Who We Are

Picking up where I left off, Lanie and Lily were just invited to Slughorn's party...

"I dread these," Lanie whined dropping the invitation in front of Remus for him to read. Lanie was the only marauder who was invited to the parties so she always took Remus with her, it saved her from having to find an actual date and it helped Remus make a connection here or there. Remus should have been in the 'Slug Club' but Slughorn knew what Remus was because he made potions for him every month, and lets say he was one of those discriminatory type wizards.

"Lanie," Remus nudged her to pull her out of the little rant she was going on about the parties.

"Huh,"

"I can't go," Remus said handing the envelope back to her.

"What?" that caught Lanie off guard, Remus was always her date, without him she'd have to ask someone else.

"Full moon, love," Sirius whisper to her.

"Don't call me 'love', Black" Lanie grumbled. She'd forgotten about next full moon, and she felt a bit bad about it, and now she'd made Remus feel bad about not being able to be her escort. "I'll just come up with an excuse not to go, Mooney," Lanie decided as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"He'll never let you get away with it," Remus chuckled, knowing Lanie was it a bit of a spot now, "you'll have to ask someone else."

"I know, stupid party had to be the day after" Lanie shifted uncomfortably on the common room sofa crossing her arms over her chest. "Wait, oh Prongs," Lanie called hoping to pull James's attention away from the game of wizards chess he was playing with Peter.

"No," James didn't even look away from his game.

"What?!?, what do you mean no?" Lanie was rather offended that he didn't even think it over.

"Lily hasn't asked anyone yet," once again James didn't even look over at her.

"Yeah, because she's going to ask you," Lanie said bitterly.

"Ouch, let the boy dream," Sirius seemed to find Lanie's little situation rather amusing and it was also an excellent opportunity for him to get on her good side if he played it right.

"I guess I shouldn't worry too much, I could always ask your brother," Lanie smirked at Sirius whose smile dropped from his face at the mention of his brother. Lanie of course thought this would provoke Sirius into one of their usual fights, but to her surprise he remained silent, it was a bit disappointing.

Before Lanie could say anything further to provoke Sirius, Lily entered the common room arm in arm with a seventh year that none of the marauders knew. James expression dropped and the whole group turned to watch them cross the common room and take seats by the far window.

"Don’t worry Prongs," Lanie moved to sit beside him on the floor and he leaned against her a bit, "come with me and we'll spy on them, turn his skin magenta or something, and make you feel better."

"I'd rather not see them together at all, I won't go if you won't hold it against me," James was pretending to pick something from under his finger nails, he was upset.

"I'm sorry, let's start down to lunch, yeah?" with that Lanie ushered James from the common room without casting a single glance towards the newly formed couple. Sirius, Peter and Remus trailed closely behind and took their seats around James and Lanie once they reached the Great Hall.

Lunch was unnervingly quiet, Lanie sat between Sirius and James with Remus and Peter across. It seemed that the marauders weren't the only ones being quiet though, large portions of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables sat in complete silence while others only spoke in whispers. Very unusual.

Transfiguration that afternoon drug on at an unbearably slow pace, especially because Lanie sat beside Lily and in front of James. It put her in a bit of an awkward spot, she wanted to be happy for Lily but she was mad at her at the same time. In an attempt to keep James from being angry with her she brushed off Lily for most of the class even during the practical part of their lesson where they were actually aloud to talk. Lily of course picked up on what Lanie was doing and didn't press for any further conversation, not that she wasn't now angry with Lanie for siding the way she was.

Ancient Ruins went much the same way, only James, Sirius and Peter weren't in this class. Instead they elected to have an extra free period, and as she listened to Professor Binns drone on and on Lanie wished she had too. She was more than grateful to rush out as soon as time was up, not just to escape the class but also to avoid questions from Lily, she'd leave Remus to handle that.

"Ugh," Lanie had ran all the way up to the common room and into the boy's dormitories only pausing to spring a little so she'd land on top of James. James shifted under her uncomfortably for a second before sliding her off him and onto the bed next to him.

"Still down in the dumps?' (Lanie)

"That's a stupid question now isn't it," (Sirius)

"Bite me," with that Lanie flicked him off, not even looking at him.

"Where and how hard?" Sirius couldn't resist. This sent Peter and Remus into a chorus of whistles and a cat call or two, James even laughed a bit so Lanie wasn't as angry as she'd normally be.

"I'll ignore that, and it’s only because you made Prongs laugh," Lanie shot Sirius a rather pointed death glare before returning her attention to James.

"Don't look at me like that," James whined. Lanie was giving him her best pouty face, which James despised, he couldn't resist that face.

"Really it’s not fair, I should be allowed to wallow in my misery if I want to."

"Fine I'll just lay here and be miserable with you, suffer knowing I won't have a decent date to Slughorn's stupid party because my best mate is too busy wallowing to accompany me."

