FOREWORDS
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More fun that you can shake a wand at…sort of…
* * *
~ Cloaks and Daggers ~
By: Oy! Angelina
* * *
For the three positions opening up on the House Quidditch Team in the fall, nearly twenty Gryffindor applicants showed up on the school Pitch to tryout on the afternoon back from Hogsmeade.
Petitioning Cassidy to help him manage the recruits, James separated everyone into two separate teams to run a mock match. Rotating players and positions around with the regular team and reserves on hand to offer suggestions, James and Cassidy soared the field to observe the finesse and potential those trying out. After several hours of scoring, blocking, and debrooming the Snitch was finally snared by one exuberant 3rd Year calling an end to the game. Debating the matter over a bit, James and Cassidy could agree on nine hopefuls to invite back for another try.
James was happy that Sirius and the Weasley boy were amongst them.
Announcing his decision to everyone, most of the candidates abandoned the pitch: some thrilled to be called back while others were disappointed in not making the cut. The wide-eyed Bill Weasley and smirking Sirius Black lingered behind with James and Cassidy to help organize the equipment left behind so Madam Hooch wouldn't have a fit. Remus and Peter ceased observing from the stands and joined their friends on the green.
"So, which of you do I have to shag to get that spot on the team?" Sirius grinned between Cassidy and James.
"My vote's fer the captain here if that count's fer anything." Cassidy pointed to James.
"Yeah, my vote's for me too." James winked at his best friend.
Breaking down into laughter, James recovered and smiled to Sirius and Bill.
"Actually, the way I'm figuring it now, if the two of you give me the same performance during the next tier of the tryouts, I'll be putting Sirius on as a Chaser and giving Weasley a reserve position." James divulged.
Sirius and Bill smiled at one another broadly, causing Cassidy to grunt.
"Yer useless as an impartial judge, Potter." Cassidy rolled her eyes.
"Imagine how bad I'd be if Lily had gone out." James grinned as he handed off an armful of brooms to Bill. "You think you can put this in storage for me."
Nodding enthusiastically to gain curry with the team Captain, Bill accepted the brooms and speed off.
"If he doesn't make the next cut, can we still keep him around? I like the lad." Sirius asked fondly as he watched Bill dash away. Cassidy kept her eyes on Bill too before turning to the four boys in her Year.
"You ought to know what I caught Macnair up to out at Hogsmeade." Cassidy grimly spoke.
Rehashing the events as she understood it, from Macnair cornering Gwen McGinnis and Millicent Meeks to Winifred Wilkes's unprompted arrival, James, Peter, Sirius, and Remus's expressions fought between concerned shock and venomous fury.
"I could vomit in rage." Sirius reported as he finished listening to Cassidy's account.
"You do that, but then you're helping me break both his arms." James decided. "You sure of what you think was going on, Cass?"
"I can think of only a few things probably run'n through Macnair's mind then and all of them involve me smash'n this bat into his windpipe fer it." Cassidy waved her Beater's equipment.
"Why don't I hang onto this then?" Sirius pulled the bat from Cassidy's grip.
"When did yeh become the voice of reason, Black?" Cassidy demanded.
"Oh I haven't, you just happened to produce a grand idea I'd very much like to put into motion." Sirius glowered. "I'll leave all nay saying to the kindly Mr. Lupin."
"Well someone else can do it, I'm with Sirius." Remus informed irritably as he shoved his hands darkly into his robes. He loathed Macnair's sort unconditionally and could be ill at the thought of him cornering Arabella up some dark passage.
"What are we going to do?" James demanded. "Not to be a chauvinist here, but I don't much like the idea of Slytherin's bullying our girls."
"Ye have my agreement on that." Cassidy nodded nursing the blow to her ego. "I don't spend my hours looking out fer runts like Gwen and push-overs like Millie teh let a slight like this go unpunished."
"We should mention this to Lily." Peter stated. "I mean, Macnair shouldn't be doing this sort of thing."
"I'll tell her." James nodded but scowled. "Though from what Cassidy said, it doesn't sound like McGonagall or the other Professors will be able to do much more than tell him to stay away from Millicent and Gwen if all he was doing was talking with them."
"Yhe know that's not all he had on his mind. That should count fer something!" Cassidy fumed.
"We'll do something about it then, you tell Millicent and Gwen that." Peter promised Cassidy. "It involves two of our favorite activates: saving lovely damsels and pranking the hell out of Slytherin."
The three other boys nodded, confirming Peter's vow. It would be a long night of meticulous plotting. Breaking away from the dialogue, Sirius nodded to be bleachers.
"Is that Wilkes up in the stands?" Sirius raised an eyebrow as he peered towards the Gryffindor section.
"She showed up about halfway through the practice." Peter nodded, glancing over his shoulder at her with disdain. "I wish she sat in her own section instead of ours."
"She didn't cause us any trouble." Remus frowned at Peter. "She barely spoke to us the entire time. I think she just fancies Quidditch."
"Probably spying for the Slytherin team." Cassidy guessed with a scowl. "Seeing who you take on."
"I don't think so." James shook his head. "She has nothing to do with the House Team as far as I know and we won't be playing Slytherin until next season anyway so it's not like it'll be much of a secret."
"I think I'll go see what she wants." Cassidy decided as she headed up towards the stands.
"Don't bully her, Cass!" Sirius urged out of nowhere. "She lent me a hand in the Potions brawl and just helped out Gwen and Millie!"
"Yeh sweet on Snape's cousin all of a sudden, Black?" Cassidy teased with a grin.
A truly amused smile sprang to Sirius's face as he glanced away.
"Don't you think Snape hates me enough already?" Sirius laughed a little too loudly. "No, as sweet as forbidden fruit might be I'm just being chivalrous here. I've got more going for Wilkes than against, that's all."
"I'll play nice." Cassidy assured as she abandoned the boys.
"Speaking of Wilkes, Florence attempted talking to me today." Sirius reported, evidently not savoring the conversation. Remus and Peter exchanged concerned glances while James had a nagging sense of déjà vu over the topic.
"Sorry Mate." Appeared to be the best Peter had to offer.
"What did she want?" Remus asked frowning again, not at all interested in watching Florence Copia drag his friend through the wringer more than she already had.
"Mostly seemed like she wanted to talk to me." Sirius shook his head, not entirely sure what to think of Florence engaging him. "It was Florance's usual runaround but it sounded like she was trying to scratch an itch on her conscience."
"Took her two years to finally feel guilty?" Peter snorted. "Never found that girl particularly prompt on the uptake."
"You all right?" James questioned in concern.
Sirius threw up his default smile, beaming it at his friends.
"Yeah, I'm grand, don't worry." Sirius assured to a trio of frowning faces.
"Don't do that, Padfoot." Remus insisted. "Say it quickly so you don't have to think if you actually mean it."
"It's alright if you're NOT fine." James added. "Not like we'll judge you for it. Not a chap amongst us who hasn't hit a rough spot with the fairer sex now and again."
"Mostly James though." Peter nodded.
"Yes, mostly me." James agreed with a smile.
