Canis Majoris

Chapter One

Jocelyn's Predicament

Adhara Jocelyn Black was not one to be trifled with. All of Hogwarts knew this. It was the second rule you learned as a first year (the first was to watch out for Peeves). Say one word against Jocelyn's friends, so much as glance in their direction in an unfriendly manner, and you would pay. It had been her way since her first day... which was why the situation between Lily and James had always been so confusing for her. Oh, she knew she was loyal to them. She knew what she would do if someone crossed either one. But she didn't know what to do when the two had a go at each other. Sometimes she thought she should side with James. After all, she had met him first, got along swimmingly with him, had even spent summers at his house, and played with him on the Gryffindor house Quidditch team. But Lily was the only girl Jocelyn had ever really got close to, and Jocelyn knew that she didn't want to lose that.

Jocelyn had met both Lily and James on her first train ride to Hogwarts. James had come first, wandering into the compartment she was sharing with her cousin, Sirius Black.

"Can I sit here," he said, more as a statement than a question. "Everywhere else is full."

Jocelyn looked at Sirius, who grinned and nodded. In less than thirty seconds the three were having a passionate debate about Quidditch teams, and Sirius and James had been inseparable ever since. Lily didn't arrive for fully five minutes afterward, dragging her trunk and already changed into her school robes. Neither Jocelyn nor Sirius noticed her standing in the doorway until James broke off his explanation of a complicated Quidditch play mid-word.

"The Chaser reverse passes the Quaf -- whoa!" he said in an awed voice.

Sirius and Jocelyn turned to see what he was looking at. Jocelyn decidedly did not know what was so special about this girl that was making James act like a complete fool. Her red hair was pulled back in a hasty ponytail, her robes had become slightly crooked, and her bright green eyes shone with a mixture of bewilderment and disapproval. She looked just like any other first year girl on the train. Jocelyn looked over at Sirius, and was relieved to see he wasn't goggling at her like an idiot, the way that James was.

"I suppose I'll have to sit with you three," announced the girl, not sounding at all happy about this turn of events, "because this is the only compartment that has room."

Sirius and Jocelyn exchanged looks.

"Who are you?" asked Sirius, rather rudely.

"Lily Evans," the girl snapped. "Who are you?"

"Sirius Black. This is James Potter, and my cousin, Jocelyn."

"Pleasure," said Lily, not sounding pleased at all. "What's up with Potter, anyway, why can't he close his mouth? Did someone curse him? There are curses like that you know, I've read all about them, and I can do the countercurse if you --"

"There's nothing wrong with him," snapped Jocelyn. Who did this girl think she was anyway, bursting into their compartment like this? "And you can just keep your nose out of places it doesn't belong!"

"Well," said Lily, sounding offended, "there's no need to take that tone with me, I was only trying to help. Potter-would-you-close-your-mouth!" she finished through gritted teeth.

With a great effort, James closed it.

It was evident from that first train-ride that Lily had a major problem with James, and James had a major thing for Lily.

"Isn't she beautiful?" he asked Jocelyn at the feast that night.

"Well, no," replied Jocelyn bluntly. "I think she's a bit of a snob."

In the end, however, after a few weeks of being partnered with Lily in Charms (a class which Lily excelled in), Jocelyn found her more likable, and by the end of their first year, the two were fast friends.

But it was precisely this turn of events that made everything so confusing. Jocelyn couldn't really blame Lily for disliking James, she found him rather annoying herself, when he was around Lily anyway. But she couldn't not be friends with him. After all, he was best friends with Sirius, and Sirius was like her brother. Not hanging around with him simply couldn't be done. She somehow managed to keep on friendly terms with all of them, but it was difficult, and awkward.

"Jocelyn, come into Hogsmeade with us," Sirius begged their third year.

"Sirius, I can't, you know that, I'm going with Lily!"

"But Jocelyn, you're a Marauder!"

"Well, no, I'm not," she'd tried to explain. "I'm your cousin."

But neither Sirius nor the other three Marauders could understand this difference, and Jocelyn had often found herself in the middle of very tense and very awkward situations. Just like she was going to find herself in now. Oh what would Lily say when she found out James was Head Boy?

"Jocelyn, hurry up, Lily'll have a fit if James is late!" Sirius shouted back at her, interrupting her thoughts, as she carefully navigated her overloaded trolley through King's Cross Station.

