Chapter 7: Lesson in Fun-Part 2
Chapter 7: Lesson in Fun-Part 2
Previously:
"Fine! Go ahead and show me what 'fun' and 'friendship' is all about," I retorted, glaring at him with as much hate as I could muster. "Go ahead and try. But when you fail, I'll be laughing my head off. That's the only reason I'm going." I prayed, silently, that I would not lose my privileges as prefect.
"And when we succeed, we'll be laughing our heads off," Potter replied.
"Well then," Lupin said finally. "Let us begin!"
And so, we trekked underneath the fantastic invisibility cloak, aided by the ingenious, well-thought-out Marauder's map, though I'd never admit it to their faces. It was incredible to think that underneath this soft, velvety material, I could see the world, but the world could not see me. We flowed through the corridors, passed the chattering faces of the students and the teachers. And then, I felt very stuffy and hot inside, and it was terribly annoying how we all kept bumping into each other. So, under the safety of a clear corridor, I stepped out of the cloak and breathed in the fresh air. I told the boys they'd best come out from under there, as well, but Potter simply replied that it was cooler this way.
"Psst! Evans," the air hissed beside me.
"What is it," I whispered, barely moving my lips, still looking straight ahead.
"Take a left."
It was as I was turning the corridor that I bumped into Lucius Malfoy and his ever faithful sidekick, Severus Snape.
"Going somewhere, mudblood?" Malfoy spat.
I rolled my eyes and felt the air, right where the invisibility cloak was, tense up beside me, as if a being would jump out, poised, ready to fight. I didn't have time for this. I had to win this…challenge, I guess you could say. I had to prove to the Marauders that 'fun' was meaningless. And I had to do it now.
"Malfoy, go bother someone who'd want to waste their precious time talking to a pathetic creature like you." I moved past him swiftly, over the stuck-out leg of Snape, who was attempting to trip me…but failing.
"Pathetic creature, huh?" I heard him say behind me. "I'm not the one who's blood is soiled, Evans."
"Don't let him get to you, Evans," Black said in a hushed voice from under the cloak. "He's an idiot…they all are."
It was funny, or maybe amazing, how even though the Marauders disliked me or hated me or loathed me, they'd come to my defense when it came to things like that…me being a muggleborn. Then again, they'd do it for any other muggleborn, but they didn't hate those muggleborns, not like they hated me at least. Interesting…
"Who's getting to who?" I raised my eyebrow. Still, I could feel my fists clench at the thought of someone saying my blood was soiled. Malfoy's blood was red. Snape's blood was red. My blood was red. "Let's just get this 'fun' over with."
We found ourselves at Hogsmeade, that glorious little wizarding village. Crouching behind a tree, the Marauders threw off the cloak, stuffed it into a bag and smiled beamingly at me, as if they wanted me to be awe-struck by this "adventurous" location.
"Welcome to Hogsmeade!" Black said, throwing his arms out and stepping onto the pavement. Few wizards and witches milled about in their cloaks, meeting friends, buying, eating, drinking…the regular things. And this was the Marauders' idea of fun?
"Oh, it's absolutely astounding," I gasped in sheer sarcasm, looking around with fake enthusiasm. "I just can't believe you took me to Hogsmeade. How wonderful!"
"Evans, I bet you've never even gone to half the shops here," Potter said. "Am I right or am I right?"
My mouth opened and closed like a gaping goldfish. "I've, well…I mean…" For the second time, Potter had struck me dumb. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze him to death.
"I'm right," he muttered pompously. "Well, then, be prepared to be blown away!"
"Let's get started," Pettigrew said.
The first shop that we (or at least the Marauders) rushed to was Honeydukes, land of delicious chocolate. From every shelf and every corner of the shop, all sorts of decadent candies stared at you, drew you to them like a magnet. The color and vivaciousness of the customers and the salespeople and the environment were astounding…not that it mattered because I'd already been here a couple of times before.
