Chapter 15 ~ Together Again
Muriel, followed by her father and Aunt Rosa, came nonchalantly through the barrier to platform 9 ¾. She looked around for Sirius. She hadn't seen him, or anyone else, all summer long. As her gaze wandered from one laughing group of students to the next, she felt an almighty tug on her sleeve.
"Marisa!" Her friend pulled her away from the adults to join the others with whom she'd shared a dorm for the last 6 years. They were all giggling and talking over one another.
"You're so tan!"
"How was the Italian food?"
"How were the Italian MEN?" At this all 4 girls began giggling again, and Mur rolled her eyes emphatically.
"Fabulous! There was a photo shoot on the stretch of beach below Aunt Rosa's house. The house is invisible, so the magazine photographers must have thought it was a public beach. You should have seen them all, muscles glistening under all that oil, and tan lines in places you wouldn't believe!"
Muriel was having a wonderful time baiting her friends. "And they were all SOOO interested. I mean, you expect male models to be inclined more toward one another, but when I went down there to check it all out, it sure seemed to me that my muggle bathing suit got their attention." The girls were looking at her with wide eyes now, and had fallen silent. She'd been planning this for weeks, she'd even gone out of her way to get her hands on a muggle bathing suit and have her picture taken in it. She was about to pull it out when she noticed that Marisa wasn't looking at her anymore, she was looking past her. Mur turned abruptly to look into the smirking face of Sirius Black.
"You all look a little flushed. Weren't talking about me, were you?" One of the girls teetered a bit, her hand over her mouth, and Marisa prodded her into silence. Muriel was trying to decide how much of that conversation her boyfriend had heard when her father and Aunt Rosa caught up with her as well.
"Mr. Black." A hand fell on Sirius' shoulder and he turned around, thoroughly distracted. Mr. Deesia was offering his hand and Sirius shook it. "Good to see you again." Muriel thought her father sounded particularly cold.
"You, too," Sirius said calmly.
"I trust your family is well." Muriel saw Sirius squirm. She looked behind her to see that her friends had all vanished, and felt a little calmer.
"Actually, sir, I wouldn't know, as I'm no longer living with them." Mr. Deesia started a bit and looked around. He was glad the boy had the sense to speak softly. He allowed himself a smile, but kept it tight for appearances sake.
"Good for you," he whispered, "but don't tell anyone I said so." He nodded curtly to Sirius, then turned to his daughter as Aunt Rosa stepped forward.
"So THIS is the boy you've been writing to twice every week!" She pulled him into an unexpected hug. When released, he threw a questioning glance at Muriel, who avoided his gaze as she said goodbye quietly to her father.
When they were finally on the train, Sirius stowed their luggage in the first empty compartment they came to. "Did he write back at all?" He kept his voice quiet. He'd only gotten one letter each week and he was pretty sure whom the others had been sent to. Muriel shook her head. She'd been so happy a moment ago, but suddenly the weight of being back at Hogwarts seemed too much. How would she face an entire year without her best friend?
Sirius slipped his hand into hers as they headed down the train looking for his friends. He could tell that this year was going to be hard for her, but he'd spent all summer thinking up ways to distract her and keep her mind off Severus Snape.
They found James, Remus and Peter playing exploding snap and chatting happily. Sirius was grateful when James welcomed Muriel warmly. They hadn't talked about her all summer. He knew his friend was still upset about Muriel calling him immature in front of Lily last year.
"So, how was Italy?" James asked innocently.
"Fine," she mumbled, looking at the ground and blushing furiously. She wished she'd never thought up that stupid joke on her housemates. To take the attention off herself, she turned to Remus. "What are you doing here? I thought for sure you'd make Head Boy!" At this, all four boys stopped smiling abruptly. Sirius cleared his throat.
"Actually, it looks like the Head Boy is a Slytherin this year." He watched Mur's face darken and added, "But that won't stop us from cursing him into oblivion." When her expression didn't change, he prodded Peter, who gave him a dirty look before sliding to the floor so they could sit together. The boys went back to their rather loud game of cards and Muriel was soon laughing with them. She was startled, though, when James tapped her on the shoulder, a serious look on his face.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" He sounded apprehensive, and messed his hair nervously. Mur narrowed her eyes. She and James hadn't exactly parted as friends last year. But she could feel his worry, so she shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess." He led her outside the cabin as Sirius looked up. Muriel shrugged again in response to the odd, questioning look on his face. James closed the door before his friend could ask.
