Quick A/N: the key for the notes written between the girls are: Pippa (bold), Marley (Italics), Emilie (italic bold), Lily (normal)
Chapter 10 - Dux Ducis
The last two weeks of August flew by before our eyes. Before we knew it, it was September 1st and Pippa's father was helping us load our trunks into the back of his car. He was letting Pippa drive saying that he would be at Diagon Alley later so he could just apparate to the train station to pick it up.
"Who wants to sit in front with me?" Pippa sang as she snatched the car keys off the kitchen counter and danced out to the car with us on her tail.
"I think our Head Girl should take the front," Marley cooed, poking me in the ribs. I laughed and skipped around to the front passenger side.
"If you insist," I sighed playfully. "It's such a burden to be Head Girl."
Emilie giggled and climbed in the back seat with Marley.
After a fairly short trip in the car, Pippa pulled into a parking space near King's Cross. And we loaded some nearby carts with our trunks. They were especially heavy this year since we'd all had to magically expand them to hold all the Hogwarts Confessional books.
We wheeled our carts into the station and soon passed through the brick wall onto Platform 9 ¾ . We were early enough that once we got our trunks onto the train we had our pick of compartments. We closed to door to our compartment and stared out the window, watching as the rest of the students arrived. We commented on who had changed the most in appearance looked exactly the same. Pippa and Emilie started the traditional game of "Who Would You Date" and Marley and I exchanged grins before joining in.
We paused the game only when we saw the Marauders. None of us had spoken to them since the night before summer holiday. Any first encounter one of us had with them this year was sure to be awkward. We resumed the game once they were safely on the train and we became so absorbed that none of us would have noticed if they had walked right by our compartment.
We stopped when the last person hopped onto the train and it began to move slowly. Once the train was in full motion, I jumped up from my seat, explaining to the Clique that I had to meet with Professor McGonagall in the front compartment for Heads duties.
I wandered down the narrow corridor, not bothering to look into any of the compartments for fear that I'd see the Marauders. I slid open the door to the front compartment and quickly hopped inside.
"Hey there, Evans," I heard a familiar voice say, and I spun around. Potter was sitting next to the window with his feet up casually on the seat across from him.
"Oh," I said, startled. I was completely unprepared for a confrontation so soon and I had no idea what to say so I stood in front of the door gaping at him like an idiot. His jet black hair had grown out a bit since I'd seen him last, almost covering his bright hazel eyes. His face had lost some of its roundness and it made him look older. He was, if possible, even better-looking than he used to be.
"Um, sorry," I muttered awkwardly. "The heads are supposed to be meeting Professor McGonagall in here in a few moments…"
"Yes, I know," He said looking out the window, how mouth twitching into a smile.
"You're not—" I sputtered in disbelief.
"Head Boy? Sure I am." He said looking over at me, his smile growing wider. "Surprised?"
"Very," I breathed as I sank down into one of the seats closest to the door. I wasn't prepared at all for this. Already this was proving trickier than I thought. After I had broken up with Chris I hadn't let myself think about Potter at all or what I would say to him … or if there was anything to say to him. I still wasn't sure. But he was Head Boy?
"I'm smarter than you give me credit for, Evans," Potter smirked at me. "Though I think Dumbledore was hoping I'd grow up a bit with this new responsibility."
"That wouldn't be a bad idea," I growled out of habit. I may be confused about my feelings for him, but I still hadn't completely gotten over my former aversion to him.
He let out a soft laugh at my temper and McGonagall entered the compartment. We spent the next hour listening attentively as McGonagall explained all of our various duties as Head Boy and Girl. I blanched a little when she mentioned the Heads dorm which we would be sharing just the two of us. I had completely forgotten about that part of being Head Girl. So much for staying with the Clique. But I couldn't help my stomach flipping slightly at the thought of James and me sharing a dorm with no one else there.
McGonagall finished with her instructions soon after that and informed us that we were to go now to the Prefects meeting in the next compartment to create patrol schedules. Potter sat back as I took charge of the meeting and divided the schedules as fairly as I could between the Prefects. I was slightly annoyed that he seemed to have no interest in helping me, but let it slide. It was easier to get things done by myself anyways. The only shift left was the nightly midnight shift that was usually saved for Heads. I shuddered at the thought of spending every night with Potter but put all my feelings on that subject aside and explained the rest of the prefect duties as Potter watched from his seat in the corner.
