Disclaimer: Anything remotely related to HP (ie. Characters, settings etc) belongs to JK Rowling. The plot is, however, most certainly and firmly mine, so please don't steal it!
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Chapter Seventeen: In which Lily takes matters into her own hands
The Hogwarts kitchen was a disaster zone. From the moment that Lily had entered, she had been unable to ignore the overturned trestle tables that were currently serving as cover for Peter and Ruttegar Bulstrode as they shot spells at each other. Somehow, although Lily did not know how it was possible, those thick, sturdy tables had avoided being blasted to bits by the continuous stream of stunners Bulstrode seemed to be sending at Peter.
Bulstrode had never been known for his inventiveness.
Now, however, as Lily's eyes adjusted to the unusually dim light (Crabbe had knocked out the torches some time ago), the greater toll of the battle appeared before her. Pots, pans and cooking utensils were strewn everywhere across the floor, and over in the far eastern corner, Lily was fairly sure she could spot a pair of cowering house-elves, who hadn't been able to escape through the door to their living quarters, as the aforementioned trestles appeared to be blocking it. Splatters of what appeared to be rice pudding were artfully smattered across the rooftop, and over near Remus, there seemed to be a rather large and sticky looking puddle of what Lily suspected may have once been treacle.
Lily also noticed that the Head Boy, who had slunk up beside her, appeared to be attempting to catch her eye again, and was looking supremely guilty.
James scratched his head, looking around the kitchen and feeling a similar weight of despair to the emotion that Lily herself was currently experiencing. James' despair, however, appeared to be centered on the (in his opinion, anyway) infinitely more important fate of the Marauder's Map. "I guess you want an explanation?"
Lily pursed her lips, planting her hands on her hips as she surveyed the kitchen with a critical eye. "It can wait, James. The point is, I look at this Map thing, and much to my surprise…"
James suddenly felt a hope beyond all rational hopes. Lily didn't care about the Map? Unconsciously, he began to smile, although that quickly began to fade as his gaze returned to Lily and he heard her sigh. Lily shook her head, and the smile disappeared all together. In fact, her eyes looked distinctly sad.
"I'm going to have to take house points, James," she told him quietly.
James nodded, silently cursing Lily's dedication to her position. Why couldn't she learn to appreciate his approach, and apply the rules with a similar flair for creativity? He turned away to watch Sirius and Regulus in an attempt to mask his frustration.
"Someone should probably call those two off," he replied, in sort. "Twenty points apiece, was it?"
Lily nodded apologetically. "I'm afraid so."
Cupping his hands to his mouth, James yelled. "Oi, Padfoot! Enough already!"
Distracted, Sirius glanced around and found Lily beside James. At that moment, Regulus seemed to recover, and managed to knock Sirius off his feet. Sirius got to his feet, rolling his eyes, and without much further ado, body bound his brother.
"Spoil my fun," he grumbled, levitating Regulus out the door.
Together, Lily and the Marauders set the kitchen tables right again, and then Lily made the boys apologise to the house-elves. As they made their way back upstairs, James looked, in Lily's opinion, to be distinctly disappointed. But what could she have done? It was so very hypocritical to only take points from the Slytherins – and if there was one thing Lily Evans loathed, it was hypocrisy.
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"A couple of years ago, what with all the full moon stuff, we took to exploring the grounds and Hogsmeade, and you know… Remus thought that since he couldn't really remember much, a map would be something fun to make. So we made the map for him, and then Sirius came up with the idea to chart people on it too, so we wouldn't ever get caught…" James ran his hands through his hair and glanced cautiously at the Head Girl, who strangely enough didn't seem all that inclined to yell.
Lily was, in fact, adding up all the loose ends and mysteries that had surrounded the Marauders for years. The Map certainly explained why the Marauders were only ever caught and punished for their pranks on the rare occasion when they actually owned up to committing them. It also explained their apparently endless supply of sweets and alcohol, amongst other miscellaneous Hogsmeade paraphernalia, which Lily had observed had the tendency to be confiscated as often as they were replaced. All in all though, Lily could see that they appeared to only ever use the Map for fun. Only one lingering doubt remained in her mind:
"You actually made that Map?" Lily asked incredulously, picking up the now blank piece of parchment.
