AN: I just realized that I'd never written about the scene in the Forbidden Forest before, so I thought, Why not give it a try in this chapter? uh, don't blame me if I wrote anything stupid, okay? I know my story may be inaccurate about some stuff, but I like twisting things around (like Lily's a pure-blood, not a muggle-born). But the opinion's yours. Flame if you want to, but at least review! Wait. The Quidditch part (Duckling's been asking, yes, I know) will be the next chapter. I promise (and I usually keeps them J)
bunny chan
Disclaimer: blah blah blah yatta yatta yatta … you know what I'll say anyway, so no point wasting my time at this section.
The Marauding Five : Year Two
Chapter 6: Forbidden Forest
Lily yawned in Binns' History of Magic class, her eyes dropping heavily as the threatened to close. The Marauders were trying hard (or at least, Sirius and Remus were) to not get as many detentions as the year before as their mothers had warned them about getting too much. But once, James had logically pointed out, 'Since we're professional mischief-makers, we should not be known for our mischief-makings every time we do one.'
The Marauders agreed full heartedly at it. They still play as many mischief, but this time, they were rarely caught for their trouble causing habits. Usually Severus Snape got all the blame because he had a war against the Marauders, always trying to pull pranks on them. Of course, they were too quick for him (he told half the Slytherins the plan. Remember, Sirius had 'charmed' a girl). The Slytherin had received an exceptionally loud Howler from his father about getting pelted with owls because of his misbehaving.
Lily yawned again. The Droning class is so boring, but sadly, I'd to stay awake to listen to all his lectures to narrate it for the homework, the girl thought dully. She looked around. No one was paying any attention, as they had all fallen asleep. 'Lucky things,' Lily muttered as she forced her eyelids to open.
'What was it, Ms Evans?' the ghost asked. Amazing. The ghost can listen to the slightest sound, but yet failed to notice that the class is sleeping, Lily muttered in her brain.
'Uh, I mean, why do they start throwing yo-yos at Yabber-Yabbie gnomes in 1539?'
'It's because, they hated that whirling sound!' he snapped, causing half the class to wake.
'Huh?' James asked groggily from beside her.
'Like this?' Sirius asked as he jumped and pulled a Screaming Yo-Yo from his pockets and started playing with it.
'No, no! That is screaming!' Binns cried as he tried covering his ears.
'Oh, then this?' Remus asked, pulling out another yo-yo. It screeched loudly, like a wailing banshee.
'That's screaming, Lupin!' Binns put in.
'Then, is it like this?' James asked as he pulled another yo-yo out. The class covered their ears.
'Yes, that's the sound, Potter! Now take notes!' Binns said as the class fell into a deep sleep again.
BRRRRIIIIIIIIIING!!
Everyone woke up that very instant and started packing their bags. 'And do a five parchment long essay about Yabber-Yabbies!' Binns said as they rushed out hurriedly. He hold the four Marauders back. 'Professor McGonagall would like to meet you in her study.' They nodded before rushing towards McGonagall's study, Sirius grumbling about missing his lunch.
James knocked sharply at the door before opening and McGonagall jumped in fright.
'Yes Minnie?'
'The four of you were wandering around the castle, late at night, when You-Know-Who is active.'
They nodded before Lily broke into a song.
'I'd love to go a waandering around the mountain traacks; and--'
Sirius, Remus and James continued, singing in a childish voice and dancing stupidly around. The professor would laugh, if they weren't here for the detention she was about to issue to them.
'Well, thank you so much for that song, Evans, but I trust you will do you detention with Hagrid this evening. He needed some students to help him find a Telly-Gnome in the Forbidden Forest, so bring your wands along. Be there at four. You may leave now,' McGonagall said, smiling, as she handed them their detention slips. James and Lily took it happily, but Sirius and Remus both had sour faces. After they had left the room, they heard McGonagall laughing her head off without control.
'Well that certainly doesn't sound like her,' Remus mused happily when they opened the portrait to the Gryffindor common room.
'It certainly doesn't. Wish I'd taken a picture,' Sirius sighed sadly.
'Well, I did,' Lily said, grinning.
'You did? How did you manage to?' James asked her curiously.
'Simple. Just snap, like this.' Lily pulled out her camera and focus it on Tally, who was sleeping with her mouth wide open. Then, she click it.
'I know that! We hadn't any time, so how did you?' James snapped.
