Severus sat alone in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. It was the first time he'd spent the journey entirely by himself; in years past, he'd sat with Lily, or with Avery and Mulciber, more recently. In theory, he and Avery were sharing this compartment, but as soon as the train pulled out of the station, Avery had gone to patrol the corridor as a prefect.

That had been hours ago, and Avery still hadn't returned. He probably hadn't abandoned Severus, though. Knowing Avery, he was being extremely thorough in his prefect duties, the prat.

In any case, Severus had gotten used to being alone. At the start of the summer, he'd thought that Lily might come by his house, the way she'd used to. He'd even gotten into the habit of leaving the blinds up, on the off chance she was passing by and could see him through the window.

He cringed at the memory now. Lily hadn't visited, not even once. She hadn't even walked down the street. After he'd given up hope that she wanted to see him, his summer had consisted of two main things: avoiding his parents and watching the skies for an owl from Bella.

He had been certain Bella would be in contact. He'd been her protege, and she'd been fond of him. And setting such tawdry things as affection aside, they were Secondaries now, weren't they? Didn't the Dark Lord have tasks for them, his chosen few Followers?

At the very least, Severus thought Bella would owl him about being the mentor for the next batch of Intents at Hogwarts. He was the obvious choice for mentor, after all. He was the cleverest, the most capable. And Lucius Malfoy had been extremely impressed by his spellwork. That had to count for something, didn't it?

It appeared Severus had been wrong about that, too. The only owl that came was from the Ministry, not Bella, and had carried his O.W.L. results. High marks in all subjects, obviously. Not that his parents had cared.

So now Severus was alone, as usual, on the Hogwarts Express, wondering if Bella's owl had simply gotten lost. Cokeworth was very Muggle, after all. The owl might have gotten confused.

As the train was pulling into Hogsmeade station, the compartment door slid open. "There you are," said Avery. "Apologies for not returning sooner, a few of the first years needed — well, you know how it is, being a prefect. Loads of responsibilities."

Severus gritted his teeth. He did not know how being a prefect was. Professor Slughorn hadn't considered him for that particular duty. "I can only imagine."

"Thought you'd have joined Augustus and the others, though," said Avery. "They're playing Exploding Snap up near the front."

Severus hated Exploding Snap. And Augustus Mulciber. "I wasn't in the mood."

"Just as well, then," said Avery, pulling down his trunk. "Augustus told me Bella's made him mentor, have you heard?"

Severus' lip curled. He should have expected this. Mulciber had the brains of a gnome, but he came from a long line of pure-bloods, and his father was a Death Eater. Of course he'd be chosen for mentor.

The unfairness of it all made Severus' blood boil. His own father was a Muggle of the worst kind, and Bella knew it. Severus could have been as gifted as Grindelwald and she still would have passed him over. His blood status made him a liability.

"Are you alright?" asked Avery. "Anyway, looks like we've arrived. Got everything you need, then?"

During the Welcome Feast, Severus and Avery joined Mulciber, Wilkes and Rosier at the far end of the Slytherin table. Severus would have taken a candlelit dinner with James Potter over watching Mulciber gloat, but it couldn't be helped.

At the table, Mulciber didn't mention being made mentor — not even he was stupid enough to talk about being a Follower in public — but he looked far too pleased with himself. At one point, he gave Severus a knowing wink. It was only with great effort that Severus refrained from hurling a plate of pork chops into his smug face.

After the feast, Severus lingered at the table as the rest of the Slytherins joined the crowd of students filing out of the Great Hall. He needed to speak to Lily before classes started. Not to beg forgiveness, which he suspected she wouldn't give him anyway. No, his reasons were purely practical. He simply needed to know if they could continue partnering together for Potions this year. They were top of their class in Potions, after all, and N.E.W.T. material was notoriously demanding. A continued partnership only made sense.

Severus pretended to pick at his custard tart as he watched the Gryffindor table out of the corner of his eye. Lily was chatting animatedly with her friends. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that half the school had left the Great Hall. After five agonizing minutes — why was Lily laughing so loudly, Mary MacDonald wasn't even funny — the girls stood up and made for the doors of the Great Hall. Severus took a deep breath and followed them.

Lily noticed him before he had even reached her. Her green eyes narrowed and she muttered something to Marlene before very clearly turning her back on him.

