Harry Potter 1. No One Mourns the Wicked

A/N: Well hi there! I'm pretty happy that you decided to click on this, and I hope you give it a go and enjoy it. Each chapter is going to be based off a song from Wicked, so they are going to be getting much long than this! This is the first story i've written, so hopefully you'll stick around whilst i get into the swing of it.

James and Lily are the main pairing, with plenty of Marauders, Alice, Marlene and Dorcas to go around, and a sprinkling of OC's and minor characters.

Reviews are better than sliced bread. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Wicked is not mine. JKRowling owns all these characters and my childhood.

Song is here (add youtube .com to the front) : /watch?v=Li8cryWN2ew

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**No One Mourns the Wicked**

31st October 1981

Silence fell. It was over.

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Fairy tales let us escape from our lives into a world of fantasy and dreaming. There is clearly defined good and evil and our heroes follow a blameless path whilst teaching lessons of morality and falling in love. The stories start with 'once upon a time...' and end with 'happily ever after' for the hero and heroine as they ride off into the sunset together.

There is no such clearly defined righteous and wrongdoing in this tale - there will be much straying from the path of good deeds and black and white morals, and it leads to no happily ever after.

It does however, start as thus.

_Once upon a time, ten teenagers were drawn together - through circumstance, fate or chance it is unknown. They crossed in the hallowed halls of magic and slowly their lives began to interweave, slotting into place. In the darkness of war they set each other's lives ablaze with courage, friendship and above all, love._

_Four boys joined forces to execute the best prank Hogwarts had ever witnessed. Dark secrets came to light, tragedies were suffered and individual faults challenged and brought to a head whilst they grew together, stronger and with the conviction of those that knew that life had to be experienced to be lived._

_This is not a happily ever after tale. It is their story, as it was meant to be told.  
_

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Grief transcended relief. Each muscle was tensed, throat clenched tight by invisible hands of anguish that coiled and pulled, yanking her internal organs to a core pressure point that built up until the compression seemed unbearable.

Shooting stars exploded through her thoughts, quite literally as they singed the top of coiffed chestnut hair before trailing into the sky in a haze of iridescent colours. The air around her was vibrating with excitement as every witch, wizard and magical creature rejoiced with limitless jubilation, leaving their usual self-control trailing in a wake of mayhem. The wickedness of You-Know-Who - Voldemort - she reminded herself, had been vanquished, and up and down the country the people were delirious with the proof that eventually, good would always conquer evil.

And yet it didn't seem like the time to celebrate when the celebration was so abhorrently wrong. It was a paradox that should have ripped mere existence into slivers.

She had been at home, exhausted after a long day at work as the secretary to the new Minster of Magic, Damien Gianni. Working under cover for the Order of the Phoenix without being discovered was taking its toll on her, and dark shadows were beginning to line her eyes. Slumped onto the vast leather sofa she had managed to cram into her tiny cottage, she had been playing with the flower that Lily had once charmed for her - a Lily naturally - when it had suddenly vanished.

The uneasiness that had shot through her forced her to apparate to the spot in Godric's Hollow that Lily had met her at once before, during their months of exile. The sight of the house not only visible but blasted apart had punched her in the gut, sending her staggering back with shock.

She drifted through a foggy haze of denial, the impact not fully hitting her. She waited for Lily to clamber from the wreckage cradling Harry, alive and well, but no one came.

Absentmindedly, her thoughts clamouring round her mind, she charmed a nearby climbing rose hanging haphazardly off what had once been the front frame of the house, turning the deep, velvet red - to match her hair, James had professed as he planted them - into a small wreath of lilies hanging above the redundant door frame. A lily to crown where they lay.

Muggle sirens pierced through her daze and she shook her head to pull her scattered thoughts together. She left as quickly as she had arrived, glancing back just once with desperate longing. It had felt as though someone had drained every emotion out of her, leaving an unsettling numbness that threatened to drown her.

She had entered the Leaky Cauldron with such a haunted look on her face that the entire pub had immediately fallen deathly silent, as if sensing the importance and impact of what news she bore. There was an empty shock, before the room exploded with cheers and whooping, relentless glee that filled the room to the brim. The celebrations had raged on ceaselessly around her since as she sat stone still, the calm in the eye of the storm as she tried to register the impossible.

Without consciously thinking she twisted, dimly registering the tugging at her navel as she apparrated and stumbled into a letter box that had once read 'J. R. Lupin' - it was foolish to leave such blatant identifiers around anymore. In these dark days, being inconspicuous was essential to survival.

The red brick house that loomed above her was grand with an air of elegance contradicted by the unkempt grounds that surrounded it. With people dying left, right and centre and fear suffocating the air, it was hard to find time for trivial things such as gardening when each day could be your last.

A shadowy bundle curled up on the path drew her in, and she crumpled forwards to envelope the unmoving figure. At the touch of the embrace the building pressure of despair was released and they simply sat there, bodies wracked with sobs as they attempted to comprehend the incomprehensible.

"They can't be gone, Alice," Remus finally whimpered. "It-it's James. And Lily. J-just another one of their pranks. They'll all come skipping round the corner soon, laughing at how well they played us and how silly we were to believe it, with James boasting like there's no tomorrow," he begged, clutching onto the sleeve of her baby blue dressing down that was now dusted in dirt as she turned her head away from his tortured eyes.

"It's true, Remus," came the broken reply. "And Peter. Oh god, Peter, darling, innocent Peter. And by-" she broke off in a sob, taking a deep breath to steady her voice before continuing. "-And by Sirius of all people. He was always so reckless and headstrong, getting into fights and always in trouble but honour was vital to him! He lived and breathed it - the Sirius we knew would never dream of being unfaithful to James and Lily or any one of us, let alone harming them." Another sob slipped out. "He would have died before betraying his friends! But I guess some family blood is too strong to be changed" she ended bitterly.

A strangled, guttural cry was the only reply as they slowly buckled, neither shifting away as they held the last shreds of each other together.

The sun carried on drifting upwards, a painful reminder of the insignificance of their lives against the vast universe that was carrying on.

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A/N: Well there we go, hope you liked it! A shorter first chapter- the next one is much more lengthly. I'd love it if you had time to review, it would really help, but irregardless I hope you enjoyed the first instalment!


	2. Dear Old Shiz

A/N: Hello again! Here's the next chapter - it just took over my brain so I had to get it out and it kind of ran away with itself - lets not talk about lessons I may or may not have skipped to write to this!

I'm still trying to get into the style of writing I like, but i'm hoping it will progress as I write more of this. Also the timeline switches around quite a lot so I added in date's and times to make it easier to understand

Every time you review cupcakes are born!

Thanks to **HoneyLake** for being the first reviewer - you should check out her Marauders fic "**The Fourth Crimson Sky**" because it's brilliant!

Disclaimer: Wicked is not mine. JKRowling owns all these characters and my childhood

Song is on Youtube is here: /watch?v=R-hMnPi4GoI&feature=plcp

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**Dear Old Shiz**

A messy raven haired boy on the cusp of adulthood with the fear of war creeping closer.

A freckled fair skinned girl quietly following the motions of life; verdant eyes obscured by strands of copper hair.

She would call herself average, ordinary.

She was.

But change has a funny way of sneaking up on us when we least expect it.

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_1st September 1976_

_11:10am_

If you had told Lily Evans a month ago that she would be curled up in the corner of a cosy - and blissfully empty - compartment on the Hogwarts Express with a gleaming badge inscribed with 'head girl' standing to attention on her chest, she would have called you out on your crazy and returned her nose to whatever book was distracting her at the time.

In this particular instance it was a worn, well thumbed copy of "The Great Gatsby," but the choice of book was as irrelevant as whether or not she was reading it the right way up or not (she was.) Melancholy was filling her mind and her gaze was peering one thousand meters through the crinkly inked pages.

