AN: Thanks for the reviews! This story is going to be good, I just have a feeling.
Disclaimer: I do not own HP or RM?
Lily
It's been at least an hour since James was up here. Since then, Sirius has came to eat my food, Peter came to drop of a card, and Remus came to drop off homework. I thanked him, but when I looked it over, I groaned. Ancient Runes is lots of scribbles to me now. And since when do I know fifty different ways to defeat a hippogriff? Since when does anyone know them?! Are there that many or are you supposed to make them up to test your creativity? And I have to write an essay on switching states of matter for Transfiguration. What? And depressingly enough, this used to make sense to me, since I am apparently the top of every class except Transfiguration, which I am second to James. James is actually smart now? My world is upside down.
I take out a list of NEWT spells we have been given to practice. At the top of the list it says NVBL. Nvbl? That stands for non-verbal. We have to know how to do all these incredibly advanced spells without speaking?!
"I'm going to fail." I whine to myself.
I can't think. I can't concentrate. I keep replaying every conversation I've had since I woke up, in reverse order, trying to find other people to interrogate.
"It was like that for a while. We were so close, Lils." He emphasized. "It was like we were all related or something. Remus held your hair once when you throwing up because you had too much... san... sangari..."
"Sangria." I provide. Virgin Sangria was my favourite drink in fourth year, and I guess I drink the real stuff now.
"Yes. That. Sirius snuck into Hogsmeade to get you your favourite Muggle tampons, Peter actually went on one of your ridiculous 4 AM runs with you, because none of us wanted to get up. And you know how lazy he is"
"Did you do anything cute like that?" I say jokingly.
He looks at his feet. "I stayed up for forty-nine hours straight with you and Bethany when she had a pregnancy scare. When Sophia got her heart broken by a Hufflepuff boy, I let her cry on my shoulder so you could sleep. When you sprained your ankle in Honeydukes, I gave you a piggy-back all the way to the hospital wing. Some nights, you would come into my room, just wander right in, and ask me to get up and go for a walk with you so you could work off your period cramps. And no matter how exhausted I was, I would always get up and go with you. I missed a Quidditch game to help you study, and another one when you had a flu bug and didn't want to be alone. I cried with you when your sister got married and didn't invite you."
He's told me everything I can think of. James has been awful sweet about this. He really has changed. But I think maybe Sirius or Remus would be good to talk to. My blood boils at the thought of talking to Sirius, but it might have to be done.
James was shocked. I took the chance and said "I'm dating Joseph Wickham!"
"No, Lily." He says, and hangs his head. When he raises it again, tears are in his hazel eyes. "We're dating. And we were magical." His tears fall, but his breathing remains steady. "I knew it was too good to be true. We had a great time." He places the scrapbook on the absolute edge of my bed. "See you for rounds." He runs out of the room.
I should talk to a teacher about 'rounds'... and getting caught up, while I'm at it.
My parents come back in, tears in their eyes. "Lily?" Mom says nervously. She starts to play with her hands. "I am your mother. Do you know me? Do you recognize me?" I roll my eyes. I don't know how my mother graduated college with any type of degree.
"I told you once and I will tell you again, Miss Evans." Madame Lou says through gritted teeth. "She thinks it's 1973. She knows you. She only lost three years of her life. She is not three years old."
"So she has the mental capacity of a three year old?" My mother says, eyes wide.
Madame Lou sighs. "Come with me, dearie." She takes my mother away – probably to explain again – and leaves me with my dad.
I could ask to go home to look at my room, see if anything. My parents, particularly Daddy, know more about me than anyone. After I talk to everyone here, I will ask to be sent home for those reasons. They can't deny me that. I just lost three years of my memory. That is a little more than serious.
"Oh, Lily! Lily, we were so worried. Are you all right?" My mother said, her blonde hair swishing as she runs.
"I'm fine, perfectly fine now." I say.
"We were in Africa, so we tried to get here as fast as we - "
"Africa?!" I ask. We were never rich, but we were high-middle class. Where did my parents get the money to go to Africa?
"Yes, Lily, you know about Africa." My dad says, and chuckles nervously. "You were the ones that persuaded us to go."
I should ask them about Africa, too.
"Lil, look at me. Do I look the same as what I did in fourth year?"
This is the first time I actually look at her. She's taller; leaner, yet curvier. Her legs are a mile long. She's still pale, her dark brown hair is still curly, but you can certainly tell she's older.
"Oh my God." I whisper.
"Lily... look at yourself. Do you look the same as you did in fourth year?" I look down, and I gasp.
Where I used to see no boobs I now see what have to be C cups. I keep inspecting myself, eyes rapt to notice and change.
I'm still pale, but my hair is no longer that dull orange-ish color. It's full out red now. It's a lot longer; it falls to my ribcage. It's curly.
"Lily, look at your face." Sophia hands me a mirror. I take it in both hands.
The first thing I notice is my eyes. They used to be so boring. They never had any life in them, they were always tired from staying up to finish some homework assignment, my eyebrows were never groomed and they were more hazel then green. But no. This older Lily Evans has bright green happy eyes. No black circles. And my eyebrows are groomed in a perfect arch. Not too high, not too pointy, not too straight.
My cheekbones are higher, I have laugh lines. Me, Lily Evans! Laugh lines! My teeth are white and perfectly straight. My lips are full and red.
"You're older, Lily." Sophia says. She's still crying.
"Sophia," I say pulling her into a hug. "Why are you crying?"
"There are so many things you don't remember. So many things you and Bethany and I shared – gone!"
