Seven years later.
A disgruntled figure rolled around in her confining bedsheets, trying to distangle herself from their folds. Her eyes, narrowed in both exhaustion and frustration, suddenly widened as she felt herself falling - as if in a dream - until she made hard contact with the ground. Grumbling, the teenager nearly ripped off the curtains hanging from her four poster bed, tugging at her white nightgown as she trudged in the direction of the girls' shared bathroom. She hesitated at the closed door to the sound of running water. Wonderful. Someone had beat her to the shower.
"It's Darla," came a voice from behind her. "And she's been in there for ages."
Lily whirled around, so that she faced her best friend, Sarah, who was grinning at her. Lily noted that the girl had the gall to be dressed and ready, her hair perfectly controlled and her face tastefully made up.
"How is it," said Lily, placing a hand upon her hip as she used the other to bang fiercely on the door. "That while you go to bed nearly one o'clock every night, after reading your romantic love novels, that you wake fresher and more alert than any of us?"
Sarah continued to use the Cheshire Cat-like grin. "Magic?" she offered.
Lily smiled, somewhat feebly back, and turned to face the door. "Darla! For Merlin's sake, hurry up!" She uttered a hushed scream as the door was suddenly whipped open, and a girl wrapped in towels (one around her body, another upon her head like a turban) glared at her.
"I'm terribly sorry that I had the nerve to wake first, and to the rights of the shower," snapped Darla, wandering over to her side of the room so that she might dress and get ready.
Lily, hoping to avoid an arguement that she couldn't deal with, merely rolled her eyes heavenward and moved into the bathroom. She shed her nightgown, and stepped into the shower, the water cold due to Darla's indulgence. After a good wash, Lily stepped out and into the empty dormitory; she really was running late.
Lily ran down the corridor, her bookbag slapping her hip painfully as she skipped down a flight of stairs. Having woken up so early, she had had to skip breakfast, and could feel her stomach physically complaining because of it as she passed a group of Ravenclaw third-years.
While still running at such a fast pace, she attempted to straighten her red and gold tie, her green eyes downcast. This resulted in a few more successful strides, until she ran into a hard body as the figure rounded the corner.
Immediately, Lily made contact with the ground for the second time that day, and this time, all her possessions went flying through the air and scattering themselves. She released an aggravated sigh as her two ink bottles stained the stone floor black, and began to mumble her apologies.
"Watch where you're going, Potter."
Groaning, she looked upwards so that her eyes met Atticus' intimidating grey ones. "It's not as if you exactly warned me I was coming," she retorted, scrambling around the ground to pick up her things.
"Because I can see though a wall," he sneered, motioning to the stone corner he had been behind until the very last minute.
Her eyes narrowed as she was left with nothing more to say. With her possessions in hand, and the broken ones repaired, she made to leave, hitting shoulders with him as she passed.
"Don't forget!" Atticus called after her, his tone cold but amused. "We have to get together after dinner to supervise the decorations!"
Outside of the Charms door, she paused, cursing christmas decorations, cursing her Head Girl badge, and cursing Atticus for being her partner. And alive.
"You seem distracted."
"I'm not."
"You didn't pay attention to any of our classes."
"I'm tired."
"You're not sick?"
"No."
"Then why do you keep answering me with two words or less?"
Lily cringed in guilt. "I'm sorry, Sarah," she said, kicking the tables leg with her foot. (A nervous habit.)
"No worries," she said, cheering slightly now that Lily was opening up. "What's giving you so much trouble that you didn't pay attention in class?"
It really was ridiculous. Lily always paid attention in class. She took notes, met with the teachers after class, and every Sunday she would go over her notes and re-write them if her cursive wasn't up to par.
"Malfoy. I 'ran into him' right before Charms," Lily replied, spearing her chicken with her fork. The Great Hall was full of students during the hour, and everyone was enjoying their conversations and food, speaking with full mouths while reaching for a second roll. "I have to meet him in twenty minutes to supervise the prefects who are supervising the decorations." She rolled her eyes. "My idea of a fun evening, I assure you."
Sarah smirked at this, poking at her potatoes. It was a known fact that Lily and Atticus had been rivals since their very first day. James obviously didn't get along with him either, but the animosity between the female Potter and Malfoy's son filled the whole school with tension. They fought to be best in class, the best Head, and often had arguements in the halls. If Lily could manage to sit on a broom without sliding off, she imagined that the pair playing Quidditch wouldn't fare any better.
"Maybe I could tag along.. be your second if he challenges you to a duel." Sarah waggled her eyebrows, eyeing Lily's piece of pumpkin pie hungrily.
"Unneccessary, though appreciated all the same," Lily replied, slightly happier as she pushed the pie in the direction of her friend. "And I suppose I should go," she said, chancing a look at her wrist watch. "Wish me luck?" she asked, getting up from the table's bench.
"Gew' lack," said Sarah, for her mouth was full of pie.
"You're two minutes late."
"Miss me that much, Malfoy?" questioned Lily dryly, folding her arms across her chest as she observed Hagrid pushing up a great tree, while tiny Professor Flitwick charmed some baubles to take residence upon its branches.
"Well, I just figured that since we're Head Boy and Girl, that we should share the work equally. I mean, is it fair for me to be expected to do every-"
He was cut off by an angry glare from Lily. "You do all the work? Merlin's beard, if that isn't a slight exageration. I recall last Tuesday doing the rounds alone because someone was giving his latest girlfriend a tour of the broom closet!" Her pale face reddened angrily as she flung a curl over her shoulder.
He grinned, enjoying her temper. "If you're jealous of Melissa I can certainly.."
"Shut up," she seethed, watching Brian (Nate's younger brother) who was a fifth year prefect, usher a group of curious first-years away from the tree.
"Have I touched a nerve?" he asked, feigning concern as he moved closer, draping an arm around her shoulder. "Because I seem to recall that you've never had a boyfriend, isn't that true?" His tone adopted an infuriating coo, which sent Lily off the deep end. Shrugging off his arm, she ventured towards Brian, who seemed alarmed at her expression even though she was attempting to smile happily.
"How're you, Brian?" she asked, ignoring the snickers coming from behind.
"Frightened," he replied truthfully.
A/N - Short and sweet. It'll get more exciting too, I promise. Next chapter is James' too, if you've missed him. =D Review.
A Legend Continued by Meryl Montgomery
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer - Not mine. J. K.'s. Yadda, yadda.