September, 1972
The next morning, the house was no longer the peaceful, carefree residence of a bunch of young students for their summer, and rather the frantic, panicked location of a bunch of young students who were about to take off for London to go back for fall term. The only one who wasn't dragging belongs out to the car was Anne-Claire, who was running around excitedly, getting in everyone's way until Sirius accidentally dropped his trunk on her foot when she was pestering him and James had to sit with her and calm her down until her father finished loading the car and could fix the toe Sirius broke (for which he profusely apologized, though Anne-Claire didn't stop glaring at him the rest of the day, as though he had planned it all). When they were finally all piled into the car and on the way to London, Olivia let out a great sigh and leaned her head on Remus's shoulder, lacing her hand in his.
Though the car was absolutely packed with people, it was practically silent all the way to London, except for when Peter sneezed. Anne-Claire had complained loudly about that, but when her father told her to hush and be polite, she was silent the rest of the way to London.
When they finally arrived at King's Cross, Mr. Cromwell and the boys unpacked the car while the girls went to get trolleys for the trunks. They took the barrier in twos, Olivia and Remus, James and Sirius, Peter and Anne-Claire, and then Mr. Cromwell close behind. James and Sirius loaded everybody's trunks onto the train and then hopped down to say goodbye to the Cromwells and thank Mr. Cromwell for allowing them to stay with him, and then the Marauders found themselves an empty compartment to wave out the window from as the train took off at exactly eleven o'clock.
"Okay, so what's the big plan for the feast?" said James looking eagerly from face to face, which were all staring blankly back at him.
"Um, James," said Olivia gently, "we aren't doing anything."
"WHAT?"
The other four Marauders laughed at James's clear outrage and horror. Sirius patted him on the back and Peter scooted over a little to avoid the wrath of James should he lash out. Thankfully, he did not, probably because he was in shock.
"We decided we're only in our second year, let's not get too overambitious, right guys?" said Sirius with a cheeky grin.
"But we're the Marauders!" cried James, waving his fist ridiculously in the air. "We are an unstoppable force of awesomeness! We will prevail!"
"Against what?" snorted Olivia. "I wasn't aware we joined forces to prevail against anything. And for the record, we're obviously not unstoppable, or that feisty redhead you're so nuts about wouldn't hate you so much."
"Livia!" he whined. "That's completely unfair!"
"How so?" she remarked, raising an eyebrow in a playful manner.
"It's just not. Can we please, please prank the feast?"
"No," she said in a very maternal way. "That's my final verdict, take it or leave it. We're not pranking the feast… this year. Next year we may. You'll just have to live with that. But we are doing a Halloween party, yeah?"
"Of course!" squeaked Peter. "Themed or just a party?"
"THEMED!" cried James, his vigor restored.
"Of course you'd want a bloody themed party," muttered Olivia, and Sirius gaped at her from across the compartment.
"Miss Cromwell, did you just say what I think you said?" he barked in a paternal tone.
"Maybe I did," she said, tongue out. "What are you going to do about it, Sirius Black?"
"Olivia Evelyn Cromwell!" barked Sirius. "Behave!"
"Make me, Sirius Orion Black!"
Remus froze. He didn't know Olivia's middle name. Sirius knew before him. How had Sirius known? How had Olivia known Sirius's? Wasn't that the sort of thing a boyfriend ought to know? And of course, she had such a pretty name. He knew he couldn't compete. His middle name was John. Sirius had such a pureblood name. He was willing to bet James had something interesting, too.
"What's your middle name, James?" said Remus, attempting a casual tone. James puffed out his chest.
"James Griffin Potter," he boasted. "My parents knew I was destined for Gryffindor."
The others laughed. Remus just shifted uncomfortably.
"What about you, Peter?"
Surely Peter would have a bland name. Everything about Peter was bland. It couldn't be that the blandest person in the compartment was Remus.
"Peter Mathias Pettigrew," said the boy with a frown. "It's terrible. They almost had it the other way around. Imagine, Mathias Pettigrew!"
Olivia just laughed.
"I think that would have been very distinguished, Peter. It sounds lovely. What about you, Remus? What's yours?"
"John," he mumbled, feeling a bit of crimson creep onto his cheeks.
"I love it," she said with a smile, sensing that he had a problem with it, no doubt, and giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Of course, just then, the door to the compartment slid open and who should stand there but everyone's favorite Slytherins, Yaxley, Malfoy, Lestrange, Avery, Macnair, Mulciber, and Sirius's cousin Narcissa, who was holding Malfoy's hand.
"Hello, pet," said Yaxley with a predatory smile at Olivia. "I've come to collect you to join our compartment, since I'm finished with my prefects meeting."
Olivia was suddenly braver than she had been the year before.
