Lily was dreadfully exasperated the next morning, for an owl with smooth, noir feathers had persistently trounced on the frosted glass belonging to her bedroom window. The room was fairly quiet, only the soft hum of one of Erica's singing quills could be heard. Lily and Erica were the only inhabitants of their dorm room, apart from Peter's turtle who had mysteriously escaped from the boys' dorm and was now snoozing in Roxanne's sock drawer...
"Lily, there is an owl outside our window," Erica yawned sleepily, her linen sheets wrapped around her head awkwardly as she sat up in bed; she looked like a combination of Mother Teresa and Medusa.
"Curse it in the face, then," Lily grumbled tiredly, digging her face into her mattress and making fatigued gurgling noises.
"You are such a pleasure in the morning, Lily," Erica said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and, with her duvet in tow, motioning to open the window.
"Don't let that maddened buzzard in, I'm sleeping," Lily mumbled, turning over and examining the bothersome owl with aggravated disdain.
Erica ignored Lily's negative, morning attitude and slid the wooden frame of the window upwards. A black owl with silver eyes entered, nicking Erica's ear with one of its wings, and landed gracefully on the foot- board of Lily's bed. Obediently, the owl stuck out its left talon, revealing a small piece of parchment tied in white yarn.
"What insomniac sent me a goddam letter this early in the morning?" Lily huffed tiredly, reaching for the scroll and shooing the owl out the window. The posh owl looked quite insulted with Lily's bitter manner.
Lily uncoiled the parchment and was intrigued to find a small note from Sirius Black, the elusive boy that had not returned to his room the previous night.
Lily,
I'm
at the Ministry of Magic. I told Dumbledore about our best friend and
I was located to London for further questioning. A full- fledged
investigation is underway, but I still don't know who the dead guy
is. I'm flooing back to school after breakfast. I'm not
in any trouble; Dumbledore thought it admirable that I told him.
THAT'S RIGHT, I'M ADMIRABLE:) Tell Roxanne she isn't
to cry in my absence and tell James his father will be owling him
about some family get together soon. See you soon,
love. Sirius Hotstuff Black
(P.S. sorry about stuffing you
in that closet! P)
"It's from Sirius, Erica!" Lily exclaimed in a sigh of relief, "he's at the Ministry answering questions, but he isn't in any trouble!"
"Thank goodness!" Erica chirped happily, snatching the letter from Lily and chuckling at the part about Roxanne crying and Lily getting locked into closets.
"I'm going to tell James, how about you tell Roxanne? I bet she is still snoozing in the common room, worried silly," Lily chuckled in amusement, running down the girl's staircase in drowsy glee.
Lily scooted down the stairs into the common room and then up the boy's staircase, eager to tell James, Remus and Peter the good news. It was like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders; she no longer felt guilty.
Lily threw open the door to the Marauder's dormitory flippantly, only to be met with a half- dressed and wide awake James Potter. A surprised smile crossed over James' face as his eyes scanned Lily curiously; he stopped trying to pull on his black T-shirt and instead left it in a heap on the floor.
"Eager to see me this morning?" James inquired teasingly, suavely waltzing up beside a bemused Lily and positioning his granular hands on Lily's waist.
"What are you doing awake so early?" Lily asked softly and pleasantly, quickly checking to see if both Remus and Peter were sleeping before letting James embrace her.
"I have a morning Quidditch practice, the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match is upcoming," James whispered alluring in Lily's ear, his eyes practically closed as he ran his playful fingers through her red hair, "I'll be cutting breakfast short this morning,"
Lily loved the way James touched her, how gentle and pleasurable his fingers were as they lightly stroked her neck and tickled her senses. A slight blush crept onto Lily's cheeks as James' hands trailed underneath her pajama top and caressed her back, partially lifting up her top.
"James," Lily whispered as James' hands trailed down her spine, "what if they wake up...?"
"Let them," James said in a husky voice, ignoring Lily's protests and snatching up her lips with his own. Lily let James' moist lips linger for only a moment; she was paranoid the other Marauders would awaken.
"Please," Lily broke away from a disappointed and hormonal James; "I came to tell you Sirius owled me,"
"What? Really? What did he say!" James inquired hurriedly, his frown disappearing and being replaced with a look of intrigue, "is he ok?"
"Sirius is at the Ministry being questioned, but he isn't in trouble. He's flooing back to Hogwarts after breakfast," Lily said with a content smile, "I'm so relieved he hasn't been expelled,"
"You and me both. God, that idiot always weasels he way out of trouble," James said in an affectionate tone, his toothy grin illuminating the room, "did he mention who was killed?"
"No, no word yet," Lily said anxiously, pulling on the hem of her pajama top down over her exposed belly button, "do you think the Ministry will release a name?"
"I'm not sure. This murder is going to cause a lot of bad publicity for Hogwarts, that I'm sure of," James replied, picking up his black T-shirt and pulling it over his head, "you'll be ok going down to breakfast?"
James finished pulling on his Quidditch uniform while Lily watched; a frown formed on her lips. Lily was not pleased with all the recent babying James was doing. Did he think she was weak?
"Last time I checked I was able to walk down a flight of stairs," Lily said somewhat bitterly, getting annoyed with all the unnecessary worry; "do you think otherwise?"
"You know what I meant, Lily," James said tiredly, rolling his eyes as the redhead started to get flustered, "I thought I would just walk you down to the..."
"Well don't bother! I'm sick of you treating me like a four- year- old," Lily spat crossly, making her way over the threshold, "have a lovely Quidditch practice!"
"I will!" James sputtered back, poking his head out of his dorm and watching Lily scuttle down the dormitory stairs, "AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW I DON'T MAKE-OUT WITH FOUR- YEAR- OLDS!"
"NO?" Lily screamed back up the stairs, turning to face James, "WELL I DON'T MAKE-OUT WITH BUGGERED-UP QUIDDITCH PLAYERS!"
"WELL... YOU JUST DID!" James shouted extremely loudly, causing Lily's jaw to drop as he loudly blurted out what he promised to keep a secret. James seemed to realize this as many boys opened their dorm doors and gaped at the pair.
"KEEP DREAMING, POTTER!" Lily quickly spat whipping out her wand and setting James 'hair on fire with the Marauders' nifty creation of a spell.
"EVANS, I'LL MASSACRE YOU FOR THAT!" James sputtered in astonished fury, racing down the stairs after Lily.
