Disclaimer: I support trans rights, therefore I cannot be JK Rowling, and therefore I don't own Harry Potter

[Saturday, October 29th]

Peter was sitting in the common room, going over the wand motions for Transfigurations, minding his own business, when one Sirius Orion Black deposited himself very firmly into Peter's line of vision, startling him.

"Alright Pete, you've been looking mighty depressed, more and more with each letter you've gotten from your mum. How about you and me go down to the kitchens and spike the Slytherin's food with hair changing color – better yet! The staff table. I really want to see McGonagall with neon pink hair before we graduate."

Peter blinked owlishly at him for a second, trying to comprehend a McGonagall with bright pink hair when another person chimed in.

"Juvenile," Evans commented, seating herself next to Peter. "And already done – or did you not notice Madam Hooch's latest hairdo, complement of some Slytherin Lordling who did not take kindly to her critiques of his broom handling?"

Sirius reclined back and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at Evans, seeming to weigh her prowess as a prankster. "Well then. What would you suggest, oh great and magnanimous Head Girl?"

"What? So you can steal my idea and take all the credit? I don't think so." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and returned Sirius's judging stare.

Peter felt as if he were at a tennis match, watching those two speak.

Sirius scoffed and turned to Peter. "She probably doesn't even have an idea, eh Pete?"

"Have you seen McLaggen lately?" Peter asked incredulously. "He's got feet for hands and hands for feet thanks to Evans here."

"Thank you, Peter," Evans said kindly, smiling triumphantly at Sirius.

"That was you?!" Sirius exclaimed. "No bloody way, I've been trying to do that sort of transfiguration for ages! How'd you do it?"

Evans smirked at them. "I'll give you a little hint," she said conspiratorially. "It's both a charm and a transfiguration, and a little bit of a potion."

"Oh!" Peter exclaimed, his eyes going wide. "That's how you did that?"

Evans laughed. "Caught on, did you?"

"What, what, what? Caught on?" Sirius asked. "C'mon guys," he whined. "Don't leave me out! How'd you do it?"

Evans traded a sly look with Peter; he had to cover his mouth to hide his sniggers. "You're a big, brave, smart boy, I'm sure you can figure it out," she said. "Now! What's this I hear about you two planning a prank? Someone need some cheering up?"

"Ah – Sirius thinks I need cheering up," Peter said.

"Marauder business!" Sirius exclaimed, no doubt trying to protect Peter. "No outsiders allowed, so you can run along now, Evans."

She arched her eyebrow at him, and Peter felt like Sirius just made a very serious mistake, even if it was on his behalf. Did he already forget that Evans was the one responsible for McLaggen's predicament?

"Surely she can be helpful, Padfoot," Peter said quickly, trying to help his friend not end up with his arse on his forehead or some nonsense like that – that sort of prank was written all over Evans's face. "Anyone who can pull off a prank on Slytherin House all by herself deserves to be a Marauder Cohort, don't you think?"

"Not to mention the fact that I am Head Girl and I hold the power to make your pranking lives very difficult," she said sweetly.

"Bah! Fine!" Sirius caved. Peter thought that Evans's glare-that-wasn't-a-glare did most of the convincing – she could be downright scary! "Pranking always cheers Pete up, so I have taken it upon myself to lift his spirits."

Evans eyed Peter. "Your mum?" She asked, startling them both. "James mentioned she wasn't well."

It wasn't pity she looked at him with, but empathy. Understanding. But she couldn't possibly understand, not the truth of it at least. However, Peter definitely appreciated the lack of pity in her stare.

He gave a jerky nod of his head. "She's been… ill for nearly as long as I can remember," he said softly, worrying his hands. "It was manageable for a while, but she's gotten worse in the past few years." He rubbed at his nose self-consciously.

Evans cocked her head at him, he could practically see the gears turning in her mind. "Has she been to see a healer? Or a doctor?"

Peter shook his head. "What she's got, it's not something a healer or doctor can help," he said sadly.

"A therapist then? Mind healer?" she asked. Peter was forcibly reminded that Evans had consistently been in the top five students academically since their first year.

"At this point? I don't think anyone can help her," Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can we talk about something else now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push," Evans said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"S'okay," he said, smiling at her. "Siri? Your Prank?" Sirius had an uncharacteristically serious look on his face, but it evaporated once Peter spoke to him.

"Yes! The Prank! What do you want to do? Since Ethical Evans shot down my first idea," he stuck his tongue out at Evans childishly. She only rolled her eyes at him.

Peter chuckled a little at their antics. "I dunno," he said, scratching his chin. He paused his movement when a thought came to him, a deliciously mischievous thought. "Say, Padfoot… it's been a while since we pranked Prongs, hasn't it?"

Sirius's whole face lit up. "Why Longtooth, I do believe you are correct." He turned to Evans. "Is your Head Student counterpart a suitable target, oh Ethical Evans?"

"I'd say so, yes," she agreed with a devious smile. "What have you two done to him already?"

Peter laughed. "It would be easier to list what we haven't done to him."

"Poor man has been the test subject for many of our pranks," Sirius snickered in agreement.

"Okaaay," Evans said, drawing out the word. She chewed the inside of her cheek while she thought. "Oh! We're working on the Patronus charm this week in Defense, aren't we?"

"Yeah?"

"So, we make a replica of his wand, swap them for that lesson, and bewitch the replica-"

"Bewitch the replica to make him bleat like a goat!" Sirius finished excitedly.

"Well, yeah, there is that," Evans said. She was looking at Sirius like she was trying to figure out how his mind worked. She shrugged. "We could bewitch it to make him turn into a goat, if a goat is what you want, Black."

Peter's eyes lit up. "Or! Or we could bewitch it to make him act like a goat! Running around the classroom on all fours, eating parchment, chewing on wands, bleating – everything a real goat does but still looking like James!"

