In the Tower

Marauding Savior

Rating: PG13
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Lily & James
Book: Lily & James, Books 1 - 5
Published: 16/06/2005
Last Updated: 24/08/2006
Status: completed

Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything except a bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Chapters

1. Planning

2. An off day in Motion

3. The First Capture

4. On his Lonesome

5. Waking Up and Screaming

6. Potter; Hugs

7. Scream into the Wind

8. Bickering Lightly

9. Prank the Prat

10. Merrry Christmas

11. Cranberry Sucks

12. Ambivilance

13. Going Coo-coo

14. Enter Students

15. Odd

16. Being It

17. Sneer On Your Own

18. Possessing Her

19. Don't Look Back

20. Because I hurt

21. Say Good-bye

22. Obliviate

23. N.E.W.T's and Graduation

24. 1978- 1979 and 1/2

25. 1979

26. 1980

27. 1981

1. Planning

In the Tower

Chapter One: Planning

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock Lily and James in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything right now, except a bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: Never have, never will.

Author's Note: This is probably clichéd and used a lot. I think I was just bored and having a bit of fun. Enjoy. This is in Remus' point of view, until the tower part. Then it's either Lily or James. I'll tell you when I get to that part.

Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat. John Lehman

“You are a disgrace to Hogwarts as we know it!” Lily screamed at James, while all the Marauders stood around the quarreling pair, laughing. James, his hazel eyes streaming with tears of mirth; reached up to mess up more of his ebony mop on his head he called his hair. Closest to Lily was Sirius, a tall, dark and handsome kind with long straight black hair and light gray eyes. He could get any girl he laid eyes on.

Except, when begged by his best friend James, Lily Evans. The Marauders were still laughing at the rather derivative prank. Remus was standing closest to the stairs having fits full of silent laughter. Even thought he was seventeen, he had gray flecked through his straw colored hair.

Lastly, was small, scrawny Peter, a round boy with small watery eyes, not laughing but not fuming like Lily either. Lily shook her head, red locks of hair flying around her head, shaking out the eggs that were left inside it. “That was the stupidest prank you have ever pulled Potter! Come up with better ones! And I thought you were smart! You're supposed to be the smartest one here, since you are after all, Head Boy.” She shouted at James, and then stomped off to the Head's dormitory. James stopped when she was out of hearing range and sighed.

“Padfoot,” He said to Sirius.

“What Prongs?” He looked over at James, who looked sadly around and slumped down on the wall. He covered his face in his hands, and then hit the back of his head repeatedly on the wall.

“Prongs, it was just a joke, I'm sure she didn't mean anything she said.” Remus said to James, but he shook his head in answer.

“But she doesn't know,” Peter said quietly, than sat next to James and patted him on the back. “She doesn't know how much he stares at her during lessons, and in the halls. How he thinks about her every second of the day. How she is all he thinks, sleeps, and talks about. She just doesn't know.”

Peter looked up at Sirius and Remus sadly. “We need to bring him to his little common room he shares with her, and let him sleep. He'll be thinking about her than anyway.” Sirius nodded and Remus sighed, but nodded thoughtfully.

So they all lugged James up to his feet and walked over to the Head's Common Room. When they finally came to the statue of Horris the Horrible, the patted his nose and said, “Ferplin Findlay Flank,” bringing him through the hole. After they checked to make sure that Lily wasn't going to come out of her room at any point in the near future, they lugged him to his room and sat down on his bed. When he was safely tucked into his bed and asleep, they snuck out of his room, looking at each other miserably as they heard him cry out for Lily in his sleep. They ran out of the Head's room, careful not to make any noise that might disturb the sleeping heads.

While walking back, Sirius said thoughtfully, “You know guys? I think that James really loves Lily.” Remus had difficultly not rolling his eyes at this, and Peter just looked up at Sirius, then toward the stairs. “I'm serious guys!”

“You're not serious, you're Sirius,” Remus and Peter chanted together dully.

He continued on as he had not heard them, “Now all we have to do is make Lily loves James back.” He said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Remus snorted at this.

“You think we don't know that Padfoot? You think we don't know how much he aches for her, but has no idea how to get to her? You think we don't know?” He looked at Sirius and tried to make his face screw up into a glare, but instead he yet out a large yawn. The full moon was in two days.

“I think we should get them stuck together somehow. But the question is, HOW? And when, where, and how do we not let them apart? How do we manage to take their wands from them so they are stuck together for a while?”

Peter stopped suddenly making Sirius and Remus stumbled over him and fall. Remus looked disgruntled as he landed on a stair and hit his head on another one. Sirius however lost his footing completely and fell all the way back to the bottom of the staircase. Peter managed to capture his footing.

A muffled pounded sounded when they were back on their feet and making their way to the Common Room. They turned to each other and shrugged. “I didn't stuff any other kids in the broom closet today.” Sirius said when Remus and Peter looked at him suspiciously. Remus wandered over to the broom closet door, where he promptly said, “Alohomora!” Frank Longbottom fell out of the closet, looking very angry.

He muttered a short thanks to Remus, who looked startled. An idea came into his head as he watched Frank walk away crisply.

“Guys,” He whispered to, Sirius and Peter, who stumped over to get closer to him. “I have an idea!”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Remus, Moony, buddy boy, you always have an idea.” Remus resisted the temptation to snort at this comment, for it was indeed true. Remus came up with lots of the pranks for the Marauders. James and Sirius would never say he did though, and Remus liked it that way, for they got far more detentions for the pranks.

Peter piped in, “Well, Remus what is it? What's the big ole idea?” Remus looked at Peter with a bemused expression on his face.

“Broom Closet” He finally muttered. He looked at the others expectantly. They had no idea what he meant. Naturally, he thought, must I always explain it to them? They aren't that thick! C'mon!

“Broom Closet, of course it wouldn't be a broom closet because those would be easy to get out of. But, they have to be stuck together in a room somewhere, not stuck at the hip with glue,” He looked a Sirius pointedly who flushed a small pink under his pale complexion. “We need them stuck in a small space, where they can't get out. Like a broom closet,” Dawning comprehension appeared on Sirius' face, but Peter still looked bewildered.

“Maybe, we can get them in one of their rooms together.” Remus nodded.

“Yeah, yeah maybe, but they won't-” He cut himself off as they saw Miranda, one of Lily's best friends go by giving them looks of the deepest loathing. Well no wonder, they were standing with dust and plaster on their robes, and were standing in the door way of the Broom Closet. Every few moments Sirius would look at the closet fondly. They let her pass out of hearing range before continuing in a hurried whisper “-Lily won't like it. James won't mind it at all. That's why we can't tell him. And they need to have their wands gone from them,”

He looked at Sirius, who was pointing at himself “I'll do it!” Sirius said excitedly.

Remus continued on, “And they need to be somewhere where only they can go, and they can only get food and drinks when they truly need it. Like the Room of Requirement, but not it. Because then they”

“Lily” Peter said hurriedly, and Remus bristled at the fact he was getting interrupted every few moments.

He continued on, barley containing a look of contempt directed at Peter, “can get out easily. No, they need a small place, with only food and water ever so often, and they won't be able to get to the rest of their necessities. But, where is it?” He asked both of them, who looked as perplexed as him.

Peter, finally catching on to what they were saying, looked as though he was going to explode with excitement.

Comprehension dawned on Sirius' face and he smacked his head on the palm of his right hand. “We are so stupid! Stupid, stupid! We can lock them in the tower off to the right of the portrait!”

He waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room, “And all we need to do, is plan it when they least expect it. I'm thinking we can make James sick for the night, slip a little something into his goblet. The Head's cannot patrol alone, so Remus, you'll volunteer to do the rounds with Lily. Then, she'll fall for the trap; she won't know what hit her.”

He trailed off, lost in his thoughts. Remus nodded and scurried off, yelling to the others over his shoulder, “LIBRARY!” He then said in a more hushed whisper, “Curfew is in a few minutes, you might need to get to the Common Room!” He ran to the portrait of the Fat Lady and muttered, “Snacking Skivers,” and dove into the Common Room head first. He landed on the carpeted floor with a loud whump that make everyone still in the common room look at him oddly. He flushed a tiny bit, stood and dusted himself off and set off at a brisk pace to the Boys Seventh Year's Dormitory.

He rustled around in his trunk until he found the Invisibility Cloak. James let him borrow a few days ago so he could get out on the grounds all right during the full moon.

“Bullocks,” He said quietly to himself, and slipped it over him. He slunk out of the dorm and made his way carefully around all the students in the Common Room then sprinted out of the portrait to into the corridor. He only stopped when he saw Sirius and Peter rushing in his direction laughing madly, and he tore off the cloak long enough for Sirius to tell him that he set off some Dung bombs in the Broom Closet for Filch to get. When they ran off, Remus slipped the Cloak over his head. And not a second to soon, because Filch came ambling up the hall right in front of Remus and sniffed, searching for the smell.

Remus sprinted down the three staircases and five hallways, barley scraping past Professor Binns, when he turned down the corridor to the Library. He slowly creaked into the library, and set off to work on charms where you cannot open the doors unless the door recognizes the voice of the person who shut it. When he finally found it and managed to get it right, He had to say `Ferkenels!' more than twenty times he scrambled out of the room, with the book he had found with the charm inside it. He again skived only barley when he saw Flitwick barreling down the hall, which had a barrel in front of him that strangely smelt like rum and out of sight.

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.

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2. An off day in Motion

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.

********

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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3. The First Capture

In The Tower

Chapter Three: The First Capture

Summary: See Chapter One.

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Author's Note: It's going to actually start now. Um... First in Remus' POV then around the end it will be well, it will be someone else. I'll try and get a page in of just that person.

Previously: 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."

Some things are worth fighting for.

**************

“You remember what you're doing, right Sirius?” Remus asked Sirius again, a week later. He nodded vigorously.

“Righty-o Remie, I got it done! Of course, Chang almost didn't do it, but Katie told me a bit of some dirt on him, and I told him so, so he's doing it. We just have to see the letters before he sends them. Just to make sure he doesn't do anything he would regret.”

“And Peter, got it all set?”

“Yeah I got it Remus; just make sure that no one interrupts you and them when you take them to the tower.”

“Right, so it's settled. Plan J and L Forever commences tonight.” It was two days before Christmas Break, and Sirius, Peter, and Remus, with the small help of the Chang kid, had set it all up. Sirius was going to send the letters during lunch; Peter would add the little concoction into James' drink so he gets quite sick to his stomach. Remus will valiantly take his place to patrol with Lily, and then she's thrown into the tower. In many ways in was easy for it to go wrong, but they were really trying to prevent that.

So through Charms, and Care of Magical Creatures, Sirius and Remus, still having to be partners, talked how it would end up. As soon as classes were over, Sirius and Remus walked to the castle with Peter and James, trying to talk nonchalantly about the plan, making sure that James wouldn't notice.

After they made their way to the Great Hall and ate, they waited until James was staring at Lily in a trance, and they could no longer get anything out of him. They lowered their voices and talked to each other. Through a full mouth of roast beef, Remus said, “Peter, put it in.” Peter purposely put some of the concoction into James' drink, and then goaded him to take a sip. James did, and not a few minutes later ran out of the Great Hall, clutching him mouth closed, his cheeks green.

“The Heads' patrol end at midnight, so get as much food as possible in the Tower room before I get her there. I'll try and make everything real. If you want, sneak the cloak and watch.” But all that Remus got out was mixed up words.

“Say again?” Peter said after he swallowed a load of Banana Pudding.

Remus swallowed thickly, and said it again.

“Oh...” Peter said while Sirius said, “All right.” Remus ate one more taco, then looked at his water and got up to go get Lily.

“Sorry Lily, But we have to go.” She looked up at me, with a trace of disappointment on her face.

“Where's Potter?” She asked, looking at Remus, cocking her head to the side.

“Getting violently sick in the seventh year boys' dormitory,” Remus told her amiably.

“That's pleasant,” she said with a disgusted look. “Well, um, I'll see you guys later,” she said to her friends, and they all waved pleasantly goodbye. Well, Guinevere did anyway, Miranda and Sapphire just glared at Remus.

Remus and Lily had to wait until all the students were done and had the proper amount of time to get to their Common Rooms before they set off. Remus winked at Sirius before he left and he quirked his head to the left, their signal.

They had not been walking for a long time before Lily burst out, “Why does James even like me anyway? I mean, I'm not pretty and I'm not the anorexic or bulimic girl's he's usually into. Why me,” She stopped and grabbed Remus' arm roughly and turned him close to her, so they were only a breath or two away. “Why me,” She repeated.

He opened and closed his mouth like a gapping fish before he came to a satisfactory conclusion. “He likes you, Lily, because you are everything they are not. You are in perfect health, unlike them. And you have not only a natural beauty on the outside without the makeup those fake girls wear, but you're beautiful on the inside too. You're everything he has always wanted, and everything he needs. Why you? Well, ask him yourself.”

She looked at him questionably, before she shrugged. “Fine, I will,” She put a bold face on, as they headed back to the common room, and then it fell, “later.” He stopped Lily right in front of the tower's entrance, a full sized painting of Godric Gryffindor pretending to be a broom closet.

Peter had talked to the painting while Sirius and Remus were in Charms, pleading sick. It said that it would do this for them, only because they put up so much good entertainment for it, and for the sake of the Wizarding World at stake. Peter, had no idea what he meant but that, but assured him it would help greatly. Peter had also asked that Godric disguised himself as a broom closet for when Remus and Lily came to it. Godric agreed. When Peter told Remus, perplexed about what Godric said, Remus simply shrugged and told Peter that he had no idea what it meant either, so just forget about the Wizarding World savior for now, and concentrate on James and Lily.

“Did you hear that?” Remus asked her quietly. She looked in the direction of the door, where noises were coming from.

Sirius had put a tape in there of him and Alice, his ex, ex girlfriend, making out in there. When Peter and Remus asked him why he taped it, he shrugged, and had replied, “Felt like it.”

“Yeah, who do you think it is?”

“I dunno.”

“Do you want to get them? Or shall I? Or both of us? Or,”

“You're rambling.”

“Oh! Yeah, right.”

“Yeah...” Remus scratched his head, not really knowing what to say. You would feel the same way, listening to one of your best friends making out on a tape, and Lily not knowing what to say. That doesn't happen very often, I tell you now.

“Ugh, do you want to go then?” She asked him, pleadingly. Remus groaned inwardly, she's making this harder than it is. He heard a snicker faintly in the corner across from them and then a `quiet!' that sounded very much like Peter. The laughter, Sirius, stopped abruptly.

“You can go if you want. Doesn't matter. I already caught Snape and Teress on the floor above, and then Ah Bleu and Fraser in the dungeons.”

“I don't like her,” she said, her face darkening.

“That's why I caught her.” Remus said, then looked her straight in the eye and told her firmly, “Your turn.” She nodded awkwardly, and slowly stepped toward the door.

The making out noises stopped abruptly then followed by another voice, neither Sirius nor Alice saying, “Who do you think it is?”

“I don't know, but we better leave soon, the footsteps are getting closer.” That was definitely Alice, so Sirius must have been covering his voice differently. `Smart one Sir,' Remus thought proudly.

“Yeah all right,”

“Hurry, get behind the brooms!” Remus heard Sirius' tape make a shuffling noise to what sounded like brooms behind him.

“Ah crap, hurry they're at the door!” Alice frantically whispered, and Remus heard Sirius struggle to get behind the brooms also. Lily, with a firmer stride, flung open the door.

“Got- huh?” She stared at food and Pumpkin Juice galore, then all around the small tower. She dropped her wand in awe and surprise, which Remus discreetly picked up and put in his pocket. She turned to him, gapping. He smiled sympathetically and said, “Bye Lily!”

He pushed her in, and then flung the portrait shut before she could move or speak. When he was quickly walking away, he heard her scream of frustration, and then banging on the portrait back. Godric appeared again, looking rather ruffled.

“The good of the Wizarding World,” He said through the pain to Remus.

“Godric, only open when I say, `Ferkenels' please,” He nodded. Remus turned to go, but quickly turned back when he heard another scream and a, “Mark my words Remus, I'll get you!” He pointed his wand at the portrait, and said `silencio! Lily stopped in mid threat, but Godric was still looking like he would have bruises from this. Remus nodded his thanks to Godric and set off to the Fat Lady.

Remus mumbled, “Good of the Wizarding World my arse, just trying to get James and Lily together!” He had reached the Fat Lady, but she was sleeping. “Damn woman!” He said to the portrait harshly, and screamed, “BUMMBLE BEES!” She woke promptly and let him in. He held the portrait out more than he needed, and he felt Peter touch his hand as he and Sirius came in, so Remus could let it shut behind them.

He looked over to where he thought they were, and they reappeared slightly to the right, laughing like mad. Remus said arrogantly, “Plan A: The First is complete.” Hours later, after just staring into the fire and talking gibberish, Sirius was skipping up the stairs, occasionally jumping and knocking his feet together singing, “We will, We will, ROCK YOU!” He was always singing crazy things like that to his bed. Peter had already gone to bed long before Sirius and Remus. Remus was last to leave.

The Moon was getting to him after all it was tomorrow. He was deadly tired. When they had found out last week that the full moon was tomorrow, Remus told Sirius he would have to get James to the tower. That would be much harder, considering Lily was already there and planning her escape. Remus' tired mind racing too fast for the moment, and he slumped down, and fell asleep on the stair, not noticing the stone stair digging into his spine or that it was cold and rough, quite unlike what he truly wanted at the moment, his warm feather bed.

LILY'S POV

“Damn him!” She screamed again, but her throat was going hoarse, and her knuckles were starting to crack and bleed against the portrait back. She finally let out her last scream and walked over to the food piled on the table before the bed. This room was dirty and dank, and she could feel all the spiders' eyes watching her every move. She shivered, and heard a faint rat squeak somewhere distant. She sat in a dirty looking chair, with my back bent badly to avoid the spider webs on the back, and inhaled some ham and pumpkin juice. Then, she shoved some chocolate and vanilla ice cream into her mouth.

She made a hurt noise, and mumbled hoarsely, “Brain freeze,” She stood quickly from the chair and stumbled over to the bed and crawled beneath the covers. The covers were rather large comforters, dyed a deep crimson, with gold sheets and pillows.

They were more comfortable then her own bed, she admitted to herself. And the pillows smelled good, something between a small sweat, grass, and then morning dew. Wait, she knew that smell, but she just couldn't place it. She breathed in the deep smell regardless of knowing what it was or not, and closed her eyes. But she couldn't sleep.

So she thought, out loud of course. “Damn it Evans, how could you not tell? When you saw this room, and out of the corner of your eye Remus picking up your wand, you knew something was wrong didn't you? At least he gave you time to think.” She sighed heavily.

“What is it that I just hate so much about Potter? Is it that, not with his friends, he has the girls of our year, who have been with every guy, besides Remus, the sweetheart never give himself up without love, hanging off his arms and watching his every move? Or is it the way his eyes used to twinkle with mirth every time they had played a prank on me? And that now, whenever it happened, the smile on his face didn't reach his eyes? Or is it the mop of messy black hair that my fingers just twitch whenever I see him, dying to stroke my hands through?

“Or is that he is a major show off? And that he can be the cruelest and insensitive person ever to a Slytherin first year, then stand up for me when Snape calls me cruel names? Or is it that he can actually play Quidditch? That he can easily out smart any of the Beaters and get through some of the hardest of Keepers? Or is it that he's almost as smart as me?”

That question stopped her dead. “No, no that can't be it! I don't care who's as smart as I am! I don't care that he can knick a snitch and play with it all he wants! And I don't care about him or what he does! The bloody prat! As long as he gets beautiful women and all the Quidditch fame, he's content as a freaking puppy with a new chew toy!

“Yeah, yeah that's it. Now, when I see Remus again, oh he'll be sadder than the day he first transformed into a werewolf.” No! Damn! I can't hold that against him! That wasn't his fault! He was just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time!

“But he still locked you up in here! He still,” She cut herself off.

“Wait a minute. Why the hell am I even bickering with myself? Out loud no less? I hope no one can hear me.”

“I can.” A voice near her said.

“Who's that!” she screamed, and rubbed her throat as she felt the irritation all the talking caused.

She heard a light chuckle. “Oh you shouldn't worry about me. I won't tell anyone, my names Godric.”

“Godric, aye,” She was still wary of it; she remembered when Dumbledore told her, for no apparent reason, `Never trust anything that can think for itself when you can't see where it keeps its brain.' “Where are you Godric? My name is Lily.”

“Ms. Lily, I'm surprised you didn't think of it further. I'm the portrait outside, I'm Godric Gryffindor.”

“There was no picture outside,” she said suspiciously.

“You've walked past my portrait thousands of times. The first time you ever came into the castle, you admired all the portraits, but mine the most. Because I only spoke to you, do you not remember?”

Apparently she did. “Oh! I'm sorry Mr. Gryffindor! Forgive me please! I just have no bloody idea why I'm here. Can you tell me why he did it and why you agreed?”

“He did it, because well, because he has something up his sleeve. Why I did it? Because, the Savior of the Wizarding World.”

“The Wizarding World?” She muttered under her breath. She shrugged helplessly, no idea came into her mind. “Well, er, thanks Godric. Don't any house elves ever come in here?”

“Ah, every few days or so. But it seems that they wanted to keep the room this way. I don't know. Good night, Ms. Lily.”

“Ah... Good night too Godric,” They then fell into a lapse of silence where she fell asleep listening contently to Godric's snores from the wall to her far left.

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4. On his Lonesome

In The Tower

Chapter Four: On His Lonesome

Summary: See Chapter One.

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Author's Note: This is their seventh year, if you already didn't figure out by the fact that James and Lily are head's… but I'm going to pretend that Peter turned into a Death Eater later okay? So... let's try this baby huh?

Previously: “Ah, every few days or so. But it seems that they wanted to keep the room this way. I don't know. Good night, Ms. Lily.”

“Ah... Good night too Godric,” They then fell into a lapse of silence where she fell asleep listening contently to Godric's snores from the wall to her far left.

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Sirius woke up early the morning after Remus had gotten Lily into the tower. He didn't know why he would wake so early, because he is usually a late sleeper. The room had an odd vibe that engulfed him. The rest of the guys were still the same as usual. He laughed as he heard James mumbling, he was too weak to get to his dormitory last night so he just slept on the floor, about Quidditch and then whipped cream and Lily, which together didn't make sense at all. And Remus was tossing and turning restlessly in his bed, fighting all the demons inside his head. His cat, Milkshake, slept on Sirius' bed whenever that point in the month came, and the cat was currently at the foot of Sirius' bed, sleeping contently. Peter was mumbling something about a salad dressing. Okay, so these things aren't that normal, but being here, things never are.

Stepping out of bed carefully, Remus shot up and howled in some pain that none of the boys could even comprehend. Sirius just sat back on his bed and watched the private torture that Remus was enduring. His fit left him, and Remus faded into another restless sleep. Sirius got up again cautiously and skipped stupidly to the shower. He looked at both the shampoo bottles and soap that there was no itching powder and/ or hair removal gel in them before their usage. Clean, but it isn't always that way... gr. Lily Evans! Then Sirius enjoyed a shower full of nothingness, just thinking time.

Wrapping a towel around his narrow waist as he stepped out of the shower, he got the weird vibe again. That something was somewhat wrong; he just didn't know what yet. “Oh yeah! Evans isn't here!” That made the mood much jollier for Sirius... until James woke anyway.

“Guys...” He said to Peter and Sirius, when he came down to breakfast. “Where's Evans!” Peter and Sirius tried to look innocent but it really just wasn't working for Peter. Poor bloke couldn't lie for a block of cheese.

“How should we know Jamie? She doesn't even like us. Well, okay, she likes Remus, but not the rest of us.”

“Yeah, yeah guess you're right.” He said distractedly, while scratching the nape of his neck.

“Well c'mon James. Got to eat don't you?” He nodded and plopped down while grabbing the grits right off Peter's plate.

“Hey!” Peter shouted at him, “Give me my food!” James snapped his head around and looked at Peter. James looked at him stupidly, then down to his plate where the grits laid, to Peter's where you could see the smear of the grits running off the plate.

“Oh, sorry,” He switched plates with Peter, and grabbed a banana. He peeled it and set the banana down, and bit into the skin, but didn't seem to notice and started chewing it roughly.

“Um James you know what you're doing don't you?” No answer. “James, JAMES?” Sirius shouted at him, and he stared at him.

“What?” He asked annoyed.

“You just ate your banana peel you know.” Sirius looked pointedly at his left hand, where James held what was left of it. He threw it down and just whirled around looking confused.

“I... I got to go.” He jumped from the table and almost ran into the doors of the Great Hall, before Sirius called to him to open them. Pete and Sirius ate as quickly and quietly as they could.

“You know Quidditch Practice is going to go all day, since James is Captain and all, right?” Peter asked him as they hiked their way out of the hall and to the Quidditch Pitch. Sirius glared darkly at him. He shrank away from him.

“Pete, I'm not that stupid! I mean come on! I've known him since the first ride on the Hogwarts Express! We told each other everything about each other then, even if we barley knew each other. And I'm going to be there all day if I have too. I don't care what happens.

“But I need you to ask the House Elves to put a sleeping potion in one of the chocolate muffins that they are giving Lily. Please? I have the hard part of this. I have to get him there! He needs to be like, sleepwalking when I bring him there! And Lily has to be sleeping in the bed, or this whole thing will go wrong. You do realize that for Remie's transfiguration you will be the only one there for a tad, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I knew that. What time should I ask the elves?” They were at the pitch now, and Peter was currently huffing and puffing his way to the top of the Gryffindor stands. Sirius, on the other hand, wasn't even breaking a sweat.

“Probably at three or so,” Sirius looked at his watch and sighed. It was only ten thirty. “It's going to be a long day.” They reached the top of the stands, and Sirius waltzed to his seat, while Peter was still at the top of the stairs, heaving his guts out trying to get some air. “Now come on Peter! Practice is about to start!” He came and sat in his seat at least five minutes later, and he stank of sweat. “Peter, you stink.”

“Oh shut up you!” He said obviously annoyed. But he knew Sirius was right, and he charmed a spell on himself, getting rid of the sweat, and the stench. As soon as he was done, James came flying up to them on his Comet 360. He came to a screeching stop not even a foot in front of Sirius' nose, yet Sirius didn't flinch. Was far to use to it now.

“Yellow! Didn't know you would be here!” He said cheekily. Sirius rolled his eyes while Peter huffed a sigh.

“You feel any better?” Peter asked, looking at James with bright eyes.

James glanced at him. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said cockily. He'll never admit that he was sick.

“James, you're such a dork.” Sirius said, returning to the previous conversation.

He smiled stupidly. “But I'm a hot dork right?”

“Oh yeah, you're a hot dork all right.” Sirius said sarcastically. James didn't seem to notice the sarcasm.

“Yeah, I know I am.” He swept a hand through his uncontrollable black hair, and it made it all the messier. Sirius rolled his eyes again.

“James, think you're team is waiting.” Peter pointed out. James just stared at him dumbly. Then it hit him.

“Oh yeah,” He said. “Forgot I was captain again.” He slapped himself on the forehead. “Well, have fun watching me flying!” And he raced off, yelling commands to his team.

“Oh yes,” Peter said recurring to his conversation with Sirius earlier, “A very long day.” Five hours later Sirius made Peter leave to get the muffins ready. Sirius had finished four homework assignments believe it or not; he couldn't really believe he had done them either. No one came up to bother them, but the beaters joked and hit the bludgers in their direction every half-hour or so. Peter came back an hour later, telling Sirius it was all set.

“Great. Part two shall commence in,” he looked at his watch and it said five, “In three hours.” He tapped his watch. “Weren't you only gone an hour?” He asked Peter.

“Yeah,” Peter said uncomprehending.

“Stupid watch,” Sirius grumbled tapping his watch face angrily and not noticing anything else. Peter watched him carefully. They didn't notice until it was almost too late.

A sudden whistling sound was heard and Sirius turned his head to see a bludger coming right toward Peter. Peter stood there, shocked. Sirius pushed him out of the way just to get hit in the stomach. The impact threw him up into the air, backward. He fell, one hundred feet down. The freaking bludger knocked him off the stands!

He kept falling. He felt someone grab him, but they lost their hold, maybe because he was going at least fifty miles per hour faster than them, and they only grabbed him by the tips of his fingers. It did slow him down, but for only a mere second. He plummeted to the ground, and landed with a sickening crack. Pain whipped through his body like fire, shooting through all of his veins. He couldn't move unless he wanted to have instant excruciating pain. He heard in a distant part of his mind someone calling out his name, but it was swept away into the roaring oceans of pain and the loud pumping blood in his ears. It would forever be lost at sea.

PETER'S POV

Peter lay there on the top of the stands, petrified with fear, just watching Sirius fall farther and farther. Sirius had no expression on his face, like he knew that this was coming, and come what may, he would see to it that it did. James was racing trying to get to him and catch him, just like the rest of the team. But no one got close to him.

Sirius slowed down at one point, twenty feet from the ground, and his arm was reaching up and trying to grasp something, but in a second, he's falling faster and faster again. It must have been Peter's imagination. He heard Allison Jones calling out “Sirius!” Right before he hit the ground. A crack echoed through the air all around them.

Everything went quiet. No one moved. And then, everything was in a commotion. Peter was galloping down the stairs fast as his chubby legs would carry him, and James was zooming around yelling, commanding again. But this time it wasn't for just a simple game. This was real. Allison Jones was speeding away to the windows of the Hospital Wing, and you could hear her screaming at her broom to go faster.

Peter jumped the last ten steps on the staircase, and landed tumbling into the soft dirt. He picked himself up in a daze, and sprinted to where most the team was crowded around Sirius' body. It was mangled, and blood had sprayed around the ground when James tried to pick him up. Allison was coming back now, and Madam Pomfrey was hugging her close on the back off her broom, her wand and her medical case in hand.

They landed heavily and Pomfrey stumbled off the broom and walked quickly to them. “Get out of the way, get out of the way!” She shouted at them all, and they all backed off, except for James. He was holding tight to Sirius' hand, and all ready you could see such sadness in his eyes. He looked like he could never live again. “I said move!” She shouted at him.

He sent her a death glare, and shouted more ferociously then her, “NO!” She sighed but couldn't do a damn thing about it. She started checking over Sirius' body. It was very bloody, and both his arms and legs were bent in haphazardly ways. “He's going to be in the Hospital for a while, but you have to let go of him so I can bring him there. Please let go?” She asked James incredibly nicely.

“James, let him go.” Peter whispered pleadingly to him. James just stared at him dumbfounded before he mounted his broom and sped off into the red and orange flavored sky. He went over the Forbidden Forest, before dipping down into a clearing until Peter could see him no more. They all watched him go sadly.

Peter scrambled up out of his thoughts, and tore up and through the castle, ignoring all the strange looks he received. He kept running until he reached the kitchens. He asked the Head Elf politely if he could have one of the muffins, they were saving for Lily. The elf gave one to him, and told him in a stern high pitched voice, “These are very powerful, and sir! As soon as you bite into one you will be sleeping for at least four or five hours.”

“You gave all the other ones to Lily, did you not?”

“Of course I did sir! You told me to sir! I just sent them up a few minutes ago sir! Please leave though sir, we are making dinner and I don't want to show you what we're making sir!” All the elves crowed around him and shoved him with their tiny hands until he toppled out of the portrait and into the hall. Peter shoved the muffin determinedly into his robes, and hurried to the broom closet out on the grounds. Prefects were roaming the halls and teachers were all breezing by without even looking in his direction.

He ran fast as he could to the brooms and pulled out the closest one to him. Yanking it out, he saw sadly the broom he was holding he knew very well. It was Sirius' broom, a top of the line Comet 3000. Yea, it was one deadly fast broom, and it would get him to James in no time at all. Peter hopped onto it, trying to remember his first Quidditch lesson in first year, and it all came back to him, watching Longbottom rising into the air, then the broom dumping him on the ground as it bucked and flew away.

It was shaky at first, but Peter got the hang of it as he went over the start of the trees. He found the clearing that James dipped into, and saw him just staring up into the sky. Peter lowered himself farther into the clearing, before finally falling to the ground five feet from it. Still, James didn't move. “James?” He didn't even look like he heard Peter at all. “Look, if you kept him there even more, he could have died. And we don't want him dead, do we not?” Peter saw his eyes shift over to him, and they clearly looked like they said no, but all emotions were conflicting to win the main emotion in his eyes.

“You look hungry.” Peter continued on. “Want my muffin?” He grabbed it out of his robes and held it up for James to look at. He shrugged his shoulders, but reached out and grabbed the muffin anyway. “Don't worry, it's clean.” He shrugged again and bit into it. He ate it all down. He looked at Peter, and the conflicts in his eyes were dying down until his eyes looked dead, numb. His eyelids drooped down, and he was asleep within the minute.

Peter had to lug his body over to his broom, not even a yard away. He then had to tie him to his broom so he would go anywhere. Almost lastly, Peter then cast a spell so where ever his broom went James' went to. Peter, exhausted then mounted his broom, and flew to the stars. He rode silently, and could hear James' snores slowly fill the air behind him. He landed right at the seventh floor corridor and had to halt the broom so he could open the window and let them in. They flew in, and Peter only stopped when he was right in front of Godric.

“Evening Godric, I got the second one here.” Peter pointed to James, who was drooling a tad. He looked back at the portrait. “Is she still sleeping?” He nodded. “Frakanoplic,” He said to Godric, and his portrait swung open. Inside Peter could hear Lily shifting on the bed. He untied James from his broom.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” He said with his wand pointing at James. He slowly rose, and his floating body followed Peter into the room where Peter carefully laid him down next to Lily. He shifted until he was more comfortable. His face was inches from hers. Peter turned back to go. “Thank you Godric!” He nodded, before he himself went to sleep. Peter flew the brooms back out the window and shut it. He then flew to the boys' dormitories, and dumped the brooms there. He grabbed James' invisibility cloak, and clamored down the stairs and outside until he reached the Whomping Willow. He transformed, feeling his body become smaller, his senses keener, until he was speeding into the tunnel through the Willow. He heard Remus' scream, and Peter knew this was going to be a rough night.

JAMES'S POV

James woke up slightly when he heard the door close. He opened his eyes, and he didn't believe what he saw. Lily Evans was right in front of him, sleeping! She looked comfortable, and he was just too sleepy to really notice she was rolling over to him, even closer than she was. She found him and wrapped an arm around his stomach and snuggled closer. “Very good dream,” He mumbled incoherently. He then feel asleep again, feeling her heart beat in synch with his, her soft breath blowing his hair up and down, as he breathed her hair flew back only a little, then went back in place. The last thing he remember before going back to sleep was wrapping an arm around her as she whispered, “love you,”

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5. Waking Up and Screaming

In the Tower

Chapter Five: Waking Up and Screaming

Summary: See Chapter One.

Disclaimer: Oh yeah mans, I'm JKR! I write hot and heavy Lily and James and Harry and Hermione scenes on my private beach just outside the Virgin Islands. I'm joking... you know that right?

Author's Note: I really didn't know how I was going to write this, after all, this story started out with me being bored, not really intending to be a full-blown out story. This is Remus' POV, then Lily's. I'm a horrible proofreader, so I need a beta. Who wants to do it for me?

Previously: James woke up slightly when he heard the door close. He opened his eyes, and he didn't believe what he saw. Lily Evans was right in front of him, sleeping! She looked comfortable, and he was just too sleepy to really notice she was rolling over to him, even closer than she was. She found him and wrapped an arm around his stomach and snuggled closer. “Very good dream,” He mumbled incoherently. He then feel asleep again, feeling her heart beat in synch with his, her soft breath blowing his hair up and down, as he breathed her hair flew back only a little, then went back in place. The last thing he remember before going back to sleep was wrapping an arm around her as she whispered, “love you,”

What is a kiss? A kiss is simply two people, their mouths joined together, sharing air. Sharing life. Sharing love. Realize that if a kiss is simply sharing air, sharing life, sharing love, then one can kiss someone without touching at all. Fuyumi, breathe

“Finally, Christmas Break is here. I'm tried.” Remus said stupidly before yawning widely and blinking his eyes. Sirius was standing awkwardly at the platform with him, and Peter was already on the train, guarding off their apartment and Milkshake. Sirius laughed and watched as all the girls went by, checking them out one by one.

He got out of the hospital this morning with Remus, but he still winces when someone goes past his arm or roughly hits his back. Remus, of course, wasn't there, but was told all about it.

“Remus, you ready?” He heard Peter call him, and he nodded. He pulled lightly on Sirius' arm, to get his attention, and together they ambled off into the train. They sat on the train, and felt it rumble and shake as it started down the tracks. Peter bought them all the candy on the cart, and Remus was the only one who ate all the chocolate. Nobody touches his chocolate.

“Sirius, why are you coming with us?” Peter asked suddenly, but Remus and Sirius couldn't hear it at first, his mouth full of Bertie Botts. Sirius raised a dark eyebrow, and Peter said it again.

“Oh, well, I told Mr. and Mrs. Potter that I didn't want to stay at Hogwarts again, it just keeps getting to me. So they invited me to stay at their house again. I couldn't refuse. They are my second, no, first family and all.” Peter nodded his understanding and Remus just ripped off another frog head and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Remus... how's the family?” Peter asked him conversationally. He swallowed thickly and just stared into space.

“Good, I guess.”

“Good, good.” Peter and Sirius said together. There was a long, awkward pause before anyone said anything else. “Um, does anybody hear that?” Sirius asked.

Peter nodded, but Remus had to strain his hearing to hear it, and then he laughed. It was screaming, screams of horror, surprise, and disgust. Remus snorted. “Must be Lily,” Sirius nodded his head, grinning. And then he grinned, very maliciously. He slapped Peter on the shoulder. “Apparently, she screamed so loud it went through `silenco!' One heck of a scream right there.”

“That, was all Pet's doing. I fell, as you know, and I couldn't do it. But go Pete!” Remus nodded and raised his glass of pumpkin juice toward Peter. He was blushing, but raised his glass too.

“To James and Lily,” Remus said. They echoed him, gaily. And they each took a big swig of pumpkin juice.

“To a start of one helluva relationship,” Sirius said. They repeated him and drank deeply again.

“To knowing that we are so going to get a talking to when we come back!” Peter shouted. They shouted it to him back, and finished off their glasses. “What's everyone going to be doing this holiday?”

“I'm going to think of more pranks and write them down and try them on the Potter's really annoying neighbor, Sindy Park. And hang out with Katie, of course.” Katie Ah Bleu was a sixth year Ravenclaw, and a very close friend with Sirius and James. Remus and Peter had never been properly introduced, but they were acquaintances. Katie lived on one side of James, and Sindy lived on the other. “It will be so fun!” They both looked at Remus.

“Nurse old wounds and lick new ones. Take care of my mum and sister.” They just nodded. “You?”

“My dad is in America for a little while, trying to find a job. My mum and I are going there to visit him.” Sirius and I both nodded. Then he asked the question. The entirely stupid question again, and Remus just had to answer truthfully this time. “How's the family?”

Sirius and Remus both just stared at him, almost looking past him, but they didn't see him in their minds, oh no. They saw some different; worse. Remus was pretty sure Sirius saw his mother at Black Manor, and all the cruel things he was made to do when he was supposed to be enjoying things. And Remus? Well, he saw something from the eyes of himself when he was just a wee little squirt, as Sirius loves to say.

Remus shook his head and sniffed, keeping back tears. As the memory left him, everything in his life that haunted him before hit him full force.

“Remus, are you all right?” He heard Sirius say questionably. He nodded his head. Remus had never shared that certain memory with anyone, and he didn't plan on doing it any time soon. He may of emptied most of his heart to these people that he loves as his second family, but he has never dropped that secret on them. They wouldn't treat him the same. Sirius still looked at Remus doubtfully.

“I'm fine!” He growled to Sirius and he felt his temper rise. “Just back off!” Both boys and nodded and Sirius jumped up and went over to sit next to Peter, who was shaking. The train stopped moving, and Remus heard all the doors being opened. Remus stood, took his things as Milkshake jumped lightly on top of his trunk, and he exited the section and didn't look back to two of his best friends.

He saw his mom and Tina, his sister, waving at him, trying to be happy. He waved to them with a fake smile, and went over to them. He grabs hold of his mum's hand, and she holds Tina's, and together they walk through the barrier into a different world.

LILY'S POV

Lily opened her eyes and yawned, but don't cover her mouth. She heard a snort, but didn't think any of it. `It's probably Godric anyway,' she said to herself, snuggling closer to her warm pillow. Today was the third day she was locked in this bloody tower, and she was supposed to be going home today. Everything she saw was still blurry with sleepiness, but she distinctly saw black.

“Funny,” She said to herself, “There weren't any black blankets yesterday.” She felt her pillow roll over and grunt, but she's too sleepy to notice, or care. She shook her head, and when all the sleep was gone, she saw a big mess of black hair. It was up in all directions, and right then the hair was leaning on her chest. “Very nice hair,” She said stupidly.

She instinctively entwined her fingers through it and rubbed the soft locks between her fingers. It feels like silk, and smelled like sweat, grass, and morning dew. Brilliant smell, in her opinion. She heard a mumble beneath her chest, and it felt like a purring of a cat. The voice sounded velvety soft, and to tell you the truth, she didn't care who the person was, he could take her, as long as she could smell him, feel his hair, and hear his voice.

Well okay, never mind, but he could kiss her as long as she could smell him, feel his hair and hear his voice. But it sounded so familiar. She felt him breathe out her name. She felt the hot breathe run through her shirt and hit her skin, spreading goose bumps easily and sending shivers down her spine. Right then, she knew exactly who it was, and promptly screamed.

James awoke with a start and lazily, sleepily blinked his hazel eyes at her. He stared and her mouth was opening aghast but no scream came out. He pinched himself numerous times to make sure he wasn't sleeping. He wasn't. And she really wasn't happy. She turned and grasped a pillow and screamed again, but again it didn't happen.

“Get off the bed!” He just nodded and said, “Ungh.” He slowly got off the bed and stood off to the side, and fell down do to his sleepiness. “James!” She said bossily and whiny at the same time, “do you know how to get us out of here?”

He shook his head, and took a look at his surroundings, to find exactly where `here' is. He snapped his fingers.

“I know where we are!”

“Oh do you Sherlock?”

“Who's Sherlock?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Muggle term. Never you mind. So where are we?”

“We are in a tower.” She had already figured that out. Was he really that thick?

“I knew that genius. I mean, look at the stairs! Go up them! We reach a top of a tower with a landing; I just don't know which tower.”

He looked put out. “Oh. Well, if we know we're in a tower, than I don't know anything else.”

“We are so going to die.”

He looked around sheepishly, and spotted the food. “Oh boy, muffins!”

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6. Potter; Hugs

In The Tower

Chapter Six: Potter; Hugs

Summary: I don't want to say it.

Disclaimer: Chapter one is just so close isn't it? Look there.

Author's Note: Listen up, this story needed some serious depth, and it needed something to haunt someone from their past. That's why there are so many characters that are stuck together like glue in this story, except for Lily and James. They are going to have to help each other fight personal battles from their past, and their future.

Remus in the last chapter was just a start of what to come, but it was the biggest hurdle, and the most challenging one. If there is going to be one like that, I'll let you know, and I'll make it vague as possible

Previously: He looked put out. “Oh. Well, if we know we're in a tower, than I don't know anything else.”

“We are so going to die.”

He looked around sheepishly, and spotted the food. “Oh boy, muffins!”

It's all about love… actually. Tagline, Love Actually

Lily groaned as she awoke, and heard… nothing at all. This had been going on for more than just one day, nothing at all. Well, of course, James was actually doing something, but she didn't really care. He needs to learn where exactly we are, and she'll get them out of here. Somehow…

“Lily! Good morning to you! Did you sleep well? I hope,” James rambled. She got up slowly, and got a muffin.

She turned to her left and smiled deviously, looking at him. His hair was in more of disarray then usual, meaning he just got out of bed. His glasses really needed to be cleaned, but more than that, his mouth really needed to be closed. All the noise he was making was really bothering she. She looked at her right hand that held a cranberry muffin, a personal favorite, and then looked at James again.

Then back to the muffin. She scooted over closer to him, but he didn't realize it. “Lily, what are you…!” But he was cut off because I rammed the muffin into his mouth.

Silence, score one for Lily! “Now James,” She said as politely and slowly as she could, “take that muffin as a warning that if you wake me up any earlier than ten am every morning, more cranberry will be rammed into your skull, and I will make you swallow it whole. Got it?” He nodded, and she could see his cheeks puffed out, trying to contain the muffin, not letting her see it. Which was polite in a way, but she wasn't looking for politeness right now. She was looking for a way out.

“Good.” she stated smugly, and couldn't help but have to grin crookedly at him, he looked like a chipmunk. “Now, there is a bathroom, right there.” She said, pointing in the general direction of ahead to the left. He just nodded. “You know where the bed is obviously, and the stairs to the tower are right next to the bathroom.”

“Okay.”

And those were the only words exchanged for over seven hours. He woke her up at ten, but he didn't say anything about, for the risk of a muffin jammed down his throat.

“Lily,” He said very quietly, around five that night, when she set about trying to find a way to make something with the food that the house-elves left, without her bloody wand.

“Yes.” She deadpanned, not paying him the least bit of attention.

“I didn't mean to make you mad,” And as he started to walk away from her and up the tower stairs, something happened, something that wasn't supposed to happen at all. She should have never felt this feeling about James or any of the Marauders at all, but she felt it for James right now. It wasn't love, and it wasn't feeling anything close to that. It was guilt.

She felt the feeling twist and turn inside her stomach, making it ache with all the movement inside. And it was in her gut, making her know that she did something wrong, terribly wrong, but the problem was, she didn't know what. Instead, she took the problem up inside her head, listing out all the possibilities of why James would apologize, in a way, to her. Marauders never apologize. She ticked off all the things she had done to him while she had been here at Hogwarts, and each one she said had a more absurd reasoning than the next.

She left the halfway made chicken pot pie sitting on the table, and feeling queasy, went up the tower steps to find him. Each step on the stairs made her gut feeling go away, but it traveled up to her heart, making it war weary and uneasy. Something, obviously, wasn't right, and she had no clue what it was.

When Lily rounded the last steps of the tower, to see the sun setting like fire in the sky, with pink and red and purples and orange, another thing happened that she couldn't just explain. She was actually happy that at that moment she was sharing something that enchanting with James. To her surprise, she was just as happy to see him just sitting there, watching the fire that not minutes ago was glowing and a deep crimson red. And he was being something he had never shown her before. He was showing her he was human without even realizing it.

Seeing him like that, so naive and perfect, distraught and happy, just made her want to go and hug him. And to tell the truth and whoever so wishes to read her tale, she did. She hugged James Potter. And he hugged her back.

SIRIUS POV

Well now, since Remus so kindly removed himself from Sirius' and Peter's presence, they sat there, before they remembered they kind of had to get off the train, or else it was going to just disappear to Merlin knows where, taking two unsuspecting passengers with it. Oh yes, I'm sure that would be fun for Sirius, but Peter would be screaming and peeing his pants the whole time.

Now, just to find the Potters was probably one of the easiest tasks you can accomplish. They are extremely tall, and they both have black hair, which really makes them, stand out. Sirius joyfully collected his bags, said `tootles' to Peter, and skipped to see the Potters, who could certainly see him. He just happened to get off the train when all the little first years got off, meaning that he was at least two feet taller than the shortest one. Well… he's really not that tall! Blacks are not tall!

They saw him and waved happily, while he accidentally shoved a little first year into the ground. Sirius thought for a moment that he remembered seeing her in the halls once, a Ravenclaw. Anyway, he couldn't remember her name, so he hauled her to her feet and took off at a trot to see his only true family.

Ahem, as he was saying, when he reached his family, (cough POTTERS! cough) they embraced him warmly, both of them. “Sirius darling,” Mrs. Potter calls him.

“Mrs. Potter,” he said, bowing mock formally to her. She curtsied girlishly, and they waltzed around our little corner of the train station. Every once in a while some Slytherin would look at them like they were queer, and they didn't care. They were being themselves of course.

Now, who would have thought that Mrs. Potter was as weird as Sirius? Well, the first time he had met her, he knew almost instantly that she was as strange as he was. It was all very strange, the night that he met the Potter family for the first time.

FLASHBACK

Sirius fell hard onto his stomach as he jumped out his window onto the grassy hill in which the Black Manor lay, as it slowly willed itself to close itself off from its surroundings. As he fell again, he rolled away from the disappearing house; his trunk jumping heavily inside his pocket, yet it weighed no more than the feather they learned to lift in first year. A dark leather bag fell after him, and landed on top of his stomach as he stopped rolling. He groaned softly, and sat up straight, taking a look at his surroundings. He knew where he was as soon as he saw the trees looming ominously on his left side.

His motorcycle is not three even yards from where he sat at that moment and it looks to be in perfectly good condition. He heaved himself up from his sitting position and limped over to the chrome and midnight blue Harley. It's gleaming in what's left of the pale moonlight and he could see his reflection it in. He swept his hair away from his face suavely. He slung his leather bag over his shoulder and put on his helmet, looking very geeky. He put it on even though he didn't want to mess up his hair, because he would rather have his neck than cry about a ruffled hair do. He plopped down on his Harley and revved up the motor, and that's when the commotion comes from the house.

There's screaming from his mother and father and Regulus, his brother, screaming Sirius' name, searching for him. But he's not there. By the time they even think of looking where he had escaped every day during every summer, you can barley see the backlights of his motorcycle five blocks away. The air is bitterly cold, whipping at his face, but it feels brilliant. It's nothing like flying, but he felt the same freedom on his bike as he does on a broomstick.

James once told him in a letter that he was surprised to find that he lived not fifty miles from Sirius. He could use that to his advantage, if only he knew exactly where his house is. An owl is flying over head now, hooting softly down at him, before landing perfectly onto his shoulder, trying to give him a letter. This made him pull over on the side of the road, to see whoever wrote to him. Well, what do you know, it's James. Sirius read over the letter quickly and snorted as James wrote he was inviting Sirius to his parents' monthly ball.

Yes, you did read right, a monthly ball. Sirius didn't even know how James handles it all. Maybe he does because no one cares if he gets drunk, even if it's his father who is handing him the fire whiskey shot, or if he bangs the neighbor's wife, who should look twenty years older than him, but says she's only ten. Yeah, Sirius knew that's what James says, but you can't always believe everything James says.

“Talons,” Sirius screamed to the owl on his shoulder over the roar of the engine as he started it back up again, “can you show me to the way to James' house?” He hoots softly, nips Sirius' ear playfully, and then takes off, leaving the shoulder of his shirt with lines going through it and some blood swelling and spilling across it from where the bird gripped him.

Talons sped off into the gathering dark, and Sirius urged the bike to go faster. It answered the call and sped off, leaving just an echo of what Sirius was before, a shadow that was steadily growing lighter, growing features, its own personality. It took him five years for him to gain his own personality and hinder a new Black. The more he sped off from his home to James's, the more he was a new person.

“Wow,” He said to himself aloud, “That was deep.” He looked up to try and see the stars, but Talons was retarding the view. A giant house was coming into view. Lights flickered in and out of sight, swaying with a breeze that was only contained within its own space. It was large, both wide and tall, and it had a very 1800's Era look to it. It had towers that jetted out of the deep black, by now, gloom, and it looked very menacing, but peaceful at the same time.

Soft dancing music was echoing toward him from the house, a slow waltz, the kind where all you do is stare into your partner's eyes and count in your head, `one, two, three, one, two, three'. He stopped his bike toward what seemed to be a stable, and rolled it into the main isle carelessly. A horse nicked to him softly, and tossed its regal head up and down. He walked over to his softly and whispered something stupid, “You smell,” before giving it a final scratch on its velvety muzzle and skipped sullenly to the front door. The music had ended by then, and there was loud polite clapping.

He lifted his wand in front of him in the looks of starting a duel, but before he even touched the door to seek entrance, it was thrown open. Mrs. Potter was dressed in a crimson gown and the front of it sparkled with black diamonds, if that could be possible. Now, the Potters' are very handsome people, and she may be thirty-seven, but at the moment, she looked to be only about twenty-two. She was holding a glass of champagne in one hand, and with the other hand, she reached out, stumbled on her feet a bit, and pulled him in before slamming the door behind them.

“Mrs. Potter?” Was the first thing that came into his mind. James had shown Sirius many pictures of his parents, and seeing her, he recognized her immediately.

She put her champagne glass down on a side table close by and wobbled toward him.

“Dance with me,” She grasped his sweaty right hand in her left, and placed his left on her waist, and hers around his neck. She twirled them around in drunken circles, but no one saw them or if they did spare them a thought, they were still in the front hall and wouldn't be seen. She was giggling like a Muggle schoolgirl, and he was grinning foolishly, leading the dance.

The music had stopped, but they still danced wildly from a soundless source, and the music would never end. And that was exactly how James found them.

They had danced for hours, and none of the guests noticed that their graceful hostess was gone from their presence. James was getting quite worried that Sirius hadn't written back. He was dancing a slow waltz with Katie Ah Bleu, the girl that Lily hated, and his fourteen year old next door neighbor. Her eyes were a mirror reflection of Lily's, and her long brown hair fell simply around her shoulders. A thought then suddenly came into his head. Mirrors! James and Sirius had both bought a pair of mirrors that they could speak to each other during their separate detentions. And it worked of course, for more things, but we won't go into that. As soon as the song was over, he kissed Katie on the cheek gentleman like, and she blushed, looking down at her feet demurely. He separated himself from the group of dancers on the floor, and walked up toward his room, which went past the front door.

Something moved in the corner of his eye as he walked up the stairs, and he slowly backed down and looked toward the door. Sirius and his mother were lying on their backs on the floor, their hands clasped and twirling in a slow lazy movement that was very much the movement to the old dances. They were giggling drunkenly and staring at the ceiling.

“Sirius? Mother!” He stated questionably. They looked at him, startled.

“Hello, James darling.” They said to him at the same time. They giggled at their strangeness and ended up crying and nothing in particular. Funny that, Sirius didn't even touch a bit of the wine.

END FLASHBACK

“Sirius, we really must be going now.” Mr. Potter said, interrupting the silent memories. They had been standing patiently by his side while her reminisced, and by the time he came back to the world of the living they were a tad peeved at the fact the memory went on so long.

“I'm sure Charlie and Katie are waiting for you.” Mrs. Potter said to him slyly. He blushed only a bit and then lugged his bags through the platform and out of the station quickly, running to the car. They took their good time, and he was scowling as they finally went into the car and started driving.

“What took so long? As you said, Charlie and Katie are waiting!” He told them hotly, mockingly. Charlie is the horse he saw in the stable so long ago, and that horse loved him, and he had no real idea why. But he rides and treats him like the god of horses whenever he winds up back at the Potter estate. And of course, Katie switched her mind from James to Sirius. He was quite proud of the fact that he had held her attention so long, and he's only there during the summer. And they barley see each other while at school.

Currently they were hurtling along the dirt road that led past Katie's house and toward the Potters'. Her house is big, like the Potters', but it's more modern. Glimpses of her riding her horse, Clam Chowder, flash through the tinted windows. They're jumping a five foot jump, and Sirius doesn't breathe when it looks like Clam Chowder will refuse the jump, but he springs from his slow paced canter and launched himself into the air. They clear it easily, and Sirius breathes again.

Before long, the Potters' house comes into view. Each and every time he sees it, it takes his breathe away. He glances up at the Potters', and they're looking adoringly at their house. The stable comes into view next, and Sirius jumped out of the car before it even went down to ten miles an hour.

He tumbled out and landed safely in the grass before climbing to his feet and sprinting to the stable. Charlie knickers at Sirius, and he howls back at him, knowing that it's him. Sirius smiled. It seemed as if Mrs. Potter knew he would do this, and told the house elves, for Charlie comes trotting out of the stable with his English bridle and saddle are already on. Sirius scratched Charlie's neck before swinging onto his back, heading at a lazy pace toward Katie's house. Katie and Clam Chowder are seen easily in the distance, and he urged Charlie into a full out gallop.

She grinned at him and waited patiently for him and Charlie to show up.

“How'd you get home so fast?” He asked, patting Charlie's neck as they slow down and stop beside her.

“I didn't sit in my railway car for a full half hour before I decided to get out of my seat, like I know you did,” she said primly as she jumped off Clam Chowder and let her eat. She looked back up at him for a moment. “You're different, Sirius.”

“How?”

“I don't know…” she said thinking. “You seem… new.”

He scowled good-naturedly at her and changed the subject. “Can I jump, you think?”

“I don't own the course, Sirius, so go for it,”

He smiled and gathered up his reins, squeezing Charlie's sides until he picked up a quick canter. He spotted the first jump, an oxer, and grinned, leaning over Charlie's withers as they gathered more speed, and flew. He reminisced the feeling as they landed and headed for the next jump, a minute version of London Bridge. It feels good to be in the air again, he thought not being able to hold back a grin as Katie cheered wildly for him on the sidelines.

Katie was right; he thought again, I am the new Black. I am a new Black.

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7. Scream into the Wind

In the Tower

Chapter Seven: Scream into the Wind

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything related. All I own is a shoebox. Yeah, I'm freaking poor. Leave me alone.

Summary: Remus, Sirius & Peter are planning to finally get Lily to love James, because he's just really annoying them. So they do the only thing they know to do, lock them in a tower over Christmas break. Annoyed Lily and confused James galore. How long will they last without outside sources? And when finally let out, without each other?

Author's Note: Ah… enjoy!

Previously: He smiled and gathered up his reins, squeezing Charlie's sides until he picked up a quick canter. He spotted the first jump, an oxer, and grinned, leaning over Charlie's withers as they gathered more speed, and flew. He reminisced the feeling as they landed and headed for the next jump, a minute version of London Bridge. It feels good to be in the air again, he thought not being able to hold back a grin as Katie cheered wildly for him on the sidelines.

Katie was right; he thought again, I am the new Black. I am a new Black.

During some of the most miserable periods of my life, people thought I was very happy. And now that I'm actually happier, I don't have to show it. I'm more comfortable with myself. Gerard Butler, on his new acting career

James rolled over uneasily and looked at Lily. She seemed to be having a peaceful sleep, until she cried out at random moments when he was almost asleep, successfully waking him again. She's doing this on purpose, she is. Oh, why does he even care? As long as he was near her, he was absolutely fine.

He had stopped acting stupid on purpose for her, really he did. He sighed grumpily and looked at his watch in the dark. It clocked three A.M., the middle of the ghost hours. He wasn't that superstitious, but there were ghosts, and then there were bad ghosts. And the bad ghosts come out between one and four A.M. He groaned and shoved his head into his pillow. He sounded like a five year old afraid of the dark.

Why was he frightened? Why did he even care? Why was he there? Did he even belong here, lying next to Lily in a warm bed, close enough to feel each other's warm breath on their bare skin? He sighed again, and Lily's hair flew back from her face. He got out of bed, his feet padding softly on the oddly warm stone floor.

A rather large cloak lay on a chair near the little kitchen table, and he grabbed it and put donned it on over his only boxer clad body. He tied up his shoes and stumbled up the cold passage way to the tower. Its three days until Christmas and the weather is getting colder and colder, and yet he didn't mind it at all. He had grown up in a part of England where its `stick you ass to the ice and sit there until it thaws out in five months' sort of place. And as a prank, he made Sirius do that. James had to bring Sirius his food every morning, steaming hot, and would pour hot water onto his behind. It would thaw out a bit every time.

But that's not his point. He threw open the tower door and was immediately pushed back from the frigid wind that seemed to stand right outside the door, waiting for him. We'll he'll just give it a good time then. He tucked his head down and pushed out against the wind, and it let him go through willingly. He shoved a large patch of snow under a hangout out from under it and sat, watching the snow come in and stick to his glasses.

The sun rose, unsure, but breaks above the clouds and warms everything around him. The snow melted about two inches, but is quickly covered by the flurries. Yeah, well. Nothing lasts forever. Well, if he thought about it, the past six and half years have gone on long enough to be forever.

If James tried, his feelings for Lily would last forever, and he would hate her for just as long. Creepy though, she had hugged him two days ago, and he hugged her back, and they just sat there. Hugging. Enemies don't hug each other.

He looked at his watch again. 3:17, it blinked out sleepily. Yeah well, he had been

watching the snow longer than he had been thinking.

