Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own any of the magnificent ideas you
recognize as JK Rowlings, or the references to any books that aren't mine
(Charlotte's Web) however the plot, and a few characters (Prof. Darelia,
Serena, Joie, Melody, Aaron, and Wesley for starters) are mine. Please read
and review, and any flames will be used for the barbecue. Any snide
language and I'll be forced to sick Mrs. Norris on you…
A/N: The first two 'sections' are a snippet or two from Lily and Remus' vacations. I picked them b/c out of all the Marauders, etc. they are definitely my two favorite characters. Also b/c bits and pieces of James' and Sirius' vacations are explained in Lily's and Remus'. So, on with the show…
**********
The sky outside was a deep, velvety blue, and stars dotted it like tiny diamonds against their endless backdrop. A cool breeze blew about the hill, ripping over the grass and flowers. It was unusually cold outside tonight. Summer was slowly coming to a close; school would be starting in less than a week. But still, a chilled wind blew freely across the landscape.
Far and wide, endless miles of wilderness stretched out. The grass ripple again at the blow of the wind, ruffling the deep emerald blanket the soon- to-be fifth year sat upon, surveying what would be his domain tonight.
His teeth were slowly becoming more pointed, his hair shaggier, and his eyes: holding now a shade of the eerie amber-yellow color they would grow to.
For tonight was a full moon, and Remus Lupin had come out to play.
It was very strange to him, the feelings he was experiencing for his "condition". Sometimes there was a powerful joy about it. Other times he had deep regret for being so foolish to go out alone that foggy night, four years old, when he had received the bite.
The clouds had parted. His robes now shredded to pieces, though he cared little. He had a spare cloak inside his briefcase, a present from James, Sirius, and Peter. Patches of fur began to randomly sprout across his body, steadily becoming thicker as the moon became more visible. His hands curled into his palms, transforming into paws. His nose was now noticeably longer, and soon was cold, wet, and covered with fur. His transformation was complete.
Moony was back in town.
***
As he rushed out into the night, he took one last look back at his house. A rush of memories flooded his canine-like mind. He could hear his mother sobbing over her bitten, bleeding baby boy. His father, pacing across the floor, quietly mumbling to himself. The doctor landing his broom, rushing inside to diagnose the young victim. 'He's the first bite in years' he could foggily recall the doctor muttering.
The ground was cold and wet, but his paws tough, and used to rough terrain, and he barely flinched as he first took in his surroundings. A thousand smells overcame his nose, a thousand thoughts and memories with each new scent. He lifted his head toward the sky, allowing his first howl of the night to escape to the silvery orb of the moon (upon instinct).
His call did not go unanswered. There were a great many natural wolves inhabiting the area he lived in. But Moony never associated himself with them. They were pure and wild; tame was not a word with them. There were no words with them.
He had seen the beta wolves numerous times out scavenging for rats, squirrels, rabbits or other food for the pups. Only once had he seen the feared and respected Alpha Male. He was an enormous gray wolf whose fangs were by far longer than any other wolf, including Moony himself. But he had confidence that if, for whatever reason, he were engaged in a fight with the Alpha Male, he would at least be able to limp away alive. He had not yet seen the Alpha Female, and certainly never the pain together.
A mouse tired to scurry across Moony's trail unseen, but his instincts got the better of his mercy, and he pinned the rodent with his forepaw.
Licking his paws after finishing his treat, he began roaming to prairie land. It was quiet out, with the exception of leaves rustling or the pack crying out to one another.
The sky was dimming, the moon becoming less visible. His freedom as a wolf would soon be over, his time almost up.
He quickly sprinted to the lonely hilltop where he first began. His shredded robes were still lying on the ground, discarded shards of nothing since his transformation, the pieces a bit flustered from the inconsistent gales of wind blowing every now and again. But there was something different about this scene since he had first left it. Something with his blanket that was unlike the original locale of its placement. There was an enormous bear-like dog lying on top of it.
His mind flashed blankly, trying to place this beast. The dog barked at him. His wolfish mind had the better of him. Moony could not place this familiar canine. He stood puzzled when his skin became uncomfortably tight on him. His fur was shrinking into patches of re-appearing skin. The muzzle was restored to a human's, the teeth more blunt than his old fangs.
He quickly threw on his spare cloak. Reaching slowly for his briefcase, he withdrew his wand, careful not to dis-settle the dog. Suddenly his mind restored to that of a man's, and his wolfish recollections of the dog disappeared. He DID know this dog.
The overgrown mutt jump up on its hind legs and suddenly, Sirius Black was standing before him.
"You were going to attack me, weren't you Remus?" Sirius grinned at him.
"I couldn't place you as a werewolf." he relaxed his grip on the wand.
"Figures."
"Say, what are you doing out here, anyway? I thought you were hiding out at James' house?"
"I am."
"He lives an hour away from here!"
"Yeah, my broom was always pretty reliable." Sirius smugly replied. Remus looked at him incredulously.
"You rode your Clean Sweep 7 over here? Are you crazy, that is the best broom in the world! Could I have a go on it?" Remus pleaded with his friend.
"Sure, it's back at your house. Let's go." Sirius walked toward the town with Remus as the sky began to change from black to a swirled orange and pink. One last howl rang out into the heavens. Remus turned to see the Alpha pair mounted upon a boulder, calling out to him as if kin. The wolf inside Remus howled back once more until the next full moon.
***
"I still can't believe you didn't recognize me," Sirius exclaimed as they neared Remus' house.
"Don't take it personally Padfoot. I'm not as smart as a wolf as I am in normal state." Remus shook his head. "Do you want me to fly with you back to James'?"
"No need to," a warm voice came from behind. "James is in the house."
"Sirius and Remus whirled around to see their fellow soon-to-be fifth year James Potter standing before them.
"James! Been enjoying your summer vacation since you got back from your horrid vacation in Egypt?" Remus grinned.
"Summer has been perfectly wonderful since then. I actually got in some serious Quidditch practice." James smiled and embraced Remus and Sirius in a hug.
*********
Lily sighed heavily. James was on a family vacation for the summer, in Egypt. Her owl, Jovial, could reach him, but letters were all they had exchanged over the entire summer; no pranks, gags, insults, not even a fight. Sirius was holed up in his house, grounded from friends for the remainder of the summer, on account of a rather amateur prank he had played on his neighbor's dog. Of course, he pleaded not guilty, exclaiming that he hadn't MEANT to turn the ruddy thing pink, but that it was merely an accident.
She had tried a number of times to reach Remus, but all he would write back was "I'd love to visit you over the summer, Lily. But unfortunately, I can't. I'll see you at Hogwarts. Love Remus." Her best guess was that he was also whisked away on a thoroughly dreary and disappointing family vacation, but rather not talk about it. Knowing that Remus, Sirius, or James couldn't stop by for the summer she hadn't even bothered to try Peter. He was too timid, and wasn't as rebellious as she or the other boys.
