Chapter 38- Shady Situations
Roxanne awoke all the inhabitants of Gryffindor Tower the next Saturday morning with a mind-boggling, hair-raising, blood-curdling screech. The brash brunette had awoken early to ready herself for her shopping trip to Hogsmeade, but the sunny landscape outside of her window did not appear. Sitting contently on her chest, staring back at her with two bulging, diluted eyes was a creature so hideous and fear provoking that Roxanne couldn't suppress her mangled scream. Marcus the turtle.
"GET THIS BLOODY REPTILE OFF OF ME!" Roxanne bellowed in a frenzy, pushing the slimy, baffled creature onto the floor and jumping onto Erica's bed in fright, accidentally stepped on Erica's head and knocking the contents of her nightstand to the floor, including Erica's screaming yo-yo.
From that point forward a chain reaction of shrieking and breaking occurred. Oddly enough, not only was there a screaming yo-yo on Erica's dresser, but also a box of Filibuster Fireworks. One particularly wicked firework sent off on a rampage, ricocheting off the walls of the dormitory and setting Lily's bed drapes on fire.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lily bawled as the screaming yo-yo awoke her from her slumber and alerted her of the fire spreading above her sleeping figure, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
Lily nose-dived off of her bed as the flames started to consume her curtains, joining a bemused Roxanne and Erica that were frantically trying to hush up the screaming yo-yo and stop the epidemic fireworks. Erica was so bleary- eyed that it seemed she was still half-asleep.
"WHY WON'T THIS BLEEDING THING SHUT UP?" Roxanne squealed in panic, trying to quiet the yo-yo that was now wailing in displeasure.
"THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW!" Lily screeched, ducking as the firework recoiled above her head and sent Roxanne's sheets ablaze as well, "what do I do about this firework?"
Erica whipped her wand out of her trunk and pointed it toward the firework, trying to vanish it so it would stop causing problems. However, the firework reacted to the spell in an anomalous way; water started gushing from out of the back of it, spraying all the sputtering girls and flooding the dorm room.
"GREAT, ERICA! DROWN US ALL, WHY DON'T YOU?" Lily yelled out in surprise as the room quickly flooded and the water started rising above their waists, "SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!"
"WELL, AT LEAST THE FIRE HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED!" Erica retorted in panic, clutching onto one of the posts belonging to her bed as she slipped and bashed her hand into her trunk.
All three girls were rooted to their spots in horror as the dorm room continued to fill with magical water from the firework. Neither windows nor doors were open; their room would be full to the brim in mere moments if the cumulating water did not start to escape.
Lily waded over toward the door and thrust it open; water flooded down the girl's dorm staircase, carrying with it Lily, Roxanne, Erica, and Marcus the turtle. This caught James, Sirius, Remus and Peter by surprise, for they were bounding up the staircase with Peter's trusty baseball bats swung over their shoulders.
"MEN, RETREAT!" Sirius Black shouted in comical surprise as the sight of all three girls barreling down the staircase, a tidal wave of water carrying their pajama-clad bodies, met his eyes.
"Merciful MERLIN!" James bawled in shock, trying to dive behind the common room couch along with Remus, but not succeeding. Sirius and Peter dropped their bats and were swept away in the dwindling wave.
Once the water had dispersed and dampened the crimson, common room carpet, seven wet and twisted figures lay on the floor. James was surprisingly pleased to see Lily had washed right into his arms and had her head cuddled closely in the arch of his neck.
"Would you look at this," James seductively whispered as the others started to regain consciousness, "I've gone and caught myself a mermaid,"
"You are one lucky sailor," Lily drawled sarcastically, though she couldn't help but smile as James affectionately grinning down at her and tucked a wet strand of hair out of her face.
"Yes, yes I am," James started teasingly, his face getting close to Lily's, "but I was hoping you'd be wearing one of those seashell bras,"
Roxanne pushed up on her forearms into a cat-like position and surveyed the damage. Her gray eyes narrowed murderously as they spotted an angelic turtle casually walking about the common room gleefully.
"Peter bleeding Pettigrew," Roxanne snarled in a deathly whisper; Peter's soaked head looked up at Roxanne in pure trepidation, "have you any idea how much trouble your BLOODY TURTLE HAS CAUSED?"
"M...M...Marcus?" Peter stuttered worriedly, blinking his eyes unnecessarily, "what does he have to do with all this?"
"That- that tortoise," Roxanne spat, getting up off the drenched carpet and standing menacingly over Marcus, "caused our room to be set on fire and then FLOOD!"
"That's not possible!" Peter sputtered stupidly, inching his way toward Roxanne; "h-he's just a t-t-turtle! No magical powers at all! I swear!"
"MAGICAL POWERS OR NOT, I'M CHUCKING HIS SHELLED ASS OUT THE WINDOW!" Roxanne bellowed angrily, picking up Marcus from beneath his belly and stomping toward the common room window.
"NO! LEAVE HIM A-A-LONE!" Peter cried out feebly, stumbling toward Roxanne and tripping over a book that had drifted from the girl's dormitory.
It was Sirius Black that picked himself off of the floor and snatched the hand Roxanne held Marcus in.
"Stop being a spaz and give Peter his turtle, will you?" Sirius demanded more than asked, matching the glare Roxanne was providing him with.
"If you don't let go of me, Sirius Black, I will throw you out of this window instead," Roxanne replied dryly, staring pointedly at the hand grasping her forearm.
"I would love to see you attempt that," Sirius countered, a challenging grin spreading over his face, "but I can't promise I won't push you out the window in my defense,"
Roxanne crossly seized her arm away from Sirius and dropped Marcus on a chair nearest to the window. Sirius didn't seem pleased with Roxanne, even when she relented to doing as he asked. Roxanne was beyond bewildered.
"You need to get a life, Sirius," Roxanne spat in perplexity, walking back over toward where James and Remus were helping Erica and Lily dry off.
"O, yah? Well you need a bloody attitude adjustment,"
Sirius stormed out of the Gryffindor common room, shutting the portrait roughly behind him; the Fat Lady huffed indignantly and shouted "Well, I never!" a few times to catch his attention. Peter, with Marcus tucked protectively in his pocket, jostled quickly after Sirius.
