Author's note: Well??? What do you guys think so far? Do you like it? Well I'm writing it anyway so it doesn't matter but I DO hope you like it!!!
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is J.K Rowling's. Anything else is mine. Like I said before.
"Lily, Phoebe and Alyson lay on the frosty, November grass, spying on Remus and Tara from where they lay, all wrapped up in woolly jumpers, ski pants and puffy jackets. 1
`"How can she not be cold wearing that!?" interrogated Phoebe, referring to Tara's short blue skirt and flowered string top, covered only by a flimsy looking, see-thru, pale blue t-shirt.
"I don't know," Lily answered, disbelievingly, shivering ever-so-slightly in her over-large fleecy sweatshirt. "And how on earth is she managing to walk in those bloody heels?" she added, taking in her friends shoes, of which the heels were at least 7 or 8 inches, a good inch or two higher than Phoebe's thoroughly worn out platforms.
"Well that's not too bad," preened Phoebe, lifting one leg in the air to show-off her platforms, which had been laced with multicolored strings.
"She's just about as tall as him, even in those shoes," commented Alyson, taking in the scene, which lay barely 150 meters away from them. The three girls flopped onto their backs, staring up at the stars high above them.
"You know if you look at the stars for long enough you'll see a shooting star," Alyson informed them.
"Really?" Phoebe said, doubtfully, keeping one eye on the starry night sky, just in case.
"Yea," answered Alyson, gazing up.
"Well I still can't see one anyhow," complained Lily, propping herself up with her elbow. A sudden squeal from her jerked the other two out of their stargazing.
"What?" demanded Phoebe, scrambling around on the grass, to prop herself up. Lily sighed, dramatically.
"He's going to kiss her!" exclaimed Alyson, forgetting to whisper. She clamped her hand over her mouth. She defended herself as the other two began to attack her with their nails.
"The camera Lily, the camera," moaned Phoebe. She hadn't waited in the blistering cold for two hours for nothing you know! Lily dug down into her pocket and extracted a camera, which looked exceedingly like one of the disposable ones available in the muggle world. She focused the camera on her two friends (who were looking blissfully happy with each other) and rolled off as many shots in minutes.
"Come on," Phoebe said, jumping up and pulling up the other two with her. "They'll be heading up soon." Lily took one final photo of the pair, wrapped around each other, not unlike a granny and her radiator on a cold day, and followed her friends who were legging it towards the castle.
By the time Tara walked into the common room, looking extraordinarily happy, the three were sitting by the fire, snuggled into their fluffy dressing gowns, holding steaming cups of hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows of course) in their laps.
"Tell us EVEYTHING!" Phoebe interrogated. "Where did you go? Was it fun? Did he kiss you? Did he comment on you're outfit? Are you going out again?"
"In that order To Hogsmeade, Yes! Maybe. (The other three exchanged knowing smiles at this point.) Yes. ("He said it was gorgeous on me!") Yes definitely!"
"Great," chirped Lily.
"Lily," Phoebe said, in a stage whisper. "I'll give you ten galleons if you can seduce Remus." The other two laughed, Tara somewhat reluctantly and only after she had warned them that they better not or there'd be slaps!
"Hey Tara."
"Hi Remus." The two smiled, almost shyly, at each other at breakfast the next morning.
"Well, well, well," Phoebe said, popping up behind them. "If it isn't the love match of the century. Move along now, you're holding up traffic." Tara's face was lightly flushed as she moved along, waving quite awkwardly to Remus.
"Lily, Lily!" called an ecstatic sounding voice from her left. Lily's eyes searched the great hall until she saw Shannon, gesturing for her to come over with her free hand. She was sitting on a table, her legs propped up on the seat in front of her. James was standing behind the chair, holding her free hand. Lily got up from her seat at the Gryfinndor table, where she was sitting quite cozily with Ben Collins, a seventh year Ravenclaw. She trudged over to Shannon, yawning. She, Phoebe, Tara and Alyson had been up half the night before playing games like truth or dare and howling at the stories that were coming out.
"Who's the guy, Lils?" Shannon asked, looking over Lily's shoulder to where Ben was still sitting.
"Ben Collins," answered Lily.
"Who?" Shannon asked, her brow furrowing in thought.
"He's a seventh year. Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team," James said, answering Shannon's question before Lily had time to. Lily nodded.
"Yea," she said. "He's cute, don't you think?" Shannon nodded, a bit too enthusiastically maybe.
"Um, but not as cute as you Jamsie," she added, smiling beguilingly at her boyfriend, whose face was blank.
"What?" he asked, jerking out of some sort of trance.
