Lily and Leila
The next morning was a little better for Lily. Instead of feeling all those glares and hearing snide French or Spanish remarks aimed at her, who knew that girl could speak so many languages!, it was all ice. Lily might well have been invisible for all the attention she received from Potter's cousin.
A loud slam from next to her startled Lily from her thoughts. She turned and found herself facing the unpleasant sight of James Potter's grinning face. Oh no, she moaned to herself.
"Good morning, Lily," grinned James as he settled himself into the seat next to the redhead. "Ready for Defence?"
"Don't you have friends to sit next to. Like, Black for instance? Or your cousin," she sneered, turning away from him. His face fell for a second but picked right back up.
"Actually, Padfoot has taken himself to sitting next to Leila," he leaned in conspiratorially. "I think he fancies her. Though," his face darkening, "he's not going to do anything about it if I can help it."
"What, no dating your best mate's family?" she replied, not able to stop herself. There's just something about him, that makes you respond to whatever comes out of that mouth, she thought.
"Exactly!" he cried. "Though, honestly, between you and me, I don't think I could stop Leila if she really wanted to date Sirius. She's just too scary." He mocked shuddered before turning to the front of the classroom as their new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor walked in.
"Hello class, my name is Professor Burns and I will be your Defence instructor for your Seventh Year NEWTS." Their teacher was relatively young, in his late twenties with a hint of stubble and glasses that gave him an effortlessly cool look. "Now, as I understand it, you have had a hodge-podge of teaching styles and lessons over the past six years and I need to find out where you are at. But, instead of a written test, we're going to be doing a practical, using the lessons that your previous instructors have left to me. Everybody up and wands out, please."
Over the din of chairs scraping the floor and excited student chatter, Lily distinctly heard Leila exclaim to Black about how groovy the teacher was turning out to be. The redhead rolled her eyes and faced Professor Burns.
"Now," he said, calming the students down, "we'll be doing these practicals over the next week and in several different ways. Sometimes as duels, demonstrations, practice lessons or group exercises. Everyone with me so far? Good. First I'd like to hold a minor duel between two students as a demonstration." He looked over the assembled crowd and nodded to Leila Potter. Lily prayed silently that she wouldn't be chosen. No such luck, she thought glumly as Burns nodded to her as well.
Leila and Lily faced each other, 4 metres apart as the students cleared the front of the classroom and Burns addressed the crowd. "Students, you'll notice that your demonstrators are several metres apart with wand arms raised. Now, in a real situation, your opponent is not going to wait for a bow and countdown, nor proper form, but as this is a classroom situation, we'll be adhering to proper duelling procedures. Ladies, if you may start at the count of three."
The next thing Lily knew, Leila was firing off spells and it was all her opponent could do to block them. She faintly heard students cheering as she tried to focus, duck and block Leila's magic. She successfully sent off several curses, none too serious of course, towards Leila but she easily blocked them. After several nasty stinging hexes sent her way and one hitting its mark, Lily lost her wand to an Expelliarmus.
"Duel over," called out Burns as he summoned Lily's wand and handed it back to the panting Head Girl. He turned to Leila and said, "Excellent work..."
"Potter, Leila Potter," supplied the raven-haired girl.
"Ms. Potter. I see that you've had practice in dueling. Whereabouts?" he questioned curiously. It was unusual for a young woman to be so proficient in duelling.
"My father and uncle taught me as well as the lovely Bellatrix Black," she smiled grimly with a shake of her head. Sirius, behind her, scowled darkly at the mention of his hated cousin.
"I see," responded the professor, a little discomfited at the mention of the one of the most feared female Voldemort supporters. "Well, class" he turned to the rest of the quietly whispering group. "That about wraps up today's lesson. I want you to start researching a dark spell and ways to protect against it as I will be assigning an essay on it soon. Class dismissed," he said as the bell rang.
The weeks flew by and Lily still didn't know what to do about Leila. It seemed the friendlier Lily and James were, the more hostile Leila was. Not that Potter notices, Lily thought angrily as she stomped to the meeting with Dumbledore. He had requested that she and James meet with him to discuss student events for the school year.
"Ready, Lily?" smiled James at the foot of the staircase leading to the Headmaster's office as Lily approached her fellow Head. She had, grudgingly, noticed that James Potter was changing. He was more tolerant of the majority of students, payed a little more attention in class, did his Head duties properly and spent a lot of time with his cousin. The biggest change she had noticed, though, was the fact that he didn't ask her out anymore. Or annoy her (purposely at least, she thought) and do anything really, to incur her wrath.
