A/N: So those of you that follow me on Tumblr have been slightly more in-the-know about updates and such on this chapter, but really I had no idea when it would be out. I've just finished my first semester of college and life is a bit crazy right now. But here it is! I hope you enjoy!

RECAP: James gives Rita an interview that he's going to regret. Walburga Black tells her sons to join Voldemort and stay away from Bellatrix, who is the DADA teacher at Hogwarts. James, Sirius, and Peter finally managed to become Animagi and plan to accompany Remus on the next full moon. Jethro Bones is Minister for Magic and is going on trial for committing adultery. Edgar Bones is conflicted about the whole matter and is speaking at the trial. Edgar yelled at Marlene for being shallow, but Marlene really likes Edgar. James has decided that Lily is attractive, but still does not fully understand his feelings for her.

Friendship is held to be the severest test of character.
—Charles Alexander Eastman

Chapter Five: Getting Older

(Saturday, September 20, 1975)

"Fuck."

The grounds were quiet around them as the full moon gleamed over the top of the Forbidden Forest. The three boys sat under an old beech tree on the far side of the Black Lake, far from any wandering eyes.

"That's a pretty accurate summation of the last twenty-four hours, yeah," agreed Peter, nursing a large cut on his forehead.

James, who had uttered the explicative, ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he pulled off his ruined shirt.

"Fuck."

13 Hours Earlier

"Spencer McKinnon does not fancy me!" Lily protested for the tenth time that morning, but a small smile crossed her face as she said it.

"But it's true!" insisted Mary, linking arms with the redhead as the two girls made their way down the sloping grounds toward Hogsmeade. "I heard it from Marian Bruce!"

Lily gave the other witch a skeptical look. "How does Marian Bruce factor into this?"

Mary sighed in a world-weary sort of way. As a well-versed member of the Hogwarts gossip chain, Mary often forgot that others were never quite as in-the-know as she happened to be. "Marian Bruce is dating Fabian Prewett, who plays Quidditch with Spencer. He probably mentioned something in the locker room while Marian and Fabian were snogging in the showers!"

Lily decided not to point out the fact that Spencer McKinnon was probably the last thing on the minds of either Marian or Fabian in such a situation, and instead half-dragged Mary through the crowd of students and into the Three Broomsticks. "Well, even if Spencer does fancy me, it means nothing unless he has the guts to act on it. Therefore, it's currently irrelevant and you and I are going to get a butterbeer and spend our time with the latest issue of The Trendy Witch. Alice got it in the mail this morning and it has a photo shoot with some of the guys from Puddlemore United."

"David Hunt?" gasped Mary, practically pushing a group of third years out of the way in her haste to find a table. "He was hand-crafted by the gods."

Lily laughed and pulled the magazine from her bag. "A truer statement has never been made. Here," she continued, handing it to her friend, "I'll go buy drinks. Try not to drool on it while I'm gone, yeah? I haven't looked at it yet."

"You're hilarious," said Mary, sticking out her tongue, but her grudge lasted only a moment as she was soon distracted by the three well-build Chasers on the front of the magazine.

Lily grinned and left for the bar, but her good mood diminished slightly as she able to hear the newscast issuing from the wireless.

"The trial is set to begin in exactly one hour and fifty-seven minutes. Minister Bones and his supporters have not yet arrived, but a large group has already rallied in the Atrium of the Ministry building in support of Bartemius Crouch as the man to take over should Minister Bones be…"

"Edgar's going to be there today."

The young witch jumped slightly at the unexpected voice from the bar. She turned to find Marlene McKinnon sipping a butterbeer and staring at the wireless with a look of infinite distaste. Lily sighed, glanced back at Mary, who was completely absorbed in the magazine, and took a seat next to Marlene.

"I thought you were done worrying about Edgar."

Marlene ran a hand through her long dark hair. She slouched slightly and seemed genuinely downtrodden. "I know. I meant to be, but haven't you ever had that one guy that you simply can't stop worrying about? It's like he's always there in the back of your mind even when there are much more important things going on around you?"

"It sounds like a crush, Marlene," said Lily gently. "And not a very healthy one at that."

"You don't understand," the brunette insisted. She fixed Lily with a hard look that the latter was unprepared for, coming from the usually flippant Marlene. "I know what you're thinking—oh it's just Marlene, she doesn't know how to feel anything more that a stupid crush. But you're wrong. Edgar…I just care about him. Even after—or especially after—the other day in the library. He was so mean to me, but I could actually feel his pain, you know? That's never really happened before. I usually try to stay detached."

"Marlene—"

"But, I don't know what to do because he's so…unreachable to me," she confessed, her thin fingers tracing the rim of her mug. "It's like I'm here and he's always going to be on the other side of the wireless."

"Listen—"

"Besides," Marlene pressed on, ignoring Lily, "He thinks I'm 'shallow and self-righteous and blind.' I don't have a chance with him."

"Marlene," Lily said loudly, finally catching the younger girl's attention. "I know what it's like to fancy someone that much. I've been there too. But you have to be smart about this. If you just…throw yourself at him with reckless abandon he's never going to respect you. And who even knows if he's worth it? I know you really like him, but from what I've heard, he's been sort of awful to you."

"But he's not a bad person," insisted Marlene. "I've just caught him at a bad time, or—"

"The Minister's son has just arrived at the Ministry. He's alone, escorted by a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. His mother and sister are said to be on the way…"

Marlene, who had broken off when she had heard Edgar mentioned on the wireless, continued on a new vein. "What d'you suppose it's like, Lily? I mean…Edgar's dad did something terrible…but Edgar still has to side with him."

"He doesn't have to side with him," stated the witch, though she too knew the pain of having such conflicted feelings over a family member. "At least, not by law or even moral code. I suppose that he loves his dad, though, and people will do just about anything for those they love."

"So he can't help but speak for his dad?"

"I don't know, Mar. I'm sure he has reasons for what he's doing, even if they aren't printed in the magazines."

"Speaking of, did you see Mary a moment ago? She took that magazine she was reading and all but sprinted out the door."

Lily glanced around to where she had left Mary earlier, but the table was now occupied with some burly Hufflepuff Quidditch players.

"Did you see where she went?" asked Lily, scanning the pub for signs of her friend. "I was going to get us drinks…we were supposed to go to Gladrags."

"Maybe she remembered an essay or something?"

"Perhaps," mumbled Lily. "Look, I've got to go find her and make sure everything's all right. I'll talk to you later."

Marlene nodded, and Lily gathered her purse before making her way through the crowd and out of the Three Broomsticks.

(In Which Mary Confronts James)

Mary Macdonald had never been the best at anything. She was not the smartest witch of her age, or the prettiest or kindest or funniest. She was decent at sketching, but not spectacular by any means. Her marks were average; her powers of persuasion were mediocre. Her singing voice was simply alright. She was fashionable, but never started trends, and she was not chosen first for pick-up games of Quidditch.

However, Mary Macdonald was a loyal witch who did all she could to protect her friends, and the moment she saw the headline of the article on page 21 of The Trendy Witch, Mary knew she had to act immediately.

The streets of Hogsmeade were packed, and Mary, who was certainly not the tallest witch in Hogwarts, was having serious difficultly finding her target. People were bumping into her from every direction, and Mary could hardly watch where she was going, much less search for a mess of black hair.

It was James Potter she sought out, so Mary pushed her way through the crowd toward Zonko's joke shop, which was a usual haunt for the four Gryffindor boys, and Mary felt a small sense of accomplishment when she wrenched open the door to the shop and saw James leaning casually against the counter while Peter seemed deep in conversation with the man behind it.

