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[part 01|part 02|part 03|part 04|part 05]
[part 06|part 07|part 08|part 09|part 10]
[part 11|part 12|part 13|part 14|part 15]
[part 16|part 17|part 18|part 19|part 20]
[part 21|part 22|part 23|part 24|part 25]
[part 26|part 27|part 28|part 29|part 30]
[part 31|part 32|part 33|part 34| part 35]
Part 31:
Whiskers Meets His Match
(Monday, October 17, 1977-Tuesday, October 25, 1977)
Draco grunted as he was shoved against the hard, cold, stone wall by a beautiful girl. Normally, this would have been a welcome experience that would lead to a great deal of fun. But, alas, this definitely was not a normal experience for the beautiful girl who had him shoved against the wall was a petite, very angry, bushy-haired brunette with murder in her honey-brown eyes.
"You. Spied. On. Me," she bit out. Draco stared down at the girl, swallowing hard. She was really attractive when she was angry. This train of thought was derailed when said girl grabbed him by his scarlet-and-gold tie and jerked him forward before slamming his head against the wall once more for good measure.
"OW! Bloody hell, Granger!" he cried out, rubbing the back of his white-blond head.
"You nasty little ferret! You watched me take a bath!" she growled.
"It was an accident, I swear!" Draco insisted. "You actually think I wanted to see you naked?"
She let go of his tie, her eyes widening and their chocolate depths glistening with tears. "Am I ugly or something?"
Women! Damned irrational creatures! he thought. "Er...no...of course not..." he stammered. There was a long moment in which a blush rose in the girl's cheeks.
"Um...right...awkward," she stated, backing up as she realized just how close she was to her enemy. The boy looked around, searching for an escape route.
Finally, he murdered the awkward silence that had encompassed them. "I'm not a ferret," he said, under his breath, "I'm a cat."
Her eyes narrowed. "Yeah...and you're going to show me how...Whiskers," she stated.
"I can't guarantee anything," he replied. "I mean, you have to be in touch with your inner beast."
Hermione giggled at his comment. "Your inner beast is a white, fluffy kitty-cat?"
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "Tell no one."
"Your secret's safe with me," she said, trying her hardest to not grin. "So...when do we want to start?"
"After classes, Room of Requirement," he suggested. She nodded.
"You're on."
"This is impossible!" Hermione fumed. They'd spent five hours a day in the Room of Requirement for the past week. Draco was draped over the arm of an overstuffed, green velvet armchair looking bored. Hermione stopped trying to "get in touch with her inner-animal" and stared at him for a moment. The blonde eyebrows rose as their owner caught the girl looking at him.
Hermione blushed furiously and once again tried to "get in touch with her inner animal" and once again failed, eliciting a smirk from the newest Marauder. She glared at him, very annoyed and extremely bitter that -- for the very first time -- Draco could do something better than she could. "It's really easy," Draco drawled, taking on the now-familiar form of Whiskers for the seventh time that night alone. Hermione held back the pressing urge to draw her wand and cast a few hexes on the smug-looking, fluffy, white cat.
You can do this, Hermione, she told herself. You can make a Paladin, can't you? Something that Remus said was extremely rare...rarer than becoming an Animagus. You're rarer than an Animagus; this is easy. Just become an animal.
Her point of view changed and she felt much shorter. The look of disappointment on Draco's face was enough to make her realize that she'd finally accomplished what she thought impossible. "Nice set of hooters..." Draco drawled. Hermione's feathers ruffled in anger. Wait...feathers? Hooters...I'm an owl?
"Now to become human again..." He didn't have time to continue, Hermione was human again in a matter of seconds. He glared at her, but took some satisfaction that it had taken him merely a few moments to become a cat.
"So, I'm an owl," she said.
"Yes, you are," he replied.
Brown eyes narrowed. "Don't think you're off the hook. You spied on me when I was naked," she stated. "It's just rude...I never spied on you when you were naked."
A smirk quirked his lips. "Do you want to?"
Hermione blushed. "Of course not!" she squealed. She left the Room of Requirement, feeling a rush of pride. She'd done it. She'd just become an Animagus. She was still grinning like an idiot when she ran into Sirius (for one of the first times since they'd met, figuratively), whom she'd done her best to avoid for the past week. Her eyes widened as she looked at the dark-haired boy. "Er...hi, Sirius."
"Hello, Hermione," he stated, looking at her with a frown.
"So...er...what're you doing here?" she asked.
"I could ask the same about you," he replied.
"I was studying," she replied. She frowned, eyes narrowing as she examined the vibrant youth so unlike his future self. She felt a twinge of guilt for just avoiding him like this and she had been trying to find out a way to break it to him easily but she wasn't really quite sure how she could. "Look, Sirius, I know I've been avoiding you lately...but things are just really...difficult right now. Believe me, it's entirely not you and definitely, entirely me me. And that's just not something that I'm saying to get rid of you, but this is really not the right...er...time...for a relationship, but I'd still like to be friends..."
The five Marauders sat in the Head Boy's room. "She gave you the 'it's not you, it's me' speech?" Remus asked, wincing as he shoved a hand through his sandy hair.
"Ouch," Peter replied. "I mean, that's the kiss of death. That and 'let's still be friends.'"
Sirius groaned and dropped his head hard on James's pillow. "She said that, too," he stated. "I've heard of that before. You know the 'let's still be friends' and the 'it's not you, but me' thing...but I never expected it to happen to me. I mean, girls...girls...they adore me. I mean, I have to fight them off sometimes..."
"And you're so modest," Draco drawled.
"I am...I mean. I have a fan club, did you know that?" Sirius stated.
Peter nodded. "It's true. There are ten girls in it."
"All Hufflepuffs, I bet," Draco stated.
"And then there's Hermione. She's beautiful, sweet, incredibly intelligent, with a wicked sense of humor, and those eyes...bloody hell, they're like...like...I don't know what they're like but they're amazing..."
Draco arched a brow. "They're brown," he stated. Then he secretly cursed himself for actually knowing what color her eyes were.
"Yes...brown...brown like chocolate...rich, melted chocolate..." Sirius stated. James and Draco exchanged a look.
"Or mud," Draco stated under his breath.
"Okay, this is getting kind of disturbing," Remus stated. "Padfoot, you never pine over girls. You break their hearts and make them cry. Remember that time you broke that girl's heart and she hexed you?"
"Which girl?" Sirius asked.
"Exactly. Several girls have hexed you," Remus replied.
"Oh, and that one time on the Hogwarts Express when Wilhemina Brocklehurst and Queenie Greengrass cursed you at the same time with the -- uh, what was it? -- I think they hit you with that boil curse and the Jelly-Legs Jinx at the same time, you had tentacles sprouting out all over..."
Draco winced, remembering his own experience with that happening on the way home from his fourth year and Sirius didn't even react. "Don't you think that maybe you're a little old for her?" James inquired.
"I'm ten months older than she is," Sirius stated. "It's not exactly the biggest age gap in the history of humanity. I mean, my mum's four years older than my dad."
"Have you thought that maybe she has a lot on her plate right now?" James suggested.
"There's always room for dessert," Sirius said with a sigh.
"Okay, Padfoot, you're going to make me sick," Draco stated. "I really, really, really don't want to think of you and Hermione like that."
Part 32:
Concerning Matters of Mischief
(Wednesday, October 26, 1977-Thursday, October 27, 1977)
Sirius, James, Peter, and Draco hid on the edge of the Forbidden Forest watching as Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore smuggled a form covered with a blanket toward the wildly-whipping limbs of the Whomping Willow. With a quickness that was surprising for one so large, the Keeper of the Keys darted to the tree's twisted trunk and pressed the secret knot. Draco watched with amazement as the thrashing limbs stilled and Remus crawled into the secret passage that was carefully hidden by the roots. Hagrid leapt out of the way just as the limbs came back to life. The elderly professor and the half-giant went their separate ways; Hagrid to his hut, Dumbledore to the castle.
