Chapter Twenty-Four: Talking Heads
Lily sat against the foot of Marlene's bed as she watched the blonde pace back and forth. Alice was sitting in the desk chair. Both couldn't help but laugh at their tall friend. It had been a long time since she was the butt of the joke.
"So you gonna shag him or not?" Alice smirked.
"Lily, who is this tiny demon and where did sweet little Alice go? I don't know when you got so bold." Marlene scowled and crossed her arms. "This is a crisis."
"Alice, is it just me, or are Black's theatrics wearing off on her?" Lily ducked and covered her head as Marlene tossed a stuffed bear at her. "Come on, Mar. We've literally had this conversation every night this week. We all know that you and Sirius have crazy chemistry. What are you worried about?"
Marlene dropped down onto her bed. She mumbled something that neither of her friends heard. Lily poked her in the side. "I'm worried what happened with Remus will happen with Sirius."
Lily climbed up on to the bed. "Not to be rude or anything, but you and Remus didn't have what you've got going with Sirius. I hate to say it but you're both rather physical people. Remus is sweet and you two had a lot in common but maybe that just wasn't enough."
The blonde girl sat up and wrapped her arms around Lily from behind. She settled her head on Lily's shoulder. "So you think I should go for it?"
"Uh yeah, Mar. Lily and I think you should shag Sirius. Maybe Lily will give you the privacy of her Heads' dorm so that you don't have to worry about the other three walking in on you."
"Speaking of, who do we think the Head Boy is?" Lily patted Marlene's arm absent-mindedly. "They wouldn't give it to two Gryffindors would they? I would actually enjoy this year if Remus was Head Boy. Michaels and Harris wouldn't be bad to partner with but I'd refuse to work with Snape for a whole year. Let alone live with the git."
"Careful, you're starting to sound like James." Marlene laughed and tickled Lily. "I don't see why they wouldn't make two Gryffindor Heads. I'm sure it's been done before." Marlene sent a knowing look over Lily's shoulder to Alice who fought the urge to smile. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep a straight face.
"Well in that case, do you really want to shag Sirius in the dorm I'll be sharing with Remus?" Lily tried to roll away from Marlene's tickling. They fell off the bed in a heap. All three girls laughing.
"We can swap. You can sleep with James so that Sirius and I can have some privacy."
Lily laughed. The thought of snuggling up to James was not as repulsive as it once was. "I can see what you're doing, McKinnon. It won't work. You can't trick me into getting together with James."
Marlene smirked. She enjoyed that Lily had already overlooked the fact that the plan was in full swing. Alice just shook her head. This year would certainly not disappoint for entertainment.
James had never been this early to the train. Ever. Sirius grumbled about how he should still be sleeping. There was no one on the platform. James pretended to ignore Sirius's complaints about if James hadn't been made Head Boy they wouldn't be here this early and all the things it is ruining.
The boys dragged their trunks to the Marauders' compartment. Sirius making remarks under his breath the whole way. They stowed their belongings before stepping off the train. "Gee James, you think we're early enough?"
"Shut it, Padfoot. I don't want to give Lily a reason to petition my removal as Head Boy before we even get to school." They made their way up towards the Prefects' carriage.
Sirius whistled as they walked in. "Moony never told us how fancy it is up here." The boy fell onto a couch and propped his feet up onto the back of it. James continued to ignore him as he explored the carriage. Unlike the rest of the train, this carriage was compartment free and filled with squishy couches. James proudly pinned the Head Boy badge to his chest.
They played exploding snap for a while until Remus joined them. He had his prefect badge on but must have stored his belongings in the compartment before coming to the front of the train.
"Five knuts says Lily accuses James of stealing the Head Boy badge from me." Remus laughed as he sat down on one of the couches.
"Well he did didn't he?" Sirius laughed. "Though I have a feeling Dumbledore has his own ulterior motives for making James Lily's Head Boy."
Remus snorted. "Are you telling me that Dumbledore is playing matchmaker?"
"Five knuts says he is. Your bet was lame. Lily will absolutely accuse him of stealing the badge. It would be a better bet if we can guess her reaction when she realizes that he actually is Head Boy."
"You two are being ridiculous." James muttered and ruffled his hair. He took a look around the carriage and saw the board with names on it. All the prefects plus the heads were listed.
Sirius tapped out a beat on his thighs. "I think Lily will call him an arrogant prick and try to snatch the badge off his chest."
"You might as well just give me the money then, Padfoot." Remus laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back. "Lily is going glare at him for a split second before someone else walks in and she realizes she cannot publicly scrutinize Dumbledore's decision to make James Head Boy. I propose we beat the two of them to the Heads' dorm tonight and hide under the invisibility cloak to see how she responds when they're alone."
James looked at Remus flatly. Sometimes he forgot that Remus was as ingenious a troublemaker as him and Sirius."Or you could not. Wait a minute. Lily didn't make Head Girl. Marlene said so at the Leaky Cauldron. You two set me up!" James turned to the board and saw that his and Lily's names were above the rest that fell in columns under their houses. A mischievous smirk stretched across Remus's face but he said nothing in response. Sirius looked like Christmas had come early. James muttered curses under his breath as he glared at his friends.
