Jily

Chapter 26

Lily's POV

O.W.L.S really were not as bad as I expected. Of course, after hours and hours of strictly scheduled studying, I had expected to do fairly well. I never expected it to be too difficult, but I still had the natural nerves that came along with tests.

After all the tests had been completed, everything felt much more refreshing, lighter, brighter. The sun seemed to shine just a little bit brighter, and the birds seemed to sing just a little bit more sonorously. Everything seemed much happier, more relaxed.

But, there was still the drab fact that we were forced to stay cooped up inside of the castle all day. Every single person that inhabited Hogwarts craved the sun. We all craved running through the rolling meadows of the yards beyond the castle walls. We craved the way the wind rattled through our hair when we ran. We even missed the gloomy roars erupting from the giant squid that occupied the lake. All anybody wanted to do was be outside, but instead we were stuck in the confines of our stuffy classrooms. On several occasions, full out fist fights exploded between students, all for a seat by an open window. Sirius had done it more than once.

The Marauders seemed to want to get outside more than anybody else there.

Not only were people itching to get outside, but people were counting down the weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds until we would be released from school. It was all anybody wanted to do, to finally be free of the school, no matter how much they loved Hogwarts.

I, however, was dreading going home. I knew that I would be bombarded by questions of magic every single day by my parents. I knew that they are proud of me, but sometimes it could be super annoying with their constant inquiries about my schooling. But that wasn't what I was really dreading. Petunia was what I was really dreading. I loved my sister, I really, really did, but she simply did not seem to feel the same way about me anymore. She was bitter, resentful, and incessantly angry with me for no good reason at all, as far as I knew. I was not about to pretend that my situation with my sister was not going to be there when I got home, but that did not stop me from trying to forget it for a little while.

My free time and afternoons at Hogwarts were always spent with James. The two of us spent copious hours lounging on the sandy coast of the lake. We talked and chatted about everything, home, life, the future. It was nice, comfortable, some of the best hours of my life.

For the most part, the rest of the marauders let me and James be alone, but every once in awhile, somebody would pop out from behind a nearby tree, followed by a trail of the rest of our friends, and before we knew it everybody would be with us. Then, suddenly, our little paradise would be booming with noise, but it was joyous smiles and laughs so we let it happen, and everything was good.

Sirius would always good around, try to get everybody angry or annoyed or in trouble or something (you never can quite know why Sirius does the things he does.

I remember on one particularly hot day, James and I had peeled our socks and shoes off of our sweaty and feet and plunged our toes into the relaxing water of the lake. My head was resting comfortably on James's shoulder as the two of us looked down into the deep blue water of the lake, curiously inquiring what could be swimming just below us.

All of a sudden, James and I were thrust into the frigid lake. Once we finally pushed our heads above the surface of the water, searching frantically about us, our eyes landed on Sirius buckled over in laughter, standing merrily on the shore. He was completely dry. James and I looked to one another, immediate knowing what we were going to do. Wordlessly, we tucked our heads underneath the water and swam to the area where Sirius comfortably laughed. On a silent count of three, the two of us jutted our heads forward, grabbing onto Sirius's ankles, and yanking him ink the water with us.

All three of us were drenched in water, and for a moment we all looked toward one another, our features hard and accusing. But then, as if at the flick of a switch, we all softened, barking in laughter and splashing water at each other. Slowly, some of our other friends slowly started to make their way toward the lake, wanting to join in on the tremendous fun that the three of us were having.

Nobody noticed that Peter was not there. Everything could have been so much different if we just had...