I'm glad you liked that chapter! :) And by the way, I'm a girl.
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Chapter 25
"Lily-! Lily-! Wake up!" I hear a familiar, high voice calling through the veil of sleep. I moan and turn over, slapping a squishy pillow over my head. "Lily, you've missed half of Charms!"
"What!?" I half-yell, jerking upright. "I-I've missed half of Charms? Oh my God, what will Professor Flitwick say? Oh no, no, no, no, no, Rosalie, where are my textbooks? Oh no, I'm in such trouble, Mum won't let me hear the end of it! Why didn't you wake me earlier?!" I jump out of bed and begin rummaging my trunk frantically. How could I have overslept?
"I was kidding," Rosalie said matter-of-factly, though she was suppressing a laugh as I shoot her an angry pout. "Hey, think about it, at least you aren't really late for Charms." I roll my eyes. "So. Details, honey, and make them rich! There's no decent boy out there I haven't dated yet that aren't from Slytherin, so I'm currently living though you. Details!"
"I…" My face burns magenta when I suddenly remember my dream. Except it wasn't my dream; it had actually happened! Rosalie presses me excitedly, and I reluctantly though yet somehow dreamily retell my second date with James Potter.
We had had dinner at a fancy restaurant, and way too much dessert. Then we had gone to the beach and played like children, playing tag, building sandcastles, splashing water, till the sunset. After that, James took me to watch fireworks, and I had fallen asleep on his shoulder as we lay on the grass watching the glittering lights explode in the dark sky. I vaguely remember being Apparated back into the dormitory, taking a quick shower and kissing James goodnight. My hair still smells of salt, mingling with the herby lemongrass, not unpleasantly.
"And it was… wonderful," I breathe, closing my eyes, wishing I was back there, the creamy gold and violet sunset, the warm playful sea, the explosions of white-gold stars and green sparks, James' warmth…
"That is so romantic, Lily," Rosalie sighs longingly. "Why do you always get the sweet guys?" I just smile. "You're so damn lucky." I laugh and lie back on my bed, stretching like a cat as Scarlet scrambles over me, and I cuddle her tight. "Oh, Scarlet, did you miss me?" She made a noise and struggles, so I let her down, and she begins scrambling around excitedly. "Oh, James…"
"Okay, time to get dressed, fairytale princess," Rosalie says, rolling her eyes. "Your Prince Charming will be waiting… It's ten to eight."
I smile widely, insanely happy for absolutely no reason and yet every reason possible as I waltz out of bed and basically skip to the bathroom.
…
"James!" I practically sing. "Good morning!"
James turns, his beautiful face lit up with a gorgeous smile. "It was a good morning till you got here. Then it became the best morning ever!" I half-scream half-squeal when he pulls me into his lap. Remus looks up from his book long enough to wave at me, and Sirius smiles at me, less moody since it's such a bright, cheerful morning, and Peter sends me a timid smile.
I kiss James' cheek and fill the saucer that's always next to my plate for Scarlet, placing the milk on the floor, before helping myself to some toast. I'm just finishing when a seventh-year Ravenclaw walks up to me and says pompously, "Lily Evans? Professor Dumbledore wants to see you in his office now. He wants me to give you this piece of paper." I take it, paling a little. "Why?" I ask. "Am I in trouble?"
The Ravenclaw shrugs. "I don't know. I don't think so." I thank her and tell James where I'm going, telling him to save me a seat in Potions if I'm late. I quickly run up to his office. The last time I've been here was when Mabel was found out. I stand in front of the gargoyles. They don't open for me like they did the previous time. Is there a password? Then I remember the slip of parchment the Ravenclaw had given me. I unroll it. "I like Cockroach Cluster? Not really?" I quote incredulously. My head jerks up in shock when the gargoyles spring to life and leap aside, revealing the entrance, and I go up the swirly thing.
Taking a deep breath, I knock, or at least make a move to, because a second before my knuckles crack across the smooth wood, I hear Professor Dumbledore's voice. "Come in." I open the door and walk in, smiling nervously. Professor Dumbledore smiles at me and gestures for me to rake a seat.
"No need to worry, Miss Evans, you are not in trouble," he smiles, sifting through a pile of parchment as I discretely sigh in relief.
"Now, Miss Evans, I have a project for you," he begins, looking at me, and I gulp. "I know you have your OWLs, so I have pushed back the original date of what I had been planning. I thought that perhaps this year, Hogwarts could have a little something new, so I thought of starting up a play or a musical of some sort with students as the cast."
"Oh," I smile brightly at that thought. Dad used to bring me to musicals when I was younger. "That's a great idea, Professor. I guess we can do it after the OWLs, we have some time then… What shall we do, a musical or a play, sir?"
"I was thinking a play, actually," Professor Dumbledore muses.
