Turn Right Turn Left.
Chapter 5: That evil glint in Sirius' eyes…
Disclaimer: Am not JK Rowling. You get the idea. If I was I would have been earning big bucks by now... This story is also adapted from the Taiwanese movie of the same name.
Summary:
This story is about two ill-fated young people, James and Lily, who are destined to be together, but unfortunately their paths never cross. James always turns left, while Lily turns right. Through some strange coincidence, they never meet, even though James is Head Boy while Lily is Head Girl, and have totally no idea who the other party is. They chance upon an encounter in Hogsmeade, and find that they have in fact, met before.
But when they part, they realise they have no means of contacting each other, and set out to find their soul mate.
Date posted: 6/11/2003
Revised: 28/7/2004
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So time passed by as winter deepened and the weeks started to blur together in a haze of pure white. The snow was thick on the ground and still falling heavily and the cutting winds that brought the snow stung any uncovered cheek and showed no signs of abating. The castle was coated with frost, icicles hanging from the towers, and snow collecting on the buildings.
Within the castle, a quiet hush had fallen. Many had chosen to return home for the holidays, and what meager students Hogwarts now held were not enough to cause much of a disturbance. Well, that was, excepting the Marauders. The corridors, with the absence of the usual lessons, suddenly seemed empty and cold. The House Elves, meanwhile, were having their work cut out for them, in keeping the remaining occupants warm and snug within the castle walls. The fires roared in the four common rooms, and the Great Hall had been installed with heaters. (when I was first writing this I wrote freezers!! Hahaha!)
In one of the rooms, specifically, the Gryffindor common room, the absence of students did nothing to make the place seem less welcoming. The roaring fires in the hearth cast a glowing shadow over the whole room, making it appear more vividly red than usual, and the cheerful banter of the students made the room seem smaller and cozy.
And it was here, at the corner of the room nearest the fireplace, that we found the Marauders and two other friends.
Sirius leant over to peer out of the window, happily surveying the grounds below him. "I'm sure that snow hill over there is steep enough to go sledging," he said enthusiastically as he glanced back at his friends.
James nodded nonchalantly. "Sure, if you want to go sledging and break your neck."
"Aww, come on Prongs! Come on! It looks so inviting!" Sirius insisted.
James shrugged. "Well, your loss of life, not mine..." and he promptly turned back to his game of wizards chess with Remus.
"Haha! Checkmate Moony! Come on, pay up!" James crowed as he moved his knight into striking position of Remus' queen.
Remus glared comically at James as he dug a hand into his pocket and drew out 5 galleons. "Prongs, this is only a one-off chance!"
"Yea... Right!" James said airily and waved a hand haughtily in the air. "I could beat you anytime I wanted to!"
"Is anyone even listening to me?" Sirius sulked.
"NO!" Replied three voices, namely those of James, Remus and Peter.
Sirius pouted for a moment, then cheered up visibly as he turned to his left. "Hey Bella!" He said cheerfully! "Do you want to go down?"
A girl looked up at him and grinned. "I think I'll pass this time."
"Aww, come on Bella! You know you adore me! Besides, its fun!" Sirius said happily as he fell back into the couch, his head resting on her lap.
"Fun?" James said sarcastically. "As in, that time I nearly drowned cause you pushed me onto the Great Lake after deciding all of us were to go ice-skating with you and we found out that the ice wasn't quite thick enough?"
"Or, maybe it was fun the time I got covered in a snowdrift after one of your fantastic snowball fights that it took hours four you guys to find me?" Peter asked.
"It's not my fault that you're so short Pete!" Retorted Sirius good-naturedly.
"Yes," Remus said cheekily, joining in on the Sirius-attack. "I suppose it was fun too when you convinced us to go caroling outside, and it was so off-tune that we got bombarded by the castle?"
"Hey! What is it! The-attack-the-dog-day?" Sirius yelped indignantly.
"Dog?" Jill asked him, looking questioningly at Bella, who shrugged.
"Dog?" Remus said awkwardly. "He meant god. Heh heh. Isn't that right guys?" He said and glanced over at them.
James and Peter nodded, looking so guilty that their faces just plainly shouted "Liar! Liar!"
"Sirius…?" Bella asked.
"Mmm?" Sirius mumbled sleepily.
