Catch Me If You Can
Chapter Thirty ll An Eventful Trip
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A week later, things got heptic as they got packed for their following exchange trip to Beauxbatons.
With a sigh, Lily murmured a spell and directing her hovering robes into her suitcase. Muttering another charm, the robes began to fold themselves up neatly.
"You know what," she said finally, to her friends, "I don't really want to leave Hogwarts anymore -- I know that I can't back out of it now, seeing as we're leaving tomorrow, and anyway I'd regret it later, but still..."
She sighed.
"You're just feeling a little -- well um..." Anna stumbled across words as she bit her lip in concentration, "Homesick, perhaps?"
"How could she? She hasn't even left yet and Hogwarts can't count as our home," Paige said matter-of-factly. Then she paused and looked up at Anna and Lily, "Can it?"
"Hogwarts isn't my home -- exactly," Lily admitted slowly, "But it's one of my homes, at least."
Di was predictably quiet during this dialogue. Lily didn't understand why. Di used to be such an open, bright person. Now it was like she was part of the background.
"It'll be okay, it only goes for a fortnight," Di spoke up. The others nodded in agreement.
It was an entirely different story for the Marauders.
"Finally!" James exclaimed, as a brown barn owl swooped into their dormitory and dropped a parcel on his bed, "Been waiting for a week--"
The other three crowded around as he ripped the brown paper off the package.
"Hey, James? You've got a letter as well," Remus said, picking up the yellowy parchment envelope that had dropped onto the floor.
"What?" James said distractedly, "Oh, can you see what it says--?"
Remus unfolded the parchment, " 'Dear James, here are the items you wanted me to get you from Kalail's. I hope they are satisfactory, dear ....bla bla bla... I miss you... bla bla bla -- be careful at Beauxbatons. Love, Cheryl Potter (mum).' "
"That's nice of mum," James said, his tongue between his teeth. He tugged at the paper one more time and it ripped right off.
The box fell open and many brightly coloured objects spilled out.
"Oh wow!" James said excitedly, dropping the paper and looking closely at the objects, "She even got us Blasting Bomb Bazarnoes!"
"No kidding!" Sirius gasped, "Whoa!"
After another ten minutes of poring through their new stock of prank items, they went back to their 'real' packing.
"Hey you guys," James called, as he tried unsuccessfully to push the cover of his overflowing suitcase down, "We'll have to spread out our prank gear, I can't carry all of this by myself."
He took out the package and began to distribute the items out to his three friends.
"Alright, remember what you've got," James said warningly, "We're going to use every bit of these at Beauxbatons."
"Really now?" Sirius smirked, "There are quite a few beauties around Beauxy and we wouldn't want them to think too low of us... One of my cousins' best friend goes there. Man, is she a girl. Part Veela. There are quite a few in Beauxbatons."
Remus quirked an eyebrow.
"I thought you fancied Paige."
Sirius gave a deep sigh as he dropped the last of his clothes, "I ... I dunno. I don't think we count as much of a couple -- most people just see us as friends and that's how I see things as well..."
James and Remus exchanged worried glances.
"Well mate, you better clear that up with her soon," James said, choosing his words carefully, "Before you lead her... well, you know -- astray."
Sirius shot up, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look Sirius, have a talk to her about where you guys stand. And soon, or else you could seriously end up hurting her in the end," Remus advised.
"Why? What are you saying?"
"All we're saying is that Paige might become a little too keen on you if you just keep leading her to think you're both an item, so talk to her about it," James said simply.
Sirius looked blank.
"She doesn't like me that way... Does she?"
He seemed a little lost, yet thoughtful.
---
The next morning, Lily had worked herself up into a frenzied state. She was nervous about everything.
The other students were about to have a normal start-of-the-week day. But not the group; they were going to board carriages and set off to Beauxbatons. It was a long trip; they weren't going to reach there until sundown.
"Evans, eat."
"Why would you care?" Lily frowned at James, who was piling her plate with toast.
"I don't want you to starve," he responded simply. She stared at him.
"Why not?"
