I must really like this story…two updates in so close to one another? This is a rarity, people, something that may never happen again. So enjoy it while it lasts!
Thanks to everyone who put this on favorite/alert, and to my reviewers, Nightlight753, Hugtheplanet, ZebraPotter18, Blue Wrackspurts, and strukkfirst. You guys are so nice to me. And on with the story!
Chapter 3: Arrival
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep…
Marlene was awoken by the sound of loud beeping coming from beside her bed. She groaned and shoved a pillow over her head. She was having such a good dream…Sirius was in it, and they were having an ice cream war while Dorcas and Lily told them to shut up and then Remus came in and threw bananas at them. Yeah, she was random. Or at least her sub consciousness was.
"What the bloody hell is that?" she groaned.
"Alarm clock," Lily yawned from her bed. She took the odd machine from the dresser separating the two's beds and hit the top of it with a resounding smack. To Marlene's relief, the seemingly ceaseless beeping ended.
Lily groaned. "It's 7:00 in the bloody morning! Why on earth do we need to get up so early?"
Lily was cut off by a knock on their door. "Are you girls awake?" The voice of Professor Sporx called out.
"Yes, Professor," Lily called, still grumbling over the sheer unfairness of early rising.
"Good, good, meet downstairs for breakfast in twenty minutes!"
Marlene looked horrified. "Twenty minutes? I can't get ready that fast!" Marlene was actually quite a low-maintenance person- it was Mary, their friend who had stayed behind on this trip that took forever to get ready in the morning.
Lily, on the other hand, could get ready in five minutes flat, and she did so nearly every day. "Come on," Lily said, hopping to her feet. "I'll show you how to get ready quick as a jiff."
~Potter~
Meanwhile, Remus had completely finished preparing for the day by now.
"Come on, James," Remus called. "I'm sure Lily won't care what you wear."
"But what if she does?" James shouted from the bathroom.
Remus sighed. "Then pick a navy blue collared t-shirt, blue, and sneakers," Remus said.
"What makes you say that?" James's voice, quite curious, and a bit suspicious, rang out. How on earth would Remus know what clothes Lily liked guys to wear?
Remus winced. He actually came up with the idea for James's Lily-impressing outfit 10 seconds prior to this. "Erm…I have my ways," he said vaguely.
"Well, thanks, mate," James said, coming out of the bathroom in the exact outfit Remus described. Remus gave a small sigh. James was- quiet literally- a love struck fool.
"Let's just go down to breakfast," Remus said, steering James out of the room. "Maybe you'll see Lily there."
At these words, James bolted out the door in a mad dash to see his beloved, followed reluctantly by Remus.
~Potter~
By the time all of the students had finished eating breakfast, it was nearing 8:30. Sporx cleared her throat. "Everyone gets on the bus, and quickly now, we don't want to be late."
"I call the back seat!" Sirius yelled as he raced ahead of all his classmates.
"That Black sure is a handful," Dorcas laughed as the group of Gryffindor girls took their seats on the bus. Not in the back seat of course- that's where Sirius was protecting three seats for himself, Remus, and James.
"Absolutely," Alice agreed. "At least Potter has matured slightly this year."
"He's much better than the arrogant pig he was last year, I'll agree to that," Lily nodded her head in assent.
"Because he hasn't asked you out in over a month," Marlene snickered, nudging Lily with her shoulder.
"Well, that might have something to do with it…" Lily said with a laugh.
"Hello, ladies," a voice came from their left. It was James. He and Remus had dropped into the seat across from them.
"Hi, Potter," Alice said, taking a swig from her water bottle. "Hi, Remus."
"Why is he Remus and I'm still Potter?" James pouted.
"Because Remus is our friend- you're just the toe rag that he somehow puts up with," Lily said with a wry grin.
"I resent that," James sulked.
"Hey, it's not my fault they like me better," Remus said with a grin.
"Hey," Sirius said, suddenly appearing at James's elbow. "I was saving seats for you back there, and what do you do? Come up and sit with the girls."
"Maybe they wanted some intelligent company for once," Lily suggested.
"Thanks, Evans," Sirius said with a grimace. "I guess I'll just go sit back there, all by my lonesome."
"You can sit with me," Marlene put in excitedly. "Lily wouldn't mind moving, would you Lily?" She shot Lily a pleading glance.
"No, I suppose not," Lily sighed and dropped into the seat in front of Remus and James. Sirius slid into Lily's vacated spot and started a conversation with Marlene.
A few moments later, when everyone was situated on the bus, Professor Slughorn, who was actually a decent driver, pulled the school bus out of the hotel parking lot and onto the busy street.
"I cannot wait to ride a what-cha-mac-coaster," Marlene was telling Sirius as they drove along.
Sirius let out a barking laugh. "I call them the same thing! There's this one Remus was telling me about…don't really remember what it was called, but he says it's supposed to be super scary."
"It's called Revenge of the Mummy," Remus said from two seats over. "It's based on the movie 'The Mummy' we saw in class."
Sirius frowned. "I don't remember that one. Was that the movie we watched when James and I were having a paper airplane war?"
