A/N: I have 100 Reviews!!!! dances in a circle with teary eyes You guys
have no idea how much this means to me!!
This chapter goes out to my 100th Reviewer, and, coincidentally, lighter buddy Cutiep2ti89 This is dedicated to you, Yayori!!
For the days that preceded Easter Vacation, Gryffindors would remember the tense silence that filled the common room; a silence so thick that some even doubted a carving knife could cut through. The day following the full moon, the first day of a waning gibbous (A/N: I think that's what follows a full moon, please correct me if I'm wrong), the common room had been flooded by an endless storm of fury. James yelled at Sirius, Sirius at first yelled back then relented to listening meekly. Remus avoided Sirius at all costs and James felt himself drawn more to Remus than to his best friend. It was the first time any of the marauders had had a serious fight; it was a day that would live on in Hogwarts' memory.
No one but the Marauders, Snape, and Lily knew what had happened that night. James had come storming into the common room, his hands shaking, and despite the fight they'd had only hours before, Lily immediately went to him, taking him in her arms on pure maternal instinct, and listened to him pour his heart out. Though she understood the seriousness of what Sirius had done, Lily couldn't help but feel her heart break for him. She had, in coming into James' life, been a fairly large part of what drove Sirius into his act of madness. She couldn't help but feel as though it was her fault; perhaps that's why she felt herself being drawn to him while James was drawn to Remus and Maren. In any case, Lily found herself wandering over to Sirius late one evening following the fight.
Sirius was sitting in a lone chair in a darkened corner of the common room, his shaggy hair hanging unkempt in his eyes, eyes that were staring absently at a blank wall as thought he wall might have the answers to his problem. Throughout the last 7 years, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter hadn't really needed any friends other than each other, but now that the other three didn't need him, Sirius was alone.
"Hey," Lily murmured quietly, taking in his piteous appearance, "Mind if I sit here?"
Sirius stared at her as though she'd grown an extra head, 'Why isn't she of gloating with James?'
Lily shifted uncertainly under his gaze, "Erm. . . I don't have to, if you'd rather be alone, that is . . ."
"No!" Sirius found his voice, "Please, stay."
Lily smiled, igniting her fiery green eyes, "Thanks."
"Not to be rude or anything, but why aren't you with them?" Sirius nodded his head towards James, Remus, and Maren.
Lily surveyed the laughing group closely before shaking her head empathetically, "they've got each other, I figured you needed a friend."
He frowned, not sure if she was showing pity, concern, or if she genuinely wanted to spend time with him.
Lily sighed, her face falling as she did so, her cheerful countenance fading. "Sirius, I know what it's like to be alone. If I were in your position I'd want to know that there was someone there for me. But, then again, I'm not you. If you'd rather be alone, just let me say this first: I'm sorry if it's seemed like I was stealing James from you, I never meant for that to happen. The last thing I wanted was to come in between your two's friendship."
"You're a muggle-born, I take it you know most muggle stories?"
Lily nodded, not sure where this was leading to or what it had to do with her apology.
"Mercutio was so shook up after Romeo left him for Juliet that he welcomed a fight with Tybalt, getting himself killed in the end. I always thought Shakespeare was a queer bloke, but maybe he's got something right after all."
Not for the first time tonight, tears stung Lily's eyes. "Oh, Sirius!" She threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. "I would never, ever let that happen to you and James! Your guys' friendship is the stuff of legends, and if I'm going to be the ruin of it, then I'll pull out now, I swear it."
Sirius sat in silence, contemplating this for a moment, before a slow grin crept across his face, his first smile in days. "Nah, James needs you, Lils, he's been smitten with you since you first stepped on that train 7 years ago." He smiled again, lost in reminiscence.
"He needs us both, Siir, (A/N: pronounced "seer", credit to TeenTypist) James Potter wouldn't be complete without you."
"And he'd be a real drag without you, Juliet."
Lily laughed at his clever analogy. "I never would have pinned you for a Shakespeare reader, Mercutio."
Sirius laughed, shoving lily off the couch, "You tell anyone and you'll be demoted to Rosaline and shipped off to the nunnery."
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, fair Prince Escalus." She gave a mock bow before turning towards her dorm.
"Hey, Lils?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
"I'm gonna miss you, Lily." Most students having opted to stay at Hogwarts to study rather than returning home for the holidays, James, Lily, and Sirius had had no trouble finding an empty compartment in the train.
"James," Lily couldn't help rolling her eyes at his solemnity, "I'm going to see you again in three days, besides, you've got Sirius to keep you company, you'll be having too much fun to miss me."
"Don't count on it," Sirius smirked, lying across the bench across from the couple, "I can't snog him like you can."
