The Marauder Chronicles

*** The Marauder Chronicles is a fan fiction. It isn't to be sold, reproduced, or taken as true. The main characters and most locations belong to J.K. Rowling, as do all publishing rights. No copyright infringement is intended.***

Part Two: The Angel

"Never let love pass you by."

"These test scores are atrocious," Professor Sprout said on Tuesday morning as she was handing out last Friday's exam. "I thought we had covered the uses of the transforming red tulips thoroughly, but according to these tests," she said as she dropped a D in front of Kyle Mathews. He almost fell over backwards when he looked at his result. "I can't remember having a class that tested so poorly. It is the beginning of the year, for crying out loud." She walked over and placed a F paper in front of a hysterical Britney Carlson. "But some of you," she continued moving over to the four Marauders, "did exceptionally well."

"What do you think?" Sirius whispered to James.

"Even," he replied.

"Five galleons says James beat you," Remus said. Peter nodded.

"So the bet is five galleons," Sirius said to James. "What do you think?"

"I don't know, even maybe." They didn't have to wait long. Professor Sprout walked over and placed James and Sirius test papers in front of them. She smiled brightly, "Nice job boys."

"Damn," Sirius said looking at his paper. He had an A, a single red mark was on the very last page marking off one point.

"Yep," Remus said looking at their two papers, "Just as I suspected, that'll be five galleons."

James looked over his test, no marks rested on any sheet of paper, except for a large "A+" on the top of the cover. He put the test down in front of him, casually.

"How did you fair, Peter?" James asked, looking down the table at his short and chubby friend.

"I got a C, as usual. I guess I didn't study hard enough." He put the test face down in front of him, and sighed.

"Don't worry Peter," James said to him, "You'll get it one day, I know you will."

"No I won't. I'm just not that smart."

"I can't believe I missed this question!" Sirius said, ignoring everything that was going on around him. "How could I miss a question about the breeding season of the West Indian Snapdragon?"

"How did you do?" James asked Remus.

"Pretty good, B+, better than many people in the class," he said looking around at his classmates.

James turned around and leaned back in his chair, as if trying to get a glimpse of someone, when the front legs slipped and he started to fall backwards.

Sirius didn't even look, he just put out his hand and caught the chair.

"We're still in class, James, try not to kill yourself," he said casually putting James's chair upright.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

"Don't mention it," Sirius replied with a grin. Just then the bell rang, which couldn't have come sooner for most of the students in Green House five.

Peter got up first and made his way over to James, who stood up, straitened his robes and looked out the door, which was filled with fleeing students.

"Well," James said looking at the door, "I guess people are hungry."

"Or depressed that they failed the test, either way..." Remus said, walking next to James, and following the mass flow of students back up to the castle.

"Sirius," James said turning around looking for his friend, but there was no one there.

"James," Remus said pointing to Sirius, "he seems to have found a lady friend." James turned around and saw that he was talking to a very gigglesome blonde.

"Oh for goodness sakes, not again," James groaned. "Lets just leave him to it, shall we?" He motioned for the three of them to go, and in no time they were heading through the doors of Hogwarts.

"How long do you think this one will last?" Remus asked.

"Oh, lets see..." James said. "Well, by the look on her face, and the instant attraction on his part, I would guess that he'll have a date with her this weekend, then he'll smother her in charm...couple of weeks. No more, no less."

Sirius came running after them down the main corridor that lead to the Gryffindor tower. He was smiling from ear to ear.

"Guess who has a date this weekend?" he asked enthusiastically, clapping James on the back.

"Oh don't tell me this one, I really want to figure it out for myself," James said sarcastically, glancing at Sirius. "What's her name?"

"Hannah, same backwards and forwards," he said.

"How original of you. I have a question for you, Sirius," James said. "Where does one go on a date at Hogwarts. I mean there is no where to go...so what do you do all of these time you ask girls out on a date?"

