THE QUEEN OF MY HEART
Chapter Ten: Ditching James
The day of the year's first Hogsmeade trip came up fast. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter were quite excited about it all. Sirius went on and on about the pranks they could pull with the things at Zonko's jokes shop.
Hours before the trip was scheduled, Remus and Peter were relaxing on a couch while Sirius and James were sitting in the corner, playing exploding snap.
"I'm looking forward to Honeydukes Sweet Shop," Peter voiced.
"You would," Remus laughed.
"They have this new candy called Berty Blotts Every Flavor Jelly Beans," Peter announced. "It'll be lovely."
"Every flavor?" Remus repeated. "They can't claim that. They should just list their flavors."
"No, it's what it says," Peter explained. "They are supposed to have a bean for every existing flavor."
"No way," Remus disagreed, "there's no way they have every flavor. You wouldn't eat a blood sausage-flavored one, would you?"
"I like blood sausage," Peter squeaked happily.
"You would."
Just then, Lily came running across the common room toward then. She stood, breathing, in front of the couch for a while. Her hair was slightly blustery from the run and she had urgency written across her face. Peter looked quite perplexed.
"Remus," She panted, "you won't believe what I heard."
"What's that?" Remus asked.
Lily glanced at Peter indicatingly. Remus, nodded, understanding what she was trying to convey.
"Peter," Remus began, "why don't you go watch Sirius and James?"
"Why?" Peter asked, suspiciously.
"I just think you should play winner," Remus explained.
"I'm not good at exploding snap," Peter whined. "You know that."
"Maybe if you watched more games then you would get better," Remus suggested.
"And if you play winner, you can get in some practice," Lily added.
Remus and Lily smiled at each other and then looked back at Peter. He had a quite confused look on his face. He glanced from Lily to Remus, suspiciously.
"Alright, Mooney," Peter agreed, standing from the couch.
He watched the two as he walked across the common room.
"I think he suspects something," Lily voiced.
"Don't worry about him," Remus advised. "He'll never find anything out."
"D'you think we should tell one of the teachers about Crauwel?" Lily asked.
"No," Remus replied, "they would never believe us over him."
Lily gazed off toward the corner of the room. Peter was looking back, but immediately focused on the game. Lily sat on the couch, next to Remus.
"Can I ask you something?" she began.
"Sure," Remus allowed, curiously.
"Why do James and them call you Mooney?" Lily queried.
Remus took a breath. He wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't tell her the truth. If she knew he howled at the moon, she would go bazerk and think he was dangerous. Remus had to make something up.
"I am...said to resemble the man in the moon," Remus lied.
Lily started laughing hysterically.
"You simply have to be kidding!" she laughed.
"I was a pale child," Remus explained. "I had to grow into my head. It use to be huge."
Lily continued laughing. Remus couldn't help but chuckle a little too. Lily's babbling brook laugh was contagious. Remus and Lily both calmed down and Lily leaned back against the arm of the couch and squinted at Remus.
"You do tend to be a little pale," Lily informed. "I have been noticing it from that day on the train. Of course, you haven't been that pale since."
Remus just shrugged, smiling nervously.
"What was it you wanted to tell me?" He asked.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Lily said as she scooted closer to Remus. She lowered her voice, "I heard that Professor Crauwel volunteered to chaperon the Hogsmeade trip."
"Volunteer?" Remus repeated. "Why would he?"
"Don't know," Lily admitted, "but I think that he's up to something."
"Maybe one of us should follow him," Remus suggested.
"I think we both should," Lily told him, glancing down. "After all, if there is something to find out about this, we should do it together."
"Well," Remus began, "how'll you get away from James?"
"How'll you get away from Sirius and Peter?" Lily retorted.
"We should think this all out logically," Remus told her.
"We do have the time," Lily said, smiling at him.
Remus smiled back.
