A/N: Okay here's my next chapter. Hoorah! Writing can be fun. So hopefully in the next chapter stuff with start picking up. I don't have a definite plan but I know what the major plot line is. I hope you guys like it! Review if you can.
Chapter Four: Ice-cream and a Group of Unlikely Friends
"Where to first?" Marlene asked Lily smiling. They had just stepped through the entrance to Diagon Alley. The two were greeted by a crowded street filled with witches and wizards both young and old.
"I was thinking Flourish and Blotts first? So we can get our books out of the way. Then I'd like to buy new potions materials, fresh parchment and quills, maybe a new pair of robes… Do you think we'll need dress robes this year?" Lily asked, a small frown intruding her thoughtful expression.
"I don't think we will, but to be safe, we may want to," she told Lily with a pat on her arm. Lily nodded.
"So… to Flourish and Blotts!" Marlene exclaimed with false enthusiasm. Lily laughed and followed her friend, who had begun to worm her way through the small crowd of people.
After several 'Sorry's and 'Excuse me's, the two young witches were finally at the store of their choosing. Marlene pushed the doors open. Lily sighed, the smell of new books swept over her in a wave of pleasure. Her fingertips tingled with anticipation.
"May I be of any assistance today?" the store clerk asked the girls, smiling kindly through his grey beard.
Lily gave him a kind smile, held out her booklist and said, "We need two copies of each on this list."
"Ah, you're entering your last year, are you? I remember in my last year of Hogwarts I accidentally set my potions partner's robes on fire when my cauldron was having trouble lighting! Alfonzo Piage was Potions Master at the time and, boy, did I spend a whole month having to clean the dungeon's bathrooms for detention," the clerk told them, chuckling to himself. As he was talking, he waved his wand in a lazy manner and books were flying towards them from around the store.
"It sounds like a lovely time, though," Lily told him, genuinely interested. "Potions happens to be my favorite class."
"She's a natural and the favorite of our Professor Slughorn," Marlene chimed in.
"I was a proper mess at it. Be warned, if your cauldron isn't lighting it is generally because your spell work is shoddy," he gave the girls a wink. "Well, well, here we are! Your complete book list. Let me know if you ladies need anything at all."
They thanked him and began perusing the shelves for material that was more interesting than textbooks. Lily's eyes found Quidditch through the Ages almost immediately. While Marlene continued on, Lily fell back. She had never felt the need to know too much about the wizarding sport but seeing it made her think of Potter. She picked it up and flipped through the pages. It really seemed rather interesting… Lily slipped it into her bag surreptitiously, not wanting Marlene to know what she was about to purchase.
"Lily! Look at this!" she turned and saw Marlene approaching her. She was holding up Unfogging the Future and was bursting with laughter.
"Shove off," Lily told her.
"But, Lily, it's the only class where I got a better mark than you! I have to gloat every now and then don't I?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "I think I am ready to pay. Do you have everything you need?"
Marlene nodded and the two purchased their books and left the shop.
Their next stops consisted of Eyelops Owl Emporium for owl treats, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where Marlene suckered Lily into purchasing a gorgeous –but expensive –dress, Potages Cauldron Shop, and the Apothecary.
With their arms full of their purchases, the two girls began making their way over to Florean Fortescue's to meet Marlene's recent love interest and his cronies.
The two girls had arrived about a half hour earlier than they intended. They chose a table outside in the shade.
"So, Marly, would you care to enlighten me on how you and Black are an item now?" Lily asked, eyeing her friend suspiciously.
Marlene wrinkled her nose, her blue eyes looking up at the sky.
"Well," she began, "we ran into each other about two days ago here, actually. I was supposed to have dinner with Emmeline Vance. Remember how you couldn't come because of your father's work dinner? Anyways, Emmeline was running late and I was absolutely famished, so I ordered a drink at the bar and who shows up but one Sirius Black. I won't deny it, I've thought he's simply dreamy since I met him first year, but for obvious reasons, I didn't want to date him."
There was a slight pause. Lily stared at Marlene, waiting for more of the story.
"Go on," she urged her friend.
