A/N: This chapter has not been beta-ed. I'll post the cleaned up version
later. My beta has come a bit of a cropper and broken her leg. Get well
soon Allie!!
Thanks for all the reviews for the first chapter (totally amazed at the number). Glad everyone enjoyed it. Hope this one goes down just as well.
All the questions raised in the reviews will be answered at some point through out the story, please hang tight all will be revealed!
* Welcome to the real world *
As their feet landed on the squarely on the solid ground at the edge of the school boundary, Remus and James came face to face. Both boys broke into a hearty laugh as they caught sight of the cheesy grins on each other's face. Slowly walking along the small path that was just beyond the apparation border James wondered how to broach the subject of his and Lily's wedding with Remus. After a few more minutes of silent contemplation as they meandered through the grounds on their way up to the castle, James decided it was it was better to just get it over with.
"So Remus when are you and Aggy planning on getting married?" James asked deciding the best course of action was deflection.
Unnoticed by James Remus flinched slightly at the question and was grateful for the dark. Thinking for a moment he said, "Not sure, we haven't really talked about it yet."
"Oh! I thought Aggy would have been nagging you to death, seeing as it is all the rest of the girls seem to discuss," James replied.
"You know Aggy, she is not really the girlie type, especially now that she has started auror training," Remus said quickly. "Anyway how are your wedding plans going."
James sighed as the ball was back in his caught, taking a moment he said, "From what Lily said today it sounds like the girls have everything under control. It's just a case of being told what to do and when."
Again silence descended between them as each contemplated the words that had been said. James pushed his hands into the pockets of his robes and noted the signature of the partially hidden door that would gain them entry into the castle hallowed corridors.
Feeling the hand on his arm Remus turned to look at James saying, "What?"
"Remus, I asked Sirius to stand for me when Lily and I get married. I hope you understand, its just that we made a promise and ."
But before James could say anything else he felt a hand covering his on Remus's arm as his friend said, "James, you don't have to explain. I never expected to carry out that role."
James gave him a small smile as he said, "Thanks Remus."
Nodding at one another, they turned back to the task of the hidden doorway and within moments Remus brandished his wand, uttered a password and was pushing lightly at the stone wall. Once inside James reset the wards and sealed the entrance. The two young men made their way along the low dark corridor reaching the door at the far end five minutes later, a few more hurried words and they were bathed in the soft golden light being emitted from the fire in their hidden quarters deep in the belly of the old castle.
Remus turned as soon as they entered the room, it was only three days until the full moon and he could feel the slow waning impact of the change beginning. As Remus made his way towards his bedroom, James ensconced himself into one of the armchairs and began review of the research the latest research that Remus had completed just before they had left for their apparation test. They had been asked to make a presentation of their finding in less than 3 week and their futures were depending on it.
* ~ * ~~ * ~ *
As September loomed on the horizon, nerves and tension rose among the small band of friends.
Annie Ryan was slowly becoming more and more stressed as the date of her pending wedding to Danny. The permanent state of secrecy due to her family having no idea was also warring on her already stretched nerves. In their spare time Danny and Annie had also started to look for somewhere to live once they became husband and wife. Danny's housemates offered for Annie to move into the house and share Danny's room. Unfortunately, kind as the offer was it was received about as gratefully as a lead balloon.
Aggy discovered that life with Lily in the weeks preceding a Quidditch game rivalled Lily's behaviour during exam week at Hogwarts. For Lily the only solace she got was during the time spent buried in research at the Ministry in the labs of the experimental charms department. Due to her personnel connection and past experiences Lily's brief was defence charms.
It was also heating up for the Ministry's latest recruits to the auror training academy. The ten week basic training programme was coming to an end and they were all working towards their final assessment. Towards the end of September, in small groups they would take part in a live battle situation. The outcome would determine their squad groups and leadership positions. Aggy was glad that she had been paired with a Ravenclaw and together her and Danny had worked hard on researching different offensive and defensive strategies for a range of different situations. On the other hand Sirius and Patrick seemed to be heading towards advanced duelling techniques and hit squad tactics.
Marie spent most days just ambling along, thoroughly enjoying her research post in potions. She had managed to secure a post at the Ministry. Her main job was analysis of substances brought in by aurors or those that had been taken from patients at St Mungos and sent to them. As a sideline she had been able to combine further study as part of her job and was compiling research she could use to complete a professional potions makers course. The only downside for Marie was that she often found her self in the company of Peter Pettigrew, not one of her favourite people but could be dealt with on a professional basis.
