FOREVER
Year Four
Part Nine
Subtitled: The Witch Diaries
A/N- Okay I'm going away to camp for five weeks so I won't be able to post until I come back. I expect to see LOTS of reviews when I come back!! Hehe so don't think I forgot about this, I didn't. And I will have a notebook with me so I can continue it on paper. Thanks to the following for reviewing! You guys are the best. Neena, Myrddin Emrys, sOmEoNeSpEcIaL, Claire, Phoenix_Vs_Crazy_Snow, Christy, Embyr's shadow, gummybear 1010, Cynth, Padfoot's stalker (Love the name hehe), Ellie, Hermiron 778, KH, LittleMissPerfect
Esther - Sorry if that was confusing, Molly was driving not petunia.
Arwen - Hmm afraid I'm a little confused, what kind of competition??
*gLoRy* - Actually I have a confession to make. I'm extremely prejudiced against all characters that aren't main characters ::SOB:: That's why all the people who say Voldemort, say his real name. Obviously, we are all in agreement that at least my Sirius is slightly crazy so he has no qualms saying the real name. Dumbledore is constantly going on about always using the real name etc. And as for my two main characters, well I like to think of them as brave. And James for one, is angry with Voldemort 'cause he killed his parents, so you know.
Sophie + Ennia - I'm really sorry if it was confusing, I'll try to be more clear from now on! Sorry!
Special Note to Arwen! Cause I'm going away I won't be able to read your story til I come back and I really want to! Post a lot of parts so that I can review them all! I'm dying to know what's going to happen!!! Agrh! Its killing me!
*****
"Er… Professor?" James bit his lip anxiously.
"Ahh James, yes, can I help you?" Professor Dumbledore looked up from his writing desk.
"Yeah, the detention, sir." said James.
Sirius elbowed him and gave him a we-could-have-gotten-away-with-no-detention look. James shrugged sheepishly and Snape glowered at them from the corner.
"Of course. Your first detention is to," He glanced at the paper on his desk. "Ah yes you're to clean the entire lower level without magic. "
James paled visibly. "The entire lower level? The dungeons and everything?" James asked, hardly believing it.
"Are you mad?" Sirius burst out. "That'll take hours!"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I'm aware of how long it'll take, and I'm certainly not mad." Sirius colored at his own words. "Although I may act it sometimes." He added thoughtfully
"I bet Professor Avery asked him to." Sirius said darkly after they had left. "You know how it works when you have several detentions; the teachers take turns assigning them and the potions room is on the lower level. He probably just wanted to have a clean room. Besides, everyone knows that he's had it out for us ever since we blew up his cauldron one day in class." James just trudged along gloomily. "His son is something else too." Sirius snorted in disgust.
. *****
"He can't protect them forever!" Tom Riddle yelled in frustration. Three glass bottles broke simultaneously around him.
"Of…of course not… My lord." his companion stuttered nervously. Tom eyed his servant coldly.
"Did I ask you to speak?" he growled, his eyes flashing.
"N…n…no my lord." The man backed into the corner. Tom stared at him. His eyes seemed to pierce into the man's very soul. Suddenly he tore his gaze away as though satisfied.
"We're going to need new recruits." Tom said finally, resuming his former coolness and control. He turned back to the map of Europe. A new man stepped forward from the shadows.
"I'll talk to our contacts in France." he said confidently.
"Our?" Riddle asked, his voice dangerously quiet, eyes narrowed.
The man gulped. "Y..yo…your, my lord."
"I thought so. France, huh? Tell me, Avery, If we have such superior contacts in France, Why aren't I in the UK yet?" He glared furiously at the second man. The man mouthed wordlessly. "I thought so. Very well you will arrange contacts in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland." Tom said dimissively.
"Right away." said Avery, regaining both his confidence and his voice. He turned to the door. Just as he had reached it Riddle called out him.
"Oh and Avery?" Avery turned around nervously.
"Y…yes my lord?" he asked.
"If you mess up this time, there won't be a next time." Tom said, his back turned from Avery. Avery nodded and his eyes grew wide.