Maybe he ought to abandon the whole idea. Obviously she wasn't happy to see him. But the thought of having to partner with Avery for an entire year drove Severus forward until he was staring at the back of her head.

"Lily," he said. "May I speak with you a moment?"

She didn't turn. "No, Sev. Go away."

She'd used his nickname. That had to mean something, at least. "I know you're angry. But have you considered — Potions this year is going to be extremely difficult, and it's in both of our interests to continue to partner —"

"No," said Lily flatly. "I'm not interested."

"Lily. Surely even you can realize —"

Marlene turned around. "I'm sorry, do you know what the word 'no' means?"

Severus took an instinctual step backwards. Although he was a good head taller than Marlene, she had always been the scariest of Lily's friends. "I wasn't talking to you," he said. "Lily. Please."

Lily didn't respond.

"Huh," said Marlene. "Looks like she doesn't want to talk to you. Imagine that."

"Right," said Severus irritably, "I can take a hint. Well, don't come crying to me when Mary MacDonald puts sloth brain instead of squill bulb into your Shrinking Solution — assuming she managed to copy enough of your work to scrape an A on her Potions O.W.L., that is —"

Marlene let out a mirthless laugh. "Godric's teeth, I'm about three seconds away from hexing you." She drew her wand from beneath her robes for emphasis. "Why don't you run along to your little Death Eater friends now? Go on… one… two…"

"Hit a nerve, did I?" sneered Severus, but he stalked away, pushing aside a gaggle of first year Slytherins.

Mulciber and Avery were waiting for him in the Slytherin common room, which looked as if they'd never left it. Light from the lake cast dancing green and yellow shapes on the walls and an emerald fire crackled in the hearth.

"Bella's called a meeting," said Mulciber in a low voice. "Midnight. Dungeon Thirteen."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "I thought Bella made you mentor. Are you incapable of running a simple meeting?"

"Shut it, Sev," growled Mulciber. "Midnight. Be there. Or else."

"Well, when you put it so eloquently, what other choice do I have?"

Severus purposefully stayed in the common room, pretending to annotate his Potions text, until after Mulciber left for Dungeon Thirteen. He glared at Severus as he walked by. Only when Severus' watch showed it was two minutes to midnight did he pack up his textbook and slip out of the common room.

Dungeon Thirteen hadn't changed over the summer, either; its high-backed white armchairs were arranged in a circle, resembling a posh drawing room. Severus gave an ironic bow in Mulciber's direction before settling in the last available armchair, besides one of the Slytherin first years he had brushed past earlier.

"Are we indoctrinating eleven-year-olds now?" asked Severus, glancing at the girl, who had light brown skin and tightly coiled hair divided into pigtails.

The first year titled her chin, looking at him haughtily. "Now, Sev. Is that any way to address your betters?"

Severus met the girl's eyes, frowning. Could it be? He placed a hand over his wand and reached out towards the girl with his mind. Instantly, memories that were not his own flashed before his eyes, feeling strangely familiar — a green dress, a dead crow, and for the first time, a high-pitched laugh —

Severus looked away. "Bella." She must have used Polyjuice, or perhaps human Transfiguration, though that was riskier.

The girl grinned. She still had baby teeth. Polyjuice, then. "Astute as always, Sev. I trust your summer was a pleasant one?"

"As pleasant as a Muggle hovel can be," replied Severus. Beside him, Avery snickered. "And why are you here, Bella? Don't tell me the Dark Lord has asked you to repeat your years of magical education?"

"Hardly," said the girl dismissively. "I'm only here for the evening. I wasn't supposed to come back at all, but You-Know-Who has deemed it necessary." She turned her gaze towards the others. "He has a mission for you all, and I suggest you do not disappoint him."

"Never, Bella," said Avery. Wilkes and Rosier murmured their assent.

The girl smiled. "You are all such good Followers. Now, I assume you've heard about the Muggle-Born Protection Act that Caradoc Dearborn has proposed?"

Severus nodded immediately, as did Avery and Rosier. Mulciber inclined his head after a moment, though his wrinkled brow made it clear that he had no idea what Bella was talking about.

"Excellent," said Bella. "Dearborn has a long history of fraternizing with Muggles, the blood traitor, but this is the first time he's proposed a bill that may actually be successful. The general population supports his Act, for reasons I cannot fathom." She spoke with obvious distaste. "That said, the House of Mages must not, under any circumstances, approve his proposal."