In retaliation, Roxanne stormed up the stairs toward the girls' dormitories, kicking odd objects out of her way (Lily cringed when she heard one of her hair clips crunch under Roxanne's foot) and slammed the wooden door shut. Remus, James, Erica and Lily all looked at eachother in bamboozled silence.
"So..." James started, his brow furrowed and his eyes scanning a sodden Lily skeptically, "I see your morning has been eventful,"
"You could say that," Lily said in a slightly dazed tone, ringing out her pajamas over the burgundy rug and tucking her sopping hair behind her ears, "you don't mind if I use your shower, do you? I'm slightly fearful to be in the same room as Roxanne at the moment,"
James, Remus and the two girls trudged up the stairs into the Marauder's dormitory, running into many stunned males along the way. The younger boys looked embarrassed when they encountered Lily and Erica, while the older ones, especially those only adorning towels, looked quite pleased indeed.
"What are you looking at, Pollard?" James called over his shoulder as the Gryffindor seeker eyed the two girls keenly, "get your ass back in your dorm,"
"Or you'll do what, Potter?" Jesse retorted teasingly, shaking his head and laughing, "curse my broom before the next match?"
"Even better," James replied suavely, turning around and grinning at the rebellious fifth year, "I'll stuff the snitch up your arse. Then lets see you find it,"
Lily and Erica grimaced as they entered the Marauders' exceedingly messy room. Socks and boxers were hanging limply off the furniture and assorted pranks and treats were spread along the floor, ever so often poking out from below a bed. Remus and James did not seem the least bit perturbed because of the clutter and muddle.
"You live like a pen full of muddy pigs," Erica commented in disgust, banishing clothing and candy out of her way with her wand, "how you are able to maneuver around this room is beyond me,"
"Quidditch skills come in handy," James smirked, thrusting open his trunk to collect some owl treats for Lenny and a chocolate frog for himself (though he intended to share it with Lily).
Erica and Lily used the Marauder's bathroom for about an hour, showering and primping their hair to perfection. The moaning and groaning coming from the boys finally caused them to head down to breakfast; Lily and James shared a chocolate frog along the way. Sirius was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Peter, reading with intensity what appeared to be the Daily Prophet. Lily was surprised to see Roxanne sitting contently at the Hufflepuff table with Vince.
"Check this out, James," Sirius said speedily as James, Lily, Erica and Remus found seats at their table and tucked into breakfast. James straightened out the newspaper and turned to the front page in intrigue.
Mysterious Murder in Hogsmeade
Melinda Bobbin
Reporter for the Daily Prophet
HOGSMEADE- With the threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named looming, news of an unidentified, murdered body found in Hogsmeade can mean only bad news. The Ministry of Magic was anonymously tipped on Friday morning about a dead body in the heart of Hogsmeade, thus sparking frenzied rumors and a lengthy investigation.
The body, belonging to what seemed to be a male wizard, was obtained from the basement of Honeydukes on October 29, an exceeding odd place to find a dead man.
"I have no idea how someone could have gotten into the cellars when the store was closed!" one Honeydukes worker commented, wishing to remain anonymous, "the shop is protected with multiple robbery-prevention spells, not to mention the ghouls are always on the watch!"
The Daily Prophet has tried numerous times to get in touch with the owner of Honeydukes, but all owls have been returned unopened. It is rumored the Honeydukes manager is currently being investigated by the Ministry.
At approximately two o'clock on Friday afternoon, the Ministry held a press conference in one of the abandoned courthouses, releasing key information forensic wizards had uncovered about the identity of the body.
"After intensive physical analysis, the Ministry has uncovered the identity of the body found murdered in Hogsmeade," mediwizard Gregory Gorges stated, "the body belongs to a Cletus Cyprian, a young wizard knowledgeable in Magical History that was visiting from Greece for a historical study,"
Cletus' brother, Cristoforo Cyprian, was the first to be alerted of his death and is currently conducting funeral arrangements for the twenty-four-year-old. Cristoforo is an Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"It is deeply unfortunate that an event, such as this, has taken place," Minister of Magic, Landon Potter commented when asked about how and why Cletus was murdered, "the Ministry is still seeking answers, but as of yet we still don't know who killed Cletus or why. The Ministry extends its greatest sympathies to the Cyprian family,"
The Ministry has asked anyone with prevalent knowledge about Cletus Cyprian or the murder to come forward in order to aid their investigation; reward money will be offered if information is substantial.
It has not yet been confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named is in any way involved in the murder of Cletus Cyprian.
"Nothing there we don't already know," James muttered seriously, handing the paper to Lily and spreading strawberry jelly on a piece of toast, "I expect my father is running around in a frenzy,"
The hall was alight with chatter and gossip about Cyprian, even the teachers seemed to be conversing conspicuously over their golden platters of fritters and eggs. Professor Flitwick looked to be sitting on the staff table, straining to hear what Professor McGonagall and Pomfrey were discussing.
"I wonder when Professor Cyprian will return to school?" Erica wondered aloud, taking her turn reading the crimped paper, "you guys haven't had a class in awhile, right?"
"We had one class fairly recently," Lily added, remembering the stern conversation she received about Mars, "but I suppose we'll have another one soon,"
"I love how I'm referred to as the "anonymous tipper"," Sirius interjected, chuckling as he re-read the paper; he paused when he heard Roxanne's sharp laughter emit from the Hufflepuff table.
James and Remus eyed Sirius worriedly, for his somber manner since Roxanne had announced she was going to the ball with Vince was very alarming. Lily noticed Sirius was barely touching his breakfast, another abnormal occurrence coming from a boy who could live in a grocery store and be satisfied.
"Who's up for heading into Hogsmeade early this morning?" Remus quipped cheerily, having to purchase a new dress shirt and costume for the Halloween Ball, "I figure we can beat the crowds into Hogsmeade and hit all the shops early,"
The Marauders, Lily and Erica swiftly excused themselves from the Gryffindor table and headed out toward the grounds; Lily thought she saw Roxanne's perky smile falter as Vince put his arm around her.
