***By the way, just in case you all haven't noticed. I'm not J. K. Rowling, and I don't own her characters. Lilus and all the original characters that you've never heard before are mine, though. Duh. You all are smart people. I'm sure you figured that out as well. Well. Thanks for reading! And please review!***
Chapter 6
In the week that had passed since her official first day of school, Quidditch tryouts were being held. It was a sunny day with a slight chill and hardly no clouds in the sky. The only little cottonball that she could see wasn't large enough to even get suspicious of. She attended, of course, after school had been finished for the day. She was greeted by a gang of second years that were eager to play Quidditch, and there was one younger boy who was trying out for her spot that caught her eye.
She was the Seeker.
The Twins were the Beaters.
Shawn had become the Keeper.
Baker, Diego, and Justin were the Chasers.
Jason just liked to watch, and he sat on the grass a few yards away, doing homework of all things.
The entire Quidditch team was her family. Shawn forgave her for her little outburst and apologized for leading her on, and now he was just one of the gang again. Since Justin was the oldest, he was the Captain and had made it a duty to train the younger players that wanted to be in it. The older players that wanted to take over their positions were challenged, and they lost miserably. The Marauders had taken over the Quidditch team two years ago, when the Captain left school and named Justin to be the Captain. They played fair, all except for Diego, who was just about as cunning as a Slytherin and could pull of an illegal stunt without anyone noticing. Lilus was happy to be outside again, and all tension melted away.
"Alright!" yelled Justin as he tried to get the trainees' attention.
Lilus saw what miserable job he was doing. "HEY! SEEKERS ARE BY ME! BEATERS ARE OVER THERE BESIDE THE TWINS! KEEPERS ARE IN FRONT OF HIM! AND CHASERS ARE OVER THERE NEXT TO THE RED-HAIRED BOY TRYING TO HEX A BUSH!"
All the chaos shattered, and there was suddenly many groups of kids surrounding them. Lilus smiled at Justin and waved her and in their direction.
"Your turn," she said.
He smiled devilishly. "You evil, little thing."
She grinned. "Of course."
"Alright! For the time being, each player is to recruit one or two people and train them, just in case one of you gets jinxed and is unable to play, I want full coverage! You understand!?"
There was a cheer, and each group of people took their particular ball from the box. The Chasers and Keepers stuck together, just so they could show the ball off without having to toss it back and forth. Lilus was surrounded by little second and third years, and she held the Snitch tightly in her hands.
"Alright. Does anyone not know what this is?" she asked, raising it above the group. A few hands went up. "Okay. This is the Snitch. It's the hardest little bugger to find, but when you find it and catch it, your team gets 150 points, and the game ends. Okay, now what you really need to watch out for is the other Seeker and Beaters. Usually the Chasers will leave you alone, USUALLY."
She gave the Snitch to the nearest kid and told him to pass it around and let the other kids see. They awed and ooed at it, and it was passed around to her.
"Okay, the Quaffle is what he's throwing, see the four tall kids over there? That big thing? Yeah. That's the Quaffle. The Chasers will be using that mostly. It doesn't hurt too much, but try not to get in the way of it while it's being passed. The Bludgers are a nightmare. For me anyways. They are what those two guys with sticks are using. They HURT! Try not to get hit by them. And as you will probably see when the time comes, those things have enough power in them to knock you clean off your broomstick, so be careful. I've been sent to the hospital wing before because of one of those things. And Slytherin Beaters are just as bad. They tail me all the time, trying to knock a friggin' Bludger at my head. Beware of the entire Slytherin team, okay? Any questions so far?"
A few hands went up once more. "How fast does that thing go?"
"Well, I'll show you."
She tossed the tiny ball into the air, and the kids gasped when it vanished.
"Be right back. Let me go catch it."
She climbed on her broom and soared skywards. She opened her ears for it. Since it wasn't an official game, it shouldn't put up much of a fight. She saw it hovering a few feet above Justin. She blasted off after it, zooming nearly into the post that Justin was beside.
"Watch it!" he yelled.
"Sorry!"
She caught it with ease and flew back to her group of kids. "That's how fast it is. Now, some of you won't make it, and all I have to say is try next year. Right now, we have a good team, so we probably won't be recruiting any directly onto the team, but we will need good backup, and that's what you're here for. Slytherin tends to pull some nasty stunts. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff aren't so bad, but there are some rats on there. All you have to make sure you get is this little thing here. It's not as hard as it looks and once you get the hang of it, it's easy."
"How long have you been practicing?"
