Strange, No Question

'Look there she goes – that girl is strange, no question.'

"I cannot believe we're finally third years," said Lily cheerfully, as she lugged her bags onto the train.

"I know," said Esedora, "it's about time."

"Four more years!" piped up Asper.  The other two girls groaned. 

"Ah, you had to go and rain on our parade, didn't you," said Lily.  The other two girls stared at her quizzically.

"Er…what parade?" asked Asper.

"Muggle expression," said Lily, blushing. 

Esedora nodded knowingly.  "Like letting the cat out of the rag. "

"Something like that, yeah," said Lily with a smile.  With a lurch, the train started to move.  The three girls leaned back in their chairs and stared out the windows. 

"I don't suppose all this rain is a bad omen," said Esedora.

"Course not," said Asper.  "Don't tell me you believe in omens and all that superstitious stuff."

"I don't, really," said Esedora defensively, "it just seems rather ominous."

"Yeah, but the sun'll be out any minute," added Lily.

James poked his head in the door.  "Hello!  Anybody in here?"

"And there it goes," sighed Lily.  Her friends giggled.

"Shhh," Lily hissed.  They all grew quiet and huddled down in their seats.

They heard Sirius' voice.  "Anybody in there?"

"Don't think so," James called back.  "Looks empty."

"Oh, good," said Remus.  "We finally get a compartment."

Lily took out her wand and muttered an incantation as quietly as possible, aiming her wand a few seats ahead. 

"What'd you do?" whispered Esedora.

"You'll see," Lily said with an evil grin.  Soon James came down the aisle, bag in each arm.  The girls waited with bated breath as he came closer and closer.  Then suddenly, he fell flat on his face, and the girls erupted in laughter. 

"Invisible string charm, Potter," cried Lily jubilantly.

"Really funny, Evans," said James, gingerly picking himself up off the floor.  "C'mon, guys, let's find somewhere else."

"You do that, Potter," declared Lily.  "See you around." 

James turned to glare at Lily.  "Oh, definitely."

"I swear, the Sorting gets longer every year," complained Asper, rubbing her stomach.

"Oh, I know," said Lily, who was sitting rather limply next to her.

"But it's so interesting!" said Esedora, sitting up straight and peering at the new students.  "I always try and guess which ones are going to which houses!"  Unfortunately, some of them noticed her staring, and shrank away from her gaze, looking quite terrified.  Lily and Asper exchanged exasperated glances, and went back to looking glumly at their all-too-empty plates.  "Like that one there," said Esedora, stretching her neck to get a better view.  "Definite Ravenclaw material."

"Which one?" asked Sirius, who was seated next to her.

"That one there," said Esedora, trying to point her out as unobtrusively as possible.  "The tiny one – "

"They're all tiny – "

"Yes, but she's skinny and spindly.  There, in the huge brown sweater – the dorky one - with the glasses falling off her nose – " 

Sirius suddenly looked straight ahead.  "Thapersiser," he hissed.

"What?"

Sirius was suddenly struck with an acute cough.  Some coughs, however, sounded rather more like words that actual coughs.  "That (cough) girl (cough) is (coughcough) Peter's sister."

Esedora's mouth fell open.  "Are you serious?" she mouthed.  "No way!  Although – " she looked between Peter and his sister – "I suppose I can kind of see a resemblance."

Esedora was slightly giddy the rest of the night.  She hummed to herself as she brushed her teeth (not an easy thing to do when you have a mouth full of toothpaste), smiled as she put on an oversized T-shirt reading 'I took the plunge at Witch's Wonderworld,' and didn't pay much attention when her friends were talking to her.

"I don't know what was in that beef brisket – I feel a bit off – Esedora, are you listening to me?" demanded Asper.

"Hmm?  Oh, right.  Brisket.  Off.  Got it."

Lily and Asper exchanged glances once again.  "Sirius," coughed Lily.  Esedora didn't even seem to register the comment.

"Yeah," she sighed.  For the third time that night, Asper and Lily raised their eyebrows at each other, and then burst into peals of laughter.

Esedora wasn't quite sure what they were laughing at, but she joined in, as it seemed the proper thing to do.

"Honestly, though," said Lily when she had regained her breath, "how could you like one of Potter's friends?"

"Always gotta bring up Potter, don't you," teased Asper.