"Look," he said as they walked. "I did a rotten thing to you last year. It was my fault Snape figured out about you and Sirius." The words tumbled out. In only a moment he'd explained all about the clarity of mind spell, and how angry he'd been when she'd insulted him in front of Lily. She stayed quiet. When he'd finished he turned toward her and stopped walking. They were nose-to-nose in the narrow corridor. She looked up at him but still didn't speak. She could sense that there was something else he really needed to say.
"Someday, you might forgive me for that, but Sirius never will. Please don't say anything to him about it." James whispered. Muriel nodded slowly and James released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He was just starting to grin in relief when Muriel pulled out her wand. She had half a mind to use it to curse Potter, but she knew that wouldn't be right. If she'd told Severus what was going on from the beginning the horrible fight in Hogsmeade would never have happened. She couldn't do anything about that now. But she could fix the damage she had done.
Walking quickly, she soon reached the front of the train where two 4th year Slytherin students were standing outside the Prefect compartment. James had followed her, and he brought out his own wand at the sight of these guards. Muriel looked them up and down quickly. Sineath and Hinegardner, both purebloods, of course, but neither of them the usual Death Eater fare that Severus had spent all his time avoiding. For this she was grateful. At least she knew he wasn't making too many new alliances.
She nodded politely. "Gentlemen, I'd like to see the Head Girl. It's about the behavior of this member of her house." She was glad to see James lower his wand and try to look deferential, not that he was good at it. The set of his jaw always seemed to indicate that he was in charge whether that was the case or not.
The young Slytherins exchanged a glance. Muriel knew immediately that they had been set there to prevent her entering. 'How insulting! Sev sent 4th year students to prevent ME from seeing him?' she smirked inwardly, not realizing that her feelings were evident on her face as well. Their looks hardened.
"Sorry Miss Deesia, Severus said no one could come in yet. They're still busy." Sineath was giving her an unpleasant grin. Muriel immediately changed tactics.
"Accio wands," she said, almost lazily. Neither boy was holding his, and their wands whizzed out from under their robes. She caught them with ease, smiling sweetly. She almost felt bad for them. Severus would be quite annoyed. "Now you can either run and find a place to hide, or I can take you in there with me when I go." The boys ran. She looked back at James, who was grinning again. "Don't waste any words on Sev," she said quietly. He nodded as she turned and pushed open the door without knocking. Her eyes found Severus at once, but she forced her gaze on to Lily, who looked startled.
"Hey, Lily, congratulations." The pretty red head smiled, then. "If you're about done could I talk to you a bit?
"Sure," she answered, getting up. She turned to Severus. "You can handle it from here, can't you?" Severus didn't answer. He was staring at Mur, who kept her eyes firmly averted. Lily got a funny look on her face before turning and joining Muriel and James in the hallway. "Still not talking to you, is he?" she asked, when the door was closed behind her.
"No, and he set guards in the hall to keep me from coming in, too." Muriel laughed bitterly. "As if a couple of 4th years could prevent ME from doing anything!" As she set off back toward the marauder's compartment, James and Lily exchanged nervous glances behind her. They couldn't help but wonder if she was really as unaffected as she seemed. When they reached the compartment, she turned to them, smiling slightly.
"Alright, now considering the look Black gave me when I left with Potter, I thought it would definitely be useful, Lily, if you would join us in here. It'll be a little crowded, I know, but - well, I really can't afford to have him mad at me too." She cast her eyes demurely at the ground to hide the devious smile that had appeared on her lips. She noticed, however, the beginnings of a gleam in James' eyes. He understood.
"Oh!" Lily exclaimed, caught off guard. "Of course. I'd be glad to join you." Muriel looked up gratefully and mumbled her thanks, then winked at James as Lily went in ahead of them. He winked back. Good people are so easy to manipulate.
James and Lily sat close to the door as Remus and Peter looked up from the floor where they were playing chess. Peter's pieces were scattered everywhere already, and a fine black powder had settled on his clothes. Sirius, who'd been gazing out the window, jumped up when Muriel entered and took her hands, pulling her toward him. His eyes were bright and mischievous as he looked past her at his friends.
"You guys are my best mates, right?" he asked them sharply. Remus tilted his head all the way back to look at Sirius.