Once satisfied that the coast was clear, the four made their way to the Whomping Willow. In a few moments' time, James, a dog, a rat, and a cat stood where the four had been. The rat wormed his way up the tree to press the knot and the three others clambered down the tunnel to follow Remus; Sirius closest to the werewolf.
As soon as Remus and Padfoot were out of the way, James transformed into Prongs and followed the tunnel. Whiskers and Wormtail followed the stag. Draco's curiosity had been piqued when he'd found that today would be his first full moon adventure with the Marauders and he felt good about keeping his new friends company. Imagine that, he -- Draco Lucien Malfoy -- was feeling good about helping someone else. He was really going to get disowned but, strangely enough, he could care less.
The tunnel angled up and ended in a battered, old house. Remus had transformed into his wolf form and his clothes lay high on a dresser where the wolf couldn't get them. Whiskers looked around, examining the furniture that was in various states of destruction. Suddenly, it clicked. He was in the Shrieking Shack and the stories of ghosts finally seemed to make sense. Nothing like four wild animals running around a dilapidated old house to stir up ideas of ghosts and ghoulies haunting the place. His whiskers twitched with amusement as he watched Padfoot and Moony chase one-another in circles while Prongs supervised the goings-on with Wormtail perched on his antlers.
The two canines seemed to be having a lot of fun so Whiskers decided to join in. He shoved his nose against Padfoot's side, tagging him. It didn't take long for the two canines to understand what was going on and soon the three of them were playing tag. Growing bored with that, Padfoot tagged Prongs and soon the stag and the rat joined in on the fun. They played for hours, strange how simple, childish games could become fun again once a person became an animal. Who knew, maybe next time they'd step it up to hide-and-go-seek.
As dawn's early light filtered through the tattered curtains that dangled precariously over filthy windows, Moony's fur retracted and a sleeping, nude teenager was in his place. Remus stretched out, yawning, he ruffled his mussed, sandy hair and looked around at his friends; Wormtail, Whiskers, and Padfoot were still in their animal forms, passed out. He chuckled as he noticed Whiskers and Padfoot snuggled together. Oh, he'd have to remember that to hold over their heads once they woke up.
He yawned again, scratching his stomach lightly before walking to the dresser on which he'd placed his clothes. He stood on tiptoes to retrieve them and dressed. The sandy-haired youth crossed the battered planks to where his friends lay snoring. He toed Padfoot awake and the dog jumped up with a yelp as soon as he realized he was wound around a fluffy, white, silver-eyed cat. Quickly, an annoyed-looking dark-haired youth was in the dog's place. "Tell no one," Sirius stated menacingly.
Remus bit back a smirk. "Your secret's safe with me," he stated.
Blearily, silver eyes opened and examined the room, a fanged mouth yawned wide, showing a rough, pink tongue, and Whiskers stretched out with the boneless grace that only felines possessed. Whiskers did a bit more preening before changing back into his human form. Remus rolled his eyes. "You're really taking this cat thing to heart, aren't you, Whiskers?" the werewolf stated.
The blonde made a face at the older boy and caused Sirius to smirk. The three looked around for a moment before they finally found James snoring away on a sofa that had seen better days a century ago with Wormtail curled up on his softly-rising-and-falling chest. "Aw...they're so cute, I can hardly bear the thought of waking them," Sirius said with a teasing grin.
"You may not be able to, but I can. Prongs, wakey-wakey; it's a beautiful day, the birds are singing, squirrels are up in the trees making lots of rotten, little squirrels..." Draco said.
One hazel eye opened just enough to cast a glare at the blonde. Slowly, James awoke, reaching to adjust his glasses that were askew on his face. He lifted the sleeping rat and beady, little eyes opened. "That's right, Wormtail," he said. "Time to get up." James sat up on the sofa, wincing as a spring poked him. He deposited Wormtail on the sofa's cushion and stood, stretching out.
Wormtail quickly transformed and looked to his friends. "What time is it?" the pudgy youth yawned.
Remus looked at his watch. "It's, uh, six-thirty," he stated. "We've got class in at nine."
"And you woke us up this early?" Draco asked, pushing his sleep-mussed hair out of his face.
"Well, it takes Padfoot and Prongs this long to get ready," Remus replied with a teasing grin.
Sirius muttered a few choice phrases under his breath that caused his fellow Marauders to grin. He yawned and stretched out and headed toward the secret passageway, followed by James, Remus, Draco, and Peter. They took the passageway in companionable silence and Peter turned into his rat form to attack the knot that froze the Whomping Willow. The Marauders exited the passageway and blinked against the early morning light, the drops of dew glistening in the sunlight. The sparkling dewdrops were blindingly bright and Draco squinted against them. "It's too bright," he mumbled. "Too early. I'm a creature of the night..."
"Stuff it, Whiskers," Sirius stated, swallowing a yawn.
The greasy-haired, pallid youth was curled up in an armchair in front of a roaring fire that couldn't sap the cold moisture from the air. A textbook was laid across his lap, the margins black with cramped writing, a quill dangling from his ink-stained fingers, and a bottle of black ink sitting haphazardly on the edge of the textbook. He snored softly through his hooked nose which was dappled with a bit of the ink, having fallen asleep in the common room. A hand landed on his shoulder and the boy awakened with a start, dropping the quill and spilling the ink all over his much-written in textbook. Severus Snape glared at the textbook and removed the spilled ink with a cry of Evanesco.
His cry of outrage was cut short by the hand's sharp nails biting into his shoulder through his robes; a long-fingered hand with pale skin and talon-like nails belonging to an older gentleman with maroon eyes and black hair graying at the temples. Severus's eyes widened with terror, the Dark Mark crawling on his left forearm as he realized he was looking at the Dark Lord. "M--my Lord," he stammered.
"The Dark Lord is displeased with you," the cold, dead voice said, sending Severus's insides crawling along with the mark permanently etched in his skin. Severus's heart pounded painfully, tattooing against his ribs; he knew at this moment that he was going to die.
The pale skin took on an olive tone, hair lengthening and darkening, brown eyes staring from a high-cheekboned face. The Dark Lord had turned into Rastaban Lestrange's current form of Damian Faust. Faust took a seat in the armchair beside Severus, chuckling.
Severus clenched his well-worn textbook, debating on whether or not to use the spell that he had just added to the various spells and Potions instructions that covered the margins on the younger Lestrange. "Are you insane?" Severus hissed, his knuckles whiter than usual due to the death grip he held on his book.
Faust's full lips turned into a mockery of a smile. "Why, yes," he stated with a bit of a hiss, "but I don't see what that matters right now..."
"Anyone could have seen you l--like that!"
"You and I both know that Slytherins are creatures of the night," he said. "Never awakening this early." Severus decided not to point out that both he and Faust were Slytherins and were awake that early.
"You have displeased the Dark Lord, Snape," Faust stated. "You have a mission, a very important mission, one that you have not worked on since you were given it."
Severus's nails bit into the book's binding. "I have been working on it," he growled. "In case you haven't noticed, Miss de Lioncourt has been spending all of her time with her new boyfriend, Sirius Black. The girl is not good enough for the Dark Lord."
Faust's eyes narrowed in anger. "Do you dare question the Dark Lord?"
The youth's dark eyes widened and his pale skin became even paler under the man's gaze. "N--no, sir, I would never doubt the Dark Lord..." he stated.
