The Hogsmeade came up much sooner than Mia would've liked. She tried to say that she had work to do and that she wasn't feeling too good; but as the others pointed out it was their last Hogsmeade visit and she couldn't miss it. Even Ciara had been forgiven for the weekend.
In truth all her excuses were because she didn't want to walk past Snape and watch him waiting for Neria.
'Maybe it won't be that bad, you might not even see him,' she thought to herself. "It'll be fine, just relax,
'I wish.'
In truth, it was every bit as bad as she had expected.
There he was, standing in the Entrance Hall waiting for someone who wasn't real. She hoped that they could just walked past, but with James and Sirius, it wasn't likely.
"You waiting for someone, Snivellus?" James asked as they passed.
"Who says I am?" he sneered.
"The way you're standing alone, not that that's unusual," he added.
"Just piss off Potter!"
"I hear," Sirius said in an audible whisper, "That he has fallen for our Miss Turner,"
Snape paled. OUR Miss Turner?
"What makes her yours?" he scowled.
James and Sirius smirked at each other. Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"We go back," he said shortly.
Snape snorted, "That would explain her opinion of you,"
"Really?" asked Sirius intrigued. "What did she say?"
Snape thought for a moment, he didn't want to give Sirius the satisfaction of knowing, but he thought so much of himself it would be nice to bring him down a bit.
"As I recall her exact words were an 'arrogant traitor who overestimates his charm and his ability to get whoever and whatever he wants',"
"Really?" Sirius asked, "She said that?" glancing back at his friends, though Snape couldn't see it, Mia knew it was meant for her.
"She looked pretty cosy last night," James said turning to his friend.
"I didn't hear her complaining," Sirius said, eyebrows raised. "Did you?"
"Of everything we heard last night, complaining wasn't one of them," James smirked.
By this time Snape was fuming; he was so furious that he didn't notice Sirius'd had his arm around Isabelle for their entire conversation.
"Looks like I was right, he's going out with Neria," James said.
"What's it to you?"
"Oh nothing. But you might want to get comfy,"
"You'll be waiting a while," Sirius said in the loud whisper he had perfected over the years of Snape-baiting.
Lily recognised her cue to hurry the boys out, if they didn't leave now they'd be stuck in here for another round.
"Leave him alone, lets just go,"
They left, grumbling and moaning, but they followed Lily out- leaving Snape alone.
He waited for Neria for almost an hour. She obviously wasn't coming. Potter and Black had known, they were probably laughing about it at that moment.
Maybe she had forgotten, he hadn't seen her for a while, that could be it. The girl he had got to know over the past few weeks wouldn't leave him standing there like a fool, if she didn't want to go she would have told him.
He could ask someone if they'd seen her or he could go to her common room.
To his relief he finally found some seventh years that hadn't gone to Hogsmeade.
"Have you seen Turner anywhere?" he asked the boy.
"Who?" he asked.
"Turner," he repeated, "Neria Turner,"
The boy shook his head and shrugged, "Sorry, don't know her,"
"Are you sure she's in seventh year?" the girl asked frowning, "I haven't heard of her before,"
Ok......... so it was on to plan B: Go to her Common Room.
Only he didn't know where it was, he didn't even know what house she was in. so maybe it was going to be a bit harder than he thought.
No one he asked had seen her, she was probably in Hogsmeade, he'd talk to her when she came back.
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"Did you see his face?" Sirius roared. The Gryffindors were sitting in the Three Broomsticks laughing about the incident in the Entrance Hall.
"He's probably going to spend all day looking for her now," James chuckled.
"Could be interesting, seeing as he doesn't know anything about her," Mia replied. Other than a few short comments she had been keeping very quiet. Her usual good mood was gradually returning but it was taking a while.
"What does he know?"
"Nothing, nothing about friends, family, or what house she's in. The only person he knows she knows is Lily," she nodded towards her friend.
"When Snivellus comes to find you, don't tell him anything," Sirius said to her.
"Course not, I'm not that stupid!" she glared. "What makes you think he's going to come to me?"
