Chapter 19

The last remnants of winter released their grip, giving way to the colors of spring. Reds, yellows, oranges, whites, pinks, purples, blues, and greens danced across the grassy shores of the lake. The flowers were in bloom and the wind whistled in the green leaf buds that were beginning to grow again. The rainy seasons had already passed leaving behind an emerald green sea of grass that the students walked upon on their way to class. The cold of winter left the air replaced by the beauty of spring.

But the fifth and seventh years could not enjoy spring's allurement. Instead they were locked inside preparing for the O.W.L's and the N.E.W.T.'s. The tension of the upcoming exams could be felt the minute one ventured into the library or one of the common rooms. The silence filled the rooms of the studying pupils and anyone who uttered a word was shushed by a very irritated Lily. She was hoping to make a perfect score, something no one had accomplished in 110 years. But her studying was often interrupted by worried thoughts of Claire, so whenever Lily could focus she began very angry with anyone who broke her concentration.

But yet, Lily should not be worrying over Claire because Claire was feeling a lot better. Over the past few months she had gone back and spent time with her mum, who wasn't even beginning to show signs of weakness. In fact her mum seemed to be strong and healthy. Lily was hopeful that a miracle would happen as was Dylan, who had been informed shortly after the last Quidditch game. The three of them had sat down that night and talked about everything from Remus, to James, to Sirius, who Claire still loved even though she refused to admit it. Lily suspected that by denying her love for Sirius, Claire was keeping up a brick from her wall of protection. And that brick was something that no matter how hard she tried, Lily could not dispose of it.



Since the haunting nightmare, Sirius had tried to put Claire behind him. He did whatever he could to forget about her. And for the most part it had worked; he had a new girlfriend, a pretty Ravenclaw with light blond hair and hazel eyes. But deep down hidden in his heart was a piece of Claire that he could not, no matter what he did, forget. But Sirius didn't have time to worry about girls. He was studying for his exams something that he should have began months before the N.E.W.T.'s.

The hours slowly ticked by and the Gryffindors began to leave the common room for sleep awaited them in their soft four poster beds. But Sirius could not sleep the exams were in a week and the diagrams of Transfiguration confused him to no end.

"To transfigure a dog into a rock you must first concentrate very hard and imagine the dog becoming the rock. Remember the steps that you took when transfiguring a toad into a cup. It is along those lines. Follow the simple rules of animal transfiguration as written..."

Sirius read those lines over and over again, but they wouldn't stay in his mind. With a frustrated grunt he shoved the book away.

"Sirius," Lily said from across the room. She had been sitting all alone reviewing the Unforgivable Curses.

"Oh, uh, sorry Lily," he said.

"It's ok, I understand, ahh the lovely pressure of exams," she said with sarcasm.

"Oh yes," he said.

"Well what are you studying? Maybe I can help," she replied walking over to him. She then picked up the Transfiguration book. "Oh, animal transfigurations, I loved those."

"Yeah, well I didn't," Sirius said angrily.

"Look it's simple you just imagine the dog as a rock, then you say the magic words and boom! The dog is a rock!"

"What about the rules? It says look at the rules as written," Sirius said.

"They don't matter, it's just stuff that the author wrote to make it seem more complicated then it is, just do what I told you and you'll be fine," she said and got up to go to bed.

"Thanks Lil," he said turning back to his work.

"No problem, but I must be going." With that she got up and walked out of the Portrait hole to the head common rooms where her big feathery bed awaited her.



In his big Head Boy bed, James lay awake, his mind cluttered with thoughts. Random facts and figures of the past 7 years of school danced throughout his mind. But at the center of his brain an image of a girl with red hair spun out of control. He smiled to himself and remembered their kisses. How he wanted her, he would give anything for her. And for the first time she was within his grasp. If he could only reach out and touch her.