Lily quickly dashed through the silent common room and out of the portrait hole, a boy with his hair aflame hot on her tail. Roxanne sat bolt upright on the crimson couch she inhabited and curiously watched a fiery James Potter dart out of the common room in a fit of irritation. Their extremely vocal conversation had wakened her from her fitful slumber.
"What's going on!" Erica exclaimed curiously, approaching a fatigued Roxanne in her fluffy pink niffler slippers and sheets still wrapped around her head, "was that James with his hair on fire?"
"Yah, I think so," Roxanne supposed between yawns, "him and Lily were screaming about something...?"
"What were they quarreling about?" Erica inquired in confusion, her sheet billowing behind her as she paced about the room with all the other curious Gryffindors.
"Who the bloody hell cares?" Roxanne muttered sleepily, collapsing back onto the couch and emitting a startling snore.
"Seems she had a late night," Remus snorted comically as he came up beside a perplexed Erica, "care for some breakfast, love?"
Erica giggled at Remus' nonchalant nature and linked arms with him; she abandoned the sheet coddling her head before exiting out the portrait hole and towards breakfast.
°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸
"GET BACK HERE, EVANS!" James shouted audaciously, running after the rampant redhead and onto the lush, dewy grass of the Quidditch Pitch. He had long since extinguished the neutral fire atop his bushy head of hair.
Lily had burst forth from Hogwarts and onto the grounds with a sudden gust of energy; tears were streaming down the sides of her cheeks as she ran and a Cheshire smile upturned her lips. The utter shock on James' face when his hair had ignited had sent Lily into spasms of laughter; Lily collapsed in the middle of the pitch and closed her tear-stained eyes. Her anger with James had evaporated quickly.
"You do realize," James started tiredly, collapsing beside Lily with a Marauder grin upon his face, "that you are an insufferable lunatic,"
"I know, but you're the one that blurted out in the middle of the boys' dormitory that you and I make-out," Lily sighed placidly, looking up at a cross-legged James as she picked fistfuls of grass.
"I figured it was time we let everyone know that we're a couple," James replied thoughtfully, though, at the time, that was not his intention, "I don't understand why we have to hide our feelings for eachother,"
"Who said I had feelings for you?" Lily retorted teasingly, rolling onto her back and squinting as the sun blared and blinded her eyes. James poked Lily's side playfully and rested his head on her stomach, screwing up his eyes because of the sun's brightness.
"If you don't like me I'll just have to slip you some love potion and MAKE you love me," James mischievously pouted, grinning at Lily's look of protest.
Lily plucked the spectacles from the bridge of James' nose and fiddled with them idly, pondering over what James had said. Were they truly a couple now? She wondered what it would be like when people found out they were dating. Would she constantly be shooing away James' fan club, or would they stop swooning over him every time he walked by? Lily supposed many girls would still pine for James, even if she were possessively clutching his forearm.
"Technically we aren't actually a couple," Lily began, getting up into a sitting position as James jerked his head away and looked at her skeptically.
"What do you mean?" James asked in a puzzled and almost nervous voice, "Don't you want us to be...?"
"I only meant you haven't asked me to be your girlfriend!" Lily blurted, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks as she felt her neck grow hot. A look of dawning spread over James' features and a frenzied grin broke out onto his lips.
"You're right, then. Technically, no, we aren't a couple," James replied suavely, smirking teasingly at a perplexed Lily, "I'm sorry such a question slipped my mind,"
There followed a silence in which Lily expected James to finalize their courtship by asking her that elusive question. Lily's hopes were squelched when all James did was smile back at her humorously.
"Well...?" Lily posed in anticipation, a cross look transitioning onto her face.
"Well what?" James retorted pleasantly, amused at the anger bubbling within Lily.
"Aren't you going to ask me to be your girlfriend, you bloody bastard?" Lily inquired in a huff, her emerald eyes swimming with frustration.
"Nope," James replied simply, lightly stretching as his grin grew more pronounced.
"Why you egotistical jerk!" Lily shrieked angrily, jumping to her feet and storming off of the Quidditch pitch in outrage.
James flippantly summoned his broom, which was conveniently leaning up against his bedroom window, and, when it arrived in the palm of his hand, mounted it and sped toward a stammering Lily. James gently caught Lily around the waist and pulled her onto the front of the broom with him. Before Lily could struggle out of his grasp and dismount, James flew straight up and hovered just below the clouds above the Quidditch Pitch.
"Put me down, James!" Lily cried shrilly, glaring into James' chocolate brown eyes as she held onto the back of his brawny shoulders, "who do you think you are!"
"I'm Lily Evans' future boyfriend, I'll have you know!" James chirped mockingly, watching wisps of Lily's hair blow lightly in the breeze, "and I can't very well let you walk away without me first explaining my intentions toward you."
"Apparently your intentions are to leave me in the lurch!" Lily bawled angrily, glaring menacingly into James' twinkling eyes.
"Ahh, but you are very wrong, my vivacious redhead!" James started in a matter-o-fact tone; "my intentions are to ask you to be my girlfriend when you are least expecting it! I can't very well ask you to go out with me when you are anticipating such a question!"
"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Lily sighed in an incensed tone, her smile starting to reappear, "it could have saved you a lot of unnecessary name calling,"
"Because you're so sexy when you're all hot and bothered," James said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"I am going to throttle you!" Lily screamed laughably, mocking an infuriated tone as she clung onto James tighter, "but I think I'll wait until we get back on solid ground,"
"Throttle me? I like the sound of that..." James whispered seductively, cocking an eyebrow and nodding like a retarded bobble-head.
Lily slapped James across the chest good-naturedly and grasped onto him tightly as he inclined his broom back to the ground. Once they had landed, Lily began to feebly try to "throttle" James, though her plans did not succeed as he instead tickled her and started giving her piggybacks around the pitch.
"I think you should make this part of your Quidditch training," Lily chirped contently as James did laps with her on his back, "it will strengthen your back and arm muscles,"
"If I had any more muscles I would be on the cover of Witch Weekly!" James bragged proudly, laughing as Lily messed up his hair in protest, "then, I 'd be so hot that you'd start calling me a sex god,"
"IMAGINE I'd ever call you that! I would rather drown," Lily announced gleefully, laughing as James screwed up his face in insult.
