Daphne: Here is another opening dedicated to my reviewer, Talia.
Thank you so much for pointing out the flaws of the story! I really appreciated that you caught them! From now on, I will try to spell Sirius like that, and just for the record, I got the order of the Weasley boy's mixed up. Bill is the oldest, and Charlie is the second oldest. Sorry for the mix-ups, and thanks again for pointing them out to me!
Now on with the story!
~*~*~*~
Leopard Spots and Zebra Stripes
By: Daphne Li
Chapter 7.
"So then, I told him that I would certainly tell if he tried to kiss me, so he did anyway, and then I like, told, and he got into so much trouble!"
"Did you hear? James Potter is going out with Cindy Raven from Hufflepuff!"
"What sort of name like 'Raven' would a Hufflepuff have?! She should be in Ravenclaw!"
"Naw. Have you ever seen her? She is so ditzy!"
"Marla, would you pass the potatoes?
"Sure, Zane."
This was the usual banter of the Gryffindor's during supper, four weeks later. Sakura listened to it in contentment, smiling as she saw Syaoran roll his eyes in annoyance. Tomoyo giggled and pulled out her video camera. Eriol grinned and continued eating. It always surprised them, the mindless chatter that came up at this table. Little did they know, it was about to be shattered.
"AGH! POTTER, WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!" Came Lily Evan's irate shriek. She stood up and revealed that her hair was no longer red, but a very bright pink.
"I thought that it matched your complexion much better than the red!" He laughed. Lily turned, her eyes flaring.
"Grow up, Potter, and leave me alone!" She hissed, turning away. He sneered.
"What are you going to do about it? Go home and tell mommy?" He snickered. Suddenly, Lily froze. Her back stiffened and her fists clenched. She breathed heavily for quite a while, and then turned back to him, her eyes filled with anger, hurt...and above all else, pain.
"No, Potter, unfortunately, I can't do that." She whispered, before fleeing the room. James looked after her in amusement and some confusion.
"There is a train that leaves tonight!" He shouted after her, his eyes gleaming. To his surprise, Sophia suddenly stood up and slapped him smartly across the face.
"HAVE YOU NO HEART?!" She screamed, before chasing after Lily. Remus stood up, his hands out, as if to call her back, and then he looked at James in utter bewilderment. Serius frowned and looked at Bella. To their shock, she had tears in her eyes.
"She got the letter last month, just after school started. If you hadn't noticed, she missed quite a few days of school..." Bella began. She looked up to see their confused faces and then her tears won over, spilling down her cheeks.
"Oh, for God's sake! HER PARENTS ARE DEAD, YOU JACK-A**'! VOLTEMORT KILLED THEM!" Bella screeched, her angry tears trailing down her face.
"SHE DOESN'T NEED THIS SH*T FROM YOU NOW!" The girl finished, getting up and racing out of the room, sobbing. The Marauders stared after her in shock and horror. Guilt rushed up into James, and for the first time since he had met her, James felt remorse for what he had just done.
"Oh, no! That is why she was gone! Syaoran, it's starting!" Sakura whimpered, burying her face in his arm. The three of the Marauders looked at her strangely, but James hardly even glanced. Something was burning in his chest, something much more painful than guilt. And it was slowly eating away at him.
~*~*~*~
"I can't find her anywhere! She just disappeared!" Bella whimpered the next morning. Sakura sighed.
"Syaoran, I think I know where Lily is. Will you wait for me...or meet me later in the library? I have to talk to you." She whispered. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and then she got up and rushed from the table.
"What on earth?" Tomoyo questioned. Syaoran just shook his head and looked down at his plate. This was becoming so hard to hide...how would they ever get through it?
Meanwhile, Sakura jogged out of the castle and onto the vast grounds of Hogwarts, her eyes on Hagrid's cabin. Since she had seen him at breakfast, she simply opened the door silently and let herself in. As her eyes got used to the dim light, she carefully looked around, and saw a small lump sitting in one of Hagrid's huge chairs, a fluffy blanket wrapped around its shaking shoulders. A strand of long red hair spilled out from underneath that blanket, and Sakura knew that she had found the missing.
"Lily?" She whispered, placing a gentle hand on the other girl's head and stroking her hair. Lily shuddered.
"Why does it hurt so much, when they tease me? I may be 'muggle-born', but I am just as smart and gifted as they are." She choked. Sakura sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around her.
