A/N: Thanks everyone! I'm glad you seem to like this story as much as I do so far.
Chapter Eight: When have I ever embarrassed anyone
The weekend and part of the following week went horribly slowly because Dorcas and Lily had randomly decided to start up a Charms club and forced me to join. I tried to tell them that there was no point since I didn't even take Charms anymore, but they said that this was an even better reason for me to come. The stupidest thing was the only students who showed up were Firsties and Hufflepuffs, so we weren't even doing anything interesting. We were just teaching a load of idiots how to levitate things.
Dorcas didn't even accidentally knock herself out.
And because I was stuck spending my evenings in that ridiculous club in Flitwick's classroom, I didn't even get to see any of the Marauders properly outside of lessons. None of them, not even Remus – who was the swottiest one – had any interest in coming to our club because I'm sure they considered it far beneath their cool factor. Honestly, I felt the same way – especially when Mafalda had stopped me at breakfast to congratulate me on finally taking my education more seriously. Even Frees and Meals were useless because as soon as Lily took out her Activities planner, Sirius hurriedly pretended he had something else to do and ran off with the others on his heels. James had stayed behind once to watch her as she chattered, but even he wouldn't come to Charms Club no matter how much I begged and tried to convince him that Lily would find it attractive.
I was sitting at Flitwick's desk on Wednesday evening – almost a week after Remus had ended things with McDanger and watching listlessly as Lily marched around the room correcting the First Years' wand movements and Dorcas discussed some theory with a few Hufflepuffs that included Gemma Blot-whatever-y. I was trying to figure out which of the girls to set up with Remus next when I caught her eye. She blushed so furiously that I frowned. She wouldn't do – she was the exact opposite of Sarah Hobbs and would probably spend as much time as Remus being too shy to act. I suppose I could shut them in a broom cupboard together, but I think Remus might commit a sextuple murder if I did that, and I was positive that James, and probably Dorcas, would come back as ghosts and then force me to do the same just so that they could haunt and torture me.
No, I needed the next one to be another confident girl except not as mental as McDanger. So, it was really only a question of whether to go with Emmeline or Mary since I didn't know Marlene very well and didn't want to waste time by getting someone else to introduce him. I didn't trust anyone but myself after Peter's epic disaster of a choice.
I was chewing on my tongue and attempting to think over Emmeline and Mary's previous dating experiences when three, quite fanciable, Seventh Year Ravenclaws entered the room.
"Flitwick's not here. This is Charms Club," I said putting my wand to my temple and crossing my eyes.
"We know," Archie Davies, the new Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain said, giving me an odd look before letting his gaze swing around the room. "I was looking for Lily Evans."
I swept my eyes up and down the blonde, Nordic-looking bloke with his neatly pressed robes and perfectly done up tie, and raised my eyebrows. James would be sorry he hadn't listened to me about coming to Charms Club.
"She's over there helping that First Year mop up her blood," I said, gesturing to where Lily was shushing a teary-eyed girl with a bloody nose as she dapped at her face with a handkerchief.
Archie's eyes squinted a little and he nodded to his equally fit mates before heading off towards her. The one on the left with ginger hair gave me a roguish grin as they passed and I laughed back before falling back into a mood. I couldn't even smile at a bloke anymore without feeling guilty and worried that I was accidentally flirting with him. Sirius was so infuriating. I'd noticed that he still spoke to Lizzy (I hadn't really expected him to stop,) but I was forcing myself not to see his friendly conversations as acts of flirtation. Never mind that she'd probably seen more of him than I had in the past week. Urgh.
At least we were having dinner together that evening because it was the Halloween Feast. I'd made Lily and Dorcas promise that they wouldn't bring up anything Charms or school-related so that the lads would stay, and although they rolled their eyes and told me I was overreacting, they agreed. I waved my wand back and forth over the Remus chart making the colours change and grimaced at my own foolishness. Somehow, I had managed to get fairly decent at a subject that I no longer took and had always hated. Blast Lily and Dorcas – I hated them.
