CHAPTER 11
21st September 1976
James' POV:
I'm currently sitting in Muggle Studies trying to come up with ways to apologise to Lily and get her to agree to the Halloween gig. I know she has stage fright, but this would be amazing for the band and she'd get to show everyone how incredibly talented she is. I know she can do this; she just has to believe in herself. I'm glad I had double Muggle Studies first because I'm trying to give her as much space as possible to think it over.
When my mind wanders back to what's going on in class, I hear Professor Burbage say:
"We're going to be a project where you research six muggle things that interest you and why you think they would be beneficial in the magical world. You will have three weeks to complete this. You will be doing this in partners," there's a slight silence before we get excited about working with our friends because the next thing to come out of her mouth is definitely going to be, "I will be choosing the partner," See what did I say.
We all sit patiently waiting for our names to be called out eventually mine is called out following, "And Alana Lockheart." Huh, that's a coincidence but she seems cool. I make my way over to her desk.
"Hey Alana. Look likes it was fate I bumped into you this morning."
"Looks like it." She smiles back at me.
"So not that I'm blood purist or anything but how much do you know about the muggle world?"
"I'm a half blood so I guess I know a bit, but I've been brought up by my mother and she's the witch."
"Right so at least we're not going into this completely blind. So, what fascinates you about the muggle world?"
I really like talking to Alana, everything is just so easy. We decided to meet up in the library on Thursday to plan out our ideas. Now I have Potions with Lily.
Here goes nothing...
I see Emma sitting in the second row, their usual spot, "Hey Emmeline."
"Hi James. You can just call me Emma you know? We're friends, right?"
"Right Emma got it. How is Lily feeling about the whole Halloween thing?"
"I'm not sure. I tried to ask her about it this morning, but she kept changing the subject. Just give her time James she will come around eventually I know it will be good for her and she would really love it."
"Do you mind if I sit beside her today and talk to her about it?"
"Go ahead." Emma gets up and moves to my usual seat beside Sirius behind Emma and Lily.
"Thank you."
Lily walks in and you can tell she's tired, she must have been up for a while thinking about what I agreed to. Ugh I'm such an idiot I didn't want her to lose sleep over this.
"Hi Ems." She says without really looking and setting her bag on the desk preparing to get her books out.
"While it's very flattering to be compared to someone as pretty as Emma but I don't think we look that similar."
Her head snaps around to look at me, "James?! Why are you sitting here?"
At that precise moment before I can explain myself Padfoot saunters in, "Prongsy! Why are you sitting with Red? How could you leave me like this?"
"Oh, sit down you drama queen." Emma tells him.
He looks pleasantly surprised, "I know you love it, Mel."
"Mel?" she questions him.
"You didn't seem to like Milly so I'm trying out new ones until I find one you like."
"Just call me Emma, everyone else does."
"But dear Emmy I don't like being like everyone else." She makes a disgusted face at him, "What? You don't like that one either? I guess I'll have to keep trying until you do."
Lily turns to me and she's still mad, "What do you want Potter?"
"Listen Lily I'm sorry for agreeing without considering your feelings that was wrong, but this could be such an amazing opportunity for the band. This might be good for you, you're so incredibly talented and I know you can to do it. It could be fun. The guys and I will be right up there on stage with you so-"
"Don't worry darling everyone will be looking at me not you." Sirius interrupts.
Lily surprisingly laughs at this, "Alright you know what I'll do it but please ASK me next time before you agree to something like this or it really will be the end of the band."
"Of course!" I then proceed to high five Sirius. Slughorn walks in and we begin Potions.
23rd September
Lily's POV:
I just got a letter from my sister and I'm terrified to open it. She never sends me anything. It's late, I know that much I've been sitting staring at this envelope for what feels like hours. I look at the clock on the mantelpiece and I can see it's 12am. Most people are in their dorms sleeping or doing homework they forgot about.
I hear a creak on one of the staircases and sniffles. Who could that be? They continue down the stairs and when they reach the bottom, I find out that it's none other than Sirius Black.
"Sirius is everything okay?" I ask concerned.
He didn't notice me because he looks up with shock, "Oh hey Red yeah everything is totally fine. What are you doing up so late?"
"Don't try and change the subject but if you must know I got a letter from my sister."
"Ah family troubles keeping you up. I think we have the same problem." He comes and sits beside me, and I notice he's holding a book of some sort.
"What's that?"
"It's uh...a photo album." He opens it and I see two young boys around 4 and 6 smiling at me with black hair and grey eyes. The older boy winks and then gives the younger boy a wet willy. The younger boy laughs and starts to chase him around a pretty looking garden.