"Since before my first year. My dad was a really big Quidditch fan. He played in the Pros, so naturally, he'd be teaching it to me at a young age. But, remember, just because we lose a game doesn't mean it's the end of the world, okay? I've only got one more year here after this one, so I'll need you all to be at practice so we can pick out some people to train, okay? But if you don't get picked the first time, keep on trying. You still have a few more years. Okay, is there anymore questions?"
"All we have to do is catch the Snitch?"
"Yes, and watch out for opposing players, and all Beaters. I don't know how many times those two have swung a Bludger at me."
"What if one of us is knocked out?"
"Well...pray that doesn't happen. That leaves the Snitch to the other Seeker unless you come to, which isn't very likely considering that you'll be playing fifty feet in the air."
"What are we going to do next?"
"Well, the way we originally planned it, we're going to set you all up there in groups. There's enough people for two games. You'll be either red or gold team. We're going to give you capes to put on to show your color. Two Seekers will be up there when I release this thing, so watch for it, and remember, it's fast!"
"Is there any tips that you'll give us?"
"Yes, listen for it," she flicked the Snitch once, holding it on the top and bottom of the little sphere. It gave off a ringing buzz as its wings flapped. "Hear that? Snitches have a knack for hiding directly under people's faces, just under the chin or behind them, where they can't see. If you learn to listen to that, then you'll be in good shape. That's my problem though. I'll listen to it, and I'll forget about Bludgers."
"Anything else?"
"Well, when the game starts, fly up as high as you're able to and look down upon the field. If you look at one place, but let your eyes wander, you'll eventually see a little speck of gold. Go towards it. If you see the opposing Seeker fly for something, be careful. It could mean that they have spotted it and are going after it, or it could mean that it's a bluff and a distraction."
"Wow."
"And keep in mind to watch out for all Bludgers and Beaters! I'm serious about them... Any more questions?"
No hands.
"Good. There are an odd number of you, so one of you will have to go twice, or you can choose to go against me. Anyway, pair yourselves into teams, and make them even, for God's sake! I don't want to have to pull apart friend groups, so make it even on both sides except for one person. That one person just pick a team and stay there."
Lilus walked to Justin's group, and he was still lecturing.
"Justin, my band's ready. How about yours?"
"Almost. Go see if Shawn and Nick's ready."
"Accio broom!" Lilus said, waving her wand.
Her broom lifted itself from the ground and shot straight into her hand. She mounted it and flew towards Shawn.
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
And then she went to Nick, avoiding his bat as she did, not that it was anything unusual. "Okay...Nick...are you ready?"
"Of course, oh dark one."
All of his kids looked very demented, and she didn't trust them with anything that could be used to hit someone with. "Well, bring your kids to the center. SHAWN, BRING THEM TO THE CENTER! MY CREW, STAY IN TEAMS AND GO TO THE CENTER!"
Everyone did as she said, except for Justin's team, but he eventually led them there.
"Okay, try not to get hurt. If you do manage to fall off your broom, and the closest person doesn't catch you, remember that we'll be monitoring from down here. In a real game, if you fall off your broom, tough luck. We're just doing this so you'll get the hang of staying on. Now...everyone, into their teams red and gold!"
Lilus went over to the little kids and picked the first two. "You two, get the cape of your color and put it on. Mount your brooms and fly up there. Stay in formation!"
Everyone else picked their sets and up the players went. The reserved players were sitting on the grass, looking up at their comrades. Lilus pulled the Snitch from her pocket and released it just as everyone else released their respective balls. Each team was playing in a real stadium, and they played like it was an official game. Lilus kept an eye on her Seekers, watching them float around in confusion.
"Doesn't look like your Seekers are doing very well, Lilus," Justin said.
"It's their first time. Being a Seeker isn't as easy as everyone thinks it to be," she growled at him.
The Red Seeker bolted towards the Hufflepuff stand, and the Gold Seeker followed him.
"Your Chasers are doing really well, guys. Look at them go!"
"The Beaters are doing good too!"
"Shawn, those Keepers need to move around some more."
"Lil, what's wrong with your Seekers?"
"Nothing's wrong with them! They haven't been at this for as long as I have. They actually give a game to watch!"
Baker nodded. "Nowadays, games are over in what...twenty to thirty minutes?"
"Yeah, sorry guys," Lilus said, leaning on her broom.
"At least we win everrrryyy time," Diego said, grinning. "Nothing to apologize about that, Lil."
"Those were those two times that those damned Slytherins knocked her out," Baker said. "Those bastards."
