Chapter 5: Just the two of us
Lily woke up the next morning to find everyone already up; she figured she had slept in. She got up and dressed and headed to the common room. James and everyone were sitting around the fire talking.
"Morning Lily, a bit late aren't we?" Alicia asked.
"Uh . . . yeah sorry I forgot to set the alarm."
"Well should we head to breakfast then?" Sirius got up and asked with a smile.
"Sure." James along with everyone else said they began to leave when Remus realized Lily was staring at the wall next to the bookcase.
"Lily, are you coming?" Lily turned around and saw that everyone was looking at her.
"Um, you all go on ahead I'm going to get my books."
"I'll wait for you its fine." Lily began to turn away and headed up the stairs to her dorm.
"Are you sure I can wait." James exclaimed he looked back at his friends and gestured them to go ahead. They left leaving James and Lily in the dorm.
"I'm sure James go on I just need to do something, for Brighton. I have to turn in an essay before ten and its 8:45."
"Well I can wait for you it's no problem."
"No . . . I mean it's going to take a long time."
"Wait I thought the web thing wasn't set up yet?" James was now confused. Was lily trying to get rid of him, to keep him from seeing something? He wasn't sure.
"Um . . ."Crap!" Lily thought. It's not but I have to owl it back to my parents and there are a lot of parts to it. Go on ahead really don't wait for me, go." Lily turned and ran up the stairs.
"Uh, okay." James left the common room. Lily entered her room and opened her closet and found her trunk. She found her arms (weapons) she picked up the trunk and headed outside. She stopped to make sure James had left. She carefully carried her things to the portal and entered the storage room and put her trunk there. Lily came out of it and grabbed her bag and headed to the great hall.
"There you are." James said to her as she approached the table.
"Did you mail it?"
"Mail what lily? Emily now asked with a curious tone.
"An essay for Brighton and yes I did." Suddenly owl hoots were heard from up above. Everyone looked up.
"Mails here . . . uh oh." Remus said in a saddened tone. Lily looked u to see black letters being flown to various students across the hall. Lily looked at James with concern. One bird landed a few people away from them.
"I'll go see if they are alright." James then got up from the table and walked down towards the student who received the letter. Lily was too concerned with everyone else that she didn't realize she herself had received a letter, not a black letter but a letter from Ben.
"Who's it from Lily?" James had just returned to the table.
"How are they James?" lily now asked avoiding Peter's question.
"His father and sister past the other night." Sadness swept the group.
"Who's the letter from Lily?" James was now trying to change topics.
"No one."
"It's says Ben on it what did he say?" Alicia was pointing at the letter.
"Just says "Take a left turn at Rockwell." It's a muggle joke from school."
"Tell the joke we could use some laughter."
"Well I don't really know all of it I heard it a while ago and it's a joke where you need the whole thing to make it funny." Lily lied for Lily new what Ben meant. "Take a Left turn at Rockwell" was code for Langston wants us. Lily put the letter away and went to her first class. The seventh years were not receiving as much homework this year which lily was thankful for.
"We just have to read six pages, that's it!" Sirius cheered.
"Calm down pad foot it probably won't last long." Moony turned to pad foot and grabbed his arm to calm him.
They all went up to the heads common room to hang out till their next class.
Lily sat down on the couch and took out the letter from Ben.
"Take a left turn at Rockwell." Lily thought she new Langston wanted to see her but didn't know when. Lily wrote back to Ben to see when he wanted them.
Later that evening at dinner Lily received another letter from Ben.
Emerald Dancer,
10:30
Sincerely,
Prince Charming.
"Crap!"
"What is it Lily something bad?" .Lily quickly turned to James.
"We have round tonight right?"
"Yes."
"I don't think I can do them, can you do them by yourself?"
"I guess why can't you do them?"
"Something has happened at Brighton." Lily folded the letter and stuck it into her bag.
"What happened?"
"The computer system blew, which means my paper might not have made it there."
"I'll be back soon." Lily quickly got up and headed to the portal.
"Emerald Dancer" the portal opened and she stepped inside closing the door behind her. Lily suddenly heard people rushing in to the common room.
"Lily!"
"She is probably upstairs we'll go see her." Alicia and Emily made their way to the bedroom, but realized she wasn't there.
"She's not up here." They came back down.
Lily turned around and entered the storage room. She magically hooked up a telephone line. She called Ben.
"K1301"
"Hello this is Agent Evans connect me to Agent Croft"
Pause
"Hello this is Croft."
"Ben it's me don't worry the line is safe."
"Lily hello what's wrong?
"Nothing why do you think there is something wrong?"
"I don't you usually don't call me from Hogwarts."
"Oh, well I don't think I can make it till 11:00."
"Oh okay I'll tell Langston."
"Bye, I'll see you later."
"Bye" Lily hung up and walked into the entrance room. She looked over to the door and saw that the marauders were still in there. Suddenly lily heard a door open she spun around withdrawing her wand. The "muggle door" opened slowly.
"Who's there?" Lily exclaimed. Lily's eyes calmed once she saw Professor Dumbledore walk through the door.
"Professor Dumbledore?"
"Hello Ms.Evans. I apologize I did not ask permission to use the portal.
"How did you . . . ?"
"I made my own pass word; it is capable of two passwords."
"Oh okay." Lily turned around to see if the marauders were gone." They were not.
"Miss Evans is it safe to leave?" Lily turned around.
"No sir the marauders are still there."
"I see, well I need to get back in come with me." Dumbledore turned around and opened the Muggle door and stepped out. Lily followed. They locked the door and walked a few feet away from the portal.
"Grab my arm Ms. Evans we will aperate to Hogmead village and floo from there.
