Chapter 2: Splish Splash

The theft of the sorting hat was the talk of the castle for Lily's first week back. This was partly because the students passed through the blackened hall archway each mealtime. It was also partly because Gilderoy Lockhart, that beaming first-year Ravenclaw, had taken to lingering in the entrance hall and re-living the night of his sorting.

'Look!' he would say, brandishing his singed blue cape under the nose of anyone foolish enough to stop, 'I barely fought one off one of those flaming creatures- and I can't ever repair this cloak, you know, not with cursed fire'.

'Well, nobody's owned up,' said Dorcas, as they skirted around Lockhart and walked into the hall for lunch, 'I wonder what they're doing with the sorting hat.'

'Dorcas, please stop wondering that every time we walk in,' pleaded Marlene, 'and besides, we've got much more important things to worry about- the Quidditch trials tonight, for instance-'

Lily's friends dissolved into another discussion of their competition. Dorcas was attempting to return for a second year as Gryffindor's keeper, while Marlene was trying her luck as a chaser. Lily, who hadn't grown up riding broomsticks, knew she was only good enough to spectate. She did enjoy helping her friends practise on the occasional evening, though.

Lily tuned out Marlene's monologue and watched Hagrid, the young grounds-keeper, measuring up the blackened gap to fit new doors. They had just started to eat when Remus joined them at the table.

'Hi Lily, Dorcas, Marlene,' he greeted them pleasantly, helping himself to a plate of paella. After their first patrol together, Lily and Remus had fallen into an easy friendship. Lily had been pleased to discover in him a wickedly dry sense of humour which was not at all like the obnoxious pranks of his friends.

And, speaking of which-

'Shepherd's Pie, Lily?' offered Potter innocently. He had made a bee-line for Remus.

Lily had been doing her best to avoid Potter after he'd hauled her out of that Shepherd's Pie their first night back. She couldn't stand him. It was only a matter of time before Severus would tell her another story of his bullying, arrogant ways. He was bad enough disrupting classes with his pranks and chatter, trying to get her attention. Lily had long suspected Potter's crush on her and, after his embarrassment on the train platform, was disappointed it had not dissipated over summer. He was loud, obnoxious, and nauseating.

'Potter' she said through gritted teeth, 'just because we're friends with Remus does not mean we have to tolerate you.'

'Sheesh, fine, you don't have to have any Shepherd's Pie. You could have just said so-' he sat down beside her.

Black was never far behind.

'Parsnip soup, Marlene?' Black asked, settling himself opposite. Marlene shuddered; she had sworn to Lily and Dorcas that her robes still smelt like parsnips.

'I've already done that joke, mate,' Potter sighed, 'we're getting predictable.'

'Gah!'

'Potter, Black-' said Dorcas, snapping her fingers under their noses, 'as you seem to have forgotten, we made it very clear in our second year that we did not want to sit with you at dinner ever again- not after-'

'Ah,' said Sirius, suddenly wistful, 'the cursed cabbage incident of '72!' He wiped away an imaginary tear, 'what a mess, eh? But your hair soon grew back didn't it, Marlene? And very pretty it is now too-'

Marlene gave him a look of pure acid.

'Besides,' said Potter, brandishing his fork accusingly, 'Moony was our friend first- you can't just steal him away like he's some sort of- of- sorting hat!'

'Yeah, we're here to sit with Moony,' said Black, 'You lot just happen to be here too. Oh, budge up there, Lily, here's Peter- OI, PETER! OVER HERE!'

Lily found herself squashed between Potter and Pettigrew. Pettigrew seemed to be trembling where their arms touched. She tried to ignore it and munch through her lunch at top speed.

'Are you ladies coming to watch me obliterate the competition this evening?' asked Potter, arrogant as ever, 'There's no way I'm not making the team again'.

He had been a chaser from their third year. Even Lily would admit (rather grudgingly) that Gryffindor had been winning more matches since.

'No way- Marlene and I are coming to play!' protested Dorcas, 'and Marlene's trying out for Chaser too- watch out, Potter, she's quick'.

'Lily, you're coming to watch then?' asked Black.

'Oh, no, Lils has another one of her secret dates,' said Marlene, rolling her eyes.

There was a horrible spluttering noise as Potter choked on his chicken. Peter hopped up to thump him on the back.

'A date?' Potter asked, eyes streaming. Black wolf whistled.

'No, no,' Lily protested, 'that's just what Marlene calls them- I'm meeting a friend while everyone's busy. It's Severus, actually, if you must know.'

