A Beautiful Mistake Chapter Eleven:

The Dark Lord

"I was out practicing for Quidditch; James has to hold a try-out because one of his players quit." Nadine explained the next morning at breakfast. They were only a few people up in the other houses when Lily and Chloe made an early visit, and to their surprise found Nadine halfway through her meal.

"Oh, one of those last minute things." Chloe said, glancing at Lily. She had a strange look on her face from the mention of Quidditch and she hoped it had not reminded her of James, and their confusion.

Nadine shrugged. "James – sorry – said that they needed a new chaser, and he'd seen me on a broom and thought I was good enough to go to try-outs."

"There's no need to be sorry," Lily interrupted the conversation before munching on a piece of buttered toast.

"Well good luck than," Chloe finally said, feeling the tension hang in the air.

"Thanks," Nadine stood up from the table leaving her half-eaten food. "I should probably go back – Kathy is bound to be awake and wondering where I am." She left without another word and Chloe tried to hide her guilt that Nadine had felt the need to leave.

"Sometimes I feel like we aren't even friends; the way she and Kathy act." Chloe said to Lily.

Lily shrugged. "It's just the way it is I suppose. After last year, I haven't been very close with them."

Chloe nodded, understanding. Was it really that much of surprise that they would grow apart; especially when Lily had always spent her time with an anti-social Slytherin or a younger girl? Neither Kathy nor Nadine had truly made it into Lily's inner circle, and Chloe was a little surprised that she herself had made it. But she wasn't going to question it, for she was glad to have Lily as a friend.

By time they had finished their breakfast more students had entered the Great Hall and it wasn't long before Chloe caught sight of James Potter followed by Remus and Peter. But Sirius was no where to be seen, and by the look on Remus' face he had guessed correct the night before. Looking at Lily, she rolled her eyes.

"He was never too good at coping." Lily stated, and stood up. "Come on, I need to return a book to the Library."

Chloe nodded obediently, and stood up. Unsure if Lily was telling the truth or just trying to make up an excuse to avoid another close encounter with James – something she had become very talented at – she followed Lily around the table and towards the double doors. She decided when Lily made a quick dodge to the door, that it was the later reason.

"I thought you and James were on good terms?" Chloe asked, hoping that she was not prying too much.

"We are," Lily replied simply.

Chloe hid her disbelief and went on. "Well then what was that?" she asked, "And don't think I didn't notice that last ditch dodge to the door." She added, smirking a little.

Lily didn't meet her smirk, but kept walking. "We had a small fight the other day."

"You didn't tell me." Chloe stared at Lily, hoping that she would look at her.

"Well it wasn't really all that important. He was trying to find out if I had seen Severus lately, and I caught on before he could really go any where and I suppose he didn't like the fact that I had caught on. Of course I told him no, not that it was his business, and told him he could finish rounds by himself." Lily explained quickly.

"Oh, that's why you came back early that day." Chloe remembered the night Lily had entered the common room slightly flustered, but happy to say that she got off early. James hadn't returned that night, and Chloe now wondered if he had the same fate Sirius had the night before.

"I don't know where he went, but probably to Hogshead. It's a favourite of he and Sirius'." Lily went on, "Though I could really less what they want to waste their time doing."

Chloe ignored her friends' words, knowing that it was just another cover-up. As much as she loved Lily, and knew how much Lily cared, half the time she swore the girl spent more of her time trying to convince everyone that she was fine than being the caring girl that she was.

When they arrived at the Fourth Floor, Lily realized she had not taken her book with her, and together they went to the empty Gryffindor Common Room and found it under her bed. They returned it to the Library receiving a short lecture on taking care of books from Madame Pince before they left the confides of the castle with their warm sweaters and headed to the bare oak tree near the lake. Nobody was outside, facing the cool air, except for Professor Underwood, the Herbology Professor, who stood outside of the greenhouses tending to her gardens.

"It's such a lovely day to be outside," Lily commented lazily as she comfortable on the ground under the tree. "I don't see how people cannot enjoy these conditions."

