Parts of a whole
by shana
chapter 5.
POV: Lily, James, Sirius
It had been several weeks after Andrea had found out about her parents. Kids around Hogwarts were going crazy, freaked out about what might happen next. Half of the student body walked around as if end of the world was coming, which they all pretty stupidly believed. Voldemort had been out for quite some time, torturing families and killing muggles for some odd type of fun. [I had gotten Sirius to tell me all about Voldemort the day after Andi's—thing—happened.]
Only a few people could keep normal expression on their faces, and of course James Potter was one of them. Everyday day he walked around like he was king of the planet—country at least. Of course, he thought he was. His father was an Auror, whatever that was, and was out fighting the bad guys [aka Voldemort] while his mother sat at home knitting. Nothing could go wrong in his perfect little world. Yeah, the world around him was in chaos, but nothing was affecting him, so why should it matter? Big-headed idiots like him don't necessarily care about the rest of us. It was so unnerving.
On this Saturday, I was sitting on a step on the side staircase near the silver statue of Limberger CheeseChicken—the previous Minister of Magic. And lo and behold, I glanced up and saw the king of England walking towards me. Then, he turned back around and started back to where he came from. It was a pretty funny sight as he turned once more to face me and ended up walking towards me. My eyes flew back to the book I was holding.
"Are you having fun, Potter? Or are you by any chance lost?" I asked, annoyed and not looking up from her book.
"Oh you know me, Evans," he replied, acting earnest. "It's my second year here; I'm lost. Care to help me?"
I sort of snorted in an oh-come-on kind of way and looked up at him. "Well do me a favor and go bye-bye. You're annoying me, and I'm trying to read."
James just shrugged and started walked back toward the common room. "Whatever you say."
I rolled my eyes and went back to reading 'The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.' It was kind of funny, actually, because the main characters had the last name 'Potter.' And it was about magic and that sort of stuff. Cool if you ask me.
I heard James muttering: "What a loser; reading on the stairs." What was his problem anyway? I know that he hadn't been nice to me once since I arrived at Hogwarts, except for that night when Andi found out. Of course, I hadn't been completely nice to him either, so we were kind of even. Bored with the book, since my mind was definitely on other things, I picked up my books and went towards the library.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Andi all day since we didn't have classes and Andi wakes up like an hour earlier than I do. My stomach grumbled, and I remembered that I'd been reading during breakfast. Ignoring my stomach, I walked into the library, looking around for Andi. Instead, I found Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, the last people in the school I thought I'd find here, especially since they were James' best friends.
"Oh, hi Lily!" Remus whispered, being in the library and all. Sirius did the same, except shouted it and was quickly shushed by Madam Pince the librarian. He grinned sheepishly and waved for me to go by them.
"We're looking up some stuff for our potions homework," Sirius said with an odd grin.
Remus elbowed him in the stomach but didn't turn around as he kept shuffling through the books.
I couldn't resist the grin. I knew something was up, so decided to fib a little. "What's it on? I thought that Sirius was one of the best people in your grade at Potions, so I don't see why you need to look anything up."
"We dont have to write about the Animagus potion—" Sirius started, but Remus stepped on his foot.
"Sirius, if you say anything to HER, you are aware that James'll kill you," Remus muttered, still looking through books.
I turned back towards Sirius, putting on a little pouty face that always worked. "Sirius, you know you can trust me. Pot—James doesn't have to know."
Sirius grinned. "How'm I supposed to resist that, Remus?" He laughed. "You're like the nosy sister I never had."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm the nosy sister you just acquired. Spill."
"Sorry," Remus said.
"Sorry about what?" a voice whispered into my ear—tickling it—while the person put their arm around my neck.
Sirius tried to start whistling, but all that came out was air. Remus hit his forehead and sighed. I did a simple escape maneuver and turned around, glaring at my attacker: James.
"Nothing to you," I spat, pushing him away. "I was just chatting with some of my friends here, and they told me that they had homework on the...Animagus potion was it? And then I was asking them what that was because I didn't know. Then I poked Remus' eye reaching for a book about it and I apologized, and then he stepped on my foot, and he was just saying sorry." I hope he swallowed it. It must have sounded really odd because the more I said, the more James turned red. I had no clue why.
"You were talking about WHAT?" he practically shouted.
Madame Pince looked up abruptly and said just as loud: "Mr. Potter!"
