Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, but I sure wouldn't mind if I did. ;P They belong to J.K. Rowling. I do, however, own Leah Matthews and the other OCs. Don't steal, please!
Girl of His Dreams
Chapter Three: Connection
"Having fun, Potter? How about you, Black?"
James froze, his typical reaction to Lily's angry tone. He put on his most charming grin and ran his fingers through his bangs. Remus, completely ignoring everyone's existence, merely walked away to help the first years clean off, humming softly as a victorious smile lit his features.
"Oi, why does he get to leave?"
"Because, Black, he's never in on it!" Lily stomped her foot. "What did those first years ever do to you?"
"Aw, it was just a harmless joke…" James shrugged carelessly. "Look, Moony just cleaned them up and sent them inside. No big deal!"
"They're probably traumatized," Lily scolded. "I told you, no pranks!"
"But Evans, don't you remember when you were a first year? You got pranked all the time, and you turned out to be a magnificent, outspoken witch!"
"One of the brightest witches our age," Sirius added, obviously sucking up. She turned her bright green glare onto him, and he slowly backed behind Leah, but he had to crouch, considering he was over a head taller than her.
"I was being pranked by you," she snapped. "When are you going to learn when enough is enough?"
"Let's split," Sirius whispered into Leah's ear. "She's too busy trying to get James to grow up."
"What'll happen if we leave them alone?"
"They'll argue, he'll ask her out, and she'll get pissy and leave," he said matter-of-factly. Leah shrugged and edged away from the red-headed girl, sighing with relief once they were in the empty corridor and safe from harm. The first years must have left for the Common Room, because Remus stood there alone. The giant pit of slime was still remained untouched, but the spiders and snakes were all gone.
"I don't know why nobody listens when I try to tell them you're not as innocent as you look," Sirius grumbled to Remus, scowling. He stood on the edge of the pool of slime, looking into it blankly. Remus chuckled.
"I'm not as much of a delinquent as you, Padfoot, and I'm pretty sure that's all that counts."
"It's my first day and I'm already considered a delinquent…?" Leah sighed. "You guys are a bad influence."
"Oi, you already said that you were expelled," Sirius retorted. "I'm not that bad, at least."
"We'd be expelled, too," Remus joked, "if we were caught doing half the things we do."
"Yes…that is true," he agreed, narrowing his eyes slightly as she thought back. Leah allowed a smile, although sad, to fall on her lips.
"I'm not ashamed of what I did." She shrugged and noticed that Remus and Sirius were standing at the edge of the pit of slime. She stepped forward, hiding a smile, and placed a hand on their shoulders.
"I'm sorry, you guys."
"For what, Leah?" But she didn't have to answer the golden-eyed boy, because he was suddenly shoulder-high in sticky green slime and speechless. Sirius clawed his way toward the edge, swearing loudly as he slipped and became immersed in the slime once more.
"Ack!" Remus ignored Sirius' difficulties and waded over to the edge where Leah stood, calmly extending his hand to her. "This is highly uncomfortable," he said. "If you please…?"
"Wait, me too! I can't get out!" Sirius desperately flung himself toward the edge. "Help me!"
Leah laughed loudly and gripped one of their hands in each of hers, ready to pull them out of the pool, but Sirius grinned, and she realized her mistake- before she could release their hands, Remus and Sirius dragged her in.
"Oh, gross! It's warm!" Leah shuddered in mild disgust, glaring at the boys menacingly. "You are horrible, horrible people."
"I love you, too," Sirius answered sarcastically. Remus laughed as the blonde-haired girl struggled to wipe the ooze off of her face.
"You started it, Leah." Before she could answer, a loud, "CANNONBALL!" erupted from over their heads, and James leapt into the pool, causing it to splatter everywhere.
"DAMMIT, Prongs! I JUST got it out of my hair!" Sirius sighed and slumped into the slime, wiping it from his face. Just as he finished, Leah scooped up a handful and shoved it against his forehead, whistling innocently as it dripped down his cheeks. He spluttered and rubbed furiously at his face, but everyone was content with throwing slime in his face once he had it been removed. "Oi, knock it off!"
"So, guys, are you ready to learn your lesson about playing pranks?" Everyone looked up, confused, as Lily tapped her shoulder thoughtfully with her wand. James looked horrified and leapt for the edge of the pool in a desperate attempt at escape, but slipped and fell instead. "I don't think so, Potter." Her wand flashed, and the thick green slime dried and hardened back into the stone floor of the corridor.
"I can't move," Sirius said, trying to pull himself out. One of his arms was in the air, but the other was stuck in the stone. "We've been cemented!"
Lily smirked and said, "Lunara scorpem." The painting of the obese woman swung open, and Lily stepped inside, closing the painting back behind her. Remus blinked.
"Did she just leave us here?"
"Did she just walk through the wall?" Leah asked in surprise.
James shook his head. "That's the entrance to the Gryffindor common room," he reminded her. Everyone became quiet, and Sirius said suddenly,
"Hey, I still have my wand in my hand!" He grinned. "I'll just blast us out of here…"
"You're going to blast our legs off," Leah mumbled. Sirius rolled his eyes at her lack of faith, and said quietly,
"Reducto!" Remus cried out as the stone exploded, sending him flying back down the hall, while James was merely tossed up into the air, yelling out in surprise. Leah, however, found herself flying back over the railing. Before she could succumb to gravity and begin her descent, she charmed herself into a giant bubble, which floated her safely into the hall. She giggled at the look of awe on Sirius' face, and he grinned.
