Chapter 14:
"Sirius!!" Harry said as he took a step towards his mother. Sirius looked nervously at Harry then back at Lily.
"Sirius," Remus said slowly. "You heard Dumbledore…You can't do…"
"Why the hell not!" Sirius said standing up and swinging around to face Harry, Remus, Hermione, and Ron. "Why the hell can't I?"
"It would alter the future!" Hermione said plea fully. "You don't know what would happen if to us, to you, to anyone now if you changed the future."
"Who says it would have to be a bad thing," Sirius said loudly, trying to reason with the others. "I mean what if what happened was the worst that could have happened. I mean Harry…" he looked sympathetically at Harry. "You know your life would be far more different…my life would be far more different…"
"I like my life the way it is…" Harry said slowly. "I mean sure there are a few things that I would like to change…but I can't put others at risk. What happened was meant to be. As much as I hate it, and as much as you hate it. It happened, and there's nothing we can do about it…"
'Yes there is!" Sirius said motioning to Lily, who looked extremely confused. "we could tell her…she could tell the others…"
"I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the future," Lily suddenly said.
"Wouldn't you want to save James?" Sirius said swinging back around to face her.
"Save him?" Lily said nervously. "What does he need to be saved from?"
"His death!" Sirius said looking at her. "He was murdered by…"
"Sirius!!!!" Harry, Remus, Ron, and Hermione all yelled in mixed unison.
"Murdered?" Lily asked turning very white. "James was murdered..?"
"Sirius," Remus said standing in between Lily and Sirius. "I will not let you do this…"
"Oh get off it Remus!" Sirius said. "Just because I have the balls…." he stopped when the door suddenly swung open. Standing in the entrance was Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape.
"Is anything the matter?" Professor Dumbledore said entering his office.
Sirius took a long look at Lily. She seemed to be upset. "No," he mumbled as he sat down.
"Well Lily," Professor Dumbledore said. "Professor Snape here seems to be progressing on a potion that will allow you to return to your own time."
"Wonderful," Lily said solemnly as she glanced at Snape who staring at her very intently.
"Take a picture, Severus," Sirius said glaring at Snape. "It'll last longer."
"You…" Snape said giving Sirius one of the dirtiest scowls that Harry had ever seen.
"Me…" Sirius said standing up.
"Always there to defend your little friends…" Snape said still scowling. "One half of the ever popular Gryffindor protectors…" Sirius scowled. "Or should I say," Snape continued. "The only remaining member of the duet…."
"Consider yourself very lucky that there are other people in the room, Severus," Sirius said in a very forced voice. "Very lucky."
"I'm terrified," Snape said glancing at Remus, who was also glaring at Snape. "Well, now we have a party don't we?"
"If we do," Ron said sensing the tension, "Is there anyway I can get uninvited?"
"Professor," Dumbledore said to Snape. "I would ask that you please respect the fact that you are in my office, and that you will be respectful while you are here."
"Of course," Snape said as him and Sirius continued to exchange death stares. The door of Dumbledore's office suddenly swung open and Professor McGonagall came into the room.
"Professor Dumbledore!" she said hastily. "You have an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic…"
"Excuse me," Dumbledore said as he walked over to converse with Professor McGonagall.
"So why'd you do it?" Remus mumbled to Snape. "Why'd you send her into the future?"
"What makes you think I did it?" Snape said scowling.
"We heard the story," Remus continued. "And who else was twisted enough to do something like this back then?"
"I don't know," Snape said slowly. "We had a few twisted peers who would go so far as to lure a student into the presence of a werewolf without a second thought…" Sirius glared at Snape with a look of utmost hatred, and Remus whitened more so than usual.
"I know why you did it," Sirius said scowling.
"Sirius Black knows the answer," Snape said rolling his eyes. "What a surprise."
"I never even thought anything about it until now…" Sirius said. "That one morning back at school…"
***********************
"What's up with her lately?" Sirius said as he started on his third bowl of porridge.
"Don't know," James said as he watched Lily walking towards the exit and leave to the library. "She's acting differently though isn't she? I mean it's not just me who notices?"
"Definitely different," Sirius said as he watched a leggy blonde Ravenclaw lean over to pick up the fork she dropped.
"You think it's me?" James asked slowly. "I mean I don't think I did anything, but it's always possible."
"Girls are impossible to understand," Sirius said turning his gaze back towards James. "I mean they'll sit there and flirt with you all night and tell you about how great you are and then the second you try to kiss them, suddenly they think you're some sort of sex crazed maniac that only cares about one thing. A complete night and day effect…"
James started blankly as Sirius. "Are we talking about you or me here?"
"Sorry," Sirius said with his mouthful. "Go on, trouble in paradise…you were saying."
