Hey

I actually managed to finish chapter two. I'm not really sure about it, I guess it is a little much for one chapter but I decided that this project needed an actual storyline so I came up with something and wanted to make a start here and to give you all a first impression. Maybe it really was a little too much and too fast but maybe I'm just a little nervous, what you might think.

Please let me know if you liked it, or if you think I should rewrite it a little.

30/11/2015: I also tried to fix as many errors in this chapter as I could find but I'm afraid that better still isn't perfect. Please don't be mad, and feel free to point out any mistakes you can find, so I can go back and fix them.

It was still the first day of my sixth year, and my day just kept going weirder and weirder. I had most of my classed today without Dinah so I had to sit with Lily, Alice and Mary. The three of them were particularly inseparable and while they were usually nice I always felt a little left out when I was with them. They kept talking about their summer vacation and some mysterious older boyfriend that Alice had. He obviously was a student here at Hogwarts, but no one of them wanted to tell me the name.

As if that wouldn't be enough to remind me of the fact that I wasn't part of their little group, James had to screw it up entirely for me. He came to us during our third period to talk to Lily and managed to somehow pull me into their little drama, earning me disapproving looks from the read headed beauty for the rest of the day. It was at least one memory that I wouldn't forget to fast.

I was writing in my Notebook again. Some lyrics I heard over the summer to keep my mind of the conversation that Alice and Mary were having for the third time since I took my seat next to them. I was starting to think that Mary had no idea who the mysterious boyfriend was, either. I had reached the second verse of the song when I saw Potter and his friends come over to the front of the class. Professor McNeil – our new Defense against the dark arts Professor – wasn't here yet so there was no one present to stop this from happening.

Everyone around knew what was coming. Potter would make some stupid remark and Lily would explode. It was the same thing every time but no matter how often it happened James Potter wouldn't give up. Lily was some kind of price that he wasn't ready to let go. Sometimes I wondered why. They never really talked to each other. All they did was yelling – well on Lily's side – so he had no idea what she really was like. What planes for the future she had. Hell, he didn't even know how she liked her coffee. But none of these things seemed to matter. In his eyes, Lily Evans was the perfect girl and there was nothing one could do to chance that.

"Hey!" Potter leaned over the desk using both of his hands to support his weight. Lily didn't seemed pleased at all. And neither did his friends. I realized it for the first time but I actually thought that they had already realized that his dream would never come true. "What do you want Potter? After what happened at the end of last year you can't possible think that I would want to talk to you!" Lily's voice held an icy undertone and even the dark haired guy seemed taken aback. I had heard about the little run in that Potter and Snape had after their exams at the end of their fifth years. But Lily wasn't done yet. "You don't really think that I would want to be with someone who treads my friends with so little respect!"

Anyone around could see that James was thinking hard for a reply while his expression hardened. Her words had obviously hit a sore spot. "You right!" he answered finally. "I'm actually here to talk to Kat!"

That was something no one had expected and even Lily look a little stunned. "What?" That was an excellent question! And since when were we on a first name basis anyway?

Potter shook his shoulders and pushed himself back into a standing position to turn to me. After that, he looked just as clueless as I did. I signed, of course he hadn't actually come to talk to me, this was just the first excuse that had come to his mind. The thing was just, that now he had to actually figure something out that he wanted to talk to me about before he looked like a total idiot in front of Lily. It could have all taken a good end at this moment, I think, I could have asked him, what the hell he was doing but looking at him standing there like a lost puppy… I actually felt pity for him. "I give you my potions scripts tonight, but you guys should really start making some notes yourself!" I said before I had the chance to think it over.

Professor Slughorn always started a new year with repeating the most important potions from the last year. To make sure that the students 'hadn't forgotten their basics' like he liked to say.

"That's what I'm trying to tell them since first grad!" replied Remus dryly.

Potter – or, was it James now? – look utterly relived at my words and ignored Remus. "Thanks Kat, you're a real live-saver!" He send me a honest smile and I knew that he wasn't talking about some notes that were probably lying at the bottom of his trunk. I tried my best to copy his smile. "You're welcome!" Again.

After this little incident I was officially the enemy. Mary had asked me when I became friends with the Marauders. A pretty good question actually. So instant of giving a real answer I had just smiled at her and told her that it 'just kinda happened' somehow. I also told her that we were only on a talking basis and nowhere near the part where we could officially named friends. But it was enough. Lily looked like she was really disappointed in me for the rest of the day.