'Ouch, why so grouchy? Well, I'd sorta sneak in this mini-camera in her office when we were dancing.'
'Cool! Awesome idea, Li! One problem. Where do we see it?'
'Wait, Si. I have this transmitter somewhere,' Lily said as she rummage around her robes and pockets, pulling out Dungbombs, stink pellets, Filibuster's Firecrackers, Screeching Spiders, Nasty Howlers and much more before pulling out a tiny aerial-like thing from her pocket.
'That?' Remus asked, not believing his eyes.
'This,' Lily replied firmly. She guided them to their secret room in the fourth floor, placing the transmitter on what looked like a television.
'I thought muggle devices don't work here,' Sirius said, peering all over the television-like thing.
'It's not a muggle device! I saw it once at Gambol & Japes Wizarding Joke Shop at Diagon Alley!' James said as he started bouncing.
'Yep! And I'd just fixed it up the last time I came in,' Lily said proudly, glad that she managed to fix it up.
'Whatever. Just let's see it,' Sirius urged.
'Hey, you need patience and I suggest you join Dorothy's quest to meet the Wizard of Oz for patience!'
'I resented that.'
'You were supposed to. It's a sarcastic remark.'
'Oh, is that so? Then I think I'll agree with it then.'
'Suits me fine.'
Lily adjusted the little aerial on the television-look-alike before turning it on. She waved her wand, causing everything to go backwards in the picture. She stopped at a part when they left the room. They watched carefully. After they had left, McGonagall let out a little giggle. Then she started laughing. She rolled on the floor after that. Soon, she was pounding her fists hard, laughing as tears streamed from her eyes.
'I never thought she'd do that!'
'Neither did we, but hey, she did it!'
'Congratulations on a job well done, Li!'
Lily bowed graciously before grumbling hard, pulling her bag to her and unrolling five new parchments. The boys stared hard at the red head as she seated herself on the desk and start writing whilst muttering non-stop under her breath.
'Lily? Just what are you doing?' James asked curiously.
'Obvious, isn't it? I'm doing History of Magic. Yabber-Yabbies are at Ghost Ville…'
'You listened to that boring ghost?' Sirius asked in surprise.
'Yes. If I want to pass with good marks, I have to.'
'Pass with good marks? Lily, you're already a top student with the best marks!' Remus waved at her.
'Sadly, that isn't good enough.'
'Then what is?'
'I don't know. No idea.'
'Weirdo.'
'Thanks. I'd always considered myself one ever since Petunia hated me for being a witch. Anyway, Petty hates me ever since I was given a life, so what am I complaining here?'
'Gees, you could slow it down with the homework at least.'
'Nah! I think I'd better finish it now so that I can get to Hagrid's detention without a worry of eaten by some wild animals. Yabber-Yabbies hate fire and ice…'
'Seriously, you're mad.'
'I know I am.'
The boys shrugged and shove the status 'Mad' and 'Weirdo' to the red haired girl before thinking of what to do at the Forbidden Forest.
'What do you think we'll do?' Remus started.
'Find that stupid Telly-Gnome,' Sirius replied.
'No. How about finding out who was the one who attracted those magical creatures to us?' James suggested.
'I wonder who was that. It has to be one of us,' Sirius' eyes wandered, falling onto Remus.
'No. Not me. I'm a werewolf, remember? I don't think they'll want themselves eaten until they know they're save with me.'
'It might be me…'
'I don't think so, Si. You frightened half of them just by nearing them.'
'Oh, and you think it's you, Jam?'
'Maybe. James and Lily do have some weird powers no ordinary witch or wizard possess.'
'Thanks Re.'
'I'm speaking fact here, not defending anyone.'
'How'd you find it anyway? Wait, don't answer it. With that library in your house, I think you'll know just almost everything.'
'Correct.'
'So, will it be James or Lily?'
'Well… so far, Lily has demonstrated some of her powers – a Psychic and a Seer – and she'd saved the Parkinsons from Voldemort. James, on the other hand…'
'I know. I hadn't any signs, so what?'
'Well, I remembered someone who once had a power to summon someone or something. Who was it, Re? Someone with the name of James Potter, isn't it?'
'Oh yeah! Remember once when Lily's hamster, Tomato, got lost? James had it in his hands after we all search for it for three days!'
