Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Anything you do not recognise from the either the films or the books, belongs to the author of this FANFICTION. The Lord of the Rings piece is from The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 2, Chapter 5, The Bridge of Khazad-dm, Page 315. We do not own this, we have no intention of making any money out of this FANFICTION and you really should buy the book to read the rest of it, if you haven't read it already. No breech of copyright is intended, so don't sue us!

Summary: L/J 7th year The wizarding world is a storm of lies, death and betrayal entwined with love. Struggling to do the right thing, they must learn the true value of what they're fighting for or else be lost in the thunder within.

Genre: Angst/Romance

Rating: PG-13

The Thunder Within

By SaveOurSouls

Chapter 5: 'Young, Carefree & Innocent'

'In our first year, we were young, carefree and innocent-' spoken by George Weasley, PoA; The Marauder's Map, page 143

James yawned as they listened to their Potions master, Professor Septia, lecture them on the precise quantities they must use for the stronger, more devastating version of the Shrinking potion and the effects it may have on someone who accidentally drank even the tiniest speck.

"If the drinker happens to consume the tinniest droplet they could shrink so they were that small they would never be found again, though I can only hope it happens to someone… who deserves it," he finished nastily. His slit like eyes narrowed as they landed on James, who was looking extremely bored by the proceedings of their first lesson.

"Potter!" he snapped, jerking James out of his thoughts. "If you added two droplets of the regular shrinking potion to an item, what, roughly, is the size the object would be reduced to?" he asked, a smirk curling at the edges of his thin mouth as he watched James's blank expression with glee. "Maybe, instead of frolicking around with Evans so early in the morning, you should be asleep like the rest of us and then maybe, like the rest of us, it would come as a reflex answer instead of taking minutes for you to work it out." His unpleasant tone was sarcastic, and he didn't seem to care that he was revealing what one of his pupils did in their spare time, in front of the whole class. Everybody was staring at him, some with smirks on their faces, others just to see how he'd react to what their Potions teacher had just told them.

James flushed, he didn't care about getting told off, that happened routinely, but he didn't like it when people- Slytherins- pried into his own business. He had half a mind to take a casual stroll out of class, but decided against it and showed no more emotion instead stared at Septia coldly until he looked away and continued with the day's lesson. Inside he was shaking with anger. So what had Septia been doing up and about at that time? He wondered, only to find a piece of screwed up parchment on his desk, he looked over at Sirius, who nodded, gesturing him to read it.

Prongs,

Don't worry people'll get over it. Anyway, they all know you fancy Lily… it just sounds a bit… wrong, if you catch my drift. 'Frolicking around with Evans so early in the morning' I'm going to have to use that line sometime. But what is Septia on? Does he get a kick out of watching students in their own personal time? Actually forget I wrote that, I'd rather not know.

Padfoot

James grinned and looked up. Septia was staring at him with immense dislike and wasted no time in saying, "Potter, is there something you'd like to share with the class? Or are you going to tell me what you find so amusing?"

"No… Professor. I wasn't aware a smile was against classroom regulations, but if you prefer me not to, I won't," he said politely. Septia nodded, his lip curling.

"See me after class, Potter," he said crisply. James, pleased that he had got a little of his revenge on Septia, went back to his work in silence, until the double lesson was finally over.

However, he was not exactly over the moon that he received a detention for the next day, after class when Septia had asked to see him. It seemed worse for him because the detention involved pickling things that were disgusting in their original state and even worse seeing that they had been dried out.

He left the Potions classroom and met up with Sirius, Remus and Peter who had all waited for him.

"He is such a w-" James fumed as he walked towards them, swinging his bag over his shoulder, he was cut short when someone shouted him,

"Hey, James! Potter!" The group turned to see Marlene McKinnon hurrying towards him, her spiralling dull blonde curls falling into her eyes. She slowed down as reached them, nodded to the other three, and turned to him.

"I need to talk to you," she said in an intimidating voice. James, in no mood for conversing with anyone other then his friends, was quick to realise what she wanted to talk to him about. It was plainly obvious. She was Lily's best friend after all, and he knew she had her best interests at heart.