Black made a noise of disgust.

'Snivellus? You can't still be hanging out with that slimeball, Lily?'

'Well I think it's really sweet you're still friends, even if I don't know why,' said Dorcas, conflicted but ever supportive.

'Thank you, Dorcas.'

'But you know what his friends think about muggle-borns', protested Sirius, 'I've seen him hanging out with Avery and Mulciber. They're the worst. And I grew up with my family. I've seen Regulus with them too- he's just the same. You should hear the things they say- '

'Sev isn't like that!' Lily crossed her arms.

'Not to your face, maybe' said Potter.

'You're both too busy hexing every Slytherin you meet to actually check who thinks that way and who doesn't- you're the prejudiced ones.'

'Ooo,' Black mocked.

'I'm leaving,' Lily rose, 'Marlene, Dorcas- good luck, I hope you make the team.' She turned back to Black and Potter who were sniggering, 'I hope you two get hit by bludgers.'

- . - . -

'So, what do you think? Could it have something to do with the fire?'

Severus looked up from the letter she'd bought to show him, shaking back his long dark hair.

They were sat in one of Madam Pomfrey's many greenhouses. It was their cold-weather meeting place- humid, but warm. Most importantly, it was far from the disapproving mutters of any nosy Slytherins or Gryffindors.

'No,' said Severus curtly, 'I don't think so. I think you're right- this is just a silly prank. I've seen Slytherins doing it before.'

'Oh,' said Lily. She'd had such a funny feeling. 'It just seems too strange a coincidence. Nothing this dangerous has ever happened to us at Hogwarts.'

'But the fire and sorting hat have nothing to do with you, Lily, why would they?'

'I know, it's just a feeling-'

'Don't worry, Lils, it's nothing. Now, tell me about your first week back- I haven't seen you since what? Mid-August by the river? I've missed you.'

They chattered happily away and Lily never noticed Snape slipping the letter into his own pocket.

- . - . -

'A travesty!' Cried Marlene later that night, flinging herself and her muddy robes face down onto a sofa in the Gryffindor common room. Lily winced on behalf of the cleaning elves.

'No luck then?' Lily put down her book, 'I'm sorry, Marlene, maybe next year.'

'Wasted talent!' came Marlene's wail, muffled in the pillows.

'Who made it in? Did Dorcas get-?' Lily began as Dorcas herself climbed through the portrait hole. She was even muddier than Marlene but grinning ear to ear. She gave Lily a thumbs up.

'Dorcas got in again, of course, saved every quaffle,' Marlene waved one hand without sitting up, 'But Potter and Black got in too so- ergh!'

'Well, at least you won't have to train with them', Lily offered, 'Congratulations, Dorcas. Ah! No! Don't hug me, Dorcas- you're absolutely caked in mud.'

This gave Lily an idea.

'Marleneeee,' she sang, 'I know something that will cheer you up!'

'I doubt it, Lils, I'm seriously depressed over here. I don't think you can appreciate-'

'Not even when you remember I know the password to the Prefects' bathroom?'

There was a pause before Marlene sprang up from the sofa with a great creaking of ancient springs.

'Fantastic!' she crowed, 'oh Lils, you genius! Why didn't we do it earlier? Oh Merlin, I've heard so many stories about this bathroom- it's meant to be just heavenly. Come on, Dorcas, grab your swimsuit and facemasks! We're having a spa night.'

- . - . -

It was bliss, as Marlene had predicted. The candle-lit chandelier cast a soothing glow over the white marble room. The pool-like bath filled quickly, while Dorcas experimented with the hundred golden taps. They shot out various beautifully scented bubbles and foams. Lily and Marlene were soon requesting their favourites.

'Do that peppermint-flavoured foam again!' Called Marlene from the bath, happily up to her nose in bubbles.

'No, the one with the sparkling jets!' said Lily, her feet dangling over the edge of the diving board, her dark red hair piled high on her head. She was playing with some of the pink soap-orbs. They were enormous and very difficult to pop, hovering in mid-air while humming in a relaxing way. A golden-framed portrait of a mermaid was watching over their antics from her rock, laughing silently.

The girls swum a few lengths and settled into the marble beds sunk into the bath. They had just applied their facemasks when they heard a male voice say 'Bubble-suds', and the door next to Boris the Bewildered's statue creaked open. The very last people Lily wanted to meet in a bath piled in. Potter and Black were still in their muddy Quidditch robes. Pettigrew made a strange, strangled squeak when he saw the three girls. And, looking very sheepish -

'Remus!' Lily spluttered, aghast, 'this is the Prefects' bathroom.'

