A/N: Disclaimer: I own what I own and I don't own what I don't own. *looks at the lawyers* Is that good enough? *gets attacked by Rapid Chipmunks*
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Chapter 9: Repairing Holes and Making New Ones...
The next morning Lily woke up and looked around the dorm room. With a sigh, she got out of bed and walked to the window, gazing out at the rising sun.
"Stupid!" she whispered vehemently to herself. "That was just stupid! There are better ways to prove that you are an animagus to them. And it isn't exactly helpful to prove that he does like you by getting him mad at you," she sighed when she said that because she realized now how truly foolish it had been.
Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. "Something you'd like to share Talon?"
Lily jumped 5 feet into the air and spun around to see... Lucille. Even though she had just woke up, Lucille looked very wide awake. "Something you want to share Talon?" she repeated staring penetratingly at Lily.
"Um... er... ah... well... um... not really?" Lily stammered her end remark more like a question then anything else.
"You're an animagus?" Lucille said, her voice hard. Lily's yes was barely perceptible. "Did you ever plan on telling me? Or am I not trustworthy enough for you?" Lucille said bitterly half turning away from her.
"Lucille," Lily began but Lucille cut her off.
"I don't want to hear it Lily. I just... DON'T," Lucille turned and almost ran out the door, her long black locks flying behind her.
Lily's emerald eyes weren't the only ones that followed Lucille out of the room. A pair of ocean blue eyes watched too. Then the owner of the eyes spoke up in a soft voice so as not to wake the rest of the room.
"She found out, eh? Not very tactful Lils. You shoulda told her yourself," Kit observed, quite unruffled.
Lily spun to face her. "Is EVERYONE awake this morning?" she said irritably. Then she stopped as the significance of Kit had said sunk in. "You KNEW?" she gasped in shock.
Kit smiled sleepily. "'Course I did. I was there the first time McGonagall showed us her ability. I saw that look in your eyes. I was worried about you cause McGonagall said that the attempts to do it can go horribly wrong. So I watched you carefully since then. Three years is a long time to watch carefully about anything. And every summer I was dreadfully afraid that you would hurt yourself. But every year you came back just the same. I know that you cracked it really earlier this year. Honestly, how Lucille missed it I'll never now. You were skipping for a week and the euphoria of it took you WEEKS before it died down. Never did figure out what you became though," Kit finished thoughtfully looking up at Lily.
Lily gaped at her friend in shock. She'd been so sure that she had been secretive about it. Kit had never let on at all that she knew. Even though Kit was one of her best friends she had thought that she was rather flighty. The perfect match for Sirius Black. But she was suddenly, after five years of knowing Kit, seeing a whole new side of her friend.
"You even beat the fabulous four," Kit said with a fond smile as she thought of Remus. "They only got it a little before Christmas. Minus Remus of course."
"You knew about them TOO?" Lily practically shrieked. Lily was usually pretty good at judging people but she had never thought of Kit being like this. "I knew about Remus, but I only found out about the others yesterday and only then because Peter slipped up," Lily said still stupefied.
Kit smiled at Lily. "I've been watching Remus for a long time Lily. A very long time."
Lily gaped at her for a moment. "Kit... I... never thought that you..." she stopped and shook her head.
Kit's smile widened. "You never that I could be serious? I'm not supposed to be. I just haven't had my caffeine yet. Don't worry. This'll wear off."
Lily laughed hysterically and Kit joined in the laughter. When it died down, Lily walked over to Kit and hugged her fiercely. "You know Kit, you can be serious. You're my friend no matter what," she said as she pulled back.
Kit smiled at her; her ocean blue eyes a bit bright. "Thanks Lily," she whispered.
Kit the giggly had been great fun and still would be. But now that Lily knew that Kit had a serious side, she could enjoy the giggly side more because she knew that there was more to Kit than that.
"You better go talk to Lucille before she gets too mad. For such a quiet person, she sure gets red-hot angry," Kit said blinking furiously.
Lily's mouth twitched as she fought to restrain a smile.
All of a sudden a black owl swept past Kit and Lily wasn't there anymore. Kit laughed delightedly. "Wonderful! Will you take this letter for me?" she said holding out an envelope she'd grabbed from the nightstand. The owl squawked indignantly and snapped its beak in irritation as it flew out the door leaving a giggling Kit behind.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As soon as she was past the doorway, Lily landed and transformed back into herself. She flipped her reddish hair back over her shoulder and shuffled forward in her emerald bunny slippers looking for Lucille. When she reached the Gryffindor Common Room, Lucille was no where to be seen. But seated in a chair was James Potter, staring moodily into the fire.
Lily swallowed hard then walked towards him. "Hullo James," she said with a bright smile endeavoring to sound cheery.
