Disclaimer: Everything here (besides the few things you don't know) belongs to JK Rowling, creator of the worlds of Harry Potter.
A/N: I can't believe one of my stories got over 500 reviews! Thank you so much! You make me feel so loved :)
So, apparently, I still won't be able to finish this story before Deathly Hallows comes out, but I'll try my best.
Anyhoo, slightly longer chapter than usual, but that's because there was so much to put in it, including a part from James' PoV. I hope you'll like it!
Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty Four - Into another World
The start of the journey was unusually subdued. All nine Gryffindors squeezed into one compartment with great difficulty, but they all seemed to feel the same way. They wanted to be together one last time before having to enter the real world. Though they sat close together, all were silent, each thinking their own thoughts, contemplating their own dilemmas. They all had to get over the idea that after this train ride, there will be no others. That when September will come around again, they will not be heading back to Hogwarts. It was a hard concept to accept, and so they took the time to digest it, taking simple comfort in the others' presence.
Of course it was Sirius that broke the foul mood, bringing a rolled up paper out of his pocket and spreading it in front of the Marauders in a way that screamed, "Back to business!"
When it was spread in front of him, Remus realized what it was. It was one of Sirius' numerous Muggle magazines, printed on smooth, shiny paper. Sirius had opened it at its precise middle and gestured at the equally smooth and shiny object shown there.
"I'm going to get me one of those," he said proudly, his finger jabbing at the picture.
"Err… Is that what I think it is, Sirius?" Haley asked timidly, her eyes wide.
"Yep."
"Do you even know how to ride one?"
"I'll learn."
"Do you have the money to afford it?" Lily asked quietly.
Sirius smiled widely at this. "I've put aside some of Alphard's money especially for this, and Andy says she'll help me if I'll really need it - just as long as I don't take the little one on it."
"If you would ever take that girl up on that thing - or any child at that," James said easily, "I think I would have to help Andromeda to cut you into pieces myself."
"Is that a way to treat a friend?" Sirius pouted, making everyone laugh, breaking the tension that filled the compartment.
Everything became so much easier, then. They talked about Hogwarts, and how much they would miss it; they brought up memories of those times before Lily and James hooked up; they talked about their career options (though James remained strangely silent at this point); and compared the quality of the Marauders' pranks over the years, agreeing that few things surpassed the exploding suits of armour in the first year. It had been ingenious in its simplicity.
At several points Lily and James got out of the compartment, presumably to, "Patrol the corridors." But everyone knew they just slipped into an unused bathroom to get a last snog before they each had to go home.
"It's not like their saying goodbye for the entire summer," Keira said with a roll of her eyes.
"That's right," Sirius recalled. "He's coming to her place for dinner tonight."
That was news for Remus. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Sirius, who shrugged and said, "Palmer and I eavesdropped on them last night. She said she would like to introduce him to her parents. He nearly panicked and ran off before agreeing."
If anyone found it strange that despite obviously snogging each another senseless on many an occasion Keira and Sirius still referred to one another by their surnames, they did not mention it.
"So he's going with Lily and her parents when we get to the platform?" Rowena asked.
Keira shook her head. "No, He's going home and then Apparating over in the evening. I just hope he won't splinch himself, being so nervous. Really, her parents are really nice people. He has no reason to be so afraid."
The three boys stared at her as though the answer was obvious. The other girls looked equally oblivious to it. Apparently, it was just one of those things that girls do not get and boys do.
"What are your plans for the summer?" Lily asked once she and James came back from their last snogging session of the ride. "We haven't really talked about it, what with the NEWTs and everything."
"Why don't you start?" Sirius suggested, grinning. "Looks like you're absolutely dying to share it with us." He then had to duck in order to avoid the pumpkin pasty that hurtled his way, and to swerve violently aside so that James' elbow to the ribs would miss him.
"Fine," she said, sticking her tongue at him, "I will. I'm going to spend a while with my family, since my sister is getting married in August. Not precisely the way I wanted to spend my first summer out of Hogwarts, but I suppose I can live with that, seeing as her fat pig of a fiancé will be taking her away soon enough."
