Monday
January 5, 1978
Great Hall
It seems to be a general trend in the life of myself and my friends to begin the day by having a group breakfast in the Great Hall. Today was no exception.
We spent a bit of time discussing this and that before Lottie reached into her pocket and pulled out a sherbet lemon, proudly pointing out that it now read '050178 8PM' and that she had noticed before any of us self-proclaimed 'super sleuths' had. We deduced this meant that it was finally time for our long-awaited meeting with Dumbledore to discuss the fate of the world and such.
James announced that he thought it rather short notice considering we had Quidditch practice tonight, but he would just have to move practice to six rather than seven. Classic Dumbledore, interrupting my dinner time.
I would suggest cancelling Quidditch practice, due to the apparent fate of the world being on our hands and everything, but, well, you know... it's Quidditch. On another note, I have only just now realised that the only two of us left eating are Lottie and I.
Normally I would be offended, it's not like my friends don't know I can sometimes miss things, but it gives me a good opportunity to chat with Lottie, someone who isn't as invested in the Bloody Prat... actually, I don't know how many of them can be classified as Bloody Prats anymore.
Anyway.
"Lottie, can I be candid with you?" I said after a second.
"What?" Lottie asked, looking up from her eggs. "Oh, where did everyone go?"
"Beats me."
"This always happens."
"Speaking of things always happening, can we chat about something?"
"Ooh," Lottie raised an eyebrow. "Miss I-don't-chat-about-things-with-my-best-friends-anymore wants to chat?"
"That's fair... I suppose I may have been a bit self-engrossed this year."
"Year? It's been 1978 for like, four and a bit days, Eve."
"You know what? I'm getting a somewhat snarky attitude from you, and I'm not exactly a fan."
"That's fair," Lottie echoed. "Although, in my defence, one of my friends was recently murdered in cold blood by a raging psychopath and my two best friends are off gallivanting with their shiny new boyfriends, whilst I just end up sitting here alone with my eggs."
"That's not true... you've got Marley and Alice too!"
"It's not exactly the same is it." Lottie stared at me with a woeful expression. "And don't you say anything about Peter because he left me at the beginning of the ball and ever since he's been on my bad list."
"Since when did you have a bad list?"
"Since the end of last year."
I took a second to digest all of what Lottie had said before continuing any further. I have an awful habit of saying whatever's on my mind without actually thinking it through, and it really didn't seem like an appropriate time to do that sort of thing.
"Alright... Well, I'm sorry for the part I had to play in all of this. I must confess I have been slightly preoccupied with my conflicted feelings toward my current relationship status and have not been paying much attention to the needs of those around me."
"Oh," said Lottie. "I hadn't actually expected you to apologise."
"I can apologise! I apologise all the time!"
"No, it's not that, although I'm not certain you're actually correct on that point, I just wanted you to know how I was feeling, I don't need an apology. Communication and all, you know? You don't know what you don't know."
"Rather," I responded, pretending I understood what she was talking about.
"Alright, now I've gotten that out," said Lottie, folding her hands in front of her, "what was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh, it probably doesn't really matter," I said. "Certainly not in comparison to what you're working through."
"No, no, of course it does. Just because I'm dealing with things doesn't mean you're not as well."
"Well, if you really want to hear it..."
"I do, honestly."
"So, I guess what I wanted to say, is that I like Remus, and all, but I feel kind of sick."
"Like the flu?"
"No, not the flu, although I think I may be coming down with something. Anyway, it's more like a, I enjoy spending time with him, he's amazing and kind and smart and funny, but I feel sick kind of sick."
"Is it sort of an 'I've been in love with the idea of Remus as my boyfriend for a really long time but now that I'm actually dating him it's not all that I thought it would be' kind of sick?"
"Yes! Well, no! I love dating Remus. Remus is amazing. Remus is Remus. Why would I not want to date him?"
Lottie raised an eyebrow at me. "Do you ever listen to the words that you say, Eva? Or, do you just speak things and then live in denial."
