Chapter 1
First Meetings and
Places to Stay
James watched the country side flash by as he flew as quickly as possible to the house of the girl who was one of his greatest friends. He had been friends with Lily Evans ever since they had first met in Diagon Alley. He remembered the day so well...
" Wow, Remus, it's just like you described!" James pushed his messy pitch black hair out of his bight blue eyes and looked back over his shoulder to see a small girl and a tall boy walking into the Alley. The girl's hair stood out, it seemed to be chestnut, gold, and red, all at the same time. The boy with her, Remus, was about a foot taller than her, he had brown hair and eyes. The girl then looked straight at the ice cream parlor and James felt his jaw drop. Her huge eyes matched the emerald clasps on his mother's favorite robe. James' best friend, Sirius Black, a tall bay with hair and eyes that matched his name, came back to their table and set two huge bowls of ice cream on it.
" Hey, James? Jamesy?" James pointed to the girl. Sirius' eyes widened. " Nice eyes." He said with a low whistle, sliding into his chair. Two people had followed the boy and girl out. Remus asked them something and received an affirmative answer. The two adults, the man obviously Remus' father, headed to Gringotts and the girl and Remus walked to the ice cream parlor. The girl was looking at everything, she kept up a steady stream of question to her companion who answered them all. Remus ordered two apple pie cones and then they headed for a table close to Sirius and James'. They sat down and the girl took a bite of the ice cream.
" Ummm. Yummy!" Remus grinned.
" I told you you'd like it." The girl took another bite.
" I just said I didn't like pie. I'll always try something new." Sirius tilted his chair back.
" New friends too?" He asked. " I'm Sirius Black and the guy over there with cream on his nose is James Potter." Remus offered his hand.
" Remus Lupin."
" Lily Evans." Said the girl, giggling at James' attempts to lick the cream from his nose. Sirius looked at her.
" You two aren't related?" Remus laughed.
" No. Most people think we are though. I live out side of her town. We ran into each other at when she and her family picnicked near my house. I accidentally turned Lily into a toad, she broke my new watch. She found out she was a witch and I found a friend. We're both starting at Hogwarts this year." James finally gave up and wiped the cream off with his finger.
" So are Sirius and I. So you're Muggle-Born?" He asked Lily. She nodded.
" I've know about this stuff since I was seven though." She grinned. " Remus' dad and mum explained it all to me when I made his watch blow up." Sirius gave a grin.
" You did what?" Lily shrugged.
" He turned me into a toad. His mum turned me back, but I was very annoyed with him. Then the watch blew up. Mrs. Lupin said that I made it go really fast, too fast." James grinned.
" That makes Sirius and my meeting sound really boring."
" Oh?" Remus asked.
" You want to tell it, Sirius? You do it better." Sirius grinned.
" Sure."
" What kind of messed up tall tale are ya'll telling now?" A blond girl with blue jeans under her robe and an Texas accent walked up and set her ice cream on Lily and Remus' table. She turned a chair around and plopped into it. She offered a hand to Lily.
" Nicole McLoren. I'm a friend, if that's what you'd call it, of those two pranksters over there. Don't believe a word that come out of Sirius' mouth. He tends to exaggerate, majorly." Sirius looked shocked. Everyone else started laughing
And that was how their group had gotten together, not counting Peter, who they had met on the Hogwarts Express. The Marauders and the Twins. Remus had become a third to his and Sirius' little gang and Peter had made a forth. Lily and Nicole were so different yet so much the same they were nicknamed the Twins. They were best friends and were the only two people in Hogwarts that could ever come up with a trick to match those of the Marauders. James drew him back to the present and looked down. He saw the roofs of many houses and one with a large black scorch mark running down its center caught his eye. He flew towards it, a smile touching his lips as he remember Sirius' mad dash from the fire work that had caused the scorch, a firework that Peter had bumped into and sent right at Sirius. He circled the house, landing the tree house that was built in the huge oak that shaded the entire backyard. He tossed open the trapdoor and dropped to the room. Setting his broom on the rack that had been built for it, he swung from the house to the ground and had started to move to the front of the house when a movement caught his eye. Lily stood on the back porch. She was leaning against the railing, her hands white knuckled as they gripped the bar. James walked to the porch and vaulted over the rail. Lily looked up as his feet crunched against the wood. He walked to her, completely forgetting the invisibility cloak and gathered her up.
" James." She said, her voice relived. She buried her face against his shoulder and began to sob. He held her as the sobs wracked her body, drawing the cloak around her as a wind started to blow though the yard. He looked at her hair, now a dark chestnut and realized that he would do anything to protect her, give his life or freedom if necessary.
" AHHHHHH!" The scream startled both witch and wizard and they looked up to see Lily's sister, Petunia, staring at them. James realized that the cloak cover all but Lily's torso. With a curse he drew it off and tossed it behind a chair, just before two other muggle girls came running from the house.
" Petunia, what's wrong.. Oh my God! Where did he come from?" James looked at Lily, she was in no condition to be thinking of quick excuses.
" I'm a friend of Lily's from school. I was in the neighborhood when I heard and came straight here." Petunia's eyes grew when she heard that and she backed up. She opened her mouth, but what ever she was going to say was cut off by the entrance of Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Nicole though the back gate. Lily saw Remus and threw herself into his open arms. He gathered her up and murmured into her ear. James fought down what he realized was jealousy. Lily needed all of her friends and Remus had been like a brother to her for longer than he had. Nicole hugged her best friend and Remus. Lily looked at her and the American gave a brave smile.
" Mom says that you can come and stay with us. My room's big enough for two or you can have the room next to it. Oh, Lily..." She hugged her friend again. Sirius stepped forward and glared at Nicole.
" My mum said that Lily can spend the rest of the summer with us and that way she doesn't have to go to America!" Nicole turned and faced her favorite wit sparring partner.
" I'm sure that she would prefer to go spend time in that gloomy pile of rock that you call home." She said sarcasticly. Lily watched them and her lips lifted slightly. Sirius and Nicole's arguments were a favorite entertainment for all Gryffindors.
" Lily will not be going to either place." Said Remus' mother from the doorway. With ebony hair, beautiful face, and tall, well formed figure, Roma Lupin was one of the most striking women James had ever seen. She was giving Sirius and Nicole what Remus called the Glare. " Lily will be staying with us until she finishes school." Nicole looked shocked, but then stepped forward.
" If she is then may I please spend the rest of the summer there also?" She asked. James nodded.
" Me too." That sentiment was quickly echoed by Sirius and Peter. Mrs. Lupin smiled.
" You are all welcome." She turned to Petunia.
" According to your parents' lawyer, you both are to stay with your guardian. But she has given you permission to stay us or with another set of friends that would be willing to take you in as she did for Lily. You would be welcome in our house, but Mrs. Stevens has asked that you come and stay with their family." One of the muggle girls squealed.
" Oh, Petunia! You can come and stay with me! It will be just like at school!" Petunia's face had fallen at the news of her parents' first choice, but it brightened at this news.
" That would be wonderful!" Lily looked at Mrs. Lupin.
" Who is our guardian now?" She asked. Mrs. Lupin shrugged.
" Your grandmother, but she would have trouble taking care of two teenage girls. She would have done so willingly, but it would have difficult. She is on her way other here now. She should arrive tomorrow." She looked at the sky. " It's almost dawn. Everyone to bed." Petunia quickly entered the house with her friends. Remus let Lily go and Nicole hugged her again.
" Come on, Lil, let's go inside. It's cold out here."
Well, I hope you liked it. I'll have more up before next Sunday. Sorry, but I've got a summer class at the College.