"Nothing, nothing," Lily answered, glossing the whole thing over. "So what is it Shan?"
"Oh yea," Shannon said, her eyes lighting up. "Well Mummy's having a Christmas ball, you know one of those high society things she gives every so often, and she said I'm to invite as many people as I want. Well obviously you're coming, seeing as Saoirse (A/N Lily's mum!) will make you but you can bring Phoebe, Tara and Alyson if you want. James is bringing the lads as well." Lily's eyes lit up, as she recalled the many parties and dances and the like she had attended, held by her Aunt Naomi. Of course she knew it was just another event where her aunt could amuse herself by buying a new outfit and basically flaunting her wealth but her events were fun all the same."
"Remember the last one?!" Shannon was saying as Lily jerked out of her train of thought.
"Oh yea!" Lily started laughing. "I'll never forget it!" The two cousins exchanged a secret grin as they remembered the flagon of vodka they had stolen from the kitchen. They had spent the entire evening stumbling around, as if they were wearing Phoebe's heels, muttering utter nonsense about this that and the other.
"Anyway it's on in a month. The 23rd of December," Shannon said. Lily nodded.
"Ok," she said. "I'll sort it out with the girls tonight."
Shannon let out a small sigh as her cousin walked away. "She's so pretty," she said, out loud to James. James nodded in agreement.
"She is." He caught the look on Shannon's face and almost rolled his eyes but caught himself just in time. "But so are you, Shan," he said, automatically, as if it were duty more than truth.
Christmas holidays drew closer. Shannon went home every weekend, a demand from her frantic mother, to help with preparations for the party. Apparently this party was going to be "the social event of the year and everyone who was anyone would attend".
It was the first Saturday in December and Lily sat, bundled up, in the common room, reading one of her favourite books. Ben, who Lily had been seeing on a regular basis, was sick in bed with the flu and to be honest Lily was relieved. He was far too overbearing and possessive for her liking. Tara and Remus, the now completely loved up couple, were taking a walk around the lake together. Sirius and Phoebe were on detention for playing a mean, but altogether hilarious, prank on Snape, in which he had skipped around the halls of Hogwarts for a full day, in an adorable floaty white dress, a matching bonnet and a basket full of daisies that he scattered around the great hall, joyfully. Alyson was attending the wedding of some distant cousin or another and Shannon had of course been rushed home for another weekend of frantic planning and preparation.
After reading a good 2 chapters of her book, Lily felt the presence of someone else in the common room. She put the book down and peered, cautiously behind her. James stood behind her, arms propped up on the headrest of her armchair. His face held a bored expression.
"Hey Lily," he said.
"Morning," Lily said, nodding at him, in acknowledgement.
"This place is so boring," he commented. Lily shrugged.
"I guess," she said.
"Do you want to go do something?" he suggested.
"Do what?" Lily questioned, not budging. This time it was James who shrugged.
"Just something."
And that was how they found themselves up in the astronomy tower, sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket, with a huge lunch, obtained from the kitchen, spread out between them.
"Honestly?" Lily laughed, her mouth full of cold chicken.
"I swear," James said, also laughing, as he took a bite of a chocolate biscuit.
"James Potter!" exclaimed Lily, pausing for thought. "I don't believe a word you're saying!" They both broke into loud, unruly laughter.
"Ok, ok," James admitted. "Maybe I stretched the truth just a bit but most of it is true!"
"Stretched the truth a bit! Huh that's an understatement. If it were a rubber band it would have snapped and broken long ago!……….Ok, ok I have another one for you! First kiss?"
"Um, let's see. First year. I was just twelve the month before. And it was behind the broom shed with Jenny Mitchell!"
"You mean that really pretty blonde girl in Ravenclaw?" James nodded.
"That's her!"
"Did ye go out?" Lily asked him, taking a roll from in front of her. James wrinkled his nose.
"Hmmm……..not really. Maybe for a week or so. It wasn't serious anyway!"
"Ok last one," Lily said, almost choking on her roll as she thought of her final question for the game she and James were playing, twenty questions. "How many people were you with BEFORE Shannon?"
"Ok, lets see," James said, thinking hard. "Well first was Jenny. Then I went out with Michelle Piper, you know she's in sixth year, for about a month or two, then, I'd swear it was Phoebe. Yea it was. We broke up after 3 weeks because she caught me kissing Haley Mitchell. So she was after Phoebs. Then there was VERY brief relationships with Anna O Mahoney, Ashling Hartnet and Grainne Lyons. Then came my second longest relationship! (After Shan of course) It was with Hannah O Driscoll. We broke up after about six months. Then was Carrie Johnson, Alicia Ryan, Maria Maher, Violet Wells and Nicole O Connell. All very short, only a couple of days each. Then Jillian Farrell and, well, ever since then it's been Shannon." There was a long silence.