"I think that first one? Maybe the second."
"It's more than a maybe."
"I don't like what you're getting at, Lottie."
"I haven't said anything," Lottie said (which was interesting, as she spoke the phrase 'I haven't said anything').
"Very well. I accept your not saying anything. You've helped me out very much. I must go now."
"Is that a 'I don't want to continue this conversation because I don't actually want to hear what I need to hear' kind of 'must go now' or is it 'I forgot I had plans' kind of 'must go now.'"
"Both?" I said. "I've got Potions with Black."
Lottie let out a large sigh and rested her head on her arms. "You're impossible," she said, her words muffled. "Just go."
"Alright, see you later!"
Phew. Glad we finished that conversation as I was starting to get that nasty sick feeling again. Maybe I'm just overthinking it and I have a stomach bug. I'll go visit Pomfrey.
Also, now that I think about, Lottie has Potions too.
Monday
January 5, 1978
Potions
The first day back at term after the holidays is always fun, in that I get to see the horrified faces of those who didn't bother studying over the holidays realise just how much work they have to catch up on!
Unfortunately, I did not see that expression in the face of my desk partner as he eagerly grabbed the ingredients for felix felicis.
"Why do you look so excited?" I asked, attempting to grind up an Occamy eggshell.
"You may not have noticed, Eva, but I've actually been studying a lot and I'm excited to brew the perfect Liquid Luck potion. Just think of all I could use it for!"
"You know you can't actually keep it, right?" I said. "You can never keep the potions we make in this class."
Black feigned surprise. "Really?" he said. "News to me. I've been nicking them for years!"
"What would you use it for anyway? Pranking the population?"
"No, that would be a waste, I've got enough talent in that department. I'd use it for music competitions."
I stopped grinding the Occamy shell to process the words that just came out of his mouth. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I'm kidding," he said, his trademark grin lighting up his face.
"Oh, wow. Here I was picturing you playing the flute or something."
He looked alarmed for a second. "So you know, Eva, if anyone ever says that I do play a musical instrument and it's something pansy like the flute it would only be because my elitist parents forced me to learn so I could have a well-rounded cultured education and I really didn't want to play the piano. This education also involved learning things like French and Latin so any flute learning would pale in comparison to my knowledge of languages. This, of course, is all hypothetical."
"I'm going to choose to believe you, because sometimes I really can't tell when you're telling the truth or when you're messing with me."
"Thank Merlin," he muttered. "Alright, let's get back to the potion! Oh, and we'll need it for when we spy on the Slytherins in two days time."
Whatever I was going to say was interrupted by Avery and Nott setting Ewan MacMillan's hair on fire, and getting detention for the next three nights. Serves them right. Hopefully that puts a damper on their nefarious plans.
Monday
January 5, 1978
Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory.
I have arrived back in my dormitory after the long awaited meeting with Dumbledore.
On a side note, Quidditch practice was hell because we have a match against Hufflepuff in two months and we are, quote, "measly little warts" according to James Potter, who in my opinion is the measliest wart of all.
Back to Dumbledore.
The sherbet lemons didn't actually say anything about where the meeting was, so we waited until 8 o'clock to see if anything would show up, and it didn't, so we hurriedly rushed to Dumbledore's office, hoping sherbet lemon would also be the password.
To our credit, we only arrived seven minutes late, mostly due to our collective knowledge of how to sneak around Hogwarts, so I don't think Isadora's sniff of contempt was quite necessary as we hurried through the door.
Dumbledore gave us a typical glance over his half moon glasses before saying, "Now that you're all here, I invite you to take a seat."
There were no seats, so we sat on the floor.
Dumbledore smiled to himself. He probably planned that.
"I thank you for the sacrifice you all are making for being here today," he said, looking around the room. "Our cause is great, and so is each person who has taken the step of bravery to be here."
I took the opportunity to see who would make up Dumbledore's group of insurgents.
