A/N: Latest instalment! Happy reading. Let me know what you think of the story/characters so far. Things will get increasingly more juicy the older they get. I have big plans!
The Aftermath
Troy woke the morning after McGonagall's detention giving, and inwardly groaned. They would have to report to her later that evening to receive detention, which Troy was not looking forward to. Still, she supposed, it was their own fault.
Groaning out loud this time, she dragged herself out of bed and got dressed, pulling a brush through her hair before her stomach rumbled and she entered the common room cautiously, in case McGonagall had announced the culprits of the prank at breakfast and the Slytherins were waiting for her. Surmising finally that no such thing had occurred, she almost ran through the corridors until she reached the hall, and headed to her friends, who were today sat at the near end of the Gryffindor table.
Always with the Gryffindors, she thought wryly, albeit more comfortable than she had been with the idea. She waved casually at Peter as he looked over and saw her, and hurried over, wanting at least a slice of toast before breakfast was over. She carefully avoided any Slytherin interaction with anyone who wasn't Hunter, and sat with her back to the Slytherin table, fully aware of the glances, and glares, she was receiving, but not caring in the least.
"Morning, Troy," Ruby-Jane smiled over, eyeing her food and eventually taking a big bite of her jam and banana covered toast.
"Morning? On a Sunday? And Troy's up?" Mackenzey dared to ask in mock disbelief, assuming she was safe as she was sat a fair few places up the table to Troy. Mackenzey didn't notice the slight flick of Troy's wand, which she had retrieved upon entering the hall, just in case, but gasped as a goblet of pumpkin juice toppled onto her lap.
"C-cold! So cold!" Mackenzey yelped, attempting to mop up the mess.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Scorgify," she said, her position next to Mackenzey enabling her full access to the other girl's lap.
"Aw, Troy, did you have to?" Hunter complained from opposite Mackenzey. "That was my juice,"
Troy didn't bother to answer, and instead Ruby-Jane offered an unused cup to him, filling it with juice before she passed it over. Hunter smiled in thanks and took a long slurp to spite Troy.
"I'd be careful there," Peter warned, "Could be you next,"
Hunter laughed, but cut it short as he did know Troy, and knew she was perfectly capable of getting her silent revenge on him too, and not feel bad about it.
"Did you see the Slytherins' faces this morning?" Sirius asked gleefully, attracting the rest of the group's attention, apparently forgetting all about the previous night's drama.
James laughed along with him. "I was watching out for Snape. He still looks like a sour puss, and it's been almost a week. I'm beginning to think it's just his face!"
Lily and Alice shook their heads, Lily in frustration and anger at the treatment of her friend, and Alice of their easy amusement.
Both boys were sat facing the Slytherin table and Ruby-Jane was sure the Slytherins would know the whole colour change prank had been them for a number of reasons, not least because Snape had already dobbed them in once. She sighed, knowing life at Hogwarts had just gotten a lot more difficult. She kicked both laughing boys in the shin, careful not to catch Remus on James' other side, and shushed them when they looked at her incredulously.
"Do you want the Slytherins to know it was you, no doubts? We're lucky neither Snape nor McGonagall has told the whole school! Don't give them reason to!" she hissed.
James and Sirius looked at each other. Did they? It was a fun prank, and they weren't ones to shy away from punishment and consequence of their actions, but maybe admitting to this one would be a bit like suicide. The teachers and the Slytherins? Both boys were sure they could handle it, they just weren't sure they wanted to for the next seven years. They were positive revenge would be imminent, so to stand up and say, hey, it was us, would be a bit, well, stupid, and both boys were far from stupid.
"Sorry," they said in unison, high fiving each other.
Remus shook his head at Ruby-Jane as she whacked her hand to her head. "Maybe they'll grow up one day?" he asked hopefully.