"Unless you have other ones you haven't mentioned yet," he said as James and Peter nodded.
Sirius gave him a withering look. "Then none of you will be offended if I'm a bit occupied for a few minutes? It's something I've been waiting all summer to do." He didn't wait for their answers, but swung a very bemused Muriel around until her back was against the window.
"What are you up to?" she whispered, looking over his shoulder at the marauders, who had carefully averted their eyes and were talking quietly about Peter's hopelessness at wizard chess. Sirius didn't answer. He stepped closer and put a hand to her cheek, turning her head so that her eyes were on him. Then he bent down and kissed her slowly. She felt his other arm wrap around her waist as she closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, and she was sure he could feel it as he pressed against her. His hand slid from her face to her neck, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
When he pulled away she didn't let go, so he buried his face in her hair. She kept her eyes closed, trying to ignore the images of far more than kissing that were traveling through his mind as his lips grazed her neck. It would've been easier without the physical reminder that was pressed against her stomach.
He was quiet for a moment, and the thoughts disappeared from his head. She could feel the heat of his cheeks and figured he was blushing. "Was that enough to make you forget all those Italian boys?" he finally whispered in her ear.
She smiled, embarrassed. "I was in Italy?" she asked, sounding confused on purpose. He chuckled softly, stepping back. The cabin had fallen silent, and Muriel felt the heat rising in her face. Sirius felt suddenly self- conscious too and turned sharply to find that his friends were all looking, not at them, but at the open compartment door.
Severus Snape, his Head Boy badge gleaming proudly from his chest, was leaning casually against the doorframe. James was on his feet, his wand already pointing at Snape. The look on his face was daring the Slytherin to interfere and it occurred to Mur that he must have witnessed the entire scene. She noticed that Remus, no longer a prefect, had his wand ready as well. James risked a glance at Muriel and she realized that they were all waiting for her to say something.
"Do you have something you wish to discuss Severus?" Her voice was cool, but she kept the anger out of it. Anger was personal and she wasn't going to let him drag her into another public fight. She was extremely self- conscious, however, about the fact that Sirius still had his arms firmly around her waist.
Severus ignored her, pulling his unreadable eyes away from her to look at Lily and addressing her instead. "One of the prefects said she needs your help in the lavatory." He spoke the simple words as though they were a threat, and James stepped forward as Lily stood. "Are you going to the women's lavatory too, Potter?" Snape sneered.
Muriel placed her shield charm between James and Severus so quickly that James didn't see it before his hex was flying. The curse was deflected, hitting Peter instead. He gave a surprised squeak before promptly turning into a Quidditch trophy, which rocked back and forth precariously. James scowled, and it occurred to Mur that he hadn't meant the spell to do that.
Snape smirked as Remus waved his wand at Peter, who reappeared only to dive toward the back of the compartment, forcing Sirius and Muriel forward. "I'll have to take 10 points from Gryffindor for attacking the Head Boy, Potter," he said smoothly.
James wisely ignored him. Ten points wasn't going to change their standing for the House cup this early in the year. Instead, he brushed past him roughly and escorted Lily to the lavatory to be sure Snape wouldn't have a chance to curse her. Muriel thought fast as Severus walked away. Making up new spells isn't easy, and if she got it wrong it would cost Ravenclaw points. She waved her wand and saw him stop abruptly, but she was back inside the compartment before he turned.
"Alright, Wormtail?" Sirius was asking.
"Yeah. I hate him, though, we need a really good way to get back at him."
"It wasn't his hex, Peter," Muriel reminded him wearily. "What you need, all of you, is to learn to control your tempers." Peter gave her a nasty look as James and Lily came back in, chatting.
"She should have let me hex him. We could have stored him in the luggage rack. Maybe they wouldn't have found him until the trip home!" James was grinning at Lily, who laughed a little, until she saw Muriel's face.
"False alarm," Lily said quietly. "He was just here to goad us into losing points."
The rest of the train ride was blessedly uneventful. Muriel and Remus played chess on the floor while James did his best to impress Lily. Sirius and Peter played exploding snap, with Muriel squealing occasionally when sparks flew into her hair.
She spent the start of term feast at her own table, talking with Marisa and the others about her summer in Italy. She let them believe the story she'd told them at the station, pulling out her photo as proof, and had an altogether wonderful time. She fell asleep that night still feeling Sirius' hand on her cheek.
