Hello, another chapter for you.
Sorry If I am confusing everyone but I didn't want my story to be like everyone else's on fanfiction. I want it to be different and confusing and hopefully you will all like it. Some of your confusion will disappear soon in a couple more chapters you will understand where I am going with this story.
Thanks heaps and please review.
Enjoy
Chapter 18:
James woke up on Saturday morning, hearing mysterious thumping sounds coming from Lily's room and the bathroom. He rolled out of bed, put his glasses on and knocked on the bathroom door.
"Lily, what is going on?" he asked.
The door swung open and Lily was standing before him looking very flushed and worried.
"James! Did you just get up? Hurry up we have to get things done. Plenty to do and so little time" she said pushing him towards the shower.
"What's the time?" he asked.
"Six-thirty" she answered before running back into her room.
"What? Are you kidding" he complained moving back to his room and sleeping some more.
Lily pulled the blankets off him and hit him on the head a few times with the pillow.
"James I don't have time for this. Get up now or I will drown you with the Giant Squids help."
"Alright" he said sighing.
"You have ten minutes" she said running around and gathering bits of parchment and other such things.
By seven o'clock James had food forced down his throat and they were knocking on the door to the Headmasters Office to be greeted by teachers that had already risen.
"Morning" The Headmaster greeted the two.
"Yes it is. A very early morning" James mumbled.
"Morning!" Lily said happily.
"It looks like Mr. Potter could do with a few more hours of sleep" Dumbledore said with a small smile spreading across his face.
"Really? Thank you Sir" he said turning around but Lily pulled him onto a chair and he listened as ordered.
"All the students will be going to Hogsmeade for a few hours and will be back by five o'clock tonight. You have until then to get everything set up with the help of the prefects, myself and your Professors present" he said gesturing to the professors standing and listening intently.
"Immediately after breakfast you may begin" The headmaster told.
"Thank You Professor" Lily said.
...
"Attention all students. Can the prefects lead the younger students to Hogwarts Grounds. The Halloween Festival is officially opened. Enjoy" The Headmaster said in his natural and kind voice as an announcement to the whole school.
All the students were buzzing as they practically ran to the Hogwarts Grounds, to be first in line for all the fun and excitement that usually happened at large events. Of course most students were unsure of what to expect, not coming from a strong muggle background but they easily relaxed and fell into the thrill of entertainment rides and everything else the prefects had organised.
"Hello Everyone. The Head Boy and I would just like to say thank you for coming and we hope you have a great time" Lily said with her wand projecting her voice above the rest.
"This is going to be the best few hours or your life!" James added as the students cheered and separated.
"I highly doubt that" a snide remark was made from his left and knowing it was Malfoy, disregarded it immediately. Tonight was about having fun and not having to worry about immature and unimportant things.
Looking around and observing their handy work, there was no doubt that James and Lily were proud of the hard and advanced work they pulled off for the evening, with the help of professionals of course.
The beach tree had bright, different coloured fairy lights hanging on it that followed down the paths and formed a boundary of where the students could and couldn't go. It hung along the trees that framed the Forbidden Forest and with it had charms of danger warnings for the teachers and prefects in the higher years.
The biggest and main attraction for many students was the large colourful Ferris Wheel standing near the corner of the Grounds with an amazing view of the Great Lake once the carriages reach the top. It was seen for many girls as the most romantic thing on the itinerary.
Most of the male population of Hogwarts, however were more interested in the female kissing booths and who will be running it. There no surprise that they were rather happy seeing Lily, Chloe, Annie, Bianca, Candice and the same amount of other girls from each different House group.
On another note, the females were simply cooing at the thought of kissing the three main Marauders that sat willingly and ready for their exhausting night of kissing. The lines continued half way throughout the grounds, mostly for Sirius and James and a few others lining up for boys such as Diggory from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
There was music playing loudly though not shutting out the screams of students who were first of the water slide and falling into the freezing waters of the Great Lake. The dance floor in the middle of the grounds was populated by a few students and was surrounded with park benches and chairs for those a little overwhelmed with the excitement of the evening.
Lily, Annie, Chloe, Bianca and Candice sighed. They sat beside each other in that order in a line and staring at their first customers in the face as they stepped forward with a galleon ready.
"Hello" they all greeted taking their money and waited for them to lean forward and get with he paid for. After prying the customers' lips off theirs, they continued, hoping for the line to get smaller which unfortunately it didn't.
