A/N: Sorry for the delay in chapter 8, but I was a littls tuck and school was . . .taking up time. Stupid school. To appease your questions, Iceamethyst, no, there will not be any l/j anytime soon, so live with it. I plan for this to be a long story. *sticks out tongue* Right. On to more important business. Is this format bothering anyone? If it is, say so in a review (notice how review is in bold letters) and I'll do what I can to change it. So. Let's see where the chapter takes us, shall we?
***
James and Remus stopped another cold-eyed Slytherin to ask if she had seen Severus or Lucius.
"No," she responded chilly, glaring at them like vipers.
She turned away smoothly and glided off, nose held so high it was a wonder she did not trip and fall. James made a face at her.
"So," Remus said flatly, holding up his hand and counting on his fingers as he talked. "Let me get this straight. We've asked seven Slytherins. Two didn't say anything, one threatened to beat us up, three glared at us and told us no – in a very cold manner – and one put a spell on us; I'm still not sure all the newt eggs are out of my hair. Tell me again why we're putting ourselves through this."
James glared at him and opened his mouth to say something. He stood there for a minute, his finger pointing at Remus, then closed his jaw slowly with a puzzled expression.
"There," Remus said in tones of great satisfaction. "Even you don't know!"
"Well, we can't stop now," James mumbled weakly. When had Remus overcome his characteristic shyness? Odd things were happening, and James did not like being in the dark.
Remus looked about to rebuke him – probably saying that this was absolutely pointless, which, James admitted reluctantly, it most likely was – when a sound came out of the closet to their right. Remus' eyes widened. They both stood in silence, waiting, hoping.
"Get – us – out of here!" said a muffled shout from the closet.
James leaped up and grabbed the doorknob, only a heartbeat faster than Remus. They opened the door to reveal two very angry Slytherins.
"I'm going to kill them!" Lucius hissed. "All of them! They'll pay! No one messes with Lucius Malfoy! No one! They'll pay with their deaths!" he cackled, rubbing his hands together.
James and Remus exchanged looks; perhaps the closet had scrambled Lucius' wits slightly. Severus, however, had not changed. Always cool and practical, he could almost be considered the more evil one of the group, had his stature been a little larger.
"Why? I want to know why before we make them . . .pay," he said quietly, fixing James and Remus with an impressive stare.
"Them?" James asked. Could it be . . .? Of course not. Never. But . . .
"Tell us everything!" Remus said excitedly.
Severus and Lucius looked at the two of them with utter distaste, then Lucius sighed.
"Fine. I suppose it'll help us to have two other witnesses. When I get my hands on them I swear . . ."
Severus made a soothing gesture and took up the story.
"Ok, this is how it went . . ."
James listened intently, fascinated. Lily Evans was going to learn who was boss around here.
***
Kat strolled down the hall, sweat rolling down her forehead in little beads. The most she had been able to wring out of Becca was that "Moony" – someday she would have to find out why they called him that - was "over there" with a slight wave of her hand. She hoped she did not turn into a ninny around Remus the way Becca did around Sirius. Unfortunately, she was very afraid she would.
She rounded another corner, reviewing what she would say in her head, and saw him. Talking to Lucius and Severus. Judging by their disheveled hair and wrinkled robes, they had just been rescued. Kat blanched and move to walk away, but James saw her.
"Hey!" he shouted. "Kat, come over here!"
Kat bit her lip. If she ran away, they would immediately know. If she didn't, though . . . She decided it was worth a shot. Squaring her shoulders and straightening her glasses, she made her way towards them.
"So," James said loftily. "What'cha been up to, Kat?"
"I've been studying and going to Hogsmeade, thank you," she said in her coolest voice.
Something must have shown on her face, because James peered at her suspiciously.
"Studying and Hogsmeade, eh? Buy anything?"
"Besides butterbeer, no."
This was getting difficult. Kat was an adequate liar at best. She noticed Remus looking at her, and he reddened from ear to ear. Apparently wanting to make it up, he nudged James in the ribs.
"James . . . . James, let's leave her alone. Maybe Lucius and Severus are lying. I wouldn't put it past them."
Severus and Lucius glared at them and reached for their wands.
"Remus," Kat said quickly, "can I talk to you in? In private?"
Remus blanched, then reddened, then blanched again. It was all very amusing.
"Sure," he said unsteadily.
Taking her arm in his, he led her around the corner, leaving a slightly frightened James with the livid Slytherins.
They reached the end of the next hallway, and Kat stopped him. Taking a deep breath, she started.
"Ok, Remus, I know you like me, and . . ."
***
". . .I just want to tell you that I like you too . . . a lot. And I was wondering if you would . . .um . . ."
Remus couldn't believe his ears. It was like a dream come true. He could guess what she was going to say next, but he couldn't contain his utter joy. Without waiting for her to finish – he had become very straightforward in the last few days, and he could not really understand why – he pulled her close and kissed her as thoroughly as he knew how.
Kat gasped at first, then melted at his touch. The world was finally starting to make sense.
***
"So then," Kat said to Becca excitedly, "He kissed me! Just like that! It was so great! It felt like the world was not there anymore; it was just the two of us."
"I know exactly what you mean!" Becca answered in an equally thrilled voice. "That always happens to me and Sirius! So what happened next?"
"Well, after we pulled away. . . oh, I don't wanna say . . .
"Come on!" Becca pleaded. "Don't leave me hanging!"
"Oh, all right. After we pulled away, he . . ."
"ENOUGH!" Lily screamed from where she was standing.
Kat and Becca gave her level looks, then flipped their hair simultaneously.
"Sorry," Lily said, breathing sharply to calm herself down. "It's just that . . . you wouldn't understand."
"Oh, yes we do," Kat said quite seriously, settling herself on the bed. "We understand perfectly. It's exactly how I felt when I saw Becca and Sirius together. Why don't you hook up with James?"
Lily's eyes bulged, and her lips moved silently, trying to form words.
"JAMES? You want me to . . . to . . . hook up with that . . .psychopath?" she spluttered.
Kat shrugged and scribbled in her notebook, ignoring Lily's indignant glare.
"Anyway. I think I will ignore your preposterous comment and continue with more important matters. After I wandered around Hogsmeade for a bit – no, Becca, I didn't go straight to the library; I needed to think, so don't give me that look. As I was saying, I wandered around Hogsmeade a little, but I didn't come up with anything, so I figured I needed a quieter place. So I was in the library, thinking, when I noticed an open book on a table. I just glanced at it for a second, and I could tell it had 'James' written all over it." She pulled out a piece of parchment with writing only she could read all over it. "Listen to this: 'Dip your wand in this potion, then drink it. The first person you tap with your wand in the next five hours will obey your every wish and command for one full day.' Isn't that so typical of him? What I don't understand is why he just left the book on the table, but . . ."
"Who cares?!" Becca exclaimed. "He's given us the answer, so let's use it!"
Lily smiled.
"Exactly. Kat, what do you think?"
Kat nodded with a pensive look that the others did not notice.
***
James snickered in the dormitories with his two friends.
" . . . And she fell for it!" he said loudly, falling over laughing.
Remus laughed a bit too, and nudged Sirius in the ribs. Padfoot, however, only smiled weakly with an odd look on his face.
***
A/N: AAAARRRRGGGG! I cannot write well lately! I think school is draining my brain! Damn those evil teachers! . . . I know the Remus/Kat part was over-fluffified, but . . . . I'm in a fluffified mood, so BWAHAHAHA to you. :) Now, I wasn't sure. Is Remus Moony or Mooney? I think it's the first one but I spelled it the other way. Fiddlesticks. R/R!!!!!