There were many friendly faces: Lily, Lottie, Marley and Alice, as well as James, Black, Remus, Peter and Frank. Dorcas, Mary McDonald and Emmaline Vance made up the remaining Gryffindors, and I noticed Dorcas made an effort to stand on the other side of the room from me.
Ignoring that, for Hufflepuff there was Isadora and Ewan MacMillan, his hair making a strong recovery from being set on fire, and for Ravenclaw there was Elena Prinz, Joan Fletcher and Hollie Hindeburg.
I was happy to see Jason Arnold hadn't made the cut, and neither had Aislin Murphy.
There were no Slytherins. Hollie Beckham had been the only one invited.
"Tonight we will not engage in anything of real importance, other than performing a short magic ritual in order to really create unity within the group."
"Any blood sharing?" asked James, a tad too eagerly, earning a whack from Lily.
"Not tonight, Mr Potter," Dumbledore replied.
"So... another night?" James said again, obviously not heeding Lily's warning whack.
Dumbledore just peered at James over his glasses. "Tonight we will be performing a simple magic spell that binds your word to this enterprise. A mere safety precaution, if you will."
"Don't you trust us?" asked Marlene.
"I have complete faith in all of you, that is for certain. No, this is for the benefit of the others."
"There's others?"
"As I mentioned earlier, we will discuss this further, and all and any significant details at a later time. For now, I ask that you form a circle and with your non-preferred hand, grab hold of the person on your left. For those of you who are left handed, simply try your best."
I narrowed my eyes at Isadora after noting that she was the only other left-handed in the room.
"Now, repeat after me," said Dumbledore. "Verbum vinculum." He flicked his wand in an upright figure eight and pointed it toward a piece of paper in the middle of the circle. A soft golden light sparked toward the paper, engulfing it in a bright light and then fading shortly after.
"Verbum vinculum," we said, watching as the room was flooded with gold.
"Very good," said Dumbledore. "You may relinquish your grip now."
Throughout this process, I was and still remain intrigued. One, what was the purpose of the spell? Two, what was on the paper? Three, did Dumbledore create the spell? Four, does Dumbledore thrive purely on giving obscure answers to reasonable questions?
"Now what?" asked Black after everyone had taken a step back and settled down again. "What do we do? Dueling club?"
"Now you'll go back to your dormitories and prepare for the schooling year ahead. You'll be contacted when the time is ready."
"So we don't actually do anything..."
"It is the not doing that can sometimes make all the difference, Mr Black."
Black raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I think we all had similar concerns as him but I trust that Dumbledore knows what he's doing.
As if a gust of wind had suddenly flown through the room, the door to Dumbledore's office opened with a creak.
"I believe that is your cue, students," said Dumbledore.
"Hey, this is probably unimportant," said James as an afterthought, "But do we have a name? A group name?"
"Your question is not invalid, a name holds more importance than one might initially think, Mr Potter. If anything speaks to you be sure to let me know."
"Right on Professor."
"Have a restful sleep, students."
"Not bloody likely," Marley whispered in my ear. "I'll be too busy working out what kind of gig we just all signed ourselves up for, magically, I might add. I doubt a person in the room has a restful night's sleep."
"I have calming draught in my suitcase," was my only response.
"Bloody brilliant, is alright if I nick some?"
"I'll have myself some of that too if it's alright, Eva?" asked Black, popping up on my other side.
"Oh hush, you guys," I said. "But, fine, I'll get you some."
So at this point in the night I've already given Marlene a tad before she went to sleep, and I assume Black is waiting in the Common Room for me to come down and give him some, which I find kind of entertaining, hence why I wrote this all down first.
I should probably take some down to him if he's still even there.
Fine, you've convinced me.
Alright, I've just grabbed a bit of my stash for him and am going to head down now. It's probably a bit too tricky to write as I do so, so I'll come up again straight after and write down what happens! Not, of course, that I expect anything to happen, it's just more that if it does.
Monday
January 5, 1978
Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory.
As I anticipated - something happened! Well, not really, but, yes really.