Sirius looked at him with a funny smile. Remus and Peter turned all of their attention on to him. "Well, Sirius, where do you go? It's a reasonable question that deserves a reasonable answer."

"It's a secret, James."

"Where do you go?" Remus asked. "I have always wondered. You would never take her out of the school through one of the tunnels, so you must stay here, but we never see you."

"And you never will," he retorted. "Once the three of you meet up to my standards, then I will consider it."

"Hannah, huh? She smart?" James asked, eye brow raised.

"She's average."

"How did she do on the Herbology exam?"

"Fair."

"Fair? Sirius, you are a smart person, you should see someone who is smart, maybe then your relationships would last longer than three weeks," James said seriously.

But Sirius just laughed. "I know you're jealous, but please don't advise me on something that you have no experience with, alright?"

"You just hurt my feelings," James said insincerely.

"Sorry," Sirius replied flippantly.

"You really did, I'm looking after you, and you take my head off. Honestly." But he didn't mean it. "Did you study history last night, like you said you were going to do?" James asked, changing the subject.

"Naw, I talked to Michelle instead. Do you know that muggles can fly from one country to another in a jet? Do you know how much money it costs to run that thing? The stuff they do to avoid magic."

"Well I studied," James said, not acknowledging what Sirius had said. "He might have a pop quiz, you never know."

"If you were studying, then I'm the Queen mother," Remus added.

"No kidding. You were not studying. I saw you last night; just glanced at you every now and again," Sirius said, smirking.

"I was too," James replied defensively. "Go on, ask me anything."

"Fine," Remus thought for a while then came up with a question. "Who battled Sheena in the Great Goblin War of the sixteenth century?"

James looked at the three of them for a while, but said nothing.

"Ha!" they all said. "We knew it!"

"Oh shut up. So I don't know one question, ask me something else."

"This one is way easier," Remus said, trying to keep in a smile. "What color are her eyes?"

Sirius gave him a high five, and laughed. Peter sniggered a bit.

"Laugh it up," James said. "Very funny, ho ho ho."

"You were studying, but it wasn't history," Sirius said. The four of them went up to Gryffindor tower to get there history books and drop off their Herbology ones. Then they went back down stairs and headed for the great hall.

"Hello Michele," Sirius said, waving to a blushing blonde girl who started giggling with her friends as soon as they passed Sirius.

"Why do they all do that?" Peter asked James quietly so Sirius could not hear them.

"They don't all do that, and I have no idea as to why."

"It's because I'm handsome, Peter," Sirius said, as he smoothed his hair back with his hands. "They look at me and melt. The secret is to smile, a lot. Girls love that. You should really try it some time."

"Don't listen to him, he knows as much about a woman's mind as the rest of us," Remus told Peter, James nodded as well.

"Sirius," an energetic girl said, running over to greet him. "I researched the Bohemia Demon potion for you yesterday. Only I think I could do better if next time you did it with me." She flipped her hair casually, and smiled, showing every single shiny white tooth.

"Sirius," James said. "Sorry to interrupt, but we do have lunch to attend, it only comes once a day."

"You three go on without me, I'll be there in just a second." And without even looking at them again, he started walking in the opposite direction with the young girl.

"He's amazing," James said sarcastically. "He makes a date with one girl, but has dozens of others on hold."

"I wish I could do that," Peter said.

"No you don't, he'll tire of it eventually," James replied, looking back to see Sirius and his adoring admirer.

"And he'll probably regret it some day when it will all catch up with him and knock him in the conk," Remus said, a small smirk, appearing on his face.

"You're probably right," James said laughing a little.

"Too many women and not enough time," Sirius said as he came running behind them. He hit James on the back and started to walk beside him. "I'll be studying with Tina tomorrow evening. She is something else."

"What happened to Hannah?" Remus asked. James and Peter looked to see Sirius's face.

"Who?" he asked, looking confused. "Oh, yeah," he said suddenly remembering. "She's this weekend."