In short, she was lost in her thoughts.

The badge seemed to press down on her, a heavy weight that she couldn't shift - it was as if a hippogriff was happily trampling around on her torso. Nothing could convince her that Dumbledore hadn't made a mistake, and that they would rectify it as soon as they realised, apologising profusely for the error but awkwardly taking the title with them.

Leadership was for the brave and courageous, the ones who inspired people with rousing speeches and revolutionary ideas. She couldn't even stand in front of her classmates to give a presentation on lacewing's without shaking, fidgeting and feeling the urge to puke over Slughorn's shoes – the lesson's end had thankfully cut her short, saving her from whatever fate had awaited

She, Lily Evans, was not the charismatic authority needed to take on the task of leading the student body of Hogwarts.

Sure, her fellow students were - mostly - civil to her but more often than not this was because they tended to just forget about her. Holding a civil tolerance with people was different to engaging with them on a regular basis.

She went about her daily life quietly without disturbing others much, listening and laughing to conversations with her friends but rarely contributing much to group conversation - half the time they were so unused to hearing her say much that they didn't notice she had spoken at all.

The one exception to this habit was naturally the Marauders. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were the inseparable four that had taken Professor McGonagall's scathing branding of their antics and worn it in the cocksure way only teenage boys could manage.

There was something about them that ignited her temper like nothing else could - with their hare brained pranks and reckless rule breaking, they caused her to flare up whenever she reached the end of her nerve.

This happened more often than not.

Irrespective of his questionable choice of company, she kept a close friendship with Remus.

Their shared love of old muggle books and music created a quiet unspoken bond between the two, and quite often he would come to her to escape the mindless chatter of his friends. They recommended and shared books and vinyl's which would always be left with a little note - on separate parchment of course, lest Madame Pince crucify them – with a doodle detailing a particular quote or lyric. Lily kept them in an intricately carved mahogany box as a scrap book - she could remember things that had happened by which book or artist she had been into at the time.

Despite their intellectual conversations, whenever she tried to delve deeper to a more emotional level he immediately closed up, offering her no insight to the true Remus she could feel was just out of was obvious to her that ther were things that he refused to divulge - not that he'd ever let her realise - he was a master at the subtle conversation change.

Nonetheless, his excuses of a sick mother and various ill family members for his disappearances had long stopped fooling her and she knew there was a pattern to the tales that niggled at the bottom of her brain. Her mind had conjured many various scenarios and possibilities but it was the fully fledge truth she sought.

The frustration made her secretly long to be able to tolerate the rest of the foursome better so she could see him more often and decipher what exactly it was. She struggled to be around them all, not because they were boring or spiteful people but because of the aching loneliness that seeped through her. It was envy, born from a yearning for the effortless camaraderie they shared that stemmed from the deep devotion they had to each other. The problem with the Marauders was that they weren't individual entities anymore, they were . You rarely got one without another and the kinship of the four was impenetrable. You could befriend the Marauders but you couldn't be part of them.

She lent against the window, watching the sweeping rain run rivers down the glass. The constant pattering of rain soothed her, relaxing her mind as she thought back to the very first train ride she had taken on the Hogwarts Express. She didn't realise at the time how these seemingly inconsequential events would shape her future so vividly.

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_1st September 1971_

Chilled, crisp air cut through her nose as she unsteadily clambered out the little boat and turned her gaze upwards again. Her breath caught in her throat again - _it was still there_! - as the grand turrets and vast walls that seemed to spiral on forever towered above them. Adrenaline and excitement was gently pulsing her body as she stumbled forwards, allowing herself to be pulled along in the wave of nervous and overexcited first years.

She had waved goodbye to her parents a few hours earlier - a tearful farewell on her mother's part that the eleven year old had been too young and overcome with exhilaration to offer much comfort to.

Once she stepped onto the gleaming ruby steam train, all guilt at leaving a scowling Petunia behind evaporated as she wandered down the carriages past her new classmates. A warm sense of belonging wound through her and coiled in her stomach - to them she was normal, not the freak that gathered glares from a certain pair of steely, disapproving eyes.

After purchasing some Bertie Botts Beans and a chocolate frog from the Honeydukes Express trolley - the plump, dimpled lady kindly pointing out which of the strange coins she could use - she settled into an empty compartment at the back of the train and pulled out the Runes book that had caught her eye in Flourish and Blotts.

She was biting through the warm, flaky pumpkin pasty, butter oozing down her chin and eyes closed in utter contentment when the door to her peaceful haven was slammed open. A familiar black, greasy mop of hair was flung onto her lap, it's owner's lanky body thankfully attached and stumbling across with it, whilst two dark haired boys glared from the doorway.

"Sev?"

He wrenched himself away from Lily in humiliation and brandished his wand at the two boys with a snarl, who sniggered at his attempt at bravado.

"What are you going to do Sevy? Poke us?" snorted the boy on the left, leaning casually on the doorframe with a smirk. His mess of black hair gave him the appearance of being pulled through a hedge backwards - a contrast to the crisp, pristine robes that hung off his shoulders. The other boy, bulkier with olive skin, let out a long, barking laugh at his friend, and stepped forwards, cocking an eyebrow.

"Stop it, Sev! You can't get into trouble on your first day!" Lily admonished as she leant over his shoulder and plucked his wand from his hand. His face burnt scarlet as the two boys in the doorway roared with laughter at his undoing until she leapt to her feet and turned to them, eyes narrowed and hands on hips.

"Don't pick on him you bullies! He hasn't done anything wrong! Get out of my compartment and leave him alone."

The larger, tanned boy opened his mouth to reply, but one glance at her flaming eyes and he thought better of it - with a nod at his friend they moved back into the corridor, turning to glimpse at Lily before wandering away.

She let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding and turned back to Sev, expecting gratitude and the affectionate face of her friend. Instead she was greeted with a scowl as black as thundercloud as he snatched his wand back out of her hand.

"I didn't need your help!"

"Yes, you were doing just brilliantly there on your own. What even happened Sev? Why were they picking on you?"

"They're arrogant prat. Swanning around shoving their money in everyone else's faces and acting too good for the rest of us," he glared, throwing himself down on the opposite seat.

Despite her gentle prodding, she couldn't get another word out of her friend, and she resigned herself to silence, returning to the book she'd been reading as the Scottish countryside washed it's way past like a watercolour left to drip.

They pulled into an old Victorian looking station, worn stone walls and softly glowing gas lamps - she presumed they were enchanted - illuminating the area. Dense woodland and rolling hills peered around the giant red engine, and even the air seemed to have a crisper, more magical quality than back home. She was herded across the platform with the rest of the first years to a little jetty sticking out into the inlet of a vast black lake, where a tiny fleet of wooden boats were moored.

They were quickly sectioned off into the rickety boats, Sev promising to find her at the other end before crowding into a boat with a group of shady look boys. Disappointment rankled through her that she wouldn't get to experience everything him - they'd spent all summer talking of nothing else.

With a deep sigh she trudged off to the boat she had been directed to, finding it already containing the two boys from earlier who were joined by a short, skinny, over excited boy who was bouncing up and down next to the other two.

A chubby blonde boy and a petite, dark skinned girl with rows of delicately laced braids were talking animated in the front prow of the boat, leaving her with only the row of benches with the other three.

Resigned to her companions, she went to step into the boat before finding herself being shoved sharply aside. Losing her balance, she slipped forwards, pushing the other person away as she nearly face planted into the deck of the boat - her nose was saved from being crushed at the last minute by a quick arm that grabbed her upwards.

Behind her, there was a loud shriek as the impact of someone hitting the water reached them, spraying several feet through the air with icy droplets. Her viewed panned upwards to the other end of the arm where she reached the face of the black, messy haired boy who was trying to contain his laughter.