This is the whole encounter.
I rushed downstairs with a small vial of calming draught (contrary to popular belief, you don't actually need all that much at one time), half expecting him not to be there.
At first I thought he'd given up and gone upstairs to bed, but then I noticed what looked to be an extra large sofa cushion, which upon further inspection was Black all wrapped up in a blanket like a caterpillar preparing for transformation.
"Are you alright there, Black?" I asked, tiptoeing over to the couch.
Being in the Common Room late always made me nervous for some reason. Something about us supposedly meant to be in bed and all that.
"Wha? Sorry?" he said, said, sitting up so fast I almost got whiplash, blinking blearily. "Oh, you finally came down."
"Sorry for the delay, I was writing everything from tonight in my diary."
"Of course, of course, you always do," he said. "Come, sit down."
The spot next to him looked inviting so I ambled over and plonked down on the sofa. He was still wrapped in a blanket, scarlet and gold, and something about it seemed familiar for some reason.
"Um, well, here you go," I said, handing him the vial.
He took it and we both just sat there for a bit, not saying anything, just staring into the fire.
It was actually rather nice, just sitting next to the warmth of another human, staring into the flames. There's something awfully mesmerising and comforting about staring into fire, and I think that's why I felt so relaxed and comfortable. I guess I have to admit I've also come to regard Black as a friend, I mean he did punch Nott in the face for hexing me, and he's been doing rather well as a Potions partner, so the fact it was him sitting next me was actually an enjoyable occurrence.
Huh. Black is my friend.
I guess I'd never really actually thought about it before.
I should probably tell him. He deserves to know he has some good character traits after all the time he's spent trying to befriend me and such.
"So, um, as your friend, Black-" I started, but was interrupted by the man in question yawning and saying, "Sorry, what was that?" part way through my sentence.
"As your friend, I just wanted to say that I've been quite impressed with how you've been going in Potions recently." I tried again.
He blinked at me, shook his head a little, and said, "I don't know if I have the mental capacity to unpack everything that is happening right now, so I'm just going to go with it."
"Well if you don't want me to-" I started defensively, but he softly placed his hand on my arm which distracted me from whatever I was saying, instead bringing the thought that his hands were rather wonderful into perfect clarity.
"No, Eve, by all means, keep going."
I narrowed my eyes at him as a lazy grin settled on his features but decided I might as well finish what I started.
"It's just, I'd never really thought of you, for one, as a friend and good person, nor two, as an academic, so I just wanted to let you know that I now consider you somewhat as both."
"Well, you're two steps ahead of my mother, then," he replied.
To my horror, I felt a laugh tumble out of my mouth, but it felt high pitched and breathy, and completely unexpected.
"I'm sorry," I said immediately after and for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I don't know what came over me at all just then. As I told Lottie this morning, I think I might be getting properly sick."
"No, it's, it's fine..." he said, staring at me curiously. "I've never heard you laugh like that with me before."
"I laugh plenty!" I said.
"Not like that," he whispered, and I rubbed my arms to hide my goosebumps.
I could feel something in the pit of my stomach, something threatening to boil over, and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. I needed to go to bed, I probably was coming down with a fever. I felt hot and cold all at once and my brain felt so addled that when he raised his hand to rake his fingers through his long, dark hair I felt compelled to wonder what it would feel like to do it myself.
I definitely have a fever.
In the midst of thinking through all of this I suddenly noticed how close I was to him, how I could almost feel his heartbeat. It seemed to be racing as much as mine, but no, that couldn't be right, he didn't have a fever.
I looked at his eyes flickering in the firelight, and suddenly forgot how to breathe.
Bed! I need to go to bed!
I stood up with a vigour I didn't realise I had, and all at once the fever left me.
Black blinked at me a couple of times before draping the blanket around his shoulders a little bit tighter and standing up himself.
"Well, goodnight then I suppose," he said, the calming draught clutched tightly in his right hand.