Hidden away in the confines of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the only two untouched by the stress but not the tension where James and Remus. Life as researchers was flowing at a nice steady pace. As of yet they had not been required to do anything more dangerous that going into the restricted section of the library after nightfall. Both knew that if their research were successfully received, it wouldn't be long before they too would be involved in the cut and thrust of the war against the dark.
* ~ * ~~ * ~ * In the grand scheme of thing the first of the friends to go through an initiation to the real world were James and Remus. At the end of the school year both of them had been called into Professor Dumbledore's office and he had said that they were that best candidates this year for consideration to join the coveted, if some what mysterious Order of the Phoenix. Remus had jumped at the chance, knowing that other offers would be sparse on the ground due to his condition. For James it was more a way of honouring the memory of his parents, by becoming part of the prestigious group who were committed to the downfall of the terror created by Voldermort.
The boy's time to present their research was upon them and both were anxious, essentially everything depended on how well the members received the information. The overall confidence of the members of the order in their ability had to be gained to allow them to join the group. Remus was desperate to make a good impression, hoping that no one present at the meeting would be overly prejudice against werewolves. James felt the pressure doubly, he wanted the position for himself but he also knew that this meant a lot to Remus and he really didn't want to let his friend down either.
On the day of the meeting with dinner over the two friends made their way up to Professor Dumbledore's office and from there they were led into a small anti chamber which was accessed from a hidden doorway behind Fawkes' perch. It didn't take long for them to reach the end of the small passage and come face to face with the door that stood between them and the Order of the Phoenix. With his hand on the handle Professor Dumbledore halted and then turned to face the two young men who he had watched grow from children to gangly teenagers and now into men. One had gone from a shy boy grateful of any sign of acceptance to a confident adult who was surrounded by friends. The other a carbon copy of his father confident and noble but with his mothers sensibility, he had always wondered how much the boy knew of his ancestry.
A small smile played on his lips as he said, "I am confident that you will do your best but I need to inform you that if you are not successful then an obliverate spell will be cast to remove any knowledge of the order. Is that clear?"
Receiving nods of affirmation from both of them Professor Dumbledore turned and opened the door, ushering James and Remus inside the long oval room. Professor Dumbledore guided them to an open space at one side of the table from which all in the room would have a clear view of the up coming presentation.
A quick scan around the large table revealed for the first time the people who would judge whether they were worthy of being sanctioned to join the elusive group. For both of the ex Hogwarts students some of the familiar faces came as a surprise. As their old headmaster reached his seat they noted that Professor McGonagall was sat to his left whose expression seemed to say don't let me down, and a youngish wizard to his right who James recognised as Alistair Moody, a Ministry auror he had met through his father. Two seats down from Professor McGonagall sat another familiar face that they both recognised, Arthur Weasley. A small nod of acknowledgement was shared between the three.
Slightly perplexed at what was expected or what was going to happen next James and Remus placed their notes on the table in front of them and waited, hoping for a signal. This was received in the form of a nod from the headmaster once he was settled into his seat and happily sucking on a lemon drop.
Nerves running high the boys got off to a shaky start, which was not aided by the unrelenting glare of their former head of house. Both James and Remus seemed to come to an unconscious agreement to avoid the transfiguration professor's gaze from then on.
Finally with their research outlined, it wasn't long before the two friends got wrapped up in the information they had prepared and the nerves disappeared and a seamless flow of detailed research on the latest ideas of defence against the dark arts floated around the room. Two hours later they stepped back from the table and opened the presentation to the occupants of the room for questions and comments. A couple of hours later found the two would be members of the order of the Phoenix sat in their shared sitting room awaiting the decision of whether they would be allowed to keep their memories.
Bottles of butterbeer in hand they sat in silence both staring into the flickering flames of the slowly dying fire at the grate. Feeling the quiver of the wards that protected the entrance to their room two heads snapped up and they looked intently at one another faces showing masks of anxiety. Neither sure if the speed with which the order had obviously made their decision was a good or bad thing.
Hearing the click of the door two sets of eyes were glued to the figure of Albus Dumbledore who at that moment was ensuring the door had closed behind him. They had still not seen the Professors face but the look on it as he turned around was enough to turn the stomachs of the hopeful to young men.
