A/N: WEE! MORE reviewers!!! Omg!!! Joani (yup, I like tears and that
stuff... isn't that pathetic of me?) clare (glad you like! And WHAT DO YOU
MEAN THIS IS THE FIRST SB/HG FIC YOU'VE EVER READ?!? I mean, there are a
whole bunch more that are WAY better than mine! I'd recommend some, but I'm
feeling hotheaded at the moment and I'm still basking in the glory of
being... me! hah!) Haebrethiliel (cute name! I can't wait either, but it's
SO gonna take me forever at the rate I'm going...) Romm (yup, Moaning
Myrtle croaked about twenty or so years before if I have my facts right...
I'm not sure. But it certainly IS convenient, eh? I hadn't thought about
that... thank you!) limegreenlion (lol, you sound like my brother! Well,
not a lot, but he's a perverted butthead. Or so in my eyes. His girlfriend
obviously doesn't think so because she hasn't run off to wash her hands
yet. ^_^ aren't I mean? Lol) and Li-Chan (yay! Another new reviewer!
Welcome to the team, and I'm very happy you like this! :D)
To any I didn't get to, THANK YOU!!!!! And Heather, I tried to send you that chappy about four or five times but myownemail sucks the big fat hairy one, so I got a friend to do it for me. :p so if you got the same email a hundred times over, I'm sorry! -_-0 lol
And, peeps, I'm sorry I didn't get another few more chappies out yesterday. ^_^() my good mood went down the toilet when I checked out a fic I really shouldn't have. It was my own fault, and I got all depressed, BUT NOW after a breakfast of egg mcmuffins and a trip to the doctors in which I snitched more gloves than I should have when the docs weren't looking, I am feeling good enough to AT LEAST get the potion popped! That means I'll be writing an entire month in one day. Good lord.
.
.
.
"Erm, excuse me? Miss, ah, Miss Granger?" Lily Evans leaned over and poked the said girl gently. "Granger? My-own is your name, was it?"
Hermione continued using one of her books as a pillow. Lily glanced at her friend, who gave an emphatic nod.
"Erm, my-own, wake up!"
Snore.
"My-own!" Lily gave an even harder poke, and this time it woke the brunette up. "My-own, c'mon! Wake up!"
Oh, she woke up alright. Her eyes snapped open and her head up, and she was on her feet in an instant.
"Rise and shine," the other girl said. Her name was something like Mary or something ordinary like that. She looked somewhat familiar, but then, everybody did by now.
"Hey, My-own, we were watching and couldn't help but notice..."
"Her-my-oh-nee," Hermione grumbled, sitting back down. "Listen, Miss Evans, I'm very busy right now, so if you could go away, now, please..."
"We /know/ you're busy!" Mary intervened. Hermione blinked at her. "Who are you?"
"I'm Carrie Bones, and my brother is the best. But as I was saying before..."
"You two don't catch a hint, do you??" Hermione hissed, glaring at them. "I want to be left alone! I've dropped enough hints already, haven't I? But apparently you're too thick to..."
"Okay, you're stressed, we can understand that," Lily snapped, ending Hermione's would-be speech. "We also understand that, being new here, you've expected some hostility, and in doing so have gotten just that, not to mention your homework overload. And then we figured out that those boys are bothering you..."
"And we decided that you could use a break. You need a friend, girl!" Carrie finished, looking as though she were telling the truth but would rather not be one of the said 'friends'.
Lily nodded emphatically. "Right! So, why don't you come out and spend the weekend with us?"
"I'd rather not," Hermione said, taken aback. "I've got enough homework as it is."
"We'll help you with your homework, okay? Then you have to spend tomorrow and the day after with us."
"I highly doubt all of this can be done in one night."
"But if we DO get it done tonight, then will you relax already and-"
"Yeah, yeah, I get the point!" Hermione paused.
"Plus, we've noticed /those boys/ bothering you, and I personally have been trying to keep them away and stuff, but now they're eyeing you like they've got something planned..." Lily trailed off. "Anyway, you don't need them at a time like this. Fact is, nobody needs /them/ at all, especially James, he's so conceited..."
