Disclaimer: nothing is mine
Chapter Five – The Girl's Dormitory Stairs.
As they got off the train Lily felt yet another dizzy flash and quickly grabbed Remus' arm, "Sorry Remus, but you were closest."
"That's alright, I'm here to serve," he jokes as they climbed into the carriage with the others.
Lily entered the castle doors only to see Lucius Malfoy waiting for her, "Did you like our little show on the train, Mudblood," he sneered. "We should ask you to be the star more often."
Sirius stepped in front of her, "Keep moving Malfoy."
"Turning into a Muggle-lover Black? You bring shame on you family. They expected so much from you."
"My family can go to hell."
"Move along please, move along," Professor McGonagall said and ushered the students into the Great Hall. Malfoy glared at Sirius before moving on to the Slytherin table at the other end of the Hall.
Lily and Sirius quickly joined the others, Lily sat between Clover and Remus while Sirius joined Rose and James and Peter on the other side. The scared first years quickly filed in, looking around at everything from the enchanted ceiling to the moving portraits on the walls. Lily tried to keep her attention on the Sorting, ending in 'Weasley, Bill' being the tenth new Gryffindor.
As the food appeared on the table Rose leaned across and whispered, "Don't turn around but your favourite persons watching you."
"Oh, God, I wonder what he's planning to do next," Lily said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. James looked over at her.
"Planning?" he asked.
"Malfoy is at it again. Rose was watching him during the Sorting," Remus answered for her.
"Like hell he's going to get away with it. Evans, go to Dumbledore or I will."
"Don't waste your time Potter. There's just no point fighting them," Lily got up from the table. "By the way, the common room password is i Lion's den /i ."
James watched her walk out of the Great Hall. Something about her stubbornness to not do anything made him suspect that she wasn't totally innocent to the Slytherins.
Lily was in the Astronomy Tower, looking through the telescopes. Finally she found what she was looking for; the bright star that her father had told Lily was her guardian angel. Whenever Lily was sad her father would tell her that her angel was sitting on that star watching out for her.
Now her star gave her comfort. Lily sat down and leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Her father had died on Christmas Day, driving home form the store. A truck had run a red lights and Lily's father's car had flipped three times before catching fire and burning him alive.
When Petunia had found out she had immediately decided Lily was the reason her father had died. She had tormented Lily almost daily and reduced her to tears. When Lily had gone back to school she had blocked all thoughts of the horrible event from her mind. Lily sighed. What she wouldn't give to have her father back. If she could just go back and changed that day he would still be alive. The death of her father really had been all her fault, despite what her mother protested.
Rose jumped down the dormitory stairs two at a time and landed in the common room. She smiled slightly at Sirius who was playing chess with James before starting towards the door.
"Rose," Sirius called out. She turned and walked over to them. "Where are you going?"
"To find Lily, she hasn't turned up since dinner," Rose looked slightly worried. "She hasn't eaten all day, something could have happened."
Sirius glanced at James who nodded and dashed up the stairs. Seconds later he returned and smiled at Rose, "She's in the Astronomy Tower."
Rose frowned, "How did you -"
"I'll tell you later. Go get Lily and make sure she's alright," Sirius interrupted.
Rose left and Sirius turned to James, "How did you find out so fast?"
"Remus had it open. All I had to do was ask from the door."
"What was Moony using it for?"
"He was watching the Ravenclaw common room. I think he has a little crush."
Sirius grinned, "Awww, our little werewolf is growing up."
"Sssh, someone might here you."
"Sorry but it is funny."
Rose walked slowly up the stairs, not wanting to be caught out of bed after curfew on the first night. "Lily," she called softly. There was no answer as Rose reached the top and spotted her friend.
Lily lay on the concrete floor, he head resting on one arm, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful as she slept. Rose knelt beside her and gently woke her up. Lily opened her eyes slowly and they flicked around before she sat up and startled Rose with her suddenness.