"You look like a fairy." Just as she floated over his head, he reached up with his wand and popped it, catching her bridal style. She blushed.
"Alright, you can put me down!"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she replied, laughing shakily. She cursed herself- it had barely been 12 hours, and she was already crushing on the notorious Sirius Black. Oh, she had heard the rumors, alright, the tales of his flirtatious behavior. A veritable playboy, he was, with a different girl on his arm every other week. From what she'd heard, Sirius was incapable of an actual relationship. The thought made her laugh, and she pointed her wand at the ground, repairing the hole in the floor before cleaning the slime off herself. Remus stumbled toward them, a stern look in his golden eyes as he helped James up off the floor.
"We," he said firmly, "are never doing that again."
Leah couldn't help but laugh again, and soon the three boys were laughing with her. James wiped off his glasses and yawned.
"What a fantastic start to the year," he said. "I predict great things will happen this year!"
"I'm not going to forget the signs of foreboding," Leah growled to Sirius, who chuckled sheepishly.
"Don't be ridiculous," he drawled. "I'll be your good luck charm."
"Yeah, right," she scoffed. She followed James up to the portrait, waiting impatiently as he struck a valiant pose. After a moment, turned to the others in despair.
"Uh... what was the password again?"
"Lunara scorpem," Leah replied, and the fat woman nodded before swinging open. Leah stared into the room with shock on her face, scrambling after the others as they entered. The wide opening led to a brightly lit room, where other Gryffindors were found lazing about and conversing excitedly. James, having spotted Lily, rolled up his sleeves.
"I'm going to give Evans a piece of my mind," he said. Leah tugged him back by his shirt, shaking her head.
"She's never going to like you if you can't admit when you're wrong," she told him. "Instead of starting another fight, try apologizing."
"What?"
"Just tell her you're sorry and walk away," she said. He looked at her like she was crazy, but rolled his eyes and did it anyway. Lily glanced at him evenly before turning back to her friends: a blonde girl with big, brown eyes, and a brunette who was kind of portly but looked very nice. James opened his mouth to say something snide, but Leah cleared her throat in warning and he sighed.
"Sorry, Evans, you were right." He turned and walked back to them, looking annoyed. "There, was that all?"
Sirius and Remus watched as Lily stopped what she was doing and turned to stare at James in surprise. Slowly, a smile bloomed on her face and she turned her attention back to the other girls, who began talking excitedly. Leah smiled at the boys, who looked at her like she was – well, magic.
"A little responsibility goes a long way," she explained. "The more defensive you get, the more she's going to compare you to an immature child." Soon after, Lily approached them, smiling kindly at Leah. It was obvious the real reason she had come over, but Leah didn't say anything.
"Leah, I noticed your stuff upstairs in the dorms," Lily told her. Her eyes flickered up to James, then back to the new girl. "If you'd like, I could show you where it is. There was a package on your bed, too. It was sort of long and rectangular."
"My broom," Leah cried out happily. The others looked at her.
"You fly?"
"I haven't in awhile, but I loved to back in America. We had weekly races that I used to compete in," she explained. Sirius sighed romantically and clutched his heart.
"Is there anything you can't do, Miss Matthews?"
"I'm not very good at swimming and math," she said, placing a finger on her chin thoughtfully. She hummed and shook her head. "Other than that, I think I'm pretty good at everything."
"Well her ego matches Padfoot's, that's for sure…"
"Please, James, like you're one to make fun of anyone's ego," Lily said. Sirius ignored her and pouted.
"Aw, now you're just being mean, Prongs…I'm a lovable guy, right?" No one said anything and Sirius huffed, folding his arms over his chest. "Bloody traitors…"
Leah smiled at his childishness as she stifled a yawn and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm actually pretty tired, guys, I think I'll head to the dorms a bit early."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Remus said. "We start our classes tomorrow."
"Damn it." Sirius knocked his head against the wall slightly. "I forgot about school."
"Maybe we'll have some classes together," Lily said hopefully. Leah nodded and smiled.
"It'd be nice to have classes with people I actually know," she agreed. "Today was a lot of fun. Thank you for the tour, James, and thank you, Remus and Sirius, for the enchanting boat ride here. It was fun."
"Your welcome. Goodnight, Leah." Remus headed toward the boys' dorms, and Sirius followed, waving to Leah as he called out,
"Have sweet dreams about me!"
James winked at Leah and Lily before running off after his best friends. Lily watched the three of them wrestle up the stairs and sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know what's come over me."
"Love?" Leah ducked as Lily swung her arm out, and laughed. "Just kidding, just kidding! I guess it's true what they say about the red-haired temper…"
"Would you like to find out?"
"No thanks!" Leah raced up the stairs in record time, Lily following after her, laughing. Leah turned to the red-haired girl and smiled as she began to unpack. "I think I'm going to like it here after all," she said. Lily smiled back.
"I hope so. I like having another girl around who knows how to put up with the Marauders."
The lights went out a few moments later, and Leah rolled over in her bed to face the uncovered window, showing her a nearly full moon. She sighed. It's almost time for the full moon…will Heather be okay when she transforms?
Setting her restless thoughts of home aside, she burrowed beneath the covers and allowed herself to fall into a peaceful sleep.
A/N: (2100 words) So, unless you didn't catch it, there's one little clue to a piece of Leah's past. More coming up! Also, PLEASE REVIEW! It's encouraging to get good reviews that I should continue the story. :D Thanks for reading!