After I was done with instructions, I watched silently as the prefects filed out of the compartment and I slumped back into one of the seats. I inclined my head slightly towards Potter to see that he was staring back at me.
"You seem to be taking this all pretty well," He commented casually, stretching his legs out onto the seat across from him.
"Taking what well?" I asked, confused.
"My being Head Boy. I would have thought you'd throw a fit," he smirked.
"I guess it hasn't really hit me yet," I said quietly, looking down at my shoes. It was irritating, his apparent indifference to this situation. Normally he would have been jumping up and down for joy at the thought of living in close quarters with me. It was a bit unnerving actually, to see him so put together around me. What had I expected though? For me to come back and him still be head over heels for me? I didn't even know if that was what I wanted… I still hadn't decided how I felt about him.
"How was your summer?" I asked tentatively, trying to be friendly.
"My summer?" he looked at me, almost like he was surprised that I would ask him such a question. "It was fine."
I stared at him. This was weird. Shouldn't he be asking me out by now? Not that I wanted him to. But when a dog says "meow" instead of "woof", you notice.
"Yours?" He asked blandly from his corner.
"It was fine," I said, thinking of nothing interesting to say about it without revealing the Hogwarts Confessional.
Potter stood up suddenly.
"Where are you going? We still have to divide the Heads shifts between ourselves and make a rough plan of the school events and Hogsmeade trips," I sputtered pathetically at his retreating back.
"Sorry, I have to go meet Holly."
I froze. I'm sure he saw the look of shock on my face. "Holly?"
"Yeah. You know her. Seventh year Hufflepuff. You caught us in a broom cupboard last year," he smiled cockily at the memory and something stabbed in the pit of my stomach. "Anyways, she's kind of my girlfriend now."
My insides completely shut down and I was dumbstruck. He had a girlfriend? Well that's why he didn't ask me out or pester me. A girlfriend, though. For some reason, my notorious temper flared and my breathing became harsh. How had I been such an idiot? I had broken up with Chris to potentially be with James Potter only to find out that he'd moved on already. Wait, I'd broken up with Chris to potentially be with James Potter? Well, this was news to me. Merlin's beard, I think I'm in way over my head here…
"Which reminds me," Potter said as he scratched his chin casually. "How's Chris? Did you end up going to his house over the summer?"
I stood up quickly and made my way to the compartment door where Potter stood.
"No," I growled and I shoved past him roughly. "I broke up with him two weeks into summer." And I walked down the narrow hall, not even looking back to see the expression on James's face. Well, so much for friendly.
The feast dragged on this year. I tried to pay attention as the first years were sorted but I was soon distracted by Emilie, who poked me in the ribs and pointed to the little black book sticking out of my back pocket. I pulled it out and flipped back the cover to see several messages there.
Look at Severus Snape. He looks like he's about to wet himself.
Be nice, Pip. Did you see Liam Lawson? He looks incredible this year.
Holy Merlin. Marley, if you don't ask him out, I will.
No! I'll ask him out. I swear….maybe.
You have until Halloween and then he's mine.
That's not enough time, Em.
Two months is plenty of time.
You could always cut him down the middle and each take half.
I call the bottom half.
I giggled out loud at that. We spent the rest of the sorting ceremony writing ridiculous things in our books and trying to suppress our laughter.
All too soon, the welcome feast was over and I was supposed to report to Dumbledore for further Head duties and to find out where I would be living this year.
As I was saying a hasty goodbye to the Clique, Marley whispered the Gryffindor password in my ear. She had taken over as Prefect for our year.
"As soon as you get settled in your room, come find us," she whispered, giving my hand an encouraging squeeze. I had told the Clique everything that had happened on the train.
"I will," I promised and walked toward the front table where the professors sat. I saw Potter following me out of the corner of my eye.
"Ah, Miss Evans!" Dumbledore gave me a crinkly eyed smile and grasped my small hands between his. "Welcome back!"
"Thank you, sir." I said. Dumbledore's enthusiasm was contagious and I found myself smiling in spite of my sour mood. "I hope you had an enjoyable summer."
