Just as a head's up, I'm editing and revising all previous chapters so try rereading them in a week or so. I know that it's been super long and honestly the last few chapters were like dogs chasing each others tails, but here it finally is! Oh, I recommend rereading the last four or five chapters just to make the connections and remember what happened.

This chapter is for Steph, who managed to remind me at least once a week that I needed to update.

Chapter 10: Who Are You?

Annie laughed gently as the Slytherins tried to figure out who had cast the jinx. With James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter in the center of the circle, it could have easily been the bloke on the other side, couldn't have been the dead meat in the center, it had already been established that they didn't have their wands. This is what Lucius Malfoy thought as he collapsed into Belatrix in a sudden rash of giggles. Belatrix flushed red and countered with a "Degiggilus" that stopped Lucius's high pitched squeaking.

"Damn it Crabbe you're not supposed to jinx me, you're supposed to pummel them!" Lucius bellowed in rage. Annie laughed again, from her hidden spot in one of the alcoves that spotted the outside of the castle, as Lucius sent a nasty purple in Crabbe's direction, and easily led to mass mayhem in the group.

"That was too freakin' easy" she thought. Annie managed to discreetly levitate the crouching Marauders out of the dog pile. James had a black eye and the rest had some form of nasty jinx on them. Remus couldn't walk very well, it seemed his legs were jinxed to be Jell-O, but that was better than Peter whose entire lower half had been replaced by tentacles.

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Jamie deposited her empty can of Diet Coke in a handy bin in the infirmary, and slowed down to appreciate another carving on the ceiling. As she stared at it, it moved decisively and swirled into another pattern. She smiled, grin spreading from ear to ear, and appeared as such when she strolled in the doors to meet four glares. This made her smile wider, like a Cheshire cat.

Jamie walked over to Kelli, who was sleeping soundly. She looked at her neck and noticed the rope marks had faded to faint lines. Lizz silently came up behind Jamie on her right and reached behind her back to tap the opposite shoulder, Jamie glanced left but tried to pretend she hadn't looked the wrong way when she noticed Lizz. Lizz giggled,

"I got you that time," Lizz said, her favorite habit being to reach across and tap you on the far shoulder so you looked the wrong way. Yes it is annoying, and yes Jamie and Annie love her all the more for being such a dork.

"Nu-huh" Jamie retaliated.

"Yah-huh" Lizz said, then, "Who's she?" Lizz indicated Kelli.

"Remember I told you last night about clocking Snape because he was harassing a girl named Kelli? This is Kelli."

"Ohhhhhhh, right." Lizz nodded and made her way back over to the Marauders.

"Hi Jamie" Kelli said blurrily. Jamie looked back and watched as she sat up in bed.

"Ow" Kelli gingerly laid pack on the pillows. "What the heck happened?" she said bluntly. Jamie got the feeling she was always so excellently blunt.

"Well the most I can tell you is what happened when me and Remus showed up." Jamie said. "Snape had you cornered, then you denied him, then ropes came out of his wand, and lifted you up. I told Remus to catch you and I managed to get Snape's wand."

"I can remember that, except with you and Remus. I completely blacked out after Snape tied me up." Kelli touched her neck softly as if she could still feel the ropes tightening on her throat. "What did Snape do after that?"

"Well, he was upset, naturally; in fact I have to give him his wand back." Jamie said, pulling a long black wand out of her ropes.

"And then he just left?" Kelli said disbelievingly.

"Um, not exactly" Jamie scratched the back of her neck. She could be proud about things like this with her close friends, but was unnaturally shy around new friends, go figure. She ripped out a few neck hairs though as the doors suddenly banged open. Everyone jumped in surprise, and Madame Pompfrey dropped her ointment jar with a small crash.

Severus Snape strode into the room, black robes billowing. It would have been an impressive entrance if his nose wasn't the size of a golf ball and hadn't turned such a nasty color. Kelli grinned and turned to Jamie,

"So that's what happened!"

Snape was having trouble moving again after stopping abruptly. He had almost died this morning when he realized he looked like a morbid clown. Yet he was certainly dying now when he realized every single one of his most hated enemies was there to witness his embarrassment, practically the whole room except the brunette and pretty redhead and Madame Pompfrey, who had just swept past him after a glance to grab a heck of a lot more ointment. He sneered as he heard Kelli's comment and turned to meet Jamie's sharp blue stare.