-----
Arabella Figg sighed as she looked down at her boyfriend with a small tender smile. It had been two weeks since they had started the relationship, and yet, it was still going strong, a surprising feat for Sirius, and everyday to them seemed like bliss. As long as they were together, nothing could go wrong. She grasped his hand, and he squeezed it for a moment before opening a cheeky eye to look at her. Then, he fell back to sleep. Then, she looked around. The Gryffindor common room still awed her, even after her numerous visits here. She was from Ravenclaw, and even though she loved her common room to bits, this was a simply different experience. At Ravenclaw, there was much less coziness and much more order, and the place was too quiet for her liking. She then turned to survey the people around her. It seemed that just a while ago that they had been total strangers, with her knowing them only as Sirius' pesky friends, and them knowing her as the girl Sirius likes. But, that had all changed. They were now dear friends, though the short time they had spent together so far meant that she didn't get to know them all that well.
Peter laughed. "Oh, honestly! That guy is simply fantastic! He appears to be on a sugar high one moment, and then the next he can sleep even while standing."
The others laughed along with him. "Well, that's Sirius for you..." And the moment of awkwardness was gone as fast as it had came, leaving the six friends to enjoy each other's company.
-----
Lily shivered slightly and held her cloak tighter to her. She was perched on her rooftop, a shelter specially constructed blocked out the most chilling of winds, yet the cold still got through to her bones. The decision to stay at Hogwarts was a last minute choice, and she stared miserably out towards the horizon.
"Why didn't Pet let me attend her wedding?" She asked herself sadly. The wind snatched her words away even before the were fully formed, and blew them away.
The memories were still painful for her. Earlier that morning, she had received two letters. One by her mother, and the other by her sister. The latter told her in rather rude terms that Lily was not to be allowed to attend her wedding, and the former had been very apologetic.
Dearest Lily,
Petunia has told me that you will be engaged during the first week of your holidays. (It is good that you two sisters still keep ion such close contact isn't it!) And I'm terribly sorry that you can't attend your sister's wedding. She's marrying a Vernon Dursley. Not what I would have thought of at first, but it is her choice... But, I guess, duty calls first huh?
And seeing that you'll be spending X'mas away from home, (your first time too! I really am going to miss you! It isn't so enjoyable when you're not here. You know your sis isn't very enthusiastic about these things.) well, here's some money to buy your presents in that lovely wizarding village you mentioned to me last last summer.
Miss you loads!
Mum.
Looking at the money, she had a strange urge to hurl the lot into the wind, along with her worries, and let them be blown away.
She sighed slowly. 'If I have to get my presents, I might as well get them now. There's no point in dragging. I could get a nice present for Mum and Pet too...' and climbed off her roof into the comfort of her bedroom.
Donning a coat of midnight blue splashed with silver, she set off down the well-worn path to Hogsmead, each step lightening with the thought of Christmas.
-----
At that same moment, another group of people were making their way up the same path, chattering merrily with each other.
James trudged up the path with his friends, and upon reaching Hogsmeade, immediately announced their departure to Zonkos and Quality Quidditch Supplies. Agreeing to meet back at the Three Broomsticks later that day, the group parted, with the Marauders going one way, and Bella and her friend going the other.
"Typical Marauders huh!" Her friend, a girl of mixed heritage said. "They bring us to Hogwarts and then abandon us!"
Bella laughed at her friends comical expression. "Oh Jill! You know that they would go on about pranks and stuff..."
Jill laughed along with her friend, "I suppose! Now, lets go! Christmas shopping!"
And they walked along easily down the street.
"Since this is Christmas, it is a time of giving, and sharing!" Bella declared, as she slung her hand over Jill's shoulders.
"I would like to thank you for being such a good friend," Jill interrupted playfully.
"-Yea. Though we didn't exactly start off like that huh?"
Jill nodded. "Oh, I can remember THAT!"
Bella cut in, "-well, it wasn't my fault you were being childish!"
"Nor mine!" Jill said, and they laughed again. "Remember how we met?"
(from now on I won't say who says what, so every new speech sentence is a different person. like Jill, Bella, Jill, Bella.)
"Of, course, how could I forgot. It was six years ago-"
"-during our second year. It was Christmas as well-"
"-and, we were sitting at opposite ends of the table when you took my parchment-"
"I retaliated by throwing my quill at you, and we started-"
"-an all out yelling war. In fact, I still remember the exact words-"
"Me too."
--Flashy backy!--
"Why are you so self-centered? You think the whole world revolves around you, Figg?" A red-faced Jill bellowed across the table. People were looking around in interest to watch the scene.
"Well, who was the one that took my parchment?" Bella spat out furiously. "I was clearly writing on it! Now look what you've done!" A parchment lay a few feet away, a long black stain down the front of the parchment.
"You can clean it up! It's a simple spell! Or are you too stupid to perform it?" Jill said nastily.
Around them, people were discussing whose side to take, for these two girls were already emerging as being popular even with the older seventh years.