Lily blushed furiously while James leaned across the compartment, smacking Sirius on the back of his head.
"Ow!" Sirius reached over and gave James an identical slap.
"Ow! What was that for?" James asked sorely, rubbing his shoulder.
Sirius stuck his tongue out at James, "I don't want you thinking that just 'cause you've got Lils means you're the superior one here."
Lily shook in silent laughter as she watched the two bicker back and forth like toddlers. Normally she would have tried her best to break up the immature fight, but she was so thrilled to see the two boys speaking again that she just let it slide.
"Anyways, Lily," James sat up, panting after their vigorous slap fight. "How are you getting home? Are your parents picking you up?"
She shook her head, "No, they had previous engagements; I'll probably just apparate from the platform."
"You know, you should probably have anti-apparating charms set up around your house, what with you being muggle-born and all."
Lily laughed, "You worry too much! Do you believe someone would really come after me?"
James didn't answer.
"Oh, you can't possibly believe that I'm important enough for Death Eaters to come after. I'm a muggle-born, the only reason they'd come after me would be to make some kind of demonstration out of me or because I threatened them in some way . . ." she trailed off, not believing it. When James didn't answer she just shook her head defiantly. "Even if they did want me for some reason, anti-apparating charms aren't going to stop them. They could just apparate down the street and break in like a common criminal. Once someone that powerful decides they want to kill you, nothing is going to stop them." The brutality of truth in her words hung ominously in the air.
The trio sat in silence for a moment until Sirius cleared his throat, "Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?"
Lily laughed and pulled Sirius off his bench an onto the one she was sharing with James, slinging one arm around each boy. "I'm going to miss you two!"
"Geez, Lils, it's not like you won't see us in three days," Sirius spoke in a high falsetto, mimicking Lily's voice.
Lily and James laughed, collapsing on each other. Wiping tears from her eyes, Lily sighed, "What am I going to do without you two for three days? I love you both too much to be away from you that long!"
"Both?" James questioned teasingly, "But you love me more, right?"
"Nah, she obviously loves me! I mean, I've got the looks, the charm, the smile, the humor . . ."
"The arrogance," James muttered, sending Lily into another fit of giggles.
"Ah, Siir, you know I love you," Lily confided, but as a cheeky grin spread across his face she continued, "but my heart belongs to James."
James smiled and lovingly kissed her cheek.
"You must have a soft spot for the downtrodden," Sirius smirked, earning himself another smack from James. "Ow! Lily! Keep your boyfriend away from me! Seriously, I suggest you keep him on a leash!" he cowered behind Lily in mock fear as James glared from her other side.
Luckily for Lily, the Hogwarts' express pulled into Platform 9 ¾ before another slap fight could ensue.
Giving Sirius a tight hug and James a gentle kiss, Lily bid farewell to her two friends, wishing she could go straight home with them rather than making the short visit to her own home. Taking a deep, calming breath, Lily Evans closed her eyes and apparated home.
A slight crack in the humid air alerted any passerby on the second floor of #3 Magnolia Crescent that Lily had just arrived in her bedroom. Stepping out of her room and into the topaz painted hallway, Lily noticed that her home was eerily quiet. "Mum! Dad!" she shouted, her voice reverberating off the walls. Moving towards the stairs, she thought her ears detected the faintest tinkle of china.
"Lily! Down in the drawing room!" Her mother's voice carried up the stairs, puzzling Lily. The Evanses never ate in the dining room unless they had special company or something to celebrate. Her parents knew she'd be arriving today, they wouldn't have invited over guests. She vaguely remembered her mother mentioning Petunia's boyfriend in her last letter, but he wasn't due until Easter. What could her family possibly be celebrating?
Glancing at the gilded mirror gracing the hallway wall, Lily quickly ran her fingers through her hair before gliding down the stairs and into the drawing room where she froze at the sight of her parents having tea with Petunia and a heavyset young man.
"Oh, Lily, so good of you to join us." Her mother began, "Oh, dear, there's no rush, you could have changed before coming down!" Lily looked down, realizing she was still wearing robes, Petunia, she noted with slight satisfaction, looked absolutely mortified at the fact that Lily was still clad in her school uniform. "Darling, I don't believe you've been properly introduced! Vernon, this is my other daughter, Lily. Lily, this is Vernon Dursley, your sister's fiancé."
A/N: And that's all for now! 5 pages typed, I hope that's long enough to keep you satisfied for at least a few minutes! Many apologies to all my lovely reviewers, but I have exams coming up within 2 ½ weeks, so I'll have to begin studying fairly soon, meaning it's possible there might be a chapter until June 9th or so. Hopefully I'll be able to get a new chapter up before then, but no promises! Thanks to all my reviewers! You have no idea how much all your reviews mean to me!!