"The order have asked me to inform you of their decision," Professor Dumbledore started with and then a small flitted across his face as he said, "They would like to say welcome to the ranks of the order of the Phoenix."
Once again silence descend across the room as the words sunk into the minds of both Remus and James. It didn't take long for them to comprehend that they had been accepted and soon they where out of their seats congratulating each other on their achievement, both forgetting that the headmaster was still present. That was until a small chuckle broke through their excitement and caused them to blush at their juvenile reaction to the news.
Seeing the sheepish looks on their faces only caused the twinkle in Albus Dumbledore's eyes to shine brighter as he said, "Well done boys, I must say that I was never in any doubt that you would not be triumphant in convincing the order of your value. Everyone was very impressed with the maturity of the research and ideas you presented. Also the depth of the advanced concepts concerning defence with particular reference to charms concerning Voldermort in particular was very well received."
At this both James and Remus grimaced slightly at the complement.
"Professor I have to say that the charms information was not solely mine or Remus's idea," James said.
Smiling at the two boys he said in reply, "Yes I do suppose having two of the most talented charms students in many years as partners, does come in handy."
Again this simply gained the Professor smiles from the two young men that sat facing him.
For the next hour Professor Dumbledore explained the security involved with maintaining the secrecy and protection of order members.
Finally Professor Dumbledore addressed the issue of the involvement of their friends and partners, he said, "Concerning Miss Evans and Miss Court, I feel that their loyalty to the cause of the light will never be in question and that you may involve them in your research to the point that you feel neither you or them will come into any harm."
In response to this Albus Dumbledore received two nods.
"I think for now it may be wise to restrict your involvement to the two ladies," replied Professor Dumbledore. "I know that this may cause some issues among your other friends but for now I think it will be the safest option."
Again two solemn and serious faces nodded their agreement. At this gesture the Headmaster rose from his seat and headed towards the door. A quick goodbye and he was gone leaving James Potter and Remus Lupin alone in their quarters to congratulate each other on their achievement. They quickly formulated two notes, one to Lily and Aggy and another to Sirius that informed him they had both been successful in gaining then teaching apprenticeships.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
The next morning an owl was waiting for Aggy and Lily when they rose for a morning at the Ministry, it held a single word in James' handwriting, Success. Grinning at each other they sat down and quickly penned a reply.
Congratulations, we will meet you tomorrow night at The Three Broomsticks for dinner.
Love L & A
Lily rolled the parchment up and tied it to the leg of the tawny owl that had brought them the note. Stroking the birds head Lily said, "Please take this to James Potter or Remus Lupin."
Both girls stood back and watched the small native British owl fly out of the living room window.
Dinner in Hogsmeades couldn't come quick enough for Aggy and Lily. It would be the first time that they had managed to see their boyfriends in nearly a week, what with James and Remus preparing for the interview with the order, Lily training for her first match and Aggy preparing for the first part of the auror assessment life was exceedingly busy.
After apparating into the Wizarding village the two girls headed straight for the pub and smiled at the enthusiastic greeting they received from Rosmerta. James and Remus arrived with in five minutes of them and soon the four were ensconced in a corner table well hidden from the roving eyes of the Inns clientele. The night passed in a too quickly for all concerned but it took little persuasion on the girls parts to get their boyfriends to show them their new accommodation that was hidden in the depths of the castle they all loved so much.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * On a warm September morning Lily Evans woke early and after a quick breakfast she left a note for her room mate and apparated out of the tiny flat with a destination of the clubhouse at Puddlemere United. One hour later found Aggy Court pottering around the kitchen as one by one her long time friends apparated with a pop into the warm and welcoming Diagon Alley flat.
It was the day Lily Evans would make her debut appearance as a chaser for Puddlemere United and all were gathered ready to support their friend. All were grateful that it was a home game and that there apparation skills would not be tested to any great extent. Finishing their tea it was soon time to head out to the Quidditch ground that belonged to the club. Arriving in the ground Aggy dished out the tickets that Lily had given her the day before. All were impressed with the seats she had gotten them and quickly made their way up one of the north towers behind the hoops being defended by the opposition.
With twenty minutes to go the crowd were treated to Celestina Warbeck an avid Puddlemere fan singing the clubs anthem 'Beat Back Those Bludgers Boys and Chuck That Quaffle Here'. This was well received by the Puddlemere fans.