"I know that I shouldn't be mad at them for saying those things last night...they didn't know...but it hurts so much! And I never cry!" Lily's voice shook. Sakura gently turned her head so they were looking each other in the eyes. Lily's were red-rimmed, swollen, and pain-filled, while Sakura's were filled with sorrow for her friend.
"You are crying now. Keep crying, Lily. It will help. My brother says that I cried when my mother died. I don't remember, and I never cry over it now...how could I? I don't even know her well. But I know she is there, watching over me. And I have many more things to cry about now." Sakura whispered. A small, bitter smile came to Lily's lips.
"Petunia, my sister, hates me now. She says that this is all my fault, because I am a witch." She stated. Sakura grinned.
"One, she is just jealous. Two, it's NOT your fault. Voldemort chooses his victims with carelessness. They could have just been a random case, for all we know. I know that it is hard, but try to remember all the good times you had with them, and how they were so proud of you for becoming a witch. That is all that matters." Sakura finished. Lily's smile was full-fledged now, and her tears were drying.
"Thank you, Sakura. You're a true friend." She hugged the auburn haired girl, and then stood up.
"Oh, no! My first class has already started!" She gasped. Sakura giggled.
"You should hurry then! We both should!" She laughed. So together, they left Hagrid's cabin, both with lighter hearts.
~*~*~*~
"How are you feeling, Lily?" Bella asked softly, as the girl entered her class room. Lily gave her a smile and nodded her head in answer. Bella gave a relieved smile and then turned back to listen to Professor McGonagle. James Potter, however, kept looking away from his lessons, to watch Lily's face. He could tell that she was hiding her pain, and again, a flair of guilt raced though his veins.
'I shouldn't have said that. I really shouldn't have said that!'
*OF COURSE NOT, YOU DOLT!*
'Shut up!'
*No, you listen! You are such a moron. Why do you hate her so much anyway? I mean, she is almost as good-looking as that Kinomoto girl.
'She is more beautiful than Sakura!'
*HA! So you admit that you like her!*
"I NEVER SAID THAT!" James shouted, unaware that the teacher had been speaking to him.
"Mr. Potter, unless you would like detention, I would recommend that you refrain from yelling in my class." Professor McGonagle's clipped voice ripped though his thoughts. James jumped and then blushed, elbowing Sirius in the stomach for laughing. James finally got his blush under control, and then looked up, only to find his own hazel-brown eyes clashing with sweet bight green ones. Lily stared at him for a moment, frowned, and then turned away with a snort.
"Boy, she really hates you now, man. I guess that you don't have to worry about her anymore." Sirius chuckled, turning back to his notes. This new idea did not leave James feeling any better; quite the opposite, in fact...
~*~*~*~
"...we wish you a happy Christmas...and a prosperous New Year!" Lily, Bella and Sophia chorused, as the rest of the people in the common room clapped. It was Christmas Eve, and the common room was mostly empty, save for Lily, Bella, Sophia, Sakura's gang, and the Marauders. Since they had all decided to stay over Christmas break, it had been impossible for Sakura and her friends to fall into their 'long sleep', as Eriol put it. Instead, they got to enjoy every day of the Christmas holiday. Presently, the Marauders were off doing something, and everyone else was listening to the girls sing.
"Wow! You guys are good! Almost as good as us!" Rika laughed. Even Sophia, who had 'a voice that would break glass', as Bella put it, sounded wonderful.
"Thank you, thank you! I will sign autographs over there!" Bella shouted, pointing at a table nearby. The group laughed, and then decided to split up for the rest of the afternoon. Sakura and Syaoran went off together, while Draco and Rika decided to walk around on the grounds for a while. Tomoyo went off in search of a book, and Eriol disappeared saying that he had something to do. Harry and Ginny went up to the boys dorm for a snogging session, while Hermione dragged a seething Ron up to the girls dorm for the same reason. Lily decided to go and visit Hagrid, while Bella shouted that she had to talk to Professor McGonagle. Sophia, who was left with nothing to do, decided to wander up to the astronomy tower and read a magazine.
~*~*~*~
"Syaoran, how do you think the professors will take it, when they find out about us?" Sakura asked softly. Syaoran frowned and looked thoughtful.
"You mean, if Meiling and Neville haven't already told them? Pretty shocked, I'm sure." He chuckled. They were walking down a long, abandoned hallway, her hand snuggled protectively in his.
"I know that this might sound like a funny question...but what do you think...about us getting married so early in life? How do *you* feel about it?" Syaoran asked softly. Sakura looked startled, and then thoughtful.
"I feel happy, but un-ready. I will still be seventeen when we are married, Syaoran...unless the elders allow us to wait until school is over. But by then, you will be almost nineteen." She whispered. Syaoran frowned.