"You're sick," said James shaking his head, but grinning never the less. "How can you do that? One of these days you're really going to mess up. You'll kiss one girl, call her the wrong name, and she'll deck you. Then you'll come running to me with your sorry excuses, telling me that I was right, and you know what?"

"You'll shut up?" Sirius suggested.

"No, I will tell you 'I told you so.'"

"I just can't see you saying something like that," Sirius said.

"Neither can I," Remus agreed. "It's just not you."

Sirius turned his head again to see a pretty brown-haired girl walk past him. He kept staring at her until she turned the corner.

"Would you cut that out?" James nagged.

"What?" Sirius asked confused.

"You look like a stupid Neanderthal when you stare at a girl as she walks by. Can't you just look where you're going? You're making all of us sick with your games, Sirius."

"Fine. I will look straight ahead of me for the rest of the break. I promise."

"Thank you," James said, sighing.

"What should we do the last Friday night of September?" Remus asked, trying to change the subject.

"Whatever," Sirius responded. "I don't really care. Maybe we should go to the village, see what kind of Ministry officials are up for the weekend."

"I think the Minister of Magic himself is going to be in town on that weekend," Peter added.

"Really?" Remus chimed in. "We must check that out."

"What do you think, James," Sirius asked, but James hadn't heard a word that was said.

He was looking straight ahead of him, eyes locked on one position. Sirius, Peter and Remus all looked simultaneously to the spot James was fixated on.

"Figures," Remus said.

Walking on an intersect path was the most beautiful girl in the entire school. She was moving toward them gracefully, her long, dark, red hair waving like a dance. She smiled and laughed with her two friends who were also attractive, but nothing compared to her. She looked in James's direction, so that all four of the Marauders could see her brilliant, bright, green eyes, sparkling amongst the black cloud of Hogwarts cloaks.

Nothing could have distracted James from her beautiful face. He had even stopped breathing as he watched her draw nearer to him.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter, as if rehearsed, rolled their eyes at the same exact moment as they watched a truly goofy smile spread all over James's face.

The two friends of Lily stopped talking and nudged her, motioning to her to look at James. She set her emerald eyes on his blue ones and smiled greatly.

James finally took a breath, and smiled back. "Hello," he said to her as she passed him. The two girls she was walking with giggled, but Lily did not.

"Hello James," she said smiling more greatly if at all possible. She passed by him with eloquent grace, moving by him like a goddess in the breeze. She never took her eyes off of him, as she sailed on through the corridor, nor did he take his eyes off of her. He turned around, walking backwards, and watched her watch him as she went for Gryffindor tower. She laughed, and waved to him as she turned the corner.

James sighed, and turned around to face the direction he was walking, only...

SMACK!

He hit a large stone statue of a gargoyle which apparently was directly in his path. He fell flat on his back, a huge thud sounded his fall.

Sirius, Remus and Peter stopped dead in their tracks and huddled around James, looking down on him.

"Is he dead?" Peter asked stupidly.

His eyes were wide open, looking straight up at the ceiling, and his mouth was also open. He was breathing, but very shallowly.

Laughter started to sound through the hall. People were starting to get the word that the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain had collided head on with a statue.

"James," Sirius said, trying to contain the laughter in his voice, "are you alright?"

James sat up very quickly, putting his hand on his forehead. "Fine," he said with effort.

"You know," Sirius said, smiling at him, "You should really pay attention to where you are going. And you make all of us sick with your games, James."

Remus and Peter let out a little chuckle, but James was not so amused.

"Shut up. I think I have a concussion."

"Let me see it," Sirius said, moving James' hand out of the way. "No, you're fine. It'll just bruise up a bit. Nothing to worry about; your hair will cover it anyway."

He helped James up, and then they started to walk to the Great Hall again. The three of them kept smiling, but James ignored them.

"You're going to kill yourself over her, you know that?" Remus said to him.

"I think it's funny," Sirius said. "I mean, you act as though you haven't seen and talked to her everyday for the past six years."