"Y…yes my lord."
*****
"Pass the brush Sirius." James said irritably. He was on his hands and knees scrubbing with all him might.
Sirius tossed James the brush. He stopped for a moment and sat on his heels, wiping the hair out of his eyes. "I don't think I've ever hurt so much in my life." He groaned, rubbing his sore elbows.
"That's because you've never worked before." Snape sneered from his end of the hallway.
James gave a hollow laugh. "Oh, and you have? Please! You're daddy buys you everything." James scoffed, working even harder to get all of his anger out.
"Well at least I'm not an orphan." Snape left it at that.
Sirius gripped James' arms as he attempted to get up and run at him. "Well I for one am glad that all the rooms are locked. At least this hallway is all we have to do." Sirius said lightly and loudly to break the tension.
"Yeah," said Snape easily. "Dumbledore probably locked them, wouldn't want his favorite Quidditch star to get calluses, would we?"
James struggled harder than ever. "Lemme go, Sirius!" he growled.
"Let it go, buddy. We'll get him back. Tonight." Sirius said, his eyes flashing angrily.
*****
"Damn! Everything about Slytherin is ugly! From the students to the common room." Remus said surveying the Slytherin Common room at 3:00 AM one morning. He was right, just about everything they could see in the dim firelight was black, or gray.
"I dunno, buddy. Have you seen Malfoy's girlfriend, Narcissa? Not bad, eh?" James asked, eyebrows raised. They laughed and slapped hands. Lily hit James lightly on the shoulder.
"Keep your hormones in check for five minutes, Potter." She rolled her eyes as they strained to read the plates on the doors.
"Here it is!" James quietly slid the door to Snape's room open.
"Can you believe that Slytherin's get their own room's, starting in their third year?" Remus sighed looking around Snape's spacious bedroom, complete with desk, bureau, bed, fireplace and what looked like a walk in closet. He had never had his own room, not with relatively poor parents and two brothers. They approached Snape's bed silently.
"Okay Remus you do the slumber spell." Remus stepped forward and muttered a few words. "Got the book, Peter?" James asked. Peter nodded and handed the book to James. James skipped to the page that had been book marked. Sirius, Lily, you two are best at charms. He handed Lily the book and she and Sirius began to read over the instructions.
"Yellow!" Sirius whispered harshly, his face determined in the dull light.
"Green!" Lily pointed at Snape's sleeping figure.
"Shhh!" James' face took on a strange illumination from his wand. (Lumos). They were silent for a moment before it began again.
"Yellow!"
"Green!"
"Guys," Remus sighed tiredly. The full moon had just passed and Remus was exhausted. "I honestly don't think it matters what color we dye Snape's hair, as long as it's neon. Just pick!" Sirius glared at Lily and before he could stop her she dyed Snape's hair Green. She gave a triumphant shriek, which James muffled with his hand.
"Let's go, already!" Peter whined, edging toward door as Snape rolled over in his sleep. Lily glared at him. "Please?" he begged, looking uncomfortable.
"Shh!." she hissed as Snape turned over again. Quietly they filed out of the room and tip-toed back to their common room.
"Brilliant!" Lily giggled settling into a chair by the fire. Remus sat down gratefully across from her.
"Five sickles says he doesn't even notice!" Sirius laughed happily, flouncing into a huge armchair.
"No kidding, I doubt he's ever looked into a mirror before!" James smiled and chose the seat furthest from Lily. Lily eyed him worriedly.
"Are you avoiding me James?" she asked suddenly. James looked up in surprise, then directly averted his eyes.
"Of course not." he said quietly and moved to the space nearest her. Sirius and Remus exchanged looks. Remus yawned loudly.
"I'm tired, I'm going to sleep. How about you Sirius?" Remus asked.
"Nah, I'm good." Sirius said.
"I have something that I need help with." he said pointedly. Sirius stared at him in confusion before he suddenly catching on.
"Oh right." he said a little too loudly. "Peter you'd better come too." They started to get up.