"But I meant, do you want it? Or would you rather wait?"
"I want it. Syaoran, you don't know how much it hurt me when you were away. I almost died...and I cried every night, even after the group was formed. It hurt me, Syaoran. It really did." She whispered, tears coming to her eyes.
"When I woke up here and didn't see you, I was so frightened that you had been killed. I knew that I wouldn't be able to live if you had died. I know that what we are doing is right, even if no one else does. I am not sure, but I think that we won't be the only ones getting married either. Ron and Hermione are getting close to that stage and Rika and Draco aren't going to wait long, either. Harry and Ginny may take a while longer, and Meiling and Neville...well, I think that they will be the first, if anything." Sakura giggled. Syaoran smiled.
"What about Eriol and Tomoyo?" He asked. Sakura laughed.
"Double wedding with us! No matter what Tomoyo tries to tell me, I know that she loves him, even though she would never admit it. I would give it a few hours." She stated. He looked confused.
"A few hours? For what?"
"Just wait and see." She said mysteriously, pressing him up against a wall and kissing his neck. Syaoran moaned and said nothing more.
~*~*~*~
"Are you sure that you don't want to go back in, Rika? It is awful cold." Draco whispered, putting his arm around her shoulders. Rika smiled and shook her head.
"This is too lovely to miss. Just look at how the snow sifts through the trees. It seems to almost enchant everything!" She laughed, flinging her arms out and spinning around. They were presently standing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching as the snow fell softly all over the ground. It was already a foot deep, and getting deeper by the minute. Everything was covered in white, and Hagrid's cabin was hardly visible through the flurry of falling snow.
"You're right, it is lovely. But I am looking at something that is lovelier!" He teased. Rika's pale cheeks blushed with red, and she smiled sweetly at him.
"You are so lucky that you are sweet, or else I would have slapped you across the face by now!" She laughed. Draco captured her arm and pulled her close.
"You wouldn't want to do that, now would you, love?" He murmured, catching her lips beneath his. Rika moaned and twined her arms around his neck.
"Marry me, Rika. Say you'll marry me." He whispered. Rika looked startled, and then laughed.
"But we are still in school, silly! It would be impossible!" She managed. Draco sighed.
"Yes, but after school. Would you?" He asked. She looked thoughtful.
"Perhaps...if you are a good boy."
"And if I'm not?" He growled, his lips sucking tenderly on the skin just below her ear. Rika shivered.
"That depends..." She sighed, as his lips captured hers once more.
~*~*~*~
"It must be around her somewhere." Tomoyo mumbled, looking through a shelf of books; she was in the library, which was empty save for her. The librarian had gone home for Christmas, so there was no one there to yell at her to keep quiet.
"Aha! Found you!" Tomoyo cried, pulling a book labeled, 'Moving Pictures: Ancient muggle items or present day Wizerding pictures,'. Tomoyo smiled at her find, and then delved into its pages without a second thought, unaware of anything around her.
"You know, it is not safe to read and stand at the same time." Came a sly voice. Tomoyo shrieked and turned to see Eriol leaning against one of the nearby bookshelves. She shot him a glare and then plopped down into a nearby chair.
"There, is that better?" She snapped. He smirked and then held up a thick book.
"May I join you?" He asked. She kept her eyes on her book and shrugged. He smiled again and settled himself in the chair next to her. For about half- an-hour, they kept silent, reading or trying to read.
"Ugh! This is aggravating! Do you know that the first wizard picture was actually taken in a muggle camera, and then put into a special solution so it would move? How come muggles can't do that? It would make video-taping a breeze!" Tomoyo finally sighed. Eriol, who had been staring out into space instead of reading, jumped at her sudden words.
"Perhaps it is only a potion that wizards and witches can make." He suggested. Tomoyo looked annoyed.
"Eriol, potions are made by things that you see in everyday life...well, mostly. Muggles could make them with just a flick of the hand, because it doesn't take wands to make it." She sighed, exasperated. Eriol just smirked again and said nothing.
"Do you think that it is safe to go back now?" Tomoyo asked after a few moments. Eriol looked up from his book again and frowned.
"What do you mean?" He questioned. Tomoyo wrinkled her pert little nose.
"I mean, do you think that they are all done making-out, by now? It sickens me to see them doing it in public. It is so...un-ladylike." She snapped, referring to Sakura, Rika, Ginny and Hermione. Eriol laughed.
