Author's Note: Hello people, I'm giving you guys this chapter so that you
won't freak out at me because of Cliffhangers and such. though you might
think this has a cliffhanger as well. *sighs* I hope you like this chapter,
it's probably my longest by far. Here are the thank yous:
Captain Oblivious- I managed to talk to Teegs, my plot bunny guru and straighten out what I sent you that email about, the exact wording of things is in this chapter. or at least that first part, but if you have any good ideas I'll be happy to hear them. I hope you like it.
Cassie- Don't worry about the not reviewing. You don't sound unsupportive; I'm just amused by your loathing of Catherine and I'm sorry to say she won't be going away for a while. Don't worry about long reviews either, the longer the better! You'll see how Lily gets found soon enough.
Black-cat-on-the-wall- I'm glad you love my story; I hope that you like this chapter.
I o u a name- Heh, I update as soon as I can. You're just all lucky I've felt like typing and I was sick today. I hope the suspense in this one is enough to live with for a while.
Manny2003- I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, I'm waiting for a few more reviews before I post. I'm glad you love it and think it's great. Thanks much for the review!
Celine- Long time no see! I hope you had a great holiday! And I'm really glad my story stuck out enough for you to come back and see how it's been going since you were away from the Internet. And I promise to let everyone know if I've been struck with major writers block or something and stop writing so don't worry.
JCtigerwolf4e- I'm sorry about the shortness, I wanted to get this entire chapter in one shot so people wouldn't kill me! I hope you like this one as well.
EbonyQuill- I'm getting them out as quick as I can. But I'm thrilled you like the chapter and I hope that you like this one as well.
Mademoiselle Morte- Well here's the next installment! Thanks for your review.
Zebragurl (Faithful Reader) ^_^ - All I can say about them getting together is that there will be a wedding and a baby Harry eventually, but I still haven't written them getting together and I need some things to happen before that time. I modeled Lily's birthday after mine, which is August 19th, and it's only the beginning of July or end of June. I think. I'm glad you'll read the death chapter!
Marie49- Sadly I cannot make Peter sleep forever, though I do make him sleep a lot because I don't like him at all and I don't like writing him. I will try to read your story but I might not have time to do so soon because I have a lot of homework, but I will try.
PinayAko- Really? What story was it? I read so many stories way back that I can't keep em all straight. Thank you for the review though!
Laina3- I'm sorry for keeping you guys all waiting, I would have updated this weekend but I had a lot of homework and FFN was being a butt. But here it is, I hope you like it.
Chapter Thirty Five: Intriguing Tales and Ruthless Men
Lily watched Sirius and Tom exchange words half expecting Tom to point to their table and was greatly relieved when Sirius headed for Diagon Alley instead. She sighed and turned back to Catherine asking, "Where was I?"
"You had been taken under Arabella Figg's wing," Catherine muttered eyeing where Sirius had disappeared into Diagon Alley.
"Oh yes. So after Dumbledore came and talked to me I felt as if my staying would be of some sort of danger or bother to her and so I left when she was sleeping. I was sitting in Muggle London later that morning and a rude man threw a newspaper at me and I found a want ad in it for a housekeeper and went to the address and was hired," Lily explained and was about to continue when a shadow fell over their table. She looked up thinking that Sirius had found her but she was rather surprised at who was standing there.
"Well, well, well Catherine, I never thought you would fraternize with a muggleborn," said the cold voice as he looked disapprovingly down his hooked nose at the brunette girl.
"Severus Snape, what a pleasant surprise," Catherine said with a scowl as she unconsciously grasped the hand of her wand in a tighter grip.
"Yes I imagine it is. What are you doing with her?" Snape asked looking at Lily with a glance wrought with antipathy.
"We're having a conversation if you couldn't tell. And if you also couldn't tell you're not invited," Lily said in a bored voice and sipped her butterbeer nonchalantly.
"Oh harsh words Evans, but I'd truly like to know how you sucked Catherine Mcgeogehegan into your presence," Snape said airily and felt odd speaking to Lily at all like it wasn't something he should or would do. He also wondered where Potter was as he surely wouldn't have strayed far from her on purpose.