"Look Marlene, if this is about what Septia said in class then-"

"Partly," she said dryly. "Look, I don't know what happened this morning; to be honest I couldn't give a toss, what concerns me is you. If I find any evidence that suggests you are treating this as some kind of game, I will rip you apart Potter. And don't you dare use what Lily is going through at the moment as an opportunity to get what you want, you leave her well alone," she said narrowing her eyes and scrutinising him.

"Wow…wow, where did that all come from?" James said astounded at her fierceness and the content of what she had spoken.

"Believe me, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't have a good enough reason too," Marlene said grimily, starting to walk away from them. James followed her, now intrigued at what had caused such a reaction, and to defend himself.

"Wait. Why would I use what Lily is going through at the moment to get what I wanted?" he asked, puzzled. Marlene turned to him, her wand on his chest stopping him from moving any further.

"Because, people like you like to manipulate people who are in certain… situations," Marlene said prodding him with her wand.

"Now, that's unfounded," Sirius said incredulously, looking between the two. "James would never take advantage of a person like that Marlene, and you know it!"

Marlene remained tight lipped and continued to walk away.

"Wait! Marlene!" James half shouted, trying to comprehend exactly what she was getting at.

He followed her to the portrait of the Fat Lady and stopped her as she was about enter. "What exactly are you trying to say, Marlene? That I'd hurt her on purpose or something-"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say James!" she said keeping her voice level and staring at him. If he hadn't been astounded before, he didn't know what he was feeling now, there were no words to describe the amount of surprise and astonishment he was in.

"Marlene, I can assure you, James would never, ever, try and hurt Lily deliberately or otherwise," Remus said calmly looking at the scene wearily.

"That remains to be seen," Marlene said resolutely, muttering the password.

"Why would I want to hurt her?" James said furiously. He couldn't believe that accusations, untenable insinuations were being hurled at him by a person he had known for so long.

---

"I don't know Potter, you tell me," Marlene snapped angrily, losing her cool demeanour. Lily was startled, she knew Marlene knew James Potter very well, their families were very close to each other, and it was rare that they ever had an argument. But an argument about her… There must be something seriously wrong, Lily thought, though remained silent, trying to block out the distraction and return to her book.

'They are coming!' cried Legolas.

'We cannot get out,' said Gimli.

' Trapped! ' cried Gandalf. ' Why did I delay? Here we are, caught, just as they were before. But I was not here then. We shall see what—'

Doom, doom came the drumbeat and the walls shook.

"I don't know how you can say that, Marlene I would never-"

'Slam the doors and wedge them!' shouted Aragorn. ' And keep your packs on as long as you can; we may get a chance to cut our way out yet.'

'No! ' said Gandalf. 'We must not get shut in. Keep the east door ajar! We will go that way, if we get the chance.'

"LOOK, I am not about to let my best friend get hurt by you of all people. She wouldn't be able to cope with that on top of everything else that has happened to her in the past few weeks, do you understand that Potter?"

Another harsh horn-call and shrill cries rang out. Feet were coming down the corridor. There was a ring and clatter as the Company drew their swords. Glamdring shone with a pale light, and Sting glinted at the edges.

"Yes… But I'm not about to hurt her Marlene! I would NEVER hurt Lily-"

Lily had finally heard enough.

"If… if you've all finished now…" she said, standing up slowly, her eyes darting from a flushed Marlene, to a fuming James Potter. In the background she was vaguely aware of the fact Sirius, Remus and Peter were all staring wide-eyed at the scene unfolding. Lily suddenly came over with the huge desire to laugh. If it had been on television, in a soap opera, it would have had her in fits of laughter. However it wasn't, this was real.

"Marlene, I appreciate you looking after my best interests, I really do… but… I don't think you need to make my decisions for me just yet, I am still perfectly sane," she paused for a second allowing breathing time before continuing. "I think… I think I'm making the right decision… concerning … um," she trailed off her eyes sliding over to James. She glanced at her watch. "I think you're due in Herbology now, and I have a book to read," she said waving them away. They turned silently and started walking away. Marlene turned round and smiled slightly as if she had just achieved something. Lily dismissed it and started to read again, in the now silent common room.

