Taste of Youth

I didn’t sleep much that night. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to because I did, it was more that I couldn’t. I stayed up for a while reading the books that Lena had given me and doing every bit of research in my own books about the spell that she had told me about. It was a few hours after we’d all been sent to bed that I’d left.

The common room was dim, the fire flickering meekly in the hearth, and not as empty as I thought it would be. Sirius and James were at the door, James holding a piece of fabric and arguing with Remus. I leaned against the dorm stairway entrance and watched them. It took a few seconds before any of them noticed. Remus had stopped talking with James and turned around a frown on his face.

“Oh,”Remus blinked several times, “Luce, what are you doing up?”

I shrugged, “Never went to bed. What is it that those two are planning this time?”

“It’s nothing.” James said quickly.

“Nothing huh.” I narrowed my eyes at him, “You’re going to find Mulciber aren’t you.”

“I told you it was obvious.” Remus stated running a hand through his hair, “Everyone’s going to know it’s you two.”

“Can I come?” I asked stepping off the last step.

“Luce!” Remus sounded startled.

“No.” Sirius stated simply frowning and crossing his arms.

“I don’t know, Padfoot, she might-” James started looking at me carefully.

“No, absolutely not.” Sirius repeated giving James a look.

“As charming as the notion of keeping me out of trouble is, Sirius. How many people do you think will suspect that I did what ever this is?”

“She has a point.” James elbowed Sirius.

Sirius turned to face his friend head on, “You wouldn’t take Lily with us.”

“Yes, but James is in love with Lily.” I told Sirius frowning, “He does not, I am sure, hold the same feelings for me. Me coming will keep you all out of trouble anyway and let Remus keep his Prefect badge.”

“She’d be a big help you know.” James pointed out, “I’m sure all that training has to be of some good.”

“Luce and I are coming with you.” Remus told them, “It’ll keep you out of most of the trouble.”

“It’s settled then.” James clapped his hands together and turned to me with a stern look that seemed off on his face, “Now, you can’t tell anyone about this, even Lily sadly enough. It’s Marauder secrets that we can’t give to just anyone.”

“Marauder?” I struggled with a laugh, “Are you kidding me? Two out of four of you are the richest kids in the school and that is what you decide to name yourself.”

“Nose down, Luciana.” Sirius gave me a look, “This is important.”

I raised an eyebrow, “What’s important? I have no idea what any of you are on about. Shall we get going now?”

“She’s a winner.” James chirped to the boys and I walked over smacking him on the head.

The important thing as it turned out was the fact that the cloth in James’ hand was an Invisibility cloak. The mere fact that it was big enough to fit the four of us snuggly under it was amazing by itself but add the rareness of it, it was ridiculous. James was holding something in front of him consulting with Remus, it looked like a parchment of some sort.Sirius and I kept slamming into each other in our attempts to stay underneath the small amount of cloak the boys in front of us had left. Sirius caught me the several times I tripped over Remus’ shoes.

“Sorry.” I murmured to both of them the third time I’d done it.

“No worries.” Both of them offered back.

“We can get out of the cloak now.” James said pulling it up and over our heads, “It shouldn’t be much longer to the Slytherin dorms.”

I gave him an odd look, “If we were headed there I could have show you the way.”

“You know where the Slytherin dorms are.” Sirius sounded shocked.

“My brother wrote about it in his letters,” I waved a hand dismissively at him, “And I had detention with Slughorn once, he made me clean the girls side over the summer.”

“And you didn’t tell us that before, why?”

“You never asked and you didn’t tell me where we were going.” I made a face at him and pointed in the direction of the Slytherin common room, “This way.”

“And how is it that you know we won’t get caught?” Sirius questioned.

“Well I am pretty sure that paper you have there can help that but if you’d like to do it my way.” I waved a hand and walked over to the portrait of a man named Roderich, “Hello, Sir.”

“Lady Rein! How wondrous to see you are in good health.” He boomed out happily, “For what do I owe this honor, milady?”

“I was wondering if you and Hilly could do some scouting for me.”

“Anything you wish, milady.” Roderich leaned forward and whispered to me, “Would you like me to take care of the suspicious men behind you, milady?”

I glanced back at the boys and smiled, “Oh no, Roderich. They’re with me.”

He nodded once, “I have already called for Lady Hilly. Where is milady headed?”

“The Slytherin common room, dear sir.”

“As you wish.” Roderich saluted me and walked off the side of his painting.

I swiveled on my heel to face the boys again, “Happy?”

“You talk to the paintings.” Sirius looked distinctly amused.

“You don’t?”

He laughed, “You really are different.”

Hilly called clear from a painting farther up and we set off to the Slytherin common room. I would remember the day I was told to clean the dorm rooms in the dungeon for a long time. The house elves took a long while to forgive me for doing their job and I got cold turkey for a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was an unhappy week for my stomach.

James and Sirius did most of the talking on our way to the common room. They talked about what they’d do and only stopped when we reached the door. Roderich and Hilly got us in and I thanked them promising the angry girl scotch from the painting of the brewery on the third floor. I didn’t pay much attention to what James and Sirius did in the common room.

I sat on the overstuffed black leather couches and watched the dwindling fire. This was the common room my brother sat in and played chest in and talked with people in. Leon would have been older than everyone here but he was a good liar when he had to be and his baby face helped. It wasn’t until the boys headed into the boys dorms that I really noticed they were still there.

I took a glancing look about the common room and shook my head. They had changed the colors of the room from green and silver to scarlet and gold. The tiny windows at the top of the walls were tinged red, the couches a gaudy shade of gold, the hangings striped with Gryffindor colors. I walked toward where the boys had disappeared and walked in the door to find two of the three pointing their wands at a sleeping Mulciber.

“Alright, enough both of you.” I said casting sleeping charms on the other Slytherin boys in the dorm, “I did not help you guys get in here to kill him.”

“We’re not going to kill him.” James said simply, “We’re going to teach him a lesson.”

“While he’s asleep?”

“We’ll wake him up.” Sirius replied.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, “Wands down. Now.”

“No offense, Luce, but you aren’t the boss of us.”

“No I am not but I am the one trained enough to take all three of you down without breaking a sweat. Now I would like you to lower your wands before I have to make you guys very mad at me.” When they didn’t I sighed, “Please don’t make me do this.”

“Luciana, this guy nearly killed several first years.”

“I am well aware of that, Sirius. That doesn’t change the fact that this is wrong. Take him in the halls or during class, not here.”

“Why not, Rein?” Sirius demanded dropping his arms and facing me looking angry.

“Because you do not attack someone in their home.” I snapped, “That is what has so many people scared, Black. The fact that there is no safety in the places where you never expected to be harmed. He has done wrong but let Dumbledore handle it. It is not your job to be judge and jury. Wand down, Potter!”

“Are you trying to wake them up?” James hissed.

“Do you think I would be talking at this volume if I hadn’t already made sure they’d stay asleep?” I ground out, “What is it that you think I am training for, Potter? A good title?”

“No that’s not-”

“I do not care what you meant to say or what you said. You put that wand down or I’ll send you through the wall.”

Sirius was bristling up and before he could do anything Remus jumped in, “We should go soon, guys. Slughorn is on his way into the common room.”

I moved pointedly away from the door and crossed my arms waiting for them to leave before me. James did begrudgingly lower his wand and stalk out of the room pulling his cloak from his pocket. Remus hurried out as well holding the parchment from earlier and muttering to James under his breath. Sirius looked beyond mad and pointedly changed the colors of the whole room before he walked to me.

“Why are you so-” He made a frustrated motion with his hands.

“Different?” I offered looking at him tiredly.