," she said, hoping not to regret it later.
The five girls were able to divide and conquer dividing the trick-or-treat bags; Marlene and Dorcas were assigned the girls' dorm, while Alice, Emmeline and Lily headed towards the boys'. Lily couldn't stop the smile as they re-entered the common room to access the boys' tower; a set of fourth year boys had just entered through the portrait hole. One of their screams had echoed rather piercingly throughout the tower.
"Hurry, hurry!" Lily couldn't help but say, feeling excited and nervous all at once. She set her three bags down neatly on top of the boys' trunks as she went. Alice nearly tripped on a spare set of shoes, glaring at the offensive items.
"Maybe we should clean up the dorm," Emmeline offered with narrowed eyes.
"That might scare them too much," Lily joked, but seriously considered the idea as she glanced around the dorm. It was definitely worse than she thought it could have been. "Done?"
"Done," both Emmeline and Alice confirmed, following her out.
The three had returned to the common room, falling into the couch with laughter.
"I love Halloween," said Lily, pleased. She plucked a stray string from her sweater.
Emmeline laughed. "Only because you get extra candy. So how did the date go?"
Lily shrugged. "I don't think it was really a date - we just talked and ate dinner. He's a nice enough bloke."
Alice was watching her closely. "So you won't have another date?"
She shrugged again. "Like I said, he was nice. We'll just see what happens."
"There you guys are," Marlene complained, coming down the girls' dormitory stairs with Dorcas. "Thought you were going to come back upstairs."
"Sorry," Emmeline grinned. "I think we really just wanted to watch the show."
As if on cue, the next group of students had attempted to come through the common room entrance; a 7th year girl let out a piercing screech.
Lily bit her lip, trying to remain diplomatic. "We probably shouldn't laugh."
Emmeline was shaking her head vigorously, covering the lower half of her face with her sleeve. "We really shouldn't."
Marlene's eyes were already streaming with tears. "Did you see her reaction? She nearly clawed Teresa's face off."
The Marauders' were only able to scare a couple more of the groups; word had gotten out and the rest of the Gryffindors seemed prepared for the jumpscare. The four boys had sullenly retreated to their dormitory, their fun spoiled.
And then, soon enough, it was time. The girls began to make their way up to their dorm, feigning reasons of sleep and study (Lily winced at Marlene's overly loud claim, "I am SO KNACKERED!" accompanied by a big show of going up the stairs) till Lily was the last up. It wasn't uncommon, as Prefect.
It worried her that the common room was still pretty full, with only thirty minutes to midnight. She chewed on her lip.
"Nervous about not winning?"
Lily jumped, not noticing James until he had sunk into the seat beside her. Once she recovered, she scoffed. "You better hope we're not on the same team."
He chuckled, running his fingers over his hair to flatten the wild locks. "I really don't," he disagreed, his usual smile pulling at his lips.
A smile pulled at her own mouth, but she rolled her eyes. "You're just tired of losing."
He nodded. "I've only won one of these games - and I was on your team."
"Because I am an expert," Lily laughed.
"You did create the game," he admitted.
They both fell quiet, surveying the room and its occupants. James spoke up. "So, you are nervous?" His tone was serious, probing.
"Every Game," she said solemnly.
"Marlene told me that you wanted to be an Auror - I didn't know that."
Her shoulders rose in a shrug. "I guess it's kinda why I like the Game. It's sort of like… practice, you know?"
"It's definitely work," he commented. "It's cool that you want to be an Auror."
Lily snuck a look at his face, finding his expression sincere. "I just - want to do something, you know? I think back to my first year, finding out about the magical world. Well, I mean, I guess I knew before then, when…"
"When?" James prompted curiously.
She was chewing her lip again, lost in thought. "It doesn't matter. But coming to Hogwarts was amazing, right? To find out something like this even existed." She gestured to the room around her. "And then to find out it exists outside of these walls - that there's a whole world hidden away."
"And that makes you want to be an Auror?" He didn't ask it unkindly.