"Okay, guys and girl, listen up, "Lupin announced in an authoritative tone. "We must get through all the shops by 7:30 because sunset is at 7:41. Which gives us," Remus paused to look at his watch, "a little more than two hours."
"Woah, wait a minute," I said. "That's the big finale of this whole escapade. You want to show me the stinking sunset? You brought me to Hogsmeade to show me around shops that I've already been to…and then make me watch the sun go down? That's such a waste of time!"
Black gasped in shock. "Girl, you did not just…I know you didn't just…Oh my God. Evans, this isn't just some run-of-the-mill Hogsmeade trip. It is so much more. We are going to take you to places in Hogsmeade that you've never been to."
"And for the record," Pettigrew added, "it isn't just some stinking sunset."
"Here, here!" Potter nodded.
"Okay, we're wasting valuable time, people," Lupin scolded.
"Follow us," Potter said, leading the way around a shop that I already knew.
I rolled my eyes as I trailed along behind the Marauders. Lupin acted the part of the enthusiastic tour guide, with Black and Potter making needless comments often and Pettigrew feigning shock and amazement, tapping my shoulder and trying to make me awe-struck. I had to admit that they way they were going about this was rather clever and interesting…somewhat.
"Evans, have you ever tried Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans?" Lupin asked.
I shuddered at the thought. "Ugh, no, just thinking about accidentally picking an awful flavor makes want to throw up."
"Well today is your lucky day, Miss Evans," Black shouted into my face, a wide grin stretched across from ear to ear. "For free, you get to sample three different flavors of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans!"
As if on cue, Pettigrew returned from a counter and held out his hand, where three different beans lay in his palm. Three different beans with the potential of having three disgustingly nasty flavors.
"You've got to be kidding me. There is no way in hell I'm trying one of those things. Who says you haven't picked out the flavors."
"I haven't," Pettigrew said, looking me straight in the eye as if daring me to doubt him. "We're rather friendly with the shop owner, so he gave me three for free. Their as random as you can get."
Silence ensued for what seemed like five minutes as I looked from each of the boys' faces to each of the beans to the boys to the beans to the boys to the beans.
"Well…" Potter prompted picking one up between his thumb and forefinger and bringing it up close to my face. "Doesn't it look tempting?
The jelly bean was a swirly mixture of some bright pink and deep, blood red. It looked good, but there was no telling what flavor would greet my mouth.
"Or are you too chicken to try one simple piece of candy?"
At the word 'chicken,' my mouth dropped open instantaneously as my brain caught on fire. I, Lily Evans, was not, I repeat not, a chicken. To think that they had the guts to call me that was absolutely horrific.
"Give me the stupid bean," I said, grabbing it from Potter's fingers and shoving it into my mouth. I chomped on it, then chewed more slowly, thoughtfully. Hmm…sweet, rich, creamy…strawberry cheesecake. "Wow, that was really good," I said after swallowing.
"Next flavor," Lupin announced, holding it out for me.
This bean was brown, which meant one of three things. It was either dirt or chocolate or dung. I took it into my hand and stared it closely, then sniffed it, but there was no scent. The color was deep, rich, and dark, which made me automatically thing of chocolate, but assuming, especially with every flavored beans, was not a wise choice. Still, I refused to be called a chicken again, so, holding my breath and pinching my noise, I popped the bean into my mouth and brought my teeth down into it, gradually. My eyes widened in disgust as I realized what I was tasting. Dirt. Terribly disgusting, awful-tasting dirt. I gulped the rest of it down and cringed in horror.
"Oh, gross!" I squealed attempting to get the flavor out of my mouth. Being a well-mannered lady, I did not want to barbarically unwrap the chocolate that surrounded me and shove it into my mouth. So, I did the only thing I could do. I took the last remaining jelly bean, a mixture of orange, yellow, and red, and shoved into my mouth, chewing hard.
