Chapter Two
Iris was bored.
She found herself in a slump after two months of school. She had always been used to a rigorous academic environment, and Hogwarts just wasn’t living up to her expectations. The professors seemed to be going through the motions, the classes weren’t as challenging as she was used to, and the homework seemed endless.
At first, Iris had tried to spend more time with Lily but found that even their conversations lacked the excitement that she craved. Lily was content with being a model student, but Iris was tired of being a boring teacher's pet.
So, she turned to the only people who seemed to provide any kind of entertainment - the Marauders. They may have been notorious troublemakers, but as she got to know them more, she learned that they were also intelligent and witty. Iris found herself drawn to Remus, both of them bonding over their love of academics.
As Iris and Remus spent more time together, their friendship grew stronger. They would often be found studying together in the library, discussing theories, and Iris would even help Remus with some of his NEWT-level courses. They also enjoyed each other’s company outside of academics. Iris discovered that Remus had a love for muggle literature, and they spent hours discussing their favorite books and authors.
“I personally enjoy the works of Edgar Allen Poe,” Iris said one day while they are reading in the Gryffindor common room.
Remus looks over at her curiously, “What’s a girl like you doing reading Edgar Allen Poe?”
“A girl who actually appreciates excellent literature,” Iris replies with a small smile. “Besides, his stories are full of mystery and intrigue. It’s fascinating to see how he weaves words together to create such haunting tales.”
Remus surprisingly nods in agreement. “I can see why you would like him. I have always found his writing a bit dark for my taste, but there’s no denying he’s a master of his craft.”
Iris nods back, her eyes lightening up with excitement. “Exactly! His stories may be dark, but there’s so much more to them than that. They’re layered and complex, and every time I read one, I discover something new.”
Remus smiles, enjoying the passion in Iris’ voice. “Well if you ever need someone to discuss Poe with, you know where to find me.”
Iris grins. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
However, spending most of her time with Remus also meant spending a lot of time with the other Marauders. She found herself growing close to James, Sirius, and Peter. They would spend long evenings in the Gryffindor common room, playing games and telling stories. It was like they formed their own little family, and Iris was grateful to finally find a group where she belonged.
Iris can remember the first time she actually sat down with the boys in the common room.
Iris had just finished catching up with Lily in her dorm and made her way down where she was met with the boys lounging on the couches in front of the fireplace.
Iris nervously approached the Marauders, taking a seat on the arm of the couch next to Remus. She wasn’t quite sure what to say, but James was quick to break the ice.
“Hey there, Iris,” he said with a smile. “What brings you down to the lion's den?”
“Just wanted to hang out, I guess,” Iris replied “The eagle’s nest gets boring sometimes, especially when you want to do anything other than read.”
Sirius chuckled, “Well you’ve come to the right place then. We’re always up for some fun.”
Peter nodded in agreement, “Yeah, we’ve been trying to come up with a new prank to pull on Snape.”
Iris raised an eyebrow, “Do you guys always have to be causing trouble?”
James grinned mischievously, “Of course! It’s what we do best.”
Remus nudged Iris with his elbow, “Don’t worry, she’ll get used to it. And who knows, maybe we’ll even convince her to join in on the fun.”
Iris couldn’t help but laugh, feeling more at ease with the boys.
“Speaking of fun,” Iris said, “what kind of things do you guys like to do outside of pranking people?”
Sirius shrugged, “James and I play quidditch of course. And sometimes we sneak down to the kitchen for some midnight snacks.”
James nodded, “Yeah, and we also like to explore the castle. We’ve found some pretty cool passageways.”
Peter snickers, “You can say that we basically have the whole castle mapped out.”
James hits Peter, “C’mon Wormtail, not now.”
Peter rubs his arm where James had playfully hit him, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at the underlying meaning of his words.
Remus smiled, “And we also enjoy studying, believe it or not. We’ve spent countless hours in the library researching all sorts of subjects.”
