A/N: I am rrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeaaaaallllllllllyyyyyyyyy sorry this is so late.
I had some stuff going on in my "life" *pause for hysterical laughter* and
I wasn't anywhere near a computer for the past week or so. I will post the
epilogue in about 10 minutes because I had that written about halfway
through the story. He he… sorry again! And now… drum roll please!! THE
LAST CHAPTER!! *sighz* I'll be so sad when it's over.
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Chapter 16: Caribbean Blue
Long after dinner was over, the Gryffindors sat in the common room, some doing homework, some copying homework, some pretending that they didn't have homework. The five friends sat in the room, three wondering where Lily and James were, the other two throwing knowing glances at each other and having to look away so as not to burst into hysterical laughter. Rose and her two cronies sat a few seats away, Rose throwing looks of venom at the group as she chatted with her friends.
Finally Lucille turned to the group and the empty chitchat ground to a halt as they looked over to her. "Where do you suppose Lily and James are?"
This proved to be too much for Kit, who promptly laid her head on the table in front of her and began to positively howl with mirth. Remus bit his lip and closed his eyes trying (and failing pretty much) not to do the same.
As Kit's laughter slowly died down somewhat as she gasped for breath, Lucille opened her mouth to ask what was so funny when the sound of laughter from outside the common room was heard.
It wasn't the hysterical laughter that had filled the room a moment before, nor was it the mocking laughter of an enemy. It was not the polite laughter after a semi silly joke not hearty laughter after a good one.
It was the laughter of lovers.
Lily and James stepped through the common room holding hands, which gained them a look, and soaking wet, which gained them a stare from everyone in the room.
Lily's eyes sparkled and danced till they settled on Rose. Rose had leapt to her feet and crossed the room heading for them, anger apparent on her features and even in the way she strode towards them.
Lily's eyes hardened and she opened her mouth to speak. She was distracted, however, by a glint of silver on Rose's wrist as Rose raised the wrist to angrily brush her hair out of her eyes.
"YOU!" Lily hissed through clenched teeth. For a moment Rose looked puzzled then her gaze slipped down to the watch on her wrist and she smiled, knowing she was caught.
"Me," Rose said smugly with a little half bow.
"That was very clever Rose. I never saw it coming," Lily said her voice hard. Rose said nothing, she merely smiled devilishly, much like Kit was wont to do, but without Kit's warmth.
James looked from one to the other his gaze confused. He looked over at their other friends but was astonished to find that even the almighty Kit looked confused.
"I thought that Lucille sounded odd when she spoke to me about James. She'd never warned me against chasing dreams before. I should have seen it!"
Lucille blinked. "I most certainly would not do anything of the kind."
"Of course you wouldn't. I should have seen that it was Rose all along," Lily said, her gaze never wavering from Rose's face. "How did you do it?" Lily said sounding for all the world like she was merely curious.
Rose smiled conceitedly. "It was a last ditch effort to pry your cold fingers from my man's throat." Lily opened her mouth angrily but Rose continued not about to have her moment of cleverness ruined. "The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was going to be teaching us about Polyjuice potions and had them all set up except for the bits of the people that you want to turn into. It was a simple matter to grab a bottle and latter snatch a strand of Lucille's hair from her brush in your room. And," Rose said her voice filled with triumphant mirth, "if you washed behind your ears, you'd find a little present I left on you after drugging your Pumpkin Juice so you'd sleep… better."
Lily's hand flew to her ear before she could stop it and she pulled off a hardly noticeable piece of plastic. Embedded in the center was a tiny insect. "That's how I knew you were coming earlier," Rose said as she composedly detached a similar magic "bug" from behind her own ear.
Lily threw the piece of plastic at Rose's feet then as she stepped over to Rose; she deliberately ground it into dust. Lily's blazing eyes burned into Rose's eyes. But Rose regarded her with amusement.
"Why Lily! If looks could kill… why, I'd be dead wouldn't I?"
Lily raised a hand and slapped her with all her strength behind the blow.
Rose staggered backwards, her hand on her cheek where a fantastic bruise was already blossoming. But she refused to be shaken and immediately recovered her composure.
James stared at Rose. "I had no idea you were such a sadist," he said, his voice barely intelligible.
Rose looked at him, her expression not changing at all. "Well I did put up a good fight didn't I? Even you must admit so," she said her voice amused.
Lily would have leapt on her again but James took her hand and drew her away. "Come on Talon. She isn't worth it," he said as he pulled Lily away, their friends following them. His voice was slightly sad. It was not for what was or might have been, but rather for who Rose had become, for who she perhaps had always been, he had merely been blind to it. He raised his free hand and saluted her before leaving the common room… and he didn't look back.