She re-opened the textbook she had been reading earlier: A More Advanced Guide to Transfiguration, one of her books from last year, her fourth year. She flipped through the pages, looking over the information in it that at one time, when she was much, much younger, would have completely stupefied her. Further on before that, would have made her fall over laughing if you were to call her a Muggle. And even more to tell her there were such things as real witches and wizards, and that it all wasn't just an imaginary game of some sort, simply because she was born into a muggle family.
Of course, she just walked about the school as normal she knew how to be (aside from her endless jokes and pranks), and to anyone who questioned her "magicness" she replied in a very hyper and giggly voice that she considered herself very "speshul." And everyone in the school accepted it. She wasn't the ONLY witch or wizard that was coming from a non-magic family. Well, everyone except Snape, Malfoy and their 'posse,' who insisted upon referring to her as a filthy mud-blood, which almost always resulting as either James or Sirius, and Malfoy, Snape, or Crabbe walking away with a badly bleeding nose or a black eye.
She absentmindedly gazed out the window as she continued to flip through the book. He thoughts drifted from her many fights with Malfoy and Snape over the years to the calendar she had hanging on her wall. She glanced at it and her spirits rose a bit. Tomorrow she was going to Diagon Alley to get the remainder of her school supplies, and in three days she'd be boarding the scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express and begin laughing and joking and fighting with James, Sirius, Peter, Remus, Joie and Melody for another school year. This year they'd be fifth years, and Lily was genuinely excited. She was moving up towards the top, and she and Dumbledore both knew that if her grades could stay dangerously close to perfect for this year and the next, she'd be Head Girl her seventh year. But a part of her was depressed. Two more years and she'd be out of Hogwarts. Amazing though it was, she loved going to school, which isn't exactly what you hear from most muggle-children.
Her love for Hogwarts wasn't just the fact that she was leaning honest-to- goodness magic, or that she had a million and one friends, or that her grades were amazing. It was more towards the problem she had with her sister, Petunia. Petunia wasn't asked to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and wouldn't join if Dumbledore gave her all the galleons in the world. Petunia simply thought that Lily and all the people like her were freaks, and didn't want anything to do with it. When they were little they'd laugh and play together, but ever since the yellow parchment with the emerald ink had arrived at her door five years ago, Petunia silenced herself when she was around her sister. And they hadn't talked to each other for the past five years. So Lily thought of Hogwarts not only as the most amazing place she had ever lived in or even visited, but also as a safe haven; a reassuring place where she knew her sister's feelings for her could not hurt her.
Setting down the book, she walked over to her desk and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment and a new quill. She began to compose another attempt at a letter to Remus.
.
DEAR REMUS,
HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE RIGHT NOW, BUT VERY EXCITED ABOUT GOING BACK IN A FEW DAYS. PLEASE WRITE ME BACK IN MORE THAN TWENTY WORDS AND THAT WILL BE ENOUGH TO SATISFY MY CURIOSITY, FOR NOW. HOPE YOU'RE WELL AND HAVING FUN.
LOVE,
LILY
That looked like enough to her. It was short, but at least it was longer than Remus' letters.
"Jovial!" she called out her window. A larger-sized brown and white spotted owl flew through the window and held still enough to where Lily could fasten the note securely to Jovial's leg. "To Remus Lupin," she instructed her. "You'll know where to find him."
She gave the owl a quick hug and it flew off into the distance of the orange and pink sky.
After closing the window shut, Lily fell back onto her bed and gave a long sigh. There was nothing left to do but stare boredom in the face for the next few days.
Just then, a thought occurred to her: She WAS, after all, a reserve chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She could practice her flying skills for awhile . . .but where? She lived in a muggle neighborhood, and a report to the Ministry of Magic that a muggle had spotted a flying broomstick wouldn't exactly smooth over too well, especially if there were more than one witness. Even a quite organized wizard could have problems finding a scattered handful of muggles to place memory charms on. She'd just have to wait until she returned to Hogwarts to practice her Quidditch.
More exhausted than she realized she had been, she changed into her nightgown and slipped underneath her covers. That night she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
********************
"Lily, dear. Would you come down here for a moment?" her mother's calls woke her up.
"Coming Mum!" she called sleepily in reply. She slowly dragged herself down the staircase. "What was it you wanted?"
She met her mother at the foot of the stairs. Lily was unable to stop yawning, but her mum's face wore a worried expression.
"Lily, I'm afraid we can't go to Diagon Alley today." Lily shot awake,
"Why not?"
"Well it's more a matter of there being no point in going." she replied.
"I don't understand what you mean. Why wouldn't there be a point?"
"Well, you've got an owl. Maybe it will help explain things." she handed her a letter.
Lily sat down in a chair and carefully opened the note. It was written in deep crimson ink. As she opened the envelope, an aching feeling settled into her stomach. She pulled out the letter and began to read.
DEAR MS. EVANS,
AS HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, IT IS MY SOLEMN DUTY TO INFORM YOU THAT THE BEGINNING OF TERM AT HOGWARTS IS BEING POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THIS UNFORTUNATE SETBACK IN THE YEAR IS OCCURING ON ACCOUNT OF A RATHER TROUBLING ACT OF CRUELTY COMMITTED UPON THE SCHOOL ITSELF.
LAST NIGHT, A TROLL SIGHTING ON HOGWARTS GROUNDS WAS REPORTED. A FULL-GROWN MOUNTAIN TROLL WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN SEEN BY THE LAKE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES IN TIME TO PREVENT THE MASSIVE DAMAGE THAT HAPPENED.
OVER HALF THE DUNGEON, FIVE FIRST FLOOR CLASSROOMS, THE ENTRANCE TO THE RAVENCLAW TOWER, AND SEVERAL BATHROOMS WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED DURING THE RAMPAGE OF THIS TROLL.
THANKFULLY, ONLY THREE TEACHERS AND MR. FILCH WERE INSIDE THE BUILDING AT THE TIME, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED.
PRIME SUSPECTS AT THIS TIME ARE A NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS AND/OR SUPPORTERS OF LORD VOLDEMORT.
WE WILL NOTIFY YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS TO WHEN THIS YEAR'S TERM WILL START. WE APOLOGISE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND HOPE YOU WILL REST ASSURED HOGWARTS WILL BE RESTORED TO GOOD-AS-NEW, AND THE CULPRITS OF UNLEASHING THE TROLL ON HOGWARTS GROUNDS WILL BE CAUGHT AND PUNISHED.
PLEASE ENJOY YOUR EXTRA VACATIONING TIME.
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Lily sank onto the floor from her chair. Hogwarts . . . RUINED? How could this be? It was her home, her life. How could anyone be so cruel, so evil that they would try to take Hogwarts away from Dumbledore, the teachers, her and her friends; from anyone?
"I'm sorry Lily." Her mother pulled her into a tight hug.
"It's not your fault." She replied. Standing up and setting down the envelope in which the letter had come in, she climbed up to her room. The minute she closed her door, she collapsed onto her bed and began crying. She sobbed and sobbed as she read the owl over and over again.
