A hooded figure…

Sirius, James and Lily hurried towards the Hogshead, and only took the cloak off once they were safely inside.

James finally released his grasp, and went to order butterbeers for them all, while Lily and Sirius took a seat at table in the corner. The barman had apparated back to his place behind his own cold stone bar and was grumpily wiping glasses. He was a tall man with dirty grey hair and dark robes, which were grubby, and covered in white hair, which seemed to have rubbed off a cat or other animal.

"Well, that was certainly a surprise." Said Sirius, breaking the silence.

"Mmmm." Said Lily. Her eyes were wide, and she had a worried crease between her eyebrows. James came and brought them their drinks, before taking a seat himself.

"Sorry I didn't get any food, I'm not so hungry anymore, but if you two want…" James trailed off, as the looks on his friends' faces was enough to tell him that they were definitely not hungry.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I wish that I knew where I've heard that before…" said Lily, her tormented features staring into the depths of her butterbeer.

"Heard what?" asked Sirius.

"Heliotrope." She muttered.

"I know, I have too, I just can't remember where…" said James. Sirius said nothing. The pub was deserted, and so the three discussed the contents of the meeting openly, though making sure that they were out of earshot of the barman. They jumped, therefore, when the door swung open.

A man with long dark, shabby robes and a hood over his head entered the pub. He was a little shorter than James, by sight, and, though his face was shrouded in darkness, there was something about him that was familiar to the friends, and they couldn't help but stare as he approached the bar and asked for a room.

"Where have I heard that voice before?" asked Lily quietly.

Noticing them for the first time, the figure turned around quickly, and jumped when he saw them in the corner, before turning quickly to the bartender again.

The man handed the stranger keys, and showed him the stairs, and he disappeared up the stairway, with one quick glance back at the three in the corner.

"I know that guy from somewhere! I swear I've heard that voice!" said James, and the others agreed.

"Maybe they're from school? Or maybe they were at the meeting?" suggested Sirius.

On the whole, they decided that they had better head back to school, and after a quick stop back at Cassandra's they headed back down the passageway and back to Hogwarts.

"Where on EARTH have you been!" screamed Danielle when they arrived that afternoon, clambering into the common room. She looked at Sirius when she spoke, though it was Lily who answered.

"Shhh, keep it down Dani! I caught these two sneaking off to Hogsmeade last night and I tagged along! We've been hanging out there all day! Sorry guys, I didn't want to worry you." Lily said, the excuse ready made in her mind. Peter gave them a fleeting glance, but they silenced him with a look.

"So what do you three want to do tonight?" asked Erica.

"Actually, I'm pretty tired, I think I'll go to bed." Said Lily, and said goodnight to the boys. James gave her a hug, and whispered so that no one else could hear.

"Don't worry Lily, we're safe at Hogwarts."

Lily smiled at him, and started up the stairs, the other girls hot in pursuit.

"So, was Remus with you Lily? I haven't seen him, and he wasn't in the hospital wing, I had to take Erin Michelle up there to get her knee fixed, and he wasn't anywhere, we thought he must be with you guys." Lily paused for a moment.

"No, he wasn't with us…wasn't he in class this afternoon?" they shook their heads, and Lily quickly changed the subject.

"So, what happened here while I was gone? Anything exciting?" she asked, they shook their heads.

"Don't worry about that! You've been off with the marauders! Pity Sirius was there, you and James could have had a great night away…" Lily hit her over the back of the head, and they got into their dormitory and sat on their beds.

"Shut up Dani!" she said

"More like pity you weren't there Dan, could have had a double date!" smirked Ella.

"Ohhh, you are going to wish that you had never finished that sentence!" said Lily, and she suddenly felt filled with life, as she grabbed a pillow behind her back.

"Why?" Ella teased, "What are you going to do?"

"THIS!" Lily yelled, and threw the pillow across the room, where it hit Ella square in the face. Her scream was muffled, and she stood on her bed, brandishing the cushion over her head and leaping at Lily, and pounding her with the pink pillow. Dani was unable to pass up the chance to make so much noise, and quickly donned her own pillow, throttling Lily with it, and screaming at the top of her lungs, a wordless bellow.

"But seriously Lily," said Ella when they had gotten tired of the pillow fight, and where all lying on Lily's bed, staring up at the ceiling, "What do you think of James?" Lily blushed, and stuck her pillow over her face, squealing.

