Disclaimer: Guess what! I own one copy of each of the books. I do not and sadly never will own the rights to the original manuscript of Harry Potter other wise I would make some Sirius (yes you read that right!) changes…like the person who dies in HBP. Pout!
Thanks to the following reviewers: Sparrowgurl66, MoonylovesFlo, blvd, Fairy-GYAKUTENNO-MEGAMI, Lostindreams1001, MicroCHips, WhiteCamellia, Nimordel Telcontar, iiluvgerardbutler, radical-rebel, X.Little.Black.Cat.X, So Sirius, sirius-starlight13, ilovedrew88, pinkfaerie, sugur-huny-bun, tara aka diamondprincess, Tai Greywing, The White Tigeress, XoX.d.a.r.k.a.n.g.el.XoX, maneatingbananas, sigrunb, life2me, whoeva, BlueShdowDemond, Elerrina, ritergrl, Kates Master, marauder marshall.
Dedicated to the following people who guessed the mystery person at the ball. It was Lockhart! Fear the bright pink robes: Sparrowgurl66, MoonylovesFlo, MicroCHips, Nimordel Telcontar, iluvgerardbutler, radical-rebel, So Sirius, sirius-starlight13, Tai Greywing, The White Tigeress, maneatingbananas, BlueShdowDemond, Elerrina and Kates Master (incidentally, I think Tonks and Remus are cute together, but at the risk of insulting my friend don't tell Jenny I said that!).
A/N: I'M BACK! TWENTY-NINE REVIEWERS! I LOVE YOU ALL! It was a million degrees in France and since my bedroom is an attic room I was boiling! I didn't kill you all leaving you on a cliffhanger did I? My muses went haywire and I've almost finished this story (I'm on chapter 33 at any rate). Helen was particularly happy to be back in her home country (Helen in background- I love France! Chris! Get back with that galaxy!) I now have to go and chase my brother and get the chocolate back from him. I can't work without sugar!
Chapter 21
Creeping after James, Lily drew her wand as she stepped into the entrance hall. Tash, Sirius and Jenny were peering round the corner at the corridor that led to the dungeons. Lily assumed that the Slythreins had just disappeared down it.
"You coming too?" Sirius asked.
"And let you have all the fun?" James asked with a grin fixed in place. "Of course we're coming!"
"James!" Lily said sternly. "We're coming to make sure you don't do anything stupid!"
"We're not Lily," Tash said. "We're just going to spy on them. And hopefully do some ass kicking. There's nothing stupid about that!"
Lily was about to retort when Sirius motioned that they should follow. The six of them made their way down the corridor. Lily shivered. She had a sense of foreboding. Seeing her shiver, James took her hand.
"In here," Tash hissed, nodding her head at a door just ahead of her. She placed one ear to it and cursed.
"Soundproofed," she whispered.
"Here," Lily waved her wand and the silencing charm disappeared.
"Standard book of spells grade seven."
"Nice," James remarked before putting his ear to the door. Everyone else did the same.
"Who got caught?" they heard Bellatrix ask. A drawling voice replied.
"A few followers have been placed in Azkaban, awaiting trial. It seems the Aurors are working at a faster rate with all our recent attacks…"
"That's Lucius Malfoy!" James said.
"Who's he?" Lily asked.
"Bad news," James said. "I always thought he was a Death Eater. He's one of the oldest pureblood families in the wizarding world. Pretty rich, he's always giving money to the ministry so he can call in favours."
"Hush!" Remus hissed. Lily turned her attention back to the door.
"What were the Dark Lords instructions?" Rudolphus asked.
"To continue quietly," Malfoy said. "He also requests that you pay particular attention to James Potter. It seems our master is taking an interest in his parents. As you know they are both Aurors and it seems Potter is likely to follow their lead."
"What do you suggest we do Lucius?" Snape said bitterly. "He's always surrounded by his tagalongs, it's almost impossible to hex him without getting hit in retaliation."
"I suggest Severus that you hit him where it hurts," Malfoy continued. "Namely through his the mudblood he's dating."
"Bastard," Lily heard Tash hiss. She took James's hand to stop him from charging in and hexing them. Snape interrupted.
"She might be a mudblood but she's competent."
"Well just remember that as a mudblood she therefore will never be as good as you," Malfoy said in a bored voice.
"That evil little…" Jenny trailed off as Lily slapped on hand over her mouth.
"You're suggesting that we target Evans in order to target Potter?" Bellatrix asked. Lily gripped her wand. She could almost see Bellatrix smiling at the prospect of getting rid of Lily.
"That is exactly what I am suggesting Bella," Malfoy said. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back before anyone realises I am here."
There was the sound of someone flooing out of the room then several people's footsteps.
"Let's go!" Jenny said, and everyone ran back up the corridor and didn't stop until they were back in the entrance hall sitting on the stairs.
"She'll never get to Lily," Tash hissed. "We'll all die before they get either one of you!"
"As sweet as that is," Jenny said. "Don't you think we should go to Dumbledore?"
"And tell him what exactly?" Sirius asked. "That we heard a secret meeting in attendance by Death Eaters who now want to kill Lily and Prongs? He's never going to believe that! We need more proof first."