Remus had heard whispers (or rather, heard the girls talking when he obviously was not supposed to) about Lily's rocky relationship with her older sister. There was obviously no love lost there. Apparently, Petunia Evans (nicknamed by Lily and her friends Petty or Tuna), had no love for magic, and was disgusted by the mere mention of it. He also knew that in her first few years at Hogwarts Lily was very hurt by her sister's reaction to Lily's talents. She had admired her older sister, like any little sister would, and Petunia's rejection surprised and alarmed her.
Now, however, Lily seemed to be resigned to the fact that things were not about to change, for she continued talking, as though her sister's wedding was of no consequence. "Anyway, I sent an owl to an apothecary who advertised for an apprentice in the Prophet and applied for the position, so I'll be starting there around mid-August. It'll get me one step closer to being a Potion Mistress. It's a good place to start."
No one, of course, was surprised by Lily's affinity for Potions, and most of them knew of her wish to one day take Slughorn's place as the Potion Mistress of Hogwarts, despite Charms being her best subject.
And so each and every one of them started sharing their plans. Sirius and Keira were going to try for the Auror Academy once their NEWTs results arrived. In the meanwhile, Sirius was going to buy himself that bike he so sorely wanted and go on trips around Britain and Ireland ("Who knows," he said, "I might even go to the mainland and see a bit of world before I get myself tied down for three years."). Keira was a little more subdued, saying she wanted to spend some time with her parents, see if she could pull them out of their melancholy. She said she might try and convince them to move to a new house, where the memories of Kelly would not be as strong and crippling.
Wren said her parents were sending her to a place on Fair Isle, just off the Scotland coast, where an advanced wizarding clinic could be found. The clinic, Fairview House, specialized in cases of weak immune systems such as the one she suffered from.
"She will be spending a year there," Rowena explained, somewhat sadly. "That's the minimum time span for a treatment such as the one Wren's going to go through."
It soon became clear why Rowena was so sad, when Wren slowly explained that there will be no visits home during that year and that no one could come to Fair Isle for a visit either, unless it was a special case. The size of the isle allowed very few witches and wizards on it at a time, or the several dozen Muggles who lived there would notice something strange. The clinic only allowed five patients at a time. Wren had been on the waiting list for just the right amount of years that allowed her to go to Hogwarts and complete her education there.
While Wren would be cured of what ailed her, Rowena would be starting an internship at an office that practiced wizarding law. That is, if her NEWTs were good enough. Her second option, in case something did not go according to plan, was start working at one of the Diagon Alley shops until she could retake whatever exams she needed.
"I will get that internship," she said, determination shining from her eyes. "It's what I wanted to do ever since the Catherine Edwards trial back in third year - you know, the woman who had been blamed for practicing the Dark Arts though she didn't? Her attorney got her out and even made sure the Auror who framed her lost his job and had to pay her for the damage she suffered because of the whole ordeal!"
Remus honestly had no idea what she was talking about, nor did Sirius, Peter or James, but the girls were rolling their eyes, as though they had heard the story many times in the past.
Then the talk moved to Haley, who admitted she was going for a Ministry job. She still had no idea what department she will get, but her appliance letter was already being processed, and she was expecting an answer any day. Peter said he was thinking along the same lines, but that he would only apply for a job around September, seeing as his mother wanted to go on a vacation during the entire month of August, as well as the first week of September, and would not take no for an answer.
"Almost six weeks with only Mum for company," he said glumly. "I bet you anything that she'll try and force me into some horrible outfits that she would say are cute. Oh, yes, and she'll refuse eating any foreign food, saying she doesn't trust those strangers and will go looking for some English restaurant, which she won't be able to find, and then she will grumble the entire trip. Lovely."
This drew laughter out of all of them, but afterwards there was silence. Seven pairs of eyes looked expectantly from James to Remus and back again, waiting for either of them to say something.
