7. After Lily's memory: Pink, Raven and Sunny The same day Harry had awoken, when Ron, Hermione and Ginny came to see him, Remus went to look for Cassie's book and returned immediately. The four friends were talking and he just waited. When the sun set, Molly came to take Ron, Ginny and Hermione to Grimmauld Place and as soon as they left, Harry asked Remus for the book again. Luckily, "The boy who lived again" had a room for his own, so for the next six nights, Remus came to stay with Harry and after everyone left, he read a memory to Harry, after which, Harry shot questions like an uzi. The first night, Remus read Lily's memory, and when he finished, you can't say he wasn't expecting that. 'Did my mum had a lot of flowers' 'yeah, she had loads of lilies' 'Was Cassie pretty?' 'She was beautiful. Look at this picture' he gave Harry the picture where he was sitting and Cassie has hugging him from behind. 'Whoa... was Nikki pretty?' Remus showed him the other pictures. 'I think my mum was the prettiest' stated Harry then he asked 'Did Minnie come?' 'Yes, Prof. Mc.Gonagall came and we had a great time' 'Did she liked seeing you all?' 'Yes, specially seeing Sirius and your father' 'Did you talked about the pranks my dad and Sirius had done?' 'Of course!' said Remus 'She remembered every one of them' 'Can you tell me about them?' 'It's pretty late now, Harry' 'Come on!! I'm not tired, I've been sleeping for three days!' begged Harry 'Tell me about the time you transfigured her dorm in a disco!' 'Hum... ok, but just that one, it's past midnight!' Harry nodded and as Remus smoothed his covers, 'Did you know that that was you mother's first prank?' he asked Harry, Harry shook his head and Remus added 'It was the time when Sirius dated Cassie and your parents had just started dating... in our seventh year...

The christmas holidays had emptied Hogwarts almost completely. The Gryffindor tower, always crowded and filled with laughter was now quiet and deserted... well, almost deserted, since four seventh-years walked through the portrait hole into it. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter and Cassiopea White were the only gryffindors left. Remus and James sat next to the burning fire, and so did Sirius and Cassie. 'I'm sooooo bored!' moaned Sirius 'The others left only an hour ago!' said Remus 'I know something we can do' said James, with the trademark Marauder grin. 'Ok, but this time I wanna help' stated Cassie, seeing the prank comming. James got up and looked at her. 'Um... gee, I don't know if you have what it takes... guys, what do you think?' he said. Immediately, Cassie was left alone in the sofa and the three Marauders were standing in front of her, looking at her as if she was a broom they still hadn't decided whether to buy or not. 'Try me' she said confidently. 'Ok...' said James 'If only you are caught, whose fault is it?' 'Snape's, he made me do it. He said he would curse me if I didn't' said Cassie instantly. 'Good...' said Remus and then asked 'What's the Marauder's slogan?' 'I solemny swear I'm up to no good' said Cassie with a yawn 'Is that all you've got? I expected better of you Remus!' Remus frowned. 'If I give you an infusion of silverweed with powdered moon stone... would you drink it?' 'Of course! That's the best strenghtening solution!' 'Wow, I didn't know that one...' said James 'You're really good at potions!' 'You should think about doing something with it after school' said Remus 'Thanks, I'll think about it' Cassie smiled at Remus and he did his best to hid the blush. Luckily, Sirius spoke and he was saved. 'Ok... If you could choose the next victim, who would be?' 'Hum... I'm between Prof. Mc.Gonagall and Snivellus... but I think I'll go for the slimeball!' 'That's my girl!' said Sirius kissing her cheek 'What do you think?' asked James 'Is she in?' 'Peter is, so I can't see why she shouldn't' stated Remus. 'So, now I pronounce you, Temporary Marauder!' yelled Sirius 'Temporary? Why?' she complaint 'Because you passed the theoric... now let's get to the practice!' said James grinning again. 'Accio map!' he yelled and an old parchment flew to his hand from the boys dorm. 