Hello Readers!
This Chapter is short- for a reason. I don't want to spend a bunch of time on the first couple of years. I'm just getting a foundation here behind them instead of just- 'oh she's a marauder!' or 'they knew they'd be together forever from the first time they set eyes on each other!' Not my thing. So I'm starting Chapter 5 now and putting this up to preoccupy you. Got a lot to do for school this week so I wanted to at least try for something. Might be a little something good in Chapter 5 so ;) keep up.
WitchWolf6470
P.S. - I wanted to thank BumbleJay for the review and encouraging words. I don't expect anyone to R/R at all, so it was nice to have someone take the time. Thank you.
Chapter 4 Second Year/ Quidditch!
Lounging in the small backyard behind the cottage where I now lived, I inspected a butterfly that had landed so delicately on my hand. The summer had been a long and boring one. Albus had stopped by several times to pay a visit, and my parents visited for a few hours. Their visit left me feeling home sick and hallow, it took me a couple of days to remember why I was here. I thought of Lily, Hogwarts, the war and I reminded myself that it was all going to be worth it.
I mostly spent the summer outside, climbing the apple tree by the back corner of the fence to its sturdiest branches, plucking an apple and sitting back with a book to read in the shade of its leafs. I taught myself a few cleaning spells to make it easier to keep my own space, and managed to learn a few amazing recipes for baking. I loved desserts and it passed the time. Dumbledore would always bring by the groceries I would jot down for him to pick up for me, and I would force boxes of sweets into his hands for him to take away. I always made batches way too massive for just me to eat, and I think maybe too much for even the two of us to manage.
I traced the details on the butterfly's wings with my eyes. I was lost in its beauty until the gate of the garden swung open and shut, sending it flying off to find a flower to sit on. It was time to go to Hogwarts. Most of my books had come by owl (Dumbledore lent me his), and I managed to get a letter to Lily to tell her when I would be in Diagon Alley in hopes that I would see her. She must have already went because even after an hour of stalling at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, I did not catch a glimpse of her fiery hair.
I jumped off of my school trunk and pulled it up, dragging it with me as I met Dumbledore. This time when we apparated I managed to remember to take in a deep breath, and when I landed I only felt dizzy and managed to stand up straight right away. I still didn't like it. I moved away from him quickly before all eyes started turning in his direction, and eagerly found a cart for my trunk. When I made it to platfor was looking around the platform for anyone I may recognize when Lily collided into my back hugging me from behind.
"Oh my god-Oh my god-Oh my god!" Once I was released I was bombarded with stories about her summer and questions about my own. "I missed you so much!" She exclaimed when I asked her about Severus. "It's so nice to have a girl. Boys are stubborn." As she said this, James Potter appeared before us, blocking the doorway we had been aiming to enter.
"Ladies!" He grinned, and bowed to us both, hopping down and grabbing our trunks one after the other and setting them onto the train. Lily only glared at him as he bounced off, presumably to find his own friends.
"That was nice of him." I said carefully, but Lily scoffed and we jumped aboard, pulling our trunks all the way down to the end of the car to find an empty compartment. Severus found us here, but when the train started to move he headed off to find his own house mates to sit with.
"What was it you didn't like about James again?" I asked after Severus left, pulling my school robes on over the uniform I already had on.
"Hah! He's arrogant- selfish- rude! I don't like him. He was mean to Severus- Sirius called him Snivellus and now that's their little nickname for him. Sev never even done anything to them- they are all just so… stupid." She fumed, and I realized quickly it was time to change the subject.
When we got off the train we walked down a different path than the previous year, and got into carriages pulled by seemingly nothing. I realized it must me an invisible creature, because I could definitely feel a life force. We were the first into our carriage and unfortunately the Gryffindor boys of our year piled in. Lily went extremely quiet and stared out into the darkness during the ride. I watched her for a few moments before I turned to make polite conversation, smiling at Remus when I seen he seemed to be staring in my direction with a cloudy look in his eyes.
My smile broke the spell, and he shook his head and waved at me. Sirius and James were talking about the Quidditch try outs this year, and how they would be able to make the team if they were good enough. I had almost forgotten about flying until this point, so I made a mental note to see if I could borrow a school broom to practice on later. Lily couldn't have gotten out faster, and I followed a bit slower, saying bye to the others before going into the castle (this time through the front doors) and sitting to wait for the Sorting Ceremony.
It only took a few weeks to settle in. I was much more thankful for the interactions, so I made it a point to talk with everyone, even if it was just a good morning or asking how their studies were going. It had nearly been a month before I realized how much time had passed, and James happily told me that he was trying out for Quidditch later that day.