"For a bit of intelligent conversation Severus, now go away you're spoiling it," Catherine said lightly and winked at Lily behind a wave of her dark hair that had fallen across her face.
Lily smiled humorously at Catherine and felt an odd sense of companionship with her. "Yes, please do disappear, you ruin the air in the place," Lily said and waved her hand dismissively at Snape.
"I don't think I will. I feel like crashing the party," Snape said and pulled a chair up from and empty table. "Do tell me where Potter has gotten to? I mean he would want his dog to stray too far away," Snape said viciously and was about to seat himself when he found that Lily was now handing beside him and the hood of her cloak had fallen back to reveal her stunning red hair and furious green eyes.
"What did you call me?" Lily asked her temper rising quickly and her blood boiling within her veins.
"A dog, a filthy little mudblood dog," said a voice behind Snape and Lily stood rooted to her spot staring at the pale faced, white blond haired Lucius Malfoy whose pale, almost silver eyes were glinting with a combination of mirth and haughtiness.
Lily pushed Snape aside and walked up to Malfoy and stared directly into his eyes. "You don't scare me Blondie and neither does Snivels over there. You're both just pathetic fools with nothing better to do then torture people who you feel deserve it. It's rather sad actually, trying to gain respect and power when you barely had any to begin with and that only came from your name. Good luck by the way with the narcissist, if you can get her to get her nose out of that mirror that is, she truly suits you," Lily said and pushed past Malfoy laxly.
"Never insult my wife you filth," Malfoy said and turned on Lily with his wand drawn and made to jinx her saying, "Tarantallegra!" but Lily spun her wand in her hand saying, "Protego!" and the curse rebounded upon Malfoy whose legs began jumping about and some of the silent spectators of the show laughed.
Snape whispered, "Finite Incantatum," and Malfoy was still, but looking furious.
"You can't scare me, so don't even try. You're pathetic and the only thing I feel toward you Malfoy is pity. So go home to your wife and have a drink," Lily said and received a mattering of applause before turning and plowing straight into James.
James and Frank had been wandering the muggle streets for hours and Frank was getting tired. "The Leaky Cauldron's just around the corner, let's stop for a drink and rest up before we continue," Frank said and James nodded looking forlornly out at the thinning London crowd. They hadn't any luck at all and James was to the point of giving up. He figured at least a drink would settle his nerves and his stomach.
They stepped into the wizarding pub and James' eyes widened at the scene before him. Lucius Malfoy's legs were bounding around irregularly and Lily's wand was raised at him. Snape whispered something and the curse stopped and Malfoy stood shocked and furious, rooted to his spot while Lily spoke in a voice that made ice run through James' veins. She turned and ran right into him and he helped her keep her balance, she clearly hadn't seen him there. Movement caught James' eye and he saw Catherine Mcgeogehegan slip out of a seat just behind Snape.
"A Slytherin intervention?" James asked curiously not letting go of Lily's arms.
"No, now release me James," Lily said coldly her eyes vibrant with an icy fury.
"Trouble in paradise?" Snape asked lightly with raised eyebrows.
James was about to say something when Lily wrenched herself from his grasp and turned to look at Snape. "Do you really want me to start in on you as well?" Lily asked her wand still gripped in her hand. Snape raised his eyebrows more and Lily turned back around, pushed past James and Frank angrily and left The Leaky Cauldron.
"Well that was interesting," Sirius said walking about into the pub seeing the tail end of the confrontation.
James and Frank followed Lily and Sirius did as well. "Bye boys," Catherine said in a sugary sweet voice and made her way after the four who had left thinking that Lily might need an ally against Potter and Black.
"Lily stop!" James called to the retreating back of the redhead in the flowing black cloak. "Please just wait!" he shouted running to catch up with her.
Lily spun around. "Leave me alone James. I don't want to hear any feeble attempts at apology from you," Lily said harshly seeing Sirius and Frank standing just behind James and Catherine was leaning against the wall of a shop for a better view looking mildly amused. This was definitely going to be interesting.
