A/N: Oh hell, let's not get into how long this took. ;) I have little to say for myself, besides that I've been out of town most of the past two months and living in a hotel when I'm in town. And then, when I did have a few days in which I could have updated before I left for Arizona, I somehow managed to delete something necessary for Microsoft Word to run and was so frustrated that I didn't even bother writing. So anyway, I'm still in a hotel, but I set up a computer here, and we move into our house a week or so before school starts; hopefully once we move in, life will stop being crazy and I'll be able to write more often. Well then, for now I hope you'll be patient with me! I love you guys for reviewing! So, maybe I had a little more than just a little to say for myself, but how was I supposed to know that I would start rambling again? On to chapter 10!
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Chapter 10- Revelation
Tracking down the source of noise was not the problem; regaining coherent thought after spotting your best friend snogging someone when she wasn't supposed to be snogging anyone however, was. It had to be Lily in that classroom, the long auburn hair was the best indication. If only they could see through the dim light to see who the guy was...
There was a laugh, and a mumbled, "James, I really am sorry though."
"Holy Hell!" Neither Jessica nor Heather was sure who said it first, but that didn't matter. They stared in equal amazement at the scene in front of them. Jessica blinked profusely, trying to decipher whether or not she was really seeing one of her best friends kissing intimately. Her eyes began to adjust a little more to the lighting. Damn, Lily even had her arms wrapped around James' neck, one hand playing with his already disheveled hair. She managed to pry her eyes away and give Heather, whose mouth had dropped open, a sidelong glance.
For the next few minutes, they stood transfixed, watching the unexpected scene unfold from the half-open doorway. If either Lily or James had spotted or heard them right then, they wouldn't have been able to so much as move a finger. Luckily those two were far too into what they were doing to even steal a glance towards the door.
Heather was the first to realize anything. She gave herself a pinch to make sure she wasn't imagining this, and then scooted away from the door, just in case. Very suddenly, a smirk appeared on her face. Oh, the things she could do with this new knowledge! The next week or so now seemed so much brighter.
She heard the thumping of feet behind her and an abrupt, "Whatcha doing?"
~*~
She thought that she had heard a voice in the hall, but then again Lily couldn't register anything besides what she and James were doing. And what were they doing? I must be crazy. She was, at that. Pulling back, she looked into his deep brown eyes with the sort of affection that was rarely seen from a girl like her. And to think that she had recently dubbed him the most hateful of all guys. Then again, she wasn't sure whether she had really felt that way at all, or whether she had just made it up because she was afraid of something. Well, there was more time for that sort of thing later.
"We really shouldn't snog with the door open." Lily mumbled against him, enjoying the feeling of being so close, drinking in his scent.
James frowned. Apparently, he hadn't thought of that....should he really care though?
Lily glanced at the door quickly. Besides hearing a few slight noises, there was nothing to be seen. Who would be lurking through the hallways now? She turned back to James with a grin and pulled him in for another kiss.
~*~
Heather whipped around, grabbing Luke and dragging him to the floor. To say the least, he was a bit surprised. Sitting on top of his back, she took a deep breath, and said in a quite pleasant and conversational tone, "So did you find Lily yet?"
He managed to grunt a no and give her a strange look all at the same time, almost an enormous feat for what was surely an idiot.
"And in answer to your question," she sighed, attempting to rest all her weight on his back in hopes that she might squash him, "we were simply taking a stroll around. We thought maybe we'd find Lily, but..."
Luke squirmed underneath her, on the verge of panting. His face was pressed against the cold and grimy floor, while Heather casually dug her fingernails into his back. "Well then what's she doing?" He pointed a finger at Jessica, who was still staring amazedly into the classroom, jaw open.
Heather restrained a smirk. "Nothing." she replied, quickly coming up with an excuse. "I - er - hexed her and she's just in shock."
Jessica was still a little out of it, but suddenly mumbled, "Hates guys my ass." Her eyes seemed permanently fixed. Heather grinned in amusement and Luke looked puzzled.
"What-" he started to ask, but Heather smothered him.
Another loud laugh floated out from the classroom, and James' voice rang out, "But just in case, let's go someplace more secluded..."
Jessica's eyes about popped out of her head during the same moment that Heather seized her arm, dragging both her and Luke down the hall and into another empty classroom in a frenzy.
"What's this about?" Luke demanded, seeming to lose just a little of his airy demeanor, momentarily at least.
"I, er, saw....Mrs. Norris!" Heather exclaimed. "I was just hiding us from her!"
"But it's before curfew anyway." Luke blurted out. Damn it, of all times for him to say something that made sense...
