Author's Note: Here is the chapter, and I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: The only thing I claim is that I should have been in bed when I first posted this.

Chapter Forty-eight: Not Okay

Lily felt completely and utterly betrayed, and she wasn't even the one who had been cheated on. It was true that she and Hugo weren't as close as they had been as children; they were no longer like one spirit inhabiting two bodies and had not been that way for years, but the connection had still existed, and Lily felt as though Hugo had just severed it. At one time she would have blamed Hugo's behavior on Albus and Scorpius's influence on him, but neither her brother nor Cassiopeia's had attended Hogwarts for nearly two years, and her opinions of Scorpius and, by proxy, her brother when he was with him, were no longer quite as negative. No, the only people she could blame were the people directly involved: Hugo and Dawn.

Dawn and Marica told her she was overreacting, that Hugo and Dawn had made mistakes that many people made, that not everyone's relationship was as serious as Lily's was with Cassiopeia. Lily told them that they didn't understand, they hadn't heard what Hugo had said to her, seen what his attitude about the whole thing had been. He hadn't been Hugo; he had been Slytherin's stupid prince. And now NEWTs were three months away and all Lily could think about was the fact that she was fighting with her cousin and her two best friends.

Cassiopeia stayed blessedly neutral on the matter; if she had any opinion either way she kept it strictly to herself.

"Can you help me with my Potions homework, Lily?" she asked as they sat together in the common room one evening in early March, Cassiopeia having just returned from Quidditch practice with Dawn, who was currently sitting on the other side of the room with Marica.

"Of course," said Lily, pulling her girlfriend's assignment toward her. "What do you need help with?"

"I just can't visualize the amounts when I don't have the cauldron and ingredients in front of me," said Cassiopeia, sweeping her long pale hair deftly over her shoulder.

Lily leaned forward, wrapping Cassiopeia's hair around her hand in order to keep it out of the way; well, at least it was mostly just to keep it out of the way.

"I'm onto you, Lily Luna Potter," said Cassiopeia teasingly, looking at her through long, wispy eyelashes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lily huffed. "I simply need to be able to see the assignment in order to help you with it."

Cassiopeia just nodded sagely.

Aaron came over and plopped himself into the chair across from Lily and Cassiopeia, Bryan sliding in beside him.

"Good evening, girls!" he said cheerfully, giving them a finger wave.

"Well it's good for third years at least," said Lily raising her eyes but not her head.

"A lot of homework?" asked Bryan.

"You have no idea."

"You don't have to help me with my work if you need to focus on your own," said Cassiopeia.

"No, it's fine," said Lily. "I needed a break anyway."

"Helping Cassie with her Potions homework is taking a break?" asked Aaron skeptically.

"Potions is fun!" said Lily and Bryan simultaneously.

All four of them laughed and Lily felt her mood improve slightly. Still, spending time with people two and four years younger than her, even if one of them was her girlfriend, wasn't quite the same as spending time with her year-mates.

"Where were you earlier, Aaron?" Bryan asked as the girls turned back to their homework.

Aaron shrugged. "Nowhere."

"You had to have been somewhere. We left dinner at the same time and you got back to the common room a good twenty minutes after me."

"I got sidetracked."

"Friends?"

"Of course, my charm is irresistible."

Lily stifled a snort.

"I thought you were working on your homework," said Aaron.

"Multitasking," said Cassiopeia, "one of the many advantages of being a girl."

"Gay boy," said Aaron airily. "Obviously the only disadvantaged one here is Bryan. It's okay, Bry," he added, patting his curly-haired friend on the shoulder. "We still like you."

Lily looked up once more from her homework. "If this is what it's like to have younger siblings I'm starting to sympathize with Al and James."

"You know you love us," said Aaron, flashing an impish smiled.

Lily and Cassiopeia's response was to return once more to their textbooks.

*****BWST*****

Lily sat near the end of the Gryffindor table, with Cassiopeia on one side of her, separating her from Dawn and Marica. Lily wondered how her girlfriend could stand it; then again, perhaps it was easier than picking sides. An owl swooped down in front of her, coming perilously close to knocking over her pumpkin juice; she untied the letter from its leg.

Dear Lily,

I know you don't care much about Quidditch (I'm still trying to figure out how you could have possibly been born into our family) but even you ought to be excited by this news, if only for my sake: I'm going to play in an actual Puddlemere United game! I know it's horrible for me to be glad that Oliver Foxx is suffering from temporary amnesia after his 'accident' during Friday's game against the Falmouth Falcons, and I'm not, but I am glad that I get to play in tomorrow's game against the Kenmare Kestrals! I know you won't be able to come see me, since you're in school, and would probably be bored out of your mind if you did, but please wish me luck.

Your loving brother,

James

Cassiopeia, who had been reading the letter over her shoulder, finished before she did.

"That's fantastic!"

"What's fantastic?" asked Dawn from Cassiopeia's other side.

"James is going to play for Puddlemere United tomorrow in their game against the Kenmare Kestrals."

"That's fantastic!" said Dawn.

"Who's he filling in for?" asked Marica curiously.