Sirius smiled back, weakly this time. He found his performance carefree and riding high a more entertaining one than grappling with the complicated problems the act of living tends to invite. Still, these were his closest friends in the whole world and it didn't pay to play tough with them all the time. To always be strong for them.
It was okay to let yourself be vulnerable from time to time in the proper company.
"I don't know how to feel about it all still." Sirius admitted reluctantly.
"We could talk about it." James offered. "You never really bring it up and you always dodge the conversation when one of us mentions it."
"Well, there's really just not a lot to tell." Sirius confessed. "Fooled around a bit with Florence, that Jorkins cow found us out and passed along the word before I could hex her, and I had to hear through a ranting Snape that Florence was moonlighting with ME. End tryst."
"You really had no idea about Snape?" Peter reiterated.
"None." Sirius shrugged honestly. "Wouldn't have touched her if I had. If I want to get at Snape, I'm not the low-blowing type to attack him through someone else."
Sirius's friends exchanged some relieved glances. They had suspected all along that Sirius hadn't intentionally dated Florence on the sly, but it was good to hear him say it in a way that made them all believe it.
"Did you and Florence . . ." James knew what he wanted to ask but the words weren't coming out as well as he hoped.
Sirius caught the drift.
"Nah." Sirius shook his head. "I mean we did more than hold hands and gaze fondly into one another's eyes but we weren't close enough for something like that."
More relieved looks all around as the Marauders were happy to know that the situation wasn't nearly as complicated as they had assumed. But this begged another question.
"What about Snape?" Peter inquired.
"He didn't mention it and I REALLY don't want to try and imagine." Sirius snorted with a disgusted expression. "Your guess is as good as mine with that Slytherin lot. Tudor and Lestrange make me feel like I should be paying some cover charge half the time and the rest range from promiscuous to perverse from what I understand. They simply weren't raised with our wholesome Gryffindor values."
"Such as defiling every empty classroom with snogging and groping some girl?" James smirked to Sirius knowingly.
"I don't remember laying claim to us being asexual saints." Sirius grinned. "Especially when some of us have Prefect girlfriends with private bedrooms."
"Life is GOOD." James's smile was manic and sincere.
Laughing a bit over this, the boys decided to head off for supper and shower later on since they were already straggling. James called up to Cassidy who was still talking with Wilkes and asked her to lock up the Pitch once they were done. Exiting the green, Remus turned to Sirius with a solemn expression.
"You never did mention how you felt about Florence." Remus observed softly. "Before you started hating her, that is."
"I don't hate her. I don't like her but I don't hate her." Sirius sighed. "Now that I've had a few years to think about it, I imagine Florence is just very insecure and needs attention anyway she can manage it. It's hard to hate someone who hates themselves that much to begin with. Still it's not easy to forgive her either."
"Did you think you were in love her?" James hoped this wasn't a bad question to ask.
"Not her. No."
This was the most Sirius would say on the issue that neither James, Remus, nor Peter cared to press any further.
* * *
Severus Snape loathed his afternoon classes during the week as all of them promised the intolerable company of James Potter and his crowd. It wasn't bad enough that he had to suffer through Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons with those mongrel idiots but they were present in most of his electives as well.
Ancient Runes was uneventful since Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, and Millicent Meeks were the only Gryffindors of their Year that cared to enroll and all three were usually studious and polite. Severus had little interest in their lessons involving interpreting cast runes since he felt these practices had a better place in fluff courses like Divinations, but the linguistic implications and analysis of word formation for incantations was certainly intriguing.
Arithmancy, in general, struck Severus as mindless busywork prescribed by Professor Vector's uncreative mind. Hours devoted to intricate number charts for no conceivable purpose irritated Severus enough without having to endure Potter currying the Professor's favor in his desperate need to convince everyone he was the smartest member of the class. Since Meeks was the only other Gryffindor present in a class predominantly of Ravenclaws, Potter's usual showboating was tapered off since there wasn't anyone in particular to impress.
Muggle Studies was a different matter.
Potter, Pettigrew, Lupin, and, of course, Black assaulted the integrity of the class with ceaseless banter and juvenile antics since the four were communally bad influences upon one another whenever together. They were often trying to earn laughs off Kinkade, Meeks, Winifred and the rest of the class since it was predominantly Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. In fact, Severus and Winifred were the only members of Slytherin to participate in Muggle Studies as their Housemates considered it a waste of time.
The instructor of the class, Professor Prosaik, was a stout man in his early fifties with gray hair covering his head and a bushy mustache covering his mouth. He was a Muggle-Born Wizard and took his field very seriously and relished in boring his pupils with inane details on Muggle life that he sporadically included in his tests. This forced serious students such as Severus to take detailed notes on everything Prosaik lectured if they wanted top marks in the class.
Potter chose to transfigure half of his stationary equipment into something or another traditionally through the periods. Being the idiot-savant he was though, Potter retained even the most tedious of information of the class without any effort while the rest of them feverously scribbled notes out.
Black did his own transfiguration work in Muggle Studies by means of turning it into a mockery of a classroom with his smart comments for everything they discussed. Being the fool he was, Black had the class eating out of his hand and Professor Prosaik hot-tempered over the fact Black was the worst type of student:
Remarkably brilliant without any regard for authority.
When he wasn't lecturing, Professor Prosaik had a tendency to assign weekly essays on Muggle topics that were two - three feet in length. Prosaik also had the nasty habit of dissecting his students' papers as he returned them with the class as his audience.
"I spent most of the night struggling to finish these papers on influences in Muggle development so I could hand them back to all of you today. You all have Sirius Black to thank for jarring me awake around midnight or so after a majority of your mediocre attempts had compelled me to nod off." Professor Prosaik announced as he loomed over Sirius Black's desk stiffly returning his work. "His paper entitled 'Television: Influential Minion of the Oppressive Consumer Devil' turned simple Muggle recreation into a controversial soapbox for Mr. Black to preach. Thank you, Black, it wouldn't be an assignment without your warped slant, now would it? I would have thought after three and a half years you would have run out of material by now."
"If it's one thing the Muggles have taught me, Sir, it's to rise to meet any daunting challenge by doing the same old thing with a fresh twist." Black grinned like the prat he was.
"While an imaginative attempt at perfect marks, Mr. Black; I'm afraid the best I could offer was an eight out of ten." Professor Prosaik's mustache twitched as Severus guessed his lips twisted into a cross expression underneath.
"Oh come on!" Sirius protested with a laugh. "Professor Prosaik, I actually bothered to put my whole arse in to this assignment instead of the usual half!"
Laughter sprang out from a majority of the class with this comment.
"Yes, well the cheeky delivery of the content distracted proof from your claims." Professor Prosaik justified. "If I had wanted satyr, Mr. Black, I would have assigned it."
Turning to James Potter, Prosaik handed back his parchment.
"And in the most recent addition to your sudden attempts at serious work, Mr. Potter, I gave you full marks for you well-articulated essay on Charles Darwin's Origins of Muggles." Professor Prosiak praised. "Well done, Potter. Most pureblood wizards lack the abstract thinking required for such a non-magical or mythical explanation as Darwin's."
