A/N: I'm sorry, but this is the first time I've been able to get on the net in months! My parents dismantled the computer! Can you believe it? I mean, how evil can you get? Anyway, I'm well aware of the fact that it's been nearly a year since I updated.. but… gawd. It was SO bloody hard writing this chapter! It's so important and crucial!
Disclaimer: I own zilch.
There was a smell of mint, musk and the Quidditch pitch just after the grass had been cut. Lily breathed the scent in deeply, enjoying the assurance it somehow brought to her. She shifted her head a bit on the very warm and comfortable pillow before nuzzling it. Her arms hugged it tightly and she smiled, unable to remember the last time she'd felt so at peace.
Then she heard the annoying buzzing of a mosquito in her ear. Instinctively, she flung out an arm to slap it, but ended up hitting something larger and much more solid instead.
"Ow…" groaned a voice from somewhere above her.
Lily jerked back in surprise, rolling on the ground away from her very much alive pillow. She stared upon the sleepy face of James Potter as he sat up and rubbed the jaw she'd hit. Seeing him immediately brought back memories she had been free of in her sleep. She saw centaurs… a Niffler... salivating beasts and finally… a stag rushing in to save her.
She blinked as she realized that she had been staring blankly at James.
"Are you ok?" asked James, looking at her in concern.
"Stag," she blurted out thoughtlessly, her mind still focused on her mysterious savior.
"What?" asked James, his face suddenly closing up, even so, he could not hide the worried look in his eyes. "What did you say?"
"Stag," repeated Lily. "I… it… did you… see a stag when you got me out of that hole?"
"No," said James immediately, with a funny expression on his face. "Why?"
"You wouldn't believe me," said Lily, turning away.
"Try me," insisted James.
"Why should I?"
"Just do it!"
"No!"
"I'll tell you why, Evans," said James angrily, his temper beginning to wear thin. "Because we're the only two people in the entire forest and if you're going to act like an immature brat the whole way through, we can kiss our chances of getting out of here goodbye!"
Lily drew back, partly from fear at his rage, but mostly because his words rung true.
"I know this forest, Evans," continued James. "I've been here time and time again for different reasons. Let me tell you, there are creatures here that could kill us both in a million ways before sundown. So if you want to live, we're going to need to work together. And that is really not going to happen if you refuse to even answer a simple question!"
Lily stared at him, slightly stunned. She flushed, realizing that she really was acting badly… and for once, he was being the more logical of the two.
He mistook her silent embarrassment for fury, and sighed, "Look… I shouldn't have yelled at you, but we will need to stop arguing and actually get along if we want to get back to Hogwarts," he ran a hand through his already rumpled hair distractedly –not noticing her flash of annoyance- and stuck out his other one. "So, truce?"
With an abashed smile," Lily took it. "Truce," she echoed softly. "And… s-sorry for being such a prat just now." He would never know how much it cost her to stutter out those words.
"Ah, think nothing of it," he said, a tinge of red creeping up his cheeks. He bent over to pick up his glasses that the Niffler had left on the ground, said Niffler was no where to be found. Not that James lost any sleep over that. "We better get moving. I'll try to find the paths Hagrid uses when we get detention; we should be able to avoid most of the predators that way."
She blinked in surprise at his mature attitude. It was odd, she mulled, she could have sworn that he would've gloated like a first year about her mistake.
"Coming?" he said, pushing through the foliage.
"Yeah," she said, shaken out of her thoughts. Hesitantly, she continued. "By the way, you know that question you asked me?"
"About the stag?" he said, immediately turning around.
"Well, it was because there was one before you came, you see… and I didn't want to tell you, because it sounds so ridiculous, but it saved my life from these Wolves," she looked at him, almost daring him to laugh. "Anyway, I don't know where it went because it disappeared so quickly," she finished, still feeling rather foolish.
He merely nodded, with a closed expression on his face and said, "I thought I heard some ruckus as I came."
"Right. About that," she added, forcing herself to say the words, "thank you. For… coming back for me."
"Evans," he said quietly. "I know you think I'm scum, but I would never leave someone when I know that they're in danger. I felt horrible for arguing with you, and I blamed myself when I saw you in that hole. I may be arrogant. And I may like to play pranks and break rules. But I believe in honor and in helping others."
Lily stared at him oddly. "You remind me of that stag," she said. "I don't know why... but you do. And believe me, that's a compliment," then she said to herself, under her breath, so soft that James barely heard it. "Lord… it was a handsome creature."
James turned away so that she wouldn't see his grin.
……
Andrea Rose could quite proudly say that she had had a large amount of experience avoiding people. At a young age, shed perfected the art of sneaking around the mansion to hide from her mother. In school, she managed to dodge, weave and duck past troubling situations involving clingy boys, late assignments or annoying caretakers. She believed that with her many years of acquired skill, she was easily capable of avoiding one teenage by.
That was, until she met the likes of Sirius Black.
"Merlin, Andy," said Taylor. "Why're you so jumpy?"
"I am not!" said Andrea indignantly, giving a small squeak of alarm when somebody brushed by her.
She surveyed the corridor quickly to see if Sirius was anywhere in sight. During that fateful night two days ago, he'd promised not to let anything of what happened escape that room. She supposed that it only occurred to him later that he wanted to know where her scars were from and what happened to her before.
Hence, she had come up with a brilliant plan to stay away from him. Every time he approached her, she ran to the nearest girl's room and locked herself in until he left.
However, Sirius seemed to have a very odd way of knowing exactly where she was. No matter where she went, be it the Quidditch pitch, the Common Room, the lake or… basically anywhere, he would somehow find her without any apparent effort.
Andrea let out another squeak when she heard Sirius's voice echoing down the hall. "I'm… going to get… my Charms book," she stuttered to Taylor hurriedly before barreling down the hall, completely disregarding the fact that it was right in her arms.
She rounded the corner and peeped out. Taylor was staring blankly in the direction she'd gone, looking bewildered. Finally, she shook her head and went to class.
Andrea bit her lip and felt a wave of remorse course through her. Poor dear, she thought, it must be hard when one of your closest friends is missing and the other starts acting like a lunatic. She hadn't even told Taylor the whole truth about the night her mother arrived. As far as she knew, Mrs. Rose came, tried to drag Andrea to Beauxbatons but was convinced by Dumbledore to let her stay. Taylor had accepted the story without much fuss, merely glad that Andrea hadn't been forced into anything.
Andrea froze as she saw Sirius usher Remus and Peter into the classroom while choosing to stay outside himself. He took out a piece of old parchment, consulting something before looking up, directly where she was standing. She drew back hurriedly and threw herself into a broom cupboard. Sitting on an overturned bucket, she listened to the approaching footsteps nervously.