"Oh my God, what's the time? How long have I been up here?"
"Lily, calm down, it's alright. You've been here since dinner and it's now quarter past twelve."
"Oh," Lily blinked. "We should be getting back then."
Rose laughed, "Yes, we should."
The two girls headed out of the Tower along the corridors. They were about two corridors away from the portrait hole when Professor McGonagall found them.
"What is the meaning of this?" she said in her stern voice. "Miss Evans, you are the Head Girl, you should know better."
"I'm so sorry Professor, you see-"
"Professor Lily fainted when she was walking back form the library, you know with her head injury and all. I only just managed to find her."
"Why were you in the library, Miss Evans? Classes do not begin until tomorrow."
"I, uh, had a bet with Clover about something. I went to go look it up. Turns out she was right," Lily lied looking hastily at Rose.
"Well Miss Evans, despite your innocence in this matter I'm afraud you and Miss Pentworth will both be serving detention for your rule breaking. And be thankful I'm not taking off any house points," McGonagall turned to continue down the hall but turned back. "Miss Evans?"
"Yes Professor?"
"You just set a Hogwarts record by the way; fastest time for a Head to get detention – six hours from arrival at Hogwarts. And I thought it would be Mr Potter to break that old record."
She turned and continued down the corridor and Rose and Lily tried not to laugh as they hurried into the common room. Once inside they both burst out laughing and ended up on the floor.
"What the hells gotten into you two?" a male voice asked. Lily immediately stopped laughing and stood up. Rose quickly joined her and smiled at the two boys.
"We just got caught outside after curfew by McGonagall. Now we both have detentions and Lily broke a school record," Rose giggled.
"Oh, really, what record did she break?" Sirius asked.
"Fastest time for a Head to get a detention; our little Lily here did it in six hours."
Sirius whistled, "Gee Lily, turning into a little rebel now you've got the Badge, aren't you?" he teased.
"Hey Padfoot, next thing you know she'll be teaching the Marauders how to pull a prank," James joined in.
"You're just jealous because Lily broke the record and now James doesn't have a chance."
James mocked sadness and nodded, "It always was my dream and you've taken it all away." He pretended to cry and Sirius handed him a tissue and patted him on the back.
Lily smiled and started to head toward the stairs. James noticed and grabbed her around the waist and swung her around. As Lily grew dizzier and dizzier she started to laugh until finally James put her down. She collapsed on the floor and tried to catch her breath.
"You shouldn't make someone with a head injury dizzier than they already are," she muttered and James laughed at her. She slowly got to her feet. She wobbly slightly and almost collapsed but James quickly grabbed her waist and steadied her.
"Get off Potter," she scowled. "I don't need your help to stand up."
"Oh, really? Then why are you leaning against me still," James raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not, I just can't be bothered to walk up the steps just yet," Lily protested, though she didn't move and James was still holding her up- something he didn't mind in the least.
"Here James, give her to me. I'd tell you to take her up for me but you'll never beat the stairs," Rose laughed. She put an arm around Lily and started towards the stairs but James and Sirius followed curiously.
"Beat the stairs? What the hell?" James asked. Rose looked at him over her shoulder, surprised.
"You mean you've never tried to get up the girls stairs? I'm shocked," Rose teased.
"You take your own boyfriend to be a player?" Sirius tutted, "Why do I put up with you?"
"Oh, you know you love the attention, don't deny it."
Ahem James cleared his throat, "I want to see the stairs."
"Ah, right," Rose blushed. "Just let me get Lily up the stairs first."
Slowly Rose managed to slowly move Liyl up the stairs, despite her protests that she was fine and wanted to watch the boys. Once she was in bed Rose joined the boys at the bottom of the stairs.