"I haven't decided yet," James said lamely. The Marauders stared at him with hard eyes, knowing that this was far from true, but the girls accepted it at face value.
Remus nodded and said, "Me neither," not wanting to elaborate. Unlike James, he truly had no idea what he was about to do. Truth be told, he was afraid of rejection. He was afraid to apply for a job and receive a polite (or not) note, saying, "Sorry, but you're a werewolf. Can't have people running away from our business, now can we?"
He just would not be able to handle it.
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Soon, too soon, the Hogwarts Express came to a stop at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and slowly, taking their time, they all trooped off, dragging their luggage behind them. They waited in silence for their turn to pass through the barrier and then they stood together for a while before saying their goodbyes and going their separate ways.
The twins, Haley and Peter had their parents pick them up and so had to go immediately. Keira Apparated on her own, eyes downcast as she realized her parents would not be picking her up. Then it left Lily, James, Sirius and Remus at the station.
"Here are my parents, James," Lily said, catching James' hand. "Want to come and meet them before tonight?"
James looked about to be sick. "I don't think so, Lily," he said. "My parents are waiting for me and all that-"
"Where's your Gryffindor courage, mate?!" Sirius demanded, hitting James' shoulder with his fist. "Go."
James gulped, but allowed Lily to drag him away. His expression was like that of a man knowing he is facing his imminent doom.
"Let's follow them," Sirius suggested in a low voice. "Watch out for him in case he blunders."
"Do you think he'll blunder?" Remus asked worriedly.
Sirius shrugged. "You can never tell with Prongs, now can you? If it was anyone's parents but Lily, I'd say he'd ace it without a hitch, but since it is Lily, and he had made many blunders with her, I really can't tell.
Sadly enough, Remus admitted to himself, there was a lot of truth in that statement made by Sirius. If there was a book about blunders to be made while in a relationship with someone, James had gone through each and every one on the list during the obstacle course of his and Lily's relationship. And so he joined Sirius in trailing at a more or less safe distance after James and Lily who were making their way to where a blond woman and an auburn-haired man were waiting, just by the station's entrance, with James dragging Lily's trunk.
James and Lily finally came to a stop in front of the pair, James letting go of the trunk, and straightening. Sirius gave a low whisper as they stopped. "Look at his back - straight like a bloody iron. He's nervous. Get ready to move in case we'll need to save him."
In the meanwhile, introduction time came.
"Mum, Dad," Lily said, "meet James Potter."
Standing as he did with Sirius, a few feet away, attempting to look innocent, Remus could see James was just shy of running away in panic. However, being a Marauder, he bravely stepped forward and offered his hand to Lily's father.
"It is wonderful to finally meet you, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Evans," he said politely and firmly shook Mr. Evans' hand, followed by a dropped kiss to Mrs. Evans' hand. Pure-blood manners, hammered into his skull ever since young, finally kicked in. "I do hope that I will not be intruding on your family's reunion this evening."
"Of course you wouldn't be intruding!" Mrs. Evans said immediately, followed by a quick assurance from Mr. Evans as well. "We asked Lily to invite you so that we could meet you and get to know you! It's not every day that we hear that the person our daughter had so much against finally manages to sweep her off her feet!"
Remus caught sight of Lily's profile, and thought he saw her cheeks reddening. James, however, simply smiled and said, "It's been a very long chase, Mrs. Evans, even if I do say so myself. I'd be honoured to join you for dinner tonight."
"Then we will expect your coming around six," the woman said, smiling.
Then James shook Mr. Evans' hand again and kissed those of the two Evans women. Remus only barely noticed the wink his friend gave Lily before withdrawing. As the Evans family turned to leave, he heard Mrs. Evans say, "What a charming young man, Lily. I do believe I approve."
When they caught up with James, who was preparing to Apparate home, Sirius and Remus both could see he was immensely relieved.
"That went rather well," he said weakly. "Did they say anything about me after I left?"