The doors were wrenched open.
"Hello," said Sirius conversationally, looking not at all surprised to see her hiding amongst mops and buckets. "What are you doing?"
"Err.." said Andrea, feeing very off-footed. How in the name of Merlin did he know she was here? "My… earring dropped off, and I was looking for it."
He looked pointedly at both her earring-less ears.
"They fell off at the same time," she ventured, not quite liking his piercing gaze.
"In a broom cupboard."
"Yes, she said defiantly, "now if you don't mind, I'd like to continue searching for them."
"I'll help," said Sirius, squeezing in beside her and settling himself down comfortably. With a flick of his wand, he shut the door to prevent her from dashing out. "Lumos," he said, letting his wand hover over them. The light brightened the small space, bringing Andrea's apprehensive face out of the shadow.
A short silence ensued, which Andrea spent fidgeting while Sirius stared at her.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked bluntly.
"I haven't been avoiding you," protested Andrea, trying to laugh as though the very idea was absurd. Then she saw his face and said. "Alright, so maybe I have. Why are you following me?"
"Because I want answers," he said simply. "There were a lot of mysteries left that night and I want them solved."
"No," she said, a core of steel in that single syllable. "You've done a lot for me, I'll admit that. But you have no right to pry into my business."
"I think I have every right," said Sirius. "Your mother thinks that we're together and she expects us to marry. Also, I'm one of the factors involved in the Wizard's Oath you made."
"What?" she said shrilly. "How do you know about that? You left the room!"
"I'm a Marauder. Now answer me."
"No," she said again. "You already know more about my bloody family than anyone else here. Sod off."
"You think your family is the only one that's vile?" asked Sirius quietly, a deadly tone that she had never heard before in his voice. "Think again. There are things about mine that would make your skin crawl."
Andrea looked up, her curiosity instantly piqued. Not many people knew much about the Black family, aside from the fact that they were rich, powerful and pure. "So?" she said, fighting her natural nosiness.
"You'd want to know one bit I left out that night hen I told your mother we were dating," said Sirius.
"Would I?"
"Oh, yes," he answered. From the dark look in his eyes, he knew that he was serious. "I'd say it'd be quite crucial."
"What is it?" she said, unable to resist.
"Answer me."
Andrea slumped back in defeat. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything," he replied, his eyes still boring into her. "How you got those scars. What you meant when you said you'd listened to her before. That threat you made before she left."
Andrea bit her lip to stop herself from screaming in frustration. He wasn't supposed to have heard that, any of that! No one was supposed to know!
"You'll tell me about your family after I answer all your questions?"
Sirius nodded.
Andrea twiddled her thumbs and sighed, casting a silencing charm on the cupboard to ensure privacy. She didn't know how to start. Not even Lily and Taylor knew everything about her life… was she really going to spill her most carefully guarded secrets to a boy she didn't really know?
Yes.
"I suppose it began when I was very young," she said at last. "I was expected to abide by the strict codes of my family… how I was supposed to act, dress, eat… live, it was all planned out for me. I never had any say in the matter."
She gazed at the dusty floor, still unsure how to tell her story.
"As you probably heard my mother say, I was sent me to many evaluators. They proclaimed me to be a talented child. So I was signed up for all sorts of classes, ballroom dancing, Latin, ballet, piano, violin, elementary Charms, Transfiguration for Tots and so on," she gave a wry smile. "This began when I was four."
She continued before Sirius could interrupt. "My lessons didn't stop there. Every time my mother wanted to get a new client, I was sent for more lessons. If who ever she was trying to please had a fondness for music, I would give a recital. If they liked martial arts, tae kwan do it was. Culture? I'd do a routine." She shook her head. "I can still remember my nanny, flooing me from one lesson to the next, every single day."
"Didn't you get any breaks?" asked Sirius incredulously. "Time to play with friends?"
"I didn't have any friends!" said Andrea, letting out a dry laugh. "I didn't have time for any! I was up before 6 every morning and my schedule ended around midnight. I didn't talk to any other girls my age, so I thought it was completely normal!
"I firmly believed that every other child was worked to the bone as well. I thought that we all had to earn the love of our parents," she giggled wildly, still caught up in her memories. "You know, the only time she smiled at me was when I won a competition or a title of some sort? I was entered in more contests than I can count, and she'd show up just before the results were announced. And when they said my name, she'd put her hands on my shoulders and give me this proud look…
"I was so happy when she did that," she continued softly, her voice cracking slightly. "I thought that if I worked hard enough, and became the best at everything, she'd love me. When… when I went for my lessons, I'd see mothers and fathers hugging their children goodbye. Neither of my parents did that, after all, we barely saw each other. So I thought that there must've been something… wrong with me. That there was something I had to achieve before my parents would love me."
She rubbed her eyes, and Sirius stared at her awkwardly. His first instinct was to gather her in his arms and hug her, but he hardly thought that that would be something she'd appreciate.
Andrea started speaking again before he could do anything. "A-and for the next few years, I worked furiously. I was determined to make her happy and proud that I was her daughter. She was always rather cold with me, especially when I didn't come out first in a competition. I remember once… she was so angry that I lost, she locked me out of the mansion. And th-then there was this huge storm, so I… I just sat next to the fountain. The house elf had to drag me in the next day because I was unconscious from fever. She came to see me before she went to Italy, and she said only one thing."
"What?"
She screwed up her face and in a voice uncannily like her mother's, said, "'You'd best be well enough for the Dueling Competition tomorrow, Andrea Persephone. The Cartwrights will be there.' I think it continued for a while after that," she said. "You know, me working like mad… until one day, to put it simply, I fainted.
"It was during my piano class when that occurred. One minute I was playing a piece by Tchaikovsky –he was a wizard, did you know that?- and the next, I was face flat on the piano keys. Quite humorous actually," she gave a pained smile. "So I was rushed to St. Mungo's and examined by Healers. By the time I got to the hospital, I had a temperature of over 40 degrees and was in a coma. They concluded that I was suffering from extreme stress and exhaustion. When my mother heard of this, I assume she was terrified," she said smugly. "Not for me, you understand, but for her reputation. If word got out that the great Priscilla Rose pushed her daughter to a nervous breakdown, she'd be ruined!
