One the twenty-third of July, Sirius and James were in James' room. They were going to Diagon Alley to get their school supplies with their friends. Bethanie Potter had decided to go buy Annie's things the day before the funeral, "She's in no state to go." She said.
"Okay, how can we cheer her up? Diagon Alley would of done it!" James said, petting Queen, Annie's other cat, who was curled up on his chest.
"I don't think she's eating either. The House-Elves that go up don't really come back with an empty tray." Sirius said from his perch on the end of James' bed, looking at ACDC. "But she's not all we have to worry about- fifth year. OWLS. And our plan to help Remus..."
"We'd be fine if we knew the key! Becoming an Animangus is hard, and we can't exactly ask for advice." James said.
"Remus and Pete are coming over on the twenty-sixth, right? We can practice then."
"Yeah- OH SHIT." James jumped up.
"What?"
"Annie's birthday! The twenty-sixth! Three days!" James squeaked.
"We have the gift from her family. We just need ours." Sirius shrugged.
"Uh, how can we give it? Her family just died!" James exclaimed.
"Remus will know. Remus always knows." Sirius said positively.
"I have absolutely no bloody idea."
"But Remus! You always know!" Sirius pleaded, infront of Florean's Ice Cream Shop.
Peter rolled his eyes. "He knows alot. He knows you're madly in love with-"
"Sirius is in love? Oh, DO tell." April said, sitting very close to Peter, with May and June behind her.
Sirius shot Peter a death glare. He blushed. "Uh, nobody, just joking around, you know, because 'Remus always knows.'" Peter said hurriedly.
"Oh." April fell back in her seat.
"For us, it's 'Lily Always Knows.'" June said.
"She's Prefect, did you know?" Remus asked.
"Seriously... how do you know all this?" James asked.
"Lily got the letter, wrote to May, who wrote to me? It's connections that gives me all this info."
"Hey... I have connections!" Sirius said.
"To various sluts and girls who are so easy they giggle at everything." April said.
Sirius' face fell. "Eh... yeah... I'm gonna go to buy some kneepads for Quidditch..."
James jumped up, offering to go with him. April got up and ran over to Alice and Lily, who were entering Florish and Blotts.
June blinked. "What just happened?"
May shrugged. "I think April likes Sirius, and when Peter said that he was just kidding around, her face dropped."
"I KNOW Sirius likes April. He told Annie... in his goodbye speech. He told me and James after." Remus said.
"Then lets hook them up!" June squealed.
"But what about James and Lily?" May asked.
"Oh yeah..." June said. "Like what?"
"James loves Lily, and I think Lily's starting to like him." May said.
Remus nodded. "James is so... he still thinks he has to impress her. I swear, he's going to go back to his old ways to make sure she'll like him."
"Then why don't we work on James and Lily?" June asked. "Remember the bet? The day Lily realizes she wants to marry James is the day we catch April and Sirius together. Then Annie and Owen."
Peter rolled his eyes. "It's just a bet. Not like somebody cast a spell."
"It happened at Hogwarts." June reminded him.
"Oh yeah. Anything can happen."
Later, outside of Gringotts Bank, everybody was talking, laughing, and secretly, silently, very discreetly, flirting. In Lily's case, anyways.
"So, Lily, do you have any siblings?" James asked, turning to Lily as everybody else laughed at Sirius for having another blond moment.
"Yes. One, her name is Petunia." Lily sighed. 'He stopped asking me out. Does he still like me?' she thought to herself.
"Tell me about her." James said.
"She's taller, with blond curly hair. She has a really long neck, and big teeth. She reminds me of a horse. She's also dating a man who looks, and acts, like a whale. My mom showed me a picture of him. If they get married, their child would be so horrific."
"Maybe even a freak, eh?" James grinned.
Lily looked down.
"What did I say?" James asked.
"Freak. My sister... she calls me that. Ever since I got my Hogwarts letter... and she didn't. She's older then me, and thought she could go too, they just forgot... she hates me now. Calls me a freak." Lily bit her lip.