A soft sound of Lily's door closing interrupted his thoughts. He sat up quickly, reaching over he grabbed his glasses from the same spot he put them down every single night and without a second's hesitation he got up. James was in a dazed trance, caused from lack of sleep, studying too long and hard, and brain malfunction. By the time he regained his mind, James was standing with his hands on Lily's doorknob. And before he could stop his hands the doorknob twisted. 'Stupid hands, stop right now, no no don't keep moving, bad hand,' he thought. But it was too late, the door opened into a beautiful blue room. And Lily was lying in bed fast asleep, for she had fallen asleep in minutes, still dressed in her clothes.

James surveyed the room. It was exactly like his own, except cluttered muggle photos were tacked to the walls. They were of smiling 13 year olds, sophisticated 15 year olds trying not to smile, and 17 year olds walking outside. It was like a timeline of Lily, Claire, and Dylan's lives. Occasionally he saw himself or other Marauders but for the most part it was of the three best friends. He walked closer to the wall of the earlier pictures, and bent down to look at a picture of an 11 year old Claire. As he looked closer, James noticed a picture tucked safely behind that of Claire's. He gently pulled it out. A young girl with red hair danced around a tall scrawny brown haired girl. James turned it over and read, 'Lily and Petunia, ages 5 and 7." He smiled at the sisters and safely put the faded torn photograph back.

James looked over at her, a sleeping angel quiet and peaceful. He walked over to Lily and bent down to kiss her forehead, but as he leaned in her bright green eyes blinked. "James," she said faintly.

"Oh," he said surprised. "I'll just...ummm...leave."

"No, stay," Lily whispered. She didn't know what had come over her, maybe it was the fact that when she was half asleep she was ten times more relaxed and happy.

"Ok," he said shuffling his feet.

"Sit down," Lily said gesturing toward the bed.

"Sure," he replied sitting down.

"What were you doing in here," Lily asked.

"Oh...I...," James stuttered searching frantically for an excuse.

"I bet you were looking for my Potions essay on the Draught of Living Death," she said giving him a ready excuse.

"Yeah, I didn't want to wake you up though," he said and then finding courage, "I thought you looked to peaceful."

Lily giggled and pulled him down next to her. "I'm far from peaceful," she said and kissed him hard. James was quite taken aback, he had no idea what have come over her. They weren't really sure about their whole relationship. He knew she liked him, but other then that they had never really said anything about it, just occasional snogging. Well it doesn't matter she's kissing me and with that thought he stopped thinking and kissed her back.

James could never get over the scent of her, lilies of the valley. It hung upon her beautiful hair which he held as he rolled over next to her. She felt so amazing. She knew how to kiss him just the right way, the way he could never forget. Her kisses made him forget all the other girls. She made him feel like it was his first time all over again. Her kisses remained in his mind forever. They were carefully tucked away in a place that he could open only when he thought of her.

"Lily," he said after kissing her checks lightly.

"What?" she said brushing her fingers against his cheekbone.

"Are we 'going out' now?" he asked tentively.

"I don't know," she said with a smile and kissed him again running her tongue inside his mouth.

James murmured and kissed her back while putting his arms around her. Here was where he could be forever.

They fell asleep next to each other wrapped up in their love and happiness. They were fated to meet, but they choose to love one another. It was a strange thing, the working of the world.



Dylan had been up late for days studying. She hadn't really decided what she wanted to be, but she wanted to keep her options open, so she wanted to make top marks. But for this Saturday night two hours of studying was enough. It was time for her to have some fun. But there was no fun to be had. Remus still was avoiding her, she knew he was waiting to tell her, but he was scared. And Sean confused her. She didn't know what to do anymore, and all she wanted was some fun.

Dylan looked out the window in the common room and noticed that the moon's beams could not be found, that meant the last night had been a full moon. She glanced over at the hunched tired figure of Remus. And she so took in a deep breath and walked over to him.

"Hi Remus," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm just a bit tired," he said looking up from his Charms notes. "And you?"