"Hang on," Lily got up and everyone fell silent. "We can't discuss this here. There are probably still people in the hall. We should save this for when we're back in the common room."
They trekked up to the common room. Lily couldn't help but notice that everyone kept glancing around as though they expected Bellatrix and co to jump out and ambush them.
"Guys," she said when they reached the fifth floor. "They're not going to try anything tonight."
"Uh Lily I can't account for everyone else but I was just checking for Peeves. He threatened to throw water balloons over my dress robes this morning just because I hexed him," said Tash looking self consciously down at her burgundy dress robes and then back to the ceiling.
Lily sighed and gave the password to the fat lady (granny smith). The common room was crowded with people saying good night. The group found an empty corner and sat down.
"Okay so what do we know?" Jenny asked. "We know Bellatrix and most of the Slytherins are Death Eaters…"
"Tell us something we don't know Jen," Sirius said.
"I saw Ludo Bagman making out with Michelle Towner last week," Jenny said.
"What?" Lily asked confused.
"You said tell you something you didn't know," Jenny said.
"Whatever," Tash said waving her hand dismissivly. "What we do know is that Voldemort is now after Lily and James. What are we going to do about it?"
"Protect them of course," Sirius said with a look of fierce determination.
"Guard them at all times possible," Tash suggested.
"And keep checking on the Slytherins," Sirius added.
"Are you guys functioning as one mind?" James asked. Lily was falling off her seat as Tash and Sirius giving identically confused expressions.
"Are not!" they both said together which caused everyone to burst into a round of laughter.
"Seriously for a minute," Jenny said after they had all calmed down. "We have to keep an eye on the Death Eaters. And Lily and James... well I personally think they can take care of themselves. But you two have to promise us something."
Everyone was listening to her very strange and un-Jenny ability to remain calm in a situation like this.
"Promise us you'll be careful. Don't say I'm over reacting!" she cut Lily off from retorting. "We're only worried cause we don't want to lose you." She finished with a stern expression before smiling. "And may I suggest you step up that prank you were planning. Maybe we can throw them off for a bit…"
"Excellent idea Jenny!" Sirius said perking up. "Remus you are fortunate to have such a wonderful and talented…ow!"
Remus and Jenny had both shoved Sirius so hard that he had fallen off his chair and landed on the floor in a tangle of dress robes. James and Lily cracked up, whilst Tash helped a bright red Sirius off the floor.
"Alright," Lily said. "Jen we promise that we will not do anything stupid."
"And we promise that we'll step up the prank," James said. "I think we should push it forwards to the day after tomorrow."
The three boys began having a huddled discussion and the three girls decided to disappear to bed. Once they were upstairs and they had ascertained that Crystel was still downstairs, Jenny shut the door and placed a silencing charm over the room.
"Jenny what are you doing?" Lily asked. Tash also looked slightly worried about Jenny's actions.
"Lily please don't get yourself killed," Jenny begged. Lily stared.
"Jen, I've already promised…"
"I know but I'm serious," Jenny said.
"No I think you'll find my boyfriend is Sirius…" Tash started but a glare from Jenny cut her off.
"Please be careful. Neither of us want to lose you." Tash nodded in agreement. "You're like our sister. I went mad when I thought Tash was dead. If one of you two died I wouldn't be able to handle it!"
Jen flopped back on the nearest bed (which incidentally was Lily's). Lily and Tash came to sit beside her.
"Jen we promise we will not leave you alone in this world," Lily said. "I swear on my magical ability."
"Ditto here," Tash said. Jenny sat up and hugged them. When they broke apart Tash snapped her fingers and dived under her bed.
"Updating my will," she said rummaging around. Lily rolled her eyes at Jenny. Tash had created her will when the war against Voldemort started.
"Got it," Tash said sitting back down on Lily's bed with her friends before grabbing a quill and scribbling and additional request on the paper under the main body of text. "'It is my wish, should I suddenly pop my clogs, that Jen is not to go and throw herself off the astronomy tower…'"
"Tash!" Jenny said. Lily was chuckling at what Tash was writing.
"Oh sorry I really should be more formal," Tash said, wiping what she had just written clean. She adopted a west country voice that made Lily lose all her self-restraint and burst into fits of hysterical giggles.
"'I, Miss Natasha Mary Alice Marquand- yes Ladies and Gentlemen that would be me- hereby degree that in the event that I should suddenly pass away - yes that's when I stop breathing - that Miss Jennifer Louise Tailby - yes dear that's you - is not to take her own life - yes that's when you stop breathing – or cause herself actual bodily harm of any sort for as long as her eyes continue to hold tears of laughter…' Okay so I'm exaggerating a little. Would the witnesses please sign here?"
"Tash you're mad," Lily chuckled, but signed the paper anyway. Jenny was wiping her eyes on the sheets but signed anyway.
"There," Tash smiled, performing the charm over her parchment which re-dated the will and prevented the ink from being erased. "Thank you very much everyone!"
"You can always make us feel better Tash," Lily smiled.
"Friends forever?" Jenny asked.
