"It's just an exam, there's nothing to worry about, it's just an exam," Ciara repeated over and over to herself as she waited to be called into the Hall. "There's nothing to worry about, it's just-"
"For gods sake, will you shut up?" Lily asked irritably. Had it been anyone else, she would have tried to make them feel better, but she had very little patience for the girl who had once been her friend.
"You'd be nervous too, if you had an exam in about two minutes time," Ciara said.
"I do, why the bloody hell do you think I'm sitting here waiting with you? But do you see me talking to myself? NO!"
"Don't tell me you're not stressed, who was the girl who was trying to organise everyone's revision? And who was panicking because people had better things to do than read?"
"Are you still talking to me, or are you back to talking to yourself?" Lily asked in the tone of voice she seemed to have picked up from Sirius.
Ciara was about to reply when Professor Flitwick called for Donnelly, Ciara; Edwards, Claire; Evans, Lily. So they settled for venomous glares the entire way through the exam. Lily smirked when Ciara stuttered a spell, causing it to shoot orange spinning fireworks at the examiner. Naturally he ducked, and they shot past him only to explode when they hit the wall of the Hall leaving scorch marks all over it. Biting back a laugh, Lily tried to concentrate on turning the animal in front of her into a light bulb. Hoping that the examiner wouldn't notice that it still had a slight pattern, she smiled politely and left. Isabelle, Kara and Mia were waiting outside, she grinned at them and mouthed some encouragement as she passed them.
"So how was it?" Sirius asked as Lily, followed by Ciara walked into the Common Room. Sirius had finished his exam a few hours before the rest and was the only seventh year there.
"Fine. Just as long a you managed to say the right word,"
"Huh?" Sirius looked to Ciara for some explanation.
"I mucked up a spell and almost......killed the examiner," she trailed off.
"Really? How?" he looked up in interest.
"Don't tell him, you'll only give him ideas,"
"Shut up Evans. What did you do?" Sirius asked again.
"Sent fireworks at him," she replied quietly.
"Huh?"
"Sent fireworks at him," she repeated biting her lip.
"Well don't look so embarrassed, it's brilliant. Better than anything I could think of. How did you do it?"
"Don't know, just said the spell slightly wrong I guess,"
"Try again. Play around and see what happens,"
"Your personal motto?" Lily asked raising an amused eyebrow.
"Like just experiment? Just say different words and see what happens?" Ciara asked.
"Yeah and let me know if you find anything decent," Sirius called out as Ciara walked up to the girl's dormitories.
"Do you ever," Lily asked, "Ever think before you speak?"
"Meaning?"
"You've just told her to go around and play with spells that could well be dangerous. She could end up killing herself,"
"Why do you care?"
"I don't," Lily replied shifting uncomfortably, Sirius raised an eyebrow, "But as Head Girl it's my responsibility to ensure that students aren't doing anything dangerous,"
"Funny how this never bothered you before,"
Lily glared at him.
"You know, you are allowed to still like her," he added in a softer voice. "You used to be good mates, don't you ever want to go back to that?"
"No."
"Why don't you just make it up?"
"If she apologizes, but she won't because she's too stubborn,"
"Look who's talking!"
"Why should I say anything to her? It's her fault,"
Sirius rolled his eyes and grunted something that sounded oddly like 'Women!"
Fortunately she was saved answering by the arrival of Mia, Isabelle, Remus and James. Peter was still in the exam, despite having been called before James.
"How'd it go?"
"Not bad," James shrugged. "Should get an Outstanding at least,"
"What?" he asked, looking at Lily's glare, "It's true,"
"Ignore her, she's been grouchy all afternoon," Sirius reached over and pulled her over to him. Indignant as she was about being crushed between his arm and his shoulder, Lily couldn't help grinning. Sirius's good moods were notoriously catching, and the scathing comment that had been on the tip of her tongue suddenly disappeared.
"Something I should know about?" James asked smirking slightly at the different expressions on his friends' faces.
"Yes there is," she told him smirking, "I'm secretly and madly in love with Sirius. We're going to live together after Hogwarts," Sirius winked at her as an uncomfortable silence descended on the room, no one really liked to think about 'after Hogwarts'. The Big Bad World was getting Bigger and Badder by the day; by staying at Hogwarts they could remain comfortably oblivious to the world outside.
James decided that he was bored of this game and so he changed the subject.
"What have you got tomorrow?"
"Charms," Lily answered.
"Going to show us all up?" James asked mock seriousness, knowing that Charms was easily Lily's best subject.
"Oh yes. Should get an Outstanding at least," she smiled. James blushed and followed everyone down to dinner.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"One day done, four to go. Bring on the weekend," Sirius said stretching and settling himself on the sofa.