I turned to look James in the eye. "Yeah, we were talking about the Animagus potion. You got a problem with that?"
James looked furious, but he spoke in a cold whisper, his jaw clenched and only is lips—and I suppose his tongue—moving. "Yes, as a matter of fact." He calmed down a little and added, "Sirius, Remus: I believe you know what I'm talking about."
With that, he left the library, knocking over the pile of books Remus had collected on his way out. I was annoyed with his behavior. Sirius just fake whistled.
"That went well, don't you think Remus?" he said.
Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just shut up for once, Sirius." They left the library then and there, leaving the books.
**********
Lily went throughout the rest of the day confused about what had happened. James ignored everyone but Peter, who didn't mind the attention. But after a while, it was obvious that he was boring James. Remus wouldn't talk to Sirius, and he kept trying to talk to James who would pretend Remus wasn't there. Sirius was his self, except for the fact that he was playing chess by himself and losing. Andrea was doing her homework, which Lily had finished the previous night. Lily decided she'd have to talk to someone or she'd go mad. She decided to be the mediator and explain everything to James. Not such a good idea...
**********
"Look, Potter."
I turned around and saw Lily coming towards me. "Don't you talk to me because…'cause I won't reply."
"I have no idea what you're talking about Potter." Oh, sure. Like she didn't notice that I wasn't talking to anyone.
"Sure you don't." I went right to the point. "From now on, just go right into the library and—"
"Hang on; I thought I was allowed to do that."
I ignored her, which was becoming easy. "—make my friends tell you all their secrets, then try to deny it."
"Okay. That sounds like fun." She was speaking a little louder. Fine by me, I can shout too.
"Does it really? Then why don't you just try it right now. They're in there." Ugh, too many homonyms.
"Fine then. I'm leaving."
"See ya."
"Bye."
"I'm waiting."
"Alright then! By the way, your buddies didn't tell me anything Potter. Maybe if you trusted them more you'd believe me."
"I trust my friends! It's YOU I don't trust. Maybe if you'd shut up and stay away from them I wouldn't be so worried that they'd tell you things!"
"You tell her off James!" some girl shouted. Trust a girl to say that.
"Maybe if you weren't such an idiot you'd see that if you trusted them more they'd trust you more!"
Someone laughed in the crowd that was forming. A girl. "Tell it like it is, girl."
"You don't know my friends! We've known each other our whole entire lives. I know them better than anyone in this entire world and I know exactly what they do and why they do it and I know they told you! It was so obvious! If they hadn't told you they'd have told me by now!"
"They've been trying to tell you whatever it is all day! But no, James Potter had to not speak to them. Maybe if you let them talk to you you'd see they didn't do anything wrong at all!"
The crowd was really getting into this. They cheered and booed with every comment made. I realized that if I didn't take Lily down, my rep would die. And I'd worked hard to make his reputation what it was during my two—first year here.
"Then why did you step in there with your whole stupid story?"
"Because it was mostly the truth!"
"Well I would have gotten mad anyway! Stay away from my friends from now on!"
"You can't tell me what to do. Sirius and Remus are my friends too. If you have a problem with that you'll just have to DWI."
"Look, Evans. You're a first year. Get it into your head. If Sirius and Remus want to talk to you, they will. But do you see any other first years following them around? No. Get some self-respect. Get your own friends in your own class."
Lily glared at him. "The same goes to you; trying to befriend me. And if you wanted to know, first years follow you around."
No one had ever said that to me. I mean, it was a known fact, but still. "Oh, really. I didn't know that. What're you gonna say now, that you hate me?"
"Nope. You just said it for me. See ya." She left the common room.
"Yeah?" I called after her. "Didn't you realize that I hate you too?"
"Whatever," she yelled back. Okay then. I tuned into my surroundings.
"Can you believe she said that stuff to him?" people said. "Can you believe he said that stuff back?" people replied.
I couldn't believe it.
"Great. Just great." I fell on to one of the armchairs and people stared out of the portrait hole, as if Lily had broken and unspoken rule. I had just told her to stay in her own class, with all the other first years. That made sense. But I'd also said I hated her, making her and me almost as bad as Slytherins.
Lily's friend Andi sat next to me. "Don't worry, this'll blow over in a few days."
"Sure it will." I couldn't believe it. I was talking to a first year about my problems.