Uh oh. The consequence of my hasty decision hit me like a battering ram as my cheeks flushed and eyes watered. My face glistened with sweat. Had I known that my tongue would be on fire from the taste of hot chili peppers, I would have thought of another way of getting rid of the taste of dirt.
"I'm assuming it doesn't taste too good," Black said, smirking at me.
Angrily, I spit out the remains of the wretched jelly bean into his face and ran to the store-owner, who was standing behind the counter.
"Help, mouth, hot, hot, hot," I breathed, unable to form words. "Egh, so hot!"
"Oh dear," he said sympathetically in an elderly, grandfather-like tone. "You ate the chili-flavored bean, didn't you? Well, I have just the thing." He disappeared behind the counter for a moment and then popped right back up with a small morsel of chocolate.
"This will make the chili-pepper flavor go away," he said, placing the chocolate square into my hand. Without a thought, I shoved it into my mouth, savoring the sweet, delicious flavor. Heaven.
"Thank you so much," I said after swallowing the last bit.
"A pleasure, my dear," he replied, smiling at me.
"Oy, there are people in line. Come on, lady, move it!"
"I'm terribly sorry, sir, I was just Potter!" I exclaimed when I turned around.
"That's my name, don't wear it out. So, did the nice man help you?"
"Yes, yes, he did, and I'm never ever trying another jelly bean ever."
He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Your loss. Anyway, me and the guys are buying a bunch of stuff and you are going to sample all of it."
I groaned in despair, but surprisingly, I did not object to it. I guess that after eating two terribly flavored jelly beans, I was prepared for the worst…at least to some extent.
"Bring it on, Potter," I smirked, turning away from him.
"Evans, over here," Black called out, waving his hand from behind a shelf. Nodding, I made my way over, hoping for the best.
"Ta da!" He said, beaming as he showed this glorious fountain of chocolate, all kinds of chocolate. The biggest chocolate fountain I'd ever seen. White chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, strawberry chocolate, mint chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, caramel chocolate, all kinds of flavors of chocolate, all pouring in individual sections from the beautiful stone fountain.
"Oh wow," I said, my eyes gleaming from the breathtaking beauty of it.
"Try it!" Lupin said, pointing at the array of pretzels, strawberries, and marshmallows used to dip into the chocolate.
Finally, I thought to myself. Something I'll actually like. I made to pick up a pretzel, but Black beat me to it. He grabbed the salty stick, pushed it through a big, fluffy marshmallow and handed it to me.
"It's a marshmallow pretzel stick," he said, grinning like a child.
"Clever," I said, a small smile playing at my lips. I rolled the 'marshmallow pretzel stick' through the silky curtain until it was fully coated in milk chocolate, and brought it to my mouth. But before I could even part my lips, Black whisked it away from me. "Black! What the –"
"Milk chocolate?" He said accusingly, stuffing the thing in his mouth. "Pfft, boring." He assembled another marshmallow pretzel stick, this time, with five mini marshmallows, then rolled it through every flavor of chocolate. "Now that's the way to do it."
Rolling my eyes, I munched on the treat. Heaven's food. Yum!
"How do you like the chocolate-covered marshmallow pretzel stick?" Black asked.
"Great!" I replied.
"Awesome. Now, for the grand finale in Honeydukes. James, tell her what she has to do."
"My dear Evans, it is very simple. All you are required to do is to stick your head in the fountain and lick the chocolate, like this." Potter took his glasses off and bent his down, opening his mouth as neared the chocolate fountain. He drank up the brown liquid, not giving a damn that it was pouring down his chin. "See? Nice and easy," he smiled, lifting his head back up.
Disgusted, I shook my head. "I refuse to do that."
"Well, we refuse to let you refuse to do that," Pettigrew said, crossing his arms haughtily and sticking out his tongue.
"What? Afraid of getting messy, Evans?" Potter smirked while wiping his face with a wet napkin he'd conjured.
"I am not afraid! I just think it is highly unsanitary."
"Evans, it's only chocolate. There is nothing unsanitary about it," Lupin explained.
