Title: Flower Beds and Smiles
Character (s): Remus L, Lily E/P
Summary: Within seconds, Remus had plucked a lily from its stem, fixing it into her hair as if it was the most common thing in the world,
"A lily for my darling Lily," He whispered,
Notes: As part of the 'Random Songs' challenge, I have been required to write a fan-fic with these two characters, using the song 'Mockingbird' by Rob Thomas as a prompt. It's a great song! Reviews as always are appreciated! Take care!
Ever since she was a little girl, Lily Evans had always dreamed of the perfect fairytale romance scene with her very own prince. And now, at the mid-winter ball, dancing with her secret boyfriend and date for the night, Remus Lupin, she felt as if she was going to achieve that one moment.
At the age of fifteen Lily knew that fairytales obviously didn't exist, that they weren't real – she wasn't that much of a dreamer to believe in such fantasies. She also knew that her boyfriend wasn't a prince. But either way she felt as if she was on cloud nine.
After their dance came to an end, and the music gained a faster speed, the two Gryffindor prefects slowly made their way out of the great hall, hand in hand, as they started strolling through the light up mazes of flower beds.
Within seconds, Remus had plucked a Lily from its stem, fixing it in her hair as if it was the most common thing in the world.
"A lily, for my darling Lily." He whispered as he took her hand once more, a strained weak smile appearing on his face.
As Lily followed behind the young werewolf, she soon realised that the strained smile on her boyfriend's face was the same sort of strained smile that she had been expressing on her own face for several minutes.
"Is something wrong Remus?" She finally asked him after several minutes silence, when the two finally stopped by a fountain which was in the middle of the flower maze. There was a clear view of the entrance hall for if someone they knew made an appearance and the two needed to make a get-away.
The two of them stood opposite each other, smiling half-heartedly at each other, neither wanting to say anything that ruin their night within seconds,
"Of course I'm fine Lils, I'm having a great time, why? Aren't you?" Remus finally answered, and within seconds, the pressure of ruining their date no longer fell on Remus' shoulders but instead on Lily's.
"No, I'm having a great time! I promise. Nothing could be better!"
They continued looking at each other once again, neither one nor the other wanting to break the new-found awkward silence that filled the air. Finally however they both broke the silence as they let out sighs, looking around the flower beds where people were smiling full smiles as they laughed or danced with their dates.
"It's just..." "The thing is..."
The two of them looked back at each other with blushes rising on their cheeks, before looking at the sky or their feet once again.
"Well you see..." "What I mean is..."
They met eyes again, and in the midst of their embarrassment, Remus spoke as he put a hand on the back of his neck,
"You go first Lils,"
Lily nodded, taking Remus' hand as she made the two sit down on the steps by the fountain, before closing her eyes as she said,
"I feel guilty, that I'm with you – because one of my friends has a major crush on you..."
With her eyes closed she didn't see Remus' expression, but if she had, she would have seen how it was full of understanding and a hint of sadness,
"I feel the same, when I'm with you it's like I've broken the marauder code. James has the feeling that he's in love with you..."
When she opened her eyes, Lily found that Remus was smiling weakly like he had been earlier, and she soon found that she mirrored the same emotion back.
"Maybe we're just not meant to be with each other?" She asked him shyly, as if she was treading on some unspoken ground – or breaking a rule of the 'relationship rulebook' if there had ever been one created.
"Maybe we're not. It's because we're just too good of a friend to our other friends," Remus replied, watching as tears built up in Lily's eyes, "Maybe we're lost yeah?"
"Lost?"
Remus nodded, "Yeah, maybe we're lost? We can't move on without feeling guilty, we can't move back without feeling completely lost... but you know we can't stay where we are. I mean we've tried what seems like everything Lils, but maybe..."
Lily understood, she understood and was shocked when she realised that he was completely right. But she couldn't help but let the tears roll down her cheeks as she tried to say,
"But we'll be fine, right? You and I?"
"Of course we will, it'll be weird to start off with – going back to just being friends, but we'll get over it, right? I mean, it'll be awkward to do rounds if we can't talk to each other." Remus replied gently, with a true smile now,
Together the two stood up, as they both made their way out of the garden of flowers, back up to the great hall.
Out from the flowers, James Potter and Dorcas Meadows walked to the fountain where Remus and Lily had been standing several seconds ago. The two had followed their respected crushes down from the great hall, and had heard the whole conversation – even though they knew it was private.
The two had been furious to find that one of their best friends were in a relationship, but then – at the break up, realised that their friends pushed themselves away from happiness for them.
They couldn't ask for better friends, and for a few seconds – just a few. They wished that the two could have been together, just to have their own share of happiness.