Chapter 3
Lily awoke before the rest that morning and was surprised to see that she was not in her bed but rather next to the lake. She quickly conjured up a blanket and spread it over Claire and Dylan, who were still soundly sleeping. She walked toward the lake and stared across it as the sun rose over the horizon. She fell into a trance and began to let her mind wander. Lily often did this as a way to escape the shackles of her world. Lily was someone who often felt confined to the rules. Her mind was in constant pursuit of freedom. And it seemed that sitting next to the lake just thinking gave her peace of mind. She was able to let go, forget the school work, forget her loneliness. Lily sat back and looked into the sun her face warming in its glow. She remembered Claire when they were only 11, Dylan when she was 13. Lily smiled to herself at the fond memories of the two little girls. She turned her glance and looked down at them and was surprised to see that they had grown up. It was as if the years had passed by so fast that they seemed to be children just hours ago. But Claire and Dylan had become women before Lily's eyes and were now throwing off their youth ready to embrace the future. They walked bravely into the world, while Lily tried to catch up on her shaky legs. She desperately needed help but Lily didn't want to hold down her friends and she had a sense that maybe this was a problem that maybe her friends just couldn't fix.
"Mmm, good morning Lil," Claire said snapping Lily out of her thoughts.
"Morning," Lily said and turned towards Claire.
"Is anything wrong?" Claire asked noticing the faraway look in her eyes and the tearstains on her checks.
"Uh, no I was just thinking about the future."
"It's kind of scary," said Claire.
"I know, I have no idea how I'm going to hold myself together once we leave," Lily said her voice easily conveying some of her fear.
"I think we'll just have to fall apart a little bit so that we have just enough space to regrow," Claire said wisely.
"Aww you kids will be fine," Dylan said groggily as she rolled over. "You two don't need to worry."
"Do not live in the past, or the future, only the present is yours," Claire told Lily looking into her sparkling green eyes, disregarding her fears.
"Look it's not a big deal ok? I was just thinking, besides I'm hungry lets go eat," Lily said as she stood and brushed her curls out of her face and hastily turned towards Hogwarts.
"Hey James, who are you taking to the Halloween Ball?" Sirius asked during their game of chess.
All three Marauders were lounging in the head common room. It was Saturday and they though they all had homework all three minus Remus were known for their procrastination, but it seemed that James and Sirius had rubbed of on Moony. For here he sat in the red and gold common room (It was enchanted to be the colors of whatever house the head was from) talking to his best friends.
"Umm, I don't know. Probably no one, you know flying single," James not letting on to what he really desired, he would of course want to take Lily but they were just becoming friends he didn't want to ruin whatever they had. "What about you?
"Well I was thinking of asking Claire," Sirius replied.
"Really! I didn't know that you liked her."
Sirius shrugged, "She's just cool. It's not like I'm in love with her or anything. Besides it's just a stupid ball." What he forgot to mention was that he hadn't asked Claire yet.
"Who are you going with Moony?" James asked hoping he wasn't going to be the only one single.
"I don't think anyone," Remus said.
"Ahh, you're just to chicken to ask anyone," Sirius said with a smirk.
"Who would I ask?" Remus said logically.
"Hmm, I don't know Dylan," Sirius said sarcastically.
"Me and Dylan are just friends. Besides we are almost opposites," Remus said hoping no one would question him further. Truth be told he did like Dylan. They were total opposites but that was why he liked her. She made him surer of himself; he talked more around her. He felt like he was coming out of a cage that he had been trapped in for so long. Finally a girl that he thought maybe he could eventually tell his secret to. And hey, maybe she liked him. They'd just have to wait until Halloween.
Lily, Claire, and Dylan were in Charms which as everyone knew was the prefect class for a conversation.
"Hey Claire the ball is next week who do want to go with?" Lily said as she charmed her cat to walk on two legs.
"No one, I guess I'll go with whoever asks me," Claire said though she knew no one would ask her. They never did. Boys liked Lily and Dylan. Lily was beautiful and feminine and Dylan was spunky and charming. Claire was neither; she was quiet and unusual. "What about you Dylan?"
"Well to be honest I was thinking about asking Remus," Dylan nonchalantly answered as if it was nothing.
"Really? But you two seem to be opposites, he's so quiet," Lily said surprised; it was a major landmark to go to a ball with a Marauder even if he was Remus.
"Yea, but you know what they say opposites attract."
"What about you Lil?" Claire said looking up from her dog who was talking to her.
"Umm, I think I'll be going solo," she said as James walked by.
He looked at her and locked eyes. Lily just smiled a little. She did not want to go out with him, nor even just to the ball. She could be friends with James but only friends. She refused to like him. Though she knew he was not a selfless minded prick anymore, Lily believed that she deserved better.
James looked into Lily's blinding green eyes. He could gaze into them for the rest of his life and never look away. But there was not even the slightest chance that Lily would let him. Although was that a smile she just gave him. James turned to look around, and saw no one there. Yes, she had smiled at him. James walked back toward Sirius and Remus a little more confident then before.
Lily went to sleep that night a little faster knowing were she stood with James. It was as though her fears had passed away. She trusted herself to not give in. She trusted herself to know what was right from what was wrong and James was wrong.