"Yes," she said in a strong voice. "When there's a mad wizard out there, killing people now, all because of his own crazy beliefs and made-up principles? When there are less and less muggleborns each year because of it… and I think back to when I got here during 1st Year and what it would've been like."
Lily was aware of the way James was staring at her - intensely, as if he really couldn't believe she was sharing this with him. She cleared her throat and tucked a loose chunk of hair behind her ear. "Have you thought much about after school?"
"No," he said bluntly, still visibly recovering from his shock. It amused Lily somewhat. "I guess... I haven't tried to think about it too closely." It looked like the question weighed heavily on him now.
"What do your parents think?"
James brought his hand to his chin, thinking it over. "They've only ever expressed that they want me to be happy. Mum, especially."
Lily thought on his words, thinking them sweet. She suddenly recalled. "I've met your mum."
His head whipped towards her so fast she swore she could hear it crack. "You have?"
A laugh escaped her at his poorly hidden alarm. "I did," she confirmed. "A couple weeks back - in Diagon Alley? She said you told her a lot about me."
James's eyes had narrowed. "Did she?" he asked coolly.
It was fun making him squirm, but she felt a little guilty. "She did. She was very kind." He watched her warily, as if expecting her to tell him she knew his deepest, darkest secret.
"Well," she said, breaking the silence. "I should probably head upstairs. See ya."
"Lily!"
She turned, half-expecting it to be James who had followed her - but it was actually Danny. "Hey," she said warmly.
"Hey - just wanted to wish you a Happy Halloween," said Danny with a smile.
Lily was aware of James' eyes on her as she replied. "Thanks. Have a good night." She turned on her toe and headed up the stairs.
-:- -:- -:-
The four boys were already lounging in the Entrance Hall when the girls arrived.
"Trick or treat?" Sirius smirked from his lounging spot on the stairs. He pushed off the railing with spry movements and brought his hands together excitedly. "We thought you'd never show."
"We're five minutes early," Lily pointed out.
"As if we'd miss an All Hallow's Eve Game!" Marlene added, smiling excitedly. "It's sacred."
"There's usually a lot more activity, too," Lily informed the boys. "Halloween night and all. It's pretty risky, but we haven't gotten in trouble so far." She motioned everyone to join a circle. "Let's count out the groups."
When it came to dividing up the teams, it was Remus who helped decide. He conjured three pairs of straw, tearing them into different sizes. Those who picked the largest pieces would be a team, the smallest paired off, and so on.
Alice, Peter, and Emmeline were partnered together. Sirius and Marlene were with Dorcas; Lily was on the team with Remus and James (a troublesome - but not bad - thought).
Lily walked up to Remus and James with a smile. "Nervous to win?" she couldn't help but tease. James laughed.
"I appreciate your confidence," Remus murmured with a smile.
"You did wonderful last time," she assured, checking her watch. "What's the plan?" Her eyes met James's.
He looked surprised that she was asking his opinion. "We can split up. But I say we meet back up in an hour - maybe at the kitchens?"
Lily shook her head. "Emmeline likes to scout out down there. Maybe the third floor corridor - by the Baroness's portrait?"
James gave a quick nod and Remus shared his agreeance, as well. "The alcove there. Sounds like a plan then."
She smiled coyly. "Good luck, team. Let's win."
The group of Gryffindors soon joined into the larger group, and like before, allowed Lily to cast the spellwork that allowed them to see the teams and their scores, along with the countdown timer.
"Everyone ready?"
Lily received varying types of responses, from Marlene's too-loud, "Yes!" to Peter's timid nod. "Now, remember, the House Ghosts like to haunt the hallways a bit more. Avoid them at all costs - but remember if you get caught, just press your wand to the game chart on your arm. It'll give everyone enough time to get away or caught."
"We know, we know," Sirius said impatiently.
"Alright, alright," Lily laughed. "Let's get started then…10…"
And her countdown began, the beginnings of adrenaline already seeping into her nervous system.
"9… 8… 7… 6…"
James sent her an excited grinning, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet nervously.
"5… 4… 3…"
From her other side, Lily could hear Dorcas's impatient, "Come on, come on, come on…"
"2… 1!"