He had never been this insecure about anything, ever. He had always plowed into whatever was in the way head on, making sure to flirt with some hot little chickas along the way. Meaning, that he had tried to flirt with a fireball with emerald stone eyes. Damn it! He slammed his hands down into the cloak.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” He screamed into the wind, which only howled its own reply.

“Why is my life like this? WHY DO I LOVE HER SO DAMN MUCH? WHY DOES SHE HATE ME?” He screamed ferociously. The wind didn't even give its reply. The wind had stopped howling the snow had stopped suddenly, and the cloud hid behind a cloud to escape his fury. He smirked sardonically.

“I never said I hated you,” a calm voice behind him said. He opened the cloak without a word and she slid in it beside him, shivering from the cold. And she had what looked like a long sleeved shirt, and wool jumper, and three pairs of pants on. She shivered against his warm frame and she snuggled closer.

“How can you even wear that?” She asked him incredulously, putting her hand on his thigh where the extremely warm boxers got warmer. He shivered involuntarily. “HA!” She whispered in his ear. “You're cold.”

“I'm not.” He told her honestly, trying to swallow while not looking in her direction. “I'm just not…used to people… touching me there.” He told her, and she immediately removed her hand, blushed as dark as her hair, which was clouded around her face, but other than that she didn't move. She watched the snow for a while, but like he thought she would, she did not dare to reach out and touch it and feel the smooth texture of it crumble in her hands and melt.

“Do you not like the snow?” He asked her, looking at his watch. It said 4:30. They hadn't done anything for a long while other than sit in the silence, warming each other.

“Oh no, I love the snow!” She told him, her face lightening up as she looked up at him. “It's just that, I came from an extremely warm part of England, and it's such a difference to be up here, in the frigid cold. What about you? You're sitting here in your boxers and a heavy cloak and nothing else! It must be like negative ten degrees out here.”

He snorted and looked down at her. “I live in a place where you can stick your behind on the ice and it'll stay that way for a few months. If you don't happen to have your wand with you,” She giggled a bit and got closer. He daringly wrapped an arm around her for more warmth. “It happened to Sirius once. I dared him because I knew what would happen”- “James!”- “And he took it. He was stuck on the same block of ice for practically all of winter break.

“He only got out because on the day before we had to go back I pitied him and warmed the area around his behind. Needless to say he was chasing me all around the house after he took a very hot shower and changed into warm, comfortable clothes.” She slapped his arm lightly.

“James you're so mean.” He smirked pleasantly at her.

“I know.” He cleared his throat and looked around at the snowy castle and its grounds. “Lily, what we're you dreaming about earlier?” She looked up at him abruptly.

“Oh, uh, I don't know really. All I know was that someone was trying to hurt someone I loved very much, and I couldn't do anything to prevent or further it. At sometimes it seemed like whoever it was, was very much putting up a good fight, then a single small blow would bring him down.”

“Him,”

“I guess it was a him. I don't know. I could smell the air around me and it smelled like someone, I don't know who.” She leaned closer into him and took a deep breath of air. Really deep. Then she coughed on him. He slid away from it, but only his torso. “It was you! You I smelled!”

“Um, okay.” That was really all he could say. She started crying into his shoulder suddenly. “Lily!” He said, startled. “What's wrong?”

“Just before I woke up, you died. And then when I woke up, you weren't there! It really scared me. I prepared to find you. You have no idea how relived I was when I heard you shouting at the sky.” Her head was still tucked into his shoulder, and he only heard what she said because he had tilted his head toward her and strained his ears.

He kissed the crown of her head soothingly. “Lily, I am here, and very much alive. I won't let anyone hurt you.”

REMIE'S POV

Two days ago, Remus jumped off the train in a fowl mood and joined his mum and Tina to go home. Now, they were still walking on egg shells around each other, and it's always this way. Tina and Remus shared a room in the little house that they had, though she has taken over most of it, seeing as he was only home two months, or even less, a year. His side is neat and spotless, with a calendar hanging next to his bed and a book by CS Lewis, the more adult ones, on his nighstand. His closet is full of older boy teenager clothes, as he expected, and when he felt rebellious, he had a whole section of his closet dedicated to shirts that have some depiction of the moon and its many forms.

Her side, on the other hand, had clothes strewn all about it and a huge dresser and vanity. And worse thing was that she had pictures of guys everywhere. Like he said, she took over most of it, so there are guy pictures on his side of the room. It's very creepy.

“Remy?” She called, as he fell heavily onto his bed and lay there with his face down on the ebony comforter. He grunted in reply. “I need to ask you something.” He felt her sit down on the edge of his bed and grunted again. “I need your approval of someone.” He moved his face so he was looking at her instead of the bed spread.

“Listening intently,” Was all he said.

“His name is Brendan, and he's twenty four. He's really good to me, Remus. To mom and me. He hasn't done anything that would even show signs that he would try and hurt me. He hasn't gone with the relationship; it's still only gentle little kisses.” He moved his head again and rubbed his nose in the blanket. He didn't need to hear about his sister kissing anybody. She ignored it. “And he's coming over for dinner tonight in two hours.” She ran out of the room.

“WHAT?” He blew up and jumped of the bed just as the door slammed shut. He threw it open and ran down the stairs to the parlor and jumped the last five. Good reflexes, he thought to himself as he landed on his feet. He questioned himself how she knew he would do that, for he hadn't seen her in months. He figured to himself she had probably talked to mum.

His mum was calmly chopping tomatoes in the kitchen, and didn't even flinch as the kitchen-swinging door swung open.

“Mum! Why didn't you tell me?” He whined, standing next to her, towering over her. She looked up at him with her steel gray eyes.

“Because I knew you would do that.”

“But that's not fair!” He pouted and slouched until he was barley five inches taller than she was.

“She loves you too much, Remus. She wanted you to believe in Brendan the same way we do. Just tolerate him, for the night. Then truthfully tell Tina, without any biased opinion that you are harboring right now, how you feel about him. You might just like him.”

“I won't! I don't trust anyone around you all!” His mother glared at him, and he sighed before drawing himself into his full height again. “How long has she been dating him?”

“Since you left for school,”

“Four months? Only four,”

“Yes only four! She needed the blessing early on. Remus, he makes her feel happy. Just meet him and talk to him.” She looked at the clock on the oven. It read 7:42. “Remus, you best be getting in the show, he'll be here in twenty minutes, more or less.” He stood stubbornly next to her. “Go!”

“Fine!” He shouted at her and stomped up the stairs like a small child. He went into the bedroom again and tugged some clothing out of his closet and little drawers of clothing he had. He walked slowly to the bathroom. When he had the door shut and locked, he stripped his clothing off and stepped lightly into the shower, turning the water on hot.

What he did in the shower is no importance to you, but I'll tell you that he thought the entire time. By the time he was out, and dried and had his clothes on, Mum was telling him through the door that Brendan was there and he should be on his best behavior.

“Yeah, okay mum.” He told her as he opened the door, still toweling his shaggy hair dry. She looked up at him for a moment.

“Do something with your hair.”

“That's what I'm doing right now.” He retorted dryly.

She gave a glare that said `I know' for her. “Make it look like it's tamable.”

“It is tamable.”

“Well do something with it!”

“Its fine the way it is.” He told her lightly, setting the towel back on the rack in the bathroom and shutting the door softly behind him. She shook her head as he looked down at her again and swept down the stairs, him following distantly behind her. He stood on the stairs, staring at their wimpy excuse of Christmas tree. It was only three feet tall. But they had the heart to at least have one.

Brendan came into view, standing next to Tina, holding her hand in his, and talking to Remus' mother. He had dark brown hair and green eyes, very tall. If he were a girl, who in no way he was, he would say he would be kind of cute. Kind of. He must have heard Remus' feet tread on the thick carpet, for he turned his head and smiled at him. Ugh.

“Hi! You must be Remus. I'm Brendan!” He told Remus, happily and reached out his other hand for him to shake. Remus shook it for a moment before letting go and standing close to his mother.

“'Lo,” His mother elbowed him in the gut. He didn't flinch. Brendan's smile left his face, and Tina glared at Remus. He smiled a bit, fake like, and Brendan's smile lit up again. They stood, staring at each other and such for a long while.

“So!” His mother said, breaking the tangible silence. “Ready for dinner?” They all looked at her blankly. Well, Remus did anyway.

“…Sure.” Were their singsong replies and they all walked cautiously to the dining room.

Tina sat on one side of the table with Brendan on the other, Remus at one head of the table and mother at the other. They sat awkwardly, fidgety and twitchy. Remus smiled, they reminded him of Peter. Anyway, there's no reason to describe the dinner, only that everyone kept glaring at Remus, his mum was being way too helpful to not be annoying, and Tina and Brendan stared at each other the whole time. THE WHOLE TIME! It's scara.

As soon as he left, Tina and mum rounded on Remus and backed him into a corner until he felt that… feeling again. “Well?” They said simultaneously.

“Well what.” He said to them, annoyed, and frightened. They growled and he sighed. “He was fine.” They backed up, but still had the looming thing on him. “Can I go, to bed?” They nodded and he breezed past them and up the stairs to his and Tina's room. He changed in the bathroom and got in his bed quickly, falling asleep not five minutes later. He dreamt of something he thought couldn't possibly be right. James and Lily were getting along. In his dream, James and Lily were getting along! Something is definitely wrong. Worst part was he saw them kissing, really hot and heavy. He screamed like a five year old girl.

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8. Bickering Lightly

In the Tower

Chapter Eight: Bickering Lightly

Summary: James and Lily ate their big toes. The end. JOKING!

Disclaimer: I don't own it, stupid nimwads! GODS!

Author's Note: This used to be a very long author's note, but now it's all meaningless. So… this is your author's note!

Previously: “Well what.” He said to them, annoyed, and frightened. They growled and he sighed. “He was fine.” They backed up, but still had the looming thing on him. “Can I go, to bed?” They nodded and he breezed past them and up the stairs to his and Tina's room. He changed in the bathroom and got in his bed quickly, falling asleep not five minutes later. He dreamt of something he thought couldn't possibly be right. James and Lily were getting along. In his dream, James and Lily were getting along! Something is definitely wrong. Worst part was he saw them kissing, really hot and heavy. He screamed like a five year old girl.

“Remus?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you believe in destiny?"

"Yes,"

"Do you think that you can't escape your own?"

"That depends,"

"On what?"

"On whether you want to or not,"

The Memoirs of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, by violet-angel07

Lily rolled over and opened her eyes, to stare directly at James's face. The sharp angels of his cheekbones fit his face perfectly. His eyes under the lids were twitching in rapid motion as she watched. His breathing was irregular, gasping, and she didn't know what was wrong. She knew that wasn't normal.

He slept on his side, his face pressed up against his silk crimson red pillow, and his glasses on the small night table near his side. She tilted her head up and looked around. The house elves had obviously come, for the little tower was sparkling and there were more muffins and pumpkin juice and coffee. She felt the wind howling around the tower, seeping through the stone walls and entering the cramped room.

She put her head back down on the silk pillow and sighed. Even the thick comforters were letting some of the cold chill in, and she felt it enter her skin and blend with her bones, making her rattle and shiver to try and warm herself. She went down deeper in the bed and moved involuntarily toward James. He in turn did the same thing.

Lily was about to go to sleep when she felt something crawl over her stomach, all very warm, and stay there. She shivered. She reached down, lifted it up, and set it down between her and James. This process repeated itself several times. She finally lifted it and brought it to her face. First thing she saw was long, tan fingers. She sighed and put it on his cheek, so it looked like he was pressing his head into the blankets.

But then she looked at his face. James's eyes had been watching her. The big hazel iris's watching her every move with a dazed, confused look to it. That's because he didn't have his glasses on. But he was grinned slightly and his eyes were twinkling. She pretended she didn't notice. She waited until the arm went around her again, and then she took it and put it between his legs. His eyes practically popped.

She laughed at him.

“Lily…” He whined at her, shifting under the blankets they shared so he could remove his hand. She grinned and hunkered her shoulders under the blanket it went up farther on her neck and arms.

“I didn't do anything!” She said, innocently. He rolled his eyes at her playfully.

“Of course you didn't,” he said in his usual voice around her. But in a lower, huskier tone, he told her, “But I wish you did.” Her mouth was open like a fish. He reached out a bare arm and shut it gently. His usual bright hazel eyes were a darker color than normal. That was scaring her.

“So!” She told him with a high, strained voice, jumping up from the bed and started pacing on the floor, casting nervous glances at James every few moments. He was watching her with his head in his hand, being supported by his elbow. He was smirking at her with a kind of lost look about him. He turned and got on his glasses. He then took them off, wiped them on the blanket carelessly, and then resumed staring at her once they were firmly back on the bridge of his nose.

“So what?”

“Happy Christmas Eve!” She told him, sitting at the foot of the bed, shoving a cranberry muffin in her mouth in the most unlady like way. She heard James chuckle behind her.

“Yeah, same to you,” She shivered uncontrollably as he sat down at the foot of the bed next to her, dressed in yet again, just his fucking boxers. He reached out a muscled arm and she watched as all the muscles twitched and moved in his arm as he reached out and took a… muffin. What the hell? She was getting excited over watching him get a muffin? What the hell was wrong with her?

She turned to the side and started hitting herself in the head with her palm, making sure the sound of skin knocking against skin was only heard to her. She felt the shift of the bed as soon as she felt his breath over her shoulder. He caught her hand with surprisingly good reflexes and held it over her head in an unnatural way so she was bent to his will and to his advantage. She whimpered as she felt the arm go farther back and her back popped. About ten times in one second or so. He let go.

“You're too tense.” James told her calmly.

“You're too calm,” she snapped at him, and bit her lower lip.

“I'm calm,” he told her slowly, “because tomorrow is Christmas. `Good will towards all men.'” He told her, then added as an after thought, “And women.”

“Well, I don't care.” She told him simply, jumping out from his reach and started pacing the kitchen area. She stopped, tore the long emerald cloak that James and her had hid under yesterday from the bitter cold on, and paced again. He sat watching her, occasionally reaching out indifferently and grabbing a muffin and shoving it in his mouth. She paced for a while, occasionally raising her arm and biting her nails. Not that they were perfect.

“Do you happen to have a fetish with your nails?” He asked her, amused. She gave him a sharp look and shook her head, before pacing again. She felt him look her up and down. “Because I'm happening to have one watching you,” She glared.

“Ass,” She told him simply, before storming up the stairs to the tower clutching the cloak about her shoulders tightly. She slammed the door open and expected an onslaught of cold air running through her hair and bones. Instead, she got a sunrise.

She sat down dangerously close to the edge of the tower, her long legs dangling and swinging over the side.

“Sorry,” he mumbled to her, five minutes later. She shrugged and said nothing, he knew what she felt. “It was a very rude thing for me to say.”

“Well of course it was.” She told him snappishly. But she looked at him over her shoulder and smiled slightly. Only because he finally had a shirt and some simple jeans with holes in the knees on. “But you wouldn't be James Potter if you weren't rude.”

He grinned. “I would tell you, if this were three years ago and we were fourth years, `hell yeah, Evans. Go out with me?' and you would turn and walk away. But now, hell, I think I would still say that.” He grinned impishly at her, and she blushed lightly, looking at him. “Except for the `Hey Evans!' Part.”

She laughed a little and bumped shoulders with him. “If you did, I'd still tell you `no.'” He looked down at her.

“Well that's not nice. Even if I'm the only guy you see because we're stuck in a tower together for at least the next two weeks?”

“Even that,”

“Cruel hearted,”

“Big headed,” They bickered lightly with each other.

“Insufferable know-it-all,”

“Codfish,”

“Untouchable,”

“Toerag,” He gasped.

“The ultimate insult. I'm impressed, Evans.” She shoved him and he fell over sideways.

“When one deals with the infamous James Potter, they must be quick of mind and of tongue. Dull wit is never an option.”

“Poetic,” He mused. She grinned and twirled a limp piece of hair around her finger.

“I do what I can.”

He took a deep breath. “Can you kiss me?” She almost fell over the tower wall in shock.

“Excuse me?” She said in a high pitch.

“I said, `Can you kiss me?'”

“Can I, or may I?”

“Well, you certainly may, but can you?”

She was flabbergasted to say in the least. His hitting on her had calmed down drastically, as they were both named Head's. And he truly only started hitting on her today. Cupid must have shot him in the ass. She changed the subject. “We don't know much about each other, do we? So let's do `Twenty Questions.'” He blushed and looked the other way, once again being rejected by Lily Evans.

“Fine,” He said stiffly, “you first. Ask questions first anyway. We'll switch off. You answer the questions you asked me.”

“Birthday?” She said abruptly, and leant back until she had her arms folded behind her head and was lying down on the cool stone, watching the sky over head get lighter.

“May 15, 1960.” He answered promptly.

“November 25, 1960. Family?”

“Only child, mum and dad, unless you count Sirius as my brother.” She rolled her eyes.

“Mother and father, sister. Pets?”

“A bunch of horses, one which has a very deep connection with Sirius. Horse's name is Charlie. And then like twelve more, and then an owl named Black MaJik.”

“A cat named Flatus, and an owl named Tristor. Favorite class?”

“Transfiguration, that's a given.”

“How could I forget? Mine's Charms. Favorite person?”

“…Sirius, Remus or…” he looked at her. “You,”

“Guinevere or Tanya, who was my best friend before Hogwarts. Fucked yet?”

“…” He thought about it, and told the truth. “Yes.”

“Nope. First kiss and who?”

“First year, Jennifer Breslant, who was then a third year.”

“Fourth year, you because you somehow got a mistletoe over my head and just had to be my hero.” He laughed. “Did you want to?” He gave her a look that clearly said, `what?' “Did you want her to kiss you?” He shrugged. “Did you want to kiss me?” He nodded his head rapidly.

She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes. He looked at her just the same way. She had no idea why she was doing this, or when she even got the idea. “Still want to?” She said vaguely.

“What?” He said, his eyes getting wide. She blushed and looked down.

“Never…” But he cut her off.

“Of course I want to!” She looked up at him and immediately closed them, her arms wrapping around his neck as his lips descended onto hers in a passionate kiss. It got much worse than that, well not worse but more, heated, but this is PG-13.

She gasped and opened her eyes. She saw black. She looked to her side, nothing. She looked up at the black sky again. The stars and the almost full moon were looking down at her, looking like they were laughing. She barley hid a scowl and bit back a loud curse. She slammed her hands from under her head as her pillow, and felt her head hit the stone, and then she plummeted her hands on the stone, feeling the distinct pain from how hard the impact was and then the familiar tingle of pain flowing through the nerves.

She got up and swept down the passage into the lower chamber. James's head snapped up and he smiled as he heard her. Then his lovely face immediately changed to a frown as seeing her in a huff. “What's wrong?” He asked her.

“Nothing,” She told him, pulling out a chair and sitting down opposite her. “I just had a weird dream.”

“Oh,” he said surprised, not really knowing what to say. “You fell asleep playing the game. I thought of bringing you down but I didn't want any chance of hurting you or waking you.” She grunted. “You fell asleep as I was answering who my first kiss was.” He grinned at her and headed off to the bathroom to take his daily shower. “Happy Christmas Eve,” She slammed her head down on the table as she heard another door close.

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9. Prank the Prat

In the Tower

Chapter Nine: Prank the Prat

Summary: If you've read the little summary before you clicked on my story to read it, then you have read my summary, and there is no need for you to read it again.

Disclaimer: NOTHING! NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING! My good gracious, if I owned anything, I would certainly tell you. Oh, I'll tell you something now! I have a complete and utter obsession with Gerard Butler, mainly him because he is the fucking hottest guy in the world, and Kevin Smith, hope he's having a blast in the great beyond, and Eric Bana, because he just ruled in Black Hawk Down. I own those obsessions. So tell me are you happy now?

Author's Note: Real obsessions there! Sorry guys, if you're searching for some more James/Lily, it's very scant in this chapter. It's Sirius/Katie. BUT THERE IS L/J, SO DON'T GO WITHOUT READING IT!

Previously: “Oh,” he said surprised, not really knowing what to say. “You fell asleep playing the game. I thought of bringing you down but I didn't want any chance of hurting you or waking you.” She grunted. “You fell asleep as I was answering who my first kiss was.” He grinned at her and headed off to the bathroom to take his daily shower. “Happy Christmas Eve,” She slammed her head down on the table as she heard another door close.

No laws. No limits. One rule. Never fall in love.

Tagline for “Moulin Rouge!”

*******

Sirius grinned at Katie as he pulled Charlie up to meet her and Clam Chowder. She grinned back at him the same way. “Happy Christmas Eve!” He said to her joyfully, handing her a neatly wrapped present.

“Same to you, Siri!” She said hastily, and gave him a poorly wrapped package. He looked at it, and then looked up at her. She blushed, as per usual when they exchanged their presents to each other. “I'm not very good,” she stated, threading her fingers through Clam Chowder's mane. She tossed her head in agreement, dancing antsy. “Even Chowder here agrees with me!” She told him, laughing. He grinned lopsided at her and looked off in the distance behind them. He squinted when he saw something moving.

“Katie!” He stage whispered to her. She cocked her head at him.

“What?” She said in the same voice.

“Sindy Park at eleven o'clock!” She smiled slightly and looked in the direction he was looking at. “Prank?”

“Of course,” She told him, as they both set off at a swift canter toward the east, closer to Sindy, but not close enough for her to see them. “So, what are we doing?” She asked him over the wind as she and he raced each other into the wind. She was wining.

“Well, I don't know really.” He told her truthfully. She gave him a look and jumped a log, Charlie not a length behind. “Um… the woods are supposedly haunted, right?” He asked her, as she lived her much longer and knew the history behind all of the plots, which he hated to admit.

“Yeah,” She said, and slowed to a trot that was completely too smooth to qualify as a trot. He slowed Charlie to a walk, since Chowder was barley going faster than that. “It was said that about three hundred years ago there was a witch hunt in the woods just here.” She said, pointing out at the landscape and the enormous trees.

“But wouldn't it just tickle a witch?” He asked her.

“Right, but she wasn't a witch.” Sirius did a real gasp. He heard that there was a hanging, but he didn't want to get too much in it. James was telling him when they were telling ghost stories when they were both a bit drunk lying on James's bed upside down. He fell asleep as he was saying a completely absurd version as how he though the Bloody Baron died.

“Really,” He said, flabbergasted. She gave him another look, half-exasperated and half annoyed that he interrupted her story. “Right, sorry,” He told her bashfully, “Go on.” She cleared her throat.

“She was a muggle, and all the magic she knew was that the stars faded in the morning. She-”

“That's a stupid girl!”

“Sirius! I was being serious!”

“You can't be Sirius!”

“SIRIUS!”

“Sorry! Go on.”

“Anyway, they hunted her because she actually said a spell, which she didn't know. And before you cut in, it was `Accio!' so you don't stop the story. Anyway, one of the town's people actually had a sister who was a witch and went to Hogwarts, and when she came back from her fourth year, she would scream, `Accio!' at random moments and things would come flying to her. So, obviously, he burned his sister, but she transfigured one of the twigs into a good looking corpse and disapparated. So when he heard the girl say that, he was immediately on her tail, not even thinking for a moment that she just made up the word.” She told him, and elegantly jumped off Chowder and led him to the stream that happened to cross their path on the left, if that made any sense, and let him drink from it before continuing.

“So, they burnt her as soon as they found her, in the woods around this area, and they say her soul haunts it, waiting for the descendant of the man who wrongly accused her so she could do justice to her soul.” Then she had a strangled laugh. “The descendant is supposed to be a witch or wizard. Because it sort of skipped generations and genders… They don't know when the next descendant would be, but they figure it'll be soon.”

Sirius barked out a laugh and jumped down from Charlie and let him graze.

“What a great way to finish up a story like that. And you had me in shivers before you got unsure.” He walked up to her and she grinned up at him, pulling her big shirt closer onto her body. “What?” He said as he put his arm casually around her shoulders. “Don't tell me you don't trust me!”

“Oh that's not true.” She told him, affectionately, and then said, “I just don't trust you looking down my shirt.” He pouted as his lip stuck out in his extremely cute look that all the girls at Hogwarts fell for. “I don't fall that quickly for that look you know, Siri.” She looked around and reached up a hand so her hand was holding onto his. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “I happen to have friends in Hogwarts, you know.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Wait, did I say that? I meant I happen to have friends in seventh year Gryffindor, while me being a lowly sixth year Ravenclaw.” She sighed. “There are no hot guys in Ravenclaw,” she grumbled.

He put his hand to his chest.

“What? I've asked you out loads of times being a so highly sought over seventh year Gryffindor.” She scoffed and looked at Clam Chowder for a moment. Chowder had moved over to where Charlie once was and now Charlie was at the stream.

“Have not. I think you asked me out when I was pining after James. You haven't asked me out since I've liked you. You're mean to me like that.” She looked around. “We should probably go if we wanna get Sindy tonight.” It might have been only four o'clock but the sky was already turning slightly pink and it was getting quite cold.

“Yeah, you're right.” Sirius pulled his arm off her shoulders and they both pulled their horses up and mounted synchronized. They both looked at each other as they squirmed in their saddles to find the most comfortable position. Sindy Park's house was on the Potter's other side, and to James, Sirius, Katie and the rest of the Marauders and whoever happened to live in the area, excluding her own parents, was the most annoying brat on the planet. She was even worse than Bellatrix, all his cousins; Snape and Lucious Malfoy combined. And that's saying something.

Sindy had it all, as she always told Sirius and James whenever they had mistaken their boredom for interest. As always, she said she had the perfect grades, the perfect house, the perfect friends, the perfect team, the perfect clothes, it goes on and on! But then she would stop her insanely long rant, size him and James up, and then tell that the one thing she didn't have. The perfect boyfriend. Then she would ask one out without a care, and they would both refuse, she would give them a roughish wink, laugh and say, “Oh, I'll get you next time.” Next time has been the past five years.

“So!” He said conversationally, as they set off at a brisk trot, posting the entire way. “What is the prank?” Katie threw him a look and a smile, flicked her long hair over her shoulder and with her emerald eyes shining very brightly, proceeded to tell Sirius the entire prank that she made up, in very precise detail. He nodded after ten minutes, in which she took a breath. “I don't get it.”

She growled and her eyes narrowed. He barked out a laugh. “Just joking!” He said in a high voice. He knew that when Katie got angry, her power went out of control and blew up things around her. It's just the way she was.

FLASHBACK, SIXTH YEAR SIRIUS, FIFTH YEAR KATIE

“NO!” Katie burst out; her books falling out of her arms as she threw them down on the ground watching Sirius, James and Snape hexing each other again. Lily was watching on the side, a disapproving look on her face, but none of the boys were listening to what she was saying, so when they were finished, she was going to dock twenty points from each of them. And then Katie, a fifth year Ravenclaw prefect, stepped in. “You stupid nitwits! Stop fighting!”

Sirius whipped his hair out of his face and caught a glance at Katie out of his now owls like eyes. Snape, who was in worse condition, was walking and moving stiffly like a… stiff thing. And James, who was under the bat bogey curse, had wings flapping in his eyes so he couldn't see what he was cursing. “Stupefy!” Snape yelled at the non-aware Sirius, and Sirius instantly shot back, “Protego!”

Lily looked at Katie weirdly. She was butting in on this fight? She could seriously get hurt! Lily hurried over to Katie, who was fuming, I mean really fuming. Smoke was curling out of her ears and then just staying around her, a shield of some sort. “Katie?” Lily yelled while dodging a curse that Snape hurled her way.

She got right up to Katie and tried to reach a hand through the smoke to touch her, but was instantly thrown back ten feet and hit the stone wall hard on the back. James, who heard the thud, was instantly by her side, making sure she was all right. She gave him a look, and he went back into the fight, but not as energetic as before. Then, just as a very dangerous curse Snape muttered got within a foot of Sirius, Katie exploded.

The smoke that was surrounding her flew back at all sides with the strength of a hurricane that just washed ashore for the first time. Snape crashed through a wall and landed in the corridor behind the one they were in, they all heard the yelp and the dull thud of his form hitting the ground. Sirius was likewise thrown, but he as thrown toward Lily's direction and he blasted through the tapestry that was next to her, and she didn't hear him hit the ground. James though, was thrown into the air, and was currently spinning rapidly, rising impossibly higher into the air. He starting falling after he went up one hundred feet, and would have slammed back to the stone floor and died unless Lily sent out a well casted spell that slowed his descent.

Katie was breathing heavily and slumped on the ground near her books, looking really confused and quite angry. She looked over at Lily who was staring at her in amazement. She looked at James, stood, and kicked him in the leg, gently. He groaned.

“Oh good!” Katie said with fake sweetness. “Now that you're awake, I can tell you that you were being a completely stupid prat, toerag! Why were you even doing that? You know you shouldn't, egghead!” She knew how to bring a guy down, not just with fists.

Then she looked over at Lily. “Hello, Lily.” She said politely, then stomped through the tapestry she sent Sirius flying through and Lily heard her shouts reverberating off the narrow walls and enclosed space. “Why were fighting?! You know you were going to win!”

“I was defending your honor!” Sirius yelled, just as loud. “He was insulting you!”

“How was he insulting me?” She screamed, but not as loud, or as mad as before.

“You want to know? Fine! `That insufferable know-it-all, she makes me sick! She's such a complete mudblood; she has to know it all! She has to be number one!' And I was cursing him because I know you're not any of those! You strive to be the best you can be! And he was talking about Lily the same way! So don't you dare get mad at James, he was doing the same thing I was! Get mad at Snivellus!”

“I already AM mad at the stupid Slytherin!” She retorted hotly as she and Sirius came walking out of the tapestry, Sirius with a slight limp at her heels. “And now, I am a prefect, and I want to award points!” Lily opened her mouth. “But, Lily should go first, so if you would calmly come with me to Lily and James, she will tell you your points lost and such.”

Lily scrambled up, muddled, and sat against the wall the way that Katie had left her. She stood, and offered James a rare hand.

“Do the point's thing.” Katie deadpanned to Lily.

Lily cleared her throat and looked at Sirius and James.

“You shouldn't do that, it was very wrong indeed. You three did something completely out of line. You should know that after three years of doing it. James and Sirius, I'm docking twenty points each, the same fate to Slytherin!” She said to them as they both opened their mouths to comment. “And Katie, I'm docking twenty from Ravenclaw as well.”

“Why?” Both the boys and Katie said together. “I was trying to make them stop!” Katie defended herself.

“You knocked out a wall!” Lily told her, hysterical. “You almost killed James! And Sirius could have run into a wall on the other side and would have caused serious damage to himself-,”

“I already have serious damage to myself, otherwise, how couldn't I be Sirius?”

“-He could have been killed too!” Lily went on, completely ignoring Sirius. She stared hard down at Katie, who was fuming, glowering up at her. “It was completely irresponsible and not even close to prefect standards.”

Katie took a deep breath and looked at the boys.

“Not to undermine a superior prefect or something,” Katie said sarcastically with her teeth clenched, shooting a look at Lily, “But I'm awarding both of you boys with thirty points.” Lily had a horrified look on her face and the boy's high-five each other. “And I'm taking a further more ten points from Mr. Snape for insulting students for so long and getting away with it.” She looked at Lily with a defying look on her face and both the boys behind her put a protective arm around her, James over her shoulders and Sirius around her waist.

“You three have detention!” Lily screamed at them.

“I'm lessening your detention from the usual four hours to one, and you both have it together with- Hagrid.” Katie shot back, and the boy's smiled at each other. Hagrid was their favorite adult on campus, besides Dumbledore. “You should stop now, Lily.” Katie said to her. “Whatever you do I'll make bearable. Don't think I won't know.” Then she looked at the boy's, and muttered the counter-curse to each of their maladies, so they looked completely normal.

“I better go,” Katie said to them finally, picking up her books. “I'm very late for History of Magic as it was, and now I've already missed a half hour.” Then she looked at Lily, pointedly. “Don't dare do anything to them or me while my back is turned. I'll know.” Then she walked, slowly, away down the hall. Sirius and James looked at each other shrugged grinning.

“See you, Lilly Billy. We're going down to the Kitchens.” Sirius said lightly.

“You have Defense against the Dark Arts!”

“It's over in fifteen minutes, Evans.” James said to her, picking up his bag and Sirius's and handing Sirius his. “It won't matter now.” Then he and Sirius jogged after Katie, hollering, “Katie! How `bout the Kitchens?”

And Lily heard the answering call of, “Hell yeah!”

They jogged to catch up with Katie, and then, laughing loudly, they all walked down to the Kitchens and out of sight. Lily looked around, helpless, at the disaster area. She heard Snape finally starting to shift over in the hall. She ran to her bag, ripped it over her shoulder, and sprinted off to Defense.

END FLASHBACK

“So, basically, we're going to pretend that we're the muggle that was killed and is haunting the forest, and chase Sindy through trails and miles upon miles of horse poop without her knowing it?” Sirius summed up, making it sound how it sounded to him.

“Basically, yeah,” Katie said, slowing Chowder horse to a walk. Sirius slowed Charlie down as well. “I have the makeup for it.” She said thoughtfully, looking at the sky. It was getting darker. “We have got to do it tonight.”

Sirius nodded. A light bulb turned on over his head. “How are we going to get her out of her house?” She shrugged. “'Cause I was thinking I can send her a letter from her `secret admirer' to meet him in the middle of the woods so they can… do stuff, if ya' know what I mean.” Sirius said to her, wiggling his eyebrows. She chortled at him.

“Yeah, sure,” She said, and turned Clam Chowder toward the Potter mansion. “I'll go with you, if you want.” Sirius smiled at her. “Question answered. Race you!” She said, kicking Clam Chowder in a flat out gallop. Sirius grinned at the challenge and kicked Charlie, who's a thoroughbred like at the Kentucky Derby, into his element.

Katie already had Clam Chowder in his special stall in the Potter stable and was sitting on a bale of hay waiting for Sirius as he and Charlie made their dramatic entrance.

“How do you get here so fast?” He said, jumping down from Charlie and leading him to his stall, where he took the bridle off and loosened the girth so Charlie could breathe properly.

“I ride Clam Chowder way more often then you might know, Sirius. My parents some how manage to bring him to school on my Hogsmeade weekends, so I get to ride him in the Quidditch Pitch without a care in the world. We are in our element, as one. You can kick Charlie into his element, but you're not fluent with him as me and Clam Chowder are.” Sirius shrugged his shoulders.

“Whatever. Are we still writing this letter?” He asked her, giving her a hand to help up. With a small tug, she was on her feet, and was briskly setting the pace to the mansion.

“Of course! And Sirius, don't forget to bring your present in.” She said over her shoulder. Sirius doubled back and got his present and hers as well then sprinted up to meet her. They were in the house and were writing the letter in less than five minutes.

It was done in less than two. “There!” Katie said, sitting back and propping her feet on the table, as Sirius did the same. “It's a good letter.” She told him, and he nodded his head. “Where's Talons?” She asked him.

“Upstairs,” Sirius said, blushing a bit. “I took him with me.” She gave him a queer look.

“Where's James?” Sirius reached in a jar and took out a cookie, and chewed on it thoughtfully, deciding whether or not to tell her.

“He's in a tower.” He said vaguely. She gave him the look she always has reserved for him. “With Lily,” Another look, “At school, without their wands.” He finally said, looking away from her face, missing her awe.

Her face instantly broke into a grin. “Finally!” She yelled, slapping Sirius on the back, happily. And he looked up at her, grinning just because she was. “If you weren't going to do it, I was going to do it over Easter break! Right on!” Talons fluttered down the stairs and landed on the back of her chair. “'Ello Talons,” She cooed at him.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her kissing up.

“Would you deliver this for me and Sirius, Talons?” Talons chirped. “Sindy Park,” The owl gave her a look of, if it could be true, disbelief. “Yes, I know, just please go do it.” He hooted and nipped at her fingers gently, tugged on Sirius's long tresses of hair, and then flew out the open window toward Sindy.

They both grinned at each other as they jogged back down to the horses and trotted to Katie's house, to get the sufficient makeup for the scare. Needless to say, at the end of the night, he and Katie were both drunk of their laughter, in his room with the horses put away neatly and all the tack in the appropriate places. Sirius slunk into the place where he knew the Potter's had all their alcohol, and stole two bottles of whiskey, and then sneaked back up to his room where Katie was sitting upside down on his bed like he had so long ago with James. Needless to say, they both got quite drunk and fell asleep on the bed next to each other; all of their clothing still on.

NEXT CHAPTER: Sirius and James! WHOOT!

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10. Merrry Christmas

In the Tower

Chapter Ten: Merry Christmas

Summary: LJ in a tower. Yeah, you should get the drift.

Disclaimer: NONE! J.K.! That should about say it.

Author's Note: JAMES THEN SIRIUS. ATTENTION, IN MY WONDERFUL LITTLE STORY, TODAY IS CHRISTMAS! So I'm seven months late. I think I'm five months early. I am going to make James sing French. Translations will be at the bottom. The song, “Complainte De La Butte,” belongs to whoever happened to write the songs for, “Moulin Rouge!”

My all time favorite chapter is coming soon. Chapter thirteen. It is: INSANE DUMBLEDORE! I loved him, he made me laugh.

Previously: They both grinned at each other as they jogged back down to the horses and trotted to Katie's house, to get the sufficient makeup for the scare. Needless to say, at the end of the night, he and Katie were both drunk of their laughter, in his room with the horses put away neatly and all the tack in the appropriate places. Sirius slunk into the place where he knew the Potter's had all their alcohol, and stole two bottles of whiskey, and then sneaked back up to his room where Katie was sitting upside down on his bed like he had so long ago with James. Needless to say, they both got quite drunk and fell asleep on the bed next to each other; all of their clothing still on.

“Christian, You may see me only as a drunken, vice-ridden gnome whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels. But I know about art and Love, if only because I long for it with every fiber of my being.” Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge!

James looked at Lily with a slight smile playing on his lips. Her red hair was splayed out around her head like a halo, and she in turn had a smile on her sleeping face. He looked at the watch he had on his wrist, it said only nine forty-five. He growled at it in frustration and stood from the bed and ate some muffins and made some French Vanilla Coffee. He had a thing for French things, if you cannot tell.

He looked at his watch again, and it glared up at him nine fifty-nine. Still not time to wake her. He pressed a button on the watch and it told him he had forty-three seconds until he could wake her. James took a reassuring gulp of coffee, feeling it burn its way down is throat and come to a halt in his stomach. He thought about which song to sing to Lily, a Christmas song or something else. He shrugged.

He didn't even know if she liked Christmas music. He himself never really did, because they only play the same songs with the same singers over and over again and you can't help but getting them stuck in your head. Thank gracious and the gods even though he didn't believe in the gods, that at least Sirius, Remus and Peter stuck him and Lily in here without a Wizarding Wireless!

A sweet melody came in his head, and he blushed as he remembered the words to the song. Oh well. At least, he hoped, Lily didn't know French! He had sung to random people when they were around him when he was drunk, and who happened to know French because that's the only language he liked to sing in, they told him he was quite good. Well, he yawned, signaling to himself that… oh well he forgot what, but it was in the place it needed to be when he sung. Anyway, he opened his mouth, and the throaty, smooth baritone of his came out of his mouth. And then he sung.

La lune trop blême
Pose un diadème
Sur tes cheveux roux
La lune trop rousse
De gloire éclabousse
Ton jupon plein d'trous

La lune trop pâle
Caresse l'opale
De tes yeux blasés
Princesse de la rue
Soit la bienvenue
Dans mon cœur brisé

The stairways up to la butte can make the wretched sigh
While windmill wings of the Moulin shelter you and I

Ma p'tite mandigote
Je sens ta menotte
Qui cherche ma main
Je sens ta poitrine
Et ta taille fine
J'oublie mon chagrin

Je sens sur tes lèvres
Une odeur de fièvre
De gosse mal nourri
Et sous ta caresse
Je sens une ivresse
Qui m'anéantit

The stairways up to la butte can make the wretched sigh
While windmill wings of the Moulin shelter you and I

Et voilà quelle trotte
La lune qui flotte
La princesse aussi

Mes rêves épanouis

Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux miséreux
Les ailes du moulin protègent les amoureux

Lily looked up at him and yawned. “Ten, already then?” He yelped and fell off from the perch of where he sat the small kitchen table, and landed hard on the stone.

“Ack!” He screamed, jumping up and rubbing a hand over the forming bruise.

“Merry Christmas!” She said happily.

“Same.” He rubbed his behind again and felt its beat against his hand. He looked at her and smirked. “Kiss it to make it better?” He asked her invitingly.

“Yeah, sure.” She told him rolling her eyes not even hiding her sarcasm.

“Really?” He asked. He didn't realize she was being sarcastic.

She stopped in mid-yawn and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “No.” He blushed a bit he found he was doing around her often, and looked away. “We're you singing to me? In French?”

“Er,” He said looking at anything but her. Then he looked her in the eyes and said defiantly, “Yes, I was.”

“It was good. Really hot.” He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she couldn't help but laugh at his comical face. Then she muttered, “I know French.”

“Oh good gods.” He said, turning his back to her and hitting his head on the wall.

“Thank you for telling me that I `I feel, beggar-girl, your fetters, they curl as they seek out my wrists. I feel your young breasts, your thin little waist. I lose my regrets. I taste on your mouth the feverish breath of a half-starving waif. And with your caress I sense drunkenness erasing my life.' You had me blushing while you sung.”

“I didn't know you were awake.” James complained.

“And I didn't know you could sing, let alone sing well. And it French. Turned me on there to tell you the truth, James.” She said, getting up and heading toward the bathroom. James banged his head harder against the wall until he heard the door shut.

“I didn't exactly want you to hear!” James moaned, hitting his head harder on the wall.

“What?” She snorted, coming out of the bathroom. “Well, at least you had the courage to sing to me.”

“Sing.” James told her shortly. She stopped in mid-chew of her cranberry muffin.

“What?”

“I said, `sing.' Please? You heard me!”

“James, I don't sing.”

“Please!” He said down on his hands and knees puckering out his lower lip and looked like a lost puppy.

She glared, but burst into song. Singing, “The French are glad to die for Love...
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental. But diamonds are a girl's best friend! A kiss may be grand, but it won't pay the rental. On your humble flat or help you feed your pussycat. Men grow cold as girls grow old and we all lose our charms in the end. But square-cut or pear-shaped these rocks don't lose their shape; diamonds are a girl's best friend...”

He looked up at her. She kissed him quickly on the cheek for no reason at all and hurried into the bathroom again to take her daily shower.

“This has to be some dream!” James said loudly enough for Lily to hear over the rush of water.

Lily came out laughing and ringing her hair out and putting it in a simple loose ponytail. “James, if this was a dream, I'm sure your perverted mind would have me snogging you right now.” He gave her a brilliant smile.

“You could be.” She scoffed at him and his smile, if could, got a watt bigger.

“If it's your dream, this is my nightmare.”

He quickly replied, “Some get better!”

“Some get even worse. This could be one of those.”

“You never know.” She shrugged.

“You're right, you don't.”

“Still don't want to kiss me?” He asked, stepping closer to her inconspicuously.

“No.”

“You want to kiss me?” He asked her, incredulously.

“I didn't say that either.” She said, stepping closer to him with a queer look in her eyes.

“Are you feeling well?” He immediately said, putting a hand to her forehead.

“I don't know.” She said, pulling closer to him. “Do I feel well?” She purred. He gulped and looked around her without trying to look at him.

“Why are you doin' this?” He said in a high strained voice, as he felt her edge closer still. He looked down at her just as she looked up. And then he moaned as he felt her body press against his. He shook his head to himself and thought, `She's doing it now! My god!' She got closer. `THANK YOU SIRIUS, REMUS AND PETER!'

“Christmas present.” Before he could say anything she said in the same tone, “Happy Christmas.” And then pushed her lips onto his.

Katie lay there bemused watching Sirius snore and see drool slowly drip out of his mouth. She snorted and rubbed her head on one of the silk pillows strewn across his bed. It was cold, and the cool fabric made the headache not throb as badly. She looked over at the clock and as soon as she did, it chimed. She yowled and threw her head in the cool pillow, but it couldn't block out the thrumming of her pulse and blood in her heart. It chimed ten times.

Sirius suddenly woke up, and looked over at her. “Merry Christmas,” she mumbled. He grunted, and got up shakily to his feet, and stumbled into the bathroom that adjoined his and James's room. He came out with two vials of something that was smoking. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Hangover… crap.” Was all he said before he uncorked his and let it slip down into his mouth and swallow it. He instantly had more color in his face, though his face had one where someone just had something disgusting.

“I'm not drinking it if you think it's disgusting. You eat everything.” Katie said putting her face back into a pillow. Then she flipped it, the other side had gotten warm.

“Do it!” Sirius bellowed playfully in her ear and she instantly shrieked, regretted it, shrieked again, and slammed her head into the pillow. “It really will make you feel better!” She shook her head. “Do you really want a hangover on Christmas?” She reached a hand out, and he put the vial in.

“Because I don't want my parent's thinking I was drinking.” She told him, as she swallowed it down.

“Of course not,” he agreed sarcastically, and she instantly threw the vial against the wall because of the taste.

“That's disgusting!” She yelled at him, stomping through the bathroom into James's room.

“You agreed!” Sirius told her hotly, walking after her.

“It's Christmas!”

“Gah!” He finally yelled. “I'm getting in the shower!”

“Okay!” But she didn't say it madly as before, she said it happily. “You smell bad, I can smell you through the door.”

“You don't exactly smell like roses either.”

“Roses don't smell good.” She retorted, sitting on James's black cotton comforter and looking up at the red ceiling.

“Well you don't smell that good either!” He retorted pathetically and he knew it for he instantly jumped in the shower and turned it on full blast.

Katie snuggled into James's blankets and looked around his room. Quidditch posters waved at her and grinned, making cat calling motions. Well, she could see why. Apparently all she was wearing resembled a toga. She didn't know how Sirius made her wear a toga when she was supposed to be a ghost from the sixteenth century, but she didn't care as he chose it. It was rather fun, wearing a toga.

James seemed to have sophisticated tastes for a seventeen-year-old. His room was neat, and as she looked in his closet, they were all neatly hung and there were no wrinkles in the shirts, jackets or jeans. She wondered how he could be such a… gentleman in reality, when at school he acted like such a egotistical jerk. Did he think that he could pick up Lily by being a cold façade?

Katie got up and looked at herself in his floor length mirror. Okay, so he must be a tiny bit vain. She had dark circles under her eyes and her dark brown hair was sticking out around her head and tangled. She ran her fingers through it so many times it looked quite straight and neat. She grabbed some of James's clothes and changed into them.

Well, the waist of his jeans were a bit big, so she waved her wand and muttered a few well chosen words, and then instantly clung to her frame, but loosely. His clothes, though quite big on her, she didn't mind. She then went to his desk and wrote quickly on some parchment and with his most treasured Eagle Feather Quill, capitalization needed two quick letters. One to James, telling him something randomly like thanks for the shirt. The other was to Sirius, telling him that she went home and would be back when she was cleaned up and her family opened presents. She gathered her toga in her arms and the letter, placing it on Sirius's bed before heading down and out of the Potter's home.

She put her toga in a random saddlebag, and then placed her saddle and saddlebag on Clam Chowder, before putting in the bit and riding, slowly, home.

Sirius came out of the shower and looked out the window just in time to see her starting to canter away, her long hair streaming out behind her. He shrugged indifferently and dried himself than did a spell for his long lovely hair. The Potter's had a little barrier on their house letting underage students to be able to use magic. But then again, Sirius already was of age.

He ran down the main set of stairs still getting a plain white shirt over his head, then turned with the shirt still blocking his vision and ran down another set of stairs. He finally had it on, but was now racing down the stairs and couldn't see a thing; his hair was now in the way. He pushed it out of the way just in time to not run right into Mr. Potter. “Hello!” He gasped out. Mister Potter smiled at him gently.

“Good thing you're coming down now. Marie was just sending me up to get you.” Sirius smiled at him and tucked some hair behind his ear. “Katie already leave?” Mister Potter, Jerome for now on, said conversationally as they went down another set of stairs and a rather long and big hallway.

“Yeah.” Sirius said, dazed. He forgot how big the Potter house was, and got lost in it at least three times each time he happened to be there.

“You okay, Sirius?” Jerome said, and Sirius nodded. “I'm being serious.” Sirius looked at him.

“So am I.” He said for the first time without saying the old joke. Yeah, it was getting old to him too. “I mean it Jerome.” He said with finality in it.

“Okay, well!” He said lightly and happily to Sirius, as they finally made it to the only small room in the whole house. The Living room. It was only a little smaller than Sirius's room, and compared to his old room, which fit a bookshelf, bed, dresser, closet, desk and hamper, it was enormous. So, it was actually big. The Christmas tree took up most the room though.

“Merry Christmas, Sirius!” Marie, Mrs. Potter, said happily as she bustled in carrying sugar, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, along with caramel and chocolate brownies, and of course, milk and eggnog.

“You too, Marie!” Sirius said, rushing up and kissing her cheek before taking two of each the cookies and brownies. He refereed, if you couldn't tell already, to the Potter's on first name basis. They insist it. He instantly put on the Santa hat that the Potter's always bring out, and started handing their gifts to them. He had gotten Marie a little necklace that had a big ole ruby in it, and for Jerome he got a rather large book with tons of Quidditch History and facts. Loads of pictures, but there was way more facts than pictures.

And they, well they got him way more than he deserved really. They got him loads upon loads of chocolates and brownies and then Quidditch things, and loads of it. By this time Katie had come back and was sitting next to Sirius on the couch, lounging with a lazy smile on as she watched Marie's face as she opened the present Katie gave her and found a silk cloak for cold mornings. And then Jerome's face lit up as he opened his rather large present and found a set of things to clean all his broomsticks with. He had practically run to her and was hugging her jumping up and down. She hugged back with equal enthusiasm.

She had gotten them lots of presents really, but I the author don't have enough time to explain all of them.

Sirius had gotten Katie an extremely wonderful diamond necklace, which changed colors with her mood. Right now they were periwinkles. She had practically kissed him she was so happy. In fact, I believe she did. But only because Jerome and Marie happen to levitate one of those Mistletoe things so that once it was over them it wouldn't let them out without some serious kissing.

He pulled back and the mistletoe had moved on. He grinned down at her. “That was fun.” She nodded, dazed. “We should do that again sometime.” She nodded the same way. The Potter's were laughing at them.

“Merry Christmas…” Katie said in a low voice.

“Merry Christmas,” Sirius echoed. They kissed again. The Potter's laughed harder.

JAMSIE! (I had to go back. I needed to put something in.)

She pulled back, smiling stupidly at him. He had stars revolving around his head. Not really, of course. She pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose so he could see clearly. “Je goûte sur votre bouche le souffle fiévreux d'un enfant abandonné de moitié meurt de faim. To make it complicated.” He breathed out.

She slapped him on the arm. “I am not a homeless person!”

“Too bad, it sounded good.” He said, and then kissed her again.

Translations: I promised translations, and now I'm giving it. This whole song is what is in French up there.

The moon, all too fair, in your russet-red hair sets a sparkling crown,
The moon, all too red with glory, is spread on your poor, tattered gown.
The moon, all too white, caresses the light in your world-weary eyes,
Princess of the street, do allow me to greet you, my broken heart cries.

The steps of Montmartre, all uphill, are hardest on the poor,
The sails of the mill, like wings, shelter all paramours.

I feel, beggar-girl, your fetters, they curl as they seek out my wrists,
I feel your young breasts, your thin little waist.
I lose my regrets,
I taste on your mouth the feverish breath of a half-starving waif.
And with your caress I sense drunkenness erasing my life.

The steps of Montmartre, all uphill, are hardest on the poor,
The sails of the mill, like wings, shelter all paramours.

And see how she skips, the moon how she drifts,
The princess in tow.

My reveries grow.

The steps of Montmartre, all uphill, are hardest on the poor,
The sails of the mill, like wings, shelter all paramours.

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11. Cranberry Sucks

In the Tower

Chapter Eleven: Cranberry Sucks

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except themselves, a little bit of food, lots of French Almond Coffee, and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it free. Sirius and Remus are big parts in the story; they have chapters about themselves as well.

Disclaimer: J.K.R! I own this computer, but only barely.

Author's Note: Ahaha! That's all I have to say…

Previously: She pulled back, smiling stupidly at him. He had stars revolving around his head. Not really, of course. She pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose so he could see clearly. “Je goûte sur votre bouche le souffle fiévreux d'un enfant abandonné de moitié meurt de faim. To make it complicated.” He breathed out.

She slapped him on the arm. “I am not a homeless person!”

“Too bad, it sounded good.” He said, and then kissed her again.

“Do you know,” he said again, softly, addressing his hands, “what it is to love someone, and never -never! - Be able to give them peace, or joy, or happiness?” He looked up then, eyes filled with pain. “To know that you cannot give them happiness, not through any fault of yours or theirs, but only because you were not born the right person for them?” Lord John, Voyager.

“You fucking bitch!” He screeched, rounding on her as she cowered in a corner. Tears were prickling at the back of her eyes, but she promised herself she would not, could not, cry. He stalked forward, the group surrounding them and her back was against the wall. She shook her head and tried to make herself go through the wall, but it wouldn't budge. It wanted her to be there. “Never do that to me, again!” She shook her head meekly but they didn't care and only laughed maliciously because that was the only thing they knew how to do.

“No, no, I didn't do it!” She cried out hysterically but they didn't listen to her. She had punched the man, but he had been screaming at her, and she only did it out of self-defense. He wouldn't listen to her side of the story of course. Who would listen to a little Mudblood brat like her?

No one does, or would, listen to her, except James Potter. His scrawny face immediately appeared, grinning cockily in her mind, not knowing he was blushing bright pink. She instantly shot the memory away. Why would she be thinking about Potter at a time like this? But against her better judgment, she whispered out pleadingly, “I wish you were here,”

“Wish what?” The man spat, and she felt his spit hit her cheek. She wiped it away with her hand, and the man caught her wrist and squeezed. She whimpered as she felt bones pop and break under the pressure, and he let go, wiping her `dirt' off on his pants. He muttered a spell and a long gash appeared on her hand, and blood oozed from it.

She gasped and looked up at him. “I didn't say anything!” She instantly bit her tongue and cowered down. “I didn't do anything,” she repeated to herself.

The man behind the mask who was the closest to her smirked, saying, “If you didn't, mutt, you will. `The road to hell is paved with good intentions.' If you don't give us what you want, then there will be no good intentions on this road to hell.”

“I-I don't know what you want!” She stuttered loudly, and all the masked people grunted around her. A sarcastic thought went into her head. What is this, an army of cavemen? She batted it away and went with that it must be their form of laughter. They had stopped their advancing on her, for only one step closer and they would be on top of her.

“Yes, I think you would,” a smooth voice said from behind the man she had previously been talking to. Her head whipped around and she felt her neck crack. She gasped involuntarily and massaged her neck with her uninjured hand. He took off his mask elegantly, and she gasped again right before clapping her bloody hand onto her mouth to keep from screaming. He had been in seventh year while she was in first, and he scared her like no person ever had. His blonde hair tumbled down his shoulders gracefully.

“Ms. Evans, hello,” He said smoothly, pushing the others out of his way. They complied before he had to touch them. “I am Mister Malfoy, girl. I am your better. Show your respect!” He boomed the last sentence.

“I don't know how,” she said quietly, letting her knees buckle and she slid to the ground, pulling her knees up to rest her aching head on them.

“Oh, I think you do.” He whispered haughtily, and he stepped closer.

“Lucius…” A squeaky voice warned. He turned toward the others and said loudly, “SHUT UP!”

A small voice was whispering among the throng of people, but none were paying attention to it. The outer rims of people were falling, but were making no noise. “Stupefy!” The voice screamed. Immediately whoever that was surrounding the small voice between three or so, fell instantly. Lucious slammed himself against the wall above her to keep from going unconscious like the other's had.

About twelve people fell, but there had been many, around twenty she had seen falling before that. What did they want with her? Five people still seemed quite awake and they had ripped off their masks and their wands were pointed in random directions. None of them looked familiar but there was the other man whose face she had seen the whole time.

He was rather cute; she concurred to herself looking through her hair and blurry eyes to see his face. His hair was stylishly flipped onto one side of his head and his blue eyes stood out amazingly well against his tan high cheekbones. But the blue of his eyes were icy looking and dangerous. She sniffed and put her head on her knees again, vulnerable to the outside.

“Miss Evans.” Was said again, and she instantly shot her head up and wiped her eyes. He was looming over her with a fake smile on his face. “Delightful to see you,” He said cheerfully.

“Charmed,” Was all she said.

“You should be,” He smiled, not exactly genuine but, what the hey. At least he smiled. “Miss Evans, I would like to tell you about something's. Some day very soon a man will come to power, and he will need much help in the area of charms. I think you could do it, when you're old enough.”

“I'm not power hungry.”

“You will be after you see what he can do, what he will do. And he wants you to join him. Don't you want to?” She shook her head and felt her matted hair fall around her shoulders.

“I'll see you in a few years to talk about it.”

“She doesn't want to do it!” A small voice cried by her shoulder. She looked up, and saw nothing there. But the wall close to her started to shift and she yelped and jumped away from it, landing on her back. The first thing she saw was a long wand, and then a small hand, then a small arm attached to the small hand, then the cloak was completely thrown off and James Potter was standing furious next to her, looking up at the handsome man. Why was he here?

“Ah, Mister Potter!” The handsome man said laughing. James didn't, and still kept his wand trained upward on the man's face. “I was expecting you here, wondering what took you so long. Then of course, I wondered, `Who could have enough power to knock out twelve of my Death Eaters at one time, and twenty before them?' Then I laughed. `Why, James Potter of course!'”

“Shut up, Tom!” Tom's, she presumed, face immediately darkened.

“Never call me that accursed name, boy!”

“Why not? What's so bad about having a muggle as a father?” James inquired, pointing his arm farther up so it reached Tom's nose. “Lily here has both her parents as muggles.” She held her tongue from saying, `James!'

“You wouldn't know, would you Mister Potter?” Tom spat. “Being a pureblood, you must think you're so high and mighty. Well your not!” James backed up as if he had been slapped. Tom laughed at him.

“Never tell me who I am, Tom. I know who I am, and I don't care if the rest of the world knows it too. You just need to realize you're another one of those freaks who think they're better than the rest of us, no matter who we are. So back off, jackass!” James retorted. Her head snapped in James's direction. He shouldn't be saying that! He turned to her, and lowered his wand for a moment, saying softly, “Lily, come on, get up.”

She shook her head. “Lily, please. We have to go.” He said softly again, placing a small hand, hesitantly, delicately on her shoulder. His hand was warm as he clutched her. She still sat there, stubbornly. His hand left and she missed it, but then she felt it on her arm, trying fruitlessly to pull her up. She gathered up her strength and got up, and he kept his hand on her arm.

“Miss Evans, you finally decide to stand?” Tom said pleasantly, handing her, her wand. She grabbed it out of his hand and instantly pulled it towards her chest. One of the Death Eaters, as Tom called them, had stolen it when they had first found her. She shuddered, and felt James tightens his hold on her arm, and she could tell at that point they, obviously, were both very frightened. All of the Death Eaters he had stunned were starting to wake up. She stepped closer to James unconsciously, and Tom watched their going-on's with a curious smile on his face.

She finally looked up and met Tom's gaze, a little unsure. “We'll, uh, just be going now.” She said quickly, and James let his hand slip from her arm only long enough to get his cloak. They walked quickly away and then heard Tom scream, “AFTER THEM, FOOLS!” Pounding of boots on stone quickly followed them, and she looked at James, scared.

“Sh, Lily, don't worry.” And with that, he slung the cloak over them. He took her hand and started running, pulling her along. She struggled to keep up with him, before he just picked her up, which was a bit weird to say in the least, hauled her over his shoulder, and then took off running. She wondered a bit at this point in time why he was being so nice to her. So not who he usually is. He slammed them through a hole in the ground, and they tumbled until landing in a little pit that seemed too small.

“James,” she said as politely as she could, “how did you find me, why were you following me, and why did you save me, be nice to me, and then carry me? Hello! You're not being,” she searched for words, flailing her hands about, “you!” She finally came up with.