Ruby-Jane looked at the giggly boys, now eagerly attacking their forgotten food, and Sirius successfully distracting James long enough to steal all the bacon from his plate. His second attempt at stealing a sausage however was thwarted when the sausage he had tried to remove from the plate was the same one James had just picked to eat. Hurriedly he went back to his food, not even glancing up when James exclaimed all his bacon had disappeared, though Ruby-Jane did see a smirk cross his face.
It was Lily who made the smart remark that maybe James had already eaten his bacon, and he looked puzzled for a moment and shrugged, going back to his food with the air of someone who hadn't eaten for a week.
"No chance," Ruby-Jane answered Remus' question.
Remus agreed wholeheartedly.
After breakfast the thirteen students went out into the grounds, having all dressed warmly that morning. It was, after all, now November, and all thirteen could think of many warmer places than the castle.
The students had been granted permission to learn and practise heating and warming spells, as all members of staff were also fully aware of the temperature in the castle during the winter months (they did reside there too!), and sympathised with the students, especially the first years whose first year it would be in the draughty castle, and who had probably spent each winter up to now coddled by a warm fire at home.
As the pre-teens settled under their acclaimed tree a silence fell. They were all content sitting with each other for company. There was a feeling of relief, knowing that because there were so many of them, McGonagall had only seen fit to give each of them a fortnight's worth of detention and twenty points off each student, which put Ravenclaw way ahead and Gryffindor way behind, much to Lily's chagrin.
Soon enough though, James and Sirius were getting bored.
"I wish it would snow," James whined.
"Ergh, I don't," Ruby-Jane brushed some mud of her fingers.
Sirius looked appalled. "You don't like snow?"
"No," Ruby-Jane replied shortly. Remus looked at Sirius and after a few moments closed his gaping mouth for him. Sirius didn't even notice. Instead he quickly turned his neck to look at James.
"You hear that, she doesn't like snow!"
"She has never liked snow, and she has a name," Ruby-Jane cut in before James could reply.
"I don't like snow either," Mackenzey said, ending the impending… debate.
Sirius only shook his head in disbelief, his shock rendering him speechless on the subject for now.
"Well, I wish we were in third year so we could go to Hogsmeade," Alice said, leaning her blonde head on Lily's shoulder. Ruby-Jane looked over at the two girls and smiled slightly. They had such a great friendship for knowing each other two months. True, it wasn't amazing like hers with Troy, Mackenzey and Hunter, but she knew Lily would stick by Alice and Alice likewise. That's what Hogwarts taught you; to make friends for life. There was nothing more important, in Ruby's opinion. In the same space of time as the Gryffindor girls, Ruby was close to Peter's friends, especially Sirius, and James to an extent; you never saw one without the other, unless they had separate detentions (which now happened quite frequently). Troy bonded well with Remus, with their love for books. Not studying, just reading. Kerris and Chris were best friends, that made the group work out well, Ruby reflected, tuning back into the excited chatter around her.
"Hogsmeade sounds great!" Chris exclaimed. Ruby quickly reached the conclusion she hadn't missed much; she'd heard loads about Hogsmeade already, although she'd never been.
"I want to go to Honeydukes!" Peter added, his mouth watering, and Hunter rolled his eyes at his friend.
"Do you think of anything else?" he asked the other boy. Peter hesitated then shrugged.
"Nah," James cut in, "Zonko's all the way for me!"
Kerris looked a bit puzzled, so Mackenzey leaned over to her. "Honeydukes is the sweet shop, and Zonko's the joke shop," she grinned, her green eyes gleaming. Mackenzey's one weakness was a good prank.
"Ooh, I want a Butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks," Alice's face had a dazed look.
"You've had one? No fair!" James pouted.
"Yeah," Alice shrugged. "I got got one last Christmas. Folks figured I was old enough or something," she grinned.
James crossed his arms, sulking. "I wish my parents were younger, then they'd let me!"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, James," Remus said, ruffling his friend's hair. James batted him away.
"What is Butterbeer?" Lily asked.
