"Get up!" Molly called from Lily's doorway. "Breakfast is in ten minutes!"
Lily growled and rolled back over, placing a pillow firmly over her eyes and ears, hoping to block out the noise and light from the hallway. Her scar was prickling again. She felt like she really needed to remember something, but no matter how hard she tried, it just kept slipping away.
"Come on, Lily," Hermione said in a very quiet, very subdued voice. That was her fault. Hermione didn't like that Lily was falling back into her solemn, silent ways of the previous year. She was supposed to be happier now that they weren't in Hogwarts.
That, and Lily didn't let her come back into the room on that fateful day until far too late. It wasn't entirely her fault (although it could be argued that way); she couldn't hear a thing through her Imperturbable Charm set on the door. Hermione ended up having to go outside and toss things at the window to grab her attention, and that definitely took far too long, as Lily was fully engrossed in her tinkering and enchanting. She thought for sure the clinks the first few stones made were indications of progress and definitely not the work of an irate woman a few floors below.
"You go first," Lily said. "I have a headache."
"That's because you were up all night," Hermione said as she rose. That was another thing they were rowing about. Lily was up until nearly sunrise each morning, working away at her desk, while Hermione tossed and turned on the ground behind her. Several times Hermione threatened to go sleep in Ginny's room, but she never did. Lily did feel bad about that one, but she also told Hermione to tell her when she was up too late, and the girl never uttered a single word about it until well into the day.
"Sorry," Lily said for not the first time. She knew she was being terrible, but she needed to get this all done. She only had so much time left.
"There won't be any hot water left," Hermione said as she crouched near her trunk. Lily could tell by the distance of her voice.
"There already isn't," Lily said. She was used to cold showers. That was all she ever got, since she was almost always the last to rise (although she could occasionally wrangle a hot shower by staying in bed even longer).
"You'll be seeing Cedric soon," Hermione said happily. Lily supposed she was trying to move on.
"Yeah," Lily mumbled. "Looking forward to it!"
"Which is why you should go first," Hermione said. "Don't you want to look your best?"
"I could show up a hot mess and he probably wouldn't mind."
"Are you willing to take that chance?"
"Yes."
"Suit yourself," Hermione said as the door clicked shut behind her.
Despite her reluctance, as soon as Hermione was out of the room, Lily found she was wide awake. With a big sigh, and a groan as she moved her tired muscles, she managed to get herself out of bed and over to her wardrobe. They were supposed to wear Muggle clothing to the Cup (although Lily was certain most people would not follow that particular rule). The only Muggle clothing Lily owned (that fit, anyway) was what she always exercised in, and that was laying in a stinky pile in the middle of her floor (well, along the wall, actually, since Hermione slept on the floor).
"Ah, well," Lily said, grabbing a set of wizard's robes. If she got in trouble for it, then it was just another thing to add to the list. As she closed the wardrobe, she happened to catch her reflection in the mirror.
She was startled to find she didn't have any hair at all, not even a trace of an eyelash or eyebrow. That set her into a right panic for her wand, which she found still laying on her desk amidst the scatted watch parts, diagrams, and crumpled papers, only to turn back in time to see her hair growing from her scalp, the familiar dark red curling around her shoulders.
"Huh," she said, setting her wand back down again. That was new. Normally, it took at least a bit of effort to get it back to normal. She ran a hand through it, worried it might be a bit thicker than normal, but she supposed it didn't matter, since she was likely going to tie it back anyway.
After a hurried breakfast, the whole family (sans Molly and Percy, who weren't going, as well as Bill and Charlie, who were allowed a lie in) were hiking through the woods. Lily's feet felt just as heavy as her eyes as they trudged through the dewy grass. Everybody kept yawning as they moved, all except for Arthur, who seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.
"Fine weather for a game," he said after half an hour. "If we're lucky, it'll keep all night."
"Why couldn't we go last night?" Ron grumbled from behind Lily and Hermione.
"Portkey wasn't scheduled until today," Arthur said.
"What's a portkey?" Lily asked as she scratched at her prickling scar.
"It's a way to travel long distances," Hermione explained sleepily. "You key an object to a specific location and time, then the people that want to use it touch it at the appropriate time to go there."
"Close, Hermione!" Arthur said happily. "You don't have set a time, only if you want to leave it for somebody else. If everybody is already there, then you can just have it set to a touch, and they can all grab it at once."
"I was getting there," Hermione said with a yawn.
"How come she knows all that and you don't?"
"Shut up, Ron," Lily said, elbowing him back. "I don't even know what class that'd be in."
"I read it in a book, actually," Hermione said, "although Professor Flitwick said we'd be covering it in our seventh year Charms, under strict supervision by the Ministry."
"I wonder when we'll be doing it, then," Lily said.
"Actually, I've been doing some reading on our upcoming curriculum," Hermione said all very quickly. "The two schools have a very similar realm of study, even though they have some class differences. I think we'll likely be covering the spell during our-"
"Hermione," Lily said kindly, "My brain isn't anywhere near awake enough to retain all this. Can you save it for later?"
"Sure," Hermione said, "but I think you'll be alert soon enough. Your boyfriend's right over there."
"I'll kill him," Ron said as Lily turned to see where Hermione was pointing. Cedric was waiting off the trail a little way ahead, his father prodding him excitedly and beaming over towards her. Lily waved at the two of them and then used the same hand to cover a yawn.
"Down, lad," Neville said with a yawn of his own.
"Good morning!" Cedric said happily as he jogged over, his father falling in step with Arthur ahead.
"What's good about it?" Ron grumbled.
"Plenty, Ron," Lily said. "We're going to see the Quidditch World Cup, aren't we?"
"Couldn'y have let us have a lie in, like Bill and Charlie, no," Ron said, dragging the last work out. "Merlin forbid they just take a few turns apparating us there."
"Yeah, well, mum didn't want them taking sidealongs, did she?"
"Guess not," Ron said, scratching at the side of his nose. "Still reckon they could have done."
"Charlie, he's the one that played Quidditch, right?" Cedric asked. "Don't think I ever got the chance to play against him."
"You would have lost," Ron said.
"Don't be so sure, young man," Mr. Diggory said from ahead. "Cedric's the only one to take a game off Potter in her prime, isn't he?"
"What the bloody hell am I, then?"
"Apparently, I wasn't yet in my prime, Ron," Lily said with a shrug.
"Really, though, that'll be a thing to tell the grandchildren, eh, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory said, elbowing him jovially with a fond glance back at Cedric and Lily.
"I think it's a bit too early for that, Amos."
"Never too early to have a plan, is it?"
"Merlin, this is mortifying," Cedric said quietly.
"You're the one who told him," Lily said with another yawn. When her hand came back down, she linked it with Cedric's, who seemed very nervous about her touch.
"So," Cedric said. "Err- the Weird Sisters have a- a concert in Diagon next week. Dad said he could get us some tickets, if you want to go."
"What day?" Lily asked. "Hermione and I have to leave soon, her parents are taking us abroad before school starts."
"23rd," Cedric said nervously.
"Day before we go, Lily," Hermione said, nudging her gently.
"Yeah, alright, then," Lily said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face with her free hand.
"You sure?" Cedric said, sounding extremely pleased.
"It sounds lovely," Lily said, hoping he wouldn't ask her to name a single song of theirs. The best she could do was "one of their songs mentions a hippogriff, don't it?" She found her own taste in music included a lot of what Ron and the twins ridiculed as "girly," even though Ginny was a girl and didn't want anything to do with it, either.
"Front row!" Amos said loudly, laughing as he slapped Arthur on the back. "Already got them, knew she'd say yes, didn't I, my boy?"
"Yeah, alright," Cedric said, his face flushing.