The brunette witch paused, took a deep breath, and marched up to the boy.

"James Potter, what in the name of Merlin were you thinking?"

The wizard blinked and ran a hand through his hair, causing it to look even more windswept than before. "Beg your pardon?"

Mary held up the magazine. "This. There's an interview in here with you and you're simply awful about Lily! I know you two don't always see eye-to-eye, but this is cruel."

Quirking an eyebrow, James glanced at Peter, who shrugged and returned to his conversation with the Zonko's attendant. The taller boy then took the proffered magazine and flipped to the page Mary had marked.

JAMES POTTER: CHASER OF HEARTS

Fifteen-year old James Potter, son of Thasos Potter—member of the International Confederation of Wizards, is the hottest thing to hit Hogwarts since Obadiah Ogden himself, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. With extraordinary Quidditch talent and looks that are to die for, Potter sits easily atop the social scene at school.

That popularity naturally comes with its perks; however, Potter's latest squeeze is far from perky. Daughter of two Muggles from a dingy factory town in northern England, the plain and proper Lily Evans is nowhere near Potter's league. "I could have any girl I want, but Evans actually thinks I care about her," says Potter. "I don't know where the idea came from to begin with. She really has no redeeming qualities. She's rather high-and-mighty, you know? I just haven't been able to set her right because I feel bad for her. Blokes never really fancy her."

Evans, however, does not seem intelligent enough to understand this. "Lily's not nearly as smart as everyone seems to think she is," one student says. "I mean, how could she honestly believe that James Potter would ever fancy her? It's absurd. And if by some miracle he did like her, I definitely wouldn't put it past her to be using a Love Potion or something. Potions is the only things she's actually good at." Students advise Potter to beware Evans, just in case.

So girls, keep your eyes open for this one. It's more than rumor that he'll be available sooner than you can say 'Quidditch.'

Mary watched as James read the article, his furrowed eyebrows and deepening frown displaying that something was not quite right.

"I never said that…any of it," he said at length, running his hand through his hair in confusion. "I talked to that Skeeter witch a few days ago, but it was mostly about Quidditch. I never—"

"She can't just put words in your mouth, James," Mary insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "She's a reporter, she has to tell the truth."

"You're wrong," said James, glancing back at the article with distaste. "Most reporters these days tell anything but the truth. They just want whatever makes the better story."

Mary briefly studied his face, knowing he was probably right.

"Lily will take some convincing, you know," she told him. "You might want to talk to her before someone else tells her about the article."

James snorted. "It doesn't matter what I say or when I say it, she's just going to blow up on me."

"Good thing you can take it, huh?" Mary grinned. "Just…try to be nice to her without seeming flirtatious or like you have ulterior motives."

Peter, who had finished his conversation, began to laugh. "Have you met James?"

"Yes," the witch insisted. "And he can be sweet. Rarely and usually when there's something in it for him, but it's been known to happen."

"You have no faith in me," James said to Peter. "And you, Macdonald, you have too much faith in Lily's ability to forgive me anything."

Mary shrugged. "Perhaps, but you, James Potter, need to have more faith in yourself and in Lily. You might be surprised."

James gave her a skeptical look, but said nothing. Mary turned to go, catching a glimpse of him running a hand through his hair and pulling something out of the pocket of his robes as he did so.

(Waiting for My Chance To Come)

Sirius did not know what to tell his best mate. He sat alone at a table in the back of the Three Broomsticks, waiting for Bellatrix and his brother to meet him. James had called him through the two-way mirrors the boys had been given for Christmas the previous year from Mr. Potter, uneasy about some article in a magazine for witches.

"Should I apologize to Evans?" James asked outright, managing to look completely unconcerned with the entire matter. But Sirius knew that James wouldn't have bothered calling had it not been something important.

"Dunno, mate," Sirius replied, glancing around the pub for signs of his relatives; he had not told any of his friends about this meeting. "That bird isn't known to forgive you, is she? Maybe you should just avoid her until it all blows over."

James frowned slightly. "But—"

"Sorry, mate, my date's here," lied Sirius quickly when he spotted Regulus making his way toward the table. "I'll see you later—moon rises at eight."

With a curt nod, James was gone, and Sirius just had time to shove the mirror back into his pocket before his brother reached him.

The younger Black looked very much like the older, with the family's grey eyes and regal features. His demeanor, however, lacked the confidence the Sirius so easily possessed, and he sat down across from him with a suspicious glance around the room.

"What do you suppose Bellatrix wants?" asked Regulus, avoiding his brother's eyes as he continued to scan the pub for their cousin. "Mother told me to—"

"Stay away from her?" Sirius finished for him, casually leaning his chair back on two legs. "I know. But Mummy-dearest is full of bullshit."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course," said Sirius dryly. "After only fifteen years of living with the woman, I really have no room to judge."

Regulus glared across the table. "Mother knows more about what's going on out there than you do, it doesn't matter what you say. She's in contact with all sorts of—"

Shady, close-minded, Pureblood supremacists? Sirius mentally supplied, rolling his eyes.

"—people who know Voldemort personally, or know people that know him. She can get us into contact with them. We can join the movement."

Before Sirius had a chance to tell Regulus to shove it, Bellatrix appeared with three butterbeers floating in front of her. The brothers took the drinks and waited for their cousin to speak.

She took her time casting a Muffliato around the table before leaning table toward them with a serious look in her eyes. "I assume I can trust you both?"

Regulus gave Sirius a suspicious look, but nodded hesitantly. Sirius merely raised his eyebrows for Bellatrix to continue.

"I know that your mother warned you to stay away from me," she began after a moment of studying the boys. "But it's a precaution you needn't worry about."

"She says you'll try to stop us from joining the Dark Lord."

"And is that your plan, Regulus? To join the Dark Lord?"

The fourth-year narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Don't be a fool," Bellatrix spat. "If that's your pathetic excuse for secrecy then the Dark Lord would never take you anyway."

"What do you know about it?"

"More than you, certainly."

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

Sirius sat watching the exchange with an annoyed expression on his face. After another moment of getting nowhere, he held up a hand to silence them. "Look, I know how much we all love quality time as a family, but can we get to the point here?"

"The point," said Bellatrix, "is that I'm here to recruit you."

The brothers simultaneously choked on their butterbeer. Sirius managed to hide it; Regulus was less successful.

"What are you talking about?" he coughed, slamming his mug on the table.

"Don't be stupid," sneered Bellatrix, and Sirius could tell that her annoyance was beginning to get in the way of her better judgment. "Do you honestly thing that I could settle for a life here? Wasting away teaching a bunch of useless Mudblood brats? No! The Dark Lord has trusted me—me, above all others!—to be positioned here and flesh out new recruits."

Sirius was unsure how to react to this new information, but he knew that giving away his disgust with his cousin would only lead to trouble. He thought, perhaps, that he could be of use to the Ministry—or whoever it was that was against Voldemort—by going along with Bellatrix's idea to recruit him. It would be dangerous, he knew, but his life could use a little intrigue.

"Where's your mark, then?" demanded Regulus, and there was excitement behind the skepticism in his eyes.

"D'you think Dumbledore would've hired her if she came in with the mark of a Muggle hater on her arm?" Sirius asked, becoming annoyed with his brother's idiocy.

"Precisely," agreed Bellatrix, brushing a strand of black hair from her face. "I'll receive my mark once my work here is completed, until then, I expect you to keep this information between the three of us."

