Chapter Ten: Strings Attached
Lily awoke the next morning to her alarm clock beating her in the face with a pillow.
"Augh! I get it! Enough!" She ripped the pillow away and snatched the buzzing alarm from midair, crunching its fluttering mechanical wings slightly. She squinted at the minute hand through blurry eyes. Was it really already eight? That meant she missed breakfast. She was just so exhausted…she had barely gotten a wink of sleep last night. She'd had the most horrid nightmare.
Lily collapsed back onto her pillow for a few more blissful seconds of silence, then grudgingly pulled back the bed hangings that she'd magically charmed to block out sound, and was immediately blasted with the cacophony of Charlotte, Helen, and Florence screeching and primping. Rather dully, she dragged herself out of bed, and shuffled to the bathroom, stumbling over discarded clothes and accessories.
"…what he meant by that. So I said, 'why don't you just buy one?'" Charlotte's voice drifted through the crack of the door. There was a response of giggles.
"Ugh. My hair will never have the curls yours does, Charlotte," Lily heard Helen pout. "What is that solution you use again?"
Knock knock. Lily stood outside of the door, freezing in her thin pyjamas. The stone floor was like ice, and sent sharp, painful chills up her back.
"What?" The door was wrenched halfway open. Charlotte stood there, one eye coated in shadow and half her head still in curlers. Florence and Helen looked affronted, arms crossed and cheeks blisteringly red from their daily exfoliation. "Well, well," Charlotte's tone changed suddenly when she saw Lily. "Look who's finally awake. How did you sleep? Well? Good dreams of sugar plums and Remus?" Helen and Florence eyed each other smirking.
Lily sighed. "I need the loo."
Charlotte frowned. "We're busy. Use the one in the hall."
"I'm in my pyjamas."
Charlotte glanced at the pink top and bottoms with little hearts on them. "Yes. I noticed. They are really lovely, Lily."
"They were a gift from my mum," she grumbled.
"So," Charlotte turned back to the mirror and continued powdering up the other eye, "you got in awfully late last night."
Lily blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about how you were out past curfew, that's what."
Lily blanched. "Well…I'm a prefect. I have duties, you know."
Charlotte simply nodded. "Uh huh. Who were you with?"
Florence laughed. "Please, like she would be with anyone!"
Lily ignored her comment. She was instead thinking about last night. Yes…now that she recalled…she had come in late.
"Er…" Lily leaned casually against the doorjamb. "Do you remember exactly…when I came back?"
Charlotte nearly dropped her Enot's Under-Eye Un-puffer Serum. She swung around to face Lily in disbelief. "Were you drunk?"
"What?" Lily choked. "No! No! Of course not! I-"
"You think you're so clever, sneaking about after hours, don't you? Using your prefect duties as an excuse?" Charlotte was grinning madly. "Well I know what you were really up to!"
Florence and Helen looked as if they might burst from anticipation. They were clutching their toothbrushes tightly to their chests.
"You were getting pissed with James Potter!"
Florence and Helen gasped audibly in stereo.
Lily stared at her blankly. "What on earth are talking about?"
"Don't think I'm stupid, Evans." Charlotte jabbed Lily in the chest with her eye shadow brush, sending pink sparkly dust out into the air. "I'm on to you. I saw you two come in last night. Drowning your sorrows about Remus with James, were you?"
Something clicked in the back of Lily's mind and her stomach did a somersault. "I was…was with James?" The nightmare…that horrible, horrible nightmare…was real? It couldn't be!
"I mean, you don't actually think he's interested in you, do you?" She went on, waving the brush. "Because if you do, frankly, that's just sad."
Lily was suddenly lost in swirling thoughts while Charlotte prattled on. All the memories of the night before came flooding back to her. The book, James hexing her, the fire…
"I mean, honestly, Lily," Charlotte leaned in and whispered dramatically, "Look at you!"
"Right." Lily replied a bit dazedly. "Well I'd better wash up before I'm late to class."
"Oh." Charlotte blinked. "You haven't heard?"
Lily froze. "Heard what?"
