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 ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN
Behind These Hazel Eyes
All the way to the library, I wondered just what it was that Regulus had to talk to me about. The library is all the way in the West Wing, at the end of the History Of Magic corridor, so I had plenty of time to think about it.
"He probably wants to apologize to me," I declared to Septimus. "Should I let him?"
Septimus would have shrugged, if he'd had the shoulders to do so. As it was he sort of inclined his head to one side, and replied: "How should I know? I've never been in love with somebody..."
"I'm not in love with him!" I exclaimed, in English, and a random wizard in a portrait stopped dead in his tracks, giving me a weird look. I barely even saw him, I was too busy debating what I had just said. "I'm not." I repeated, though a little less firmly. I paused in my steps. "Am I? Am I?"
"How should I know?" The wizard asked irritably, shuffling out of his portrait.
I too continued on my way, though my steps had become noticeably slower, until the point when Septimus snapped: "My mother could move faster than you!"
"You didn't HAVE a mother," I reminded him, though I stepped up the pace a bit more. "You were born from Snape's wand...so Snape is your mother." I decided.
"Not funny." Septimus hissed.
"Yes it was," I smirked. "Extremely funny. I'm going to have to tell Lily that one."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Watch me."
"Troll."
"Legless lizard."
"Skrewt."
"Flobberworm."
"..."
"Checkmate."
"Shut up."
By the time we got to the library, Septimus and I were no longer talking, but that suited me just fine, as I stepped into the familiar room full of books that floated magically back into their places and sometimes flew around the shelves at night (according to Remus). I spotted Regulus immediately - he was standing beside a shelf, thumbing idly through The Encyclopedia Of Toadstools, but there were a few other books on the shelf beside him, which made me think that he'd been waiting for me for awhile.
He saw me at the same time I saw him, and put down the book immediately. He walked across the library to me and, after a quick glance at Madam Pince (who was helping a fourth year Hufflepuff find a book about a certain potion), said to me: "Emma...how's your face?"
"Fine," I replied just as politely, noticing that we both kept our distance from each other. "How are you feeling, being back at school and all, Regulus?" He knew what I meant - how was he coping with his mother's death?
He shrugged, before reaching up to push the hair out of his silver eyes. "I'm fine." He said, not meeting my gaze.
I sighed. "I highly doubt that, mate - I'm still feeling weird about it happening so suddenly, and I wasn't even that close to her...plus...there's what she said to me..." As soon as I'd said this, I regretted it, because I blushed furiously for some reason, and Regulus' eyes widened slightly.
And, the fourth year chose that moment to shout: "Here it is - Amortentia!"
"Sshh!" Madam Pince hissed.
Regulus and I exchanged a glance, and I chanced a small smile. Regulus didn't smile back, but his grey eyes lit up, so that instead of being grey they were like silver. So different from both Remus' and Sirius' eyes, but not in a bad way.
"Come on," Regulus took my hand in his, and led me to the same corner of the library I had sat in and watched Sirius about to duel Snape. He sat with his back to the wall and I sat facing him, my legs curled up underneath me. I was wearing a black jumper with a grey diamond pattern, a dark green knee-length skirt, matching tights and ugg boots. A green headband pulled my hair back from my face. I noticed that Regulus looked very relaxed in his jeans, sneakers and tight-fitting black turtleneck jumper. The jumper was so tight-fitting that it...well, you could see his muscles. I tried not to look, though.
"Green is a good colour on you," Regulus said approvingly.
"You should know, I'm always borrowing your scarf," I teased him, and he grinned.
"You should've been in Slytherin," He said, a little sadly.
I sighed, but smiled, and thought about something for a second. "Can you keep a secret?" I asked him, finally.
He looked up, his eyes a little interested. "Sure," He nodded.
"Well..." I hesitated, and then plunged on: "The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin!"
Regulus' eyes widened in shock. "No way! Really?" I nodded. He looked perplexed. "So then...how come...I remember you shouting 'no', and cutting the Sorting Hat off before it could say something...does that mean...?"
I smiled a little. "Yeah, I stopped it from putting me in there, and managed to convince it otherwise. So, I went to Gryffindor." I shrugged, adjusting my position so that I was sitting cross-legged. I smoothed my skirt out over my knees.
Regulus was staring at me. "But...but why?" He sounded utterly bewildered, as if no one in their right mind shoulder ever choose Gryffindor over Slytherin.
