A/N: I'm back! Stuff happens and then you don't get a chapter out for a month... but whatever. You're just here to read the story. R&R
/Liz
Thick fog covered the Hogwarts grounds and the clouds were dark, telling them there was a great risk for rain, when James and Sirius walked down to the Quidditch field that Saturday for try-outs.
"I don't get why Marrow wanted to have the try-outs so bloody early," James muttered and tried, once again, to rub the sleep from his eyes. But despite his grumpiness at being dragged out of bed at six o'clock he was excited to be down at the Quidditch field again.
They walked through the changing rooms, and for a minute enjoyed the warmth they offered, before entering the pitch. David Marrow stood in the middle of the field with his broom in one hand and a giant umbrella in the other.
"Potter and Black. On time for once." He grinned. James thought this was a bit unfair. Sure, he and Sirius had been late for more than a few practices the last year, but in general they were on time for Quidditch practice a lot more often than they were on time for anything else. "You'll never believe what happened yesterday," David continued. "Burke told me he's resigning. Hasn't got time for Quidditch on top of the NEWTs. Does anyone see me quitting just because we've got some ridiculous exam? So now we need a new Chaser as well…" he sighed. "We can't afford to lose any more training time. Can't repeat last year's fiasco can we?"
Last year they had been crushed by Ravenclaw in the last game of the season and placed third in the end. Slytherin had won the Cup, and they hadn't let the Gryffindor team forget it.
The rest of the team had arrived one by one and was joined by half a dozen people trying out for Seeker. James spotted Marlene at the back of the group. She held onto her broom as if it were the only thing keeping her standing. James waved. Her mouth curled in a nervous smile and she came over to them.
"You came!" James said, patting her shoulder.
"I did." Behind her pale face and desperate clamping to her broom James still spotted the enthusiasm which was usually painted all over her face whenever she played Quidditch.
"Seekers. Mount your brooms and fly two laps around the pitch," David ordered.
"That's my call, wish me luck." Marlene mounted her broom and joined the other people flying. James quickly noticed that at least two of them were flying on school brooms and that a third was looking like he might fall at any given moment. That left only Marlene and two others, one small girl (2nd or 3rd year, James assumed) and a girl in the year above them.
"You know, McKinnon's really got the physics for a Chaser," David said, looking up at the try-outs. "You don't think she'll be interested, do you? I really can't go through this process again." One of the boys on a school broom had just made a clumsy attempt to turn and was dangerously close to falling.
"Are you kidding? She's always wanted to play Chaser."
David lit up. "Great! I'll keep her afterwards, just to make sure."
Half an hour into the try-outs the first rain drops started to fall and soon it was pouring down. James was relieved when David finally called back the ones on brooms, and told the team to gather around him. James, Sirius, Jacob Cooper, Amelia Harris and David, the five remaining members of the team, were crammed under the umbrella. David spoke.
"Eve Shiller, the small blond, is really good." The team murmured in agreement. At that moment a strong wind grabbed the umbrella and threatened to rip it out of David's hand; once it passed and the umbrella once again was hanging steady over their heads David continued. "Has anyone got any protests?" No one did. "Then we will go for her, and get inside before the storm blows someone away. You can go change, I'll finish off out here."
One by one their teammates left the changing room, leaving James and Sirius sitting on the wooden bench. James pulled off his soaked Quidditch jacket and attempted to dry it with a spell. Failing miserably, he hung it on the peg behind him. His t-shirt was sticking to his back, it too being soaking wet from the rain. He cursed himself for not bringing a change of clothes. There were another five minutes of rain smattering against the roof before David entered and was followed by the people who'd been trying for Seeker. Most of them just passed through, others grabbed a bag from one of the hangers on the wall. Marlene was the last one to enter. Her face lit with a wide smile as she rushed over to them.
"I'm Chaser!" she exclaimed. "Burke quit the team and I got his spot!" She forced them up from their seats and hugged them. "I need to shower. Will you wait for me?"
"You need to shower? It already looks like you've been dropped in the Black Lake and had the giant squid use you as a toy," Sirius said, voicing James' thoughts.
Marlene, rolling her eyes, grabbed her bag from the bench and went into the showers.
