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CHAPTER THIRTY THREE - 🍂 ୧ the other. . .
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SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER on Hallowe'en, there was another perspective, one that followed Lily, Raven, Remus, Sirius, and Peter as they watched Autumn and James journey through the streets of Hogsmeade.

The group of friends stealthily stalked the couple as they traced their every step throughout the entire date in Hogsmeade.

Previously, a week earlier, Raven, Lily, Elliot and James had conspired to create a meticulous plan. After James voiced his determination to finally confess his feelings to Autumn, the friends resolved to aid him in creating the ideal surroundings and atmosphere to do so. On a day full of revelry and cheer, they intended to play matchmakers, ensuring that Autumn would receive the confession she so richly deserved.

Despite some alterations to the plan due to the absence of Elliot, Raven and Lily still managed to execute the majority of the scheme with flawless skill. The girls had conversed with Autumn over breakfast to fill her in on the plans for the night, aiming to establish the perfect setting to provide the ultimate opportunity for James to share his love in a lovely and captivating way.

The girls cunningly wove various topics into their conversation over breakfast, strategically planting certain thoughts in Autumn's mind. One idea that they introduced was a prompt asking her to describe her favorite thing about herself, which seemed innocent on the surface but would turn out to be crucial to the plan.

James implemented his strategy with precision and perfect timing, catching Autumn off guard with a slightly unexpected opening question: "What is your least favorite thing about yourself?" The purpose of this initial query was to pave the way for Autumn to counter with a question that would prove beneficial to James' grand scheme.

And so, James' plan played out flawlessly, unfolding exactly as he had envisioned. Autumn answered his unexpected opening question and effortlessly moved into asking the question he had hoped for. She walked directly into his meticulously devised scheme, asking the question that would allow him to give his answer with unparalleled perfection.

As the girls completed their part of the plan, they all felt an eager anticipation to watch James successfully carry out his portion of the scheme. However, they were understandably reluctant to observe the couple directly.

The idea of following the couple through Hogsmeade was initially suggested by Lily, perhaps as a way to distract herself from Elliot's unfeeling behavior. Regardless of her motives, trailing James and Autumn was deemed a crucial step to witness James's grand romantic act unfold exactly as they had envisioned.

EARLIER ON THAT DAY

Raven

Ravens burst out of her bed, pouncing on Autumn, who was still drifting off under the covers. A chorus of groans and grunts emanated from the bed as Autumn attempted to burrow beneath her pillow.

Undeterred by Autumn's reluctance, Raven continued to embrace her tightly.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAREST, AUTUMN," she cried out cheerfully, her affection bubbling over in her exuberant display.

Autumn's attempts to hide and resist were met with a quiet chuckle from Raven, who remained determined to surprise her best friend. Despite the objections from their dormmates, who muttered about the early hour, Raven disregarded their complaints.

"Oh, shut it," she retorted, "you all did the same thing on your birthdays. So quit grumbling and moaning."

Eventually, Raven and Autumn departed from the Ravenclaw common room, setting out to begin their day. As they stepped out, they noticed Lily standing there, waiting for them. The girls exchanged a puzzled glance, silently wondering why Elliot was nowhere to be seen.

Raven queried about Elliot's whereabouts, but Lily responded with a shrug, admitting she had no idea. She theorized that he might be in the Great Hall, though she couldn't say for certain.

Raven let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she muttered, "He better have a reason for not being here," shaking her head in apparent annoyance.

Once the girls arrived in the Great Hall, Raven was the first one to spot Elliot. Her eyes narrowed and her lips flattened into a tense line.

While James remained blissfully unaware of the girls' observation, they had noticed the change in Elliot's behavior and attitude towards them with growing concern.

They were not pleased by his actions or the ease with which he was dismissing them. Raven, in particular, was determined to confront him about his suspicious behavior and his blatant disregard for their friendship.

Seated at the Gryffindor table, Raven wrestled with her anger towards Elliot, choosing to sit with her back facing the Slytherin table and the source of her irritation. She resolved to refrain from ruining Autumn's birthday by maintaining her composure as best she could.

The girls sat down together, and Raven subtly nudged Lily's leg, signaling that their plan was in action. The scheme had already been carefully premeditated, and now it was time to put it into effect.

Lily

Lily had risen earlier than her roommates in the morning with the goal of sneaking out to assist James in their plan. The scheme had to be carried out discreetly, so as not to disturb her fellow dormmates. There would be opportunities for the others to converse with her later on, after Raven, Elliot, and she had fulfilled their roles in the plan.

