socal4ever: I'm glad that you like the story so far:-D … And to clear up the confusion, the prologue takes place in their seventh year, and the first chapter starts at the end of their fifth.
A/N: And to anyone wondering what the hell was going on in the prologue, or what happened after, not to worry, all of your questions should, hopefully, be answered…. You just have to wait until they get into their seventh year. :) So now on with Chapter Two…. Enjoy!
But Oh! The blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearless on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. -Dinah Maria Mulock Craik
Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. -Arnold Bennett
Chapter Two
Lily pulled open the door of the Prefect's compartment, looked around, and sat near the other Gryffindor Prefects. She smiled at the Head Boy, a Ravenclaw with green eyes and blonde hair, named Jason Fitzgerald, and the Hufflepuff Head Girl, whose name she thought might be Alicia.
Jason looked around, "Now, let's see, we're still missing the Slytherin seventh years and, it looks like our other sixth year Gryffindor."
"I told Remus not to come. I'll tell him whatever he misses." Lily said.
The Head Girl's eyes narrowed, "Why would you do that? He's a Prefect too; if he doesn't want to attend I'm sure Dumbledore could find another one."
Lily's own eyes narrowed dangerously, and she felt a burning in her belly, something that generally indicated that she was about to blow up. Before she could say anything Jason interrupted. He and Lily had been friendly for several years and he knew the signs of a temper in the making. "Louisa." He said sharply. "It's Remus Lupin."
Louisa, Alicia, close enough. "I told Remus not to come because he wasn't up to the meeting. I do suppose you've seen the paper and know what happened a few weeks ago. That is assuming you can read."
Louisa's hands fisted, "How da… wait, Lupin?"
"Yes, Lupin. Now, if you've finished trying to impress us all with your amazing powers as Head Girl, could you please get on with the meeting? Some of us care about others, and would rather spend time not flaunting our badges."
"Lily, knock it off. Louisa had every right to be annoyed when she didn't realize." Jason reprimanded. Lily shrugged in response.
"Interesting, isn't it, Evans?" A boy with long black hair and brown eyes said. "That of all the families that, tragically, lost members, three of them were sixth year Gryffindors? Tells me something, the Dark Lord isn't going to stand for people sullying the name of wizard with blood-traitors, and all of you mudbloods."
Lily glanced over, and was mildly surprised to see Sirius' little brother. "Clearly you and your Dark Lord," she spit out sarcastically, "have different ideas than I do about what sullying means. Because from where I'm sitting following the word of a masochistic, homicidal maniac better fits that definition."
"And yet, none of my friend's families have been attacked."
"I wonder why."
"Enough, both of you." Louisa shouted. "If I hear another word out of either of you, especially you, Regulus, there are going to be problems. Now those of you who were Prefects last year know the rules."
"Or you should." Jason said glancing at the Slytherins.
"Right, so, patrol the corridors every hour or two, and our first meeting will be on next Thursday, you all can go. I want the fifth years to stay, however, so we can go over those rules."
Lily got up and left the compartment without looking back. She got about ten steps outside the door before she stopped and kicked the wall. "What's the wall ever done to you?"
"Jesus, Black, you scared the life out of me." Lily gasped. "I'm glad I ran into you; I wanted to tell you something before you found out from someone else. Your brother's been made Prefect."
Sirius stopped, "Wonderful." He muttered. "I bet mother was just so proud."
"Oh, she was." Said Regulus from behind them. "Said I was carrying on the noble tradition of our family members being made Prefect." He stopped for a second, "Well, the ones that matter anyway."
Sirius grabbed for his wand, but Lily got to hers first. He gaped at her as she sent a curse at his brother and had him stumbling back. "Now the rest of you go back to your compartments before I do something really nasty." She snarled to the small circle that had formed and stormed down the corridor.
"Evans, you just hexed my brother."
"No shit, Sherlock."
"No shit, who?"
"Never mind, it's a muggle thing. We're you trying to make a point?"
Sirius opened the door to their compartment, "I was actually, before you started talking about trying to shit on someone."
