The Patronus Charm- A Lily and James Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty-Two: Wait!? I'm the Backup?!

"There is no way to go back in time and change everything, without a Time-Turner. However, witches and wizards have learned that often trying to fix the past creates more problems than it solves." Professor Flitwick explains. "Your homework will be to write an essay on a story that talks about the dangers of time travel. Hand it in on Monday."

If I could go back in time, I don't know where I'd start. From the day Marlene got injured? Or maybe the day that Sirius dumped Marlene. Or would I go even farther back? Back to the simple years of my childhood?

"Lily, that look is making me nervous." Alice declares as we drop our books on my couch.

"I was just thinking about what I would do or fix if I could go back and change things." I explain as I sit down.

"I know the feeling." Alice sighs and she throws the pillows out of the way.

"What would you fix?" I ask.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily fix this, but I would go back and try to understand when Marlene became someone else."

I nod. "I want to know if she was always like that and we never saw it or if something changed."

"I'd like to think that she wasn't always like this. I mean, we spent whole summers with her. On different years, we went to France with her. We've stayed in the same dorm every year, but this one. How would we have not noticed?"

"Are we having a pity party in here?" Remus asks curiously, as he walks into the room.

"Definitely. Remus, care to join?" Alice asks.

Remus shrugs his shoulders and sits down. "I'm assuming that the topic of discussion is Marlene McKinnons."

"Yes."

"Alright. I don't know her half as well as you do, but I would hesitate to say that there was never a layer of cruelty somewhere in her. Everyone has their inner demons and sometimes the people that you least suspect, have the worst ones. No one's perfect. She's usually one of the kindest people I know, but she's angry and upset. In a sense, and I'm not saying that you did anything wrong, but you both did pick Sirius over her. I understand why, but maybe she doesn't. However, she still should have asked you about it, rather than insulting Lily. But, I doubt she'll try that again." Remus says solemnly.

"Why?" I ask.

"James was pretty hard on her about it. He yelled at her, took points off Gryffindor, and gave her a week's worth of detentions for insulting you and Sirius."

"Wow."

"I didn't actually think James would take points off his own house."

"I agree, but he did."

"What would you do, Remus?" I ask quietly.

Remus frowns for a moment. "I wouldn't say sorry, until she admits that she's wrong too. I don't know if you should talk to her or just leave her alone."

"What's going on?" another voice asks from the doorway. James.

"Prongs, I thought you were still at Quidditch practice." Remus admits, looking confused.

James sighs. "Sirius missed a Bludger and it hit King in the face. He fell about thirty feet and hit the frozen ground. He's alive, but Madame Pomfrey said that he's out for the rest of the season." He turns and looks at Alice. "Why weren't you at practice?" he demands.

"No one told me we had practice today. Sirius told me that it was tomorrow." she retorts.

"So, that was what Sirius was going on about."