"The next day, I was shifted to a private hospital in Switzerland in order to prevent any rumors from spreading. The story that everyone was given was that I was on holiday. People who saw me faint were told that I'd caught a bug and was recovering. I assume that I was given the best care there, but I wouldn't know. It took me almost half a year to wake up from my coma. From what I heard, I was lucky to escape with no permanent brain damage. I stayed there for a few weeks, recovering until I was strong enough to move into another ward.
"It was then that I saw this other girl who stayed in the same room. She was in there for some reason or other, but that it isn't important. What was important was that I noticed her parents coming to see her everyday, only leaving when the Healers literally forced them out. One night, I just burst. I couldn't restrain my curiosity. So I asked what she had done to make her parents love her… I'll never forget what she said," Andrea trailed off with a twisted yet dreamy smile.
"What?" asked Sirius, caught up in the story.
"'They love me because I'm their daughter,'" she quoted. "I was shocked, of course, because it went against 7 years of unwavering belief that a mother's love had to be earned. Then, I thought back to all the times I'd seen parents with their kids, and it just hit me one day. She was right… and for the first time in my life, I did something about it."
'It had bee two months since 7-year-old Andrea Rose had awoken from her unnatural slumber and exactly two and a half weeks since she had come across her surprising revelation. She stared blankly at a painfully white wall and brought her knees up to her chest, deep in thought. Vaguely, she fingered the sheaf of parchment about her medical condition that the Healer had left by her bedside by mistake. He'd been so busy trying to get her to talk he'd forgotten to take them back.
Andrea shut her eyes tightly when she heard the door to the ward opening. The parents of the sick girl were coming again. They'd be there for hours, laughing and talking to their daughter. The growing envy she experienced was almost unbearable. To distract herself more than anything, she took out her wand and sent the parchment flying into her trunk, tucking them into various nooks and crannies in case the Healer came looking for them. It was his own fault he forgot, she decided spitefully.
"Andrea?" came a soft voice.
Andrea peeped out warily to stare at the warm face of one of the Healers who had been caring for her. Her graying hair was tied back in a loose braid and her brown eyes were gentle.
The Healer gazed back at the pair of solemn eyes that were fixed on her and decided once again that Andrea Rose was an enigma that she might never be able to understand. She had never met another 7-year-old quite like her… so young, yet she acted like a perfect little lady. Her delicate face was too thin and her sad, mature blue eyes stood out painfully, looking far too big.
"Your mother is here to see you; she requested you be moved to another room to talk to her," the Healer said, and watched the young girl's face change at her words. Her eyes sparkled and her rosebud lips curved into a smile. For the first time, a child-like joy shone through the refined mask.
"Mother is here to see me?" asked Andrea, her soft voice breathless.
"Yes," she replied, gesturing to the wheelchair next to her. "I'm supposed to bring you to her."
With speed that bellied her thin frame, Andrea all but leapt into the chair. The Healer smiled, she had after all, wondered what had kept them from visiting their daughter. Obviously there was nothing to worry about.
Andrea broke into a smile and felt her hopes and spirits rise, a warm feeling stole over her.
Mother had come.
Naturally her mother had realised how much she loved her, Andrea decided, and she'd come to tell her that. She would no longer be made to take so many classes, learn the things she so loathed and work until it felt like her head was about to split in two.
The radiant smile was still there when she arrived in the private room and the Healer had left. She gazed at her mother's familiar countenance and held out her arms to hug her.
"Drop that ridiculous gesture, Andrea Persephone," snapped Mrs. Rose the moment the door closed. "And sit up straight. The slump you have acquired is most undignified."
Andrea's arms fell to her sides and a confused expression swept over her face. This was not quite how he imagined their tearful reunion to be.
"You have been in this hospital far too long," continued Mrs. Rose, completely unaware of her daughter's inner turmoil. "You are behind in all your classes, and do you know that Melinda Cartwright won the Little Charmer's contest because you were ill?" she glared at Andrea as though it was all her fault. "We'll have to get back to work immediately."
"But," said Andrea, thoroughly bewildered, "Other girls don't do this…"
"Do you want to be like those other common little girls?" she countered. "This is all so that you'll grow up to be an accomplished young lady. I'm only doing this because I love you."
At that moment, something inside Andrea broke. In her young mind, she saw memories of the way she'd been treated through the years. Only this time, she saw it through the point of view of and outsider, an outsider who knew what a mother's love should truly be like. She saw the coldness of her life and the false, watered-down version her mother claimed was love. Abruptly, tears began to stream down her face.
"Why are you crying, Andrea Persephone?" demanded Mrs. Rose. "Have I not told you before that it's a sign of weakness?"
"Y-You don't love me!" choked out Andrea.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" she said disdainfully.
"All that I've been doing, you've profited from it!" she shouted, hot fury coursed through her. "I never saw it before because I was blind! I loved you so much I never realized why you were really pushing me so hard! But I see it now! You were only doing it because it made you look good! You never loved me, you loved the way I won trophies and titles, you loved the way you could rub in the fact that I was better than other people's children! You've been doing all this for your own selfish purposes!"
For the first time in her life, Andrea saw her silver-tongued mother stunned. Apparently, her accusations had hit home. She used her fists to rub her eyes and glared angrily at her mother, daring her to tell her that she was wrong.
"Now look here-" began Mrs. Rose.
"No! You look here!" screamed Andrea. "I've worked myself to the bone all this while because I thought you'd love me if I did! And now I know that you never will! The only thing your stupid demands got me was a trip to the hospital! And guess what?" she barreled on recklessly. "I'm not going to go for any more lessons or classes. I'm not going to let you control my life again!"
Andre fell silent, breathing heavily. She felt a strange new sensation rise up within her… it was the feeling of liberation and exhilaration. Then, she looked at her mother's stone-cold face and dangerous eyes that radiated with fury… and the feeling faded away, leaving in its place was an icy, unpleasant wave of fear. She had never protested or rebelled against her mother's orders, so she had no idea as to what was to come.
WHACK.
Mrs. Rose's slap sent her frail daughter flying across the room. Andrea slammed against the wall and cradled her flaming cheek with her tiny hands. She could only gape in shock as it was the first time anyone had ever lad a finger on her. Tremulously, she looked up, fighting the instinct to cry. Her mother stood over her, an ugly sneer on her elegant features.
"Andrea Persephone," she hissed dangerously. "Please do not assume for even a moment that you can make any demands whatsoever. I have no idea what caused this sudden change in attitude, but I order you to cease this ridiculous behavior at once!"
"No," she said, though she was beginning to feel as though she was playing an extremely dangerous game of chess, the determination in her voice was clearly audible. "I won't do what you say anymore. You nearly killed me."