Regulus crossed his arms over his chest. "And what's in it for us?"

"Training," the witch replied. "The Dark Lord wishes to have his recruits at Hogwarts prepared for work once they are of age. I will be having training sessions at night under the guise of Remedial Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"So…we do this training and we're in?"

"Not necessarily. You'll have to prove your worth, of course. Though I'm sure that won't be an issue."

Sirius, who had remained mostly silent throughout the exchange, took a sip of his butterbeer. He knew what Bellatrix's training would entail, and he knew that 'proving his worth' would likely be the torture of a Muggleborn. However, if he played along, he could gain valuable information that he could pass along to someone who could do something about it.

"Who have you recruited?" asked Sirius.

"Not many," said the eldest of the cousins. "I've spoken with Evan, obviously, and—"

"Evan Rosier? As in your cousin?"

"Yes, Regulus," said Bellatrix, an annoyed look on her face. "And Lucius told me to speak to Walden McNair. Constance will be involved, certainly, being Lucius' cousin, but I haven't told her any of this yet."

"I'm in," Regulus decided. "And I'm sure mother will be pleased to know—"

"You're to tell her nothing!" Bellatrix hissed. "This is a matter of utmost secrecy between the Dark Lord and a chosen few. Your mother will not hear anything about this until I've left Hogwarts for good."

"But—"

"Just shut up, Reg," Sirius snapped. He turned to Bellatrix. "I'm in too. Let me know when we're to start, yeah?"

"Excellent," said Bellatrix, a wicked gleam in her heavy-lidded eyes. As the three Blacks stood to leave, she grabbed Regulus by the arm and yanked him toward her. "Breathe a word of this to anyone and I will personally see you murdered."

The whisper sent a chill through Sirius' spine and he made his way out of the pub as quickly as he could.

(Turn To Stone)

FLASH!

"Edgar—how to you predict this trial to—"

"What's your opinion on—"

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

"Do you have a bad feeling about—"

FLASH!

"Who do you think should replace—"

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

Edgar wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and cover his ears and hum loudly to try to block out the countless reporters that swarmed around him as he made his way through the Atrium of the Ministry building.

Of course, that was the last thing that he should do, so instead, he did his best to square his shoulders and push through them.

But the reporters were not the worst part. About fifty witches and wizards were gathered in the center of the Atrium all dressed in blue with pins that displayed the overly-serious face of Bartemius Crouch. One witch with thin, rectangular glasses and short red hair stood on the Fountain of Magical Brethren, yelling something about the numerous dark wizards that Crouch had imprisoned.

"Crouch for Minister!" she exclaimed at the end of her speech, and those with her took up the chant.

"It's all rather awful, isn't it?" a female voice asked from beside him and Edgar turned to see a young witch in the purple robes Ministry interns wore.

"They've been here all day," she continued. "Most of yesterday as well. It's giving me a headache to be perfectly honest."

Edgar took in her unfamiliar face—coppery brown eyes and curly hair of the same color. Her skin was a few shades lighter than her hair and she had small, perfectly straight teeth. "I'm sorry, but who are—"

"Oh, of course," she said, holding out a hand for him to shake. "I'm Claire O'Leary. Your dad asked me to show you to the courtroom."

He shook her hand, nodding. "I'm Edgar…but I suppose you must already know that."

"You have been all over the papers as of late," Claire replied, leading him through the crowd toward the lifts at the end of the Atrium. "I'd have to be completely thick not to."

FLASH! FLASH!

"Damn," she swore as two reporters from Witch Weekly stepped directly in front of them, clicking away at their cameras.

"Edgar, what—" one of them began, but Claire pulled out her wand threateningly.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but Mr. Bones has better things to do right now than talk with you lot. So if you'll excuse us, we're late."

The reporters gave them a disappointed look, but heeded the warning and got out of the way.

"Sorry about that," said Claire as the two of them climbed into an empty lift. "It's been a long day. Well, a long week, really."

"Tell me about it," Edgar agreed, leaning against the wall and finally able to breathe a bit more freely.

They waited in silence as the lift descended, and Edgar felt a knot of dread growing in his stomach. He was going to have to speak in front of the entire Wizengamot on behalf of his father. He knew what he wanted to say, but he was going to have to say it in a way that people would listen to him. He was just a fifteen year old kid.

"Level Nine: the Department of Mysteries," the cool female voice said overhead, and Claire motioned for him to get off.

"This is it," she said needlessly, for the moment the door clanked open, Edgar found himself face-to-face with another twenty or so members of the press. They lined the walls of the corridor with flashing cameras and quills poised at the ready.

"Edgar! How long have you know about—"

FLASH! FLASH!

"What are you—"

FLASH!

"What's your opinion on—"

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

"Come on," Claire said, though Edgar could barely hear her over the noise of the reporters. She grabbed his arm and dragged him through the crowd until they reached a point where the corridor broke off to the left. A large wizard with a goatee stood in their way, arms crossed and a bored look on his face.

"This is as far as I go," she told him, letting go and nodding to the larger wizard. "And don't mind Mitch, here. He's a big softy."

Before Edgar could thank her, Claire was gone, disappearing into the crowd. He sighed and continued down the hall that Mitch gestured him toward.

"All the way to the end," the large wizard informed him. "You'll know it when you get there."

Edgar nodded and followed the corridor, relishing the brief moment alone. He glanced at this watch—12:04. Amelia and his mother would be arriving soon, so instead of opening the door to the courtroom, he slid down the wall and sat facing it, waiting for his family. He wasn't sure if he could do this without them.

(Butterflies)

Lily did the best she could to move through the crowds on High Street whilst still searching for Mary, but finding the short brunette was proving quite impossible. She was on the verge of climbing atop Honeydukes when she ran into something tall and firm.

"Oof!"

Hands on her arms kept her from falling backwards, for which Lily was grateful.

"I'm sorry," the boy she had run into said, "I wasn't—Lily?"

After regaining her composure, Lily looked up and found herself face-to-face with Spencer McKinnon. A blush crept into her cheeks that she could see mirrored on his own.

"Hi, Spencer," she said with a small smile. "That was my fault, I'm sorry. I was just looking for Mary and I guess I forgot to watch where I was going."

"No harm done," Spencer chuckled.

Lily felt butterflies in her stomach. Mary had told her that Spencer fancied her, and though she had yet to hear it from him personally, she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be with him. He was sweet and gentlemanly and pretty easy on the eyes. This could be her chance to have a good relationship.

"So, Lily, I was wondering if you'd like to get a butterbeer with me?"

Lily smiled, but before she could answer, she heard a very unwelcome voice.

"Evans! Hey, Evans!"

Lily turned around to see James pushing his way through the crowd toward her.

"Not now, Potter," she told him once he reached her. "I realize that you think that everyone else's lives revolve around you, but that's really not the case."

James' eyes flashed between her and Spencer, comprehension dawning. "That's brilliant and all," he said nonchalantly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward an empty alley, "but this is sort of important."

"I don't care, Potter," she told him, attempting to pull her arm away. James had the upper hand. "Let go of me."

"Not until you hear me out."

"Potter, if you don't mind," said Spencer, stepping in front of James, "Lily and I were having a conversation."

James quirked an eyebrow behind his glasses and used his free hand to tussle his hair. "This'll only take a moment, McKinnon, then she's all yours." He leaned closer to Spencer, and said in a stage-whisper, "but Evans? Really? I fell like you could do better. Honestly, I know a few birds who would love—"

"Enough, Potter," Lily cut him off, and he turned back to her grinning. She looked at Spencer. "I'm really sorry, but can you give a minute?"

