Lily rolled over and pulled the sheets up to her head. The bright summer sunlight was streaming onto the covers through a crack in the curtain, making the possibility of going back to sleep unlikely. It would have been impossible anyway due to the fact that the rest of Lily’s dorm was up and about, getting ready for the last Hogsmeade trip of the year and talking at the tops of their voices.
“Lil, wake up “ it’s a beautiful daaay!” sang Neala, ripping open the hangings around Lily’s bed.
“Go away,” she mumbled into the pillow. “I’m sleeping.”
“Oh get up!” said Neala, poking the lump that she presumed was Lily.
“I’m not going,” said Lily, rolling away from her.
“Yes you are,” gabbled Neala. “We’re gonna go and have breakfast and then we’re gonna go to Honeydukes cos I promised I’d bring home some chocolate frogs for Elliot cos Mum said he was asking for some and then we’ll see if there’s anything going on in the Three Broomsticks. Ooh! And then we’ll go to Zonko’s cos I know Sirius said he was going and ““
“Neala, I’m really not going.”
“What?”
Neala sank onto the bed and pulled Lily towards her. “Why not? It’s gonna be fun “ the last girl’s day out before the holidays!”
“No thanks.”
“‘No thanks’ isn’t an option “ now get up!”
“I don’t want to go!”
Neala sighed.
“Look why not? What’s happened?”
Lily lowered the covers from her chin and pushed her hair out of her face.
“Potter.”
“Oh,” said Neala understandingly. There was an awkward silence. “Lil, can’t you just forget about him? I mean…he’s not really worth it…and come on, we’re not going to let him spoil our day are we?”
“No, I’m not in the mood,” she said, slumping back down into bed.
“Oh yeah?” Neala’s cheerfulness returned. “Well I am, Lil, and you’re coming whether you like it or not cos it’s no fun without you.”
Neala tugged back the covers and dragged Lily out of bed.
“Neala!” said Lily, pulling down her nighty.
“Right, brush your hair, get dressed - I want you in the common room in fifteen minutes!”
*
“OI! Sleeping Beauty! Get up!”
“Piss off, Sirius,” grumbled James, as the curtains around his bed were flung open and the covers were ripped off his bed.
“Nah, it’s more fun to torment you,” said Sirius, as he jumped onto James’ legs and made him groan in pain. “So “ I’m guessing you really screwed up with Evans…”
James said nothing.
“I’ll be taking that as a “yes”,” Sirius said, grinning. “Oh, you never learn… anyway, get up and get ready “ I wanna get out of here!”
Reluctantly, James swung his legs out of bed and stretched. He got up and walked over to the window; the grounds were glowing orange in the sunlight and the lake was sparkling already.
“Well hello.”
A familiar voice made him turn around.
“James “ put some clothes on.”
Neala, who was standing in the doorway, threw a t-shirt from the chair at her side. James caught it and walked towards her. Neala and James, just like Lily and Remus, had only become friends in the fifth year. Although Neala was very pretty, James only had eyes for Lily. Sirius though, being a ladies man, had taken a liking to her and she didn’t seem to mind.
“Um, Nell …what are you doing in here?”
“Well, I wanted to tell you in the nicest possible way that Lily would appreciate it if you stayed away from her today.”
James’ heart sank.
“Did she actually say that?” he said, leaning against the door frame.
“No,” said Neala, brushing her fair hair out of her eyes. “I did. She’s in a stress cos of you again and I don’t want you ruining the last day out.”
“I didn’t mean to upset her,” he said, pulling on his t-shirt. “I just don’t know what the hell I’m doing with her.”
“Doing what with who, my friend?” said Sirius wandering out of the bathroom. “Oh…we have company…all right Neala?” He winked at her.
“Morning, Sirius,” said Neala, biting her lip.
“May I say that you are looking particularly spectacular today?” he said, taking her hand and bowing deeply.
“Well, I don’t have a problem with you saying that.”
“Well I’m glad you don’t because it’s only the truth.”
