Maybe It's for the Better
-Maybe it's for the better, Lily. – said Marsha while gazing into the soft blue sky illuminated by the glorious mid-May sun.
Having come down after lunch to enjoy the beautiful weather, Marsha Hobbs and Lily Evans were laying on the blanket by the Hogwarts Lake. Two girls had made themselves comfortable under the willow tree and were savoring the beautiful afternoon.
Lily was sipping her lemonade she had brought down and looked up at the girl next to her. Lily liked Marsha. Despite the oddity of the fact that a staunch Gryffindor befriended an equally staunch Slytherin the two girls bonded over the Arithmancy project that had been assigned to the pair of them over a year ago. However, it always occurred to Lily that the Slytherin girl was a mystery. Having always assumed that Marsha came from an old pureblood line, she was astonished to learn from Mary Mcdonald that Marsha Hobbs was a Muggleborn. Sorted into the Snakes' House the moment the Sorting Hat landed on the eleven-year old Ms. Hobbs, she had become one of the top students, habitué of the Slug Club, and an all-time favorite Quidditch commentator. It was odd enough for a girl to get the sought-out commentator's booth, but the apparent ease with which Marsha got on well with her fellow Slytherins baffled Lily. With anti-Muggle prejudices running high inside the Hogwarts walls, Marsha Hobbs was never the target of bullying. On the contrary, the SLytherins seemed to consider her an equal, a part of their exclusive circle. However, Lily vividly remembered an incident in her fifth year when St. Jules twins slipped Biting Beans into David Thomas' book bag and the Prefect Marsha allegedly took twenty points off Slytherin for pulling the prank which landed David in the hospital wing. Two days later, Lily saw the twins and Marsha enjoying their butterbeers at Three Broomsticks as if the Thomas issue had been settled. What did they know about Hobbs that no one else did intrigued Lily so much that one night she confronted Sirius who was busy doodling in the corner of the Gryffindor Common Room.
- You mean the Slytherin Hobbs? What's the sudden interest, Evans? – he put down his expensive-looking Portobello quill and stared at her.
- I'm just curious, Black. Mary told me she's a Muggle born and I'm surprised to see her get on so well with the likes of Mulciber and Hopkins, that's all. – she said nonchalantly.
- I see. – answered Sirius looking at her and lifting his eyebrow. – Listen, Evans, - he began in an undertone. – you know full well my opinion of Mulciber and the like. I hate the smug's guts and everyone who's associated with a scum like him. You'll have more luck fishing for information on Hobbs by asking those little third-year Slytherins you're tutoring for Potions or, - he added and leaned back in his chair, - you can always ask the woman herself.
Sirius' answer – or a lack of one – struck Lily. First, Sirius and Lily had always been on civil terms and she even helped him when he was taking Muggle Studies and had to interview a Muggleborn. Second, she could tell by the way he resumed his non-productive pastime and thus indicating that the talk was over that there was something he wasn't telling her. Lily decided that this, after all, was none of her business, and the Marsha she knew never gave her a cause for suspecting her of anti-Muggleborn sentiments. All of this was making no sense whatsoever so Lily decided not to beat her brains out over Marsha's relationship with her housemates and simply enjoy the company of the Slytherin girl.
- What do you mean, "it's for the better"? – Lily put down her cup and turned towards Marsha.
- I mean that Professor Nemhauser had known the implications of taking on DADA position and then publicly announcing her disgust for the supporters of the Dark Lord, - said the dark-haired girl.
Lily looked incredulously at Marsha as if she could not believe what she was hearing.
- So you are saying that Hogwarts professors should pretend like nothing's happening? Isn't it their job to reveal the idiocy of all this anti-Muggle nonsense?
- Yes, - said Marsha slowly, - and you also know that probably half of the parents would not agree with Professor Nemhauser, don't you? And that her resignation did not come as a surprise. Why is that, hmm? – she looked at Lily with an unreadable face.