He ambled away from me, the blanket trailing along the floor when I suddenly remembered what seemed so familiar.
The blanket!
Should I say anything? I had already decided the answer to this question before I even asked myself it.
"Black, did you give me that blanket and a pillow when I slept on the couch last year, a few days after school started?"
He paused his trudge across the Common Room and slowly turned around, his face oddly blank. "I suppose I may have, yes."
"Why?" I asked after what felt like days.
"You looked cold," he said, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. "And besides, I was the one who put the frogs in your bed in the first place."
"Oh. Well, thank you."
"Any time, Eva."
I waited until he had disappeared up the stairs before I ran back up here to write this all down for you.
I think I might have to take a bit of calming draught myself... only because of the Dumbledore thing though, because as I said already, nothing happened downstairs on the sofa with Sirius Black.
Wednesday
January 7, 1978
Gryffindor Common Room
It's been two days since my last entry, mostly due to the fact that a new term means more work, and the professors seem to be particularly keen on giving us as much to do as possible. For what reasons? I have no clue, other than the fact that I seem to be managing it all reasonably well.
Oh! I just realised I've barely mentioned Remus lately! I see him mostly in class and at meal times... It's so weird, honestly. He was super clingy to begin with (what, like last week?) and now it's like I barely see him. I think we're dating? We've never had an official 'boyfriend/girlfriend' conversation, but there is somewhat regular snogging, so I think it's safe to say we are officially in a couple pairing of sorts.
I guess I never thought it would work out this way with him. When I pictured it in my head he'd confess his love for me (like he did) and then ask me to be his girlfriend (like he didn't) and we'd go on lovely dates and talk about all sorts of meaningful and meaningless things and I'd get butterflies in my stomach every time I looked at him and we'd be married by the next year.
It's just... really different to what I expected. He's still so lovely though. He walks with me to class a lot and carries my books, and he always gives me his parchment when I forget it, and he smiles at me in a funny way that sometimes makes my heart jump. But, despite all the awfully wonderful aspects of our relationship I'm still confused about where we stand with each other.
Speaking of Remus, I'm currently perched next to him on the end of the sofa, his arm wrapped around my shoulders and my body angled slightly away from him so he can't read what I'm writing.
We're discussing tonight, also known as the (dubbed by James) 'Official Incident' and the best way that the 'Official Incident Prevention Squad' can henceforth prevent said incident.
It has been decided that since Black and I were privy to the last excursion we are henceforth exempt from this one, so Lily, James, Remus and Marlene are going to go. I'm not really sure what the plan is, only that I haven't been listening at all (clearly I've been far too busy writing).
"So, remind me again why we're not going to Dumbledore about this?" asks Lottie, pacing in front of the fireplace.
"And also why we're talking about this with other people in the room," hisses Lily to James, giving a concerned glance to the five other Gryffindors milling around the Common Room.
"To the first question," James replied in a hushed tone, "if we tell Dumbledore, then he has to prevent it before anything happens, meaning that we don't really have any proof of foul play at all, whereas if we stop it in the moment then we can prevent it whilst catching them in the act! And to you, Lily, my dear flower, where else should we meet? No one is suspicious about a group of Gryffindors sitting together in the Gryffindor Common Room, are they? We're hiding in plain sight."
Lily raises an arched eyebrow but says nothing.
"Well, if we're all good with the plan, everyone, should we make haste?" James prompts.
"Easy peasy," says Marlene, jumping to her feet. "Just let me grab a jumper, it's a bit nippy out."
"Eva," says Remus, leaning over my shoulder. "Please make sure that Sirius doesn't run off after us, will you? I doubt he'll listen to Lottie, Peter or Alice if he suddenly gets an urge to join the party."
"Oh, of course," I say.
"And, um..." Remus' face scrunches into a grimace, "if it goes sour at all..."
"It won't," I say.
"But if it does..."
"Don't be silly, Remus, it's just a bunch of seventeen year olds. What harm could they do? Besides, you've got Lily with you, and only the Dark Lord himself could ever kill her, and, even then, he'd have to give it a bloody good go of it."