"Longtooth, I like where your head's at," Sirius said. "Now, I can handle making a replica of his wand, but that sort of magic seems like we may need to bring in Moony for this prank."

Evans winced. "He's having to work with Snape, right? From past experiences, I know that he'll be working Remus to the bone so he may be too busy to help with this."

"Why would he be working him to the bone?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Moony's not stupid."

"No, but Snape has high standards – you saw the way they stormed out of that one Potions class. Just trust me when I say that Snape has likely more than doubled Remus's load, but he's a good tutor, once you get past the sarcasm… and the derogatory remarks about your intellect… and the utter need for perfection… and the low tolerance level for stupidity."

"Riiight," Peter said. "Moony is in kind, tender, and capable hands."

"He hasn't seemed too overburdened, though," Sirius said, brows furrowed. "He can be a bit of a tough case to crack, but once you've got his tells he's easy to read as a children's book," Sirius confided at their looks. "He even told us to lay of Snape," he grumbled.

"Sirius," Evans said sharply. "Please tell me you weren't planning on doing something."

Her tone of voice startled Sirius out of his thoughts. "What? No, honest. James told me what he already did and told me to steer clear."

Peter's nose twitched. "You two seem to know something about Snape that I don't. James warned me to not be caught alone with him at the beginning of term. What's going on?"

He watched as Evans and Sirius exchanged a heavy look. "Let's just say-"

"Let's just say that Snape has had a change in character," Lily broke in, staring fiercely at Sirius. Peter was both surprised and impressed when he backed down. She gave a shaky smile to Peter, which was alarming in and of itself. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, Peter," she said. "It's just hard to talk about."

Peter blinked. "I understand." He understood more than she knew.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Right! I guess we're on our own then. How shall we go about this most devious of pranks, Dear Evans?"

She smiled impishly. Peter wondered what they had gotten themselves into by inviting the Terror of the Quidditch Pitch in on a prank. "Oh, I have an idea or two."

{Furius Draconis}

[Sunday, October 30th]

Severus took a deep breath in, held it a moment, and then exhaled slowly. He drew circles in the air with his wand, timed with his breathing. "Expecto Patronum!" A bright silver smoke flooded the room and was abruptly dismissed with a frustrated sound in the back of his throat.

He had been trying to produce a corporeal Patronus for the past hour now and was beginning to feel the strain. Professor White had told them they only need to be able to do a noncorporeal Patronus for class, but Severus never was one to do the bare minimum.

"Severus?" Narcissa called.

He cut a look back at her. She had followed him down to the Dueling Hall to practice with him, as she often did, but stopped once she was able to produce the mist.

"Darling, you know that your progress with this spell is already more than many fully trained witches and wizards can manage? Never mind the rest of our peers."

Silence.

"Why do you continue to push?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he returned, genuinely confused. She knew what he was like.

That startles a laugh out of her. "Oh Severus, you are too precious."

He shakes his head at her and turns back to his practice, albeit with a smile.

Her smile and laughter brought a thought to his mind. Perhaps it wasn't the memory he needed to focus on, but the emotions – the happiness – that he felt in the memory. Professor White had just told them to think of a happy memory, nothing more. After all, it would make sense to protect oneself from Dementors – happy sucking monsters – with a spell powered by pure happiness.

With this new angle in mind, Severus centered himself and thought of Narcissa. He thought of her smile, the way her eyes often twinkled at him mischievously. The droll set of her face when someone said something stupid. Her laugh, light and lilting, and the way she always looked at him as if he were worth something.

"Expecto Patronum," he breathed with a smile on his face. And in a blast of white light, out burst a blinding, dazzling animal.

Well, more than an animal.

Breaking out of his daze, he gave a cry of victory and turned to look at Narcissa excitedly. He couldn't help but laugh at her utterly shocked look. He had never seen her so undone.

"Oh, Nimue… you truly don't do anything by half, do you, Severus?" She breathed, transfixed by the glittering dragon that was taking up the majority of the hall.

It only stayed with them for a few seconds before Severus had to release the spell, the strain too great. He smiled wide at her. "Did you see that?!" he asked with a laugh. "A Hebridean Black!"

"It was a hard thing to miss, my dear," she answered, flashing a warm smile of her own and his warms in response. "How did you manage it?" She asked as she walked to stand next to him.

Severus could feel a blush creep up his face, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you know how Professor White said that we needed to have a happy memory?" She nodded eagerly, so he continued. "That's just framework for the spell. The Patronus is one that pulls on emotions, and as it's used to repel Dementors and Lethifolds, both extremely dark creatures, the emotion has to be pure happiness, hence the happy memory. Just a regular happy memory won't do, it's got to be the happiest you have. And it isn't the memory itself that you need, but rather the emotion that you felt in it – a memory is just an easy way to pull up such a powerful emotion."

"What was your memory, if I may ask?"

He cleared his throat, and his blush deepened. "Ah, well, it wasn't one specific memory, per se. But, um, you – you were central in the memories I used, to bring up the happiness I needed to cast the spell." He said, unable to lie to her.

Narcissa smiled widely at him, he smiled softly in return. "Expecto Patronum," she said, her eyes locked with his. The Hall filled with silver mist that slowly swirled around them. From it stepped a panther, which came to sit beside Narcissa.

Severus beamed at her, and she laughed. "You did it!"

"Your lectures are more profitable than Professor White's, Professor Snape."

He groaned at her joke, but his smile was soon back. "I suppose I should consider you my star pupil, then, Miss Black."

"Severus, there you are," Yaxley said, entering the Dueling Hall. His untimely entrance breaking them apart.

