Hiya again everyone! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it :)
Yet again, big hugs from me AND Sirius for the amount of reviews I got for the last chapter! It really does make me happy to get feedback from you all!
Disclaimer- I do not own HP or the Marauders, no matter how much I wish I did…But I do own Carla and Mel! (Carla & Mel – YAY!) And the storyline is completely my own, diddum… (See! I remembered to put this in this time! Are you proud?)
But then, without further ado…here is chapter 5!
A little while later and it was still quiet around the group. The only sounds were Lily and Remus's book pages being turned, the IPod playing and Sirius's snores.
Mel seemed to have finished writing in her journal, and she was off in her own little dream world, staring blankly off into space. Unfortunately this was probably why she didn't even notice Carla carefully prise the notebook out of her slack hands.
After a few minutes, Carla started giggling at what she was reading, and the fact that she was reading willingly was enough to raise suspicion.
Lily looked up warily at the noise and saw Carla eagerly drinking in what she was reading out of Mel's diary. Sighing, she nudged Mel gently, getting her full attention and successfully waking her from her little daydream, before signalling to their friend with a jerk of her head.
Mel looked confused at first, but then turned to look at Carla properly. Her eyes widened in horror and then almost instantly they turned into dangerous looking slits.
"Give that to me," she said monotonously, almost as if she couldn't really care less. But Lily and Carla knew that this was the way that Mel dealt with anger that she was too furious to yell about.
"Make me," Carla grinned challengingly, raising an eyebrow. This was a big mistake.
Mel growled before launching herself out of her chair and wrestled Carla to the floor; both of them yelling and screaming at the top of their voices.
Muggles turned to watch; some with disgusted, disapproving faces (especially families with younger children. The Mothers gave them looks of utter loathing and hatred for being such bad influences on their kids), and others with excitement and encouragement (boys will be boys).
Remus lowered his book and turned to Lily, an alarmed expression on his face when he saw what was happening between the two girls. But she just sat there shaking her head in a calm – yet agitated – sort of way.
"Shouldn't we intervene?" he asked, worriedly as Mel managed to grab hold of a handful of Carla's hair and pulled fiercely.
"No, just let them fight it off between themselves," Lily replied steadily, her face holding nothing more than mild irritation at the noise the pair were making, therefore the attention they were attracting from the people passing by.
"But they look like they could end up killing one another!" he protested desperately. He didn't want Mel getting hurt – or Carla, of course!
"They're no worse that some of the Marauder brawls that I've unfortunately been witness to. Well, at least you now know what it's like from my perspective when James and Sirius are at each other's throats," she pointed out.
"They're – we're – not this bad!" he insisted.
"Yes you are. The only difference is that there is generally more high pitched squealing when it's these two… well, actually that's not strictly speaking true. Sirius makes quite an interesting sound when James goes for his hair."
"But –"
"Just let then have chance to calm down. They'll be fine."
Sometime within the next few seconds Mel managed to elbow and wake a previously still-sleeping Sirius in the stomach. He jumped out of his chair into a standing position in alarm. He barely even had the chance to ask what was going on, before he tripped over the pair of hysterically fighting girls.
James took this moment to take out the headphones and look, wide-eyed, at the sight in front of him. He turned to Lily and Remus quizzically.
"Care to explain?" he prompted.
"Carla stole and then read Mel's diary," Lily said, believing that was all of the information he should need to understand the situation.
"So?" James pondered confusedly. What was so bad about reading a diary?
"What do you mean 'so?'" she demanded.
"It's just a diary," he replied looking bewildered, he wasn't even going to pretend to understand the way that the female brain worked.
"Just a diary? They're very private, and – chances are – they contain lots of the writer's deepest secrets. It is how girls release pent up emotions and feelings. To a normal teenage girl, her diary is her friend, somebody who listens without complaining and who won't judge you no matter what you say," Lily tried to explain. How could you explain the symbolism behind an object that just seemed second nature to people like Mel?
"You don't keep one, do you?" James replied after a second, wearing an amused expression.
"Of course I don't! It's a waste of bloody time and good ink, if you ask me," she said pointedly, rolling her eyes.
