Author's Note: Oops sorry guys. I had a little bit of trouble with my computer. I happen to have a knack for finding viruses. Currently my computer is a virus breeding ground. Thanks to everyone who reviewed.
Amelia Bedelia: We are back in La-la land, look at the title of this chapter. There's going to be about 25 chapters I think. I think there's 22 right now, but I broke down a few, and the ones at the end are even longer so somewhere between 25 and 30.
Lily-Potter8: My reviews always sound like that, full of questions, ask Amelia. I'm sorry but I can't answer anything yet. But things are going to start happening fast in the next few chapters.
Claire-125: You're the only one who mentioned that, I was surprised. My other readers on the previous site were whining for me to hook them up from the third chapter. They had an awful lot of influence on how this story turned out.
Bow2thehippogriff: I thought it was sort of original too. That's part of the reason why I kept writing it, because I thought the idea hadn't been done before.
Black Mistress: Thanks for the whole scenario thing it was hilarious. It made me laugh!
Thanks also to NatiFcs28, starborn, groovy geek, J.E.A.R.KPotter, Babyjayy, Agloechen, and The all mighty and PowerfulM.
Sorry for the delayed update. This chapter is not as sad as the previous one. See Chapter Title. The plot of the "finale" of this story makes another appearance. And I think you'll all like the next 2 chapters.
Cursed
By HazelMist
Chapter 10: In this Perfect World
A beautiful woman was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a lovely wedding dress and a veil. She slipped the veil over her face to see what it looked like. She laughed nervously and removed it once more. She had dazzling green eyes and her auburn hair was pulled into an elegant knot. Her face was positively glowing with happiness. Now Lily saw who the pretty woman was.
Standing in front of the mirror on her wedding day, no older then twenty, was none other than . . .
"LILY!"
Lily opened one eye just to be blinded by the sunlight. She raised a hand blocking the sunlight that was streaming from the window into her poor eyes.
"Well it's about time. I was about to get the old ice cold water trick out again." Diane said loudly.
"Why'd you wake me up?" Lily groaned burying her face into the pillow.
"Because the little hand is pointing to nine and the big hand is pointing to twelve." Mary said from somewhere in the room.
"In case you're not intelligent like me and Taylor that would be nine o'clock." Diane informed her.
"Oh no!" Lily cried jumping out of bed. She was late for class!
"Relax Lily it's a Saturday." Taylor said laughing.
A week had passed since the Jenn incident. Lily and James had become once again inseparable. Sirius had even glued them together. But Lily and James didn't even notice they were glued until they decided to go back to their dormitories two hours later. Diane and Sirius weren't on very good terms though. But they did manage to actually sit in the same room for a full five minutes. They were making progress, slowly but surely.
Lily fell back down upon the bed. She didn't care what they said. She was going back to sleep she had had such a good dream.
"Oh no you don't. You are waking up! UP! UP NOW LILLIAN! UP FREAK! UP UP UP UPPITY UP!" Diane began mimicking Lily's older sister Petunia.
Mary and Taylor keeled over laughing and even Lily started giggling from somewhere in the sheets that were covering her head.
"WAKE UPPPP!" Diane cried shrilly.
Lily pushed the pillow off of her face and sat up laughing. Diane could imitate anyone and make anyone laugh. She was now jumping around the room screwing her face up perfectly. She turned and glared at Lily giving her the famous "Petunia" disgusted look.
"It's about time you're up. I was going to have to call out the vocal chords." Diane said using a famous Petunia quote.
"I'm up. Breaking the windows with your voice will not be necessary." Lily quipped as she usually did with Petunia.
Diane grinned. Her eyes were shining. She was in a hyper mood today.
"So Lily what were you dreaming about?" She drawled staring up at Lily with wide dancing eyes.
"Something that was better then you waking me up." Lily said.
"Well we got that right away." Taylor said.
"Sooooo...." Diane pressed onward. She could tell that Lily had had a good dream and if she pushed enough she'd cave and fill them in.
"Or should I say who?" Diane asked grinning.
She nailed it. Lily smiled and blushed.
"James." The others said in unison in sissy voices.
"Oh shut up!" Lily said tossing a pillow at Diane who caught it.
"What were you to doing in this dream?" Diane continued.
"Nothing." Lily turned redder.
"Oh really." Taylor said innocently.
"Right." Mary said dragging out the word.
"I can't remember exactly." Lily said honestly. The dream was slipping away. She couldn't remember anything. Except that there was a bride on her wedding day and . . .
That was all she could remember.
"You're no fun." Diane said tossing the pillow back once she realized there was no story.
Lily rolled her eyes and neatly placed the pillow back.
"Guess what?" Sirius asked leaping down the steps and leaping onto the couch.
James and Remus ignored him. They were sick and tired of him pestering them about Diane. It was Diane this or Diane that. He was always one way or another complaining about the poor girl. Of course his best friends saw right through him. It didn't take the Minister of Magic to realize that he obviously had feelings for Diane.