James opened his mouth to reply, but even as he did, lines were appearing on the parchment, rough, curly scrawls that were almost illegible and yet infallibly recognizable as…
James winced.His handwriting...
Mr Prongs is of the opinion that Miss Evans is the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts.
Lily blushed as the words appeared across the page, glancing at James with shining eyes.
Mr Moony would like to commend Mr Prongs on making Miss Evans blush.
Mr Padfoot suspects that Miss Evans is secretly in love with Mr Prongs.
James watched as Lily's eyes widened and her blush intensified. Leaning toward her curiously, he was extremely surprised when she concealed the writing from him, grasping the parchment to her chest and looking extremely mortified. Much to her dismay, a different yet still familiar scrawl began to appear on the back of the page. James read it, grinning.
Mr Wormtail would like to request that Miss Evans put Mr Prongs out of his misery as soon as she finds convenient.
"Mischief Managed?" James asked quietly.
Lily bit her lip and nodded. "Point taken, good sirs," she murmured as the Map wiped itself blank, before surrendering it to James. "It's been a long day – I might just call it a night, I think."
She stood up to leave, muffling a yawn with her hand in what James felt was an incredibly cute manner.
"Night, Lils," he murmured, before sighing and loosening his tie.
The fire crackled, making James jump, and grinning ruefully, he settled back into the pile of ornamental cushions amassed behind him.
"You know, you're lucky she didn't burn you," James mumbled absently, caressing the map as he carefully and reverently folded it back up. "Lucky you're all such smooth talkers…"
Yawning a little himself, he glanced lazily toward the coffee table. Lily had left out a pile of plans for the Winter Ball that he needed to go over, but James found that he simply couldn't be bothered.
Someone coughed above him, and he glanced up to find Lily leaning on the gallery railing, wearing her dressing gown. She smiled at him shyly, and from the look in her eyes, James could tell she'd noticed the map in his hands.
"You know, that Map really is quite incredible, James," she told him quietly.
James cast his mind back to that faithful day in fifth year, when Remus had cast the finishing charms, and smiled.
"It is," he murmured fondly in agreement.
There was a look on Lily's face that he found impossible to read. "Twenty points for innovation," she murmured finally, her hand lazily gesturing toward the precious map. "Each."
James grinned, and nodded his thanks. Lily gave him a small half-smile and disappeared into her room for the night.
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"Prongs!"
James mumbled incoherently in his sleep, hand stretched lazily out of bed and searching through the mess of his bedside table.
On the other side of the mirror, Sirius watched, smirking, as James' hand moved steadily into sight.
"A little to the left," he directed the hand helpfully, and next thing Sirius knew, the mirror seemed to be suspended in front of the tousle-haired boy.
"What time is it, Paddy?" James yawned. To Sirius, it sounded more like 'Wha tist Paddy?'
Sirius grinned. "First snow of the season, that's what time it is, Prongs. Take a look out the window, if you please."
James blinked sleepily and sat up, abandoning the handheld mirror on his bedspread and clinging to the curtains as he drew them apart.
Outside, the grounds of Hogwarts were blindingly white. James grinned, and checked his watch. 5am! His smile rapidly disappeared.
"You ruin my weekend sleep in too often," James grumbled, climbing out of bed and casting his gaze around for a pair of trousers.
The mirror laughed in response. "See you outside the castle in fifteen minutes?"
"Not if I see you first," James retorted.
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"Honestly, Wormy," Sirius complained as Peter's snowball disintegrated mid-flight, en-route to James and Remus' fortress.
Peter rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you chose to set our camp in powder," he reminded Sirius.
Sirius scowled.
Thwack.
The unmistakeable sound of their friends sniggering carried over the open, powdery ground from the small fortress of snowballs that James and Remus were cowering behind. Sirius' scowl intensified, but there was an unmistakable flicker in his eyes that made Peter smile.
"Storm the fortress?" he suggested softly.
Sirius' scowl transformed into a grin. "Best idea you've had all day, Wormy. On three?"
Peter grinned back. "Deal."
Remus gulped. "Er – Prongs?"
James looked up from his steadily increasing pile of snowballs. "Moony?"
"You might want to start using those sooner, rather than-"
War cries sounded on the air, and James' head jerked up out of the cover of their humble wall. "Blimey – Wingardium leviosa!"