Heather's grin faded. "Oh....er, oops."
Luke hastily snatched his arm away from Heather and announced, "Well I still haven't found Lily. I don't know who that guy was, talking about going somewhere else...but I don't really care. Er...I guess I'll...see you later." He gave a little wave, which was surprising considering he had just been flung to the floor, sat on, and dragged into a classroom.
Praying that Lily and James had already disappeared to wherever it was they were going, Heather clutched at her chest, breathing deeply.
"He would have killed James!" Jessica hissed. "He's still on a killer rampage, you know."
The dark-haired girl sent her a withering look. "Oh really, and what did you do to stop it?"
"I...oh fine, you win." Jessica grunted. "But there was some pretty interesting stuff going on in that classroom. I was a little preoccupied with watching."
Heather's face brightened. This was the best part of it so far. "So," she began in a nonchalant voice. "what exactly did I miss?"
Jessica shrugged, brushing her blonde hair back over her shoulder. "Only our best friend doing exactly what she said she never would. I mean, she was practically throwing herself on James. Well, that is, they were throwing themselves on each other, so it wasn't really a significant part of it..." she trailed off, realizing she made no sense and her friend was grinning and seemed not to be listening anyway. "What?"
"Oh, nothing." Heather said, her eyes gleaming. "I was only thinking of how we could play this out until Lily finally decides to say something."
"Why hasn't she yet?" Jessica asked absently.
"Um, dear, isn't that obvious?"
"No."
She shook her head. "Well, probably for the reason that she was worried we'd do exactly what we will do...but it's not time to say 'I told you so' just yet, I think." Jessica fixed her with a pointed stare, so that she would elaborate. "It's like I said before we caught them, we can have so much more fun by fooling around with her while she has no idea that we know her little secret."
"Exactly what do you mean by 'fooling around'? I thought we established that I wasn't a lesbian."
"Oh please, spare me." Heather rolled her eyes. "You're so dim sometimes. I mean, we can do things like when she says she's going to the library or something, assign her to do something for us-"
"...and since she really isn't going to library, it will really piss her off."
"Of course. Understand now?"
"I suppose. But in the end, do you think she'll tell us, or will we have to do it for her?"
"That's one thing I have yet to figure out." Heather sighed. "But for now, we should be getting out of here before Mrs. Norris really does show up and find something to land us in detention for."
~*~
That evening, Jessica and Heather were sitting on a couch in the Gryffindor common room as if nothing at all had happened besides a regular day at school. But that was all part of the plan...
Lily walked in even later than she had been lately. Why had they not noticed before that when she walked in at night her hair was all over the place and her face was brilliantly flushed? That had to have been the biggest clue. No matter though, because now they knew anyway.
Jessica smiled up at Lily innocently as she approached them. "What have you been up to?"
Lily shrugged calmly. "Nothing much. I was just in the library again."
"Oh really? So that's where you were off sn-" she started to say, but Heather swung a hand in front of her face with the intent of quieting her; only she put a little too much force into the swing and smacked her friend in the face.
Jessica blinked, then brought one of her own hands up to rub her nose in an annoyed fashion. Heather looked sheepish. "Um, oops?"
Lily shook her head. "You two will always be the weirdest people I know. But don't worry," she continued, "that's what I love about you."
"Well aren't you in a good mood." Heather stated, raising an eyebrow that might have been suggestive.
At that precise moment, James came through the portrait hole. His hair was even more ruffled than Lily's, but that was nothing new. He looked flushed as well, as if his cheeks had stolen all of the blood in his body. Heather was almost sure that she saw something like adoration in Lily's eyes the split second before she began glaring at James.
James looked back at her and winked, then waved at the other two girls, before disappearing towards the boys' dormitories. There was a brief silence.
"So he doesn't seem mad at you anymore." Heather stated calmly, hoping and not hoping at the same time that Lily would let something slip. But it wouldn't be as much fun if she admitted it right off.
Lily was looking into her lap. "No, guess not." she replied quickly, not giving away any hints. "But why should I care either way?" She smiled softly.
Jessica sighed as she and Heather exchanged a glance.
~*~
Lily was a little nervous. It had been two nights already, and now she was just stalling. Really, James deserved to know. Whether she liked it or not, he had gained her trust, and that wasn't something she gave away easily. That wasn't the only thing he had gained from her either, but she wasn't about to discuss how much she cared for him just yet.
As she entered the Heads room, she took a deep breath. He knew that she would be telling him whatever it was tonight. It was, after all, her last chance before the three-day promise wore out, and Lily Evans never broke a promise. What was it that he was expecting? Lily could only imagine, but just as long as he wasn't going to do anything drastic over the truth.
