A/N- Chapter Two (technically) - the chapters will always be one behind due to the prologue. It is now five years on from the last chapter. Plenty of pranks, love, betrayal, danger and fun to be had. Its all jolly good to be a Marauder ;)

Read & Review.

Only The Good Die Young

I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
Sinners are much more fun.
- - - Billy Joel, "Only the Good Die Young"

September 1st 1975

Another year.

Another year of friendship.

Another year of fun.

Another year of pranks.

…She heard the crying again. As she moved her feet, the crying got louder. She hesitated. She did not want to open the door. She was too frightened. She heard her mother cries from the house, and sound of her father smashing something against the wall, something that shattered…

…Elizabeth Woods was no longer the mere eleven-year-old child she was five years ago when she started at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, even if she still had the mentality of one. She was now a young woman. She hadn't changed much; same features and hair, but she had a woman's body now. She had developed a lot over the summer, and some aspects of her would be considered unrecognisable to the simplest of minds.

Her eyes were still as striking as ever, and since she had discovered make up, she was able to flatter them more, however in a subtle way. Her thick ebony hair, still hung down her back, however it was slightly shorter than it was before, wvu and slightly tousled unlike her cousin's very straight hair. A much more significant, if not, obvious change was her once slender body, which had magically become more toned and curved in many areas. She smiled at the face looking back at her in the mirror. She felt like a woman, even if she was never going to behave like one.

As she gathered her remaining things, she awaited the yearly knock on her bedroom door from Severus. Severus had changed over the summer too. He was still thin, but he had grown taller and his facial features had developed. His once very plain face, had now defined cheek bones and his nose was more prominent than it had ever been, which could be interpreted as a good or bad thing. His hair was longer, and somehow darker. He refused to allow Elle many times over the course of that summer to cut it the muggle way with scissors, never mind magically.

She finally received the knock she had waited for. "Elle, you ready?"

"Oh course Sevvie!"He opened the door, and stepped in.

"How many times have I told you, stop calling me Sevvie!" Elle smiled. She knew how wound up he got. "Okay," she paused. "Sev."

"Or Sev!" he snapped again. Elle could not help but giggle. Since starting school, she had forever called him these names in an attempt to embarrass him, against his better judgement. It worked every time. "Oh come on, lighten up a bit! It's Hogwarts time!! Woop woop!"

Severus merely even broke a smile, which confused Elle. He sat at the edge of her bed, and looked solemn. "Yeah, great."

"Okay what's up?" Elle placed herself next to him.

"Nothing."

"Is this because Evans didn't write back to you?"

"No, it's not that."

"Then what?"

"Well, it's not just that. I just…it annoyed me, okay? She hasn't spoken to me all summer. I guess I am scared I have done something wrong or she doesn't like me anymore that's all."

"Well she won't want to speak to you if you all mopey like this. Girls like to play hard to get." Elle loved sharing her wisdom with Severus.

"Oh like you do with Black." He shot a smirk at his cousin. Elle scowled, however feeling herself turning slightly red.

"Haha, yeah right. Just like me and Black." She replied sarcastically.

Truthfully, since that day that she had made the bet with her fellow Mr Black, her feelings had swayed slightly. He was still obnoxious and proud, but by God he knew how to charm a girl. In all fairness, it wasn't his good looks that intrigued Elle, it was his underlying personality; something that nobody seemed to be able to break. It was like Sirius hid behind his exterior. Sirius and James could pass off as twins any day. They bounced off each other with their looks, charms and sarcasm. Remus on the other hand, well he was a different matter all together…

"You have so much to learn about girls Sev. Trust me; I am sure everything is fine. She has probably been too busy revising the potions books off by heart and reciting a list of ridiculous things she had to do this summer to get one over on me."

"I sense a bit of sarcasm and jealousy Elizabeth Woods."

"MOI? JEALOUS? Haha, there's a good joke Severus Snape."

