Chapter 6. Prying and new friends.

A few days later, Remus went to "see his mother". After his friends wished him goodbye, they went to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was Sunday, and there was no lessons.

"Hey guys, get the popcorn and watch this!" said Sirius gleefully, pointing at Justin. Felicity moaned. Justin was talking towards Ravenclaw's table. Once again the girls fled immediately at Justin's arrival. However, there are some second years stayed. They chatted with Justin most earnestly.
"Oh no," whined Sirius. "I thought they would leave like they did last time, grabbing their plates and globlets. Then flee." Felicity didn't listen to him and was obviously counting something.
"Eighteen girls had left behind..." she muttered. "Today is Wednesday... hum....." she leaned over to Lily and Hannah. "Justin just need about two weeks to chase eighteen girls!" she whispered.
"They are Ravenclaw!" cried Hannah. "I thought they couldn't be that silly to fall down in his plans."
"I bet they couldn't help it." said Lily. "Though they are smart enough, they don't have enough experiences like Justin has."
"He still had about a half of second years' Ravenclaw to chase. I wonder which house would be next. Slytherin or Gryffindor."
"First easy, then hard," said Felicity, causally, picking at her breakfast. "The first is Hufflepuff. Second is Ravenclaw. The third is Slytherin and the last one is Gryffindor."
"You mean to say he thinks Gryffindor's girls are harder to chase than Slytherin's?" said Hannah.
"Yup," replied Felicity.
"Let's just hope you guys won't fall over him like before," sang Sirius, getting himself another toast.
"Only I did," said Felcity, annoyed by Sirius' tone. "That's because he treats me better than you do."
"Oh yeah?" asked Sirius, feeling suddenly angry. "So who came back 'cause she got dumped?"
Felicity flew in a temper. She stood up and spilled her whole cup of pumpkin juice on Sirius head. She ran out of the Great Hall, her hands over her face. Hannah ran after to comfort her. Sirius waved his wand and he got dry immediately. Then he continued with his breakfast as if nothing had happened.
"Siri, you know you were over-reacting." said Lily.
"I can't help it. I don't want to be the other Remus," said Sirius. "Just another thought of it already makes me feel hot. Especially when I remembered Felicity was also crazy about Justin before."
"You just keep making her upset," said Lily. "I don't want to lose her more then you do, Siri.... er, where's James all of the sudden?" she asked, looking around.
"I dunno," said Sirius, looking around. "Maybe he and Peter went to practice."
"Well, that means they wouldn't be around for a while." said Lily, looking at Sirius mischievously. Sirius pretended to shiver.
"Then what do you want to do, my dear Lily." said Sirius.
"A dare. Only if you dare to challenge it."
"I accept your dare." said Sirius proudly.
"Good. I dare you to apologize to Felicity and tell her that you were just jealous of Justin."
"What???" exclaimed Sirius. "That's silly....."
"It's not silly. You just don't dare to do it." sighed Lily and she was just going to leave when Sirius stopped her.
"All right. I accept your dare." he declared. He marched up to the commons with Lily. Felicity and Hannah were there. Lily hinted Hannah to leave Sirius and Felicity there. Hannah got the message and went out with Lily. Felicity was red-eyed and she couldn't look up at Sirius.
"Felicity..." said Sirius, taking her hand. "Please, would you forgive me?"
"Forgive you what?" muttered Felicity. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm not in the mood for sarcastic comments...."
"No, Feli. Please just listen. Don't say anything," Sirius took a deep breath. "Please forgive me for what I have ever said. I shouldn't have said that Justin dumped you. He never had you. I just realized it. It's his loss that he let you loose." Felicity began to sob quietly. Sirius didn't dare to look at her
"I was jealous," continued Sirius, staring at Felicity little hand. "that Justin didn't need to do anything to chase you. I was sad to see you talking with him, laughing with him, or even walking with him! Please forgive me." he looked up and was surprised to see Felicity shaking. "Feli..." he stopped as Felicity hugged him tightly.

"I'm... soo.. sorry...." sobbed Felicity. "I.. wa..was...." but Sirius stopped her.
"Don't talk if it's too hard." he said softly. Felicity went on sobbing quietly.

"I don't think it's decent of us to peep," said Hannah, even though she can't help herself from continuing to watch Sirius and Felicity.

"Nonsense. As I dare Sirius, I should need prove. What is better prove than your own eyes?" explained Lily. "But as he had finished the dare, it is time for us to leave. Why don't we go and find James and Peter, shall we?"

********

Lily and Hannah went to the fields to find James and Peter but there was no sight of them. In fact, they didn't came to pratice as Hufflepuff's team were using the field.

"Perhaps they are in the school. Do you think it's possible for us to find them there? The school is too big, you know. We might get lost ourselves." said Hannah as they walked back to school.

"We will just look around." said Lily. "They will find us themselves soon enough." She went back to their common room and found James and Peter, who were busy whispering something into Sirius' ears. It was obvious interesting news, thought Lily as she saw Sirius' grin grew wider and wider.