"I'm hungry," Sirius said ten minutes later when the wooden door separating the changing room from the showers remained shut.
"Didn't you eat just before we went down here?"
"Yeah I did. But that was like hours ago."
James patted Sirius' back supportively and gave him a pitiful, but mocking, smile.
"I understand how hard this is for you."
"Shut up, you don't understand. Imagine how you would feel if a day passed where you didn't get to stare at Evans," Sirius teased.
"I live with that all summer!"
"Yes, and you're so nice and quiet about it. 'What do you reckon Evans is doing now, Padfoot?' 'Do you think Evans is eating cereal for breakfast too.' 'HELP PADFOOT I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT COLOUR OF HER EYES'."
The wooden door opened and Marlene stepped out. Suddenly, teasing James wasn't as high on Sirius' priority list as it had been seconds earlier.
"What took you so bloody long?" He turned to Marlene.
"You're asking me that? Sirius Spending-an-actual-hour-fixing-his-hair-every-morning Black?"
"The world needs to know that even at these dark times there is beauty in the world."
"You may be a beauty but I'm drop dead gorgeous."
Siriu's face twisted into a grimace and James suggested they go to breakfast before he had a chance to wrestle Marlene to the floor because she insulted his looks.
The sky had cleared now, and white fluffy clouds ran over a blue backdrop that minutes earlier had been dull and grey. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, embracing the grounds in a pleasant light.
"We should try the new caretaker out soon. It's been almost a week and we haven't made him regret coming here," James said to Sirius.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Sirius asked with a big grin. "Great Hall food fight!"
Sirius smiled even wider. "With Peeves…and water balloons."
"Do you think we would be able to charm the water balloons so that they dye people's hair?" James wondered. "I've always liked the thought of an entire Hogwarts with purple hair."
"You think we can get our hands on some Billywigs?"
"If you only put this much effort into your school work…" Marlene sighed and shook her head, reminding James of both his own mother and Mrs. McKinnon at the same time.
"Marls…if we put this much effort into our school work we would've graduated after our first year…" James ruffled her hair with a smile.
"Graduated? You're thinking too small, Prongs. I think Dumbledore would've made us new headmasters."
James shrugged. "You're probably right."
Furrowing his brows, Peter looked at the paper in front of him and then at the notes he had taken in class, trying to understand the concept. Beside him on the table were a letter from his mother, a bunch of sugar free sweets (his mum always sent them with the owl, probably hoping for Peter to eat them instead of the real dessert and lose some weight) and his bowl of half-finished porridge. Remus, already finished with his breakfast, had a book in his lap that, to Peter, looked unreasonably thick.
Once James and Sirius joined them Peter knew it would be impossible to get any more work done. He scribbled down a few sentences before putting it back into his bag. He made a mental note to ask Remus for help later.
"We've got the best idea-" James told them while buttering his toast.
"-We'll have a great hall food fight," Sirius filled in. "It would be great if we could mix it up with Billywigs though. Prongs thinks the water balloons should dye people's hair purple. But how fun would it be to give all the Slytherins red and gold striped hair?" Sirius leaned back again and shook the dark hair out of his face.
A few girls turned and looked at him in awe. Sirius, as usual, didn't seem to notice, and if he did he didn't care. Peter wondered what it was like, having dozens of girls gazing after you in the corridors and a room seeming to stop for a minute when entering it.
Peter was lucky if someone knew his name. Often, he was referred to as "Potter and Black's friend". Clearly, people didn't think he'd notice. Peter knew he wasn't as charismatic as James, as handsome as Sirius, or as intelligent as Remus. Anyone who cared to look at Peter did it with pity. Pity for the fat pathetic little boy who followed Black and Potter around.
"Grant was at the try-outs," Sirius said. "I've always thought she and Remus would make a beautiful couple."
"Caroline or Annie?" James asked while chewing his toast. You'd never have believed him to come from a pure blood family just by looking at his table manners.
"Caroline. I called dibs on Annie ages ago."
"You can't call dibs on girls," Remus said, looking up from his book
"Tell that to our dear Prongs who almost strangled Evan's Hogsmeade date in third year."
"That was a mistake!"
Sirius groaned. "You keep saying that."
"Because you never believe me!" James protested.
"Who's the new Seeker?" Peter asked.