There was a long moment where Severus and Faust stared into one another's eyes until Faust finally looked away. "You will complete your mission, Snape, or you will regret...everything," Faust said with a hint of a wicked grin.
The man left the Slytherin common room with a swish of his midnight-black robes. At that moment, Severus made a decision. He carefully closed his book, gently put into his book bag, and stood up slowly. He pulled on his book bag and headed out the portrait hole guarded by the Dark Knight.
"We need to talk," a voice came and Hermione turned to see its source. Draco, his silver eyes bloodshot, and skin pale with dark circles under his eyes, slumped into the seat opposite Hermione. Hermione couldn't suppress a bit of a smirk.
"Have a long night?" she questioned, brown eyes dancing with merriment.
He glared at her. "I want to ask you about that picture," he said.
"What picture?" Hermione asked evasively.
"The one you showed me the first day we got here," he stated.
"How do I know you're really you and not...James?" she asked.
"Well, I didn't tell Prongs about the picture, but if you must, quiz me about...well...me."
Hermione frowned thoughtfully, unsure for once in her life. If this was really Draco, how could she tell? There was no telling how much Draco had told him about himself. "What do my friends look like?" she asked.
"Your friends? Oh, you mean Potter and the Weasel? Um, Potter looks like his dad except for his eyes -- he has Lily's eyes and that lovely little scar on his forehead. Do I really have to talk about Weasel, Granger?" She gave him a look and he groaned softly. "Weasel looks like a freak; stretched to the point of absurdity. Long nose, freckles, and that Weasley hair."
Hermione stared at him for a moment more, pursing her lips at his unfriendly description of Ron. She looked around slowly to make certain they were really alone and then retrieved the photograph of the Order of the Phoenix that Moody had given her and carefully laid it on the table before them. Draco stared at the picture for a long moment.
Lily and James were sitting together, arms wound around each other, grinning, very much in love, and Lily's stomach was slightly rounded with the beginnings of a baby bump. Sirius sat beside James, reclining on the stairs, his black hair pulled away from his face in a ponytail, gray eyes shining with the ever-present hint of mischief that was his trademark, and a broad grin splitting his handsome face. Remus sat on Sirius's other side; he was slightly older than the teenager that Draco knew with a hint of gray in his sandy brown hair and a bemused look on his handsome if not tired-looking face. Peter sat on Moony's other side, a weak smile on his rat-like face, watery blue eyes looking around. Then there were many people that Draco didn't know and he looked at Hermione for answers.
Hermione swallowed hard and thought about what she'd overheard from Moody when he'd first given the picture to Harry. "Well, I guess I can name the survivors first. Professor Dumbledore of course, Elphias Doge, Professor Moody, Hagrid, Remus," she said. As she said their names, the person moved to the forefront and gave a little wave. Draco smiled slightly as Remus waved. "And those who didn't make it." She swallowed past the emotion constriction in her throat. Most of the people she had never met, never seen before this one picture, but it didn't matter. They were gone and she'd never really get the chance.
"Edgar Bones, killed by Death Eaters with most of his family; he's Susan Bones's uncle." Edgar Bones smiled at them. "Caradoc Dearborn, he disappeared six months after this picture was taken and his body was never found." Caradoc seemed to be in a conversation with another man as his name was mentioned and Hermione introduced the man that Caradoc was talking to. "Benjy Fenwick, he was killed by Death Eaters and only bits of him were found." Draco paled slightly at this. "Marlene McKinnon, killed by Death Eaters two weeks after this picture was taken." A squat but pretty woman beamed up at them. "Dorcas Meadowes, killed by Voldemort himself." Draco stiffened at the name. "Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Mrs. Weasley's younger brothers, it took five Death Eaters to kill them." Draco stared at the two young, vibrant red-haired men with shock and a hint of respect. "You know what happened to Lily, James, and Wormtail." Draco swallowed hard, staring at the happy couple and their mousy friend. "Sirius Black, killed on June 20, 1997, in the Ministry of Magic by your aunt Bellatrix."
Draco looked somewhat ashamed and then frowned as he noticed that Hermione hadn't mentioned a couple. "Who are they?"
"Another couple of your Aunt Bellatrix's casualties. They're not dead; it's worse. She, your uncle Rodolphus, your uncle's brother Rastaban, and Bartemius Crouch Jr. tortured them into insanity with the Cruciatus. They're alive and they live in St. Mungo's, unable to speak, unable to recognize their own son when he visits over the Christmas holidays," she stated, tears glistening in her brown eyes.
Draco stared at the kindly, round-faced woman and felt sick to his stomach. He knew that face. "N--Neville," he stammered as he remembered how the mousy-haired boy had charged him after he mentioned St. Mungo's last year.
"Yes," Hermione said. "These are his parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom. They were Aurors."
"Before my aunt got to them," he spat. "They're why we fight."
"'We'?" Hermione questioned.
Silver eyes met warm brown ones. "We," he said simply.
Severus Snape examined the gargoyle, debating on whether to continue. The gargoyle examined him in return. "Professor Dumbledore is expecting you," the statue stated, leaping aside to reveal a spiral staircase. The dark-haired youth swallowed hard and moved to the slowly-moving spiral staircase.
Part 33:
Revelations
(Thursday, October 27, 1977 -- Continued...)
The higher the spiral staircase seemed to take him, the lower his stomach got. By the time Severus had arrived in the tower Headmaster's Office, he was certain that his stomach was somewhere in the vicinity of the first floor. The black-haired youth swallowed hard as the spiral staircase finally stopped and looked around the Headmaster's office with interest, noticing the portraits snoozing on the walls. There was a table in front of the Headmaster's desk covered with spindly silver objects, and Severus stared at them with confusion, trying to figure out what they were.
"Well, go on!" a nasty-looking, sallow-skinned fellow cried from one of the portraits.
"That's quite enough, Phineas," Dumbledore said pleasantly.
"I, um, I need to talk to you," Severus stated. "About Hermione de Lioncourt."
"And just what would you like say about Miss de Lioncourt?" Dumbledore inquired.
James and Remus stared at Draco and Hermione in shock; James looked pale. They'd been heading toward their N.E.W.T. Arithmancy class when they'd overheard the conversation. Professor Agnosco be damned; they needed to know what was going on. "What the hell are you talking about?" Remus demanded.
Hermione's eyes widened and she moved to shove the picture back into her bag, but Remus was too quick. He snatched the picture from Hermione and stared at it; James peered over his shoulder at it as well. In the picture, James and Lily were cuddling and every once in a while, James's hand would slide to her stomach to caress the baby bump. Remus blinked, staring from James and Lily to Peter to Sirius to himself.
"What happens to me?" James asked, and Hermione refused to look at him.
"You live happily ever after--" Draco started.
"The truth this time," James said.
"Y--you die," Draco managed.
"And Lily?" he asked.
"She gets widowed," Hermione put in.
James didn't reply. He simply stared at the somewhat older version of himself, snuggled contentedly with his crush, his future wife. He brushed one of his calloused fingers over the image of Lily and she grinned. "So...that's Harry?"
Remus looked to James and then back to Draco and Hermione. "Who's...your friend, Harry!?" he demanded. "Where did you get this?"
James exchanged a look with Draco and Hermione. "We're from the future," Draco said before Hermione could react.
"DRACO!" Hermione hissed. "We talked about this."
"And I told you it was a stupid idea!"
"We can't change the future!" she growled.
"Oh, and you didn't change the future by snogging Padfoot?" he demanded, surprised by the sudden bit of jealousy that had entered his voice. No, no, I do not like Granger! She's a Mudblood know-it-all, he thought.