"I could have said no," Lily said with a shrug. "Who knows? I could still change my mind. I'm an enigma."
"A Listery, actually," Hermione corrected quietly.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
"Yeah, a real nut case."
"What did I say about speaking, Ron?"
"Who knows? You're an enigma."
"Shut up, Ginny."
"So, where are you going on Holiday?" Cedric asked.
"Holiday?" Lily asked, her brows crinkled together as she thought.
"You forgot to tell him, Lily," Hermione said with another nudge.
"Oh, right!" Lily said, slapping her forehead. "Sorry, Cedric, but- err- well- this is a bit awkward, since I already said yes to everything, but- I'm not going back to Hogwarts."
"You what?" Cedric said stopping in his tracks and staring at her in horror.
"Don't read the paper, do you, mate?" Neville asked. He seemed surprised to hear the words coming from his own mouth.
"I'm going to Beauxbatons," Lily said, brushing away that pesky hair again. "Got my classes picked and everything."
"No Hogwarts?" Cedric asked in disbelief.
"No Hogwarts," Lily confirmed. "I'll be back for the Holidays, though, if you still want to see me."
"Well, Beauxbatons!" Amos said with a chuckle. "Well, that won't be a worry at all, will it, Arthur?"
"They're not supposed to know, Amos," Arthur said, eyes on Lily.
"Know what?" Ron asked.
"I'll tell you later," Arthur said, still looking at Lily. She was starting to feel uncomfortable and just a tad angry.
"Brilliant," Lily said as she pulled Cedric forward. "If there's one thing I love, it's secrets."
"He's been hinting at something all summer," Cedric said, falling into step with her ahead of the pack.
"So has Percy," Lily said. She'd hoped that if Mr. Weasley knew, too, he would have said something about it. Now she just had to hope Sirius didn't know, either; he promised there'd be no secrets.
"What do you think it is?"
Lily let out a sigh. "If I had to guess? I'd assume something that I'll hate. That's probably why he hasn't told me yet."
"So, Beauxbatons, huh?" Cedric said after an awkward pause. "You know, mum tried teaching me French ages ago, but it didn't stick."
"If you're thinking of following me, forget it."
"Of course not," Cedric said with a laugh. "Heard their Quidditch teams are rubbish. You'll have a hell of a time getting them into shape."
Lily scoffed. "You assume I still want to play."
"Lily, you bought a Firebolt."
"Fair enough."
"Guess we'll just have to make the most of it during the Holidays. Blimey, the lads aren't going to believe we're actually dating, once they find out you've left school."
"I'm sure Dai would."
"Sure, but one bloke's word don't mean much against a hundred, does it?"
"What, do you want me to give you a signed letter? 'Yes, I, Hazel Lily Potter, am dating one Cedric Diggory. Please do not take the mickey.' That good enough? Any longer and I'll have to start charging by the letter."
"Perfect," Cedric said with a smile. "I expect to have it on my desk by tomorrow evening."
Lily scoffed again. "I put it there and you'll never find it. I saw how much rubbish you had on it last summer."
"Just send it through the post, then."
"Alright, but I better not find it in any shops. My signature's worth a lot these days."
"Enough for a Firebolt?"
"Don't even think about it."
The hike took them nearly an hour before they finally reached their destination, by which point only the Quidditch players weren't tired and winded. Lily was just starting to feel good, as a matter of fact, and could have easily gone for some drills. Unfortunately, she was not allowed to bring her broom with her, so that was out of the question.
It took them another ten minutes to find the Portkey. It was actually in Lily's assigned section (as they all split up to search), but during her daydreaming (and chatting with Cedric), she completely passed over it multiple times. It was just a smelly, patchy old boot, that had to have been left there by a Muggle hiker. She still wasn't certain it was actually magical up until it began glowing blue.
"Lily!" Arthur snapped at her, forcing her finger to touch it just before it lifted off, with all of them huddled around it.
There was a lot of spinning and a lot of pulling on Lily's insides as they swirled within the indigo vortex. It felt like they were caught inside of a harsh wind, blowing about like wrappers forgotten on the side of the street (only very, very fast). Lily was pretty certain that if it lasted any longer she was going to be sick.
And then she hit the ground, hard, sprawled together across the ground, Ron laying on top of her, Hermione near her side (all of them groaning in discomfort). Lily glanced up, spitting out some grass that got in her mouth. Cedric, Mr. Diggory, and Arthur were all still standing, looking no worse than if they'd been standing in a strong breeze.
"Seven past five from Stoatshead hill," said a voice.
"That'll be us!" Mr. Diggory said happily, approaching the two tired wizards with an outstretched hand. Neither man took it. One was too busy with a large, gold watch, while the other was holding the longest wreath of parchment Lily had ever seen.
"Morning, Basil," Arthur said, approaching the one wearing a very gaudy kilt (accompanied by a poncho, of all things). He handed the man the old boot, and he tossed it into a box of other used portkeys. Lily couldn't see into it very well, since Ron just absolutely refused to roll off of her.
"Hello there, Arthur," Basil said, sounding extremely weary. "Best head off. We've got a big group coming in at five-fifteen, from the Black Forest. Diggory, second field, ask for Mr. Payne. Arthur, you're first field, look for Mr. Roberts."
"Come on, you great lump," Neville said as he pulled Ron off Lily's back.
"Thanks, Nev," Lily said as she finally pulled herself off of the grass, aided by a strong hand from Cedric.
"See you after the game?" he asked hopefully. "I can always swing by. Maybe go for a walk?"
"That'd be lovely," Lily said, giving his hand a little squeeze. It felt like the right thing to do, although Lily thought Cedric might have been hoping for something else entirely, based on the disappointed look he gave when she walked off to join the rest of the family.
It was a quarter of a mile walk to their destination through the abandoned moor. Lily could hardly see a thing through the thick morning mist (which was incredible, given her freakishly good eyesight). Eventually, a small stone cottage with a gate came into view, where Hermione had to help Arthur exchange some notes with the Muggle tender. Lily was too busy trying to get a good glimpse at the distant tents (of which there appeared to be hundreds), as well as the woods further beyond where she could just make out the towering form of the stadium.
"That was awful," Hermione said as she stood up next to her.
"What?" Lily asked. "Arthur's not that bad, he's-"
"Not that," Hermione said. "Didn't you see the way those Ministry workers obliviated the poor man?"
"What?" Lily asked, feeling slightly horrified. She glanced back at the poor Muggle, his gaze distant and hazy, a bemused, stupid smile lining his face.
"Well, what else are they supposed to do, Hermione?" Ron asked. "They can't have him go and breaking the statute, can they?"
"I suppose not," Hermione said, chewing the nail on her thumb.
"They could have just had some wizards do it," Lily said angrily. "Send the poor sap on a holiday."
"It isn't like what happened to you, Lily," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "They're very specific with the memories they're targeting. They're professionals."
"Merry Christmas!" the man called after them as they began descending the hill.
They passed through another gate, this time entering the campsite proper, and began walking through the rows and rows of tents and campers. Some of the travelers at least tried to conceal their magical presence, using ordinary, plain, muggle tents. Others went the opposite direction, pitching what appeared to be miniature castles, complete with moats and wooden, fire breathing dragons (which seemed oddly counterintuitive). Some were constantly emitting noise, high pitched whirls and such, while others were eerily silent, with strange odours and gases flowing through the windows. One, Lily was entirely certain, was actually producing the very mist they were walking through, based on the way it seemed to pool around them and the ground.
"Ah, it's beautiful, isn't it?" Arthur said fondly. "We just can't seem to stop ourselves from showing off whenever we get together."
Eventually, they came to their little spot on the campground, with a little sign that read as "Wazlib's" pitched into the ground.