"I don't see how you can actually plan having an in-depth conversation about the weather." Chloe laughed, and looked up towards the sky. It was overcast, though bits of sunlight were coming through. But you could see the storm clouds coming and she looked at Lily. "It looks like there's a storm coming, so I wouldn't exactly call this lovely." Chloe told her while sitting across from her friend and empting the contents of her book bag on the ground in front of her. "I have so much work to do."

"You have to love Seventh Year," Remus' soft voice drifted over the air as he walked closer to where they sat. "How are you?" he asked, sitting in between Chloe and Lily.

"Who are you asking?" Chloe asked, distracted.

"You," Remus replied a-matter-of-factly.

Chloe looked at him. "I've been a mother for nearly two years now. I'm used to that. So, yes, I am fine."

Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm talking about what happened with you and Sirius last night."

"To tell you the truth I haven't really given it much thought. I think I was just so over-whelmed with the fact that I had told Lily." Chloe admitted.

"Well, just to let you know, Sirius is still a little broken up about the whole situation. He hasn't told any of us what's bothering him, though I think he might have told James now. Peter is under the impression that Rosalie rejected him, which was quite the-"

"Remus, does it appear that I really care what Peter thinks?" Chloe interrupted, throwing one of her quills at him.

Throwing it back at her, Remus smirked. "To go back to what you were saying about being a mother, you forgot to get your letter this morning. Danielle gave it to me," Remus took out a folded piece of parchment from inside his robes and handed it to Chloe.

She took it, and gave a grateful smile. She slipped it into her own robes, not feeling that she really needed to look at it quite just yet. "Thanks Remus," she said, and picked up the quill she had thrown.

"I can't believe it is October already," Lily said just as the wind blew hard and orange, yellow, red, and brown leaves flew through the air.

"I'll be more in disbelief when Christmas is here." Chloe commented. "But then I will get to go home, and see Ryan."

"Oh, yes! You must take lots of pictures and show them to me. It's his first Christmas, isn't it?" Lily exclaimed happily.

Chloe shook her head no. "He was born in November."

Lily froze, her eyes widening. "You're going to miss his first birthday!"

Chloe nodded, as she herself slowly realized. "I've missed a lot already."

The three fell silent, as Chloe looked away from her friends and stared at the distant lake. She would miss his first birthday. This was worse then anything else she had missed before. She would never be able to tell him when he was older what his first birthday was or what she gave him or what his father was like.

Chloe stopped breathing. In the distance she could see Sirius, standing hunched over on the other side of the lake just in front of the forbidden forest. There was another figure standing in front of him, holding Sirius' shoulders and she knew it was James.

"What are they doing?" Chloe asked, still looking at the pair. She couldn't explain it, but her heart started to beat faster as she watched Sirius shout something at James. He looked angry, his face contorted as if he was being tortured.

"What are who doing?" Remus asked, moving beside her.

"Look across the lake," Lily told him. "I thought James and Sirius were in the castle."

"Well obviously they're not." Chloe stared hard, trying to focus all of her energy on the pair so she could see what they are doing.

"It looks like they're having a row." Remus said, and then looked at Chloe and Lily. "Ignore them, it doesn't really matter."

Chloe looked at her friend, and she could see past Remus' passive façade. But with Lily there, she was unsure if Remus would be willing to reveal what he knew because Chloe had a feeling it had something to do with James.

"Good idea," Chloe said with a small smirk looking at Lily.

Lily smiled back, and leaned against the tree trunk. "Are you going to the try-outs tomorrow?" she asked Remus.

"I may; Sirius will probably drag me." Remus them without looking up from the book he had taken from his bag.

"Well, avoid it at all costs. They can be so boring, just watching them all fly in circles." Lily told him, a little bitter sounding.

Sensing the need of a new topic, Chloe cleared her throat, looking up and noticing the distant storm clouds. "It looks like that storm is coming quickly."

"Now who's talking about the weather?" Lily smirked, but frowned quickly when she too saw the fast approaching storm clouds.

"As mush as I hate to say it, it would probably be best for us to go back inside." Remus said, and started to put his things in.