"I give up! I can't do it, my head is full!" Lily said slamming down the book she was reading.
"See what I mean? Exams are too stressful," he muttered leaning back and closing his eyes. Ellis snorted; she doubted that Sirius had ever been stressed in his life.
"We're having a party this weekend by the way,"
"I trust we can rely on the Marauder for supplies?" Lily asked.
"Of course,"
"And talking of Marauders you don't know where Remus is do you?"
James and Sirius exchanged a swift look.
Yes he's in the Shrieking Shack.
"I think he's in the library, why?"
"I wanted to talk to him,"
You may have to wait until he's human.
"What about?"
"Nothing really, he's was going to find a book for me that's all,"
"Advanced Transfiguration?" James asked, "It's on his bed,"
Sirius looked up like a startled animal.
"Where're you going?" he asked Lily as she got up.
"To get the book?"
"You can't go up there! It's......private," he finished lamely.
"What's the problem, you never bothered about it before," she replied frowning and looking confused. James was now watching, interested.
"Why can't I go up there?"
"Because,"
"That's not a reason!"
"Do I have to have a reason?"
"Yes!"
"For Gods sake I'll get the bloody book!" James exclaimed and stalked upstairs to get it. As he entered the boy's dormitory he noticed that on Sirius's bed was his invisibility cloak, the Marauders Map and a few hasty scribbles on tonight's adventure. No wonder he didn't want Lily up there, she was bound to ask questions.
"Stupid prat!" he chuckled. He shoved the items under the bed and picked up what he was looking for.
"Thank you James!" Lily beamed at him, and ignoring Sirius she curled up like a cat and started to read.
James's mind was working; he needed to talk to Sirius without anyone noticing. Calling him was too obvious he needed something subtler.
Sirius flinched as something bounced off his arm. Looking down he couldn't see anything; maybe he'd just imagined it. Still he could have sworn........
When the ball of parchment flew into his eye he knew that he wasn't imaging anything. And he had a watering eye and a smirking James to prove it.
"What?"
James's eyes flickered down, to the scrunched up parchment in Sirius's lap, and then back up again. The glance was so fleeting that anyone would have missed it, but they knew each other so well they could practically read each other's minds.
"I'm starving, anyone else want to come to the kitchens?" James asked. The girls in the Common Room gave him a disgusted look.
"You've only just had dinner!"
"That was hours ago! Anyway I'm a growing boy," James replied as an explanation. Sirius who was now standing, half a head higher, next to his friend, snorted.
"You wish,"
James ignored him.
"Pete you coming?"
Peter, who had finally managed to get the good armchair now James had stood up, weighed up his options. Deciding that the chair was worth more, he shook his head.
"Peter......" Sirius said in a low growl and raised an eyebrow. Peter's eyes widened as he recognised the look and he hurried up to stand next to the other two.
"Bye!" James called out cheerfully.
"What was all that about?" Peter asked once they were out of earshot.
"What?"
"Did it never occur to you to put the stuff away?" James asked.
Sirius looked around at everywhere but James.
"How you ever got known as the smart one I'll never know," James chuckled
"You're mixing your Marauders there. It's Remus that's the smart one,"
"So what are you?"
"The best looking........."
As much as James hated to admit it, it was true. Whether it was his height, the long black hair that fell into his eyes, or the air of arrogance he had, Sirius had a kind of elegance James would never achieve. At half a head shorter, with his short messy hair and glasses, James made quite a different impression.
"The most rebellious........" Sirius continued extol his merits, now sounding almost poetic.....well as poetic as Sirius ever got. James snorted.
"And the most dangerous of the four marauders....." he finished looking quite proud of himself.
This, none of them could dispute. Remus had never joined in when the James or Sirius decided to hex or curse another student; Peter probably couldn't if he tried; and this was probably the only point on which James and Sirius differed. James......well he'd muck around, but he'd never do anything too serious.....too dangerous. Sirius on the other hand, if he was angry enough, wouldn't stop at anything. Especially not if it involved one of his friends.
"What about me?" James asked.
"The one that can play Quidditch,"
"That's it? How come you get three good things and I only get one?"
"What am I?" Peter asked.
"The short one," Sirius answered quickly and turned his attention back to his conversation with James. "You only get one because...........that's the only thing left," he answered honestly.
"You know, as Head Boy," James started an evil smile starting to creep onto his face, "It is my duty to tell the teachers if there are students roaming the halls at," he checked his watch, "10.30. Especially if they are trying to steal food from the kitchen," he finished, a look of pure innocence on his face.
"That's blackmail!"
"Your point being........"
"All right, all right, you are......Head Boy," at James expression, he tried to think of something else, "And dating the Head Girl...who is very nice?"