"As I'll ever be," she sighed. It was actually her first time visiting Dumbledore in his office as she had never done anything to warrant such a meeting previously. They climbed the stairs in silence and James knocked on the large, oak door to which they heard a loud bid to come in. She gazed in wonderment at all the strange artifacts and numerous books decorating his walls. The biggest shock, however, was the beautiful bird she took to be a phoenix perched by Albus Dumbledore's large desk. It was a beautiful red and gold bird with a curious and intelligent look in its eyes. Her attention was returned to her Headmaster when he greeted his Head students with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Hello Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice," smiled Dumbledore. "I wanted to talk to you about any balls Hogwarts might hold this year for its students," he said as Lily smiled enormously. Her mind was already whirling with ideas for ball themes and dress choices and dates. Dumbledore continued, "I was thinking about a Christmas Ball for just before students leave for the Holidays, to celebrate several months of hard work," he finished, looking at his Heads.
James smiled and agreed. "I think that a Christmas Ball would be excellent, sir, so long as we have a Hogsmeade weekend beforehand. I know for a fact that my cousin, along with all of the female population, will want to put us men through the suffering of robes buying."
"Agreed, Mr. Potter. Do you have any ideas, Ms. Evans," he said kindly, turning to the redhead.
"I think we should have a bit of a theme," she mused. "Nothing too, too big, so not to scare off students, but a theme nonetheless."
"How about White Christmas or Winter Wonderland?" suggested James.
"No, too cliché. Hmm...what about a Snowflake Ball?" she queried.
"If Winter Wonderland is a no-go, then Snowflake Ball is definitely out of the question," snorted James. "Think again, Lily."
"I've got it!" She cried after a few minutes of deliberation. "Fire and Ice! People can wear cool or warm colours and it'll be the best combination of the cold winter outdoors and the warm winter indoors," she explained happily.
"It's certainly a good idea." Dumbledore looked to James. He agreed slowly, thinking about it.
"Sure beats a Snow Ball," he said dubiously. "But do you think it'll get by?"
"Of course!" said Lily. "Besides, it's all about promotion, isn't it. We'll advertise it as the best of both worlds and that we're looking for a combination of the warm colours of fire and the cool colours of ice. It'll be perfect," she sighed happily.
"Well, looks like we've reached a decision," agreed Dumbledore, smiling. "The staff have a agreed to a date of December 21st, the winter solstice. I'm sure it will be a magical evening," he chuckled quietly. "I'm leaving you two in charge of planning and coordinating of the prefects to help. If you have any questions or concerns, you know where to find me," he finished as his eyes twinkled.
"Yes, sir," acquiesced James as he rose and motioned to Lily to do the same. They bid their Headmaster good evening and descended the staircase. The two Heads walked in silence towards the Gryffindor common room.
"This is where I leave you, Lily. I promised to meet up with the blokes," James said, looking into Lily's eyes. She started to feel a little uncomfortable by the time he broke contact.
"All-alright," she said, stammering a little. Heat rose in her cheeks and her hand tingled where he briefly touched it. He turned and left as she faced the Fat Lady and muttered the password. She didn't even want to think about what her reactions to Jam...Potter meant.
Unfortunately, she learned that she wasn't alone in the girls dormitories when she entered. To her regret, Leila Potter was also in there. Oblivious, Leila continued talking into what looked like a mirror. Lily remained quiet and looked up from her bedside table when she heard her name.
"I'm telling you, Mina, James isn't over her. No matter how cruelly Lily has treated James, and I know that he hasn't exactly been a saint either, but I digress, he still fancies her madly. He seems to think that this year she'll fall in love with him, especially after all the changes he's gone through, mostly for her."
"Maybe she will. There's nothing wrong with hope, Leila," replied a much fainter voice that seemed to be coming from...the mirror? Indeed, Lily was fascinated as she realized that whatever device Leila held in her hands, it could communicate between people magically.
She was shaken out of her thoughts as Leila continued, heatedly. "There is, Mina, when all you get out of that hope is disinterest, insults and a broken heart. She's broken his heart so many times over that I don't know how he can stand it and still ask her out again the next day."
"Well, you mentioned that he stopped doing that," her friend's disembodied voice replied.
"Thankfully," muttered Leila. "It took all of mine and Sirius's combined persuasion that it was for the best to stop. Though we told him that this way, it was more likely that she might, far into the future, accept a date with him. Told him not to hold out, though." She grinned suddenly. "But enough about my lovesick cousin and that redhead, what's the latest gossip over there?"
Lily quickly got ready for bed and settled in with a book. But she found that she couldn't concentrate, no matter how hard she tried. James still fancies me, she thought, shocked. Also, thoughts such as have I really been that horrible, hurting his feelings that badly all these years, flew through her head. She had always assumed that her comebacks and insults merely bounced off an impenetrable shell, never affecting the supposedly arrogant ego inside.
Tossing and turning, she finally fell asleep to these revelations.
Finally! After almost 2 whole years, I have updated part of my Leila Potter universe. Thanks for waiting guys! I'll be looking to update both Leila Potter and Lily and Leila much more often this summer. Fingers crossed!
Review please!
~poser16