"Oh, okay," I reply, pondering. "What play do you have in mind, Professor? We could have done the Phantom of the Opera, or the Sound of Music, but those are musicals. But then there are the plays, we can do the norm, like Shakespeare. The most popular one is probably Romeo and Juliet, but there's the Midsummer's Night Dream-"
"Actually," Professor Dumbledore interrupts my rant. "Actually, Miss Evans, I was thinking you could come up with it. I called you here because, truthfully, you have a vivid imagination, and I was hoping you could come up with a play yourself."
There was a silence… "I... Professor… I'm honoured, but I don't really think I can come up with a play, sir, I-"
"I have my full trust with you, Miss Evans," Professor Dumbledore says firmly. "I will assign you assistants, but you will be in-charge. Remus Lupin, I think, he is your Gryffindor Prefect, is he not? And I think also the Prefects from the other Houses… I am sorry if I this does not suit you, but I was hoping you could do this old man a favour…"
"It's no problem, Professor… I was just a little stunned. I would love to come up with a play for you. I just don't think I'm good enough, and I may not serve high enough quality due to my OWLs as my main attention sapper, sir," I answer truthfully.
"I trust you fully, Miss Evans. Do not doubt your abilities. I have faith in you," Professor Dumbledore smiles. "Thank you. You need not think about it till the end of your OWLs, for as you may have been informed if you checked the notice-board, the timetable for your exams are scheduled a little early due to some mishaps in the Ministry. You have plenty of time. Thank you, once again. Here is a list of instructions I have pre-made. I knew you would help me." I take the papers he gives me, taking a quick glance at the first page.
"You are dismissed, Miss Evans," Professor Dumbledore says. I turn to leave, bidding him farewell, but then he calls, "Wait." I twist my head. "Let your imagination run wild, Miss Evans." I smile as I walk out of the office, though my mind is completely blank.
What have I gotten myself into now?
…
"Hey, Remus," I call, "Professor Dumbledore wants to show you something." I wave around the bundle of paper I use magic to photocopy. He puts down his book reluctantly and walks over. "Professor Dumbledore said that Hogwarts would be putting up a play this year after the OWLs, because they finish a bit earlier. He said that the cast would be students, and that he wanted me to come up with the play, so I desperately need your help, because he said I can also get assistance from other Prefects. I mean, hey, I'm fifteen, how do I come up with a play worthy of Hogwarts?! I don't even know what to write about! I have no muse, no imagination, no creativity, no nothing!"
I rant as he quickly scans the few pages. "Actually, I think this will be quite fun."
"It will? Great, you can come up with the storyline," I say hopefully.
"No, that's your job. I'll just help you along," he says, slightly amused. "He didn't say what genre or anything it had to be, so it's easier to come up with a story, seeing we can range from anywhere. So I was thinking, you know you're friend, Colette?" My insides twinge, and I feel almost annoyed. I had just forgotten about that, and he had to bring it up.
"Yes?" I mumble, trying not to think about it.
"Well, you know there's a great big misunderstanding, blah blah blah, maybe you could portray the real story through the play? She might understand then. It would be a bit like… Hamlet, is it?" His last few words got lost as I begin mulling over what he said about Colette. Of course. Yes. How could I not have thought of that? Through the play, I could show her everything! I could make her see how false the Slytherins are, I could make her see that I still care. I could solve everything! It may be a month or so later, but it's better late than never! I could do this! I could!
"You are a freaking genius, Remus!" I scream, nearly strangling a surprised Remus Lupin in an ecstatic hug.
…
I basically skip to Potions, keeping an eye out for James along the way.
"James!" I sing, sliding into the empty chair next to him. "Hi! I want to tell you something." I send a smile to Sirius. He'll probably be happier than even me when Colette comes around.
He sends me back a weird look and looks forlornly at Colette who sits in a corner, scrutinizing her nails. I frown at the sight of her. She looks just like a slut, like the most of the other girls from Slytherin, with bright-red lipstick and nails, etc. This just hardens my will to get her back. Even playboy Sirius doesn't look too pleased the way she's changed. James raises an eyebrow at me but Professor Slughorn chooses this moment to make an appearance, so I hold my tongue till he's issued me instructions, and I begin flipping through my textbook, looking for the right page.
"You wanted to tell me something, love?" James asks, perusing his own book.
"Oh, I got a project from Professor Dumbledore. He wants me to create a play for the students of Hogwarts to act out after the OWLs. Remus gave me the idea of sort of using the play to explain to Colette what's really happening. Do you think it's a good idea?"
James pauses a moment, thinking, before turning and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I think it's a great idea, Lily darling. But you don't know if Colette's bitchy 'friends' are just going to, you know, think it's just some attempt from you to try and make your reputation better or whatever sick rubbish they've come up with."
"Yeah…" I frown. "I didn't think of that." Then I shrug. "It's worth a try. But thanks for pointing it out." I begin finely chopping up a long carrot-like thing, and there's a short stretch of silence, and I hear the smirk in his voice.
"So did you enjoy yesterday?"
"I think we should do it more often."