"Oliver Foxx," said Cassiopeia. "Apparently he's suffering from temporary amnesia after an accident during their game against the Falmouth Falcons."

"Why am I not surprised?" said Dawn.

*****BWST*****

That evening Lily took a break from her homework to write a reply to James.

James,

That's great! Of course I'm excited for you! And I'm sure you'll do brilliantly. I'm sorry about Oliver Foxx (though I can't actually remember which one he was). This means you'll be playing with Gwendon again, right? Tell him hello from me, okay? Best of luck in the match tomorrow!

Love,

Lily

Lily folded up her letter and rose from the table; if this was going to reach James before the match tomorrow she would have to send it now.

"Where are you going, Lily?" asked Cassiopeia, looking up from her Charms essay.

"Just to the Owlery to send this letter to James," Lily replied. "I'll be right back."

Seeing as it wasn't a very popular destination at eight o'clock on a Monday evening, Lily met no one on her way to the Owlery; on the way back, however, she ran into a group of fourth-and-fifth-years playing some sort of game in the middle of the corridor.

"This way!" shouted one, holding out his arms. "Pass this way!"

"Over here!" cried another.

Whatever they were passing around the circle seemed to be of an unusual shape, not a ball or a frisbee or anything of that nature; it almost seemed to be a book, or perhaps a magazine…

Lily drew closer to the group and realized that there were several objects being passed between the boys gathered there; one was indeed a magazine, another seemed to be a jacket, another a stick that looked suspiciously like somebody's wand.

"Haha, look, the fag doesn't even fight back," scoffed one of the boys. "You want this, huh? You want this faggy coat and this faggy magazine? Look, even the package they came in is faggy!"

Just because Lily rarely displayed the Weasley temper did not meant that she did not possess it. Her wand was in her hand before she had even registered making the decision to draw it, and she strode into the midst of the startled fourth-and-fifth-years, her vision tinged in red.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? !"

The magazine, coat, wand, and package toppled from suddenly immobile hands.

"I am reporting every single one of you to the Headmaster. You think I don't know your names, but I'll find them out, you just see if I don't! Leave right now or I might forget that I'm too good to stoop to your level!"

The students scattered and Lily turned to the owner of the previously tossed-about items, who had apparently been disarmed and knocked to the floor.

"Aaron?"

Aaron picked himself gingerly up off the floor and began to gather his things.

"Er…hi, Lily."

"Aaron, what the hell?"

"I don't think I've ever heard you swear before."

"That is entirely beside the point," said Lily. "Are you alright?" She collected the last of his scattered things and then shouldered his bag herself.

"Yeah, I'm fine," muttered Aaron, sounding not at all like his normal, flamboyant self. "It's not a big deal."

"It is a VERY big deal!" said Lily. "We're going to the Headmaster right now to report them."

"Lily, let it alone, it happens all the time."

Lily stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me?"

"That," said Aaron, waving his hand vaguely in the direction that the other boys had disappeared in. "The shoving, the name calling, the taking my stuff, it happens all the time."

Lily was absolutely appalled. "And you haven't told anyone?"

Aaron shrugged. "I just deal with it. They pick me out when I'm alone, rough my up for a bit, and then get bored and leave off. I try to stick with Bry as often as I can, but it's not always possible."

"You shouldn't have to 'just deal with it'," said Lily furiously. "What they're doing to you is wrong Aaron. It's bullying and it's homophobia and it's wrong."

Aaron just shrugged, not meeting her eyes.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Pretty much since I started at Hogwarts."

"Almost three years and you've never done anything about it? !"

Aaron mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that?"

"If I wasn't so flamboyant then they wouldn't pick on me so much."

Lily grabbed Aaron's hands. "Aaron. Aaron Towler. You look at me. You do not deserve to be treated like that! No matter how flamboyant you act! You are you and you are amazing and so, so special. You think I haven't had my fair share of things like that? You think Cassie hasn't? You think Trinity hasn't? We have. You don't have to put up with it and you don't have to deal with it on your own. You have friends so you can talk to them. You are not alone."

Aaron's eyes filled with tears. "I—I'm not?"

Lily pulled the younger boy against her chest. "Shhhh, honey, shhhh. No, of course not. You have me and Cassie and Trinity and Bryan and Dawn and Marica. We're your friends and we love you and we will not stand for these kinds of things to be happening to you. Oh Aaron," she said, as the boy began to cry in earnest, "honey, you should have told us."

"It w-wasn't your i-i-issue."

"Yes it is," said Lily fiercely, hugging him tighter. "We are your friends, Aaron. And an attack on you for being gay is an attack on all of us who are gay or lesbian or bisexual. You're so brave," she murmured, still holding him as his sobs slowly receded. "Three years of…this, and you still have the courage to so completely be yourself. You don't know how much I admire you for that. Don't ever lose that, Aaron."

The boy pulled back from her, wiping his puffy eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. "They didn't hurt you physically?"

"Not much," said Aaron. "Just a bruise or two when they pushed me down. Maybe not even that." He sniffled. "I must look just awful now though."

Lily smiled at him. "I think we can fix that." She pulled out her wand and waved it over Aaron. "Visio Abulo."