"That's what I thought," he grinned triumphantly.
"Why?" she enquired curiously. "How did you guess that?"
"Easy. You always take all of your 'pent up emotions and feelings' and use them to yell at me. If – judging by what you just said – you kept a diary you wouldn't feel the constant need to scream at me as often. That, and if you had one, I would have found out and stolen it by now."
"Oh," Lily said slowly, taking the fact that he may be right. Maybe I should start to keep a diary, just to try and keep my emotions in check..?
"So, why don't you keep a diary, Lily?" he wondered.
"I already told you, I don't ever have the time, and I don't see the point in writing down my secrets where they could be very easily accessed, stolen, read and passed around the school by the next morning," she said with a very clear, obvious, pointed look at James.
He grinned sheepishly, "Fair point."
"Carla, give me my journal!"
"No! Get off of my hair!"
"Ahhh! Can I get up now?"
All of the yelling made Lily and James finally look back at their three friends, who were still on the floor.
The two girls were both – seemingly – climbing over Sirius and trying to hit each other. And Sirius was laying on his front, sandwiched to the floor. Every time he tried to scramble to his feet, either Carla or Mel would end up smacking him the face by accident, and he'd be sent sprawling. In the end he'd just resulted to lying still, with his hands trying to protect his hair. There was no point in wriggling; he wasn't going to be able to escape any time soon.
Sighing, Lily reached over and took the small book out of reach from both of them and stashed it safely in her handbag.
"Lily!" they both whined in unison, looking like small children.
"Mel, you'll get it back on the plane if you behave," she replied forcefully, showing the fact that she had the authority over the two of her friends.
"But that's not fair!" the girl in question, complained.
"Do you want it back at all?" Lily challenged.
"Yes! Eurgh, Merlin, I hate you, Carla!" Mel glared.
Carla just smirked, stood up, smoothened out her clothing and hair, and say calmly back down in her chair; Mel did the same.
Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence before Carla turned to Lily, guilt playing across the whole of her face.
"I'm sorry, Lils," she apologised.
"OK," Lily sighed tiredly.
Sirius started laughing loudly from his place on the floor.
"What?" Carla snapped, glaring at him.
"It's just, you looked so scared of Lily then!" he choked out between guffaws.
"You would be scared! Once Lily's in a bad mood with you, you're in trouble. Just ask James if you don't believe me. Lily has quite a temper!" she replied defensively.
"That's true," James said in agreement.
"Hey!" Lily exclaimed, scandalised, giving James a firm whack on the back of his head.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to offend you! I just mean that you have a short temper!" he explained. This earned him another smack. "I'm sorry, Lily! Please don't hit me! I have a life to live!"
"Fine, OK," she said casually.
"Thank you beautiful-gorgeous-caring-sweet Lilyflower!" he grinned, hugging her fiercely.
"Whipped," muttered Sirius.
"Shut up, Padfoot," James growled, still squeezing Lily tightly against him, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.
"Er, James?" Lily asked.
"Yes?" he replied, smiling internally at the use of his first name.
"I can't breathe…"
"Oh!" he released her quickly, looking at her nervously. "Sorry."
"It's OK," she shrugged, smiling carefully, causing James to beam back at her enthusiastically.
"Whipped," Sirius said again, sitting back in his chair next to Carla.
Remus threw his book at Sirius head, and much to his delight, it was right on target.
"Remus! It's not like you to do something like that! It wasn't a very nice thing to do!" Mel said with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry, Mel," Remus murmured, looking down embarrassed.
"Whip –" Sirius started before Carla grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and snogged him full on the mouth.
Lily and Mel just laughed and rolled their eyes at their friends antics, whilst James and Remus looked lost for words.
After about thirty seconds, Carla pulled away and huffed. "Thank you. Now be quiet!" she demanded, sitting back in her chair and picking Lily's novel draft up again, as if she'd done nothing more than glared at him.
Sirius gaped open mouthed at Carla; a look that his friends were also supporting, but obviously without the messed up hair and swollen lips.
