The Search

James stared at the portrait hole and then at Lily, both were wondering whether to go after her.

'I'll go,' Mel told them and she ran through the hole.

'I have to go,' Lupin told them looking over at Sirius and James, they understood. This left Sirius, James and Lily in the common room. James sat down on a chair.

'I don't get it,' James told them. 'Did I brew the potion wrong?'

'How can you not get it?' Sirius told him, 'Both of you couldn't be truly happy when you both desired different things. Chloe wanted you James and you wanted Lily. Both of you couldn't be truly happy.'

'But why did it chose my happiness over Chloe's?' James asked.

'Maybe you drank more? Maybe because this,' Sirius acknowledged the two of them, 'is what's truly meant to be.' James looked over at Lily,

'Did you mean it?' he asked her. With her eyes still filled with tears she nodded. A few awkward moments passed and then Mel burst through the portrait hole,

'I can't find her,' Mel told them who was completely out of breath.

'I checked the Great Hall and the Library.' Sirius got Katie and they all searched through empty classrooms. Lily and Katie searched all of the girls bathrooms.

'Have you seen Chloe?' Katie yelled at Moaning Myrtle.

'No need to be snappy with me,' Myrtle told her calmly.

'Myrtle?' Lily asked calmly, 'Will you please tell me if Chloe was in here?' Myrtle paced the bathroom for a moment, she relished these moments when she had company. Mel burst through the door,

'Have you found her?' Lily asked. Mel shook her head and looked questioningly at Moaning Myrtle.

'What is she doing?' Mel asked puzzled.

'Not co-operating!' Katie told her. 'Myrtle! Has Chloe been in here! Please! It's important!'

'No, no she hasn't,' Myrtle told them and the girls left quickly before hearing Myrtle utter another sound. The girls ran through the halls asking everybody if they had seen Chloe and they all shook their heads. As they were running Christina Flemming and Kaycee Handley stepped out,

'Move,' Katie told them.

'No,' Christina said stubbornly.

'Why should I move for scum like you?' Kaycee told her.

'I am extremely busy maybe we can set up an appointment and talk about this later.' Katie told them. Kaycee didn't move, she just started talking,

'You think that some goody two shoes Hufflepuff can come and steal my man?' Mel, Lily and Katie all took their wands out and fired different hexes and spells. Lily silenced Kaycee and Katie used jelly-legs on her. Christina stood there alone against three wands to her one, but only one wand finished her off.

'Petrificus Totalus,' Mel incanted. Christina went rigid and dropped to the ground.

They searched for Chloe while keeping an eye out for the boys who they finally found on the third floor.

'No luck?' Sirius asked them. All of them shook their heads.

'It's all my fault!' Lily exclaimed.

'No, no don't think like that Lily' James told her. 'What we have to concentrate on his how to find her.' Sirius suddenly perked up,

'Of for christ's sake mate,' Sirius said pushing James a little, 'are we thick enough to forget one of our very own inventions?' James face brightened up.

'I can't believe I didn't think of that!' James exclaimed and they ran to their dormitory leaving the girls very confused. They waited on the steps outside of the common room for the boys to come down. The boys barged into their room,

'Where is it?' James asked looking around the room. Sirius face screwed up while trying to remember where he had seen it last.

'No idea,' Sirius told him. 'When did we last use it?'

'November!' James exclaimed, 'We have been so tied up in our female drama that we haven't even been to see Moony during the full moon!'

'For Christ sake this is bloody mad!' Sirius started rummaging through his suitcase and James did the same. They looked through their dressers and under nearth their beds. Sirius undid his bed and searched through his sheets as he shifted the mattress he saw a bit of parchment peaking out. He grabbed the parchment and handed it to James who had his wand out,

'I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good!' he incanted. Ink started to appear on the Marauders Map which was a detailed map of the school and showed where everybody within the grounds were located. Sirius and James huddled around the map each holding a corner of the parchment. Their eyes searched the map for the dot labeled "Chloe Campbell". James found it first and pointed,

'I found her!' then a worried expression formed on his face, 'she's right next to the Whomping Willow.' Sirius found her dot which was located right by another dot labeled Remus Lupin.