"Hello?" called out Hannah. "Where have you guys been?"
"No where, just hanging around." said James in a causal way. Lily looked at him suspiciously.
"Where's Felicity, Siri?" she asked, looking around
"Oh she said she is just getting something that she left in the Great Hall." replied Sirius.
"Now Siri, we will take you there when Remus comes back, okay?" said James.
"Yes sir!"
"Where are you going to take them?" asked Lily with much curiosity.
"You will know when Remus comes back. You don't want Remus to feel left out, do you?" asked James, while Peter and Sirius nodded comically.
"Lily!" called Felicity and signalled her and Hannah to come over.
"What?" asked Hannah when they were out of hearing.
"Want to see Justin chasing a girl in action?" asked Felicity wickedly.
"Yes!" answered Lily excitedly.
"But wouldn't be prying, is it?" asked Hannah doubtfully.
"'Course not." said Lily, putting Hannah's hand and forcing her to go to the Ravenclaw's commons.

******

"I like your hair style." said a boy.
"I bet you say that to every girl." said a girl.
"Yes, I do. I mean it too." replied the boy.
"So, you want to chase me this time, right? Well, I have better things to do then sit here and listening to your words..."
"Don't go, just talk, okay? I'll just talk about other girls to you."
"Hmm.... okay."
"Do you think that Zoe in Gryffindor is pretty kind and pretty too?"
"Yup, she can be in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor and the same time if she can."

"Is that a praise or an insult?" whispered Lily to her friends. They shrank themselves and hid in the piano, catching every word of Justin and the other girl.
"Insult." Felicity replied. "Rachel seldom praise anyone out of her house. Besides, Justin is a boy, how can she stand a boy praise another girl in front of her? What she said that Zoe is just half of one house....."
"Shh!!" hissed Hannah. Lily and Felicity grinned to each other. Who just had been so strong about peeping and prying?

"You don't like other people from other houses, do you?"
"Some."
"So that's why you don't like me!" exclaimed Justin.
"Of course not." said Rachel, who was trying hard not to act as if she care about what Justin thinks.
"Then why you ...." Justin stopped suddently and looked around. "Did you hear someone gigging?"
"Wait." said Rachel, listening hard. "I think it is coming from the piano!" She opened the piano and stared in.
"Anyone there?" she asked. No answer of course, for Lily signalled both of her friends not to show themselves.
"Well, we have other ways to force you to come out." said Rachel, who was positive that someone was in the piano. She played the piano loudly without much rhythm.

"Who giggled?" yelled Lily, shutting her ears, feeling sure that she is half deaf by now.
"I didn't." said Felicity, who also shutted her ears. The noise was deafened.
"Me neither." hollared Hannah. " I think I heard the giggling from the other side of the piano...."

"Stop! I beg you!" whined a girl's voice.
"Show yourself!" called Rachel. Lily and the others peeped to see who the person was. It was Bertha Jorkins, a fourth year and famous for being nosy. She climbed to the keys of the piano. She also shrank herself and hid.
"How dare you treat a fourth year that way..." murmured Bertha, checking her ears to see if they were not deaf yet.
"Then how dare you listen to our conversation!!?!" shouted Rachel. "You are not suppose to be in the Ravenclaw's commons!!! Go back to Hufflepuff and don't you dare to repeat what you've heard!"
"What? Why should I listen to a dumb second year?" argued Bertha.
"This is why." grinned Rachel. She grabbed Bertha by her hand and place her back in the piano. She continue playing the piano as loud as possible.
"Stop!!! Ok, okay!!! I don't tell anything about your stupid talk with Justin White." screamed Bertha. Rachel put her on the floor and Bertha returned to her dorm immediately, not wanting to stay there for one more second.
"I should be going now." said Justin. "I'm not suppose to be here either. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay." replied Rachel, who was plainly disappointed. "I need to go find Professor Sneddon to ask something about the blue potion..." They both left the common room. Lily, Felicity and Hannah left almost immediately after the two left, moaning about noise all over the place.

******

"Luckily we didn't get caught." said Hannah happily, when they get back to their common room.
"Luckily we didn't get deaf either." said Felicity, who was claiming that she had a great headache after listening to Rachel's piano playing.
"Halloween is the coming Friday..." muttered Lily. "But Remus wouldn't be here....."
"Oh, he went back to see his ill mother." said Hannah. "Too bad he will miss the feast."
"Oh no he would." said Sirius, chiming in. "We will prepare a feast just for all eight of us!"
"Yeah," said James. "So you girls jsut wait until he comes back, and we shall have a late Halloween party!"
"All right!" shouted Felicity, forgeting about her head for a second.
"But how are you going to get the food?" asked Lily and Hannah at once.
"We will show you when Remus comes back." squeaked Peter.
"Suit yourselves." said Lily. She looked out of the window and at her watch. "Hey, anyone want to have a walk? I don't want to waste a Sunday and a good weather."
"Me!" said James, jumping up. "Anyone else?"
"Er, no, no James. We will settle down with a quiet, lazy afternoon." grinned Felicity. The others nodded in agreement.
"Well, perhaps I will like a walk..." said Sirius, looking at James'glaring face. "later."
"Okay then." said Lily. "See you!"

