Dwelling on Dreams (A Marauders Fan Fic)

Summer

The snow melted and winter turned to spring, spring to summer. Cassie and her friends spent their days enjoying themselves, completely carefree, secure in their ignorance of what was to come. They spent spring supporting Gryffindor on the Quidditch pitch, yelling so hard they couldn’t speak for a day and summer outside in the grounds, lounging on the grass and pulling their robes up to try and get a tan. Life was blissful and the only blot on it was seeing James and Sirius bully Severus, something Lily tried to stop every time.

“Lily, there’s no point,” said Cassie as she heard the distant shouts of hexes being flung back and forth.

“There is always a point to standing up for people, Cassie,” said Lily as she stormed off.

“Should we follow her?” said Mary.

“No there’s no point, she’ll be back in a minute cursing them like always.”

“Oh great, I haven’t heard a James Potter rant in ages,” said Alice sarcastically.

“What happened?” said Cassie as Lily sat down beside them again, looking a little sheepish.

“It was actually some Slytherins teasing that small boy in Hufflepuff so I was about to tell them to stop when ‘The Marauders’ ran up and attacked them all,” she said, begrudgingly admiring them for standing up for someone.

“The Marauders?” asked Alice from the other side.

“Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. They’ve started calling themselves the Marauders.”

“And people actually call them that?” snorted Cassie.

“Apparently some people do, although I think it’s mostly a group thing,” Lily replied.

“How interesting… and for once they weren’t doing the bullying?” mused Cassie.

“They actually only bully… a couple of people,” Mary said, chancing a glance at Lily before deciding against saying Snape. “I’ve seen them helping a lot of people, even a couple of second years,” she continued in awe.

“Well I don’t approve of them bullying anyone, however many people they might help to try and make up for it,” said Lily haughtily.

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“I still can’t believe an entire year’s gone by!” said Mary as they pulled their trunks off the train. “I am excited to be going home though.”

“Have a great holiday Mary!” they called as each went their separate ways. “See you next year Alice!”

Cassie and Lily hugged as they said goodbye. “Have a good summer Cassie.” Out of the corner of her eye Cassie saw Sirius and James saying goodbye before they left with their families; James with an older looking couple who smiled widely and embraced him and Sirius, and Sirius with a haughty looking family who sneered at him and led him away wordlessly.

“You too Lils; we’ll have to meet up.”

“Yeah send me loads of owls; I’m going to miss you!”

“I’m going to miss you too!” Cassie said as their parents pulled them apart.

“I can’t believe you’ve already had a year at Hogwarts!” said Jasmine as they were let out onto King’s Cross.

“You’re so grown up!” laughed her dad as he wheeled her trunk through the station. “You’re positively ancient! I know! You’re on your deathbed!”

“Shut up and put her trunk away Archie!” laughed her mother as she interrogated Cassie about everything that had happened that year.

“Mum I told you most of the stuff in my letters!” she complained as they pulled away from the station.