Chapter 5
Potions, the most hated of all the Gryffindor classes. Lilus sat next to Shawn and Jason, and both of them were glaring at Slytherins as they came in. Lilus watched the Frenchy and Mafoy enter the room together and take a seat on the other side of the room. She saw Frenchy grin evilly at her, and she only did the nicest thing she could think of and made a rude hand gesture. He snorted and sat down next to Raphael, who had been looking at her from behind his cousin. There it was again, and she had missed it.
She had quill and parchment ready, and her homework was hiding beneath a piece of fresh, ready-for-notes parchment. She watched Snape come out of the room behind the blackboard. At once, class was silent, Gryffindors and Slytherins alike. Everyone was facing towards the blackboard as Snape looked around for any slackers. He stood strong and silent, his black hair barely moving in the dugeon draft. He was dressed in his usual getup, black, black, and of course, more black.
Lilus looked up at him like a good student, waiting for him to give any instruction that he wished to. He kept looking around at the class, staring contently at each face with his piercing eyes before moving to the next. He stopped on hers, and their eyes met. She saw something familiar in his eyes, but it was the first time that he had ever exhibited it. Fear. Professor Snape looked at her and was afraid. She knew why. Her eyes were red, and they reminded him of Voldemort. He finally moved to Jason, who had a really stupid grin on his face.
"Don't look so cheerful, Mr. Alus. This is a dungeon, and this is Advanced Potions. There is no happiness here," Snape said dully. "Copy the notes on the blackboard, and we shall discuss them afterwards," he droned, tapping the blackboard once with his wand.
Words appeared on it, and Snape went to his desk to mess with his cauldron and ingredients. Darn notes. It was either notes, tests, or experimenting in this class. Why couldn't it be anything interesting? She copied her notes down neatly, glancing at Jason's sloppy handwriting that looked more like morse code than it did letters, but then again, he was known to write in languages that only he knew. He was really close to his paper, as if he was trying not to mess up. His tongue was curled around his lips, and he looked very strained. He looked so silly. Shawn, on the other hand, was very graceful and elegant while writing his notes. He sat with his back straight in the chair, with one hand in his lap and the other calligraphing away on his parchment with a white, silver-lined quill. It was his favorite one, and he had cherished it for a good three years.
Her favorite quill, the one in her hand now, was a black feather with silver lining. It had come from a black phoenix, a phoenix that was rumored to be extinct. She didn't care if it wasn't a real black phoenix feather or not. Her father had given it to her during her birthday on her fourth year. She loved it to death. It was a very beautiful thing, too. It was nice and sharp.
Notes were finished, and she sat in her chair staring at them, occasionally looking up to see if anyone else was finished. Raphael had let his hair grow out a little more. Usually, he kept it short and slicked back, but now, it was hanging very limply on the side of his head. It came down to the bottom of his ears, and he had a small section of it tied at the back of his head. He was busy talking notes, but at last, he put his quill down, and she had to look away.
Why the hell was she checking him out?!
Ew! She didn't want to think about it. Lilus started to think about any way possible that she could get back at the Frenchy for calling her a bitch. Like she noted before, she believed in revenge, and it was one of the best things she had ever felt.
She suddenly felt Shawn push something into her hands. She glanced down, surprised. He didn't look at her, but he resumed writing his notes. She opened the note slowly and carefully, making very little noise as she did so.
Are you mad at me? You haven't spoken to me since we got on the train.
She carefully put the parchment on the table without Snape noticing and wrote something just under where he had written.
No. I just noticed that you and Kimmy make a cute couple.
She drew it quickly back under the desk and slid it into his lap. Without removing quill from the page, he glanced down and read it before putting it on the table and writing something else. He passed it to her quickly and silently.
Do you think so?
She wrote under it once again.
Yes. Stop passing notes or we'll get caught and into trouble. Wait until tonight if you must talk about anything.
And he didn't pass her another one. She really didn't want to talk to him, but she decided that they should be friends anyway. He was a Marauder, and he was her friend, even though he had her going for a while about a possible relationship. She sat during the boring lecture that Snape gave, raising her hand at about every question even though he ignored her completely. She didn't care. Every time Jason raised his hand, he was called on, and he gave the wrong answer so Snape would insult him and give the right answer, and he could write it down in his little morse code language. Jason was too cute sometimes.
Eventually, they were free to go. Everyone gathered everything up, and Charlie and Nick sided her as they walked out for some reason. When they were out of the dungeon, she heard Frenchy talk.