********************
Lily bolted upright in her bed. She was drenched in sweat, and her breathing was heavy and uneven. She looked at her alarm clock; 1:43am. OH GOD she thought to herself, IT WAS JUST A DREAM; MORE LIKE A NIGHTMARE. HOGWARTS IS FINE, DUMBLEDORE IS FINE, EVERYONE IS FINE, AND EVERYTHING IS FINE. She fell back onto her pillow and stared at the ceiling, letting her breath and heart slow down.
WAS THAT SOME SORT OF PREMINITION? She wondered. Could she be being forewarned of a terrible deed about to befall her beloved school? Crush her home away from home? NO, IT COULDN'T BE. HOGWARTS IS MORE SECURE THAN GRINGOTTS.
She lay sprawled across her bed as Jovial flew in through the window. Tied to his leg was a letter.
CRAP she thought, IT'S THE LETTER TELLING ME HOGWARTS HAS BEEN DESTROYED.
Slowly she slid her finger under the envelope's flap, unsealing the Hogwarts emblem stamped into the back. She stared long and hard at the shield, remembering the good times she was having up there, cursing herself for it ending so soon.
The parchment almost crumbled at her touch, but carefully she pulled out the message. With a heavy heart she looked over the letter, forcing herself to read it:
DEAR LILY,
SORRY I HAVEN'T WRITTEN MUCH LATELY, BUT I'VE BEEN IN THE STATES. MY MUM AND DAD DRAGGED ME ALL OVER TAXES AND UTAW (OR WHATEVER PROF. DARELIA SAID IT WAS IN MUGGLE STUDIES) AND NEW MECKSICO. IT WAS EXCEEDINGLY BORING, DULL, POINTLESS, ETC. AND I COULDN'T PRACTICE QUIDDITCH, DO MY HOMEWORK, WORK ON MY PATRONOMUS, OR WRITE AND SEND OWLS OUT. POOR RUDDY AMERICANS, THEY'RE SO OBLIVIOUS.
I WENT TO A 'THEATER' AS THEY CALL IT. THEY WERE PLAYING A MOVIE CALLED:
DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE.
MUGGLE AMERICANS HAVE NO PERSPECTIVE WHAT-SO-EVER OF WHAT WITCHES AND WIZARDS ARE LIKE. I WANTED TO CRY THE PICTURE WAS SO OUT OF DATE.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET TOGETHER SOMETIME; DO YOU KNOW IF JAMES AND SIRIUS ARE BEING HELD CAPTIVE? IF SO, MEET ME AT DIAGON ALLEY TODAY, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE A NON-MUGGLE FACE FOR A CHANGE.
ALL THE BEST, LOVE
REMUS
"Oh, thank goodness." Lily sighed with relief. The school had not undergone any mass destruction. In fact, it was actually a particularly good piece of news. She was already going to Diagon Alley today anyway.
As she smiled to herself, planning her first prank of her fifth year, a small tawny brown owl burst through her window and fell onto her bed. She recognized it immediately as Sirius' owl, Wilbur. The day she met Sirius she asked him, as many did, why his owl had such an absurd name. And he told her that when he was a boy, his Aunt Frannie (who was a muggle) had given him Charlotte's Web, a book Lily knew about, but many others did not, and his favorite character was Wilbur, the pig, from that day on. And his owl (who was only five years older than he) was named Wilbur after his favorite pig.
She removed the letter attached to Wilbur's leg and offered him a drink from Jovial's dish. She unraveled the letter so hastily tied up like a scroll. A quickly scribbled note barely made out to:
LILY,
ESCAPED CUSTODY OF PARENTS. HIDING OUT AT JAMES' HOUSE. SEE YOU AT DIAGON ALLEY TODAY.
I AM WRITING THIS IN THE BATHROOM TO AVOID JAMES SEEING THIS. HE TOLD ME A SECRET AND INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO TELL A SOUL, BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW. I AM BREAKING MY WORD FOR YOU, SO IF HE KILLS ME, YOU WILL BE THE ONLY PERSON I HAUNT.
JAMES HAS A CRUSH ON YOU! THOUGH YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW.
SIRIUS
Well, that certainly put a new light on things for Lily. James actually liked her? She could have sworn that was just a tease, to confuse her. On the other hand, she insinuated, Sirius is very trustworthy . . .
Suddenly, she realised the possibilities of this new information. James liked her? That was quite a shock actually. But she could use it for power. What would she do about it?
On one hand, James might notice her acting differently towards him, he would get mad at Sirius, and Sirius would turn around and hit Severus ... Maybe there was a bit of good in this after all. But it wasn't worth James and Sirius' friendship ... but not even if she finally knew he felt the same way about her as she did for him?
*****************
The rest of the day came and went quickly. She received two other letters after Sirius'. One from Joie and one from Melody (two of her closest friends). Soon it was morning again, and Lily was excited: today she was meeting James and the gang at Hogwarts.
She put on her best pair of jeans, a navy blue tee, and a gray jacket, and waited outside for her mother to join her.
"Come on Mum! Let's go!" She called into the house.
"I'm coming sweetie, just let me grab my … purse." She replied as she pulled the door shut.
They walked at short distance to the nearest entrance to the Underground, and rode the Jubilee Line to the Leaky Cauldron. Actually, they rode the J Line to Mav's Books (the bookstore next to the inconspicuous wizarding pub).
" Hello! Miss Evans. Coming for your Hogwarts things today?" Tom smiled at her.
"You betcha, Tom. Have James, Remus, Sirius, or Joie and Melody come through yet?" Lily returned his smile with this question.
"Er, James, Joie and Melody, yes. Remus, Sirius, or Peter, no. James said he was headed to Florence Fortescue's. He told me to tell you to meet him there."
"Thanks Tom!" she dashed off to catch up to her mother.
Well, that was interesting, she certainly was going to have an unusual day today. James wanted to meet her at FF's? Maybe he had found out what Sirius had blabbed to her, and was going to deny it all. Or maybe he hadn't found out, and was just going to meet Remus and Sirius there anyway. Or possibly, was he going to confess his feelings? To Lily, that didn't seem like tough Quidditch-playing, popular James. Sure he didn't strut around the school, but he didn't exactly cry at every little thing.
She quickly explained the situation to her mum, and raced to Fortescue's Ice Cream Shop. At a table four-table in the back of the shop, James was waiting with Joie and Melody. He actually seemed to be having a tolerable time with Lily's two best friends.
"Hey guys!" Lily called to the back of the room, waving to them while she walked through the scarcely crowded shop.
"Hi Lily, thought you'd never get here. We've been having a real laugh a minute with Bozo over here. I am eternally grateful to you for saving my sanity from a horrible and twisted fate. Thank you." Joie grandly bowed before Lily. Melody started giggling.
"You are just SO kind," James rolled his eyes.
"Like you are?" Melody quietly smirked.
'Yes, but I have reason. Lily is a pain. I am allowed to be rude." James sarcastically replied, grinning at Lily. She could feel her cheeks slowly reddening.
James was just about to comment on the now blushing Lily when Remus and Sirius burst through the doors of the ice cream parlor.
"Ah ha! I knew we'd find you here! We've come to save you James! Captured among a troupe of girls, I should have known." Sirius joked.