**********
It was the next Friday, and James and Lily still weren't speaking to each other. If they had to walk past each other, they made a huge deal out of making sure they were as far away as possible. Most of the girls looked at her as if she had lipstick on her teeth, but most of the guys, in all classes, looked at her with some newfound respect. Finally, there was a girl who didn't worship the ground he walked on. Of course, Quidditch season was starting soon, so they weren't all sure they could keep her, but they were at least sure she wouldn't be as bad as the others. Remus and Sirius talked to Lily though, and every time they did James glared at Lily as coldly as he could.
**********
Lily left the breakfast table, and I followed her.
"Lil, I'd want to apologize for James. He's been a little 'out of it' so far this year, I guess you could say. We're all just really stressed and I guess he finally overflowed."
She turned around and looked up at me disgustedly. "Sirius, I don't want you apologizing for him. It's really no big deal. If he's really sorry, he can apologize himself."
I grinned. "Wouldn't that be a sight!" I started laughing, but stopped when she glared. "Yeah, well. He regrets a ton of the stuff he says. But I want you to know, you will always have me and Remus for friends."
Lily smiled at me again. "Thanks bro."
I raised one eyebrow. "Is that what I am now?"
She laughed and replied. "Well, I think the last time we talked, you said that I was the nosy sister you never had. I've had way too much time to think, and I've decided that you're the annoying brother I never had. You can take the place of my sister."
I faked looking offended. "So now I'm your sister?"
"All brothers have to be rude sometimes." Lily grinned and then whispered. "But you're my favorite."
"I'm your only brother." At least, that's what I thought.
"Technically, no. James is the brother I never wanted," Lily said.
"Oh. I see." Since when was he her brother?
"I'm bored. Let's go back to the common room." With that, we raced to the common room to get our books for classes.
**********
A/N a/n A/N a/n ok, here is the 3rd [really 4th] chapter. i know, i know. i still have to write the first one. either that or its already up by the time you're reading this. [a/n addition] technically, this is the 5th chapter. :-)
stuff i know: the.l.of.the.r.g.w was published around '74, a normal person wouldn't race someone through their school, i didn't change my name.
review!
by shana
chapter 5.
POV: Lily, James, Sirius
It had been several weeks after Andrea had found out about her parents. Kids around Hogwarts were going crazy, freaked out about what might happen next. Half of the student body walked around as if end of the world was coming, which they all pretty stupidly believed. Voldemort had been out for quite some time, torturing families and killing muggles for some odd type of fun. [I had gotten Sirius to tell me all about Voldemort the day after Andi's—thing—happened.]
Only a few people could keep normal expression on their faces, and of course James Potter was one of them. Everyday day he walked around like he was king of the planet—country at least. Of course, he thought he was. His father was an Auror, whatever that was, and was out fighting the bad guys [aka Voldemort] while his mother sat at home knitting. Nothing could go wrong in his perfect little world. Yeah, the world around him was in chaos, but nothing was affecting him, so why should it matter? Big-headed idiots like him don't necessarily care about the rest of us. It was so unnerving.
On this Saturday, I was sitting on a step on the side staircase near the silver statue of Limberger CheeseChicken—the previous Minister of Magic. And lo and behold, I glanced up and saw the king of England walking towards me. Then, he turned back around and started back to where he came from. It was a pretty funny sight as he turned once more to face me and ended up walking towards me. My eyes flew back to the book I was holding.
"Are you having fun, Potter? Or are you by any chance lost?" I asked, annoyed and not looking up from her book.
"Oh you know me, Evans," he replied, acting earnest. "It's my second year here; I'm lost. Care to help me?"
I sort of snorted in an oh-come-on kind of way and looked up at him. "Well do me a favor and go bye-bye. You're annoying me, and I'm trying to read."
James just shrugged and started walked back toward the common room. "Whatever you say."
I rolled my eyes and went back to reading 'The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.' It was kind of funny, actually, because the main characters had the last name 'Potter.' And it was about magic and that sort of stuff. Cool if you ask me.