"No I don't," James said, frowning slightly.

"Yes you do. You just ran into a perfectly stationary object because you were drooling over her. Just face the facts, James. You're obsessed," Sirius told him, Remus nodded in agreement.

"I am not obsessed," James said slowly and seriously.

The three of them couldn't contain the laughter inside of them. James rolled his eyes and smirked just a bit.

"Yeah, yeah," James said, "very funny."

When they finally entered the Great Hall, students stood up and pointed and laughed at James, who just nodded and smiled.

"News travels fast at Hogwarts," Remus said, taking his seat across from James and Sirius.

"I don't see what the big deal is," James said. "Don't people bump into things?"

"James," Sirius said smirking, "you bumped into the statue because your eyes were falling out of your head and rolling on the floor."

"Sorry I brought it up," James replied.

"Hey Potter," said a cocky young third year boy, who was approaching James rather quickly, "Tried walking through walls, too?"

He laughed, and so did his young friends. James smiled again.

"Was it you that wanted to play seeker next year, Jackson? I mean after Penny graduates?" he asked. Jackson stopped smiling.

"Yeah," he said slowly and quietly.

"And do you know who chooses players?"

"You do," Jackson said.

"That's right," James replied. "I do, because I was elected team captain. I suggest that you try to show a little respect. I like a joke as well as the next guy, but I only really like for my friends to do it, and Jackson, you're not quite there yet. Got me?"

"Yes sir," he said, clearly intimidated.

"Good. Enjoy your lunch," James turned back to his friends, who were trying to keep the laughter to a minimum.

"You scared the poor kid," Remus said.

"Naw," James said shaking his head, "He's not very good anyway. I would never judge him on his personality, but he's almost blind. He would never find the snitch. No harm done."

"Who is going to play seeker, any way?" Sirius asked.

"Well," James said, "I don't really know. He's been the only one to come up to me and ask about it, but no one else. I would really like to start training whoever it is, though. Get them ready for next year. Have you ever thought of it, Remus?"

"Me, seeker? No way, too much pressure. You've seen me on a broom. I almost slip off the front, I could never play seeker."

"Have you asked anyone, posted anything on the message board?" Sirius asked.

"Nope."

"Not even her?"

"Ha! No, not even her," James told him, with a twinkle in his eye.

"So when are you going to tell her, James?" Remus asked.

"Tell her what?"

"Oh don't pretend you don't know what we're on about," Sirius said. "When are you going to tell Lily that you love her?"

"What?" James asked. "You can't just go up to somebody and say that. It's a little sudden."

"It's not like she doesn't know that you fawn over her," Remus said. "The whole school knows you worship the very ground she walks on. It is a tad bit obvious."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Sirius said, taking a sip from his goblet. "James, you need to say something to her. You are not the only one that likes her, you know. She is rather dishy."

"Dishy?" James asked questionably. "You think she's dishy?" He looked at the three of them with a scowl.

"No!" Sirius said, laughing. "No," he repeated slapping James on the back, who still looked upset. "I personally think she's ugly. You think she's...well...you know."

"Truly hideous," Remus added.

"Revolting," Peter chimed in.

"Nice save," James replied with a smile.

"Alright, but in all seriousness James, you don't have eternity," Sirius said.

"And what do you suggest, King of the long lasting and successful relationships?" James asked, the right corner of his mouth raised.

"No need for insults. I think you shouldn't really prepare what to say, 'cause it's you. You always do better under pressure. Just wing it and see what happens." Remus and Peter both nodded.

"Wing it, huh?" James questioned, glancing towards the entrance to the Great Hall.

"Yeah. You could say, and this is just a suggestion, Lily, from the moment I saw you I wanted to be the man who serves you and..."

But James wasn't listening. Not at all. He knew that Sirius was saying words, words addressed to him, but he couldn't really make them out. As a matter of fact, the conversations going on in the Great hall all seemed to integrate into one drone, that got quieter and softer. He knew it was silly, he knew his friends were right, but he couldn't help his reactions to her.