I'm just not sure why? Had it been that obvious that I was lying when I helped James? Did she think it would become one of them now? Or was it something else entirely? I knew that, if I were Lily I would enjoy the attention that James would be giving me. Having one of the most popular guys in school chase me like that? For every other girl this would be heaven. Maybe Lily liked it secretly as well? I singed and closed the book I had been reading. "So you really are leaving me alone now?"

Dinah didn't even bother to turn around when she answered and I just knew that she was rolling her eyes. "I have been tutoring Christian in every Thursday since he started two years ago Kat, why are you acting like this is a surprise?"

"Because it's our first day back at school!" I replied. "And I don't get why he already needs a tutor! You should start next week and stay with me today!"

"To do what? You have been reading you stupid novel for the last two hours. You could at least do your homework!" Dinah answered while she finished packing her stuff and turned around to me. "You will survive a few hours without me!"

"I know I will!" I signed. "But Lily is still giving me the evil eye and I'm nearly finished with my book. I'm going to get bored alone here!"

My best friend only shook her head. "I'm leaving now! Like I always do on a Thursday at 7 pm. And you could get your ass up and send a letter to your parents, like you always do on a Thursday at 7 pm!" The look on her face said clearly 'Stop whining' so I bit my tongue and smiled sweetly at her. " 'lrigth!"

It is true; I normally used that time to write a few lines to my family. I guess I'm just too lazy today. It always takes me a few days to get used to everyday life here again. And it took me at least five more minutes till I decided that her idea might not be the worst.

My mother always got worried about me when it took me too long to reply to her. That's way I always relied on the same day. On a Thursdays at 7 pm. That way I couldn't forget to write at all. (That might have happened once or twice)

I took my bag from the couch and made my way over to the exit when I heard someone call my name.

"Kat!" I turned around just in time to see James jog towards me. "Hey!" he smiled at me while he opened the portrait for me. "Where are you going?"

"To the Owlery?"

„Great!" he smiled even wider, while he followed after me. Letting the portrait slide back in place. "I wanted to go up there anyway!"

Okay that was it! Something was defiantly wrong here. "What the hell is going on here?" I asked him while I continued on my way. All the answer that I got was a confused look. "I mean; one could be an accident or something. Two is a coincidence but three? That a pattern. Don't get me wrong but I just don't understand why you're talking to me. You never did before!"

James looked taken aback at my outburst. "Why wouldn't I want to talk to you? We are in the same house and have most of our classes together!"

"You weren't even sure if Bauer really was my last name this morning!" He at least had the decency to look embarrassed at my words. "You heard that?"

I snorted and actually stopped walking to face the dark haired boy. "Yes James, I heard that! So please just tell me the truth before this gets even more ridicules!" I'm dumb! I'm so unbelievable stupid. Any normal person would have taken the chance to actually talk to one of the marauders and maybe find a way to get included in their inner circle. Everyone wanted that in one way or another. To be popular. Including me! So why the hell was I yelling at James when I – for once – got the chance to improve my social status? Why?

James didn't seem to notice my inner struggles and starred down at the floor. "Remus!" he said finally.

"What?" So he was just talking to me because Remus wanted him to? What was I? A social case?

But I hadn't things expected to be even worse.

"Well Remus kinda likes your friend, Dinah. But she seems a little distant, so I thought that you could…" at this point I decided that it was time to interrupt him. "Im ernst jetzt? You came here because Remus likes D.? That's it?" This was unbelievable. I wanted to yell at him, to tell him how hurtful his words actually were. I knew that I wasn't the kind of girl that they spend their time with but being told to my face that the only reason that he would talk to me was because of my friend, was… I was so angry that I wasn't even able to make a single sound.

So I did the next best thing: I turned around and left. I didn't want him to see me like this! Not like some sad little girl that wasn't invited to play with the big Kids. I was better than this, I decided.

I walked as fast as I could without starting to run and soon leaving the halls behind me, making my way over to the owlery.

If I hadn't been that upset, I would have probably noticed the bad feeling that came over me as soon as I reached the fresh air. Under normal circumstances I would have surly realized that something was wrong. Would have turned around. At least I liked to think that now. But I didn't. I kept on walking till I saw the first of them. It was a horrible view, he was wearing a dark coat and some sort of mask that made him look like he just came out of one of this Horror movies that my sister secretly watched. I instinctly took a step back, only to collide with something hard behind me. I twirled around and saw another guy – at least I thought there were male – stand behind me, wearing the same mask.

"See!" the one behind me – the one I had seen first – said. "I told you she would come here. Every week, like clockwork!" The other one made a strange sound and stared to chuckle. Bright green eyes fixed me from behind the mask and I shuddered. What was going on here?

