There is nothing i hate more than going back to a chapter i already published and finding a typo. It makes me so angry with myself. Anyways, here is chapter 12! I honestly don't have much to say, so please enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: It's not mine if you recognize it from somewhere else.
Recap: Gryffindor won the first Quidditch match of the season against Ravenclaw and then had a party. During that party James found Lily in the Astronomy Tower and she still hates him. Marlene's siblings-the twins-got into some trouble at the beginning of the year and Marlene asked Flitwick not to write home: he agreed but said he would write home the next time it happened. Marlene's parents are in America for business and recently stopped contacting the McKinnons' housekeeper.
Sunday morning, Halloween, was harsh for the Gryffindors. Most were hungover. Fabian and Gideon Prewett—seventh years—were selling potions to cure hangovers. The Marauders were going around collecting their winnings from the bets on the match.
At the end of breakfast, Dumbledore rose and the Hall quieted. "Today, is our first Hogsmeade visit of the year. Only third years and up may go, and you must have a signed permission slip. I encourage you all to have fun, but stay safe. Most of the staff will be there today for precautionary measures, and I beseech you, stay in the village. Do not wander away from the main streets and watch yourselves. With that, I wish you the best."
Everyone eagerly hurried out of the Hall to get ready or leave.
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Lily and Tommy sat in The Three Broomsticks, sipping butterbeer.
"How are you?" Lily asked, referring to his depression that came from the Quidditch match the day before.
He smiled. "It was only the first game, we'll come back." Lily silently noted how he said 'we.'
"When's your next game?" Lily asked.
"Late November, I don't know the exact date," he said. "But I know what we need to work on. I only hope Jack does."
"I wouldn't count on Jack," Lily said, bitterly.
Tommy frowned. "Why not?"
"He's not the best person ever," Lily said.
Tommy shrugged. "Maybe not, but he's a good captain."
"But not a good sport," Lily said.
Tommy frowned, urging her to explain: "The way he pushed James?" she said.
"Oh," Tommy said, understanding. "Well, I think he only did that because we already lost."
"He just has a temper," Lily muttered.
"Just like James," Tommy said.
"Yes," Lily agreed, thinking about the fight. She had not heard what happened, but she had seen James almost punch Jack. She doubted there was any real cause—he just wanted to hit something. "He's a jerk."
"But he is a good Quidditch player. And capain," Tommy said.
"I would say average, but if you wanna be nice…" Lily said, smiling. Tommy laughed.
"You really don't like James, do you?"
"Not in the slightest," Lily said.
"Of course she does," Eli said, sitting down next to Lily. "She has to, because if she doesn't then they won't get married and have kids, which means I owe some people a lot of money."
"Eli!" Lily scolded. Eli just laughed.
"It'll happen," she said.
Tommy smiled at Lily. "Not if I can help it," he said.
"Ugh," Eli said, "you're disgusting. Both of you."
"Why exactly did you come over here Eli?" Lily asked, annoyed.
"To drink butterbeer. Marlene and Maria are getting some."
"Oh, lovely, more people," Lily said, sarcastically. But she knew this would happen, which is why she had sat in a larger, half-circle booth.
"Shut up, you love us," Marlene said, walking up and placing a butterbeer down in front of Eli. She and Maria took seats at the table.
"Well," Tommy said to Lily, "It was nice to have at least a few minutes to ourselves."
"When you date one of us, you date all of us," Maria said, taking a sip of butterbeer.
"Yes," Eli agreed. "And Lily's cat."
"Don't bring him into this!"
"Oh yeah," Tommy said, smiling. "Where is Churchill anyway?"
"He wasn't feeling well before term started. I'm bringing him back after the holidays," Lily explained.
"He just wanted to get away from Tommy," Eli said.
"Eli!" Lily groaned.
"Lily!" Remus had said it as he walked up to their table.
"Hello, Remus," Lily greeted.
"Did you all enjoy your day?" Remus asked.
"Well," Eli said, "I hexed Jack right before he went into Madam Pudifoot's with Evelyn Bywater, so that was good."
"Eli, I don't think that's good," Remus said.
"Sh," she put a hand up to silence him. "Let it happen."
"I didn't see my siblings at all today, so my day was nice," Marlene said.
"And I spent most of my day with Al," Maria said, referring to her boyfriend.
"Oh, Remus, sit down," Lily offered, realizing he had been standing.
