Thorns

The Marauders' Era

Chapter 21: Curse Words

March 1976

"Sirius, stop," Tessa demanded, annoyance flooding through her. "He wasn't doing anything to you this time!"

"Sure he was," said Sirius, his eyes fixed on his target—his body language ignoring Tessa, "he's breathing the same air I am, that's offensive."

It was a warm almost-spring day, and Loretta and Tessa were sitting under a tree studying for the fast-approaching O.W.L.s. That's when they heard the commotion and saw Severus levitating in the air, controlled by James.

A group of students had gathered to jeer at Severus and egg Sirius and James on. At Loretta's urging, Tessa had gathered her books to put a stop to the boys' antics.

"Drop him right now," Lily demanded, absolutely livid.

"Only if you agree to go on a date with me, Evans!"

"Even if you were the last boy on Earth, Potter, I'd choose the Great Squid over you! Put Severus down!"

James glanced at Lily before he flicked his wrist, roughly dropping Severus to the ground. Lily rushed over to Severus.

"Sev, are you alright," asked Lily as she touched Severus' shoulder.

Severus wretched away from Lily, his face was bright red with shame and anger. "Get away from me you filthy mudblood!"

Shock and hurt registered across Lily's face. Severus went pale.

"Lily, I didn't mean that, I—"

"What," demanded Lily, her face as bright red as her hair, "It just slipped out?!"

"Lily, I—"

"No, Severus, you've changed since you started hanging out with Mulciber and Avery—don't ever speak to me again!"

"Lily!"

"A mudblood, really, Severus," Tessa hissed, her dark blue eyes hard. Severus glanced at Tessa. Through their years of knowing each other, there relationship had become strained because of her affiliation with Sirius. But now, Severus looked at her with pleading eyes. "Rosier, tell her I'm—"

"No, Severus. You made your choices."

Tessa glanced at Sirius who placed a strong arm on James, restraining him from pummeling Severus into nothing. Sirius and Tessa locked eyes; Tessa's blue eyes were steely, "Carry on," said Tessa, and Sirius nodded.

"How about we see if Snivellus' has any underpants on," suggested James as he raised Severus into the air once more.

"You can do better than that mate," Tessa heard Sirius say as she ran after Lily.

"What, Loretta," asked Tessa, when Loretta blocked her path.

"This is their fault you know," Loretta said angrily. "He wouldn't have made that mudblood cry if—"

"Lily, her name is Lily, and you better get out of my way, Loretta," Tessa glared, storming away from Loretta. Tessa knew Loretta was holding on to one of golden rules of their house: Slytherins always protect their own. Tessa couldn't care less about that rule when one of her dearest friends was humiliated.

Finally, Tessa caught up with Lily in the Prefects bathroom where Lily was crying in one of the bathrooms.

"Lil? Lily?" Tessa pushed open the bathroom door and found Lily sitting on the ground, wiping at her eyes.

Tessa quietly closed the door behind her and joined Lily on the ground. She didn't say anything. Instead she offered Lily wads of tissue paper to blow her nose.

"He's supposed to be my best friend, Tessa," Lily finally said, wiping at her eyes again. "But he's so different now. He's obsessed with the dark arts and I don't even know who he is anymore! Those horrible Slytherins completely changed him!"

"I'm so sorry, Lily," said Tessa, flinching slightly at the swipe at her house.

Lily shook her head and stared blankly at the other wall. "You know, Tessa, I've been called mudblood before, both behind my back and to my face, and it was always so easy to ignore, even if it did make me mad. But when it's your best friend saying awful things about you…" Lily trailed off.

"You are a mudblood," said Tessa.

"Excuse me?"

"You're muggle-born, and unfortunately the derogatory term for that is mudblood. It's a terrible label. Unfortunately, our world is divided into labels."

"Still, I'd rather be a conceited, disturbingly rich bitch than a mudblood."

Tessa simply stared at Lily. "Tell me how you really feel, Lil, don't hold back."

That won a laugh from Lily. "I don't think that about you, but it's definitely a term I've heard used to describe you."

"Sounds like that could also be about Sirius too."

"Marlene—" Lily clamped a hand over her mouth.

"So it's Marlene saying these things," Tessa raised an eyebrow. Since she and Sirius became exclusive in the fall, Marlene McKinnon no longer spoke to her. Tessa heaved a dramatic sigh and rose to her feet, offering a hand to Lily. Lily stared at it for a second before taking it, allowing Tessa to pull her to her feet. Tessa then pulled Lily into a tight hug—she knew she couldn't take away Lily's pain of her friend's betrayal, but she could be there for her.

