Year Two – Part Two
Lily poked James and hissed, "Slow down, would you?"
James smiled at Lily, flashing his white teeth. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of disappointing such a lovely angel."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Shut up Potter, and please look where you're going."
"As you wish, m'dear." He gave a small, mock bow, causing Arabella and Sirius to trip over each other.
"James!" they both hissed angrily.
"Sorry," he muttered apologetically.
"Bells, why the hell did you let the boys get into this? It was supposed to be only me, you, and Violet!"
"Er—Sirius accidentally overheard me plotting," admitted Arabella. "But I swear I thought no one was eavesdropping!"
"I hear someone coming," said Sirius suddenly.
"That must be Violet and Peter distracting them!" whispered Lily.
"I still don't get the plan," said James irritably.
Lily sighed. "All right, I'll say it just one more time. Violet and Peter are distracting Remus and Jenny. Then we'll get back to the corridors and appear out of nowhere, so they won't get too suspicious. Since today's Saturday and there aren't any classes, we'll just walk up to the Astronomy Tower…I think that must be deserted. We leave them there, and…well, we'll just wait for how the conversation is going. Of course, we have to lock the door and put the charm to repel the 'Alohomora' spell."
"That's lame."
"Do you have a better idea then, Potter?"
"Yes, I do."
"What is it, then?"
"The same as yours, except make them get pushed so they can kiss."
"Ugh!" exclaimed Arabella. "That's something Sirius and I'd do if we were matchmaking you two!"
"You're going to what?"
"Er—nothing."
"Evil gits," muttered Lily, but loud enough for Arabella to hear.
They crouched down in a small corner, listening to Violet and Peter holding them off.
"What were you saying about the Astronomy Tower, Vi?" they heard Jennifer say.
"Maybe we can meet there," said Violet.
"Why? It's three o'clock in the afternoon! There aren't any stars or anything?"
"Maybe we can, well, see the whole view of Hogwarts and maybe take some pictures," suggested Peter awkwardly.
"That's the best idea Peter's come up with in a while," mumbled Lily from inside the cloak. James nudged her hard in the ribs and muttered for her to keep quiet.
They heard Remus say, "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Then the footsteps slowly disappeared through the corridor.
"Come on, hurry!" whispered Lily urgently.
The four of them were running as fast as they could without revealing any body part. They reached the Charms corridor and saw the other four coming toward them.
When Jennifer saw them, she said, "Hi guys! What a coincidence it is to meet you here! But then again, this is the most direct way to the Astronomy Tower." She chuckled lightly.
"I was just seeing Professor Flitwick for a quick second, and the others wanted to come along too," replied Lily, carefully treading on James' feet.
"Where are you all going?" piped up Sirius.
"Astronomy Tower," said Jennifer, beaming. "Want to come?"
"Sure!" the four chorused together.
"So what do we do now?" hissed James from the corner of his mouth, when Jennifer and Remus were out of earshot.
"Let them into the Astronomy Tower first. Then put the Alohomora repel charm on the door."
"Should we go in with them?"
"Of course not, silly! Then we'd be stuck in the Tower forever too!"
"God, don't be so touchy, it was just a question."
They had reached the Astronomy Tower. Jennifer and Remus went in first, and Lily quickly muttered the repel charm. They heard voices in the tower as Jennifer and Remus cried in surprise when there was no one behind them.
"Hey, aren't you guys coming?" called Jennifer.
"Nah, we'll just stay out here."
"Then we're coming too!"
"Suit it yourself," said Lily, secretly smirking. Then the six of them outside heard two outraged voices.
"Lil, I can't open the door!"
They heard Remus trying to bang it open. "What the heck did you do, James?" he roared.
"You guys need some time alone," said Arabella, grinning and winking at the rest of them.
"Whose idea was this?" It was Jennifer's voice, which sounded like a mixture of anger and sadness.
"The girls!" the boys immediately chimed in.
"Lily…Bella…Vi…I'll get you for this," Jennifer choked from inside the Tower. "This is so embarrassing! You know how much I like Remus, and that he doesn't like me the same way back. This is the most humiliating moment of my life!" They heard a distinct sob break out from the heartbroken girl.
"Jen...I'm so sorry," said Arabella softly. "It's all my idea."
