If Lily thought she had felt awful when she awoke the next morning,
it was nothing compared to the feeling when she entered her first class of
the day. She had skipped breakfast to avoid the prying eyes of her fellow
classmates, but they made up for her lack of appearance when she walked
into her Transfiguration class that morning.
"Way to go, Evans!" called Sirius from the corner. He stood on his chair and began applauding loudly. "What a performance!"
"Hey Lily, my parents are having a party next summer and they want to know if you can entertain!" called Bruce McKinnon, a heavily built boy.
"You were awesome last night," James said, coming closer to her. "I especially liked the dedication you made to me; you're truly talented."
"Shut up," Lily hissed, not having a clue what they were talking about. She quickly made her way to her own seat where the feeling of sickness only darkened as Kaylen and Brianna told her all about her escapades that night.
"The best part was when you sang "You Are So Beautiful," to Lupin," Brianna said gleefully. "That really got a laugh out of everyone!"
"Oh no," Lily moaned, looking quickly at Remus, who was sitting rather still in his seat. "You have got to be joking me!"
"Nope," Brianna replied, receiving a dirty look from Kaylen.
"It could have been worse," Kaylen said, helpfully.
"Yeah? How so?"
"You could have danced, too."
Much to Lily's surprise, not much was said about the Halloween feast the rest of the day. Many students would whisper quietly when she passed by, but she didn't mind, as long as they didn't prod her with silly questions. Determined to make her friends forget about the whole ordeal, she snapped when they continued to discuss the party after lessons.
"What is with you?" Kaylen asked as Lily got up and began pacing the room.
"Yeah," joined Brianna. She sat down heavily on the foot of Lily's bed. "It's not like we were discussing your dedication to James Potter." She began to laugh, but stopped at the look on Lily's face.
"Why don't you shut up?" Lily asked, leaning her aching head against the wall. She had contemplated going to the hospital wing to get something for the headache, but didn't want to risk being lectured by Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts matron. "I still can't stand James. But you guys want to know the funny thing?" She leaned her head in closer towards her friends. "I don't even think I know the full song 'You're So Vain'." She collapsed into a fit of giggles with her friends, glad to be feeling almost back to normal.
As the rest of the school began to forget about Halloween and concentrate on Christmas, one person seemed to dwell on the prospect of Lily's childish behaviour. Remus Lupin usually smiled at Lily in the hallways or during mealtimes, but recently, he had been acting odd around her. No more secretive grins were exchanged, nor were friendly greetings. It hurt Lily to see how much she had embarrassed her friend and she knew that sooner or later, she would have to talk to him about it.
"You should really do it soon," Kaylen whispered one afternoon in the library. Lily was staring at Remus with a hungering look. She craved to hear him say hello in the sweet voice that he used around her, but she knew if she didn't apologize for the way she had behaved that evening, she would never hear from him again.
"I'm going," she said, pushing her chair back. But before she could even more out from behind the table, James, Sirius and Peter joined Remus at his table across the library. Flopping back down hard in her chair, Lily said, "No, I'm not."
"Just go when they leave," Kaylen urged, but much to Lily's disappointment, Remus joined his friends when they left. He glanced in the girls' direction as he walked out the door and Lily looked away quickly. "Do you do that every time?" Kaylen asked her blushing friend.
"Only since Halloween," Lily replied.
Lily had several opportunities to talk to Remus in the following days, but she found herself shying away from him every time he came near. Once he smiled vaguely at her, but it was nothing compared to the grins she received before. "I've had it," she claimed one day during Potions. Standing up, she marched over to where the four boys were standing over their smoking blue mixture, which was supposed to be a brilliant green.
"Remus, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked, ignoring the glances of Remus' friends.
"Sure," he said, facing her calmly.
Looking around, Lily replied, "How about out in the corridor?" She motioned up to the front of the room. "Professor Clark doesn't seem to really be paying attention."
"Does he ever?" James whispered and Sirius laughed out loud. "Sorry," he said when Remus gave him a withering glance.
"Let's go," Remus said, holding his arm out for Lily to go first. As she headed for the doorway, she gave the thumbs up to Kaylen, who was watching intently. Kaylen returned the signal and continued to study her textbook to see where they had gone wrong with the potion.
