Chapter 20: Sit Still, Look Pretty

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any part, the characters and the HP universe all still belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. Last I checked. * sighs in disappointment *

A/N: Yeesh guys, the world has changed a lot since I last posted. I'm not gonna lie, finding the motivation to write has been difficult. Thanks for sticking with me, and sticking with the story even though I made so many of you cry with that last chapter! Hopefully this slightly lighter offering makes up for it.

Could dress up
To get love
But guess what?
I'm never gonna be that girl

-Daya

Library, Hogwarts, Scotland, March 26th 1975

It wasn't her business. Really, it wasn't. She should just focus on her essay.

But then again, she couldn't do her essay without Transmogrification and its Ramifications: An Historical Guide by Barnabus Grimlad. The book he was currently holding but was still not reading. She clenched her teeth, fuming. She had been waiting patiently for forty-five minutes and the boy had yet to even crack open the spine. And as if that weren't infuriating enough, she had spent that entire three-quarters of an hour listening to him whinge and moan about his tragic love life. Amongst some other very strange things she was one-hundred percent sure she wasn't supposed to be hearing.

"I'm telling you Hermione, it's awful. We can barely look at each other now without bursting into-"

No. Absolutely not. She knew she had heard that particular track over twenty minutes ago. She stood up suddenly, determined look upon her face. She marched over to the pair with purpose, refusing to be subjected to one more round of woeful lamenting without the comfort of her book.

"-And now I'm just not sure what to say to … Oh , er hello?"

"Are you finished with that book?"

He looked thoroughly perplexed, running a hand through his already messy hair as he found himself faced with a rather peeved looking red-headed Ravenclaw.

"Sorry, who are you?"

She sighed in irritation, clearly he was determined to make her life as difficult as possible.

"Amelia Bones. Now, the book?"

He stared back at her in a manner that suggested she had phrased the question in high-elvish, even though she was quite sure she had spoken plain English. Mainly because she didn't speak high-elvish to begin with.

"The book. I assume the concept is not new to you? You have the Grimlad I need sitting right there by your left elbow."

The girl, the one she thought might be Hermione Snape from her Ancient Runes class, regarded the scene with an air of polite amusement. Clearly she was unphased by either her friend's stupidity or the apparent rudeness of the five-foot nothing stranger stood before her.

"Right. Sorry, I need it for my Transfiguration homework. I'll make sure to get it to you as soon as I'm finished though." He flashed her what she was sure was supposed to be a charming grin as he pulled the heavy tome to the centre of his desk and flipped it open.

She scoffed angrily, her patience quickly wearing thin. "Oh? And when do you suppose that will be? Sometime this term? Given that it took you forty-five minutes to open the damned thing, I'd like to set some realistic expectations."

The grin dropped quickly from his face, replaced instead with a look of sheer affront. "Listen, I don't know what your problem is, but I got here first and I need this book. You'll just have to wait."

She could've screamed as he smoothed out a piece of parchment and quill, seemingly ready at last to start taking notes. It was as clear a brush off as she'd ever seen, and Amelia Bones was not a girl to be ignored.

"Fine, I'll leave to you to your homework" she spat icily, "but in future, when you decide to start talking about time-travel, prophecies or anything else surrounding your truly bizarre love life, maybe try a silencing charm."

She smirked as his jaw dropped comically. Putting on her best haughty pureblood act, she tossed one braid over her shoulder and sashayed casually back towards her own table with one final parting shot.

"And just a small piece of advice. No girl wants to be with someone who whines as much as you do. So instead of worrying about losing your girl to an arranged marriage, I'd worry about losing her to sheer lack of sexual attraction."

Yes, it was petty, but she felt so much better as she gathered up her things and made her way out of the library. Especially when she heard the quiet exchange between the pair as she passed.

"No!... Well, maybe a bit. You have been talking about it an awful lot."

"Oh Merlin!" Harry buried his head in his hands, mortified.

"But it's perfectly understandable! You're going through something very difficult right now and she shouldn't have-"

"She was right. I've been wallowing. It's about time I pull myself together and start living. If I only have a short time left with Star, I'm going to make every second count."

