So so so sorry about the wait, I've been extremely busy lately. Please review!
"Lina. Lina. Lina. Lina. Messalina. Lina. Lina! Lina! Lin-" An annoying voice called to her, dragging her from dreaming of lying on a sunny beach with Remus. She was too tired to open her eyes so she just pulled her plush comforter up beneath her chin.
"Fivemoreminutesmum." Messalina grumbled, burying her head underneath her plethora of pillows.
"Lina, wake up!" Messalina groaned when someone began to shake her roughly. Another voice murmured something from further down and suddenly her warm blankets were yanked off of her and she was in the cold night air.
"What in the fuck do you want?" She asked, abandoning her last shreds of hope that she would be able to ignore whatever was going on. Her head felt like cotton and her mouth was as dry as a desert as she sat up, opening her eyes finally to see a very excited James Potter and Peter Pettigrew who looked like he was going to piss himself. "You do know that it's three in the morning right?"
"Shh! Don't wake Lily up!" James hissed, making Messalina roll her eyes.
"What do you want?" She asked, irritated beyond belief. At least it's Friday, well technically it was Saturday morning, she thought to herself as James grabbed her forearm and dragged her from her bed. "What?"
"You won't believe it." Peter replied excitedly and Messalina had to resist the urge to snap at the boy.
"I can't believe I'm being dragged away from my warm bed at three in the morning." She murmured as the three padded down the stairs. "How'd you even get up here?"
"We're animagi, Lina."
"That is so reckless that I don't think it's true Potter."
"Fine, we levitated up the stairs." James replied as he dragged the tired girl up the stairs to the boys' dorms. He barged into the Marauders' dorm loudly, the door making contact with something solid and letting off a loud bang.
Sirius was lying down in the middle of the room, the Marauder's Map laid out on the ground in front of him. He was grinning as Peter quickly slammed the door and scurried over to where Sirius was. James quickly threw himself down beside Sirius as well but Messalina walked slowly over to where the boys were.
"What do you want?" She asked, yawning.
"Look." Sirius pointed at the map wildly and Messalina frowned at him as she knelt down to examine the small part of the map.
"Merlin's pants!" Peter cried and Messalina's eyes widened exponentially.
"You're such a bloody creep James!" She cried, whacking him on the shoulder.
"Isn't it hot?"
"It's disturbing that you're even checking to see what bed Lily's even in and it's also disturbing that you dragged me from bed for it. So what if Lily and Marlene are in bed together?"
"It's hot." Peter replied as if she was the stupidest person on earth and Magdalena rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to bed." She stood back up, shaking her head at the three boys staring at her.
"They're in the same bed, Lina."
"Yeah, well you were in my room why didn't you just look at them while you were in there?" Messalina asked raising her eyebrows.
"We know they aren't going to be naked in there, but we like to think they are, alright?"
"Don't get so defensive Potter." She replied, amused. "Why'd you even wake me up?"
"Had to share it with someone!" Sirius muttered without looking up from the map.
"Good. Night."
"Night Lina!" Peter called as the girl left their dorm, shaking her head the entire walk down to the Common Room.
"Lina!" The girl turned to see Graham Pucey, Jenny Marquette and John Higgs standing together just outside the Great Hall. Jenny looked adorable, her wavy, dirty blonde hair in a perfect ponytail, a spotless black pea coat on with a white dress underneath. John and Graham were both slightly dressed up and Messalina was glad that she'd worn some of her best clothes. The three others were each very wealthy, and though Messalina had quite an inheritance she hadn't seen any of it yet. She didn't mind, however, but she didn't exactly want to look like a homeless person compared to her friends.
"Hey guys." The two boys smiled at her, Jenny hugging her tightly.
"We're just gonna go and get a butterbeer or something if that's good with you." Graham told her and she nodded.
"That's good, Hogsmeade isn't as spectacular as I used to think it was." She told him as the four walked to the line to check out of the castle. McGonagall was clearly in a bad mood already, but then again the Marauders had probably done some sort of prank and annoyed her.
"Remember how much fun it used to be? I wish that candy and butterbeer were the same as they used to be. Look how excited they all are!" Jenny pointed to a group of bouncing third years who were chattering amongst themselves.