"Yeah. It's the old Potter charm. I'm a babe magnet." James laughed.
"Of course, SIRIUS wouldn't mind being trapped alone in a room full of girls. In fact, that's probably what he's been dreaming of since he got first came to Hogwarts." Remus rolled his eyes.
"I do not deny it!" Sirius cheered.
"Sirius, Sirius, Sirius. A fifth year; our hopes of you growing up before graduation are slowly being dashed." Lily replied.
"I'm not going to say a word." Sirius commented. He slowly mouthed the words 'lover boy' to James, who began to blush himself.
"What?" Lily asked confusedly, glancing from Sirius to James.
"Nothing," James quickly replied. "Absolutely nothing."
"Shall we on to Madam Malkin's now?" Remus asked.
"We shall." Melody stood up and headed for the door, quickly followed by Joie and Lily.
***
The day passed quickly for the seven teenagers (and soon-to-be fifth- years). The days following passed rather quickly. Soon they were meeting and greeting on Platform 9¾, and were boarding the Hogwarts Express.
*********
"JAMES POTTER, YOU GET YOUR FILTHY BUM BACK IN THIS CAR RIGHT NOW OR I'LL MURDER YOU!" Lily screamed out into the hallways of the Hogwarts Express as two boys ran from her car and back into their own.
"Lily, you're fighting a losing battle. Just ignore them." One of Lily's best friends, Melody, went back to playing with her long, light brown hair. Lily couldn't help but smile to herself; in all the years she had known Melody, she had never heard her raise her voice at anything. Melody (also a fifth year), was naturally soft-spoken, but still loads of fun to be around, and had that mischievous twinkle in her eye every-so-often.
"Or, if you really wanted them to get the message, you could just go into their car and pound them." Joie, Lily's other best friend, pointedly replied without looking up from her book.
Melody burst out in a fit of giggles.
"Sorry Mel, but I'm going to have to go with Joie on this one." Lily answered.
"No problem," she managed to gasp.
Lily stormed from her car into the next one over. Kicking the door open, she revealed four boys, rolling across the floor in laughter. She evilly glared at them, and soon they noticed her standing in the doorway.
Sirius Black dove under a chair, while Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew scooted themselves back against the wall of their compartment, and crouched down so the view of them obscured by the room desk. James Potter was left standing alone in the middle of the room.
"Lily, my dear, would you care for a Cockroach Cluster?" James smiled nonchalantly at her.
"NO I WOULD NOT, JAMES POTTER. YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHY I'M HERE!" Lily yelled.
"Ah, but I do not," Sirius replied, coming out from under the chair. "Please, enlighten me."
"I SAW YOU HELPING HIM CARRY THOSE DUNGBOMBS ONTO THIS TRAIN! DON'T YOU DARE DENY IT!" Lily was getting very close to losing her sanity.
James, grabbing her by the shoulders, sat her firmly down in a chair, and began tying her up with a long piece of glowing golden rope he quickly produced from the desk.
"What are you doing now, you stupid git?" Lily rolled her eyes, questioning him the most civil tone she possessed, not bothering to fight him.
"What, we're tying you up so we can put a Confundus Charm on you, you silly girl!" Sirius exclaimed.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Lily screamed. She struggled out of the partially knotted ropes she was tied in. Peter, and Remus began slowly backing away. Sirius dove back under the chair. James began to walk backward to the wall, countering each step Lily took forward.
Lily slowly raised her wand and pointed it towards James.
"Wh-what are y-y-you going to d-do?" James stuttered.
"Why, I'm going to put a fill body-bind curse on you, you silly boy." Lily sneered, mimicking Sirius.
"You wouldn't dare!" James challenged.
"Oh wouldn't I?" Lily smirked at him." Apparently you don't know me very well at all. Remus, Peter, I'd move if I were you."
Peter looked at James and Remus and made a mad dash for the corner behind the desk.
James glanced sideways at Remus and Sirius, they both nodded. Lily was still advancing closer and closer to James, until his back was against the wall, she not noticing Sirius creeping up behind her.
"Petrificus Totalus." She yelled, aiming at James. Sirius tackled her from behind, and the spell turned to Peter, who was slowly rising from his corner sanctuary. He went rigid, and fell stiffly to the ground.
Remus quickly performed the counter-curse, and helped Peter to his feet.
"My, my, my. Lily, your aim just isn't what it used to be." James replied sadly, shaking his head at an angle.
"It would be much better if hot-shot back here hadn't have tackled me. He threw my aim." Lily exclaimed.
"Excuses, excuses. Tsk tsk tsk. Lily, I thought much better of you. A fifth year and all." Remus exclaimed.
Lily screamed, beat James over the head with her fist, and stormed out of the room. James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius all began laughing hysterically.
"Did you get 'em back?" Joie questioned.
"No, of course. James tried to kill me instead, but what else is new?" Lily replied.
"Well, I still think you should just ignore him." Melody replied.
"That would work … with a normal person. But James' mind is bizarre that way. If I did ignore him, he'd just think I was playing hard to get, or something even more twisted than that."
"Of course. James the abnormal, how could we forget? He is so- AAAAAAAAAGH!" Joie screamed. A gigantic mouse had just scurried its way into their compartment.
Lily jumped up onto her chair, and Melody ran out of the room. She quickly returned with a large glass jar.
"Even the muggles have a few good ideas," Melody replied, placing the container over the rat. She flipped it over and held it up. The rat was a bit pudgy for its size.
"Hey, I know this rat!" Lily exclaimed.
"Yeah," Joie turned her head sideways and looked at it. "This is Peter Pettigrew!"
"What do you know? Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus! Won't Professor Dumbledore be extremely interested in this little bit of information; don't you think?" A growling voice from behind them replied.
The girls turned around to see Severus Snape standing in the doorway, sneering at them.
"Severus, you wouldn't dare!" Joie yelled.
"Apparently still none of you understand my way of thinking. Unless, of course, there was a reward for the with-holding of this information?" he grinned evilly at Lily.
"Never Severus. Not in a million and one years." Lily replied. She opened her mouth to add something, put closed it, and glanced of Severus' shoulder. James and Sirius were sneaking up behind Snape.
"Well, … Severus, looks like you got us. What're you going to do now, turn us all in?" Lily sighed.
"I say we jump 'im!" Sirius yelled from behind Snape. He and James tackled him to the floor.
"Fond of tackling people are we, Sirius?" Lily replied sarcastically.
"How are we going to convince him to keep quiet?" James questioned, sitting on top of Severus.
"Out of the way," Melody replied, holding up her wand. "I can do a memory charm on him."
"Aren't we spending well wasted time in the library?" Sirius sniggered.
She performed the spell, and James and Sirius jumped off of Snape. He stood up and walked wobbly out of the door.
"I'll catch you laying those dungbombs yet, Potter!" He yelled over his shoulder.
"Yes, it worked!" Lily and Joie slapped each other high fives.