Once Lily had managed to slip out of her dorm and the Gryffindor common room, she observed that Elliot was conspicuously absent. He had previously mentioned that he would meet her at some point, expressing concern for her safety near the Slytherin dungeons. He cited potential encounters with Snape and confrontations with other Slytherin students as his reason for worry.

Rather than waiting for Elliot as he had instructed her to do, she proceeded to the Ravenclaw tower and patiently waited for her friends to arrive. Although a few minutes passed before they appeared, Lily was thankful that she wasn't forced to dwell on Elliot's whereabouts.

Lily eagerly advanced towards Autumn, her face a picture of celebration. She swiftly enveloped her friend in a warm embrace, using the moment as a form of distraction to quell any unwanted thoughts or anything that might spoil the day.

"Happy birthday, Autumn!" Lily cheerily proclaimed as she held tightly onto her friend.

Lily's attempts to keep her mind free from bothersome thoughts, and to maintain a merry mood, appeared to falter as her eyes fell upon Elliot sitting at the Slytherin table. She stopped in her tracks, watching him glance in their direction before resuming conversation with another person.

Her expression dropped as she realized Elliot was ignoring them, and as she was about to wave, he averted his gaze by turning his back on her and engaging with someone else.

The two girls stood there, observing and watching Elliot converse with the other Slytherin student.

Autumn posed a question, "Isn't that Sirius' younger brother?", and Lily responded with a nod, confirming it was indeed Regulus.

"Yes, indeed it is," Lily affirmed, nodding again as she wrapped her arms around Autumn's wrists and tugged her towards the Gryffindor table.

Remus eventually joined the group as well, though his part in the grand scheme was mostly minor, comprising of a single message he delivered to the girls—"James is waiting outside."

With the plan now complete, the three exited the Great Hall, where they met up with James, Sirius, and Peter.

"The plan is done, it's your turn, James," Raven proclaimed, and James's face broke into a wide grin before he entered the Great Hall.

"Thanks for the help, girls. Wish me luck," he replied before striding into the Great Hall.

Lily, trying to distract herself from her worries and anger towards Elliot, suggested heading to Hogsmerade.

Raven quickly picked up on her friend's ploy to take her mind off her troubles, and she agreed.

Peter remained blissfully unaware, dozing against the wall.

Remus and Sirius glanced at each other, silently communicating their agreement on the matter, and the group left.

The Marauder's

The morning dawned, and James was up early, bursting with fervor for the chance to confess his feelings to Autumn.

He paced around his dormitory, rummaging through his clothes for something appropriate. Peter, whose bed was located nearest to James' own, was also woken up by the commotion.

"Prongs," Peter groaned, pulling a pillow over his face as he complained, "The sun hasn't even risen yet."

James darted over to Peter's bed, his excitement driving him to shake the boy persistently.

"Wormy~ Please help me!" he implored, continuing his efforts to rouse his friend from his slumber.

Peter sat up, smacking James with a pillow before breaking into a smirk. He replied with a hint of fatigue in his voice, "I highly doubt Autumn will care about your clothes."

Refusing to give up, James persisted, "Come on wormy, which looks better?" while displaying different pieces of clothing.

"You have a better chance of getting Sirius' advice," Peter responded, sinking down and lying back down in his bed.

James protested further, "But Sirius will make me wear a leather jacket, and Remus wears cardigans like they're his skin. You have an excellent sense of fashion, so come on," he pleaded.

Eventually, Peter gave in, standing up and taking the clothes from James' hand.

It took a while, but James, with Peter's assistance, managed to decide on an outfit. He continued to shout from the bathroom, calling out to his friend for help.

Despite his fatigue, and the early hour, Peter was more than willing to help. He knew the import of the day and was even more supportive of James in his upcoming pursuit.

Remus and Sirius woke up to find Peter in a yawn-inducing state and James neatly dressed.

Sirius, noting Peter's exhausted and drained appearance, quipped, "Why does Wormy look like he was kissed by a dementor?"

James answered cheerfully, "Pete was helping me," and Remus let out an amused chuckle as James took pride in his outfit, even doing a little twirl to display it to them.

James's eagerness and desire to look his best prompted him to seek validation from his friends. Yet, despite the others' attempts to mould him into their desired look, Peter had firmly shut down Sirius, having already put considerable effort into grooming James.

On their way to the Great Hall, Remus broke away from the group and went ahead, while the other three remained behind to wait for the girls.

As the girls were deep in conversation, Remus rejoined and announced his arrival.

