Authors Notes: Ugh, travelling is a pain. However, comments! Love for you all!
grannyHPfan: You are absolutely correct and I apologize once more! I'm very grateful that you decided to keep on reading. I know I shouldn't whine, but I can't help it. XD Comments let me know that people are actually reading.
snackadils: I'm posting the chapters as soon as I finish writing them. :) So as quickly as I can.
screamingcrazyproctorlady: Hehe, you definately guessed correctly, and thank you! In my opinion Peter is quite an underdeveloped character. We only ever know him as the bad guy that betrayed Lily and James. Unfortunate, really.
Happy Mother's Day!
Monday morning rolled around, and it was Lily who had the first meeting. She wasn't afraid, nervous, or anything really. After James' attack Dumbledore had a discussion with her involving duties, family, friends, everything really. Although slightly intimidated by his presence, she felt comfortable telling him her every worry. It seemed to Lily that Dumbledore was a great Headmaster. He listened well and always responded accordingly. However, she was definately not prepared for what was asked of her.
"A secret organization?"
Of course she had accepted. Dumbledore was a hard man to refuse, not that she wanted to. Although, Dumbledore had stressed the danger that this would bring into her life, but tt gave her a sense of importance, and hope for the struggling world. Lily was late for potions, but Slughorn didn't mind. Afterall, Lily Evans was a star pupil. She choose her seat next to James.
"Dungbombs for breakfast?" She whispered, but did not look him in the eye.
"I knew it!" James paused, "I mean, only for ten licorice." He winked at Lily.
'This is awesome. Dumbledore is probably going to invite everyone into the Order of the Pheonix. Although it puts another duty on my shoulder. I really am packed down this year. Being a seventh-year is tough enough, now I'm Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, and now a member of the Order.' James added some bicorn powder to his potion. It turned a murky yellow, instead of the expected deep red. 'Damn it, I need to pay more attention. I don't have time to start over.'
Lily whispered into his ear quickly, "Add more fluxweed, it won't fix it, but it will help."
"Thanks Evans!"
"No talking class. Remember, this is an individual task." The professor caught James' eye, who nodded and returned to pretending to read his potions prodecure. A flask shattered in the back of the room, the contents of which spilling all over.
"Can't we go one bloody day without you Slytherins causing an accident or breaking something? You are by far the most clumsy class I have ever taught. How you made it into this NEWT class, I will never know."
James grinned.
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Melody was the third to meet with Dumbledore, and arrived back halfway through Charms. Remus had his meeting during the lunch hour. It was now confirmed amongst the four of them, they were all members. They didn't say anything to the remaining two marauders, just in case they were not invited or did not accept. Peter was next.
He was petrified. 'What does he know about me? Does he know about the quidditch match? Can he read minds? I heard once that he could. Oh no. Oh no!' He was early, but he was still let into the office. He stared, slightly amused at the whizzing objects around him and the old portraits of old headmasters that were soundly snoring above him. Peter paced the room quietly. On top of one of the highest shelves was the sorting hat. 'I've always wondered why I was put in Gryffindor... I'm not brave, not smart, not witty, not...anything.' He stood on his very tippy-toes and attempted to reach the floppy old hat.
It fell to the floor and the teenage boy quickly scooped it up and plopped it on his skull. It was quiet for a few moments, then yawned quietly.
'Ahhh, once a year a student questions the house I chose. I was wondering who might come by this year. Hmmm, I see. Peter Pettigrew. You were a tough decision, but I picked Gryffindor for a reason.'
"But, I fit none of Gryffindor characteristics."
'Peter, you may not believe you are brave, but what I saw in you on that day was something different. It wasn't bravery in the sense that you might save someone's life. It was a different sort. The kind of bravery where you will make hard decisions in your lifetime, but you won't back down from your chosen path. Peter, you are an indenpendant wizard. You would not have thrived in any other house. You needed friends that would help guide you onto this path of independence. Gryffindor had those people and was the right house for you.'
Peter sighed, not sure if he was at all satisfied with the hat's answer, but figured it was the best he was going to get. Dumbledore stared back at him as he sat behind his desk, a twinkle written in his eye and a small smile underneath his beard.
"It's funny what students pick up when I leave them alone in my office."
Embarassed, Peter quickly replaced the hat on the shelf and sat down. "Sorry, sir."
"Don't apologize, curiousity is the nature of man. I'm just thankful you didn't pick up something more dangerous."
Peter smiled weakly, but the headmaster continued, "Peter, I have a question to ask of you."
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It was official, they were all in the Order. The first official meeting was to be held on the last thursday night before winter holiday. It wasn't on the friday so that students going home would still have passage available on the train. They were each told that they would have to travel to an unknown location before the meeting began. All six of the teens were eager to see who else had been recruited, but they were not able to discuss anything in public. Instead they turned their discussion to homework, and Lily realized that she still needed to pick up a book from the library.
