Chapter 8

Dear Kate and Mike,

I'm fine, although 'Tuni's driving me nuts.

Aunt Edith looks pretty bad, although the doctor says she is going to recover.

Yes, I have done my potions revision, Kate.

I have to go, it smells like 'Tuni has burnt something.

Lily

            I was sat in our hotel room, sucking on the end of my quill and watching Abby do her hair. I read over the letter, decided it was good enough, and tied it to Morgana's leg with a sigh of relief. I hadn't really wanted to write home after what had happened. I wanted to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head and stay there for a week. James had told me not to worry about it, but I knew he was just being nice.

            "Come on," Abby said. "You'd better start getting ready."

            Looking grumpy, I sat down on my bed, and began pulling T-shirts out of my bag. "I didn't bring anything for a club," I said sulkily. "I didn't know they'd want to take us out. I bet it's to gloat."

            Abby ignored me. She went to the fireplace, threw in a handful of blue powder and shouted a room number. "Mel, we need some help," she said with her head in the flames.

            "What're you doing?" I demanded as she withdrew her head.

            "You're going to get a makeover," Abby said with a grin.

            "What!" I said. "I don't need a makeover!"

            Abby, once again, ignored me. Five minutes later there was a knock on the door. Abby opened it, and there was Mel with her arms full of makeup and clothes.

            "Let's get to work," she said to Abby, ignoring my protests.

            Half an hour later I didn't even recognise myself when I looked in the mirror. I was wearing makeup for the first time in my life. I'd never bothered before, even when Cissa had offered to lend me hers. Mel had waved my hair with her wand, and I wore it loose, flowing down my back. Abby had lent me a tight skirt and a shiny black top which looked quite normal from the front, but which was held together with minuscule strips of material at the back. I was showing a lot of skin. What if the straps tore and the top fell straight off me?

            We went down to reception to meet the others, me walking really carefully in the high-heeled, strappy sandals Mel had lent me. We spotted them out in the street waiting for us and went to join them. I felt strangely shy as I pushed my way through the revolving doors. What would James think of my new look?

            I don't want to sound big-headed but I think it would be fair to say that his eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw me. The other girls were startled too, but then they started cheering.

            "Does she look good or what?" Mel asked proudly. "Yeah, she looks good!"

            James stared at me for a few seconds more, then dragged his gaze away. "Come on, let's go," he said.

            I smiled to myself. Maybe, just maybe, there was something between us. Yeah, yeah, I knew that nothing could ever come of it. But here I was in a strange city miles from home, and looking good. I felt like a different person, and I was going to make the most of it.

            We piled into three or four Muggle taxis, and headed off for the club. When we got there, I celebrated the new me by ordering a glass of wine, instead of my usual Butterbeer. By the time I was on my second glass, I was feeling – not pissed exactly, but pretty relaxed. Abby was sitting chatting to me and some of the other players. She'd been on the dance-floor for some of the time, along with the rest of our team and the Hungarian players, but I hadn't joined them. I was a bit nervous about breaking an ankle in Mel's heels. We were laughing and joking around, but all the time I was conscious of James sitting at the neighbouring table. He was talking to the Hungarian coach, but every now and then he'd glance over at us.

            "Lily," Abby bawled in my ear over the music, "I'm going to ask James to dance."

            I watched as she made her way over. The Hungarian coach had gone to the bar, leaving James on his own. Abby sat down next to him, and started flirting wildly. I couldn't hear her, but I could tell. And I felt jealous. I decided to join them, so I went over and sat down on James's other side. I didn't see why Abby should have everything her own way.

            "Come on, dance with me," Abby was saying, trying to drag James to his feet. He shook his head firmly. "Oh, honestly, James – you're such a wuss!"

            "I'm sorry I held back with my shot, coach. We could have at least drawn," I said, looking at him over the top of my glass. Maybe it was about time I started to learn to flirt too.

            "It's OK," James said with a grin. "It comes naturally – England haven't beaten Hungary since 1895. You're part of the tradition now!"