This statement only served to further enrage her mother. "Listen, you little brat! You have absolutely no say in this! It doesn't matter what you want, but what I want! I can easily force you to do anything I please."
Check.
Andrea dropped her gaze, hating the understanding that she was powerless, that she had no say in the way she was to live her life. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she raised her head, wondering if she dared.
And she did.
"How would it be," she said slowly, "if the public knew that Priscilla L'Amore-Rose caused her daughter an unbearable amount of stress, made her fall into a coma and have a near-death experience?"
Mrs. Rose froze and her porcelain skin paled. "What are you saying?"
"That's why you've sent me here instead of St. Mungo's, isn't it?" said Andrea, her unusually fast brain serving her well. "You don't want anyone to know. Your reputation would be ruined if anyone found out that you nearly killed your own daughter."
"I have no idea where you got that ridiculous notion from," she said stiffly.
"I could tell them," said Andrea, her child's voice intent. "I could expose you."
Mrs. Rose looked at her daughter, hatred evident in her eyes, yet, there was a spark of respect there. "Only 7 and already you think you know politics," she said with a harsh laugh. "Well, my darling daughter, do not presume that you can beat me at my own game. Do you really think anyone would believe the word of a child? Do you know how to inform the authorities? Or the press? I happen to own most of it." Her eyes were like chips of ice as they bore into her. "You need evidence, and even as we speak, my people are erasing the records of your stay here… modifying memories," she leaned in. "It'll be like you never existed."
Check again.
Andrea opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her brain worked frantically, searching for a solution. Abruptly, something from her memory clicked, an image of herself using her wand to send her medical documents into discreet spots of her trunk… which would almost certainly have been Flooed to the mansion already.
She hung her head low, as though remorseful and allowed her mother to prattle on about the new lessons she would be taking.
That night, 7-year-old Andrea Rose made copies of the official records, hiding them in places she knew her mother would never look. She then sent another copy to a law firm that her mother had no control over. Hiring a lawyer, she gave explicit instructions that in the case of her abrupt and unnatural demise, the envelope was to be opened and published.
The moment Mrs. Rose came back from France, Andrea presented everything clearly and calmly. She was not to be forced to do anything she didn't want to, or the documents would be on the front page of every major newspaper across the globe. Furious though she was to be beaten by a child, she agreed.
Checkmate.
Now, Andrea would have won in a fair game, but whoever said that Priscilla L'Amore-Rose played fair?
……
"And that's where the scars come in," said Andrea dully, refusing to look at Sirius's pitying yet horrified expression. "I was punished for the smallest things, sometimes for nothing at all…"
……
"Andrea Persephone!" came the voice, ringing though the spacious rooms. "Come here at once!"
The little girl rolled off her bed gingerly, wincing at her movements. She had yet to recover completely from her last beating. The Healing Charms the house-elf used could only do so much after all. Slowly and painfully, she made her way downstairs. Arriving in front of her mother, she stared sullenly at the ground.
"Look at the mess you caused, Andrea Persephone!" Mrs. Rose said dramatically, pointing to one of her daughter's shoes that had fallen off the shelf.
Andrea restrained a grimace. They both knew that this was just another reason to punish her. She stepped forward and picked up the shoe, placing it on the original shelf. She turned to her mother and said, "There. The mess is gone."
"Is that mockery I hear in your impertinent tone, Andrea Persephone?" she said maliciously. "You should be punished."
Andrea backed away, unable to hide her fear. A long, thin cane, almost whip-like, appeared in her mother's hand. With a malevolent glint in her eye, she raised it and brought it down on her cowering daughter. Its length bit into her tender skin, drawing blood. All along her arms and back, red, thin streaks that would ache for days before leaving faint scars formed.
All the while, Andrea bit her lip hard, refusing to scream. Tears flowed down her face and she felt the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. She stood there, stiff as a rod while the cane made the air around her sing. The fastest way to end all this was to not move at all. She shut her eyes and mind, drawing herself away from reality… drawing away from the horror that was her life.
……
Andrea stared at the newly formed pearl-white scars on her arms. She rubbed on more of the cooling salve the house-elf had secretly left for her. Downstairs, she could hear her mother talking to someone, her father, most likely.
It was sad, she decided, that her father was so in love with a woman who didn't even have the capacity for affection. He worshipped the ground she walked on and would do anything she asked.
Anything.
Abruptly the door burst open, interrupting her contemplations. Framed at the entrance was a tall handsome man who was currently seething with rage.
"Andrea!" he barked, his tone so harsh and loud that it made her jump. "Is what your mother telling me true?"
Andrea shook her head blindly, frantically, terrified by the ferocious expression in his eyes.
"Come here!" he snapped. She made her way to him tremulously, unsure of what to expect. "She says that you've been rude and callous to her, and she's very distressed! Do you know that right now, she's down there crying?"
I'm sure she is, thought Andrea angrily. The same way I'm sure I've been rude and callous when I haven't spoken to her in 3 days.
"I don't want to do this, Andrea, but I have to," he undid the belt that was used to fasten his robes.
"No, Daddy! Please… no," whispered Andrea, stumbling backwards in an effort to get away. "I swear, she's making it up, I haven't-"
"Silence!" he roared. "'Cilla would never lie to me!"
"Please," she pleaded as he strode towards her, stretching the belt.
"Get on the bed," he said woodenly. She looked into his eyes and saw true regret and reluctance there. He didn't want to do this, he'd been forced to. Forced by his own gullibility and blindness.
She lay face down and clenched her jaw, shutting her eyes tightly. A spell was muttered and she felt herself bound into place.
"I'm so sorry," came a whisper from above.
And then, the belt came down. With a horrifying 'thwap', the leather struck her skin, leaving a hot, burning streak of agony. Andrea gripped the sheets tightly, her body bucking as the belt hit her across her back, buttocks and thighs.
Finally, Andrea couldn't contain herself and she screamed. The sound tore through the room, so full of pain and anguish that her father stopped his relentless battering for a moment. But her mother appeared at the doorway, using a silk handkerchief to dab away crocodile tears. Andrea saw him glance at the bane of her life uncertainly. She gave another fake sob, egging him on. Even through her streaming eyes and her body wracked with pain, she could still make out the triumphant smile her mother gave her.
And then, she blacked out
……
The next day, Andrea woke blearily to find Mimmy –the house-elf- dabbing her back gently with a cloth.
"Wha-?" she croaked, every inch of her aching.
"Do not be moving miss," said Mimmy softly. "It will only be making it worse."
Andrea twisted her head and saw Mimmy attending to the mass of bruises and torn flesh about her body. She stifled a gasp as the cloth brushed a particularly raw wound.