Lily couldn't help the ridiculous laugh that escaped as she watched her friends take off in different directions, their movements frantic and crazed. She waited an extra moment before following their actions, heading towards the stairs. Her plan this game was to reach high ground, then work her way back towards the 3rd floor just in time for meeting James and Remus.
Though she wouldn't admit it out loud to any of her friends (or anyone else for that matter)… Lily was going to take care to avoid the dungeons and the lower floors as much as possible.
The five minute warning warmed against her arm and Lily made a more conscious effort to move closer against the railings and the walls as she ascended the stairs further. While the goal of the game was always to win, she wanted to focus more on her stealth skills.
The Astronomy had been her goal, though she knew she risked the chance of running into other students, who had much more dastardly plans for the hiding spot. But surprisingly, the tower's classroom and stairs were empty. Where this was supposed to make her less worried, it still caused her to tense.
The Ravenclaw common room was also near her location, though she doubted many of the students would be out after curfew (she hoped). Nonetheless, Lily was extra cautious and strained to hear any sounds of movement.
About twenty minutes later, Lily was regretting her plan. There was no sign of action in sight and the turtleneck she had chosen to wear was starting to itch something fierce. But still, she soldiered on, unwilling to give up.
She already looped around the 7th floor three times, expecting to at least come across another person once. Alice was usually the one to check out the Divination classroom, but there was still no sign of her.
Lily huffed in annoyance, spinning on her heel to turn back around and go back the way she came. If she didn't see one person…
"Cesso!" a voice spelled from further down the corridor, startling Lily.
She dodged just in time, spinning herself into the wall. There was nowhere to cover herself and so she escaped back towards the way she had come from, towards the Divination room. The tiered classroom would provide much needed cover and provide her a chance to tag her opponent.
The classroom door opened easily, and Lily took the nearest steps up to the next tier of tabled seat, diving under the nearest table. The room was dark, which worked to her advantage. Pale light spilled in from the door, the nearest light source a low-light torch from the corridor.
Excitement thrummed in her veins as she watched the shadow of her opponent elongate across the floor, the sound of light footsteps entering the classroom. From her position under the table, she wouldn't be able to see them, but she could at least guess at their position, and hopefully her spell would strike true.
"Cesso!" she cast.
"Oi!" Alice's voice rang out and Lily felt triumphant, pleased that she could track her friend's movements by their repetitive actions.
Lily took the moment of surprise and jumped up from underneath the table. "Cesso!" she shouted, the spell hitting Alice in the stomach. "Yes!" Lily shouted, jutting a fist in the air. She moved quickly then, passing by Alice's frozen form with a wave and a smile, moving along the corridor in a run to get away from her enemy.
When she felt she was at a safe distance, she slowed to a light jog, nearly jumping out of her skin as one of the Arithmacy classroom doors slammed open.
It was Dorcas, who shouted a quick spell that caught Lily in the shoulder.
The blonde twiddled her fingers tauntingly, before taking off down the corridor.
"Damn it," Lily cursed when she became unfrozen. She checked the scores. Her team was in second; but not by much.
By the time she ran into another person, another 15 minutes had passed. She and Emmeline had a bit of a standoff on the 6th floor, in the Room of Rewards. Lily thought she had bested Emmeline, but the other Gryffindor caught her off guard, shooting in quick succession, five spells.
Lily stood frozen once more, cursing silently at Emmeline's back and promising vengeance. She only had twenty or so odd minutes to redeem herself, or else she'd have to face Remus and James with ashamed embarrassment.
And so she took the different paths down to the 3rd floor, half-hoping to run into another person for a chance of earning some points, the other half hoping she would find empty hallways and classrooms.
It was the latter, she found out, as she took care to check different crooks and nannies of the corridors as she made her descent down the castle. It was an eerie feeling, not running into another person. Lily second-guessed herself, absolutely sure that maybe she had missed another person in one of the classrooms.
She arrived a few minutes late at her team's appointment meeting place, huffing in annoyance as she dipped into the somewhat hidden alcove.
"Everything okay?" James asked, having heard her long-suffering sigh.