"He's right," Lily agreed and followed his actions.

Still staring at the clouds Chloe felt a shiver go through her spine. She had the sudden feeling that something was wrong. She didn't know what it was, but her heart raced and she looked wildly around her searching for some kind of answer.

"Chloe, are you coming?" Lily asked, standing next to Remus a few yards away.

"Oh, yeah," Chloe said distractedly and gathered her things quickly and caught up with the other two. She couldn't explain what the feeling was, and she walked silently next to her friends as they jabbered on about school work.

When they entered the castle Remus excused himself saying that he probably should go and find out what James and Sirius were arguing about and Lily and Chloe decided to go into the Great Hall to continue studying. Just as they sat down near the end of the Gryffindor table a roll of thunder sounded around the castle and as Chloe turned to look rain began hitting the window panes of the Great Hall.

"I always loved sitting in here during a storm." Lily commented, staring up at the Great Hall ceiling.

Chloe nodded in agreement as she followed Lily's gaze and stared as lightening flashed in the misty sky. She thought of the Quidditch try-outs that were tonight, and hope Nadine would be all right in the bad weather, and wondered if they would be canceled due to it.

They spent the next few hours in the Great Hall before Lily decided she was tired of doing homework. Together they returned to the Gryffindor tower to put there things away.

"Everyone should be going down to dinner now." Lily said as she stood up straight after placing her textbooks back into her trunk.

Chloe nodded from where she stood next to her bed. In her hands was the letter from her mother about Ryan. She wanted to read it in privacy and tell Lily to go to dinner without her. But as she looked back at Lily she knew Lily would not leave for dinner without her. Not wanting this to happen Chloe took out her wand and pointed it at the letter. Muttering a jinx to keep it from being opened by anyone else but herself, she quickly shoved it under her mattress and walked over to where Lily now stood near the door.

When they arrived at the Great Hall again Chloe noted that the Marauder's and Nadine were all missing along with some other younger members of the Gryffindor house, and she assumed try-outs were still going on.

The pair took a seat where Kathy sat quietly eating her dinner while reading a small Muggle book. She grunted when they greeted her, only glancing away for a second before turning back to her book. Lily looked Chloe in the eye, a smile on her lips, and Chloe smiled back before turning to her empty plate.

"I hope they don't keep them out too late," Lily said as Chloe put food on her plate. "Nadine will be grouchy all night."

"Unless they give her the position," Chloe added, picking up her fork and taking a bite out of her mashed potatoes.

"You mean they will give it to her," said a hoarse voice and Chloe looked up, a grin on her face. Nadine took a seat next to Kathy, changed into her Hogwarts robes, her hair still wet from the pouring rain outside. "They said there was no one who could fly better than I could," Nadine told them as she placed several buns on her plate and then some mash.

"That's great, Nadine," Lily said offering her a warm smile.

"Thanks," Nadine said in between bites of bread.

"So that means you'll be in next month's game, then?" Chloe asked, hoping Nadine took her tone to be interested. She was more interested in seeing the Marauders return, to see Remus for she still wanted to know what he was hiding from her and Lily earlier that day. But nobody came into the Great Hall while she stared; nodding occasionally to Nadine's excited answer.

Five minutes passed and they did not come and Chloe gave up. Looking back at her plate she ate a little more but found it impossible with the thoughts weighing on her mind. She was growing nervous for no reason – well it appeared there was no need for it. But the look on Remus' face made her nervous, and she didn't care if he didn't want to tell her or if it had to do with the other Marauders. She didn't like seeing Remus worried.

Standing up suddenly, the three other girls gave a start from their simple conversation to stare at Chloe. She realized what she had done looking from each surprised face and offered them a small short smile.

"I've had my fill," she told them quickly thinking of an excuse. "I think I'm just going to go return some books before curfew. See you later in the Common Room." She told them, and she took a step back from the table and looked to Lily. She cocked her brow at Chloe, and she shook her head. Lily didn't look pleased, but nodded and turned back around.