James looked at her coldly, the anger from last night still very hot. "What do you want Evans?" he asked frostily.
"Well... um..." she stammered.
"Don't waste my time Evans. Please," he said laying his head back in the chair and closing his eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry ok? I'm sorry," Lily said exaggerating the words of the last sentence so they were long and drawn out.
James suddenly jumped up and patted her on the head. "Very good Evans! I do believe that's the first time you've ever apologized!" He then bounded up the stairs to his room, his laughter still hanging in the air.
Lily stared after him for a while then sat down in the chair he had been in, horribly confused. "That was just... odd," she whispered to herself staring after James.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A few minutes later, Kit came down the stairs and saw Lily sitting in her chair. "Hey Talon. Did you talk to Lucille?" Kit said as she bounced over and sat next to her.
"Nope she wasn't here. But guess who was!" Lily then launched into the tale of last night's events and what had happened right before Kit had come in.
Kit began to laugh hysterically. "I knew it I knew it!" she shouted gleefully. Then she dropped her voice. "You like him don't you Lily Evans?
"I do not!" Lily said indignantly as her face colored horribly causing Kit to fall to the ground twitching with laughter.
"Kit!" Lily hissed as the boy in question and his 3 friends came trooping down the stairs. Kit shook as the convulsions of laughter swept over her.
Remus raised his eyebrows at Kit as she grabbed the leg of her chair and forced herself back into it, gasping for breath. "What's so funny Kit?"
Kit choked and shook her head. "No... I don't think I could say it. Lily'd kill me." Then she began laughing hysterically again with Lily staring at her grimacing.
Remus laughed too then walked over to Kit and offered her his arm. "May I have the honor of escorting you to breakfast, beautiful young lady?" he asked.
Kit smiled brilliantly and took his arm. "Why, of course, handsome young man." And with that the two of them left.
Sirius laughed as he watched them leave. "Boy, I think I'll go join them. You never know about that Kit and what she might do," he said as he ran after them. The three left in the room left for the Great Hall, two wordlessly listening to the third babbling about something or other.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When James, Lily, and Peter reached the Great Hall, the others were already there including Lucille. Kit was sitting between Lucille and Remus and Sirius was on Lucille's other side. While everyone greeted the three, Lucille ignored Lily completely. So Lily sat down between Rose and Peter because it was obvious that Lucille was still furious. James then sat down across the table from Rose.
The group was just settling down to eating when the mail arrived. Rose's tawny owl Barry arrived with a package of sweets from home. Sirius's barn owl Mooch arrived with a note that threatened a howler from his parents for one of his many escapades that he had quite forgotten. The only other owl that arrived was Evee, James' owl. While Rose was inspecting the treats from home and Sirius was proudly showing the letter to Lucille who was laughing hysterically, James ripped open his letter.
He started reading it and smiled at something, then as he continued to read, the smile on his face froze then died completely. Only Lily and Rose noticed, as his face grew pale with an almost green tinge.
"James? What is it?" Rose asked, drawing the attention of the entire group to James who had begun to tremble.
James looked up and his eyes sought out Lily. Without a word he handed her the letter, his hand shaking so violently that she could barely grab it. She scanned it quickly smiling at whatever he had smiled about. Then as she continued to scan it... "Oh, James!" she said with a gasp.
"I'm... too late. I'm too late," James whispered staring at the ground in horrified shock.
Lily jumped up and ran around the table. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Not if you go now!" she said desperately trying to get him moving. He looked at her dazedly not moving at all. "James! Leave! Right now! Go!" she hissed.
"It doesn't matter if I go or not. I'm too late," he said in a small lost sort of voice.
Lily looked at him and sighed sadly. "If you don't go you'll regret it. Forever," she said drawing out the word forever.
James looked up at her looking for some sort of courage. Apparently he found it in her eyes because he nodded once, then turned and ran to the head table after grabbing the letter back from her.
The group watched in shock for a moment as James spoke for a very short moment to the headmaster than ran at top speed from the Hall. Lily watched him go sadly then sighed and sat back down.
Rose turned to her. "What was in that letter that he told you about and not m... the rest of us?" Rose said, her voice carefully neutral but her face and eyes speaking volumes. The eyes of the whole group were on them as Rose spoke.
"I cannot tell you," Lily replied her voice dull and almost monotone.
"More secrets Lily?" Lucille said in a hard voice, her brown eyes cold.
"It's not mine to tell," Lily responded, her tone not changing. With that she got up and walked out of the Hall, clearly troubled.
"What was that all about?" Kit said looking around at the group, all of who's faces were as bewildered as hers.
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A/N: So does anybody have any idea what just happened? And one other question. Did anyone catch the dual meaning of the last statement Lily made in the last chapter? If so you deserve the Golden Rose because my friends didn't catch that. And my friends are some of the brightest cookies I know. So if you caught that, this is for you!