"Eve Shiller. Small, blond. I think she's a third year," James quickly concluded. "But do you know what's even more exciting?"
"No."
"Marlene is the new Chaser," he blurted.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Burke quit the team yesterday."
"That's great. She's much better than he was," Peter said.
"She is, isn't she?" Sirius exclaimed.
"So? Will Gryffindor win this year then?" Peter asked.
"You know what, Wormtail, I really think we might. It's a really strong team."
"Now, what are we doing today?"
"You really need to finish that essay for professor McGonagall. She'll kill you," Remus said, closing his book and putting it on the bench beside him
"Nah. It doesn't have to be done until Monday. I'll do it later." Sirius shrugged and poured more pumpkin juice into his cup.
"Later, meaning you'll do it Sunday night, and then take it out on us by complaining about how tired you are all Monday." Peter stated what all of them already knew.
"Watch it, Wormtail," Sirius warned.
"Do you see the sun?" Lily asked for the fifth time that morning.
"Yes, we've all seen the sun. But I also didn't see the sun this morning, when the rain was pouring down and I was almost blown off the school grounds."
"Shut up, Marls, you're such a pessimist."
Marlene poked her tongue at Lily and pushed her in the side. Lily laughed and pushed her back, sending Marlene stumbling across the corridor and nearly colliding with a suit of armour. They turned the corner and the smile on Lily's face faded somewhat. Alice looked to discover the source walking towards them further down the corridor.
"Lily," Snape said stiffly.
"Hi, Sev."
The name sounded weird in Alice's ears. In what felt like a different universe, Lily had referred to him as Sev, but as time passed Sev changed to Severus.
"Why the hell are you still friends with him, Lils?" Mary put Alice's thoughts into words when Snape had disappeared out of earshot. "He's creepy. And so, for the matter, are his Death Eater friends as well."
"They're not death eaters." Lily's tone changed from cold to defensive.
"They're as good as," Marlene put in. "You've seen that lot? Haven't you?"
"Just because his friends are…questionable, doesn't mean he is." Alice tried to remain positive.
"I don't believe it. He's treating everyone except you like scum," Marlene said. "Yet you're still friends with him."
"And he's bloody ignoring you if he hasn't got something to say," Mary added.
"We're both busy-" Lily tried, but Marlene cut her off fiercely.
"You've said yourself he's a different person now than when you got to know him."
"People can change and still be good friends!" Alice spoke up, more forcefully than she meant to.
"Everyone shut up!" Lily exclaimed. "I am fully capable of making my own decisions regarding who my friends are. I'm not loving each and every friend you have." She glared at Marlene. "But I have the decency to keep it to myself." Her cheeks had gone red and when she stopped she bit her bottom lip and swallowed. "Go ahead, I need to…" She turned and set off the other way. They heard a door slam somewhere behind them and then everything was quiet.
"Come on, Doe." Mary already stood with water to her ankles when she turned and called after her friend, who still stood on the sandbank, hesitating.
"It's cold!" Dorcas protested.
"It's not." It really wasn't. The warm weather of the past week had made the water warm, even if the air temperature had dropped significantly over night. Dorcas, still hesitant, began taking a few steps towards the water's edge and squealed when a small ripple on the water wet her bare toes.
"It is cold!" She squealed and hurried back up on the sandbank. Mary had already begun walking towards land to force Dorcas into the water when nature did the job for her. The clod on which Dorcas stood gave up and she tripped into the water. Mary couldn't help but laugh.
"It's not funny." Dorcas was in the process of rolling up her jeans, which had gotten wet at the bottom when she stumbled.
"Well, obviously the universe punishes people who do wrong. That's good, it means I won't have to land in detention for giving Ivy and Louise a big fat punch in the middle of their precious little faces."
Dorcas laughed as well.
"Don't get in any trouble for me," Dorcas sighed. "It's not your problem, and it's not worth it."
Mary was about to reply that "Bloody hell it was her problem" when someone called her name.
Mary peered against the sun to see the person. Cody Howard, Mary knew exactly who he was. Ravenclaw, 4th year, but taller than most both one and two years older than him, and the subject of Marlene's (not so) subtle glances for the last six months.