"Thank you sir." Potter accepted with a smile.
"It's just good to see you not joining Black on his usual tangents." Prosaik nodded.
"That's just because he's got his Muggle-Born girlfriend proof-reading his papers to make sure he keeps all his toes in line." Black assured. Potter laughed off the comment but glared unappreciatively at Black, evidently not pleased with having his relationship with Lily broadcasted to his Professor.
That or Potter was simply deluding himself into believing that Lily didn't thoroughly own him like Black had suggested.
"Mr. Snape decided to address a similar topic to Mr. Potter with an interesting perspective." Professor Prosaik turned to Snape handing his parchment to him. "Extraordinary job, all in all. The parallels of Muggle ingenuity with the mythical figure Prometheus earned you a two full points extra on the assignment giving you a twelve out of ten. Congratulations of securing your position as top of my class."
Prosaik turned briefly to Potter as he added.
"I'll have to check with your other professors, but you and Potter might be dead even for the Head Wizard of your Year. Could be a matter of the O.W.L.s and recommendations over which of you will come out as Head Boy."
As Professor Prosaik continued to hand back essays, Severus turned to share a displeased glare with Potter. Neither of them liked being so close to the brass ring with the other right on top of them. Potter's popularity and natural talent with magic made him a tough opponent to win out over, but Severus had both exemplary marks and behavior in all his classes.
It was shaping to be a brutally competitive term.
* * *
Lily found it hard to remain attentive throughout the course of the Prefect meeting. The Year's Head Boy and Head Girl took turns droning on about the same things they discussed every week about upcoming school events, comments or suggestions from the faculty and students, and measures to improve intra-House cooperation (i.e. Gryffindors and Slytherin need to stop quarreling like rabid badgers).
Even without the repetitive quality to these mandatory meetings, Lily caught her mind and eye wandering a little too often to Severus Snape and his House.
James's story about Sirius. Florence, and Severus was hard to block out. Lily found herself tempted to walk straight up to Copia and scream at her for her abysmal behavior towards two people Lily considered friends and Florence had considered lovers on some level. It was appalling how some people paid such little mind to the feelings of others.
A part of Lily recognized that, if she were a different person with a different inclination, she could probably strut about like Copia, flaunting any hint of beauty and charisma she possessed to draw men onto the jagged rocks of her personality. But she would never do such a thing. Lily felt guilt even thinking about it which is why it made it so impossible for her to understand or sympathize with Florence in anyway.
Was she just one more bad egg in the Slytherin clutch?
Mary Tudor was a raving psychotic hiding beneath a pureblood guise.
Aaron Lestrange was her smug marionette that she dragged about by the strings.
Regius Avery was as sexist as he was craven as he made certain to never adopt a conviction that he couldn't discard at the drop of a hat.
Hekate Undercross unfortunately mannish features provoked her to be the biggest female bully in Slytherin.
Winifred Wilkes was either a living contradiction or an utter enigma as she was linked to some elaborately cruel plot one moment and saving people from rival Houses the next.
Serpen Nott was the witless omega of the 6th Year Slytherins who tolerated the harassment of his 'friends' because he had no choice but to.
And Walden Macnair was a repulsive brute who tormented anything smaller than himself.
Lily briefly relieved James telling her about his imposing upon Gwen and Millicent and felt slightly ill. She mentioned it to McGonagall who had undoubtedly spoken with Macnair but that was probably as far as it went. After all, he hadn't threatened Millicent or Gwen let alone touched them and there wasn't any school rules against being a slovenly creep so a chiding and warning to avoid the girls was probably the best they could do.
If anything, this would just entice Macnair to harass the girls further.
That's why Lily was determined to mention something to Severus on the matter. He was Macnair's Prefect and had far more access to the prat than Lily did. Severus was at the perfect vantage point to keep an eye on Macnair and his behavior. Additionally, Lily suspected that Severus would greatly frown upon anyone in his House, let alone Year, behaving so crassly.
Waiting until the meeting had concluded and lingering behind as the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects departed with the Head students, Lily approached Severus awkwardly.
"Could I speak with you a moment, Severus?" Lily requested.
Severus stopped adjusting his things and stared at Lily.
"I suppose, depending on the subject." Severus specified. Lily assumed this was his polite way of deflecting any conversations that might require him to be less than candid in his opinion of James or their friends.
"James mentioned something to me about Macnair." Lily introduced frowning. "He said that Macnair was harassing Gwen McGinnis and Millicent Meeks at Hogsmeade."
"I don't find this news particularly impressive." Severus admitted, all too conscious of Macnair's usual habit of bullying others for amusement.
Lily shifted her weight uncomfortably; partially from the conversation and partially for the person she was having it with.
"He was making the girls very uneasy with his presence." Lily hoped she wouldn't have to elaborate much more past that. Severus's eyes appeared to grow shades dark as she concluded her sentence, indicating that she probably wouldn't have to go on.
A specific discomfort seemed to envelope both the Prefects now.
"What did he do?" Severus loathed to even ask.
"Nothing." Lily shook her head. "Mostly he just intimidated them, until your cousin . . . interrupted things."
"Winifred?" Severus questioned.
"You sound surprised." Lily noted.
He was.
It was odd behavior for Winifred to directly intervene on any matter. She preferred hiding in shadows and misdirection to anything overt on her part. Of course, Winifred had been displaying a lot of odd behavior lately. Openly quarrelling with Nott after lying about attacking him and fraternizing with Gryffindors was uncharacteristic enough of his cousin without adding unprovoked acts of benevolence to the mix.
Again, Severus wanted to know what agenda Winifred was striving for.
"I merely hadn't anticipated that of Winifred." Severus replied.
"Apparently she threatened to set his shoes on fire after thoroughly spooking him." Lily smiled in spite of herself, before quickly sobering to the seriousness of the discussion. "I hope it doesn't disappoint you to know she did that."
"I am disappointed." Severus frowned. "Winifred should have followed through."
Lily didn't know if Severus was joking or really wished Wilkes had set a member of their House ablaze.
"Well, I'm not sure how much farther things would have gone past that." Lily confessed her uncertainty on the situation. "Macnair just upset them and I wanted to make you aware of what was happening since he was in your House. I would want to know if someone in mine was behaving this way."
"Thank you for informing me." Severus nodded stiffly. "I'll mention something to Heilsing and speak to Macnair personally when I have the chance."
"Thank you for seeing to it." Lily smiled appreciatively.
"Not at all." Severus deflected the comment as he gathered his possessions. "If you'll excuse me, I have many matters to attend to and they are evidently multiplying."
Watching Severus Snape sweep off towards the dungeons glowering, Lily sighed audibly. It was good to know that Severus appeared to be a jarred by this behavior of Macnair's as she was. She hadn't really suspected otherwise of him, but was just relieved to know her faith wasn't misplaced in the Slytherin boy. It also didn't hurt that his cousin appeared to share his notion of integrity that didn't fail her when the situation called for it.
It was comforting to know there were good people in Slytherin.
