Chapter 14: A Monkey Wrench
A few hours later Lily came back into the common room feeling somewhat refreshed. She decided that running away earlier had been the worst thing to do in that situation and she resolved to make it up to James.
She sat down in one of the chairs feeling more confident and happier than she had in months. With any luck, she and James would be able to iron out the wrinkles today and start fresh. That thought brought a glow to her eyes and a smile to her lips.
A door nearby opened and closed quietly and Lily turned to see Lucille coming down from the dorm rooms buckling a delicate silver watch to her wrist. She seemed flushed and her hair hung straight rather than up in an elegant design like usual.
"Hey Lucille," Lily said brightly. Lucille stopped then smiled at her and flounced over to sit next to her.
"Morning Lily. How are ya?" she said with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. They continued to talk about nothing in particular for a long while, and all the time, Lucille seemed to be growing more and more anxious.
Finally, Lily looked at her closely. "What's wrong Lucille?" she asked tentatively. Lucille went a little paler then spoke very fast.
"Nothing!" Lucille said quickly. "What made you think that anything was wrong with me?"
Lily sighed. "You are a terrible liar. Just tell me. You know I'll get it out of you in the end," she said with a smile.
Lucille laughed. "You always do." Then she suddenly became serious. "I'm worried about you," she said solemnly.
Lily was astounded. "Me? Why are you worried about me?" she asked puzzled, looking at Lucille closely.
Lucille fidgeted then finally said, "Look, I know that you like James," she said causing Lily to blush and smile, "but I don't want you to get hurt."
The smile died on Lily's face. "What?"
Lucille sighed. "How many times has he left Rose before? Dozens. And he usually finds some poor girl to be his girl during that time. But he ALWAYS ends up going back to Rose. She's really sweet and he loves her. Don't let yourself become one of those love-em-and-leave-em girls." Lucille's voice was solemn and she seemed very earnest.
Lily paled. "James isn't like that," she said fiercely.
A sigh escaped Lucille. "Lily, I just don't want you to get hurt."
The glow on Lily's face that had survived till now finally died. "I think that you're wrong," she said but her voice wasn't convinced. In truth she had still doubted before this conversation and this was feeding the seed of doubt in her.
Lucille smiled somewhat sadly. "Lily, don't fall for him. He's nothing but trouble for anyone whose name isn't Rose. It's up to you but he's nothing but pain for most girls. Nothing but trouble because he WILL go back to her. Make no mistake about that Lily dear," Lucille said as she laid a hand on Lily's shoulder.
Lily had gone rigid and she almost glared at Lucille. "Look, I really don't want to talk about this. It's almost breakfast time anyway."
Lucille went very pale. "Oh is it?" she said as she jumped to her feet and ran upstairs.
Lily watched her then sighed as she stood and walked down to the Great Hall. Breakfast was a fairly silent meal because Lily was deep in thought and the rest were mostly still asleep. After picking at her food for a while, Lily got up and left for a walk around the grounds deciding she wasn't hungry.
She walked around for a while turning over what Lucille had said in her mind. Lily finally decided that the only thing to do was what she should have done in the first place. Talk with James.
Feeling much better now that she had a plan and a destination, Lily set a brisk pace heading back towards the castle. She scanned the almost empty Great Hall and ascertained that while Lucille and Kit where there, James was not there. She practically ran through and headed straight to the Gryffindor Common Room.
After opening the portrait, Lily stepped in and a ghastly sight met her eyes.
James Potter stood in the room kissing Rose.
Without another thought Lily fled the room in tears.
Perhaps if she and Lucille hadn't had their conversation, Lily would have stayed. But they had so she didn't. If her doubts hadn't been flamed by the conversation, she might have gotten angry and yelled. But they had been and so she didn't.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
James Potter had just come back up to the common room from breakfast while Lily was out walking. He had coming looking for Lily but instead he found Rose. She looked at him startled then smiled, still unsure of herself.
"James can we talk?" she asked tentatively.
He frowned at her. "I suppose," he said his voice unfriendly.
She fidgeted a moment then stepped a little closer to him. "I'm sorry James! Really I am," she said her voice earnest. "I WAS rude and selfish and I'm sorry for it. Don't throw away what we have baby," she said her voice pleading.
