Lily walked down the corridor to her Charms class, acutely aware that
Filch, the caretaker, was watching her every move. As she slipped into the
room, and sat down, Peter Pettigrew passed her a note with a grin.
'You're all right, you are. Sorry.'
Lily smiled at him, and turned her attention back to the professor, who had decided to concentrate on levitation charms this morning, given Lily's aerial acrobatics the night before. With a stifled groan, she picked up her wand and got on with Flitwick's lesson
*
A few days later, Lily was allowed back into the dorm, having been watched carefully by the professors to make sure she didn't 'sleepwalk' again. She met Remus in the library.
'Hello,' she said, sitting across from him.
He smiled wearily.
'Everything alright now?'
'Yes, until next month,' he sighed. 'What about you?'
She laughed quietly.
'I'll live. Isn't it amazing how you can live somewhere for so long, and the professors still won't have learnt your sleeping habits?'
He joined in her laughter.
'Thanks for that. I really appreciate it.'
'Don't mention it.'
They worked in silence for a while. Then Severus Snape sidled up to them, smiling down at Lily.
'Evans,' he whined. 'Could you help me with Seare's homework?'
Lily grinned up at him.
'All at sea, yes?'
He nodded reluctantly. The homework was to compile a biography of Lord Voldemort, from his birth to his current reign of terror. They'd been a little shocked by that, but the professor had assured them it would be useful.
'I don't know where to look.'
Lily sighed, and got up, throwing a smile at Remus. He smiled sympathetically back. She took Severus to the desk where she gained permission to look at the restricted section. With him tagging along behind, she collected the four books he would need, and piled them into his arms.
'That's all the help you're getting, Snape,' she told him. 'I've got enough problems with Flitwick's Charms class.'
He laughed at her expression, thanking her for the help. As she wandered back to her own books, he gazed after her, with an odd look of longing in his eyes. The librarian snapped her fingers at him, and he hurriedly turned back to her, dumping the books on the desk for her to sign out.
*
News reached the school, just before Christmas, that Voldemort and his Death-Eaters were advancing towards them. Letters were sent to parents all over the Muggle country informing them that their children would be staying at Hogwarts until the threat had passed. Most of the other students would be going home, unless they were already staying.
Lily read the letter from her parents with a sigh. She was to stay at Hogwarts as long as she could, and her mother was considering revoking her Hogsmeade pass. She loved her parents very much, but they did have an overblown sense of the danger. She was the only Muggle-born in Gryffindor's seventh-year, but James and Remus were staying, so at least she'd have some company. Sirius had been ordered home by his parents to account for his awful record that term. It would be strange not to spend Christmas with her family. She'd even miss her hateful elder sister, Petunia.
She sat back and opened her other letter, munching on a piece of honey toast as she did so. A frown appeared on her face as a small pendant fell out of the envelope, and she looked around to see if anyone was watching her. No one was, so she looked back at the parchment in her hand. James thumped onto the bench next to her.
'Anything interesting?' he inquired, not expecting an answer.
Lily smiled at him, and handed him the parchment.
'Any idea who this might've come from?'
Intrigued, James read the letter.
'My dearest Lily, I have watched you from afar, admired your courage and skill. Your beauty is unsurpassed by any I have ever seen. I know I am not worthy to kiss the ground on which you walk, but grant me the satisfaction of knowing that, where ever you may be, you will wear this small token and be thinking of me, An Admirer.
James looked nauseated.
'I have no idea, sorry,' he said, handing it back. He rolled the pendant between his fingers. It was a sapphire, set in a silver mould.
'Well, it's certainly a nice present.'
Lily sighed.
'I don't want presents from people who won't tell me who they are,' she protested, then changed the subject. 'Where's Remus?'
'Helping Sirius pack,' James replied with a grimace. He'd been trying to help as well, but had given up and gone looking for some less flustered conversation.
'So,' he said, as casually as he could, 'are you going to the Yule Ball tonight?'
Lily hid a smile at his expression of insincere distaste for the gathering.
'Yes, I am.'
'Going with anyone I know?'
That was it. He wanted to know if she had a date.
'Sirius asked me last week.'
James' face went slightly red.
'What did you say?'
Lily gave him a secretive smile, and turned back to her toast. James rolled his eyes, and leant closer to her.
'Oh, come on, you can tell me,' he cajoled. He really wanted to know if she was going with Sirius or Severus, both of whom had asked her. The fact that he didn't really want her to go with anyone but him didn't matter, he'd asked Maria two weeks ago.
Lily gave in.
'I said yes, alright?'
James heaved an overly huge sigh of relief, which made her laugh. At least she wasn't going with a Slytherin.
*
The next morning, many groaning from having gone to bed so late, the students left for their homes. Katie and Maria gave Lily a tearful farewell, and wished her a very Merry Christmas, promising presents. Sirius and Peter were less emotional with their friends but still couldn't quite bring themselves to go without hugging her. She had become an honorary member of their group for her actions the last full moon, and they treated her as such.
The first few days of the holiday were, to tell the truth, boring. There was a tense atmosphere over the school. All those who had stayed knew that Voldemort could strike any moment. First-years walked around in pairs, throwing fearful glances over their shoulders. Remus and James spent the time trying to teach Lily Wizard Chess, a game she turned out to be fairly good at.
One evening, she challenged Remus to a game, something that attracted quite a crowd, including Dumbledore, who'd just been passing by. She would've lost, but Remus forfeited the game with an ill-timed move, placing him in checkmate. It had been the first time in a long time that any students had cheered or laughed, and they were glad of it.