'Wow, I don't remember doing anything like that. So far the only special thing about me is I sleep all the way, up to noon, every Christmas morning. No one managed to wake me up! If that person can get me up in the morning, they deserve their names on the Wizarding World's Dictionary of Highest Achieved Records (WWDHAR),' James proclaimed proudly.
'Thanks for reminding. Lily had another talent demonstrated, Si. Remember?'
'Oh yeah! James, Lily woke you up last Christmas at eight in the morning! Hah! Another of Lily's special talents. Too bad, I should've taken a photo.' Sirius clucked sadly, shaking his head.
'Hey! You promised not to tease!' Lily wailed, rushing towards them. James saw that her fingers were red from all the writing and Lily's voice was a little croaky, like it was used a tiny bit too much.
'You're finished?' James questioned.
'What does it look like?' Lily said, showing her red hands and snatching off her glasses as she pointed towards five rolls of parchment by her shoes. She'd worn glasses ever since the holidays for reading too much, but she rarely wears them, using them only to study.
'Finished.'
'Right.'
'What about the Christmas morning thing?'
Lily eyed at Sirius and Remus. They gulped, shook their heads quickly.
'What about hidden talents? I heard about them just now,' Lily asked curiously.
'Oh, we were talking about both you and James' hidden talents. You know, when James found Tomato in his hands when we can barely even see it's fur? How you saved the Parkinsons from Voldemort? And how you uh, wake James on Christmas morning? We were wondering who was the one who attracted the unicorns.'
'Watch it Si. You promised and you better keep on it, else you'd turn into a warthog. And about those who attracted the unicorns…'
They look expectantly at her.
'No idea. Sorry.'
'What? You're a Seer and a Psychic in Merlin's sake and you don't know?' Sirius said, jumping to his feet.
'Well, like I'd said, I'm not strong enough yet! I still need to train!'
'Sirius, she's right. I mean, she's only twelve and she can only see two days in the future--'
'Three now.'
'Okay, three. And I don't think her psychic powers are all that high yet.'
'Yeah, maybe you're right. Oh well, since we're going to the forest at four, we'll find out.'
'Speaking of which--'
Remus was rudely cut off by Lily shriek.
'We're going to be late!!! It's detention time!' The girl screamed, looking at her watch which pointed at a tiny print saying 'Detention'.
'Wow. Where'd you get this watch? It even had detention written on it!'
'Let's just say I forced Gram's friend, Yurtly Smith, to make it for me.'
'Oh.'
They crept out slowly from the mirror, checking that no one is nearby, and scrambled out as quickly as they can before running towards the entrance. They were stopped by Corn, who scolded them for going out by themselves when Voldemort is still active.
'Really! Going all by yourself outside the school grounds with no one accompanying you,' the professor lectured.
'Puh-leeez, Corn! We're going for our detention and we mustn't be late!' Remus said angrily as Corn offered to bring them out.
'No thanks, Corny. We'll make it by ourselves,' Sirius said irritably as Lily checked her watch again it read 'Late'. Hurriedly, they ran off before the professor can begin lecturing again. When Corn looked up at the four, they had already disappeared. The Marauders didn't like Professor Corn all that much and most of his lecturings are boring to listen to.
Hagrid was waving at them with Fang at his heels when they reached his hut.
'Wha' took ya so long?' the giant asked, annoyed. 'Ya can't catch the 'elly-Gnome if it's dark!'
'Corn was lecturing,' James muttered in reply. Hagrid didn't seem to hear it, as he led them straight into the forest.
''re lookin' fer a 'Elly-Gnome, so ya'd ter listen carefully fer 'is tellies, got me?' Hagrid said as he held onto Fang, who seemed to be interested in roaming around the forest as soon as he can.
'Aye, Hagrid!'
'An' we'll split. One wi' me and another wi' Fang. So who's wi' me?' Hagrid said. Four hands shoot straight up.
'Hey, we can't all go!' James protested. 'So I'll be with Hagrid.'
'And I'll be with him,' Lily added in an I'm-important-voice. 'I'm a girl.'
'That isn't fair, Li, Jam!' Remus protested.
'Right. You two'll have to stick together, since you both have hidden powers and talents to help you. We don't,' Sirius pointed out.
Lily looked sourly at him. 'That's the first sensible thing I've heard from you.'
'Hey, I may be a little insane, but I can think y'know!' the boy protested.