Hermione blushed brilliantly. "It's none of your business who I snog, Draco Malfoy."
"MALFOY!?" Remus demanded. "And you knew all about this?" He asked this question of James.
"Yeah," James admitted.
"About your death?" Remus asked, swallowing hard.
"No...that comes as a bit of a shock," James stated. He looked pointedly at the two time-travelers. "Actually, a rather large shock."
Draco looked away, his pale skin growing paler. Hermione swallowed hard. "We--we wanted to tell you, but we couldn't," she replied.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it: the future," James said.
"James, you can't be thinking..." Remus trailed off as James refused to meet his eyes. "No. They're obviously here for a reason. You can't..." His golden eyes widened as he looked at the picture once again, the conversation replaying in his mind. "P--Peter...Sirius...oh, God, Sirius, too?" He sank into one of the squashy red loveseats. "No. This isn't happening!" Tears shone in his eyes. "This isn't happening."
James sat beside him. "Moony..." he started, moving a hand to Remus's shoulder.
Remus shoved away from James. "You may be all content to die, but what about them, Prongs!?" he demanded. "What about Padfoot and Wormtail!?" He looked to Draco and Hermione. "How'd it happen? Why am I the only one left?"
"R--Remus," Hermione started. "We can't--!"
"Voldemort," was Draco's answer and Hermione could see the flash of terror in his silver eyes as he mentioned his father's master. "He killed Prongs...and Wormtail..." he trailed off. True, Peter wasn't dead. He wasn't the same person and that could also be blamed on Voldemort. "And B--Bellatrix killed Padfoot."
"Voldemort?" there was a touch of bravado in James's voice. "I can handle him."
"Are you completely and utterly insane?!" Remus demanded. "Did you not hear what he did to these people!?" He gestured wildly toward the picture he still held. "And did you fail to understand the fact that he kills you!?"
A darkness passed over James's face and Hermione was struck by just how much he looked like his son at that moment. Draco moved to speak but Hermione silenced him with a glare. James stared at Draco and Hermione. "What does--did--will Voldemort want with me?"
"I have no idea," Hermione said with a sigh.
Draco swallowed hard. "'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies,'" Draco said.
"Thrice defied," James said, impressed. "Guess fourth time isn't the charm." Remus looked sick at James's attempt at gallows humor.
Hermione stared at Draco, stunned, and ignored James's comment. "W--what?"
"That's why V--Voldemort was after James...because of Harry," Draco stated.
"Where'd you hear that!?" Hermione demanded.
"Father," Draco stated.
"Your father...you mean Lucius," Remus growled. "And your aunt...Bellatrix. You're Narcissa's son." Even in his righteous outrage, he couldn't suppress a shudder at Narcissa's apparent infatuation with her future son. "Your mum wants to...that's disgusting!"
"Yes, alright, fine! My mum wants to do me!" Draco cried. Sirius and Peter chose that moment to walk in.
"Sounds like a personal problem to me," Peter said.
Sirius wrinkled his nose. "Well...that--that's interesting and definitely gives a new meaning to 'family togetherness,'" he stated.
"Oh, yeah, well, your parents are cousins," Draco sniffed.
Remus moved to talk to Peter and Sirius and James grabbed his shoulder. "Can you give us a second? We were finishing something up," the black-haired boy told Peter and Sirius.
"Oh, right, fine, I know when I'm not wanted," Sirius said, dragging Peter out behind him.
"Put your hand out, Moony," James ordered.
"What?" he demanded.
"You heard me," he stated. "Put your hand out." Warily, Remus put out his hand. "You're going to swear an Unbreakable Vow."
"Prongs!" Remus cried.
"You're going to," James said. "If you've ever been my friend, then you will do this." Remus swallowed hard, his hand trembling as he took James's hand. "You two will be the Bonders."
"Both of them!?" Remus demanded.
"Making sure you can't get out of this, Moony," James replied. Draco's hand was trembling as he pressed his wand against the joined hands and Hermione did the same. The blonde spoke the incantation and the wands glowed red. "Do you swear that you will not tell anyone at all about the death of James 'Prongs' Potter until after it has happened?"
"Y--yes," Remus stated, closing his eyes against the fresh tears. Red flames spat from the wands of Draco and Hermione and wound around Remus and James's hands.
"Do you swear not to tell S--Sirius 'Padfoot' Black about his death?"
Remus swallowed hard and paled more, his hand visibly trembling. "Yes." More flames.
"Do you swear not to tell Peter 'W--Wormtail' Pettigrew about his death?"
"Yes," Remus groaned. The last spurts of flame encircled their hands and the Unbreakable Vow was complete.
Severus paced the Headmaster's office nervously as he tried to come up with the proper words to say; Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes watched him while Phineas Nigellus Black was looking rather annoyed. "Blast it! Stop that bloody pacing!" the former Headmaster proclaimed.
With a glare at the portrait, Severus was less-than-delighted to find out that Sirius Black's ancestor was as much as a prat as his descendant. "T--The Dark Lord, he wants Hermione," Severus finally stated.
"You mean Voldemort?" Dumbledore inquired.
Severus stiffened at the mention of his new master's name. "I--I joined them. I know I shouldn't have...now. B--But I just wanted to belong," he stammered, shoving his lank hair out of his pale face.
Dumbledore nodded. "Ah, yes, the need to belong is a very prominent feeling," he said.
"Professor Faust isn't who you think he is," Severus stated.
"He isn't Rastaban Lestrange?" Dumbledore asked. Severus's brow wrinkled at the man's omniscience.
"H--how'd you--?"
"I know a great many things, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore replied. "But the most important thing right now is to protect yourself. Voldemort is a very accomplished Legelimens as you have no doubt figured out by now." Severus shuddered at the memory of the Dark Lord's invasion when he had first become a Death Eater. "And you must learn to shield yourself."
"Oh, well, I'm going to be late for class," James said suddenly. The three stared at him, astonished.
"You can't be serious!" Remus cried.
"No, I'm James," James said.
"Okay, that joke's getting old," Hermione stated with a roll of her eyes.
"You just found out you're going to get killed and you're just going to...to go on like nothing has happened?" Remus demanded.
"Moony, if I live every day in fear, then that's no life," he stated. "I know what's going to happen and I've accepted it. Oh, bugger, forgot my Polyjuice." He went back into the Head Boy's room. Draco's silver eyes widened with surprise, and he looked from Hermione and Remus to the closed door. He was at a complete loss of words. People shouldn't react like that to the news of their death.
A few moments later, James came back out in Draco's skin. "Better hurry up there, Whiskers," he stated. "You've got class." James-in-Draco's-body exited the Head common room.
"How--how can he just do that?" the werewolf asked.
"Shock," she said. "Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance."
"What?" Remus demanded.
"The stages of grief," Hermione replied. "He's in shock." She stared at the picture Remus still held with sorrow.
"All this time you've known and you didn't tell?" Remus demanded.
"No. I didn't," the brunette said. "For the very reason you've given me. Life is short, James...his life is shorter than...than it should be, but there's a reason for it. There's a--a reason for everything. He shouldn't have to spend his--his life looking over his shoulder wondering if today's the day he's going to die!"
"How can there be a reason for him to die?" the sandy-haired boy demanded.
"You want to know? You really want to know the truth? For God's sake, it's not like we haven't messed up the time continuum enough as it is," she growled, digging into her satchel and pulling out a picture of her with Ron, Ron's family, and Harry at the World Quidditch Cup. "That's why. James died to save his son, his only son. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. They died so that others could live." She grabbed her satchel and left the room in a huff.