He snorted at her, and strained his ears a bit before he sighed and answering. “Ever heard of a façade? Everyone has one. I happen to have a thicker one then most people.” She scowled at him and tried to get away, but it was a pretty tight fit. The farthest she could get away was barely a finger distance.

A hex bounced around the pit and hit the cloak, and she screamed, but James put a hand over her mouth before the noise could be made. She was shaking and felt him press his small body against hers, to make themselves smaller in hope that none of the hexes would get to them like this. She groaned ten minutes later after the hexes had stopped. “Lily, I…” A last hex was hurled down the pit and it hit James. He slumped unconscious, maybe dead. She screamed.

Lily jumped up in the bed, sweating and her chest heaving. She craned her neck and looked at James, who was peacefully sleeping, clutching his empty hand where her waist was. She watched him, calming down slightly, as he watched his chest move up and down rhythmically. Just watching him, she almost smiled, but she couldn't tell at that point what was going to make her feel better. What was she doing?

Why, did she kiss James Potter, three days ago? And why the hell did he kiss her back? He fancied her since, whenever. But didn't avoiding him, hitting him, yelling at him, and deducting points from him for no reason at all not faze him? She hated him! The disgusting, womanizing, absolutely wonderful pig!

Whoa, freeze and reverse. What the hell was she thinking? She didn't know what was real anymore. So she was going to calmly, rationally, rant. Rant the definition of love from her dictionary.

“Love, a feeling of warm personal attachment or a deep affection, as for a friend, parent, or child; a strong or passionate affection for a person of the opposite sex; sexual passion or desire.” Of course she knew what it meant, who didn't, but she didn't know what it meant. If that made any sense. Did she love James? Er, she didn't know that. Did love the Marauders? Not really, maybe Remus, as a friend. She don't know any other love to have.

Why was she even thinking this? She ranted to herself in her head, `I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here with James. Bloody Marauder's tricked us into coming here, well, tricked me at least. I'm sure James waltzed in here when I was sleeping, and just lay down right next to me, wrapped his arms around me and went to sleep. He might of, the bloody pig.' Another weird voice said in my head, `But he's so nice to me,'

When did James start being nice to her? Well, he's always… no, nevermind. He's been nice to her since they've been stuck in that bloody tower together. She says that too much, doesn't she? Bloody. Well damn.

Moving on, when did she start being nice to him? Oh, oh yeah. When she hugged him. Why did she hug him again? What did she care, she hugged everyone. Except the Slytherins and, uh, the Marauders. But, but then she had dreams about him. But then! But then she made out with him.

She had absolutely no control over that; no idea why she did it. Well, okay she did. But he looked so cute, at that moment on Christmas. No more kissing James for her. Nope! Ugh, she was going to have to barricade herself in the bathroom so he had to bathe and wash his clothes in the rain. Ooh, bad thoughts.

She laughed madly and clapped a hand over her mouth and looked at James. His face was pressed in the pillow, and his arm was still stretched out, though his hand was sort of sweeping the blankets and it seemed it was looking for her. She threw a muffin at his head. It bounced off; he caught it easily, then brought it to his mouth and ate it without a second thought. He went back to sleep.

She hauled the basket of muffins over to the bed and dumped them on his head. Well, it's been a few days; the house elves will come and get more muffins for them. But, ha-ha! She saved the chocolate and cranberry muffins for herself and wrapping them and herself in that freaking big cloak, she tottered over to the bathroom. She heard James chewing through the door.

“Lily? Thanks for taking all the cranberry muffins, they taste terrible. I always upchuck watching you eat one every morning.”

“Gee, thanks James.”

“No problem.” They had an awkward silence. He finally spoke again, and said in a smooth, almost nervous voice. “Lily?”

“No, sorry, Lily is not in right now.” She said in a secretary-ish, nasally voice. “But if you leave a message, I won't know if she'll get back to you.” James snorted at her and leaned against the door. She leaned against the shower door. She hated being sarcastic like that. As James said, oh so long ago, `It's a façade.'

“Lil, what if I have to use the bathroom?”

“Do it somewhere else.”

“There is no where else!”

“Do it on the tower.”

He guffawed. “I'm not that much of a public person!”

“Well too bad, you're bathing out there too.”

“Lily,” James said seriously, and her breath caught and she stumbled into the shower door. “What's wrong?”

“Everything!” She blurted.

“What's everything?” He said quietly, but it was so quiet that it took up all the air in its silence, and she could almost hear his slow heart beat reaching out for hers.

“Everything is everything, James!” She cried, telling him. “My sister, Petunia got married on Christmas! And she didn't even invite me, even though she knew I was going home this break! Even though I didn't. I think my parents hate me, they ignore me and they just… they favor Petunia over me. And then there's Voldemort! He's getting even stronger! Don't you remember second year? Fifth year?

“He's after people like me and their families! He wants to kill us all. And he wants to kill Dumbledore because he's afraid of him, even though he knows he could never do it. And Remus being a werewolf, I worry about him everyday of my life! I don't want him to be alone during his transformations! All of my friends seem to hate me, and all I can ever see is a little prat of a boy in my dreams defending poor, innocent, little Lily!

“I am fucking alone in this world. No one would catch me if I feel off the tower, no one would notice except there's some blood in the snow.”

There was a pause, and James took a thoughtful bite from his muffin. “That's not true, Lily. I'm sure your parents love you. I bet they might have been caught up in the wedding plans.” He sighed, “Remus cares about you, Sirius cares about you, and I care about you.”

“I don't believe you.” She told him haughtily.

“You should,” was all he said before he stood and exiting her hearing range. She walked toward the door and opened it slowly, looking out, but he wasn't there. She pouted and slipped her head in the door before shutting it and leaning against it, sniffling softly. She hit the door hard with her fist, and the tingle she was all too familiar with started again, creeping from her hand up her arm.

She bit her lip, and looked at the bathroom. It was dingy, to say in the least, but the stone shimmered like it was underwater, and it glinted and waved like the sun was on it. It was beautiful, really. And the shower was marble, like they had in Ancient Rome, the really natural kind. “Okay, why am I talking to myself about tile?” She shook her head leaned farther into the door. “I am an idiot.”

She grunted and pulled herself away from the door and sat on the floor, crawling on her hands and knees to reach the cloak. She opened it and picked out a cranberry muffin and shoved it whole in her mouth, her cheeks puffing out and barely letting her chew it. She suddenly spat it out. “Cranberry sucks.”

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12. Ambivilance

In the Tower

Chapter Twelve: Ambivalence

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except themselves, a little bit of food, lots of French Almond Coffee, and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it free. Sirius and Remus are big parts in the story; they have chapters about themselves as well.

Disclaimer: I own the piece of gum I'm chewing right now, and a few books that I shouldn't even know about for my age group. Found them around the house. ;-)

Author's Note: Whahaha! I made her change! It's James POV. Next chapter is my favorite!

Previously: She bit her lip, and looked at the bathroom. It was dingy, to say in the least, but the stone shimmered like it was underwater, and it glinted and waved like the sun was on it. It was beautiful, really. And the shower was marble, like they had in Ancient Rome, the really natural kind. “Okay, why am I talking to myself about tile?” She shook her head leaned farther into the door. “I am an idiot.”

She grunted and pulled herself away from the door and sat on the floor, crawling on her hands and knees to reach the cloak. She opened it and picked out a cranberry muffin and shoved it whole in her mouth, her cheeks puffing out and barely letting her chew it. She suddenly spat it out. “Cranberry sucks.”

There are things ye maybe canna tell me, he had said. I willna ask ye, or force ye. But when ye do tell me something, let it be the truth. There is nothing between us now but respect, and respect has room for secrets, I think -but not lies. <- Voyager, Jamie Fraser.

James grumbled as he stomped up the stairs to the tower. He opened it and flew back.

“Great,” he mumbled, pushing himself up and dusting himself off before slamming the door shut and going down the stairs again to get a blanket since Lily took the cloak. “Snow, again.” He wrapped the thick red blanket over his shoulders that tottered up the stairs to the tower again, straining to open the door and get through the snow threatening to come in. He forced his way through the howling wind and the snow that settled itself in his hair, making it wet and, dare he say it, neat.

He sat in the over hang again and pulled his legs toward his body so the blanket covered all of his except his face. He rubbed his face into the blanket and tried to stop from making his teeth chatter, but it was no use. James took a hand and rubbed it over his face and his eyes, making the sleep come out. He flicked them to the side and watched the sky. “I hate the snow,” he mumbled as he watched the snow twirl about him, amused. He strained his ears and heard student's screaming. Well, a girl actually, for the voice was really high, and she was trying to sing… though to him it sounded like a cow being eaten by a T-Rex with crickets chirping around them and a whale howling. Uh, yeah, it was bad.

Lily and James have been locked in the tower for eleven days. Well, Lily has, and James ten. But, every day he and Lily have, fought, screamed at each other, played a game, or made out. And eat muffins. That's what they do every day.

And James, well James has actually had enough of it. He doesn't want to be stuck in a room with Lily any more. She's too… she's too much of a clinger or a mood swinger. He himself has never had to put up with that many moods in one day. Let alone ten days. James grumbled and ducked his head so he was covered in all of the blanket, and the warmth of it radiated around him, making, sadly, the snow melt in his hair and make it flat, but other than the water running down his neck, James was quite warm.

Lily confused him, to put it bluntly. And James, like any other male Homo sapiens he knew of, they didn't like to be confused. Especially on the most confusing thing in the world, women. He sighed and watched as his hot breath fogged up his glasses, and rubbed his arms, self-consciously.

He was confusing himself, his confusing side of his confusing self decided. He had love Lily Evans since, hell, as long as he could remember. At first, he had the urge to hug her, like a friend, when Professor Critan yelled at her when she accidentally spilled monkey hair in Potions in the middle of second year. He shook it off and cringed at the thought of, “Girl cooties.”

Secondly, he had the urge to peck her on the cheek in third year when she smiled really big when she turned fourteen, on precisely, November 25th, 1975. All her friends were screaming at her excitedly and she was screaming right back at them, thanking them loudly for her presents. He wanted to hand her the moon and kiss her on the cheek and whisper, smoothly, “happy birthday.”

Thirdly, James had the urge during fourth year to kiss her, long and hard. Now that was in fourth year, and he felt that pull, as he was lost in space because the other two chasers were not passing the ball to him. He had parked his broom and was idling it one hundred feet above the Gryffindor stands. He looked down the same time Lily looked up from the rather thick book she had sitting in her lap. Their eyes connected for a long, long moment. Then he was knocked out by a bludger. James shrugged; it was a moment passed.

Fourthly, is that a word? Anyway, fourthly, he wanted to date her since the start of fifth year. He was very desperate for her. He tried anything for her. And she retaliated with harsh criticism and comments. Like the end of that year, fifth. He shuddered. She called him a “toerag!” It's such a harsh comment to him.

And, last but not least, he had wanted to um… love her, since the very, very beginning of sixth year, when he saw her step onto the train with her short mini-skirt, and it rode up her thigh as she stepped on. He remember, laughing, that Sirius whaled him upside the head after he stood there for ten minutes, drool slowly pooling at his feet. He was desperate. And since he couldn't get her loving, he got other girls loving.

Yeah, that's about it. He had his five reasons. Shouldn't that be enough? He ached for her with every part of his soul. Well, he had anyway. He had officially labeled Lily Evans as a lost cause the day that he was locked in the bloody tower. But, hey he was here with her.

That should be enough for him, to put her back on his radar. With his perverted comments and suggestive movements. But he acted human enough, didn't he? Human enough to make her hug him. Enough to make her sleep in the bed with him, enough for her to kiss him.

James huddled closer to the wall and wrapped the blanket around him more, closing his eyes. He fell asleep in the cold hearing the wind and students screaming in happiness, and Lily groaning against the bathroom door. He didn't know how he could hear that.

Lily opened her eyes blearily. She went to sleep thinking on the floor of the bathroom, hearing the door slam open, closed, than James coming down the stairs, stomping back up, opening the door and then closing. She grunted and looked at the bathroom, and started thinking along the same lines as she had earlier, with the ancient roman thing. She shook her head and slowly got up, stretching until she heard her back pop, then slumped over to the sink. She splashed her face with cold water and shook it off her face like a dog.

She opened the door and pepped her head around looking left and right. James took the warmer blanket off the bed, but other than that, no trace of him. Meaning, he ate all the muffins she dropped on his head. She put her head back in and locked the door, just in case. She then took a shower, which I have no need to describe to you.

She dressed back into the clothes she was wearing earlier, for she didn't have any clothes except the ones that she was wearing when Remus locked her in. No house elves would touch any students for their clothing when they were sleeping. It wasn't in the law of the house elves at Hogwarts. Meaning, that, no she would never get any clean clothes. Unless she went to sleep naked, which she very much was against. She shared a bed with James bloody Potter!

She rung her hair out and put it in a loose pony tail, before stepping out of the bathroom and flinging herself into the middle of the bed. She breathed deep and smelt James's scent, and pushed her head closer into his pillow. She went to sleep again.

Really now! They're sleeping so much it makes you wonder what they did the night before! In truth, nothing at all. They went to sleep; Lily had a dream, well memory, of second year, and James? James had a very nice dream about Prongs running through the Forbidden Forest and saw a little mountain and a gorge. He jumped over the gorge and landed gracefully. He woke up panting, as if he had run that.

Lily woke up, two hours later, with herself covered under the blankets, her head on the pillow and the one blanket pulled up to her neck. She smiled sleepily; James had obviously covered her. Well, actually, when she slept, she crept under the covers herself and pulled the blankets up to her neck. But we're not going to tell her that. James, to her, still hadn't come down.

She wanted his company, which scared her a lot, in reality. She hated James Potter with an enormous passion up to three days ago, when she kissed him. At least, she thought it was three days ago. She wasn't counting the days until the other's got back anymore. It had been eight days three days ago, making it a total that she had been in the sodding tower for eleven days, ten of those spent with James.

She didn't want to like him. But the more time she spent with him, the more time he consulted her, the more she fell for the Potter charms. Lily hoped that she wasn't another one of those girls that Potter picked up, banged, and then threw away. Not after she did actually like him. And not after he had pined after her since openly pronouncing it in the beginning of fifth year.

Lily bit her lip as she felt tears threaten. What the hell was this? She had cried in this tower with James more than she had in all her Hogwarts years. She had more mood changes in one day, let alone eleven, with James than she had ever had in her life, even during her menstrual.

James made her so confused. She couldn't think straight around him. She had to not be able to hear him, see him, hell, even smell him! But when he was gone, her light head was gone and replaced with her usual mind and she groaned each time it was over. She lost her common sense when he was close to her, these past few days.

She grumbled and her head fell back onto the pillow with a muffled thump. She rubbed her head lazily and scratched it before staring up at the ceiling. It was as normal as the rest of the ceilings she stared at when she was bored and had nothing to do. It was stone, and they fit together perfectly. They looked old, ready to crumble in and kill anyone at any second, but the magic that radiated around the school and inside the walls itself made it withstand.

“Oh god,” she whispered to herself, turning over so her face was in the pillow again, “I'm thinking about stone and marble again. This is totally weird.” She stood slowly and walked to the little table that was set up. It had a little bottle of pumpkin juice set up in a thermos to keep it the perfect temperature, and a larger thermos that contained the perfect tomato soup, made with milk. The perfect soup, really.

She sat down on the chair and gulped the soup down greedily, ignoring the heat as it swept down her throat. She felt it rest heavily in her stomach. She looked at her watch. It stopped ticking as soon as she did. She shook it hard. It ticked again. It was ten minutes past noon, and James would be coming down soon, she figured. It was lunchtime and he didn't have breakfast. “Five,” she started counting, “four, three, two, one.”

The tower door slammed open and James stumbled down the stairs, the blanket dragging behind him. “I knew you were coming,” Lily said lightly, holding out the thermoses to him. He took them without a word to her. “James,” she said to him, begging, swiveling around in her chair to give him a hard look, “talk to me, please!”

“I have no reason to talk to you,” he said swallowing the hot liquid. Lily's eyes widened at the statement. He had never had any reason to talk to her! In fact, he talked to her when he had no reason at all! Lily shook her head at those thoughts; they meant the same thing, with a different wording.

“You always have an excuse to talk to me,” she said pointedly, resting her chin on the back of the chair.

“Excuses are excuses. They only mean to make up for something,” he said, shrugging his shoulders and gulping down the rest of the tomato soup.

“There's no more food now, Potter.” She said, using his surname to refer to him for the first time in a long time. He looked at her and rolled his eyes, indifferently.

“It refills itself, Evans. Are you a witch or not? You should know that the house elves can do their own little magic to do that.” He screwed the cap on and tossed the thermoses at her. She caught them clumsily, they fell faster and harder than she had suspected. They filled themselves again and the soup was creamy and just the right temperature.

“Oh,” she said, “I knew that.” He grunted in response and stood, before laying the blanket neatly on the bed. He looked at it and sighed in remorse, then he stole a glance at Lily. She was staring hard in his direction, but he didn't know if she was actually staring at him or staring past him.

She blinked rapidly as the door to the bathroom shut and the water started running. She sighed and drank some more. She opened the pumpkin juice thermos and gulped it down. She sputtered and spat it out two seconds later, licking her lips and staring down the front of her shirt where the brown liquid was steaming against her skin and fabric. She grinned at it and looked inside the thermos. “Hot chocolate!” She squealed happily, and blew in the thermos before gulping it down now, feeling the marshmallows slid down her throat.

The water stopped, and Lily called out, “James, we have hot chocolate!” The water started abruptly again, and she frowned. He was being rather, odd. He had never acted like this around her, actually being that cold.

Well, actually he had. During first year, she remembered trying to be quite nice to him. She wanted friends in her new school. He had been rude to her, called her mean names, and when worst had come to worst, ignore her. She had cried a few times after he had done that, until she learned that if you don't want to be ignored, than it was best to ignore.

But when Lily had tried that, the worst to her had happened. He pranked her. Once, when she was eating, well picking, at her bacon in the Great Hall, as soon as she drank her pumpkin juice she was lifted straight into the air. She screamed, and kicked, but no one even noticed that a little girl was crying and shouting above his or her heads. When she had cried, it acted like rain, so that it wouldn't hit anyone or anything and no one would be able to feel it. She only got down because when all of the students and teachers had left, Professor Dumbledore let her down, soothing her with calm words.

Needless to say, as soon as she saw James Potter next, and his new cronies, they were laughing their heads off at her tear stained face as she burst into her class she was late to that morning. Lily pranked them back. In fact, she persuaded Peeves to give her all his water balloons. He had thousands. She dropped them, one after one, on James's head, and then charmed his head to look like a fish. He was a fish out of water, basically. And the charm wouldn't go off for the next eighty-nine hours. Prank war consumed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after that.

Lily snapped out of her reminiscing when James quietly opened the door and then, noticing her in a daze, slammed it shut. “Lil',” He said to her, sitting down on the bed. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but the rest of her face was indifferent. “You're a detriment to me.” He was wearing a shirt, actually, and a ripped pair of jeans. Honestly, how many clothes did James get to bring?

Lily scoffed at him, “When have I ever injured you?”

“Uh, let me think.” He said, sitting on the bed, then falling back on it. “The time in first year when you accidentally hit me in the head with your bag when I was sitting next to at breakfast one day. Do you remember that? The bag must have been full of bricks!” Lily rolled her eyes at him. He went on with it.

“And second year,” he said giving her a long look, “you hit me when I tried to hold you when you were crying after Professor Slughorn yelled at you when you dropped the monkey hairs. If I remember correctly, which I know I do, you elbowed me in the gut when my hand tapped your shoulder.” Lily laughed at him.

“I was sad! And you had never liked me, so I wasn't expecting your sympathy at that moment.”

“Yeah, well. It still hurt,” he said to her, indignantly. “Third year!” He said with a grand voice and a sweep of his arm, making Lily giggle, “was more painful. That's when I realized just how beautiful girlies really were. I must have asked out every girl in third year, except the Slytherins, of course, and they all went out with me. Except, you, you punched me in the jaw and kicked me in the shin when I asked you out, if I remember correctly.” Lily smiled innocently at him. “Should I remind you, this happened each time I asked, every two hundred and forty-seven times?”

“James, I was thirteen. I was not interested in dating. I was interested in my books, in my studies, and in the wizarding world. Boys did not come into play until the middle of fourth year.”

“I wasn't done, Lillian.”

“My name isn't Lillian.” She said, rolling her eyes. “My name is Lily. Just Lily.”

“Right, `Just Lily', the next time you hurt me was in fourth year.” She grinned toothily at him, like a toddler with a big lollipop right in front of their face. “I remember I was watching you one time, during Quidditch, and you were staring at me, locking eyes and all. And then you smiled, and then grinned. And then I got knocked out with a bludger. I heard you laughing at me as I fell.” She gave him a face that clearly said, `So that was all my fault?'

“In some way that was your fault, Lil! If I wasn't transfixed at staring at you, I would have noticed that the bludger was coming.”

“You also failed to notice that when we were having our staring contest, they threw the quaffle at you. It bounced off your head and Hufflepuff got it.” He frowned and scratched his head. “I am totally serious!”

“I know that, I just don't remember that part.”

“Of course you don't. You were staring at me.”

“How modest.”

“I know, aren't I the greatest?”

“Of course you are, Lillian.” She gave him a look, and he corrected himself. “Lily.”

“Can I kiss you?” Lily asked, after a moment of silence.

“I don't want you to,” James said, pulling himself up and resting against the backboard of the bed.

“I said can I, not may I.” He grinned lopsided at her.

“It all depends on what I have to say though, so it doesn't matter what is grammatically correct. As long as I say you can't, you can't. As long as I say you may, you may.”

Lily grinned, hopped up, and strutted over to James. She then leaned over and pecked him on the mouth. “I didn't say you could,” he said to her.

“Yes you did. You said, and I quote, `As long as I say you may, you may.' You said I may, so I did.”

He rolled his eyes at her. “You're too technical.”

“But you like me for it?” Lily said, sitting next to him, hopefully.

“I don't know,” he said, teasingly. She gave him her `look', which is a hopeful, pleading, puppy dog, and sad look. The teachers always gave her a second chance when she used it. James himself has seen the look enough times to almost be immune. I heavily emphasize almost. “Maybe I do,” he said exasperated.

“Oh good!” She said, preppily, clapping her hands. He rolled his eyes at her mood swing. Guess she isn't the only one who has mood swings.

“Back to what I was saying before,” he said, lying back down. She curled up next to him. “Fifth year was the emotional and ego blowing insults. Like, the one right after the D.A.D.A. testing.”

“You were not being very nice to Severus!” She retorted lightly. He poked her in the side, and she giggled and covered her mouth, her cheeks warming. `God,' he thought to himself, `when did she start becoming a giggly girl?' “And I'm sure there's more that you wish to tell me I did against you?”

“Of course!” He said, punching her in the side. She curled away from it, with a sharp intake of breath. She then pushed her toe into his leg, and heard him whimper. “That was painful.”

“So's being punched in the side. Why'd you punch me?”

“Getting back for all the time's that you've kicked, punched, slapped, kneed or elbowed me in the past six years.” He grunted and wheezed out a breath but pulled an arm tight around Lily's shoulders and pulled her against him. She squealed in surprise and protest but he paid it no mind. “Sixth year was a lovely year, to say so in the least. Just like third year! I was bruised every day of the school year, and most times since I asked you out more than once a day, I had a bruise for every day of the year, including leap years. It's funny,” he said to himself more than her, thoughtfully, “that even though I had a girlfriend every day of the year ever since third year, I've asked you out.

“And I don't know why, either. You were the only girl I really ever knew that said `no' to me. Even your best friends went out with Sirius and me more than once.” He stopped because she had cut in.

“They went out with you each about twelve times. And you know that I was going to say no to you, because you got everything you wanted. I needed to show you that you couldn't always get what you want. And boys are not supposed to hit girls, its etiquette. You're not a right boy in the mind are you?” She asked him, craning her neck to look up at him, as he was smirking and nodding his head. “Anyway, go on.”

“Thank you, your highness. As I was saying, you confused me! You still confuse me. And I… I like you for it. You intrigue me.”

“You still haven't told me why I'm such a detriment to you.” She said, running her fingers over his shirt.

“Well I don't remember all the reasons now,” he said, throatily, as she continued running her fingers over his stomach. Actually, now, it was her hand, rubbing his stomach rhythmically. “Stop it!” He finally told her, catching her hand and holding it.

“Stop what?”

“Stop… stop, just stop, okay!”

“Okay James,” she said, looking up at him with her big green eyes.

“And stop staring at me.”

“Okay James,” she said, without looking away. He couldn't resist it, and he figured that was exactly what she had planned on him doing. He leaned down, slowly, and she stretched out against him, trying to get herself closer. He, then, very slowly and softly, kissed her.

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13. Going Coo-coo

In the Tower

Chapter Thirteen: Going Coo-coo

Summary: I kinda forgot, so you'll have to look it up yourself…

Disclaimer: I've already written twelve disclaimers. If you must see a disclaimer, go back a chapter and read that disclaimer if you so wish.

Author's Note: DUMBLEDORE RULES!

Previously: “Stop what?”

“Stop… stop, just stop, okay!”

“Okay James,” she said, looking up at him with her big green eyes.

“And stop staring at me.”

“Okay James,” she said, without looking away. He couldn't resist it, and he figured that was exactly what she had planned on him doing. He leaned down, slowly, and she stretched out against him, trying to get herself closer. He, then, very slowly and softly, kissed her.

These things don't just happen. Klaus Baudelaire, Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events

He popped another Lemon Drop in his mouth and sighed, sucking on it, looking around his office and staring pensively out the window, the snow billowing and hitting the window with rough enthusiasm. He sighed again and stood from the chair, for a man his age, should have been painfully hard to do. He walked over to his bird, which was in perfect health, and started stroking its neck softly.

“Fawkes,” he whispered to the bird, as it arched its neck against his hand and looked at him, “I'm afraid. I know I shouldn't be, for so many people look to me for comfort and advice, but the project is getting me on edge and if something doesn't develop soon, it might never happen. And if it never happens, our world will end!”

Fawkes nodded, and let him rant as much as he needed. “Sometimes, I want to just throw the idea down and stop it, even thought I know without someone getting between it all it will never happen! Do you have any idea how far apart they are?” Fawkes nodded again.

“And we both yearn to end their fighting, but you know that with his stubbornness it will never happen.” Fawkes was getting confused now, but kept nodding; though the pressure on his head was getting harder than usual.

“He will make us crazy for it to happen before the end! I know he will!” Dumbledore screamed, accioing his bag of Lemon Drops and taking a handful before placing those all in his mouth. “He's all ready driven me half insane!” Fawkes knew what he was saying of course, everything was clear in his ears, even if the voice was actually broken and muffled.

“The day that James Potter gets Lily Evans to love him, the day Voldemort will finally try and take over!” And with that, Dumbledore flew out of the room, leaving a certain phoenix after him thinking he's a bit high.

Hehehe,

McGonagall was startled as Dumbledore came bursting into her private chambers. “Yes, Albus?” She asked him, ruffled, as she inspected the dark smear of ink that traveled from her mouth to her eyebrow. She picked up her wand and vanished it away.

“They will never get together!” He said in a high voice. Minerva sighed as she looked over the essay she had been grading. King Sirius Black glared up at her as she skimmed over the paper, which was utterly flawless. She put an `O' at the top and picked up the next essay, barley listening to Albus' rant. She wanted to smack her head against the desk, and looked at the next name. James Potter looked up at her with almost innocent letters, and his paper, too, was flawless. She scanned over the paper and looked at Sirius'. They were not like each other in the least. Minerva fumed as she looked at Sirius', where he talked about giant volcano balls and hidden broom closets. James', rather, was actually what she was looking for. She reached back over to Sirius' paper, scratched out the `O' and put a `T' and right next to it scrolled in her writing, “Mr. Black, when will you ever grow up? School will be over in less than six months, and you will be on your own. Think about it.”

“Albus,” She finally said, after grading all her essays and realizing that he was still ranting on behind her, “If you want this to happen so badly, why don't you do something that will help it along?” She immediately wanted to slap herself in the head. Bad mistake, bad mistake.

“'Help it along? Help it along?' Not a bad idea, Minerva!” He said, scratching his chin, and McGonagall instantly wanted to groan. “Thank you, I have a perfect idea!”

She shouted after him, “Whatever you do, Albus please nothing that will make them regret it!” He came back in after she said that.

“They won't regret it, Minerva. I am merely enhancing their feelings for one another until it is over blowing, which won't be that hard. They will have to know how they feel about each other after this!” And with that, he ran out of her rooms. Minerva, like Fawkes, very much thought that Albus Dumbledore was on drugs, and Minerva personally thought he was going senile.

Lily must want James pretty badly now…

Lily sighed gently as she bit into a blueberry muffin and watched James sleep. She had seemed to do that a lot now. Yeah, well, she knew that he had been doing it too. She was sitting up on her side of the bed with the blankets down to her waist, but they were far enough so the only thing that showed of James was his head. She reached a hand down and smoothed, or tried to, down his hair, which only resulted in it lying down for two seconds before sticking up again.

She put a hand to her mouth and couldn't help but giggle. She had always loved his hair. The way that it stuck up at odd ends always gave him a boyish, very boyish, boy next door look. She took a look at her watch, which glared out at her in the dark that it was five fifteen in the morning and she should be going to sleep, after what she had done last night!

Lily hissed at her watch, “Oh shut up. What would you know, since you're just a stupid watch? And all we did was snog!” The watch then told her in a shrill, but lower voice, `that was the exact opposite of what the watch known was on Lily's mind'.

Lily gave her watch the look she had previously reserved for the Marauders, mainly James, when they annoyed the crap out of her. But her watch didn't have feelings, but it did blink up at her innocently like she had seen James do a few times to avoid trouble that was most certainly coming. “You know,” James said to her, amused, watching her stare hard down at her watch with a frown on her face, “after about, oh, the thousandth time you made that same face at me, it didn't affect me anymore. And I'm sure that you've glared at your watch enough times for it to feel the same way.”

“Shut up, James.” She said to him, without even looking at him. He moved his hand to try and find his glasses on the small table on his side of the bed, but they weren't there. He shrugged casually and told himself he'd find them later.

He smirked sardonically up at her, and she felt his gaze on the back of her head, then very slowly going down her back. He raises a hand, lazily, sleepily, for he had just waked up hearing Lily's watch telling her shrilly exactly what it thought of their escapades adventures last night, and ran it down her spine, making her shiver.

“I hate it when you do that,” she said, forcing back what she really wanted to say, but kept that part to her. She was still blushing.

“I love it when you hate it, because I do that,” he said smartly, earning Lily to turn around and clock him upside the head.

“I hate it because you love it because I hate it!”

“I love it because you hate it because I love it because you hate it!”

“I hate- what the hell are we even fighting about?”

“I don't know I was just playing along.” James said, closing his eyes and leaning farther into his pillow.

“'Course you were Jamsie.” He snapped up.

“Please, PLEASE, do not call me that. I hate it when Sirius calls me that. It's so annoying!”

“Jamsie,”

He growled in his throat. “Lily.”

“Jamsie,”

“Lilers,” He said, his eyes twinkling merrily but his face and tone indifferent.

“Jamsie,”

“Lilikins,”

“Jamsie!”

“Lilikins!”

“Jaaaa-mmmmm-sie!” She said, like the old bubble head blonde girl friends he had had.

“Liiiilllllllllliiiiiiiie!” He said in the same voice, though her blonde boyfriends had said that, not her blonde girlfriends. Just making that clear. She said, Jamsie, in an even louder, annoying voice, and kept the pitch, her voice cracking, until James lunged at her, throwing both of them off the bed and rolling onto the floor.

“Well,” James said, leaning his head against the floor and breathing deep, “at least the floor isn't hard.”

“How would you know, brainac?” Lily said her voice muffled from James's chest pressed against it, her head tilted to make sure there was no damage done to her nose or something.

“If the floor was less comfortable, you would be more comfortable then you're letting on.” Lily bit him hard from aggravation, and he yelped, but didn't move. “Lover's bite, nice,”

“Do you take everything sexual?” She said, looking up at him, as he leaned back and kept himself up with a hand supporting himself on each side of her head. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“I'm a teenage boy. Does that answer your question?” He said to her, and she smiled up at him.

“Not really, no.”

“Then, yes, I do.”

“I knew it.” She told him, lightly, cocking an eyebrow. He raised his eyebrow, which had been already raised, even higher, until it disappeared into his hair. “I didn't know eyebrows could go that high…” she told him stupidly, reaching up a hand to find the eyebrow that disappeared.

“They don't,” he told her, “but my eyebrows seem to be double jointed.” And then he raised the other eyebrow and his lips formed a small smile. “I'm also an ambidextrous.”

“Both hands, huh?” Lily said, trying to get herself up, but James's lower half was still lying on hers, and he showed no signs of needing to move. “That's hot.”

He smiled bigger at her. “Oh, I know.”

She struggled to get out from beneath him, and James watched her, amused, as always. “Oh you arrogant little turd,” She finally said, lying back down on the ground, squirming every once in a while. “I think I landed on something sharp.”

“Uh yeah,” James said, squinting at her teasingly, “my glasses.” She gave him the hard look again. “I told you earlier, it doesn't work anymore.”

“Well, bah!” She said to him finally, not being able to come up with anything else.

His eyebrows practically disappeared now. “Will you lower your eyebrows!” She snapped at him. “You look like a mongoose without them!” The eyebrows were now so low that she couldn't see his eyes. “Put your eyebrows were God made them to be!”

“Yes, Master.” He told her, jokingly, and his eyebrows were now finally where they were supposed to be. But it was her turn to raise her eyebrow that she had previously had up but had put it down. Did that make any sense? Well, it should.

“If I'm your master, then you're my slave and” he cut her off.

“Normal slave or love slave?”

“You're disgusting.”

“I'm your slave. And being your slave, I am made to serve you in anyway possible.”

“I shall say it again. You are disgusting.”

“It's only my job, ma'am.”

“Loser,”

“Master,”

“Slave,”

“Only for your love,”

“Charmer,”

“Fit to serve your every need, desire, and pleasure.” She opened her mouth. “I know, `You're disgusting.' You've told me enough.”

“You're not flattering.”

“I only flatter when ordered to.”

“Well, if I am your master, then I order you to get off me, right now!”

He cocked an eyebrow again. “Is that what you're mind tells you, or are you going to listen to your heart?”

“You're confusing.” She told him, but her eyes flickered with emotions.

“So are you.”

“Girls have always been confusing.” He told her, lightly.

“Homo sapiens have always been confusing, eons and eons of confusing. But the male mind is more confusing than the female mind.” She said to him, mocking.

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“For one, I'm the master, you're the love slave.”

“Oh so I'm the love slave? Gotcha,”

She went on, ignoring him. “Secondly, I cannot move anything connected to my body except my head, so you have to lean down to kiss me. Thirdly, I am not going to move, because I am extremely comfortably and have no intention on moving the rest of the day.”

“But you're on the floor.”

Again, she ignored him. “Fourthly, shut up, and kiss me! You are my love slave; it's not even seven in the morning. Fifthly, I am comfortable, and I don't care if I'm on the floor, its very comfortable except for the fact that you're glasses is sticking me in the back. So, if you move like, one foot to the side, I can remove your glasses from my back, then I can get on the bed, or stay on the floor, and we can commence in whatever we were about to do.”

“Okay.” He said, and rolled off her. She promptly sat up and removed his now broken glasses from her shirt, then lay down again. He rolled back on top of her. “Am I hurting you?”

“I told you, I'm comfortable. And you're weight is just enough to make me feel comfortable.” She looked up at him with searching eyes. “You're pretty handsome, Jamie.” She said calling him by his nickname she had just made up.

“Jamie, huh?” Then he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “Well, you're very beautiful, Lil.” And he moved so his hands framed her head, and his full weight was on her, and she informed him that she was quite comfortable, needless of his, what, one hundred fifty pounds. Then he kissed her on the lips, and they melted into one another. Though not literally, because people can't melt into one another, it's not right. Right, fire in their veins and blood pumping loud in their ears, they, uh, well, there's no fancy term for make out. I wanted to say make love, but that's a completely different thing. So yeah, he's not pushing her in anyway, and she's not pushing him. They are completely going, safely.

He popped another lemon drop in his mouth, watching them through a crystal ball. He laughed maniacally. “It's alive! It's alive!”

“Albus, really,” McGonagall said to him, trying to look past his shoulder into the ball, but he moved his head each time so she couldn't see anything. “They're all ready were alive. And with Potter hitting on her with them stuck in the tower for God knows how long, of course it would have happened! You can take the spell off now; I don't think they'll change what they're doing.”

“Of course it would of, it's Lily Evans. It's James Potter. It would have never happened. Voldemort will now take over the world.”

“No he won't!” She snapped at him, slamming her hands on the table holding the ball. “You will defeat him, Albus, and Lily and James will just be another couple we match made and they ended up getting married!”

He looked at her. “Minerva that is not the beauty of what you're thinking. Something happened that they didn't try. It's quite wonderful Minerva.”

She sighed, exasperated. “Tell me what is so wonderful, Albus.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Really?” She asked him after he was done telling her. “That's absurd!”

“It isn't absurd, it was a mistake! And a wonderful mistake,” He sighed, and watched the ball again. It clouded over, for privacy's sake.

She sighed and looked over his shoulder. “Well, if we must, what is happening with the other Marauders?”

He gazed hard into the ball. “Mr. Black is currently trying to hit on a certain Ms. Ah Bleu.” McGonagall pulled a face that looked between a laugh and a grimace.

“Like bleu cheese. Oh that makes me laugh.”

He went on ignoring her. “And she's trying her hardest to ignore him, and is paying attention to her horse and his, for he's neglecting it to try and hit on her. Oh, boo! They're kissing.” He squinted harder into the ball. “And I think…” he squinted narrower, “that the horses are rolling their eyes.”

McGonagall snorted at it. “And, Mr. Lupin?”

He shook his head and cleared his eyes and looked harder into the ball. “He's talking, to a girl. She has auburn hair and big brown eyes, and she's of medium height.” That's all he needed to describe her, for Professor McGonagall immediately figured out who she was.

“Ah, Ms. Vango! She's very talented, would give Mr. Potter a run for his money in Transfiguration.”

“Oh! Isn't that the girl with the really weird name?” He asked, not removing his eyes from the ball.

“Albus, Somailia is not a strange name. It is very beautiful. And it's a country in… Africa I believe. No, wait, it's spelled differently… oh, dear.”

“Right, right,” he said to her, distracted, watching her run a hand down Remus' arm in a comforting manner. He looked like he was stressing out. She stopped and hugged him, tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, tilting his head so it was hidden in her shoulder, and started sobbing.

“And, Mr. Pettigrew? What about him?” She asked Dumbledore.

He blinked and looked hard at the ball for a few moments. “I cannot see anything with him; he is blocked from my view.”

“Well, I believe are plan is done. Shall we give them all some private time?” McGonagall asked Dumbledore, with an implying tone in her voice that clearly meant stop prying into kid's lives. He turned and looked at her with pleading eyes, and she shook her head at him. The woman had a heart of stone. “No, no more budging into other student's lives. We are done,” then she added in an undertone, “for today.” Then she straightened her shoulders and squared her back. “Come, Albus, breakfast will be served soon.”

As they left, a misted shape took the form of a small; seventeen-year old boy howling in pain as a skull embedded itself into his arm. And then it vanished as soon as it came.

-->

14. Enter Students

In the Tower

Chapter Fourteen: Enter Students

Summary: Nuh uh! And besides, I don't even remember it.

Disclaimer: This is the fiftieth time I've written a disclaimer, did you know that? I do own anything that you recognize. What you don't recognize, I don't really own that either.

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to my good friend, Sam, who is the character Somailia in this story. Yeah, I don't really have much to say actually. Let's see: Um… Sirius, and then Lily, and then Katie, Remus, Somalia. Lot's of different POV'S.

Previously, on Smallville: Well, it's not Smallville, sorry to disappoint you.

Previously: “Well, I believe are plan is done. Shall we give them all some private time?” McGonagall asked Dumbledore, with an implying tone in her voice that clearly meant stop prying into kid's lives. He turned and looked at her with pleading eyes, and she shook her head at him. The woman had a heart of stone. “No, no more budging into other student's lives. We are done,” then she added in an undertone, “for today.” Then she straightened her shoulders and squared her back. “Come, Albus, breakfast will be served soon.”

As they left, a misted shape took the form of a small; seventeen-year old boy howling in pain as a skull embedded itself into his arm. And then it vanished as soon as it came.

“Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone. I give ye my Body, that we Two might be one. I give ye my Spirit, `til our Life shall be done.” Old, Gaelic Blood/ Marriage vow. And I wanna take it at my wedding!

Sirius grinned happily as he looked at the train, the scarlet engine puffing and the whistle blowing at random moments, making all the girls scream and some of the boys too. He laughed and lugged his trunk to the train, throwing it unceremoniously into the little… place where they keep all the baggage. He looked around the place, craning his neck and even standing on his tiptoes, but didn't see anyone he would want to talk to, though he recognized them all. He sighed, but kept his grin on, and hopped onto the train, skipping to the end of the train, where he threw open the door and he plopped himself down on one of the very comfortable benches. He twirled his wand around in his hand, and occasionally banged it, softly though so he wouldn't snap it, on the other bench, a good old rock song stuck in his head. The door slid open and he didn't even lift his head, he could tell by the light footfall it was the girl he wanted to see.

“'Lo, Katie,” He told her, leaning back and gazing up at her, smirking cutely. She smiled a small smile at him, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and sitting on the bench in front of him.

“Sirius,” She said to him plainly, opening up a book and sticking her nose in it.

“Watcher reading?” He asked her, stretching luxuriously and setting his feet next to her.

“The Andromeda Strain,” she said to him, shortly again, not even looking up from the pages. His grin faded from his face, and he stood up and sat next to her. She hunched her shoulders around her book, as she felt his breath on her neck, though he was only trying to read over her shoulder. She whined, “Don't read over my shoulder, please!”

“Why not?” He said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm, soothingly.

“Because, Sirius, I am trying to concentrate on something. But, being who you are, I don't think you would know the meaning of that word.” Sirius made a hissing noise, sucking his breath in between his extremely perfect teeth.

“Ooh! Burn!” He exclaimed, pulling back but putting an arm over her shoulders, casually. She shrugged it off. He did it again. So did she. He did it again, and she didn't respond to him at all. He groaned miserably, after ten minutes of the cold treatment. “Why are you being so mean to me?” He said, acting like his usual demeanor, five years old.

She looked up at him, distracted. “I am trying to read a book, Sirius. Is it really that complicated to figure out that I want to at least finish it before the train ride is over? Or am I not implying that heavily enough?” He hissed at her again, spitting like a cat. “You are so immature.” Then she stood up and sat in the seat he had vacated, not so recently ago. “I don't want to be here any more than it shows.” She looked around again, her thumb marking her place in the book. “Where are Peter and Remus?”

He shrugged, nonchalant, “Dunno. Probably hanging out with some other chicka's up in the joint.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“You have no idea how stupid you sounded, you know.”

He grinned cockily at her. “I know perfectly well how stupid I sounded.”

She sighed, opening the book again, and skimming the page for her place she left off at. She found it and murmured, “You sound stupider than you look.”

“Why are you burning me so often?” He cried placing a hand to his chest and looking at her, mock offended. “It's more than a man can take!” She snorted at him, still reading. “Now that was an insult to my manliness, Miss Ah Bleu.”

“Don't care,” she said to him in a singsong voice, turning the page, captivated.

“Cruel hearted, ye are, ye know.” He said, with a very bad Scottish accent.

“One:” she said, dog earring her page and giving him the look, “You are not Scottish, don't ever try to be. Two: You're saying `ye' too much to even make it sound realistic. Three: You're doing this just to make me show something, right?” She said, catching the look on his face, which was smug and triumphant. “Oh go to hell.” She said, slouching back into the bench and opening her book again.

The door to their apartment was opened slowly and a medium height girl with auburn hair and brown eyes popped her head into the room. “I hope I'm not disrupting anything,” she said, looking between Sirius and Katie, “but, uh, Remus told me this is where the Marauders usually sit.” The door was opened wider and Remus who was trying to get in shoved her, very softly, in the small of her back.

“Really, Somailia, its no big thing. Sirius and Katie,” he bowed gentleman like to her, and she answered with a sweeping tilt of her head, “are having another spat. I haven't heard you guys yell at each other in a long time.” He sat next to Sirius after staring at he and Katie for a moment. “Katie,” he finally asked, sighing exasperated, “what was he doing?”

She grumbled the answer under her breath. “Excuse?” Remus said.

“I said,” she told him, not looking up or looking at Somailia, “that `Sirius was trying to be Scottish again.' And you know how his impersonations suck.”

“I beg your pardon!” Sirius said, his voice sounding the tinniest bit hurt. “My impersonations do not suck! Don't underestimate my talent!”

Katie snorted at him, “What talent?”

He stood up, and immediately sat back down. Then he stood back up, a few moments later, for the train had started when he stood up before, knocking him off balance. “Oh, it's on!” He said, holding his hands up in a boxer position. Katie waved the threat away.

“You couldn't hurt me if you tried, and you know that as well as I do. And besides, it's not proper etiquette. No male is allowed to ever hit a female; it is entirely against the order of society.” Then she raised her head at him in a regal manner. “And besides,” she started, snobbishly, “you know you would never be able to get a punch in before I had you on your knees.”

“Oh you know that I want you right in front of me if I'm on my knees.” He told her, wiggling his eyebrows and leering at her.

“You are a disgusting pig.” She told him simply, finally putting the book away because she knew she would never be able to get any of it done. She turned to Somailia, who was looking between Sirius and Katie with a raised eyebrow. Katie waved a hand, casually, in Sirius' direction, knowing that he had sat down, fuming. “Oh he's just being a stubborn jackass. He's usually just a jackass on his good days.”

“Miss Ah Bleu?” Somailia said, with an actually strong French accent.

“Yes, Miss Vango?” Katie asked back, with the same esteem and snobbish look on her face.

“Why in all of the seven hells are you being, of all things, snobbish?” She asked Katie, her fingers quoting, snobbish. Katie laughed lightly at her, messing with her hair, while Sirius watched her reflection pretending to look out the window and Remus dug into a book.

“My snobbish side takes over when I show someone up,” Katie said, giving Somailia a pointed look and then looked at the window and glared at the pretending Sirius who was trying to be looking very innocent staring up at the clouds.

“Right,” Somailia said, confused, “of course.” Then she laughed and slapped her knee. “That's a knee slapper!” She said in a stupid voice, with a grin on her face that perfectly matched it. “You have no snobbish side!”

“Aye, I know.” Katie said, fixing her hair into a loose ponytail that hung at the base of her neck. “But pretending to be snobbish is kind of fun. But imagine being that snobbish every day!” She shuddered at the though, giving a some what less mad look over at Sirius, her eyes showing a hint of apology and amusement. “Imagine being Sindy Park!”

“Yes,” Sirius butted in gracefully, looking at the girls proper now, “Imagine!”

Remus and Katie both gave him a look, and said together in very snobbish voices, “It shouldn't be that hard for you.” Somailia giggled helplessly. Sirius sent her a look and smiled sweetly at Katie, ignoring the comment that she said, and then he turned to Remus and gave him the look he always gives when he wants to give him a lecture on a man's ego.

“It's harder than you think, being me.” He told them with a tilt of his head, and Katie laughed out loud, before giggling hysterically, and then falling on the floor, crying. Remus was, likewise, under the same influence. Somailia, who didn't know Sirius that well, only from afar and from what Katie and all the other seventh and sixth year Ravenclaws told her. Which was he was a pretty good shag, and a helluva good kisser. And that he groped on the first date… But she looked past that with a slight smile on her face, and stood up for him, much to Remus' and Katie's, and, truly, Sirius's surprise.

“I'm sure it's much worse than you let on, of course. Tell me about it,” she said to him, thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hands and giving him her full attention. Katie choked on her hysteric tears. “You've never truly talked to me before, without the occasional flirt in passing with your flavor of the week hanging on your arm and throwing me a look over your oblivious shoulder.”

“Uh…” Sirius said, glancing down at Katie, who was wiping her tears on her sleeve and brushing Remus' for him as well. Remus was choking out a thank you while tears were still leaking from his eyes. Katie composed herself and with surprising strength, hauled Remus to his feet and placed him in his seat, taking care that he wouldn't fall out of it again. She finally sat back and looked at Sirius, a look that said, oh great bluff now please cover it for her ignorance to it. He sent her a small smile, and she rolled her eyes and pulled out her book again.

“Well,” he said slouching in his chair and flipping his hair over his shoulder with casual grace that usually made the girls drool at him and gawk in awe. But Somailia just kind of smiled at him, politely, and waited patiently for him to continue, knowing that Remus had his eyes fixed on her subtly over the top of his book. “I don't have as much of a tale to tell as some would think,” he started, running a hand through his hair in thought.

“My parents are pureblooded freaks. Everything must be exactly how they want it and need it. Every Black in the last three hundred years has been in Slytherin. I am the first Black ever to land himself in Gryffindor. I have a cousin and an uncle who act like I do, who go against the Black's. I, like them, was burned off the Black family tree. I ran away from them when I was fifteen, to Jamie's house. His parents took me in without a second thought, and they're my real family. Blood isn't always as thick as it seems, you know.” He said, losing himself in his rant, that he didn't even notice Somailia excuse herself from his story to sit between he and Remus, resting her head on Remus' shoulder, and he instantly relaxed, for he had been sitting tense and alert next to Sir.

He continued telling the story, and Somailia patiently listened, but she fell asleep after the first hour or two. Katie, who finished her book and was bored as hell for she didn't bring another, sat in front of Sirius and calmly put her hands on his knees, squeezing them to get his attention. “You don't have to say anymore,” She said quietly, “I know the rest.”

He looked at her; his eyes no longer glazed, and inquired, softly too, “where's Somailia?”

Katie nodded over at Somailia and Remus, and Sirius tilted his head and looked at them. They were both asleep, Somailia's head in the crook of Remus' neck, and his head resting on top of hers. Sirius slowly got up and moved Remus so he and Somailia were stretched out completely on the bench, lying down on it fully.

“When'd they drop off?” He asked, sitting next to Katie and wrapped an arm, hesitantly, around Katie, and she surprising Sirius, rested her head on his shoulder.

“Well, Somailia about an hour or so ago, and Remie a half hour after that.” She smiled. “I couldn't, your voice was getting loud and distracting.”

“Then my voice must show off my demeanor.” He said pulling Katie closer to him. She moved without complaint, and her eyelids drooped with fatigue. “Why ya so sleepy?” He asked her, resting his head on hers, so they looked almost exactly like Somailia and Remus adjacent from them.

“Had a bad night,” she said to him sleepily, holding back a yawn.

“Why?”

“Because I didn't have a good sleep,”

“Why?” Gosh, he sounds like a five-year-old.

“Is this twenty questions or something?” She said, closing her eyes.

“Why?”

“Because you're asking me so many questions,”

“Why'd you not have a good sleep?”

“Because I couldn't get to sleep,”

“Why?”

“Because I was thinking about, things, people, feelings, money, power.”

“Why?”

“Cause people made me think about it more seriously than I ever had before.”

“Who?”

“Someone,”

“Who?”

“You, mainly,”

“Why?”

“Because you left all of that behind to be someone, a real person. You left money, you left power, to have what you really craved.” And with that, she fell asleep on his shoulder, leaving him wondering what exactly he was craving.

Lily stretched out fully in James' arms, his body molded against hers. She opened her eyes peacefully and shrieked at what she saw. James jerked behind her, scrambling out of bed his eyes still closed in sleep. He opened them and looked around the room with careful, searching eyes. He didn't see anything, and then his gaze followed hers and he laughed, slowly, as a person who wasn't getting a joke.

“Really, Lily, it's just a house elf. I known you've seen them before.” Then he stood from his crouched position on the floor and climbed back into the bed. When Lily didn't respond to the weight shift of the bed, making her tilt toward him, he sighed and ran his hand through his very messy, for not only did he have his regular mop but bed head, and said to the house elf, “Patty, what are you doing here? Cleaning the towels?”

“No, Mister Potter, sir! I was checking up on you and the madam here, sir!”

“Why?” James asked for Lily, who was still staring at the house elf with wide eyes.

“Because, Mister Potter sir, they told me to.”

“Who told you to?”

“Messieurs. Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew.” And then she added in an undertone, though her voice was very high pitched so James could hear every word, “And Mister Dumbledore.”

“What are you checking up for?” James said, wrapping an arm around Lily's waist and pulling her close to him, warily looking at Patty. But, you can't really be wary of a house elf, can you?

Patty blushed; “Messier Black told me to be looking for sha-” James ran over and covered the elf's mouth with his hand.

“Uh, it's somewhere around her, Patty, but don't look too hard.”

“Yes, sir.” And then she left, shutting something behind her. Lily snapped up, getting closer to the wall, running her fingers over it.

“Lil? What are you doing?” He asked, watching her, squinting. He didn't have his glasses on yet.

“Did you not see it, Jamie?” She asked him, hitting the wall.

“See what?”

“The portrait was open! She went in and out through it! We could have got out!”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm positive, James!” She said, ramming her knuckles hard on the wall until they bled. She went to the bathroom and washed the wound thoroughly, before taking a towel and pressing it on her hand. “Very, very positive.” She told him, noticing the look on his face and tightening her hold on the towel wrapped around her knuckles.

“I never said I didn't believe you,” he said, hurt.

“It was implied, James.”

“Right…” He sat up and walked over to her, holding her injured hand gingerly in his rather large, warm one. “Lemme see it.”

“No, James, really! It's isn't as bad as I make it look.” She was lying to him, of course, for he could see some blood that stained the towel, regardless of the layers it was bundled under. “Ow, ow oowww.” She whimpered as the towel came off reluctantly, as it seemed to have attached itself to her dried blood.

He lifted up her hand and examined it critically. He looked at it from every angle he could, and then, quite simply, he placed his lips on it and kissed it gently. He looked up at her and she smiled down at him. “Feel better?” He said, lifting his head from her hand but still holding it.

She sighed out, “much better, yes.” He smirked and kissed her hand again. And then he kissed her on the cheek, and she let out more slowly, but quick, breathes. “Bye!” He suddenly called out, and ran quickly into the bathroom, turning on the water full blast. And from what Lily could tell, and the abrupt yell of surprise and comfort, that the water was quite cold.

Lily smiled and fell back on the bed, clutching her injured hand in her other, and fell asleep holding them against her chest.

Lily woke up a few hours later, feeling caresses down her neck and face. She waved groggily, “stop it, James.” It stopped, and it laughed, and collapsed on the bed next to her. She smiled stupidly at James, and he rebounded the same smile back at her.

“Willing to go up to the tower?” He asked, staring right at her face and rubbing his thumb over her hand. She shrugged and moved closer to him.

“Sure, why not?” She was about to get up and walk when instead he jumped up from his side of the bed and scooped her up, making her squeal in surprise. But she wrapped her arms around his neck nonetheless and rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh of contentment. “You're such a lovey-dovey dork.” She told him in his shoulder. She felt him smile, and she couldn't help but smile into his shoulder, as he threw the door open wordlessly with his free arm. Apparently she really doesn't way that much to him.

It was actually a nice day, Lily concluded to herself. Two days before New Year's Eve had taken place and Lily and James had thrown themselves a little party, complete with tomato soup, pumpkin juice, and chocolate muffins. At the stroke of midnight, by Lily's watch they waited, they kissed like lovers on the second day of their heated affair of the heart, and they had both laughed, breathless, when they saw the time they had separated. Ten minutes later.

She squinted her eyes against the sun and felt James slowly get on his knees, still holding her. She smiled to herself, and felt her back touch the ground, and he removed his arms from her knees to one resting over her stomach comfortably and the other still around her shoulders. “James, what time is it?”

He shrugged, and said, without looking at her but staring intently at the grounds, “look at your watch, Lily.”

She gasped and looked at her watch. “Oh yeah, I forgot I had it.”

He snorted beside her, “Yeah, that, or you just wanted to talk to me.”

“Really James! It was both.”

He smiled and leaned over and kissed her cheek lightly, still looking at the grounds lay out before them. The snow had not melted, and there didn't seem to be a track on the ground anywhere. “It's very nice out,” he commented awkwardly after a few moments. She nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything. James shifted nervously in the silence. “What are you looking at that has captured your attention so, Lily dear?”

“Since when did you call me Lily dear?” She asked him, cocking her head to the side.

“Since I decided to see how much it makes you blush.” She blushed as if on command. “And that's besides the fact that I can see you, fifty years from now, sitting on a couch in a house and I call out from the other room, `Lily dear, our dear son Harry is on the phone!' Can you not see it?”

“Uh, Harry?”

“Well, yeah. It's the first conservative name that came to mind.” He said, looking at her, wanting to reach out and stroke her cheek, but she went around his question. “Lily dear, what are you looking at?”

She finally turned and looked at him, her eyes bright in happiness. “The train, James! The students are coming back. We'll be free!” She jumped up and his arms fell helplessly onto the ground next to him as she whirled and whooped happily.

James wasn't as happy as his smiling appearance appeared as she danced with him on top of the tower, whirling and sidestepping and jumping away from the edge.

Katie yawned wide as she woke up, finding that in her sleep she splayed herself out across Sirius. She shrugged sleepily, and rubbed her head into his chest, the fabric of the shirt cool and soft against the hard and warmth that was Sirius, and pushed her head into it, her face flushed hot. Sirius grunted above her at the sudden movement, but he did nothing. Well, besides the fact that his hand, in his sleep, rested on her behind, spread out on it in a possessive manner. She looked up and rested her chin in the hollow of his chest, pushing her hair out of her eyes in a hurried manner. Apparently they were facing the window, for she didn't see the glaring lights of the outer corridor of the train glaring in her eyes.

A throat cleared behind her and she jumped, landing on the floor on her ass. “HOLY CRAP!” Sirius yelled out, for when she jumped he had very much felt it, she had accidentally kneed him in the groin, making him roll over in pain, onto her, who had one of her knees up, hitting him, again, in the balls. He looked up at, his eyes streaming.

“Sirius, I'm so sorry!” She told him, smashed under his weight, full weight mind you, on her body. He groaned and dug his head into her neck, his eyes watering still. She tried to look over his shoulder but couldn't see over him. She was very surprised that Remus and Somailia haven't awoken yet.

“Um, what'd you want?” She asked the kid, her voice muffled in Sirius' chest. He immediately stopped whining about he would never be able to have children or fuck another girl again, and she felt him stiffen against her.

“I'm sorry to intrude!” The kid said, peeking at Katie around Sirius' shoulder. His big brown eyes were widened and staring at her with, oh my gosh what is this guy doing to her, sort of look, and his blonde hair fell into his eyes.

She tried to wave it away. “Oh, nuts, it's okay. We were just… uh, sleeping.”

He laughed in a high pitch. He must have only been in first or second year, she figured. “I could tell.” But then his face morphed and he said, seriously, “I was just told to inform you that the train will reach the station in about ten minutes, so you, all of you, should get changed. Just letting you know. Bye!” He called, running out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him. The cabin adjacent from hers burst into laughter when their door was opened. She imagined he came from there.

“Did you get that, whiner?” She said to Sirius teasingly, but he didn't show any sign of moving or even reacting. “Sirius?” She said to him softly, trying to lift a finger to check his pulse, but they were squashed under his abdomen. She moved her head against his shoulder but he didn't even twitch. She finally bit his shoulder.

He convulsed and jumped back, landing in a crouching position in front of her. One hand massaged his shoulder while the other still massaged his balls. “That was very painful, Katie. Why'd you do it?”

“It seemed that you were dead from embarrassment, and I was running out of breath beneath you're, what, two hundred pounds?”

“For your information,” he started hotly in a mocking manner, “I am hundred fifty.”

“Well, no matter what you weight, you're going to give yourself a boner if you keep doing that.” She told him, staring at his face, her lips wanting to twitch in a laughing manner but she kept her face very still, even though her eyes were laughing their… heads off.

“Care to relieve it for me?” He asked her, moving forward so he was straddling her waist. He still massaged his shoulder, and she figured with a smile that she must have broken the skin.

“Sirius, I really don't wanna feel your thing so close to me right now.” She told him with complete honesty.

“You sure? And besides, it would be such a help to me, you know.” She shook her head, still very serious.