For a few moments, all was silent as they stared at me expectantly, waiting for me to do what they'd asked. Eating a dirt-flavored bean and a chili-flavored bean was one thing, but lapping up chocolate from a fountain with just your mouth was something else. Something totally different in my eyes.
"Do it, do it, do it, do it…" Black and Potter chanted, never ceasing.
Finally giving in to the persistent hooligans, I took all my hair in one hand and let the other hand fall to the side as I slowly bent over, closing my eyes. The scent of chocolate flowed up my nostrils, making me go dizzy with its overwhelming power. Shaking my head, I leaned in further, my lips barely grazing the liquid when I felt something push me from behind. Thoroughly annoyed, I lifted my face, which was completely covered in chocolate, out of the fountain.
"I'm sorry, Evans, I couldn't resist," Lupin said, trying to control his laughter. "But here you go," he said, handing me a wet towel.
"I expected better of you," I growled, snatching the towel from his hand and rubbing it all over my face.
"Once a Marauder, always a Marauder," he recited.
"Immature idiots," I muttered to myself. "The nerve!"
It took me a good five minutes to get all the chocolate off my face and by that time, the pink towel had taken on a completely new color.
"Well, then, now that you're done cleaning up," Black started, "let's get a move on."
"Finally!" I said in relief. "So, where to next?" I asked, once we were all outside.
"Three Broomsticks," Potter announced before leading the way.
"You know, this so-called 'lesson in fun' your teaching me isn't so fun, you know?"
"Are you telling us you did not have a grand time at Honeydukes?" Black put a hand to his heart in mock-astonishment. "Trying the jelly beans and the delicious chocolate, not to mention we have plenty more candy for you to try."
"Yeah, I had a grand time," I said dryly. "So utterly grand. Potter, what the hell are you doing?"
"Shh, I'm concentrating," he said.
He was hopping and skipping and jumping. That much was clear. And with every contact his ragged black shoe made with the ground, a crunch could be heard. The crunch of dry autumn leaves. Soon, Black joined him and all four were playing the same game…or performing the same dance. I stared at them in wonder, and then took a few steps away, turning to the side to prevent any onlookers from making the connection that I was with them.
"Come on, Evans!" Potter grabbed my hand and pulled me next to him. "You can only jump on the leaves, so if any part of your foot touches the pavement, you're out."
"I'd rather not," I said, wrenching my hand from his cold grasp. "Looks rather foolish."
"I'd rather be a fool who has fun than a stick in the mud," he said. "Come on! What have you got to lose? You already ate two nastily-flavored jelly beans, drank up chocolate from the fountain, and had your face covered in chocolate."
"That's different," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
"What's diff—hey, guys, woah, wait up!" Potter called out to Lupin, Black, and Pettigrew, who were already far head of him. "We can't leave Evans out of the fun! We need to start over."
"That sucks," Lupin said, jogging back to us. "I was winning."
"Yeah, by an inch!" Black retorted.
"So Evans, you in?" Pettigrew asked.
"If I say no, will I be forced into it anyway?" I asked, hoping they'd say no.
"Yes, yes you will," Potter said.
I rocked on my feet before lifting my right leg and placing it carefully on a rather large-looking red leaf. Balancing with the utmost grace, I lifted my left foot and placed it on another dead leaf, this one yellow and smaller. Piece of cake, I thought to myself. Taking my time, I put one foot in front of the other, taking great care not to make contact with the pavement. Grins swept across the boys' faces as they joined me, jumping, leaping, hopping, flying, and skipping from leaf to leaf, already several paces ahead of me. Losing was not an option. I hastened my pace, eager to be the winner. And all the while, I could hear their laughter echoing, high-pitched and low-pitched and deep and throaty and rumbling, bouncing off the trees and surrounding me as we played their silly game.
"Ha!" Lupin said. "I win!" He grinned, punching the air as he stood in front of the Three Broomsticks.
