Sunshine If Eternal; James, Lily and Peter; Part 10
By Ginny :)
This part is 1/3James's view, 1/3 Lily's, 1/3 Peter's. No one flame me because I dared to give Peter a point of view, please :) he deserves one!
Sorry this took so long... I had writer's block, and then I was poorly *sniffle* and I'm not s'posed to be on the computor now, so...!
Incidentally, to give me *even less* time at writing fics, I have been given an extra few hours of drama to do a week, and extra hour of dance, and am going to be forced through an [another, worst luck] English extension program, starting Thursday... *sigh*... this gives me even less spare time, so be patient... Ta.
I am now also working on series 5 of 'Lily and James'... I'll be posting that after this series has ended.
Oh yeah... thanks to hermione potter for agreeing to Beta my next series for me ;) any mistakes in it, therefore, aren't entirely my fault!!!! :¬D
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JAMES'S POV
After I'd talked to Perdita and Evens that evening, I left the room feeling depressed, as well I might. Well, you'd be depressed, if some suicidal woman had started telling you about her life problems.
Don't get me wrong! I mean, I felt sorry for her, I did want to help her and all, but... well. I suppose I'm just a bit too selfish. And it was dangerous. 'Better to be safe then sorry' as Ma would say.
***
Christmas was drawing near. I wrote to Ma, telling her that I wanted to stay at school over the holidays, because I had a horrible cold and the journey wouldn't do me any good. I hoped she wouldn't see through my white lie, although there was a very real chance that she would.
The truth was, of course, that I couldn't exactly back out, and leave Evens all on her lonesome. I didn't like her, but it just didn't seem fair that she should have to cope by herself, as even if she did get the others to chip in, we'd kind of both been given responsibility over the lot.
And of course it'd be far more interesting if I stayed at Hogwarts, rather then beetle off home for 3 weeks, under the eyes of ancient and annoyingly healthy relatives who have no wish to talk to me, any more then I wish to talk to them.
Evens decided to have what she would have called a 'civilised talk' with me a few days later, ie; she did the talking, and if I made any suggestions at all, she ignored them.
"When are we going to start helping Perdita?"
"I dunno."
"No surprises there then," she tossed her head "Do you think we should let any of the others in on it?"
"I dunno."
"Because I don't know exactly who we can trust. Not Ana, I shouldn't think. What about Gem?"
"I dunno."
"Yes, I think Gem can be trusted, and I think she'd kill us if we tried to leave her out. What about your friends? You know, Michelle, Lupin and Pettigrew?"
"I dunno."
"Gem trusts Lupin, and he's not too bad, though I suppose you'll insist on that Michelle person?"
"I-..."
"OK, fine. What about Pettigrew? Because personally, I don't know him too well."
"He's OK. I think we should-"
"No, we'll leave him out of this, I don't know him and I don't trust him too well."
"But he's not that bad. You let Sirius in," I pointed out.
"Well, He already knows about Perdita and he hasn't told.
But I don't know about Pettigrew."
"Fine, sod it then."
"You want to watch your language!" She scolded me. Honsetly, she sounded like my Ma!
"Ho, sorry, your ladyship! I 'ope my langauge didn't hoffend you at hall?" I put on one of those incredibly posh voices, like in the films and stuff.
"Go away, Potter," she tossed her head, again.
"With pleasure! Hark at Lady muck!" I turned and left,
annoyed. Who did she think she was, giving me orders as though
she was Lady of the Manor House and I was just some peasent?!
And we were supposed to work together... yeah, right...!
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Lily's POV
I told Gem about Perdita's ring and cloak that night. She was curious, as much as anything else, I think. She certainly was determined to help in this new 'adventure'... if that's what you could call it.
"When do we break up for Christmas? Because we can start looking then, when lessons won't get in the way," she asked.
"Next week. Are you staying here, or going home?"
"I'm staying here. I think that I'd rather, then go home. I'll tell them lot at home... something. I'll say I'm staying with a friend who can't go home, out of the goodness of my heart. They'll buy that. Suckers."
"I will make some excuse too. Mother will probably be horrified at the thought of her little darling staying at school, but I should be able to convince her..." it was true. Mother will believe anything I tell her.
"Cool."
"Potter and company will be staying, I think... well, he will be, and that Pettigrew boy, but no one's said if the others are or not."
"I think Moony's staying. I'll have to ask him."