“I'm sorry, Sirius, but I couldn't possibly. You should do it yourself.”

“Oh, I've done it too many times since I met you.” He told her, removing his hands from himself so he could tuck his hair behind his ear. He placed his arms around the area of her waist, and ran his fingers up and down it, an eyebrow cocked at her. She sighed and shivered as he tilted her chin up, and she put her arms around his wrists, to keep him steady.

“I don't wanna have that with you, not until you really love me and I really love you.” She told him, seriously, her eyes looking intently into his. The gray like usual, was very warm, but now the steel color was almost burning to look at, filled with honesty and desire.

“That's fine,” he said to her, quite honestly.

She smiled widely. “Good. Now that we have that settled, shut up and kiss me.” He complied immediately.

Remus had decided that that was the proper time for him to wake, but he saw it and immediately said to himself, “Later must sleep more.” Somailia moved in her sleep against him, and he felt his cheeks flush, and not the blood going down somewhere more private.

“Do not make this the time to wake up, Soma.” He told her, leaning down so he whispered it in her ear.

“I've been awake since I heard Sirius grunt when Katie first woke up. I heard it all. And trust me, this is not the time to open my eyes.” She told him, wide-awake apparently, but with her eyes still closed. He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek on to hers, the body heat of them both keeping them comfortably warm. “You're too skinny,” She told him, opening her eyes the same time he did. Their eyes weren't even a inch apart, and she could see the glare of her own eye inside his, the deep amber color mixed with chocolate looking browns and so light of those colors they reminded her of coffee and daisies.

“Well, you know why.” He told her, shutting his eyes and moving his face closer to hers, pushing his head against hers, until hers was against the cotton bench wall. She grabbed his face with one hand and cradled it in her hand, letting her fingers run up and down his cheek in a soothing way.

“Just because you run around once a month as a completely different species doesn't mean that you need to be skinny. Wolves eat a lot too, you know.” And then she sighed, watching amused as his shaggy hair flew away from his forehead with her breath, before settling down on his head lazily again. “And I know it's the days that your stuck in the Hospital Wing after it, but even you should be eating then.”

He snorted and heard squeal in surprise exactly like Lily had when James had picked her up earlier. But he didn't know that happened of course, for all he knew they would still be bickering at each other over the food they were getting. “You should know that I don't, for how many times have you been in the Hospital wing after getting hit by a bludger and falling for your broom? More than enough times, I'm sure.”

“Hey! That was an unfair black mail. It's not my fault I'm not graceful in the air.”

He breathed into her hair like he was trying to hide a large laugh. “You're not even graceful with your feet planted firmly on the ground.”

“Oh, that was uncalled for,” she told him, her eyes closed peacefully, still letting her fingers run down his cheek. The train stopped abruptly and the whistle blew its high pitch and she jumped startled. And that jump made Remus go off balance, and as I had foreseen, he landed with his back to Sirius' and Somailia giggled as Sirius collapsed on Katie at the sudden impact, and they all heard her grunt in pain as the weight of three other people land on her.

“Dog pile on Katie!” Sirius called cheerfully in her neck, and Katie shuddered and gasped for breath under the amount.

“Geroff!” She said breathlessly, but it was completely muffled in Sirius' chest. But, Somailia with some special supersonic hearing jumped off Remus and pulled him up, and then Remus grabbed Sirius' elbow and lifted him with her. Somailia crashed onto the bench from the effort that it took to heave up the estimated three hundred pounds, and she shuddered when she landed.

“Oh, ow,” She said, and she felt arms reach around her middle and lift her. The arms, Sirius' stood her on her feet, and she saw Remus helping Katie off the floor. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“You were closer to me than Katie was, so I just lifted you.” She nodded blankly at him. Katie staggered over to them, rubbing her ribs. She gave Sirius a weird, sort of dazed look that was mixed with pain, and he immediately turned his back to her and got on his knees facing the door. She clambered up onto his back, and he lifted the combined weight easily. He ducked with her as he threw the door open for them and called to them in the corridor, “We'll get a carriage!” And then they were gone.

Somailia looked at him with weird eyes and he shrugged, smiling. “I'm sure it's painful. We must of all weigh four hundred fifty. And the suddenness of it must have killed her chest.”

“Er… right.” Somailia agreed, shifting on her feet, holding her arm. “Shall we, uh, go after them?”

“Of course, milady,” Remus said to her, grinning, and holding an arm out to her. She wrapped her arm around his, and he escorted her out of the apartment.

“You realize that we still haven't changed into our robes?” She sent him a narrow look and sat uncomfortably in the carriage against the wall, letting her ribs throb.

“I am not that stupid, Sir.” She told him, using his nickname.

“Oh I know that, I was just saying.”

“We can do it when we get to the castle.”

“Okay,” he said, watching as Remus and Somailia entered, Remus letting Somailia go in first just like a gentleman. Remus sat down next to Sirius and shut the door once Somailia sat down comfortably next to Katie. They chatted idly as the carriage surged forward and went, horrifically slowly, up to the castle. They all sighed at the same time once the castle came into view.

“I see James and Lily.” Sirius told them, and they all laughed. “Me and Remus and Peter locked Lily and James in a tower over Christmas, trying to get them like each other.” Sirius explained to Somailia, who nodded in understanding.

“Their bickering was getting annoying.” She told them, and they nodded in understanding. “Even sitting at the Ravenclaw table, which is the furthest away from your, me and Katie just roll our eyes each time we hear their voices rising against each other. It was about time someone finally took action.”

“CURSE YOU, SIRIUS BLACK!” They heard a high pitched voice yell from somewhere off in the castle. They all laughed.

He stuck his head out the window and in the direction in which he saw red hair blowing in the sky, screamed to her, “I LOVE YOU TOO, LILY!”

They all laughed a little as he stuck his head back in, and a moment later, the carriage stopped. Sirius opened the door and let Katie out first before taking her hand and leading her firmly into the castle doors and beyond. “Hospital Wing probably,” Remus said, without Somailia even asking where Sirius was taking Katie too. She nodded in understanding.

He cleared his throat and they exited, he shutting the door behind her, and the carriage tottered away. “Well, you ready?” He said, grinning at her boyishly and crookedly at the same time.

“Ready as I'll ever be.” She said, and they entered the threshold that was Hogwarts.

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15. Odd

In the Tower

Chapter Fifteen: Odd

Summary: Nah...

Disclaimer: Nah…

Author's Note: This chapter is completely, utterly, spontaneously, eagerly, blah, and blah a bunch of big words… re-written. I lost this document to the spontaneous, fluctuation, and deleting that my old computer loved to do. So, after very carefully reading chapter sixteen to spot any hints about what happened in chapter fifteen, I found quite a few. So, I'm going along with that outline. A lot of ideas and thoughts are changed, and how James and Lily got out of the tower was completely changed, because when I first wrote this, it was exactly as I wanted it. But now, slightly older and slightly wiser, I've changed it. So, cross your fingers and pray for me. I am so sorry this took so long.

Previously: He cleared his throat and they exited, he shutting the door behind her, and the carriage tottered away. “Well, you ready?” He said, grinning at her boyishly and crookedly at the same time.

“Ready as I'll ever be.” She said, and they entered the threshold that was Hogwarts.

I couldn't find a quote so I made up my own. This is it.- Me.

“Kids these days,” Madam Pomfrey said, her brow furrowed as Sirius Black and a… girl came running up to her as she walked slowly to the Great Hall.

“Hullo, Madam Pomfrey!” Sirius called loudly as he jogged up the grand staircase easily and the girl said to her politely hello as well.

Madam Pomfrey put her hands on her hips. “What did you do, Mr. Black? Nothing against school rules, I hope?” Sirius came to a stop right in front of her and smiled.

“Is dog piling on people against the rules?” He asked innocently, and the girl, Ms. Katie Ah Bleu, Madam Pomfrey believed her name was, rolled her eyes and put her chin on top of Sirius' head, looking around the hall.

Madam Pomfrey breathed out exasperated. “Well put her down then,”

Katie pushed off Sirius' back as he knelt to put her down. “Thank you Sirius, and I'll call you in the moment Madam Pomfrey is done fixing me up. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is!” Sirius said happily, and trotted off around the corner, leading the way to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey walked along side Katie, who was walking easily along, occasionally wincing as she pressed fingers to her ribs.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine,” Katie said flippantly. “I don't know why he's fussing really; I just lost my breath for a few moments when they all decided to sit on me.” Madam Pomfrey pushed open the dark hospital wing doors and ushered Katie inside, and Katie sat on the closest bed and watched patiently as Madam Pomfrey flicked her wand over at the candles and her medicine box came toward her. She smiled slightly as she watched Sirius sneak a peek through the doors.

“Well if that's it,” Madam Pomfrey said watching Katie slowly. Katie swiveled her head and looked up at Madam Pomfrey.

“Yeah, that's it.”

“Well go on then,” Madam Pomfrey said with a small smile as Katie jumped up and threw herself into the doors and the doors swung open and Madam Pomfrey caught a glance of Sirius falling on his back and Katie screaming loudly and jumping to fall onto his stomach.

“Thank you, Madam Pomfrey!” Sirius and Katie called and then they, er, skipped down to the Great Hall.

Somailia scooted farther away from some guy and he scooted closer as well, and, no, was that drool? Ew! Katie walked calmly behind them upon reaching the Great Hall, and smacked him in the head. His forehead hit the table. “You're in my seat,” she snarled with a fake smile on her face, “move.”

“Make me,” he said, and Somailia giggled, as Katie grabbed him by the back of the shirt and threw him out, making sure he hit the wall. She then calmly sat next to Somailia, said a pleasant hello, and started pulling every food within arm reach toward her, and started pilling onto her plate.

“You're weird,” Somailia said, picking up her fork and stabbing a piece of chicken.

“Thank you,” Katie replied through a mouth full of pasta, and grinned sloppily at Somailia.

“You're gross as well,” Somailia said, wrinkling her nose as Katie belched.

“Comes with the package,” she replied, chomping on a huge lamb chop. Her spin stiffened and she dropped her fork, her eyes suddenly vague and her face impassive.

“Katie?” Somailia asked, watching as Katie stood up mechanically and started to walk out of the room, and soon out the front door. Somailia threw a frightened look at Remus and Sirius, who were starting to stand up as well, ignoring the three girls who were trying to plant themselves down on their laps. Somailia shook her head and started to quickly walk out of the hall, listening to the sound of Katie's dull footsteps.

“Katie, this really isn't funny,” Somailia huffed as she jogged to keep up with Katie, who wasn't paying her the least bit of attention and still walking toward the lake. Somailia tripped and fell into Katie who in turn tripped, and they started slipping face forward down to the lake. Somailia caught Katie's ankle as they slid off a knoll of ground and started going forward into the lake.

Remus and Sirius stood on top of the knoll watching as they plunged. Remus turned to Sirius. “How good of swimmers do you think they are?”

“Well, considering Katie is not with us at this time, I think she won't be able to swim at all. But I cannot vouch for Somailia.”

“You think we should go get them?”

“Yeah, probably,” Sirius said and slowly slid down the slope and took his shoes and his robes off before slowly getting into the water, watching carefully as Somailia came up with a gasp and started dragging a just-came-to-her-senses Katie toward Sirius.

“You can get her,” Somailia said, letting go of Katie's ankle and swimming easily to the lake shore and shaking the water off herself as Remus conjured up some towels and gave one to her. Sirius started swimming toward Katie and she hesitantly did some clumsy strokes toward him.

“I can't swim well,” she told him as he grabbed her arm and started wading toward shore.

“Obviously,” he said, and she hit him in the back and told him while laughing to shut up.

“Honestly,” Somailia said as she and Remus watched Sirius and Katie flirt like mad while Sirius was swimming them to “safety”.

“Yeah, well, you know,” Remus said vaguely, watching as Katie dunked Sirius in the muck and then ran out of the water, screeching and heading towards him. He threw her a towel and she caught it and started vigorously drying herself. Sirius appeared and shook like the dog he was, and Remus quickly deflected most of it by bringing a towel to cover up his face.

“You're weird,”

“Thanks,” Somailia and Katie replied at the same time.

“Have we missed dinner?” Sirius asked, drying off his hair.

“Probably,”

“Do you think they'll let us in the Kitchens smelling like this?”

“That is such a stupid question, Sirius.”

“I really, really want some nachos,” Everyone swiveled their heads to look at Somailia. “What? I do!”

Remus looked at the others. “Up for nachos,” he asked them.

“With the hot cheese? Like spicy, not warm, you know…?”

“Uh… sure, Katie,”

“Then I am!”

“We are completely random, you know.” Sirius said to Remus.

“Um, yeah of course we are.”

“Nachos!” That was Katie. I thought you should know that.

“Fine,” Remus grumbled, and started walking up the slope and back to the school. “We'll get nachos.”

Few Hours Later

James watched Lily sleep, as he had been doing for a few days past. A sudden scream blasted through the night, and James jerked up and fell off the bed. Lily simply rolled over and settled into a deeper sleep. He got up and grabbed his glasses and jammed them onto his nose before taking the stairs two at a time and going up to the edge of the tower.

“Hello?” He called, trying to see anything in the darkness.

“Lumos,” He heard, and then Katie swam into view, standing far below him, her neck craned so she could see him. “Hi, James!”

“Uh, Hi, Katie,” He said bewildered. What are you doing?”

“Talking to you, of course,”

“Who screamed?”

“I did, to get your attention.”

“May I ask why?”

“You just did,” She said with a small smile.

“So… how was it on the outside?”

“I was at your house for Christmas; it was very grand, as always. Sirius and I were riding a lot of the time and my sister completely missed seeing you.”

“I miss her as well,” James said his face sad. “She wasn't mad at me, was she? I hate not seeing her. She's so…adorable.”

Katie stuck her tongue out at him. “That's what you say, but you don't live with her.”

“Whatever, where's Talons?”

“In the Owlery, of course,”

“Right, I knew that.”

“Of course you did,” She said looking at him with a completely sober look on her face. James leaned farther over the edge to see her. “Don't do that!”

“Don't do what?”

“Lean over the ledge like that,”

“Why not?”

“Your glasses might-,” James' glasses fell off his nose and he heard the distinct tinkling as the glass shattered all over the ground. “-fall off,” Katie finished. “Hold on, I'll go fix them,” she said, and looked around the bushes. “Accio James' glasses!” The broken frame soared toward her and she caught it. She tapped the webbed glass with her wand, uttered some choice words, and then sent them back to him. “There, now take better care of your glasses!”

“Yes, mother,” He mumbled.

“I heard that,” she said indignantly.

“How?!”

“I have my ways,” she said mysteriously.

“You're just weird,”

“That's a given,”

“…why are you really here?”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Tell me what?”

“Um… well, I don't want to shout it.”

“You'll have to shout it so I can hear it. Does it really matter if people hear you?”

“Yes, actually, it does.”

“Why?”

“Why do you keep asking questions?”

“Why do you keep not telling me?” He shot back.

“Because it's confidential,” she said smugly.

“You're being aggravating,”

“Well that's just normal for me then, isn't it?” She shifted on her feet. “Okay, hold on, I'll tell you.” She grabbed a bag on the ground he didn't notice before and opened it, pulling out parchment, a quill and an ink well. She scribbled on it quickly, and then someone shouted her name, and she accidentally had the quill veer all around the parchment. She cursed loudly, and folded it up and sent it off to him. “I think you can still see some of it, but I have to go! Bye James!” Then she grabbed her bag and took off into the night.

James looked down at the note that was resting on the tower wall, and he hesitantly grabbed it and opened it. The ink wasn't dry when she folded it, so there were many smudges and random blots of ink. But James did get some of the message. And the two words he did under stand were “Escape…wall.” And those two words bothered him for the rest of the night.

“Well?” Sirius said as Katie hopped into the Gryffindor Common Room and sat down beside him.

“Well what?”

“Did it work?”

She paused for a long moment. “I forgot what I was supposed to say… so we just had a conversation.”

“That's impossible,” Remus said, “how could you forget? We went over it numerous times!”

“Because I choked, okay!”

“Do you want some chocolate?” Somailia asked randomly.

“What?”

“Do. You. Want. Some. Chocolate?”

“Sure…”

“Good!” Somailia said brightly, and pulled out a pack of chocolate.

“Do you always carry around a pack of chocolate?” Sirius asked staring at the package as Katie ripped into it.

“Yes,” Somailia said blandly. She threw them each pieces of chocolate, and Remus shoved his piece into his mouth.

“Cherry,” he said in awe as he sucked on the chocolate, waiting for the chocolate to melt and the cherry filling to show itself.

“Walnut?”

After a few moments of chewing and pondering, Remus said, “okay, now that we have had all of our chocolate levels restored, let us get back to the fact that you forgot what to say!”

“Well I couldn't help it,” Katie said defensively, clutching on to the chocolate box, “He was acting odd. And you completely messed me up when you called my name, now he probably won't be able to read anything on my note!” She hmphed, and settled farther back into the couch.

“You were taking too long!” Remus said indignantly.

“Well, things like that take a long time!”

“How can it-!” Somailia shoved a piece of chocolate into Remus' mouth to keep him from talking.

“You guys fight for weird reasons,” she said oddly, nibbling on a piece of chocolate. They all looked at her questionably. “Oh go make out all ready,”

And that they did… muwahahaha.

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16. Being It

In the Tower

Chapter Sixteen: Being It

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything right now, except a little bit of food, lots of French Almond Coffee, and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: In the past week, do you think that it would change from me being a lowly thirteen year old with only a dream of becoming a writer and turned into J.K. Rowling? Nuh uh, not me, don't own it.

Author's Note: School sucks. Uh… when Somailia said you fight for weird reasons, she was talking to Remus and Katie, but Sirius and Katie fight for weird reasons to, and they were getting a little close, so, I just went with it…

Previously: “You guys fight for weird reasons,” she said oddly, nibbling on a piece of chocolate. They all looked at her questionably. “Oh go make out all ready,”

And that they did… muwahahaha.

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Dale Carnegie.

Well, it's time for it is it not?

If the day before was Friday, then this is Saturday, right? Yes, Saturday afternoon. Late afternoon.

Lily was giggling hysterically and James just sighed, observation her with his head in his hands, looking at her incongruously. She was swinging her legs and watching all the people who were outside being lethargic on the grounds. She tried to scream at one, but they would only be able to hear it like a remote sound, James ears still rung from when she had screamed at Sirius on the Marauders' way to the castle. And they pounded painfully from when he had to yell at Katie the night before. And now his ears were stinging from the continuous raised volume.

She looked at him over her shoulder and cocked her head at him in concern. He wasn't being his usual uproarious self. His eyes seemed vacant to her, monotonous and plain. “James? Are you all right?” He snapped his head to her.

“Oh! Uh, I'm fine. Just thinking...” He told her, scratching his thigh obliviously.

“You seem a little out of it.” She told him, swinging her legs back to her before slowly backing up so she reached his side without him even knowing and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Lily,” he said suddenly, making her look up at him. “There's something I need to tell you.” She gave him her full attention. “Go out with me?” He said first, making her snort.

“James, if I didn't go out with you, without you almost implying it, then I would not have kissed you on Christmas. I wouldn't have done anything like that after that. So yes, I will go out with you.”

“Good. That was the good news. Now for the bad news. This is what Katie told me, you remember Katie, right?” She nodded curtly, remembering last year when Katie blew a hole through the wall and almost killed James. “Good, good. Good friend of mine. Anyway, she was talking to me last night, her on the ground, me on the tower, and she told me, wrote me something, that could get us out of the tower. But it's not clear, only two words on a scrap of paper.”

“Well, can I see it?” He brought it out of his pocket and gave it to her. “Escape… wall? That's it? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He shrugged. “Let me figure this out,” She said, pushed away from James.

“Do it soon, please? If you can't figure it out, we'll be in here,” he took a deep breath and made it sound climatic, “evermore.” And then he grinned a little happy. “But I guess that wouldn't be that bad. Free muffins and milk all day.” Lily started choking on the amount of air she was trying to force into her lungs. He patted her on the bag, staring off at the horizon of trees. She grinned shyly as the right amount of air went into her lungs.

“That would be torture. Ugh, you, me, in a bloody tower.” His cheeks flushed and he made a show of sweeping his glasses off his nose and cleaning them on the t-shirt he had on. “And we can't even change our clothes! It's so…ugh.” She said in a disgusted voice. He let out a puff of breath, embarrassed.

He started jabbering, “I feel the same way about you.”

“Och!” She shouted out, pulling away from him when she had become closer. Then pulled a face and put her head in her folded arms, and sobbed out, “I'm so behind on my homework!”

James grinned and tried to keep in his laughter. He managed to choke out, “bathroom,” in a strained voice, and took off running into the lower room of the tower. As soon as he clambered down the stairs and he heard the tower door swing behind him, he fell down to his knees and laughed.

“Uh, James?” He jumped and fell back, looking all around for the voice. She was right behind him. He yelped and scrambled away, but she followed him calmly. “Don't worry, you're fine. I promise I won't do anything.” Then she stuck out her hand and with a smug smile, told him, “Hi, I'm Somailia.” She had dark circles under his eyes, and he bit back an implying suggestion.

“'Lo,” he said to her, trying to lift himself onto one of the chairs, his breathing raspy. “You scared the crap out of me.”

She smiled apologetically. “I didn't mean to. But Remus, Sirius and Katie sent me to check up on you. Out of us four, I'm more sensible then Remus. Anyway,” she flounced over to the chair next to his and plopped herself down, “I assume that you haven't figured it out yet?” He shook his head. “Figures,” she sighed out.

“How do you know Remus and Sirius? Besides them and I and Peter being the rulers of the school?” She pointedly ignored the arrogance, for now.

“Katie. Best friend. Sirius is sweet on her, and Remus and I were just kind of there. Remus asked me out last night,” she smiled happily and very genuine, “and I said yes to him. But, besides that fact, I am trusted with your highest advisors. Trust me then.”

“Sure.” He told her, wondering inwardly whether Remus was going to tell her about his …disease but he bit the inside of his cheek and planned on asking Remus when he would get out of here.

“'Kay, that's good.” Then she twitched uneasily. “That's all I needed to know. But, I guess I could stay a little longer. You should try and get out today; some people are all ready looking for you.”

His expression turned smug. “Well, every girl in the school seems to pine after me. What can I say? I'm just so charming and handsome.” She shook her head at him and stood up.

“Now I see why Lily hated you so long. You're too full of yourself. But I assume you weren't like this the whole break?” He shook his head. “Good, that's excellent. I'm going to go try and see why Katie was acting so weird last night.” His face gave off a real concerned look. “She was seeing, hearing things.” She sighed and shook her head. “Well, I got to go. Tootles!” She said, getting up and walking over to the wall. “Don't look.”

He obediently closed his eyes, and he heard something click, and a blaze of noise entered his ears. The wall slammed shut, and all was silent. He pouted, cutesy, and rose to use the bathroom. He needed to actually use it now.

He slunk and sat down next to Lily five minutes later, who was lying on her back, gazing up at the sky, with thin wisps of clouds floated over heard. “I haven't figured it out,” she said breezily, “but I see a pirate ship,” she said, pointing a slender finger to trace it, trying to bring it out of the sky.

He lay down next to her and stared hard at the sky. A forbidden figure burst out of the sky, stared down at him, and disappeared a moment later. He breathed out, letting only himself hear it, “I see a green skull…”

Sirius and Katie were slinking through the halls, acting rowdy and completely stupid. It was the weekend after all. Sirius and her eyes widened at the exact same time, and they took off running toward the same thing. All the people in the hall had to throw themselves against the wall, for Sirius and Katie showed no signs of wanting to slow down. Katie jumped first and with an extremely happy squeal, zoomed out of sight down the banister of a freaking big staircase. Sirius jumped on the other side and leaned back, and he soon caught up with her, and they stared hard down at the ground before flying off the end of the banisters and crash-landing hard on the stone ground. Sirius was laughing hysterically and breathing heavily, lifting Katie carelessly to her feet, clutching her hand, and ran back up the stairs to do it again.

After the fifth time, Katie wasn't laughing anymore. Sulking rather. She stayed at the ground level. “Sirius!” She whined, stomping her foot as he fell to the ground again. “This is getting boring.” He looked up and he smiled chaotically ran to her and lifted her by the waist, placing her over his shoulder.

“Close your eyes!” He whispered. She bit her lip in fear of what he was going to do, but closed them. He started running and leaping over things and people screamed insults and warnings at them, but Sirius laughed at them in their faces and ran all the faster. He finally came to a dead halt, and Katie was unceremoniously thrown forward, and she wobbled precariously on her feet, and he grabbed her waist with a large warm hand to steady her. She shook her head to get rid of the dizziness, and looked up at where they were standing, her cross-eyed eyes staring dazed at the door.

“What are we doing?” She slurred. She shook her head again.

“Close your eyes again!”

“But…but,” she stuttered, and he put his other hand over her eyes.

“It'll be fun, I promise.” He told, and she relaxed a little, becoming more conscious about her surroundings. He certainly sounded sincere, she hoped against hope he was.

Remus stared hard at his book but wasn't taking in anything it was saying. `Aragorn looked at them, and there was pity in his eyes rather than wrath;' he hoped that he would never have to tell Katie about his malady… `For these were young men from Rohan, from Westfold far away,' his dear sweet Somailia already knew. He didn't want to lose Katie, like all the friends he had told when he was young enough for him not to know what would happen… `Or husbandmen from Lossarnach and to them Mordor had been from childhood a name of evil,' just like werewolves… `And yet unreal, a legend that had no part in their simple life;' no life is ever simple if something can be wicked. `And now they walked like men in a hideous dream made true, and they understood not this war nor why fate should lead them to such a pass.'

He was still sitting in the small dark corner of the library three hours later, staring at the same page, the same paragraph. Somailia found him like this, and she smiled mirthlessly. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped, grabbing her hand and whirling around, his fist clenched and two inches from her nose. Her eyes glittered with a desperate need for sleep. He had kept her up all night, talking, so she had the hint of bags and dark circles under her eyes. His fist loosened and he reached out his hand, letting his fingers caress her skin like she had done so much for him.

She shivered at it, and closed her eyes with a sigh. “They didn't figure it out yet.” She told him, and he knew what she meant, and didn't care for now. With his other hand, which he removed from his grip on hers, and pulled out a chair beside him, and brought it close to his side and she immediately sat into it, as he removed his hand, her head landed gently on the table, where immediately she started to doze. He put his hand closest to her on her back and rubbed in calming circles. And finally, he read the next paragraph, and then the next page, and ten minutes later, he reached the sixth part of the trilogy.

“Oh, come on, Lily!” James begged, down on his knees in front of her, clutching her hands tight to his. She pointedly tried to ignore him, but was failing miserably. She was trying to use her hands as her combs, and her hair was still around her face in a crimson cloud, and she looked the Princess of Darkness.

“No, James! I won't!”

“Are you saying that you don't love me?” He asked, flabbergasted.

“That's too big of a price for me to pay for my freedom! No THANK YOU! I'm sure you must be a beast in bed really, but I don't want to give myself to someone yet.”

He looked up at her oddly. “That wasn't what I was talking about,” he said raising an eyebrow, “but okay.”

“This is the one pair of clothing I have James, I am not going to make it even messier.”

She grabbed her hands back from his, and ran them through her hair, trying to calm herself down. And very slowly, she was backing away from a groveling James. Did he dare to do it? He did. “But Lily, I love you!” Her eyes widened to saucers, and her eyebrows rose so high they disappeared in her hair.

“James… I…have to go!” And she whirled around, and stormed to the top of the tower, exploding into the velvet sky, and the stars frowned down at her. What she didn't know though, was that she left a whimpering, sobbing man in her wake.

“Okay, Sirius, you have been pulling me alone a path all day, and I've had my eyes closed. I have no idea where we are. Where are we?” Katie screamed at him.

“Wah la!” He said, uncovering her eyes and showing her the brilliance that was, well. Katie didn't exactly know what it was. She voiced her question to him, blinking at it with her head tilting to both sides, trying to see what way made better sense. “Katie,” he whined out her voice, in a whimper, “can you not tell?”

“Hold on…” she said, straining her eyes to see. At once, it showed her what it was. “Oh my gods, Sirius! You brought me to an underground lake? That's flipping awesome!”

“It's not an underground lake, per se, it's a hot bath. Womb of the earth. Very relaxing, and I personally think you need it.” But then he grinned at her and the water its steam coming out from its unknowable depths, beckoned to her. She grabbed his hand instead, and jumped in, dragging him along with her, uniforms and all.

The warmth of it instantly incased them, and she felt her skin prickle in delight. She shot out of the water and stripped off her robes, leaving a sopping, and she didn't know but transparent, uniform on. Her hair was clinging to her shoulders and face, just like Sirius' was, and they both pushed the others' hair out of the way, smiling in a sort of… well, something kind of way. “This is bloody awesome!” She told him in enchantment. “Where and how did you find it?”

“Gut feeling,” she arched an eyebrow and he grinned, and said truthfully, “there's a spring that leads from here in the Forest I found a few years back, and I found this baby last October.”

“It's bloody awesome,” she repeated, and he nodded his head, kicking his feet slowly to keep himself afloat, and drifted over to her. Their feet didn't touch the bottom, and Katie suspected they never would. He wrapped an arm around her waist and swung her around it the water and the water flowed and ebbed out of their way. They laughed in delight the whole time.

Lily watched the stars as the glistened in the sky. She was confused. How did she feel about James? She didn't know. Did she hate him? When he was being a prick. And yes, Lily did know what prick means, thank you very much. If you don't know, then go use a dictionary. Did she like him? Yes, he was very good and sweet to her, since they had been stuck in this tower with him. Did she love him? She'd go back to that question later.

Did she lust after James? That would be a definite hell yeah. She would never admit to him that watching him made her burn, fire run through her veins, her hair raise on her arms, and her lips part with the want of his on hers. When ever his bare skin slid past hers, her senses sharpened to frightening heights. And well, she wasn't going to make the readers of this story back away in fright anymore… so we'll just stop there.

So, she hated him occasionally, liked him always, lusted after him evermore, and loved him? She still didn't know. She did adore him, she was a bit keen to him, and she felt the need to worship his body. So did that mean she loved him? Her friends told her that exactly how he felt about her. If he told her that he loved her, and he felt those ways about her, and the same about him, then yes. She loved him.

She would not do it thought. Would not do “It”, yes it does deserve capitalization, even though her body yearned to feel the intensity of his skin on hers, give herself up. Yet.

…On second thought…

No. She wouldn't.

Okay, fine. Monday.

She first felt the breath on her neck and the gentle snore of the person afterwards. She smiled, and moved her head very slowly and softly. They were still in the back of the library, a secluded corner that the boy had been sure that no one would notice. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, and then stared at the darkness. A boy stared at her, his green eyes looking at her hard. “Watch him.” She didn't blink, and neither did he. He looked familiar, but before she could place the face, he disappeared. She looked at her watch; it was 2:30 in the morning. Ah, the haunting hour. Then she cleared her throat, turned her head away from the boy in the chair next to her, and screamed.

“Ah!” The boy shouted out, but it was much louder and more of an exclamation then what my wording let on. He looked up at her with bleary eyes. “Somailia!” He bleated, “Don't do that!”

She sat down, her eyes staring still in the dark. Wow, no one heard. “There was someone here!” She told Remus, trying to huddle closer.

“Of course there wasn't,” he chided, “you're seeing things.”

“But there was!”

“It was probably Sirius.”

She shook her head, still looking at where the boy had been. “No. It looked like James. But, he had, blazing, horrifying emerald eyes.”

He made a noise in the back of his throat. “Lily's eyes,”

Sirius looked at her, as she soaked in the hot water, it steamed around her. “Won't that make your hair frizz?”

Katie chortled deeply in her throat and looked at him. “I have naturally straight hair. But,” she sighed out, “my skin will go prune-ish.”

He grinned wolfishly at her and paddled closer. “Yum,” She slapped him on the arm.

“Sirius, you are very gross.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” Katie stuck her tongue out at him, and hauled herself out of the steamy water, lying herself flat back on the stone. “Do you have any idea where we are? Approximately anyway?” He shook his head, and she sighed, before sitting up and ringing out her hair.

“I have a feeling that I walked far enough to travel under the English borders, and I have a feeling that there's an underground lake under Gringotts, but I never could tell whenever I whizzed past in the trolley things. But, I think that this hot bath is somehow connected to there.”

“How long were you walking? I remember falling asleep on my feet at one point, because when I woke up, the air and surroundings were cooler, and before they were scalding hot.”

He got out of the bath and shook like a dog, spraying Katie with the water she was just ringing out. She pulled a face, but didn't do anything else about it. “Yeah, you did. I had to carry you for an hour. And by my watch, we left at three-yesterday afternoon. Its now,” he looked at his watch, “five in the morning.” Then he sat down next to her, looking at the bath, “and that would mean we've been soaking for the last four hours or so.” Then he said, honestly, “I took a nap for eight hours, lugging you is hard.” She ignored the good nature insult. “So it's only a two hour trip.”

“That was hard math, Sirius, how'd you do it?” She said and then went back on topic. “Wow, time really does fly.” Then she smirked. “Just like pigs.”

“Don't make fun of Jamie's features! It's not his fault that his nose is upturned and he snorts and plays in the mud!” She rolled her eyes at him good naturally. He ignored the insult she gave him.

“I've never not liked James' looks. Don't you remember? I had liked him since I was two and he was three. And I liked him up until the middle of… oh, let's say… October. My new target has been you. At least I snared you.” She tilted back her head and looked around. “Are we in a cave?”

“Yup,”

He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and fell into the bed they had shared for the past few weeks. He had been crying for more than ten hours now. It was around five in the morning, and she had left at around seven. Okay, so he slept during that time. Forgive him. But, she still wasn't back. How in the world could she still be staring at the stars and sorting her feelings out for ten hours? Good gracious, women are confusing.

All that men wanted, he knew, was food, some alcohol, the thrill of the chase, and some warmth of a lady's flesh to cling onto. And maybe something to watch and scream at, like a Quidditch match or something, football, rugby. Music, definitely. Dear God all he wanted her to do was lean against a wall for a little. It isn't that hard now, is it?

But, that list proves that men are very simple. Right?

What about women? No, he can't say that list. He doesn't know anything about women. He just knows they like chocolate.

That's about it…

“Remus there really was someone there!”

“Okay! I believe you! That's only the nineteenth time you've told me in the past, three hours. So, you've been good about it. Go Somailia. So, boy that looked exactly likes James with Lily's eyes? Must be their son.” And then he looked at Somailia with a sly grin, while she fidgeted uncomfortably, looking around the halls with wide, peering eyes. “They should have done it all ready. It's only a matter of time.”

“I don't think they've done it yet… I heard them screaming on the tower before I got down there.” And then they ran straight into someone. Somailia stifled a scream in Remus' side, where she fell, and Remus fell onto the other boy, who looked flat and nervous. He looked at the boy's face.

“Peter, my boy! Where have you been?” Remus asked, as Somailia jumped off him. He grabbed Peter's sweaty hand, took a deep breath, and hauled the fat boy up to his feet, bringing himself up as well.

“I've been…uh… been, well you see… around.” He finally answered after muttering incomplete sentences and taking leering glances at Somailia when Remus wasn't watching him. She glared at him and moved closer to Remus each time, and after the tenth time he did it, she was practically attached to Remus' hip, and he had his arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders.

“Well, I haven't seen you.” Remus told him, biting his lip and looking around the darkened hall awkwardly. Somailia was shivering next to him, hugging herself. Peter was drooling, trying to make it not look like he was gawking at her each time Remus turned around, but it was rather painfully obvious.

“I've been, you know, here and there.” Remus raised an eyebrow at him, and pulled Somailia even tighter to his side, which she was very grateful for, but for Peter he looked like a dog that just lost his only meal for a month.

Finally, after twenty more minutes of a more awkward standing and shifting, Somailia finally yelled at Peter, “Stop leering at me, you freak!”

He straightened himself and wiped his lower lip, and the slime disappeared from it, onto his hand that he hid behind his back. He said, confidently, and Remus wondered where he got that from for he's never been self-confident, “I don't know what you're talking about.” He then wiggled his eyebrows at her, and seemed quite oblivious to the fact that the reason that Somailia and Remus were standing so close was because they were going out. “But,” he sighed mock gentlemanly, “if you're having fantasies about me, then I should just indulge them for you, shan't I?” She punched him in the jaw, and his head tilted back in pain. Then she then shoved her palm upward and she felt the bone crunch and blood spurt over her hand as she felt the bone move toward his brain. Apparently she didn't hit him hard enough to kill him, but she did have the strength to do it. What would the other Marauder's say if she killed him?

They wouldn't have been happy with her, but right now, Remus was smiling big and she was dancing in glee. She looked at her bloody hand and leaned down to wipe it on Peter's robes where he had fallen, took Remus' hand in her clean one, and then ran away from the scene. “Before you asked me where I learned that, that was from Katie. She hits lots of people, if you can't tell.”

Katie was now completely dry now, thanks to Sirius not trying to push her in the pool again, but he had been in there most of the while she had not been in there. And… that didn't make sense. He had been in the pool while she was drying out. “Thank you Sirius, for taking me here. I feel way better and more relaxed then I have since… well, since forever.”

“Anything for you, my love.” He told her, calmly doing the backstroke.

She turned her head so she could look at him, for when she was talking to him before it looked like she had been saying it to the ceiling. “Sirius, I hate to say it, because I know you'll take it as the pun, but you've been far too serious lately. It's almost scared me; you're usually never like this. I know, I know, bringing me here was very random of you, and sliding down the banisters three times was the most fun I have had in forever. But last night, when you told me you loved me, it almost didn't seem like you. You sounded like, dare I say it, James and how he talks about Lily.”

“I have been acting odd lately, I know. But, I think that I've usually never spent this much time away from James, so I think his usual fun and rowdy nature made mine more fun then what it would have been on my own. Ack, I can't believe I just said I wasn't fun.” She smiled, and he quickly changed the subject, in a way, anyway. “Think they've done it yet?”

She shrugged. “If you mean what I think you mean, than no, they haven't. But if you think they discovered the way out, than I still think no, they haven't.”

He swam toward her, lifted himself out of the pool, and dropped himself, keeping some weight on his hands, on top of her. She squealed at the sudden wetness of his clothing seeping into hers, but it was more of a squeal of delight rather than surprise. Just before he kissed her, he raised his eyebrows and said, “You squeal too much.”

Just as his lips were about to entrance hers with his essence, she grabbed his head forcing him to open his eyes, and told him, “You're the only thing I squeal over.” Before he blushed, if he does ever really blush; she kissed him hard on the mouth.

“Hello again Lily.” James said, looking at her from the blankets, lying spread eagle on the bed. “Come to make me cry?”

She snorted and said, “You can cry?”

He tried to look her deep in the eyes so she could see the insult, hurt, pain and sadness she caused in him. But she was determined not to make eye contact. “I cried after you went up to the tower. And I cried all the while you were gone. It seemed that even the truth in my statement scared you too much to say,”

“I do love you, James.” He did the thing that no man that he knew of anyway, had ever done. James Potter fainted.

Five hours later, he started waking up to her velvety soft voice, whispering his name continuously in his ear. “Ungh…” he moaned, trailing off his voice in a very low whisper. But she heard him, for she kissed his lips very softly, so softly he barley noticed she did, only did he realize when he felt her breath blowing on his face.

“Did I scare you that much?” She murmured against his cheek.

“The truth?” He managed to ask, croaking it out. “Very much so, thanks for asking.”

“I didn't mean to, but you scared me like that when you told me. I'm surprised that I didn't faint.” And then she pulled back onto her knees, for she had been leaning over him before he woke up. She smiled at him, “But I really do love you, and I know you love me too.”

“Do uh, you uh,” He said, stuttering a little and squinted. “Where are my glasses?”

“The table next to you.” She told him promptly. But then she grinned, very wide.

He picked them up quickly and backed away from her and into the solid wall. He grunted in surprise as the wall gave behind him and swung open, and he tumbled out. He got up and coughed, pretending that didn't happen and walked out of the room, looking around for something. That something was the painting. Godric looked at him with a happy expression. “You're out then?” He asked, kindly, and James looked at him bewildered.

“Uh, yeah. What's the password to get into here?”

Godric laughed, nice and deep. “You didn't need a password, my dear boy.” James had a feeling that Godric and Dumbledore were related only Godric was sane. “The boys who brought you and Miss Evans said two different passwords. One, the first, locked it, and that was the boy who brought Miss Evans in. The second one unlocked it, and that boy brought you in. You could have gotten out all along.”

For the second time that day, James Potter fainted.

“'Lo, Godric. We haven't talked in a while.” Lily said as she walked normally out of the tower room, coolly composed.

“No, Miss Evans. But you had enough company.”

She shrugged and said, “Guess so. Can I and James, just… go?”

Godric smiled, and told her, “You can go and go to your dormitories.”

“Thank you, Godric.”

“We should probably leave now, Sirius.” Katie said, trying to get up from under him.

“Why?” He said, trailing open mouthed, warm and wet kisses all down her neck. She sighed in ecstasy and lay back down.

“It's Sunday morning.” She said, and he purred in his neck. “That's hot.”

“I know.” He finally removed his lips from her neck, for now. “So, are you saying that we should go?”

“No.” She said, not realizing she just changed her own mind. Okay, so he helped it along. He grinned, and kissed her neck, before moving and kissing her lips again.

As soon as Lily had James in a bed, she fell into the bed next to him. She was amazed that no one had been in the hall or common room while she was lugging him. She dropped off then rather quickly to dreamland, she broke her own promise.

Remus and Somailia were back in the Gryffindor common room, because she begged and pleaded to be with him until Sirius and Katie would show up. They had almost been gone a day, and she had no idea where to start looking. So, he went up to take off the blankets of his bed, for he had a feeling they were the cleanest out of the other two beds in the dorm.

Well, as soon as he tore the blankets off his bed, he bit his lip to keep from screaming out. Lily and James were asleep in his bed.

Blah, Blah, blah

I know this took freaking forever, but I get distracted easily. I know that isn't much of an excuse, but I want to say I am truly very, very sorry. If it happens again, well, you can just yell at me or something and I'll grovel at your feet. I know this chapter was completely random, but I kept in as much as I possibly could, as you could tell. So, it's not much, but hey, I tried. Uh, the part where Remus was thinking and not reading, that came from the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, old hardback edition, page 162.

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17. Sneer On Your Own

In the Tower

Chapter Seventeen: Sneer on Your Own

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything right now, except a little bit of food, lots of French Almond Coffee, and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: Hm…. Nope. I'm still not J.K. Rowling. Sorry.

Author's Note: Ahhh, I want to scream in joy and dance and act stupid. Well, more than usual. Um, over Spring Break I wrote two one-shots, one is ten pages and another is twenty. So, if this chapter is late, you know what I was doing. Tee hee, right. I'm done. Writer's Block! Writer's Block! Ack!

Pope John Paul the second died Saturday in his Vatican City apartment at 9:30 on Saturday. Pray for him.

Previously: Remus and Somailia were back in the Gryffindor common room, because she begged and pleaded to be with him until Sirius and Katie would show up. They had almost been gone a day, and she had no idea where to start looking. So, he went up to take off the blankets of his bed, for he had a feeling they were the cleanest out of the other two beds in the dorm.

Well, as soon as he tore the blankets off his bed, he bit his lip to keep from screaming out. Lily and James were asleep in his bed.

“I will be keeper of your secret,” Talon told the silent grave of the forgotten inventor. “I will be the one who remembers why we forgot.” Neil Shusterman, “Downsiders”

“The show must go on!” Make that a baritone.

Remus leaned forward over James, and poked him hard in the side. James grunted, and wiggled closer to Lily. Remus leaned forward again, and flicked James right between the eyes. He shot up, and looked at Remus, blearily. “Took you long enough,” Remus said, and shook the blanket out from under them. “I'll be needing this. You go back to sleep. Your day must have been,” he raised his eyebrows, “tiring.”

James tried to smack him in the head, but Remus ducked away and laughed. “Naughty, naughty.” But in a softer, gentler tone, he told him, “Go back to sleep, James. You don't want to wake Lily up.”

James glared at the post that must of resembled Remus, and mumbled, “All right, fine.” He went lightly down on his back into the bed, and Lily instantly moved closer to him. Remus slowly shut the curtains, grinned maniacally, and bounded out of the dormatory.

Somailia looked up at Remus when he jumped the last steps down, and raised an eyebrow. “Lily and James are in my bed.” He said simply, getting down on the couch next to her and with a flourish, unfolded the blanket and swept it onto them.

“Um?” She said questionably. “Is that a good thing?”

“Well of course it was.” He said, looking at her, about to laugh. “They were just sleeping.”

“Oh,” she said, laughing lightly. “I thought they were doing something else.” She winked at him roguishly, “if you know what I mean.”

“Of course I know what you mean, jelly bean.”

She snorted. “Jelly bean?”

“What? It rhymed.” He said, defensively, putting a hand over his heart, with a sad, lost looking puppy face.

“Of course it did.” She melted, and kissed his cheek before lying her head on his shoulder and very slowly, went to sleep.

“My feet hurt.”

“We're almost there.”

“I'm thirsty.”

“We're almost there.”

“I'm hungry.”

“We're almost there.” He said, exasperated.

“Carry me?”

“Anything, milady.” And he swung Katie over his shoulder, and she laughed, before he set off at a trot toward the door that was now in sight.

“You brought the robes right?” Katie asked, obliviously.

“They're in my hand.” Sirius said, shoving his hand up to show her the robes that were in his hand.

“Okay,” she said in the same voice. He sighed exasperated, but smiled, because, well, because she was there. There with him, of all people. And that was the only place he would want her to be. And she was perfectly fine with that. He opened the door and looked out slowly, no one was there. He quickly came out, shut the door behind him, which instantly locked itself, and then he, with Katie on his shoulders once again, head off quickly to the Gryffindor common room.

“Bah,” Lily said, getting up and trying to stumble into the bathroom. That is, if she knew where the bathroom was. She banged into two beds, three walls, and two doors. And each one was the one she hit before.

She fell into the bathroom and looked around. Okay, this wasn't the bathroom that she and James shared for two weeks. And it defiantly wasn't the girls' bathroom. It smelled of, she took a deep breath, manliness.

She stepped into the closest shower and turned on the water full blast. She basked under the water, not realizing she still had whatever clothes she had worn for two weeks on. Her lower half muscles ached that she didn't even know she had, and from the soreness she was having right now, she never wanted to do the act again.

The door slammed open and Lily screamed silently. Two forms bounded into the room, and went into separate showers, throwing off their clothes in record time, and turning the shower on loudly. The first form, the rather tall one, started singing. Lily gaped in horror. Sirius Black was singing in the shower. And he sounded… okay. She blocked out her ears with her hands while scrubbing her hair harshly, making sure that nothing from the tower was left on her skin.

“Sirius!” A voice yelled out on the other side of what Lily assumed was Sirius' shower, and Lily gaped in horror as she realized the voice was quite female. “Shut up!” The girl continued, “You cannot sing at all! Very off-key.”

“Shush Katie,” Lily's nose screwed up in disgust. So, Katie was here then? Puh, as soon as I'm out of here, I'm gonna catch her and take points. “It's not like you're much better. You should hear Jamsie sing,” Lily bit her lip to keep from calling out and telling Sirius that James hates being called that, “he is one of the best singers I've heard in a long time. Man, if he singed for Lily,” she wanted to say that he had, “then she should of fell to his feet and told him to let her ravish him.” She couldn't hold her tongue.

She shut off her shower, stepped out and went to the stack of clothes where they were boyish. She threw open the curtain without looking down and told him coldly, “He did sing to me, thank you, and I should tell you, he sung me a song in French about wanting to ravish me, and I was thinking of letting him ravish me then. But I ended up telling him that his voice was hot. Good enough, eh?” Then she winked at Sirius, who was gaping at her, his hands trying to cover his… extremities, and shut the curtain of the shower for him. As she walked out, she called out, “Hello, Katie!”

Katie screamed. Sirius burst out laughing as the door shut after Lily. “Well, then I guess they're out, huh?”

“Yeah!” Katie said in a high-pitched voice. She turned off her shower and stepped out, drying herself off with a towel right next to her shower. Sirius stepped out and walked naked, because somehow there were no towels near his shower, imagine that, and Katie just happened to stand next to the towel rack. “Sirius,” she squeaked, “get a towel.”

“That's what I'm trying to do,” he told her, swaggering over to the towels. She closed her eyes and held one out for him. He pouted and snatched it from her hands. “Fine, be that way.”

“Sirius,” she said, calmly, with her eyes still closed, “do you not remember what I told you Friday night?” She peeked open her eyes and saw him standing in front of her with his hands crossed over his chest and, thank you, a towel around his waist.

He looked at her in the eye grudging, “yes,” he said, sulking.

“Then don't do that until I want you to, please!”

He smiled slightly, walked forward and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Fine, I will. But that doesn't mean I won't do it unexpectedly.”

She smacked him upside the head and the water in his hair showered on her. She smiled slightly. “Only you would do that, but please, please, not until I tell you I really, really, truly, want to.”

“Fine, fine.” But then he grinned. “We must go see Jamsie!” Speak of the devil, he stumbled into the room.

“Okay, okay!” He called back at the closing door. Lily must have been yelling at him. He looked up at them, then took a double take. And then rubbed his eyes, and then squinted at them.

“We really are here you know,” Katie said, her lip twitching.

“Uh huh,” Sirius said, looking over his shoulder to see James. “We really are.”

James stood up tall and straightened his shoulders. “Somailia told me that you were sweet on Katie, Sirius, but I didn't know she was sweet on you too!” Then he made a gagging noise. “I think I'm going to be sick. Katie, how can you stand to see Sirius in a towel? I want to throw up each time I see it.” Sirius maturely stuck his tongue out at James, and Katie grabbed it before he slipped it back between his lips.

“Now, now, boys, play nice.” She said, holding Sirius tongue while making him shake his head and looked at James pointedly.

“Yes, mother.” They both told her sarcastically, thought Sirius' didn't sound much like what he said, she still had his tongue. She let go of Sirius' tongue, and he stuck it back in his mouth quickly. She wiped her hand on her towel shaking her head, laughing.

Katie smiled at both of them. “Good,” she said, patting Sirius on the head and unraveled herself from Sirius' arms to walk over to James and hug him.

“Ugh…” he said, before he held her, “you're in a towel!”

“Would you rather hug me, or Sirius?” She said, sighing into his shirt while Sirius watched it rolling his eyes.

“Good question.” Sirius waved the birdie at James, and James shook his head at him over Katie's, holding in his laughter. “Ah, when I was little, like when we were two and three to six, it would have been you because we didn't believe in cooties, when I was seven to twelve, it would have been Sirius.”

Katie giggled. “You matured young then?” She kissed him on the cheek and then Sirius bounded up, wrapped his arms around both Katie and James and hugged them tightly, smashing Katie in the middle. “Guys,” she said after a few minutes, “I can't breathe.”

“Good!” Both the boys cried out happily. Her arms were stuck limply at her sides, and she couldn't do a thing about her predicament.

The door opened slightly, and they all turned a little so they all could see who was coming, still hugging. Remus poked his head in and laughed at Katie's face. “Oh, what the hay,” Remus said, before bounding up to the group and hugging them. James and Katie were shoved toward each other tightly so Remus and Sirius could get their hands at least on the others' hands.

“Ow, ow, breasts, breasts.” Katie said, but it was muffled in James' shirt, because he must have been at least at least a foot taller than her for she was slight and her height didn't help her with it. She said it shamelessly, she had been around these boys for so long it didn't matter, and she was almost completely open with them.

James grunted in return, “Ow, ow, testicle area, testicle area.” Then he grinned and said to Remus and Sirius, “You want to know what would be really bad right now? If you started jumping up and down.” Both the boys grinned evilly, trying to look at each other through James' hair, and synchronized, started jumping up and down. Katie and James howled in pain. Remus and Sirius moved even closer together, making Katie's front be jammed against James, and James testicle area smashed against her pelvis.

Someone laughed in the bathroom, and it echoed through out the room, making all four of them look around for the source. “That's a compromising position James and Katie are in you know. Lily and Sirius should be suspected things.”

“It's Sirius' and Remus' fault, Som!” Katie said, struggling against James and Sirius, against James moans of `please don't do that, please,' and Sirius, `yes, please keep doing that!' “Sirius, release your hold on us, this feels very wrong.” Sirius laughed loudly and detached his arms from around Remus, James and Katie, making her jump out of the huddle and took deep breaths of air, returning her face to its natural color. When she finally had her color recovered, she stomped right up to the farthest shower, and said, “You're boyfriends fault! No, wait it isn't your boyfriends fault, though he went with it, it was James' fault because he suggested it!” She turned and stalked toward James and tried to smack him on the head but he ducked each time laughing. She narrowed her eyes at him and growled, then walked over to the shower again.

Somailia burst out of the shower, giggling hysterically. “Not funny, not funny, not funny!” Katie said, each time wapping Somailia hard on the back, trying to hide back her blush, which against her will was rising very high and very noticeable on her cheeks.

Remus laughed. “I just realized that Sirius and Katie were in towels!” Then he looked hard at Katie and told her seriously, “You might want to pull that towel tighter there, or else Sirius will follow you around like lost puppy.”

“Wouldn't that be a disgusting sight,” Lily sneered, opened the door and leaning against it. Katie instantly glared at her and Lily glared back willingly. James stepped between them like a referee.

“Why do you guys hate each other?”

They answered at the same time; “She almost killed you!” Lily cried out, while Katie said softly, “She started it!”

James' eyes widened and Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing, Somailia was on the ground crying because she heard what Katie said very clearly, and Sirius was watching both of them, sizing them up. “Let them fight, James!” Sirius called out eagerly; “I'll watch that!”

Katie and Lily both looked over at him, Katie trying to hold back a frown of exasperation and Lily's lip curl in distaste. “We are not going to indulge in your sexual fantasies, Black,” Lily said, and Katie nodded surprising all who saw it, but Lily didn't so she continued on, “but I'm sure Miss Ah Bleu will do it for you.”

“That was uncalled for!” James shouted out looking hard at Lily, while Sirius said, “Now that was way below the belt, for both of us!” Katie looked deathly calm, but when you would look at her hand you could tell she was ready to knock Lily's nose in, her knuckles turning white from the restraint of keeping the violence to herself. Remus looked at Lily starting to saying, “Now, Lily,” in Katie's defense, while Somailia stocked toward Lily with a gleam in her eye. Remus grabbed Somailia's waist and held her tight to his chest where she couldn't do anything harmful.

“I wouldn't do that,” Katie said calmly, staring Lily straight in the eye, “because I love Sirius, I truly do, and he loves me. And we promised each other that we wouldn't do that until we were absolutely, one hundred percent ready. So talk about things you know rather than things you're only guessing at.”

Lily bowed her head and scuffed her shoe on the tile floor. “Sorry,” she muttered.

Sirius growled, “Don't do it again,” while Katie waved a nonchalant hand at Lily and said, “it's fine.”

They all stared awkwardly at each other. “Well!” Remus said, clapping his hands together suddenly, making them all jump. “Now that we're all here, I think we need to tell everyone what we did on vacation.” They all blushed. “But, I think that Lily and James should get into clean clothes, and Sirius and Katie should get into real clothes.”

Sirius grinned, walked over to Katie and took her hand, whispering something into her ear. She blushed, and Lily gawked at Katie and Sirius' intimacy. She never thought people like that, Sirius a womanizer and Katie a… lunatic, could treat each other like that, be so close to each other.

She shrugged to herself. Ah, well, I'm sure that's what people will think once James and I come out as a serious couple. Whatever, she thought, opened the bathroom door widely and slipped down the boys stairs to the girls. And as she stepped into the dorm, she promised herself that she was going to go back to the boys' bathroom and tell them all about her two weeks with James. As she stumbled to where her bed was, she remembered that she and James stayed in the Head dormitory. She clanked down the stairs as soon as James did, and they grinned nervously at each other. She reached out and entwined her fingers with his, and he smiled wider. They walked out of the common room and walked slowly to their room, ignoring the people whom stared at them and their entwined hands as they passed by.

When he said the password to the portrait and told it firmly, that yes, he and Lily were going out, and no he wasn't going to tell how it came to be and would you just let us the bloody hell in? They then ran up the stairs to their private rooms and she changed her clothes and brushed her hair while James flew into the shower, washed quickly and was dressed and waiting for Lily before she even reached the common room. She leaned close to his ear, smiled and whispered, “I'm sore.”

He blushed but she didn't see it, and he said in her ear, “Me too.” They both grinned stupidly at each other, before entwining their fingers again, and left their common room. As they entered the boys' seventh year bathroom, they realized they were the last ones to get there, and all the good spots were taken. For example, Remus and Somailia were sitting in the dry bathtub, talking quietly to each other, Remus letting his fingers trail up and down Somailia's back while she ran a finger up and down his arm. Sirius and Katie took up the wall under the towel rack, and, Lily almost laughed, Katie was wearing Sirius' uniform, complete with Gryffindor tie. James leaned toward Lily and whispered softly in her ear, “She was never fit for Ravenclaw anyway. It would have been better if she was in Gryffindor; I would have been her older brother figure. And Sirius would be her best friend.”

Lily smirked and said quietly, “Good thing she wasn't in Gryffindor then, eh?”

“Stop gossiping about me!” Katie called from across the room, startling James and Lily. “It echoes in here, you know!”

“Shh.” Sirius said softly to Katie, and sending a withering look at James and Lily she shushed almost immediately.

“All right! Let's start with our breaks! Who wants to go first!” Remus said, clapping his hands again. Somailia smiled at him but rolled her eyes. “Oh, Lily and James, I have your wands, so feel free to point them at me in anger whenever you feel necessary. I won't feel bad at all.” He tossed them to Lily and James, who both instantly shot out their arms and caught their wands, caressing the familiar, and mightily missed, wood sticks. Lily kissed her wand happily and plopped herself down on the floor so she could see the other four perfectly clearly, before pulling down on James' pant leg, making him fall heavily on his behind.

“Sorry,” she said, and he looked at her.

“It's okay,” he squeaked out and she bit her tongue to keep from laughing. Lily magiked up a bottle and placed it between the six of them, who all raised her eyebrows at her, except herself of course.

“No, we are not playing spin the bottle. But since none of us are volunteering, whoever the bottle lands on has to tell the story from their point of view, kay?”

“Okay,” they all answered. She spun it, and it landed on… Remus.

He groaned, and Somailia patted him on the back sympathetically. “When I got home from the train Tina burst on me telling me that we were going to meet her boyfriend.” Sirius and James instantly sucked in a breath between their teeth, and Lily, Somailia and Katie had sad faces on for him. “Mum and Tina made me be very nice while he was there, and once he left they backed me in a corner and demanded what I think about him.” (Skipping to when he gets to the Potter house,) “So Sirius made me floo over to James' house, which I was very happy for, I tell you what. Brendan was coming over every night! It was driving me insane! I packed my trunk and my mum shrunk it for me and I flooed away as soon as I could. But then, as soon as I slam out of the fire place I land into Somailia, knocking her flat on the ground, and alerting Katie and Sirius out of their snogging session to know what was happening when they heard Somailia scream.

“But anyway, Sirius and Katie were always either gone out riding their horses and snogging or snogging in Sirius' room or wherever they happened to find each other, leaving Somailia and I to ourselves. I remember the thing that stuck out in my mind the most was she and I were walking aimlessly around in a deserted park with the snow falling lightly and I felt the urge to spill my heart and all its secrets out to her. And I did, and she didn't judge me, she didn't interrupt me. And she held me while I sobbed in her shoulder. And basically… that's it.”

“Great ending,” Katie and James said to Remus sarcastically, “it explained everything!”

He stuck out his tongue at them, and spun the bottle. It landed on, they all smirked, James. “Well, all I remember when before I got in the tower was Peter giving me a… muffin, and Sirius falling off the Quidditch stands, all the way down.”

“What?!” Katie screamed, turning to look at Sirius from all angels and inspect him.

“Really, dahling, I'm fine.” Sirius said, watching the others.

“James, never scare me like that again!” Katie howled at James, who cowered toward Lily.

“I won't I promise!” He said, looking at her nervously. But he cleared his throat, and said, “Well, I guess I should say that I woke up to hear Lily screaming very, very loudly in my ear.” They all laughed at him, and he continued telling them about his and Lily's break until they all knew what happened. “So! That's me and Lily's Christmas Break!” He then spun the bottle, and it landed on Katie. She groaned very loudly.