"Right! So, is it a deal?" Carrie finished.
Hermione considered briefly. If they /had/ been keeping the marauders away, that had been a real big favor... and Lily didn't seem like the one to lie.
Not over something as trivial as this, anyway.
"Yeah, sure, I guess," she said after a while.
She owed them for their indirect help. And as long as she didn't get anything out of Lily that would have lasting effects... perhaps she ought to get a picture, maybe get it for Harry....
That might hurt him, though. Did she /have/ to rub it in his nose that she knew his parents and he didn't?
But Lily and Carrie were already sitting with her, taking books and quills, glancing over notes, chattering on about something that's nothing.
And by the time they got kicked out of the library, Hermione was done (shocking surprise, surprise) and even organized.
"So, where have you been sleeping?" Lily asked once they were out in the hall. "I mean, other than the library. I've seen you in the common room from time to time, but you always go to bed so late and get up so early, I could never figure it out..."
"I'll be right back," Carrie said as they entered the common room, sparing Hermione the direct chance to answer. "I've got to talk to my brother about something."
"Yeah, okay. Anyway, Herm, wherever you've been going for the night, why don't you stay with the girls and I? We're camping out on the grounds and stuff, since we can go to Hogsmeade next weekend. Waddaya think?" Lily almost shoved Hermione down into a seat (after shoving the marauders themselves out of it) and perched herself next to her.
Once more, Hermione was spared the challenge of speaking when James got to his feet.
"Careful, Evans," he said, using his left hand to mess up his hair even more, "we would've moved if you'd have asked."
"We would?" Peter asked, also scrambling to his feet.
James stepped on his foot. "Yes," he hissed, in a tone obviously meant only for Peter. "We /would/."
Lupin and Sirius were watching from a slight distance.
"Well, seeing as you obviously *don't* have the time to get out of my way, and I obviously don't have the time to *ask* you to get out of my way, I decided I'd *get* you out of my way." She paused, reflecting over her words briefly. Then she gave him a sickly sweet smile that would have made anyone sick. "Would you please get out of my way?" she asked, her voice matching her face.
"Only if you-"
Carrie, who had literally bounced over, cut off James' reply. She looked anxious.
"Lily, it's really important, my brother-" she stopped, seeing James. "Were you saying something? I'm so sorry." She said nastily, not even bothering to mask her voice and face over like Lily. "Anyway, Lils, he says-"
This time James cut Carrie off.
"Watch it, Bones," his tone was surprisingly dangerous. He focused his attention on Lily again. "Evans, I'd-"
However, Lupin had decided to get caught up in the silent fray.
"C'mon, Prongs, that's enough. Let's go," he said.
It was then that Hermione noticed how tense the room was. Everybody was silent, watching earnestly.
She couldn't stop herself from raising her eyebrows.
It looked (and sounded) like James liked Lily but she rather hated him. That could /not/ be good for the future of Harry... had she somehow indirectly done this?
"Lupin's right," Hermione spoke quickly, standing up. She grabbed Lily's elbow and tugged gently, telling her without words she'd rather not fight. "Let's go somewhere else. I left one of the books n the library anyway." She squeezed, tugging slightly again. Lily caught the hint and threw a dirty look in James' direction.
"Right, Hermione. You coming, Carrie?"
"No, I've been trying to tell you- oh, never mind." Carrie threw her arms in the air. "You and Granger go, I'll see you with the others on the grounds."
Lily shrugged, almost wrenching her arm out of Hermione's grasp. "Whatever you say. This way, Granger, I know a shortcut to the library..." she made her way past Hermione and Carrie. Hermione avoided looking in the marauders' direction as she followed the red head.
~
It was only after they were all up in the safe privacy of their dorm room that James rounded on Remus and Peter. The latter was first.
