A/N: Guess what everyone! I've found my muse. I finally know exactly where this story is going, and I am so happy! So, sorry I haven't updated for awhile. My teachers are ridiculously evil. I come home from school, and do homework until 10:30 - 11:00. So, I will write on Saturdays, and post either on Saturday or Sundays from now on. Well, in this chapter, the plot thickens. The Secret Admirer begins to come into the picture, and James and Lily had an argument. Here is the tenth installment:
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Green Eyed Monster
By: Noelle
Chapter 10: A Pool of Green
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Over a period of the next two weeks, Lily and Ella had constant pillow fights, snowball fights, and food fights. Ella was personally relieved that Lily wasn't trying to be Ms. Perfect. She loved Lily, as best friends do, but she loved Lily a little more when she let down all the guards she had put up.
Ella had just been exploring Hogwarts, looking for secret passageways. Lily had refused to participate in such an activity, saying that it was illegal. Ella just rolled her eyes, and told Lily that she would meet her in the Great Hall for dinner. 'I wonder what Lily would say if she found out that I went to Hogsmeade with James,' Ella mused to herself. Lily would probably answer, "James is a poor influence on any person, especially those few who breathe."
Ella chuckled. Even if Lily didn't know it, she was softening up toward James. Before Christmas, she would have called him a prat, or a pig, and insulted him in more than twenty ways in one breath. But that was before her 'Secret Admirer'. Wondering whom the Secret Admirer was, Ella turned the corner. It couldn't be James... he didn't get Lily earrings. But if it wasn't James, who was it? Ella felt a pang of jealously pulse through her for a moment. How many people were in love with Lily? Ella only really loved one person, but he wasn't hers.
Lily's head flashed up as soon as she heard the doors open, and she bolted toward Ella ecstatically, waving a box in her hand. "Ella!" she shouted. Lily reached Ella, and flung her arms around her, spinning around. Ella hugged her back uncertainly, wondering what was going on with Lily. Lily very rarely showed this type of emotion. She rarely showed any time of emotion, other than satisfaction. When she finally released Ella from her death grip, Ella noticed what Lily was holding in her hand.
"A box?" Ella asked. "You're excited about a box? Gosh, if I would have known that, I would have gotten you a box for Christmas."
Rolling her eyes, Lily answered, "No, you prat. It's not the box, but what's inside the box. It's another present from my Secret Admirer!"
Ella forced herself to smile. "Another present? This fellow must be in love. Most guys don't even like to get their girlfriends presents for Christmas."
"I haven't opened it," Lily babbled on, "I wanted to wait for you. But I read the note. Oh, Ella! It is so romantic! This guy... gosh..." her voice trailed off, as she reread the note in her hand. Her eyes shined with an excitement. "It's just like the fairy tales!" Lily grabbed Ella's hand, and led her to the one table stationed in the middle of the room. The professors would be arriving shortly for dinner.
"Well," Ella said, questionably, as Lily's eyes glazed over once again.
Lily smiled. "My dearest Love. I had the strangest dream last night. I was swimming in a pool of green. I then realized that they were your eyes. But it wasn't that strange, now that I think of it. Every time I look at you, I am swimming in that pool. I anxiously await the next time I float in green... Your Secret Admirer."
Ella read the note once again, over Lily's shoulder. "Wow," she breathed. So, James had some competition. He would not be happy to hear that. She would have to tell James, of course. "Wow..." she said, rather speechless. She found herself thinking of Sirius. Why couldn't Sirius write that for her? Except that he was dating Vanessa McKinnon. True, their relationship would be over by the time they returned to Hogwarts, but that didn't make anything better for her. Sirius never dated a girl twice. Ella shook her head, refusing to think any more of Sirius. "That's serious stuff, Lil."
"It's romantic," Lily said, her voice whimsical. "Utterly and truly romantic. Who can he be, Ella?"
"Well, what'd he get you?" Ella asked, shaking her friend out of her romantic reverie. Lily smiled what Ella chose to interpret as a dopey smile, as she gently set the box down. The box was a plain, creme box that was tied up in a transparent red ribbon.
