Chapter 23

In the cave

James, Lily, Remus and Ebony made their way stealthily up the mountainside, talking and laughing. As they walked, the two couples clung to each other for warmth in the cold weather.

"Do you guys know where you're going?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, we found this place on the last Hogwarts visit. We'd just let off some dungbombs in the Three Broomsticks and we ran up here to hide." James said with a laugh. "Good times."

When they reached a clearing in the path, Remus stepped forward and pulled back the snow covered vines hiding an opening and Lily and James walked inside, ducking slightly.

Remus looked at Ebony.

"This?" She asked uncertainly, "This is why we walked so far in the freezing cold? A cave?"

"Hey, it's not so bad, look at this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand and a small bag. He poured some purple sand from the bag into his hand and entered the cave. In her curiosity, Ebony followed.

"This place is dirty and cold." Ebony complained. "But at least it's not educational."

Remus sprinkled the sand on the floor in the middle of the cave.

"Lumos Amorium." He warbled with a cheesy, shrill voice.

The room was lit up with what looked like a fire replacing the sand that previously lay on the ground.

"Faux Fire." Remus said with a grin.

"A Marauder invention." James added as he transfigured some rugs and lay them down.

"All the warmth but none of the smoke. And check this out." Remus took a step forward into the fire.

Ebony gave a cry, but the others were laughing.

"You can't be burnt. We volunteered Wormtail to do the testing for this one." Remus stepped out of the fire and sat on the spare rug. Ebony smiled and sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You guys are nuts." She sighed. "I love it."

"Well it's either crazy or boring." James's comment was avenged with a punch from Lily.

"Are you calling me boring?"

"No." James responded immediately.

"So are you calling me crazy?"

"I'm calling you beautiful." James always found a way to be forgiven.

"I wonder how Kim and Sirius are going?" Remus deliberated.

"This better have worked." Said James, trying not to laugh at the thought; "It's their last chance to be alone together for a while."

"Why don't I invite them to my place for the holidays?" Ebony asked, "Why don't you all come? Terran's coming, so it will sure be entertaining."

"I'm in." Remus said. "I won't be wolfy until after the holidays."

"Me too." Said James. "I might have to go home for Christmas, but my parents would love to not see me."

"I would love to not see my family, but they'll bitch about my lack of family decency if I don't spend two tortured weeks pretending I'm normal."

"Suck to be you, Lils. I love my place." Ebony flourished. "We normally spend Christmas in our Australian house. It's beautiful! You would love it. Too bad you have to spend Christmas with a bunch of boring muggles."

"Thanks." Was all Lily could say.

Sensing her pain, James changed the subject. "So, Remus, are you still gonna do shit like this when you're head boy?"

"I'm not going for head boy." He responded casually.

"What?" James exclaimed. "You could miss out on so much school though. Why would you pass it up?"

"You're passing it up." Lily added.

"I don't have a chance." James retorted.

"Yes you do." Remus snapped.

"Well so do you." James snapped back.

"I know I do." He barked in reply.

"You both do." Lily interfered.

"Then why not try?" James asked Remus.

"You know why." Remus countered.

"No I don't."

"You do, you just don't know you do."

"Then why don't you confirm it for me?" James said stubbornly.

"Because it's obvious."

"See, you guys are nuts." Ebony giggled as she pulled a Wiccapot joint out of Remus's pocket. "You're all nuts. But I want to know they answer to this too."

The three faces focused on Remus and he looked around at them. The dark, intense face or James, the sweet, concerned face of Lily and the pale, honest face of Ebony.

"Okay, I'll tell you. I don't think I can handle it." His words were interrupted with disagreements but he gave his friends an annoyed look and they stopped. "I can barely handle school and the full moons as it is. Imagine adding the responsibilities of Head Boy to that."

"Makes sense." James agreed. "Do you reckon I should go for it?"

"Makes sense." Remus relied.

The four remained in the cave until the fire grew tired and began to yell abuses at them. When they reached the shrieking shack, the sun was exposing its first rays to the world and Sirius and Kim were asleep in each other's arms.

James looked at his watch. "OH SHIT! Train comes in ten minutes!"

The seven teenagers burst out of the entrance hall and ran to the last carriage. James, Lily, Sirius, Kim, Remus, Ebony and Peter all piled in and the carriage started to make its way to the Hogwarts express.


I think I'll leave it there! Next chapter will be the holidays and then the long awaited party!!!!!

Thanks to my wonderful, loyal reviewers! I'm sorry Laura Johnson but I can't upload long chapters because my computer is a bitch to me and Ebony/Typen Away Ebony's (the character) parents were too busy smoking Wiccapot to socialise, she knew Sirius because she lived near him, well one of her many house's was near his.