"Well, my dear Lily, that can be arranged," James said, grinning like a fool as he raced toward the lake with Lily still on his back.
"JAMES! PUT ME DOWN!" Lily shouted stridently, trying to struggle off of James' back as the lake came into view, "JAMES POTTER!"
"Call me a sex god and I'll put you down!" James grinned idiotically as he stood on the lake's shore with Lily tittering over the water, "scream to the world how sexy you think I am!"
"I WOULD RATHER LICK THE BOTTOM OF SEVERUS SNAPE'S FEET!" Lily screamed out triumphantly, shrilly yelping as her pajama- clad body made contact with the icy water of the lake.
James sat on the shore of the lake, hugging his knees to his chest and grinning as Lily's tuff of red hair surfaced. With her wet hair sticking to her face like seaweed, Lily marched out of the lake and gave James a constricting hug, causing him to burst into laughter as his Quidditch uniform started to absorb excess water.
"I've never seen you so eager to give me a hug before. I should have known you had ulterior motives," James said absurdly, tickling Lily's neck as she wrung out her hair over his face.
"O, James! You know I love you!" Lily piped between giggles, "even more than the bottom of Snape's feet!"
"Please stop mentioning that. The image of you sucking on that sod's toes is enough to make me overdose on essence of murtlap," James said in a shocking tone, scrunching up his nose in repugnance.
"You fancy purple ear-hair, do you?" Lily inquired teasingly, learning of the odd after effect of ingesting such a liquid in Herbology, "personally, I believe purple is your color,"
"I would fancy purple ear-hair over the thought of you and Snape!" James retorted stubbornly, the possessive and protective side of his personality showing, "the thought of him touching you repulses me,"
"You're just jealous because I'm sucking on his toes and not yours!" Lily brashly announced, grinning wildly at James' scandalized expression.
"That is disgusting. You most certainly deserve another dunk in the lake for such a comment!" James started, approaching a smirking Lily, "or, you could make mad love to me in repentance. It's your choice."
The loud spatter emitted from Lily jumping in the lake caused James to sigh tiredly and mutter, "Maybe next time." Jumping into the cool lake to join a bobbing Lily, James made his way over to her wading figure and laughed as she splashed water in his face in a good-natured way.
"You'll be sopping wet during your Quidditch practice, you know," Lily stated happily, swimming toward James and latching onto his back to rest her limbs, "I don't suppose Captain Smith will be too happy with his star chaser skiving off practice,"
"I wouldn't worry your pretty little head over it," James cooed mockingly, getting his head dunked underwater and sputtering, "and besides, practice hasn't even started,"
"Then why do I see Gryffindor Quidditch players flying over the pitch?" Lily inquired in amusement, watching the expression on James' face grow stony.
"Shit," James muttered, swimming towards the shore with Lily in tow.
With a sharp wrist movement and the muttering of a makeshift incantation, James dried his drenched robes, though the water wrinkles remained. Lily tittered as James poured water out of his leather Quidditch boots and groaned. No amount of magic would prepare him for the upcoming blisters.
"I would offer to walk you to the castle doors, but as I received a stern yelling match the last time, I'll leave you to it," James said in a quick and concise fashion, pecking Lily on the cheek before summoning his lacquered broom and bawling toward the Quidditch pitch, "I'll catch up with you later!"
Lily sprawled out along the banks of the lake in silence, watching the giant squid's spasms on the opposite side. Out of the tip of her wand spouted warm air that she used to dry her pathetic looking pajamas, and, with the hair elastic around her wrist, Lily braided her hair and tied it back neatly. It wasn't the best of times to take a dip, for the weather was starting to turn cool and brightly colored leaves were abandoning their trees, but Lily was content and truly felt safe in the embracing arms of Hogwarts.
The redhead's tranquil thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the loud and scrambled singing of a large, wild looking man from across the lake. By the abandoned cottage was a gruff looking chap with a bushy beard and merry eyes carrying a bucket as big as a swimming pool with him as he approached the motionless lake. Lily recognized the massive man as Hagrid, the fellow she and James had run into a few weeks back.
"Hello, Hagrid," Lily greeted politely, having walked around the lake to curiously inquire as to what he was up to.
"Lily!" Hagrid managed as he squinted through watery eyes, "good 'ter see yah! Been awhile, eh? I've got the gate's keepin' job since the last time we chatt'd!"
Hagrid's face gleamed with gladness as he started to list all of the duties his job entitled. Little things like trimming the hedges positively delighted him. Hagrid would be taking up residence in the derelict cottage by the Forbidden Forest along with his wrinkled pup, Fang, which he explained was a perk of holding such a position at Hogwarts.
"I'm about 'ter head up 'ter breakfast. Just got 'ter take care of these plimpies first!" Hagrid said cheerfully, motioning his saucer-sized hands toward a bucket of spherical fish, each with two rubbery legs and webbed feet.
"Plimpies?" Lily asked in utter confusion, kneeling down to peer in the murky bucket full of fish and green lake water.
"Never seen a plimpy before, eh?" Hagrid asked, eagerly ready to explain the creatures to Lily, "the plimpies lurks in shallow pools o' water, eatin' mostly sea snails. The mer people ain't too fond o' them. Call 'um pests and tie 'der legs together, causin' 'um to drift away,"
"What are you doing with them?" Lily inquired, looking at the rather ugly fish with distaste etched onto her face. She leaned forward to get a closer look, but was roughly pulled back by Hagrid.
"Don' get ter' close, now!" Hagrid said in urgency, "get ter' close an' they'll spit poisonous venom in yer eye!"
"Lovely," Lily muttered softly, taking ten colossal steps backwards.
"Dumbledore ordered some plimpies ter' replenish the school o' fish eaten by the merrows," Hagrid said, puffing out his chest as he talked about Dumbledore, "an' he made it my job to habitat um' in the lake!"
Lily could see by the mere mention of Dumbledore's name that Hagrid admired him greatly. Not only was it apparent he admired Dumbledore, but also that he adored all kinds of magical creatures. Lily silently wished he could replace their malicious Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Malastar.
"You better head up ter' breakfast now before all the toast gets cold!" Hagrid said affectionately, shooing Lily from the bucket of silver fish, "stop 'round the cottage for some tea an' me famous rock cakes sometim', yer hear?"
