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She Will Be Loved

Chapter Four ll The Bushwalk: Losing Everyone

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Lily was the first to wake up the next morning. She crawled out of bed and got dressed. She was still fuming over last night's argument. She watched her friends as they slept and wanted nothing more than to draw crude things on their faces with a magic marker.

Pulling her hair into a ponytail, Lily sighed and walked into the common-room. There was already someone there.

James was sitting in the central armchair as he read. He didn't notice Lily until she sat down near him and hugged herself.

"Oh," he said, startled, "Morning." It was sometimes like this. They could act in a civilised and mature manner, depending on their moods. Even if they had had a huge argument the night before. Everything was sort of subdued and forgiven, for lack of a better word, by the next morning.

Lily half-nodded at him.

James put down his book and ventured, "You talked to Chelsea, Steph or Leonie yet?"

Lily hardened her heart and shook her head with a disdainful sniff. "No. And I'd rather it that way."

James just sighed. "Evans, you know what they said... it's true. You've been snappy and stuck-up lately. I mean, even more than usual. It used to be just me you were nasty to, and that was a doss, but your own friends?"

She glared at him, "Stay out of this, Potter."

"I can't," James said coolly. "Seeing as I was the one that started the whole thing last night, remember?"

Lily thought back and realised this was true. Her eyes narrowed at him in a glare that could scorch.

"You ruin everything, Potter."

"No, I just ruin you, and it's high time you realised that you aren't everything, my dear princess."

Lily leapt to her feet and in a flash had crossed over to him. Her eyes blazing dangerously, she lifted her palm and smacked James across the head. Then she stalked out and slammed the door behind her.

James rubbed his head.

Ouch. That girl sure hits hard.

--

Lily sat with the popular, preppy Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw girls at breakfast that morning. She kept shooting glances back at her own friends, but pretended to be completely absorbed in the conversation.

"What does she think she's playing at?" hissed Chelsea. "Is she really that - ?"

"She's still our friend, but she's only thinking about herself at the moment," Leonie cut in with a sigh, "Don't worry, you two. She has to come around sooner or later."

"You confront her, Lee," piped up Steph, "You're the only one who can handle her."

"That stunt you pulled yesterday was brilliant, Steph," Chelsea assured.

"Yeah, our little Stephanie, growing up!" Leonie ruffled her hair. "But anyway, I can't handle Lily. I mean, to some points I can, but in the end I have to admit defeat. She gets pretty unbearable and lately she's been worse."

The girls went quiet.

"I know someone," Steph said suddenly.

"Oh really? Someone who can handle the dragon?" Chelsea asked, half-sarcastically. "Who?"

"James Potter."

--

The first activity for that day was bushwalking. It was extremely cold, misty and foggy. In fact, the fog was so thick the students could only see about a foot in front. Everything else was obscured in a surreal mass of white and greys.

Chelsea, Leonie and Steph walked with Sirius, Peter and Remus and enjoyed a tinkling conversation. The girls had asked James to confront Lily and he agreed. Now he was lagging beside her.

Lily hated James following her. She tried walking at the back of the group, hoping he would go away and leave her alone, but he kept following her. She tried walking with the girls from breakfast, but soon grew bored of their gossipy conversations. She wished her friends would hurry up and apologise to her, so they could start talking again.

"Merlin, where is everyone?" she whined, blinking hard at the fog surrounding her. "Hellooo?"

"Shut up, Evans, and maybe we'll be able to hear the guide."

"Potter, please go away."

"Make me."

Lily clenched her teeth and continued walking with everyone else, though she could hardly see them. After awhile, her pace slowing down, she lost sight of them completely and tried to follow the sound of their footsteps and their voices. A little while after that, fighting through bushes and ferns and branches, she couldn't even hear anything.

What was worse, the track was now split.

Goodness! she thought furiously, This is supposed to happen in books and movies, but not in real life, and most definitely not to me!

"So," Lily said loudly, hoping someone would hear her. "Which track do we take?"

No one answered for a moment.

"Left."

Lily gave a small shriek.

"Relax, Evans, it's just me," James said, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Move it or lose it."

"You sure it's left?"

"Completely sure."

Too bad James had his fingers crossed.

Lily, against her own will, took the left path and walked it with James beside her. After ten minutes of complete silence, the fog began to clear and things had become slightly more visible.

"Hold on, there's something wrong," James suddenly said, stopping in his tracks.

"What?" Lily asked fearfully.

Looking around frantically, James asked very, very slowly.

"Where is everybody?"

--

A/N: Ooooh! :) Suspense, suspense... Okay, thanks for reviewing! - msq..