The walk into Hogsmeade village was fairly tiring; the crisp, cool air pinched at students' cheeks as they strode along the winding, cobblestone streets. Storeowners had stands set up in front of their magical shops, ready for the hoards of students that would soon flood the village and bring in hefty profits.
"How about we head into Madam Puddifoot's and grab a latte? Some caffeine would do me wonders," Erica suggested, still a tad fatigued from the morning's catastrophe.
" That musty old tea shop? I can't set foot in there, that place threatens to quash my masculinity!" Sirius barked laughably, terror seemingly shining in his dark eyes.
"I agree with Sirius, I would prefer a place without pink and lace," James added, scrunching up his nose as he remembered a particularly horrid date that had taken place beneath fluffy cherubs pelting him with pink confetti.
"Fine. Remus and I will go, then," Erica retorted in a bit of a huff, grabbing onto Remus' arm and dragging him toward the teashop, "we can meet at the costume shop later."
James and Sirius sniggered as Remus mouthed the words "Help me!" behind her back.
"I need to pick up some Quidditch gloves from Quality Quidditch Supplies while I'm here, anyone up to coming?" James flatly inquired, digging his hands deep into his jean pockets after Remus and Erica had disappeared from sight.
"I'll come!" Peter piped in, eagerly looking at James; "I want to buy a new pair of omnioculars before the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match!"
"Why don't Lily and I meet you in Gladrags Wizardwear ? We'll look for costumes while you guys get your Quidditch stuff," Sirius suavely proposed, seemingly eager to get Lily on her own.
"Ok," James said slowly; he seemed almost reluctant to agree. James and Peter bid their farewells and headed south, while a slightly bemused Lily and Sirius heading north, toward the popular clothing store.
"I thought you would be inclined to go to the Quidditch store rather than a clothing store," Lily stated curiously, opening the shop door and hearing the little bell rattle.
"In all honestly, I would much rather be in a Quidditch store," Sirius offered, grinning at Lily's baffled expression, "but you, Ms. Evans, need to make an expensive purchase for tonight,"
"What are you talking about?" Lily started before a plump, middle-aged witch wearing long, ruby robes approached the two friends.
"What can I do for you, dearies?" Gladys Gladrags politely inquired in a cheerful tone, "looking for anything in particular?"
"Yes. I'll need you to take us to your exclusive changing area, please," Sirius replied curtly, smirking as the witch's expression grew even more gleeful.
"Of course! Right away, follow me," the shop owner exclaimed, escorting Sirius and Lily over to the back of the store, behind a long, velvet curtain, and into a lounge area that looked fit for a queen, "I'll just be a moment getting the racks of clothing, make yourselves comfortable!"
Lily collapsed onto a velvet- crushed ottoman and admired the finely decorated area in awe. Sirius casually took a seat on one of the high-backed, leather chairs and grinned at Lily's clueless face.
"I think it best you explain what's going on," Lily sharply said once she had regained her composure, "I haven't a clue what we're doing here,"
"Well, my dear Lillykins, we need to buy you a dress for tonight's festivities," Sirius said, leaning forward in his chair, "James' parents are in Hogsmeade and asked us all to dinner tonight; we can't have you showing up to a posh restaurant wearing casual clothing,"
"But I have nice clothing!" Lily protested, grinding her hands into fists, "how do you know I don't have a lovely outfit back at Hogwarts?"
"Have you ever spent more than five hundred galleons on fancy robes or a dress?" Sirius inquired casually, withdrawing a galleon from his pocket and throwing it up in the air.
"Of course not! That's a ridiculous amount of money to spend on clothing!" Lily replied in an outraged tone; she could never scrap up enough money for a set of robes like that.
"Exactly. The robes James and his parents wear can be more than a thousand galleons, never mind five hundred," Sirius said seriously, watching Lily's jaw drop, "even I wear robes like that. I don't want you to feel awkward when we go out tonight,"
"I can't afford clothing like that! Maybe I shouldn't go-,"
"I'm buying you a dress, Lily, don't worry about the money," Sirius interjecting, rolling his eyes as Lily flushed and grew more defensive.
"Not in a million years! I won't allow you to spend that much money on me, Sirius!" Lily practically shrieked, jumping up and crossing her arms, "there's no way!"
"Lily, my family has enough money to fill the bloody Black Lake at Hogwarts. A dress will hardly put a stint in such a fortune," Sirius snapped back, trying to convince Lily.
"It's the principle of the thing!" Lily retorted stubbornly, her emerald eyes swimming with fire.
Gladys Gladrags returned to the overly furbished changing room minutes later, bringing with her racks and racks of disgracefully priced dresses and formal robes. Lily immediately took a seat back on her ottoman and snubbed her nose at the clothing.
"Now you take your time, dears! If you need anything, you come and find me!" the shop owner added blissfully, scooting out of the room.
"Lily Evans-,"
"I won't!"
"Screw you bloody pride and get in that goddamn change room!"
"NO!"
"If you don't put on a bleeding dress I will dress you myself!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
Sirius snatched a canary yellow dress off of the rack full of clothing with a menacing look upon his face and approached Lily, ready to fulfil his threat. Lily huffed, grabbed a royal blue, cocktail dress off of a rack and stormed into the change room, cursing as she pulled the drapes shut over the opening.
"That's better!"
"SHUT UP!"
Lily tried on many different colors and styles, showing Sirius each one begrudgingly. Sirius seemed very particular, stating they weren't classy enough, regal enough or modest enough.
"What's wrong with this one?" Lily inquired angrily, wearing a short, salmon dress as she observed herself in the long mirror in front of Sirius, "I like this one!"
"Nothing about it makes you stand out amongst a crowd," Sirius replied skeptically, wrinkling his nose at the dress, "and it's way too short, you don't want to look like a floozy,"
"Since when does Sirius Black not want a girl to dress like a floozy? As I recall, half of your girlfriends wore skimpy outfits," Lily retorted, turning to face Sirius.