"The boys have just as much guilt as the girls," he reminded her, "and no, I don't think that they are done. Knowing them, they will continue at it until supper time." He looked back down at his book, ignoring her disgusted look.
"Don't worry. You will be going through the same thing when you find love, eventually." He stated, keeping his eyes on his book; if you looked carefully, however, you could see that his eyes were not moving, but staring straight into space. Tomoyo wrinkled her nose again.
"I don't think that I want to go through that. It isn't for me." She snapped, slamming her book shut, getting up and then stalking out of the room. Eriol finally looked up from his book and stared at the door she had just left from, a strange look in his eyes.
"Oh, I think it is, Tomoyo." He whispered, closing his own book and then levitating it back to its shelf.
~*~*~*~
"Well, will ya look at that." Hagrid commented, pointing out the window. Lily, who had been sitting in one of the his huge chairs and drinking tea, looked up and frowned.
"What?" She asked. Hagrid smiled.
"Come and look. If that ain't the sweet'st thing I ever saw." He chuckled. Lily stood up, put down her cup, and want over to peer out the window. What she saw made her smile. There, near the edge of the forest, stood Draco Winner and Rika Ivers. At first glance, it might seem as if they were talking, but if you looked closer, you could tell that it was much more than that. All of the sudden, Draco picked up Rika and spun her around, causing the girl to laugh. Lily smiled and then turned to see Hagrid getting his coat on.
"I have ter' go to see Professor Dumbledore. You can stay for a little while, and keep warm, if yer' like. There's more tea in th' pot." Hagrid motioned to the pot on the table and Lily nodded, smiling. It was quite cozy in Hagrid's cabin, and she had no intention of leaving for a while. So after he had left, she conjured up a small meal of rice, green beans and chicken (her favorite foods) and sat down to eat. After about an hour, Hagrid came back and they continued to talk until dinner. Realizing that she wasn't hungry, Lily decided to go back up to Gryffindor tower, and read a book. What she didn't expect, was to find four other people up there. Four other *annoying*, hateful people.
"Evens, what are you doing up here?" James snapped, as he turned from the table he and the other Marauders were bent over.
"This is a public room, Potter. I have every right to be here. Now, go back to your planning." Lily snapped. James smirked.
"How do you know we were planning anything?" He asked. Now, it was her turn to smirk.
"I'm not daft, Potter. It is a full moon tonight, and you were planning what excuses to use on us. Well, forget them. Everyone knows." Lily sighed. Remus turned white as a sheet and his lips began to tremble.
"You...you know?" He stammered. Lily's face softened.
"I have known since first year. Sophia and Bella figured it out when you kept disappearing during our fourth year, and somehow, Sakura and her friends knew it even before that. You don't have to worry, though. They would never tell, nor would we. Although, I think that I should tell Professor Dumbledore that three other students just happen to be illegal, unregistered animagus!" With this, Lily walked up the stairs to her dorm, and slammed the door behind her.
"How...how did she know?!" James whispered, actually sounding a bit frightened.
"James, if she figured out about me, she can easily find out about you." Remus stated, his face starting to return to its normal color. Just then, Sakura Kinomoto walked into the room with a huge pile of presents.
"Hello, everyone." She crowed, setting the presents down and then smiling over at the boys. The boys stared at her closely, expecially Remus.
"How did you find out?" Remus asked sharply. Sakura looked at him in astonishment.
"What do you mean?"
"How did you know that I was a...that I..."
"...was a werewolf? Well, this may sound funny to you, but I knew long before I met you, here. Let's just say...I am perceptive." She laughed softly at this, and the boys stared at her.
"The others know for different reasons. Harry, Hermione and Ron know because someone close to them told them and no, I won't tell you who that was. For Eriol, he found out the same way I did. Syaoran, Rika, Tomoyo, Draco and Ginny all know, because Eriol, Harry, and I told them." Sakura commented thoughtfully.
"So...you knew before you even met me? Then how did you know who I was in the first place?!" Remus hissed. Sakura's eyes darkened, and her smile became mysterious.
"Remus, you ask to many questions. Why don't we leave it at this for now. I will tell you the rest when the time is right." She whispered, turning away and gliding up the stairs to her room.
"Now I know that they are hiding something." James stated. Remus kept running over what she had said, in his head.
"Well, that was different. How are we supposed to act, now that they know our little secret?" Sirius asked.
"They knew before, and we didn't know! So we act normally. Nothing has changed, except for the fact that we know that they know." James snapped. Peter looked over and scratched his head.
"You confuse me, James, you know that?" He complained.