---

"I still can't believe that just happened," Sirius muttered to James half an hour later whilst they were collecting Bubotuber pus, using their dragon hide gloves as protection for their hands.

"You can't believe it? What about me?" James murmured. "I still can't believe Marlene kept accusing me of things I'd never do… not in a million years, not to Lily. Does she think I don't understand what Lily's going through?" he continued, squeezing a pulsating pod with venom so it squirted out and landed on the Green house window.

"Careful there Potter!" Professor Sprout said ducking sprightly to avoid getting hit. "Only a gentle squeeze will do it. Honestly! Students just think they can squeeze it like it some common spot on their faces!" She sighed and shook her head as she moved away on to Remus and Peter who were paired together.

"By the sounds of it, I think she was just looking out for her best friend. You should have seen your and Marlene's faces when Lily announced her presence. You two looked like you were about to murder each other on the spot, either that or sink into the ground out of sheer embarrassment," he said laughing.

"Yeah, well, even if you found it funny, I certainly didn't," James grumbled.

"Why? Lily basically said that what she thought she was doing the right thing when it came down to you!" Sirius exclaimed. James shrugged, his eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

"I know. She didn't say what the right thing was though, did she? For all I know her decision was not to get involved with me!" he said glumly, carefully bringing a vile up to the Bubotuber pod that was now oozing with pus. Sirius shook his head in disbelief and turned away with his full vile, muttering incoherently to himself.

"Ah, excellent Mr Black, excellent!" Professor Sprout hailed him as he took the full vile to her. "Now, I think it's best if you go and wash up. In fact… yes. Can I have your ATTENTION, please?" she yelled above the hub of the Green house. "When your vial is full, bring it to me, and go back up to the castle to clean up. You all look a right state!" she announced. The noise grew again as students endeavoured to fill the rest of their vile and get out of class early.

Tiered and grumpy, James finally finished and began to trudge back to the castle in the company of Remus. Sirius, having finished first, had gone off with Peter to clean up; Peter also finishing surprisingly fast.

"I am so stupid!" James said clapping a hand to his forehead. "So, so stupid. How could I ever, ever think that Lily would actually go out with me?"

"James, Prongs, not to be a pain, but where has all the negativity come from?" Remus quizzed flicking some dirt of his robes. James threw his hands up in the air, as if calling to God.

"I don't know! Maybe it's because I know deep down… I'll never get what I want when it comes down to her…" he said trailing off haplessly. Remus grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and stopped him in his tracks.

"Now you listen to me Prongs," he growled in a wolf like manor. "Padfoot, Wormtail, Gudgeon, and I have not put up with your constant moans and complaints since fifth year for you to just… give up, the moment something like this happens. Why give up now? Besides, I thought you loved her…" his tone was sharp, angry, but it had the response he had hoped for.

"I do!" James said, frustrated. He threw Remus's hands off him. "I just… It seemed like the last straw Moony! I've been rejected by her so many times over the last two years… and finally, finally something unpredicted happens to her, and she… I-I could comfort her without getting slapped or shouted at… and then Marlene goes and starts having a go at me insinuating things I'd never do! Why would I treat this as a game? And she heard… Moony she heard. I wouldn't dream of saying any of that to her face. I'd have messed it up like the moron I am! I always mess everything up…" he murmured, half rambling.

"Pull yourself together, Prongs! You are not the only one who has problems in this world… No one is perfect and Lily- I know Lily, James, and she wouldn't let the fact a person messed up what they said affect what she thought- thinks about them, as long as she knows they mean what they say, nothing else matters!" Remus said, equally frustrated at James and his lack of enthusiasm. "Anyway, don't we have a prank to set in motion?" he said smiling.