°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸
"ROXANNE! YOU NEED TO FACE THE TRUTH!" Sirius shouted vociferously, pounding his fists comically on the Gryffindor lunch table as Lily entered the Great Hall in a dry and pressed uniform, "YOU LOVE ME AND YOU WANT MY CHILDREN!"
"HAVING YOUR CHILDREN WOULD REQUIRE TOUCHING YOU, SOMETHING I WOULDN'T DO IF IT WAS MANDATORY TO RE-POPULATE THE EARTH!" Roxanne screamed back angrily, her face growing red as she harshly stabbed at her scrambled eggs and shoved them into her mouth.
"Erica told me you waited up in the common room for me all night," Sirius commented teasingly, quieting down and enjoying the uncomfortable and furious expression crossing Roxanne's face, "why would you do that if you weren't utterly infatuated with me?"
"I didn't wait up for you!" Roxanne spat in her defense, glaring daggers as Erica eluded eye contact and awkwardly started to whistle, "I went down to the common room because I was tired and Lily was...er...snoring!"
"Hey! I don't snore!" Lily retorted confusedly as she entered the Great Hall and took a seat at the Gryffindor table, "Hello, Sirius. When did you arrive back at school?"
"Just ten minutes ago," Sirius said, filling his silver plate with mountains of breakfast food and giving Lily a cheery greeting, "Roxanne here was just confessing her love for me when you interjected,"
"If you don't quit saying that, Black, I will remove the reason you wear a jock strap," Roxanne hissed in a menacing tone, causing Sirius' smile to broaden and him to chuckle uneasily.
"Have you ever considered enrolling in anger management, Roxanne?" Sirius inquired calmly, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice, "if you don't gain control of your anger, you may end up in the mental ward at Azkaban,"
"Well, Azkaban is miles upon miles away from here, so, on the bright side, I would be far away FROM YOU!" Roxanne emphasized boisterously, smiling as Erica and Remus chortled in their morning juice.
"In my personal opinion," Remus started, butting in before Sirius could come up with another witty comment, "you both belong in an insane asylum. Maybe you could get married on the steps of Azkaban,"
Lily and Erica burst into hysterical laughter, what with Roxanne turning an enraged purple color and Sirius grinning from ear to ear. Roxanne bent back her fork and flung a small morsel of egg at Remus, though it missed by a mile.
"You are suppose to be on my side, Remus!" Roxanne sighed, though a slight smile was threatening to escape and ruin her stubborn facade.
"Hey! Remus is a Marauder, like me! He would obviously be on my side," Sirius shot back, grinning as Remus gave Sirius a quick wink, "Speaking of Marauders, where exactly is James?"
"O! There is a Quidditch practice this morning!" Lily piped in, forgetting Sirius was part of the team as her attention wavered from her waffles, "if I were you I would hurry onto the pitch. Captain Smith didn't seem too pleasant this morning,"
"GOOD LORD, LILY! YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME SOONER!" Sirius cried out in panic, chomping down on a piece of toast as he sprang from the bench and toward the door, "SMITH IS GOING TO MURDER ME!"
"GOOD!" Roxanne yelled out as Sirius exited the hall with a burst of energy, "then we would be rid of the YOU,"
"You will never be rid of me, darling!" Sirius shouted flirtatiously, making many girls swoon as he closed the door with a snap, his charming smile causing many to crane their necks uncomfortably to get a last look at him.
Roxanne crossly observed all the girls in the hall giggle and start chatting as Sirius left the hall; it felt like an irate feline was clawing inside of her stomach. It was strange, how at the measly sight of Sirius smiling or nodding his head curtly at another girl made her boil over with jealousy. Roxanne would most certainly have to acquire something to distract her thoughts from Sirius Black...
"Why is it seventy-five percent of the female population completely adores Sirius?" Roxanne inquired bluntly, obstinately glaring at a jug of pumpkin juice, "I mean, what exactly makes him so appealing to everyone?"
"Probably his dashing good looks, charming attitude, money and Quidditch talent," Erica answered, subtly winking at a slightly downtrodden Remus, immediately picking up his spirits.
"And, may I add, more like ninety-seven percent of the female population is in love with him. The only two girls I know not totally obsessed with him are Erica and I," Lily smiled teasingly.
"Excuse me! I do NOT like Sirius Black, clear?" Roxanne sputtered in an aggravated tone, viciously cutting her fritters, "why you all believe I do is beyond me and I-,"
"Hi there, Roxanne," a strikingly handsome boy behind Roxanne cut in, his deep voice causing her to drop her fork and turn around in surprise.
"Er...hello Vince," Roxanne greeted, her voice meekly faltering as she laid eyes upon the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain she once had a crush on, "how...are you?"
Remus, Erica and Lily all looked at eachother in surprised manners, then turned their attention toward the good- looking blonde boy with intrigue and suspicion. Lily couldn't help but grin as the image of Vince with a bloodied nose surfaced in her memory...
"Excellent. My morning seems to be getting better and better," confessed confidently, flashing Roxanne a toothy smile and arrogantly cocking an eyebrow, "may I speak to you...alone?"
"Of course!" Roxanne replied cheerfully, taking Vince's hand and walking toward one of the Great Hall's expansive corners. Erica and Lily rapidly exchanged curious glances before Roxanne disappeared from view, a flabbergasted smile on her pretty face.
"What'd you figure he is up to?" Lily inquired hastily to Erica and Remus, many different scenarios playing out in her mind as she and Erica exchanged excitable looks.
"I'll take a guess and say Vince is asking her to the Halloween Ball," Remus estimated almost reluctantly; he knew Sirius would NOT be pleased. That was probably the reason Vince decided to ask Roxanne after Sirius had left the building.
"Bloody hell!" Erica gasped, her eyes igniting with exhilaration, "this is so stirring! I wonder if she will say yes? I thought for sure Sirius would ask her..."
"So did I," Remus muttered apprehensively, looking around the hall to see if he could spot the pair, "I have a feeling Sirius assumed they were going together,"
"You mean Sirius didn't think anyone would ask Roxanne to go?" Lily inquired skeptically, scrunching up her nose in mystification.
"I expect Sirius didn't think any guy would be daring enough to ask her under his nose," Remus whispered, intending Lily and Erica to be the only ones to hear, "but you know Sirius, it's just his stubbornness,"
"Well, if he technically didn't ask Roxanne she has every right to find someone else," Lily stated thoughtfully, grudgingly saying the word "technically" for the second time during this morning.