This chapter goes out to my 100th Reviewer, and, coincidentally, lighter buddy Cutiep2ti89 This is dedicated to you, Yayori!!
For the days that preceded Easter Vacation, Gryffindors would remember the tense silence that filled the common room; a silence so thick that some even doubted a carving knife could cut through. The day following the full moon, the first day of a waning gibbous (A/N: I think that's what follows a full moon, please correct me if I'm wrong), the common room had been flooded by an endless storm of fury. James yelled at Sirius, Sirius at first yelled back then relented to listening meekly. Remus avoided Sirius at all costs and James felt himself drawn more to Remus than to his best friend. It was the first time any of the marauders had had a serious fight; it was a day that would live on in Hogwarts' memory.
No one but the Marauders, Snape, and Lily knew what had happened that night. James had come storming into the common room, his hands shaking, and despite the fight they'd had only hours before, Lily immediately went to him, taking him in her arms on pure maternal instinct, and listened to him pour his heart out. Though she understood the seriousness of what Sirius had done, Lily couldn't help but feel her heart break for him. She had, in coming into James' life, been a fairly large part of what drove Sirius into his act of madness. She couldn't help but feel as though it was her fault; perhaps that's why she felt herself being drawn to him while James was drawn to Remus and Maren. In any case, Lily found herself wandering over to Sirius late one evening following the fight.
Sirius was sitting in a lone chair in a darkened corner of the common room, his shaggy hair hanging unkempt in his eyes, eyes that were staring absently at a blank wall as thought he wall might have the answers to his problem. Throughout the last 7 years, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter hadn't really needed any friends other than each other, but now that the other three didn't need him, Sirius was alone.
"Hey," Lily murmured quietly, taking in his piteous appearance, "Mind if I sit here?"
Sirius stared at her as though she'd grown an extra head, 'Why isn't she of gloating with James?'
Lily shifted uncertainly under his gaze, "Erm. . . I don't have to, if you'd rather be alone, that is . . ."
"No!" Sirius found his voice, "Please, stay."
Lily smiled, igniting her fiery green eyes, "Thanks."
"Not to be rude or anything, but why aren't you with them?" Sirius nodded his head towards James, Remus, and Maren.
Lily surveyed the laughing group closely before shaking her head empathetically, "they've got each other, I figured you needed a friend."
He frowned, not sure if she was showing pity, concern, or if she genuinely wanted to spend time with him.
Lily sighed, her face falling as she did so, her cheerful countenance fading. "Sirius, I know what it's like to be alone. If I were in your position I'd want to know that there was someone there for me. But, then again, I'm not you. If you'd rather be alone, just let me say this first: I'm sorry if it's seemed like I was stealing James from you, I never meant for that to happen. The last thing I wanted was to come in between your two's friendship."
"You're a muggle-born, I take it you know most muggle stories?"
Lily nodded, not sure where this was leading to or what it had to do with her apology.
"Mercutio was so shook up after Romeo left him for Juliet that he welcomed a fight with Tybalt, getting himself killed in the end. I always thought Shakespeare was a queer bloke, but maybe he's got something right after all."
Not for the first time tonight, tears stung Lily's eyes. "Oh, Sirius!" She threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. "I would never, ever let that happen to you and James! Your guys' friendship is the stuff of legends, and if I'm going to be the ruin of it, then I'll pull out now, I swear it."
Sirius sat in silence, contemplating this for a moment, before a slow grin crept across his face, his first smile in days. "Nah, James needs you, Lils, he's been smitten with you since you first stepped on that train 7 years ago." He smiled again, lost in reminiscence.
"He needs us both, Siir, (A/N: pronounced "seer", credit to TeenTypist) James Potter wouldn't be complete without you."
"And he'd be a real drag without you, Juliet."
Lily laughed at his clever analogy. "I never would have pinned you for a Shakespeare reader, Mercutio."
Sirius laughed, shoving lily off the couch, "You tell anyone and you'll be demoted to Rosaline and shipped off to the nunnery."
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, fair Prince Escalus." She gave a mock bow before turning towards her dorm.
"Hey, Lils?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
"I'm gonna miss you, Lily." Most students having opted to stay at Hogwarts to study rather than returning home for the holidays, James, Lily, and Sirius had had no trouble finding an empty compartment in the train.
"James," Lily couldn't help rolling her eyes at his solemnity, "I'm going to see you again in three days, besides, you've got Sirius to keep you company, you'll be having too much fun to miss me."
"Don't count on it," Sirius smirked, lying across the bench across from the couple, "I can't snog him like you can."
Lily blushed furiously while James leaned across the compartment, smacking Sirius on the back of his head.