"Do you really, really like her, yea?" Lily asked him, softly, as his eyelids flickered downwards at the mention of Shannon. He sighed. "You don't have to say yes just because I'm her cousin, you know," Lily said. "I mean I know how life works. You don't always stay in like with someone you've been head over heels for."
"I used to think I loved her," James said. "Lately I'm not so sure anymore."
"Maybe it's just a rough patch?" suggested Lily.
"Maybe," agreed James. "I just hope you're right!" He smiled feebly.
"Of course I am! I'm Lily and I'm always right!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. James laughed. "Ow!" Lily said. "My legs are going numb!" She stood up. "I've got to head back," she said. "Detention, you know the way." She shrugged.
"For what?" inquired James.
"Oh I can't remember. Something to do with Snape, pink underwear and a pole," she drawled. James snorted.
"I'll walk you there," he said, jumping up. So they walked in comfortable silence as far as the grounds.
"Thanks for walking me," Lily said, running a hand through her fiery hair and smiling sweetly.
"No problem," James said, smiling his trademark smile that made the majority of the female population go weak at the knees. He swallowed and leaned in closer to Lily. She smiled, adoringly up at him, barely even registering what she was about to do.
"Hey Lils, hey James," came a loud voice from behind them. Lily spun around, in shock, as she realized what she had almost done. Phoebe was staggering towards them, waving wildly. "James, Shannon is back from wherever the hell she was all day and she's looking for you all over the place." James nodded.
"Thanks Phoebs, I'd better go find her," he said. "Um, bye Lily. Have a good, um, detention." He swallowed before running off.
"Lily what the hell were you thinking?!" demanded Phoebe, when James was out of earshot.
"That's the problem. I WASN'T thinking," Lily replied numbly. "I've got to go to detention. I'll talk to you after, Phoebs." She walked towards the forbidden forest where she could already see Hagrid's large shape waiting. Under normal circumstances (i.e. back in her old school) she would have pashed James without a second thought but this was James she was talking about. SHANNON'S boyfriend. Her own cousin's boyfriend. Her own flesh and blood. She couldn't do that! She didn't even LIKE James in that way.
Then why the hell did she feel so down?
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is J.K Rowling's. Anything else is mine. Like I said before.
"Lily, Phoebe and Alyson lay on the frosty, November grass, spying on Remus and Tara from where they lay, all wrapped up in woolly jumpers, ski pants and puffy jackets. 1
`"How can she not be cold wearing that!?" interrogated Phoebe, referring to Tara's short blue skirt and flowered string top, covered only by a flimsy looking, see-thru, pale blue t-shirt.
"I don't know," Lily answered, disbelievingly, shivering ever-so-slightly in her over-large fleecy sweatshirt. "And how on earth is she managing to walk in those bloody heels?" she added, taking in her friends shoes, of which the heels were at least 7 or 8 inches, a good inch or two higher than Phoebe's thoroughly worn out platforms.
"Well that's not too bad," preened Phoebe, lifting one leg in the air to show-off her platforms, which had been laced with multicolored strings.
"She's just about as tall as him, even in those shoes," commented Alyson, taking in the scene, which lay barely 150 meters away from them. The three girls flopped onto their backs, staring up at the stars high above them.
"You know if you look at the stars for long enough you'll see a shooting star," Alyson informed them.
"Really?" Phoebe said, doubtfully, keeping one eye on the starry night sky, just in case.
"Yea," answered Alyson, gazing up.
"Well I still can't see one anyhow," complained Lily, propping herself up with her elbow. A sudden squeal from her jerked the other two out of their stargazing.
"What?" demanded Phoebe, scrambling around on the grass, to prop herself up. Lily sighed, dramatically.
"He's going to kiss her!" exclaimed Alyson, forgetting to whisper. She clamped her hand over her mouth. She defended herself as the other two began to attack her with their nails.
"The camera Lily, the camera," moaned Phoebe. She hadn't waited in the blistering cold for two hours for nothing you know! Lily dug down into her pocket and extracted a camera, which looked exceedingly like one of the disposable ones available in the muggle world. She focused the camera on her two friends (who were looking blissfully happy with each other) and rolled off as many shots in minutes.
"Come on," Phoebe said, jumping up and pulling up the other two with her. "They'll be heading up soon." Lily took one final photo of the pair, wrapped around each other, not unlike a granny and her radiator on a cold day, and followed her friends who were legging it towards the castle.