"Shh, miss!" hissed the house-elf. "Mimmy is not supposed to be here! Missus will be angry if she is finding out! Mimmy will be punishing herself later."
"No," said Andrea hoarsely. "I forbid you to hurt yourself."
"Do not be speaking, miss," said Mimmy. "Mimmy would use magic, but missus has expressly banned Mimmy from doing so."
Andrea felt tears well up in her eyes. Her mother's cruelty needled her more than she cared to admit.
"Oh, don't be crying miss!" cried Mimmy, her huge eyes glistening as well. "Look, master left a present for miss!"
Andrea looked in the direction Mimmy was pointing and her gaze fell upon an entire rack of new dress robes. Her trained eye counted at least twenty, all made by famous designers and exquisitely done. The entire collection could have bought her a small nation.
She supposed that that was her father's way of apologizing to her.
Mimmy looked satisfied, convinced that the gift had appeased Andrea.
……
That afternoon, a horrified house-elf stumbled across torn and ripped robes scattered over the front lawn.
……
"So that was how it continued for a while," said Andrea. "He'd beat me and then give me extravagant gifts to make up for it. As though that helped," she added bitterly.
"Didn't you tell him what was happening?" asked Sirius incredulously. "I mean, you could've explained everything to him."
"Haven't you heard a word I've said?" said Andrea with a humourless laugh. "He was madly in love with the bitch. He wouldn't hear a word against her!"
"But-"
"I believe… in some way… he did love me too," said Andrea as though Sirius hadn't spoken, "because, before the whole thing started, he would bring me things from all over the world. No matter where he went, he would get me something. It could be a rock from the beach or a diamond necklace, but it didn't matter. He got them for me because he wanted to, not because of guilt."
Andrea rubbed her eyes furiously. Sirius stayed wisely silent, waiting for her to continue.
"I guess it's just that he loved my mother more than me," she said with strained indifference. "But I hate him," she snarled suddenly. "I hate him for not standing up for me even when he felt that I wasn't at fault! I hate it when people don't fight for what they believe in!"
She sent Sirius a probing look, making him feel that she was referring to something else entirely.
"So every summer when you go home, this continues?" said Sirius, his dark eyes flashing with fury. Andrea gave a tired nod. "Is that why you're dressed like that at the beginning of every term?" seeing Andrea's confused look, he hastened to explain. "Every year, on the Hogwart's Express, you wear long-sleeved shirts, coats, ankle length skirts or loose pants, but in school…" he let the sentence hang.
"And there I was, thinking that nobody noticed," said Andrea with a dry laugh. "Yeah, I cover myself up so no one can see my bruises. If anyone saw the scars or the marks… there'd be a lot of questions."
"One thing doesn't tally though," said Sirius slowly. Andrea looked up warily, a hint of apprehension in her eyes. "Couldn't you have stopped your mother? All you had to do as threaten to reveal the documents if she lay a finger on you."
Andrea ran a hand distractedly though her wavy hair, "I – I was hoping you wouldn't notice that," she admitted.
"Why?"
"It was stupid," she blurted out. "I sacrificed so much for him, and he doesn't know it. He wouldn't even help me get out of that hellhole…"
"What are you babbling about?" demanded Sirius.
Andrea took out an extremely worn out piece of paper that looked like it had come out of the Daily Prophet. It was an article, yellowed with age and dog-eared from repeated readings. Slowly, with great care, she handed it to Sirius.
-Rose Rising-
'Blake Rose, President and sole founder of sports brand 'Zenith' was previously unknown when he entered the business world several years ago.
However, barely 8 months ago, this 24-year old star has shown Britain what he's made of. He has introduced revolutionary designs to brooms and Quidditch equipment like the world has never seen before. Needless to say, business is booming. Already, Zenith branches are opening all over the globe.
This handsome wizard was recently included in the list of Witch Weekly's most eligible Bachelors. He is said to be the son of British diplomat Damian Rose and famed businesswoman Priscilla L'amore Rose. His younger sister, Andrea Rose, is currently studying in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, when asked about his family, this young entrepreneur remained oddly closed–mouthed.
Still, the Daily Prophet and the world can certainly expect more from this wizard.'
"You have a brother?" asked Sirius incredulously. "Then why doesn't anybody know?"
"Sirius," said Andrea dully. "How often do I talk about my family?"
"Ah."
"She wouldn't have dared hurt me if it weren't for him," she said. "But I can hardly blame him, he doesn't know anything about it."
"You're not making any sense."
Andrea blew out a breath and said, "Blake is 11 years older than me. When I was younger, I worshipped him. Every summer, when he came back from Hogwarts, he'd take care of me. It was the first real bit of affection I ever got.
"He'd slip ice-cream into my milk bottle, create amusing ways for me to remember my lessons and make up games to play with me for hours on end." Andrea's eyes misted over. "He taught me to ride a broom and even stood up to my mother when he thought she was pushing me too hard. He paid dearly for that… but he understood what I was going through – see, she did the same thing to him.
"When he was off age, he tried to break free of my mother's rule. She wanted him to take over the business and marry this snotty cow, but he wanted something else entirely. So he moved out of the manor.
"I… I begged him to take me along with him, pleaded for him to be my legal guardian and save me from her," she looked at Sirius directly. "He refused to. He said that our mother was already out for his blood for defying her. She didn't need me as an added incentive to destroy any chance he had of being successful.
"I was furious, of course. He wouldn't help me escape from this torture, he wouldn't save me… because his success was more important than me." She clenched her fists. "Not that leaving me with that bitch helped him much, that is," she added with a harsh, choked laugh.
"I overheard her talking to one those brainless friends of hers through the Floo Network. Barely a week after Blake left, she was already plotting how to get him home with his tail between his legs.
"I wanted to let them destroy him, wanted to let them shatter the dreams of freedom he had the same way he shattered mine… but I couldn't. I finally understood how important it was to him.
"So I made another deal with her. She let Blake be, and I would keep the documents to myself… but this gave her control over me again. If I told anyone about the abuse, Blake would be ruined in a blink of an eye.
"So there," she said monotonously, still trying to stay strong. "You know everything about me now. All the stuff I tried to hide by putting on that cheery air-headed façade. You know all about my fucking f-family…"
At the last word, Andrea dissolved into tears, the front she'd kept broke down and the dam of anguish, hurt and pain flooded through. Without his earlier hesitation, Sirius gathered the sobbing girl in his arms, letting her weep on his shoulder. He whispered senseless words of comfort as he hugged her tightly.