* * *
Severus debated whether or not to tell anything to Professor Heilsing. Not because he cared to protect Macnair, but alerting her of his behavior would severely impair Severus's own measures to crucify him for it. He wasn't oblivious to Macnair's tendencies to torment others, but Severus chided himself for allowing them to progress to such a volatile state. The warning signs were there and the unbalanced drives of adolescence only compounded Macnair's creativity. McGinnis was obnoxious and stupid but that didn't give Macnair any excuse to impose himself on her. And Meeks was as harmless as she was inoffensive; making any victimization of her all the more revolting.
Severus resolved to put an end to it by one means or another before the day was out.
Entering his room, Severus deposited his belongings into their appropriate places before resuming the project he had been attempting for the past week. Severus extracted several tomes from both his personal collection and the library and opened them to the marked pages he had last been studying. It was a change of pace from his usual dabbling and research with potions, this particular endeavor was predominantly centered around Charms work.
Severus hated to admit it, even to himself, but it was proving to be more challenging than he had initially anticipated. He lacked the refinement required for some of the Charms necessitated while others were demanded an advanced understanding in that field of magic.
Not that this deterred him in the least.
His correspondence with Aurora Black every other day for the past month was arousing suspicion as his frequent trips to the Owlry and return visits from Helios was becoming conspicuous. Severus was confident that it had not gone unnoticed by certain individuals in his House and suspected that Sirius Black might have an inkling of it. Privacy was a very important consideration of Severus's.
Which was why he was investing his time as such presently.
He had only just removed his wand to recommence his task when a knock interrupted him. A disgruntled noise seeped from the back of Severus's throat as he swept over to the door fully prepared to brush off Heilsing or dismiss Winifred until later on.
Throwing open the door, Severus saw the startled face of Lily Evans instead.
"What are you doing down here?" Severus inquired, curious as to what her presence entailed.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry am I disturbing you?" Lily apologized, rather flustered.
It didn't serve either of their reputations well to have Lily stammering outside his bedroom door like this. Quickly surveying the hall, Severus shoved the door open to allow Lily access into his room for the first time since last October.
She appeared taken aback slightly by the invitation, but chose to enter instead of protest.
Shutting the door behind them, Severus turned back to his unexpected guest.
"Did you forget to mention something at the meeting?" Severus prompted. "Or something more about Macnair?"
"Neither." Lily answered quickly. "I forgot to ask you earlier, but I was wondering if you could clarify something for me from Potions class. O.W.L.'s are approaching and I can't afford to fall behind on the game."
"I see." Severus eyed Lily. She had never asked him for assistance before in any of their classes. He had assumed she didn't require it. Of course, she had spent the entire Prefect Meeting as though something were on her mind. Maybe this was simply her excuse for an opportunity to bring it up.
"If you're busy though, we can always discuss it later." Lily added politely with a nod over to his desk and the books stacked on it.
"Now is fine." Severus assured.
He briefly considered asking Lily's opinion on a few of the charms for his project, she was very skilled in the area and they had a civil working relationship. Ultimately, Severus decided against it. She would probably want to know what it was for and he didn't feel like either lying or explaining his motivations as far as this topic was concerned.
"I was wondering if there were any substitutions for eel fin in the Illumination Drafts we were working on." Lily went on. "If I was inclined to make a variation of the potion to have a more potent affect, that is."
"The granular residue of nocturnal breeds of pixies would offer a more vibrant glow." Severus reported. "However, the light won't last quite as long as it would with the standardized version."
"That's very helpful, thank you." Lily smiled.
"I trust you would have realized it eventually as they don't just arbitrarily select Head Girls at Hogwarts." Severus nodded.
"Pardon?" Lily questioned.
"It's presently unsubstantiated, but most of the professors assume you'll be Head Girl next year." Severus informed. "Your marks and popularity are a great credit to you."
"I hadn't realized I was that far ahead." Lily confessed woodenly. Severus couldn't decide whether she was truly ignorant or simply being modest.
"I don't know why you would suspect anything less." Severus stared.
"I thought Mary Tudor was keeping admirable pace." Lily admitted.
"Tudor is accomplished but trailing. Her marks aren't as high as yours and professors prefer a charisma that is humble to haughty." Severus rationalized. "Her preoccupation with frivolous feuds is largely responsible for this."
"I see." Lily replied stiffly.
Severus couldn't help but notice her rigid demeanor. Perhaps she wasn't accustomed to backbiting and was uncomfortable with the criticisms of Mary Tudor.
Probably too wicked an indulgence for those pristine Gryffindors.
Whatever was on her mind, Lily recovered with a smile and absently drifted her eyes around the room.
"You know, this is exactly how I pictured your room to be." Lily commented. "Not that there's anything wrong with it. I simply assumed you were running one giant Potion's experiment in here."
"Why would you assume otherwise?" Severus stared at her quizzically. Why would she need to assume anything about his room considering she had seen it before? It's not like he was one for redecorating.
"Well, you just never know for certain until you see with your own two eyes." Lily continued on. "The first time you step into someone's room is like a peek into their very soul if you - "
Lily cut her own sentence off when she became aware of Severus pointing his wand at her.
"Who are you?" Severus spoke in an even tone, though his black eyes flared.
"Severus? That's not funny." Lily chided in a worried pitch.
"Who are you?" Severus repeated, ignoring her. This person's odd behavior and erratic dialogues matched nothing of what Severus knew of Lily Evans.
"Lily Evans." Lily blinked nervously.
"Did I ask who you were impersonating?" Severus demanded softly.
Severus felt his grip ceasing tighter and tighter over his wand, desperate to direct it at the imposter along with whatever vicious curse sprang to his mind first. His seventeen years of ingrained composure fought this rash impulse, however.
To the present fortune of whomever this person was.
Severus loomed over "Lily Evans" compact frame, face twitching with rage. Sparks flickered sporadically at the tip if his wand as their commanding incantations rested upon the tip of his tongue.
She grinned at him like a psychotic.
Severus knew who that grin belonged to.
"Tudor." Severus rasped the name like a death sentence.
"Lily" sighed.
"Well, I suppose there's no point in lying now that the jig is up." Tudor shrugged Evans's shoulders. Her tone was disappointed, as though it were truly just a simple game. To Mary Tudor, it probably was. To Severus Snape, it was a horrible insult. Turning Lily's eyes up to Severus, Tudor casually inquired. "Out of curiosity, what gave me awa - "
The green eyes that belonged to the real Lily lit up with realization.
The psychotic grin had returned. It was ill-suited on Lily's lips.
"This ISN'T the first time Evans has been in here, is it?"
Severus chose to shove Mary roughly into the closest wall rather than answer her. Laughing madly, evidently amused with either herself, Severus, or merely the situation in general, Mary shook Lily's long red hair about as she did this with a wide smile. Twin green eyes sparkled as though the sanity behind them flickered as well.
It was an utter perversion to see something that so closely resembled the traditionally elegant and regal Lily Evans behaving so like this.
Severus found it entirely disturbing.
"So what happened?" Mary demanded curiously. "What did you and the Proper Prefect do?"
"Silence." Severus warned in a growl.