"Yeah, but...oh look at Red Seeker! He's following it!"
Everyone looked up. "How can you tell? I don't see anything!"
Lilus laughed. "That Snitch is hard to see. You have to be trained in the matters, Nick."
She saw the little red boy reach for it, plucking it from its place in the air. She saw him wave it excitedly in the air.
"I GOT IT! I GOT IT!"
Everyone flew down, and Lilus congratulated him. "Good job! Okay, next two Seekers!"
This went on for a good few hours, and finally, Lilus had picked two boys that were doing exceptionally well. With the promise of being mailed two days from then if they got on the team, the trainees took off. Lilus and her boys spent the rest of their unillegal time at the stadium doing homework and flying around.
"Hey, Lilus! Whats the...uh...darn...the compass spell?!" Jason asked, busy trying to write down every spell he knew, having finished his homework.
"Point Me!" she yelled back at him.
"Oh right." Jason scribbled down the incantation, which wasn't really an incantation at all.
Lilus was floating above the Quidditch field, letting the wind fly through her hair. She loved being up this high. The Snitch rarely went this high, but when it did, she enjoyed every second of it, providing that she didn't fall off her broom. A fall like that would probably kill her. That's what made it more fun. The more risk, the more danger, the more fun.
She missed them. It's just the second friggin week after school started, and she missed her parents to no end. She was never this homesick before. Never, not in all other five years that she had been at Hogwarts was she this homesick. Maybe it was because she hadn't visited Remy yet. Well, her homework was completed, and there was still a few days to go before he changed, so hey, what the heck? She'd go see him tonight.
It was about nine at night when she snuck out of her House. Her boys knew where she was going, they always did, and they found some other way to entertain themselves that night. With Marauder's Map in hand and Invisibility Cloak draped over her, she quietly made her way down the corridor. It was dark, and all the torches had dimmed. She was about five minutes from Remy's office when she heard Mrs. Norris' pitter pitter pat pat coming down the stone hall. She didn't panic. She picked a tiny, loose stone from the wall and waited.
Mrs. Norris came around the corner just as expected. Lilus threw the stone as far as she could, only appearing for a few seconds, and that was when Mrs. Norris wasn't looking. That cat had to be as old as McGonagall. She had a litter of kittens a few months before, and Filch sent them everywhere too. He was breeding an army. Geez.
Mrs. Norris flew after the sound, disappearing down another hallway. Grinning, she continued down the corridor and finally reached his office. His door was cracked open slightly, like it always was, and she peered inside it before letting herself in. She closed the door and removed her cloak.
"Moony! Remy, where are you?!"
There was no answer. She sat in a nearby chair and inspected his office. It was decorated with little trinkets, and looked sort of like her room, but with more maturity. On the shelf, there was a picture that had four people in it. She had never noticed that there before. She slid out of the creeking chair and walked over to it. Four boys were horsing around in the picture. They were snatching at a Snitch and holding brooms. She took it off the shelf and back to her seat. One boy had blonde hair, the other brown, and the last two black as night. One of those boys wore glasses. There were inked letters above each boy, each in a different handwriting.
Wormtail was over the blonde boy in someone of a normal handwriting.
Moony was over the brown-haired boy in elegant handwriting.
Padfoot was over the black-haired boy, the tallest one in something that Jason would probably write.
And Prongs was over the black-haired boy with glasses in small, neat handwriting.
All of them were waving sheepishly at her in the black and white photo, like teenaged boys would. It was her grandpa. He looked exactly like her father, except younger. They were all so cute, but it was kinda weird, calling your deceased grandfather cute. She saw her father's godfather. He looked smashing. Wormtail was the shortest of them all and kinda pudgy. He had that baby face though. She knew he was the traitor of the group, the reason why her grandfather and grandmother died. And of course, Moony. Remy, her godfather and the most awesome professor that she had ever had. He looked so handsome.
"Lilus?"
She nearly fell out of her chair. The picture went flying into the air, but she snatched it a second after she realized it was going to break against the floor. She grinned sheepishly and looked up at his stone stare.
"Hey, Remy. I was just...uh...looking at the original Marauders," she said, holding the picture out to him.
Remus smiled and patted her head. "You silly girl. You should be in the Common Room, not here."
She shrugged. "Well...just cuz I am I have two people two blame for it, AT LEAST!"
Remy laughed. "And who might they be?"
"Daddy and Grandpa are the first two, then I have you... Plus, I just came to visit. I haven't visited you any this year yet. You're the coolest professor out there, Remy!"
He sat at his desk and looked at her. "I'm glad you think so."
