Bellatrix stared in consternation at the map. "What are they doing?"
"I don't know, but they went out there right after sundown and have been sitting there ever since," James said. "Anytime anyone walks by, they hide."
Remus Lupin, normally very shy around Bellatrix, decided to chime in. "I've been telling these two that there is every possibility of it being innocent romance."
"For nearly five hours, Remus? I don't think so," James declared.
Confused, Bellatrix watched her sister and Snape hover on the edge of the forest. "Five hours is a long time," she agreed. "Sirius, what do you think?"
"Snape is a slimeball," Sirius declared. "Besides, everyone knows that Narcissa is interested only in Lucius Malfoy. No one even likes Snape."
"Well, let's go down and see what's going on," Bellatrix said slowly, trying to figure out what Snape would be doing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest with her sister.
"All right," Sirius agreed quickly.
"Yeah, we can wait until a few more people go to bed and then sneak out," James agreed.
Bellatrix looked at them strangely. "Why do you have to be so sneaky? We can just leave now. If anyone asks what we're doing, we'll tell them where to go and how to do it."
Remus Lupin laughed faintly. "Your boldness is refreshing."
"Great," Bellatrix said, not all that flattered by a fourth-year's comment. "I'll fetch some of my things and meet you by the portrait hole."
.....
Lily was just undressing for bed when Bellatrix returned to the room. Not wanting to start an awkward, one-sided conversation, Lily did her best to pretend that she was completely focused on unbuttoning her blouse as Bellatrix rummaged around, produced some dark, heavy robes, and exchanged them with the standard school robes she had been wearing. Lily's curiosity was not aroused until Bellatrix produced a wand holster and strapped it to her arm. Frozen with surprise, Lily watched as Bellatrix slipped on some dragonhide boots.
Noticing that Lily's hands had frozen over the last button of her blouse, Bellatrix glared at her. "Did you have something to say, Evans?"
"No," Lily said-too quickly.
"Good," Bellatrix called as she left the room.
Quickly, Lily redid the buttons on her blouse and ran out to the dorms staircase. She descended just far enough to catch a view of the common room. Bellatrix, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter were all exiting Gryffindor Tower through the portrait hole.
Impulsively, Lily rushed back up the stairs to her room, threw on a light cloak and some shoes, and then rushed back down to the common room. Deep down, she knew that Bellatrix was up to no good.
.....
"They're still at the edge of the forest," Peter excitedly confirmed as the Marauders and Bellatrix crept out the front of the castle.
"Keep it down," James hissed to Peter. "We don't need everyone knowing that we're out here."
Bellatrix ignored the chit-chat and issued directions. "We'll all go together and sneak up on them from the direction of the lake. We'll have to do some circling, but they won't be expecting anyone coming from that direction."
"Shouldn't we split up and take them from both sides?" James asked, drawing on his knowledge of Quidditch tactics to help him formulate strategy tactics.
"Normally, yes," Bellatrix said. "However, this isn't a full out attack. We're just going to stealthily find out what they're doing. Besides, I don't trust any of you to lead half of us competently."
"We're not children," Sirius growled.
"Could have fooled me," Bellatrix whispered snidely, already walking toward the path she had designated.
The four boys rushed to follow her, and in no time they were approaching the position that Snape and Narcissa were occupying on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Faintly, they could all hear Snape and Narcissa conversing with each other quietly, though the exact words being spoken were intelligible.
"We're going to have to get closer," Bellatrix said. "Maybe with some silencing charms on ourselves we could crawl closer."
"Let's just charge in and ask them what they're doing," Sirius suggested. "She's your sister and my cousin. What she's saying isn't entirely not our business."
"That's not the point," Bellatrix said, performing various charms on herself to prevent Narcissa and Snape from detecting her. "Who's coming with me?"
"Sirius and I are game," James said quickly. "Remus, Peter, how about you cover us from behind. Try to warn us if you see anything going on that we don't."
In short order, Bellatrix, Sirius, and James were crawling toward where Narcissa and Snape were located. As soon as they were in earshot, Bellatrix poked James and Sirius and whispered for them to stop.
Narcissa was sitting on a large rock next to what appeared to be her trunk, while Snape was patrolling around the rock, his wand drawn. "Severus," Narcissa said, "how much longer?"
"Just under an hour," Snape answered quietly.
Narcissa sighed. "Why did we have to come out here so early, then?"
"I already told you," Snape said shortly. "If anyone spotted us leaving the castle this late at night, suspicion would have been raised. You can trust me; I know what I'm doing."
Bellatrix, Sirius, and James exchanged confused looks before turning their attention back to Snape and Narcissa.
Some time passed before either of them spoke again. "Severus," Narcissa asked, "how was it that Lucius contacted you? This all seems rather strange to me."
"We have our ways," Snape said, sounding rather pompous.
Bellatrix was furious. She poked James and Sirius and gestured that they should retreat back to where they had left Remus and Peter. They did so, avoiding detection by Snape and Narcissa, and had soon returned to where they could talk in slightly louder voices.
"What's going on?" Remus asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," James admitted.
....
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