"Suppose that's us?" Fred said with a smile.
"Well, it certainly isn't me," Lily said with a snort. "Don't imagine anybody would get my name wrong."
"Don't get a big head, now," Neville said.
"I happen to have a perfectly modest head, thank you very much."
"Oh, yeah," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Practically egoless, aren't you?"
"Here," Arthur said, handing Lily a thick bundle he'd been carrying all day. "Help me get the tent set up, all of you."
"Can't you just use magic?" George asked with a groan.
"Aren't supposed to," Arthur said at the same moment a loud boom came from the tent next to theirs, pink, acrid smoke billowing out through the flaps. Lily moved the bundle up so she could squish her nose into it to block out the smell, only to have it taken away moments later by Arthur.
"Merlin, what is that?" Ginny said as she brought her shirt up to cover her face.
"Smells like somebody forgot to stew their Gillyweed," Lily said, her nose crinkled in disgust.
"And where would you learn that?" Hermione asked, her shirt also up over her nose. Lily looked away, knowing full well Gillyweed was an ingredient they'd yet to use in their schooling.
"Nowhere!" Fred said defensively.
"Mind your business!" George added
"I was helping them make things," Lily said, giving in. "Brewing potions isn't forbidden outside of school, Hermione."
"Not a word more," both twins said.
"Can't have you giving away any of our secrets," George added.
"You know, Lily," Arthur said from the ground, where he was attempting to nail some sort of spike into the ground using a screwdriver, "you could try using those potion skills of yours for good."
"She is!" Fred said.
"I am!" Lily agreed. Or, at least, she hoped so. Fred and George never told her exactly what they wanted the Water Resistant Additive for.
"Here, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said with a sigh, kneeling down on the ground to help the man.
Arthur, Hermione, Neville, and Ron were the only ones that attempted to pitch the two tents. Lily, for one, had never been camping, nor ever seen a tent, and had absolutely no idea what-so-ever how to go about setting one up. She knew how to use a hammer even less than Arthur did, and she'd spent most of her life around Muggles.
So, instead, she, the twins, and Ginny were tasked with fetching water so they could make some lunch. Ron and Neville slipped off some time before that (Lily only briefly offended that they hadn't thought to invite her).
Most of the campers surrounding them were rooting for the Irish, and they decorated accordingly, their tents and belongings adorned in green and white. Many of the witches and wizards were trying to wear Muggle clothing, although many more forewent the expectation entirely (as expected). One man in particular was arguing with a Ministry official about his choice of wearing a long, flowery nightgown that Lily was sure came out of Petunia's closet, based on how completely dreadful it was.
In addition to the sights, there were also sites and stalls selling every single thing Lily could think of and far more. The ones that got Lily the most excited were the foods she'd never seen nor heard of. She bought kebabs, covered in spices that made her mouth flame (sometimes literally), she bought sweet drinks made from fruits Petunia would have sneered at, she bought some sort of strange meat wrapped in a flatbread and covered in some sort of strange sauce to accompany it, she bought another one of those fruity drinks at a different stand to wash the taste from her mouth, and she capped it all off with some very spicy curry bought from a very kind Mr. Patil (his daughters Padma and Parvati standing mortified behind him when it nearly killed her).
She really should not have finished that particular dish, but when it wasn't being molten lava as it slid down her throat, it did taste very good. Mr. Patil even offered her another smooth, fruity drink free of charge for showing such genuine interest in their cuisine (she may or may not have ordered a couple different dishes just to try them). That one felt thicker than the previous ones, but she liked it the best and bought a full round of them for the other kids. When they finally moved on, Mr. Patil invited her to visit his restaurant any time she felt, and she kept the location in her mind, firmly intending on doing just that.
There were also trinkets and souvenirs being sold all around the campgrounds. Lily purchased a full set of robes, waistcoat, half-trousers, socks, belt, hat, boots, gloves, and even a funky pair of glasses, all proudly displaying the Irish colours. The hat even had a little shamrock on it that spun and glowed whenever you touched it. Ginny joked that it made her look exactly like a leprechaun (which was what she was going for) and Fred and George took the chance to teach her a funny little dance (that she took very well to). She hardly even had to pay for the ensemble; the merchant was willing to make a trade for her old robe, so long as she autographed it so he could resell the thing. Lily was very careful to make sure she didn't leave a single hair on it before handing it over. She also chose to ignore that her hair was a brighter red, bordering on orange, as well as far curlier and ending just at her neck, and chalked it up entirely to some sort of charm placed on the hat.
She bought a set of omnioculars for everybody (at 10 Galleons a pop, it took a large chunk of the coin she'd brought with her), which had a wide variety of functions and lenses to enhance their enjoyment of the upcoming game (the pamphlet she was given with them made her head spin). She also bought a custom wizard chess set of the two playing teams (white was replaced with green for Ireland and black was replaced with red for Bulgaria), both Seekers taking the spot of the king (Viktor Krum's looked especially grouchy). That, she hid away, intending to give it to Ron as a Christmas gift. After that, her Weasley companions complained that she was taking far too much time, and they really wanted to get a move on. Lily was pretty sure they were just grumpy that they'd already used up all their pocket money (Fred and George didn't buy a single thing the entire time, even though she was sure they wanted to).
As they waited in line to fill their bucket with water, they were approached by dozens of people they knew from school. Oliver Wood was there, happily telling him that he'd gotten a spot playing for Puddlemere United, his favourite Quidditch team. Padma and Parvati came by, as well, to fill their own bucket. Both of them complimented Lily on her outfit, but Lily was pretty sure they were mocking her in some subtle way she didn't understand. She didn't care, though. She didn't let it ruin her own enjoyment. She even showed off for them by doing the jig the twins taught her (Fred and George happily joining in).
They were also greeted by Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, although Seamus seemed to be doing his best to not look at Lily at all, even when she tried to show him her dance. Dean just kept smiling and laughing at his reactions, as if it was the funniest joke he'd ever seen, and even tried to rope him into dancing with her, but it was a no go. After those two, everybody that came up were people Lily had never met, up to and including the small blonde girl that chatted with Ginny for what seemed like ages.
"We've been here for a few days," she said in a dreamy voice. "It's been wonderful, really. Gave us plenty of time to ask some visitors about the creatures they've seen in their native lands."
"What kind of creatures?" Lily made the mistake of asking. She was just losing patience with being ignored and waiting in the longest queue of her life.
"Oh, all sorts of things, really," the girl said, a smile lighting across her face. "Father found some evidence of Heliopaths, although they seem to have moved on already. He thinks Fudge might have had them corralled in the Ministry, although he doesn't know what he'd be using them for. Yet."
"What are Heliopaths?" Lily asked genuinely. Ginny let out a little groan, but that only seemed to make the blonde girl more excited, and she spent the next quarter of an hour telling Lily all about the fiery, horse-like creatures.
"And, by all accounts, they can be rather nice, when you aren't intruding on their territory," the girl said, coming to a quick stop as she glanced up at the sky. "I really should be going, Ginny. Father's expecting me back around 2:15."
"See you on the train, then," Ginny said, waving as her strange friend walked off without so much as another word. Lily realized she'd never gotten the girl's name, but she supposed it didn't matter too much. She'd probably never see her again.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all fun and games. Her newfound notoriety amongst the press also meant that quite a few people approached just to scream at or belittle her. Those folks were very "kindly" sent along by Fred and George, and even once Gwenog Jones (which absolutely made Lily's day).
"Don't believe a word of it," she said after slugging one particularly rude gentleman. "And, even if it was true, I'm sure you had a good reason for doing it. Buggers had it coming, you ask me."
