Chapter Seventeen: Into the Kitchens
They found them wandering around on the first floor, trying to find a way into the kitchens. "I have a killer idea for a really big prank," James explained. "But we need to get into the kitchens first." They asked several people who were in the paintings if they knew the way, but they all refused to tell any students the kitchens' whereabouts. After another hour of searching, the group collapsed on the floor in a corner of the hallway, across from a painting of a bowl of fruit. They were too tired to even badger James into revealing his plans. As they sat in silence, they saw a small form in a shapeless piece of cloth dart from their right over to the painting. The creature looked all around, and thinking it saw no one, began to tickle a painted pear that sat in the bowl of fruit.
The painting swung open, revealing vast kitchens, as well as a very small and very angry house elf standing right inside. "What is you doing, coming in through the hall? That's what we has secret passages for!"
The house elf (for that is what the creature was) began to energetically explain the circumstances, but the door shut behind the two forms. Remus and his friends sat in a shocked silence. This was the entrance they'd been searching for, and they had found it by pure chance.
James was the first to act. "Let's check it out!" he cried.
"Do you think we should just now?" Peter spoke up. "What if they don't want us to go in there and they report us?"
"I'm not afraid of detention," James replied curtly.
"No, that's not what I mean," Peter said hurriedly. "If we get caught there once, they might be keeping a better eye on us afterwards, or alerting the elves to watch for us. Why don't we wear the cloak?"
James looked thoughtful. "You're right, we can't just burst in the first time, but we can't always wear the cloak because the plan requires us to talk to the house elves. How about we get the cloak, then us guys will get under it and follow Lily in. We'll see how they react to her, then we can all come back later being visible."
Everyone agreed that this was the best course of action and Lily seemed quite proud that she was chosen as the scout. As they walked back to their tower to get the cloak, Lily asked James why he picked her to go in and talk to the house elves.
"Simple," James said. "You're prepared to deal with anything," (here Lily smiled as James paused) "...and you won't be involved in the actual prank, so it won't matter much if you get caught." Lily's smile vanished instantly.
"Why won't I be part of the prank, James?" she asked, obviously very hurt.
James looked a bit embarrassed. "I just don't think you should be involved. I don't want you to get in trouble on account of us."
Lily stamped her foot. "James Potter, I can make my own decisions on what is worth getting in trouble for, thank you very much!" Her face was very angry, but her eyes were filling with tears that threatened to spill over onto her cheeks. "But I don't want to be part of your testosterone filled macho plans anyway!" She whirled around and ran down the halls, while her friends stood there, shocked.
Remus was the first to run after her. "Lily!" he called. "Wait up!" Her only response was to look over her shoulder to see who was following. Seeing only Remus, she stopped and waited, arms crossed across her chest.
"What do you want?" she said. "Do you think I'm gonna come back and help you guys just so you can leave me out of the fun stuff?"
Remus shook his head. "No, I don't expect you to do that."
Lily's face brightened a bit. "Then you're going to tell James to let me in on your prank?"
Remus shook his head again. "You know how stubborn James is. Plus, I sort of agree with him."
"What?!?"
"I don't want you to get in trouble again," Remus replied calmly. "I think it would be better for you if you stayed out of the..." He trailed off, trying to think of the right word.
"The guy stuff," Lily finished for him. "It's ok, I understand you don't want a girl around while you boys all show off for each other. I thought you saw me as more than just another girl, but I was wrong." She didn't race off this time, just turned and walked slowly away, more disappointed than mad. Remus didn't know how to dispel her disappointment, so he didn't follow her. He turned just as slowly and returned to where James, Peter, Sirius and Austin still stood.
Austin spoke up after a minute of uncomfortable silence. "Well?" he said, looking at Remus.
"She's really mad at us," Remus said simply. "Or," he corrected, "she's really mad at James and me."
"What did you say to her?" James demanded.
"I said that I agreed with you but I didn't expect her to help us scout out the kitchens and then sit out the prank," Remus said slowly.
"You agree with me?" James looked surprised. "Do you all agree with me?" Sirius, Peter and Austin all nodded. James gave a small half grin. "Well, that will make it easier."
"Let's just not mention it to her again," Remus suggested. "We can do our thing and she can do hers, but we can't just leave her all of the time."
The others agreed to this. They didn't want to lose Lily as a friend. So they appointed Austin the scout for the kitchen mission (he looked the most innocent of the bunch), they retrieved James' cloak and they entered the kitchens. To their surprise, the house elves were very excited to see Austin and they gave him more food than he could carry. Once they got back to their room, James declared that their prank would work very well.
The next morning at breakfast, Lily came and sat with the group as usual. She apparently had also decided it was best to not discuss the subject, because she didn't mention it, nor did she act coldly towards her friends. Remus was proud of Lily for being so strong and controlled when he knew how upset she had been. He wanted to talk to her in private to see what was going on between them, but it was hard to find the time.