"Oh I'm fine, I wanted to look at the moon, but I forgot there wasn't one, because last night it was a full moon," Dylan said trying to indirectly bring up the subject.

"Yeah, last night was pretty," he said nervously. It was now or never.

"I wish I could've seen it but I was studying," she replied waiting for him to tell her.

Remus looked at Dylan with his sea green eyes. He was tired and irritated and he did not feel like telling her now. "I saw it."

"Did you?"

"Yes, I looked at it through my window," he said. He would tell her later. But then again he told himself he was going to tell her months ago.

"Really?" she asked. Dylan's heart fell. If he could not tell her, then he could not trust her, and if he couldn't trust her they had nothing.

"Umm, well actually..." he said. He mind went back and forth trying to decide.

Dylan looked at him with raised eyebrows. She had learned a thing or two from Lily when it came to acting.

"Well Dylan...I'm...," he stuttered.

Dylan said nothing, but rather continued to stare.

"A...a...a...," he took a deep breath, "a...werewolf. I'm a werewolf."

Dylan pretended to look shocked.

"And it's ok if you never want to look at me again. I'll understand, but if you could, would you still be my friend because...," he trailed off.

She remained silent.

"Because I love you Dylan," Remus said.

All of a sudden she felt overwhelmed. Dylan had planned it all out. She would still be his friend. She would still talk to him, but she would remain with Sean. But now he threw this at her. She didn't know how to react now. It was ten times more complicated. She had to say something though, because the silence was torturing her.

"Ok, I get it," Remus said sadly. He got up to leave. This killed him; he had put his heart out on the line, offered it to her. And she could say nothing.

Dylan watched him go before finally saying a word, "No."

"What?" he said turning.

"NO REMUS," she yelled rather loudly earning glares from a couple fifth years.

He looked at her sadly.

"Don't leave," she said quietly. "I will always be your friend."

Remus smiled faintly, "Good."

Dylan walked over to him and gave him the biggest hug. He wasn't worth losing, she really cared about him, even loved him, if was possible to love someone after only knowing him for 8 or 9 months. It was the question of what kind of love. Brotherly love or in love? She still didn't know. But she felt a million times better then she had over the last few months.

Remus broke away and said, "Thanks Dylan for understanding, but I'm going to go to bed now. I'm tired from all that studying."

"Alright, I am too, so I'll see you sometime tomorrow," she said. With that she got up and walked into bed felling the happiness of the previous moment disappear. Now that Remus had told her she would have to make a choice between him and Sean.



"With spring comes rebirth, growth, and joy," Claire read from the book her mother had bought her when she was little and curious about everything from the clouds to the way people thought. Now she didn't care about people anymore, well with the exception of her close friends and family. Now everything in spring reminded her of death and of grief. Her mother was fighting hard, but the cancer would soon take its toll. The doctor had told them this grimly on their last visit. Now was not like it had been when Claire had first read those lines of spring. But yet she had Lily now and Dylan. And so now, spring didn't seem so bad.

Claire closed her eyes images of lighting and comets swirled throughout her mind. She wished that she would ride a shooting star far away from this world far off into the deep black of the universe. And so as Claire closed her eyes and fell asleep that night, dreams of shooting stars found their way into her mind. She would study tomorrow.

The close related six all slept soundly into the night. They were wrapped up in their lives, so much that they could not see Peter fading away. In fact few noticed him anymore. The three girls had taken over the Marauders and so it was not even and Peter had felt awkward so he slowly found other friends. In fact he had all but left their lives, though, Lily, Claire, and Dylan had never really known him. But he would forever play a part in the future.



Authors Note:

Woohoo! I'm done, that was an incredibly long chapter for me.

I had to throw in the Peter thing because I think that everyone, including myself, overlook him or at least don't properly portray him. But I don't really like Peter so I try to not really write about him, because this story really doesn't have to do with him. But I wanted to throw that in.

Once again: Sorry if my grammar is crap.