"Yes, but I didn't go out with them for their intellect, charm or grace," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes, "what did I have on mind? Sex. Do we want James' parents to have sex on the mind? No. You need a classy dress that will enhance your beauty, and doesn't reveal your distracting womanly curves."
"You've put a lot of thought into this," Lily said slowly and suspiciously, eyeing Sirius as if he were up to something.
"I want James' parents to like you. They aren't easily impressed...I'm doing this for you and James, Lily," Sirius said, looking at Lily genuinely, "I know how much James adores you, I'm sure his parents know too. He may not be presenting you as his girlfriend yet, but he will be soon,"
"But...how do you know-?"
"I've seen the two of you together, Lily," Sirius said, grinning at Lily's astonished expression, "I'm not stupid, I know something is going on. Remus told me he caught the two of you kissing yesterday morning,"
Lily seemed at a loss for words as Sirius confessed his suspicions. His smirk grew more pronounced as Lily remained silent, her jaw moving up and down, attempting to conjure words.
"Who else knows?" Lily inquired meekly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"Just Remus and I. Stop worrying, we won't go around telling anyone until you two make your little love affair public," Sirius said, snorting and grinning wildly, "I can't wait until James makes me the best man at your wedding!"
"Shut up! I can't believe the two of you found out; I told James that Remus would wake up!" Lily shrieked, foolishly sighing as Sirius continued to poke fun, "I made him keep quiet so you wouldn't be able to tease us,"
"All fantasies come to an end, Mrs. Potter," Sirius exclaimed happily, ducking as Lily threw a pillow off of one of the couches at him, "stop trying to injure me and get back into that change room!"
"Stop ordering me around!" Lily yelled out from behind the curtain, "I don't feel half as bad spending your money, now!"
Sirius chuckled and collapsed on a cushy couch.
"HERE COMES THE BRIDE-!"
"SHUT UP, BLACK!"
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Sirius and Lily, who was clutching a Gladrags' shopping bag, waited patiently for James, Peter, Remus and Erica by the Hogsmeade clock tower on the eastside of the village. Erica and Remus arrived first, Erica contently sporting a cup of tea, closely followed by James and Peter.
"What's that you got there?" James asked in interest, trying to pry into Lily's shopping as the group headed toward Corky- Crow's Costume shop down the bustling streets.
"Nothing. Just a new shirt," Lily said in a dismissive fashion, whipping the bag away from James' grip, "buy your Quidditch gloves?"
"Yes," James replied cheerily, "I saw a poster of the Ballycastle Bats I quite liked, too!"
" Remember the Butterbeer commercials with Barny the Fruitbat? That's got to be the best mascot I've ever seen!" Peter added excitably, jumping up and down.
" Calm down, Pettigrew..."
" You like the Irish team?" Erica yelped in a scandalized tone, almost spilling the contents of her cup, "how could you? The Tutshill Tornados are the best team in the league! Captain Roderick Plumpton holds a world record, I mean, in 3.5 seconds he caught the snitch when playing against Caerphilly Catapults in 1921!"
"We all know that was a mistake!" James fired back; Lily rolled her eyes as the Marauders and Erica began fighting about Quidditch, "the bloody snitch flew up the sleeve of his robe!"
"That's a lie!"
"Personally, I support the Moose Jaw Meteorites ; the three Canadian Quidditch teams are among the best in the league," Remus said logically, "even though they caused a stir at the victory parties last summer,"
"NO WAY!" Sirius interjected loudly, shaking his head in disappointment, "the Banchory Bangers are the best team."
"That team was disbanded from the league; they suck," Erica snapped sharply, crossing her arms stubbornly.
"Why were they disbanded?" Lily inquired, exceedingly confused with the Quidditch conversation.
"The Banchory Bangers let bludgers loose in a muggle area during an after party," James whispered to Lily as Erica continued to chatter, "not to mention they tried to capture a dragon for their mascot,"
As Erica and the boys argued about Quidditch down the streets of Hogsmeade, Lily noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Roxanne shopping alone in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop; she looked downtrodden.
"I'll catch up with you guys later!" Lily called out, heading toward the Quill shop; she needn't have alerted her friends of her departure, for they didn't notice her slip away.
Lily opened the door to the shop, located on High street, and took a moment to observe the rows of assorted copper ink pots and quills, from pheasant feathers to ones of decadent black and gold. Roxanne was at the back of the empty store, aimlessly twiddling a red quill between her fingers to help the time pass.
"You look much more attractive with a smile on your face," Lily said from behind Roxanne, spooking her and causing her to turn around in surprise, "I always told you frowning made you look like a wrinkled toad,"
"Lily, that's the first time you've ever said that," Roxanne said, rolling her eyes as her frown upturned into a smile, "where are the others?"
"Everyone's heading to the costume shop. Why aren't you with Vince?"
Roxanne paused for a moment and her gaze dropped down to the floor; she pretended to admire the pigmentation of the hardwood.
"I...well...I'm not going to the Halloween ball with Vince anymore," Roxanne whispered, watching Lily's expression change to that of surprise, "at breakfast today I realized what a pompous, womanizing prat he is,"
"What did he do to make you change your mind so quickly?" Lily inquired in astonishment, "I thought you were smitten with the guy!"
"He's an ass," Roxanne murmured, peeking over shelves to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation, "at breakfast he was making fun of Sirius and James. It's evident he's insanely jealous of their popularity and Quidditch talent,"
"Bastard," Lily cursed, her eyes narrowing into a glare.
"Whenever I started talking he wouldn't pay attention, he was too interested in all the pretty Hufflepuff girls striding by and blowing kisses at him," Roxanne spat, her expression angry and slightly hurt, "so after breakfast I told him to shove a broomstick up his arse,"
Lily broke into high- pitched laughter and hugged Roxanne fiercely; she always admired her strength and her I-don't-take-crap attitude. Roxanne started to giggle too, though she was worried about going to the Ball.
"I can't go to the Ball, Lily. Now I don't have a partner..."
