Authors Note: I don't own anything that you may recognise from the Harry Potter series sorry no lyrics again this time.
The Slug Club
Joan
I am so relived that I'm not one of Slughorn's beloved favourites like Lily. She's rifling through her trunk looking for something, anything that could get her out of the 'Slug Club' gathering on Friday. I told her that she should be flattered he only picks people that he's sure will achieve something important in life. She just muttered something about 'James' and 'Forward'.
Its now mid November and when I look out of the window across the grounds you can't even see the forest because of the heavy mist that's lifted off of the Black Lake and onto the trees. The full moon was high in the night sky. Somewhere out there is Remus and the other Marauders causing havoc on the locals. I wish I could join them. Lily is still resulting about in her trunk.
"I'm going out." I announced to her and got up off of my bed. I grabbed some parchment, my quill and my wand and stuffed them into my cloak.
"Oww!" I tried not to laugh as Lily banged her head on the lid of her trunk. "Out where?" she asked eyeing me suspiciously. 'The Tower' was what I wanted to say but then I remembered that Lily didn't know where I disappeared to most nights.
"Just for a walk." I lied. Lily looked at her watch.
"It's nearly curfew." She reminded me snootily in her best I'm-Head-Girl-and- I - Know - Best voice.
"Exactly, its nearly curfew" I smiled at her and walked out of the door.
Knowing that it was full moon gave me the relief that I wouldn't be disturbed. It was freezing literally when I got to the top of the tower. I even had to use a warming spell on the handle to get the door open. But it was worth it because when I got to the top of the tower the view of the grounds above the fog in the moonlight was priceless. I could even see the lanterns lighting up Hogsmeade. I sat down on the floor. I could live up here. Really I could, you can see everything even Madame Rosmerta throwing the last drunks out of the Three Broomsticks as she closed up.
I'd bumped into Robert today or rather Robert bumped into me. It was the first time that I had seen him since Hogsmeade. I had been leaving Charms with Lily by my side when he just appeared from no where and started begging his innocence to me and Lily. He just wouldn't stop talking or let us pass. It caused yet another big scene.
I shook my head, trying to shake the thoughts out of my head. I need a pensive. Maybe Dumbledore will let me borrow his. The grounds are so quiet. I wish I was an animagus then every time I spotted someone that I didn't like I could just transform and disappear but then I'd be spending most of my life as an animal. Something dark moving across the grounds caught my eye. It was an animal of some kind, looks a bit like the Grim. Well that figures, I have the worst week of my life and now I'm going to snuff it.
I watched as the animal moved across the grass then stopped to watch something. I squinted, I could just about make out that the animal was a dog. The faint sound of barking carried to my ears. I smiled, I guess I'll never be truly alone.
Lily
"Please come with me." I pleaded to Joan on Friday morning while we were sat at breakfast. She looked really tired but that wasn't going to stop me. I can't go to another Slug Club meeting alone! I'll be mobbed.
"No." Joan said in a sing song voice as she buttered her toast.
"Please?" I pulled my best puppy dog face. The same one that Black uses when he gets in trouble with McGonagall. She didn't even look at me.
"You can't do puppy dog."
"Is that a yes?" I asked hopefully. I slapped on Joan's back to prevent her from choking on her toast.
"I'd rather date Sirius than go to a Slug Club party." I grinned at her.
"You know that can be arranged." She just picked up some more toast and walked out of the hall ignoring me as usual.
"Lily?" I heard my name said nervously behind me. I turned expecting to see a first year to only see Peter Pettigrew. I can't ever remember hearing him speak to me before. I actually hadn't even realised that he was in my Transfiguration class. Peter is often out shined and over shadowed by the other Marauders. He was sweating profusely and wringing his hands constantly.
"Yes Peter?" I probed encouragingly. He obviously isn't as confident as the other Marauders because me actually talking to him seemed to make him more nervous. His eyes were darting around the room like a rats. If he didn't spit whatever it was out soon then McGonagall would be asking us if there was anything wrong.
"James asked me to ask you if you were still going to the Slug Club party tonight?" The words tumbled out of his mouth so fast that I almost missed them.
"Why didn't Potter ask me himself?" I asked him suspiciously. Peter shuffled shiftily.
"He's indisposed." he stuttered. I raised one eyebrow, Peter was staring at the floor looking like he was about to cry. I looked around the classroom. I could see a very ill looking Remus at the front sat next to Black but James was no where to be seen.
"Yes I'll probably go" I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.
"Ok, I'll go tell him." Peter squeaked and scurried away relieved to finish out conversation. Joan appeared at my shoulder stroking a kitten that had been my chair a minute ago. Why was Potter indisposed ? What prank was he planning this time? I knew it had been too good to be true. One prank all year? You've got to be joking.
"Please go with me?" I asked trying to catch Joan unawares.
"Nuh-uh no way." Came her muffled reply. What a best friend. She's going to leave me with Slughorn and possibly the Marauders on a Friday night. This isn't fair but in her shoes I'd probably done the same thing.
Slughorn's parties aren't famous per say they're more infamous. Every year on the train to school he picks the students that are most promising or whom he'd like to socialize with and hosts a lunch with them. Every year since second year I'd been invited to this lunch apart from this year. I'd thought I'd finally been freed of the 'Slug Club' treatment. But I'd hoped too soon. I could hear the music and chatter coming from his office at nine o'clock when I walked down the corridor to his door.
I opened the door expecting to see Slughorn's office but in should have expected the unexpected. The room had fabrics hanging from the ceiling so it resembled an ever expanding circus tent. There must have been over a hundred people packed inside.
Some of the people I knew but other who waved to me I couldn't remember who they were. I battled my way through the hoards of people. One group I passed looked suspiciously like Vampires. Great, blood suckers to suck the life out of the guests.
"'Ello 'Ello" A husky voice whispered in my ear making me jump. For a heart stopping moment I'd thought it'd been one of them Vampires looking for dinner.
"I thought you weren't coming." I said to James who smiled wolfishly at me. He could be as bad as a vampire but instead of wanting blood he'd want dates and kisses. "High fever and sickness I seem to remember."
"There's no point in being sick on a Friday night. I prefer the company of over zealous potions masters and the schools beautiful Head Girl." I swallowed hard that's been the first time he's made a remark like that all year. At that moment we were joined by a pipe smoking Slughorn and some, now important, ex-students who looked how I felt about being here.
I, well we, managed to get away from the party at nearly two in the morning.
"Merlin! That was so boring!" I yawned once we were out of ear shot. James chuckled at me.
"It's worth it though, he can get people into high places." James reminded me. He ran a hand through his hair another thing that he hadn't done in a long time. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed that as well. The old James with a twist had come out to play tonight and I was loving every second. I smiled reminiscently remembering when we were younger and how much he used to annoy me.
"I want to earn what I achieve not have someone achieve it for me. When you earn something yourself it means more to you its not hollow. Its yours and only yours it holds more in your heart and soul than if its superficial." It's true I've always felt that way about everything especially since I've entered the wizarding. Petunia doesn't work for anything she has always had it handed to her. She works as a secretary at Grunning's a drill company but she's only got that job because her boyfriend is quite high up in the business. I don't want to be like that. Anything I get I will earn myself.
James didn't get it, I knew he wouldn't get it because there's always going to be one difference that neither of us can control. He's a pureblood and I'm a muggleborn and because of that I will always have to work twice as hard as him for the same recognition.