Chapter 21- Explanations, disappearances, and (im)maturity
James stared at the countryside passing him by for a very long time, just thinking about…things. Hogwarts, what they were going to say when they walked in unannounced, Kelly and what had gone wrong, Lily; mostly Lily, since she was cuddled up against him and he was having trouble ignoring her. He brushed a strand of hair out of her closed eyes and tensed as she shifted, her fingers grazing his arm. She smiled softly and unconsciously, her eyelids twitching while she dreamed.
James frowned and glanced back outside. The sun was just beginning to rise; splaying colors in an uneven but still exact manner, the way only it could. What am I turning into? Why hadn't he moved on from Lily a long time ago? Something was keeping him back and he couldn't figure out what or why. He was smart; after all, he had made Head Boy. But that had been the result of focusing on studying in sixth year because it took his mind off troubles at home. This, however, had not been in the job description.
Before the beginning of seventh year, or more exactly, before he had gotten to know Lily, he had been your average wizard teenager, perhaps with even more of a wayward side here and there. He had been daring and hell, even if it did sound cocky, he could have gotten just about any girl he wanted. And now, he was turning into one of those guys he had always called a sap. A groan erupted from inside his throat.
He looked back down at Lily, trying to find all the answers to everything. Damn it, she even took his mind off of his stepfather; nobody else had ever been able to. Whatever it was, there was something about her that made him keep chasing after her, no matter how many times they fought or tried to ruthlessly strangle each other.
Grinning at the girl in his lap, he leaned down and softly kissed her forehead. Then he realized what he was doing and his head snapped back up with widened eyes. Damn, I scare myself sometimes. Truth be told, he scared a lot of people sometimes. Although since the beginning of the year, his reputation as a devious trickster had for the most part worn off. While he was a little disappointed by this mellowing out, he admitted that it was nice to have a steady lifestyle. Sometimes. Maybe he and Sirius should- but Lily wouldn't approve…wait a minute! Oh no! I sound like an old man…I used to make fun of people for this. Why me? He groaned for a second time.
There were more important things to think about anyway. He glanced over Lily, at Kelly, who was leaning against the window on the seat across from them, eyes closed and breathing steadily. He would say that she was asleep…but did he trust her? Lily might have thought it a good idea to bring the woman along, but it made him very uneasy. Whatever…hopefully Kelly would feel indebted and not try anything. Maybe he was being unfair; maybe she had just gotten caught in the middle of something that she hadn't expected and didn't know how to fight off. Well, one could hope. But one could also deceive.
James continued to stare out the window. How long until they arrived at Hogwarts? What would Dumbledore say? If he tried to send them back…no way; the Headmaster was better than that.
Abruptly, a rustling caught his ears, and his eyes shot over to where Kelly was situated. Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared at James warily, as if she couldn't remember where she was, but either way was afraid of it. Trying not to seem paranoid, he glanced away and down at Lily, resting a hand on her arm.
Kelly spoke and he was surprised at the sound of her voice; he looked back up at her. "You love her, don't you?"
"Me?" James asked, ultimately trying to waste time so that he could come up with a suitable answer. "I- I don't know. She's Lily..."
"And you're James." Kelly said with a slight smile, as if she had not been revealing her dark side to them just hours before.
"I haven't known her for very long."
Dully, she replied, "You've gone to school together for the past six years -- six and a half, actually."
He adjusted his jaw, annoyed. "Well yeah, but I never really knew her before September."
Kelly's smile widened, bordering on a grin. She had made her decision as to what James felt towards Lily. What surprised James was the fact that she cared at all…or did she? Oh hell, this whole unmasking business was giving him a headache. Kelly realized his silence and pressed her lips together. "We're almost there." She said.
She did nothing but irritate him at this point. "I know." He snapped, although he wasn't sure if he did or not; either way she wasn't going to get any satisfaction out of him. They rode along in silence for the next several minutes and the only thing that occasionally returned James to reality was the slight movement of the train, bumping against the tracks.
