Chapter 18: - Confrontation in the Owlery

Remus' rejoining the Gryffindor first years was greatly over shadowed by the continued abscess of Miriam. Remus seemed content not to announce his presence to the whole house and only James and Sirius seemed reluctant to oblige him.

"Well I say we should have a huge shindig!" James said that evening as the first year boys sat with what remained of the first year girls at the back of a full Gryffindor common room,

"I don't know how you dare suggest it!" Lily said angrily "I'm as glad as anyone to have Remus back safe after what happened to him but.... What did hap-"

"Yeah James" Remus said cutting Lily off "Just drop the party idea we're not exactly the best loved students in Gryffindor house as it is...We could leave it until Miriam gets out of the hospital" he added cheerfully,

"But then there wouldn't be any reason to party!" Lily heard Sirius say under his breath. Lily was beginning to really dislike James and Sirius, they were both arrogant and really insensitive, it was only because Frank and Remus still wanted to be their friends that any of the first year girls where sitting with them now.

'They mustn't be all that bad' Lily kept telling herself 'not if Frank and Remus still liked them!' but Lily didn't really believe a word of it no matter how many times she told herself that.

"With any luck Miriam will be back with us before Monday" Remus said trying to keep a conversation going. Unfortunately Miriam wasn't back in lessons on Monday and nor the next day.

Lily, Alice and Frank were forced to spend the next couple of weeks Miriam free as she recouped in the hospital wing. Lily soon discovered that Hogwarts wasn't much fun without Miriam, lessons seemed very muted and dragged on for ages especially history of magic where it was usual practice for the four friends to sit at the back of the class playing games like Hang man and noughts and crosses. They would also trade chocolate frog cards while Miriam would practice transfiguring her quill and ink well into other objects, this always proved to be very enjoyable especially when James and Sirius tried to blow them up giving Professor Binns a really bad fright and making Lily grateful that professor Binns was already dead so couldn't have an heart attack.

The tedium that had grown during the lessons was only rivalled by the utter boredom that greeted the first years each evening in the Gryffindor common room. Without the constant disputes and petty bickering that Miriam and Sirius always incited when they where in close proximity to each other, the hours before bed time seemed to drag excruciatingly while they all struggled through their homework under the scrutinizing eye of prefect Amanda Hugh-Genghis.

The time that Lily spent separated from Miriam Artemis made Lily realise how much Miriam was needed, James and Sirius gloated constantly and never missed an opportunity to tease or bully Severus Snape. On the first full day that Miriam spent in the hospital wing Severus came over to talk to Lily at the Gryffindor table.

"I –I was -"

"Spit it out Snivellus!" James exclaimed between mouthfuls of chips,

"I-I was hoping you could tell me how Miriam is doing?" Severus asked Lily feebly and Lily couldn't help feel sorry for the pale skinny boy.

"I'm sorry Severus but I don't really know" Lily was ashamed to admit it "Madam Pomfrey did say she was going to be ok but I don't really know for sure"

"H-Hav-Have you been allowed to see her yet?" Severus asked still sounding a little timid as he stared down at his shoes trying to ignore James, Sirius and Peter as they sniggered.

"No" Lily replied trying to ignore the boys as well "Pomfrey's only allowing family to visit her-"

"Did you get that then Snivellus" Sirius said loudly "Only family members are allowed to see Mi and no matter how much brown nosing your father does to Mi's father you'll never be her family!"

"How dare you!" Severus said pulling his wand out of his robes and aiming it at Sirius who just smiled "My family and the Artemis' have been friends for years!"

"I think friend is a bit of a push!" Sirius said grinning "unless friend some how translates as being land tenant!" Lily saw Severus flush red under his still pallid skin as Sirius and James both laughed. Even Frank, Alice and Dymphna struggled hard to contain their own laughter.

"You'll pay for that!" Severus said through clenched teeth

"No Snivellus I think that your family's the one that pays for it!" Sirius said as James burst out laughing. Severus' fingers clenched around the handle of his wand as his face flushed even more redder.