"That sounds like fun!" I input, spreading jam over a piece of toast as he piled sausage and eggs onto his own. "Can I come watch? Lily and Severus are going to be studying, and I don't like to interfere. I do get her most of the time anyway."
"Yeah you can come! The more support the better. I convinced everyone to try out. Even Pete. He's not the most athletic…" I nodded in understanding, but we left it at this as Remus sat next to James.
"Are you trying out too, Remus?" I asked, looking him over. He looked tired, but nodded and laid his head on the table without saying anything. "If you're not feeling well you should eat." I tried to encourage him. "The try-outs will be much worse if you don't."
He groaned a little but sat up anyway, and James started putting food on his plate for him. We ate in a mostly content silence. Every now and then James would talk through his mouth full of food, but even when their other two companions joined in it was mostly just chewing and clanking of silver wear.
I left them when the first bell rang to signal that there was fifteen minutes to get to class, and I met Lily outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. We partnered to practice our shield charm, which seemed a bit too advance for the class, and Professor Mason decided it was enough when Peter got hit by a particularly powerful stunning spell. For the rest of the class we took notes on his lecture, and I whispered to Lily when he was closing up that I would be going to watch the Quidditch try-outs.
"Why?" She seemed to already have a feeling about why, and I explained that I had asked James if I could watch them. "Well Vermilliah. I don't really understand how you can even talk to Potter or Black, they're repulsive. Do you like one of them or something?"
"I…" I was confused. Of course I liked them! "I like both of them?" I said unsurely, as if this was the obvious answer.
"You know what I mean!" The whole class turned at her little outburst, and I was thankful when the bell rang and we were dismissed.
"I don't know Lily… you have other friends... can't I? Severus doesn't like me but you still hang out with both of us." This was a serious question. She seemed calm when she realized I really didn't know if it was okay.
"Of course it's okay. I'm sorry- you know that Potter boy gets on my every last nerve. And Severus does too like you!" And with that, we walked off to the library to write two feet on the proper use and defense properties of a shield charm.
Later that day I made my way down to the Quidditch field with Sirius Black, the only person I could find that knew where to go. He was already wearing padded clothing for the tryouts, and I asked what he was going to try out for, as if I knew what the positions were.
"Probably just chaser. I'm not small enough to be a seeker- and I'll have a better chance because there are more chasers than seekers or beaters." His hair was getting just long enough to annoy him. It was sweeping slightly into his grey eyes, and he kept pushing it back. He was still so boyish, so young. His jaw structure was beginning to show through, and as Lily called him a 'pretty boy' I could see that's exactly what he was heading towards.
When we arrived I sat on the side of the pitch instead of in the stands. I picked at the grass as I looked around at the Gryffindor's that were taking the last few moments they had to practice. The competition looked very slim. Other than a few older students that had been on the team the previous year it was all fourth year and under.
When the captain walked out and called the players over, I seen that Remus was clearly in pain, and I wondered why he was even trying out. I knew that there was a full moon coming the following night- I made a mental note to check for him in classes tomorrow. Peter didn't even get a chance, he failed the simple first test of just staying on your broom up to fifty feet, and I thought it was a good way of weeding out the weakest links, because three others joined him on the way off the field.
Then the captain divided them into two groups of ten, but Peter had to pull my attention back from wondering off when James was up. He got five out of five of his goals, and he managed a good hit on a 'bludger'. He went off to stand by the only other kid that managed this, and when Sirius came up he only got three out of five, but hit the bludger so hard that it left a big dent in a goal post. He was also to join James for the next round. Remus was last, but he looked a little pale, so the captain had him sop after making three goals and he got to join his friends anyway.
When the trials were over, one girl was holding her bloody nose from hitting herself in the face with the bat used for the bludgers- and another boy had his arm in a sling from falling off of his broom a few stories up. I was happy to hear that James had made chaser and gave him a high-five on his way towards the locker rooms.
"Me and Remus made reserves. Backup beater here!" He was proud of himself, and I smiled happily at him, but it vanished when I seen Remus. "Remus is a backup Chaser- hey man are you alright?" I reached my hand out to grab his shoulder to stabilize him. He was wavering and sweaty- but I knew it wasn't from the tryouts. He was burning hot to the touch.
"He has a fever." I told Sirius and insisted on him going to shower while I helped Remus get to the hospital wing. I wrapped my arm around his back, and we walked up carefully to the castle. He didn't seem aware of what was happening for a while, but tried to make it up the stairs on his own when he realized I was supporting most of his weight.
"Remus…" I sighed, pulling him up and throwing his arm over my shoulder, gripping his sweaty wrist to keep it there as I pulled him up the stairs one at a time.
"Stop being so nice to me." He groaned when we were finally on the right floor, and I readjusted his arm and looked over at him curiously.