Muriel, followed by her father and Aunt Rosa, came nonchalantly through the barrier to platform 9 ¾. She looked around for Sirius. She hadn't seen him, or anyone else, all summer long. As her gaze wandered from one laughing group of students to the next, she felt an almighty tug on her sleeve.
"Marisa!" Her friend pulled her away from the adults to join the others with whom she'd shared a dorm for the last 6 years. They were all giggling and talking over one another.
"You're so tan!"
"How was the Italian food?"
"How were the Italian MEN?" At this all 4 girls began giggling again, and Mur rolled her eyes emphatically.
"Fabulous! There was a photo shoot on the stretch of beach below Aunt Rosa's house. The house is invisible, so the magazine photographers must have thought it was a public beach. You should have seen them all, muscles glistening under all that oil, and tan lines in places you wouldn't believe!"
Muriel was having a wonderful time baiting her friends. "And they were all SOOO interested. I mean, you expect male models to be inclined more toward one another, but when I went down there to check it all out, it sure seemed to me that my muggle bathing suit got their attention." The girls were looking at her with wide eyes now, and had fallen silent. She'd been planning this for weeks, she'd even gone out of her way to get her hands on a muggle bathing suit and have her picture taken in it. She was about to pull it out when she noticed that Marisa wasn't looking at her anymore, she was looking past her. Mur turned abruptly to look into the smirking face of Sirius Black.
"You all look a little flushed. Weren't talking about me, were you?" One of the girls teetered a bit, her hand over her mouth, and Marisa prodded her into silence. Muriel was trying to decide how much of that conversation her boyfriend had heard when her father and Aunt Rosa caught up with her as well.
"Mr. Black." A hand fell on Sirius' shoulder and he turned around, thoroughly distracted. Mr. Deesia was offering his hand and Sirius shook it. "Good to see you again." Muriel thought her father sounded particularly cold.
"You, too," Sirius said calmly.
"I trust your family is well." Muriel saw Sirius squirm. She looked behind her to see that her friends had all vanished, and felt a little calmer.
"Actually, sir, I wouldn't know, as I'm no longer living with them." Mr. Deesia started a bit and looked around. He was glad the boy had the sense to speak softly. He allowed himself a smile, but kept it tight for appearances sake.
"Good for you," he whispered, "but don't tell anyone I said so." He nodded curtly to Sirius, then turned to his daughter as Aunt Rosa stepped forward.
"So THIS is the boy you've been writing to twice every week!" She pulled him into an unexpected hug. When released, he threw a questioning glance at Muriel, who avoided his gaze as she said goodbye quietly to her father.
When they were finally on the train, Sirius stowed their luggage in the first empty compartment they came to. "Did he write back at all?" He kept his voice quiet. He'd only gotten one letter each week and he was pretty sure whom the others had been sent to. Muriel shook her head. She'd been so happy a moment ago, but suddenly the weight of being back at Hogwarts seemed too much. How would she face an entire year without her best friend?
Sirius slipped his hand into hers as they headed down the train looking for his friends. He could tell that this year was going to be hard for her, but he'd spent all summer thinking up ways to distract her and keep her mind off Severus Snape.
They found James, Remus and Peter playing exploding snap and chatting happily. Sirius was grateful when James welcomed Muriel warmly. They hadn't talked about her all summer. He knew his friend was still upset about Muriel calling him immature in front of Lily last year.
"So, how was Italy?" James asked innocently.
"Fine," she mumbled, looking at the ground and blushing furiously. She wished she'd never thought up that stupid joke on her housemates. To take the attention off herself, she turned to Remus. "What are you doing here? I thought for sure you'd make Head Boy!" At this, all four boys stopped smiling abruptly. Sirius cleared his throat.
"Actually, it looks like the Head Boy is a Slytherin this year." He watched Mur's face darken and added, "But that won't stop us from cursing him into oblivion." When her expression didn't change, he prodded Peter, who gave him a dirty look before sliding to the floor so they could sit together. The boys went back to their rather loud game of cards and Muriel was soon laughing with them. She was startled, though, when James tapped her on the shoulder, a serious look on his face.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" He sounded apprehensive, and messed his hair nervously. Mur narrowed her eyes. She and James hadn't exactly parted as friends last year. But she could feel his worry, so she shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess." He led her outside the cabin as Sirius looked up. Muriel shrugged again in response to the odd, questioning look on his face. James closed the door before his friend could ask.