Amelia smiled as her heels clicked against the stone floors of the hallway. She might still think that Black was a wanker, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the warm, fuzzy sense of satisfaction she always got from being proven right. She hummed a jaunty tune as she continued on her way up towards Ravenclaw tower.

Moments later, her peace was interrupted by the clattering of loud feet as they rushed to catch up with her.

"Amelia! Amelia, wait!" Instantly her good mood evaporated into thin air, as though it had never been there to begin with.

"Yes, Black? What do you want?" Her tone was abrupt and impatient, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was exhausted and just wanted to get back to the common room so she could sit in her comfy chair by the window. Preferably before that absolute horror Bernard Edgecombe stole it. Bloody prat thought the entire tower belonged to him just because he was a seventh year.

"Erm, I just wanted to make sure the book got to you. I'm just going to use the Hollinsby instead." He looked slightly uncomfortable as he held out the aforementioned text for her to take.

She stared at him blankly. What was his game?

"Why?"

He rose his eyebrows in surprise. "Didn't you say you needed it?"

She eyed him up and down, still unsure of his intentions. "Yes, I do."

"Well, here you go then. Take it." She continued to stare at him disbelievingly. "Come on, Bones. This is not light, my arm is killing me."

Finally deciding that this was not some kind of elaborate trick (or that the risk of it being one was so small as to be negligible), she took the book from his hands and placed it neatly into her book-bag. He looked furious as she charmed the entire thing feather-light.

"Dammit, why do I always forget to do that?" She almost laughed at his indignant tone, but felt it would be unkind in the face of his own gesture of reconciliation.

"Perhaps you could have the incantation tattooed on your forehead so that you always remember" she suggested wryly, earning a small chuckle from the older boy.

"That would hardly be helpful now, would it? I don't exactly go around staring at my own face in the mirror all day."

"Really? That's not what I heard."

"Oi! Rude. It's not too late for me to take that book back, you know" he warned, although his eyes sparkled with mirth.

"You can pry it from my cold, dead hands." she deadpanned, only half joking.

"Hmm," he appeared to contemplate her words as though she were actually issuing a challenge. "Nah, too much effort. How about I just invite you to a party instead?"

"A party?" she wrinkled her nose in disgust. She wasn't exactly a party girl. Not that she didn't enjoy socialising, she just really did not enjoy drunken idiots.

He laughed at her less than enthusiastic response, not seeming offended in the least. "Well it's not really a party. More of a gathering of people really."

"Sounds like a party to me" she muttered suspiciously.

"Well it is like a party. Except there won't be any booze. Or any food or music. Unless Sirius decides to sing again."

"Sirius? Wait, this isn't one of your little meanderer's club meetings is it?"

"Marauders" he corrected, nodding.

Without more than a moments consideration, she declined. She had seen the way Potter and Black and their lot were always getting themselves into some kind of trouble, and Amelia could not afford trouble at any cost. Not if she wanted to make Minister for Magic by the time she was forty.

"No, it's okay. Thank you for the offer, but I honestly can't think of anything I would enjoy less." Mind made up, she gave a courteous nod and went to continue on her way only to find her path blocked by Black, who had stepped in front of her.

"Please? I feel like I need to clear up some of the stuff you heard back there in the library."

She was incredulous. Surely they didn't have entire meetings dedicated to the dissection of his love life? Now she wanted to go even less than she had before, if that were possible.

"Honestly Black, I have no interest in hearing any more about your love life."

"My love life? What? No! I meant the, er- the other stuff."

Oh. Of course. She was an idiot. Ignoring the blush slowly creeping up from her chest, she reconsidered the invitation. She couldn't deny, morose teenage drama inside, certain parts of the conversation she'd heard were very intriguing. Time travel for example.

"Alright then Black. I accept. Send me an owl with the time and place and I'll make sure to be there."

He graced her with a sunny smile, making his face slightly more tolerable to look at. "Excellent. And by the way, you don't have to keep calling me Black."