Lily turned her attention to the group of students who came down from school and were chatting animatedly while setting up their book bags by the lake. They too were happy to leave the castle for a few hours. It suddenly occurred to Lily that it was her last but one May before she graduated and started her studies at the Auror's training center. She didn't know what Marsha was planning on doing.
- Maybe, - answered Lily. – Listen, what are you doing after Hogwarts? – she asked rather abruptly.
Marsha looked at Lily, surprised.
- Next year, you mean? I thought you'd guess. – she reached out and picked up her rosewood wand. Pointing it at her cup she gave it a wave and refilled her pumpkin juice.
- Wizards' Junior Counsel? Ministry of Magic Department for Monetary Regulations? – Lily was well aware of Marsha's skills in Arithmancy. She suspected if the other girl were ever to stay in the Muggle world she would definitely pursue a career in finance.
- You're close, - Marsha chuckled. – The Gelfant foundation offered me a fellowship with Gringotts' branch in France, La Banque de Gringotts. I will work with them for a year.
The Gelfant fellowship was a prestigious award offered to students who had achieved outstanding marks in Arithmancy's OWL. Lily also knew that it was a highly competitive award and from what she learned from The Guide to Magical Graduate Education there was no official application process. The foundation handpicked its own candidates and then if one wished to receive the grant he or she had to provide three referents (one of whom had to be a Hogwarts professor) and were then interviewed by the committee. Therefore, it was highly difficult for a Muggleborn, with no family connections or acquaintances, to get impressive references. Difficult but not impossible, thought Lily, as she recalled one Slug Club get together attended by a Head of Gringott's UK branch.
- You got the fellowship? Congratulations! I never knew. What does David say about it?
David Manners was a pureblood Slytherin who graduated Hogwarts a previous year. David and Marsha started seeing each other the summer before and she had already been introduced to the Manners' who ran a successful broomstick sales business. David Manners Sr., Lily knew, was on the Gringott's Board of Trustees.
- Yes, thank you, - answered Marsha politely. – David was also pleased. We are going to France together, as a matter of fact. His father wants him to intern with the French Ministry next year, so it all works out well.
She continued sipping her juice. Her green eyes carefully watched the students by the lake. One of the group, Henry Fife, a lanky fifth year Ravenclaw, his school robes happily abandoned, was busy splashing the water on everyone in the vicinity.
- What about you Lily? – Marsha turned and rested her chin over palms. – How's the Potter boy taken the latest fiasco when he asked you out to Hogsmeade?
Lily spluttered her juice. Quickly waving her wand not to let the juice ruin her blouse she looked at the Slytherin girl with saucer eyes. Never had Marsha brought the "Potter Problem" on the table. Lily was always assuming that the Gryffindor's private life was no interest to her since they never actually shared intimacies of their love lives. Yes, it was common knowledge that Manners and Marsha were involved. Everyone knew that. But Potter and Evans… it never came up in their conversations and Lily was grateful for that. In fact, she'd been weary lately to hang out in the Common room or the girls dormitory for everyone in her house considered it their duty to tell her what a cute couple they would make and how the bespectacled boy was obsessed with her. Lily knew that if anyone mentioned the adjective "cute" to describe her non-existent relationship with that particular Maradeur, they'd suffer her hexes. And she was very proud of her skillful Horn-Tongue hex. Alicia Preston never bothered her after that incident in fourth year. In fact, the whole Hufflepuff House tried not to cross Evans ever since.
- What about him?! Why? What? – Lily was unable to adequately formulate her question.
- Relax… I just wondered. – Marsha chuckled. – You couldn't possibly think I didn't know. Everyone knows. They even talk about it in my house. And since it's no secret we are friendly, I sometimes get pestered by some busy-bodies to get some juicy details about you two.
Lily didn't know what to say and continued to stare at Marsha. Then, she slowly picked up her cup and put it in the picnic basket. Having checked that there were no stains on her shirt she put her wand away and looked at Marsha.