"Peachy," said Lily in clipped tones. "Not having much luck tonight."
The score was showing that they were still in second place and Lily knew it could be worse.
"Same," Remus said in empathy. "Sirius already caught me twice, and even Marlene got me - Peter even once."
That made Lily feel a little better. She looked up at James.
He shrugged with an pleased smile. "Haven't been caught yet, but I was able to freeze a couple of others."
Lily rolled her eyes, neither pleased nor unhappy that he was the reason they were holding their spot in second place. "There aren't many others upstairs; I started up in the Astronomy tower. I only came across Alice and Dorcas upstairs."
James nodded to himself, taking in the intel. "I spent most of my time one floor up - they had the library locked up, but a lot of the study rooms were great spots." He stopped suddenly, raising a finger to his lips to silence them.
Lily heard it, too. Footsteps and rustling.
But it seemed too far off to truly be worried; the person must've been around the corner at the stairs. The sound soon receded.
"What's the plan, then?" Remus asked, his voice tight with nerves.
"Up or down?" Lily asked James, who once again, looked surprised by her addressing him for directions.
"Let's head down. That way we're closest to the Entrance Hall."
Lily gave a two-fingered salute with a sly smile. "Lead the way, captain," she couldn't help but tease.
He rolled his eyes, but even in the dark, Lily could see the smile pulling at his lips. It pleased her for some reason.
James left the alcove first, his head turning both ways down the corridor to check for any movement, before stepping out. He waved Lily on after him, signaling that it was okay to move.
When he was a safe enough distance away (wouldn't want anyone to catch them at the same time), Lily left the safety of the hiding place behind, as well. Remus followed soon after.
Without incident, they were able to make it to the Grand Staircase. James leaned low, holding close to the balustrades of the railing as he descended the stairs. Lily mimicked his movements, still keeping distance as she tiptoed down the stone steps.
They had made it to the 2nd floor landing, when instinct made Lily glance around her.
Remus was following behind at a respectable distance, still making his way down the steps (if anything, he wasn't crouching low enough, he was still a bit taller than her). When he caught her looking at him, he gave her questioning look.
But she paid him no mind - Peter was at the landing above them, looking gleefully pleased.
"Look out!" Lily shouted, but Peter already made his move.
"Cesso!" He casted, the spell whizzing past her down the stairs.
James had been caught off guard - the spell hit him in the chest with enough force to send him over the railing backwards. Lily watched with detached horror as he flipped over, his feet disappearing over the railing.
"James!" She ran to the railing, nearly tossing herself over it after him.
But he had already landed on the floor below, and Lily tried not to think of how his leg was twisted awkwardly beneath him.
Later, much later, she realized she didn't remember running down the stairs or collapsing on her knees beside him, or how Peter nearly screamed with horror, the sound piercingly loud in the staircases' atrium-like walls. She barely remembered Sirius nearly knocking into her to check on James, nor how Remus actually did tumble into Sirius, who had viciously shoved him back (involuntarily, of course).
But she would remember how she couldn't get James to open his eyes or how his jaw went slack, his mouth falling open lifelessly.
He wasn't breathing.
"Ennervate!" Lily spelled frantically. His chest remained motionless.
"Why - why didn't that work?" Sirius asked, his tone scaring Lily. Remus's face was ghostly white.
"Enervate!" She recasted, nearly choking on the word.
"Lily," breathed Remus, his tone horrified.
She shushed him angrily and bent over James, placing a hand on his chest and moving her ear over his mouth. He wasn't breathing, but she could have sworn she felt the smallest beat of a heart under her hand.
Instinct took over, and like she had practiced ages ago, she tilted his head back at an angle and propped his mouth open. Pinching his nose, she pressed her lips against his and breathed air into his lungs. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see his chest rise. Two more breathes and she pulled back, now binding her hands to press against his sternum.
"What are you doing?" Sirius questioned, no less frantic.
"She's doing CPR," Remus answered, surprised. "It'll keep him breathing."
She was counting to herself quietly. 15, 16, 17… oddly it reminded her of counting down to the start of the game.