Severus smirked. "Well I hope she hasn't gone off me, and turned her attention to Potter. The absolute definition of arrogant jerk." Severus sneered.

"Excuse me? Do I discuss your friends bad points. Well to be honest when you are friends with Mulciber and Avery, the list would go on for like a gillizion years." Severus looked down at the floor. He shuffled his feet, angry at his lying. Truthfully he had no real friends at Hogwarts, mainly because he wasn't interested in having them or attempting to make any. Lily was the only true friend he had, apart from Elle who was his cousin, which didn't count as such. If he didn't have Lily, school, would serve no purpose.

"Anyway, lets get going. The sooner we get going, the sooner you can be reunited with darling…"Elle never finished her sentence, as Severus pushed her playfully, causing her to trip on the stairs.

"Jeez, what you trying to do? Bloody kill me?" Elle scowled.

"That's the plan!" Severus answered laughing. Elle only hoped he was kidding.

"Right now remember, write to me only on Mondays, Thursdays and every second Sunday because…"

"We know. We know!" Elle said, interrupting her aunt. Eileen gave a weak smile, as she hugged her niece and then her son. "Take care!" Elle shouted back to the car, as she tried to speed off with her trunk.

"Elle! Make sure you stay out of trouble! I mean it! If I get one more letter from McGonagall saying you have set fire to the Greenhouses again, then it will not look pretty back home." Elle smiled freely to herself. It was like a tradition that the last week in the whole year of school, was known as PRANK WEEK, where it was challenge to perform as many pranks as possible without getting caught, which when you had Filch and his damn cat patrolling the corridors, proved more difficult each year. It was as if he expected it, as did the teachers, who set aside their evenings for that whole week to ensure that when the Marauders were caught, they would be serving detention at their expense.

However, she took what her aunt had said to her seriously. "…it will not look pretty back home." By God Elle knew it. Imagine what he would do to her if she found out she was in trouble again. Elle grabbed her left arm and rubbed it. If he did that things like this to her when she was good, imagine what he would do to her if he ever found it she was in trouble and upto no good at school. It was not worth even worth the risk.

"It's a miracle that Dumbledore has not expelled you yet, the amount of trouble you get it. You and those idiotic Marauders!" Severus huffed.

"You are just jealous mate, "she slapped Severus on the back.

"What jealous of Potter and Black? The two most ego-attention-seeking-prats that Hogwarts has ever seen." Elle sensed anger in his tone as he said this. Severus and the Marauders had never got off on the right foot. They teased Severus, but in all fairness, he gave it back, almost double. Elle was often was the piggy in the middle of this whole Severus/Marauder debate. She preferred to stay out the way instead of being made to pick between Severus and her friends.

Elle continued. "Besides, Dumbledore practically loves me. McGonagall on the other hand is a different kettle of fish."

It was true. Dumbledore did adore Elle, not surprising seeing as they saw eye to eye on most things, and she trusted him with her life. She had to really; he knew all about her past. Everything she had been through, everything Severus had too. He had always been there for when she needed him, and even though she had a mischievous streak about her, Dumbledore was fascinated by how she came up with such trouble-causing schemes.

Elle and Severus went their separate ways once on the platform. It was like the law that despite being blood related, their housed didn't exactly get along. Gyffindors and Slytherins were the worst for competition, and Elle hated how narrow-minded they all were. All so power hungry and pro- pureblood. They looked down everyone and anyone who wasn't like them.

Talk about individuality.

The worst ones were Bellatrix Black and Lucius Malfoy; they were like the leaders. Everybody else just followed them like a posse. Elle feared that Severus would get roped in with them; she just hoped that wouldn't be the case. Besides, he was half-blood himself (not that that made any difference with Elle). She knew he was old enough to make his own made her way down the corridor of the train and into the same compartment where she had always sat for the past five years, since the day they all met. Since the day she had made friends with them.

The Marauders.