***************
All students met in the Great Hall before the trip. Lily and Remus kept glancing at each other. Remus was getting really nervous. What if they were right and Crauwel was not really a professor? They could be in danger if he found them following him. Plus, what if James caught Lily and Remus sneaking off together? That wouldn't look very good.
Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. The room fell silent.
"Good day, students," Dumbledore began. "I know you are all anxious to get to Hogsmeade so I'll be as brief as I can. Professor Filch would like to have some things announced and you know how long that always takes."
Dumbledore chuckled to himself.
"There are some things to be forbidden from the school halls," Dumbledore went on, reading off a list. "Item one, Filibuster Fireworks. Item two, Everlasting Bubblegum. Item three, Nose-biting Teacups. Item four, Screaming Nickels. Item five, Rubber vomit..."
Dumbledore went on and on. All the while, Sirius was writing something.
"What are you doing?" Remus asked him, whispering.
"Making a list," Sirius informed.
"Of things we can't buy?" Remus assumed.
"No, of things we are going to," Sirius said, smiling mischievously.
After twenty-three items, Dumbledore stopped, scanning the foot or so of parchment he had to read from.
"Well," he continued, "I think that's all that needs to be mentioned for now. We can post a list so you'll know the rest. Have a wonderful trip to Hogsmeade. You are all dismissed."
The students got up excitedly and rushed for the doors. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter remained a group as they made their way to the Entrance Hall. Lily, Sara, and a few other girls passed the marauders.
"Hey, Lil!" James called out.
Lily turned around and waved to him.
"Meet me at the Three Broomsticks!" James told her.
She nodded to him and then glanced at Remus and nodded again. Remus nodded back.
All the students walked in various groups out of the front gate. Peter nudged Remus in the ribs.
"Why d'you hang with Lily so much?" He whispered.
"Well," Remus began, trying to think of something, "if Lily is going to be James girlfriend for a while then I thought I should become friends with her."
"James never has a girlfriend for very long," Peter informed.
"This might be different," Remus told him, saddening at the thought.
"What was it that she wanted to tell you, then?" Peter asked.
"She heard that-" Remus breathed, "James was going to break up with her and I set her straight."
Peter didn't seem satisfied, but he let it go.
When the Howarts students got to Hogsmeade, Remus looked around for Lily. James started heading for the Three Broomsticks. Remus followed quickly. Peter went after them. Sirius noticed that everyone had left his side and sprinted toward them.
"Where are we going?" Sirius blurted. "I thought we were buying prohibited pranks."
"I don't know where you all are going," James shot back at the rest, "but I'm meeting Lily."
"I thought we were going to sit down and have butterbeer," Remus shrugged. "Maybe we could talk about the whole Animagi thing."
Peter looked at Remus nervously and then at James.
"I'm going to Zonko's if nobody minds," Sirius grumbled.
"Of course we don't mind," James replied. "Why don't you all go to Zonko's so that I can be alone with Lily?"
"Peter and I had our hearts set on butterbeer," Remus informed, putting his arm around Peter.
James sighed.
Sirius went off toward Zonko's while the rest went into the Three Broomsticks. James and Remus spotted Lily at the same time. She was seated at the bar with Sara and her friends.
"Could you guys keep your distance?" James pleaded.
"Sure," Remus said.
"Hey, Lily," James greeted her.
Remus had not backed off.
"James," Lily giggled. "Excuse me, girls."
James took Lily's hand and they went over to a table and sat down. Remus pulled Peter to the next table over, behind James so that he wouldn't see that they were there.
"Lily," James began, "you look so beautiful today."
"Thank you," she giggled.
"And I really like you," James told her.
"I like you, too," Lily smiled.
"My friends like you," James said.
Remus was getting bored. Where was James getting with this chatter?
"I like your friends," Lily replied, sounding kind of bored herself.
"Especially Remus," James accused.
Peter opened his mouth. Remus quickly shoved his hand over it, listening intently.
"What d'you mean?" Lily asked.
