Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marauders unfortunatly, I just own the OC's and the plot.
Happy reading!
Tap tap tap
I jumped at the unexpected noise and blinked confused. I had been writing my potions essay and I was so immersed in it, that it took me a few seconds to figure out what it was. It sounded like something was tapping on the window I was sitting next to.
“Hey Addy, what’s outside the window?” I asked the quiet girl I was studying with.
“Huh?” She asked, I guess she was as into her work as I was.
“Is there something outside the window?” I repeated pointing at the window behind her. I heard the soft rustle of cloth as she turned around.
“Huh,” She said, it’s amazing how many meanings that word can have. “It’s an owl,”
“An owl?” I repeated, as she opened the window for the impatient owl. I assumed it was for Addy because the only person I owled was Randy and he could only reply to mine because, obviously, he didn’t have access to an owl.
I let out a strangled shriek when the owl’s rough claws landed on my shoulder. Like whenever I get startled I froze. But relaxed a little when I realized what it was. I hesitantly reached up to my shoulder and felt the bit of parchment the owl was carrying. I took it gently and pet the owls head in thanks. It was a big owl, larger than the ones I usually used from Hogwarts’ Owlrey.
“Do you know anyone else who can write in Braille?” Addy asked looking over my shoulder at the note. I frowned in confusion.
“No, other than Randy of course,” I quickly ran my fingers over the rough bumps that something sharp had poked through the parchment.
Josi,
We didn’t get to talk much last time. I want to get to know you better. Will you meet me at the back of the library on Friday?
R.A.B
The note was crudely done, as if the person writing it didn’t exactly know how to write Braille. They managed it pretty well, I admired before frowning. Who in the name of merlin is R.A.B?
“Well what does it say? All I can pick out is the word talk and a few letters here and there,” Addy complained. I had been teaching her how to read my way and she was coming along, but wasn’t quite there yet.
I repeated what it said and Addy being Addy, automatically asked who R.A.B. was. Other girls would squeal and think I was having a secret affair with a mysterious man. Thank goodness Addy wasn’t other girls.
“I honestly don’t know!” I said frustrated. I was searching my head for people with names beginning with R. There was Remus obviously, but it wasn’t him because he knew me better than anyone. There was Randy, but I automatically dismissed the idea. Who else was there?!
“Well first we should find everyone we know with names beginning with R and narrow it down by initial.” Addy said, always the sensible one. I heard the crackle of parchment.
“So let’s see, there’s Remus, Ricky, Rachael…” and Addy was off. She was listing off people I didn’t even know, never the less talk to. I sighed this was going to take a while. I heard some easy loping footsteps come towards us.
“Hey James,” I said without turning around. I felt Addy’s knees hit the table as she jumped in surprise.
“You guys can’t still be doing homework can you?” He asked flabbergasted. Not at the fact I knew he was there but at the fact we were actually studying. He was used to me hearing everything by now.
“I mean it’s only the first week! The professors can’t be too bad already,” He exclaimed, clearly not understanding.
“True but now we have no homework for the next few days,” Addy pointed out, letting a devilish tone enter her voice.
I felt her nudge my foot as James sat down at our table. She reached down as if she dropped something on the floor and breathed into my ear.
“Are you going to tell him?”
I shrugged, he could probably help. He was one of the most popular boys at school.
“We were actually talking about who sent me this note,” I said.
“Note?” He repeated sounding completely confused. “What note?”
“It just came by owl,” Addy explained. I heard the rustling of parchment as Addy brought out the mysterious note. James grunted annoyed.
“I can’t read it!” He exclaimed exasperated after a bit of time. It seemed he had tried to read it. I smiled amused. The parchment was thrust into my hands. I repeated what it said.
“Don’t go,” He said immediately reverting to the ‘big brother’ attitude.
“What if it’s someone I want to meet,” I argued. He sighed, very audible this time.
“We are trying to figure out who it is,” Addy said “We were wondering if you could help figure it out,”
“Well it’s obviously a guy,” He said determinedly. I was confused.
“How do you know?” Addy asked obviously as confused as I was.
“Well if it was a girl would she ask Josi by a note, to meet in the most hidden part of the library? Or would she just come up and start talking?”
“Well when you put it that way…” Addy trailed off grumbling.
James chuckled. “Don’t like being proven wrong do you Walker?” He teased. I heard the shuffling of papers. He had embarrassed her.
“Concentrate James,” I scolded pulling his attention away from Addy. I heard her sigh gratefully again barely audible.
“Ok hmmmmm….” He thought. “Robert, Ralph, Ramon….” And he was off. Both he and Addy rattled off names. Most of these people I didn’t even know. I started humming, my thoughts wondering.
“Josi!” I heard James shout. I jumped.