The Hogwarts Express began to slowly come to a stop before the looming castle of Hogwarts. James and Sirius, along with a transformed Peter, were walking back to their cabin to grab their things. The seven fifth-years unloaded all their luggage from the train and walked towards the castle.
"Well," Remus replied, "here goes nothing."
A/N: The first two 'sections' are a snippet or two from Lily and Remus' vacations. I picked them b/c out of all the Marauders, etc. they are definitely my two favorite characters. Also b/c bits and pieces of James' and Sirius' vacations are explained in Lily's and Remus'. So, on with the show…
**********
The sky outside was a deep, velvety blue, and stars dotted it like tiny diamonds against their endless backdrop. A cool breeze blew about the hill, ripping over the grass and flowers. It was unusually cold outside tonight. Summer was slowly coming to a close; school would be starting in less than a week. But still, a chilled wind blew freely across the landscape.
Far and wide, endless miles of wilderness stretched out. The grass ripple again at the blow of the wind, ruffling the deep emerald blanket the soon- to-be fifth year sat upon, surveying what would be his domain tonight.
His teeth were slowly becoming more pointed, his hair shaggier, and his eyes: holding now a shade of the eerie amber-yellow color they would grow to.
For tonight was a full moon, and Remus Lupin had come out to play.
It was very strange to him, the feelings he was experiencing for his "condition". Sometimes there was a powerful joy about it. Other times he had deep regret for being so foolish to go out alone that foggy night, four years old, when he had received the bite.
The clouds had parted. His robes now shredded to pieces, though he cared little. He had a spare cloak inside his briefcase, a present from James, Sirius, and Peter. Patches of fur began to randomly sprout across his body, steadily becoming thicker as the moon became more visible. His hands curled into his palms, transforming into paws. His nose was now noticeably longer, and soon was cold, wet, and covered with fur. His transformation was complete.
Moony was back in town.
***
As he rushed out into the night, he took one last look back at his house. A rush of memories flooded his canine-like mind. He could hear his mother sobbing over her bitten, bleeding baby boy. His father, pacing across the floor, quietly mumbling to himself. The doctor landing his broom, rushing inside to diagnose the young victim. 'He's the first bite in years' he could foggily recall the doctor muttering.
The ground was cold and wet, but his paws tough, and used to rough terrain, and he barely flinched as he first took in his surroundings. A thousand smells overcame his nose, a thousand thoughts and memories with each new scent. He lifted his head toward the sky, allowing his first howl of the night to escape to the silvery orb of the moon (upon instinct).
His call did not go unanswered. There were a great many natural wolves inhabiting the area he lived in. But Moony never associated himself with them. They were pure and wild; tame was not a word with them. There were no words with them.
He had seen the beta wolves numerous times out scavenging for rats, squirrels, rabbits or other food for the pups. Only once had he seen the feared and respected Alpha Male. He was an enormous gray wolf whose fangs were by far longer than any other wolf, including Moony himself. But he had confidence that if, for whatever reason, he were engaged in a fight with the Alpha Male, he would at least be able to limp away alive. He had not yet seen the Alpha Female, and certainly never the pain together.
A mouse tired to scurry across Moony's trail unseen, but his instincts got the better of his mercy, and he pinned the rodent with his forepaw.
Licking his paws after finishing his treat, he began roaming to prairie land. It was quiet out, with the exception of leaves rustling or the pack crying out to one another.
The sky was dimming, the moon becoming less visible. His freedom as a wolf would soon be over, his time almost up.
He quickly sprinted to the lonely hilltop where he first began. His shredded robes were still lying on the ground, discarded shards of nothing since his transformation, the pieces a bit flustered from the inconsistent gales of wind blowing every now and again. But there was something different about this scene since he had first left it. Something with his blanket that was unlike the original locale of its placement. There was an enormous bear-like dog lying on top of it.
His mind flashed blankly, trying to place this beast. The dog barked at him. His wolfish mind had the better of him. Moony could not place this familiar canine. He stood puzzled when his skin became uncomfortably tight on him. His fur was shrinking into patches of re-appearing skin. The muzzle was restored to a human's, the teeth more blunt than his old fangs.
He quickly threw on his spare cloak. Reaching slowly for his briefcase, he withdrew his wand, careful not to dis-settle the dog. Suddenly his mind restored to that of a man's, and his wolfish recollections of the dog disappeared. He DID know this dog.
The overgrown mutt jump up on its hind legs and suddenly, Sirius Black was standing before him.
"You were going to attack me, weren't you Remus?" Sirius grinned at him.
"I couldn't place you as a werewolf." he relaxed his grip on the wand.
"Figures."
"Say, what are you doing out here, anyway? I thought you were hiding out at James' house?"
"I am."
"He lives an hour away from here!"
"Yeah, my broom was always pretty reliable." Sirius smugly replied. Remus looked at him incredulously.
"You rode your Clean Sweep 7 over here? Are you crazy, that is the best broom in the world! Could I have a go on it?" Remus pleaded with his friend.
"Sure, it's back at your house. Let's go." Sirius walked toward the town with Remus as the sky began to change from black to a swirled orange and pink. One last howl rang out into the heavens. Remus turned to see the Alpha pair mounted upon a boulder, calling out to him as if kin. The wolf inside Remus howled back once more until the next full moon.
***
"I still can't believe you didn't recognize me," Sirius exclaimed as they neared Remus' house.
"Don't take it personally Padfoot. I'm not as smart as a wolf as I am in normal state." Remus shook his head. "Do you want me to fly with you back to James'?"
"No need to," a warm voice came from behind. "James is in the house."
"Sirius and Remus whirled around to see their fellow soon-to-be fifth year James Potter standing before them.
"James! Been enjoying your summer vacation since you got back from your horrid vacation in Egypt?" Remus grinned.
"Summer has been perfectly wonderful since then. I actually got in some serious Quidditch practice." James smiled and embraced Remus and Sirius in a hug.
*********
Lily sighed heavily. James was on a family vacation for the summer, in Egypt. Her owl, Jovial, could reach him, but letters were all they had exchanged over the entire summer; no pranks, gags, insults, not even a fight. Sirius was holed up in his house, grounded from friends for the remainder of the summer, on account of a rather amateur prank he had played on his neighbor's dog. Of course, he pleaded not guilty, exclaiming that he hadn't MEANT to turn the ruddy thing pink, but that it was merely an accident.
She had tried a number of times to reach Remus, but all he would write back was "I'd love to visit you over the summer, Lily. But unfortunately, I can't. I'll see you at Hogwarts. Love Remus." Her best guess was that he was also whisked away on a thoroughly dreary and disappointing family vacation, but rather not talk about it. Knowing that Remus, Sirius, or James couldn't stop by for the summer she hadn't even bothered to try Peter. He was too timid, and wasn't as rebellious as she or the other boys.
She re-opened the textbook she had been reading earlier: A More Advanced Guide to Transfiguration, one of her books from last year, her fourth year. She flipped through the pages, looking over the information in it that at one time, when she was much, much younger, would have completely stupefied her. Further on before that, would have made her fall over laughing if you were to call her a Muggle. And even more to tell her there were such things as real witches and wizards, and that it all wasn't just an imaginary game of some sort, simply because she was born into a muggle family.