James' frown faded and the coldness of his eyes warmed a little but not enough. "Rose I can't forgive you just like that! And I don't know if I want to salvage what we have or not. If it was just the way that you had acted, I might consider it but they way you acted toward Ti," his voice choked but he swallowed hard and forced himself to continue. "You acted as if she was a good for nothing," he said angrily.
Rose crept a little closer and laid a hand on his arm and was encouraged when he didn't shake it off. "James she WAS a squib. Of course that doesn't mean that she's a good for nothing but darling a squib is a squib." She put her head to one side suddenly as if she had heard something.
James opened his mouth to say something after angrily shaking her hand off, but she silenced him with a kiss. It took him a moment to get away from her and by then it was too late though he didn't know it…
"Rose, look! I mean it!! We are through! "This little stunt and the way you looked down on my sister, I've HAD IT," James' raised voice stopped here as he fought the urge to jump up and down screaming in fury. Instead his voice dropped to a deadly quiet that was more frightening than anything else he could have done. "I loved my sister. And it didn't matter to me that she was a squib. The fact that it mattered to you shows how little tolerance you have. And… Never mind! I can't STAND you anymore." James threw up his hands and stormed from the room leaving Rose behind.
"You will be MINE. Not hers," Rose then turned toward the portal and smiled grimly and then almost laughed in glee.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lily ran from the room blinded by her tears and as she flew through the halls, she happened to pass Lucille and Kit. She paused and blinked at Lucille. "Oh Lucy you were right!" Lily sobbed. Then she took to her heals again and ran leaving her sobs hanging in the air behind her.
Lucille turned to Kit a bewildered look on her face. "Right about what?" she asked confusedly. Kit merely looked at her with the exact same expression on her face, ocean blue eyes troubled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Thank you to all of those people out there that reviewed. Its just that my friend read my story and told me that it wasn't any good. She's usually right about writing so I just thought I'd see what you thought b4 I gave up. Thx to you ppl, I'm NOT going to give up. Thank you all.
Um… one other thing. I um… haven't finished… alright you caught me. I haven't even started the next chapter. So I'm going to say 260 b4 I post it. Hopefully that will give me enuf time to actually write it. LOL. Well, thanks for everything!
~Teva~
A few hours later Lily came back into the common room feeling somewhat refreshed. She decided that running away earlier had been the worst thing to do in that situation and she resolved to make it up to James.
She sat down in one of the chairs feeling more confident and happier than she had in months. With any luck, she and James would be able to iron out the wrinkles today and start fresh. That thought brought a glow to her eyes and a smile to her lips.
A door nearby opened and closed quietly and Lily turned to see Lucille coming down from the dorm rooms buckling a delicate silver watch to her wrist. She seemed flushed and her hair hung straight rather than up in an elegant design like usual.
"Hey Lucille," Lily said brightly. Lucille stopped then smiled at her and flounced over to sit next to her.
"Morning Lily. How are ya?" she said with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. They continued to talk about nothing in particular for a long while, and all the time, Lucille seemed to be growing more and more anxious.
Finally, Lily looked at her closely. "What's wrong Lucille?" she asked tentatively. Lucille went a little paler then spoke very fast.
"Nothing!" Lucille said quickly. "What made you think that anything was wrong with me?"
Lily sighed. "You are a terrible liar. Just tell me. You know I'll get it out of you in the end," she said with a smile.
Lucille laughed. "You always do." Then she suddenly became serious. "I'm worried about you," she said solemnly.
Lily was astounded. "Me? Why are you worried about me?" she asked puzzled, looking at Lucille closely.
Lucille fidgeted then finally said, "Look, I know that you like James," she said causing Lily to blush and smile, "but I don't want you to get hurt."
The smile died on Lily's face. "What?"
Lucille sighed. "How many times has he left Rose before? Dozens. And he usually finds some poor girl to be his girl during that time. But he ALWAYS ends up going back to Rose. She's really sweet and he loves her. Don't let yourself become one of those love-em-and-leave-em girls." Lucille's voice was solemn and she seemed very earnest.
Lily paled. "James isn't like that," she said fiercely.
A sigh escaped Lucille. "Lily, I just don't want you to get hurt."
The glow on Lily's face that had survived till now finally died. "I think that you're wrong," she said but her voice wasn't convinced. In truth she had still doubted before this conversation and this was feeding the seed of doubt in her.