"I think her mother fancies you," Sirius smirked, apparently also having caught Mrs. Evans' words. "You'd better watch out, Prongs. An affair with the mother-in-law is not such a good idea, you know."
James elbowed Sirius quite violently. "Don't be so disgusting, Padfoot."
"Let us know how it went?" Remus asked, taking hold of his own trunk, making ready to Apparate home as well.
"Naturally. And then you and Padfoot can happily analyze everything I've done wrong," James said without malice. Then, with a weak smile, he disappeared, leaving Remus and Sirius alone.
"Would you believe me if I said I'm bloody terrified of what will happen tonight?" Remus asked, taking hold of his trunk. He had told his mother not to come and pick him up, seeing as he could Apparate now.
"Yes," Sirius said, also preparing to leave. "Because I feel about the same way."
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The owl from James came three days later when Remus was helping his parents paint the kitchen. The poor owl, apparently new at the business of delivering letters, veered slightly off course and smeared its tail feathers in fresh, pale yellow paint. While Saffron exasperatedly took care of the animal's predicament, Remus read the letter.
"Moony,
"Mum invited the lot of you for dinner tonight. Think you can come? If so, send reply via owl.
"Prongs."
After getting his parents' permission, he scribbled a hurried, yes, on the other side of the letter and sent the thankfully-cleaned owl back to Potter Manor.
Throughout dinner (which was wonderful, as always) James looked thoughtful and was relatively quiet. When they were all done, they went up to his room. His desk was piled high with books of basic Healing and medi-witchery. There were more books on the floor. James sat on the chair by the desk and sighed.
"What's eating you up, mate?" Sirius asked almost as soon as the door closed behind Peter.
"Lily's sister," he replied shortly.
They all looked at him strangely.
"You've decided that Lily's not good enough and want to go for her sister?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"What? No!" James said indignantly, looking faintly sick. "Not in a lifetime! It's just that… She's probably the worst person I have ever met, and that's including Snape and your brother!"
Now they all looked skeptic. They all knew Severus Snape and Regulus Black, who were both disgusting little slimeballs. There was no way in hell that Lily's sister could be worse. But James insisted that it was true. They demanded the story.
And so James told them.
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He stood nervously in front of a simple wooden, glass inlaid, door, the paper slip in his hand with the address written on it by Lily already badly crumpled. He had been standing there for about five minutes, contemplating what to say to whomever opened the door.
Finally, sighing, he knocked, and soon he could hear footsteps coming. It was not Lily's quick, almost silent pace, but the sound of high-heeled shoes (which Lily said would make her feel seasick if she would ever wear a pair) clicking on the floor violently, as though the person coming was incredibly angry.
The person who opened the door was more than angry. She was livid. She was a tall blonde, with her hair tied in a bun at the back of her head. Everything about her was long: Neck, nose, face. Her face held none of Lily's cheerfulness and friendliness, and her mouth was set in a grim line that would put McGonagall to shame, but there was a certain similarity there. In the shape of the eyes and in the way she carried herself, with total conviction that she was in the right. There was no doubt in his mind.
This was the dreaded, magic-hating Petunia Evans.
"Hello," he said, bowing shortly as pure-blooded manners dictated. "I am James Potter, Lily's-"
"I know who you are," she said shortly and snidely. "They're expecting you, even though I have no idea why. Like we need another of your sort around here."
He was stumped. Honestly and completely stumped. Only those manners that his mother hammered into his skull all those years ago stopped him from saying something to put her in her place. Instead, he said nothing and followed her into the house, closing the door behind him.
Lily's house was something different. His own house was a manor of enormous proportions; Sirius' was a small, messy and eccentric apartment; Remus' place was a comfortable cottage; and Peter's a wide-spaced brick house where everything was put in perfect order, every piece of furniture and decoration yet another soldier in Mrs. Pettigrew's parade. Lily's place was unlike any of those homes.