Remus stared at the picture that Hermione had withdrawn from her satchel. Harry James Potter looked identical to his father except for Lily's eyes and an odd lightning-bolt-shaped scar peeking from under his perpetually-messy hair.
As James lie down to sleep that night, he grinned. He'd just spent another glorious day with Lily Evans, his future wife. He felt a thrill go through him at the thought. He would marry Lily, they would have a son, and they would grow old together.
Then it hit him. He was going to die. The realization was so...final, so...monumental that it utterly took his breath away.
Up until this point, his biggest worry was how Lily would react after finding out about the Polyjuice Potion. On some level, he'd always known he would die. After all, even wizards couldn't live forever. But like any seventeen-year-old, he'd been under the impression that he was immortal. Even though his elderly parents were ailing and people all around him, from all walks of life, were being murdered by Voldemort and his followers. The concept that he could die before he was in his hundreds, die anywhere but on a deathbed surrounded by loved ones and then quietly slip away, was unthinkable.
James finally sucked in a shaky breath as tears glazed his hazel eyes. When would it happen? Would it hurt? Would he beg to die?
The black-haired youth shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind. Worrying about the problems of the future wouldn't solve anything. He'd always been the type to live on a day-to-day basis, and he wouldn't let these revelations affect anything. But he did decide that from this point on, he would live every moment to its fullest.
Part 34:
In the Name of Friendship
(Saturday, October 29, 1977)
Severus nervously smoothed his costume as he examined himself in the mirror. He had decided to dress as a 1700s Muggle pirate with his dark hair freshly-scrubbed and pulled back from his face in a ponytail with a black ribbon, a black captain's thigh-length 1700s style jacket, a black poet's shirt, black breeches, and knee-high scrunched boots. He swallowed hard and moved to change but decided against the idea. He could do this. As a final addition, he added the blunted blade to the scabbard at his right side.
Severus left the dormitories and went to the Great Hall. Live bats flittered through the air, not low enough to tangle in anyone's hair, but they still had some of the students gazing skyward in fear. The sallow-skinned Slytherin really had no idea why people were so afraid of the little creatures; he thought they were rather cute. Candles floated in the air and lightning lashed through the stormy sky of the Great Hall's charmed ceiling. He took a seat and listened to the band as it warmed up, waiting for his date.
"Well, hello there, Mr. Snape, I hardly recognized you." Severus turned to face Professor Flaherty, who was dressed as a monk. Severus had always loved Potions, but even he had to admit that being in Flaherty's class was more torture than pleasure. "How is your Potions project going with Miss Evans?" Flaherty asked. A look like he'd sucked a rather sour lemon crossed Severus's face. "You do know that it is worth half of your grade, Mr. Snape."
"I realize that, Professor Flaherty," Severus bit off.
"Very well, then," the man stated, walking toward Dumbledore who was dressed in a bright, orange-and-yellow Hawaiian-print shirt, orange Bermuda shorts, and yellow flip-flops. The Headmaster was sipping on pumpkin juice with a little umbrella in it and smiled warmly as Flaherty approached. The two talked in undertones, looking occasionally toward Severus. Flaherty nodded and looked once more toward Severus before disappearing into the crowd.
The black-haired youth suddenly felt rather uneasy.
Hermione swallowed hard as she stared at her costume. "You don't think it's too much?" she asked Lily.
"I think it's just enough. You look absolutely perfect, Hermione," Lily stated.
The brunette examined herself in the mirror, smoothing her hands down the full, bell-skirt of her dress. She sucked in a deep breath. It had been two years since the last time she'd dressed up like this, and she was feeling exceptionally nervous again.
"Who should I go to the masque with?" Sirius questioned as he straightened the feathered hat he wore.
Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius. "The dance is in ten minutes and you still haven't got a date?" the werewolf questioned.
The black-haired Beater shrugged and adjusted his cape. "Yeah, there's a gaggle of girls waiting for me to choose. Not sure which one, though. Which one do you think would make Hermione the most jealous?"
"Densaugeo," Draco muttered, eyeing the fangs he was sprouting from his canines. When he was satisfied with their size and pointiness, he ended the spell. "Give it up, Padfoot; she just wants to be 'just friends.'" He was extremely disappointed in himself for the strange joy that started to swell within him at this realization. He looked to James. "You know, I'd make a better vampire in my body."
"Oh, shut it, Whiskers, you'll get it back when I'm done with it," James stated as he pulled on his leather gauntlets.
Peter wrinkled his nose and shoved the feather out of his face. "Do you really have to put it that way? It just sounds...well, it doesn't sound right," he said.
"So, which one am I again?" Sirius asked.
"You're Porthos," Peter said. "I'm D'Artagnan, Prongs is Aramis, and Moony is Athos."
"Why am I Porthos?" Sirius questioned.
"He's got all the girls," James replied before Sirius's reflection could make a comment on how good Sirius looked. The reflection had been complimenting him every few minutes, and Sirius didn't need his ego to get any more swollen.
"Oh, yeah, I can see why I'd be him," Sirius said, giving his reflection a cheeky grin.
"You look perfect," the reflection gushed, and his fellow Marauders rolled their eyes.
They exited the Head Boy's room and looked toward the Head Girl's room. "I wonder what Hermione's wearing," Sirius mumbled.
"Padfoot, you're pathetic," Peter stated. They headed from the head common room and headed to the Great Hall.
"Oh, looky, there's Snivellus," Sirius stated, looking toward the table where the dark-haired youth sat. "Doesn't he just look spiffy?"
Before any trouble could start, an ethereal figure entered the room. Lily Evans wore a vibrant, emerald-green Greek chiton, matching Greek sandals, vines wrapped around her forearms, and woven into her red hair. The emerald-green shade made her peaches-and-cream complexion glow and made her red hair seem even redder. Her green eyes -- Harry's eyes -- were accentuated with glittery green make-up surrounding them in the shape of leaves. The silken material that comprised her costume made her seem to float. The five Marauders stared at her in wonder.
Draco elbowed James hard, and James finally came out of his stupor enough to walk over to his date. "Lily, wow, you look...you look absolutely gorgeous," he managed.
Lily blushed prettily and took his proffered hand. "So do you," she replied.
"So what are you dressed as?" he asked, brushing a chaste kiss over the back of her hand. "If it was an angel, then you succeeded."
"That was bad," she said with a giggle.
"I know," he admitted.
"I'm a nymph," she said.
"A nymph?" he choked out, eyes glazing over with lust.
"A tree spirit," she clarified. James looked a bit crestfallen.
Across the room, Narcissa Black -- who had decided to dress as Morgana le Fay -- stared at Draco's body with Lily Evans with murder in her blue eyes. Lucius, who had settled for silver dress robes, stared across the room at another entrant to the Great Hall.
A petite, beautiful girl with honey-brown hair in elaborate curls pulled back from her face with silver barrettes that dangled baby's breath and silvery-white ribbon into her hair, had just entered the Great Hall. She wore a silvery-white ball gown with an intricately-beaded bodice, long sleeves that puffed at the top, and her full bell skirt swished provocatively as she walked, giving a glimpse of the glass slippers she wore. Who was that girl?
The four remaining Marauders stared at the entrance to the Great Hall with awe. "Who's that?" Remus started.
"She's absolutely dazzling," Sirius stated.
"Wow...is that really...?" Peter asked.
"Hermione," a voice came from behind them. They turned to watch as Severus walked past them and to the girl. Severus gave an elegant bow and kissed the back of her hand causing her to blush. She lifted her skirts slightly and gave a small curtsy. He grinned and offered her his arm.
"No way..." Draco said. "That can't be...I mean, Hermione's...and she's..." He had a quick flash of the Yule Ball, her being arm candy for Viktor Krum in those periwinkle dress robes. That was right; she could be beautiful.