'E's righ'. If yer have hidden talents, it shouldn' be much trouble. Sirius an' Remus'll follow me. B'sides, Lily have a certain aura ter attract creatures,' Hagrid pointed out. Lily and James both sulked gloomily as Hagrid took Sirius and Remus, who grinned and waved at them, towards the left side of the forest.
'So now what?' Lily turned, asking James.
'Take the right?' He suggested. They both nodded, held Fang tightly as they took the right side of the forest. As soon as they were in the forest, night seem to dawn quickly. They muttered 'lumos' as their wands emitted a small glow at it's tip.
'McGonagall forgotten to ask us to bring our cloaks to keep warm,' Lily said as she shivered a little.
'You're cold? You can have mine,' James said, taking his cloak from under his robes.
'Where'd you get it?' Lily asked, surprised, but put it on gratefully.
'I always bring one whenever I go out,' James replied with a shrug. They continued looking for the gnome.
'Aren't you cold?'
'No.'
They were silent for a while, listening for a Telly-Gnome's tellies, when a pure white unicorn appear before them. The two stared. It stared back in it's soft, calm eyes and nuzzled at Lily, who stood on spot, as if petrified. Just what is this unicorn, especially a young one, is doing? It had came to them and the unicorn's most strict rules are to never come near one human. It kept on nuzzling on Lily's arm, whining gently.
'J- James? W- what is it doing?' Lily stammered.
'Uh, licking you? But why, of all creatures, did a unicorn come? They're shy animals!' James pointed.
'Y- Yeah, I know, but what is it doing?'
'Do I look like I understand unicorn language to you?'
'Maybe you do. It's whining.'
'Huh? What do you mean by that? That must've been the stupidest thing I'd heard! Interesting, though.'
'What are you talking about, James?'
'You said something about a gnome attacking a centaur!'
'I did not.'
'You did… oh wait. What did Hagrid said about you the first time we met him?'
'Uh, something like I'd talent with animals?'
'Exactly. And I think I'd talent to talk with animals!'
'Really? So what's your point?'
'Yes, and the point is, I can talk to this unicorn.'
The unicorn whinnied and almost drag them from where it came from.
'It wants us to follow it or it'll-' The unicorn humphed.
'Uh, it's a she. She wants us to follow it or she'll drag us there. Impatient, aren't you?'
'Just let's follow her.'
They ran after the white creature, who led them towards a clearing where a centaur with milk-white body and a handsome face was being attacked by an ugly looking gnome. The Telly-Gnome. The centaur called at them for help miserably and Lily, who had a soft spot for animals (except the castle cat), felt pity for it.
'Uh, what do we do James?'
'You're asking me?'
'Remus should've been with us. He's good at DADA and this gnome so happen to run out of a third year DADA class.'
'I couldn't help but agree with you. Uh, let's see…' James racked his brains for a spell. Finding none, he ran quickly towards the gnome and kicked it hard. Lily, seeing his example, follow suit. The unicorn who was sitting watch a while ago looked amused at Lily and James kicking the gnome. Deciding to join the fun, she leapt up and kicked the gnome with it's hind legs, sending it flying towards the castle.
'You okay?' James asked the centaur.
'Yeah, sorta. Ow! Stupid gnomes,' the centaur replied bitterly.
'Hey, I remembered you! You were only a baby last year!' Lily said excitedly, jumping up and down.
'Huh? Yeah, I was a baby last year. The name's Hatch,' Hatch said cheerfully, sticking out a hand.
'James Potter. Lily Evans,' James replied, pointing to Lily.
'How's Leilia?' Lily asked, referring to Hatch's mother.
'M- Mother? S- s- she's d- dead,' Hatch replied quietly, looking down at the sands under his hooves.
'What? How? Why? When?' Lily asked, surprised.
'Mother's d- dead. Got killed by a werewolf called Geree last summer at the Humpy Greens. We were vacationing there and the werewolf attacked. S- she died protecting me,' Hatch said, looking forlorn and lost.
'I'm sorry Hatch,' James said, patting the centaur lightly.
'No. You shouldn't be anyway. I can't say much, Lily, James, but all I can tell is that Jupiter had lost one of it's ice,' Hatch said.
'Not you! You're not gonna be like the other centaurs!' Lily whined.
