A/N: Here's another chapter! YAY! Read, review, I'll try to post again today.
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Disasters and Schemes
"What time are you going to be back?" Lily asked James as he put on his cloak and stuffed the invisibility cloak in his pocket, as Sirius had the map tonight.
James looked up at her as he fastened the buttons. "Five."
Lily nodded. "I'll whip up some Pepper-Up potion, enough for the three of you, you can give Peter and Sirius's theirs after breakfast."
James smiled at her as he leant down to kiss her, Lily responded and just reached for his face, determined to make the kiss last longer. But James had to go, it was a full moon.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning…don't wait up for me or anything." he waved.
Lily laughed. "Don't think that I love you that much."
James smiled once more before leaving, and Lily looked at the ground, she knew she was going to have a rough time sleeping that night, she always did now that she knew where James was really going, the dangers of it all. What if he got caught? He would be worse than expelled, he would be in Azkaban. And what if something went wrong and Remus…or Mooney, bit him? She sighed as she went to her cauldron, and decided she might as well make four potions.
By the time Lily had forced her eyes to shut and not to reopen them in five seconds with another dreadful thought; it was three in the morning. She made sure her alarm was set for five thirty, so she could tip toe to James's room and see him peacefully sleeping, worn out really, purely exhausted. She would often stay there, in his room, and just look at him sleep. He seemed to be the James she really knew when his eyes were closed and he breathed quietly, Lily liked him asleep because she knew he had always slept like that, so therefore, he had probably always been as wonderful as he is now, even when she hated him. His slumber reassured Lily that James was a good person, and that she was lucky to have him.
When Lily's alarm went off she gazed up and rolled out of bed, she slipped on her slippers and tip toed to James's room as quietly as possible.
She pushed the door to his room in soundlessly, and tip-toed in, shutting the door behind her.
Her green eyes scanned his four poster bed, and then did a double-take.
James wasn't there.
It was five thirty two and James Potter was not in his bed.
Lily took a deep breath and tried to think reasonably. Maybe they were just taking longer to get back, maybe they stayed with Remus just a little bit longer tonight. After all, it was only five thirty two. They could just be running late. Lily nodded, that had to be it. She walked back out of James's room and went to pick up Lola before sitting on the sofa by the fire. Lola looked up, meowed, rubbed her head on Lily's arm and then fell promptly asleep on her mother's lap.
It was at five forty five that Lily began to really worry.
She began to pet Lola frantically, darting her eyes around the room, listening as hard as she could to the still sleeping castle, she was searching for anything that would give her a sign to where James was…what he was doing, if he was alright.
Fifteen minutes later, James Potter trudged in, cloak muddied, a frown on his face, his hair was soaked and plastered to his head, he looked severely disgruntled.
Lily jumped up at the sight of him and rushed towards him, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheeks.
"James, where were you? I was so worried!" she exclaimed, she backed away and looked at his sordid expression. "What's happened?"
James sighed and took of his glasses, rubbed his eyes and put them back on.
"Peter is a bloody git. He had the map, and my invisibility cloak…and it's so wet out there…it rained so much…and we were all muddy and Peter is running because he wants to get back to the castle to sleep, because that's all he ever thinks about…his needs. And he doesn't even think that an invisible person tracking tons of mud in is going to be followed….and he's not a very fast runner. So Sirius and I stayed back some and obliviated his foot prints and ours…but Mrs. Norris sees us…and of course she goes and gets Filch, who is able to follow the few prints Peter was making that we couldn't obliterate fast enough…bloody git."
Lily hugged him again, not caring that her night gown and rub were getting soaked and mud was plastered all over them.
"So, you got caught?" Lily asked, eyebrows raised.
James shook his head. "Sirius and I didn't…we spent the last thirty minutes dodging Filch and Mrs. Norris…but Peter, bloody Peter, got my cloak---a family heirloom…my father and his father before that had this cloak…and the Marauder's Map…the single most valued possession that all of us Marauders share…taken. He practically gave it to Filch! The bloody bastard!"
Lily sighed. "Well, it's not like he could have just hid them behind his back and insist to Filch that he didn't have anything. He probably did the best he could to cover them up, he would never do anything to hurt you, James. Peter is one of your best friends, and he loves you. I'm sure you can somehow get it back, I'll help you if it need be." she stated, giving James a supportive smile and a kiss on the cheek.
James smiled and put a hand through his hair. "I know he would never do anything like that on purpose." he let out a long sigh that turned into a yawn. "And if you help us, I'm sure we can get them back." he smiled. "Is it even worth trying to get some sleep?"