"Why not?' asked Avery. "If it gets passed, it'll just go straight to the House of Lords, and they're bound to vote against it, aren't they?"

Severus was wondering the same thing, not that he'd admit it. There were a couple hundred Mages of Parliament, which meant that all sorts of ideologies were represented in the House of Mages. It stood to reason that nonsense like Dearborn's Act would slip through from time to time.

The House of Lords, on the other hand, contained only twenty-eight seats — one for each of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the oldest wizarding pure-blood families. Surely these old families would be more inclined to side with the Dark Lord over any Muggle-loving drivel.

The girl shook her head. "While we have the full backing of eleven Lords, only seven are open supporters. The rest must be discreet. As such, it is highly probable that the House of Lords would pass this Act. Under no circumstances can this happen." Her eyes were nearly wild with passion. "Increased security around Muggles of note would be an enormous setback. In the past, leveraging the family members of those who oppose us has allowed us to make large gains within the Ministry. This Act could change all that — or at least make it more difficult. Which is where you all come in."

Mulciber's brow was so wrinkled he resembled a bulldog. Severus kept his expression neutral, although he was as lost as Mulciber. What effect could a group of students possibly have on wizarding politics?

The girl leaned forward and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Dearborn has a daughter, Sally. Seventh year Gryffindor. Head Girl. The Dark Lord has decided that it would be most advantageous if she were to… disappear."

"Disappear?" repeated Mulciber. Severus winced.

"Obviously," said Bella, straightening up. "It is high time we teach Dearborn a lesson. If we take his daughter out of the picture, he may rescind the Act himself."

"Dearborn's a fanatic, though," said Avery. "My uncle's a Lord, I've heard his stories. He's always said Dearborn loves nothing more than Muggles."

Severus spoke up. "Dearborn is only one wizard. Even if he does not bend, the House of Mages might. Especially if they fear we will come for their children next."

"Exactly," said Bella, seeming pleased that Severus had so quickly grasped the situation.

"So…" said Mulciber slowly. "Do we kill her, or…?"

"I don't much care what you do," said Bella. "I trust that you do not need me to hold your hand through this, Augustus." She stood up and pulled on a hooded cloak. "I must go. The Polyjuice will be wearing off before long, and the Dark Lord is anxiously awaiting my return. You are all dismissed." She met Severus' eyes as she said this and shook her head ever so slightly.

Severus blinked. She wanted him to stay, then. He inclined his head towards her to show that he had understood.

After the others had filed out, Bella locked Dungeon Thirteen's golden door and turned to Severus. "I have an additional assignment for you," she said.

"You, or the Dark Lord?"

"Me," said Bella. "I do not bother our Lord with tasks of such low importance. You are to ensure that Regulus Black becomes an Intent."

"Really. Isn't that Mulciber's job?"

"I see being passed over for mentor has made you bitter," snapped Bella. "It is not a good look for you."

"Being left in the dark all summer has made me bitter," retorted Severus. "Not one owl, from you, after everything we did last year —"

The girl's eyes gleamed with malice. "Was wittle Severus lonely? Did he miss his best fwiend Bella?"

"There's no need to mock me. If you've grown tired of me you should have just said —"

"Tired of you?" she said. "Listen to yourself. Didn't it ever occur to you that I didn't write because I was occupied? There's a war going on outside of your little Cokeworth, Sev, and some of us were busy fighting in it." She leaned forward. "I've seen things that would turn your stomach. Things that make your Sectumsempra look tame. And you think I had time to be your pen pal?"

Severus hadn't actually considered that. He tugged on the too-short sleeves of his robes. "My apologies, Bella."

"Accepted," she said. "Now stop scowling about Mulciber. Lucius and I chose him to lead because he is a Legacy, not because he is superior to you."

"Of course," said Severus sarcastically. "I'm sure my blood status wasn't a factor at all."

"It wasn't," said Bella. "You will have your chance. We are both aware of your talents, which is why you are being given this task."

"And if Regulus refuses to be recruited?" asked Severus.

"His parents want him to Intent," said Bella simply, as if that settled the matter. She glanced at the gilded clock on the wall. "One last thing, and quickly. You tried to talk to Lily Evans today. I saw you."

Severus felt the blood drain from his face. "That… I —"

"You chose us," hissed Bella. "You have no further need for her."