Lily walked in the Hall, looking as radiant as ever. She was accompanied by Liz Banks, a strawberry blonde girl with many freckles, and Jade Yang, a very attractive girl of Asian descent. The three of them were talking and then sat down at the end of the long Gryffindor table.

James sighed heavily, and leaned his chin on his perched arm, watching her in a ceaseless wonder. She was smiling, he loved it when she smiled. She ran her fingers through her thick dark hair, and laughed. Someone made a joke, James thought. It didn't take a long while for her to notice that he was staring at her. She glanced at him, and blushed slightly, her lips moving instantly for a smile.

He smiled back, and sighed again.

"Oh this is really disgusting," Sirius said. "What are we going to do with him? He can't even hear us. A bomb could explode in his face and he wouldn't even blink, he is so obsessed."

"It is rather routine. You'd think we would have gotten used to it by now," Remus replied. "I think you should go on with the plan, just don't tell him, he wouldn't approve."

"Remus, you're right. It's about time we took matters into our own hands. We should be able to sit down for lunch and eat without getting sick. Excellent idea."

"So we're gonna do it?" Peter asked excitedly.

Sirius nodded. "James," he said, but there was no response. "James," he said again, result the same as the first time. "Jimmy boy pay attention!" Sirius almost yelled, while snapping his fingers in James's face.

"Don't call me Jimmy, and don't snap in my face. I am not a dog," he answered.

"So sorry," Sirius responded sarcastically, "I must have been confused with all of the drool that's dripping out of your wide open mouth! Are you going to say anything to her? Do you realize what you're putting the rest of us through? You have liked her for six years, since we were sorted. Do you remember what you said to me when you sat down at this very table that night? You looked at her and told me, 'God Sirius, she looks like an angel' and ever since then you two have flirted across classrooms and tables and it's making all of us nauseous!"

"I second that," Remus said.

"Well I'm real sorry. But I can't just walk up to her and say something," James said.

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

"I just can't. I am waiting for the perfect moment."

"Six years is a long time to wait for the perfect moment. I am sorry I have to do this to you, but it's for your own good. I am doing this because you are my best friend, and I am friends with Remus and Peter, and they hate this too."

"Sirius, what are you going to do?" James asked.

Sirius picked up his spoon, and chimed his glass goblet. "If I could have everyone's attention please," he said standing up. All the Gryffindors looked at him.

James pulled his arm, "What the hell are you doing?" he asked panicked.

Sirius ignored him, and shook him off. "Please if everyone could look up here, I will only do this once." Sirius then did something you might see a coach doing at a muggle baseball game. He took his right index finger, and touched his left shoulder, then he crossed it over his chest, pulled his right ear, coughed, passed his hand through his thick dark hair, smiled and then sat down. "Did you get all of that?" he asked.

Sixth years lining the table nodded. James looked dumbfounded down to Lily's end of the table and saw that she also had a similar expression on her face. Something was going on, and neither of them knew. Jade, who sat to the right of Lily, nodded to Sirius, got up and went over to the Hufflepuff table and whispered something into the ear of Thomas Lynn, who upon hearing the news, passed it on to his fellow class mates.

"What is all of this about?" James asked. Nobody said anything. "Peter?" sooner or later Peter would crack with the answer, but to his amazement, he kept his mouth shut. "Sirius, what are you going to do?"

"James, just relax, nothing bad is going to happen...I don't think." He then took a casual drink as if this was completely normal. James looked deeply concerned.
"You're crazy. I'll find out. I told you, I want to do this on my own, without you. That really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"Oh you're really flattering me." And so was the end to lunch, as the bell rang shortly thereafter. "So, Remus, how about next Friday we see the sites?"

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.
"Expand a bit, go beyond Hogwarts, see Hogsmeade, you know, explore. We have done the mundane forest a thousand times." Sirius said. He, Peter, and Remus picked up their things and began to leave when they noticed that James was still around the table.