"What has happened to our dearest friend, Remus?" James said, standing up with a smile.

"What has befallen thou, good sir?" Remus sneered.

"Was it a bar fight?" James asked.

"Couldn't be, not Snivellus!" Remus countered. Snape's lips creased into a thin line.

"A spell backfire?" James laughed. He looked at Remus who winked.

"No, no, Snivellus is much to smart for that." Remus's eyes flicked to Jamie.

"What could it be Mr. Lupin?"

"I know Mr. Potter! The spite of a fair maid, with eyes blue and sparkling with her righteous anger!" Remus said, and they collapsed into laughter. Snape opened his mouth to finally respond, but Madame Pompfrey appeared suddenly and sprayed some purple smoke in the direction of his nose.

Annie hadn't heard anything except the teasing tones, so she stood up and scolded, "You two are acting like toddlers, you know that? I never put you two down as bullies, but I guess I was wrong." Annie smiled at Snape and stalked out of the infirmary. Snape smirked; he really should get nasty wounds more often if cute red heads were going to trash the Marauders over him. Madame finally finished on his nose and Snape was about to finally defend himself when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"I believe this is yours?" Jamie held out his wand. Snape grabbed it, but Jamie held fast to the other end and said, "Now you be good or I'll have to take this away from you again." Snape's eyes narrowed to slits as Jamie laughed good-naturedly and let go off his wand.

"You'll regret this you filth." Snape sneered. Jamie smiled Cheshire cat, ear to ear, and Snape backed up and left in a huff.

"OH thank you so much mademoiselle!" Sirius said to Madame Pompfrey as she finished up with his wounds. "I simply don't know how much trouble I'd be in if it weren't for your capable hands." Madame Pompfrey smiled and twittered and smoothed the bedcovers. Lizz rolled her eyes and asked James if he could hold still while she applied the rest of the ointment to his black eye. Jamie finished talking to Kelli and they all left for lunch, hoping to meet up with Annie so they could finally get a tour of the castle.

Annie in hallway not too far away had been caught by Snape (in a much better way than Kelli).

"Thanks for standing up for me back there." Snape said awkwardly. "It was just kind of surprising, I wouldn't think you or anyone else-"

"It wasn't a problem, I don't like teasing, It just must've been-" my insane obsession with hott, slightly dark guys who have billowing black capes! "my morals peeking through again. I don't even know what they said, I just recognized the voice." Annie said. My god I don't even know your name!

"Well, I was wondering if, uh, maybe you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend. Er, you know, like a date?" Snape asked.

"Um… sure!" Annie's mind reeled in excitement and astonishment, "I really should go. I need to meet up with my friends at lunch."

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After lunch the Marauders had done their best to show the Californians the castle as a fifth year without many nights of experience would. A few trade secrets were exchanged though and James gaped as he heard how Jamie could make lies with truth, even under truth spells. "It's all in what you say, let people fill in the blanks with the only assumptions they could come up with with the information you give them, make it sound like something completely different."

And after Jamie had nearly fainted in delight at all the views of hills and forests so green they almost turned blue and they had all gotten caught in a slow step, they ended up finally being shown the way to Charms. Judy, the Hufflepuff that followed Vivian around, ran past them carrying some robes.

"Uh, I just saw that right?" said Annie. Judy's hair was a myriad of pink and purple hues mixed in with her natural mousy brown. Sirius's eyes narrowed as he watched her go past.

"Yah it looked just like-" Peter began.

"Bloody Shut it." Sirius growled. Jamie looked around confused (she hadn't seen his hair this morning) especially at Sirius's look and how everyone was trying not to laugh. Finally she shot Annie a questioning look. Annie began to walk slower and pulled on the back of Lizz's shirt so she'd do the same. They all dropped back behind the Marauders until they were slightly out of earshot. Just in case, Annie put up a gossip shield, with a smile because all the boys would hear would be them shrieking about hot celebrities.

"What was that about? Sirius looked like he could kill!" Jamie said, turning to Annie.

"Well, this morning, before you woke up, Sirius came into breakfast with hair that looked just like Judy's."