"Oh no, it's fine Lily, we already have a table," Remus said, smiling.
Lily's face fell. "What do you mean 'we?'"
But her question was answered as Sirius slid into the booth next to Marlene and James slid into it next to Tommy, squishing everyone together.
"We don't have enough room for you two," Tommy said.
"Quiet, Thomas," James said. "Squeeze in more, we still need to fit Peter and Remus."
"My name is Tommy, Potter, and we are not fitting any more people." He tried to shove James out, but James held onto the seat and fought to stay in.
"Hey, I'm just trying to sit down! Call off your guard dog, Evans!" James said.
Lily said nothing.
"Tommy!" Marlene said. "There's no use fighting him! You're just going to get yourselves kicked out."
Tommy sighed and stopped fighting James.
"Thank you," James said to Marlene. "At least someone here has self-restraint." Eli kicked Tommy under the table to stop him from doing anything.
"Well," Sirius said, "this is fun. Just the nine of us. At each others' throats. It's like a Black family reunion!"
"Black," Marlene said, "why are you here?"
"Well, Remus came over here and then I saw your beautiful face and knew I had to come too. James came for Lily."
"I think it's time we left," Lily said, taking Tommy's hand.
"Aw, don't go," Sirius complained.
"No, it's getting late and we have school tomorrow and, hey, I don't want Tommy killing anyone, so…" Lily said with false-sweetness in her voice.
"Potter. Move," Tommy said, threateningly.
"I didn't hear a ple—" James was cut mid sentence by Tommy shoving him out of the booth.
Tommy and Lily left.
"Well," Sirius said. "We can still enjoy our time. I vote we snog. I'll take Marlene, Remus can get Eli, and Peter can get Maria."
"What about me?" James asked.
"You're reserved," Sirius explained.
"For?"
"Lily," Sirius and Eli said it at the same time. James rolled his eyes.
"How about we go to Honeydukes?" Marlene suggested. Everyone murmured their agreement and they left.
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Lily and Tommy walked through the streets slowly, they were in no rush to get back as there was still plenty of time. They were holding hands and talking.
"I hate him," Tommy said.
"I know," Lily said softly.
"Why is he such a jerk?"
"He's a spoiled brat who can do whatever he wants and worms his way out of trouble," Lily said.
"Glad you think so too," Tommy said.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Because it's not just me out of the entire school," he said, making her laugh.
"We've got each other," she said.
"I don't want to let you go, Lily," Tommy said.
She smiled up at him. "I don't want to let us go," she said.
He looked at her for a few moments before saying, "I love you."
Lily stopped. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "I, um—"
He looked at her and, realizing his mistake, he quickly said, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean—I mean, it's not that I don't—I just didn't want to—"
Lily shook her head and waved him off. "It's fine. Let's just keep walking. How's your sister?"
As he talked, Lily thought.
In a perfect world, she would have looked up at him when he said… that and smiled and said she loved him back. In a perfect world, they would have hugged and kissed and been happy. In a perfect world, she wouldn't have panicked and froze.
Why did she anyway? Why did she freeze? She loved him, didn't she? Shouldn't she? He clearly loved her. Maybe it was because he caught her off guard. Or because she was still upset over Potter. Or she was tired.
In the end, the only explanation Lily could think of was that it was not a perfect world.
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James had been watching the Map constantly, every night, waiting for Professor Turing to leave her office. But rarely did it happen. One night early in November, she did, however.
Last time it had happened, Lily and Remus had interrupted him. Well, more like he followed them and listened to their conversation.
James knew Remus was patrolling tonight, so he kept an eye on them on the map, but at one point he did have to cross paths with them. He made sure the Cloak was covering him completely before continuing.
He tried hard not to listen to their conversation, but again, his own name caught his attention.
"—not so bad," Remus was saying. James couldn't help but feel proud.
"Well he's certainly not-so-good," Lily retorted.
"Maybe not at times, but when he wants to be, he can be… less of a horrible person?" Remus sounded as though he was convincing himself. James felt less proud.
"That alone tells me all I need to know," Lily said.
James started to walk away, but then he heard something he couldn't ignore.
"He cares about you, you know," Remus said. James's eyes widened and he turned around to see Lily raise an eyebrow and laugh.
"Really? I think that's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. James hates me," Lily said. James nodded, agreeing. But he knew he had to follow. What else would Remus say?