Of course, she just walked about the school as normal she knew how to be (aside from her endless jokes and pranks), and to anyone who questioned her "magicness" she replied in a very hyper and giggly voice that she considered herself very "speshul." And everyone in the school accepted it. She wasn't the ONLY witch or wizard that was coming from a non-magic family. Well, everyone except Snape, Malfoy and their 'posse,' who insisted upon referring to her as a filthy mud-blood, which almost always resulting as either James or Sirius, and Malfoy, Snape, or Crabbe walking away with a badly bleeding nose or a black eye.
She absentmindedly gazed out the window as she continued to flip through the book. He thoughts drifted from her many fights with Malfoy and Snape over the years to the calendar she had hanging on her wall. She glanced at it and her spirits rose a bit. Tomorrow she was going to Diagon Alley to get the remainder of her school supplies, and in three days she'd be boarding the scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express and begin laughing and joking and fighting with James, Sirius, Peter, Remus, Joie and Melody for another school year. This year they'd be fifth years, and Lily was genuinely excited. She was moving up towards the top, and she and Dumbledore both knew that if her grades could stay dangerously close to perfect for this year and the next, she'd be Head Girl her seventh year. But a part of her was depressed. Two more years and she'd be out of Hogwarts. Amazing though it was, she loved going to school, which isn't exactly what you hear from most muggle-children.
Her love for Hogwarts wasn't just the fact that she was leaning honest-to- goodness magic, or that she had a million and one friends, or that her grades were amazing. It was more towards the problem she had with her sister, Petunia. Petunia wasn't asked to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and wouldn't join if Dumbledore gave her all the galleons in the world. Petunia simply thought that Lily and all the people like her were freaks, and didn't want anything to do with it. When they were little they'd laugh and play together, but ever since the yellow parchment with the emerald ink had arrived at her door five years ago, Petunia silenced herself when she was around her sister. And they hadn't talked to each other for the past five years. So Lily thought of Hogwarts not only as the most amazing place she had ever lived in or even visited, but also as a safe haven; a reassuring place where she knew her sister's feelings for her could not hurt her.
Setting down the book, she walked over to her desk and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment and a new quill. She began to compose another attempt at a letter to Remus.
.
DEAR REMUS,
HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE RIGHT NOW, BUT VERY EXCITED ABOUT GOING BACK IN A FEW DAYS. PLEASE WRITE ME BACK IN MORE THAN TWENTY WORDS AND THAT WILL BE ENOUGH TO SATISFY MY CURIOSITY, FOR NOW. HOPE YOU'RE WELL AND HAVING FUN.
LOVE,
LILY
That looked like enough to her. It was short, but at least it was longer than Remus' letters.
"Jovial!" she called out her window. A larger-sized brown and white spotted owl flew through the window and held still enough to where Lily could fasten the note securely to Jovial's leg. "To Remus Lupin," she instructed her. "You'll know where to find him."
She gave the owl a quick hug and it flew off into the distance of the orange and pink sky.
After closing the window shut, Lily fell back onto her bed and gave a long sigh. There was nothing left to do but stare boredom in the face for the next few days.
Just then, a thought occurred to her: She WAS, after all, a reserve chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She could practice her flying skills for awhile . . .but where? She lived in a muggle neighborhood, and a report to the Ministry of Magic that a muggle had spotted a flying broomstick wouldn't exactly smooth over too well, especially if there were more than one witness. Even a quite organized wizard could have problems finding a scattered handful of muggles to place memory charms on. She'd just have to wait until she returned to Hogwarts to practice her Quidditch.
More exhausted than she realized she had been, she changed into her nightgown and slipped underneath her covers. That night she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
********************
"Lily, dear. Would you come down here for a moment?" her mother's calls woke her up.
"Coming Mum!" she called sleepily in reply. She slowly dragged herself down the staircase. "What was it you wanted?"
She met her mother at the foot of the stairs. Lily was unable to stop yawning, but her mum's face wore a worried expression.
"Lily, I'm afraid we can't go to Diagon Alley today." Lily shot awake,
"Why not?"
"Well it's more a matter of there being no point in going." she replied.
"I don't understand what you mean. Why wouldn't there be a point?"
"Well, you've got an owl. Maybe it will help explain things." she handed her a letter.
Lily sat down in a chair and carefully opened the note. It was written in deep crimson ink. As she opened the envelope, an aching feeling settled into her stomach. She pulled out the letter and began to read.
DEAR MS. EVANS,
AS HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, IT IS MY SOLEMN DUTY TO INFORM YOU THAT THE BEGINNING OF TERM AT HOGWARTS IS BEING POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THIS UNFORTUNATE SETBACK IN THE YEAR IS OCCURING ON ACCOUNT OF A RATHER TROUBLING ACT OF CRUELTY COMMITTED UPON THE SCHOOL ITSELF.
LAST NIGHT, A TROLL SIGHTING ON HOGWARTS GROUNDS WAS REPORTED. A FULL-GROWN MOUNTAIN TROLL WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN SEEN BY THE LAKE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES IN TIME TO PREVENT THE MASSIVE DAMAGE THAT HAPPENED.
OVER HALF THE DUNGEON, FIVE FIRST FLOOR CLASSROOMS, THE ENTRANCE TO THE RAVENCLAW TOWER, AND SEVERAL BATHROOMS WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED DURING THE RAMPAGE OF THIS TROLL.
THANKFULLY, ONLY THREE TEACHERS AND MR. FILCH WERE INSIDE THE BUILDING AT THE TIME, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED.
PRIME SUSPECTS AT THIS TIME ARE A NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS AND/OR SUPPORTERS OF LORD VOLDEMORT.
WE WILL NOTIFY YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS TO WHEN THIS YEAR'S TERM WILL START. WE APOLOGISE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND HOPE YOU WILL REST ASSURED HOGWARTS WILL BE RESTORED TO GOOD-AS-NEW, AND THE CULPRITS OF UNLEASHING THE TROLL ON HOGWARTS GROUNDS WILL BE CAUGHT AND PUNISHED.
PLEASE ENJOY YOUR EXTRA VACATIONING TIME.
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Lily sank onto the floor from her chair. Hogwarts . . . RUINED? How could this be? It was her home, her life. How could anyone be so cruel, so evil that they would try to take Hogwarts away from Dumbledore, the teachers, her and her friends; from anyone?
"I'm sorry Lily." Her mother pulled her into a tight hug.
"It's not your fault." She replied. Standing up and setting down the envelope in which the letter had come in, she climbed up to her room. The minute she closed her door, she collapsed onto her bed and began crying. She sobbed and sobbed as she read the owl over and over again.
********************
Lily bolted upright in her bed. She was drenched in sweat, and her breathing was heavy and uneven. She looked at her alarm clock; 1:43am. OH GOD she thought to herself, IT WAS JUST A DREAM; MORE LIKE A NIGHTMARE. HOGWARTS IS FINE, DUMBLEDORE IS FINE, EVERYONE IS FINE, AND EVERYTHING IS FINE. She fell back onto her pillow and stared at the ceiling, letting her breath and heart slow down.
