Chapter 29
Lily looked up from her book as the compartment door opened and a group of girls looked at her. They turned to leave but one stayed back looking at her closely.
"What?"
"You don't have to be so mean."
"Well you don't have to stare."
The girl shrugged but sat down opposite her.
"So you're Lily Evans aren't you?"
"Yeah and you are?"
"Lisa Kennedy. I recognise you from the Prefect meetings."
"Oh."
The two girls were silent for a moment and then the Hufflepuff spoke up.
"How come you're on your own?"
"Branwen's stayed in Hogwarts. There's really no point in her going home since Ddraig stays."
She nodded and looked around.
"What about your other friends?"
"What other friends?"
The girl fell silent. Her smile that was always plastered on her face faded as she looked at her.
"But you're popular."
"I've never been popular!"
"Yes you have. You're one of the lionesses. All the girls want to be you. Your all beautiful, intelligent and get all the boys. Then the rest of us we're just plain and get whoever can't get you."
"That's not true."
"Really. Amanda dated Billy Morgan and he was fit, popular and every girl wanted him, and now she's got James Potter. Come on he's got to be the best looking boy in our entire year group. Then there was Ginny who dated Michael Trenchwood and he was one of the most sought after boys in the school. Then she got Joseph Wild and look at him, he's from a very handsome family, he's funny and polite and then she finished him and started going out with Remus…"
"You like Remus!"
"Like I'm the only one in the school. But he'd never look at me because I'm not Ginny. I'm not tall, with stunning green eyes or gorgeous long red hair. I'm not as thin as her and I don't have the same delicate look."
"Ginny isn't that much taller than you, you're what 5"4, 5"5?"
"5"5"
"Ginny's only 5"6, and okay you don't have the same eyes or the same hair, but you've got lovely brown eyes and brown hair. You're thin too and so what if you don't have a delicate look, who wants to look like they're going to brake any moment."
"We've gone completely off topic now."
"Okay so where were we?"
"Oh I remember. Branwen's dated Peter Pettigrew, who okay isn't as good looking as the boys that Amanda and Ginny have dated but he's sweet and he hangs around with James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus so she's really lucky. Then there's Alice who got to date Frank Longbottom, and you who…"
"Me who has never had a boyfriend. Look if you're still trying to prove that I'm popular you're wrong. I'm just a nerd who all of a sudden looks good but that doesn't mean anything, looks aren't everything."
"If you looked like me you wouldn't be saying that."
"Yeah and if you looked like me you'd realise that yes you get guys attention but they don't like me, hell they don't even know me. The only thing they see is my body and they think yes! I mean they don't know anything about me and I bet your boyfriends have."
"Okay so Jake did but –"
"But nothing Lisa. Looks aren't everything I'd rather be the ugliest person in the world than popular because at least then I know my friends are actually my friends and not around me for what I look like."
They were both quiet and Lisa spoke up again.
"Is that why you're not with the other girls?"
Lily shook her head looking out of the compartments window at the green fields sliding by.
"I've been a complete and utter bitch to them all. I bullied Alice and broke her and Frank up. I tried to make an argument between Ginny and Alice worse and made Amanda's life a nightmare. They don't want somebody like me hanging around them."
"You'll be surprised. I've been a complete bitch towards some of my friends but they always forgive me because at the end of the day we have each others back. You should go speak to them."
"Maybe."
Lisa stood up and headed towards the corridor she stopped just as she left the compartment and looked back at the girl.
"If you like you can sit be me and Cat in the next prefects meeting."
"Thanks."
The smile was back on Lisa's face as she left Lily sitting there. The girl had a point. They'd all argued before and okay this was pretty bad and maybe Alice wouldn't forgive her anytime soon but she should try speaking to them. She didn't like the way she had been acting, she'd let things go to her head when she shouldn't have.
Standing up she walked down the corridor looking through windows to try and find the girls. She was about half way up the train when looking through a window she spotted the boys sitting together. Opening the compartment door she stepped inside and smiled.
"Hey guys."
Frank looked at the floor refusing to look at her but the others smiled gently. The only one to say anything though was Remus.
"Hiya Lily. Excited to be going home?"
"Not really I'm in trouble. I've been a complete bitch not just in Hogwarts but at home as well. Look I just want to go back to being normal Lily."
"That's a start then."
She nodded and took a breath.
"Which is why I want to apologise to you Frank. I shouldn't have done what I did and I know that I've ruined a hell of a lot for you. I'm going to find Alice now and tell her exactly what happened. I can't change it but I can try and put things right."
"I accept your apology but it's not going to help. Don't expect her to just forgive you."
"I don't."
They nodded and she looked around.
"Want to sit with us until we reach London?"
"No I've got to go speak to the girls."
They nodded and she left the compartment in search for the girls. She found them not long later the three were sitting together lost in conversation. She watched through the window at the way they were smiling and happy and knew she couldn't do it. Not now. After Christmas let them enjoy that first.
Turning around she went and sat back in her compartment until they reached the London station. Picking up her trunk she dragged it out to a trolley and rolled it through the barrier being one of the first out. In the last four years she had never been one of the first out and it was surprising how busy it was.
She couldn't see her father at all so stood to one side looking around. She was worried. He was always there to pick her up, but then hey maybe he was so use to her being half hour after everyone else he'd given up being on time.
She stood there for twenty minutes and everyone had come and gone. She was worried he was never this late. Looking around she couldn't see anybody that she recognised either and began to panic where was he?
"Lily!"
She turned at the voice and found Pa Evans standing there. Moving quickly she wrapped her arms around his middle hugging him tightly.
"Pa what are you doing here?"
"Picking you up."
"But you've never picked me up before."
"Yes well things are a little different now."
"Is dad still angry about me sneaking out over the summer because I'm really sorry and I won't do that again?"
"No Lily he isn't angry he's ill. You see your dad's in hospital…"
