6

The Unbelievably Lovable Summer

"You guys, write to me when you get home and make sure you can come to
Hogsmeade."
"Okay, Tanya's dad can sign for me." Tanya nodded. "I'll write
as soon as I get home. And Rem, thanks for all your help with
Joklray." He nodded and ran off towards James, Sirius, and Peter, who
also waved.
After the long drive out in the country they pulled up to a good-
sized house, that looked like it was built in 1850. Tanya led her up
to the front door and it creaked open. They were in a small living
room, on the far side was a door to the kitchen. From there was a
bathroom, and the Master bedroom. They walked to a corner of the house
and Tanya began walking upwards in thin air. Lily followed nervously.
Up at the top was a huge room. There was a king sized canopy bed, a
dresser, a dressing table with a mirror and other magical items. There
were two doors at the dark end of the room, a very pink bathroom and a
walk in closet. Tanya and Lily shoved their trunks into a corner of
the closet and sat down on the bed. They talked for a while, until a
small gray owl flew into the bedroom. It landed infront of them and
Tanya unfolded it.
"Lily, it's from Remus, it's for you." Lily smiled at Tanya's
joking face.

Dear Lily,
I miss you already. After the entire year being spent with you,
I miss you more than anything. I want to tell you my affections
towards you. You are a flower of beauty and wonder. You are faithful
you are honorable and Loving. And I want to spend my entire life with
you. I love you Lily.
Sincerely,

Remus

P.S. Lily, my love, write back to me using Ebony.

Lily was laughing very hard at this point. But Tanya had just finished reading it and was staring, disbelieving at Lily.
"This isn't from Remus." Lily giggled. "First of all, Ebony isn't Remus' owl. Second of all this is James' handwriting."

"Prove it." Tanya challenged. Lily agreed and wrote:

Dear 'Remus,'
If you are Remus you will know, why did I quit the quidditch team? Not because I was hurt, but because:

Thanks ever so.
Lily

Lily had only told Remus she had partly quit because of James bugging her. She told Tanya so and she cracked up. About twenty minutes later an owl appeared.

Dear Lily,
Duh I'm Remus, who else would I be? Anyway you quit because of James. He bugs you too much. So you quit to get away from him. And it didn't work because all your friends hang around him so you have to also.
Write soon My Love,
Rem

Lily's mouth was hanging open. But she wrote it and, on the back of the note wrote,

Dear Remus,
I still don't quite believe you. So I'll find out. You just wait.
Lily

"Tanya, do you have two brooms?" she nodded and pulled them from under her bed. She tied the note to the owl and it flew off.With Tanya and Lily close behind.

By four they had arrived at Sirius' house, the large one near James' house. They flew right in the window after the owl.
"I knew it." Lily said calmly. Sirius was sitting in the dark room with James next to him. "It was you the entire time. You can't fool me." The door opened and someone came in and after a second was gone. "Remus?" James nodded.
"He told me to write it for you. You are very disrespectful Lily." Lily's mouth was open again. Tanya went to the door and called down the stairs,
"REM!" His head popped out of a closet, then in again. Lily and Tanya smiled and walked down the stairs. "Rem, come out." Tanya urged. He came out, looking at his shoes.
"Remus, it's okay.I like you too." His head popped up.
"Really?" Lily nodded. He smiled.
"Lily, it's going to be dark soon, we've better be going."
"No," It was Sirius at the top of the stairs. "Stay here, you can stay in my mum's room."
"But, Sirius, what about her?" Sirius gestured them up the stairs.
"She died a while back, I was glad, I thought I had gotten rid of her, but look." He pointed to a large frame by the door. It was a portrait of a witch sleeping. "She's better not see you. She'll freak out. She's not the nicest type." Lily and Tanya looked very awkward.
"Sorry," said Lily, "why don't you take it down?"
"Tried," he sighed sorrowfully. "But she put up a sticking charm, it'll never come down, plus every time we try, she screams at us. I'm surprised I'm not deaf. Anyway, her room's through there. He pointed to a room near the kitchen. "Plus watch out, Kreacher, the house elf, always goes through there. Don't freak out or he'll probably hurt you." Lily nodded and they followed Sirius back up the stairs.

The next morning Lily woke up but kept her eyes shut. From the light shining through her eyelids she could tell it was a very bright day. She opened her eyes and screamed. Tanya jumped up and a moment later the door swung open. It was Sirius holding an orange.
"KREACHER! I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF HERE!" The very ugly house-elf walked out and up the stairs. "And you stay away from my broomstick!" There was a whimper and Sirius left. Tanya and Lily wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later to see all the boys at the table.
"Lily, Tanya, why don't you stay here for a while?" Sirius invited. But Tanya shook her head. "We're leaving for Paris today. We're going to see ancient French wizard history along with the Eiffel Tower." Sirius stuck his tongue out. "Sorry, we'll see you at school." Lily said smiling.