It was in Muggle Richmond, and by the looks of it Lily's parents, if not filthy rich, were at least well off. It had three stories, with the entrance placed on the second one. Downstairs, as he soon found out, following the disapproving Petunia, were the kitchen, the dinning room and the drawing room. On the walls and on stands, in glass-fronted cabinets and on shelves were various mementoes from all over the world. It seemed like the Evans' couple was well-traveled.
In the drawing room sat Mr. and Mrs. Evans and a big, beefy man with little to no neck and a scowl on his wide face. Lily, who had been standing by one of the big windows overlooking the back garden, came to greet him with a small kiss on the cheek. She also whispered in his ear, "Ugly there is Vernon Dursley. He's Petty's fiancé and he's already prejudiced against you, so don't even bother trying to make him like you."
He grinned and then walked towards her parents who also got up in order to greet him.
"Mrs. Evans," he said politely, taking her hand and kissing it. He then shook Mr. Evans' hand. "Mr. Evans. Thank you again for having me here."
"Oh, you're welcome, James," Mrs. Evans said kindly. "Come, come and sit down. Dinner will be ready in a very short while." She then got up to check on whatever was cooking in the kitchen and wafting heavenly smells into the drawing room.
James gingerly took a seat on a sofa opposite of the one on which sat Petunia and Vernon. Petunia's back was ramrod straight and she looked very disapproving, glaring at James. Vernon slouched in his seat, his backside taking most of the space on the two-seater.
Lily, smiling at him brightly, came and sat next to him, leaning on him for good measure. He felt a little uncomfortable sitting like that with her father watching, but indulged her. He was a Marauder, after all, and could recognize someone trying to play a joke on someone else's account. He realized that this display of affection was more for Petunia's benefit than that of her father's.
"So, James," Mr. Evans said pleasantly. "I hear that you have yet to decide what to do with your post-Hogwarts life."
Petunia and Vernon both winced at the sound of the school's name.
Glancing at Lily, James said, "Well, yes. That's true, I suppose. It's just that there are so many things that interest me, and, quite frankly, many doors are open to someone of my status."
"Oh?" Mr. Evans asked with great interest in his voice.
"James' family is… very well-founded, Dad," Lily said, saving James from saying something that would probably sound arrogant, coming from his own mouth. "The Potter family is one of the oldest pure-blood families - all wizards and witches for centuries, that is. His parents are much respected. They've been Aurors - of the greatest, really. James could probably get any job possible in the Wizarding World."
Another flinch from Petunia and Vernon.
"Excuse me, David," Vernon said, looking slightly ill, "but I think I need to use your bathroom. Must be something I ate." When Lily's father nodded, the big man fled the room as though he was chased by a ghost.
"Pray tell, James," Mrs. Evans said from the door connecting the drawing room to the kitchen, "what are Aurors? I don't think Lily ever mentioned that job before."
"That's because she was never interested in it, and I have," James said easily. "Aurors are like - what are they called, Lily?"
"Policemen," the redhead supplied.
"That's it. Policemen. Only Aurors are dedicated to more specific operations. You won't be seeing them around if someone smuggles an illegal creature into a Muggle neighbourhood, or if an angry wizard abducts the child of his rivals. What they specialize in is catching Dark wizards - those who use the forbidden Dark Arts. Aurors hunt them down and put them in prison, where they belong, under the strongest locks and charms."
"It sounds… dangerous," Mrs. Evans said, her face worried.
"It is," James admitted, not wanting to lie to the person he secretly hoped would be his mother-in-law one day. "That's why it takes three years of extensive, rigourous training. Only the best and the fittest manage to pass and become real Aurors. My parents - in their younger days - were considered to be the best team of the lot. They fought right along Dumbledore in the war against Grindelwald."
He immediately knew he had said something wrong, but was not sure why. Glancing again at Lily, he noticed her wincing and looking quite a bit sheepish.
"War?" Mr. Evans asked, frowning. "There was a war between wizards?"
