A/N: Okay... So I'm too lazy to answer all my reviews individually and I feel bad about that. So THANK YOU!!! to everyone who has reviewed so far, and any random people that are just reading. Anyways, let's get on with the story.
DISCLAIMER: I am not JKR and sadly, I never shall be.
A Midnight Rose
Chapter Eleven
By the next afternoon, Tuesday, it seemed as if the whole school knew that I was now sort of dating Austin Stewart. He didn't deny it. I tried to, but only half-heartedly, and no one seemed to believe me no matter what I said. The only ones who didn't want to believe that I was dating Austin were my friends. We all sat on the beds in our dormitory, the three of them looking highly disappointed in me.
"What?" I asked.
"Lily, I really don't think you should be going out with Austin," Natasha said. Claudia and Karen nodded in agreement.
"Why?" I asked in surprise. They'd admired him before. Every girl did.
"Because James just rejected you," Karen said bluntly. "Don't you even know what that means?"
"What?"
"You're on the rebound," Claudia informed me. "Rebound relationships don't work out."
"I am not on the rebound," I said, laughing. The three of them eyed me.
"Really?" Karen asked. "Then what's with the sudden interest in Austin?"
"'Sudden interest'?" I repeated. Karen nodded. "We've all been 'interested' in him since we met him!"
"That's not the point," Claudia interjected. "We mean you never really thought about going after him until now. You're on the rebound! This is not going to end well. You shouldn't even start it!"
"Too late," I snorted. "It's started."
"Lily, this isn't a joke," Natasha said seriously. "You're just going to hurt yourself more doing this. You hardly even know him!"
"I know him better than you do," I snapped.
My friends looked at me in shock. We never fought like this. I had been a little frustrated recently because of James, and they knew that, but we never fought. I felt bad for yelling at them, but I was tired of them trying to control what I was doing. Maybe they thought they knew what was best for me, but I knew better than they did what I needed.
"We're just trying to help you," Karen replied angrily.
"Well I don't need your help!" I growled. I stood up. "You may think you know what I need, but you don't! It's my life. So just leave me alone."
"Fine," Claudia grumbled. "Go ruin your life. See if we care."
I didn't reply. Instead I stormed out of the room, hair flying out behind me. I could hear the three of them muttering about me as I left. I stomped down the stairs and into the common room, which was pretty crowded. James, Sirius, and Remus sat in one corner. They watched me as I rushed past. I didn't care. I was too angry.
I shoved my way out of the common room and into the empty hall way. Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. So I decided to go somewhere most people avoided. The library. When I got there it was so quiet and felt so peaceful that my anger began to ebb away. I pulled a random book off the shelf and began to read. Soon I was feeling much better. When I lowered my book, I saw Remus coming in. I wasn't wary until I saw Sirius following him.
They came over to my table, as I knew they would. They sat down in front of me. "Lily," Remus said. I said hello. Sirius nodded at me. I ignored him. "What's up?" I asked.
"Lily, we need to talk to you," Remus said.
"About what?" I was a little afraid now. Down inside me, I knew exactly what they were going to say, but I didn't let myself think about it.
"It's James," Sirius broke in. "He's miserable, Evans."
"And I should care because...?"
"Lily," Remus sighed. "We both know you care about James. Don't deny it to yourself. You're just as miserable as he is. I can see it in your eyes."
"I'm not miserable," I lied. He could tell.
"Admitting is the first step to overcoming," Remus told me.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not in denial, I'm not miserable, and," I added, as Remus opened his mouth again, "I'm not on the rebound, so please don't start about Austin."
Remus and Sirius exchanged glances. I knew what they were thinking. "Look Lily," Remus said hesitantly, "I know it's really none of my business-"
"Right for once," I muttered.
He continued, "But I really think you should try and at least make up with James."
I snorted. "He won't even talk to me."
"We'll make him," Sirius said. He looked desperate. "Please, Lily. Just do it. He's my best friend. I can't stand seeing him hurt like this."
"No," I said firmly. "I'm not doing this."
"Please," Sirius pleaded. I never thought I would see the day when Sirius Black begged me for something. It was almost enough for me to say yes. But not quite.
"Not going to happen." I stood up and left the library. I could feel their gazes watching me as I left. As I exited the library, I crashed into someone. When I looked up, it was Austin. I wasn't too surprised to see him. All day he'd been following me around. He would meet me after class and walk me to the next one. It was a little annoying, actually. "Oh, hi," I said dully. It wasn't that I wasn't happy to see him, but I was thoroughly annoyed with all of my friends.
"Hey, Lily," he said brightly. "What's wrong?"
"James Potter just keeps coming back to bite me in the butt," I grumbled. Austin gave me a strange look and I added, "Figuratively."
"Ah," Austin said. He looked at me. "So what's the story with you and James? I keep hearing stuff around school."
"I don't really feel like talking about it," I said quietly.
"Please?" Austin looked at me with pleading eyes. "You'll feel better once you tell someone."
"I've told plenty of people, and I don't feel any better," I said. He looked at me again, and I sighed. "Fine." I told him everything that had passed between James and I. As I was telling him about all the flowers James had sent me, I saw his eyes gleam with jealousy. I tried to ignore the protective look he was now wearing. I didn't need protection. I wasn't a ten-year-old.
"And he won't leave you alone?" Austin asked.
"No, he won't talk to me," I corrected. "It's our friends that won't leave me alone. My friends are bugging me, his friends are bugging me. Sometimes I just want to curse the lot of them."
Austin chuckled. "That would be amusing to watch," he said.
"Don't get use to the idea," I replied. "I'm not actually going to do it."
"Why not?" Austin became serious. "It sounds to me like they deserve it."
I looked at him, my mouth dropped open. "Because they're my friends! Sure, they may be annoying sometimes, but I'm not going to curse them."
"I'd do it," Austin said haughtily.
"What are you?" I nearly cried. "A Slytherin?"
Austin looked at me, aghast. "No! I'm not cruel."
"Really?" I snapped. "Could have fooled me." I turned quickly on my heel and marched away. That was another relationship down the tube. No way was it going to work out after what he'd just said. I wasn't going to date some malicious boy like Austin. I sighed. I guess it was time to apologize to my friends.
I headed back up to the Gryffindor common room and muttered the password to the portrait of the fat lady. She gave me what looked like a sympathetic smile and swung open for me. I climbed into the hole that was hidden behind her and entered the common room. Before I could take more than two steps, James appeared in front of me.
"Er, hi," he said nervously.
"Hi?" It came out as a question, but I hadn't meant for it to.
"I think maybe we should talk," he said quietly. I nodded, unable to speak. "Come with me." And he lead me out of the common room.
A/N: Blah... Please review! I need to know this wasn't a completely horrible chapter. Thanks! (:
Love,
This Author Person Face