"Course I think so! What's cooler than being taught by your godfather who just happens to be a werewolf and your favorite professor!" she said, still having the large grin on her face.
He laughed, probably thinking that she looked silly. "How are you doing in your other classes?"
"Pretty good. When's the Hogsmeade trip? I saved up three Galleons to spend on Snape this year."
"First week in October I do believe," Remus said, watching her as she sat down, still holding the picture in hand.
"All you Marauders were really cool-looking. How come Grandpa was the only one to snag a girl?"
Remy chuckled. "Well, once the secret got out about what I was, no girl would ever come close to me except Lily, but she was with James. Sirius was the one who attracted all the girls. Peter and I were the...well...loners."
"Aww...thats not nice."
Remy shrugged. "Something bothering you?"
Lilus was about to defy everything, but Remy was a good lie detector. "Homesick."
Remy raised his hand to his chin and rested ontop of it. "Ah. That's unusual."
Of course it was unusual.
"I know. I just...I dunno want to go home for some reason," she said, looking at the picture.
Remy leaned back in his chair, and she could see him watched her out of the corner of his eye. "How's your parents?"
"They're good. I probably miss that evil cat..."
Remy let out a hearty laugh. "Crookshanks?"
She nodded, looking up and grinning. "Yeah. He's just...ick. Lovable, hugable, scary as heck in the middle of the night. Seriously. What would you do if this huge lump of fuzz came in your room and pounced on you with claws the size of a dragon's?" She sat in the chair and turned the Invisibility Cloak over and over in her hands, staring at the boys who had begun to horse around again. "You look so happy...in the picture."
Remy sighed. "It's hard to find friends that'll accept you for what you are, sometimes. Werewolves are fears to a great extent."
Lilus nodded. "I know what you mean."
Remy tilted his head to one side, having a serious and confused look on his face. "Do you?"
"Have you ever...seen Voldemort?" she croaked in a very quiet tone.
The name did not cause flinching, not anymore. It hadn't for a very long time. Voldemort was just...a bad time. Remus looked at her and shook his head slowly.
"Has anyone told you what he looked like?"
Remus shook his head again.
"Dad...said he had red eyes...and pale skin... I have red eyes and pale skin," she whispered, making the last part much less audible.
Remy heard it all. "That...I'm not sure how to explain. It could possibly be a birth defect or a spell that was cast on your mother while she was carrying you."
"Then how come the only people in history to have red eyes are me and Voldemort?" she asked, slightly louder but still afraid to say it.
Remy sighed and rubbed his face, deep in thought. "I don't know. It's just a coincidence that you do. Voldemort was dead before you were born. Your father killed him."
She wasn't sure if he'd relay this information to her parents or not, but she had to know why she was the only one at Hogwards that had red eyes. She was the only one with red eyes in the world, because Voldie was dead. Why did she have red eyes? Why red?
"I...I'm tired of being different. People think I'm evil. They call me demon, shedevil, anything else they can think of," she said softly, standing up and putting the picture back on the shelf.
"I know how you feel, but don't listen to them. They just don't understand. They never will. Take it from someone who knows. The best thing you can do is...well...either use it to your advantage or ignore what they say."
He was a werewolf. He'd understand more than anyone else would. She was glad he was her godfather too. She had often wondered why she had so many godparents, but she eventually figured out that her father, should anything happen to him, didn't want her to live with the Dursleys. She loved her cousin, but...not that much. Remy knew what kind of insults and name calling she went through, although this was the first time she had ever brought it up with him. He had heard himself. She knew that.
"Yeah. You're right. But it still hurts, Remy. Just because you pretend to not let it get to you, it does," she said, folding the cloak up before letting it tumble down again.
He nodded. "I know. That's what Remy's here for, right?"
She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. That's what Remy's here for."
She stood up and dropped the cloak on the chair, walking over to him. She hugged him tightly and retrieved it.
"I better be getting back. Night, Remy," she said, slinging the cloak gracefully around her shoulders.
"Good night, Lilus. Don't get caught," he said, smiling at her sweetly.
"Me? Get caught? Oh come on. Expect to see me more often. When do you transform anywho?"
"Friday. Please be careful. Avoid coming if you can."
She nodded. "You don't hurt yourself when I'm talking to you, not as much. That's why I come."
He nodded. "But Harry would never forgive me if I turned you..."
"Yes, he would. He knows that you'd never hurt me on purpose. I'll be here, and I'll be prepared just in case you don't get the door closed in time. Night, Remy. Sweet dreams."
