Hey! All righty, so this is the 2nd chapter…Oh! I was in such a hurry before that I forgot to add another disclaimer: Prudence Curtis, not mine but Boy Meets World's. Oh, and to those who are really into the fanfiction guidelines and stuff, well, this will NOT be an actor fic. Orlando Bloom is just a figure of Lily's (and mines) obsession. He won't like actually appear in here. Glad we got that out of the way. He's pretty essential to Lily's storyline. Anyhoo, thank you so much for my first two reviewers…The PenMaster (Orlando is very hot indeed) and Rosekeet (as you wish, James would be in this chapter).
Chapter 2: Party at Hufflepuffs
*******************************
Remus stormed through the Gryffindor common room, up the boys' dormitory staircase, and to the seventh year boys' dormitory. He was so angry that he slammed the door behind him. To his surprise, someone shouted out from one of the four-poster beds.
"No! Please don't take my teddy bear, mummy!"
It was one of Remus's friends, James Potter. He quickly sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. The dark-haired boy reached over to his side table to get his round-shaped glasses.
"Is that you, Remus?" he squinted as he put on his glasses. His hair stuck out at various places. This was the trademark of this boyish and intelligent quidditch captain.
Remus raised his eyebrows. "All right, James?" he asked as he went to his bed to set his things down on it. "Sounded like you had a nightmare."
James slightly blushed. "Er, it was nothing. I just reckoned I ought to take a small nap before practice. What were you doing banging doors around, anyway? For a person who just went through another case of werewolf-titis, you seemed to have a lot of energy."
"Madam Pomfrey gave me an Energizing Potion. It was suppose to make me feel better but it's not," he grunted as he lay down on his bed.
James looked at his friend, fretting on what he will say next if he asks what was wrong. He knew that aside from his lycanthropy, Remus had only one other problem-Bettina Willoughby. However, James was not a bad friend, no, he would always willingly lend an ear. Sitting back against his headboard, James sighed and said, "So, is there something wrong?"
Remus groaned and got up to pace around the room. "It's Bettina. I mean who does she think she is? She is so awful and bitchy. How could a girl be so much of a cow? I reckoned she is not really a girl, perhaps she's a demon summoned to make everyone's lives, most especially mine, very difficult."
James stretched his arms. "Why don't you just ask her out? Better yet, why don't you just ask her to marry you?"
Remus stopped pacing and looked at him questioningly. "Didn't you hear any of the things I just said or falling off your broom numerous times has completely taken its toll on your brain, most especially that part of your brain where you understand your friend's regular ranting?"
"No," James replied slowly, "I meant that every time I hear you talk about Bettina, all I hear is," he put on a dreamy, falsetto voice, "Oh, Bettina, I love you so much. I want to be your love puppy. I want to have your angry children. Make love to me till the full moon-" He was interrupted by several violent throws of pillows aimed at him.
"Not funny," mumbled Remus. "Not funny at all. If you only knew what she's truly like, then you would understand. She's the kind of person who will make you feel like a size of a pea. Then she'll turn on you and mock you and make you turn in your articles that you have not done for a month on Tuesday."
"I heard she whacked Lawrence from Ravenclaw at the groin with a broomstick," James said thoughtfully. "Then I heard she tried to poison the whole Slytherin seventh years. Come to think of it, she seems pretty extreme to me."
"Extreme?" repeated Remus. "No, no, extreme is that the one to describe. One f-"
Just then a boy came bouncing into the room. This boy was also one of Remus's friends. His name was Sirius Black. A handsome boy who was every girl in Hogwarts's fantasy, he can charm the pants off anyone with his dark eyes and sultry smile.
"Hullo, hullo!" He stopped suddenly as he gazed at his two friends-James, who was still lying on his bed, and Remus, who was still pacing around the room. "All right, let's see, by the really annoyed and exasperated expression on my best friend's, James's, face and Remus's pacing in an incredibly straight line, I therefore conclude that this is a Bettina conversation."
"How did you know?" asked James.
"Well, she's the only thing he talks about. Blimey, you should marry her, for Pete's sake."
"She's not the only thing I talk about," Remus retorted, as he went back to his bed and sat on it. "I talk about other things…"
"Hey, don't you remember that time you constantly talked about You-know-who (A/N: not Voldemort!), your ex-girlfriend?" interrupted Sirius. "Blimey, that was irritating."
