Chapter 11: Marlene and Potter, Sirius and an Howler.

The next morning, James had the permission from Madame Pomfrey to leave the hospital wing. As he passed the Fat Lady's portrait, lightly hanging himself on Sirius who was helping him, Lily could not help looking at him. The match and his fall had harmed him more than she had noticed the day before in the hospital wing. Thus, Madame Pomfrey had repaired his arm in the twinkling of an eye; she had not taken care of all the bruises he had. He had gotten himself a black eye; his lower lip was cut the side and she could see another big bruise on his neck that was disappearing under the collar of his shirt.

-He is fine. Marlene said as she had followed Lily's gaze. -He's a little messed up, but Madam Pomfrey managed to healed the biggest wounds. His arm was broken in three different places and he also had two cracked ribs, his knee was a bit cracked too, his body is covered with bruises, but overall he's fine. The blonde adds to her, picking up her potion's homework. -In other words, a usual day for James Potter.

-He's always fine, no matter what, and he's too proud to admit that something is wrong. Lily said, turning to her friend, picking up her potion's homework too. -He made quit a fall back there, he should be careful.

Marlene smirked at her, before sending his hand to the boys, waving at them inviting them to sit with her. Lily let out a small sigh and grabbed a book in her bag, before putting away her homework, determined to be a bit grumpy. She was still slightly angry with Sirius after what he had told her in the hospital wing and she did not like the fact that he had screamed it in front of the whole Quidditch team. She knew that he did not think what he had said and that he had just said all of this because he was driven with anger, but all the same, her ego had been touched.

As the boys came to join them, Lily frowned a little more when she saw James walking towards her. He had taken the annoying habit of always sitting in the free place next to her when he entered a room where she already was. Yet, to her surprise, he walked passed her and sat down on the other side, next to Marlene. He asked her what she was doing, before laughing and pushing away the long, thick blond hair of the girl, leaning over her to looked at the parchment she had in her hands.

Repelling her hair was completely useless. Lily thought dryly, thinking that even if she had hair everywhere, he would have been more than able to read the parchment without touching it. She shook her head, growling for herself, continuing to fix her book without really reading it. Sirius let out a laugh as he watched Lily's face and he pulled out the walkman she had given him during summer.

He unrolled the headphones and put them around his neck, also taking out his wand and a small book with a shabby appearance, the cover had been eaten by moths in some places. Lily knew, just by watching it, that the book came from the restricted section, and that he probably did not asked a teacher's permission to go and get what he wanted.

How did all four of them, managed to snick out of their dormitory without ever being seen, without ever being caught and returned without detention from their nocturne expeditions, which she knew so frequent. Remus was a Prefect, but she dared hope, that he did not took this privilege to make them move at night in the castle, as he had permission to do so.

-Did you manage to make it work Asked Peter, who had just come down from the dormitory, accompanied by a messed up and grumpy Remus, who was finishing buttoning the collar of his shirt while yawning.

Sirius threw his head back on the sofa's back, nearly hitting Remus's, who had leaned over the sofa to see what he was doing, their noses slightly touching. -Almost. Answered Sirius, laughing without moving, as Remus let out a grunt, placing his forehead against Sirius's for a moment. -It should work by tonight. He said as he continued to stare at Remus who slowly came to sit in front of them on the coffee table, his back on the fireplace.

James tried to laugh, but his laugh quickly turned into a moan of pain as he putted a hand on his ribs. -Merlin's Beard, be careful, or you'll have to go back to the hospital wing. Sighed Marlene as she lifted his sweater without embarrassment, to expose his stomach and look at the damage. He was in a poor condition, even at places you could not see, thought Lily, who could not help but look at him like all the others, (Oh Merlin, Lily what the hell are you doing?!) The damages caused by the many hits and Bludgers he had received.