"For what it's worth," said Tessa, offering the slightest of smiles. "I hear a lot about 'mudbloods stealing magic' in my house, and I always thought it strange. Slytherins are supposed to value cunning, resourcefulness, and a desire to be great, and if "mudbloods steal magic" from pureblooded families, then those that are Muggle-born should be praised. Especially witches like you—you have more talent than half of the pure-bloods in Slytherin combined."

"I will never understand how you ended up in Slytherin," said Lily, smiling slightly at Tessa's compliment. "You belong in Gryffindor with the rest of us."

"I told the Hat I wanted to be in Slytherin," Tessa explained, "because I value those that want to be great—but only great on my terms."

"And what are those," asked Lily.

"I consider greatness as those who seek to better themselves to better their world—and I consider you one of the great. And I also value tradition. Ask Sirius, every year for his birthday I get him a Gryffindor-themed cauldron cake."

"I swear you and Sirius are the same person, most days," said Lily and pushed open the bathroom door and walked out arm-in-arm with Tessa.

"I'm more attractive," said Tessa.

"Funny, Sirius says the same thing about himself."

X

Tessa headed back to her Common Room after she walked Lily back to Gryffindor Tower. Slytherin's Common Room was loud with commotion.

"They've gone too far," said Mulciber, absolutely fuming.

"We can't let them get away with it," Edgar Nott agreed.

"We need to get them back," said Avery.

The boys sat on the main couches in the middle of the Common Room. Severus glanced at Tessa when she tried to sneak past them to go up to her dorm.

"Did you see Lily," Severus asked.

"Why do you care," Tessa shot back in a cool tone and expressionless face. "She's a filthy mudblood, isn't she?"

Severus blinked once at Tessa's remark, his eyes narrowed fractionally at Tessa's challenge.

"She's not worth your time, Severus," said Edgar.

Tessa raised her eyebrow slightly surprised that such a statement would come from sweet Edgar who wanted to give her the world.

"Perhaps he wasn't worth her time," Tessa responded, directing her comment toward Edgar more than anyone else in the room.

"Who's side are you, Rosier," asked Mulciber, the most aggressive of the lot. Since her cousin Evan graduated from Hogwarts, Mulciber appointed himself as the head of the unspoken group of Slytherins obsessed with the Dark Arts.

All was quiet as the boys awaited her answer. She knew if she said the wrong thing, there would be hell to pay later—she already knew Mulciber didn't like her. Tessa finally responded, her voice as cold as the ice in her eyes as she glared at Mulciber, "I'm on the side that wins."

X

A few nights later, Tessa was doing hall rounds with Remus. The night before was a full-moon, and exhaustion was evident all over Remus' scar-marked face.

"I can finish rounds if you want to turn in early, Remus," Tessa offered, worried about her friend's health. Remus shook his head.

"I'm a werewolf, Tess, not an invalid. I'll be fine. Besides, routine helps me get back to normal."

"Suit yourself."

"Thank you for caring, Tessa, really," said Remus, smiling at his friend. "It means a lot to me that you care."

"Anything for you, Moons," Tessa smiled, adopting the names her favorite boys, and Peter, had given themselves.

As they rounded on the fifth floor, Tessa suddenly had the feeling they weren't alone. Quietly she touched Remus' arm. Remus' scarred face hardened. He felt it too. Remus touched a finger to his lips, and Tessa nodded as they moved forward quietly.

It was likely students who snuck out after hours, as was usual around Hogwarts, but her sixth sense told Tessa it was more than a few students rolling joints.

As they neared the Clock Tower balcony, urgent voices became more prominent. It didn't sound like students meeting up for a simple late night debauchery. Tessa glanced at Remus who appeared more concerned by the minute.

"I don't understand why he won't let me leave school and join now," a voice said. "I'm done with this place."

Tessa recognized the voice immediately. "Mulciber," Tessa mouthed to Remus.

"Because," it was Edgar's voice. "We're needed here. There are others like us in the other houses and we need to find out who they are."

"The longer I stay here, the more bored I become," Mulciber said irritably. "I'm running out of prey."

Something in Mulciber's tone made Tessa's blood run cold. She always thought he was rather scary, his humor too dark even for her.

"There's still more to learn, Mulciber." It was Severus' voice. "I'm sure the Dark Lord values those with knowledge of—"

"I know all the curses and hexes, Snape," Mulciber snapped back, "what more do I need to know? Shall I demonstrate? Where's a dirty mudblood when I need one…"

Tessa moved forward, pausing only when Remus gripped her wrist. "Tessa, do you think we should…"

"Stop them? Yes," Tessa whispered back. "Besides, they're in my house so I might have some sway over them."

"What a set up you boys have here," said Tessa, emerging from the shadows with Remus.

"What do you want, Rosier," Mulciber growled angrily. He barely glanced at Remus. "And you brought one of your pet Gryffindors with you. I thought you were whoring yourself out only to Black, or are you making your way down the list?"