Florence opened her mouth to blurt something out, but Helen silenced her with a piercing look. Charlotte smirked and pursed her full lips. "Somebody burnt down the library, so the first two classes were cancelled this morning while the teachers sort things out."
Lily's eyes got huge. Bloody hell. She was in for it now. "Er…have they…figured out who the culprit is?"
Charlotte went back to her primping, talking to Lily's reflection. "No. But McGonagall does have Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, and Sirius Black in her office."
"Oh. I see…" Lily's stomach did a somersault. If James opened his big fat mouth, she'd be dead. "So…they did it then?"
"Well, James didn't, did he?" Charlotte smirked. "I mean, you're his alibi, aren't you?"
Lily cleared her throat nervously. "Erm…yes. Of course. That's…right."
"But Lily," Charlotte turned her thickly lashed eyes on Lily's blushing reflection. "Don't get any ideas. James is mine."
Lily was too wound up and nervous to play along with Charlotte's little game. She turned on her heel and walked out. "You can have him. I'm going to the loo."
Madeline, who had been sitting cross-legged atop her bed, stared wide-eyed with interest at Lily as she dashed out of the dorm. "The library burnt down?" she asked Charlotte timidly.
"Yes, Madeline. Are you deaf?" she rolled her eyes and giggles from Helen and Florence ensued.
Madeline bit her cheek and stared pensively at the door Lily had just stormed out of.
---
Lily grumbled to herself, peering warily around the corners as she crept out of the hallway bathroom and back toward the Gryffindor common room. She could see the fat lady painting her nails in the distance when she rammed into something- or rather someone- solid, and landed flat on her bum.
She blinked up at the weathered figure of Remus Lupin.
Lily immediately blushed. "I'm so sorry!"
Remus gave her his hand and pulled her easily to her feet. "That's quite alright, Lily." He shifted awkwardly and adjusted the books he had tucked under his arm. There was a steady blush creeping across his cheeks.
Lily's eyes travelled down to her attire. Damn it all. She was still wearing her hot pink heart pyjamas. She turned her attention casually back to Remus, trying not to think about this, or the fact that she'd inadvertently confessed her undying love for him just yesterday. "Right…so… I suppose you've heard about James and Sirius."
Remus nodded and sighed. "Yes, well…it's to be expected."
"Yes. I suppose so." She glanced around the corridors. She had to fight the urge to twiddle her thumbs.
Remus cleared his throat and glanced at his wristwatch.
"I'd…better be going. I'll see you then, Lily."
"Yes. I'll…see you…" she trailed off weakly as he disappeared around the corridor.
Augh! Were things ever going to get better? Lily's eyes dropped down to the little hearts dancing across her shirt. It was going to be another one of those years. Sullenly, she pulled her cloak tightly around her to shut out the cold that was trapped in the halls by the heavy stone and wandered back to the portrait.
The Fat Lady peered down at her, a glass of champagne in one hand and a nail polish brush, dripping wet with pink lacquer, in the other. "Why so down, dear? Haven't you heard? Classes are cancelled because-"
"I know, I know." Lily snapped. "The library was burned down by some hooligans."
The Fat Lady frowned. "Isn't it a little late in the morning to be so snippety?"
"Isn't it a little early for a drink?" Lily retorted.
The Fat Lady whipped the glass behind her back, some of the bubbly liquid sloshing about, and glared. "Password?"
"Marmalade," Lily grumbled and climbed inside.
Almost immediately she was accosted. She felt a lecherous hand slither over her shoulder.
"Morning, love," Sirius Black's smooth voice was in her ear.
"Get off me, Black," she began, but halted when it occurred to her that he was supposed to be in McGonagall's office with James and Peter.
Lily took a quick step backward and glanced around the common room. There was no one else around. All the students were taking the opportunity to nose around the corridors near the library or sleep in. James was nowhere to be found. "I thought you were in trouble?"
Sirius laughed. "Me? Trouble? Surely you doubt my charm." He flung his arm around her again and pulled her tightly into his chest. "So…d'you and Jamesie have a good time last night?"