When she finally calmed down, he used a slightly calloused thumb to gently wipe away her tears. "I know how you feel, Andrea," he said softly. He ignored the look of disbelief in her eyes. "I know because I went through pretty much the same thing." His gaze met hers. "I'm disowned."
Andrea's swollen eyes steadily widened in the next half hour as Sirius brought her into his world where blood was everything and love nothing. He spoke of the family he never had, but had always wanted, of how he found it at last with James's parents and the rest of the Marauders. By the end of it, they were clinging to each other tightly. Two teenagers who were desperately trying to make their way through life… two kindred souls who had finally found each other.
……
Over time, certain wizard philosophers have suggested that all things of nature are alive in a sense, sentient even. Some had gone to study the Black Oaks in America, Huo Ling in China and even the Wailing Woods in England. While many had completely dismissed the notion, several had insisted that due to the large amounts of magic, the forests had actually gained a sort of spirit.
Well, if that was indeed the case, then the supposed soul of the Forbidden Forest would be rubbing its hypothetical forehead in exasperation as two voices rose for the umpteenth time that day.
"Are you sure this is the right way?"
"Yes! Now will you stop asking me that?"
"Well how can I be sure? For all I know, you could have all the directional sense of Andrea. In our first year, she got lost trying to get to the bathroom. It took us 3 days to find her."
"She always did seem a bit batty when it came to directions, which is why that is such an insult to me! I'm the one who dragged you away before you walked into that hive of wasps!"
"It looked like a coconut!"
"We're in a forest, Evans! How likely is it that there'll be any coconut trees around here?"
"I'm not the one who nearly walked into a growth of Devil's Snare! And who was it who stopped you again? Oh yeah! Me!"
"Twat."
"Wanker."
"Bossy boots."
"Tosser."
"Munchkin."
"Munchkin? That sounds Muggle… and kind of American."
"Well I have this cousin…"
Indeed, the forest would have rolled its collective eyes had it any. The two students trudged on, or… more accurately, one was limping on a makeshift crutch while the other was supporting her side.
Lily listened as James described his foreign relative, a smile playing on her lips. They were bickering as badly as ever, she noticed, but there was something different about it. Before, their argument had been vicious and malicious insults had flown freely. Now, it was almost a game even. In fact, she found the light banter quite amusing.
Lily looked up at James and grinned. He looked back in confusion before laughing, seeming to find their prattling as entertaining as she did. She swung the crutch –branch, more like-, trying to get into a better rhythm so that she wouldn't slow them down too much. Even as she concentrated on that, she realized that she was seeing a part of James Potter that she'd never seen before. He wasn't just a player and an immature prankster, he was warm and witty and considerate, maybe even… likeable.
Not to say that she liked him or anything, amended Lily quickly. But she got the feeling that perhaps she was seeing the side of him that Taylor had tried to make her see so long ago, and it wasn't half bad. Then again, she reminded herself with a frown, this hardly made up for the horror she'd endured for the past few years, particularly the one that had happened so long ago… or the Boggart. She felt the old wave of fury wash through her and her hand clenched on the arm that was supporting her.
"Oy, not so hard," protested James mildly, eyeing her whitened knuckles. "I still need that."
"Nark off," she muttered, immediately dissipating the amiability in the air.
"Right," said James in confusion. I'll never understand girls, he thought crossly. One moment we're actually getting along –well, sort of- and the next she's snarling at me. But he had watched her face out of the corner of his eye, seen its expressions change from a good-humoured grin to a dark frown. He recognized the tightening of her mouth and the flash in her green eyes. She's remembering all the things I've done again, he thought guiltily.
They plodded on in silence until James noticed that even the hazy shafts of light that managed to pierce the gloom were dimming.
"Err," ventured James, unsure of Lily's current mood. She turned to glare at him. "Maybe we should set up for the night here." He gestured towards the small clearing they were standing in with his free arm.
Lily simply nodded wordlessly.
"Right," he said. "I'll just go get the firewood then."
He set Lily down before scurrying off to pick up dry branches. Merlin, he mused, that girl can really hold a grudge.
In minutes, James had collected a small armful of wood and was heading back. Setting the wood down in front of Lily, he dug in his robes for his wand before he realized that he didn't have one.
Lily rolled her eyes and began rubbing two sticks together.
"Good thing you know the Muggle way," said James with forced casualness, trying to bring back the earlier mood.
He failed.
Still, he wasn't the leader of the Marauders for nothing. "Lucky we found that stream of water," he continued stubbornly. "But we'll need food soon, so if we're on the right track, there should be some bushes with edible berries coming up. I've been to the Forest often enough for detention and I think we're near some of the paths Hagrid uses." And the ones the Marauders were familiar with, he added silently in his head. He risked a glance at Lily, who had been blowing softly at the small flame she created while he babbled.
James watched as she slowly fed it dry leaves and twigs, allowing it to grow before settling back with a satisfied expression.
"Handy skill," commented James. "Where'd you learn that?"
"Girl scouts," she said shortly.
"Ah."
The fire crackled.
James rooted around his mind frantically for something –preferably intelligent- to talk about.
"Look, Potter," said Lily suddenly. "Sorry about snapping at you just now. It's just that I was thinking about-"
"All the pranks I played on you," interrupted James dully, flushing.
"Well, yeah," she said in surprise. "How did you know?"
"You have a very expressive face," he said. Seeing her confusion, he continued. "You know, one moment it's happy, the next, odd, then angry." He imitated her in an exaggerated manner.
"I do not look like that!" she said indignantly, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
"'Course not, you're much prettier," said James unthinkingly. Lily reddened and he stuttered, "I mean… you – er…"
"Excellent grasp of your nouns," said Lily, getting over her initial shock.
"Maybe you should teach me," shot back James, with a suggestive smile.
"Maybe I will," she replied, winking as his jaw dropped.
"What did I do to make you hate me?" blurted James suddenly, completely killing the friendly air.
Lily stared at him, and the old hurt rose again. "You embarrassed and humiliated me," she said quietly. "And you didn't even care."
"But that was because you kept turning me down-"
"Not that!" snapped Lily. "Think back, Potter, to your first year. Your Marauder initiation prank."
And in a rush, James remembered.
……
"Today's the day, mates," said an 11-year-old boy with a melon sized grin.
"Sod off," groaned a voice from the bed next to him.
"What day?" asked his sandy-haired roommate who had just emerged from the bathroom.
"The day the Marauders begin!" he said triumphantly, before leaping onto the other bed.
"Oy!" came the cry, and a tousled head popped out. "Thanks a lot, James!"