"What nutter made you a prefect?" she snorted. "Anyway, I'm staying here. I have no desire to join your mindless masses."
Sirius sniggered, but stopped at once when he saw the look that Malfoy was giving him.
"I don't think you understand me properly," said Yaxley, his eyes hardening. "You will join me in my compartment, now."
Remus's eyes grazed the group of Slytherins outside their compartment. Seven to five. Clever of him to bring enough to outnumber them.
"I don't think you heard the lady," said Sirius with a growl, his eyes flashing with anger. "She's not going, now leave before I make you leave."
"Try me," said Yaxley with a smirk, pulling out his wand, but Sirius didn't bother with that. He leapt out of his seat and punched Yaxley straight in the jaw, which probably wasn't wise, as six wands were drawn on him in an instant. Remus groaned inwardly for his friend, though he noted that Olivia wasn't shrieking at him yet. Good sign.
Suddenly, the wands were shoved away with extraordinary quickness and a voice was heard from down the corridor.
"Black! Yaxley! Fighting on the train, eh? Ten points off, each of you. Now separate."
The Slytherins scowled, but they slinked off toward the back of the train and Sirius massaged his knuckles moving back into the compartment. Before he had a chance to slide the door shut again, a hand stopped it and Demi Bannister of Ravenclaw and Rhys Haynes of Gryffindor, the new Head Girl and Boy, were glowering down at Sirius.
"Now, I don't want any trouble from you, Black," snapped Bannister, whose voice had been the one chastising them for fighting. "Behave yourself this year."
Sirius gave her a charismatic grin and said, "Oh, sweetheart, you couldn't handle me if I wasn't behaving myself." He gave her a roguish wink and she stared at him for a moment, her jaw dropped. A twelve year old had just hit on her. She looked as though she wasn't sure that it had actually happened, but when she had apparently decided that it had indeed happened, she squeaked indignantly and trounced off angrily. Haynes waited until she was out of sight before laughing lightly and rubbing his temples.
"Marauders, right? Frank warned me about you guys. Please, promise me you'll not go out of your way to make my life difficult? I'd love it if Gryffindor could win the House Cup under my watch."
"Sir, yes sir!" said James and Sirius, saluting him sharply, which caused laughs all around.
"Oh, by the way," said Haynes before leaving them in peace, "Cromwell, the Prewett twins send their love, and Fabian wants me to give his princess a wink and let you know he misses you."
Sirius's jaw dropped and Remus's grip on her hand tightened possessively, but she just laughed.
"Tell Fabian to watch his tongue and keep it in his mouth, the rogue!"
"Will do," said Haynes, and this time, he did leave. He had barely shut the door, however, when Sirius rounded on her.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT? WHY ARE YOU TELLING PREWETT TO KEEP HIS TONGUE IN HIS MOUTH? WHY IS HE MISSING YOU?"
Olivia raised an eyebrow at him coolly.
"I wasn't aware my personal life is any of your business, Sirius, but since you think you must know, it's an inside joke, and he says that because we're friends and that's what friends say. He likes you, Sirius. He told me you ought to try to fill his position as Quidditch commentator. He thought you'd be good at it. I think he's right."
James snorted.
"Oh, yeah, that's just what his ego needs, a position of power."
"You're one to talk about egos, Potter," said Lily, whose face was looking as red as her hair as she looked in at them from the doorway, surrounded by Margery and Mary.
"Hello, ladies," said Sirius. "Care to join us? It's a little tight, but I'm sure some lap sitting could be arranged." He wriggled his eyebrows and Olivia threw her shoe at him, which he deftly dodged.
"Says the boy with a very sweet girlfriend," she said, disgusted. "Came for any reason, or could Lily just not resist the pull of James's charisma?"
"Don't encourage him," muttered Remus, which brought everyone to roaring laughter but James, who stammered that his charisma had great pull, thank you very much.
"I heard Gryffindor has already lost points, Black, and they say it's your fault," said Lily accusingly.
"Actually, Evans," said Sirius languidly, "Slytherin and Gryffindor have already lost points, and I'd say it's Yaxley's fault for thinking he can waltz in here and kidnap Remus's girlfriend. Bloody git thinks he can order Livia around like his bloody slave."
"Tongue, Sirius Orion Black," said Olivia with a smirk, before realizing Margery was standing there, who was probably going to write Sirius's initials all over her books now that she knew them. Sure enough, the girl squealed, but not for the reason Remus had thought.
"Remus and Olivia are together? Since when? How did he ask? Or did she ask? She is rather modern, you know."
"No she's not," said Mary with a snort. "Livia's about as traditional as they come, you idiot."
"We'll get the details later," said Lily with a huff. "The point is, if you four lose the cup for us, I'll flay you all in your sleep."