"What?  I do not!" cried Lily, outraged.  "And if I ever do talk about him, it's to complain, not to moon over his bloody eyes or anything!"

"Smile," corrected Asper absentmindedly.

"What?" gasped Lily.

"Er…nothing?"

"That was not nothing!" exclaimed Lily.  "You – you traitor!  You've joined the ranks of Pottergirls!"

Esedora, who had gone back to gazing dreamily at the wall, chose not to join in the conversation.

"Pottergirls?" said Asper, starting to laugh.  "What, have we made up a word now?"

"Yes," said Lily defiantly.  "It means those blithering idiots who gather in groups and giggle about his smile," she finished sarcastically. 

"I see."

"And you!" cried Lily, building up steam again, "you're one of them!  How could you?!"

"I am not," sighed Asper, "but aren't I allowed to say who I think is cute?"

Lily paused, mouth open.  "You think he's cute?!?!"

"Um…no?"

"You do!  You said so!  I heard you!"

"For Merlin's sake, Lily," said Asper impatiently, "all I said was that he's cute.  I never said I wanted to go have a snogfest."

"You DO?"

"NO!  Honestly, Lily!"  But their conversation was cut short by a creak on the stairs.  Esedora snapped out of her reverie and sprang, cat-like, to the door.  She eased it open, and they all saw Morena, grinning triumphantly, standing behind it.

"Well, well, well," said Morena, striding in.  "Isn't this interesting." 

Asper promptly pretended to be asleep.  Morena said nothing more, but got ready for bed, smirking all the while.

The next morning, as Asper was shoving her feet into her shoes, she paused and looked thoughtfully at Lily, who was the only other person still in the dormitory.  "Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember last night?"

"No, Asper," said Lily sarcastically, "no, I seem to have forgotten it while I slept."

"What were you saying about Potter's eyes?"

"What?  I didn't say anything about Potter's eyes."

"Yes, you did.  I remember.  You said you didn't talk about them."

"Exactly," said Lily, standing up.

"But you said other girls did."

"So?"

"So, you think – that is, you think that other girls think – that he has nice eyes."

"And how long have you been thinking about this?" demanded Lily.

"I can't think that much this early in the morning," groaned Asper, flopping backwards onto her bed.

"C'mon," said Lily, pulling her up.  "I'm hungry."

The three girls were seated as far away as possible from Morena, as she kept sneering at them, and then looking pointedly at James.  Asper was steadily turning paler, which made her hair look abnormally dark.  She was picking at her food, and nibbling a bit of toast. 

"Don't worry," said Esedora, "Morena is all talk.  She won't do anything."

"Yeah," agreed Lily.  "It's not like she's on speaking terms with Potter, anyway.  When would she have a chance to tell him anything?  And besides, what could she tell him?  It's not like he doesn't know that half the female population of this school is in love with him."

"It's not that," groaned Asper.  She suddenly fled the table.

Lily stared after her, puzzled.

"Beef brisket," said Esedora knowingly.

Lucius Malfoy came up suddenly, clapping a hand onto Lily's shoulder.

"Get your hand off her," growled Sirius.

"Your parents are Muggles, are they not?" 

Lily nodded coolly. 

"Then I shall be glad to," he said, removing his hand with distaste.  James stood up so fast his goblet tipped and soaked Peter's plate with orange juice.

"I don't suppose you'd like to tell us what you mean by that?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Shove off, Potter," Lily hissed, "I can handle him."

"As a matter of fact," said Malfoy, malice barely concealed in his tone, "I have a message for you."  He extended a rolled up piece of parchment.  Lily took it gingerly.  "What?  I don't even get a thank you?" he asked, raising a blond eyebrow.

"Thank you for leaving," snapped Lily. 

Malfoy gave a short bow.  "Always a pleasure."

"Isn't it, though?"

After things had been explained to Asper, who was feeling somewhat better, Lily unrolled the parchment.  Asper and Esedora were hovering behind her, reading over her shoulder.

'I think you're bright, I think you're witty,

I think your red hair's really pretty.

I like your eyes; they're so bright green,

the most beautiful I've seen.

This may seem a little new

but, you know, I do like you.'

Lily gaped.  Her friends stared.  No one moved for a full ten seconds. 

Asper found her voice first.  "Who's it from?"