"It was mine too," added Lily sadly. "We both talked Vi into it."
"We'll let you out now," said Violet, starting to cry herself.
"No," they heard Remus' voice say. "Violet and I...need some time alone. To get things straightened out."
"That went well," muttered James. Lily furiously smacked him on the arm.
"Don't, James," she said softly. "I feel bad enough as it is. I can't believe we were so cruel! Oh, I'd hate it if you guys did something like that to me...especially if I really liked the boy but he didn't like me. You know how infatuated Jen is with Remus, but he doesn't return those...feelings. God, it's all my fault!" Lily started crying.
"Shh, it's all right, Lils," whispered Arabella, hugging her friend. "It's my fault, too. I thought of the idea..." Suddenly, all three girls burst out crying.
"Bella, I hear something," said Sirius gently, prodding Arabella. The six of them all pressed their ears against the Tower door eagerly.
"Jennifer, I really do like you," Remus said.
"Really?" It was Jen's voice, full of sorrow and disbelief.
"Of course! I was just afraid—what you'd say when you found out that I was a werewolf."
"Oh Remus, I wouldn't care at all! I really, really do like you!"
There was a silence, and then a funny kind of noise, that could only be one thing—
"They're kissing!" whispered a tear-streaked Lily gleefully. "Oh, it worked!"
Arabella smiled weakly at her friend. "Well, Lil, I guess it wasn't a total waste."
James flashed a smile at Lily. "Come on, Lily, let's go see Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore?" repeated Lily. "Why, James?"
He shook his head. "I've been having those nightmares again." They both left for Dumbledore's office.
"James," said Lily quietly, "I've been having those nightmares too. What do you think they mean? About us...dying?"
"I honestly don't know," admitted James. He had said the password and entered the headmaster's office.
"Ah, James, Lily, I wasn't expecting you." Dumbledore smiled. "Is anything the matter?"
"The nightmares are coming back," said Lily.
Dumbledore shook his head. "I think you two should—travel into the future for a few minutes."
They both looked at each other in shock. "The future? But why, Professor?"
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, I am no Seer. Unfortunately, our Divination teacher isn't exactly what you'd call—er—useful in this situation. So I will allow you to time-travel into the future for a quick few minutes. But remember this: You are not to be seen. If you are to be seen and recognized, your past, present, and future will be destroyed. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Dumbledore pulled out a small pocket watch. It looked like a Time Turner, but it was facing the opposite way. He instructed, "Put this around both your necks, and turn it five times. It will send you to the future. Then, when you're ready to get back, turn the watch five times again. But please—be careful, Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans. And don't stay too long. Remember: you must not be seen."
Lily carefully took the pocket watch from Dumbledore and placed it around her neck, and around James'. She turned the watch five times, and there was a large gust of wind blowing the two around. Images went past like a blur and they landed with a soft 'thump!' in the Charms corridor.
"Where the hell—?" began James, but Lily cut him off.
"Quick, Potter, we can't be seen, remember?"
"Stop worrying, Evans," said James smoothly. "I've got my Invisibility Cloak, remember?" He took the folded cloak from his pocket and draped it over the two of them.
"Someone's coming!" whispered Lily.
The same three teenagers they saw in the crystal ball and glass were walking down the Charms corridor, oblivious to the fact that the famous Lily and James Potter were hidden under an Invisibility Cloak, watching and following them.
"That Snape!" raged the red-haired boy. "Can you believe sprouting up a test like that? In the middle of December? We're on holidays, for heaven's sake!"
"Oh, for goodness' sake Ron, it's not like you ever study, anyway," snapped the brown-haired girl.
"At least you don't have that egg clue to work out," said Harry quietly.
"Yeah...I guess I should've showed more consideration," admitted Ron.
"And Snape hates me more than any other student he has," added Harry.
"Why?" asked Hermione curiously.
"Because he hated my dad."
James let out a sharp intake, and Lily nudged him.
"Ow!" he cried. "What was that for?"
"Did you hear something?" asked Harry suddenly, turning around. He was nearly ten feet away from Lily and James, who were trying to not even breath at that point.
"Sounded like your voice," said Ron, frowning.
"But I didn't say anything."
"Oh, for God's sake, you two are acting as if you'd seen a ghost! It's probably just Peeves bothering Filch in the next corridor."
