Chapter 5

The Morning After

Lily woke again when the sun was high in the sky, filling the dormitory with pure golden rays. This time she woke with her memory intake and the events of earlier regarded as a disturbing dream. As she sat up she expected and accepted the headache and sore throat as reminders of her lapse of judgment.

She squinted in the bright light and waited for the remnants of dream fog to drift from her mind. As her eyes adjusted, a horrid realization struck her. She was not in her dormitory. This was not the room she had been sleeping in with the other girls of her year for the past seven years.

"Bloody flock," she muttered.

"Flock? That's a new one," a quiet voice said from the bed to her left. It was definitely not a feminine voice, dashing the faint hope she had that she had simply gone into the first girls' dormitory she had found.

She closed her eyes, hoping that this was another dream.

"Don't worry, Lily. I don't bite," the voice said and added in an undertone, "Not during the day at least."

The voice sounded familiar, though deeper and harsher than what she was used to.

"Remus?" she asked timidly.

"Yes?"

She let out a sigh of relief. What she started to fear had happened couldn't have happened if Remus was near.

She opened her eyes and looked to her left. Remus was sitting up in his bed, a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander in his right hand and a goblet with wafts of heat lingering at the lip in his left. He took a sip of the steaming concoction and grimaced.

"Where are we?" she asked, already knowing the answer, but vainly wishing that there may be a different one.

"Third bed to the right of the door with the best view, Gryffindor seventh year boys' dormitory at the top of the staircase, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, presumably somewhere in the Scottish countryside, the United Kingdom, North-eastern hemisphere, the world, the Milky Way, and so on," he said turning the page by nodding at the book. "But you know most of that."

She dropped back on her pillows and silently gathered her strength for the next question. "Whose bed does this happen to be?"

"James' of course. Oh don't look so shocked Lily. He slept on the floor last night. Really, you could show a little more trust in the man. He loves you after all. And before you start that rant-" she bit her tongue and held back the tide of words that had been on its tip, "you were the one that the four of us found passed out clutching a bottle of Firewhiskey to you like a doll. I know you went through some rough times this summer but I thought you of all people would be able to talk about it instead of drowning your sorrows in a bottle. Poor Peter thought you had tried to poison yourself or something. He kept asking James if you were still breathing.

"And do you know what you put Menky through? She came up this morning crying to check on you. Even brought you some of those pastries you like and some coffee," he gestured towards the plate on the cabinet heaped with flaky croissants and the thermos as he got out of bed, slipping on his dressing gown.

"And you'd think you could show a little more gratitude that we were the ones to find you. You may be Head Girl now and have amnesty from some rules, but if a teacher or Filch had found you, you'd be facing suspension."

He brought her a mug filled with the rich black coffee and a croissant.

"Here," he said, shoving them at her and shuffling back to his own bed, stopping on the way for his own croissant.

"A whole bottle?" he continued in an amazed tone, continuing his lecture while getting back into his bed. "How could you finish a whole damn bottle of Firewhiskey for God's sake? That stuff is strong. The four of us couldn't finish off a bottle and that was with Sirius who can drink a decanter of Bouncing Ferrets with a Twist by himself. I'd be impressed if I weren't so damn worried you'll fall into a spiraling pit of depression and alcoholism."

She stared at him in shock for she had never heard him speak so passionately before. He was usually so quiet and soft-spoken. Before any of the points he had made could penetrate her aching head he spoke again:

"I'm sorry Lily. I'm not feeling well and I'm taking it out on the first person I can. You just gave us quite a turn last night. Last person we ever expected to see passed out in the hall. It freaked out even Sirius which, I have to admit, was very amusing."

She arched her eyebrows in disbelief. She doubted very much that anything could shock Sirius. His dare-devilry was as legendary as the flying motorcycle he got for his birthday was loud.

"It's true. Anyway, good thing the first fell on a Saturday this year. But you overslept the Heads' meeting with Professor Dumbledore. James is there right now."

She groaned, "Excellent way to start the year. 'Sorry I wasn't there, sir. But I was getting over a hangover you see.'"

He laughed and was about to say something when from the doorway someone spoke.

"Don't worry about it, Evans. I told the headmaster you weren't feeling like yourself. He sends his regrets and that he would like to see you as soon as you 'feel up to it.'"

James was leaning casually against the doorframe, his Head Boy pin jauntily stuck onto his cloak, glinting in the light from the sun. The sight of him there irritated her and made her heart pound at the same time.

"Thanks Potter. But you can stop being my white knight, riding to my rescue on your gallant steed."

"I'll stop being your knight as soon as you stop being a damsel in distress trapped in a tower," he shot back, stepping into the room.

She threw back the covers of the bed and stood up. She grabbed her badge from the bedside table and bent to snatch her wand from the floor where it had fallen during the night. She shoved both items into her pocket and took a step, promptly tripping over the pile of blankets that James had used to sleep in. His arms shot out and caught her. She quickly straightened herself out and pushed him away.

"Stop doing stuff like that!" she shouted, brushing past him and stamping down the stairs. He closed his eyes in exasperation and muttered "Women." Then he remembered something he was supposed to tell her and ran to the doorway, threw it open and shouted "Mars Bars!" to her retreating back.