Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter or anything associated in JK Rowling's books. I just write about them. Annabelle is mine, as in Lace. I shall continue to wish that I owned the Marauders, but will remain sad that I do not.
A/N: Thanks to those of you who are still reading! I'm trying to write at least one chapter a day, but in the upcoming weeks, it will be difficult with my work schedule. However, here is the next chapter.
Detention with the Marauders
Two weeks had passed since Lace's first visit with her grandfather, when he sent her another message to meet him after her last class on Friday. It was another pleasant visit. They mostly talked of how things were at home and how much Lace resembled her mother. At the end of their meeting, Dumbledore told Lace that he would like to continue their visits so he could educate her on the House of Dumbledore and what it meant to be in such a long line of greatness.
As Lace stepped into the corridor, she could hear the grumbling of an angry voice accompanied by multiple voices spouting off excuses. She stopped at the foot of the stairs when she saw the caretaker, Mr. Filch, round the corner with four boys.
"What do you say we forget this, just this once?" James looked at the caretaker.
"The headmaster doesn't need to know. We can keep it our little secret." Sirius added as they got closer to the gargoyle.
"Not this time, boys. Don't think you can sweet talk your way out of this one. It's straight to Dumbledore with you lot. He told me not to bother the other professors." Filch ushered them all to the statue. Ignoring Lace, Filch said the password and continued to guide the boys up the stairs. His grumbling could be heard right until the very moment the door closed.
Lace found her way back to the Gryffindor common room after two wrong left turns and getting stuck on a flying staircase. "Dillyweed." She stated to the Fat Lady and the portrait hole swung open. She spotted Annabelle sitting on the floor by the window playing with Tabs. "What'd the boys do?" She asked sitting down next to her, pulling out her potions book.
"I dunno." Annabelle said half distracted before glancing around the room. "Where are they?"
"Filch was taking them up to see Dumbledore when I came out. He was angry about something." Lace told Annabelle that she was meeting with Dumbledore because he was a close friend of her grandfather's. It was partly true, but she still felt guilty about not being completely honest with her.
"There's no telling. It could be any number of things." Annabelle sighed leaning back again the wall. Glancing at Lace's potion book, she asked, "Want to get Sluggie's essay out of the way now so we can go wander the castle tomorrow?" The Potions Master, Professor Slughorn, had assigned nine inches on the importance of the essence of newt in coloring potions due in class on Monday morning. Annabelle quickly took to calling him Sluggie after he told her that he would pray to Merlin she was nothing like her dear cousin, James.
"I don't see why not. I want to go sit by the lake again tomorrow." Both girls stood and sat at the table nearest the window as the portrait hole swung open.
"You just want to go out there because you know the Marauders sit under the tree on Saturdays." Annabelle quietly taunted her as Sirius made his way over to the table, followed by Remus. "Someone likes Remus. Someone likes…" She let the statement fall as Sirius pulled out the chair next to her and sat on the table. "What did you do this time?" She asked as Remus walked around the table and sat by Lace.
"It was nothing really. We just decided to help Peeves out in taunting a group of first year Hufflepuffs. He was grateful." Sirius answered as he glanced around the room. Once he fixed his eyes on a spot by the fireplace, Annabelle followed his gaze. James was sitting next to a very put out Lily Evans.
"Come on Evans. Just say you want to go with me to Hogsmeade and we can put all the name calling behind us." He put his arm around the back of the couch.
Lily stood and with an exasperated look on her face said, "I wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with you if you were the last wizard left in this castle!" And she stomped out the portrait hole, followed closely by her two best friends.
Back at the table, Remus was looking at Lace's essay over her shoulder. "Talk about the different amounts associated with the different colors. It should take up about three inches like that." He said taking her book and turning to the measuring charts.
"Why don't you just do it for them?" Peter asked as he sat against the wall eating a bag of chocolate frogs. "I mean you keep telling them what to write anyway."
"Shut up, Peter." James said in aggravation as he took the chair Sirius' feet were occupying. "Can you believe that Evans? On top of tonight's detention with Filch, she has to throw insults at me. If she didn't love me so much, I might have to be offended." He propped his feet up on the back of his cousin's chair. "Who's the essay for A-belle?" He inquired after Sirius slid the paper from under her hand.