'I beg your par-" but she quickly swallowed her words. What if he knew? What if James had said something? "Er…I mean…perhaps. Who told you?"
"A little birdie." He ran a hand through his hair, the signature sexy move that made all the girls drop at his feet. For moment, even Lily wavered, and she felt her own eyes travelling over his body. She quickly shook the thought from her mind when he opened his mouth. "Now, now, Lils," he shook his finger at her, grey eyes glittering mischievously, "just because you had a little romp with James doesn't mean you can't have a more entertaining romp with Sirius."
"Ugh! Get off me!" She shoved him hard and pulled out her wand defensively.
Sirius' eyes widened, most likely recalling what she did to James when he pissed her off. "Er…heh heh! Okay, let's just calm down, Lily…"
"NO! I want answers. Who burned down the library?" She cried.
"Lily, Merlin! I don't know! Calm down, love!"
"Don't call me 'love!'" A few sparks jetted out the tip of her wand, one singing the hem of Sirius' cloak. "All right! All right! I know you're just trying to fulfil your prefect duties or whatever, but really, Lily, I can't help you."
"Really?" Lily's stomach was calming down. "You mean…you have…no idea who did it?"
"Not a clue." His hands were in the air.
Lily stood pensively for a moment, wand still aimed for Sirius' face. Then maybe she was still safe…Ugh! How could she be thinking like this? She was a prefect, for heaven's sake! She should be turning herself in! But if she got kicked out of Hogwarts, she'd have no future and…and…what would her parents say? Oh, they would hate her! Petunia might be thrilled, but that wasn't the point…
"Erm…Lily?" Sirius broke her train of thought. "Could you, um, maybe, point your wand in another direction?"
"Huh? Oh." Lily put it away absentmindedly. Sirius began slinking away. "Not so fast, Black!"
Sirius stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Yes?"
"Why did McGonagall let you all go?"
Sirius looked blank. "She didn't."
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "She let Pete and I go, but she's still talking to James."
Lily's chest seized up. "R-really?"
"Yup. So…" Sirius smirked casually and abruptly changed the topic. "Have you considered my offer?"
Lily wasn't really paying attention to him. "Er…"
"You…me…the Yule Ball. A night you'll never forget!" Sirius grinned and headed for the boy's dormitories. "Keep thinking about it. I'll be here."
Sirius disappeared up the staircase, while Lily stood alone in the common room, her insides winding up into tight knots. What was that chapter in Detoxify, Destress, etc? Something about deep breathes while standing on your head? Or eating a lemon? Augh! She couldn't eeeee-huuuhhhh eeee-hhuuuuuhhh….remember! Eeee-huuuhhh eeeeeee-huuuhhhh…
Bloody hell!
---
"You know, I really hate this time of year," Sirius grumbled, pulling his cloak tighter around him as a flurry of golden leaves whipped past his face.
Remus smirked and flicked his wand, forming an invisible windshield in front of he and Sirius. His jet-black locks instantly settled and his face relaxed.
"Thanks, Moony." The leaves and air seemed to hit an invisible wall just before his face, then slip around him as if the wind decided to carry them in a different direction.
Soon they had reached the safety of the indoor corridors and made their way to Potions. "I just worry about Quidditch if this weather keeps up." Sirius added dully.
"Oh, I'm sure you can handle it," Remus said, holding open the door to the dungeons. "You're a big boy."
Sirius snarled, and found a seat near the back where he plopped down disaffectedly. Remus took a chair next to him, but pulled out his notes and quill, casually looking around the room.
"Where's James? He's not still with McGonagall is he?"
Sirius shrugged. "He said he had something to take care of. I don't think he's coming."
Remus frowned. "Take care of? I know what that means. Whatever the mess is, I'll have to clean it up."
"Calm down," Sirius began sucking on the tip of his sugar quill. Suddenly, his face brightened and he nudged Remus hard in the side. "Oy…here comes your girlfriend."
"Girlfrie-" Remus followed Sirius' grinning eyes and spotted Lily. "Lily Evans? No, I think you must-"
"Hi Remus."
