Author's note: Well, well, well. Look who it is? It's me, adding another chapter! Weren't expecting that, now were you? (end of sarcasm) Haha...sorry it's been so long. A number of things got in the way. This chapter is not as long as it seemed while writing it...so sorry if it's a wee bit short. It was weird while writing it, but it has fairly serious feel to it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and I'll try to get another chapter up sooner rather than later. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! You guys are the best!
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The next day, when their classes had finished James, Lily, Peter, Tibby, Sirius, Remus and Snape went to see Dumbledore in his office.
It was a very sober meeting. They soon discovered that their Headmaster did not see this as an isolated incident, nor did he believe that this was another harmless prank. He impressed upon them the seriousness of what could have happened the previous night. Many lives could have been in danger, had they not taken the right route of action. In addition, Dumbledore was very aggrieved to see that the animosity which had existed within the group of students for so long, erupt in such a fashion.
Lily herself began to realize that she hadn't always been fair to the others, either. Her quickness to become irritated by the Gryffindor boys often led to more arguments and disruption that was needed. And despite how despicable she had always seen the fights between them and Snape, she saw (and hoped the others did, too) that they just kept provoking each other into constant battles for attention or for pride. It was pointless, and if they just stopped attacking each other (both verballing and with magic) they might at least be able to be civil.
She was especially glad that it appeared as though James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Snape were at least listening to Dumbledore. Whether or not they take his advice is another story altogether...but perhaps now they'll stop their petty bickering.
But what made them feel childish the most was when their Headmaster brought up the subject of Voldemort.
"All of you here are very strong and capable wizards and witches." His blue-eyed gaze reached each of them solemnly, as though ensuring that they knew he meant what he said. "In times of such turmoil, it seems doubly futile that we be fighting amongst ourselves." At this point she noticed James and Sirius exchange a look and glance darkly over at Snape. Lily was also skeptical if Snape was on Dumbledore's side. He'd called Lily a "mudblood" one time too many for her to believe in his goodness. But on the other hand, perhaps this is Dumbledore's way of trying to convince Snape? He's talking to him as if he's right with us.
"I cannot demand," he continued, "that you all be friends." The looks on the boys' faces told him they did not fancy being pals with Snape. "But, I can ask you to give each other the respect the other deserves." The Headmaster looked them all in the eyes again. "And I think it possible, when it is necessary, that one must learn to work and get along with those one doesn't usually like." One could practically feel the disagreement of the students in the room, but they still listened. "This goes not only for inside the classroom and at Hogwarts, but in the rest of your lives. You are always bound to find people who don't agree with you on certain subjects, or who don't appeal to you, but that is no reason to wage war against them."
He finished off by reminding them not to spread the fact that Remus Lupin was a werewolf and that it was wrong to exploit that. Surprisingly enough, they were not given detention. They lost points from Gryffindor and Slytherin, and after their talk with Dumbledore they all felt the worse for it; he had the effect of making a person feel ashamed of themselves for having dissappointed him.
When they were leaving Dumbledore called Sirius back to have a private talk with him. Sirius had not returned yet as Lily and Tibby made their way to the Girls' dormitory.
The next morning broke with a very grey sky and the sun shining weakly from beyond the clouds.
"Looks like it'll rain." said Tibby, staring up at the ceiling in the Great Hall.
"Yep." said James. "Won't be good for Quidditch Practice."
"Yeah, I'm post-poning it to thursday."
"Oh. Okay." James went back to shoving his breakfast around his plate with his fork.
Nobody much felt like conversation that morning. Remus and Sirius had been dead silent since yesterday. Peter was glancing nervously between them and kept making lousy jokes and then checking to see if anyone had cheered up yet. Lily observed Snape glaring in their direction once or twice, but other than that, they hadn't heard a peep from him since the following night. Lily remembered the beginning of their meeting with Dumbledore...
"They tried to kill me!" Snape had yelled, pointing at the Gryffindors. Some joke. Sirius's excuse had been nothing more than "He deserved it...the sneaky, greasy, slimeball." He hadn't said this in Snape's or Dumbledore's presence, of course. Immediately after Sirius's entrance into the Common Room on the night of the full moon, they had badgered him with questions. At first he laughed, thinking they were pulling his leg. He hadn't elaborated very much more, but Lily assumed he didn't want to say anything more in front of Lily and Tibby.
As they were heading off to bed, Tibby had said "I don't think Sirius really told us why he did it. Even James didn't look convinced. But I think I heard Sirius say to James that he'd tell him later."
"Yeah," said Lily, "he's probably the only one that will get the full story."
"I just can't believe Sirius could be so...vicious. It's not like him, really. There's got to be something else behind all this."
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A/N: I'm really terrible at coming up with chapter titles.