'I wouldn't want to, but it's fate. Jupiter lost it's ice, so forgive,' Hatch said before galloping off with the unicorn.
'Jupiter lost it's ice? What does that mean?' James asked a puzzled Lily.
'I'm good at Astronomy, but not this good, so I can't provide you an answer,' Lily said, shaking her head.
'Let's see… we try interpreting this "advice" first, right?'
'Yes. Jupiter lost it's ice? Hmm… maybe it means that someone-' Lily stopped as an image flashed before her. Nina Pittard.
'Nina.' The girl said suddenly.
'What? What has Nina got to do with this?'
'See, Nina was with these Slytherins,' Lily grimaced, 'ever since the year started. She's kinda sore about the way I took Tally as a friend to confront.'
'Tally told me that.'
'So, I think Nina's back to us. The ice melted. Maybe Tally had speak sense into her or maybe something just happened, whatever it is. Before that, Nina looked sort of,' Lily shivered, 'controlled. Like a doll. An ice. When you touch her, it's like going through one of those ghosts. Coldness. Very very cold.'
'Okay, I get it already Li. No more explainations. Hatch didn't give us an advice, but a statement. At least he's not like the other centaurs; all advice and nothing else. Better, or more accurately, all warnings and everything stupid. Everything'll come by anyway, whether or not they gave those stupid things like "Venus is green" or one that's so common like "Mars is bright". Seriously, they need to get a life and go vacationing somewhere, like Hatch's family. At least try not to get eaten by any werewolves or something.'
'Let's get back. Aren't you freezing?'
James considered this. 'I think I am now. Mind if we share?' Lily nodded. Besides, the cloak was big enough for both of them. Quietly, they made their way out of the dark forest. When they reached the clearings, Lily could see Remus, Hagrid and Sirius waiting for them.
'Hey Lily! James! 'ere's Fang?' Hagrid shouted to them. They glanced at each other. They'd left the boarhound behind.
'Er, Hagrid? We're sorta left him behind,' Lily answered timidly. James nodded mutely at this.
'Wha'? Oh well, he'll return by tomorrow. Fang knows his way around well, so no harm on him roaming 'bout,' Hagrid said, chuckling as he did so. Just then they heard a loud bark as Fang the boarhound leapt from Hagrid's back and into Lily's arms.
'Whoa! Slow it boy!' James said as the dog began to lick him playfully.
'Found 'is way to us,' Hagrid said, looking sternly at the dog. Fang cowered.
'I'd told 'im tha' he wasn't s'pposed ter leave yeh two.'
'It's okay Hagrid, we managed,' Lily assured. Sirius and Remus snorted at this.
'You two? Not manage it? Goodness, you know enough spells and cheek to outwit a grown wizard and the courage to run after a dangerous dragon!' Remus said.
'And with all their talents and powers? I'll eat myself alive,' Sirius said grinning at them. 'Glad you're both safe!'
'When are we not?' Lily snorted. 'Besides, a unicorn kicked the gnome and sent it flying. Seen it?'
'Yeah. We saw it flying through the air and we followed it. See, it landed in it's cage!' Sirius said brightly, pointing to the cage on the floor. The Telly-Gnome grumbled to itself in anger, nursing his bruises.
'Hey, if you grumble anymore, we'll kick you once more,' James adviced it. Immediately, it cowered, not wanting to be kicked by James. James had worn those spiky boots when he heard that they will be after a gnome and was intended to kick it if he can't find a spell for it.
'It looked pretty hurt. Why didn't you use a spell on it?' Remus asked, checking the gnome.
'Uh, we were too frightened?'
Sirius was suddenly grinning at both Lily and James. His grin grew even wider. He nudged onto Remus, who turned at once, and whispered something into the boy's ear. Remus at first looked annoyed at being disturbed, but then broke into a similar grin like Sirius before pulling out his camera and took a quick snap before either Lily or James knew what was going on.
'What is this all about?' Lily demanded.
'Hello Lily Potter! I don't think we'd met yet,' Sirius said, extending his hand out to the red head.
'What? The name's Lily Evans, Sirius Black. We'd met, but if you stress so…' Lily held out her hand, which was holding James'. Suddenly realizing that both had held each other's hands ever since they had started their journey into the forest, they blushed and let go of it as quickly as they can.
Remus waited excitedly for the picture to develop.