Embarrassed, she admitted, "I don't actually know your first name."

"Oh?" he raised one eyebrow, clearly entertained by her discomfort.

"Well, how would I? You haven't given it to me yet!"

He smirked at her infuriatingly as he held out a hand for her to shake. "Alright then, let me introduce myself. The names Cepheus, but my friends call me Harry."

"How nonsensical." she noted, taking the proferred hand. "Nice to meet you Harry."

They had just stepped away from each other when they heard a high pitched screech coming from somewhere around the corner.

"What the fuck did you just say to me? Where did you hear that? Answer me right now!"

Harry's face grew pale. He knew that tone well. It meant that someone was about to die. Or at the very least, be maimed for life.

"Sorry, got to go." he shot his new friend an apologetic smile and took off at a run. "Hermione? Hermione what's-"

Amelia watched him until he disappeared round the corner, digesting the events of the last hour. It had been a strange day, she mused, but promising all the same.

Now, if she hurried she could still beat Edgecombe to her chair.

Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland, March 28th 1975

Hermione rolled her sore shoulders slowly as she tried to work out the tension of the past few days. Between the ridiculous rumours floating around about her, and the full moon the night before she was exhausted. Remus had been agitated by all the gossip and as a result Moony had been far more excitable than usual. The whole gang were covered in scrapes and bruises, ones they promptly glamoured as to not upset Remus. This was a habit they'd developed a year earlier when he'd tried to write his parents to bring him home after seeing a nasty cut on Lily's forearm.

It had been cleaned and healed easily enough by Hermione, but Remus had felt so terrible that he'd wanted to leave school. If he knew that they all sported such injuries almost every full moon , well, she didn't think she wanted to know how he'd react.

"Alright Hermione?" She paused in her stretching to look up at the boy who had spoken. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite remember his name. He was a Ravenclaw certainly, judging by his tie. A seventh year maybe? What was his name? Billy? Bertrand-

"Bernard. Bernard Edgecombe. Pleased to meet you." Suddenly Hermione was less enthused to greet the newcomer. If he was anything like his hateful future daughter, she was sure she didn't want anything to do with him. Although, maybe she should make some effort. He did seem a friendly enough sort, after all.

"Nice to meet you Bernard, What can I do for you?"

He ran his eyes up and down her her figure with a greedy look in his eyes, making her feel instantly uncomfortable. When Remus looked at her like that she felt beautiful and strong, but this seemed different somehow. It mad her feel slimy, as though his gaze alone made her filthy by association.

"I'll take a 'date' if you're giving them out." Her eyes narrowed as she felt the first stirrings of anger bloom to life in her chest. These bloody rumours again. She couldn't believe the gall of some people! Remus was sitting right beside her, eyeing the newcomer with obvious displeasure.

"No, sorry. As you can see, I have a boyfriend, so I won't be giving away any dates." She kept her tone flat and even as she gestured to the boy beside her, hoping to convey nothing but complete and utter disinterest.

"C'mon Snape, that never stopped you before," he cajoled, leering at her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she snapped, glaring daggers at the greasy older boy.

"Don't give me that," he scoffed, "Everyone knows you're giving it to Lupin, Black and Potter on a regular basis."

"Piss off Barnaby, or whatever the fuck your name is. I am not giving it to anyone, and even if I was, it sure as shit wouldn't be you." Appetite well and truly gone now, she gathered up her things and made her way towards the doors, ignoring both Remus' low growling and the concerned looks of her friends.

In her anger, she failed to notice the way Edgecombe's face grew stormy, or how quickly he reached for his wand. All she noticed was a jet of blue light over her shoulder. Immediately, battle scenes and screams of pain flashed through her head as she froze, eyes closed, bracing for impact. After a few seconds of nothingness, she sighed in relief, assuming he had missed his target.

It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she noticed the dead silence. She looked around the room, her eyes searching, confused. She looked over to Lily for clarity, who quickly motioned for her to pull out her pocket mirror. To her horror, she found her previously glamoured love bites visible for all to see. Worse than that, her injuries from the previous night's activities were also showing. Dark bruises and bite-shaped marks covered her legs, her arms scratched and red.

