okay, so this is technically the second part of The Realisation as I wrote so much :L I'm proud to say that this is probably the longest chapter I have written so far and hopefully the next few will be just as long! :) so, without further ado... Here's The Understanding!
The great hall was livid with the excitement that only a dance could brinG. Because of the recent death eater attacks, the Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled for 'safety reasons'. James thought these reasons may have something to do with the fact that half of Slytherin house were death eaters themselves and the teachers feared an uprising in Hogwarts. So, annoyed with the constant groans of pupils, the teachers had decided to organise a dance for the depressed teens. This, of course, caused the entire female population of Hogwarts to dress provocatively in order to attract whatever male they could to get a date for the dance.
He scanned the room, taking in the excitement. He could see himself asking a beautiful blonde girl, maybe a hufflepuff, someone with whom he would have a great time with and perhaps become friends with. He didn't want a relationship, he was still hoping Lily would fall in love with him. He glanced over to the Ravenclaw table to see Tobias sitting there, deep in conversation with the Ravenclaw beaters, Ezra and Jasmiah. The conversation seemed heated, probably about how terrible their team is, James thought. As Tobias looked up, James reverted his gaze to his food, not wanting to be caught staring.
He saw her in the corner of his eye. There he sat, wistfully glancing over at Sirius as he shovelled food into his mouth. He wished his life could be as simple as that. That he could laugh with his friends, eat as much food as he wanted and shack up with any girl that gave him the time of day. But he couldn't. No, of course he couldn't, because he was sick with guilt and love: He could not laugh for the ache of his dishonour welling up inside him was overwhelming; He could not eat for the ache in his stomach was not from lack of food; He could not get with another woman for as long as he lived because his heart, mind and soul belonged to Lily. It was the worst state he'd been in and couldn't even look in the direction of the redheaded girl.
That, of course didn't stop the rest of his friends. Wormtails eyes literally popped out of his head and Sirius had to bite his tongue to stifle his laughter. Sirius himself couldn't help but give a second glance in the two girls' direction, soaking up their appearances. If he just turned his head slightly perhaps he would get a glance at... No, he mustn't, he had to clear his thoughts, she was running around in his head already and if her appearance had made Sirius sit in awe, he was pretty sure his mind would never be put to rest. Even Remus, completely oblivious to all girls looked up over his book for a split second.
"Oh merlin, Prongs, Look at Evans and Sonas, they're giving Marlene a run for her stripper money!" He leant over the table and waved his hand in front of James' face. "Hellooooo? Prongs? I said-"
"I know what you said, Padfoot," He snapped, glaring holes into the scratch marks on the table, as if he could deepen them through his eyes. He then retracted what he said, glancing up to see a hurt expression on his friends face. "Sorry, I guess I'm just not in the mood."
"L-L-L-Lily's coming this way," Peter mumbled under his breath, breathing apprehensively.
"Yeah, Fli-Craze is dragging her." Sirius chimed, adorning his not-so-affectionate nickname for her.
"Just what I need, Girl talk." James groaned, hiding his face in his hands. As if to highlight his point, Lily and Fli almost skipped over, giggling about what James probably thought was a discussion about hair products. Then, suddenly, Lily turned curtly on her heel and slid on the bench next to James. He could smell the pungent stench of the perfume she had coated herself in, a distinct smell of vanilla and cinnamon rather than the sweet strawberry smell he loved so much. She had most likely borrowed some of Fli's, he didn't have a taste for it much. It was then that he gave her a once over. The purple dress really was quite flattering, floating down to her midthigh, exposing her long, thin legs, tanned from a summer abroad. Her makeup outlined her wondrous cheekbones, making her face even more sculpturess than he'd ever imagined. Her deep green eyes seemed even deeper than before, deeper than the sea with the outline of black deepening her gaze. The lips, the lips he had kissed not even 24 hours before, were now a rosy shade of pink, making him want to kiss her again oh so more. Strangely enough however, he decided that he preferred normal Lily, the natural beauty.
"Now Potter," She started, diving over the table and spooning food on to her golden plate. "We seriously need to talk."
"I heard my name?" Sirius said, spinning around from the riveting conversation he and Peter were clearly having on the history of magic essay.
"No, Padfoot, you didn't."
"I'm pretty sure I did."
"No you nosy git, you didn't."
"Hmm.. Strange," with this Lily let out a giggle which to James sounded more like a wind chime blowing in the breeze. "So," Sirius continued, turning to Fli, "About our date..."
With this James choked on the goblet of pumpkin juice he had been taking a sip of and let out an uproar of coughing and spluttering. When he regained his composure, he asked, "Date?"
"It's not a date," Fli demanded, squirming under Sirius' perverted gaze over her bare flesh. "Quit looking at me like that, Black,or I'll hex you to moon and back."
"Oh Sonas, you shouldn't give me so much to look at then!" He said winking at her. She flushed red, taking Remus' jumper when he offered it to her and wrapping it around herself.
"Creep!"