Guessing this was not the time to mention Voldemort and what was going on in the Wizarding World of late as it seemed that Lily chose not to share the more bloody history of their world with her parents, he said, "Well, it was not a Wizard War, to be exact. Grindelwald worked at the same time as that megalomaniac Muggle - Hitler, I think? - that tried taking over the world back in the forties. Grindelwald took advantage of the situation and apparently struck some sort of a bargain with the Muggle that enabled him to try and take over the Wizarding World. It was just another aspect of that war."
Lily's parents both relaxed at his explanation, but he promised himself he would discuss this with Lily later. It was quite irresponsible of her not to tell them the truth about what was going on and about the danger that she, as a Muggle-born, was in because of Voldemort and his way of thinking.
Before he could give her a meaningful look, however, Mrs. Evans called, "Dinner's ready!" and he was led by Lily to the dinning room, trailed by a reluctant Petunia who had listened to his story with abject horror, and Mr. Evans.
Dinner itself was wonderful. Mrs. Evans was a very good cook and had presented the family with a practical feast, celebrating Lily's return from school. James enjoyed it tremendously and he was really beginning to think that this was not such a bad idea after all.
It was just before dessert that things got out of hand.
"So you don't have a job lined up, have you?" Vernon suddenly asked, catching James by surprise.
"Err, no," James answered, surprised. "I don't."
"And how long is that going to last?"
"What? I don't know. Whenever I decide what I want to do with my life."
"Vernon had his job ready for him the moment he got out of boarding school," Petunia suddenly said, her eyes gleaming unpleasantly and looking straight at Lily, as though challenging her.
Challenging Lily had never been a very good idea, James could tell her that, but it seemed as though the blonde woman was goading her sister deliberately.
"Is that true?" Lily said, her eyes narrowing. "Well, I'll have you know that James is just considering which job is best for him before he dedicates his entire life to it and then discovers it's bloody dull."
Vernon's face became slightly red at the insinuation. Throughout dinner he talked a lot about the drill business he was in, acting as a junior department director. "I have a very good job, young lady. I doubt this boy here could ever support a family properly. He's trouble! I've heard from your parents of all the troubles he had caused in school! He'll never amount to anything!"
James was torn between wanting to make things work with Lily's parents and desperately wishing he could hex Vernon Dursley to hell and back, just so he could hex him again. Instead, he quietly said, "I am perfectly capable of supporting a family when I start one. And as for a job-"
"You will only ever get a job as a criminal, what with your record at school," Petunia spat, her knuckles turning white as she tightened her hold on her cutlery.
"Petunia!" Mrs. Evans called sharply, but before she could continue, Lily burst.
"Whatever you heard about James during the last seven years is only because we didn't get along for a while! The pranks he pulled at school were harmless, and you know it! He's a good man - better than your disgusting pig of a fiancé could ever be - so stop harassing him before I'll turn you into a two-headed newt!"
"Lily!"
"You're a freak!" Petunia shrieked, slamming her cutlery down. "You always have been and you always will be! And it's no wonder that you've chosen such a delinquent as a boyfriend! You're twisted - the both of you!"
"Petunia! Stop it this instant!" Mr. Evans said firmly.
"I will not! Next thing you know this house will be filled with freaks like her!"
"Say another word and I will hex you," Lily shouted. "Don't think I won't!"
"Petunia! Lily! Go to your rooms!" Mrs. Evans cried over the noise. "And don't get out of there until I say so!"
Lily did as told, storming off without a word. Petunia, however, got up and said, "I don't live here anymore, Mum, and I won't be sent to my room like a misbehaved three-year-old. Vernon! We're leaving." As she passed James, she also added in a huffing tone, "Freak."
James was left seated by the table with Lily's parents, who both looked mortified.
"I'm so sorry about all this, James," Mrs. Evans said quietly as she led him to the door. "I really don't know what came over Petunia today. Normally she is such a sweet-tempered young woman. Please don't let her behaviour reflect on the way you view the non-magical world."
"That's all right, Mrs. Evans," he said, knowing that not all Muggles were like Lily's sister. "I understand."