"Lily please, we are all tired and frustrated. I know it's no excuse but please listen," James said pleadingly.
"I don't want to! I've heard enough and seen enough despicable behavior from you to last me a lifetime and I would truly like to live through the rest of it without you," Lily said and turned to leave.
"Wait please!" James exclaimed as her words stung at him painfully as if he'd just walked into a particularly prickly cactus.
Lily turned again and asked quietly, "Have you apologized to Remus yet?"
James' eyes narrowed, "Why?" he asked.
"Remus is one of you best friends Potter. You treated him as if he were trash to throw about in the street for befriending and helping me! I won't listen to a word you have to say until you apologize to Remus," Lily said scowling up into James' handsome face.
"I don't know where he is. We've all been looking all over London for you," James said quietly as he tried to keep himself from doing a number of stupid things, one that was on the top of the list was crying.
"They will be at Bella's soon," Sirius spoke up for the first time since they got outside.
Lily smiled gravely. "Then Bella's it is. Catherine and I will walk," Lily said glancing at Catherine with a smirk.
"What?" James and Sirius asked at the same time looking both shocked and confused.
"I have a story to finish telling her. You three go on to Bella's and wait and we'll arrive later," Lily said her eyes still glowing with rage.
"Story? What story?" James asked looking back at Catherine who was scowling, most likely at the part of all this that required going to Arabella's.
"It's mine to tell. Now go," Lily said and pointed back toward The Leaky Cauldron where they could Disapparate from.
"Bella won't approve," Sirius said lightly.
"I will speak with Bella, now get going!" Lily said beginning to want to just say 'Fuck off!' and leave England for good.
"How do we know you'll come?" James asked barely above a whisper.
"I haven't lied to you yet James, what makes you think I will start now?" Lily questioned reprovingly.
"Your intense dislike for Potter might give cause for them to question your statement," Catherine said smirking before laughing aloud.
"Catherine," Lily said eyeing her with an exasperated look.
"Lily," Catherine mocked, her smirk was growing larger by the minute.
"ARGH! You have my word James. Now go to Bella's," Lily said preferring to deal with Catherine without the already curious boys. James nodded and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron with Sirius and Frank in tow.
Lily's gaze moved to Catherine. "Your comments weren't necessary," Lily said blandly and walked toward Catherine.
"I know but it was so fun!" Catherine said with a small laugh. "So which way are we headed?" Catherine asked and eyed Lily wondering why she trusted a girl who was caught up with so many Gryffindors.
"Bella's," Lily said with a sigh and began walking with Catherine toward their destination. "Where was I?" Lily asked Catherine tiredly.
"You'd gotten a job as a housekeeper," Catherine said wondering how all that she had heard tied together.
"Right. Well it turned out that James' house was where I would be working. James started talking about Hogwarts, which at that point I didn't know what it was and I asked him about it. Something must have clicked in his brain and he went to Bella's trying to figure out what was going on," Lily paused and looked at Catherine for any questions, but Catherine was just walking along waiting for Lily's explanation of how she knew her.
Lily continued her tale. "After James left I was alone again and Sirius showed up. I sent him off to Bella's and not much later James, Sirius, Arabella and Dumbledore were all telling me I was a witch and that they had deduced that Voldemort didn't want me attending Hogwarts. At first I didn't believe it; growing up in Petunia's house had done a number on me I tell you," Lily said spotting Catherine's curious look turned her attention to her.
"Petunia?" Catherine said questioningly.
"My older sister," Lily said with a sour look. "Anyways, I got a wand at Diagon Alley the next day and when we got back Remus was at James' house and they began to teach me," Lily said and was about to move onto the interesting part when Snape stepped out from a tree just ahead of them. "I think he's bound to keep interrupting me," Lily said with a sigh. "What is it now?" she asked quietly, any previous anger at him a dissipated but could be brought back if he pissed her off again.
Snape raised his eyebrows and pulled a familiar looking frame out of his robes. "I believe you dropped this," Snape said lightly handing the framed picture to Lily slowly.