"Look," he said as they walked. "I did a rotten thing to you last year. It was my fault Snape figured out about you and Sirius." The words tumbled out. In only a moment he'd explained all about the clarity of mind spell, and how angry he'd been when she'd insulted him in front of Lily. She stayed quiet. When he'd finished he turned toward her and stopped walking. They were nose-to-nose in the narrow corridor. She looked up at him but still didn't speak. She could sense that there was something else he really needed to say.
"Someday, you might forgive me for that, but Sirius never will. Please don't say anything to him about it." James whispered. Muriel nodded slowly and James released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He was just starting to grin in relief when Muriel pulled out her wand. She had half a mind to use it to curse Potter, but she knew that wouldn't be right. If she'd told Severus what was going on from the beginning the horrible fight in Hogsmeade would never have happened. She couldn't do anything about that now. But she could fix the damage she had done.
Walking quickly, she soon reached the front of the train where two 4th year Slytherin students were standing outside the Prefect compartment. James had followed her, and he brought out his own wand at the sight of these guards. Muriel looked them up and down quickly. Sineath and Hinegardner, both purebloods, of course, but neither of them the usual Death Eater fare that Severus had spent all his time avoiding. For this she was grateful. At least she knew he wasn't making too many new alliances.
She nodded politely. "Gentlemen, I'd like to see the Head Girl. It's about the behavior of this member of her house." She was glad to see James lower his wand and try to look deferential, not that he was good at it. The set of his jaw always seemed to indicate that he was in charge whether that was the case or not.
The young Slytherins exchanged a glance. Muriel knew immediately that they had been set there to prevent her entering. 'How insulting! Sev sent 4th year students to prevent ME from seeing him?' she smirked inwardly, not realizing that her feelings were evident on her face as well. Their looks hardened.
"Sorry Miss Deesia, Severus said no one could come in yet. They're still busy." Sineath was giving her an unpleasant grin. Muriel immediately changed tactics.
"Accio wands," she said, almost lazily. Neither boy was holding his, and their wands whizzed out from under their robes. She caught them with ease, smiling sweetly. She almost felt bad for them. Severus would be quite annoyed. "Now you can either run and find a place to hide, or I can take you in there with me when I go." The boys ran. She looked back at James, who was grinning again. "Don't waste any words on Sev," she said quietly. He nodded as she turned and pushed open the door without knocking. Her eyes found Severus at once, but she forced her gaze on to Lily, who looked startled.
"Hey, Lily, congratulations." The pretty red head smiled, then. "If you're about done could I talk to you a bit?
"Sure," she answered, getting up. She turned to Severus. "You can handle it from here, can't you?" Severus didn't answer. He was staring at Mur, who kept her eyes firmly averted. Lily got a funny look on her face before turning and joining Muriel and James in the hallway. "Still not talking to you, is he?" she asked, when the door was closed behind her.
"No, and he set guards in the hall to keep me from coming in, too." Muriel laughed bitterly. "As if a couple of 4th years could prevent ME from doing anything!" As she set off back toward the marauder's compartment, James and Lily exchanged nervous glances behind her. They couldn't help but wonder if she was really as unaffected as she seemed. When they reached the compartment, she turned to them, smiling slightly.
"Alright, now considering the look Black gave me when I left with Potter, I thought it would definitely be useful, Lily, if you would join us in here. It'll be a little crowded, I know, but - well, I really can't afford to have him mad at me too." She cast her eyes demurely at the ground to hide the devious smile that had appeared on her lips. She noticed, however, the beginnings of a gleam in James' eyes. He understood.
"Oh!" Lily exclaimed, caught off guard. "Of course. I'd be glad to join you." Muriel looked up gratefully and mumbled her thanks, then winked at James as Lily went in ahead of them. He winked back. Good people are so easy to manipulate.
James and Lily sat close to the door as Remus and Peter looked up from the floor where they were playing chess. Peter's pieces were scattered everywhere already, and a fine black powder had settled on his clothes. Sirius, who'd been gazing out the window, jumped up when Muriel entered and took her hands, pulling her toward him. His eyes were bright and mischievous as he looked past her at his friends.
"You guys are my best mates, right?" he asked them sharply. Remus tilted his head all the way back to look at Sirius.