"Ooooh, it just gives you a warm feeling when you drink it, and tastes like less-sweet butterscotch," Alice shivered thinking about it.
"And it's slightly alcoholic," Sirius added, grinning.
"Alcohol?" Lily asked, slightly weak.
"Yes, Evans, but only a little bit," James squeezed his thumb and forefinger together in indication of how much alcohol Butterbeer contained.
"You can't get drunk on it," Alice assured her, "Unless you drink loads,"
"'Except if you're a house elf," Frank laughed, remembering one time when his family's elf had drunk a little too much and ended up singing three Christmas carols before dropping off his stool as he fell asleep.
James looked at Frank puzzled, and then shook his head. Bizarre boy.
"But we have another two years before we get to go," Sirius almost cried at the thought.
"You'll survive," Ruby-Jane told him wryly.
"Unfortunately," Mackenzey added, trying hard not to laugh.
"Hey!" Sirius was indignant.
"Sorry," Mackenzey apologised, looking as if being sorry was the last thing on her mind.
Sirius gave up with the sympathy vote after a few seconds. It hadn't worked before, so it had no reason to work now. Unlike some, Sirius learned from his mistakes. Well, some of the less important ones…
"Man, I'm bored," This came from Troy, who had been pretty much silent so far, except a few snorts and such at Sirius' stupidity, which, though she'd never admit it, she found rather amusing.
"What do you want to do?" Mackenzey looked at her friend with an odd look on her face that Troy couldn't decipher.
"Play a game?" The blonde suggested.
"Ooh, I like games!" an excitable Sirius bounced on his crossed legs at the prospect of a game about to begin.
"Err, okay," Troy ignored Sirius' insistent clapping. "How about 'I Have Never'?"
"What?" James asked, confused, as Lily's face brightened along with Kerris'.
"That's not so bad," Lily murmured out loud, and Kerris, sitting on the other side of her to Alice, heard and agreed.
"Which version?" Chris asked.
"Err, the one where if you have done the thing the person hasn't done you have to move along a 'seat'?" Troy answered uncertainly.
"What?" Now Remus looked completely befuddled too.
"Okay, who doesn't know how to play?" Ruby-Jane asked loudly.
Instantly James, Sirius, Remus, Frank and Alice raised their hands.
Hunter looked round at the people without raised hands. "Wow, we're good," he said. "The muggle game knowledge outnumbers the wizards,"
Ruby-Jane laughed at him, whilst Troy rolled her eyes.
"Okay," Ruby-Jane instructed. She counted the boys in the group. "Err, Frank, sit to the left of Lily,"
Mackenzey picked up what she was doing and instructed Remus to move to the left of Alice. Troy meanwhile moved to sit to the right of James and Peter moved to sit to the left of Kerris. Mackenzey then sat to the right of Sirius leaving Ruby-Jane to the left of Chris.
"Sorry, Chris, but if you move before Hunter, you'll be sitting on him," Kerris laughed.
"I know," Chris answered, not looking in the least bit deterred by this, until:-
"Hunter, you get to start," Kerris said, grinning evilly at Chris. Chris clenched his jaw back at her.
"Ergh, it doesn't matter," Mackenzey said. "We'll end up sitting on everyone anyway,"
Sirius was looking more and more happy about the game, whilst Remus was looking more and more uncomfortable. Troy, noticing this, laid an arm and assured him it wasn't that bad, all in the name of fun. Remus nodded and turned his attention to the game.
"Hang on; you haven't explained how to play to us yet!" James argued, when Hunter started the sentence.
"Well, I thought you'd learn best by watching," Mackenzey shrugged, but went on. "When it's your turn you have to say something you've never done, and if someone says something you have done you move one seat to the left. That's basically it,"
"No winners?" Remus asked confused.
"Nope, it's just a way of having fun and getting to know people I guess,"
Remus nodded and Hunter opened his mouth to start.