She drew the cloak over her head and went out the door, not knowing that all Remy dreamed of was the full moon, and those dreams weren't dreams at all...
Chapter 6
In the week that had passed since her official first day of school, Quidditch tryouts were being held. It was a sunny day with a slight chill and hardly no clouds in the sky. The only little cottonball that she could see wasn't large enough to even get suspicious of. She attended, of course, after school had been finished for the day. She was greeted by a gang of second years that were eager to play Quidditch, and there was one younger boy who was trying out for her spot that caught her eye.
She was the Seeker.
The Twins were the Beaters.
Shawn had become the Keeper.
Baker, Diego, and Justin were the Chasers.
Jason just liked to watch, and he sat on the grass a few yards away, doing homework of all things.
The entire Quidditch team was her family. Shawn forgave her for her little outburst and apologized for leading her on, and now he was just one of the gang again. Since Justin was the oldest, he was the Captain and had made it a duty to train the younger players that wanted to be in it. The older players that wanted to take over their positions were challenged, and they lost miserably. The Marauders had taken over the Quidditch team two years ago, when the Captain left school and named Justin to be the Captain. They played fair, all except for Diego, who was just about as cunning as a Slytherin and could pull of an illegal stunt without anyone noticing. Lilus was happy to be outside again, and all tension melted away.
"Alright!" yelled Justin as he tried to get the trainees' attention.
Lilus saw what miserable job he was doing. "HEY! SEEKERS ARE BY ME! BEATERS ARE OVER THERE BESIDE THE TWINS! KEEPERS ARE IN FRONT OF HIM! AND CHASERS ARE OVER THERE NEXT TO THE RED-HAIRED BOY TRYING TO HEX A BUSH!"
All the chaos shattered, and there was suddenly many groups of kids surrounding them. Lilus smiled at Justin and waved her and in their direction.
"Your turn," she said.
He smiled devilishly. "You evil, little thing."
She grinned. "Of course."
"Alright! For the time being, each player is to recruit one or two people and train them, just in case one of you gets jinxed and is unable to play, I want full coverage! You understand!?"
There was a cheer, and each group of people took their particular ball from the box. The Chasers and Keepers stuck together, just so they could show the ball off without having to toss it back and forth. Lilus was surrounded by little second and third years, and she held the Snitch tightly in her hands.
"Alright. Does anyone not know what this is?" she asked, raising it above the group. A few hands went up. "Okay. This is the Snitch. It's the hardest little bugger to find, but when you find it and catch it, your team gets 150 points, and the game ends. Okay, now what you really need to watch out for is the other Seeker and Beaters. Usually the Chasers will leave you alone, USUALLY."
She gave the Snitch to the nearest kid and told him to pass it around and let the other kids see. They awed and ooed at it, and it was passed around to her.
"Okay, the Quaffle is what he's throwing, see the four tall kids over there? That big thing? Yeah. That's the Quaffle. The Chasers will be using that mostly. It doesn't hurt too much, but try not to get in the way of it while it's being passed. The Bludgers are a nightmare. For me anyways. They are what those two guys with sticks are using. They HURT! Try not to get hit by them. And as you will probably see when the time comes, those things have enough power in them to knock you clean off your broomstick, so be careful. I've been sent to the hospital wing before because of one of those things. And Slytherin Beaters are just as bad. They tail me all the time, trying to knock a friggin' Bludger at my head. Beware of the entire Slytherin team, okay? Any questions so far?"
A few hands went up once more. "How fast does that thing go?"
"Well, I'll show you."
She tossed the tiny ball into the air, and the kids gasped when it vanished.
"Be right back. Let me go catch it."
She climbed on her broom and soared skywards. She opened her ears for it. Since it wasn't an official game, it shouldn't put up much of a fight. She saw it hovering a few feet above Justin. She blasted off after it, zooming nearly into the post that Justin was beside.
"Watch it!" he yelled.
"Sorry!"
She caught it with ease and flew back to her group of kids. "That's how fast it is. Now, some of you won't make it, and all I have to say is try next year. Right now, we have a good team, so we probably won't be recruiting any directly onto the team, but we will need good backup, and that's what you're here for. Slytherin tends to pull some nasty stunts. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff aren't so bad, but there are some rats on there. All you have to make sure you get is this little thing here. It's not as hard as it looks and once you get the hang of it, it's easy."
"How long have you been practicing?"