Not long after Remus had arrived Lily and Marlene stepped into the carriage. "Sorry McKinnon, this carriage is for prefects only."
Marlene gave Sirius an amused look. "So what are you doing here?"
"Waiting for the show." Sirius sat up and leaned forward. Marlene grinned and went to sit beside him. They both watched Lily.
Lily didn't see James at first. "If you're here Black then Potter can't be far away." She turned her head to say hello to Remus when she saw James leaning against the carriage wall. Her eyes zeroed in on the badge on his chest. She was going to say something when Dorcas and Emmeline joined the group.
"Lily! We knew you'd make Head Girl!" Dorcas gave her former dorm mate a hug.
Lily smiled and thanked Dorcas before turning back to the problem at hand. She looked between the three boys trying to determine what her best course of action was. Sirius looked about ready to pee himself. Remus had a very smug look on his face which was unusual for him. Lily saw the prefect badge pinned to his chest. It was still plausible that he had made Head Boy and switched badges with James as a prank but she wasn't going to make a scene in front of two of the students she was supposed to lead.
"Marlene, could you escort Sirius back to the compartment. We'll join you once the train starts moving." Lily did not notice the look Remus gave Sirius or the wink that passed between Sirius and Marlene. She stepped to the door and murmured something to Marlene that no one else heard. Marlene let out a laugh before she followed Sirius out.
"Dorcas, Emmeline," James smiled nervously at them. He wasn't sure what they would make of him being made Head Boy.
He had nothing to worry about. Neither girl seemed to take issue with his appointment. Emmeline sat down beside Remus and asked how his summer had been.
Lily inhaled deeply and then walked over to James. She took a moment to tell herself that this was not in her control and that to worry about it was a waste of mental space. Still she couldn't resist to ask him. "Did you and Remus swap badges?"
James smiled. He wasn't going to admit to Remus that she had asked him. Even if it wasn't quite what his friend had bet it was still a half win. "I was as shocked when I got the letter as you are now. I swear it."
Well, at least she knew they weren't playing some type of prank on her. And he had grown up quite a bit in the last year. Lily quietly reviewed with James how the meeting worked as more prefects trickled into the carriage in twos and threes. Once all twenty-six upper students were present, Lily flicked her wand at the compartment door to dull the roar of students and families out on the platform. She and James stood near the board of names.
Remus laughed silently as he watched Lily do all the talking. James stood there a bit like a statue. Though when the Slytherin students complained about the schedule Lily had devised he stepped closer to her and gave them a very McGongall-esque look that shut them up.
The train started moving as Lily finished giving directions. She completely ignored the look Snape was giving her and James. She hoped that there wouldn't be fight between them on day one. She sent up a little prayer that Dumbledore had made the right decision.
The prefects trickled out of the carriage and down the train to wherever their friends were sitting. Lily, James, and Remus were the last to leave. Mostly because a handful of prefects came to ask Lily questions. James felt obligated to stay as he was Head Boy and Remus figured he might as well wait to walk with them.
Snape hovered by the door to the rest of the train. The Gryffindors noticed him when they finally turned to leave. Snape let the new fifth-year Hufflepuff prefect, Anna, leave before he stepped in from of the door.
"Interesting company you're keeping these days, mudblood," Snape sneered.
Lily didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. She felt the boys tense up. "Ten points from Slytherin for derogatory language."
"Prefects can't take points from prefects." Snape stepped forward and glared at her.
Lily pointed to her badge. "Now move." Lily shoved past him and into the next carriage. James and Remus kept their faces straight and followed behind her.
"Have we ever told you how brilliant you are?" James asked in awe as they stepped into the third carriage down the train. Lily stopped and turned to face them. She had her no-nonsense face on.
"Let me make one thing clear, Potter." Lily shoved her finger into his chest. "There will be no abuse of power with that badge. I took points from Snape to make a point and teach him a lesson but I will not be making a habit of it. Is that understood?"
James nodded. He reached for her wrist as she moved to turn around. "Remus, can you give us a minute, mate?" Remus moved past Lily and continued down the train. Lily tried to shake off James's grip but scowled when he tightened it. He let go once he made sure she wasn't going to run off. "I have no plans to abuse my power. I do have plans to keep Sirius in line this year and if that means I need to take points from him or report him I will. What do I need to do to prove to you that I am not playing around?"
Lily inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry. I'm terrified of messing this up."
James tipped his head back and let a roar of laughter. "Lily, if that's how you feel think of how I feel right now." She hadn't considered that James might actually be nervous about being Head Boy. They continued to the compartment towards the end of the train.
They heard their friends from almost four compartments away. To be more specific, they could hear Sirius Black from four compartments away. They walked in as a hand from exploding snap exploded. Taken by surprise Lily stepped back into James who kept her steady on her feet.