“Fine! Um… I first saw Sirius as he toppled out of your car, James, and ran toward the stables with Charlie running toward him, and I was on Clam Chowder…” she said, and continued, “pranked Sindy Park… Christmas I woke up in a toga… kissed Sirius for the first time… invited Somailia and he invited Remus… I suddenly woke up awake in the lake, the boys wading toward me… he took me to a hot bath,” and Lily and Somailia cut her off.

“He took you to a hot bath? Aww!” They said, looking admiringly at Katie and Somailia and glaring at their boyfriends.

“Where's the hot bath?” Remus and James deadpanned.

Sirius shrugged. “I'll show you the door later.”

“You better!” Both the girls told him sternly, while Katie kind of did the smile and nod thing.

“I will!” He said, raising his hands to try and shield himself. They both nodded happily, and he lowered his hands warily. “Hey, Katie?” He said, looking at her, and she turned her head to see him.

“Hmm?”

“What happened to you? On Friday? I know you remember what happened, tell me, please?”

She looked around and saw Remus, Somailia and James looking at her worriedly. Lily just looked confused. “Okay, fine!” She said, grudgingly loud. She said to them slowly, “I felt something… wrong in the room. It made my skin prickle into goose bumps and the hair on my skin stand on end. The air got heavier and it was really hard for me to breathe. Time seemed to have slowed down and everyone moved slower and people talked in that slow monotone voice like they do in the movies, you know? I saw something move quicker than it should have out of the corner of my eyes, and when I stared at it, everything around that thing went black and my eyesight zoomed in on it. It was Voldemort.”

They all stared at her. “That was a good way to ruin the good mood, wasn't it?” She mumbled looking at them.

“Yeah.” They all said at the same time, just looking at her oddly.

“Stop staring at me!” She cried, flinging herself at Sirius, who tried to hide her in the protection of his arms.

Remus cleared his throat. “Somailia saw something in the library the other day.”

Somailia shot him a look. “You said you didn't believe me!”

“I think the time fits to talk about it with the people who are here that might cause it.” The other four stared at them, one peeking out of another through his hair.

“Fine.” She said coldly, before looking directly at James and Lily. She took a deep breath, and said to them loudly, “I saw your son.”

Lily Evans and James Potter, his third time in two days, fainted dead away on the floor.

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18. Possessing Her

In the Tower

Chapter Eighteen: Possessing Her

Summary: …I don't want to, my back hurts.

Disclaimer: According to my blood tests, I am not, and never will be J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: There's something in here that none of you guys expected, or would have expected.

Previously: “I think the time fits to talk about it with the people who are here that might cause it.” The other four stared at them, one peeking out of another through his hair.

“Fine.” She said coldly, before looking directly at James and Lily. She took a deep breath, and said to them loudly, “I saw your son.”

Lily Evans and James Potter, his third time in two days, fainted dead away on the floor.

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

Katie snorted and looked at James and Lily's unconscious forms between Sirius' arms. “Okay, I would like to say I have never seen him do that before.” She then looked up at Lily and cocked an eyebrow. “Does he faint a lot when I'm not with you guys?”

“Uh… no.” Remus and Sirius both answered. Somailia laughed and stumbled out of the bathtub, trying in vain to get out, for Remus was clinging on to her leg.

“Remus, let go. We gotta lug them somewhere!” Remus instantly let go of her leg and she yelped in surprise, before falling flat on the floor, her hands under her head protectively.

She pushed herself off from the ground and looked at Remus, who was smiling helplessly at her. She rolled her eyes and got up, walking bow-legged over to the closest one, which was James. She lifted his arm as she squatted down and tried to lift him, before letting out a big puff of air and falling on her back. “Well,” Katie called cheerfully, disengaged herself from Sirius' arms, and getting up to help Somailia, “at least you moved him a few inches!”

“Shut up and give me a hand.” Somailia said, gritting her teeth and tried to move James again. He slid a few reluctant inches, and she puffed from the exertion. “How much does the damn boy weight?” She grunted out, panting.

“One fifty, just like me!” Sirius said, and Remus rolled his eyes at him, before picking James up around the waist, and his arms straining, lifted James and dragged him out of the room. Sirius got up and walked over to the girls, looking at them and grinning. “Don't worry, I can do this.” He said, and bent down before picking Lily up easily, sending them a cheeky grin that made Somailia scowl and Katie half swoon, and walked out of the bathroom easily.

Somailia turned and looked at Katie, who was staring off grinning at the door shutting them in the bathroom. “Your boyfriend,” Somailia started, “is a show off.”

“I know,” Katie sighed out, obliviously. “Isn't he just the greatest?” And then she walked out of the bathroom joyfully.

Somailia gapped at the closed door. “What the hell did Sirius do with my best friend?” Then she too, left the bathroom.

She looked squinting in the darkness of the dormitory. James was sleeping deeply in Remus' bed, and Lily was snoring slightly in Sirius'. Remus and Sirius both raised their eyebrows at each other. They were about to set about the next task, but Somailia and Katie interrupted. “We can at least do that.” Katie said, coming out of her little dreamland with Sirius the star of it. "It's not like we've never seen that kind of things before.” Somailia blushed against her will. “Shoo!” Katie said, swatting Remus and Sirius in the back until they left howling and running out of the dormitory. Katie shut the door firmly. “You can get Lily, I'll be fine with James.”

Somailia shrugged. “Whatever,” she sighed out, getting to the annoyingly hard task of getting the unconscious comfortable. Katie set about the task untying James' shoelaces while… Somailia did the same. They both finished at the same time and looked over at each other. “Um?” Somailia said, looking at Katie's face.

“Feet. Smell.” Was all she said, and Somailia laughed quietly. Katie slowly peeled his socks from his feet and tickled his toes, but he didn't do anything. Somailia raised an eyebrow at this; she hadn't done Lily's. That would mean that she would have had to take off Lily's stockings, and Somailia isn't that kind of girl.

“Can we just go?” Somailia whispered, huffing as she watched Katie tickle James' ankles now.

“Okay,” Katie said, getting up from her squatting position next to James. “He just never let me tickle him before, so now I can hold that against him.” She snickered evilly and grabbed Somailia, pulling both of them out of the room. “Don't want to disrupt their beauty rest!” She said in a singsong voice and shut the door to the dormitory quietly.

They bounded down the stairs holding each other's hands and singing, “Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high!” Katie's voice cracked on the high note in somewhere and Somailia was very off-tune.

Remus and Sirius were cringing in the common room, and all the other students that were there had their eyes widened to saucers, and their hands clamped over their ears. Remus looked over at Sirius, and yelled, “Do you think we can charm them to make them sing better?”

“What?” Sirius yelled back at him.

“Do you think we can charm them to make them sing better!” Remus yelled louder.

Sirius pulled a face. “Nothing could make that sound better!”

Katie smacked him in the back of his head hard, and Sirius cried out, “Ow!”

Somailia did the same thing to Remus at the same time, but instead of him crying out like Sirius did, he yelled, “Hey! Those could have been important brain cells!”

“Of course they were,” she retorted sarcastically, plopping herself on his lap after arraying herself over the arm of his chair. He let out a puff of breath as she landed heavily and draped her arms around his neck and stared him right in the eye. Katie snorted and rolled her eyes and sat next to Sirius, who was staring intently at the fireplace.

“They are such turd bombers.” Katie said heavily, trying to grasp Sirius' attention. He wasn't blinking. Katie looked at the still staring couple, along with everyone else in the common room, besides those two and Sirius. “Oh just kiss already!” Katie yelled getting up and forcing their heads together. And that they did.

Katie grunted and sat next to the idle Sirius again, before shoving him toward the fireplace and at the same time pulling him back. “Saved your life!” She called out happily, and then looked at Sirius. He had swiveled his head to look at her, and he smiled a bit, but didn't pay attention to her. “NO, not you too!” She whined. “I need someone to talk, and make out, with!”

“If only,” he said, and she nudged him in the arm.

“If only what?” She asked, and he shook his head.

“Just thinking about something,” he said, putting his head into his palm. Damn thinking.

It wasn't good when you put it in the same sentence with Sirius Black in it.

“Please!” She begged, tugging him closer by his sleeve, making him not even budge. She tugged harder, and he fell on top of her with a yelp. Everyone in the common room snickered at that. She looked at them from around Sirius, who was right now mumbling nonsense to her neck. “GO AWAY!” She barked at the other occupants, and they all stood, knocking their chairs to the floor in their haste.

“There,” he said into her neck, and that one word she understood. She groaned and closed her eyes with a sigh.

“I want to go do something,” she said, wiggling uncomfortably after a few minutes.

“Do something then,” he said lusciously, and she moaned again at the sound of his voice.

She uncoiled from his arms like smoke even when he tried quickly to hold her, and she was already storming out of the room. “There's something wrong in here,” she whispered, and Sirius, confused, jumped back away from her as she left the room mechanically, her eyes blazing oddly.

“Katie?” He bellowed after her, and there was no answer. “Katie!” Sirius called desperately, trying to get up and stumbling around the common room, raising an eyebrow quickly at the other couple before trying to sprint out of the common room. When he tumbled out of the hall, all he could hear were footsteps slamming hard against the stone floor, but the sound was reverberating around him and confusing him.

Sirius groaned and slammed his head on the wall before saying the password dejectedly to the Fat Lady who gave him a sympathetic look, and then he ran into the common room and up the stairs, giving all the boys who poked their heads out dark looks. They quickly shut the doors, and he bounded into his dormitory, slamming the door and searching through the far too black darkness. He slammed and bumped into a few things, hear someone groan out someone else's name at least seven times, before he finally found his trunk. He flung it open and felt around for the precious paper.

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” He recited, and then slammed his trunk shut and stormed out of the dormitory once again.

When he reached the common room again he sat down on the couch and let his eyes roam over the Marauders' Map, trying to find her name. There were so many names and letters crammed into the ink walls of Hogwarts and moving so rapidly that his eyes burned and watered, making him blink twenty times quickly before he could look at it again. He stared hard at the grounds, and then stood mechanically and started running out of the common room again, looking after that stupidly annoying dot that was Katie Ah Bleu. And when he found it, he slammed his head against the wall again. Severus Snape was tailing her.

James grunted and rolled slightly, and fell off the bed obliviously. That was until, of course, half his body hit Remus' trunk and the other half kept falling, making James feel oddly half and half.

“That was stupid,” Lily snorted, and swung the rest of her body down from the bed across from his and surveyed him with hawk eyes. “You look like you died and spent two years in hell,” she said, dryly, quirking a grin at him.

“Bugger off,” he grunted, trying to get up.

“I can't,” she said simply, shrugging, “because I simply have no idea how everything is organized, if it's even organized, in here.” But she got up and stretched. “Dammit, are you always sore like this after the act?”

“I wouldn't know,” James said, finally getting up and lying haphazardly on the floor.

Lily made a disbelieving sound. “Are you saying before me you were still a… full flower?” She said, trying to look at him in the dark.

“Of course, my darling Lily.” He said, twisting so he was looking at least toward her bed. “I was saving myself for you, and only you.”

Lily guffawed. “You sound so cheesy.”

“I aim to please,” he said cheekily, grinning.

“You're a dork.” She said to him.

He grinned, remembering this conversation that he had with Sirius before he went into the tower. “But I'm a hot dork, right?”

“Sure.” She said, obliviously, falling back onto Remus' bed again. She looked down at her legs and feet. “I don't remember taking my shoes off.” She said, trying to look around the room. Her shoes were placed neatly at the end of the bed, but she didn't know that yet.

James wiggled his toes. “I didn't take off my shoes, and I definitely didn't take off my socks.”

“Okay,” Lily said, trying to stand up and tripping over James' waist, “who took off our shoes and who took off your socks?”

He didn't answer her question. Rather, he stated, “…My feet itch.”

“Scratch them.”

“Isn't it supposed to be itch them?”

“No, it's scratch.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, James, I'm sure.”

“Really?”

“Why would you want to itch an itch? Doesn't that sound stupid? Wouldn't you rather say that you should scratch your itch?” Then she cocked her head to the side. “Why are we arguing about grammar?”

“I Dunno.”

Katie marched through the halls, not paying attention to what was happening around her or inside her. And neither did she know that Snape was following her. He snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She stopped and turned around, and he hit her hard across the cheek. She reeled back, and lifted her hand to her face, wiping the blood on her hand that was starting to drip out of her mouth.

She got up and looked him straight in the eye, and they fought her offense and him defense. She kicked out at him suddenly but he caught her. He tugged on her leg and she fell toward him, and he grinned while leering at her. She jumped and kicked him in the shin, and he fell forward onto her. He looked at her with that grin on his oleaginous face, and she spat on him.

He let go of her leg to choke her, and she gagged, and his grin grew bigger. He got up, still choking her, and lifted her so her feet were dangling in the air. “He's been expecting you,” Snape sneered, and dropped her, so she fell in a puddle at the floor. He stooped and picked her up by the back of the collar, “I see you're trying to be a stupid Gryffindor,” he said, his lip curling, and he dragged her, kicking and screaming, down the hall and out of sight.

“Right… wanna, go?” Lily said uncomfortably.

James shrugged his broad shoulders and stood easily bare foot, and held his hand out to her, which she took casually, as if this was a natural occurrence that happened every day with her. He led her through the dark of the room and flung the door open, squinting in the dull light of the stone stairwell. He looked over his shoulder at her. “Are we going…?”

“I assume so,” she said, and gave his arm a hearty tug as she walked down to the common room, with him still on the top of the stair. When they reached the bottom stair, James grinned crookedly and covered Lily's eyes with his hand and walked around the still, somehow, kissing couple, and tapped Remus on the shoulder.

They separated and looked at him, Somailia starry eyed and grinned big, stupidly. Remus had to swivel his neck to see James, and James bit back his laugh at seeing Remus' swollen, bruised and puffy lips and the dazed look in his eyes. “What…” Remus said sluggishly, trying to morph his tongue around the word.

“Do you know where Sirius or Katie are?” James asked slowly, as a teacher trying to teach some five-year-olds the alphabet.

“Um…” Remus said in the same voice, thinking.

“So, how do you think about this baby you're having?” Somailia said to Lily, trying to look at Lily from every possible angel she could see from where she was sitting.

Lily froze and stiffened. “There's no baby,” she said quietly.

“How ya know?” Somailia said happily.

“Still bleeding.”

“Oh,” Somailia said, still cheerful, but not as cheerful as before. “I'm… I'm sorry.” She stammered out, and Lily shrugged, James' hand still over her eyes, and the boys were not paying any attention to their chat.

“It must be for the best,” Lily said, swaying nervously, accidentally bumping hips with James.

“Well!” Remus and Somailia said cheerfully, “We don't have any idea where Sirius and Katie are, trust us. All I remember was Katie shoving us toward each other. Then… black out.”

“That's very informative,” James said. “Thank you for that input, and since I bet you six galleons that Sirius took the map, Lily and I will just walk aimlessly through the halls trying to find them.” His eyes shifted between Somailia and Remus. “Good day,” he said hurriedly, and pulled Lily out of the room quickly. But not quickly enough for the other two to start… kissing again.

When Lily and James walked quickly out of the common room, and James looked back at the Fat Lady swinging shut with a quirky smile on his face, staring at the painting, his eyes shining, as he pulled Lily along. “That was kind of… weird.” Lily said, slowly, trying to figure out a word to describe it.

“He's usually not like that,” James assured her, and Lily snorted.

“I know him well too, James.” Lily said, tugging on her hand, throwing James back a step. He stumbled back and she put her fist in her mouth, stifling her giggles.

He shot her a look and pulled her around a corner, slamming her against a wall and looking around warily. She raised an eyebrow at him, and said, “Really, James, I thought you were pushing me against the wall to do something,” she raised her eyebrow higher and gave him a seductive smirk, “else.”

He looked back at her, straightening his glasses nervously. “Would you want me to do that?” He whispered, and looked around the hall nervously. “We won't get caught, we're Heady Boy and Girl after all.”

“I was joking, James.” Lily said, rolling her eyes at him. “We're looking for someone, remember?”

“Oh,” he said shiftily, pulling away from her. “Right.” He cleared his throat. “C'mon, coast is clear.”

She raised an eyebrow but followed him into the darkness.

“Well that's pleasant,” Sirius remarked to himself from watching the process from around the corner. A bunch of Slytherins were ganging around Katie and all she did was standing there looking dazed and impatient at the same time. Her bottom lip was bruised, and blood was dripping down from her lip, but it didn't look like she even noticed it.

“Get over here, you stupid fool!” She barked, and Sirius recoiled in surprise. The voice that came out of her mouth didn't sound like her at all.

Well, really, if what you're thinking is, oh gods, she's done it. Someone got possessed, that's not what's happening.

“Get over here!” She barked again, and then someone stood out from behind her. Again, Sirius recoiled farther in surprise. How did he get in? “Dispose of the filth,” he said, he said, sneering, looking at the group that congregated around him.

Severus “Snivellus” Snape picked up Katie with a heave and threw her, not very far, I might add, to the outer hall, but no one moved away from their spots, so everyone would see if Sirius ran in and picked her up. Katie was light, very light, Sirius knew, so nothing would be truly holding him back from sprinting like a bat out of Hell.

Sirius took a deep breath and tiptoed to the hall, and looked around at its occupants. He then let out his breath and walked quickly to Katie and lifted her up easily. As he started to jog lightly away, a voice stopped him. “Hello, Mr. Black. Pleasure seeing you here.”

Sirius stopped dead, but didn't look around; instead he shifted Katie uncomfortably in his arms. “Tom, hello!” Sirius replied with fake cheerfulness. “How are you?” He didn't await for his response. “We really need to be going, I'm sure my girlfriend needs to sleep,” Sirius said putting heavy emphasis on girlfriend, “and it takes me a while to go down to Ravenclaw Common room, you know. And please, please, don't make my girlfriend a puppet for you anymore, I would greatly appreciate. Thanks.” And then Sirius scurried off.

“Should we follow him, master?” all the voices chorused around Tom Riddle, and he shook his lovely head at them.

“No, my servants, you need not do that. It would be a waste of the meager time that we have together during your… school careers.” His lip curled into a sneer. “It doesn't matter, he won't realize what happened until it's far too late.” He let out an evil laugh, and they all laughed haltingly after him. He stopped abruptly, and a few students didn't realize. “SILENCE!” He shouted.

His lip curled again, and the short and fat boy squeaked. Severus laughed raucously, “Mister proud Gryffindor pissed his pants!” Peter's face morphed at the mortification, and he indeed created a puddle at the bottom of his feet. He moved uncomfortably in it.

“Clean up your mess,” Tom ordered Peter casually, and he did nervously what he was told.

Remus pulled back and surveyed Somailia with hazy eyes. “I think I should take you back to the Ravenclaw common room,” he told her seriously.

She nodded, “good idea.” She got up and wobbled around the common room, and Remus got up and stretched, hissing as his backbones popped. He grabbed her hand and pulled them out drunkenly off the common room, ignoring the Fat Lady's warnings of they shouldn't be drinking at their age.

He brought her to the Ravenclaw common room and kissed her goodnight. “Do you know where Katie is?” She asked, not remembering that her and Remus had this conversation earlier with James and Lily.

“Nope,” Remus said, holding her hand while looking all around the hall.

“Oh,” Somailia said, put out. “I'll wait up for her.” Somailia said, before saying the password to the statue and smiled happily as she walked sideways into the common room. He grinned and stood there stupidly for a few minutes before he realized that that would look suspicious to any teachers, ghosts, or prefects who went by, so he went back to the common room, fell into his bed, and slept peacefully, unawares of what was going on around him.

James and Lily found this the perfect time to collide right with Sirius and Katie. They slammed right into each other, making Sirius fall hard on his back, Katie landing heavier on his chest then he would of thought. James got up first, and lifted Lily to her feet, before reaching down and getting Katie off Sirius' chest, and he frowned slightly. “She's cold.”

“She's been standing near cold people,” Sirius said apathetically, dusting himself off, and looking over at them and smiling blindly.

“What were you guys doing out in the halls so late?” Sirius asked, grinning suspiciously.

“Looking for you,” Lily said sternly, erasing Sirius' happy mood.

“Oh,” was all he could say, before shifting uncomfortably. James still held Katie, and was looking over her carefully. He was mumbling to himself now. “Whatcha say?” Sirius asked him.

“She's too pale.” James said, louder. He bent his head forward and brought her up closer to him. He placed his head over her chest and listened carefully for a minute. His eyes widened and he took off running.

Lily and Sirius watched him go with raised eyebrows for a second. “What's he doing?” They both asked each other and they both replied, “I don't know. Should we go run after him?” And then they both said, starting off running quickly, “I think we should.”

James had already disappeared around the corner, and they couldn't hear his heavy footfalls on the stone anymore, so Sirius stopped Lily and pulled out the map again, looking for James and Katie's dots.

“They're heading to the hospital wing. I wonder why…” he said to himself, and he shrugged it off. He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her along quickly looking at the map every moment, not realizing that he was trying to lead he and Lily through walls.

“Sirius!” Lily cried out painfully after the nineteenth time. “That hurts!” She said, rubbing her nose, shooting him dark looks he wasn't paying attention to.

He pulled Lily through a tapestry and three little corridors she was sure she had never been down before and then through two other tapestries and they came out right next to the Hospital Wing.

He burst in, and ran over to James, who was sitting in a stiff hard chair that was next to Katie's bed. James had his head in his hands and when he looked up, Sirius and Lily both melted. James had tears streaking down his cheeks, and he looked lost and confused.

“What happened, James?” Sirius cried, pulling up a chair and sitting right next to James, trying to make him answer.

James mumbled to himself, rocking backwards and forwards in his chair. Lily slid her hand comfortably along his shoulders, and he cried harder, reaching out for her blindly. She knelt down on her knees and leant forward, and James wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and cried harder, pitifully.

He mumbled into her neck and Lily shivered as she felt his hot salty tears hit her skin through the fabric of her clothes.

“What are you saying, James?” Lily murmured.

“D-.” James said, before cutting himself off, throwing himself out of Lily's arms and onto the bed, wrapping Katie into his arms and crying pitifully into her hair, holding her tightly to him, almost too tightly.

“You're going to hurt her,” Sirius told James, concerned.

“There's no possible way,” James wailed, shaking his head.

“What…what are you saying James?” Sirius stuttered out, nervous for the first time in a long time.

“She's…” James trailed off.

“Say it,” Lily and Sirius said slowly, softly, comfortingly at the same time.

James choked on the word and said it so low and so softly, that they barley heard it. But they had, and Sirius sat back in shock, and Lily fell to her behind from her knees, putting her head in her hands and muttering to herself.

What did James say?

She's dead.

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19. Don't Look Back

In the Tower

Chapter Nineteen: Don't Look Back

Summary: I don't remember, I feel dazed and confused.

Disclaimer: Nothing.

Author's Note: Hm… I took a sick day from school. I feel much better.

Previously: James choked on the word and said it so low and so softly, that they barley heard it. But they had, and Sirius sat back in shock, and Lily fell to her behind from her knees, putting her head in her hands and muttering to herself.

What did James say?

She's dead.

“Forgiveness does not always lead to a healed relationship. Some people are not capable of love, and it might be wise to let them go along with your anger. Wish them well, and let them go their way.”

James sniffed loudly as he painstakingly wrote the letter, for the seventy-third time, to Katie's parents, telling them the news of her death. The letter had a tear drop every paragraph or so, and his writing was badly scrawled and shaky. He hadn't known what to say the first fifty-seven times, and all the other times he had known exactly what he wanted to say, but couldn't possibly have it written the way he wanted it to say.

Sirius was lost; James figured he was running to the Potters in his animagus form to tell them himself, and let out some tears that he's too afraid to cry here. James' mum was always a good person with a good shoulder to cry on.

Lily told Remus, and his eyes got really wide, I mean really wide, and he ran out of the tower, to what they all thought was most definitely Ravenclaw Common Room. He carried Somailia up to the Gryffindor tower, and the first words that came out of her mouth, were cheerfully perplexed, “Where's Katie?” Lily stared at her, burst out crying, and fled the room. James blinked in surprise at Lily's actions, because he thought that Lily and Katie didn't really like each other that much, and he shook his head at Somailia, and felt the tears spring up in his eyes, and sat heavily on a couch. “What?”

Then, she furrowed her brow, and said perplexed, again, “Where's Sirius? Are they out at the hot spring again?” James shook his head.

“Sirius is at Katie's families house,” he said quietly, sniffling lightly.

“Why?” She asked again, pacing the carpet in front of James as Remus sat down next to him.

“She's gone,” they both choked out.

“Gone!” She blurted, almost shouting. “What do you mean… gone?”

“She's not here,” they said vaguely.

“Oh, gee,” she said sarcastically, pacing faster, “that was really helpful guys, really.”

Remus and James shrugged ominously in her direction, both staring out at the snowing sky.

“What do you mean she's gone? She left? She's not here? She was taken? She died? She went up to the Hogwarts in the sky? WHAT! Where the fuck is she!” The last two phrases were roared at the boys, and they both flinched, but didn't look at her. She moved forward to them, grabbed both of them by their hair and pulled them until their faces were a scant inch from hers. “WHERE!”

James blinked as he felt the force of the word hit his glasses and him full in the face. Remus, not that lucky, had his eyes water as the air hit them straight on. “Gone.” He whispered again.

She groaned and shoved him back so hard he fell over the back of the couch, and rolled until he hit a table leg. James gulped. “It was the, uh, fourth and fifth phrases.”

“What?” She growled out between her teeth.

“You said, and I quote, `She died? She went up to the Hogwarts in the sky?' That's what happened.” Somailia, not realizing that when she was angry she was very strong, let go of James' hair, making him fall the two feet back onto the couch, and she crumpled onto the floor, crying pitifully, rocking herself into the fetal position. James blinked in surprise.

Remus, getting up, painfully limped over to James, who was massaging his scalp while biting his lip and looking down at the pitiful form in front of him. “My head hurts now,” Remus said, and James shook his head.

“That's a bit trivial for you, isn't it, Remus?”

“I wouldn't know, I'm in fucking shock,” Remus swore, and James blinked in surprise. And then he decided to himself that he was blinking in surprise too much.

“Shock? We all are. She's fucking dead! Gah!” He screamed, hitting his head hard with his fist.

Remus let him hit his head, stepped so that one leg was on both sides of Somailia, and squatted down over her, and put a hand on her shoulder gently. “Go away,” she said pitifully, and James almost forgave her for practically lifting him two feet by his hair.

Almost.

“Obviously, Remus, Somailia wants to be left alone right now. If you're best friend died without you knowing, wouldn't you want to be alone and cry?” James said intelligently.

Remus, without looking, reached out and shoved James hard making him keel over sideways. “Shut up, James. I'm trying to comfort my girlfriend.” Then he snarled out, “Go find yours.”

James almost cried.

But he didn't, and like Lily before him, ran out of the room. But he went looking for her.

After an hour of searching, he found her in a rather obvious place.

Yeah, you guessed it.

She was back in the tower.

Sitting on the tower, with her knees pulled up close to her body so that her chin was sitting on her knees. She was staring out blankly at the barren landscape that lay before the school, not blinking, snow melted all in her hair and the pink from frost noticeable on her cheeks. She didn't know she was shivering either.

He sat down next to her without a word and slung his legs limply over the side, swinging them back and forth rhythmically. They didn't talk, but James began to cry softly, sniffling more than crying. A tear leaked out of his eye as he leaned forward over the giant expanse of ground beneath them, and it fell slowly to the ground, creating the tinniest hole in the virgin snow.

“I didn't know her,” Lily said after what seemed an eternity, only an hour. “I hated her for so long, and now she's dead.”

“I wish she was back….” James whispered throatily, and they were suddenly caught in a gust of wind, and James was almost thrown off the tower.

She fell asleep on the roof, just looking out at the horizon while James looked up at the stars. James stayed out for a few more minutes before taking pity on her shivering, sleeping form, and he lifted her easily up into his arms, and struggled to open the door to the lower room. He then set her down on the bed, which looked old and dusty, although they were in that bed not three days ago.

He kissed her gently on the forehead and sat down on the bed next to her, watching. He heaved out a sigh, and took his glasses from his nose and cleaned them harshly in his shirt. The lens broke from him pushing on it to hard, and he cursed in three different languages, and started patting furiously around him to look for his wand. Which was not there.

He cursed again, shoved his broken glasses on his nose, set the glass shards in his pocket, which later on he realized was a very stupid thing to do, and blindly stumbled out of the tower and back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He heard her screaming even ten yards away.

He screwed up his face in pain and put a finger in each of his ears and yelled out the password to the Fat Lady. “What?” She yelled.

“Pink pastels!”

“What!”

“PINK PASTELS!” She swung her portrait open for him, even though she didn't even hear him yell out the password.

James walked sideways over to a shock Remus, who was blinking five times a minutes, each time his eyes getting wider in surprise. Always though she was a screamer,” he said to Remus, and Remus just nodded his head dazed.

Balefully, Somailia shut her mouth, and both the boys sighed in relief. She glared at James evenly, and told him, “I heard that.” But then she looked him right in the eye, and said in a gentler tone, “you're glasses are broken.”

“I noticed, thanks.”

“Where's your wand?”

James' mind went in the gutter, and he grinned evilly. “In my pants.” She rolled her eyes, looked around the common room, picked up a rather heavy book, and whacked James hard in the head with it.

He stood there for a moment, and then said monotonously, “Ouch.”

Somailia stepped up and snatched the glasses off his nose, and she looked at it critically. “Where's the lens?”

“In my pocket,” he told her defiantly. She shook her head and cuffed him in the ear.

“How stupid are you, really?” She huffed, and held her hand out to him.

“What.” He asked, looking down at her hand. She made an impatient noise, and James, confused, looked at Remus, took one of his hands, placed it in Somailia's, and said cheerfully, “I now pronounce you man and wife. Kiss the bride.”

“Yes, yes, that's all very pleasant and adorable, but I need your stupid lens so I can fix your glasses. Unless you don't want your glasses fixed…” she said trailing off.

James dug in his pocket and instantly pricked his fingers on many pieces of sharp glasses. He took his hand out quickly and stuck his fingers in his mouth, sucking on them. “Idiot,” she breathed out and looked at Remus. “Does he not have another pair?”

“Erm…” Remus said, not knowing, just looking at their still entwined hands.

“Nope, I don't.” James said, taking his fingers out of his mouth long enough to say that.

She screamed, softly, in frustration, and hit James in the chest to vent her anger. He didn't move, just raised an eyebrow and sucked harder. She ripped his fingers out of his mouth, making saliva fly. “You look like an complete nutter-head doing that,” she said, “and I'm sure Lily wouldn't like seeing you like that.” He raised his eyebrow farther and grinned cockily. She cuffed him over the ear again, and told him stonily, “take off your pants.”

James guffawed and Remus blushed to the roots of his hair. “Excuse?” James and Remus asked. “Really, I'm in love with Lily, and you- ow!” She kneed him in the balls and watched him crumble with satisfaction.

“Look, you're too much of a wimp to get glass out of your pocket, so I'm just doing it for you. You'll put them right back on after I get the glass. Take off the pants,” she said firmly.

Remus mumbled out, “…bathroom,” and bolted up the stairs to the boys dormitory.

James, grudgingly, took them off and handed them too her. She looked at him over the waist of the jeans, her brown eyes wanting desperately to laugh at him. “Which pocket?”

“Left front,” he said, and she reached into the pocket and got out all the glass shards. She put them in her hand and looked at him, sizing him up.

She dropped his pants, “put them back on.” She ordered, and she fixed his glasses, holding them while he put them on. He glared at her, or the hazy form she was, while he was putting them back on, and when he was finally done dressing, he raised himself to his full height. She rolled her eyes at him, again, and went on tiptoe slightly, and placed his glasses haphazardly on his nose.

Tom sulked as he tapped his fingers impatiently on the table he was sitting at. That was the only that echoed through out the tiny house. The meeting at Hogwarts last night didn't go exactly as expected. The girl he inhabited for the time to get around in the halls was obviously someone who wanted to live their own life, thank you very much. After Snape, or someone, it didn't matter as long as it was a Death Eater, dragged her up, he was limping badly from where she must of kicked him, and he was purposely dragging her through the blood trail he was leaving. “My lord, someone to…” his lip curled, “inhabit.”

“Thank you, Severus. You may go now.” The last part had been snapped out, and Severus scurried away in fright. Tom looked down at the girl and she glared up at him, lifted her hand and waved her middle finger right in front of him deliriously.

He jeered, looking her up and down noticeably, “Oh hell, I should just rape you before I inhabit your body.” But then he grinned, “Isn't it the same thing?”

“You're a bastard,” she had told him simply, and his grin turned into a frown as he kicked her hard in the shoulder.

Tom and Katie bickered endlessly as he took control of her body and made her walk to where the Death Eaters meeting. “You're an asshole,” she told him bitterly, “I'm assuming that after we meet them you're going to kill me.”

He pretended to contemplate the thought. “Of course.” He said, and she mentally shoved him toward the side. Her body stumbled with him and threw itself into the wall.

“Fuck you, don't hurt my body.” As soon as she said that, they reached the meeting, and all the Death Eaters were chatting nervously with one another. “Get over here, you stupid fool!” Tom barked, and it came out in Katie's voice, and Katie whimpered mentally. Something moved out of the corner of her eye, and Katie moved all of her attention to it, and cried. Sirius was watching.

“Get over here!” Katie's body barked again.

“Well, it's nice seeing you, my darling,” Tom said, kissing Katie's cheek and sliding a hand suggestively down her side, his hand catching her curves. Katie sniffled and a tear leaked out of her eye.

“I hope you die,” she asseverated, and then added, “soon.”

“Mo duinne,” he said to her sweetly, and she shivered, “I can never die.” Then he grinned cruelly, “but you can.” And he removed himself from her body, sweetly told her, “Avada Kedavra,” and she was dead. He looked around at all the Death Eaters. “Dispose of the filth,” he sneered, looking at each person gathered around him.

Out of the flicker of his eye the shadows in the hall moved, and a boy with long hair emerged, walking quickly over to the girl's body. “Hello, Mr. Black. Pleasure seeing you here.” Tom told him, and Sirius froze, but didn't turn around, instead he shifted the girl around in his arms uncomfortably.

“Tom, hello!” Sirius replied with fake cheerfulness. “How are you?” Tom didn't respond, he knew Black wouldn't let him. “We really need to be going, I'm sure my girlfriend needs to sleep,” Sirius said putting such heavy emphasis on girlfriend that Tom wanted to burst out laughing, “and it takes me a while to go down to Ravenclaw Common room, you know.” Actually, Tom thought, he didn't know. “And please, please, don't make my girlfriend a puppet for you anymore, I would greatly appreciate. Thanks.” Black ran off quickly, and Tom smirked.

He would never find out, Tom thought to himself, burst out in insane laughter. And when he would… well, he'll go crying to his dear best friends mother… muwahahah.

Sirius bounded across the smooth terrain, telling himself that he would not cry, could not cry. Being in Snuffles body was almost comforting, and hey, he had a tail to wag. Not that it ever would again… he fought back the urge to cry again and ran faster.

Katie's house came into view, and Sirius, overcome by… something, tripped over a root, and tumbled quickly along, not knowing what he was going to run into or where exactly he was running. And that's when he hit it. A dull thud rang out in the silent, heavy night, and Sirius got up, in his human form, walked in a dazed circle, before he slumped back to the ground again. He looked up at what he hit, and a brick wall jump swam in and out of focus.

“Funny,” he said, trying to reach out and touch it, “she never had two brick jumps.” Then he looked down at his hand that was reaching out to the jumps. “And I never knew I had three arms…”

“Sirius?” A cool voice said, and he looked up at the voice blearily. Two women were slowly creeping up to him.

“Hello, Mrs. Ah Bleu, Mrs. Potter!” And with that, he sagged unconscious into Mrs. Potter's startled arms.

James looked awkwardly at the doors of the Hospital Wing. Should I go in, or should I not go in? That is the question…

Bah, Shakespeare. Who needs it anyway? Shakespeare was a boring little git who just wrote plays, and more plays and more plays… well, you get the drift. He went in, and saw Somailia and Remus sitting next to the bed that had her in it, they looked up at him and both said flatly, “hi.”

“Hi,” he said bitterly, and sat down on the bed near her feet. “When's the funeral?” He asked, and Somailia glared at him.

Remus told him, painstakingly, “Wednesday.”

“Oh,” James said, looking at her face. “And… what's today?”

“Monday.” Remus answered again. “Have you sent the letter yet?”

“No,” James said, getting up. “I'll do that now.” And with one last sad look at Katie's body, he ran out of the Hospital Wing. He passed Godric's portrait… slowed, seeing it was open from when he left, and closed it, patting it reminiscing. He went into Gryffindor tower and finished off the letter writing at the bottom, PS If Sirius is already there, which I'm assuming he is, just let him cry. I'm sure that if he has told you by now, this letter is redundant, but Sirius is not the only one suffering. Professor Dumbledore is hosting the funeral in the Forbidden Forest; yeah we finally get to go in, on Wednesday at ten o'clock. Better make it.

He went up to the Owlery and sent it off with Talons, and watched him go until he was a mere speck in the sky. And when he reached the Head's room, he sat on his bed, put his head in his hands, and went to sleep.

Lily struggled to grasp consciousness as she woke up. She looked around at her surroundings. And laughed out loud. She was back in that bloody tower.

She looked around at the place and made a sound that should be classified as `this-is-pleasant' both sarcastic and for real. Well, it was a very special tower.

Okay, it's a bloody tower, and Lily was going to just… leave it.

Except for the one tiny fact that when she pushed on the wall, it didn't open.

Oh…

Fuck.

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20. Because I hurt

In the Tower

Chapter Twenty: Because I hurt

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except a little bit of food, lots of French Almond Coffee, and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: I have never, and will never, own anything related to Harry Potter. Are you satisfied?

Author's Note: I know, it's been getting longer and longer between updates, and I really have no excuse. I just seem to shy away from the computer whenever I get home. There's nothing I really do in the week, homework, homework, homework riding, homework Latin tutoring, homework. And that's my week, so you know I'm really not that busy. But, still, I have not been a good author to you all, and I want to smack myself hard in the head for that. I'm so sorry, really. Mêlée means skirmish in some language.

Previously: Lily struggled to grasp consciousness as she woke up. She looked around at her surroundings. And laughed out loud. She was back in that bloody tower.

She looked around at the place and made a sound that should be classified as `this-is-pleasant' both sarcastic and for real. Well, it was a very special tower.

Okay, it's a bloody tower, and Lily was going to just… leave it.

Except for the one tiny fact that when she pushed on the wall, it didn't open.

Oh…

Fuck.

Be open to your dreams people. Embrace that distant shore. Because our mortal journey is over all to soon. David Assael, Northern Exposure, It Happened in Juneau, 1992

She shook her head and grinned down, watching the world through a large cirrus cloud while swinging her legs idly over her head. She grinned again and put her head in her hands, looking at everything going on below her. A cloud drifted by and she frowned and stretched down to move it away, parting it like the Red Sea.

Then she heard laughter from down below, and leaned forward, a bit too far forward, because just as the laughing person came into her vision, she fell off the cloud, and tumbled out of the sky. This would be her death. Except for the one fact.

She was already dead.

The first words that came out of his mouth as they gathered back into the common room the Heads' room were, of course, “Where's Lily?”

Remus shifted uncomfortably on the couch adjacent from James. “I thought you found her.”

“I did,” James said with an ostensible tone, “really. She was in the tower, staring out at the flipping horizon, then she fell asleep and I put her in the bed and then I shut the door and then we all went to the Hospital wing and… oh.”

“Oh?” Somailia said opening the portrait and hearing the last words, plopped unceremoniously onto the loveseat away from both the boys. She flung herself out randomly, a hand hanging off the couch, one leg sprawled out as another was pulled up so it was almost sticking up in the air, and her other hand supporting her head, her hair gathered up around her hand so it looked up. Remus swallowed hard but looked at James, not letting his eyes glance over at his girlfriend.

James on the other hand… was being a hormone driven boy seeing a girl that looked like she was ready. She looked over at Remus and nodded slightly at him, and he got up, picked up a pillow casually, fluffed it, and then chucked it hard at James.

“Um, yeah, oh.” James said, finally tearing his eyes away from Somailia, who was shaking her head at him, annoyed. “I think I might of-?” He said, not finishing his sentence.

“Don't tell me,” Somailia started out sarcastically, and Remus smirked at James and joined Somailia in finishing the phrase, “you accidentally locked Lily back in the tower?”

“Um… that sums it up, yeah.”

“How much of an idiot are you?” Somailia shouted at him, throwing herself from her pose on the couch, to sit with her feet pressed on the floor and her hands pushing hard down on the seat of the love seat, her posture slumped and glaring at James heatedly.

She breathed deeply and stared at James, then shook her head and looked at Remus. “What's the password to get into the tower?” She said her teeth clenched.

He managed to give her a lopsided smile. “I don't…remember?” He said weakly.

She made an impatient and hysterical noise, and pulled hard at her hair, making her look as to be sparkling with electricity. She finally gave her last tug of madness and looked over at James again, cool and calm. “Where's your broom?”

“Why?”

“Because mine is down in my dorm room and that's too far for me to get it.” She stated lazily.

“In my room…” he told her, and she got up and stretched, before going up to his room. “In the back of my closet!” He called behind her, and she stuck her middle finger up behind her back in confirmation.

“Shit!” they heard her shout, and Remus guffawed, and James just raised an eyebrow.

“She's never been graceful on her feet, you know.” Remus said, and James pulled the smile and nod routine. They saw her flying past the window and James turned to look at Remus.

“Why do you think she hates me?” He asked, meekly.

Remus thought it over for a long while, staring out the window. “I think,” he started haltingly, trying to grasp the appropriate words for it, “that she somehow knows that Katie loved you more than she loved her.”

“He really doesn't seem to be fairing well.” Was the first thing that rolled into Sirius' mind as he drifted between consciousness and being unconscious. “I wonder why he came…?” A sweet voice said, and he heard another lady click her tongue.

“Probably to get out of school, the dear,” he recognized Mrs. Potter's voice, and he tried to say something but his throat wouldn't allow it. “He's never done this before though…”

James had been writing a letter, Sirius remembered, before he left. Had he sent it yet?

There was a moment's pause, and then that annoying tapping on the windowpane. Speak of the devil.

“James has written…” Mrs. Ah Bleu said uncertainly. He could almost see Mrs. Potter reaching out for it while still staring hard at his face, but Mrs. Ah Bleu continued, “it's addressed to me…” she said, unsettled.

“Oh!” Mrs. Potter said surprised. “Well, go ahead and read it then. I won't disturb you.” Sirius heard the letter being slit open, and heard the gentle flutter of the envelope falling to the rich mahogany floor. He heard next Mrs. Ah Bleu gasp and sit heavily on the bed next to Sirius, trying, and failing to stifle her hoarse breathing and stifling tears. “What is it?” Mrs. Potter said quickly, getting up and looking over Mrs. Ah Bleu hurriedly.

The letter dropped out of her hands and fell slowly to the floor and Sirius' eyes flicked open and quickly shut, seeing what was happening. So now they know, Sirius said mentally, and he shook the image of her body being tossed away from the Death Eaters, and realizing, suddenly, how could she had been in his arms as he was carrying her away. And he questioned himself how he didn't notice as James held her that her chest was not moving up and down. How much of an idiot is he, really?

“What day is it?” He croaked, finally, and both the mothers jumped, and Mrs. Ah Bleu shivered so violently as he moved that she fell off the bed and landed hard on the landing.

“Sirius!” Mrs. Potter said loudly, rushing over to him and putting her hand on his forehead and watching his face and eyes intently. She quirked a smile and said, “You have a rather nasty bump on your forehead, darling, but that's an easy fix.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, but only to keep the tears at bay. “Good,” he said softly, and his throat got thick and he couldn't keep the tears from slowly leaking out of his eyes. “What's the day?” He asked again.

“Monday.” She said, and then looked at him carefully. “Sirius?” She said questionably.

“Read the letter, Mrs. Potter.” He said, wiping his face slowly, smearing the tears so his whole face was wet with them.

“But it's Russus' letter,” she said appalled. “That would be very rude, Sirius, I thought Jerome and I taught you better.”

“Just read it, Mrs. Potter, I don't think Russus' would mind you reading over her shoulder just this once.” She gave him a searching look and he stared at the ceiling defiantly, before he felt her gaze leave him and she heard her help Russus into her chair and then picked up the letter. She read the first line and sat heavily down in her chair, blinking rapidly.

“Oh Merlin,” he heard Mrs. Potter say, and Russus excused herself to go get Mêlée, Katie's younger sister by seven years, and to inform Mr. Ah Bleu at the Ministry.

Sirius and Mrs. Potter were left in silence within the Ah Bleu estate for a long while before Mrs. Potter finally looked up at Sirius, and said, simply, “come here,”

Sirius got up slowly, but wobbled out of the bed and across the room, and then threw himself into Mrs. Potter's arms. They sobbed together in the gathering dark.

Lily silently fumed as she leaned against the wall and indulged herself to have a staring contest with daddy long legs next to her. It won, but only because her eyes started to water after two minutes. She heard something thud on the roof, and she jumped, knocking her head painfully against the wall. She groaned and moved her head, making her hand massage it.

The door to the tower opened and Lily moved so she could make herself as inconspicuous as possible. A long shadow appeared on the wall, and she shoved herself closer up to the wall, making her head thunk on it again. The shadow stumbled over one of the stairs and fell all the way down the stairs, the thing in its hand flying up in the air. Whoever it was landed at the base of the stairs, and the thing in its hand, a broom, Lily saw in the meager light, fell and hit the person, square on the head.

The person then fell forward and the broom hit the stair innocently. “OW…”

Lily recognized the voice and immediately jumped up and jogged over to her. “Somailia, are you okay?”

“Do you think I'm okay?” Somailia snapped at her, cradling her head in her hands.

“Uh… no?” Lily said meekly, never really realizing that Somailia had a temper at all.

“Good, because I'm not.” Lily sat down next to Somailia and picked up the broom behind them.

“Why do you have James' broom?”

“Because he let me lend it,” Somailia said her lip curling. “Bloody boy,” she muttered.

“Why'd you come in the first place?” Lily asked, and Somailia wanted to sharply tap Lily on the head with her broom.

“Are you normally this stupid or is this a once in a lifetime event?”

Lily raised an eyebrow. “Are we leaving or not?” She said promptly.

“I don't know,” Somailia said, and her vision swam out of focus, but then reappeared in odd colors so Lily's skin was blue and her hair green.

“You don't know.” Lily said, repeating her slowly.

“Yes I don't know!” Somailia snapped at her again, and Lily shifted away from her. “I can't see,” she said slowly.

“How can you not see?”

“All the colors are blending together…” she squinted. “I won't be able to fly us to the Heads' room, because now not only am I a clumsy flyer but I can't see the right colors.”

“That's just dandy,” Lily huffed sarcastically. Somailia smiled slightly and bumped shoulders with Lily.

“When's the next full moon.” Somailia asked stiffly.

“Two or so days,” Lily said mournfully. Somailia sighed and put her head in her hands.

“I hate it for him.” Somailia got up and wobbled up the stairs so that she burst out on top of the tower, spread her arms open wide and flung her head back to look at the sky. “I love the stars.”

“You hate the moon but love the stars,” Lily said, shutting the door behind her and leaning on the broomstick. “How? It's the same thing.”

“No, it's not.”

“Yes it is. The moon is a big block of cheese and whenever it gets full it hounds the hounds from hell and changes them and puts them inside humans where they change into the hounds of hell.”

Somailia threw her a look. “That's not right.” Before Lily got to retort, Somailia sped on, “Do you not remember the space race?”

Lily made a distinct noise that Somailia could easily identify as, “yeah right.”

“But you're a muggle born! How could you not know?”

“I was nine, I didn't care. And I still don't care.” Then she paused. “Can you see now?”

“Hazy, but yeah.”

“How shitty is this going to be?”

“What the flying part or the you have to sit behind me part?”

“Both.”

“Ahaha.” Somailia laughed at her mockingly, and Lily picked the broom up and waved it threatening in front of Somailia's head. “If you do that,” Somailia started smugly, “we'll still be in this bloody tower until I get my vision back!”

Lily looked at her for a moment before setting the broom down and sitting next to it. She muttered, “You suck.”

“Thank you!” Somailia said sarcastically, “up!” she said to the broom loudly and it instantly got up to her height. She grabbed the handle and swung over, and looked at Lily impatiently. “Are you coming or what?”

Lily raised her hand lazily, and Somailia, grinned mischievously, grabbed her hand tightly and flew off the tower roof, Lily screaming all the way. “YOU SUNVA…. PUT ME DOWN!” Somailia, having her fun, landed on the roof, letting Lily clamber on the broom behind her, and then she flew down sharply, laughing as Lily screamed, jumping pitches.

“You know,” Somailia said thoughtfully as they landed on the terrace outside James' bedroom, “I have never heard anyone jump that many pitches. Never!”

“Shut up,” Lily said grumpily, rubbing her throat. “I've never jumped that many pitches before,”

“I bet you have,” Somailia said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Lily made an offended noise and reached to punch Somailia in the nose. She ducked easily, sent Lily a cheeky grin, and then ran through James' room and down into the Common Room below.

Tuesday evening Sirius, forced, flooed into Hogsmeade, and then traveled up the passage from Honeydukes. He grumbled all the way, cursed as he hit his toe repeatedly on the walls, and when he finally exited the tunnel, cursed loudly, for as soon as he turned the corner he hit Snape head on. They both fell back, and Sirius jumped to his feet, and oddly enraged, started kicking Snape ferociously in the ribs.

Somailia walked down the halls of Hogwarts at six in the morning, whistling “Over the Rainbow,” sadly, with her hands shoved deep into her robe pockets and fiddling with her wand nervously.

She stopped whistling and walked lighter, thinking she heard something. She did.

Snape screaming.

Sirius crying.

And bones breaking with the unbelievably gross sound of blood hitting the floor.

Pleasant, no?

“Sirius, you hit him one more time and I'll hit you so hard you'll meet your godson!” She snapped at him.

He looked at her with hollow eyes. “Good to see you, too.”

“What are you doing?” She seethed, her teeth clenched, as she looked hard at the blood splattered on the wall and floor.

He looked nonchalantly at Snape, and then looked back at her and told her with a sad little smile, “Beating Snivellus to death. Why?”

“Because, Sirius, you might kill him, and that will land you in Azkaban. You don't want to go there, do you?”

“If I can see her when I dream, I will.”

“You… I can't even say what I wish I could say to you right now.” She said coldly, but walked up to Snape and bent down to look at him.

“I don't need you're help, mudblood.”

She gave him a twisted, ruthless smile. “I'm not a mudblood,” she said coldly, pulled back, and gave him a solid kick in the head.

“Nice,” Sirius shouted, in the midst of Snape's screaming in pain.

“Oh, shut up,” Somailia said looking at Snape with a withering look. But he kept on screaming, and she warned him, “Snape, if you keep screaming I'm really going to shove your head up your arse, so you actually know how it feels. How's that sound?” Snape stopped screaming, and grimaced as he looked himself over.

Somailia grinned and looked at Sirius. He swayed on his feet, and Snape moved himself away from Sirius, cursing and going delirious seeing his blood smeared on the stone floor.

“Why does everyone faint in this stupid castle?” She snapped again, came forward and reached an arm around Sirius' middle and got a good grip on him before half carrying half dragging Sirius to the Gryffindor Common Room, muttering, “you need to sleep, you nutter dog.”

How right she was.

The nutter dog part, anyway.

Remus yawned as he woke up on the couch of the Heads' Common Room, listening to Lily and James bickering upstairs. There was a moment of silence, and then a groan that filled up all the rooms combined. He shuddered and blocked his ears.

“That's really gross,” he muttered to himself, and he got up and ran out of the Common Room to Gryffindor Tower, and just as he reached the corridor for it, Sirius and Somailia appeared coming from a separate corridor. He galloped over to them.

“Sirius!” He said, coming up to them breathlessly, “Where were you? Potter house, right?” Sirius nodded wearily, and Somailia tugged on his arm and pulled him along. “What happened?” He said, looking at Sirius closely and noticing the rather large bump on his head.

“I knocked into a brick wall,” Sirius replied in a stale voice, and Somailia just trudged along, occasionally giving Sirius a sharper tug on the arm to make him keep up.

And not sleep on his feet.

Somailia threw Remus a pleading look, one that she didn't give often. He came up quicker and wrapped an arm around Sirius' waist, and pulled him along faster so it ended up that his feet was dragging and Remus and Somailia were tugging him along.

“Snugduff,” Remus said to the Fat Lady, and she, as always, gave Somailia the look that clearly said she didn't belong there, but Somailia ignored it and lugged Sirius in behind her. They then lugged Sirius up to the seventh year boys' dormitory, and tucked him in his bed, and he fell asleep just as Somailia shut the curtains to his bed. They looked at each other tiredly, Somailia squatting down near Sirius' bed to get his teddy bear that fell under his bed, and Remus standing near his bed, squirming and shifting uneasily.

She put the bear in Sirius' arms and he instantly grabbed it and pulled it against his chest with a gentle but close hold. She stood up slowly, and looked at Remus. He gave a small smile that looked like it tried to be better than it was, and she gave him the same smile back. He held out his arms to her invitingly, and she instantly ran into them, making him over balance and fall into his bed the curtains crashing behind them.

She whimpered into the curve of his neck, and he smoothed down her hair in a soothing manner. She cried loudly, and his shirt shoulder was soon smothered in her tears. “I don't- I want- it's just-,” she muttered starts of sentences that she would never finish, and he just pet her hair and tried to calm her.

Her crying turned slowly to soft sniffles, and she wiped her eyes on his shirt. “Well,” she said, moving so she and Remus were side by side on the small bed, “that feels better.”

Remus knew that Somailia would never do something like that. But hey, her best friend just died.

Even if you were a tough girl, wouldn't you cry too?

And as she fell asleep, he started to cry.

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21. Say Good-bye

In the Tower

Chapter Twenty-one (21!) Say Good-bye

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except a little bit of food, lots of French Almond Coffee, and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, why would I be posting here?

Author's Note: My Dumbledore is really OOC, I know. Sorry!

Previously: Her crying turned slowly to soft sniffles, and she wiped her eyes on his shirt. “Well,” she said, moving so she and Remus were side by side on the small bed, “that feels better.”

Remus knew that Somailia would never do something like that. But hey, her best friend just died.

Even if you were a tough girl, wouldn't you cry too?

And as she fell asleep, he started to cry.

He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it. Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

James ate his muffin nervously; he had grown a fondness of them, as he looked at his watch every few moments Wednesday morning at nine. He was decked out in black and he looked completely morbid and entirely vampire in his getup. Sirius was sitting next to him, his eyes out of focus as he stared at the Pumpkin Juice jug.

Lily was sitting uncommonly quiet in front of James, and they were holding hands under the table, her squeezing his hand so tight he felt the bone would pop at any moment. Remus was sitting in front of Sirius, and with his sallow skin, being it so close to the moon, and his thinning hair and his black robes, he looked like a zombie.

Somailia looked none the better for ware.

The school was filing out all around them, until they were the only five left, and Somailia sullenly got up from the Ravenclaw table and sat down heavily next to Remus. He automatically put an arm around her shoulders, and she moved closer to him, as if he were her life support.

Come to think of it, he probably was.

James mother and father floated into the room half an hour later and sat down at the edge of the Gryffindor table, their house table.

Remus' mum, Tina, and Brendan all sat down at the Ravenclaw table not three minutes later, and Remus noticed fleetingly that Tina had a ring around her finger. Oh, what should he care, she was happy.

Somailia' family ran into the room at fifteen `til and sat down at the closest table, Hufflepuff, and looked quickly around the place. Somailia's mum saw her and gave her a quick smile, which she didn't return.

The Ah Bleu's came in last, and a little nine year old was clutching Mrs. Ah Bleu's hand and looking around for any sight of someone she knew. And that's when she saw James and Sirius. She called their names loudly in that high pitched voice of hers and tugged her hand out of Mrs. Ah Bleu's and ran toward them. “Mêlée,” they said, trying to sound cheerful, and Sirius raised himself out from the benches to catch the running girl. “Hey babe,” Sirius said to her as he stepped away from the tables and swung her around before setting her back on her feet.

She grinned back up at him, and Lily looked up at the interaction. How can he even stand there and smile? She asked herself. The little girl- her name is Mêlée right? -looks exactly like Katie.

“Hey Sirius!” Mêlée said and hugged him around the middle. She let go and climbed over the table and hugged James around the neck, and he gave her a one-armed hug.

Sirius sat back down with a semi-happy smile on his face and Mêlée sat down on James' lap, squirming happily.

She looked around at all the morbid faces, and said to them quieter, but still happily, “Do you know where my sister is? I really want to go see her!”

Lily almost fainted, and Somailia admitted a dry sob. The older Ah Bleu's, who had just sat at the other edge of the Gryffindor table, heard her, and Mrs. Ah Bleu's great racking sob echoed out within the vacant hall.

James looked hard past Mêlée's head and at the huge windows in front of him. He told her quietly, “Katie isn't here, Mil, but I'm sure you'll see her when the time comes.”

“Why?” She said her eyebrows furrowed. “Where is she?”

“She's-” Somailia started bluntly.

“We can't tell you that, Mêlée, sweetie.” Sirius said, giving Somailia a reproachful look.

“She deserves to know, Sirius.” She hissed at him, keeping her face content as possible.

“I deserve to know what?” Mêlée asked, staring hard at Sirius with her puppy dog face.

James hesitantly hugged her around the middle, enveloping her in his arms. Lily had let go of his hand when she had almost fainted, she had gone slack though, and she let go of his hand, which he flexed, trying to get feeling back into it.

At that moment all the tables told them loudly that they had to be in the Forbidden Forest in ten minutes. Mêlée got up to let James stand as the rest of them stood, and then she jumped on his back and whooped. He had always given her piggy back rides whenever he came home with Katie after riding. Lily came close to him and grabbed his hand, which he squeezed gently, not looking at her.

The whole group, fifteen in all, set off flatfooted toward the forest, where Dumbledore and McGonagall were waiting in the richly engraved wooden coffin that held Katie's body.

When the funeral was almost over, at her coffin was lowered neatly into her grave, Dumbledore, somberly, started to say, looking at James', Sirius', Somailia', Lily's, and all the family members faces, “Remember Katie.Remember what happened to a girl who was good, and kind,” James, Sirius, Somailia, and Lily smiled at this for a brief moment, “and brave. Remember Katie Ah Bleu.”

THREE MONTHS LATER

Lily and James ambled slowly across the Quidditch Pitch sweat trickling down the backs of their necks and rolling down into their shirts, which were sticking uncomfortably to their backs.

The unnatural heat of the April evening was beating heavily down on them, and James looked wistfully up at the sky as he watched some house team, at the moment he really didn't care, zoom overhead.

“Lily,” James breathed out as they circled the pitch for the third time. She made a questioning noise in her throat, looking indifferently at the distant spread of the forest. “What are we doing?”

“Walking,” she told him with an indifferent tone.

“I knew that,” he said calmly, forcing his eyes to look at his girlfriend instead of the sky, “but what are we doing, really?”

“James, we're walking.” She told him, not grasping it.

“I know that!” He said that so hysterically that Lily looked at his surprised.

“Oh, well we're thinking.” She hurried on, seeing a glint of hysteria in his eyes, “In three months we'll never be at this school, home, sanctuary again. What are we going to do after that? Am I going to be a Healer, like I've been dreaming? Or are you going to be a professional Quidditch Player? What are we really going to be?”

As soon as she caught her breath, a tawny owl flew toward them, looking oddly cool. It landed on Lily's shoulder, digging it's talons in painfully. It was cold to the touch, and as soon as James untied the note around its leg it used Lily's shoulder as leverage and propelled itself off from her, mockingly hitting her cheek with one of its talons.

She cried out, “Ow!” And James made a “whoa” noise in his throat, making Lily look at him curiously. He finished the letter and handed it over to Lily, who read it quickly as he fixed her gash.