21, 22, 23… she stopped at 30 and moved back towards his face, re-positioning his head back once more.
One breath, two breaths..
Back to his chest and restart.
Her vision began to blur and Lily thought it was because of how deeply she had breathed to give him oxygen. She realized it was the tears that begin to fall against her cheeks.
They fell against his shirt, just above where her hands were still trying to pump blood into his heart.
28, 29, 30.
Her shoulders and arm muscles burned, and she was glad for the break to switch back to breathe into his mouth. More tears fell against his cheeks, but she couldn't care to be embarrassed.
"Come on, James," she muttered, returning to pumping his chest. She pressed harder, knowing her weak hands would have to work more to get through to his heart.
She heard a sob and was very surprised to learn it came from her own chest.
"Lily," Remus cried. "What can I do to help?"
Her breathing was labored as she continued her thrusts. "When I'm done breathing for him, put your hands together like mine - and press hard. At least a couple of centimeters. It'll pump blood into his heart."
He nodded in understanding and moved to James other side, falling to his knees rather clumsily.
Lily smiled in reassurance but wasn't sure how much it worked. Again, she moved her hands to readjust James face, making sure the airway was open. One, she breathed. Two…
She sat back and nodded the go ahead to Remus. For his part, he seemed to copy her movements brilliantly. She was grateful for his help - her hands were shaking terribly and she knew she wasn't strong enough to continue on her own.
"Two more times," she breathed and Remus followed her instruction.
When his hands fell away, she turned James face again and held her ear over his mouth. Nothing.
"Damn," she cursed. And breathed for him again. She wouldn't give up..
"Where the hell is Peter," Sirius snarled. "He went to get Pomfrey."
Remus took up his movements when she moved back - and at his second thrust, a sound came from James throat.
"James!" Sirius shouted as James began to violently cough, near retching - but he was alive.
Lily helped turn him to his side, making it easier for him to breathe. Her watery eyes met Remus's and they shared a look of incredulous relief.
"What the hell happened?" James asked with a hoarse voice, struggling to sit up.
"You nearly died, Prongs," said Sirius not unkindly. Rather roughly, he reached forward and grabbed James into a bear hug.
James let out a gruff laugh and then winced. "Oi, careful now. I feel like hippogriff ran over me." He turned his head back to look at Lily and Remus. "I guess we lost out on some points?"
Lily let out a tearful laugh, brushing at her wet cheeks. "Git. We're way beyond worrying about the score."
"I really wanted to win."
The other three Gryffindors laughed outright at James's disappointed tone. The sound of someone clearing their throat cut them off short.
Lily turned with a heavy stomach, catching sight of Professor McGonagall, accompanied by Madam Pomfrey, and a guilty looking Peter.
James was still lying on the floor, propped up on his elbows. "Evening, Professor. Madam Pomfrey," he said with a winning smile. "What brings you here?"
"Mr. Potter," said McGonagall, unamused. "Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Black - you three, I am not surprised to find out at this hour. However, Miss Evans, I am quite shocked to see you running amok within the company of these four." Her lips pursed.
Lily felt her cheeks burn.
McGonagall continued. "Poppy, would you mind looking after Mr. Potter? He seems to have taken quite the fall." Lily was surprised at the professor's blasé attitude, but remembered quickly that for James, as a Quidditch player, falling wasn't an uncommon occurrence.
Remus, Sirius and Lily stood up from their kneeling positions, giving the healer enough room to attend to James and check on his status. As inconspicuous as she could from behind her back, Lily pressed the tip of her wand against the scoreboard on her arm, sounding the alarm for the others.
"Now," McGonagall snapped, causing Peter to jump behind her. "Would you four mind telling me why you are all out, after curfew, and exactly how Mr. Potter ended up falling two stories?"
Lily and the other three marauders looked at each other with wide-eyes.
"Well, you see," Sirius started smoothly.
"Not you, Mr. Black," the professor said in disdain. "Miss Evans, Mr. Lupin. As Gryffindor Prefects, I expect you to uphold the rules and codes of the house and the school. Please give me the explanation as to why you would break these rules?"