"Hello again. James. You just can't keep away, huh? You only needed to ask."

"Lily Evans. Thanks for catching me," she replied grudgingly. Drat, now she already owed this boy - she didn't like him very much for picking on Sev, who had made it quite clear he was to be avoided.

The chaos behind her quickly reminded her attacker, and she turned round to see James' friend hauling a dark haired girl over the side of their boat who was glaring venomously straight at Lily.

James chuckled. "That's Sirius Black. The girl you so elegantly capsized is his cousin, Alice Prewett. Or distant cousin at least - all the purebloods are related in one way or another"

She nodded along, not really following but unwilling to let on how little she knew. She felt out of her depth surrounded by these people that magic was a second nature to but she pushed her head up high to convince herself she wasn't intimidated.

"I'm Peter," piped up the small boy before being silenced by a sharp look from a soaking Alice. He immediately shifted over to her side of the boat to prove his alliance.

Despite being drenched, she was still exceedingly pretty, with ivory skin and gleaming eyes that seemed to metamorphose between sea green and glacial blue. Her chestnut hair hung in sodden curls, once neatly arranged round her shoulders with a gold ribbon.

"What the hell was that for," she shot viciously at Lily, water dripping off her robes and forming a puddle on the boat floor.

Lily stared for a minute, gobsmacked, before hurriedly trying to explain that she'd been assigned this boat and that she'd slipped when Alice had brushed past. She couldn't believe it - she hadn't been here five minutes and she'd already managed to upset someone.

"Well I'm sitting with Sirius," retorted Alice as though this was obvious, an air of finality in her voice. "You'll have to get in another boat."

By now the rest of the boats had departed, so Lily found herself enduring a mortified journey wedged tightly on the bench with James and Peter, and hoping that not all witches were cut from the same cookie as Alice. Homesickness crawled through her, a longing for a warm, tight, floral embrace from her mum that she'd get whenever she was ill or upset. Now seemed the perfect time, more than ever before.

Despite the damper on her mood, nothing could stop the thrill that had rushed through her at the sight as they rounded the hill that sheltered the inlet, and the full view of Hogwarts, towering above with thousands of turrets, towers and glowing lights snatched away the breath of every child in the boat. Even the three boys had a look of amazement on their faces, because nothing they'd grown up with could adequately prepare them for grandeur of Hogwarts.

After decamping from the boats in a tiny little cove under the rock face they were shuffled along through corridors and up several flights of stairs until they reached a grand set of doors.

They were wooden, thirty foot tall and five people wide, burnished ancient metal on the hinges and handles and surrounded by carvings of a snake, lion, raven and a badger. Her breath caught in her chest in suspense as she felt the significance of what was about to occur, and the great doors were flung open to reveal a vast and magnificent hall. Her eyes were drawn to the ceiling straight away as dustings of stars shimmered down on her from the cloudless night sky that had replaced the roof. Hundreds of candles floated just below whist great torches brightly lit the room from the walls. Four tables were filled with clapping students; each bedecked in green, yellow, red or blue, and a high table horizontal to them filled with staff.

Trotting to the other end of the aisle to the front of the teacher's table, a dark shabby hat awaited them. The fear in "Abbott, Claire's" eyes was tangible as she hesitantly approached it after being called out from a long scroll. Once they had got over the shock of the hat yelling out "Hufflepuff!" and realised what the sorting entailed the first years gathered patiently, nervously awaiting their turn. Sev had explained the houses to her, and she had promised to try and be in Slytherin so they could be together but secretly she thought they all looked a bit serious and scary.

Sirius followed "Bones, Eddie" - the chubby blonde from the boat who was another Hufflepuff - and confidently strolled over to the stall, jamming the hat over his ears. Lily had overheard him telling James that all his family were in Slytherin, so when the hat yelled "Gryffindor!" she felt a wedge of sympathy for him as she watched him walk across to the opposite table, shock splitting his features.

At the quiet silence she realised that her name had been called, and hurried up to the front. Butterflies fought around her stomach as she perched on the stall, the warm, musty hat enveloping her head. Before it had been there more than a split second she heard the deep throaty voice cry "Gryffindor!" and the red table exploded into cheers. As she walked down to the table she caught sight of Sev and sent an apologetic smile his way, but he turned his head and looked the other way.

After taking seat next to the still shell-shocked Sirius, she watched as "Lupin, Remus," a small boy who kept sweeping sandy hair out of his eyes, which were downcast most of the time, was sorted into Gryffindor as well. He sat next to her, and soon they were joined by Marlene McKinnon - a bright eyed blonde who immediately started chatting to Sirius - Peter Pettigrew, the over excitable boy from the boat and of course as sod's law would dictate, James Potter.

"Prewett, Alice" was called, and the now dried, dainty brunette was placed in Hufflepuff, joining "Meadowes, Dorcas" and "MacDonald, Mary" who immediately began to whisper together. She watch sadly as Sev was placed into Slytherin, a longing for her best friend pulling at her insides.

"Zabini, Prudence" was finally placed in Ravenclaw, and then the hat was taken away as an old man rose from his centre table seat on the high table. He had a long white beard that curled round his waist and his deep purple robes were offset with shimmering silver thread in swirls and tendrils. With a clap of his hands the room when silent, and he smiled gently.

"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. To all students, I must remind you that the forbidden forest is, as the name implies, strictly forbidden. Third years and above, you may visit Hogsmeade if your head of house has approved your guardian sign slip. But for now, onto the bit that we wait so feverishly for all summer: let the feast begin!"

With another clap, the empty tables in front of them sprung up with food, groaning under the weight of buttery pies, potatoes in every different form, steaming sauces that wafted their scent tantalisingly through your nostril, every kind of meat you could imagine and some that you couldn't - tender and falling off the bone, and exotic new dishes that Lily had never seen before.

Excitedly, she helped herself to all the meat she could reach - Petunia had insisted the rest of the family follow her vegetarian diet and Lily was most definitely a carnivore - piling her plate with all the delicious food surrounding her. Her mother was not a bad cook but food had never been exciting, just a necessity and a time to socialise over the family dinner table. The spread in front of her enraptured her senses, making her mouth water with the complex harmonies of smells swirling around.

Next to her to the least of her surprise, James, Sirius and Peter were already having a competition to see who could get the most on their plate in the most fancy ways.

Rolling her eyes she turned to talk to Remus instead. He was carefully eating a small plateful of food, face cast downwards. Moving his hair out of his eyes, the gleam from the torches swept onto his face revealing a thick, angry scar that carved across the side of his cheek. She eyed it curiously for moment before deciding to introduce herself.

"Hi. I'm Lily."

He looked up, surprised that he was being spoken to and unsure how to proceed.

"Um, I'm Remus. Nice to meet you."

"The food's good isn't it?"

"Amazing actually. They cook the meat rare, just how I like it."

He frowned and blushed hard, drawing his head back down hesitantly. Puzzled slightly, she soldiered on, asking him about his family and if he'd been to Diagon Alley and what pet he'd bought and were there really ghosts around Hogwarts? Realising her persistence, he began to open up a little more; a smile slowly drawing it's way onto his face.

By the time the feast finished, continuing on for another two courses that included lavish deserts, they were all completely stuffed. After announcing the new head boy and girl for the year Dumbledore dismissed them all to their dorms.

Following a rather stuck up, mousy haired prefect up several flights of stairs that moved much to her delight, she was struck with confusion when they stopped in front of a large painting. A plump lady in a flowing satin ball gown of pink stared at them patiently, till the prefect announced that the password for this term was 'mimble' and the portrait swung away from the wall.

She barely took in the plush, warm common room as she wandered up the stairs in a tired daze and immediately collapsed on the huge four-poster bed next to her trunk.