"Because, according to our lovely friend her," Mia rolled her eyes, "Snape is well and truly hooked. If he believes that she wouldn't lie to him, the way most naïve and trusting people do, he is going to think that something has happened to her and he is going to want to know what. So he'll come after you to ask if you've seen her," Sirius finished.
"What do you know? It has brains," Ellis smirked sipping her drink.
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Being their last ever Hogsmeade visit the Marauders were determined to make the most of it.
"I don't see the point, Hogsmeade is always going to be here after we leave, we can always come back," Lily shrugged.
"Just let them have their fun," Isabelle told her, "Don't try to understand them just love them. It's less confusing that way,"
If James were listening he would have remembered that Sirius told him exactly the same thing at the beginning of the year. But he was too busy chasing Remus through the high street to listen.
"Do we have to sit here?" Lily called out. The Marauders had sat down right opposite the Shrieking Shack.
"Yeah, why what's wrong with it?"
"It's spooky,"
"Not it's not," James snorted.
"Yes it is!" Lily argued, "It's all like...haunted and stuff,"
"No it isn't," Remus said.
"IT IS!" Lily insisted, "Things scream in here. Why do you think it's called the Shrieking Shack?"
"Because the villagers have very vivid imaginations," Sirius replied.
Seeing Lily was still not convinced, James spoke, "If something starts to scream, I promise that we'll go back to Hogwarts and never come back here,"
"Still creepy though," Lily muttered. She followed her friends and sat down, managing to avoid the shadow the house was casting.
"We have to come back here," Ellis said, "When we leave, every year we should comeback,"
"Like a reunion?"
"But we're still going to see each other aren't we?" Lily asked.
"Of course we will,"
"You think we've lived together for seven years just to lose touch?" Sirius asked.
"How the hell did we manage that?" James wondered, thinking of everything they had put up with from each other.
"God knows," Remus replied thinking the same.
"It's going to be weird isn't it?" Isabelle asked, "Not seeing each other every day,"
"Yeah," James and Sirius agreed looking thoughtful.
"What are you going to do?" she asked. They had had this conversation during their fifth year but it hadn't seemed serious then. The end of Hogwarts seemed so far away.
"Don't know, just muck around I suppose," Sirius said.
"My dad has a nice dead-end office job lined up for me," James told them, scowling "What about you Lil?"
"Probably the same, you still want to work at St Mungo's Belle?"
"You're so lucky, knowing what you want to do," Mia said, "I still have no idea,"
"Keep dating Oliver and you won't have to work at all," Lily smirked.
"Lucky bitch," Ellis muttered.
"What about you Remus?" Isabelle asked.
He shrugged, knowing that no one in their right mind would want to hire a werewolf.
"I...er.... don't know. Being a teacher would be good," he said quietly.
"You want to spend more time at school?" Sirius asked, "Are you insa-"James hit him to shut him up. Remus deserved to have something.
"That's great, what do you want to teach?" he asked, Remus shrugged, indicating that the conversation was over.
"We should be getting back," Lily said looking at her watch. None of them really wanted to go back so it seemed to take forever to walk back through the village. They were just about to leave when Sirius and James turned around and started shouting.
"You're saying goodbye to Hogsmeade?" Lily asked in disbelief.
"It's our last ever trip," James replied as though that explained everything.
"It's still going to be here when we leave, we can always come back,"
"We can?" he smirked.
"On one condition......Stop yelling, it's embarrassing,"
"Spoilsport,"
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"You're a pig, you know that?" Lily asked.
"Who?" Sirius asked through a mouthful of pie and potato.
James just about managed a muffled 'Hey!' between shovels of food.
"I can't watch this anymore," Lily said looking disgusted, "I'll see you in the Common Room,"
"I think I'll come with you," replied Remus with the same expression.
The walked out the Great Hall and rounded into their favourite person.
"Well, it's the mudblood and the we-"
"What do you want Snape?" Remus snapped.
"You mean apart from a pleasant conversation with you two freaks?"
"You know you're a lot cockier without James or Sirius here," Lily told him, "Maybe I should get them," she added just to see the look on his face.
"No, wait! All I want to know is where Turner is,"
"Well away from you!"