"Just because I'm the only female Beater at Hogwarts doesn't mean I'm some sort of reincarnation of Hercules!" she snapped. "This trolley's heavy, if you're that worried why don't you give me a hand?"

"Don't talk, walk!" Sirius ordered.

"Why doesn't James go on ahead if it's that important?" Jocelyn gasped as she finally arrived in front of the barrier that was the secret entrance to Platform 9 ¾.

"We've gone through the barrier together ever since first year!" said Sirius, looking at her as though she'd gone mad. "We couldn't break the tradition our last year!"

Jocelyn rolled her eyes.

"You two are worse than girls!"

"Lovely," said Sirius briskly, clearly not listening to her. "It's clear, go!"

Jocelyn straightened her trolley and ran straight at the barrier, coming out on a platform full of chattering students, hovering parents, mewing cats, hooting owls, and a hissing scarlet steam-engine. A moment later Sirius and James came up behind her.

"Why in the name of Merlin did you wait for us?" said Sirius rudely. "Go on, move!"

"I think you're an excellent friend too, Sirius," Jocelyn said sarcastically.

"Of course you do," Sirius smiled at her, completely missing the point. "Here, that looks heavy," he added, noticing her trying to heave her trunk onto the train, and with a flick of his wand he levitated both their trunks and sent them floating ahead of him into the train.

"Oi, Padfoot!" James called at Sirius, who turned, but still managed to expertly control the two floating trunks and keep them from knocking over a couple of passing first years. "I've got to get to the Prefects' Compartment! Try and find an empty compartment, Remus and I'll meet you, Jocelyn and Peter when we've finished!"

"Try to get Lily to come along," Jocelyn called at James's retreating back.

He turned and flashed her his trademark grin.

"I'll just use my irresistible school-boy charm!" he called back.

"Never mind, have Remus try to get her to come along," she shouted, grinning back at him.

He winked at her and disappeared into the next car.

Please don't make her angry, Prongs, she silently willed him.

"He'll be fine," Sirius said, smiling down at her.

"Yes, of course," Jocelyn shook her head to clear away her thoughts. "Let's find a compartment then."

They began to walk down the length of the train, their trunks floating on ahead of them.

"Oi, watch --!" Sirius called out too late. The trunks slammed into a short, plump, blonde-haired boy, knocking him over.

"Oi!" Sirius muttered in an undertone to Jocelyn, rolling his eyes. "First year by the size of him. Stupid prat, why couldn't he watch where he was going?"

He strode over to the boy.

"Oi, you all -- Oh, hello Peter!" he greeted as he realized who it was. He was obviously fighting hard to keep from laughing. "Sorry about that! Had a nice summer?"

"All right. Yours?" Peter Pettigrew squeaked out as Sirius helped him to his feet and levitated his trunk as well.

"Excellent!" Sirius said happily, turning into an empty compartment and levitating the trunks into the luggage rack. He settled himself down on one of the seats. Jocelyn sat down beside him, Peter across from him.

"I'm bored," Sirius declared after a few seconds.

Jocelyn laughed.

"Bored? We haven't even pulled out of the station yet!"

"Exactly," Sirius nodded. "Lucky full moon's in four days, I don't think I could stand to wait much longer!"

"Does Remus think it's lucky?" Jocelyn asked quietly as, with a lurch, the train began to pull out of the station. She knew all about Remus's "condition", as they tactfully referred to it, and the way James, Sirius, and Peter had devised to help him. She was the only one the Marauders would ever have trusted with the secret.

"Oh," Sirius's eyes flickered with doubt, and he became much more subdued. "I wonder how his summer was...."

"I'm sure it was fine," Jocelyn said, placing a reassuring hand on Sirius's arm. She looked at Peter for support, but saw the same doubt reflected in his small, watery eyes.

As if on cue, Remus Lupin entered the compartment. Jocelyn bit her lip. He looked distinctly worse for wear.

"Hello Moony," said Sirius cheerfully, but Jocelyn could tell that his heart wasn't in his greeting. "Er -- had a nice summer, did you?"

"Excellent," said Remus briskly. Peter scooted over to the seat closest to the window, and Remus sat in his vacated seat. James also entered the compartment and sat on the other side of Sirius, across from Peter.

"Where's Lily?" Jocelyn mouthed at him.

"Coming," he mouthed back, but he looked scared.

She raised her eyebrows skeptically, trying to veil her foreboding.