Lily began to stir against him, finally lifting her head. She opened her eyes and blinked, her forehead crinkled. As she looked from James to Kelly, realization flooded back into her eyes, making them seem a darker green. "Are we almost there?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
James whispered, "Yes." in a strange voice that caused her to look at him, carefully analyzing. He didn't like the scrutiny and soon looked away. She outlined his face with her eyes and they eventually landed on his mouth, where they stayed until the Hogwarts Express jerked to a stop and she was coincidentally jerked back to herself.
The three people in the compartment would have looked lost to anyone who saw them then; with their vacant expressions and wandering eyes. Quite truthfully, however, their minds were full, with different, but not all contrasting thoughts.
Lily and James found themselves drifting after Kelly, off the train and onto the Hogwarts grounds. It seemed like it had been forever since they'd been here before. It was a relief; immediately the two of them felt safe.
They trudged towards the castle in silence, the trees menacingly rustling at them. The sun was low on the horizon, but managed to cast a light over everything; creating shadows that reminisced of the night before.
They stopped in front of the castle, James pulled on the giant door to the Entrance Hall and they tumbled inside. A few seconds later, Dumbledore himself passed by, turned to look at them, and stopped. His light eyes took in their expressions...and then he saw Kelly. "Ms. Johnstone! I haven't seen you in about twenty years." he walked over, and Lily and James were amazed at how calm he was; didn't he wish to know why they had suddenly showed up, on the day before Christmas Eve?
"Professor Dumbledore." Kelly nodded in acknowledgement. "I hear that you're headmaster here these days."
"Yes." his crinkled eyes sparkled with an amused light. "Although I do miss my Transfiguration classes from time to time." He turned to the Head Boy and Girl, who were looking a little nervous. His face became suddenly solemn. "Lily, James, come up to my office. There are some things I think you should know, and some things I should like to know as well."
Well obviously, thought Lily. It was about time he mentioned something about them being there unexpected...unless of course they didn't give Dumbledore enough credit and he had somehow just known. But that was almost impossible. "Yes sir."
Kelly followed after Dumbledore beckoned for her to come along, and the four of them proceeded towards the gargoyle statue. Dumbledore gave the password quietly and they ascended the stairs one at a time.
Once inside the room, Lily shut the door behind her and started to explain, "You see, Professor, there was a family- er -incident. James and I were-"
He smiled at them, sitting down the chair behind his desk. "I know all about it, Ms. Evans. Please sit down."
Lily and James' mouths dropped open simultaneously. "What do you mean you know?" James asked; he was the most bewildered of any of them, although that was expected.
Dumbledore's thin smile faded slightly. "Your mother sent me a note, asking about your whereabouts. She seemed rather upset."
"Well we-" Lily started again.
"She wasn't sure how or why you left so suddenly. She also mentioned some sort of delinquent boy." He glanced at James in amusement.
Lily groaned. "Sir, I can't go back there. I'll tell you everything, but-"
"I am not here to be a therapist, Ms. Evans. Although I do think I know most of what the situation is already. I should like to know what happened after you ran away, however."
"Um, well. James and I went to the train station...and then Kelly found us, and offered us a place to stay."
James' eyes flashed angrily. "And then- then we find out that she's with the Dark Side!"
Dumbledore's eyes did widen this time; he looked astonished. Looking to Kelly, he said softly, "This is true?"
Ms. Johnstone sorrowfully bit her lip and replied, "Well yes. But I've been trying to get away for years! You can't...turn me in, please Dumbledore!" she said the name awkwardly, as if she wasn't sure how to address him anymore.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed. "I would have never thought you, of all people would-" he stopped himself, shaking his head sadly. "No matter. You will share with me the whole story when I ask for it, and then I shall decide what the appropriate measures will be."
Kelly shrunk back into her chair. "Yes sir."
Then the Headmaster turned back to the two teenagers, who were shifting uncomfortably. "So I have most of the story pieced together. How will you get your luggage back?"
"Kelly sent my mum-" Lily started, but was cut off by Kelly.