Remus grinned as twenty-seven snowballs hovered in mid air, awaiting James' command. With a flick of his wand, James sent them flying in the direction of Sirius and Peter, who were doing a terrible job of running stealthily. Remus chuckled as one after another, snowballs smacked Sirius in the face. At least Peter had had the good sense to duck…
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"And you think an avalanche in the charms corridor is amusing, do you, Mr. Black?"
Sirius winced as Professor McGonagall loomed over the Gryffindor table, effectively interrupting the Marauder's quiet breakfast, later that same morning.
"Terribly," Sirius muttered, biting back a grin. Realising that what he'd intended to say and what he had actually said were two very different things, Sirius coughed. "I mean – it's a disaster, simply… terrible."
McGonagall rolled her eyes. "You're lucky it's Sunday, Black. My office in ten minutes for detention!"
Sirius scowled into his porridge. "Thanks for the support," he muttered glumly.
Remus shrugged. "Cheer up," he told Sirius without a trace of sympathy. "Hogsmeade is cancelled anyway, so the most you were going to do today was spend it complaining while we studied, right?"
James and Peter exchanged looks of amusement. "Yeah, study. Right," James agreed quickly.
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"Can I have a word?"
Remus' voice was low and husky to Lily's ears, making her jump. Glancing sideways toward Emmeline and Benjy Fenwick, who were busy locked in a passionate embrace by the fireside, Lily nodded and shuffled over, making room for Remus on the lounge.
"Sure."
Remus fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. "I tried the potion, the other night," he said finally, looking up to meet her eyes with an apologetic smile. "Wasn't much help, frankly. I'm sorry, Lily."
Lily's eyes widened as she listened, and her mouth twisted into a kind smile. "Oh," she murmured. "I'm sorry too, Remus... Well, if it doesn't work the first time, try, try ag-"
Remus held up his hand, effectively silencing her. "Thank you for your concern, Lily. It means a lot that you thought of me at all, but… I don't want you to waste your time on a lost cause. Especially when you should be studying."
Lily's brow furrowed. "I - I - Don't you dare think you're a lost cause, Remus Lupin," she argued fiercely, albeit in a whisper. "In fact, I think with a few adjustments here and there-"
Remus shook his head. "Really Lily, it isn't necessary. Thanks – but no thanks."
Remus sighed inwardly as he stood up and turned away, making his way back across the Gryffindor Common room to where Peter was struggling with Charms revision. It wasn't that Remus didn't appreciate Lily's help… He did, in more ways than she could ever know. But he felt, as always, that the Marauders themselves ran too large a risk in keeping him company, and frankly, Remus didn't want to put anyone else out in the name of his affliction. It just wasn't practical, in his mind, anyway, for Lily to waste her time on a potion that was likely to do absolutely nothing to help. Remus couldn't get his hopes up. He'd lived with this for twelve years already, anyway. He'd cope.
Lily watched Remus' hunched back sadly. He was shying away from her help - that much was obvious. She shook her head, unable to understand why Remus felt the need to bear his burden alone.
Turning toward Emmeline in the hope of some solidarity (although reasonably, Emmeline would have had no idea what Lily and Remus were talking about) Lily found that Emmeline and Benjy seemed to have progressed to kissing. She sighed heavily, watching them from the corners of her eye. What she wouldn't give for James to-
Lily shook her head again in an attempt to clear any thoughts of that nature from her mind. It wouldn't do to dwell on what James seemed so determined to avoid. Gaze landing on the snow-covered landscape beyond the common room window, Lily stood, muttered to no one in particular that she was going for a walk, and left.
Out of the corner of his eye, James noticed Lily leaving the common room, her expression decidedly blank. Curiously, he stood, and made the sudden decision to follow her.
"Back in a while," he murmured to Remus and Peter, who simply raised their eyebrows and nodded.
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She felt his presence before she saw him. Lily had wandered in the snow for some time before finding a comfortable rock to perch on by the edge of the lake. She had sat, drinking in the silence for scarce moments before she heard the familiar scrunch of footsteps behind her, and the strange tingling in the back of her neck that told her who had joined her.