"You're right, but Sirius won't be pleased," Remus mumbled tiredly, though he sharply looked up as Derek Mitchell approached the Gryffindor table. A soft groan escaped Remus' throat.
"Lily...has James asked you to the ball?" Remus hissed softly, giving Lily an intent stare and breaking up the conversation about Roxanne and Vince.
"Well...er...no, but," Lily started to say, swirls of confusion forming in her emerald eyes as Remus grilled her about the ball.
"Then I suggest you start running," Remus said seriously, getting up from his seat and grabbing Lily's arm, trying to usher her from the hall. Erica's eyes widened as she realized why Remus wanted Lily out of the Hall...Derek Mitchell.
"Remus! What are you doin-,"
"Hello, Lily, Remus," Derek Mitchell greeted in a deep and shiver inspiring voice, coming up from behind the two and stepping in their path toward the door, "long time no chat,"
The tall Ravenclaw smirked pompously as Lily's eyes opened and a sense of dawning spread over her porcelain features. Remus was trying to prevent Derek from asking Lily to the ball; she was sure of that.
"Yes, yes. We must be going, urgent prefects meeting to attend!" Remus said cuttingly, sidestepping a grimacing Derek and pulling Lily towards the Great Hall exit.
"One moment!" Derek retorted, grabbing onto Lily's arm so Remus could drag her no further, "I need to talk to Lily for a moment, about the ball-"
"I'm afraid you'll have to chat later, got it?" Remus replied in a tone that did not at all insinuate politeness, "now let go of her arm before I transfigure you into a beetle and turn you into my newest potion ingredient,"
"Are you threatening me, Lupin?" Derek growled, tightening his grip on Lily's arm and frightening Lily with his overbearing presence.
"Derek, you're hurting me! Let go!" Lily managed painfully, wanting to get far away from Derek before Remus did anything stupid.
"Lily, I need to talk to you-,"
"Aguamenti!" Remus shouted in an angry voice, water spouting from the end of his wand and jetting into Derek's face, " and, yes, I'm threatening you, Mitchell. Try not to forget that,"
Derek recoiled in surprise, the water meekly stinging his eyes and soaking his uniform. He let go of Lily's arm to wipe the liquid off of his face, giving Remus ample time to beckon a bemused Erica over to him and exit the hall with the two stunned women.
Derek, fuming for being embarrassed in front of the few students watching the verbal exchange, rampaged toward the three friends.
"Colloportus!" Remus shouted casually over his shoulder, smirking as the Great Hall doors slammed in Derek's face and magically locked. Erica giggled at the muffled yelling that could be heard from behind the wooden doors and latched onto Remus' arm.
"Was that really necessary, Remus?" Lily inquired in an irritated voice, tucking her hair behind her ears, "it would have been simpler if you had let him ask me to the ball,"
"You want to go with him?" Remus asked skeptically, stopping abruptly to turn and face Lily, "because that guy is a prick and a half!"
"Of course I don't want to go with him!" Lily retorted in annoyance, "if he asked me to go with him I would reject him on the spot!"
"Yes, but do you honestly think he would accept your rejection unless you said you were going with someone else?" Remus countered logically, looking at Lily as if she were a clueless child, "Derek is not the type to accept defeat,"
"He couldn't very well force me to go with him!" Lily spat, her brows furrowed and a defiant look upon her usually sweet face, "contrary to what you and James believe, I do possess a backbone,"
"I'm sorry. I was only trying to help," Remus said, a teasing grin appearing, "I can't help but get a little hot-headed about guys asking you out,"
"Why?" Lily asked inquisitively, lightening up a little bit because of Remus' bashful air.
"Because, I see you as...well...almost like a little sister," Remus offered gladly, "I don't want to see you hurt or your happiness comprised by a jerk like Mitchell,"
Lily smiled melodiously and immediately forgot about any anger she felt towards Remus. Lupin was such a sweet guy and was absolutely PERFECT for Erica! Lily shook her head at Remus and gave him a large bear hug, making Remus relax and roll his eyes jokingly.
"Thank you, Remus, but next time I believe you should let me handle my own problems,"
"Agreed!"
Lily scampered off to collect her Transfiguration books, Roxanne catching up with her along her way to the girls' dormitory. Erica and Remus made their way toward the Transfiguration classroom, hand in hand. The scowls from on looking girls didn't frighten Erica; they made her smile broaden and her grip tighten.
"Do you think of Roxanne as a sister too, Remus?" Erica softly inquired, content to simply hold onto his hand and walk.
"Yes. I've grown rather fond of all three of you. James and Sirius have as well," Remus commented serenely, basking in the sunlight pouring in through the castle windows and closing his eyes for only a moment.
"What do you think of me," Erica asked shyly, blushing as Remus turned toward her and grinned cheekily.
"Lets just say I don't think of you as a sister," Remus whispered slyly, snaking his arm around Erica's waist and walking into a classroom full of jealous women with the girl he had fallen head- over- heels for.
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James and Sirius were sitting tiredly on a wooden bench in the Gryffindor locker room, both with fluffy, white towels wrapped around their waists. Captain Smith had not been pleased with them both showing up for practice late and in a disheveled states.
"If you two don't start showing up for practice on time I will have you both thrown off the team, clear?" Gerald Smith spat scornfully, towel drying his hair and glaring at the two Marauders.
"I suppose James and I will just have to join the Hufflepuff team, then. They are doing quite poorly this season," Sirius jibbed teasingly, pulling on his school uniform and smiling at the distraught- looking Smith.
Gerald Smith gave James and Sirius menacing glowers before picking up his broom and Quidditch bag and storming out of the changing room, leaving the two Marauders alone in the hot and steamy locker room.
"That's swell, Sirius. Get the captain even more worked up, why don't you?" James yawned despairingly, "I don't know about you, but I'm not up to becoming all chummy with the Hufflepuffs,"
"Nor I, Potter!" Sirius announced enthusiastically, "but we both know he would never kick us off the team because we are two of the best players, not to mention Gerald hates losing Quidditch matches,"
"All I'm saying is don't push your luck," James said, cracking a smile as his comment registered and contradicted most of his actions during school, "without Quidditch, how could I possibly enjoy school?"