"She sounds just like you," muttered James from beneath the cloak.
"Shut up, Potter. That Ron kid is sort of like Sirius, don't you think?"
"I'm like Harry."
"Duh, stupid, he's your son!"
"Now I hear something weird!" exclaimed Ron, turning around like Harry had done. "Maybe someone stole your Invisibility Cloak, Harry!"
Harry laughed. "Only Snape and Malfoy know I have the cloak, and they can't get into Gryffindor Tower."
"Yeah...but Sirius got into the Tower last year, remember, Harry?" said Hermione.
Now they're speaking about Sirius in a more – relaxing and friendly tone. I wonder why that is, thought James.
"That's because Neville was too thick and left the week's passwords lying around!" said Ron, before Harry could reply.
"I don't know why you hate Neville so much! He's just a bit—dim, that's all."
They heard and saw Ron snort.
"That kid's definitely like Sirius. Why else would Harry be best friends with him? They're like a future James Potter and Sirius Black!" said James gleefully.
"Are we actually agreeing on something here, Potter?" asked Lily dryly.
"Miraculously, for the first time in history, I must say we are, Evans," replied James, just as dryly.
"Have you heard from Sirius yet, Harry?" asked Hermione anxiously. The three friends seemed to lean closer and huddled together. Harry peered around to see if anyone was watching.
"Not yet," he said in a low voice. "Sirius told me to write to him if anything suspicious is going on. The last time I got a letter from him was when the first task was over."
"He'd hear about that, anyway," said Ron, grinning. "Famous Harry Potter, the quickest to get the golden egg from the deadly Hungarian Horntail. I swear, Fudge is probably posting it all over the newspapers."
"Oh, shut up," snapped Harry in a friendly way.
"We should be getting back to Gryffindor Tower," said Hermione suddenly. "We wouldn't want Snape to catch us again; he'd probably do anything to take off fifty points from Gryffindor. And you two should be studying for the Potions test."
"Oh, there's plenty of time," yawned Ron lazily. "But you're right, we should get back. The day Snape is fired will be the day I will never complain again." The trio left for Gryffindor Tower on the fifth floor, distinct chuckles heard.
"We'd better get back now," murmured Lily. She turned the pocket watch five times, and they were suddenly back in Dumbledore's office.
"How did it go?" asked Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling.
"It went fine," answered James. "I'm a bit confused, though."
"Why is that, Mr. Potter?"
"Well, sir—those three were talking about Sirius in a more friendly fashion. Last time they were talking about him, they were practically spitting his name out."
"Ah Mr. Potter, this I cannot tell you, for I do not know myself. It's not good to know too much about the future."
"Harry and Ron are exactly like James and Sirius," put in Lily, frowning.
James grinned. "And that Hermione girl is exactly like Lily. 'You two should be studying for that Potions test. It's not like you ever study anyway'."
Lily was extremely ruffled.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "You may leave if you wish, unless if you have any further questions to ask."
They both shook their heads and left the office. They broke into a heated conversation after that.
"Ha! Snape hates Harry because he hates you! You officially gave our son the worst life he can have!" Lily was practically laughing her head off.
"Hey!" said James, pouting. "Besides, who did he live with after...well, you know."
Lily shrugged. "Whoever he lived with, it definitely wasn't with Petunia." She snorted at the thought. "Maybe with Mum and Dad."
"You mean my Mum and Dad," said James indignantly. "How else is he so much like me and nothing like you?"
"Now that's a personal insult! He seems like a kind and loyal boy—better than that barbaric Ron does, at least. I like the looks of that Hermione girl though. She's sort of like Remus; sensible one of the lot."
"She's not like Remus! Remus is a Marauder. That Hermione girl is like you! 'I think that you guys should study for everything. Oh, I'm Lily Evans a.k.a. Miss I'm So Wonderful-and-Popular!'"
"Potter, if you don't shut up..." growled Lily.
"Lils, where were you?" It was Arabella calling, and she was waving her arms frantically. Behind her were Remus and Jennifer, who were giggling over something. James rolled his eyes.
"Remus, not you too!" he whined. "Now I'm officially a bachelor within the group."
"'Course you're not, Jamie-boy, we're strictly on the Marauder to whatever-the-girls'-group-name-is relationship. You have Lily Flower." Sirius was smirking.