Spencer sent a glare at James before nodding, shoving his hands in his pockets, and heading back up High Street.

Yanking her arm free at last, Lily put her hands on her hips and looked at James expectantly. "All right, now you've gone and ruined a perfectly good moment, which I assume was your intention. Now what is so important?"

(In Which James Is Hexed)

James ran a hand through his hair and then put them both in his pockets. Lily was looking at him impatiently, her eyebrows raised and her jaw set. But now that he had her attention, he wasn't quite sure what to say. 'I'm sorry I defaced you in a magazine article, but I really didn't say any of that,' sounded a bit crass, but apologies weren't his thing to begin with.

"I'm going to tell you something, and you have to swear not to hex me for it," he began, and Lily's eyebrows climbed higher.

"Excuse me? The fact that you're telling me not to hex probably means that I'll have good reason too."

"Which is why I'm saying not to. Just hear me out."

"No promises."

James felt the corner of his mouth twitch into a smile, but repressed it immediately. "You and I can agree that the press likes to…bend the truth, yes?"

"What are you talking about, Potter?"

"Don't get your wand in a knot just yet, Evans," he retorted. "We haven't even gotten to the good part. It's a simple question: do magazines and newspapers lie to tell a better story?"

Lily pressed her lips together, searching his face. James knew that she was looking for something that would make his statement make sense, but she wasn't going to find it until he was ready for her too.

"I suppose so," she answered at length. "I would like to think otherwise, but I know you can't trust everything you read. What is this about? Is it something to do with Minister Bones?"

"No," James told her, shaking his head. "It's about an article in The Trendy Witch."

"Okay…" replied Lily, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "But—"

"Well, well," came a third voice from the entrance to the alley. "Potter and Evans. I hope you're planning an excellent hex for him, after all those nasty things he said about you."

James rolled his eyes. "It's none of your business, Constance, why don't you get back to drowning kittens or whatever it is you do."

Constance Malfoy gave him a fake hurt look, but there was a gleam in her eyes as she turned to Lily, pulling a magazine from her purse. "Don't tell me you haven't read it yet, Evans. It's all anyone was talking about at lunch today."

"What?" asked Lily, looking between Constance and James, and James knew that his apology was about to fall apart.

"The interview that Rita Skeeter did with James," Constance told her, flipping the magazine open and handing it to Lily. "It's really quite awful."

"Evans, wait," James started, making to grab for the magazine. "I was about to explain—"

"She really has no redeeming qualities," Lily read aloud, her voice becoming high-pitched in anger. "I just haven't been able to set her right because I feel bad for her. Blokes never really fancy her—Potter what the hell is this?"

James let out a frustrated sigh, hating the way Constance's face twisted into a satisfied smile. "I was trying to tell you before, I didn't say that—any of it. That Skeeter woman just wrote whatever she wanted."

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Lily asked incredulously. "What could Rita Skeeter possibly have against me? I've never met the woman! You, on the other hand, seem to have a great deal against me if the last four years are anything to show for it!"

"It's not that I have anything against you," James told her, raising his voice to match her volume. "So I pick on you, big deal! I'm not going to go out and intentionally do something this cruel."

Lily's eyebrows were up again, and James knew that her hands, currently planted on her hips, were itching to grab her wand. "Really? Is that so? What about the time you put fireworks in my Sleeping Solution during Potions? Or the time you told Fabian Prewett that I don't cut my toenails when you knew that I fancied him? Or when you had Peeves steal my clothes while I was in the bath? Or—"

"All right, all right," he spoke over her, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought. "Maybe I did do all of those things, but—"

"But what exactly?"

"But I didn't tell that reporter any of the things she said I did."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm telling the truth."

"But you can't prove it."

"I know."

Lily glared at him. "I don't believe you."

"Fine," said James, shrugging his shoulders and running a hand through his hair. "I don't need you to. I only thought I'd try to do something nice for once."

"No, you only thought you'd try to get out of getting hexed."

"Think what you like."

"You know what I like?" asked Lily, and James was wary of the smile spreading across her face. "Fodio!"

The stinging jinx hit him full in the face, and James could feel his features swelling beneath his glasses. Lily turned on her heel to leave, Constance giggling madly behind her.

"Damn it, Evans!" he yelled after her, but she pretended not to hear him.

(With All Your Power)

The courtroom was packed. Looking around, Edgar saw many faces that he recognized from the parties his mother often threw for his father's employees—and a good number of them had Bartemius Crouch pins shining on the front of their robes.

A witch in plum-colored robes was reading some sort of introduction to the case, but Edgar hardly paid her any attention. He was too focused on the harsh wooden chair in the center of the room. The chains would not be used on his father, but the fact that Jethro Bones would have to sit there alone in front of so many people that he had trusted over the years—it made Edgar want to throw up.

"…And now, Chief Warlock and primary Interrogator: Dunstan Umbridge."

Everyone in the room stood respectfully as a short man whose entire body appeared to be of equal width entered the room and took his seat on the highest bench next to the Wizengamot. Had circumstances been otherwise, Edgar would have laughed at how much the man resembled a toad, but that seemed wildly inappropriate at present.

"If the accused would enter," Umbridge began, and another set of doors opened to reveal Minister Bones. His graying blonde hair was slicked back, his robes were neat, and he was clean-shaven, but he looked older and wearier than Edgar had ever seen him. "Have a seat."

Jethro Bones walked forward and sat in the chair in the center of the room. The chains rattled, but did not spring to life and bind him there.

"Trial by the Wizengamot," Umbridge continued, "on the twentieth of September, on the charges of misconduct as Minister for Magic, and inability to serve in said position by Jethro Charles Bones, current Minister for Magic, Head of the International Confederation of Wizards, and active Hit-Wizard Trainer."

There was a brief pause in which the scribe's quill could be heard scratching from the end of the bench.

"Interrogators: Dunstan Walter Umbridge, Chief Warlock; Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Aurors, will be taking the place of Bartemius Crouch, due to a conflict of interest on Crouch's part; Griselda Lynn Marchbanks, Head of Interrogation; Edward James Stratton, Court Scribe. Witnesses for the Defense: Jethro Charles Bones, Minister for Magic; Ester Karen Fern, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister; Amelia Susan Bones, Ministry Intern and Daughter of the Accused; Edgar Alan Bones, Underage and Son of the Accused."

Edgar's heartbeat sped up at the mention of his name. He would be speaking last; his words would be fresh in the minds of the Wizengamot while they made their final decision.

Umbridge wasted no time. He stared down at Edgar's father with a look of distaste and said, "You are Jethro Charles Bones, correct?"

"Correct," answered the Minister, his voice calm.

"You committed adultery with actress Antonia Amper last year, did you not?"

"The press seemed to believe that I did."

"And you smoothed over the allegations with bribery, yes?"

"That particular accusation is false."

"I see," Umbridge said, though he clearly thought that the Minister was lying. "But you committed adultery again mere weeks ago, correct?"

"Correct."

"With one Elizabeth Lillian Dee, your family's maid?"

"Yes."

"You don't regret your actions?" asked Griselda Marchbanks, an aging witch with glasses and a stooped frame.

The Minister looked at her for a moment, and Edgar could tell that he was unsure what to say now that the trial had moved beyond the hard facts of the event. Edgar glanced at his mother. Her mouth was in a thin line, but she wouldn't cry, not now. She would be strong for her husband, even though he had been unfaithful, and Edgar did not know whether he was proud of her strength, or ashamed that she was too weak to stand up for herself.