"Running away?"
She poked her hand behind her back and flipped him off again, only to have someone grab her by her shoulders and turn her around. She grabbed hold of the big lug's arms and watched him wince when she dug her fingernails into his flesh.
"Let go of me," she hissed, while Nick and Charlie stood behind her.
Jason soon joined them, and Shawn was in the back. The boy that had grabbed ahold of her let go, but she still held onto him while she pushed him back towards his group. She threw him hard against the crowd, but he regained his balance and glared at her. She looked at Frenchy.
"Look. If I'm running away from anything, it's Snape, definitly not you, Frenchy. So do yourself a favor and leave me the hell alone," she said, starting to turn away.
"Don't worry, my little peche. We shall meet again," he growled as she walked away.
She ignored him and wondered where Malfoy was. He wasn't standing with his cousin that time. She and the boys left the group of Slytherins.
"I've never seen so much love come off a Slytherin. God, Lilus, how'd you piss him off?" Baker asked, coming up behind them.
"I bumped into him on the train, and I suppose he took it the wrong way."
Baker looked back at the Slytherins. "He looks like the King of all dicks, Lilus. I'd be careful if I were you. He looks...evil. More evil than Malfoy. Who is that guy anyway?"
"His name is Alexander somethingorother. He's Malfoy's cousin," she answered, walking with a proud sense behind her.
She knew that he was going to be the prime problem this year. Geez. She'd be glad when Quidditch started up. She needed some competition. At least she was heading to Remy's class now.
The Defense Against Dark Arts class was in one of the towers. She and the boys hiked all the way up there, and there he stood. Remus Lupin. She beamed with glee as she took her seat, and he smiled warmly to her. Once all the Ravenclaws and Griffindors piled in, Remy began to talk.
"For those of you who do not know me, I am Professor Lupin, and this is Defense Against Dark Arts. If you are supposed to be in Divination, you are in the wrong tower, and I suggest you to go the tower on the other side of the Great Hall."
No one moved. He nodded his head and smiled.
"Good. We are all in the right place. First, I will cover what we will be doing this term. From now till Holloween, we will be studying the Patronus, and I shall assist you in conjuring up your very own..."
Patronus. Her father had told her about that before she even came to school. Remy had taught her that what...like her second year at Hogwarts? He gave a lot of extra training to her. Her Patronus was a dragon that looked like a snake with wings. It was about thirty feet long, and it coiled around her with its wings and head in front of her, hissing protectively.
"After that, we shall discuss the purpose of the Patronus and why it is used. We shall also practice various disarming and protection spells. After Holloween, we will begin on Boggarts, and how to conquer them... Yes, Mr. Ansoli?"
The Ravenclaw in the back that raised his hand started talking. "Didn't we study Boggarts in third year, Professor?"
Remy nodded. "Yes, you did, but a new breed of Boggart has been discovered, and some harmful wizards have been using them against their victims."
"How, Professor?" he asked again.
"These particular Boggarts can only be conquered if the fear of their current form is conquered. After Boggarts," he clapped his hands together, "well, we'll see how the year goes. If everyone is well-behaved and loyal to their studies, I'll give you options on what you want to do, understood?"
There was a cheer.
"The Patronus is a spell that can protect its the caster from the cold stare of a dementor. Every...EVERY...Patronus is different, even by the slightest measure," Remy stated clearly. "Does anyone know how to summon their Patronus?"
Lilus raised her hand and heard a shuffling as students turned to look at her.
"Ms. Potter! Does anyone else know how to summon one?"
No more hands went up, but that was expected.
"Care to demonstrate, Ms. Potter?"
She stood up, taking her wand in hand, and walked to the front of the class. Remy moved to the side, letting Lilus stand in the center of the room. Lilus closed her eyes and held her wand before her, ready to cast. She thought about her father and her mother, and even that stupid cat that was the best foot warmer that she had. She thought about Justin and Nick and Charlie. She thought about Remy.
"Expecto Patronum!" she cried loudly.
The white whisp of light suddenly poured from the end of her want. Out of her wand, slithered a long winged-snake that curled its body loosely around its mistress, standing before her and shielding her with its wings. She kept her eyes closed and kept thinking happy thoughts until her wand stopped vibrating. That was the bad thing about her Patronus. It took a slightly longer time to conjure, but it was strong. There were many gasps in the room as the dragon looked at everyone. She flicked her wand at it twice and it vanished.