She gently untied the ribbon, and lifted the lid of the box. Inside, was a clear crystal sphere. There was another note inside. "This is a Quaerobrall. In times of great conflict, it will show you what you truly want and need. To use it, you gently touch the tip of your wand to the Quaerobrall, and you say, 'Desiderium'. I thought that it may be of use to you," Lily read the note.
Ella squealed. "He got you a Quaerobrall! Those just came out a few weeks ago! They're a fortune!"
Lily gently lifted the Quaerobrall out of the box. A swirl of white smoke, with a faint tinge of green, appeared in it. "It is supposed to do that?" Lily asked Ella nervously.
Nodding her head vigorously, Ella answered, "Yes. The base colour is white. As it turns green, it means that you want something. But if it turns red, it means that you don't. You can't use it until it is a dark green colour."
"Well," Lily said, "I sort of want something, I guess. But what?"
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James pushed his trunk toward the side of his bed. He liked it over on the side, not where it was put at the foot. However, the trunk refused to budge. As hard as he pushed, it wouldn't move.
Remus was sitting on his bed, watching in interest. He had transfigured a tub of what he called 'popcorn' a good twenty or so minutes ago. James glared angrily at him, as if it was Remus' fault, and pushed harder. Remus popped the last kernel into his mouth, and made the tub disappear. "I've watched enough," he said, grinning slyly, "It has been interesting..."
The black-haired Gryffindor straightened up, glaring at his friend. "Well, thanks Moony," he said, sarcastically. "I believe so too."
Grinning, Remus pulled out his wand. James groaned, upset he had not thought of magic. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said, and directed the trunk several feet, setting it down next to the bed.
"Thanks, Moony." James wiped the sweat off from his forehead. At least it had been Remus there. If Sirius was there instead, he would have watched for a good hour, laughing his head off the whole time. And he wouldn't let James forget it. Moony was considerably more sympathetic.
"So, Prongs. How is the 'Operation: Get Lily to Fall for James BEFORE the End of the Year in Order to Win the Bet' situation going?" he asked.
James answered, "I prefer to think of it as the 'Operation: Beat the Socks off Sirius' situation. I got her a present for Christmas. Funny she didn't mention it tonight at dinner..."
The sandy-haired boy looked up curiously. "Did she know it was from you?" he questioned, as he neatly folded his robe and put in a drawer.
"Well, I put a no... no!" James said, his eyes widening.
Remus sighed. "Don't tell me that you forgot to put a tag or note with the gift..." James remained silent. "Well?"
Grinning sheepishly, James answered, "You told me not to tell..." He was holding a piece of parchment in his hands, looking down at it stupidly.
"Prongs! Look," Remus said, taking a deep breath, "why don't you just tell her that you got her whatever you got her?"
James snorted. "Like that would work!" he said. "She would never believe me. It's too late... I have to talk to Ella. To find out what happened." Saying a quick goodbye to his friend, he ran toward the Girls' Dormitory. He threw open the door to a room of squealing girls.
"James!" Natalie Jenson squeaked, as she covered herself with a robe. "Get out!"
Now, Lily wasn't there, and James couldn't help himself. "Hello, ladies," he said as suavely as he could. "You are all looking rather good tonight..."
"James!" screamed the girls in the room all at once.
"All right, all right! Calm down! I just have to talk to Ella for a second. Privately..."
Ella frowned. "What do you want James. I'm sure that even someone as thick-headed as yourself can tell this is not a good time..."
"Please," James said, giving Ella his best puppy dog face. The one face that made girls fall over him. Even Natalie softened, even if she was dating Remus.
"Fine," she said. She allowed herself to be dragged by James to the Boys' Dormitory. He pulled her through the doorway and then through what Ella thought was a solid wall. "What?" Ella said, as she looked around. It was a medium-sized room, with plush red carpeting, and a red couch. There were a few chairs scattered around, and red lights hung from the ceiling. Ella sat on the couch, and looked through the wall, examining the Boys' Dormitory. "Explain," she said, her hands on her hips.