Lily awoke before the rest that morning and was surprised to see that she was not in her bed but rather next to the lake. She quickly conjured up a blanket and spread it over Claire and Dylan, who were still soundly sleeping. She walked toward the lake and stared across it as the sun rose over the horizon. She fell into a trance and began to let her mind wander. Lily often did this as a way to escape the shackles of her world. Lily was someone who often felt confined to the rules. Her mind was in constant pursuit of freedom. And it seemed that sitting next to the lake just thinking gave her peace of mind. She was able to let go, forget the school work, forget her loneliness. Lily sat back and looked into the sun her face warming in its glow. She remembered Claire when they were only 11, Dylan when she was 13. Lily smiled to herself at the fond memories of the two little girls. She turned her glance and looked down at them and was surprised to see that they had grown up. It was as if the years had passed by so fast that they seemed to be children just hours ago. But Claire and Dylan had become women before Lily's eyes and were now throwing off their youth ready to embrace the future. They walked bravely into the world, while Lily tried to catch up on her shaky legs. She desperately needed help but Lily didn't want to hold down her friends and she had a sense that maybe this was a problem that maybe her friends just couldn't fix.
"Mmm, good morning Lil," Claire said snapping Lily out of her thoughts.
"Morning," Lily said and turned towards Claire.
"Is anything wrong?" Claire asked noticing the faraway look in her eyes and the tearstains on her checks.
"Uh, no I was just thinking about the future."
"It's kind of scary," said Claire.
"I know, I have no idea how I'm going to hold myself together once we leave," Lily said her voice easily conveying some of her fear.
"I think we'll just have to fall apart a little bit so that we have just enough space to regrow," Claire said wisely.
"Aww you kids will be fine," Dylan said groggily as she rolled over. "You two don't need to worry."
"Do not live in the past, or the future, only the present is yours," Claire told Lily looking into her sparkling green eyes, disregarding her fears.
"Look it's not a big deal ok? I was just thinking, besides I'm hungry lets go eat," Lily said as she stood and brushed her curls out of her face and hastily turned towards Hogwarts.
"Hey James, who are you taking to the Halloween Ball?" Sirius asked during their game of chess.
All three Marauders were lounging in the head common room. It was Saturday and they though they all had homework all three minus Remus were known for their procrastination, but it seemed that James and Sirius had rubbed of on Moony. For here he sat in the red and gold common room (It was enchanted to be the colors of whatever house the head was from) talking to his best friends.
"Umm, I don't know. Probably no one, you know flying single," James not letting on to what he really desired, he would of course want to take Lily but they were just becoming friends he didn't want to ruin whatever they had. "What about you?
"Well I was thinking of asking Claire," Sirius replied.
"Really! I didn't know that you liked her."
Sirius shrugged, "She's just cool. It's not like I'm in love with her or anything. Besides it's just a stupid ball." What he forgot to mention was that he hadn't asked Claire yet.
"Who are you going with Moony?" James asked hoping he wasn't going to be the only one single.
"I don't think anyone," Remus said.
"Ahh, you're just to chicken to ask anyone," Sirius said with a smirk.
"Who would I ask?" Remus said logically.
"Hmm, I don't know Dylan," Sirius said sarcastically.
"Me and Dylan are just friends. Besides we are almost opposites," Remus said hoping no one would question him further. Truth be told he did like Dylan. They were total opposites but that was why he liked her. She made him surer of himself; he talked more around her. He felt like he was coming out of a cage that he had been trapped in for so long. Finally a girl that he thought maybe he could eventually tell his secret to. And hey, maybe she liked him. They'd just have to wait until Halloween.
Lily, Claire, and Dylan were in Charms which as everyone knew was the prefect class for a conversation.
"Hey Claire the ball is next week who do want to go with?" Lily said as she charmed her cat to walk on two legs.
"No one, I guess I'll go with whoever asks me," Claire said though she knew no one would ask her. They never did. Boys liked Lily and Dylan. Lily was beautiful and feminine and Dylan was spunky and charming. Claire was neither; she was quiet and unusual. "What about you Dylan?"
"Well to be honest I was thinking about asking Remus," Dylan nonchalantly answered as if it was nothing.
"Really? But you two seem to be opposites, he's so quiet," Lily said surprised; it was a major landmark to go to a ball with a Marauder even if he was Remus.
"Yea, but you know what they say opposites attract."
"What about you Lil?" Claire said looking up from her dog who was talking to her.
"Umm, I think I'll be going solo," she said as James walked by.
He looked at her and locked eyes. Lily just smiled a little. She did not want to go out with him, nor even just to the ball. She could be friends with James but only friends. She refused to like him. Though she knew he was not a selfless minded prick anymore, Lily believed that she deserved better.
James looked into Lily's blinding green eyes. He could gaze into them for the rest of his life and never look away. But there was not even the slightest chance that Lily would let him. Although was that a smile she just gave him. James turned to look around, and saw no one there. Yes, she had smiled at him. James walked back toward Sirius and Remus a little more confident then before.
Lily went to sleep that night a little faster knowing were she stood with James. It was as though her fears had passed away. She trusted herself to not give in. She trusted herself to know what was right from what was wrong and James was wrong.