Chapter 36
"Wow, I'm not sure how I feel about Dumbledore anymore." Sirius said gravely.
"He sent you here?! Here?! Like, with us here? Merlin! What is happening lately the whole world is going bunkers!" James spluttered.
"I can't believe it… but it must have been the only way…" Remus tried reasoning, raising his head in his bed.
"Alright, please a change in subjects!" Roxanne demanded, all worn out and sulky. And it was such a nice morning.
Roxanne glanced around – the hospital wing was empty like Dumbledore promised. Did Remus talk to him before he left? Did James and Sirius see him as he went to their dorm to pack?
A cold shiver went through Roxanne at the thought of that Rat sharing a dorm with these people – her people. After she'll leave, they'll return to sharing a dorm with that scum. How was that the right thing to do? Not for the first time, Roxanne asked for a manual on Time Travel. Preferably called: What You Should Do and Shouldn't, What to Say and What to Zip About! Learn How to Behave Yourself, Right Here, in This Time Traveling Guide!
James shrugged, and then he seemed to think of something and grinned. "I never had a chance to mention how cool I think it is that Harry's Head Aurer."
"What are you talking about?" Sirius frowned.
James looked offended.
"The letter Sirius." Remus rolled his eyes. "It was signed by the Head of the Aurer department and Roxanne said it was Harry."
"Really?" Sirius tried remembering.
"I guess it is cool." Roxanne smirked.
"Damn, Head Aurer. That's impressive." Remus said earnestly.
"How does it feel having an Uncle that high up?" James joked.
Roxanne shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, my Aunt is the Minister of Magic, so it's-"
"My son is married to the Minister of Magic?!" James called, blown out.
"Is she hot?" Sirius winked. "I'd love me a hot Minister of Magic witch."
"Oh, no no no no! They're not married. She's my Aunt, but from er- another uncle. They're friends though. Good friends"
"So what does your aunt do?" James asked eagerly.
"I just told you." Roxanne deadpanned.
"I think he meant the one that's married to his future son." Remus tipped in.
"Oh! I have a lot of Uncles and Aunts." Roxanne said, sniggering at how true that was. "Uncle Harry's married to my Aunt by blood- Ginny. She used to play for the Holyhead Harpies-"
James looked even more excited than when he thought he had married the Minister of Magic. "YES! A professional Quidditch player! That's the way son!"
Roxanne snorted, looking at him. "But after she got pregnant she quit and started writing the Quidditch section for The Prophet."
"Best section of any newspaper! That's the way son!" James took a deep breath and said "Damn, I think I'm jealous of my own kid."
Sirius and Remus burst out laughing.
"One of your Aunts could be Morgana, Roxanne, and he'll still be most excited about the one who played Quidditch professionally." Remus shook his head fondly.
"He's really a Quidditch nut then?" Roxanne asked, curious.
"Nutty all the way." Sirius nodded. "You play, by the way?"
"Beater." Roxanne smirked.
Sirius stared at her while James snorted.
"What?"
"Padfoot here is also Beater." He answered, yawning.
"We shall settle this at court!" Sirius suddenly called dramatically.
Roxanne frowned. "I am not playing you Sirius." She decided. And when she decided something, nothing could-
"Chicken."
"Damn it! Fine, you're on! Let's go! Let's go right now!"
Sirius leaned back leisurely, a smile playing on his lips. "You're too easy."
"Hey c'mon! You didn't even ask what position I play!" James pouted.
"Why d'you have to make everything about you Prongs?" Sirius said idly, enjoying the furious Roxanne looming over him.
The two stared at each other in silence for a while, Roxanne silently fuming.
"Chaser. I play chaser…" James muttered, wearing a long face.
"That's nice James." Remus told him.
James rolled his eyes.
"Well?!" Roxanne demanded, her eyes still glaring at a furiously chill Sirius Black.
He yawned and slackly got up from his seat. "I'll go get my broomstick. Well, my second broomstick." He winked.
Remus groaned, making puck sounds.
"Go get it before I break both of your broomsticks and your wand!" James warned, raising his eyebrow.
Sirius left, sniggering.
"Urgg! Does he have to be so dirty all the time?" Roxanne complained.
James shrugged. "You should hear him in the guys' dorms. He gets even dirtier."
"Thank Merlin for being a girl then."
"So did Dumbledore give you a Broom?" Remus asked.
"No… what should I do? I can't go on the school brooms, they suck!"
"Hey I can let you borrow mine." James said. "Because we chasers are kind and all-"
"Yeah I got it James, you're a chaser, good for you. Can I really borrow it? Thanks!"
"Just do us a favor Roxanne."
"Sure." She told Remus.
"Don't say broomsticks and suck in the same sentence next to Padfoot, will you?"
Roxanne kicked the side of his bed.
"Ow!" he laughed, as the bed shook.
"I'll keep it in mind." She said sarcastically, then she said genuinely "Feel better Remus, I'll see you probably again, when Dumbledore brings me back here before the… feel better." She smiled.
Remus looked thoughtful. "You better see me again before you go off."
Roxanne's smile grew. "You got yourself a deal. Now I'm gonna beat Sirius up and make him cry like he's a three year old little boy, excuse me!"
The two guys laughed as she left.
"Well, I better go get Roxanne that broom and then finish packing." James said, half a smile on his face.
"It's going to be okay James, if you look so obviously worried she'll figure out how much you've come to like her, and I think you're too prideful for that."
It was James' turn to kick Remus' side of the bed.
