Chapter 17: Ready, Steady, GO
Wednesday, September 21, 1977

We were finishing up our Transfiguration practical for the day when I caught the eyes of my co-conspirators. We smirked at each other.

The time has come.

I bent over to grab my satchel, and pulled out my pendant. I changed it to one simple phrase: Get Ready.

I saw the other girls check theirs secretly. Dorcas pointed her wand at hers quickly, looking like she was just fumbling with the front of her jumper. Get Set.

Emmeline held her Transfiguration book to her chest when she tapped her pendant. Lets Go!

The main plan was for me and James to meet all them in the Gryffindor Common Room and head down to the pitch together, along with Fabian, Gideon, and the reserves (students ranging between third and sixth year, all the seventh years that auditioned and made the team are the main roster). As for Dorcas, Emmeline, and my additional plans, that starts when we get to the pitch.

"I can't believe you guys are doing this," James told me, on the way to Gryffindor Tower.

"I can't believe you haven't," I replied.

He just laughed and shook his head at me.

We approached the familiar portrait of the Fat Lady. "Archimedes," I told her, a smile plastered on my lips and rubbing my hands today.

"My, my, my, someone is in a good mood today. Looks like you're up to something, though," the Fat Lady said with a grin.

I wiggled my eyebrows at her in response.

We climbed through the portrait hole, finding everyone waiting for us. James looked over the room, making sure he had a full team. Satisfied, he nodded. "Lets play Quidditch," he said with a huge smile.

The cheers were deafening, and I nearly got trampled by the excited teammates clambering for the portrait hole.

And I would have if James didn't think fast and pushed me out of the way.

Which sent me flying on a collision course with the bookcases, which would still not have been on the top of "the-things-I-want-to-do-before-I-leave-Hogwarts" list, but I didn't because Remus is a quick little bugger who caught me.

Death by Gryffindors: 0. Saved by Marauders: 2.

"Thanks, Moony," I told him, still clutching his arm for dear life.

"No problem, Lils. Just release my arm," he replied.

"Sorry about that," I said, releasing his arm. I looked around the room. "Isn't Wormy coming?" I asked when I didn't see him.

"Detention," Remus said, not hiding the matter-of-fact tone to his voice.

"What now?" I asked as we followed the team outside the portrait hole, a few meters behind. Safe distance.

"Caught coming out of the kitchens after hours. He didn't have the map. Claimed he wouldn't need it because he could just come and go as a rat, transforming behind a tapestry or something. Tosser forgot to transform into a rat on the return trip and Filch caught him. He tried to get me to help him get out of it but I told him he deserved it for being a complete idiot."

Good, I thought to myself. Easier to execute my plan.

"So it's just us in the stands?" I asked him.

"Out of our group? Yes."

Excellent.

"Lils? You all right?" Remus asked me.

Damn, I must have been grinning like a bloody fool. Emmeline and Dorcas will kill me if I muck this up...

"I'm fine, just thinking of last night," I lied. "The girls and I were having one of those nights. I just still feel like I'm sitting on a feather." Good cover, Lils!

"Oh," Remus said, smiling. He knew what I meant. "One of those nights" with four teenage girls usually means giggling for all hours and chatting about everything besides what we should be. More times than not, it spills over.

Hook, line, and sinker, I thought to myself.

We were approaching the Entrance Hall at this point and exiting into the crisp autumn air. We walked to the pitch in silence, just listening and laughing at the excitement coming from the large group in front of us. When the team went into the locker room, Remus and I took a seat in the stands.

No time like the present.

"So, Moony," I said, the flash of confusion on his face not going unnoticed. He was still getting used to my casual use of the nicknames. "You and Marles seem to be getting cozy."

"I really care about her," he admitted.

"I know," I told him. "I heard your comment on Monday."

"Comment?" he asked, confusion back on his face. This time it didn't disappear right away.

"I heard you call her your 'potential-girlfriend' at breakfast. When they all attacked Prongs."

I saw his cheeks turn pink as we heard the team come out in their Quidditch robes. Lucky for him, they were too distracted to James's talking.

"I wondered if you caught that," Remus said.

"Moony, you were talking directly to me. You question if I caught that or not? Didn't want to embarrass you, so I didn't point it out," I shrugged. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know."

I gawked at him. "You don't know," I repeated flatly, him replying with a shake of the head. "Moony, Moony, Moony, what will I ever do with you?" I asked, putting my arm around his shoulders. "You two have been acting more cozy lately. Are you afraid she'll say no or something?"

"A bit." He blushed again at his admission. He was watching Marlene zoom around the pitch.

"Marles is one of my best friends. The four of us have been friends as long as you four, and just as close. She won't say no."

"You sure about this?" he asked, still not convinced.

"Yes," I assured him, again. "Take a page out of Padfoot and Prong's book. Take her to Hogsmeade on Saturday after Quidditch practice. I already asked James's, he said practice is first thing in the morning. The full moon isn't until Tuesday, so you're good."

"That's actually a good idea," he said, thinking about it and not taking his eyes off Marlene's form zooming overhead.

"Ask her today, after practice. To be honest, Dorcas, Emmeline, and I have it all worked out for you."

He raised his eyebrow and looked at me at that statement. "Worked it all out?"

"Yeah. We're tired of listening to her go on-and-on about you and watching how you look at each other and not doing anything about it. So we decided it was time to light the candle under your arse and hers." I pulled out the pendant around my neck. "They each have one of these. I cast a Protean Charm on them so we can communicate in secret. That way we can arrange it so you have time alone with Marles."