WAS THAT SOME SORT OF PREMINITION? She wondered. Could she be being forewarned of a terrible deed about to befall her beloved school? Crush her home away from home? NO, IT COULDN'T BE. HOGWARTS IS MORE SECURE THAN GRINGOTTS.
She lay sprawled across her bed as Jovial flew in through the window. Tied to his leg was a letter.
CRAP she thought, IT'S THE LETTER TELLING ME HOGWARTS HAS BEEN DESTROYED.
Slowly she slid her finger under the envelope's flap, unsealing the Hogwarts emblem stamped into the back. She stared long and hard at the shield, remembering the good times she was having up there, cursing herself for it ending so soon.
The parchment almost crumbled at her touch, but carefully she pulled out the message. With a heavy heart she looked over the letter, forcing herself to read it:
DEAR LILY,
SORRY I HAVEN'T WRITTEN MUCH LATELY, BUT I'VE BEEN IN THE STATES. MY MUM AND DAD DRAGGED ME ALL OVER TAXES AND UTAW (OR WHATEVER PROF. DARELIA SAID IT WAS IN MUGGLE STUDIES) AND NEW MECKSICO. IT WAS EXCEEDINGLY BORING, DULL, POINTLESS, ETC. AND I COULDN'T PRACTICE QUIDDITCH, DO MY HOMEWORK, WORK ON MY PATRONOMUS, OR WRITE AND SEND OWLS OUT. POOR RUDDY AMERICANS, THEY'RE SO OBLIVIOUS.
I WENT TO A 'THEATER' AS THEY CALL IT. THEY WERE PLAYING A MOVIE CALLED:
DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE.
MUGGLE AMERICANS HAVE NO PERSPECTIVE WHAT-SO-EVER OF WHAT WITCHES AND WIZARDS ARE LIKE. I WANTED TO CRY THE PICTURE WAS SO OUT OF DATE.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET TOGETHER SOMETIME; DO YOU KNOW IF JAMES AND SIRIUS ARE BEING HELD CAPTIVE? IF SO, MEET ME AT DIAGON ALLEY TODAY, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE A NON-MUGGLE FACE FOR A CHANGE.
ALL THE BEST, LOVE
REMUS
"Oh, thank goodness." Lily sighed with relief. The school had not undergone any mass destruction. In fact, it was actually a particularly good piece of news. She was already going to Diagon Alley today anyway.
As she smiled to herself, planning her first prank of her fifth year, a small tawny brown owl burst through her window and fell onto her bed. She recognized it immediately as Sirius' owl, Wilbur. The day she met Sirius she asked him, as many did, why his owl had such an absurd name. And he told her that when he was a boy, his Aunt Frannie (who was a muggle) had given him Charlotte's Web, a book Lily knew about, but many others did not, and his favorite character was Wilbur, the pig, from that day on. And his owl (who was only five years older than he) was named Wilbur after his favorite pig.
She removed the letter attached to Wilbur's leg and offered him a drink from Jovial's dish. She unraveled the letter so hastily tied up like a scroll. A quickly scribbled note barely made out to:
LILY,
ESCAPED CUSTODY OF PARENTS. HIDING OUT AT JAMES' HOUSE. SEE YOU AT DIAGON ALLEY TODAY.
I AM WRITING THIS IN THE BATHROOM TO AVOID JAMES SEEING THIS. HE TOLD ME A SECRET AND INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO TELL A SOUL, BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW. I AM BREAKING MY WORD FOR YOU, SO IF HE KILLS ME, YOU WILL BE THE ONLY PERSON I HAUNT.
JAMES HAS A CRUSH ON YOU! THOUGH YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW.
SIRIUS
Well, that certainly put a new light on things for Lily. James actually liked her? She could have sworn that was just a tease, to confuse her. On the other hand, she insinuated, Sirius is very trustworthy . . .
Suddenly, she realised the possibilities of this new information. James liked her? That was quite a shock actually. But she could use it for power. What would she do about it?
On one hand, James might notice her acting differently towards him, he would get mad at Sirius, and Sirius would turn around and hit Severus ... Maybe there was a bit of good in this after all. But it wasn't worth James and Sirius' friendship ... but not even if she finally knew he felt the same way about her as she did for him?
*****************
The rest of the day came and went quickly. She received two other letters after Sirius'. One from Joie and one from Melody (two of her closest friends). Soon it was morning again, and Lily was excited: today she was meeting James and the gang at Hogwarts.
She put on her best pair of jeans, a navy blue tee, and a gray jacket, and waited outside for her mother to join her.
"Come on Mum! Let's go!" She called into the house.
"I'm coming sweetie, just let me grab my … purse." She replied as she pulled the door shut.
They walked at short distance to the nearest entrance to the Underground, and rode the Jubilee Line to the Leaky Cauldron. Actually, they rode the J Line to Mav's Books (the bookstore next to the inconspicuous wizarding pub).
" Hello! Miss Evans. Coming for your Hogwarts things today?" Tom smiled at her.
"You betcha, Tom. Have James, Remus, Sirius, or Joie and Melody come through yet?" Lily returned his smile with this question.
"Er, James, Joie and Melody, yes. Remus, Sirius, or Peter, no. James said he was headed to Florence Fortescue's. He told me to tell you to meet him there."
"Thanks Tom!" she dashed off to catch up to her mother.
Well, that was interesting, she certainly was going to have an unusual day today. James wanted to meet her at FF's? Maybe he had found out what Sirius had blabbed to her, and was going to deny it all. Or maybe he hadn't found out, and was just going to meet Remus and Sirius there anyway. Or possibly, was he going to confess his feelings? To Lily, that didn't seem like tough Quidditch-playing, popular James. Sure he didn't strut around the school, but he didn't exactly cry at every little thing.
She quickly explained the situation to her mum, and raced to Fortescue's Ice Cream Shop. At a table four-table in the back of the shop, James was waiting with Joie and Melody. He actually seemed to be having a tolerable time with Lily's two best friends.
"Hey guys!" Lily called to the back of the room, waving to them while she walked through the scarcely crowded shop.
"Hi Lily, thought you'd never get here. We've been having a real laugh a minute with Bozo over here. I am eternally grateful to you for saving my sanity from a horrible and twisted fate. Thank you." Joie grandly bowed before Lily. Melody started giggling.
"You are just SO kind," James rolled his eyes.
"Like you are?" Melody quietly smirked.
'Yes, but I have reason. Lily is a pain. I am allowed to be rude." James sarcastically replied, grinning at Lily. She could feel her cheeks slowly reddening.
James was just about to comment on the now blushing Lily when Remus and Sirius burst through the doors of the ice cream parlor.
"Ah ha! I knew we'd find you here! We've come to save you James! Captured among a troupe of girls, I should have known." Sirius joked.
"Yeah. It's the old Potter charm. I'm a babe magnet." James laughed.
