Lily Evans and the Marauder's Secrets

Chapter 27: Everyone Fights With Me

"I'm going to be dealing with whatever it is they're up to later, I'm sure," I say to Severus.

He growls. "They are not worth your time, Lily."

I shrug. "Weirdly, I think we're all kind of friends now. I mean, they did like save my life that one time."

"Huh?" Severus lowers his eyebrows.

"I already told you about this! When your 'buddies' cornered me in Hogsmeade?" I say.

"This story again!" Rosier says, coming up to stand with us, Emmeline, Regulus, and Wilkes in tow.

"Not you lot again," I growl. "And it's not 'a story'," I say. "You all attacked me."

"We did not! What spells did we hit you with, hmm?" Rosier tilts his head innocently. "Because I don't seem to recall firing any."

I stop, confused – he's right, technically. Rosier himself didn't shoot any spells, Lestrange did. And he hadn't hit me with it. Before I can clarify, Rosier presses on.

"We were just trying to have a normal day at Hogsmeade, but you had to go and follow us around. It's a bit odd, Evans. You put yourself down that alley. If you felt trapped, that's all on you. We weren't looking to attack you, but we sure felt uncomfortable with you following us."

"You're twisting everything up," I shout. "You are all up to something, I know it! I don't know what it is, but there's something weird going on with your little Slytherin gang."

"Lily," Emmeline says pleadingly. "You don't think maybe you've misunderstood everything this whole time? I mean, if you're looking for them to be getting into trouble, isn't that what you're going to find?"

But her words do absolutely nothing to appease me. If anything, I get more frustrated. "No, Emma! This is not a misunderstanding! The only one not understanding is you. They cornered me in an alleyway! Lestrange tried to hex us!"

"You say," Emmeline says.

"Are you really going to take their side over mine?" I say disbelievingly.

"Well, you are always following them around. Evan's right, it's a bit odd how obsessed you are with them."

I fight back the nauseous feeling I get at hearing Emma use Rosier's first name (more evidence for their long-term relationship) and turn to Sev for help. He shrugs uncomfortably. "Lily, you do follow them – us – around a lot. And for no good reason."

"No good reason? You're all being suspicious as hell!"

"Well, do you ever follow Potter and his friends around? Because they're certainly not squeaky clean."

"Well, no, but Potter –"

"You've been making excuses for him all year, and look!" Severus points across the room. I follow the direction he's pointing to see the Marauders huddled in the far corner, barely visible behind one of the Christmas trees. James has a fat sack of what looks like Galleons, and Sirius, Remus, and Peter scoop handfuls of them out before scampering away and scattering them about the room, but not before tapping them with their wands. I watch Peter stick one to the wall and I understand – Permanent Sticking Charm.

It only takes a minute for students to notice the coins. Someone stoops to pick one up, but can't pry it off the floor, no matter how hard he tugs. I find myself simultaneously fighting back a laugh while battling irritation that the four of them are pulling pranks at the exact wrong moment.

"That," I say, turning back to Sev, "is not the same. It's stupid, but it's not the same."

"But why is it not the same?" Emmeline says.