Lily checked her watch. "Not really, you're going to need a thorough shower, you are really dirty. Is it really that rainy out there?"
James nodded as he walked to the bathroom. "It's like a bloody monsoon."
Lily smiled after him, calling behind him. "But you know what they say, April showers bring May flowers."
She heard James grunt and then turn the shower on. She laughed, not really that anything was amusing, but a laugh of relief, she laughed because she knew it was better than crying, and she was afraid that's what she would have done if she hadn't had let out the chuckle.
That morning at breakfast, the tensions between the Marauders were high. Lily could tell that Peter felt absolutely terrible, that Sirius had probably already chewed him out several times, and that he was waiting for James to finish him off.
Since talking to Lily, however, James wasn't so angry, and gave Peter a smile and punched his arm, taking a seat beside him.
"It's alright, Wormtail, we can get the map and cloak back." James stated, piling his plate with food.
Peter frowned. "Padfoot said it was practically impossible, Filch put them in his top secret drawer, one that's guarded pretty heavily."
James grinned at him. "They don't call us the Marauders for nothing, Wormtail, we'll figure something out. And we have Lily working with us, this can't go wrong."
Sirius sleepily yawned and glared at Peter. "But if it doesn't…"
James shot Sirius a threatening look, and Sirius turned away, successfully leaving Peter alone.
"Look, we'll meet in the Room of Requirement tonight, we'll think of something." James continued.
Peter thought for a moment. "It's Thursday, don't you have patrolling? And shouldn't we wait for Remus to come back…you know he thinks of a lot of our really good schemes."
James sighed. "I suppose your right…we can't risk getting caught…after patrolling it'll be after hours, and we don't have my cloak or the map…and if we're caught, well we can just throw the chance of getting them back out the window."
"Tomorrow night, then?" Peter suggested. "Remus will be getting back that evening."
James nodded. "Friday night."
"This room always amazes me." Lily stated as she walked in, hand in hand with James.
James looked around, the room had several devices in which might be useful for their plan, but they couldn't take anything that belonged to the room out, it would just change into something completely non useful like a feather.
James took a seat on one of the couches, with Lily following and taking the seat beside him.
"So where did they say Filch put the map and cloak?" Lily asked as she played with James's hands as they waited for Remus, Sirius, and Peter to arrive.
James shrugged. "Peter hasn't exactly said, but I think it's in his confiscated drawer."
Right as James went to check his watch, the rest of the Marauders showed up, Remus looking quite terrible, but Lily supposed it was just because it was after the full moon.
"Sorry we're late, but Wormtail practically got us lost." Sirius stated, his jaw clenched tightly, and even Lily could tell he was borderline explosive.
"Well, you got here." James replied diplomatically.
Sirius let out a breath and blew his bangs out of his eyes, it was indeed time for him to get a hair cut, it was beginning to get a little too shaggy for even Sirius to pull off. "Still, how many bloody times have we gone here? Even without the map he should know the castle like his bloody back hand."
"So we need a plan." Lily started, her words seemed to ease the tension, for at the sound of a plan, the mischievous boys' eyes glistened with excitement and they became quiet with their imaginations.
Remus nodded. "So where exactly are the items, Wormtail?"
Peter sighed. "In his office…in one of the drawers of his top-guarded confiscated cabinet."
"Do you know which drawer, exactly?" James asked.
Peter shook his head. "I didn't have time to see…he was going on about medieval torture and detention before he was interrupted by McGonagall and I snuck out."
James nodded as he pulled out a piece of parchment and took an ink bottle and some quills from one of the shelves in the room and began to draw a map of the entire school.
The map, even though it was drawn quickly and without detail, had an incredible artistic feel to it.
"I didn't know you were so good at drawing." Lily said, amazed with James and all of his surprising talents.
James shrugged. "I'm not that good."
Sirius grinned. "Oh, the modesty! You should be ashamed of yourself, Prongs, being humble…haven't I taught you better? James is a bloody fantastic artist…you should get him to show you his drawings sometime." Sirius suggested to Lily.
Lily grinned at James. "I should."
"They're at my house." he grumbled as he continued to draw.
Sirius looked at Lily and shook his head. "I highly doubt that Jamsie here doesn't have a sketchbook tucked somewhere in his room."
To try and stop the conversation before it got to the point where Sirius suggested a raid of his room, James held up the parchment.