"Forever," Tash agreed. Lily nodded, hoping that against the darkness in the world their friendship would always last.
OOO
"Today's the day!" Jenny said bouncing around the dorm. Lily got up with a smile. She knew she shouldn't be cheerful that all hell was about to break loose today for the Slytherins, but she remembered all that Bellatrix had ever done to her and felt grimly satisfied.
"What?" Crystel asked sitting up and drawing her curtains back so she could look at them. "Today's the day of what? The apocalypse? The next Quidditch match? The apparition examinations?"
"Nothing," Jenny said smiling and re-drawing Crystel's curtains and blocking her out. "I'm dressed, last one downstairs is a flobberworm!"
"I swear she takes cheering potion every day," Lily said as Jenny ran downstairs.
"Well that would be pretty difficult seeing that after three lessons you were the only person who could produce one perfectly," Tash said.
"I wasn't," Lily said. "James managed one as well." Tash shrugged and muttered, "same difference," before getting up. Twenty minutes later they joined Jenny in the common room and greeted the boys, all whom seemed to be teething with excitement.
"Come on then," Lily said trying to sound as though she heartily disapproved of the upcoming prank. "I suppose we'd better go and watch your most recent attempt to humiliate the Slytherins and 'wonderfully uphold' the school rules."
"That's the spirit Tiger Lily!" Sirius smiled. James muttered something and thwacked Sirius over the head with his wand. Tash heard James's insult and stuck her tongue out at him.
"He's not an ignoramus, it's just his only knowledge of sarcasm is a seven letter word beginning with 'S'!"
"Hey I can be sarcastic!" Sirius said, obviously hurt.
"Too early guys!" Jenny and Remus said from the front of the group. They entered the great hall and began to eat (or in the case of James, Sirius and Tash, began to shovel). Lily glanced around for any sign of something unusual. James noticed this and stopped eating.
"Don't worry Lils we'll warn you when something is going to happen!"
"Ow, ruch wonger!" Tash asked from the other side of the table, her mouth full of a 'nice' mixture of bacon, toast and pumpkin juice. Lily rolled her eyes. Jenny hit Tash on the back of the head causing her to spit most of her food onto her plate.
"TASHA!" Jenny screeched. "That's disgusting!"
"What do you expect!" Tash asked. "You hit my head before I could swallow!"
"What were you trying to say?" Sirius asked, rubbing Tash's back where Jenny had hit it.
"How much longer?" she repeated herself.
"Not long," James said checking his watch as the post owls swooped in. Everyone looked up but luckily no black letters today. Tash's owl delivered the Daily Prophet on top of her half chewed food (which she still had not cleaned up) and took off again. Tash vanished the mess and then vanished herself behind the newspaper.
"Anything?" Jenny asked. Tash skimmed the paper quickly.
"Nothing," she said. "Nothing about Voldemort or his Death Eaters."
"Unusually quiet for them," Remus mused.
"Well you heard them last night," Lily dropped her voice. "Some people got caught on the Valentines Day attack. Maybe they're laying low for a while."
"Could be," Tash agreed before settling down to read again. Lily went back to her eggs before deciding that she would prefer toast. James checked his watch. Finally after another three minutes, he grinned.
"Guys," he said. The other three boys looked up with grins on their faces.
"Lily," James said innocently. "Be a dear and duck under the table."
"Why?" Lily asked before finding out a second later.
BANG!
There were shrieks from the Slytherin table, and howls of laughter from the four Marauders. Lily peeked up from under the table, where she had been dragged down just a second ago. Tash and Jenny were also emerging from the floor to see the results.
The Slytherin table was a mess. Food had exploded everywhere and people were now covered from head to foot in various breakfasts. Cracking up, Lily spotted Snape with pancake syrup in his oily hair. Both Avery and Wilks were being attacked by some rather vicious sausages. But Bellatrix was by far the best. She was covered from head to foot in what looked like a very nasty mix of scrambled egg, marmalade and tomatoes.
"Brilliant!" Jenny giggled. Tash could barely move for laughing and was crying into the table cloth.
"Her face! The look on her face, have you seen it!… Sirius I love you!"
"Erhem!" James coughed. "Sirius wasn't the only one involved in that you know!"
"I love you James," Lily said. "That was definitely worth it."
"Simple yet brilliant," James said gesturing.
"It gets better," Sirius assured her, rubbing Tash's back and persuading her to keep breathing. "That food has temporary sticking charms on it. It'll be stuck there for hours!"
"We wanted to do a permanent one," James said. "But they're more difficult to do."
"Bloody brilliant!" Tash choked and looked up in time to see Bellatrix have a jug of pumpkin juice poured over her head and Rudolphus getting beat round the head with the mustard pot.
'Definitely brilliant,' Lily thought to herself. 'I'm glad they're around to make us laugh!'
A/N: 'Cracks up laughing' Does that make me a bad author if I laugh at my own jokes? Eh it's fun anyways. Review you lovely, gorgeous, intelligent people! Or I will set my muses on you!… okay maybe not.
Next Chapter: Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff Quidditch match.
May Stardust fall in your dreams!