I heard James muttering: "What a loser; reading on the stairs." What was his problem anyway? I know that he hadn't been nice to me once since I arrived at Hogwarts, except for that night when Andi found out. Of course, I hadn't been completely nice to him either, so we were kind of even. Bored with the book, since my mind was definitely on other things, I picked up my books and went towards the library.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Andi all day since we didn't have classes and Andi wakes up like an hour earlier than I do. My stomach grumbled, and I remembered that I'd been reading during breakfast. Ignoring my stomach, I walked into the library, looking around for Andi. Instead, I found Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, the last people in the school I thought I'd find here, especially since they were James' best friends.
"Oh, hi Lily!" Remus whispered, being in the library and all. Sirius did the same, except shouted it and was quickly shushed by Madam Pince the librarian. He grinned sheepishly and waved for me to go by them.
"We're looking up some stuff for our potions homework," Sirius said with an odd grin.
Remus elbowed him in the stomach but didn't turn around as he kept shuffling through the books.
I couldn't resist the grin. I knew something was up, so decided to fib a little. "What's it on? I thought that Sirius was one of the best people in your grade at Potions, so I don't see why you need to look anything up."
"We dont have to write about the Animagus potion—" Sirius started, but Remus stepped on his foot.
"Sirius, if you say anything to HER, you are aware that James'll kill you," Remus muttered, still looking through books.
I turned back towards Sirius, putting on a little pouty face that always worked. "Sirius, you know you can trust me. Pot—James doesn't have to know."
Sirius grinned. "How'm I supposed to resist that, Remus?" He laughed. "You're like the nosy sister I never had."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm the nosy sister you just acquired. Spill."
"Sorry," Remus said.
"Sorry about what?" a voice whispered into my ear—tickling it—while the person put their arm around my neck.
Sirius tried to start whistling, but all that came out was air. Remus hit his forehead and sighed. I did a simple escape maneuver and turned around, glaring at my attacker: James.
"Nothing to you," I spat, pushing him away. "I was just chatting with some of my friends here, and they told me that they had homework on the...Animagus potion was it? And then I was asking them what that was because I didn't know. Then I poked Remus' eye reaching for a book about it and I apologized, and then he stepped on my foot, and he was just saying sorry." I hope he swallowed it. It must have sounded really odd because the more I said, the more James turned red. I had no clue why.
"You were talking about WHAT?" he practically shouted.
Madame Pince looked up abruptly and said just as loud: "Mr. Potter!"
I turned to look James in the eye. "Yeah, we were talking about the Animagus potion. You got a problem with that?"
James looked furious, but he spoke in a cold whisper, his jaw clenched and only is lips—and I suppose his tongue—moving. "Yes, as a matter of fact." He calmed down a little and added, "Sirius, Remus: I believe you know what I'm talking about."
With that, he left the library, knocking over the pile of books Remus had collected on his way out. I was annoyed with his behavior. Sirius just fake whistled.
"That went well, don't you think Remus?" he said.
Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just shut up for once, Sirius." They left the library then and there, leaving the books.
**********
Lily went throughout the rest of the day confused about what had happened. James ignored everyone but Peter, who didn't mind the attention. But after a while, it was obvious that he was boring James. Remus wouldn't talk to Sirius, and he kept trying to talk to James who would pretend Remus wasn't there. Sirius was his self, except for the fact that he was playing chess by himself and losing. Andrea was doing her homework, which Lily had finished the previous night. Lily decided she'd have to talk to someone or she'd go mad. She decided to be the mediator and explain everything to James. Not such a good idea...
**********
"Look, Potter."
I turned around and saw Lily coming towards me. "Don't you talk to me because…'cause I won't reply."
"I have no idea what you're talking about Potter." Oh, sure. Like she didn't notice that I wasn't talking to anyone.
"Sure you don't." I went right to the point. "From now on, just go right into the library and—"
"Hang on; I thought I was allowed to do that."
I ignored her, which was becoming easy. "—make my friends tell you all their secrets, then try to deny it."
"Okay. That sounds like fun." She was speaking a little louder. Fine by me, I can shout too.
"Does it really? Then why don't you just try it right now. They're in there." Ugh, too many homonyms.
"Fine then. I'm leaving."
"See ya."
"Bye."
"I'm waiting."
"Alright then! By the way, your buddies didn't tell me anything Potter. Maybe if you trusted them more you'd believe me."
"I trust my friends! It's YOU I don't trust. Maybe if you'd shut up and stay away from them I wouldn't be so worried that they'd tell you things!"
"You tell her off James!" some girl shouted. Trust a girl to say that.