"Very well... but, what about Ana?"
"Stuff Ana. She's still in the hospital wing."
"Yes, but she's coming out before the holidays, surely?"
"Aw, who gives a monkeys? We just won't tell her. Problem solved."
"Fine."
As prophisesed, Potter and Lupin were allowed to stay at school, as were Gem and I. Peter and Ana also were... Ana, because of her ankle-- she said-- and Pettigrew, because his parents were going away, or something similar; I didn't ask.
The problem with this, was, that there were two friends to keep the secret from; Ana didn't know about the ring or cloak, and Pettigrew just didn't know anything about anything. Or if he did, he kept pretty quiet about it.
Time continued as it will do, and eventually the majority of students disappeared back to their families. I half wished that I was going back to mother, father and Heather- although not Petunia- for a few weeks, but I couldn't exactly leave. I think everyone else of those who were 'in on it', as Potter put it, felt the same way, except, apparently, Black, who left along with the others.
Ana came out of the hospital wing the day after term broke up.
"Hi, Lily, Gem, everyone," she gave us a hopeful smile. I returned it, as did everyone else... except Gem. Gem was always one to hold grudges for too long. Ana blinked at her hopelessly for a moment, as if wishing that Gem would have a sudden change of heart, but with no luck.
"Lily," Gem said, abruptly, "I can I chat to you for a mo?"
"All right, why not?" I stood up. Ana stood up, too.
"Not you," Gem gave her a scornful look "I said Lily, idiot. Goodbye." This last word was meaningful. Ana blinked again, but didn't say anything. She sat and watched us go.
Gem pulled me into a room just off the main coridoor outside the Hall. She slammed the door behind us.
"You don't have to be so horrible to her, you know," I pointed out.
"Well, what else am I supposed to be like?"
"Just act normally?" I suggested.
"This is normal. You saying I'm abnormal?" I was tempted to say yes, but Gem was in one of her Moods again "Look, now that Ana's snooping around like a ferret, you know, hanging about and all-"
"she isn't that bad-" I began. I liked Ana, usually. I didn't like Gem just at that moment, either way.
"I know she's not, it's just that I also know that if she finds anything else out about Perdita, she'll grass."
"She'll what?"
"Grass... you know; Tellatale. Snitch. Cheef us up. Turn Toady. Let It Be Known Throughout The Land. Whatever. Get with the lingo!"
"Sorry," I don't know why I apologised "but--"
"So, we'll go into the forest tomorrow. As soon as is humanly poss. Without that creepazoid out there," I thought that Gem was taking Ana's faults a bit too far, but I didn't like to point that out.
"Do you even know where these things are hidden? Or what we're looking for?"
"A cloak and ring, and I'm guessing that they're more then Perdita says."
"You don't know that."
"It doesn't take a mastermind to work out, Lily. And, to judge by the poem, they're in the castle grounds, somewhere near the lake, or something to do with the lake; 'water, water cold and deep' or whatever it was."
"I suppose that... makes sense."
"You know it does," Gem informed me.
"So... what will we do?"
"We'll get deal ol' Jennifer and Moony to come with us, and then, then we can, er, look."
"Where? Do you have any clue what we're going to be doing? At all?!"
"No, but-"
"Oh, fantastic! So I'm taking orders from someone who has no idea what she's talking about, not to mention hasn't got a clue about anything? I think not!"
"Lily. Trust me. I have a feeling."
"Well, I have a feeling that you are talking nonsense!"
"Why does no one listen to me?!"
"Because you're-"
"Don't answer that," she advised me. It sounded like good advice to me. I like all my limbs as they are.
"Look, we'll tell Little Miss Snitcher that Perdita has gone, all is done and dusted, and that we're in detention tomorrow night, for something we did the other day. Exploding a lizard. Blowing up a class room. Murdering Severus Snape. Starting World War III.... whatever."
"Oh, fine." I couldn't be bothered to argue any longer "have it your way, if you can talk Potter and Lupin into it, and still avoid Pettigrew and Ana."
"No probs. C'mon, let's go."
I gave up. Arguing with Gemini Fairfax was like trying to fit wheels onto a tomato; time consuming, and completely pointless.
I opened the door. Outside, was Ana. She'd been evesdropping, all too obviously. She looked upset, almost as if she might cry. Poor Ana.