"Is that you and Regulus?"
"Yeah, it is. I miss him so much. I know he's here at Hogwarts, but he feels a million miles away in Slytherin and I'm scared about what he's getting himself into. I knew he was going to be the favourite as soon as I got put into Gryffindor. Being pushed away by the rest of my family is hard enough but Reg always brought me extra food from the kitchen and gave me back any Muggle items I got confiscated. He was the one person I could go to in my house that wasn't going to scream at me for being a fuck up. Reg is a good person. I know he is he just isn't mixing with the right people. I wish I could talk to him, but he would never listen to me. I'm scared of how much they've brainwashed him since I left home-"
"What do you mean?"
"This summer I couldn't take it anymore and I moved out. I didn't have anywhere else to go so I went to the Potters and they were kind enough to let me stay with them and I'm so grateful to have a best friend like James, when I showed up on his doorstep he didn't hesitate to just let me in and said that I could stay at his house."
Wow. James loves his friends more than anything and will do everything in his power to protect them.
"I just feel so rejected by my own blood and I know that isn't everything. But they were supposed to be my family you know? They were supposed to care about ME more than their own stupid beliefs. They never let me forget that I'm the son they never wanted to have. I know I put on this air of confidence and cockiness but that's just me pretending that I'm not hurting. If I talk myself up enough, I don't have to feel like that small vulnerable boy they always put down because I won't ever be good enough for them. This is so fucking stupid."
I put my arm around his shoulders, "Hey, no it's not! You're too good for them. I know it hurts to be rejected by your own family. But you have us, the band. We're more than just a band we're a family. I know I haven't been in it for very long, but you boys are brothers through and through. I know those boys mean the world to you. Family isn't defined only by last names or by blood; it's defined by commitment and love. It means showing up when they need it most. It means having each other's backs. It means choosing to love each other even on those days when you struggle to like each other. It means never giving up on each other! I don't think those boys are giving up on you anytime soon and neither am I."
"Thanks Red. Moving on from my ever so entertaining dysfunctional family. What's up with you?"
"You're not the only one with a dysfunctional family..." I glance at the letter on the table.
"Ah and your sister is a muggle and doesn't appreciate your special talents?"
"She hates me."
"Well what does the letter say?"
"I haven't opened it yet. I've been too anxious to open it. She never sends me things I'm scared. Will you open it?"
"I don't know if that's a good idea..."
"Please, Sirius."
"Alright." He proceeds to pick the letter up from the table and open it and he then begins to read aloud:
"Dear Lily,
Vernon has proposed and I have accepted of course. I'm only telling you this to ask in advance to make up some excuse to not go to the wedding. I can't have your kind there.
Petunia"
Oh. Wow. She doesn't even want me at her wedding. That hurts. I feel tears form in my eyes but I won't allow them to drop.
"Red this is ridiculous! You're going to that wedding!"
"Don't you get it Sirius? I can't it'll just make everything so much worse."
"I'm sure your parents would want you there and you can't miss something like this your sister will regret it in 5 years I know it."
"Maybe I'll try talk to her when I go home for Christmas and see if she'll compromise."
"And hey if it gets really boring me and the boys will crash it and rescue you. At least she doesn't know Howlers exist." He winks and I laugh lightly.
"Are you going to be okay?" I ask.
"Yeah. Are you?" He responds. He embraces me and we sit like that for a moment.
"Yep. Well I suppose we should get to bed."
"Aw Red come on where's the fun in that?"
"There's plenty. Sleeping is one of my favourite pass times." My eyes begin to droop sleepily my body beings to become limp, Sirius notices.
"Alright Red maybe you were right you should get some sleep."
"Mhmm." I say half-sleeping. He then helps me stand up while I lean on him heavily leading me to the girl's dormitory stairs.
"Well there you go Red. Goodnight."
"You really expect me to be able to make it all the way up the stairs?"
"I thought you were an independent woman?"
"I am! But I am also a sleepy one." He then whispers an incantation underneath his breath and begins to lead me up the stairs.
"How did you do that? Isn't that supposed to turn into a slide?"
"You really think that we never figured it out? Who do you think we are Red?"
"Fair enough. Thank you, Sirius. Goodnight." I go to open my dormitory door and Sirius grabs my hand I look back at him and he says:
"Thank you, Red. Goodnight. Sleep well."
I squeeze his hand three times hoping he knows what I'm trying to say. I think he does because he squeezes back 3 times.