"I've never… Been a girl," Hunter grinned. Ruby-Jane wanted to protest but it was a fair enough statement so she moved onto Chris' lap. "Hey there," she said, looking behind her grinning.
"Oomph," was Chris' reply, and she swatted him on the arm.
"I am not that heavy!" she argued and they almost missed Lily's I have never.
"I have never… Had brown eyes," she stated. James and Frank pushed the respective girls of them and James sat in Kerris' empty spot, Frank Alice's and Hunter moved into Lily's.
"Right, I have never… Listened to muggle music," Frank said. At once everyone who had known how to play 'I Have Never' moved along one seat to the left, James groaning as Troy landed in his lap again, grinning.
"Didn't expect me back so soon, did you?" she asked. James groaned in response.
"I have never… Worn makeup," Alice finished, uncertain she'd got the game right. At once Lily, Ruby-Jane and Mackenzey moved, cursing Alice's natural beauty. She smirked at them.
"Um, I have never served a detention? Yet," Remus half asked, causing both James and Sirius to jump up, and Sirius to leap heavily into Mackenzey's lap. Ruby-Jane gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Right, I've never been in Gryffindor," Troy laughed, knowing at least half the group would have to move.
"No fair," James complained, though relieved he got an empty spot.
"Err, I've never painted my nails," Kerris said, wondering who had. Lily, Alice, Ruby-Jane, Troy and Hunter all moved, the boys staring at Hunter with a mixture of emotions. He shrugged. "No biggie,"
Peter pretended to think. "I have never been an only child,"
With a sigh James jumped up once again. "You hate me, don't you?"
Remus, Mackenzey, Chris, Kerris, Hunter, Frank and Sirius also moved.
Mackenzey sighed. "I have never spoken to my father,"
Instantly Ruby-Jane, Peter, Lily, Frank, Alice, Remus, Troy, James, Sirius, and Chris all skipped one 'seat' to the left.
Both Mackenzey and Hunter looked at Kerris in surprise, followed by Chris, who had thought he'd known mostly everything about his best friend. Kerris avoided any questions and instructed Sirius to continue.
"Err," Sirius thought for a moment. "I have never played a muggle game before?"
Hunter, Lily, Troy, Kerris, Peter, Mackenzey, Ruby-Jane, Chris and James all moved seats.
"Patience, I think it was," James shrugged, when questioned what game he'd played. "I was very bored," he said defensively.
"It's not a bad thing!" Alice assured him whilst Ruby-Jane pondered what to say.
"I have never owned a sports bra," she laughed.
"A what?" Sirius asked.
"You don't need to know, you wouldn't have one," Lily giggled, lifting herself from one seat to the other, along with Mackenzey and Alice.
"I have never… had an altercation with a Slytherin, but that might be about to change," Chris said, trying to subtly gesture the approaching and sneering Slytherin students.
Lily could see Severus with them, and smiled a big smile at him, which he fully returned, though when his gaze swept over the rest of the group, particularly Potter and Black, the smile became a frown faster than Lily could blink. She couldn't blame him, mind, the two were jerks. So why are you hanging around and playing games with them? Lily asked herself, mentally replying because Alice was there.
At the forefront of the group were Sirius' cousins, Narcissa and Andromeda Black, in fifth and seventh year respectively, and Andromeda looking less than happy to be there. Narcissa, however, had a particularly nasty look on her face that only intensified as she looked at the mottled group in front of her.
Flanking the sisters were Lucius Malfoy, from sixth year, well known to be courting Narcissa and a vicious sneer on his face (thinking about it, Peter didn't think he'd ever seen Malfoy without a sneer on his face), and Rabastan Lestrange, whose brother had left the year before and had married Andromeda and Narcissa's elder sister, Bellatrix. Following behind the older Slytherins were the first years Rosier, Mulciber, Wilkes and Avery, all glaring at Troy and Hunter, silently accusing them of treachery and the like. They would have been verbally abusing them by now, had it not been for the teenagers order to let them handle it. Finally, stood a little to the right of Wilkes, Snape teetered, looking a bit uneasy with the situation if only because of Lily's involvement.