"What rubbish! You are going to this Ball, whether you like it or not, and we are going to go and pick out our costumes!" Lily stated firmly, grasping Roxanne's wrist and pulling her out of the Quill shop, "you'll look all fancy in your costume and tons of boys will beg you to dance!"
Roxanne, barely relenting to Lily, was led out onto High Street and down towards Corky- Crow's Costume shop, which was the newest addition to Hogsmeade village. Roxanne and Lily entered the shop and were awe-struck with the tall shelves filled with crazy colored costumes and props, such as jester hats, fairy wands and troll clubs.
"There you are! Hey, Roxanne," James said eagerly from the corner of the expansive shop, making his way towards the girls, "Lily, I have to show you a costume,"
Roxanne waltzed over to where Erica and Peter were playfully hitting eachother over the head with plastic, balloon hammers, while Lily followed an eager James Potter to a secluded part of the humorous shop.
James summoned a shimmering, blue and green costume down from a high shelf and presented it to Lily. Her eyes grew wide and her smile expansive as James then showed her the costume he intended on wearing to match hers.
"James, that's perfect!"
The cluttered shop was comprised of two floors, the second having a balcony overlooking the dusty shelves and bustling customers. Sirius Black leaned against the iron railing on the balcony, watching as Roxanne joined in on Erica and Peter's fun with a small, conflicting smile adorning his face. Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw Lily and James paying for their costumes at the cash counter.
"It's unusual to see you tongue-tied over a girl, mate," Remus Lupin said from behind the handsome Marauder, coming up beside Sirius and leaning against the railing with him, "what makes Roxanne different from all the others?"
"I dunno," Sirius mumbled incoherently, avoiding eye contact with Remus, "and I'm not tongue-tied, I'm just tired-"
"Don't be daft!" Remus barked, rolling his eyes and offering a small smile, "if you were anymore depressed I might mistake you for your delightful mother,"
"Nothing a few Firewhiskeys can't fix," Sirius grunted offhandedly.
"Shut up. You aren't getting drunk. Why don't you tell Roxanne how you feel and do us all a favor?" Remus said lightly, watching Roxanne pick up a plastic fairy wand and scream when the end exploded, "I personally enjoy the buoyant, completely mental Sirius Black, myself,"
Sirius sighed and turned toward Remus, trying to reassure the sandy-haired boy that he was all right with a convincing stare. Remus scoffed, alerting Sirius of his laughable failure.
"Pick out a costume before I curse you, Black," Remus ordered, comically raising his wand and mimicking Merlin, "and find a date to the Ball while you're at it!"
"Piss off, Lupin!" Sirius Black shouted audaciously, grinning as he shoved Remus into a box of snarling seashells that clamped firmly onto the collar of his polo shirt.
"Don't make me go all werewolf on your ass!" Lupin warned quietly, smirking; he heard Sirius chuckling as he made his way down the stairs to the first floor.
A half and hour later, the group of Gryffindors filtered out of the cluttered shop, each individual clutching a brown bag concealing their costume for the ball. Everyone chatted excitably as they headed toward the outskirts of town; Sirius kept sending curious glances toward Roxanne, wondering why she wasn't with Vince.
Sirius could no longer quash his inquisitiveness.
"Why aren't you with Vince?" Sirius asked, ignoring a conversation Remus and Lily were having, "are you still going to the ball with him?"
"I don't believe that is any of your business," Roxanne quipped curtly, avoiding eye contact and focusing on the gravel road. A slight blush brushed her cheeks.
"If you're not going with him... come with me," Sirius said seriously, staring at Roxanne intently; Lily, James, Remus, Erica and Peter slowed down, leaving the two walking side-by-side a fair distance ahead.
It was odd, for a jolt of fear, a tint of nervousness, and a spell of shyness intermingled and coursed throughout Roxanne, signaling her defensive mechanisms. She wanted to say yes to Sirius, but she couldn't! She had assured herself over and over again that she wouldn't succumb to his charm, his looks, or his smile...she wouldn't allow herself to fall in love with Sirius Black...
"What's wrong, Black?" Roxanne started, fiercely looking up at Sirius, "can't score a date? Am I the only one that you think you can bribe into going with you?"
Sirius stopped walking beside Roxanne, his stare turning cold and hard. Roxanne looked back at him and felt her heart clench uneasily. She had really stung Sirius this time...
"Forget it. You're not worth my time,"
Sirius stalked away from Roxanne and headed toward a large group of giggling Hufflepuff girls by the clock tower. He bee-lined for the prettiest, smartest girl of the bunch: Ella Evangelist.
"Hello, Sirius," Ella said curtly, furrowing her brow curiously as the handsome Marauder headed toward her with a determined look.
"Ella, you are going to the ball with me," Sirius said, his face emotionless and tone demanding, "I'll be in front of the Hufflepuff common room at seven,"
Tears stung Roxanne's eyes as she saw Sirius approach the blonde bombshell from Hufflepuff; she turned away and started running toward the castle, blindly pushing bewildered students out of her way.
Sirius subtly looked over his shoulder, ignoring the giggling Ella, and winced as he saw a distraught Roxanne heading out of the village alone. Abruptly leaving the group of Hufflepuffs without a word, Sirius roughly pushed open the door to the Hogs' Head and ordered a shot of flaming Firewhiskey.
"I'm going after Roxanne," Erica said, breaking the silence that encompassed the group and speedily jogging after the brunette.
"Damn it! Peter, you go after Sirius. I have to pick up more sweets at Honeydukes, I'll meet you there!" Remus promptly ordered, "I'll catch you two later,"
Remus and Peter split up, one Marauder heading toward the bar and the other heading back into the heart of the village. Lily and James were left in the middle of the street, both baffled.
"Shit," James cursed.
"What do we do?" Lily inquired anxiously, watching Hogwarts students pass by with parcels of every size and color.
"Well...I can't really do anything," James replied regretfully, "I have to go to dinner with my parents tonight...I was planning on inviting everyone, too,"
"I guess Sirius, Roxanne, Erica, Remus and Peter are indisposed," Lily whispered logically, watching James' expression grow stonier, "...which leaves me."
