CHAPTER ELEVEN - STARS AND BANTERS

The winter break ended so fast that I haven't seemed to notice it and suddenly, I found myself back to the warmth of the Gryffindor Common Room. I went up on the dormitory to check for my things and walk away briefly, seeing the two girls in there which aren't my taste for company. I went back down the common room and I sat on my favorite armchair by the fire, pulling my head between my knees and began to take a little nap. I haven't been able to sleep through the journey because of the cold that engulfed me even in the many layers that I wear.

I was only half-asleep – more like subconscious – because I was thinking. I was thinking so much lately. I don't know why, but I always do, even if I don't want to. I'm thinking why Teddy – whom I think of as a brother – has to be Malfoy's cousin. He was the last person I could think of to be related to him. And Andrew. Why does he have to be Malfoy's other cousin? I could totally see the resemblance – their looks and the way they move – but I still can't get it. I don't even know why I'm exhausting my brain for these reasons because it's none of my business.

I wasn't aware of the people crowding and chatting and bustling around me. I was so wrapped up with my thoughts that I haven't felt it when someone poked my head. I only noticed when I recognized Desiree's voice yelling my name near me.

"Ouch Des!" I complained, glaring at her and rubbing my ear. "There's no need to shout you know! You're one foot away from me!"

"I know, but you're sort of subconscious or asleep." She shrugged.

"Why don't you go to the dormitory?" Kat asked suddenly, appearing in front of me. I jumped slightly and scowled at her.

"You startled me!"

"Oops, sorry," she said. "So why don't you go to the dorm?"

"Because," I began, racking my brain for an excuse, "the giggling girlies are there. You know how much they irritate me." It wasn't even a lie. Denise and Jasmine weren't really my typical company because they're too much girly for my liking.

"Oh," they both exclaimed, catching up. Des rolled her eyes because she doesn't like them, either. She was the one who started calling them giggling girls.

"Don't be so mean," Kat scolded. Trust Kat to be overtly polite one. "Anyway, let's just have a nice little chat here."

"Merlin forbid that we discuss France once more," I said bluntly without thinking. Katrina blushed predictably while Desiree looks like she's gonna throw up from controlling her laughter. The reason for this actions was because on the train ride, Kat talks about France all the while that she won't shut up until Des and I ignored her and played Exploding Snap.

"That's not what I mean!" Kat squeaked, blushing tomato red. This made us burst into peals of giggles. "Will you STOP laughing?" This made us laugh even harder. Tears were forming now in our eyes because of so much laughter.

Finally, when we stopped, Des said, "Okay, let's talk about something else other than bloody France." Kat looked like she was gonna say something else but thought better of it.

Des and I filled the group about our own vacations because we already know Kat's holidays by heart since she didn't give us a chance to talk at the train. Around eleven in the evening, the two girls bade their goodnights while I remained at the common room, not wanting to sleep yet.

Midnight came and I was the only one left at the common room. I still can't find the urge to sleep so I went out of the portrait hole and wander around the castle. I didn't bother to get the Marauder's Map in my pocket because my mind is otherwise preoccupied. My feet seemed to have a mind of their own. I was brooding over the things I've been thinking about earlier. I snapped out of it when I realized that my feet carried me to the Astronomy Tower. I looked around but there's no one in there. I didn't like Astronomy, but I did like the stars. I sat down on the edge of the tower, just looking at the stars.

It seems like the perfect place to have a peace of mind. The view is perfect and gives me calm. I remember when I was young and visiting The Burrow. I would lie down on the grass with my dad and just look at the stars and I would bug him to tell me about his stories when he was young. Sometimes, a gnome would bite me and I wouldn't notice or feel it until dad sees it. I love it here at Hogwarts, but sometimes, I miss those moments.

Suddenly, I heard a movement behind me and I snapped out of my reverie. I panicked because I was almost expecting to see Filch limping and sneering behind me but when I turned around, I saw a boy that doesn't look anything like the elderly caretaker. I'm sure he's a student but I can't see his face, though, because he was hidden in the shadows. He walked on the spot of the dim light and I saw a familiar face. He looked taken aback when he saw me.

"Andrew?" I asked uncertainly. He looks like him, but...

"I'm not Andrew," he drawled and realization flooded through me.

"Malfoy? What are you doing here?" I asked softly. My voice wasn't at all harsh and that shocked me. He was obviously surprised by the tone of my voice as much as I was.

"Nothing," he replied in a more natural tone than he usually uses and it reminds me of his cousin (Andrew, not Teddy). "What are you doing here Potter? "

"Thinking," I said absentmindedly, looking back into the stars.

Suddenly, I felt movement somewhere and saw Malfoy seating cross-legged on the floor a few feet away from me. He was gazing at the night sky, looking more peaceful than I have ever been in his life. I didn't realize I was staring at him.