"Since before my first year. My dad was a really big Quidditch fan. He played in the Pros, so naturally, he'd be teaching it to me at a young age. But, remember, just because we lose a game doesn't mean it's the end of the world, okay? I've only got one more year here after this one, so I'll need you all to be at practice so we can pick out some people to train, okay? But if you don't get picked the first time, keep on trying. You still have a few more years. Okay, is there anymore questions?"
"All we have to do is catch the Snitch?"
"Yes, and watch out for opposing players, and all Beaters. I don't know how many times those two have swung a Bludger at me."
"What if one of us is knocked out?"
"Well...pray that doesn't happen. That leaves the Snitch to the other Seeker unless you come to, which isn't very likely considering that you'll be playing fifty feet in the air."
"What are we going to do next?"
"Well, the way we originally planned it, we're going to set you all up there in groups. There's enough people for two games. You'll be either red or gold team. We're going to give you capes to put on to show your color. Two Seekers will be up there when I release this thing, so watch for it, and remember, it's fast!"
"Is there any tips that you'll give us?"
"Yes, listen for it," she flicked the Snitch once, holding it on the top and bottom of the little sphere. It gave off a ringing buzz as its wings flapped. "Hear that? Snitches have a knack for hiding directly under people's faces, just under the chin or behind them, where they can't see. If you learn to listen to that, then you'll be in good shape. That's my problem though. I'll listen to it, and I'll forget about Bludgers."
"Anything else?"
"Well, when the game starts, fly up as high as you're able to and look down upon the field. If you look at one place, but let your eyes wander, you'll eventually see a little speck of gold. Go towards it. If you see the opposing Seeker fly for something, be careful. It could mean that they have spotted it and are going after it, or it could mean that it's a bluff and a distraction."
"Wow."
"And keep in mind to watch out for all Bludgers and Beaters! I'm serious about them... Any more questions?"
No hands.
"Good. There are an odd number of you, so one of you will have to go twice, or you can choose to go against me. Anyway, pair yourselves into teams, and make them even, for God's sake! I don't want to have to pull apart friend groups, so make it even on both sides except for one person. That one person just pick a team and stay there."
Lilus walked to Justin's group, and he was still lecturing.
"Justin, my band's ready. How about yours?"
"Almost. Go see if Shawn and Nick's ready."
"Accio broom!" Lilus said, waving her wand.
Her broom lifted itself from the ground and shot straight into her hand. She mounted it and flew towards Shawn.
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
And then she went to Nick, avoiding his bat as she did, not that it was anything unusual. "Okay...Nick...are you ready?"
"Of course, oh dark one."
All of his kids looked very demented, and she didn't trust them with anything that could be used to hit someone with. "Well, bring your kids to the center. SHAWN, BRING THEM TO THE CENTER! MY CREW, STAY IN TEAMS AND GO TO THE CENTER!"
Everyone did as she said, except for Justin's team, but he eventually led them there.
"Okay, try not to get hurt. If you do manage to fall off your broom, and the closest person doesn't catch you, remember that we'll be monitoring from down here. In a real game, if you fall off your broom, tough luck. We're just doing this so you'll get the hang of staying on. Now...everyone, into their teams red and gold!"
Lilus went over to the little kids and picked the first two. "You two, get the cape of your color and put it on. Mount your brooms and fly up there. Stay in formation!"
Everyone else picked their sets and up the players went. The reserved players were sitting on the grass, looking up at their comrades. Lilus pulled the Snitch from her pocket and released it just as everyone else released their respective balls. Each team was playing in a real stadium, and they played like it was an official game. Lilus kept an eye on her Seekers, watching them float around in confusion.
"Doesn't look like your Seekers are doing very well, Lilus," Justin said.
"It's their first time. Being a Seeker isn't as easy as everyone thinks it to be," she growled at him.
The Red Seeker bolted towards the Hufflepuff stand, and the Gold Seeker followed him.
"Your Chasers are doing really well, guys. Look at them go!"
"The Beaters are doing good too!"
"Shawn, those Keepers need to move around some more."
"Lil, what's wrong with your Seekers?"
"Nothing's wrong with them! They haven't been at this for as long as I have. They actually give a game to watch!"
Baker nodded. "Nowadays, games are over in what...twenty to thirty minutes?"
"Yeah, sorry guys," Lilus said, leaning on her broom.
"At least we win everrrryyy time," Diego said, grinning. "Nothing to apologize about that, Lil."
"Those were those two times that those damned Slytherins knocked her out," Baker said. "Those bastards."
"Yeah, but...oh look at Red Seeker! He's following it!"
Everyone looked up. "How can you tell? I don't see anything!"