"Trouble in paradise?" Jacob Avery said as if he had just appeared in thin air. "Is James Potter having problems with his 'whittle' girlfriend?"
"Why the hell are you listening to our conversation?" Sirius said standing up.
"It's not like he was trying," Severus Snape said as he walked up and stood next to his friend. "You both are just such obnoxious loud mouths that its impossible not to hear your petty conversations."
"Well tell you what," James said standing up as well. "Why don't you go and look up the word girlfriend. When you figure out what one is, then think about maybe why you've never had one and probably never will…"
"Maybe because they need to get some girls in Slytherian first," Sirius said glaring. "Instead of the trolls that they have in there."
"Trolls or not," James said. "Those girls don't have any options to choose from anyway…"
"Well Potter," Snape said. "I really don't see much difference between our girls and yours…"
"How about ours have all their teeth in place and their noses set dead center on their faces…" Sirius said interrupting.
"Guess that doesn't make that little muggle born girl of yours any better then, does it?" Snape said as a small smile crept across his lips.
James' entire body tensed up and a look of fury crossed his face. "Say that again…"
"Would you like me to break it down to simple syllables?" Snape asked coolly.
"You know, Snape," Sirius said slowly, glancing at James in case he decided to beat the **** out of Snape. "You need to get over it…"
"I beg your pardon?" Snape said.
"Get- o-ver -it," Sirius said breaking his sentence down. "Get over the jealousy issues you have…"
"Excuse me?" Snape said in almost a laugh. "Jealous of who exactly?"
"Well let see," Sirius said. "James has kicked your *** in Quidditch every time we place Slytherian, he gets marks that are just 'that' much higher than yours, he'll be head boy and you won't, and yes, he did get the girl."
Snape just started blankly for a second. "The girl? Why one earth would I want her…"
"Because we all knew you did," Sirius said cockily. "You've always fancied her, no matter where she's come from. I mean you treat all muggle borns like ****, but you're mysteriously nice to Lily. I mean she's a great girl, so it's understandable. But it just kills you to see that the one person in the school to get her, is the one person who beats you at everything. The one person who can actually say they are better than you, and you can't do anything about it."
"I don't know what sort of power trip you think you're on, Black," Snape said keeping his composure. "But unlike some people, I would never put my family's name and honor on the line for some muggle born girl."
"And that's why James will always be better than you," Sirius said scowling.
Snape turned away from Sirius and faced James, who still seemed ready to jump on him at any moment. "You really think that you are that perfect, don't you, Potter? Well, welcome back to reality. You're not. You'll get yours someday. I'll make sure of it."
"I'm terrified," James said mocking Snape.
"You should be," Snape said seriously. "It would be horrible if your girlfriend just disappeared one day, wouldn't it?"
"IF YOU TOUCH HER…..!" James yelled. Most of the Great Hall turned to look. Several professors did as well.
"Calm down Potter," Snape said. "You wouldn't want people to think any less of you, would you?" With that, Snape turned and walked towards the exit, Avery in tow.
"I hate him," James said angrily. "I absolutely despise him."
"We all do," Sirius said sitting down. "I swear, I wish we could just do something to him that would really get him."
"We could always have him pay a visit to the Shrieking Shack one night," James said rubbing his neck. "Don't think we'd ever have to see him again after that…"
Sirius smiled an almost evil smile. "We could couldn't we…?"
James looked up. "Si, I was kidding…"
"I know," Sirius said. "But I mean, it is always an option to keep in the back of one's mind."
"Yeah I guess," James said looking at Sirius skeptically. "I just know that if he touches Lil…"
"Oh come on," Sirius said. "he's all talk. I mean what's he going to do? I highly doubt he's got that 'If I can't have her, no one can,' mentality…"
"I don't know," James said. "that's what I'm afraid of…he's pretty twisted…Wait! She's in the library right now by herself. For all I know he could be going there right now!"
"Are you serious?" Sirius asked. "You really think he's going to do something?"
"I just don't have a very good feeling about it," James said as collected his things. "I'm just going to go and catch up with her."
"Class starts in five minutes…" Sirius said.
"See you in class then," James said as he walked out and towards the library…
****************
"That was the day!" Lily said shocked. "That was the day that I ended up here!!"
"Really?" Hermione asked. "So you did do it!"
"Oh how can you possibly remember that?" Snape said looking a Sirius. "That was over twenty years ago!"
"Yeah," Sirius said. "Well sometimes the past comes back!" He looked at Lily.
"That potion…" Lily began. "That day in class…you told Professor Veldor that you had created a new potion. What was it then?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," Snape said turning to leave. "After all the work that I'm putting into creating this potion for you, I would appreciate the accusations to be kept to ones self. Good night…!" Snape turned to leave.
