A/N: I hope you'll all forgive my absence. I was currently completely engrossed in the Twilight series. I just finished the third book and I started the first 4 days ago. I think I have a new obsession although it couldn't take me away from my beloved favourite series. HP will always be my fave. Anyway, this chapter is pretty good I think...you actually might (if you know Twlight) see some of that influence in the way they come up with a plan...bouncing off ideas and anticipating the enemies move...hahah oh dear, will I suddenly start writing Twlight fanfic?? Anyway - enjoy and thanks :)

Formulating a Plan

MARY POV

I awoke for the third time to nothing. No Sirius holding my hand by me deathbed. No weeping Lily professing that it was all over. And most thankfully, no Death Eaters awaiting my arousal to inflict more torture upon me. I raised my head, the little I could manage and looked around the room with squinting eyes. It was the first time I'd really surveyed the room since I'd been here, for what seemed like days but was probably still under the 24 hour mark. It was uncomfortably dim and cold in this room and I wondered if it might be in the dungeons. No, that was too easily found, I remembered that today was Monday and it meant we had Potions in the afternoon. Sirius would instinctively know if I was close I hoped. We had become strangely attuned to each other's presence, I suppose it was our magical abilities that intensified this muggle-like bond, but the knowledge of its existence only made me feel worse. I couldn't be in the dungeons. They would've found me already. My gaze flickered to the desk in the corner. It was there more as a prop than a necessity. The only thing of significance that lay there was my wand. Long and fragile looking as it lay motionless on the dark oak of the table. I sighed, staring at it. I willed desperately for it, hoping that there was enough magic in me to bring it to my fingertips. "Accio wand," I thought hard. It lay still.

"Accio wand!" I whispered out loud. Still, the long willow stick, with dragon heartstring cores lay stubbornly motionless.

"Sirius," I said louder. I sighed again. It was no use. I was put in an impossible situation. An impossible room with no escape and no way to break free. The Death Eaters had covered all bases to my surprise. I had never thought much of Avery or Mulciber's intelligence. I suppose being evil and conniving made it easier to secure a fool-proof plan.

"Let me out" I thought desperately and a door opened. My eyes widened with shock. Was it really that easy? Begging to be let out. But suddenly, as quick as it had appeared, the entranceway resealed itself and I realized, even if it opened, there was no way of escaping the magically enhanced chains that kept me locked in this sitting position. I thought carelessly of the pain I felt in my rear. It really was uncomfortable sitting for such long amounts of time. What an irrational discomfort to feel at a time like this. I laughed. But it was hollow and didn't sound like me. I tried again but now it sound hysterical. I suppose that's what I was. Hysterical and hopeless. Even without the Cruciatus Curse's after effects, I knew I would feel this way. My mind, nor confidence had ever been strong enough to fight the will that I might be better than this.

I wasn't good enough to escape this situation.

SIRIUS POV

Bizarrely, we didn't fly immediately into combat or hunting or searching at all. Bizzarely, we had gone to the Hospital Wing to visit Remus.

"Don't you have class to go to?" Poppy had asked with a stiff mouth as she opened the great big wooden doors.

"Miss Pomfrey, if your friend was missing and you couldn't do anything to change that and your other friend was lying deathly ill in a hospital bed, wouldn't you think of class as less important?" Lily had asked in a calm, practical voice.

Poppy pressed her lips together, making her look much older, more motherly in her appearance but she put up no further fight.

"Mr.Lupin will be perfectly fine," she snapped in a quiet voice before bustling away into her office. Forgetting for a moment that we were facing the very sickening thought of our Mary being dead…we laughed. We laughed together happily, heading straight to a confused but eager Remus.

"But what if she's trapped somewhere impossible, 'the whenever rooms' at Hogwarts are totally unpredictable!" Moony whispered urgently. He had been utterly distressed when we'd filled him in and I even saw an inkling of guilt in his expression. He felt bad that she'd disappeared while I was off taking care of him. I didn't blame him of course. Who could blame anyone anyway? We'd put Dumbledore's cryptic words into something that half made sense. Mulciber must have taken her. He must be hiding her, torturing her in some place, which we couldn't find. Whether it was a trap or simply an act of pleasure for his delusion, sickly head we didn't know. But we'd come to the conclusion that it had to be him. No one else had ever noticed Mary nor hated her enough to take her away from us. Of course there were the girls who were impossibly in love with me. But none of them could get the better of Mary. I remembered suddenly with nostalgia of the time she beat me in a duel.

"Why are you smiling Sirius?" Prongs snapped at me, dragging me from my thoughts.

"Just thinking," I muttered.

"Leave him alone," Lily said with finality. I'd have to thank her when this was all over. She'd be a bridesmaid at Mary and my wedding, I'd be the best man for her and James, once they got themselves together enough to act on their love.

