…Shocks to the System…
Spring and summer passed by to quickly for my liking. After 2 months of strict tutoring the problem children were finally ready for O.W.L.s examinations. I didn't meet up with anyone of our pen pals over the summer as the fifth-year exams had worn us all out. However, I did reemerge when Lily asked to meet up in Diagon Alley a week before the new term was to start.
I found her in Flourish and Blotts purchasing her supplies for the new school year. I snuck up behind her and poked her in the rib lightly. She jumped and turned around about to tell me off. "Oh, it was you?", she said putting her hand over heart, "I thought you were someone else." I gave her a hug. "Where are the other Rowell's?", she asked looking behind me. I shrugged. "Zahara is getting her lizard Tinsley a checkup. We ran into the old Head Tutor Zachary, and Xyla went off with him to Slug and Jigger's Apothecary. Maddie went to buy some ice cream with Amber.", I reported. Lily gave me a confused look. "Zachary Smith, that Ravenclaw who was Head Tutor, and Xyla?!", she screeched.
She grabbed her purchases and rushed out of the store with me in tow. "I saw them every now and then whispering to each other in the library.", she explained, "I wonder if they've finally started dating." I look at her in shock.
We caught up with Zahara as she was leaving the pet shop. Lily gave her a quick hug. "I passed by James and Sirius on my way here. Did you guys want to go find them?", she asked making sure Tinsley's cage was closed. Lily went positively pink. "No! Let's go find Maddie and Amber!", she mumbled. I gave her a once over. I pulled them both to the side of street so that passerby wouldn't overhear us. "Spill.", I ordered looking at Lily's still flushed face. Zahara finally looked at Lily and a sly smile appeared on her face. "This wouldn't be because of what we overheard last year.", she smirked knowingly.
She turned to me when Lily didn't answer. "After exams we were on our way to the lake when we heard those boys joking around in the next hall. At first, we thought it was nothing until we heard Remus tell James to tell Lily how he felt already.", she whispered. "Aww, is Lily embarrassed?" I asked her with a grin. "It's not funny. I've never even had thoughts about him like that.", she mumbled. "Is this a repeat of Severus or what?", Zahara asked rolling her eyes, "Which will she choose? Two boys, both who she's 'never thought of like that before'." I shook my head. "Poor Lily.", I muttered.
We managed to get her to agree after promising not to make any jokes. Sirius had been staying with James after a falling out with his parents. "I'm pretty sure she's already blasted me off the family tree, but my uncle gave me some money to so I can get my things for the last two years of school.", he explained when I asked what he'd been doing over break. I gaped at him. "The things I value have always differed from the rest of my family. The look on their faces when they found out we were dating, perfection.", he joked. "Mum likes you fine, albeit she thinks you'd be better if you were a pure-blood, but she was mainly confused as to why you liked me.", he sighed dramatically.
I gave him hug. "What was that for?", he asked. I grinned, "Well you're probably going get that asked that question more often than you'd like. I'm smart and very focused." He gave me a quick kiss. "Looks like I'll have to prove myself worthy of you.", he smiled. "You're already mine. You don't have to prove anything.", I whispered so only he could hear me. He pulled me to the side and gave me a long kiss.
It was a very strange first week back to school. All four boys were seen paying attention in class, taking notes, and studying. "What's going on? Are we in some parallel world and don't know it?", Amber whispered during lunch one day. She nodded to where the boys were discussing their potions homework. "They're actually studying with no one forcing them! It's scary!", she gave a mock shudder. It was true. They'd all done some sort of 180. Even the teachers were shocked.
I'd fallen asleep in the library while writing an essay. As I stretched a letter addressed to me fell to the floor. I read it with bleary eyes. "Who's that from?", Lily asked emerging from the aisle behind me. "A letter from Andromeda Black.", I replied. Lily rushed over and read the letter. She fell into the chair next to me when she was done. "I didn't know things were that bad at Sirius' house. You know I've always thought she was nice, at least nicer than the rest of the Black's in Slytherin.", she stated in a hushed tone. "What does she mean by 'please keep him out of trouble'", she asked pointing to a passage in the letter. I scoffed lightly. "There are very few people in this world of ours that can reign in Sirius. Me, Remus, James, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and you.", I said smiling at her. "Your sisters can't control him?", she asked in amazement. "Oh, they tried when we were younger. Maddie gave up after he accidently bewitched her favorite singer's poster to look like a troll when we were in grade 4. Xyla gave up just trying to tutor him for five minutes by herself back in the summer between year one and two. Zahara gave up after looking at what he did to Maddie's poster. She decided her valuables were more important.", I explained as we got up to go back to the common room.