"He doesn't hate you," Remus said. James shook his head. It was like Remus didn't even know him! "He says he does, but he doesn't. And even if he did, he cared enough not to tell anyone about your dad."
"Or he didn't have enough time before he spilled it to the world," Lily snapped. "Or perhaps he wanted to try acting like a human being for once, with feelings and everything."
"I think you're being too hard on him," Remus said.
"I can't trust him. I can't hold a mature conversation with him. I can't be in his presence without him making fun of me or calling me some name!"
"That's just him," Remus said.
"How did we even get on this topic?" Lily asked.
"I don't know," Remus said sincerely. He thought for a moment. "It started when you told me that Tommy told you he loved you…"
James didn't hear much after that. His rushing thoughts drowned out Remus's words and, stopping in his tracks, their voices grew fainter as they walked away. Their voices sounded like distant echoes in the back of his mind.
Thomas loved Lily. Lily loved Thomas. They loved each other. They told each other. They were in love. They were perfect for each other, and happy together, and in love. She was in love.
Wait.
Why did he care? James shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to get a grip.
He looked at the Map. Again, Turing had beaten him to her office. He sighed and headed back to Gryffindor Tower, for some reason more upset than before.
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James ran through the forest quickly. He needed to do that: Run. He needed to get everything he had out, and Quidditch wasn't doing that for him. So he ran now. Around the trees, over rocks, through streams. Everywhere. Anywhere. Just running.
He stopped, eventually, at a stream. He lowered his head and drank delicately from it. Less than a minute later, a dog burst through the bushes with a large wolf behind him. The dog lapped up the water at the stream with little grace. The wolf just splashed in it.
A small rat scurried off the dog and ran to the stream, not only drinking from it, but using the water to clean and calm himself. Then, he scurried up onto James, where he rested on his head.
The wolf grew bored soon enough and started to wander around, taking in his surroundings. They never usually went this deep into the woods, but James had led today and he had needed to run.
James stomped on the ground to get the dog's attention. The dog looked up and noticed the wolf's anxious behaviour. He nodded to James and then shook his head, spraying water everywhere.
James turned to the wolf and touched its side with his muzzle. The wolf turned and started to follow James as he started running again. They ran and ran.
James ran long after he grew tired. He ran for so long that he grew numb. He lost track of everything. Pain, time, exhaustion, direction. Nothing seemed to exist.
He was broken out of his trance, however, when he heard a bark. He realized they needed to stop. He slowed to a stop at another small stream.
The dog came to a stop next to James and glared at him. James looked away and drank from the stream.
Then, the wolf came. It was slower, and when it got to them, it collapsed and drank from a laying position on the ground. The dog glared at James again but he ignored it. He felt bad enough.
They waited longer this time, the wolf refusing to move. He even scratched the dog when it tried to get him up. So they waited.
However, after a while, the sky started to grow light. They got the wolf up with less resistance.
James started to lead again, but the dog ran in his way and shook his violently. James stomped his feet into the ground in protest, but the dog just growled at him. After a minute-long staring match—and a tired/annoyed growl from the wolf—James bowed his head and let the dog lead.
James and the wolf followed the dog back, the rat still clinging to James's head. They got back onto the grounds as the last few stars went out.
James, Sirius, and Peter got out of the shack and the Whomping Willow when the sun just started to peak over the horizon.
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"Alright, James, what the hell?" Sirius asked. He didn't sound mad, just curious.
"What are you talking about?" James yawned.
"Last night? When you went off and ran the distance of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley about ten times over," Sirius said, yawning in response to James's.
"Oh, I don't know, I had a lot on my mind. I am sorry about that," James said, looking away.
"Hey, I don't care, but I bet Moony will," Sirius said.
"I know," James said, sadly.
"And me!" Peter said. "Do you know how hard it was to hold on!? I could've fallen off and then where would we be?"
"Sorry, Wormtail," James said, feeling more and more guilty by the minute.
They walked into the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey looked up. "Oh, it's you," she said, used to them coming for Remus. "Come in. But he had a particularly bad night, so you'll have to leave soon."
"Yes, ma'am," Sirius said, leading them in.
"What did you do?" Remus asked as they walked up to him. "I feel like I just ran an Olympic race."
James and Sirius looked at eachother. "It's a long race," Peter explained, annoyed.
"Oh," they said in unison. "That's because of James," Sirius added.
"I couldn't stop running," James said sheepishly. "Sorry."