"No idea," said Lily, flipping the parchment over.  "No name."

"Hang on," said Esedora, peering intently at the handwriting, "I think I recognize the handwriting…but…no…I can't think of it."

"Of course," said Lily, "it could just be a trick to make a fool of me."

"Perhaps.  But then the person trying to trick you would probably sign someone's name," said Asper. 

"I guess."

"That's kind of strange handwriting," said Esedora.  "The letters are sort of heavier at the end.  Any fingerprints?"  Asper and Lily stared at her.

"Aw, don't go all Nancy Drew on me," said Lily.
"Who?"

"Never mind," said Lily, going to throw the note away.  "It's just nonsense."

"Don't do that!" cried Esedora, leaping across the bed to grab the poem.  "Don't you want to keep it?"

"Whatever for?"

"'Cause it's romantic!"

"Esedora, I hate to break it to you, but it's really not a good poem."

"That's not the point," said Esedora impatiently.  "You ought to save these things."

Lily rolled her eyes.  "You really are a hopeless romantic."

Esedora shrugged.  "There are worse things to be."

At long last, fourth year rolled around.  At the first breakfast of the year, it became quite apparent that neither James nor Lily had mellowed out over the summer.  Their respective friends tried to keep them distracted, but they seemed to be unable resist inserting rude comments whenever possible.

"I have a headache," groaned Peter.

"Me too," said Remus, though he looked much worse than Peter did.  "Honestly, couldn't they hold it in for five seconds?"

"Not until the world is flat," said Sirius, coming up behind them.

"Until what's flat?" asked James, just beyond Sirius.

"Nothing," they chorused.

"Hmm," he mused out loud, "not suspicious at all, that.  And you!"  He rounded on Remus.  "Where were you the twenty-second of June?"  To his great surprise, Remus turned pale and began stammering.

"Just – just at home – being bored – "

"You don't look so good," said Sirius concernedly.

"I'm fine," shrugged Remus, the color returning to his face in great measure.  "Just tired."

"So," said James, "when does Quidditch start?"

"Right, then," said Professor Conterous, "I'll be putting you in partners to work on this particular potion.  She walked around the room, pointing at random people, and occasionally dodging an angry hiss of steam.  "Let's see, Willow, you'll be working with Aviance." 

Asper swore under her breath.

"Evans, with Lupin, Potter, you go with Mr. Pettigrew, Black, why don't you work with Malfoy, and Briant, you work with Snape."  She continued around the room, which was rapidly filling with greenish colored smoke.  She waved her wand in a bored sort of matter and the smoke vanished.  Most students were complaining loudly at their pairing.  Morena was muttering angrily to a Slytherin, and both Asper and Sirius looked ready to kill the professor.  Lily was fine with her assignment, but Esedora kept whispering in a shocked sort of manner.

"I have to work with Snape?"

"All right then, move next to your partners, hurry up now."

Lily grabbed her cauldron and books and scooted over to sit next to Remus, who was rubbing his temples.  He caught her eyes, and muttered, "Smoky."  She nodded in agreement and the pair set to work.

A few seats down from them was Sirius, who was sitting with his arms folded and looking as stubborn as possible.  Across the room was Malfoy, leaning on the table and looking supremely unconcerned.  Neither of them was budging.  Esedora was keeping as far away as possible from Snape, whose hair was dragging on the paper.  James was beginning to look frustrated, and seemed to be trying to explain something for the fifth time.  Asper and Morena were ignoring each other and chopping the gillyweed rather harder than was necessary.

"Right, then," said Lily, shoving her hair behind her shoulders, "we need to stir it counter-clockwise for six strokes.  Why don't you do that while I measure the dried flobberworm."

As the class period went on, it became apparent which partnerships were better.  Lily and Remus' potion was precisely the clear green it should be, whereas James and Peter had produced an opaque turquoise colored liquid. 

"Excellent," said Conterous, peering at Lily's cauldron.  "Very excellent.  Ten points to Gryffindor."  Lily and Remus smiled, partly at the happiness of earning points, and partly at Sirius and Malfoy, who were arguing silently but aggressively.  Then  - BANG. 

"You idiot!" screamed Morena.  "You put the gillyweed in all at once!  It had to be added gradually!"