That night her dreams were a swirl of magic food, flying trains and piles of red and gold satin.

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_1st September 1976_

_17:20_

James Potter was in deep thought. The rain was howling past the window and the gunmetal grey skies reflected his sullen mood. Deep thought wasn't something that he often did in public - he reserved it for intricate plans born and raised under the midnight moon, and study he surreptitiously engaged in when no one was watching - but the buzzing chatter of his friends was doing nothing to capture his mind.

The gleaming badge with 'Head Boy' inscribed into it on the other hand, was burning a hole in his pocket.

The dilemma of breaking the news to his fellow marauders was plaguing his mind - Remus' poorly concealed disappointment, Peter's overexcitement and Sirius' immediate plotting of the best ways to abuse the new power available to them in ways that Remus had never allowed - but most importantly, just how Dumbledore had messed up so badly?

Was it his twisted way of trying to infuse a sense of responsibility into him? He supposed maybe the teachers had wanted to ease their stress a little. He and Sirius had racked up more detentions than the rest of the school put together, and their pranks were the stuff of infamy and legends. One particularly genius plan had seen the entire school walking around with blue handlebar moustaches for days until Flitwick had found and countered the enchantment on the great hall doors.

A sterling example of a good role model James most certainly was not.

If you happened upon him, perhaps in the corridors on his way to Charms, his lethal charm would lazily wind it's way around you until suddenly he was gone, as quick as he had appeared. Most often he would be off to loose himself in the weightless, soaring sensation of gliding through the air, atop a meticulously polished wooden branch. It isn't possible to concentrate on anything much else when you're fifty foot off the ground, and it was this solace that he often sought.

The James he recognised was seen through very different lenses to the rest of the world. It would take him time to realise what he could do. He was brave and he was loyal, and with a little polishing he would shine - his eyes were too clouded with judgement to see the potential yet.

"Prongs, are you ill? You haven't said a word since we got onto the train and I'm worried for your delicate disposition" Sirius fussed with mock worry at his friend before ducking to avoid the shoe flying through the air towards him.

"It's great to see you in such a joyous mood at seeing your dear friends again. Oh don't be silly, we missed you more, no _we_ missed _you _more."

"Guess who I saw earlier," Peter interjected dreamily, "Only Allison Ritcherson wearing the shortest skirt known to humanity. That girl has _legs_."

"How well observed Wormtail," remarked Remus drily, "it's good to know you can distinguish your anatomy. My years of correcting your homework clearly didn't go to waste."

"Pete wouldn't know girls anatomy if it hit him in the face."

"Padfoot! Don't be cruel. We can't all get it on with every single girl in the school, whilst simultaneously sort of dating one of the hottest girls in the year, or whatever messed up relationship you two have. God knows what she sees in you actually."

"Oh Moony, you are most definitely right…" A smug grin crossed Sirius' face. "Marlene is smoking hot. But maybe Wormtail, you should try actually sampling some of your options - instead of gazing like a love-sick puppy after my cousin all the time."

"Hilarious Padfoot. Real original. Moony make sure you get him a particular brutal detention for his first of the year."

"Nonsense, our prestigious head boy would never abuse his power in such a way, except to help out his genius friends. Where's your badge Moony, I want to see if I can enchant it to shoot dung bombs at the Slytherins."

A dark cloud flitted briefly over Remus' face before he smiled forcefully. He wasn't sure if it was to convince them or himself more.

"I didn't get head boy actually ... But it's fine. I'm fine. I'm sure whoever did will do a great job. Dumbledore probably didn't want to add any more stress, what with my condition and everything."

"He can't not make you head boy just because of your furry little problem!" Sirius near shouted in horror. "That's just ridiculous. It's discrimination. It's an outrage! It's an abomination! Everyone knows you deserve it the most. You actually do like, work, and stuff.

And there was me was looking forwards to having headquarters of mischief just for us - and whatever chick got the head girl title I guess. Damn. I wonder who got it then?"

"Amos Diggory?" suggested Peter.

"Nah, McGonagall's making him redo a year of transfiguration because he accidentally turned Elsie Turnblad into a sloth on his end of year test.. What about old Benjy? She's always had a soft spot for him."

"Didn't Slughorn catch him with that Ravenclaw in the old charms classroom?"

James nervously cleared his throat.

"Actually, I know who got it."

Three pairs of eyes turned towards him. Exhaling slightly shakily, he reached into his pocket, opening his fist face up so they could all see a small gold badge shining in the middle of his palm. "Head Boy" glinted off the face of it.

He ignored the surprised hoots and cheers emitting from Sirius and Peter, focusing in on his quiet, gentle friend who had gone deathly quiet, shock lingering faintly across his face.

A look of betrayal flashed across his eyes, and then Remus spread a feeble smile onto his face, murmuring how pleased he was for James before fleeing the carriage immediately.

As soon as he escaped the suddenly claustrophobic confinement of his three friends he let out a deep breath he didn't know he'd been holding and envy, anger, jealousy, frustration, disappointment - every single damn emotion he usually purged so well gushed across his brain. The floodgates were broken and nothing could stop this deluge from dousing his brain in bitterness. The tiny dinghy desperately paddling along to remind him that James was his friend and it wasn't his fault was sundered in an instant.

He wandered aimlessly down the corridor, reluctant to re-join his friends. He had been gone for about half an hour and was considering going back when the train lurched suddenly as it went round a sharp bend, and he found himself thrown forwards until a body blocked his path of flight.

Stumbling backwards, he looked up to find Dorcas grinning back at him, all dimples and freckles and crinkled slate eyes. Her blonde hair had lightened over the summer and gently tousled to midway down her back with a braid that crowned her head, woven with little flowers. Her sweater matched her eyes, a dark charcoal wool that softly clung to her curves, rising and falling: he snapped his eyes back upwards when he realised he was staring, his face burning red as she let out a small peal of laughter.

"How's your summer been Remus?"

"Oh good, yeah good thanks," he stammered. Girls weren't a problem - his mother had raised Remus to respect and treat them properly and he was a perfect gentleman. There was just something _this_ one that made him fall to pieces and loose coherency and rational thought every single time they came face to face. "How was Croatia?"

"Simply fabulous, there was a festival going on and I met Johny Dearhart - singer of the Crushed Wallabys? He's even more crazy in person, all this matted hair and black eyeliner."

"Ah, the old 'borrowing the girls makeup.' I'll never understand how guys get away with that, I think Sirius would disown me if I tried it."

"Well if you can practically make sex to song like he did when he sung 'Golden Snitches on the Wind' then you'd get enough cred to get away with it too," she joked. "Merlin, it's such a let-down to be back to Hogwarts permanently rainy demeanour. You know how much of a sun worshiper I am."

He smiled remembering how she'd spent every possible moment by the lake in the summer term to catch the last rays of light each evening. He'd often joined her with a book and they would sit in quiet companionship. It was the perfect kind of moments where mindless conversation wasn't needed to fill the space; they were at a quiet understanding with each other.

"I came to find Mary, you haven't seen her have you? Sirius and Alice were gossiping about latest scandal to befoul one of their many millions of cousins and then Marlene started getting pretty busy with him so I escaped in search of pastures new. I thought she might be with you?"

Remus shook his head to indicate that he hadn't seen her and she groaned, her forehead puckering up in disappointment.

"Shall we try Lily then?"

"Lily is right here, listening to you two gossip like mother hens," the door echoed back at them.

* * *

_14:00pm_

Lily awoke from her daydream with a start as a lilting voice sung her name from the door of the compartment.

Looking up, she was greeted by a rumpled platinum blonde, hair in messy dreadlocks that were threaded through with beads and shimmering ribbons. Her baggy uniform looked as if it had been rolled in the bottom of a suitcase for several months and quickly thrown on, and knowing Lena, it probably had.