Lily couldn't help but agree, and after securing an autograph and a hug (in exchange for Lily promising to play for the Harpies once she was done with school), Gwenog Jones left her with a promise to send tickets for the upcoming season.
"Want my biggest fan there, after all," Jones said with that classic wink, holding Lily tightly by the shoulder as they posed for a photo (Lily was sure she had the biggest, dumbest smile of her life on her face).
With their water bucket finally filled, and the sun well past its height, they finally started heading back towards their tent. That was when they ran into the absolute last person Lily wanted to see, although she couldn't lie to herself about the fluttering feeling she felt inside as soon as the two girls locked eyes.
"Hello," Katie said shyly, moving slightly behind Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson, both of whom seemed very happy to see the remainder of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Hello," Lily said, feeling much the same. Katie's hair was longer, her eyes were still a pretty shade of green (and every time they flickered towards Lily's, her heart started beating faster), she was just a bit taller than before, and her smile was great, even when it seemed a bit fake and-
Stop, Lily thought to herself. We're not doing this, you promised.
"You look good," Katie said.
"So do you," Lily offered, her eyes locked onto the bell-shaped earrings Katie was wearing. The fact that she kept her gift, after everything, made Lily feel things she couldn't even begin to describe even if she did have her journal on her. She hoped she'd figure it out by the time she got back home.
"Supporting the Irish, then?" Katie said with a smile, her native accent showing just a bit more, her eyes glancing up and down Lily's outfit (lingering ever so slightly on places that made Lily feel very fuzzy).
"No, thought I'd give Krum a shot," Lily said, trying to instill a bit of confidence into her voice, a hand running through her hair. "I just dress like this."
"Well, it's a good look," Katie said, her hand pulling playfully at Lily's hat, pulling the brim over her eye's. "Very green."
"I didn't know you were coming to the cup," Lily said as she fixed it, forcefully moving her hands away from her hair so she wouldn't fuss with it.
"I wasn't going to," Katie said, "but Alicia got extra tickets, and she invited both of us. Begged my parents for months to get tickets, but they just went and did it for themselves, didn't bother getting one for me."
"So, they're here, then?" Lily asked.
"Yeah," Katie said, one hand toying with a lock of her hair, driving Lily crazy. "They almost didn't let me come, but Alicia's talked them into it."
"Noticed you haven't written me," Lily said awkwardly. "Kept a tin near my desk for Monty and everything."
"I didn't think I should," Katie said, brushing that pretty lock of hair fully out of her face. "Considering you rejected me, and everything."
Lily suddenly realized, now that the pretty girl was standing very close to her, that the others seemed to have formed a closed circle without the two of them, as if offering them a chance to catch up. That was the last thing she wanted, if her fast-beating heart was anything to go off of. She wasn't supposed to be feeling this way anymore. That was the whole point of Cedric.
Calm down, Lily thought. Just stop thinking about her. That's all you have to do.
"So," Katie said nervously as the rest of the Quidditch team chatted and caught up near them. "I- err- heard you're dating Cedric, now."
"How- where did you hear that?" Lily said. "We only just started!"
"We ran into him a little earlier," Katie said, her eyes looking anywhere but Lily's, even though the back part of Lily's mind desperately wanted them to meet. "He told us after Angelina asked him out an hour ago."
"Brilliant," Lily said. That explained why the dark-skinned girl kept shooting her nasty looks.
"Thought you didn't want to date anybody," Katie said, just a hint of hurt in her voice.
"That's not what I said and you know it," Lily said.
"Sorry."
"Look, Katie," Lily said, pulling the girl slightly further away. "I'm sorry, alright? If it makes you feel better, I doubt this is going anywhere. We're going to different schools, and Cedric's- well, he's Cedric. He'll have girls clawing for him the instant he gets on the train."
"I just thought you were- well, like me," Katie said. Lily hated how hurt she sounded.
"I told you I wasn't," Lily said quietly.
"You didn't tell me a thing," Katie said, her face growing red and all traces of that wonderful smile completely vanishing. "All you said was 'I can't,' but you never said why! All you did was get my hopes up and then crush them seconds after."
"That's not what happened," Lily hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling slightly further away.
"Then what did?" Katie asked, crossing her arms.
"I kissed you, didn't I?" Lily asked. "Isn't that enough?"
"I don't want one kiss," Katie said. "I wanted you to go out with me. I thought you liked girls, just like me."
"You seemed awful accepting of it on the train!"
"Because you were leaving!" Katie said a bit too loudly (Ginny was definitely giving her a glare). "I thought you couldn't because you wouldn't be here!"
"I won't be!" Lily said defensively.
"Then why Cedric? Why- why not date me?"
"I can't," Lily said coldly and more quietly, "because I don't like girls. I'm normal."
"And I'm not?" Katie shouted. "Is that it? You think I'm some sort of freak?"
"No!" Lily said quickly, backing up a step. "I don't- I didn't mean-"
"Goodbye, Lily," Katie said angrily, turning back towards the tent she was sharing with the other girls. "I hope you like Beauxbatons."
"What was that?" Ginny said suspiciously as she stepped up to her, her eyes narrowed at her fellow Quidditch player's back.
"Good going, Potter," Angelina said as she moved past, the ever-silent Alicia at her side giving her a glare of similar wrath. Lily thought about lying, though about denying it just like she'd done on the train, just to preserve Ginny remaining friendly to her for a bit longer.
"I don't know," Lily said instead. All she did know was that her heart was aching, even though she desperately wished it wasn't.
Lily was still feeling morose once they got back to the tents (by which point, Charlie and Bill had arrived and were trying to help their father start a fire with matches), even with a plate of food sitting in her hands. She almost considered not eating it all, since she didn't feel very worthy of it. But that was a stupid thought, and one Remus made very clear she wasn't supposed to humour anymore, so she ate just as much as she wanted to, hoping it'd feel the void she was feeling inside.
Even giving Ron, Neville, and Hermione their omnioculars didn't cheer her up, nor did Ron's laughing at her outfit or Hermione's offer to dress the same (with a sharp glare at the red-headed boy). So, Lily just kept sitting there, eating some uncounted meal of the day, trying to convince herself that the heartbreak she was feeling was not what she thought it was, and that her lingering thoughts on the softness of Katie's lips weren't there at all.
"What do you think, Lily?" Hermione asked, turning to her. Lily glanced between Ginny and Hermione, wondering what on earth she was supposed to be answering here.
"I think it's rubbish?" she said hopefully.
"You think the Irish team is rubbish?" Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow. "With what you're wearing?"
"No," Lily admitted. "I- err- sorry. I was eating, thought you were talking about Bulgaria."
"Oi," Ron said from near Neville, "Bulgaria's not rubbish, not so long as it's got Krum."
"You rooting for them, then?" Ginny asked, her eyes narrowed.
"Well, no," Ron admitted sheepishly, "but it doesn't hurt to recognize greatness, and that's what Krum is."
"Yes, Ron," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "'Krum's an artist, a master of his craft, the finest Seeker in centuries.' Haven't you had enough of sucking his-"
"Oi!" Ron said as he tossed a roasted potato at her. Lily picked it off her jacket and plopped it straight into her mouth.
"You know, it's quite interesting, the support for Ireland," Hermione said, taking a look around them at all the colours and flags. "With what's going on in the Muggle world, I would have thought that at least a bit of it would bleed into the wizarding one."
"Why would it?" Ginny asked. "What's going on with you Muggles?"
Hermione just laughed at that. "Sorry, Ginny, but I am not getting into that one."
"Oh, come on," Ron said. "You can't bring it up and then not elaborate."
"Sure, I can," Hermione said with a shrug. "You'd probably learn about it if you hadn't dropped Muggle Studies."
Ron snorted and took a bite of his food. "What's the point? That class was rubbish and you know it."