'What you're about to see, is top secret info, got it?' asked Sirius, Cassie nodded 'Now take out your wand and say the slogan as you tap this.' Cassie looked stranged into his blue eyes and tapped the parchment. The Marauder's Map appeared in front of her eyes. 'Holy...' she started, when the portrait hole opened and two girls, covered in snow and soaking wet stepped into the common room. 'Lils?' asked Cassie as one of them took off her hat revealing bright red hair. 'Hey, Cas!' she said from under the scarf 'Surprise!' 'Nikki?!' asked Sirius, as the other girl revealed her long dark hair. 'What's going on?' asked James, looking at Lily and Cassie hugging 'Weren't you two on your way home?' 'At the last moment, Nikki talked me into staying for the holidays!' said Lily, smiling. 'Come closer to the fireplace or you'll catch pneumonia!' said Remus 'Yeah, it's kinda... blizzarding out there!' said Nikki, warming up her hands. 'What were you doing?' asked Lily, trying to get the Map, but James hugged her before she could. 'I'm so glad you're here!' he said as Remus hid the Map behind his back. Cassie got it as Nikki tried to peek and sat on top of it. 'What is that you're trying to hide?' Lily asked James. He looked at her as if he didn't know what was she talking about. Lily smiled and said 'Please, Jamie, can I see it?' and then kissed his lips lightly. James eyes were open wide and a stupid smile was on his face. 'It's a Hogwarts map' he said immediately. 'One kiss and he melts away' Sirius whispered in Remus' ear, who nodded in agreement. Cassie got up and James showed the Map to Lily and Nikki who was also trying to see it. 'Here you can see all the secret passages we've discovered and the people who's inside the castle' he pointed at some dots in the gryffindor common room labeled with their names and then pointed another dot, Prof. Mc.Gonagall. She was somewhere out of the map, near the tower. 'Look, Sirius!' said James 'She must be in her bedroom!' 'Maybe it's the portrait of Lucía of Venice that we tried to open last week!' squeaked Sirius, pointing at the part of the castle closest to Mc.Gonagall. 'Maybe, but she keeps yelling us God knows what in Italian!' said Remus. 'That can be solved, I know some Italian' said Cassie, Sirius threw his bark-like laugh and kissed her. Remus immediately looked away and amazingly so did Nikki. 'I don't think we may need that if we play our cards correctly... ejem...' Remus cleared his throat and they broke the kiss. Sirius was eyeing Nikki suspiciously. 'So... let's go! We have a teacher to distract!' 'Wait a second!... Cassie, are you in this?' asked Lily looking at her friend. She nodded guiltily. 'Oh! Can I be too?' 'Nikki!' 'What?, It's fun...' she told Lily apologetically. 'Sure' said Sirius, crossing his arms over his chest 'Wanna join us Lily?' 'Come on Lils!' whined Cassie 'Just this time!' 'Do it for me... please?' asked James, holding her shoulders and sinking his piercing hazel gaze into her eyes... (A/N: how can ANYONE say no to that??) 'Ok' 'Yeah!' everyone cheered but Sirius stopped the celebration. 'Wait! You need nicknames!' he said suddenly 'We'll tell you ours if you don't ask their origins' The three girls shook their heads and put their hands up. 'We promise' they said. 'Ok... Remus is Moony, Sirius is Padfoot and I'm Prongs' said James shortly. 'Moony, Padfoot and Prongs... I like that!' said Cassie smiling, again causing Remus to blush and again passing unnoticed as Sirius spoke. 'Nikki could be Raven, for her hair... you know?' They all looked at her, repeating her name mentally. 'I like it' she said 'Besides the sorting hat considered putting me in Ravenclaw' 'Its got style' added James 'So Nikki's Raven!' said Lily 'How can we call Cassie?' Now everyone stared at her, thinking. 'How about... Amber?' said James 'Because those eyes can't go unnoticed!' 'But Amber is a name!' complaint Sirius 'a nickname can't be a name!' 'For her eyes you could call her Sunny... they're like the midday's sun' said Remus in a whisper more to himself than to the others. Everyone stared at him. 'It was just an idea!' he said defensively, blushing again and now everyone noticing it. 