Eulogizing Memoirs
Amelie Rae Lanhoss
A/N- My computer was broken for two weeks and then I had to put my cat to sleep not last Saturday but the Saturday before that; so I really didn't feel like writing then like I had originally planned. And on Thursday my English teacher told me she had lost my twenty-page report we had turned in late October so I had to print that out all over again...If this chapter seems a bit out of place that's because I originally didn't plan on it…but the chapter I had planned, Hanging Out In '76, would be extremely long if I put all the details I want to put in. Anyways, this is for my poor cat; who I'll always remember as being my fat Tiggy-Wiggy, for my 100th (that's right, 100 reviews!) reviewer, EmzyTrish, and as always, in loving memory for K.M.L.
-C.R.C.
Chapter 10-A New Routine
"Oh my god, Mya! That was awesome! It was awesome and wonderful and incredible! Did you see his face? That was great!"
Great!? I just blew up at one of my best friends! Granted, he doesn't know me yet and he did deserve it…and his face was pretty funny…
"Of course, afterwards I apologized to her-"
"And then you became best friends?" I interrupted him.
"Yup," he confirmed, "and then we became friends."
And he'll apologize and we'll become friends anyways. Y'know, it's kind of nice to know what's going to happen next.
"Thanks, Lily." I smiled back at her.
"You're just like Lily, Mya, you know that?"
"What?"
"She means that, like Lily, when a hot Marauder hits on you-you scream and run away."
"Basically, you're both weird."
"Maybe Mya, like me, can tell that the wonderful Marauder's aren't all that great! C'mon, Mya, let's head to Transfig."
I glanced a last time to Alma Rodriguez and the blonde next to her before following Lily up the stairs.
" Alma can be so-so-so-argh! She doesn't know when to leave people alone!"
Okay…someone's ticked off…what am I supposed to say? Maybe if I do what I do for Harry…just calmly agree?
"It must be awful having to deal with her everyday."
"You don't even know the half of it, Mya! She's not even my friend! She only started talking to me when James kept asking me out and she only ever hangs out with me when the Marauder's are around! It's so annoying! And then she acts like I'm one of her stupid little clique members! I hate her!"
Wow. I can see where Harry gets some of his temper.
"Wow. That really sucks."
"I know! It does!"
We fell silent and turned down the Arithmancy corridor…at least, it's the Arithmancy corridor twenty years from now. Right now it looks like the Transfiguration corridor.
"Thanks for listening, Mya. I didn't mean to make your first morning here depressing."
"It isn't, Lily, just…eventful."
She laughed, "Eventful indeed. Let's get good seats, you can borrow some of my stuff until the weekend we go shopping."
"Thanks, Lily, I appreciate it."
We exchanged smiles again and entered the classroom. Professor McGonagall, who was already sitting at her desk, looked up when we came in and nodded to both of us.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Good morning Miss Evans, Miss Taite."
"Good morning, Professor."
Lily sat down at one of the desks at the front and center of the room and I followed suit.
"Miss Taite?"
I looked up at Professor McGonagall.
"Yes, Professor?"
"Where is your…"
My what? Oh. She probably means Malfoy.
"My cousin?"
"Yes, your cousin."
"Um…"
How the hell should I know? Malfoy and I aren't exactly best buddies or anything. I didn't even look for him at breakfast!
"He was sitting with Tony Lopen at breakfast," Lily volunteered.
"He always takes forever to eat breakfast when it's early in the morning," I added.
Oh god, Malfoy, please, please, please, please eat slow!
"Mr. Lopen is a fine young man; I am glad both your cousin and yourself have already found respectful friends here at Hogwarts."
Ooooookay.
"Er, thank you? Professor."
She simply nodded and watched as the rest of the class began filing in. Lily looked crestfallen for an instant before she turned back to me, smiled, and started talking animatedly.
"You'll love it here at Hogwarts, Mya, it's fantastic! The classes are lots of fun and the professors are great."
"Really?"
I casually glanced over her shoulder to see what had caused her sudden mood change and spotted Alma Rodriguez draping herself over a slightly uncomfortable James Potter. Oh. I guess she does like him. Poor Lily. Wow, I feel stupid. Of course she likes him, they get married after all.
"Oh Merlin, James, you're too funny! How do you think of all these great jokes?"
Alma's exclamation and flirty laughter made it's way to us and Lily froze at James' answering nervous chuckle.
"So!" I exclaimed suddenly to Lily, "You have to give me more details than that! Who teaches what? Are all the teachers really nice?"
Lily smiled enthusiastically. "Well. You already know that Professor McGonagall teaches Transfiguration?"
"Uh huh."
