The boats progressed slowly and steadily, showing no obvious signs of tipping over. Still, Lily wasn't quite ready to take any chances. With each foot across the lake and each jolt as the wind thrust angry waves onto the boat, she grew more and more frightened. However, being in the presence of boys who would no doubt tease her for any so-called "girly" actions, Lily remained uneasily silent. Even with the shaky progress, to her it seemed that they never got any closer to the shore.
"Are we there yet?" moaned Sirius playfully. Lily giggled as her nerves relaxed a bit. Leave it to Sirius to jest at things she feared. Determined not to let fright overpower her, Lily searched her mind for other, perhaps more pleasant, thoughts. Obviously, of course, the only things that surfaced were thoughts of the day, not all of them completely pleasing. "Anything is better than this," Lily decided to herself. With a final glance at Sirius, who was pouting pitifully and trying to make the expressionless James and Remus laugh, Lily gazed absentmindedly ahead.
James. Obviously, his name would be the first to emerge in her conflicted mind. After all, he was the first one she'd met throughout this long and often torturous day. With his keen mind and good heart, he had helped her…yet hurt her just when she was beginning to consider him a friend. James was a paradox of everything and anything about himself and the others. Just when he seemed to be emotionless, a cold and heartless boy with nothing better to do than taunt her and make her life miserable, a rare glint of affection would form in his eyes. Just when he seemed unintelligent, when his ignorance and inability to listen infuriated her, a wave of realization would seem to dawn. No, Lily decided, she really couldn't decide about James.
Then, of course, there was Sirius. The thought of him made her smile, as his wit and humour did in her times of frustration. But, truly, what was there to Sirius? He seemed in constant mockery of himself and the world, a practical joker in even the gravest of matters. He wasn't shallow – Lily was reasonably sure of that. He really did have all the thought, all the emotion, but even that he was hiding. Lily was never sure of what to believe, of what was the true Sirius and what was some oddly placed joke. There was certainly more to him than met the eye. Yet what she was seeing, exactly, she couldn't quite determine.
There was Remus, but she'd hardly met him. Even with the eternally calm demeanor, the kind yet abstract comments, the new boy slightly scared Lily. It wasn't a run-away-screaming scared, or the shivering fear that ran through her as she moved across the lake. It was a fear for Remus himself, a deep ominous feeling that there was something always bothering him or coming after him. Even with the uncaring smirks and casual comments, Lily saw it in his eyes. Those eyes much too weary for a boy of his age, the extremely premature patches of gray in his tousled hair…and most of all, how he had reacted to the full moon. At this point, Lily only became more confused, and her mind drifted from Remus for a while.
Finally, her last acquaintance of the day (but really only her second), was Sybil Trelawney. There wasn't really much to say about Sybil, Lily supposed. Sybil had even more of an act than Sirius, and she seemed obsessive and morbid over the smallest details. With this idea in her mind, Lily decided that Sybil must not be as complex as the other three, but instead drew upon smaller things to make it seem so. The psychic powers, of course, had to be simple hogwash. Then again, hadn't Lily herself been acting on strange feelings and hunches?
Lily's reflections were interrupted violently by the ending of the journey. "It's over," she said thankfully, mostly to herself, as she stepped from the boat. She saw the others (particularly Remus, she noticed vaguely) sprinting quickly into the castle.
"But it's only just the beginning," murmured James from behind her.
Startled, Lily turned. "Why are you always there?" she demanded angrily.
"Didn't I tell you?" he teased, moving slowly ahead of her. "It's my personal responsibility to taunt you." With this, his pace quickened, and he followed the eager students toward the castle. "Aren't you coming, Evans?" he called over his shoulder.
"In a minute!" Lily called back, impatient. With a last, inquisitive look at her own reflection in the lake, Lily hurried to join the others.
"Are we there yet?" moaned Sirius playfully. Lily giggled as her nerves relaxed a bit. Leave it to Sirius to jest at things she feared. Determined not to let fright overpower her, Lily searched her mind for other, perhaps more pleasant, thoughts. Obviously, of course, the only things that surfaced were thoughts of the day, not all of them completely pleasing. "Anything is better than this," Lily decided to herself. With a final glance at Sirius, who was pouting pitifully and trying to make the expressionless James and Remus laugh, Lily gazed absentmindedly ahead.
James. Obviously, his name would be the first to emerge in her conflicted mind. After all, he was the first one she'd met throughout this long and often torturous day. With his keen mind and good heart, he had helped her…yet hurt her just when she was beginning to consider him a friend. James was a paradox of everything and anything about himself and the others. Just when he seemed to be emotionless, a cold and heartless boy with nothing better to do than taunt her and make her life miserable, a rare glint of affection would form in his eyes. Just when he seemed unintelligent, when his ignorance and inability to listen infuriated her, a wave of realization would seem to dawn. No, Lily decided, she really couldn't decide about James.
Then, of course, there was Sirius. The thought of him made her smile, as his wit and humour did in her times of frustration. But, truly, what was there to Sirius? He seemed in constant mockery of himself and the world, a practical joker in even the gravest of matters. He wasn't shallow – Lily was reasonably sure of that. He really did have all the thought, all the emotion, but even that he was hiding. Lily was never sure of what to believe, of what was the true Sirius and what was some oddly placed joke. There was certainly more to him than met the eye. Yet what she was seeing, exactly, she couldn't quite determine.
There was Remus, but she'd hardly met him. Even with the eternally calm demeanor, the kind yet abstract comments, the new boy slightly scared Lily. It wasn't a run-away-screaming scared, or the shivering fear that ran through her as she moved across the lake. It was a fear for Remus himself, a deep ominous feeling that there was something always bothering him or coming after him. Even with the uncaring smirks and casual comments, Lily saw it in his eyes. Those eyes much too weary for a boy of his age, the extremely premature patches of gray in his tousled hair…and most of all, how he had reacted to the full moon. At this point, Lily only became more confused, and her mind drifted from Remus for a while.
Finally, her last acquaintance of the day (but really only her second), was Sybil Trelawney. There wasn't really much to say about Sybil, Lily supposed. Sybil had even more of an act than Sirius, and she seemed obsessive and morbid over the smallest details. With this idea in her mind, Lily decided that Sybil must not be as complex as the other three, but instead drew upon smaller things to make it seem so. The psychic powers, of course, had to be simple hogwash. Then again, hadn't Lily herself been acting on strange feelings and hunches?
Lily's reflections were interrupted violently by the ending of the journey. "It's over," she said thankfully, mostly to herself, as she stepped from the boat. She saw the others (particularly Remus, she noticed vaguely) sprinting quickly into the castle.
"But it's only just the beginning," murmured James from behind her.
Startled, Lily turned. "Why are you always there?" she demanded angrily.
"Didn't I tell you?" he teased, moving slowly ahead of her. "It's my personal responsibility to taunt you." With this, his pace quickened, and he followed the eager students toward the castle. "Aren't you coming, Evans?" he called over his shoulder.
"In a minute!" Lily called back, impatient. With a last, inquisitive look at her own reflection in the lake, Lily hurried to join the others.