"Severus," Professor Dumbledore said stopping his conversation with McGonagall, as he watched him leave. "When do you feel the potion will be ready?"
"Well," Snape said glaring back at the rest of the group. "I plan on working on it diligently. There are entirely too many people here that I really wish to be gone." With that he left.
"Twit," Remus muttered barely audible.
"So wait," Lily said looking up at Sirius. "Snape fancied me?"
"I always thought so," Sirius said. "Didn't deny it really, did he?"
"I think I'm going to be ill…." Lily said.
"I know I would be!" Ron said shaking his head. "I really didn't know that he was capable of real human emotion."
"Ron," Hermione said. "He's not a monster."
"Could have fooled me," he said folding his arms across his chest.
"It's late," Harry said checking his watch.
"Yes it is," Sirius said looking out the window. "You all need to go and get some sleep."
"When are you leaving?" Harry asked.
Sirius glanced at Remus, who shrugged. "I think we can manage one more day." Harry, Ron, and Hermione all smiled.
"See you tomorrow then?" Harry said.
"Of course," Sirius said. He glanced at Lily. "You too."
"Couldn't escape you back then, Lily said smiling. "Hardly doubt I could escape you now."
"Good night all," Remus said, as the four Gryffindors all walked out of the office.
"Surprise," Ron said nudging Lily as they were walking back.
"That was definitely a surprise," Lily said shaking her head. "I'm still in shock."
"Well they'll be here tomorrow," Hermione said. "I'm sure they're will be plenty more…" She glanced uneasily at Ron and Harry.
"Peanut Brittle," Harry said as they approached the portrait hole. It swung open and they all walked in.
"Goon night," Lily said as she walked towards the girls dorms.
"I'll be right up," Hermione said glancing at Harry and Ron, who stopped.
"Do you think that Sirius will try and tell her again?" Hermione asked.
"I was just thinking the same thing," Harry said. "I don't know…"
"As long as Dumbledore's around he won't say anything," Ron said.
"Yeah," Harry said. "But we can't make sure that Dumbledore is going to hang around all the time."
"I know," Ron said shrugging.
"I think you need to talk to Sirius," Hermione said to Harry.
"I tried!" Harry said. "He's very set in letting her know…"
"Well," Hermione said. "we're just going to have to keep him from doing that at all costs…"
"All costs?" Ron asked. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know yet…" Hermione said shrugging. "But I'll figure it out…"
Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances. "I think it's time for bed," Ron suggested. "We're all kind of strung out right now."
"I second that," Harry said.
"All right," Hermione said. "we'll figure this out in the morning…Good night."
"Night," Harry and Ron said as they all went in the direction of their dorms.
"I really wonder what goes on in that head of hers sometimes," Harry said grinning.
"I try not to ask myself that question," Ron said as they walked up the stairs. "Your head really starts to hurt after awhile if you do…" Harry laughed as they both walked into their dorm room to find their other three roommates fast asleep.
"Ahh my bed!" Harry said jumping on top of it. He had completely forgotten that he was still covered in dirt from Quidditch practice.
"Oh so now sleep doesn't seem like such a bad thing," Ron said as he changed into pajamas.
"Yeah, yeah…yeah…" Harry was slowly drifting off to sleep when suddenly there was a tapping at the window.
"What's that?" Ron asked as he threw his old clothes across the room.
"I thought I had dreamed that," Harry said lifting himself up on one elbow. "What is it?"
"Some people are trying to sleep!" Seamus mumbled from his bed.
"Then keep trying," Ron said casting a look in the direction of Seamus' bed.
"Where have you two been?" Seamus said. Harry could only see his blurry silhouette. He realized that that was probably because he wasn't wearing his glasses.
"I thought you were trying to sleep," Harry mumbled as he fumbled in the dark for where he had put his glasses.
"I was…" Seamus said.
"You're not trying hard enough," Ron mumbled as he tried to lift the window. "Harry, it's an owl…"
"Is it?" Harry said hoisting himself out of bed and over to the window, which Ron finally managed to open.
"It's from…" Harry stopped realizing that Seamus was probably listening. He instead pointed as he and Ron read the letter…"
Harry,
Sorry about earlier…I know you must have been upset by the fact that I tried to tell Lily the truth. You must understand how hard this is for me…I will try to behave myself in the future. In a situation like this however…sometimes hope gets the better of me. Remus and I are at the Shrieking Shack. Talk to you tomorrow…
Sirius
"He'll try?" Ron said. "That's not very reassuring."
"You're telling me…" Harry said slowly. "I really wouldn't be surprised is he tried to tell her again tomorrow…"