The inevitables

• streamers check
• Cake 
• Glitter very much check 
• Dresses check
• Presents check check check
• Elegance I hope so

Mary decided this year she wanted a fancy birthday party and that she wanted to invite us, a few older girls, and Sirius. Not the boys, just Sirius. I understood perfectly why James and Peter and even Remus didn’t fit her classy style, but nor did Sirius. 

“He’s told me he’s been to plenty of balls.” Mary shrugged when I told her he wouldn’t be into the posh thing. 

“So has James.” I said, “if anything James would behave himself better than Sirius.” 

“Neither of them can behave themselves, do we remember the slug club party?” Lily waved around her slime stained dress she kept merely just to point out the boys are animals. I threw mine away the next day. 

“He’s coming.” Mary decided before leaving the room to invite him and the older girls. I knew Sirius would be hard to find since Remus was in the hospital wing after well… a night out? We still haven’t found the correct verbiage to use for his… adventures. Everything we try either sounds too funny or too deadly. Neither were good. 

“She’s obsessed.” Marlene rolled her eyes as she sorted more decorations. I could tell that if she had the chance, she would sit down and properly laugh at how crazy her friend is. I could equally laugh at Lily’s slow progression to Remus. He’s so sweet, he looks so cozy in that sweater, the robe works for him, that tie fits him nicely while Remus lives his life without a clue. 

“She’s been obsessed for years, it’s time for her to commit.” Lily shrugged, Marlene and I stopped curling ribbon. 

“What do you mean? You think they should.. date?” The words sounded so strange in my mouth. Sirius was only just fourteen, Mary would join him in less than a week but they weren’t old enough to date yet, right? 

“You think they should what? Snog?” Marlene asked, I wasn’t even thinking about that, that sounded disgusting. 

“Of course not! But maybe they should go to Hogsmeade together, think about it it would be so romantic. I think there’s even a date near Valentine’s Day! Just the two of them getting tea or going to the three broomsticks for butterbeer, picking flowers, people watching, talking with each other and you lose track of time and suddenly the days over and all you’ve done was sat on the bench and talked.” Lily sighed, she clearly was not planning this all for Mary. 

“Are you sure you don’t want this date?” I raised my eyebrows at her. 

“What no! I don’t even know who I would go with!” She deflected as her face got as red as her hair. 

“Yes you do! You’d go with Remus! Ooh you should ask him!” Marlene ch  uh I  eered. She confused me. She hated how obsessed Mary was but was totally on board with Lily dating Remus? 

“Oh stop it! He’d never say yes anyways so why should I ask!?” Lily questioned. 

“Lil you won’t know until you ask!” I said, but I knew it was a lie. Remus was not the type of guy who liked change or relationship things. He liked Lily as a friend but I doubt he would go for a date. I wanted to tell Lily, tell her not to waste her time. And then I looked at how happy and giddy she was, how totally head over heels she was for this boy. I couldn’t shut it down, I’m supposed to be her friend not her very own pessimist. 

“Mmm maybe…” she squirmed around as if the air was hugging her. 

“Yay!” Marlene and I cheered, we clapped our hands and jumped up and down, for a moment I had forgotten that the excitement was just a ruse for how horribly this could go. For a moment I was truly excited. 

*****

“Oi Lucy!” I called the fifth year from across the common room. Mary had handwritten the fanciest invitations to ever grace Gryffindor tower. At first she wanted to deliver them all by owl but only I had an owl and we couldn’t use the Hogwarts ones for this. So she assigned each of us about ten people to invite. 

“Hi Hazel!” The older girls had always thought of us as cute little sisters or something. Whenever we talk to them I feel like they see me as a three year old at a Christmas party. 

“Hi! Mary wanted me to give this to you, you wouldn’t happen to know what Eminy is do you? She has one too.” 

“I’m seeing her in a bit. Would you like me to pass the note?” She asked, still degrading me. I ignored it, I can be the little kid. 

“Excellent thanks!” 

“Hey what’s this!?” James tried to grab the invitation out of my hand but I moved my arm away in the perfect moment. 

“A party you’re not going to.” I grinned. 

“What?! But I’m the king of parties!” 

“Mmm too bad.” 

“Aww you two are so cute! Just like me and my brother were when we were your age!” Lucy squealed. She was our age less than two years ago, not overly long if you ask me. 

“James!” Sirius, whom I had no idea was here, urged James to get a move on. 

“Can you please give this to Eminy?” I handed her the invitation. 