Remus flinched at the word "ex-girlfriend". He remembered it all too well- the obsession, the very need to be around her at all times. "I'm over her, all right? Besides, I was so much younger back then. I didn't know what I was doing or saying, at that matter. For all I care, she's doesn't exist to me. Completely made-up character out of my very past."
"That's not the point, Moony. You've got to stop complaining about this girl. Make the move, if you really like her, or start looking for someone new. Move on with your life, mate…"
Remus let Sirius babbled on about girls as he sat back to stare at the roof of his bed. Did his friends really think that he likes Bettina? He felt his stomach lurch as he thought of this. No way, not in a million years, he thought. Not even if I had a chance to be cured of my lycanthropy. Just as Remus turned over to cover his ears from Sirius's speech, he felt something protruding the side of his body. He got up and pulled his blankets back to reveal a pink cotton underwire bra. He was mortified as he gently picked it up to examine it. What did I do last night? He asked to himself. He knew he hasn't done that sort of things with anyone since, well, since You-know-who.
"Now that is what I'm talking about, Moony!" exclaimed Sirius, hitting Remus hard at the back. "So who's the lucky girl, eh?"
"I-I don't know. I wasn't here at all last night," stammered Remus, still gaping at the innocent piece of undergarment.
Sirius looked at it more closely. "It looks sort of familiar." He took it from Remus's hand and smelt it. "Hmm…Strawberry sherbet, very sexy. It smells sort of familiar too."
All three of them remained silent as each thought of what to say next. James finally got off his bed and joined the two to examine it. Remus racked his brains for any memories of last night, but could not. All he could remember was his painful transformation in the Shrieking Shack. Sirius stared in space as he tried to think about the strange familiarity of this undergarment. Where has he seen this? After a few moments, it hit him. He let out a cry of triumph.
"I know where I seen this before!" he exclaimed, working towards the door. "I remembered it all clearly now, well, sort of. Last night, I took what's-her-face, Lindsay Tawny, out to Hogsmeade for a date. Then I took her here, and, well…" A dreamy smile spread across his face as he stared at Remus's bed. Remus, tracing his stare, looked at him horrified.
"You took her to my bed?!" his voice slightly louder.
"Well, I don't really remember. I was sort of smashed from all of that drinks we had…I remember taking her to the bed nearest to the door."
Remus looked at the door and back to his bed. It was indeed the nearest to the door out of all the beds in the room. He backed away from his bed, as if it was to explode any minute. James, feeling that it was his duty to make things better, said, "So that's why the door was locked last night. Peter, Frank, and I had to sleep in the common room last night."
"Hey, I'm sorry, Moony, if it make you feel any better, you can have my bed."
Remus snapped out of his gaze and looked at Sirius for a moment. Then he turned on his heels and started to leave the room.
"Moony, where are you going?" Sirius called after him.
"I'm going to see if the house-elves can change my sheets," he answered. "Possibly burn them and my clothes as well," he added in an undertone.
* * *
Lorelai McAllister walked confidently along the corridors, earning stares from boys of all ages. Her long, golden curls bounced softly behind her as she waved casually at a group of Ravenclaw fourth year boys, who in turn, blushed and scurried away. You can look but you can't touch, she smiled to herself. That was Lorelai's motto in life. Sure, she could have any boys in the whole entire school, but if she has had learned anything from Bettina, it was to have some of that strong, I'm-too-good-for-some-of-you attitude. Out of the Shrunken Heads, she was the most normal. She wasn't like Bettina, who hated everything and anything, on the contrary, she was very loving and generous. She wasn't like Frank who was a bit peculiar (A/N: in a Xander from Buffy way), and she was certainly not obsessive over some guy like Lily. Sometimes she wonders how she ever acquired a bunch of eccentric friends like them. Nonetheless, she loved her friends dearly and would never trade them for a more popular crowd.
She stood right in front of a room and slowly turned the knob. It was the newsroom and was empty at the moment except for a girl sitting at the largest desk. Bunches of parchment paper were scattered all over her desk as she was reading a roll of parchment with the quill tip in her mouth. Lorelai frowned slightly and approached the girl.
"What are you still doing here? We have a sound check right now, Bee. Frank is going to have a fit if the lead singer is not there to check if her voice is all right," said Lorelai, hovering around Bettina's desk.
"I'm sorry, but I must finish proofreading this. It will go to print Monday," said Bettina, without looking up.