"No, we had the paper airplane war when we were watching Shrek," James joined in on the conversation. "We were making desks blow up silently during The Mummy."
"Did you two pay attention in any movie we watched?" Marlene asked incredulously. The movies were actually pretty interesting, a lot better than learning about elektity or something else of that worthless nature." (*)
James and Sirius gave each other a glance. "I think we paid attention when we watched Terminator," Sirius said. "Now that was a good movie- many explosions."
"You two are hopeless," Lily said, shaking her head from across the aisle.
"That's just another way of saying you love us," Sirius said with a cheeky grin.
"Keep on dreaming, Black," Lily snorted.
Suddenly, the bus came to a stop. "We're here!" Slughorn called jovially.
'Whoa' was heard all over the bus. Out the window, they could see giant palm trees, twisting tracks of multiple rides, and a huge archway leading into it all.
"Everybody out!" Professor Slughorn turned the crank to open the door. The students didn't need persuading- they all scrambled out, fighting to be the first one in the park.
"Hold it!" Professor McGonagall said sternly. The students froze in place. "Get out in a calm, orderly fashion, and wait outside the bus for instructions," she ordered.
Lily was one of the first off the bus. As she stepped out into the warm Florida sunshine, she sighed in content. This was going to be a fantastic day! Being at a Muggle amusement park with all of her friends- how could life get any better than this?
Once everyone was off the bus, the professors exited as well. Sporx cleared her throat.
"Attention students," she said. "This is Universal Studios. We have decided that we trust you enough to go off on your own during this, but you must stay with at least one another person. The three of us," she gestured to herself, McGonagall, and Slughorn, "will be moving throughout the park during the day keeping an eye on all of you." Her gaze fixated on Sirius, who was grinning like an idiot. He knew perfectly well Sporx would be keeping a special eye out for him.
"Since we don't think any of you can handle Muggle money, especially of a different currency, all of us will meet at Mel's Drive-In for lunch at 12:30. We will give you instructions for dinner there." Sporx checked her watch. "It's nearly nine, so the park will be opening shortly. Please be on your best behavior."
"I don't think I have a best behavior," Sirius whispered to James, who let out a laugh. McGonagall fixed them with a glare.
"At least attempt not to get into mischief, today, mates," Remus sighed. "I think we'll have enough trouble as it is."
"What makes you say that?" A voice whispered to Remus's right- he nearly jumped out of his skin- but it was only Dorcas.
"Sirius and James will be pointing out Muggle technology loudly all day," Remus whispered back. "Using the word 'Muggle'." Dorcas bit back a giggle.
"I have everyone's tickets," McGonagall said. "I will give them to the operator, not any of you, for that would have some…difficult…consequences. I don't think we want to ruin this day with having to obliviate several Muggles. We will walk with you as far as the gate, then you are free to do as you like."
The class walked together down a long open-air hallway, getting many strange looks from passerby as they did. Remus hoped it didn't have anything to do with his classmates pointing at random objects loudly and excitedly and more that they were simply a larger group than the tourists were used to seeing.
They finally reached a group of tellers, where McGonagall moved to the front of the group to hand the teller everyone's tickets. After a few moments, McGonagall nodded at them. "You can go in now."
Sirius and James shoved their way to the front of the line of students, dragging a less than willing Remus along with them.
"Look, there's that archway we saw!" Sirius pointed out loudly, pointing at the yellow archway they had seen on the way in.
"Look, there's a big globe!" James said, pointing to their left, where a sphere designed like the earth was seated comfortably on the lake with the sign 'Universal' labeling the front of it.
"Let's get inside, mates!" Sirius called out, hurrying through the archway. The three boys were greeted to the sight of a busy street swarming with Muggles.
"Mind if we join you gents?" Alice appeared at Remus's elbow, closely followed by Marlene, Dorcas, and a rather reluctant Lily.
"Sure," Sirius said ecstatically. "The more the merrier! Now, let's find some rides. This is all boring shops!"
Remus picked up a map from a holder near the entrance. After scanning it for a moment he said, "There are two shows up to our right," he nodded to the line of people turning away from the main road a few meters ahead of them "Shrek 4-D or Terminator 2. Terminator has a show in ten minutes."
"Why don't we go there, then?" Lily suggested. "I read about it and it's supposed to be really good."
"Well," James said. "If Lily wants to go, so do I."
Sirius snorted. "I'll go, but only because Terminator was the only movie I paid any attention to. After that we have to ride a what-cha-mc-coaster, though."
"Agreed," Marlene said.
"C'mon, we don't want to be late," Remus gestured to the street their destination was on. The group of seven hurried through arriving at the building a moment later.
AS they walked through the doors, Alice let out a breath of air. "It's so cool in here."
"I know," Sirius said. The walls surrounding them were metallic and there were large screens everywhere. "It's pretty sweet."
"No," Alice said with a giggle. "I meant it's so hot outside, this is like a breath of fresh air."
"Oh," Sirius frowned. "I feel stupid now."
"You usually do," Remus patted his arm.