"Mulciber that's enough," Edgar warned in a quiet voice that held a hint of threat.

"Why are you warning me, Nott? You're the one who said it first."

"Your conversation is dull," Tessa faked a yawn. "And I need to get to bed, so the three of you will be clearing out now."

The three boys stood, but none of them made a move. "And if we don't," asked Mulciber.

"I'll make you move," Tessa challenged. "For your insolence, I'm taking ten points each from Slytherin. Keep me here any longer and you'll also get a week's worth of detention, which is right up your alley, isn't it, Mulciber?"

Mulciber snarled and drew his wand, pointing it directly at Tessa. A flash of white light emitted just as Tessa drew her wand.

"Protego," called Remus, as he jumped in front of Tessa, casting an invisible barrier between them and Mulciber's jinx.

"Flipendo," Tessa called, directing her wand at the boys, instantaneously knocking them back and off their feet. Tessa waved her wand again, and Edgar, Severus, and Mulciber were roughly dragged across the ground by invisible hooks toward the door.

"I believe you can show yourselves out," Tessa called in a sweet voice. "No hard feelings, Edgar," Tessa said to her ex-boyfriend, his clear eyes watched her with an unreadable expression, "but you become the company you keep."

"You'll pay for this, blood traitor," Mulciber spat.

"Do you really think it's wise falsely accusing Evan Rosier's favorite cousin of such a thing," Tessa asked sweetly. "Last I checked, Evan is one of the Dark Lord's most trusted servants. Keep talking Mulciber, and I can make your Death Eating dreams disappear."

Mulciber's face turned stormy. Before he could say another word, Severus and Edgar ushered him down the stone steps.

"Looks like this takes Slytherin out of the running for the House Cup," Tessa sighed.

"Stinging spell," said Remus, referring to Mulciber's attack. "If that jinx hit you, it would have been both painful and scarring."

"Sirius and I both thank you for saving my face," Tessa laughed, touching Remus' shoulder. "Thank you for being here, Remus."

"That's what friends are for," said Remus. "Tessa, you know more about the Dark Lord than I realized."

"I do," said Tessa with a frown. "I wish I didn't."

"I think we should tell the others," said Remus, referring to James, Peter, and Sirius.

Tessa bit her lip, by talking about the Death Eaters, she'd have to talk about the Order of the Phoenix. Finally she nodded, "You're right."

x

"So that was in the letter that you saw. Dumbledore is head of the group that opposes the Death Eaters," said Sirius, rubbing at his jaw. The Marauders sat with Tessa in the Prefects lounge—all the doors were bolted so no one would walk in on their conversation. Tessa nodded; she told the Marauders everything starting with her legilimency, the Order of the Phoenix, and what she and Remus encountered that night.

"The Order of the Phoenix," James repeated, his hazel eyes bright with excitement.

"You can't say anything," Tessa urged, glancing at each of the boys. "Please, I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't tell anyone."

Sirius rested an arm around Tessa's shoulder. "Think of it this way, Tess. You're dating me, right?"

"Until you do something stupid, yes," Tessa teased, and Sirius made a face at her.

"So, there are no secrets between us, because we're one person."

"That's marriage, Sirius," Tessa reminded him.

"Minor details," Sirius said, waving a hand, "I'm clearing your conscious, so go with it. Anyway, there are no secrets between us, because we're a couple. Technically, James is my boyfriend, and Remus is James' boyfriend, and Peter is Remus' boyfriend. So by default, you're keeping Dumbledore's secret, because we're all one."

"You just described a very strange cult, Padfoot," James laughed.

"I really don't think relationships work like that," Tessa agreed. She glanced at her friends. Peter had remained quiet most of the time, looking slightly pale.

"This is bigger than just some feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin," Remus mused, calling everyone back into focus. "If what Tessa says is true, and I don't doubt her or Dumbledore for that matter, then there's going to be a war."

"Looks like the Order is about to get four new recruits," said Sirius.

"Five," said Tessa. She glanced at Sirius, "Even with your Marauders, you're absolutely reckless, Sirius. I'm going with."

Tessa zoned out as the boys dreamed up hypothetical tales of valor and heroism, promising each other they would live and die for each other. All the while, Tessa stayed closed to Sirus, her eyebrows knit in concentration. Since he showed her his animagi form, Tessa knew her visions were meant to come true.

If her visions came true that means she knew somewhere in the near future, she die. She was unsure if there was a similar fate for Sirius, but just in case, she would do whatever it took to change her vision.

Author's Note:

Big thanks to all of your lovely comments on this story. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to leave me little encouragements and criticisms. :)

QUESTION: What do you guys think of two chapters a week? Let me know your thoughts! :)

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