“What?!” I asked startled.
“That was the fourth time we called your name!” James exclaimed. “And you were humming a strange song,” He added.
“It is not strange!” I cried scandalized he would call one of my favorite songs strange.
“What was it?” Addy asked. I blushed, a little embarrassed to be caught humming.
“Dancing through life,” I said softly, “It’s from a musical.”
“What’s a musical?” James asked completely bemused. Addy sighed.
“It’s a play with a lot of song and dance instead of mostly speaking.” She explained exasperated.
“Oh,” He said shortly. He was quiet for a minute contemplating this new information. It didn’t last long.
“Well, anyway that’s all the people I can think of right now,” He announced, “and, bloody hell!” He cried.
“What?!” Addy and I exclaimed, both of us jumping.
“It’s past curfew!” He explained, urgency in his voice.
“Oh no!” Addy cried beating James in urgency. We all began furiously packing our bags. We were up and out of the library in record time. As we hurried back to the tower James talked to us, to Addy’s dismay. She was really worried about being caught. James on the other hand seemed perfectly relaxed.
“Guess what? I heard the first Hogsmade weekend is next weekend.” He announced.
“Really?” Addy exclaimed forgetting she didn’t want him talking. “Wait how did you find out? It hasn’t been posted yet,” She added suspiciously.
“Oh I have my ways,” James answered mysteriously, making Addy and I roll our eyes. “Oh shut up,” James said, his smile ruining the effect of his words
“Only if you do,” Addy said slyly. I snorted.
“No chance of that happening” James said.
“Exactly my point,” Addy said sharply but with a smile.
“Oh you are just too good for me Walker,” James said teasingly sarcastic.
“And you know it,” Addy agreed.
“I surrender,” He said smiling.
“Does that mean you’ll be quiet?” Addy asked hopefully. James snickered.
“Sorry to disappoint Walker,” He answered cheekily. Addy sighed, but even in her sigh I could tell she was smiling.
“Corispoto leaves.” Addy told the Fat Lady.
“Well aren’t you children a little late,” She said haughtily.
“Yes sorry Ma’am we got caught up in the library.” I explained.
“Oh that’s quite all right Josi,” she said flustered, “No need to call me Ma’am” She scoffed but I know it pleased her to no end. The door creaked open and we all stepped through.
“Thanks so much Ma’am” I called over my shoulder. The door shut quietly and smiled a very large smug smile.
“You are a strangely scheming devious child,” Sirius said quietly joining us. I laughed and soon we were all laughing.
“I’m going to bed,” Addy sighed, finally calming her laughing fit.
“Alright ‘night Addy! I’ll come up in a little bit,” I said as I heard her footsteps lead up the stairs on the other side of the common room.
“See you in a bit then Josi,” She called back, “G’night guys!” There were mumbles of ‘good nights’ from the boys. Except for one.
“Sweet dreams Walker!” James shouted. I heard Addy pause, but it didn’t last long, she just continued walking.
“So what took you so long?” Peter asked swallowing the rest of his giggles.
“We were helping Jo figure out who sent her this note,” James explained.
“Note?” Remus repeated sounding interested.
“Ooooh! Was it a loooove note?” Sirius cried in an annoyingly high voice. I think he was pretending to sound like a girl. It didn’t work.
“Kind of,” James said regretfully.
“What?!” Sirius exclaimed forgetting his girly voice. He had a ‘big brother' attitude too. I sighed.
“It was not a love note,” I said tiredly. I was already dreaming of my cloud-like bed. James snorted.
“It was close enough!” He said defencivly.
“Well what did it say?” Remus asked impatiently, as well as some hidden emotion that I couldn't place.
“I can’t read it, it’s written in those weird bumps that were below her schedule,” James answered. I quickly read the note out loud from memory while James was still trying to find it in his pocket.
“Don’t go,” Sirius said immediately, just like James.
“That’s what I said!” James exclaimed like it proved he was right.
“Who’s R.A.B?” Remus asked ignoring the other two, with that same emotion as before.
“No idea,” I replied regretfully. Then I yawned. A huge jaw cracking yawn that seemed to last forever. Remus chuckled.
“I think you should get to bed.” I yawned again, a little smaller.
“Yeah, probably,” I stood up and streached, cracking my back. I reached down to hug Remus.
“Sweet dreams Jojo,” He said into my hair. I smiled.
“’night Remus,” I walked over and gave Sirius a hug interrupting his argument with James.
“I’m going to bed,” I explained wrapping my arms around his thick torso.
“Oh,” He said a little surprised, “Good night then,” He said returning the hug. I moved on to Peter who just said good night, and then walked over to James.
“Don't forget, in the end, it's my choice,” I whispered into his strong shoulder.
“Good night,” He grumbled ignoring my words.