Suddenly Lily felt the dizziness she had felt when she aperated with Ben at her house. They reached Hogmead and floo from the Three Broomsticks pub. They floo into Professor Dumbledore's fire place.
"Thank you Professor, I have to . . . well you know."
"I'm sorry I don't understand, know what?" Lily gave a faint smile and left.
"He's good." Lily thought to herself. Lily made her way to the Dormitory and saw the marauders still sitting around surprisingly doing homework.
"Wow that's a surprise." All of the boys looked up.
"Hey where were you?"
"Were you with Dumbledore?" James asked now putting his books away.
"Yeah sorry the Web thing is turning out to be a bit harder than we thought for some reason."
"Oh well we have rounds later don't forget."
"Actually can I talk to you about that upstairs?" James looked a bit surprised.
"Sure." Lily led James upstairs to her room.
"Um tonight I have to leave at 11:00; I have a meeting with Dumbledore."
"Oh okay you sure have a lot of meetings with him. Is this school thing really important to you?" Lily looked up.
"Yes it is! I'm at University now and I have to make sure I'll be able to do my work."
"Sorry I didn't mean anything negative."
"Do you want to go have dinner?"
"Sure."
They all made there way to the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore was sitting at his seat along with the other teachers. Everyone was settled down. Professor Dumbledore stood up to address the school.
"Good evening. I don't mean to interrupt your meals but I have an announcement.
As you all know the talent show will be held in January. Those who would like to participate as I said before are to see their house heads, they will have a list. This is a house competition and a way of meeting new people. You may have groups of no more than five. The houses may be mixed as well. An example would be in my fifth year the talent show was held and a mate of mine Nicholas Flamel was in Slytherin and me in Gryffindor we were able to do a talent together. you may mix up the groups between houses."
"What was your talent sir?' Sirius blurted.
"Something with singing I won't say any more than that Mr. Black." Sirius sat down and Dumbledore continued.
"Also your talents are to be checked off by your heads. If you are in a mixed group you will need to talk with both heads from either house. Thank you."
"Hey Moony you should sing like lily said." James nudging Remus said.
"Um I don't know all I know are muggle songs."
"So that would be cool" Emily now gazing at Remus said.
"Well I'm not really that good."
"What are you talking about Remus I have heard you, you were fantastic!" Remus looked at Lily with a smile.
"Thanks Lily but I really don't want to be embarrassed."
"You won't be."
"Moony please sing!"
"Please, please, please!" everyone chanted until Remus couldn't stand it any more.
"Alright, Alright I'll do it."
"Yeah now you have to sing when we get beck to the dorm." James said
"Uh, fine." After dinner the group went up to the heads common room so Remus could sing for them. They all sat around fire and waited for Remus to sing.
This song is called "Just the two of us
"I see the crystal raindrops fall
And see the beauty of it all
Is when the sun comes shining through
To make those rainbows in my mind
When I think of you some time
And I want to spend some time with you
Just the two o us we can make it if we
Try just the two of us
Building castles in the sky just the two of
Us you and I. . ." Every one was silent they had never heard Remus sing before, he was brilliant. Remus finished the song with a high note and looked at his friends with and embarrassed look.
"Wow Remus you are really good." Emily now getting up and giving him a hug said with excitement.
"Thanks."
"Yeah why didn't you tell us you were a singer?"
"You guys never asked. But its partly because I'm also a musinian.
"You should definitely do the show you would be great."
"I guess I do love to sing, but it's in front of the school and stuff, I mean I have been in front of crowds before but hey were people I didn't know."
"Don't worry you will do fine. Why don't you go down to McGonagald's office and sign-up now?"
"Well . . ."
"Do it dammit you know you want to" Remus's conscious told him
"alright." With that Remus left with Emily, Sirius, and Peter.
Lily went up stairs to her room to do a bit of homework, for she knew she might be traveling that night.
"Lily?" James stepped into her room quietly.
"Yes?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine a bit tired but fine."
"Oh . . . so what is muggle school like?"
"It's different, you learn different curriculum such as math, science, History, a foreign language, and elective classes, I take art and there are a lot of clubs and sports to play."
"It's really a bit like Hogwarts except there is no magic."
"Wow that would be hard."
"Well it would be for some one who is very dependent of their wand."
"Well I have to go and list up the quidditch try outs selection so I'll see you later for rounds?"
"Yeah" James left the room and went to his room to think.
"She's hiding something but what is it, maybe she doesn't go to school or maybe it's that Ben guy he seems a bit sketchy to me." James muttered to himself.
It was 10:00 PM James headed down to the common room to meet lily. Lily was already there sitting on the sofa.
"Hey are you ready?" Lily stood up
"Yup." They headed outside and stared with the upper floors.
"Remember I have to go at 11:00, for Dumbledore." Lily hated lying to James it made her feel horrible.
"Right." James and lily walked along the corridors looking for students who might be hidden in closets.
"So Lily what is this Ben fellow like, does he play quidditch?"
"He used to in his 4th and 5th year but he quit, he got bored of being a chaser."
"Oh and how long have you known him?"
"Ben and I go way back to when we were six I was living in France at the time and he lived next door. When he was eight he moved back to England to be with is mum and then when I was nine I moved back to England and moved to surrey while Ben stayed in London. I found out he was a wizard when I was ten because we got into a fight and he turned my hair green."
"Oh, but you two aren't dating though?"
"Are you and Ben dating! Gosh no I love him too much as a friend to become his girlfriend, I'd be afraid our relationship could end."
"Oh . . . "Yes!" James thought to himself
"Well I better go." James looked at his watch to see it was five minutes till eleven.
"I'll walk you to his office."
"No thanks I have to go to the dorm first."
I'll see you later, bye." Lily walked back to her dormitory in silence.