Everyone in the compartment stopped talking and gawked at Sirius, "Lily tried to take a shit on someone?" Marlie asked confused.
"What? No! I did not try to take a shit on someone!" Lily said.
"Then what the hell is he talking about?" Gideon asked.
"He said something obvious, so I said 'No shit, Sherlock.'"
Emily, Dorcas, and Peter laughed. "What, what's a Sherlock?" James asked looking at the rest of his friends; they all looked as bewildered as he felt.
"Ha, ha, ha, it's a muggle expression. Sherlock was a detective who had a penchant for saying things that were obvious." Dorcas explained.
"Oh, I needed that." Peter mumbled.
"Right then." Alice said. "So what was it that you said?" She asked looking at Sirius.
"Oh, right, I forgot with all this talk of shitting on people." Lily rolled her eyes. "Evans hexed my brother, with, what was that, a Bat Bogey Hex?" Lily nodded.
Marlie blinked, "You hexed someone? Seriously?"
Lily nodded, "And it felt good too, bloody berk."
"Er, Lily, won't you get in trouble?" Remus asked.
"Nope, school hasn't started yet has it?"
"Evans, I think I'm in love with you." Sirius said.
"Well, I suppose I should go patrol the corridors." Lily said not paying attention to Sirius. "After all I did royally piss off our new Head Girl. I wonder how she got the position, from what I've heard it's more likely that the boys picked her rather than Dumbledore."
Gideon choked and Emily sprayed the water she was drinking all over the window, "What's gotten into her?" Marlie asked patting Gideon on the back.
"Guys, I'll be right back." James said and bolted for the door. "Lily, hey Lily, wait up."
Lily stopped and turned around with an eyebrow raised, "Can I help you with something?"
"No, I just thought that since Remus isn't going to be patrolling that I'd go with you."
Lily narrowed her eyes, "You want to patrol with me, Potter?"
"It's not safe until we're in Hogwarts. Plus if you hexed Regulus Black the other Slytherins are going to be pissed. It's better that you're not by yourself."
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need a big, strong, man to protect little, ole me."
"Not saying that you do. It's not safe to be wondering around by yourself, and you know it. There are Death Eaters in school Lily, I heard my parents talking. So, whether or not you like it, until we get to Hogwarts I'm going to patrol with you."
Lily raised her eyebrow, but didn't argue any further. For the next twenty minutes James and Lily patrolled the corridor in relative silence. Lily glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, I wonder if he's ill. Before she could ponder it anymore six fifth and sixth year Slytherins, Regulus (now back to normal), and Snape among them, stepped out of one of the compartments.
"Well, well, well, Evans, hexing people on the train? Not really your style is it? Decide to take a page out of Potter's book, have you?" Snape said nastily. "Keep it up and I might just have to take points off."
"Don't be daft, Snape. You know as well as I do that you can't take points off of me without the approval of one of the Head Students or a professor, we're both Prefects. And besides, the term hasn't started yet." Lily replied waving a hand dismissively.
"True, but we can take points from Potter. He's not a Prefect; even the mudblood loving Dumbledore wouldn't make him a Prefect." Regulus spit.
Lily watched a muscle in James' cheek twitch as he clenched his jaw, saw his hand dip inside his robes and pull out his wand. Hoping to avoid a duel with all six of the Slytherins Lily interjected, "Be that as it may, Black, the term hasn't started yet. And if you want to keep that Prefects badge I wouldn't walk around taking points off people just because you don't like them. I'm sure mummy dearest wouldn't like to have her little boy lose his Prefect status, now would she."
"Shut up about my mum, you're not even fit to speak of her, you filthy mudblood."
Again James' cheek twitched, but he said nothing. "Not your usual courageous self without your friends are you, Potter?" Snape gloated. "Or is it that you just can't stand the fact that, for once, it's you that's outnumbered. Perhaps we should teach the two of you a lesson."
"And how do you think Slughorn will take it when it gets back to him that the lot of you has been cursing us for no apparent reason? Lily's one of his favorites. Isn't she Snape? You've always been jealous that not even you can top her in potions."