"Because I was scared," I admitted, lowering my eyes. "I didn't know many people here at the time - it was a choice between the Gryffindors who'd saved me or the Slytherin who...well, yeah. I knew I'd be a lot braver in Gryffindor, and the Sorting Hat took that all into account. Besides, we weren't friends yet, and I was friends with your brother..." I didn't mean to make the 'was' sound the way it did, but Regulus' eyes lit up and I knew what he was thinking. "I haven't told anyone else this, by the way..."
"I'm glad you told me." Regulus' smile spoke louder than his words. "Though, I'm a little confused..." He fiddled with his armband, the one that hid his Dark Mark. "Why didn't you tell...the others? I mean, you're pretty close to them and all..." He didn't look happy about that fact.
I sighed. "Can you imagine what your brother would have said if he'd found that out?" I put on my best Sirius Black voice. "Slytherin? The Sorting Hat considered you for there! What the hell!" I shook my head. "No, I think I'll keep my cunning, skillful and mischievous side to myself, thanks."
Regulus seemed to be debating something. Then he said: "What would you have done...if the Sorting Hat had put you in Slytherin?"
"Can I ask you something if I answer that?" I wanted to know.
"You already have, but I'll permit you another question." He nodded.
I smiled. "Smart ass. And, in answer to your question..." I paused for a moment. I wondered if my life would've been different if I hadn't stopped the Sorting Hat from putting me in Slytherin. Would I still be hunted by the Death Eaters - or would they have gotten me by now? Probably... "I like snakes." I said finally. "I like the colour green and the colour silver, and I like them together on a scarf and on robes. I even like people who are cunning, ambitious and talented...so, sure, I like Slytherin even though I probably shouldn't. I guess I would've fitted in eventually." Just not as easily or as well as I did in Gryffindor. "Okay, now let me ask you a question - would you have still liked me if I was in Slytherin...I mean, what made me stand out as a Gryffindor?"
Regulus' voice was low as he replied: "Yes, probably even more so and...I'm not really sure how to explain why I like you so much."
I gulped silently. Just how much did he like me? Just how much did I like him? "Okay, then what don't you like about me?" I asked him.
He laughed. "That one's easy - the fact that you're in Gryffindor, you went out with my brother, and you're so damn stubborn!"
I bristled slightly. "It's not because of that time I crashed into you playing Quidditch, and wouldn't let go of the snitch, is it?" I asked, somewhat testily.
Regulus was still smiling. "Well, the boys gave me hell about that incident, though not for the reasons you're thinking," (Then what reasons?). "By the way..." He went on, a little slyly. "Did you ever wonder how you got to be Reserve Seeker in the first place?"
"I've a feeling you're going to tell me." I replied. "Unless...wait, did you have something to do with it?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I did - remember when Potter was giving you flying lessons, and your pocket watch fell out of your robes, causing you to dive and catch it spectacularly?"
I gaped at him. "You did that? You baka, what if I'd missed it! ?"
"You wouldn't have." Regulus replied confidently. "And what did you just call me?"
"A baka," I repeated. "It's the Japanese word for 'idiot' or 'stupid'. You know: Suki yo suki sugite imi ga wakannai suki sugite baka mitai...?" I sang a line from Suki Sugite Baka Mitai.
Regulus was staring at me, and I remembered that the Marauders and Lily also liked to listen to me sing (was I really that good?). "Okay, and what did that actually mean?" He wanted to know.
I blushed. "N-not telling..." I stammered. Because the translation was something akin to 'I love you, I love you so much I just don't get it anymore I love you so much it's foolish'. There was no way I was telling him that. "S-so anyway, why are we here again?"
Regulus looked at me, and I knew that he knew I was trying to change the subject, but then he let it go. He ran a hand through his black hair, before saying: "Right...this is pretty important, so I need a straight answer from you (for once)." He sighed. "Emma...are you an Animagus?"
I froze. Possibly my whole body had turned to ice, because I felt myself go pale.
"I saw you transform," Regulus' grey eyes bore into me, with a much more penetrating effect than Lily's had on me. "Though I don't think Bella and the others did." His eyes suddenly widened. "Breathe, Emma..." He leaned forward and took my wrists.
The touch brought sense back into my body, and I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I gulped, and looked out the window instead of looking at Regulus. He continued to look at me, though, tracing his fingers across my hands - across the scars of the words I Love Werewolves. At last he said: "I won't tell anyone, you know."
