The Outsider
Sorry for
being SO long, please read my longer author's note at the bottom. Meaning of the
chapter title? Je ne sais pas (I don't know). I just had the Spiderman theme
song going through my head one day.
The Outsider: Chapter 4
She's Got Radioactive
Blood
For the first Hogsmeade weekend of the
term, things were rather normal, or at least as normal as life could be at
Hogwarts. Lily Evans, prefect, top of the fifth year class, was, as normal,
alone in her dormitory, debating with herself about whether or not to actually
go to Hogsmeade. After much internal bickering, she decided to bite the bullet
and go.
After a brief
broomstick ride, Lily leaned her broomstick on the broomstick rack outside
Honeydukes (Makers of Original Magical Candies Since 12 AD). She entered the
loud shop, the favourite of many Hogwarts students, including Peter Pettigrew.
Opting to look at the "Psychedelic Sweets" first, she picked up a
rather odd looking lollipop, labeled "Vinolentus Suckers". Lily decided
to try the candy, admitting that she really needed something to pick up her mood
as a seventh year bumped into her, nearly knocking her over.
As Lily placed
the fuscia and magenta swirled lolly on the counter ("Two knuts
please"), the man smiled, and gave Lily a knowing wink. "Yes, we have
to be careful that the authorities don't find out that we're making these. The
secret ingredient, as you'll soon find out, is very popular with young people."
Lily gave a
small, bemused nod, and left the shop, increasing her pace as she neared the
door. She finally stopped her frantic amble, and stopped at a park bench, nearly
one and a half blocks from the busy candy store. Relieved to be alone, and with
her head throbbing, Lily quickly sat down and sighed. People were acting
slightly odd lately, now that she thought of it. Yes, like that Amos Diggory,
suddenly deciding to grow a beard, for a seventeen year-old he looked oddly
reminiscent of the nearly hundred-and-twenty year old Dumbledore! Sigh
again. Well, what can I say, I go to Hogwarts, arguably the strangest school
in all the British Isles.
But, aside from
her complaints, Lily furiously loved her school. Every quidditch match (well,
before she made the team) she could be found in the stands, mind you only if you
looked hard enough because she always watched at the back, wearing a ridiculous
outfit that reminded some of a rain slick. Now, this was a girl who secretly
bought the Hogwarts t-shirts in every shade of the rainbow (they were enchanted)
when they carried the short lived Hogwarts clothing line in Madam Malkins.
Back on track,
Lily pulled the lollipop out of the paper bag and stared at it. Hmm, that guy
was not right in the head, should I eat this? Hee hee, or maybe I should feed it
to someone's owl. Hmm, no, bad idea. ah, what the hell, I better just eat
it before it melts in my hand. So Lily carefully pulled off the wrapper and
examined the sucker. Finally deciding that it looked edible, she summoned up her
courage and took a lick.
To Lily's
surprise, it didn't really taste much like anything. A little disappointed, she
looked at it strangely until a strange noise could be heard over the trees in
Hogsmeade Park. She quickly wrapped up the rest of her lolly in the wrapper and placed it carefully
in her pocket.
The source of
the noise was soon apparent. Whooping as they ran through the trees, the four most infamous boys in the school, led by Sirius
Black, came into view. Lily had no idea what they were doing, nor did she care.
Silently, she slipped behind the bench, not consciously aware that she was
eavesdropping.
"I say we
give it up altogether. It will never work." Remus Lupin was always the
voice of reason, and a little dull in Lily opinion, although it wasn't really in
her place to say.
"Oh, go
stuff yourself. Muggles really aren't as useless as they act." Lily
felt herself steam inwardly at Sirius' words as he continued, "You see,
there's this guy I saw on a visiontelly or something at my aunt's house. You
remember her James? Yeah, the Squib one who married a Muggle. Anyhoo, Muggles
have these things that show people in some kind of box. I suppose they think
it's entertainment. So like I was saying, there was this guy, his name was
James, yeah like yours, Blond or something. And it was amazing, all this guy did
was kill some sort of bad guys, and he always had all these chicks. He is some
sort of god. So what I'm saying is, we have to go and find him. He is my
idol.