~*~*~*~
Thank you so much for pointing out the flaws of the story! I really appreciated that you caught them! From now on, I will try to spell Sirius like that, and just for the record, I got the order of the Weasley boy's mixed up. Bill is the oldest, and Charlie is the second oldest. Sorry for the mix-ups, and thanks again for pointing them out to me!
Now on with the story!
~*~*~*~
Leopard Spots and Zebra Stripes
By: Daphne Li
Chapter 7.
"So then, I told him that I would certainly tell if he tried to kiss me, so he did anyway, and then I like, told, and he got into so much trouble!"
"Did you hear? James Potter is going out with Cindy Raven from Hufflepuff!"
"What sort of name like 'Raven' would a Hufflepuff have?! She should be in Ravenclaw!"
"Naw. Have you ever seen her? She is so ditzy!"
"Marla, would you pass the potatoes?
"Sure, Zane."
This was the usual banter of the Gryffindor's during supper, four weeks later. Sakura listened to it in contentment, smiling as she saw Syaoran roll his eyes in annoyance. Tomoyo giggled and pulled out her video camera. Eriol grinned and continued eating. It always surprised them, the mindless chatter that came up at this table. Little did they know, it was about to be shattered.
"AGH! POTTER, WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!" Came Lily Evan's irate shriek. She stood up and revealed that her hair was no longer red, but a very bright pink.
"I thought that it matched your complexion much better than the red!" He laughed. Lily turned, her eyes flaring.
"Grow up, Potter, and leave me alone!" She hissed, turning away. He sneered.
"What are you going to do about it? Go home and tell mommy?" He snickered. Suddenly, Lily froze. Her back stiffened and her fists clenched. She breathed heavily for quite a while, and then turned back to him, her eyes filled with anger, hurt...and above all else, pain.
"No, Potter, unfortunately, I can't do that." She whispered, before fleeing the room. James looked after her in amusement and some confusion.
"There is a train that leaves tonight!" He shouted after her, his eyes gleaming. To his surprise, Sophia suddenly stood up and slapped him smartly across the face.
"HAVE YOU NO HEART?!" She screamed, before chasing after Lily. Remus stood up, his hands out, as if to call her back, and then he looked at James in utter bewilderment. Serius frowned and looked at Bella. To their shock, she had tears in her eyes.
"She got the letter last month, just after school started. If you hadn't noticed, she missed quite a few days of school..." Bella began. She looked up to see their confused faces and then her tears won over, spilling down her cheeks.
"Oh, for God's sake! HER PARENTS ARE DEAD, YOU JACK-A**'! VOLTEMORT KILLED THEM!" Bella screeched, her angry tears trailing down her face.
"SHE DOESN'T NEED THIS SH*T FROM YOU NOW!" The girl finished, getting up and racing out of the room, sobbing. The Marauders stared after her in shock and horror. Guilt rushed up into James, and for the first time since he had met her, James felt remorse for what he had just done.
"Oh, no! That is why she was gone! Syaoran, it's starting!" Sakura whimpered, burying her face in his arm. The three of the Marauders looked at her strangely, but James hardly even glanced. Something was burning in his chest, something much more painful than guilt. And it was slowly eating away at him.
~*~*~*~
"I can't find her anywhere! She just disappeared!" Bella whimpered the next morning. Sakura sighed.
"Syaoran, I think I know where Lily is. Will you wait for me...or meet me later in the library? I have to talk to you." She whispered. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and then she got up and rushed from the table.
"What on earth?" Tomoyo questioned. Syaoran just shook his head and looked down at his plate. This was becoming so hard to hide...how would they ever get through it?
Meanwhile, Sakura jogged out of the castle and onto the vast grounds of Hogwarts, her eyes on Hagrid's cabin. Since she had seen him at breakfast, she simply opened the door silently and let herself in. As her eyes got used to the dim light, she carefully looked around, and saw a small lump sitting in one of Hagrid's huge chairs, a fluffy blanket wrapped around its shaking shoulders. A strand of long red hair spilled out from underneath that blanket, and Sakura knew that she had found the missing.
"Lily?" She whispered, placing a gentle hand on the other girl's head and stroking her hair. Lily shuddered.
"Why does it hurt so much, when they tease me? I may be 'muggle-born', but I am just as smart and gifted as they are." She choked. Sakura sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around her.
"I know that I shouldn't be mad at them for saying those things last night...they didn't know...but it hurts so much! And I never cry!" Lily's voice shook. Sakura gently turned her head so they were looking each other in the eyes. Lily's were red-rimmed, swollen, and pain-filled, while Sakura's were filled with sorrow for her friend.