Mary batted Lily's eyelashes at Severus.
"What's wrong, Severus?" Mary used Lily's voice in an over the top mimic of innocence. "Regretting that you didn't make a move on ME last time I was in here with you. While James wasn't looking? Or did I freeze up on you? I'm a bit of a tease like that I know. I couldn't ruin MY perfect, Mudblood image with that sort of debauch fun."
"That. Is. Enough." Severus shoved Mary again, clattering the shelf of books and glass containers next to her.
"Do you find roughing Evans up a bit cathartic, Severus?" Mary inquired with a chuckle. "I couldn't blame you the way she gave you the run around then brushed you off for Potter."
Mary and her depraved games.
Dawning a flirty smile and a wink, Mary stared at Severus.
"Come on; want to give "Evans" a toss?" Mary offered.
Severus was tempted to toss her clear off the roof.
"Do you think you're funny Mary?" Severus hissed. "Did you think I wouldn't notice eventually that you weren't Lily Evans? What were you hoping to accomplish with this? You and Lestrange playing one of your kinky little games again?"
"Oh RELAX!" Mary rolled Evans eyes with an exasperated sigh. "I was just teasing you a bit. Lighten up, Severus! I just wanted to see if I could bluff you. I figured if I managed that, Potter would be eating out of my hand. Or 'Lily's' more appropriately."
"Potter?" Severus repeated, before the weight of the situation crashed down around him. "Why would 'Lily' need to talk to James Potter?"
Mary appeared to be torn between crowing her plan and keeping it to herself.
"Tell me or I swear I'll shove a truth serum, vial and all, down your throat, Mary."
Both Severus and Tudor knew this threat wasn't idle.
"I thought I'd get back at Evans for dowsing me with parasites." Mary snarled.
"With a Polyjuice Potion." Severus guessed. "Under different circumstance, I would be impressed Mary. It's a complicated potion to brew and requires a patience I didn't give you the credit of possessing. It's been a month and a half since the fight in Potions; I would have thought your vengeance would have come on swifter wings."
"I'm not going for the kill, Severus, I'm going for the pain." Mary replied.
"How did you get a sample of Evans and one of her uniforms?" Severus pressed. He noticed the absent Prefect badge and cursed himself for not realizing it earlier.
"Laundry service for both." Mary muttered. "Marvel she's not bald with all the red hairs she sheds."
"So what were you planning to do with Evans's face?" Severus insisted. "The pain, not the kill?"
Mary appeared hesitant to go on. Without taking his wand from her, Severus reached for a thin, clear vile off a shelf and showed it to her.
"Do I have to give you an incentive to go on?" Severus asked silkily.
"Aaron and I were going to break up Potter and Evans." Mary turned away, unable to look at Severus from rage and disappointment.
"Lestrange. I anticipated he'd have a part to play in any plan of yours." Severus sneered. "I can assume you used the laundry service again to impersonate Potter as well?"
Severus took Mary's hot silence as a yes.
"What were the two of you going to do to them?" Severus continued to scratch at the heart of the matter. "Say insulting things? Perform publicly humiliating acts? Whatever discord you managed would unravel itself eventually, Mary. Potter and Evans aren't incompetent and someone is bound to notice that they were in two places at once. Why all this preparation, all this waiting for a childish ruse when you know . . ."
Severus felt his words trail off in his mouth as it dawned on him that provoking false quarrels between James Potter and Lily Evans WAS beneath Tudor's cunning. And her cruel capacity.
The pain over the kill.
What could Mary use a doppelganger Lily Evans for with James Potter that would hurt the real Lily? What could a perverse, sensual, malevolent creature like her contrive that would destroy their relationship.
Mary Tudor sleeping with James Potter and Aaron Lestrange sleeping with Lily Evans.
The mere idea of this scenario being played out was nauseating. Tudor masquerading as "Evans", duping Potter into some sort of intimacy he reserved only for the real Lily while Lestrange pulled a similar deception with Evans. The shame, violation, and inevitable rot between Potter and Evans that would come after that was unfathomable to Severus but he could trust that no matter how little he thought of James Potter he didn't deserve that and Lily Evans deserved worlds better.
The pain over the kill.
Practically the Slytherin mantra.
"You would sleep with Potter to stab Evans in her heart? Likewise for him?" Severus stepped closer to Tudor. "I have never heard of anything more sadistic in all my years in Slytherin."
"I don't know what Slytherin you've been living in then! And I really don't know why you'd care at all about this." Mary seethed. "I figure after she's broken in a bit, Lily "the Real McCoy" Evans can get off her pedestal and pay you a bit of attention. Considering the things you know I'm capable of, those two are getting off unscathed without a drop of blood to be spilled."
Severus had never heard a more vile justification for such a heinous act.
"You expect me to believe this is mercy on your part?" Severus all but saw red. "You recognize precisely how irreparably damaging this would be to their souls. It would DESTROY THEM Mary, taint them for life, and you revile in that! THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ATROCIOUS DEEDS YOU COULD INFLICT ON ANOTHER PERSON!"
Severus felt murderous towards Tudor in this moment and knew he her being alone in a confined setting would end tragically.
For Tudor.
"You will take me to where you're brewing the potion." Severus ordered through his teeth. "I'm putting an end to this before it even begins."
"No I won't!" Mary used Evans lips to sneer in a most foul expression.
Severus jarred her frame against the wall to reiterate his request one again.
"DON'T. TOY. WITH. ME." Severus insisted furiously. "You are going to take me to the potion, I shall destroy every last drop of it, and then we're having a word with Lestrange. If I even SUSPECT you're plotting ANYTHING like this EVER again, Tudor, the suffering and anguish on your and Lestrange's part will lack any suitable definition."
Tudor must have appreciated the sincerity behind Severus's threat as her expression became that of a thwarted, spoiled child.
"Fine." Mary snarled.
Sizing her by the wrist, Severus led Tudor off and out of his room, grateful the potions was beginning to lose its effect on her appearance.
* * *
Severus audibly swept into the Slytherin common room dragging Mary Tudor along in her now reverted, usual form. Nearly all the eyes of the House members present stared at the scene with the 6th Years, whom were congregated on several couches, had the most affected expression. Glowering, Severus tugged Mary over towards her boyfriend and wrenched her near him. Aaron Lestrange had a lethal look and motioned to attack Severus until Mary gestured him to halt while glaring at their Prefect.
"Everyone of you whom is not a member of the 6th Year is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to leave the commons immediately." The House Prefect announced venomously to show he was leaving no option open for debate. Most within Slytherin didn't dare address Severus on normal occasions let alone when the sullen, human encyclopedia of vicious curses was already cross. Clearing out as fast as possible, those exempt left the 6th Years to face whatever had infuriated their usually moody Prefect so.
"What do you think you're doing to Mary?" Aaron demanded heatedly. He hated anyone other than himself touching Mary unless he gave his permission otherwise.
"Not even HALF of what I'd care to." Severus snapped back. "Your prank intended for Potter and Evans has been disposed of and I thought it would be prudent to make out Housemates acutely aware of what you were planning."