Unfortunately for Snape, James and Sirius also turned the corner into the Entrance Hall.
"James, Snivellus was just asking me where Neria is,"
"Well away from you," James told him.
"That's what I said," Lily replied smiling.
"You can keep looking," Sirius told him, "But you won't find her,"
"WHERE IS SHE?" Snape shouted.
"Search me," James said and walked off with Lily and Remus.
"Have a nice day," Sirius added and followed his friends.
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"Professor please! You don't understand!"
"I understand perfectly," Professor McGonagall said crisply, "You want to know the whereabouts of a Miss Neria Turner. But I will say it again: There is no Neria Turner at this school, nor has there ever been. I don't know who you are talking about,"
"POTTER AND BLACK! They know something about it. They told me I'd never find her. Talk to them!"
"Will you stop ordering me around? Follow me, we're going to see Professor Dumbledore, no don't complain. Yes I shall be getting Potter and Black,"
"Evans has something to do with it as well,"
"I fail to see what Miss Evans has to do with anything. She was about to continue when they reached Dumbledore's office, "Wait here,"
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"He really is a prat,"
"What was he saying to you before we got there?" James asked.
"You know, the usual: Insults, threats that kind of thing,"
"What did he call you?"
"He called me a mudblood and was about to call Remus something but he interrupted,"
Remus caught the look James gave him and smiled slightly. But Snape had got his mind working, maybe he should tell Lily what he was. Now she was dating James he had got to know her better and knew he could trust her. She was the smartest witch in the school, she'd probably figured out something was wrong years before. He'd talk to the Marauders first.
"One day I'm going to get Snape and I'm going to......."
"I'd advise you not to finish that sentence Mr Potter,"
James nearly jumped out his skin when he heard Professor McGonagall brisk tone behind him. Lily could have sworn that the teacher smiled slightly.
"Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you, Black and Miss Evans in his study. Now,"
Immediately there were cries of 'I swear it wasn't me', 'It was all his fault' and 'But I haven't done anything........ lately,"
"Just follow me,"
"What have we done?" James whispered as they walked several feet behind McGonagall.
"I wonder!" Lily hissed.
"How can she know?"
"He knows about me, and you two got yourselves into this by making so many stupid, bloody comments. 'You'll never find her'," she mimicked, "Are you insane? He's going to think that you've killed her or something stupid like that,"
In hindsight Sirius had to admit that it was stupid to say things like that, but at the time he just couldn't resist it.
They fell silent as they climbed up to Dumbledore's office.
"Good evening," Dumbledore greeted them as they walked in, "Myself and Professor McGonagall were hoping that you could help 'get to the bottom' of this,"
"Get to the bottom of what?" Lily inquired politely. James started to speak, but Lily sent him a look telling them both to keep quiet and let her talk for them.
"This Neria Turner business,"
"Who?" She asked.
"Don't play all innocent Evans, you know who he's talking about," Snape spat at her.
"As Head Boy and Girl, James and I probably know every student in this school, but I can't say I know Neria Turner. Do you know James?"
"No. What about you Sirius?"
"No."
"What year is this girl supposed to be in?" Lily asked.
"Seventh," Snape answered.
"What did she look like?"
"Tall, blonde," Snape said.
"I think that it's fairly unlikely there's a seventh year blonde girl in the school that Sirius doesn't know," Lily smirked. Dumbledore chuckled.
"Then how do you explain the girl who has disappeared? The girl I've been talking to for the last three weeks?" Snape asked.
For a second they were stumped, but then Lily remembered something Sirius had said to her earlier in the day.
"An vivid imagination?"
"Miss Evans, please try to remain serious," Professor McGonagall said.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to say. The only tall blonde girl I know is Ellis Quinn. I think we've all decided that Neria Turner does not attend this school, and I'm sure it would be impossible for anyone outside to get into the school,"
"Can I just interrupt for a second please?" James asked. Dumbledore nodded and watched them over his glasses.
"Snape, did you ever see this girl do magic?"
"Once or twice maybe,"
"Then this girl would have to be a witch, right Professor?"
Dumbledore nodded and seemed to be intrigued.