Rose watched them all leave and the smugness on her face slipped. She turned to Carla and Tina with a sigh. "That was depressing. I don't want to think about it anymore." Then her face brightened. "Fancy a game of tennis?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Kudos to anyone who knows the song this chapter is named for.
~Teva~
* * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 16: Caribbean Blue
Long after dinner was over, the Gryffindors sat in the common room, some doing homework, some copying homework, some pretending that they didn't have homework. The five friends sat in the room, three wondering where Lily and James were, the other two throwing knowing glances at each other and having to look away so as not to burst into hysterical laughter. Rose and her two cronies sat a few seats away, Rose throwing looks of venom at the group as she chatted with her friends.
Finally Lucille turned to the group and the empty chitchat ground to a halt as they looked over to her. "Where do you suppose Lily and James are?"
This proved to be too much for Kit, who promptly laid her head on the table in front of her and began to positively howl with mirth. Remus bit his lip and closed his eyes trying (and failing pretty much) not to do the same.
As Kit's laughter slowly died down somewhat as she gasped for breath, Lucille opened her mouth to ask what was so funny when the sound of laughter from outside the common room was heard.
It wasn't the hysterical laughter that had filled the room a moment before, nor was it the mocking laughter of an enemy. It was not the polite laughter after a semi silly joke not hearty laughter after a good one.
It was the laughter of lovers.
Lily and James stepped through the common room holding hands, which gained them a look, and soaking wet, which gained them a stare from everyone in the room.
Lily's eyes sparkled and danced till they settled on Rose. Rose had leapt to her feet and crossed the room heading for them, anger apparent on her features and even in the way she strode towards them.
Lily's eyes hardened and she opened her mouth to speak. She was distracted, however, by a glint of silver on Rose's wrist as Rose raised the wrist to angrily brush her hair out of her eyes.
"YOU!" Lily hissed through clenched teeth. For a moment Rose looked puzzled then her gaze slipped down to the watch on her wrist and she smiled, knowing she was caught.
"Me," Rose said smugly with a little half bow.
"That was very clever Rose. I never saw it coming," Lily said her voice hard. Rose said nothing, she merely smiled devilishly, much like Kit was wont to do, but without Kit's warmth.
James looked from one to the other his gaze confused. He looked over at their other friends but was astonished to find that even the almighty Kit looked confused.
"I thought that Lucille sounded odd when she spoke to me about James. She'd never warned me against chasing dreams before. I should have seen it!"
Lucille blinked. "I most certainly would not do anything of the kind."
"Of course you wouldn't. I should have seen that it was Rose all along," Lily said, her gaze never wavering from Rose's face. "How did you do it?" Lily said sounding for all the world like she was merely curious.
Rose smiled conceitedly. "It was a last ditch effort to pry your cold fingers from my man's throat." Lily opened her mouth angrily but Rose continued not about to have her moment of cleverness ruined. "The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was going to be teaching us about Polyjuice potions and had them all set up except for the bits of the people that you want to turn into. It was a simple matter to grab a bottle and latter snatch a strand of Lucille's hair from her brush in your room. And," Rose said her voice filled with triumphant mirth, "if you washed behind your ears, you'd find a little present I left on you after drugging your Pumpkin Juice so you'd sleep… better."
Lily's hand flew to her ear before she could stop it and she pulled off a hardly noticeable piece of plastic. Embedded in the center was a tiny insect. "That's how I knew you were coming earlier," Rose said as she composedly detached a similar magic "bug" from behind her own ear.
Lily threw the piece of plastic at Rose's feet then as she stepped over to Rose; she deliberately ground it into dust. Lily's blazing eyes burned into Rose's eyes. But Rose regarded her with amusement.
"Why Lily! If looks could kill… why, I'd be dead wouldn't I?"
Lily raised a hand and slapped her with all her strength behind the blow.
Rose staggered backwards, her hand on her cheek where a fantastic bruise was already blossoming. But she refused to be shaken and immediately recovered her composure.
James stared at Rose. "I had no idea you were such a sadist," he said, his voice barely intelligible.
Rose looked at him, her expression not changing at all. "Well I did put up a good fight didn't I? Even you must admit so," she said her voice amused.
Lily would have leapt on her again but James took her hand and drew her away. "Come on Talon. She isn't worth it," he said as he pulled Lily away, their friends following them. His voice was slightly sad. It was not for what was or might have been, but rather for who Rose had become, for who she perhaps had always been, he had merely been blind to it. He raised his free hand and saluted her before leaving the common room… and he didn't look back.
Rose watched them all leave and the smugness on her face slipped. She turned to Carla and Tina with a sigh. "That was depressing. I don't want to think about it anymore." Then her face brightened. "Fancy a game of tennis?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Kudos to anyone who knows the song this chapter is named for.
~Teva~