"Hey if Roxanne manages to make Sirius cry like a three year old, get me a picture would you?" Remus smirked. "And make it magical."
"I'll do my best. Hey mate, sorry your Christmas turned out like this." James said, not looking at him.
"It's fine- I'm thankful I got to meet Roxanne- and I know you'd have stayed if things were different. That's enough for me." He shrugged, grinning with assurance.
James sighed, but didn't know what he could do or say anymore. "Try some sleep, I'll write you if something happens." James clapped his hand on Remus' shoulder for a moment, and then nodded and left.
Remus half waved, until he was alone again and looked around him sadly. Every time he's here he feels like he's forced back inside again too quickly.
Lily and Alice met in an empty transfiguration classroom.
"So did you find something?" Lily asked in the tense silence.
"Plenty, you?" Alice rushed, keeping her voice low as well.
"Yes, I went to the library and went through all the information they have there about the purebloods and their families. The Potters' family line was easy to find." Lily said, holding up a thick book. "James is an only child, which we knew already, but so are both of his parents; Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. He has no cousins. Not even one. at least not a first degree cousin; he did say something about her being far away family- so I searched three generations back, and found out one of his grandmothers had a sister- who had one daughter, who married and had three children. Those three are the only other living family members – other than his parents- James has. Well, obviously he's also connected to most pure-blood families, but none of them are a Weasbly."
"So one of them could be Roxanne?" Alice asked impressed, focused on every word Lily had to say.
"No way; the sister's daughter had two boys and one daughter- the daughter is older than us by 10 years, and just in case i searched through old articles of The Daily Prophet- and I found this-"
She showed Alice the old, torn, newspaper.
"She was caption of the Quidditch team for Hufflepuff, and they won the cup- this is her in the photo. And it looks nothing like Roxanne. Not to mention their last name is not Weasbly."
They both stared at the moving picture of a teenage girl holding a trophy and laughing with the rest of her team- she was blond and had pale blue eyes.
"Looks nothing like her." Alice confirmed.
"What about your end?" Lily asked, putting away the newspaper.
Alice took a deep breath and said "Well, I spoke to Frank, like you suggested, and he said he's known James' family since he was a kid- he never met Roxanne. He said her last name sounded like another pureblood's family name, so to check if we didn't confuse her last name or anything."
Lily frowned. "What family?"
"Weasley. There's a kid with that last name in the first year."
Lily blinked. "That really does sound almost the same."
"I know, but they're all red-heads. Anyways, it gave me an idea- I thought what better way to find out about Roxanne-and check her real last name while we're at it- if not by looking at her personal file?"
"Alice! Most students don't even know we have those at Hogwarts!"
"Yeah, but I'm best friends with the Head Girl, so I'm pretty well informed." She winked. "Besides, I figured now was the best time- most of the teachers and students are out of the way- the teachers are supervising over the kids who are leaving for Christmas." She added, knowing her friend sometimes spends too much time in the library she forgets there's a world outside of it. "You missed the chance to say bye to Mary and Marlene, by the way."
Lily bit her lip, clearly conflicted.
But then she was too curies. "Well?!"
"Doesn't exist. She doesn't have a file. I searched Weasbly, Weasley, even went through all the Roxanne's in our school- like she doesn't even go here at all." She shrugged.
"What?!" Lily could hardly believe it- who was this girl that came out of thin air?
"I thought maybe they were moved- I tried the Accio spell- Nada." Alice finished.
For a while the two stood silent, looking at each other.
Then Alice said "What do we do?"
Lily rummaged through her brain to think of something.
"Alright…let's not panic; after all Dumbledore knows about this…so do the guys- why would they keep her secret otherwise?"
Alice shrugged again as a response.
It would be so much easier to ask the guys or Dumbledore about this- but they were positive neither would answer them- at least until they knew more. And they were a little worried Dumbledore might actually obliviate them.
"I think I have a plan…"
"What is it Lils?"
"Fine! I got it! There's a potion we need to brew-"
"What? Potions? Eww…" Alice shuddered; she was a disaster in potions class- and a little of a danger to others.
Lily sent her a look. "Don't worry- I'd hate for it to blow up in our faces- so I'll do that part alone. Just help me find the instructions for it in the library and err- find some of the ingredients we might need."
Alice was impressed Lily was considering stealing from Professor Slughorn's privet stash for this.
"What does the potion do?"
"Tells us a person's name." Lily looked very serious when she said "It's against the school rules to brew it at Hogwarts, so it has to be completely secret. Nobody can know."
"Why? Is the potion dangerous to make?" Alice worried.
"No; it's because there's no fooling the result; no spell or concealment can cover up the truth, the potion tells you exactly who the person you aim it at is, and it's against the rules because it's been decided to cross the line of privacy invasion." She looked guilty saying that, but comforted herself and Alice by reminding them "But it's not illegal or anything by law."
Alice had a sly expression. "Well, at least we won't end up in Azkaban for this."
Lily rolled her eyes, but smiled. "And I was thinking of sending someone a letter…"
"Who?" Alice asked.
But Lily was too engrossed in her own thoughts to answer her. "The way I phrase it is very important…"
"Oh Lily don't leave me hanging! Tell me who it is?!"
To Alice's dismay, Lily –still talking to her self- started leaving the classroom, bringing their meeting to an adjourned end.
"Lily Evans!"
Alice followed her, and the two were gone.
-END of ch.36-
A\N: Alright updates will be a lot more frequent this summer – stay tuned in! And leave a comment if you liked the chapter! I'd also like to thank those of you who follow this story – you're the reason I keep at it!