"I want to apologize for the Halloween feast," Lily said quickly as soon as the door shut. She found it hard to look Remus in the face. "I was way out of line and I shouldn't have done anything and I'm really sorry and I hope that you can forgive me because I don't want to lose our friendship," she added in one long breath. Wincing, she looked up.
Remus was smiling gently. "There's no need to apologize," he said softly. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why have you been acting so weird around me?"
It was Remus' turn to look uncomfortable. "That's not connected to the Halloween feast," he said, unable to look her in the eye. "That's something entirely different."
Lily's curiosity was hooked. "What is it?" she pried.
"Nothing that would interest you," Remus replied, shaking his head. "We should go back in. Professor Clark is old and feeble but I think eventually he'll clue in that we're not where we're supposed to be." Before Lily could reply, Remus threw open the classroom door and held it long enough for her to hold it open for herself. He practically ran back to his seat, ignoring the smirks from his friends.
Flopping in her chair beside Kaylen, Lily felt confused. "What happened?" Kaylen asked excitedly.
"He wasn't mad at me," Lily said.
"And?"
"And nothing." She looked up at her friend. "I asked him why he'd been acting so weird and he started blabbering about something and wouldn't answer me directly. Then we came back in."
A slow smile spread across Kaylen's face. "I think I know why," she said in a singsong type of voice. She nodded her head in the direction of Remus' group. Following her gaze, Lily saw the boys poking Remus, laughing quietly.
"Why?" Lily asked, turning back to Kaylen.
"Oh, Lily, isn't it obvious?" she cried, throwing her hands up, almost knocking the cauldron over. "He likes you!"
"Of course he does," Lily replied, looking back at Remus. "He's my friend."
"I mean as more than a friend!"
"Oh," Lily said quietly before it really clicked what Kaylen was saying. "Oh!" He does not, Kaylen, you're making that up!"
"Am I?" Kaylen asked, still smiling. "Then why is he acting strange around you? Why won't he look you in the eye? Why did he run from you when you asked why he had been acting strangely?"
"I embarrassed him on Halloween," Lily replied, not entirely convincing herself. "He can't look me in the eye for that reason. And he's acting strange for the same reason."
"Whatever," Kaylen replied, turning back to her textbook. "But in time, you'll see I'm right."
"Way to go, Evans!" called Sirius from the corner. He stood on his chair and began applauding loudly. "What a performance!"
"Hey Lily, my parents are having a party next summer and they want to know if you can entertain!" called Bruce McKinnon, a heavily built boy.
"You were awesome last night," James said, coming closer to her. "I especially liked the dedication you made to me; you're truly talented."
"Shut up," Lily hissed, not having a clue what they were talking about. She quickly made her way to her own seat where the feeling of sickness only darkened as Kaylen and Brianna told her all about her escapades that night.
"The best part was when you sang "You Are So Beautiful," to Lupin," Brianna said gleefully. "That really got a laugh out of everyone!"
"Oh no," Lily moaned, looking quickly at Remus, who was sitting rather still in his seat. "You have got to be joking me!"
"Nope," Brianna replied, receiving a dirty look from Kaylen.
"It could have been worse," Kaylen said, helpfully.
"Yeah? How so?"
"You could have danced, too."
Much to Lily's surprise, not much was said about the Halloween feast the rest of the day. Many students would whisper quietly when she passed by, but she didn't mind, as long as they didn't prod her with silly questions. Determined to make her friends forget about the whole ordeal, she snapped when they continued to discuss the party after lessons.
"What is with you?" Kaylen asked as Lily got up and began pacing the room.
"Yeah," joined Brianna. She sat down heavily on the foot of Lily's bed. "It's not like we were discussing your dedication to James Potter." She began to laugh, but stopped at the look on Lily's face.
"Why don't you shut up?" Lily asked, leaning her aching head against the wall. She had contemplated going to the hospital wing to get something for the headache, but didn't want to risk being lectured by Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts matron. "I still can't stand James. But you guys want to know the funny thing?" She leaned her head in closer towards her friends. "I don't even think I know the full song 'You're So Vain'." She collapsed into a fit of giggles with her friends, glad to be feeling almost back to normal.