"You are crying now. Keep crying, Lily. It will help. My brother says that I cried when my mother died. I don't remember, and I never cry over it now...how could I? I don't even know her well. But I know she is there, watching over me. And I have many more things to cry about now." Sakura whispered. A small, bitter smile came to Lily's lips.
"Petunia, my sister, hates me now. She says that this is all my fault, because I am a witch." She stated. Sakura grinned.
"One, she is just jealous. Two, it's NOT your fault. Voldemort chooses his victims with carelessness. They could have just been a random case, for all we know. I know that it is hard, but try to remember all the good times you had with them, and how they were so proud of you for becoming a witch. That is all that matters." Sakura finished. Lily's smile was full-fledged now, and her tears were drying.
"Thank you, Sakura. You're a true friend." She hugged the auburn haired girl, and then stood up.
"Oh, no! My first class has already started!" She gasped. Sakura giggled.
"You should hurry then! We both should!" She laughed. So together, they left Hagrid's cabin, both with lighter hearts.
~*~*~*~
"How are you feeling, Lily?" Bella asked softly, as the girl entered her class room. Lily gave her a smile and nodded her head in answer. Bella gave a relieved smile and then turned back to listen to Professor McGonagle. James Potter, however, kept looking away from his lessons, to watch Lily's face. He could tell that she was hiding her pain, and again, a flair of guilt raced though his veins.
'I shouldn't have said that. I really shouldn't have said that!'
*OF COURSE NOT, YOU DOLT!*
'Shut up!'
*No, you listen! You are such a moron. Why do you hate her so much anyway? I mean, she is almost as good-looking as that Kinomoto girl.
'She is more beautiful than Sakura!'
*HA! So you admit that you like her!*
"I NEVER SAID THAT!" James shouted, unaware that the teacher had been speaking to him.
"Mr. Potter, unless you would like detention, I would recommend that you refrain from yelling in my class." Professor McGonagle's clipped voice ripped though his thoughts. James jumped and then blushed, elbowing Sirius in the stomach for laughing. James finally got his blush under control, and then looked up, only to find his own hazel-brown eyes clashing with sweet bight green ones. Lily stared at him for a moment, frowned, and then turned away with a snort.
"Boy, she really hates you now, man. I guess that you don't have to worry about her anymore." Sirius chuckled, turning back to his notes. This new idea did not leave James feeling any better; quite the opposite, in fact...
~*~*~*~
"...we wish you a happy Christmas...and a prosperous New Year!" Lily, Bella and Sophia chorused, as the rest of the people in the common room clapped. It was Christmas Eve, and the common room was mostly empty, save for Lily, Bella, Sophia, Sakura's gang, and the Marauders. Since they had all decided to stay over Christmas break, it had been impossible for Sakura and her friends to fall into their 'long sleep', as Eriol put it. Instead, they got to enjoy every day of the Christmas holiday. Presently, the Marauders were off doing something, and everyone else was listening to the girls sing.
"Wow! You guys are good! Almost as good as us!" Rika laughed. Even Sophia, who had 'a voice that would break glass', as Bella put it, sounded wonderful.
"Thank you, thank you! I will sign autographs over there!" Bella shouted, pointing at a table nearby. The group laughed, and then decided to split up for the rest of the afternoon. Sakura and Syaoran went off together, while Draco and Rika decided to walk around on the grounds for a while. Tomoyo went off in search of a book, and Eriol disappeared saying that he had something to do. Harry and Ginny went up to the boys dorm for a snogging session, while Hermione dragged a seething Ron up to the girls dorm for the same reason. Lily decided to go and visit Hagrid, while Bella shouted that she had to talk to Professor McGonagle. Sophia, who was left with nothing to do, decided to wander up to the astronomy tower and read a magazine.
~*~*~*~
"Syaoran, how do you think the professors will take it, when they find out about us?" Sakura asked softly. Syaoran frowned and looked thoughtful.
"You mean, if Meiling and Neville haven't already told them? Pretty shocked, I'm sure." He chuckled. They were walking down a long, abandoned hallway, her hand snuggled protectively in his.
"I know that this might sound like a funny question...but what do you think...about us getting married so early in life? How do *you* feel about it?" Syaoran asked softly. Sakura looked startled, and then thoughtful.
"I feel happy, but un-ready. I will still be seventeen when we are married, Syaoran...unless the elders allow us to wait until school is over. But by then, you will be almost nineteen." She whispered. Syaoran frowned.