Lily took it and looked down. The one and only picture she had of her parents and her together was resting in her hands. Lily looked up at Snape questioningly. "Where did you find it?" she asked her voice teeming with emotion.
"Under the table you and Catherine were sitting at," Snape said keeping his gaze away from Catherine's who was looking shocked and incredulously at him.
Lily looked up from the picture again and said, "Thank you," and Snape disappeared from sight with a small popping noise.
"That was peculiar," Catherine whispered and looked at the unmoving picture curiously. A younger looking Lily was standing in between her parents, a young smiling couple. The woman with dark red hair like Lily's and brown eyes; the man with Lily's green eyes but short dark brown hair and both were smiling happily at the camera with arms around their daughter. Catherine noticed the picture wasn't the only thing in the frame and asked, "Is there anything behind the picture?"
Lily looked at in and noticed the unevenness and flipped the frame over to open it. A folded piece of yellowed parchment was behind the picture; Lily removed it and closed the picture frame again before unfolding the parchment slowly. Her eyes widened as she read the familiar yet unfamiliar handwriting:
I do entreat your Grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold. Nor now it may concern my modesty, in such a presence here to plead my thoughts; But I beseech your Grace that I may know the worst that may befall me in this case,
If I were to owl you from this day hence?
Catherine immediately recognized the writing but not the words. "What is it?" Catherine asked with an eyebrow raised.
Lily couldn't help but laugh and she wondered why. "It's Shakespeare. From the opening scene of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream," Lily mumbled, "Well, all except the last line," she corrected and looked at the note with wonder.
"Shakespeare? You mean that Muggle Playwright?" Catherine asked quietly, wondering what on earth Snape was trying to get at.
"Yes that would be him," Lily said and folded the note back up and put it in her pocket and the picture frame back into her bag. "We'd better get going or else James might think I've lied to him," Lily said and couldn't understand by Snapes' plagiarism of William Shakespeare would make her want to laugh. 'Oh what James would think,' Lily thought with a silent cackle. Lily wasn't about to sit patiently waiting for James Potter to want her, he's have to work for it! She wondered what James would come up with for an apology and she also wondered whether she would accept.
"Are you going to continue?" Catherine asked Lily who had been smiling evilly to herself since she's last spoken and Catherine wondered what ideas Lily had gotten into her brain.
"Oh! Yes of course," Lily said and began to tale again where Snape had interrupted. "Anyway, all the people that I have met in the wizarding world have seemed very similar to me and we figured out that I'd dreamed what my life would have been like had I gone to Hogwarts," Lily said quickly and Catherine stopped unceremoniously in her tracks.
"What?" Catherine asked looking very confused.
Lily sighed, "I know it's not believable but it's true. Every day that I was supposed to have been at Hogwarts I dreamt what would have been. So I know everyone when I'm not supposed to," Lily said looking at Catherine who was shaking her head at Lily.
"I we were supposed to have met then tell me something about me that you shouldn't know," Catherine said lightly, making it clear that she thought Lily was full of shit.
Lily smiled, it was far too easy, "You had a thing for Sirius that caused you to despise Arabella because she got him and you didn't," she said with a grin.
Catherine looked shocked but said, "How do I know that Figg didn't tell you that?"
"I only remembered you today and I didn't see Bella afterwards except for her shouting in the kitchen while I was sneaking out the front door," Lily said truthfully and Catherine believed.
"Do you have any idea how creepy this is?" Catherine asked quickly as they started down a path into a wooded park.
"Yes I do. I'm remembering more each day," Lily said quietly and pulled Catherine off the path and across the grass toward the street. "Bella's house is just there. You don't have to stay if you don't wish to," Lily said hoping that Catherine would decide to stay. Lily was getting nervous but her energy was ebbing away.
Catherine really had no desire to see Arabella Figg but she also didn't want to leave Lily without support. "What do you take me for Evans, a chicken? Let's go," Catherine said and Lily smiled happily as they started toward Arabella's house.