"Very good, Ms. Potter. Please return to your seat. Take out your books and turn to page ten. Begin reading and have the chapter read for tomorrow. I expect all of you to come into class with the knowledge of what we're to do that day. You have the rest of class to read, so continue," Remy sat down at his desk and began to write something.
"Showoff," laughed Nick from behind her.
She smiled and rolled her eyes at him, opening her book to page ten. She began to read, knowing full well that they'd be taking notes the next day. They always took notes on the third day back. Always. She was close to finishing the chapter by the end of class, and like usual, Jason was about three words into it before he and Baker started a paper throwing war. When they were dismissed, they packed everything up and went down to lunch.
"What about the evil snake that picked on her after Potions?" Nick asked, striking up a conversation as he stuffed his mouth full of potato.
"Well, it's obvious that he's an evil dog," Jason said, although it sounded like "Err, ib obis mrat eee ebil pog."
They had been around Jason long enough to recognize his incomprehensible food speech.
"True, but Malfoy's been looking at me with a strange stare," Lilus said, popping a piece of chicken into her mouth. "It's weirding me out."
"How?" Justin asked from across the table.
What was that emotion that Malfoy had in his eyes? She could have sworn that it was sadness, but she wasn't sure. It could have been a full grown glare, but she had not looked at him long enough. He always turned his head. It was as if he knew what she was searching for. As if he knew she was looking into his feelings.
"I'm...not really sure. He just...has never looked at me that way before," she said, spooning cobbler into her mouth. "Mmm. This stuff's good! Try some of that over there!"
It was a mixture of blackberries and strawberries, mixed in with a crispy crust. It was so good that it almost made her cry. Jason helped himself to some and nearly ate his entire serving with just one spoonful. He looked like a balloon there for a minute before he gagged it all down.
"That was good! Hey, Baker! Pass that thing down here, will yah?" he asked, pointing to the large china dish.
Baker piled some in his plate and passed it down, everyone scooping some out before it finally got to Jason. He didn't care. He piled his plate full of it and started to chug it all down.
"God, Jason. Since when did you have a mouth that big?" Nick asked from beside her when the interest of the table had shifted to Jason's wolfing down the cobbler.
"Oh. He's always had a mouth that big. He just...never found that cobbler before," Lilus laughed, eating what was on her plate.
That was some good cobbler. After lunch was over and Jason had finally eaten all the cobbler that he could find, they were set to go to Charms and Herbology. Both classes were a royal bore, but Lilus managed to stay awake during the introduction speeches that lasted for the entire class. They had been bogged down with homework, and Lilus was nearly finished with hers, considering that she had the amazing ability to read, write, research, and walk at the same time. Nick and Charlie really thought it was amazing.
She and Shawn had decided to skip dinner that evening and spend the time talking in the Common Room. No one objected except Justin, but that passed quickly. They were sitting there staring at each other, when he finally spoke.
"You...um...are mad at me...aren't you?" he said.
She nodded. "I was, but not anymore. I've given up."
He looked at the floor. "I'm sorry..."
"Shawn, it's no biggie. You weren't my type anyway. I need someone who's as evil-looking as I am."
He looked up at her with a pained expression. "You aren't evil-looking. You're just different."
She shrugged and shook her head. "Whatever. You and Kimmy, right?"
He nodded. "Asked her on the train."
"Well, that's nice. Probably going to grow up to be an Auror or something like that. It won't provide me with much time for a family."
Shawn shook his head. "Oh please. You're very pretty."
She shook her head and stood up. "Get this straight. The only guy that would probably date me is Voldemort himself. Aside from him, there isn't anyone who's brave enough to. AND STOP CALLING ME PRETTY!"
She had no clue where that outburst had come from. All she knew is that about ten minutes later, she found herself walking around outside the vacated Charms room with about twenty minutes to go before dinner ended. She was pacing back and forth,oblivious to anything around her. She shouldn't have yelled at him like that. She was sick of compliments though, especially from him. Nikodemus was dating Kimmy. She'd have to think of a name for herself, because it was likely that Kimmy would. She suddenly wanted out of the Marauders. She was sick of them, except for maybe Jason, but he was insane enough to date her. What was wrong with her?
"Something the matter, ma peche?" The Frenchy.
She twirled around. "Do you have something better to do than to follow me everywhere? Seriously?! You're becoming quite a little pain in the--"
There was no one there.
"Over here," Frenchy said.
It was an invisibility cloak. It had to be. She waited, standing perfectly still, waited until she could feel the slightest sound or breeze that would give him away. He'd have to move sometime.