"But I meant, do you want it? Or would you rather wait?"
"I want it. Syaoran, you don't know how much it hurt me when you were away. I almost died...and I cried every night, even after the group was formed. It hurt me, Syaoran. It really did." She whispered, tears coming to her eyes.
"When I woke up here and didn't see you, I was so frightened that you had been killed. I knew that I wouldn't be able to live if you had died. I know that what we are doing is right, even if no one else does. I am not sure, but I think that we won't be the only ones getting married either. Ron and Hermione are getting close to that stage and Rika and Draco aren't going to wait long, either. Harry and Ginny may take a while longer, and Meiling and Neville...well, I think that they will be the first, if anything." Sakura giggled. Syaoran smiled.
"What about Eriol and Tomoyo?" He asked. Sakura laughed.
"Double wedding with us! No matter what Tomoyo tries to tell me, I know that she loves him, even though she would never admit it. I would give it a few hours." She stated. He looked confused.
"A few hours? For what?"
"Just wait and see." She said mysteriously, pressing him up against a wall and kissing his neck. Syaoran moaned and said nothing more.
~*~*~*~
"Are you sure that you don't want to go back in, Rika? It is awful cold." Draco whispered, putting his arm around her shoulders. Rika smiled and shook her head.
"This is too lovely to miss. Just look at how the snow sifts through the trees. It seems to almost enchant everything!" She laughed, flinging her arms out and spinning around. They were presently standing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching as the snow fell softly all over the ground. It was already a foot deep, and getting deeper by the minute. Everything was covered in white, and Hagrid's cabin was hardly visible through the flurry of falling snow.
"You're right, it is lovely. But I am looking at something that is lovelier!" He teased. Rika's pale cheeks blushed with red, and she smiled sweetly at him.
"You are so lucky that you are sweet, or else I would have slapped you across the face by now!" She laughed. Draco captured her arm and pulled her close.
"You wouldn't want to do that, now would you, love?" He murmured, catching her lips beneath his. Rika moaned and twined her arms around his neck.
"Marry me, Rika. Say you'll marry me." He whispered. Rika looked startled, and then laughed.
"But we are still in school, silly! It would be impossible!" She managed. Draco sighed.
"Yes, but after school. Would you?" He asked. She looked thoughtful.
"Perhaps...if you are a good boy."
"And if I'm not?" He growled, his lips sucking tenderly on the skin just below her ear. Rika shivered.
"That depends..." She sighed, as his lips captured hers once more.
~*~*~*~
"It must be around her somewhere." Tomoyo mumbled, looking through a shelf of books; she was in the library, which was empty save for her. The librarian had gone home for Christmas, so there was no one there to yell at her to keep quiet.
"Aha! Found you!" Tomoyo cried, pulling a book labeled, 'Moving Pictures: Ancient muggle items or present day Wizerding pictures,'. Tomoyo smiled at her find, and then delved into its pages without a second thought, unaware of anything around her.
"You know, it is not safe to read and stand at the same time." Came a sly voice. Tomoyo shrieked and turned to see Eriol leaning against one of the nearby bookshelves. She shot him a glare and then plopped down into a nearby chair.
"There, is that better?" She snapped. He smirked and then held up a thick book.
"May I join you?" He asked. She kept her eyes on her book and shrugged. He smiled again and settled himself in the chair next to her. For about half- an-hour, they kept silent, reading or trying to read.
"Ugh! This is aggravating! Do you know that the first wizard picture was actually taken in a muggle camera, and then put into a special solution so it would move? How come muggles can't do that? It would make video-taping a breeze!" Tomoyo finally sighed. Eriol, who had been staring out into space instead of reading, jumped at her sudden words.
"Perhaps it is only a potion that wizards and witches can make." He suggested. Tomoyo looked annoyed.
"Eriol, potions are made by things that you see in everyday life...well, mostly. Muggles could make them with just a flick of the hand, because it doesn't take wands to make it." She sighed, exasperated. Eriol just smirked again and said nothing.
"Do you think that it is safe to go back now?" Tomoyo asked after a few moments. Eriol looked up from his book again and frowned.
"What do you mean?" He questioned. Tomoyo wrinkled her pert little nose.
"I mean, do you think that they are all done making-out, by now? It sickens me to see them doing it in public. It is so...un-ladylike." She snapped, referring to Sakura, Rika, Ginny and Hermione. Eriol laughed.