Taking a breath Chloe turned away from the Gryffindor table and walked steadily down the long aisle to the Double doors hoping nobody noticed her tense step and her worried expression. Once she exited the Great Hall she relaxed a little when watching herself, breathing a little harder and she raced up the marble steps past a couple of second years. She had no idea where they would be, but she didn't care, she just kept racing down the halls.

Turning down corridors and running up steps she finally stopped on the fifth floor taking a minute to breathe as she was not used to such exercise, not after having Ryan. A crash of thunder sounded around her, vibrating the window next to her. As she looked out she saw just in time as lightning flashed lighting up the lake.

Shaking her hands, she stood up straight and started walking towards the Gryffindor common room. She had hoped she wouldn't have to come all this way to find Remus, but guessed it made sense that she would find him there. Saying the password quickly to the Fat Lady she entered the Portrait Hole and walked quickly into the warmly lit common room.

"Remus," Chloe said evenly, noting that he was the only one in the Common Room.

He looked up at her from his spot on the couch. He stood up quickly, knowing there would be some kind of confrontation coming between them.

"Don't ask Chloe, it's too-" Remus started.

"It's too what?" Chloe cut him off, putting her hands on her hips.

Remus sighed. "I knew you were going to do this."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Remus gave her a stern look, "This is no concern to you, so don't worry about it."

Chloe paused, breathing in his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe it really had nothing to her, and she realized she was being so dumb to simply blame the reason why she was worried on Remus' worried face. He was a grown-up, and he had good friends. She turned away from Remus blinking back tears she had not expected to come.

"I didn't think I would care anymore…" Chloe mumbled, hoping Remus would forget the whole thing.

"He didn't either," Remus said quietly, shuffling towards her.

Chloe wiped the tears from her cheeks, and turned to look at Remus. "It's about Regulus, isn't it?" she asked despite herself.

Remus nodded. "He thinks what he's feared most is going to happen." He said as he closed the gap between them.

Chloe shook her head sadly as more tears poured. She looked down at her hands, and felt Remus' arms wrap around her. "He looked so angry, and I just knew it was something like that. He used to tell me… tell me how his parents were, and about that man and his ideas." She said darkly through her tears. "And he loves his brother so much and I hate knowing that it's happening…" she trailed off hiccoughing.

"It shouldn't be this way," Remus whispered, and Chloe froze in his arms. "If you were with him he wouldn't be so-"

Chloe didn't let him finish for she pushed him away, her eyes burning into his own. "Don't start with that Remus, not now. This has nothing to do with how I feel about Sirius. How could you even being this up?" Chloe finished her voice breaking.

"Well its true, Chloe!" Remus shot back. "Yeah, Regulus would still fall to the wrong side, but if Sirius still had you he wouldn't be so angry, so closed off. He would turn to you, and you would know how to deal with him. Even James can't-"

"STOP!" shrieked Chloe. Her sorrows were forgotten, as she felt her insides burn. She could not believe that once again Remus was arguing with her about this again. She had thought he understood enough to drop the subject. And now he was doing this? Bringing it up now, when she was just trying to be honest?

A crash of thunder pounded against the glass and lightning lit the common room more brightly, and Chloe was sure she looked like some wild creature to Remus.

"Remus," Chloe started, hoping not to sound too hostile. "I care for him, yes, but that's as far as it will go. What is done is done, and yeah, I will have feelings for him and worry about him but I'm not letting that change anything. It's all too far gone." Chloe told him, hoping he understood.

Remus shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips causing Chloe to grit her teeth in annoyance and waited to hear what he had to say.

Looking her in the eye, he took a step forward. "I don't think this is about how it's too far gone. I don't think this has anything to do with that. I don't think it has to do with you admitting to him that you still love him. What I think this all is about is that you are too damn afraid to go through with it and then go on to tell him you lied to him for the last year about being pregnant and giving birth to his child." Remus finished darkly.

Chloe snapped. Not having her wand near she lunged forward pushing Remus, and he fell back two feet. "How dare you even say that?" she shouted. More tears fell from her eyes as she saw that Remus did not look at all guilty; something she was not accustom to in such a situation.