"Of course we know they're planning to break them up." Regius Avery noted obviously with a casual smile. "We have a small pot going on it for which day it happens."
Severus's neck jerked in Avery's direction.
"And did they inform you of what it entailed?" Severus wanted to know just how accountable the rest of their Year was in this fiasco.
"Not the details, no." Florence Copia admitted while seated next to Regius. "They said secrecy was a part of pulling it off. None of us thought anything of how Mary and Aaron were going to manage it; we were just interested in the bet."
"Wouldn't be the first cloak and daggers wager we've had, Severus." Winifred added with an expression of concern. "Why are you so bothered by this one?"
"Allow me to enlighten you." Severus offered as he launched into a synopsis of the Polyjuice plot Tudor and Lestrange had intended. The other 6th Years listened in silence to the specifics, some exchanging glance with others transfixed on Severus.
Once finished, Severus turned back to the defiant looking Lestrange and Tudor.
"Did you both believe this would be swept under the rug? That neither Potter nor Evans would care to mention that someone violated them courtesy of Polyjuice Potion? They're the golden pair of Hogwarts which means their list on enemies runs very short. How long would it take before suspicion was turned upon our House?" Severus snapped.
"How could they prove anything even if we had followed though?" Lestrange demanded. "Polyjuice makes for a hard ID."
"Not after an hour." Severus sneered. "And assuming you were mindful and had the opportunity to keep ingesting the potion, you're not as clever as you think you are. Do you think the administration, the Ministry, is without their means of revealing the guilty party? If they were, I very much suspect Polyjuice would be illegal to brew don't you, you arrogant prat! Or perhaps expulsion before probable incarceration was what you intended to be the punch line of this ill-conceived joke."
Mary and Aaron exchanged dark glances, indicating that they hadn't really considered that much past the humiliation of Potter and Evans. Severus turned his black eyes onto the rest of his Year as he addressed them.
"Regardless of what you think of me, I am still the Prefect of this House and I do not tolerate such flamboyantly stupid recklessness of its members." Severus reminded as though it were a threat.
"Which means you'll be running off to Heilsing now?" Mary snorted.
"I assure you both I'm greatly considering it." Severus glowered between Mary and Aaron. "However, Slytherin prides itself on keeping much of what transpires within its walls as in-House affairs. We are resourceful, independent, and we manage our own. We don't need Heilsing perched on our shoulders making sure we step in line nor do I care to report every problem to arise to her. It shows that we are all too mindless and ineffectual to be trusted with our own lives. That we need the supervision and coddling of those other Houses. I, for one, would like to assume that we are rational and capable of tending to our own House and the actions of its members without including the faculty every moment."
The 6th Years said nothing but appeared to agree with what Severus had to say. Slytherin had a sense of equilibrium to it as well as its own brand of justice. Part of being in Slytherin was knowing that someone was probably watching and that was typically more than enough incentive to watch one's step. Every action had an almost guaranteed reaction.
And, depending on the action, the reaction was harsh and memorable.
Slytherin kept itself in check.
It had to.
Usually no one batted an eyelash if a member of Slytherin was plotting against someone out of House. Slytherin was concerned with Slytherin, and few things otherwise. While Slytherin was ambivalent to any torment of the other three Houses, back-stabbing and betrayal within the House was always given notice and evaluated. Standard mores were:
1) Never do anything you aren't confident you'll be able to get away with. Internally or externally of Slytherin. Particularly internally.
2) Be aware of all your targets allies and bedfellows, otherwise you risk earning the ire of someone you might not be prepared to take on.
3) Never incriminate anyone who had no hand in your deeds.
4) Never do anything that will bring punishment/suspicion upon the entire House.
Without such a mindful monitoring, the entire House would fall under more scrutiny that it already was and no Slytherin relished such a prospect.
Mary Tudor and Aaron Lestrange couldn't get away with what they were plotting against Potter and Evans nor had they properly considered any allies they might have within Slytherin that would be offended by their actions. Their recklessness drew almost their entire Year onto the chopping block with them as complicated potions mixtures incriminated Severus and the past animosity of Macnair and Nott towards Potter and Evans would not be overlooked. Professor Heilsing, the Head of their House, would be on a warpath and all the members of all the Years of Slytherin would writhe under the crackdown.
Ergo, Tudor and Lestrange were in volition of all the cardinal rules of Slytherin. When dealing with all other Houses, Slytherin looked after their own. When dealing with their own House, Slytherin took care of their own.
"I think Severus might have a point in all this, Aaron." Regius Avery shrugged. "I'd hate to see you and Mary get expelled over a prank on Evans and Potter and it would be just bad for the House if Heilsing got mixed up in all this, which she would if you were found out."
"You sure you want to draw that line in the sand?" Aaron Lestrange narrowed his eyes on Regius.
"Not drawing any lines, Mate, I just think you got a bit hot-headed on this." Regius threw his hands up in a soothing manner.
Severus hadn't expected Avery to fold so quickly on the matter. It was doubtful he felt any sympathy on the matter towards Potter and Evans since he was an indifferent, misogynistic git more often than not and loathed taking any definitive side on any matter since neutrality spared him enemies. However, Avery was no fool. He probably recognized that Severus was holding all the cards and joining Tudor and Lestrange's defiance of him wouldn't benefit anyone.
Mary threw a traitorous look at Regius before turning to Winifred.
"Where do you stand on this, Winifred?" Mary demanded.
"Where do I always stand on matters like this, Mary?" Winifred's tone was matter-of-fact as she literally rose and took Severus's side.
Severus could always trust Winifred to support him on any contest of wills in Slytherin and she was a good ally to possess. While Winifred lacked the refined magical talent and brutal execution of Mary Tudor on most matters, the young girls within the House still looked up to the cool, precise Witch as much as Mary. Possible more so since Winifred could, in the least, feign civility if it was required of her. Apart from her social sway, Winifred was exacting, resourceful, and elusive in all her endeavors, making her an enemy not lightly taken on. Having Winifred assured security with the female population of the House.
"It would have been a wicked laugh if you had the chance to pull it off." Walden Macnair chuckled in the direction of Severus and Winifred as he walked over and slung his arms around Mary and Aaron to show his support of them. "I would have loved to seen the look on Potter and Evans faces; before, after, and DURING it all."
Mary, Aaron, and Walden smirked and laughed over the implications.
"Considering your recent 'romancing' of McGinnis and Meeks in a dark ally, why am I not surprised such a vulgar plan would amuse you." Winifred observed softly.
The other 6th Years glanced between Winifred and Walden.
"Just a little sport." Walden muttered glaring at Winifred.
"I can't recall a great many notions of 'sport' that involve cornering two women in an ally." Severus hissed.
Even Tudor and Lestrange were glaring at Macnair now.
"Why so appalled Aaron? Mary?" Severus sneered. "No better than what you had in store for Potter and Evans. Certainly no worse."
Lestrange and Tudor exchanged glanced between one another, apparently not appreciating their intentions being lumped in with common sex offenders. Although neither cared to contest the point.