"Yes?" she asked, blocking the sun with one hand and stroking a strand of hair away from her face with the other.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Mary nodded and, putting her hand down for balance, waded towards land.
Once she, after a bit of struggle, stood on the sandbank, Cody lead her away from where Marlene and Alice were sitting in the grass and past a group of chattering third years before stopping by the big oak tree.
"Did you see the notice board this morning?" he asked.
"No…" Mary said a little hesitantly, "what does it say?"
"The first Hogsmeade weekend is in two weeks." Cody bit his lower lip and hesitated.
"Okay." Mary recognized this conversation, it was the one that had come at some point prior to all of her Hogsmeade visits, and she was positive this was no different. She looked over to where Alice and Marlene were sitting in the grass, Marlene looking at them from behind her magazine.
"And I was just wondering…" Cody paused, searching her gaze. Mary quickly looked back at him. "…if you would like to go with me."
There had been an agreement, some time ago, to not mess with each other's relationships. That couldn't possibly apply here? Marlene had maybe spoken to him once or twice. Besides, things were known to never last long with Cody. Mary didn't really mind, she'd go to Hogsmeade, snog him, and move on. Mary would be crushed if she got a chance, that didn't lead to anything. Perhaps, Mary thought, there was a better way to get the message across to Marlene, but then she remembered the coldness and looks Marlene would always shoot her way, and it was settled.
"I would love to." She spoke louder than she really had to, considering Cody was standing right in front of her. If Marlene was going to eavesdrop, Mary might as well give her something to hear.
"Great." Cody smiled. Marlene had been right, his smile was amazing. "I'll meet you in the entrance hall at nine?"
Dorcas still stood in the water, her previous reservations about the cold now gone, watching her with anticipation. Mary had all intentions of returning to her. That was, until she passed Marlene, who huffed loudly at her.
"What?" Mary stopped and glared gown at her dorm mate.
"Nothing." Marlene's eyes were glued to the magazine page. "It's just funny, that's all."
"What's funny?" Mary demanded.
"That you manage to steal the bloke I had my eyes on." Marlene obviously tried very hard to sound like she didn't really care, but Mary didn't buy it.
"How would you know I'm stealing him?"
"Please." Marlene snorted. "You were talking like you wanted the entire school to hear."
"Not that it's any of your business." Mary crossed her arms, "but he was the one who asked me to Hogsmeade."
"And you would just 'love to' go with him?" Marlene looked up. "Since when do you have the slightest interest in him?"
"I won't tell you."
"Then I guess I'll have to say it for you." Marlene snorted. "You don't, and you're only doing this to get back at me for…something."
"So?"
"So! There was an agreement!"
"Since when do staring and sporadic 'hellos' count as a relationship? I'd like to know so I can inform Lily that she is now in a relationship with Potter."
"You had NO RIGHT to do this!" Marlene jumped to her feet, and jabbed her finger at Mary.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" Mary hadn't even noticed Alice had left in the first place, but she now returned. Hurrying over to them, she stepped between the pair.
Neither of them answered and, after another moment of silence, Mary turned and returned to Dorcas, who still stood with water to her ankles and watched them.
Alice was on her way from an exhausting lunch, where Marlene and Mary refused to acknowledge each other, and Alice unsuccessfully tried to force a conversation between the two, when a familiar head of red hair cut in front of her in the corridor.
"Lily! Thank Merlin!" Alice sighed. "You won't believe what happe-" Not until then did Alice get a closer look at Lily. "Oh! Lily, are you okay?" Her friend's green eyes were puffy and her green sweater tear stained.
She nodded and pressed her lips together. "Yes, everything is just perfect-" she spat. Then, stopping and sighing, she continued. "I'm sorry. It's just, what if they're right?"
"What?"
"Marlene and Mary, what if he is no good."
"Who."
"Severus."
"Oh." In light of the past hours' events Alice had managed to completely forget the conversation that took place only hours earlier. "No, no they're not."
"How can you know?"
"Because…" Alice put her arm around Lily. "You've been friends since you were eight and you've always been there for each other. Even if you have grown apart in the last few years you care for him, and he cares for you too. He wouldn't hurt you." Alice reassured her, and she found she believed every word she said. Lily and Snape had been friends for so long, if their friendship had lasted this far, there really didn't seem to be anything stopping it.