"Here." he said and then he pointed to a small office a few corridors and floors away from them. "That's Filch's office. Now since we don't know exactly where Filch is…and Mrs. Norris could be anywhere, we have to be very careful."
"Well, why don't you try and distract Filch in some way?" Lily suggested.
The boys' eyes lit up.
"That's a good idea, Lily." Remus stated. "We could get Sirius to track mud in. Then when he gets taken back to Filch's office he can nab the cloak and map."
"Yeah, but I need to be able to get out without getting detention." Sirius stated. "I think Filch might be getting serious with those medieval torture devices." he shuddered and looked at Remus.
"We need a distraction then." Lily stated. "We can get James…he's Head Boy…he can distract Filch with something…like third years are exploding the girls toilets."
Sirius laughed. "Remember when we did that?"
The boys laughed in remembrance.
"They weren't able to use the lavatory on the first floor for a month." James laughed.
"Yes, and we were forced to use the bathroom with Moaning Myrtle." Lily stated, frowning. "That was a horrible prank."
James grinned. "Sorry, love."
Sirius laughed again, and James couldn't help but chuckle, getting a glare from Lily.
"Back to the point." Remus interrupted. "I don't think Filch will believe James, because of his …history with Sirius, it might be better if we got…you, to come up with something."
Lily laughed. "Me?"
Sirius looked at James, who looked at Peter. They all nodded.
"Yes, you were very good at playing the tattle-tale." Sirius said. "If I do recall."
"I wasn't a tattle-tale!" Lily defended. "I only ever told on James."
James grinned. "And why was that, exactly?"
Lily smiled back at him; James's grin was just so infectious. "Because you annoyed me."
"So will you do it?" Remus asked. "It won't be difficult, Filch isn't that bright."
Lily looked at James, who gave her a supportive look.
"Yes, I'll do it, but when?"
"Now." James decided. "Peter and I will go set off a small prank that can be blamed on someone else…and Remus can sit the Gryffindor common room and get alibis for the rest of us."
"Alright then, we'll recover them now." Remus stated. "Sirius, you go and get your shoes really muddy and track all around Filch's office until he sees you. Lily, you wait close by Filch's office and wait for him to bring Sirius in. James and Peter…go devise a little destruction that can be blamed on Peeves."
James nodded. "We'll stick bubble-gum in key holes and then set the paintings swaying back and forth on the third floor. It will make everyone in the paintings motion sick and they'll hurl in their paintings."
Lily made a face. "That's disgusting."
"It'll work." James replied. "The more disgusting, the more like Peeves. Everyone ready?"
Sirius nodded as he pulled out a bucket of mud the room had supplied and began to stick his feet in. After a few minutes, when his boots looked completely mud covered, he pulled them out and grinned at Lily.
"Ready?"
Lily nodded and followed after him out of the room.
"So is this how you all usually scheme?" Lily asked.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose so…Remus usually plans and checks over all of the precautions and risks…James and I, we're the best actors and the quickest on our feet under pressure, so we actually make the prank work…and Peter just does what ever is necessary for him to do. He's not much of a liar, but he sure is believable when he is told to act innocent. It's that chubby face of his that does it." he smiled at Lily.
"And look at you, Head Girl and helping the Marauders."
Lily grinned at him. "Well, I do live my life dangerously."
Sirius laughed as they walked some more before reaching a corner and stopping.
"You'll wait here. Filch's office is just down there." he pointed to a door a few meters down. "I'll go make a mess. See you in a few, Head Girl."
Lily smiled and wished him luck and began to wait.
Minutes upon minutes passed, but to Lily it felt more like hours. The suspense was killing her, she had never so deliberately gone against the rules of Hogwarts, she had never been apart in such an elaborate scheme, and this was only petty compared to what the Marauders were truly capable of.
At last, Sirius came bounding around the corner, being dragged by Filch by his ear, with Mrs. Norris trailing behind him, looking very pleased with herself.
"Tracking mud all over my just cleaned floors…" she heard Filch mumble. "I'll hang you from your toes, like back in the old days."
Sirius grinned cheekily. "Alright, Filch, but can you just let me do a scourgifing spell? Unless you'd like to, of course. I'd perfectly understand if you underestimate my ability as a wizard to do a simple cleaning spell."
Something Sirius had said had really triggered Filch, as his face reddened and he began to unlock his door vigorously and pushed through his door with the key still in the lock and in his hand.
"Your assistance will not be needed. You will be scrubbing the toilets for weeks when I'm doing with you." he replied, with a nasty grin.