"Really," he mouthed, looking sincere.

She smiled and gave him a small thumbs-up, but still wasn't convinced.

"So you had a nice summer?" she said conversationally, turning to Remus.

"Brilliant!" Remus reiterated. "When I wasn't biting myself that is!" he added with a hearty laugh.

James, Sirius, Peter, and Jocelyn laughed as well, but it was very forced. Remus shot them an inquisitive look.

"What's up with you four?"

"Er -- Moony," Sirius began awkwardly. "We're really sorry, we should have taken you with one of us...."

"What for?" Remus questioned, looking genuinely puzzled.

"Well -- er," Sirius lowered his voice, shooting a nervous glance at the open compartment door. Jocelyn took the hint and shut it. "Are you sure you were all right when it was" -- he lowered his voice so much the rest of them had to lean in to hear -- "when it was -- full moon?"

Remus laughed.

"Of course I was all right!" he said, looking astonished. "What, you don't think I could get on without one of you around? It makes things considerably more pleasant when you're there, I can assure you, but I can survive a couple of full moons without you three!"

Sirius and James exchanged looks.

"You -- you sure?" James asked pensively.

"Of course I'm sure," Remus assured them, still shaking his head in amazement. "I'd think you two" -- he gestured at James and Sirius -- "would be happy to have a couple months free of my bites!"

Sirius and James looked horrified.

"Kidding!" cried Remus, laughing. "Can't you two take a joke?"

"That's not something to joke about," said James severely, looking shaken.

"What's not something to joke about?" Lily questioned, entering the compartment. She seemed to be in a foul mood, much to Jocelyn's unease.

"Nothing!" Sirius and James said together at once.

Lily's eyebrows shot up.

"Tell me," she demanded.

"It was nothing, Lily," Jocelyn said soothingly, then mouthed so only Lily could see her, "Severus."

Comprehension dawned across Lily's pretty face, and she seated herself across from Jocelyn without saying any more, much to everyone's surprise.

The four boys shot Jocelyn a grateful look.

"So," Sirius began pleasantly, "how was your summer, Ev -- Lily," he quickly corrected himself, wincing. Jocelyn had elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"All right," Lily shrugged, frowning at him slightly. "I'm Head Girl you know."

"Yes, Jocelyn told me," said Sirius.

Jocelyn elbowed him again but the damage was already done. Lily's eyes clouded.

"Oh, she mentioned that to you, did she?" she said dangerously. "Funny, she never mentioned Potter's appointment to me!"

"Thanks," Jocelyn hissed angrily in Sirius's ear. She turned to Lily. "Lily, I'm really sorry, the thought just never occurred to me, and --"

"Oh, the thought 'never occurred to you', did it?" said Lily angrily. "And why, may I ask, would that be?"

"I think I'd better make sure no one's getting into trouble," Remus announced, standing. "Would anyone like to come with me?"

The other three Marauders leapt to their feet at once.

"See you girls later," said Sirius as he shut the door behind them. Jocelyn could have cursed him.

"Lily, look, I --"

"Jocelyn," Lily cut her off, but in a much more controlled voice. "Do you have any idea the kind of shock I got when James Potter walked into the Prefects' compartment wearing the Head Boy badge?"

"Well, no," Jocelyn admitted guiltily. "But --"

"I screamed," Lily told her. "Which was a right bit embarrassing, as I'm sure I don't need to tell you."

Jocelyn owned to herself that she wouldn't want to scream if a boy who declared his undying love to her everyday over lunch walked into the compartment just then.

"I'm sorry, Lily," she said meekly, "I didn't think --"

"That," Lily observed dryly, "is obvious."

"I just wanted you to have a nice summer," Jocelyn justified. "And I thought, 'Well, she's so happy she's Head Girl, and that'll be poisoned if she knows James is Head Boy, so...'" she trailed away uncertainly.

"I'm sure you meant well," Lily conceded. "I was just upset because of the shock, that's all. It's all right."

"So... you're not angry with me?" said Jocelyn pensively.

"No," Lily smiled. "After all, who I would I talk to if I stopped being friends with you?"

"True," Jocelyn grinned. "I'll go tell the boys it's safe now. If that's all right with you," she added quickly.

"It's fine," Lily shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to get used to them."

Jocelyn left the compartment smiling, and thinking that the year might not be so bad after all. She didn't -- she couldn't -- know just how wrong she was.