Memories
Chapter 1: Midnight Rendezvous
DISCLAIMER: I do not own J.K. Rowling's work.
A/N: I am revising this story. Please review! Thank you!
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Inside Hogwarts Castle, most occupants were sleeping soundly in their comfortable beds. However, on the fifth floor, four sixth-year boys were still awake in the warm Gryffindor Common Room.
"What can be taking such a bloody long time?" Sirius Black asked exasperatedly, running his hair through his dark hair in impatience.
"You know girls, they always need to look perfect before they put one foot anywhere outside of their dormitory," responded Remus Lupin, rolling his eyes. He flipped a page in his book and continued reading.
"Yes, but twenty minutes to go to the kitchens at a time when no one will even see them?" cried James Potter. He flopped down into a chair, apparently tired of pacing near the staircase.
"Yeah, that is pretty unreasonable," piped up Peter Pettigrew from the giant armchair that absolutely dwarfed the small figure.
Finally, a rustling of clothing by the staircase informed the Gryffindor boys that the three Gryffindor girls – Lily Evans, Lyssa Wynfield, and Brooke Wiskero – had finally gotten ready.
James shook out the folds in a silvery cloak that all present knew as the Invisibility Cloak. He enlarged it by magic and draped it over all his friends. They walked out of the Gryffindor Tower, leaving the Fat Lady calling after them, apparently indignant at getting her sleep interrupted.
As the group silently trooped towards the hidden kitchens on the first floor, James pulled out a rather ragged piece of parchment and tapped it, while whispering, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." The others, familiar with this little ritual, continued walking as James checked the Marauders' Map for anyone coming. Spidery lines swept to each corner of the parchment and labeled dots showed that Apollyon Pringle was down in the dungeons, Professor Dumbledore was pacing in his study, and that the rest of the professors were asleep.
Sirius reached out with his finger and ticked the little green pear on a large painting of delicious-looking fruit. The pear giggled and Sirius seized the hidden door handle that replaced it.
The seven Gryffindors entered the kitchens, which they were already very familiar with. The kitchens consisted of mainly a high-ceilinged, airy room through which delicious aromas were wafting through. Four long tables were set directly underneath the corresponding tables in the Great Hall above. At least a thousand little house-elves were scurrying around the kitchens, already preparing the next morning's breakfast.
As soon as they entered the kitchens, no less than ten house-elves dashed over, bowing deeply to the friends and asking them what they would desire. Sirius and James spoke for the group, rattling off names of various sweets and foods. The elves bowed deeply once more and ushered them to a table, zooming quickly to the giant refrigerators and cupboards to give the Gryffindors what they had ordered.
As Lily munched on a delicious strawberry scone, she suggested that the seven of them go for a walk by the lakeside. The rest of them agreed. So, they bid farewell to the house-elves, and were bowed out of the warm kitchens.
As they went outside, Remus conjured some hazy, gently bobbing lights that trailed after each person. It was one of his specialties, especially brilliant because it could only be seen by the person it was attached to, although it shed plenty of light. The group split up, wandering off in different directions. Sirius and Lyssa walked along the lakeside, talking quietly about something the rest of them couldn't hear. Remus had conjured a replica of the chess game that he and Peter were in the middle of, and the two of them continued their game, Brooke watching and cheering Remus on (although Remus certainly didn't need the cheering; he was beating Peter very badly).
Meanwhile, Lily and James were sitting under a beech tree that overlooked the lake, conversing pleasantly. A sudden wind blew cold air, whistling through the trees. Lily had forgotten to bring her cloak along, so she shivered in the cold, rubbing her arms in an attempt to get warmer.
"Are you cold, Lily?" James asked in a concerned tone of voice. He took off his warm cloak and draped it over Lily's shoulders. However, his arm never left her shoulder, and Lily found it comforting. She would never have thought before that James could be so considerate and kind. In fact, last year, she and James had been in the middle of an all-out war. However, after a memorable incident in which Lily spat harsh words in his face, James had changed into a more mature person. The change had been subtle, but Lily had grown respect for him. By the second month of the sixth year, they had both apologized to one another and had formed a deep friendship. But, Lily reflected, she never knew why James had acted so spitefully towards Snape at the incident. Even if she had thought he was arrogant, he had never shown such a display of animosity.
"James, do you remember last year when I… said things that I regret now?" Lily asked tentatively. After all, this was a rather bad memory. James nodded, and a sad look entered his warm eyes. "Why did you do it?"
James thought of the incident, and hesitated to tell Lily. But in the end, he spilled all the details to her of the events leading up to the confrontation.
FLASHBACK
Remus had pulled out a worn book and was reading, leaning against their favorite beech tree out on the grounds. He was staring hard at the page in the book, but James could see a frown. He knew Remus disapproved of what they were planning; he also knew that Remus wouldn't stop them because he thought James deserved his chance. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. James was still absently playing with a Snitch that he had nicked from the broom shed, letting it zoom farther and farther away, but catching it every time. Peter was watching with an avid satisfaction, his mouth hanging open. Any other day James would have been amused, but not today.
Today, a letter had arrived in the mail:
Dear Mr. Potter,
We regret to inform you of your grandfather's death. We have received information that he was murdered by Death Eaters in Lord Voldemort's service. His death came by an effective Killing Spell. We regret to notify you of this most unfortunate news.
Sincerely,
The Ministry of Magic
James couldn't seem to get it out of his head. And he knew who had killed his grandfather: Severus Snape. For, he had heard one night in the corridors leading to the Slytherin common room, Snape bragging about his first 'assignment' to his friend, Regulus Black, another Junior Death Eater and also Sirius' brother.
James was jerked out of his deep, dark, thoughts, and realized Sirius had started dueling with Snape. He stood up and thought, This is my chance for revenge. Sirius had known about his grandfather, and had agreed to give him an opportunity for revenge by dueling Snape and thereby give James an excuse to do so also, without looking suspicious.
Snape let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but as his wand was ten feet away nothing happened.
"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!" Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him. That was for you, Grandpa, thought James, shaking uncontrollably from rage.
"Leave him ALONE!"
James and Sirius looked around. James groaned inwardly, when he discovered it was Lily Evans.
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"
James was in a panic state. He couldn't really tell Lily why he was hexing Snape; he had only told his friends. He didn't want people to treat him differently, even if it was to sympathize. It was just how he preferred it.
So, after some fast thinking, he simply said, "Well," appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..." In his mind, he let a breath of relief out; he had kept his secret safe. Even if it meant that the cost was that Lily thought him an arrogant prat.
END FLASHBACK
Lily looked horrified as James told her about his grandfather's death. She looked truly miserable and regretful as she heard the side of the story she had never even considered before.
Later, when they went to bed, Lily really considered the person James had become since that day. She decided that she was proud to call him her friend. She refused to even consider the idea that he could become more than that. She squashed down the feeling of her stomach when James had put his arm around her. But it was there nevertheless.
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A/N: How was that? Please tell me in a review!
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