"Don't worry!" the first one spoke again. "It will look like an accident!" I didn't dare to turn back around but I don't think I would have been able to if I wanted. This was the second time in less than an hour my body was frozen. I tried to make sense out of this situation but it just wouldn't fall into place. I had no idea who they were or why they were here but deep down I knew that this wouldn't end good for me.

I tried to find a way out of this situation but I was trapped.

My eyes flickered to the door that wasn't too far away but with the guy between me and my escape I doubted that I would make it. The one in front of me seemed to realize what I was thinking. "It's okay!" his voice sounded a lot softer now, reassuring even it was totally surreal. "Just close your eyes! It won't hurt!"

I don't know why, but I did it! Maybe I just didn't want to face the fact that these were my last moments I wanted to believe that if I actually closed my eyes it would all just go away. And in some way, it did; Someone was yelling but didn't realize what it was I just kept my eyes closed still hoping that everything was going to be okay.

The next time someone was yelling it was right next to me. "Expelliarmus!" It took me a moment to realize that this voice didn't belong to one of the two that had passed me up.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. The green eyed boy was still standing in front of me, his wand pointed in my face but he wasn't making a move. Frozen.

"Are you alright?" This time I turned my head to look at James who was standing right beside my attacker. His wand pointed to a spot behind my back – the other guy probably. I turned around to look at him. He was lying in the ground, holding his right arm. His wand was only a few foot away from him and he seemed to recover slowly. "Come on!" James grabbed my arm and I flinched. He didn't bother and pulled me backwards. "We have to go!" My brain was processing everything very slowly. I wanted to stay, to take this mask from their faces to see who had attacked me. I wanted to ask them what this was all about. But I didn't.

I let James pull me inside the castle just in time to avoid a curse send by the second guy. He was back on his feet again, even though he still seemed to be in pain. I could see him pointed his wand at his friend to break the spell that was keeping him in place, before James pushed the door closed.

"Kat!" he shook my shoulders to get my attention again. "We need to get away from here, the door won't stop them!"

I didn't answer but let him pull me further into the caste till we reached an abandoned classroom.

"We should be save here!" he said and started to search for something in his pockets.

I shook my head. We should be safe everywhere inside this castle! "Who were this guys? I don't understand why they would…" I couldn't say the words. Why they wanted to kill me. Even the thought made me sick. "I never did anything that could have insulted other students!"

James looked at me like I came from the moon. "You don't know?" he abandoned his search and leant against the table next to me, crossing his arms. "Where the hell have you been for the last few months?"

I wanted to ask if this was a rhetorical question but the current situation kept me from starting a new argument. I wanted answers. "Germany?" It was more a question than a statement, considering the fact that I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh!" He took in a deep breath. "Right, I guess you don't get this kind of news in the newspaper over there!"

"What kind of news?"

"There was an attack!" he paused like he wanted to overthink the words he was going to say. "A public place here in London. A group of people wanted to make a statement. They obviously don't think that…" he looked a little lost, like he wasn't finding the right word. "That people like you and Lily shouldn't be part of our community!"

I swallowed. I knew that some people didn't like us very much, mostly Slytherins, but there was a huge difference between 'not liking' and wanting to kill someone. "And you think its them?"

James nodded. "Their pictures were in every newspaper. They were wearing masks like that!"

I was still trying to progress all of this. "Then I think I should be grateful that you were there!" James nodded again but the thought got stuck in my mind. "Why were you there?"

"Well!" James looked down to the floor. "After you left, I realized that this whole Remus thing wasn't the only reason I wanted to talk to you!"

"It wasn't?"

He looked back up again and smiled. "No, I actually wanted to thank you for helping me earlier that day. Lily really caught me off guard this time. I knew she doesn't like all of the things we do, and I can deal with that, but I didn't think she would still consider Snape as a friend, after what he said!"

Now it was my time to nod. "It's okay, I told you; you're welcome!"

"Even after I couldn't remember you Name this morning?" he asked, using my argument from earlier against me. I had to smile a little. "Yes."

"Good, and after we established that, I want to apologize!" He shrugged. "You know, for acting like a total ass!"

This time I couldn't help but laugh a little. "I guess after what happened out there, I kinda have to forgive you, mhm?"

"Yea, I think that would be.."

James never got to finish his sentence because that was the exact moment the door to the dark classroom flew open. "There you are!"

As a reader, I totally hate cliffhangers ;) But this opportunity was just to good. I hope you liked it, and if not, please let me know what I could do better. After all, this project was started to help me improve my writing and my feeling for the HP-characters so my next story will become something great!

Lg Sunny