Hermione let out a little sigh. "Yes, I suppose it was. They really should have hired someone that actually knows about the Muggle world. Professor Burbage is nice and all, but I don't think she'd be able to tell the telly from the radio, and you lot have those."
"I thought a 'telly' was just a big box of pictures," Ron said.
"Yes, Ronald," Hermione said with a much longer sigh. "But the pictures happen to move and make sound."
"Don't see what's so strange about that," Neville said.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't," Hermione said, letting out her longest one yet. "Don't suppose you could help me out here, Lily?"
"Hmm?" Lily asked, looking up from her boots. "Oh, sorry. What were we talking about?"
"Are you feeling alright?" Hermione asked kindly, placing a hand on top of hers. Lily moved hers away, feeling uncomfortable. She noticed Ginny staring at them and did her best to ignore it.
"Yeah, Lily," Fred said with a grin. "You're looking a little green."
"I'm just thinking," Lily said, trying to plaster a smile on her face. "Really, I'm fine."
"Sure it wasn't that curry you ate?" Ginny asked, seeming to get over her brief disgust.
"Well, maybe," Lily said. Her lower body did keep making very strange noises.
"You ate some curry?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I was hungry!"
"How many meals does that make?" Ron said with a laugh, pointing at her now-empty plate. "Blimey, it's no wonder that you're-"
"Don't finish that sentence, Ron Weasley."
"I was only-"
"I'm warning you-"
Pop!
Lily nearly lost her seat as two men apparated into their little campground. One of them roared with laughter, while the other quickly moved to catch her (even though she was no longer in any danger of falling, having caught herself).
"Get off, Sirius," she told her godfather.
"I was just-"
"I'm fine," Lily insisted.
"See, Sirius?" the stranger said. "I told you they'd be right here."
The man was a bit portly, although he seemed to have some remnants of muscle, as if he was once quite the athlete. Now, though, he was moving towards fat, with nearly no hair left on his head at all. His face was lined, as if he spent most of his life smiling, and he was wearing yellow and black striped robes, his waistcoat proudly emblazoned with a great, fat bee.
"Ludo Bagman," he said, stretching a hand out to her once he noticed her watching. "You must be the Potter girl!"
"Hazel," Lily said, taking the hand reluctantly. "You used to play with the Wasps?"
"You've heard of me, then?" Bagman said happily.
"No," Lily said. "I was only-"
"Not surprised," Bagman said, seemingly not hearing her. "Used to be quite the Beater, back in the day. Could have played with England my last two years, if I hadn't torn my shoulder. Ah, well. Ministry treats me well enough."
"Ludo heads the Department of Magical Games and Sports," Arthur said from nearby.
"Sure do!" Bagman said, patting his belly as he laughed. "Whole setup here was my idea, matter of fact! Between this and the Triwizard Tournament, we've been quite-"
"Ludo!" Arthur said sharply.
"What's the Triwizard Tournament?" Lily, Fred, George, Ron, Neville, and Ginny all said together.
"Ah, well, cat's out of the bag now, isn't it?" Bagman said happily, his laugh getting louder. Arthur glowered at him while Sirius seemed very confused.
"The Triwizard Tournament is a magical competition held between the largest magical schools of Europe," Hermione said studiously. "Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts each take turns hosting it, the last one held at Durmstrang in 1792. The next one was supposed to be at Hogwarts, but it was discontinued because of the high death toll."
"Death toll?" Lily asked in horror.
"Bet it had a wicked prize for winning," George said greedily.
"1,000 Galleons!" Bagman said with a wink. "Well, accounting for inflation, anyway."
"Lovely," Lily said with a sinking heart. "I'm assuming it's back, then?"
"Sure is!" Bagman said with gusto. "Ol' Crouchie and I spent the better part of five years getting it back on track, negotiating with the schools and what not."
"Please tell me I don't have to go back to Hogwarts," Lily said with a hopeful look at Sirius and Arthur.
"Sorry, Lily," Arthur said with a thin smile. "We wanted to tell you after the World Cup, the final details aren't supposed to be settled until-"
"Actually," Bagman interrupted, "Maxime and Karkaroff just signed yesterday, a few days early. The tournament is on!"
"Lovely."
"I promise, Lily, I knew nothing about this," Sirius said, a deep frown on his face.
"You won't have to actually participate," Arthur said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Nobody under 17 allowed."
"Rubbish!" the twins said together.
"Oh, don't you fret," Bagman continued with another laugh. "There will be plenty of events, competitions, and prizes for the younger students, too. Beauxbatons and Durmstang will be bringing their whole roster. We have art, painting and sculpting both, dueling, writing, drama, Quidditch, you name it, it'll be there, and there'll be a cash prize for the best of them."
"Wicked," the twins said, nudging each other with huge smiles.
"I thought it was just the tournie?" Arthur said.
"You really have to keep up, my good man," Bagman said with a wink. "Beauxbatons insisted the arts be represented, so we added those, and then Karkaroff insisted on dueling and Quidditch, which makes sense, considering who he has, so we added those, too."
"So I have to go back to Hogwarts, then?" Lily grumbled.
"If you want," Sirius said, bending low to look her in the eyes. "I can pull you out of school for the year, teach you myself. You don't have to go, not if you don't-"
"And deprive her of this prime opportunity?" Bagman said in shock. "Why, who doesn't want to go to Hogwarts, anyway?"
"Think you're the one out of the loop now, mate," Fred said.
"It'll be fine," Lily said, hoping to convince herself. "I'll manage."
"That's the spirit!" Bagman said, clapping her on the back with a laugh.
Pop!
Another man apparated onto their site, this one prim and proper in an actual Muggle suit. If they weren't surrounded by so much whimsy and wonder, Lily would never have assumed he was a wizard, even after he teleported directly in front of her. He was clean-shaven, except for the expertly trimmed moustache on his lip, and he was staring at a golden watch, the chain trailing towards his pocket.
"Bagman," he said without looking up. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"Well, I'm here!" Bagman said with a chuckle.
"Quite," the man said, tucking the watch into his jacket. Lily noticed his gaze linger on her for just a second, setting her scar tingling, before moving on, the brief pain vanishing with it and leaving her confused. "Fudge needs your help with the Bulgarian minister."
"And you couldn't get it settled yourself?"
"Unfortunately not," the man said, just a hint of displeasure in his voice. "Some of us have other duties to attend to."
"I'll be there in a few," Bagman said, waving him off. The man's frown deepened, but he turned and disappeared with a second pop.
"Who was that?" Ron asked.
"Barty Crouch," Bagman said, waving it off with another hand. "Hasn't been an ounce of fun this entire time."
"Well, we have been busy, Ludo," Arthur said gently.
"Not that busy," Bagman said. "Say, Arthur, fancy a bit of a wager?"
"Pardon?" Arthur said. Bagman produced a little book from his pocket, a little pencil to go with it.
"I've been collecting bets on the game," he said. "Just a little fun, you know? Fancy one?"
"Oh- err-" Arthur said, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose- err- five sickles on Ireland, then?"
"Right, right," Bagman said, writing it all down and then handing Arthur a little ticket. "Keep that on you, and I'll take the coins. You come back to me with that if you've won, and I'll give you your winnings. What about the rest of you, then?"
"Ten Galleons on Bulgaria," Sirius said, producing the golden coins with a flourish of his hands and a wink at Lily.
Bagman chuckled as he pocketed the money. "Bulgaria, eh, with your goddaughter dressed in all that?"
"Sorry, Lily," Sirius said with another wink. "But they've got Krum, and you don't. Never seen anyone fly like him, not even James."
"I could take him," Lily grumbled.