He blushed and turned around. "Er. Hi Lily."
"Hi Lily," Sirius batted his eyelashes at her.
Her face darkened as she acknowledged him. "Sirius." She quickly turned away and found a seat near the front. She scanned the room nervously. She would have paid more attention to Sirius mocking her, but she had bigger things on her mind, like, say, having burned down the school library the night before. Her stomach was still in knots, and seeing Remus did not make it any better. It was further heightened by the fact that a group of Ravenclaws nearby were sniggering in her direction. She sat up straighter in her chair and focused her attention on the blackboard.
"Ow!" Something smacked her in the back of the head. She bent over, rubbing the sore spot and picked up what hit her. It was a spongy red arrow someone had conjured. It read "Property of Cupid" on the side. She turned around to see who'd thrown it only to be faced with laughter.
"Damn you, cupid! Hasn't she been wounded enough?" Someone cried dramatically.
"Ha ha, very funny," she grumbled, tossing it behind her and pulling out her quill. She could feel Remus' pitying eyes drilling into the side of her head, but she steadfastly ignored him. That was the absolute last thing she wanted from anyone. Especially him.
Just then, interrupting the laughter, a beefy walrus of a man burst through the doors and lumbered up to the front of the class.
"Morning, everyone."
"Good morning Professor Slughorn," the class replied in monotone unison.
"Come on, then! What kind of greeting is that for your favourite teacher?" He bellowed.
"Good morning Professor Slughorn!" They replied in scattered tones.
"Er…better…Anyway," he clamped down his jaw and snorted out, ruffling his thick moustache. "I'm sure you're all aware of the tragic happenings of last night."
Everyone began mumbling.
"Ah, ah." He held up a hand to quiet them. "To settle the rumours, I've been asked to inform you all that yes, the library has in fact burned down, and no, the culprit has not yet been determined."
Lily glanced around the room, looking for James. Did that mean he was off the hook and had miraculously kept his mouth shut? She was going to have to send that boy a fruit basket.
"What about study hall?" someone piped up.
"It's been moved to Vector's room for the time being," Slughorn replied. "And as for all the books, Madame Pince is working on restoring them as we speak. She could use some extra hands, so any volunteers are welcome."
Several of the Ravenclaws nodded their heads in agreement and began whispering things like, "I'll be there" and "Who could do such a thing to historic property? Do people find that funny?"
Lily felt the guilt gnawing at her chest. Incidentally, she could also hear Sirius rolling with laughter. "No more books! James and I are saved! Merlin charm the culprit!"
Several students laughed while others flashed him a disgusted look.
The doors clanked suddenly, and half the class turned to see who had arrived late. James walked in and sauntered to his desk.
"You're late, boy." Slughorn furrowed his brow.
"Quidditch practice," James said simply, even though everyone, including Slughorn, was perfectly aware that Sirius Black was also in the class and Quidditch season hadn't even began. Lily frowned. Just another free ticket for James.
Slughorn slapped his belly and laughed. "Ah! Of course! The star player arrives. Have a seat, old boy."
James conveniently plopped down next to Lily, giving her a genuine "I've got it under control" wink.
Lily sighed and tried to focus on taking notes, but James kept staring at her. Several minutes went by. Her heart was beating wildly. She couldn't take it. She had to know what James knew. Tearing off a bit of parchment, she scribbled a quick note:
What happened with McGonagall?
She folded it and passed it slyly to James just as Slughorn turned his back.
James opened it and smirked, then leaned forward in his chair and lazily jotted something in response. He folded it and held it out for her to take.
Lily eyed him cautiously, glancing up to make sure Slughorn's back was still turned, and reached out to take it. But James snatched her hand and held on to it for what seemed like ages. His hazel eyes were boring into hers, and danced with mischievous delight. An unreadable smirk formed on his face and then he let her hand gently slide out of his.
Lily's heart was racing. She could feel the obvious blush on her cheeks, no doubt what he was smirking about, and turned back to face the front of the room. Carefully she unfolded the parchment and peered down at it. Her heart skipped a beat.
You owe me one.