Ekaterina's Disclaimer: No matter how may time we may dress up as Ms. Rowling or go around waving markers and yelling random spells, no, we do not own the brilliant series. Even in our best dreams. My latest best dream consisted of skateboards and flying. It was really weird.
Blossom's Disclaimer: Characters that belong to Ms. Rowling don't belong to us (umm...DUH?) But then, on the bright side, characters belonging to Umbrella Co. don't belong to Rowling!
Ekaterina's note: Heeeey. Long time since our last chapter, this one is a bit short . sorry. My favorite part in this has to be the Nadia and Alice scene- no it's not a feme-slash... It's just really sweet. We do try to keep a pretty consistent update rate, but sometimes life gets all hectic and full of science tests -_-... Hmph... Haha, but anyyyyyyways, We got some positive feedback on the last chapter, so that made us happy. Much love to the people who reviewed. Or are planning on reviewing. Or just read this because they... just do... We love you all! Thanks for your support! :)
Blossom's note: Thank you, all readers, for taking the time and effort to read our fanfiction. We greatly appreciate this! Umm...well, yeah, we have been having some unfortunate science tests in which like half of our class failed. BOOO! And we go to a smarty school too! (Not to brag...^ ^ but we do go to a Highly Gifted school. We being Blossom, Ekaterina, Mimiona, and Amber.) But we didn't fail! YAY! Okay, thanks!
"Are you sure they'll be alright?" Sirius asked worriedly as he and Lara strolled through the halls of Hogwarts.
"Will you stop being such a worrywart?" Lara said irritably. "Besides, are you really going to be obsessing about James and Lily-well, more like James' safety with Lily-right now?"
Sirius glanced at Lara, then looking apologetic, gently slipped his hand into hers. "Sorry. I won't, promise." He smiled. "Now, it's all about us. You and me-no one else."
Lara brightened considerably. "So, where do you wanna go?"
"I don't care as long as it's with you. Anywhere with you would be awesome," Sirius said truthfully.
Lara smiled. "Does that mean I get to choose where to go? Since we have the day off we can go anywhere."
"Well, don't forget that you're my slave now," Sirius said, smiling teasingly.
Lara frowned and tried to get her hand out of his.
"I order you to keep holding hands with me!" Sirius said, holding on tighter. He smiled as Lara stopped struggling. "Much better, darling. Don't worry. I won't make you do anything too bad."
"Uh huh. Yeah right."
"So, where do you wanna go?" Sirius asked, winking.
"Where ever, master," Lara said dryly.
"You don't need to call me master!" Sirius said, obviously not catching the sarcasm.
"Oh, you idiot!" Lara said, bursting into laughter.
"Wha..? What's so funny?" Sirius demanded.
"Nothing..." Lara answered. "Come on, let's go outside!" She ran ahead, dragging Sirius along with her.
Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death
"Oh, today is such a bright day..." murmured Alice while looking up at the light clouds floating around the sinking sun like marshmellows around a torch.
Nadia looked up from where she was feeding Death, "Yes, it was a fun day even if we didn't win. Poor Lily, we were awfully pushy now that I think about it..."
"Tsk. Whatever, at least Remus doesn't have any taskes that he wants us to complete," she added as an afterthought.
"Oh, yeah huh... I wonder if he will still be my slave anyways," Alice mused.
Nadia snorted, "He already is..."
"Huuuuuh?" questioned Alice, confused. She held out her hand for Death to lick.
"Nothing, nothing," she responded with a fleeting smile. They sat there for a while, leaning against a small tree by the lake watching the orange sun slowly sink into the horizon.
Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death
"Ahhh, it's such a wonderful day!" Lara said, breathing the sweet spring air deeply.
The two were outside on the field where they usually had Care of Magical Creatures class. But now, since it was only about an hour before sunset, no other student was there. A small, clear pond rippled peacefully as the soft breeze blew, tickling the grass and making the flowers dance.
"The grass is green and the wind is so caressing and the flowers are so beautiful!"
"Oh, but nothing can be as beautiful as you, Lara," Sirius said, smiling. Lara flushed pink.
"Let's sit down there," Lara suggested, pointing to a spot close by the pond.
"I told you: anywhere with you is fine!" Sirius led the way to the designated spot. "Sit down, Lara."
Lara sank into the green grass and faced the crystal smoothness of the pond. "Sirius?" she asked after a moment, "those flowers are so gorgeous, could you...?"
Sirius grinned, standing up. "Of course, my mistress!" He bowed, and made his way to a patch of wildflowers to make a bouquet.
Lara sighed blissfully and lied down onto the fresh spring grass, humming a cheerful tune as she closed her eyes peacefully.
Had it been five minutes? Lara heard a small rustling sound above her. "Sirius...? Back with my flowers?" she asked dreamily, her eyes fluttering open. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked her lungs out as she saw what was facing her.
It was a huge black dog.
"I'm gonna die, oh no! I saw the Grim! I'm gonna DIIE!" she gave the last word considerable emphasis.
"Woof!" the dog barked and seemed to grin. And the grin was so familiar, it was creepy.
"Wait-are you? You are!" Lara exclaimed as the dog growled playfully at a pile of flowers by him. "Sirius! Don't you ever scare me like that! You scared the LIFE out of me!"
Sirius the Dog panted apologetically.
"But the flowers are pretty, gorgeous. How'd you know just what kinds I like?" Lara said, smiling as she held the bouquet up to her nose while gently scratching Sirius the Dog behind the ears.