James smiled softly. "You just need to let her know that you're still Lily Elizabeth Evans, her sister, and that you love her no matter what. If I had a sister or a brother, I would make sure they knew that everyday." He hugged Lily, who hugged him back and buried her head into his chest, silently thanking him.
From the group, June nudged April. "Maybe Lily wants to bear his children, eh?"
April twirled her hair around her finger, and gave a slight glance to her right, where Sirius was laughing with Peter and Remus.
"Maybe." And she silently hoped it was true.
On July twenty-five, James and Sirius were a little confused. Peter had gotten the idea of everybody sending gifts to James and Sirius the day before, and they could put them in Annie's room on her bed, before she woke up on the twenty-sixth. The problem was sorting the gifts out.
"Remus was silver wrapping, right?" James asked frantically, holding up a gift and a card. There was a slight accident, where Queen, with her newborn kitten named Prince, had decided to jump onto the pile of presents. All the cards went flying.
"No, May, June, and April was the silver wrapping!" Sirius said, shooing Prince and Queen out of the room.
"No, they were the golden wrapping with the black polka-dots!"
"That was Peter!"
"WHY IS THIS SO CONFUSING?" James asked, shaking his fists at the ceiling.
Sirius paused. "Why don't we just open the gifts a little to see what's inside?" He lifted up a three red packaged that were attached to eachother.
"Wait. That could be June, May, and April's! There's three!" James exclaimed.
Sirius jumped for joy. "Here's the card!" He said, handing the card to James, who Spellotaped the card to the packages.
James picked up another package. "This one is a book... but more wide. Photo albulm?"
"The second-years!" Sirius said, and grabbed the Spellotape.
James picked up the golden wrapping with the black polka-dots. "This is more of a regular book. Sort of thick."
Sirius sighed. "Remus... is he always so educational?"
James shrugged, and reached for the Spellotape. "Sirius."
"Yeah?"
"Where's the Spellotape?"
"It's on the bed." Sirius answered, picking up the silver package. "This must be Peter's."
"Sirius."
"By the pillows."
"No... where's the presents?" James asked.
Sirius whirled around, to see the presents that they had JUST identified were... well... gone. Sirius blanched. "Oh... mah... gawd..."
James looked at him. "Never say 'god' that way again."
"So the pot is calling the kettle Black!" Sirius snapped, then slapped himself.
"Yes, the Pot is calling the kettle Black." James POTter said. (A/N: Just helping you guys get it.)
"Well where the hell are they?" Sirius asked, running his fingers through his hair.
"I don't know! They were there a minute ago! Now they're gone!" James bit his lip.
"This is your fault!" Sirius spat.
"How is it my fault?" James demanded.
Remus, leaning on James' cupboard with an armload of gifts, elbowed Peter and rolled his eyes. "Over here, guys."
Peter walked up to James and handed him his broom. "You've been focusing on Annie long enough. Let's go play some Quidditch."
Sirius jumped. "But... her birthday..."
Remus put his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Is tomorrow. Breathe."
Outside, James threw the Quaffle to Peter. "Strip Quidditch?" He asked.
Peter shook his head. "It's only guys. Besides, strip Quidditch with four players? Ugh."
Remus nodded with Peter. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to see you all playing in boxers."
Peter's eyes lit up. "Theres always Annie..."
Sirius whirled around. "Don't you dare!"
Peter laughed, and hopped on many of the Potter's broomsticks. Flying up to a goalpost, he sighed. "Just regular shots then?"
Remus flew up next to him. "Yep."
Sirius followed him with James. "Let's start then! Peter's Keeper!"
"But I'm not good at Keeper!" Peter protested.
"You're rubbish at Quidditch altogether, live with it." Remus quirped. "Hey!" He added, dodging a handful of mud. Flying down, he grabbed Peter and tossed him into a large pool of dirt, sand, and mud.
Peter laughed and threw some mudballs at James, who got a faceful. Sirius burst out laughing, then got a hair-ful of mud from James. The two boys flew down to the mud pool and started throwing mudballs.
Remus was the last to fall.
"MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!" He screamed as his broom made a headline for the mud.
The three other boys picked him up and threw him, then Remus pulled them in with him.