"Going to go running to a professor, Potter? Not what I'd expect from you, but, as we all know, you're nothing without your little fan group with you." Snape said.
James grabbed Lily's arm, "You're pathetic." He said to Snape, "Lily, come on lets go. I think that your patrol's over."
"Yeah, alright." When they got to the door of their compartment Lily stopped him. "You didn't hex him, or, er, any of them. Why not?"
"They're not worth it."
Lily stared for a moment, "That's it? They're not worth it? What happened to you?"
James shrugged and walked into the compartment. "Coming?"
Throughout the feast Lily tried to put James Potter's strange behavior out of her head, but as she sat waiting for her friends to finish eating she noticed how subdued he was. Sirius too, well as subdued as Sirius could be, now that she thought about it, all of the Marauder's really, but Remus and Peter I understand. "What's with James and Sirius?" She whispered to Emily.
Emily who had been eyeing a fudge brownie glanced over. "Dunno, I didn't read anything about their families in the paper. They probably knew Remus and Peter's dads." Then nodding to the brownies, "Do you think I should go for it?"
"I guess that makes sense. And didn't you already have a brownie?" She asked.
"Yeah, but it was good."
"You'll be sick." Dorcas said reaching for a brownie of her own.
"Hey! I wanted that one! Didn't you already have one too?"
Dorcas shrugged, "Yeah I did, but I won't get sick off it. Besides, this one, now this one is the best. All nice and chocolaty and gooey and delicious."
"You suck."
"Mmm, mmmm, mmmmmm" Dorcas said licking chocolate off one of her fingers. "So, good."
"I hate you." Emily said darkly.
"But, Em, she has to get her practice in somewhere." Marlie added taking a sip of pumpkin juice. Dorcas shot her a dirty look.
"You asked for that one Dorcas." Lily said laughing.
She shrugged, "Guess so. Here, Em, you want the rest." She asked giving Emily half the brownie.
Emily brightened, "Yeah! I take it back, you don't suck."
"I don't know, it sure sounded like she does to me." Lily said.
"Bite me, you're just cranky 'cause you didn't have a brownie."
"You guys make me sick." Alice said shaking her head. "All I have to do is look at food and I gain weight." She said getting up and walking out of the Great Hall.
The other four looked at each other; Alice had lost a lot of weight in the last couple of weeks. Emily sighed, tossed her beloved brownie to Peter, "Hey Peter, have the rest of my brownie. Come on guys let's go catch up to her.
"Why can't I have the rest of your brownie?" Sirius called.
"Because you don't need any brownies." Marlie called back.
"Hey! I resent that." Then looking at Peter, "Wormtail, give me some of the brownie."
"No, it's mine!" Peter said shoving it all into his mouth at once. "Ah mwine!" He said through the brownie.
"That's gross Wormtail."
"You would have done the same, Sirius." Gideon said.
Sirius thought about it for a second, "Yeah, probably." Remus shook his head.
"Guys, I'm going up to bed. I'll see you later." James said getting up.
"What's with him? He's not acting normal." Gideon asked.
"You know his parents right?" Sirius asked, when Gideon nodded he continued, "Well, then you know that they're kinda old. Mr. Potter got pretty sick this summer, nearly died. James hasn't really gotten over it."
"Allie, you in here?" Lily called out when the girls reached their dorm.
They got a muffled sob as an answer. "Oh, sweetie." Marlie said. The four girls climbed onto Alice's bed, something not nearly as easy as it once was.
"It's going to be okay." Dorcas said patting Alice's back.
"I c, c, can't eat, or s, s, sleep, or a, anything. Every time I close my eyes I s, s, see th, them that n, night." Alice said trembling, tears streaming down her face. "I, I, I keep thinking wa, what would've hap, happened if I hadn't b, b, b, been out with F, Frank. If I hadn't g, g, gone out that night, I wo, would have been th, there. My mu, mu, mum, s, s, she didn't want me to g, go. S, s, said I was spending to m, much time with F, Frank as it wa, wa, was. Bu, but I went an, anyway and we were m, m, mad at ea, each other. And n, n, now I'll never g, g, get to s, s, say I'm s, s, sorry. I should ha, have been there. I sh, should be d, d, dead, like the rest of my f, f, family."