Sirius butts in, “What Moony is meaning to say is that he is the one that is researching, and he drags the rest of us along with him,” rolling his eyes he continues “I mean honestly mate, we’re in our last year and you know we’d rather be doing anything but studying.”
Iris couldn’t help but laugh at Sirius’ teasing of Remus. “Is that so, Remus? You’re the studious one of the group huh?”
Remus grinned sheepishly, a blush forming on his face, scratching the back of his head. “Well, I do enjoy reading and learning, but these troublemakers do keep me on my toes,” he said, glancing at the other three boys with a playful look.
Sirius smirked, “Hey, someone’s got to keep us from failing our classes.”
James nodded in agreement, “Yeah, if it weren’t for Moony, we’d probably be failing all of our exams.”
Peter piped up, “Hey, I contribute too! I help with the homework sometimes, and I help come up with the ideas for our pranks.”
Sirius chuckled, “Alright, alright, you do have a point, Wormtail.”
Iris grinned, enjoying the camaraderie between the Marauders. “It sounds like you guys make quite the team. Studious Remus, mischievous Sirius, clever James, and creative Peter.”
The boys exchanged knowing glances and nodded, accepting the roles that Iris had assigned to them.
Sirius smirked, “We’re the dream team, if I do say so myself.”
Remus chuckled, “That’s one way to put it.”
James grinned, “We’ve been through a lot together, and we’ve always had each other’s backs.”
Peter nodded solemnly, “Yeah, we’re more than just friends, we’re like brothers.”
Iris smiles, feeling grateful to have been welcomed into their group. “Well, I’m glad I’ve gotten to know you guys. You certainly know how to make life interesting.”
Sirius winked at her, “And we’re just getting started, Iris.”
“Speaking of getting to know each other, what do you like to do Iris?” Peter squeaks out.
Iris thinks for a moment before responding, “I enjoy reading of course, and researching for school. But I also like to spend time outside, going for walks or running. And I’ve been trying to teach myself how to draw.”
James looks interested, “Drawing? That's cool. Do you have any drawings with you?”
Iris shakes her head, “No, sorry. I don’t usually carry them around with me.
Remus nods, “Well, next time you have some with you, we’d love to see them. Maybe we could even convince you to draw a portrait of us.”
Sirius smirks, “Or better yet, a portrait of Snape with his greasy hair.”
Iris can't help but laugh, feeling grateful to have found a group of friends that accepted her and made her feel like she belonged.
As their friendship grew stronger, Iris found herself feeling less bored and more alive than she had in months. But this new development did not go unnoticed by Lily, who began to express her concerns to Iris.
“Iris, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be hanging around them so much,” Lily said one day, as they walked to the library together.
“Why not?” Iris asked, genuinely curious.
“Well, they’re known troublemakers,” Lily replied, “and I don’t want you to get in trouble because of them. Plus, you should be focusing on your studies, not getting caught up in their antics.”
Iris could see the concern in Lily’s eyes, but she also felt frustrated. She was finally starting the enjoy her time at Hogwarts, and the Marauders played a big part in that. She didn’t want to give up their friendship just because Lily disapproved.
“I appreciate your concern, Lily, but I can take care of myself,” Iris said firmly. “And besides, the Marauders are actually quite intelligent and funny. Just because you can’t get over the fact that James likes you, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give him a chance.”
Lily’s cheeks flushed red, and she looked away. Iris immediately regretted her words. She knew that Lily had a complicated history with James, and she didn’t mean to make things awkward between them.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” she said, placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean to bring that up. I just… I feel like you’re judging me for spending time with the Marauders, and it’s not fair. You know I had a hard time making friends at Beauxbatons. I finally found my group, and it hurts to know that you don’t approve of them.”
Lily sighed. “I’m not judging you, Iris,” she said. “I just worry about you. You’re such a talented student, and I don’t want you to get distracted from your studies.”
“I appreciate your concern,” Iris said. “But I’m not going to let my friendship with the Marauders get in the way of my grades. If anything, they’re helping me stay motivated.”