"You seem to spend a lot of time with Remus, that's all," James explained.
"He's my friend," Lily assured him. "He's the one that got us together and all."
"I just wonder what you two talk about all the time."
"You mostly," Lily told him, smiling and taking his hand.
Remus clenched his teeth.
"I ask him stuff about you," Lily went on. "I mean, there are some things that you can't tell about a guy from being his girlfriend. Things that only a close friend would know."
"Like what?" James asked.
"Just you," Lily said. "Guys act differently around girls then they do around their friends. And that's how I'd like to know you. If I could be your girlfriend and your friend then we'd have the closest relationship that two people could have with each other. They always say that it works out best if you start as friends."
"But we didn't start as friends," James told her.
"That's why I am becoming your friend now," Lily explained. "I really want us to last."
'Uh-oh,' Remus thought. He knew if Lily started talking about being serious then James would freak out and end things. Remus really wasn't sure how he felt about it. If James broke up with Lily, it would break her heart. Remus wouldn't be able to see her in pain, especially caused by his friend that he got her together with. On the other hand, if they broke up, Remus would actually have a chance. Now that he didn't act like a complete idiot around her, he might be able to ask her out. It was a real struggle.
To Remus' surprise, James didn't even respond to what Lily had said. Instead, he stared at Lily for a long time. She smiled, but Remus couldn't tell what James' expression was.
"Lily," James began, "could we hang out together?"
"For a few more minutes," Lily told him.
"I meant for the rest of the trip," James informed her.
"I'm sorry, James," Lily apologized. "I told Sara that I would be with her. See, she isn't getting along with her parents. She really needs me."
"I need you too," James told her, begging.
"I'll see you when we get back to Hogwarts," Lily whispered.
She stood up, kissed James on the cheek, and returned to the bar. That was Remus' que.
"Ohh," he groaned.
James spun around.
"Remus, I thought I told you to give us our space," James snapped.
"We were just-OHHHH," Remus grabbed his side and made a sore face.
"What's wrong?" James asked urgently. "It's too early in the month for you, isn't it?"
"I don't know," Remus murmured. "Maybe something's wrong."
"D'you think we should go to Madam Epdac?" James asked.
"No, no," Remus sputtered. "The Shrieking Shack is near. I'll just go there."
"We can walk you," James offered, standing up.
Peter remained silent through the conversation.
"That's alright," Remus breathed. "It's in early stages. I can make it on my own."
Remus glanced at the bar and saw that Lily and her friends had left.
"I'll go now-OHHHHH!" Remus got off his chair and stumbled through the door.
He glanced up and down the street. Lily peaked out from behind a Cafe. Remus ran toward her and around the corner. He leaned against the wall.
"Are they coming out?" He asked Lily.
"No," she laughed, looking at him. "So that playing sick thing you were talking about actually worked?"
"Of course it did," Remus began. "Why wouldn't it?"
"I didn't know you were that good of an actor," Lily said.
"You never seen me at it," Remus replied.
She just laughed.
"And what about that stuff with Sara?" Remus asked. "Was that true?"
"Well, some of it," Lily told him. "Sara isn't getting along with her parents because they don't like the guy that she's dating. He's a muggle. Anyway, she could really care less what the think. She wants to marry him."
"Marry a muggle?" Remus repeated. "Can you imagine?"
"I think it's crazy," Lily voiced. "And his name is Finnigan. I mean, who would want that for a last name?"
"It's no worse then Lupin," Remus muttered.
"Lupin isn't a bad last name," Lily assured him. "Some girls would like to have it."
Remus and Lily looked at each other for a moment and then they looked away.
"Maybe we should find Crauwel," Remus suggested.
"Good idea," Lily agreed.
A/N: Alright, I said that Berty Blotts Every Flavor Jelly Beans were a new item even though in the first book, it says that Dumbledore ate them in his youth. Have you guys gotten the whole Finnigan thing? (lol) I thought it was a funny addition.