@--------------
~Teva~
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Chapter 9: Repairing Holes and Making New Ones...
The next morning Lily woke up and looked around the dorm room. With a sigh, she got out of bed and walked to the window, gazing out at the rising sun.
"Stupid!" she whispered vehemently to herself. "That was just stupid! There are better ways to prove that you are an animagus to them. And it isn't exactly helpful to prove that he does like you by getting him mad at you," she sighed when she said that because she realized now how truly foolish it had been.
Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. "Something you'd like to share Talon?"
Lily jumped 5 feet into the air and spun around to see... Lucille. Even though she had just woke up, Lucille looked very wide awake. "Something you want to share Talon?" she repeated staring penetratingly at Lily.
"Um... er... ah... well... um... not really?" Lily stammered her end remark more like a question then anything else.
"You're an animagus?" Lucille said, her voice hard. Lily's yes was barely perceptible. "Did you ever plan on telling me? Or am I not trustworthy enough for you?" Lucille said bitterly half turning away from her.
"Lucille," Lily began but Lucille cut her off.
"I don't want to hear it Lily. I just... DON'T," Lucille turned and almost ran out the door, her long black locks flying behind her.
Lily's emerald eyes weren't the only ones that followed Lucille out of the room. A pair of ocean blue eyes watched too. Then the owner of the eyes spoke up in a soft voice so as not to wake the rest of the room.
"She found out, eh? Not very tactful Lils. You shoulda told her yourself," Kit observed, quite unruffled.
Lily spun to face her. "Is EVERYONE awake this morning?" she said irritably. Then she stopped as the significance of Kit had said sunk in. "You KNEW?" she gasped in shock.
Kit smiled sleepily. "'Course I did. I was there the first time McGonagall showed us her ability. I saw that look in your eyes. I was worried about you cause McGonagall said that the attempts to do it can go horribly wrong. So I watched you carefully since then. Three years is a long time to watch carefully about anything. And every summer I was dreadfully afraid that you would hurt yourself. But every year you came back just the same. I know that you cracked it really earlier this year. Honestly, how Lucille missed it I'll never now. You were skipping for a week and the euphoria of it took you WEEKS before it died down. Never did figure out what you became though," Kit finished thoughtfully looking up at Lily.
Lily gaped at her friend in shock. She'd been so sure that she had been secretive about it. Kit had never let on at all that she knew. Even though Kit was one of her best friends she had thought that she was rather flighty. The perfect match for Sirius Black. But she was suddenly, after five years of knowing Kit, seeing a whole new side of her friend.
"You even beat the fabulous four," Kit said with a fond smile as she thought of Remus. "They only got it a little before Christmas. Minus Remus of course."
"You knew about them TOO?" Lily practically shrieked. Lily was usually pretty good at judging people but she had never thought of Kit being like this. "I knew about Remus, but I only found out about the others yesterday and only then because Peter slipped up," Lily said still stupefied.
Kit smiled at Lily. "I've been watching Remus for a long time Lily. A very long time."
Lily gaped at her for a moment. "Kit... I... never thought that you..." she stopped and shook her head.
Kit's smile widened. "You never that I could be serious? I'm not supposed to be. I just haven't had my caffeine yet. Don't worry. This'll wear off."
Lily laughed hysterically and Kit joined in the laughter. When it died down, Lily walked over to Kit and hugged her fiercely. "You know Kit, you can be serious. You're my friend no matter what," she said as she pulled back.
Kit smiled at her; her ocean blue eyes a bit bright. "Thanks Lily," she whispered.
Kit the giggly had been great fun and still would be. But now that Lily knew that Kit had a serious side, she could enjoy the giggly side more because she knew that there was more to Kit than that.
"You better go talk to Lucille before she gets too mad. For such a quiet person, she sure gets red-hot angry," Kit said blinking furiously.
Lily's mouth twitched as she fought to restrain a smile.
All of a sudden a black owl swept past Kit and Lily wasn't there anymore. Kit laughed delightedly. "Wonderful! Will you take this letter for me?" she said holding out an envelope she'd grabbed from the nightstand. The owl squawked indignantly and snapped its beak in irritation as it flew out the door leaving a giggling Kit behind.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As soon as she was past the doorway, Lily landed and transformed back into herself. She flipped her reddish hair back over her shoulder and shuffled forward in her emerald bunny slippers looking for Lucille. When she reached the Gryffindor Common Room, Lucille was no where to be seen. But seated in a chair was James Potter, staring moodily into the fire.
Lily swallowed hard then walked towards him. "Hullo James," she said with a bright smile endeavoring to sound cheery.
James looked at her coldly, the anger from last night still very hot. "What do you want Evans?" he asked frostily.
"Well... um..." she stammered.