"I didn't mean — it was just for Potions —"

"LIES!" shouted the girl, and Severus was startled into silence. "I have seen your mind, Severus! You might have the others fooled, but you cannot fool me!" She reached up and grabbed Severus by his robes. Her eyes bored into his. "You must continue to walk the path I have laid before you. Lily Evans is not part of that path. If you try to make amends with her, I will know. And I will punish you."

"Fine," spat Severus, pushing her roughly away. "It was a mistake to try to talk with her anyway. She didn't want anything to do with me."

"I should think not," said Bella nastily. "You were awful to her last term. Even Mudbloods have a limit, it seems." She checked her watch. "I cannot allow you to waste any more of my time. Remember: recruit Regulus. I will know if you don't make an effort."

The door swung shut behind her with a clang.

After breakfast the following morning, the sixth year Gryffindors waited at their table for Professor McGonagall to distribute their class schedules. Sirius tapped his fingers impatiently on the table. Normally after breakfast he'd either be helping Remus with the crossword or starting a food fight with James, but Remus had slept in that morning, and James sitting at the other end of the table, discussing Quidditch with Parvana.

"Can you look over my timetable?" Peter asked Sirius worriedly. "I think it's alright, but I couldn't remember when Care of Magical Creatures is held, so if I've gotten that wrong then Defense is in the wrong spot too, and probably Charms as well…"

"Yeah, sure, give it here," said Sirius, taking the parchment. He pulled out his wand and began to change the names of the subjects to include more swear words.

He had just finished 'Arse-tronomy' when Professor McGonagall came down from the teacher's table, a roll of parchment in hand.

At the other end of the table, James handed her his timetable. "Morning, Professor."

"Good morning," replied Professor McGonagall stiffly. She pushed her spectacles up her nose as she reviewed James' timetable. "I must say, I was very pleased with your Transfiguration O.W.L. Very pleased. I think you will quite enjoy N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration."

"Thanks, Professor," said James. "I was wondering, do you think we'll cover Animagi this year?"

"The process of becoming an Animagi is advanced beyond even N.E.W.T. level, Potter," said McGonagall. "If you'd like to pursue it as an independent study, I would invite you to speak with me privately."

"Nah, no need," said James, crossing his arms behind his head. "I was just wondering."

Sirius could have sworn he saw Professor McGonagall's lips twitch.

The sixth year girls had their timetables approved next — Sirius noted with some interest that Mary MacDonald was taking a Muggle Studies-focused curriculum — and then Professor McGonagall reached where Sirius was sitting.

"Your timetable, please, Black?" asked Professor McGonagall, extending a hand.

"Oh, right," said Sirius. "Er, I never got my O.W.L.s, so I didn't make one. Didn't want to get ahead of myself."

Across the table, Peter stared at Sirius. "You told me you'd gotten twelve O.W.L.s!"

"Well, we don't know that I didn't," said Sirius. "Right, Professor?"

"I suppose anything is possible," said Professor McGonagall archly. "In that case, Black, I'd ask you to accompany me to my office after I finish approving the schedules of your classmates, so we can sort out your predicament."

"Gladly," said Sirius.

Professor McGonagall turned her attention to Peter, and her lips pressed tighter and tighter together as she examined his timetable. "I suppose it was foolish of me to expect more from you, Pettigrew, but 'Defense Against the Dark Farts'? Did you honestly expect me to find that funny?"

Peter went pale. "What? I — you —" He looked at Sirius, wide-eyed.

Sirius excused himself before Professor McGonagall noticed what he'd done with 'Transfiguration'.

In McGonagall's office, Sirius dragged the velvet armchair that sat in the corner of the room over to McGonagall's desk and plunked himself down into it. He'd spent enough time in her office to know which chairs were the comfortable ones.

Professor McGonagall returned after another quarter hour, her eyes flashing dangerously behind her glasses.

"You didn't like the Transfiguration joke, then?" asked Sirius.

"I expect anyone over the age of sixteen would be incapable of finding it funny," said Professor McGonagall, taking a seat behind her desk.

"Shame," said Sirius. "I thought it was brilliant."

"That does not surprise me," said Professor McGonagall archly. "Now, then. I'm assuming there is a reason why you did not receive your O.W.L.s."

