(A/N): Hey Guys! Woot, last chapter of second year! Also, the fourth chapter tonight.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leo, Elaine, Shari, Nicholai, Quiggly, Mia and Brooke.
Elaine
Almost a month later, and today was the day. The last day before summer holiday! I, having not been an idiot, had packed the previous night, along with Lily, Remus and Leo, but the other Marauder boys were rushing around, trying to find their things and stuff them into their trunks.
"You should have just packed last night." Lily scolded, and James looked up from where Lily and I stood in the doorway to their dorm, Leo and Remus lounging on their respective beds.
"Now..." James said between pants, lifting his almost full trunk onto the end of his four poster bed. "Where's the fun in that?" Lily rolled her eyes while I just smiled.
Such a Marauder thing to say.
"You can come in, if you like." Remus told us, but Lily shook her head furiously.
"And be exposed to the stink pits?" She gestured towards the three bustling Marauder boys' beds. "Not bloody likely." Leo grinned at her from the other side of the room, over the top of the book he was reading I couldn't see the title, but I could tell it was one of the books we had collected on the animagi transformation. I frowned slightly, my eyebrows furrowing together in the center. We three had finished all five of the books, so why was he reading them again?
"Speak for yourself Lils, I need to rest my arse." I announced, and the boys paused from what they were doing to stare at me for a minute before shaking their heads. I moved into the room and flung myself onto the surprisingly neat pile of spare pillows in the middle, and James groaned.
"I just finished fixing those up!" And with that, Lily jumped onto the pile as well. "Oh whatever, do what you want." James told us, sounding pretty exasperated, but also amused.
"They would have anyway." Leo muttered, and I rolled over onto my stomach, facing his bed now, smiling at him before realising he wouldn't be able to see it because of the book in front of his face.
At least, that's what I thought until he closed the book, smiling at me before he even looked at me. Oh, right, the movement-through-blood-sensing thingy!
I waved at him quickly, so the others wouldn't see it, and he waved back before shoving the animagus book into his familiar navy blue messenger bag where it rested on the floor by his bedside table. On top of the bedside table, however, was his cat's, Vex's, cage. The thing was pure black, usually something you would think to be evil, but he was a sweet heart! Well, when he wasn't around Leo.
"Maybe you should get a dog or something." I told him with a grin as Vex tried to swipe at his ear through the cage as he lent past it.
"Probably." He muttered in agreement, shrugging at the jet black kitty in the barred cage as if it could understand him.
We had all eaten earlier- Leo and Remus had woken up before any of us, and brought up a hoard of food from the kitchens. Lily and I had risen by the time they came back, and they woke the other boys with the scent of food. A whole hoard of food, and four mugs of hot chocolate.
One each for Leo, Lily and I, and one for Remus. Because, unlike James, Lily wasn't against him being included in our inside joke thing.
Twenty minutes later, twenty minutes before we were supposed to leave Hogwarts, the boys finally finished the last of their packing, and we made our way down to the entrance hall.
"It doesn't do you well to be late for the train home, so I suggest you pack the night before, next time." McGonagall told us, and Leo, Lily, Remus and I smiled while the other boys winced.
"Sorry Minnie, but I don't think they'll ever do that." Leo replied, and the boys grinned at him as we exited the Entrance hall as well, quickly catching up with our peers.
"We weren't that late, I don't know what she's complaining about." Sirius whined, and I rolled my eyes before smacking him over the back of the head.
"I swear to god Sirius, if you had made us miss the train, I would have neutered you myself!" I growled, and Sirius gulped before speeding up slightly to put more distance between us.
"Relax." Leo told me, tugging on the hem of my shirt sleeve gently. Not 'Relax Damsel, stress is slowly killing you'?
"You feeling okay?" I whispered, and he stared at me for a second before laughing again.
"I'm fine Elaine, don't worry about me."
Someone has to.
A few hours later, sometime in the late afternoon, we arrived at King's Cross Station, and started to say our goodbyes as soon as the train rolled to a stop.
Lily and I hugged first, quickly, and then I hugged Remus tightly.
"Be careful out there, wolf boy." He barked a laugh in my ear before pulling back.
"You too, Damsel." He smirked at my displeasure at the use of my nickname, and Sirius hugged me tightly from behind.
"Have a great holiday, Laney!" He exclaimed into my ear, and I winced slightly at the noise.
"You too Sirius, now put me the hell down!" He instantly set me back down , and I hugged James as we reached the baggage hold outside the train.
"See you soon, cous." I told him teasingly, and I could practically feel him grinning like an idiot.
"With pleasure, cous." He replied, and we released each other to struggle to get out luggage onto the trolleys.
"What, I don't get a hug?" Leo asked, arms open wide, and I pretended to think about it for a minute.
"No-" I was cut off as he pulled me to his chest tightly, wrapping his arms around me anyway.
"I'll miss you." He whispered to me, and I fought off a blush.
"Then write, you idiot!" I told him, smacking him on the shoulder lightly, despite the height difference. We parted ways, along with the others, and I spotted my mother in the crowd.
"Bye." I said, and they all echoed it as they found their own parents, and they split off just like I had.
Pushing my trolley towards where my mother was standing, there was no way I could have expected it. Except, you know, I should have been used to it by now.
Long arms grabbed me, pulling me closer to them, and I almost went into attack mode before I realised just who had grabbed me.
"Jay!" I exclaimed, hugging him back just as tight. See Jay, or Jaygar as was his full name, is my older brother. He had finished his seventh year at Hogwarts the year before last, but he still came to pick me up every year. Hence why I should have been expecting the surprise hug.
"Hey there Izzy, how've you been?!" He exclaimed, before pulling me closer so he could talk quieter. "And who was that guy you hugged after cousin James?" Yes, even though we're only- distantly- related, we call James 'cousin James's. Jay was really protective when it came to boys, even though I was only twelve, and I managed to push him off me with a smile.
"That's Leo, Jay. He's my best friend at Hogwarts." Jay narrowed his eyes slightly, obviously searching the crowd for Leo but having no luck- Leo never stuck around the station, for obvious reasons.
"Right, and I have armpit hair like aunt Josephine." He said sarcastically, still searching the crowd. That woman had some serious armpit hair though, I'm telling you!
"So that's why you can't get a girlfriend!" I pretended to realise, snapping my fingers as I pushed past him and continued walking until I reached our mother. "Hi mum." She smiled down at me fondly before pulling me into a warm, comforting hug.
"It's good to see you dear." We started to leave the station, and Jay took point, walking a few feet ahead of us, too far to hear anything we said as long as we didn't shout it.
"Marry that boy." My head snapped around, and I stared at my mother in both shock and confusion.
"Who?" She rolled her eyes, something my mother did very rarely, and smiled down at me.
"That Leo boy. Marry him, he obviously cares about you." I avoided her eyes, trying to smother the furious blush threatening to envelope my cheeks and I scanned the crowd over my shoulder one last time, even though I already knew I wouldn't see the person I wanted to.
"I'll try."
(A/N): So, what did you think?
Please review and/or check out my other stories!
P.S: Yes, I have mentioned Jay before. I mentioned him in first year, in chapter eight: Disgusting Goo. He's nineteen, and the name Jaygar is German meaning 'Hunter'.
This chapter has had minor edits made to it on 29/12/22