Chapter Ten: Of Mystery Men and Emotional Roller-coasters

"I had a really great time yesterday." Amos cast a sidelong look at his girlfriend as they walked around the fifth floor, meandering slowly towards the library. He reached out and took her hand in his. "And last night."

Pip felt like rolling her eyes, but couldn't really stop herself from smiling at him. "Eh, could have been better." She bumped her shoulder against his.

"You bruise my ego, Pritchard." Amos sighed.

"It could use a bit of bruising." Pip shrugged. "Besides, you know I'm only joking."

"Of course I know that." They walked the rest of the way to the library in silence and Pip tried to stay focused on the adorable boy beside her. She tried to stop herself from thinking about what she had seen yesterday.

They walked through the door and started through the maze of tables and shelves. "There's Cam." Amos said, nodding towards a table near the wall. "Should we sit with her?" As soon as Pip looked at her, she felt her face heat up and she looked down. Unfortunately she couldn't think of a good reason to say no, so they walked over and joined Cam at her table.

"Heard you went out with Potter yesterday." Amos said, nudging Cam's elbow with his own. Cam looked up and smiled at him, and for the first time since Cam had told Pip that she fancied James almost a year ago, she could see it on the brunette's face. Her eyes lit up and her cheeks flushed to a light pink color. Amos chuckled. "I take it the date went well."

"James Potter is an excellent snog." Cam nodded. Pip looked down at her lap, trying to focus on her breathing rather than what Cam was saying.

"Looked like it from where Pip and I were standing." Amos said with a smirk.

"What?" Cam pursed her lips and blushed a bit deeper. "You two saw?"

"You weren't exactly hiding." Pip snapped, reaching into Amos's bag and pulling out her Potions textbook. "Practically undressing each other in the middle of the street."

"We were not!"

"No worse than what we were doing." Amos grinned. Pip forced herself to grin back at him, but her stomach hurt and she really didn't want to be near Cam right now. She knew that it was her fault that Cam and James went on a date last night, and she knew that Cam had liked James longer, and that she had a boyfriend, but it didn't make it sting any less.

"Thanks for setting us up, Pip." Cam said, reaching over and putting her hand on Pip's. "I don't know why I never asked him out before."

"You set them up?" Amos asked, looking back and forth between the girls. Pip should appreciate the effort he was putting forth to be friends with Cam for her, but she didn't. She was just trying really hard to keep herself from hitting Cam.

"I did." She said through gritted teeth. "Cam hadn't shut up about him for over a year, so I thought it was time someone did something."

"That was nice of you."

"Yeah." Pip nodded, but she was starting to think it was a real masochistic thing she did to herself. She slammed her Potions textbook on the table and flipped through it until she found the section that Amos had promised to help her with. "Could you explain this to me? It looks like the Ancient Runes that Remus is always toting around. I can't understand any of it!"

"If you want to be a Healer, you really ought to pay more attention in Potions, love." Amos turned the textbook toward him and quickly scanned through the page. "What exactly don't you get?"

"Slughorn assigned that stupid essay about Amortentia and its effects on people last week and I forgot. And we haven't had class yet this week, and the next class is when the paper's due!"

"Maybe you shouldn't procrastinate, Pip." Pip knew that Camilla was trying to be helpful (and she also expected to be confronted about her standoffish-ness later, but for now Pip would sulk if she wanted. She could easily make it up to Amos later, and smoothing things over with Cam was always simple) but currently Pip was in no mood to be helped by anyone but Amos. She looked over the table and glared at her friend.

"Don't you have something better to be doing?" She spat.

"You two came and found me, remember? Merlin, you're testy today, what's gotten into you?" Amos nodded slightly, agreeing with Cam. Pip glared at both of them.

"Have you ever considered that I'm in a foul mood because as soon as I say anything something slightly not-me then you both jump on me? Merlin's beard, Amos, I'm just crabby today!" Silence settled over the table and Cam slowly closed her textbook.

"Well, er…I'll be going, see you two 'round later for dinner?" Camilla quickly left before Pip exploded. Cam had seen more than her share of Pip blowing her temper and wanted to escape before the wrath was directed at her. She'd let Amos deal with her. As the library door swung shut behind her, Camilla could hear Pip apologizing to Amos.