"This is my
plan," Sirius continued, "we all come to my house at Christmas holiday, and try to find this guy. I've got to know his secret, if we find it
we'll be sex gods or something. Woohoo!"
"Oh God. Not
another one of your harebrained schemes," Peter sighed. "My toenails
better not disappear this time."
"Peter
dearie, of course they won't --"
"Don't you
be calling me dearie, it's odd." Peter looked at Sirius with a disgusted
expression on his face.
"Well, as I
was trying to say, this plan can't go wrong!"
"Hey
Sirius, I think I know who you're talking about. Wait no, maybe not. Yeah, well
whatever you are talking about, it sounds really dangerous." Remus added.
Now, by this
time, poor Lily had had enough. She let out a loud snort, and then attempted to
cover it up with her palm. Realizing that she had indeed been eavesdropping, she
slowly tried to crawl away under a bush.
Unfortunately,
James, who had developed very acute hearing from being a lookout for the past
five years while following Sirius on his prank sprees, heard Lily's snort and
became ever more suspicious after hearing several twigs snap. Motioning for his
friends to be quiet, he tiptoed over to Lily's bush, and knowingly parted the
branches. Suddenly, the four Marauders heard a shrill scream, followed by
a burst of high pitched giggles.
Underneath the
bush, with twigs and an assortment of leaves caught in her dark red hair was
Miss Lily Evans, giggling madly while clutching her gut. All four young men
stared at her wearing identical looks of disbelief on their faces.
It looked as if
she was trying to speak, but all they could hear were a few forced out words.
"You ... stupid ... Bond ... freaks ... hee hee ... nutters ... hairy ...
hee hee ... chest ... Scotland ... HA!"
And with a final
loud laugh, her face contorted with a look of pain and she proceeded to *ahem*
toss her cookies all over the woodland floor and, unfortunately, on James
Potter's new brown loafers.
"Hmm, veery
eenteresting," Sirius put on his falsetto mad scientist voice. "Zee
leetle girl seems to have ee bit of ee stoomach proobleem." With that, he
picked up a stick and swirled around the strangely magenta-coloured *ahem*chunky
liquid with it.
Remus, always
the observant and sensitive one, said, "Yes, well thanks for the, erm,
observation Sirius, but Lily over here needs some help." He addressed the girl,
who was groaning and rocking back and forth on her heals. "Lily, do you
need to go into a washroom?"
She weakly
nodded as the three boys (Peter had left right away after a glance at her barf)
gently lead her to the Three Broomsticks, the closest establishment containing a
washroom. While Remus held the door open, James and Sirius supported Lily as
they walked into the restaurant.
Sirius continued
with his fake voice as they made their way to the washroom. "Eet's okay
leetle ladee, Ooncle Seereeus ees heer --"
He was cut off
when James and Remus simultaneously yelled, "SHUT UP SIRIUS!"
The odd looking
group encountered a problem once they got to the women's washroom. James spoke
up for the first time since they had found Lily. "Erm, Lily, are you gonna
be okay to go in by yourself?" To his horror, she feebly shook her head.
"Alright guys, who is gonna go in with her?"
Sirius shook his
head. "I'm a regular in there, and Madam Rosmerta said last week that if
she catches me in the women's washroom again, I can't come into the Three
Broomsticks ever again."
Remus looked embarrassed.
"Sorry James, but I just can't do it. You're gonna have to."
James took a
deep breath and resigned himself to his dreadful fate. "Alright, fine. But
you guys stay out here and try to keep anyone from entering. Just stall them,
okay?"
And with that,
he slowly pushed open the door glanced around for anyone else in the washroom. Relieved,
he noticed that it was empty. Carefully picking up Lily, who had collapsed on
the floor, he walked in.
James' first
reaction was surprise. He had expected coloured fountains and fancy tiles like
the Prefects Bathroom at Hogwarts, but instead it looked almost identical to the
men's washroom in the Three Broomsticks (with a certain exception). As he
carried Lily over to the closest stall, the mirror over the sinks called out to
him in a Southern (American) drawl,
"Hey you! You're not suppose to be in here!" The mirror's attention
then turned to Lily. "Eww, what's wrong with her?"