James looked shocked, "Because when people starve, they die. I wouldn't want anyone to die."
"Really now?" Lily scoffed, though she could feel the corners of her mouth twitch in amusement.
"Well, Snape and Malfoy can go and jump off cliffs," James gave such an angelic smile.
Lily rolled her eyes and bit into a slice of toast to keep the smile that was threatening to appear away.
James smiled and observed her as if she was his science project.
"Dammit," she let the slice of toast slip out of her hands loosely, "What do you want, Potter?"
As he opened his mouth, she added quickly, "And don't say a hug."
James pouted.
"Then I don't want anything."
"Then stop looking at me!"
"Why not?"
Lily compromised by turning her back to him.
When the time came to board the coaches, Professor Zeroni, who was in charge, told the eight that they were to partner up. James immediately grabbed onto Lily's arm.
"What are you doing?!" she hissed at him.
"You're my partner, isn't it obvious?" James said, raising his eyebrows.
"I never agreed to that--" Lily started.
"Well, you can agree now," he said innocently.
"But--"
"Everyone partnered up?" Professor Zeroni interrupted in her clear voice, "Good."
Lily turned around helplessly and saw that the pairs were Remus & Peter, Anna & Di and Sirius & Paige.
James didn't look too happy about the last pair.
They soon found out that the reason for the partnering up was that there were two to a carriage. Lily was extremely displeased at this, but lightened up when they were told that you could visit other carriages.
However, they were to remain in their seats until they had journeyed past the Rick Mountains, which was about a half an hour trip across. So Lily and James managed to start a conversation up during that half hour.
Before long, James brought up the subject of Paige and Sirius.
"Soooo... what do you reckon the others are doing?" he asked.
Lily sighed, and leant back in her seat. She glanced out at the mountain scenery that was rumbling pass her window.
"Talking, sleeping, eating... Who knows," she responded unhelpfully.
James looked thoughtful.
"What do you think about Sirius and Paige?" he finally asked.
Lily almost shot up with interest, "What do you mean?"
"Well, you know..." he shifted uncomfortably, "D'you think they count as a couple?"
"A couple, you say?" the redhead seemed astounded, "I dunno... They've always showed a bit more interest in each other than just friends, however. And Paige admitted once that she has a bit of a crush on him--" Lily shrugged, "--I really have no idea. They're like friends -- that flirt with each other a lot. Does that make sense?"
James nodded simply, "I suppose so. Sirius told us -- me, Remus and Pete -- that he really thinks they're nothing more than friends."
"What, so Sirius doesn't fancy her?!" Lily looked shocked and even murderous. James backed away a little bit.
"Um, I don't reckon so... But Paige fancies Sirius, doesn't she?" he said sadly.
"He -- he -- he flirts with her so much!" Lily screeched.
"Well, Sirius is a bit of a player..." James admitted unhelpfully.
"I'M GOING TO MURDER HIM!" Lily screamed, getting up from her seat. James gasped and pushed her back down.
"Calm down, Lily."
"He's going to hurt her," she muttered incoherently, "He's led her to think that he really likes her, when he's just stuffing around. You just cannot treat a girl that way!"
And she stood up again.
James pushed her back down.
"Lily, calm down! Listen, leave this one to me--"
"You're just as bad as he is!" Lily yelled. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth, as James quirked an eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked accusingly.
"Nothing, forget it," the redhead muttered, slumping lower in her seat.
"All right then," James said dismissively, "But don't go around decapitating Sirius..."
Lily hid a smile.
"I need to talk to Anna about this. And Di," she murmured, after a little while of silence.
"Well, I think we're almost out of the mountains. Another fifteen minutes to go, I think," James looked out of the window, "Just... just go to sleep. Come on, now."
He cupped Lily's face and leant it against the wall.
"Good, little girl. Now sleep. Rock a by baby, on the treetops--"
"Oh shut up, Potter, I'm not a baby," Lily said scathingly, trying not to laugh.
"--when the wind blows, the cradle will rock--"
"I don't need a lullaby to fall asleep!"