"So, what happened?"
"What?"
"You were beginning to tell me something, and I interrupted you."
"Oh, right. So, Cody asked Mary to go to Hogsmeade with him-"
"No!" Lily gasped. "That's the last thing their eh…friendship...needed."
"-and she said yes."
Lily sighed.
"So now they don't talk to each other."
"Please tell me this is a joke," Lily begged. Alice shook her head. "Where are they now?"
"Mary's with Dorcas, and I think Marlene went to talk with James about Quidditch practice."
"So, where're you going?" Lily asked.
"Common room, or something. Preferably somewhere where people act like the people around them exist."
"I'll come with you," Lily said, hooking her arm though Alice's.
The common room was packed with students, sitting with piles of books doing homework, playing chess by the fireplace, and laughing with friends. Lily said she was going to get a book from the dorm, and Alice's eyes searched the room for an empty chair. It proved difficult to find one during lunchtime on a Saturday, which she should've known. However, she did spot an empty seat in a group of armchairs near the windows. It would've been perfect, had one of the other chairs not been occupied by a certain brown haired boy who actually made Alice speechless.
After searching the room a second time and not having any better luck than the first time, she sighed. Not able to believe it was actually her only option, and wondering whether it would be better to just go up to the dorm, Alice started towards the armchair. With her Transfiguration book pressed tight against her chest like a shield, she walked across the common room. She felt her heartbeats must be visible through her sweater. Making sure not to sound like her grandmother, she went over what she'd say over and over in her head again and again.
"Is this chair taken?" she asked, finally reaching the armchair.
"No, sit down," Arnold Whills replied with a smile.
Alice had planned to disappear in her book until Lily returned. However, before she'd reached the bottom of the first page, Arnold interrupted her.
"So, Alice. What's your opinion on liquorice?"
"I'm not a fan." Alice shrugged, not knowing what this had to do with anything.
"Me neither really. Even though I do like liquorice wands, there is something about the way wizards do liquorice. My favourite candy has to be Treacle fudge though. You can't get those in muggle shops so I always buy a ton and send home. My little brother loves them…"
He went on for another five minutes, talking about his grandmother's cooking and muggle sweets, half of which Alice hadn't known even existed. When he, at last, stopped talking, he excused himself and rose from his chair, leaving Alice and Frank at opposite sides of the small table. Alice still had her book opened in her lap and was about to go back to reading it when Frank spoke up.
"Is that The Theories Of Transubstantial Transfiguration volume 3?" Frank asked, leaning forward.
"Yes…" Alice lifted the book from her lap to show him. "I got it from the library yesterday."
"Really?" Frank's expression shifted to something Alice couldn't read. "When I was there yesterday Madam Pince told me it had a month's waiting list."
"She is really picky about who she likes, isn't she?"
"I dropped a book once back in first year and since then she's hated me," he agreed.
"I would lend it to you, but I need it for our Transfiguration paper."
"The one on the Inanimatus Conjurus spell? Do you understand what that is about?"
Alice shrugged. "No, not really."
"Me neither. McGonagall is excellent, but not a great explainer."
Alice leaned forward and put the book on the table between them. She pointed to the part of text that had been bothering her.
"Here, read this. It's not very clear, is it?"
Frank slid down from the armchair and leaned over the book.
"No…" he turned the page and continued onto the next passage. It was quiet for a moment. "Here it is. It's in the wrong chapter really." He pointed to a passage on the next page.
Alice settled on the floor too, turning the book over so she could read it.
"That's weird. What does that have to do with anything?" She pointed to the passage underneath, surprised both that she wasn't completely tongue tied, and that when she spoke she didn't sound like a 90 year old lady who didn't socialize too much and therefore didn't know how to interact with other human beings.
"Checkmate." Peter knocked the king, smiling proudly.
"Again? That's impossible." Sirius turned Peter's remaining pieces over with his hand and leaned back against the sofa.
"I think the word you're looking for is 'very possible. 'Rather likely' would be correct too." James looked up from his homework and grinned.
"Shut it, Prongs."
James kept grinning.