"Now this is the point where you have to say "what"." Sirius informed them.
"What if we don't want to say what." Remus groaned.
"You just did my friend." Sirius said grinning. Remus and James rolled their eyes ready to block their ears as another landslide of "Diane comments" were about to fall upon their ears.
"It's a Hogsmeade weekend."
James unblocked his ears and stared at Sirius as if he had four heads with fangs and antennas. He had just said something other than Diane! Remus didn't notice he still had his ears blocked and was humming to himself to block out the noise.
"Are you okay? Are you sure you don't have a fever or something? You just said something that did not concern in any way "Diane"!" James exclaimed.
Sirius scowled at James and Remus unblocked his ears.
"Sooo it looks like Sirius and Diane finally made up..." James drawled.
"Oh no! That means he'll still be talking about her non stop." Remus said groaning and covering his eyes.
Sirius was not pleased. He frowned at both of them and they quickly shut up hoping he wouldn't take to insulting Diane again.
"We did not make up." Sirius said coldly and clearly.
"I think we understand that. Now tell us who you are going to take to Hogsmeade." James said hurriedly changing the subject.
Sirius looked slightly puzzled as if he hadn't thought of this. James wondered why he had told them then.
"We all know who you're taking." Remus said grinning.
"Wow really? You do catch on rather quickly Remus." James said sarcastically.
"Yeah I betcha ten to one it's a girl with green eyes and red hair." Remus said playing along.
"How'd you know?" James asked dully.
"Lucky guess?"
"Soooo who are you taking Remus?" James said turning the tables.
"Mary." Remus said smiling.
James nearly choked. He hadn't expected Remus to be so confident about it.
"So what are you guys going to be doing there hanging out at Lovers Lane with Lily and James in a tree?" Sirius asked.
"No." Remus retorted.
"We figured we'd make fun of your date and Lily and James' date." Remus said grinning.
"You know how you guys snog all day long. So we figured we'd hang around since we're both enduring the same pain." Remus said.
James turned red and Sirius beamed his "ladies" smile.
"Well you know the girls just can't resist me." Sirius said importantly taking out the charm.
"I for one can. I repel you. You disgust me." Diane said coming up behind them.
"So you're talking to me now."
"No."
"You just did."
"Did not."
"You can't deny it. You were speaking to me."
"Insults don't count."
"Well then let me have my say. You're annoying me. And I think you're . . ."
"Save it." Diane said putting up her hand. She didn't want to hear what he had to say.
"Fine then, don't speak to me then."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Fine." Remus added in as a final note.
Diane and Sirius looked at him in a puzzled manner. Remus just shrugged and smiled.
"Well then let's go to breakfast." Lily said breaking the uncanny silence. She smiled at James and gave him a peck on the cheek. Then she took his arm and they exited laughing and whispering.
There was a silent shuffle as Diane and Sirius both tried to go after them and ended up smacking into each other. Taylor ended up going ahead of them as the two began another silent "miming" argument. They refused to open their mouths. Remus and Mary turned to each other not sure whether this was a "plus" or a "negative".
"Care to join me. Since it doesn't look like there going anywhere within the next century." Remus said offering his arm to her.
"Why not." Mary said beaming.
They walked arm and arm past Diane and Sirius and out the portrait.
"So care to join me. Yeah right. I see exactly where that's heading. Next we're going to bump into them in a closet." Diane said aloud once they were out of ear shot.
"Yeah marriage proposals and then they'll be competing for Hogwarts Favorite Couple with Lily and James. Or should I call it Hogwarts Most Walked in On Couple." Sirius said laughing.
Diane met Sirius eyes momentarily and smiled. But it was only briefly then they remembered they were fighting and Diane brushed past Sirius exiting.
They were stubborn. But stubbornness might not be enough to fight that feeling any longer.
"Hey it's a Hogsmeade weekend." Taylor said as they were sitting at the Gryffindor table.
"Don't remind me." Diane groaned.
"So Lily's going with James. I'm going with Remus and who are you two going with?" Mary asked Taylor and Diane.
"I wasn't aware that we had to have dates to go to Hogsmeade." Diane growled.
"Well now you know." Lily informed her. Diane glared at them both.
"Come on Diane. Have some fun. We're seventeen and it's going to be a great night. Just ask some random guy" Taylor coughed loudly at this point. Diane didn't hear what she said (she probably ignored what she said) but Mary and Lily clearly heard "Sirius" and smiled. They had been thinking the exact same thing. "to go with you to Hogsmeade. It's not a date. It's just a date I mean just a well friend thing." Mary continued stumbling over her last words. She was thankful that Remus was at the other end of the table with James, Peter and Sirius (who refused to sit near a certain someone).