"Er, yeah," said Sirius. He wished she weren't so good at cutting to the chase. "Family issues, basically. You know how my parents are."

Professor McGonagall inclined her head briefly. "They kept the results of your examinations from you?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Sirius. "I ended up leaving the house at the beginning of August. Stayed with the Potters. The Ministry must not have known about my change of address." He tried to sound as if the matter was of no great importance to him.

"I see," said Professor McGonagall. "Was there anything in particular that precipitated your… leaving Grimmauld Place?"

Sirius lifted a shoulder, then let it drop. "It was sort of a mutual decision. My parents caught me, er, in a compromising position. With a Muggle."

Professor McGonagall let out a sigh, looking suddenly pained. "You certainly don't make it easy for yourself, do you?"

"People keep saying that," said Sirius irritably. "It's not my fault my parents are a pair of maniacs."

"But when you purposely antagonize them…"

Sirius balled his hands into fists. He should have known she wouldn't be on his side. "I wasn't trying to piss my parents off, alright? I actually cared about Dorcas. And if you think I'd ever — that I meant for them to —" He needed to calm down before he said something he'd regret. "You have no idea what they're like. None."

Professor McGonagall blinked. "Dorcas," she repeated. "Do you know what happened to this Dorcas?"

Sirius clenched his jaw. "No. I sent her away with Kreacher after my parents found us. She could be —"

He could have sworn he saw an expression of pity pass over McGonagall's face before she composed herself. She straightened a little. "It may be for the best that your tryst ended when it did. I should hardly have to tell you this, but Muggles do not belong in the Wizarding World, Black. They are… more fragile than us."

Sirius grunted. "Yeah, well, lesson bloody learned."

"There's no need to feel foolish," said Professor McGonagall. She rifled through the papers on her desk, not meeting his eyes. "You are not the first to have fallen for the allure of a Muggle, and I am sure you will not be the last."

That sounded almost… like she had… Sirius sat up. "The allure of a Muggle? Professor, surely you're not insinuating… have you —"

"That's quite enough, Black," said Professor McGonagall sharply, but a hint of colour appeared on her cheeks.

"You have," said Sirius. "Godric's mane, Professor, there's no need to be embarrassed. Was it — did you —"

"You are being ridiculous," said Professor McGonagall. She adjusted her pointed witches' hat. "I only meant to say that as an adult with some perspective on the matter, I can assure you that the vast majority of Muggle-wizard relationships end in tragedy. It is better you find that out sooner rather than later."

"Cheers, Professor," said Sirius, raising an imaginary glass.

Professor McGonagall pretended not to have heard him. "Now," she said briskly, "onto the subject of your O.W.L.s…"

"Yeah, give 'em here," said Sirius, reaching out an arm. "Me and James have ten pumpkin pasties on who got the higher mark in Muggle Studies."

"I would hate to deprive you of pumpkin pasties," said Professor McGonagall. She slid a sheet of parchment across the table. Sirius grabbed it eagerly and leaned forward in his chair, eyes flicking over the results.

"Ha!" he said. "I knew it. James is gonna have to pay up."

There was a small smile at the edges of Professor McGonagall's mouth. "Your other marks weren't too bad, either."

"I'll say," said Sirius, grinning at her. "Right, well, I'm definitely dropping Potions and History of Magic, 'cause they're wastes of my time, but I'd like to continue on with the rest. If that's okay, Professor?"

"That's quite satisfactory," said Professor McGonagall. She drew her wand and tapped a blank piece of parchment. Immediately, splotches of ink blossomed across the parchment, forming Sirius' timetable. "I will also inform the Ministry of the details of your change of residence. I assume any further correspondence can be forwarded to the Potters?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," said Sirius, standing up. "Thanks, Professor. And, erm… thanks for the advice about the whole, er, Muggle thing."

"No need to thank me," said Professor McGonagall stiffly. "I look forward to seeing you during lessons, Black."

Classes began the following Monday, and Lily was surprised to discover that she had as much coursework to do as ever, despite dropping both Astronomy and Ancient Runes. In addition, the fact that class sizes were smaller meant that the professors were able to scrutinize her work even more closely, leaving less room for error.

Severus was able to scrutinize her more closely, too, since he was now in both Potions and Transfiguration with her. The mere sight of him was enough to make her flush with anger, but there were some unexpected bright sides to the situation. The look on his face when Lily had partnered with Mary during their first Potions lesson had been priceless.