"Well if its going to be that much trouble, I'll come too." James said, not quite getting that the whole point of them leaving was so that he could talk to Lily. Remus looked and Sirius helplessly but seeing no other alternative, they left a thoroughly confused Lily behind.
*****
Tap, tap, tap. James turned over groggily to face the window. There was an owl knocking continually at the window. He flew to it and swung the shutters open so that the noise didn't wake up the other boys up. didn't want them to know that he was getting another owl. Too late.
"Another one, eh?" Sirius asked tiredly, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Leave him alone Sirius, its too early for this." Remus muttered from under his quilt.
"Who's it from anyway?" Sirius asked, grinning wickedly and
ignoring Remus. James glared at him and quickly shoved the letter under his pillow. He paid the owl and climbed back into to bed, his hand clamped tightly around the parchment.
"Come on James, who's it from?" Sirius said seriously, eyeing James suspiciously.
"No one." he muttered from the bed.
"James, don't give me that, you've been getting a letter almost everyday and your telling me its from "No one?" " Sirius asked, eyebrows raised.
"Listen its no big deal, okay?" James snapped and turned away from his friend. Remus looked up in surprise.
"Okay buddy, breath." Sirius put his hands up. He and Remus exchanged looks.
*****
"Hey, baby." Sirius winked charmingly at Katie who burst into giggles and ran off to tell her friends what had happened.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Really, Sirius, you're horrible." Lily shook her head, though she was smiling.
"I try." he said casually and waved to a fifth year Hufflepuff who turned beet red.
"I'm being serious, Sirius, you shouldn't play with them like that." Lily frowned and Sirius chose the seat on the end. He grinned and sat down next to her.
"Really, Lily," he moved his head close to hers. "Don't I play nice?" he opened his eyes in an imitation of a puppy dog and thrust his outer lip out. He sniffed dramatically. Lily laughed and playfully slapped him on the shoulder.
"You know, if you weren't cousins, that would have looked really bad." James appeared behind them suddenly and squeezed in between Sirius and Lily. Remus came up behind them and smiled weakly.
"Don't mind Sirius, he flirts with everyone." he said easily, sitting next to James, forcing Sirius to the next chair over. Sirius glared at him. Lily unfolded a letter she had just received.
"Who's it from Lil'?" Remus asked thoughtfully, noticing the odd look on her face.
Lily furrowed her brows, concerned. "Anna's mum."
Sirius, Remus, and James exchanged looks. "Er…and is she alright?" Remus asked finally after James had elbowed him.
"Hmm?" she asked without looking up. The boys studied her face for signs of concern before Remus tried again.
She looked up again. "She's no better, but then she's no worse either." Lily smiled half-heartedly and excused herself. Sirius glanced at the letter she had left behind, and he, too, felt strangely empty.
*****
"Is this true, Lily?" Katie nearly shouted that night in the dormitory. She shoved the bit of parchment into Lily face. Lily stared at her in surprise. Gingerly she took the piece from her hand, unsure of what it might contain.
Dear Diary,
Some people are so superficial. Katie, and Lessie do nothing but giggle over Sirius (gross, I know). I miss Anna more than ever. Sometimes, no forget that, all of the time, I wish I could have at least two intelligent roommates. Two of the three I have now don't have enough brains to fill a peanut shell. Katie, especially, gets on my nerves. She's such a ditz, and I find it very fitting that she's blonde. If she giggles one more time I swear I will get James to dye her hair brown, just to see if it has any effect at all on her low state of mentality (I'm doubtful.)
LILY EVANS
Lily gasped, this had come out of her diary and what's more was that it wasn't her hand writing. It looked remarkably like it, but it wasn't it. With a jolt Lily realized that someone had edited her diary, the part about how pretty she thought Katie was and how jealous Lily was that Katie got so much attention from the boys, wasn't in there. Someone had messed with diary. Lily looked up sheepishly.
"I might have written it." she muttered, avoiding Katie's eyes. She had been in a very bad mood when she had written it, and hadn't really meant it. When she finally worked up the courage to meet Katie's eyes, she wished she were a million miles away.