"Actually," she swallowed, "I didn't."
Lily and James glared at her and Dumbledore looked between all three of them. The Headmaster said, "I already sent your mother an owl telling her that I have not heard from you. However, now that you are here, I will send her another. I can ask for her to send the trunks. But do not expect Mrs. Evans to be very happy about any of this, especially since I have no intention of sending you back for the remainder of the holidays."
At this, Lily visibly brightened. "Thank you Professor." she smiled.
There was a short silence, before Dumbledore's expression softened again. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
What could possibly go wrong now? James looked to Lily, his hair falling into his eyes. Lily swallowed. "What?"
"Daniel Hopkins has…to put it simply, he's disappeared."
"Disappeared?" James' confused face was almost humorous.
"Yes, Mr. Potter. His room is the way he left it, but just yesterday, he was not to be found. We have had people looking since then, but we haven't learned anything about where he might be."
"He's not- not dead, is he?" Lily was very frightened at the idea.
Dumbledore frowned desolately. "I'm sorry to say that I don't know the answer to that."
James sat with his mouth open, while Kelly, who was sitting on one side of him, appeared confused. After all, she had heard the name before- when she had been told of the Order of the Phoenix. But she didn't know who he was; not really.
"But…you must know something." Lily insisted in a worried tone.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Not yet. I will tell you anything that we find out; I know that you must be concerned about him. In the mean time, I suggest you return to the Gryffindor tower. I need to talk with Ms. Johnstone for awhile."
Lily glanced at Kelly blankly, not giving any indication of what she was thinking. She was feeling rather blank altogether. She and James rose from their chairs, thanked the Headmaster, and left, shutting the door behind them. They walked back to the tower together in silence. Strangely, they didn't pass one student, teacher, or ghost along the way. Although, it was Christmas and most people had gone home for the holidays.
Lily's thoughts were whirling. What's Mary going to say? Oh God, she'll freak out! Should I send her an owl? No…I don't want to spoil her Christmas. She's just gonna be so devastated. How horrible…what an awful thing to hear when you get back to school.
James, meanwhile, was thinking as well. Well, I didn't like him all that much but hell! I didn't want him to disappear!...I'm sort of hungry…maybe Lily wants to go to Hogsmeade. He paused and inwardly groaned. I never know what she wants anymore.
They entered the portrait hole, which was completely empty. James brushed a hand against her arm and she turned to glance at him. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." She said flatly. "Why? It's not as if my boyfriend disappeared." She grinned and dropped onto the couch in front of the fire, which was blazing and casting a dim light across the room. "Sadly."
James frowned and settled himself beside her. "Erm…" he started, trailing off because he had no idea what to say. How did she always confuse him so much?
And then she realized what she had said. Boyfriend. But James wasn't her boyfriend, not anymore. "Uh… just kidding." She laughed nervously.
He gave her a funny look and his stomach grumbled. He remembered his hunger and asked her, "You want to go to Hogsmeade and get something to eat?"
Lily's expression implied that he was crazy. "Dumbledore may want to talk to us a little later. I'd rather like to stay and see what happens with Kelly….and any news about Daniel." She shook her head sadly. "That's such a shame. I can't imagine Mary's reaction and I don't think I want to see it."
He didn't look too happy about the fact that she wanted to stay at Hogwarts, but he attempted to give her a sympathetic smile.
She laughed. "Don't look so put out. I'm sure we can grab something to eat soon. Actually, they probably have breakfast out now." His expression remained unchanged. She sighed. "And I suppose we could go to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
He brightened with a grin and she patted his arm, as if he was her pet. Sometimes, he was. But she tried not to let him know that. "You're welcome James. I know how much sneaking out of the castle means to you." She grinned.
He remembered the first time he had gone to Hogsmeade with Lily, and Mary. That seemed so long ago. He blurted out, "A lot has happened this year."
She looked at him crossways. "Yeah, it's hard to believe. And we still have a ways to go."
"I suppose."