After the dreadful club ended, I helped Dorcas pick up the random objects strewn around the room and move the desks back into place while Lily leaned against the doorframe smiling at Davies who was leaning casually over her talking in a low, sexy voice. Poor James – he stood no chance against this Nordic Prince. Unless of course, he hexed him during the Gryffindor – Ravenclaw match at the weekend and gave him a few face-boils. I would have to remember not to suggest the idea, I'm sure James would have been only too enthusiastic.
"I wonder how she knows him," Dorcas said as we both leaned against the windowsill with our arms folded, waiting for Lily to finish eye-snogging Davies so we could go to the Feast.
"Arithmancy, I bet. It's her only chance to get away from under James' watchful eye," I replied, twirling my wand between my fingers.
"Oh yeah," Dorcas said in a slightly flat voice. "I wonder if they'll go to Slughorn's party together next month."
"Probably," I shrugged. "What's that for again?"
"The new Minister for Magic. According to Lily, he's an old favourite of Sluggy's. Will you and Sirius go, do you reckon?"
I yawned. "Sirius stopped going to those mad dinners he throws altogether last year, so I doubt it."
Dorcas cocked her head to the side. "But it could still be a laugh!"
"You go then," I said. "Now Lily's taken, I'm sure James wouldn't mind taking you."
Strangely Dorcas flushed crimson at this and I winced, feeling bad. I hadn't meant to make it sound like she wouldn't be asked anyway – oh I was so rude to her sometimes. I mean, sure – she acted absolutely shocking towards me regularly, but I was a much kinder and gentler soul. After a few minutes, she just shrugged again.
"Does James still go to those dinners though – now that Sirius has stopped?"
I nodded my head sadly. "Yeah, but only the ones Lily goes to – miserable git expects that she'll fall in love with him at one of Sluggy's get-togethers of all places."
"If I ask James to take me, will you and Sirius come too?" she asked, biting her nails as we watched Archie grab Lily's hand. Urgh, could they just get to it already? It was eye-gougingly boring watching people who obviously liked each other beat around the bush. I idly flicked my wand up to straighten a picture on the wall and shrugged at Dorcas.
"Remus won't have an invite though."
"Yeah but neither will Peter. They'll be all right."
I curled my lip and let my cheeks puff up with air before trying to whistle. To my tremendous delight and Dorcas' shock, a loud and shrill almost-wolf whistle made it's way out of my lips for the first time in my life.
Dorcas chuckled and patted me on the back as I cheered in excitement, but Archie and Lily didn't look impressed.
We made our way to the Halloween Feast with Archie, whose hand kept brushing against Lily's in the least subtle way you can imagine.
"You know," I said when we passed through the large doors and into the Great Hall. "You could just hold her hand Archie, she won't mind."
Lily's face was redder than her hair, but Archie chuckled.
"Good idea Kate," he smiled, grabbing her hand and turning her to face him. "Will you go to Slughorn's party with me?"
Her eyes widened and then narrowed slightly at my grinning face before she broke into a lovely smile. "I'd love to."
"Brill. Enjoy the Feast then, ladies. Lily, see you in Arithmancy tomorrow," Archie said, ducking forward and placing a light kiss on her cheek. She bit back a smile and waved to him as he headed off to the Ravenclaw table, before turning to me and scowling.
"You are so annoying!"
"Hey!" I protested as we started towards our own table. "I was helping!"
"Do I tease you when you and Black are snogging your faces off? No! So why must you be like that? It's like you love embarrassing people."
"Lily!" I said in a scandalized voice. "When have I ever embarrassed anyone?"
My friends exchanged a look and both of them started listing off random events at such incredible speed; I felt a wave of alarm. I looked hurriedly to the Gryffindor table to search for Sirius but saw that only Peter and James were there.
James looked horrible. Normally, I laughed when I saw him upset by Lily's extreme popularity, but no one could even smile at the look of pure depression on his face right then.
"Okay, okay – I'll never embarrass anyone again. Will you two just shut up for a moment? Look at James."
Lily stopped ranting and bit her lip. "Why does Potter look like his owl has died?"
I scoffed and gave her a look. "Don't be so oblivious Lily!"
"Yeah," Dorcas added and I was surprised to see her looking as sorry for James as I felt. She was a remarkably considerate person to most people but me, I'd found.