"Just /where/ did you get the idea to talk back like that, to interrupt?" he snarled. "You know just as well that Evans does /not/ need to know how narcissistic you are!" then he turned to Remus, who had perched himself on the side of his bed, pulling out The Book. "And you! Why the " here he swore at him for a while " and I think you're aware that Evans would have said 'yes' if-" he trailed off, glancing at Sirius.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," he said, sitting next to Remus and leaning over his shoulder. "So, now that we've got all the ingredients, that sure as heck took long enough, we need to find a place and start making it." The abrupt subject change was needed, and welcomed.
"I'll be blunt and say that I don't know." Remus said simply, as though James' beforehand outburst hadn't happened. "Ideas are welcomed and appreciated."
"Under my bed!"
"No, Worm, we are /not/ making some illegal drink with five different types of poison in it under your bed."
Peter seemed quite taken aback.
"The bathroom," James said, sitting on Remus' other side.
"Which one?" Sirius mused. "Last time I checked, all of them are in use."
"The tunnel," Peter suggested. "The one under the tree..."
"That's a big no-no," Remus snapped, then looked at James and Sirius. He seemed a bit jostled. "Like I said before, this takes a month to settle, and even so we'd lose it in there."
"How could we lose a cauldron the size of a-"
"No, not a cauldron. Apparently, I'm the only one reading the directions, aren't I?"
"Yeah, you are. So, what? We can't use pewter?"
"No. we mix it around in a cauldron and we collect the steam, and the steam is the actual potion. That stuff can't be let alone for the remaining days it takes, it'll have to be shaken nonstop, then it can /not/ be /touched/ or moved in the /slightest/ for as long as possible. A month in the least."
"That's daft. How are we going to carry a bottle around and shake it nonstop for - how long?"
"However long it takes."
"However long it takes," Sirius imitated. "That doesn't inspire much confidence."
"The three of you don't bother, then," Remus snapped. "I'll make it."
"Right, thank you, Moony. But, erm, we still haven't gotten over where we'll be making it."
"Didn't I just say to leave the potion to me? I'll... use that passageway in the mirror, behind that one mirror in the bathroom, remember?"
"Great idea! And how are you going to escape for a week?"
"That's where we decide /not/ to desert our dear friend in the favor he's doing for me," Sirius put in. "Say, he catches a bug. Nasty, nasty bug, and he's too egoistic to go to Pomfrey. So, he hides out in a bathroom for three days. Then one of his friends catches it. Isn't that sad? And so the circle of life goes."
"That will /so/ not work," Remus said blandly. "You do what you like, so long. I can't be caught with an illegal potion, though, so be careful."
"Right! Too the bathroom!" James jumped to his feet.
~
To any I didn't get to, THANK YOU!!!!! And Heather, I tried to send you that chappy about four or five times but myownemail sucks the big fat hairy one, so I got a friend to do it for me. :p so if you got the same email a hundred times over, I'm sorry! -_-0 lol
And, peeps, I'm sorry I didn't get another few more chappies out yesterday. ^_^() my good mood went down the toilet when I checked out a fic I really shouldn't have. It was my own fault, and I got all depressed, BUT NOW after a breakfast of egg mcmuffins and a trip to the doctors in which I snitched more gloves than I should have when the docs weren't looking, I am feeling good enough to AT LEAST get the potion popped! That means I'll be writing an entire month in one day. Good lord.
.
.
.
"Erm, excuse me? Miss, ah, Miss Granger?" Lily Evans leaned over and poked the said girl gently. "Granger? My-own is your name, was it?"
Hermione continued using one of her books as a pillow. Lily glanced at her friend, who gave an emphatic nod.
"Erm, my-own, wake up!"
Snore.
"My-own!" Lily gave an even harder poke, and this time it woke the brunette up. "My-own, c'mon! Wake up!"
Oh, she woke up alright. Her eyes snapped open and her head up, and she was on her feet in an instant.
"Rise and shine," the other girl said. Her name was something like Mary or something ordinary like that. She looked somewhat familiar, but then, everybody did by now.
"Hey, My-own, we were watching and couldn't help but notice..."