Lily watched the lake carefully. The water was black and thick as it crashed onto the shore in small wavelets. It wasn't yet cold enough for the lake to fully freeze over, but nevertheless, Lily didn't fancy going for a wade.
"I'm tired," she confessed quietly, watching the tiny bubbles of foam drift in and out with the tide.
Beside her, she felt James tense. "Tired of what?" he asked carefully, examining her profile.
He had an intense desire to kiss every single freckle that he could see sprinkled across her nose.
"Tired of waiting for you to make the first move."
The confession was a quiet one; so quiet that James himself almost missed it. Except that he didn't. Instead, he caught the words that had sprung on a breath of steam from her lips, and he grasped them with both hands in delight. A small smile began to spread across his face, and within seconds, if Lily had possessed the courage to look, she would have seen him grinning like the Cheshire cat from one of her muggle storybooks. Instead, Lily felt the smile, and bit back her own. Had James shuffled closer? Was that possible? Then, all of a sudden…
"I knew it would work." The triumph in his voice was evident, even though the words were spoken softly and with great care, as if their speaker was savouring every syllable.
And, indeed, he was.
Lily's resolution to avoid his eyes failed: she turned in surprise, and his look captured her, leaving her rather breathless.
"What – what do you mean?" she asked falteringly, distracted by those warm hazel eyes, as enticing as melted chocolate. Except that it was Lily herself who felt like she was melting.
"Remember what I said about doing this the right way? I wanted you to know me, Lily," those chocolate eyes explained softly. Lily was oblivious to their owner's voice. "I wanted you to want me: to know that it was me that you wanted to be with."
Lily's lips curved into a shy smile of their own accord. "You're far more amazing than I ever imagined, Potter," she told him, fully believing the words with every fibre of her being.
James just nodded calmly, but his smile lit up his face, and his eyes twinkled. Slowly, hesitantly, his hand crept across her legs, and their fingers entwined. A gust of chilly air flew at them across the lake, sending Lily's hair tumbling backwards over her shoulders.
"Perhaps we should go back inside," he suggested, his voice low. "I don't know about you, Lils, but I don't fancy either of us getting frostbite."
James stood and pulled a reluctant Lily to her feet. Then, suddenly, he dropped her hand, and stuffed his own back into the pocket of his robes, drawing his cloak tightly around his shoulders.
Lily stood stationary by the lake, watching his retreating figure, all dressed in black, with a small, fond sort of frown.
Several metres away, James seemed to notice that she was not, in fact, by his side. Turning around, eyes half-closed against the cold, he sighed. There she was, still standing by the lake, where he had left her.
"Come on!"
Lily shook her head, before coming to an abrupt and absolute decision that made her smile. As her mother had always said, if you want something done right, you'd best do it yourself.
Next thing James knew, he lay on his back in the snow, having just been charged at, then tackled, by the small red-haired figure.
James looked up into her eyes, too shocked to speak. They sparkled with mischief, and he laughed, feeling supremely sheepish. So this was what he had pushed Lily to, tackling him in the freezing snow?
"You're not going one more step without giving me the kiss of my life, Potter."
Lily watched James' eyes widen, and she leant back, satisfied, as a small, self-conscious smile crept onto his face.
Good. He deserves to be shocked, she thought.
"You're insane," he murmured, voice filled with wonder. "I've finally driven you over the brink. You're insane!"
Lily laughed and rolled her eyes, grabbing at a tuft of his wild black hair. "Not quite," she murmured, bringing her face so close to his that their noses were touching. "This is insane."
And she kissed him.
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Sirius had been shoveling snow from the Charms corridor manually for over two hours. McGonagall had confiscated his wand, the rigid old cow, and Sirius was pretty sure that his hands were about to fall off from the cold. Gritting his teeth, he threw down his shovel and slumped against the freezing stone wall, exhausted.
"Psst!"
Sirius glanced up suspiciously, but the corridor remained deserted, except for-
"Padfoot, get a load of this!"
That was Peter's voice. And, as if to accompany it, a hand shot out of thin air to thrust the Marauder's Map at Sirius. He took it curiously, frowning as he scanned the grubby piece of parchment.
"What?"
"Out on the grounds – look for Prongs and Lily."
That was Remus' voice now, and from the sounds of it, he was smiling. Sirius' eyes suddenly lit on not two, but one dot duly labeled Lily Evans James Potter, and he grinned, punching the air.