As the rest of the school began to forget about Halloween and concentrate on Christmas, one person seemed to dwell on the prospect of Lily's childish behaviour. Remus Lupin usually smiled at Lily in the hallways or during mealtimes, but recently, he had been acting odd around her. No more secretive grins were exchanged, nor were friendly greetings. It hurt Lily to see how much she had embarrassed her friend and she knew that sooner or later, she would have to talk to him about it.
"You should really do it soon," Kaylen whispered one afternoon in the library. Lily was staring at Remus with a hungering look. She craved to hear him say hello in the sweet voice that he used around her, but she knew if she didn't apologize for the way she had behaved that evening, she would never hear from him again.
"I'm going," she said, pushing her chair back. But before she could even more out from behind the table, James, Sirius and Peter joined Remus at his table across the library. Flopping back down hard in her chair, Lily said, "No, I'm not."
"Just go when they leave," Kaylen urged, but much to Lily's disappointment, Remus joined his friends when they left. He glanced in the girls' direction as he walked out the door and Lily looked away quickly. "Do you do that every time?" Kaylen asked her blushing friend.
"Only since Halloween," Lily replied.
Lily had several opportunities to talk to Remus in the following days, but she found herself shying away from him every time he came near. Once he smiled vaguely at her, but it was nothing compared to the grins she received before. "I've had it," she claimed one day during Potions. Standing up, she marched over to where the four boys were standing over their smoking blue mixture, which was supposed to be a brilliant green.
"Remus, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked, ignoring the glances of Remus' friends.
"Sure," he said, facing her calmly.
Looking around, Lily replied, "How about out in the corridor?" She motioned up to the front of the room. "Professor Clark doesn't seem to really be paying attention."
"Does he ever?" James whispered and Sirius laughed out loud. "Sorry," he said when Remus gave him a withering glance.
"Let's go," Remus said, holding his arm out for Lily to go first. As she headed for the doorway, she gave the thumbs up to Kaylen, who was watching intently. Kaylen returned the signal and continued to study her textbook to see where they had gone wrong with the potion.
"I want to apologize for the Halloween feast," Lily said quickly as soon as the door shut. She found it hard to look Remus in the face. "I was way out of line and I shouldn't have done anything and I'm really sorry and I hope that you can forgive me because I don't want to lose our friendship," she added in one long breath. Wincing, she looked up.
Remus was smiling gently. "There's no need to apologize," he said softly. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why have you been acting so weird around me?"
It was Remus' turn to look uncomfortable. "That's not connected to the Halloween feast," he said, unable to look her in the eye. "That's something entirely different."
Lily's curiosity was hooked. "What is it?" she pried.
"Nothing that would interest you," Remus replied, shaking his head. "We should go back in. Professor Clark is old and feeble but I think eventually he'll clue in that we're not where we're supposed to be." Before Lily could reply, Remus threw open the classroom door and held it long enough for her to hold it open for herself. He practically ran back to his seat, ignoring the smirks from his friends.
Flopping in her chair beside Kaylen, Lily felt confused. "What happened?" Kaylen asked excitedly.
"He wasn't mad at me," Lily said.
"And?"
"And nothing." She looked up at her friend. "I asked him why he'd been acting so weird and he started blabbering about something and wouldn't answer me directly. Then we came back in."
A slow smile spread across Kaylen's face. "I think I know why," she said in a singsong type of voice. She nodded her head in the direction of Remus' group. Following her gaze, Lily saw the boys poking Remus, laughing quietly.
"Why?" Lily asked, turning back to Kaylen.
"Oh, Lily, isn't it obvious?" she cried, throwing her hands up, almost knocking the cauldron over. "He likes you!"
"Of course he does," Lily replied, looking back at Remus. "He's my friend."
"I mean as more than a friend!"
"Oh," Lily said quietly before it really clicked what Kaylen was saying. "Oh!" He does not, Kaylen, you're making that up!"
"Am I?" Kaylen asked, still smiling. "Then why is he acting strange around you? Why won't he look you in the eye? Why did he run from you when you asked why he had been acting strangely?"
"I embarrassed him on Halloween," Lily replied, not entirely convincing herself. "He can't look me in the eye for that reason. And he's acting strange for the same reason."
"Whatever," Kaylen replied, turning back to her textbook. "But in time, you'll see I'm right."