Sirius shrugged. "Sorry, can't. That'll take away from my hanging by my toes time."
Lily wish she could have seen Filch's face at that remark, she was practically splitting with laughter. Sirius really was hilarious.
She decided it was time to act.
She strolled to Filch's door and although it was opened, she knocked anyways, giving herself time to put on a serious yet frantic face.
"Come in." Filch said as he went through his desk lazily.
Sirius grinned at her and gave her a thumbs-up.
Lily smiled at him but turned it into a frown just as Filch turned his gaze to her.
"Ms. Evans, how may I help you?" he asked.
"Mr. Filch." she exclaimed. "Peeves has gone absolutely mad on the third floor…paintings are shaking off the walls and gum is shooting out of locks! I tried to control it, but oh!" she put a hand over her mouth as her eyes began to glisten with fake tears. "He wouldn't listen to me at all, he said…he said…he wouldn't listen to a Mudblood Head Girl! And then he made this rude gesture, a raspberry, if you will!" Lily burst into tears, and Filch looked at her awkwardly.
"I'll go check it out myself, Ms. Evans. You watch Black here… a right stinker he is. I'll get to the bottom of this…I'll go to Dumbledore, I've been telling him for years to get rid of that…that poltergeist! I'll be right back, Ms. Evans, don't you worry."
Filch left with Mrs. Norris scurrying at his feet. Sirius burst into laughter as well as applause.
"That was bloody brilliant, Evans. I didn't know you were so good at this kind of thing, I would have recruited you myself years ago…"
Lily grinned and did a courtesy. "We better find these things, he said he'd be right back."
Sirius nodded and went to the cabinet and began going through drawers.
"I can't bloody find anything!" he exclaimed frantically, trying his best to keep things neat, Filch was a stickler for organization, and Sirius knew that he could tell if his files had been messed with.
Lily looked around the room, for any sign of the searched belongings. She went to Filch's desk and began to go through the drawers of the desk.
"I found them!" Lily exclaimed, but her face suddenly lost its excitement. "It's only James's cloak…the map isn't in here."
Sirius ran over to the desk after closing up the cabinet and began going through the desk as well.
"It's not anywhere. Bloody hell…where could he have put it?" Sirius put his hand on his chin as he scanned the room, but it was too late, they heard approaching footsteps, and Filch's muttering.
Lily froze. What were they going to do? They were going to be caught red-handed. Her badge would be taken for sure.
Sirius, however, knew how to act in these situations, because he was, as he had already explained, better on acting on his feet. He grabbed the invisibility cloak from Lily's hands and pulled it over them before pushing Lily out of the way and over to the wall by the door.
Filch entered, and his face was enraged. "A bloody mess that poltergeist made! And I have to clean it up, of course! Where is that special mop I bought." he muttered. Apparently, he was so distracted by "Peeves' that he had completely forgotten that Sirius and Lily were supposed to be waiting for him.
While his back was turned, Sirius pushed Lily and they scurried out.
"We need to get the map back." Lily stated after they had gone a safe distance from Filch's office and were beginning to reach the Room of Requirement again.
Sirius shrugged. "Another time, we needed to get out of there before he started to really search for what ever he was looking for and bumped into us."
Lily sighed. "I just hope James isn't too disappointed."
Sirius grinned wickedly at her as they approached the hall where the hidden room was and began to walk by three times.
"Well you have all Easter break to make it up to him." Sirius laughed.
Lily pushed him. "Sod off, Sirius, You'll pay for those comments if you keep saying them in front of me…there're no teachers to punish us at James's house."
Sirius pouted. "That's not for another week. You'll forget about it by then, and James's mum loves me. She won't stand to let you harass me."
"I have a good memory, Black."
Lily grinned as they opened the door, where an eager James, Peter, and Remus waited for them.
Her grin became crestfallen as she realized she was going to have to be the one to explain the news.
Thanks to blackcrimson, chikichiki, Torch Phoenix, iris2489, Zippy-Wings, X.Little.Black.Cat.X, BornTooSlow, Harry and Ginny 4eva, 2005girl for dazzling me with their reviews.
laJardiniere: Thanks for pointing out the typo! Thanks for reviewing and keep reading.
Lolly O'Neill: Sorry I forgot to thank you for reviewing last chapter. It was late at night, or rather early in the morning lol. I read your profile, and you have a lot of the same interests as me. which is cool, of course. anyhoo, thanks for reviewing…and keep reading!
And of course, very much thanks to my beta, hcgolfinfool.