"Of course, SIRIUS wouldn't mind being trapped alone in a room full of girls. In fact, that's probably what he's been dreaming of since he got first came to Hogwarts." Remus rolled his eyes.
"I do not deny it!" Sirius cheered.
"Sirius, Sirius, Sirius. A fifth year; our hopes of you growing up before graduation are slowly being dashed." Lily replied.
"I'm not going to say a word." Sirius commented. He slowly mouthed the words 'lover boy' to James, who began to blush himself.
"What?" Lily asked confusedly, glancing from Sirius to James.
"Nothing," James quickly replied. "Absolutely nothing."
"Shall we on to Madam Malkin's now?" Remus asked.
"We shall." Melody stood up and headed for the door, quickly followed by Joie and Lily.
***
The day passed quickly for the seven teenagers (and soon-to-be fifth- years). The days following passed rather quickly. Soon they were meeting and greeting on Platform 9¾, and were boarding the Hogwarts Express.
*********
"JAMES POTTER, YOU GET YOUR FILTHY BUM BACK IN THIS CAR RIGHT NOW OR I'LL MURDER YOU!" Lily screamed out into the hallways of the Hogwarts Express as two boys ran from her car and back into their own.
"Lily, you're fighting a losing battle. Just ignore them." One of Lily's best friends, Melody, went back to playing with her long, light brown hair. Lily couldn't help but smile to herself; in all the years she had known Melody, she had never heard her raise her voice at anything. Melody (also a fifth year), was naturally soft-spoken, but still loads of fun to be around, and had that mischievous twinkle in her eye every-so-often.
"Or, if you really wanted them to get the message, you could just go into their car and pound them." Joie, Lily's other best friend, pointedly replied without looking up from her book.
Melody burst out in a fit of giggles.
"Sorry Mel, but I'm going to have to go with Joie on this one." Lily answered.
"No problem," she managed to gasp.
Lily stormed from her car into the next one over. Kicking the door open, she revealed four boys, rolling across the floor in laughter. She evilly glared at them, and soon they noticed her standing in the doorway.
Sirius Black dove under a chair, while Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew scooted themselves back against the wall of their compartment, and crouched down so the view of them obscured by the room desk. James Potter was left standing alone in the middle of the room.
"Lily, my dear, would you care for a Cockroach Cluster?" James smiled nonchalantly at her.
"NO I WOULD NOT, JAMES POTTER. YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHY I'M HERE!" Lily yelled.
"Ah, but I do not," Sirius replied, coming out from under the chair. "Please, enlighten me."
"I SAW YOU HELPING HIM CARRY THOSE DUNGBOMBS ONTO THIS TRAIN! DON'T YOU DARE DENY IT!" Lily was getting very close to losing her sanity.
James, grabbing her by the shoulders, sat her firmly down in a chair, and began tying her up with a long piece of glowing golden rope he quickly produced from the desk.
"What are you doing now, you stupid git?" Lily rolled her eyes, questioning him the most civil tone she possessed, not bothering to fight him.
"What, we're tying you up so we can put a Confundus Charm on you, you silly girl!" Sirius exclaimed.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Lily screamed. She struggled out of the partially knotted ropes she was tied in. Peter, and Remus began slowly backing away. Sirius dove back under the chair. James began to walk backward to the wall, countering each step Lily took forward.
Lily slowly raised her wand and pointed it towards James.
"Wh-what are y-y-you going to d-do?" James stuttered.
"Why, I'm going to put a fill body-bind curse on you, you silly boy." Lily sneered, mimicking Sirius.
"You wouldn't dare!" James challenged.
"Oh wouldn't I?" Lily smirked at him." Apparently you don't know me very well at all. Remus, Peter, I'd move if I were you."
Peter looked at James and Remus and made a mad dash for the corner behind the desk.
James glanced sideways at Remus and Sirius, they both nodded. Lily was still advancing closer and closer to James, until his back was against the wall, she not noticing Sirius creeping up behind her.
"Petrificus Totalus." She yelled, aiming at James. Sirius tackled her from behind, and the spell turned to Peter, who was slowly rising from his corner sanctuary. He went rigid, and fell stiffly to the ground.
Remus quickly performed the counter-curse, and helped Peter to his feet.
"My, my, my. Lily, your aim just isn't what it used to be." James replied sadly, shaking his head at an angle.
"It would be much better if hot-shot back here hadn't have tackled me. He threw my aim." Lily exclaimed.
"Excuses, excuses. Tsk tsk tsk. Lily, I thought much better of you. A fifth year and all." Remus exclaimed.
Lily screamed, beat James over the head with her fist, and stormed out of the room. James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius all began laughing hysterically.
"Did you get 'em back?" Joie questioned.
"No, of course. James tried to kill me instead, but what else is new?" Lily replied.
"Well, I still think you should just ignore him." Melody replied.
"That would work … with a normal person. But James' mind is bizarre that way. If I did ignore him, he'd just think I was playing hard to get, or something even more twisted than that."
"Of course. James the abnormal, how could we forget? He is so- AAAAAAAAAGH!" Joie screamed. A gigantic mouse had just scurried its way into their compartment.
Lily jumped up onto her chair, and Melody ran out of the room. She quickly returned with a large glass jar.
"Even the muggles have a few good ideas," Melody replied, placing the container over the rat. She flipped it over and held it up. The rat was a bit pudgy for its size.
"Hey, I know this rat!" Lily exclaimed.
"Yeah," Joie turned her head sideways and looked at it. "This is Peter Pettigrew!"
"What do you know? Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus! Won't Professor Dumbledore be extremely interested in this little bit of information; don't you think?" A growling voice from behind them replied.
The girls turned around to see Severus Snape standing in the doorway, sneering at them.
"Severus, you wouldn't dare!" Joie yelled.
"Apparently still none of you understand my way of thinking. Unless, of course, there was a reward for the with-holding of this information?" he grinned evilly at Lily.
"Never Severus. Not in a million and one years." Lily replied. She opened her mouth to add something, put closed it, and glanced of Severus' shoulder. James and Sirius were sneaking up behind Snape.
"Well, … Severus, looks like you got us. What're you going to do now, turn us all in?" Lily sighed.
"I say we jump 'im!" Sirius yelled from behind Snape. He and James tackled him to the floor.
"Fond of tackling people are we, Sirius?" Lily replied sarcastically.
"How are we going to convince him to keep quiet?" James questioned, sitting on top of Severus.
"Out of the way," Melody replied, holding up her wand. "I can do a memory charm on him."
"Aren't we spending well wasted time in the library?" Sirius sniggered.
She performed the spell, and James and Sirius jumped off of Snape. He stood up and walked wobbly out of the door.
"I'll catch you laying those dungbombs yet, Potter!" He yelled over his shoulder.
"Yes, it worked!" Lily and Joie slapped each other high fives.
The Hogwarts Express began to slowly come to a stop before the looming castle of Hogwarts. James and Sirius, along with a transformed Peter, were walking back to their cabin to grab their things. The seven fifth-years unloaded all their luggage from the train and walked towards the castle.
"Well," Remus replied, "here goes nothing."