Sev left the compartment after a bit of a look from Bella; he muttered an excuse that he wanted to go see Avery about something or other. Bella closed the door after him and sealed it with a click. "Oh I missed you." She said hugging Lily again; holding her for so long Lily's chest ached and burned. The piece of her that had been missing all summer seemed to have returned and the rock hard feeling in her stomach faded. "I'm sorry I didn't write back the last few times, things were crazy." She said to explain away the missing replies. Lily nodded, she didn't care now Bella was back and they were together and Mr. Black was nowhere near them for a year. When they finally parted the hug Bella stepped back and the smirk returned. She looked as though she knew all the secrets of the universe; the time abroad had changed her a bit. The soft spell that hung over them ended abruptly when the door cracked open and Lucius entered the compartment with Dolohov.
"Strawberry!" He called and both boys gave her a quick embrace. "How was my favourite mudblood's holiday?"
Lily rolled her eyes as both boys flung themselves down into the seats opposite and looked up at Bella expectantly. "Well, did you tell her yet?"
Bella sighed and sat down, "No because we've only just left London you stupid git."
"Tell me what?" Lily asked looking from both boys back to Bella. She felt slightly irked that Lucius knew something she didn't.
"I met a Moon Knight in the summer. Like one that knew the original founder."
Lily's eyebrows went up in surprise, "What? Who?"
"Tom Riddle." Bella whispered as Lucius and Antonin nodded to her. "He was The Moon Knight, he's the reason we have them at Hogwarts now."
Lily had never heard them talk about this Tom Riddle person and she frowned trying to remember. They all waited for her to be impressed and looked slightly disappointed when it did not elicit cries of delight.
"Tom Riddle." Bella said again as though that would jog her memory, "The Dark Lord of the Knights?" "The heir of Slytherin?" "The Parseltongue?" She clicked her tongue and then rolled her eyes flinging herself back in her seat shaking her head. "Sometimes I forget how isolating it is being a mud- muggleborn." She corrected herself quickly. "Anyway he's like- wow Lily, he could have worked anywhere, anywhere he's a genius. He could already be working at the Ministry but he said that would keep him from his real work that he wants to do."
"What does he want to do?" Lily asked becoming intrigued now that they were all so fascinated.
"United the wizards." Bella said with a smile.
"Aren't we united already?"
The boys laughed along with Bella, Lily didn't appreciate being mocked or made to feel less than in her questions.
"No way but we will be. He's having a meeting the first Hogsmede- bloody hell you're only a second year. Alright not a problem we'll get you there, he's having a meeting the first Hogsmede weekend with all of the group. He wants to meet everyone and see what we've been up to since he left the school."
"But- then we'll know-who everyone is." Lily said glancing at the boys, while she had seen the ones around school she had never seen anyone beyond the school who had been in their group.
"Yeah we will." Bella said with a grin.
When the boys took their leave of the compartment Bella grew quiet, Lily thought it was perhaps because she didn't know about this Tom.
"Lucius is promised to Cissy." She said with a sigh.
"Oh." Lily frowned; she knew Bella hated the idea of arranged marriages, her own being to Rodolphus.
"Cissy is happy so," she shrugged, "it is a good match." Neither girl spoke for several minutes; Lily twisted her fingers together for a moment unsure of how to proceed. She wondered if she should turn the conversation back to Tom Riddle.
"Do you have to try out for Quidditch again or are you always on the team?" She said after another moment of silence casting around her head.
A smile broke over Bella's dark features, "I'm Captain now, got the letter just yesterday. Youngest captain in nearly a century."
The rest of the trip was uneventful towards the school; their afternoon was filled with other students popping in and Severus returning around tea time to share in some sweets. When they arrived at the station Bella put her hand on Lily's to hold her back in the compartment, when Severus had gone ahead she shut the door quickly. "Lily," She whispered her back against the compartment door. Lily swallowed and looked up at her. "I missed you so." She said pulling the red haired girl close to brush their lips together. The kiss was quick at first and then Bella, as always deepened it just enough to leave Lily's heart pounding in her chest. She smirked when she broke it off and then turned to open the door. "We'll get you to Hogsmeade don't worry."
The month passed quickly and the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year was fast approaching. She had met with Bella, Lucius and Antonin to put their plan into action about how to get into the area and remain unseen by the teachers who often took the day there as well. The tunnel was the obvious choice but what to do about that fire-engine red hair that stood out like a beacon against the snow in the village. Simple, Lily would borrow one of Cissy's uniforms and hats, tuck up her hair and just look like a Slytherin student. She would draw no attention and nobody would suspect a Gryffindor among the snakes. With the uniform tucked safely in her trunk to conceal Lily waited until just after breakfast on the first Saturday to retrieve it. Bella would wait for her in Honeydukes to come out of the backroom. The group of kids knew Lily was coming and would all make sure to be crowded around her until they made it into the pub.
The walk in the tunnel was lonely without Bella and Lily realised it was not one she would want to make again alone. She found herself running along, the wand light casting all around as she went, the uniform tucked into her robes to change into. She made it to the bottom of the ladder before long and quickly threw on the robes; she hoped Bella would be there because she wasn't sure how she would explain herself to the owners of Honey Dukes if she just arrived in their storeroom.
Lily tapped on the door and waited, there was nothing, no sounds coming from the shop. She tapped again a few minutes later. She sighed and waited, this wasn't another trick from the group she had proven herself hadn't she? It felt like an incredible amount of time passed before she heard the tapping return and she blinked against the blinding light as Bella pulled the door open. She grinned and helped pull Lily up the ladder. "Quick now, tuck your hair in." She said shoving the few strands that remained of the red hair into the black wooly hat. Bella stared at her for a moment and Lily frowned.
"What? What's the matter?" She asked turning slightly to make sure she had everything in order.
"Nothing you just, you look really amazing in Slytherin colours is all." Bella said before turning and opening the door to the storeroom and pulling Lily after her. Together they mingled in with the crowd of excited students all blowing their money on the best candy selections they could get their hands on. "Come we'll be late." Bella said in her ear as she picked her way through the icy cobblestones leading to the Three Broomsticks. "We've a private room upstairs." She said opening the door to the warm pub and nodding to the barkeep.
Lily watched her ascend the stairs and hesitated before following, the top of the stairs were dark and Tom Riddle, whoever he was, was waiting at the top.