There was deadly silence, during which Sirius, James, Remus, Ruby-Jane, Hunter and Troy stood up quickly, careful to ensure wands were at easy access. With a glare from his sister, Peter also stood, Frank rising with him, Mackenzey warily standing but keeping a safe distance behind the initial front line. Lily was keen to stay out of it, and Kerris and Chris weren't entirely sure what was going on. They, however, also stood with Alice, who looked a bit unsure at first, but stood up confidently having apparently made up her mind. This left only Lily still sitting, and sighing resignedly she slowly stood next to Alice, her apologetic gaze fixed on Snape.
He shrugged back at her nonchalantly, seemingly not caring, but his heart gave a pang and he realised this was Lily fighting against him, even in the smallest way. He swallowed heavily and prepared to move into line with Wilkes and Avery, gripping his wand tightly, his knuckles white.
Lily looked at him, looking past the lengthening, greasy locks and into his dark eyes, seeing the light there she couldn't see in any of the rest of the group, the look she saw in her fellow Gryffindors' eyes, even Potter and Black's, and maybe her own if she'd ever taken the time to look. She saw courage, and hope, and maybe even love. Well of course, she uttered to herself, he's your best friend! I guess I see something in him no one else can see, she thought, frowning slightly as Narcissa Black, Rabastan Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy drew their wands.
"This might get ugly," she muttered to Alice, who threw her a strained grin. However good they thought they were, they were no match for the Death Eaters in training, as Chris had put it.
Before there was a chance for the Slytherins to cast a spell, Sirius opened his mouth.
"What are you doing here?" he asked finally, not looking at Andromeda, believing this to be a betrayal on her part.
"We're at school, dear cousin, where the colours of our house are to be respected," Narcissa hissed back, her emphasis on respected.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "And we're not respecting this how?"
"Don't play smart with us, boy," Lucius took a menacing step forward, and Black did himself some by sticking his ground. Narcissa held her boyfriend back, and instead glared at her cousin.
"We know you were behind the prank,"
"And how did you come to this assumption?" Sirius asked, feigning boredom even though he could feel his heart trying to leap out from behind his ribcage.
"We saw you laughing…"
James cursed himself, Ruby had been right. "You saw us laughing at a prank the whole school was laughing about?" he asked incredulously.
"Please, come back when you have more proof," Sirius said dryly, putting on a show of maturity Lily had never seen from him before.
Malfoy and Narcissa Black were noticeably more riled, although Andromeda seemed to be keeping out of it, which made Sirius soften towards her a bit. Lestrange was apparently there as back up as he had yet to do anything, bar stop the first years from jumping their peers when the mood struck.
Malfoy snarled at Sirius, in a rare display of his losing his careful composure and Narcissa clung to his arm in an attempt to calm him. The sight made Sirius almost lose his breakfast.
"Just leave us alone, all right, we haven't done anything to you," Lily said surprising everyone, herself and Snape the most.
Her friends looked round at her, so shocked they took their eyes of the Slytherins. However they needn't have worried as the Slytherins were also looking at Lily like she had two heads.
"So much for not getting involved," she muttered to herself, staring right back into the gang of Slytherins defiantly.
"And who do we have here?" Malfoy muttered, drinking in Lily's figure. Lily thought she saw a flicker of annoyance and jealousy cross Narcissa's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come and Lily was sure she had imagined it.
"Evans," Lily said, not bothering to offer her given name.
"Yeah, all right, she's Evans, she's a Gryffindor and she's a Mudblood," Narcissa snapped, and suddenly Lily wasn't so sure she had imagined or misinterpreted the emotions that had fleeted across the younger Black's pretty face.