"Oi, Prongs. Red alert." Sirius poked a finger into James side, harder than James thought necessary, and nodded towards the dorms, where a certain redhead had just emerged and was coming down the stairs. Her lips were pressed tight together, much like McGonagall's when she was annoyed.
"She doesn't look too pleased," Remus noted.
"Must be a nice change that, for once, you're not on the receiving end of that look, Prongs." Sirius grinned sheepishly.
"Oi, she's mad at you just as much as me!" James protested.
"Only I'm not mad about her," Sirius retorted, leaning back. "So it doesn't bother me."
"It doesn't bother me." James looked down at his homework, trying not to look bothered. The others, of course, saw right through it.
"I'm not having this argument again." Remus sighed and Peter, stuffing the chess pieces into the box, nodded in agreement. "I need to go to the library, are you coming, Wormtail?"
Peter nodded and they disappeared through the portrait hole. Later, Sirius, saying something about getting his bag, went up to the dorm and James was left alone in front of the fire. Aware of Lily's presence, he turned his head ever so slightly, glancing over at her. In an armchair, pushed into a corner, she was curled up with a book. Her long, beautiful hair pulled up in a ponytail and even though she still looked quite bothered, she was pretty.
That was the thing about Lily Evans, James thought. No matter what, she always seemed to have a positive aura around her. Maybe it was the eyes? The sofa shifted as someone sat down next to him and from the lack of a comment about his staring, James figured it wasn't Sirius returning. He tore his eyes away from Lily, only to see her friend looking at him. James still would've expected a teasing comment and raised eyebrows at his staring, but they didn't come.
"What's happening, Marls? You don't look amused by my staring at your best friend."
Marlene smiled, but it wasn't filled with the usual bubbly happiness. "A really shitty day, that's all." She fell back in the sofa and rested towards the back.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Nah."
"Wanna go to the kitchen and eat sweets until you're in the bathroom, throwing up from overeating."
"Despite the overly specific details, yes."
The tradition had started long ago, before Hogwarts, when they were playing in the garden at James' house. Whenever one of them would trip and scrape their knees, his mother would take them inside and give them sweets until "all the evil" disappeared. When they got older, they had started breaking into the cupboards and stealing sweets whenever one of them had a bad day. Once they got to Hogwarts they continued doing the same naturally, although it was a lot easier to get treats from the house elves than to sneak around his mum's watchful eye at home.
"Try this one." James encouraged Marlene and handed her one of the apple muffins he had not eaten already. "It's much better."
Marlene took a bite of it and frowned. "You're joking, right? This is okay, but nowhere near the toffee one."
"I don't get it, the toffee one is disgusting. No offence, Tipsy," he added to the house elf who had just arrived, carrying another plate of muffins. "So now, do you want to tell me what happened?"
"It's just Mary…there was this bloke I liked, and she is going to Hogsmeade with him."
"Oh, Howard."
"How did you know?"
"Don't act so surprised, Marls, we both know I know you better than I let on."
"It's just so embarrassing." Marlene looked down, biting her lip. "He's a big tosser really."
"My lips are sealed," James promised.
"You already told Sirius, didn't you?"
"He's my right hand and second half, of course I told him."
Marlene scoffed. "Whatever. Mary already knows, and she would just love to mess with me. The entire school will know in a minute no matter what. Might just as well have Sirius tell them."
"You know he would never do that." James said, hoping he didn't sound too harsh.
"I know," Marlene agreed, sighing. "He's just got that air about him, you know? Like he could do something like that."
"He wouldn't though."
"I know."
"Good."
The kitchen door creaked open and Alice stuck her head around it.
"There you are, Marls." She breathed. "Lily wants you to come."
"I'm not solving anything." Marlene took another bite of her muffin.
"Please, Marls-"
"No. Not happenin'." Marlene looked to James for confirmation.
"I don't know." He shifted in his chair. "It might be good for you to talk it out."
"Sure, take her side," Marlene snapped.
"I'm not!"
"Right," Marlene said curtly, standing. Before James had a chance to say anything else she had disappeared out the door, taking Alice with her. James was left, sitting on the table, declining the house elves' offer of another cake.
Mary was, by the look of it, alone in the dorm, laying on her stomach on her bed, her hair pulled back up in a bun on the top of her head, reading the latest edition of Witch Weekly.