I looked up at him, startled. "Reg?"
His eyes seemed to stare straight into my soul. "Em, I've laid my life on the line for you before, and I'd do it again - you have to understand this, please!" He sounded almost desperate.
I stared at him for a full ten seconds, before nodding slowly. "I believe you." I said fervently. "And I believe in you, you'll make the right choices, somehow..." I was cut off, suddenly, by Regulus yanking me forwards, into a very tight hug.
"Thank you," His voice was just as fervent as mine had been. "Emma, I was so worried you weren't going to believe me, I thought you'd hate me after what happened today..."
"I don't hate you," I muttered, my face flaming. "I'm pretty annoyed that you hit your own brother, but he hit you twice, I believe, so I guess I'm less angry at you than I am at him."
Regulus moved me back, so that we were looking at each other. He looked happier than I could ever remember seeing him. "Em...I'm sorry...I was partially at fault for what I did, and I truly regret..."
I cut him off. "No, I don't wanna hear it, it's finished with now..." I knew that Slytherins were prone to saying anything and everything if it meant getting what they wanted. I had his wrist in my hand, the wrist with the Dark Mark on it. I glanced down at it. So did he. Then we glanced back at each other.
I suddenly realised how close we were to each other. Any closer, and we'd be close enough to...
My eyes met Regulus'. He was looking at me.
I could detect the familiar scent of both aftershave and hair-care on Regulus, as well as something that reminded me of forests, and I wondered if my Amortentia had changed.
I closed my eyes for a second...
And then, I snapped them open when Madam Pince's voice snapped: "The library is closing now!"
Regulus and I jumped up, and he kept my hand in his as we made our way silently out of the library.
Once safely outside in the History Of Magic corridor, I turned to Regulus and asked: "What's her problem?"
"She wasn't sure what we were doing back there," He shrugged, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "She was suspicious."
I bristled for the third time that evening. "Well, she's one to talk - I'd wager she and Filch are..." I broke off suddenly, because Madam Pince had just appeared at the doors to the library, a look of complete thunder on her face.
"Are you still standing here! ?" She stormed. "Go!" She slammed the doors to the library shut.
Regulus and I looked at each other.
"What's the bet..." I began.
"That Filch is waiting for her in the Restricted Section?" Regulus finished slyly, and we both started laughing, although the mental image was a little bit frightening too.
"You know," I said suddenly. "I don't believe I feel like eating in the Great Hall tonight." I was hinting subtly that I wanted to avoid certain people at all costs.
Regulus caught on immediately. "Then shall we dine in the kitchens tonight, my dear?" He asked with mock formality, holding out his arm, which I took.
"Indubitably." I said primly, and we set off toward the kitchens (we were on the fourth floor, so we had a long walk ahead of us).
We didn't talk much, but that was fine. It was good to have my best friend back.
Or...was he?
When did what I'd felt before change into what I was feeling now - and what was it that I was feeling now? What had Regulus become to me?
I didn't know, but I didn't dispute Septimus when he began singing: Reg and Emma, sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G (although I was insanely glad that Regulus couldn't understand Parseltongue). And, I didn't mind the fact that we passed a group of Slytherin sixth years on our way past the Armor Gallery, and the looks they gave Regulus were mixtures of encouragement and something akin to...envy?
But I wondered about those looks.
oOoOoOoOoOo
"Here," Lily whispered to me that evening, handing my James' Invisibility Cloak. "It's probably better if you don't get caught..." She didn't say anything about my not showing up for dinner, and she hadn't asked about my meeting with Regulus either. "I didn't mention it to the others that I told you the password...now, do you remember everything?" She asked me.
I nodded. "Third floor, precarious tower, dish that I can never finish at a restaurant - got it." I shouldered my toiletries bag, which was a little weighed down because of the egg. Yes, I had decided to take the egg along with me, even though I already knew what it said, and even though if my life was to go according to the books then I was going to get into trouble.
Of course, all thoughts of that flew out of my mind when I got to the special bathroom, and it was bigger than the entire common room and the Prefects bathroom all together.
"This is a swimming pool!" I gasped, setting down my bag and ditching the cloak. "I wonder if Lily will agree to let me come here more often...the taps are solid gold!" I fairly shrieked. "And look, there's a water-slide! What the hell! ?" I was super impressed by this place, and I also realised I'd need to wear bathers, because otherwise I'd just feel a tad uncomfortable, so I put the bathers on, and slid into the warm water. I did a few laps, of freestyle and breast-stroke, before returning to the egg.