Chapter Ten: Ditching James
The day of the year's first Hogsmeade trip came up fast. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter were quite excited about it all. Sirius went on and on about the pranks they could pull with the things at Zonko's jokes shop.
Hours before the trip was scheduled, Remus and Peter were relaxing on a couch while Sirius and James were sitting in the corner, playing exploding snap.
"I'm looking forward to Honeydukes Sweet Shop," Peter voiced.
"You would," Remus laughed.
"They have this new candy called Berty Blotts Every Flavor Jelly Beans," Peter announced. "It'll be lovely."
"Every flavor?" Remus repeated. "They can't claim that. They should just list their flavors."
"No, it's what it says," Peter explained. "They are supposed to have a bean for every existing flavor."
"No way," Remus disagreed, "there's no way they have every flavor. You wouldn't eat a blood sausage-flavored one, would you?"
"I like blood sausage," Peter squeaked happily.
"You would."
Just then, Lily came running across the common room toward then. She stood, breathing, in front of the couch for a while. Her hair was slightly blustery from the run and she had urgency written across her face. Peter looked quite perplexed.
"Remus," She panted, "you won't believe what I heard."
"What's that?" Remus asked.
Lily glanced at Peter indicatingly. Remus, nodded, understanding what she was trying to convey.
"Peter," Remus began, "why don't you go watch Sirius and James?"
"Why?" Peter asked, suspiciously.
"I just think you should play winner," Remus explained.
"I'm not good at exploding snap," Peter whined. "You know that."
"Maybe if you watched more games then you would get better," Remus suggested.
"And if you play winner, you can get in some practice," Lily added.
Remus and Lily smiled at each other and then looked back at Peter. He had a quite confused look on his face. He glanced from Lily to Remus, suspiciously.
"Alright, Mooney," Peter agreed, standing from the couch.
He watched the two as he walked across the common room.
"I think he suspects something," Lily voiced.
"Don't worry about him," Remus advised. "He'll never find anything out."
"D'you think we should tell one of the teachers about Crauwel?" Lily asked.
"No," Remus replied, "they would never believe us over him."
Lily gazed off toward the corner of the room. Peter was looking back, but immediately focused on the game. Lily sat on the couch, next to Remus.
"Can I ask you something?" she began.
"Sure," Remus allowed, curiously.
"Why do James and them call you Mooney?" Lily queried.
Remus took a breath. He wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't tell her the truth. If she knew he howled at the moon, she would go bazerk and think he was dangerous. Remus had to make something up.
"I am...said to resemble the man in the moon," Remus lied.
Lily started laughing hysterically.
"You simply have to be kidding!" she laughed.
"I was a pale child," Remus explained. "I had to grow into my head. It use to be huge."
Lily continued laughing. Remus couldn't help but chuckle a little too. Lily's babbling brook laugh was contagious. Remus and Lily both calmed down and Lily leaned back against the arm of the couch and squinted at Remus.
"You do tend to be a little pale," Lily informed. "I have been noticing it from that day on the train. Of course, you haven't been that pale since."
Remus just shrugged, smiling nervously.
"What was it you wanted to tell me?" He asked.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Lily said as she scooted closer to Remus. She lowered her voice, "I heard that Professor Crauwel volunteered to chaperon the Hogsmeade trip."
"Volunteer?" Remus repeated. "Why would he?"
"Don't know," Lily admitted, "but I think that he's up to something."
"Maybe one of us should follow him," Remus suggested.
"I think we both should," Lily told him, glancing down. "After all, if there is something to find out about this, we should do it together."
"Well," Remus began, "how'll you get away from James?"
"How'll you get away from Sirius and Peter?" Lily retorted.
"We should think this all out logically," Remus told her.
"We do have the time," Lily said, smiling at him.
Remus smiled back.