"At least it looks like it won't be too cold." Graham pointed out and Messalina nodded, trying to ignore Antonin Dolohov and Severus Snape who she just realized were only two groups ahead of them. "What's wrong?"
"Dolohov and Snape." She muttered and Graham's face darkened.
"Those pricks are recruiting every night in the Common Room." He replied quietly and the brunette bristled with anger. "They've got a lot more people on their side than you'd think."
"I don't understand why Dumbledore hasn't done anything yet." Jenny pointed out solemnly, glaring at the gang of Slytherins. "They're obviously dangerous."
Messalina couldn't help but notice when John snaked his arm around his girlfriend's waist, pulling her closer to him. "It's getting out of control, they're openly preaching all that now."
"Ahem." Messalina looked up to see that the line was gone and they were next. She handed her form to McGonagall who merely took it and waved them through. She looked exhausted and preoccupied and that worried Messalina. The woman was always put together and the girl had never seen her look that way before.
"They're in my Common Room too, now. Well not them exactly but Death Eater wannabees are." Jenny added as the four made their way down from the castle. "Recruiting the littler kids."
"We've all been trying to keep people from going over to the Death Eaters but..." Graham trailed off, shaking his head.
"I get it." Messalina replied, her eyebrows furrowing.
"They don't dare go into your Common Room." John pointed out and Messalina nodded.
"Not openly." Jenny pointed out.
"How many do you think there are?" Graham asked.
"At least thirty in our school alone." Jenny replied miserably and John kissed the side of her head.
"It'll be okay, I promise."
"You know, you lot are all going to get creamed by Gryffindor this year." Messalina told Graham as they sat beside one another at the Three Broomsticks. Jenny and John were sitting across from them, tongues in each others mouths and hands groping each other. Neither of the two across from them were bothered though, Graham had seen his two best friends do this a million times since fourth year and Messalina had practically seen Fabian and Gideon have sex with numerous girls.
"Those are some brave words for someone who isn't even playing this year." Graham shot back and Messalina rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah?" She asked, taking a gulp of her butterbeer. Graham was smirking at her, a confident look on his face.
"Yup." Messalina rolled her eyes at him and shook her head as Graham continued. "We already beat you this year anyways."
"I fell unconscious you arse!" She cried and Graham laughed at the offended look on her face.
"Still won."
"Still lacked a beater." She replied instantly and Graham shook his head, clearly amused.
"Definitely lacked talent."
"Oh you're gonna pay for that!" Messalina cried but before she could do anything was interrupted by Sirius and James' abrupt arrival. Both looked upset but before Messalina could do or say anything, Sirius opened his mouth.
"For what?" Sirius asked, his face solemn.
"Nothing, what's up guys?" Messalina asked, sensing the tension as John and Jenny stopped snogging.
"We're heading back up to the castle, you alright here?" James asked, eyeing up the two Slytherins.
"I'm fine James. They're my bloody friends." She hissed but they didn't seem to notice. James and John were staring at one another, Sirius and Graham looking at each other warily as well. "Oi! Quit it, you're all pretty!"
Graham snorted at that and settled back into his seat, John wrapping an arm around Jenny's shoulders.
"I'm fine, I promise." Messalina told the other two Gryffindors softly and they nodded, giving the others another once over before leaving.
Messalina's eyes were closing of their own accord the entire way back to the castle. She cursed the bloody Marauders for waking her up so early for no reason and the fact that she couldn't fall back asleep afterwards. She was too worried about Remus and Mrs. Lupin.
Thankfully the walk back was uneventful since they were leaving earlier than most everyone else and Messalina was certainly grateful for it. She was too tired for much else and so when her friends invited her to go hang out near the Black Lake, she declined and headed up to the castle on her own. Messalina had an unopened letter from the twins in her cloak anyways and she wanted time to read it and reply before she fell asleep again. She had a ton of homework to do but she was in no condition to do it.
Yawning, she made her way up the staircases in a stupor and by some miracle made it to the Fat Lady without encountering anybody. Muttering the password, she climbed through the portrait hole and stumbled into the Common Room. The Marauders were there, without Remus of course, and she collapsed on the couch beside Sirius, putting her head on his shoulder instantly.