She breathed hard, her face barely a foot from his. "Why would you say that, here, when anyone could be listening?" she said quietly, though her voice was not even.

His eyes flickered, and she saw the guilt in his eye. They were silent and she knew he was hoping that she would accept his silent apology. But she wasn't going to give in, not this time. He knew what he had done was wrong, and the he should have not said it. Backing away, Chloe wiped her face with her sleeve and shook her head at him.

"I'm sorry," Remus trailed off watching as Chloe turned her back on him and rushed out of the Portrait Hole.

Chloe couldn't think, she could barely breathe. She rushed through the corridors like she had before, knowing this time where she was going. She ran up the last flight of stairs she could go up and ran across the landing of the seventh floor and rushed to where the astronomy tower door was.

She took a deep breath as she entered the cold room. Rain and the heavy wind came sweeping into the glassless windows, and Chloe crossed her arms across her chest and rubbed her arms. Shivering slightly she ignored the rain as it hit her face, hoping it would numb eventually. She walked to the edge of the tower and leaned on the window sill. The rain hit her hard in the face, and she blinked to keep the water from going into her eyes for a few minutes before growing used to the wild weather.

Her mind raced as she tried to slow her heart down. Looking out the window it as if she were surrounded by a black abyss except when the lightning cracked across the sky lighting the Hogwarts Grounds. Her chest heaved as she relayed everything that had happened below in the Gryffindor Common Room.

He was right, Chloe thought to herself. I am afraid of what will happen if I tell him. Will he still love me? Will he care? Will he forgive me for lying for so long? Will he even understand why I did it all?

Closing her eyes, Chloe bit her lip hoping it would stop new tears from falling but it did not. Turning away from the window, she reached up and put her head in her hands as she walked over to the wall where she had entered. Sitting down and leaning against this, she pulled her knees to her chin and held tightly as she let the sobs escape her.

No matter what she had told herself in the beginning, she had not expected all of it to be like this or this hard, especially after only being at school for three months. She had been so naïve to believe that she could handle it all: leaving her child and going to school, facing and faking to her friends, having to face Sirius every day, and everything else that went along with it.

She sat there for what seemed like hours, and finally managed to compose herself. Wiping her face and pulling her now wet hair from her face and into an elastic she stood up and straightened her semi-wet robes. Taking a few deep breaths, she turned and left the Astronomy tower. She walked solemnly down the steps to the sixth floor and hoped no one would find her and see her tear stained face and wet clothing.

When she reached the fifth floor she decided that returning to the Common Room was not an option and continued on her way to the fourth floor where she decided the Library was her best escape. As she turned down the corridor to where the Library was a crash of lightning flashed next to her followed by the pounding thunder she had come accustom to.

"Chloe," a gruff voice said.

She jumped and looked up, not expecting him to be there, and she stopped to look at James. He stood a few yards away from her, his broom still in hand and his Quidditch robes still on. His hair was wet and sticking up in all directions, his glass lopsided on his face. His face and body looked tense; stressed, but he offered her a concerned look that made her realize she looked just as disheveled as she had hoped she wasn't.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice a little more cautious before; he must have sensed the tension.

Chloe bit her lip again, unsure if she wanted to answer his question or not. At last she met James' gaze and nodded. "I'm fine; I just had a small fight with Remus." She told him, deciding that it wouldn't be best to go into to details.

James nodded, though she could see he was buying it; he knew there was more. Glancing around the corridor, he paused and looked back at her. "Do you think we could possibly talk in a more private place?"

Surprised by his request, Chloe nodded numbly and followed a little down the corridor and into an empty classroom. Once inside he closed the door behind her leaning his broom next to it so he could pull his wand out and point it at the door. She watched as he flicked his wand twice, saying the spells non verbally but Chloe heard the click of the lock on the door, and he looked back at her.

The room was dark so she could really only make out a dim outline, but it was enough. She leaned against the desks pushed against the wall, and he stood before her looking slightly uncomfortable. It was strange as years before he and Chloe had once been friends, joking about what ever flew into their heads.