"Honey, no, you shouldn't be dead." Marlie said rubbing Alice's arm. "There's a reason that you survived. I know that it doesn't seem like it, but someone has a plan for you, something that doesn't include dying at sixteen." Alice only sobbed harder.
"It'll be alright Alice. It's going to get better." Emily said softly rubbing Alice's hair.
"I hate him. I hate all of them." Alice said suddenly with so much passion that the other girls stared, not knowing how to respond.
"You should." Lily said slowly. "You should hate them for taking your family, but, Allie, you can't let it take over. And you can't not take care of yourself like this. You've got to start eating and sleeping."
"I see them, lying there, every time I close my eyes."
"I still have some sleeping draught left, you can have it. And I'll make you some more tomorrow. That way you'll be able to sleep and not have any dreams." Lily said rummaging through her trunk.
"Why do have a sleeping draught?"
"I made some at the end of last term, in case I wasn't able to fall asleep over the summer." Lily answered dismissively and handed a vile of purple liquid to Alice. "That should be more than enough to get you through the night.
"Thanks you guys." Alice said tearing up again.
"That's what we're here for Alice. If you want to talk again, whenever, just come to one of us. We're here for each other." Marlie said.
"She's right. We're not just pretty faces you know." Emily added.
"Or hot bodies." Dorcas said.
"There you go." Lily said nodding at Dorcas and Emily as Alice gave a watery laugh. "Now, go change and take that potion."
Breakfast the next morning was hectic for the sixth year Gryffindors, to say the least. "Evans." McGonagall said after she sent Marlie off to Ancient Runes.
"Yes, professor."
"I was very pleased with your O.W.L. results, transfiguration in particular."
"Thank you." Lily said momentarily taken aback.
"Now, you still want to be an auror?"
"Yes."
"I see you have all the O.W.L.'s that you'll need. Do you wish to continue with any other classes?"
"Er, no thank you, just the five'll do it."
McGonagall's lips twitched for a moment as she tapped a piece of parchment with her wand, "Very well, off to potions with you. Lupin."
Lily wrinkled her nose as she joined the queue outside the potions classroom; it smelled like someone had set off a dungbomb. "I heard that only three Slytherins made it, three Ravenclaws, one Hufflepuff, and five, I think, of us." Alice whispered to Lily.
"Is that why they're looking at us like that?"
"No, that's because Sirius threw a dungbomb at them."
"Well, I guess that's why it smells down here."
"Merlin, what's the matter with you Sirius, why would you set that off down here." James muttered as he came walking down the corridor with Dorcas.
Sirius sent him a dirty look, "Like you wouldn't have done it."
"No, I wouldn't have. We're nearly seventeen, we're supposed to grow up mate, not still act like we're twelve."
"Now, now, boys, no fighting. Everyone come in, I'm going to introduce you to N.E.W.T. level potions." Professor Slughorn said, poking his head outside the classroom. "No more than four to a table."
James sat down at the one closest to the door, Sirius, brooding, stormed over to the table the Ravenclaws were sitting at and sat down. Lily, Alice, and Dorcas joined James, which left the one Hufflepuff to sit with the Slytherins.
"Right, now everyone, I've several potions on my desk. Who can tell me what the first one is."
They all looked at the clear potion in the cauldron and several hands went into the air. Dorcas watched as Lily's hand shot into the air and smiled, she turned to say something to James about it. Her eyes went wide when she saw that his hand too, was in the air. She kicked Alice under the table, nodded her head to James when Alice gave her a dirty look, and watched as her mouth dropped open.
Even Professor Slughorn seemed somewhat surprised, "James was first, so Mr. Potter, what do I have in the cauldron?"
"That's veritaserum. It's the most powerful truth serum available."
"Very good, ten points I'd say, to Gryffindor. I must say I'm impressed Mr. Potter. Very impressed indeed. Who can tell me what is in this second cauldron?"
A/N: Tell me it sucks, or that it's wonderful (which I'd rather prefer.), but let me know how you think it's going. ;-)