Asking Bethany and Sophia about 'things' we've done would be good too. I've always liked words better than pictures anyway.
They looked at each other. "Lily." Bethany said. "Tell us how you got here."
"Well, it was after James had asked me out, hexed Snape, insulted me and asked me out again. I was in the dorm, angry, when Bethany pulled out Firewhiskey. We got drunk, and started 'Drunk Theatre'. I was singing 'Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee' and I fell off a table."
"Oh my God." Bethany said, her hand over her heart. "That was when you were still friends with Alice and Sarah."
"I'm not friends with them anymore?!" I said, my voice rising.
Aha! Sarah and Alice! I have to find out what happened there! I know almost everything else about my life, so this would be a good place to start. Plus, I miss them. They are – were? – my best friends. I should find out why they apparently aren't anymore.
"Madame Lou?" I call out. She rushes to my side in a second.
"Yes? Are you okay? Do you remember something? Does something hurt?" She has ninja-like nurse skills, I tell you.
"No, could you ask a teacher to send for Sophia and Bethany? I need to talk to them." She looks sceptical, so I add, "It's urgent."
"Sure." She says. "One second." She casts a Patronus in the form of a tabby cat and sends it off to Dumbledore. I'm baffled as to what's going on until seconds later, another one arrives, this one in the shape of a phoenix. It opens its mouth and Dumbledore's voice comes out.
They shall be notified. Sophia is currently finishing Charms and Bethany is finishing Potions right now. They have permission to miss their next class, which is Defence against the Dark Arts. Good day to you, Lou, and best wishes Lily.
The Patronus evaporates and I'm left stunned.
"The final bell will ring in three minutes. I suggest you busy yourself until then." I grab a magazine and flip through it without looking at it until Sophia comes and gives me a hug, saying "Thank you! Thank you!"
I laugh, patting her back. "Thank you for what?"
"Sophia absolutely hates Defence." Bethany says casually, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "She was so happy when she was told she was going to miss part of it."
"I knew that!" I say enthusiastically. "You've hated Defence since second year." Sophia pulls away, laughing.
"Yeah, but that's not important. We really want to know why we're here." Bethany says with a wave of her hand.
"Yes, okay." I take a deep breath. Suddenly I'm nervous. I mean, something really bad must have happened to split us up, because we used to be so close. What if it was really horrible? What did they do? They must have changed. I've changed, too... was it something I did? Have I become a bitch?
"Lily?" Sophia says in a sing-song voice while Bethany waves her hand in front of my face. "Hello? We're waiting. Actually, take all the time you need, I want to get out of Defence..." she says.
"Okay. What happened between Sarah, Alice, you and I?" I asked.
"I knew you would ask." Bethany sighed, standing up and looking down. Sophia rubs her back soothingly. "I can't do it, Lily. Last time I had to tell someone, it was Dumbledore and I threw his most prized possessions around and insulted him for asking me."
"Tell me all you can tell then! I say. "And tell them to get up here!"
"The word 'slut' was thrown around on more than one occasion." Bethany allows. "And I will not get them up here!"
"Bethany, they have to come up here!" I cry. "You refuse to tell me anything and I want answers!"
"Do you not understand the phrase 'they think I'm a slut'? No way am I talking to them. I know you don't remember why you and I hate them, but once they tell you, you're going to kick them out of here so fast it's not plausible."
My face brightens at this. "Does that mean you'll bring them here?"
Bethany scoffs. "Hell no."
"This is so backwards." I say, rubbing my forehead. "I used to hate James. Now I love him. I used to love Sarah and Alice, now I hate them." I sigh. "Sophia..." She's my last resort. "Make her see reason."
"I'm sorry Lily, but quite frankly, I don't like them either. After what I've heard from you and Bethany about them, they seem like quite horrible people. Besides, even if I didn't hate them, you know how shy I am." Sophia explained, almost apologetically.
"It might trigger something." I point out. "You'd have the real, seventeen-year old Lily instead of fourteen-year old pre-pubescent Lily."
"That is true, but Lily... I can't talk to them after what they said to and about you... and me as well." She added after some thought.
"Get James or Sirius or Remus or Peter to do it!" I cry, getting desperate. I certainly don't want to owe James anything.
They took a bit to think about it before discussing it with each other.
"Sirius dated Sarah last year." Sophia said.
Bethany shook her head. "Remember how that ended?"
"Oh yeah." Sophia sighed. "Remus is partners with Frank in Potions and Transfiguration. Frank and Alice have been dating since fifth year."
"Really? I am so happy for them!" I say. "She's liked him for as long as I can remember!"
"It's weird hearing you talk like this." Bethany whispered, shaking her head. "Lily, you despise him."
I look down, color flooding my cheeks. "Sorry. I keep forgetting. I just want to be that fourth-year girl again. It would be so much easier than pretending to be someone else, who, sadly, I am."
Sophia sits down on my bed and pats my leg. "I know it's hard. I'll get Remus to talk to Alice and Sarah. He is a prefect, he could always put them in detention if they don't." Sophia laughs at her own joke. Bethany and I look at each other and smile.
"Still, her humour is as innocent as in fourth year." I say, laughing.
"Sophia's all around innocent." Bethany laughs. "But you have to be. Lily's the smart one, with the hot boyfriend I might add." She winks. "And I'm the loud one. You complete the picture Sophia, and that's just one of the many reasons we love you!"
AN: I have a vague idea of something I could use for why Bethany and Lily hate Sarah and Alice so much, but I want to hear your ideas! Who knows, it might be better than mine! So please, please, please help me out! PM me or review!
