These Days

~Chapter 1~

*Hunting*

Ok, well, I'm going to do you all a favor.  Since some stories start in first year, you get to meet the characters as the original five (MWPP/L) do.  But in this story, I just kind of, plunked you down in the middle of their fifth year, when they already have all their friends and enemies established.  So!  This is what I'm going to do.  I'm going to tell you a little bit about each character, so you won't get lost, because I noticed that I have a lot of characters.  Ok!  Well, I hope you all like the story!  Oh yeah!  All of this belongs to JK, except the plot and a few of the characters.  And all those, I just kind of pulled out of midair, so if its your life on paper, sorry!  I was pretty sure that no one could have a life as dramatic as these children, lol.  Ok, ttyl!

James Potter:  He's a gorgeous, womanizing quidditch player, you know, the usual…

Sirius Black:  He's also gorgeous, and extremely womanizing, yet oddly enough he has an 'on-again, off-again' girlfriend, Vanessa.  He also is a beater on the Gryffindor team.

Remus Lupin:  Like his best friends, Remus is very good-looking and has his fair share of girls, though he doesn't play quidditch.

Jackson Banks:  Another Gryffindor 5th year, friends with all of them, and REALLY cute. 

Cameron (Cam) Walker:  Yet another Gryff 5th year, and Lily's ex.  He's gorgeous beyond belief, but he knows it.  Very egotistical.  It's a wonder they lasted as long as they did, on and off for 2 ½ years.

Peter Pettigrew:  Yeah, well you know Peter.  I always forget about him!  Well, he had to have been good enough friends with all of them, to be trusted with such a secret… so I guess that means he has to be in this story… Oh well.

Lily Evans:  The beautiful red head everyone knows and loves, what else is there to say?

Caydence Edwards:  Cute blonde genius (she's really smart) that every boy falls madly in love with.  Surprising that she has friends that are girls, really.  You know how girls can be…

Maleah Somers:  Her mom thought she looked sort of Hawaiian when she was born, so she thought Maleah would be a perfect name.  She is very pretty, with long brown hair, but she's not very Hawaiian-ish… Hmm.

Denna Rogers:  Another blonde that captures boys hearts.  Oh Lord.

Vanessa Headon:  A quaffle.  You know, the type of girl who follows around Quidditch players?  Her and Sirius are made for each other, except, he's not nearly as particular.  He'll follow anything with a pulse.

OK! I'm Done! à

"You really think that you're starting to like James?"  Lily asked her friend as they walked through the corridor, making their way to Charms.

          "Well, yeah, I don't know.  He's really cute and nice and all, I guess I do!"  Lily laughed as Maleah came to the realization.

          They stepped into the classroom, and were almost immediately assaulted by two 15 year old boys.

          "What is going on?"  Lily asked herself as she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

          "Lily!  When was the last time I saw you!?"  James said as he released her.

          "Where's Professor Renton?"  She asked ignoring his question, as Sirius ran up to her.

          "Oh, he had to make a quick trip down to the infirmary, when Peter got a bit bloodied up by a bludger a minute ago."  He answered, acting as if it was a perfectly logical explanation.

          "Why was there a bludger, in Charms?"  Denna asked, while situating herself between her best friends at their usual seat.

          "Because we ran out of pillows."

          "Why did you need pillows?"  Vanessa interjected, sitting across from the rest of the girls.

          "For the battle of the Gallopians…" he said, as if she was stupid.

          "The who?"  Caydence asked, coming from behind and startling Sirius.

          "Never mind.  This is all lost on you girls.  You don't understand anything.  And where do you keep coming from!?  You just appear out of nowhere, asking MEANINGLESS questions!  Good Lord!"  He said angrily as he stalked off to the boys' usual seats. 

          "It's part of our mystique, Sirius."  Lily said quietly as she got out her Charms book.  The rest of the girls giggled and followed suit.  "Never know where we'll pop up next."  She smiled as he sat down, glaring at her.  His glare broke into a grin, and the lesson went on like usual, when Professor Renton finally decided to show up.

          After what seemed like days, they were dismissed for the rest of the weekend, and free to do what they pleased.

          "Lil!"  A voice sounded as Lily whipped around to see to whom it belonged.

          "Jackson!  What's wrong?"  She asked.

          "Nothing!  I just wanted to catch up to you."  He said honestly, as Lily blushed.  She secretly has had a crush on Jackson ever since her and Cam finally broke it off during the summer.

          "So are you going to the quidditch match tonight?"  He asked, crossing his fingers behind his back.

          "Yeah, I am!"

          "Oh," he answered, becoming discouraged, "who with?"