Remus raised an eyebrow, 'You can't exactly take the moral high ground here, Lily,' he said, gesturing at her friends, 'Besides, these two are filthy, look at them'.

'Absolutely filthy,' said Black, tipping them a wink.

'Ergh, get out of it! We got here first,' said Marlene, setting her jaw in its stubborn way.

'Race you to the diving board!' Cried Potter, pushing Black out the way and shedding his robes as he went.

Lily felt herself blush. As much as she detested Potter, she was still a fifteen year old girl, and not immune to the sight of a male body toned by Quidditch training.

'Geronimo!' yelled little Pettigrew, cannon-balling in from the bath-side. Dorcas was soaked under a wave of soapy water. The girls looked at each other, sighed, and climbed out of the bath, wrapping themselves in fluffy white dressing gowns. The Marauders were so unbelievably inconsiderate.

'Sorry,' mouthed Remus, before Black seized him about the waist and threw him into the bath, robes and all.

- . - . -

Lily had just changed into her pyjamas in the girl's dormitory when it happened. Merlin the cat, who had been snoozing peacefully on Lily's bed sat bolt upright very suddenly, his ears pricked, and furry black head tilted to one side.

'Can you hear a mouse, Merlin?' Lily teased.

Merlin jumped off the bed and begun pawing at one of the many scarlet tapestries lining the walls. He yowled.

'Shush, Merlin, I'm trying to sleep,' moaned Mary McDonnel, one of Lily's dorm-mates. Mary rolled over, put a pillow over her head, and fell back to snoring at once. The other girls were all in the bathroom brushing their teeth.

But Merlin would not stop yowling, pawing at the edge of the tapestry.

'Really, Merlin,' Lily hissed, 'What are you doing? Have you lost a cat-toy back there?'

She crouched down and pulled up the corner of the tapestry. She gasped. There was a small door- just large enough for a grown man to crawl through. It had been left ajar, and lily could see a long spiral staircase stretching down from it.

'This must be how the cleaning elves get about!' she realised, delighted, 'Great find, Merlin!'

But Merlin, with a chirrup, had slunk under her arm and begun trotting down the staircase.

'Come back! Don't bother the elves- You'll get us both in trouble!' Lily cried, dashing after him. She had to take the stairs slightly bent to avoid bashing her head, but it wasn't too claustrophobic. Just as her legs began shaking and she realised what a bad idea it had been, the stairs levelled out into a passage with several other minature doors. Merlin yowled again, and dashed through one on Lily's right.

Lily grumbled, pushing through the door and through the tapestry covering it on the other side. She straightened up and looked around for that dratted cat.

She seemed to be in some sort of large, echoing bathroom. Hopefully it was a girl's one.

'Merlin?' She called, stepping hesitantly into the gloom.

There was an answering growl that was definitely not Merlin.

Her hand flew to her pocket- but it was empty! She'd left her wand on her bedside table.

Into the moonlight-light stepped an enormous creature. It had a lion's head, goat-horns and body, and a swishing dragon's tail. A Chimera; vicious and bloodthirsty. It smashed its thick green tail into the nearest sink, shattering the porcelain. It hadn't yet spotted Lily. She swallowed her scream and turned to run back up the elf passage, but the door had vanished. They must move around the castle, like the staircases, she thought. She slipped into the nearest toilet stall instead. She dropped to the ground and began crawling under the partitions- if she could just sneak past it to the door.

WHAM. Lily screamed. It's leathery tail had smashed down on the stall behind her. Water spurted up from the plumbing, soaking her pyjamas. She could feel splinered bits of stall in her leg. There was blood in the water. She hoped Merlin had scurried away somewhere safe.

And then, there were no more stalls to crawl under just an expanse of open tiles and there- the door. Lily half limped, half slid for it, her injured leg pinging with pain. She heard the Chimera roar behind her, its front hooves scrabbling on the wet tiles- Lily seized the door handle- turned it- but the door was locked.

'Come on!' She groaned, jiggling it frantically, but it wouldn't budge. She turned to look for another escape- and met the eyes of the grinning Chimera- mere feet from her, and making slow but steady progress over the slippery floor.