Hush descended over the ground as the commentator cleared his throat and caught the attention of the waiting crowd but it was the opposition who raised the first cheer as Catriona McCormack the Pride of Portree's famous chaser came out onto the field to wave at the crowd, at her side a young witch who looked to be every inch her mothers daughter and future Quidditch star.
Down in the tunnel under the stands stood fourteen anxious Quidditch players, the first game of the season was nerve racking no matter how long you had been playing. Too the left stood the Puddlemere United players in their navy blue robes, which were bearing the clubs emblem of two crossed golden bulrushes. On the right stood their opposition the Pride of Portree, known as the 'Prides' to their fans in their deep purple robes with a gold star on the chest.
After what had seemed an age the gates were opened and the sun streamed into the small passageway that connected the changing rooms to the Quidditch pitch. The players flew into the stadium as the commentator announced them and up in the top of the north tower a small contingency of ex Hogwarts students cheered extra loud at the sight of the pretty red head emerging into the light.
The players took their positions and Lily smiled over at her fellow chaser and friend Richard Makin. Above them sat against the bright blue sky was Philip Tring Puddlemere and England's seeker.
While sat waiting for the referee to blow the whistle Lily's stomach felt like it was doing somersaults as her nerves got the better of her. Watching the referee take his position and the third Puddlemere United chaser Dahl Redman take his position across from one of the Pride of Portree's chasers, Lily's eyes noticed the dark red quaffle for the first time and from that moment her eyes were glued to it. Concentration was etched over her face and the sound of the stadium seemed to dull to a low whisper as she listened for the high shrill that would signal the beginning of the first game of her career.
Before she knew it all hell broke loose as the quaffle floated into the air and two brooms lurched forward as the players tried to get the first touch. The first ten minutes seemed to involve both teams checking out the opposition for the Puddlemere chasers the game turned a corner as the Prides chasers set up a Parkin's Pincer move on Richard. Dahl signalled to Lily to take the left and at the last moment she cut in front of the Pride chaser who was flying headlong towards Richard who was being planked by the other two Pride chasers. Crossing between the gaggle of chasers was enough of a distraction on Lily's part to knock the Pride chaser off course and so save Richard from a possible collision.
Another thirty minutes down the line and the scores were even both sets of chasers were evenly matched. At that point all knew that the seekers would determine the final score and this was the one area that Puddlemere out shone the Prides on, Philip was having an outstanding game. He had managed one Wronski Feint, which had cost the Prides a time out and their seeker to require some emergency medical attention.
A good technical player Lily, smile as a Hawkshead attacking formation was called by Dahl and together the Puddlemere chasers formed the distinctive shape making an intimidating impression on the opposition as they headed for the goalposts. With only the keeper to beat they had separated at the last possible moment and in the confusion of the three players swarming towards him the goalkeeper targeted the wrong chaser. In split second only Lily was left in the scoring area and before the Prides keeper could adjust for his error she had scored her first professional goal.
The pride of Portree managed to edge into the lead due to a well executed Bludger Backbeat. Confusion had reigned among the Puddlemere chasers as one of the Prides beaters using a backhand swing of his club sent a bludger soaring behind him and straight towards the unassuming chasers.
The small elusive golden snitch was finally spotted three hours into the game and the ensuing dive was way beyond impressive. The two seekers had noticed the glint of the fluttering wings at the same time and the race was on. Air borne acrobatics was nothing compared to the moves being pulled off by the seekers who were desperately pursuing victory. To the relief of the home crowd it was Philip Tring's fingers that closed around the snitch and rendering it inactive, signifying the end of the game.
The roar of the crowd was deafening as the home team did a victory lap of the stadium, waving to their devoted fans. It didn't take long for the Jonesy to issue orders about the next training session and the players to make their way into the changing rooms. Lily was happy to accept the congratulations from her team mates on surviving her first game and Richard reminded her as he was hugging her tight to not forget to owl Rowan.
Finally making it out of the players area Lily mingles through the people standing around the front of the stadium and beamed as she saw the familiar sight of her friends standing together. After a lot of positive reinforcement, hearty congratulations and excessive amounts of kissing and hugging they all headed for the local pub.
TBC
A/N: So what did you think! Please click the button and let me know. Thanks for reading.