Wow, Cam thought as she went down the corridor. Pip must really like Amos, she's never explained to a bloke why she's upset before…She'll be fine later. Cam absentmindedly swung her bag back and forth as she walked, lost in thought. She smiled as the memory of her date with James floated into her mind (although smile was an understatement, she'd had quite a lot more fun than she'd expected and was excited to see him again). With her Cheshire Cat-like grin, she didn't see her brother waiting around the corner for her.

"Rodney! What are you-" He quickly shushed her and motioned for him to follow her into a nearby classroom.

Girls dormitory…

Lily was sitting at one of the two desks that all the girls shared in the girl's dormitory. Mary had pinned up a muggle poster of a football team she liked on the wall directly in front of the desk and Cath had drawn little mustaches on all of the players. There was a picture of Marlene and Lily on one side of the desk and a picture of Mary and a blanket covered Cath on the other side. If she pulled open the middle drawer, she would find Mary and Cath's initials carved into the wood, though she would have to dig to the bottom of the draw to see it. There was an assortment of candy wrappers and old assignments strewn about the surface of the desks and stuffed into all of the drawers.

This desk was considered hers, Mary's, Cath's and Marlene's. Cam, Pip and technically Maggie, shared the other desk. Though Lily had never seen Maggie use the desk. No one seemed to care that two of them got a desk while the four of them had to share. They managed, they even enjoyed cramming around it's small frame on occasion.

Lily liked the girl's dormitory. She liked that they had made it their own. She was sure that they weren't the only Hogwarts tenants to change the layout of, and furniture in, the room. She was sure that their room was the best though. They had a small couch at the foot of Marlene's bed, a vanity on the wall near Mary's bed, two dressers (so they didn't have to leave all their clothes in their trunks,) and a large assortment of rugs and pillows that they had found throughout the castle. Lily liked the purple drapes that they had transfigured one particularly brutal winter, and she liked the book shelves that they had 'borrowed' from the common room and the way that all the girls managed to cultivate their own sections of the room to their liking. She liked the way that the room felt like home.

She did not like being in the room this particular Sunday however.

She stood up and started pacing.

She had been on her first (only?) date with Rodney yesterday and she had thought that the entire thing was going absolutely wonderful. They were laughing, and she was eating all the stupid chocolate that he was giving her and they were holding hands and he told her that she was the prettiest girl in the pub. She had thought that the date was going in a lovely direction. The direction that led to an actual relationship and consequently, more dates.

When things were winding down they decided to go back to the pub for one last Butterbeer, and because Rodney had to use the loo. He was gone for less than five minutes, having left her with a snarky remark about her decision to sit at a table that let her have a smashing view of some Ravenclaw's bum. When he came back however, he was no longer smiling. He was short and clipped with her and she felt like he was rushing her out of the pub and back up to the castle, where he had bid her a hasty farewell without so much as a pathetic kiss on the cheek.

I mean, she knew she was no dream date, but she hadn't thought it went that poorly. She at least deserved her pity kiss on the cheek. Lily groaned and fell back onto her bed with her arms and legs splayed out, staring up at the coverings of her bed. She just didn't understand what could have possibly happened to make things go sour!

Letting out another noise of frustration, she rolled over and rummaged in her bag until she found her Potions textbook. Studying for Potions always made her calm down, but she found that even reading the chapter on Amortentia wasn't capturing her attention. Lily pulled her hair up into a loose bun and tried again to focus, but this time was interrupted by Marlene banging the door open.

"Oh, hullo Lils. Why are you in here? I thought you would be with Rodney." Lily's expression made Marlene bite back any further remarks. Marlene studied her friend for a moment before nodding determinedly. "Did that arse do something? I'll hex him, I swear I will…"

Lily let out a bark of laughter. "No, he didn't do anything! That's why it's awful!"

Marlene's expression softened. "No kiss?"

"No kiss! No nothing! We went back to the pub and he went to the loo, then returned and was in a foul mood. On the walk back, I could barely get a word out of him!" Marlene sat on the bed and put an arm around Lily. They sat in silence for a moment before Lily straightened.

"Enough about my awful date. What did you do in Hogsmeade? I didn't see you after you and Cath left." Lily closed her Potions book and looked expectantly at the blonde.

"Well…It was quite unremarkable, really. Cath and I went to Zonko's, Dervish and Banges, and Honeydukes…Oh, and Cath wanted to mail to letter to her aunt, so we went to the post office. Did you and Rodney happen to see a nasty bloke in the pub? He was rude, I accidentally stepped on his foot and he nearly bit my head off!"