Severus went on the defensive, whipping around, wand raised with a curse on the tip of his tongue. Yaxley held his hands up in surrender. "Whoa there. Little jumpy, are we?"

Severus was very close to snarking at his captain but held his tongue. "In," he said shortly, motioning with his wand. Once Yaxley was all the way inside the Dueling Hall, Severus sealed it and warded it against outside interference. He relaxed a small amount, lowering his wand to his side. "What do you want, Yaxley?"

Yaxley gave a pained grin. "To invite you. Lovely Narcissa dragged you away before I got the chance after the game, and you've been notoriously difficult to pin down lately."

Severus arched an eyebrow at him. "Who's been trying to pin me down?"

"Ah, mainly me," Yaxley said, looking uncomfortable.

"Why?"

"I said-"

"I'm not deaf, I heard you," Severus interrupted. "You will not like it if I have to ask you again, Yaxley."

"I want to invite you," Yaxley said, "to the Squire's Dueling Club."

Both Severus and Narcissa had their wands on him in an instant. "It had better be as a participant," Narcissa hissed, digging her wand into Yaxley's neck. "Or you shall face my wrath – and my sister's too, I imagine. Severus made quite an impression on her last they met."

"Yes! As a participant! I swear!" Yaxley shouted. "He'd be my invite – my page! – and under my protection! But from what I hear, he won't need it."

"I am no one's underling except for the Dark Lord's," Severus snapped. "You have no claim to me, Yaxley."

"Yes, you're right," Yaxley said. "You're right."

He glared at him a moment longer before lowering his wand, "You called it the Squire's dueling club?" Severus asked.

"Yes," Yaxley said. Narcissa still had her wand digging into his neck, and by the look on her face, Severus didn't think she'd be lowering it until Yaxley left.

"You should realize how insulting it is, to call me a page, then, as one of the Dark Lord's Chosen." Yaxley audibly gulped, and Severus grinned at him with far too many teeth. "I will only come if given my due respect."

"Fair enough," Yaxley agreed. He was eyeing Narcissa warily.

"When?" Severus asked curtly.

"The last day of every month," Yaxley said.

"Tomorrow?" Narcissa asked, her eyes biting. "You put off asking him until the very last minute? That's not exactly paying him respect, now is it?"

"I, uh, well, I-"

"Shut up," Severus said. "Seeing as how masks are an integral part of your little club, I will need time to make mine, I'll attend the next meeting. Besides, Samhain starts tomorrow – do you idiots really fight on Death's Eve and Hearth's Day?"

"Uh-"

"Don't bother answering that," Severus interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't really want to know. If you lot want to piss off the Names of Power, do it without involving me." He looked at him with burning eyes. "I'll be there on November 30th."

"Do you know how to-"

"Even though you squires had me blindfolded every time you dragged me down there, I actually do know the way to the Dark Hall, thank you very much. See yourself out before I lose my temper."

"Yes ser," Yaxley said before hightailing it out of the hall.

Silence hung in the Dueling Hall, their earlier happiness and mirth drowned by it.

"Severus…?"

"It'll be fine," Severus said curtly, clenching and unclenching his hands.

"If you say so, darling."

{Furius Draconis}

[Tuesday, November 1st]

"Snape, you've got to tell me how you can understand the professors so well," Remus said by way of greeting, his voice still a little raspy from his transformation a week prior. It seemed like he almost always ended up with a cold afterward.

"Pardon?"

"Your notes!" Remus collapsed in a chair, fished them out of his bag, and brandished them for emphasis. "You wrote it down in a way I can understand!" Snape blinked at him but otherwise had no other reaction. Remus sighed. "Seriously, I make it by in classes because I have the books to rely on. I just can't grasp it in lecture."

Snape nodded slowly. "You are likely more of a visual learner. You need to see something before you can understand it." Visibly, he moved on from the topic when he pushed a stack of books towards him. "These have relevant information for our Potion's project. It's our easiest one so we'll finish it first."

Setting the rolls of notes aside, Remus looked at the titles of the book curiously. "What's our topic again?"

"Do different magical affinities affect the effectiveness of the strengthening solution?" Snape supplied.

Remus rubbed at his forehead. "Yeah, alright, I can see where that could be a thing, but who even thinks about stuff like that?"

Snape gave him an unreadable look. "I theorized much of the same in Third Year. I brought it to Slughorn at the time and is likely why he gave us this topic."

Remus just stared at him. Snape stared back.

Remus shook his head and grabbed the first book from the stack. "You'll explain if I get stuck, yeah? You're clearly a genius in this."

Snape scrutinized him, likely looking for an insult in Remus's words when there was none. "I will," he said, seemingly satisfied with what he did or did not find on Remus's face.

Flipping the book open, Remus was already stuck. He turned a few pages to see if his situation with the book would improve, but it did not. "Um, Snape? I don't understand a bloody word of this book," Remus rasped. "Literally. It's not in English."

"Don't you know the translation spell?" Snape asked, exasperated.

"Missed that lesson, I'm afraid."

Snape rolled his eyes and pulled his wand, tapped it twice on the book, and intoned: "Interpretaretur Anglicus."

Remus watched, fascinated, as the characters in the book shimmered and settled into recognizable words. "Thanks!"

"Whatever, just read the book, wolf," Snape said, returning to his own book and notes. There was no real bite in his words, however, which Remus took as something of a win.

They read in silence, broken only by the sound of their quills scratching on parchment. Remus happened to look up and saw Snape completely hunched over his book and parchment, his face just centimeters away from the parchment as he wrote, or from the book as he read.

Remus frowned, puzzled. "Do you need glasses?"

Snape glared at him.

"No one I know gets that close to something they're reading unless they need glasses." Remus elaborated.

"It's a habit," Snape said flatly. "So, no. I don't need glasses. Don't bother me with pointless questions."