Her friend was a whimsical adventurer, flighty and impossible to pin down in one place for long and she was always returning from far off exotic places. She'd sewn a giant map in the canopy of her bed marked with all the places she'd been and wanted to go- wanderlust flowed through her veins.

Despite forever having her head in the clouds she was bright, more than intelligent enough to keep up with her older friend and a snarky humour that could always bring a smile to Lily's face. A nose piercing, lashings of smoky eyeliner and a crazy mixed up wardrobe rounded off her brilliant friend, who spent more evenings slouched on the Gryffindor couches than her own.

Lily had met Selene Asteria in her second year when she had found the young first year trapped by a Gulping Cow plant in her Herbology greenhouse. The Ravenclaw had claimed to be searching for Luftwing Lobbers' which apparently gathered near such plants, and had been calmly gazing around with complete disregard for any of the danger that she was in. After freeing her from the plant and helping her to the hospital wing the two had struck up an easy rapport, and after bumping into each other in the library a few times they'd become firm friends. Despite being a pureblood she had no qualms with accepting Lily's hand of friendship.

"Lilith darling, you appear to be drooling. It's a very attractive look. Stop thinking about all those prefects you spied on in the bathrooms last year, it's neither the time nor place."

Lily rolled her eyes, moving her stuff to make room on the seat and subtly wiping her mouth just in case.

"That was an accident - it was one time!" she grumbled. "How was I supposed to know Gideon Prewett would be stupid enough to leave the door unlocked, and choose that exact time to get out the bath stark naked. That foam left nothing to the imagination."

"Mmm, I can imagine." Lena sighed happily, sprawling out on the other end of the seat and resting her legs on Lily. "Such a shame he left. I was looking forwards to him mistaking Hogwarts for a catwalk for another year. Merlin he knew it though, I'm surprised he got any NEWT's at all with the amount of time he spent last year attached to different girls faces. Anyway, how was Petunia's wedding?"

Lily groaned, swinging her legs onto the seat to intertwine with Lena's. "Absolute torture. Thankfully she insisted I wasn't allowed to be bridesmaid in case 'any of that freak stuff happens' so I was mostly out of the path of bridezilla. I spent the ceremony at the back listening to my iPod - my music thingy, remember?" Her friend's blank gaze didn't change.

The one downfall of Hogwarts was that electronic devices didn't work so she had no way of listening to music wherever she wanted. Her precious Beatles and Morrisey could only comfort her when she was in her dorm, using the magically enhanced record player that she had found in a junk shop in Diagon Alley. It was in pretty tatty condition with the initials A. W inscribed on the bottom.

They spent the afternoon leisurely chatting, catching up on events of the summer. Lena had gone trekking in the Amazon with a couple she had met in Peru and she had met an Amazonian that had given her a stunning green dragon made of jade. It clambered all over her, the smoky stone swirling inside as it's jaws let rip a silent roar. They were scathingly discussing the finer points of Vernon's bulging groomsman suit when a commotion from behind their door alerted them to Dorcas and Remus standing just outside.

"Should we let them in?"

"No," hushed Lily, "Let them talk, they've been dancing circles around each other forever. How they can both be so oblivious is beyond me."

Lena rolled her eyes, resigned to letting her friend play matchmaker again.

"You care an awful lot about relationships for someone that doesn't even believe in love"

"I just don't believe we've experience enough at this age to know what love is. It doesn't mean we should let people go when they could be perfect. And besides, even if they're not, life's too short, it's all about living and you've got to make plenty of mistakes to do that. Take every chance you get and all that jazz."

"Shall we try Lily then?" she heard drift through the door and she quickly jumped up.

"Lily is right here, listening to you two gossip like mother hens."

The door swung open and Remus and Dorcas stepped inside. Her gaze scurried across the two of them, settling on Remus with a cheeky grin.

"Hey Dorcas, Mary's not here. Why don't you check Eddie and Benjy's compartment? Take Remus with you." She tried not to laugh as conflicting emotions battled across his face at his interfering friend.

As she spoke a tiny, elfin girl entered the doorway. Thick tendrils of strawberry blonde framed her face in a feather light bob and a fitted blouse and skirt hung off her petite frame. She was a natural beauty; the definition of an English rose with her creamy flushed skin and sky blue eyes that shimmered with excitement.

"Mary! There you are - I've been searching for you all over!"

"Cas! How've you been? You're looking so tanned and freckly. I'm guessing Croatia was amazing." Mary grinned, hugging her best friend tightly. It had been a strange summer without Cas round to break up the tedium of her straight laced family.

"Oh, hi Lily. Have a good holiday?" she added on spotting Lily, reaching over in the now cramped compartment to give her a brief hug as well.

At that moment the train pulled into Hogsmeade and they scattered, each to find their own belongings and make their way up to the castle.

The carriage ride was quick but bitterly cold, and Lily rubbed her hands together to gain some warmth as she sat down next to Remus at the Gryffindor table.

She rolled her eyes as Alice brushed past her forcefully after saying goodbye to Sirius, and turned instead to wait for the Sorting to begin, willing it to pass quickly so the feast could begin.

* * *

_20:38pm_

Once the Sorting had finished and they had all gorged themselves on as much food as they could eat, Dumbledore rose from his usual seat. This was the part Lily had been dreading and she shrunk lower in her chair.

"Ah, another year in the hallowed halls of dear old Hogwarts. Let us look forwards to lessons we shall no doubtably revere even in our grey and wrinkly old age, when our days here are long gone.

Finally, before we part on our merry way to rest dozing heads on those comfy pillows that have been awaiting us all summer, it is my great pleasure to announce your new head boy and girl: James Potter and Lily Evans. If you could meet Professor McGonagall in entrance hall please. The rest of you, chip chop off to bed."

She did not even register the whispered buzzing that filled the room or Lena's indignant stare from across the hall. Shock had struck her dumb, because if she'd thought she didn't deserve the title, James Potter most certainly did not.

Numbly she walked against the tide of people to where her head of house was standing with an unsmiling Potter.

"Professor."

"Thank you Miss Evans, if you and Mr Potter would follow me this way please."

They followed her to the west wing of the school, an area Lily wasn't familiar with as it mostly contained empty classrooms and teacher's rooms. They stopped in front of a painting of Merlin himself in long sapphire robes, lounging in a plush armchair.

"This is the entrance to your heads quarters. Seeing as you will be expected to perform numerous duties and cooperate closely together it has always been felt easier to room the head girl and boy together, especially in the usual the case of separate house dormitories.

Hogwarts itself changes the layout of the quarters each year, and seems to enjoy showing off more and more each time so I'm uncertain as to what exactly you'll find," she sighed, rolling her eyes slightly.

The password for now is 'Snitch' - you'll be informed of the changes where appropriate, as well as those to other passwords so you can inform your prefects.

I will of course expect you to conduct yourselves in your uttermost best behaviour and set a good example to the rest of the school who will be looking to you for guidance. I do not want to hear of you abusing the power that has been entrusted to you." She glared, particular hard in James' direction; he could see where she was coming from.

"Your first head meeting will be in my office tomorrow at 8pm to discuss your duties. The head title is a prestigious one and I hope you do by it well. Goodnight, and congratulations." She finished and walked back the way she came.

Glancing awkwardly at each other, Lily spoke the password and watched as the painting slowly vanished, leaving behind it a stone paved tunnel, lit with glass lanterns that were filled with a shimmering blue flame. They walked down it slowly, emerging in a large wood panelled circular room - one of the smaller towers, she guessed.

On the immediate left of the door the wall turned into a bookcase that swept along with the curve of the wall, ending in ceiling to floor glass that lead onto a small balcony. On the other side of the room were two plump leather sofas arranged around a stone-carved fireplace that was gently toasting the room with a warm, peachy glow.

