(A/N - Can you believe it? O.o We're already at Chapter 9! Oh! Today, a fly landed on my finger, and wouldn't move. So it was on my finger for like thirty minutes, then flew away. So that was interesting! :DD Anyways, enjoy this chapter! I'm seriously loving writing this, and hope you enjoy reading itttttt. :OO)


"See how easy that was?" James smiles, once himself and Willow are safely away from all the other students.

Willow doesn't respond.

"Now when we 'break up', Lily'll see what a good boyfriend I can be, and date me! Maybe you'll get Severus too!" He laughs.

"Or, maybe they'll realize that they're meant to be," Willow grumbles.

"What?" James frowns.

"Severus will become hell-bent on getting Lily to like her, now that no one's standing in his way."

James pauses. "Oh."

Willow looks up at James with flaming eyes. "Yes, Oh! Now Severus will never like me, and then I'll have to watch him and Lily have stupid babies and grandchildren and have Christmas together, while I die alone."

"Wh-," James starts to say.

"My mistake. I meant that I'd die with my fake boyfriend." Willow holds her face in her hands. "We're so screwed."

"Willow, just chill out for a second."

"So, so, so, screwed."

James bites his lip. "Hey, all the Gryffindors are going to have a party to celebrate the vacation coming up. Maybe we could make it an all-houses kind of deal, and we could invite Severus. Then we could 'break up' at the party, and you could date him. Before Lily beats you to it, I mean."

Willow peels her hands away from her face. "That's not a…horrible idea. I'm surprised at you, James."

James smiles. "See? I told you! You're gonna be fine."

Willow nods, smiling a bit. "Yeah. And if it doesn't work, then I'll hunt you down and kill you."

James' smile drops a bit, "Maybe not that."

Willow stretches. "If you make a bet, you have to be prepared to deal with the consequences."

"But I didn't make a bet," James frowns.

"See yah!" Willow walks away.


In all honesty, Willow scares James. She seems empty. Unless she's with Severus, of course. She tries to trick everyone by spelling her hair random colors, laughing at everything, smiling all the time. Just like a normal person. She doesn't fool James, however. She is going down a dark path. And if inviting her to a few parties, and hooking her up with Severus is going to prevent her from taking anymore steps- then so be it.


The party was a few weeks later by the lake. It was surprisingly crowded, but Willow couldn't see anyone she recognized. Some kids were holding cups of Butterbeer, while there was no clear vendor.

Willow searched the faces, and suddenly, some random kid popped up in front of her. He looked a bit younger than her. He smiled.

"Hey there! Can I interest you in a nice beverage?"

Willow shook her head. "No. I hate aftertastes. And I highly doubt you have water here."

The kid scrunched up his face. "Come on, please? Just take a teeny tiny little sip."

Willow raised an eyebrow and took the cup. "What is it?"

"Butterbeer!" The boy smiled. He was wearing a blue scarf. Ravenclaw.

Willow gave it a sniff. It had no clear scent. "Isn't this stuff supposed to be all butter-scotchy?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah! It's super good- and it has no aftertaste!"

"Do you drink this stuff?" She asks.

The boy shakes his head. "Obviously not. I'm too young! That's why I'm giving it to you."

Willow pauses, and lifts the cup to her lips. There's a brief second in which she considers thinking that drinking a beverage from a complete stranger could be hazardous to her health, and then another second in which she decides: 'to hell with it', and tips the cup back.

The moment the sour, burning sensation touches the back of her throat, she realizes that the cup was not filled with Butterbeer. That thought is then quickly washed away by the second cup she consumes. She feels herself being pushed away, through the ground. Gently treading up and down, like the lake's tide.

Whenever Willow finds her cup empty, it's miraculously filled back up again.

Willow decides that she quite enjoys whatever this drink is. Her problems are so easily forgotten now. One drink for every problem she has.

Severus will never fall in love with her. Drink.

She's going to fail all of her quizzes. Drink.

She has no friends. Drink.

Who the Hell cares?

A lake flashes before her vision.

What if she just ends it?

It would be so easy.

No more problems.

I'd get to feel this wonderful feeling,

Forever.


Sirius grins. "You're kidding. You're not actually dating her?"

James nods, laughing. "Nope! It's all a prank. Sorry for not telling you guys before."

Peter scrunches up his thick face. "But why'd you do it in the first place?"

James is about to answer, when a boy with dark hair and girl with fiery red hair run into him, James stumbles back a few steps. The pair are both screaming at him wildly. Severus is throwing his hands all around; a mad conductor. While Lily on the other hand, keeps glancing around, as if looking for something.

"Slow down! What's going on? What's wrong with you two?" James yelps.

Remus and Sirius share a smirk.

"We can't find Willow anywhere!" Lily screams.

"Maybe she just didn't come. She doesn't seem like one to enjoy a party, anyways," Sirius tries to reason.

"No, she definitely came," Severus says. He glances at James. "For one reason, or another."

James smiles, guiltily.