"-- ... Oh darn, I can't remember how the rest of that lullaby goes," James paused for a moment, then shrugged, "Oh well, it's not the end of the world."
And he began to hum the rest of it, to Lily's utter disappointment.
---
When the carriages had finally left the rocky mountains and Lily had woken up from her nap, James insisted that he would guide her safely to Anna and Di's carriage.
"Alright, then, safety check," he said seriously, walking up to the door. He poked his head out into the deserted corridor, "The coast is clear. But you never know... someone could be lurking around the corner -- ready to pounce on you!"
Behind him, Lily rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, can we just go now--?"
"So the key is to check," James continued, ignoring Lily, "Do this by simply sticking your head - -and only your head! -- out. Then back in. Then out again. Then back in. Then out once more, and back in. Alright, everything's usual and safe? Take a cautious step out, then back in--"
"Oh, come off it already!" Lily said, trying not to laugh. She pushed him forward.
"Hey! If you had done that during a serious occasion, someone could have attacked you silly!" James accused, but the redhead had already walked forward, and was about to pull the door handle to Anna's carriage, before James yelped as if he had just been scalded with hot water.
He leapt up to Lily, and pulled her away from the door.
"Wh--what?" she spluttered, staring at the door as if a boa constrictor was guarding it.
"Never, never, never open an unlocked door without performing Potter Safety Check Number 27!" James exclaimed indignantly, "Which is, 'Proceed cautiously towards the door in question, knock on it, then run away and hide behind a corner before the occupant answers your knock. When you see the occupant open the door, laugh silently from the position you are hidden in. If you recognise this person as your friend, repeat the process twice more, just in case. If the person is recognised as an axe murderer, repeat the process thrice for your own amusement.'
"Okay?" James said seriously, while Lily tried her best to not crack up.
"James, this sort of thing -- knock and run -- amused me when I was five," she said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.
"This is not for our entertainment!" he said heatedly, looking shocked at the very idea, "It is Potter Safety Check Number 27!"
"Whatever it is -- it's a waste of time!"
And so they argued.
Five minutes later, Lily found herself standing directly in front of the door 'in question' with James beside her, giving encouraging glances and nudges.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered, and she knocked on the door.
James hissed, "Run!" and the two tripped and galloped around a corner, in which they promptly collapsed onto the floor. Then, as to follow the Safety Check, they both peeked around the corner, and saw Di opening the door. She looked puzzled.
The door was then shut again.
James was laughing silently.
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Just two more times," she murmured to herself as she got up.
So after two more 'knock and runs', Lily finally did the thing she had been delayed of doing for fifteen minutes.
She pulled the door handle and let herself in, with James giggling after her.
"Lily!" Anna exclaimed, "Was it you who knocked three times?!"
"Yeah," Lily said apologetically, shooting a glare at James, "It's a long story--"
Lily squished in beside Anna, and James sat on the arm railing of Di's seat, so they could discuss what they had to come to discuss about.
"So Sirius has been toying with Paige?!" Anna gasped, "That git!"
"Why are you all turning against him?" James said helplessly, "Honestly, it's hard for him too. He can't help his nature, and he wants Paige's friendship. Just nothing more."
The girls glanced at each other.
"But he's misleading her," Anna said quietly, "It's not fair to Paige."
"Listen, you all know Sirius is a good person," James said seriously, "And we all know that nobody is perfect. Well this is one of Sirius' many, many flaws."
Lily smiled, "Well, I suppose so... All the same, he's not doing the right thing."
"I know he's not," James said, relieved that she wasn't blowing up, "And I'm going to have a talk with him. Now."
"Now?" Di questioned, "Are you sure that's wise? Isn't he paired off with Paige?"
"Well, get Paige in here," James said carelessly, "We could have a boy chat, and you guys could have a girl chat. It'll be a bit cramped, but four people can fit in just one carriage..."
With that, he left, talking away to himself.
"So, do you really think Paige likes Sirius?" Anna asked Lily.
"Well, it's kind of hard to tell..."
Di nodded in agreement.
Two minutes later, Paige herself entered their carriage, looking quite dreamy.