Once they reached Tanya's house they pulled their muggle suitcases out, into the car, and seven hours later their airplane landed in Paris. "Tanya, why did we take a plane rather than brooms?" Tanya sighed. "It's dad, he, well, he's obsessed with muggle items. There's the most beautiful wizard hotel in downtown Paris, with a view of Eiffel Tower from every window, even though you really can't see it, I mean it's magic, anyway, Dad wants to stay next door at the muggle hotel. But he's letting us stay at our kind of hotel." Tanya finished as they were walking out of the airport. They spent all of the first four days sightseeing muggle stuff, then for the rest of the three weeks, they looked at famous wizards grave sights, and old wizard shops and even a tiny wizard school. It was so tiny but once you walked in there was space near the size of the first floor of Hogwarts. But when the trip ended they were glad to go home and spend the remaining month together at home, playing quidditch and going to Sirius' and James' house occasionally. When the summer ended Lily was very sorry to leave but Tanya's dad said she was welcome any time she wanted. Mr. Garter dropped them off at Kings Cross Station, but didn't come in, instead zoomed off to work. So Lily and Tanya went and found Sirius, James, Peter and Remus in the last compartment in the train. "God, you guys! We started looking for you at the front of the train. There are like twenty cars on this thing." Lily complained. They just smiled. Half way to Hogwarts Remus said he was going to see if he could find his brother, Romulus on the train. He invited Lily to come and she agreed. They walked down the car and Remus pulled Lily into an empty compartment and shut the door. "Er, Remus, is it just me or is your brother invisible." "No, last year was his last year, he doesn't go here anymore." Lily frowned. "I wanted to talk to you about all those letters I sent you. I didn't write them, I know, but I told James what to write, and well they weren't a joke." Lily's jaw dropped. "It's just, James, kinda changed it. I didn't tell him to call you my love. Well, anyway, let me get to my point. There is always a Hogsmede trip on the first weekend of term, and are you going?" "Of course, we can go together, but it won't be anything like a date, since there is James and Sirius around." Remus laughed and together they walked back to the compartment. "Did you find Rom, Rem?" Sirius asked.
"I, er, forgot, he doesn't go here anymore." Sirius and James exchanged odd glances and understood.
"Was it romantic?" Remus kicked James very hard.

The feast was delicious, but as soon as it ended they all fell right to sleep after eating far too much.
The next day was James and Sirius' first punishment. The Slytherins had all been superglued to their beds. So they, James and Sirius, had received detention. Then Peter, Tanya, James and Sirius had all been pushed into trick steps by Peeves and then started screaming at him. They all got kicked off the list for the first Hogsmede weekend.
So when the weekend arrived, Lily and Remus went to the village alone. It was quite warm, but the clouds hid the sun by ten.
"Rem, do you want to go to Zonko's?" He agreed immediately and walked in the direction of the joke shop. The walls were lined with jelly wands, Filibuster Fireworks and disappearing parchment. After buying handfuls of fireworks, dungbombs, and jelly wands they headed for the Three Broomsticks, the famous village tavern. It was very crowded, but Lily and Remus found a table at the back, and Lily waited as Remus got butterbeers.
"It's really pretty in here." Lily commented looking around at the finely decorated walls and tables. Each one had a candle sitting on it.
"Yah, so are you." Lily turned bright red. Lily finished her butterbeer and stood to get one. "No, no, I'll get it." Lily smiled again. He came back with two full mugs of butterbeer.
"Thanks, Rem." She said. She leaned foreword and kissed him on the cheek. When they were done they walked to Honeydukes, the sweet shop, where Remus got her a small box of Treacle fudge.
They returned to Hogwarts in a very good mood that evening. Full from eating sweets and drinking butterbeer, they walked to the grounds while everyone else was in at dinner.
"I had a lot of fun today Rem, Can we go again on Halloween?"
"Sure, and on Christmas, and Valentines day, and on the Easter holidays, and then every other time we can. Then, since you don't have a family, do you, er, well, it's okay if you say no, but do you want to come stay this summer?" Lily frowned.
"But, your parents are-"
"Dead, I know, but I stay with my brother, Romulus. He's eighteen now." Lily smiled again.
"I'd love too." She kissed him again on the cheek and he turned to face her and kissed her.

Lily and Remus tried to keep it a secret about them dating, but somehow, to both of their utter surprise, the whole school seemed to know by the second week. In the middle of divination Professor Trelawny, A very young witch, in her first year of teaching, came over to Tanya, Lily, and Remus' table.
"What do we have here, young Lupin. Two figures, very close."
"Maybe it's him and Evans kissing!" shouted a Slytherin and Lily, close to tears, got up and left the room.

