Playing the Part
By: Shrk-bait
Chapter 9: Sleepless Nights
Love lights more fires than hate can extinguish. -- Ella Wheeler-Wilcox
Lily blearily gazed out of the transparent window at a thin crescent hanging in the hazy night sky. Her eyes drooped, threatening to close until the moon was long gone and replaced by a bright ball of fire shooting flaming arrows of heat through the windowpane.
"C'mon Lily, take a break." Charlotte pleaded, as Lily sat stiffly in the wooden chair, her Astronomy charts scattered around her on the table. "Kirsten went to sleep hoursago . . ."
"She doesn't have an endless stream of homework from her N.E.W.T classes, does she? Oh, my mistake. Kirsten Elizabeth Montello has no N.E.W.T classes and can afford to get her 12 hours of beauty sleep every night! So good for her, I say. Good for her."
"Sleep, Lily. Have you ever heard about it? You know, resting time, no studying, no thinking . . . do you even remember what a decent night's sleep feels like? Because I honestly don't think I do." Kira groused. "And If I don't with a few, then you definitely don't, what with your jam packed schedule of N.E.W.T classes."
Lily glanced up wearily, running a hand through her disheveled hair. Grunting, she continued to ignore the heavy bags forming underneath her eyes.
"Can't. God, how I loathe Astronomy . . ." she griped. "Go to sleep and I'll head back to my room soon. Promise."
"Pinky promise?" Charlotte asked, sticking out her smallest finger, while Kira followed suit.
Lily smiled tiredly, holding out her finger as they intertwined the three. Childish jokes seemed to be so far in the past. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, as she reminisced on the carefree days of nursery rhymes and silly finger games.
They bid her good night, leaving her alone with a table full of charts and opened textbooks.
A few minutes later, she lowered her head on pg. 135 of "Advanced Astronomy: A Guide to the Stars" by Basille Suter.
"Five minutes, that's all." She grumbled to herself as she immediately slunk into a deep euphoria of sleep. "Then I can start working again."
"Shhh . . . we can't wake anyone. Damn, what has Wormtail been eating? I think someone has had one too many chocolate chip cookies." Sirius grunted gruffly, as he, James, and Remus attempted to carry the snoring Peter up the staircase.
"You're one to talk. Remind me again, who's the one who is always first in line for deserts and seconds?" Remus joked quietly.
"Hey, I resent that. I'm a growing boy. I need my nourishment." He moped insistently.
"Stop yakking you two. We can't levitate him up the stairs, otherwise he'll crash. For once, I wish these bloody staircases weren't winding. It'd be so much simpler. We've got to lift him up. Those damned Slytherins." James muttered bitterly. "Wormtail didn't even have time to whip out his wand in defense. Cowardly, hexing a man with his back turned."
"Oy Prongs. Looks like we're not the only ones up at this ungodly hour. It's your love-r . . ." Sirius chuckled, emphasizing the word 'love' and grinning cheekily.
"Oh, stuff it. I'm in no mood to deal with Miss Prissy Pants. If we wake her, we'll have to deal with her getting all tattletale-y, deducting of points, assigning detentions, the usual." He complained grumpily.
Remus snorted, shaking off an icy glance from James.
"After I send Wormtail up to your room, I'm off to do that nasty Defense against the Dark Arts essay. Four pieces of parchment, due tomorrow. I've got no time to deal with Evans. Let's just leave her." James suggested, still moody.
"What a ladies man you are, Prongs. I can see why the women flock to you. You're so . . . charming, sensitive, caring." Remus said, the sarcasm apparent in his tone.
"What can I say? The girls? They love me." He replied confidently.
"All except for that one, you mean." He pointed to Lily, who had not moved since they had entered the Common Room.
"She doesn't count." He decided, carefully dragging the unconscious Peter up the stairs and flinging him onto his bed.
Remus plopped down on his bed, yawning tiredly.
"I'm off to sleep, chums. Wake me in the morning, if you get up before I do, I mean." He stretched lazily and buried himself in the covers, closing the blinds with swift motioning of his hands.
"Urmngmn . . . g'night." James mumbled, staggering down the stairs and out of the Gryffindor common room and towards the tower where the Head Boy and Girl resided.
Sirius sank into his bed, eyes wide open. He couldn't sleep a wink. Tossing and turning, trying to get into a comfortable position, counting sheep, counting dragons, counting girls, nothing worked. Perhaps he was just a night person. Or just maybe it could have been all those chocolate frogs he'd stolen from Remus and eaten after supper.
"I have two options. Lay here monotonously counting God knows what and listening to Peter's earthquake-like snoring, or grab some yummy munchies from the ever-generous house elves in the kitchen." He proposed to himself. "Such a difficult decision."
Sirius leaped up from the mattress, quietly tip-toeing down the staircase.