Between the balcony and the sofas, directly opposite the doorway she was standing in was another door that lead upwards, and to it's left was a long wooden desk protruding from the wall, curved with drawers and a chair on either side so that they each had their own work space. It was beautifully carved with swirls and ancient symbols.

Picking her way across the room to the door opposite she made her way up to the next floor, where she found two identical bedrooms taking up a quarter of the floor each. They both had a large, luxurious looking four-poster bed bedecked in the red and gold of Gryffindor, and a small chest of drawers and wardrobe.

Passing through the door at the edge of either room left to a shared bathroom that took up the rest of the floor. She gasped as she noticed a waterfall streaming down the middle of the room, the platform built underneath obviously intending it for showering. The bottom of the platform led straight into a giant bath tub similar to the one in the prefects bathroom - deep, wide and surrounded by plenty of different taps. A toilet was hidden behind a privacy screen, whilst a sink either side hosted a mirrored cabinet for toiletries.

She was blown by the splendour of it all.

She wandered back downstairs to find James slouched on the couch. They didn't really talk much, but she knew of him vaguely through the Hogwarts rumour mill - his reputation preceded him. He was the completely opposite to her - where he was achingly popular she was quietly unknown, he was captain of the Quidditch team where she avoided sport or excessive movement that required grace like the pox.

Despite the slight feeling of intimidation she figured she had to soldier on. They couldn't share the head title if they could't even hold a conversation, and Dumbledore must have known what he was thinking when he elected James. There was slight doubt he'd been thinking at all.

"It's remarkable that Hogwarts does this itself, isn't it…" she tried awkwardly. He gave a disgruntled nod.

"So, are you going to be holding Quidditch trials again? Must be a heck of a job to sort out." Another distant shake of his head.

Frustration riled her - what did he have to be annoyed about? Was he honestly cross about getting such an important role because it would ruin his carefree, mischievous image? Girls would be swooning over him even more now - he had nothing to worry about.

It didn't occur to her what other events might be coming into play, but that is of course the misfortune of trying to converse with people you know little about. The words of others know little of the people behind their tales, as she would soon discover.

"Who did you manage to get blackmail on to get this then? I thought Remus was more the type to want to be head boy."

"I didn't do anything to get this," he spat back. Everything he'd been disregarding so well was rushing to the surface - she was picking apart what he'd been suppressing, saying the things that all of them had been thinking but that they'd all ignored.

"Exactly. That's why I'm kind of confused as to why Dumbledore elected you. Aren't you like the antonym of head boy? All I ever see you doing is planning, executing or bathing in the aftermath of one of your stupid pranks. God forbid you engage in a lesson properly, and what about organisation? Has there ever been a bit of homework given in on time that wasn't the result of Remus and hours of nagging?"

She winced internally as she realised how badly she'd laid into him. The worrying all day about the situation had taken it's toll and she had definitely just taken that all out on him.

She opened her mouth to apologise but he cut her off, jumping up from the sofa.

"Well I guess you've got me in a nutshell," he scowled. "Why don't you ask the man himself if it bothers you so much. I'll just take my useless, undeserving head boy self off to bed." He stormed up the stairs with fire in his step to his room, leaving behind a weary, defeated Lily.

It had been a draining day. He wasn't in the mood for facing the emotions inside himself and certainly not for sitting and listening to this girl presume what she wanted about him. He felt slightly homesick - not for his ever unavailable parents and doting house elves but for the comfort of his three best friends. Their absence left a hollow inside him that he ached to be filled with the familiar concern jokes and laughter. Sighing, he slipped under the covers and soon fell into a restless sleep.

As she climbed into her own bed soon after, she couldn't help wondering what exactly she'd got herself into. It was going to be a long year.

* * *

A/N: Phew! That was about 6 times longer than the previous chapter so cookies to you straight away if you even finished it! I know not much has happened yet but it was necessary to set the story up a bit more - sherbet lemons to those who think they can guess the Wicked characters already!

I'm going to be trying to post an update every week - probably on Sundays, so follow me on tumblr and theyoungandinfinite if you want news or update reminders

Reviews would be lovely!


	3. The Wizard and I

**i reedited the previous chapter to change some flaws. i'd highly recommend rereading it before reading this.**

This story is my getaway from reality- it's basically what i loose myself in whenever i need to escape. The writing might not be perfect, in fact it's far far from it and i keep wanting to change the style and viewpoint and so on but it's my distraction, so please be kind and i hope you enjoy it anyway. I'm sorry the update took so long - it's my least favourite chapter that needs to be written but there's lots more interesting things to come!

I own neither the Marauders or Wicked.

song on youtube: (/watch?v=72A4VG_3aiI)

* * *

**The Wizard and I**

**6****th**** September 1976**

It had been almost a week since that stupid first argument and the atmosphere in head's quarters still matched the gloomy clouds that swamped the enchanted ceiling each meal time, casting it's occupants below in a dull murkiness.

The two residents of merlin's tower were inflicted with a unfortunate ailment that roadblocked any progress: stubbornness.

Both were secretly obstinate in the decision that although perhaps they were wrong, the other was far more at fault. The cause of this was of course ignorance, as all misdoings all so often stem from. That it is not to imply they were brainless - far from it.

James had cruised the first three years of school. The extra time had led him to keeping himself busy in far more mischievous ways. The marauders had formed and garnered infamy within Hogwart's stony walls; brilliance in the eyes of their fellow classmates - not so much from the faculty, who suffered the brunt end of most of the mayhem the foursome caused.

James' wakeup call had been receiving his results form fourth year to discover he had dropped from the top 10% in his classes to - in his eyes - a pitiful 60th percentile.

Being at the age where appearances and popularity had a crushing impact he found himself continuing his usual parade of pranks and overlording sense of entitlement, before sneaking off to toil over his textbooks in the dim glow of the library lanterns, with only the soft light of the stars to keep him company.

Dumbledore had stumbled upon him after a month or so of his routine, embedded half asleep into a herbology textbook and slightly drooling. Instead of deducting house points he had gently chided James to bed, reminding him with a slight twinkle in his eye that night time was far more enjoyable in the comfort of one's bed.

Since that night James had observed a suspicious absence of patrols near the library. He gradually became less and less paranoid about being caught and continued studying in secret. If his friends noticed the heavy, tired eyes after a particularly gruelling potions essay they didn't mention it.

Lily on the other hand had a natural affiliation with intelligence. She carefully honed it, choosing study over the rowdy gatherings the marauders conducted each evening round the fire. She was the kind of person whom when she decided to do something she was certainly not going to do it half assed.

She made the top mark in most of her subjects, particularly ancient runes which she excelled at with flying colours.

It's clear that the two were not dimwitted; after all they had both fairly earned the title of head despite the delusions and doubts they were harbouring.

Their ignorance emanated from their stubbornness and a lack of understanding about the other.

But there is only so long you can live with another person before these walls start to slowly crumble.

What is revealed is the most surprising of all.

* * *

**8:42am**

"Shit!"

Loud swearing echoed across the room as Lily's blurry eyes registered the clock hands pointing at very much the wrong time; precisely three minutes until her ancient runes class started.

She hopped around on one leg trying to pull on beige corduroy skinnies with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth, fumbling around with the head girl badge that was supposed to be fixing itself to her jumper.

She'd found the jumper in the charity shop she'd been rummaging through in boredom one summer. It was well worn and the emerald green was slightly faded, but the knitted sweater was cosy enough to keep out the bone piercing chill of the Hogwarts dungeons.

A quick slash of navy eyeliner, hair still rumpled in the bun she'd slept in and brown boots on the wrong feet, then the right feet; snatching up a canvas rucksack she hoped had some of the right books inside she raced out the door, down the stairs - and god, why were there so many stairs - and sprinted out the portrait door towards the north tower.