Despite being worried for Sirius, James brightened up, looking at Lily hopefully; "You'll...come?"
"I didn't plan on abandoning you," Lily teased quietly, a small smile on her face, "we'll just have to deal with our friends' turmoil after dinner,"
James gleefully picked up Lily and began to spin her around, making her laugh and shriek. Passers by looked upon the couple with laughter or jealousy, something neither Gryffindor cared to notice.
"Whoa! Calm down, Potter! Lily's arms might fall off, the way she's holding onto you!" Gerald Smith shouted in amusement, a roguish grin apparent on his face from afar.
"You're just jealous you don't have a gorgeous redhead going to the ball with you, Smith!" James called back, laughing as Lily hit him indignantly in the arm and blushed deeply as many surrounding males nodded their heads in affirmation.
"Touché!"
Bustles of flighty Hogwarts students exited the tiny Hogsmeade village as the night began to cast shadows and adults filled the streets, as opposed to teenagers. Storeowners packed up their stands with mere flicks of their wands and greeting signs were flipped to reveal the words "Sorry, we're closed!" Lights flickered into existence, though the glow of the crescent moon aided in the illumination of the tranquil landscape.
Lily was currently in the bathroom of The Three Broomsticks, struggling to squirm into the new dress Sirius had bought her. Lily begrudgingly had to admit that the dress was very pretty and elegant, with its soft jade pleats and white lace. It came up just past her knees, had a boat neckline and a cream streak of silk that ran under her bust line. The dress was simple and semi-formal, perfect for the occasion!
"Lily?" James badgered, knocking rapidly on bathroom door, "why is it taking you twenty minutes to put on lipstick?"
"Stop complaining," Lily said feebly, very nervous to reveal herself in the stunning purchase, "where is your patience?"
"Ever wonder why I became a chaser instead of a seeker?" James called back, shaking his head and checking the time, "because I don't have the tolerance to catch the bloody snitch,"
"O, shut up! I'm coming!"
Lily peeked open the door and shimmied out, closing the bathroom door firmly behind her. James, who previously had been trying to put on his wristwatch, dropped the shiny object on the ground and gaped when Lily approached him. James astounded look made Lily feel self-conscious; she wriggled a little and folded her arms.
"Well...say something," Lily said flatly, worry eclipsing her emerald eyes.
"You...you...Merlin!" James practically whimpered, his eyes the size of teacup saucers, "you did a bit more than apply lipstick!"
"I bought the dress today in Hogsmeade," Lily said suavely, her pearly whites gleaming as James shook his head in amused shock and his grin grew larger, "how do I look?"
"You look really, really, really...good!" James practically sputtered, his breath catching in his throat as he bent over to pick up his watch, "god, you gave me a heart attack!"
"O, great! I dress up and you fall ill!"
"It's called being love sick, Lillykins," James whispered seductively in Lily's ear, sending chills up her spine, "now, shall we go?"
James and Lily crossed the main dining area in the Three Broomsticks, collecting many intrigued stares from adults, some who James recognized from the Ministry, and up the creaking stairs to the private dining area; Lily was sure they would find his parents there.
"James!" a woman with elegant, black hair chirped when James opened the dining area door; she wore a regal sapphire dress and was absolutely dazzling.
"Hey, Mom," James greeted moderately, embracing his excitable mother.
James' father, Landon, rose from the round, clothed table he occupied and approached Lily with a warm smile. Lily still found it difficult to not be in awe of the Minster of Magic.
"Lily, how are you?" Landon asked affectionately, smiling in the same manner James usually did, "how is school?"
"I'm fine, thank you! School is going well, this year is turning out to be the best-,"
"Lily!" Mrs. Potter interrupted, turning her attention away from James and toward the redhead, "look at you! Just as beautiful as James described!"
Mrs. Potter encased Lily in a fierce hug, completely cutting off her husband and catching Lily off guard. She subtly smiled at James, who was blushing at his mother's previous comment.
"Thank you!" Lily replied brightly, relieved so was no longer in danger of having a lung punctured, "I'm so grateful you invited me tonight,"
"O, not a problem! I was eager to meet you. Come, sit down!" Mrs. Potter cooed happily, ushering Lily to her seat, followed by Mr. Potter and James.
James was delighted to observe both his father and mother warming up to Lily, for neither parent was easily impressed. Rosmerta came around about ten minutes later, taking orders and serving drinks, and once loosened up with a few Butterbeers, Mrs. Potter delved into a conversation about the Marauders.
"You think they're bad now, Lily," Mrs. Potter snapped, though a smile creeped onto her face, "the whole bunch of them almost drove me to insanity when they were younger!"
"Hey, now! That's not true!" James added, watching his dad snort indignantly in his soup, "what did we ever do? We were practically model children!"
"That's a laugh!" Mrs. Potter scoffed, "every time I turned around, you or Sirius had your pockets stuffed with toad spawn, flobberworms, and eels!"
Mr. Potter roared with laughter, slapping his hand down on the table occasionally. It seemed he enjoyed watching someone be lectured for a change!
"What are you laughing at?" Mrs. Potter practically shrieked, turning to her husband "James learned all that mischief from you!"
"Well, I had to participate in his upbringing somehow," Mr. Potter announced triumphantly, gaining a few giggles from Lily and a playful smack from Mrs. Potter, "but I remember your face when that eel poked out of James' pocket!"
"Sheer terror!" Mrs. Potter barked, looking at Lily in search of support and rolling her eyes and her husband and son, "I had a bunch of misfits running about my house! Wait... I still do!"
"We were adventurous, ok?" James said comically, his expression growing merry at the thought of the Marauders. He made eye contact with Lily and his smile grew. James was glad to see she was having a good time and was getting along with his family.
"I'm deathly afraid of any type of insect or reptile," Mrs. Potter added, turning to Lily again, "I was tempted to throw Sirius down a well once; he brought a disgusting snake into my house!"
"I think we're all inclined to throw Sirius down a well now and then," Lily said cheerfully, causing the occupants of the table to laughably agree.
