FOREVER

FOREVER

Year Two

Part 3/

Subtitled: The rotten, terrible, no-good day

Lily flopped happily onto her bed hugging her new robes tightly to her chest.

"I'm so glad to be back." She said happily staring at her ceiling for lack of nothing better to do.

"Oh come on, Petunia couldn't have been that bad!" Her best friend Tina laughed as she unpacked her disgustingly neat trunk.

"You have no idea, she was a disaster! For Christmas, she gave me a self-help book on how to deal with my envy for her! Unbelievable." Lily voice reeked loathing for her twin sister. She glared at the ceiling. "You know what?" Lily asked thoughtfully.

"Uh oh I sense a project coming on!" Anna said feigning horror. Lily, being the artist among her friends, often did "projects" Which was fine except for it usually involved a lot of something extremely messy all over the room and more often than not on Anna's new clothes.

Lily ignored her friend. "This ceiling is very boring…. Maybe I should do something to make it more interesting!" her voice became more excited by the second.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh that wasn't random." She said sarcastically. Before Lily could reply the door into their bathroom burst open. Roslyn was standing there in a very silly looking dress.

"Okay, be honest." She said with a lot of flare. "Is it me or do you think red would work better?" Her eyes grew large at the word red and fell to normal size afterward as though she were trying to give them the full affect of "red". Tina and Anna exchanged worried glances and Lily sat up in alarm. Roslyn was definitely not the type to be asking what her color was.

"You're kidding?" Lily asked hopefully. Roslyn shook her head, looking very hurt.

"Um okay, ANYWAY, stars or stripes for the ceiling?" Lily scrutinized the wall above her. Tina followed her gaze.

"Hmmm neither, how about something with people. You know like an Elf Scene or something." She went back to meticulously folding her clothes. Lily nodded in agreement. Elf Scenes were famous works of art and could be found in just about every wizard museum in the world. They depicted elves doing everyday tasks. The first Elf Scene was made for Rowena Ravenclaw when she went away to study Magic for the first time. The artist thought it would be nice for her to see what her house elf Milky was doing when she got homesick. Later, when Hogwarts was created, she hung it outside the Ravenclaw common room as an entrance. When her death the original Elf Scene was given to a museum for safe keeping and preservation, another artist was hired to paint another for the common room. Centuries later, a young art student named Leonardo DA Vinci, discovered the painting in a back room and copied surprisingly well. Soon all wizard art students were creating them as their first pieces; it had become a tradition.

Lily got up and grabbed her camera. She bounded out the door and down the stairs two at a time. She had just reached the portrait when an arm swung her around.

"Sirius!" She gasped. He nodded and put a hands to his lips as symbol for her to be quiet." God you scared me! What's up?" She whispered.

"Meeting tonight. After dinner. Hideout. Come alone!" He said quietly before letting go and walking mission-impossible style to the stairs.

"He is getting really into this whole sneaking around thing." She laughed as her friend spun around to knock out an invisible attacker.

*****

Lily shifted uncomfortably on her wooden seat. Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter had taken the couch so she was stuck on the stolen school chair.

Where are we going to find Cloudwart!" Sirius whined pointing dismally to the list of needed ingredients. "I've already checked Professor Ashputtle's storage cabinets, James looked in his father's supply over Christmas, and they are most certainly not in the student stores."

"Maybe we can get it this summer at Diagon Alley." James said trying to calm his frustrated friend down.

"No we can't. It says here that Cloudwart only grows in Brazil and is only sold in South America." Lily handed James the book. He read it quickly and nodded.

"She's right."

"Well we can't very well go to South America, can we. We'll just have to forget the whole thing!" Peter said making for the door. Everyone glared at him and Sirius grabbed his shirt and practically threw him back onto the couch. The whole time Remus looked on guiltily.

"It's ten to seven." He sighed. "You'd better go." James nodded always the leader of the group.

"Come on Lily, Sirius, practice." He smiled at Remus. "Don't worry Remus, we'll figure something out." They all left one at a time except for Sirius who stayed back a second.

"Hey Remus, if he gives you any trouble…" Sirius let his sentence trail off, looking significantly at Peter. Remus nodded.

"We'll be fine Sirius." He reassured. Sirius nodded and after one last glance at Peter, left.

"Come on Pete." Remus said opening yet another stack of books. "Maybe we can find where you find Mountain Shell." He handed Peter a huge book and they set to work.

*****

The cold January wind bit at Lily as she fought her way to the castle. She was five minutes late for Charms and for once, punctual Lily didn't care. Her hand brushed her cheek in a vain attempt to make her tears disappear. Lily didn't know what this sudden bout of homesickness was caused by but something just didn't feel right. The book clutched to her chest was the one that James had given her for her birthday. It's smooth leather exterior comforted her provided little protection from the howling wind and she had to remind herself why she had dragged the heavy book out of storage in the first place. Because I wanted to see what they were doing. But reading about their current actions offered no solace; instead it only made her tears flow faster. She pushed the smooth stone door to the castle lightly and said the password. It swung aside and her pace quickened. This was the easiest and fastest way to get to the Charms corridor. Abruptly the passage came to an end and Lily found herself just outside the classroom. She opened the door slowly and scanned the room for an empty seat. Thankfully Anna provided it just to her right. She slipped quietly into the seat ignoring the gentle berates Professor Flitwick gave his favorite student. Lily looked out the window, trying to divert attention from her tear-stained face. Anna didn't buy it.

