Chapter seven
As Holly bounded down the last few stairs she was immediately greeted with expectant looks. She sighed, and approached her friends.
“Alright. You know about the Remus deal right? The prank thing?”
Both girls nodded.
“Okay well the other ‘marauders’ found out about it, and decided the best way to ask questions was at our dinner table in the Great Hall. As for wondering after curfew… Well, I knew you’d both be nosy and I didn’t care much to explain just then. My plan for last night got totally ruined and I needed some alone time to think.”
“For one I resent the label ‘nosy’. I prefer, interested in my friends’ lives. And secondly, if you wanted space you could’ve just said so. You never know who’s out there wandering the halls at night.” Holly’s mind involuntarily flashed to her encounter with Black. Mia, despite her cool girl attitude, was extremely protective and motherly. If she discovered the late night rendezvous with pureblooded Regulus Black, she’d be concerned at least.
Holly shook her head trying to clear the thoughts from her mind. It isn’t like they had met up on purpose, her and Black. She was tiptoeing around her friends like she had done something wrong, when really she had just been in the library minding her own business. It wasn’t her fault that the boy had sat with her.
The trio entered the Great Hall still chatting absently about the previous day's events. They sat down and began serving themselves breakfast. The spread of food was always large, including traditional European foods, and some from other cultures as well. Holly helped herself to some toast and a cup of coffee. While she had gotten strange looks from her classmates originally, her morning ritual was common now. Holly had always preferred coffee to tea, and she was ecstatic to find it was available during most times of day- if you knew where to look.
Same as every morning owls flew into the Great Hall, delivering mail and packages. Holly did not receive mail. Holly never received mail, and that is how her mornings always went. When a great grey owl positioned himself in front of her, she paid it no mind. She never got any parcels after all, and this bird had a small box wrapped around its ankle. It wasn’t until the bird nipped at her hand and looked at her with large yellow eyes (eerily similar to Tilly’s) that she acknowledged it.
“Hello,” She said carefully, “Is this for me?”
She was met with a gentle coo that she interpreted as a yes, so she gently removed the post from the owl’s leg and rewarded it with a bit of her toast. Warily, she turned the small box over in her hands before opening it. Inside was a chocolate bar, and a note. Skeptically, she reached for the torn parchment and read it.
Dear Elwood,
Please do us the great honor of meeting us in the library to discuss your magnificent brain and also that prank you mentioned.
P.S.- The chocolate is from Mooney so you don’t “Kill us in our sleep” or something.
Yours mischievously,
James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus.
Holly held the note in her hands for a second, before turning to face the Gryffindor table. Almost as if they were waiting for it, the four Marauders began waving at her aggressively.
“You know Holls, maybe you should accept your fate.” Tilly said, stealing her last piece of toast. “It doesn’t seem like they’re gonna give up.”
Holly groaned and allowed her head to fall forwards, intending to hit the table. She was met instead with Mia’s hand. The girl looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Finish your food, then get going. I don’t want them coming over here and ruining my morning.”
Holly groaned again.
After finishing her coffee, Holly stood up and began her trek to the library. As she walked she took the chocolate from her pocket, and looked at it. It was the nice kind in any case. The fancy brand that muggles liked. Unwrapping it she took a bite, and sighed. Shit, it was good. Remus knew her too well, she couldn’t be mad while eating chocolate.
The trip to the library was short enough and she walked in claiming her usual window seat, trying not to let thoughts of the previous night cloud her mind. She wondered if he came here often, if while she claimed this seat in the day it was his after curfew. She wondered if maybe he would be there again tonight.
As she waited, she pulled out her book. The last 24 hours had been something of a disaster as far as her plan went. The Marauders interrupted her dinner, she couldn’t read like she wanted, and she was woken up much too early considering she didn’t have class. Hopefully by the end of the day her life would be back in balance. As she read, Holly noticed a streak of red hair darting around bookshelves, and sat forwards.
“Lily?” The girl in question peeked around a corner, smiling wide.
“Holly! Oh my god, I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!” Lily bounded over to where she was sitting, her arms full of different books. “How have you been? Are your classes hard this year? Are you doing alright in all of them?” She fretted, ever the motherly friend. Lily had always been warm, oftentimes making sure all of her friends had eaten that day. Holly supposed it was what made her so popular among the other students. She was a kind girl.
“I’ve been good! I’m bummed we don’t have many classes together this year, I could really use a hand with Defense against the Dark Arts.” Lily laughed and patted Holly’s head gently.
“You know I’d be happy to help you out. Would you like to schedule a time to study together? We need to catch up, and I could use a hand with Herbology.”
Holly nodded, and they discussed times and days that worked for them. Both girls were busy, taking on more classes then some of their peers and having exams. This year was the O.W.L.s for Holly and she was terrified, despite Lily reassuring her she’d do fine. As they spoke, Holly momentarily forgot why she had been in the library in the first place. That is, until a loud voice called over to them.
“Lily flower!”