"Well," Sirius started, a lop-sided grin appearing, "I'm sure there is one special flower that could keep you entertained,"
James couldn't help but beam, for he knew if he had a choice between Lily and Quidditch at Hogwarts, he would surely pick the feisty redhead over the sport he adored.
"Speaking of Lily," Sirius whispered mischievously, coming around from behind James with a twinkle in his eyes, "have you asked her to go to the Halloween Ball yet?"
The Halloween Ball...JAMES HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT!
"Bloody hell! The ball completely slipped my mind!" James sputtered, having had other pressing problems to worry about lately, "what if someone already asked her and she said YES?"
"Then you're screwed, my friend," Sirius replied, laughably watching James scramble around the locker room, picking up his stuff hurriedly so he could bound up to the castle, "but I bet no other guy has dared to ask Lily, not if they knew how... displeased you would be,"
"Merlin, I really messed up this time," James moaned angrily, hurdling out of the changing room and toward the castle with Sirius casually running beside him, "what if she thinks I forgot about her? Girls' minds always come up with the worst possible explanations!"
"Stop fretting, James! Just because you technically haven't asked her yet, doesn't mean she will say yes to the first bloke that does!" Sirius said flatly, though he was surprised to see James' expression grow even more hysterical and frantic.
"Did you just say "technically", Sirius?" James groaned loudly and recalled what Lily had said to him only an hour ago.
"Technically we aren't actually a couple," Lily began, getting up into a sitting position as James jerked his head away and looked at her skeptically.
"What do you mean?" James asked in a puzzled and almost nervous voice, "Don't you want us to be...?"
"I only meant you haven't asked me..."
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Lily and Roxanne entered the grand, circular transfiguration classroom chatting away like eager nifflers searching for shiny objects. Along the way, Roxanne had explained that Vince had indeed asked her to the Ball and she had accepted, causing anticipation to grow with the thought of dress shopping. Lily was getting quite worried that James wasn't going to ask her...
"Bugger, where are we going to sit, Lily?" Roxanne inquired as they entered the classroom to find there were no two empty desks beside eachother, "I guess I'll grab a seat next to Marissa LaBell,"
Lily was distressed to find the only two spots left to sit were beside Rochelle and Derek Mitchell. The redhead begrudgingly took a seat beside Derek, who had called her over from across the large, sandstone room. Roxanne and Lily made eye contact and Roxanne looked about ready to trade spots with her, but Lily waved her off and took out her notebook.
"I was hoping you would come to find me and apologize for Remus," Derek triumphantly whispered, leaning in towards Lily with a conceited smirk, "but no need. I forgive you,"
"Not to sound rude, but I only sat here because I would rather sit beside you than Rochelle, not because I wanted to apologize," Lily replied shortly, though she was agitated to observe Derek's smile broadening.
"I don't mind you playing hard-to-get, Lily. I do love a challenge," Derek said in a deep and seductive voice, his hand finding Lily's knee.
"Get-your-hand-off-of-me!" Lily hissed, taking out her wand and giving Derek a slight burn on the top of his hand. This caused him to jerk backwards in pain and curse loudly.
"Feisty!" Derek whispered huskily, his calculating eyes never leaving Lily.
"I'll show you feisty if you don't keep your hands to yourself," Lily threatened menacingly, glaring at Derek before opening up her textbook and ignoring him completely.
Remus watched the exchange from across the room and did NOT look content...
"Why do you look ready to murder someone, Remus?" Erica inquired curiously, rolling her eyes at his flinty expression.
"Did you happen to glimpse whom Lily is sitting beside?" Remus asked between gritted teeth, "if that bastard doesn't stop harassing her I'm going over there,"
"You promised, Remus," Erica added sternly, grasping his hand firmly, "let Lily handle him. If she needed our help we would know,"
Remus turned back to his parchment as James and Sirius waltzed into the Transfiguration classroom, both looking out of breath. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips together in a disciplined manner and, observing that there were no more empty desks, transfigured two ink bottles into desks for them. James and Sirius took seats behind Remus and Erica on the right side of the classroom.
"Now that everyone has arrived, we will begin to practice turning hedgehogs into fine-toothed combs," McGonagall started briskly, directions appearing on the blank chalkboard at the front of the classroom, "you have an hour to achieve this task,"
McGonagall distributed the hedgehogs and the class began trying to turn them into brushes; James, Sirius and Remus achieved the task within the first five minutes.
"Oi! Remus," James called out, tapping him on the left shoulder, "where are Lily and Roxanne? Haven't they arrived to class yet?"
"Roxanne is over there," Remus pointed, "sitting beside that Ravenclaw girl...what was her name again? And Lily...she's over there sitting with Derek Mitchell,"
"What?" James inquired skeptically, craning his head and seeing Lily feebly trying to transfigure her hedgehog with Derek observing and questioning her every move, "how did she end up over there?"
"I saw Derek deliberately move from beside his friend and to that empty desk when Lily arrived," Erica added, rolling her eyes, "he's been trying to ask her to the ball all day,"
"WHAT?" James shouted loudly, pounding a gritty fist onto his desk in horror, "she didn't say yes? Did she?"
Many of the students around James turned to look at him inquisitively, including an intrigued Roxanne. Sirius and Roxanne made eye contact for a fleeting moment before she turned back to her rampaging hedgehog.
"I...I'm not sure!" Erica sputtered as she glimpsed James in a frenzied state, "I expect she said no, after all, she despises the guy,"
"Derek has been all over Lily since the beginning of class, get my drift?" Remus whispered to James heatedly, watching his eyes grow wide.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Sirius inquired skeptically as he heard James trying to suppress his growls of rage, "he hasn't touched her, has he?"
"I would consider constricting her arm and feeling up her leg touching, wouldn't you?" Remus said in a ghost of a whisper, his concerned, gray eyes meeting up with James' enraged ones.
"I'm going to fucking slaughter that arrogant git," James started, getting up from his seat and heading toward Lily.
"Wait!" Remus yelled, pulling James back into his seat roughly, "Lily will get mad if you make a scene and get up in Derek's face, believe me, I learned that this morning,"
"Fine. I won't get angry or curse off his face, but I'm still bringing Lily over here with us or staying with her there," James said firmly, fire still burning in his eyes, "but if he lays another hand on her I don't care how angry she gets with me,"
James got up once more and sauntered over to where Lily sat, many girls fluttering their eyelashes wildly as he passed. This he ignored as he pulled up a chair next to a flustered and annoyed Lily Evans.