"Oh! Sorry, I got distracted. So, he slides into the seat next to me and asks, 'Expecting a talk, dark, handsome stranger to sweep you off your feet, McKinnon?'" Marlene's voice dropped to an attempted seductive growl. Lily laughed and Marlene continued, "So being the idiot I am, I just say, 'No, he's already here.' I couldn't believe those words came out of my mouth. Granted, I had had two fire whiskeys at this point and he was looking bloody hot as anything. So, I get a Patronus from Emmeline with her groveling apologies because her parents needed her help at home or they were mad at her… I don't really remember… so I had some drinks with Sirius… and one thing led to another and all of a sudden we were snogging in the corner of the bar! I don't know, but the next thing I know is we break apart and he asks me to spend Thursday –or this –morning with him. I say yes and we parted ways…" She gave Lily several glances in order to gauge her friend's reaction. Lily pursed her lips.
"Well, as long as you like him I guess I'll tolerate him and his mates, but only for you…" Lily said, smiling at Marlene.
Marlene breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin! I was hoping you wouldn't hate me."
"As long as I don't have to sit here while you snog him, I will learn to love him."
"Oh hush, you," Marlene said, kicking Lily's shin under the table.
They engaged in light gossip about Hogwarts and what the school year had in store for them.
"So, how do you feel about the new Head Boy?" Marlene asked her, smiling mischievously.
"Well, he doesn't seem as arrogant… I want to believe that he has changed, but until September first all cards hang in the balance. It doesn't really matter if he's a fine, upstanding bloke out here; what matters is how he acts when he has the whole school watching him. Will he still pull the same petty pranks to keep up appearances or will he own responsibility? I have no idea. At the moment, I am pretty much going to go with the flow. If Potter wants me to be cordial with him, he has to prove that he deserves it."
Marlene chuckled, "You never ease up on him, do you?"
"Potter has given me no reason to in the past. Hell, Marlene, he terrorized me for years! I couldn't breathe without him knowing and commenting on it. I felt watched all the time and the fact that he wasn't just arrogant, but also a bully and a liar were the two traits I hated the most about him. I worked my arse off for years and Potter barely had to lift and bloody finger. He just makes me so angry that I could probably punch through a wall. Then today I had a decent conversation with him and… and… it wasn't horrible. I actually enjoyed myself because some of what he said to me is what I've been thinking since Voldemort's name started being whispered. It just makes me wonder if I just exaggerated him in my mind or that he's just playing me in another attempt to win me over. It's exhausting."
Marlene smirked.
"What's so funny?" Lily asked her, through gritted teeth.
Marlene opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say one word a gruff voice cut them off.
"Oi! We're here, Marlene!" Sirius Black sauntered up to the table.
James had a grand time wandering around Diagon Alley. The Marauders spent most of their time browsing through the joke shop and Quality Quidditch Supplies. James had spotted Lily exiting Madam Malkin's but did not call out. He felt a tad creepy, admiring her from a distance but he turned away as his friend's began walking over to Flourish and Blotts.
Then Sirius insisted that they find Marlene and Lily at Florean's. So there they were, all sitting at an outdoor picnic table. Marlene, Sirius and Peter on one side of the bench and Lily, James and Remus were on the other. They were all digging into their ice-creams and exchanging summer gossip.
"So I heard that Dorcas Meadows has decided on coming back to Hogwarts, even though she's taken enough classes to graduate early," Marlene said.
"I'm not surprised," Lily said, "Dorcas loves Hogwarts and, with how brilliant she is, I don't think she knows quite what to do with all her talent. I got to see her a few weeks ago."
James zoned out as the girls continued gossiping about how Dorcas was brilliant and beautiful and perfect. He was daydreaming, as he often did, about the red haired girl sitting next to him. He loved the way her head tilted back when she laughed. The way her nose crinkled as she smiled. How she apparently smelled of pomegranates.
"So James, how was your summer holiday?" he heard Marlene asking. He looked at the blond, Sirius had his arm around her and she was leaning into him.
"Oh, it wasn't bad. I spent most of it hanging 'round with these gits and a few days with my mother in France," he said, glancing at Lily. Her eyes lit up when he mentioned France.
"Oh, I've always wanted to go to France! How was it? Was the food good? I bet it was. French food is my favorite," she gushed.
"It was excellent. I mostly went to see Puddlemere United take on the French National Team so I saw only a little of France itself, but the food was great," he told her.
"Speaking of Quidditch," Lily said, while Sirius embarked on a story to Peter, Remus and Marlene about his holidays, "how do you think the Griffindor team will fair this year?"