'You're all right, you are. Sorry.'
Lily smiled at him, and turned her attention back to the professor, who had decided to concentrate on levitation charms this morning, given Lily's aerial acrobatics the night before. With a stifled groan, she picked up her wand and got on with Flitwick's lesson
*
A few days later, Lily was allowed back into the dorm, having been watched carefully by the professors to make sure she didn't 'sleepwalk' again. She met Remus in the library.
'Hello,' she said, sitting across from him.
He smiled wearily.
'Everything alright now?'
'Yes, until next month,' he sighed. 'What about you?'
She laughed quietly.
'I'll live. Isn't it amazing how you can live somewhere for so long, and the professors still won't have learnt your sleeping habits?'
He joined in her laughter.
'Thanks for that. I really appreciate it.'
'Don't mention it.'
They worked in silence for a while. Then Severus Snape sidled up to them, smiling down at Lily.
'Evans,' he whined. 'Could you help me with Seare's homework?'
Lily grinned up at him.
'All at sea, yes?'
He nodded reluctantly. The homework was to compile a biography of Lord Voldemort, from his birth to his current reign of terror. They'd been a little shocked by that, but the professor had assured them it would be useful.
'I don't know where to look.'
Lily sighed, and got up, throwing a smile at Remus. He smiled sympathetically back. She took Severus to the desk where she gained permission to look at the restricted section. With him tagging along behind, she collected the four books he would need, and piled them into his arms.
'That's all the help you're getting, Snape,' she told him. 'I've got enough problems with Flitwick's Charms class.'
He laughed at her expression, thanking her for the help. As she wandered back to her own books, he gazed after her, with an odd look of longing in his eyes. The librarian snapped her fingers at him, and he hurriedly turned back to her, dumping the books on the desk for her to sign out.
*
News reached the school, just before Christmas, that Voldemort and his Death-Eaters were advancing towards them. Letters were sent to parents all over the Muggle country informing them that their children would be staying at Hogwarts until the threat had passed. Most of the other students would be going home, unless they were already staying.
Lily read the letter from her parents with a sigh. She was to stay at Hogwarts as long as she could, and her mother was considering revoking her Hogsmeade pass. She loved her parents very much, but they did have an overblown sense of the danger. She was the only Muggle-born in Gryffindor's seventh-year, but James and Remus were staying, so at least she'd have some company. Sirius had been ordered home by his parents to account for his awful record that term. It would be strange not to spend Christmas with her family. She'd even miss her hateful elder sister, Petunia.
She sat back and opened her other letter, munching on a piece of honey toast as she did so. A frown appeared on her face as a small pendant fell out of the envelope, and she looked around to see if anyone was watching her. No one was, so she looked back at the parchment in her hand. James thumped onto the bench next to her.
'Anything interesting?' he inquired, not expecting an answer.
Lily smiled at him, and handed him the parchment.
'Any idea who this might've come from?'
Intrigued, James read the letter.
'My dearest Lily, I have watched you from afar, admired your courage and skill. Your beauty is unsurpassed by any I have ever seen. I know I am not worthy to kiss the ground on which you walk, but grant me the satisfaction of knowing that, where ever you may be, you will wear this small token and be thinking of me, An Admirer.
James looked nauseated.
'I have no idea, sorry,' he said, handing it back. He rolled the pendant between his fingers. It was a sapphire, set in a silver mould.
'Well, it's certainly a nice present.'
Lily sighed.
'I don't want presents from people who won't tell me who they are,' she protested, then changed the subject. 'Where's Remus?'
'Helping Sirius pack,' James replied with a grimace. He'd been trying to help as well, but had given up and gone looking for some less flustered conversation.
'So,' he said, as casually as he could, 'are you going to the Yule Ball tonight?'
Lily hid a smile at his expression of insincere distaste for the gathering.
'Yes, I am.'
'Going with anyone I know?'
That was it. He wanted to know if she had a date.
'Sirius asked me last week.'
James' face went slightly red.
'What did you say?'
Lily gave him a secretive smile, and turned back to her toast. James rolled his eyes, and leant closer to her.
'Oh, come on, you can tell me,' he cajoled. He really wanted to know if she was going with Sirius or Severus, both of whom had asked her. The fact that he didn't really want her to go with anyone but him didn't matter, he'd asked Maria two weeks ago.
Lily gave in.
'I said yes, alright?'
James heaved an overly huge sigh of relief, which made her laugh. At least she wasn't going with a Slytherin.
*
The next morning, many groaning from having gone to bed so late, the students left for their homes. Katie and Maria gave Lily a tearful farewell, and wished her a very Merry Christmas, promising presents. Sirius and Peter were less emotional with their friends but still couldn't quite bring themselves to go without hugging her. She had become an honorary member of their group for her actions the last full moon, and they treated her as such.
The first few days of the holiday were, to tell the truth, boring. There was a tense atmosphere over the school. All those who had stayed knew that Voldemort could strike any moment. First-years walked around in pairs, throwing fearful glances over their shoulders. Remus and James spent the time trying to teach Lily Wizard Chess, a game she turned out to be fairly good at.
One evening, she challenged Remus to a game, something that attracted quite a crowd, including Dumbledore, who'd just been passing by. She would've lost, but Remus forfeited the game with an ill-timed move, placing him in checkmate. It had been the first time in a long time that any students had cheered or laughed, and they were glad of it.