"What're you doing?" Lily shoved her book bag on the floor and threw herself on the bed.
"Reading," Mary replied, looking up from the magazine.
"Anything good?"
"Celestina Warbeck is getting remarried, some Ministry bloke got broke trying to create a rock band and an article about hair colouring potions. Where's Alice?"
"She's remarrying again? It's like…her third husband, right." Lily knew she was avoiding the question.
"I know! She's only been divorced for a few months, too." Obviously Mary didn't notice.
"And her poor son, although I guess it must be better than all the cheating rumours."
"Honestly, Lils, have you seen him? Someone that fit can't possibly have any problems being in the spotlight."
"Mary! He's like…twelve."
"So…"
"So, it's weird that you have a thing for him, he could be your little brother."
"Oh, if only…"
"Mary!"
"Okay, fine," Mary pouted. "I'm just saying…"
"So, what did they say about those hair colouring potions?"
Lily leaned towards the headboard, occasionally mumbling in agreement as Mary went on about how a new kind of hair colouring potion was better than all other ones on the market. Another ten minutes passed and Mary moved on to talk about another article she had read when the door opened and Alice entered, followed closely by Marlene, who looked like this was the last place she wanted to be. Mary stopped, in the middle of a sentence, and bolted up in a sitting position.
"Marls has something to say," Alice announced with a pointed look at Marlene.
"No I don't." Marlene walked over to her bed and lay down, eyes glued to the ceiling. "I'm not the one who should apologise."
"Apologise for what?" Lily wondered, because she still wasn't sure what had happened.
"No idea," Alice admitted, shrugging. "I'm just trying to start some type of communication."
"Apologise for stealing Cody from me!"
"He asked me!" Mary exclaimed.
"You could have said no," Marlene squealed.
"Have you ever considered the idea that you're not the only one who's got a thing for him!" Mary retorted.
Marlene snorted.
"Not this again!" Alice protested. I'm not here to have the same conversation again and again. Lily would've liked to add "when I could be downstairs with Frank" to Alice's statement, but decided against it.
"I do! I mean, who doesn't? Have you seen him? I can't wait until I get to look deep into those beautiful blue eyes while drinking the butterbeer he'll order for me." Mary smiled sugar sweetly. It was a smile Lily had seen few master as perfectly as Mary. It always gave the wished result. Marlene jumped up from her bed and for a brief moment Lily thought she might slap Mary.
Then, sighing, she said. "I'll go to dinner, we've got practise tonight."
"Was that necessary?" Lily asked, once Marlene had shut the door behind her.
Mary shrugged. "It could've been her, had she just plucked up her fucking courage and asked him herself, instead of spending so much time staring at him from across the room."'
"I don't get it. What happened? I was right there the whole time, how could I've missed anything?" The last part Alice seemed to have added to herself rather than anyone present in the room.
"Cody asked me to Hogsmeade, I said yes, Marlene threw a fit about it. That's the whole story." Mary shrugged. "I didn't do anything wrong."
The door opened again and for a moment Lily thought it might be Marlene who had returned for whatever reason. Then she saw Elizabeth and Amelia entering.
"Do you know what happened to Marlene?" Amelia asked. "We passed her in the corridor, she looked upset."
"Oh, Merlin," Alice murmured.
"What? What happened?" Amelia encouraged.
"Believe me, you don't want to know." Lily sighed, going for the door. "I'll see if I can find her."
"Okay guys, that's it for today. Go change." The sun had nearly set behind the mountains in the distance when David called the training to a quit. Sirius nearly collided with James when landing and they both erupted in laughter. James accused Sirius of aiming for him, Sirius said he had done no such thing and pushed James in the chest. Suddenly James was on his back on the muddy pitch, not that it seemed to bother him, he was still laughing. Once he managed to stand up again, still grinning, something had caught Sirius' eye.
"Are you coming mate?" James asked, standing ready to leave, with his broom in his hand.
"Yeah…I just need to check something. You go ahead."
James nodded and followed the rest of the team into the changing rooms. Sirius set off in the opposite direction. She sat on the lower bench of the stands furthest away from the changing rooms. Sirius waited until everyone had vacated the pitch before walking up close enough for Marlene to see him from the corner of her eye, even with her gaze lowered.