She wasn't surprised to see that two of them were already sat down. Fifteen year old Remus Lupin, still sandy haired was deep in concentration, reading a book.

Typical.

He too had grown up over the summer. He was once a narrow thin boy, but now he looked like he had grown some bulk over the holidays. He looked a lot more toned and muscular. He was taller too and Elle could not help but notice how his cheekbones looked more defined, like Severus' were. He looked great. Peter on the other hand, had hardly changed a bit. Still small, still dark haired, still munching on a chocolate bar.

Typical.

She opened the compartment door and slipped inside. Remus was the first to notice her. "Elle!" she shouted excitedly, grabbing her body and pulling he into a deep hug. "REMY!!" she yelled back, embracing the hug. She had always loved the way he hugged. "Gosh, I didn't even recognise you! Have you had your hair cut? Are you wearing make up?"

Elle loved how he noticed such things. He was more articulate than the rest of her friends. "You look really great Elle…"he paused realising what he has just said. "Not that you didn't look great before..I mean..erm." he seemed lost for words, blushing as he did. Elle looked at him trying not to laugh. "I know what you mean. I look different."

Remus nodded.

"You look great too y'know." Remus blushed immensely at this comment. Elle hugged Peter who was seat across from Elle and Remus.

"Oh my goodness, you will never guess who has been made Prefect--" Remus never got to finish his sentence as voices were heard from down the corridor…

…"Evans! Please! Lets just try and get along. Just for once! I promise I won't touch you!" Elle heard the voices of none other than Hogwarts very own enemy couple, Lily Evans and James Potter.

"Potter, seriously get it into your head. We are never going to get along. I don't even like you for goodness sake!" Lily Evans head popped round the compartment door, James trailing behind her.

"Woods, I thought I might find you here. Have you seen Severus?" James looked disappointed.

"What do you want to him for Evans?" Elle questioned.

"Yeah! What do you want to see him for? Bloody Snivellus!" James barked. Elle shot him a dangerous look, at which point James noted it and stopped.

"To have a civilised conversation with him. Something that I can't do with you!" Lily answered. James crossed his arms in frustration, sulking.

"I need to talk to him, y'know if that okay with you Woods." Lily replied.

"I don't where he is, but I am sure he will be around somewhere."

"Okay thanks." Lily hurried off, leaving James stood there, gob smacked.

Elle smirked. James face was a sight. James entered the compartment, and sat next to Peter.

"Cheer up Prongs." Elle said sarcastically. "All is fair in love and war."

"When are you ever going to stop reciting muggle literature, Patch?" James smiled. Elle shrugged her shoulders, before placing her head on Remus' shoulders.

"Have you seen Padders anyway Moony?" James asked.

"No. I thought he would be with you." Remus replied. "He will probably be chatting up some poor innocent girl. You know what he is like."

Elle sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well by the time he is finished with her, I think we can all say, she will no longer be innocent." Elle was gifted with such a sharp tongue. Peter snorted.

Typical Sirius. Number one ladies man. Equally number one jerk. A title he was most proud of.

James slummed back his chair. "How come he gets all the girls, and I cant even get the one I want?" he ran his fingers through his hair, making it even untidier then usual. He had a knack of doing that. Nobody has an answer to James' question. It was one of those questions that nobody could answer.

Nobody knew how to figure out Sirius Black.

After an hour of being on the train, Peter had made his way through five chocolate frogs and was now on his sixth, James had been sat doodling on a piece of paper which he wasted by throwing at Peter. Remus was still engrossed in his book, and Elle who had finally awoken after she had fallen asleep on his shoulder, was now rubbing her neck in pain.

"I am going for a walk. Need to stretch my legs before I go completely insane stuck in this cabin for the rest of the journey."

"Ooohh, if you see the maid, can you get me some jelly snakes and Bertie Botts?" Peter asked excitedly.

"Sure thing." She replied, accepting Peter's money.

"Oohh and if you see Evans, ask why she won't go out with me." James added.