In the midst of crossing the common room, he noticed the slumbering Lily, still planted in the same spot the Marauders had left her before.
He glanced up at the clock placed upon the mantelpiece, its hands reading nearly two o'clock in the morning.
He sighed, inwardly cursing his weakness of yielding to beautiful women. He cautiously strode up to her, examining the charts scattered around her sleeping form.
"Astronomy." He identified, wincing as he noted that the chart was barely complete. "Ooh . . . not her best subject, I take it."
He observed her further, strands of red falling in front of her eyes and spilling onto the desk. He prodded her gently, as not to spark a dangerous reflexive reaction from her.
"Uhmn? Time?" she yawned, blearily rubbing her eyes and gazing around her.
"Nearly two, love." He responded, causing her to jump in her seat. "Had a nice rest, then?"
She groaned once she saw him, slamming her head upon the desk.
"Black? What are you doing up?" she asked, rummaging through the messy contents of the desk for her quill.
"Couldn't sleep. You?" he responded, handing her the eloquent feather pen.
"Let's see. Finishing up the Defense against the Dark Arts paper, studying for Flitwick's quiz, finishing the assigned outline of the chapter on villains for History of Magic, deciphering stuff for Ancient Runes, and trying to fill out this damned Astronomy chart for Professor Roe." She finished, leaving Sirius the dead-wringer of a goldfish.
"Bloody hell, Evans. You've got as much work as James!"
"Tell me about it. I've finished most of it, I just loathe Roe and her nonexistent ability to teach Astronomy properly."
"I completely agree. She's horrible at making it interesting. Luckily, Evans, you have me."
"Huh? I have you? Have you for what?" she looked around, bewildered and rather confused.
"To help you finish! What else?" he exclaimed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"B-but you're friends with Potter. And since it's extremely obvious that I dislike Potter, and that he can't stand me, why would you bother to help me? And since when have you been good at Astronomy?" she questioned skeptically.
"Since forever, Evans. Since forever. And in case you haven't noticed, James and I are not the same person. We're not joined at the hip, you know."
"Really? Could've fooled me. Actually, I thought you two shared a brain . . . or half a brain at least."
"Insult me, why don't you? Fine, if you want to stay up until four trying to figure it out without me, I'd be happy going back to bed. Tootles. Sweet dreams, if you ever go to sleep that is." He pretended to turn away, hurt and headed up the stairway.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. Now, will you help me? Please?" she begged, jumping up from the wooden chair and tugged the sleeve of his robe towards the cluttered table.
"Of course, milady. I never refuse a pretty girl. Ooh, this is such a momentous occasion. I, Sirius Black, have actually been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help Lily Evans with her homework. I'd like to thank my friends and Professor Dumble— ouch!"
He had been in the middle of giving his mock speech to the empty common room, right before Lily slapped him sharply on the back of the head.
"Geesh, Evans. Violent little firecracker, aren't we?" he grinned, looking down at her disapproving face, which quickly changed to an equally bright grin.
"Let's just get this over with, shall we? Okay, so where do we start . . ."
Lily sat down, pulling her chair towards the table. Sirius brandished his wand and conjured a slightly more comfortable chair, before straddling it and resting his crossed arms on the back side of the seat.
To Lily's surprise, he was quite a lot of help, save the little distracting jokes he was constantly making. But then again, he was Sirius Black, and one could only expect so much . . . seriousness while working.
Oddly enough, he reminded her of the jocular, playful older brother she had never had. What with Petunia's seething hatred of her "freakish" ways, she had never really had someone to laugh with, aside from her closest friends. It was strange, being able to poke fun at each other, while his best friend was her worst nightmare.
Who'd have thought?
"Oh, about that whole . . . body-bind situation . . . sorry." She apologized, fiddling around with her quill tip.
"S'okay. All is forgiven. I guess I deserved it, even though I still think Mercutio should slay Tybalt and save you two rash lovers from horrible deaths."
"Ah, but sir, where's the romance in that?"
"Right. Scratch that idea. I'll spear Tybalt through the heart and run off with fair Juliet." He declared, winking suggestively.
"Take thy friend's lover, eh?"
"But miss, Friend doesth not deserve fair maiden's heart. Nay, he is too clueless to notice the lady's worth." Sirius fumbled at his attempts to be poetic, which Lily thought were actually quite amusing.
"Then make him, I say. Teach the blind to see, and the cold hearted to love." She proposed, completely oblivious to her role as the "fair-maiden" and James' part as the clueless "friend" in their conversation.
And she was said to be smart. When it comes to love, even the most intelligent are fools. This was just the case.
"You know what, you just might be right." He muttered to himself, as Lily scribbled in the last bit of information on her chart.
She threw her hands up in triumphant success.