Next chapter should be up within the next month. Coming up Annie and Danny's wedding and possibly Auror training.
Madame Padfoot
Thanks for all the reviews for the first chapter (totally amazed at the number). Glad everyone enjoyed it. Hope this one goes down just as well.
All the questions raised in the reviews will be answered at some point through out the story, please hang tight all will be revealed!
* Welcome to the real world *
As their feet landed on the squarely on the solid ground at the edge of the school boundary, Remus and James came face to face. Both boys broke into a hearty laugh as they caught sight of the cheesy grins on each other's face. Slowly walking along the small path that was just beyond the apparation border James wondered how to broach the subject of his and Lily's wedding with Remus. After a few more minutes of silent contemplation as they meandered through the grounds on their way up to the castle, James decided it was it was better to just get it over with.
"So Remus when are you and Aggy planning on getting married?" James asked deciding the best course of action was deflection.
Unnoticed by James Remus flinched slightly at the question and was grateful for the dark. Thinking for a moment he said, "Not sure, we haven't really talked about it yet."
"Oh! I thought Aggy would have been nagging you to death, seeing as it is all the rest of the girls seem to discuss," James replied.
"You know Aggy, she is not really the girlie type, especially now that she has started auror training," Remus said quickly. "Anyway how are your wedding plans going."
James sighed as the ball was back in his caught, taking a moment he said, "From what Lily said today it sounds like the girls have everything under control. It's just a case of being told what to do and when."
Again silence descended between them as each contemplated the words that had been said. James pushed his hands into the pockets of his robes and noted the signature of the partially hidden door that would gain them entry into the castle hallowed corridors.
Feeling the hand on his arm Remus turned to look at James saying, "What?"
"Remus, I asked Sirius to stand for me when Lily and I get married. I hope you understand, its just that we made a promise and ."
But before James could say anything else he felt a hand covering his on Remus's arm as his friend said, "James, you don't have to explain. I never expected to carry out that role."
James gave him a small smile as he said, "Thanks Remus."
Nodding at one another, they turned back to the task of the hidden doorway and within moments Remus brandished his wand, uttered a password and was pushing lightly at the stone wall. Once inside James reset the wards and sealed the entrance. The two young men made their way along the low dark corridor reaching the door at the far end five minutes later, a few more hurried words and they were bathed in the soft golden light being emitted from the fire in their hidden quarters deep in the belly of the old castle.
Remus turned as soon as they entered the room, it was only three days until the full moon and he could feel the slow waning impact of the change beginning. As Remus made his way towards his bedroom, James ensconced himself into one of the armchairs and began review of the research the latest research that Remus had completed just before they had left for their apparation test. They had been asked to make a presentation of their finding in less than 3 week and their futures were depending on it.
* ~ * ~~ * ~ *
As September loomed on the horizon, nerves and tension rose among the small band of friends.
Annie Ryan was slowly becoming more and more stressed as the date of her pending wedding to Danny. The permanent state of secrecy due to her family having no idea was also warring on her already stretched nerves. In their spare time Danny and Annie had also started to look for somewhere to live once they became husband and wife. Danny's housemates offered for Annie to move into the house and share Danny's room. Unfortunately, kind as the offer was it was received about as gratefully as a lead balloon.
Aggy discovered that life with Lily in the weeks preceding a Quidditch game rivalled Lily's behaviour during exam week at Hogwarts. For Lily the only solace she got was during the time spent buried in research at the Ministry in the labs of the experimental charms department. Due to her personnel connection and past experiences Lily's brief was defence charms.
It was also heating up for the Ministry's latest recruits to the auror training academy. The ten week basic training programme was coming to an end and they were all working towards their final assessment. Towards the end of September, in small groups they would take part in a live battle situation. The outcome would determine their squad groups and leadership positions. Aggy was glad that she had been paired with a Ravenclaw and together her and Danny had worked hard on researching different offensive and defensive strategies for a range of different situations. On the other hand Sirius and Patrick seemed to be heading towards advanced duelling techniques and hit squad tactics.
Marie spent most days just ambling along, thoroughly enjoying her research post in potions. She had managed to secure a post at the Ministry. Her main job was analysis of substances brought in by aurors or those that had been taken from patients at St Mungos and sent to them. As a sideline she had been able to combine further study as part of her job and was compiling research she could use to complete a professional potions makers course. The only downside for Marie was that she often found her self in the company of Peter Pettigrew, not one of her favourite people but could be dealt with on a professional basis.