On Wednesday at breakfast, Lily nearly nodded off into her mug of tea.

"Careful," said Parvana, steadying her. "Are you feeling alright, Lily?"

"F — fine," said Lily through a yawn. She'd stayed up past midnight completing an essay about Gamp's Law for Professor McGonagall. "This year is going to kill me."

"Should've gone into Muggle Relations like me," Mary told her brightly. "I'm averaging one lesson a day, it's brilliant."

Lily merely grunted around a mouthful of breakfast food.

"That's the spirit," said Marlene, yawning loudly. She was hoping to obtain enough N.E.W.T.s to become an Auror, and as such had stayed up even later than Lily had. "We just have to make it to after dinner and then we can nap. There's a room on the seventh floor that's full of pillows and blankets, I'll have to show you…"

"I'm not free after dinner," said Lily miserably. "I'm meeting Madam Pomfrey for my apprenticeship."

Marlene blinked. "That's right! Oh, you'll like that, though. I started my apprenticeship with Auror Bones yesterday, and it was amazing."

"Maybe Madam Pomfrey will let me take a nap on one of the cots," said Lily wistfully, pouring herself a third cup of tea.

As soon as Lily arrived at the hospital wing, however, it became clear that there would be no opportunities for napping. There were four students lying on cots already, with another three still queued up, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to examine them. Madam Pomfrey, for her part, was pouring a foul-smelling potion down the throat of a third year Ravenclaw who appeared to have grown a third arm.

Madam Pomfrey glanced up as Lily shut the door behind her. "Ah, Lily, you're here! Perfect timing. Would you mind helping Eustace here to an available cot, and then fetching him a dose of Soothing Salve? It should be in the medicine cupboard, top shelf on the left."

"Erm, of course," said Lily, feeling a bit overwhelmed already. She took the unfortunate Eustace by the arm and steered him to an empty cot. A sixth year Slytherin girl who appeared to be completely bald immediately took a seat on the stool Eustace had vacated, and Madam Pomfrey began to examine her.

Once Lily had guided Eustace to his cot, she pulled the door of the medicine cupboard open and groaned. Of course it was bigger on the inside. Not only that, but the shelves were overflowing with vials and assorted medical supplies, making it nearly impossible to pick out anything in particular among the mess.

"Evans," called Madam Pomfrey, "Have you found the Soothing Salve? Sooner rather than later would be preferable…"

Lily heard a retch, followed by a splashing sound. "Erm, coming!" she called, sifting through the topmost shelf, which was covered in glass decanters containing liquids of all sizes and colours. Finally, behind a bottle full of purple liquid that was marked with a skull and clearly labelled 'Hemlock', she spotted the salve.

She practically sprinted to Eustace's bedside. She uncorked the bottle quickly and poured the potion into a silver thimble. Eustace grabbed the potion with his third arm and downed it, shuddering as he swallowed. After a couple of seconds, the greenish colour vanished from his face, and he slumped back onto the pillows, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Right," said Lily. "I'll just — erm — get you a glass of water, shall I?"

Eustace nodded, and Lily slipped out from the curtain surrounding the cot. She returned to Madam Pomfrey, who immediately passed the bald Slytherin girl off to her, with the instructions that she add two Veela hairs to a mouthful of something called Sleekeazy's Finest.

The flow of students slowed to a trickle after about an hour. During that time, Lily ran somewhat frantically around the hospital wing, guiding students to their cots and rummaging through the cupboard for the appropriate remedies. At last, the final student in the queue — a tiny first year Gryffindor with bright blue hives all over her face — had been set right with an application of a poultice to her cheeks.

Lily looked expectantly at the doors of the hospital wing, sure that another student in crisis was about to burst through the oaken doors. To her surprise, Remus Lupin walked in. He was clearly ill; his eyes were bright, as if with fever, and he seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"Remus?" asked Lily. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," said Remus between gasps. He looked a bit confused at Lily's presence in the hospital wing but didn't seem to be any condition to make conversation. "Madam Pomfrey — is she around…?"

"I'm here," said Madam Pomfrey. She took him by the arm and he sagged a little, leaning into her. "We'll just be off, then, shall we? Lily, I'll be gone for a minute, never you mind — if anyone comes in urgently, just send an owl, I'll be back in a jiff —" And she whisked Remus out of the hospital wing before Lily had a chance to respond.

