Title: A Time For Change
Author Name: DarkForest214
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: "Transforming Thoughts"
Summery: Sequel to "Transforming Thoughts." Follow Lily and James in their new relationship while keeping an eye on their mischievous friends Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or Hogwarts School. I did not write this to try and make money. I am not stealing from JKR and the publishing companies and whatnot… I own nothing!
Author's Note: Well, it's been ten days since my last update and since you've all been such good little girls and boys and have reviewed...okay, not all of you have, but several people have, therefore I'll be nice and post the next chapter. Enjoy (and review!)
Chapter Twenty
That night in the common room James, Sirius and Peter sat around a table laden with books listening to Lily's lecture on doing their homework on time instead of procrastinating until the last minute.
Underneath the table James and Sirius kept kicking each other to keep entertained — and awake. Peter on the other hand, made no such attempt and had fallen asleep where he sat. Noticing that she was being ignored, Lily stopped talking and stared at the two (awake) boys.
Eventually they noticed she had stopped talking and looked guiltily down at their hands. "Are you two done?" she asked for what seemed like the one-hundredth time that day.
"Yes," said James.
"Yes, Mummy," said Sirius, a smirk on his face.
Lily ignored his comment and let out a sigh. "I'm obviously not getting through to you two," she said as she gathered her books. "What does it take to get you to listen?"
Sirius opened his mouth, ready to rely with some smart mouthed comment, but Lily cut him off. "Never mind, I don't want to know." She stood to leave, but James stopped her.
"Oy Lils…where you goin'?" he asked.
"To the library," she answered simply, a note of impatience in her voice.
"Wait up, I'll come with you," said James.
Lily didn't know whether or not to be shocked or annoyed. She wanted to try to sneak in and visit Remus so she could pass on Riley's message without all of his guy friends around.
James looked to Sirius who nodded. "I'm gonna take sleeping beauty here up to bed," said Sirius with a wink and a sly grin.
"That reminds me, I've got a book that's long overdue," said James. "Will you wait for me, Lils?" he asked.
Lily sat back down with a sigh, "Just hurry up," she said. She should have known the boys would want to tag along using the invisibility cloak…
When James finally reappeared "alone" he led Lily to the portrait hole and held it open for her. She was just about to step through when she felt the invisible Sirius brush past her.
Once out in the hallway, portrait firmly shut behind them, Lily said to the empty air before her, "Ever heard of ladies first?"
"Nope," said Sirius, standing directly behind her.
Lily jumped and whirled around to glare at an invisible Sirius. She couldn't see him, but she could hear him…
Getting more annoyed by the second she turned on James who was trying hard not to laugh. "You think it's funny, do you?" she snapped, and James sobered up.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, hanging his head like a guilty puppy.
Lily laughed and stepped closer to him, leaning her forehead on his shoulder. "No, I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I've just been so stressed the last two days; worrying about you, stressing over Remus, keeping up with homework… Now that I know you're okay, I need to know how Remus is doing," she said softly.
James wrapped his arms around her for a hug and kissed the top of her head. "It's understandable," he said. "It was your first transformation experience. It'll get easier for you…I promise."
"Oh how I hope so…" she murmured.
"I hate to break up the love fest here," said Sirius, his head appearing by James' shoulder, "but Filch is heading this way."
James grabbed at Sirius, catching the cloak and dragged Lily along underneath it. "Hunch down or he'll see our feet," Lily told the two tall boys.
"When did we get so tall?" James asked Sirius.
"Does it matter? Back up against the wall and stay quiet," hissed Sirius.
Hunched over and leaning on the wall for support the three watched and waited as the caretaker Mr. Filch shuffled down the hallway muttering about the latest mess caused by Peeves.
When he was finally around the corner and out of sight the three let out a collective sigh and quietly scurried in the opposite direction.
When they arrived at the doors to the Hospital Wing Lily shrugged out from under the invisibility cloak — unable to remain any longer — and tried for the door.
"It's locked," she muttered as she fumbled for her wand.
"Don't bother," said Sirius.
"Alohamora won't work on these doors," said James.
"Watch this," said Sirius as he whipped out his pocketknife and picked the lock.
"There isn't a door in this school that can hold stop us," said James proudly.
"Probably the only good thing I ever got from my mum. No lock is safe from me," Sirius agreed. On cue the lock clicked and he opened the door. "After you, Milady," he said with a low, graceful bow.
Lily rolled her eyes and entered the wing. "Quietly now," James whispered in her ear. "We don't want Madame Pomfrey to hear us."
"You're acting as if I've never snuck into somewhere I shouldn't be before," Lily whispered.
