She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…

Marauder's Phase

CHAPTER SIXTY

Christmas Eve With The Evans

Nobody else got attacked between the Ravenclaw girl's attack and when everyone left the school for Christmas break. It was just as well, too, because I was still debating whether or not to tell what I knew. I jumped at every little thing. Dumbledore was back, which was good news and bad. Good because everyone felt much safer with him around, and bad because now I didn't seem to have any excuses for not telling him about the Chamber of Secrets.

Well, I found an excuse. The full moon.

Remus can hurt himself pretty badly sometimes. The time between the Ravenclaw girl's attack and Christmas was one of those times, and Remus was in the hospital wing for a week. And, whenever I wasn't in class or kicked out by Madam Pomfrey, I was by Remus' side. From my actions when others were around, this type of devotion could be passed off as merely a friendship thing, but Remus and I knew otherwise. When no one was looking, I was as close to him as I could be without actually lying next to him. Having to jump up whenever we heard someone approaching didn't really help my condition.

One evening, I had all but dozed off. I was kneeling beside Remus' bed, with my head resting on my arms, which were draped across the bed sheets. Remus, with scratches all over his arms, had his left arm across my shoulders, and was playing with my hair the way Sirius does. Neither of us were talking, we were just enjoying each other's company in silence, but then we both heard familiar footsteps and I jumped back, landing on the visitor's stool with a thud, just as Lily peeked around the curtains of the section where Remus was staying.

"Hi guys," She said, carefully stepping into the area. If the scratches on Remus' arms or both of our somewhat guilty expressions alarmed her, then she didn't show it. She just sat down carefully at the end of Remus' bed, and said: "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Remus replied, not looking at her.

Lily nodded, and then turned to me. "Potter just got an owl from his parents – they're going abroad for the Christmas break and won't be able to take you guys in."

I groaned. "Oh, terrific. So I'll just stay here at the school and be attacked then, is that it?" Hey, I hadn't had a lot of sleep lately. Blame my grumpiness of sleep deprivation.

"Actually, no," Lily was smiling. "You're coming home with me – all of you." She added, and Remus looked surprised.

"W-what? Me too?" He asked.

She nodded. "Of course – and Peter too, if he wants to come. So, what do you say?" She glanced at me.

But I was at a loss for words.

Finally, I stood up, and began walking away.

Lily jumped up. "Where are you going?" She called to me.

"Owlery." I replied.

"Oh." She and Remus said.

***

"My parents can't wait to see you again," Lily said to me, as we walked down the train corridor, back to the Marauders. "And Petunia…"

"Can't believe she'll be sharing the house with even more freaks this year?" I stated flatly.

Oops. Lily cringed. "Umm, actually, no…she's staying with some friends for the holidays…umm…" Lily's eyes lowered.

"Good." I said, in a hollow voice. "She wanted so much to be a part of it, but now she's convinced herself that we're all freaks. And she can't understand it."

Lily seemed surprised at my honesty. "How…how can you tell?" She asked hesitantly.

"Intuition." I replied, stepping back into the compartment.

***

Lily and I were very quiet when we got off the train, and slipped back into the muggle world along with everybody else.

Sirius held my hand and, somehow, Remus managed to hold my other one without anybody noticing, as we stood there with our trolleys, looking around for Lily's parents.

"There they are!" Lily called, raising her hand…and then she froze. "Umm…oh…"

I saw why. Walking toward us were Lily's parents – and her older sister. Petunia wore a scowl that was even deeper than it had been a few months ago, and it didn't take a genius to realise that her Christmas plans had been cancelled.

Well, that was hardly my fault now, was it?

Still, she chose to glare at me for some reason, as Lily hugged her parents.

I just stood there, next to Remus and so close that no one could see us holding hands.

On the other hand, Sirius held my other hand for all the world to see, glaring pointedly at his brother as he passed us in the station.