“Of course! Aw this is so cute!” She smiled in a way that made me want to slap her. I didn’t, but I thought about it. She strided across us just in enough time for James to grab my hand and pull me away. I barely had enough time to notice our matching bracelets together when I found myself in the stair way before the boys corridor. 

“Did you get the book?” 

“What?” 

“We’re going to talk to Remus today, to er ask him.” James said. I knew the word awk had no meaning in this sentence. Even if Remus explicitly forbade it, Sirius would still convince us to keep going. I needed to get the book. 

I was supposed to get it awhile ago. But then Lily and I fought, then I just loved spending all my time getting ahead in runes and planning for parties. I had no time to beg McGonagall. I ran out of time. 

“I’ll be right back.” I left my invitations with him as I almost ran out of the room. I had no idea what I was going to say or behave, I should’ve worn something nicer, I had no plan whatsoever. My heart beat fast, my face was all flustered. I was so good at running but now running ten steps I’ve started to sweat. Everything about becoming an Animagi relies on me, helping Remus relies on how good of a talker I am. How much of my parents amazing skill rubbed off on me like it did James. 

I knocked on McGonagall's door. 

“Come in.” She instructed, my heart was pounding throughout my entire body, I was sure she would be able to hear it even outside the door. 

“Sorry if I am interrupting anything ma’am.” I opened the door. No one was there, the professor seemed to be grading essays. 

“Not at all, come sit.” I followed her instructions perfectly. I sat up straight and looked her in the eyes faking any confidence I no longer have. 

“So um… my father works in the ministry.” I said and nothing else. What? What was I thinking? Where was I going with this? Could I be any more of an idiot? 

“I’m aware.” 

“Ha er right..” I chuckled so nervously, all the nerves left my body and I was stuck with nothing. I had no thought process, no opinion, no insight, nothing. I started talking. “Well over holiday my parents are hosting this party, we’ll it’s really a conference for the ministry and my father is lecturing about the dangers about becoming an animagi without the proper training and help from the ministry. With the war coming they want to scare people away from the idea instead of dealing with hundreds of illegal animagi on either side. He was me to talk during the lecture to truly showcase the dangers of it all and as a warning not to attempt to become animagi especially as a young wizard like I am with no proper knowledge or understanding. I know in the library that there’s no books on the subject probably to avoid kids trying to turn into animals right? Well I was wondering, since you are an animagus, that you would be able to lend me a book or something in order to help my studies before the holiday break.” I smiled. I’m not sure how, but with each word my voice became more natural. Even though I was lying, it all sounded so real, so certain. My father wasn’t having a conference or anything, I don’t even think he works with the animagus department. And yet I wasn’t nervous, I was prepared. I felt like I could conquer anything. 

“This conference, will your brother be there too?” 

“Yes.” Lots of detail felt like too much, too rehearsed, too unnatural. Short and quick seemed to be the way to go. 

“I can assume that Mr. Black and Mr. Pettigrew will help the two of you with your studies.” Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at me, she was smart but did she know anything? Could she predict that the four of us wanted to become animagi? How could she know? 

“Yes, it’s a big topic, better to have the four of us look out for each other and um inform each other.” I smiled as innocently as I could. A smile where she couldn’t possibly realize we wanted to commit a crime big enough to get us into azkaban. 

“Four? Mr. Lupin will not be helping you?” She asked another question, her face was still blank and sort of comforting where I didn’t know where I stood or how much she knew. 

“We’re uh.. not sure if he’ll have the time to help.” And also, we’re doing this for him. It’s not really a surprise if he knows and helps us along the way. He may not even approve of it! 

Mcgonagall fell quiet, the two of us sat in complete silence for at least thirty full seconds. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking about. If it was a way to reject the offer, to scold me for planning on committing a crime, to order the boys to come here to scold all of us. Anything was possible. 

The professor stood up and walked around the desk, avoiding all eye contact with me. This was it. She was going to grab the Marauders to tear us to shreds. She stopped in front of a bookshelf that went to the ceiling. She tapped the shelf and two books floated down from the top, I stood up as she walked to me. 

“These will help you with your… conference.” She emphasized the last word like she knew it was a lie, like she saw right through me and knew every lie I ever told (it’s not many) or every secret I have. I didn’t care though, she gave us the books!

“Thank you!” I almost hugged her. I was so excited. “Thank you!” I repeated. 

I made my way to the door, I was so eager to start reading and learning. I opened the cover and saw some scribbles on the inside. It read “good luck.” and nothing else, the handwriting was so familiar. I turned around to face the professor, I swear, she was smiling down at me. And then she closed the door.