He smiled at her as she sat down next to him, leaning over to give her the usual short hello kiss. Then he settled back into the cushions, still holding her hand. Oh yes, he was certainly expecting something.
Lily raised her eyebrow at his eagerness and gave him a strained smile. She hadn't shared this with anyone and she wasn't really sure how it would be received. It's only James, she reminded herself, only the person you thought you hated most...
"Er..."
He tried to reassure her. "You don't have to look as if I'm going to hurt you somehow, Lily. I don't know what you're getting ready to tell me, but it honestly can't be that bad."
All at once she began to talk. "I used to have a boyfriend named Chris. It was all going really well, and I was starting to have really strong feelings for him. One night I was on my way to meet him in an empty classroom, and I was just so happy about something, I can't even remember why. And then I heard it...I heard him. And this other girl. She definitely wasn't just a friend. I won't go into details about how I felt just then, because it doesn't really matter anymore..." She said it all so quickly that it was difficult to make it all out.
"That's horrible-" James looked almost relieved; he had expected something worse.
Lily held up a hand to indicate that she wasn't finished yet. "Anyway, one thing led to another. You know me; I'm not one to just take it lightly. I started yelling and stuff. And then, he hit me. Not just once, I don't remember how long it went on. I remember the girl's laughter, and me curling up on the floor. I remember them leaving." She paused, and then whispered, "I never told anyone."
James didn't react right away. He only sat there and stared in amazement. This wasn't the Lily he knew. She wasn't fierce or even close to it; she was next to him with tears streaming down her face. It all made sense- why she hated guys, why she had never trusted him. Why should she have trusted him?
"And most of the reason I didn't want to tell people about us was that I would be admitting to really caring about you...and I do." she glanced up at him with a sad smile. "I just didn't want something bad to happen again."
It was the anger building up inside James that made him jump up from the couch with clenched fists. It scared her at first; she had never seen this side of him before. He was turning red with fury. He knew which guy she was talking about, he remembered them going out...he knew where to find him. "I'm going to kill him!"
Lily's emerald eyes widened as he swept around her and towards the door. Her tears dried up all at once. Was he serious? How did it happen that she was around murderous guys all the time; first Luke and now James? Oh bloody hell.
"James, NO!" she yelled so loud that he froze halfway to the door. "That's not going to solve anything." she mumbled. It was rather nice to see that he cared so much, but then again, she really didn't want to be sent to the wizard courts for murder.
"But- Lily- you can't just- we have to do something! I can't believe you never said anything!"
"Well I never wanted it to be a big deal or anything..." she muttered.
"But it is a big deal!" James exclaimed. "Oh, fine! But he's in a lot of trouble now, because I'm not just going to let him get away with abuse. I'm not going to let you do that." He gave a little nod, indicating that his mind was made up. Stalking back to the couch, he fell back beside Lily and leaned over to give her a rough hug. "And here I was thinking you had some other sort of secret..."
Lily inquired curiously, "What
sort of secret would that have been?"
"Oh, never mind that." his cheeks showed a hint of red.
"Well I'm glad you - er - took it so....well." she spluttered, then smiled sheepishly.
James seemed to melt back into the guy he usually was as the anger faded. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just...I can't believe you'd ever keep that quiet..."
She shrugged. Neither had she, but what can you do? Then she remembered what else she had wanted to tell him; or rather, warn him about. "Oh, and one other thing, James." Lily couldn't help but give a small smile. "Luke wants to kill you."
~*~
Lily brushed her auburn hair in a rush, pulling it back into a long ponytail. Jessica and Heather watched her while they played cards on Heather's bed.
"Going to the library?" Jessica asked, picking a card from the top of the deck.
"Sure." Lily replied, giving her a smile through the mirror.
Heather winked at Jessica. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you-" She directed at the redhead.
But Lily interrupted. "Have you finished that essay for McGonagall yet?" she blurted out, making a face at something she must have found unappealing about her appearance.
Jessica looked confused at the question, but said, "No. I'll do it later. I'm in no hurry."
"Right." the reply came quickly, and Lily scurried towards the door just as fast. Right before she opened it, however, Heather opened her mouth again.
"Oh yes, what I wanted to ask you." she said loudly, so that Lily had no choice but to listen. "Since you're going to the library, maybe you could just look up this little thing for me?" Heather smiled sweetly.
The two of them watched as innocently as they could manage. Lily turned back towards them with a look of pure surprise and something else resembling annoyance.