"What can I say, you've convinced me."
I am interrupted from my writing by Remus' lips giving mine a warm, friendly hug.
That was a weird way to write 'Remus snogged me' and I apologise to myself on behalf of myself.
Alright, Marlene's come back downstairs so I think they're ready to go.
"Be safe, you lot," I say to the four leaving, giving them all a hug goodbye. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"So... anything sensible?" says Lily, laughing as she turns to head out the door.
"Touche," I mutter, watching my best friend, my best friend's boyfriend, the man I am currently snogging and a woman I once accidentally snogged walk away toward what could very well be their doom.
Cheery, I know.
Thursday
January 8, 1978
Gryffindor Common Room
I'm only writing Thursday because it's so bloody late that it's got to be Thursday by now. I don't have a lot of time, and nothing's really been explained to me either, but I don't know all that much.
I'll start from the beginning.
I had finally gone to sleep after waiting for hours for the four to get back, tired of Black's relentless pacing and the morose look on Lottie's face as she sat slumped on the sofa.
It felt like I had barely been asleep for five minutes when I was awoken by a frantic Lottie, yelling something about Lily and blood and a whole lot of gibberish. Regardless of what she was saying, I had enough common sense to be concerned, so I ran down the stairs to find the four who had gone finally returned, although rather worse for wear.
Lily had a long, deep looking gash down her forearm, blood dried around the edges and her face was pinched and white.
"Oh, thank Merlin, Eve. None of us are as good at healing spells and I didn't want to make it worse," said Lily, her face streaked with mud and sweat beading on her forehead.
As quick as I could I extended her forearm and grabbed my wand, saying vulnera sanentur with as much precision as I could muster, and then watched as her skin started knitting itself back together. Tergeo, I muttered, wanting any remains of the injury to go away so that I wouldn't have to think about that fact that Lily had been hurt at all.
"Sit down," I said, walking her over to the armchair and doing my best to stop James from crowding her too much. "What happened?" I asked.
At this point I could only see James and Lily, as well as Black and Lottie who had apparently stayed up to wait for them to return. "Where's Remus and Marlene?" Lottie asked.
"I'm not sure," James said, pressing his lips together and closing his eyes. When he opened them again all he said was, "They disapparated without us."
James was interrupted from his growing panic by the sound of the door to the Common Room slamming open, and a rather dishevelled Remus bounding in and coming to a standstill just before he reached us. "Oh, good, you're here," he said, bracing himself against the sofa. "Although..."
As Black and I rushed over to see if Remus was okay the cause behind his 'although' became apparent in the form of Professor McGonagall striding into the room, wrapped in a dressing gown and looking like she'd rather be eating flobberworm mucus than dealing with whatever was about to ensue.
"Miss Evans, Mr Potter, please come with me," she said, watching the two carefully as Lily slowly ambled over to where she was standing. "As for the rest of you... Stay here, and do not go anywhere. I will return presently."
So that is what has happened, and I have taken the opportunity to write it all down for you before the wrath of McGonagall destroys us all.
Speaking of McGonagall... Here she is.
~~~~~~~~~~
AN: WOW a new chapter? It's a Christmas miracle! Don't worry guys, I'm as keen for new material as you are...
In the meantime... Happy New Year! And happy new chapter!
This chapter wouldn't be here today without the help of the fabulous Brooke, who has been schooling me in the art of writing sexual tension, nor without the love and inspiration from Catriona and Izzie, my trusty editors and moral support givers, nor without the support from Lexo, a fellow fanfic connoisseur and marauder enthusiast.
And, speaking of the chapter - WOWEE! What a lot has occurred and what a lot SHALL OCCUR and what a lot we want to occur!! There's a WHOLE LOT of things occurring and I can not wait to hear your thoughts on all of these occurrences!
You're all amazing and each of you play a part in encouraging me as an author and as a person and Eva and I couldn't do it without you!
OXO