Lily sat at the triage desk, watching the doors swing shut behind them. She remembered Severus' odd insistence that something was funny with Remus Lupin, and wondered idly what the moon phase was. She'd dropped Astronomy, though, so she didn't have any idea.

Madam Pomfrey returned a half hour later and resumed putting Lily through her paces. In the end, it was well after ten o'clock at night by the time Lily left the hospital wing. Her feet ached and her mind was racing with all that she had seen that evening, but she was quite pleased with the entire experience. She had nearly mastered the Episkey spell, and Madam Pomfrey had even taught her how to calculate accurate doses of Skele-Gro.

Lily traced the pattern for the Episkey spell in the air with her index finger as she turned the corner of the fifth floor corridor. The hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she paused, her hand still in the air; there were whispers coming from behind a statue of Gregory the Smarmy.

"Who's there?" she called, drawing her wand. "Lumos."

The whispers stopped at once. Lily frowned and advanced on the statue, wand held aloft. "Whoever you are, come on out. It's past curfew." The light from her wand illuminated the alcove behind the statue. Nobody was there.

There was a sudden squeaking sound and something small shot out from behind the base of the statue. It raced past Lily and down the corridor.

Lily whirled around and pointed her wand at it. "Stupefy." A burst of red light hit the small creature and it stopped in its tracks, collapsing on the carpet. Lily advanced on it. She wrinkled her nose when she saw what it was.

"Just a mouse," she muttered, picking it up by its tail to examine it more closely. She really must be exhausted if she was mistaking the squeaking of a mouse for whispers. Lily pocketed the poor thing before straightening up; at the very least, it would make a good treat for the next time she needed to send a letter in the Owlery.

There was a rustle behind her and Lily turned to see James and Sirius striding towards her.

"Evening, Evans," said James cheerfully, stuffing a silvery cloak into his bag. "Fancy meeting you here. I think I'll need that rat back, if you don't mind." He held out his hand.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"We're gonna feed it to the Giant Squid," said Sirius, winking at her.

Lily folded her arms. "You're planning on feeding a mouse to the Giant Squid at nearly midnight on a Wednesday?"

"Oh, is that the time?" asked James, widening his eyes. "We had no idea." Beside him, Sirius checked his Muggle watch and let out a gasp of mock horror.

"Potter," said Lily, exasperated, "it's the third day of classes. Are you lot really breaking curfew already?"

James shrugged. "I mean, technically, the first time was on Monday, but we didn't get caught then, so…"

"You know I'm going to have to give you detention," said Lily.

James grinned. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"I'm sure that'll teach us a lesson," said Sirius. "We won't be breaking curfew again in a hurry."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm sure."

"Believe you me, Evans," said James. "From now on it's a new leaf for us. Just imagine, a round of detentions! The horror…"

"Keep talking, and it'll be two rounds of detentions," said Lily. "Now, how would you like to accompany me back to Gryffindor tower?"

"That's actually the whole reason we snuck out," said James. "Can't have young Gryffindor women walking back to the common room by themselves." He tried to take Lily by the arm, but she shook him off.

"Could we get that rat back?" asked Sirius as the three made their way down the corridor.

Lily shrugged and placed the unconscious rat in Sirius' hand. "I don't even want to know what you really have planned with the poor thing."

"We would never hurt him," said James. "He's our pet. Had him since second year."

"Now I really feel bad for it," said Lily, and Sirius laughed.

After a couple of minutes of walking, they reached the Gryffindor common room. "I'm sure McGonagall will be in touch about the detentions," said Lily, yawning.

"Excellent," said James. "Anything to spend more time with Minnie. Night, Evans."

"Yeah, goodnight," said Sirius. "We're definitely not going to sneak out again the minute you go up to your dormitory."

Lily rubbed at her eyes. "You're lucky I've been awake for eighteen hours at this point. I'm past caring about anything that isn't my bed."

"Good girl," said James. "Get some rest. We'll see you in the morning."

"God, I hope not," said Lily, climbing the stairs to her dormitory. "I'm planning on sleeping in."

It was only after she had brushed her teeth and snuggled under her blankets that she realized that she was absolutely positive James had not kept a pet rat since the second year. She frowned for a moment before giving a mental shrug and rolling over in bed. Who could fathom the mind of James Potter?