Lily Luna Potter - Back to the Past

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

     "This is the entrance to Gryffindor Tower." Lily explained as we approached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She had been pointing out various places in the school as we walked across the seventh floor. I had to put on a fake look of wonder and delight as she pointed everything out, pretending it was all new to me. It was a whole lot harder than I thought it would be.

     "You tell her a password which allows you to enter the Gryffindor Common Room. The password changes every month or so and the current password is 'Phoenix Tears'." She continued as we stopped in front of the portrait hole. The Lady looked nearly the same as she did during my time, the same dress, same hairdo and the same demeanor. She smiled down at Lily as she swung open, revealing the familiar hole leading to the vast red and gold room I knew so well.

     The Gryffindor Common Room had not changed in the least in the last 50 years. The same red and gold hangings hung around the room, providing an air of warmth. The same couches and squashy armchairs stood in groups around the windows and near the fire. Students of all ages were standing around talking, doing homework and goofing off. Yep, just the same as back home.

     I saw four boys near the fire looking at us as we stepped through the portrait hole and my heart skipped a beat before realizing it wasn't my brother staring back at me as I met brown eyes and messy, black hair.

     Stupid. I berated myself angrily as my heart fell and tears stung at my eyes.

     "You alright?" James asked, looking genuinely concerned. I saw Remus look up at my face and our eyes met briefly before he looked away.

     Lily scoffed next to me and I glanced at her, taking in her bright green eyes, flashing with ill-concealed fury before looking back at my grandfather and nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine." Despite the sadness I was feeling I managed to bring a small smile to my face. 

     "Good." He said brightly, hitching a grin onto his face. "Me and Remus here were worried about you when you just conked out like that." He motioned to Remus, who looked a bit uncomfortable.

     "Yeah, it was just a bit much." I said, trying to sound offhand and calm. "Coming to a new school and all, then waking up in the hospital wing. I think I was a bit loopy as well." I attempted another small smile.

     "Of course." James said, smiling and sending a wink at Lily, who had remained silent. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned resolutely away from James. His face fell for a moment, but he hitched a grin back onto his face as a boy with long, curly hair who I recognized to be Sirius Black spoke. 

     "Why did you suddenly appear in the corridor anyway?" He asked. "You just sort of popped out of nowhere."

     My mind raced for an excuse. "Something must have happened with the portkey I was using to get here." I improvised wildly. "It was supposed to bring me straight to Professor Dumbledore's office, but instead I ended up in that corridor." I prayed they would buy my (what I considered) feeble escuse and breathed a little easier when they all looked satisfied with the lie.

     "I hate portkeys." A slightly pudgy, watery-eyed boy muttered. "Even worse than apparating in my opinion." 

     I recognized the boy as Peter Pettigrew, the traitor who handed my grandparents, the boy and girl right next to me, over to Voldemort. I tried to keep my face impassive as I looked down at him, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath to calm myself, but I was still on edge. He hasn't done anything yet. I reminded myself.

     "You alright?" Sirius asked. I opened my eyes to see they were all staring at me. 

     "Fine, just a bit tired still." I answered truthfully. I had to figure out how I was going to stay inconspicuous.

     "Come on Luna, let's go upstairs." Lily said shortly, pulling me away from the boys. "We'll ditch this riff-raff and you can meet the rest of your roommates."

     "Lily-flower," James whined, his hazel eyes with with a fake disbelief and innocence. "whyever would you want to leave such handsome and charming men as those that sit before you?" He painted a puppy-dog look on his face and I giggled.

     "Shove off, Potter." Lily said sourly, then she turned to me. "I'll wait for you upstairs Luna." And she set off, huffing under her breath and muttering "arrogant... stupid... idiotic..." James and Sirius just laughed easily.

     "I suppose that's my cue to leave." I said. "See you James, Remus." I turned to go, but Sirius spoke up.

     "Hold up a minute!"

     "What?" I asked, turning back to the four Marauders.

     "You didn't say goodbye to us!" He exclaimed, motioning to himself and Peter, eyes widened in faux disbelief. "How could you forget me, the most handsome of our small possee?" He hitched a winning grin onto his face. James took a breath, probably to start arguing the point, but I cut him off. 

     "Well I would've said goodbye if I had known your names." I said slowly, as though explaining to a five-year-old. "We haven't even been properly introduced and I saw no reason to bid you farewell."

     He looked sulky at my tone of voice, but regained his casual demeanor almost instantly.

     "I," he said, pausing 'dramatically'. "am Sirius Black, at your service." He swept his arm into a bow. "And that's Peter." He jerked his thumb over to Peter.

     "Peter Pettigrew." Peter squeaked quietly.

     "Nice to meet you." I said, forcing a smile on my face as I nodded to the blonde boy. "Well, see you around, Sirius, Peter."

     "Bye Luna!" The four boys chorused, Sirius and James grinning broadly. I just rolled my eyes and headed up the staircase to the girl's dorms.

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Here's another chapter! :D Hope you enjoy it!!! I apologize for the shortness, but I didn't want to add this chapter and the next at the same time.

Sorry also for the lack of updates on all of my stories, but I've created a fanfiction.net account (dancer4813) on which I have created a new story called Family Ties: The Srocerer's Stone and a one-shot about Ginny and Luna during book 7. If any of you reader are on fanfiction or just want to check them out, please do! :D I also have this story and Emily Michelle Lupin on that site, but I update those stories at the same time on both sites. Thanks again for reading! :D 

~Megan <3