"Stalker," she spat at him.
"Of course, ma peche," he said somewhere to her right.
She lunged for the sound, and felt herself grab hold of something silky. She pulled the invisibility cloak off, her eyes flashing dangerously. The Frenchy was there, and he had a thick, sturdy boy behind him. She stared at them both. They both stared at her. She was outnumbered, but she remembered not to look scared. Slytherins feed off of fear, her father had told her.
"God. I thought even you were better than that. Why do you insist on following me?"
The blonde boy smiled. "For the sweetest of revenges, ma peche."
"Dude, you must have some serious mental problem. I just bumped into you on the train. That's nothing to go haywire about."
Dude? Since when did she start talking like Jason? His American way was rubbing off on her.
Frenchy just stood there. "Oh yes, but I have special orders for you. Orders from God, and you know what they are? To make your life a living HELL!"
She wasn't scared of him or the other boy. "Oh please. You might scare a kitten or puppy, but you aren't very intimidating with your Frenchy boy accent. So why don't you just leave me alone? Go find someone else to bother."
He just smiled. "By time I get through with you, I won't need to," he said, clenching his teeth tightly.
He pulled his wand out and waved it in front of himself menacingly. She looked at the boy behind him.
"So what's he? Your bathroom support buddy?" she said in a lazy tone.
That made Frenchy mad. His eyes narrowed, and he drew up the sleeves of his robe. "You...little mudblood spawn... I'll...teach...you..."
"Don't strain yourself too hard. You look kinda constipated," she spat, holding her own wand out in front of him.
God, he looked like he was about to explode. Maybe she had better cool it down before something really bad happened. Slytherins were known for their rashness at times.
"Look, dude. I'm sorry, but now is the worst time that you have picked, okay? Please, just later?"
There was that dude again. By the looks of it, this just made Frenchy even angrier. She didn't know what his problem was, but he was beginning to become as annoying as that blonde girl that hung around with Malfoy. The other boy just stood in the back with his eyes looking towards the floor.
"How..dare you...? How dare you?!"
"Look, it's an insult defense reflex, okay? You insult or threaten me, I'll turn it around on you. Please...go away."
The boy jabbed him in the back and whispered something to him. Frenchy regained his calm and nodded. "Of course. I nearly forgot."
They whipped the cloak around them. After they vanished, Lilus was perfectly still. She heard footsteps down the hall and knew that she was alone again. What was it with that guy? He was so strange. She thought Malfoy was bad. She knew that this Slytherin would gain his Hogwarts legs by the middle of the year, and he'd put her through hell by that time. She sat with her back against the stone wall, wishing and waiting for the lunch to break. Maybe then she'd have a chance to apologize to Shawn. He was her friend. He was her friend. He was a Marauder. He was her ally. She had no reason in the world to treat him bad just because he liked Kimmy. That was wrong. That was so horribly wrong.
"Man...I really screwed up."
She took a piece of parchment out and started to write a note to him, just in case I'm sorry wasn't enough.
Dear Nikodemus,
I'm not sure that you were aware of it, but I used to have a crush on you. Yeah, me, evil, demon girl. Well. I've pretty much given up, so you and Kimmy have nothing to worry about. As for what happened in the Common Room, I just keep hearing 'You're pretty' from guys that don't have enough guts to date me. I'm not pretty if I've never attracted a guy in my life. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I really am. I just...I dunno, with the French guy and everything. I have a feeling this year's going to be more crummy than last year. I'm just nervous. You know, the beginning of the year nervous. Anyway, I'm really sorry about my tantrum in the Common Room. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
Lilus
She really wanted a codename. Really bad. Everyone else could and would sign their notes a certain way, but she couldn't. They had not found a name to fit her, and she was not going by Bloodshot or Red Eyes. Jason had been so kind to suggest those...NOT. She rolled the scroll up and put in beside her, packing her quill away in her bag.
"Mom, Dad, the year has started, and it sucks," she said to herself. "I miss you loads. I'll be glad when I come back home."
She probably sounded so pathetic, talking to herself and all. She missed her parents. She loved her parents. She just needed some emotional comfort, and they always knew what to say. This time, though, she'd probably ask them about her eyes. She wanted to know why they were red and not brown or blue or green. Shawn held no comfort, and neither did Justin or Jason. Maybe she was just...she didn't know...isolated. She wasn't even a real Marauder. You could only be a real Marauder if you had a codename, and she was just one because she had started it. She wanted a name, and she didn't want it to have anything to do with her evil eyes.