"Mmmm...they smell so sweet...Huh? What's this...? A...rose?" she looked mildly amused and somewhat impressed. She softly stroke the petals of the single red rose in the center of the bouquet. "Funny, just yesterday I was reading this magazine and it was telling me how different color roses had different meanings...Yellow for friendship..." Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember. "And, oh yeah! Red for love...LOVE?"
Sirius woofed and nuzzled her hand affectionately.
"Don't tell me you knew that before...Or woof it, either!" Lara said, her cheeks slightly pink. Sirius the Dog nodded enthusiastically in a doggy sort of way.
"Oh..." Lara sighed, wanting to avoid the awkward moment. "Uhh...Hey, Sirius? Can I play catch with you?"
Sirius woofed and ran off to look for a stick.
Looking around to make sure he was gone, Lara sighed and fingered the rose. Moving it delicately to the side, she called loudly, "PADFOOOOT!"
There was a loud bark and a thundering of steps as Sirius returned with a wooden branch firmly in his mouth. He deposited it at Lara's feet.
"YUCK! It's completely covered in dog slobber!" Lara said, holding up the stick with two fingers.
Sirius sighed, bringing his head down.
"Um, it's fine! Go fetch!" Lara said, throwing the stick as far as she could.
Woofing cheerfully, Sirius the Dog bounded after it.
Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death~Sardines~Death
Lily made her way down to the Great Hall for dinner. With a sigh and an attempt to compose herself, she walked into the Hall hoping that she could pass by unnoticed. As she sat down by the Gryffindor table, she kept her eyes lowered to avoid the sympathetic glances tossed at her.
"Lily, Lily, over here!"
She looked up blearily, "Huh?"
James beamed at her cheerfully, he had crashed in the common room after talking to her. She looked around hopefully for her friends and sighed when she saw that they were not around, cautiously she went to join James and Remus, along with a couple of other seventh years.
"Um, hi..." she said awkwardly.
"Lily! Glad you could join us," said Remus with a smile. James had not spoken a word since he had stumbled into the common room on a sugar hype (the only way he had managed to fly up the girls dormitory was because his energy level was such). Remus was hoping that they had at least gotten a bit closer in the time they had been alone.
"Ah, uh, ye-ah..." she answered with a small smile. "So... where's Sirius?"
"Probably snogging Lara senseless," was the prompt response. An awkward silence followed.
"Ah, so... what do you guys have planned for summer?" Lily said, taking a stab at conversation.
*snort* "Lily, love, is that really a question? We plan on kidnapping you and those lovely comrades of yours then crashing on the beach!" laughed James.
"Yep, you are free, right?" added Remus as an afterthought.
"Haha, yeah! That would be awesome! I would really enjoy that," Lily cried, her eyes sparkling. She loved the beach with a passion, but whenever she went, Lily was generally accompanied by Petunia and her...well rounded boyfriend. That pretty much left her on her own to fend off the boys who tried to hit on her with cheesy pick up lines.
"Maybe this time I can actually have fun..." she added dreamily. Ah, she would kill for a day at the beach without being pestered. The boys blinked at her in confusion.
"Erm... Yeah... I guess, well, that's great!" said James enthusiastically while blushing.
Remus coughed in order to hide a chuckle, "Yeah, I'm glad that you can make it, Lily."
"Yeah! And we can make sand castles, dig for sand crabs, play with beach balls, play beach volley ball- OOOOHHH and maybe Nadia can make us a picnic basket! *gasp* James, you help! I didn't get to taste your food after the competition!" Lily rambled. Remus started and choked on his food.
"Ah, Lily... Are you-" he started.
"-Feeling alright?" finished frightened looking James. The two looked at her with expressions akin to fear, or rather a feeling of uneasiness at this show of uncharacteristic happiness.
"OF COURSE I'M ALRIGHT! Whatever made you think otherwise?" Lily gave a hearty laugh and whacked James on the back. "HAHAHA. I'm totally fiiiiiiine!"
"Mate, I think... I think we need to get her to Madam Pomfery," whispered Remus in an undertone to James. "She is seriously starting to freak me out. Make her stop! Please. If you care for my sanity as well as hers." Now there was a tone of desperation in his voice.
"AHAHAHAHA! Yeah, I want to have tonnnnnns of fun!" she continued. At that moment, Alice and Nadia walked in, Death in tow. They turned and looked at Lily, who by now, had attracted a good amount of curious stares.
"Lily Darling?" called out Alice across the hall while Nadia started into a fit of giggles. "I think that when Lara said to 'live a little,' she meant be... normal. Not act like some sort of freaky terrorist. See, the first years are frightened. Tsk. The nargles are swarming around your head, darling, you really need to calm down..."
Lily blushed, "I... I was acting normal! I just, just... got very enthusiastic! Yeah. that's it! Enthusiastic... Okay... Fine, you got me- I was experimenting with the whole living thing that Lara lectured me about... I want to try to liveeeeeeee, you know?"
James and Remus looked at her sympathetically.
"I think she's lost it," sighed Remus.
"Nonsense!" Nadia retorted, looking astonished. "You think she's lost it? I know she's lost it!"
"Yep. Must have been the stress, poor thing," continued James with a sad shake of his head.
Lily slumped in her seat with a pout, "It's not fair!"
"Sorry love, life is a beeeeeeooooooooccccchhhhh and there is nuthin' you can do 'bout it," smirked James.
"Shut your trap, Potter."
"Ah, that's more like it!" James exclaimed happily. He jumped up and put his arm around the still seated Lily then kissed the top of her head."See you later, then!"
Lily sat blinking for a moment then stood up with a loud torrent of curses and chased after her ever loving tormentor/best enemy (A/N: best enemy as in they know each other best but one or the other "hates" the other, not like they both are good at hating each other)