"I'll drink to that!" Landon Potter jibed gaily, raising his mug and sloshing the contents when it clinked with the other glasses.
After delving into a delicious meal, the conversation became much more school-related, for Mrs. Potter brought up the topic of seventh year exams.
"I've never been so stressed in my entire life!" Mrs. Potter declared dramatically, "I wanted to a medi-witch, so I had to pass my Potions exam with an Exceeds Expectations...I was bullocks at Potions, the studying nearly killed me!"
"What did you want to do after Hogwarts, Lily?" Landon Potter asked keenly, his expression growing intense, "at all interested in working at the Ministry?"
"O...I would love to!" Lily twittered ardently, "I suppose I wouldn't mind a job that entitles curse- breaking, or perhaps magical cooperation,"
"The Ministry can always use skilled curse-breakers, what with all the dark and complex spells being conjured these days," the Minister said almost reluctantly, "if your marks remain high, I'm sure something can be arranged after your graduation,"
Lily beamed at the prospect of working at the Ministry; she was a muggleborn and previously assumed it would be difficult attaining a well-paying job. James looked pleased and gave his father a teasing, thankful grin.
"Imagine you both working at the Ministry," Mrs. Potter said slowly, a calculating smile on her face, "wouldn't that be something! A curse-breaker and an Auror,"
Lily dropped her silver, etched fork in shock.
"James, you never told me you wanted to become an Auror!" Lily proclaimed, trying to suppress her worried outrage, "it's such a dangerous job..."
"That's what I said!" Mrs. Potter added, "I would much rather him work in the Muggle Artifacts department where the most dangerous objects are biting teacups and gurgling toilets-"
Mrs. Potter broke off her sentence when a gruff, unshaven man broke through the door at the top of the stairs, alarming Rosmerta and causing her to drop her tray. The occupants of the dining area fell silent as the man staggered to a halt, his beady eyes searching through the tables of people. A stench entered the room and people recoiled when he approached them.
"You! You get out of here!" Rosmerta finally mustered; she backed off when he gave her a nasty, almost fervent look
"Where's the Minister of MAGIC?" the wolf-like man spat, worry evident in his voice and causing his tone to quake, "WHERE'S THE MINISTER OF MAGIC?"
The revolting man pulled a crooked wand out of his pocket and grabbed hold of Rosmerta's hand, pulling her screaming body up to his chest and pointing his wand at her throat. Immediately, cowardly wizards began apparating out of the restaurant, while others, including many that worked in the Ministry, jumped from their seats and trained their wands on the mangled man.
"Landon... please," Mrs. Potter whispered in a begging tone as Landon began to rise from his seat, ready to negotiate Rosmerta's release.
James grabbed Lily's hand and held onto it tightly, as if to reassure her everything was going to be all right. Mrs. Potter came behind the table with James and Lily and, on Mr. Potter's orders, crouched down behind it, there eyes still fearfully peering at the scene unfolding.
"I am the Minister of Magic,"
The snippy and crusty man turned his attention to Landon, eyed him skeptically, and lowered his wand, apparently satisfied. After releasing a fearful Rosmerta, he started to walk towards Mr. Potter. The sudden movement of Rosmerta distracted the man; Landon whipped out his wand and immobilized him, causing many people to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Minister! MINISTER!" the man shouted wildly, his eyes entreating as he lay upon the hardwood floor, "I've come, under great personal risk, to tell you who murdered Cletus Cyprian!"
The surrounded public gasped at the revelation, but Mr. Potter, however, did not look convinced. With his wand still trained toward the mysterious man, Landon began to question him.
"Who are you? Why am I to believe anything you tell me about this murder investigation?" the Minister of Magic inquired calmly, though in his eyes shone a fierceness that demanded answers.
"You must believe me, Minister!" the man begged, groping his hands together as though he was about to pray, "Cletus and I, we were friends! Both of us dedicated deatheaters!"
Surrounding Ministry officials immediately started whispering among themselves, some even extracted their wands and pointed it toward the man. James recognized one Auror from the Ministry, Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"You willingly admit to being a deatheater? Do you know the charges you will face for this crime?" Landon demanded, crouching down to get closer to the man's twisted face.
"Yes, but this information will more than make up for it!" the man announced; he kept looking over his shoulder as if he expected someone to be there, "the Dark Lord, he's hatched a plan, a plan Cletus and I overheard! Cletus isn't the type to be a deatheater, but he got caught in the wrong group of people, he had no choice!"
"Shacklebolt," Mr. Potter interrupted, "perform the counter-curse for the Imperio, would you? Let's see if he's being controlled by the Voldermort, or perhaps a deatheater,"
Kingsley made his way from amongst the crowd and shouted "Riopime!" which caused the stranger to convulse for a second, then relax. The crotchety man did not seem resistant or defensive about being checked.
"He's clean,"
"Good, now continue on," Landon ordered, beckoning Kingsley to come beside him and listen along, "what is Voldermort's plan?"
"It's so terrible, so many people will die!" the man said, his voice softening and his eyes glazing over, as if he were in another place, "Cletus...he was so disgusted, he headed for Hogwarts, straight for Dumbledore!"
"Voldermort found out...?"
"He always finds out," the man shuddered, checking over his shoulder again with eyes stricken with worry and fear, "I'll be next...I fled before Cletus headed to Hogwarts, but I saw the Daily Prophet and knew, I just knew, he didn't make it!"
"Did Voldermort kill him?" Landon asked, rigorously grabbing hold of the man's shoulder and shaking him out of his hysterical moaning.
"No! No, no, no...it was the insider, the one carrying out his plans!" he groaned, cradling his arms together before his eyes grew wide and he hissed, "it was...he's here!"
Kingsley Shacklebolt lunged toward Mr. Potter, grabbing him around the waist and toppling with him behind the table where James, Lily and Mrs. Potter were crouching. The immobilized man shrieked, as if he were a newborn baby, as four deatheaters apparated into the room.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" they all shouted simultaneously, red streaks of light emitting from their wands and hitting the wailing man in the chest.