“Well I’m glad that ““
“Ok, sorry to interrupt this little… whatever this is…but we were talking about Lily?” said James, trying to smooth down his hair.
“Oh yeah,” said Neala, struggling against Sirius who was now trying to pull her into some sort of tango. “Well basically…wait a sec, Sirius… I just think you should keep out of her-“
James never found out what Neala thought, though, because Sirius had grabbed her by the waist and was now spinning her around the dormitory.
*
“You know,” said Neala, peering into the window of a shop on her right. “I dunno if that’s just how he is…I mean, I know he’s flirty, but…have you ever seen him dance with anyone else?”
“Um…no,” said Lily, distractedly. She was checking the street for any sign of James and his gang.
“Oh…I hope we bump into him…”
“Mmm,” said Lily, craning her neck over the crowds. “Err… I mean, I don’t…”
“No, I know you don’t…where do you think they’ll be?”
“Hopefully, wherever we don’t go,” she said, giving up her search and falling into step with Neala.
“What happened with you two, anyway?”
“Urgh…well he took me into the Forest and basically told me he was clueless…bit pointless really…”
“What was?”
Lily jumped and span around. Sirius was standing behind her, grinning, with a large package in his arms.
“Sirius!” squeaked Neala.
“Neala, my darling, you look radiant,” he said.
“Thanks.”
Neala giggled.
“Um…yeah,” Lily muttered, glancing sideways at Neala who was smiling at Sirius and playing with her hair. “What’s with the package?”
Sirius tore his eyes of Neala to look at Lily.
“Oh…just some supplies for the party…” he said casually.
“A party?!” Neala squealed.
“Oh, yeah,” said Sirius. “We’re having a party for the end of term…speaking of which, I haven’t got a date yet…”
Lily groaned and turned around, leaving Sirius and Neala to ask each other out. She began to wander through the crowds of students who were buying gifts to take home to their parents at the end of term. It was hot in the sun but all the shops had their awnings out and people were sitting outside the Three Broomsticks enjoying the readily available Pumpkin juice. Lily saw Remus sitting at one of the tables and, looking back over her shoulder to check that Neala was still happily chatting to Sirius (she was), made her way over to him.
“Hey,” she said, sitting down on the little wooden stool.
Remus looked at her wearily.
“Hi,” he said, taking a sip of his juice and looking away.
“What’s up?” said Lily, leaning in towards him.
“Sorry…I’m just tired after…you know…”
“Oh yeah,” said Lily quietly. “Yeah, I guess you would be…”
They sat in silence, watching the people go past with their shopping and chattering happily about their plans for the summer. Lily always hated leaving Hogwarts for the summer, mainly because she had to spend it with her unbearable sister, Petunia. The holidays meant 6 weeks of being called a ‘freak’ and resisting the temptation to prove to Petunia that she really could turn people into frogs. Lily looked back at Remus.
“Why are you by yourself, anyway?”
“Oh, the others wandered off…I think Peter had to stay behind and have remedial potions or something…”
Lily snorted.
“Where’s Neala?” said Remus, looking around.
“Oh, Sirius is chatting her up…” said Lily, smiling. This time Remus snorted.
“Lils, I’m going to miss you this summer,” he said shyly, looking down into his drink.
“I’ll miss you, too,” Lily said, quietly.
At that moment, Neala and Sirius came over to the table and settled themselves on the remaining stools.
“Well, my friends,” said Sirius chirpily, grabbing Remus’ Pumpkin juice and taking a swig. “I have my supplies for the party, I have my date for the party,” he winked at Neala. “And now all I need is the people.” He swivelled towards Lily and looked at her expectantly.
“What?” said Lily.
“Well, are you coming?”
“Of course I’m coming,” said Lily impatiently. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know,” Sirius said slowly. “I just thought you might want to avoid…someone.”
“If you mean Potter, I couldn’t care less. I’ve told him to stay away from me…even he’s not too stupid to work out what that means.”
“Oh, all right,” said Sirius, in an offhand voice.
“What are you getting at?” she said suspiciously.
“Oh, nothing, nothing…” said Sirius quietly, but his smile told Lily that he wasn’t giving her the whole story.
