Advanced Wizardry

Chapter five Moonlight

Nita felt an exceeding amount of guilt in her stomach. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I hope I didn't hurt you."

Sirius looked thoughtful and almost instantly was grinning as usual. "I barely know you. Why would this hurt me? Besides, now Saphy won't be annoyed with me for dating you."

Nita and Kit smiled, glad that Sirius was not upset. Then they went off to find Dairine.

***

Dumbledore was working tirelessly to find a solution to the Americans' problem, so for a simplicity to help him save his sanity (some argue that he already lost it) Dairine had been made a fifth year Gryffindor also. Despite her young age, Dairine was brilliant, so the challenge of the work was good for her.

Dairine was practising charms in the library and, a few tables away, so was Lily Evans. Dairine was admiring how little energy it took to cast a charm, wishing her own wizardry were so easy, when she saw the Marauders enter the library and James' face lit up when he spotted the green-eyed girl.

He walked over to Lily running his hand through his hair. "Hi Evans. Lovely day, isn't it? Though not nearly as lovely as you."

Lily glared at him. "In case you have not noticed, Potter, I'm trying to work, so I am in no mood for your insincere flattery."

"I am being sincere; you are lovely," laughed James. "And smart and nice, too, which is why I want you to go out with me."

"Well, I'm sorry to deflate that huge ego of yours, but...NO!" Lily answered coolly. She picked up her books and exited the library.

James sighed, attempting to make it sound like an irritated sigh, though it was obviously one of disappointment. Peter looked as if he knew not what to do, Remus put his hand comfortingly on James' shoulder, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"She doesn't like you, mate," Sirius commented. "So, get over it. After all, she's just a girl."

James shook his head. "She's not a girl; she's the girl," he said with absolute certainty. Next, he changed the subject. "Let's return our book of jinxes and leave."

His friends nodded, and the foursome did just that.

I may not know Lily and James that well, yet I want to help them, thought Dairine.

Dairine found Nita and Kit in the Gryffindor common room.

"Oh good," began Nita before Dairine could speak. "Now that you are finally here I must tell you both that I checked all of our names in the manual, and guess what? We're all on errantry."

"What's the purpose of the Powers sending us here?" wondered Kit aloud.

"To get James and Lily together," Dairine immediately responded. "I can't explain why. I simply feel that we should."

Kit gaped at Dairine. "Do you honestly believe that They sent us here to play matchmaker?"

"Do you have any better suggestions?" demanded Dairine.

"No," Kit muttered. So the trio set to work.

***

A couple of weeks later they had finally formulated a plan, a simple one.

Currently, they were sitting in the common room with Sapphire doing a potions worksheet. The blonde seemed forlorn and distracted since the Marauders had left for a mysterious activity like they had last month.

"You OK, Sapphire?" asked Kit.

"Huh? Oh, yes," she replied not meeting his eyes.

Kit shrugged.

Dairine gaited over to the window and when she looked out she saw four boys striding across the grounds in the growing dusk. I knew they were going outside, she thought with triumph. Because they brought their cloaks when they left. She nodded to her older sister, who promptly went up the girls' staircase.

"Where is she off to?" inquired Sapphire.

"To get Lily," Kit responded.

"Why?"

He answered, "Nita is going to convince her to take a walk by the lake. Then she will accidentally push Lily in. James will run to her rescue and - poof! They live happily ever after."

"That was very thoughtful of you, yet you mustn't do it tonight," Sapphire swiftly said.

Dairine raised a brow. "How come? It would be so romantic underneath the full moon." Not as Romantic as on the moon, like when I first kissed Raushon, but still good.

Sapphire paled, though she could think of naught to say to stop them.

Lily came into the room with Nita and they headed towards the pourtrait hole.

Sapphire dashed in front of the exit and stated quietly, yet firmly, "None of you are going outside now. It's dangerous."

"What?" questioned Kit. "Why?"

She sighed, "I can't say. No," she corrected herself, "I won't say."

"We're not going to let you keep us in here without reason," Nita informed Sapphire incredulously.

Regretfully, Sapphire took out her wand. "You're not leaving."

Kit and Nita exchanged glances, uncertain of what to do. They had become friends with Sapphire, so they did not wish to fight with her. Dairine, as she had not been at Hogwarts as long, had no such qualms; therefore she uttered a few words in the Speech, which caused Sapphire to fall unconscious and felt not the least bit guilty.

"What happened?" screeched Lily.

"I dunno," responded Dairine in an innocent tone.

"We have to take her to the Hospital Wing," Lily said.

"I'm sure she's all right," Dairine hurriedly stated.

Lily shook her head. "We better not chance it."

"Why don't you and Nita go for your walk? It is such a nice night. I could take Sapphire to the Hospital Wing," offered Kit persuasively. I could take her, yet I probably don't have to.

"Well...I guess," Lily agreed after a brief pause.

You better take her before she changes her mind, Kit advised Nita.

"Come on, Lily," said Nita. The two of them left.

"I'll wake up Sapphire before they come back," assured Dairine.

Kit nodded.

"So, did you tell Nita how you feel?"

Grinning, he replied, "Yep. We're a couple now."

"About time," chuckled Dairine.

Meanwhile, Lily and Nita were strolling around the lake, which beautifully reflected the stars and the full moon, in the cool air of the night.

'What school are you from again?" asked Lily conversationally.

Damn, a wizard can't lie. "Um..." Fortunately, Nita did not have to respond because a firefly landed on Lily's arm and it distracted her.

"Hi, little fella," cooed Lily.