"I feel like a whore" Bianca commented as the twentieth galleon was dropped in her bag.
Chloe pulled away from a sixth year, "Tell me about. Don't you wish your boyfriend was here to kiss you instead of everyone else?"
Bianca laughed, "I do, but what are you complaining about?" she said pointing to Sam dropping a galleon in the bag.
"Hello" he grinned, "Can I have a kiss?"
"My saviour" she laughed, "Come here" They kissed for a while until other customers got frustrated from being kept from all the action.
"Move it along buddy" a second year said pushing him out of the way. They both laughed as he walked away but not before mouthing, "I'll be back".
"How are you going Candice?" Bianca asked turning to her cousin to her left and laughing at her face.
"Don't these people brush their teeth" she commented, gargling water and spitting it out somewhere out of sight.
"Why, what happened?"
"Trust me. If I repeat it, I may vomit all over you" she answered.
"Alright"
"Am I going to get a kiss or not?" a young boy asked Bianca, impatiently tapping his foot.
"Yes alright. Don't get your knickers in a twist" She said taking his money and giving him a full kiss on the lips and watching amusedly as he floated away.
"It is going to be a long night" Bianca commented as they all groaned.
"Lily, I am so killing you for this later" Candice said.
"Where is that fun loving Candice I know and love?" Lily asked breaking away from an unknown Hufflepuff and looking worriedly at the next customer with a wart covered face and a goofy grin.
"Eeww" she groaned.
The others burst out laughing, "Where is the fun loving Lily I know and love?" Candice asked.
"I hate you guys" she said as they snorted uncontrollably.
...
"Next" Sirius said happily with his eyes closed, holding his head up and waiting patiently.
"You alright there Padfoot?" James snorted watching his friend.
"I am going to sleep well tonight" was all he said.
"A little too well is what I am worried about" Remus said thanking a Hufflepuff girl.
"I love my job" Sirius commented as he sucked face with another girl.
"Anyway Moony" James said turning to Remus, "how are you going?"
"Alright, I never knew how many people thought the smart and studious boy was so handsome" he grinned.
James laughed, "You are sounding a lot like Sirius, just minus the smart part"
"I just wish it was someone else I was getting all these kisses from" he said looking at Annie yawning to herself and drinking some water.
"At least she doesn't have to pay for kisses. She should be getting them 24/7" James said, "Or are you playing hard to get?"
"I don't use pathetic methods on attracting or luring the opposite sex into sucking my face off" he said matter-of-factly which was when James stopped listening and watched another please customer leave.
...
Jordy wondered around the grounds with this brother watching the students of Hogwarts scream and talk excitedly amongst their friends, deciding what activity they should do next. As he looked around, Hogwarts very much reminded him of back home. He would often go to carnivals and muggle fairs with his cousins during their holidays. The bright lights, screaming girls and excitement that ran through the air at Hogwarts made him sigh happily as he sat down on a nearby bench.
"Why are you sitting here alone? You are missing out on all the fun" Amanda said sitting down next to him.
"I have been to plenty of these. It's funny to watch everyone else" he replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Well a lot of the students here at Hogwarts have never been to a festival like this. They come from 'pureblood' families and have never experienced this. Unless I am mistaken, the wizarding community does not throw events like these so it's a new concept to a lot of people here tonight."
"Wow, that's deep" Amanda stated watching delight spread across the face of a first year that won a prize.
Jordy laughed, "Yeah, I'm cool like that. It's all a part of the charm".
Amanda laughed as he winked at her and dragged her towards the Ferris Wheel.
...
Lily and James took a stroll through the grounds making sure the night ran smoothly. They had Professors stationed at certain intervals and activity areas for extra help if things got out of hand or if someone got hurt. The prefects were in change of most of the activities and the ghosts that usually roamed Hogwarts were also having a great time participating in the festival and helping out where needed, although everyone kept a close eye on Peeves the mischievous ghost that gave the Marauders a run for their money.
"I can't believe we organised this whole thing" Lily sighed.
"I know. Everyone will definitely remember this. We have never seen Hogwarts grounds lit up like this before" James added laughing as he heard someone screaming as they fell into the cold water of the Great Lake. "... and the water slide was a great idea"
"Definitely" Lily smiled.
"I think we deserve a ride on the Ferris Wheel for pulling this off. Nothing has gone wrong yet either" James smiled running over to the Ferris Wheel, cutting in line and getting on the first available carriage with Lily. She just smiled and followed and watched the grounds of Hogwarts far beneath her feet and the amazing view of the great Lake.