"Don't you have a co-editor to do these things for you?"
"Yes, but Remus is incapable of doing anything right," she remarked as she marked the parchment.
"Remus Lupin?"
"The one and only. Do you know anyone else who has that awful name?"
"Don't say that. Actually," she trailed off as she examined one of the layout boards, "I think he looks sort of…handsome…in a tortured soul, dark-mysterious-artist-who-will-never-be-appreciated-till-after-his-death way."
Bettina suddenly looked up from her parchment. "Are you serious? Remus? Handsome? Now there's a sentence I would never hear myself say."
"Come on," said Lorelai. "Don't tell me you have never thought of him that way."
"Better believe it. I am proud to say that the thought has never crossed my mind, even now that you have said it," answered Bettina firmly.
Lorelai stared at her friend for a moment as she went back into proofreading her article. Then she sighed and said, "Bee, when are you going to get over this man-hating phase? I mean there are a lot of guys out there who would definitely love to go out with you."
Bettina laughed out loud as her friend said this. "The day someone asks me out on a date is when Lily stops obsessing about Orlando Bloom."
* * *
"Do I really have to do this?" asked a very irritated Peter Pettigrew.
"Yes, my dear Peter, the sleeker you are, the more girls would want to go out with you," answered Sirius as he put a dollop of oily substance on top of Peter's jet black hair.
James appeared out of nowhere and was buttoning his shirt. "Are you two done with that bloody mirror yet? I need to see if I look good."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "You don't need to work on anything, James, unlike Peter here who needs all our combined help to look good." Even then, he still wouldn't look half as good.
James sighed and looked through his things for a robe. It was the night of Tom Macmillan's party, and the Marauders were invited to go. It was rare to have parties in Hogwarts under the very strict nose of the Deputy Headmistress Minerva Mcgonagall, and it was even rarer to have parties at the Hufflepuffs. Remus quietly entered the room but at the smell of mixed cologne and that oily thing that Peter was putting on made him choked and teary-eyed.
"What in the bloody hell is that smell?" he gasped, trying to breathe through his mouth.
"That is the smell of a Hufflepuff party," said Sirius. "Speaking of which, why aren't you dressed yet? We are going in ten minutes."
"Er, I am waiting for my fairy god-mother," Remus suggested wryly, flopping on his bed to watch Sirius combed his hair.
"Don't tell me you
aren't going because you cannot mope around here like a love-sick puppy,"
said James. "There are girls in this
party, and you should go."
"I'm not going and I'm not a love-sick
puppy, I'm just sick. Besides, I have
something to do. I'll get started on my
Defense essay."
"Aww…Moony, don't be the anti-social party pooper that you are. You are going to the party or else…"
"I'm not going and you cannot make me. That's final," said Remus firmly.
Sirius looked at James and smiled evilly. James got what he meant and turned to Remus. Remus, looking at his two friends, frowned. "Guys, oh, no…" But it was too late. James, the strong quidditch player that he was, grab hold of Remus's arms and pulled him up.
* * *
I'm only happy when it
rains
I'm only happy when it's complicated
And though I know you can't appreciate it
I'm only happy when it rains
You know I love it when the news is bad
And why it feels so good to feel so sad
I'm only happy when it rains…
Music blared throughout the empty corridor as the Marauders headed to the Hufflepuff party. They passed the familiar portrait of the fruit basket, a door, and then halted in front of a door with a large boy standing next to it and holding a long piece of parchment. Sirius approached the boy and was followed by Peter then James and Remus. James held Remus in a Binding Charm so that he would not run back to the Gryffindor Tower.
"I've got a question. Why are we an hour and a half late?" asked Peter, trotting behind Sirius.
"Because, Wormtail, Marauders are always fashionable late," said Sirius irritably. He turned to the boy. "My good lad, is this where the party is at?" he said, flashing the boy a toothy smile.
"Password?" the boy answered flatly. Sirius frowned slightly.
"Furry tails," he mumbled. The boy opened the door and let the four in.
Pour your misery
down, pour your misery down on me
Pour your misery down, pour your misery down on me
I'm only happy when it rains
I feel good when things are going wrong
I only listen to the sad, sad songs
I'm only happy when it rains
I only smile in the dark
My only comfort is the night gone black
I didn't accidentally tell you that
I'm only happy when it rains…
"Well, lads, here we are. A place blasting with pleasure."