A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter and I hope that it brought a little more liking to you all in Catherine's regard since I've gotten complaints that I should 'make Catherine go away'. This is one of my favorite chapters so far because there is a lot going on, and I'm eager to hear what you have to say, so tell me what you think in a review!! ~Frankie~
Captain Oblivious- I managed to talk to Teegs, my plot bunny guru and straighten out what I sent you that email about, the exact wording of things is in this chapter. or at least that first part, but if you have any good ideas I'll be happy to hear them. I hope you like it.
Cassie- Don't worry about the not reviewing. You don't sound unsupportive; I'm just amused by your loathing of Catherine and I'm sorry to say she won't be going away for a while. Don't worry about long reviews either, the longer the better! You'll see how Lily gets found soon enough.
Black-cat-on-the-wall- I'm glad you love my story; I hope that you like this chapter.
I o u a name- Heh, I update as soon as I can. You're just all lucky I've felt like typing and I was sick today. I hope the suspense in this one is enough to live with for a while.
Manny2003- I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, I'm waiting for a few more reviews before I post. I'm glad you love it and think it's great. Thanks much for the review!
Celine- Long time no see! I hope you had a great holiday! And I'm really glad my story stuck out enough for you to come back and see how it's been going since you were away from the Internet. And I promise to let everyone know if I've been struck with major writers block or something and stop writing so don't worry.
JCtigerwolf4e- I'm sorry about the shortness, I wanted to get this entire chapter in one shot so people wouldn't kill me! I hope you like this one as well.
EbonyQuill- I'm getting them out as quick as I can. But I'm thrilled you like the chapter and I hope that you like this one as well.
Mademoiselle Morte- Well here's the next installment! Thanks for your review.
Zebragurl (Faithful Reader) ^_^ - All I can say about them getting together is that there will be a wedding and a baby Harry eventually, but I still haven't written them getting together and I need some things to happen before that time. I modeled Lily's birthday after mine, which is August 19th, and it's only the beginning of July or end of June. I think. I'm glad you'll read the death chapter!
Marie49- Sadly I cannot make Peter sleep forever, though I do make him sleep a lot because I don't like him at all and I don't like writing him. I will try to read your story but I might not have time to do so soon because I have a lot of homework, but I will try.
PinayAko- Really? What story was it? I read so many stories way back that I can't keep em all straight. Thank you for the review though!
Laina3- I'm sorry for keeping you guys all waiting, I would have updated this weekend but I had a lot of homework and FFN was being a butt. But here it is, I hope you like it.
Chapter Thirty Five: Intriguing Tales and Ruthless Men
Lily watched Sirius and Tom exchange words half expecting Tom to point to their table and was greatly relieved when Sirius headed for Diagon Alley instead. She sighed and turned back to Catherine asking, "Where was I?"
"You had been taken under Arabella Figg's wing," Catherine muttered eyeing where Sirius had disappeared into Diagon Alley.
"Oh yes. So after Dumbledore came and talked to me I felt as if my staying would be of some sort of danger or bother to her and so I left when she was sleeping. I was sitting in Muggle London later that morning and a rude man threw a newspaper at me and I found a want ad in it for a housekeeper and went to the address and was hired," Lily explained and was about to continue when a shadow fell over their table. She looked up thinking that Sirius had found her but she was rather surprised at who was standing there.
"Well, well, well Catherine, I never thought you would fraternize with a muggleborn," said the cold voice as he looked disapprovingly down his hooked nose at the brunette girl.
"Severus Snape, what a pleasant surprise," Catherine said with a scowl as she unconsciously grasped the hand of her wand in a tighter grip.
"Yes I imagine it is. What are you doing with her?" Snape asked looking at Lily with a glance wrought with antipathy.
"We're having a conversation if you couldn't tell. And if you also couldn't tell you're not invited," Lily said in a bored voice and sipped her butterbeer nonchalantly.
"Oh harsh words Evans, but I'd truly like to know how you sucked Catherine Mcgeogehegan into your presence," Snape said airily and felt odd speaking to Lily at all like it wasn't something he should or would do. He also wondered where Potter was as he surely wouldn't have strayed far from her on purpose.
