Hi, how's it going, everyone? Just want to say that there's a certain joke in this chapter that you might not get if you're under thirteen...but don't get too curious about it. If you ask someone what it means, you might end up embarrassing yourself as well as getting a little grossed out. So yeah. I'm just emphasizing on the T rating :)
THANK YOU, MY REVIWERS :D You guys are truly awesome. But what happened after that huge amount of reviews that chapter 6 got? I thought a lot of people got interested... I expected more response :P Oh well, what can I say but R&R?
8
[FRIDAY]
When I had seen him from across the classroom, he hadn't been this big.
But now, Friday afternoon, as I watched him approach the doors to the Great Hall for lunch, his hair an electric blue, I could see clearly that he was enormous. And what made it worse was that he was surrounded by a group of his equally large friends.
I was standing in the doorway. He brushed past me, and I was about to call his name – William, oh the irony – but I when I saw him and his friends settle themselves at the table nearest to the door and furthest away from the Gryffindor table, my voice died in my throat. I looked after him in shock for a moment, and then turned back and walked towards our table, where I found Lily and plopped down next to her on the bench.
"So," she said in a business-like tone while buttering a crumpet, "did you do it?"
"Clearly, I didn't." I leaned forward and put my hand on her wrist so that she stopped slathering the pastry with butter. She looked at me. "Lily," I said, raising my eyebrows, "he's in Slytherin."
"Yeah, well," she snatched her hand away from my grip and bit into the crumpet. She swallowed, looking away. "I kind of already knew that."
"And why, pray, didn't you tell me this?"
"Look, I'm not proud of it."
"Obviously," I said, and then added casually, "How did you end up with him, anyway?"
She cleared her throat. "It was at my birthday party." She paused, hesitated. Turned to me. "You know, what Sirius said was true. In the hospital wing."
"Refresh my memory."
"It's just…I'm not the person I used to be."
"Well, okay, but what's that got to do with –" I began.
She broke me off. "I made out with him. At my party." She paused again while I digested this, and then inhaled before continuing. "I didn't even know who he was, but I was like that – he was good-looking, and when he started kissing me I was drunk and I liked it, so I didn't stop him. He said we had to do this more often, and then he asked me out, and I said yes."
"Oh."
"That's all? Oh?" She looked anxious. I couldn't help wondering why. Was it because she was worried I would keep thinking of her as the kind of person who she used to be, or for some other reason entirely…?
"Yeah. What else should I say?"
"I don't know, I thought you'd have a different reaction."
Her hand was resting on her thigh under the table. I reached out and curled my fingers around hers. "Look, Lily, I know you're not that girl anymore. It may have only been a few days since I've known you properly, but I feel like I've been talking to you for years. And from what I can see and what Sirius said, you've changed a lot – for the better – in a space of only a few days. That's an achievement."
She smiled. I couldn't help it; it was contagious – I smiled back. "Yeah, I guess," she said modestly.
Then I felt her disengage my hand from hers and lightly push it off her thigh. I thought back to what she had said about not wanting to handle a relationship, and I couldn't help but feel slightly rueful. But she was still smiling. "You're right about feeling like we've been talking for years, you know. It's amazing how easily we click."
I nodded. Then something struck me. "Hey…wait. If he's in Slytherin, how the heck did he end up at your party in the Gryffindor common room?"
She paused for a moment to think about this. "You know, I actually have no idea. Someone must have let him in, though I can't imagine who. Whatever it is, I know I didn't invite him."
"Weird."
She nodded and agreed, "Very."
There was a short silence; I reached for a steak-and-kidney pie and placed it on the plate in front of me. I was about to cut into it when she said, "Isn't that a bit heavy for lunch?" Looking over, I saw that she was now enjoying a fruit salad.
I took a bite off my fork and said, grinning with my mouth full, "At least it's not rabbit food."
She laughed and whacked me with a napkin. "You pig. Close your mouth and eat."
I opened my mouth wide so she had a full view of my half-chewed lunch. She grimaced mockingly and laughed again. I swallowed and then said, "You know, that's the second time I've been called a pig for absolutely no reason."