"Unless you have other ones you haven't mentioned yet," he said as James and Peter nodded.
Sirius gave him a withering look. "Then none of you will be offended if I'm a bit occupied for a few minutes? It's something I've been waiting all summer to do." He didn't wait for their answers, but swung a very bemused Muriel around until her back was against the window.
"What are you up to?" she whispered, looking over his shoulder at the marauders, who had carefully averted their eyes and were talking quietly about Peter's hopelessness at wizard chess. Sirius didn't answer. He stepped closer and put a hand to her cheek, turning her head so that her eyes were on him. Then he bent down and kissed her slowly. She felt his other arm wrap around her waist as she closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, and she was sure he could feel it as he pressed against her. His hand slid from her face to her neck, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
When he pulled away she didn't let go, so he buried his face in her hair. She kept her eyes closed, trying to ignore the images of far more than kissing that were traveling through his mind as his lips grazed her neck. It would've been easier without the physical reminder that was pressed against her stomach.
He was quiet for a moment, and the thoughts disappeared from his head. She could feel the heat of his cheeks and figured he was blushing. "Was that enough to make you forget all those Italian boys?" he finally whispered in her ear.
She smiled, embarrassed. "I was in Italy?" she asked, sounding confused on purpose. He chuckled softly, stepping back. The cabin had fallen silent, and Muriel felt the heat rising in her face. Sirius felt suddenly self- conscious too and turned sharply to find that his friends were all looking, not at them, but at the open compartment door.
Severus Snape, his Head Boy badge gleaming proudly from his chest, was leaning casually against the doorframe. James was on his feet, his wand already pointing at Snape. The look on his face was daring the Slytherin to interfere and it occurred to Mur that he must have witnessed the entire scene. She noticed that Remus, no longer a prefect, had his wand ready as well. James risked a glance at Muriel and she realized that they were all waiting for her to say something.
"Do you have something you wish to discuss Severus?" Her voice was cool, but she kept the anger out of it. Anger was personal and she wasn't going to let him drag her into another public fight. She was extremely self- conscious, however, about the fact that Sirius still had his arms firmly around her waist.
Severus ignored her, pulling his unreadable eyes away from her to look at Lily and addressing her instead. "One of the prefects said she needs your help in the lavatory." He spoke the simple words as though they were a threat, and James stepped forward as Lily stood. "Are you going to the women's lavatory too, Potter?" Snape sneered.
Muriel placed her shield charm between James and Severus so quickly that James didn't see it before his hex was flying. The curse was deflected, hitting Peter instead. He gave a surprised squeak before promptly turning into a Quidditch trophy, which rocked back and forth precariously. James scowled, and it occurred to Mur that he hadn't meant the spell to do that.
Snape smirked as Remus waved his wand at Peter, who reappeared only to dive toward the back of the compartment, forcing Sirius and Muriel forward. "I'll have to take 10 points from Gryffindor for attacking the Head Boy, Potter," he said smoothly.
James wisely ignored him. Ten points wasn't going to change their standing for the House cup this early in the year. Instead, he brushed past him roughly and escorted Lily to the lavatory to be sure Snape wouldn't have a chance to curse her. Muriel thought fast as Severus walked away. Making up new spells isn't easy, and if she got it wrong it would cost Ravenclaw points. She waved her wand and saw him stop abruptly, but she was back inside the compartment before he turned.
"Alright, Wormtail?" Sirius was asking.
"Yeah. I hate him, though, we need a really good way to get back at him."
"It wasn't his hex, Peter," Muriel reminded him wearily. "What you need, all of you, is to learn to control your tempers." Peter gave her a nasty look as James and Lily came back in, chatting.
"She should have let me hex him. We could have stored him in the luggage rack. Maybe they wouldn't have found him until the trip home!" James was grinning at Lily, who laughed a little, until she saw Muriel's face.
"False alarm," Lily said quietly. "He was just here to goad us into losing points."
The rest of the train ride was blessedly uneventful. Muriel and Remus played chess on the floor while James did his best to impress Lily. Sirius and Peter played exploding snap, with Muriel squealing occasionally when sparks flew into her hair.
She spent the start of term feast at her own table, talking with Marisa and the others about her summer in Italy. She let them believe the story she'd told them at the station, pulling out her photo as proof, and had an altogether wonderful time. She fell asleep that night still feeling Sirius' hand on her cheek.