"The boys have just as much guilt as the girls," he reminded her, "and no, I don't think that they are done. Knowing them, they will continue at it until supper time." He looked back down at his book, ignoring her disgusted look.
"Don't worry. You will be going through the same thing when you find love, eventually." He stated, keeping his eyes on his book; if you looked carefully, however, you could see that his eyes were not moving, but staring straight into space. Tomoyo wrinkled her nose again.
"I don't think that I want to go through that. It isn't for me." She snapped, slamming her book shut, getting up and then stalking out of the room. Eriol finally looked up from his book and stared at the door she had just left from, a strange look in his eyes.
"Oh, I think it is, Tomoyo." He whispered, closing his own book and then levitating it back to its shelf.
~*~*~*~
"Well, will ya look at that." Hagrid commented, pointing out the window. Lily, who had been sitting in one of the his huge chairs and drinking tea, looked up and frowned.
"What?" She asked. Hagrid smiled.
"Come and look. If that ain't the sweet'st thing I ever saw." He chuckled. Lily stood up, put down her cup, and want over to peer out the window. What she saw made her smile. There, near the edge of the forest, stood Draco Winner and Rika Ivers. At first glance, it might seem as if they were talking, but if you looked closer, you could tell that it was much more than that. All of the sudden, Draco picked up Rika and spun her around, causing the girl to laugh. Lily smiled and then turned to see Hagrid getting his coat on.
"I have ter' go to see Professor Dumbledore. You can stay for a little while, and keep warm, if yer' like. There's more tea in th' pot." Hagrid motioned to the pot on the table and Lily nodded, smiling. It was quite cozy in Hagrid's cabin, and she had no intention of leaving for a while. So after he had left, she conjured up a small meal of rice, green beans and chicken (her favorite foods) and sat down to eat. After about an hour, Hagrid came back and they continued to talk until dinner. Realizing that she wasn't hungry, Lily decided to go back up to Gryffindor tower, and read a book. What she didn't expect, was to find four other people up there. Four other *annoying*, hateful people.
"Evens, what are you doing up here?" James snapped, as he turned from the table he and the other Marauders were bent over.
"This is a public room, Potter. I have every right to be here. Now, go back to your planning." Lily snapped. James smirked.
"How do you know we were planning anything?" He asked. Now, it was her turn to smirk.
"I'm not daft, Potter. It is a full moon tonight, and you were planning what excuses to use on us. Well, forget them. Everyone knows." Lily sighed. Remus turned white as a sheet and his lips began to tremble.
"You...you know?" He stammered. Lily's face softened.
"I have known since first year. Sophia and Bella figured it out when you kept disappearing during our fourth year, and somehow, Sakura and her friends knew it even before that. You don't have to worry, though. They would never tell, nor would we. Although, I think that I should tell Professor Dumbledore that three other students just happen to be illegal, unregistered animagus!" With this, Lily walked up the stairs to her dorm, and slammed the door behind her.
"How...how did she know?!" James whispered, actually sounding a bit frightened.
"James, if she figured out about me, she can easily find out about you." Remus stated, his face starting to return to its normal color. Just then, Sakura Kinomoto walked into the room with a huge pile of presents.
"Hello, everyone." She crowed, setting the presents down and then smiling over at the boys. The boys stared at her closely, expecially Remus.
"How did you find out?" Remus asked sharply. Sakura looked at him in astonishment.
"What do you mean?"
"How did you know that I was a...that I..."
"...was a werewolf? Well, this may sound funny to you, but I knew long before I met you, here. Let's just say...I am perceptive." She laughed softly at this, and the boys stared at her.
"The others know for different reasons. Harry, Hermione and Ron know because someone close to them told them and no, I won't tell you who that was. For Eriol, he found out the same way I did. Syaoran, Rika, Tomoyo, Draco and Ginny all know, because Eriol, Harry, and I told them." Sakura commented thoughtfully.
"So...you knew before you even met me? Then how did you know who I was in the first place?!" Remus hissed. Sakura's eyes darkened, and her smile became mysterious.
"Remus, you ask to many questions. Why don't we leave it at this for now. I will tell you the rest when the time is right." She whispered, turning away and gliding up the stairs to her room.
"Now I know that they are hiding something." James stated. Remus kept running over what she had said, in his head.
"Well, that was different. How are we supposed to act, now that they know our little secret?" Sirius asked.
"They knew before, and we didn't know! So we act normally. Nothing has changed, except for the fact that we know that they know." James snapped. Peter looked over and scratched his head.
"You confuse me, James, you know that?" He complained.
~*~*~*~