"Sorry, sorry." Remus returned to his book just as Snape returned to his.

The time flew by as they read in silence, and so Remus was surprised when Madam Pince came up to their table. "Curfew is in twenty minutes gentlemen, best pack up and get to your dorms."

"Thank you Madam Pince," Snape said while Remus just blinked owlishly at her, trying to adjust his eyesight after reading for as long as he had been.

Remus watched as Snape began packing his things up. "Am I really that fascinating to you, wolf?" Snape asked.

"Huh? Oh, no – wait – yes, but no-"

Snape cut him off with a look. "Speak plainly or don't speak at all, for Merlin's sake."

"Sorry," Remus coughed. "I was zoning out."

Snape waved him off. "We'll meet again tomorrow after Care. Take those books with you."

"Right, I'll see you then," Remus said, packing up his own books and notes he took today.

Snape left without another word and Remus just shrugged. He stood and left himself just as his stomach grumbled – he hadn't had much time to eat dinner before he had to meet with Snape to work on their projects. Changing his direction, he made his way down to the Kitchens – he figured he had enough time to grab a snack and make it up to his Common Room in time for curfew. It helped that there were more than a fair few shortcuts between the Kitchens and Gryffindor's Tower.

He tickled the pear and was swarmed by house-elves as soon as he walked in. "Hello, I can't stay long so could I just have a snack? It doesn't have to be much, I will have to be able to carry it back to Gryffindor Tower – my mates may want some as well, so I guess just a moderate amount of whatever you have left over from supper? Maybe a thermos of chamomile tea as well?"

"Of course Mr. Lupin sir!" they squeaked and scurried off. He watched with some dismay as they filled a large picnic basket with food and drinks.

Remus nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened behind him. He was further shocked when none other than his study partner walked in. Remus offered him a little wave and Snape rolled his eyes and made to walk out.

"Wait! I'm not staying, I'm just taking that basket and I'll be gone," Remus rasped.

Snape paused, turned, and stared at Remus for a moment before saying: "Fine." He walked over to one of the tables and was immediately swarmed by house-elves and Remus was impressed with his patience with them.

"Here you is sir!" A house-elf said to Remus, catching his attention. It was holding up a basket for him to take and just by looking at it, Remus was impressed it hadn't squished the poor thing.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," he said with a soft smile. He looked at Snape who was giving him a strange look and offered him a tentative smile as well. "Good night, Snape."

He glared at him as soon as he smiled and scoffed. "Whatever, wolf."

Remus left, his smile still on his face. He got the sense that he wasn't as annoying to Snape as he made him out to be. The least he could do to make up for the past six years of… bullying was try to be a friend now, especially since he likely had no friends in Slytherin. Well, one friend probably. He did seem to spend a lot of time around Sirius's cousin Narcissa.

It never hurt to have more friends.

{Furius Draconis}

[Wednesday, November 2nd]

Albus sat at his desk, reading a letter from Zeus Derby which was updating him on the progress of young Severus's apprenticeship. Such updates were mandated in the Hogwarts Charter, which Albus had to dig up, to see what needed to be done when a student took on an apprenticeship. In the thirteen years that he had been Headmaster, he'd never had a student attempt such a thing.

Of course, Zeus had been more than happy to provide such updates, ecstatic to gush about the potential in his pupil. Albus wondered why Horace had never spoken to him about Severus's skill before; from what Zeus was saying, Severus absolutely was a natural when it came to potions. He held little doubt that Severus would leave a lasting mark on the Potioneer community, much like he himself had in Alchemy.

They had only had the one meeting so far, but from the tone in Zeus's letter, and from Albus's own memory of what Zeus was like when he was a student at Hogwarts, it seemed to be a most fortuitous pairing. Zeus never met a person who didn't like him, even if it was grudgingly, and so Albus could not think of a better person to take Severus under their wing. He was, after all, a surly teen who had only had two close friends in all his time at Hogwarts.

Albus was confident that under Zeus's tutelage, Severus would blossom into the young man he was always meant to be if not for Albus's interference with Slytherin House, and he could not wait to meet that young man. He remembered how curious and bright Severus had been when he first entered Hogwarts, and how determined he had been to help his Videns Magia friend Lily Evans.

He was certain that little boy was still somewhere within Severus. He just had to be found, and if anyone could find him, it was Zeus.

Albus could see what happened when he let Tom Riddle grow on his own, let him get away with things he ought not have, and he wouldn't make that mistake again. He could not simply sit back and hope for the best, even if it was coming later than it should have.

In that, and in many other things, regret was his constant companion.

So strongly did Albus feel that he had helped save this particular Slytherin, he took no notice of the shifting dynamics in Slytherin. He took no notice of how dark Severus felt to him because he was Zeus's apprentice now! Zeus would save him and bring him to the light, given time. They had, after all, only met once so far. They had the whole year ahead of them to change young Severus's demeanor.

{Furius Draconis}

[Thursday, November 3rd]

Lily was sitting in the Common Room, pretending to read her book while she waited for the signal from Sirius. Why he insisted on signals, she had no idea, but she had little choice but to go along with it.

Keeping half an eye out for the Chaser, Lily occasionally turned the page in her book, wondering how she had managed to get herself into this. Before she could follow that thought very far, she saw Sirius saunter down the stairs that led to the Seventh Year boys' dorm. He leaned against the wall, crossed his left arm over his right, and his right foot over his left. He then gave the most obvious wink that Lily had ever seen another person give, and all of that combined was her signal to head to an abandoned classroom on the fourth floor halfway between the library and the hospital wing.

When she got there, the boys were already inside.

"How did you get here before me? You two were still in the Common Room when I left." Lily asked, walking in and closing the door behind her.

"Secret tunnels," Peter said, wiggling his fingers.