"A shame you aren't playing for Ireland, then," Sirius said with a shrug. "Lynch is good, but he's taken one too many bludgers for a single season. Hasn't been right for the last few matches."
"What about the rest of you, then?" Bagman said, taking a look at all the teenagers sitting around.
"I don't want the kids gambling, Ludo," Arthur said.
"Nonsense," Bagman said, a keen eye watching Fred and George hurriedly digging through their belongings. "They're old enough to know what they want."
"I'll put twenty-five Galleons on the Irish," Lily said, shooting a good-natured glare at Sirius, digging out her purse.
"Excellent!" Bagman said, handing her a ticket.
"We'll put thirty-seven Galleons, eight sickles, and three knuts on Ireland- but Krum will get the Snitch," Fred said as George dug through his pockets.
"Oh, and a fake wand," George said as he handed the wooden stick over.
"Boys," Arthur said crossly. But Bagman was already waving the wand, and he laughed the loudest yet as it transformed into a rubber chicken.
"Brilliant!" he said. "Haven't seen a fake wand this convincing in ages! I'd give you five Galleons for that, let me just note it down, here."
Arthur seemed flabbergasted at Bagman's words, but Fred and George just seemed extremely proud of themselves.
"Right," Bagman said as he began writing in his book. "So, forty-two Galleons, eight sickles, and three knuts on Ireland, then?"
"But Krum will get the Snitch," Fred reminded him.
"Fat chance of that, boys," Bagman said with a chuckle. "I'll give you excellent odds on that one. Here you are, then, keep that safe, will you?"
George tucked the ticket securely into his pocket, both boys ignoring their father's stern gaze.
"Oh, best be off!" Bagman said as he finally checked his watch. "Signal should be coming any- ah, there it is now!"
As he said it, Lily heard a sharp whistle come through the trees. The trees near the camp border lit up, illuminating a sole path through the forest towards a bright stadium ahead. The tents around them blew up with rousing applause and cheers, some wizards even breaking into a dance, their strides happy as they skipped towards the big game. Lily saw Bagman say something, although she couldn't hear, to Arthur seconds before disapparating into nonexistence.
"Well, come on, then," Sirius said cheerily. "We've got a long climb ahead of us."
Lily hurried ahead of Hermione, trying to fall in with Fred and George.
"What was with the bet?" she asked quietly as they all joined the long queue in the shaded woods.
"Never you mind," Fred said. "It's our business, not yours."
"Sorry, Lily," George said, "but Fred's right on this one."
"I believe I recall you both saying you owe me one for breaking a certain Imperturbable Charm," Lily said. "What are you two up to?"
"Just making a bit of coin," Fred said.
"On a long odds bet?"
"It'll play out," George said. "It has to."
"And if it doesn't?"
Fred let out a little sigh. "Then I suppose we'll have to go with our backup plan."
"And that is?"
"Several years at a boring Ministry position while we gather the funds together," George said with a shrug.
"You know," Lily said carefully, "if the two of you need the money, you could always-"
"Not going to happen," Fred and George said together.
"But-"
"No, Lily."
"I'm only trying to-"
"We don't want your money," Fred said.
"This is something we have to do on our own," George said.
"Oh, come off it," Lily said. "I already have more money than I know what to do with, and I've already helped you with whatever you're planning. Or did you forget all those ingredients you made me buy in Knockturn Alley last year?"
"We paid you back for those," Fred said.
"Seven sickles," George said. "All in full, right after the package was received."
"It wasn't seven sickles," Lily said. "I just told you that because I knew you didn't have enough. It was thirty Galleons."
"Thirty?" Fred said in horror.
"Thirty-four," Lily corrected. "Mermaid blood alone was worth eighteen."
"Blimey, that would have cleaned us out," George said, closing into a huddle to discuss with Fred.
"We're going to have to rethink some of our ingredients."
"Or our prices! The one vial of mermaid blood only made a cauldron's worth, and we used all of that just on testing."
"So, let me help!" Lily interrupted.
"No!" the twins insisted.
"We can do this on our own, Lily," George said.
"At least let me cover you," Lily said. "Just in case it doesn't pay off, that way you at least don't lose what you have!"
The twins exchanged a brief glance, but Fred spoke up for them first.
"Fine," he said.
"Fred, I don't know," George said. "It's a lot of money."
"And it's money we need," Fred said.
"What odds did he give you, anyway?" Lily said, checking her coin purse. It was magically enchanted to hold more (and to only be openable by her), a gift from Gran so the Weasleys (or anybody else, for that matter) wouldn't know just how much she was carrying on her, let alone be able to steal any of it. On top of that, it even came with a handy dandy little keyword to summon it back into her possession, should somebody actually manage to make off with it.
She just wished it wasn't so ugly. She looked like an ancient grandmother lugging it around, but it was exceptionally useful.
"20:1," Fred said, reading off his ticket.
"Twenty to-" Lily sputtered, while George nodded his agreement. "Is he mad?"
"He did say he gave us excellent odds," George said with a smile.
"Bloody hell," Lily said, staring down at her purse in horror. "He'd have to pay out nearly a thousand if he lost, there's no way he has that much on him." Lily seriously doubted he had that much money saved at all, as a matter of fact. It was over twice the cost of a Firebolt, and that was commonly believed to be far too expensive for normal consumers.
Hell, he was offering slightly less than what the Triwizard Tournament was!
"You think he's having us on?" Fred said.
"He has to be," Lily said, still staring into her coin purse, trying to do the mental arithmetic to figure it out.
"He used to be pro," George said. "Made a lot of coin off all his endorsements and deals."
"But if he's handing out odds like this to everybody, I doubt he has enough to cover it," Fred said.
"You saw his little book," George said. "he didn't have that many names written down, I doubt anybody else was-"
"He is having us on!" Fred said. "It was a small list! Blimey, Lily's right, there's no way he has enough to cover it!"
"Yeah," Lily agreed. "I only have two hundred, myself. I'd have to write a cheque to cover the rest of it." Well, it was about 150, now that she thought about, since she made all those-
"Pardon?" the twins said at once, stopping in the path to gawk at her. Lily ran into them, unfortunately, as she wasn't paying well enough attention, which meant Hermione ran into her, creating a chain that Lily assumed went all the way back.
The twins were a lot nicer to her as they closed the rest of the distance, and even as they began climbing the near infinite amount of stairs to reach the Top Box. If the pace of their climbing had been any faster, Lily was convinced she would have died. She almost did as it was, since she had to practically carry Hermione up the steps. The girl could do seven floors, perhaps even a dozen, no problem at all several times on a daily basis. But the one hundred (and then some) of the Quidditch World Cup?
Needless to say, Lily was very grateful when she was met with an assortment of beverages when they finally reached the top. She settled on three glasses of water for her first set, while the rest of the ticket holders went to rest in their seats. Once she refilled, she didn't see quite what the big deal was. The Top Box had its own loo, meaning no need to head down to the public areas, and the trip down would be much easier.
She was less thankful for Sirius immediately herding her towards the Minister just as soon as she tried getting settled. Cornelius Fudge was, as every time she'd seen him, all fake smiles and sincerities, twirling his little bowler hat between his fingers right before giving her a firm handshake.
"Hazel Potter," he said, "so nice to see you once again! Are you doing well, dear girl?"
"Much better," Lily said, "now that I'm not surrounded by dementors every day."
"Yes, well," Fudge said awkwardly, looking taken a back. "Sorry about that, but surely you understand?"
"Of course, she does," Sirius said a bit stiffly. "She was just making a joke."
"Yeah," Lily said with a little laugh. "Just a joke."
"Ah, of course!" Fudge said, making a big show of laughing at it now that he understood.