"I hope that the next time you come for a visit would be much more pleasant," she continued.
"I'm sure it will. Good night, Mrs. Evans. And once you manage to pry her bedroom door open, tell Lily I said that the meeting at Padfoot's Doghouse is still on for next week?"
"Of course, dear."
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"So Lily's sister is an idiot, yes?" Sirius asked bluntly for what must have been the hundredth time ever since James told him about his evening at the Evans Household the night before.
"Yep," James replied laconically. He did not mean to sound so absent-minded, but he had less than two weeks to prepare for the Healing exams and wanted to start right away. He had his nose buried in one of books on his desk while the others prepared to leave.
"Leave him be, Padfoot," Peter said from the bed, on which he was sitting. "If he fails the exams he'll freak out, and it will all be your fault."
"How so?"
"Does it matter? Prongs will kick your arse anyway."
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James took the Healing exams two weeks into July. He spent the night before at Sirius'. They had all agreed that once the exams would be over, they would stay at Padfoot's Doghouse for a couple of weeks before they had to go to their respective homes again.
James left early on the morning of the exam, before anyone woke up. When he returned, he said nothing, except, "I'm going home for a bit." Then he took a few essentials from Sirius' room and Apparated to Potter Manor. They had not seen him for two days, and since Lily came by floo, looking for him, neither had she. They could not, of course, tell her why he was in such a bad mood, since James never told her that he was going to take the exams, and so had to improvise when she inquired as to its source.
"You think he did badly?" Peter asked quietly the second evening, as the three of them sat in Sirius' living room, playing Exploding Snap.
"No," Sirius said confidently, and then made a face. "I think he convinced himself he did badly."
"Doesn't really sound like Prongs," the small boy said, getting back to his cards and throwing them away just on time before they exploded in his face.
"It does, when you think about it," Remus interjected. "Remember when Lily wouldn't give him a second's thought? When she hated him and he still adored her? He was nervous and uncertain then, but he only showed it to us. Now he's trying not to show it to us, either. This is something he wants, even if we don't completely understand the reasons behind it. If he fails getting it, he'll have to wait another year for the next round of exams, and that's the one thing he's not prepared to do."
They left the subject at that, and since James mentioned nothing when he returned the next day, they said nothing else of it. James seemed to feel much better after his stay at home, however, and the Marauders began taking advantage of their newfound freedom. They went to Muggle pubs and to the cinema, they prowled Diagon Alley and other popular wizarding haunts. They spent time with the girls, knowing that soon most of them would start their new jobs and wanting to spend as much time as possible together.
One night, about a week after James had taken the exams, they went together to the famous Golden Shamrock pub at the very end of Diagon Alley, which was where all young witches and wizards convened when wanting to celebrate without interference. They spent the entire night there, only crashing back at Sirius' around four in the morning (Sirius nearly splinched himself, having drank so much firewhiskey), but also made plans to go to Diagon Alley the next morning with Lily. She insisted they all needed new clothes and that she would not allow any of them buying clothes she did not authorize. She said she did not trust their taste.
Remus could only rarely sleep long after sunrise, and though he had not slept for more than four hours, he had not drank much the night before, and so felt quite fine getting up at eight and preparing himself a small sandwich and a pot of tea. Therefore, he was the only one awake when the big, brown owl came through the flat's open window and settled on the kitchen table. It looked at him expectantly. Putting down his cup of tea, he reached for the parcel that was tied to the owl's leg. The moment it was off, the owl took off as well, apparently not waiting for a reply. Remus examined the parcel. It was wrapped with brown paper and on the top was written, in a strong hand, James Potter, Padfoot's Doghouse, Periwinkle Alley 8, London. On the back was the St Mungo's emblem.
Putting the parcel down slowly, Remus settled back in his seat and sipped his tea once more, eyes trained on the brown lump. He found himself waiting anxiously for James to wake up.
