Across the Quidditch Pitch

Celestial: Thanks so much for review. I'm glad you like the story. I’ve decided to consider putting in a more sexual exchange between Lily and Severus…Don’t expect a romantic one-night stand or anything, but I might put something interesting in….


To Everyone: Please review and/or rate!


Chapter Nine: A Chat with the Marauders


The portrait of the Fat lady swung shut behind Lily. The room held the air of expectancy about it, and then immediately she spotted James Potter. He must have wanted to stay up to see what happened. No doubt he’d heard from all those complaining Gryffindors about the dodgy Slytherin student nobody liked, hanging around their territory tonight.

“Were you talking to….Snape?” James, who sat before the great Gryffindor fireplace, had his legs stretched out in front of him as he lounged on the couch, reading a scroll of his notes for tomorrow’s O.W.L.s. He threw the papers down, and stared up at his future wife intensely. James had just forced himself to say, “Snape” instead of the usual “Snivellus.” He’d always preferred to refer to his nemesis with the cruel nickname. Lily was observant enough to take note of the emended language.

She became a bit defensive, “Yeah…I was…”

James grinned slyly. “What about?”

“It’s none of your business James Potter!” said Lily in a shrill voice.

James nodded triumphantly, with a knowing look in his eyes behind the glasses. He knew Lily too well from their five years at Hogwarts. If she was this upset, it had to have went bad and this meant one up for him and a good notch down for old Snivellus!

James spoke playfully, knowing all too well that he could easily manipulate her now. “Fine…If you won’t tell me a thing…. I won’t tell you what I know either.”

Lily’s green eyes narrowed suspiciously, but nevertheless she took the bait. She had no choice but to sit down on the same couch that James occupied on the far side. Yet James, unashamed, chivied up to her, and she tried to shrink away, but to no avail.

Lily, refusing to look at James, spoke in a faint, detached voice. It was like she had decided to break up with a boyfriend. “Well if you must - I’ve just told Severus - I won’t speak to him anymore….”

James smirked. It was clear he couldn’t be more satisfied right now. “Wonderul news…Oy! Black! Did you hear that Lily’s cut her ties with Snape?”

Sirius came over to listen, and he scrutinized Lily closely. She just shrugged her shoulders, limply in defeat. Sirius only looked slightly concerned about something else going on internally. “Hey…Did any of you see Mary lately?”

“She’s okay – er I guess….She told me she was tired and needed to hit the sack early” said Lily worriedly. “She seems really down lately…It’s really strange.”

James felt a longing for Lily to regard him, at least the way she was talking to his best mate, Sirius. James couldn’t stand it or explain it, but Lily seemed to have no respect for him. What was their not to like about him? He was James Potter! And why was it that Lily could never really look at him? Like the skills borne of his Quidditch reflexes, James was quick to brush away the hurt inside.

James yawned widely and rose. “Well, I think it’d be good if I went to sleep…Enough of studying these wretched antidotes!”

Soon enough James had left the Common room, with Sirius eagerly following his friend. Lily remained alone, on the couch. She wondered what had made her best girlfriend, Mary Macdonald become so distant and withdrawn in merely a week.

And then she realized she was not alone. Out of the dark, stepped a thin and straight-lined figure, creating a shadow on the stone walls over the firelight.

“Oh Remus, I didn’t know you were here…”

“Just watching… I do it all the time. James and Sirius have always been the ones for talking. But you’d be surprised how much I learn by listening.”

Lupin looked over the many armchairs, his gray eyes darting around the Common room. Out of the few people left, nobody was giving them any mind. They would not be overheard.

He sat down across from Lily, leaning in towards her. Lily was starting to wonder what Remus was after. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled curiously.

“Please, please don’t tell anyone I’ve told you Lily…. Especially James. He’d be really upset if you knew…He’s quite protective of you. He doesn’t want you to know what I’m about to tell you…”

Lily looked doubtful at hearing James was protective of her. Whatever Lupin thought, James was not like her brother, or whatever Lupin was implying. She couldn’t quite define what James was other than a nuisance.

Lily looked thoughtful. “If that’s true…Then why didn’t James tell me just now this something he knows? And is it what you’re going to tell me?”

“He wasn’t going to tell you Lily….He was just using the knowledge to his advantage. I know it sounds awful…But that’s James. He does that sometimes…It’s probably a way to- get you and him together…”

“I’m never going out with that arrogant prick, Remus!”

“I know,” Remus forced himself to concede, despite his real opinion on the matter. “Remember what happened to Mary?”

“Of course I do!”

“Well, you probably don’t realize the half of it…I doubt you’ve realized just horrible it must have been for her.”

“She has been acting very strange of late,” answered Lily.

“I was there,” croaked Remus despondently. “You have no idea how horrible it was to see that….”

Lily asked delicately, “To see what exactly?” She had the impression there was something major that she wasn’t catching onto.

“How horrible it was….Mary- Mary was…Lily, James and I along with Sirius…We all suspect Mary was touched…In that way, you know?”

“What?” Lily felt her stomach flop, she felt sick inside very suddenly. “M-Mulciber?”

“Yes,” said Remus. “Him,” he added softly.

Lily’s fair complexion paled, the pink and rosy colour vanishing to a bilious green. But nevertheless, she was glad Remus divulged the truth. It was better than remaining ignorant. But still what should she tell Mary now?

Lily crossed her arms, feeling inside a mixture of paralyzing fear, anger and sadness. “Well I wasn’t there…Unlike you and your chums, I couldn’t guess it was rape!”

It sounded so strange to say it so boldly and she had almost been loud. Luckily nobody was around to hear it.

“We don't know for sure what it was…I’m sure he tried to though.”

“Then it was only an attempt,” said Lily gratefully. “But what a disgusting prank really! I can’t believe that-” But she stopped ranting. She was going to say she couldn’t believe Severus was a friend of Mulciber's. She now knew there was a whole lot more to it than just using Dark magic. She wondered if Snape understood this as well. Somehow she doubted it. But how frustrating this was!

Lupin was sensitive enough not to prompt Lily for information. He left her to her thoughts, as she gazed fiercely into the fiery flames.

“I wish I’d been there. Unlike you boys, I could have been in the changing rooms and cursed Mulciber out!”

Lupin remained quiet. But then suddenly remembered, “Dumbledore told us not to confront Mulciber. Now I’ve told James and Sirius time and again to listen to our headmaster. He is right. We can’t go attacking Mulciber and let us not forget, he probably does have Death Eater relations…”

Lily actually shivered. She hated to hear about the Death Eaters.

“Whatever you do, Lily…Don’t go after Mulciber. It was actually part of the reason James didn’t want you to know. He knows how you feel about your friend.”

“Right…”

Lily found a resurgence of anger at Lupin telling her what to do. But she didn’t retaliate. Lupin’s advice was true; there wasn’t anything she could do to change the situation.


Note: Please review! I hope you’re excited for the next installment.