"Strangest thing," he began, "Elliot wasn't helping the girls, but was instead seated at the Slytherin table with Regulus."

Upon hearing the news, Sirius raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do they know each other?" James and Remus exchanged shrugs, neither of them having a definitive answer to Sirius' question.

They all shrugged in unison, baffled by the situation, while Peter decided that the wall behind him would serve as the perfect pillow and began using it as a resting spot.

After a little while, Lily and Raven emerged from the Hall and met with James, who was just about to offer them his gratitude for their assistance.

Having heard of Lily's troubles, the boys were all in agreement about traveling to Hogsmeade.

Although they were privy to her unease, they decided to acquiesce to her request, hoping that a change of scenery might do her some good.

As the group traversed the charming village, they encountered a mix of delightful and amusing events. On one occasion, Raven and Remus formed a pair, strolling along and engaging in a lighthearted conversation about different topics.

Meanwhile, a trio of Peter, Sirius, and Lily spent time together nearby, with the former two amusing Lily with their antics, to the amusement of both Raven and Remus who observed from a distance.

As they continued to walk together, Remus leaned in close to Raven and muttered, "She's just trying to distract herself, isn't she?"

Though she attempted to put on a smile, Raven acknowledged, "Yeah," her friend well aware of her emotional state.

Remus shifted his focus to Raven, asking gently, "How are you coping with the Elliot situation?"

Raven swiftly replied, her anger apparent as she hissed, "I don't know what he's up to, and I honestly couldn't care less if he's friends with people from his own house. But ignoring us? That's where I draw the line."

Remus stepped away for a moment before returning and walking beside Raven again. He kept pace with her, but then suddenly halted and stepped in front of her, walking backward as he handed her a small assortment of chocolate-covered wand-shaped sweets.

""Chocolate wands?" Raven questioned, curious as she held a handful of the sweet treats.

Remus responded, a hint of bashfulness in his voice, "They didn't have any other kinds of chocolate, but it still serves the same purpose... considering chocolate has mood-enhancing properties."

Raven smiled and thanked him, beginning to eat the chocolates as she felt a lift in her mood, grateful that Remus had gone out of his way to obtain them for her sake.

As Raven and Remus were lost in their own world, the trio walking ahead of them continued engaging in their conversation, all the while acting like amateur detectives as they closely observed Autumn and James.

"Peter, they'll spot you!" Lily whispered and tugged Peter back into a concealed position against the wall, taking cover to prevent them from being seen.

Peter protested, mumbling, but Lily wasn't having it.

"They won't notice us," she reassured him quietly, gesturing to the crowd, "They won't hear us." Peter muttered under his breath, and Lily silenced him once more by placing a her finger against his lips.

"You never know," the girl repeated confidently, and Peter gave in and stayed silent, their trio resuming their observations while keeping a safe distance.

Their focus shifted from watching Autumn and James to each other.

Sirius suddenly had a realization and exclaimed, "Wait a minute, I just noticed that you only call Peter by his first name, while you still call us by our last names."

Remus added, "Lily calls me by my first name as well."

Sirius let out a scoff and asked in a somewhat snarky tone, "So it's just James and I?"

Lily responded with a slight roll of her eyes and a brief smirk, "Fine, I'll call you Sirius. Does that make you feel better?"

Sirius chuckled and nodded in approval, "Yes. Yes, it does."

...

As the day began to draw to a close, James and Autumn sat silently on a bench near the Shrieking Shack.

Remus and the others remained behind a small wall to keep out of sight, continuing their secret observation.

Sirius couldn't resist making a sly remark, "The Shrieking Shack. So romantic." He jokingly elbowed Remus and whispered, "Your lovely abode."

In response, Remus elbowed him back and tried to shush him since Lily was still unaware of his 'furry little problem'.

Remus breathed a sigh of relief as Lily's focus was fixed on the scene ahead, alongside Raven, as the two observed Autumn and James.

Within a mere five minutes, Raven and Lily almost exclaimed aloud as they watched the pair share a kiss.

Swiftly, Peter jumped in and covered their mouths with his hands in an attempt to stop them from interrupting the private moment between Autumn and James.

Sirius struggled to hold back his excitement, and he whispered excitedly, "I can't believe she kissed him first."

The group reacted with subtle joy before making plans to leave, keeping in mind that they still had arrangements for the rest of the evening.

Since they didn't want to interrupt the pair's alone time, the five decided to allow Autumn and James to continue their time together, resisting the urge to keep watching.