Potions, the most hated of all the Gryffindor classes. Lilus sat next to Shawn and Jason, and both of them were glaring at Slytherins as they came in. Lilus watched the Frenchy and Mafoy enter the room together and take a seat on the other side of the room. She saw Frenchy grin evilly at her, and she only did the nicest thing she could think of and made a rude hand gesture. He snorted and sat down next to Raphael, who had been looking at her from behind his cousin. There it was again, and she had missed it.
She had quill and parchment ready, and her homework was hiding beneath a piece of fresh, ready-for-notes parchment. She watched Snape come out of the room behind the blackboard. At once, class was silent, Gryffindors and Slytherins alike. Everyone was facing towards the blackboard as Snape looked around for any slackers. He stood strong and silent, his black hair barely moving in the dugeon draft. He was dressed in his usual getup, black, black, and of course, more black.
Lilus looked up at him like a good student, waiting for him to give any instruction that he wished to. He kept looking around at the class, staring contently at each face with his piercing eyes before moving to the next. He stopped on hers, and their eyes met. She saw something familiar in his eyes, but it was the first time that he had ever exhibited it. Fear. Professor Snape looked at her and was afraid. She knew why. Her eyes were red, and they reminded him of Voldemort. He finally moved to Jason, who had a really stupid grin on his face.
"Don't look so cheerful, Mr. Alus. This is a dungeon, and this is Advanced Potions. There is no happiness here," Snape said dully. "Copy the notes on the blackboard, and we shall discuss them afterwards," he droned, tapping the blackboard once with his wand.
Words appeared on it, and Snape went to his desk to mess with his cauldron and ingredients. Darn notes. It was either notes, tests, or experimenting in this class. Why couldn't it be anything interesting? She copied her notes down neatly, glancing at Jason's sloppy handwriting that looked more like morse code than it did letters, but then again, he was known to write in languages that only he knew. He was really close to his paper, as if he was trying not to mess up. His tongue was curled around his lips, and he looked very strained. He looked so silly. Shawn, on the other hand, was very graceful and elegant while writing his notes. He sat with his back straight in the chair, with one hand in his lap and the other calligraphing away on his parchment with a white, silver-lined quill. It was his favorite one, and he had cherished it for a good three years.
Her favorite quill, the one in her hand now, was a black feather with silver lining. It had come from a black phoenix, a phoenix that was rumored to be extinct. She didn't care if it wasn't a real black phoenix feather or not. Her father had given it to her during her birthday on her fourth year. She loved it to death. It was a very beautiful thing, too. It was nice and sharp.
Notes were finished, and she sat in her chair staring at them, occasionally looking up to see if anyone else was finished. Raphael had let his hair grow out a little more. Usually, he kept it short and slicked back, but now, it was hanging very limply on the side of his head. It came down to the bottom of his ears, and he had a small section of it tied at the back of his head. He was busy talking notes, but at last, he put his quill down, and she had to look away.
Why the hell was she checking him out?!
Ew! She didn't want to think about it. Lilus started to think about any way possible that she could get back at the Frenchy for calling her a bitch. Like she noted before, she believed in revenge, and it was one of the best things she had ever felt.
She suddenly felt Shawn push something into her hands. She glanced down, surprised. He didn't look at her, but he resumed writing his notes. She opened the note slowly and carefully, making very little noise as she did so.
Are you mad at me? You haven't spoken to me since we got on the train.
She carefully put the parchment on the table without Snape noticing and wrote something just under where he had written.
No. I just noticed that you and Kimmy make a cute couple.
She drew it quickly back under the desk and slid it into his lap. Without removing quill from the page, he glanced down and read it before putting it on the table and writing something else. He passed it to her quickly and silently.
Do you think so?
She wrote under it once again.
Yes. Stop passing notes or we'll get caught and into trouble. Wait until tonight if you must talk about anything.
And he didn't pass her another one. She really didn't want to talk to him, but she decided that they should be friends anyway. He was a Marauder, and he was her friend, even though he had her going for a while about a possible relationship. She sat during the boring lecture that Snape gave, raising her hand at about every question even though he ignored her completely. She didn't care. Every time Jason raised his hand, he was called on, and he gave the wrong answer so Snape would insult him and give the right answer, and he could write it down in his little morse code language. Jason was too cute sometimes.
Eventually, they were free to go. Everyone gathered everything up, and Charlie and Nick sided her as they walked out for some reason. When they were out of the dungeon, she heard Frenchy talk.