"Maybe if you weren't such an idiot you'd see that if you trusted them more they'd trust you more!"
Someone laughed in the crowd that was forming. A girl. "Tell it like it is, girl."
"You don't know my friends! We've known each other our whole entire lives. I know them better than anyone in this entire world and I know exactly what they do and why they do it and I know they told you! It was so obvious! If they hadn't told you they'd have told me by now!"
"They've been trying to tell you whatever it is all day! But no, James Potter had to not speak to them. Maybe if you let them talk to you you'd see they didn't do anything wrong at all!"
The crowd was really getting into this. They cheered and booed with every comment made. I realized that if I didn't take Lily down, my rep would die. And I'd worked hard to make his reputation what it was during my two—first year here.
"Then why did you step in there with your whole stupid story?"
"Because it was mostly the truth!"
"Well I would have gotten mad anyway! Stay away from my friends from now on!"
"You can't tell me what to do. Sirius and Remus are my friends too. If you have a problem with that you'll just have to DWI."
"Look, Evans. You're a first year. Get it into your head. If Sirius and Remus want to talk to you, they will. But do you see any other first years following them around? No. Get some self-respect. Get your own friends in your own class."
Lily glared at him. "The same goes to you; trying to befriend me. And if you wanted to know, first years follow you around."
No one had ever said that to me. I mean, it was a known fact, but still. "Oh, really. I didn't know that. What're you gonna say now, that you hate me?"
"Nope. You just said it for me. See ya." She left the common room.
"Yeah?" I called after her. "Didn't you realize that I hate you too?"
"Whatever," she yelled back. Okay then. I tuned into my surroundings.
"Can you believe she said that stuff to him?" people said. "Can you believe he said that stuff back?" people replied.
I couldn't believe it.
"Great. Just great." I fell on to one of the armchairs and people stared out of the portrait hole, as if Lily had broken and unspoken rule. I had just told her to stay in her own class, with all the other first years. That made sense. But I'd also said I hated her, making her and me almost as bad as Slytherins.
Lily's friend Andi sat next to me. "Don't worry, this'll blow over in a few days."
"Sure it will." I couldn't believe it. I was talking to a first year about my problems.
**********
It was the next Friday, and James and Lily still weren't speaking to each other. If they had to walk past each other, they made a huge deal out of making sure they were as far away as possible. Most of the girls looked at her as if she had lipstick on her teeth, but most of the guys, in all classes, looked at her with some newfound respect. Finally, there was a girl who didn't worship the ground he walked on. Of course, Quidditch season was starting soon, so they weren't all sure they could keep her, but they were at least sure she wouldn't be as bad as the others. Remus and Sirius talked to Lily though, and every time they did James glared at Lily as coldly as he could.
**********
Lily left the breakfast table, and I followed her.
"Lil, I'd want to apologize for James. He's been a little 'out of it' so far this year, I guess you could say. We're all just really stressed and I guess he finally overflowed."
She turned around and looked up at me disgustedly. "Sirius, I don't want you apologizing for him. It's really no big deal. If he's really sorry, he can apologize himself."
I grinned. "Wouldn't that be a sight!" I started laughing, but stopped when she glared. "Yeah, well. He regrets a ton of the stuff he says. But I want you to know, you will always have me and Remus for friends."
Lily smiled at me again. "Thanks bro."
I raised one eyebrow. "Is that what I am now?"
She laughed and replied. "Well, I think the last time we talked, you said that I was the nosy sister you never had. I've had way too much time to think, and I've decided that you're the annoying brother I never had. You can take the place of my sister."
I faked looking offended. "So now I'm your sister?"
"All brothers have to be rude sometimes." Lily grinned and then whispered. "But you're my favorite."
"I'm your only brother." At least, that's what I thought.
"Technically, no. James is the brother I never wanted," Lily said.
"Oh. I see." Since when was he her brother?
"I'm bored. Let's go back to the common room." With that, we raced to the common room to get our books for classes.
**********
A/N a/n A/N a/n ok, here is the 3rd [really 4th] chapter. i know, i know. i still have to write the first one. either that or its already up by the time you're reading this. [a/n addition] technically, this is the 5th chapter. :-)
stuff i know: the.l.of.the.r.g.w was published around '74, a normal person wouldn't race someone through their school, i didn't change my name.
review!