"Uh-huh," Lily said. "You aren't going to elaborate, are you."

"Can't go around sharing all of our secrets, can we?" Sirius said matter-of-factly.

Lily just shook her head and moved on. "Right, have you got the decoy wand?"

With a flourish, Sirius produced it from his sleeve. "One Replica of Prongs's Wand, as requested."

Lily snorted at him. "Peter? Did you get the ingredients?"

"Yep! And I separated them into vials, like you asked, too," Peter said, taking them out of his satchel one by one and put them on the table they stood around.

"Brilliant." She said, inspecting the ingredients.

"A successful mission, if I do say so myself, Longtooth."

"Why thank you Padfoot," Peter replied.

Lily got to work measuring out what they would need for the potion next to a cauldron one of the boys had provided. "What's with your nicknames anyways? I understand Remus's, what with his condition and all."

"You what?" Sirius asked sharply. "You know?"

Lily gave him a startled look. "Of course I know, he told me."

"Did you tell Snape?" Peter pressed.

Lily looked at them both angrily now. "If you are suggesting that I was the catalyst of that whole fucked up fiasco where you, Black, led Snape to where Remus transforms on a full moon, knowing full well what he would encounter, then you are sorely mistaken. Remus told me after the fact, trying to apologise for the rift it caused between Snape and me, when you, Black, did nothing but fan the flames of Snape's curiosity and expose your close friend's secret. If anyone should have been apologizing, it was you! And from what Severus told me, you never even apologized for almost getting him killed!"

"I'm sorry," Peter said wincing.

Sirius at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Er, sorry, Evans. We're just very protective of our Remus." Peter nodded in agreement.

Lily snorted. "You have a poor way of showing it, Black, if you go and out him to everyone who gets suspicious of why he's always sick around the full moon." She glared at the two of them for a moment longer before returning to the potion.

She didn't notice the pointed looks that passed between Peter and Sirius at first, but when their gestures started growing wilder, she couldn't help but comment: "What is this, a game of charades? Are you wizards or not? Just put up a silencing charm if you have something to say to each other you don't want me to hear."

"Right," Peter laughed a little awkwardly.

They retreated under a bubble of silence and Lily could only shake her head at them, still annoyed at their accusation. She would never out Remus like that. Never.

"Alright, Evans – Lily – we have come to a decision," Sirius said, once they canceled the silencing charm.

"And what might that be?" Lily asked as she added another ingredient, making iridescent bubbles come from the cauldron.

The boys looked at each other a little uneasily at her stiff tone. They both took a seat on stools in front of the table. "Usually, the Marauders need a majority vote to impart Marauder secrets -"

"Rule number Five," Sirius supplied.

"-to outsiders," Peter finished. "But since Remus trusted you with his secret, we don't see why we can't trust you with ours."

She looked at them quizzically. "What secret might that be?"

"The origin of our nicknames," Sirius said. "Longtooth, if you would?"

"Sure thing Padfoot," Peter said, and before Lily got the chance to ask what they were on about, Peter shrunk into a rat.

Few things had managed to render Lily so utterly speechless in her life, but this was definitely one of them. She was so focused on Peter the Rat that she didn't notice Sirius transform until he gave a great woof! to gain her attention. She jumped out of her skin at the noise and had to double-take at the dog sitting where Sirius had been.

"You!" She brandished her stirring rod at him. "You're the mangey mutt that broke into my dorm room last year and stole Mary's knickers!" His tongue lolled out and his eyes crinkled like he was laughing. "Oh my god, this explains so much – James is one as well, isn't he? An animagus?"

Peter turned back first. "Yep! He managed it last out of the three of us – he couldn't keep the mandrake leaf in his mouth very well."

Sirius barked out a laugh as he turned back to a human. "He was so pissed about that!"

She kept stirring the potion. "Alright, so I get your names now, but why Prongs? What does he turn into? I imagine something with horns."

"Ah, our secrets were ours to share, but that's his," Peter said. "I'm sure if you asked, he'd tell you, though."

"And it's a secret because you lot are unregistered?" Lily asked. "When did you manage the transformation anyways?"

"Yeah, we'd greatly appreciate it if you kept this to yourself," Sirius said, rubbing his chin. "We started trying to figure it out in Second Year when we figured out Remus's secret – kinda hard to hide something like that from your dorm mates – but didn't manage the transformation until Fifth."

"You lot really should get registered, just so you don't end up with a fine," Lily said, shaking her head at them. She seemed to be doing that a lot around these two. "But I'll keep your secrets. Now get over here and dip that fake wand in this."

"You're the best, Evans!" Sirius said, jumping off his stool.

"Since we've shared some secrets and are also teammates, you might as well call me Lily – both of you."

"A great honor," Peter said gravely.

"It tis, it tis," Sirius agreed.

Lily laughed at them. "Dip the wand in, would you?"

With a grand and completely unnecessary flourish that made Lily laugh again Sirius all but threw the wand into the cauldron.

"Merlin Padfoot!" Peter laughed. "We'd all be bleating like goats if any of that got on us!"

"That's half the fun!"

"You're mad you are," Lily said, shaking her head, trying to fish the wand out with some glass tongs.

"Aw, you're so kind, Lily," Sirius laughed. He bounced on the balls of his feet on the other side of the cauldron. "Did it work, did it work?"

Lily pulled the wand out, eyeing it cautiously as it was smoking slightly. "I'm not sure?"

"Should it be slightly purple?" Peter asked. "And glowing?"

"No, probably not," Lily answered with a grimace.

"Banish it?" Sirius asked.

"Banish it," Lily confirmed, and with a jab of her wand the fake wand was gone.

"Was it the potion?" Sirius asked. "Or the dunking?"