"I think Jill... Heard she went out with Jake. But Bella's got Black."
The two girls face turned redder and redder.
"I KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!" They yelled at the same time. "YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS! DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW! YOU WANT TO BE THE MOST POPULAR ONE HERE ISN'T IT?" They bellowed, still in synchronization. "WELL, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING! YOU CAN HAVE IT! TAKE EVERYTHING! FOR GOODNESS SAKE! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS! ALL THIS STUPID FUSS ABOUT BEING POPULAR. YOU THINK I LIKE IT? WELL, I DON'T!"
And then, after a few minutes of non-stop shouting, they both ran out of breath and just stared angrily at each other over the table. Then, suddenly, both seemed to realise what had happened, and they started to laugh hysterically.
"What're you laughing at?" They asked each other at the same time through tears of laughter.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced yet," Jill said, sticking out her hand. "I'm Jill Sakura Anastasia Sanders. And you are...?"
Bella shook the hand. "Arabella (she made a face) Melanie Figg. I've a feeling we're gonna get along just fine." And she grinned goofily at the girl opposite her.
--End of flashy--
And they had stayed through to each other, their friendship eventually blossoming into the sort of sisterhood that both shared.
Too absorbed in their thoughts, they had not noticed where they were walking to, and subsequently, a painful crash brought them back to their senses. They were sprawled on the floor, the cold seeping into their behinds. It was then that they noticed the girl opposite them, who was looking rather dazed.
"Oh I'm sorry," the girl quickly said as she looked at them nervously. "I really didn't see where I was going." She got up quickly and bent down to help them to their feet.
Bella looked up into emerald eyes. 'Who is she? I should have seen her around before."
"I guess I'd best be going now..." the girl said and hastened to turn around.
"No wait!" Jill said, "why don't you join us for the day. I assume you're doing some shopping too?"
The girl shuffled her feet nervously, but met their gaze with a shy smile. "If it's all right with you all..."
"Of course it's fine with us!" Bella exclaimed. "Come with us! It's lonely shopping alone in Hogsmeade!"
"Jill and Bella, you?"
"Lily."
Two hours later, the three emerged from Gladrags Wizard Wear, laden down with various packages. The trio were talking and laughing as though they had known each other for most of their lives.
"Lily, we're going to Three Broomsticks to meet up with our friends? Do you wanna come too? I'm sure they wouldn't mind..." Bella said quickly, spotting the look of apprehension on Lily's face.
"Umm, no thanks... It's getting late, and I have to get back to the castle..." Lily said politely. "But, thanks for the shopping trip." She smiled with a far-off look, and her emerald eyes shined with happiness. "Goodbye, Bella, Jill. It was lovely meeting you."
"Bye Lily," they chorused.
Then, they turned and walked to the meeting place.
"What puzzles me is that we've never met her before in our seven years here," Bella said. "I mean, she's such a nice person, and she is beautiful. She ought to be fairly well-known. But no... But what strikes me is that she isn't at all stuck up. And she seems embarrassed at the attention, you know, like she isn't used to having company," Bella mused.
Jill nodded thoughtfully beside her. Then she shrugged. "Oh well, I suppose we'll bang into her another time. If we're to get to the Three Broomsticks on time to meet them, we've got to stop dallying."
-----
As Lily turned to walk up the path back to school, she felt a small glow of happiness build up in the pits of her stomach, and a small smile touched her face.
'Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to stay over Christmas...' she thought to herself as she recounted the days events. They had practically gone into most of the shops in Hogsmeade, and, for once, Lily had actually enjoyed the prospect of 'girl' shopping.
'For once, just this once, I actually felt... liked.' The thought sounded foreign in Lily's brain, for it had been a very long time since she had had real friends.
'Grandma, did you see that?' Humming happily to herself, she walked down the well beaten path, her steps lighter than it had been for a long time.
And, as she passed Quality Quidditch Supplies, she was too absorbed in her own happy thoughts that she didn't notice the three people who had come out.
-----
"Oh man!" James said, as the four stopped outside the shop, discussing what they had seen. A small figure wrapped in a cloak walked hurriedly pass, undoubtedly one of the Hogsmeade locals hurrying home for dinner. (It was Lily. Oh, blind James) "Did you see that new SwiftStar model? It looked damn good, and its functions surpass even those of the Nimbus series," James said excitedly, a fire dancing in his eyes as he talked.
Sirius looked up from his conversation with James, and a small frown of concentration creased his face as he watched the person walking down the street. He was quite sure that the person was a her, from the slight build, and that he had met her previously, but he couldn't place a finger on her identity.