"It's rude to stare you know," he said without tearing his gaze from the sky.

"Sorry," I mumbled and turned away. There was a few minutes of awkward, but peaceful silence, between us. I can here his breathing and see his pale and smooth face out of the corner of my eye.

"So, you're friends with Andrew," he said, breaking the eyes and still without looking at me.

"Does it matter?" I retorted, still absorbed by the sky.

Out of the corner of my eye again, I saw him shake his head slightly. "No. I was just surprised because he's keeping to himself at school for the past two years."

"Isn't it better for him to have friends?"

"I don't know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper and somehow filled with suppressed emotion.

This time, I looked at him. "How could you not know? He's your cousin, and I know you care about him like a brother. And shouldn't you be glad that he has friends?" I breathed deeply, keeping my temper that's threatening to get loose.

He tore his eyes away from the sky and looked me straight in the eye. I looked at him determinedly. I don't want to get intimidated by those penetrating eyes. "He's like a brother to me and I noticed how much he has changed ever since."

I frowned. "What do you mean?" I asked, looking determined into those silver eyes.

He shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. He's just… different."

"In a good way, I hope."

"Maybe," he sighed. That's the best I could get out of him. We dropped each others eyes and went back to staring at the skies and stars. I sighed and remembered about his relation to Teddy.

"So, you and Teddy..." I said awkwardly. "How long have you known him?"

"I don't know. Ever since I can remember," he said and frowned. "Did he tell you already?" he asked, looking at me again.

I looked at him and nodded.

"He's like another brother to me... Like Andrew. More like a big brother actually. He visits when he has time."

"I guess he had plenty of time for you and forgot about my birthday," I muttered under my breath. Unfortunately, he heard me.

"You're birthday?"

"We found out on my birthday. When he wasn't there and I noticed and they told us he went to visit his cousin which is you," I said a bit sadly.

"Oh," he gasped. "That's on Christmas Eve? Sorry, I know he should've spend some time with you but I invited him over and-"

"It's alright," I interrupted. "He is family even though we're not really blood related at all and you don't have much company and I've got a lot of company. So it's alright," I assured. I didn't even know, but I felt different about him now. I remember when he tries to curse me and seems to remember a different person. He seems alienated today.

As if reading my thoughts, he said, "Do you remember when I was trying to curse your head off?" I nodded. "Sorry, about that. I don't why, but I felt stupid those times." He lowered his head between his knees. His tone was frustrated that I have to fight the urge to comfort him.

"You haven't had a chance to hit me, though. I always get away," I said.

"Fair point," he said, looking up from between his knees.

I smiled at him. "I'm going now. Night," I mumbled without looking at him. He doesn't seem bad at all if he lets his guard down.

I breathed deeply and stood. I can feel his eyes following me as I walked down the Astronomy Tower, thinking deeply. I used the Marauder's Map this time so that I wouldn't get caught. Filch was on his office on the third floor while none of the professors are on the corridors. Two students - probably prefects - where roaming the fourth floor corridors so my way is safe.

I muttered the password absentmindedly after reaching the portrait hole when I realized that the fat lady is sleeping.

"Bollocks." I said a little louder. I don't want Filch or any teacher to catch me wandering the corridors past curfew. I tap the portrait impatiently and said the password again. Finally, the fat lady woke up and swung the portrait hole open, muttering about 'her beauty sleep.' Those words distracted me a little. Nonsense I thought. How could a portrait of a fat lady think of 'beauty sleep' of all things? I chuckled for myself before remembering about the things that happened in the Astronomy Tower.

I went straight up my dormitory and succumb into sleep, dreaming about a stretch of stars in the sky and focusing on one constellation in particular.


I was waken up the next day by a painful poke in my head. I opened my eyes groggily and saw the outlines of two blurry pale faces, one with blond hair, one with black hair. I blinked rapidly and rubbed my eyes. I touch the spot on my head where I was rudely hit to be awoken and scowled at the faces of Des and Kat.

"Sorry Lils but we needed to wake you up," Des said.

"Where have you been last night?" Kat asked suddenly. "We were worried sick when you weren't in the common room!"

"Stop fretting Kat," I said. "I was just having some fresh air." They both raised their eyebrows at me questioningly so I said, "Later. I'll just get dressed for breakfast."

When we entered the Great Hall, we noticed that the ceiling was in snowing form that time, which only meant that its snowing again outside. At breakfast, I filled the two of them about my brooding in the sanctuary of the Astronomy Tower, but I purposely dropped the fact that Malfoy was there and that I actually talked to him, not just in a civil, but also in a friendly way. While Des looked amused and suggests to go wandering the castle with me sometimes, Kat was scolding me saying that I could've been caught and get detention. I didn't realized that Andrew was seating beside me like he usually does, reading a book, and listens to what we were talking.