"Oh, you're evil, Sirius," sighed Lily.
"There's another thing that Lily and I agree on," added James. "Besides the fact that we both think that Sirius and our son's best friend think and act alike."
"You're having a son?" demanded Sirius eagerly. "Am I godfather?"
"Sounded like it," muttered Lily, hearing how in awe Harry was of Sirius.
"What's his name?" asked Jennifer curiously.
"Jennifer Dean and Remus Lupin have officially stopped snogging," announced Sirius, sounding much like he was doing the Quidditch commentary.
"Oh, shut up, you," muttered Remus, turning red.
"His name is Harry Potter," said Lily simply.
"Nice name. I could see that Jamie-boy came up with such a lame one." Sirius ducked as a shower of sparks flew past his face. "Just kidding, Jamie!"
"Has he ever called you 'James' in his life?" asked Violet.
"Not that I know of," said James in disgust.
"There comes Deanna," said Lily, groaning.
Deanna was entering Gryffindor Tower with her new 'boyfriend', Kevin Patil. She gave Lily a warm wave and James a small smile before they headed off to the boys' dormitory.
"Now that's wrong," commented Jennifer, wrinkling her nose.
"As if you and Remus haven't done that yet," scolded Arabella.
"We haven't actually, and we're not about to, either," retorted Jennifer. Remus himself said nothing.
Lily sighed. "Wonder what they'll give us for our Transfiguration exams this year."
"Oh God, Lil, is homework and exams all you think about?"
"Oh no, Bella, I think about Potter, too."
"You do?" asked Arabella, her face shining with delight.
"Yeah. How to curse him so that he'll wish he never came to Hogwarts."
"I'd need my magical education anyway, since everyone in my family is magical," said James matter-of-factly.
"Oh, so you're saying that it's more important for purebloods and half-bloods to get a magical education, but not important for Muggle-borns like me?" Lily ran from the common room, crying.
"Go James," muttered Sirius, watching the girl run up the staircase to her dormitory, crying.
"You should have thought twice before saying that, James," said Peter quietly.
"I know, I know, but that's not what I meant. What I meant was that—"
"Go find her, James, and apologize," said Arabella firmly. She wasn't angry, but her face was full of sadness.
James sighed and ran up to find Lily. He found her sobbing on her bed, and when she looked up and saw him, her green eyes had turned a steel cold.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, before James even got to catch his breath. "I know I'm overreacting. But all this—future stuff, it's really scaring me. To know that I'll be married to you, and have a son, and then die trying to protect him! It's just—too much to handle."
"I know," whispered James. "Look, don't worry about it, all right? We still five-and-a-half years to go at Hogwarts. Treasure most of it while you can."
Lily smiled, wiping away her tears. "We're still enemies, right?"
"The very best."
And so the other six friends found the two enemies coming down the staircase with grins on their faces.
"So you finally made up, have you? Are you friends now?" Sirius was eagerly pelting them with questions.
"Sirius, we don't hate each other too much anymore, but we're still enemies," said James.
Sirius snorted. "That, Jamie-boy, is the stupidest thing you've said in your whole life. It makes no sense, whatsoever!"
"Well, get over it," said Lily, grinning.
"Are you all right, Lily?" asked Jennifer, concerned.
"Yeah. I was just a bit—stressed with all this stuff going on. Oh, I just don't know. I just happened to lose my temper just then. Sorry if I frightened any of you."
Peter squeaked. Lily smiled at the poor boy. "It's all right, Pete, I swear I didn't mean any harm." Peter relaxed and reluctantly managed a smile back.
"Lil, you frighten us all the time," informed Arabella, pleased that her friend was cheerful again. "Fiery red hair...deep emerald eyes...it's a matter of seconds when your temper matches your—"
"Enough sap, already!" cried James. "Come on, Siri-boy, we have Quidditch practice."
"Since when?"
"Since Johnson announced it yesterday."
"Oh. Well, all right then. I never knew, that's all. It's not like I listen to that maniac. By God, you'd think Quidditch is the reason to live."
"Didn't you just have Quidditch practice yesterday?" asked Arabella.
"Yeah. Roy's going bonkers, but there's nothing else we can do about it. C'mon Sirius, let's go."