Tanya came into the secret room a few minutes later, after class had ended. Lily had her knees under her chin and had tears slowly falling down her cheeks. "Lil', are you okay?" "Yah, great, everybody in the entire dang school is making fun of me. I just wish I had gotten banned from the Hogsmede trip too. I even wish I had never met Remus." "No you don't. He really likes you Lil', and I know you like him too. If you had never met him you might be stuck with Pete or something." "And I could be stuck with Tanya." It was Remus in the doorway. He looked upset too, But obviously not as emotional as Lily. "I'm leaving now." Tanya said and hurried out of the room. Remus sat in the chair across from the bed Lily was sitting on. "Lily, just forget about what everyone else says. Just make sure you are happy, with out th-" The door banged open and James and Sirius bounded in. "Oooh, is it mushy time?" Teased Sirius. "Too bad we had to ruin it." Added Peter as he came in after them. They each sat down and after a few minutes Remus was laughing with them. Obviously she didn't belong in this group. She got up and left without anyone noticing. The next morning Tanya and Lily headed for the forest edge for Magical Creatures. There were about ten crates rattling by a short stubby tree. When the whole class had arrived, the teacher, professor Kettleburn began talking. "Some of you may meet your doom right here, some their destiny, Some may just laugh, any way, that didn't come out right," she complained. "Anyway, these are called Pork Fuzzies." She grabbed a crate and opened it many people jumped back, but sighed at the sight of a little round fuzzy thing. It walked strait for Lily and Tanya, who widened their eyes. It was mumbling, "Barp, Barp, Barp." But when Lily backed up more it shrieked, "BAAAAAAAAAARP!" Lily's mouth fell open and she stepped back. "C'mon now Evans, pet it." Lily bit her lip then lowered her hand to the fuzzie. Her finger touched the soft fur and then its mouth was clamped tightly on her finger. "Aaaaaaargh! Get it off! Get it off!" The fuzzy swung forewords and was caught by Kettleburn in the crate. Lily looked down at her finger. It had turned black and purple immediately. Kettleburn pointed her towards the castle and she met the rest of her friends in Charms with her hand all wrapped up and the size of a small pumpkin. After charms was Study of Ancient Ruins. Lily had failed to move her wand correctly, while doing a defensive spell that knocks someone out for several minutes. But In study of Ancient ruins she just listened. Tanya had agreed to let Lily copy notes once her hand had healed.

Ancient Ruins wasn't exactly exciting, like Lily had thought. They spent an hour copying notes and taking tests. It looked as if Tanya, Lily, and Remus had signed up for an extra History of Magic. It also gave them an extra hour or so to sleep. Meaning they would stay up later, get up earlier and fill the nights with pranks.

For example the night after the first Ancient Runes class they, Tanya, Lily and Remus, painted sparkling lines on the path to the Slytherin Common Room. Next to the lines were things like, Slytherins sleep this way!

And

Come see the Slytherin only Dungeon, Open to Whole school!

At breakfast the next day McGonagall stomped over to them, an angry glare on her face.
"POTTER! BLACK!" They looked up, a look of unnatural innocence and surprise on their faces. "YOU ARE GOING TO GET THE BIGGEST DETENTION IN THE HISTORY OF HOGWARTS!" The school was used to hearing McGonagall scream at them but not like this. There was silence throughout the entire hall.
"Professor, this may make you even more mad, but, what did we do?" James asked quietly. McGonagall sat down next to him, now fuming like an over-heated oven.
"Mr. Potter," she said trying to sound calm. The whole school was watching by now. "One part about having different common rooms it trust.

We trust you to not know, and if you do, you SHUT UP ABOUT IT!"
"What are you talking about?" said Sirius.
"I woke up this morning and found silvery lines drawn all the way to the Slytherin common room, AND THE PASSWORD!" Lily now stood up.
"Professor," she whimpered. Then looked back to Tanya and Remus looking at their feet. "It was me." She chuckled.
"Who else, Ms. Evans." Tanya looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"No one, just me." They jumped up in shock. "JUST ME!" she hinted out again.
"Ms. Evans, I cannot believe you! This is the worst thing a Gryffindor has done in-
"Anyway, Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter, detention, tonight at eight, meet Coluberosor in the entrance hall." James looked as mad as McGonagall did.
"ME?" he gasped.
"Rudeness to a teacher, rule #446." She walked off and Remus grabbed her and pulled her into the entrance hall, followed by Tanya.
"WHAT WERE YOU DOING?" Remus muttered.
"Being a friend." She admitted. "It was my idea, and you guys-"
"DID IT TOO!" He shouted, now not caring to be quiet.
"What were you doing, then?" She added putting her hands on her hips.

"Being friends." Tanya wrapped her arms around Lily. "Oh, Lil', thanks." Remus sighed.
"Tanya, if you agree, we're coming to detention with you and admitting." Tanya nodded.
"No, you guys."
"It's our pleasure." Remus said, he kissed her quickly and turned around and left. Tanya was giggling and Lily hit her playfully.
"So, got everything sorted out with Rem obviously." It was James and Sirius. James looked as if he could kill someone.
"What is up with you?" Tanya asked. They raised their eyebrows. "You just turn up, everywhere! It's driving me mad!"
"Sorry, but I thought you two would know, since the rest of the school does."
"I knew you had gone out, but, you kissed him. Why didn't we know?"
"I'm sorry, Potter." She said sympathetically, for the first time to James. She turned on her heel and left to Gryffindor tower, and was joined by Tanya a few moments later.
"Hey." She said. "He's just-" but what he was Lily didn't find out. The door banged open and Remus came in gasping for breath.