"Professor Kettleburn teaches Care Of Magical Creatures…"
I saw Harry's dad look over wistfully at Lily when she started talking and then up to see who she was talking to. I looked at him disappointedly and turned back to Lily when he looked surprised at my expression. It's funny how I've already stopped thinking about Lily as 'Harry's mum'.
"Who teaches Arithmancy?"
She looked a bit startled at my interruption so I added apologetically, "Sorry, it's just my favorite class."
Her enthusiasm was back, and this time it actually seems genuine.
"That's my favorite class too!"
I grinned at her, "So? Who teaches? Who takes it? Details!"
She laughed. "Professor Fandelleni teaches, she's really nice. There aren't a lot of people taking it by seventh year so we're all in one class. Amelia Burnnet, she's a Hufflepuff and really sweet, is in the class. Um…so is Bobby, Bobby Ingrid, Remus Lupin-"
"Now why would you lovely ladies be talking about my old pal Remus and not me?"
"What do you want, Black? What you did to Mya at breakfast was bad enough, why are you still bothering her?"
"Actually," he sat down at the desk next to mine, "I wanted to apologize about that."
"What!?" Lily looks dumbstruck.
"I said apologize, Lily, get your ears cleaned why don't you. Anyways, I wanted to apologize, Mya, what I did was wrong, especially since I didn't give you a warning of any kind."
"Sirius!" Remus Lupin had come up behind him.
"Alright, alright!" Sirius held his hands up, "Don't lose it at me! Mya, what I did was just plain wrong. There, Moony, satisfied?"
"Now apologize again."
Sirius sighed heavily before flashing me a grin. "I'm so terribly sorry, Mya my dear, can you find it in your wonderful heart to forgive me?"
"Apology accepted," I hesitated, and then, "now leave me alone."
Lily looked proud of me, Remus looked amused, and Sirius just looked shocked.
"B-b-but I just apologized! I never apologize to anyone unless it's to get out of trouble and now you want me to go away!?"
Professor Lu-Remus started laughing at Sirius' expression, "I love this girl, Sirius, she can actually shock you into silence!"
"Who shocked Padfoot into silence? I don't believe it!"
"Miss Mya Taite."
"No way! Congratulations!"
Harry's dad started shaking my hand heartily while P-Remus kept laughing. Sirius seemed to suddenly regain some of his composure.
"Hey! Who's side are you on?!"
"I didn't know we were supposed to be picking sides."
Sirius looked slightly insulted before turning back to me and Lily.
"Alright! Moony get Peter, we're sitting here so I can use my many charms to change this lovely lady's opinion of me."
I snorted and Lily sniggered, "Charms!"
"Honestly, what planet does he live on?"
Sirius pretended not to hear us as Remus shook his head and went to fetch fucking Pettigrew. Argh. I hate the stupid little rat! I hate him! Kay, breathe, Mione, breathe, they can't know.
"H-hi, I'm Pete-Peter Pettigrew."
I know who you are; you're a stupid, little, weak, power hungry rat. Damnit I have to calm down. None of them can know something's wrong. Let's try for a nice, cheery smile and say 'hi' back.
"Hi Peter, it's a pleasure to meet you," yeah, like that's not the biggest lie I've ever told or anything, "My name's Mya Taite."
"It's nice to meet you, Mya."
"Alright, boys and girls, let's get started now. Firstly I'd like to introduce two new students that I'm sure you all noticed in the Great Hall last night. Mr. Drake Taite and his cousin Miss Mya Taite are new to Hogwarts from the Salem Academy. As their housemates I expect you all to help them out; make sure they are welcome and that they know where everything is. I also expect Mr. and Miss Taite to remain prank-free for the duration of their stay with us."
The Professor stared sternly at the Marauders and Pettigrew before turning to Malfoy who had just slipped in and was seated in the back with the Benjy Fenwick boy Lily had pointed out at supper yesterday…wasn't he supposed to be with Tony Lopen?
"Mr. Taite, why don't you come up and sit in the front in order to see better. Mr. Black, make room."
"But I've already volunteered to be Miss Mya's personal escort," he protested and I had to bite my lip to stop from laughing.
"Has Miss Taite agreed to have you as her…personal escort?"
"Well, er, not, uh, I haven't exactly, er, asked her yet."
Professor McGonagall turned to me expectantly. I'm already anticipating the laughs I'll have over this with Lily.
"Gee, that's so considerate of you and I feel so touched and I'm so glad that there're such kind and friendly people here at Hogwarts but Lily already offered and I've already accepted and thanked her," I pretended to explain this all earnestly to Sirius much to the amusement of Remus and Harry's dad.