He sat silent, just looking at me with a serious look on his face. Eventually he spoke, "I feel like I should be angry or upset that you three are meddling into private matters of mine and Marles but at the same time," his face softened, "I find the plan brilliant."

"I thought it was, too," I said with smug smile.

"On the other hand," he continued, "I think you hang out with Sirius and James too much."

I laughed. "Sirius, maybe. I can't spend too much time with James." I started smiling like an idiot.

"You really care for him, don't you?"

"More than life itself," I admitted. "But if you tell him I said that, I'd have to kill you." I winked at him.

We talked about James and Marlene for the rest of practice, and cheering for our friends above. We waited in the stands while the team left to go in the locker room after they finished.

"We'll hang back a bit, give them a chance to clean up," I told him.

"Are you sure about this?" Remus asked me.

"Don't you chicken out now!" I warned him, wagging my finger at him.

"All right, all right. How long should we wait?"

"They have a good lead on us. We can head over now," I said, standing up and pulling out my necklace and my wand. I glanced at Remus, who looked like he was about to turn and run. "You can handle a full moon every month without killing yourself beforehand but you get nervous asking a girl out on a date?"

"I'm used to the other thing. There's no point fighting the inevitable, anyway," he shrugged.

"Asking a girl out on a date is inevitable, unless you don't want to date Marlene."

"I do!" he protested. "I'm just nervous because I care about her a lot. How are we doing this, again?"

We walked up next to the doors to the locker room. "I'm going to send the message to Dorcas and Emmeline now to let them know we're out here. Then they send Marlene out and I become vapor."

"Huh?" he asked.

"I leave," I laughed. "You really need to chill." I pointed my wand at the charm.

We're in position! It's showtime, girls.

After a minute or two the pendant grew warm.

Roger that! Sending out the hostage... now!

As soon as I read the message, Marlene emerge from the doors as if by force. I think Dorcas and Emmeline physically pushed her out.

"Hey, Lils... Remus..." Marlene said nervously. She had a look of confusion plastered on her face.

"Hey, Marlene," Remus said, pushing his hand through his hair in a very James-like fashion.

I winked a him and darted in the locker room. Emmeline and Dorcas were standing there, laughing. I joined in.

"Hostage?!" I said through a laugh. "What did you do to her? Her face when she got shoved out. It was priceless."

"We had her cornered by her locker," Dorcas said with a grin. "After she showered and all. We were just stalling until we got your message. Talking about whatever came to mind."

"She thought we were, and I quote, 'completely daft' and 'taking bludgers to the head when she wasn't looking," Emmeline added.

"Remus is a ball of nerves," I told them, my laughs finally ceasing. "He's afraid she's going to say no."

"No, she'll definitely say yes," Emmeline said with a smile. "We were also grilling her about how 'cozy' she's been with him."

"We got a 'I really like him' confession," Dorcas added, giving Emmeline a high-five.

"Brilliant! I have her pendant in my pocket so I can give it to her at dinner," I told them. Suddenly my attention switched to a completely different subject and I started to look around the locker room. I know I didn't see him leave...

"He's by his locker. Down that way," Dorcas said, pointing. She was smiling and shaking her head at me. I was so obvious.

"Thanks! See you at dinner!" I darted off in the direction she showed me. I found him, his back to me. He was alone and was finishing buttoning up his shirt. I hopped up on the bench that ran parallel to the lockers and walked down them, being as quiet as possible. I was able to sneak up behind him without him noticing, so I put my hands over his eyes. He jumped a little at my sneak attack.

I knew he knew it was me. I felt his cheeks tense up from him smiling, then he leaned forward so I was suddenly airborne. He put his hands under my thighs, lifting me so I could hook my legs around his waist and be properly piggy back. I laughed gleefully as I moved my hands from his eyes and relocated them over his shoulders to support myself up.

"I see you were successful?" he commented, not releasing his hold on me.

"Well, we got them alone together and Moony said he was going to ask. The rest is all them. He said I spend too much time with you and Padfoot from the sound of this plan."

"We don't meddle," he mumbled, walking us towards the door.

"So what now?" I asked, kissing his neck. He shuddered a little from my touch. "Your fault, you know. You put me in the perfect position for this," I said quietly, continuing my trail of little kisses.

He suddenly changed direction. Instead of heading towards the door to leave the locker room, we headed to the back corner. When we arrived, he easily maneuvered me to be on his front rather than his back but my arms and legs stayed in position. "I have a few ideas," he said, his lips meeting mine. He broke the kiss only for a moment, and that was to pull out his wand and tap my pendant. He immediately returned to kissing me

"What was that for?" I asked, taking a breath. Suddenly the pendant grew hot. I pulled it up to check it as James moved to my neck.

You can tell James to get his own
charmed pendants but we'll make sure
you guys aren't disturbed. Everyone's here.
PS: Mission: Accomplished. ~E

"You told them to stay away?" I asked him.

"To be precise, I told them to bugger off and I'll hex any of them that come in the locker room," he answered, never taking attention away form my neck.

"Harsh," I told him. "I like it," I added as I moved his lips back to mine and focused on undoing his shirt buttons. He made sure to keep me supported around his waist.

"I like this better," he added, moving back to my neck.

"Just don't drop me," I warned through giggles.

"Never," he said. He pushed me up against the wall so he could have a free hand, which he moved into my hair. "Never going to let you go."