James was impressed that Lily was bothering to ask, she did not hate the sport, but he thought that she thought it was a waste of time. "Interested in the dear sport, Evans? Are you going to try out this year?" he asked smirking.
Lily looked taken aback. "W-what? N-no. I was just curious… Quidditch is great for house unity and…" she stammered awkwardly.
James laughed, "Calm down, Evans. I was only messing with you. Don't have panic attack." She glared at him, her green eyes narrowing.
"In all honestly, miss Head Girl, I think the team will be great. We have me being the best chaser Hogwarts has ever seen, the beautiful, sex god Sirius assisting me as well as the brilliant Dorcas. Our beaters are solid shots and our keeper is out of this world. The only thing we're missing is a seeker since Jonathan finished Hogwarts last year," he told her.
"Did you say something about Jonathan?" Marlene asked, twisting away from Sirius to look at James.
"Yeah, I was just telling Lily, who is showing a surprising amount of interest in everyone's favorite sport, about how we'd be looking for a new seeker now Jonathan has left. Ah, you have Jonathan's blood running through your veins, McKinnon. Would you be interested in coming to tryouts?"
Marlene laughed, "James, I am not terrible at flying, but my hand-eye coordination is shoddy. I don't think it'd work."
James sighed, "I can dream, can't I?"
"Didn't Gideon Prewett talk about trying out last year? Do you reckon he will this year? I hear he's an excellent flyer," Sirius jumped in. Suddenly, James found himself in a blow by blow analysis of every possible candidate for seeker.
Halfway through the boys jokingly attempting to convince Peter to tryout, James heard a voice call out.
"Lily! Marlene!" The table all turned to look in the direction of the new voice.
"Emmeline!" Lily and Marlene both shouted with glee. They jumped up and embraced the girl who ran up. She had long, straight brunette hair with a blue headband in it. She was wearing a simple blue T-shirt with jeans.
They all talked at the speed of light.
"How are you, Em?" Marlene asked.
"Oh, I'm fine, Marly! Sorry about ditching the other night! I love your dress –did I see Sirius Black put his arm around you earlier?"
"Why yes, I'll tell you about it later and thanks," Marlene said, twirling in her yellow sundress.
"Oh, Em, I've missed you! It's been a few weeks. I've been meaning to send you an owl," Lily told her, smiling.
"Ah, my dear Ginger, I was in a spot of trouble with the parentals… I'll explain later. Hello, boys!" Emmeline said, turning away from her to friends to greet the rest of the table.
"Hullo, Emmeline," Remus said, kindly. The rest followed suit.
"What brings you here today, Vance," Peter asked her.
"Oh, the usual purchases of school supplies. I can't stay long though… I'm still walking on a fine wire with my parents. Anyways, I will see all of you on the train. I hate to go so soon, but it was lovely seeing you all!" and suddenly, Emmeline Vance had vanished among the crowd.
"Well that was fast," James heard Marlene remark to Lily.
"I wonder what happened at home…" Lily said quietly, she gazed off and then whispered something in Marlene's ear.
"Well, you four, we have to get going. We've got places to go, people to see, and things to do," Marlene said, gathering her stuff with Lily.
"Already?" Sirius asked, incredulously.
"Yes, some people have packing to do, you know. September first is only a few days away!" She exclaimed, bending over to peck him on the lips.
"I'll write you," Sirius said, grinning broadly.
The girls said goodbye to the boys. James watched Lily leave. Her wavy red hair swaying as she walked.
"Well that was fun," Sirius remarked. "Have a good conversation with your one true love, mate?"
James rolled his eyes. "Have a good time feeling up your new girlfriend, Sirius?" James quipped.
Sirius barked a laugh, "Very much so!"
"Emmeline is looking rather good, eh R-Remus?" Peter asked, chuckling.
Remus smiled, "Ah, Peter, you know she and I are just friends."
"It's true! This year, Remus is going to be a taken man by none other than me," Sirius said.
"Marlene is going to be quite jealous," Remus said, smirking.
They all laughed.
"In truth, I have my sights set on a beautiful girl brimming with information and importance," Remus said, his mouth curving upwards.
"Ah, Remus, books don't count!" James cried.
Remus shoved him off the bench and James laughed.