"It was just as much your fault!  You spilled the boomslang skin," retorted Asper.  Throughout all the commotion, Lily noticed Esedora slip a piece of parchment into her pocket.

"Packing again, Remus?" asked James.

"Um, yeah.  Gotta go – "

"Visit your aunt.  Or wait, what is it this time?  Is your mother sick?  Did your Kneazle die?" supplied Sirius.

"Look," said James, in a kinder tone, "why don't you just tell us?  We'll understand."

"I can't," murmured Remus.  "I would if I could.  Don't you see?  I just – can't."

"All right," said James, "but you know, we will find out."

"Yeah, you probably will," sighed Remus.  And then, in an inaudible tone, "I just hope it's not for a long time."

"Bye," said Peter, who was reading Quidditch Through The Ages.

"See you," said Remus, leaving the room with a trunk that banged against his leg with every step he took.

"Remus!  Where are you going?" asked Lily, who was writing an essay in the common room.

"I'm – I'm going to my godfather's.  He wants me to visit him every so often."

"Well, have fun," said Lily distractedly.  "When're you coming back?"

"Sunday afternoon, most likely." 

"Well, see you then, I guess."

"Yeah.  See you."

"Esedora?"

"Yeah?"

"What was that paper you put in your pocket in Potions?"

"Oh!  I can't believe I forgot!"  Esedora fished the parchment out of her robes.  She handed it over to Lily, who stared at it blankly.

"Do Potions essay?"

"It's Snape's," said Esedora, seeming to think that this explained everything.

"And?"

"You don't see it?"

"No."

"Look at his handwriting."

Lily frowned at the oddly one-sided letters.  "Bloody hell."

"I knew it was Snape!" cried Asper triumphantly.  "I knew it!"

"James!" hissed Sirius.  "Get over here!"

"Hmm?" muttered James sleepily.  "Stay away from her, Snape…"

"What?"

"Snape's bothering Lily."  James was clearly still half-asleep.

"No, he's not," said Sirius impatiently, "and would you wake up and get over here?" 

James stumbled up next to where Sirius was standing at the window.  "What?"

"Look," said Sirius, pointing, "you can see the Shrieking Shack."

"You did not get me up to see that."

"No, look at it," said Sirius.  The house was shifting, and they heard a loud shriek.

"That place is haunted, Sirius.  Everyone knows that."

"No.  It's only haunted sometimes.  Only on some weekends."

James looked at Sirius, shocked.  "You can't be serious."

"I am."

"But – but how could it be Remus?"  Just then, the low roar of a werewolf met their ears.  The hairs rose on the back of their necks and they stared at each other. 

"He's never here for the full moon," said Sirius in an awed whisper.

"He looks sick a lot."

"He wouldn't tell us where he was going."

"Cool," breathed James.  "So – are we going to tell him we know?"

"We have to," said Sirius, shrugging.  "It'd be too hard to pretend we don't."

"Yeah, you're right.  Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Fine.  Hey – what were you dreaming, anyway?"

James shrugged uncomfortably.  "I dunno."

"You were talking about Lily," said Sirius shrewdly.

"Was I?"

"You were indeed.  So, what precisely were you dreaming?"

"Nothing," said James, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"You like her."
"DO NOT!"

"Shut up, James, it's three in the morning.  And I'm afraid you just proved me right.  If you didn't like her, you'd be a little quieter about it."
Knowing it was futile to argue, James just glared at Sirius.  "So what if I do?"

"I cannot believe this!  You hated her!"

"Yeah, I did.  But – I don't know – she's different this year."

"Seems the same to me," said Sirius, shrugging.

"Just something about how she carries herself.  She's not intimidated by anything.  And her eyes – "

Sirius began snickering uncontrollably.  "You do realize she still hates you, right?"

"Yeah.  I know.  I don't know how to change it, either."

"Considering that it's Lily," said Sirius, "I don't really think there's any way to change her mind."

Early the next morning, Sirius and James sat down on Peter's bed and tried to explain what they had learned. 

"You know the Shrieking Shack?" asked Sirius.  Peter nodded; he hated that place.

"Well, it was shrieking," said James.

"Hence the name," added Sirius.

"And we noticed – "

"That it's only – "

"Haunted when Remus is gone," finished James.

"Do you get what we're telling you?" asked Sirius. 

Peter's eyes were large and fearful.

"Remus is a ghost?'