"I love my wife," Jethro Bones told the court, but he did not look at his family. "I regret that I have put her through this."

"So you regret getting caught," Rufus Scrimgeour commented, "not the action itself."

"Minister, you are making it difficult to pity you," said Umbridge, though he did not look sorry about this.

Jethro Bones raised an eyebrow. "I have no need for your pity, Chief Warlock. I am here for the court to determine my fitness to retain my position as Minister. If you pity me, that would make me less fit than if you think me heartless."

Some of the members of the Wizengamot turned to each other, murmuring amongst themselves. A few seemed to think the Minister had a point, and Edgar smiled just slightly.

(In Which Lily Rants)

Lily had completely forgotten about Spencer McKinnon. Truthfully, she had forgotten just about everything except for the article and James' pathetic excuse for…what? An apology? It wasn't even that. It was just an attempt for him to try to save his own neck. It was so James Potter, and Lily was furious.

She had gone straight back to the castle after hexing James, but she still felt as though everyone she passed was pointing and talking about her. Ridiculous, she knew, since the magazine had only been delivered that morning, but gossip spread through Hogwarts like wildfire.

By the time she reached the Gryffindor common room, the witch was so wound up she could not decide what to do with herself. She paced back and forth, completely ignoring Marlene and her friends, who sat near the wireless, and nearly cursing a poor third year who came in that happened to resemble James in coloring and stature.

That conceited, arrogant, stupid asshole! She fumed, half to herself and half aloud. All he ever does is make other people look bad for his own benefit. What is his problem? When is he going to grow up? "Ugh!"

She threw herself face-first onto one of the sofas by the fireplace, wishing to simply take on the pattern of the fabric and disappear from society. Of course, it was simply not her day.

"Um, Lily?"

"Hrmpf."

"Lily, are you all right?"

"Mmph ffmer."

"Um…what?"

"I said," Lily repeated, sitting up and pushing the hair out of her face. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." It was Caden Fenwick, a friend of Marlene, that stood beside the couch on which Lily sat. She looked concerned.

"It's nothing," said Lily, but even she heard the crazed edge in her voice. "Ignore my incoherent ranting."

Caden crossed her arms and gave Lily a skeptical look just as the portrait hole opened and a flustered Mary Macdonald climbed through, followed by Alice and Vanessa.

"Oh for Merlin's sake," the redhead groaned, falling back onto the couch and pressing a pillow over her face.

"Lily!" Alice exclaimed, and Lily could feel the air stir as the blonde rushed to her side. "Lily, I cannot believe my mother let this happen! I've already sent her a very angry letter telling her that she has to recall the magazine at once and fire that awful Rita Skeeter woman. I don't know what she was thinking, publishing an article like that when she knows that you're my best friend—of course, she shouldn't publish something like that about anyone but—"

"James shouldn't have said something like that about anyone," Vanessa interjected. "I know he can be rude at times, but what he said was just—"

"I told you," Mary interrupted, "he didn't say any of that!"

Vanessa scoffed, "You only believed him because you think he's good looking!"

"What? That's ridiculous! Lily's my friend—I wouldn't side with James over her. But I believed him because he was telling the truth!"

"Bullshit! You—"

"STOP IT!"

Even Lily sat back up and removed the pillow from her face when Caden yelled. The four older girls stared at the fourth-year, whose chocolate colored cheeks were tinged pink.

"Just stop," she insisted again. "And someone explain what is going on."

Mary and Vanessa each took a deep breath to calm down, Lily ran a hand through her hair, and Alice plopped down beside the latter.

"What's all the yelling about?"

This, from Marlene, as she left the wireless and came to sit with the other girls.

"Just typical James Potter problems," answered Lily, rubbing her forehead in aggravation.

"He said," Vanessa explained, "or perhaps didn't say, some awful things about Lily. And an article was written about it by a woman named Rita Skeeter and published in Alice's mum's magazine."

"So," continued Mary, "I spoke with James and told him that he had best apologize right away, before Lily saw the article for herself. But Lily didn't believe that he didn't say those things."

"So I hit him in the face with a Stinging Jinx," Lily concluded, feeling altogether miserable about the whole situation.

"Oh, Lily," said Caden, taking a seat on the side of Lily not occupied by Alice and putting her arm around the redhead. "What did he say in the article?"

"Something about me having no redeeming qualities, and being high-and-mighty, and boys never fancying me."

"That's rubbish," said Marlene adamantly.

"And there was something about the only way for Potter to fancy me is if I was using a love potion on him. Which, he doesn't fancy me. But Rita made it seem like he did, so now all those girls who faun after Potter are going to be at my throat about the whole thing. And Severus is going to be furious when he hears. And of course Constance Malfoy is going to make a bigger deal of it that it already is. And—"

"Lily," Alice began, taking the redhead's shoulders and forcing her to look her in the eye. "It's going to be fine. The people that matter to you know that it's rubbish, and the people that believe this article shouldn't matter to you to begin with."

"What about the teachers, though? Slughorn and McGonagall? And Dumbledore? What if they think I'm some silly, love-struck witch and that I'm not capable of being a Prefect because my mind is too focused on boys? And love potions are forbidden at school! I could get in serious trouble and I didn't even do anything!"

"Just stop freaking out," Alice told her, though the blonde looked apprehensive herself. "If it really becomes an issue, I'm sure there's some sort of test they can do to determine is James is being enchanted. As for you being silly and love struck…they wouldn't think that. You're marks are fantastic, and the teachers have you in class. They can see that you're a good student and a good Prefect."

"Anyone who thinks you fancy James Potter would have to be completely mental anyway," said Vanessa with a small smile.

"You're right," said Lily. "Of course you're right."

But she did not really feel as though they were right. Everything they told her was fact, but it still hurt to know that James Potter had told a complete stranger such horrid things about her. She and James weren't friends. She didn't know his favorite color or what he was afraid of. She'd never had a real conversation with him, not really. But they'd known each other for over four years, and she expected a little more from him, to be honest. She certainly would never have told Rita Skeeter such things, had the roles been reversed.

"And besides, you know how these things go," Mary said comfortingly. "No one will even remember it in a week or so."

Lily nodded, knowing that this, at the very least, was true. "I still wish I'd hit Potter with something stronger."

The other girls laughed and Caden patted Lily on the knee. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to do that. But for now, you should go get ready for Slughorn's party! I hear David Hunt is going to be there. You'll want to look especially sexy tonight."

"Who's David Hunt?" asked Alice and Marlene simultaneously.

Mary looked at them as if they had desecrated something sacred. "Who's David Hunt? Who's David Hunt? Only the most perfect human being on the planet!"

"He's a Chaser for Puddlemore United," explained Vanessa with a bit more control than Mary. "And his is particularly good looking."

"Oh," said Alice, quirking an eyebrow and smirking. "Well, I suppose I'll be going to that party after all. I wasn't planning on it, but now…"

"Oh no you don't," joked Lily. "David Hunt is mine."

"Wanna bet?"

"Yeah I do!"

They all laughed again, and Lily was in a much better mood by the time they dispersed. She, Alice, Mary, and Vanessa headed back up to their dormitory, while Caden and Marlene returned to the wireless.

Who cares what James Potter says anyway? thought Lily, he's just a dumb guy.

But in spite of herself, and in spite of what she told the others, a part of her did care, and try as she might, she could not change the fact that she felt somewhat betrayed.

(Green)

"You are Amelia Susan Bones? Daughter of Jethro and Lenore Bones?"