26th September 1976
James' POV:
I'm in the kitchens waiting on Bella to arrive. This is a tradition we've been doing ever since Bella's first year at Hogwarts. She found the first month of Hogwarts really difficult. She thought she wasn't good enough to be here. She didn't tell me this of course. Then on the 26th September I found her crying in the common room after her curfew. Then to cheer her up we snuck out and went to the kitchens to get donuts and I told her if there were any problems she could always come and talk to me. So now every month we meet up to hang out so I can just check in on her. This is one of my favourite traditions.
"Hey JJ."
"Hi Belle."
A third voice interrupts us, "Mister and Miss Potter! How lovely to see you both! Rooty has missed you! Your donuts are on their way!"
"We missed you too Rooty!" Bella tells him.
"Rooty was wondering, Mister Potter, if you're ever going to bring that wonderful red headed girl here again? The Miss Evans you talked about all the time?"
"Well um I don't know Rooty."
His ears begin to droop, "Rooty would very much like that, yes! Well I'm sure your donuts will be ready any second. I'll be right back!"
"You brought Lily to the kitchens?" Belle asks.
"Yeah. Don't get excited, we were just writing a song and ended up missing supper, so I took her to get food."
"Uh huh."
"Seriously Belle she doesn't like me like that. We just started being friends I don't want to ruin it."
"Ah finally you start speaking sense. I mean it only took you 5 years but here we are." Rooty comes back with our donuts and we thank him, he then goes back to work.
"Since you're going to torture me about my love life. How's yours?"
"Non-existent JJ."
"Really? Or you just don't want to tell me?"
"I promise you there isn't anything happening."
"You probably wouldn't even notice."
"Hey! I'm very observant!"
"Not when it comes to this. You're too distracted by your love for Laurie. How many times have you read Little Women now?"
"Oh, shut up. And for the record I'm only on my 10th read."
"Only?"
28th September 1976
Lily's POV:
I head to the studio after leaving Emma in the library, I invited her to come but she said she was tutoring. I hear the boys playing a song I haven't heard before. Am I late? I don't think so. They said 6pm, right? They definitely did.
"I don't wanna die or fade away
I just wanna be someone
I just wanna be someone
Dive and disappear without a trace
I just wanna be someone
Well, doesn't everyone?
And if you feel the great dividing
I wanna be the one you're guiding
'Cause I believe that you could lead the way
I just wanna be somebody to someone, oh
I wanna be somebody to someone, oh
I never had nobody and no road home
I wanna be somebody to someone
And if the sun's upset and the sky goes cold
Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall
I really need somebody to call my own
I wanna be somebody to someone
Someone to you
Someone to you
Someone to you
Someone to you
I don't even need to change the world
I'll make the moon shine just for your view
I'll make the starlight circle the room
And if you feel like night is falling
I wanna be the one you're calling
'Cause I believe that you could lead the way
I just wanna be somebody to someone, oh
I wanna be somebody to someone, oh
I never had nobody and no road home
I wanna be somebody to someone
And if the sun's upset and the sky goes cold
Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall
I really need somebody to call my own
I wanna be somebody to someone
Someone to you
Someone to you
Someone to you
Someone to you
The kingdom come, the rise, the fall
The setting sun above it all
I just wanna be somebody to you
I just wanna be somebody to someone, oh
I wanna be somebody to someone, oh
I never had nobody and no road home
I wanna be somebody to someone
And if the sun's upset and the sky goes cold
Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall
I really need somebody to call my own
I wanna be somebody to someone
Someone to you
Someone to you
Someone to you
Someone to you
Someone to you"
"Guys! That was amazing! I loved it so much! You have to play that when we perform at Halloween!"
"Oh, hey Lily! Thanks. We were just reminiscing on the first song we ever wrote together." Remus tells me.
"All the more reason to put it on the setlist for Halloween!" I say.
Emma's POV:
I told Lily I was tutoring but that was a lie. I hate lying to her, but I know she wouldn't approve of who I'm going to see. She's been busy with the band and I've been kind of lonely. I would go hang out with them in rehearsals, but I don't want to disturb them. I head up to the Astronomy Tower it's where we became friends. They found me up here one night and we just started talking. Now when the band's rehearsing I come up here and we talk, it's nice. And you get the perfect view of the stars.
"Hey." They say as they sit down beside me.
"Hi." I smile at them.
A/N: Wow. It has been a hot minute. Life really got in the way but we're back! I am going to try and upload a chapter every week or two but don't hold me to that because writer's block happens. Anyways our first month is almost over! The Marauders and Lily are going to performing in front of people soon! AH! Who is Emmeline secretly meeting up with? Anyways I hope you enjoyed and leave if a review if you would like and suggest anything you want to see.