Black had placed second and Potter had come third, followed by myself, and then Pettigrew. They all stood laughing, patting each other on the back, the other three only slightly miffed that they hadn't placed first. It didn't matter to them. This was just a game. I, on the other hand, was very irked. I was graceful and fast-paced, and yet, I had not won. I had not even placed second. No, I was second to last.
"Come on, let's go inside," Lupin said kindly. "I'll pay."
"I think someone's a little angry," Black said in a singsong voice, nudging me in the ribs once we were all seated. "Come on, Evans, lighten up. It's just a game. It's not like there were any prizes. Just some good old, harmless fun."
"Why so blue? If you had won, what would have happened? Nothing, nothing at all! You feel proud for just a few moments, and then it wears off."
Ignoring Potter, I put my chin in my hands and drummed my fingers against my skin. Black and Potter had a point. If I had won, I would have felt ecstatic, but that's about it. I hadn't won, and surprisingly, I still had my dignity…still, it would have been nice to win.
"Butterbeers all around," Lupin called out to the waitress.
The butterbeer was warm and sweet against my throat, very comforting. I sipped lightly, relishing the feeling of the liquid against my tongue.
"Hey!" Potter said, putting his hand over my mug to prevent me from drinking anymore. "Let's have a chugging contest."
I raised my eyebrow and lifted his hand from my mug. "Isn't that something only barbaric people, such as yourselves, do?"
"Then you'll have no problem doing it, Evans," Black claimed.
I glared at him before eyeing Potter's butterbeer, which was almost equal with mine. A chance for victory. "You're on."
"Okay!" Lupin said. "On your mark, get set, go!"
The butterbeer gushed down as I worked my throat, gulping heavily, chest heaving. For a moment, my head felt dizzy. Then, I slammed my mug down and looked at Potter, who had finished just a few seconds after me.
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "In your face. I win!" I smiled widely, victory dancing in my eyes as I folded my arms across my chest. Haughty.
"Yes, you win, indeed. Congrats, Evans," Potter smiled, holding his hand out in front of me. For a moment, I looked at him before tentatively grasping his hand, shaking it, then letting it go almost instantly.
"Funny," Black said. "First time I've seen James losing a chugging contest to a girl. You must have some strength, Evans."
My face fell just slightly as I looked from Black to Lupin to Pettigrew to Potter, who was staring at me with a knowing expression.
"Oh my God!" I gasped after a minute. "You let me win! I can't believe you! Honestly, how could you do that?"
"You're yelling at me because I let you win?" Potter asked, shocked. "What, aren't you happy that you were victorious?"
"I'd much rather win fair than win by cheating. I have morals, you know," I spat, narrowing my eyes at him. "If you knew you were going to win, then you should have, instead of slowing down."
"So, you admit that winning isn't everything? That this was just fun?"
"I…huh, I guess not, no," I said pensively. "Maybe winning isn't everything." After all, I still had my dignity.
"I'm glad you learned one thing," he said. He beamed widely, satisfaction and happiness twinkling in his eyes. He was joyful that I'd learned something, not feeling proud that he won or that he taught me something. Just happy. For a second, just for a second, I could feel something invisible tug at my lips, trying to make me smile. Just for a second, then it disappeared.
"Well, then," Black said, breaking the silence, "we should get going. We still have two shops left, and we'll be spending a lot of time at the last one."
"Which two shops?" I asked.
"Quidditch and Zonko's."
I sighed deeply, but decided not to argue on the fact that I would have the least fun, if any, in those two shops. It was pointless, today, to get what I wanted, so I did not bother to try. Just a waste of energy.
Outside was chilly, autumn chilly. A cool breeze was blowing through the trees, making their branches dance some unseen dance, dancing to some unheard music. Shivering just a smidge, I wrapped my jacket more tightly around me. It was still light, yes, but the sun was going to set in a little more than a half-hour. Some small part of me longed to see it, though most of me didn't care.