"I don't see the whole point in this..." I muttured.
"But the other Champions already figured it out." Said a familiar Scottish accent, but still I jumped, and ended up swallowing water, as the ghost of Myrtle looked at me from where she was sitting atop the water slide. "The big girl, Brunilda, even said she might win!" Myrtle added, as she slid down the water slide and landed without any sort of splash in the water. She 'swam' over to me, and looked at me. "Well, aren't you going to open it?" She asked me.
"No..." I sighed, floating on my back and staring up at the ceiling. "I don't think I will just yet...this place is so nice..."
"I thought only the head girl and head boy were allowed in here," Myrtle pointed out.
"Yeah, but I'm not too worried about being discovered." I replied. I continued to float on my back, pushing myself along with my hands every so often, and wondering why this water felt so relaxing. Probably more of the Founders magic - bless them. I wondered if there were anymore descendants, other than Tom Riddle of course. I really wanted to find out about this whole thing, starting with who I was related to - if, in fact, I wasn't who I thought I was - and who was related to the Founders. I thought about this for awhile.
"Egg..." Myrtle reminded me, after about half an hour.
I nodded. "Yeah, I was just getting to that..." I replied, as I took up the egg and slid with it into the water.
Of course, the clue was the same:
Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour, the prospect's black,
Too late it's gone, it won't come back.
I resurfaced, gasping for air, and said: "Well, that was pointless, I already knew...Myrtle? What the...?" Myrtle had disappeared, but in her place was another glasses-wearing person, very much alive though. "Oh yikes, James!" I exclaimed and, momentarily forgetting my bathers, clutched the egg to me like a lifeline. "How'd you...?"
James had turned away, but he spoke to me. "Em, how'd you get in here? Lily and I are supposed to be the only ones..." He suddenly spotted the cloak. "Ah..." He said, adjusting his glasses. "Well, uh..."
"I was just getting out," I said, exiting the 'bath' and drying and dressing in record time. "James...umm...about what happened..."
James turned to me, a closed expression on his face. "Don't worry," He said calmly. "Padfoot's not angry at you, he's just more worried that you'll never speak to him again."
I nodded. "Yeah, there's a lot of that going on right now," I took up my bag and egg.
James eyed the egg. "What were you...?"
"Figuring it out," I replied, wondering how I was going to end up getting Gillyweed, and wishing I hadn't made Professor Slughorn leave, because if he were still here I could just ask Lily or Regulus to get me the Gillyweed since they'd been members of the Slug Club. "Which reminds me, I need to find a way to get ahold of some Gillyweed." I added.
James blinked. "What? Why, White Fang?"
"Because I need to be able to breathe underwater for an hour, if I'm to recover something the tournament guys take from me and put in the Black Lake." I said importantly.
James shook his head. "Wow, the tournament's really designed to test you, isn't it?"
"Don't I know it, Prongs?" I headed for the door. "Anyway, enjoy your bath...I'm taking the cloak with me, okay?" I added, holding it up and wondering if I should destroy it while I had the chance - one Deathly Hallow down!
"Sure," James nodded. "But...Em...please...start talking to Sirius again, or...at least be in the same room with him...I think he's about to go insane..." He looked troubled.
I sighed. "I know, it's killing me too..."
"You know, you're almost like a sister to me," James stated, and I nearly dropped the egg. Hadn't I always considered James to be like a brother to me? "And Sirius is my best friend, the way Lily is to you...can you see where I'm going with this?" He asked me.
I could. "Yeah, bro, that would be ironic, but I doubt Siri and I could settle down the way you and Red will...hang on a minute..." I regarded him curiously. "Hey, James...don't tell me...,are you going to ask Lily to marry you! ?"
James grinned suddenly. "Yup, I am - before the Third Task."
I felt like jumping up and down, but instead settled for hugging the golden egg tightly and grinning too. "Oh my God, James, that's fantastic! ! I'm so happy for you!"
James replied: "I knew you'd be - oh, but I need your help...you know Lils really well, and I need help picking out a ring she'd like...next Hogsemeade weekend?"
I nodded. "It's a date...wait, hold on, that sounded weird...ah, never mind, just go for a swim, bro." And, as I left, I couldn't help but notice that the look on James' face...was similar to the look I'd seen on Regulus' face before...