"Yes."

"You are aware that your father has pled guilty to the charge of adultery?"

"Yes."

"And you still believe your father to be the most capable man for the position of Minister for Magic?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

The trial was playing over the wireless in the Gryffindor Common Room, and Marlene, having taken a break to listen to Lily's story, was once more listening intently to the goings-on at the Ministry.

"I feel sort of bad for Edgar," said Caden, pushing a strand of dark hair from her face.

Caden was one of Marlene's closest friends, seeing as they were in the same year, but Marlene had always been jealous of the other girl. Her dark complexion was flawless, her eyes gorgeous without any makeup. She played Quidditch, which the boys all admired, and her laugh was to die for.

Of course, Marlene was jealous of most people. Even while listening to Lily, Alice, Vanessa, and Mary speak, Marlene was able to find things about each of them that she wished she herself possessed. But she had learned to keep such envy hidden. She hated feeling inferior to her friends, but it was even worse when they knew she felt that way.

"Me too," Marlene said in response. She had told no one but Lily about her conversation with Edgar days earlier. Caden had no idea that Marlene had ever spoken to him.

"Well," said Caden, standing up, "I'm going to go fly a bit before I start that Potions essay. Care to join me?"

Marlene shook her head. "I don't care much for flying, Cay, you know that."

Caden shrugged. "All right, then. See you."

"See you."

But Marlene had no intention of listening to the rest of Amelia Bones' speech. As soon as Caden climbed through the portrait hole, Marlene ran up to her dormitory, grabbed her purse, brushed her teeth, and left the common room as well. Her destination: Professor McGonagall's office. She was going to be there for Edgar whether he wanted her there or not.

(Meanwhile, In the Hospital Wing)

"Merlin's saggy left—"

"Mr. Potter!"

"What? You think this feels good?"

Remus snorted in laughter and James would have turned to glare at him had he been able to move his head. Lily's Stinging Jinx had spread down his neck and torso, causing his whole body to swell.

The two boys were in the Hospital Wing. Remus sat on one of the beds, occasionally throwing up into a waste bin. He was pale and sweaty, seeing as the full moon would be rising in a few hours, but his mood had lifted tremendously when a second-year had had to lead James into the infirmary because his eyes had swelled shut.

Madam Pomfrey was poking and prodding James all over, and James would swear that she was only doing it to annoy him. It was obvious what was wrong with him. Of course, he really couldn't blame her. He had annoyed her his fair share in the past.

"Would you quit?" he snapped at last, blindly swatting her hands away, causing Remus to chuckle. With the accuracy only a Chaser could have, James picked up his wand and threw it at his friend, whom he knew was somewhere to his left.

"Ow!"

"Ha!" James exclaimed.

"You really should have thought that one through, James," Remus told him. "Now I have your wand and you can't see. You really should have just hexed me."

"Shut up."

"Sit still, Mr. Potter."

"All right, all right."

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" asked Remus.

James sighed. "I told you about that reporter asking me for an interview, didn't I?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, her article was published in a magazine that was sent out today, but the stuff in the article wasn't anything that I said. It was complete rubbish. It was more about Evans than it was about me!"

"Lily? What does she have to do with it?"

"I guess the reporter saw Evans and I talking and she thought Evans was my girlfriend. I set her straight, but in the article, she made it sound like Lily's been giving me a love potion, but that at the same time, I think she's got no redeeming qualities and that I only pretend to fancy her to make her feel better about herself. It really doesn't make much sense, but—"

"Drink this, Potter," Madam Pomfrey interrupted, putting a cup in James hands. "I know you hate orange-flavored things, but the orange is necessary in this particular potion."

James braced himself and downed it, and almost immediately began to feel the swelling decrease. After a moment, he could see again. "Where are my—"

"Glasses?" Madam Pomfrey finished for him, holding them out to him.

"Right, thanks."

She nodded. "Don't stay too long. Mr. Lupin needs rest." With that, she returned to her office and shut the door, giving the boys some privacy.

"Okay, wait," said Remus, as James turned around to face him. "One thing at a time. You told a reporter that Lily is feeding you a love potion?"

"No. I told the reporter that I'm not dating Lily and that we don't really get along. That's it."

"Okay, and she said that Lily's giving you a love potion—which isn't true—because Lily fancies you?"

"Yes."

"But Lily doesn't fancy you."

"Correct."

"But the reporter said that you pretend to fancy Lily because you feel bad for her?"

"Because no bloke would ever like her, yeah."

"But that's ridiculous!"

"I know!"

"You'd be lucky if Lily Evans fancied you, not the other way around."

"Right—hey!"

Remus grinned and his eyes looked less sad and tired than they had moments before.

"Whatever mate," said James. "I am a perfect human being. Evans is fortunate that she is even allowed in my presence!"

"Then you'd think she'd have said yes one of the hundreds of times you've asked her out."

"It hasn't been hundreds, Lupin. It's been eighty-eight, for you information. And I'm joking. She knows it, I know it, it's not like she's actually refusing me because I'm not actually asking her out."

"It's a good thing you're only joking, then, because if you were serious, she'd have done some major damage to your ego by now."

"Oi, you're supposed to be on my side."

Remus shrugged. "But a good friend wouldn't lie to you."

"Then I want a rubbish friend instead."

"Go find Sirius."

The two boys laughed at that, until Remus started coughing and vomited into his waste bin.

And James realized that he was being stupid. So a reporter wrote that he said some nasty things about someone, so what? Here his best friend had to go through a painful transformation every month. He was shunned from society and might not ever be able to get a good job because of his condition and James was complaining about something in The Trendy Witch.

"Sorry, mate," he said, and Remus nodded, understanding.

But James smiled to himself because he knew that in a few hours, he, Sirius, and Peter would be joining Remus on the full moon for the first time. He had no idea what it would be like or what would happen to any of them, but he was ready to do whatever he could to help out one of his best friends.

"I should go," James said, tossing Remus a bar of Honeydukes Chocolate he'd picked up in Hogsmeade. "See you later."

"Don't have too much fun without me."

James grinned. "We'll see about that."

(Life is Life)

Edgar wanted to disappear. He wanted to sink into his chair and become part of the wood and not have to speak in front of all these people. Amelia had sounded so sure of herself when she had defended their father, but Edgar did not think he had that much faith. He didn't know if his father even should remain Minister. Edgar had no idea what to think of the matter. He knew that he was his job to say that his father was a good leader…but what if he wasn't?

Edgar usually did not question himself so much. He knew where he stood—especially when it came to the government, but he had heard so many reasons as to why Jethro Bones was unfit that he was just confused.

But what was he supposed to do? This was his father. Edgar couldn't simply look past that. It was impossible.

"You are Edgar Alan Bones, son of Jethro and Lenore Bones?" Umbridge asked in a rather bored voice. The Wizengamot had been in session for almost four hours, and everyone was ready for the day to end.

"Yes."

"And you're aware that your father pled guilty to adultery?"

"Yes."

Umbridge looked down at him as if he was not worth his time. "Do have anything of value to add then?"

Edgar's hands were shaking. He looked around at the fifty or so witches and wizards on the Wizengamot, at the group of reporters to his left, and finally at his family, who sat on his right. It was his father these people were talking about, his father they were saying wasn't good enough. So it didn't really matter what Edgar thought, he didn't have to form an opinion, because he knew what he had to say.