Hidden away in the confines of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the only two untouched by the stress but not the tension where James and Remus. Life as researchers was flowing at a nice steady pace. As of yet they had not been required to do anything more dangerous that going into the restricted section of the library after nightfall. Both knew that if their research were successfully received, it wouldn't be long before they too would be involved in the cut and thrust of the war against the dark.
* ~ * ~~ * ~ * In the grand scheme of thing the first of the friends to go through an initiation to the real world were James and Remus. At the end of the school year both of them had been called into Professor Dumbledore's office and he had said that they were that best candidates this year for consideration to join the coveted, if some what mysterious Order of the Phoenix. Remus had jumped at the chance, knowing that other offers would be sparse on the ground due to his condition. For James it was more a way of honouring the memory of his parents, by becoming part of the prestigious group who were committed to the downfall of the terror created by Voldermort.
The boy's time to present their research was upon them and both were anxious, essentially everything depended on how well the members received the information. The overall confidence of the members of the order in their ability had to be gained to allow them to join the group. Remus was desperate to make a good impression, hoping that no one present at the meeting would be overly prejudice against werewolves. James felt the pressure doubly, he wanted the position for himself but he also knew that this meant a lot to Remus and he really didn't want to let his friend down either.
On the day of the meeting with dinner over the two friends made their way up to Professor Dumbledore's office and from there they were led into a small anti chamber which was accessed from a hidden doorway behind Fawkes' perch. It didn't take long for them to reach the end of the small passage and come face to face with the door that stood between them and the Order of the Phoenix. With his hand on the handle Professor Dumbledore halted and then turned to face the two young men who he had watched grow from children to gangly teenagers and now into men. One had gone from a shy boy grateful of any sign of acceptance to a confident adult who was surrounded by friends. The other a carbon copy of his father confident and noble but with his mothers sensibility, he had always wondered how much the boy knew of his ancestry.
A small smile played on his lips as he said, "I am confident that you will do your best but I need to inform you that if you are not successful then an obliverate spell will be cast to remove any knowledge of the order. Is that clear?"
Receiving nods of affirmation from both of them Professor Dumbledore turned and opened the door, ushering James and Remus inside the long oval room. Professor Dumbledore guided them to an open space at one side of the table from which all in the room would have a clear view of the up coming presentation.
A quick scan around the large table revealed for the first time the people who would judge whether they were worthy of being sanctioned to join the elusive group. For both of the ex Hogwarts students some of the familiar faces came as a surprise. As their old headmaster reached his seat they noted that Professor McGonagall was sat to his left whose expression seemed to say don't let me down, and a youngish wizard to his right who James recognised as Alistair Moody, a Ministry auror he had met through his father. Two seats down from Professor McGonagall sat another familiar face that they both recognised, Arthur Weasley. A small nod of acknowledgement was shared between the three.
Slightly perplexed at what was expected or what was going to happen next James and Remus placed their notes on the table in front of them and waited, hoping for a signal. This was received in the form of a nod from the headmaster once he was settled into his seat and happily sucking on a lemon drop.
Nerves running high the boys got off to a shaky start, which was not aided by the unrelenting glare of their former head of house. Both James and Remus seemed to come to an unconscious agreement to avoid the transfiguration professor's gaze from then on.
Finally with their research outlined, it wasn't long before the two friends got wrapped up in the information they had prepared and the nerves disappeared and a seamless flow of detailed research on the latest ideas of defence against the dark arts floated around the room. Two hours later they stepped back from the table and opened the presentation to the occupants of the room for questions and comments. A couple of hours later found the two would be members of the order of the Phoenix sat in their shared sitting room awaiting the decision of whether they would be allowed to keep their memories.
Bottles of butterbeer in hand they sat in silence both staring into the flickering flames of the slowly dying fire at the grate. Feeling the quiver of the wards that protected the entrance to their room two heads snapped up and they looked intently at one another faces showing masks of anxiety. Neither sure if the speed with which the order had obviously made their decision was a good or bad thing.
Hearing the click of the door two sets of eyes were glued to the figure of Albus Dumbledore who at that moment was ensuring the door had closed behind him. They had still not seen the Professors face but the look on it as he turned around was enough to turn the stomachs of the hopeful to young men.