Aaron gingerly felt his cheeks and eyes. They were free of tearstains and puffiness.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Let's get back to Gryffindor Tower, alright?"

Aaron nodded, not protesting when she put an arm around his shoulders as they started to walk.

"Lily, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"Do you really admire me?"

"Immensely," said Lily. "How many third years have even a quarter of your self-confidence?"

"But how can you admire me?" he asked. "I'm fourteen, you're almost eighteen!"

"I'm starting to find that age sometimes has very little to do with it," said Lily.

*****BWST*****

Dawn and Marica, with whom Lily had broken silence to discuss the issue of Aaron and his bullies, were furious. Bryan was appalled. Cassiopeia and Trinity, as far as Lily could tell, were both.

"This isn't going to happen anymore," said Marica firmly, unconsciously crumpling up a piece of parchment on the table in front of her. "I'm a Head Girl. This ends now."

Aaron smiled slightly. "I doubt it will ever end, Marica, those guys are class A gits, and you guys can't be with me 24/7."

"We can try," said Dawn fiercely.

"Even though I'm gay that would still be slightly creepy," said Aaron.

Dawn and Lily both rolled their eyes at him.

"We didn't mean literally 24/7," said Lily.

"Exactly," said Aaron. "Look," he said, when the older girls frowned at him, "it's already been better since I've been friends with you, and I'm sure it'll get even better now. And I don't mean I'm going to take it lying down, not now that I know someone's got my back."

"Damn right we do," said Trinity.

Apparently that sparked something in Aaron's memory, because he said, "Did I tell you guys that Lily swore when she found the guys picking on me?"

*****BWST*****

Lily didn't think she'd ever received two letters from James in the same week before. Then again, he'd never gotten to play in a real Puddlemere United game before.

Lily,

WE WON THE GAME! AND I MADE TWO GOALS!

James

Okay, so it wasn't much of a letter, but it made Lily smile. She scribbled back,

James,

Congratulations! Just don't let it go to your head.

Lily

*****BWST*****

When Lily woke up the first day of April and saw the tree outside her window starting to bloom she realized it had been far too long since she had sent a letter to her cousin.

Louis,

Sorry I haven't written in so long, I've just been so busy here! NEWTs are coming up and the teachers are assigning more homework that I thought was humanly possible, plus we found out than some gits have been being gits to Aaron for being gay all this time and he never told us about it. Anyway, I just wanted to say hi, and I miss you, and you'd better be taking your allergy potion!

Hugs and Kisses,

Lily

Lily was not expecting to receive the return letter that evening.

Hey, Lils!

I bet you weren't expecting to get a reply so soon, eh? I actually got your letter right as I was about to write you. I must be psychic. What am I doing so close to you, you ask? I got an internship with a small publishing firm based in Scotland! I know, I know, why didn't I tell you I was applying for the internship? Even though I was obviously the best candidate for the position, I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up but my own in case I didn't get it. But I did get it, which not only means that I have a fantastic internship, it means that I can come down to Hogsmeade for your next trip there and grace you with my beautiful presence.

As for those bastards (gits is not a strong enough word) who were harassing your friend, I hope you gave them a piece of your mind! Bring him along to Hogsmeade with you again, I'd love to spend more time with him, he seems to be a kindred spirit. Besides the whole not liking girls thing.

Love you lots and see you soon,

Louis

Marica came up and sat down across from Lily. "Did you just get a letter—?"

"—from Louis? Yeah. Did you know about that internship?"

"Not a clue, but I'm so happy for him."

"And for yourself I'll bet," said Cassiopeia slyly.

"Well, yes, that too," said Marica, coloring slightly. "But that's beside the point."

"Or it's a completely different point," said Cassiopeia philosophically.

Marica opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then shook her head. "You'd think I'd be used to that kind of comment by now," she said to Lily.

Lily just smirked and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend. "She likes to keep us on our toes."

"It's good for you," replied Cassiopeia.

"And amusing for you," said Marica.

"Yes, that too."

*****BWST*****

Lily and Cassiopeia were entering the Great Hall, just a bit late, after losing track of time while…studying, when Hugo suddenly stepped in front of them.

"Hugo," said Lily irritably, "let us by. We're hungry and we—"

"I broke up with her."

"Excuse me?"

"I told Paige we were over. She asked me why. I told her she knew why. She told me to say it. I told her because I'd been cheating on her and she'd been allowing it. She told me it didn't matter, that we could fix things between us. I told her there was nothing to fix. She slapped me." Lily noticed for the first time that one of Hugo's cheeks was very red. "I just thought you might like to know." And he turned around and continued into the Great Hall and to the Slytherin table.

Lily let her face fall into her hands.

"And it was shaping up to be such a nice, drama-free week."

AN: I decided not to put the Hogsmeade weekend into this chapter, which makes it kind of short, but still over the 3000 word mark (barely). The Hogsmeade weekend will be a fairly big thing so I wanted to focus on it at the beginning of the next chapter rather than at the end of this one. After that we have 2 more months until the end of Lily's 7th year!

Thanks for reading. Getting reviews is always lovely :)

-SQ