"What are you doing?" she asked, looking up. Her normally smiling face carried traces of something Sirius didn't recognise.
"I would ask you the same thing."
"Don't feel much like going back up there." She nodded at the castle.
"Why?"
"Don't act like you don't know, James told you."
"So he was right?"
She nodded despondently.
"Please, don't ask if I'm alright, or try to talk about it, because I'm sick of that."
"Understood."
A single raindrop fell on the bench between them, then another and another. Before long, the sky opened and rain was pouring down while a thunder strike seemed to shake the grounds.
Biting her lower lip and smiling, Marlene stood and moved towards the middle of the pitch with skipping steps. Sirius followed.
"What're you doing?" He yelled over the weather. "You'll get struck."
"At this point, I don't care if lightning struck me," Marlene laughed, twirling on the spot. "This day can't possibly get any worse."
"Well, I'd care." Sirius had no idea where the words came from.
Marlene stopped and looked at him.
"What?"
"I mean, I wouldn't want you to get struck by lighting because you know…you're okay. Also, James would get so sad, and I don't like sad James." Why did he keep talking?
Marlene shook her head and laughed again. "You're crazy."
Sirius liked that she was laughing. Laughing Marlene was much better than sulking Marlene.
"Go to Hogsmeade with me." What?
"What?"
"As friends, I mean," he added quickly.
"Why?"
"I don't know, McKinnon! I don't usually think my decisions through." He lashed his arms out. "You don't have to, I just thought…since you don't have anyone to go with, and I don't have any plans. Besides, everyone will hate you for it."
"Great," Marlene snorted. "Because that is my goal in life…for everyone to hate me."
"It should be, you know." He shrugged. "Makes everything much easier."
"You know…" She began, then, furrowing her brows, "Why would everyone hate me?"
"Because you're going with me as your 'date', and everyone wants to go with me as their date. Right?"
"I suppose, but you're not supposed to know that, idiot."
"I know, I'm too self aware and it's not good for my ego. What can you do?"
"Maybe not flaunt it?" Marlene suggested, trying to keep her face straight.
"Nah, that's boring."
"But…why would you do that?"
"Flaunt?"
"No, idiot. I mean, you could go to Hogsmeade with any girl in this fricking school, why not just choose one of them if you want someone hanging on your arm."
Sirius leaned towards her, not knowing what he would say before the words spilled from his mouth. "None of them are my friend in need of help-" he began. He should've known it was the wrong thing to say.
"I'm not some delicate little lady 'in need of help'." Marlene spat. "I'm perfectly fine on my own, but since you-"
"Merlin! Let me finish!" Sirius pulled her closer. "What I'm saying is…they're not my friends in need of help, but also, that none of them are quite as fit as you."
"I am fit, aren't I?" Marlene smiled.
"You totally are." Sirius agreed, smirking. "Don't tell James though."
"That I'm fit?"
"No, idiot." Sirius sighed to disguise a laugh. "That I said you were fit."
Marlene leaned back and furrow her brows. "Why not?"
"Because he might actually kill me if I made a move on you."
"I see…" She leaned her head to one side. "And you're not 'making a move on me' by taking me to Hogsmeade?"
"Nah, that's more like a favour, one friend to another."
"Does he know that?"
Sirius shrugged. "I'll tell him."
"So I'm just your fit friend?" Marlene leaned forward again. "Who you're taking to Hogsmeade." She bit her lower lip. "As a favour."
He smirked and nodded.
"That doesn't sound very Sirius Black to me." She furrowed her brows.
"Have you ever considered there is a side to me that you don't know?" Smirking, he leaned in even closer. Their faces were now as close as they could be without touching.
"Perhaps." Marlene smiled. The air from her breathing tickled Sirius' nose.
"Marls!"
Sirius stumbled backwards at the sudden scream and noticed how he was soaking wet and cold. Lily came running towards them, her hair flying behind her like a mane. Despite the cold, she wasn't wearing a coat. Marlene had backed away too and looked at her friend approaching them.
"Thank god you're still here," she panted.
"What's happened? Marlene asked, her arms folded across her chest.
"There…there's been an attack."
A/N: Is there really any more to say about it? Hopefully it won't take a month for the next chapter.
/Liz