"Padfoot... Padfoot?" James asked, looking at him in puzzlement. "Oh, well, I shouldn't ask. Come on, we're gonna be late."
They finally trampled wearily into the Three Broomsticks, gratefully shaking the snow out of their cloaks and warming their hands in front of the fireplace before making their way to the table where the Sirius and Remus were seated, talking with light, carefree faces, and laughing over something, while James and Peter were at the bar, chatting to Madam Rosmerta, the bartender.
Sirius threw back his head and laughed, catching Bella's eye.
"Bella! Hey Jill!" Sirius greeted enthusiastically. "Shove away Moony, give the pretty ladies space to sit."
Remus rolled his eyes, but moved over all the same. "And what am I? Dog poo?" He asked jokingly.
"Err. Yea, kind of," Sirius muttered distractedly as he flashed a silly grin at Bella.
Sirius scooted over the chair to sit beside Bella, and Jill smiled at them.
"Hey Sirius."
James and Peter made their way over, carrying gigantic tankards of butterbeer and other snacks.
"Hey Bella, Jill," they greeted and plunked themselves and the drinks down into the booth.
"So what have you guys been doing? We went to stock up on our prank supply... We've been running short for ages," Sirius said as he pointed to ten bulging bags beside their table. "And we went to Quality Quidditch Supplies to get that new edition of Flying Through the Ages..."
"Us, nothing much, same stuff. We went shopping. Say, do you guys know any red-heads in Hogwarts?" Jill asked in interest.
"That depends... Real red-heads, or fake ones?" Peter asked jokingly, taking a sip from his tankard.
Bella raised at eyebrow at him and laughed. "It doesn't matter. Maybe about from fourth year and up?"
"Hmmm," Peter said thoughtfully, setting his tankard down and scratching his nose with a finger. "There's Elsie Knight, Wendy Kissner and Jade Xu from Fourth Year..." and he went on listing. "... And that's about it."
"Are you sure?" Bella asked.
"Quite, unless there's anymore that we haven't dated," Peter replied with a grin.
-----
And like that, weeks passed, and students gradually returned to Hogwarts fresh for the new term, and winter slowly went away as Spring came and the grounds started to awaken. A hint of chill still hung in the air, but it made Hogwarts coolly comfortable and the flowers started to push through the soil.
And as the weeks passed, life resumed and started to fall into the same hectic schedules as teachers started to be frantic, for the OWLs and NEWTS were but mere months away.
Soon, the memory of that week in winter when Bella and Jill had met Lily in Hogsmeade started to fade away again, though it did not completely disappear.
-----
And, for them, life was still looking up. For Bella, things could not have been better, for she was still with Sirius and their relationship seemed to be blossoming and getting stronger everyday. The first few days of the new term, she had been greeted with sugary-sweet smiles that congratulated her, but, those smiles turned to scowls of jealously the moment her back was turned. However, they had not been very perturbed, after all, they thought she wasn't bound to last. Then, weeks later, it was still Sirius and Bella, and the glares became obvious, as whispers were blatantly given under breaths whenever she passed. But, still here they were.
Bella sighed happily as she leant against Sirius. They had been watching the spectacular sunset over the Hogwarts ground.
"I have never realised Hogwarts could be so beautiful at sunset," she murmured.
"It's even more so when you're here," Sirius said quietly as he looked out towards the great lake.
Bella looked up at him, and smiled. "You're a bloody smooth talker, that's what you are, you great big prat, but I still like you all the same."
Sirius laughed and put his arms around her shoulders. "It's cold, and it's getting dark, let's go in."
-----
The past few months for Lily had been the usual. As homework started to build up, she became increasing alone, as she built up the barriers around her and concentrated on her schoolwork. The encounter in Hogsmeade was now stored in a dusty corner of her mind. She had spent many sleepless nights after that wondering if it was just for fun, or if they had really liked her. Soon after, she had abandoned those thoughts, instead choosing to think on the bright side that at least she had the precious few memories to remind her of Hogwarts. And, still, the C-globe lay, dusty and unused.
Life for her had again slipped into obscurity, a monotone of attending lessons and going unnoticed by the whole Hogwarts population.
The next morning, Lily exited her rooms, her head buried in a schoolbook and turned right, taking the familiar path down to the Hogwarts ground.
-----
James stepped out of the portrait hole, his hair still wet from his morning shower, but still standing up messily. It was a Saturday, and they were free to do whatever they wanted. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his pants and set of down the left to find his friends.
"Padfoot! Euggh! You're making me sick!" James complained loudly as he watched Sirius whisper into Bella's ears.
Sirius snorted loudly. "James don't be rude!" And he grinned widely at James.