“What the…?” She said, trailing off, looking at James with big, wide eyes. He shrugged; looking scared, and started tugging her quickly toward the main entrance.

“Do you know where Dumbledore's office is?” He said, and she couldn't answer as she panted along behind him.

He stopped once they reached the front steps and waited impatiently for her to catch her breath. As soon as her breath was almost normal, he was off like a shot again, and she was sprinting slowly behind him. He screeched to a halt in front of McGonagall's office and knocked on the door hurriedly. She opened the door after a moment, and raised an eyebrow at their state of disarray.

“Mister Potter, Miss Evans, you know that it is against school regulations to have-” but James, blushing scarlet, cut her off.

“We weren't doing anything, Professor, I promise, but we really need to see Professor Dumbledore.”

“Do you now?” She said, looking at them with her hawk stare.

“Yes, Professor McGonagall, it's very imperative that we see him,” Lily said earnestly.

She looked at them for a moment before she heaved a sigh. “Fine,” she said grudgingly, stepping out of her office and leading them away, “but I must warn you, he's a little out of sorts at the moment.”

James threw Lily a look and she looked at him with raised eyebrows. She grabbed his hand and walked purposely forward. After many odd turns and narrow stairs, they reached the Phoenix. McGonagall gave them one last look. “Are you quite sure?”

“Quite sure!” They said chirpily, and she sighed again, waved her hands and cried out, “Wonky-Faints!”

The phoenix opened up for them and she gave pushed them toward it. As they spiraled upward, James swore he heard McGonagall mutter to them, “Good luck,” and he expressed this thought with Lily.

“You're just hearing things James; she wouldn't say anything like that.” Lily said loyally.

James grumbled, but agreed.

The door was thrown open as Lily and James finally reached the even ground, and Dumbledore looked at them happily. “Hello, hello! Please, come on in.” He opened his door wider and swept into a bow James was pretty sure would break his back. James and Lily hurried in.

“I would just like to say, sir,” Lily began, stepping farther into the room, talking to Dumbledore over her shoulder, “that what you said about Katie at her funeral was heartbreaking. I wish I could have written it down to remember forever.”

“Did you like it, really?” He asked eagerly, shutting the door behind himself. “I think I'll save it for a later time…”

Fawkes looked at James and Lily as Dumbledore started murmuring to himself about the speech, and then shook Fawkes head rapidly, telling them to leave. “Um, is he okay?” Lily said, looking at James.

“I think he wants us to leave,” James murmured to her.

“I'm all for it,” Lily said backing up. And backing right into Dumbledore.

“Miss Evans, are you well?” He said looking at her searchingly. She gulped.

“Fine, sir,” she managed to squeak out.

“Oh, good!” He said, waving his wand and producing two big, overstuffed armchairs. “Sit!” He said, excitedly. “Please sit!”

Lily and James looked at each other uncomfortably, flowed over to their separate chairs, and uneasily sat down. James almost fell off his chair. “Oh, dear, oh dear, that's no good, can't have the head boy falling every few moments, can we, oh, no not at all, not at all.” Dumbledore said to himself, and James looked at Lily frightened.

“Its okay sir, really, I'll be fine.”

Dumbledore wasn't listening. “Ah!” He said, and waved his wand at James' chair, and James clapped his eyes closed sensing the worst. He sunk immediately into his chair and flailed around. “Oops,” Dumbledore said cheerfully, watching as the water seeped out of James' chair, leaving him sopping wet and on the ground again, sitting up agitated as the water dropped on his head.

“Chinese water torture,” James muttered to himself, angrily glaring at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled sheepishly. “So sorry, James, so sorry, I'll just fix you up,” He raised his wand, and James jumped up, trying in vain to not huddle next to Lily.

“It's all right, sir, really!” He said to him hastily, and Lily gave him a drying spell, which he smiled at her gratefully for. “I can just sit with Lily!”

Dumbledore frowned. “Well, if you must.” He sat at his desk, and James and Lily squished closely in her chair. Then Dumbledore cracked a grin, and held up a jar right in front of their noses, making them involuntarily move backward, toppling the chair over. “Lemon drop?” Dumbledore called, as James shoved the chair off him and Lily, before struggling up and helping Lily up as well.

“Ah, no thank you sir,” Lily and James said together, sitting back down in the chair. “We came up here for a reason, sir.” Lily started, and Dumbledore looked at her, popping a Lemon Drop in his mouth, making James suddenly cringe.

“We got a letter sir,” Lily continued, “from a certain Tom Riddle.” Dumbledore choked on his Lemon Drop, and James, grudgingly, hurried over to him and started doing whatever you're supposed to do when someone is choking. It flew out of Dumbledore's mouth and sailed narrowly near Lily, making her move away quickly in fright and it flew past her and crashed through one of the windows.

James rushed back to Lily's side. “He sent us a threat letter, sir,” she continued on, looking harassed, “and I think that it suggests that James and I should go into hiding.” Then she added as an after thought, “sir.”

Dumbledore pondered it for a moment, and then looked at them. “What are you doing here?” He said, standing up so suddenly that James flew back in fright, and Lily jumped off the chair just as he toppled it over again.

“Really James,” She said to him as she lifted the chair off him. “Get a grip!”

“Sorry, sir, I didn't mean to.” James said, getting the chair upright again and sitting in the middle of it, looking ashamed.

“We were telling you about the letter we received from Tom Riddle, sir, and the message seemed to imply that James and I should go into hiding.”

Dumbledore thought over it again. “Should go into hiding?” Lily nodded quickly and James nodded sullenly behind her. “May I see the letter?”

“It's written in blood,” she said, handing it over. “Who's we didn't try to figure out.”

“Would you like to go back in the tower?” Dumbledore asked, conversationally.

“No!” Lily and James screamed. They looked at each other narrowly, and James said politely, “No thank you, sir, it's a bit too cut off and cramped for our likings.”

“Ah,” Dumbledore said again, aggravating Lily as he read the letter.

“Sir, just tell us what we should do!” Lily said with an edge in her voice.

Dumbledore looked up at them with such a scary twinkle in his eye that Lily backed up into James from fright, and he protectively wrapped his arms around her middle, looking at Dumbledore with his chin resting on top of her head, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Get married.”

“Sir?” They both squeaked out.

“What?”

“We're only seventeen sir, that's too early to even think about marriage.” James said in his odd high pitched voice he gets whenever something frightens him or startles him completely.

“Of course it isn't!” Dumbledore told them offended.

“Sir,” Lily started out defensively, trying to look up at James.

“If he's after you, and probably your baby,” Both the teenagers blushed scarlet, “then I suggest you do it. And after all, it's a sin to have premarital marriage.”

“Sir that was the only way we would be able to get out of that bloody tower!” James said, outraged.

“Ah, but didn't you find out after you, er, completed it that it opened for you? And James, didn't you go to Godric and he told you it was unlocked the whole time?”

“How'd you know?” Lily gasped, trying to bury herself in James' arms. Then she muttered to James, “You're so embarrassing!”

Dumbledore waved his hand lazily, and a crystal ball floated toward them. “I have my ways of seeing.”

They gasped. “PERVERT!” Lily screamed, as James whispered, “How much did you see?”

“Enough, enough to know you two and completely and utterly in a deep love,” And then he looked them straight in the eye. “With each other.”

“Duh,” Lily called out annoyed, not caring that she was talking back to a teacher, he was really bugging her. And the fact he was watching her and James in the tower. She shuddered. Dumbledore bade them to sit down, and they did quickly.

“So,” James said, pulling him together, “what should we do?”

“In three months you are both gone from Hogwarts, forever. I will not be able to protect you once you're gone. You need to protect each other. And I know that you'll want to, because of the whole tower time.” James and Lily blushed furiously.

Lily burst out, “it's the bloody stupid- sorry professor,” she added hastily, covering up her mistake.

He merely sat at his desk and twiddled his thumbs, staring intently at the ceiling. “I have temporarily gone deaf and haven't an idea what you've just said.”

“Er- right.” She said uncomfortably, shooting a withering glance at James, who had shoved his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing outright. She punched him lightly in the stomach, and Dumbledore was still twiddling his thumbs in front of them. “Professor,” she said hesitantly, and he looked down at her with that damn twinkle in his eye. “Are you suggesting that James and I get married for safety?”

“Indeed.” The word was light, but the tone was final.

“Okay,” Lily said, and stood up and motioned for James to get up as well. He stood behind her. “Thank you sir, but can you let us think it over?”

“Of course, Miss Evans, take as much time as we need.” They hurried out of the room, leaving Fawkes alone to deal with the insanity.

“So?” James said with an unusual dash of arrogance that surprised Lily. “Marry me will you? You'll know I'll protect you at any time.” He then raised his eyebrows and gave her that heart melting smile. “And best part is we could be in our bed at anytime we want.”

“I'll slap you if that's what you want, James.” Lily told him coolly, not looking at him. He recoiled and slapped a hand to his cheek to protect it, instead making him shout in a small split of pain. He glared half-heartedly at her. “You did that on purpose.”

She laughed loudly, taking his hand away from his face so she could hold it. “I didn't expect you to slap yourself in the face, but hey, that was just as entertaining.” He laughed lightly, brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it.

“Lovely,”

“My hand? Oh, sorry, he's taken. Name's Fred. Other hand is name Ted.” She added in an undertone, “With each other.”

“You're being odd.” He commented amused.

“I've been around you and the Marauders too much lately.”

“Fin,” Remus said semi-cheerfully, falling into step with them, emerging from a tapestry next to them.

“Fine,” James and Lily said together, walking casually with Remus. “Seen Somailia lately?” James said, trying to start up a conversation.

“Yesterday,” Remus answered shortly.

“Oh,” Lily said, searching her mind for something to talk about with two of her boys around her.

“Somailia and Sirius have been off together lately,” Remus confided in them uncomfortably.

“Oh dear,” James said.

“I'm sure they're just talking about her still. They were closest to her, after all.” Lily said logically.

“Bugger off,” the boys said together, “we're trying to be depressed.”

“Well, look on the bright side, she's in, as I'm sure you've heard a few too many times now, that she's in a better place.”

“That's such a cliché,” Remus said nastily.

“I'm just trying to help,” Lily said, hurt, but then composed her and kissed both the boys on the cheek. “I'm going to go study.” She walked quickly away, glancing over her shoulder at the boys before disappearing around a bend in the hallway.

“Don't keep doing that, Remus,” James said quietly, speeding up his pace, which Remus matched easily.

“Can't help it. I've been bitchy these past few months, and then the full moon is two weeks away and the N.E.W.T'S coming up within two months,” he heaved a great sigh, “I'm really stressing out.”

“Then,” James said in the same voice, “release your anger on something that deservers it. And most of all breathe.” He then walked away, leaving Remus to ponder what James was saying exactly.

Remus ambled through the cold corridors, hugging himself against the biting cold. Lily's old best friends, Miranda, Guinevere, and Sapphire, came walking up toward him, gossiping loudly and most oblivious to Remus coming. He caught a few snatches of their talk, on accident, of course, “… really, I didn't even know why he liked that stupid little girl, she was just an annoying little bitch. She always had to get the answers right… stupid Ravenclaw… glad she's dead…” Remus stopped dead in his tracks, and the girls, still oblivious to him, collided into him. He caught one of their elbows and held them up, and Guinevere gave him a small smile of thanks that faded instantly into a frown.

“Remus?” She asked quietly, wincing as his grip tightened on her arm. “That hurts, let go!”

“Who was saying that?” He asked her in a low, menacing growl.

“Who was asking what?” She said painfully.

“Who was saying that about Katie!”

“Katie?” Guinevere asked, bewildered. “We weren't talking about her…”

Miranda said snidely, “of course we were, Guinevere darling, but we weren't just talking about her of course. Her, that stupid coconut Somailia Vango,” Remus let go of Guinevere and she backed off quickly, looking at him with wide eyes and her hand massaging feeling back into her other arm.

“And don't forget, we were talking about the James Lily fiasco,” Sapphire interrupted.

“Ah yes, and them, they'll never get together, that boy is far too arrogant. She has been disappearing lately though, hasn't she?” Miranda asked, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder to look at Sapphire who abruptly nodded. “She's probably gone off with that Black character, she needed to lose her virginity some time, and that man-whore is the perfect person to do it with. He gave me the time of my life, I'm telling you,” Miranda said, still looking at Sapphire but talking to Remus.

“You know who you're talking to, don't you?” Remus asked with his teeth clenched and his fists balled so tightly at his sides his knuckles were white. Miranda looked over at him.

“Yes, a boy.”

Remus rolled his eyes. “Sirius, James and Lily are my best friends. Somailia is my girlfriend, and Katie was a better person than you'll ever be.”

“That bitch?” Miranda asked, and snorted daintily. “Please…”

“You have no idea what you're talking about.” Remus said, watching Miranda with an intense glare, malice printed on his face.

“Of course I do, all your friends are stupid numskulls. Lily's turned into a whore's whore and we're left all alone to defend ourselves against the hordes of boys who follow us everywhere.”

“And I thought James was conceited.” Remus said quietly to himself.

“James is the biggest idiot in the world,” Sapphire said to him, her lip curling.

“The only idiots that I know are you two,” he said, looking pointedly at Sapphire and Miranda. “I'm surprised that Lily and Guinevere hung with you two for so long. You are a bunch of conceited, shallow, materialist bitches who don't care about anything or anybody but yourselves. And never, ever, talk about my friends that way.” Miranda opened her mouth to give her usual retort, “oh go fuck yourself,” when he continued on, “And the dead never lie quietly. She'll be back, and your lives will be utter hell.”

He swept away from them quickly, breathing heavily and stormed off to the Gryffindor tower. He suddenly grasped that he took James' advice without even realizing it. Well, half of it anyway.

-->

22. Obliviate

In the Tower

Chapter Twenty-two: Obliviate

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except a little bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: Phh, yeah right, like I would own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: I am so pissed off right now it's not even funny. I had to dig through the trash to find this floppy disk, and it's sticky. And the story has gotten, shall we say, twisted now. I mean, people who've read my story before know what I mean, but for those of you haven't, they're both dead.

Previously: He swept away from them quickly, breathing heavily and stormed off to the Gryffindor tower. He suddenly grasped that he took James' advice without even realizing it. Well, half of it anyway.

Brom finally said, “It's a difficult question and not one you can answer until you've faced it. Keep in mind that many people have died for their beliefs; it's actually quite common. The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe.” Brom, Eragon.

Sirius grumbled for the sake of grumbling as he walked to his classes for the first time in a long time, alone. He pulled the strap of his book-bag higher onto his shoulder as he took a different path to Transfiguration. He stopped suddenly as he heard a whisper of voices close by and slunk against the wall, trying to be flat against it. “…I promise it will never happen again… the girl, her best friend… she'll never be safe… I know for a fact that she's… he'll never know… she'll be with that other girl soon enough…” Sirius, nauseated, ran away, but not before catching a glimpse of two of the people concealed between the narrow archways. Peter Pettigrew, of course, and the other Sirius could only assume had to be Snape.

He hurried away to class and barley slipped in on time. Professor McGonagall gave him a reprimanding look but shut the door behind him and stalked to the front. Sirius slid into his seat next to Remus, who gave him a funny look. Sirius returned the favor with a blank look and gazed toward the front of the class, looking alert and ready to learn.

Professor McGonagall called roll, and looked at the Marauders for a moment. “Have any of you boys seen Mister Pettigrew lately?” Sirius felt that a glacier just went down his throat and settled heavily onto his stomach. He managed to squeak out no Professor, I haven't seen him in a while, before he realized how his voice was sounding.

He blushed furiously under the concerned gazes of Remus, James, Lily and McGonagall. “Mister Black, do you feel well?”

“Not particularly, ma'am, but I'm well enough to pay attention to this lesson.” She frowned at him.

“Very well,” she said to him haltingly, and then proceeded on with the class. At the end of class, he silently packed away his things and then flew out of the room when the bell rang.

“What's up with him?” James asked, looking over at Remus, who just shrugged his shoulders and watched Sirius until he moved around a corner and could no longer be seen.

“I don't know,” Remus said slowly, with a bubble of suspicion growing in the pit of his stomach. “I have to go though, sorry.” Remus walked briskly toward the direction of the kitchens, and James watched him go with worried eyes. James walked over to Lily, who was conversing uncomfortably with Guinevere, and they both looked up as they heard him approach. Guinevere gave him a small smile and with a good bye to Lily, she walked toward the Gryffindor Common Room.

“Lily,” James said, and she turned around to face him. “Walk with me?”

She reached out and grasped his hand, which he squeezed gratefully. “Sure,” she said with an air of happiness around her. He led her off and looked back at her with his finger to his lips. He led her down another long hall, where no one was walking on. After a few long moments, she asked, “where are we going?”

“You'll see,” he said to her plainly.

“Okay,” she said slowly, and watched helplessly as she was dragged through a series of long, elaborate and looking quite unused, corridors. Dust covered all of it, and every portrait was empty, their occupants seemingly long gone. A dusty set of footprints were in the corridor with them, their only companions. James stopped at a door, and opened it slowly, revealing a long, low ceiling tunnel that seemed to stretch on for ages before it wrapped around a corner and disappeared in the darkness. “James?” She said, questioningly.

“Trust me,” he said, and pulled her in, and she shrieked as the door slammed shut behind them and they were enveloped in the darkness.

“James, there's no light!”

“Are you a witch or not?” He said, brought out his wand, and giving her a reproachful look, whispered, “Lumos,”

“Oh,” she said sheepishly as he looked at her in the wand light. “Right,” she lit her own wand. “We're going to be missing classes, aren't we?”

“Lily, we're the best Head students this school has ever seen. I don't think they'll mind if we miss one class.”

“But-”

“It's just one class.”

“What about the N.E.W.T's? They're coming up in less than two months, they will probably-!”

“It's one class, Lily.” She grudgingly acknowledged that and they set along the path.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked, around an hour later, struggling to think of a conversation starter. “What Dumbledore told us?”

She flushed deeply underneath her collar as she said it, but James didn't notice. “Are you really pregnant?” He asked her, and she flushed deeper, squeaking.

“I- I don't know.” She lied pitifully.

“You do know,” he said, leading her through the left fork and heading once again straight.

She finally gave in. “I'm not.” His tenseness lessened much more after that. “Are you thinking about the other half of what he said?” She asked him quickly, meekly.

“I wasn't,” he said, looking at her with a grin that didn't quite meet his eyes. “But it appears that you were.”

With a fathomless effort, she looked him straight in the eye and told him steely, “I'm not getting married when I'm seventeen.”

“I'm not getting married when I'm eighteen.” He said, mocking her with an intimate smile.

“How about when I'm eighteen and you're nineteen?”

“Deal,” They shook on it. “We're coming up on it now,” he said, a few hours later.

“Does anybody know where we are?”

“I left a note on Remus' bed telling him that we wouldn't be back for a while.”

“Why didn't you tell Sirius?”

“He wasn't there. And besides, he gave me the idea.”

“Did he now? I cannot say if that's sweet or depressing.” She paused a moment. “Do you hear that?”

“You get distracted easily,” he told her, musing. “That might not be good later on.”

“Shush up, James.” She listened closely again. “Where are we?”

“One moment,” he said, placing a hand over her eyes and leading her forward slowly. He opened a door and Lily heard it groan open. The roar was louder now, and James pushed Lily in as he removed his hand from her eyes.

“This was Sirius' idea. I can't believe you remembered about it?”

James looked sadly around the cave and sat down against the wall, sighing. Lily, to make sure no one would be able to hear or see them, shut the door and walked over to him, kneeling in front of him. “I heard him talking to her in his sleep last night. Apparently the one-sided conversation he was having he had with her while they were here.”

She pulled off her shoes and stockings, peeled off her robes and unbuttoned her shirt, shrugging it off, revealing a cami beneath it. “Come on James, you took me here for a reason, have fun with it!” And then she took a deep breath and jumped into the hot bath. The warmth of it instantly encased her and let her flow through the tranquil waters. She emerged from the water and promptly shivered. The air was far too cold to stay in it for long.

James watched her swimming for a while, just thinking, before shrugging off all the depressing thoughts. He stripped down to his boxers and dive-bombed into the water, feeling it hug him so warmly it felt like he was a little kid again, crying over losing a lolly-pop and his mother holding him.

He exploded up from the depths of the water and saw Lily resting on the side of the bath, smirking at him. “Feels good, doesn't it?”

“Yes,” he said, trying to scowl, but it came out as a delirious smile.

“It feels brilliant, the water. It makes me feel happy just being in it.” She jumped out and wrung out her hair. “I assume I cannot do magic because we're outside the grounds.”

“Lily,” he said, rolling his eyes, “you're already seventeen. It's the legal age. They can't do anything to you, because it isn't against the law.”

She smiled dimly. “I knew that.”

“Feeling blonde, today, isn't we?”

“Feeling red, actually,” she said, feeling her red hair. “My hair is red James.”

He grinned smugly. He proved his point, and he told her so. “I prove my point.”

She got it; glared at him, and then dived in so deep he couldn't see her and started worrying. A quick tug on his leg sending him under let him know exactly where she was.

“Ha, ha, ha,” He said sarcastically when he reappeared at the surface, seeing Lily lounging on the other side of the pool.

“I completely agree, Jamie.” She said wryly, slipping in his nickname.

“You suck,” he said, lifting himself out of the water so he was standing right over her, the water that clung to him dripping on her.

She smiled lazily. “Only lolly-pops,”

He blanched and she laughed easily at the look on his face. “Course,” he said smoothly. His stomach growled loudly and he looked down at it. He turned sideways and in a high falsetto, asked her, “Do I look fatter from the side or the front?”

She stands up and hits him solidly on his behind. “Definitely from the back,”

He pressed his palm flat against her stomach and she shivers at the closeness. “Deja vu,” she whimpers moving so her back is to his chest with her head cradled in the crook of his neck.

“Are you saying we've done this before or we will do this in time to come?”

“I don't know it just feels familiar.”

He leaned down so he could see her watch. It was three o'clock, and with any luck, if they left now they could make it before curfew. He kissed her gently on the cheek. “C'mon, we should go now.”

She looked sadly at the hot bath, and it seemed to beckon her towards it. “Okay, fine,” she said, pulling herself out of his embrace and threw her clothes back on. James did the same, and with one last look at the hot bath, they opened the door, and once again, walked up the tunnel to their lives. They were only carefree for so long.

Somailia jumped as one of her roommates threw back the curtains to her bed where she was doing her homework. “There's someone here to see you,” she said, her lip curled.

“Ah, uh yes, thank you.” The girl stalks off, and Somailia shut her charms book and leaves the dormitory, out of the Common Room and into the corridor. Remus stared at her alighting from the hole behind the portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw. As soon as she stood in front of him, he grabbed her arm and began to pull her along.

“What have you been doing with Sirius so much lately?” He snarled at her as he pulled her through a tapestry and pushed her against the wall.

“Nothing,” she said with her teeth clenched. “All we do is talk.” He increased pressure on her shoulders.

“You're lying.”

“No I'm not!” She exclaimed loudly.

“What were you doing this morning? Who were you doing it with?”

“Eating breakfast,” She snapped at him, “With only my books to keep me company.”

“What were you doing with Sirius this morning?”

“I wasn't doing anything! I haven't spoken with Sirius in at least a week. Not that you would know, you never talk to me anymore. You're supposed to be my secret keeper, my loving and trusting boyfriend.” She growled at them. “He's shown more friendship to me than you have.”

He pulled back from her, seemingly just noticing what he was doing. He looked at her with wide eyes and then looked at his hands, and then clenched them until she saw a drop of blood drip from them. Her anger immediately abated and she started breathing quickly, watching. “I'm sorry,” he whispered to her, and fled.

She watched him go and sniffed, wiping her nose with the side of her hand. Someone burst into the tapestry next to her, seeming unawares of her. She stuck out her foot and they fell backward over it. “Oh it's you.” She sneered sarcastically. “Now my day is really perfect.”

Peter grinned up at her. “Well hello there, have you missed me?”

“In your dreams,” she said, removing her foot from underneath him and cleaning it off on the side of the wall. She looked at him suspiciously. “Have you lost weight?”

“Only for you,” She glared and kicked him in the side, but he didn't even look like he felt it.

“How'd you do that?” She asked, her eyebrows rising. He sprung up faster that she could blink and lifted her by her throat with one hand.

“The Dark Lord gives his most loyal Death Eaters their greatest desires.”

She coughed and sputtered, losing the air in her lungs. She wrapped her legs around his waist and shoved herself forward, making him over balance and fall. She landed on her feet and ran out of the tapestry. Her roommate, Jenna is her name, was standing outside the tapestry, glaring at her. She pushed up her sleeve until Somailia could see her Dark Mark. Her eyes widened as Jenna stalked her. “It feels good to be bad,” she said nastily.

“Good luck with that,” Somailia said to her smirking before Peter cracked her head against the wall. Everything faded, and she knew no more.

Sirius sulked as he ate in the Great Hall, Lily's annoying former friends buzzing around him. Miranda flattened herself against his side, and whispered seductively in his ear, “you can have me.”

“I already have,” he told her dully, and she beamed. “You weren't that great. You weren't even good.”

She reached out to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist out of thin air and dug his fingers into it. “Don't. Never try to do that to me again. Both of the things you were trying to do. It won't work.” He released her wrist and stood from the table, and walked quickly away. As soon as Sirius threw open the door, Remus came speeding down the hall looking severely shaken. He spotted Sirius, and ran full-tilt toward him.

“I just did something terrible.” He exclaimed grabbing Sirius by the arm and pulling him back the same way he came. Sirius looked down at his arm with an eyebrow raised, and bit his lip in shock. A bloody handprint was drying on his skin, and it felt sticky and foreign.

“What'd you do?” Sirius asked, walking quicker along so they were jogging down the corridor.

“Somailia,” Remus said incoherently, and Sirius' eyes widened and he threw Remus against a wall, knocking the breath out of him.

“What did you do?” He roared, looking at Remus darkly.

“I didn't mean to! It was completely uncontrollable. I just, I just got violent.”

“You hit her?” Sirius asked ferociously, his eyes getting darker until they were like steel with the violence he wanted to inflict.

“No, I didn't! It was like somebody cast a spell on me, all I remember before was saying hello to Peter, and then the next time I'm myself again I have Somailia pinned against the wall and she's telling me that you've been a better friend than I've been a boyfriend.”

“You past Peter,” Sirius asked, his eyes glinting maliciously.

Remus nodded, and Sirius pulled Remus off the wall and said in a trying to be calm tone, “Where'd you leave her?”

“She was right outside the Ravenclaw Common Room. There's a tapestry not three yards from the entrance, and there's a little narrow corridor in there.”

Sirius swore loudly and sprinted toward it. Remus galloped to keep up with him. “What's wrong with passing Peter?”

“This morning I heard him conversing with Snape and I heard bits of their talk. I know they were either talking about Somailia or Lily, but either way they were going to do serious harm to them.”

Remus choked and with a new sense of urgency sped down the hall and out of sight, Sirius could hear his pounding footfalls, and he followed them.

When he arrived to where Remus was, Remus was already on his knees, staring at a liquid on the floor. Sirius clutching a stitch in his side, hobbled over to him. “What is it?”

Remus looked up at him, his face drawn. “Blood,”

Sirius fell to his knees and swept his finger through it, and Remus blanched. “It's still warm.”

“Not that long ago then,” he said faintly, looking around the rest of the hall. “Do you see anymore?” Sirius moved shakily on his knees, crawling all around the corridor.

“There's none around here.”

Remus moved the tapestry, lit his wand, and squinted into it. “There's blood on the ground, but I can't tell which direction it leads.

Sirius said calmly, “It wouldn't be this way, because there's no blood. It's the other way.” But then he hesitated. “Is there a chance that the blood in there could be your blood?”

Remus looked down at his hands, looking at the crescent moon shapes in them that still oozed. “Oh, right.”

“So it's a dead end.” Sirius stated faintly, pushing the palms of his hands into his temples. “There has to be another hint of where he's taking her.

“Where's Snape?” Remus asked promptly.

“How the fuck should I know?” Sirius cried out, frustrated. Remus gave him a look that said, `you should figure out what I'm trying to tell you.' “Well I don't know what you're telling me!” He snapped. “Oh, wait, Snape is most likely a Death Eater, so if we find him, he'll tell us where Somailia is.”

“Took you long enough,” Remus said looking at him with a half-smile. “Where's the Marauder's Map?”

“In the dormitory,” Remus turned paler. “Do you think Peter has it?”

“He would pretty much know that it was in there. But we still have to see!” Sirius got up and ran, Remus trailing after.

“What's today?” Sirius asked as they ran.

Remus told him weakly, “April 24th. It's a full moon.”

Sirius swore loudly and ran faster to the common room. In the hysteria of trying to find Somailia and the map, they forgot all about the day.

When they finally did reach the common room, Sirius ran up the stairs and tore through the room, and Remus just stared at the mess he was making. Shaking from anxiety and fear, he walked over to his bed and threw back the curtains. A slip of parchment was on his bed, and he lifted it. Remus, Lily and I are going to the underground lake that Katie told us about months ago when we sat there in the bathroom. So, don't worry if we don't show up all day. Oh, and by the way, I took the map, because the hallways we have to go through are forbidden to the students. James.

“Well, I know where the map is.” Sirius jumped up from inspecting under his bed, and bounded over to him.

“Where,” Remus handed him the note, and he read it quickly. “They went to the lake? Oh dear lord, the place takes ages to get to. For all we know, they could have already killed Somailia by then!” He screamed throwing up his hands.

Remus, not looking up from watching his hands, told him quietly, “Please, don't say that.”

“Sorry,” he said, and then straightened up, looking at Remus. “I guess we have to search on our own then?” Remus nodded sadly. “She won't die; I was just being over zealous. We'll get her in time, not like…” he said, trailing off, his face falling. Remus knew what he was going to say. `Not like what happened to Katie.'

“Let's go.” Remus said seriously, and they both ran out of the room, and out of the castle, into the fading day.

Somailia awoke and found herself tied to a tree. Torpidly, she raised her head, and stared right into Peter Pettigrew's face. “I see I finally have you under my spell.” He laughed at his neat little joke.

“Oh yeah,” she told him sarcastically swooning, “completely.”

He made macho moves in front of her, and she wished that she could die. Right then, if you please. “You're utterly despicable. I don't even know why the other Marauder's hung around with you for so long.”

He slapped her hard across the cheek and her head slammed to the side, hitting painfully against the solid tree bark.

Ooh, she made that insult to the wrong person, she did.

“Poor pathetic Pettigrew,” He spat out, loathing the words. “How could stupid, bumbling Pettigrew ever be friends with the infamous James Head-Boy-Quidditch-Captain-best-Chaser-ever Potter? Or, how could he ever be with Sirius he'll-have-you-by-the-first-night Black and Remus he's-the-smartest-boy-to-ever-grace-these-halls-even-though-he's-a-werewolf Lupin. Because he's the only one that will look, up to each and every one of them and wet his pants when they do something dangerous. He's the only one that will worship them day and night, even though they don't care anything about them. I'm a Marauder; I'm an animagus, because they trust me with their lives.” He grinned manically. “Oh no, they never will again, they'll never believe in me now!”

“They should have never taken you in when they first saw you!” She snarled at him, goading him on. “Tell me, when they first rescue your sad hide? Were bunches of seventh year Slytherins beating you up in a corner, and you couldn't do a damn thing about? Or were a bunch of second year Hufflepuffs taunting you because you had pimples when you were eleven?”

He punched her hard in the jaw, and she still grinned at him her split lip bleeding freely. “When was the first time you were turned down by a girl? Was in that arrogant Miranda girl, who in her fourth year had already been shagged by the fifth year boys and above? Or was in bubbly Sapphire who had, like, no idea what you were like talking about?” He jumped and clawed at her face with his dirty nails.

“I hope you don't have dirt under your nails. If that dirt enters your blood, you could get ring worm.”

“All the more to claw you for,” he told her, scratching her more until blood ran down freely from her face. “Tell me, would you like to die just as your beloved friend Katie did, after being raped by Tom Riddle and then killed? Hm… Or should I just rape you and know that I got away with you, and not your precious little Remus?”

“Well,” Somailia said, trying to get farthest away from him even with the restraints of being tied around a tree, “that's something worth pondering over.” Then she looked back at him, sucked on her lower lip, and then spat on his face, blood mixing with saliva. “I'd rather die,” she snarled.

He looked over at her, examining all of her body without asking, and she tried moving away from him, but he grabbed her by one of her hips and held her there. “If you would like to know, I'm taller than you.”

“That could be rearranged,”

She gave him her last insult. She looked him straight in the eye, and told him, “You'll never be one of them. They'll always pity you because you're not good enough for their clique, for the popularity they gave you, for the girls they sent at you, for the grace, they gave you to walk these halls like a king. You're just a poor, awkward boy with no hopes for anything in your future.”

“I've had to ponder that since the first night I got to this bloody school. `Stupid Pettigrew, imprudent Peter, idiot Wormtail, you ruined the whole thing, Wormtail!'” He said, mimicking all the voices so they sounded almost exactly like each Marauder that said them. Somailia noticed with some pride that Remus had said the biggest word. “Never again,” he said maliciously, and transformed into Wormtail before her eyes, and hiked up her leg, digging his claws into her leg as he moved upward.

“Don't you dare,” She screamed, wriggling around so he couldn't move without slipping. He dug his nails into her leg farther, and she felt one dig through her skin and draw blood, and he still went farther up, until she shivered in horror as she saw his pink tail disappear beneath her skirt. “I have just been violated by a rat.”

She screamed loudly, so loudly it bounced between the trees and reverberated into the air, flying toward the sky. “HOLD ON, SOM!” She heard a male voice call to her distantly, and she screamed again, louder.

“Fuck!” She screamed, as she felt Wormtail bite through her, ah, underwear, and she started twisting every which way to remove him. He dug his nails into her inner things, and she yelled even louder. Remus bounded out from the underbrush and stared at her with wide eyes.

“Where is he?” He said hoarsely, rushing over to her.

She looked up at him and screamed, “Up my skirt!” He looked taken aback. “This is not the time for modesty, Remus, just do it!”

“Shouldn't I-?”

“Do it!” He came closer to her cautiously, and closed his eyes, and slowly inched his fingers up into they were in her skirt.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, and then he felt the rat tail, and with one swift movement, he tore the rat out and threw him on the ground, and then forced him to change back.

“Sirius,” Peter squeaked, as Padfoot bounded out from where Remus had come from. Peter quivered under Sirius' glare as he changed back. Remus stared at him with a look of contempt and Somailia's watery eyes staring past him at a tree with such an intense look of hatred she could burn a hole through it. “I wasn't doing anything, I swear!”

“I just caught you up her skirt!” Remus yelled at him. “And you weren't doing anything,” He snorted sarcastically.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Sirius yelled, moving closer to him, and Peter shrank away.

“Funny,” Sirius heard a sly voice come from behind him, and he whipped around to see Snape standing not a foot away, Jenna, and...

“God dammed Regulus, do you really have to come and attack me with these stupid people?” Sirius stared hard at the girl. “We went out in fourth year for two weeks, didn't we?”

“Yes,” she sneered.

Regulus gave Sirius a frosty glare, and from what it looked like was Sirius' twin was staring Sirius down. “The epitome of this was that it was all planned. We knew that you would go rescue your little princess, because you couldn't save the last one.”

Sirius glared darkly at him. “How tragic, big brother lost his girlie to the person he had always defied. You just weren't quick enough. You never were. Do you know how many Death Eaters are at this school? At least two hundred, maybe ever more, I haven't counted lately. I believe seven from Gryffindor, ten from Ravenclaw, fifteen from Hufflepuff, seventeen from Slytherin. And that's just sixth and seventh year. And none of you are going to remember it.” Peter ran and dove so he landed behind the two other boys and that girl. They all raised their hands at once, and in perfect unison, exclaimed, “Obliviate!”

“Merry Christmas,” Remus shouted vaguely, spinning around in circles.

“Huh, I'm tied up to a tree.” Somailia said, looking down at herself. “I wonder why.”

“Baby brother, how are you? Baby brother, I love you!” Sirius sung to Regulus, and danced toward him, grabbed a clenched hand and started to waltz with him.

“How could you be friends with these idiots, Pettigrew?” Snape asked Peter rhetorically, and smirked perfectly as Regulus aimed a punch at Sirius but Sirius caught his hand and twirled him. “Pettigrew,” Snape barked, “untie the girl and escort the lunatics back to the castle.”

“Sirius,” Peter called, bounding over to Sirius, who spun Regulus away so fast, he kept spinning until he hit a tree.

“Yes?” Sirius asked him pleasantly.

“Untie Somailia.” Sirius ran toward her, talked to her excitedly, and ushered Remus over, making sure he didn't start shouting out, “April Fools,” or “Look, the Easter Bunny!”

Severus, Regulus, a tad off balance, and Jenna stalked back toward the castle. “I'm,” Remus started in a suave baritone, “dreaming, of a white, Christmas.”

“Just like the ones that I used to know!” Somailia jumped in, Remus' arm around her waist as she sang second soprano.

“Enough!” Peter shouted at them and they smiled at him vaguely. “Let's just go back up to the castle, please?”

“Okay,” Sirius said dimly, just like the smile on his face. With Somailia in between the taller boys, and Peter scowling the whole time, they skipped back to the castle.

As soon as they entered the Common Room, Lily ran at them and hugged them close in her embrace. “Hey Lily,” they said becoming more normal, and they hugged her back.

“Where have you been?” James said to them, looking over each one of them severely. He had the uncanny ability to sound exactly like Molly Weasley when he put his mind to it.

“In the forest,” Somailia told him, grinning.

“Why?” He snapped at her.

“Cause there's pretty trees,” she told him, looking at him quiet seriously.

He gave her a look of disbelief, sat down on the closest couch, put a pretend clipboard in his lap, and said in the same voice, “Bachelor number two:” he gave them a look that was supposed to say, I'm sexy look at me, “same question.”

“I just remember I was singing Christmas carols.” Remus said, scratching his head.

“Bachelor numbers three?”

“Rescue mission,” he said crisply. Peter slyly snuck out of the Common Room at this point, disappearing to wherever he disappeared to usually.

“Rescues mission,” James said, looking at him doubtfully. “Who were you rescuing?”

“Remus and I were rescuing Somailia.”

“Why.”

“Because she needed someone to rescue her,” Remus told him pleasantly.

“Right… moving on, is that all you did today?”

“Nope, I was knocked out by somebody,” Somailia said gleefully. Lily looked at her in surprise. She was happy someone knocked her out.

“Ya huh,” Lily said.

“Where were you all day?”

Lily looked at Somailia happily. “We were at the hot bath.”

“Oo, how fun was it, you guys didn't do anything I wouldn't did you?” Somailia asked clandestinely.

“What wouldn't you do?” James and Lily asked her at the same time.

She shrugged. “Not that much.”

“Right, well, curfew in a few minutes, so I'll take Somailia down to her Common Room,” Lily volunteered, helped Somailia to her feet, and then they set out of the common room, chatting easily.

James looked closely at Remus and Sirius, before clapping his hands suddenly, making the others jump. “Boys, bed.”

“What-?” Remus said, confused.

“You can't make me!” Sirius said in a whiny voice making him sound exactly like a three year old.

“Do it!” James told them.

“Fine,” Remus said, jumping up and stomping up the steps. James heard the door to their dormitory open and then slam shut.

Sirius sat stubbornly on the couch. “You can't make me!” He repeated.

James looked at him over the rim of his glasses. “I'll give you my special stash of dung bombs.”

Sirius jumped up and shook his hand. “Done deal, I expect those by tomorrow. Oh, and, how could I forget, good night, Jamie!” And with that, he bounded up the stairs.

James left the common room and headed to the head's room, where he knew Lily would already be. And he was right, for as soon as he walked in she saw her on the couch reading a book. “What are you reading?” She lifted up the book without making a noise. “'A Wrinkle in Time', sounds fun.”

She shrugged. “It's okay.”

He sat down on the couch adjacent from her, and started fumbling nervously with his hands while watching her. “Can I have a book?” He finally asked, and she smiled lazily.

“There's one in my room you might like,”

“I can't go up the stairs.” He said to her sadly.

“That stupid charm is in here too? Ugh.” She marked her page and stood. “I'll go get it.”

It seemed that she was gone for an infinitive long time, when she finally came down the stairs trying to do a two step of some kind. She danced around the room to him and then with an imaginary curtsy, sat the book down in his lap. He looked at it and snorted. “Lily, this book is older than me.” As she twirled around, she smacked him in the head. “Ow! Fine, I'll read it.” And so, blowing dust off the cover, he opened to the first page of Pride and Prejudice.

He read the first line and snorted, looking up at Lily, who was sacked out on the couch again, getting comfortable with her book. He recited to her, “'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.' What is this rubbish?”

“Shut your trap, James, I'm trying to read.”

He pouted, and moved uncomfortably against the back of the couch. “So am I,” he muttered. “When's the full moon?” He asked her, out of the blue.

She looked out the window. “Tonight, why,”

James jumped up and screamed, “Shit!”

“Oh no, Remus, where is he?” She asked him, jumping up and trying to find her wand.

“He's in their dormitory with Sirius!” His voice rang feverishly in the air, and he flew out of the room with his wand in hand with Lily rushing after him.

“Lily, you cannot come.” He told her flatly, as they ran to Gryffindor Tower.

“I can't? Why not! What are you going to that can possibly control a fully grown werewolf?”

He skidded and turned around and looked at her, his facial expression maniacal. She took a step back from him in fright. “Magic,” he told her, “hold my wand, please.” She took it, looking at him questioningly, and he closed his eyes and turned into a stag for a moment, and then turned back into him.

“What- you're an- illegal?” She asked rushing out her words and not finishing or starting sentences.

“Yes, we all are, except for Remus. Haven't you noticed that he looks better lately after the full moon? It's because we're helping him. He's not hurting himself.”

“We have to get him outside some how, or else he'll terrorize all the students in the Gryffindor tower.”

“Duh, Lily,” He told her, running again, and they stopped quickly as they got to the Fat Lady. She wasn't there. “What the hell!” He cried, and ran back to the Head's room, Lily sprinting after him. “The one night we need her most she isn't there!” He swore loudly and ran farther ahead; darting around a corner and through a passage she didn't even know was there.

She followed him and they ended up at their rooms again, he threw himself in and ran up the stairs. She followed him to his room, where he was tearing it apart trying to find his broom. “I think it's on the balcony,” she told him quietly, and he rushed out onto the balcony and almost tripped over it.

“Stay here,” he told her with such authority she could only nod. He flew off into the night, and she looked up at the sky. There were thick clouds in front of the moon, but they won't be there in two minutes are so. And then Remus will become what he always had.

Sirius rolled over in his bed and stared at Remus surprised, who was standing over his bed, his eyes dull and dead looking. “Remus?” he asked him, surprised. “What's wrong?”

“Full moon,” he whispered dully, “tonight.”

“Oh fuck,” Sirius whispered, pushing past Remus to look out the window. There were clouds over the moon, but some of the rays were showing through. He looked behind him and saw Remus fidgeting oddly. “We have to get you out,” Sirius threw open the window and James zoomed in, making Sirius fall over in surprise.

“Remus, get on the broom,” he said steely.

“I won't, I'll hurt you.”

“I don't care!” James roared at him. “You can't stay here; you'll frighten everyone and maul this room to bits. You have to get out of the castle.” He looked at the sky, and the clouds were moving. “We're wasting time; get on the broom, NOW!”

Remus quivered as he walked over to James broom and got on behind him, wrapped his arms weakly around James' stomach. “Meet us at the tree,” he told Sirius, and then dived out the window.

The clouds passed over the moon and then all the moon beams streamed on them when they were ten yards from the ground. Remus seized up and went rigid. James dropped the level of his broom until they were two yards from the ground, and then he jerked himself and Remus over the broom and fell to the ground. Remus' limbs started shaking uncontrollably. James jumped up and backed away from him staring. Remus was on his knees, and he snarled, his head lengthening and his body as well.

His shoulders were hunching and hair was sprouting everywhere, and his hands were turning into claws, and then he roared, leaping up, and charged at James. James stood stock still, frozen in fear. He did the first thing his instincts told him to do, run. While he ran, he closed his eyes and squeezed them hard, trying to turn into Prongs. Almost immediately, his body hunched over so he was running on his hands and his knees, but they were now his hooves. He felt the rippling on his skin as the hair took over and felt his face lengthening. His eyesight became blurred and he sensed his eyes moving farther apart. His antlers grew as he ran through the trees into the forest.

Damn it, he thought, how could the teachers forget!

He forced the werewolf; he wasn't Remus now, to double back so they were running back to the school. The werewolf skidded to a halt, raised his muzzle into the air, and sniffed. And then he charged toward the school, toward the tree, where Sirius stood, waiting for them. As soon as James burst through the trees and saw Sirius, he changed instantly into the great big black dog of his, wagged his tail in greeting, and bounded away from them, playfully leading them on a chase that zigzagged in and out of the forest.

Lily grumbled as she watched the three of them having a delightful romp on the grounds, going in and out of the forest. She yawned and looked at her watch. It was around eleven o'clock, and she was usually asleep before ten. She shrugged and exited James' room and went into her own. She took a cold shower, she always preferred those when she took showers at night, changed into her pajamas, and was asleep not a minute after her head hit the pillow.

She tossed and turned in her sleep, muttering to herself, listening half asleep for Remus' howl, and Sirius' accompanying bark. She felt someone put their hand on her cheek, cupping her head in their hands and talking to her in a soothing manner. She smiled as she went into a dreamless deep sleep.

Somailia jumped from her sleep for a reason unknown to her and threw open her curtains. “Oh, you again, Hello,” she said to that boy pleasantly. He blinked his luminous green eyes at her again. “I have been watching him.”

“And Potters,”

“I've been watching Lily and James as well. They're perfectly fine.”

The boy mumbled out, “And Sirius.”

She gave him a miserable half-smile. “He's still very hurt about what happened, but he's getting happier, he knows he'll see her later on.”

“Pettigrew will die,” He spat looking at her with narrowed eyes.

“I'll kill him I promise,” she swore to him. He nodded, she blinked, and when she opened her eyes again, he was gone. She looked at her clock, and it blinked one forty-seven at her sleepily. “Ghost hour sucks.” She ripped closed her curtains, and her pillow gave a healthy whump as her head fell upon it. She went into an uneasy sleep.

She sat waiting for him as he came back. “So,” she said grinning at him lopsidedly. “How's it like?”

“She was sleeping,” he whispered to her. “She told me she would kill him, she's watching Remus, Potters are pretty much good to go, and he still misses you.”

Katie still smiled, watching him. “So, you didn't get to see your dad or mum?”

“I can only visit the people who can sense it.” Harry mumbled to her sadly. “But I got to see my mum, she was sleeping restlessly, and I held her head in my hand and she went right to sleep.” She got up and hugged him tightly.

“It's okay, baby boy,” she said to him like she would talk to a toddler, “you'll get to meet them soon enough.”

“What's today?” He asked her, looking at her with those luminous eyes.

“April 29th, 1978. Sorry.”

“Almost a year and half until I'm actually conceived,”

“At least you live until you're what, twenty-three? I died when I was sixteen. I have to wait about seventeen more years until he's here with me again.”

“You'll have my parents in three years.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she waved the apologetic remark away with a flick of her wrist. “I still have you for half a year.” She patted him on the cheek and kissed him on the lips, bold as you please. “God, how long have I been here?”

“Three or for months, give or take.”

“That sucks. Are they still out there, running around?”

“Only for another half an hour,” he mumbled his head in the crook of her neck.

“Well, let them have their fun while they can. That stupid Pettigrew is gallivanting off with the Slytherins somewhere.”

“He's a royal ba-”

“Bacon,” She cried, and ran over to the tray that just appeared. “I missed bacon,” she said, closing her eyes and savoring the taste.

“Right, bacon,” He said, walking over to the tray and sat in an overstuffed chair that appeared out of no where. He slumped over and put his head in his hands.

“You know,” she said looking at him as she chewed on her bacon, “I've seen your dad do that exact same thing before. I know you'll be fed up with this, but you look just like him.”

“I know, I know. Even he's told me.”

“You should go to sleep, buddy boy.” He nodded, stood and kissed her cheek, and disappeared. He came back a few seconds later.

“Can I have some bacon?” He said, tears welling up in his eyes. She gave him the tray. “Bye,”

“Bye,” he disappeared again, and she swallowed her mouthful, and watched the three true Marauders run around until the moon disappeared and they were themselves.

“The sad thing is,” she whispered to herself, “he won't remember anything about this once he's born.” With a soggy smile on her face, she turned from the sky, and disappeared, going off to her dream room.

-->

23. N.E.W.T's and Graduation

In the Tower

Part One: N.E.W.T's and Graduation

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except for a little bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: Ack, these are meaningless and you already know that I don't own it. Do I have to write it over and over again?

Author's Note: This chapter is really not my best...

Previously: “Can I have some bacon?” He said, tears welling up in his eyes. She gave him the tray. “Bye,”

“Bye,” he disappeared again, and she swallowed her mouthful, and watched the three true Marauders run around until the moon disappeared and they were themselves.

“The sad thing is,” she whispered to herself, “he won't remember anything about this once he's born.” With a soggy smile on her face, she turned from the sky, and disappeared, going off to her dream room.

Why, you ask, was I bound and chained in this cold and dismal place? Not for any mortal sin, but the wickedness of my abhorrent face! Erik, Phantom of the Opera

“Oh shut up Remus,” Somailia said wearily, falling onto the nearest couch and sagging into it with a sigh of relief. “I have testing tomorrow as well, and I would like to have a good sleep before the time comes.”

“Right, sorry,” Remus said, snapping her text book shut and putting it down on the table in front of her.

“It's okay,” she said, slurring her words and waving her hand away, warding off the apology.

“I'm just really nervous,” he said, his whine coming in to play again.

“Remus, you're smart, you'll do fine,” she swore.

“Yes, yes, but how do you know?” He said, his eyes glittering with nervousness.

“Do I have to knock sense into you, or should I let James do it?”

“You have to relax,” she told him soothingly. She stood and rubbed her eyes, stretching and yawning. “Now, if you'll excuse, I'm going to bed,” and with a lethargic kiss on his temple that made him instantly relax, she tromped out of the Gryffindor Common room and strolled down to her dormitory, completely forgetting about her text book.

“Sirius,” she said casually in greeting as he walked past.

“Hey Som,” he said, catching her around the waist, swinging her around and kissing her sweetly on the cheek. She yawned widely. “What's wrong?”

“The testing is tomorrow,” she said, ignoring the fact that he was so ignorant to it. “And all I want to do right now is sleep.”

“Sleep then,” he said to her lightly, twirled her out of his arms, and then he jogged lightly to the portrait of the fat lady. “Pleasant seeing you today, my dear.” He said, grinning handsomely. “That pink dress on you is very flattering.” She blushed, her skin color blotching.

“Why thank you, Mister Black,”

“Bumblebees,” he said dreamily.

She grinned and let him in right away. She would live to regret how sweet he is one day. He skipped into the common room and jumped down onto the nearest couch, landing limply on a soft figure. He looked down at the figure and grinned softly. She reached up and touched his cheek with a shy smile on her face. “Hello Sirius,” she said softly.

He raised those awesomely shaped eyebrows at her and quirked a grin. “Guinevere,” he said suavely, “how are you today?”

“Fine I guess,” she said, squirming comfortably underneath his weight. “I'm really nervous about our N.E.W.T's though,”

We all make mistakes. No one can admit that they haven't. Sirius has made a number of mistakes in his life, and will continue to make many mistakes. This was just one of the many.

“I think I can help you with that,” he said smoothly as he leaned down and kissed her deeply, and she moved up toward him willingly. The Portrait opened for a moment.

“I think I-,” Sirius heard a girl say, but he couldn't tell who, he was too involved into this dammed kiss. “Oh my gods,” He heard next, a strangled shout of his name, and then the portrait slamming shut. Sirius shrugged it off and continued kissing Guinevere deeply.

The portrait opened again, and the next thing he felt was him being tugged out of Guinevere's hold on him by the back of his shirt. He landed on his knees, and with his eyes narrowed, turned to look at the ignoramus who did that to him. She looked at him with a cool disregard. “You're an idiot.”

She pulled him up from the back of his shirt and dragged him out of the portrait, threw him out, snapped at him to talk to Somailia because she's quite pissed off at you, and then stomped into the common room again, where Sirius could hear Lily screaming at Guinevere.

“I didn't expect that from you,” Somailia sneered at him with a haunted look in her eyes.

“Come on Somailia, it's been at least four months.”

“You are an asshole! You loved each other! And I just saw you-” she stuttered out the last words disbelievingly.

“What? Saw me what? As a prime roast? Or a turkey sub? Was I on a motorcycle? Or in tight leather pants? I know you want me to be in that.”

“You're disgusting! I don't know why she even liked, loved, you and I have no clue how I could stand you for so long!”

“It seemed that I was your friend only because of her.”

“That's what I implied, isn't it? I guess it's true than.”

“How do you feel about me?” He said, coming closer, and she narrowed her eyes at him and stood her ground.

“Well, couched inside me I want to hate you. But I know I can't, because you and your stupid antics and that tiny bit of your saving people thing has grown on me. And you're a good friend, most the time, and you really help me out, but I hate the way you deal with things.”

He pulled a sympathetic face and stepped toward her, his arms outstretched toward her. She dodged out of his reach. “I don't need your fake sympathy.” She told him coldly, taking his facial expression and his attitude the wrong way. “All I need is my charms book.”

Lily jumped out of the portrait hole at that time with her eyes blazing and threw Somailia her charms book. She caught it easily, gave Sirius one last cold look, spun on her heel and darted away. Lily and Sirius both watched her go, and once she disappeared from their vision, Lily looked hard at Sirius. “You're an idiot.”

“It didn't mean anything!” Sirius cried, trying to defend himself, following her when she started walking away.

“Yeah, just like Snape doesn't mean anything to James.”

“He doesn't.” Sirius said, confused.

“Exactly, but it might mean something to someone else.” She lengthened her stride, and he did the same. She would not rid of him that easily.

“But he doesn't mean anything to anybody.”

“Sirius, everyone means something to someone, no matter what you think.”

“That's not true.”

“Sirius,” she said sighing, rounding on him. “One insignificant person can change everything.”

“Like Snape can change anything,” Sirius scoffed.

“Sirius, the President, all presidents, at some point in their life weren't that special.”

“What about her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second? She was special!”

She sputtered. “Of course she was different, she was a princess. The royal family has always been special.”

“Fine, fine.” They left it at that.

They started walking aimlessly through the halls. Sirius saw someone move out of the corner of his eye, and said instantly and calmly, “fuck off Snape.”

“Language, Black, language.”

“Bugger off, Severus, we're just walking. You should be studying.”

“The fiery mudblood and the pureblood traitor, what will dear Potty have to say for it?” He raised his eyebrows innocently.

“Why are you even reprimanding us? Ten points from Slytherin for stupid name calling.” Lily snapped at him.

“That cannot do anything to us now,” He whispered heavily, and Sirius and Lily took a step toward each other in the cold that suddenly encased them.

Lily, thinking quickly, snorted. “You sound like Gollum. `My precious,'” she said, making the s's become very long and drawn out.

The candles that lit the halls since seven thirty that evening were suddenly snuffed out. Lily stiffened and almost collided with Sirius to try and reach him. They heard Snape's slimly laugh somewhere off to their right. “Bad luck to you,” he said slyly, and Lily felt something cold grab hold of her arm and start pulling her.

Snape, in the darkness, sauntered over to Sirius, who was whimpering, looking around madly in the darkness. “He took her, you know.”

“Who, what-” Sirius screamed.

“The Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, he took her, if you know what I mean.” Snape disappeared, cackling away. Sirius was screaming, trying to run, trying to hide from the visual that suddenly came into his eyes.

Lily tried to scream but she couldn't, smoke wrapped around her neck, lifting her and pulling tighter, like a noose. Her eyes widened and she tried to look at Sirius, and he was running she could see the gleam of his thick hair swinging trying to run away. But the scary thing was that he running from someone, he was running from the dark. It was swooping after him, spread out and looming over him. It suddenly plunged down onto him, and he felt to the floor with a loud scream, his wand flying out of his hand and landing on Lily's shoe. Her face was turning purple as the smoke clenched tighter, but she threw her foot forward like a cheerleader and his wand landed into her hand.

She summoned up her happiest memory, all the Marauders simply grinning at her no trace of contempt or being unsettled anywhere. “Expecto Patronum!” A weak smoke came out of his wand, and she changed her mind, gasping for breath. The memory that immediately came to her mind was James and her were, well, I really cannot say. She focused all her energy on remembering the ecstasy of the moment, and she cried out, “expecto patronum!”

A Siberian tiger burst out of his wand and loped over to the deep patch of darkness, darker than anywhere else in the corridor. It tore into the lethifold and pulled Sirius out by his collar. He crawled on his hands and knees gasping, and Lily started going dizzy. Her patronus sensed it and ran toward her, bunched together, and sprung at her, and the smoke instantly pulled back, and her patronus leapt through her, and she felt the rush of absolute happiness as she fell toward the ground.

She clutched at her neck, and turned, massaging the area, looking through the corridor for it. It had already dissolved, and the torches in the hall burst into their light and she and Sirius were instantly encased in it. They crawled toward each other panting, and then threw themselves at each other, hugging each other close to them. They knew each other in a new light now. They knew they would always have the other's back, even if the other didn't want it.

James groaned and rubbed his temples, closing his eyes and trying to find some peace as he crammed in some last hours for his N.E.W.T's the next day. He opened his eyes and scanned them quickly over the page, reciting the words in front of him quickly. He slammed the book shut, and walked slowly up to his room, fell onto his bed and drifted restlessly off to sleep.

Remus shifted uneasily in his bed, twisting and turning every which way. He jumped up and gasped, looking around the hangings of his bed wildly. He was breathing like he just ran a marathon. He got out of his bed quickly and tore of the dormitory, looking. For what, he wasn't so sure. His cat, Milkshake, was awaken by his rummaging, and her meow echoed in the silent air. He ignored her.

He fell to his knees in front of Peter's bed and looked under it. That's when he saw it. There was a pool of blood underneath something. He couldn't tell what it was. He reached under the bed and touched it, feeling the utter coolness of it. He closed his eyes in a grimace, wrapped his hand around whatever he was touching, and gave it a swift jerk. The dead weight of it moved a few scant inches.

He backed up and pulled harder. It came free from its hiding place, and he opened his eyes. Tears instantly sprang into it. Lily's body was lying in front of him, knife holes plunged into her skin repeatedly, and the knife was sitting innocently in her heart, its cool silver light glaring in the moonlight.

He gasped and jumped out from his bed, and ran over to Peter's and looked under it. Nothing was there. He fell to his knees in a kneeling position and cried pitifully, thankfully. Sirius stepped languidly into the room and fell on his bed. He yowled at the next moment and jumped up, looking for Remus. “You're cat just bit me in the balls,” He stated plainly, then raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “What happened?”

Remus just waved it away, sobbing heavily. “Okay then,” he said still looking at him concerned. He linked his fingers together behind his back and stretched them as far out as they would go. His shoulders cracked, and he shuddered in delight. He sat on his bed, careful to avoid an aggravated Milkshake, and said randomly, “Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” Remus said, wiping his eyes and looking at him.

Sirius gave him a strange look. “Did you like Lily?”

“Yes,” Remus said slowly, “in fourth year. Truth or Dare?”

“Dare,” Sirius answered promptly, easily.

Remus grinned maliciously. “Go streaking through all the halls, and make sure people see you. Do the N.E.W.T's in the nude,” he said, thinking of something he knew that Sirius, and most of the girl population, wouldn't mind.

“Deal,”

Lily almost got whiplash as she saw Sirius streak by, his hair flying out behind him in a banner. “Sirius, detention tomorrow night, and please, NO MORE STREAKING!” He turned around and started jogging backwards, and she shielded her eyes. He saluted her, and then took off running again. “Damn that stupid boy,” she growled, and continued on her way back to the Head's Room.

She stomped into the head's room and up to James' room, where she shook him awake. “What-,” he asked drowsily.

“Sirius is streaking through the halls,” she told him flatly, and he burst out laughing in his sleepy stupor.

“I'll deal with it tomorrow,” he said, and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.