'But again, James, I thought I was your best friend! You promised that when you marry a girl, I'll be your best man, didn't you?' Sirius asked, looking hurt.
'You are my best friend, Si. And about being a best man, I don't remember ever claiming that I wanted to marry anyone. I prefer being single,' James replied, looking puzzled.
Remus smiled happily. 'Ta-dah!! Take a look at this, Jam, Li!' he handed them the photo. It showed Lily and James talking animatedly to each other, holding theirs hands and sharing the same cloak. James' cloak.
Hurriedly, Lily took the cloak off her shoulders and gave it to James, who took it back thankfully. But no sooner had she done that when she started sneezing.
'Wonderful. Now I'm going to catch a cold,' Lily muttered as she wrapped her arms around her body to protect it from the chilling night wind.
'Maybe you should take my cloak,' James said. And without waiting for a reply, he quickly wrapped it around her tightly. Lily muffled something, though the boys didn't hear her as they were too busy teasing James and Lily with a made-up song they had invented. Hagrid watched on in an amused expression.
'Oh yeah, found who was the one attracting those creatures?' Sirius lowered into a whisper.
James nodded.
'Who was it? You? I'd no luck. Everytime we tried to near a centaur, they ran.'
'Actually, is was Lily. I'd an ability to talk to animals.'
'What a couple you both'll be! One attracts the animals and the other speaks to them!' Remus said excitedly.
'A must-write report.'
'Don't you dare, Sirius Black…'
'But why not?'
'Yeah, you both are sooo in love!'
'Excuse me? Me? In love with her? She's my childhood friend and I love her just like how I'd love my younger sister if I have one.'
'So do we. But there are signs…'
'Right. Whatever. I'll give you this, Re. Lily managed to solve it and I'd like to see you try. One of Jupiter's ice melted just now.'
'Huh?'
'Lily solved it, and Astronomy was you hobby. Shame.'
'Uh, hey! I'll solve it! Gimme a day!'
'Lily solved it right there. But fine. I will. You've a day, Remus!'
'What are you guys whispering about?' Lily asked.
'Nothing.'
Lily frowned. One thing about the three is that whenever they were speaking on something in secret, they'll never share it with her no matter how much they treat her like a sister. That's why I need Tally, Lily noted to herself. All the same, her Psychic powers told her that it wasn't anything important that she want to know. Lily made a mental note to ask her mother how to control and use her Psychic powers, seeing that she still hasn't manage to do so yet. Hagrid brought them in after locking the Telly-Gnome's cage.
Professor Corn was waiting for them impatiently.
'Thank you, Hagrid. Now where had you been late at night. Dumbledore's orders: do not stay outside the castle past five! And everyone is due to be in their dormitories by seven. For Merlin's sake, it's already ten now!'
'We were hunting for that wretched gnome,' Sirius replied, not bothering to mutter it.
'The Telly-Gnome? It is not wretched creature, as you'd described it, Black. In fact, it was the most fascinating dark gnome ever! It appeared itself to the people in 1442 at Fermugan and had managed to confund each and every wizard-'
Lily groaned. This is already sounding like Binns' History of Magic classes already.
'Corn? I don't think you remember us, do you?' Remus started in a tired voice.
'Of course I do! You are Evans, Potter, Black and Lupin-' they nodded, glad he still remembered them, '-and you are in your third year at Hogwarts.' They groaned. No wonder he was telling them about all these stupid and completely useless information on Telly-Gnomes, Sirius thought bleakly.
'I wish I had a cornish pixie,' Sirius whispered to the group. They grinned immediately at this idea. All four rummaged their robes for extra quills and James and Lily transfigured them into the little michievous pixies, who ran after their DADA professor at top speed, pinching the man as he screamed helplessly for them to stop.
'And they call him a Defense Against Dark Arts professor,' Remus snorted. The others just shrug as they retired to their dorms.
**
Lily crept in silently into her dorm, but no sooner had she entered when the lights were switched on. The remaining four Gryffindor girls looked up at her expectantly.
'So, what did you guys do tonight?' Tally started.
'What did you learn?' Sita piped.
'Let's just say we had a detention and Jupiter had one of it's ice melted,' Lily said, gazing at Nina, who was smiling serenely. She snapped.
'Jupiter's ice melt??' Nina asked in bewilderment. Lily nodded in response.
'What's the detention?' Pertsy asked, ignoring the girl.