"Hi guys!" she said happily, squeezing herself beside Di, "I'm in love."
The three other girls looked extremely worried at this.
"In love? At your age?" Lily joked weakly, "Well, who's the lucky guy?"
"Oh, you know," Paige smiled luxuriously.
"Sirius?!" both Anna and Di screeched.
"Yes," Paige continued to smile dreamily, and she leant back with a relaxed sigh, "He's simply perfect."
"No one's perfect," Lily said at once.
"He's perfect for me," Paige rephrased, not recognising the cold shoulders her friends were giving her.
There was silence for awhile, as Paige looked reminiscence-ish and Di, Anna and Lily thought dully how things could not get worse.
"Umm, are you quite sure you -- love him, exactly?" Lily finally said.
"Of course," Paige said at once, she sighed again, "It's just so easy talking to him -- he's so charming and funny and nice -- and he's so good-looking -- I can just imagine him fathering our childen-"
"Okay... so you spend an hour with him, talking alone in a carriage, and you're already making plans on having kids?" Di said skeptically
"Yes, and it's lovely talking to him -- oh, you guys, he makes me so happy."
"Paige, try talking to a few other guys and tell me how you feel by the end of the day," Di said dryly.
"And," Paige continued, obviously ignoring Di, "I think he likes me."
Lily felt as if her stomach had plummeted to the ground.
"How do you know?"
"He's always flirting and looking and smiling at me," Paige answered dreamily.
"He could just be playing with you," Anna said gently, "Boys can be misleading, Paige- - you think they're besotted with you, but in reality you're just their toy."
"What's wrong with you three?" cried Paige, "You're acting so pessimistic! I can't help it if you aren't liked by any boys, but you don't have to ruin my happ--"
Lily gaped at Paige, unable to believe she had just said that.
"Excuse me," Di said quietly, glaring at the brunette, "But in case you don't remember, I have a boyfriend."
Anna just Looked at Paige.
"You three are just jealous!" she yelled at them, "Well I'm sorry! I just thought friends put their friends before themselves--"
"Oh shut it, Paige," Di said angrily, "None of us are jealous over you having someone like you -- it's not as if they aren't liked by anyone. Anyone can see that James and that bloke in third year's besotted with Lily and Anna."
Anna and Lily looked alarmed.
"--Listen up Paige, Sirius doesn't like you. He's toying with you, James told us! He doesn't want anything more than your friendship, and we want to tell you before you end up getting seriously hurt."
Paige stared at Di, then at Lily, who nodded meekly, and at Anna, whose eyes drifted down onto the blue carpet.
"I'm sorry," Paige said quietly, "I'm sorry you lead such melachony lives."
With that, she turned on her heel and left the carriage.
Di let out a breath that she had been holding in.
"I'm sorry you two -- I suppose I was a little hard on her," she said quietly, turning her head and looking out of the window.
"No -- no, you weren't," Anna said wearily.
"Yeah, she needs to know the truth," Lily said, with a small sigh.
They sat in silence.
--The Marauders--
"You still haven't told her yet?" Remus said, gaping at Sirius, who looked uncomfortable.
"No-o-o," he admitted, "But -- what if she is a little keen? I mean, I don't really mind going out with her for a little while, but it wouldn't last long. I 'spect a week, perhaps..."
"Sirius, you git," James said impatiently, "Tell her. Tell her you don't have any intention in having a relationship with her. If you don't, you have a mad Lily Evans to tend to."
Sirius looked fearful.
"Alright, alright... I'll have a talk to Paige when she comes back... I wish I didn't have to, though," he said mournfully, "It could ruin our friendship... and that is something I do want from her."
Remus and James remained quiet. So did Peter, but this at least was natural.
Paige burst into the carriage at that moment, taking all four boys by surprise.
"Why, hello Paige!" James said, a little too loudly and heartily, which only confirmed Paige's fear that they had been talking about her moments before.
"Hi," she said as frostily as she dared. Everything seemed to be going upside down for her; moments ago, she had the happiest girl alive. Then those stupid friends of her -- Lily, Anna and quiet, little Di -- had ruined it all.