"Common, Lily! I know you've always had a crush on me, why keep denying your feelings?" Derek questioned, looking at Lily sympathetically as she ignored him and jibbed her wand in her hedgehogs back, hoping it would transfigure, "come to the ball with me?"
"No,"
"You know I like you quite a bit, don't you?" Derek sputtered almost angrily as Lily continued to ignore him and poke at her hedgehog.
"Really, Mitchell? I never knew you felt that way for me," James commented lightly as he valiantly pulled up a chair beside a relieved- looking Lily, "who knew you were a homosexual?"
"Potter," Derek muttered scathingly, the word rolling off his tongue like it was poison, "what.do.you.want."
"Nothing to do with you, sorry. You'll have to find another Hogwarts male to fall in love with," James replied, casually smirked as Lily eyed him humorously, "I came over here because I wanted to spend some quality time with my date for the Halloween Ball,"
Derek was outwardly seething as he watched James gently grab Lily's hand and kiss the top of it in a gentlemanly fashion. The slight blush that crept onto Lily's cheek and the smile at the mention of them attending the ball together sent Derek Mitchell over the deep end.
"You mean to say you and James are going the Ball together, Lily?" Derek asked, his temper flaring and his eyes burning deeply into the pair.
"Yes," Lily said softly as she latched onto James' tender hand and got up from her seat, "I was trying to tell you, but you wouldn't let me get a word in edge-wise,"
Lily and James walked away from Derek, who was red in the face from humiliation and anger, and took seats with the rest of their friends. When Derek's attention focused back on his desk, he found a little piece of scrunched up parchment residing where his hedgehog once was.
Mess with the Marauders and you're bound to get hurt
Find snakes in your bed or hedgehogs up your shirt
So heed this warning, my good sir
Or that pesky rodent won't be the only one with fur
-J.P, S.B, R.L
Derek Mitchell's shocking shriek could be heard from across the classroom as he found his assigned hedgehog squirming inside of his uniform pants. Derek unbuckled his belt and pulled down his pants, revealing an unattractive pair of boxers and a furrowed hedgehog that had fallen at his feet. The class burst into splendid laughter, especially because of the pattern on Derek's boxers, little gnomes dancing. The Marauders had tears streaming down the sides' of their faces along with the rest of the class.
"Honestly, Mitchell! I knew you liked men, but hedgehogs? That's raunchy!" James shouted out happily, gaining an infuriated glare from Derek and more laughter from the class.
"We'll have to warn the Hufflepuff mascot about Derek's fetish! After all, badgers are closely related to hedgehogs!" Sirius added, causing Derek to flush and the class to further keel over in laughter.
"How dare you embarrass me-," Derek Mitchell started, approaching the Marauders and Lily in a startling rage.
"What was that you said about your BARE ASS, Mitchell?" Sirius asked incredibly loudly, "because I think we would all prefer you stop gallivanting around the classroom with your pants around your ankles,"
Professor McGonagall didn't hear the Marauders' taunts, for she was flitting around the classroom trying to quiet everyone down. Lily, Roxanne and Erica were huddled together in a corner, each hyperventilating because of the intense laughter that had overcome them.
"Mr. Mitchell! Pull up your pants at once!" Professor McGonagall said in a flustered manner, shaking her head at the Ravenclaw boy, "ten points from Ravenclaw for inappropriate exposure!"
"But...but Professor! It's not my fault, it was the Maraud-," Derek started to sputter before McGonagall turned on her heel and marched to the front of the classroom.
"No excuses, Mr. Mitchell! CLASS DISMISSED!"
For a fleeting moment, amongst the crowd of retreating students, Derek Mitchell glimpsed James, Sirius and Remus giving eachother high-fives and laughing until their faces turned blue.
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After having endured an afternoon of hilarity and two more classes, the Gryffindor group of friends headed to the Great Hall, hoping to scarf down some delicious foods. Dinner that night had been pleasant, that is, until Roxanne revealed to Sirius Black whom she was going to the Halloween Ball with...
"Whadda you mean, you're going with Vince?" Sirius demanded skeptically, accidentally throwing his fork across the Gryffindor table and dinging Peter in the forehead, "he's that arrogant berk I hit in the face with a bludger, isn't he?"
"He isn't arrogant, Sirius!" Roxanne spat, once again mutilating her food as frustration bubbled up inside of her, "he is kind, studious and completely gorgeous!"
"So? I have all that and more!" Sirius retorted, jabbing at a piece of pork and stuffing it into his mouth bitterly. He couldn't believe Roxanne had accepted Vince's invitation to the ball and not his.
"Well, you aren't exactly studious, Sirius," James snorted before being silenced by Sirius' deadly glower.
"And you refer to him as arrogant? You are such a hypocrite, Sirius!" Roxanne sighed, sipping her pumpkin juice and glaring.
"I call it "confidence", ok? And I'm no hippopotamus," Sirius said sourly, his gang of friends rolling their eyes as he mistook the word "hypocrite" for an African animal.
Roxanne and Sirius' banter was interrupted when James' owl, Lenny, swooped in through one of the Great Hall's windows and dropped a tied piece of parchment onto James' plate full of gravy. Screwing his face up in disgust, James unrolled the paper and started to read his father's handwriting.
To James and Sirius,
I thought that the two of you (especially Sirius) were entitled to learn of some information recently uncovered about the corpse obtained at Hogwarts, partly because of your involvement in the case. Using various methods of magical forensics, the Ministry found out this morning that the body found in the tunnel belongs to a Cletus Cyprian, the brother of your Astronomy teacher, Cristoforo Cyprian.
This information will all be included on the front-page article of the Daily Prophet tomorrow, however, the Ministry has decided to declare the body was found in Hogsmeade as opposed to Hogwarts. We didn't want any parents or students in Hogwarts to become worried if we said the body were found there, and that is why this decision has been made. I implore you and Sirius to keep your mouths shut about finding the body, so as not to taint Hogwarts' reputation. There will, of course, be a further investigation as to why and how Cletus died, but that information still eludes us at the moment.
On a lighter note, James, your mother and I will be in Hogsmeade this Saturday night to take care of some ministry affairs. Would you like to have dinner with us at 9 o'clock at the Three Broomsticks? I believe this weekend is a special Hogsmeade weekend for the students to shop for the Halloween Ball, am I right? You can ask Sirius and any of your other friends to come along too if you like (WINK LILY WINK).