'No! It's great!' said Cassie 'Sunny... that's the sweetest thing anyone has said to me' Remus was as blushed as it is biologically possible to be without his face exploding... although he felt like it was about to. 'Sunny and Moony' said Lily 'that sounds great!' 'Now on with Lily' said James, comming to rescue his friend. 'That's easy... Pink' said Nikki 'She's so flowery and girly and... pink!' 'Ok' said James 'Are the new recruits ready to party?' Yells and cheering was the only answer he got. While Cassie, Lily and Nikki went up to leave her trunks in her dorm, the Marauders planned everything and not an hour had passed, when they were all in their posts and ready to strike. James handed away three charmed pieces of mirrors, from where they could talk to eachother from a long distance. Remus' mirror was broken and could see all the other mirrors. Nikki and Lily were in the common room, Cassie and James were hiding under the Invisibility cloak next to the portrait, in the inner side of the passage that connected the kitchens with that floor were Remus and Sirius, everyone waiting for the sign. 'The coast is clear!' said Nikki as Lily did an "OK" sign comming from the portrait of the Fat Lady 'Pink and Raven ready!' 'Roger, that!' answered Remus 'Sunny, Prongs, ready?' 'We were born ready' said James 'Ok, Raven... let the games begin!' To that command, Nikki and Lily set fire at least fifty fireworks and some other dungbombs all around the common room, and started coughing and yelling for Prof. Mc.Gonagall. Between two portraits near Cassie and James, a door apeared and opened. Prof. Mc.Gonagall hurried away muttering something about helpless seventh years and James told the mirror 'Minnie has left, we're going in!' as he and Cassie held the almost closing door opened and slided in. After James had said that, Sirius started running down the passage and met countless house-elves. 'Oh, Master Sirius Black!' bowed most of them 'Hey, guys! Listen, I think Prof. M isn't feeling very well... She wants to go to her room but I think it's too far for her, she's quite dizzy! Do you think you could help my friends Lily and Nicole to prepare her a bed in the Common Room?' 'Of course, Master Sirius Black!' 'Master Sirius Black is always so kind!' 'Great! Don't let her get up! It's for her own health. After you finish the bed send my friends away, she probably needs to rest... and give her a lot of food! Oh! And can I take some of this eclairs?' After stuffing his face and pockets with chocolate eclairs, Sirius spoke to his mirror 'Moony,mphh.. the little ones are on their way!' 'What are you eating?' 'Nuphing...' answered Sirius, his mouth full, a few floors above, Remus sighed. After climbing a stair, James and Cassie met a fairly big dorm. Four bookshelved walls, with only one window and an enormous four poster bed placed over a red carpet. The Gryffindor Lion was visible in the red courtains hanging from the posters. Under the window was a desk with an open book and a steamy cup of tea. They could hear amazingly well Nikki's and Lily's yells from the common room. James took away the cloak and talked to the mirror 'Sunny and Prongs are in!' Remus was carefully watching the "Minerva Mc.Gonagall" dot and Nikki and Lily were waiting really close to the back of the portrait. Nikki was crouching under it. 'She's almost there!' warned Remus 'She's there!, ready Pink?' 'As usual' said Lily. The portrait flung open and Mc.Gonagall stumbled into Nikki and fell to the floor. Immediately, Lily threw a confounding charm. 'Oh... what have I done? I've jinxed a teacher! I've jinxed a teacher!' she started freaking out. Until Nikki slapped her. 'Get a grip of yourself Lily! We can't mess this!' she whispered and ran to help Mc.Gonagall. 'Prof... are you alright?' said Nikki acting concerned 'We thought you were Black or Potter!' The teacher was looking at her with with drowsy eyes. At that exact moment, at least a dozen of house elves stormed into the Common Room carying blankets and trays and trays of food. They took Mc.Gonagall away from the two standing girls. 'Mistresses Nicole and Lily must go! Master Sirius Black said so!' said a couple of elves pushing them away, through the portrait hole. Standing outside was Sirius. 