"Her-my-oh-nee," Hermione grumbled, sitting back down. "Listen, Miss Evans, I'm very busy right now, so if you could go away, now, please..."
"We /know/ you're busy!" Mary intervened. Hermione blinked at her. "Who are you?"
"I'm Carrie Bones, and my brother is the best. But as I was saying before..."
"You two don't catch a hint, do you??" Hermione hissed, glaring at them. "I want to be left alone! I've dropped enough hints already, haven't I? But apparently you're too thick to..."
"Okay, you're stressed, we can understand that," Lily snapped, ending Hermione's would-be speech. "We also understand that, being new here, you've expected some hostility, and in doing so have gotten just that, not to mention your homework overload. And then we figured out that those boys are bothering you..."
"And we decided that you could use a break. You need a friend, girl!" Carrie finished, looking as though she were telling the truth but would rather not be one of the said 'friends'.
Lily nodded emphatically. "Right! So, why don't you come out and spend the weekend with us?"
"I'd rather not," Hermione said, taken aback. "I've got enough homework as it is."
"We'll help you with your homework, okay? Then you have to spend tomorrow and the day after with us."
"I highly doubt all of this can be done in one night."
"But if we DO get it done tonight, then will you relax already and-"
"Yeah, yeah, I get the point!" Hermione paused.
"Plus, we've noticed /those boys/ bothering you, and I personally have been trying to keep them away and stuff, but now they're eyeing you like they've got something planned..." Lily trailed off. "Anyway, you don't need them at a time like this. Fact is, nobody needs /them/ at all, especially James, he's so conceited..."
"Right! So, is it a deal?" Carrie finished.
Hermione considered briefly. If they /had/ been keeping the marauders away, that had been a real big favor... and Lily didn't seem like the one to lie.
Not over something as trivial as this, anyway.
"Yeah, sure, I guess," she said after a while.
She owed them for their indirect help. And as long as she didn't get anything out of Lily that would have lasting effects... perhaps she ought to get a picture, maybe get it for Harry....
That might hurt him, though. Did she /have/ to rub it in his nose that she knew his parents and he didn't?
But Lily and Carrie were already sitting with her, taking books and quills, glancing over notes, chattering on about something that's nothing.
And by the time they got kicked out of the library, Hermione was done (shocking surprise, surprise) and even organized.
"So, where have you been sleeping?" Lily asked once they were out in the hall. "I mean, other than the library. I've seen you in the common room from time to time, but you always go to bed so late and get up so early, I could never figure it out..."
"I'll be right back," Carrie said as they entered the common room, sparing Hermione the direct chance to answer. "I've got to talk to my brother about something."
"Yeah, okay. Anyway, Herm, wherever you've been going for the night, why don't you stay with the girls and I? We're camping out on the grounds and stuff, since we can go to Hogsmeade next weekend. Waddaya think?" Lily almost shoved Hermione down into a seat (after shoving the marauders themselves out of it) and perched herself next to her.
Once more, Hermione was spared the challenge of speaking when James got to his feet.
"Careful, Evans," he said, using his left hand to mess up his hair even more, "we would've moved if you'd have asked."
"We would?" Peter asked, also scrambling to his feet.
James stepped on his foot. "Yes," he hissed, in a tone obviously meant only for Peter. "We /would/."
Lupin and Sirius were watching from a slight distance.
"Well, seeing as you obviously *don't* have the time to get out of my way, and I obviously don't have the time to *ask* you to get out of my way, I decided I'd *get* you out of my way." She paused, reflecting over her words briefly. Then she gave him a sickly sweet smile that would have made anyone sick. "Would you please get out of my way?" she asked, her voice matching her face.
"Only if you-"
Carrie, who had literally bounced over, cut off James' reply. She looked anxious.
"Lily, it's really important, my brother-" she stopped, seeing James. "Were you saying something? I'm so sorry." She said nastily, not even bothering to mask her voice and face over like Lily. "Anyway, Lils, he says-"
This time James cut Carrie off.