"The order have asked me to inform you of their decision," Professor Dumbledore started with and then a small flitted across his face as he said, "They would like to say welcome to the ranks of the order of the Phoenix."
Once again silence descend across the room as the words sunk into the minds of both Remus and James. It didn't take long for them to comprehend that they had been accepted and soon they where out of their seats congratulating each other on their achievement, both forgetting that the headmaster was still present. That was until a small chuckle broke through their excitement and caused them to blush at their juvenile reaction to the news.
Seeing the sheepish looks on their faces only caused the twinkle in Albus Dumbledore's eyes to shine brighter as he said, "Well done boys, I must say that I was never in any doubt that you would not be triumphant in convincing the order of your value. Everyone was very impressed with the maturity of the research and ideas you presented. Also the depth of the advanced concepts concerning defence with particular reference to charms concerning Voldermort in particular was very well received."
At this both James and Remus grimaced slightly at the complement.
"Professor I have to say that the charms information was not solely mine or Remus's idea," James said.
Smiling at the two boys he said in reply, "Yes I do suppose having two of the most talented charms students in many years as partners, does come in handy."
Again this simply gained the Professor smiles from the two young men that sat facing him.
For the next hour Professor Dumbledore explained the security involved with maintaining the secrecy and protection of order members.
Finally Professor Dumbledore addressed the issue of the involvement of their friends and partners, he said, "Concerning Miss Evans and Miss Court, I feel that their loyalty to the cause of the light will never be in question and that you may involve them in your research to the point that you feel neither you or them will come into any harm."
In response to this Albus Dumbledore received two nods.
"I think for now it may be wise to restrict your involvement to the two ladies," replied Professor Dumbledore. "I know that this may cause some issues among your other friends but for now I think it will be the safest option."
Again two solemn and serious faces nodded their agreement. At this gesture the Headmaster rose from his seat and headed towards the door. A quick goodbye and he was gone leaving James Potter and Remus Lupin alone in their quarters to congratulate each other on their achievement. They quickly formulated two notes, one to Lily and Aggy and another to Sirius that informed him they had both been successful in gaining then teaching apprenticeships.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
The next morning an owl was waiting for Aggy and Lily when they rose for a morning at the Ministry, it held a single word in James' handwriting, Success. Grinning at each other they sat down and quickly penned a reply.
Congratulations, we will meet you tomorrow night at The Three Broomsticks for dinner.
Love L & A
Lily rolled the parchment up and tied it to the leg of the tawny owl that had brought them the note. Stroking the birds head Lily said, "Please take this to James Potter or Remus Lupin."
Both girls stood back and watched the small native British owl fly out of the living room window.
Dinner in Hogsmeades couldn't come quick enough for Aggy and Lily. It would be the first time that they had managed to see their boyfriends in nearly a week, what with James and Remus preparing for the interview with the order, Lily training for her first match and Aggy preparing for the first part of the auror assessment life was exceedingly busy.
After apparating into the Wizarding village the two girls headed straight for the pub and smiled at the enthusiastic greeting they received from Rosmerta. James and Remus arrived with in five minutes of them and soon the four were ensconced in a corner table well hidden from the roving eyes of the Inns clientele. The night passed in a too quickly for all concerned but it took little persuasion on the girls parts to get their boyfriends to show them their new accommodation that was hidden in the depths of the castle they all loved so much.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * On a warm September morning Lily Evans woke early and after a quick breakfast she left a note for her room mate and apparated out of the tiny flat with a destination of the clubhouse at Puddlemere United. One hour later found Aggy Court pottering around the kitchen as one by one her long time friends apparated with a pop into the warm and welcoming Diagon Alley flat.
It was the day Lily Evans would make her debut appearance as a chaser for Puddlemere United and all were gathered ready to support their friend. All were grateful that it was a home game and that there apparation skills would not be tested to any great extent. Finishing their tea it was soon time to head out to the Quidditch ground that belonged to the club. Arriving in the ground Aggy dished out the tickets that Lily had given her the day before. All were impressed with the seats she had gotten them and quickly made their way up one of the north towers behind the hoops being defended by the opposition.
With twenty minutes to go the crowd were treated to Celestina Warbeck an avid Puddlemere fan singing the clubs anthem 'Beat Back Those Bludgers Boys and Chuck That Quaffle Here'. This was well received by the Puddlemere fans.