I lay in bed thinking about the day, like I always do, and I realized something. That was the most I’ve heard Addy talk in a long time. She was never one to gush or make people laugh. She was the listener, not the talker. What was different about this time?
James.
Oh no. Addy fancied James. And she knew James was in love with Lily. Oh poor Addy! I’ll have to talk to her tomorrow, I thought as I drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
~*~
Ugh. I groaned. I had not slept well. My eyes were glued shut with what felt like concrete. I didn’t even want to feel my hair. Plus I did not feel rested at all. What I needed was a nice hot shower to wake me up, I decided. I needed to be on full alert to watch, no wait, listen to Addy and James.
I sighed in contentment as the warm water washed the sleep from my eyes. I started to sing, working the vanilla scented shampoo through my medium length, wet hair.
I sang, not caring how loud I was. This was what I loved to do. I big smile was plastered on my face as I sang out the lyrics to the last song I heard on the radio on the way to Kings Cross. I knew all the lyrics by heart.
I sang imagining myself in a beautiful cream colored dress that I could see flowing around my ankles. My imaginary self stood in a grand hall with a throne in the middle for Randy to finally relax in as I stood in front singing my heart out.
I started putting in the conditioner that smelled of coconut and sighed with contentment. The smell of coconut was one of my absolute favorites.
"life is a maze and love is a riddle
I am just a little girl lost in the moment,
I'm so scared but I don't show it"
I rinsed off and stepped out of the shower carefully, humming the last few bars. I finished the song as I finished drying off and slipping a clean uniform on. I hummed the chorus as I quickly did a spell to dry my hair. Zanna had showed me that one a few days in. I pulled it back into a ponytail as I walked out of the door leaving the steamy bathroom door open to cool off.
I felt their gazes as soon as I stepped over the threshold. I froze, I hadn’t had this type of scrutiny since the first day. I quickly did a mental check. Uniform on the right direction, skirt proper length, eyes closed. What the hell were they staring at?!
“Was that you singing?” Zanna asked. The surprise evident in her voice, along with the ever present attitude.
“Uh yeah?” I answered apprehensively.
“Oh my gosh! Josi you are amazing!” Alice squealed and tackled me in a hug.
“Thanks Alice,” I said laughing in complete and utter surprise.
“Amazing!”
“How can you sing that well?!”
“I’m soooo jealous!”
“Wow,”
“Not bad,”
Everyone was talking over each other. I started laughing, (as well as blushing). I was flabbergasted. No one, (except Randy) had ever heard me sing before. He always said I was good too, but I just assumed he said that to make me happy.
“Thank you! Thanks!” I said over and over, my face nearly splitting with my overjoyed smile.
“Guys! Hey guys!” Mary shouted over the chatter, “Yes Josi is a pretty good singer, but we really need to get down to breakfast if we don’t want to be late,” She said snootily before almost stomping down the stairs.
“Cow,” Zanna muttered in my ear. Mary was the only one that I couldn’t stand. Lily and Alice, her best friends, were nice enough. Lily was preoccupied with rules and Alice was really perky and hyper most of the time. But they were nice enough. Mary on the other hand seemed to hate me for no reason. She constantly made snide comments about either my financial state or my friendship with the Marauders. She fancied Sirius majorly, and was really sore that I was best friends with him and his friends.
“Sorry about her,” Lily said, “She is usually cranky in the morning, but she is right, we need to get to breakfast.” There was a flurry of ‘good byes’ and rustlings as everyone grabbed their bags and headed out the door. I still hadn’t had a chance to catch Addy alone.
“Do the Marauders know you sing?” Zanna asked as we made our way down those 27 steps to the common room.
“No” I answered with shrug, “Don’t think so,”
“Oh we have to tell them!” Alice cried coming back up the stairs. Zanna laughed a little darkly.
“They won’t leave you alone until you sing for them then.” She warned. Alice laughed.
“Then again neither will we,” She said slyly. “So they might as well know!” She cried thumping back down the stairs.
“No wait! Alice!” I yelled running down the stairs, knowing I wouldn’t be able to catch her in time. Both Addy and Zanna were crashing after me laughing all the way.
A/N: Helloo everyone! Thanks for reading, (and hopefully reviewing)! Sorry for for the wait! school has started up again and I'm really trying to keep on top of things. Also I dont really know where this story is headed yet, I have general ideas but no real plan. I just kind of make it up as I go along. =) So that means you should keep an eye on the story info because it might change a bit. Anyway hope you like it, reviews make my day! *hint hint* =)
Disclaimer: The song Josi hums is 'Dancing Through Life' from the musical Wicked. The song she sings is 'The Show' by Lenka (with a few changes, I had to modify it a little)
(both are really good! and I own neither of them!)
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