"Running away?"
She poked her hand behind her back and flipped him off again, only to have someone grab her by her shoulders and turn her around. She grabbed hold of the big lug's arms and watched him wince when she dug her fingernails into his flesh.
"Let go of me," she hissed, while Nick and Charlie stood behind her.
Jason soon joined them, and Shawn was in the back. The boy that had grabbed ahold of her let go, but she still held onto him while she pushed him back towards his group. She threw him hard against the crowd, but he regained his balance and glared at her. She looked at Frenchy.
"Look. If I'm running away from anything, it's Snape, definitly not you, Frenchy. So do yourself a favor and leave me the hell alone," she said, starting to turn away.
"Don't worry, my little peche. We shall meet again," he growled as she walked away.
She ignored him and wondered where Malfoy was. He wasn't standing with his cousin that time. She and the boys left the group of Slytherins.
"I've never seen so much love come off a Slytherin. God, Lilus, how'd you piss him off?" Baker asked, coming up behind them.
"I bumped into him on the train, and I suppose he took it the wrong way."
Baker looked back at the Slytherins. "He looks like the King of all dicks, Lilus. I'd be careful if I were you. He looks...evil. More evil than Malfoy. Who is that guy anyway?"
"His name is Alexander somethingorother. He's Malfoy's cousin," she answered, walking with a proud sense behind her.
She knew that he was going to be the prime problem this year. Geez. She'd be glad when Quidditch started up. She needed some competition. At least she was heading to Remy's class now.
The Defense Against Dark Arts class was in one of the towers. She and the boys hiked all the way up there, and there he stood. Remus Lupin. She beamed with glee as she took her seat, and he smiled warmly to her. Once all the Ravenclaws and Griffindors piled in, Remy began to talk.
"For those of you who do not know me, I am Professor Lupin, and this is Defense Against Dark Arts. If you are supposed to be in Divination, you are in the wrong tower, and I suggest you to go the tower on the other side of the Great Hall."
No one moved. He nodded his head and smiled.
"Good. We are all in the right place. First, I will cover what we will be doing this term. From now till Holloween, we will be studying the Patronus, and I shall assist you in conjuring up your very own..."
Patronus. Her father had told her about that before she even came to school. Remy had taught her that what...like her second year at Hogwarts? He gave a lot of extra training to her. Her Patronus was a dragon that looked like a snake with wings. It was about thirty feet long, and it coiled around her with its wings and head in front of her, hissing protectively.
"After that, we shall discuss the purpose of the Patronus and why it is used. We shall also practice various disarming and protection spells. After Holloween, we will begin on Boggarts, and how to conquer them... Yes, Mr. Ansoli?"
The Ravenclaw in the back that raised his hand started talking. "Didn't we study Boggarts in third year, Professor?"
Remy nodded. "Yes, you did, but a new breed of Boggart has been discovered, and some harmful wizards have been using them against their victims."
"How, Professor?" he asked again.
"These particular Boggarts can only be conquered if the fear of their current form is conquered. After Boggarts," he clapped his hands together, "well, we'll see how the year goes. If everyone is well-behaved and loyal to their studies, I'll give you options on what you want to do, understood?"
There was a cheer.
"The Patronus is a spell that can protect its the caster from the cold stare of a dementor. Every...EVERY...Patronus is different, even by the slightest measure," Remy stated clearly. "Does anyone know how to summon their Patronus?"
Lilus raised her hand and heard a shuffling as students turned to look at her.
"Ms. Potter! Does anyone else know how to summon one?"
No more hands went up, but that was expected.
"Care to demonstrate, Ms. Potter?"
She stood up, taking her wand in hand, and walked to the front of the class. Remy moved to the side, letting Lilus stand in the center of the room. Lilus closed her eyes and held her wand before her, ready to cast. She thought about her father and her mother, and even that stupid cat that was the best foot warmer that she had. She thought about Justin and Nick and Charlie. She thought about Remy.
"Expecto Patronum!" she cried loudly.
The white whisp of light suddenly poured from the end of her want. Out of her wand, slithered a long winged-snake that curled its body loosely around its mistress, standing before her and shielding her with its wings. She kept her eyes closed and kept thinking happy thoughts until her wand stopped vibrating. That was the bad thing about her Patronus. It took a slightly longer time to conjure, but it was strong. There were many gasps in the room as the dragon looked at everyone. She flicked her wand at it twice and it vanished.