"Just like all the articles being printed about me, as of late," Lily said, taking a sip of her drink. "I'm very interested in knowing how all that rubbish leaked." She greatly enjoyed the look of horror Fudge gave her at that.
"Play nice, Lily," Sirius said when Fudge was briefly distracted by the gentleman next to him.
"I will if he does," Lily said. Somebody had to leak the information, and she had a strong suspicion it couldn't be done without the willful ignorance of Cornelius Fudge.
"Hazel," Fudge said, grabbing onto her arm far too friend-like, "I'd like to introduce you to Minister Oblansk- Obolansk- oh, what of it- the Bulgarian Minister for Magic."
"Pleasure," Lily said as she shook hands with the giant man. His hands were very strong. He seemed confused as to why he was shaking hands with a fourteen-year-old girl, his other hand stroking his long, thick beard idly.
"Minister," Fudge continued, his hands pantomiming to his forehead and back to her, "this is Hazel Potter. Surely you know her name."
The Bulgarian man stared at Lily for a long time, his face crinkled in confusion. Lily let out a little sigh and then moved her hair (and hat) aside to give him a look at her scar. That seemed to get his attention, and he started whispering excitedly to his other foreign companions.
"Right," Fudge said, sounding grouchy. "He's had me miming all day, doesn't understand a word of English. Don't know where Crouch has gotten to, he's the one that's supposed to be dealing with them. Bloody foreigners. Be glad once this is all over."
"Excuse me, Minister," Sirius said after clearing his throat loudly. "I believe we're supposed to be in the spirit of 'International Magical Cooperation?'"
"Yes, yes," Fudge said, waving him off. "Can't even allow a man to vent a bit, can you, Black?"
"Afraid not," Black said. "You see, my Goddaughter and I have a game to watch."
"Right," Fudge said, straightening himself up and placing his hat back on his head. "Just a few photos, then, for the paper. Come along, Potter."
"Right," Lily said with a sigh. She hated photo ops, and she was sure she'd get some nasty words about how improper her current attire was.
Finally, mercifully, after a whole hour of "taking a few photos," she was allowed to claim her seat in the front row of the box, sinking deep into the cushion between Charlie and Hermione with a deeply exhausted sigh.
"Alright, Lily?" Charlie said as he took a bite of his food.
"If there wasn't a game, I'd probably sleep," Lily said, closing her eyes and leaning her head back.
"Tired of all the attention, Potter?" a familiar voice said from behind her.
"Bloody hell, Malfoy," Lily said, refusing to open her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Please try to ignore him, Lily," Hermione whispered.
"Minister invited us personally," Malfoy said with he no doubtimagined was a very convincing sneer. "You see, mother is friends with some very powerful people, and with that, come certain perks. Not anything you'd know about. How you lot got up here to infest the Top Box is beyond me. I doubt that hovel of yours is enough to cover even one seat. Perhaps a charity case?"
"Minister invited us, too," Lily said, finally opening her eyes. They immediately locked onto the blonde woman shaking hands with the Minister in the background. She wasn't bothering with Muggle clothing at all (neither was Malfoy, for that matter), and the long, flowing robes only seemed to accentuate her features and draw the eyes towards-
Normal thoughts. We just went over this with Katie.
"Yes, well," Malfoy said prudishly, "If we'd known that your like was up here, we may have declined. Mother's been quite busy, you see."
"Busy what?" Lily said, still staring at the woman, turning in her seat to get a better view, "Trying to find a replacement for dear old dad, is she?" She had very nice legs, and Lily was finding it very hard to convince herself to look away. The Minister told some sort of joke and she laughed at it, one hand grabbing his arm in her mirth while the other politely covered her mouth.
"Haven't you heard?" Malfoy said, that familiar sneer appearing on his face, apparently deciding not to comment on her jibe. Lily allowed her eyes to try and focus on the enemy in front of her. "I've been transferred to Durmstrang, now that Hogwarts has gone to the dogs. Mother couldn't stand hearing about everything that you kept getting away with. Father even resigned from his post as Governor."
"Forced out, more like," Lily said with a snort. "Gran already told me about the vote. Only person that voted to stay, wasn't he?" She tried to look away as the blonde lady approached them, but it was a very difficult battle. "Besides, way I've heard it, your father's had the both of you put out, hasn't he?"
Malfoy's face turned pink as the pretty lady placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Draco, darling," the woman said. "Would you like to introduce me to your friends?"
"Blimey, Draco," Lily said with a smile, "you didn't tell me your mum was so pretty. It's a shame you didn't get any of that, eh?" That was stupid of her, but she was feeling very stupid right now. She just hoped it would be taken purely as an insult towards the son.
"Charming," Mrs. Malfoy said with a tight smile. "You must be the Potter girl."
"A pleasure, I'm sure," Lily said. Lily noticed the emphasis, but she chose to ignore it. At least the son was avoiding his favourite nickname. Maybe he did learn something the previous year, after all.
Ah, well. At least she felt all the warm feelings for the woman vanish by the time she next opened her mouth to speak.
"Quite. It's a shame the Minister has chosen to deny your- let's say indiscretions- go without punishment. You've forced my son out of the school he oh-so-loved."
Lily snorted. "Maybe if your husband- sorry, ex-husband- wasn't such a huge prat, he might have heard that I've left Hogwarts before you pulled dear Draco out."
"What?" Malfoy said, his eyes narrowing. "You having me on?"
"'Fraid not," Lily said with a smile. "Don't worry, I won't ruin Durmstrang for you, too. I'm heading to Beauxbatons."
"Why?" Malfoy said. "You won the duel, you don't have to-"
"Draco, darling," his mum said, her hand noticeably tightening on his shoulder. "Why don't we go find our seats, hmm?"
"See you at school, Malfoy," Lily said with a wink.
Malfoy brushed his mother's hand away and moved closer again. "What are you on about now, Potter? You just said-"
"Oh, surely you've heard about the tournament?" Lily said with a sweet expression. "With how well connected your father is- oh, sorry, your mother- she must have done. Unless she didn't tell you?"
Malfoy's face went straight past pink to red. "Father told me, as a matter of fact, but the only one's allowed to compete are the older students. We won't be going."
"Not for the cup, no," Lily said with a laugh. "But Beauxbatons just so happens to be bringing their full roster for the other events and competitions."
"What do you mean other events?" Malfoy asked, his mother trying to pull him back again.
Lily laughed haughtily, covering her mouth innocently just as she'd seen his mother do with the Minister moments before. "Oh, I'd hate to spoil the surprise for you. It really is a surprise he didn't tell you that, too, though, what with all those connections of his! Perhaps he just doesn't care about you enough to mention it?"
"Don't talk about my father that way," Malfoy said, his face thunderous.
"Then don't be such an enormous prat," Lily said. "Hope you enjoy the match. Go Irish!"
Lily turned back to face the field as his mother finally managed to pull Malfoy away, no doubt muttering terrible things in his ear. She felt much better about herself, now, and decided that returning to Hogwarts against her will was all worth it just for that one conversation.
"You know, Lily," Hermione said, watching her carefully, "maybe you did belong in Slytherin."
"Hermione, that is about the worst thing you've ever said to me, and you've said some very hurtful things. But, don't worry, I forgive you, so long as you go grab me a- is that Dobby?"
"Dobby?" Ron said from two seats down, leaning backwards to follow Lily's gaze.
"Oh, now you pay attention?" Hermione said. "Why didn't you speak up about Malfoy?"
Ron snorted. "Lily can handle Malfoy. She doesn't need my help."
"Dobby?" Lily said again, louder this time, so the cowering House Elf in the row behind them could hear. The poor thing had its tiny hands covering its eyes, shaking from head to toe, even its long, bat-like ears quivering. It finally peeked out from under its fingers, revealing eyes that were very much not Dobby's.