"Oh, I'd say the dunking, Padfoot. Definitely the dunking."

"Well!" Sirius said, clapping his hands together. "Shall we try again?"

Lily and Peter exchanged a look before falling into a fit of laughter

{Furius Draconis}

[Sunday, November 6th]

Lily sat on her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest while grinning delightedly at Alice and Mary bickering; it always was entertaining once they started going at it. Pandora was sitting next to her, resting back on her elbows, an amused smirk on her face. They had often snuck her in in the past for their Lioness Nights, but at this point, Pandora just walked in brazenly with the rest of them.

Gryffindor House knew better than to try to go against Lily, especially now that she seemed to have teamed up with the Marauders. They also knew better than to try to go against Pandora, who was a true force to be reckoned with and likely knew at least fourteen ways to ensure everyone's silence, be it via blackmail or some unpleasant charm she had stumbled across in her studies.

"They'll be at that for a while, now that Mary's brought up Longbottom," Lily said.

"I do believe you are correct, which leaves me with the perfect opportunity to bring up one James Fleamont Potter to you."

Spluttering laughter erupted from Lily, which didn't even phase the other two girls, so wrapped up in their own argument. "Fleamont?! His middle name is Fleamont?! How do you know that?"

Pandora rolled her eyes. "That's what you're focusing on?"

"Can you blame me?"

"No," Pandora said. "No, I really can't. To answer your question, the Potters follow the tradition of giving their male children their father's name as their middle, and should they have any female children they use their mother's name. Should they have more than one, they start going back in generations. Mum knows the Potters and told me their names. Fleamont and Adhira Potter. Apparently, Fleamont got into many fights due to other students teasing him about his name."

Lily snorted. "James Fleamont Potter. I am going to tease the shit out of him now."

"And that is what I would like to focus on," Pandora said. "Last I recall, you hated his guts and refused to call him anything milder than 'toe-rag' even going so far as referring to him as a 'fuck-knuckle.' I'm curious about what it was that made you change your tune about our esteemed Head Boy?"

Lily opened her mouth and then shut it. "I guess he hasn't been as bad this year?"

"Are you asking me a question, or giving me an answer?"

"I don't know! I'm not really sure how this happened."

"Are you two friends?"

"I mean – I guess so? Acquaintances?" Lily shrugged. "I don't hate him."

"How low the bar is for your friendship," Pandora said drolly.

"Shut up!" Lily whapped her with the pillow. Pandora gave a satisfying oomph. "I haven't really thought about it, so I really don't know what to tell you, other than the fact that he seems to have grown up, the tiniest bit."

"A minuscule amount, to be sure."

"Honest! I have to work with him on Head Student duties, and he actually contributes and has had some rather helpful ideas."

"Mn. Did he ask you to Hogsmeade?"

"No, I'm frankly rather shocked. That's the first time he hasn't since Third Year," Lily said, an odd flux in her voice.

Pandora leaned in. "Did you want him to ask you?"

Lily gave her a shove but didn't answer, because she truly didn't know the answer. And as soon as she said, 'I don't know' Pandora was likely to take it as a 'Yes, I want him to ask me' and Lily didn't want to deal with that right now.

"Hey, Ravenclaw has almost an entirely new Quidditch team this year, right?"

A knowing smile was on Pandora's face, but she let the change in topic happen. "We do. Our Seeker is the only returning player. Merlin help them."

Lily chortled. "They're going to need it. I promise I'll try not to knock your team off their booms this year."

Pandora rolled her eyes. "A stiff wind could knock them off of their brooms, that promise is pointless."

Lily snorted and then sobered. She raised a privacy ward around the two of them. "Please tell me that you've been smarter than James and haven't approached Snape."

"Of course I've been smarter than Potter," she said, feigning being affronted. "I have more than three brain cells." Lily snorted again, but Pandora continued unperturbed. "I've kept my distance; I rather doubt that he's even noticed. I've not seen anything nefarious or sinister or really anything out of the ordinary for a Seventh Year Slytherin."

Lily rubbed at her forehead. "You know Snape gave me the instructions for my Videns Magia potion?" She waited for Pandora to nod before she continued. "He told me he had an apprenticeship, so he'd be too busy to brew it for me, so maybe he's forgotten."

"What do you think he'd do?" Pandora asked, looking at her intently.

"I don't know," Lily moaned. "And that's what's scary. I thought I knew him, really knew him, but now I don't anymore."

"Well, you said he has an apprenticeship?" She waited until Lily nodded. "Then he likely does not have time to… do anything to you. He's taking at least ten classes, and he's a Prefect, and he tutors at least two other students. He likely does not have time to sleep or shit, much less time to plot against you."

"You're probably right," Lily said. "I've just been being silly."

"No, I don't think you have. You're not prone to silliness; your feelings are valid, but I believe with all my heart that you are safe."

"Thank you, Dora," Lily said, reaching out and taking her hand, giving it a heartfelt squeeze.

"Of course, someone has to look out for you. Now, take that ward down, I want to hear how far their argument has declined."

{Furius Draconis}

[Monday, November 7th]

Lily hadn't seen James since DADA on Friday, (Saturday Quidditch practice being canceled due to the weather) when she had pulled that prank with two of the Marauders. It wasn't unusual to go a few days without seeing the Head Boy, but she couldn't help but feel like he might be actively avoiding her.

A first for James Potter.

She chewed on her lip as she walked down the hallway, on her way back from the Library. After her talk with Pandora, she wasn't really sure what to think of James. For so long she had viewed him as nothing more than a juvenile, bullying toe-rag, but that had been changing because he had been changing. Or maybe she had just finally gotten to know him a little better? She just didn't know.

Alice bumped shoulders with her, startling her. "Thinking about boys are we?"

"What-? No!"