"Have you?" James asked, looking surprised. Lily shrugged and gave him a mischievous smile as she brushed past him and headed toward a curtained off portion that just had to be Remus's bed. James stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, don't walk away!" he called after her.
Lily tossed a smile over her shoulder and laughed to herself. It was so much fun messing with his mind…
"About time you got here," came Remus's voice from behind the curtain.
"Sorry, Remus. Just making sure you weren't asleep," said Lily, sticking her head around the curtain. "Quick, before James and Sirius get here…Riley says hello and that she missed you today."
Remus blushed and smiled his thanks. He was about to say something when Sirius and James exploded into the curtained area.
"Remus!" said James.
"Glad to see you're okay," said Sirius.
"Nasty cut you got there."
"What happened?"
"You know full well what happened," said Remus, glaring playfully at Sirius and James.
Sirius smiled and laughed, "Just trying to see if you retained any memories of our adventures."
"For some reason squirrels come to mind, and the wolf is subdued. Whatever happened helped. Just one question," said Remus.
"Shoot."
"When I came around in the shack there was a lot of blood on me," he said, carefully watching Lily, wary for any signs of discomfort. "Too much to be all my own…what did…er…what did I kill?" he asked quietly.
Sirius and James exchanged a look. "The same thing that gave you that," said James, pointing to his cheek and chin.
"A badger," answered Sirius.
"A badger?" asked Remus. "What happened to chasing squirrels?"
"We did," said Sirius. "But, um…"
"Let's just say that your wolf mind isn't nearly as smart as you," James supplied.
"What?"
"You were outsmarted by a squirrel," said Sirius bluntly. Remus buried his head in his hands and shook with laughter. "Was it something I said?" asked Sirius.
Remus nodded and shrugged it off. "Figures… I get all the brains…" he laughed.
Lily smiled and waited patiently for the boys to settle down. When they had finally quieted she spoke up. "You didn't miss too much today. We had a lecture in Flitwick's and did a write up of the potion we made last week in Slughorn's class, and in—"
"Please, Lily…Make it stop!" moaned Sirius.
"Yeah, don't make us relive our horrible lessons," said James.
"I think she's trying to give us nightmares!" accused Sirius.
"I think it's the other way around, mates," laughed Remus.
"Exactly! I don't know how you do it Remus. These two were going at it non-stop today. It was all I could do to keep from going insane!" she said.
"I lost my sanity years ago," said Remus.
"Yeah, you might as well give up hope now…" said Sirius.
"Gee…thanks guys…" she said sarcastically.
"Can't say we didn't warn her," Sirius murmured to Remus, who nodded in agreement.
"Boys," Lily rolled her eyes.
"What?" all three said innocently before breaking out in excessive laughter.
A noise in the dark immediately quieted them and sent the invisibility cloak over their heads.
"What happened?" came Madame Pomfrey's voice.
"Potion accident," came the wheezy voice of Professor Flitwick.
"Send for Horace," McGonagall ordered.
"I'll get him," replied a student.
Pomfrey waited until the student was gone before she spoke again. "First a nasty fall, and now this," she muttered.
"He should have known better than to drink an unknown potion," said McGonagall. "Horace tells me he's got quite a talent for potions."
"When he's not bragging about Miss Evan's skills," Flitwick added.
"Here's a thought, but maybe Severus tried inventing a potion and failed," said Pomfrey.
"Well we won't know until he recovers and we can get some answers out of him," said McGonagall.
"He's all right with me. No use wearing yourselves out when you have lessons to teach in the morning," said Pomfrey, totally in charge of her Hospital Wing and the situation.
"Snively?" Sirius mouthed to James.
"And for once we weren't the ones to put him here," whispered James.
"We better get out of here before Slughorn gets here," said Sirius. "No use in us getting caught here…"
"Right, let's go," said James.
"Wait," Lily said before slipping out from under the invisibility cloak she wasn't too worried about being seen, after all they were curtained off from view.
"Lily," James hissed.
She ignored him as she moved to Remus's bedside and leaned over him. "Write to her," she whispered in his ear as she gave him a hug. "Write to her using that parchment I gave you."
Remus nodded and whispered his thanks.
"Promise you'll heal quickly and fell better soon," she said as she stood and moved back to the spot she knew James and Sirius stood.
"I promise," he replied with a little smile and with that Lily was gone, once more covered by the cloak. Lily had to endure curious, questioning looks all the way back to the common room, and once inside she claimed exhaustion and went to bed.
"Girls…" Sirius muttered. "Can't live with 'em,"
"Can't live without 'em," finished James, watching Lily disappear up the stairs.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed, and since I've been writing more lately, the next chapter should be soon in coming...I hope. So, behave, eat your vegetables and review!