"Have you guys seen my wand? I lost my wand. I don't know where it is." James said, searching every pocket he had, which was quite a lot. He got up out of his seat, and began searching under the table, on the table, and around his fellow class mates.

"Looking for the Gargoyle, Potter?" It was an all too familiar voice, cold, deep, and monotone, that only Snape could have. James looked up from his search.

"Looking for the toilet, Snape? It seems you've had an accident. Get a little excited did you?" Snape looked horrified. Sirius knew the clue and the right spell. At that moment, he took his wand kept it inside the sleeve of his robe so that Snape could not see it, and whispered, "Percipitum" and a wetness appeared on Snape's trousers.

"Ah that's too bad!" James said with an evil grin. "You'll have to be careful in the future, Severus, you won't always have me around to tell you about your, well, issues." The entire Gryffindor table exploded with laughter. Ravenclaw got the word soon enough and started in. Hufflepuff didn't take a minute too soon to chant in with the insults.

"I'll get you for this, Potter!" said a furious Snape, as he turned an left, amidst gales of insults and giggles.

"Sure you will," James said sarcastically. Sirius laughed a little himself then said, "Your wand."

"Where?"

"No, I think I saw it in Sprout's."

"Why didn't you say something before?" James asked.
"I just remembered, sorry, what's a guy to do? You better hurry, or you'll be late for Binn's class." With that, Sirius, Remus, and Peter gathered all of their things and headed towards the History of Magic, while James ran as fast as he could to Green House five. He was really pretty fast, though he did not look it. He ran down staircases, out of the castle and across the grounds all in the September heat. How could he forget his wand? He never had before. He could distinctly remember putting it in the outside robe pocket before he left. Finally he got to the green house, thrust open the door nearly knocking out a small third year.

"Mr. Potter, back so soon?" she asked, trimming a wailing plant.

"Yeah," James said, trying to catch his breath, "I forgot my wand." He went over to his table, and sure enough, under his chair was his wand. "That's strange" he said to himself. He picked it up, put inside his inner pocket, and made his way for the tower door.

"I thought I saw one of your friends take your wand," said the professor. And then it hit him. He did remember his wand. Peter must have taken it out of his pocket and dropped it under his chair. That was the trick. So what was going on in the History of Magic classroom when he was not there?

He ran as fast as he could out of the classroom, and as a result almost slipped on some bubotuber pus that a third year spilled. "Excuse me, coming through, watch it!" He ran up to the castle, through the big doors, down the hall, and just made it through the door to the History of Magic. Just then the bell rang, and Binns would be coming through the wall momentarily. He would have to take his seat, only…

Jackie McDermont of Hufflepuff was in his seat, and Sirius, whom he always sat next to was way up in the front sitting next to Jade. As he kept looking around he noticed everyone was sitting in different seats. Peter and Remus were spread out, and it looked as though all of the seats were taken. Sirius turned to the back of the class and saw James's confused expression. James raised his hands shoulder length and mouthed, "What's going on?" Sirius, just shrugged and looked lost himself. Just then Professor Binns made his ghostly entrance and without even looking at the class began his lecture. "In 1259 the goblins of Prussia…excuse me, Mr. Porter, please sit down."

"Its Potter, and my seat is taken." James said pointing to where Jackie was sitting. Binns did not seem to care.

"Mr. Parker, there is a seat available just there." And he pointed to an empty seat, the only empty seat, in the far back corner of the room. The other person seated there pointed to it. James could not believe it. It had to take days of planning, he thought. He looked to the front of the room as he was making his way towards his seat, and saw Sirius giving him a thumbs up. Other students, both Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, looked at him in a "good luck" sort of way. James could not help but smile at his friend. He was very lucky to have Sirius, he had the greatest friend in the world. He pulled out his chair, sat down, looked to his left, and smiled at Lily.