"Liar, liar," Alice said with a smile. "I know that look, and despite Mary heckling me last night about Frank, I did hear what you and Pandora were talking about: one James Fleamont Potter."

Lily groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I don't know what to tell you, Alice."

"You don't have to tell me anything," Alice said. "Just know I'm here for you."

Lily sighed. "I just don't know what to think! I don't know! Merlin, it was so much easier when I hated him."

"Don't I know it," Alice snorted. "Now that you're getting to know Potter better, is he someone you would want to keep in your life?"

Lily came to a stop by a window. "That's a big question, Alice."

"Fine; is he someone you want to be friends with?"

Lily chewed on her inner cheek. "Yes."

"So that's all you need to know," Alice said with a shrug. She tugged on Lily's robe sleeve. "Come on, Carrot Top. Deal with what's before you, before you go worrying about the future."

Lily glared at her for the nickname. "You're right," she relented as they entered the Common Room.

"I'm not called Alice the Wise without good reason."

Lily gave her a look. "Who the hell calls you Alice the Wise?"

"That is for me to know, and you to not know," Alice said with a laugh. "Go tend to your boys – it looks like Remus may need some help reigning in Black."

Lily rolled her eyes. "They're not my boys," she said, but with no real heat in her voice. She heard Alice laugh behind her as she made her way over to the weird and wild quartet of Gryffindor. "Hello boys, what's going on?"

"Lily," Remus said in relief. "Another sane individual. Help me convince Sirius here that it would be a bad idea to hide in Professor McGonagall's office to scare her."

"Sirius," Lily said sternly, putting her hands on her hips. "What have we talked about?"

The energetic teen smirked. "Not to prank McGonagall without you?"

"Good boy," Lily said with a grin, making the other three boys' jaws drop. She couldn't hold her façade for very long and burst out in laughter. "Oh Merlin! If you could see your faces."

Remus let his head drop in his hands. "Merlin help us, they've been conspiring."

James's eyes lit up in realization. "You!" He shouted, pointing at Lily. "You helped him with that prank! I've been trying to figure it out all weekend!" James hadn't been avoiding her then. Good.

She took on an absolutely angelic face. "Me? I've never played a prank in my life; I have no idea what you're talking about."

The boys looked at her. "That was scary how believable that was," Peter said in awe.

"Why thank you, Peter." She sat next to Remus. "Now, Sirius, why do you want to hide in Professor McGonagall's office to scare her?"

"Because I haven't done it before," he said. "And, she told me that she was impressed by the lack of pranks we've pulled so far, which was clearly disappointment, and we can't go disappointing our favorite professor, now can we?"

"She really said that?" James asked, flabbergasted. He looked at Peter. "What's our tally so far this year?"

Peter pulled out a little notebook from a pocket. "Erm… we've only pulled eight pranks so far."

"Only eight?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, eight. There was singing along with the sorting hat, we charmed Ravenclaw's door to only accept forty-two as the answer – they figured that out pretty quickly though – we figured out the enchantments on that door that cusses at you unless you complement it first and put it on the mirrors in the bathrooms on the third floor, we helped Peeves with his siege against the trophy room. We charmed the Slytherin team's robes to change to rainbow colors as soon as they got on the pitch for the first game – Snape undid it immediately though – we made it so anyone climbing the Astronomy tower end up walking on the walls up the staircase, we changed the color of all the plants in Greenhouse One, and lastly we bewitched Prongs here to think he was a goat in the middle of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"We are way behind where we've been in previous years," James said. He sent Lily a look that she caught; she thought it looked like he was asking for permission. Looking around, the other three boys had similar looks on their faces.

She smiled conspiratorially. "A little bit of chaos never hurt anyone – so long as you four do not target one person maliciously-" she fixed them all with a fiery glare, which seemed to cow them "-then I see no reason why you can't pick up the pace with your pranks."

The boys cheered and Lily found herself in the middle of a group hug and couldn't help but laugh with the boys. "Merlin, you lot are acting like you wouldn't have gone and done what you wanted to anyway."

"Ah, ah, ah," Sirius said, wagging his finger. "We couldn't go forth without the wisdom and guidance of Ethical Evans."

Lily snorted. "You are lying through your teeth, Sirius Black."

"Am I?"

She looked at James. "Isn't he?"

He nodded. "He is. Padfoot here lies as easily as he breathes."

"Oi! I do not – well, maybe I do on occasion, but I'm not now! Not really!"

"Uh-huh," Lily said disbelievingly. "Can you lot maybe get off of me now? Not that I don't enjoy a friendly group hug now and then – it's sort of devolved into you all squishing me."

James, Peter, and Remus all tried to leap up, but Sirius hugged her tighter, trapping the rest of them there as he was the tallest and therefore the heaviest. "Oh, surely the Terror of the Quidditch Pitch can handle a few of her mates squishing her a bit," Sirius said in a baby voice.

Lily gave him the Evil Eye and the boys scrambled to get away. "Shite! Shite! I'm sorry! Shite! Don't put my arse on my forehead!" Sirius shouted as he ran away, grabbing a Second year to hide behind. Peter tripped over his feet and just stayed where he fell, Remus dove behind the couch and James seemed frozen in face of Lily's wrath.

The entire Common Room burst into laughter at the spectacle of the Marauders so easily scared by the short redhead, and Lily couldn't help but laugh as well. These boys were an absolute mess.

{Furius Draconis}

Later that night, Lily and James were wandering around the upper floors, making their Prefect rounds of the week. It had been quiet so far, a blessing considering Peeves had been an utter hellion lately. Likely trying to rouse his favorite students to play more pranks.

"Sooo," Lily said. "Fleamont?"

James groaned and came to a stop, his hands slapped over his face. "Who told you?" He asked, his voice muffled.