"Just think about my father's political actions in the past few months. He's been smart about positioning Aurors to stop Death Eater attacks, and he's made the people of the Wizarding world feel safe in spite of what Voldemort and his followers have been doing. He hasn't let anyone blow it out of proportion. He's a good Minister, and he cares about the people and their mindset. Say you never knew about his personal life—would you still think he was an unfit Minister?"

"Finished?"

"I—"

"Good," Umbridge said loudly. "We'll adjourn for now. The Wizengamot's decision will be announced in the morning."

Edgar looked around. Everyone was standing and stretching, and he just sat there in the wooden chair in the center of the room, feeling as though he had made no difference.

"You did the best you could, Ed," Amelia said, appearing at his side and pulling him up. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Edgar ran a hand through his hair and followed the crowd streaming out of the court room and back up to the Atrium.

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

"This way," a voice said as soon as he stepped off the lift and was blinded by the press. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him into what appeared to be an office. It was cool and quiet and Edgar was happy to be alone—or mostly alone.

"There's water and soup on the desk." It was Claire, looking tired. Her curly brown hair was frizzy and her robes seemed to be charred. "The press can be absolutely mental," she explained when she noticed him looking. "Eat. And there's someone here to see you."

She left, holding the door open for a shorter girl with red-brown hair.

"Marlene?"

"Hey," she said, giving him a sheepish smile. She walked over to the desk and pushed the soup aside, pulling bread, roast turkey, and a bottle of butterbeer from her bag. "I figured Hogwarts cooking would be better than whatever they're feeding you."

"What are you doing here?"

Marlene looked slightly hurt and Edgar rubbed his tired eyes. "I'm sorry," he told her. "That was rude. It's been a long day. Thank you for the food."

"It's okay," she said with a small smile. "I…I know we didn't get off on the right foot before, but, well, what I'm doing here is…" She paused, searching for words. She avoided Edgar's gaze as she spoke, looking instead at her shifting feet. "I'd just…I'd quite like to be your friend. And I told McGonagall that you and I are friends so that she'd let me come and see you. And...I dunno…I guess I just thought you might need someone to talk to."

Edgar watched for a moment in silence until she was forced to look up at him. He knew her type. He'd known her type his whole life. She'd read about him more than she'd talked to him. She probably had some sort of mental image of him in which he was perfect and would be perfect for her. But he wasn't. And he knew he was going to disappoint her no matter what he said.

He sighed. "All right then, friends," he held out his hand for her to shake. "But only if you swear to forget everything you've ever read about me."

"But I've never read anything bad about you."

"Exactly."

"I don't understand."

"And I don't expect you to."

"But—"

"Just trust me."

Marlene's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, but she nodded. "Fine. Shall we eat?"

"Merlin yes, I'm famished."

They sat on the desk, eating in silence. Then, Edgar began to speak, more to himself than to Marlene.

"I really messed up today. I had it all planned out—everything I wanted to say. And I just…choked or something. I started questioning myself and then when it came time for me to speak, I didn't say anything that made any difference. I let Umbridge cut me off. There was no point in me being here."

Marlene was quiet for a moment more. "I bet it made a difference to your dad. And…you have more right than anyone to hate him for what he did. The fact that you even showed up proves to the Wizengamot that your dad must be pretty special."

Edgar didn't look at her, but rather stared straight ahead, downing his pumpkin juice in one gulp. "I wish I hated him. It'd be easier than being confused."

"I wish I knew what to say."

Edgar smiled a bit and ran a hand through his hair. "Showing up's enough."

(I Solemnly Swear)

"James…James! Oi! POTTER!"

James jumped as Sirius' face suddenly appeared directly in front of his own.

"Stop staring at Evans for a moment and listen to me."

"I wasn't staring at Evans," James told him with a scowl, taking a last glance to where Lily seemed to be apologizing profusely to Spencer McKinnon.

"McKinnon then?" asked Sirius, openly looking at the pair across the common room. "I didn't think he was your type."

"James' type is anything with legs," Peter added, joining the pair and putting a folded piece of parchment on the table between them.

"Then you'd best get your legs removed, Pete," retorted James, pulling out his wand and twirling it between his fingers. "So what were you trying to tell me?"

Sirius grinned. "I got the map working."

"You did not," said Peter, rolling his eyes. "I got the map working using that spell the bloke at Zonko's gave us this morning."

"Working working?"

"Well, Borris Bobbins still has a habit of disappearing at random and I can't figure out how to makes dots for the ghosts that work properly, but yeah, workingworking."

"Brilliant," James whispered, looking around to make sure no one was watching them. "Let's see it."

Peter pulled out his own wand and tapped the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Black ink spiderwebbed across the page, sketching an outline of the school and the grounds. All over, tiny labeled dots were moving. James caught site of two, Remus Lupin and Poppy Pomfrey, moving toward the Whomping Willow. Lily Evans and Spencer McKinnon's dots were leaving the common room together (which caused an odd sensation in James' stomach), Vanessa Reese was heading to the library, and Albus Dumbledore was pacing in his office.

"Brilliant," James repeated, attempting to take it all in at once. "How did you manage it?"

"It's a load of technical rubbish that we don't have time for right now," said Sirius, pulling James and Peter out of their chairs and pushing them toward the portrait hole. "Trust me, I got an earful of it while you were in the hospital. For now, we should go. The moon'll be up soon."

It was so easy it was surreal, moving about the castle with the map to aid them. The three boys were too tall to be completely covered by James' old invisibility cloak, but for the first time, they did not have to be concerned about anyone noticing their feet wondering around of their own accord. They waited just inside the oak front doors and slipped out when Madam Pomfrey was on her way in.

"How did Remus say they got past this thing?" Peter asked as they reached the Whomping Willow. It had been planted specifically for the purpose of keeping anyone from finding Remus during the full moon.

"He said Madam Pomfrey hits a knot," James told them, slipping out from under the cloak and circling the tree at a safe distance. "But which one?"

"There have to be hundreds," Sirius commented as he hid the cloak and the map beneath a rock.

"Wait here," Peter told them. "I have an idea."

As soon as he said it, he was gone. A rat stood in his place for a moment before scurrying among the roots of the tree, unnoticed. He must have hit thirty knots before finding the right one.

"Excellent, Pete!" James called to the other boy as the tree froze on the spot. James and Sirius hurried toward the trunk and crawled through a gap in the roots. They came up in a low tunnel, lit only by the light from the setting sun. It was carved out of the earth and continued on beyond their vision. "Come on," James continued, taking Peter the rat and placing him on his shoulder. Then, he and Sirius stooped low and hurried along the tunnel.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever, and in the dim lighting of their wands, the boys could only see a few feet at a time.

"Next time I think I'd rather break into the Shrieking Shack from Hogsmeade," Sirius commented after walking for nearly twenty minutes.

"Shh," James whispered, because just then the path began to rise and there was a faint light up ahead. He checked his watch, 7:59. The moon would be up any second.

They all jumped as there was a horrible cracking noise above them. There was a groan and James winced. They had never experienced a werewolf transforming before; they knew it was painful, but James was listening to his friend's bones break and re-grow. He wanted to perform a Silencing Charm on the trapdoor above them, but he was not going to abandon Remus.

"All right," he said, jumping up and down and shaking out his arms and shoulders. (Peter squeaked indignantly). "Just like we planned. Ready, Black?"

Sirius grinned. "Born ready, Potter."

(Butterflies, Part Two)

"So this is what the Slug Club does, eh?" Spencer McKinnon asked as he and Lily entered the Potions Master's office. It had been transformed, as usual, into a much larger space, lit by glowing bubbles that pulsed between pink, blue, and gold. Small round tables were laden with refreshments on one side, while the other side comprised of a dance floor and an area where guests were mingling.

