Chapter Four:
Learning it the Hard Way
That evening while Lily bathed and dressed for the ball, she watched Anise making herself up, and muttering to herself. Lily was wondering why Anise was dressing herself up, and so obsessed about her looks, if she wasn't taking a date. As Anise applied Lily's make up, she kept saying.
"Boy I've got to hurry, if I am going to have time to make myself up before the ball."
"Hey Anise," curiosity had overcome Lily, and she had to know what had made Anise so worried about her own appearance for the dance. Normally if she wasn't going with someone, Anise decided that she wasn't going to spend hours on make up if she might not even dance with anyone worthwhile there. "Has there been a change in plans, are you going to the ball with anyone?"
Anise dropped the blush container she was clutching on the bathroom floor, and then forgot to retrieve it. She had been hoping that Lily wouldn't notice her sudden interest in the event of the evening.
"I er, I am going to the ball with someone Lily," she admitted, dreading the question that she knew Lily was going to ask.
"Oh, really. With who?" she inquired.
"It's um, er, a secret," Anise thought finally. She had answered without upsetting Lily. For once in her life Anise had come up with a brilliant answer to a question that she would rather die than answer.
"Oh," Lily looked suspicious.
"Oh it's nobody important," Anise said, and then bent over to pick up the blush container, in order to hide her face from Lily.
"Than why are you so worried about being beautiful?" Lily laughed and left the room, which relieved Anise, for she was spared with answering that question, at least for the time being.
*
At quarter of nine, Lily met Peter at the entrance of the great hall. For once he looked clean, and as handsome as was possible. Lily searched for Anise and the mysterious boy who was taking her to the ball, but they were no where in sight.
"Well let's go then Peter," Lily smiled down at him.
"All right," Peter linked his arm with hers, and beaming, escorted her to the magnificent building which had been conjured onto the Hogwarts grounds only hours before.
When they entered the building Lily gasped in pleasure. This year the ballroom looked more exquisite than ever before. Lily went off to the punch table with her date, eager to taste the delicious beverage, which was more delicious each year. The music however began immediately. Peter taking her by the arm, practically dragged her onto the dance floor. Lily laid her head on his shoulder to spite James in case he saw the two of them, dancing in each others' arms. James did indeed glance her way, and he was suddenly more envious of Peter than he'd been that afternoon. He noticed Lily's eyes turn in his direction. In order to punish Lily for not taking him to the ball, he bent his head, and forcefully grasped Anise's lips with his own. Before he could deepen the kiss, she had pushed him off her. "James what are you doing? I'm not Lily." But it was too late, Lily had turned her face away from James and had thrust Peter aside. Lily ran from the ball her eyes overflowing with tears. How could the man she loved kiss her best friend? It was just cruel. Now she new that she was in love with him, but he had found someone else. What made everything ten times worse was that Anise was his new girlfriend. Lily's best friend had betrayed her as well.
Lily's gown was torn at the hem as she entered the forbidden forest, stumbling over jagged rocks, and fallen logs. She suddenly stopped and collapsed onto a pile of leaves, wishing she had never said what she had to James at the lake, wishing she could have kissed him back with all of her soul that day in the hospital wing. She wished away all the times she had deliberately ignored him in the past. Lily had pushed James away from her, and now he would never return to her. In her grief the girl didn't notice when a creature appeared behind her. She felt breath on her neck however and turned. She imagined it was James coming to her to kiss her, and love her, but she knew that dream would never come true. When she opened her eyes she screamed. Hovering in the air before her was the deadliest creature alive. Lily realized that the creature was transparent as glass, with only the outline of a body. It was a monghoul.
.
.
That evening while Lily bathed and dressed for the ball, she watched Anise making herself up, and muttering to herself. Lily was wondering why Anise was dressing herself up, and so obsessed about her looks, if she wasn't taking a date. As Anise applied Lily's make up, she kept saying.
"Boy I've got to hurry, if I am going to have time to make myself up before the ball."
"Hey Anise," curiosity had overcome Lily, and she had to know what had made Anise so worried about her own appearance for the dance. Normally if she wasn't going with someone, Anise decided that she wasn't going to spend hours on make up if she might not even dance with anyone worthwhile there. "Has there been a change in plans, are you going to the ball with anyone?"
Anise dropped the blush container she was clutching on the bathroom floor, and then forgot to retrieve it. She had been hoping that Lily wouldn't notice her sudden interest in the event of the evening.
"I er, I am going to the ball with someone Lily," she admitted, dreading the question that she knew Lily was going to ask.
"Oh, really. With who?" she inquired.
"It's um, er, a secret," Anise thought finally. She had answered without upsetting Lily. For once in her life Anise had come up with a brilliant answer to a question that she would rather die than answer.
"Oh," Lily looked suspicious.
"Oh it's nobody important," Anise said, and then bent over to pick up the blush container, in order to hide her face from Lily.
"Than why are you so worried about being beautiful?" Lily laughed and left the room, which relieved Anise, for she was spared with answering that question, at least for the time being.
*
At quarter of nine, Lily met Peter at the entrance of the great hall. For once he looked clean, and as handsome as was possible. Lily searched for Anise and the mysterious boy who was taking her to the ball, but they were no where in sight.
"Well let's go then Peter," Lily smiled down at him.
"All right," Peter linked his arm with hers, and beaming, escorted her to the magnificent building which had been conjured onto the Hogwarts grounds only hours before.
When they entered the building Lily gasped in pleasure. This year the ballroom looked more exquisite than ever before. Lily went off to the punch table with her date, eager to taste the delicious beverage, which was more delicious each year. The music however began immediately. Peter taking her by the arm, practically dragged her onto the dance floor. Lily laid her head on his shoulder to spite James in case he saw the two of them, dancing in each others' arms. James did indeed glance her way, and he was suddenly more envious of Peter than he'd been that afternoon. He noticed Lily's eyes turn in his direction. In order to punish Lily for not taking him to the ball, he bent his head, and forcefully grasped Anise's lips with his own. Before he could deepen the kiss, she had pushed him off her. "James what are you doing? I'm not Lily." But it was too late, Lily had turned her face away from James and had thrust Peter aside. Lily ran from the ball her eyes overflowing with tears. How could the man she loved kiss her best friend? It was just cruel. Now she new that she was in love with him, but he had found someone else. What made everything ten times worse was that Anise was his new girlfriend. Lily's best friend had betrayed her as well.
Lily's gown was torn at the hem as she entered the forbidden forest, stumbling over jagged rocks, and fallen logs. She suddenly stopped and collapsed onto a pile of leaves, wishing she had never said what she had to James at the lake, wishing she could have kissed him back with all of her soul that day in the hospital wing. She wished away all the times she had deliberately ignored him in the past. Lily had pushed James away from her, and now he would never return to her. In her grief the girl didn't notice when a creature appeared behind her. She felt breath on her neck however and turned. She imagined it was James coming to her to kiss her, and love her, but she knew that dream would never come true. When she opened her eyes she screamed. Hovering in the air before her was the deadliest creature alive. Lily realized that the creature was transparent as glass, with only the outline of a body. It was a monghoul.
.
.