James ignored
the mirror, and hoisted Lily down. "Umm, do you feel better now?" he
asked awkwardly, slightly embarrassed at their surroundings.
Lily began to
nod, but then began to throw up again, this time into the toilet. James looked
concerned, "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. You're going to feel better.
It's okay." He began to soothingly rub her back in small circles, and
continued to comfort her.
Once she was
finished, Lily sat down on the cold tile and leaned her head back against the
stall door. Blinking, she suddenly realized who she was with. "James,"
she said hoarsely, "what are you doing here in this--" she paused as
she looked around and took in her surroundings, "washroom?"
Uncomfortable
with Lily's unwavering gaze at him, James looked down at his hands. "Well,
uh, we were in the park, and you were under a bush or something. Then you
started to," he gulped, "you know, hurl, and you kinda collapsed. Me,
Sirius, and Remus brought you here."
"Hmm, then
where are they now? Why are you here anyway? I -- I don't want to sound rude,
but, well, we aren't exactly the best of friends. Hey, why are you here in the ladies
washroom?" a note of panic crept into Lily's voice. "I mean, we are
in the ladies washroom, right?"
"Oh, I'm
sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you --"
"Oh, shut up
Potter. Okay, I won't ask. So, what did possessed you to come in here
with me? You never answered my question." Lily grinned mischievously.
Uneasily, James
picked at some dirt stuck between the tiles of the stall floor. "Like I
already told you, you were a little bit out of it and Sirius and Remus couldn't
come in, so I had to."
"So, then
Sir James Potter, why don't you leave this poor little damsel in distress and
get back to your friends, hmm? I'm sure they're waiting for you." A trace
of bitterness was apparent in Lily's voice. "I mean, who, let alone the
most popular young bachelor in all of Hogwarts, would want to stay with Little
Miss Surly Evans."
"Oh, it is
my gentlemanly duty of course. To save all ladies in peril from the presence of
evil. Yes, and how could I forget, there is always the possibility of shag upon the
way, yes?"
"Ah shit.
Now I'm really going to be sick." And she was.
Wiping her mouth
with her now dusty sleeve, Lily continued, "If I had enough energy you
would currently be subject to the single most painful bitch slap that your adorable little dimpled cheek has ever experienced. I'll
hafta give you a rain
check, hun."
"I hope you
won't take offense if I happen to burn that rain check. What did you eat
anyway?" James asked as he gazed at his sullied shoe.
"Oh just a
little lolly I picked up at Honeydukes." She took the wrapper out of her
jacket. "I dunno what it is exactly. Must be some kind of new product or
something. You can have it if you want, here I'll just do a simple sanitation
charm."
She did, and handed it to him. Cautiously, James took the sticky lollipop and
held it up into the light to examine it. He slowly held it up to his nose and
took a little sniff. "Hmm, it seems to be okay. Looks like it meets
Ministry recommendations for foreign foodstuffs ... my Dad is a Ministry bigwig.
Okay, I think I'll have a taste." Lily giggled as he nervously brought the
lolly in question up to his mouth and licked it as his tongue flicked out of his
mouth.
"Hmm,
it tastes alright to me. Wait, no. Oh shit. Lily, do you know what this
is?"
"No, I was bored so I looked at candy in Honeydukes. This particular
lollipop looked interesting, so I bought it."
"Do
you, by any chance, happen to remember what it is called?"
"Umm,
let me see. Violent-is or something. I just don't remember."
"Oh
damnit. It must have been 'Vinolentus'. Shit, Lily, you're a witch, can't you
read latin? Do you know what that means?"
"No, I
don't." Anger began to creep up into Lily's voice. "I'm just a
muggle-born witch!"
"Well,
that hasn't stopped you before." James' tone turned deadly serious.