Meanwhile, a House-Elf and a little girl were high-fiving each other in the Library.
Annie woke up the next day with her feet feeling slightly crushed. Opening her eyes, she saw a bunch of presents at the foot of her bed. She jumped on them, opening the one from Sirius and James. Inside it was the metal box with the large blue gem. From Remus, she got journal that spoke to her. From Peter, some sweets from Honeydukes. From April, a mirror that offered you different hairstyles and the spells to make it real. From June, a little pad of paper and a small quill. Annie scratched her head. Then writing appeard on it, saying that it was a special quill and paper that made whatever you wrote on it, disapeer, and could reapear when given a magic word. From May, a large denim jacket with a huge hood. From her second-year friends, she got a photo albulm of their year together with little comments from her friends on some of the pictures.
Annie put the jacket around her and slid out of bed. Looking out her window, she could easily tell, this was just the beginning of a long and slightly tedious friendship with the Marauders and Lily.
The rest of summer flew by in a flash. Pretty soon James found himself being dragged by Annie and Sirius out of his car and into King's Cross. Annie was hiding under her large hood, and Sirius was rushing so he wouldn't been seen by his parents. Annie's face blanched when she saw Sirius' family- she muttered a small "See you on the train" and left to find her friends.
James looked at Sirius. "Can you believe it's been a year since you thought her name was Evan?"
"And her hair turned bright red." Sirius grinned.
"And Pete wet his pants."
"I did not!" Peter walked up from behind them, with Remus next to him.
"Shall we find a compartment?" Remus asked.
"Alright."
So they climbed on the train and found a compartment near the back. Inside there was a curled up sleeping figure, who was presumably Annie.
"Rem!" May ran down the train hall and wrapped her arms around Remus' neck and kissed him.
"Get a room!" April said from behind them.
Remus picked May up and raised one eyebrow. "Excellent suggestion."
James watched them go. He walked into the compartment and sat near Annie's feet. "So how what your summers?"
June shrugged as Alice and Lily walked in, laughing. April sighed. "OWLS this year. God, I hate OWLS. I hate exams too."
"Well that sounds like an excellent summer." Sirius said, sitting next to Annie, who leaned on him and went back to sleep. "How was yours, Lily?"
Lily shrugged and sat opposite James. "Same old. Except I met my sister's boyfriend. His name is Vernon Dursley. And he looks has a mustace that a walrus would be jelous of."
"And the blubber layer, too." Alice chimed in.
"Of course." Peter sat next to Alice.
June was on the floor, daydreaming. "When's the Prefect meeting?"
"An hour or so."
"When will you be back?" April asked.
"I don't know. Maybe a bit before the train arrives." Lily shrugged.
April's and Alice's lips trembled dramatically. "NOOO!" They cried, hugging Lily's legs.
"Don't you guys ever shut up?" The grayjacket Girl grumbled. Annie sat up and yawned.
"Hello, sleeping beauty!" Alice said in a sing songy-voice, which made Annie cover her ears.
"Shod off. James kept me up all night." Annie fell back asleep, but this time, her head was in Sirius' lap.
"Well. I'm going to find Frank!" Alice jumped up and left.
June and Peter sat there awkwardly. "So..." June said.
"Why is there so much sexual tension in here?" April asked dumbly.
Sirius gaped, and stood up. Annie fell to the floor, but still asleep. "Say what?"
"It's so tense. I just wanted to break the ice." April shrugged, as Lily snorted with laughter.
James started laughing at Lily's snort, which made June and Peter start laughing.
When May and Remus walked in ten minutes later, they were in hysterics. Annie got up and said to the pair, "Loonies. All of them!" Then she walked out.
Remus pulled May onto his lap when he sat down. "We're just chucked right back in the loony bin."
The fest was a happy occasion. The new students were sorted, the second-years were placing bets on how long it would be before Samantha and Alex got together, ofcousre, when the two were with their first-year siblings. Annie was smiling a bit at Sirius, who was winking at almost every girl.
"Calm down, you sexy machine!" One girl trilled a laugh and went to the Ravenclaw table, as April and Lily mimicked puking.
