The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Ali Prewitt's Scare

Ali Prewitt's Scare

Thursday morning dawned bright and beautiful and the boys found it very hard to concentrate at their classes with the sunshine coming in through the windows. All James could think of was getting his broomstick out onto the pitch that afternoon and how bloody good the air out there would feel on his face when he did. So he dutifully did his work in Professor Binns' class, charmed the slacks off Sirius - literally. Poor thing - let James use his belt to charm to act like a snake and underestimated how functional the thing was at holding his slacks up so that everyone got a quick flash of his knicker shorts before he pulled them back up, flushed about the face as James mocked him.

"It's alright," Remus whispered, "He's just jealous he doesn't look so brilliant without his slacks."

"Oi have you seen Potter in his knickers?" Sirius demanded Remus, who shook his head, "Trust me, he hasn't got anything to be jealous of."

"Um, you have seen Potter in his knickers? Do I have something to be jealous about?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius snickered, "Oh most certainly not."

Remus grinned.

After lunch, James was really frustrated that they still had Herbology to go to, but he did get to work on the trimming of the Viper Vine with Maryrose, who tended to him when he got bit by the vicious thing. He milked his supposed injury for every kiss and utterance of "Poor Jamsie!" he possibly could.

"What a bloody whiner," Lily muttered, working opposite Peter, looking over James's direction as Maryrose kissed his bandages to make it better, as James had asked. "He's fine! I mean honestly, he barely bled."

Peter looked up at her.

"I'm just saying, he's overreacting and she's making him worse!"

Peter smirked and turned back to the Viper Vine, cutting its head off just before it bit Lily's wrist without her noticing because she was so busy watching James and Maryrose.

Finally, classes were over and it was time to go up to the dorms to get ready for the flying lessons. Lily had dirt on her nose from Herbology and was looking forward to taking a hot bath before going out on the pitch. She was halfway up the stairs when Ali Prewitt came running up beside her. "Lil, can we talk?"

Goodbye bath, thought Lily, but she nodded and Ali pulled her down the hallway to an empty classroom. "Everything alright?" Lily asked. But the moment she'd asked, she knew something was the matter as Ali's face folded in. "What is it?" She pulled her friend into her and hugged her tight.

"It's Frank," Ali choked.

"Frank? What's the matter with Frank? Is he alright?" Lily asked.

Ali's voice trembled, "Oh Lily. You don't know... I haven't told you, of course, you were gone to Florryder and everything with your sister, I didn't want to upset you."

Lily squeezed Ali all the tighter, "What happened? Tell me now, I'm here for you, darling Ali."

"Well Frank and I... we, we spent a lot of time together, you know, dealing with... everything... what happened last term. He - he was really upset. Fighting with Rudolphus Lestrange really bothered him back in February, he never would've let on to you lot, but it really did. He was so frightened of Rudolphus getting him back for it, he's had horrid nightmares... And... and seeing the Dark Lord - he's so much more terrifying than either of us expected, I don't think..." Ali clung to Lily, crying as she spoke, "And then Andy, blinded by Orion Black... and... Dumbledore asking Frank to help save Remus and he - he fought Greyback for Rey and he did so well, of course, but... Oh Lil, he was so upset. I had to do something to make him feel better... so we... we both lied... each told our parents we were staying with friends. I told my mum I was staying with you... but really Frank and I... we... we took a room at the Leaky Cauldron for a night..."