"Mm…Can't say I remember him. Did you buy anything?"

"Ah well. Probably just a villager with a bit too much to drink. Cath bought a package of Dungbombs, so watch out for those. Do you know what I saw after Zonko's?" Marlene grinned and didn't wait for Lily to guess. "Cam and James snuck off somewhere and so Cath and I followed them-"

"You two are awful."

"It's why you love us. Besides, we had nothing better to do! Anyway, we followed 'em and as soon as they were out of sight, it was like two animals going at it! I felt embarrassed just watching!" Marlene apparently expected Lily to find this shocking, but her gossip brought no response.

"Lily? Did you hear me?"

"Yeah…That bloke in the pub, did you catch his name?"

"The rude fellow? No, of course not! Looked like a Ministry man. Maybe he was just visiting or something, does it matter?"

"What did he look like?"

"Blimey, thought you said you hadn't seen him! Erm…Longish brown hair, green-grey eyes…Real thin. He had on a big overcoat."

Lily rocked back on her heels. "I saw a bloke go into the loo after Rodney-"

"You watched him go to the loo?"

"Not going, not in the physical act of pissing. I watched him walk over to the loo!"

"Creep."

"He's got a nice bum, it's alright to look!" Marlene stuck her tongue out and Lily shook her head. "No, but I saw a bloke like that follow Rodney into the loo before he got all strange."

"Well, maybe you're not a shit date then." Marlene shrugged.

"Merlin, I hope not." Lily sighed, "Do you think I should go and find him?"

"I don't think it could hurt."

"But what if the man had nothing to do with it? What if he just-"

"Self-doubt is not your thing. Now shut up and go find you man, Ging."

Random corridor on the sixth floor…

Lily wasn't looking where she was going, not really. She was too preoccupied with who that man could be and why he had such an effect on Rodney yesterday. She had now accepted that she wasn't the reason for his drastic mood change, Rodney had told her that he fancied her, so it had to be that man. And those were the thoughts racing through her head when her face was suddenly pressed up against someone's chest.

"Oof." The other person grunted as they collided, but still managed to reach down and steady Lily.

"Sorry about that." She said, shaking her head to orient her thoughts. "I wasn't looking where I was- Potter."

"I love how as soon as you saw it was me that you just plowed into, you suddenly find a way to make this all my fault."

"Well, you obviously weren't looking where you were going either."

"I was turning right!" James cried. "Everyone knows that you hug the corner when you're turning right." Lily pressed her lips together, but she couldn't exactly argue with him.

"Alright. I'm sorry." It was easier to say than she thought it would be. "I'm just a bit frazzled at the moment and wasn't paying attention."

"S'alright." James shrugged. "What's got you miffed?"

"That's really none of your concern." Lily sighed, stepping around James and continuing down the corridor. After a moment of hesitation, James followed her.

"Is it Travers?" He asked, walking with his body facing her so he had to cross his legs one over the other as he walked, but he still kept pace with her easily. "Don't know what you were doing dating a-"

"I'd think about the next words that come out of your mouth very carefully." Lily stopped walking and narrowed her eyes. "Because if you think you are allowed to give me dating advice, then you really are as thick as they come."

"I was only going to mention the family history of the bloke you chose to-"

"Again, stop talking. And besides, you're dating Cam. Pot and kettle, no?"

"No." James shook his head. "It's completely different."

"Oh? And why's that? Because you're a big strong man and can take care of yourself?"

James looked slightly uncomfortable, bringing his hand up and rubbing the base of his neck. "No, it's not that. It's just…"

"Well, spit it out."

"I'm not a Muggleborn."

There was a very long and quiet moment that followed this statement.

"Piss off." Lily snapped, turning away to march off for the second time since running into him. He took a step in front of her.

"I'm not saying that Rodney's going to sneak you off into the shadows and off you," he said quickly. "I'm just saying that, well, his family isn't going to like that he's dating you. That's just how they are. Plus, with all the added drama of his dad…"

"I know what his dad is suspected of." James put his hands up in a defensive stance and backed up.

"Look, I'm just trying to warn you. Don't want you getting hurt because of…you know. Again." Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You're trying to warn me away from Rodney because of what happened with Snape? You're an idiot, you know that?"