Several jaws dropped at this, but Peter was the one brave enough to squeak, "Four of us? There are five of us."
"I'm well aware," said Lily, "but Remus is occasionally a productive member of society."
"HEY!" cried Olivia. "I thought you were my friend, Lily!"
"I am," said the redhead with a shrug. "But you spend far too much time in Potter's bed for me to spare you should I be forced to flay people."
"Actually, I'll likely be sleeping with Remus now," muttered Olivia. "I'll talk about it later."
"Of course," said Lily, as though they were in the middle of some sort of business transaction. "Well, we're going to head back to our compartment now. We'll see you at the feast."
"'Bye, ladies!" said James eagerly, watching them go with a look of loss on his face. For a moment, Remus thought he was going to go after them.
"Well," said Sirius, "now that that's over, let's start planning how we're going to get at the Slytherins this year."
Olivia groaned.
"Sirius, I don't want to think about them! I want to plan a fabulous Halloween party, not obsess over loser Slytherins! They've already taken up more of my life and time than they're worth!"
Sirius's eyes darkened, as Remus was sure his own had done, and he nodded sharply. Peter, being the savior of the moment, squeaked, "Do we have any theme ideas?"
"How about…" they all watched James intently as he strained to think of the perfect idea, but then he shook his head hopelessly. "Nope, I've got nothing."
"Naturally," said Olivia with a slight sniff. How did she do that? Olivia never had a thought in her pretty little head about the fact that she was superior, but everything she did practically screamed that she was too good for Remus, and nearly everybody else in England, and she was perfectly justified in acting so. Really, Remus knew that if Sirius wasn't such a rebel, the two would have been betrothed and on their way to being the most envied couple in wizarding Britain, despite what James thought about him and Lily being the 'Golden Couple' once she realized she actually was crazy about him. Remus nearly snorted at the thought. Actually, she could have easily been betrothed to James, as well. Even he would have made a more suitable match. After all, he was human every night of the year. Or at least, he was what the law classified as human, even if he didn't always act it.
"Remus?" said Sirius, and he snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at Sirius. "What do you think?"
"I'm sorry," said Remus sheepishly, "I wasn't listening."
Olivia sighed.
"Remus, we decided to make it celebrity themed, where people come dressed as their favorite wizarding or Muggle celebrity. What do you think?"
"I think that sounds lovely," said Remus, but Sirius and James were eyeing him strangely, as though they had been counting on him to turn down the suggestion.
"Remus," said James with narrowed eyes, "let's take a walk. I'm hungry and I'm sure you want some chocolate."
"Oh!" cried Olivia. "I'll come too, I'm starved."
"No, no, Livia," groaned James. "Just tell me what you want; I'll get it for you."
Ten minutes later, when Olivia had written up a comprehensive list of what she wanted and gave him the gold for it, because, to quote James, "I may be rich, Livia, but I'm not spending that kind of gold on you for a non-gift-giving occasion," Remus and James set off in search of the woman with the tea cart.
"So," said James. "What were you spacing out over in there, might I ask?"
"It's nothing," mumbled Remus self-consciously.
"Oh, I'm guessing it's not nothing, Moony," said James as they strode up the train, looking around for Lily as they went, Remus was sure of it.
"Well, I was just thinking about Olivia."
Suddenly, James's hand smacked the back of Remus's head.
"She's my baby sister, you perv."
"No, not like that," Remus said, appalled that James had thought he meant that, but also amused at James's protective reflexes. He really thought somewhere deep in his mind that she was his little sister and therefore required his protection. That was sort of sweet. "I was thinking about how I don't deserve her."
"How so?"
So Remus sort of explained his thoughts about how he'd never be able to provide her with the glamorous life she deserved, not like he or Sirius could. He told James that he felt guilty for taking her out of the social life she would have been the queen of.
"There's one thing you've got to realize," said James seriously. "She'd hate that. Olivia likes to dress up, and she would love that part of the social world, but it's not all balls and glittering dresses. There's a nasty underbelly to the pureblood world, and that nasty underbelly is what got her kidnapped and tortured in June. That underbelly is the reason Sirius spends as little time at home as possible. It's fine if you know when to put your head down and put up with it, but those two have never been good at it, and for people like them, it's not safe."
"Is Sirius okay?" Remus frowned. "I mean, going home over breaks and stuff?"
James just shrugged.
"He hasn't said they're hurting him, but I think they probably are. He'll get out when he has to, I'm sure."
"I hope you're right," muttered Remus as they opened the door and reentered their compartment, which had an additional person in it. Sirius's brother, Regulus, was sitting in the seat by the door, looking around nervously, as though he wasn't sure if he was allowed to be with them.
"Hi, you must be Regulus," said James in an almost kind voice, and the boy gave them a jerky nod. He looked like a weaker version of Sirius, with less defined features and slightly shorter hair.