Professor McGonagall looked like she was holding back a smirk as she said, "Make room, Mr. Black."
Sirius scooted down and Malfoy took his place. Damn. I had sort of forgotten that Malfoy would sit in Sirius' place if Professor McGonagall made him move.
As the Professor launched into her start–of–the–year speech I heard Malfoy quietly mutter under his breath.
"Gryffindor! I'm in Gryffindor! I'm a bloody lion!"
Don't hate me for this but in that instant I felt bad for Malfoy. I actually felt really bad for him. So I leaned in closer, much to his surprise.
"It's not so bad though, is it? And you have friends."
He looked surprised that I was talking civilly to him and then-"Friends? Yeah, right. Who?"
Who indeed? I guess-I guess as long as we're here, in the past, and he's technically not a Death Eater's son and he doesn't have his Slytherin cronies following him everywhere. I guess…without anyone around – specifically Ron and Harry – to stop me…I could be his friend…couldn't I?
"Truce?" I offered. He looked surprised but nodded all the same. I guess he's realized too that there's no one we actually know to see us call a temporary truce.
"Truce."
"Mr. Taite, Miss Taite, pray tell, just what do you two have to talk about that takes precedence over my class?"
"Er…"
Wow. I became best friends with Ron and Harry because I lied to get them out of trouble and now I'm about to do the same for Malfoy. What're the odds, huh?
"Drake's always been the best at Transfiguration; he was re-explaining the Haparysart Teroema Theory to me."
Professor McGonagall looked surprised. "They've already taught you that over at Salem?"
I nodded my head and crossed my fingers under the desk, please, please, please have already read the textbook, Malfoy, please, please, please!
"We learned it at the beginning of March in year six at Salem," Malfoy added.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Professor McGonagall looks just a tad too suspicious of us, though.
"Really, Mr. Taite? In that case I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving the students a slight preview of the next topic we'll be starting," it wasn't a question but a command. Malfoy treated it like a question anyways.
"Not at all. The Haparysart Teorema Theory, also known as Roberts' Inconstantia states, in the most general of terms, that all things are inconsistent. Using his first hypothetical statement as a base, Roberts goes on to explain that because all things are inconsistent and constantly moving any type of Transfiguration can be achieved. He says that anything can be Transfigured into anything else. The problem with Roberts' theory is that, while the concept of conjuring things is widely known and used, many things can't be conjured; which somewhat disagrees with the section he writes about Transfiguring air into a solid. Another large flaw pointed out by many Transfiguration Masters is the fact that there still hasn't been a recorded occurrence of someone conjuring a liquid and keeping it in the air; making it look like whatever they want. No one's yet achieved this, although many have tried. Yet another thing is that many Transfiguration Masters find Roberts' association of Transfiguration - specifically from air to solid - and conjuring insulting because Conjuration is considered to be part of the Charms field. Later on in his theory Mr. Roberts makes another grave mistake when-"
"That's enough, Mr. Taite, I understand why Miss Taite had you explain it to her - you seem to have a good grasp of the theory."
Malfoy looked shocked to be complimented by the Head of Gryffindor - he's obviously not used to not being in Slytherin anymore.
Professor McGonagall added, "5 points to Gryffindor, Mr. Taite, for having read ahead," before she turned back to the class as a whole, "Today, as the first day of class, well simply be a reviewing day. I hope I don't need to remind anyone that NEWT's are at the end of the year - you should be studying even more than usual this year..."
"Class dismissed."
Everyone immediately started packing their bags - everyone but Malfoy who instead grabbed my arm and looked at Lily.
"I'd like to talk to Gr-my cousin privately for a moment, if you don't mind."
Lily looked surprised that he had asked her but nodded in the affirmative before telling me she'd be waiting for me outside because we both had Arithmancy next. Harry's dad, upon hearing this, just had to speak up.
"Oh, Lily flower! I'd be honored if you allowed me to escort you to Arithmancy!"
"I'm waiting for Mya outside."
"I'll wait with you!"
"You will not!"
I grinned as I watched them file out of the room along with everyone else Harry's dad shamelessly hitting on Lily the entire way.
Ow.
Malfoy had tugged sharply on my arm and dragged me to a corner.
"Listen, Granger, just because we have to pretend to be cousins here and we're going to pretend to be friends doesn't mean that I'm suddenly going to stop hating you and you will not mention that we were even pretending to be friends to anyone when we get back. Is that clear?"
Ah, there's the Malfoy bastard personality we all know and hate. What an egoistical prat.
" Crystal. Do you really believe, Malfoy, for two seconds, that I'd actually want to admit pretending to be your friend? Get over yourself, asshole."