"Doesn't the Ministry keep tabs on every witch or wizard in the country?"
"Of course," McGonagall said.
"Then can't you just ask them about a girl called Neria Turner?" he asked.
"That could be possible," Professor McGonagall acknowledged. "I'll see to it in the morning. Goodnight to you all. We will see you again tomorrow,"
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"How did it go?" Remus asked. Lily looked furious; Sirius had his usual expression of not being able to care less; James however was looking rather pleased with himself.
"Great!" Lily said, her eyes flashing, "James has taken it to the Ministry!"
"You what?" Remus asked looking alarmed. "What happened?"
"James said, you know how the Ministry keeps tabs on every witch or wizard in the country, can't you just check on a witch called Neria Turner?"
"Why does it matter? We all know how good Ministry tabs are," he said smirking at Sirius, "They won't find anything,"
"What if there is a Neria Turner?" Lily asked, still fuming.
"It won't be the same, so she won't know who he is,"
"Why don't we just tell them the truth?" Lily sighed.
"Because we'd be setting up a dangerous precedent," Sirius said, finally tuning into the conversation.
"You mean if we do the right thing now, we'd have to do the right thing next time?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Well think what we'd have to admit to. That you lied to a teacher so you could get out the book; that we stole the ingredients from the cupboard; and that we lied to them tonight," James explained.
"Tomorrows going to be an interesting day," Sirius said.
"We'll see. Night all," Lily said, still glaring at James. Remus watched her go upstairs and changed the conversation.
"Do you think I should tell Lily about the whole wolf thing?" he asked.
"What brought that on?" James asked looking confused.
"Snape. He was about to call me a werewolf when I interrupted. She probably heard anyway so maybe I should just tell her,"
"No!"
"Why not? She is a Marauder," James reasoned.
"If you're going to tell her just because you ("WE!") made her a Marauder you might as well show her the map, your cloak, tell her all the passages. Why not show her how to turn into an Animagus? A tiger perhaps!" Sirius fumed.
"Shut up! If Remus wants to tell her then its up to him. Don't see what you're getting so stressed about,"
"You know, I think Lily had the right idea. Goodnight," Sirius said and walked out.
"Ignore him. If you want to tell Lily then do, if you don't-don't. Simple. She wouldn't tell anyone,"
"I know. You're lucky you know that?"
"You mean you..........." James eyed his friend warily.
"No course not! But compare her to Ciara and you'll get what I mean,"
"She's alright. Just as long as you're not breaking the law," he added thoughtfully. "You're not thinking about telling Ciara though?"
"Are you joking? She'd freak out and run a mile,"
"When's the next moon?"
"Four days," Remus answered looking gloomy again.
"Where do you think we should go?"
"Hogsmeade?"
"Why not?"
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Normally she didn't have a problem, settling down to work. But Lily just couldn't think. Whether it was because she was tired, or because she was preoccupied by the thought of the Ministry; or just because she was distracted by the voices downstairs. By the sound of it Sirius had just left and just James and Remus were left.
Going down the stairs she stopped when she heard her name,
"-tell Lily then do, if you don't-don't. Simple. She wouldn't tell anyone,"
"I know," she heard Remus reply. Why were they talking about her?
"You're not thinking about telling Ciara though?"
Remus made some comment about running a mile that confused Lily even more. What wasn't he telling her and why was James suddenly talking about moons?
Shaking her head she went back up to bed. God knows she'd had enough with trying to understand him. She decided to take Isabelle's advice and went back to bed.
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Thank you for reading and for all your long lovely long reviews. Please review this chapter. Please please please? (That didn't sound too desperate!)
Thank you- cilverblood, Rose-Mariann-Johnston, firewalker32, L.M Robertson, and ourlittlesecret7.
Pandawitch1616-Thank you! 1) Mia stayed with her boyfriend over easter. The reason Lily could blackmail her was because she told the school she was going to her parents and her parents that she was staying at school for Easter. 2) About 3 weeks. 3) She was only Neria when she knew she was going to see Snape so she didn't take the potion to go to lessons etc. Happy? If you've got any more questions ASK THEM!
Leo x