By the time Tara walked into the common room, looking extraordinarily happy, the three were sitting by the fire, snuggled into their fluffy dressing gowns, holding steaming cups of hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows of course) in their laps.
"Tell us EVEYTHING!" Phoebe interrogated. "Where did you go? Was it fun? Did he kiss you? Did he comment on you're outfit? Are you going out again?"
"In that order To Hogsmeade, Yes! Maybe. (The other three exchanged knowing smiles at this point.) Yes. ("He said it was gorgeous on me!") Yes definitely!"
"Great," chirped Lily.
"Lily," Phoebe said, in a stage whisper. "I'll give you ten galleons if you can seduce Remus." The other two laughed, Tara somewhat reluctantly and only after she had warned them that they better not or there'd be slaps!
"Hey Tara."
"Hi Remus." The two smiled, almost shyly, at each other at breakfast the next morning.
"Well, well, well," Phoebe said, popping up behind them. "If it isn't the love match of the century. Move along now, you're holding up traffic." Tara's face was lightly flushed as she moved along, waving quite awkwardly to Remus.
"Lily, Lily!" called an ecstatic sounding voice from her left. Lily's eyes searched the great hall until she saw Shannon, gesturing for her to come over with her free hand. She was sitting on a table, her legs propped up on the seat in front of her. James was standing behind the chair, holding her free hand. Lily got up from her seat at the Gryfinndor table, where she was sitting quite cozily with Ben Collins, a seventh year Ravenclaw. She trudged over to Shannon, yawning. She, Phoebe, Tara and Alyson had been up half the night before playing games like truth or dare and howling at the stories that were coming out.
"Who's the guy, Lils?" Shannon asked, looking over Lily's shoulder to where Ben was still sitting.
"Ben Collins," answered Lily.
"Who?" Shannon asked, her brow furrowing in thought.
"He's a seventh year. Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team," James said, answering Shannon's question before Lily had time to. Lily nodded.
"Yea," she said. "He's cute, don't you think?" Shannon nodded, a bit too enthusiastically maybe.
"Um, but not as cute as you Jamsie," she added, smiling beguilingly at her boyfriend, whose face was blank.
"What?" he asked, jerking out of some sort of trance.
"Nothing, nothing," Lily answered, glossing the whole thing over. "So what is it Shan?"
"Oh yea," Shannon said, her eyes lighting up. "Well Mummy's having a Christmas ball, you know one of those high society things she gives every so often, and she said I'm to invite as many people as I want. Well obviously you're coming, seeing as Saoirse (A/N Lily's mum!) will make you but you can bring Phoebe, Tara and Alyson if you want. James is bringing the lads as well." Lily's eyes lit up, as she recalled the many parties and dances and the like she had attended, held by her Aunt Naomi. Of course she knew it was just another event where her aunt could amuse herself by buying a new outfit and basically flaunting her wealth but her events were fun all the same."
"Remember the last one?!" Shannon was saying as Lily jerked out of her train of thought.
"Oh yea!" Lily started laughing. "I'll never forget it!" The two cousins exchanged a secret grin as they remembered the flagon of vodka they had stolen from the kitchen. They had spent the entire evening stumbling around, as if they were wearing Phoebe's heels, muttering utter nonsense about this that and the other.
"Anyway it's on in a month. The 23rd of December," Shannon said. Lily nodded.
"Ok," she said. "I'll sort it out with the girls tonight."
Shannon let out a small sigh as her cousin walked away. "She's so pretty," she said, out loud to James. James nodded in agreement.
"She is." He caught the look on Shannon's face and almost rolled his eyes but caught himself just in time. "But so are you, Shan," he said, automatically, as if it were duty more than truth.
Christmas holidays drew closer. Shannon went home every weekend, a demand from her frantic mother, to help with preparations for the party. Apparently this party was going to be "the social event of the year and everyone who was anyone would attend".
It was the first Saturday in December and Lily sat, bundled up, in the common room, reading one of her favourite books. Ben, who Lily had been seeing on a regular basis, was sick in bed with the flu and to be honest Lily was relieved. He was far too overbearing and possessive for her liking. Tara and Remus, the now completely loved up couple, were taking a walk around the lake together. Sirius and Phoebe were on detention for playing a mean, but altogether hilarious, prank on Snape, in which he had skipped around the halls of Hogwarts for a full day, in an adorable floaty white dress, a matching bonnet and a basket full of daisies that he scattered around the great hall, joyfully. Alyson was attending the wedding of some distant cousin or another and Shannon had of course been rushed home for another weekend of frantic planning and preparation.