"Don't mention it," he replied, ignoring the sarcasm.
"Going to tell us where you were this morning?" said the 4th boy who had been watching the scene with his watery blue eyes quietly.
"I'll do better than that, Peter." he smiled. "I'll show you."
……
Lily Evans rushed down the steps towards the dungeons for her Potions class. It was early, she knew. In fact, she would probably be the first one there since the class wouldn't start for another 20 minutes. But she needed to talk to the professor about her last essay. She'd forgotten to mention bezoars and she was sure that would count against her.
So, the morning saw a tiny thing with carrot-red hair running through the halls. She was thin, with an unremarkable face other than her luminous green eyes, which were currently narrowed in concentration as she scurried down the hall. She hoped she hadn't been beaten to class by Severus Snape. He'd been first there everyday for the last 3 weeks.
Abruptly, Lily felt herself jerk up, and everything went… green?
……
"This prank will not only get Snivellus back for being such a git to us on the train, but it'll set the tone for the Marauders for the next 7 years!"
"Just tell us what's happening, James," said Remus impatiently.
"Well, you know how Snivellus is always the first to get to Potions?" said James, finally giving in.
"Yeah?"
"As my marauder initiation prank, I've set up a little surprise in the corridor for him," he said, grinning in anticipation. They rounded the corner and saw what appeared to be a large green blob hanging upside down from the ceiling.
A large green screaming blob.
The four boys stopped short and burst into laughter. Behind them, the rest of the class trundled to an uncertain halt. They took in the scene and read the words hovering the unfortunate –and completely unrecognizable- victim.
"Slimy Slytherin Snivellus Snape
An alliteration brought to you by…
James Potter.
First ever Marauder Initiation Prank!"
"Get me down from here!" screamed the dangling figure, frantically pushing her robes and skirt up to cover herself.
"Did you do something to his voice too?" said Peter in delight.
As one, the class circled around the scene, gales of laughter emanating from them. Most of them were Gryffindors, and as house rivalry was already so deeply imbued, none were willing to help what they perceived to be the Slytherin enemy.
"Wait!" said Remus suddenly. He stepped closer to the thrashing figure dripping in goo. "Hate to break this to you, mate, but last I knew, Snape wasn't a girl."
More people turned to stare, and they realized that as odd as Snape was, it was unlikely that he was a cross-dresser, or would he wear frilly lingerie.
"I'm not Snape!" came the cry, followed by a spit of slime that had fallen into the person's mouth. "Get me down!"
"Let her down, James," said Remus. "She never did anything to us."
"Was a good prank though," said Sirius. "Better luck next time, mate."
All the while, James had stood there with an unblinking glare. "You ruined my prank!" he yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at her. He stamped his foot childishly. He couldn't believe it, days of planning had gone into this, and now, his grand scheme was spoilt, all thanks to this… this girl!
"Nice try, Potter," said the real Snape, his dark hair was oily and his eyes glinted malevolently. "But not good enough."
"James, cut her down!" said Remus. The girl's face –well, the parts that weren't covered in slime- was bright red with embarrassment and tears were flowing freely.
"Why should I?" he said stubbornly. "She spoilt everything!"
"I didn't mean to!" she sobbed. "Please, let me go! I'm scared of heights!"
"You let her go, you wanker!" came a shrill cry. A pretty girl with short, black hair stepped forward. Her hands were curled into fists and her dark blue eyes flashing with anger.
The students were silent, watching the drama unfold. Few of them knew the advanced magic James had used, let alone how to counter it. Sirius shifted uncomfortably before grabbing his wand to undo the spell, but James wheeled towards him, his face contorted in disappointment over his failed attempt, and fury at his best mate's perceived betrayal. For a moment, Sirius looked like he was going to release her anyway, then as if he remembered something, he faltered and put his wand away.
"Git!" shouted the same girl. "If you don't release her, I will! Don't think I don't know how!"
"Go ahead then!" yelled James before stalking off furiously. Peter and Sirius glanced at each other before following him.
"You!" said the girl imperiously, pointing at Remus. "Get ready to catch her. Diffindo!"
With that said, the invisible rope holding the victim was severed and she fell onto Remus with a squelch. The other girl ran to help them up. The former, being covered head to toe in gunk needed to be hefted by the both of them to prevent herself from slipping.
"Not to worry," said the dark-haired girl as her newly-found companion was still in tears. "We'll get you to the Hospital Wing and you'll be as good as new!"
She pulled them in one direction until Remus cleared his throat and said, "Actually, the Hospital Wing's that way."
"Right. I knew that."
……
"D'you want a grape?" said another first year who was being hospitalized. She caught sight of the trailing green figure and exclaimed, "Blimey! What happened to you?"
"A smarmy git named James Potter!" snarled the other girl when the first couldn't seem to bring herself to answer.
"What's the ruckus?" said a young Healer, bustling in. "Taylor, you just fell off a broom. I don't want you getting excited over any- Dear me!"
She took one look at the sad image and ushered her into another room. "We'll get you cleaned up in a moment, love. No need to cry."
Which left the other 3 staring blankly at each other.
"Your friends are wankers," said the raven-haired girl to Remus. She then stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Andrea Rose and I have a terrible sense of direction."
"Err… I'm Remus Lupin and I'm a bit at loss for what to say," he replied raising an eyebrow, but taking her hand.
"Taylor Lee," said the girl on the bed. "And I have candy."
Andrea eyed her critically. "What type?"
"Loads, really," she shrugged and reached under the bed. Pushing the fruit away, she lugged up a huge box. "Can't let Ms. Pomfrey see it."
Andrea looked at it and gave her a huge smile. "We're going to be best friends," she said warmly.
Just then, the other girl walked in with the Healer, looking rather shame-faced. She was dressed in a hospital gown and looked considerably cleaner. "Alright," said Ms. Pomfrey. "This is Lily, and I expect you to make her comfortable." She turned to Lily and helped her into one of the beds. "You've had a shock, dear. Go and have a lie-down."
"You look much better now," said Andrea. "You've really nice eyes."
Lily stared at her, rather taken aback by her bluntness.
"Th-thanks," she said. "And thank you for helping me." She looked at Remus and blushed again. "I don't know why I cried. I don't do it usually, honest."
"Nothing wrong with a good cry," said Taylor briskly. "Candy?"
"Is there chocolate?"
"Plenty."
Remus smiled and left the room quietly, leaving the 3 girls to bond over the delightful confection that was chocolate. That day, a fiery loathing had begun in a young girl's heart, fueled by humiliation and hurt, but so had a friendship that could last the rest of their lives.