Lucille smiled somewhat sadly. "Lily, don't fall for him. He's nothing but trouble for anyone whose name isn't Rose. It's up to you but he's nothing but pain for most girls. Nothing but trouble because he WILL go back to her. Make no mistake about that Lily dear," Lucille said as she laid a hand on Lily's shoulder.
Lily had gone rigid and she almost glared at Lucille. "Look, I really don't want to talk about this. It's almost breakfast time anyway."
Lucille went very pale. "Oh is it?" she said as she jumped to her feet and ran upstairs.
Lily watched her then sighed as she stood and walked down to the Great Hall. Breakfast was a fairly silent meal because Lily was deep in thought and the rest were mostly still asleep. After picking at her food for a while, Lily got up and left for a walk around the grounds deciding she wasn't hungry.
She walked around for a while turning over what Lucille had said in her mind. Lily finally decided that the only thing to do was what she should have done in the first place. Talk with James.
Feeling much better now that she had a plan and a destination, Lily set a brisk pace heading back towards the castle. She scanned the almost empty Great Hall and ascertained that while Lucille and Kit where there, James was not there. She practically ran through and headed straight to the Gryffindor Common Room.
After opening the portrait, Lily stepped in and a ghastly sight met her eyes.
James Potter stood in the room kissing Rose.
Without another thought Lily fled the room in tears.
Perhaps if she and Lucille hadn't had their conversation, Lily would have stayed. But they had so she didn't. If her doubts hadn't been flamed by the conversation, she might have gotten angry and yelled. But they had been and so she didn't.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
James Potter had just come back up to the common room from breakfast while Lily was out walking. He had coming looking for Lily but instead he found Rose. She looked at him startled then smiled, still unsure of herself.
"James can we talk?" she asked tentatively.
He frowned at her. "I suppose," he said his voice unfriendly.
She fidgeted a moment then stepped a little closer to him. "I'm sorry James! Really I am," she said her voice earnest. "I WAS rude and selfish and I'm sorry for it. Don't throw away what we have baby," she said her voice pleading.
James' frown faded and the coldness of his eyes warmed a little but not enough. "Rose I can't forgive you just like that! And I don't know if I want to salvage what we have or not. If it was just the way that you had acted, I might consider it but they way you acted toward Ti," his voice choked but he swallowed hard and forced himself to continue. "You acted as if she was a good for nothing," he said angrily.
Rose crept a little closer and laid a hand on his arm and was encouraged when he didn't shake it off. "James she WAS a squib. Of course that doesn't mean that she's a good for nothing but darling a squib is a squib." She put her head to one side suddenly as if she had heard something.
James opened his mouth to say something after angrily shaking her hand off, but she silenced him with a kiss. It took him a moment to get away from her and by then it was too late though he didn't know it…
"Rose, look! I mean it!! We are through! "This little stunt and the way you looked down on my sister, I've HAD IT," James' raised voice stopped here as he fought the urge to jump up and down screaming in fury. Instead his voice dropped to a deadly quiet that was more frightening than anything else he could have done. "I loved my sister. And it didn't matter to me that she was a squib. The fact that it mattered to you shows how little tolerance you have. And… Never mind! I can't STAND you anymore." James threw up his hands and stormed from the room leaving Rose behind.
"You will be MINE. Not hers," Rose then turned toward the portal and smiled grimly and then almost laughed in glee.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lily ran from the room blinded by her tears and as she flew through the halls, she happened to pass Lucille and Kit. She paused and blinked at Lucille. "Oh Lucy you were right!" Lily sobbed. Then she took to her heals again and ran leaving her sobs hanging in the air behind her.
Lucille turned to Kit a bewildered look on her face. "Right about what?" she asked confusedly. Kit merely looked at her with the exact same expression on her face, ocean blue eyes troubled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Thank you to all of those people out there that reviewed. Its just that my friend read my story and told me that it wasn't any good. She's usually right about writing so I just thought I'd see what you thought b4 I gave up. Thx to you ppl, I'm NOT going to give up. Thank you all.
Um… one other thing. I um… haven't finished… alright you caught me. I haven't even started the next chapter. So I'm going to say 260 b4 I post it. Hopefully that will give me enuf time to actually write it. LOL. Well, thanks for everything!
~Teva~