"Very good, Ms. Potter. Please return to your seat. Take out your books and turn to page ten. Begin reading and have the chapter read for tomorrow. I expect all of you to come into class with the knowledge of what we're to do that day. You have the rest of class to read, so continue," Remy sat down at his desk and began to write something.
"Showoff," laughed Nick from behind her.
She smiled and rolled her eyes at him, opening her book to page ten. She began to read, knowing full well that they'd be taking notes the next day. They always took notes on the third day back. Always. She was close to finishing the chapter by the end of class, and like usual, Jason was about three words into it before he and Baker started a paper throwing war. When they were dismissed, they packed everything up and went down to lunch.
"What about the evil snake that picked on her after Potions?" Nick asked, striking up a conversation as he stuffed his mouth full of potato.
"Well, it's obvious that he's an evil dog," Jason said, although it sounded like "Err, ib obis mrat eee ebil pog."
They had been around Jason long enough to recognize his incomprehensible food speech.
"True, but Malfoy's been looking at me with a strange stare," Lilus said, popping a piece of chicken into her mouth. "It's weirding me out."
"How?" Justin asked from across the table.
What was that emotion that Malfoy had in his eyes? She could have sworn that it was sadness, but she wasn't sure. It could have been a full grown glare, but she had not looked at him long enough. He always turned his head. It was as if he knew what she was searching for. As if he knew she was looking into his feelings.
"I'm...not really sure. He just...has never looked at me that way before," she said, spooning cobbler into her mouth. "Mmm. This stuff's good! Try some of that over there!"
It was a mixture of blackberries and strawberries, mixed in with a crispy crust. It was so good that it almost made her cry. Jason helped himself to some and nearly ate his entire serving with just one spoonful. He looked like a balloon there for a minute before he gagged it all down.
"That was good! Hey, Baker! Pass that thing down here, will yah?" he asked, pointing to the large china dish.
Baker piled some in his plate and passed it down, everyone scooping some out before it finally got to Jason. He didn't care. He piled his plate full of it and started to chug it all down.
"God, Jason. Since when did you have a mouth that big?" Nick asked from beside her when the interest of the table had shifted to Jason's wolfing down the cobbler.
"Oh. He's always had a mouth that big. He just...never found that cobbler before," Lilus laughed, eating what was on her plate.
That was some good cobbler. After lunch was over and Jason had finally eaten all the cobbler that he could find, they were set to go to Charms and Herbology. Both classes were a royal bore, but Lilus managed to stay awake during the introduction speeches that lasted for the entire class. They had been bogged down with homework, and Lilus was nearly finished with hers, considering that she had the amazing ability to read, write, research, and walk at the same time. Nick and Charlie really thought it was amazing.
She and Shawn had decided to skip dinner that evening and spend the time talking in the Common Room. No one objected except Justin, but that passed quickly. They were sitting there staring at each other, when he finally spoke.
"You...um...are mad at me...aren't you?" he said.
She nodded. "I was, but not anymore. I've given up."
He looked at the floor. "I'm sorry..."
"Shawn, it's no biggie. You weren't my type anyway. I need someone who's as evil-looking as I am."
He looked up at her with a pained expression. "You aren't evil-looking. You're just different."
She shrugged and shook her head. "Whatever. You and Kimmy, right?"
He nodded. "Asked her on the train."
"Well, that's nice. Probably going to grow up to be an Auror or something like that. It won't provide me with much time for a family."
Shawn shook his head. "Oh please. You're very pretty."
She shook her head and stood up. "Get this straight. The only guy that would probably date me is Voldemort himself. Aside from him, there isn't anyone who's brave enough to. AND STOP CALLING ME PRETTY!"
She had no clue where that outburst had come from. All she knew is that about ten minutes later, she found herself walking around outside the vacated Charms room with about twenty minutes to go before dinner ended. She was pacing back and forth,oblivious to anything around her. She shouldn't have yelled at him like that. She was sick of compliments though, especially from him. Nikodemus was dating Kimmy. She'd have to think of a name for herself, because it was likely that Kimmy would. She suddenly wanted out of the Marauders. She was sick of them, except for maybe Jason, but he was insane enough to date her. What was wrong with her?
"Something the matter, ma peche?" The Frenchy.
She twirled around. "Do you have something better to do than to follow me everywhere? Seriously?! You're becoming quite a little pain in the--"
There was no one there.
"Over here," Frenchy said.
It was an invisibility cloak. It had to be. She waited, standing perfectly still, waited until she could feel the slightest sound or breeze that would give him away. He'd have to move sometime.
