Mail Ⅱ

Left in the Great Hall, Rowan finished her meal. Content and satisfied at last, she rises from her seat to exit the Great Hall. At the entrance of the Great Hall, she encounters Prefect Wilkes with a group of friends arriving late for lunch having been caught up studying.

Prefect Wilkes motions for his friends to go on ahead and save him a seat. "I had a friend send the requested item on your behalf. In total it was 9 silver sickles, Prince."

Rowan suppresses the urge to ruefully shake her head. She knew the price she was being charged is grossly inflated. The price requested not only covered her request but payment for Wilkes and the third party. Still, it is a price she is more than willing to pay.

"I will have the payment to you by the evening," Rowan gratefully responded.

"I will hunt you down if you don't, Prince," Wilkes answered in half-jest with a solemn expression, before turning to join his seated friends in the Great Hall.

A wry grin threatens to appear on Rowan's face as she departs from the Great Hall. She had little doubt that Prefect Wilkes would actually do as he said. He was a funny Slytherin, but regardless of his cheer and his humor, Wilkes is very much a Slytherin.

Through the halls back to the library, Rowan halts as she turned the corridor. There standing in front of the large imposing library doors are four Gryffindors. The four friends chatter and fidget before the library.

With mixed feelings, Rowan observes James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew remain in her path. Her attention is caught by the tired face of Lupin. The full moon had only just passed. Considering the four boys are in the same dorm, they would have easily noticed Lupin's disappearance. She did not know when the Marauders first discovered Lupin's secret or when and if Lupin confided his secret to them. Either option is within the realm of possibility.

With a firm purpose in mind, Rowan calls out to them from behind. "Why are the four of you blocking the entry to the library?"

The four Gryffindor boys all startle jumping up in surprise. The four boys whirl back to face Rowan Prince. "Nothing," they all innocently chimed before stepping aside to let her pass by.

Rowan scoffs loudly in disbelief but does not ask again. She moves to pass between them, before recalling she owed James a sweet. She disliked owing anyone anything and that much more James Potter.

Reaching into her pocket, Rowan finds the chocolate frog she was saving for later. She abruptly turns towards James Potter causing James to step back. He holds out his hands in panic. "Sorry, if this was about trying to give Severus, a nose-biting teacup, it was an accident really!"

Rowan froze in mid-step, before frostily asking, "What nose-biting teacup?"

James tactfully changed the subject and sheepishly grinned. "Just a slip of the tongue, really."

"Right," Rowan drily answered not at all convinced by his response. She all but shoves the chocolate frog at James, who hastily takes it. "It's payment for last time," she crisply said.

James blankly stares at the chocolate frog in his hands. He furrows his brow in confusion before he recalls the incident spoken of. "There was no need to pay me back, Rowan. What's a shared sweet between friends?"

Something flickers across Rowan's face at the casual pronouncement of their friendship. Somewhat peeved by the statement, Rowan turns away from them. "Well, I'm off."

Yet Rowan had not taken more than a single step, when James hastily shouted, "Wait!"

"Yes?" Rowan crossly asked in a curt tone of voice. She didn't know what it was about James Potter that had riled her up. Perchance, it irked her how easily James Potter could make a friend, but he had not extended the same courtesy to Severus in another timeline.

"Severus and Lily said you've been spending an awful lot of time in the library," James asked rubbing his foot against the ground. "Er, we were wondering if you maybe had spotted any books on werewolves?"

The four boys all lean closer to hear Rowan's response. "I have not," Rowan plainly answered causing their faces to fall in disappointment. "However, I am certain they exist. Werewolves by nature are not a forbidden subject to study. I am sure there are sufficient books on the topic a first-year student might have access to. I would recommend asking the librarian, Madam Pince for their whereabouts."

"Heh, figures," Sirius knowingly smirked. "You and Severus are such bookworms."

Something twitched across Rowan's face, before consciously turning towards Remus Lupin. "Are you alright, Lupin?" She took a step closer as if studying his face. The four boys all stiffen at the question, especially Lupin. "You appear to be rather waning in the face. Perchance, a visit to the infirmary with the matron might be prudent."

Remus Lupin's head droops at the question. Seeing his friend feeling comfortable with the question, James hurriedly steps in. "There's nothing wrong with Lupin, he just has a furry little problem that sometimes keeps him up at night." Remus sends James a grateful smile as Sirius and Peter sigh in relief at James' quick thinking.

Seeing the unity of the four boys, Rowan turns away. "Well, if that's all. I will be leaving now. I have plenty of things to do."

"Wait for us!" James cheerfully exclaimed as the three other Gryffindors followed in tow.