"For a bit of intelligent conversation Severus, now go away you're spoiling it," Catherine said lightly and winked at Lily behind a wave of her dark hair that had fallen across her face.
Lily smiled humorously at Catherine and felt an odd sense of companionship with her. "Yes, please do disappear, you ruin the air in the place," Lily said and waved her hand dismissively at Snape.
"I don't think I will. I feel like crashing the party," Snape said and pulled a chair up from and empty table. "Do tell me where Potter has gotten to? I mean he would want his dog to stray too far away," Snape said viciously and was about to seat himself when he found that Lily was now handing beside him and the hood of her cloak had fallen back to reveal her stunning red hair and furious green eyes.
"What did you call me?" Lily asked her temper rising quickly and her blood boiling within her veins.
"A dog, a filthy little mudblood dog," said a voice behind Snape and Lily stood rooted to her spot staring at the pale faced, white blond haired Lucius Malfoy whose pale, almost silver eyes were glinting with a combination of mirth and haughtiness.
Lily pushed Snape aside and walked up to Malfoy and stared directly into his eyes. "You don't scare me Blondie and neither does Snivels over there. You're both just pathetic fools with nothing better to do then torture people who you feel deserve it. It's rather sad actually, trying to gain respect and power when you barely had any to begin with and that only came from your name. Good luck by the way with the narcissist, if you can get her to get her nose out of that mirror that is, she truly suits you," Lily said and pushed past Malfoy laxly.
"Never insult my wife you filth," Malfoy said and turned on Lily with his wand drawn and made to jinx her saying, "Tarantallegra!" but Lily spun her wand in her hand saying, "Protego!" and the curse rebounded upon Malfoy whose legs began jumping about and some of the silent spectators of the show laughed.
Snape whispered, "Finite Incantatum," and Malfoy was still, but looking furious.
"You can't scare me, so don't even try. You're pathetic and the only thing I feel toward you Malfoy is pity. So go home to your wife and have a drink," Lily said and received a mattering of applause before turning and plowing straight into James.
James and Frank had been wandering the muggle streets for hours and Frank was getting tired. "The Leaky Cauldron's just around the corner, let's stop for a drink and rest up before we continue," Frank said and James nodded looking forlornly out at the thinning London crowd. They hadn't any luck at all and James was to the point of giving up. He figured at least a drink would settle his nerves and his stomach.
They stepped into the wizarding pub and James' eyes widened at the scene before him. Lucius Malfoy's legs were bounding around irregularly and Lily's wand was raised at him. Snape whispered something and the curse stopped and Malfoy stood shocked and furious, rooted to his spot while Lily spoke in a voice that made ice run through James' veins. She turned and ran right into him and he helped her keep her balance, she clearly hadn't seen him there. Movement caught James' eye and he saw Catherine Mcgeogehegan slip out of a seat just behind Snape.
"A Slytherin intervention?" James asked curiously not letting go of Lily's arms.
"No, now release me James," Lily said coldly her eyes vibrant with an icy fury.
"Trouble in paradise?" Snape asked lightly with raised eyebrows.
James was about to say something when Lily wrenched herself from his grasp and turned to look at Snape. "Do you really want me to start in on you as well?" Lily asked her wand still gripped in her hand. Snape raised his eyebrows more and Lily turned back around, pushed past James and Frank angrily and left The Leaky Cauldron.
"Well that was interesting," Sirius said walking about into the pub seeing the tail end of the confrontation.
James and Frank followed Lily and Sirius did as well. "Bye boys," Catherine said in a sugary sweet voice and made her way after the four who had left thinking that Lily might need an ally against Potter and Black.
"Lily stop!" James called to the retreating back of the redhead in the flowing black cloak. "Please just wait!" he shouted running to catch up with her.
Lily spun around. "Leave me alone James. I don't want to hear any feeble attempts at apology from you," Lily said harshly seeing Sirius and Frank standing just behind James and Catherine was leaning against the wall of a shop for a better view looking mildly amused. This was definitely going to be interesting.
"Lily please, we are all tired and frustrated. I know it's no excuse but please listen," James said pleadingly.