"Keep going,"
"And pretty?"
"Go on......."
"If I say anymore Isabelle will kick my arse!"
"How are things with her?"
"I'm not saying anything. I don't want to jinx it,"
"Come on! You're not going to jinx anything,"
"Alright, but if something goes wrong I'm blaming you!"
"And will kick my arse yes I know," James said impatiently, "So tell me..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I wish Sirius was that well trained," Isabelle commented to Lily once the boys had left the room.
"Well-trained? Belle, you can't train him, he's not a dog,"
"Well whatever you call James, I wish Sirius was like it,"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Running all over Hogwarts for you?"
"He went upstairs to get a book. Because SOMEBODY'S boyfriend wouldn't let me. Any idea what's up Sirius's arse today?"
"God only knows," Isabelle sighed. "And maybe James as well," she added thoughtfully. "Maybe he's stressed about the exams," she realised just how unlikely that sounded just after she said it.
"So how's it going with you two?"
"I'm not saying a word,"
"Why not?"
"Because I'll jinx it,"
Lily snorted. "Please tell me you don't believe in jinxes. What harm can it do?"
"FAMOUS LAST WORDS!"
"Come on! If something goes wrong, you can blame me 100 for making the 'curse fall upon you,'" she said in an exaggerated accent.
"100?" Isabelle asked still looking slightly uneasy. Lily nodded.
"Well.........."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lily couldn't sleep. James said he had a stomach ache and had gone to bed a few hours ago, refusing to go and see Madame Pomfrey. Peter had followed not long after, but Sirius stayed up, entertaining the Common Room until he too said he needed to sleep. ("Exams tomorrow!" he said in a voice that, in Lily's opinion, was too chirpy to be allowed)
The air outside was warm but there was a breeze making much cooler than it should have been. Lily had thrown the window open and was balancing on the windowsill, swinging her legs 50 feet above the ground. From her room she could see most of the grounds, over the lake to the Quidditch pitch and then into the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. She had been in there once with Ellis, years ago, and vowed never to go back.
'God knows what lives in there' she thought, and as though to prove her point, a howl sounded out across the grounds. Shivering slightly, she moved to close the window and climb back inside when something moving at the edge of the forest caught her eye. It moved like a dog, but was somehow different. It howled again, louder this time, and Lily had to grab the window frame to stop her from plummeting to the ground in shock.
A werewolf.
So that meant someone at Hogwarts..........now that was interesting..........that was very interesting.
Closing the window and climbing into bed, she didn't see the dog and the stag with a rat balancing on his back that burst out of the trees after the wolf.
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Well.....I'm back! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the reviews! I know to people who get thousands of reviews 13 isn't many, but is it to me so THANK YOU! That really cheered me up when i got back. Sorry the first chapter got mucked up but thanks to everyone who told me. Would it be really piggy to asked for 14 reviews this time? Well I am anyway!
BurningIce22- I was getting kinda bored with the whole Neria thing, sorry if it seemed a bit rushed-its because it was.
Cilverblood-I didn't know the first time someone asked me that and i still dont! Thanks for the review, I probably will continue this after Hogwarts. I think JKR said somewhere that if Sirius got married she would have been Harry's godmother, but he didn't so he doesn't have one.Hmm........ I'll have to put that into my story somewhere.............
Dancincheerchik-Thanks for the review. I'm try to update as fast as i can!!!!
Nomi-clawskull- You're so lucky! I would LOVE to go anywhere in the US. You caught me! There are quotes in there sometimes. The one in this chapter from Sirius about being the best looking etc, was from JKR and I've been looking for an exucse to use it since I heard it. No I don't think Lily is like Hermione, I think she used to be a bit like her, until she fell in with the Marauders. Thanks for reviewing once, let alone twice!
Sirius' lover xx T xx-Thanks for the review!
L.M.Robertson- I did try to have fun, I really did but it was crap and miserable. Anyway............... Thanks for reviewing this chapter and the last ones as well!
Dovasery-Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Cyclone Ami-Thanks! I don't know how many more chapters I am going to write. There's only one or two more until they finish Hogwarts and then there will be more if I continue after that. There's only three of them in that class because that's how I wrote it much earlier in the story and realised that I couldn't really change things 15 chapters later. No I havn't written anything else but I'm starting a couple more stories to put on here later, so you can read them then.
Ashton Rushing-Great to know you loved the chapter, your review really made me smile! The Hangman game took me ages to put little dashes in where the letters were missing and IT DIDN'T EVEN SHOW THEM!
WhiteLiliesWithAScar-Wow! Six hours! Glad you liked it that much!
LooneyLuna1122-Thanks for your review, I really am trying!
Midgee Dumbledore-Updated! Thank you for the review!