I was reading over the tutorials reports for the month whilst putting my hair into braided buns when Amber walked in the dorm. She flopped on my bed dramatically and sighed heavily until she received all of me and Lily's attention. "It's official. James Potter out scored me on the last test.", she said mournfully. I went back to reading. "It makes sense. Those boys have been putting all their efforts from pranking into studying. They are now starting to reach their potential.", I stated, "I wouldn't be surprised at this rate if he scored higher than me and Lily." Lily scoffed. "Like hell he will. If he scores higher than me in exams I must just pass out from sheer shock." I gave her a playful smirk, "I'll remember that."
"Are you guys going to Hogsmeade this weekend?", Maddie asked as we were relaxing in the room of requirement. I gave her a thumbs up. I was writing so many reports and letters that I was low on parchment and ink. "I think I want to make a sweets study guide for motivation", I sighed. "A sweets study guide?", Amber asked in bewilderment. "Yeah, like a Christmas advent calendar but for studying before exams.", I shrugged. Amber's face broke into a playful grin. She slid onto the sofa wrapping an arm around me. "We could make prank ones to send to others. The holidays can get overlooked by the studying we do.", she said looking around. "You're up to something aren't you little devil?", Xyla asked patting Amber's head. Amber blushed.
Xyla and I shared a look. "We'll help you but first tell us why you want to make joke versions.", Xyla said taking out a pen and notebook of her bag. I raised my hand and cleared my throat speaking in my best impersonation of Amber, "My boyfriend has been so busy at work that I want to do something that's fun to take my mind off of it." Everyone burst out laughing. "Maddie you can't laugh your boyfriend has been studying for N.E. , to spend any time with you.", Amber snapped trying to divert the focus from her. Maddie got up and patted Amber on the shoulder sympathetically, "I body bind him so he actually studies." I was shaking so hard so from laughter that I fell off the sofa.
Once we all calmed down, we helped Amber make a list for her prank boxes. How did you figure all his dislikes and likes without asking him?", Lily asked with growing interest in the boxes. Amber shrugged nonchalantly, "I asked his cousin. They were both in Ravenclaw. You remember. Zachary and Alexander are cousins. They have the same silver eyes and coral red hair." I smirked; she was dead on with the details. The only difference was that Alex was a little bit taller than Zach. "Oh, yes we'd noticed. Just like we noticed the difference between those four over there.", Lily laughed.
"We're plenty different! Fae has honey and hazelnut colored hair and dark purple eyes. Not to mention her piercings. I have chestnut hair and lilac eyes. Xyla has caramel colored hair and dark purple eyes. Zahara has toffee colored hair and lilac eyes. Wait a second!", Maddie rambled jumping to her feet, "I just realized our hair colors are just different shades of brown!"
Lily and Amber shook their heads. "I'd have thought she would have realized the purple eye thing was weird.", Amber told Lily. I began drawing the pictures for the calendar boxes while the others made a list of the good and bad sweets.
"Are we sending Jordan one too?", Xyla asked peering over my shoulder to check my progress. I nodded. "Why wouldn't we? It'd be kind of weird to send Adalene one and not her boyfriend.", I shrugged. Everyone stopped. "Is that who she's been dating?!", Maddie screeched. "I thought she told you guys already.", I said continuing my work, "Why else would I have stayed at Jordan's house the first time we met. They'd both mentioned to me how interested in each other they were, so, I helped thing along a little." Zahara threw a balled-up piece of parchment at me. I ducked and it missed. "You got mad at me for the Sirius story I told, but you didn't mention Jordan and Adalene were dating!", she shrieked running over and shaking me lightly.