"Happy Halloween!" I said cheerfully sitting across from James with a thump. Dorcas took the place on his left and Lily sat opposite Peter, who smiled at us a little anxiously. He turned his attention back to James who was ignoring everyone as he looked down at his watch before turning his gaze to the doors.
There was a lot of awkward silence, which I absolutely can't bloody stand, so I puffed my cheeks up again and tried to whistle once more.
"Kate, why do you look like a puffer fish?" Remus said as he arrived and sat on my right, grinning tiredly at me. "Didn't I tell you that's not the way to whistle? You've got to suck your cheeks in!"
"Well Mr Expert Whistler, actually, I was just in Charms club and I did it this way and it worked for the first time ever!" I said proudly.
"And the Wizard Republic still stands," Remus grinned.
"Speaking of your extra-curricular activities," Sirius said as he sat on my other side next to Lily and pecked me on the lips. "How is my Charming witch?"
"Oh yuck," I said turning to the girls. "Please let me quit this bloody club. If only to get him to stop the puns."
Dorcas and Lily laughed and James' face jerked oddly to Lily. He looked furious, but just shut his mouth again and stared at his goblet. I glanced at Sirius and he quirked an eyebrow at me. I shook my head and we all just stared in different directions for a moment.
The Hall was crazy – in a good way. As usual, it had amazing decorations – intricate spider webs that creeped Peter out and live bats flying above our heads that reminded me of Severus Snape. But the best were the pumpkins. They were enormous and hanging from almost every inch of the room carved to absolute perfection and glowing with different coloured lights.
Trying to cheer James up, I pointed to a big one behind his head.
"Look James, I think that's one of the pumpkins we repotted for detention. It's got those letters you carved into the top, see!"
Everyone – James included – looked up to the jack-o-lantern I was pointing at, and he let out a groan, turned around again and thumped his head on the table.
"What does that say?" Remus asked, squinting up at it.
Suddenly Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Oh you hopeless twat – J + L, really?"
James just hit his head on the table as we all laughed and Lily uncomfortably tried to shush us.
"Stop it!" she said. "It doesn't say that – it's– it's just roman numerals or something."
"Numerals for 'I'm a cheesy prat'?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow and Peter and Remus burst into renewed chuckles.
"Shut up," James said finally lifting his head and glaring at his best friend. Sirius continued to smirk, but fell silent. Luckily, the platters in front of us had suddenly filled with distractions in the form of delicious food, so James was able to escape further winding up by stuffing his face with mashed potatoes.
When there was sufficient commotion, Remus leaned over the table and muttered something to James, who just shrugged pathetically. Peter gave him a look and then turned his eyes to Lily before Remus' mouth dropped open in understanding. He patted James on the back and returned to his plate, shooting me a subtle but amused grin.
"So, what's up Prongs' arse?" Sirius asked, not bothering to lower his voice.
"Sirius!" I said as James scowled and Lily studied her goblet of pumpkin juice intently. "He's upset because Lily and Archie Davies walked into the Hall holding hands and are going to Slughorn's party together," I added, looking at him hotly. "Don't keep pushing – they're obviously both embarrassed about it."
Sirius' mouth curved into another grin and his eyes sparkled, and suddenly I noticed that the clink of forks on the plates near me had stopped. Wincing, I turned away from my boyfriend to see James spluttering and gaping at me while Lily's eyes looked how I would imagine green coals on fire would look.
Oh bugger it. I was such a loudmouth.
"Kate!" Dorcas said glancing between James and Lily. "You said you wouldn't!"
"Wouldn't what?"
"Embarrass anyone anymore!"
Remus laughed loudly and when I jerked around to look at him, I noticed that he couldn't stop. He waved me off, so I turned back to Lily and apologized sincerely.
"I'm sorry! It's the truth though, isn't it?"
Even though her eyes were still burning holes through my skull, she didn't contradict me and I swung my head to look at James who was still gaping like a demented goldfish.
"I…uh…what?" he finally managed.
"Good work Prongs. Solid argument," Remus said and I pinched his thigh under the table.
He glowered at Remus before turning to Lily. "I don't care that you're going out with Dodo Davies. I'm just offended that you would decide to choose now of all times to start!"