"What are you doing here Snape?" Asked Gryffindor prefect Gideon Prewett "please return to your own table" Gideon said smiling pleasantly at Severus as Severus thrust his wand back into his robes and turned on his heels heading back to his own table. Gideon's smile instantly faded as he turned on James and Sirius "Don't you two think that you've caused enough trouble to last you both a life time at Hogwarts?"

Even though Gideon's appearance had wiped the smiles off Sirius and James faces, Lily suspected that Gideon's words had only encouraged the boys to lash out more at poor Severus.

"I don't understand" Alice said irritably to madam Pomfrey "If she's feeling better then why can't we see her?" It had been over a week since Miriam had been rushed into the hospital wing with a nose bleed and every evening after classes Lily, Alice and Frank would head to the hospital wing only to be told that Miriam was doing better but she still wasn't allowed visitors other then family members.

"It's not fair!" Frank said angrily "We're her friends we have a right to see her!"

"And I told you Mr Longbottom only family, now move along" Pomfrey said as she shooed the three friends away from the infirmary doors.

"It's not fair!" Frank said irritably as he kicked a near by suite of armour causing it to rock unsteadily on its base and making Frank swear loudly as he clutched his foot.

The Gryffindor first year's life's where getting worse as the days progressed, after the episode in the great hall between James, Sirius and Severus the three boys never seemed to miss an opportunity to hex, curse or sabotage each other. The pervious day in potions Lily had seen Sirius pouring milkweed essences in to Severus' cauldron causing it to expel its thick foul smelling innards on all the students close to it. Lily thought that the weeks could have been made better if they where only allowed to see Miriam but madam Pomfrey had insisted that only family members where allowed to visit her, this meant that on several occasions Miriam's parents where seen inside the castle. Frank took a perverted pleasure in seeing how many of the teachers such as professor Viveridan and Toll tried to suck up to Miriam's father and how Eloise Rookwood and Bellatrix Black would act as if they were as sweet as honey around Miriam's mother. But it wasn't just Bella and Eloise that tried to creep around Mr and Mrs Artemis most of the older students were the worst for it.

"Why do they do it?" Lily had asked indicating the students crowded around Mr and Mrs Artemis as she looked out of the Owlery window as the five friends sat writing letters home, Frank's reply was hysterical laughter and between wiping his eyes he muttered the words "Suck ups"

"The Artemis family have a lot of influence" Dymphna said idly as she penned her letter,

"Most people think of them as the wizarding equivalent of royalty" Alice added sounding proud,

"What?" Lily said in shock thinking she had misheard Alice's words "Miriam's royalty?"

"Not exactly" Frank said moving over to the window "Mi's a member of one of the oldest magical families in Brittan-"

"And the wealthiest!" Dymphna cut in "Which means they have lots of weight and control over things that happen in the wizarding world!"

"Years ago it was rumoured that one minister of magic only got into power because of his connections with the Artemis family" Frank whispered conspiringly "Even though his opponent was the better candidate!"

"I heard of that!" Dymphna said excitedly "It was before my Gran was born there was this massive coo because it was rumoured the voting was rigged because of pressure that was put on members of The Wizengamot to vote for the man that the Artemis' backed so other guy didn't stand a real chance of winning!"

"You shouldn't listen to rumours!" Hissed a voice from the Owlery door the five friend's heads spun quickly towards the door fearing that a teacher or Miriam's older brothers had heard them, but in Lily's eyes the person who had over heard their conversation was ten times worse. Standing in the open doorway a sealed envelop in his hands was Severus Snape.

"We-We w-where only talking about M-Miriam's history" Amy stammered as she took a step backwards,

"The Artemis' are a great and noble family" Severus said staring at Amy icily "And that particular rumour has no founding!"

"Look Sev, mate, we didn't mean any harm," Frank quickly said walking in front of the girls his arms spread wide "besides Mi wouldn't have minded us talking about it"

"Yeah Snivellus the Artemis' love a good scandal!" Said the voice of Sirius Black, as he James, Peter and Remus entered the Owlery, James pushed past Severus knocking him to the ground,

"Oi!" Lily yelled in protest, Lily may have thought that Severus was a little creepy but she also knew that Sirius and James were bullies.