Prying the door open gently she slipped into the seat of the empty desk nearest the door, praying her professor hadn't noticed her absence - thankfully for once luck seemed to be on her side and the lesson continued without halting.

Tall windows reached from floor to ceiling, snatching in the pale, weak morning light that drifted from behind clouds. Oak panelled walls were obscured by shelves upon shelves of yellowing scrolls and tatted dusty books that gave off the sweet, comforting scent of worn leather and parchment, warm and woody.

A small sigh of contentment left her lips as she set about translating the transcript in front of her. The runes seemed to glow and shift in her mind, instantly forming the understanding she needed.

Quickly finishing the set texts, she grabbed a pile of scrolls from the nearest shelf, a disdainful glare from Alice at the disturbance the only interruption from the peaceful haze of the rest of the lesson.

The end always came far too quickly for her liking, and she packed up her bag in quiet dismay and began to head towards the door.

"Lily. A word please?"

Crap. Her lack of punctuality hadn't gone as unnoticed as she'd thought.

She sighed and made her way to the curtained arch at the front of the class room Professor Prewett had just disappeared through. She was already messing up her head girl duty - James would get such smug satisfaction out of it.

The room was small but elegant, with soft green and blue table lights casting a gentle glow around the edges of the flare from a giant candlelit chandelier that filled the ceiling. The oak panelled walls flowed seamlessly in and green silk upholstery added to the grandeur of the office, channeling the bony woman seated in it. Ash black hair was weaved softly round her head, matching the silken robes that swathed her.

Professor Prewett was by far Lily's favourite teacher and they had spent many afternoons pouring over a new translation of a scroll that might have just arrived, debating on symbolic and literal interpretations over a steaming pot of tea and chocolate ginger biscuits.

"I'm so sorry Professor," Lily began meekly, "I didn't mean to be la-"

"Don't be ridiculous Lily," her professor interrupted, "You're my star pupil.

You hand in every assignment on time, perfect and usually with far more extra merit than needed and I don't think you've ever even missed a lesson. You could turn up late with a dingbat attached to your head every once in a while for all I could care," she snorted.

Lily let out her breath, relief flooding her face.

"No, I wanted to ask you something." She settled onto the edge of her desk. "You've got a natural talent in Runes - one that far exceeds that of any student who has passed these halls before - indeed you may even give Merlin himself a run for his money.

The ministry is in great need for talented young witches like yourself who can help us unlock the secrets of the Old Magik. There are thousands of scrolls locked deep within the recesses of the ministry that have puzzled many a great wizard and the potential that could be harnessed is infinite."

She leaned towards Lily, steel eyes glittering with excitement in the candlelight.

"I know you have the potential Lily. I keep a personal confidence with our very own minister of magic, Damien Gianni himself, and he's very interested in finding a new protege to train into the rune breakers - he's a knowledgable man on the subject himself.

Just think of the things you could do after being at his side! He could even progress you straight to being an auror after spending a couple of years in his office. There's no end to the places you could go and the great discoveries you could make.

Why, you could go down in the history books as one of the greats! Just as long as you remember your dear old favourite teacher when you've ascended through the ranks of power," she added with a wink, leaning back on the desk.

Lily flushed red, a grin creeping across her cheeks.

"It sounds incredible. But - well - I wouldn't know where to start!

I don't have family connection or wealth to help me advance through the politics of the Ministry. Besides, all rune breakers have to complete at least a two year specialisation course before they can even be trained."

"Well that's where I come in my dear. I can fast track you through the course and give you the extra tuition you need. You'd have to be prepared to work for it of course.

But if you put in the effort, I see no reason why with talent like yours you shouldn't be inducted into the high office by the end of this year. I'll write to Damien at once - he owes me a cheeky drink or two and I'm sure I can find a way of twisting his arm where needed," she finished with a smirk.

"Oh, it sounds amazing," Lily breathed, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing. Was she really being given the chance to succeed and prove to everyone just what she could really do, irrespective of her birth?

"Excellent. We'll start straight away. Thursday at 8pm."

"Thank you so much Professor! I'll be there. I won't let you down, I promise."

With a final beam at her professor she danced out the room, feeling for the first time in a week as light as air, her heavy mood lifted from her shoulders leaving her gliding on a gentle breeze of contentment.

Wandering down the corridor her mind tumbled and twisted, trying to reassure herself of what had just transpired. Had that actually happened? That despite being a muggleborn, her professor believe that _she _was good enough to work Damien Gianni's top office and even become an auror?

All those times she'd suffered with quiet indignation at the taunts and laughter directed at her persistent studying. Well, she'd show how worth the studying was - and study harder than ever before to make good. Once she met Damien she could prove her worth and show how capable muggleborns really were.

Not that he'd care - she scoffed at the thought of him being so small minded like the arrogance of the youth she was surrounded by. No, Damien was far above all that - after all he was the best minister of magic to come to office in years, and the transformations he'd made to the wizarding world had been revolutionary, bringing it into the new century that was dawning upon them.

He'd see her intelligence for what it was worth and she would soar above the simpleminded dreams of others, writing herself into the history books. Alice would have to swallow that bitter pill and Petunia, well, she would be absolutely horrified. It would be brilliant.

One day, she grinned to herself, there would be a celebration all through out the wizarding world.

All because of her.

* * *

**11:19**

Her happy mood was dampened as she stepped across the threshold of the living room of Merlin's tower and found a rigid James glaring thunderstorms at the door from his desk.

_Shitshitshit. _Their first official meeting as head boy and girl and she'd gone and forgotten. To say that he didn't look pleased at being made to wait was a major understatement.

"Merlin, i'm so sorry James. Professor Prewett made me stay behind to talk me about -ah, stuff.."

Something stopped her bragging about what had just transpired. It seemed too important to use for petty school yard one-upmanships.

"What, did you not get 100% on your 'back to school reminder' test?" he mocked sarcastically. "Oh no, how did perfect Lily not completely excel at something she did?

You should really stop wasting time partying all the time instead of studying- oh wait.."

Her eyes narrowed, shooting imaginary daggers that arched through the air and impaled with a satisfying crunch. She understood he was irritated at being held up but _really, _his arrogance was insufferable. She hadn't _intended _to keep him waiting.

He sighed.

"I'm sorry.. that was harsh. It's just been a trying day, scheduling in being quidditch captain and trying to recruit a decent team around head boy duties and not being shunned a social leper by my friends."

Wow, way to rub your amazingness in a bit more Potter she grouched internally, heading over to her side of the desk and settling into the heavy wooden chair as the already tall stack of paperwork piled on her work surface.

"Actually... she offered me a job with Damien Gianni."

Well. So much for not using that bartering chip.

She watched with deep satisfaction as the news sunk into his face, surprise dawning before being overshadowed by - was that _hurt? -_ quick as a flash changing to scorn.

"Wow. That's brilliant. Really. So pleased for you. Your aspirations for living life to the full are just enviable. Setting yourself up for a life of fun there Lily. Chained to some stuffy establishment where you get to be lackey to their every command with no free will. Doing whatever the highers above tell you to do - highers who will probably look down on you because you're a: a girl and b: a muggleborn, I might add. An existence of endless drudgery of work and mindlessly following instructions to look forwards to. But I suppose that's what you enjoy isn't it."

"Well we can't all have rich parents paying for our every whim," she managed to spit out. "Some of us actually have to work to get what we want." Rage was inflaming through her, setting her extremities tingling at the pure fury she felt from his conceited dismissal. But no. She could, should, would hold it in. He was trying to rile her up and the likes of James Potter wouldn't ruin her day.

He had an odd look on his face, like he was holding something in and it pained him greatly to do so. It looked kind of constipated actually.

Instead he clenched his jaw and started working out the timetabling for the quidditch pitch.