“Please do, I don't like seeing him dangle there. I'm sure the other half of the lady population won't mind, but I do.”

“Remus probably dared him,”

“Remus would never do something like that,” she said affronted.

“Yes, he would.”

“No, he wouldn't,” she bantered.

“Lily, he's been one of my best friends for seven years now. I'm pretty sure I know he would dare Sirius to do that.” He turned and buried himself deeper into his blankets. “Now, if you don't mind, I want to sleep. You can go to your bed as well, testing tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She grumbled and he watched his wall as her silhouette bent uncertainly over his bed, change its mind, and walked away, shutting the door. He groaned and buried his head in his pillow. He was going to be up for a while.

Somailia walked down to breakfast dolefully, clutching her books to her chest as she climbed down the steps. “Hello, Somailia,” a voice said from close by her, and she stopped on the steps and waited for him.

“Hey Sirius,” she said, still looking at her feet, instinctively going the route to the Great Hall she knew so well. As they walked toward the great hall she felt all the people walking around them, and she felt them staring at her and Sirius.

When one of the girls walking toward them fainted and everyone gasped, she looked up. Everyone was gawking at them, and she looked confused at Sirius. He was grinning leisurely at them all. She clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened involuntarily.

“Sirius,” she squeaked out, and he looked at her with that smile still on his face. “You're naked.”

“Yup,”

“Why?”

“Remus dared me,” Sirius said, just as Remus jogged down the stairs, yawning and stretching, his hair flopping all around his face and getting in his eyes. She rolled her eyes and shoved one of her books in front of him.

“Keep it there, I have to go yell at my boyfriend now.”

“Okay!” He said cheerfully, and waved at her before trotting off into the Great Hall. As he disappeared behind the doors, she saw her book fall outside the hall, and not a few seconds later, everyone screamed.

“You're an idiot,” She said as she walked up to Remus, who smiled at her sweetly.

“Um, thank you?” He said looking down at her. She shoved her books into his stomach, and he doubled over, gasping. “What was that for?”

“For being an idiot,”

“How am I an idiot?” He said, collecting his breath and standing up straight, following her down the stairs and to wherever she was going, because it wasn't the Great Hall.

“That stupid prank of yours humiliated me! He was walking right next to me for at least three-”

“You didn't notice?” Remus interrupted her, stifling laughter.

“No I didn't notice!” She yelled at him indignantly, stopping and looking at him.

“How?”

“I was looking at my books, thank you very much. I only looked up when I heard a girl hit the ground in a dead faint!”

He laughed, and told her tenderly, “At least you weren't the naked one, eh?”

“That isn't funny Remus!”

“At least he had his wand,” he cut himself off, stuffing his fist into his mouth and laughing harder.

“You- you're despicable! That's gross!”

“I learned it from a Marauder,” he said, smiling. “Now c'mon,” he held his hand out to her, which she pointedly ignored, sticking her nose up in the air arrogantly. “Please?”

She reluctantly stuck her hand out and he grabbed it, pulling her towards him. Her lips twitched as she was holding back a smile, but kept her face rigidly impassive. He wrapped his free arm around her back and held her tightly to his lanky frame, and she slowly let her tension out until she was standing limply, and happily, in his arms.

“Now we're pretty late for breakfast, and your exams start in, what, half an hour? My N.E.W.T's start at around the same time, we have to go now.” She shook her head against the crook of his neck.

“Can't we just stand here?”

“We can if you want me to fail, and you want you to fail yourself.”

“Fine, fine, if we must.” She slowly unraveled herself out of his arms, picked up the books she dropped before walking over to him again. Benignly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple as they started walking back toward the Great Hall.

“James, please just give him the detention now. And just conjure up some clothes for him, please!” Lily begged James, burrowing her head into James' chest as Sirius ambled into the Great Hall, shocking every occupant in it.

“I think it's rather funny,” James said, smirking as Sirius sat down in front of him and squirmed uneasily.

“I'm gonna have splinters in my ass, I can tell,” he grumbled, telling James. He tilted his head back and bellowed out some deep laughter, and Lily felt it coming up from his belly.

“Sirius, sorry to spoil this dare, but I have to get you some clothes.”

“No, don't!” Sirius cried, jumping up and instantly sitting back down again, catching the stares of the girls that were watching him hungrily. “This is only the first half.”

“Oh dear lord no,” Lily wailed, taking her head from James' chest to hitting it repeatedly on the table.

“Don't be doing that, Lilikins, you'll kill all those precious brain cells you need in there,” Sirius said, and she grimaced and closed her eyes.

“I'd rather be killing my eyes so I wouldn't have to see that, thanks.”

She heard a tid bit of a conversation coming a few seats away. “How did that fit in me?”

“And my ears too,” she told Sirius, who heard the conversation as well. James, scowling, pulled Lily's ears, and ignoring Sirius' pleas, conjured up some clothes that instantly snaked their way onto Sirius.

“You suck,” Sirius told him sulkily.

“Only lollypops,” James said, making Lily smirk against the table.

Sirius smirked even more. “What kind of lollypops?” He questioned innocently.

James looked like he was about to explode with laughter. Lily in horror slithered her way beneath the table.

“Evans is trying to catch a peek!” She heard someone shout, and loud, obnoxious laughter consumed the hall, coming loudest from the Slytherins.

She quickly tried to sit up and hit her head on the top of the table, and the slam echoed in the strange silence that consumed their area of the Gryffindor table. James grabbed her by the back of the robes and slowly lifted her so, humiliated, everyone could laugh at her openly. “Back straight, face impassive, and they'll known they can't get to you,” he told her raucously in her ear.

She did as he told and the laughter slowly dwindled, and everyone went back to their own business. “Good enough,” Sirius said as he picked at his food angrily.

“Oh come off it, Sirius!” James said to him, his face pleasant but his tone low and almost a growl. “Did you really want to prance around the whole school naked?”

Sirius looked down at his food and mumbled out mournfully, “Maybe.”

“You're not proving to anybody that you're great, you know.” James said to him flatly, and Lily saw a tear drop onto Sirius' plate. “You think that you're the king and everyone will worship you, but you know they don't. You're a fading star, and I know you know it. Don't try to be bright again.” James stood abruptly and walked stiffly out of the hall, not looking back for them.

With a mélange of anger, pity, and over all grief, Lily stood from her side of the table and walked over to Sirius', pulled him up by tugging on his arm briefly, and then with her arm around his waist to keep him upright more than show any compassion, walked out of the Great Hall.

When they had reached, the area of the halls that no one would even look in them for, Lily stopped them, and then hugged Sirius tightly. He stood emotionless in her grasp, and looked over her head, his stare blank. “C'mon Sirius, he didn't mean that,” she pleaded with him.

“Yes he did, he meant every word.”

“No he didn't!”

“Sirius, you are not a fading star. Like he would know what was going on in the sky,” she said, smirking. “You're the brightest star, and that reflects onto your personality. You're brilliant, you're stupendous, and I hope I'm not making your ego grow, and you're just you, Sirius. Me, nor James, nor anybody else, could change and shape you.”

He finally looked down at her and his eyes watered ever so slightly. She reached up and threw her arms around his neck, forcing him to shrink to a bit over her height, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist.

“We're going to be late if you don't actually hug me, because I'll keep us waiting until you do,” she told him seriously. He groaned and hugged her tightly for a few moments. “Okay, now we can go,” she said, and they pulled away from each other, and happily, skipped down the corridor to the Great Hall.

Remus and Somailia almost banged heads with Sirius and Lily as they turned the corner to the Great Hall. “Oh, hullo,” Lily said cheerfully to them, and Somailia raised an eyebrow at her.

“Right… where's James?”

“Crap,” Sirius said as Lily bolted away from them, screaming James' name. Sirius plugged his ears, and Remus wisely did the same. He looked at his watch, and then counted slowly.

“Five, four, three-,” Remus slowly counted. Lily screamed so loudly the walls reverberated with the sound, and Somailia instantly jammed her fingers into her ears. “She's early today!” Remus shouted to Sirius, who nodded in agreement.

“Why is she screaming?” Somailia shouted loudly to make herself heard over Lily's incessant high pitch and now the low rumble of James' yelling.

Sirius looked over at her and winked. “Mating call of the Potters,”

She looked at him abashed. Then she grinned wolfishly. “Wonder what it's like when they're doing it.”

Sirius laughed whole heartedly and Remus just shook his head, smiling slightly to himself. “Do you think they have enough time for it?” He asked them.

Sirius looked at him and experimentally unplugged his ears. They started ringing from the sound, but he ignored it. “Well, it depends on how long they want to keep doing it.”

“Knowing them,” Somailia said lightly, “it'll be a while.”

“Nah,” Remus said, shaking his head. “I think that they'll make it short so they won't miss the exams.” Somailia's eyes widened.

“Crap! My first exam is in Divination,” she looked down at her watch, “and it starts in five minutes! Oh holy shit, I'm gonna be late! Uh, well, bye!” She said, kissed Remus full on the lips for a moment, blew Sirius a kiss which he `caught' and placed on his cheek, pretending to blush and be bashful. She ran and turned around a corner but they heard her steps long after they could no longer see her.

Remus trembled as the screaming stopped, and then started quickly again. “Make up sex,” Sirius murmured.

Remus snorted loudly and clapped a hand over his mouth, keeping, or at least trying, to hold in the laughter. “Ah c'mon boyo,” Sirius said, shuddering, “We can't possibly worry about those weirdoes now; we have a few big exams to take this morning. Shall we go in and make up lame excuses for their absence?”

“Let's,” Remus said, and they shook on it. “Now we're really going to be late you know,”

“Right,” Sirius said in a way that made him sound very much like Hugh Grant. He didn't know that of course, Hugh Grant's first movie came out in 1982. “Right, shall we go then?”

They bowed to each other formally, linked arms, and set off at a trot back to the great hall. As soon as they turned the corner all the seventh years, excluding James and Lily of course, was standing in front of them, nervously counting on their fingers or waving their wands. “What exam is this?” Sirius asked, trying to remember.

“Ah… transfiguration,”

“Really?” Sirius said, sounding perplexed. “James really should be here, then.”

“Speak of the devil,” Remus muttered as James came skidding up to them, his hair messier than usual and his clothes astray. “You missed some buttons there, James.” Remus said, nodding toward James' shirt.

He looked down at it, and indeed more than a few buttons were unbuttoned, enough to make all the girls completely want to start drooling. He buttoned them up haphazardly, and Remus, throwing his hands up and muttering to himself, batted James' hands away and did them himself. “You put all the stupid buttons in the wrong hole.”

“Where's Lily?” James asked his eyes unfocused as he looked around the hall.

“Coming around the corner,” Sirius said cheerfully, and indeed, she was. She walked in casually, looking like she didn't just do you-know-what with James.

The examiners had arrived the day before, and as soon as Griselda Marchbanks threw, open the doors, the Marauders, excluding Peter and including Lily, marched confidently in.

Somailia shook with pride as she was given her Exam results. She opened it warily, and then she squealed so loudly half the Great Hall looked at her. But she didn't care, or even realized it, for she jumped over the table and ran over to Remus as he sat down at the Gryffindor table. She hugged him tightly from behind and his eyes popped in surprise. James laughed quietly to himself as he sat down, and Lily grinned as she walked by to go talk to Guinevere. Sirius slid into the seat next to James, and watched the other two, perplexed.

“I got O's in everything!” Somailia cried, far too happy, as she sat down and shoved her results in James' face. “See, see, and see?”

“Er, yes.” James said, scanning over the parchment with a silly grin on his face. He gave it to Sirius, and Somailia just kept grinning, and sat down next to Remus, who wrapped an arm around her waist. From an outsider's perspective it looked like he was being possessive, but in reality, well, he just liked holding her tightly.

“Congrats,” Sirius said formally, handing the parchment back to her solemnly, “you are now a braniac geek! Just like you're boyfriend.” He looked over at James, who took on the same expression. “We failed, mate. Guess it's time to go back to Hell.”

“Damnation,” James said, and took off his glasses to wipe his eyes mournfully. A real tear leaked out of his eyes. “And I was so happy here, molesting girls and violating everything I was brought up to be.”

Somailia leaned toward Remus and whispered something in his ear, looking at the other two suspiciously. He nodded and grinned. Somailia sat again, grinned at them, and kicked James in the shin while Remus did the same with Sirius. They both screamed and jumped up, hopping on one foot while massaging their shins. Lily looked at the yelling boys, looked at Somailia and Remus with a raised eyebrow, and then raised her goblet in a sober salute. Remus nodded his head in acknowledgement and Somailia, in a sudden rush of excitement, saluted her, grinning widely.

James stopped hopping first, glared half-heartedly at the couple, suddenly grinned and leaned over the table and gave Somailia a full kiss on the lips, did the same to Remus, and then trotted over to Lily, who he kissed deeply, and she responded in the same way.

Sirius just kind of smiled and said to Somailia, “Good job, and see ya later.” And then, his head bowed and ignoring the world around him, he walked away.

Somailia sighed, her excitement blown out of her and looked at Remus, who was watching Sirius walk out of the hall. He finally shook his head and looked back at her. “I hate when he tries to be a loner.”

“Me too,”

“He really annoys me when this happens.”

“Completely agree.”

“Whose turn is it to comfort him?”

Remus took a small notebook out of his pocket and flipped a few pages. “You still own me…. Twenty-five more until we're even.”

“I knew that,” She said, and reluctantly stood, pulling her exam results toward her. She folded them and handed them to Remus. “Uh… just hold them for me.”

“No problem,” he said smiling gently at her. He lengthened his spine, you guys know how to do that don't know, and he kissed her sweetly on the cheek. “Bye,” he whispered against her skin, and she smiled just listening to him.

“Bye,” she said, kissing him on the forehead, and with a regretful good-bye, ran out of the hall into the direction they watched Sirius run to.

Sirius trudged slowly around the castle, wishing that it would snow instead of it being hot and sunny. But his wishes, like all of his wishes lately, weren't going to come true, so he settled into going into the cold recess of his mind. After a long while, he was tackled to the ground and landed on his stomach, while whoever knocked him down sat on his waist, straddling his waist and cackling happily. “Now come on, tell me that wasn't fun.”

“That wasn't fun.”

“Bloody wanker,” Somailia said, snatching up some of his thick silky hair and braiding it messily. He felt the slight pull as she pulled his hair tighter, and they sat like that for an hour, or so it seemed, until she was done and his hair was done in odd braids scattered all about his head. “There!” She said, satisfied. “It's lovely,”

He groaned. “You know this kind of hurts for me?”

“Really,” she asked, interested as she drummed a little tune on his back with her fists, “I did not know that!”

“It's uncomfortable, you're a dead weight.”

She dug her fist painfully into his shoulder and he groaned again, and put his head down onto the cold stone floor. “That felt good.” They said at the same time.

“I'm only 125,”

“All the other girls who did this were around one hundred.”

“Because all the girls you've had on your back are sluts and only think that if they weight 100 pounds, have their face caked in makeup, lost their virginity when they were fifteen and not afraid to flaunt it are perfect.” And then she laughed lightly and leaned over him closer. “Besides,” she whispered, trying to hold back a giggle, “aren't you supposed to be on their backs when you want it like this?”

Sirius paused a moment. “Yes,”

She giggled loudly in his ear and had to place her head between his shoulder blades to keep from her laugh to ring through out the halls. “That wasn't that funny you know,” Sirius said, shifting his weight around.

“It is to a sixteen year old girl with her mind in the gutter and her boyfriend hasn't pressured her to doing any more than she wanted to do.”

Sirius sulked as thoughts whizzed through his mind. “Sirius!” Katie gasped, giggling as they pulled back from each other in his bed at the Potter house.

“What?” He stated innocently. She removed his hand from her inner thigh and placed it flat against her stomach.

“Nothing,”

“I never forced any girl to do something they weren't ready to do.” Somailia slowly climbed off him, walked over to the wall they were closest to and sat down, twiddling her thumbs in her lap. He crawled over to her and sat down beside her.

“That's because they were scared you would make fun of them if they said no. So they simply didn't.” She looked up at him as a tear trickled down her cheek. “You weren't used to the word no, were you? Still aren't,” she shook her head, sniffling. “She was your first no, and you suffered for it. The other girls were just flings, one night stands, flavors of the week, and they all told you to keep going on, don't stop, and you didn't. But she told you no and that were new to you. And you're still suffering because that was the chance you never had.” She carefully diverted her eyes from his.

Sirius sighed. They were back to talking about this again. The one thing they talked about for months, alone, crying together. He put his arm hesitantly around her shoulders as she bowed her head to cry, and then threw herself into his arms, crying loudly. He tilted his head and kissed the crown of hers, ignoring the fact that his shirt was getting soaked. Somailia ignored the fact, after a few moments, that her hair was wet.

She whimpered it out so quietly that Sirius barely heard the whisper of it himself. “I want to know the fact how she did.”

“I wouldn't know,” Sirius said cockily. Somailia burst randomly into hysteric tears.

“She was my best friend ever and I just couldn't, still can't, believe she's gone dammit!” She burst into a fresh wave of tears. “I'll have no one next year to be with! She was my only friend at school before you guys came along.” She was wailing now, and Sirius patted her back awkwardly.

“I have to tell this to someone,” she said, getting up and backing away slowly, wiping her eyes despite the tears still flowing.

“Katie will hear it,” he said softly, and she looked at him, captured the last bits of composure and wrapped it around herself in a cemented, barbed wired wall.

She nodded curtly, and with a swift wave good bye, set off down the stairs, and tore out of the hall and toward the stairs. She didn't look back.

Lily put a hand to her mouth and watched Sirius silently as he undid his braids. Under James' invisibility cloak, in her mind she was contemplated what Somailia had er ranted. She didn't know what to expect anymore. This whole school was just a bloody roller coaster and she was barely hanging on over the hills and sharp turns, every school drama and scandals, ricocheting off each other nonstop. Passively, Sirius stood and twirled the last braid he had left in his locks, coincidently the one she first braided, in his fingers, looked straight past the suit of armor Lily was hiding behind and said hollowly, “I know you're there.”

She squeaked. “Just joking, I really didn't know you were there, but thank for letting me know you were.” Sirius said, and strolled off, bumping shoulders with Lily along the way. “Nice to know you like to invade my privacy.”

She threw the cloak over her head. “I was worried, I did this on my own, the other two didn't know about it!”

“But you're the one who wanted to do it, weren't you?”

“That's not how it is-!”

“Of course it isn't, but it's how it seems.”

He walked farther away and was almost in the shadows. “How long has she been ranting to you like that? How long have you two hidden those feelings?”

He turned on his heel and walked rapidly toward her, making her back up into the wall. “We've hidden it by not discussing it. How else do you hide something like that?”

“You don't,” she told him, gulping. “You just tell it.”

“Sometimes, Mrs. Potter, the truth is harder than hiding it.” He pulled back from his closeness with her. “Now if you'll excuse me, tomorrow is graduation, and I would like to have everything ready by then.” He glared at her, “Boxed and hidden away.”

“This will come back to you some day!” She called to him as he walked away, but he walked on, his back straight, head held him, purpose and power radiating from him. For the first time in a long time, Lily was dead scared of someone.

Somailia stared hard at the rain that fell outside her window as the train rushed by, gathering speed to a destination it goes back and forth to every year. Everything around her was unfeeling; the rain will fall on you, no matter who you are. The train rushed past everything without a second to look or care, just going past. She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the window and letting a tear leak out of her eye. The light glared down harshly all around her. James sat in front of her and Lily beside him. Remus was sitting right next to him, playing Exploding Snap with Sirius, who kept sending glances at Lily. Lily pretended to ignore them, and focused her attention on talking to James, who was holding up his end of the conversation quite happily.

James was fiddling with something in his pocket every few moments, and kept checking his watch. “Do you not want to talk to me?” Lily asked, frowning.

“No, no it's not that at all!” James said, jumping and looking at her. The compartment door slid open and Somailia heard her cheery voice.

“Anything off the trolley dears?” James jumped up and ran toward her, nodding rapidly. She moved out of his way and he rushed out of the room, shutting the door carefully.

Lily raised an eyebrow at his antics but shook her head; it was just another quirk of James' personality. She looked at Somailia, but she didn't notice. And the cold wall was unfeeling, because it was cold. And the window was unfeeling, because it could break any moment and let in the unfeeling rain.

“Som?” Lily asked quietly, and Somailia looked at her, cold and unfeeling, just like all the things she was listing in her head.

“What.” She questioned sharply, and Lily drew back, not expecting it.

“Um…” Lily said, speechless. “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?” She blurted out.

Somailia smiled slightly. “Ah, Mary Poppins, my favorite movie,”

“Yeah I love that movie,” Lily said as James came back into the room.

“Chocolate frogs for everyone,” He said cheerfully, and dumped the lot of it on the floor, which everyone dove for. He pulled out one from his pocket. “Chocolate for the lady who needs the chocolate,” He bowed, holding it out to her.

She snatched it out of his hands and blushed bashfully, but ripped it open anyway. He sat down next to her and watched her, his eyes lit up expectantly.

She was about to swallow when the chocolate got caught in her throat. She chocked and spluttered, and James pounded her hard on the back. Something covered in chocolate flew out of her mouth and landed on Remus' cheek, which he looked at disgusted. “Take it off my cheek please.”

Somailia, with a small grin, pulled her sleeve down over her arm and picked it up, dropping it into Lily's hands. She wiped it off on her jeans and looked at her carefully. “Oh my gods…” she said, trailing off. “You said when you were nineteen and I was eighteen!” Remus, Sirius, and Somailia stared at James, perplexed.

“My birthday is in two weeks, and you're birthday is in two months, am I right?” Lily nodded, and Somailia smirked and started jumping up and down in her seat.

“Well then, how about in three months?”

“Three months,” Lily breathed out, and nodded, her head in the clouds.

“What in three months?” Sirius and Remus shouted at the same time. Lily huddled into James' side for a moment, and then came out and shoved her hand in their faces. “I would rather not like to have that in my face- oh my gods.” Remus started, and then cut himself off.

It was a simple engagement ring, to say in the least. It was silver, and had little emeralds studded into it. When Sirius finally understood, he stood, grabbed Lily, and kissed her on the mouth. He put her back in her seat, lugged James up and did the same with him.

“I must say, Lily,” James joked, “now that Sirius kissed me, I may have to ask for that ring back.” He saw her face, “JUST KIDDING!”

“You better are kidding Mister Potter, because if you did, well….” She paused to find some words. “If you were serious, don't you dare say that pun-?”

“I wasn't going to!” Sirius whined.

“-than that might of given you uh… no sex for two months. And then I wouldn't marry you.”

James choked and started begging. “That's pathetic,” Remus muttered to Somailia, and she smiled slightly.

“Well, of course it is, but we're all still teenagers here. We all still want to have fun while we can.”

He turned her head and kissed her deeply, which she responded to. “You know,” Sirius said, interrupting the couples, who turned and glared at him, “I think there's been too much kissing lately.”

“Yeah right,” They all said together, snorting. “When have you ever thought, before, there was too much kissing?”

“Never, but I'm making up for it now.” Remus sat down, slammed Sirius in the wall and gave him many rough head noogies. “No, no please none, the dreaded noogies of Remus. Ahh!”

Harry and Katie watched them and were snorting like lunatics, munching on chicken wings, nuclear if you must know, and sipping on mineral water. “They're absolutely insane,” Harry said snorting so much that water came out of his nose and went through the clouds, landing on their window as rain. None of the Marauders, excluding Peter and including Somailia and Lily, noticed.

“Of course they are! They're my best friends and your parents after all.”

“You really weren't this insane when you came here.”

“I was depressed like you've never known,” she said, softly.

“I sense a but coming on…” he said, and Katie just to be literal sat on him.

“Yeah, a butt came on.”

He snorted and bit into his wing. “How are we eating these things? Aren't they like, super hot?”

“Of course they are, that's why they're called nuclear. But, hey, up here they taste exactly how you want them to taste. Like… mine tastes like chocolate most the time, because I'm a chocoholic, but then it'll taste like cookie dough, which has got to be the best thing in the world. What does yours taste like?”

Harry thought a moment, and took a huge bit of the chicken wing. He closed his eyes and sighed in bliss. “A muffin with bacon, cheese, and ketchup.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Those are rather good, I must agree.”

Katie looked down at the others again, who were singing at the top of their lungs, and getting lots of threats about it, “Lily and James sitting in a tree…” and you know the rest.

Katie snorted. “Sometimes, for being old teenagers, they are so childish.”

“They're trying to be happy during a time where everything only brings pain,” Harry said reasonably.

She whacked him on the back of a head with a bone she just polished off. “Let me think poetically here, please?”

“If you're the poet, I'm the writer,” he said shifting to the side so rapidly she fell off him and landed on the edge of the cloud, where he picked her up one handed. “You're quite light.”

“Yeah right,” she said, lying flat on her stomach again. “Light being 120, right,”

“On the contrary, I've had to lift 245 before.”

“Ouch! What were you lifting?”

He looked at her sadly. “Ron and Ginny,”

“Sorry baby,” she said, wrapping a sympathetic arm around him and pulling her to her, kissing his temple and letting him burrow his head into the crook of his neck, trying hard not to cry.

“You want to know the saddest thing?” Harry muttered.

“What,” she said, dropping her newest chicken wing and stroking his hair.

“Before you're born you can only hang out with people who've already died. You're great fun and all, don't get me wrong, but you didn't have to go through what I did.”

“I've been through a lot more than you know,” she said softly, and hugged him tightly, before he fell asleep in her arms, exhausted from her tears.

“Hurry up, James and Lily, so he'll know what real love is before he's too far gone.” She whispered into the fading afternoon, and it flew away from her into the howling wind below.

-->

24. 1978- 1979 and 1/2

In the Tower

Part Two: 1978-1979 and HALF

Summary: Sirius, Remus, and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except a little bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: Huh, let me think, check my accent, age, children, amount of money, place of residence… nope, sorry. Not J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: Skipping around and with so much time differences it isn't even funny. That kiss... my friend loves him. I had to. I don't like the ending, but… oh well.

Previously: “What,” she said, dropping her newest chicken wing and stroking his hair.

“Before you're born you can only hang out with people who've already died. You're great fun and all, don't get me wrong, but you didn't have to go through what I did.”

“I've been through a lot more than you know,” she said softly, and hugged him tightly, before he fell asleep in her arms, exhausted from her tears.

“Hurry up, James and Lily, so he'll know what real love is before he's too far gone.” She whispered into the fading afternoon, and it flew away from her into the howling wind below.

Every human being on this earth is born with a tragedy, and it isn't original sin. He's born with the tragedy that he has to grow up. That he has to leave the nest, the security, and go out to do battle. He has to lose everything that is lovely and fight for a new loveliness of his own making, and it's a tragedy. A lot of people don't have the courage to do it. Helen Hayes

Lily grinned as she flopped down onto the bed that she now shared with James. Their little apartment, well it wouldn't be little after the boys did their adjustments, wasn't much, but she was completely fine with that. It was homey and welcoming. They weren't completely finished unpacking, so there were boxes cluttering all the rooms around them.

And then of course, is the fact that not only does she share this apartment with James, but Remus and Sirius as well. At least the most lavish of the bathrooms and half of the master bedroom is hers. The rest, well, no pun intended, goes to the dogs. Just as she was getting comfortable, three rapt knocks were wrought on her door, and then Remus breezed through, clutching a letter. “I got the Hogsmeade dates,” he said airily, and she snatched the parchment out of his hand.

“Let me see it,” she said, unfolding it hastily.

He folded his arms over his chest and looked down his nose at her. “You already are.”

“Oh shut up,” She snapped, as she scanned over the dates.

“Ooh, bit feisty are we? What is it, just not in the mood or PMSing? I'll have to tell James he'll need to kick you know what up a notch.”

He ducked, grinning, as a large feather pillow went right where his face would have been. “Ah, must be James.” He moved a bit as another pillow went flying. He jumped on the bed and read over her shoulder the dates, pressing his chin onto her shoulder. “Next one is in two weeks,” he said softly.

“Should I write her or let her little husband do it for me?” She questioned him innocently and he tugged on her hair light enough to still be painful but hard enough for her head to tilt toward him.

“How about we both do it?”

“You're not planning on telling me you want a divorce to be with Remus now are you, Lily?” James said stepping into the room and dropping the bags he picked up.

“Of course not,” Remus and Lily said in the same tone of voice. “We were just thinking who should owl Somailia first.” Remus finished.

“You should Remy; she's your girlfriend after all.” James nodded at him and tossed Lily a letter which she grabbed up as soon as it landed on her stomach. “And that's from Somailia as well,” he told her, and she snorted but opened it anyway.

She read the first lines and blushed crimson. Remus tried to read it over her shoulder, but she elbowed him in the nose. “That's impolite to read over someone's shoulder,”

“But you didn't mind before,”

“I mind now,” then she got up and kissed James' cheek but pulled away as he pulled her closer to him, holding her by the waist. “No, not right now,” she said, blushing harder. “I'm gonna go read this and then make dinner.”

She then positively fled the room. James raised an eyebrow at Remus, who instantly jumped off the bed and backed away from it. “Didn't do anything, I swear.”

“Yeah I know you don't,” James said, and then just sighed and tossed Remus a bag, which he caught with oomph.

“What the hell is this?” He asked, breathing heavily, and trying to shift the bag into a comfortable position. “And how the hell did you hold it so easily?”

James grinned slyly but did not answer. “Put those on yours and Sirius' beds please.” James opened his bag, and snapped the blanket smartly and laid it down on the bed, tucking in the edges neatly. He reached into the bag again and pulled out a quilt, which he folded nicely at the end of the bed. He then pulled out matching pillow cases and then picked up both the pillows Lily threw and put them in, placing them in their proper places.

“Oh my gods, it must be a miracle,” Remus said watching James, fascinated. “Or a bad omen,” He ran out of the room just as James threw the empty bag at him.

Remus threw the blankets and pillow cases onto his and Sirius' beds haphazardly, trying to finish the job quickly as possible. He snuck toward the kitchen and then quickly retreated, covering his eyes. James and Lily were going at it.

“James!” She squealed, and then shoved a handful of flour into his face, making him look quite pale. He grabbed an egg and cracked it in her hair, taking some of the yoke on his fingers and smearing it on her face, laughing. She grabbed her open can of tomato soup and threw it at his shirt, making it splatter everywhere. James went to grab the milk jug but she was quicker. She opened it and poured the contents of it on his head. He grinned and opened the drawer behind him and Lily could only blink before she had chocolate chips dripping from her forehead. Her eyes narrowed in glee, summoned up the worst possible thing she could think of, spinach, half cooked, and threw it at him, and he ducked laughing ran over to her despite being hit repeatedly with the spinach, grabbed her up and twirled her around.

Sirius walked into the apartment and tried to walk into the kitchen but Remus grabbed his sleeve and pulled him away from the door. “What?” Sirius asked. “I'm hungry.”

“Not now,” Remus pleaded with him, but Sirius ignored him and swung the door open, took in the sight of James and Lily and then the kitchen, put his hands on his hips and said in a girly tone, “now all we have to do is put you in the oven and then we can eat you all up!”

James and Lily froze and looked at him, and then looked at each other, and then snorted loudly. “You're a right state,” Lily said, looking at James up and down.

“Well you've always looked a bit off to me, but hey insanity looks good on you,” James said, smiling slightly at Lily. She gasped, grabbed the closest thing to her, onion, and threw them at James. He caught it three inches from his face. “Shame, shame, shame,”

Sirius snuck in and stood behind James. He grabbed a bowl of ice cold water, and then dumped it on his head. James yowled, shook and started to dance around, looking like a monkey. “Why do you cook like this anyway?” Sirius asked, leaning against the counter, then deciding against it and looked at his hands, covered in butter and flour and yoke.

“Its lots more fun,” she told him, watching James with a big smile on her face.

James scowling stepped out of the room for a moment and then pulled Remus in. He summoned up the closest thing to him, and then dumped it on Remus. It happened to be hot butter tea. He started jumping around screaming, moving with exaggerated movements. Lily, getting the idea, threw homemade ranch sauce at Sirius and then ran toward James, where they did a quick, idiotic bit of tango they made up. “Well this is all fun and dandy, really, but the food is kind of drying its very uncomfortable,” Sirius told them after an half an hour or so, “So I'm gonna hit the showers.”

“Don't track any food into the carpets!” Lily shouted after him.

“Yes ma'am!” They heard as the door swung shut behind him.

“Lily, do you mind if I use your shower? I promise I'll clean up,” Remus asked.

“As long as you leave it very clean,” she said severely.

“Promise,” he said sweetly.

“Fine, you may go now.” She said, and he smiled at her, as some tea dripped down from his forehead, down his nose and hit his lip. She laughed.

“You sound exactly like McGonagall,” James said, holding Lily as she leaned against the counter. She giggled and placed her head on his chest, closing her eyes and sighing contently.

“I don't care who I sound like as long as I'm here,” she said softly, and then shuddered as he kissed her neck lightly.

“You taste like chocolate chip cookie dough,” he told her, and then added, “with the smell of…flowers.”

“How original,” she commented dryly. She waited a moment, and then said thoughtfully, “You know, I'm still hungry.”

He pulled back from her, spread his arms out wide, and the pointed at himself. “I'm edible,”

“For worms when you die,” she said, looking him straight in the eye.

“Well…” he couldn't think of anything else to say so he stuck his tongue out at her.

She walked forward and patted him on the chest, looking up at him and smiling sweetly. She stood on her tiptoe so her mouth reached his ear, and said seductively, “maybe later.”

“Why not now,” He said, completely unfazed.

“Because our room mates could walk in at any moment, and if they didn't walk in on us, then they would hear us. And our mating call, as they like to put it.”

“Silence charm is still quiet effective.”

Somailia told me over the summer that Remus told her that when we first woke up next to each other my scream broke the silence charm and they heard it almost a mile away.”

“Yeah, well, it made my ear drums ring the whole time we were in that bloody tower.”

“You're off topic,” a voice said, barley masking laughter, and they both jumped. “Fire place,” the voice said again, and then walked toward the fireplace. They had one in the kitchen, the lucky little devils. James blushed crimson, as did Lily.

“Hullo, Mum,” James said in a strangled voice.

“Hello, Mrs. Potter,” Lily said.

“Oh don't call me that,” Mrs. Potter said, looking her straight in the eye. “You're a Mrs. Potter too, you know.”

“I know,” Lily said bashfully, looking down at the floor.

“Anyway, Jamie, I have to tell you something awfully important.”

“You can say anything in front of me and Lily, mum.”

Mrs. Potter glanced between them both, and then sighed. “Very well, if I must say it in front of you both. We've, me and your father, have been receiving… notes. Threatening notes from sources, we don't know. We told, Dumbledore of course, and he reckons that they're from Voldemort,” she looked so worried. “But the worst part is, Jamie that your dad went to the office yesterday, and there was an attack, and Voldemort's Death Eaters, or so they call themselves, took many people hostage. And some they just killed. Jamie,” she said, her eyes tearing up, “Jerome is dead,”

James smacked his head against the brick of the fireplace, mumbling and squinting ferociously to keep the tears at bay. Lily gave him a concerned glance, and then looked down at Mrs. Potter's crying head in the fire. “Thank you for telling us, Mrs. Potter,” she stated awkwardly. “We'll… find a way to deal with this. Good bye for now, then,”

Mrs. Potter nodded at her once and disappeared. Vexed, Lily crawled over to James, and then wrapped an arm around his stomach and pulled him toward her so he leaned down and his head was buried in her hair. “Let it out,” was the only phrase she muttered before he let out a dry sob and his frame started wracking in her arms. She had trouble holding onto him, so she shifted so she was leaning against a cabinet and he was leaning against her.

Her shirt was soon soaked with tears, but Lily didn't mind in the slightest. She buried her head into his chest and moved so she was comfortable, spreading her legs out stiffly and James moved closer to her, still on his knees, moving between her legs. She blushed instantly but in faded at the same moment it came. He wasn't trying anything except to cry. And she let him, forgetting completely that they were covered in slimy, sticky food or the fact that she was ravenous.

Somailia walked quickly out of the Great Hall as most of the mob came in, yawning and stretching or bright and cheery. “Two more weeks until Hogsmeade, two more months until Christmas, six more months until Easter, and eight more months until I'm free.” She repeated this phrase to herself over and over, saying it loudly enough for people to glance at her like she was a crazy lunatic. “Hey,” someone said to her, and she whipped around and narrowed her eyes, glaring. “Oh it's you,” she said snidely, “now my day is really perfect.”

His baby blue eyes twinkling madly, he said to her, “Hogsmeade in two weeks, go with me.” He made it a statement more than a question. She pushed a random strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear, and hitched her bag more firmly on her shoulders.

“No, I won't.” She walked past him briskly, and he jogged after her.

“Why not, I want you, you want me,” she snorted, “I'm handsome and a Quidditch player and you can't resist me.”

“I can, and I will.”

He reached out and grabbed her shoulder tightly, jerking her around. She glared up at him. “You will go out with me,” he stated firmly, his grip tightening on her arm.

“No, I don't think so.” And she punched him square in the eye. “Never touch me again,” she spat, looking down at him as his eye started turning dark colors, already. For good measure, she clocked him hard in the jaw, and the blood rushed out of his nose and onto the stone floor on which he fell. She kicked him lightly, playfully in his full head of blonde hair. “This is just showing you what you'll get next time,”

“There won't be a next time, because you won't be able to bring me down. No one can defend you, you stupid little Ravenclaw whore.”

She kicked him deftly between his ribs that made him writhing and gasping on the floor. “My boyfriend will. Do you not remember the Marauders? My boyfriend is Remus Lupin, but I'm sure that James and Sirius will happily pitch in to help me torture you into insanity.” With one last triumphant look, Somailia walked off, leaving Ludo Bagman squirming and making a spectacle of him on the ground.

Lily ran over to Somailia as she threw open the door to the Three Broomsticks, bringing in all the snow. They hugged each other tightly. “I'm really sorry I couldn't get to see you last time,” Lily said, apologizing profusely as she led Somailia to the booth she kept for them.

Somailia snuggled into her corner of the booth and drank some of the butterbeer Lily bought for her while waiting. She shivered as the warmth of it seeped into her pores and created a happy little fire burning in her stomach.

“It's okay,” she said, smiling slightly as she took off her thick wool scarf. “Remus was fun enough.” She grinned then. “I paraded him around so Ludo Bagman could see that I was not boyfriend less and Remus truly was my boyfriend.”

Lily grinned at her and sipped on her butterbeer, licking the froth off her lips. “Ludo Bagman is a stupid little arse, there's no need to give any thought of him.”

“He asked me out every day for two weeks before Remus showed.” She paused, and then continued on, “and then he started again.”

Lily laughed. “Anyone else joined the guild with him?”

Somailia frowned. “Sadly, yes.” She shifted a bit in her seat and looked up at Lily. “A few Slytherins,”

Lily looked at her in rapt attention. “I'm listening,”

“Some Zanbini character and…”she shivered violently, “Snape,”

“No fucking way,” Lily said, flabbergasted. “That grease shop? Not trying to make fun of sweat shops, of course. But, EW, Grease fest,”

Somailia shivered again and chugged her butterbeer. “The thought of it makes me cold to the bone. Like I'll never feel cheerful again,”

“How long has he liked you, and how do you know?”

Somailia leaned closer to her over the table. “He's been sending me letters,” she said, her eyes flickering with the hint of fear. “And not love sick one's either. He wants me to join that Voldemort character so we'll always be together.”

“Be right back,” Lily said, standing up quickly, and heading toward the bar. Somailia waited impatiently for a few minutes, and then Lily came back, handing Somailia a bottle in a brown paper bag. “Drink a little bit now.”

Somailia raised an eyebrow. “Fire whiskey,” Lily replied, opened her bottle, she is over age now, and took a large swig. She made a face and swallowed. “Burns as it goes down, but you might want it come later times. Don't drink too much now, you'll get a buzz taking only a few sips or so at a time.”

Somailia, still curious, unscrewed the top, and after taking a deep breath, took a shallow sip. “That's gross!” She cried, reluctantly swallowing it.

“Aye it does, but do you feels as bad as you did before you drank some?”

“No, I don't.” Somailia replied truthfully.

“Good. Now, tell me more about the letters.”

“Its sick stuff Lily, I'm afraid to look at my letters anymore, fearing they might be from him, or worse, Voldemort.” She bit her lip, and looked up at Lily. “I don't want to be here alone anymore. I get sick and scared and everything is just going wrong! I'm doing underage drinking right now, for crying out loud!” Somailia said loudly, and a few people shot some glances at her.

“Okay, Som, I think its time we take our `we're going to freeze our asses off walk' here.” Lily said, standing abruptly and taking Somailia's whiskey from her hands and putting the top back on expertly. She grabbed up Somailia's scarf and wrapped it tightly around Somailia's neck before taking her hand tightly and leading the way out of the pub. The wind was blowing harshly against them, but Lily pushed herself and Somailia against it, who stumbled along behind her, whistling `Somewhere over the Rainbow' faintly. “It seems that you, my dear, can't hold your drink,” Lily told Somailia, pushing her down firmly on a bench and holding her steady.

“Appears so, don't it?”

Lily gave her a quizzical stare. “You're faking it, aren't you?”

Somailia stared at her, eyes going in and out of focus. “Yeah,”

“You just humiliated yourself and I back there. Do you even care?”

Somailia burst into tears and threw herself against Lily, and Lily hugged her awkwardly, petting her hair. “I'm so fucking alone here! No one I can talk to, be with, cry with at the night and sob with during the day.”

“You can't skip out of school, Som, you know you can't.”

“I wish I could though,” Somailia shouted at her, beating her gloved fists onto the cold stone bench.

“We'll visit you as often as we can,” Lily promised her.

“Often isn't enough,” she whimpered, “You can't be there every night so we can just talk about things. You have bloody James to look after, and Remus and Sirius because you know they can't do anything for themselves.”

“You'll be out of here in what, four months? And I know for a fact that Remus really wants to get serious, if you use that pun I will throttle you, with you.” Somailia pulled herself away from Lily and wiped her eyes, brightening up.

“Do you really think so?” She questioned anxiously.

Lily gave her an amused smile. “I hear him mumbling proposals to you in his sleep. And I saw him twiddling something in his pockets one morning, so when he went to uh, job hunt, I snuck into his room and found a ring.”

“What does it look like?” Somailia asked excitedly.

“Nah, nah, I can't tell you. All I'm gonna say is that you'll adore it. That is, of course, if you say yes.”

They sat that way for a moment. Somailia looked up at her questioningly. “Earlier in the year, I sent you a letter, barely at the start of the school year. Do you remember that?”

Lily blushed absolutely crimson, remembering. She nodded her head. “Yeah, what about it,”

“You still haven't answered the questions.”

“It's- well, I can't really describe it.”

“How can you not? You're not even twenty and you've already married. You should have done it loads by now. How do you not know when the best part is, the feeling?”

“Can you not ask someone else?” Lily said, keeping her eyes away from Somailia's face, her expression unfeeling.

“Who would I ask?” Somailia scoffed incredulously.

“Fine, fine I'll answer,” Lily said, looking down at her feet as the made feet angels in the snow. “My favorite part is the fact that I don't have a favorite part. I love it all, besides the fact that it hurts at times. There's so many feelings' contradicting themselves at every point of it all you want to do is feel. And then, and an absurd amount of ecstasy.” Lily was silent for many moments.

“What, nothing else?” Somailia asked, and Lily shot her a bashful look.

“I think it's something you have to feel for yourself.” Somailia scowled at her.

Lily stood, looked at her watch and sighed. “It's about time you should head up to the school, and I have to go,” She sighed, looked at Somailia and grinned, “As you said, the boys need me. Who else can make burnt toast like I can?” She leaned down and hugged Somailia hard. “I'll owl you as soon as I can… have something interesting to say.”

“But, Lily, what do you-?”

“Bye!” Lily said, cutting Somailia off and apparating away. Somailia slammed her hands onto the bench, bit her lip and tried hard to keep off the tears that were lately coming fluently. She blinked them away and looked up at the sky, watching as a gentle snow fall came.

She snorted and stood and walked slowly over to a waiting carriage. “Nothing is gentle as it appears to be anymore,” she said, slamming the door open, jumping in and slamming it shut. She moved idly to ward off the chill settling into toes.

“Hey, Som,” A voice said in the shadows of the seat in front of her, interrupting her brooding thoughts.

“What,” she said snappishly, and leaned farther into her seat, inhaling the scent of moldy hay.

Long legs unfolded themselves from the seat in front of her, and by the time she blinked, a hand was at her throat but she still couldn't see the person. “Open your eyes and you're going to be in a world of hurt,”

“I highly doubt that,” she said, and she was shoved back farther into her seat, being pushed up farther up until she felt her head touching the ceiling. She kicked at random, and she was dropped, as the person backed away, clutching their stomach in pain as they breathing shuddered. “Never attack a girl who knows where to hit someone with a steel toe on her boot,” she said, folding her legs and jerking her foot, bored. She looked out the window. “Come on, hurry up, we're almost there.”

His face appeared out of the shadows, and she drew back almost immediately. “You're exactly who I think you are, aren't you,” she said, pushing herself against the back. He looked up at her with those uncomfortable intense gray eyes of his.

He said in his gravely voice, “Who else would I be?”

“You graduated around eight years ago, did you not?” He leaned forward, his long fingers drumming playfully on her knees. She flinched away from him, but he held her there, until all she could do was sitting and stare. And squirm uncomfortably.

“I did,” he told her nonchalantly.

“Then why are you here,” she said, looking at him straight in the eye.

“For you,” he said, holding her gaze until he glanced away. She smiled, triumphant. “I wouldn't be so happy yet,” he said, as he reached back, grasped something, and pulled it forward. Snape came from within the confines of an invisibility cloak, and she squeaked in fright, cowering into the corner of a wall.

“Hello,” Severus said pleasantly. Or as pleasantly as you can when you're a greaser like that.

“Hell,” she responded, shocked.

“What should I do,” Snape asked Lucius, turning his head to look at him.

He shrugged. “I don't care, just don't get your grease on me,” Severus glared at him when his head was bowed, inspecting his nails, and he scowled, then straightened his face and stared at Somailia.

“Hey there,” He said, trying to strike up a conversation.

“Erm, hi,” Somailia said, glancing around suspiciously. The snow had picked up until she could barley see outside the carriage window, but she clearly saw the fact that the castle was still too far away for her to escape.

“Could I ask you something?” Snape asked, leaning forward.

“Go ahead,” Somailia said; relieved that she didn't have to really talk to the greasy bastard she knew he could be. Or so the Marauders and Lily told her.

“You think,” he said, but then backed away and blushed heatedly. “No, no I couldn't possibly ask,” he was muttered to herself now.

“Out with it, if you please,” she said, and he leaned suddenly forward, held the back of her head tenderly, rubbing her hair through his fingers, and then kissed her slowly on the lips.

She groaned into his mouth, surprising even herself, and jumped away from him, wiping her lips and looking at him horrified. She opened the carriage door, not caring that it was still in motion, slammed it shut, and ran off into the snow. “Good one,” Lucius said, looking up at his now gleaming nails and scrutinizing Severus face, who was looking down at his hand that held her head, disbelieving.

“Oh…” Was the only thing that he could say.

“Yeah, oh, you half wit, why the hell did you talk me into coming here in the first place?”

“I wanted to watch her,” Snape said slowly.

“Well I had to watch her, idiot. Orders from the Dark Lord, and now you just tainted her blood stream. Great job, Godric,” he said scathingly, and it took a moment for Severus to grasp the words.

“I would never be a Gryffindor!” He said, his eyes narrowed, trained onto Lucius, who was stretching luxuriously in the small place he could stretch in.

“You keep telling yourself that,” Lucius said as he threw the invisibility cloak over himself and Snape, opened the carriage door, and trudged into the Forbidden Forest, the closest place they could go to for apparating.

“Mum, please,” James groveled, looking at his mother as she rushed around within their huge house, grabbing certain things and leaving others after a few moments contemplating. “You can't fight them on your own!”

“If I die doing this Jamie,” she said offhandedly, “Then you get everything.”

He closed his eyes a moment, and then opened them and stared hard as she walked toward the front door. He quickly followed her. “You can't save him.”

“I know I can't save him,” she said pressing her forehead against the door. “But I can try and save the hostages, can't I?”

“Mom,” he said, walking closer to her and hesitantly leaned against her shoulder. She turned, and wrapped her arms around him tightly, kissing him on the forehead and the cheek.

“I love you kiddo, you know that right?” She said, looking him straight in the eye. He closed his eyes sadly for a moment, and nodded sighing.

“I love you too, mom.”

She stared at his face for a moment. “Good,” she said to herself, nodding.

She pulled away from him, and he backed away. She opened the door and stepped outside into the pale early spring light. He stepped out of the door and bellowed to her as she walked out of the drive toward the stables, “You're not an auror anymore!”

“I know I'm not!” She said, turning around, her hair flying. “But I still have it in my heart to try.” She walked into the stable, talked soothingly to all the horses, mainly Charlie, and he heard her pop as she apparated away. He sat down on the front steps, leaving the door open and bringing in the chill of the defiant dawn. He put his head in his hands, and tried his best not to cry.

Mêlée rode up not a bit later, pulling up in front of him uncertainly. Clam Chowder impatiently tossed her head. “Jamie?” She asked quietly, and he looked up at her with a watery smile.

“Yeah Hun,” He said, looking up at her.

“Where've you been? I've missed seeing you around the property lately.”

“Sorry doll, but I've been hanging out with Sirius and Remus and my wife.”

“You're wife?” She asked, swinging down gracefully from Clam Chowder and came closer to him. “You're married? But you're only nineteen!”

“I really love her, Mêlée, I thought you would be happy for me,” he lied tenderly. Of course, he didn't think that, but she was a good little friend of his, and he liked talking to her.

“Have I seen her before?” She asked, sitting down next to him and moving immediately closer to him, burrowing her tiny body into his large, and rather gangly, arms. She picked up one of his hands and began examining them, looking at them critically in turn.

“Yeah, you have. She was sitting across from me in the Great Hall when you and your mum and dad first came in for, you know, last year.”

“Ah…” she said her voice misty. “The red head,”

“Yes,” he said, looking off at Clam Chowder, who was busily eating grass and not paying them the least bit of attention.

“I didn't like her,” Mêlée said thoughtfully, and James laughed outright, surprising her, to say in the least.

“You're not the only one, trust me,” he said, grinning as he rested his chin on the top of her head. “Katie absolutely despised her, and Lily reciprocated the feeling. They only just made amends with each other before, well, you know,” he said, leaving it hang in the air.

“Yeah,” she said in that sweet small voice of hers. “I know,”

She moved uncomfortably. “I think I should go back, my mum and dad would of awakened by now, and they'll be wondering where I am. They're too protective ever since she died. Damn her,” she silently cursed as she crawled out from his lap and collected Clam Chowder's reins, mounting gracefully as easily as she as if she was made to fit into that saddle. “By Jamie,” She said, waving, and then she rode off, full tilt.

“Bye!” He called after her, standing and going back into the house. He wandered the familiar old hallways, now looking so cold and bare. He wound up in front of his bedroom door, and he went in and looked at it. It looked pretty neat, considering the last time he had been in it was before he left for Hogwarts. Something sat simply on his bed, and he walked over to it and sat down, and immediately choked back the tears rising in his throat. He sat down heavily on his bed, clenched it in his fist, and cried pitifully.

“Je pense que j'essaye de sauver le monde pour vous,” he mumbled quietly, singing it with a slight melody. He stood after a long time and shook out the numbness in his legs, and walked over to his neat desk, took a bottle of ink and a quill from his secret stash, and wrote in his simple, flowing words, if all dogs go to Heaven, then certainly a stag will as well. He placed everything back in neat order, and then walked slowly across the hall to Sirius' room, which he still came to when he had dinner with the Potters. Or, rather, Mrs. Potter.

He placed it softly on the white feather pillow, and then grabbing a handful of floo powder, he screamed, “Hogsmeade!” Where he walked against the rising snow into the Hog's Head, got drunk off his ass, and after a few too many drinks, flooed home and passed out on the floor of the kitchen.

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25. 1979

In the Tower

Part Two: 1979 (second HALF)

Summary: Sirius, Remus, and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except a little bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: NO.

Author's Note: This chapter was so damn long I split it in half. Obviously.

Previously: He placed it softly on the white feather pillow, and then grabbing a handful of floo powder, he screamed, “Hogsmeade!” Where he walked against the rising snow into the Hog's Head, got drunk off his ass, and after a few too many drinks, flooed home and passed out on the floor of the kitchen.

Neighbors bring food with death, and flowers with sickness, and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a knife, and our lives. Scout, To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

“Come now, child,” Lily said, soothingly to Somailia as she stepped bashfully out of the Hogwarts Express and looking for Lily. Somailia walked toward her and started crying softly.

“I feel old,” Somailia told her sadly, looking back at the train that was still smoking.

“Yeah, well, everyone gets older,” Lily told her, getting Somailia's trunk and putting it on a cart, pushing it easily through the barrier with Somailia trailing after her.

“But I graduated,” she said, looking at her ring finger as her engagement ring flashed in the sun.

“But you're going to get married,”

“That makes me feel even older!” Somailia said to Lily as they walked through the barrier and out into King Cross Station.

Lily glanced behind her at Somailia and gave her an exasperated look. “Three months. You set the date yourself, and if you don't go through with it, I will personally go after you for breaking Remus' heart.”

“Yeah right,” Somailia muttered.

“I will,” Lily said, grabbing Somailia's hand and dragging her to the car she rented for the day. “Anyway,” she said, as Somailia slammed her door shut and shifted looking at the car.

“It's a very nice car,” Somailia said as Lily got in the car and shut her door carefully, and they both put on their seat belts.

“I know, it's freaking brilliant,” She said grinning as she put it in drive, and slowly coasted her way out of the parking lot, keeping her cool against the traffic situation. “No magic in the parking lot,” She grumbled to herself.

They eventually made it out and drove for an hour or so in silence, and then Lily pulled up to the apartment building that the five of them would live in until James got his inheritance money, which wouldn't be long now, he got a letter that his mother had died valiantly fighting against five Death Eaters at one moment. “So, when are you and James moving out?” Somailia asked, trying to be casual as she lugged her trunk out of the back seat and dragging it toward the building.

“Why so eager?” Lily said grinning, locking the car before jogging to join her. “Do you really want my bathroom that bad?”

“Of course, from what you and Remus tell me-,”

“I should have never let him use it,” Lily cut in, coyly looking at Somailia.

“-it's extraordinary.”

“Of course it is it's my bathroom.”

“But really, when are you moving out?”

Lily sighed and helped Somailia carry the trunk up the flight of stairs, then simply dropped it, took out her wand and said firmly, “Wingardium Leviosa.” It jumped out of Somailia's hands and followed after Lily like a lost puppy. Somailia, looking down at her hands, which were red at the places where the trunk had been held, were looking ghastly. “Are you coming or not?” Lily asked, and Somailia jumped, looking up and seeing Lily already two flights over her.

“Coming,” She called and then rocked up awkwardly to her feet and trotted up the stairs to meet Lily, who was tapping her foot, looking around at the pale blank walls.

“Well,” Lily said, grinning at Somailia as they finally stood outside the apartment door, “this is it. It's magically modified of course, because the boys had more stuff than I had, so you know, it looks small to a Muggle, but it's really a rather nice little place.”

“Get on with it,” Somailia said, smiling slightly at Lily.

“Fine, fine,” Lily said, and then throwing open the door. The place was spotless, and utterly huge. Somailia stepped in, feeling overwhelmed as she gawked at it. Lily magicked the trunk in behind them.

“It's extraordinary,” she said, finding a good word to describe it. All three guys came tumbling down the stairs, bickering loudly to one another, and then Sirius, who was in the lead, stopped on the first stair, and James behind him screeched to a halt, knocking Sirius forward slightly. Remus, who was behind all of them and in the greatest rush to see her, noticed too late that the guys in front of him had stopped, and barreled right into James' back, knocking them all over.

Lily, spontaneously, grinning like a child with a lollipop, ran over to them and jumped on them, screaming, “DOG PILE ON SIRIUS!” He moaned and the boys groaned and Lily laughed her arse off until Somailia launched herself onto the pile, knocking Lily flat on her stomach on top of Remus.

“… I think I broke something,” Sirius said as they all laughed their selves hoarse just despite him.

“I think I broke my funny bone,” James said, wrinkling his nose as he was squished uncomfortably against Sirius.

“What funny bone?” Remus reprimanded, and quickly got caught with a hit to the gut.

“This isn't the most comfortable position,” Lily said after a long while.

“For you it isn't,” Somailia laughed, and shouted, “I'm the queen of the, uh, apartment!”

“Sorry doll, but that's me,” Sirius said in falsetto, and James gave out a guttural scream.

“Lily, is that you?” he said, poking Sirius in the back.

“God I hope not,” Remus said, “or else Sirius is pushing his pelvis into my behind and I don't want it.”

Lily chortled and butted her head against Remus' shoulders affectionately. “Of course, darling,” she said in a deep baritone voice.

“You know,” Somailia said, flicking Lily in the small of her back, “you actually sounded like him.”

“Okay, that's an insult!” Sirius said, struggling to move.

“No, no not yet,” James said, smiling despite his position.

Remus just shifted.

“Did anybody else notice that we're-?”

“-Talking in the order we're in from the dog pile?” Somailia asked, finishing off Lily's sentence.

“Well that's odd,” Sirius said.

“Indeed!” James chortled.

“I was supposed to give you something-,”

“But it's shoving into my thigh so it's unreachable,” Lily finished.

“Well then, I'll just move,” Somailia said, and jumped off Lily's legs, and she immediately rolled off the boys, who all tried to get up at once and fell again. Lily rolled her eyes and pulled Remus and James up with a rough jerk by the loops of their jeans. They went flying backward and crashed into Lily, and she screamed as they all landed hard on their backs. Somailia helped Sirius up trying hard to stifle her laughter, and together they stared down at them.

“Weren't we just in this position?” He said with a leery grin, and Somailia, affronted, smacked him hard in the chest before leaning down to help Remus up. Sirius, reluctantly followed suit with James and Lily.

“Now,” Somailia said, smoothing down her shirt and looking at Remus and Lily, “first, what are you supposed to give me, and Lily, when are you moving out?”

“Meanie,” Lily and James said together, sticking their tongues out at her. “Two weeks,” they said after the moment of playfulness wore off and they were faced with the situation. “So, you and Remus get the master bedroom-,”

“AH-WOO!” Sirius howled, and they all stopped and stared at him, and then shook their heads.

“-And Sirius keeps his room and Remus' room will turn into the guest room.”

And Remus wrapped an arm around Somailia's waist, and gave her a box, “and I was going to give you this.” She opened it and squealed starting to jump up and down. She pulled out a spectacular gold necklace with rubies and emeralds encrusted into it.

“This is…” she couldn't finish her sentence and blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears. She turned toward him and held it out to him, and he took it from her hands and she turned again, lifting her hair as he placed it around her neck. When it finally hung from her neck, he placed a finger on her neck, gently tracing the cold metal. She touched it and the tears sprung from her eyes; she couldn't hold them back anymore.

“It looks wonderful,” Sirius said, honestly, staring at the necklace as it sat on her collarbone lightly. Somailia smiled as teardrops fell down her face and she turned to hug Remus tightly and gave him a long tender kiss before hugging Sirius and James at the same time, awkwardly. She let them go and wrapped Lily into a big bear hug, and then the boys surrounded them, hugging each other.

“I love you guys,” she managed to choke out.

“Goddamn we are drama queens,” James said, laughing.

“No kings here,” Lily said playfully as she poked James in the ribs, making him laugh all the more.

“Well,” Remus said, pulling out of the hug and everyone else followed suit, leaving Somailia within the confines of the circle they had around her, “we did have something that just us boys made, and I'm telling you it was damn hard to do.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently before looking over her head and inclining his head, barley. Sirius came up behind her and put his hands over her eyes, and she pouted.

James walked up to her and held her other hand, and all three boys started slowly pulling her toward the kitchen. Lily befuddled but grinning despite, followed them. She grinned slowly as she saw what was in the kitchen, and stood on the other side of the table as the boys and Somailia stood in front of it.