"A little tired there, love?" He asked, clearly amused. She groaned in response and kicked off her boots before curling her feet beneath her. Sirius put his arm around her shoulders and she fell asleep listening to the sound of his heartbeat and the Marauders quiet conversation.
Nearly an hour later, Lily Evans walked through the portrait hole and immediately her eyebrows furrowed. Marlene and Alice came in behind her, running into her since she had stopped walking once she saw Messalina and Sirius. Peter and James appeared to be having a rather intense game of wizard's chess and Sirius was flipping through a magazine with Messalina curled up with him. It wasn't that that made her stop, seeing that scene was pretty cute and Lily knew there was nothing romantic going on between the two of them. What did make her stop was what was all over the front of Sirius' shirt.
"What's wrong with Lina?" She asked, her voice coming out more shrilly than she had thought it would be. The Marauders each looked up and James made eye contact with a panicking Lily before looking at Messalina. Blood was running down the front of Sirius' shirt, from the brunette's nose.
Sirius looked down for the first time and his eyes widened before he tried to wake the girl up. "Lina!" He began to shake her but she didn't make any move to wake up and he turned to the others, eyes widened. "LINA!"
Blood was trickling from her nose, running down her chin and her throat was covered with dried blood. Lily rushed towards them as Sirius began to shake her roughly, screaming her name. Younger students came flooding down from the dorms, forming a circle around the sixth years whispering to one another as Sirius shook the girl like a doll.
"Wake up Lina!" James ordered, fear making his voice crack on her name.
"The hospital wing!" Alice remembered first and without any hesitation, Sirius scooped Messalina in his arms and took off as fast as he could towards the Hospital Wing. He was the scaredest he had been in a long time and he didn't even notice that she was making his neck slick and wet with the blood which was now pouring from her nose. He could only make it halfway to the Wing before he couldn't go any farther with her in his arms and James quickly and awkwardly took the girl from his arms and continued the race.
"MADAM POMFREY!" Lily screamed as they ran through the castle, nearing the Wing but they were worried that it wouldn't be fast enough. The woman was standing outside the Hospital Wing when they arrived, speaking to McGonagall and she instantly stopped the conversation when she saw the sixth years sprinting towards her.
"Put her on the bed right now. What happened?" She demanded, summoning a potion from her desk.
"She just starting bleeding and she won't wake up." Lily panted and Madam Pomfrey bit her lip.
"The bed, Mr. Black. Now." She ordered him, immediately moving to Messalina's head. Madam Pomfrey pulled one of the girl's eyelids up and frowned immediately. Hesitantly the woman uncapped the potion, holding Messalina's mouth open. "Someone hold her down, she's going to wake up very suddenly."
James and Sirius held her down as the black potion was poured down Messalina's throat. Despite their expectations though, Messalina didn't move at all. If anything more blood was pouring from her nose and with a terribly dreadful feeling, they could only watch as blood began to trickle down from her right eye.
"Minerva, she's going to die if we don't get her to St. Mungo's right away. Grab the floo powder off my desk." Madam Pomfrey was clearly very nervous and the sixth years around her stood speechless until Marlene burst out in sobs and collapsed against Peter who barely caught her.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black let go of her." Madam Pomfrey ordered but neither of them moved and the woman slapped James across the face. Fear plastered over his face he released her, Sirius following his move.
Messalina was levitated and carried quickly into Madam Pomfrey's office, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey disappearing a moment later. They left behind a devastated group of sixth years, Lily grabbing James' hand so tightly he thought that she was going to break his hand. Marlene was sobbing on Peter, Alice having fallen into a seat beside the bed. Sirius stood, the front of his shirt covered in blood and wiped away a few tears.
"I'm going to murder those three."
"Sirius-" Lily began but he cut her off.
"She thought they were her friends, they took advantage of her and now she's going to die!" He yanked the Marauders Map out of his back pocket and quickly scanned it for the three names. Sure enough they were sitting beside the Black Lake and there was no one around them. "I'm going to kill all of them."