"Why wouldn't I be nice to you?" I asked cautiously. He was clearly in a delicate state. His curse was trying to break out a night early but it was only managing to make him sick.
"You wouldn't if you knew me. The real me." He snipped at me, and managed to turn out of my grasp and try to walk on his own.
"You're going to fall. You're too weak." I warned, holding my arms out in case he collapsed. I didn't want to use magic to conjure a stretcher- because I didn't want to know more than I was supposed to. I also didn't want to just levitate him- it seemed dangerous. "I don't have to know the 'real you' to know you're a good person. I'm a good judge of character." I told him, and he allowed me to hold onto his upper arm as we tried to make it the rest of the way down the hall.
"I'm not so sure." As he said this I laughed at him, and he seemed a little shocked at the sound, blinking dumbly at me. "Why are you so perfect anyway?" He asked bitterly, and I grinned at him.
"I'm not perfect, but I think that was a compliment. So thank you!" At the doors to the Hospital Wing I let go of him to push the door open. I let him make his way to a bed by himself as I went to fetch the nurse once he was laid down and not in any danger of falling.
The nurse rushed out and busied herself over the werewolf, fretting that she couldn't believe he hadn't come up earlier. I stood there for a moment, watching her, and then him. He was watching me through his drooping eyes, and I reached over and brushed his sandy hair from his sweaty forehead.
"I'll take some notes for you okay? See you tomorrow!"
I took very specific notes the next day. I was furiously writing down every word the teachers said until my hand was cramping painfully. When I took him the notes I could barely bend my fingers, and the nurse gave me a potion to help it heal overnight. I didn't stay long, because his companions were crowded around his bed, but I promised to take notes for him the following day as well, and any other day his 'immune system' failed him.
After that the rest of the year passed easily. I went to watch James play at the Quidditch games, and continued to take notes for Remus when he was out sick. Winter Break passed much as it had the previous year, only I got a magnificent present from Dumbledore. A large snowy owl was patiently waiting when I woke up with a note tied around its leg. I took it carefully and broke out into a wide grin.
'What kind of uncle would I be if I didn't get you a Christmas gift? Her name is Elwin.'
When Lily came back from Christmas break it wasn't long before her birthday rolled around. We didn't do much (I didn't even know that birthdays were celebrated with gift-giving- the wizarding world seemed very keen on presents) but we managed to have a little sit down study session, which turned into a game of exploding snap.
February passed us in the blink of an eye and we were keen to keep up with our studies instead of cramming last minute like the previous year. We only ate and studied until spring break, when we finally took a breather and strolled the grounds, bathing in the warmth of the sun. The only thing I managed to do other than lay out with Lily during the spring break was take Remus his notes.
I thought maybe I would stay with him if he was a wake a bit, but when I entered the Hospital Wing his friends were crowded around him and whispering amongst themselves. I got the distinct impression that they had found out about his cursed side because when I got close enough they stopped talking immediately. I handed him his notes, made small conversation for a moment, and left quickly with all of their eyes following me out. The stares from them were unnerving for some reason, like I was an enemy.
I didn't see any of them for most of May, but into June I had volunteered to help Peter study for his exams, and we would often be accompanied to the library by one of the other three. What I gathered as to why they weren't helping was simply because they were bad teachers, and I knew Remus' reason was more along the lines of being far too preoccupied with catching up from his missed days. I guess James and Sirius were just too busy messing around to be helpful.
Sometimes Lily would come with me, if it was just Peter or if Remus was the one with us, and I appreciated her helping hand. She had less patience than I did, but sometimes Peter needed her push rather than my 'coddling' as she liked to call it. I noticed one day while she was helping Peter that Remus was staring at me from across the table. I had only just realized this out of the corner of my eye, as I was facing the other two at the table, but I felt something weird rising in my stomach, and I looked over at him curiously.
"Is something wrong?" I asked softly, turning my body towards him so he had my full attention.
"Uh- no sorry. Just thinking." When his eyes darted back down to his book I shook it off and went about the rest of our study time quietly taking notes from Magical Herbs and Fungi.
Lily became irritated in June during our exam week, because I was tired of studying, and all I wanted to do was talk to her. I couldn't tell her it was because I was dreading being alone at the end of the month. She wouldn't understand why I wasn't staying with my 'uncle'. So I just took up conversation with Mary McDonald, or one of the boys. Sirius seemed the most talkative by far, and we often got glares from studying students around us for being too loud.
When the exams were over it calmed enough for me to just be with Lily, without the tension. She would go over what she thought she had gotten wrong and I assured her there was no real need to get perfect marks on our exams until fifth year. She never listened though. Though I grew tired of her persistent babble over the last few weeks of class, when the cottage door shut behind me I wished nothing more than to hear the sound of her voice.