"Watch it James!" Remus said as he rushed to help Severus to his feet "Are you ok?" Remus asked as he brushed some of the straw from Severus' robes.

"Get off me!" hissed Severus as he pulled away from Remus

"Well well well Snivellus what a coincident to find you here!" James said smiling broadly as though nothing had happened

"What is this, The official write to mummy day?" Sirius said jokingly as he looked around the Owlery at all the parchment and envelopes on the floor, Lily noticed that Severus was staring daggers at James and Sirius and that Severus was also balling his fists in his robe pockets where lily guessed Severus kept his wand.

'That's all we need' lily thought, for Severus, James and Sirius to kill each other,

"Severus how's your history of magic homework going?" Frank said quickly as he took hold of Severus' arm and steered him over to one of the school owls and helped Severus to attach his letter, Lily breathed a sigh of relief as did Remus who was rubbing his chest a little where Severus had pushed him.

"It's such a shame to find Snivellus' personality so sour" James said sarcastically "otherwise we may have all been friends"

"What are you jerks playing at?" Alice said ignoring James's comments as she grabbed her brother's arm keeping her voice low,

"Nothing!" James protested smiling smugly as he shook Alice's grip free "I just came to send mum a letter that's all"

"Really! well where's your letter then?" Alice asked heatedly her hands on her hips as James' smile faded

"You total dunce!" Sirius said quickly rapping James on the head "You must have left in our room"

"Yep must have done mate, well we'll just have to got back and get it!" James said not even attempting to move,

"Well go and get it then!" Alice said getting even angrier at her brother

"Fine I will James said storming out of the Owlery followed by Sirius and Peter"

"So you did actually write a letter after all?" Lily heard Peter say as the boys walked out of the room.

After finishing their letters Lily, Frank, Alice, Remus, Dymphna and Amy walked with Severus to the great hall for dinner.

"If you ask me the sooner Miriam gets back the better!" Amy said as she helped herself to steak and kidney pie,

"Too right at least she could keep them in check!" Dymphna said indicating James and Sirius sitting at the other end off the Gryffindor table,

"Their not that bad" Remus said mildly,

"Not that bad! If it wasn't for you and Frank they would have hexed Severus today" Lily whispered as professor Toll walked up the aisles between the tables,

"Sometimes I think Severus deserves it" Frank said idly "I mean he doesn't go out of his way to make others feel inclined to like him"

"That's no reason for anyone to bully anyone" Amy said, and Lily felt an instant surge of affection to her friend.

"I'd just like to see Mi" Alice said pushing her peas around her plate

"Yeah me too" Remus said softly

"It's been way too long since I last heard her calling Sirius names or planning revenge tactics" Frank said happily,

"If only Madam Pomfrey would let us see her" Amy said

"Why do we have to wait?" Lily said suddenly, a plan forming in her head,

"What?" Asked Lily's five friends at once

"Why should we have to wait for permission? We could just go and see her"

"Right now!" Amy asked in alarm at Lily's sudden boldness

"Obviously not right now but why don't we take a leaf out of Miriam's book" Lily said quietly as she leaned into her friends as professor Toll passed by

"I like" Frank said "Miriam would never have waited this long if it was any of us in there"

"Precisely" Lily said smiling "So what do you all say shall we do it or not?"

"I'm definitely in" Frank said his eyes sparkling with excitement,

"Me too" Alice said a little timidly

"Count us in" Amy and Dymphna both said together

"Remus?" Frank asked elbowing him in the ribs "What about you are you up for a bit of a midnight maraudering?"

Remus looked around at Frank and the girls at the table, Lily guessed that he was assessing the amount of trouble they would all get into, lily saw his eye flick towards James, Sirius and Peter. Frank must have seen it also,

"Don't worry about them Remy they'll never know" Frank said

"Well do you want to come with us?" Lily whispered as she learned across the table under the pretence of getting another pork chop as professor Toll passed by again, Remus watched Professor Toll pass before he gave his answer,