"FINALLY! I'm done! Thank you so much, Sirius!" she bounced up, jumping on her tiptoes and wrapping her thin arms around his neck in a friendly embrace.
"No problem. You called me Sirius. Now that's a first." He remarked, smirking.
"Well, when you help me without expecting anything in return, you most definitely get some 'cool' points in my book."
"No need, Lily. I got plenty to spare. I exude coolness." He pointed out, leaning casually against the wall while Lily gathered her things.
"Are you sure you and Potter don't share a brain? Because that sounded awfully cocky to me." She responded coolly, looking up at him, her arms full of Astronomy charts and gigantic textbooks.
"Hey, can you blame me?" he stared, gesturing confidently.
"No, of course not, oh flawless one." she motioned, lowering her arms in mock-praise after she had loaded her nearly overflowing bag full of stuff.
"I sense a hint of sarcasm." He noted obviously.
She shot him a disbelieving look, making sure whether or not he was dim enough to have looked over her blatantly obvious sarcastic comment. When she saw his cheery visage, she broke out into a smile, playfully swatting at his arm.
"You're hopeless, Sirius. Just plain hopeless."
He let his jaw fall, pounding his hand heavily upon his heart. Staggering back, he acted as if he'd been shot, stumbling onto the velvet loveseat and emitting a gruesome groan.
Lily rolled her eyes humorously and headed towards the portrait hole, desperate for her own bed in the Head's tower.
"Hey! Aren't you going to check to see if I'm alright? You did shoot me, after all." He asked, still lying languidly among the pillows.
"No. I think I'll just leave you to die there. But thanks for all the help. Tootles!" she replied, her voice bubbly and lighthearted, fighting back giggles.
"Women. They're heartless and cruel, I tell you." He muttered to himself, picking himself up and ambling up the stairs.
"Oy, Padfoot! Class in fifteen minutes!" Remus hollered, simultaneously hopping on one foot as he attempted to put on his socks.
"Urmn . . . five more minutes, mum." Sirius mumbled, pressing a pillow over his heads and curling himself into a ball on his bed.
"Damn it, Padfoot! Argos is going to maim us if we're late and the play can't go on without its Romeo!" James cursed, grasping Sirius' ripe feet and dragging his body off the edge of the mattress. "Plus, Evans will have a fit if I get a detention, what with me being Head Boy and all. Honestly, I think it's more trouble than it's worth."
James and Remus hoisted Sirius up from the ground and tossed him into the bathroom, while Peter violently spun the shower knob. Icy cold water spewed out, dousing Sirius with a frigid shock that seemed to be much more effective than an alarm clock.
The trio scampered out before they could face his wrath and leaped down the stairs, chortling lightheartedly.
Sooner or later, Sirius emerged, hair tousled and tie loosely hung around his neck. He staggered down the steps, holding onto the handrail for support.
"So . . . I take it you're tired." Peter pointed out, while the other boys snickered.
Sirius shot them a weary glare and shook back his disheveled head of hair. Miraculously, it fell into place in front of his eyes, looking as if he had spent hours trying to achieve its perfect quality.
Lucky for them, they were all relatively in shape, allowing them to make a last minute sprint to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom. They promptly took their seats at the back, just before Professor Argos strolled in, a sneer upon his face.
"I see you boys cut it unusually close. Should I buy you a watch, perhaps? Or would you like an invitation?" he spat, the intense dislike apparent on his grotesque features.
"No, that won't be necessary, Professor. But if you're willing to offer, I wouldn't be one to decline." Sirius retorted, taking his usual lax position on his seat.
The class chuckled, including, James noticed, a striking red-head two rows in front of them. The Professor merely sneered and rapped his knuckles against a desk, demanding attention.
Lily looked back, catching Sirius' eye and rolling her own, a smile parting her lips. He smirked in response, raising his hands in an innocent gesture.
The rest of the Marauders, who, as usual, decided not to pay attention to the Professor's snarling voice, noticed this friendly exchange between them. Especially a certain Head Boy with muddled hair and round glasses.
And he pouted the entire lesson, eyes flecked with green.
"Hey, Sirius!" she called, running after him, pile of books cradled in her arms.
The Marauders spun around, watching curiously as she approached, her friends tagging along.
"Woah. You all turned around. Like whistling for a dog and getting the whole kennel." She remarked, surprised at the nervous glances they shot each other.
"Oh Lily, are you fully aware that you're insulting the legendary Marauders by referring to us as a kennel of dogs?" Sirius asked, hiding the uncomfortable feeling of the situation at hand.
"Oh my! No, I wasn't. Condemn me to hell . . . for I have crossed the Marauders." She dramatized, holding the back of her hand up to her forehead. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for all your help yesterday. I really wouldn't have gotten any sleep without it."