"Tonight is perfect" she sighed happily.
"Most things are when you are involved Lily. Good job" James smiled down at her looking into her bright green eyes. Lily was speechless, she has no idea of what to say and her heart was beating out of her chest, making it much harder to think. Before she knew it she was kissing him. She had no idea who kissed who but she just knew it felt amazing and right.
...
Jordy sat next to Amanda on the Ferris Wheel, laughing and having a great time. Amanda laughed as confetti exploded out of Jordy's wand and fell onto the students below. Everyone looked up to see where it came from but had no problem with the thousands of tiny pieces of paper falling from the sky. Everyone was in such a happy mood, all their worries and troubles were gone for the night... All except for one person.
Chloe, Annie, Candice and Bianca finally finished with shift in the kissing booth and were happy to be free and enjoy the night. Chloe disappeared with Sam the first chance she got and similarly Annie and Candice found their boyfriends before exploring the grounds.
"You sure you don't mind?" Candice asked holding Sirius hand.
"Yes Candice. Go have fun with your boyfriend. I will be fine" Bianca smiled walking away before her cousin tried to convince her to stay with her and Sirius for the night. Bianca was definitely not in the mood to be a third wheel, besides she thought she would find James and see if his Head Boy duties were over so they could spend some time together.
She wondered around the grounds and saw a few friends. Remus had just won Annie a big teddy bear that she hugged with a huge smile before moving on to the next activity. The line for the carriage ride was starting to slow down. The carriage ride took the students around the grounds of Hogwarts and on a path through the Forbidden forest. Of course the Professors were in charge of this, making sure no students decided to get out of the carriage and wonder through the forest. The carriage ride was one of the most popular rides of the night as students were always fascinated with the forest and were curious to know why it was so forbidden.
Bianca wondered past some students singing karaoke however the line was so long she decided to come back. Before she knew it she has reach the Ferris Wheel and water slide. Deciding the water was way too cold to go on the water slide and how much trouble she will be in from Madam Pomfery she decided to stop and look for James before going on the Ferris Wheel. She smiled when she saw Jordy and Amanda get off and make their way over to her quickly.
"hey guys, are you having a good time?" Bianca asked.
"Yeah. Let's go over there" Jordy said pushing her away from the Ferris Wheel.
"No wait. I'm looking for James. Have you seen him?" she asked stopping again.
"You could say that" Amanda answered. "B, I have to tell you something and you are not going to like it."
"What is it?" she asked suddenly worried.
"Hey guys, we found you" Sirius, Candice and Peter said joining them. Soon everyone was talking over one another, telling them about the prizes they won, they great time they were having while Bianca was trying to hear what Amanda and Jordy were trying to tell her. Chloe, Sam, Remus and Annie arrived and Bianca got frustrated.
"Has anyone seen James?" Sirius asked looking around at the group, "... or Lily?"
"Well..." Jordy started.
"I saw them at the carriages but that was a while ago" Chloe cut.
"SHUT UP!" Jordy yelled. Everyone stopped and looked at him with raised eyebrows. Only then did they realise how angry he was. Bianca sighed tilting her head back and looking at the sky and only then she understood what her cousin and friend was trying to tell her. There she saw with her own eyes James and Lily at the highest point of the Ferris Wheel kissing and holding each other. At first she hoped it wasn't her boyfriend and best friend, but that bright red hair was definitely Lily's.
"Great" Bianca said to herself. No tears came to her eyes, she just felt an overwhelming amount of anger build up inside her. Candice was the first to look up and the first to yell, "Bastards!"
Bianca walked away wanting to be alone and avoid the pitying looks she was about to receive from her closest friends. She tried to busy herself with the activities to try and forget her problems. The karaoke booth wasn't as full so she took the microphone and started singing whatever song was next. She expected this to help her ignore what she just saw until the lyrics came before her and she started singing...
"You need to get if he don't wanna
Love you the right way, he ain't gonna
It ain't where he's at, it's where he
Where he wanna be, yeah"
"Uh oh" she thought singing the next few lines.
"If he ain?t gonna love you the way he should then let it go
If he ain't gonna treat you the way he should then let it go
If he ain?t gonna love you the way he should then let it go
If he ain?t gonna treat you the way he should then let it go"
"Yeah ok, this is stupid" she said dropping the microphone and moving through the crowd until she was standing in front Nearly-headless Nick as he explained how to play the game. She stood and stared and the ghost raised his eyebrows.