"Yes, many bodies writhing with each other sounds like absolute fun," said Remus flatly. James muttered some spell and Remus felt as if he was lifted off some heavy burden.
"Don't be so down, Moony. You are ruining the atmosphere," said Sirius, as two blond girls passed them by.
"What atmosphere? The smell of cheap cologne and sweaty kids?" he said as he turned to his right, but no one was there. "Sirius?" He searched the crowds and found his friend already dancing in between the two blondes. "So, James, I-" He turned to his left and no one was there. He searched for his messy haired friend and found him in a middle of a small crowd talking about some quidditch game. "Well, Peter, I guess it's-" But Peter was also nowhere in sight. Damn it, he cursed silently.
You'll get the message
by the time I'm through
When I complain about me and you
I'm only happy when it rains
Pour your misery down (Pour your misery down)
Pour your misery down on me (Pour your misery down)
Pour your misery down (Pour your misery down)
Pour your misery down on me (Pour your misery down)
Pour your misery down (Pour your misery down)
Pour your misery down on me (Pour your misery down)
Pour your misery down
You can keep me company
As long as you don't care…
He looked around his surroundings and felt his stomach lurch. He wasn't really into the party scene. It wasn't that he was shy, no, he was a bit claustrophobic. He slowly made his way to the refreshment tables where he found Peter, chattering up with a Hufflepuff. He took a bottle of butterbeer and opened it. He stood there next to the table all alone, while drinking his butterbeer. He didn't care. All he wanted to do tonight was stay at the Tower to read his Defense book, but no…his bloody friends put him in a full body bind and dressed him up for this party.
"Nice music," he heard Peter say to his friend. He looked up to the platform and watched the band playing. "So, how did Tom get the Shrunken Heads to play?"
I'm only happy when it rains
You wanna hear about my new obsession?
I'm riding high upon a deep depression
I'm only happy when it rains (Pour some misery down on me)
I'm only happy when it rains (Pour some misery down on me)
I'm only happy when it rains (Pour some misery down on me)
I'm only happy when it rains (Pour some misery down on me)
He was right.
It was the Shrunken Heads. Remus
noticed how familiar the singer was.
She was strumming her electric guitar while singing. She pulled her hair back and leaned closer
to the microphone.
"I'm only happy when it rains," Bettina sang the last line as Frank did a fancy drum riff and Lily strummed the last notes in her guitar. As the song ended, the crowd on the dance floor cheered.
"We'll take five," said Lily through the microphone. Lily, Lorelai, and Bettina set their guitars down and climbed down the stage to the refreshments table. They were helping themselves to butterbeers and sandwiches. While Remus was watching them, a girl approached him.
"Hi, you alone?" smiled the girl. Remus panicked inside. He didn't like the idea of girls approaching him, strange girls, at that. He racked his brains for anything that could make this girl go away. Like a light bulb turned on somewhere in his head, he got an idea.
"Look, Mr. Slinky, somebody wants to hang out with us," he said in an eager voice.
"Yes, Remus, a young pretty lady," he answered in a hungry voice. The girl's expression was a crossed between mortified and appalled. She turned around and walked quickly away from him. He watched her disappeared into the crowd and looking very satisfied with himself. If only Sirius was around to have seen that, he smiled to himself.
"That was a rather disturbing sight," drawled a voice next to him. He turned to look at whom it was and it was Bettina, looking superior as usual.
"I was just trying to get her to leave me alone," explained Remus.
"I don't really care what you were doing. I was just merely implying that it was disturbing," she said simply, helping herself to some cookies and pastries. "What are you doing here, anyway? You don't strike me as the type who would be into the whole party scene."
"I was dragged here and I don't really care of what you think of me, Bettina," he retorted.
She raised her eyebrows. "Down, boy, I was just making conversation. Don't get your knickers all in a bunch."
"Conversation? You mean you are actually making a sensible chat with me?" said Remus in a mock gasp.
"Don't flatter yourself. It's my job to make sure everyone's enjoying the show, or else that bloke, Tom, won't pay us. So, enjoy the rest of the show." She put on a fake smile and turned around to sit at a couch next to the stage. Remus took a large gulp of his butterbeer, looking very annoyed.
Meanwhile, Bettina walked over to the couch and sat down next to Lily. Frank was nowhere in sight and Lorelai was busy flirting with two boys.