Lilus laughed. "That Snitch is hard to see. You have to be trained in the matters, Nick."
She saw the little red boy reach for it, plucking it from its place in the air. She saw him wave it excitedly in the air.
"I GOT IT! I GOT IT!"
Everyone flew down, and Lilus congratulated him. "Good job! Okay, next two Seekers!"
This went on for a good few hours, and finally, Lilus had picked two boys that were doing exceptionally well. With the promise of being mailed two days from then if they got on the team, the trainees took off. Lilus and her boys spent the rest of their unillegal time at the stadium doing homework and flying around.
"Hey, Lilus! Whats the...uh...darn...the compass spell?!" Jason asked, busy trying to write down every spell he knew, having finished his homework.
"Point Me!" she yelled back at him.
"Oh right." Jason scribbled down the incantation, which wasn't really an incantation at all.
Lilus was floating above the Quidditch field, letting the wind fly through her hair. She loved being up this high. The Snitch rarely went this high, but when it did, she enjoyed every second of it, providing that she didn't fall off her broom. A fall like that would probably kill her. That's what made it more fun. The more risk, the more danger, the more fun.
She missed them. It's just the second friggin week after school started, and she missed her parents to no end. She was never this homesick before. Never, not in all other five years that she had been at Hogwarts was she this homesick. Maybe it was because she hadn't visited Remy yet. Well, her homework was completed, and there was still a few days to go before he changed, so hey, what the heck? She'd go see him tonight.
It was about nine at night when she snuck out of her House. Her boys knew where she was going, they always did, and they found some other way to entertain themselves that night. With Marauder's Map in hand and Invisibility Cloak draped over her, she quietly made her way down the corridor. It was dark, and all the torches had dimmed. She was about five minutes from Remy's office when she heard Mrs. Norris' pitter pitter pat pat coming down the stone hall. She didn't panic. She picked a tiny, loose stone from the wall and waited.
Mrs. Norris came around the corner just as expected. Lilus threw the stone as far as she could, only appearing for a few seconds, and that was when Mrs. Norris wasn't looking. That cat had to be as old as McGonagall. She had a litter of kittens a few months before, and Filch sent them everywhere too. He was breeding an army. Geez.
Mrs. Norris flew after the sound, disappearing down another hallway. Grinning, she continued down the corridor and finally reached his office. His door was cracked open slightly, like it always was, and she peered inside it before letting herself in. She closed the door and removed her cloak.
"Moony! Remy, where are you?!"
There was no answer. She sat in a nearby chair and inspected his office. It was decorated with little trinkets, and looked sort of like her room, but with more maturity. On the shelf, there was a picture that had four people in it. She had never noticed that there before. She slid out of the creeking chair and walked over to it. Four boys were horsing around in the picture. They were snatching at a Snitch and holding brooms. She took it off the shelf and back to her seat. One boy had blonde hair, the other brown, and the last two black as night. One of those boys wore glasses. There were inked letters above each boy, each in a different handwriting.
Wormtail was over the blonde boy in someone of a normal handwriting.
Moony was over the brown-haired boy in elegant handwriting.
Padfoot was over the black-haired boy, the tallest one in something that Jason would probably write.
And Prongs was over the black-haired boy with glasses in small, neat handwriting.
All of them were waving sheepishly at her in the black and white photo, like teenaged boys would. It was her grandpa. He looked exactly like her father, except younger. They were all so cute, but it was kinda weird, calling your deceased grandfather cute. She saw her father's godfather. He looked smashing. Wormtail was the shortest of them all and kinda pudgy. He had that baby face though. She knew he was the traitor of the group, the reason why her grandfather and grandmother died. And of course, Moony. Remy, her godfather and the most awesome professor that she had ever had. He looked so handsome.
"Lilus?"
She nearly fell out of her chair. The picture went flying into the air, but she snatched it a second after she realized it was going to break against the floor. She grinned sheepishly and looked up at his stone stare.
"Hey, Remy. I was just...uh...looking at the original Marauders," she said, holding the picture out to him.
Remus smiled and patted her head. "You silly girl. You should be in the Common Room, not here."
She shrugged. "Well...just cuz I am I have two people two blame for it, AT LEAST!"
Remy laughed. "And who might they be?"
"Daddy and Grandpa are the first two, then I have you... Plus, I just came to visit. I haven't visited you any this year yet. You're the coolest professor out there, Remy!"
He sat at his desk and looked at her. "I'm glad you think so."
"Course I think so! What's cooler than being taught by your godfather who just happens to be a werewolf and your favorite professor!" she said, still having the large grin on her face.