"Slughorn." She answered leaning back, and hitting her head of James' shoes. "Take your feet off you git!" She said as she swatted at them. James just moved them to the arm of her chair. "Figured we'd get it out the way now. Then have a free weekend."
"Nice, you can hang with us. We figured we plan a little gift for the Slytherins. Ya know, a belated welcome back." James and Sirius sprouted evil grins and began to whisper amongst themselves. "Any one else hungry? I could use a bite." With that, he sprinted up the stairs to the boys' dorm.
"I want some candied fruit. Think they'll have some at dinner?" Peter asked Sirius. "I'm starving."
"Doubt that's what he meant, Peter." Remus said, not glancing up from the girls' essays. "I think if you include this bit here about the soothing properties, you should be done." He pointed to Annabelle's book.
"Thanks!" Both girls said as they copied the last bit and rolled up their parchment.
"Lace, want me to bring your bag up for you?" Annabelle asked as she picked up hers to drop off in the dorm before they left for dinner.
"Would you please? I want to run send mum an owl about something I've been meaning to ask her." Lace said as she passed over the bag. "Want to meet in the Great Hall?"
"Sounds good to me. I'll see you down there." Annabelle ran up the stairs.
"I'm going see what's keeping him." Sirius said glancing at the remaining two before turning to Peter. "Are you ever gonna put that toad up?" Peter was still holding his toad tightly in one hand, while he finished off another chocolate frog. When Sirius got up to walk to the staircase, Peter immediately followed.
"Guess I should go to the Owlry then." Lace got up from her seat and began to walk to the portrait hole.
"I'll go with you." Remus caught up to her just before she stepped out. "We can just go to dinner together." For some reason, he could feel his cheeks burning pink. They walked in relative silence to the Owlry, but once they got to the top of the tower, Remus spoke. "How are things with your grandfather? I saw you coming out his office earlier."
"Its nice. We talk about mum and dad. He told me about what happened when they moved to Little Haggletown. It's actually answered a lot of questions, but its left a few open that I think only my mum can answer. That's why I want to send this letter to her."
After Lace made sure the Owl had proper directions, they walked down to the Great Hall. "What did you help Peeves do to deserve detention?" She asked inquiringly, but also because she enjoyed listening to him talk.
"Oh, Peter and I don't have detention. Just James and Sirius do. Filch wasn't too happy about that, but I'm sure he'll take what he can get. Normally, he just has us clean a room without magic. It's boring, but he feels good about himself afterwards. Since he normally leaves us there, we don't do too much. He just comes back after about three hours, pretends to inspect our work, and lets us go." Remus scratched the back of his neck. "Look, there's Peeves now. I think that's the same group of first years as before too."
They began to laugh as they watched the spectacle in front of them. Peeves was alternating between throwing erasers, ink pellets, and dungbombs at the group he had trapped in a corner. Suddenly, the Bloody Baron appeared from a nearby wall and Peeves dropped everything at once and soared off in the opposite direction muttering about 'ruined fun.'
"So I guess its true that the Bloody Baron is the only person Peeves will listen too. Was that were you were helping him do earlier?" Lace asked Remus once they were on the way again.
"No. Before Peeves kept knocking their book bags over and we kept moving the books and parchment around into someone else's pile." Remus told her as they made their way across the hall.
"What took you so long? I don't know how much longer I could have stood sitting with these three. Every time I move, James follows. Its so aggravating." Annabelle shot him an evil glare.
"Peeves." Lace and Remus replied in unison before helping themselves the food before them.
From across the table, James was piling beets on his plate mocking Annabelle in a horrible girly voice. "James follows me everywhere. He's so aggravating. Blah blah blah." Before he saw what was coming, Annabelle hit him square in the face with her spoonful of mashed yams. "You are dead A-belle. Do you understand?" Suddenly, their end of the table was flinging food everywhere.
"What on earth is going on here?" Professor McGonagall demanded as she appeared behind Sirius, causing him to jump in surprise.
"Professor! Warn somebody, next time. I almost hexed you!" He cried, not meaning a word of it.
"Detention! Tonight. All six of you," was her only response.
"But we have it with Mr. Filch tonight, Professor." Sirius called out to her in an innocent voice.