Lily's penetrating eyes beamed from me to James and he wet his lips looking stubborn but slightly anxious.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Potter?" she asked in her very dangerous, very terrifying 'Evans' voice.
He cowered slightly before sitting up straight and glaring right back at her. "The Quidditch is this weekend – Ravenclaw is obviously afraid of losing so Davies is clearly using you to ruffle me!"
Oh Potter. Don't even man turrets – just abandon ship! Run for the hills, fly the hippogriff coop – just do anything except stay here and look back at Lily Evans when she had that look on her face.
"Take cover," I muttered quietly.
"How DARE you!" Lily said, flying from her seat. "How dare you make this about you! As if he cares if you'll be ruffled! As if I care! What is wrong with you?"
And then, she threw her leg over the bench, accidentally (but maybe on purpose) kicking my forearm on her way. And then, without another look at the quite silent Great Hall, she stormed off, her red hair flying behind her like the flames of fiendfyre.
"Something he said?" Remus mumbled and I bit down hard on my lip to stop from bursting in to laughter. No one else had heard because James had distracted everyone by pushing his own bench back with a loud scrape. Dorcas, Peter and the two Fourth Years to James' left jumped as they all moved with him, and a First Year fell off the opposite end and landed on the floor with a thump. I know this was a very tense and traumatizing event for my friends, but I couldn't help but be slightly impressed by his brute strength.
James then swung his own legs over the seat, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked to the doors at a brisk and even pace. When he passed the Ravenclaw table and saw Archie make the mistake of watching him, he glared and said, "What the bloody hell are you looking at, Dodo?"
And then he too, disappeared from the Hall to mope.
"Well," Sirius said loudly. Several of the gaping students turned their attention from the doors to him. "Who wants pudding?"
And with that simple question, the Hall fell back into soft whispers and mutters, before finally regaining the chatter from before. The Professor's High table had barely reacted to any of the very dramatic events of the past five minutes and I suspected it was due to the wine that Hagrid seemed to be passing out by the bucketful.
Lushes.
The only good thing that came of Lily being furious with me was that I didn't have to go to Charms Club on Thursday evening. She hadn't spoken to me all day, but I knew she'd forgive me eventually, I just had to let her cool off. Dorcas had suggested that I go and try to make up with her, but I had explained to her very blankly that Lily was extremely talented at Charms and I quite liked my face the way it was.
I was just settling into the sofa with the newest copy of my favourite music magazine, WME (Wizard Musical Express) when the Marauders came into the Common Room arguing in hushed whispers. James looked the most furious, but Remus was a close second. Almost immediately they caught sight of me and froze. I gave them a tentative smile and raised my hand to wave before James and Remus stomped over unceremoniously. Sirius leaned his head back and sighed and Peter patted him on the back before they joined us.
"You!" James said, jabbing me in the shoulder with his index finger as he sat down in his usual armchair. Remus sighed, still looking angry as he slumped beside me but didn't say a word.
"James, I'm sorry! It just slipped out, I–"
"Never mind that!" he interrupted. "I have a bigger bone to pick with you than your blatant disregard for holding your tongue."
Sirius had sat on my other side and I noticed that he didn't drape the usual arm around me. Uh-oh I was probably in big trouble.
But why? If it wasn't the Lily thing, then what could they possibly be angry at me for? Was it the laugh-flirt I'd done with one of Archie's friends the day before? But Sirius looked the least troubled of the group. Even Peter was wringing his hands in nervousness as he sat in the armchair opposite James and stared at me. My boyfriend just sighed and kicked his legs up on the table.
"You! Padfoot – knock some sense in to her!" James said angrily.
"Excuse me James, but Sirius will most certainly not knock anything in to me!"
He looked momentarily flustered and he ran a hand through his messy hair as he blinked back at me.
"He didn't mean it like that Kate," Remus said and I realized that he was lying in an identically slumped position to Sirius, with the same tired resignation on his face. The only difference was, where Sirius looked uncaring, Remus looked angry – but not with me – at himself maybe?
"What's going on?" I asked.
"You said that you'd take care of this!"
"What?"
James let out a little shout of fury before nodding his head to the portrait hole. Feeling confused, I turned to look and saw that Sarah Hobbs had just come through, panting a little with her hair disheveled. When she caught us looking, she blushed and wiggled her fingers at Remus who gave a low, almost inaudible sigh before forcing a smile on to his face.