"Way to go, Prongs!"
Remus' hand reappeared, gesturing for the map to be returned, and Sirius gazed at it fondly for a few moments before surrendering it.
"I think this calls for a celebratory drink, boys," he announced, beaming as he got to his feet.
"What about the rest of your detention?"
"Can I borrow your wand, Wormy?"
Another hand appeared offering a wand without question. Sirius waved it once, muttered 'evanesco' and grinned as the snow vanished.
"Thanks. I do believe my detention has finished, Moony. What do you say, old friend? Three Broomsticks?"
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Emmeline lay in the dark, a small smile on her face as she dreamt. With one hand cast across her covers, and the other curled around her pillow, she looked positively peaceful. Sirius gazed at her momentarily, drinking in the messy, golden bed-hair and the sweetness of her expression. Sometimes, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her again. He couldn't quite recall that last time: his mind had been on other things. But, quite unfortunately for Sirius Black, he had discovered his experience with Emmeline Vance to be somewhat addictive. Butterbeer and too much Firewhisky was clouding Sirius' thought process, and it was all he could do to keep his mind on the job. Sarcastic, witty Emmeline had never looked more vulnerable. Sirius grinned.
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The screams started, Remus would approximate, at about one'o'clock in the morning. In the Gryffindor Tower, lights went on everywhere as the minor explosion sounded and the panic started… and then, the disgust. Sirius had actually done it – he'd pulled if off. Setting off Dungbombs was one thing, but setting Dungbombs off inside the girls' dorm rooms, after sneaking up the trick staircase (the one that turned into a slide whenever a boy stepped on it) at midnight whilst drunk was a fine achievement by any Marauder's standards. Remus grinned, rolled over in bed and promptly fell back asleep.
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Emmeline sat up, and sniffed. How odd… Inhaling once more, just to be sure, she grimaced. That had to be, without doubt, the most disgusting thing that she had ever smelt.
Someone let out a loud, long snore, completely oblivious to the hideous scent that seemed to be penetrating the room.
Emmeline froze. Someone had snored? But no one in the room ever snored…
Peeling open her curtains, Emmeline was greeted by the sight of Sirius Black, curled up on the floor beside her bed. Taking a further tentative whiff, Emmeline frowned. Sirius smelt distinctly of Dungbombs… and Firewhisky. An odd combination if ever she had smelt it!
Emmeline shook her head, scowling at the handsome boy passed out on her bedroom floor. Everyone in the castle knew Sirius had issues, but honestly!
Tiredly groping around for her wand, Emmeline picked up her pillow and levitated the sleeping boy's form. It wouldn't do at all for the girls to wake up and find him in there.
Opening the door, Emmeline Vance unceremoniously dumped her Quidditch captain onto the stairs. Being, as they were, charmed to prevent boys from climbing them, the stairs immediately leveled, transforming into a steep stone slide. Watching Sirius startle in his sleep as the staircase gave way beneath him, Emmeline smiled, feeling strangely satisfied.
It wasn't often you got to throw an unconscious rat bag down the stairs, after all - even if he was a charming, self-depreciating rat bag.
As the steps reappeared, she made her own way down. Sirius was still curled up in a rumpled heap, having rolled to a halt against the leg of one of the study desks. He looked oddly peaceful, twisted into his little ball, and Emmeline really didn't have the heart to wake him.
Not when her bedroom stunk of methane and he happened to have what she presumed would be a lovely, comfortable, empty bed of his own, anyway.
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Peter drew open the curtains about Sirius' bed, as he did every morning. Yawning, the boy bent over the bed, still half asleep, to begin the involved and often gradual process of awakening the bed's occupant.
Only, this particular morning, the slumbering person startled, opened their eyes and sat up immediately. Feeling that this was exceptionally odd behaviour, even for Mr. Unpredictable himself, Peter peeled open his eyes, and startled.
"Emmeline?"
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A/N: Guess who just hit 200 reviews and 10 000 hits!!! ME! But it's all down to you guys, so thanks very much…!
How awkward for Em to explain…. And Lily finally cracked! Was that romantic enough for you? Love to hear your thoughts, as always!
Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated, and stay tuned for Chapter Eighteen…
Lexie xx