"It was so funny, he was trying not to show it, but his face got all red, and the entire hall was staring." Lizz laughed, "Vivian snuck out after him, probably to ask how he could dare embarrass her like that."

"Wait, so only Sirius had hair like that, you haven't seen anyone else have you?" Jamie said urgently.

"No, just Sirius. Why?"

"Er… because I did it to him."

"What!" Lizz shrieked.

"Hey how'd they end up back there?" James said twisting around to look as he heard a shriek, something like "So hot!", it was hard to tell.

"Girls do that, it's like one look and they all fall back and start whispering about you." Sirius said.

"Well it sounds like they're talking about Colin Firth, and… Mr. Darcy?" Remus said, shrugging his shoulders. Sirius smiled and secretly bowed to the man, Firth was a bloody genius, especially when it came to the puppy dog look.

"So what was up with Judy? Is she copying you or what?" James said.

"I think it's Vivian, she probably has all her 'friends'" Sirius hyphenated with his fingers, "looking like that, just to cover up for this morning. Do you know she came out and yelled at me for embarrassing her like that? Bloody hell, who does she think she is!"

"Why are you seeing her anyway?" Remus said.

"Because she's hot and a good kisser, among other things."

"Like good in closets?"

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Why? It's true." Remus said, suddenly feeling way too mature his age. He glanced back at the girls, okay let's be honest he looked back at Jamie, unfortunately it was just as she mentioned that there wasn't a more desirable man in the British Isles than Colin Firth. Remus sighed and turned back.

"Hey, did you guys ever consider that the Californians are our Animagi?" James said. "I mean right when three girls, in their fifth year, show up there are suddenly three Animagi on the grounds? It can't be a coincidence!"

"Only one way to find out!" Sirius said cheerfully.

"If you're thinking of a certain potion, you can certainly forget it." Remus interceded, "A certain someone used the rest of it to be a certain teacher so he could tell a certain caretaker that he didn't have detention after all." Sirius smiled.

"Well it worked didn't it?"

"That's how you got out of it? I can't believe you didn't get me out of detention too!" Peter trumpeted.

"So in a month we can try the potion after I make up a fresh patch." Remus said wearily.

"Hmm" James stroked his chin, "now which girl should we use?" he looked back. "I bet you could get a few long blonde hairs pretty easily. Eh, Mr. Moony?" Remus scowled.

"Sorry, can't help you there, unless you're talking about picking Vivian's off of Sirius's robes. Don't give me that look, she's got a bloody boyfriend all right?"

"Already?"

"No, someone from California, who's good looking, rich, and a gentleman."

"Don't tell me you got her talking about him!" Sirius groaned. "Worst idea is to get her thinking about your competition!" Remus stopped.

"Maybe I missed something. Competition? She's taken, you know "I'm spoken for" and all that?"

"So what? He's in California, she's not, you're not. Long distance relationships never work, and pretty soon she'll be wanting someone warm to snuggle with."

"Oh stop. I'm not you Sirius. I won't purposely trick her!" Remus snapped.

"I think you're looking at this the wrong way, Remus my friend. You guys are perfect, she's an old-fashioned romantic and obsessive about books, so are you. I really think you need to give yourself a chance and stop being the grandpa of the group. Be her friend, drop hints, maybe do the secret admirer thing, and in no time she'll forget what-his-name in America." James replied.

"I think you should do it." Peter said.

"Maybe I should, I mean, it's not much harm right? She seems really funny and nice and I do need to stop being a grandpa!" Remus thought.

"I did ask her to Hogsmeade… as a friend showing her around." Remus said reluctantly.

"Perfect! And, seriously, could you snag some of her hair if you get a chance?" James asked.

Meanwhile, Jamie had spilled all about crying in the tree and pegging some guy in the dark with a color charm. Then they all had realized that Sirius was the Animagus because Lizz remembered the dog going back to the entrance to stake out for her. Plus, neither Annie nor Jamie had seen him last night so it must've been. It really was a good conversation (sorry you missed it, you should've been listening to them instead of Remus's angst) and full of funny inside jokes and sarcastic comments and way too much congratulating themselves on being so smart, but everyone's entitled to a bit of that every once in awhile.

"You know what we should do?" Annie said speculatively.

"What?"

"Play Truth or Dare."