"I think we'll take that as a good answer, don't you think Dani?" said Ella, laughing. Dani pried the cushion from her face and looked at her grin.

"Yep Ella, I think that is definitely a good answer."

"I think we have her converted! The marauders do make good-" Ella stopped talking and the other two sat up quickly, Lily ceasing her squeal to stare at Ella excitedly.

"You do! You like Remus!" she screamed.

"I never said…"

"Yes you did! You were going to say the marauders make good-"

"Friends!" finished Ella, incorrectly, going red herself.

"MORE THAN FRIENDS ELLA!" Dani roared, laughing all the while, " don't worry, we already knew! It's just nice to have these things confirmed, that's all."

"Well I didn't confirm anything!" Ella retorted.

"Sure El, Whatever you say, we know that you love him!" Ella hit them with a pillow again.

"Ok, ok, guys, if you're going to do this then can we not on my bed? I really am going to sleep now…" Lily said.

"Yeah, sorry, we shouldn't delay you're dreaming about Jame-"

"SERIOUSLY!"

"Ok, ok, we're gone Lily, see you in the morning." They went back to their own beds, and Lily grinned into her pillow, which was, admittedly, a little thinner than it had been at the beginning of the night. However, her grin disappeared quickly when she remembered the events of the previous night, and day.

Where was Lupin? What was the cure, and where had she heard it before? Who was the hooded man in the Hogshead, What was the heliotrope, and what on earth could Voldermort do next?

When she woke the next morning, Lily was filled with dread when she thought of facing the teachers with excuses for yesterday's absence. She also feared what would happen if Remus still wasn't at breakfast. She was already scared for where he was.

Her fears were confirmed when she went down to breakfast and found the marauders, minus one. James saw her face fall as she scanned the table.

"I'm sure he's fine." He whispered in her ear as she sat down next to him. She nodded.

"What have we got first?" Ella asked Danielle, and she thought for a moment.

"Mondays? Divination!" she said, excited. Their teacher was a kind old woman, and though she was going slightly senile, the girls enjoyed the lessons they spent in her stuffy little room at the top of the north tower.

Lily, on the other hand, thought that the subject was rubbish, though she didn't like to mention this to her friends. She had made that mistake once, and they had not taken it well. And so it was that Sirius, James and Lily headed down to Care of Magical Creatures by themselves, and found Professor Kettleby smiling at them all as they arrived.

Severus Snape, a Slytherin boy who James particularly loathed on principal was the only other student there already, and Hagrid was absent today. It obviously wasn't going to be a dangerous enough lesson for him.

"Hello Potter, "said Snape, his voice filled with malice, and hatred, as he looked James Potter up and down, "Black." He also scanned Sirius. To Lily, he paid no attention, until James drew his wand.

"What are you doing Potter?' he sneered, as the Professor fiddled with something in a box a while away, preparing for the lesson. "You wouldn't dare curse me in front of your little mudblood friend. You know that she can't stand you, though she does seem to be increasingly stupid this year, doesn't she?"

James stepped forward, and stood in front of Lily, his wand pointed at Snapes chest.

"Don't," he began, breathing heavily, "Call-her-a-mudblood. You filthy little death eater." Lily gasped from behind him, and Snape merely sneered.

"You shouldn't make accusations like that Potter," Snape said, "You don't know what trouble it could get you into."

"I think I know Snape, and I think that I don't care."

"Well you want to know what I think?" Snape continued, as their classmates joined them at the edge of the forest.

"Not really Snivellus, I don't think that we do." Said Sirius. Snape ignored him.

"I think that you're too arrogant for you own goo-"

"Ok!" said Professor Kettleby from the front of the class, and they were forced, much to Lily's relief, to cease the argument while the professor talked about Thestrals.

"I hate him." Puffed James as they left the lesson and headed back to the castle.

"Seriously, I mean it! If he calls you a-"

"Don't James. It's not worth it." Said Lily quietly. Privately, she was worried. If the rumours were true, and Snape really was in contact with Voldermort, then she and James were in trouble. If he really was a Death Eater then there was no knowing what he could do…
The purification of the wizarding race…the words rang in Lily's head, and she tried to shake them out frantically, all day, but they still hung in her head, like a great, black cloud, fogging her thoughts.