"Are you going to play?" Brett asked stepping forward standing next to her. She looked up at him and his friend Scott and shrugged.
"Looks like you have been having a rough night" He added putting a galleon in the box and throwing a ball through one of the holes.
"Ah good shot" Nearly-Headless Nick laughed.
"Here" Brett said handing Bianca a ball to have a turn. She took it and gave a pathetic attempt to get it in the hole, missing it by a few feet.
Brett laughed and shook his head, "Maybe this game isn't for you", taking the other ball from her.
"Come young lady. A Gryffindor gives everything a proper go" Nearly-Headless nick told but she just stood on the spot in a daze.
"Don't worry Nick. I got your back" Scott said taking the ball from Brett, shooting and getting it in the hole.
"Well done" Nick said before allowing them to choose a prize. Scott handed Bianca a toy squid which she took and gave a weak smile.
"What happened to you?" Brett asked.
Bianca looked over his shoulder and saw her friends looking around the grounds. She assumed they were searching for her so she did the first thing that came to her mind and climbed into the first empty carriage she saw. "It's a two person minimum" a prefect told.
"Wait" Brett and Scott climbed into the carriage and shut up door. They sat opposite Bianca and stared at her as the carriage started moving.
"Thanks. I just needed to get away from my friends and cousin" she told. Both boys sat casually, looking like they didn't have one worry in the world. Bianca wished she could be like them and then realised nothing was stopping her.
"Why?" Brett asked
"Because stupid! Who wants to see the Marauders faces every second of every day" Scott cut in and Bianca laughed which felt awkward and good at the same time.
She started to talk and then realised she couldn't stop. These two boys hardly knew her and there was something comforting about the fact that she could tell them her problems. They didn't seem like the type of people to tell her darkest secrets to the rest of the school. They seemed like genuinely nice people. Her anger started flowing out of her and they just sat and listened, not judging her or telling her that everything will be ok.
"... I had doubts for a while and then of course I see them at the top of the Ferris Wheel hooking up. I'm just so angry. Lily was my best friend and that is not something you do to a best friend. They didn't even stop! They were going at it for a couple of minutes which means they didn't even think of what would happen if they got caught or who they would be hurting. I'm so angry!" she stopped and took a huge breath letting it out. Brett and Scott just stared at her and shook their heads.
"Your life sucks!" Scott told.
"... and you need new friends" Brett added running a hand through his hair.
"And I am not ashamed to say 'I told you so' because Potter and Black are stupid gits" Scott said, "But I'm sorry they hurt you"
"You have come to the right people" Brett smiled evilly. "Commence Operation Kill James and Sirius"
Bianca laughed and shook her head, "Thanks guys but no revenge please"
"Why?" Scott whined. "They deserve it. Look what they did to you"
"First of all, James is the only one that hurt me and who am I to stand in the way of happiness. If James and Lily make each other happy then good for them. I have been unhappy for a while now and this is my chance to make a change. "
The boys were about to protest when Bianca cut them off, "I am not saying I forgive them. I am so angry at them but I am not going to seek revenge or try to come between them. Besides the fact that I don't really want to be their friends anymore will probably be enough torture for them."
"You are too nice" Scott stated.
"Well if Operation Kill James and Sirius is a no go. What are you going to do? You have all the same friends?" Brett asked.
"I thought by me spilling my guts to you two meant I made 2 two new friends tonight" Bianca smiled at them and held out her hand to shake theirs. They both shook her hand happily "Friends!" as the carriage slowed.
"Thanks for saving me tonight. I better go and deal with the mess. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast. Save me a spot" Bianca said smiling before she got out of the carriage and made her way through the crowd. The boys smiled and high-fived before getting out as well and following the crowd.
...
The group stood at the bottom of the Ferris Wheel for a while just staring at James and lily kissing. As their seat reached the bottom they broke away from their kiss smiling widely until spotted all of their friends except Bianca and their hearts sank when they saw their expressions.
"What the hell!" Chloe asked as James and Lily made their way to their friends.
"Are you kidding me? How could you cheat on your girlfriend?" Candice yelled at James. Lily started to say something but Candice didn't give her a chance to say anything, "What kind of friend are you Lily? You are so selfish that you have to go and steal your best friend's boyfriend after telling us how much you hate him for years; and to kiss him in public so everyone sees is just insensitive. I expected so much better from you" Candice lectured before turning on her heels and walking away to go and find her cousin.
