In The Tower
Chapter Two: An off day in motion
Summary: See Chapter One.
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
Author's Note: Don't worry about the chapter lengths, they will get longer. If you happened to see In the Tower while it was up on ff.net, some of the chapters get freaking long. My epilogues are twenty-one pages, each. Thank you guys loads for reviewing, I didn't think anybody would.
Previously: Subsequently he ran as fast as he could to the Fat Lady where he wheezed out, "Snacking Skivers," and fell into the Common Room. Luckily, no one was there that time. He then remembered that he had the cloak on, so of course no one would see him. He smirked at his own stupidity, and sat down in the closest chair to the fire. He sat there watching the flames dance in front of his eyes. After a long period of time, he walked slowly up the stairs and didn't stop until he reached his bed, where he fell, face first into his pillow.
Every man wanted her. But only one dared to love her. Tagline, Moulin Rouge.
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When Remus awoke the next morning, it seemed that his mind configured the plan while he slept. He yawned still deathly tired because after all the full moon was tomorrow. He clambered slowly out of bed and fell back on it when Sirius swept past him and out of the dorm in a big hurry. Remus didn't know why, or that was until he looked at his watch. He stared at it for a moment, in horror and shock, then woke from his trance and busily started dressing.
He realized what was wrong when his robe wasn't fitting right when in fact; he was trying to put his jeans on his arms and trying to shove his feet through the arm holes of his shirt. When he had finally the right clothing on the right body parts, he rushed out of the dormitory. Half way down the stairs, he looked at his watch, and groaned loudly. He was already a half hour late for his first class, Transfiguration, and he had left his bag in the dormitory. "I am so stupid!" He scolded himself, rushing back up the stairs.
He finally found his bag under Sirius' mattress, with a note attached to it saying, `Ha-ha Remus!' "Probably trying to hide it from me the bloke," He muttered angrily to himself, and then again set off down the stairs to class.
He walked slowly down the corridor, chewing on his lip nervously, trying to think of an excuse for being late. And that's when he remembered it. The teachers knew that he was a werewolf, and they excused him of his classes that close to "it". He wandered aimlessly through the halls and decided to head to Charms instead of missing any more classes that day. Before he moved a yard, his stomach gave a large rumble that told him that he needed to eat, and soon. He sighed and shifted his bag, then set off down the stairs to the kitchens. It took him more than fifteen minutes to get there, because he had been on the other side of the castle when he decided to eat. Half heartedly, he reached up and tickled the pear. It giggled and squirmed and turned into the large handle that he grasped and sprung open running head first into someone.
"Oh! I'm sorry! Didn't see you there,"
"That's fine Lily, just wondering why you aren't in classes at the moment." Remus said to Lily pleasantly, who was busy picking up the pineapple that had fallen from her arms. He rubbed his head absently where she hit him, and he grimaced as he could feel the bruise coming, throbbing painfully.
"Sorry Remus," She said again when she collected all the food that she had dropped. "How come I didn't see you at breakfast? In fact, I didn't see any of the Marauders. Kind of scared me a bit, thinking you guys were planning another trick on me." She shrugged. "So... sleep in then?"
He nodded lethargically, "Couldn't help it. You know what's coming." He had formed a close companionship with Lily when they had both been picked prefects for Gryffindor. He trusted her enough to tell her that he was a werewolf, whom he didn't trust people with that often.
He nodded to himself, and Lily smiled, like she knew what was going on in his mind. "Well, I guess I'm right when you came down here for breakfast, and are late. I should set off to, I need to hurry to Arithmancy and give the food to Professor Victor." She smiled at him again then stepped out of the portrait to the castle beyond. He sighed as he watched her go, and then sauntered over to one of the tables in the kitchen and sat down.
"Does mister need food?" A small house elf said to him as it appeared at his elbow. He nodded wearily and asked for some food. The elf scurried away to fulfill his wishes. Remus heard the bell ring from the depths of the school, and pounded feet answered the call. Some feet stopped right in front of the portrait and Remus could hear the pear giggling, and Sirius, James closely followed by Peter came barging in, to the elves delight.
"Moony! Is it coincidence or not seeing you here?" James asked him inquiring and sat down in front of him at the table. Sirius sat next to James and Peter next to him.
"What do you think Prongs? You know I spend all my times on the last days before the change in the Kitchens. That is, when I'm not sleeping, of course." James smirked at him, and Sirius laughed a little, while Peter was eagerly eating the kippers set in front of Remus. He grabbed a few and stuffed them in his mouth wearily. "Hey, those are mine Peter!"
"Hmiib," Came Peter's muffled apology.
"Yeah well, so am I. I thought you all would have already eaten." He quirked an eyebrow at him inquiring, "Or were you planning?" He stuffed a bit of a pancake into his mouth and chewed it joyfully, and then stuffed more of the pancake, kippers, bacon, and some Orange Juice down his throat. All the others were doing the same. He added under his breath, looking suspiciously at Sirius, "You didn't tell him did you?"