After reading a good 2 chapters of her book, Lily felt the presence of someone else in the common room. She put the book down and peered, cautiously behind her. James stood behind her, arms propped up on the headrest of her armchair. His face held a bored expression.
"Hey Lily," he said.
"Morning," Lily said, nodding at him, in acknowledgement.
"This place is so boring," he commented. Lily shrugged.
"I guess," she said.
"Do you want to go do something?" he suggested.
"Do what?" Lily questioned, not budging. This time it was James who shrugged.
"Just something."
And that was how they found themselves up in the astronomy tower, sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket, with a huge lunch, obtained from the kitchen, spread out between them.
"Honestly?" Lily laughed, her mouth full of cold chicken.
"I swear," James said, also laughing, as he took a bite of a chocolate biscuit.
"James Potter!" exclaimed Lily, pausing for thought. "I don't believe a word you're saying!" They both broke into loud, unruly laughter.
"Ok, ok," James admitted. "Maybe I stretched the truth just a bit but most of it is true!"
"Stretched the truth a bit! Huh that's an understatement. If it were a rubber band it would have snapped and broken long ago!……….Ok, ok I have another one for you! First kiss?"
"Um, let's see. First year. I was just twelve the month before. And it was behind the broom shed with Jenny Mitchell!"
"You mean that really pretty blonde girl in Ravenclaw?" James nodded.
"That's her!"
"Did ye go out?" Lily asked him, taking a roll from in front of her. James wrinkled his nose.
"Hmmm……..not really. Maybe for a week or so. It wasn't serious anyway!"
"Ok last one," Lily said, almost choking on her roll as she thought of her final question for the game she and James were playing, twenty questions. "How many people were you with BEFORE Shannon?"
"Ok, lets see," James said, thinking hard. "Well first was Jenny. Then I went out with Michelle Piper, you know she's in sixth year, for about a month or two, then, I'd swear it was Phoebe. Yea it was. We broke up after 3 weeks because she caught me kissing Haley Mitchell. So she was after Phoebs. Then there was VERY brief relationships with Anna O Mahoney, Ashling Hartnet and Grainne Lyons. Then came my second longest relationship! (After Shan of course) It was with Hannah O Driscoll. We broke up after about six months. Then was Carrie Johnson, Alicia Ryan, Maria Maher, Violet Wells and Nicole O Connell. All very short, only a couple of days each. Then Jillian Farrell and, well, ever since then it's been Shannon." There was a long silence.
"Do you really, really like her, yea?" Lily asked him, softly, as his eyelids flickered downwards at the mention of Shannon. He sighed. "You don't have to say yes just because I'm her cousin, you know," Lily said. "I mean I know how life works. You don't always stay in like with someone you've been head over heels for."
"I used to think I loved her," James said. "Lately I'm not so sure anymore."
"Maybe it's just a rough patch?" suggested Lily.
"Maybe," agreed James. "I just hope you're right!" He smiled feebly.
"Of course I am! I'm Lily and I'm always right!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. James laughed. "Ow!" Lily said. "My legs are going numb!" She stood up. "I've got to head back," she said. "Detention, you know the way." She shrugged.
"For what?" inquired James.
"Oh I can't remember. Something to do with Snape, pink underwear and a pole," she drawled. James snorted.
"I'll walk you there," he said, jumping up. So they walked in comfortable silence as far as the grounds.
"Thanks for walking me," Lily said, running a hand through her fiery hair and smiling sweetly.
"No problem," James said, smiling his trademark smile that made the majority of the female population go weak at the knees. He swallowed and leaned in closer to Lily. She smiled, adoringly up at him, barely even registering what she was about to do.
"Hey Lils, hey James," came a loud voice from behind them. Lily spun around, in shock, as she realized what she had almost done. Phoebe was staggering towards them, waving wildly. "James, Shannon is back from wherever the hell she was all day and she's looking for you all over the place." James nodded.
"Thanks Phoebs, I'd better go find her," he said. "Um, bye Lily. Have a good, um, detention." He swallowed before running off.
"Lily what the hell were you thinking?!" demanded Phoebe, when James was out of earshot.
"That's the problem. I WASN'T thinking," Lily replied numbly. "I've got to go to detention. I'll talk to you after, Phoebs." She walked towards the forbidden forest where she could already see Hagrid's large shape waiting. Under normal circumstances (i.e. back in her old school) she would have pashed James without a second thought but this was James she was talking about. SHANNON'S boyfriend. Her own cousin's boyfriend. Her own flesh and blood. She couldn't do that! She didn't even LIKE James in that way.
Then why the hell did she feel so down?