"No problem, Lily. Just don't expect it every night, okay?" he teased, while she playfully slapped his shoulder.
She walked away, while Kira lagged behind to pat Sirius on the head and nodded approvingly.
"Good job, Sirius. You actually thought of someone other than yourself." Charlotte acknowledged, before hurrying to catch up to Lily and Kira.
"I know, I know. I'm a bloody god." He bellowed down the hallway, though the girls did not hear him.
The rest of the Marauders gaped at him, fought back a glare, in James' case.
"So, Padfoot, feel like telling us what happened between you and Lily?" Remus asked nosily.
"Not really, but I'll tell you anyway because I'm such a magnanimous person. I helped the poor girl with her homework, we teased and laughed a bit, and off to bed we went."
"WHAAAT?" James sputtered, eyes suddenly magnified.
"Separate beds, oh jealous one. Separate dormitories, as well." Sirius clarified. "Don't get so bleeding angry, mate. She went to the Head's tower after she was done."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not angry." James remarked coolly, regaining his casualness from his recent outburst. "I don't give a damn what goes on in Evans' life."
Peter snickered, causing Remus and Sirius to burst into uproarious laughter.
"Prongs, perhaps you should just admit it. Everyone but you and Evans have realized it by now." Peter suggested, still recovering from his snickering fit.
"Realize what, Wormtail? That we can't stand each other? And that she would even give Padfoot a chance to prove that he's a decent fellow before me? I think I've realized that."
"If you say so."
"Attention! Attention students!" Minerva McGonagall demanded, slightly annoyed by the lack of cooperation she was receiving. "ATTENTION!"
The sounds of students in the Great Hall faded, allowing her to speak freely.
"Thank you. Professor Harris has requested that all students in the play come to the Great Hall tomorrow, which would be Saturday, at 9 o'clock sharp. That is all."
Once McGonagall had sat down and given a finalizing nod, the noise resumed, as loud as ever.
"I can't believe you didn't tell us you were auditioning for the Nurse!" Charlotte moped, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I didn't think I would actually get the part!" she explained avidly.
"Oh, honestly. What a load of horse manure. You're a damn good actress, Kira. Getting out of detentions, being all dramatic in front of your parents, cozying up to Shawn Mackenzie so he'll help you with your Divination homework . . . I'd be surprised if you didn't get the part." Lily stated smugly.
"I do not cozy up to Shawn Mackenzie. I simply exaggerate my kind and caring nature when I have a particularly difficult assignment that I don't particularly feel like doing on my own." She insisted, winking.
"Tsk tsk, m'dear. Shame on you." Charlotte chided, grinning.
"Hey. He's not complaining. I'm not complaining. At least the work gets done and I get high marks, right?"
Lily and Charlotte glanced skeptically at each other, right before the three burst into hysterical laughter.
"Stop looking over there, Prongs. Or she'll know!" Peter whispered, noticing the object of James' distraction sitting further down the table.
"Looking over where, exactly? Who'll know?" James asked confusedly, while popping a carrot into his open maw.
"Poor bloke. He still hasn't admitted it. You know, all this denial is going to get you nowhere in life." Sirius commented, vigorously shoveling mashed potatoes onto his plate.
"Maybe you should be addressing good ole Moony over there. He's a tad more distracted than I." he pointed out, noticing that a certain end of the Gryffindor table had held Remus captivated for quite some time.
Peter, seated next to Remus, caught on and roughly prodded him in the side.
"Ow! And that was for?" Remus inquired, slightly goaded.
"Don't tell me you've taken a sudden interest in our dear sweet Lily over there!" Sirius scrutinized Remus' facial expression.
Once again, the green branched through his eyes, netted green spindles of thread in a sea of hazel. James gazed intently at Remus, tensely awaiting his response.
"Don't be an arse. Of course not. Lily's like a best friend or a younger sister. Any romantic feelings for her whatsoever would just be . . . awkward." He explained, color rising to his pale cheeks.
Exhaling, he returned to his slouched position. It was strange, how easily he tensed up, though he couldn't begin to guess the reason why. Stress, James decided. Simply stress.
"Well then, now that that slight misunderstanding has been clarified, we'll revert back to interrogating Prongs. Any undying confessions of love you're willing to make?" Sirius prodded.
"For who? Lily Evans? More like undying confessions of intense dislike." He snorted, slightly miffed. "I don't have time for this. I've got an Arithmacy essay to finish."
He swung his leg over the wooden bench and took a last swig of Pumpkin juice from his flask before ambling out of the Great Hall.
"Impossible, that one is." Sirius sighed.
"On a brighter note, he did say undying confessions of intense dislike, rather than loathing or hatred." Peter pointed out, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Wormtail! Bloody brilliant. You're absolutely right. Mates, we're wearing him down."