James made a gagging face. "Well, Bella since you're here, you might as well sit," he said, indicating to a free seat at the Gryffindor table.
"Err, no thanks James. Jill and I are going to the Ravenclaw table soon. Our friends complain that we don't spend enough time with them," Bella said.
Remus grinned. "Wonder why, eh?"
"But, according to them, we're damn lucky to sit with the Maruaders. James, did you know that Lindsey thinks you're hot?" Bella asked cheekily, her eyes twinkling.
James rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on James. It's time you had some fun. If I'm not wrong, you haven't dated ever when you were in Hogwarts. And there's so many girls queuing up for you. Just go and chose one!" Sirius said lightly. "The world's a much beautiful place when you have someone to share it with." And he flashed a lopsided grin with Bella.
"Come on Padfoot, that's absurd. Go bug Moony, or Wormtail. I don't see them having girlfriends," James retorted.
"Ahh," Sirius said importantly. "They may not have girlfriends, but you see, it's a totally different matter."
"And how so?"
"Petey," he said, indicating to Peter who was across the room chatting up a Hufflepuff, "lives life on the fast lane. He doesn't even stick to one, and that's how he likes it. He can chose his own anytime he wants, and he knows how to have fun. And Remmy here," he said, slapping Remus on the back, causing his face to fall flat onto his plate, "is already tied up with someone... well, give him time and he'll be allowed to tie it up."
This got James attention. "Who?"
"I'm sorry, I must be losing my hearing can you speak a little louder into my good ear please. 'Who' doesn't matter. But, it's you now having liking a single girl that matters. Just chose one Prongs," Sirius said and waved a fork around in the air.
"No," James replied flatly.
"No?"
"No."
"What if I pay you?"
"No."
Sirius sighed loudly. "Oh well, I suppose drastic times call for drastic measures."
He looked at James with a glint in his eye, a glint that James recognised all too well, and this glint told James that Sirius was planning something, something that would have a disastrous outcome for him.
"Oh no, Sirius, what are you doing? This is going to be bad," James groaned.
"Oh, it won't be bad!" Sirius said airily.
"Oh yea?" James asked dryly. "That glint in your eye tells me otherwise. Everytime you have that glint, something goes wrong. That glint had been there when you tried to tame me hair, but instead ended up with me growing massive amounts of leg hair, and that glint had been there too when we tried to play with the Giant Squid and almost ended up getting the four of us eaten up and it was there too when-"
"OK, OK! I get your point! It isn't always that bad. I remember I came up with a extremely good prank when I had that glint once," Sirius said.
"Yea, unfortunately, McGonagall was the first to walk into the prank," Remus said informatively. "Remember what happened next? She lost her mind, and instead of gi-"
"-ving out detentions, she started cursing us and we all landed up in the Hospital wing with our hand joined to the place our nose should have been and our eyes transfigured onto out behind," Sirius completed. "Ok! So, that wasn't good either. But who cares, James relax! This time nothing's gonna happen to you."
"Oh, yea, I think this will leave me with a profoundly disturbing memory. Err... thanks for thinking of me Sirius, but I'll skip," James said hurriedly and tried to get up.
"Oh, nonsense," Sirius replied airily. "You'll thank me after this is over. Oi! Cindy! Over here!" He bellowed.
A horrified look crossed James expression. "Her? NOT HER! PLEASE NOT HER! I am not going out with a freaking OIL RIG! Beside I don't even like her! Sirius... Ahhh! Sirius! NOOO!!" He shot a look at the girl nearing their table, and immediately ripped Sirius' restraining hand from his shoulder, and tore out of the Great Hall.
"Hmm," Sirius asked, looking at them. "Was it something I said? Oh, hey Cindy. What you doing here?... Did I call you?... Well then, I don't remember doing so... I must be getting old. Well, bye!" He said, and quickly exited the Great Hall.
James quickly ran down the stairs to the Hogwarts grounds, checking over his shoulder every once in a while to see if anyone was in pursuit.
"Damn that Sirius!" He muttered to himself.
Grumbling angrily, he let his feet carry him away from the castle, not noticing where he was headed for.
-----
Lily was on the sprawling grounds. For some reason, the book didn't appeal to her that much on that Saturday morning. All around, signs of spring could be seen, as gren started to poke up from under the last traces of snow. Friends sat around the large oaks together, happily talking, and even the bright sunlight seemed to be mocking her as a cloud passed momentarily by, shrouding only herself in shadows. It seemed to tell ehr that she was alone. She felt listless, and wandered around the school grounds for a while. Soon, she found her feet carrying her down a beaten track, oblivious to the person striding down the road in front of her.
End of Chapter Five.
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