"You know, I usually wander the castle to think and have a peace of mind, too," he said, cutting off, yet another scolding from Kat. "It's only natural for a student to wander the castle at night some times." He was looking pointedly at Kat, who was about to retort but was interrupted by Des.

"Cut it out, Kat. You know, that's what you get for having a teacher as a dad," she teased lightly and finally, she smiles. "And besides, I think it's fun being adventurous sometimes, especially at night." She winked at her and we all laughed.

"Besides, rule-breaking is in my blood," I added.

"Speak for yourself," Kat muttered.

"You don't know my granddad. He and his friends were the best most noble mischief makers at Hogwarts," I told them in a matter-of-fact voice. "And my dad and uncle have broken school rules a lot, too."

"You could still get caught," Kat countered.

"Not if I have the cloak or map," I said. They raised their eye brows simultaneously, not understanding what I'm talking about. "My dad had an invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map."

"You're dad had an invisibility cloak?" Kat asked. "That's rare! But you said had... Where is it now?"

"He gave it to Albus. He didn't trust James with that one because he has a tendency to do it for fun."

"So what's the Marauder's Map," Andrew piped up suddenly, not tearing his gaze away from the book.

"It's a map of Hogwarts. It contains all the secret passages and shows all the people at Hogwarts and where they are. They're invented by the Marauders. My granddad James was one of their masterminds."

"Wow," they gasped.

"Dad gave it to James," I said and grinned broadly and added, "James gave it to me for my birthday and Christmas. So I know I won't get caught because I used it last night, will I?" I said. I left the part where I didn't use it when I was going out of the common room and only used it when I was heading back. "And don't tell anyone about this without asking me first, alright?"

They nodded.

"So, who's up for a snowball fight?" Des asked with bright, excited eyes.

Kat rolled her eyes. "We have classes, Dessie."

"Oh, no," I retorted. "It's Tuesday so only have History of Magic and our double Herbology classes will be off for a while because of the snow. We won't have classes until late at night for Astronomy. So after our first class and before our last class, we're totally free!"

"But it's still snowing!" Kat complained. "It's cold! And freezing! And-"

"KATRINA! It's just a bloody snow! We have layers of clothes for that. So that's it. We'll have a snowball fight. We can grab the other Gryffindor first year boys to join us play."

"It's settled then!" I chimed in before Kat could protest. "Hey, Alex! Jonathan!" I called on the two Gryffindor boys in our year who were seating on the other side of table a few seats from us. "Wanna join in a snowball fight later?"

Jonathan opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Derek McLaggen - the annoying one, as we called him. "Who says snowball fight?" he asked haughtily, looking in our direction.

It took me all my restraint to not roll my eyes and plastered a fake smile on my face. "That would be me, McLaggen," I said with a tiny hint of sarcasm. "So," I began again, looking pointedly at Alex and Jonathan, "you two want to join? Our Herbology classes are cancelled because of the snow, so we can spend some time to play with the snow."

"Sure," they both agreed, grinning.

Derek was opening his mouth to say something, probably to join in but he was cut off by Desiree. "We'll see you two later," she said, smiling at them. Alex and Jonathan grinned wider and glanced briefly in McLaggen's direction. Derek was flushed either by embarrassment or the cold and stalked off the Great Hall because of us uninviting him. The moment he was out of earshot, the five of us burst into laughter.

"You two are so mean!" Kat said, giggling. "I wonder how I ended up with you two!"

"I'm not mean," Des protested. "She is," she said, pointing a finger in my direction.

"No, I'm not. You are." I retorted

"Am not!"

"Yes, you are.

"Oh no, it's you!"

"No, it's you!"

"You."

"You.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"GIRLS!" Katrina yelled. "Just shut up! You both are bad influence on me."

"No!" Desiree and I protested guiltily at the same time.

"Well maybe a little," I admitted. Katrina raised an eyebrow with a doubtful look on her face.

"Okay, maybe a lot," Des sighed.

"I'm only a little bit of a bad influence," I said haughtily. "You're a lot."

"I'm not! You were the one who was almost put in Slytherin!" she hissed smugly with a triumphant smirk on her face quietly so that no one else would here.

"Well, you came from a family of Slytherins!" I retorted back smugly.

"Guys, will you cut it out!" Kat protested weakly. "Stop bickering, will you?"

We both sighed and nodded. I forgot that Andrew was seating beside me and he practically heard all of our conversations, including the bickering. He turned to me and asked, "Is it true?"

I looked at him with a clueless look and said, "Is what true?"

"The hat almost put you in Slytherin?" he asked, looking me in the eye. I flushed slightly under his gaze but stared back determinedly and not showing a hint of embarrassment or humiliation. It's like the unwritten rule that a person who wasn't from a family of Slytherins should be humiliated to be put (or almost put in my case) in Slytherin.