'Come on!' he said as soon as he saw them and he started running towards an oposite wall. He tapped the wall muttering something and the botton half of it vanished. 'Quickly, in here!' he said and after both girls had crawled in, he did too. 'Pink, Raven and Padfoot are going!' he spoke into his mirror as he was standing in his hands and knees. 'Roger!' they heard Remus saying. 'Prongs, scan the door!' he said as he left the passage and headed to the portrait of Lucía. In Minnie's room, James pointed his wand to the door and in the map in front of Remus, another room magically apeared. Remus saw himself taping seven times with his wand in Lucía's picture and seven times in the picture next to hers. He got there and tapped seven times in each picture, as the girls in the pictures were talking to eachother, laughing at him. The door apeared and opened, and both looked amazed. 'Great work, young one!' said Lucía. 'Oh! Shut up!' spatted Remus entering 'You're younger than me!' Sirius, Nikki and Lily crawled into a very tall room and a doorway really up... but there was no stair! 'Where have you brought us, Padfoot?' asked Nikki 'How are we going to get there?' 'Patience, miladi, patience' he took his wand out and tapped the wall. A round staircase apeared and it leaded into the doorway. Sirius smiled proudly as Nikki and Lily rolled her eyes. They started running up, when their mirrors spoke 'Moony has joined Prongs and Sunny!' said Remus' voice 'Padfoot, tap seven times in Lucía of Venice's portrait and seven times in Tatiana of Moscow's portrait, don't listen to them... those two are bloody insane!' 'Roger that, Moony!' he said and ran through the doorway followed by Nikki and Lily. They reached the hallway and saw Lucía and Tatiana's portrait. 'Oh! Not again!' whined Lucía 'Oh yes!' said Sirius tapping her 'At least this one is cute' shrugged Tatiana 'The other one was too' said Lucía as the door appeared and opened. 'Thank you ladies' bowed Sirius after Lily and Nikki had entered and winking at the laughing portraits, he got in. 'Well... the last one seemed kinder' she finally agreed with Tatiana. 'You see? I'm always right' the other portrait said. 'Hey!' waved James, from the top of the stair 'Had a nice trip?' 'So this is Minnie's dorm...' said Sirius looking around and grinning 'not really small now, is it?' 'Small?' asked Nikki 'You could place a disco here if you wanted to' she said crossing her arms. Sirius eyes lit evilly and James and Remus grinned. 'Raven... you are a genious' The three Marauder took out their wands and started by vanishing the bed, then they transfigured the carpet into a lit dance floor, with coloured shining squares, vanished the bookcases and painted the walls with a flick. Finally, after placing a jukebox in the desk's place, they changed the lamp hanging from the ceiling into a disco ball. Nikki, Cassie and Lily were laughing and looking amazed as Sirius was smiling proudly. 'You... are really good in transfiguration' Cassie told Remus now, just before James could turn on the music really loud and Sirius grabbed her arm to dance.

... and we danced until around three in the morning, when we saw Prof. Mc.Gonagall returning to her room. We ran to the closest passage and behind a wall we heard her scream and Lucía and Tatiana's laughter as she opened the door. We returned to the Gryffindor Tower and went straight to bed' Remus finished and sighed. 'The next morning, Minerva took all the students that were in the castle and asked the portraits to identify the ones who got in' he laughed a little 'They pointed Snivellus and said that he was the one that had got in. Minerva knew they were lying but she never could proove anything... luckily you can't give a truth potion to a portrait!' Harry laughed 'I haven't seen those portraits... maybe when I come back I'll check' he said thinking. 'They became really good friends with Sirius' told Remus 'But maybe I'll talk about that tomorrow... now it's really time to sleep' he kissed Harry's forehead 'Sweet dreams, Moony' said Harry 'Sweet dreams, Prongs Jr.' smiled Remus and closed his eyes.