- Please don't tell me you also think that we're a match made in heaven, - she said.
A small smile played on Marsha's lips. She resumed watching the Ravenclaws.
- No, I won't say that, - she replied. - But maybe you should go out with him once, - she added as an afterthought.
- What?! No way I'm going on a date with that smug git!
Marsha looked at Lily.
- How well do you know his friends? – she asked.
- Friends? You mean Sirius, Peter, and Remus? – Lily looked surprised.
Marsha nodded.
- Well, - Lily hesitated. – I've been working with Remus for a couple of years now. As a prefect. He's great… I mean he's responsible and funny, and smart…Peter is a nice fellow too, I s'pose. I don't really know him. – she said. – As for Sirius, he's okay. Has a big head but is at the top of our year. Beats me how he does it.
Marsha laughed and nodded:
- I know what you mean. He's nothing like Regulus. I forget they're related sometimes. But that's not the point. – she said. – The point is, do you think those three would hang out with the monster you think Potter is?
- Mmm…- hesitated Lily.
She never gave it much thought, actually. Somehow it slipped her careful mind that Potter was, in fact, very popular with the student body. Quidditch Captain, top of the class, success came easily to him. He also took up tutoring second years but Lily always assumed it was a ruse to cover up his terrible record. He had gotten himself more detentions than Lily thought was officially permitted. Nonetheless, McGonagall strongly suggested he join the Auror guild during their fifth-year consultations. That struck Lily as an impossibility: Auror training required integrity, discipline and commitment. The qualities she thought Potter lacked. On the other hand, she knew McGonagall is very rarely wrong with her judgment. She respected her Head of the House and knew that professor did not give out her praise lightly. But all of that had nothing to do with Potter's pestering her.
- I don't understand what you mean. – she said. – So what that he's popular and has three hormone-driven teenagers who follow him around?
- You know perfectly well it's not true. – Marsha pocked her finger at Lily. – Black would never stick to him if James were a bag of scum. You know his opinion about Snape and Mulciber.
Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. She could never guess that a Slytherin would talk about her housemates in that matter. But she said nothing and just kept staring at Marsha.
- All I say is that one's friends can tell you great deal about a person. And also... – Marsha paused to pick up a bagel out of the basket. – What if Potter goes out on a date with you and realizes you two have nothing in common? You hate Quidditch, you are Slug Club's rising start, when he has yet to attend a single meeting, and you are friends with Severus. – she said and started eating her bagel.
Lily paused. This plan had never occurred to her. What if Potter realized that they, indeed, were too different? What if he would be bored with her? What if that was the answer to her lousy attempts to get rid of him?
- Maybe.. - she said slowly and looked at the other girl.
Marsha suggestively raised both of her eyebrows and picked up her pumpkin juice.
- Do you have a Hogsmeade date yet? – she asked.
- No. Nobody dares to ask me to Hogsmeade anymore and you know why, - Lily answered and smiled. – Potter made sure of it.
- Maybe it's for the better. Go tell him you agree to go with him this weekend. That should make his day. If it doesn't work out, he'll never ask you again.
- You're brilliant! – cried Lily and hugged Marsha. Marsha laughed and hugged Lily back careful not to spill any more juice on her.
- Well, go on now. What are you waiting for?
Lily promptly got up and turned to the castle.
- I'll be back in ten. Do you need anything? – she asked before leaving.
- No, thanks. Hurry up! – Marsha laughed.
Without futher ado, Lily bolted towards the castle. Marsha watched her go and mused: why were Gryffindors so strong-headed? And why didn't Lily think what would happen if she enjoyed her time at Hogsmeade this weekend? Marsha shrugged, adjusted her blanket, and continued looking at Henry Fife, whom his classmates were presumably trying to persuade to go steal one of the school boats and take a ride across the lake. Marsha also reminded herself not to forget that Potter owed her five Galleons.