-You're a mess Potter, maybe you should go back to the hospital wing instead of being here. Finally said Lily, in a dry, annoyed tone, watching him pass a hand through his hair to ruffle them even more, while they were especially untidy that morning. He turned his hazel gaze towards her, displaying a smile that she knew was painful, before he made a gesture with his hand to make her understand that it was nothing.

-Maybe we should get down for breakfast? He asked as he slowly got up, Peter helping him to stay upright.

-We already didn't have enough with Remus who's ill all the time, now we also have to take care of you. Peter laughed, as James wrapped his arm around his shoulders to smirk, leaning himself on him. -I hope you didn't expect to do a Quidditch career because you'll have to hire staff to pamper you all around all the time.

-Oh, come on Pet ', don't tell me that taking care of me is unbearable, Marlene did it yesterday, without complaining! He scoffed, as Remus burst out laughing, grabbing his bag, Sirius stuffing the walkman into the pocket of his robes, keeping the headphones around his neck, ready to go down.

Lily watched, as Marlene grabbed James on the other side to help Peter pass him through the portrait of the Fat Lady, while Sirius was wrapping his arm around Remus's shoulders as he got up, whispering something in his ear that made him laugh and shake his head. She watched him pushed Sirius's head back as it was resting on his shoulder, still telling him something that sounded very funny because Remus couldn't stop laughing.

She could not help but smirk at what she saw, before turning her attention back ahead of her. Peter was telling Marlene that he was able to manage James down to the Great Hall on his own, while she walked a little further, winking to James over his shoulder pushing her hair with one hand. James was laughing as he returned her winks, messing up his hair.

By Merlin, did they really think they were discreet or were it their intention to flirt so openly in front of everyone?! Lily thought for herself, unable to believe what was happening before her eyes. Never before Marlene had spoken to her about having a crush on Potter, and he had never manifested anything but friendship to her friend until very recently. Was it she, who had not come to see the imminent signs that these two were attracted to each other, or was the mutual interest so new that it was showing only now?

Once in the Great Hall, Frank Longbottom rushed to relieve Peter of his burden, James finding himself to be much heavier than he would have imagined. He pushed a lock of hair from his sweaty forehead, thanking Frank, as he helped James take a seat at the Gryffindor table.

-You're like an anvil; it's not possible to be so heavy. Peter said, letting his head fall on the table struggling to catch his breath, Sirius passing behind him, shrugging his shoulders before taking a seat at James's left.

Most of the Gryffindors had got up when they had seen their captain come into the Great Hall, getting up to talk to him, just to ask him how he was doing, if he was all right. Several Gryffindors asked him if he believed he could play the next upcoming game and Lily frowned at seeing them more worried about a game than Potter's actual health.

-Well, our captain is a real mess, isn't he? Sighed Dorcas who had come to take place in front of Lily, Marlene nodding sharply. -I hope he'll get better soon enough because if he can't play the next game, I think he'll murder someone as I know him. Marlene replied to her that James was not the type of person to stay back only for a few injuries and that he was resuming Quidditch practice next week. Lily looked away, feeling annoyed, when Dorcas asked Marlene if it was true she stayed with him in the hospital wing last night to help him.

To Lily's greatest relief, her two friends could not continue their conversations; the owls' arrival had distracted them, as they caught the packages that were thrown at them. Owls of all sorts and colors whirled around the tables, looking for those to whom their burdens belonged. The Potters' owl, a bigger one than the others, hazel brown with white underside wings, swirled over James's head, dropping a letter and a package on him before he dropped in front of Sirius, a scarlet red envelope.

Remus's muffin dropped on the floor when he saw the red letter, Peter chocked on his cereal's bite, eyes wild open in disbelief, while Sirius suddenly lifted off the bench as if a snake had bitten him, turning his eyes glaringly towards Professor McGonagall. She was looking at him from the professors' table over her square glasses with a stern look, making him clearly understand that he had well deserved what was waiting for him.