Hush descended over the ground as the commentator cleared his throat and caught the attention of the waiting crowd but it was the opposition who raised the first cheer as Catriona McCormack the Pride of Portree's famous chaser came out onto the field to wave at the crowd, at her side a young witch who looked to be every inch her mothers daughter and future Quidditch star.
Down in the tunnel under the stands stood fourteen anxious Quidditch players, the first game of the season was nerve racking no matter how long you had been playing. Too the left stood the Puddlemere United players in their navy blue robes, which were bearing the clubs emblem of two crossed golden bulrushes. On the right stood their opposition the Pride of Portree, known as the 'Prides' to their fans in their deep purple robes with a gold star on the chest.
After what had seemed an age the gates were opened and the sun streamed into the small passageway that connected the changing rooms to the Quidditch pitch. The players flew into the stadium as the commentator announced them and up in the top of the north tower a small contingency of ex Hogwarts students cheered extra loud at the sight of the pretty red head emerging into the light.
The players took their positions and Lily smiled over at her fellow chaser and friend Richard Makin. Above them sat against the bright blue sky was Philip Tring Puddlemere and England's seeker.
While sat waiting for the referee to blow the whistle Lily's stomach felt like it was doing somersaults as her nerves got the better of her. Watching the referee take his position and the third Puddlemere United chaser Dahl Redman take his position across from one of the Pride of Portree's chasers, Lily's eyes noticed the dark red quaffle for the first time and from that moment her eyes were glued to it. Concentration was etched over her face and the sound of the stadium seemed to dull to a low whisper as she listened for the high shrill that would signal the beginning of the first game of her career.
Before she knew it all hell broke loose as the quaffle floated into the air and two brooms lurched forward as the players tried to get the first touch. The first ten minutes seemed to involve both teams checking out the opposition for the Puddlemere chasers the game turned a corner as the Prides chasers set up a Parkin's Pincer move on Richard. Dahl signalled to Lily to take the left and at the last moment she cut in front of the Pride chaser who was flying headlong towards Richard who was being planked by the other two Pride chasers. Crossing between the gaggle of chasers was enough of a distraction on Lily's part to knock the Pride chaser off course and so save Richard from a possible collision.
Another thirty minutes down the line and the scores were even both sets of chasers were evenly matched. At that point all knew that the seekers would determine the final score and this was the one area that Puddlemere out shone the Prides on, Philip was having an outstanding game. He had managed one Wronski Feint, which had cost the Prides a time out and their seeker to require some emergency medical attention.
A good technical player Lily, smile as a Hawkshead attacking formation was called by Dahl and together the Puddlemere chasers formed the distinctive shape making an intimidating impression on the opposition as they headed for the goalposts. With only the keeper to beat they had separated at the last possible moment and in the confusion of the three players swarming towards him the goalkeeper targeted the wrong chaser. In split second only Lily was left in the scoring area and before the Prides keeper could adjust for his error she had scored her first professional goal.
The pride of Portree managed to edge into the lead due to a well executed Bludger Backbeat. Confusion had reigned among the Puddlemere chasers as one of the Prides beaters using a backhand swing of his club sent a bludger soaring behind him and straight towards the unassuming chasers.
The small elusive golden snitch was finally spotted three hours into the game and the ensuing dive was way beyond impressive. The two seekers had noticed the glint of the fluttering wings at the same time and the race was on. Air borne acrobatics was nothing compared to the moves being pulled off by the seekers who were desperately pursuing victory. To the relief of the home crowd it was Philip Tring's fingers that closed around the snitch and rendering it inactive, signifying the end of the game.
The roar of the crowd was deafening as the home team did a victory lap of the stadium, waving to their devoted fans. It didn't take long for the Jonesy to issue orders about the next training session and the players to make their way into the changing rooms. Lily was happy to accept the congratulations from her team mates on surviving her first game and Richard reminded her as he was hugging her tight to not forget to owl Rowan.
Finally making it out of the players area Lily mingles through the people standing around the front of the stadium and beamed as she saw the familiar sight of her friends standing together. After a lot of positive reinforcement, hearty congratulations and excessive amounts of kissing and hugging they all headed for the local pub.
TBC
A/N: So what did you think! Please click the button and let me know. Thanks for reading.
Next chapter should be up within the next month. Coming up Annie and Danny's wedding and possibly Auror training.
Madame Padfoot