"Listen up Paige, Sirius doesn't like you. He's toying with you, James told us! He doesn't want anything more than your friendship, and we want to tell you before you end up getting seriously hurt."
Di's words rang in her head.
"I need to talk to you, Sirius. Alone," she looked at Remus, James and Peter apologetically, yet there was something icy in her eyes.
"All right," James said automatically, leaping up from his spot.
"Good luck," Remus said quietly to Sirius, also getting up. Peter waved.
The three left a gaping Sirius Black behind, alone with an almost-snarling Paige.
"Is it true, then?" Paige asked loftily, seating herself opposite of Sirius once the boys had left.
Sirius took a second to collect himself.
"Wh--what's true?" he asked meekly.
"That you've been -- misleading me," Paige hissed, looking angry.
Sirius stayed quiet, and he hung his head in shame. Paige gave a long, hard sigh.
"So it's true. You've been playing all along -- you didn't -- you didn't mean -- you didn't mean -- ...any of it?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear and anger.
"I'm sorry--"
"No -- no, you're not," Paige said coldly, aware that her eyes were stinging in pain.
"No, I am," Sirius said helplessly, "I didn't mean for it to hurt you--"
"Of course, boys never tend to mean anything," Paige said sarcastically, "They're just a bunch of players."
"Listen Paige, I can't deny that I've been having a little fun with you but--" Sirius looked around for help, but found nothing except for a waste can and a pale blue curtain, "--I still want your friendship."
Paige absolutely could not believe it. She had just been led to thought that Sirius might actually really like her, and here he was, not apologising for being an over-rated jerk, but actually asking for friendship.
"Tough luck, I don't want yours," she said angrily.
Sirius watched in dismay as the brunette sprang up with dignity and left the carriage. She slammed the door, making the sound echo against the walls.
He sighed and put his head in his hands.
'Have a talk with her... it will only make things better...' Yeah right, Sirius thought dully, I'm never taking advice from Remus and James again...
James and Lily were both in their own carriage. James was cheering the redhead up.
"Lily, did you know that you have eyes? Two eyes, at that? And they're green?"
She scowled at him.
"Oh all right... so you did. Well, I had no idea so you mustn't blame me. And anyway--" James looked up when the door to their carriage opened, and none other than Paige stood there.
"Lily," she choked out, tears streaming down her face, "I'm sorry."
James watched, astounded, as the redhead sprang up and hugged Paige tightly.
"Talk with Sirius didn't go too well?" he said unhelpfully, after a few minutes of silence, except for Paige's light sobs.
"Obviously," Lily said quietly, helping Paige to her seat, "What happened?"
"S--Sirius can g--go jump off a--a cliff," Paige managed to say furiously, through her tears.
"Well that explains quite a bit," James said, looking surprised.
"James -- I think we should swap partners. Paige can stay with me and you can go with Sirius. Please," Lily added wearily, as James opened his mouth to protest, "It's the only way it'll work."
He looked disappointed.
"Look, I'll give you this--"
Lily released Paige, walked over to James awkwardly and hugged him, to his surprise.
"Oh -- alright -- fine," he stammered, still shocked that Lily would do that voluntarily.
Lily gave him a light-tipped smile, and he left their carriage, after collecting a few of his possessions.
Paige had managed to calm down, and she had a watery smile on her face which Lily noticed as she sat back down.
"What?"
"You're lucky," Paige said quietly, almost whispering, "He likes you -- he's besotted with you, as Di would say..."
She sighed deeply.
"I'm such an idiot for ever trusting Sirius... for ever believing him..."
"Oh Paige, I've seen more thick people, believe me," Lily comforted, putting her arms around Paige.
The boys also had their talk, with Sirius being dull and depressed. Di and Anna came to Paige and Lily, and apologies were blurted out incoherently. Everything was okay between them in the end.
The carriages reached Beauxbatons at last, and the group stumbled out uncertainly.
It seemed like they had left home ages ago.
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---->A/N: Aww... poor Paige. =[ --MSQ.