A/N: Yeah yeah, last chapter was really short, especially by my standards of trying to make a chapter over 2000 words. I'm working on it. As it is, still doing college, might have to make another extension if I can. I will try to keep regular posts, I will be on a better schedule when summer really starts for me.
Also, thanks to: Padfoot's Girl 775, ProphecyChild, LilyHeartsMarauders, blah248, and softeyesxX for your reviews from Chapters 6-7. They were quite nice. So, thank you!
"Of course she is." Effie said dryly, throwing her hands up in surrender. She was never quite as brilliant as Lily. "How did you do it?"
Lily shook her head. "I don't know." She paused for a moment. "I don't really want to do that again. I have never felt more frightened in my entire life."
Sirius chuckled, "It's not always so bad. It took me months to stop chasing my tail." Remus and Effie rolled their eyes at him.
"No surprises there Padfoot." James quipped.
The banter between them continued quite to Lily's dismay. She glanced over at Effie for a little back up, and noticed Effie's completely blank stare. Lily stifled a giggle, and turned back to the group of obnoxious boys. "Why again,' she asked herself under her breath, 'am I sitting in here- with the Marauders of all people.' Midway in her eye roll at something stupid Sirius had spouted out, she heard a pop. She glanced sideways at Effie. That would have been all fine and dandy if it were Effie sitting in the arm chair. In her place was the most curious looking feline any of them had seen.
Lily jumped up squealing and picked up the tawny cat, and hugged it to her chest. "Oo! I love cats. Effie, stay a cat forever." She turned back to wink at the guys, they were definitely rubbing off on her. The cat clawed her chest and Lily unthinkingly dropped the little beast. "Oh Effie! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to drop you." She apologized as the cat found the underside of the settee.
"Sirius," James started, picking his feet up off the floor, "do something about this." He gestured towards the cat. Lily snickered at James' acute fear of cats.
"Here kitty kitty." Sirius said soothingly. The cat slowly came out, nose first, neck stretched out from its body and sniffed Sirius' beckoning hand. She finally crept out and came to Sirius. "And who says cats and dogs don't get along?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"You never cease to amaze, and disgust me at the same time." Remus said dryly, trying not to smile.
Sirius pulled his wand out yet again, "Contrapristinus" he muttered. Effie sprang from the ground and wobbled, as she became human again. A smile appeared on her face, "That was wicked."
"Splendid. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Lily said, slightly upset her time was not as comfortable.
"Aw, Lily, you just need to work on it more. It's not an easy transition for everyone, especially depending on what animal your animagus forms."
"Guys, I think we have strayed from the meeting at hand." Remus suggested.
"No," argued Sirius, "we have improved the moral of the topic at hand."
"Its getting late anyways guys." Lily decided, ever the queen of rules and structure.
It was past 2 in the morning when they ended the meeting.
When the night was then silent and everyone was in their respective dorms, Lily sat in James' arms on the settee and they stayed up talking of the impending war. It wasn't like being in a room with Sirius and everyone else, when all the worries didn't matter. It was much grimmer than anyone really wanted to accept.
"James, what's going to happen when we go out into the world?"
"I, I don't know Lily. I wish I did."
"We will fight together." She said, firm in her belief that love conquered all.
"Yes, we will. Lily," he started, "I want to be an Auror. You know that right?"
"I surmised as much. I think it suits you."
"I just wanted to make sure you knew."
"James, I want to be one too." She said, and as an after thought added, "People are going to die, and I want to do as much as I can to keep innocent casualties from happening."
James' heart felt so full of love for Lily. There was not a person he knew who was more compassionate, loving, and tender. His thoughts strayed and he found himself thinking of one day having children with her. What a wonderful mother she would make. He would want to have lots of children, being an only child himself, it was dreadfully dull sometimes. When he looked back at Lily, she had already fallen asleep. Reluctantly he closed his as well, and drifted off.