"Bertha Jorkins?" asked James. "That's just like her, prying at everything."
"You don't like her?" asked Lily.
"In my dictiontary Bertha Jorkins is: Idiot, Very nosy and with no brains." Lily laughed.
"Perhaps I would get to know her....."
"Stop it!" a voice roared.
"Now now there. You are not to use magic, remember?" said a sneering voice. "Got your wand split into two..."
"There the voices come from?" asked Lily, listening hard.
"There." said James, pointed at the forbidden forest. They ran across the grounds and came to the edge of the forbidden forest. There was a small wooden house and it was covered with raw rottened eggs and some smelly herbs. There was a giant like man with a messy beard was standing there, shouted at some students who were throwing the eggs. Some other student's just laughed and pointed at the giant. One of them were Lucius Malfoy.
"You just can't stop us, you big giant." drawled Malfoy. "You shouldn't be in Hogwarts any longer. You should be hidding in the mountains...."
"Stop!" shouted the giant-man, not daring to fight with Malfoy.
"Why should I?" said Malfoy mockingly. "You don't even...."
"Because you stink, Malfoy." said James, running towards Malfoy.
"You don't even to fight fairly. You know he," Lily pointed at the giant-man, not knowing his name. "don't dare to hurt you because if he just hit you with one punch, you will be dead in one second."
"That is nothing of your concern, Evans." said Malfoy. "Have you ever learn not to interfere in other's business?"
"I don't see that you have learnt more than I do if you interfere with his personal things." said Lily, once again pointing at the Giant.
"Oy, Malfoy, the DADA Professor is coming!" shouted one of his friends. Malfoy and the others threw a few more eggs and then left.
"Thanks, I really needed the help." said the giant. "Dunno why thay love to pick at me."
"Don't mention it." said James. "Oh, we still haven't introduce ourselves. I'm James Potter and this is Lily Evans."
"Me name's Hagrid." said the giant. "Bet yer dunno who I'm when I see yer keep pointin' at me." Lily blushed.
"I'm sorry. I don't know you name until now though I seen you before."
"Ever got detention? No? Well, you will be seeing me around when you have one.
Want to come in and have some tea?" Hagrid looked at them longingly.
"Okay, but we can't stay too long." said James, looking at his watch.
"Wait, let me help you clean all the mess first." said Lily gleefully. "Acciobackio eggs!" all the eggs flew to the school's direction.
"What spell did you use?" asked James, looking at the school.
"Acciobackio. It's just like Accio. But it withdraw back the things to the owner or in this case, thrower." grinned Lily. Hagrid laughed loudly.
"Okey, c'mon." he said. Just as he opened the door, a gigantic white tiger ran and pounce on him. Lily shrieked. James simply got out his wand just prepare to attack. But the Tiger didn't eat Hagrid. It just licked him.
"Here here Kitty. We've got guests!" said Hagrid happily. "Go and welcome them!" The tiger obediently went to James and Lily and licked at them.
"She's so tame! Oh.... it's a he or she?" asked James.
"She. Got it from one of the China wizards when we were having a drink." said Hagrid.
"She is so beautiful with her white fur." said Lily, cudding the white tiger, which was purring happily.
"Just beautiful." said Hagrid. "Don't be too good to her or she'll be cocky. Oh, just make yourselves comfortable." Lily and James looked around.
There was only one room inside. Ham and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire and in the corner stood a massive bed with a
a thin sheet over it. There is a small table and a small stool near the fire. Lily and James simply sit on the bed. Lily couldn't help noticing Hagrid's thin "blanket".
"It's nearly winter!" exclaimed Lily. "and you just got a thin blanket?"
"Dunno how to make one and dun have the time." replied Hagrid. "Usually I'll be just fine. Rock cakes?"
Lily and James politely nibbled at the rock cakes, which really earn their name. James looked at Hagrid.
"Why can you just defence yourself from Malfoy? He will pick anyone if they give he the chance."
"I can't fight him. He'd be dead by now if I did when he broke my window and throw rocks at Kitty." Hagrid paused to sip his cup of tea. "Anyway I don' want to bother Professor Dumbledore."
"Tell me if he does anything to you." said James. "I promise he will pay."
"I dun want to give yer extra trouble..." he began, but James stopped him.
"No, it just give me more chances and excuses to play pranks on him." said James.
"Ok, if yer want to play tricks on him that much." said Hagrid.
"I think we need to go." said Lily, looking at the time. Hagrid looked a bit unhappy.
"I guess so. Well, feel free to come here and talk if yer have the time. And take a few cakes with you." he added.
"Thanks Hagrid." said Lily and James. "We'll come later this week if we have the time." They packed as little rock cakes as they can but Hagrid thought they were just being polite and kept stuffing more and more cakes for them. In the end, Lily and James force a grin as they carried two whole bags of cake back to school while Hagrid waved goodbye.