She gasped as her eyes immediately swivelled to meet Remus'. His grip on his butter knife turned his shaking knuckles white, the shade an almost perfect match to his pale face. Her heart tugged painfully as she ached to reach out to him, to offer some kind of comfort, all the while not daring to do anything that might provoke further questions. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the low-pitched muttering that had been slowly building exploded into a frenzied cacophony of gleeful speculation.

For the second time that morning, Hermione found herself scrambling to catch up. It wasn't a feeling she was accustomed to, nor one that she particularly enjoyed. Thankfully it only took her a few seconds to locate the source of this latest round of hysteria. Once she did though, she wished that she hadn't. Some enterprising person had taken it upon themselves to cast the same spell she'd been hit with at James and Sirius. Of course, their bruising matched hers almost perfectly. She thanked the heavens that no-one had yet thought to check Lily. Or, Merlin forbid, Sev. She could only imagine the rumours that would fly then. Even more damning than the bruises though, was the fact that Sirius seemed to be sporting a hickey of his own, right at the centre of his throat. Hermione briefly wondered at the the source before she was distracted by other, more urgent matters.

"Wow, kinky. Seems to me like you're giving it to everyone, Snape." She barely had a second to contemplate Edgecombe's less-than-gentlemanly assessment before Remus was on him. He knocked the older boy to the ground, punching every square inch of him he could reach. All injuries from the night before forgotten, she flew at the pair of fighting boys. She jumped on Edgecombe's back just as he'd managed to flip over, giving him the upper hand. She pulled at his hair, scratching his face as he blindly punched at the ground, narrowly missing Remus. Never ones to be left out, Sirius and James waded in, trying to pull their friend up from the ground while aiming a few well-placed blows of their own.

"ENOUGH!"

Hermione stopped in her tracks. She was thoroughly taken aback by the volume and authority conveyed in just a single word. She was even more surprised when she realised it had come from the usually laid back Lily. This was Lily as Hermione had never seen her before. Her face was calm and hard, fury glittering behind piercing eyes as she glared down at the sweaty pile of chastised teens.

Having got to know both of his parents so well, she had always assumed that Harry had gotten his natural authority and talent for leadership from his father. Now though, as she observed the guilty expressions worn by each and every boy involved, she knew that he got it from his mother.

"This is ridiculous. All of you, at least pretend to be civilized people and get up off the floor. Go back to your dormitories right now and cool off before I make you."

Hermione couldn't help but smirk as the boys scrambled quickly to their feet and hastily stumbled towards the door as instructed.

"Hermione, that means you as well." She opened her mouth to protest, outraged, but promptly closed it at the fierce expression shot her way by the diminutive redhead.

Irritated, but deciding that she'd made enough of a spectacle of herself for one day, she complied. With every last ounce of grace she could muster up, she turned on her heel and flounced out of the great hall.

"Nicely done, Miss Evans. However, in future I do request that you leave your chastisements until after I've had the opportunity to speak with the students in question"

"Sorry Professor McGonagall." She fought back a grin as she felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

.

"Never mind. Kindly tell your wayward classmates from me that they now owe a week's worth of detention each."

She nodded in understanding before making her own exit to pass along the message.

Throughout the entire scene, Severus had been sitting stock still at the Ravenclaw table, seething. Unlike the rest of the school though, his eyes hadn't been focused on the fight. Instead, he was fixated on the unnaturally smug face of one Peter Pettigrew.

Unlike the rest of the school, he had seen the gleeful expression of the beady-eyed boy as he shot the blue spell at Black and Potter. He'd seen the malevolent pleasure twist his features as Remus had shook, and Hermione had gone pale.

He had done this. Severus didn't know how or why, or how much the boy truly knew of their monthly adventures, but he was going to find out.

A/N: So there it is. I know its not one of my longer chapters, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thanks again for sticking with the story, you guys rock! As always, let me know what you thought.

Thanks so much for reading,

Til next time,

SJ