'Oh Merlin, help me, someone help me-' she panted, searching the bathroom for something to defend herself-

And there was something else- something very odd- on the floor between them- a crumpled bit of fabric. Lily squinted- it was the sorting hat! And was it... glittering?

There was definitely something silver and shiny poking out from the hat- and then- the door behind Lily opened outwards- and Lily, who had been leaning against it- fell backwards into the corridor-

'Lily? Lily, are you okay? We were on patrol and we heard banging and a scream?' Panted head-girl Alice Fortescue, 'OH MERLIN WHAT IS THAT?! Stupefy! Stupefy! Ambrosius help me-'

'Stupefy!' they cried together, and the Chimera keeled over with a splash that shuddered the tiles.

'The sorting hat!' Cried Lily, pulling herself up, 'I saw it, it's right there- oh' There was nothing but gleaming white tiles and a snoring chimera.

'Lily? What happened? No, actually- let's just get you to the hospital wing- you're soaked through and shivering- oh Merlin, is that blood?'

Lily could only collapse into Alice's worried arms.

- . - . -

'And there was definitely something in the hat?' asked Dorcas for the third time.

'Yes, shining like silver-' Lily said, again.

'Not a silver rabbit?' Joked Marlene, helping herself to a stack of chocolate frogs on Lily's bedside table. Madam Pomfrey had cleaned and healed Lily's leg in a moment, but was keeping her in the hospital wing to make sure none of the Chimera's poison had infected the wound. Marlene and Dorcas had been waiting at the doors to be let in that morning.

'What I want to know is how a chimera turned up in a Hogwart's bathroom in the middle of the night- don't they live in Greece?' Dorcas mused, 'they're not exactly easy to smuggle across borders. I suppose Hagrid will be pleased-'

'Good morning, Ladies,' said a quiet voice. Lily jumped. None of them had noticed Professor Dumbledore's appearance in the hospital wing.

'Might I have a private word with Miss Evans?' he asked, smiling at their surprise.

'We'll be back at lunch, Lily, we'll smuggle you some good stuff- not the hospital wing healthy rubbish-' promised Marlene as they left.

Dumbledore hummed loudly, examining the green hospital curtain, and pretended not to hear.

'Now, Miss Evans,' said Dumbledore, settling on the chair beside her bed, 'I'd like to hear exactly what happened.'

Lily told him about following Merlin (who, Marlene had told her, had returned safely to the girl's dormitory- a bit wet, but otherwise unhurt). When Lily mentioned the sorting hat Dumbledore's eyebrows disappeared beneath his tall purple hat.

'And there's something else Professor,' Lily admitted, 'A letter I was sent before the start of term-' She went to fish it out of her school-bag, but it wasn't there. 'Oh, it's not here, I must have left it somewhere-' she told him about it.

'What's in the hat, do you think, Professor? Who wants to take it out? Why are they using me?' Lily asked.

Professor Dumbledore looked at her over the steeple of his fingertips, leaning back.

'I have several theories,' he admitted, 'but I'm not certain.'

'So you know what's in the hat?' Lily's mouth fell open.

'Not exactly- but I do know that hat belonged to Godric Gryffindor,' he said, 'and, over the many hundreds of years, certain belongings of his have been known to fall out of it- his sword, his explorer's compass, other items we may not know about. It has not happened for nearly 70 years, I believe- But, when these objects do appear, it is only for a true Gryffindor. Hence, I think, why you have become involuntarily involved. But yes, the question does remain- why not any other Gryffindor? Quite peculiar.'

'Am I safe, do you think?' Lily fretted.

'Oh, we shall make sure of it- just so long as you don't follow your cat on any more midnight wanderings,' Dumbledore's eyes creased as he smiled.

'Yes, sir' Lily promised, quite easily. But she did not know how hard that promise was about to become.

- . - . - . - . - . -

Hello again!

Some hints at the sexual tension to come, and some new mysteries to solve! I'm churning out my first draft as I write- I'll probably go back one day and edit it all up. What would you change or add? Which bits do you like reading about and which bits are a snooze?

Thank you to OneOfWitAndLearning for the review. I loved reading your thoughts on the platters and Severus- but don't worry, plenty of angsty end-of-the-Severus-friendship to come!

Thank you also to Lilywolfy, RFlam, lone demon amongst angels, and Lucyellen

for the follows and favourites- it really means so much to have anyone enjoy these scribbles.

Hoping to get Chapter 3 up on 19/08/2020.

Prepare for some Quidditch and for some were-wolf related suspicions!

Caroline xx