"We made it last year. Remus, our resident over-achiever, had taken a class on 'Magical Building', and we wanted to put that information he learned to use. No one knows that it's here. We usually have to take people here blind-folded."
Ella shrieked. "Ewww!" she said, standing up and backing away from the couch. "That I did not want to know..." She chose to stand in the middle of the room, away from the couch.
He rolled his eyes. "Sorry. Now, what did Lily say about the gift I got her?"
"She doesn't know it's from you. James, only an idiot would forget to put a tag on a present. Especially when he wanted her to know it was from him. You are such an ignoramus!"
James was pacing the span of the room, looking just about ready to rip out his hair. "Did she like it?" he asked absent-mindedly.
"Lily liked it a lot, but I think she likes the Quaerobrall more," Ella answered, "or perhaps the letters..."
"I didn't get her a Quaerobrall," he answered, not looking up, "or any letters."
Ella sighed. "You deserve to know. Lily has a Secret Admirer now. He got her earrings for Christmas, a Quaerobrall for no apparent reason, and wrote her a romantic letter."
James spun around, looking rather livid. "What?" he yelled, furious. "A Secret Admirer?"
"You have some competition now, Potter. Now, I have to sleep, since we have Potions first thing. I'll see you tomorrow, and keep you updated on the Secret Admirer."
Ella turned to leave, but James stepped in front of her. "Why are you helping me?" he asked softly, looking down at her.
"Well," Ella said thoughtfully, "I suppose that someone deserves true love," she said, before stepping past James, into the Dormitory. She said good night to Remus, and walked out of the room, wiping off the tear that ran down her cheek.
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James was waiting for Lily the next morning, when she stepped into the Common Room. Sprawled in one of the plump red armchairs, he looked every bit as arrogant as she remembered him.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter. I trust your winter holidays were good?" Lily asked, forcing herself to be cordial. She was back to being perfect.
James leaped out of the chair, stepping in front of Lily. "So, I heard that you have a Secret Admirer," he said accusingly.
"So, that's what you needed Ella for last night," Lily thought aloud. She went to step past James, but he blocked her.
"I asked Ella about the Divination assignment. Remus didn't know, since he isn't taking Divination, and Sirius and Peter wouldn't know. She didn't mention anything about a Secret Admirer. Word travels other ways, Ms. Evans," he said pointedly.
Lily sighed. "Not that it is any of your business," she said, "but yes, I do."
"What is remarkable is that anyone would love you," he said. When he heard what he said, he immediately clamped his hand over his mouth.
Lily gazed icily at the Gryffindor towering over her. However, she gave off the impression that he was incredibly small. "You love me," she answered coldly.
He bit his lip. "What I meant was," he said, "that in order to love you, one must truly know you..."
Lily inconspicuously took her wand out of her robe pocket. James didn't notice. "You say that like you are the only person who knows me..." she said, her eyes fiery, her tone cold.
"No offense, Ms. Evans, but most people here know you as the 'Green Eyed Monster'," he said, staring at Lily defiantly.
"I'm the green eyed monster? If I were you, in which case I'm thankful I'm not, Mr. Potter, I would go look in a mirror. Now, if you have no further insults, I'll be going," she said, pushing past James.
Lily had once again let her temper get the best of her. James rushed to the mirror to find that he was no longer James. He was a purple blob with one green eye in the middle of what he supposed was his forehead. He managed to get up the stairs and get his Invisibility Cloak over top of him. As he slid toward the Infirmary, he thought about Lily. Every time that it seemed like he moved one step toward her, he took two steps back. And he was already near the line...
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A/N: Well, that's all for now. I will update next weekend. We will see the inevitable breakup of Sirius and Vanessa, Ella's new boyfriend, another romantic letter from the Secret Admirer, and more conflicts between Lily and James. Who ever said love was easy? I want to thank everyone for reviewing too. You guys are the greatest! Until next time...
~Noelle
Luckie7n13@aol.com