Peter shakes his head. "Wait, James- you didn't tell Severus that you and Willow are-,"

"In a very happy relationship?" James laughs, awkwardly. He glares daggers at Peter, who takes no notice.

Peter shakes his head. "No: not really dating."

James and Sirius seem to facepalm in unison. Remus tries to hold in his laughter.

"What?" Severus says.

"I'm confused…," Lily adds.

"Willow lied to me?" Severus mumbles, forehead creased.

"It-That doesn't matter right now," James says. "We should go find Willow!"

"What?" Sirius says this time.

"Yay! Let's go!" Lily smiles, enthusiastically.

"But-wh-you guys pretended to date?!" Severus hisses.

"Yes, we're quite past that now actually. Let's go look for Willow!" James waves his hand.

Severus pauses. "We're talking about this later, James."

James snorts.

And with that, the group runs around, looking for the (black-haired) girl.


"Have you seen a girl? She has black hair, and she likes swearing," Severus asks a student at his side.

The student laughs, and shakes his head. Then he continues drinking the beverage.

Severus sighs, and turns to James. "If we can't find her, then this is all your fault."

"Hey!" A girl says, from behind Remus.

Remus turns around. "Hello," He waves.

"I think I saw your friend."

Everyone's attention is now on the girl.

"Where is she?" Severus asks.

"Well, last time I saw her, she was demanding that I call her: 'Queen of Everything That Rhymes With My Name'. Then she tried to steal my drink," The girl says, sympathetically glancing at her cup of Butterbeer.

"Where did she look like she was going?" Sirius asks, for James.

The girl shakes her head. "If I were you, I wouldn't get in her way. She looked dangerous. And her friends were crazy too. Their eyes were real dilated. Pure trouble."

The group stares at her, waiting for a response.

"She was heading towards the Lake."

Peter smiles widely, and throws his arm in the air. "To the Lake!"

"W-hey!" The girl says, suddenly.

They pause.

"Um, what was your name again?" She grins, and points at Remus.

"…Remus," He says, quietly.

The girl hops forward, and gets a funny smile on her face. "That's so cool, Remus. Do you wanna hang out sometime? I like, really need help with some potions. You could help me study-!"

Lily glances at Severus, who now seems incredibly interested in the floor.

Remus' face heats up, and before he can respond, Sirius grabs his arm.

"Sorry, Remus is super busy tonight. With studying," He says.

"But I just said he could study with me-," The girl starts.

"Nope, sorry!" James says.

And with that, all six of them head off towards the lake.


Laughter.

A voice.

"Can she even swim?"

Laughter again.

"I don't care. I overheard her telling the Headmaster that he should just get rid of the Ravenclaw house. Her reasoning was that they were annoying to look at."

"What an asshole."

Laughter.

It's so, so cold.

Why is it so cold?

My clothes feel heavy.

Sinking.

My lungs begin to burn, a different feeling from the drink.

What was that drink called again?

I forget whatever lie that boy told me.

I think of the faces of my friend.

His face fills my mind.

Then come the reminders.

The reminders that he will never notice me.

The reminders that he loves Lily.

I welcome death.


There are two kids by the edge of the lake. They're both laughing. Another one of them is in the water, holding something down.

Lily stands on her tip-toes. "What are they doing?"

Severus lets out a small noise.

James frowns. "I dunno. We should keep looking for Willow."

Severus' eyes narrow, and he whips out his wand. "Looks like we just found her," He mumbles.

"What?" Peter asks, as Severus stomps towards the crowd. As he nears closer he flicks his wand, and a flash of orange light spells the boy holding the thing down; goes flying.

"Severus!" Lily screams, and runs towards him.

"Wh-Lily! Stop it! Don't get involved in this!" James shakes his head, and runs after her.

Reluctantly, Remus and Sirius follow him. Peter is too scared, and stays behind on the shore.

Severus' wide eyes are visible even standing on the shore.

"Severus, what is it-…," Lily trails off, as her eyes fall upon the thing the boy was holding down. Her hands fall over her mouth.

Severus starts to shake. With fury, or with tears is unclear.

"What's going on? Lily?" James asks, as he wades closer to the two.

"I would very much enjoy some information right now, to be entirely honest," Remus says.

Severus kneels in the water, and slowly, pulls out Willow. Her eyes are closed, and her skin is cold.

"Holy shit," Sirius mumbles.

James realizes what Severus is about to do before he tries. He spells Severus' wand away just as Severus is halfway through: 'Crucio'.

"Someone get a Teacher!" Remus says.

"What's going on down there?" Peter calls from the shore.


'Is this my fault?' James thinks to himself. 'If it weren't for me, she wouldn't be here at all tonight…'


I don't know if I am dead.

Can dead people think?

I'm not sure if I can do that either.

I guess we'll see.


(A/N: Yayyyyyyy! I did another chapterrrrrr! Oh! And quick little thing I need to tell you guys: I will be going on a roadtrip on Friday, so I may not be able to get a chapter out until I get access to the Internet ;-; But until then, this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written! So! That's either really sad, or really cool! I don't really have much else to say, but I hope you have a wonderful day!)