"Promise don't tell anyone!" I blurted out calmly, giving him my cutest pout and biggest puppy dog eyes.

He smiled. "I guess that your answer is a yes." I nodded. "And you're so cute when you're doing that," he added with a carefree chuckle.

"Doing what?" I asked, feigning ignorance but with a hint of mischief in my hazel eyes.

"Oh, I don't know," he said sarcastically. "Let me think... the puppy dog eyes and the adorable, pitiful pout in your lips... Yeah, I guess I have no idea what you were doing." We both laughed, our joining in like melody and rhythm.

"It usually works," I told him when the laughter fit died down. "Especially when I want something."

"Whoa, I have never thought of you as a spoiled princess... but now, I think I do," he teased.

"I'm not," I complained playfully, hitting him on the arm. "And it's gross! I'd rather you told me I'm a spoiled brat but never in my life have I wanted to be a spoiled princess! Oh god, I may puke here." I pretended to gag and we laughed again like there's no tomorrow.

"So Andrew... please don't tell anyone," I begged, returning in all seriousness. I know he wouldn't exploit one of my darkest secrets but I needed to make sure.

"Sure," he replied sincerely.

"Promise?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Pinky swear," I demanded, smiling mischievously and holding out my small, right pinky for him to hook his own.

"Lily, I already promised you. We don't have to do one of your ridiculous-" but he cut off as I pouted my full lips gave him another puppy dog eyes. He sighed and hook his rather large pinky finger on mine.

I smiled and said, "Thanks! Now my secret is safe." I giggled and nudged him playfully.

He smiled at me and said, "I won't fall for your tricks again."

I looked at him innocently. "Who said it was a trick? I have to make sure you won't break your promise so-"

"No," he cut me off with an unusual smirk on his angelic face. "You made me do something ridiculous that only girls do."

"No, it wasn't," I lied smoothly. "It's for my own good."

He sighed and nodded, the look on his face clearly says that he believed me, which made me laugh.

"What now?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Because truth be told, I did it partly to make fun of you!" I laughed harder and he plastered a fake frown on his face.

"I can't believe you lied to me," he accused playfully.

"Well, why didn't you see that I'm lying?"

"You didn't look guilty at all!"

I giggled. "That's because I'm a good liar. Better get used to it or you'd fall again for my nasty, girly, tricks. Not that I want anything to do with something obnoxiously girly." I shuddered. It was his turn to laugh.

"You really aren't the girly type, are you?"

"Nope. And never will be. I'm a simple girl and will never be a girly giggly girl," I said proudly.

"That's what I like in you, Shorty!" he teased.

I grimaced and said, "Stop calling me a kiddo!"

"What? Do you prefer Girly? Lilykins? Pumpkin? Red? Flower?"

"My name is Lily, you BLONDIE!"

"See! You can call me Blondie and Fergie and I'm not allowed to call you any nicknames! That's totally biased and unfair of you! Why is that?"

"Because I'm a girl! And you should be more of a gentleman. Otherwise I'll think you're gay!"

"I'm not gay!" he protested incredulously. I laughed

"You are!"

"I'm not!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"GUYS!" Katrina yelled. "Cut it out! Is it really my role here to cut off all the bickering around?"

"Yes," Andrew and I both answered and laughed with Des. Katrina was flushed with embarrassment and anger that we quickly stopped laughing.

I sighed. "Sorry Katrina. We're just having a friendly banter here. Maybe you could join us. Or maybe you can continue my former amiable squabble with Dessie here and you two can also have a shouting match," I said playfully with a smile. Kat smiled, too, and she and Des returned to their conversation on Merlin knows what.

"Okay, you're not gay," I said finally, turning again to Andrew.

"Thank you. I glad you're finally realize that," he said cynically.

"Yeah, but I might change my mind if you called me any giddy nicknames again."

"Okay, okay. I won't if you wouldn't call me any nicknames, too."

"Er, I can't say the same thing. I might feel the need to tease you sometimes." I beamed at him. We've been such close friends at such a short time, considering we're from different years and he happened to be the smart and quiet one in their batch. "Only a few times. Besides, I won't tease you for long because of the cutest gift you gave me."

He smiled. "Well, does my gift made the top one of your Top Ten Best Gifts from Christmas and your birthday?"

"Of course not," I said, feigning shock and acting as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, it was the cutest, but I can't actually say that it was the best because of my big brother's gift. "Remember our earlier conversation?"

"Which one of them, exactly?"

"About the map," I said happily. "Your gift was the cutest but that was most definitely the best!"

"Yeah, it will really make you an all-out rule-breaker and mischief-maker," he joked.

"Oh, don't worry. I will!"

We both laughed and began to eat breakfast hastily before the start of classes.


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