When they left the portrait hole, Sirius frowned at James. "Jamie, we don't have Quidditch practice. What's up with you?"
"We have to continue mixing that Animagi potion, remember? It's going to take us at least three years!"
"Then where's Remus and Peter?"
"They're right in front of you."
True enough, Remus and Peter were waiting patiently for the two boys.
"So...James. How do you like this—son, of yours?" asked Remus.
"He's cool. But he looks like he's under a lot stress, too."
"I've done a bit of asking myself," said Remus. "He's the famous Harry James Potter, and he's currently one of the four champions in the Triwizard Tournament."
"That hasn't been hosted for centuries!" cried James enviously. "How come they have it then? And how come there are four champions?"
"Looks like someone entered the poor boy by accident," said Remus slowly. "I heard from a Seer."
"Trelawney?" asked Sirius, snorting.
"No, she's the fraud, Sirius, you idiot," snapped James good-naturedly. "It was probably that assistant witch—what's her name? Professor Vilenski?"
(A/N: LOL, Mrs. Vilenski is one of my friend's Science teacher, so...yeah :P)
"Yeah, that's her," said Remus. "She's a really amazing Seer."
"Does Remus fancy her?" teased Sirius.
"No."
"What else did she tell you?" asked Peter curiously.
"Nothing much. I don't think she wanted me to know too much about the future."
"Here we are!" shouted James, pointing to the bathroom at the end of the corridor. The four boys hurried inside and began their potion, which was bubbling near one of the stalls.
"I don't understand why we couldn't do this in our dorm," said Sirius, frowning.
"McGonagall would catch us. And besides, the girls come into our dorm all the time; what if they saw us?"
"It wouldn't be much harm, would it?" asked Remus quietly. "After all, they already know that I'm—well, you know."
"Still—those girls are mighty nosy," said James. "Besides, what if Evans sees us? Then she'll lecture us on rule breaking! And this time, it'll be one hundred times worse, because it's breaking the law. Yep, if Evans catches us, we're as good as dead."
"Why can't you and Lily be friends, James?" asked Remus gently. "In fact, you guys would go pretty well together..."
"Remie, not you too," whined James.
"Remie?" asked Remus, raising his eyebrows.
James shrugged. "You need a nickname like the rest of us. Remie fits nicely."
"Well, it's better than Siri-boy."
"Hey!" cried Sirius.
James laughed. "Come on guys, let's get to work.
-
"Where the devil are those boys?" asked Arabella in alarm, as she absently put down another chess piece, losing for the fifth time to Jennifer.
"Probably breaking another school rule," answered Lily spitefully. "Especially Potter. He influences all the Marauders to go breaking rule after rule until every single rule set up in this school is broken."
"He'd make a good Head Boy," said Violet, who was reading a book.
"And you'd make a good Head Girl," added Arabella.
"You guys are hopeless," sighed Lily. "Me and Potter...the Head Boy and Girl? I mean, I suppose me being Head Girl isn't such a ridiculous notion, but James Potter as Head Boy? That's the stupidest idea that's ever been brought up on the face of this earth!"
"He and you are the top students of our second year," said Arabella, shrugging.
"When's Remus going to be back?" asked Jennifer, yawning. They had been sitting in the common room for over two hours doing nothing.
"Is Remus all you think about?" snapped Arabella.
Jennifer blushed. "You think about Sirius every day!"
"Well—that's different. I mean, you're not even that interested in boys. You're all snobby and mean when any boy is around...besides the Marauders, of course. Why's that, huh?"
"Because Remus is the only one for me," said Jennifer dreamily.
"And you were the one who scolded me for being romantic!" said Violet, laughing.
"Why are you so quiet, Lils?" asked Arabella, after a while.
Lily shrugged. "Oh...I don't know. Just thinking I guess."
"About James Potter?"
"Will you stop all this nonsense about James Potter, already!" Lily had suddenly jumped up, her blazing green eyes in rage. The three other girls cowered in their armchairs, while the rest of the common room stared at her, wide-eyed.
"Sorry," Lily muttered, getting back to her regular position. "I just—well—life isn't easy. All that future stuff about James and I getting married, having a kid, and—dying."
"We know it's tough, Lily," said Bella quietly. "But my mum told me never to be afraid of death. It's just the next big adventure in life."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I just wish Dumbledore would put a memory charm on me so I'd forget all this future stuff."