"Yes, very," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling. "Ah, Mister Potter! Welcome!"
"Thank you, sir," James said bowing his head slightly as he and Dumbledore exchanged a small handshake. "It's great to be back."
"It is indeed," Dumbledore said, almost wistfully. "Well, let's walk and talk. I'm sure you two are anxious to see where you'll be living," he said as he strode off at a fast pace. I had to almost jog to keep up with him.
Anxious was a good word. Though I was anxious in a different way than he meant. I was still irritated with Potter about our earlier conversation and I was mad at myself for getting deluded into thinking that Potter might actually be a decent person with real feelings for me.
We followed a similar path as the one we normally took to the Gryffindor tower but turned right down a hall that we normally would go left at. Dumbledore talked the whole way, reiterating many of the points that McGonagall went over with us on the train and adding a few more things.
"I thought since you both are Gryffindors you might appreciate being close to home," Dumbledore smiled as he stopped at the opposite end of the hall from the portrait of the Fat Lady. The painting in front of us was of a thick, dark forest with a few shy centaurs peeking their heads out from behind trees. "The password is dux ducis. I'll leave you two to get settled." And with that, Dumbledore swept off down the empty corridor leaving us completely alone.
The painting swung open when Dumbledore said the password and Potter held out his hand indicating that I go before him. We walked into what looked like a smaller version of the Gryffindor common room. There was a wooden table in one corner with two wooden chairs. A couch with a squishy red armchair on either side sat facing a large stone fireplace with a small fire already burning inside it. There was a large bulletin board on one wall that I assumed was for keeping track of our head duties and a large Gryffindor flag on the opposite wall. Next to the bulletin board on the left wall was a door with a wooden sign with "James Potter" carved into it and painted in gold. The door on the right, under the flag read "Lily Evans" in the same fashion. On the wall in between our two bedrooms was another door, this one labeled as the bathroom.
"Where does Dumbledore get these passwords? Dux ducis… they're so random," James muttered, as he moved to sit on the couch.
"Dux ducis is Latin for leader," I said without thinking. The Clique always laughed at me when I blurted out brainy things like that and I didn't want to make myself look like any more of a fool in front of Potter.
I saw Potter open his mouth to say something to that, but I quickly skipped over to my bedroom door and slipped inside before he could.
I shut the door quickly and turned around. My bedroom looked exactly like one I had shared with the Clique for the last six years. Except there was only one bed, and it was bigger than my old one. It had a dark gold duvet and thick dark red velvet curtains around it. There was a large vanity on the left side of the bed, much like the one in Pippa's room at home. It was made of dark mahogany wood with a large guilt-framed mirror in the center and a small stool with a red velvet cushion in front of it. Next to the vanity was an armoire that matched the vanity. It had large double doors and on the left-hand side was a full length mirror. On the other side of the bed was a bookshelf made of the same mahogany wood as the vanity. At the foot of my bed was my trunk and I decided that now would be as good of a time as any to unpack.
I pulled out my clothes and hung them neatly in the armoire, closing its large doors when I was done. I put my hairbrush and the limited collection of makeup I had into the top drawer of the vanity. The rest of the contents of my trunk were books which I almost entirely filled three shelves of the bookcase with. I had about one hundred of the small black moleskin Confessionals still in my trunk and I left them there. I would take them to the Clique's room at some point.
Thinking of the Clique sent a pang of longing through me. I didn't live with them anymore. It was weird to think that I would spend this year only living with him. The longing to see the Clique took over and I swept from my room, locking my door behind me with a silent spell. Potter was still sitting on the couch, twirling his wand around between his fingers and staring into the fire. It looked like he hadn't moved since I first went into my room.
He looked up when he heard me come out of my room. "Where are you going?" he asked curiously, sitting up a little.
"Out," I said, walking straight past him and out the portrait hole.
A/N: Hurray! Chapter 10 is up! Soooo James is Head Boy and dating someone else :/ and clearly Lily is taking it well.
I know this part of the story is a bit slow and it'll be a couple chapters until the books are actually out, but I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far!
Favorite character? Least favorite? Who would you like to see more of?
Reviews make me do a happy dance :)