"I'll be back in a flash!" She mused dashing out of the common room.
The library was on the fifth floor, so it wasn't too long before the Head Girl was lurking amongst the shelves, trying to find a resource on Ministry control of the dark arts for the Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment. It was a dull topic, but Lily wanted to ace every paper this year. She picked up several thick textbooks and made her way to the end of the row.
It was then that she couldn't help noticing Chloe sitting and gabbering with some friends. Lily slinked closer, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. Chloe, who loved to be the center of attention, it seemed, was talking about James. 'I wonder what she really thinks of him.'
"Of course!" She gushed, answering a question Lily did not hear.
"Oh, I'm like, soooo jealous, Chloe!" A girl giggled annoyingly, "So, like, give us the scoop. What's the famous Potter like?"
"Oh, you know... He's the Quidditch Captain, Head Boy, smart, handsome, and pretty damn good in bed too."
Lily dropped her textbook in surprise, causing the loud giggles to halt; they began whispering instead, afraid that they had just heard the librarian. 'Did she really just say what I think she said? Oh my god!' Lily's green eyes were wide with surprise. 'I mean, I guess, it could have...but I would have thought... I wonder...' Her mind didn't seem to make any sense, and she felt, oddly enough, hurt by this news. 'He must really like her. Unless he has with a lot of girls. Oh my god!'
The red-head rushed out of the library, leaving the books behind. Her face was pale, and she didn't know where to go. An arm grabbed her wrist suddenly, and pulled her aside. Regaining focus into her world, she looked up at the concerned face of Sirius.
"You okay?"
"I am just..."
"What?"
"Sirius, how many girls have you slept with?"
Sirius looked startled by this question, taken aback by Lily's unusual bluntness. "Um, six. Why?"
"How many has Potter? Remus? Peter?"
"Two, three, zero."
"Three? Six?! Two?!" Lily was shocked, even repulsed by these numbers.
"Well that's including the guy factor."
"Guy factor...?"
"The number you really have, divide it by two and add it to the original number, adding up. Then that's the number you tell people. See Potter's real number would be one. One plus a half rounds up to two. For Remus two plus one is three. For me, four plus two is six. Since zero divided by zero is still zero, Peter is still zero."
"Guys are retarded!" Lily fumed, "Why would you make up a dumb rule like this?"
"It's a guy thing, you wouldn't understand. Speaking of understanding, help me out here, flower, what's with the sudden interest in our sex lives? I mean it's not really standard conversation." He grinned, "Though mine is pretty fabulous."
"That's disgusting." She barked, but it quickly turned into a sigh. Lily quickly broke out into her eavesdropping and Sirius just nodded.
"That's the one." He paused for a moment. "I don't like her. She's all wrong for James. I mean I'm not so good at picking out girls for myself, but I can tell when other people don't belong together. They don't."
"Remus has with two girls?" She said suddenly, unable to picture it, not that she wanted to imagine...that.
"What can I say, he's quite the sly dog that one. More of a ladies man than you'd think. Actually, it's more cause he generally cares quite a lot about his girlfriends when he has them, whereas I...well, nevermind."
"Boys are dumb." Lily huffed, turning around. "I'm going to go get my books."
Sirius grinned as he watched the girl storm off towards the library. 'Prongs was right to chase after her all these years. She has something that most girls don't.' He shook his head, 'I need to find more girls like her; smart and pretty.' Shrugging to no one, Sirius continued towards his original destination, the kitchen.
Lily quickly returned to the library and began to wander slowly through the shelves. The group of girls were gone, but a different figure was standing where she was headed. Severus Snape was picking up all the books from the small study table that Lily had left them on in her hurried exit. 'I need those!' She fumed, marching over to him at a much quicker gait.
"Those are my books. I just had to get something, but now I'm back."
"I don't see your name on them." The pale-faced boy sneered.
"Honestly, I just picked them out. I need them for Denfense Against the Dark Arts."
"So do I."
"Okay, fine. How about I take half, and you take half, then we can switch."
"Why should I compromise with you? No, I will take them all."
"Severus, please!" Lily was furious.
He paused and thought for a moment, as though actually considering giving her the books. A female voice broke his thought as he spotted Bellatrix Black and her younger sister Narcissa standing at the end of the row, impatiently waiting on him. He turned his gaze back to the Head Girl.
"Get out of my way, mudblood. I have books to sign out."
Quickly Severus dashed up to the two females. "You better watch out for yourself, Evans." Bella laughed, "Or you'll be next."
Lily scowled, holding back her tongue as the three Slytherins made their way towards the exit. 'Now what'll I do. I need some material. I picked out all the best.' She slumped into the small chair. A single book remain on the desk. 'Did he forget it? Or did Severus mean to leave it here? Either way, at least I have something.' She picked up the remaining book and made her way towards the line up of students waiting to check out their selections.
'What a weird day.'