The chatter of the Great Hall was much improved in the morning. The long night lingered on the Marauders and the girls. The sleep still in their eyes, they didn't bother to spell their rumpled clothes when they woke, and made their way down to eat breakfast.
"We've got to do this earlier than last night." Remus said, looking quite disheveled as he sat down. Lily had noticed his rapid changes over the last few days. He was more and more tired, and sickly looking. 'Must be near full moon', she surmised.
"James and I don't have patrol Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays." Lily pitched in; her slow and groggy mind already at work.
"That's because Lily is brilliant." James said, smiling sweetly at her. "You've got to love being a Head." He said.
"Where is Peter?" Effie said, starting to worry.
"He didn't come into the dorm last night either…" Remus said, a frown on his face.
"The Map?" Sirius asked, James nodded and they finished breakfast then found an empty classroom.
"I solemnly swear, I am up to no good." Sirius said, as he tapped the tip of his wand at the piece of parchment.
Lily and Effie watched in trepidation. Whatever this map was supposed to do, they hoped it would tell them where Peter was. Lily recalled how terrified Peter had been when he had found out about the attacks. The map sprang to life, Lily read 'Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfood & Prongs Present to you, The Marauders Map.'
"The Marauders Map?" Effie chastised, indignant, "that's what you call that stupid thing?"
"You didn't seem to think so last night!" Sirius protested.
"What in Merlin's name are you two on about? Really, you would think you were with a couple of first years the way you're carrying on." Lily scolded them. "There are more important matters at hand right now, than the bickering you two start every time you're in the other's presence."
Rightly reprimanded, Effie glared at Sirius and gave Lily an apologetic look.
As they searched the map for any sign of Peter, Effie added, "You guys know there is no way I would be caught dead in Sirius' arms, yeah?"
Lily gave her a look.
Effie grumbled something incoherent, but Lily thought it sounded like she said 'well I wouldn't. Who would want to be caught in the spider's web of lies he tells those stupid bints anyhow?' She shrugged it off; Effie was a bit moody sometimes.
The Marauders Map, as astounding and accurately detailed as it was, could not tell them where Peter had gotten off to.
"Maybe it won't show you in you animagus form?" Lily wondered out loud.
"Don't know." James said. "Never needed it when we weren't human."
"Exactly how can we read it Lily," Sirius poked fun at her, "if we don't have opposable thumbs? That's a human trait, not a dog's."
Lily had to roll her eyes at him. "Well, nobody is around, why don't one of you try it?" She directed her question at Sirius, who was on her last good nerve, he happily obliged. The transition into a dog was seamless for him, and it didn't take him much thought, it just, happened. Lily wondered if it would ever be like that for her or Effie. Shaking her thoughts and looking back to the map, Sirius was indeed on there, even in his wolfish form.
Remus couldn't shake the feeling something was terribly wrong. He linked it with his Lycanthropy, and tried his best to shrug it off.
"Well, if any of you see him, be sure to ask him where he's been at." James finally said, after a moment of silence. Taking his want, he muttered "Mischief Managed." The writing on the parchment disappeared and he pocketed the folded map. He took Lily's hand, and started off to class. Remus and Effie followed shortly after while Sirius headed back to the Great Hall, having not had enough to eat that morning.
Lily noticed that everyone was putting the extra effort into classes. This made her heart swell with pride. These were the students that would be fighting the Dark wizard who was taking over. She looked around, and wondered if some of the students she had grown up with, here at Hogwarts, would be the ones to die. The thought saddened her, and she pushed it away.
Effie tapped her pencil annoyingly against the desk as Sirius was talking to her, her chin resting in the other palm. He said something about her bum and she gave him an irritated look. "Really Sirius, don't you have some other girl to go bother?"
"No, not really…" He said, nonchalantly.
"I think what he means is, he would rather bother you." Peter quipped cleverly, walking into the classroom.
"10 points from Gryffindor Mr. Pettigrew, tardiness is not encouraged." Professor McGonagall said, not looking up from the paper on her desk.