It was Diane's turn to grin. The conversation with Sirius rang in her ears. But in the end it became to painful to think of Sirius and she gave up any thought of a sarcastic comment. Lily didn't though.
"So it's a date but it's not a date." Lily said raising her eyebrow.
"You're confusing me Mary. Rephrase that again, slower this time." Lily said to her leaning forward to listen.
"We are only going as friends." Mary said blushing.
"I didn't ask that." Lily said grinning. Mary's blush deepened.
"Hey Taylor can I talk to you for a minute?" A good looking Ravenclaw had come up unnoticed. Taylor smiled and followed him out of the Great Hall.
"So looks like you're the only one going stag Diane." Lily drawled.
"We're only friends." Mary muttered.
"No. I'm going with him." Diane twisted around in her seat and faced the Hufflepuff table.
She picked out one of the seventh years, not the brightest one, but none the less the Hufflepuff seeker and very good looking.
"Hey Amos!" She called flashing a flirtatious smile and eyeing him.
"Want to go to Hogsmeade with me." Diane asked in a sweet tone that caused guys to melt.
"Sure." Amos said grinning.
"Okay meet me at the carriages." Diane said smiling sweetly.
Diane turned around in her seat smirking. She shot a glance down toward the Marauders that Lily knew was for Sirius. Sirius was frowning and shooting death glares her way. Diane looked very satisfied with herself as she ran a hand through her blond curls turning back to the girls.
"Alright I'll play by the rules. I have a date now. Are you happy?" Diane said taking a piece of toast.
"No." Mary grumbled.
"What more do you want from me?" Diane said scowling.
Mary muttered something incoherent that sounded like "go with Sirius". But Diane ignored her and smiled as Taylor came skipping back to the Gryffindor table positively beaming.
"Who kissed you?" Diane asked her bluntly.
"No one. Jeff Prewett just asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him." Taylor said blushing. She turned in her seat and waved batting her eye lashes at a handsome boy sitting over at the Ravenclaw table. The smile and wave was returned by him in the same manner.
"Not you too." Mary groaned.
"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.
"You're obviously in love with him. Just like Lily's in love with James and Diane's in love with S" Diane "accidentally" spilt her pumpkin juice all over Mary at this point.
"Diiiiaaannnneee." Mary groaned.
"Sorry it just slipped." Diane said performing the cleaning spell.
"What were you saying?" Diane asked waving the butter threateningly as if she might spill that too; if a certain name came up in the conversation again.
"Nothing." Mary mumbled defeated.
"Then let's go see how Jenn's doing." Lily said getting up from the table.
They arrived in the hospital wing a little while later. Madam Pomfrey didn't look very happy about letting the four girls in but she obliged reluctantly. Lily immediately headed for Jenn's bed while the others hung back still unsure of what they would find.
"There's some people here to see you." Madam Pomfrey said in a sympathetic voice to Jenn. There was a shuffling noise as Jenn sat up and Lily came face to face with the girl that had tried to kill her.
"Hi Jenn."
"Hello Lily."
The conversation was rather awkward. The silence soon filled in the spaces and Lily found herself wishing she could speak of the incident. Finally she couldn't take it anymore but it was Jenn who shattered the silence.
"I'm sorry Lily." Jenn blurted out.
"It wasn't your fault!" Lily said seeing that the girl was close to tears.
"Yes it was! I almost killed you Lily. I almost took the life of someone! Don't you see that I almost killed you without a second thought! How can you even speak to me now?" Jenn exclaimed the tears forming in her eyes.
Lily sat down on the edge of her bed. She looked into Jenn's teary eyes and said quietly
"I know Jenn. But you were under the Imperius. You fought it longer then even I could've. It's not your fault. You couldn't control yourself."
"But Lily I should have fought him! He was so much weaker then me. But I never thought, never in all my years that it would be him that would turn against us. I thought he was under the imperius too. But he wasn't Lily. Oh Lily, P" She started to cough violently at this point, hiccoughing and sobbing and coughing she couldn't continue.
"He turned against us, P" She started coughing again and Lily insisted on her lying down as this was taking too much out of her.
"It's okay. I understand. I forgive you." Lily whispered. But she was more confused than she made out to be.
"But I have to tell you that P" She started hiccoughing again.
Madam Pomfrey came hurrying into the room. Lily was told to leave immediately. Diane and the others were disappointed that they hadn't been able to see her.
"Hey did anyone else see that Jenn was acting weird?" Mary asked breaking the silence as they headed back for the common room.
"Who didn't." Diane muttered.
"Yeah I think she was trying to tell us something." Taylor said looking bewildered.
"Yes she was." Lily said quietly.
The conversation was brought no further. The girls were left to their own thoughts as they entered into the common room just to be greeted by the Boys. They were unaware how important this last conversation with Jenn was. If only things had been different... then perhaps life could go on as it should've in a perfect world.
A/N: Next up the Hogsmeade trip! More fluff I promise! I'll be updating within the week!