"Thrilling, isn't it?" joked Lily, smoothing out the simply blue dress and robes Alice had lent her for the occasion.

"Ah, Lily!" Slughorn greeted her, smiling jovially and shaking their hands. "And Mr. McKinnon! Were you on the list, dear boy?"

"Spencer's my plus one, Professor," Lily told him, and Slughorn seemed to warm up to him instantly.

"You're a lucky one, lad," he winked. "Enjoy the party. Oh, and Lily, I must introduce you to Ambrosia. Lead singer of the Corrupted Pixies, you know. She was always such a wonderful student. Only left Hogwarts a few years ago."

"The sounds lovely, Professor," Lily told him with a smile. "Whenever she isn't busy is fine."

"Right-O, run along then. Oh! Quinn and Gideon! Wonderful to see you..."

"Come on," Lily said to Spencer, taking his arm and pulling him toward the food. "One thing that can definitely be said about these parties is that the food is superb."

Spencer laughed, pouring them each a goblet of something that smelled like honey and ginger. The pair leaned against the table then, sipping their drinks and watching those who had chosen to dance.

"He's a character, that Slughorn," Spencer commented as the Potions Master bustled between groups of people, making introductions and accepting gifts from past students.

"Godric, yes."

"He seems quite fond of you too." There was a playful light in his eyes. "You reckon if he were a bit younger…?"

"Ew!" said Lily, laughing in spite of herself. "Gross. Not in a million years."

"Dunno," he continued, a mock thoughtful look on his face. "Imagine if he was bit fitter. With more hair."

"Not for all the galleons in the world," she told him, then she smirked. "But I can't help but notice that you seem rather interested in him. Something I should know about you?"

Spencer laughed, which made Lily smile. "Looks like you've caught me, Lily. I only like older men. Preferably short fat ones that wear robes a size too small."

Just as the two burst into laughter, Constance Malfoy approached them. Her long white-blonde hair was curled perfectly and there was ice in her eyes.

"You seem strangely happy for someone who was so upset just this afternoon," she said, her voice sickly sweet, as always.

Lily's smile vanished and she rolled her eyes. "I refuse to let James Potter ruin a perfectly good evening, Constance," she told the other girl firmly. "And that goes for you as well. If you're only going to be negative, I think you should just leave me alone."

Constance examined her fingernails in a bored sort of way. "Actually, I'm supposed to tell you that Severus Snape wishes to speak with you. He was most upset when I showed him the magazine today. He couldn't believe you would stoop so low as to use a love potion on Potter, but I told him that the press doesn't lie. He's been looking everywhere for you."

Lily pressed her fingers to her temples, rubbing and thinking don't hex her, don't hex her. It's not worth it.

"Sev isn't stupid, Constance. He's not going to actually think Rita Skeeter was telling the truth."

Constance shrugged. "Whatever you say, Evans."

She left and Lily ran a hand through her hair in worry. Sev wasn't stupid. But when it came to James Potter, the Slytherin seemed to abandon reason.

"Don't listen to her," said Spencer. "She's probably just jealous that people in her own house like you better than her."

That caused Lily to smile. She stood up a little straighter and downed the rest of her drink. "You're right, Spencer. She's not worth the worry. And Sev can wait a few more hours; it's not going to kill him."

"That's the spirit. Care for a dance?"

And that was the second time that day he'd given her butterflies.

(The Stuff of Legend)

James was panting hard, stumbling over loose floorboards and broken furniture in the Shrieking Shack. He did not tire as quickly as a stag, but two straight hours of constant movement was certainly beginning to take its toll.

There was no real way to communicate with Sirius and Peter, they could only guess the other's thoughts and they guessed wrong many times.

Remus had lost it when Sirius had entered the Shack. James knew that Remus had never had anyone around him during full moon before, and his werewolf senses went into overdrive almost immediately. Sirius might not have survived had James not gone against the original plan and charged at Remus.

Now the two larger boys were taking turns distracting him, trying to acclimate Remus to their presence. Peter, who could be devoured in one bite, stayed safe on James' back.

The werewolf seemed to be getting tired as well, but he looked at James with a hatred the boy knew Remus was incapable of. Then, the werewolf ran at him, jaws open.

James tried to back up, but he wasn't quick enough and Remus slammed into him. Peter was thrown off and hit the wall; he slid down and did not get back up. Suddenly, a searing pain coursed through James' nerves as the werewolf's claws raked across his back. Black spots danced through his vision and James knew he was losing blood quickly. Remus raised his paw again, it was stained red, but before he could strike at James, a great black dog jumped on him, forcing him off James and onto his back.

Remus yelped in pain, and Sirius got off of him immediately, and even though he had a dog's face, James knew that he was worried.

There was a faint squeak near the wall and James looked to see Peter struggling to his feet. Remus noticed at exactly the same time, and the werewolf and stag lunged at the rat together.

James refused to let Remus get to Peter, but suddenly, the werewolf was gone completely. The stag hastily scooped Peter up with one antler and deposited him on his torn back, and looked around to see Sirius dragging Remus away by the leg. The werewolf whipped around, slashing Sirius from shoulder to neck. The dog gave a whimper and recoiled, but the wolf followed.

They had to get out.

James sprinted to the trap door and pawed at it, motioning for Peter to climb down and get it open. The rat scurried down his leg and James raced to Remus and Sirius, knocking the former aside as he did so.

The werewolf snarled, his teeth dripping with blood and spit, but James snorted as intimidating as he could in response. He could see Sirius get slowly to his feet, but he was limping badly.

A squeak from the center of the room indicated that Peter had managed to get the door open, and James motioned for Sirius to go first as the stag pushed Remus out of the room and into the hall. The werewolf lashed out at him, trying to get by, by James ducked and Remus tore a chunk from the wall instead. James considered pushing him down the stairs, but he had no idea how much damage would carry over when Remus became human again, so instead he forced him further down the hall until a bark from Sirius indicated that he and Peter were safe.

James gave Remus a final shove with his antlers and galloped full-out back into the room they had first come up in, he bolted through the trapdoor, and Sirius—back to human form—slammed it shut behind him.

Less than a second later, they heard the werewolf slam into the floor, slashing at the door and doing the best he could to get it open.

"Let's get out of here," Sirius said in a gruff voice. He picked Peter up in his left hand (his right arm appeared to be broken) and took off down the tunnel with James, who had also transformed back, close behind.

They said nothing until they had dragged themselves out from under the Whomping Willow. Peter turned back to human form and the three boys made their way to an old beech tree where they sat and began to heal some of their major wounds.

"Fuck," said James after a long silence.

"That's a pretty accurate summation of the last twenty-four hours, yeah," agreed Peter, attempting to stop the blood flowing from a cut on his forehead—no doubt from when Remus had slammed him into the wall.

James pulled his shirt over his head, wincing as the tattered material irritated the cuts on his back.

"Fuck."

A/N: I hope that wasn't too confusing and I hope you liked it! If you want to follow me on Tumblr, that's where I post update info, excerpts, the cast, playlists, etc. You can also ask questions there if you have any about the chapter or the story in general. There is a link on my profile. Thanks for reading!

PLEASE REVIEW! They are my life-force.

Love Always,

Kayla

It's a very dangerous thing to do
Exactly what you want,
Because you cannot know yourself,
Or what you'd really do
With all your power.

— Yeah Yeah Yeah Song, The Flaming Lips