Owl me back about dinner on Saturday,
Landon
Potter, Minister of Magic
(AKA Dad)
"Who is sending you letters at this time of the night?" Erica inquired curiously as she and the others watched James' eyes scan the letter over once more, "girls from your fan club?"
"Don't tell me it's another love letter!" Remus said jokingly, causing Lily to perk up in interest and Roxanne and Sirius to turn toward James.
"OOO love letters! James Potter, you popular player, you!" Roxanne said flirtatiously, mockingly fluttering her eyelashes.
"Stop quivering and cooing like a retarded school girl, would you? It's sickening," Sirius started, looking at Roxanne in what seemed to be disappointment. It was obvious he was inwardly hurting because she and Vince were going to the dance together.
"O, shettup, Sirius! You're just jealous I'm cooing at James and not you,"
"Since when does he receive love letters?" Lily interjected in outrage, forgetting to seem indifferent and ignoring Sirius and Roxanne, "how many letters does he get, Remus?"
"Remus is teasing, Lily," James said simply, smirking and shaking his head as Remus started to laugh, "it's a letter from my father. Turns out the man that was murdered was Cletus Cyprian, our dear Astronomy teacher's brother,"
The entire groups' heads all whipped around toward the staff table; they found Cyprian's seat empty and his dinner plate sparkling clean.
"I knew I recognized that man!" Lily whispered in awe, her eyes glazing over as she recalled the image of the dead corpse, "he looks just like Cyprian!"
"Why would anyone want Cyprians' brother dead?" Erica asked in a hushed voice so no one else could hear her except her friends, "and I wonder who killed him...?"
"Good question," Remus commented, scratching the top of his head as he started to think up possible solutions, "it all depends what side he is on. If he's a deatheater he could have enclosed explosive information that he threatened to reveal, if he's on our side he could have endangered Voldermort in some way and was killed, or he could have been a nobody that was randomly murdered,"
"I can't imagine his death being random," James muttered logically, capturing the attention of everyone, "what I'm interested to know is was Cletus fleeing from Hogwarts or into Hogwarts?"
"You want to know if the killer is external or internal, am I right?" Sirius inquired, wondering the same thing, "I hope the killer doesn't belong to Hogwarts,"
"But it would make more sense if the killer was from Hogwarts, I mean, how else would Cletus have ended up in a secret passage not known to many people?" Lily wondered aloud, watching as many people left the Great Hall to get ready for bed, "unless the killer once went to Hogwarts and remembered about the passage?"
"We'll just have to wait for more information from the Ministry, I suppose," Remus said quietly, rising from his seat and stretching like a tired lion, "anyone want to head up to the dormitories with me?"
Erica and Peter joined Remus and left the Gryffindor dining table, Roxanne and Sirius following soon after. James and Lily heard Roxanne and Sirius' spiteful arguments echoing even after they had left the Great Hall and started to ascend the Grand Staircase.
There was a silence in the Great Hall that followed, James and Lily stared at eachother quizzically, both having ample things to think about.
"I'm sorry I didn't ask you to the ball sooner," James finally mustered, warming Lily's hands with his own, "everything going on lately momentarily distracted me,"
"That's alright, James. But dare I use the word "technically" again...?" Lily started mischievously, smirking as James groaned, smiled, and rolled his eyes.
"I have a question for you, Lily," James said romantically, kneeling before Lily and bashfully grinning, "would you do me the honor of letting me accompany you to the Halloween Ball this Sunday?"
Lily paused for a moment and smiled sweetly at James. She couldn't help but notice how bloody good- looking and cute James was, kneeling before her with one of her hands tucked neatly into hers.
"Well, Mr. Potter, I'll have to think about it," Lily retorted brashly, snubbing her nose up at James and snootily swaying out of the Great Hall.
James looked flabbergasted; he burst out into splendid, choked laughter and ran full speed after a giggling Lily Evans. James caught up to Lily when he reached the top of the Grand Staircase and promptly scooped her up into his arms.
"I forgot to tell you, Lily, you aren't allowed to think about it. You are only allowed to say yes," James said matter-o-factly, nodding his head vigorously as Lily watched him in amusement.
"Well...I suppose I could go with you, but only if you don't dress up in some dopey costume that'll embarrass me," Lily replied, chuckling at James' outraged expression.
"But I was planning on dressing up as a flobberworm!" James pouted jokingly, flashing Lily a pair of puppy-dog eyes that welled over with sadness.
Lily and James happily clambered up the stairs to the seventh floor, both laughing and discussing the upcoming ball and Hogsmeade weekend. Lily felt truly relaxed when she was with James, though she felt an odd pang in her heart as she walked by the third floor corridor...
Lily and James did not notice the shrouded figure disguised in the shadows behind a pillar watching them with keen interest...
"Rest for now, Lily Evans, for in late November, whilst bathing in the glow of Pisces, will your adventure continue to unfold,"
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»-(¯v´¯)-»IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTES»-(¯v´¯)-»
Hello everybody! I sincerely hope this chapter was up to everyone's expectations! So now you know who was murdered...nobody guessed it was Cyprian's brother, but how could you? It's not like I've mentioned him before:P The top three guesses were Regulus Black, Cyprian himself and James' father. IT WOULD BE SO SAD IF I KILLED OFF JAMES' FATHER! IM NOT THAT CRUEL! Ok, so now I have some important things to announce.
I HAVE MADE A FLY ME TO THE MOON WEBSITE FOR THIS STORY, IF YOU WANT TO CHECK IT OUT, HERE IT IS!
www. flymetothemoonstory .piczo .com
The password is WELCOME.
PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES TOO!
"Irish Butterfly" and "Petal in the Rain"
Please remember THIS STORY is my first priority
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Thank you to EVERYONE who has taken the time to review! I really appreciate reviews and I almost always reply to a review if a question is posed in it. Also, for all those people anonymously reviewing in order to demand I review in a RUDE fashion, could you possibly lighten up:) I try my best to write whenever I can, and being unfriendly doesn't motivate me.
PLEASE CONTINUE READING AND REVIEWING! (also, at the end of your review, if you like, leave your country of origin! I find it so interesting that people from all over the world read this story. SO COOL and exciting:)
Thank you!
–pratty prongs princesse