"God made us sisters," said Lily. "Chocolate made us friends."
……
Lily eyed James coldly across the fire. "Finally remembered, have you?"
"Lord, Lily, I'm so sorry," said James. "I was young, immature and stupid-"
"Like you aren't that now?" said Lily with a snort. "Wait a minute," she added, looking stunned. "Did you… just… apologise… to me?"
"Yeah," said James, looking a tad confused. "You know, for doing that to you in our first year and for all the other stuff-"
"But you never apologise!" said Lily incredulously. "Not to anyone and definitely not to me!"
"Well if you'd stop interrupting me then maybe I could do it properly!" snapped James. He looked down at the grass and ran a hand through his hair, ignoring Lily's look of disapproval. "Look… I was… and maybe still am a… git. I know you think that I'm a complete twat for not being able to remember that Initiation prank, but think about it. It was 7 years ago. Time has its way of blurring things." He held up a finger as Lily opened her mouth again. "I'm not excusing what I've done… I'm just trying to explain. When I'm done, you can condemn me, ok?"
Lily nodded slowly.
"I was brought up to believe that I could do anything if I put my mind to it," said James. "My parents wanted me to be confident… and I suppose they did a little too well in hat aspect. So, imagine how I felt that day. The first time I really tried hard at anything, and I failed. I was… furious. You remember what it's like being a kid, you set your heart on something and if it doesn't come through, you throw a tantrum."
"So you admit to still being a kid?" said Lily, unable to resist.
"I blamed it on you even though I didn't know who you were," continued James, choosing to ignore that. "In fact, I didn't know your name, didn't know how you looked like, because if I recall properly, you were covered head to toe in green gunk. Even your hair was green! We could barely tell you were a girl." –"Thanks," muttered Lily sourly.- "I guess I wanted to punish you for ruining my prank, for ruining what was meant to be the finest moment of my 11-year existence."
Lily was quiet for a moment, putting herself in his shoes and trying to feel the rage and bone-crushing disappointment he must have felt then. "Maybe you're right," she conceded at last. "Not to say that I think what you did was justified…. But maybe, for an 11-year-old that was spoilt rotten," –she didn't notice James's look of indignance.- "that was probably normal. But I still don't see why you can't remember. Sure, it was a long time ago, and maybe you didn't know it was me, but that day should be burned into your memory. Unless you were hit by an Obliterating Charm right after that, you've no reason."
"I-I'm not sure why I just forgot about it, exactly," admitted James. "I can only suppose that I wanted to forget about it. I had millions of successful pranks on a far larger scale, why would I want to remember one failed one? After that day, we never talked about it, or even mentioned it. The other three understood that I wanted to put it out of my mind… and I guess I did. In fact, I'm pretty sure neither Sirius nor Peter has any recollection of it… though Remus probably does."
"Remus has no reason to forget it," said Lily with not a little anger. Apparently, 7 years' worth of righteous fury didn't fade easily. "He didn't do anything wrong. He helped me."
"It's not something I'm proud of," said James, biting back his jealousy. "I was ashamed, not only because my scheme flopped, but because of the way I treated you. So… I did what humans naturally do. I covered it up, hid away from the ugly truth, and slowly convinced myself that it never happened."
Lily said nothing.
"Please, Lily," her eyebrows jumped when he called her by her first name, "forgive me. I was wrong and I've been horrible to you. I nearly killed you with a Boggart and I was too jealous to even apologise… So, I'm doing that now. I'm really, really sorry."
"Did you really try to change for me?" she asked. Seeing his look of bewilderment, she explained. "Remus and Taylor said you've been trying to stop being so full of yourself… for me… have you really?"
"Yes," said James. "I… I guess that what you thought of me… it meant a lot to me. I don't know why, it just did. I tried so hard to change, but you never seemed to notice, let alone care. It was… a bit disappointing to say the least."
"Alright," she said simply.
"Alright what?" said James.
"Alright, I forgive you," Lily smiled and stuck out her hand. "Our first meeting didn't go too well, did it? So, let's start over. Hi, I'm Lily Evans."
Disbelievingly, James took her hand. "I'm… I'm James Potter."
"It's very good to meet you, James."
"You… you called me James," he said, hardly daring to believe it.
"Yes, you see, I only call people I severely dislike by their last name," said Lily with a small smile.
"You don't severely dislike me?" James repeated, allowing a huge smile to unfurl on his face. He leapt up and did an odd little jig while bellowing, "She doesn't severely dislike me! She doesn't-"
"James!" snapped Lily. Then, as if to test the name out again, she said, "James. Get down! The noise could attract predators!"
"Scared them away if anything," he said, still looking idiotically happy. So idiotically happy, in fact, that Lily felt rather touched. "So, are we friends now?"
"No," she said prissily. "We're acquaintances. We have just met, you know. You'll have to work your way up to being my friend."
"An acquaintance. I can handle that," he said, still grinning. "Hello, this is my acquaintance, Lily." Mentally, he inserted the word 'girlfriend' and found that he liked it much better.
"Just go to sleep," she said, rolling her eyes. Abruptly, she paused. "Hang on, I just realized… did you say you were 'too jealous' to apologise to me about the Boggart? Why?"
James looked at her blankly before giving a startled yelp and continued doing his jig. Only this time, it was because a corner of his robes had conveniently caught fire. Helping him put it out, his odd choice of words had completely flown out of Lily's mind.
Never let it be said that a Marauder wasn't resourceful.
A/N: OMG. Thank Lord. It's finally over. I've been typing for hours! Over ten thousand words, baby! HAHAHA. Well, the secrets are finally out, relationships are developing, and things seem to be going smoothly. I can only hope it was up to your expectations.
And, remember in Chapter 11, I gave a hint about the whole Lily/James thing and why James can't remember what he did? Well, none of you got that right. It was one sentence said by Taylor, "Time has its way of blurring things". James repeated that sentence in this chapter. Nothing much, really. I just felt like messing with you. But seriously, it's so true.
IMPORTANT: READ.
I've heard that Fanfiction no longer allows authors to reply to reviews in the story. So, I have decided to create a blog explicitly for that purpose. If I feel that there are any questions that really need answering, I'll post it. I'll update it twice a month, I guess, less if I don't have as many reviews. Unfortunately, I'm too lazy to reply to the reviews from the last chapter, so if you had any questions, please repeat them. Thanks. The blog will also include ideas for BIO and Diaries. I'll be asking for opinions, and maybe if I have enough time, a peek into the next few chappies, yeah?
The blog's add is dreamersutopia and it's at Blogspot.
Ta ta people. Review!