Chapter 17: The Secret Passage
"Shh.." said Sirius as he glared over at Peter who had accidentally bumped into a statue. Peter glared back at Sirius, once Sirius' back was turned.
"Are you sure there was a secret passage over here, Padfoot?" asked James as he ran his hand across the wall.
"No, I'm not sure," said Sirius. "I told you I thought I had seen something when I was in form... it was two years ago, we should have checked then."
"I know," muttered Remus as he began tapping the wall with his wand.
The four Marauders had just finished their first night of Astronomy when Sirius had insisted on looking for a passage he thought had been over here on their way back from the tower. James had complained the whole time that Sirius had probably just dreamed about it and that he needed to get back to the common room because he had his first night of rounds with Lily.
"Well," said James as he set his wand down by his side, looked around the hallway quickly, and turned to his fellow Marauders. "I need to go do rounds with Lily. I'll do my best to keep her away from here. I can only give you an hour tops though." Sirius, Remus and Peter nodded and James looked around the hallway again quickly.
"Ask her about the charm, mate," said Remus as he smiled at James slightly. "I'm sure your Lily-flower would know the charm for the map."
"I don't want to get her involved," replied James.
"Ahhh…ickle Prongsy doesn't want to get ittle Lily in twouble... how nice of fwim," said Sirius in a baby voice as he put his hands up over his heart and stared at James with a baby face.
"You know just as well as I do, Padfoot, that Lily would never help the Marauders in the first place," said Remus as he ignored James and talked to Sirius. "Even though her boyfriend is a Marauder, it would be against her religion, and you know how important her religion is to her."
"Why yes I do Moony, she, along with Miss Katie are the only two Seventh Years I have never kissed, and Slytherins course, but I'm related to ninety-nine percent of them so that doesn't count."
"Course not Padfoot," said Remus as he patted Sirius on the back. "Of course I'm sure you wouldn't mind kissing Lily."
"I'd love a shot, maybe next time I see her I'll lay some of the old Sirius moves on her, and then she can help me with the charm for the map."
"You know I've always felt that you two would make an adorable couple!" said Peter as he got into the conversation.
"FINE!" said James as he began heading down the corridor toward the Gryffindor common room where he knew Lily would be waiting for him. "I'll ask her, you bloody bastard!"
"I love you too, mate!" shouted Sirius as Remus and Peter laughed.
James picked up his pace as he glanced at his watch and noticed what time it was, he was late. It was only the first night of rounds, and he was late. This would not go over well with Lily. She liked things being on time.
James pulled open the fat lady to find a very, very upset Lily staring into his eyes.
"Do you know what time it is, James Potter?" asked Lily as she pushed him back through the door and into the hallway. "It is 10:21. I told you to meet me here at 10:15. You are six minutes late. I am surprised that you even showed up!" complained Lily as she pulled out her wand and began walking down the hallway that James had just come from.
"Lily, let's go this way," said James as he tried to head towards the Great Hall.
"NO, James. I waited long enough for you so we are going to have to go my way tonight!" said Lily as she walked directly towards where Sirius, Peter, and Remus were looking for the hidden passage.
"Lily, no one ever comes over here," said James as he grabbed Lily's hand and began to pull her towards a different hallway.
"JAMES POTTER!" yelled Lily as she walked directly towards Sirius, Remus and Peter. Her face was pouting and she was taking very loud, large steps.
"OH MY!" screamed Lily as she reached out and grabbed James hand as a rat ran right in front of her. Lily stared at the rat as it stopped and looked from James to Lily, and back again. James bent down and took the rat by one hand as Lily screeched and let go of James, pressing her body up against the wall. The rat wiggled and tried to get himself free from James' grasp but a small smile had formed across James' mouth.
"Lily," said James in a slow patient voice. "Do you not like rats?" Lily raised a questioning glance at James and then giggled and gave a shudder throughout her body.
"N-no," said Lily as she shook her head quickly and stared at the rat with wide eyes. "Pe-Petunia stuck one in my bed once, when I was like five.... I hate rats... so much...."
Lily suddenly pulled her wand out and pointed it at the rat. "I think I'll stun it and leave it for someone's cat to come pick-up and eat. I just hope my stun doesn't kill it."
"NO!" said James as he put the screeching rat behind his back. "Lily, you can't become a murderer!"
"It's just a rat!" replied a very upset Lily. "Just give me the rat, Potter!"
"No, Evans. This is a living animal! You can not just go around killing animals because you have had a bad experience with one, once in your life," said James as the rat in his hand bit him.
"You-bloody-Worm....!" screeched James as he slammed the rat against the opposite wall of Lily. The rat wiggled and again, tried to bite James. "You watch it pig or I'll let Lily deal with you." The rat seemed to quiet down for a second as Lily made a sighing sound from the wall.
"Give me the bloody rat Potter or I'll take it from you" said Lily rather calmly. Lily stuck out her hand as her green eyes glared into James.
"Let's just let it go so it can warn all the other rats that you are coming," replied James as he stared at the rat. The rat at once went limp in James' hand and James let out a loud sigh. "I think I squeezed it so hard it died..." said James.
James slowly and gently set the "lifeless" rat down on the floor and at once tears filled Lily's beautiful eyes. She let out a sob and James' eyebrows went a foot in the air in confusion.
"What's the matter Lily?" asked James in a very comforting tone as he grabbed Lily and gave her a nice warm hug. Lily at once pushed James away from her and buried her face in her arms.
"YOU.... you killed the rat!!" cried Lily as tears sprang from her eyes at the speed of a roller coaster and Lily continued to bawl.
"But... you... err... were going to kill it," answered James as he attempted to comfort Lily by running his hand across Lily's back.
"SO!" screamed Lily as she shrugged off James arm and yelled at him. "I was never going to kill it! I'm not mean enough to do something like that! I can't believe you, Potter! You're accusing me of wanting to kill something that was ALIVE!"
"But... you... err... said you wanted... to...." said James as he bit his lip and looked open eyed at the woman standing grumpily in front of him.
"I... NEVER!" screamed Lily as she angrily took her left hand and slapped James cheek in a very lady like manner.
"OUCH!" screamed James as he bent down onto the floor and let out a sob of pain and reached up to touch his face were Lily had slapped him. "What did I do for that Evans?"
"You said I wanted to kill the rat, which I never said!" said Lily smugly as she stopped crying and towered over James.
"But you di-" replied James as he stopped in mid-sentence as he watched the lifeless rat suddenly stand up and take a quick look from James to Lily and run off down the hallway. "LOOK!" pointed James and Lily caught the end of the rat's wormy tail run around the curve of hallway. Lily's mouth dropped open and she stared at James nervously as she began to blush.
"Well, James," said Lily as she calmed herself down and was fully composed. "You really must stop crying now because we have to finish our rounds tonight" and with that, Lily took off in the opposite direction, away from Peter, Remus and Sirius and towards the Great Hall.
AN: Ok So I know this Chapter is short.. But I really do not feel like making it longer because I was hoping it would lighten the spirits of those who are depressed over the Book Six things...
So I finished Book Six Sunday after noon.. took me about a day.. but I was also at a soccer tournament up north so that's why I was thinking I wouldn't be able to read it.. We had four games this weekend so I've been busy and then we have to hang out w/ the team and everything... but I finished the book..
I really wont say much about the book (in case people haven't finished it yet and are reading this fanfiction) other than I was thinking Harry would get together eventually with the girl he did go out with temporarily in Book Six... I hoped though of course that she would accidentally die or something.... Maybe now though he will realize his true love for Hermione
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Kaci