Lily stood there with tears falling down her cheek as her friends all stood their silently with disappointed looks on their face. "I'm sorry" she cried.
"No you're not" Sirius said, "Save the lies Lily. None of us believe it"
"Padfoot" James started.
"Shut up James! Didn't I warn you about this? You should have listened to me but instead you guys ruined everything... And you broke Marauder code" Sirius yelled pointing his finger in disgust before turning his back on his brother and walking away.
"Annie. You have to believe me" Lily said begging her friend, "I never meant to hurt anyone"
"Then why did you do it?"
"I don't know, it just happened..." she told wiping her face.
"Lily, if this happened to you, you would never forgive Bianca and you would never accept such a lame excuse either. You are better than this" Annie said quietly. "You don't owe me an explanation but you owe Bianca one, so let's go find her".
The group split up to look for their friend. They searched at every activity and some even went to look in the dorms and common room to find her once the festival ended.
"I haven't seen her" Chloe told as the group stood in the middle of the empty dance floor outside. At that point Professor McGonagall approached the group and asked for their help to clean up and get the grounds looking normal again. The group had no choice but to help but were relieved when they saw Bianca standing next to the Headmaster and helping him with the necessary spells to dismantle the giant water slide.
Candice ran over to her cousin, "hey, where have you been?" she asked.
"I was everywhere really. Before you ask I'm fine, I don't want to talk about it and I have to concentrate to get this spell right." Bianca said giving Candice a look that obviously meant to drop it.
"Alright. I'll see you in the dorms then" Candice told before walking away.
"Is everything alright?" the Headmaster asked looking down at Bianca.
"A bit of a rough night Professor but nothing I can't handle" she replied as a large section of the water slide shrunk in the air before exploding quietly into bright pieces of light that showered the ground below.
"Spoken like a true Gryffindor" he smiled, eyes twinkling like a star in the night sky.
"Tonight was a great success. Did you have a good time professor or were you too busy making sure the first years didn't drown in the Great Lake?" Bianca questioned as the last piece of the slide was taken down and the grounds were returned to their normal peaceful state.
"I did have a few moments to participate and I even won a small prize" he said holding up what looked like a bright blue crystal with a white part in the middle resembling an eye.
"Wow, that's beautiful. What is it?" she asked holding it in her hand.
"It has many names but it is most commonly referred to as the 'Evil eye'. It's a muggle crystal so it has no magical power but it is said to keep away evil and protect its owner from any kind of pain whether it be physical, emotional etc..." the Headmaster watched as Bianca inspected it closely. "I however am happy to make you its new owner. Something tells me you may need it more than me" he said looking over at Lily and James who were working silently but glancing over at Bianca every chance they could.
Bianca smiled at the Headmaster, "but you won it. It wouldn't feel right to take your prize Headmaster"
"I insist" he said nodding.
"Well how about we trade. You can have my squid" she grinned handing the toy squid Scott gave her earlier.
"How can I refuse" the Professor smiled taking the toy gently. "I am sure it will be most comfortable in my office next to the Sorting Hat".
"Good night Professor" Bianca said before walking back to her dorm still eyeing the crystal. She didn't notice James or Lily follow her.
"Bianca, please let us explain" lily started, "I'm so sorry..."
"Not now Lily. Don't ruin my night any more than you already have" Bianca told looking back at the two before entering the common room and going straight to her room.
Candice and Amanda were sitting waiting for Bianca in their pyjamas when she entered the room. Bianca silently changed as well, sat on her bed, sighed and waited for them to say something.
"I'm sorry." Amanda said simply.
"I'm fine" Bianca told and they actually believed her. "I'm really angry but it's mainly because I feel betrayed by my friends, not because my heart was broken. To tell the truth I think I'm not upset because I was expecting it. Now it's time to move on"
"How are you going to do that?" Candice asked.
"Well I don't see myself trusting them anytime soon. I want to surround myself with people I can trust. I don't know what I'm going to do yet though. Let me sleep on it" she answered lying down. "I'll figure something out".
"Well no matter what you decide, you have us" Amanda smiled.
"Thank you" Bianca said before rolling over and attempting to fall asleep. Candice and Amanda fell asleep within a few minutes and Bianca lay holding the crystal the Headmaster gave her.
"It may be a muggle crystal but I need all the help I can get" she thought before dozing off into a light sleep.
...
There you go! I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think...