He stared after Severus and Hermione as the black-haired teenager led her to a table, pulling out a chair for her. She sat down and Severus pushed the chair in for her. Draco felt something rise inside him that he couldn't name. He'd known Severus his entire life, the future Potions professor was even his godfather, but at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to hex off Severus's overlarge nose. But why?
"Hermione, you look stunning," Severus said, his sallow skin turning crimson.
"This is a good look for you," Hermione stated. She brushed a stray strand of hair from his face and tucked it behind his ear. Severus shivered noticeably.
Draco reached for his wand and moved to act on his desires. "No, no, you've got to be kidding me!" Sirius cried, slumping into a nearby chair. He shoved the feather from his hat quite violently out of his face. Feeling rather sheepish, Draco replaced the wand and slumped down nearby. "She dumped me for...for Snivellus!? I mean...I know she was going...b--but...this...is too much." He left the table, followed by a bevy of buxom Hufflepuffs.
"I need some air," Remus stated. He gave Draco a scathing glare and left the table as well. Remus exited the Great Hall and walked out onto the grounds. The moon was no longer full, and he could feel it pulling on him, playing with him. The moon had been full a few days ago: a lifetime ago for the werewolf.
It had been before he had found out that James was going to be murdered.
This entire time, Draco had known, and he hadn't told. And Hermione! She was in on this, too, and she was supposed to be Harry's friend. Harry...James was going to be a father. Who would have ever thought that James and Lily would marry and have a child?
He swallowed hard, in total disbelief that he'd decided to take the Unbreakable Vow. He shouldn't have. If it cost his friendship with James, it was worth it. James would be alive. He'd have his family. Remus straightened up. James had said he wasn't to tell anyone; he didn't say anything about not trying to stop it. The sandy-haired teenager stood straighter and squared his shoulders.
Peter stared after the werewolf with confusion. "What's up with him? Oh, right," he said. "He sometimes gets this way when it's so close to that time of the month."
Draco ignored Peter. "Why do I feel this way...l--like I want to really hurt someone?" Draco asked himself.
"Because you haven't gotten over her yet?" the chubby boy suggested.
"B--But she's everything I detest!" Draco defended. "She--she's an annoying, buck-toothed, frizzy-haired Muggle-born know-it-all!"
"Okay. Buckteeth...don't see it. Frizzy hair...again, don't see it. Muggle-born, yeah, but so? Know-it-all...and you're not one?" Peter stated.
A low hiss of air escaped Draco's lungs, and he banged his forehead on the table hard a couple of times. Peter stared at him. "Oh, Merlin, I--I think...I think I like...her..." Draco groaned.
A little smirk crossed the rat-faced boy's face. "Who?"
"Her! Hermione!" the blonde stated, gesturing wildly toward the vicinity of Hermione and Severus. "What in the name of Merlin's great silver beard am I doing thinking that!? My father, he--he's going to--to disinherit me after trying at least two of the Unforgivables on me a--and other curses that aren't unforgivable but bloody painful! If not, at least, making an attempt to--to try the Killing Curse! Mum won't let him, of course, 'cause she--she wants to jump my bones. Oh, Merlin, no..." Peter shuddered.
Once he regained his composure, Peter continued. "So you never dated Hermione?" he asked. "I didn't think so."
"What do you mean you 'didn't think so'?" Draco demanded. "We were so...careful."
"Well...maybe if you looked at each other with anything other than hatred when you first said you were dating, I might have believed it," he said pointedly.
Draco stared at the brunette. "Okay, fine. We lied. So Padfoot wouldn't hit on her...and she started dating Padfoot...so, marvel at the concept."
Lily and James stared at Draco with amusement. "Um, what's he doing?" James asked.
"It looks like he's having a nervous breakdown," Lily stated, arching a brow. "Oh, well. Would you like to dance?"
James looked from Draco to Lily and grinned. "I think he can handle himself," he stated. "I'd love to dance." He smiled and led Lily onto the dance floor.
Severus looked nervously at Hermione, sucking in a breath as he tried to draw up the courage to ask her. "Uh, Hermione, would you, um, maybe...would you like to possibly...?" he stuttered.
The brunette gave him a soft smile. "You can ask me, Severus, I promise I won't bite," she said.
"Would you like to, uh, dance?" he asked.
Hermione beamed at him. "I'd love to," she replied. With a nervous smile in return, the tall, dark-haired boy led her onto the dance floor. Surprisingly, Severus Snape was a good dancer.
Shadows grow so long before my eyes
And they're moving across the page.
Suddenly, the day turns into night
Far away from the city.
"'Baby, I Love Your Way,'" Hermione said.
Severus coughed. "Excuse me?"
Hermione laughed at the pallor his naturally-pale skin had taken on. "It's the name of the song. My parents liked to neck to it."
"How old is this song?" he asked.
An arch of a brown brow and a quick lie. "Just because they're married doesn't mean they don't snog..."
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love won't wait, hey.
Ooo, baby, I love your way every day,
Wanna tell you I love your way every day,
Wanna be with you night and day.
"Look at him! He's all over her!" Draco cried. "It's--it's not fair. The first time he actually gets a girl and he--he practically...humps her in public."
Peter wondered if he was looking at the same scene that Draco was. Hermione and Severus were about a foot apart, dancing formally like the old couples that his Squib grandmother liked to watch on The Lawrence Welk Show.
"Moon appears to shine and light the sky
With the help of some fireflies..."
Before he actually knew it, James was singing softly under his breath as he maneuvered Lily around gracefully, the chiton floating around her ankles. Her pretty face was alight with happiness. "I didn't know you could sing," she said. James paused in his singing, blushing slightly. A teasing smile crossed Lily's lips. "I didn't say stop..."
James continued, singing so she could actually hear him.
"I wonder how they have the powder shine, shine, shine;
I can see them under the pines."
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love won't wait, hey.
Ooh baby I love your way every day,
Wanna tell you I love your way every day,
Wanna be with you night and day, uh, yeah.
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love won't wait.
Severus stared across the room at James-in-Draco's-body. "So, how do you feel about this charming new development?" he inquired.
Hermione looked over her shoulder with a small smile. "They deserve to be happy," she said.
Severus's brows arched. "Are you telling me you don't feel the least bit uncomfortable?"
"Actually, no," Hermione said. "They're going to make an adorable couple."
Severus simply stared at her.
I can see the sunset in your eyes,
Brown and grey and blue besides.
Clouds are stalking islands in the sun,
Wish I could dry one out of season.
James looked toward the table where Draco sat, their eyes met, and James gave a nod toward the gardens. "Would you like to take a walk with me?" he asked.
Lily nodded and smiled. "I'd like some fresh air," she admitted.
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love won't wait, hey.
Ooo, baby I love your way every day,
Wanna tell you I love your way, ooo,
Wanna be with you night and day.
Ooo, baby, I love your way every day,
Wanna tell you I love your way, ooo,
Wanna be with you night...
The strains of the song faded as they walked hand-in-hand out the doors and walked the school's grounds. The waning gibbous moon cast its silvery glow on the emerald lawn, bathing the two. Summer was hanging on for dear life and a warm breeze ruffled their costumes. "You know I wasn't sure what to think of you when you first started school here," Lily said. "Hermione wasn't too fond of you even though you were supposed to be dating."
"Lies," James said simply.
"I figured out as much. She seemed a bit too easy to let you go. If I had been her, I would have held on tight," she said. "I've been thinking a lot lately."
"Thinking is good."
"And, well, this is awkward--" she blushed brilliantly "--I think I love you, Draco Aquilus."
