Disclaimer: I don't own anything. :)
She Will Be Loved
Chapter Three ll The First Night: Girl Problems
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Lily glanced over at the lodges, really two cabins connected by a common-room. The sea of sixth-year students were all dressed in Muggle clothes; some of them, like the Slytherins, looking uncomfortable and out of place while maintaining a contemptuous stance.
The redhead sighed. She wasn't in any mood to go on some camping trip in a Muggle area - another one of those 'brilliant' ideas out of the otherwise potent mind of Albus Dumbledore. His cheerful words from that morning resonated in her head.
"I thought it would be a grand opportunity for those from Muggle families to teach and educate those who haven't quite had the chance to experience the truly delightful wonders of the Muggle world. In other words, here is your chance to show off! Transportation will be by bus - and let me soothe your fears, the journey is much smoother and comfortable than one conducted on our own Knight Bus - until, naturally, you arrive at the designated area. It will be in the woods somewhere, quiet, peaceful and natural, and you will live just like Muggles. I expect you to be on your best behaviour and keep the tone down on wizarding things, such as Quidditch or Hogwarts, as meddling Muggles may hear and get suspicious. We don't want to erase anyone's memory, all right?"
"Well, here's our lodge," Steph said blithely as she was in lead. Steph and Chelsea were both purebloods, while Lily and Leonie were Muggle born.
"Yeah, our lodge with the Marauders," Lily muttered, kicking a stone.
Steph and Chelsea exchanged looks. Lily had been a lot moodier and more sullen since the beginning of their sixth-year. Sure, her temper had always been a little fiery, but she was usually bright and optimistic, not to mention kind and willing to listen. Now she was just moody, sadistic and stuck-up.
"I don't get why you even hate them so much," Leonie said loftily.
"They keep pranking me!"
"Well, there must be a start to all this. They don't prank anyone just randomly."
"It was because James poured pumpkin juice over Lily on our train ride to Hogwarts, back in first-year," Chelsea said reluctantly. She didn't feel much like talking, but she decided she would help Lily jog back her memory.
"Oh, yeah. The stupid prat," was all the redhead muttered, rolling her eyes.
"But he spent ages trying to make up to you!" exclaimed Steph, looking wide-eyed at her. "James was so sweet to you in first-year. You just kept holding a grudge against him and he finally gave up."
"Well, he shouldn't have poured juice on me in the first place," said Lily resolutely, walking on ahead. Steph and Chelsea exchanged looks.
When they reached the door of their lodge, they walked in and entered the common-room. The Marauders were already there, playing Exploding Snap.
"Hey girls!" Sirius waved at them cheerfully, "Your cabin's on that side, but feel free to come into ours any time!"
Chelsea laughed but Lily just glared and stomped away.
"Lily's starting to annoy me," Steph whispered to Chelsea and Leonie. "She doesn't have to act like the whole world's about her..." Steph looked meaningfully at her friends before quietly walking into their cabin.
Leonie bit her lip, "You know, Lily has been acting a lot more stuck-up... since the beginning of this year."
Chelsea nodded heavily, "She's changed..."
"Ever since she got all those boys chasing her - "
" - she thinks everyone loves her and has to worship her," finished Chelsea.
Lenoie nodded, then followed Steph and Lily into their new cabin. Chelsea stayed in the common-room and sat in the corner, watching the boys yahoo and yell and carry on.
--
That night, they ate dinner in the big hall. It wasn't as grand and magnificent as the Great Hall, but it was neat, clean and spacious. The Houses mixed up and sat with each other, except for Slytherin (typically).
Lily was complaining about the food loudly, much to her friends' annoyance.
"Merlin, this tastes awful, haven't they heard of decent food around here? How disgusting does that look! My sister can cook a whole lot better than that. This camp is terrible."
"Lily, just... be quiet for a second, and see if you can do it, okay?" Leonie snapped. Since she was like this whenever Lily went too far, no one really paid any attention.
"Leonie, just try a bit of this!" Lily complained, lifting her spoon, "It's like powdered!"
"No one cares, Lily!" screeched Steph, losing it. Everyone in the vicinity stopped eating to look at her.
Lily just gaped at her. Steph never raised her voice. She was the bubbly one who hated serious fights and arguments and wanted to live in a happy, carefree, rainbow-filled world. She was the baby of the four and the one who always stayed quiet when Lily had her tempers.
"What did you say?" Lily finally asked her.
Steph kept her mouth shut and stared at her dinner plate.
"Quit staring!" Chelsea snapped at the people looking. "And Lily, I agree with Leonie and Steph. It's Muggle camp food. What do you expect? It can't be royalty wherever you go."
Lily glared at her, but Chelsea glared her down.
The girls went back to eating, but none of them spoke and none of them looked happy.
"Whoa, talk about girl problems..." muttered Sirius, a few seats down.
"And you complain that I'm a prat to you guys," James half-joked, his eyes lingering on the sluggish Lily for a moment.
--
"Ow! Stop stepping on my foot Sirius!" Remus hissed.
"Shhh!" James hissed back before Sirius could retaliate.
The boys were busy "rearranging" one of the Slytherin's cabins, putting up bowls of ice-cream, bottles of honey, whipped cream, hot fudge, and other icky things to create pure gooey pandemonium when they woke up. Classic Muggle pranks were never considered beneath the Marauders.
"Finally done," whispered James, whose arms were aching, "Let's get outta here!"
They left the cabin quickly and burst into their common-room, laughing loudly. The girls who had been sitting with each other but not talking all looked up. Lily stood up first, her expression stormy.
"And where were you guys?" she demanded.
"It's none of your business," James snapped back, stepping up to confront her.
"Not again..." sighed Sirius.
"It's past midnight and the latest to be back in the cabin was nine o'clock!" Lily hissed vehemently, "You're three hours late!"
"Oh, don't be such a prefect for once."
"Potter, you better tell me what on earth you were doing or I'm reporting this to Dumbledore as soon as we're back. You have no business to be out of your rooms so late!"
"Evans, quit sticking your nose in other people's business. Not everyone has to tell you every little detail of their life!" James snarled.
"I do not stick my nose into other people's business! Do I?" Lily immediately appealed to her friends.
They didn't say anything.
Finally, Leonie spoke up, "Lily, you've been annoying everyone lately."
"Ever since this year, you've been so bossy," Chelsea added quietly. "Telling us what to wear, what to buy, what to give other people when it was Christmas."
"You expect us to listen to everything you say," Steph said, her eyes averted to the ground. "And you yell at us when we don't agree with you. It's not pleasant to be treated like that, you know."
"Besides, not everyone has the same opinion as you."
"Right; it'd be a pretty boring world."
"And not everyone's going to listen to what you say."
"You can't push people around."
"We all have our own lives, and you have yours. We respect that, so why can't you respect us?"
Lily could not believe what she was hearing. Her own friends were turning against her when they were supposed to be supporting her. Her green eyes sparkled with disbelieving anger and for a moment, she was speechless.
"You know what?" she said, clipped. They gazed at her with some apprehension. "You three are the worst friends a person could ask for." With that, she turned on her heel and made a beeline for her cabin.
"Lily, don't be selfish!" Steph yelled after her, once again losing her temper. "The world doesn't revolve around you!"
Lily's reponse was to slam the door behind her with extra force. She threw herself on her bed. With tears of anger in her eyes, she buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.
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A/N: Aww... I feel sorry for her now. But the truth had to be told. Go Steph! :) Lol. Thanks for reviewing again. 'Twas nice! :) Okay, on with the story! – msq.