"That's enough!" The sharp comment was almost worthy of Professor McGonagall herself, and all eyes snapped to Andromeda who refused to cower under the gaze of the younger students. "Evans has never done anything to offend or insult you, to your knowledge," Andromeda added, seeing Narcissa start to speak. "And she seems a pretty smart girl. You had no right to talk to her like that, Narcissa. This whole thing is a farce and you know it. You just want to lay off some steam, and blame Sirius for Aunt Walburga's upset. It is not his fault he was placed in Gryffindor, Cissy, and the sooner you see that, the better,"
Narcissa gaped at her sister. Then she grabbed Malfoy by the arm and marched off, her nose in the air. Lestrange did not dare argue with the furious girl in front of him, and herded the first years away. Snape indicated Lily to come, and she said a harried 'bye!' to Alice before rushing off. James rolled his eyes and Sirius smirked, before his eyes rested on his cousin. She looked tired and slightly pale despite her colouring, and some empathy for her issued from Sirius.
The other first years sat back down, talking about what had happened as Sirius approached Andromeda, still a few feet away.
"Thanks, Dromeda," Sirius smiled, reaching up and pushing a lock of stray hair from her face. She only smiled slightly. "You looked tired," Sirius continued, wishing he knew a way to comfort her.
"I am," Andromeda confessed, somehow knowing her young cousin would understand.
"Get some rest," Sirius advised, hugging her. She nodded silently, and watched with a small smile as he returned to his friends. She disappeared with a long, lingering glance at the first year, a breath escaping her lips as she wished she could be that young and carefree again.
"Wow," Mackenzey sighed, looking a little relieved.
"I don't think this is over," Remus warned, giving a subtle nod in the direction of the glowering Slytherins in the distance.
"And I'm afraid Dromeda might be dragged in," Sirius said miserably.
James patted him on the back. "She can handle it," he said, in an attempt to cheer his friend up.
Meanwhile Lily had caught Snape up at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She cast a warming spell, and settled herself against a tree stump. He had sat down next to her, silent, and now a slight awkwardness was amidst them.
"Why were you with them?" Severus asked quietly.
Lily didn't have to ask to know who he was talking about. "I was with Alice, and Alice was with Frank, and Frank is friends with the rest of them… I can't help that,"
"But you're always with Potter and Black!"
"I'm always with my friends!" Lily responded, keeping her anger in check. "And if you want to be like that, then I don't approve of your friendship with Avery, and Mulciber especially,"
"But Potter and Black, Lily! Do you not remember what they said on the train?"
Lily was sat with Snape in a compartment on the Hogwarts express. They were joined by two rowdy boys, who introduced themselves as James Potter andSirius Black. Severus took an immediate dislike to them both, and attempted to engage Lily in conversation. However, they were soon interrupted by the boywith glasses (Potter)'s question.
"What house do you want to be in?"
Black answered with gusto. "Anything but Slytherin. Maybe Gryffindor. That'll make the parents mad,"
Severus scoffed and Lily looked surprised by the answer.
"I hope you'll be in Slytherin, Lily," Severus said, his eyes filled with hope.
Potter laughed. Lily ignored him, however. "So do I, Sev,"
"What about you, Potter?" Severus said with distaste.
"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad. Got a problem with that?" he finished, looking at Severus.
"No. If you'd rather be brawny instead of brainy -"
"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius retorted.
Lily stood up angrily, having had enough.
"Come on, Sev," she said, ramming open the door and slamming it shut behind Severus. She heard an 'ooh' from Black as she and Severus attempted to find
another compartment.
"I remember," Lily said, thinking back to the jerks they had been, and still were.
After another silence Lily looked at him, to find him staring at her. Embarrassed, he looked away quickly.
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, taking his hand. Severus' eyes swung back to her and he smiled earnestly.
"Me too. I just miss you, being in different houses and all,"
"I miss you too, Sev, but we're still hanging out," she said, removing her hand from his grip to brush some hair from her face.