"Really? Who is this brilliant person who groundlessly accused you of being a pig?"
Sirius sidled over, excusing himself multiple times as he bumped into legs and people looked up from their lunches impatiently. Finally he managed to squeeze himself beside Lily. "Speak of the Sirius," I whispered to Lily, who giggled, before Sirius leaned forward and he and I said at the same time, "Where have you been?"
Lily laughed between us. "I think I can explain this."
We looked at her at her simultaneously.
"Sirius went to look for you when you were off doing, well, you-know-what," Lily explained, addressing me.
Sirius gave me a horrified look. "James, you don't have to share that information with a girl –"
"No!" I said, equally disgusted, "God, no! I was not doing that. I was…busy."
"Busy doing what?" he asked impatiently. "And why does Lily know?"
"I'm right here, you know," Lily intervened again, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, then tell me where the heck James was all this time I was looking for him."
Lily and I looked at each other. Sirius caught the looks on our faces and sighed. "Okay, what's going on?"
Lily faltered slightly before giving me a slow nod. I told him about our deal to break up with each other's partners. When I was done explaining, I didn't know what to make of the expression on his face. I had thought he was going to be highly amused at the new development, but he didn't look it – he looked angry instead, but also like he was trying to hide it.
Later, as we were making our way back to class, he whispered to me that he needed to tell me something. Confused but curious, I followed him to a seat near Flitwick's desk where Remus and Peter were sitting, engrossed in conversation. Lily looked a little disappointed, but was caught by a bunch of her friends and was forced to go and sit with them anyway.
As they bustled away I noticed Briony among them, and she regarded me evilly through bloodshot eyes. I suddenly felt very guilty.
Sirius was looking stern as Flitwick walked in and perched himself onto the stack of books piled on his chair. Charms was the perfect lesson in which to have a private conversation, what with all the chaos of people getting new spells wrong with disastrous results, so I wasn't worried that he or anyone else would overhear us.
"Look," Sirius began, "I think I can see what's happening."
I gave him a quizzical look. "What's happening?"
"That's right," he said, while Flitwick began demonstrating an incantation in his high-pitched voice. "You're moving in on her."
"What? On Lily?" I was surprised. "What makes you say that?"
"You basically asked her to dispose of your girlfriend, and then she asked if you could do the same with her boyfriend. I can't help but noticing, that leaves room for you to…" he trailed off, gave me a look full of meaning, didn't continue. He knew I'd understood.
I was a bit pissed off that he would think this. "I'm not doing anything. I…well, honestly, I didn't want to face breaking up with Briony myself. What's wrong with that? And besides, it's not like it's my fault Lily asked me to do it for her, too." As I said this, it hit me that Lily hadn't told me about her progress with Briony, but I didn't mention it.
"And that's another thing. You don't go asking people to break up with your girlfriend for you, James."
I frowned. "Sirius, forgive me, but I guess I have a lot to learn. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay, but just try not to make your relationship with Lily anything it's not. Fine?" He raised his eyebrows, looking expectant and worried that I would get angry at the same time. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately, so I decided to cut him some slack. Besides, however grudgingly I admitted it to myself, I knew he was probably right.
"Sure, okay. I'm not arguing or anything, though, but could you tell me why?" I kept my tone as conceding as I could.
He sighed. "Like I said before, and like I'm sure she explained to you, she's going through a difficult time. Just be her friend for a while. That okay?"
Our conversation was nonchalant, but I could sense the strain in the air. He was desperate for me to do this. I wanted badly to ask what the hell was she going through that was so bad that she couldn't have a boyfriend, but I decided to let it go for now.
"Yeah. Perfectly –"
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, concentrate!" said a squeaky voice. We looked up to see not Professor Flitwick, but Lily standing there, her hands on her hips, having just done a spectacular imitation of his voice and grinning triumphantly. I burst out laughing and put a hand on her shoulder.
"That was bloody brilliant, Lils!"
I could feel Sirius eyeing me beadily.