When they were all full to the brim, and an hour late for class, Sirius finally replied, "Nah, we haven't," He belched, you know, one of those belches that could go on for days, so Remus waited patiently for him to finish, "told him yet. But you know we weren't supposed to though. Right," Remus nodded, and drank more Orange Juice before replying.
"Of course you weren't you dope! It would ruin it!" Sirius let out a bark of a laugh and James and Peter smirked. "Oh, by the way, Padfoot, why did you have my bag under your mattress?"
Sirius smiled at him mock sweetly and replied, "I'm surprised you found it! I was hiding it. Always funny watching you rip apart our room to find it was in an obvious place. Like next to the door."
"Oh? Yes, I guess so. Well, the plan. Yes when should we do it? It cannot be tomorrow, or even this week. So, I think everyone in the castle should be pleased! Don't you? But we can't tell ole boyo here can we? I think Jamisie is missing something important at the moment." Remus said. Trying to tell Sirius and Peter through the words that they should plan it soon, or it might never work.
James coughed. "Right, well. Got to go to class, aye? I hope I got Lily in Muggle Studies next!" And with that, James sprinted out of the kitchens, and vanished from their sight.
When James was gone, Peter piped up, "It should be soon, and don't you think? But the question is, when?" Sirius and Remus nodded.
"Right, that's true. But I think we should talk about this later. The bell is about to ring again. I guess we should get to DADA now, ya think? Yeah, well, I'm going now. I don't care if I have to change tomorrow, but I still have to get to class. What are we learning about now, about the Unforgivables?"
"Uh huh. Now let's go." They all stood and thanked the elves and set off out of the kitchen.
For the next three hours, during DADA, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures, all Remus could think about really was when to do the plan. When they finally reached Care of Magical Creatures, they were not the least bit surprised when Professor McGringeloy separated the class into two groups so they could learn more about Threstals. Sirius and Remus partnered up to talk about the plan. "So, I was thinking, maybe we could do it next week." He said when the teacher was explaining how Threstals fly with all the weird wing joints. Sirius nodded excitedly.
"Uh, Moony, do you think it will work? I mean, we all know that Lily goes home for Christmas every winter, and that James was invited to go home this winter, because his parent finally aren't fighting over it anymore. What should we say to their parents? 'Oh I'm so sorry Mr. Evans! It seems that Lily got herself stuck in the tower with the boy she hates and it won't let them out until one of us goes back!' Yeah right Moony!"
"I was thinking, that we could write their parents. Instead, so their parents don't expect them home, but they still think so. And then... then one of us could like guard the door until... well, we don't hear any fights. Just, snogging. We'll need some one who is really good at forging signatures and writing. Um, who can do it?"
"Oh! I know! What's his name? Some kid in Ravenclaw, last name is Chang I think. Katie talks about him all the time, says he's a really annoying twerp, but he's a great forger."
"Don't worry, Moon, we got him!" Sirius said, and hurried away as soon as class was dismissed so he could find him. Remus tiredly walked up to the castle, and was perturbed to find that not only did James and Lily beat him to the castle again, but they were having another row. God those two! I swear! It's not like Lily cannot see that James loves her and it's not like James can't see Lily hates him! Oh, but that will all change soon. Yes, very soon. He added in his thoughts maliciously, rubbing his hands together greedily.
"Potter, I don't need you to stand up for me! I can defend myself. Back off you prat," Lily screamed at James. They weren't drawing a crowd because this kind of thing happens everyday.
"Oh! I'm so sorry I couldn't help but feel just a charge when Snivellus just happens to call you a Mudblood! I can't believe I'm madder than you are!" James roared at Lily. Well, that's not an everyday thing. Usually it's just Lily doing the yelling.
"Because I don't care, Potter, I don't care what he calls me. Have you ever heard the saying `Sticks and Stones'?" She looked at James, who was fuming, but you could clearly see the confusion. She recited dourly, "'Sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me.'" James made and 'O' shape with his mouth. Lily pursed her lips and stared at him.
"Look, Lily. I'm sorry all right? But I just couldn't help it! I had to do something!"
"Did you have to hang him upside down in the hall with his underwear showing? I don't think so!" James murmured something. "What did you say?"
"I said, 'I thought it was funny.' Well it was!"
"I cannot believe you, you're such an insufferable git." She made an illogical noise, and then stomped away. James stared after her with a longing look in his eyes, but Remus could tell he knew it would never happen. Remus sighed and walked over to James and patted him on the back.
"Look, Prongs. We have something. But for now, you just got to hold all the feelings in. All right?" James nodded, and sat down with his face in his hands.
"Why do I always do that Moony? I try to help her, and I pull a prank. I try to pull a prank, and she yells at me. It isn't my fault I'm confused!" He shook his head. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be."
He sighed and stood, taking his hands away from his face to try and find his bag, which laid forgotten about ten yards away, where he pulled out his wand earlier to help Lily.
Remus said the next statement barley louder than just moving his lips, but James still heard it. "We're trying all we can. Just let us help."
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