"You say the sweetest things. So, I'll pick you up at 7?" She nodded angrily, muttering under her breath as he slid out from under the table, a mischievous grin on his face as he looked at his friends. "R of R?" he asked, using the marauders' code name for the room of requirement. Two of his friends nodded whilst James hung back.
"Nah, Padfoot, I think I'll do my divination homework," James said, excusing himself from his friends' antics. "It was set for last week and I can't keep using the excuse of quidditch practice, even if Professor Star is loopy."
"I'll come," a distinct, whiney voice came from behind Sirius. He span around to see Marlene McKinnon pressing herself up against him, her red lips framing her perfectly straight teeth as they grinned at him. She was dressed in, and Lily did not think this was possible, less than Fli and Lily themselves. Sirius looked flustered, and then angry that she was near him again.
"No." He said simply, sitting himself back down on the bench, "Were not going anymore. I'm um... Helping Prongs with his divination homework," he excused, bored with her clinginess. "Any ways, Me and Fli you see," to highlight this, he slung his arm over her shoulders and was met by a frustrated glare, "We're going to the dance together so I couldn't possibly do that to her."
"Oh no, I dont mind Sirius," She teased, smiling mockingly at him.
"Yes. You do." He replied through gritted teeth.
"No, I don't."
"It wouldn't be fair."
"I insist, go and have a good time."
"I can't. I-Uh- I want to stay with you!"
"You mustn't pity me, now go with your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend." throughout this exchange, Marlene tapped her foot in impatience before realising finally what Sirius was trying to do.
"If you don't want to go out with me you should have just said!" She screamed, causing the entire population of Hogwarts to stop and stare as she stomped her way out of the great hall, her 6th year minions hurriedly skipping behind her.
"Phew, Thanks honey," Sirius said, planting a big, soppy kiss on Fli's cheek.
"Ew! Ew! Ew! Don't you ever, ever, do that again Sirius Cygnus Black!" Sirius sat, dumbfounded, and then realised what she had said.
"Prongs! I told you not to tell anyone!"
"Wasn't me!"
"Wormtail?"
"N-No."
Then, anger crossing his face, he turned to face his least disloyal friend. "It's always the quiet ones."
To this Remus, set down his book, placing his bookmark between the delicate pages so as to not loose the point from which he was reading. The large, beaten leather book read in gold lettering Lycanthropy:The Fear Volume VII. So that meant he'd already read the six other volumes and still had not gathered the information he needed to tell him there was no way out, Sirius thought to himself. He was always looking reading books on werewolves, hoping to somehow overcome the pain, to be able to offer himself some sort of relief. No matter how many books he read, how much time and effort he put in to his research, no such relief came.
"You do realise, Sirius," Remus said knowingly, "That you have a younger brother, not to mention a whole horde of Slytherin cousins, who would relinquish in telling the school your middle name."
"Yes but none of them would ever talk to Fli-bag." he said, waving his hand in dismissal to which he received a slap around the back of his head. "So it must be you!"
"Great detective skills, mad-eye moody, you should become an auror!" He mocked sarcastically. "Why don't you ask Fli herself where she found out your middle name?" Realisation flashed over Sirius' face as he turned to face her.
"It was me, wasn't it?"
"Yeah."
"When I was drunk,"
"Uh-huh."
"And hitting on you."
"Bingo."
He cast an apologetic look across to Remus, feeling sorry for the mistake he had made. "Sorry, man," he said, pouting slightly, "Forgive me?"
"Sure, dude." And with that he recovered his book and delved into the world of lycanthropy, a world he craved to no longer be a part of.
Unnoticed by the others, James and Lily had left the great hall silently, having seen the need for their own discussion. Lily led James through several winding corridors before stepping inside an empty classroom. Perching herself on a nearby desk, she studied James as he stood awkwardly at the other side of the room. She had never seen him like this, he was always so cocky, so arrogant. But now... now he sat, his head slung low, as if memorising the exact pattern and colour of the floor tiles.
"We seriously need to talk," she repeated her earlier phrase.
"Fine then, talk."
"I-Uh... About last night."
"What about it?" with this he looked up, expectant to see the worst, see the regret and hatred he had expected, but rather saw confusion on Lily's face. "Look, if you don't want me to remember it then fine, I won't, obliviate my mind right now!"
"No," she whispered so only they could hear, "I cant. We can't."
"Why can't we?"He bellowed, his eyes boring into hers. "It's easy, just raise your wand to my head," he stepped forward, closing the measurable gap between them and taking her wand out of her jacket pocket. He prised open her hand, sliding the wand into it, and raised it up to his temple. "Now say the words."
"No!" she screamed, streams of black running down her face, "I won't do it!"
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want you to forget, I don't want to forget!"
"But we need to, because you have a boyfriend, and I can't deal with being a second choice."
"You're not, not anymore."
"Why? Why should I believe that?"
She then uttered the words he longed to hear. "because I love you."
Just like clockwork, a giddy Toby stumbled through the door, his mouth embracing that of the one person Lily never expected to kiss him.
Okay, how was that? :S can you guess who Tobias' love interest is? Meh, so far I have been obvious, I feel like being different, sue me.
Thanks for reading,
Chloeeeee xxxxx