Serves him right. Fuckin' little...argh. I must've still looked pissed when I came out of the room because Lily looked worried about me. I'm so glad Professor McGonagall was in her office when that happened.
"Are you alright Mya? Get in a fight with Drake?"
You could say that.
"Bloodwise Drake's just my first cousin, but we're around eachother so much that it feels more like we're brother and sister - we argue half the time and get along the other half," I lied. There is no half that we get along during.
"I know what you mean. I have a sister and we argue all the time. Especially after I started coming here
Lily looked so sad about it that I hated Harry's aunt Petunia more than ever. Something that's hard to do.
"Oh well. Ready to get to class?"
I said I was.
"Oh gods, that-that-that thing is awful!"
"I can't feel my eardrums."
I collapsed onto the first couch in the Gryffindor commmon room, massaging my poor, abused ears. I don't think Professor Samolson, the potions professor here, stopped yelling at us for more than a second at a time all through class. It was awful!
"Is he always like that?"
"Uh huh."
Malfoy groaned from the other couch.
"Can't we drop out of potions?"
"Technically, you could, but it wouldn't look good at all on your record."
"Just stupefy me now."
I snickered. I guess 'stupefy me now' is the magical equivalent of 'just shoot me now'
"Are you actually laughing at me Gr-Mya? Please tell me you're not actually laughing at me."
I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing even more. There was a moment of silence from the others before Lily started to giggle quietly, followed by Harry's dad laughing and the rest of them joining in. Everyone but Malfoy, of course, he just groaned again and covered his head with one of the pillows.
We stayed like that for a while, slowly calming down, until Lily jumped up suddenly.
"C'mon, Mya, it's almost supper time, we should start heading down to the Great Hall.
"Allow me to escort you, oh dear Lily flower!"
Lily blushed but still glared at Harry's dad before grabbing my hand and.pulling me after her.
"No. Potter!"
She shrieked. Harry's dad had just scooped her up and out through the portrait hole.
"Fear not, my fair flower! Your hero is here!"
I laughed with the others until I heard Harry's dad-
"No! Lily! I need that bone! Ouch! Stop it! Lily flower!"
I decided that I should probably be out there and quickly hurried through the Fat Lady's portrait and down the hallway.
"Don't hurt him so much he'll have to go to the Hospital Wing, Lily, you'll get in trouble!"
"It'd be worth it!"
"Ouch! Lily flower!"
"Hey, Mya, are you still awake?"
I rolled over in my bed to face Lily's when I heard her whispering.
"Yeah, why?"
"Do you-do you really think I hurt James?"
James? Right, Harry's dad.
"I sincerely doubt it, Lily. After all, he plays Quidditch, right? I don't think you were able to hurt him just by punchinncg and pinching his arm."
"Oh. I'm-I'm glad I didn't."
I waited for a moment for her to continue and spoke up when she didn't.
"Where's this all coming from all of a sudden, Lily?"
I heard the telltale sound of cloth sliding on cloth and knew she had shrugged.
"I don't know...well, I do know, but...promise you won't say anything to anyone else, especially the other girls?"
I propped my head up on my hand and looked in her general direction. This is getting interesting.
"I promise. What's up?"
Lily heaved a sigh and then started talking quickly.
"I think I like James - I mean - I know I like James - a lot - and I think I might have for a while now but - I-I don't know...I don't know what I don't know, actually, does that make any sense? I'm so incredibly confused whenever I think about him and the other girl's don't help. They keep telling me I should go for it but I don't know if they're right because they've always liked him - even when he was an egoistical prat - but he's better now - a lot better - I just don't know how I'm supposed to explain to them that I'm just confused about him. If I ever mentioned even possiblyhaving some feelings for him they'd just flip out and automatically think wedding bells and you certainly didn't help with that - I mean, I'm not mad at you or anything, but..."
Poor Lily. She really does sound so confused.
"Di-did you really mean what you said last night, about how you think I'm going to marry James? Is that even a possibility?"
"I'm positive it'll happen, Lily."
"Really, Mya, honest? Because, I-I'm not so sure that would be a bad thing anymore."
"Honest, Lily, honest. And I have the strongest feeling that you guyis'll probably start going out sometime this year."
I know they will. And I know it'll be while I'm here, thanks to Sirius' letters over the summer.
"You just have to give him a chance. You said it yourself, after all, he's not an egoistical prat anymore."
There was a pause before-
"Thanks, Mya."
"No problem."
I was drifting off to sleep when I could've sworn I heard her mutter 'I think I will give him a chance' but then again, maybe I just heard that because I'm exhausted. I'll ask her about it if I remember in the morning...
