Imagine a Life

Chapter One

Scarlett glanced up at the two girls who just interrupted her thoughts. "Hey guys," she said, smiling weakly. Kaelie smiled back and sat down next to her.

"Chin up, ducky. It's only Sirius Black. He isn't worth your tears." Kaelie wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder. Scarlett only seemed to cry harder at that.

"I'm not crying over Sirius! That's just it...I'm crying over what he did to me." Scarlett looked up at Lily, who was nibbling on her bottom lip in concern. "Lils, you can sit down you know. Just because I'm crying, doesn't mean I'm going to bite you."

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I'm worried about you, Letty. Nothing ever makes you cry. Not even Daniel Smith from last year!"

Scarlett burst out laughing at Lily's last comment, watching her as she sat down opposite. "Daniel turned out gay! How could I cry over that? It was relief!"

Kaelie grinned at her friends. "Yeah, that was pretty funny." She nudged Scarlett with her elbow and said, "Letty, you never did tell us what he did to you."

Scarlett sighed, replaying the last few days' memories in her mind. "Sirius came over my house unexpectedly on Friday. You know how he moved out into his own flat last year?" She waited for the girl's nod before moving on. "Yeah, well, he decided that he wanted me to spend the last weekend at his place. Alone."

She emphasized the last word and Kaelie gasped. "Not...alone, alone?!" Scarlett grimaced. "Oh god, Scarlett...you didn't?!"

Scarlett cringed and looked out the window. "Well..." she sighed. "There was alcohol involved! And...I don't know, I did want to!"

Lily raised her eyebrow at the Ravenclaw in front of her. "Please. Do not. Blame. The alcohol." Scarlett blushed and stared decidedly at a spot to the left of Lily's foot. "Scarlett, you wasted your first time on Sirius?!"

"Lily! We had been going out for three months! I thought that meant something. But," she paused, as tears swelled up into her eyes again. "The Saturday night, Sirius took me to a party." Kaelie and Lily's eyes widened, expecting the worst. "Let's just say, Sirius blamed the alcohol for more worse things than what I did. I found him making out with some faked breasted bimbo in the bathroom."

"Oh, Scarlett! What did you do?" Kaelie's jaw dropped, and her hatred for Sirius increased tenfold. Scarlett let out a rough chuckle.

"What do you think I did, Kaelie? I ran. And then apparated. I wasn't drinking that night, so no Lily-goody-two-shoes; I did not apparate under the influence." Lily let the breath she was holding out and gave a small smile. "I went home and had a good long cry on my mother's shoulder. The only problem is that I haven't been able to stop crying."

Kaelie gave the girl one last hug before saying, "We're nearly at Hogwarts, we should get into our robes." Lily and Kaelie glanced at each other and silently agreed to seek revenge on Sirius Black.

***

"Welcome, welcome!" Albus Dumbledore stood up in his seat at the high table. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I expect all of the older grades know my beginning year speech, but to all of you who have just arrived: The Forbidden Forest is just that - Forbidden. We have a new caretaker, Argus Filch, to take over his uncle's job, and he would like to inform you that the use of dungbombs in hallways is banned. Also, a reminder to stay away from the Whomping Willow. Enjoy the feast!"

Kaelie smiled to Scarlett from the Gryffindor table, who waved back. She couldn't wait for this year to start. Her seventh year at Hogwarts. Her final year. The year between her and never seeing the Marauders again. She sighed happily, catching the attention of Lily.

"What's got you so contented?" Lily smirked, knowing just how to rile Kaelie.

"Just thinking about getting away from the douche-bags with the big heads." Lily grinned and sighed with her. It was a known fact that Lily and Kaelie had never gotten along with the Marauders. Oh, they were all right in the first six months of school, but once they established their group and developed big egos - the girls just wanted to punch them.

The boys in question sat just a few seats down from them, and were discussing the incident on the train.

"James, should I be worried about Hunt?" Sirius asked, with half a piece of chicken hanging out of his mouth.

"Well, it depends," James considered. "Whatever you did to Scarlett would eventually be passed on the Kaelie, and if that's bad, then the punishment is going to be as well." He looked at Sirius, who had now gone red and stopped eating.