"The wonderful world of Quidditch," Potter announced out of the blue. I looked up to find myself in a shop full of everything Quidditch: broomsticks, cleaning kits, snitches, quaffles, bludgers, bats, so on and so forth. Sun poured in from the windows, bathing everything in a sparkling, orangish-yellow light.
"A beauty, huh?" Potter said, his fingers trailing along the smooth, polished handle of a broomstick. Comet 350 gleamed in gold letters near the end of the handle. "Newest broomstick in the market. And the fastest, too. Absolutely fascinating."
I found myself touching the broom as well, somehow captivated by its royalty, the way it sat in front of the window by itself, away from the other broomsticks, too good for them. The best broomstick ever in history. Everyone wanted one, but only those with enough money could afford it. I could afford it, I thought. But it's useless to me. That thought made me frown a bit, how something so beautiful and pristine could be so pointless to me.
"Hey, come over here," Black called out.
Potter and I followed his voice and found the rest of the Marauders standing by a pyramid-like stack of wooden chests, some shaking, others standing still. Grinning, he looked over his shoulder and reached for one of the boxes. Time seemed to stop as he clicked open the chest. Rows and rows of snitches, sealed behind small golden doors, like birds in a cage, waiting to be set free. He was going to set them free.
"You can't do that!" I hissed to him. And yet, I did not take a step forward to stop him, nor did I take a step back. I stood there, unmoving, and said no more, just watched as he carefully opened one of the doors and took out the small golden ball with its small golden wings flapping helplessly.
"Poor thing wants to fly," he whispered. "What do you think? Should we let it go free?"
I could almost see the wheels in his brain turning, could almost see him lifting his fingers up one by one. "You shouldn't do it," I said again, disapproving, almost reaching out my hand to take it from him.
"What's that, Evans? We should? You heard the lady, guys," Potter said, "let it fly."
Black lifted up his fingers, and the instant he let it go, it zipped around, flying with great speed and agility. I stood there in silence, watching it fly, losing sight, then finding it again. Its wings beat fast, rhythmically, the same tempo as my beating heart. Again, it disappeared from my sight.
"Hey!" A voice shouted, old and aged. The owner of the shop walked briskly over to us. "Mr. Black! I should have known! Just what do you think you're doing, letting that snitch fly all over the place?"
"Aw, Mr. Penson, it longed to be free, that's all," Potter answered for Black. "But if it makes you happy, I'll go get it."
Potter's eyes darted back and forth, up and down, before spotting the snitch up near the ceiling, fluttering about near the rafters. He kept his trained eyes fixed on the ball, not letting it out of his sight for a second.
"Hey, someone give me a broomstick," he said, holding his hand out.
"Oh no, no, no, no. All of you, out, out! I'll get that thing myself," Mr. Penson said.
"Mr. Penson, sir, with all due respect, I don't think you'll be able to," Lupin said, as generous as ever. "You might hurt yourself, and I guarantee you, James will be able to get the snitch without breaking anything. You have my word for it."
Lupin had a way with words, and Mr. Penson found himself agreeing with him. Tentatively, he grabbed a broomstick, an old one, and placed it securely in Potter's hands. Still, without taking his eyes off the snitch, Potter swung his legs over the broom and kicked off. The broom sailed up, Potter controlling it with grace. Instantly, my eyes were attached, fascinated by the ease with which he sailed around the shop, chasing after the snitch with unwavering determination. It took only a couple of minutes before he was smooth-sailing back to the floor, his hand curved around that golden ball. Carefully, he placed the snitch back in its proper position and closed up the chest.
"I have to say, Potter, that was impressive," I said approvingly nodding my head.
"Oh, Evans complimented me! Shucks!" Potter replied, grinning toothily.
"Honestly," Mr. Penson muttered, "such behavior in front of a young lady. Preposterous! What is the world coming to today? I apologize, my dear."
"Oh no, it's perfectly alright, Mr. Penson," I said pleasantly.
"That's very well. Now you boys behave yourselves!" He demanded, looking at each of them sternly in their eyes.