He laughed, probably thinking that she looked silly. "How are you doing in your other classes?"
"Pretty good. When's the Hogsmeade trip? I saved up three Galleons to spend on Snape this year."
"First week in October I do believe," Remus said, watching her as she sat down, still holding the picture in hand.
"All you Marauders were really cool-looking. How come Grandpa was the only one to snag a girl?"
Remy chuckled. "Well, once the secret got out about what I was, no girl would ever come close to me except Lily, but she was with James. Sirius was the one who attracted all the girls. Peter and I were the...well...loners."
"Aww...thats not nice."
Remy shrugged. "Something bothering you?"
Lilus was about to defy everything, but Remy was a good lie detector. "Homesick."
Remy raised his hand to his chin and rested ontop of it. "Ah. That's unusual."
Of course it was unusual.
"I know. I just...I dunno want to go home for some reason," she said, looking at the picture.
Remy leaned back in his chair, and she could see him watched her out of the corner of his eye. "How's your parents?"
"They're good. I probably miss that evil cat..."
Remy let out a hearty laugh. "Crookshanks?"
She nodded, looking up and grinning. "Yeah. He's just...ick. Lovable, hugable, scary as heck in the middle of the night. Seriously. What would you do if this huge lump of fuzz came in your room and pounced on you with claws the size of a dragon's?" She sat in the chair and turned the Invisibility Cloak over and over in her hands, staring at the boys who had begun to horse around again. "You look so happy...in the picture."
Remy sighed. "It's hard to find friends that'll accept you for what you are, sometimes. Werewolves are fears to a great extent."
Lilus nodded. "I know what you mean."
Remy tilted his head to one side, having a serious and confused look on his face. "Do you?"
"Have you ever...seen Voldemort?" she croaked in a very quiet tone.
The name did not cause flinching, not anymore. It hadn't for a very long time. Voldemort was just...a bad time. Remus looked at her and shook his head slowly.
"Has anyone told you what he looked like?"
Remus shook his head again.
"Dad...said he had red eyes...and pale skin... I have red eyes and pale skin," she whispered, making the last part much less audible.
Remy heard it all. "That...I'm not sure how to explain. It could possibly be a birth defect or a spell that was cast on your mother while she was carrying you."
"Then how come the only people in history to have red eyes are me and Voldemort?" she asked, slightly louder but still afraid to say it.
Remy sighed and rubbed his face, deep in thought. "I don't know. It's just a coincidence that you do. Voldemort was dead before you were born. Your father killed him."
She wasn't sure if he'd relay this information to her parents or not, but she had to know why she was the only one at Hogwards that had red eyes. She was the only one with red eyes in the world, because Voldie was dead. Why did she have red eyes? Why red?
"I...I'm tired of being different. People think I'm evil. They call me demon, shedevil, anything else they can think of," she said softly, standing up and putting the picture back on the shelf.
"I know how you feel, but don't listen to them. They just don't understand. They never will. Take it from someone who knows. The best thing you can do is...well...either use it to your advantage or ignore what they say."
He was a werewolf. He'd understand more than anyone else would. She was glad he was her godfather too. She had often wondered why she had so many godparents, but she eventually figured out that her father, should anything happen to him, didn't want her to live with the Dursleys. She loved her cousin, but...not that much. Remy knew what kind of insults and name calling she went through, although this was the first time she had ever brought it up with him. He had heard himself. She knew that.
"Yeah. You're right. But it still hurts, Remy. Just because you pretend to not let it get to you, it does," she said, folding the cloak up before letting it tumble down again.
He nodded. "I know. That's what Remy's here for, right?"
She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. That's what Remy's here for."
She stood up and dropped the cloak on the chair, walking over to him. She hugged him tightly and retrieved it.
"I better be getting back. Night, Remy," she said, slinging the cloak gracefully around her shoulders.
"Good night, Lilus. Don't get caught," he said, smiling at her sweetly.
"Me? Get caught? Oh come on. Expect to see me more often. When do you transform anywho?"
"Friday. Please be careful. Avoid coming if you can."
She nodded. "You don't hurt yourself when I'm talking to you, not as much. That's why I come."
He nodded. "But Harry would never forgive me if I turned you..."
"Yes, he would. He knows that you'd never hurt me on purpose. I'll be here, and I'll be prepared just in case you don't get the door closed in time. Night, Remy. Sweet dreams."
She drew the cloak over her head and went out the door, not knowing that all Remy dreamed of was the full moon, and those dreams weren't dreams at all...