"It's fine. At least it's a Sunday. We don't have classes and I can sleep," Remus said, his head falling back on the pillow and his eyelids drooping.
"You three, out," Pomfrey said. She shooed them out of the room, forcing them to go down to breakfast.
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They sat down across from Lily, Marlene, Eli, and Maria.
"Good morning," Sirius greeted.
"Yes, simply wonderful," Marlene said sarcastically.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.
"The twins got in more trouble," Eli explained.
"What kind of trouble," James asked, grinning.
"Yesterday, they went into Madam Puddifoot's and put potions in most of the teas," Marlene said, angrily.
"Brilliant," Sirius and James said at the same time. James added, "What did the potions do?"
"Most didn't work," Marlene said. "But some people got sick, one person turned purple, and one man's ears grew twice their size."
"Well, they are certainly going places!" Sirius said.
"Please don't," Marlene said.
"They're just looking for fun. We used to be like that too!" Sirius said.
"You're still like that," Maria snapped.
"Thank you," James said.
"It wasn't a compliment," Maria said.
"I just don't want to yell at them again," Marlene said. "We've been doing pretty well, as a family, I just…" Lily put a hand on her arm, comforting her.
"Just make sure they get loads of detentions," Sirius said.
"If you really want them to stop, that is," James said.
"That never worked for you," Maria said.
"Yeah, but you might as well try," Sirius shrugged. He cringed at the movement, still tired from the night before.
"What happened to you three?" Lily asked, speaking for the first time. She had noticed they did not look good earlier, but didn't bother asking until now.
"We had a rough night," Sirius said.
"Doing what?" Eli asked.
There was a silence. Then, "Do you want to know?" Sirius asked.
Eli grimaced. "Never mind."
"We just got into a small… fight," James said.
"Looks like more than that," Lily said.
"And where's Remus?" Maria asked.
"Sick," Sirius said.
"Again?" Eli asked.
"He drank an unlabeled potion in our dormitory," James said.
"Yeah, it made him all wild and crazy," Sirius added.
"We had to wrestle him to get to the hospital wing," Peter concluded.
The girls looked at them. "Okay, then," Lily said. "Well, I'm going to the library." She got up and left.
"Do we have practice today?" Marlene asked.
James sighed. "No, but if you bothered to look at the schedule, you wouldn't need to ask."
Marlene shrugged. "Great, I'm going to go get Flitwick to give the twins more detentions."
"Maria and I need to write our essay for potions. We're going to the common room," Eli said.
"Why not the library with Evans?" Sirius asked.
"Because she's on a date with Tommy," Maria said. James instantly felt sick.
"See you guys later," Eli said as they walked away.
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"What's the main ingredient in the Volubilis Potion?" Lily asked.
"Stewed mandrake, I think," Tommy said.
Lily kept writing, the silence between them settling. They had not talked much since the week before, when Tommy had said he loved her. Their conversations had been uncomfortable and they had started to avoid each other.
"Lily," Tommy said. She looked up at him. "I just wanted to say that I am really sorry for what I said last week. I wasn't thinking straight, and I was still mad at James, and it just came out."
Lily shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I only hesitated because I was still upset about James and you caught me off guard and I just didn't know how to react."
"We deserve a better moment," Tommy said.
Lily smiled and nodded. "Yes, we do. A moment where we are both thinking clearly."
"How about we forget it ever happened?" Tommy suggested. "And when we do get our moment, it will be perfect."
Lily smiled. He was amazing. "Sounds good."
"Now, what's going on with Marlene's siblings? I heard they got in trouble for something, but I'm not sure what," he said.
"Oh, well they decided to—" Her sentence broke off as James Potter sat down next to Tommy, diagonal from her.
"What the hell, Potter?" Tommy asked.
"Oh, hello Thomas," James said. "Sorry, Lily didn't tell me you would be here."
"What?" Tommy hissed.
"We usually do this, meet up in the library, have fun here, then move the party to a broom closet," James said, casually.
Tommy narrowed his eyes. "Shut the hell up, Potter."
"Potter, get out," Lily said, her voice dangerous.
"I understand if you're jealous," James said to Tommy. "If it's any consolation, she's screamed your name a few times."
Tommy was about to hit James, but Lily stood up abruptly and walked away from them. The two boys watched her walk out of the library and disappear around a corner.
"I won't hit you, but only because I know that if I do, Lily will hate me," Tommy said.