"Hey girls," greeted Sirius, climbing through the portrait hole. The other three Marauders followed.
"Where were you?" demanded Arabella. "I was worried sick!"
"Quidditch practice, Bella, didn't you hear Jamie-boy?"
"Yeah, but Quidditch practice for two hours?"
Sirius shrugged, desperately fighting to be nonchalant. "Hey, I told you Johnson was a nutter!"
"You got that right," said James, wiping sweat from his brow. "Finally killed us out of our energy, he did."
"Then why were Remus and Peter with you?" asked Jennifer, narrowing her eyes.
"Relax, your precious Remus wasn't harmed," said Sirius smoothly, pointing at a very red Remus. "He and Pete came to watch the Quidditch practice."
"Why so quiet, Lily?" asked James softly, coming up to the silent redhead girl. "It's not about what we saw with the Time-Turner thing, was it?"
"It is," sighed Lily. "I just—can't get over it."
"Don't worry, you will." James patted her cheek lightly and hurried up the staircase to the boys' dorm.
"Humph! I suppose this indicates that Jamie-boy hates Flower," said Sirius, extremely affronted.
"James is really nice," said Lily, absently twirling a lock of her red hair.
"So why are you still enemies?" demanded Sirius.
"Because—it's better to stay that way. 'Sides, we're still pretty mean to each other, so we're not ready for friendship yet. And we do love to play pranks on each other...that's not good for a friendship." Lily smirked.
"Lily Potter, you are an idiot," sighed Arabella, before she realized what she had said.
"It's Lily Evans, not Potter, Bella you prat!" cried Lily in relish.
"Lily Potter really has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" asked Vi timidly.
"Argh!" With that, Lily threw her hands up in the air in frustration and left for the girls' dormitory.
"Wonder what's eating them," remarked Arabella, staring at the staircase.
"You, probably," said Sirius, dodging a tackle.
***
"Not him again," sighed Lily, staring as Snape hurried over to the Gryffindor table. Her three other friends groaned loudly as well, but the Marauders barely noticed their arch nemesis walk past them.
"Hello Mudblood," he said, sneering down at Lily. For the first time in her life, she was glad that someone called her a Mudblood. Snape must have gotten over that ridiculous infatuation!
"I never did like you," whispered Snape, his lips touching her ear. "It turned out that Potter had put some sort of spell on me. No wonder why Evan was looking at me like I was insane." He strolled back to the Slytherin table, shooting daggers at James and his friends.
"Nice prank, wasn't it, Evans?" called James, grinning. "God, too bad it only lasts for a year."
"James Potter, I can't believe you'd do something like that!" shrieked Lily.
"I'm really sorry, Lil, but I got too mad at you last year so I had to get back," admitted James.
Lily froze. He had never called her 'Lil' in her life before. "Well, Jamie-boy, I suppose it'll take a few days for me to forgive you." She gave him a small smile.
Now it was James' turn to be shocked. Lily Evans had never called him Jamie-boy before.
"James Potter, that was seriously a really low joke," said Arabella angrily.
James shrugged. "Hey, there needed to be some livening up around here! It's always so—serious."
"Hogwarts is like me?" asked Sirius, leaning over to listen to the conversation.
James rolled his eyes. "That's got to be the lamest joke ever, Siri-boy! The old Sirius to serious trick."
"You mean you were the one who made old Snape fall in love with Lily?" he asked in awe. "By golly Jamie, old boy, you're one genius here!" He started cackling in laughter.
"It wasn't too fair, but it is rather amusing all the same," said Remus, smiling a little.
"Come on Bella, don't hold that grudge of yours forever!" cried Sirius. "Don't you think it's just a little bit funny? I mean, it was so obvious that a Slytherin could never, in a million years, fall for a Gryffindor."
"It's possible," said Jen, shrugging, as she chewed on a chicken leg. "Of course, it's always possible for enemies to fall for each other too. Take those two for example." She pointed to where Lily and James were sitting. "They're getting married anyway."
"Now Jenny, don't talk with your mouth full," reprimanded Remus playfully.
"Yes, Remie."
"Hey, that's my nickname! You stealer!" cried James, jumping up and down in a frenzy.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, grow up, Potter."