"Alright, go for it." James started to walk forward but Rose Stopped him, "Wait, it makes a loud nose," she quickly cast a silencing charm on the stairs and James started again. As soon as his foot touched the stairs the concrete shifted and became a giant slope. James' feet slid out from underneath him and he tripped back on to the ground. Once he was off the slope changed back to steps once more.
Sirius laughed as James glared up at the stairs, "Right, my turn." He took it at a run and got six steps before sliding back down.
"Good night you two, I'm going to bed," Rose said. She kissed Sirius quickly and hurried up the stairs.
Lily woke to find the sun only just rising and her dorm mates still sleeping. She dressed in her school robes and started toward the stairs When she got there she was surprised to see they lay flat and had she not been looking Lily would have slid straight to the bottom. She cautiously put one foot on the flat stairs and they returned to normal. She quickly jumped down into the common room to find James and Sirius looking up at her guiltily.
"What are you doing, you're meant to be in bed," Lily said as she stepped over them.
"We could say the same to you," Sirius said as he stood up.
"I thought I'd go for a walk around the grounds until breakfast seeing no one else is up. Now why were you sitting at the bottom of the steps and why were the steps a slide?"
"We were trying to beat the stairs. We have been all night. The closest we've come is four steps from the top," James said as he joined them from the floor. Lily noticed for the first time that he and Sirius were exactly the same height, only a few inches taller than herself.
"What did you plan to do once you got up there? Or on second thought don' tell me, I don't think I want to know," Lily glared at him and turned away. When she'd reached the portrait hole she turned back, "Have you tried to levitate each other up?"
Once Lily had gone out the portrait hole James turned to Sirius in amazement, "Did she just help us?"
"I don't know," Sirius glanced back toward the stairs. "Do we try it?"
"Yup, you can go first Padfoot, in case something happens."
"Your all heart, Prongs," Sirius laughed as James pulled out his wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa," James swished and flicked his wand and Sirius started to rise in the air. When Sirius reached the top James turned his wand away and Sirius thudded to the ground.
"Hey," Sirius protested. James grinned up at him but Sirius only laughed, "Just for that I'm not going to lift you up here."
"Padfoot," James roared as his friend turned away and headed toward the doors that lead into the dormitories. But Sirius didn't return and soon James heard a door open and shut. He grinned and headed for his own room.
Meanwhile Sirius had found the door marked, "Seventh Year" and entered. There were five beds in the room. Once was empty; Lily's and two had curtains drawn so Sirius couldn't tell who was in them. The other two were occupied by two blonde haired girls – Whitney Hall and Samantha Cherry. Sirius had dated both of them, they were nice enough girls but there was nothing going on inside if you know what he meant.
He tiptoed over to one of the beds that had drawn curtains and gently pulled the edge back. He couldn't see the face but the mousy brown hair told him that it was Clover. Sirius closed the curtain and moved toward the last bed and slipped between the hangings. He knelt on Rose's bed and placed on hand on either side of her bed. Gently he leaned down and kissed his sleeping girlfriend. Roses' eyes slowly opened and Sirius pulled back grinning. Her eyes opened wide and he quickly placed a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't speak and wake the other girls.
"Shhh," he whispered and removed his hand. Rose smiled and reached behind Sirius' head to pull him down to kiss her again. They started to deepen their kiss and just as Sirius was getting ready for some serious making out the curtains on side of the bed were abruptly pulled away.
"Come one Rose, time to get –" Clover stopped and smirked as she saw Sirius leaning over Rose. "Never mind, I see you've already had your wake up call."
When she'd moved back to her bed Rose sighed, "You'd better leave before Sam and Whitney wake p. And I need to get dressed.
"Maybe I could help you with that," Sirius grinned. He slipped his hand to him top of Rose's pyjama top and started to undo the first button before Rose knocked his hand away.
"Maybe next time, Sirius," she laughed. "Now go before you get caught."
Sirius mock glared at her before slipping off the bed and towards the door, tossing a wave at Clover who smiled and shook her head.
LittleAquarianPrincess