"So, how have you been?"
"Okay," she said finally.
"Petunia?" Severus tried hard not to twist his face as he said her name.
"Still being a bit off with me, but I'm sure she'll come around,"
"She never liked me,"
Lily didn't even bother replying, knowing it was true.
"But I do," she grinned. "How are things at home?"
"Better now I'm not there, I should think," Severus said, shrugging like he didn't care.
"Oh, don't say that!" Lily exclaimed. "Your mum loves you very much!"
"But not enough to stop arguing with dad," Snape said miserably.
Lily couldn't think of anything to say. It was true his parents argued a lot, and didn't think of Severus during these arguments, but Lily wanted to find something good to say about them.
"She's doing her best," Lily said softly.
Snape almost laughed. But he didn't cuss his mother in front of Lily, knowing how she'd get about it.
"Can we talk about something else?" he asked, almost pleadingly.
"Sure, Sev, anything you want," and they proceeded to spend the next couple of hours lounging together in complete harmony.
Soon it was lunch time, and Lily said goodbye to Severus at the doorway into the hall, picking her way over to the Gryffindor table where she spotted Alice. Waving, she impatiently waited for two fifth year boys to stop blocking her way before sitting heavily down on the bench.
"Did he ask you if you were behind the prank again?" Alice wanted to know.
"No, actually. I think he's just happy that Potter, Black and Pettigrew are getting punished. He needn't know about the rest of us," Lily said, reaching for a sandwich. "Where are the others?"
"The boys will be here soon, they were finishing their stone throwing contest," Alice shook her head, "and the girls were each supporting one of the throwers,"
"But they'd be three short without you and me," Lily said.
"Yes, and that's why Peter, Remus and Frank are determined to win. Something about not needing female support," Alice grinned.
"They noticed we're girls?" Lily asked, shocked.
"Apparently,"
"Oh, look, I can see Frank and Remus!"
"And I can see some Slytherins headed their way-"
The two girls abandoned their lunches and crossed the hall, trying to get the boy's attention. They were stood just outside the door, unable to see the Slytherin table from where they were, and obviously waiting for someone.
Lily and Alice arrived just after the Slytherins, who had surrounded the two boys.
Remus rolled his eyes, as at that moment the rest of the group decided to troop into the Entrance Hall.
Peter immediately spotted the boys surrounded by Slytherins, and Lily and Alice to the side, and pointed them out to the rest. Eyes narrowed, the group advanced on the Slytherins, who had seen them come in.
Wands were drawn quickly, and each Slytherin was marked by two of the other group. Troy and Hunter tried hard to stay out of this one; they had to live with these people after all. Lily noticed gladly that Severus was not one of the Slytherins among the group. Actually, she noted, the group of four consisted of Avery, Mulciber, Rosier and Wilkes. 'Idiots', she thought, 'couldn't they understand a single instruction?'
Then Black fired a spell, and Lily marvelled at his stupidity for a split second before she dodged a Bat Bogey Hex aimed at her.
The amateur duel went on for a few minutes, until Remus put up a shield around half the group, and Lily the other. Then McGonagall made an appearance and Lily verbally groaned.
"Detention. All of you. Again," she said in her most disapproving voice, giving her Gryffindors an especially stern glare. "Report to me after lunch for details. I want to know what exactly happened here. And put your wands away!"
Rather meekly the first years shoved their wands in pockets. "Good. Now, get to lunch. And be warned, this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated again!"
She stalked away, ensuring the Slytherins were safely inside the Hall. Chris turned to the rest of the group.
"Well, she didn't take any more points away," he said.
"Yet," Frank said, looking a little anxious.
"But, on the bright side, I guess James and Sirius won't be the only ones to have had multiple weeks' detentions after this," Ruby-Jane grinned, her comment horrifying half the group.
"How is that a bright side?" Mackenzey moaned.
Lily was wondering the exact same thing.