"You know Lily." Katie said angrily, tears forming in her eyes. "Just because not everyone is as good a student as you are, doesn't mean that they're ditzes."
Lily sighed, "I know, I know." She said resignedly. "I don't really think that , I was just…upset." Lily was surprised to see a tear slid down Katie's cheek.
"If you don't really think that, then why did you write it?" Lily shrugged helplessly, she had no answer for that. "I thought so. And another thing, you have no right to insult my choice in guys Lily!"
Lily stared at her in surprise. "Katie, he's my cousin…" she tried to explain but it was too late, katie had already rushed off to tell Lessie.
*****
Dormitory life was hell for Lily. Since that letter to Katie, (she still didn't know who sent it,) and Lessie had set up a full- fledged assault on her at all times (The fact that Lessie was mentioned in the entry didn't help matters.) Besides all of this, James was getting increasingly distant, a fact that never ceased to alarm Lily, especially since they had just gotten back together.
"Excuse me." Lily said quietly. Katie glared at her, but didn't move from her post in the middle of the doorway.
"Did you hear something Lessie?" Katie called over her shoulder. Lily sighed.
"Nope, but I'd better close that window anyway. The air must be blowing in again." Lessie made a big show of shutting the window. Lily rolled her eyes at the dramatics.
"Excuse me." she repeated.
"Yeah, hot air." Katie said coldly, glaring pointedly at Lily.
"Fine!" Lily said in exasperation, and headed back to the stairs,. She pulled out her wand. "I'll study downstairs --- ACCIO." Her History of Magic book shot from her bed, past Katie and into her arms. Katie turned to Lessie again.
"Are you sure you closed it all the way? I still hear it." she asked. Lily groaned and headed downstairs.
"Hey Lily," Sirius smiled at her.
"Hello Lil," Remus waved.
"Hi Lily" said Peter. James just nodded to her from over his book.
Lily threw her hands up in annoyance. "James, can I talk to you for a minute." Her voice was strangely tight. James nodded again and closed his book slowly. He looked up expectantly. "Over there." She jerked her arm in the other direction. He raised his eyebrows but followed her over to the window.
"What's up?" He asked, almost impatiently.
"What's going on with you, lately?" She asked a little too accusatorily; her voice reeked with all the frustration she had been feeling lately.
James was immediately put on the defensive. "What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.
Lily took a deep breath to calm herself. "You've been acting really strange recently." she said softly. James looked away guiltily for a minute.
"Wait here one sec, I'll be right back." he bounded up the stairs two at a time. Five minutes later he ran back down.
"Read these…not now though, later." He handed her several envelopes. "I've been getting them sent to me about once a week since the beginning of term. I don't know who sends them. They're in your handwriting though." That's what immediately alarmed her. Katie's note had been in her handwriting, or something very similar, too and that outcome had been dreadful. "Anyway." He continued. "I think…I think that maybe…" Lily watched him expectantly. James ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Damn this is hard to say…"
"Yes…"
"I think we should take a break from each other." He blurted out finally. Lily's world crumbled and her face wasn't much better.
"You mean, like, break up?" She asked, barely trusting her own voice. James looked at her worriedly.
"Listen, we've been together so long I just think that maybe we should, you know, explore the other options." James watched her at though she were going to blow up. "I know you agree too." He pointed to the envelopes.
Lily nodded faintly and mumbled something about homework. She slipped up the stairs. Only then did James notice that she had left all her homework downstairs.
When Lily had gotten upstairs she climbed into her bed and with trembling fingers she opened the envelope. Her heart sunk, if possible, further as she recognized the handwriting.
Dear Diary,
God Malfoy is cute, its really too bad he's
- a seventh year
and b) a Slytherin.
I've never dated anybody but James so sometimes I wonder what it would be like. Is that wrong
This went on for sometime and the other envelopes contained basically the same sentiments.
With tear stained cheeks, Lily achieved sleep around one am.