For his part, Lestrange gave Severus the impression that he hadn't truly considered his and Tudor's prank to be quite so unseemly. He wasn't glancing to Mary anymore, only staring at Severus with a stony expression with his eyes wavering more than his aloof bluff would have liked.
Still, the sides were 3 to 3
Florence Copia said nothing as she crossed over near Avery, Winifred, and Severus. Initially, Severus hadn't been entirely certain Copia would take his position as he expected her to spite him just to be contrary. Winifred's presence probably helped, since the girls socialized more with each other than anyone else. Additionally, Winifred's character assassination of Macnair and its parallel with Tudor and Lestrange wasn't an entirely enticing side to be on.
Serpen Nott appeared torn by indecision, apparently attempting to decide what the power structure presently was. Snape had more people in agreement, but Mary and Aaron were always the leaders.
It didn't help that Snape, Tudor, Lestrange, and Wilkes ALL terrified him.
"Quit dawdling and step over here Serpen." Winifred ordered, attempting to knock Nott onto their side of the fence with bullying.
"Why should I?" Nott demanded almost frantically.
"Because right now I'm simply irritated with you." Winifred coolly replied. "And if you start condoning unwanted violation of people, I'm going to become cross. I'm fairly certain Severus feels the same."
Mary turned her eyes on Nott like a bird over its prey.
"Ask yourself Nott what thought will keep you awake longer at night: Their displeasure or mine and Aaron's?" Mary hissed.
Mary and Winifred took to staring one another down as Nott began to feel the crushing position of his spot between a rock and a hard place.
"Serpen." Winifred spoke without taking her eyes off Mary's. "Mary can offer you protection from me that she can't deliver. However I can offer you protection from me that I CAN assure."
Severus could only assume this was pertaining to Winifred's outstanding torment of Nott as of late; however it appeared to be more than enough to get him to take a few hesitant steps over in his and Winifred's direction. Hekate Undercross merely shrugged her broad shoulders at the display since it already appeared more than decided as she stepped over with the majority of her Year.
The lines had been drawn and the sides had been picked.
The 6th Year Slytherin said nothing as they stared at one another, remembering who had said what and who had chosen who. Wordlessly, the group broke apart. Lestrange and Tudor walking off towards the boys' dormitories as Copia and Undercross headed towards the girls'. Macnair prepared to skulk off while Avery and Nott seemed inclined to leave the dorms altogether for the main body of the castle.
"Macnair." Severus called him back.
The beastly boy halted and turned around with a contemptuous expression of both Severus and Winifred that they were more than happy to return.
"What now?" Macnair growled.
Severus turned to Winifred.
"Why ignite his shoes?" Severus questioned.
"Because they're as fair kindling as an oily rag." Winifred explained.
"Hmm." Severus gave a nod before pointing his wand at Macnair's feet.
"Incendio."
The tip of Severus wand turned into a blowtorch as it shot out at Macnair's foot, catching it aflame. Frantically, Macnair stomped his foot against the stone floor to extinguish the flames but not before releasing the foul stench of burnt leather and flesh. Collapsing to the ground, Macnair howled in agony as he winced at his charred foot.
Part of the act had been vindictive; however there was a preemptive quality to it as well. Macnair despised Severus but was doubly enraged by Winifred most likely. For initially stopping his fun at Hogsmeade and publicly shaming him with it today. Severus didn't want Macnair leaving with any plans to undermine him while making an example out of Winifred.
All the mind-games and plotting in the world didn't help his slender, female cousin if Macnair got the drop to her.
"Take him to Pomfrey." Severus instructed Avery and Nott. "Explain how he had a most unfortunate accident with a lantern and his oily shoes."
Avery and Nott said nothing as they helped Macnair out of the commons, but didn't appear to have any intention to undermine Severus's version of the events. Once alone, Severus turned to Winifred.
"I appreciated that, Winifred." He told her unnaturally.
"Oh I'm sure you could have managed a hot-foot without me." Winifred cocked her head. It was possible she was ignorant of why he was grateful just as much as it was possible she just wanted him to say it aloud.
Either would be entirely Winifred.
"No, not Macnair, though I imagine McGinnis and Meeks owe you a favorable boon. Without your skills at swaying opinion, I doubt I would have as successfully shamed Tudor and Lestrange today." Severus rationalized uncomfortably. "I doubt the rest would have sided against them."
Winifred smiled softly and mostly to herself.
"There are a great many things I would do on your behalf, Severus." Winifred informed her cousin. "And the vast majority of them would compel you to weep."
Severus couldn't be sure if he should be comforted or concerned by Winifred's words.
All he was certain of was that they were sincere.
"Still, it is regrettable you won't be able to torture Nott any longer." Severus smirked, referring to her barging with him.
"As though he won't find some means to provoke me all over again before the week is out?" Winifred smirked back.
"You never mentioned why you were upset with him in the first place." Severus raised an eyebrow.
Once again, Winifred smiled mostly to herself.
"It doesn't matter."
* * *
"I can't wait for this week to be over." Gwen McGinnis confessed with a sigh in the Great Hall during one mid march Saturday as she sat with the other 6th Years of her House, save for Remus and Arabella who were running late to lunch. "I always get antsy when holidays are teasing me on the horizon."
"Those two weeks off will be nice." Peter agreed.
"You are all going to be at my house for my birthday." It wasn't a question for Sirius. It was a guarantee. "It will be the best weekend bash this school has ever caught wind of!"
"Stop boasting, ye spoiled rich brat." Cassidy insisted with a smile. "We all said we'd come teh watch ye get an even bigger ego fer yer 17th birthday didn't we?"
"It's just good to hear nice things from you every so often, Luv." Sirius teased Cassidy.
Turning to James, Lily leaned into her hand as she chewed absently on a slice of apple.
"Where are you spending the holiday? With Sirius?" Lily inquired, realizing James hadn't mentioned it before. With no living relatives to go home to, Lily hoped James wasn't planning to head off to some lonely estate and dwell for the week and a half until Sirius's party.
"No, I'm staying with the Longbottoms at their flat in London." James corrected with the mention of his legal guardians. "I feel bad about not being there for winter holiday."
James stopped, smiling at Lily.
"Well, not too bad." He decided as he leaned over and kissed the love he had won over that same break.
"What's it going to be like not being joined at the hip?" Gwen prompted James and Lily while sipping her milk.
Turning to one another, it hadn't really occurred to either Lily or James that they would be spending almost two weeks without the company of the other. It would be odd not to head off to breakfast, wind down the afternoons, or cuddle in the evenings as they had been since the end of December.
"I imagine very awful." James answered Gwen's question a little too honestly.
What was he going to do?
Lily seemed to be having the same dilemma.
"Maybe I could mention something to my parents." Lily offered suddenly. "Ask if you could come over for an afternoon possibly. I'm sure they'd love the opportunity to get to know you better."
"Yeah! You mention it to your parents and I'll talk to Frank once you say it's alright." James's expression lit up. Not only would he get to see Lily earlier than he would otherwise but he'd be able to try and impress her parents. James wanted them to approve of him and he wasn't entirely sure if being associated with the Whomping Willow prank last January was the best foot to start off on. Determined to recover his balance, James added.