They found them wandering around on the first floor, trying to find a way into the kitchens. "I have a killer idea for a really big prank," James explained. "But we need to get into the kitchens first." They asked several people who were in the paintings if they knew the way, but they all refused to tell any students the kitchens' whereabouts. After another hour of searching, the group collapsed on the floor in a corner of the hallway, across from a painting of a bowl of fruit. They were too tired to even badger James into revealing his plans. As they sat in silence, they saw a small form in a shapeless piece of cloth dart from their right over to the painting. The creature looked all around, and thinking it saw no one, began to tickle a painted pear that sat in the bowl of fruit.
The painting swung open, revealing vast kitchens, as well as a very small and very angry house elf standing right inside. "What is you doing, coming in through the hall? That's what we has secret passages for!"
The house elf (for that is what the creature was) began to energetically explain the circumstances, but the door shut behind the two forms. Remus and his friends sat in a shocked silence. This was the entrance they'd been searching for, and they had found it by pure chance.
James was the first to act. "Let's check it out!" he cried.
"Do you think we should just now?" Peter spoke up. "What if they don't want us to go in there and they report us?"
"I'm not afraid of detention," James replied curtly.
"No, that's not what I mean," Peter said hurriedly. "If we get caught there once, they might be keeping a better eye on us afterwards, or alerting the elves to watch for us. Why don't we wear the cloak?"
James looked thoughtful. "You're right, we can't just burst in the first time, but we can't always wear the cloak because the plan requires us to talk to the house elves. How about we get the cloak, then us guys will get under it and follow Lily in. We'll see how they react to her, then we can all come back later being visible."
Everyone agreed that this was the best course of action and Lily seemed quite proud that she was chosen as the scout. As they walked back to their tower to get the cloak, Lily asked James why he picked her to go in and talk to the house elves.
"Simple," James said. "You're prepared to deal with anything," (here Lily smiled as James paused) "...and you won't be involved in the actual prank, so it won't matter much if you get caught." Lily's smile vanished instantly.
"Why won't I be part of the prank, James?" she asked, obviously very hurt.
James looked a bit embarrassed. "I just don't think you should be involved. I don't want you to get in trouble on account of us."
Lily stamped her foot. "James Potter, I can make my own decisions on what is worth getting in trouble for, thank you very much!" Her face was very angry, but her eyes were filling with tears that threatened to spill over onto her cheeks. "But I don't want to be part of your testosterone filled macho plans anyway!" She whirled around and ran down the halls, while her friends stood there, shocked.
Remus was the first to run after her. "Lily!" he called. "Wait up!" Her only response was to look over her shoulder to see who was following. Seeing only Remus, she stopped and waited, arms crossed across her chest.
"What do you want?" she said. "Do you think I'm gonna come back and help you guys just so you can leave me out of the fun stuff?"
Remus shook his head. "No, I don't expect you to do that."
Lily's face brightened a bit. "Then you're going to tell James to let me in on your prank?"
Remus shook his head again. "You know how stubborn James is. Plus, I sort of agree with him."
"What?!?"
"I don't want you to get in trouble again," Remus replied calmly. "I think it would be better for you if you stayed out of the..." He trailed off, trying to think of the right word.
"The guy stuff," Lily finished for him. "It's ok, I understand you don't want a girl around while you boys all show off for each other. I thought you saw me as more than just another girl, but I was wrong." She didn't race off this time, just turned and walked slowly away, more disappointed than mad. Remus didn't know how to dispel her disappointment, so he didn't follow her. He turned just as slowly and returned to where James, Peter, Sirius and Austin still stood.
Austin spoke up after a minute of uncomfortable silence. "Well?" he said, looking at Remus.
"She's really mad at us," Remus said simply. "Or," he corrected, "she's really mad at James and me."
"What did you say to her?" James demanded.
"I said that I agreed with you but I didn't expect her to help us scout out the kitchens and then sit out the prank," Remus said slowly.
"You agree with me?" James looked surprised. "Do you all agree with me?" Sirius, Peter and Austin all nodded. James gave a small half grin. "Well, that will make it easier."
"Let's just not mention it to her again," Remus suggested. "We can do our thing and she can do hers, but we can't just leave her all of the time."
The others agreed to this. They didn't want to lose Lily as a friend. So they appointed Austin the scout for the kitchen mission (he looked the most innocent of the bunch), they retrieved James' cloak and they entered the kitchens. To their surprise, the house elves were very excited to see Austin and they gave him more food than he could carry. Once they got back to their room, James declared that their prank would work very well.
The next morning at breakfast, Lily came and sat with the group as usual. She apparently had also decided it was best to not discuss the subject, because she didn't mention it, nor did she act coldly towards her friends. Remus was proud of Lily for being so strong and controlled when he knew how upset she had been. He wanted to talk to her in private to see what was going on between them, but it was hard to find the time.