"Where have you been Peter?" Sirius asked, his face darkening with worry for his friend.
"I've been around." Peter said, uncharacteristically confident.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius questioned his friend again, disbelieving.
"10 Points from Gryffindor. Mr. Black, I should advise you to learn to keep your yap shut during class." She gave him a sharp look as the stood up from her desk. "Today, we will be covering a chapter on Animagi."
Lily and Effie shared a look of excitement. It was going to be an interesting class today; that was for certain.
After class the five of them caught up with Peter before he could leave, which, he was trying. As soon as they were dismissed, he scuttled out of his seat and made for the door.
James caught up to him first, throwing an arm around the portly boy he said, "Hey there wormy, long time, no see." He was quickly taken aback when Peter shoved his arm off of his shoulders. James thought he heard the boy mutter something about pure blood filth, but he couldn't be certain. He didn't want to think of his friend like that. Looking back at Sirius and Remus for support he shrugged.
Peter ran off hurriedly.
"Where d'ya think he's goin?" Sirius asked through bites of an apple.
Remus was still staring after the boy, "I'm not sure I know what just happened."
"Y'uh shoulda heard 'im in class.'E wus a might bit nasty at me." Sirus said, finishing his afternoon snack.
Lily and Effie caught up with them moments later.
"How'd it go?" Lily asked.
"Not good." James said, concerned.
"I'm sure he is just frightened. You should have seen him yesterday." She said, soothingly, rubbing the back of his arm.
"I'm sure little scared little Petey was scared out of his mind. The boy has no backbone." Effie stated, quite rudely. She was not fond of the boy. That was the thing about Effie though, she couldn't tolerate people that she could boss around, thought they were pathetic.
"Can we go to lunch now?" Sirius asked impatient.
"It's quite nice out today, why don't we take some food outside?" Lily suggested. They all agreed with her.
It was a beautiful fall day, the leaves on the trees were just beginning to fall, and they had the most magnificent colorings. Sitting beneath an old oak tree, they ate in silence. The air was crisp, but not cold, the freshness of it filling their lungs.
Lily could almost smell the season changing as she breathed in deeply. She opened her eyes to see James watching her intently. The look in his eyes made her heart flutter. They hadn't been an item very long, but long enough that she found it odd he could still give her the butterflies. She smiled up at him through the strands of hair falling out of place.
"You two are disgusting." Sirius said, looking at them, horrified at the looks they were sharing. He would never be caught dead in a relationship like that. He prided himself on being dubbed "The Hogwarts Casanova". Though, deep down, he knew that one day, he would want something more. But he was still in the here and now, and he would play the field like the best he was. He flicked a falling leaf from him. Growing bored, he turned towards Effie and started nudging her with a stick.
"Will you stop it! Sirius, I'm not joking, quit it now or I will… I will…" She stuttered.
"You will what?" He teased her, he was quite relentless.
"Stop it you two, just stop!" Lily almost cried after Remus had pointed to the darkening sky.
"What? What is it Lily." Effie asked, she could tell Lily was quite frantic.
Her response was not verbal. Their eyes followed hers.
"What do you think that is?" James wondered out loud.
"I'm not sure, but it, it doesn't look so good." Remus replied.
The clouds gathered in the distance, and darkened. Thunder sounded across the land, and they watched as lightening bolts penetrated the clouds and hit the land. The scene before them was not something that was normal, even in the wizarding world, and they knew it. The roaring thunder became more deafening, and the lightening fiercer. Lily Held her hands over her ears, a terrified look on her face. James held her close. Sirius instinctively grabbed Effie and took her in his arms protectively when a lightening bolt seemed to come closer.
They decided it wasn't safe to be out of doors anymore, and were headed back in, when the skies cleared, clouds dissipated and the thunder and lightening were no more. But what they saw when they looked back was far worse.
A green serpent revolving around a skull etched in the sky, just like the one from the newspaper they read not a day earlier.