No, she couldn't have sent a letter to his parents to tell them what had happened. She hadn't dared to do such a thing, Sirius thought bitterly before shaking his head staring at Hermes, still present, biting James's fingers. He turned with a dry and quick gesture towards the Slytherin table, almost hitting Fabian who was sitting beside him, crossing Regulus's gaze. He was giving Seigneur, his parents' owl, some Pumpkin Juice before his way back home.

He turned again to look at Hermes, feeling no less relieved knowing that the scarlet letter came from Godric's Hollow and not from Grimmauld Place. The Howler was from Euphemia and not from Walburga, and at that moment he'd sincerely preferred that it would come from the woman who birthed him into this world. He could have just listened to her insults with one ear and lifted his nose in the air to make fun of what kind of atrocity she would have screamed at him.

But he could not bear to disappoint Euphemia. He could not conceive the fact that she had received a letter, from a very angry Professor McGonagall, telling her that he had earned himself a full week of detention because he had fought with half the Slytherin's Quidditch team and that he had nearly seriously wounded one of them.

-Open it, before it explodes! Remus pressed him as he watched the letter tremble, bringing Sirius back to himself, throwing Remus a horrified look, not wanting to open it.

- It's from Mom. James said as he looked at the writing on the envelope, moving slightly away from Sirius. -I have a hunch about what you did, he continued, frowning at him.-And she's not happy.

Sirius turned his attention back to the letter that was trembling more and more before Peter rose up to shoot the ribbon that still held it closed. It quickly changed into a mouth with fangs, rising to the height of Sirius's face which turned considerably pale as he sat back hurriedly.

-SIRIUS BLACK! Shouted the letter, dropping dust from the ceiling, the Great Hall falling all silent to listen to what was happening at the Gryffindor table. LET ME TELL YOU, SON, THAT IF I EVER RECEIVED THAT KIND OF LETTER AGAIN FROM PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, YOU'LL SPEND AL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS IN YOUR ROOM! YOU DO NOT SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS WITH BRUTE FORCES THIS IS NOT THE GOOD WAY YOU KNOW THAT MY BOY, YOU WORTH MORE THAN THAT! I HOPE I HAD MADE MYSELF CLEAR ON THIS SIRIUS.

The letter disintegrated once she had finished, leaving a small clump of ash in Sirius's plate. The Great Hall gradually began to become noisy again, while some curious ones still continued to throw small glances at Sirius.

He turned to James, who smoothed as if nothing had happened, reading his own letter. -Mom also wants you to know that you will be deprived of dessert if you do something like that again. Said James nonchalantly. -And you can thank Dad for stopping her because the lecture would have lasted for hours. He said, laughing at Sirius.

Yet, unexpectedly, Sirius smirked as he raised his head towards him. -I suppose I'd better listen to Mom in that case, she's really terrifying when she's angry. He said turning back to Professor McGonagall and he could swear he saw her display a little smile as she was still looking at him over her square glasses.

-Yeah, you better do that; our mother is really something when she's angry. James repeated with a smile as he laid his hand on Sirius's shoulder in comfort gesture. -Dad says not to worry too much about it either you know how she is, she will never be able to hold her punishment. James laughed, shaking his head.

No one added anything to what he had just said, while Sirius diverted the conversation with a joke that made the Gryffindor table laugh. Lily continued to look at him for a moment, James was slowly opening the small box that came from his home and which was full of sweets for the boys. Chocolates and Liquorice Wands for Remus, Sugar Quills for Peter and Exploding bonbons Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes for James and Sirius.

Remus pushed Peter who was trying to steal a piece of chocolate from him, James was laughing at some of Sirius' jokes, having removed his glasses to wipe them on his robes before ruffling his hair, tilting his head toward a Ravenclaw girl who had timidly come to ask him how he was doing. Lily sighed to herself, slowly chewing on a piece of toast, listening to Marlene who was listing to Dorcas, again, all of James's injuries. The year would be painful, she thought and even more so if her friend eventually reaches her goal and made Potter her new boyfriend.