"I know, Evans, you tell me every day. How could I forget?"

"Shut up, Potter! Rodney doesn't care about my fucking blood status!"

"That's all well and good, but his family-"

"We aren't even officially dating, Potter! Don't skip right to meeting his family, because that's ridiculous. Why don't you go shag your slaggy girlfriend or bother someone else?" Lily turned on her heel and strode away, but James caught her arm and pulled her back.

"Don't talk about Cam that way!"

"You just finished telling me that her brother will hurt me because of who I am but I can't call Cam a slag? You're so full of it! Let go of me!"

"I never said that Rodney was going to hurt you! I'm just saying that-"

"I don't care! Just stop talking to me!"

"Merlin's beard, Evans." James sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"You're such and arrogant prat!"

"Everything okay here?" Both James and Lily turned to see who the new voice was. Perfect. Abso-fucking-lutely perfect.

"Oh…Hullo, you two." Rodney and Cam had come out of a nearby doorway and were standing there with equally shocked expressions. When next to one another, the similarities that weren't noticeable otherwise became the first thing one saw. Both had the same blue eyes and the same mouth, and when they had identical expressions a passer-by could easily tell that they were twins.

"Everything alright?" repeated Rodney. He looked between Lily and James, confused. James hastily let go of his hold on Lily's forearm and took a step away from her. "We heard shouting and figured something was going on…"

"Everything is fine. James was just leaving." Lily glared pointedly at him and James started to go. Camilla went with him, but not before giving Lily a dirty look. When she reached James, she kissed him on the cheek and didn't seem to notice when he had no response.

"What happened, Lil?" Rodney guided Lily to a bench and sat with her. "You two were shouting awfully loud…"

"James is just a prat. A stupid, awful, bullying prat. He always has been and always will be."

"I take it back." James snapped, stepping away from Cam and turning back to Lily and Rodney. He marched back up to her and she jumped up off the bench. Cam meandered back down the corridor and leant up against a wall, inspecting her fingernails.

"You take what back?" Lily clenched her fists at her side. She doubted he had decided to come back and apologize that quickly, but she didn't really know what else it could be. "What you just said, because it's-"

"No." James interrupted her. "I take back my apology from the beginning of the year. You do need to grow the fuck up. And you do have a horrible judge of character. I meant that too."

"Alright, James," Rodney stepped forward and put a hand on James' shoulder.

James shook Rodney's hand off. But that was the only action that suggested that James had even noticed Rodney's presence.

"You're a hypocrite." Lily's voice was dangerously low. She wasn't supposed to care anymore. She wasn't supposed to care what he said, or what he thought of her. He was just some stupid bloke that had the ability to get under skin. "You're a hypocrite and an arse. A stupid bloody prat." She brought her hands up to her face. Her eyes were prickling.

"Shocking! You open your mouth and all that comes out are insults!" James let out a hallow laugh, Lily flinched.

"I think you two need to just walk away."

"That's not going to happen." Cam sighed.

"Why not?" Rodney asked, looking between the three Gryffindors. He might as well have been invisible though.

"I wouldn't insult you all the time if you didn't insist on acting this way! Why do you have to say things like that? Why do you have to treat me like I'm a bloody idiot?"

"Well if you stopped acting like a bloody idiot, I wouldn't treat you like one! Merlin, you're supposed to be the smartest witch in our year, but you keep making the same mistakes, you keep trusting the wrong people!"

It was Lily's turn to let out a biting laugh. "And you want me to trust you? Are you completely out of your mind?"

"Is this about me?" Rodney asked. James and Lily's eyes both flicked to him for a moment, which was all the answer he needed.

"I was just trying to help." James said. "You're going to get hurt, and I just wanted to warn you."

"I don't need your bloody warnings!" She shouted at James' retreating figure. Cam walked along, a few steps behind him. Before exiting the corridor, she cast a nervous glance back at her brother. "URGH!" Lily stamped her foot on the ground and ran her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face.

"Lily?" Rodney, put his hands on her shoulders and ducked down slightly to they were at eye level with one another. "Why were you two fighting about me? What did he say?"

"It doesn't even matter." She sighed, letting her head fall against his shoulder. "It doesn't matter." He was confused by the sudden break Lily seemed to have implemented on her temper, and he couldn't let it go that easily. He'd never seen Lily get that angry about something, he's never seen her yell at anyone. And he'd never wanted to punch someone in the face as much as he wanted to punch James for making her so upset.