"You humans need to get out of here! There's a werewolf!" buzzed the insect in the Speech urgently, and it flew off.

Naturally, Lily had not understood a word, though Nita had.

"Lily, do werewolves really exist?" she anxiously inquired.

A low growl emitted from behind the two girls. They spun around and Nita received the answer to her question. The colour drained from Lily's face as the beast slowly approached them, hunger dancing in its eyes.

"Don't run," whispered Nita, "or it will chase you."

Lily was too frightened to think clearly. All she wanted to do was to put as much distance between herself and the creature as possible. Consequently, she ignored Nita's warning, took out her wand, turned on her heel, and ran off casting random hexes over her shoulder. Had she been more focused she, first of all, would not have left Nita there alone and, secondly, would have adhered to Nita's counsel.

As Nita had predicted the wolf rushed after her. Nita frantically searched her brain for a spell, any spell, that might save the redhead, but nothing came to her. It seemed that Lily was done for; she had slipped on the grass that had already begun to acquire morning dew and the beast was almost upon her. Suddenly, a shaggy black dog and a stag attacked the werewolf. While it was occupied Nita darted over to Lily and helped her to her feet. Together they ran back into the castle. They leaned against the wall of the entrance hall gasping for breath. James hurried through the oak front doors seconds later. "Are you both all right?" He appeared genuinely worried. He was also rather dirty from being outside, but the girls were too exhausted to notice.

They nodded, still panting.

He smiled with relief, yet the expression faded when he looked at Lily more closely. "You're hurt."

Lily glanced down at herself. Sure enough, when she had fallen she had cut her elbow. "It's just a scratch."

Acting as though he had not heard her, James ripped off the sleeve of his uniform and wrapped it tightly around Lily's wound.

She regarded him strangely. "Erm, thanks, James."

For a reply he lifted her arm and kissed her injured elbow.

Lily flushed. "I-I should get to bed." She sprinted down the hall.

Dari was right; they are made for each other.

James smirked in a self-satisfied manner. "She wants me."

Nita rolled her eyes.

"You should go back to the dorm, too," recommeded James.

She nodded and returned to the common room, where she found Kit and Dairine sitting in silence.

"What's the matter?" inquired Nita.

Dairine explained, "We heard Lily outside the portrait hole, so I revived Sapphire and she looked at us with such a hurt expression because we had not listened to her. You should have seen it..." She stopped and sighed, now clearly feeling a twinge of regret. "Anyway, she ran up the stairs just as Lily came in and followed suit...Hey, why was Lily blushing?"

"James."

"So our plan worked?" Dairine started to look happy again.

"Not exactly. We were attacked by a werewolf and James made sure we were OK."

"A WEREWOLF?!"

"Yep."

"Of course!" Kit spoke up at last.

"What?" questioned the Callahan sisters in unison.

"Think about it...Remus."

Comprehension dawned on them. They all silently agreed that Remus deserved being recognised as a brave Gryffindor more than anyone else. They did not have long to dwell on this because a girl with dyed rainbow hair and a ty-dye nightgown emerged from the girls' staircase screaming, "Help me! My foot is only eleven inches long, I can c with my i's (see with my eyes), when I spin around and my back is in the front, there is no door to my ribcage, my ring finger isn't ringing, my nose is running and I can't catch it, my palm has lost its leaves, all of my nails are coming unscrewed, my belly button doesn't work, I can't open my chest-" Kit, Nita, and Dairine were staring at her as if they feared for her sanity; therefore she broke into a fit of giggles and was unable to continue her rant. She went back up the steps still lauhging.

"Who was that?" Nita asked no one in particular.

"Olivia. I told you she was annoying," came Sirius' voice.

They turned around to face the Marauders, who were all looking weary, but Remus appeared the worst off since he had bleeding cuts on his forehead, shoulder, and shin.

"Nita, I don't know if you figured this out, but-" Remus paused to take a nervous breath. "The wolf outside was me, and I feel terrible about what happened. You and Lily are all right, aren't you?" he murmured, guilt and self-loathing evident in his tone.

"We're fine, though you look horrible. Why aren't you in the infirmary?" Nita answered a bit sternly.

"I had to make sure you were safe. It would be my fault if you had gotten hurt or worse."

"Know what, Remus? You are stupid." Kit suddenly remarked. "You could bleed to death, yet you are more concerned with everyone else. You are much too caring for your own good." He smiled. "We wouldn't like it if you were any other way, would we, Neets, Dari?" Everyone knew this meant that he liked Remus exactly as he was, including his lycanthropy.

"Nope," they agreed, smiling too.

Remus' eyes filled with tears. He blinked a few times so he would not shed them (James and Sirius would never let him live it down if he did). They accepted him! "Thank you," was all he could think of to say.

"No problem," said Nita.

"That's what friends are for," Kit commented.

James instructed Peter, "Padfoot and I are dead tired, so you take Moony to the Madame Pomfrey, OK?"

He nodded obediently, and the ebony haired Marauders trudged up the step as the fair haired ones went through the Fat Lady.

"Good night." Nita kissed Kit's cheek affectionately.

"Get a room," quipped Dairine.

Nita lightly slapped her head and they all went to their rooms.

Dairine gave Spot, whom she had placed on her bedside table, a pat as a way of saying 'good night' and fell asleep instantly.

Curled up in her four-poster, Nita was thinking. How can Remus' friends go with him during his transformations, and who were those animals? I wonder if... She drifted into slumber before she could complete her pondering, and forgot her thoughts by morning.