Peter was the second to fall out of bed about an hour later, closely followed by the other two. James looked like a complete mess, his hair all over the place and his glasses hanging crookedly from one ear. He yawned and stretched, reaching for the teapot and getting himself a cup of the warm substance before he even noticed the parcel Remus was staring at so intently.
"What have you got there, Moony?" he asked through a yawn.
"Actually, it's for you," Remus said quietly. "From St Mungo's."
Fortunately (for Sirius, who had so very few usable cups, and for all of them, who were bare-footed), James had just put his cup down before Remus had said anything, and so it simply tittered for a moment before falling on the side and spilling its contents on the red plastic table. The happy chatter of Sirius and Peter in the background fell silent as well.
Four pairs of eyes focused on the innocent-looking lump lying on the table only a short distance from the rapidly cooling puddle of tea. Not one of the Marauders moved.
They had no way of knowing how long they stood there, barely moving, but since Lily had said she would come pick them up around eleven, it must have been a while, for the sound of the door opening softly was heard, at least by Remus.
"James! Sirius! Remus! Peter! Are you here?"
Lily's voice made everyone in the kitchen but James stir. Finally, Sirius cleared his throat and called, "In the kitchen, Lily."
Remus heard her footsteps coming near and then she entered the room while taking her brown plaid coat off. Her red hair dripped water on the floor, bearing testament of the rain pouring outside.
"Are you all right?" she asked curiously. "I knocked for five minutes and no one answered. I thought we were going to Diagon Alley today?"
"We are," three of the four young men echoed each other. James stayed silent and frozen to the spot, not even acknowledging his girlfriend.
"What's up with him?" Lily asked, frowning. She went around Remus and Peter in order to see what had captured her boyfriend's total attention. "What's that, James?" she asked when she finally noted him looking at the thick parcel lying on Sirius' kitchen table as though he could not breathe, as though it was a live snake.
"It's…" he gulped and stopped, still not reaching for the innocent-looking object.
"It's his exam results," Sirius supplied for him with a barely concealed grin.
"Exam results?" Her eyes rested on her boyfriend. "What exam?"
"He sat those Healing exams two weeks ago," Sirius replied smugly. "And now he's scared that he didn't pass, so the coward won't even look."
"Healing?" she asked weakly. "James?"
James gulped once more before glancing at Lily. "Err… Yeah. I… err… I took the Healing exams for the position that opened a couple of months ago. I… err… I'm going to be a Healer… I think."
"You want me to open it?" she asked after a moment of digesting his words. Though she obviously surprised, if not shocked, she realized that no one else was going to suggest it.
James' face relaxed almost immediately. "Please do?" he asked in a small voice, eyes hopeful and with the expression of a kicked puppy.
She laughed and picked the parcel up. All Marauders trained their attention on her as she slit it open gently and took out the first object, a thin, sealed parchment, which she opened as well before reading it aloud.
"Dear Mr. Potter," she began, pausing for effect.
"It is our duty (-here James gasped in alarm and winced-) and pleasure to inform you that among the sixty candidates for the position of trainee Healer at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, you have scored highest. We have also received today your NEWTs results and have deemed them more than adequate.
"We are happy to invite you to begin your training with us on Monday, two weeks from now. We will be awaiting your arrival at the staff room on the first floor (Artefact Accidents) at nine in the morning sharp.
"Please find enclosed a list of books to be purchased and read by the time you join us, as well as the Hospital's Code, instruction book and expectations list. Please make sure to read and understand everything in them. If you have any questions, please present us with them upon your arrival.
"Once again, we offer our congratulations,
"Hrs. Corinthia Anemone and Darius Lip."
For a moment everyone was silent. Then James whooped in joy. "I passed the Healing exams! I can start my training in two weeks! Isn't that absolutely wonderful?"
Don't think I've forgotten about the bike. Sirius'll get it eventually :) I hoped you liked the chapter!
What next? We learn what happens in everyone's life as they start their new jobs and everything, Petunia's wedding, a little bit of what's going on in the wizarding world, and anything else I might decide adding!
See you all there!
Hugs and kisses to all!
-Star of the North