"Ow!" Sirius reached over and gave James an identical slap.
"Ow! What was that for?" James asked sorely, rubbing his shoulder.
Sirius stuck his tongue out at James, "I don't want you thinking that just 'cause you've got Lils means you're the superior one here."
Lily shook in silent laughter as she watched the two bicker back and forth like toddlers. Normally she would have tried her best to break up the immature fight, but she was so thrilled to see the two boys speaking again that she just let it slide.
"Anyways, Lily," James sat up, panting after their vigorous slap fight. "How are you getting home? Are your parents picking you up?"
She shook her head, "No, they had previous engagements; I'll probably just apparate from the platform."
"You know, you should probably have anti-apparating charms set up around your house, what with you being muggle-born and all."
Lily laughed, "You worry too much! Do you believe someone would really come after me?"
James didn't answer.
"Oh, you can't possibly believe that I'm important enough for Death Eaters to come after. I'm a muggle-born, the only reason they'd come after me would be to make some kind of demonstration out of me or because I threatened them in some way . . ." she trailed off, not believing it. When James didn't answer she just shook her head defiantly. "Even if they did want me for some reason, anti-apparating charms aren't going to stop them. They could just apparate down the street and break in like a common criminal. Once someone that powerful decides they want to kill you, nothing is going to stop them." The brutality of truth in her words hung ominously in the air.
The trio sat in silence for a moment until Sirius cleared his throat, "Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?"
Lily laughed and pulled Sirius off his bench an onto the one she was sharing with James, slinging one arm around each boy. "I'm going to miss you two!"
"Geez, Lils, it's not like you won't see us in three days," Sirius spoke in a high falsetto, mimicking Lily's voice.
Lily and James laughed, collapsing on each other. Wiping tears from her eyes, Lily sighed, "What am I going to do without you two for three days? I love you both too much to be away from you that long!"
"Both?" James questioned teasingly, "But you love me more, right?"
"Nah, she obviously loves me! I mean, I've got the looks, the charm, the smile, the humor . . ."
"The arrogance," James muttered, sending Lily into another fit of giggles.
"Ah, Siir, you know I love you," Lily confided, but as a cheeky grin spread across his face she continued, "but my heart belongs to James."
James smiled and lovingly kissed her cheek.
"You must have a soft spot for the downtrodden," Sirius smirked, earning himself another smack from James. "Ow! Lily! Keep your boyfriend away from me! Seriously, I suggest you keep him on a leash!" he cowered behind Lily in mock fear as James glared from her other side.
Luckily for Lily, the Hogwarts' express pulled into Platform 9 ¾ before another slap fight could ensue.
Giving Sirius a tight hug and James a gentle kiss, Lily bid farewell to her two friends, wishing she could go straight home with them rather than making the short visit to her own home. Taking a deep, calming breath, Lily Evans closed her eyes and apparated home.
A slight crack in the humid air alerted any passerby on the second floor of #3 Magnolia Crescent that Lily had just arrived in her bedroom. Stepping out of her room and into the topaz painted hallway, Lily noticed that her home was eerily quiet. "Mum! Dad!" she shouted, her voice reverberating off the walls. Moving towards the stairs, she thought her ears detected the faintest tinkle of china.
"Lily! Down in the drawing room!" Her mother's voice carried up the stairs, puzzling Lily. The Evanses never ate in the dining room unless they had special company or something to celebrate. Her parents knew she'd be arriving today, they wouldn't have invited over guests. She vaguely remembered her mother mentioning Petunia's boyfriend in her last letter, but he wasn't due until Easter. What could her family possibly be celebrating?
Glancing at the gilded mirror gracing the hallway wall, Lily quickly ran her fingers through her hair before gliding down the stairs and into the drawing room where she froze at the sight of her parents having tea with Petunia and a heavyset young man.
"Oh, Lily, so good of you to join us." Her mother began, "Oh, dear, there's no rush, you could have changed before coming down!" Lily looked down, realizing she was still wearing robes, Petunia, she noted with slight satisfaction, looked absolutely mortified at the fact that Lily was still clad in her school uniform. "Darling, I don't believe you've been properly introduced! Vernon, this is my other daughter, Lily. Lily, this is Vernon Dursley, your sister's fiancé."
A/N: And that's all for now! 5 pages typed, I hope that's long enough to keep you satisfied for at least a few minutes! Many apologies to all my lovely reviewers, but I have exams coming up within 2 ½ weeks, so I'll have to begin studying fairly soon, meaning it's possible there might be a chapter until June 9th or so. Hopefully I'll be able to get a new chapter up before then, but no promises! Thanks to all my reviewers! You have no idea how much all your reviews mean to me!!