"What?" Carla asked, looking up after sensing the pairs of eyes on her. "Close your mouths or you'll catch flies," she added before going back to the paragraph she'd been reading moments before.
James turned to Lily and was surprised to see her smiling, her eyes lit up in amusement.
"What was that?" he whispered to her.
"Oh, well, snogging boy's is Carla's favourite way to get them to shut up. So if she suddenly kisses you for no apparent reason, after you've been talking for a particularly long time, or been saying something annoying, chances are you should take it as a cue to shut up. And, anyway, look at Sirius now. Can you hear him talking?" she asked.
"No, because he currently looks paralysed with shock," he said logically.
"Exactly, that's how – and why – it works so well."
"That's sneaky! Although, if you every want me to shut up, don't hesitate to take a leaf out of her book," he winked roguishly.
Lily just rolled her eyes at him and returned to her book.
"I don't get the mechanics of the female brain," Remus said weakly, in a shaky sort of voice.
"Me neither, Moony. But that doesn't mean that some of their mannerisms can be pretty cool!" James replied.
"You wouldn't be saying that if you had to spend all day, every day for weeks, with a bunch of us," Mel laughed.
"Oh, I think we'd manage," he responded confidentially.
"Speak for yourself, Prongs! Spending hours upon hours with you and Padfoot is enough to send me mad! Forget how bad it would be to add three crazy girls into the picture!"
"Oi!" Mel and James both exclaimed.
Remus just smirked and went to go collect his book off of the floor next to Sirius from where it'd fallen after it'd struck him. Once he'd sat down again, Mel stood up and perched herself in his lap.
"What are you reading?" she asked curiously, quite surprised by the forwardness of her own actions.
"Um…It's a Muggle book about a spy," Remus answered, in a sort of trance. Maybe this means that she's not mad at me about that incident at the party! Maybe – by some kind of miracle – I didn't ruin everything after all!Inspired by this revolution, he gently put on of his arms around Mel's waist to make sure she wasn't going to fall off; making her smile at him timidly.
James smiled at Remus and how happy and content he suddenly looked with the brunette girl sat on his knee. This was just the sort of thing that the shy werewolf needed. It would be great if he learnt to trust a few more people as much as he did the Marauders. You can never have enough friends. And – by the look of things – by the end of the summer, he was going to be much more than friends with Mel.
Then James turned his attention to his other friend – who was still sitting stiff as a board in a way that might suggest that he'd been petrified.
"Hey, Pads?" he called, with a sly grin on his face as an idea suddenly struck him.
"Yeah?" Sirius managed to reply faintly.
"Whipped!"
Me- Well, I'm afraid to say that you fully deserved that, Sirius.
Sirius- What! Why?
James- Because you're a git!
Sirius- Oi!
Remus- Wait, I think you'll find that that's you, James.
Sirius- *Laughing* Ooh burrrrn!
James- Megan, they're bullying me!
Me- I know, sweetie. Oi, Black!
Sirius- Yeeees?
Me- Leave James alone or I'll make the next chapter hell for you!
Sirius- *Looks scared* OK! I'm sorry Prongsie-pie! Will you forgive me?
James- No.
Sirius- Awwww! Pleease?
James- No.
Sirius -Megaaaaan! He won't accept my apology!
Me - *Mutters under breath* boys…
James & Sirius - Hey!
Well, as I said before, I was super happy about the response from the last chapter! AND I think you'll be happy to see that I managed to update before my deadline! Aren't you all proud of me? Well, actually there's a reason for this. I am crazily busy this upcoming week, so I honestly don't think I'd' ve had time to update then. So instead of skipping am update, I've given it to you early! Now, show me the love and REVIEW!
But anyway, can we see if we can reach 40 reviews by the update which will be in about a fortnight-ish time? Vague, I know, but you get the idea. You can do that, right? Please? I'd love you all forever! And you know what? If you review, you get hugs from Sirius AND Remus! Am I awesome or what?
Right, question time: 'Who do you think would react better on a plane; Mel or Carla?' I am giving you guy's complete free reign on this choice! It is totally your decision. How would they both behave? Let me know what you think ;)
Love Megan Xxx