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A/N: Sorry if this was a bit hurried, but I do happen to be a little hurried and I wanted to go ahead and post anyway...and then I went to the eye doctor today and my eyes are still dilated so I can't really see much; you'll understand the mistakes then. Oh, and I know there were no Marauder appearances in this chapter, but they'll be back, don't worry!
Caz- Lily is that kind of person, but the only thing is, she's been acting like a different person lately, so it might take her a little longer than usual to figure out that her friends are just trying to annoy her. Thanks for coming back again! Her Highness Hermione- Lol, I like the name. It's just so...Hermione. You saying you appreciate my work made me smile =) I certainly appreciate you reviewing! Carolinus Took- Lol, nope, teachers can be rather evil. Funny though, that just goes to show how long it's been since I updated, because here it is, two months into summer and I'm replying to a review mentioning teachers...anyway, thanks again of course. Kylaya- Thanks! I love new reviewers. Luke isn't really evil, he's just stupid. Lol, I'm still undecided about how long it should take him to realize what's going on with L/J. Barbara- I'm glad you enjoyed the Sirius and Remus bit, they're definitely entertaining people. And as you know, Lily did tell James...I hope you liked it! Ash- Lol, freaking out, huh? And there I was, feeling relieved that I had finished the chapter finally. Oh well, I'm sure you've completely forgotten by now ;) Thanks for taking the time to review! BastsCleopatra- Aw, do you really think I write well? That's seriously the nicest thing anyone can tell me. Lol, cats getting ready to take over the world; now there's a thought! But at least my cat's not the only psycho one...or is that a bad thing? Mooky- I'm glad you like me replying to reviews, it annoys some people. Lily's friends most certainly can be evil! But in a...friendly, sort of way. And Luke will always be annoying. Actually, I based the "whatcha doing?" thing from something that my stepaunt really does. That can seriously get annoying, trust me...Well, I will continue to write, no matter how many times I have to apologize for taking forever! Freakyfroggurl22- I suppose it was a bit of a cliffhanger, huh? And a 2 month one at that. Anyway, glad you're still liking it, thanks for sticking with me! Nerdypurdy- Congrats again on that driver's license =) Probably out driving around now, aren't you, just so you can gloat? Lol, no, you're too nice for that. Not like some of my other friends...Anyway! My cat is cute, of course. (No, that wasn't random. You mentioned her in your review, lol). Thanks again, I'll be talking to you soon! I can't believe you're leaving again...Fiery red-haired girl- You're always reviewing and I love you for it! I don't have all that many people who always take the time to review, so it means something. Oh, and about babbling, trust me, I do it all the time. So I don't mind at all if you do! Hope you still think the story's fun to read. Gryffspopgurl- Aw, thank you! I hope you continue to read! JingleJake9- Lol, nope, I'm not trying to make Luke stupid just cause he's American, because I'm an American too! I know quite a few stupid ones, but they're all over the place...no, Luke's just stupid on his own. Funny though, English people do like to call us stupid...bastards. (No offence, English people. I'm just kidding, of course.) Thanks for reviewing! Frozen Quill- I like the new name! Haha, Lily does get angry easily, I'll probably put more of that in chapter 11, but we'll see. And she'd probably punch James if he turned her hair green...you're right, vanilla coke is good =) Thanks for another review! Everblue3- Hello again! Yes, Luke the dolt. Describes him perfectly. I'm glad last chapter amused you. I hope this one wasn't too, uh...rushed is the word that comes to mind. Anyway, thanks as usual. VLBVLB- Happy you think so! Ty! Odder22- Lol, he does come across as a complete idiot...thanks for reading/reviewing! Toria- I hope, even after all this time, you did come back to read more... Skyleia- Lol, at least you'll keep reading! I know what you mean about school - so don't review if you don't have the time, although I do like hearing from you. Hope your summer's going well! Golden.Slumbers- You're kidding, your birthday is May 11th? Lol, that's weird...'88 too? And you're still reading the story! And I was reading your profile- I have to agree- book 5 was so sad! I was almost in tears over the death scene! How could she do this to us? And now I'm stuck waiting for book 6...let's just hope it doesn't take 3 years or I might die of anxiety! StEfIfIeD- Lol, no offence taken, it is a bit cliched! Thanks for reviewing! High?D- Ty! I'm so glad to hear you like it, I certainly will continue, but you'll probably get annoyed with my taking forever to update. =) MonkeyGurl1- Thanks, I will!
A/N: Alrighty then...I'll see you guys sometime, uh, soon of course. Thanks for all the kind reviews and I hope you're all having a fun summer!
~Emily~