"I is not being Dobby, Miss," the poor girl said in a very squeaky voice. "I is Winky, miss."
"Winky?" Hermione said softly. "Why are you up here all alone?"
"Master ordered Winky to save his seat," Winky said. "But Winky is being afraid of heights, so Winky covers her eyes, Miss."
"That's awful!" Hermione said.
"It is not being good or bad, Miss," Winky said, covering her eyes again. "Is just being."
"That makes sense," Ron said, turning back to look out over the balcony, his Omnioculars glued to his eyes. Lily was very tempted to do the same, but she could tell by Hermione's glare that doing so would be a very bad idea.
"Who's your master, Winky?" she asked. "We can go find him for you."
"There is no need, Miss," Winky said. "Master is being very busy. Master will come when he comes, and Winky will wait right here for him."
"We've got to be able to do something," Hermione muttered. Lily gently turned her to face back towards the front.
"Forget it, Hermione," she said. "If she won't tell us, then there's no point in looking around. Have you seen how many people are here?"
"I suppose," Hermione said, her fingers rising anxiously to her mouth. Lily gently placed them back on her lap. "I just hate the thought of her being stuck up here all alone."
"She'll be fine, Hermione," Ron said from next to her.
"She's terrified!" Hermione said. "Whoever her master is, he should be ashamed, leaving the poor girl up here all alone."
"She's a House Elf," Ron said. "I'm sure she doesn't mind."
"How can you say that?" Hermione said. "How would you feel if somebody ordered you to sit in a room full of spiders?"
"You'd have to kill me, first," Ron said. "But the difference is I'm not a servant."
"A slave, more like," Hermione said, crossing her arms.
"Hermione, as much as I am on your side," Lily said, "I don't think now is quite the time for it."
"If not now, then when?" Hermione asked. "Lily, I spent all of last year putting up with you using the poor elves down in the kitchens, but this? This is too much!"
"It's one little game, Hermione!" Ron said.
"And if her master will do this on such an important event, what do you think he does behind closed doors?" Hermione said.
"I think it might be a bit of a stretch to equate one situation to a lifetime of abuse," Charlie said from Lily's other side. "Perhaps her master doesn't know she's afraid of heights?"
"Oi, Winky!" Lily called out. "Does your master know you're afraid of heights?"
"No, Miss," Winky said from behind her hands. "Winky would never trouble Master with her fears."
"See?" Lily said, nudging Hermione. "Charlie's right."
"Then he's a terrible master!" Hermione said. "He couldn't even take the tiniest amount of time to find out if Winky would mind sitting all the way up here!"
"Alright, Hermione," Lily said with a sigh. "I get it. I'm with you. I did free Dobby. But there's nothing we can do about it, is there?"
"We could-"
"What, do you want me to ask Malfoy whose elf it is?" Lily said with a snort. "Fat chance of that."
"We could ask someone else," Hermione suggested.
"Tell you what," Lily said. "You go ask whoever you want, and if they tell you, I'll go with you to hunt them down, I promise."
"Fine," Hermione said with a huff, rising from her seat and storming off.
"Brilliant, that," Ron said from across the empty seat.
"I'm going to go help her," Neville said from next to her. Ron tried to pull him back down, but it was no use, and he was off at her heels.
"She's right, you know," Charlie said. "Elves have it pretty bad. They could do with a bit of help."
"I know!" Lily said. "I freed one already! But, Winky doesn't even seem that bad off, does she?"
"Well, no," Charlie admitted, his eyes still on the scared creature. "There's worse things than being afraid of heights. I'd wager a quarter of the people here feel the same way, and they still came to watch."
"So did Hermione," Lily said with another snort (she really needed to cut out that habit; it was very unladylike). "She spent all of our flying lessons in first year cowering on the ground."
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Ludo Bagman's amplified voice said from behind Lily, nearly making her lose her seat out of fright. "Welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
Bagman paused and allowed for the crowd to roar their enthusiasm. Lily joined her voice to theirs, chanting for the Irish, Ron screaming right next to her (he moved over to take Hermione's seat so he'd be less lonely).
"I'm Ludo Bagman, and I'll be your announcer for the evening on behalf of the Ministry of Magic!" Bagman said to more cheers. "Now, with great ado, allow me to welcome the Irish National Mascots!"
Lily rose along with the rest of the crowd, joining her voice to the deafening roar as a group of small, green clothed, red-haired creatures soared into the air. The leprechauns danced with each other, and wherever they moved, rainbows were left in their wake, each one raining false gold in their wakes (Ron was very disappointed to hear that when Lily explained it to him). A few leprechauns even soared down into the crowd in an attempt to get members to dance with them (Lily was very disappointed that none chose her).
"And, now!" Bagman roared. "Parents, cover your boys' eyes, because its time for the Bulgarian mascots to make their debut!"
"You heard him," Arthur said sharply. "Close your eyes, boys."
Lily shared a look with Ron, both of them rolling their eyes, and then she turned back to the field to see what all the fuss was about.
She was very startled to find the most beautiful women she'd ever seen in her life walk onto the field, the light of the stadium itself seeming to trail in their wake- no, seeming to come from them. There was an awful lot of music filling the stadium, now, and Lily found her brain glazing over, a warm, fuzzy feeling filling every inch of her body, her heart nearly beating fast enough to kill her as their song occupied every space in Lily's brain. They seemed to be calling to her specifically, and she desperately wanted them to notice her.
She needed to do something to grab their attention, it felt like it'd be physically painful if they didn't see her, didn't notice her. Her brain scrambled for possibilities, her voice trying to shout out all of the accomplishments she'd done, but it wasn't good enough, not with half the stadium shouting along with her. She had to do something better, she had to stand out, and there was only one thing she could think of that these blokes didn't have. She could feel herself standing, but she didn't care, she had to do it, she just prayed that they'd look up and see her-
"Easy there," Charlie said with a nervous laugh, a firm hand on her shoulder.
"What?" Lily said, blinking back into reality, the fuzzy feeling gone and replaced with embarrassment. Her jacket was off, laying on the seat behind her, and she was doing her best to unbutton the shirt she was wearing underneath. She made a little squeaking noise and then sat back down, hurrying to cover herself back up with the green. She glanced upwards again, horrified, needing to find out what was happening.
"Veela," Charlie said, a callused hand stopping her from looking back over at them, even though their song was so enticing. "If you aren't ready for them, they can have some nasty effects."
Veela.
Lily thought back to her book on magical creatures. Veela could appear as extremely beautiful women, although their natural form was more birdlike, and they had a magical aura that could entrance anybody who was attracted to them.
"I don't understand," Lily lied, the warmth now replaced by a cold sweat. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, making sure each and every button was secure, and kept her gaze firmly on the ground, or the railing, or the ceiling, or Charlie, or anywhere but where she desperately wanted to look.
"Don't worry, nobody noticed but me," Charlie said, nudging towards the others. Arthur was too busy trying to wrangle the twins and Ron away from the railing, the other women in the box were busy trying to calm the men accompanying them, and Hermione and Neville were still nowhere to be seen.
But Ginny and Ms. Malfoy were staring at her, the latter with a raised eyebrow and a hand covering her son's eyes, the former staring daggers at her.
Lily stared back at the metal railing in front of her, her hands gripping tightly to the armrests on her seat, and did her best to hunch down and morph into her chair. She wasn't the only person who tried to do something stupid, she could tell that much just by looking around at the crowd.
But the rest of them weren't girls, were they?
"It's alright, Lily," Charlie said again.
Lily just shook her head, hoping he'd drop it. He knew, now, and he wasn't the only one. Somebody- somebodies- knew, and it felt like nothing would ever be right again.