Lily nodded, still looking uncertain. “Just… be careful, okay?” she said.
“I will,” Iris promised. “I’ll always have your back, Lily. But I hope you can accept my friendship with the Marauders too.”
Lily gave her a small smile. “I’ll try,” she said.
As the school year progressed, her friendship with the Marauders wasn’t the only thing that Lily would be concerned about.
Iris’s academic prowess became more apparent. Her grades continued to soar, and she was consistently at the top of her class in every subject. Her professors took notice and often praised her in front of her classmates, which only added to the attention she was already receiving.
However, not all of the attention she received was positive. Many students were jealous of Iris’ success. They were used to being the top students in their classes, and the fact that a muggle-born, transfer student was outperforming them was a bitter pill to swallow.
One of those students was Regulus Black.
Iris had potions with Regulus, and it didn’t take long for her to notice that Regulus seemed to have a personal vendetta against her. Whenever they were paired up for group work, he would give her the cold shoulder and refuse to work with her. It didn’t help that he was one of the top students in their class either.
Iris excelled in potions, and unfortunately, Regulus did too.
Which inevitably led to them forming a slight rivalry.
They would always try to one-up each other in their shared class, which did not go unnoticed by others around them.
One day in class, Professor Slughorn announced, “Today we will be brewing draught of living death.”
She was confident in her abilities to brew this potion and was determined to prove her worth to Professor Slughorn, wanting to get in his good graces like Lily.
She gathered her ingredients and began to work on her potion right away. As she was making her potion, Professor Slughorn came around and complimented her on her work. She shyly looked up, and nodded, silently thanking Professor Slughorn for his praise. She basked in her sense of accomplishment until she noticed the familiar piercing gaze of a pair of gray eyes fixed upon her.
Regulus’ sneer was visible on his face, and Iris couldn’t help but smirk in response. Although she was aware of the difficulty of brewing draught of living death in the given time frame, her extensive experience with advanced potion-making at Beauxbatons paid off, and she felt grateful for the countless hours spent in a dimly lit room, tending to her cauldron.
As the end of class neared, she began to prep her sopophorous beans to be added to her potion. She knew that if she crushed the beans, the juices would be more effectively released, so she began to crush them.
She heard someone snigger, and she didn’t even need to look up to know who made that noise. She knew Regulus was relishing in the fact that she seemingly messed up her potion, but she was too busy trying to make sure it was perfect before showing it to Professor Slughorn.
Professor Slughorn began walking around the room testing people's potions. His eyes widened in amazement as he inspected Regulus’ potion. “Magnificent!” He exclaimed, his voice filled with admiration. “Almost flawless brewing Mr. Black. Your attention to detail and skillful technique is truly commendable. This is one of the best draughts of living death I’ve seen a student brew.” Slughorn’s praise made Regulus’ chest swell with pride, and he couldn’t help but beam with satisfaction at his accomplishment. Iris, who was observing from the side, couldn’t deny the excellence of Regulus’ potion either, and she applauded along with the rest of the class.
He made his way over to Iris, and she nervously awaited Professor Slughorn’s assessment of her potion, and as he looked closer, his eyes widened in surprise. “I must say, Miss Evans,” he exclaimed, “this is quite possibly the best draught of living death I have ever seen a student brew. Your skills in advanced potion-making are truly remarkable!”
Iris felt a rush of pride wash over her.
She was glad she had outdone Regulus. “One for Iris, Zero for Regulus.” She thought in her head.
As she was leaving the dungeons Regulus stormed up to Iris, his face twisting with anger. “How did you even manage to brew a better potion than me, when you couldn’t even follow the directions properly?” he demanded.
Iris stood her ground, meeting his gaze with a cool expression. “Perhaps some people are just better at certain things than others Black,” she replied calmly.
Regulus clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides.
“You got lucky this time,” he spat, his face fuming with anger. “But don’t think for a second a mudblood like you is better than me.”