"I don't want to! I've heard enough and seen enough despicable behavior from you to last me a lifetime and I would truly like to live through the rest of it without you," Lily said and turned to leave.
"Wait please!" James exclaimed as her words stung at him painfully as if he'd just walked into a particularly prickly cactus.
Lily turned again and asked quietly, "Have you apologized to Remus yet?"
James' eyes narrowed, "Why?" he asked.
"Remus is one of you best friends Potter. You treated him as if he were trash to throw about in the street for befriending and helping me! I won't listen to a word you have to say until you apologize to Remus," Lily said scowling up into James' handsome face.
"I don't know where he is. We've all been looking all over London for you," James said quietly as he tried to keep himself from doing a number of stupid things, one that was on the top of the list was crying.
"They will be at Bella's soon," Sirius spoke up for the first time since they got outside.
Lily smiled gravely. "Then Bella's it is. Catherine and I will walk," Lily said glancing at Catherine with a smirk.
"What?" James and Sirius asked at the same time looking both shocked and confused.
"I have a story to finish telling her. You three go on to Bella's and wait and we'll arrive later," Lily said her eyes still glowing with rage.
"Story? What story?" James asked looking back at Catherine who was scowling, most likely at the part of all this that required going to Arabella's.
"It's mine to tell. Now go," Lily said and pointed back toward The Leaky Cauldron where they could Disapparate from.
"Bella won't approve," Sirius said lightly.
"I will speak with Bella, now get going!" Lily said beginning to want to just say 'Fuck off!' and leave England for good.
"How do we know you'll come?" James asked barely above a whisper.
"I haven't lied to you yet James, what makes you think I will start now?" Lily questioned reprovingly.
"Your intense dislike for Potter might give cause for them to question your statement," Catherine said smirking before laughing aloud.
"Catherine," Lily said eyeing her with an exasperated look.
"Lily," Catherine mocked, her smirk was growing larger by the minute.
"ARGH! You have my word James. Now go to Bella's," Lily said preferring to deal with Catherine without the already curious boys. James nodded and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron with Sirius and Frank in tow.
Lily's gaze moved to Catherine. "Your comments weren't necessary," Lily said blandly and walked toward Catherine.
"I know but it was so fun!" Catherine said with a small laugh. "So which way are we headed?" Catherine asked and eyed Lily wondering why she trusted a girl who was caught up with so many Gryffindors.
"Bella's," Lily said with a sigh and began walking with Catherine toward their destination. "Where was I?" Lily asked Catherine tiredly.
"You'd gotten a job as a housekeeper," Catherine said wondering how all that she had heard tied together.
"Right. Well it turned out that James' house was where I would be working. James started talking about Hogwarts, which at that point I didn't know what it was and I asked him about it. Something must have clicked in his brain and he went to Bella's trying to figure out what was going on," Lily paused and looked at Catherine for any questions, but Catherine was just walking along waiting for Lily's explanation of how she knew her.
Lily continued her tale. "After James left I was alone again and Sirius showed up. I sent him off to Bella's and not much later James, Sirius, Arabella and Dumbledore were all telling me I was a witch and that they had deduced that Voldemort didn't want me attending Hogwarts. At first I didn't believe it; growing up in Petunia's house had done a number on me I tell you," Lily said spotting Catherine's curious look turned her attention to her.
"Petunia?" Catherine said questioningly.
"My older sister," Lily said with a sour look. "Anyways, I got a wand at Diagon Alley the next day and when we got back Remus was at James' house and they began to teach me," Lily said and was about to move onto the interesting part when Snape stepped out from a tree just ahead of them. "I think he's bound to keep interrupting me," Lily said with a sigh. "What is it now?" she asked quietly, any previous anger at him a dissipated but could be brought back if he pissed her off again.
Snape raised his eyebrows and pulled a familiar looking frame out of his robes. "I believe you dropped this," Snape said lightly handing the framed picture to Lily slowly.
Lily took it and looked down. The one and only picture she had of her parents and her together was resting in her hands. Lily looked up at Snape questioningly. "Where did you find it?" she asked her voice teeming with emotion.