"Wow, thanks, Moony," Sirius rolled his eyes playfully at his friend. "I feel so loved."
"C'mon," Lily gestured to a line forming to their right. "Let's get a spot in line."
The group waited for about five minutes, (Sirius declared "I'm bored!" at least fifty times, to which both Remus and Lily told him to shut up), before going through a doorway leading into a large room filled with people with three huge screens hanging directly in front of them.
"Whoa, look at those things!" Sirius said, impressed. "It's like a huge V.T.!"
A few people around them gave Sirius strange looks. "T.V.," Remus corrected him. "And keep your voice down, the show will start soon."
"Where's Dorcas?" Lily asked, looking around. Her curly haired friend was nowhere in sight. The rest of the group glanced about- most of them hadn't seen Dorcas since they all came through the doors to this chamber.
"Right here," Dorcas said from behind them. "You all forgot to pick up your 3-D glasses."
"Our what?" Marlene asked, perplexed.
"3-D glasses, they make the movie pictures jump out at you," Dorcas said, distributing them around. "Don't put them on yet, though, the sign said only to do it in the actual theatre."
"You mean this isn't it?" Alice asked, confused.
"No," Dorcas said. "The worker said the preshow was in here, and the main attraction is in a theatre to our right."
"Okay, whatever you say," Sirius said, bemused.
"Shh, the show's starting," Lily hissed. The lights were beginning to dim, and most of the tourists around them (there had to be over a hundred) were beginning to quiet down.
A spotlight lit up on a woman in a bright pink suit in front of what James thought was called a mikefone." (*) She began to speak into it, something about her being the president of some big company that would make everything in the world alright.
"Bet you that's not going to turn out as planned," Sirius whispered to James.
The screens began to light up with pictures of mechanical butterflies and other machinery, Sirius called out. "Ooh, look, pictures!" Which, of course, caused about fifty of the surrounding people to give him strange glances wondering if he was mentally disturbed.
Suddenly, the pictures were replaced by static, and then a picture appeared of two people, a young woman and a teenage boy. They were talking about how this company was going to destroy the future because the future had paid them a visit, with a robot trying to kill them and another robot trying to protect them. Then the woman gave them a warning that the company was going to do something to them, maybe kill them.
"They're going to kill us, James," Sirius whispered, terrified, to James. "The nice lady in the pink suit is going to kill us."
"No, she's not, Sirius," James said, eyes fixated on the screen. When the heroes' broadcast got cut off, the woman in the pink suit began speaking.
"Sorry about that unforeseen interruption, now go into the theatre so we can give you a demonstration!"
Doors opened to the right of them. Most of the audience started moving towards them, including six out of the seven members of the Hogwarts group. Sirius, however stayed put.
"Come on, Sirius," James said. "It's only a show; the pink lady's not going to hurt you."
"They always did say pink was an evil color," Sirius argued. "I'm staying put."
"It's just a show, Sirius, come on," Remus sighed, exasperated.
"You know, Sirius," Lily said, rising an eyebrow. "Even in here, the pink lady can still get you- no matter where you go, you'll still be in their base of operations. At least in the theatre, you'll have us and all those other tourists to protect you…"
Sirius's eyes widened. "Let's go!" he cried, galloping to the doors.
James chuckled as the rest of them followed Sirius. "Nice one, Lils."
"Thanks," Lily grinned at him. "Black can think he's a tough guy, but we all know it's really an act."
They went through the doors into a large theatre only a little smaller than the Great Hall back at Hogwarts. Sirius was waving them all over from the back row- he had saved them some seats.
As they joined him, Sirius said smugly, "Since we're in the back row the evil pink lady has to kill us last. I outsmarted her and her evil pink-ness."
"Unless she starts from the back first," Remus said. Sirius looked terrified again- the rest of Remus's wizarding counterparts shot him a glare.
"It's okay, Sirius, Remus is only joking," Marlene said, taking a seat next to him. "I'll protect you from the evil pink lady."
"How?" Sirius said suspiciously.
"Easy," Marlene said, getting a small wallet-sized purse out of her pocket and unzipping it to reveal not only a few galleons, her toothbrush, and toothpaste, but a small bottle of something, too. She got this out to show to Sirius. "This is pink perfume. It'll get rid of anything that's pink."
"Really?" Sirius stared at it.
"Yeah," Marlene said, shooting the rest of them a small smirk of triumph. "You can use it to protect yourself against the evil pink lady."
"Shh, the show's starting, we need to sit down," Remus whispered. They all took their seats immediately- James was thrilled to find himself sitting beside Lily. Maybe he could put his arm around her during the show if she got scared?
That idea was squashed immediately; Lily turned to him and said quite firmly, "Don't even think of putting your arm around me, Potter."
James slumped in his seat- there had to be something to do to get through to Lily. But he didn't think about that again- because the evil pink lady had just walked onstage and was beginning to speak. James glanced at Sirius, who had Marlene's pink perfume held out in front of him like a weapon.
Merlin, Sirius was stupid.
(*) elektity- electricity
Mikefone- microphone
Review? It may not be 11 pages, but it is 8, and that's nearly as good, right?