James's heart rose to the very heavens but crashed quite hard when he realized that she had just confessed her love to a time-traveler whose last name wasn't even Aquilus. "Um, Lily, there's something I need to tell you as well." He struggled with the words for several minutes before letting actions speak.
He kissed her. The Potion wore off. The kiss ended, leaving them both breathless. She pulled away reluctantly with a small smile on her rose-pink lips and found herself face-to-face with James Potter, the bane of her existence at Hogwarts. She shoved him away. "What the hell?!" she demanded.
"Lily, I can explain everything," James said. She pushed past him and ran to the castle. "Lily, wait!"
Tears were blinding her as she jostled past the guy in the doorway and headed toward the stairs, and Draco grunted as she collided with him. "Ow, bloody hell," he muttered. James looked toward the stairs, and Draco handed him his glasses.
"Lily, let me explain!" James insisted.
"All this time. All...this...time, it was you!?" she demanded as the three entered the Head Common Room.
"Yes!" he cried.
"And you!? You were in on this, too?" she demanded, pointing toward Draco. The blonde nodded. "How could you do this to me?"
"Lily, James loves you!" Draco cried.
"I don't even know who you are!" she screamed, slamming the Head Girl's door hard behind her.
Draco and James exchanged a look. "Well, that went well," Draco said after a few moments.
James looked at Draco grimly. "Couldn't have gone any better..."
Part 35:
Piece of My Heart
(Sunday, October 30, 1977)
"So, uh, how's it going in there?" James asked Hermione as she exited the Head Girl's room. He, Draco, Peter, and Sirius were in the common room. Remus had gone off to do some studying.
"She's been listening to Janis Joplin all day and...um...she's been throwing jinxes at a picture she found of you for about two hours now..." Hermione replied.
"Well, at least she's got a picture of me," James stated brightly.
His comment was met by blank stares from the four Marauders and Hermione. Peter spoke up, "As our ambassador for the female species, can you translate?"
"Well, I think the jinxes are self-explanatory," she said. "But considering the fact that she's been listening to 'Piece of My Heart' on max volume..." she paused and they could make out the strains of said song:
Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man, yeah,
Yeah, an' didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can?
Honey, you know I did!
And each time I tell myself that I, well, I think I've enough,
But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.
"...and charmed to repeat means that she's very angry because James and Draco tricked her..." she looked pointedly at the Head Boy and the blonde.
James stared at her. "You were the one who said it was a good idea!" he proclaimed.
Draco didn't respond, but the barest hint of a blush rose in his pale cheeks as he remembered the day she'd found out about the Polyjuice Potion. She had kissed him; he could feel her lips against his. An answering blush colored her face as she, too, recalled the kiss. Sirius looked from Hermione to Draco with a groan.
The frizzy-haired know-it-all continued, forcing the blood out of her face. "But she also really likes you--"
"I could have told you that much. She said she l--" he stopped suddenly, a goofy grin on his handsome face.
"She didn't say the l-word, did she?" Sirius asked. James's non-response was enough. "You've only been dating a month!"
"Well, sometimes, soul mates fall in love fast," James said. "And I love her, too."
"'Soul mates'?" Sirius did a double-take as he realized the last part of what James had said. "Prongs, Prongs, Prongs, you're seventeen! You've got a world of life ahead of you!" Sirius proclaimed. Hermione paled, Draco looked sick, and James frowned. "What?"
"Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm going to live a long life," James stated simply.
"What could possibly happen?" Peter asked. Hermione stared at him for a long moment.
"I think it's best you give her a bit of space for a little while, let her come to grips with it all," Hermione added sagely.
(Sunday, November 13, 1977)
You're out on the streets lookin' good, and, baby,
Deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right.
Never, never, never, never, never, never hear me when I cry at night.
Baby, and I cry all the time!
And each time I tell myself that I, well, I can't stand the pain,
But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again.
It had been a fortnight. Two weeks of sheer misery for James Potter. He'd barely been able to eat or sleep or do much of anything but mope. Lily hadn't so much as looked at him since he'd revealed the truth. Okay, she did look at him on occasion but the look was one of pure malice, worse than the time that he'd humiliated Snivellus in fifth year. He swore that he was in danger of frostbite whenever he came near Lily.
Hermione had been doing her best to try to mend matters without totally angering Lily, but, so far, it wasn't working. Sirius thought James was insane for falling so quick. Peter thought it was romantic. Draco and Hermione knew it was meant to be. And Remus...where was Remus anyway? Remus hadn't been around much lately, come to think of it. And when he was, the exchanges between him and Draco were almost as cold as the ones between James and Lily.
James stared up at the canopy of his bed, trying desperately to think of a way to try to amend for his stupidity. Well, technically Draco's stupidity, but stupidity none-the-less. Unbidden, a thought rose at the back of his mind. He swallowed hard. It was time to sacrifice himself on the altar of dignity.
Draco looked across the room and swallowed hard. He'd been practicing since the Halloween Masque on what he'd say. Peter had been helping. Surprisingly, the chubby, rat-faced boy was actually quite the romantic and was really very good at playing Cyrano de Bergerac. Draco reminded himself to try and get Peter a girl.
Then he remembered. Peter was Wormtail. Wormtail had betrayed James; Wormtail would get James, Lily, and Sirius killed. Draco's jaw dropped and he stared at Peter for a long moment. The round-faced boy stared back in confusion.
"Oi! Moony, it's about time you left the library," Sirius cajoled over lunch. Remus had been spending every waking moment he wasn't in class in the library for two weeks now. Sirius thought the grade-conscious werewolf was studying for the upcoming N.E.W.T.s, Peter thought that Remus had gotten a girlfriend and was snogging her in secret, and James and Draco thought the sandy-haired Chaser was up to something.
Remus moved to sit down but scowled as he saw Draco. He immediately stopped and moved down to the end of the table near Regulus Black. The four remaining Marauders stared at Remus with confusion. James and Draco exchanged a look. The black-haired Seeker sighed, nodded, and followed the erstwhile Marauder.
"Not very good at taking a hint, are you?" Remus asked.
James shrugged. "You need to give it up, Moony," he stated simply.
"I'm not going to give it up, Prongs," he said.
"Bloody hell, Moony, it's my life," James stated. Neither of them noticed that Regulus's eyes had left his Potions homework to concentrate on them.
"Not just your life," Remus hissed. "It's Padfoot and Wormtail's lives, too!"
"Everyone has to die," James stated. "And I choose to die for Harry. You need to accept that." He stood up and re-joined the rest of the Marauders.
Regulus paled noticeably and looked toward the Head table. His silvery-blue eyes met Professor Flaherty's and he gave an-almost imperceptible nod to the Potions professor.
As soon as James re-joined them. "Any luck?" Draco asked.
"Not at all," James stated.
"What happened with the three of you, anyway? You've been acting strange for a while now," Peter said.
"Just we don't see things the same way," Draco said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a bridge to mend."
He left the Marauders, looking pointedly at Remus. Remus moved to join his friends. Draco sat down beside Lily, and the red-haired Head Girl sent Draco a glare that would put a chill in the very, snake-like bones of Voldemort. Considering the fact that his mother had been actively pursuing him a romantic way and his father was certain to at least attempt to kill Draco if the elder Malfoy ever found out about his son's sudden and insane attraction to a Mudblood, Draco was unfazed. "I need to talk to you," the blonde said.
"And which one are you?" the redhead spat. "The real-Draco or the fake-Draco?"
"Um, the real Draco--" he started.
"Oh, really, how do I know?"
"Lily, please, let me explain. It was my idea. I didn't want Narcissa..." he felt strange calling his mother "Narcissa," but continued on "...to, uh...pursue...me, and James really likes you..."