***************
All students met in the Great Hall before the trip. Lily and Remus kept glancing at each other. Remus was getting really nervous. What if they were right and Crauwel was not really a professor? They could be in danger if he found them following him. Plus, what if James caught Lily and Remus sneaking off together? That wouldn't look very good.
Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. The room fell silent.
"Good day, students," Dumbledore began. "I know you are all anxious to get to Hogsmeade so I'll be as brief as I can. Professor Filch would like to have some things announced and you know how long that always takes."
Dumbledore chuckled to himself.
"There are some things to be forbidden from the school halls," Dumbledore went on, reading off a list. "Item one, Filibuster Fireworks. Item two, Everlasting Bubblegum. Item three, Nose-biting Teacups. Item four, Screaming Nickels. Item five, Rubber vomit..."
Dumbledore went on and on. All the while, Sirius was writing something.
"What are you doing?" Remus asked him, whispering.
"Making a list," Sirius informed.
"Of things we can't buy?" Remus assumed.
"No, of things we are going to," Sirius said, smiling mischievously.
After twenty-three items, Dumbledore stopped, scanning the foot or so of parchment he had to read from.
"Well," he continued, "I think that's all that needs to be mentioned for now. We can post a list so you'll know the rest. Have a wonderful trip to Hogsmeade. You are all dismissed."
The students got up excitedly and rushed for the doors. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter remained a group as they made their way to the Entrance Hall. Lily, Sara, and a few other girls passed the marauders.
"Hey, Lil!" James called out.
Lily turned around and waved to him.
"Meet me at the Three Broomsticks!" James told her.
She nodded to him and then glanced at Remus and nodded again. Remus nodded back.
All the students walked in various groups out of the front gate. Peter nudged Remus in the ribs.
"Why d'you hang with Lily so much?" He whispered.
"Well," Remus began, trying to think of something, "if Lily is going to be James girlfriend for a while then I thought I should become friends with her."
"James never has a girlfriend for very long," Peter informed.
"This might be different," Remus told him, saddening at the thought.
"What was it that she wanted to tell you, then?" Peter asked.
"She heard that-" Remus breathed, "James was going to break up with her and I set her straight."
Peter didn't seem satisfied, but he let it go.
When the Howarts students got to Hogsmeade, Remus looked around for Lily. James started heading for the Three Broomsticks. Remus followed quickly. Peter went after them. Sirius noticed that everyone had left his side and sprinted toward them.
"Where are we going?" Sirius blurted. "I thought we were buying prohibited pranks."
"I don't know where you all are going," James shot back at the rest, "but I'm meeting Lily."
"I thought we were going to sit down and have butterbeer," Remus shrugged. "Maybe we could talk about the whole Animagi thing."
Peter looked at Remus nervously and then at James.
"I'm going to Zonko's if nobody minds," Sirius grumbled.
"Of course we don't mind," James replied. "Why don't you all go to Zonko's so that I can be alone with Lily?"
"Peter and I had our hearts set on butterbeer," Remus informed, putting his arm around Peter.
James sighed.
Sirius went off toward Zonko's while the rest went into the Three Broomsticks. James and Remus spotted Lily at the same time. She was seated at the bar with Sara and her friends.
"Could you guys keep your distance?" James pleaded.
"Sure," Remus said.
"Hey, Lily," James greeted her.
Remus had not backed off.
"James," Lily giggled. "Excuse me, girls."
James took Lily's hand and they went over to a table and sat down. Remus pulled Peter to the next table over, behind James so that he wouldn't see that they were there.
"Lily," James began, "you look so beautiful today."
"Thank you," she giggled.
"And I really like you," James told her.
"I like you, too," Lily smiled.
"My friends like you," James said.
Remus was getting bored. Where was James getting with this chatter?
"I like your friends," Lily replied, sounding kind of bored herself.
"Especially Remus," James accused.
Peter opened his mouth. Remus quickly shoved his hand over it, listening intently.
"What d'you mean?" Lily asked.