            "Enough about Quidditch," Abby grabbed his hand. "Come on, you're dancing with me."

            "No," James repeated.

            "Come on, I'm not taking no for an answer!"

            James finally shrugged and gave in. I watched them move on to the dance floor, wishing I had some of Abby's confidence. I thought James fancied me. But I didn't have the  nerve to do anything about it.

            Carrying my glass of wine, I made my way across the crowded dance floor towards some of our players. As I was standing chatting to them, someone came up behind me.

            "Come on, you're dancing with us," James said in my ear.

            I started to shake my head, but he ignored me, took my hand and led me over to Abby. For a few moments we danced together with James holding both our hands. Abby looked a bit put out, but she didn't say anything.

            Suddenly though, I began to feel dizzy. The club started to spin. I put my hand to my head, and blinked a few times to try to clear my vision, but now my stomach was churning and I felt sick. Quickly I turned and made my way unsteadily towards the back doors of the club, which were open on to the street. I needed some fresh air.

            "Oh!" I stumbled as I got outside, and someone grabbed my arm.

            "Careful." It was James. I hadn't realised that he'd followed me. "Are you all right?"

            "Oh, God," I muttered, feeling really sick now. "I only had a couple of glasses of wine." I groaned. "Oh, my head. It's too smoky in there."

            James put his arm round me and helped me over to a nearby wall. I leaned against him, partly because my legs felt like jelly, and partly because I enjoyed being near him. We stood there in silence for a moment, then I looked up at him.

            "That was so brilliant, the way you came to see Kate." My heart thudded loudly as he smiled at me and stroked my hair. "You were brave enough to face my cousin. Your dad can't be as mad as her!"

            "Your cousin was a barrel of laughs compared to my dad," James replied softly. "I don't need to be close to my family, Lily. You don't have to feel sorry for me."

            I smiled back at him. I knew what I wanted to do next. I wanted to kiss him, and nothing was going to stop me…

            I leaned forwards, raising my face to him. James hesitated for a second, then he leaned towards me too.

            "You bitch!"

            I gasped and spun round – just in time to see the hurt look on Abby's face as she disappeared back into the club.

            It was a disaster. But that wasn't the end of it. Abby refused to talk to me and moved out to spend our last night in Mel's room. She wouldn't talk to me the next day on the journey home either, and she made sure she sat by someone else on the bus to the Portkey station.

            I tried to apologise to her. I blamed my behaviour on the glasses of //// that I'd drunk, saying that I'd never have done anything like that if I hadn't been pissed. But deep down, I kept asking myself – would I have tried to kiss James even if I was stone-cold sober? I didn't know. And Abby seemed to guess that I wasn't being straight with her, which was why she was so furious with me.

            I hadn't spoken to James either. We'd avoided each other , both of us hanging out with other girls in the team to make sure we weren't left alone together. I wondered if he regretted what had nearly happened between us. I couldn't tell.

            The awkwardness between Abby, James and I affected the whole team, and we sat on the Knight Bus home in gloomy silence. I'd made sure I was sitting near Abby, even though she didn't look at me once during the journey, or speak to me. I wanted to try and corner her when the bus stopped, and see if I could talk to her. We had to get this sorted out. One, because we were good mates and I didn't want to lose her friendship. And two, because we couldn't play together properly and keep up our partnership on the pitch if we were at each other's throats.

            But when the minibus stopped, Abby was first out of her seat. She grabbed her bag, and ran for it. I jumped up and pushed my way to the front of the bus.

            "Abby!"

            It was too late. She'd gone. I stared after her, wondering how I was ever going to get her to listen to me. Still, I'd see her at the next training session.

            Mel was getting off the bus behind me. "All right, Lily?"

            I didn't answer.

            "Who are they?" Mel asked curiously, pointing across the street.

            I'd already seen them myself. Kate, Mike and Cissa were standing across the street, waiting for me. Oh hell.