Feeling an impending headache, Rowan suppressed the urge to rub the temple of her head. She could only help she wasn't kicked out by the librarian along with the Marauders. She would not hold back from hexing them if they did!

The librarian Madam Pince carefully treats a ripped page of a book. The sound of footsteps caused her to glance up. A faint fond smile appears on her face at spotting Rowan Prince. However, all traces of fondness fade away at spotting four troublesome Gryffindors. In the staff room, she had already heard how the four boys had gotten in trouble for gifting more than one student nose-biting teacups and frog-spawning soap.

Madam Pince frostily glared at them with a hint of a visible disappointment directed at Rowan Prince for daring to associate with such riffraff. Seeing the intense glare from the librarian directed at them, James shuffles closer at Rowan pleading with his gaze for help. With an exasperated expression, Rowan steps forward to meet Madam Pince's stern gaze.

"Thank you for all your excellent aid with the archives, Madam Pince," Rowan soothed the librarian's ruffled feathers. "My-," she paused to suppress the sour taste in her mouth, "-acquaintances are presently enraptured with a general study of Lycanthropy and any in-depth case studies of werewolves."

Madam Pince thoughtfully eyes the four boys and finds no traces of a lie or a prank. "That can be arranged, but first and foremost they must be aware of the library rules."

"Most certainly," Rowan answered with a delighted gleam in her eyes, before enthusiastically abandoning the four Gryffindors to their miserable fates.

Without a shred of mercy, Madam Pince promptly lists the entire rules of the library. The four boys' shudder at the vast list but remain still and attentive lest Madam Pince restarts from the beginning. AGAIN. The librarian had already done so once before.

In her usual corner, Rowan loses track of time intently reading and jotting careful notes. The sound of footsteps and the rustle of robes are heard nearby. However, Rowan paid no attention to the sounds as it typically was a student passing by in search of a particular book.

The loud jolt of a moving chair caused Rowan to glance up. With surprise and charging, Rowan sees the four boys sitting down in her corner of the library. James Potter sits down on her right and Sirius Black on her left leaving Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew to sit directly across from the table.

"Are the four of you doing this just to annoy me?" Rowan flatly asked. Nevermind, that she was in a secluded corner of the library, they had to have looked for her.

"Whatever would make you think that?" Sirius sweetly said playful batting his eyelashes at her.

"I hate my life," Rowan crossly thought to herself, before proceeding to promptly ignore them all.

Searching the page, Rowan is about to resume where she left off when she feels a sudden tug on her right sleeve. With a frustrated sigh, Rowan turns to face James. "Yes, James, what is it?"

"Thanks, Rowan," James sincerely answered with a wide grin.

Rowan blinks in surprise as Remus Lupin chimes in with sincere gratitude. Sirius merely folded his arms over his chest in a haughty fashion. On the other hand, Peter sullenly glares at Rowan as if she had grievously erred against him. No doubt blaming her for having to listen to Madam Pince's speech. Well, the feeling of dislike was mutual.

Ignoring Pettigrew, Rowan resumed her dedicated notetaking until Sirius loudly sighed in frustration loudly setting his textbook down.

"This bloody book tells us nothing about how to go about curing a werewolf!" Sirius somewhat softly said rapidly recalling the rules of the library mid-way.

"It is not supposed, there is not a known cure," Rowan answered without looking up from her notetaking. "And if you had noticed the title of the book is a general study and not the cure for Lycanthropy."

The three boys all look over at Lupin, who just smiles in resignation. "It was nice of all of you to try to help me with my research, but all of you don't need to bother anymore."

Rowan's quill halts as she glanced over at Lupin and scoffed. "How utterly predictable."

"Excuse me?" Lupin said with a touch of indignation in his voice.

"Even if Gryffindor's aren't known for their intellectual genius, but rather for their courage and bravery. I would at least think you would have the courage to see things through rather than to just give up from the very start," Rowan crisply remarked.

"I am not a coward," Lupin growled back as Pettigrew hatefully glared back in addition.

"Oh? Prove it." Rowan stared down her nose in emphasis.

Lupin with a loud thump opens his book up and begins to furiously read and take notes. Rowan hides a smile as Sirius leans over to conspiratorially whisper. "Aw, you're pretty nice after all."

"Your breath stinks," Rowan grumbled back causing Sirius to let out a gasp in protest. He hastily covers his mouth and tries to subtly blow into his mouth trying to smell his breath.

Hiding a smirk, James ducks his head behind his book. Rowan Prince, maybe a surly snake, but she was a good one. And more importantly, a newly gained friend.