"I could meet your older sister too."
"Yes, Petunia." Lily nodded.
James thought he saw Lily straining her smile. Being an only child really left James out in the cold when it came to the complexities of sibling relations.
"Well, either way, I plan on writing you daily if not more." James assured.
"Me too." Lily agreed.
Breaking off from their conversation, Lily and James followed Peter and Sirius's eyes toward the entrance into the Hall. Observing Arabella and Remus as they entered into the dinning hall, their friends couldn't help but notice the expressions on their faces were warring between sullen and amused. Joining the rest of the 6th Years at the table, Remus and Arabella began dishing out their afternoon meals.
"What's with you two?" Gwen pried as usual.
"We both got detention from Professor Heilsing." Remus reported unimpressively. "Nothing that will tilt the world from its axis."
"What for?" Lily inquired.
"And does it have anything to do with Arabella's creative method of buttoning her blouse?" Sirius gestured to the blonde's shirt.
All eyes fell on Arabella's hastily fastened blouse, which was wasn't lined up properly by two buttons and appeared to be more than disheveled. As a round of snickers erupted from the 6th Years and anyone else paying attention, Remus covered his face blushing and attempting not to laugh while Arabella joined him as she properly adjusted her shirt.
"Sirius, may I ask why you were even looking at my chest to notice THAT?" Arabella demanded shaking her head. Remus looked out from behind his hands and eyed Sirius in a manner that showed; he too, was interested in the answer to this.
"White draws the eye?" Sirius shrugged through his feeble excuse.
"Sleep with one eye open then, Mate." Remus advised with a grin.
"So where did you get caught?" James asked grinning, earning a shove from Lily for being a randy, nosy git.
"An empty classroom on the second floor." Arabella sighed, rolling her eyes. "We didn't really expect anyone to have a reason to head down that back corridor. I can't believe they give detentions for snogging."
"Judging from the state of yeh, girl, snogging would be implying something gentlemanly of the tryst." Cassidy smirked. "Yeh look like yeh were mauled by Lupin."
Sirius and Cassidy broke up into nasty fits of laughter as everyone else either chuckled along or, in the case of Millicent, decided to fold her napkin awkwardly with pink cheeks. Arabella apparently was thinking over as to whether this was a more proper definition as Remus just sank his head into his folded arms and avoided all possible eye contact. His slightly shaking shoulders suggested he was either laughing or sobbing over this.
Finishing their lunch with some more good-natured teasing of Arabella and Remus followed by a daring round of "why aren't WE snogging in empty classrooms?" from James to Lily. Sirius and Peter got in on the joke by demanding the same of one another. Sirius decided it was because he needed someone a bit taller which Peter countered with his preference of blondes, like Sirius's sister Acontiae. Choosing to shove a cluster of grapes down the back of Peter's shirt and repeatedly slapping at them for a rebuttal, Sirius ended the group's lunch on a bizarre and juvenile note (even for him), the Gryffindors left their House table with the intention of letting Peter change his shirt.
"Snogging in an empty classroom. Good to see my bad influence is finally rubbing off on you." Sirius commented wistfully with a toothy grin to Remus as he wiped his hands off on his pants. "Outstanding work, Moony!"
"Stow it, Sirius, I'm not out to impress you." Remus reported with a smirk.
"Outstanding work, Remus." Arabella smiled knowingly which Remus returned in kind.
"Now SHE is an ENTIRELY different matter altogether." Remus gestured towards his girlfriend before taking her hand.
"I'll wager it was worth a detention with Professor Heilsing then, Arebella?" Lily smiled to her friend.
"Worth several." Arabella replied.
The 6th Year Gryffindor's laughter was broken up when Bill Weasley along with some winded looking younger Years charged up the main corridor and stopped in front of James and the rest.
"You guys won't believe it!" Bill exclaimed breathlessly with the other Gryffindor 2nd Years behind him. "Someone tied that troll Macnair to the Whomping Willow and now it's thrashing about trying to get at him like an itch on its back!"
Everyone within earshot burst out laughing over the mental image of this scene and a few started racing out to see for themselves. The Gryffindor 6th Years followed along with the crowd outside so as not to appear too conspicuous. They beamed knowing smiles at one another.
Even Millicent Meeks.
"Bloody hell! How did THAT happen?" Sirius feigned surprise as he turned to his friends grinning.
"You'll have to look more innocent than that if McGonagall asks about it, Padfoot." James noted, but shared a pleased smile with the rest of the Marauders.
True to Weasley's word, Macnair was bound to the trunk of the magical tree, futilely attempting to work himself loose while the tree futilely attempted to work Macnair over. Joining the rest of the students who were witnessing and laughing at the spectacle, Lily spotted Severus Snape amongst them staring hard at Macnair with a smirk as Winifred laughed beside him.
"Don't you think we should mention this to one of the Professors?" Lily asked Severus as she approached him.
Severus took his eyes off the display to acknowledge the real Lily Evans with her charming air and disarming smile.
The kind no facsimile could ever quite replicate because it lacked her sincerity.
"No." Severus decided as he turned back to, most likely, Potter and the rests version of karma. "I have a ten galleon bet going with Winifred on whether the Willow catches hold of him within the next five minutes."
That afternoon seemed to set the tone for the spring holiday that would soon come with their 6th Year.
Warm and memorable, with a few unanticipated events.
* * *
* * * * * *
* * *
Prosaic = Ordinary, lacking unique appeal. Thought it would be interesting for a Muggle Studies Prof.
And for those of you keeping track Lily, James, Remus, and Severus all have three additional subjects to their primary magical education (aren't they all just so studious?)
* * *
Tomorrow
By: SR-71
* * *
Is it any wonder why I'm scared?
If I was a little younger would I care?
I'm feeling like the walls are growing stronger
I don't know if this cage can hold me any longer
You never dreamed you'd have to live your life so guarded
Cuz they'll find a way to make you feel discarded
I'm not afraid of tomorrow
I'm only scared of myself
Feels like my insides are on fire
And I'm looking through the eyes of someone else
I never thought they'd want me to go even faster
Never thought I took my foot off the gas
Everbody loves to be in on the pressure
But I know they're all waiting for the crash
You never dreamed you'd have to live your life so guarded
Cuz they'll find a way to make you feel discarded
Things have changed, you've become a complication
Can't make it through another day's humiliation
I'm not afraid of tomorrow
I'm only scared of myself (scared of myself)
Feels like my insides are on fire
And I'm looking through the eyes of someone else
(Someone, someone, someone else....)
Is it any wonder why the answer keeps me petrified?
Is it any wonder why I'm scared?
I'm not afraid of tomorrow
I'm only scared of myself
Feels like my insides are on fire
And I'm looking through the eyes of someone else
(Is it any wonder why I'm scared?)
I'm not afraid of tomorrow
(If I was a little younger would I care?)
I'm only scared of myself
(I'm feeling like the walls are growing stronger)
Feels like my insides are on fire
And i'm looking through the eyes of someone else
Is it any wonder why I'm scared?
(Someone, someone, someone else...)