          "Probably just myself, or the girls."  She said back, looking at the grin returning to his face.

          "Oh!  Well, in that case, I was just wondering, if maybe you would want to go with me?"  He looked at her sideways as she contemplated it for a minute or two.

          "Its not rocket science here," he said as she began counting with her fingers.

          "I know, I'm just playing!"  She said as she gave him a hug.  "I would love to go with you!"  He smiled and hugged her back.

          "I have to go though," she said, releasing him, "but I will see you tonight, right?"

          "Right."  He nodded as she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. 

          He stood in shock as he intently watched her as she walked away.

          "Damn."  He said to himself as he shook his head and went the other way.

          "Lily!  Lily!  Lily!!!!" Denna screamed as she ran towards Lily a few minutes later, their friend Dylan several yards behind.

          "What?"  Lily asked, worried that there was something wrong.

          "Guess what Dylan just told me?"  She half-yelled, as Dylan walked up to them, laughing and shaking his head. 

          Lily just gave her a look that told her, 'I don't have time for this, but hurry up and tell me…'

          "Anyway," Denna began, "so I was just talking to Dylan, and he mentioned that he might know of someone who likes me, and might want me to be their date to the ball next month."  She paused, and then went on.

          "So I naturally tried to beat it out of him, but he wouldn't budge!  Until," she said as she looked at Dylan, "we struck up a deal.  So, then he told me."  She stopped, and just smiled at Lily.

          "Told you what?"  Lily asked in an exasperated tone.

          "Well, he told me that, Matt likes me."  She smiled big as Lily's face fell.

          "I'm sorry!"  Lily said sympathetically as she gave Denna a hug.

          Denna pushed her away, "Why?"

          "Well, usually when Matthew Thomas starts to like someone, they need some sympathy.  I mean, the guy is disgusting, he doesn't take showers regularly, if ever, and he,"

          "Lily!"  Denna said as she cut her off.  "Not Matthew Thomas, Matthew Jensen!"

          "Matt Jensen likes you!?"  Lily asked, as Denna nodded ferociously.  Lily looked at Dylan for confirmation as he laughed and nodded.

          "Oh my God!"  Lily screamed as her and Denna hugged and jumped up and down.  "Denna!  He is so hot!"

          "I know!  And he's Head Boy, and the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team!"  Denna was glowing with excitement.

          "Hey girls, sorry to interrupt, but I have to go to practice, I will see you two around though."  Dylan said, as Denna gave him a huge hug. 

          "Bye Dylan!"  Lily said as he waved at her and walked off.

          "I love that kid," Lily said as her and Denna continued their trek to the Gryffindor common room.

          "Oh I know, me too!"  Denna said as Lily looked at her sideways.

          "So what's the deal?"  Lily asked, as Denna gave her a shocked look.

          "Lily, do you honestly think that I would compromise someone's trust in me, just so you could hear the latest gossip?"

          "Yes," Lily nodded, as Denna laughed.

          "Well you thought right!"  Denna answered as she pulled Lily to a sitting position on a well-placed bench.

          "So," she began, "the way that I got Dylan to tell me about Matt, was to sort of… bribe him."  She continued as Lily smiled.  "I guess, that he seems to like Vanessa, so I sort of, promised him a date with her."  Denna prepared for Lily's words of disagreement.

          "Well, that shouldn't be too hard, its Vanessa, good Lord, she loves anything to do with quidditch.  Anything that does quidditch.  Hell, maybe things that sound like quidditch.  Waffle, quaffle, snitch, bi…"

          "Ok, I get it!"  Denna laughed.  "But yeah, I better warn Vanessa about it before he gets to her, right?"  Lily nodded as they both got up and raced the last few feet to the common room.  Denna won, as always.

          "I kicked your ass, Lily."  She said as they stepped through the portrait hole.

          "Shut up, slut."  Lily smiled as they flopped down on the couch next to their other friends.

          "Why?"  Vanessa asked, looking up at Lily.

          "Not you, slut, the other one."  Lily said pointing at Denna, as Denna smiled and waved in Vanessa's direction.

          "Oh!" she said as she went back to looking thru her magazine.

          As Vanessa flipped thru Quidditch Digest, Lily looked around at the common room.  Something was missing.  Or someone…

          "Where's Maleah?"  She asked suddenly, as she realized who was absent.

          "Dunno."  Caydence said, marking the final period in her essay about witches in the 1800's.  "Her and James left awhile ago."

          Lily smiled and tapped Denna.  "Army?"

          "Army."  Denna agreed as they got up.  Vanessa slammed down her magazine and jumped up, as Caydence put away her things.