"Yes, sir!" Pettigrew exclaimed, snapping to a salute. The others simply beamed like devilish little boys.
After ten minutes of roaming around the shop and hearing animated discussions about the top Quidditch teams and Quidditch players, we headed out of the store and on to Zonko's Joke Shop, something I was not looking forward to at all.
"The sun is going to set in just twenty minutes," I claimed looking at the sky, "and I think it would be best to—"
"I think it would be best, Evans, if you shut up and stop thinking too much," Potter said. "Zonko's is wonderful. You'll love it!"
"I highly doubt that," I mumbled to myself as we entered the shop. The crazy, whacky, insane, immature shop full of insanely laughing boys and girls who have insane enough minds to buy this insane stuff.
All around me were color, lights, and noises. A prankster's wonderland. Once those four boys set foot in the shop, they were no longer fifteen. They were little children with eager eyes and open minds, exploring a world of creativity, or in my eyes, a world of annoyance.
"Fanged Frisbees," Lupin said, fondly holding up a box. "These little suckers are amazing."
"Ah," I said, observing the regular-looking Frisbee, on the box, with its sharp, white fangs. It looked about to jump out and sink its pointed teeth into my neck. A vampire without a face or a body. Indeed amazing.
"Dungbombs are a classic! You can't ever go wrong with them," Potter exclaimed, holding up the box to show me.
"Dungbombs? Just the name sounds atrocious," I said, wrinkling my noise.
"Not as atrocious as the smell," he countered. "You can never have enough dungbombs, so I think I'm going to buy some."
"Hey guys, check this out!" Black said, coming up to us with a box in his hand. "Nose-Biting Teacups. Neat, eh? I think I'll try this little puppy out."
Without giving a second thought, the boys were rummaging through the aisles, snatching crazy-looking products off the shelves and spilling out their money to become owners of these toys.
"Hey, Evans, come over here!" Lupin said, dragging me to a crowd of children. He pushed his way through to the front where Pettigrew, Black, and Potter were also standing, their eyes hooked on a shop employee who was showing the latest item: a Headless Hat.
"Alright, ladies and gentleman, who wants to try it? Come now, don't be afraid, don't be afraid at all."
Someone, I bet it was Black or Potter, pushed me and all of a sudden, I was in the middle of the crowd, the center of attention. I should have been pleased, but in all actuality, I was embarrassed. I could feel my skin heating up red, and Lily Evans never ever gets embarrassed.
"Great! Now, young lady, what's your name?" The employee, a young and handsome man of about twenty whose nametag spelled out Jake in capital letters, asked me.
"Lily Evans," I whispered to him, somewhat shyly.
"Come closer, people. This here Miss Lily Evans is going to put on this seemingly regular black top hat. As soon as it touches her hair, her head is going to disappear. Hence the name, headless hats." Without a pause, Jake placed the hat on my head.
I waited a second, then two and three, then ten. I didn't feel any different. Cautiously, I reached up a hand and felt for my head. I could still feel it, it and the hat. It was pretty solid to me. But there was no mistaking the widened eyes of the crowd members and their awed gasps.
"Woah, Evans, you're totally headless! Man, that is awesome!" Potter exclaimed, sending a wave of response throughout the whole crowd. Everyone nodded, clapping in sheer delight, while I just looked around. What the hell do I look like?
As if in answer to my thoughts, Jake produced a mirror and brought it to my face. I was, indeed, headless. "Oh my," I said, touching the mirror. "Oh wow." I was in complete awe and admiration of the product.
"Astounding, isn't it?" Jake gently lifted up the hat while I was still looking at the mirror. As soon as he took the hat off, my head appeared, this time, visible for all to see. Incredible, I thought to myself.
"I need to get one of those," Black muttered, just as awestruck as I was. Seeing his amazed face, I immediately rearranged mine into one of uncaring and nonchalance. After all, what was so cool about a hat that made your head disappear? Nothing cool at all!