"Well, Regulus," said Sirius dryly, "we'll be there soon, so you'd best be changing."
The boy hurried off to get his things and change and Remus and James started when they realized Olivia was already in her robes.
"When did you change, dear?" said Remus lightly.
"Oh, while you were out," she said with a wave of her hand. "James, darling, do you have my food?"
James tossed her the ridiculous amount of food he purchased for her, and she didn't bother paying him for it. They both had so much money that it had been a drop in the bucket. Remus flinched at the thought of the amount of his own pocket money. He may be a pureblood, but there was nothing grand about being a Lupin.
The train slowed to a stop at Hogsmeade Station and the boys rushed onto the platform, helping Olivia down after them, and rushing through the crowd to be the first to the carriages. They seemed to have no horses, and the five of them climbed into a carriage, followed up by Sirius's girlfriend, Jiki Sitzer, who caught them up on her summer with her twin, Kiki, as they rode to the castle.
"Are either of you trying out for Quidditch, Jiki?" said James with eyes alight. All it took was talk of Quidditch to make James the happiest man on the planet.
"Oh, yes," said Jiki with an eager nod. "Our older sister, Gracie, is the captain of the Hufflepuff team this year. She's a Chaser, but we both play Keeper."
"I think you both stand a good chance," said Olivia with a nod. "As I remember, you were both excellent fliers. Is Quinones captain of Ravenclaw?"
"Yes," said Jiki with an eager grin. "And Bakester is captain of Gryffindor. He's the only Seeker captain this year. I think he'll do a fine job, although the team is fairly weak. Is Mary going to try for Keeper? I think she'd be quite good."
"Yes," said Olivia with a smile. "She was planning to. Are we expecting a win from Slytherin, or do you think Ravenclaw's got a shot at the cup again this year?"
Ravenclaw had lost bitterly to Slytherin in the final match, but had won the cup by a slim twenty points.
"Oh, yes, I think we have a good chance to pull it out," remarked Jiki casually out the window. "Oh, look, the castle! We've arrived!"
They clambered out of the carriage, up the stone steps, and into the Great Hall, where Sirius gave Jiki a quick peck on the cheek before joining his friends at the Gryffindor table. His expression was grim, and they all knew what was on his mind. His brother was about to be sorted.
When the first years were finally brought in, Remus spotted the nervous face of Regulus Black in the crowd next to a curly-haired youth with bright blue eyes and a sandy-blonde haired boy. The hat sang another boring song, but they gave it rapt attention, and then the Sorting ceremony began, Professor Slughorn calling the names alphabetically.
"Baird, Jethro!"
"GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the hat, and a nervous looking boy with an odd-shaped head moved to the Gryffindor table.
"Black, Regulus!"
He had been awfully soon in the order. Regulus moved his way over to the hat, and it spent very little time on his head before screaming, "SLYTHERIN!"
Sirius's face fell and became rather sour and Olivia eyed their friend sadly. Regulus was being greeted by a group of Slytherin boys who had spent the last year following Olivia around and making her a nervous wreck. This didn't bode well.
"Bolton, Malachi," was then sorted into Gryffindor, followed by "Brood, Jonas" to Hufflepuff and "Brown, Lois" to Ravenclaw.
"Campbell, Peninnah!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Remus zoned in and out. He didn't know anyone else being sorted, so as long as they had a fair number of Gryffindors, he was happy.
"Caron, Pontius!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Gordon, Zalmon!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Houghton, Leonardo!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Goldstein, Nerissa!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Rouse, Wenzel!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Steele, Celestine!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Toth, Felicity!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Trotwood, Europa!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Yap, Lucette!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Yong, Tatyanna!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
The Houses actually had even numbers in this year, effectively, as Remus noted. He thought there might be a person or two less in Slytherin, but he wasn't really watching that closely. Professor Dumbledore said a few words and they dug into their feast, which was delicious. Olivia's house-elf, Drizza, could cook a wonderful meal, no doubt, but there was nothing that could beat Hogwarts fare. Olivia seemed to agree, and she began to eat as though she hadn't consumed nearly half the trolley on the train ride over.
After they had start of term notices, they got the password from Gryffindor Prefect Tiberius Merkle, who sat nearby, and went off to their dormitories. Olivia ignored Remus's pleas for her to stay with him, saying she needed a bit of bird time, and tore off to the second year girls' dormitory. He watched her walk up the stairs and then moved sleepily to his own dormitory, crawling into bed and being incredibly tired, but completely unable to sleep. He hoped Olivia could get a good nights' sleep, for the first time in a long time, without needing someone's arms around her, because no one in Gryffindor would appreciate being woken up by screams the first night back to Hogwarts, the night before classes started up again.