James let go of her hand, and stood at one end of the table, and Remus did the same. Only Sirius stood behind her, and then he slowly unveiled his eyes. “You're spoiling me!” She said awestruck, as she started at the rather large chocolate cake, and then her face softened as she reached out and pet the cat as it walked around the cake, its tail held high and meowing curiously. Milkshake jumped up on the table and strutted up to Somailia, pushing against her torso and being ever so sweet.

“It's fun to spoil somebody else besides Lily,” Remus said with a small grin as he watched as the delighted Somailia picked up the black cat next to the cake and started scratching its ears as he purred appreciatively. “And Sirius,” Remus added, smiling, as Sirius scoffed and picked up Milkshake, turning so Milkshake was hidden from Remus.

“You do not spoil me!” He said, whiney, and Somailia giggled at the act. She reached out a hand and patted his shoulder.

“Of course they don't,” she said sarcastically. “I'll call the cat-,”

“It's a he,” Remus interrupted, and she smiled.

“-Sebastian,” she finished, and Sebastian meowed in approval.

“Ah, that reminds me,” James suddenly blurted, ruining the precious moment. He turned to Lily and said, looking at her narrowly, “didn't you have a cat?”

“Yes,” she said, suddenly remembering what she told James that night they played twenty questions on the tower roof. “He's at my parents' house. They adore him, and he feels the same way about them. They three are inseparable.”

Sirius suddenly butted in, and looked at James, stroking Milkshakes fur like the evil mad scientist he was trying to be. “I want to go see Charlie!” He pouted, and then set Milkshake down and apparated away.

“Um…” Both the girls said, looking at James, and then Somailia caught sight of the cake again. “Anybody want some?” She asked innocently, and the boys told her they would raucously, trying to stifle their laughter.

As the remaining now adults sat at the table, Somailia asked them with a raised eyebrow, “whose Charlie? Sirius' gay lover?”

The other three choked on their cake and coughed as she watched them, delighted.

“Charlie is my horse,” James said, recovering.

She raised her eyebrow, and feeling happy enough to be slightly perverted, she asked in her same innocent voice, “Then why didn't he just drag you up to the bedroom?”

Remus burst out laughing with tears streaming out of his eyes. “Som!” Lily said, gasping and trying to hold back the laughter that was bubbling up in her throat.

James, dramatically, scratched his chin, pondering the question. “Why didn't he indeed,” He jumped up in the same way, gave them a sweeping bow, and told them proudly, “I must go see Sirius, so we can see… my horse.” He giggled like a school girl then, and sounded exactly like one, he apparated away, but Lily heard him land in their bedroom upstairs, walk to her bathroom, and laughed him silly.

Somailia started to cry and smile widely as James and Sirius walked her down the isle in her rich white wedding dress. Remus was watching them come down, smiling radiantly. Lily smiled sweetly as she stood beside the isle in front, and took a glance over at Peter. He stood, shifting his weight and looking at his feet or looking lustfully at all the girls around. Lily ignored the fact that there weren't many. James and Sirius both kissed her cheek and walked over to either side of the isle, Sirius standing straight and tall a serious- no joke- look on his face. James had a grin on his face as he stood in the same way next to Lily, watching with his eyes as Somailia and Remus recited their vows.

Lily began to cry softly as Somailia and Remus began to recite their hand written vows, and James wrapped an arm around her waist comfortingly. As the priest said somberly, “you may now kiss the bride,” Remus lifted Somailia's veil, grinned at her nervously, which she returned, and she leaned forward toward him, her chin tilted, upward as they kissed each other tenderly. Lily's crying became full out sobbing, and James wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead sweetly. Remus and Somailia beamed at everyone in the small church, and everyone smiled at them, tears stinging at their eyes.

As Remus and Somailia exited the church, she threw the bouquet, and Sirius ran forward and caught it. Grinning, he eyed Peter; Peter looked at him, mock blushed, and stared down at his feet… again. The party afterward, was a surprise until Remus told the ensemble at the church. It was going to be held at the Quidditch Pitch, and those two words made James and Sirius whoop in joy.

The boys, as soon as they got there, started running around screaming at the top of their lungs, and since it was mid-September, lights jumped up in the castle, and many a face peered out their windows. Hoarsely, James wrapped an arm around Lily's middle as she talked animatedly to Somailia, and whispered in her ear that he loved her very much and would she mind sneaking into the castle to get the Marauders' Map? “I most certainly won't!” She said, elbowing him. “That's in dammed Filch's office!”

“He can't do anything to you, Lil.”

“He can hang me by my toes,”

“But you're not a student.”

“He doesn't know that,”

“James, I am not getting you the Marauders' Map, and if you ask me anymore tonight, I am giving Dumbledore the invisibility cloak.”

He gasped. “You wouldn't!”

“I would,” Two hours later, a quite drunk James asked Lily again, and she immediately walked to Hogsmeade, apparated to their cottage, got the Invisibility cloak, walked back to the Quidditch Pitch, found James and dragged him by the arm to Dumbledore's office.

Woozily, James painstakingly told Dumbledore, who was clearly amused but hiding it, badly, from James, that he wanted to give the invisibility cloak to Dumbledore until his first child came to Hogwarts. Dumbledore completely understood, looked at Lily and smiled slowly, and she grinned before dragging James out again, saying, and `thank you' profusely.

Lily found Somailia, who was slow dancing with Remus to no music in a secluded corner of the Pitch, and told them that she and James had to go now, because he was quite drunk and she couldn't risk it getting worse. And then she added, thoughtfully, that she would take Sirius home, who was much drunker than James. They full-heartedly agreed, and recommended that she risk floo, and say the destination for him so he doesn't wind up in Siberia. All turned out well in the end, just so you should know.

“I hate Christmas,” James mumbled as he waved his wand and the lights on the wood floor in front of him slowly floated onto the Christmas tree he and Lily had bought together two weeks ago.

“Shut up, James Christmas is a time to be goddamn happy, dammit.”

“It's also a time,” he retorted, “to be a good person. And not swear at your loving husband, who so selflessly bought the tree for you out of the goodness of his heart.”

“And out of our joint bank account, where you also spend half the time trying to empty so you can go to Zonko's and buy dung bombs.” It was five days until Christmas, and Lily and James were still rushing around getting presents and such.

“Yeah, well, I don't want our children to get big heads from the fact we'll have a fortune that they can spend for their own practical jokes.”

“Excuses, excuses,” she said breezily, walking into the room and moving him onto the couch so they could sit and stare… at the tree, which was still having the lights and ornaments put on them. She handed him a cookie, and ordered him to eat it. He grabbed one off the tray impulsively, and bit into it.

“These are good,” he said after a moment, and he stared at the cookie, not noticing Lily's triumphant smirk. “What are these?”

“Dragon Dung and chocolate chunk,” she said, and he spat it out, choking, and ran to the bathroom. She grinned and kneeled before the fireplace and grabbed some floo powder, throwing into in the fire and saying firmly, “7A Bearoak!” And promptly stuck her head into the fire.

“Sirius,” She called as she saw him stuffing his face with cookie dough, and he looked at her with bulging cheeks.

“Lily,” He said, and bits of food went flying. He scrambled down to the fireplace and sat in front of it swallowing.

“It worked,” she said triumphantly, and Sirius laughed.

“Great!” He was laughing and his gray eyes were dancing in delight.

Remus stumbled into the room, his clothes askew and he was rubbing his eyes. “Ooh, what's this?” Sirius asked, staring at him happily. “Pre-marital then?”

“Oh shut up,” Remus mumbled, “for your information, I went to sleep in my clothes, and just woke up for a midnight snack.” He suddenly looked past Sirius and jolted more awake. “Hello Lily, I hope your house at Godric's Hollow is doing well?”

“It is,” She said grinning, “and practical jokes are ensuing.”

“Oh dear,” Remus said, “My conscience is telling me that you and Sirius concocted something?” He heated a kettle on the oven and poured in hot water, waiting patiently.

“That we did,” Sirius said proudly.

“I baked a tray of cookies for him,” Lily started.

“You baked cookies? You've moved up from burnt toast then?” Remus said, smiling easily at Lily. Sirius hit him in the leg. “OW! Hey!” He said in a whiney voice, “that wasn't nice.” He got a cup out of the cupboard and poured the water into the cup before fetching himself a tea package and let it seep through the package into his tea.

“That was for Lily,” Sirius said, grinning.

“What kind of cookies?” He asked, removing the package and blew on his tea, before sipping on it.

“Dragon Dung and chocolate chunk,” she lied, modestly.

Remus choked on the cup of tea. “Excuse!”

“I think,” Lily heard a voice behind her, “it's time I got to talk to Lily,”

“Uh-oh,” Lily said, glancing around the kitchen nervously, but they knew she wasn't looking at the kitchen. “He's arrived. Gotta go, tell Somailia I said hello,” she pulled her head out of the fire to look at James' face. She burst out laughing noticing the green tinge in it. Facetiously, she grinned up at him. “How was your cookie?”

He growled in the same way and bent down, picking her up easily and placing her over his shoulder as he stomped up the stairs to their bedroom. She screamed, laughing, and punching his shoulders, but he didn't, er, budge, and she landed on their bed, laughing hard. He landed beside her, and laughed as he kissed along her neck, making her shiver, and she turned her head as he kissed her deeply.

She pulled back from it, and looking into his eyes, she said somberly, “You taste like your previous activity. Brush your teeth please.”

He raised his head by holding it up on his elbow, and looked down at her tenderly. “You totally ruined the moment,”

“I know,”

“Fine, I'll go brush my teeth,” he said, getting up and walking away, sending her an adoring glance before bumping into the wall. She suppressed her giggles by pushing her head into the comforter, and she could see him in her minds eye scowling dazed.

She immediately thought of a serious thought and sat up in the bed, rubbing her stomach as she thought. One of the cookies wouldn't be that bad; she thought as she slowly got off the bed and went down the stairs. She walked to the couch, where she left the plate, grabbed the closest one, and bit into it. She closed her eyes in bliss, as the white fudge melted into her mouth, and the chocolate chunks sending out happy waves into her body.

“Are you eating the Dragon Dung?” James asked, incredulous as he watched her from the stairs. She whipped around, her hand firmly placed on her stomach, rubbing it comfortably.

“It's not Dragon Dung,” she said softly, looking up to meet his eyes.

“Oh?” He said stepping down the last steps and slowly crossing the room to meet her. “Then what is it?”

“White fudge and chocolate chunk,” she said, and he sighed and grabbed another cookie before shoving the whole thing in his mouth, letting her see the sides of it as it pressed against his cheeks. He chewed it thoughtfully as she nibbled on hers, he finally, his eyes widening, swallowed it.

“It was good,” he said, looking down at her curiously.

“I know,”

“Why are you rubbing your stomach?” He blurted, and she spread her fingers around her stomach.

“Be-because I'm hungry,”

“Of course you are,” he said sardonically.

“I am!”

“After you had three sets of ribs, mine included, and three bowls of tomato soup. Of course you're hungry.”

“You should know I have a large appetite,” she defended herself.

“This only coming within the last two weeks,”

“Gah!” She suddenly yelled, and he backed up. “Stop badgering me about it! I won't tell you, until the right time!” With that, she recovered her composure, kissed him lightly on the cheek, and stomped back up the stairs.

“James?” A frantic voice called from the fireplace, and he glanced at it, running a hand through his hair agitated.

“Yeah, Remus?”

“Where's Lily?”

“She just went upstairs, why?”

”I need to talk to her,”

“Why can't you talk to me?”

“Because she would know from women's logic.”

“…Yeah. Right, okay, um, can I at least try it?”

After a long moment of nervous worrying, Remus finally said in a quiet, meek voice, “Somailia is going to be an auror.”

"Now?" James asked worriedly. Remus nodded. "But there isn't enough time for the training and all..." Remus shrugged wearily. “It's a noble job.”

“The times are getting worse, James, and Somailia wants to join right in the middle of it. I don't want her too,” Remus looked like he was about to cry.

“She can make her own decisions,” James said with difficulty, trying to find the right words for it.

“I know she can,” Remus said, rushing on, ignoring the fact his voice was cracking, “but I don't want her to get hurt.”

“When's she starting training?” James asked with a sigh.

“As soon as she can. Around New Year's I suppose,”

“And you can't change her mind?” James asked despairingly. A curious meow interrupted their heavy conversation, and Remus turned his head a moment before looking at James with a slight smile.

“Sebastian and Milkshake say hello,” and then he added with a quirky grin, “and so does their four kittens.”

“Oh Merlin no,” James said, his eyes widening. “Please do not tell Lily of this.” Ostentatiously, he added, “that's a perfect Christmas present. How old are they?”

“They just opened their eyes a few days ago.” Remus informed him.

“Oh good,” James said grinning. “Can I come over tomorrow while Lily is doing something with Guinevere and choose one?”

“Sure,” Remus said. “Uh-oh, Misses is coming,”

“Hi, James!” James heard and immediately stifled laughter as he Sirius shoved Remus over to talk to James.

“Hey Sir,”

“Want some pudding?” Sirius asked him randomly, and James stared at him, lost for words. Sirius tossed a rotund, big canister of pudding through the fire, and it hit James in the forehead.

“Um…”

“Eat it, I promise it's good! I have to go; Somailia and I are getting a pedicure at the mall.” Sirius left, and James stared dumbstruck at the place his head had just inhabited.

“They do all sorts of girly stuff together,” Remus said nonchalantly.

“Oh good lord that's weird,”

“Well,” Remus said shifting, “my knees are starting to hurt, so I think I'm just gonna go start wrapping presents.”

James, who had been ignoring the steady pain in his knees, nodded. “I should probably be doing that as well.”

“See you on Christmas?”

“Yep, `till then?”

“Yup,”

“'Kay, bye,”

“Bye,” James watched as Remus pulled his head out of the fire and realized that they didn't decide on what to tell Somailia about her career options.

“James,” Lily whispered, shaking James' arm a little. He grunted and rolled over. “JAMES.” She said more forcefully.

“What?” He asked groggily.

She grabbed his arm and turned him over so he was on his back again. “Happy Christmas,”

He shot up, and then looked at her, joy radiating from him. “Merry Christmas,” he shouted, and then gathered her up in his arms and kissed her hard.

They got out of bed and tumbled down the stairs and sat next to each other in front of their Christmas tree, staring at the pile. Lily reached in and handed James a richly wrapped present. “You first,”

He ripped it open, and looked over it. “'101 ways to annoy your least favorite person'” he read, and then hugged her tightly. “Watch out, Snivellus,” he said evilly, and she shoved him a bit.

“Weirdo,” she said, but kissed him on the cheek nonetheless.

He handed her a small package, beautifully wrapped in a deep blue. She unwrapped it carefully; ignoring James' goading of, “rip it.” She gasped as she opened another package and a set of ruby earrings winked up at her. “They're gorgeous, James.” She said, staring at them. He opened his mouth and she silently closed it with her finger held to his lips. “Don't you dare say it, it would be very cheesy, and right now I don't feel cheesy.”

“Oh fine,” he said grudgingly. She handed him a thin envelop when she finally got her wits about her, and he raised an eyebrow but opened it and read the letter inside. His eyebrows rose higher and his eyes got bigger until the last line. “Merlin…” he said, awed. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“It's a present, isn't it? And I wanted you to be happy on Christmas, because most people are ecstatic when they hear the news that `Congratulations! You're a father!' But apparently-.”

“That's not it at all! I am ecstatic! I just wish you gave me notice a little ahead of-oh. Is that why you were rubbing your stomach when you gave me one of those cookies?” She blushed as an answer. “Figures,” He kissed her cheek, and then stood up and walked around the tree, coming back out with a large wicker basket. “This might help,” he said, as she took off the cover and a small, tabby kitten stuck its head out, yawning widely.

“It's adorable!” She said and then cooed at the kitten.

“Of course it's adorable, I picked him out. Adorable knows when Adorable sees Adorable, and your big tall handsome Adorable saw this small tiny fluffy little adorable and had to get it.”

She pondered what he said as she gently reached into the basket and picked the kitten up, letting it crawl into her arms and purred as he rubbed against her hand. “You said adorable too much,”

He smiled and set the kitten on her shoulders, and it dug its claws into her large, old shirt and looked down at the world curiously from its new perch. “Shall we exchange the rest of our presents, milady?”

“Certainly, my kind sir,”

And that they did. As they lie in the midst of all the wrappers and bows afterwards, James gently stroked her cheek while she closed her eyes and dozed. The kitten, which they decided to name Godric, that lucky little kitten had a lot to live up to, climbed around on their limbs, pouncing at random, making James chuckle sleepily, and watching him.

The doorbell rang, echoing thorough out the small cozy cottage, and Godric fell down off James' knee in fright. He calmly picked him up and set him on his shoulder, stroking his fuzzy pallet of fur. He walked slowly through three more rooms before opening the door with a crooked grin on his face.

“Hey, James!” Three voices echoed each other, and he opened the door wider and let them step in. “How's Lily like the kitten?” Remus asked, shrugging off his coat and scarf and placing it on the coat rack.

“She thinks he's superb,” he said, his smile growing as Godric hopped on his hair, sinking into it. “We named him Godric,”

“He's so cute!” Somailia gushed, rushing forward and gave James a dazed kiss on the cheek before trying to reach Godric. James rolled his eyes over her head and slowly bent his knees until she could reach Godric, and she instantly scooped him up, and started talking to him. Sirius watched her go as she walked out of the hall and toward the living room.

All three of the boys, er I mean men, looked at each other oddly. “Odd,” they all said together, and shrugged. “Oh what the hell, we'll still love them anyway.” With that said, they all looked at each other, and followed Somailia to the living room. The first thing James noticed was that somehow Godric was up in the tree and batting at the tinsel and ornaments, and second thing he noticed was that Lily and Somailia were talking on the couch, Lily rubbing her stomach thoughtfully as Somailia talked to her in hushed tones.

“Are we interrupting girl talk?” Sirius said cheerfully, and bounded over to them and squished between them getting comfortable. “Because if we are, I'll join you!”

They stopped talking immediately. Sirius pouted and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees with a dramatic flair. Lily rolled her eyes and stood. “Who wants ham?” She asked, and everyone responded. “Right then, hold on a moment.” Lily walked into the kitchen and James followed her.

“Are you going to tell them?”

“Tell them what?”

“That you're pregnant.” James said, and Sirius banged in, hitting the wall and door along the way.

“Well that's good news!” Sirius said, and then called over his shoulder, “Hey guys, Lily's pregnant!” Lily leaned her head against James' chest.

“That is not how I wanted them to find out.”

“Too late,” James said, and Lily groaned even more.

Katie laughed her head off as she watched the going-on's of those down below. Harry was equally amused, and abso-bloody-lutely delighted that in about a month he could actually be down there in his mother's womb. “You're not gonna miss me, kiddo?” Katie asked with a smile on her face as she sat on the cloud, swinging her legs and drinking straight from bottle of rum.

“Course I will!” He said, sitting beside her and putting his arms around her comfortingly.

“But you won't remember me!” She slurred, and he calmly removed the bottle from her fingers.

“No use getting drunk in Heaven, I'm afraid.”

“I can get drunk in Heaven because I know I won't get a hangover.”

“Right…”

She stood and stamped her foot, pouting. “I want someone in Heaven with me while you're down there, Harry.”

“You'll have my parents in twenty-three months.”

“Gee that's helpful.” She said sarcastically.

Hurt, he added, “and you'll have her in less than nine.”

She growled. “Nine months. Yes, plenty of time.”

He stood and walked away from her. “I don't know what's wrong with you, but I think you're pushing me away.”

“Oh really, Sherlock? What took you so long?” Harry looked like he was about to cry, and held them back.

“You don't have to tell me I'm not needed here.”

“I'm just doing the same thing you did with Ron and Hermione.”

“Leave them out of this!” He yelled.

“Why should I?” She shouted back, getting up and walking toward him, looking him right in the eye, fuming.

“I only did that to save them!”

“It didn't help in the end, though, did it?” She said, and he pushed her backward and started advancing.

“Don't bring that up! NEVER TALK ABOUT IT!”

She shoved him back as well. “You didn't want them to be hurt, but they wanted to be there with you, through thick and thin. THEY LOVED YOU! And you ignored them. She loved you more than anything.”

“I loved her too!” He said, his eyes blazing.

“You never told her that!”

“I was afraid! I was afraid for her!”

“She could keep her own!”

“Not against all of those Death Eaters! They were going to kill her just because she was a muggleborn! Prejudice bastards.”

“Let it out, Harry. Let the whole world, and Heaven, know that you're pissed off.” And that he did. He ended up, nearly an hour later, crying into her shoulder as she rubbed his back soothingly.

“I hate knowing I won't be able to remember this when I'm down there.”

“I hate knowing that you won't know.”

“Can you not come down and visit?”

“No, because you can't see me,”

He coughed and sniffled, wiping his nose. “I hate that.”

“I do too.” She then sighed and shifted her weight so he was more comfortable leaning against her. “Shall we just watch and enjoy it while we can?”

“I guess,” he said, moving his head sadly. “Do you think we can watch Ron and Hermione as well?”

“Of course,” she said with motherly tenderness, and kneeling, they both scooted forward toward the edge of the cloud. “Who do you want to see first?”

“Fred and George,”

“Show me Fred and George-,”

“Gred and Feorge,”

“-Weasley,” she finished firmly, and they appeared, yelling and screaming while a harassed, and very pregnant, looking Molly Weasley removed the book from little Percy's hands, making his eyes well up with tears, and he started to cry loudly.

“Charlie, will you please take your little brother?” Eight year old Charlie strolled in, picked up Percy, and walked back out.

“I'll let you read me your fairy tales,” they heard Charlie say to a whimpering Percy.

“Yay!” Percy said happily, and the door swung shut behind them, blocking out the rest.

“That was sweet,” Katie said thoughtfully, and Harry nodded. “I'm gonna go to sleep, okay?” She said to Harry and he nodded, kissing her forehead in farewell. She nodded, and glanced over her shoulder once more at Harry before disappearing to her dream room.

-->

26. 1980

In the Tower

Part Three: 1980

Summary: Sirius, Remus, and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything, except a little bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Disclaimer: No, I don't. Thanks for asking though!

Author's Note: I figured this out after months of thinking and five minutes sitting upside down as the bus bumped and jumped toward home. If it doesn't work right, then damn you I don't care. I confuse you guys already anyway. And I have no idea the rite for making a secret keeper. That's why I don't say anything!

Previously: “I'll let you read me your fairy tales,” they heard Charlie say to a whimpering Percy.

“Yay!” Percy said happily and the door swung shut behind them, blocking out the rest.

“That was sweet,” Katie said thoughtfully, and Harry nodded. “I'm gonna go to sleep, okay?” She said to Harry and he nodded, kissing her forehead in farewell. She nodded, and glanced over her shoulder once more at Harry before disappearing to her dream room.

A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; a bad novel tells us the truth about its author. G.K. Chesterton

“Well Harry,” Katie said, smiling sadly as Harry looked back at her from his perch, “it's been fun.” Tears started to stream down. “Do you remember that time that we swallowed a bar of soap and then bubbles came out of our noses?”

He laughed. “What about the time that we both got so drunk we started playing strip poker and I won, and you lost, and you still had all of your clothes on?”

“How about the time where we were listening to the Beatles so loud that your grandparents came over and told us to turn it off?”

“Ah yes, `Paperback Writer'! My favorite one, too.” They started at each other in silence for a few moments.

Katie sucked in a big breath. “I won't forget you, child.”

He came back over to her and gave her a huge hug, rib-cracking if she would have felt it down in Heaven. She felt his tears splashing down on her robes, and she cried all the harder, burying her head into his shoulder. She knew what was coming.

“But I'll forget about you,” He said softly, putting her back down so her feet touched the ground. They were so close she could feel the three days worth of stubble he had when he died. Not see it, feel it. He kissed her then, and she wiped away his tears. “I love you, you know that?”

She nodded, wiping her eyes. “I love you too,” she said, and then pushed him away. “Go now, kid. Scram! Your mum is waiting for you.” With that, he nodded and turned, heading back to the perch he was on before she called him back. He looked back at her, smiled, and jumped.

“Remus,” Somailia called out shakily from her sleep. Remus rolled toward her and gave a sleepy grunt of acknowledgement. “I'm so scared,” she said softly, moving so she could clutch him to her, telling herself that there was someone there for her still.

“You don't have to do it, Som. Auror's take years of training, and then years of practice, something you don't have.”

“We don't have years though. The department is taking everyone they can get as soon as they can. We're out numbered…”

“How do you know that?”

“Remus,” she began seriously, “to get the numbers of the sides even, the department would take nearly every student from three years ahead of you to the one behind me. Just to make the sides even. The Death Eaters are more experienced, more deadly, more ready, and more eager for all of this then we yet know. This war will go on forever, I know it. Unless something happens. Who says that that something won't be me?”

“How do you know all of this?”

“Because they want me. They need me.”

“Why? Just you? You can't change the world, Som!”

She shrank back away from him, sitting up in their shared bed and she stared down at him, stricken. “I can try,” she said, trying hard to hold back tears she knew were already streaming down her face. She wiped at them carelessly. “Do you know how long it's been?”

“Of course I do,” he said evenly, sitting up and staring at her. “It's been a year, one month, and three days.” He looked at the clock. “Four days.”

“I've seen her,” she said softly.

“We all see her,” he said to her sadly, remembering memories he's had, remembering just seeing Katie at random parts of the day while still at Hogwarts.

“No you don't understand, I've seen her, now while we're here. She watches us, with the boy I told you about so long ago. Every time something happens between the four of us, they are there. They're always there.” She hugged herself against the February chill, and rocked slowly back and forth. He moved toward her with a hand outstretched, but she stood suddenly, turning from him and walking toward the door. Moon light streamed in, and he noticed something different about her. It might have been the light, but she was absolutely glowing with something he had never seen.

Lily lounged with a hot cup of tea and a book, stretched out on their couch. A hard knock sounded, and she jumped, upsetting her coffee and creating a large stain on her blouse. She growled out the spell and then jogged to the door, unconsciously patting down her hair. She opened the door a crack and then threw it in, hauling Somailia in and shutting the door quick with a snap. “Hey, how ya doing?”

“I need to talk to you about something,” she answered, tugging on Lily's hand and pulling her into the kitchen, locking the swinging door and muttering, “silenco.”

“Okay…” Lily said perkily, thinking of her overturned teacup outside the door, and hoping that Godric wouldn't try to get into it.

After checking all of the doors and windows, Somailia whipped around and stared Lily straight in the eye. “I'm going to be an auror.”

“Ah yes, I remember James telling me about this. You know what the qualifications are for it, though. You know it will take you years to be one.”

“No it won't. They're letting everyone in.” Somailia waved her hand. “But that's not the point.”

“Oh?”

“It's not.”

“Okay so what is it?”

“They called me out. Lily, I'm fighting. Today. And I need to tell Remus something, but I can't find him. If I don't come back for a while, will you tell him for me?”

Lily said slowly, “Who says you're not coming back?”

“I'm just being careful,”

“If you don't think you won't come back then you shouldn't go in the first place!” Lily said, standing up straight and blazing.

“I'm not fighting with you too,” Somailia said evenly, looking at her straight in the eye. “I have to do this.”

“But why?” Lily was slouching again, leaning against the wall to help support her. Somailia realized how small and fragile they both were, in their conditions.

“Because I have dignity, and they need my skill.”

“Your skill?”

`Yes, my skill,” Somailia said without going into it. “Look, all I came over here for was to say bye and to tell Remus.” She stood up straight, and took a letter out of her pocket. “First, give this to James. Second, when you see Remus, say this strongly. `Me too,' Got it?” Lily nodded mutely, staring at the letter in her hand. “Good,” Somailia said, and then her shoulders sagged and she ran over to Lily and hugged her tightly.

“Don't leave,” Lily said pleadingly.

“I have to,” Somailia replied sadly, and hugged her tighter. Then she let go, and left the room, saying a pleasant good-bye to Godric who was indeed lapping up the spilled tea, purring contently. She opened the door, and was gone.

James ran through the door of Remus, Somailia, and Sirius' flat, banging headlong into Sirius, coming out of the kitchen.

“Where's Remus?” James demanded, and Sirius, a spoon halfway to his mouth, shrugged and grimaced as the warm oatmeal slid off the spoon and down his shirt.

James bounded up the stairs and Sirius called after him. “What's happened?”

“Something wrong!” Was all James said as he joggled the handle of the married couple's room and threw it open. Remus glanced at him and returned back to his search for a job. They weren't coming easily these days. James threw the newspaper he had clutched in his hand at Remus and it floated down and landed on top of Remus' head.

“Read it,” James growled out, and Remus reached up and pulled it off from his head. A large headline blared out DEATH EATER AMBUSH, FOUR DEAD, ONE MISSING. And the moving pictures on the front page were those who had died and were lost. Dearborn Caradoc smiled easily up from his picture, never to know what his fate was, or where he was. Seymour Capper looked out of his picture uneasily, and craned his neck to see what was being said above him. Stephen McLaughlin, whom was quite a pretty face, smiled cheekily up at them. Fourth, Michael Durmit, who looked calculating up at them, sniffed haughtily and pushed his, glasses further up his nose. Lastly, Somailia Lupine who grinned at Remus and waved vigorously.

He gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth as the tears poured silently down, blotching out the rest of the pictures.

“When did this happen?” Sirius asked, coming into the room and taking the paper from Remus' hands.

“Last night,” James said, looking murderous.

“What are we going to do?” Sirius looked heartbroken, and he unconsciously sniffled while looking over the pictures. James took out an important looking letter from his pocket and handed it to Sirius before kneeling on the ground beside Remus and hesitantly trying to hug him. “Why does Dumbledore want us?”

Dumbledore looked at the group gathered in his office, his eyes not holding their usual twinkle. The group wasn't large by any accounts, but it was large enough, with the whole group shifting uncomfortably and Lily rubbing her stomach impatiently.

“You don't know why I've brought you here, and I'll get to that in a few moments.” He looked at them all, one at a time. “Voldemort-,” Most everyone in the room shook, but Dumbledore paid that no heed and went on, pacing slightly, “-has been killing and recruiting at an unprecedented rate. Many have died, refusing him. Many who knew what was right and always told Voldemort what the truth was, no matter at what cost.

“Most often, the cost was their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Senior,” He said, nodding to James and Lily, “Dearborn Caradoc, Seymour Capper, Katie Ah Bleu,” Sirius' breath whooshed out as if he just landed on his face falling out of a swing. “Somailia Lupin,” he said next, and Remus began to cry softly, not trying to hide it. “So many have died, so many more will die, unless we do something.

“I have a plan.” Many in the room brightened at this, Dumbledore's plans always went perfectly. “Voldemort has been recruiting many, his so called Death Eaters, and I took from that idea a group that was not followers, but helpers of the needy, fighters for the good, always doing the right thing. And I've decided to call them,” he flicked his wand and Fawkes appeared, singing his slow song, “The Order of the Phoenix.”

He looked around at all of them. “Who's with me?”

Sirius stood up immediately, and striding over to Dumbledore, he said, “Where do I sign?”

“Good man,” Dumbledore murmured, patting Sirius on the shoulder. Remus and the Prewett brothers, Arthur and Molly Weasley stood together, holding hands and walked forward, the back of a long line of people willing to help. Alastor Moody stumped up to the line, and Dedalus Diggle bounced over and started talking animatedly to Moody. Marlene McKinnon smiled sweetly as James and Lily began a heated discussion still in their seats, and began to talk with Emmeline Vance, passing Alice and Frank, who were also have a discussion, Alice rubbing her stomach with a scared expression on her face. Benjy Fenwick grinned and strolled over to the two ladies, starting to chat lively.

Edgar Bones and Sturgis Podmore came back from the signing looking happier than James had seen them in a long, long time. Hagrid lumbered up from the back of the room, shaking Dumbledore's arm pleasantly, and Peter Pettigrew snuck to the back of the line without many people noticing him.

“Aberforth!” Dumbledore cried, and ran over to his brother and hugged him tightly. “So glad you came, really quite glad.”

Aberforth hugged him back, his nose twitching oddly. “'Eyo Albus! Quite a party we're having, isn't it?”

Lily stood up, looking down defiantly at James, and strode over to the end of the line and started to talk to Dorcas Meadowes with a hard look on her face. James wiped at his eyes, trying to hide the sudden tears, and stood up heading to the line with a watery grin on his face.

Aberforth signed last, and Dumbledore beamed at all of them, rolling up the parchment, and they watched as it vanished into a cupboard that locked itself.

“Tell no one of this,” Dumbledore said gravely, and then perked up. “Cookies and refreshments!”

James and Lily walked up to Dumbledore a tad nervously and tapped him on the shoulder. “Ah, James and Lily! How are you doing? And the baby?”

“He's coming along sir,” Lily said cautiously, and then looked up at Dumbledore. “Do you remember when Voldemort wrote us a letter, in April two years ago?” He nodded, and with a small nudge at James, he pulled out three letters and showed them to Dumbledore.

“They're becoming much more serious, sir. We need to be protected,” he sighed and said shakily, “We need a Secret Keeper.”

Dumbledore led them to their chairs and sat down beside James, looking at them seriously down his long, crooked nose. Lily looked utterly terrified.

“Is there anyone here in this room that you do not trust?” James looked out across the room and studied every face. Sirius grinned at him from across the room, catching up with Peter. Remus was giving everyone in the room sad, dark looks. James' eyes settled on him, and remained there for a long time.

Heaving a great sigh, James leaned toward Dumbledore saying quietly, “Remus has been rather… distant lately, not talking to Sirius or any of us. Frankly, it's unnerving.” Dumbledore held back the fact that James didn't speak hardly a word to Peter Pettigrew the last six months of school, but held it in.

“Would you like me to be your secret keeper?” Dumbledore asked, imploringly. Lily shook her head.

“If there's anyone that we trust more than you, Dumbledore (and that's hardly anyone), it would be Sirius.”

“Why don't you ask him?” He said softly. Lily nodded distractedly and detangled her hand from James', running it through her hair. She walked up to Sirius and tugged his robed arm impatiently, and he looked down at her and alarm surged into his face, and as she led him to James and Dumbledore, confusing overtook the alarm. Lily sat him down next to her and took his hands into hers.

“What's wrong?” Sirius said, looking at the rather somber group.

“We need a Secret Keeper,” James said dolefully, and looked at him. “You are our first, and practically only choice.” James gave him a pleading look.

Sirius leaned back, and his eyes teared up, the salty tears leaking down his face, but he either didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, he shook his head. “Nah, James, you can't make me do it! They'll go after me instantly; I don't know how long I'll hold out.” He began to cry in earnest, and Lily wrapped him into her arms and let him cry. “You can't trust me,” he said, his voice cracking.

“Who else can we trust, if not you?” James asked softly.

“Pete?”

“Pete,” Lily and James agreed, and Dumbledore, again, frowned deep in thought.

James fetched him and made him stand in front of them. James asked, Peter said he'd be delighted. At the time, Lily thought, “Weird little bugger. Doesn't he know what's at stakes?”

Sirius and Peter left soon afterward, as did most of the now Order of the Phoenix, but James and Lily stayed behind. Dumbledore came back to them after Aberforth left, and asked why they were still there.

“Well, sir,” Lily began hesitantly, “We need jobs. And we would feel so much better if we could be at Hogwarts, protected.”

Dumbledore bridged his fingers together. “Of course, you are welcome. There are not, however, any jobs that need filling. However, we can make some up, if you desire?”

“I'd like to help Professor Flitwick, if you don't mind, sir.”

“Done. And you, Mr. Potter?”

James blushed, odd, and said bashfully, odder, “I don't know quite what I would be good at, sir.”

“Well, you're very good at Quidditch, and excellent at Transfiguration. Which would you prefer? Both assisting jobs?”

“Sir,” James said carefully, “how do you assist teaching Quidditch?”

“Well, there are a lot of youngsters that are taught, two houses at a time, when we first begin teaching, you know.”

“I know,” James said, smiling at Lily, reminiscing. “I'll do that!” He said with some finality. They stood up together. Dumbledore shook their hands.

“I'll see you in three months.”

“Hallo dear, wonderful to see you again.” Katie looked up at her and grinned uncertainly, bouncing a baby on her knee. She started to cry.

“Say hi to mommy, Cecilia!” Katie said, turning around completely, waving the smiling baby's hand. Somailia began to sob and ran to them, scooping them into her arms and crying her eyes out. Cecilia didn't cry a bit.

“My two best girls,” Somailia said smiling her lights out. “Why are you crying?” She asked Katie, pulling back.

“Why are you crying?” Katie retorted, wiping her eyes.

“It's been, oh, let me count… two and half years since you've died.”

“Yeah, but you've seen me. Why does it matter how long it's been?”

“People change, silly ass. We aren't the same.” Katie looked mournfully over the side of the ever changing cloud coverage, looking down at Lily while she dueled with Death Eaters and James with Lucius Malfoy and Sirius with Snape.

“I've known that for a very long time,” she handed Cecilia over to Somailia and walked to the edge, looking down and crying slightly. “I love them, you know. More than you'll ever know.”

“Love who?” Somailia kissed her baby's feet and made the loud kissing noise.

“James, Sirius, Lily, Remus.” She stood there, for hours it seemed, before she uttered the last name. “Harry.”

“Harry?”

Katie nodded. “That's James' and Lily's baby. He's quite a wonderful character.” She turned and looked at Somailia. “He's going to save them all.”

“Who will live the longest?”

Katie chuckled. “We always thought he would die first. His `illness' and all,” she said and shook her head. “Dear, dear Remus.”

“How much longer will it be until he's here?” Somailia asked, worried. Cecilia felt it and started to whimper. “Hush baby, daddy will be here soon,”

“Thirty years,” Katie said, rather regretfully. Somailia gagged and pounded herself in the chest.

“What about Sirius?” She asked, gasping. Katie sighed.

“Sixteen,”

“James?”

“James AND Lily will be coming next October.”

“Goodness!”

“Harry lives though, thank gods. He'll have Dumbledore and Remus and Sirius, for a time, mentoring him and helping him through. And his love will be there from magical day one until his second to last.”

“Well that's good.” Somailia said sarcastically. “Thank Merlin we'll be there!”

Katie smiled crookedly. “Don't worry. We will be.”

Lily stepped, waddled more like, up the sidewalk to the quaint little home that stood there. She got to the stoop and rang the bell, and began pacing. The door opened and she whipped toward it as a toddler's cry rang out through the open door way. “What, exactly, are you doing here?” The lady hissed and pulled Lily in, shutting the door behind her and peering out the window, hoping none of the neighbor's saw. Lily sighed.

“Nice to see you, Petunia. Tell me, how have you been?” Considering the fact that Petunia had baby throw-up in copious amounts on her periwinkle sweater and the house was a mess, quite well thank you.

“Better off than you, I do imagine, since when were you pregnant?” Petunia nodded and moved away from the window, convinced none of the neighbors saw. Lily put her hand to the small of her back and rubbed it.

“Since nine months ago,” Lily said dryly. “Since when have you been married?”

“Four years ago.” Petunia said, sniffing, and upturned her nose and walked over to her rather red-faced child.

“To that Dursley character?” Rhetorical question really, looking at the child. His deep red skin would soon sink into Vernon Dursley's forever purple look, always looking like he was choking on a chicken bone.

She pulled her wand out to help Petunia with the mess, but Petunia shrieked, “PUT THAT DOWN, THE NEIGHBOR'S WILL SEE!” She hurried as fast as she could to her window with her boy on her non-existent hip and checked it.

“Oh honestly, your windows are covered, no one can see me through them!” Lily flicked her wand idly and the house began to clean itself. “You know why I'm here, and you know why I did that, so I can keep your attention.” Lily sat down on the couch closest and lounged back into it.

Petunia gathered her child into her lap and sat herself down, her back ramrod straight. “His name is Dudley,” She said quietly, simpering.

“How fitting,” Lily murmured. “Do you remember when we used to have fun together?” Petunia blinked, startled, and smiled.

“Of course. Do you remember that time when I was eight and you were four and we played dress up in Mother's clothing, pearls and pumps, and then I stepped on the hem of your dress and you fell on me, and I fell in the bathtub, ruining the dresses?” Petunia giggled a bit.

“I don't want you to hate me, Petty.”

Petunia's eyes started watering. “You know I can't. Do you hate me,” her voice cracked, but she continued, “For doing all those wicked things to you?” Lily came over to her and held her awkwardly, Dudley crying into her breast and Petunia on her shoulder, and Harry kicking her abdomen.

“I never hated you. But Pet, please. If I die, I need to know that everything is good between us. I won't die guilty. I forgive you for whatever you think or have done to me.” They clenched each other tighter and cried. Childhood is so hard to accept and remember when it's already gone.

Sirius rang the bell to James' and Lily's cottage, nervous like, and was immediately pulled in. James shut it behind him and locked it, muggle-ish-ly. And then, after some thought, he locked it magically. It was deemed satisfactory, and James led Sirius through the rooms until they reached the Kitchen, and he walked through. Sirius gulped nervously, and pushed the door open, following.

“We're all here,” Lily said gravely, sitting next to a just seated James, holding his hand tightly. Dumbledore moved himself from leaning against their counter and sat down in front of James. Sirius sat beside him, and Peter beside him, making themselves into a semi-circle. “What do you want the password to be?”

James immediately spoke, “For Gryffindor.”

Everyone nodded, and Dumbledore agreed, saying “So be it.” He said the incantation in his head. Half way through he turned to Peter and said quietly, “Hold Lily's hand, Lily hold James', and James hold Peter's.” Peter reached around the circle and clasped hands with Lily.

It went on in silence for twenty minutes and Peter said suddenly, “I solemnly swear that I will protect and guard the Potter family for as long as I live.” A dark red sliver of light wound its way through the three of them, and then got brighter and brighter, blinding Sirius. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, it was gone, and the rite was over. His Lily and James were protected.

He looked closely at Lily, who made a small, “oof,” sound and then at the floor. “Lily dear,” he said standing up and making her stand, putting his hand on her extremely swollen belly. “You're leaking.”

James looked down at the floor and indeed, water was leaking from Lily's legs, the bottom of her maternity gown sopping wet. “Oh dear.” He said and looked up at Dumbledore. “Could you perhaps conjure us up a car?” Dumbledore nodded and went out the front door and magiked one up.

Dumbledore said, “I'll drive if you don't mind.” Sirius and James lifted Lily off her feet and ran her out of the house as quickly and smoothly as possible.

“I'll get Godric,” Peter said unhelpfully and scooped the cat up, cradling him in his arms as he ran out behind them. As always.

Dumbledore drove as smoothly as muggles, and as fast as the driver of the Knight bus, getting them to the local hospital in less than ten minutes. It would have taken an hour with a normal muggle taxi driver. James thanked him oh so much and asked him if they could take off the first few weeks of school so they could get some sleep without racng to classes.

"Of course," Dumbledore said, and James thanked him and raced into the hospital after Sirius, who hobbled out of the car with Lily quick as grease lightning to get her a wheelchair. Peter dumped Godric into Dumbledore's lap without as so much as a “would you please?” or “thank you so much!” and scurried after the others. Dumbledore looked at the cat in his arms and stroked his head.

“They named you rightly,” He said to the cat as he pulled out of the lane and into traffic, heading toward who knows where. Godric simply purred.

Lily cradled Harry's head in her palm as she entered their cottage, trying to keep him comfortable, and quite, as possible. James came in afterwards, “carrying” the bags and trying to make them look as difficult to hold as possible. Muggles. They just don't understand magic. He shut the door with a push from his rump and opened his fists, letting the bags float after Lily. He locked up tightly, quickly, and ran up the stairs after her.

He sent the bags to unpack themselves as soon as he got to the bedroom and tucked Lily and Harry into their large bed, pulling it up gently to her chest. She was suckling Harry, and he was doing it quite ferociously. “How is he?” James asked, sitting on the bed and curling up next to her, looking down at his -his!- son.

“Perfect,” Lily murmured. James wrapped his arms around hers and they held Harry together. “Spitting image of you.”

James puffed his chest out and grinned unconsciously. “I know. But he already has your eyes. That's odd for a child, isn't it?”

Lily nodded. “Very. But that just makes him all the more special, doesn't it?” She giggled a bit. “He already showed signs of magic,” she said, looking up at James. He widened his eyes. She read them and nodded. “Really. When it was just he and I in the room, the nurses all gone, he shot out of my arms and started bouncing up and down on the room.” James snorted, couldn't believe that he had missed that. “Then he started flipping while he bounced up and down, and then he sat in a way and zoomed about the place that made it look that he was riding a broom.”

“No,” James said, unbelieving.

“Yes,” she said, smugly. “He's taking after to you.”

“Dear Merlin,” James said, looking down at the little sucker they were speaking of. “I hope he isn't a brat like me. I just won't be able to stand that.”

“Oh he won't be.” Lily said, leaning back into her husbands arms. “I'll make sure of that.”

“Sirius.” Lily said it sternly, catching Sirius off guard as he snuck into the house with little Harry in his arms and a broom stick following behind. He straightened up and turned to him, shaking snow out of his hair and patting it off Harry's little festive hat. “What did you do?”

Sirius showed a somber look, and Lily softened. Sirius hadn't been very… Sirius lately. “I showed him the world today,” He said walking toward her and giving her Harry back, who cooed up at both of them with spit dribbling from his mouth. Sirius wiped it off with his sleeve.

Lily glared. “I assumed that was what the broom was for.”

Sirius glancing down at her bashfully and said, “I put that nifty chameleon charm on us! No one saw, I swear. On my life,” He added, knowing that would be the next question he asked.

Her stern façade broke and she burrowed her head into his chest, sniffling. “I'm sorry,” she said miserably as his arms came around her. “It's just all these attacks! There are so many deaths, so many have died. “Kent, Little Winging, Oxfordshire, Chichester, London. Everywhere! I'm afraid any magic we do will attract them, him,” she said with a shudder, “to us. I'm afraid he'll find us, and when he does, he'll kill us!” She sobbed openly now.

Sirius rubbed her back comfortably and shifted, feeling Harry being pressed into his waist. “He's not going to get you,” he said firmly, removing her head from his chest and tipping her chin up so she looked him straight in the eye. “Peter is taking care of you, he will not betray you. And besides Lily, it's Christmas! Have fun, be merry!” He looked around the downstairs rooms. “Where's James?”

“In our room,” she said hiccupping. He rubbed her arm and kissed her forehead and then leant down to kiss Harry's.

“Hope you enjoyed your ride, you little bugger.” And then he bounded up the stairs to their room, where James had tied himself up in tinfoil. “I don't want to ask,” he said, going across the room to untangle him. “Everyone in this family is hopeless except for wee Harry,” Sirius said to James, and he stared, not unkindly.

“How did he fly?” James whispered.

“An utter natural,” Sirius said, and the men both grinned. “He'll be better than you in no time at all. That is, of course, if your pretty wife will let him get on the broom again. But with all this Voldemort shit going on, and her overbearing self, he won't be on a broomstick anytime soon.”

James sobered up. “With all this shit as you say going on, I don't want him on a broomstick until I know he can defend himself. Sirius,” James suddenly clenched Sirius arms, stopping him from being completely untangled, “if Lily and I don't live-!” he started desperately.

“Oh shut up about that, of course you'll live!” Sirius said nonchalantly.

“No! Listen to me!” James said, growling, demanding Sirius' attention. They looked each other in the eye. “If I die, I want you to teach Harry everything we learned. Everything. He deserves knowing. If we die, I want Harry to go with you. I want him to be safe. Will you protect him? Will you teach him?”

Sirius nodded, holding back tears. “I'll teach him everything.”

“I want you to teach him to fly. To flirt. To worm his way out of everything he can possibly do. Do you promise?”

“I promise, with all my heart.” James' teared up and they rolled down his face and he brushed them off with his shoulder, and then hugged Sirius tightly.

“You're the only one I can trust with something this big.” Sirius clenched his arms around James' back and held on.

Katie sat down on the edge of the bed, sandwiched between James' sleeping form and Harry's. “Hello my boys,” She says, smiling sadly. She looked down at James and brushed her hand against his head, his hair smoothing down ever so slightly against her invisible pressure. “You're going to be so proud of him, James, he'll be great. He'll be…,” She sighed. How do you describe Harry? “He'll be King Arthur brave James. A reluctant king, but a great one.”

She shifted slightly and looked down at Harry, kissing him on the head. “Now you look after your daddy, Harry,” she said mock serious. “He won't be here long enough to look after you.” She looked at James again, noticing how his face, for once, was turned away from Lily and at Harry's crib, a small smile on his face. Harry, likewise, was turned toward his father, grinning in his deep sleep. Peace. Oh so delicate peace. Why does it only come during the night? It doesn't last.

She pounded her fists on the bed and cried, “It isn't damn fair! None of it's fair!” She looked outside the window and a full moon was out. She sobbed. “Not to me or Remus or Somailia or you, James. Especially not you James. You're going to be gone so very soon, it's cruel and heartless!” She screamed out, and then settled a bit, looking down at James and saying softly, “but it's for the best, isn't it?” A soft noise made her turn to face Harry. He cooed in his sleep, and more tears slipped from her eyes. She stood and walked to him, trying to brushing his unruly hair down, knowing it won't work.

“You are the most perfect baby I have ever seen. You won't want to be our little hero, but you will be.” She kissed his head. “I love you so very much. More than you know. My little boy. My own hero.” She turned to James and knelt beside him, one last tear slipping down her cheek. She held his hand and whispered, “I love you. I'm happy for you and Lily; it's nice to know that counted once upon a time.”

Katie walked around the bed and went to Lily who was snoring lightly. She giggled, wiping at her tears. “Take care of them for me, Lil. They're boys and you know how much they make those stupid mistakes. They wouldn't survive with you. I love you too.”

And then she was gone. And no one even knew she'd been there.

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27. 1981

In the Tower

Chapter 27: 1981

Disclaimer I have never, ever owned Harry Potter. So there.

Summary: Sirius, Remus and Peter lock James and Lily in a tower over Christmas Break. They don't have anything except a bit of food and the passion within themselves. And right now, they're just letting it out.

Author's Note: Hah. I probably should have heeded my friend when she told me it would have been better if I just ended it when James and Lily got out of the tower. But I'm rather attached to my ghosts, thanks. Well it's over guys!

Lily watched in fascination as Harry continued to babble. Tears were leaking from her eyes, her slice of pizza sitting on the floor. She crouched down next to him, and he looked up at her with those penetrating, intense green eyes of his. “Will you say it again, Harry?”

“Pizza,” he said, giggling and looking at Lily's pizza on the ground. She picked him up and bounced him on her hip slightly.

“JAMES!” She yelled, covering Harry's ears with her hands as she yelled up the stairs to him. He came pounding down them minutes later, his wand out and prepared to fight.

“What? What happened? Are you okay?”

She held up Harry in front of his father and said, “Say it again, Harry! Say it for daddy!”

“Pizza,” Harry said again, reaching out and grabbing James' nose. James reached up and gently detached Harry's hand from his nose and rubbed it, staring at Harry. He looked up at Lily over Harry.

“He just said his first word!” James said, pride echoing throughout his words.

“I know!” Lily said with obvious glee.

“We have to tell Sirius! Dumbledore! Everyone!” Lily looked down, bringing Harry back down to her hip and rubbing his back as he blew his nose into her shirt.

“We can't tell anyone, James. You know that.” James sat down on the couch, and picked up Lily's pizza. He buried his head into his hands, running his fingers through his hair and trying hard not to show that he wanted to cry.

“Why not though? Why can't we just go and kill Voldemort? Everything would be okay then!” Lily sat down next to him, putting Harry in her lap and letting him suck his thumb. She placed a hand on James' back and rubbed, trying to comfort.

“Everything wouldn't be okay, James, and you know that. They would be after us and they would never give up.”

The rest of the day was bittersweet.

“Now Harry,” Lily said, putting lipstick on Harry's face and trying to make him stop rubbing at it, “You look adorable. I just want to put this in my mind forever. Please try to stop rubbing it and ruining your image?”

James came into the room holding a big box of Halloween decorations and then dropped it when he saw Harry. “What did you do to his face?” James said, hopping up and down on one foot and coming over to them. Lily glared at him.

“He's supposed to be a wood sprite.” She said, grudgingly, kissing Harry's head and looking down at his brown costume. “He's very cute.”

“Mum?” Harry said, tugging slightly on his outfit.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Do I haveta?”

Lily scowled and straightened the ragged collar. “Yes, you do. Only for a few minutes,” She said comfortingly, looking and watching his bottom lip tremble. “James, draw!” James grumbled but brought over a piece of parchment and quill, took a look and then tapped it with his wand, watching as the parchment began drawing Harry's portrait, and held it to Harry when it finished.

Harry scrunched up his nose. “Ugly.” Lily hugged Harry to her chest and James laughed, going to the mantelpiece and placing it up there in front of their graduation picture. She went into the kitchen and took a rag, wetting it and then coming back into the living room, crouching down and wiping lipstick off his face.

“Why don't you just give him a good scourgify?” Lily licked her fingertip and rubbed it vigorously on Harry's cheek, making his squirm.

“Dad,” Harry whined.

James laughed, picking him up and soaring him away from Lily. “It's a mom thing, kid, ya wouldn't understand.” James looked at Lily over Harry's shoulder to see her standing with her hands on her hips, her emerald green sweater stuck to her and her corduroy's dirty and looking ragged. “I'll put him to bed, and then I'll be back.”

“No, don't bother. I'll do it. Can you clean up some of the decorations?”

“Of course,”

“Mommy?”

“Yes, Harry?”

“Hi!”

“Lily?”

“Yeah, James?”

“Why do we have all of this if we can't show anyone?”

Lily glared. “It's Halloween. I wanted to get the spirit of it.”

“Mom?”

“Yes, Harry?”

“Why go sleep?”

“Well baby…” Lily's voice trailed off as she disappeared from James' sight. He started to collect things aimlessly after they were gone, tossing assorted items into the boxes. The pounding on the front door jerked James from his dolly day dream, and James started panicking. No one knew where they lived except Peter, Sirius, or Dumbledore. And they always flooed in.

No one used the front door, unless someone found them...

James took his wand from his belt and ran to the stairs, yelling, panicking. “Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-!”

James ran to the kitchen, tripping over Halloween decorations and streamers, and the kitchen door burst open, knocking James off his feet.

He stood up quickly and backed away from the door, his wand out and his whole body shaking nervously as Voldemort swept into the room.

“Hello, Mr. Potter. How nice to see you again.”

“Hardly,” James spat, edging around the kitchen table as Voldemort came around the other side. And so they dueled. James heard Harry crying loudly up the stairs, and as he fired off spells all he thought about was his family. Even if he died, he hoped they would live. They were survivors.

“This is taking much too long,” Voldemort snarled, and shouted, “Immobulus!” James' eyes widened as he became stiff, and Voldemort lifted his hood. “Betrayed. How very sad. Good-bye, James Potter.”

The next thing he sees is Katie standing in front of him, a sad look on her face. “James, you're dead.” She was so frank, so honest, and so real, that James ran to her and scooped her up, burying his head into her stomach and sobbing. Her arms were around his shoulders and were holding tightly onto him. “I missed you too,” She said. “But you might want to watch this.” She detached herself from him and stood on tiptoe, wiping his eyes. “Hey. Don't worry! Just come on.”

She grabbed his hand and led him over to Somailia and Cecilia, who were watching the scene sadly. He sat down between the two girls and leaned his head onto Katie's shoulder, amazed she was here and he wasn't simply daydreaming. He put a hand over his mouth as Voldemort was towering above Lily. She was standing over Harry's crib, and Harry was crying loudly within, knowing something was wrong.

“Not Harry, no not Harry! Not Harry! Please I'll do anything-”

Voldemort was hissing at her. “Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!” His girl didn't budge, and Voldemort yelled out an angry, “AVADA KEDAVARA!” Lily's body slumped over and Somailia put Cecilia in James' arms.

“This is my baby. Be nice to her.” He heard her walk away and comfort a just appearing Lily.

“Is Harry going to be okay?” James asked, scared.

Katie bit her lip. “In a sense of the word, yes. He lives. But he has a very tough life in front of him.”

“JAMES!” Lily said, running toward him, tears streaming from her eyes.

James turned to her, bouncing Cecilia on his knee. “That's our baby out there.” He said, hollowly, and turned back, looking down at the showdown between Harry Voldemort.

“Hello, baby.” Voldemort said, moving the blanket from Harry's twisting form so he could get a clear view of him. Harry's face was screwed up and red, his tiny fists pounding. Voldemort stared. “How are you supposed to kill me? You're only a silly baby.” Voldemort twisted his wand through his fingers, watching Harry. “Avada Kedavara,” he said, silkily.

But something went wrong. The green haze formed a barrier around Harry, glowing and pulsing. Harry grew quiet, and Voldemort started screaming, writhing in a pain worse then the cruciatus curse. It stopped then, and Voldemort seemed to poof away, gone.

Harry started getting angry. And he showed his first signs of magic. As he pounded his fists and cried, the cottage started to slowly get licked by flames.

“He's going to kill himself,” Lily moaned, clutching James' arm tightly. James shook his head and continued to hold onto Cecilia, watching his little boy.

“Here he comes,” Katie said suddenly, choking up. A bright light came out of the darkness towards the flaming cottage, and Sirius landed roughly down in front of the house, wiping off his helmet and sprinting toward the front door, screaming out for James or Lily.

“Harry!” Sirius said, rushing up the stairs as the decorations and Godric shot out of the house, running for who knows where. Sirius banged into the bedroom, staring at Lily's lifeless body and Harry in the cradle. He picked up the squirming baby and raced back down the stairs, and out of the house, carrying the sobbing baby away as timber and things began flying in the sky.

All James could watch was the portrait he had taken of Harry now two hours ago turn into flames, disappearing forever.

It seemed like hours before anyone else showed up. Hagrid appeared out from the road down Godric's Hollow, his feet pounding and his voice ripping through the air, bellowing. Sirius whipped his head around, cradling Harry to his chest.

Hagrid stared up at the smoldering cottage. “Do you know what happened?” Sirius asked, patting Harry's back and trying to sooth him.

“No, but Dumbledore might.” Hagrid said, looking down at Sirius. “He asked me to take `Arry.” Sirius shook his head, pulling Harry tight to him.

“Oh please, let Sirius keep Harry! He knows the boy!” Katie shook her head.

“It's not how it works, Lily.”

“Let me keep him, Hagrid. I'm his godfather.” They quarreled for a few minutes, and Sirius finally relented. “Where are you going to take him?”

“Where are they going to take him?” Lily asked, looking at Somailia. Somailia stared back at her intently. “Oh no, not her!” Somailia nodded. “NOT PETUNIA!”

“We're taking him to his muggle aunt. His only blood relative left. He'll be safe.”

“Take my bike,” Sirius said, handing Harry and his helmet over to Hagrid. “I won't be needing it where I'm going.”

“Where you goin'?”

“To take care of some business.” Sirius said firmly, and then walked up to Hagrid, kissing Harry's forehead. “I'll see you again,” Sirius said, and then nodded at Hagrid and walked away.

“Where's he going?” James asked.

“To get revenge for you.”

“What will happen to him?”

Katie said frankly, “He's going to fake his own death and kill thirteen people in the way, blaming it all on Sirius. Sirius will go to Azkaban, and Peter will hide as a mouse for thirteen years.”

“What does he do after that?”

Katie pulled her lips into a firm line. “I promised Harry I wouldn't say.”

“Then where's Remus?” James wiped his eyes, looking despairingly at Lily. “How could we doubt Remus?” He said, agonized.

Somailia stiffly said, “I don't know. Remus was always innocent.” She cleared her throat. “Remus is out running tonight.” James looked apologetic, but Somailia kept her stony face intact.

Hagrid landed at Privet Drive and with Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore; put Harry on Petunia's doorstep. Then they were gone, and only the dead were watching Harry through out the night.

Petunia found him the next morning and awoke him with a scream, and opened the letter Harry had been sleeping with. She pursed her lips and then looked around, making sure no neighbors saw. She took the basket firmly and went inside shutting the door.

“Full circle,” Somailia said. “Everyone is finding out that Voldemort is gone now, and Harry is the Boy Who Lived.”

Lily began to gnaw on her lip, and Katie laid a hand on her arm. She looked calmly at James and Lily and then turned to look at Somailia and took Cecilia from James, grinning at all four of them.

“Don't worry,” she said, “you'll see him again.”

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