*
James sat on a patch of grass beneath one of the tall oak trees at the top of hill. He looked out to his left and saw, in the distance, the Shrieking Shack. In the daylight, it was hard to imagine what had nearly happened only a few nights ago. He shook his head, trying to get rid of his thoughts. But then again that had never worked before. He could see her face, her hair, her eyes looking up at him. He sighed and pushed himself up from the tree.
He wandered down the green hill and into the lanes of Hogsmeade; they were quieter now because most of the students had gone back up to the castle. James was planning to find Sirius to do the same and him sitting at a table outside the Three Broomsticks. However, he wasn’t alone. Sitting around the same table was Neala, Remus and, judging by the unmistakable red hair that was glinting gold in the evening sunlight, Lily. He swallowed and approached the group.
“Hi,” he said breezily, trying not to look at Lily. “I was going to head back up to the castle if anyone wanted to come…”
“Yeah,” said Remus, pushing himself up heavily from the chair. “I will.”
“I think I’ll stay for a bit longer…” said Sirius, glancing sideways at Neala.
“Oh, um, yeah…yeah me too,” she said, quickly. They both stared at Lily.
“Lily, are you going too?” said Sirius, deliberately. Lily looked straight back at him. “Are you?” He moved his leg.
“Ouch!” said Lily, loudly. “Yes, all right, I’m going “ I got the hint the first time, thanks, there was no need to cripple me.
Sirius grinned and immediately turned towards Neala.
The others began to walk back down the lane towards the gates of Hogwarts, with Remus in the middle, separating Lily and James. James looked up at the castle as they walked along in the warmth of the summer evening. Its many towers and turrets were silhouetted against the sky that was glowing orange, making him realise how much he would miss it when the time came to go home. Still, he would have Sirius to stay…he never liked spending any time at home if he could avoid it.
They arrived back at Hogwarts and entered through the massive doors. James made for the staircase to go up to the common room before dinner but Remus turned off into the Great Hall.
“Sorry,” he said, looking back over his shoulder at James. “I’m hungry.”
James watched him enter the hall and then turned back around, expecting to see Lily. However, she had already begun to make her way up the stairs. He leapt up after her, avoiding the people coming down for dinner, and caught up with her on the first landing.
“Evans, come on,” he said quietly, as he drew level with her. He stood in front of her so that she was trapped between him and a suit of armour. “Look, can we at least be civil?” The eyes flashed.
“Why?” she said, stonily.
“Because I don’t want to have to pretend to ignore you every time I see you. Can we just…you know…be normal?”
*
She looked up at him and saw his black hair flopping into his eyes. Something fizzed in her stomach and she swallowed, hard, in an attempt to get rid of it. She wanted, more than anything, to be cruel and ignore him for the rest of her time at Hogwarts, but a part of her couldn’t bear to see him miserable any more. She swallowed again.
“Fine,” she said, quickly. “But don’t do anything stupid. We’re just being civil…nothing more.”
“Yeah,” James nodded, looking pleased. “Yeah…I promise not to screw up this time…”
“You’d better not…” she said, warningly, and they began to walk together down the corridor. James kept glancing at her “ a habit she was getting used to, and her mind wandered back to the night they had kissed. Immediately, she stopped herself. That familiar fizzing feeling had returned and she didn’t want it to. Clenching her fists, she forced herself to think of something else. I think I’ll have a bath, she thought as they arrived at the portrait hole. James let her in first.
“Thanks,” she said, when they were inside. “I’ll, err, probably see you at dinner then…”
“Yeah,” said James. “Yeah, see you at dinner…”
Lily turned away from him and made her way up the dormitory stairs, hoping that a bath would clear her mind of all things Potter…
Disclaimer: Tisn't mine...
AN: So we are one step close to Chapter 6! This chapter was fun to write so hopefully it's fun to read. I'm trying not to make James and Lily go back and forth too much but don't worry - no matter what you read in the next few chapters, they do NOT get together until the 7th year. Please review xxLivsxx