Iris’ demeanor faltered for a second before she regained her composure and stood up straight, doing her best to meet Regulus’ gaze with a confident stare. “I didn’t get lucky,” she replied firmly. “I used my skills and knowledge to brew the best potion I could. Maybe you should learn to appreciate that not everything is about following instructions. I know it hurts your huge ego to be second best to someone who is a muggle-born, but guess what? Blood status doesn’t determine a person’s ability or worth, and just because you were born to a pureblood family doesn’t mean you’re better than me.”
Regulus’ expression darkened even further, his fists turning white. “You’ll regret speaking to me like that,” he warned through gritted teeth. “I have powerful connections, and I won’t let you get away with insulting me like that.
Iris didn’t back down, though her heart was pounding with nervousness. “I’m not afraid of you or your connections,” she said evenly. “I won’t be intimidated by someone who can’t even handle losing gracefully.”
With that, Iris turned on her heel and walked away from Regulus, her head held high. She refused to let him or anyone else make her feel inferior because of something she couldn’t control.
She made her way to the great hall, and she caught the eyes of Remus, who waved her over to the Gryffindor table.
Iris huffed and threw her bag down on the table.
“What’s gotten into you little Evans?” Sirius questions.
“Your stupid git of a brother, that’s what,” she exclaims “I mean seriously? How does my blood status have anything to do with me doing better than him in potions? He’s so annoying and I cannot believe you are related to him.”
A solemn look begins to overtake Sirius’ face.
“What did he say?” Remus asked concern etched on his features.
“He called me a mudblood and said I only got lucky with my potion, Iris replied, her voice shaking with anger and frustration. “He even threatened me, saying he has powerful connections and won’t let me get away with insulting him.”
James, who had been listening in, scowled. “I can’t believe he would stoop that low.”
Sirius interjects, “I believe it. Regulus may be my brother, but I don’t condone his behavior. You’re our friend Iris, and we won’t let him get away with treating you like that.”
Peter nodded in agreement, “Yeah, we’ll make sure he knows not to mess with you again.”
Iris sighs, “I don’t know guys, maybe I should just be the bigger person and ignore him. There’s no need to fight fire with fire, and I don’t need his approval for anything.”
Sirius looks down at the table, “I’m sorry about Regulus, Iris,” he said, his tone apologetic. “He can be a real git sometimes, and that’s partially because of our parents and how we were raised, but that’s no excuse for the way he treated you.”
Iris nodded, appreciating the support from her friends.
Soon after, the conversation shifted to James and Lily, Iris couldn’t help but smile. Everyone knew how James had been pursuing Lily for years, and it seemed like they were finally making some progress.
“So, when are you finally going to ask her out?” Remus teased James, a grin on his face.
James rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in his expression. “I don’t know, maybe when I figure out a way to do it without embarrassing myself.”
Sirius starts laughing, “Without embarrassing yourself? You’ve been embarrassing yourself for years over her. What’s the difference now?”
Peter chimed in, “Yeah, just go for it, mate! The worst that can happen is she says no, and you move on.”
Iris agrees, “Just be yourself, James. Lily likes you for who you are, not for some grand gesture. In fact, maybe you could try to do something more subtle at first.”
Remus nodded in agreement. “Yeah, and if you need any help, we’re here for you.”
Sirius smirked. “Although, I’m sure my charm and good looks could be of some use.”
Iris laughed, shaking her head. “You wish, Black.”
James looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. I’ll do it. I’ll ask her out.”
Iris clapped her hands together excitedly. “Finally there’s the head boy we know! I can’t wait for you two to finally be together. It’s about time.”
The group chatted for a little while longer before eventually retiring to their respective dormitories. As Iris recounted her day, she couldn’t help but feel grateful for her friends. They were there to support her and make her feel better, no matter what happened. And as for Regulus, she decided she wouldn’t let him get to her. She was better than that, and she had people who cared about her. That was all that mattered.