James coddled Lily's head in his chest, shielding her from view, though she was still able to look into the lifeless eyes of the murdered man. The deatheaters upturned tables and ignited them; people began to scream and shoot curses towards the triumphant deatheaters, like Kingsley and another Auror, Plymouth.
The man never got the chance to reveal the killer; Voldermort made sure of that.
"SIERRA, APPARATE HOME!" Mr. Potter shouted to his wife, dodging a banishing charm as he stood up, "I'LL GET THEM TO HOGWARTS, GO!"
"But I can't leave you-!"
"GO!"
Mrs. Potter vanished, terror and fire reflecting in her eyes.
With Lily still pressed up against his chest, James raised his wand and fired a spell at a deatheater that was about to curse Rosmerta. Lily took out her wand, shock etched onto her face, and began shooting assorted charms at the attacking deatheaters as well.
Mr. Potter came up beside Kingsley and began dueling with two deatheaters at once. James looked ready to join them, but Lily pleadingly held him back. He wasn't about to abandon her...he'd stay and protect her.
"KINGSLEY!" Mr. Potter yelled loudly, deflecting a killing curse with a silvery platter and kicking a chair in front of a deatheater, who stumbled on it, "GET THE KIDS TO HOGWARTS! ALERT DUMBLEDORE AND GET BACK-UP!"
Kingsley immediately dove toward the two teenagers and, taking a handful of purple powder and throwing it into a flaming fire atop a table, stepped into it with Lily and James. Lily felt queasy, for the incessant spinning was giving her a headache. She could feel the Auror and James beside her as they twisted and turned through the Floo Network.
OMMMMMPPPFFF!
Lily felt her face pressed against a bitter, sandstone floor and looked up to see a very bewildered Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall observing her, James and Kingsley. Dumbledore's office was expansive, with many trinkets and books adorning shelves. Whizzing and sputtering was heard in every crevice and Lily noticed a beautiful phoenix perched in the northern corner of the office.
"There's been an attack in Hogsmeade, one man is already dead. I need back-up, right now!" Kingsley said quickly, jumping to his feet and throwing more purple powder into Dumbledore's fire.
"Let's go," Dumbledore said firmly, his brow furrowed and expression concentrated.
Wasting no time and without question, Kingsley and Dumbledore stepped into the raging, purple fire and flooed back to The Three Broomsticks. McGonagall was left to badger James and Lily with calculating questions.
"Are you ok?" James asked Lily, scanning her trembling body in search of cuts or bruises, "do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?"
"No," Lily replied, visibly shaken, "Thank Merlin Dumbledore is going to help your father, those deatheaters...they were terrible..."
"My word! What's going on?" Professor McGonagall inquired in puzzlement, helping James and Lily to their feet, "Deatheaters, you say?"
The flames in the fireplace began to spit and crack again, quickly bursting into arrays of color and depositing Dumbledore, who had left about thirty second ago.
"No need to fret, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore quipped assuredly, stepping out of the fireplace once more and brushing ash from his robes, "the deatheaters are gone. Only one death, two injuries,"
"My father?" James hurriedly asked, grasping Lily's hand for support.
"Fine, not a scratch to report. He's apparated home to see your mother," Dumbledore said soothingly, putting a hand on James' shoulder, "you and Miss Evans are unharmed?"
"We're fine, just a little shaken up," Lily whispered, trying to make her teeth stop chattering, "I'd fancy going up to bed, actually,"
"Excellent. You and Mr. Potter need to be rested for the Halloween preparations tomorrow," Dumbledore said, attempting a smile, "and, if you could, please do not speak of this matter until I address the school at breakfast,"
Lily and James left the massive office and trailed down the Hogwarts' corridors, which were deathly silent. Neither Lily nor James knew what to say as they began their climb up the Grand staircase.
"I'm sorry, Lily," James finally mustered, looking disappointed, "tonight turned out to be complete havoc, not to mention dangerous,"
"Don't be sorry," Lily replied softly, stopping to face James by the statue of Trevor the Troll, "this night was going fantastically until that man showed up..."
"I just...I hate what this fucking world is coming to," James announced furiously, his eyes retaining anger, "these days you can't even go out to dinner without the threat of being killed,"
A few portraits gasped at his appalling language and dig their fists deeply into their ears. James was tempted to give them the finger.
"When Voldermort is gone, when he's stopped," Lily started, fatigue overcoming her, "maybe then things will go back to normal, back to being safe,"
"Don't you see, Lily? This is why I want to become an Auror," James whispered, sighing and running his fingers through his hair, "so I can stop this bloody madness,"
James and Lily entered the Gryffindor common room and stopped before the stairs to their dorms. All they did was stare at eachother for five minutes, as if to try and comprehend the situation and what the other person was feeling, was thinking. James didn't know it, but his words had effected Lily greatly.
James kissed Lily chastely on the lips and relented to returning to his dormitory, but not before tugging her into a fierce hug and muttering the words, "I think my parents like you."
As Lily watched James' muscular, retreating figure, she promised herself one thing; a promise she was not even willing to tell James. His protests would overpower her, perhaps even change her mind.
Lily Evans was going to become an Auror.
Lily opened the door to her dormitory, which was pitch black and had shopping bags scattered over the floor and costumes hanging from doorknobs, and could hear the soft, sad singing of her best friend.
I don't want to do this anymore I don't want to hurt him anymore I don't want to be...a murderer
I don't want to be the reason why
I don't want to take away his light
Roxanne turned over in her bed and silently began to cry into her already tear-stained pillow. Lily didn't want Roxanne to know she had heard her sobbing and confessing her feelings about Sirius, so she closed the door softly and leaned up against the piece of wall outside her dorm. Her eyes began to droop, and soon sleep embraced her.
It was in that moment that Lily realized Roxanne was truly in love with Sirius Black.
Author's Notes
Hello everybody! ) I updated yeyyy! I've been so busy lately, what with birthday shopping for the real erica and roxanne, not to mention having birthday parties thrown for me! But now birthdays, exams and school are done, so I hope to update more often:)
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Hope everybody enjoyed the chapter! HALLOWEEN BALL COMING UP NEXT:o)