"Stalker," she spat at him.
"Of course, ma peche," he said somewhere to her right.
She lunged for the sound, and felt herself grab hold of something silky. She pulled the invisibility cloak off, her eyes flashing dangerously. The Frenchy was there, and he had a thick, sturdy boy behind him. She stared at them both. They both stared at her. She was outnumbered, but she remembered not to look scared. Slytherins feed off of fear, her father had told her.
"God. I thought even you were better than that. Why do you insist on following me?"
The blonde boy smiled. "For the sweetest of revenges, ma peche."
"Dude, you must have some serious mental problem. I just bumped into you on the train. That's nothing to go haywire about."
Dude? Since when did she start talking like Jason? His American way was rubbing off on her.
Frenchy just stood there. "Oh yes, but I have special orders for you. Orders from God, and you know what they are? To make your life a living HELL!"
She wasn't scared of him or the other boy. "Oh please. You might scare a kitten or puppy, but you aren't very intimidating with your Frenchy boy accent. So why don't you just leave me alone? Go find someone else to bother."
He just smiled. "By time I get through with you, I won't need to," he said, clenching his teeth tightly.
He pulled his wand out and waved it in front of himself menacingly. She looked at the boy behind him.
"So what's he? Your bathroom support buddy?" she said in a lazy tone.
That made Frenchy mad. His eyes narrowed, and he drew up the sleeves of his robe. "You...little mudblood spawn... I'll...teach...you..."
"Don't strain yourself too hard. You look kinda constipated," she spat, holding her own wand out in front of him.
God, he looked like he was about to explode. Maybe she had better cool it down before something really bad happened. Slytherins were known for their rashness at times.
"Look, dude. I'm sorry, but now is the worst time that you have picked, okay? Please, just later?"
There was that dude again. By the looks of it, this just made Frenchy even angrier. She didn't know what his problem was, but he was beginning to become as annoying as that blonde girl that hung around with Malfoy. The other boy just stood in the back with his eyes looking towards the floor.
"How..dare you...? How dare you?!"
"Look, it's an insult defense reflex, okay? You insult or threaten me, I'll turn it around on you. Please...go away."
The boy jabbed him in the back and whispered something to him. Frenchy regained his calm and nodded. "Of course. I nearly forgot."
They whipped the cloak around them. After they vanished, Lilus was perfectly still. She heard footsteps down the hall and knew that she was alone again. What was it with that guy? He was so strange. She thought Malfoy was bad. She knew that this Slytherin would gain his Hogwarts legs by the middle of the year, and he'd put her through hell by that time. She sat with her back against the stone wall, wishing and waiting for the lunch to break. Maybe then she'd have a chance to apologize to Shawn. He was her friend. He was her friend. He was a Marauder. He was her ally. She had no reason in the world to treat him bad just because he liked Kimmy. That was wrong. That was so horribly wrong.
"Man...I really screwed up."
She took a piece of parchment out and started to write a note to him, just in case I'm sorry wasn't enough.
Dear Nikodemus,
I'm not sure that you were aware of it, but I used to have a crush on you. Yeah, me, evil, demon girl. Well. I've pretty much given up, so you and Kimmy have nothing to worry about. As for what happened in the Common Room, I just keep hearing 'You're pretty' from guys that don't have enough guts to date me. I'm not pretty if I've never attracted a guy in my life. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I really am. I just...I dunno, with the French guy and everything. I have a feeling this year's going to be more crummy than last year. I'm just nervous. You know, the beginning of the year nervous. Anyway, I'm really sorry about my tantrum in the Common Room. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
Lilus
She really wanted a codename. Really bad. Everyone else could and would sign their notes a certain way, but she couldn't. They had not found a name to fit her, and she was not going by Bloodshot or Red Eyes. Jason had been so kind to suggest those...NOT. She rolled the scroll up and put in beside her, packing her quill away in her bag.
"Mom, Dad, the year has started, and it sucks," she said to herself. "I miss you loads. I'll be glad when I come back home."
She probably sounded so pathetic, talking to herself and all. She missed her parents. She loved her parents. She just needed some emotional comfort, and they always knew what to say. This time, though, she'd probably ask them about her eyes. She wanted to know why they were red and not brown or blue or green. Shawn held no comfort, and neither did Justin or Jason. Maybe she was just...she didn't know...isolated. She wasn't even a real Marauder. You could only be a real Marauder if you had a codename, and she was just one because she had started it. She wanted a name, and she didn't want it to have anything to do with her evil eyes.