"How kind of you," James said sarcastically.
"But you better stay away from Lily."
"Why's that, tough guy?" James taunted.
"Because," Tommy said, as if it should be obvious, "you're hurting her."
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"Professor Flitwick," Marlene called, walking into his classroom.
The small man in question looked up at her from his desk. "Hello, Miss McKinnon," Flitwick said. "If you're here about your siblings, then no, I haven't written home."
"Actually, I was here to ask you to give them more detentions," Marlene said.
"Well, they already have three nights a week for a month," Flitwick said.
"Could we make it four nights a week?" Marlene asked.
"That's not allowed."
"Then how about two months," Marlene said.
"Miss McKinnon, I think they are being properly punished with what has already been assigned to them," Flitwick said.
Marlene sighed, "Okay, but why didn't you write home?"
"Ah, yes well, Professor Dumbledore did wish to talk to you. I suggest you ask him," Flitwick said. "Go to his office, password is Pumpkin Pasties."
"Thanks," Marlene said.
She walked out and down to Dumbledore's office. She looked up at the statue of the gargoyle. "Um, Pumpkin Pasties?"
The gargoyle moved aside, revealing the spiraling staircase behind it. Marlene stepped onto the stairs, anxious to get to the top. What would he say? Why did he want to talk to her personally?
As she got to the top, she knocked on the door. A faint "Come in," was heard a few seconds later.
As Marlene entered the large office, Dumbledore looked up from his desk. "Ah, Miss McKinnon. Glad you could come," he said.
"May I ask why I'm here?" Marlene asked.
"Please, sit down," Dumbledore said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. Marlene sat. "I wanted to talk to you about your parents. You're housekeeper informed me that they have not made contact with her, and I understand you and your siblings have been informed of this as well?"
"Yes," Marlene said, not liking where this was going.
"Well, I contacted the Ministry," Dumbledore said. "While they could not tell me what your parents were working on, they did tell me that they, too, have lost contact with them."
Marlene stared blankly at a muggle knick-knack on Dumbledore's desk. "Oh," was all she said.
"I understand if you are upset by this," Dumbledore said calmly, "but I feel the need to talk to you about something." He paused to see if if she would say anything, but when she didn't, he continued.
"I fear that a time may come, when the ministry will announce your parents'…"
"Deaths," Marlene supplied.
Dumbledore sighed. "Yes. And if that time comes, I think that you will need to take custody of your siblings. Your birthday is January fourth, yes?"
"Yes," she said hoarsely.
"At that time, if the Ministry declares the passing of your parents, you will be able to care for your siblings."
Marlene's eyes slowly moved upward until they locked in with Dumbledore's. "And if they call it before then?"
"So you are willing to do it?" Dumbledore asked.
"Of course I am!" Marlene yelled. "I'm not having some horrible foster parent take them, or them rot away in an adoption home! And we will not be separated."
"Well then, if before your seventeenth birthday, you're parents are announced dead, we—being Hogwarts—will keep them here until you are seventeen." Dumbledore said.
"Is that even allowed?" Marlene asked with wide eyes.
"I already worked it out. But this is, of course, a worst case scenario. And I truly hope it does not come to this," Dumbledore said.
"I hope so too," Marlene said meekly.
"Also, since you are the closest thing to a parent, I ask you to take some responsibility for their behavior. Detentions are not the only things that will make them behave," Dumbledore said.
"Yes, Professor," Marlene said.
"That's all," Dumbledore said.
Marlene nodded and walked out of the office, down the spiraling staircase, and past the gargoyle. She stopped in the hall and took a shaky breath. She would not cry. Someone could see her. She would not cry here.
She stumbled only a few steps down the hall before collapsing into a fitful of tears. She leaned against the wall, curled up, sobbing.
Why did this have to happen to her? To them? After all, they were just teenagers. And teenagers shouldn't have to worry about anything.
Good? Bad? Please tell me, i love to hear what you guys think. Oh, by the way, there was a guest reviewer who said they think they know how James knew about Lily's dad and why he didn't tell anyone and i'm really curious to know what they were thinking. They reviewed as a guest, so i couldn't PM them and ask, but i'd love to hear theories and/or predictions from them or anyone...
Anyways, hope you Americans had a good and safe 4th of July (i'm also an American ('MURICA)) because that's the best day of the year! See ya next time!
~Jill
MissSlytherinxoxo
XOXO