"Wotcher, Lily." James gently nudged her forward so he could close the compartment door behind himself.
The other five had strategically left the two open seats beside each other. Granted there was a third open seat but Remus decided he need to stretch out his lanky limbs. James let Lily settle in one of the seats before he sat down beside her. He tried hard not to crowd her but Peter was on his other side. James couldn't tell if Pete was pushing him towards Lily on purpose or not.
"So, party in the Heads' dorm tonight?" Sirius bounced in his seat. Lily looked at him and sighed. It wasn't worth giving him the satisfaction of a rise.
About an hour into the train ride, Remus stood up and stretched. Lily stood up and moved to follow him from the compartment. "Erm, Lily. I have patrol — with Dorcas."
Lily realized in that moment that this year was going to be very strange. Not patrol with Remus? But they had patrolled together for two years. They knew each other's moods and how to pass the time. Lily looked at James. She was going to have to patrol with him all year. And not just patrol but share a dorm with him?
"Sorry, force of habit." Lily sat back down her seat. James pressed his leg ever so slightly into hers. He recognized this was going to be a lot for her to adjust to. Maybe he should have told her ahead of time. Curse Sirius and Marlene for convincing him Lily hadn't been made Head Girl.
"Hey! How come you didn't say something at the Leaky Cauldron. You let me believe those two tell me that you hadn't made Head Girl."
Lily smiled, "Sirius thought it would be funny to see your brain implode if you thought I was Head Girl. Though now that I realize it's because you made Head Boy his joke makes so much more sense. Here I was thinking Remus was the smart Marauder."
Sirius clicked his tongue twice and winked at Lily. "What made it even better for me and McKinnon was that you played along and didn't have any clue that good ole Prongs here was going to be your partner."
The seventh-year Gryffindors sang along to the Hogwarts school song after the Sorting. Lily had to admit that she felt a little melancholy. Alice teared up a bit. Marlene told them to pull themselves together. They mostly listened to Dumbledore's start of term speech. Lily and James didn't miss the twinkle in his eye as he looked towards them. Again, their friends had engineered the seating plan.
"Seems like the matchmaker is pleased with the seating arrangement." Sirius murmured to Remus who was beside him. Remus elbowed him the ribs and told him to be quiet. "He did a much better job than we ever could. And to think, all it took was to make Lily and James Heads together."
"Sirius, shut it." Marlene grumbled and kicked him under the table. She missed and got Remus in the knee. She gave him an apologetic look and glared at the other boy.
Remus hissed and bit his lower lip to keep from swearing. "Remember, young ears are listening, Moony."
"Padfoot, if you don't shut up I'll take points." James and Remus muttered. Remus grinned and James shook his head.
When food appeared in front of the students everyone dug in. Sirius piled food onto his plate in attempt to build a mountain taller than Everest. Everyone agreed that Sirius had disgusting eating habits. James made a comment about how no one would ever know Walburga Black had made him take etiquette lessons growing up. Sirius growled a 'that's the point' through a mouthful of food.
At the end of the feast, Remus left to find Dorcas to help shepherd the first-years to Gryffindor Tower. The rest of the seventh-years joined the crowd of students leaving the Great Hall. It wasn't until they got to the fourth floor that Sirius mentioned to Lily and James they were going the wrong way.
"How do you even know where the Heads dorm is, Black?" Lily scowled at him. That was twice now that she'd forgotten.
"Do you really want to know the answer to that, Lilyflower?"
Lily rolled her eyes and turned around back towards the stairs. James trailed behind her. She heard him tell Sirius to sod off and Marlene's unmistakable cackle before she started walking down the stairs. "I really don't want to know, do I?"
"You really, really don't." James was a pace behind her. He felt that familiar flop in his stomach.
They crossed a hallway and went up a flight of stairs that took them to the fifth-floor. The two students stopped in front of a painting of King Arthur. The painting inclined his head and stepped aside as the portrait swung forwards. James let Lily go first through the short tunnel that led into the Heads dorm. Once James stepped into the room a second portrait swung shut over the tunnel.
"The portrait will only open for us or a teacher. If someone —" James started to explain the way King Arthur's portrait worked.
"Sirius. You can say it. I have come to terms with the fact that if I'm going to share a dorm with you then I'll be sharing it with him. Just realize that you also get stuck with Marlene in this process."
"If someone wants to visit, King Arthur will announce whomever the visitor is and we will have to allow them to come in." James finished. He sat down in an armchair beside the fireplace. The room looked similar to that of the Gryffindor Common Room but on a much smaller scale. In one corner of the room were two desks. The center of the room was sunk in with two couches facing each other. The back wall had a small set of stairs that led to two doors. A third door on the wall to the left led to the loo.
Lily grinned in a devilish manner that would rival Sirius. "So if you're not here and Sirius comes knocking, I get the satisfaction of keeping him waiting. I think I'm okay with this." She smiled to herself and laid down on one of the couches.
James couldn't help but grin to himself. "No, Sirius is not going to like that one bit."