"Lily," He said softly, pulling away a bit so he could look in her eyes. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Who was that man yesterday?" She asked,

"What man?" Rodney asked, speaking too quickly for someone who was being honest. His brow crinkled together and his lips turned down at the corners, and he was acting as though Lily hadn't just completely changed the topic. Lily found herself frowning in response.

"I think you know exactly what man I'm referring too. The man who followed you into the loo yesterday. The man who must have said something to you, because when you came back you were acting really strange. I mean, for a while I thought it was me, but I didn't do anything wrong and now you've got me wrapped in your arms so… I don't know. Just tell me the truth."

"Lily, I don't know what you're talking about." Rodney said, maintaining his perplexed look. "I didn't talk to a man in the loo yesterday. I came back and my stomach hurt, I'm sorry if I was acting strange."

After being friends with Severus Snape for almost eight years, she knew how to tell when people were lying to her. She knew all the little tells, there were the obvious things, avoiding eye contact, sweaty palms, impaired speech, but those were things that trained liars could avoid. And that's what made her sigh and step away from Rodney's grasp. He was maintaining eye contact, his hands were dry in her own, he was speaking just fine, no pauses or odd breaks. He was a good liar, which means that he must have had quite a bit of practice.

"Alright." She was fed up. She was angry with James, but now Rodney was lying to her too and she felt the need to punch something hard and maybe scream into her pillow. She was ready to turn around and storm back to her dormitory when Rodney sighed.

"I'm lying." He looked down at his feet and made his face look, Lily thought, more ashamed than he actually felt. "His name was Todd. Todd Flint. He works at the ministry with my dad."

"And?" Lily's patience was running thin. He wasn't actually saying anything useful.

"And…" Rodney brought his hands up and moved them around his face. "I don't know. I don't talk to my dad anymore, it was unnerving and he said some things and I was there on a date with you and-"

"What does that mean?" Lily interrupted, bringing her hands up to her hips.

"No, I wasn't embarrassed or anything, I was worried. I didn't want him to make a scene. I didn't want to put you in any danger."

"Danger?" Lily laughed. "Why would I have been in danger?"

"You're a Muggle born." Rodney shrugged. "My dad wouldn't react well to finding out that I fancy a Muggle born."

"He wouldn't hurt me though." Lily felt like laughing. The idea was completely ridiculous. Rodney cocked a brow at her and bit his lip. "That's absurd."

"Is it?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Of course it is? He's not going to risk his job in the Ministry to, what? Get rid of me? He may have some radical views on my blood status, but he's not going to risk unemployment over it." Lily brushed a hand through her hair in frustration.

Rodney thought about it for a minute, and Lily watched his face change as her words convinced him. "I suppose you're right. I'm sorry I acted like a git yesterday, I was just really nervous and wanted to get you away from there." He looked at her with sad eyes. "Is it okay? I really did have a brilliant time, but that prat showed up and…"

Lily reached out and took one of his hands in her own. "It's fine. How about next time, you don't bring other men on our dates?" He smiled sheepishly at her. "At least, not ones that look like that. If you're going to bring another bloke when you're out with me, can he at least be a looker?" Rodney smiled again, genuinely this time.

"Thanks for understanding. Next time will be better, I promise. I'll bring Amos Diggory on our next date. Then you can drool over him while I drool over chocolate."

"Diggory brings Pip…"

"Fuck, you're right." She joined him in laughter. "We can't have that on our second first date! You're already enough to handle, I don't think either Amos or I is good enough to keep two Gryffindor girls under control!"

"What about just you, Rodney? You can't control me, I'm a free agent!"

"Would you be a free agent if I asked you to be my girlfriend?" Lily's smile grew as she tried to think of another jibe.

"I suppose I wouldn't be free anymore, since I'd have you as my ball and chain."

Rodney leaned in closer. "Lily Evans…I'd be honored if you would take me to be you ball and chain." She bit her lip and smiled.

"Rodney Travers, you can be my ball and chain." They smiled at one another for a moment longer. Then out of nowhere, he tickled her sides quickly ("Hey!") and pecked her on the lips.

"Was that okay? I'm sor-"

"Was that okay? More like, it's about damn time." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again.

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