'Forbidden Forest,' Lily replied easily as if it is a normal thing (it was anyway). She pulled her hair free as it waved and tumbled slowly onto the floor, reaching up to her ankles.
'I like your hair, Li. Too bad, mom wouldn't let me keep it that long,' Tally said, gazing at her friend's ankle-long red hair. 'And my hair's blonde too. An awful color. Wish I had brown or red.'
'Well, I grew it ever since I was four. Wanna see an old picture of me?' Lily asked. Tally nodded. Lily rummaged into her trunk for a photo. 'See, I like this photo best.' Lily pushed it into Tally's hands.
The photo showed a six-year-old Lily and James, smiling at the camera. Lily was wearing a T-shirt and a matching skirt, a necklace dangling from her neck. Her red hair dropping right to her ankles, like they had now. James was wearing a T-shirt and a shorts. His hair was less of a mess, since it was quite short and he was giving Lily rabbit ears behind her. Obviously, Lily didn't notice it at that time.
'It's so sweet!!' Tally, Pertsy, Nina and Sita cooed. 'You two looked cute together, do you know that?'
'Wanna see one of all the Marauders? Here,' Lily pushed another photo into Tally's hands.
This time, four nine-year-olds smiled happily into the lenses. Sirius' hair was shorter ('He isn't that cute. I like him now,' Tally said dreamily) and Remus, although pale and tired, was smiling cheerfully, waving his hands. Lily had obviously used a potion on the photo, because it's moving, unlike the on before. Lily was thrown a piece of cake and James' hair was messed with orange juice. Somehow, a shower of worms appeared above him (Sita suspected that it was Lily's magic whenever she got mad) and the boy was trying to run away from them.
'Gosh! Who's birthday was it?' Nina started. Tally, Pertsy and Sita stared hard at her. 'What?'
'It was James' birthday. He thought it was fun to throw his cake on my face and he just did that. Of course, I was mad, so I accidentally let out my magic,' Lily said, as if Nina's attitude was her normal one, which is not. The girls nodded to indicate that they understand what she said, but the remaining three still look hard at Nina.
At last, after another five more photos, they shut off the night and said goodnight. Tally, who was sleeping next to Lily's bed, pulled the drapes and asked her a question.
'Lily?'
'Yes?'
'Did you hex Nina? Why is she acting so weird today?'
Tally saw the girl smiled in the dark. 'Well, Jupiter's ice melted.'
'I'm hopeless at astronomy and you know that.'
'Let's just say the Nina we knew four months ago isn't the real Nina.'
'Huh? Care explaining?'
'She's controlled. Does that explain much?'
'No.'
'Another one. Check her. She's clumsy at her head.'
'Get it straight, will you?'
'Can a no do?'
'No.'
'Okay. No.'
'Hey!'
'I'd said it anyway. Besides, if I tell things that weren't meant to be, things'll turn upside-down.'
'Like it hasn't already with you Marauders.'
'I'm serious, Tally.'
'… how much did you know, Lily?'
'Uh…'
'How much? You can come out of the forest alive again, managed to find the exams without even touching any reports, saved the Parkinsons. How Lily?'
'Can I please not tell?'
'No. I want answers and I want them now.'
'Please?'
'Answer me and I'll leave you to sleep.'
'Wait. Mind helping me a little?'
'I want answers!'
'I'll answer you, don't worry. Can you help me?'
'Sure. Do you keep your words?'
'Am I a Marauder?'
'Okay, what do you want me to do?'
'Stay with Snape.'
'What?!'
'Stay with Severus Snape at the end of the Gryffindor's first Quidditch match.'
'But why? I hate that greasy idiot!'
'Just stay with him, will you? Please? We need some help there.'
'I will. Now, for the answers?'
'I know loads. Loads more than you do. Much more than almost everyone do. And that's why I'm asking you to stay with Snape. For your sake.'
'Fine with me. I still prefer my answers to be straight.'
'Hey, I answered!'
'Yeah. You did. Kept your word. G'night Lil!'
'Goodnight Tally,' Lily whispered softly. And hopefully, it doesn't get any of you, Lily added silently.
AN: kinda short, but not too. I'm not very good in Astronomy, so don't blame me, okay? And who says centaurs couldn't travel? I say they do and they will, in my fic. Please, please, please, please review!! I'd thank you a million and get the next part out quick if you all do!