"What do you mean, you suppose?" she smiled at him, casually leaning against his arm.
He grunted. "I dunno. Life is pretty crazy now."
She pulled a shocked face. "What, rebellious James Potter has never had a more wild experience than this?"
He grunted again. "That's not what I meant."
Lily rested her head against his shoulder. "I was only kidding, I know how you used to be." She paused. "Why did you change?"
He didn't want to say 'you', so instead he replied, "I'm not sure. I guess I'm just more mature now."
She pulled back and burst into laughter. After a few moments, she wiped a tear from her eye and said, "If you say so. Let's go down to the Great Hall."
@~~~~~~~~~~@
That evening, there was no more news of Daniel, or Kelly. In fact, they hadn't seen Dumbledore at all since they had left his office. He had not been at any of the meals. Lily and James wondered what he had decided to do with Kelly and where she was as well, but sadly, they had no answers to any of those questions.
Although they had received a few funny looks, nobody had questioned them about why they were back. All of the seventh year Gryffindors had gone home; only a few younger students of their House were still at school.
So they sat in the same place as before, in the common room. The few second years who had been with them had left for bed an hour or so earlier and they were again alone, Lily leaning against James' shoulder as had become usual for them.
James broke the silence. "I guess it's Christmas Eve now."
"Yeah," she mumbled absently, "it must be past midnight already." She was obviously thinking hard about something, but what, he wasn't quite sure.
Alright, so his attempt to start a conversation had failed. He stared into the roaring flames in front of them and was just starting to feel rather sleepy when Lily stirred against him. "I think we should head up to bed."
James nodded and got up from the couch. Mumbling a soft goodnight, he started for the stairs.
"Oh, and James?" Lily called after him, causing him to turn around with a questioning expression. She took a few steps forward so that they were touching. Her lips grazed his, so lightly that it had barely happened at all. Lily pulled back and their eyes slipped away from each other; they silently went their separate ways, both confused for their own reasons.
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A/N: Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews!
Luna-Elentari- Thanks for reviewing for the first time. A new fan? I can't believe people actually tell me that they're fans of my stories, but it's very flattering! And I want them to be together too- it takes some self control on my part not to just go ahead and do it, lol.
Katzy- Haha- BUMS. That's great, thanks for making me laugh. I'm glad you like the story. Yes, Lily's mom is a Muggle. But she didn't want to set Lily up with a wizard because she didn't know any terribly well and she wants her daughter to marry someone prominent…
August 'roxy' Taylor- You're right. They are completely clueless. If Lily were more of a Valley Girl, she'd probably be perfect for the show. Lol, and I'm glad you find their clueless nature humorous; so do I.
Everblue3- No, you didn't read it differently; it was pretty different from what I usually write. As to you liking the usual type better, that's pretty much what I plan to keep writing for this story. I'm more familiar with it. The names part just seemed to fit, as far as subtle hinting of how Peter may be involved. And there was a small change in Lily, although I only half noticed that I was writing it that way. Lol, I usually only half notice most things I write. Anyway, you flattered me very much by saying I'm a fun author to read, thanks again.
Dief Kattlekop- Thanks, I will!
Lils- Lol, makes me happy that the last chapter came as a surprise to some people at least. As far as what will happen with Kelly since they brought her along, I'm still deciding ;) Thanks for reviewing!
Y. Kuang- Thanks for your…how shall I put this? ..encouraging review. Whether you realize it or not, every review of yours has been a big source of support to me and I really appreciate it. Sometimes you seem like you know more about what I'm doing than I do, lol. And telling me what can be improved upon is also very helpful. Some things are hard to notice while I'm writing, since I sometimes forget that although I know what's going on, whoever reads it may not. I'm much complimented by the fact that you find the story worth reviewing at all. =)
Jen-Jen- Lol, not stupid you. Quite a few people told me that they were surprised, and that in turn surprised me…I tend to be pretty obvious most of the time. Thanks for reviewing again!
Tomoyo Sakura- I feel honored that you put me on your favorites list, thanks so much!