"Um," said Lily eloquently. In all her years playing the game, this was admittedly the first time she knew she couldn't get away without being in trouble. (There was one time the year prior she had run into Professor Flitwick, but pleaded off, explaining that she needed to head to the Prefect Bathrooms, looking for a bath to help relieve cramps. The pink-cheeked teacher waved her on sympathetically).
This was definitely not an excuse to use this time.
"Well?" McGonagall prompted.
The issue was that there wasn't a viable reason for the five of them to be out at this time of night - at least there would be no excuse good enough for their Head of House.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Lily murmured, dropping her head.
McGonagall stared down her nose at them, disappointment written on her face. "My office, now." She turned sharply on her heel and expected the four of them to follow.
Pomfrey was still tending to James when Lily turned back. The healer had helped him into a fully-seated position as she ran tests.
James caught her eye, sending her a pained, 'Oops, sorry we got caught' smile.
Lily turned back around to follow behind Sirius and Remus, unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes and smiling.
-:- -:- -:-
"Four weeks detention!" Lily croaked, once they left the office of their Head of House. "I've never - I can't believe-"
Sirius slung an arm over her shoulder. "It won't be that bad," he promised. "Four weeks will fly by like that." He snapped his fingers with a smile.
She scoffed. "Black, I'm sure four weeks is nothing when someone like you spends over a third of the term in detention already."
He let out a bark of laughter. "You're not wrong."
"It probably won't be that bad, Lily," said Remus from her other side. "Really, she normally just sets us up in the trophy room or in the potions room to do some cleaning."
Lily, of course, had had detention before. It wasn't that she was upset at the prospects of the detention itself - it was that it was four weeks worth. That was a lot of wasted time.
Peter cleared his throat, speaking for the first time since McGonagall had taken them to her office. "Do you think the girls made it back okay?"
"Oh, definitely. Otherwise I'm sure McGonagall would've been called on, too." Lily sighed again, rubbing her face tiredly. "I'm sure it's because of you gits that I got in more trouble…"
"Probably," Sirius confirmed glibly. "No doubt, she wants to teach you a lesson to stay away from us troublesome boys."
Lily harrumphed, shrugging his arm off of her shoulders before their entered into the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Want to visit James in the morning?" Remus asked. "No doubt he's in the infirmary."
"Sure," Lily answered. "His leg did look pretty bad." The three boys grimaced in agreement, already heading towards the staircases.
"See you in the morning," said Peter, following the other two boys up to their dormitory. Lily felt a little bad for him; she was sure that he still felt a guilty at having hurt one of his best friends.
As suspected, the other four girls were in the 6th Year dorm, all awake and waiting for Lily. They were already in their bedclothes and Lily winced, recalling just how long McGonagall had been telling them off
"What happened?!" Emmeline jumped up first, catching sight of Lily first.
Lily shushed her and close the door softly behind herself. "McGonagall," she winced. The girls in the room all made sounds of sympathy. "James took a rather nasty spill - Peter had to grab Pomfrey - and I think McGonagall intercepted him."
"Bad luck," groaned Marlene. "What's the damage?"
"James is still in the infirmary, I think - and four weeks of detention."
Dorcas released a low whistle. "That'll put you into December, nearly. Did McGonagall figure out why you were out?"
Lily shook her head, pulling off her dusty and grimy clothes to slip on her pajamas. She'd shower in the morning, she decided. "I don't think so. But I know she was suspicious about why the five of us were all out."
"Five?" Emmeline repeated incredulously.
The redhead nodded with a frown. "Me, Sirius, Peter, Remus, and James."
Alice laughed. "Are you becoming one of them? Should we be worried?"
"As if," Lily scoffed, ripping down the bed sheets rather viciously. "And if I do, please, someone slap me."
"Watch out what you say," Marlene said in a sing-song voice.
Lily turned to glare at her, giving her a disdainful look. "Watch yourself." She fell into the bed with a groan. "Four weeks!"
"Just be on your best behavior," said Emmeline. "I'm sure she'll trim off some time if you are truly remorseful."
"Yeah," Lily agreed, tucking herself in. "I hope so."