          They quietly left the common room, and slinked towards the North tower, keeping a low profile.

          "When was the last time we did this?"  Vanessa asked, as they crawled along the corridor leading to the tower.

          Caydence thought for a moment, as Denna interjected.

          "Seems to me, that Maleah led a sneak attack mission last year, spring time?"

          "Yeah, but who did we" Caydence whispered as they neared the door.

          Lily, who was leading this particular 'mission,' turned around to face the girls with a venomous stare.  "Me."

          "Oh yeah!"  Denna reveled in the memory, "and we saw Cam fumbling with your jeans, and,"

          "And we had those quidditch goggles!"  Vanessa remembered, "that you could see in the dark!"  Her expression clouded over at the next thought.  "Yeah, Lily, you didn't have to go and ruin all of them.  My parents gave the whole set to me for Christmas, and in one minute you go and set them all on fire…"

          Lily put her finger to her lips.  "Shh!  And it serves you right for spying on me."  Lily opened the door, and they slithered across the floor to the shelter of a large statue.

          "God, I think we got fatter!"  Vanessa said as the four of them failed to squeeze behind the statue.

          "We can't all possibly fit behind here!"  Caydence whispered, as Lily had an idea.

          "Accio invisibility cloak."  She chanted quietly, as the cloak flew from across the room.

          "Shouldn't it have come from," Vanessa asked as she pointed towards the door, as Lily's open mouth gave her an answer.

          As it seems, the cloak had been covering two Gryffindor 5th years, kissing heavily on the floor.  As Lily held it, James noticed that they no longer had the cover that they did a second before.  He looked around and saw nothing.

          "What the fu…" He started as he got up to search for his MIA cloak.

          "Oh shit!"  Lily mouthed to Vanessa, as they noticed that there was no way that they would all fit under the cloak.  At least no conventional way.

          Caydence whispered to them to lay down on the ground, one person on top of the other, and the top person would drape the cloak over all of them

          "You guys," Vanessa whispered once they were settled.  "I think I might have seen Maleah's boob!"

          Lily giggled, attracting attention from James, unbeknownst to the girls.

          "Speaking of boobs, that's quiet a padded bra you have there, Denna!"  Caydence said, trying hard not to laugh.

          "Why are you looking!?" Denna asked, appalled.

          "I'm not!  I can feel it digging into my back!"  Lily turned red, from suppressed laughs, and from having three girls lying on top of her, her ribcage threatening to buckle.  Little did she know, that James was on to them.  Probably from the fact that he could hear giggles from their general direction, but mostly because he could see red hair spilling out from under the cloak.

          He walked over to them, and stepped on her hair.  She almost screamed, but Caydence held her mouth.  The girls sat quietly, as he trampled her hair, seemingly on purpose.

          "I can't find anything Maleah, lets just go."  He said, as him and Maleah exited the room.

          As they heard the door shut, Vanessa spoke, "Do you think we got away with it?"

          "Not even close."  James said, as he ripped off the cloak from behind them.

          The girls tumbled to the floor and quickly got up and brushed themselves off.

          "James!"  Lily said, thinking quickly.  "Fancy seeing you up here!  Didn't think we'd see anyone up here, did we?  Well Van, I guess that means you win the bet, we did see someone up here!  Imagine that!"

          "Yes Lily.  I knew we would," Vanessa said, trying to play along, "I guess that means you owe me a galleon.  We best go get that, now.  Before you forget."  The girls calmly walked towards the door as Maleah stopped them.

          "Not, so, fast."  She said as the girls braked. 

          "Sorry Maleah, we really have to go!"  Denna said.

          "Why's that?"  James asked, as Caydence answered.

          "We have an appointment."

          Maleah looked at Lily incredulously, as Lily shrugged.

          "With who?"  Maleah asked her.

          "We're going hunting."  Caydence nodded, as if it were a perfectly believable explanation.

          "Hunting?"  James said back to himself, eyebrow raised, becoming confused.

          "For what?"  Denna asked, as Lily's eyes got wide.

          "You remember Den, we're going hunting for some suitable dates for the dance!"  Vanessa said, covering for her incredibly dumb friend.

          "Boy scouting, if you will."  Lily said, gesturing towards the group.  "But, we must be going, but we'll see you two later!"  She winked and ran out the door. 

          "Do you think they bought it?"  Caydence asked, as Lily gave her a questionable look.

          "No."

          "Is that why we're running?"  Denna asked, as Vanessa looked at her and nodded.

          "Ok."

          So how was that for a first chapter??  I think its ok, but theres a lot better.  I hope you liked it, and don't be afraid to review!  Ok, thanx!  Bye!

~*~em~*~