"What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" Gem shouted, asd soon as she noticed Ana, and her guilty and upset face.
Ana didn't say anything. She must have heard what Gem had said about her.
"Ana-" I began, but she turned and ran away. I didn't know if she was so upset as to be crying, or if she was angry, or weather she thought that I had been horrible about her, too. In a way, I suppose I had... on the other hand, I'd tried to stick up for her.
I don't know! Life can be too confusing!
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Peter's POV
I hate being a different House to all my friends.
And why'd it have to be Slytherin, of them all? That means, I have to put up with Snape and his croanies... I don't think I'm like them. They're cleverer then me, and I know it.
If I was in the same House as James and Sirius and Moony, I wouldn't have to trape around the school, after arranging to meet them in all sorts of places.
That was exactly what I was doing, when someone bumped into me, and almost knocked me flying.
"Ow!"
"Sorry," the girl appologised "Oh... hi Pettigrew."
"Peter. That's my name. Anyway... Hello, er..." I thought for a moment "...Ana. Have you seen--" I stopped in midsentence. She looked as though she'd been crying "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm sick of it."
"Of what?"
"Them. Lily and Gem. Talking about me, and, and leaving me out," she bit her lip, and looked like she might cry. I stood there like a lemon.
"Out of what?" Well, I didn't know what else to say. I'm no good at comforting people.
"That firewitch girl they've got, they're-"
"Firewitch?!"
"Look, just don't tell them that I told you... not that it makes any difference. They don't want to be friends with me any more. No one does." She rubbed her eyes with the insides of her wrists.
"I'm sure some people do..." as usual, I was feeling completely inadiquate.
"Yeah, right."
I felt that something a bit more comforting might be needed. I'm always at a loss with this stuff.
"Look... I think you're cool," I was surprised at myself for saying that. I've hardly ever even talked to the girl before, let alone have an opinion on her.
"Thanks, Peter," she gave a sort of smile "You're cool, too." Har har, yeah right. I'm hopeless and I know it.
"Thanks," in a way I was sort of flattered. I'm not exactly the most popular boy in the school. I was used to being called a freak. So, cool was a good change.
"Where are you going now, by the way?"
"I'm meeting James and Moony, outside the astronomy tower."
"Mind if I walk with you? I'm not going anywhere. I'm sick of Lily and Gem. They think they know it all."
"Of course not," we began to walk in the direction I was headed in. I paused, and then... "Have you all had an arguent, then? Something to do with this... firewitch? Is she really a firewitch?!"
"Yes. We found her in the grounds, and she made me break my ankle. And now Lily, Gem, Potter and Lupin are all helping her escape, and find some secret treasure things, and no one cares about how I feel. Everyone knows firewitches are dangerous, I tried to make them see sense, but they're all being really horrible about it. Espeacially Gem. I'm only trying to stop anyone get hurt. They're actually going into the forbidden forest looking for these things- a ring and a cloak- tomorrow night."
"They never told me about it," I frowned, insulted.
"Huh, no. Apparently, we're not 'trustworthy' enough. And I wouldn't be telling anyone this, only since they obviously don't think I'm trustworthy already, there's no point in being it. See what I mean?"
"Yeah," I frowned, miserably. I'd always liked to think that they were my friends... that I'd be just like one of them, however less confident I was, no matter how much more picked on I was, whatever ouse I was in. Whenever everything in my life seems to be going smoothly... BANG! Something happens to prove me wrong.
Ana bit at her nail.
"Just... don't tell Potter and that I told you this... I know you never talk to Lily and Gem, hardly."
"We're almost at the Astronomy Tower now. Are you coming?"
"No. No... I don't feel like it."
"Oh, alright. See you."
"See you. Thanks for being so nice," she smiled at me. I half laughed, feeling awkward again.
"Well, you too. Bye!"
"Bye."
She left then. I felt bad inside about what she'd told me about my friends leaving me out. I felt good about soemthing else, though; I was pretty sure, that from then on, she'd be my friend.
I wouldn't quiz Moony and James about this firewitch girl. What was the point?
If they didn't trust me... fine. I'd prove them wrong.
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END OF PART 10!!!!!!!!! I hope everyone enjoyed it ;) Sorry it took so long to get up, I'll try and do the next part more quickly.
Now... it would be very nice of you to review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [I hope that wasn't too subtle a hint ;)]
Ginny :)