"Look at her," said Bettina disdainfully, "she's ruining our reputation."
"Our reputation?" asked Lily.
"Yeah, as miserable girls who hate boys."
"Ah, you mean yours. Look, Lorelai is just being herself. It's not her fault she is not like you. I mean you know she has been the boy-magnet type ever since our third year."
"Yeah, but still."
Lily was about to comment when Frank came up to them. "Bathroom break. So, where's Lee? We have to be on stage in three minutes."
"Chill, Mr. Longbottom, we have got plenty of time. Lorelai is over there, speaking to a couple of boys," said Lily.
"Boys? But she can't, she'll ruin your reputations," exclaimed Frank.
"See, I told you. Thank you, Frank," said Bettina. Lily rolled her eyes.
Lorelai walked over to them looking a little flushed. "Well, are we starting yet?"
Remus drank about three butterbeers and was on his fourth when the Shrunken Heads started playing again. He was sitting on the edge of the table and was extremely wearisome and bored.
"This song is written by our lead singer, Bettina, and it is truly wonderful and we hope you enjoy it," he heard Lily say. "It's called 'Something to Sleep to'. 1, 2, 3…"
Slow music started up and Bettina started to sing,
She's his yellow brick
road
Leading him on
And letting him go as far
as she lets him go
Going down to nowhere
"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. Are you enjoying the party?" asked James, as he reached over to get some food. Remus shrugged and watched Bettina carefully. He had never seen her sing before. Her eyes were closed as if she was focusing herself at singing the words.
She puts on her make-up
The same way she did yesterday
Hoping everything's the same
But everything has changed
She slowly opened her eyes and looked far away. For a moment, Remus thought he had never seen a girl looked so sad in his life.
In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to at night
He wanted to share in her pain, because he felt it so much. He still stared at her, mesmerized. Was this how she always is when she sings?
He wakes up to the sound
So scared that she's leaving
He wishes she were still
asleep next to him
Hoping she will change
"Hey, are you going to drink that?" asked James, looking at the unopened butterbeer that was in Remus's grasp. Remus wasn't listening to him. He was watching Bettina. He had never seen her so passionate. Actually, he had never seen her give out any sign of emotion before. Her whole body seemed to radiate a sort of sorrowful aura.
In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
at night
You give me something to sleep to
And all I know is
You give me something to dream to when I'm all alone and blue
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Bettina's eyes were misty. Damn, I hate when this happens. All right, Bettina, focus. End the song first.
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
The door busted open as Bettina was singing the final chorus of the song. A group of people forced themselves to the front of the crowd, pushing people here and there.
In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
Something to sleep to
Something to sleep to at night
The song ended and there was a tumultuous applause. Remus could have sworn that he had seen a tiny, shiny tear going down on Bettina's face. He was distracted by a shout.
"Man, that was wonderful! Beautiful performance by the Shrunken Heads!" shouted a slurred voice. It belonged to a half-drunk Severus Snape, who was with his girlfriend. His usual gang of Slytherin friends surrounded him. "Hey, I got a question? Why weren't we invited in this little shindig? Hufflepuffs think they're too good for us? HA! That's a laugh."
"Why don't you and your stupid friends get the hell out of here," said Tom Macmillan.
Evan stepped up to his face and said, "Why don't you make us?"
"That is fine by me," said Sirius, stepping up from the group and in between Evan and Tom. "I'll take all of you bastards any time."
"Ooh, I am wetting my pants in fear," taunted Severus. Sirius let out a laugh and jumped on Severus. Evan ran up to the two and started punching Sirius. Out of nowhere, James pulled Evan from Sirius and punched him on the face. Peter joined the fray as the crowd quickly dispersed. Most headed out the only exit. Remus watched as Thomas Wilkes and William Lestrange were ganging up Peter. He had no choice but to try to stop the fight that was going on. He walked towards them when someone pulled him around the neck and made him fall backwards.
All right, a fight was ensued. Man, this is a long chapter. Partly because of the songs. Speaking of which, thank you to my friends, Meggie and Rini, for helping me out in finding the perfect songs the Shrunken Heads can play. If you have any suggestions on what they can play next, please feel free to do so coz I can't think by myself. The song "Only happy when it rains" is from Garbage from their self-titled album and "Something to sleep to" is by Michelle Branch from her album, The Spirit Room. Please leave a wonderful review!