"I'm not the one talking here! Miss Hermione whatever-her-last-name-was."
"Hermione?" repeated Sirius. "Who's that?"
"Oh, one of Harry's best friends, I think," said James. "She's exactly like Lily. 'I think that you should be studying for that Potions test, you two. It's not like you guys ever study anyway, so you may as well. And our O.W.L.S. are coming up soon!' God, they were still in their fourth year too!" He and Sirius burst out laughing.
"I like the sound of that Ron," remarked Sirius.
"Harry seems to be—well, not like us," said James thoughtfully. "Dumbledore told me that he was brave, loyal, and kind. He also said that Harry broke as many rules as we did, and got even more points taken off...without even meaning to! He said that Harry breaks so many rules just to keep himself alive. And others."
"He sounds like a dream," said Lily softly. "Risking his life for others! I've always wanted to have a child like that. Even if I can't see it happen," she added.
"Enough gloom!" cried Sirius. "I've had enough bad spirits around here. Jamie, old boy, we haven't pulled a prank in weeks! Soon our name will wear off! We must carry on our legendary name of the Marauders!"
"What should we do?" asked James eagerly.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Come on, Jamie-boy, you're the ringleader of this gang. What should we do?"
"You're the other ringleader," retorted James.
"You're the main one, though."
"Yeah...well, at least it should be on Snape."
"Definitely!"
"You're pulling a prank on Snape?" asked Lily from across the table. "Can I help?"
Sirius looked nervously at James; he and Lily did not see eye to eye. There would probably be another argument in the Great Hall again.
To his surprise, James had replied, "Sure, why not?"
"What about us?" asked Arabella, frowning.
"All right then, all eight of you are helping!" exclaimed James, his hands sweeping over the Marauders and girls.
They left the Great Hall for Gryffindor Tower, and were one of the first people in the common room. They were plotting the prank on Snape and his gang of Slytherins.
"First, you and Bella have to...I don't know, intimidate them or something," said James, speaking in a low tone. "Then Remus, Jennifer, Violet, and Peter, you guys have to distract the rest of Slytherin House and maybe get them all up in their dormitories somehow. Sirius and I will make their homework all blank."
"Oh, even Hurst will blow when they don't have their Potions homework!" said Sirius gleefully.
"This plan is brilliant!" whispered Lily hoarsely. "It was all my idea of course...and Sirius'," she added, as an afterthought, watching Sirius' face distort in fury.
"Nah, it was actually mine, Evans," snapped James. Lily laughed.
"Yeah, I know. It's fun to see boys get so worked up over a simple thing."
"It wasn't simple, it was—"
James, however, was cut off by none other than Deanna Jackson, who was holding hands with Kevin Patil. "Hello James," she said generously.
"Hello Deanna," said James, rather coldly. "If you don't mind, we're a bit preoccupied right now."
"So you have made up with Lily?" Her voice was disgustingly sugary.
James glared at her. "What makes you think that?"
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? You guys are always hanging out with each other...flirting..." She smirked.
"Flirting?" cried Lily, standing up. "We never flirt!"
Deanna shrugged, flashing one of her smiles. "Say whatever you want, but it's true. Come on, Kevin, let's go." She and Kevin disappeared to the other side of the common room.
"What was the girl thinking about me and James flirting?" demanded Lily, sitting down again.
"Well, as much as I'm not too fond of Deanna, it's true, Lily," admitted Jennifer.
"Is it?" Lily's face was livid with anger.
"Er—"
"Violet? You're the one who has common sense in this group. What do you think?"
Violet was bright red. "I-I'm not sure," she stumbled.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, forget about it. That Deanna is an idiot, anyway. Well, what are we waiting for, let's go!"
-
"Snapie!" Lily and Arabella were practically skipping across the Slytherin Common Room, watch Snape and his gang's eyes widen.
"Evans," he said coolly. "What the heck are you doing in our common room?"
"Yeah, no Mudbloods allowed," snapped Lestrange coldly.
Lily shrugged. "Oh...I'm having trouble in Potions and Professor Hurst told me to come here and let you fellows help me and Arabella. So...will you?"
"Oh, if it's Professor Hurst's wishes," said Snape, sighing.
Lily grinned. This was going to be easier than she thought, since Snape wasn't questioning her. He absolutely adored Hurst and would listen to anything he says to do.