She quickly did an about face and reappeared at their side. "No need to worry about that. You will all see me, right here, at eight thirty." She pointed to the place where she stood before walking away.
Everyone quickly ran upstairs to change clothes in order to meet Professor McGonagall on time back in the Great Hall. When they arrived, the first thing they noticed was that all the tables were clear, except Gryffindor, which was covered in mess. "Ah good, all here, and on time I see." Professor McGonagall walked up to them. "I informed the kitchen staff that there was no need to clean the table tonight. Since you can create the mess, you can all clean it up. I'll be back in half an hour to check on your progress. No magic!" She began to walk past them toward the door, but came to a stop beside Lace. "I expected better, Laceteel. Your grandfather will hear about this." She glanced back at the others who stopped to listen before hurrying out the door.
"Great. That's great. As long as he doesn't tell mum." Lace muttered to herself as she rejoined the group by the table.
"What was that all about?" James asked, nodding in the direction McGonagall had left. "Why's she have to tell your grandfather? Its just detention. We've done this loads of times."
"I think Lace has a special exception to that whole stays between us thing." Remus stated from the spot he was cleaning.
Lace was glaring at him. "Couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you? I asked you to do one thing, and you said no problem. You forgot to mention you couldn't keep a secret!" She stalked down to the other end of the table in a huff. The three other boys let out guffaws, which elicited a scathing look from Annabelle who quickly joined Lace at the other end of the table.
"What was that all about? What secret?" Peter asked as he began to clean the area in front of him.
"Shut it, Peter." James, Remus, and Sirius said in unison. The four worked in relative silence for the rest of the time.
"I don't get it. What'd you ask Remus to keep a secret?" Annabelle finally asked Lace as they finished cleaning the last spot on the table. Once they sat down as far from the Marauders as possible, Lace told her everything. About the fight between Dumbledore and her mum, Remus telling her he knew on the train, the picture in his office, the meetings they had, and how guilty she was feeling for not telling Annabelle the truth. "I see. So, why not tell people? I mean it's not that big of a deal, is it?" Annabelle looked at her.
"I just don't want things going around about my personal stuff. I mean, I've only known the man for four months. Besides you know how people talk around here." Lace propped her head on her hand as they waited for McGonagall to return.
The door to the Great Hall opened, but it was not McGonagall that walked in. It was the prefect from the first night, carrying another note. He walked up to the girls, handed it to Lace, and walked away. "Thanks." She muttered before opening the note.
I would like a word with my granddaughter, if you will.
Also, I detest mustard peas.
"Great," Lace muttered again as Professor McGonagall enter the hall.
"Everything looks clean. You may all go. Don't let this happen again, or I will be forced to take points." She said sternly before walking right back out the door.
The boys waited on Annabelle and Lace before heading up to the common room. Once they reached the top of the marble staircase in the entrance hall, Lace told them she had to do something and would meet them back upstairs. At the gargoyle, Lace said, "Mustard peas," before running up the revolving staircase.
"Come in." The voice called from behind the door. Lace pushed the door open and walked to her normal chair across from the headmaster. She remained silent, anticipating his disappointment. Finally, he spoke, "I understand you have made some new friends – a few of my regular visitors." He leaned forward on his desk and placed the tips of his fingers together. "I will admit that I was eager for you to get along with your peers, but not so much for you to be getting detentions. I am not disappointed in you. Never think that. I would just like for you to try a little harder to steer away from trouble. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew are not bad people, and I would never think ill of them. On the contrary, they are very bright students. They just have a tendency to cause a wee amount of trouble. Don't give people a reason not to like you, Lace. They will form their own opinions once it leaks out as to who you are." He leaned back in his chair and with a flick of his wand, caused her picture to rotate toward her. "Now, on another, lighter note. Your mother has decided to rejoin you, and, I believe, now you can see why it truly is my favorite picture. I have some business to attend to in London, but once I return, we will meet again." Dumbledore smiled with that familiar twinkle in his eye. "Good evening, my dear."
"Good evening, Grandfather." Lace smiled as she rose and walked out the door.
A/N: Please don't forget to comment and let me know how you feel about it. Make suggestions if you have any!
Coming up: Dumbledore's bad news.