"James...is a prat," the Head Girl said simply.
"Well, yeah, he's a prat. He's male, all males are prats; it's part of our charm," Draco told her. "Lily, please, give him a chance. It may be the best decision you'll ever make." He looked down the table at the four Marauders who were talking and then across the room to Hermione. He plucked up all of his courage and walked over to the Slytherin table.
At the Slytherin table, Hermione and Severus were talking. "Are you trying to get an--an A?" she asked, eyes wide. "Professor Flaherty says that the project is worth half the final grade. And if--if you don't do this, you'll drop down to an A, Severus, an 'Acceptable'! How horrible is that? All O's and--and E's and that one A. In Potions, no less."
Severus looked sour at the prospect of the A marring his O's and E's. But work with Lily Evans? It was...unthinkable. "Hermione..." he groaned.
"An A, Severus, an A," she said seriously.
"Fine, okay, you win," he said with a scowl. "I'll work with the Mudb--" he was cut off when Hermione kicked him hard under the table.
"Don't even think about finishing that word," she stated.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, rubbing his injured shin.
Draco took a deep breath and sat beside Severus and across from Hermione. The future Potions Professor gave Draco a scowl that he usually reserved for Gryffindors. Oh, right, I am a Gryffindor, Draco mused. "Hermione, Severus," the blond greeted them.
"Hello, Narcissa," Hermione said, looking over Draco's shoulder.
Draco looked panicked. "Where!?" he gasped, whipping around so fast in search of his infatuated mother that Hermione was almost-certain he'd get whiplash. When he didn't see the blonde, Draco looked back to Hermione, who grinned widely. "That was cruel, Hermione."
"I couldn't resist," Hermione said. Severus looked perplexed. "You'll understand someday, and you'll laugh...or, well, maybe not." She turned her attention back to Draco. "So, what do you want?"
"Well, certainly not the heart attack you're trying to give me," Draco muttered. "I wanted to ask you if you'd, well, if you'd maybe like to, uh..."
He didn't get to finish his stuttered comment when a voice filled the Great Hall. James Potter was now standing on the Gryffindor table, and he was singing to the shock and horror of Sirius Black, the bewilderment of Remus Lupin, the amusement of Peter Pettigrew, and the embarrassment of Lily Evans.
"Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover,
Something in the way she woos me.
I don't wanna leave her now,
You know I believe her now."
"Oh, Merlin, no, he isn't!" Draco groaned.
A smile crossed Hermione's lips. "He is. You know, he is a pretty good singer," she said. Severus's jaw dropped.
Remus stared at James who was stalking down the Gryffindor table. "I can't believe he's..." he started. "How'd he get the lyrics?"
"I wrote them down for him," Peter stated.
"I can't believe he's singing!" Sirius cried, appalled. "It--it's just..."
"Romantic?" Peter stated simply.
"Really? Birds like that?" Sirius asked. He looked over at Hermione.
"Not the way you sing, Padfoot," Remus said.
"He is not doing this," Lily hissed under her breath.
"Oh, wow, James is so romantic!" a girl gushed. "You are so lucky, Lily!"
"LUCKY!?" Lily demanded.
Oh, Merlin. James hoped he was doing the right thing. Hermione said that women liked to be romanced, to be sung to. And he had a good voice. He took a deep breath and continued, his voice ringing through the Great Hall. It seemed to be working...on every girl but Lily.
"Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover,
Something in her style that shows me.
Don't want to leave her now,
You know I believe her now."
"Wait, 'lover'?" Draco asked. "You don't think that he...did he?"
Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what Draco was asking. "I hope not...that would be so wrong." James was now in front of Lily, singing. James had every female entranced, Professors Sprout and McGonagall even looked a bit flushed. Professors Dumbledore and Flaherty looked quite amused.
Okay, fine, so Violet was right. It was romantic, even Lily had to admit that. She was almost forgetting how angry she was at James for lying to her. Almost. She stared up at him as he knelt before her. And, really, his hair did look good like that, all mussed like he'd just gotten off of his broom. It reminded her of how he-as-Draco had looked after one of their make-out sessions. Lily's face turned the color of her hair.
"You're asking me will my love grow,
I don't know, I don't know.
You stick around now it may show,
I don't know, I don't know."
James leapt off the table and took Lily's hand, pulling her to her feet. He gently brushed the red hair out of her face and stared deeply into her green eyes. She really did have the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. He sincerely hoped that Harry would have them, too.
"Something in the way she knows
And all I have to do is think of her,
Something in the things she shows me.
Don't want to leave her now,
You know I believe her now."
If this had been a movie, there would have been the sound of a record needle skipping and the music abruptly stopping. But there were no sound effects excluding the moony sighs of hundreds of girls who had all simultaneously developed crushes on the Gryffindor Seeker.
And then the loud, resounding smack of Lily Evans's palm on James Potter's cheek as she slapped him.
Many students gasped, many grimaced, and others laughed. Most of those laughing were sitting at Hermione's table, but even the Slytherins were divided. It depended on who they disliked more: Gryffindors or Mudbloods.
"You think that after what you did to me, a little song would work?" she questioned angrily. She turned on her heel and retreated from the Great Hall.
James slumped beside Sirius, who was torn between laughing at his friend's humiliation or acting out in righteous indignation. Remus frowned at looked across the room at Hermione and Draco, and Draco's silver eyes met Remus's golden gaze. The tawny-haired youth's eyes narrowed, and the blonde arched a pale brow. Remus looked like he wanted to rip out Draco's throat. The time traveler was starting to feel really bad about lying, and he decided that he needed a peace offering.
Hermione delved into her bag, searching for a photo. She scowled as she realized that Remus still had her picture of the Quidditch World Cup. The brunette reached deeper into her bag and retrieved another photo; this one was of her, Harry, Ron, Sirius, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ginny taken last Christmas at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. She stared intently at Harry's image, trying to determine whether he had faded or not. She couldn't tell. So much for the Back to the Future test.
"Who are they?" Severus questioned, peering at the picture that Hermione now held.
"Um, friends from Agnitio," she stated, hastily putting the picture away.
"That was a very interesting scar one had," the sallow-skinned future Potions professor stated.
Draco took this as a sign to change the subject. "Severus, Hermione and I were wondering if you could offer some help on our Potions project," he said.
"What are you planning to concoct?" the black-haired Slytherin asked.
"Wolf's Bane," Draco answered.
"Wolf's Bane? Why would you want to -- oh..."
"We know that you know what we know. And he's not a bad person once you get to know him. He was forced into this against his will," Hermione answered. "Please help us, Severus?"
How did she do that? In his nearly eighteen years, no one had ever gotten past Severus Snape's boundaries. He never trusted anyone. Trust was not an option; it was a weakness to be exploited. He sincerely hated Hermione for her ability to destroy what he had trained himself not to do. "I'll help you," he finally relented.
Hermione grinned and gave Severus a quick peck on the cheek. The oily teenager blushed, and he supposed that this was what it was like to have a sister. Draco Malfoy had always considered himself rather rational (although, those who knew him -- and had half a brain, which immediately left out Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy -- thought he was more passionate and emotional than rational), but he was feeling anything but rational at the moment. He was grasping for his wand when a voice cut in. "Mr. Snape, might I have a word with you?"
Severus stiffened at his name and turned to look at the source. Flaherty looked at him in return, a slightly amused smile on his thin lips. "Yes, Professor Flaherty?" the black-haired youth questioned.
"In my office, please," Flaherty directed. Severus looked nervous before he stood, grabbed his things, and followed Flaherty from the Great Hall and down to the professor's dungeon office.
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