"Hey Remus," she said in an oddly sexual voice. I felt a little alarmed at the heat in Sarah's voice and Sirius gave a weak chuckle from beside me. I watched her, frowning as I saw her head over to where Fringy sat beside the window, obviously ignoring poor Peter.
"That is what you said you'd take care of!" James said firmly, his eyes blazing at me from behind his glasses.
Ah. See, with the whole Charms Club debacle, I had kind of, sort of, very accidentally forgotten that I'd assured Remus that I would sort things out between he and Sarah. Apparently, she hadn't just lost hope the way I'd assumed she would after a full week, but now she was following them places. I had to give her a nod for persistence – it was a trait that I had always prided myself in. But this was getting a little sad.
"You said that you'd talk to her and get her to give up on him!"
"I don't understand why you're the one yelling at me," I said glancing at Remus who had now closed his eyes and was pretending to sleep. I shot another look at Sarah and saw that she was watching him with a stupid smile on her face. Oh, honestly!
"Because Remus is too nice to shrug her off, and too nice to be angry with you for getting him in this mess to start with," Sirius said sitting up and speaking in an even voice. Even he couldn't really hide the edge though – he'd only been attempting to hide his own anger while James berated me.
"And you Peter, you're angry at me too?"
He looked to James and Sirius and winced. "No, that's okay. You've been busy."
James harrumphed and Sirius chuckled bitterly. "Pete's just worried that Jenny will dump him if Sarah gives up on Remus."
Peter blushed as he glanced over at his annoyed girlfriend, and I frowned.
"Er…what's the problem really? Just wait it out – if Remus pretends to be asleep every time she's around, she's bound to get bored soon."
I felt Remus kick my shoe even though he didn't open his eyes.
"The problem," James hissed before suddenly looking confused. "Er…the problem is–"
"She bloody follows us everywhere!" Sirius provided.
I rolled my eyes. "Well that's not really new for you lot is it? You have the kids running after you like you're The Ghouls or something."
Remus' mouth twitched and he opened an eye. "I don't think people really run after The Ghouls."
"Well, if they appreciated good music, they would!"
"Enough about your bloody band. Kate, you need to do something," James said, finally losing the anger on his face and turning to pleading.
"James, honestly wouldn't it be better to just let it run its course? Once Remus starts going out with someone new, she'll move on."
Remus sat up now and shook his head. "Absolutely not! No way am I still going through with this monstrosity after all of this. No. Bloody. Way."
I shrugged. "Ah, you'll feel differently in a couple of weeks when she's lost interest. Trust me – girls know when to give up."
"We can't wait two weeks for her to stop trailing us, Kate!" James argued.
"Why not?" Peter piped up, still looking uncomfortable.
"Wormtail!" Sirius snapped. "Lad's night?"
I burst into laughter and they all looked at me coldly as I clutched at my stomach. All this fuss over their loser Lad's tradition? Merlin, they acted like five-year-olds sometimes.
"Kate, please," James begged. "She'll try and follow us that day and you know it's important to us."
I still laughed, holding a finger up and trying to swallow my giggles.
"Oh bloody hell lads – have your night after she loses interest – you don't have to be so strict about it!"
They exchanged the usual silent conversation but I was too engulfed with mirth to think about what they were probably thinking to each other.
"We can't change the night," Sirius said firmly and I sighed and leaned back against the sofa.
"I never should have… bloody shitting idiot. I should have never allowed myself to do this. Now everything is going to be all effed up," Remus swore, tearing his hands through his hair.
I looked at him in alarm and saw that the boys were watching him with a mixture of pity and understanding. I think this was one of those moments where I understood why I'd never be as close to Remus as the rest of the Marauders. Some things, I just didn't understand. Even so, I couldn't stand seeing his tortured expression – as if the fact that Sarah was following him, was going to really hurt her or something.
"Okay," I said and they all looked to me at once. "I'll take care of it, I promise. Just…stop muttering, Remus."
A/N: Kate's going to actually attempt to help Remus and Sarah in the next chapter - I wonder how that'll go! Thanks for reading :)