"I'm assuming Remus told you a little about why Sirius was upset earlier today," he finally said, choosing his words carefully.

Chloe thought for a moment how she should answer. She nodded, "He told a little."

"How much?"

"That what he feared about Regulus was going to come true." Chloe admitted.

"Nothing more?"

Chloe became confused, and annoyed that James being so evasive. "Why does it matter? What are you hiding, James?"

James looked away, cursing to himself and Chloe knew she had asked the right questions. She watched as he paced a little, and he began talking though not looking at her. "You know all about His rising 'fame' amongst the Purebloods, and how he has started his little cult of followers."

"Of course I do; I was Sirius' girlfriend remember." Chloe said as her stomach flipped. She had not expected that to slip out.

James shook his head. "Sorry, it's just weird having someone other then the four of us know. Not even Lily knows."

"She knows enough," Chloe said, hoping that James would go on for what ever reason he had dragged her into the empty classroom.

James' face turned. "No thanks to that sniveling-"

"James," Chloe warned.

"All right, all right," James put his hands in the air. "As I was saying, we know all about the followers, and ever since He started going to dinners at Sirius' parents home we know what's going to come. Regulus went so far as to send a letter from their mother to Sirius about how he was to join their ranks, which is, as you said, what Sirius has most feared."

Chloe nodded, now knowing it was exactly as she had thought it would be. The only thing on her mind now was when it would happen. "When does Sirius believe it's going to happen?"

"Christmas break," James said pointedly.

This caught Chloe off guard, and she stared at him wondering if she had heard wrong. Surely the Dark Lord was not intending to induct him so early? He was barely sixteen, not even of-age.

"That is why Sirius is angry." James went no, knowing Chloe would say nothing. "As much as he may not want to admit it, he still loves for his brother, and hopes that Regulus will see his way and leave."

"But he won't," Chloe nodded, understanding fully. "Regulus has wanted the glory of being the better son for many years, and this is his golden ticket to do just that. I doubt he will realize what he had chosen is wrong until it is too late." Chloe said knowingly. Everything that had happened earlier slipped her mind as she was faced with the reality that escaped her when she left Hogwarts and Sirius behind.

"We're afraid that it has already happened to students here, now that we know the Dark Lord is willing to induct people under-age.." James said at last. "Sirius always assumed this would happen, especially when it came to certain family members of his."

Looking at him, Chloe already knew what he was thinking. He was not thinking of Sirius' cousin but thinking of Snape, and his group of 'friends'. She knew he was thinking of Lily, and the 'friendship' she had with Snape.

Reaching she forward she put her hand on his arm. "Do not worry about Lily." Chloe paused to collect her thoughts and look James in the eye. "Just because Snape is bad for her does not mean he will stop at nothing to keep her safe. Both Lily and Snape may not want to admit it to anyone but he loves her more then anything." Chloe finished, still holding James' eye.

He looked at her darkly. "That is what I'm afraid of."

An hour later Chloe was back in the Gryffindor tower, sitting up in her bed and her hanging's half open as she watched Lily put her things away, and sit on her own bed next to Chloe's. Biting her lip, she waited for Lily to get settled and offered a warm smile when Lily turned to her and smiled.

"So what did the letter from your mum say?" she asked, and Chloe realized that had been what Lily assumed the reason why she had left dinner early.

"Oh, she just told me Ryan was fine. She said they went to the park the other day and he just loved it." Chloe lied.

"Oh that's great." Lily smiled, and got more comfortable in her bed. "Anything else you'd like to talk about?"

Chloe thought for a moment, wondering if she should tell her about the events of her day. But she knew it was the wrong idea. It was best if she kept it all to herself for now, and wait for when the time was right. Lily was barely getting by when it came to drama, and hearing the latest news on her own was not best. Shaking her head she bade goodnight and pulled the hangings shut, and turning on her side and falling asleep.

A/N: How was that for a come-back chapter? Pretty full of emotion, I hope. If you haven't checked the previous chapter, you will see an explanation about the whole Christmas thing. Big opps on my part.