"Prongs, mate, I can answer that for you. She thinks you are a big headed, obnoxious quidditch player who looks he is God' gift to the world. Therefore you must accept that she is never going to go with you."

James looked at Elle narrowing his eyes."Or maybe that could, like, girl-code for the fact she absolutely secretly fancies the pants off me." James winked.

"Or, maybe not." Elle laughed. "You know, now I come to think of it, you two are more alike than you think. Her thinking that you think you are God's gift and her actually believing she is!" James looked unimpressed. Peter chuckled.

"Anyway, in a bit my fellow Marauders!" Elle closed the compartment door and made her way down the corridor of the train.

After Elle had walked up and down the corridor for the past half an hour, purchased Peter's sweets, had almost gotten into a fight with Bella and Narcissa for tripping them up, and being harassed by Lucius Malfoy, to which Kingsley Shacklebolt came to her rescue, she concluded the journey had been eventful.

As she approached compartment door, she heard James mutter, "Shhhh, she's coming."

Elle, decided to play them at their own game, whatever that game was. She opened the compartment, throwing Wormtail his sweets. She just remained stood at the door, looking at the boys, who incidentally were returning huge fake smiles.

"What's going on boys?" she asked in a motherly tone of voice.

James was the first to give the game away. His face said it all. Elle glared at him, arms crossed across her chest.

"Potter…"

"What?" he tried to look so innocent.

Peter squirmed in his seat, sniggering.

"Anything you want to tell me Wormy?" Peter shook his head.

All of them were like children.

Elle scanned the compartment, and found what she was looking for. She smiled briefly, not trying to give the game away. She had spotted Sirius' shoe poking out from behind the James invisibility cloak. He was waiting for her.

Elle sat down next to Remus. "You know what," she paused trying to compose herself. "I think I like Sirius."

Everything went silent. Remus looked up from his book sternly, James eyes widened and Peter choked on a Bertie Botts bean.

"W..wh..what?!" Remus asked immediately.

"I like Sirius Black. End of." Elle said sweetly.

"You do?" James questioned further, believing her every word.

"Yeah, I don't know what it is about him, he just makes me want to jump on him and snog him senseless! I just want to run my fingers through his hair, and rip his shirt off and make hot steamy love up against a wall--"

Elle did not get to finish her sentence as Sirius jumped up from under the cloak, stumbling as he got up, trying to compose himself, sending the other Marauders into fits of laughter."You owe me 10 galleons! I always knew you liked me Woods!" he said excitedly.

"Likewise." Elle smirked and observed Sirius, her eyes switching down to his trousers. Sirius, clicking on with what she was insinuating, panicked, placing his hands in his pockets, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Oh goodness. Have I said too much?" Elle rolled her eyes, raising her eyebrows, refraining from laughing with her fellow Marauders. Sirius frowned, his shaggy hair hung framing his face, and Elle saw those eyes. Those beautiful eyes. Those eyes that made her feel all funny inside.

"That was NOT FUNNY! Giving me false intentions." He growled.

"On the contrary Black, I fould was rather amusing." She smirked. "So, I think I will keep my 10 galleons. For another year at least."

"It is NOT amusing when you are fifteen year old boy with high hopes in the world." His hands remained in his pockets.

"You mean when you are fifteen year old boy and your name is Sirius Black?" Elle smirked at him, causing him to smile. Sirius, finally composed himself and chucked the cloak back to James.

"Good to see you Woods." He said pulling Elle into a hug.

"Nice to see we are still sticking with last names, Black." Elle replied as she perched her head onto Sirius' shoulder, taking a deep breath as she did. She felt his hard chest against her own, which comforted her. She only wished that would one day tell him what she had wanted to tell him for a long time.

Now, it did not take a genius to work out that Elle Woods and Sirius Black had an unusual relationship to say the very least. One thing for sure was that they always were on the same wavelength.

Some things just never change.