"Under the table you and Catherine were sitting at," Snape said keeping his gaze away from Catherine's who was looking shocked and incredulously at him.
Lily looked up from the picture again and said, "Thank you," and Snape disappeared from sight with a small popping noise.
"That was peculiar," Catherine whispered and looked at the unmoving picture curiously. A younger looking Lily was standing in between her parents, a young smiling couple. The woman with dark red hair like Lily's and brown eyes; the man with Lily's green eyes but short dark brown hair and both were smiling happily at the camera with arms around their daughter. Catherine noticed the picture wasn't the only thing in the frame and asked, "Is there anything behind the picture?"
Lily looked at in and noticed the unevenness and flipped the frame over to open it. A folded piece of yellowed parchment was behind the picture; Lily removed it and closed the picture frame again before unfolding the parchment slowly. Her eyes widened as she read the familiar yet unfamiliar handwriting:
I do entreat your Grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold. Nor now it may concern my modesty, in such a presence here to plead my thoughts; But I beseech your Grace that I may know the worst that may befall me in this case,
If I were to owl you from this day hence?
Catherine immediately recognized the writing but not the words. "What is it?" Catherine asked with an eyebrow raised.
Lily couldn't help but laugh and she wondered why. "It's Shakespeare. From the opening scene of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream," Lily mumbled, "Well, all except the last line," she corrected and looked at the note with wonder.
"Shakespeare? You mean that Muggle Playwright?" Catherine asked quietly, wondering what on earth Snape was trying to get at.
"Yes that would be him," Lily said and folded the note back up and put it in her pocket and the picture frame back into her bag. "We'd better get going or else James might think I've lied to him," Lily said and couldn't understand by Snapes' plagiarism of William Shakespeare would make her want to laugh. 'Oh what James would think,' Lily thought with a silent cackle. Lily wasn't about to sit patiently waiting for James Potter to want her, he's have to work for it! She wondered what James would come up with for an apology and she also wondered whether she would accept.
"Are you going to continue?" Catherine asked Lily who had been smiling evilly to herself since she's last spoken and Catherine wondered what ideas Lily had gotten into her brain.
"Oh! Yes of course," Lily said and began to tale again where Snape had interrupted. "Anyway, all the people that I have met in the wizarding world have seemed very similar to me and we figured out that I'd dreamed what my life would have been like had I gone to Hogwarts," Lily said quickly and Catherine stopped unceremoniously in her tracks.
"What?" Catherine asked looking very confused.
Lily sighed, "I know it's not believable but it's true. Every day that I was supposed to have been at Hogwarts I dreamt what would have been. So I know everyone when I'm not supposed to," Lily said looking at Catherine who was shaking her head at Lily.
"I we were supposed to have met then tell me something about me that you shouldn't know," Catherine said lightly, making it clear that she thought Lily was full of shit.
Lily smiled, it was far too easy, "You had a thing for Sirius that caused you to despise Arabella because she got him and you didn't," she said with a grin.
Catherine looked shocked but said, "How do I know that Figg didn't tell you that?"
"I only remembered you today and I didn't see Bella afterwards except for her shouting in the kitchen while I was sneaking out the front door," Lily said truthfully and Catherine believed.
"Do you have any idea how creepy this is?" Catherine asked quickly as they started down a path into a wooded park.
"Yes I do. I'm remembering more each day," Lily said quietly and pulled Catherine off the path and across the grass toward the street. "Bella's house is just there. You don't have to stay if you don't wish to," Lily said hoping that Catherine would decide to stay. Lily was getting nervous but her energy was ebbing away.
Catherine really had no desire to see Arabella Figg but she also didn't want to leave Lily without support. "What do you take me for Evans, a chicken? Let's go," Catherine said and Lily smiled happily as they started toward Arabella's house.
A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter and I hope that it brought a little more liking to you all in Catherine's regard since I've gotten complaints that I should 'make Catherine go away'. This is one of my favorite chapters so far because there is a lot going on, and I'm eager to hear what you have to say, so tell me what you think in a review!! ~Frankie~