"Lily, you are a brilliant witch. Judging by the 'Vinolentus' label, you
have probably just consumed a large amount of alcohol. Honestly Lily, how could
you not have known that? You are at the top of the class and --"
"Bullshit! I just work my friggin' ass off! Do you think that it's easy
being a minority, everyone hating you because you're different? Yeah, I see you
and your three pureblood buddies, Remus, Sirius, and Peter. Have you not
noticed the segregation that goes on in our school, let alone in all wizarding
society? Because it's there. It is. I have had to live through it every day of
my whole damn life here at Hogwarts. And what are you doing? Nothing. You and
your pureblood clique are off having a good time, while the rest of us mudbloods
are off to fend for ourselves." Lily was so mad that she began to spit out
her words. "There are three, yes three, muggleborn witches and wizards in
our year. Abbelona Glockenspiel in Ravenclaw, Nigel Reynolds in Hufflepuff, and
me." Now she was so mad that she didn't notice her bad grammar. "It is
not easy. No one gives a shit about us.
"Well,
I mean, Dumbledore is nice about it. Every week he calls me to his office and
asks if I'm having any problems. He knows that everyone hates me. I don't mean
to be a bitch. Everything has just been so difficult since I got into Hogwarts.
I almost wish that I had never received that owl four years ago. You know, I
just have to keep up my guard. Not let anyone know my pain. I hate it."
During her
long spiel, James had tried to get in a few argumentative words in to challenge
her negative view of wizarding society. Now, however, he only had words of
comfort. "Lily, I honestly never knew this. Is it really that bad? I just
assumed you were a bitch by nature. I - I - I'm sorry."
Lily unconsciously
felt a large tear well up in her eye and slowly begin its voyage down her left
cheek.
James
continued. "I always figured that I was a good person. Everyone seems to
like me, I suppose. I don't know, I was just brought up to be chivalrous to
others; when I was little my parents raised me to always say please and thank
you. You know, at parties I always had to say 'Thank you for inviting me' and
all that crap. So, what I'm saying is that I just always help people who need
it. I never really realized how cliquish and discriminatory I had become. Will
you forgive me?"
Wiping away
the tears with clenched fists, Lily answered him, "God, James, do you
honestly think that a few well-chosen words would heal the hurt that I have
lived through? Because they don't. And, while I suppose that in a way I do
forgive you, this does not change anything between us. To tell you the truth, I
am thoroughly embarrassed that I told you so much about how I feel. Sure, maybe
we have some understanding, but that doesn't mean shit. Thank you for your help,
I will see you in class."
Lily then
proceeded to push herself up with the assistance of the toilet seat and marched
out of the washroom, ignoring the inquiries of the nosy mirror. As James watched
her leave, he doubted her announcement that nothing had changed between them.
During her tipsy walk out of the room, he thought that he had seen the faint
glimmer of a grin as she turned to leave.
"Oh
shit. How the hell do I get out of here now?!"
*****
Well, our
dear James appears to be in quite the predicament now, doesn't he? That was a
fun but difficult chapter to write, so I'm dreadfully sorry for the wait. I
really am. I just single-handedly broke about 63 of the unspoken rules of
fanfiction. You can flame me if you want. I kind of really want a flame. Oh and
if you do flame me, please, in the proper tradition of flamers worldwide,
misspell and have poor grammar. Please ignore everything I may have said before
about being nice. Now I am up to some constructive criticism and flames. YAY!
Now, thank
you all my wonderful reviewers. You kick some serious bum. (Yes, and I was going
to put in that terrible Sirius/serious joke in but decided against it.)
One other
thing - if anyone is interested in beta-reading for me, please email. While this
means that it will take even longer to get this out, it will help immensely. Thank
you very much. Please email me at smiles_n_chuckles99@yahoo.com
if you are interested.
Oh, and I
should probably let you know where I got the whole washroom idea from. Well, my
English teacher last semester told the class about how her brother and his wife
got together. On their first date they were at a restaurant and he began to
throw up. Apparently she stayed with his in the washroom the entire time and
helped him to feel better. After that he knew that she was going to be the woman
that he would marry. Aww. The hopeless romantic that I am absolutely thinks that
that is so sweet. *sigh*. Also I was home from school with a stomach flu when I
began to write this chapter.
Thank you
all and enjoy your lives!
More about
Sirius and Remus in the next one I believe!