I wondered what that was all about then…

***

We took the bus to the Evans' house, and received quite a few stares because mine and James' broomsticks, and Haphazard, but by then we wizards and witches were used to it.

When we got off the bus at the stop, there was a ten minute walk to get to the house, but none of us really minded much, except Petunia, who walked behind us and we basically just ignored her. We chatted easily, and those of us who had trunks wheeled them, Sirius stuck close to my side, and Lily even seemed to be tolerating James. I knew that something was changing between them, I just couldn't tell what.

Something was changing between me and Sirius and Remus as well – and I didn't know what that was, either.

I just went with it.

***

"Tuney' and I share a room," Lily was saying, once we'd arrived at her parents' house, which reminded me suspiciously of my own, back in the other world – small but cosy, and obviously well looked after. A fire burned in the fireplace in the living room, a study housed a number of interesting-looking books "And we had three spare guest rooms, but one of them got flooded two days ago…"

As she trailed off, I took the opportunity to look around at everyone.

James, with his messy hair and glasses, looked like a sixteen year old version of what his son would one day look like, despite the hazel eyes and lack of scar. He was quite good-looking, I have to say, but he still had that Seeker-build. He wore a red turtleneck jumper, blue jeans and sneakers, and he was gazing at Lily with such adoration that I had to smile. They would be perfect together, I just knew it.

Lily was beautiful, with her thick red hair and gorgeous emerald green eyes. She was wearing a white sweater over a simple black dress – on anyone else, the sweater-dress combination would look horrible, but only Lily could pull it off. She was telling us something, and I really should have been listening, but I was distracted by Peter, who was looking around nervously and, as I always do when I get like this, I began to think of what the future had in store for us, and whether or not I could change it. Peter, with his blonde hair and blue eyes, didn't look anything like the man who had played his part in the movie. Quite the opposite, in fact – Peter was very cute. He wore a blue t-shirt, grey jacket and blue jeans, and was looking shyly around at everything. This made it harder for me to believe that he could betray us all – but I knew better.

Sirius was standing next to me, completely at ease despite being in someone else's home. He was, without a doubt, handsome. The books hadn't prepared me for it. The way his black hair fell across his dark eyes in a casual way, it sent shivers up my spine whenever I looked at him. He was wearing a white t-shirt, a dark blue jacket and blue jeans, and looking around in a sexy, confident sort of way. I had never imagined myself being with someone like Sirius, even now when we seemed so fitted for each other, and it was hard to believe that I could ever want anything more.

But here I was, saving my werewolf for last.

Remus looked pale and tired, and wore his school jumper over his blue jeans to hide the scratches we all knew where there on his arms. His golden eyes were weary, his matching hair hung limply across his forehead – but he was still perfectly wonderful to me, someone I could never ever let go of. I was searching for a word to describe him, and I couldn't come up with one. Nothing seemed to do him any justice.

Remus, as if sensing my gaze, glanced over at me, and gave me a small smile.

I wondered what he saw when I smiled back at him? I didn't have beautiful, unique features like Lily, and I was not part Veela so there was no exquisiteness in my appearance. I was just a short girl with medium-length dark brown hair that had grown a few inches since last year, and hazel eyes, the exact same shade as James'. I was wearing my grey school skirt, along with a grey hoodie and my beloved school scarf. I was stubborn, temperamental and difficult to predict. I had a fierce temper that was ignited easily, and I had a nasty habit of withholding vital pieces of information from those I loved. I could be blunt at times (as was shown when I was talking to Lily on the train) and I could be very sharp, like a sword. I was neither good to look at nor easy to get along with.

So why, oh why had Remus and Sirius fallen in love with me?

Why?

I was suddenly startled out of my reverie by an argument.

"The only time I will let you and Emma share a room, Sirius Black," Lily was saying angrily, her cheeks bright red. "Is when I want her to get pregnant!"

My face turned bright red, and I was glad that my hoodie and scarf were both up. My insides tingled.