"The problem is, we can't pin it on Mulciber when he's in class…he thought it through obviously. I bet he and Avery planted that rumour to throw us off. I suppose the idea of Davies trying to steal Mary back was a more plausible thing to believe," James said cuttingly. I was angry with him, it was almost as if he thought I'd wasted time thinking of other reasons for her being missing. This was a challenge and an adventure to him, but for once he didn't seem to understand that I would've preferred any alternative over this. She could've been being initiated to Voldemort's inner circle for all I care…as long as she was still alive.

"Well, what we need is a spy. We need someone to trail Mulciber, once he leaves class. I'll bet my entire stash of Honeyduke's chocolate on the fact that he'll go back to where she is," Remus murmured, watching as Poppy darted around the room, straightening the sheets on the beds, trying desperately to hear our conversation. Lily watched and noticed her presence too and sighed with impatience.

"Muffliato," she whispered pointing her wand at Poppy who stopped suddenly and put a finger in her ear as if she was trying to get rid of water. Moments later, she looked put out and went back to her office.

"What was that?" James asked curiously. He looked impressed, as I was at Lily making Poppy leave so abruptly. She blushed and looked at the bed as she said,

"It's a spell Severus made up a few years ago, it puts a little buzzing in people's ears so they can't hear what's going on nearby," she explained.

I saw James' mouth tighten, but no one said anything choosing to ignore the fact that she'd mentioned Snivellus.

"It comes in handy, you have to admit…" she said.

"Anyway, we could get Peter to trail him, it won't be suspicious since he's the only one who's been in class all day," Remus went on, pausing to cringe at the thought of deciphering Wormtail's terrible class notes. "He could, you know, and no one would be the wiser!"

James and I immediately recognized the brilliance and beamed with delight.

"Brilliant Moony!" I said suddenly a lot more hopeful.

"We have to get a message to him!" James said clapping his hands with excitement.

"Wait, wait, hold on….just what are you lot talking about. What will he do!? I hardly think Peter will be inconspicuous…everyone knows who he's friends with," Lily interrupted, looking at us pointedly. We all sighed. Somehow we knew this was going to come up. Lily knew too much already for her not to figure it out eventually.

"Wormtail will forgive us for telling right?" James said looking at me.

"I'm sure he'll understand, considering what's happening," Remus replied for me.

Lily's eyes were darting furiously from face to face trying to understand what was happening. I chuckled, despite my foul mood.

"Calm down Evans, we're about to tell you."

"Well go on then!" she said glaring at James who sighed.

"Know why we have these nicknames Evans?"

Lily frowned. "Yeah…you guys explained it to us in Hogsmeade that one time."

We all laughed and she frowned harder.

"Obviously a lie," Remus said with a smile. "Mine is easy to guess…Moony."

"Because you're a…" she breathed understanding.

"Yes, now the others only make sense if you know the rest of the story," he went on with a grim nod looking at James to tell it. He always felt guilty about what we'd done so that we could spend time with him during his hardest moments.

"We're Animagi," James explained, ignoring the skeptical but also shocked expression on Evans' face. "When we found out about Remus' furry little problem in Second Year, we wanted to also figure out a way to be with him."

"So he wouldn't have to suffer the whole time, so that it wouldn't be the worst time of his month…" I added.

"So," James continued, "we worked really hard in Transfiguration, broke into the Library late at night and studied constantly. Ever notice how Moony isn't as good at Transfiguration as the rest of us? He's good…but he only helped us study, he never needed to figure out how to do it himself."

Remus scoffed. "Not to mention, turning into a Monster is already hard enough."

I laughed. "It took us forever, we tried so hard to do it but we only managed in Fifth Year. I'm a dog, Pete's a rat and James is a stag."

James nodded and looked at Lily who had a faraway expression in her eyes.

"Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs…" she said looking at nothing.

"Yeah, its how we help Remus get through the bad times, we have control with him and he's just playful…though he can be pretty feisty when he wants," James said looking at Remus who grinned sadly.

"Or dangerously vicious."

"Nah, you're like a pet wolf," I said nonchalantly making my friends smile.

Lily finally smiled too. "To think I thought you were off doing gang-related things, fighting people who hate werewolf…I had so many theories every time I saw all your scars."

James laughed and I grinned, amused. "Gang-related…sounds cool, eh mate?" I said to James who smirked.

"Shut up. Oh now I regret not asking you for help in Transfiguration! I always just thought you were exceptionally bright…it made me jealous."

"We are exceptionally bright Lily…you should be jealous," I teased making her laugh as she broke her gaze from James'.

"All the same, you had to study really hard to do it."

"Look, back to the topic at hand…Wormtail will be here soon. He's got a free next," Remus said glancing at the clock.