*****
"Happy Valentines DAY!" Katie giggled showering everyone with red streamers, even Lily. Lily groaned loudly as she remembered what had happened last night. Lessie and Katie, alerted to her presence, exchanged looks.
"What's up Lily?" Roslyn asked, brushing her hair.
"James dumped me." Lily sniffled miserably, without thinking. Roslyn came over and gave her a hug.
"James Potter is on the market?" Katie squealed. She and Lessie locked arms and starting screaming and jumping around wildly. This only made Lily cry harder. Lessie and Katie weren't deterred by Lily's tears, though.
"Oh this will mean I'll have to change my eye shadow." Lessie examined herself in the mirror. "What's his favorite color?" She gestured wildly to the large array of colors she had in eye shadow and eyeliner.
"Lessie!" Roslyn admonished. "Why don't you go do that in the bathroom?" Lessie and Katie trotted happily into the bathroom. When they had gone Roslyn released Lily and smiled at her warmly.
"Want to talk about it?" She asked gently. Lily nodded gratefully and hiccuped
*****
"The best way to do this is to get right back into it." Sirius lectured James.
Remus snorted. "Right, like you've ever come out of a long relationship before. Don't listen to him James, do what you want to do."
"I'm telling you, that's the only way to go and you're in luck, today is Valentines Day!" Sirius pulled out about three hundred pink, red, and white hearts of his bureau drawer.
Remus eyed the paper with amusement. "You call that luck? I'd rather be unlucky then fill those out." Sirius glared at him.
James visibly paled. "What all those for?" he asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer.
"The female population." He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "and these" He handed him half of them. "are for you."
James stared blankly at the cards in his hands for a moment. "What am I supposed to do with them?" He asked finally, feeling rather uneasy. Sirius sighed.
"Sign them and pass them out. I've already put all of their names on them, now you just sign them."
"But what if I don't know their names when I pass them out?" James asked, he couldn't have looked more scared if Sirius had handed him a snake.
"I'll come with you of course. Get to work. We only have an hour," he said and started in on his own stack. If possible, James became paler.
"Er…Remus?" James asked hesitantly.
"Yeah?"
"Want to lend me a hand, or…I dunno… two?" James was beginning to look quite desperate.
Remus laughed. "Sorry buddy, you're on you own on this one."
*****
Word of the James/Lily break up spread like wildfire, thanks to Katie and Lessie. After the last breakup most girls had kept their distance since James showed no interest at all in dating, but this time, it was whispered, he was definitely up for a date.
"Hi James." A girl with long black hair and big brown eyes, sidled over.
"Er…hello…" he tried to remember her name. Had he even met her before?
"Sarah." Sirius whispered. "Fifth year Ravenclaw."
"Sarah." James finished lamely.
Sarah didn't seem to notice though. "You were really great last Sunday in the Quidditch match." Sarah gushed, lacing her arm through his. James gulped, feeling very awkward, when suddenly he saw Lily walk in. Miraculously he found his cool.
"Thanks, I made this for you." Sirius placed the Valentine marked 'Sarah Kerilite' in James' hand behind his back. James pulled it out dramatically. Sarah giggled.
"Aww, thanks! You're so sweet."
James grinned charmingly at her. He was painfully aware of Lily's eyes on the back of his head but he plunged recklessly on anyway. "Want to go to Hogsmade with me next weekend?"
Sarah flashed him a perfect smile. "Great. What time?"
"Seven thirty good?" She nodded. He winked at her and went to find his next victim. Behind him Lily turned and fled.
"Lily, where are you going?" Roslyn called after her retreating back.
"Follow me, you'll see." said Lily, racing down the hall.
They ran at break neck speed back to the dormitory.
"Make me over." Lily said, producing large quantities of makeup.
Roslyn hesitated. "Does this have to do with James?" she asked suspiciously.
Lily glared at her. "If he can flirt like mad with everyone, so can I." her eyes flashed stubbornly.
Roslyn sighed. "Okay, but for the record, this isn't a good idea." she said but got to work.