James was talking to Remus. "I don't think that taking a late patrol would be a good idea, especially with your 'Little Furry Problem'. Besides, we have projects to complete..."
Lily looked up. "Really? You're doing schoolwork already?"
James looked at Sirius for help. "Well..."
"You see, Lily-Dear, Jamie and Remy are fed up with my constant late-night debates about the fine females of Hogwarts. So they've decided to make a chart of all the girls in third, fourth and fifth year that are into me. Then I can be organized." Sirius winked.
Alice fainted shock. "You know what it means?"
Frank shook his head. "When he can spell it, that's what I'LL spend MY money on."
"I can too spell it!" Sirius pouted.
Annie looked up, intruiged. "Oh really?"
"O... r... g... i... n... a... i... Uhm. ZED." Sirius smiled with flourish, as Annie and Frank high-fived eachother, and the others took out a galleon and handed them to the two.
"I say, fifty-fifty." Annie said.
"No way! I've got a family to support!" Frank protested.
Alice looked up. "Say what, Frank Longbottom?"
"Er... Nothing dear!"
"Good."
Later, in the Common Room...
"No. Way."
"Yes! Adam just walked up to me and asked me out!" Juliet said.
Jordan looked at Charlie, Samantha and Juliet. "What did you say?"
"Well she said yes! Adam's the CUTEST Hufflepuff boy in the SCHOOL!" Charlie squealed.
"Well excuuuse me!" Jordan said shortly.
Tristan lay on his back and looked at Charlie upside-down. "So who's the cutest Gryffindor boy?"
Owen sat up, as did Jordan, Evan and Alex. And a few third-years.
Annie walked into the Common Room at that moment, and was pulled into a giant conferance. Then Juliet stood up. "We believe... the cutest boy in ALL of Gryffindor... is..."
Tristan grinned at Alex, who rolled his eyes, and Jordan and Owen looked at the girls worriedly. Evan didn't really care.
"ARCHIE THE CAT!" Annie said, and ran upstairs to grab the aforementioned cat, who spent the rest of the evening being pampered.
"We got beaten..." Owen started a while later.
"By a cat?" Tristan asked.
"Without a hat!" Jordan shouted.
"What's up with that?" Alex asked.
"He's sort of fat." Tristan remarked.
"He pees on a mat." Owen grumbled.
"And he's a piece of shat." Evan said, wanting to be in on the fun.
"A Chershire Cat!" Alex exclaimed.
"He's lying and fat!" Tristan remarked.
"I bet he'll eat a bat." Jordan muttered.
"It'll just make him more fat." Tristan assured.
"What's up with you and that?" Owen asked.
"He's a fat piece of shat!" Tristan roared, which caused the Common Room to stare.
"We should quieten this chat." Evan whispered.
"Let's dump him in a vat!" Jordan offered.
"What's he playing at?" Alex asked.
"GUYS! SHUT UP OR I'LL STICK A FAT CAT BAT IN A VAT WITH A HAT UP WHERE YOU SHAT!" James yelled.
"And that's the end of that." Owen whispered.
Next Chapter: Matches, Huts, and a Blonde.
OMG. IT'S FINALLY DONE. So school started, and I was like. "OH SHAT" a few days ago, and I decided I REALLY had to update. For you guys. So I did. And this chapter was hard, I didn't know what to write. RThat's why it's so short. But oh well. The rhyming part took thge better part of an hour (cue me screaming at my brother for what rhymes with cat besides vat fat at that hat and shat).
:D I missed you all!
Golden Topaz Eyes: Awweh. :D I'm glad (?) you cried. And Annie is everybody's favorite, it seems. It's nice, I suppose. A crowd favorite.
ShimmyBabe: It WAS just a kiss on the cheek, and yes, the last line is very sad. But it gets better. In a bit. Hold on! :D
Missy396: Well, neither did anybody else. I suppose it's the doggie instincts catching up with him.
Well, Later guys. 26, signing off.
-26.
PS: I know you're probably ticked at me for not updating in like two months, but Read & Review, loves!