"You liked that, didn't you, Evans?" Lupin asked me knowingly. It was a rhetorical question, but I chose to prove him wrong.
"I didn't like it," I retorted. At least I think I don't like it. "I admit it was very cleverly thought out. But what's the use in it?"
"What's the use?" Potter repeated in astonishment, his arms already full of Zonko's products. "This product is pure genius! Who ever thought of it was genius! Imagine going down one of Hogwart's corridors and then bam! You see someone with no head. Think of how frightening that would be! You could totally scare people with this, it's crazy!" Somehow, his excitement was contagious and some microscopically tiny part of me wanted to put on that hat just one more time. Preposterous!
"Guys, the sun is going to set in just ten minutes," Pettigrew announced.
"Alright, troops, lets head out," Black commanded.
Pockets bulging with candies and toys, now miniaturized thanks to the Shrinking Spell, we headed out of Zonko's and out of Hogsmeade as well. I followed the rest of the Marauders as they led me to the sprawling lawns in front of Hogwarts, where there were few students doing homework or just lounging about here and there.
"Here's the spot," Lupin said, plopping down on the ground. We were on a small hill where there were absolutely no students, probably because the Whomping Willow was just yards away. Ignoring the tall, angry tree, I sat down next to the boys.
"Here, have a Fizzing Whizbee," Pettigrew said, holding out the soft, fluffy, light pink, circular-shaped candy. Mumbling a thank you, I took the product and took a bite of it. Immediately, a sensation of euphoric airiness filled me. I was lifting up into the air, as light as a butterfly. Looking down, I could see that my pretzel-shaped legs were just three inches off the ground. I took another bite and found myself lifted another inch. Neat.
"Hey, are you going to pull me down?" I asked them.
"Shh! We're watching the sunset. You're fine where you are, Evans!" Potter hissed, scolding me as if I was in the movie theater. Shrugging my shoulders, I looked straight ahead. The sun, this amazing orange sphere that gave off incredible heat, was sinking slowly, slowly, like a huge beach ball descending down into the depths of an enormous pool of purples and reds and pinks and oranges, blended together to create this incredible sunset. For five minutes, we all stared in wonder at this fantastic scene, spellbound by its sheer simplicity and natural beauty. From my position, one foot off the ground and slowly, very slowly sinking, I myself felt one with the sun, gradually moving towards the grass.
"Evans, did you have a fun time up there in the air?" Potter asked me once my ass was completely on the ground. His mouth was full of chocolate, but apparently, he didn't care.
"Tons of fun," I said truthfully. I grabbed at one of the bars, broke off a piece, and tossed it in my mouth, immediately comforted and relaxed by the rich, warm flavor. The Whomping Willow shook a little, causing me to jump. "The Shrieking Shack…I'm surprised you didn't take me there. I've never been there."
"Oh, we'll take you there one day, Evans. One day," Potter said, waving away the subject as if it were some annoying wasp. "Did you have fun at Hogsmeade?" He asked, quickly changing the topic.
"Eh, Hogsmeade was alright," I said, half-lying, for I knew in my gut that I'd never had a Hogsmeade trip like that ever. And some part of knew that I never would and that I hoped I would, too. Some microscopically tiny part of me, that is. A larger part of me was glad for this peace and joy, this relaxation and comfort. "Just one clarification."
"Clarify away," Black said.
"You planned this whole thing beforehand, right? The chocolate fountain, the chugging contest, the headless hats, the snitch. It was all completely thought out prior to the trip, wasn't it?"
The boys looked at each other, then at me, before breaking out in loud, chaotic laughter. They rolled around on the floor, their faces beet red, gasping for breath, laughing their heads off.
AN: Yes! I'm done! I apologize sincerely for the long pause, but I had major, major writer's block. Please, please review and feel free to make any suggestions on how this fanfic can be improved. I have a lot of hopes and ideas for this fanfic, so your reviews would be much appreciated!