Angelisa Snape- Lol, I should have known. You told me you were gonna start a story a long time ago…I still need to read that, of course. Sorry! I've just been really busy lately. Oh well, I will read it.
*Luna*- Thanks! Lol, we'll see about Daniel, shall we?
I Still Have No Life- You aren't the only one, believe me. Lol, I do like that penname though. Anyway, you were on the edge of your seat? Yes! Then I've succeeded in something! Haha, glad you called it. I'll take your word for it. Thank for reviewing.
Natalie- Lol, I'm very frightened. I know what you mean, I always forget what a story is about…and then I forget why I put it on my favorites. Usually I remember when I start reading again though. Even if you are annoying (J/K), I'm glad you're liking the story!
KAT- That's funny…how you were listening to music and it actually fit in with the story. I think you're the first person to do that! I know- you're so enthused. Anyway, thanks for your review!
PeRkieGuRL- Hello again! And to be quite honest with you, I don't remember either….which you probably don't remember why I'm saying that- so- let's just forget about it! Unnerving, eh? Haha, good. Hope you liked this chapter!
Oneiros lykos- Haha, James is a bit of a dumbass…or maybe more than a bit. I'm glad you spent that much time reading all 20 chapters though! Makes me feel special.
Mooky- Aw, I'm glad you liked this chapter and the Defiant Mask chapter too…Kelly a spy? Hmm…that's an idea ;) Thanks for yet another review!
Shorti- You know, you're probably right- about you needing to be demanding so that we'll actually write. So thanks for the encouragement!
Mistress del Mare- Another new person! Lol, I'm glad you know why they don't say Peter's name. And, of course, I'm glad you liked the chapter.
Clearbrook- Another grin-generating review. Hopefully the time will come when I do publish a book! Anyway, thanks for the support!
Lamina Court- Lol, well let's hope your dream never comes true. Or maybe it would be amusing. And about my sister- well, my cat is long-haired, and sometimes she looks like she needs a bit of a trim. Haha, so Sarah just missed. Audrey (that's the cat's name) was a little unbalanced for the next week or so. And today- my little sister (she's 5) was sitting in the back of the car. Sarah and I were in the front. She all of a sudden hands me a card she had written on; she's just learning how to write…I read it and it says Armoral (the car wipes). Then I look back and she's holding a thing of Armoral. Lol, we laughed for a long time. And when we were out for dinner, she called the mild sauce (Mex. food) "cold" sauce. Anyway, thanks for your review…they always make me laugh, but I'm pretty sure I've already told you that. Bastards…Lol. A good name for all those characters gone bad.
Piggylette- Haha, actually, I read over your last review, and you did predict it. And thanks for forgiving the late updates. About Lily's parents getting involved again…oh, I have plans for them. =)
Skiergirl87- Glad you like it ;)
EmeraldDream- 7 reviews! Thanks for the every few chapter reviews, helps me remember what I wrote back then, lol. Too bad there aren't lots of James to go around! I think we all deserve one. Haha, you predicted a couple of things right before they happened too. Anyway, I'm glad you like the story so far and I hope you continue to read!
gl-andrea- You read it all in one sitting? I'm impressed! And honored…I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks again.
Carolinus Took- Lol, I will. Thank you!
Abigail- I hope you do come back and finish…but in any case, thanks so much for reading and I'm glad you like it!
And, of course, a very special thanks to Nerdypurdy *grin*
Wow, that took awhile =) That's a good thing though…Dang, I'm out of advil, so I need to go lay down or something (strep throat). That's okay though- tomorrow- well- actually in 2 minutes (it's almost midnight here) I'll be 15! Yep, my birthday is on Mother's Day every 6 years (would be 7, if not for leap year)…Thanks for reading this chapter!
Coming up:
-- Return of Mary and the Marauders…and the rest of the school of course
-- Special appearance by Mrs. Evans herself (lol)
-- Dumbledore's decision on what to do with Kelly
Please review- it's a birthday present for me!