It brought me surging back to reality. I had forgotten momentarily that the reason our secrets were coming out so freely to Lily was because we needed desperately to concoct a plan to save Mary. My Mary who was missing and could be dead somewhere already for all I knew. I glanced at the map, which was in my pocket, left unmanaged, the words of Mary's unplottable location still on it. The lump in my throat was back, worse than ever.

"Did you find her?' Wormtail asked, entering the room with a yawn. He looked as tired as I felt, except he'd had an hour of sleep. We'd sent him a few messages, using some of our specially designed notepaper to update him on the situation. The Marauders stuck together through everything.

"No, but listen…we have a plan. We think Mulciber's the one who's got her," Remus explained gesturing quickly for the seat empty near his bed.

"Mulciber? He's been in class all day…so has Avery," Wormtail said raising an eyebrow as he sat.

"That's just to throw us off. We need to follow him after Potions, see where he goes. He'll definitely go straight back to where he left her," James explained. I still couldn't speak apparently.

He nodded before something suddenly dawned on him. He's much better with realizations when we're plotting something than he is during everyday life. Lily was lucky, she was seeing a rarely viewed side of him. The side we liked so much, it was worth dealing with his silly questions and annoying adoration all the other times. He was as fiercely loyal as the rest of us.

"So I'm transforming and following them? Where will I do it?"

"Well, I thought you could duck quickly into the Prefect's bathroom after Potions, it's the closest and people never go in there. The password is Gillywater," James said.

"How'd you know that one? Remus…you didn't tell did you!?" she asked.

James chuckled. "Nah, it's the one thing we couldn't get out of him, but its easy enough to find out when Sally Young has a crush on me."

"The Hufflepuff Fourth Year?" Lily asked with narrowed eyes. I wanted to laugh. She was jealous! Of Sally Young of all people. James nodded, a tiny smirk on his face. He was going to be so thrilled when he finally got his way.

"Anyway, so Pete you'll duck into the bathroom…get out of class as quickly as you can so you'll have time to see where they head," Remus said ignoring the natural teenage exchange that had just happened.

"Alright and then, you'll see where I am on the map? Or will I go in after them by myself?" Peter asked putting on a brave front.

I choked as I said the next words, "No Wormtail, I could never ask you to do that for me…we'll find you on the map and we'll all come. Four against one or two is better than any of us alone."

"Five!" Lily corrected and my eyes went immediately to her in horror.

"No! No, absolutely not…we will not be putting you in any danger at all. You'll be in the Common Room waiting with the map, safe!" James said firmly with anger on the edge of his tone.

Lily glared at him. "I duel as well as you, do not make my gender the reason your forces are weaker."

"You're not coming Lily," I said simply and Remus and Peter nodded furiously in agreement. James was glaring at her.

"You are all ridiculous. Just because I'm a girl, you think I'll sit around waiting for you all to put yourselves in danger, looking for my best friend? I want to help!"

"Lily it's not even so much that you're a girl. It's your blood…they'll take pleasure in turning from blood traitors to a muggleborn," I replied calmly, the lump in my throat tighter but less prominent in my mind.

"Well, so what? Remus, Peter…they're half bloods, and Potter is from the biggest blood traitor family in the Wizarding World, not to mention you ditched your Noble family in every possible way!" She shot back, sounding like an angry child.

"The fact that you think your blood or your gender is the reason any of us is stopping you go is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," James snapped with enormous anger that shocked us all. "I won't let you go because I couldn't stand to lose you and THEY won't let you go because if not because they feel the same way then because they couldn't bear seeing ME that way!" he said in a low, pained dangerous voice.

Her eyes were glassy and she looked close to beaten before she spoke.

"If you think I don't have the exact same feelings about each of you…then you are much, much stupider than I ever dreamed James."

Was that it? Had she just admitted her love for him too? It all seemed insignificant suddenly. After all, what they were talking about was something that was suddenly very real to me. Losing Mary and having to live with that…

"Fine. Lily will come," Remus said in his calm, soothing voice. James flashed him a dangerous look but he continued anyway. "But you'll wear the cloak and stay behind us."

Lily glared but finally nodded knowing this was the best she could get.

"Alright then, I should get to Potions. I suppose we'll discuss this more when I lead you to their location," Peter said standing up shakily.

"You're the best kind of spy Petey, all business…." Moony said with a smile, ruffling his hair. It lightened the mood a little and we all laughed. It felt good despite the aching dread I felt as Wormtail left the room and we were left to wait, a little longer. Ha! I wondered if Dumbledore is even a little bit close to tracking down the trail. I don't pretend to know all of Hogwart's secrets, but I was arrogantly sure of one thing…The Marauders knew much more than Albus Dumbledore.

A/N: More action than just sitting and planning in the next chap for sure! Until then, review please!! :)