"Hey," Sirius interjected, "I'd like to add that there are plenty of 'decent' date options left thank you very much."

"Your right I really should go find your brother and ask him before some other girl does," Lanie smirked as she rolled over to catch Sirius's expression. "Well I know misery loves company, but I'm off mates, got to find me a date."

>>

"The library, you're actually in the library, never would have guessed that." Lanie laughed in mock amusement.

"Ouch, yeah I do actually have to study sometimes and this would be the ideal place, not much peace in my common room."

"Just surprised is all, I didn't think Slytherins had to study, especially not for potions, that’s what you're working on, isn't it?"

"Alright, enough of 'lets pick on the Slytherin'," Regulus rose from his seat and pulled Lanie into a hug, "what brings you to the library this afternoon?"

"You my dear," Lanie said taking the seat beside his as he sat back down, "there's this party, the Slughorn party, and I'm in the market for a date and I thought you might appreciate an invite. Maybe we'll find you a potion's tutor."

"Very funny," Regulus actually laughed a bit at his own expense, "What happened to your usual date? Leave you for another girl?"

"Yeah, right, he's busy, and Jamie is to busy wallowing in his own self pity, leaving me with Peter, you, or your brother; which pretty much means I'm only left with you, not that you're a last resort or anything." Lanie tried to recover last minute, this wasn't really going the way she'd planned, but she knew that Regulus wouldn't turn her down.

"Well I wouldn't want you to have to go with my brother so how could I say no," Regulus smiled that oh so charming Black smile that both he and Sirius shared.

"Thanks, I'll see you later, I've got another class," Lanie placed a quick kiss on Regulus's cheek before disappearing out of the library.

Success, Lanie wouldn't be stuck with a lame date. Sirius would of course be furious, not that she cared much.

>>

"Ready to ask me to that party yet?" Sirius flashed Lanie a quick smile before digging into his mashed potatoes at dinner that evening.

"Not the slightest clue as to what you're babbling about." Lanie continued to do her best at ignoring him.

"Come on love, I know you need a date to this party and you know I'm more than willing to go, even if it is with you," Sirius didn't look to her for a reaction but instead smirk across the table at Peter and James who were stifling giggles. James's mood had improved quite a bit on finding out that Lily and the mysterious 7th year were in fact only friends and nothing more, unfortunately it took him promising a date to Patricia Ultman to get that bit of information. Patricia was a bit of 'dumb blonde' if you will, the type of girl Sirius always had fawning over him.

"Well I hate to be the one to disappoint you," she paused as if considering her own words, "I take that back I don't mind disappointing you at all, I already have a date." This brought about a small chorus of mocking 'oh's in Sirius's direction.

"And who, might we ask, is the lucky young chap?" James found this all too amusing, especially knowing how Sirius felt about Lanie even if he tried to hide it from everyone.

"Glad you asked, Sirius do remind your brother to meet me outside the common room around 8 would you," Lanie managed to get it out without laughing through her sickeningly sweet tone.

"I'll be sure to do that," Sirius sounded more than a bit bitter, "anything else I can take care of for you, a foot massage or finish up the rest of your DADA homework?"

"Ha, I'd like to pass that class, so no thanks. Hmm, nothing else comes to mind," Lanie smiled.

Sirius was about to retort but was silenced by the sight of their head master rising from his seat and moving into view in front of the collected student body.

"Rumors, vicious things, often completely wrong. In most cases, what you might have heard is most likely incorrect." Dumbldor's address to the students was lost on the marauders who'd heard no rumors at all, usually they knew everything that was going on at Hogwarts. "There have been rumors that the wizarding world as we know it will soon end. That there is a new regime rising from the dark corners of unlikely places, this is true. But to say that our world will change because of it only gives them more power to manipulate us, tear us apart and terrorize us into fallowing their beliefs. Dark wizards uniting is always a thing to fear, but you are not to feel threatened here, remember do not fall pray to the temptations of dark power, trust in your friends, never underestimate your own power." With that he returned to his seats leaving the students to return to their dinners and speak in hushed whispers about different things they'd heard.

"Lily, are you alright?" Lanie called a short distance down the table to where Lily sat looking rather pale. Lily didn't answer just slowly shook her head yes and continued to stare off a little dazed. None of the marauders where affected, they knew this was coming, they were smart enough to have listened to the headmasters warnings before now. The intrusion on the train must have been what started the rumors and they must have gotten so bad that Dumbldor finally decided to clear them up.

"I don't understand why everyone is so shocked, I mean the signs have been right in front of us for years, I know we're young and all but what were they expecting giant neon lights flashing 'DANGER'." Sirius had known about the rising fallowing of the 'Dark Lord' since he could remember.

"Sometimes people are just happier ignoring the signs, ignorance is bliss and all that." Peter was pushing his mashed potatoes around on his plate rather than eating them.