"You seem to spend a lot of time with Remus, that's all," James explained.
"He's my friend," Lily assured him. "He's the one that got us together and all."
"I just wonder what you two talk about all the time."
"You mostly," Lily told him, smiling and taking his hand.
Remus clenched his teeth.
"I ask him stuff about you," Lily went on. "I mean, there are some things that you can't tell about a guy from being his girlfriend. Things that only a close friend would know."
"Like what?" James asked.
"Just you," Lily said. "Guys act differently around girls then they do around their friends. And that's how I'd like to know you. If I could be your girlfriend and your friend then we'd have the closest relationship that two people could have with each other. They always say that it works out best if you start as friends."
"But we didn't start as friends," James told her.
"That's why I am becoming your friend now," Lily explained. "I really want us to last."
'Uh-oh,' Remus thought. He knew if Lily started talking about being serious then James would freak out and end things. Remus really wasn't sure how he felt about it. If James broke up with Lily, it would break her heart. Remus wouldn't be able to see her in pain, especially caused by his friend that he got her together with. On the other hand, if they broke up, Remus would actually have a chance. Now that he didn't act like a complete idiot around her, he might be able to ask her out. It was a real struggle.
To Remus' surprise, James didn't even respond to what Lily had said. Instead, he stared at Lily for a long time. She smiled, but Remus couldn't tell what James' expression was.
"Lily," James began, "could we hang out together?"
"For a few more minutes," Lily told him.
"I meant for the rest of the trip," James informed her.
"I'm sorry, James," Lily apologized. "I told Sara that I would be with her. See, she isn't getting along with her parents. She really needs me."
"I need you too," James told her, begging.
"I'll see you when we get back to Hogwarts," Lily whispered.
She stood up, kissed James on the cheek, and returned to the bar. That was Remus' que.
"Ohh," he groaned.
James spun around.
"Remus, I thought I told you to give us our space," James snapped.
"We were just-OHHHH," Remus grabbed his side and made a sore face.
"What's wrong?" James asked urgently. "It's too early in the month for you, isn't it?"
"I don't know," Remus murmured. "Maybe something's wrong."
"D'you think we should go to Madam Epdac?" James asked.
"No, no," Remus sputtered. "The Shrieking Shack is near. I'll just go there."
"We can walk you," James offered, standing up.
Peter remained silent through the conversation.
"That's alright," Remus breathed. "It's in early stages. I can make it on my own."
Remus glanced at the bar and saw that Lily and her friends had left.
"I'll go now-OHHHHH!" Remus got off his chair and stumbled through the door.
He glanced up and down the street. Lily peaked out from behind a Cafe. Remus ran toward her and around the corner. He leaned against the wall.
"Are they coming out?" He asked Lily.
"No," she laughed, looking at him. "So that playing sick thing you were talking about actually worked?"
"Of course it did," Remus began. "Why wouldn't it?"
"I didn't know you were that good of an actor," Lily said.
"You never seen me at it," Remus replied.
She just laughed.
"And what about that stuff with Sara?" Remus asked. "Was that true?"
"Well, some of it," Lily told him. "Sara isn't getting along with her parents because they don't like the guy that she's dating. He's a muggle. Anyway, she could really care less what the think. She wants to marry him."
"Marry a muggle?" Remus repeated. "Can you imagine?"
"I think it's crazy," Lily voiced. "And his name is Finnigan. I mean, who would want that for a last name?"
"It's no worse then Lupin," Remus muttered.
"Lupin isn't a bad last name," Lily assured him. "Some girls would like to have it."
Remus and Lily looked at each other for a moment and then they looked away.
"Maybe we should find Crauwel," Remus suggested.
"Good idea," Lily agreed.
A/N: Alright, I said that Berty Blotts Every Flavor Jelly Beans were a new item even though in the first book, it says that Dumbledore ate them in his youth. Have you guys gotten the whole Finnigan thing? (lol) I thought it was a funny addition.