James looked at him, and fought the grin that was braking onto his face; needless to say he failed miserably. "Yeah, yeah we do…"

---

Lily paced the common room, restlessly her mind buzzing with what had just happened. Marlene had been right… she wouldn't be able to cope if anything else happened to her so soon after her parents' deaths; merely thinking about it brought up the standard lump in her throat. The chilling memory of the coffins being lowered in to the ground making her shiver involuntarily; she couldn't get it out of her head, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself.

She flopped down in an armchair in front of the empty fire and sat deep in thought trying to think of other, happier things that would perhaps coax her out of her depressive state. There were none. None that had any significant impact anyway. She tried to hold back a yawn but was unsuccessful. What followed was a great tiredness, spreading over her worn out limbs and aching joints. She let herself close her eyes and listen to the deafening silence. Not long after that and she was in a land of dreams featuring fruit trees with pictures of her parents on, no matter how hard she tried to pick them from the tree, she couldn't reach. Either that or the trees were growing rapidly.

---

The prank they had planned to the utter most perfection was to take place that evening, outside in the grounds to ensure other pupils' safety. It wasn't dangerous as such; it was just a precaution to make sure. Plus the fact it wouldn't have looked half as good in the Great Hall with all the burning candles, lighting what the students were doing.

James watched as a small shadow, Peter, ran down the front steps as fast as his short legs would allow him to, he reached them just in time and looked back across the dark grounds.

"Are they coming?" Sirius said eagerly. Peter nodded breathlessly.

"Yes. Yes they are. I told them that-"

"It doesn't matter, tell us later and help me start this firework," Sirius grunted. Peter clamped his mouth shut and helped Sirius shift the modified Dr Filibuster no-heat, wet-start firework into a more suitable position. Sirius licked his index finger and rubbed it against his thumb in preparation to light the stiff string sticking out from the bottom of it. James grinned as the first students started pouring out of the entrance hall and down the steps looking around and talking energetically as they left the light from the entrance hall that was spilling down over the steps.

"Five…" James muttered, licking his own fingers and pinching the end of the firework next to him. The fireworks themselves were huge in comparison to the usual ones- however they were needed for the alterations they had made over the last few days. The students were buzzing looking around the grounds impatiently.

"Four…" Remus murmured next to him, shifting his feet slightly.

"Three…" Peter said in a tone that clearly said he would rather be watching them, than setting off his own firework.

"Two…" Sirius said, the grin on his face quite evident in the half gloom of the dark that surrounded them.

"One…" James said removing his finger, and watching with glee as the fireworks rocketed off high above the grounds.

Suddenly all four enormous rockets exploded, causing several of the shadows to shriek with surprise. They emitted different fireworks, Catherine wheels, normal rockets, sparklers that spelled out rude words such as 'Tosser' and 'Slut'. After the flying formations of colour, the really good bit began. They started showering the fascinated students in sweets and candy. They laughed and cheered, grabbing their friends' arms and pointing at the various fireworks spinning away across the grounds, catching the sweets in their fists and whooping at the small dose of fun that had come after months of depressive misery. It was just what they needed after all that had happened in the short time that they had been back.

"Well, I think we can safely say that was one of our most brilliant, nicest pranks we've ever played on this school," Sirius said lightly, letting out a laugh that sounded like a dog barking.

It was without doubt the best 'feel good' prank they had played, James decided later as he lay back in his soft bed sheets staring at the velvet canvas, his hands behind his head. Though he doubted that McGonagall would agree with them in the morning; she had a sixth sense about these things and always managed to put them in some kind of detention for their actions, even if she didn't have a shred of evidence to prove it was them. Mind you, it took people with imaginations to devise a prank like that, and a great deal of intelligence to get to grips with a charm that not many people managed to master in their life times, James thought. He doubted that there was anyone who could have done that apart from them, the Marauders.

---

So sorry for the long wait. FallenFlower is kind of out of action at the moment, with a damaged wrist, so it's up to me. Which isn't good, because I'm lazy. But I'm trying, ok!

Thanks to all of you who review!

xo aPADFOOT & FallenFlower