She smirked and stopped with him. "A mutual friend."

He peaked at her from behind his hands. "Sirius?"

She shook her head. "Sirius would never." She paused. "Actually. I take that back, Sirius would. But he didn't; it was a different mutual friend." She said the last part over her shoulder as continued walking.

"Peter?" James guessed, jogging to catch up to her.

"He's too nice for that and you know it."

"Remus?"

"Do I really need to respond to that?"

James laughed. "No, you don't. But who told?!"

"I refuse to give up their identity because I know you will heckle them relentlessly if I do."

James groaned again. "You know me too well."

"I'm wise to your ways, James Fleamont Potter," she joked as they rounded a corner. He gave a slight whimper at the use of his full name and she couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, I won't use it in front of anyone who doesn't already know what it is."

"And you won't tell them what it is either?" he asked, eyeing her shrewdly.

"Gryffindor's honor," she promised.

He let out a dramatic and gusty sigh of relief. "My dad told me how many duels he got into over his name, I've been dreading Hogwarts finding out since I was six. I've made it this far with the majority of the general populace not knowing it or politely ignoring it, and I'd like to make it all the way to graduation like that."

"If he got into so many fights over it, why'd he pass it down to you?" Lily asked.

"Tradition," James answered with a shrug. "Potters have always carried on their parents' names in one way or another. Fleamont comes from my grandmum's maiden name. That was her family tradition and grandad agreed to it – grandmum was apparently an intimidating spitfire of a woman."

"I see," Lily said. "I'd respect your grandmum for getting her way if she hadn't saddled her kid with a name that caused him to get in so many fights."

James laughed. "I think dad picked a fair few of them and later blamed them on his name, to be honest."

"With a name like Fleamont?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Yeah, yeah, okay." He shoved his hands in the pockets of his robes. "So… you know my middle name now, might I ask yours?"

"It would be fair, wouldn't it?" Lily said. She pretended to consider it for a moment but caved pretty quickly. "Alright, alright. It's Calvin."

"Lily Calvin Evans?" James tried. "It suits you."

"I could say the same about you, James Fleamont Potter."

He clutched his chest dramatically. "Oh! That hurts!"

Lily laughed at him. "I mean it! It's just the right amount of absurdness and presentable-ness."

"Well, I'm glad you think so. Sirius gleefully teased me about it in First Year, but on the other hand, wouldn't put up with anyone else teasing me about it. Unless it was Pete or Remus."

"A true big brother."

"Funnily enough, he is the oldest out of all of us. He doesn't hold that over us, at all."

"No, not Sirius. He would never," Lily deadpanned. Their eyes met and they devolved into a fit of giggles.

"Now that you've been roped into being a Marauder Cohort by Pete and Siri, you too will be subjected to his utter, loveable nonsense."

"Oh Merlin, don't remind me," she shook her head. She hadn't really had a say in the matter, but she didn't find herself minding it so much. "Sirius really is a force of nature, isn't he?"

"That he is," James agreed with a laugh. "He's really the reason why we all ended up friends. It helps that we're the only ones in the dorm for our year, but Sirius was really dead set on having friends and we were his chosen victims." He laughed at his own joke. "But really, he was relentless in making sure we were all included. Now that he's decided that you've got to be included in our pranks, I imagine you won't be able to escape either."

"Well," she said. "There are worse fates." She smiled at him, laughter dancing in her eyes.

When they made it back to the common room, Force of Nature Sirius waylaid them both. "Did you ask her?" he demanded James.

James stammered, his hand jumping up to the back of his neck. Lily was beginning to realize that was more of a nervous tick than an act of arrogance.

"Ask me what?" she asked the two boys, arching an eyebrow.

"To come over for Christmas of course!" Sirius said. "We've got Pete convinced to at least come for Boxing day – Remus too. Say you'll come? Pretty please?"

"Sirius!" James hissed under his breath. "I'm sorry, Lily, you don't have to come just because this one is begging." He got his friend in a headlock none too gently – Sirius was still grinning at her.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun! Potter Manor has a huge library, a quidditch pitch, and a potions laboratory unlike any you've ever seen."

James gave him a noogie. Sirius didn't even seem phased.

She eyed them both, thinking back to what Alice had told her. She and James could be friends with out thinking too much about the future, right? And being friends with James came with being friends with the boys. And it wasn't like she hadn't been to other friends' places for Christmas before. Besides, it wasn't like being friends with him would even lead to anything more, right? "I'll have to ask my mum and da, but I'll let you know if I can."

"Wha- really?" James asked, looking so hopeful it almost hurt.

"Well, I can't exactly have you lot over at my house, now can I? That's just asking for all hell to break loose. And the girls are all busy this break – I'd honestly do just about anything to spend as much time as possible away from my sister. So, yeah, really."

"Brilliant!" James said, his face breaking into a radiant smile. "I hope you can, Lily. Potter elves really go all out for Christmas, and my amma and dad will love you."

"I'll owl mum tomorrow," she promised with a smile. "Good night boys."

"Good night Lily!" they chorused, James still holding Sirius in a headlock.

Bet you all are real bamboozled right now, considering I said I wouldn't have this chapter done until next year, huh? Don't worry, I'm heckin' bamboozled too. I think this is probably the fastest I've ever written a chapter; turns out, listening to Critical Role while writing is a really good way to keep the ideas flowing.

But seriously, don't get used to this, it probably will not happen again until next year because I really should have been writing a paper today but instead, I was working on this. Can't keep doing that.

ALSO, writing Dumbledore is not fun. AND, I know that a dragon isn't all that realistic for a patronus, considering only one other person in the history of the wizarding world managed a patronus the size of a giant but I'm in charge here so there. Besides, having a dragon patronus fits.

I hope you all enjoyed this! Thank you for reading!