Remus looked up from his dinner as well. "Sirius, please tell me you did not hurt her badly." Sirius' eyes turned downward. "For Christ sake! Would you stop acting like a child one day and realise that girls have feelings too?!"

"What would you know, Remus? You've never had a girlfriend!" Sirius shot back.

Remus' eyes flashed with pain and he said through clenched teeth, "I'm not allowed to have a girlfriend, Sirius. Because if I get a girlfriend, she might soon be wanting a marriage and children and I'm not exactly able to give someone that with the laws going on."

James hit Sirius over the head. "Good on ya. You shouldn't take your own mistake out on Remus here. He's got it tough."

Sirius looked at Remus, thinking about what he had just said. "But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying yourself, mate."

"Sirius, I'm not about to go around and snog a bunch of different girls, while at the same time, break a dozen more girls' hearts. Ok?"

"Why couldn't you get a girlfriend for now then, Rem?" Peter piped up. "I mean, you're seventeen! You wouldn't be thinking about marriage even if you weren't a were-"

"SHH!" He was silenced by the three boys, who started looking around nervously.

"I'm sorry!" Peter said, also looking around.

"It's alright, Pete," Remus said, kindly. "Everyone slips up, now and then."

"Even me?" Sirius asked, his eye's wide and hopeful.

Remus glared at him. "No."

"Maybe," James began, tapping his finger to his chin. "Maybe you should get Kaelie to fall for you."

Sirius started bouncing at the idea, but Remus shut it down. "What? And try and break another girl's heart. Yeah, good plan Prongs." He rolled his eyes. "Not."

Sirius pouted. "But Moony! I'm in lots and lots of trouble! If I romance my way out of this one, then I might survive this year!"

"Sirius, I don't know what you did to poor Scarlett, and I don't honestly care if Kaelie gets you back, because it is about time that you learnt a lesson." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was nearing the full moon and he was getting weaker. "I'm tired. I'll see you all tomorrow."

***

Kaelie looked up from where she was eating to see Remus walking out. "Hey Lily," she whispered. "Let's go find out what's gotten Remus so down."

"Yeah, alright." She finished what she was eating and stood up.

They followed him quickly to find him saying the password ("Hinky Pinky") to the portrait. He glanced back and noticed them behind him.

"Hey girls," he greeted them with a smile. "Been stalking anyone lately? Besides myself, of course."

Kaelie grinned. "We wanted to come and see if you were okay." They entered the familiar sight of the Gryffindor common room. "You know, you've always been the only Marauder that we've liked."

Remus laughed. "Should I be flattered?"

"Seriously, Remus. What's up?" Lily tilted her head to look at him as he sat down on the sofa near the fireplace. He sighed.

"Seriously? It's Sirius. Who else would it be?" He ran a hand over his face and yawned. "He's worried about a future death of his occurring from the hands of Kaelie."

Kaelie rolled her eyes. "Well, after what I found out what he did to Scarlett, he deserves to die."

"What did he do to Scarlett?" Remus asked, a slight blush appearing in his cheeks. Lily grinned.

"Why are you so interested, Remus?" She poked him as his blush grew.

"I just want to know!" He raised his hands to show his innocence. "Honest!"

So they told him. And with every word, his face turned more and more pained. "Well, I thought I had no chance with her when they first started going out; but now? I'm betting she doesn't want to be near any Marauder."

"Was that a confession I just heard, Lily dear?" Kaelie asked, feigning innocence.

"You know, I think it just might have been." Lily looked at Remus. "Why didn't you tell us that you like Scarlett?"

"Because I knew she would never want to go out with someone like me." He stood up and headed towards the boys' dormitories.

"Someone like you? What do you mean?" Lily asked, following him. Kaelie hung back, knowing exactly what he meant. She had figured it out earlier the past year, and nearly died as a result of it. As Remus brushed off Lily's question with another yawn, Kaelie had an idea.

"Hey Remus, how annoyed at Sirius are you for doing what he did to Scarlett?"

"To be honest, he's done it so many times before, it doesn't surprise me. But, saying that, I felt really bad when I saw her being pushed into our compartment with red eyes and looking like death." He paused and then looked at them. "What do you have planned?"