"Great! Oh...shoot, I forgot all my Potions things! You wouldn't mind explaining to me about Shrinking Solutions, would you?" She had only brought parchment, a bottle of ink, and a quill, and pretended to listen while Snape droned on about the boring Shrinking Solution, the ingredients, what it would do to you, and the side effects.
Meanwhile, Arabella was desperately trying to entertain the rest of Snape's gang.
"Aren't you Black's girlfriend?" asked Avery, narrowing his eyes at the brown-curled girl.
"Er—I suppose you can say that," mumbled Arabella.
"Humph! Leave her be, Avery, she's a pure-blood, at least," said Wilkes, examining Arabella closely.
"Have you taken a liking to the Mudblood's best friend, Wilkes?" snapped Rosier, who was silent most of the time.
"Of course not," stammered Wilkes. Then he sneered. "Becoming friends with a Mudblood makes even the pure-blooded lower." They all laughed, including Snape, who was still lecturing Lily on the potion.
"I suppose you people think you're so superior because you're all pureblooded? I'm disgusted." Arabella made a face and glared at Snape's gang of Slytherins.
Over on the other side of the Slytherin common room, Remus, Jennifer, Violet, and Peter were trying to herd all the Slytherins back to their dormitories.
"I don't know how you were invited, Lupin, but I assure you, I'm not missing anything for Potions," snapped a third-year Slytherin. "I don't see why you're even here with your little friends. I thought only Evans was being tutored over there."
The four of them looked at each other. Then Jennifer said, "Well...we can't do much harm coming here, can we?"
"Who knows what you Gryffindor scumbags can do," the Slytherin sneered.
"Gryffindors are NOT scumbags!" cried Violet.
The same Slytherin snorted. "You're the Walker girl aren't you? A pureblood, eh? I suppose your mother died of shame when you were put into that dirty House, Gryffindor. Your mother was a Slytherin, wasn't she? I thought so...my mother said that she and Mrs. Walker were best friends when they were at school. So, why did your mother marry that scumbag Gryffindor?"
Violet was shaking with anger. Everyone, even Snape, had stopped to see what the commotion was. The Gryffindors in the room were stunned. Violet was always the quiet and sweet one, but they knew what happened when her family was insulted.
"How—how dare you call my father a scumbag! You dirty Slytherin! No, my mother was proud when I was put into Gryffindor like my father! Mum told me she was ashamed of herself when she was put into Slytherin. She said she shamed the whole family! And she started crying and hugging me when she found out that I wasn't put into her old House. Mum herself said it was a dirty, no-good, low House! So there!" Violet stopped to catch her breath.
Everyone stared at Violet. Even James and Sirius, who were so excited about their prank, had completely forgotten why they were there. Lily had gotten up, gathered her things, and turned to leave the Slytherin common room. The others followed shortly.
"Vi...I'm really sorry," muttered Lily, as they got out of the dungeons. "I shouldn't have talked you into this."
Violet smiled. "Hey, it wasn't your fault. I wanted to come. Besides, it's nice to get that off your chest. I've been meaning to shout it into the Slytherins' faces ever since the first day of Hogwarts. I'm real glad that I did, too."
"It's all true, isn't it?" asked Arabella quietly. "Your—your mum was in Slytherin?"
Violet sighed. "Yeah. Mum was put into Slytherin because she was real ambitious. Her whole family went back to a long line of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, so she shamed our family. But then Mum fell in love with Dad, who was in Gryffindor. Said she never met a man so fine before. They got married, and her family didn't bother her about being in Slytherin again." Then she raised her eyebrows at James and Sirius and said, "You guys didn't pull that prank, did you?"
James shook his head. "We totally forgot about it."
"It's all right. There are still plenty of times you can do it." Her eyes had a strange mischievous glint in them.
Lily grinned. "You know what, Vi? I think that we can all make a great prankster out of you." Then they all laughed and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.
^^^
*sigh* Yeah, I know, this chapter is a bit…boring. Oh well :P I'm under stress right now, so don't bother me for the next chapter. That reminds me—more of you people have to review this story or else I am seriously considering to stop writing this story. So come on people, bring on the reviews!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff; J.K. Rowling owns everything.
Yay! I can't wait until the fifth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix arrives on June 21st! :)