"What's wrong?" she asked with growing concern. Lily shrugged. "Well whatever it is you day's about to get worse." Lily looked up in alarm.

"What do you mean?" She drawled cautiously as though trying to draw it out of her friend.

Anna pursed her lips." Professor Flitwick just announced partners and guess who you're working with."

"Oh NO! You can't mean…" Anna nodded grimly. "Can this day get any worse?"

"Maggie's not that bad." Anna tried to cheer her friend up who was now banging her head on the table. "Besides you're sitting at table two I think, and that's where James is sitting with Chris something or another so you won't be alone." She gave Lily a reassuring smile as Lily gathered her things and headed for table two. Maggie, James, and Chris were already there, and, much to Lily's horror Maggie and Chris were seated on either side of James forcing her to the end next to Maggie. Maggie was flirting shamelessly with James and made a big show of turning around slowly and smiling winningly.

"Why hello Lily." She said sweetly. "I was so caught up in our conversation," She motioned to James who looked like he was going to be sick." that I didn't even see you there. I do hope you're feeling better. I was terribly worried when you were late."

"I'm sure." Lily sent a glare to her, which she gladly returned when James' back was turned. Lily settled into her chair and got her things out.

"Oops." Maggie said innocently as she knocked Lily's quill over. Lily clenched her teeth and bent to retrieve it. James also did the same and made a gagging motion under the table. Lily giggled a little to loudly and when she returned to her seat Maggie was shooting daggers.

"What's so funny mudblood." She hissed. The affect was instantaneous. Both James and Lily reached for their wands in record time and soon Maggie was floating near the ceiling, Lily was soaked and sputtering angrily James and the whole class was laughing hysterically. Professor Flitwick, unable to handle the situation any longer sent them to Dumbledore's office.

Now shivering and embarrassed Lily sat down opposite Professor Dumbledore. He did his best to hide his amused grin but the laughter shone through his eyes in the form of sparkles.

"Let me help you with that Ms. Evans." He flicked his wand and Lily's wet robes became both warm and dry. "Now, I understand Lily took a swim in James' wand. Perhaps one of you would like to explain?" Lily bowed her head and Maggie looked out the window.

"Maggie called Lily a… a mudblood sir." James paused not wanting to come to the part that incriminated both him and Lily. " So I did the waterfall charm and Lily did the floating charm, but Lily's spell went through first so Maggie was in the air and my ''waterfall" hit Lily instead." James explained as best as could although he avoided his mentors piercing gaze. Professor Dumbledore remained silent for what seemed like hours. Each moment was more unbearable than the last and the tension mounted like a poor man's bills: slowly but depressingly surely. Finally the old man broke the silence.

"I want you to know that I'm disappointed… in all of you." He let his gaze fall on each of the young students in turn. "And I think I've found appropriate punishments for all of you." He turned his attention to Maggie. "Ms. Boots, you are to help Mr. Filch tend the garden for one month every Saturday and Sunday from two to four. Is that understood?" She nodded. "Good, I don't want to hear of you calling any more students foul names. You are dismissed." She left the room quickly but before the professor could turn to Lily and James the door burst open and an anxious head boy ushered the professor out. As soon as he was gone James jumped up and inspected the shelves.

"Hey Lil, come check this out." He was pointing some weird looking books.

"James maybe we shouldn't touch them." She said looking nervously at some glass jars James was sure to break. He spotted them too and immediately grabbed one.

"L-I-L-Y." he said in a singsong voice. "Look what I found. You'll never guess what it is." He waved the glass bottle in front of her.

"What is it James?" She asked tiredly not even bothering to guess. Lily had learned long ago the pointlessness of playing James' games. He pretended not to hear her tone.

"Cloudwart." Lily gasped and spun around. NOW he had her attention.

"You're kidding!" He shook his head.

"Nope! Look he's got dozens of bottles… I'm sure he won't mind if we take just one." James wheedled.

"James." She said warningly. Turning into animagus was one thing, but stealing the headmaster's supplies to do it was something entirely else. He gave the best puppy dog eyes he could muster.

"Please Lily? Puhleeeese!! If not for me… for Remus." That did it. She nodded.

"You're SO corny." She laughed.

"I know!" He slipped the bottle into his robes just as the door started to open.

"Ah, James, Lily, about your punishment…"

A/N-Thanks to And, Bluemoonbabe, DaPaNDaZz, Rede, Justme, Gabrielle, Amethyst, Heracles, the Queen of the Universe, KittenGirl555, sinner, Alisha mouth of the south13, and Snake Girl for reviewing!