"Don't waste my time Evans. Please," he said laying his head back in the chair and closing his eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry ok? I'm sorry," Lily said exaggerating the words of the last sentence so they were long and drawn out.
James suddenly jumped up and patted her on the head. "Very good Evans! I do believe that's the first time you've ever apologized!" He then bounded up the stairs to his room, his laughter still hanging in the air.
Lily stared after him for a while then sat down in the chair he had been in, horribly confused. "That was just... odd," she whispered to herself staring after James.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A few minutes later, Kit came down the stairs and saw Lily sitting in her chair. "Hey Talon. Did you talk to Lucille?" Kit said as she bounced over and sat next to her.
"Nope she wasn't here. But guess who was!" Lily then launched into the tale of last night's events and what had happened right before Kit had come in.
Kit began to laugh hysterically. "I knew it I knew it!" she shouted gleefully. Then she dropped her voice. "You like him don't you Lily Evans?
"I do not!" Lily said indignantly as her face colored horribly causing Kit to fall to the ground twitching with laughter.
"Kit!" Lily hissed as the boy in question and his 3 friends came trooping down the stairs. Kit shook as the convulsions of laughter swept over her.
Remus raised his eyebrows at Kit as she grabbed the leg of her chair and forced herself back into it, gasping for breath. "What's so funny Kit?"
Kit choked and shook her head. "No... I don't think I could say it. Lily'd kill me." Then she began laughing hysterically again with Lily staring at her grimacing.
Remus laughed too then walked over to Kit and offered her his arm. "May I have the honor of escorting you to breakfast, beautiful young lady?" he asked.
Kit smiled brilliantly and took his arm. "Why, of course, handsome young man." And with that the two of them left.
Sirius laughed as he watched them leave. "Boy, I think I'll go join them. You never know about that Kit and what she might do," he said as he ran after them. The three left in the room left for the Great Hall, two wordlessly listening to the third babbling about something or other.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When James, Lily, and Peter reached the Great Hall, the others were already there including Lucille. Kit was sitting between Lucille and Remus and Sirius was on Lucille's other side. While everyone greeted the three, Lucille ignored Lily completely. So Lily sat down between Rose and Peter because it was obvious that Lucille was still furious. James then sat down across the table from Rose.
The group was just settling down to eating when the mail arrived. Rose's tawny owl Barry arrived with a package of sweets from home. Sirius's barn owl Mooch arrived with a note that threatened a howler from his parents for one of his many escapades that he had quite forgotten. The only other owl that arrived was Evee, James' owl. While Rose was inspecting the treats from home and Sirius was proudly showing the letter to Lucille who was laughing hysterically, James ripped open his letter.
He started reading it and smiled at something, then as he continued to read, the smile on his face froze then died completely. Only Lily and Rose noticed, as his face grew pale with an almost green tinge.
"James? What is it?" Rose asked, drawing the attention of the entire group to James who had begun to tremble.
James looked up and his eyes sought out Lily. Without a word he handed her the letter, his hand shaking so violently that she could barely grab it. She scanned it quickly smiling at whatever he had smiled about. Then as she continued to scan it... "Oh, James!" she said with a gasp.
"I'm... too late. I'm too late," James whispered staring at the ground in horrified shock.
Lily jumped up and ran around the table. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Not if you go now!" she said desperately trying to get him moving. He looked at her dazedly not moving at all. "James! Leave! Right now! Go!" she hissed.
"It doesn't matter if I go or not. I'm too late," he said in a small lost sort of voice.
Lily looked at him and sighed sadly. "If you don't go you'll regret it. Forever," she said drawing out the word forever.
James looked up at her looking for some sort of courage. Apparently he found it in her eyes because he nodded once, then turned and ran to the head table after grabbing the letter back from her.
The group watched in shock for a moment as James spoke for a very short moment to the headmaster than ran at top speed from the Hall. Lily watched him go sadly then sighed and sat back down.
Rose turned to her. "What was in that letter that he told you about and not m... the rest of us?" Rose said, her voice carefully neutral but her face and eyes speaking volumes. The eyes of the whole group were on them as Rose spoke.
"I cannot tell you," Lily replied her voice dull and almost monotone.
"More secrets Lily?" Lucille said in a hard voice, her brown eyes cold.
"It's not mine to tell," Lily responded, her tone not changing. With that she got up and walked out of the Hall, clearly troubled.
"What was that all about?" Kit said looking around at the group, all of who's faces were as bewildered as hers.
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A/N: So does anybody have any idea what just happened? And one other question. Did anyone catch the dual meaning of the last statement Lily made in the last chapter? If so you deserve the Golden Rose because my friends didn't catch that. And my friends are some of the brightest cookies I know. So if you caught that, this is for you!
@--------------
~Teva~