They spent the remaining 40 minutes of their first meeting in stony silence.

* * *

**21:38**

"Can someone please prise Sirius off Marlene's face," Peter complained, looking away from the couple entwined on the sofa in mock disgust. "I've forgotten what my best friend looks like."

"Peter, how could you forget this handsome face?" replied the gasp of outrage as it peered around the pretty blonde perched on his lap.

Sirius grinned. His hands rested upon the slender shape of her waist, a tantalising reminder of curves and soft skin that lay beneath, just begging for him to traverse and explore. A lot. As with most 17 year old boys, his mind ended up on the same one way street pretty fast.

"It's okay Pete, I just attach her to my face for some decoration occasionally," he cracked, earning a sharp punch from Marlene.

"Ouch woman! You punch _hard _for such a small creature!"

"Well maybe you should suggest to your best friend to stop working us to the bone every quidditch practise. Perhaps a reminder that we're training for _sport _not_ war," _she complained, leaning back to settle lightly into the crook of his neck whilst shooting a glare at James across the loose circle.

"Sport _is_ war Marley, especially where those slytherin scum are concerned," he countered, looking very seriously into her eyes, before kissing her on the end of the nose with a wolfish grin. She laughed, leaning forwards to meld their lips together once more.

The others ignored them with an air of tolerated acceptance. Mary and Alice appeared through the common room door, chatting about the robes Alice's Mémé had sent her. Her grandmother epitomised the glamour of the Paris she grew from and she was forever sending Alice whatever couture she got her hands on. These particular robes could be switched between two different designs.

"For the girl who wants effortless day to night chic" she scoffed, making a mental note to leave them to collect dust in the corner under the bed as she wove through the Gryffindor's slumped across the common room, Mary trailing behind her smiling lightly at whoever caught her eye.

They settled down and began to chat to Cas, mindless gossip from their first day with Peter occasionally interrupting to add a humorous anecdote or line - most often not humorous.

With a sudden decisive movement Sirius stood up, swooping his arm around Marley's waist to support her and turning to the group gathered next to the fire.

"Marley and I have some studying to do. Godspeed all," he saluted, before striding off with a bouncing Marlene to his dormitory.

"Ugh, _really _Sirius," groaned Peter, thumping his head back on the chair. "Now we're not going to get to bed gone 12, and i always feel a little creeped out being in that room afterwards anyway."

"Would you prefer a Sirius on a dry spell?" chuckled Remus, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh Merlin no," he shuddered in horror. "The last time they had a really massive fall out was absolute _hell. _God, d'you remember?_"_

"I'm not sure what was worse," Remus snickered, "Depressive, emo Sirius that sat around listening to the The Failed Anthem or when he sprung out of his funk and into a whirlwind of manic mayhem. The complexity of a plan he can pull off when he's solely focussed is astounding really, for someone who's essay I have to spell check so frequently. He spelt 'moon' wrong.."

Light appreciative laughter rose from the group as they all bantered back and forth.

Peter summoned a pack of cards that flew across the room from out of his bag and challenged Remus to a battle of exploding snap.

James curtly declined the invitation.

His mind was jumbled with quidditch timetables and prefect rota's and flashes of copper hair and why on earth did Lily rile him up so much? He didn't dislike her. She just frustrated him somehow even though she didn't mean anything to him and he didn't know how that could be.

Ignoring Mary and Dorcas' low whisperings on the stone hearth of the fire, Alice perched herself on the arm of his chair. She tried in vain to stimulate some conversation out of him. He murmured short responses distractedly, not really registering her even when she stretched, flashing an impressive amount of skin through her V neck jumper.

Peter's sudden lack of focus was reprimanded abruptly when the entire pack of cards exploded across his face and singed off his eyebrows.

* * *

**22:02**

The 7th year's Gryffindor boys dormitory was dark save for the slight illumination from the crescent moon and scant stars fighting their way through the mist.

She waited for her breathing to slow a little, each a whooshing sigh cutting through the silence of the air - heart pounding and blood still grazing it's fiery touch through her limbs - before rolling on her side to gaze at the boy, that talented boy who could play her perfectly, sprawled across the bed alongside her. Rich olive skin was pulled taut across the sharply defined muscles that built him up, and she lent over to run a hand across them, supple and warm beneath her touch.

Midnight blue depths met silver-grey ones that slowly raked down her body, following the flowing curves and taking in the smooth lightly tanned and flushed skin that had moments before been quivering beneath his touch.

He reached out, one arm scooping under her to pull her grinning down onto him as a blonde curtain swooped either side of their faces, inches away from each other.

"Marley.." he murmured, slightly husky, and that was all the signal she needed, her hands gripping into his unruly dark hair as she grinded fervently against him, his hips raising to meet hers in a frenzied rhythm.

Their mouths met in a clash of lips and tongues and consuming need reignited as swiftly as only teenage lust can, an inferno coursing through them.

It was a dance they were well practised in, raw and instinctive, as they flung themselves higher and higher until they each reached the point of no return, one then the other, before falling once again, back towards mortal men. The brief interludes they shared were release in all senses of the word.

* * *

**22:24**

Remus glanced tentatively over to where Mary and Dorcas were huddled by the fire.

Mary was leaning in towards Dorcas in confidence, who was bathed in the gentle flicker and glow of the flames. The way it washed across her face, framing silver eyes and highlighting those dimples with slight wells of gold, it was, well.. captivating.

And hopeless, he added in his head. He admonished himself for even allowing such thoughts.

She was Cas. Intuitive and warmhearted and loyal and exquisite beyond any doubt, and he was Remus.

Just Remus.

He was too withdrawn to be anything other than the clever voice of reason in the mayhem that was his marauders. They were his saving grace undoubtedly and yet… he dimmed in comparison. Where James, Sirius and Peter pranced around charming every person this way and that, he was more reserved. Quiet and bookish. You didn't really notice Remus, like the inconsequential detail you passed fifty times in the corridor before realising it was there.

The kind of person Cas definitely wouldn't look twice at unless - unless it was to ask where one of the other three were.

When did i become such a twisted old man, he chuckled to himself bitterly. Even if she did like who she thought I was, no sane girl would date something so horrific. That acceptance arrived long ago.

A loud cough from Alice disturbed his pondering. The pointed look and slightly snarky eyebrow - he really needed to work on his subtlety he noted as he dragged away his gaze and focussed in on James.

His best friend looked pretty miserable slumped in the armchair at the edge of the circle, staring broodingly into the carpet but pride prevented him from saying anything.

They'd barely spoken since the first day. Forgiving James for stealing what he'd longed for so badly was too difficult. Not content with the pick of any girl he wanted, effortless grades, quidditch captain and the certainty of a normal future full of opportunities, James had snatched the last chance at achievement he'd had a shot at.

He just couldn't bring himself to simply forgive and forget.

"I'm going to study," he murmured to no one in particular. Stretching up off the floor, he strolled over to the corner where Lily was helping Lena with a new spell and settled wordlessly besides them.

Flipping open their new Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook he continued his chapter, loosing himself in the underwater mazes of grindylows and their kin.

* * *

If you got through that i applaud you. Now onto bigger and better and less boring chapters! Reviews would be extremely helpful - what do you think of the writing style, is it confusing having lots of different view points and characters, what are your thoughts on the characters we've just begun to scratch the surface of and what do you think/ do you notice any links with wicked?

**okay i'm in my last 6 months of exams. after june 17th i'm literally free to do whatever i want - i'm leaving the country in november. i feel like i can't dedicate the proper time i want to spend on this story at the moment because of everything else, so i'm going to leave this here. but once june comes and i'm finally free i'm going to give everything a massive rewrite, make it flow how i want it to and give it the time i want to be able to give it. if you're reading it all, then thank you. i promise bigger and better things in the future.**


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