Sirius, on the other hand, just laughed. "Aww, come on Lils, Emmy and I have shared a room before," He grinned at me. "Right dear?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, precious. But that was before we were going out, and there were other people sleeping in the room with us, remember?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew I'd said the wrong thing, because Lily clapped her hands together.

"Oh, of course, why didn't I think of that?" She beamed at Remus. "You can stay in there with them, too!"

What!? No, oh no! Now why did Lily have to go and suggest that?

From the look on Sirius' face, I could tell that he was wondering the same thing too.

***

I was sitting in Lily and Petunia's room with the former, writing in my diary and she in hers, as we listened to muggle music on her lap top computer, including Pink's "Who Knew?" and Linkin Park's "New Divide".

Inspired, I asked her: "Hey, do you have internet connection on here?"

It had been so long since I'd wondered about that sort of thing, but now Lily nodded, and we logged onto the internet.

Bringing up a You Tube page, I found my favourite song, Platinum. http: //www. youtube. com/watch?v= sCGl- XId6Nc

"Oh, so this is your favourite song, I didn't know it was in Japanese." Lily sounded thrilled. "Wow Em, what a great song…"

Just then, Petunia came into the room, already dressed for bed. She glared at me. "Do you mind?" She asked, somewhat rudely. "I'm tired now and want to go to bed."

Lily looked hurt. "Why are you being so mean to her, Tuney'?"

I bit back the statement that 'she can't help it, it's habit' and instead stood up, and said: "Don't worry Lils. I'll see you in the morning." We gave each other a quick hug goodnight. At the door I turned around and said: "I heard Padfoot talking about building an army of snowmen out the back. Petunia," I said, and she looked up, startled. "You are welcome to join us. We're building them the normal way." I added, pointedly, and then turned around and left the room.

I padded back up the hallway to the room I was sharing with Remus and Sirius, not realising that I'd left my diary in Lily and Petunia's room until I had turned the door handle and pushed the door open.

What greeted me was the sight of Remus and Sirius, who had just gotten out of the shower – I mean just. Towels? No. Clothing? No.

I froze, an unexplainable feeling bubbling up inside of me fast, like a pot left on to boil. I didn't want to look at what I shouldn't look at but, somehow, I found myself doing just that as the two boys turned around and saw me standing there.

My face was red.

So was Remus'.

Sirius looked shocked for a second, but then a small smile began to pull at the corners of his mouth, which made my situation even worse, because...because…

Sirius looked so damn sexy naked!

Remus looked good as well, so good that I thought my feet might be glued to the floor, because why wasn't I turning, and running, stammering apologies and what-not?

Because they didn't seem to want me to.

As soon as I grasped this fact, it was actually a lot easier to tear my eyes away from what I shouldn't be looking at, and say: "I left my diary in Lily's room!" And hurry back down the hallway.

I came to Lily and Petunia's door and, without even knocking, burst in.

"Em, what happened!?" Lily exclaimed, from where she was sitting up in bed reading a book, and Petunia gave a small yelp at my sudden entrance.

Now I began stammering. "Padfoot – Moony – shower – wet – no clothes on – I saw…" I was pacing the room. "I saw…some things…"

Lily's eyes opened wide. "Oh Em, umm…wow…I mean…umm…you saw…umm…"

"I couldn't believe it," I whispered. "I mean, it may shock you to know, but I have not seen Sirius naked before, since he and I have not had sex…yet…"

"It does shock me a little bit, knowing him…" Lily admitted. "But Remus..?"

Suddenly, I remembered that she didn't know about my secret romance with the werewolf. I sighed. This was going to be complicated.

In my journal, as I sat at Lily's desk and waited ten minutes to go back to the room, I wrote: Remi and Siri have really nice pe…RSONALITIES…

I felt so dirty.

But, in my mind's eye…I was slightly happy.

Somehow.