"Watch it, Bones," his tone was surprisingly dangerous. He focused his attention on Lily again. "Evans, I'd-"
However, Lupin had decided to get caught up in the silent fray.
"C'mon, Prongs, that's enough. Let's go," he said.
It was then that Hermione noticed how tense the room was. Everybody was silent, watching earnestly.
She couldn't stop herself from raising her eyebrows.
It looked (and sounded) like James liked Lily but she rather hated him. That could /not/ be good for the future of Harry... had she somehow indirectly done this?
"Lupin's right," Hermione spoke quickly, standing up. She grabbed Lily's elbow and tugged gently, telling her without words she'd rather not fight. "Let's go somewhere else. I left one of the books n the library anyway." She squeezed, tugging slightly again. Lily caught the hint and threw a dirty look in James' direction.
"Right, Hermione. You coming, Carrie?"
"No, I've been trying to tell you- oh, never mind." Carrie threw her arms in the air. "You and Granger go, I'll see you with the others on the grounds."
Lily shrugged, almost wrenching her arm out of Hermione's grasp. "Whatever you say. This way, Granger, I know a shortcut to the library..." she made her way past Hermione and Carrie. Hermione avoided looking in the marauders' direction as she followed the red head.
~
It was only after they were all up in the safe privacy of their dorm room that James rounded on Remus and Peter. The latter was first.
"Just /where/ did you get the idea to talk back like that, to interrupt?" he snarled. "You know just as well that Evans does /not/ need to know how narcissistic you are!" then he turned to Remus, who had perched himself on the side of his bed, pulling out The Book. "And you! Why the " here he swore at him for a while " and I think you're aware that Evans would have said 'yes' if-" he trailed off, glancing at Sirius.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," he said, sitting next to Remus and leaning over his shoulder. "So, now that we've got all the ingredients, that sure as heck took long enough, we need to find a place and start making it." The abrupt subject change was needed, and welcomed.
"I'll be blunt and say that I don't know." Remus said simply, as though James' beforehand outburst hadn't happened. "Ideas are welcomed and appreciated."
"Under my bed!"
"No, Worm, we are /not/ making some illegal drink with five different types of poison in it under your bed."
Peter seemed quite taken aback.
"The bathroom," James said, sitting on Remus' other side.
"Which one?" Sirius mused. "Last time I checked, all of them are in use."
"The tunnel," Peter suggested. "The one under the tree..."
"That's a big no-no," Remus snapped, then looked at James and Sirius. He seemed a bit jostled. "Like I said before, this takes a month to settle, and even so we'd lose it in there."
"How could we lose a cauldron the size of a-"
"No, not a cauldron. Apparently, I'm the only one reading the directions, aren't I?"
"Yeah, you are. So, what? We can't use pewter?"
"No. we mix it around in a cauldron and we collect the steam, and the steam is the actual potion. That stuff can't be let alone for the remaining days it takes, it'll have to be shaken nonstop, then it can /not/ be /touched/ or moved in the /slightest/ for as long as possible. A month in the least."
"That's daft. How are we going to carry a bottle around and shake it nonstop for - how long?"
"However long it takes."
"However long it takes," Sirius imitated. "That doesn't inspire much confidence."
"The three of you don't bother, then," Remus snapped. "I'll make it."
"Right, thank you, Moony. But, erm, we still haven't gotten over where we'll be making it."
"Didn't I just say to leave the potion to me? I'll... use that passageway in the mirror, behind that one mirror in the bathroom, remember?"
"Great idea! And how are you going to escape for a week?"
"That's where we decide /not/ to desert our dear friend in the favor he's doing for me," Sirius put in. "Say, he catches a bug. Nasty, nasty bug, and he's too egoistic to go to Pomfrey. So, he hides out in a bathroom for three days. Then one of his friends catches it. Isn't that sad? And so the circle of life goes."
"That will /so/ not work," Remus said blandly. "You do what you like, so long. I can't be caught with an illegal potion, though, so be careful."
"Right! Too the bathroom!" James jumped to his feet.
~