Chapter 7 – combat
After those first two weeks of mayhem Lilly was glad that her lessons were eased back so much, she started flying, stretching and running every morning and she was amazed at her speed and strength. She bathed every morning as well; very early as it was best she didn't bond too quickly with Mercury. The best thing about the change in extra lessons was the addition of 'hand to hand combat' in to the table; she would start weaponry after October. She would turn 16 on the 28th of October, and she would be legally allowed to handle all the weapons provided for her by her parents. On Friday morning in the third week she woke late, not realising that she had and made her way down to the baths. She strolled in her usual early- morning, languid way, whistling a tune. She sauntered into the bathroom and put her stuff down on the edge of the bath, then froze. Mercury was there, yet again foiling her mission. He was beaming at her. "Emh...hi," she said "Haven't seen you in here for quite some time...where've you been?" he asked "Coming in earlier..." she said sheepishly "Avoiding me?" he said, making puppy eyes at her "No...I just prefer bathing by myself." She said "Okay," he said, smiling knowingly She folded her wings around herself, and Mercury respectfully turned round to face the opposite way. Lilly stripped off all her clothes and slipped into the water. She immediately began her hair ritual. Mercury watched her for some time as she sat on the floor of the shallow end, combing conditioner into her hair. "What time is it?" she asked "Half five," he said "You're a bit earlier than usual..." she said "I know, I was hoping to catch you...so are you late or would you normally wash like a speed-a-holic?" he asked grinning "I'm a bit late this morning," she said "Thought so," he said There was a long silence in which Lilly rinsed her hair and soaped herself "Li...Lilly?" he asked "Yeah?" she said, not turning round. "Are you doing anything this Saturday?" "No..." she said "It's just that I thought you might want to hang out, it's the first Hogsmeade weekend and I could show you around." "That would be cool," she said, secretly grinning her head open and rinsing off the soap. "Great," he said, she turned round slightly and saw him smiling happily to himself. After a few moments of soaking she clambered out of the tub, carefully guarding herself and snuggling into a towel. School wasn't remarkable that day but before they started the end of day feast in the hall Dumbledore spoke up. "Good evening everyone, it is my pleasure to announce that there will be a Halloween ball on the 31st of October for 4th years and above. Dress robes are required and to keep the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years happy there will be a Mini-ball the night after." There was loud excited chattering among students, especially the girls "Ah-hem," said Professor Dumbledore, "There will be a dance competition judged by myself and the each head of house. The best dancers will be awarded 50 house points for their efforts. "Now, dig in!" he said sitting Lilly ate happily; she wasn't too excited as she knew about the dance anyhow. She slept well that night and woke even later, though when she went down for a quick shower, Mercury wasn't there. She supposed that he didn't wake so early on a weekend. After washing, drying, stretching and carefully clothing herself in light blue jeans, white vest top and long sleeved net top. She grabbed her stuff and went down to breakfast. Mercury met her by the lake. "Hey," he said "Hey," she said, "How are you?" "I'm good, you?" he said watching people pour out of the doors towards the gates to Hogsmeade. "I'm very good," she grinned They walked with the crowd out of the gates and down the road to the village. Mercury showed her round every square yard of the interesting parts of the village. They had fun smelling books, stealing tastes of sweets and sipping warm butterbeer. For the last thing Mercury had saved a little hidden shop down a back alley. She almost squealed with delight when she found big racks full of Magic Music records. "This is amazing!" she said, she darted immediately for the metal, rock and punk section and began rifling through them, finding several choice records. She only just stopped herself from flinging her arms around him. "Thank you! Why is no-one in here?" "No-one knows about it except a few older students and locals." "I love it!" she said trotting up to the counter and paying for her records. She hugged Mercury before they made their way back to school. They shared a quick peck before they parted and Lilly went to her duelling lesson. She was thoroughly warn out when she went to dinner and only had a quick chance to rest before going to her first ever hand to hand combat lesson. It was with the new Dark arts teacher Professor Kielty, she hadn't seemed the fighting type but it turned out she was an ace at martial arts. She was surprised at Lilly's ability to fight, which she had learnt from the street. Despite this ability she was aching, bruised and thoroughly pooped when she went to bed at the early hour of 9. She woke at 5 and went and had her usual bath before stretching out her aching muscles. She remembered her task for today, to attract Mercury's attention so that he could comfort her, it wouldn't be hard, the day was sad enough anyway. She got an early breakfast and had it by the lake, tossing bits of crust to the giant squid. She sighed, draining her pumpkin juice glass before taking her plate and things back inside. She couldn't quite fathom how much a single date could get her down. She was just setting down her things when a familiar pale face interrupted her. "Lilly, why so glum?" asked Malfoy "None of your business." "Okay, don't get shirty with me doll face." He said pushing her into the table. She knew she couldn't get angry and break his neck in front of everyone in the great hall, she just straightened herself up and glared, her wings arched, her eyes flashing and her pointy teeth bared. "That doesn't scare me anymore my little vampire, what can you do in a crowded room?" he said "And the same goes for you, so go fuck off." "Oi! Don't you dare..." he began but she'd already turned and was marching off, tears in her eyes, her wings twitching. She was striding along the corridor, her eyes slightly blurry, towards the library when she practically ran into Harry, Ron and Hermione. She looked startled, wiped her eyes, blinked, mumbled something about having weak tear ducts before carrying on her way. She found a nice big book on bottled magic to hide behind and read. She was there for some time, when she realised that tears were leaking out of her eyes, and someone was standing over her. She looked up awkwardly blinking tears out of her eyes, it was Mercury. "Hi," she croaked "What's wrong?" he asked crouching next to her chair She shrugged, "It's silly..." "Tell me, please." He said, his eyes going all droopy and concerned "My parents died on this date, when I was very little, I don't remember them." He said nothing, but pulled her out of her chair and into a warm hug, she buried her face in his shoulder. They went and sat in a dark secluded corner and Lilly talked about her life as an orphan. At around 10 she realised she had missed her first two extra lessons of the day and ran to her respective teachers and apologised profusely and promised it wouldn't happen again. To make up for it she stayed in her dorm and studied until lunch. Feeding cat snacks to Fonze occasionally who asked her lots of questions and read over her shoulder about never- pods and Quintet's vine. She had lunch then sat in the library with Mercury who helped her with her Transfiguration homework and just generally hung out until it was time for her to go to her Charms lesson.
After those first two weeks of mayhem Lilly was glad that her lessons were eased back so much, she started flying, stretching and running every morning and she was amazed at her speed and strength. She bathed every morning as well; very early as it was best she didn't bond too quickly with Mercury. The best thing about the change in extra lessons was the addition of 'hand to hand combat' in to the table; she would start weaponry after October. She would turn 16 on the 28th of October, and she would be legally allowed to handle all the weapons provided for her by her parents. On Friday morning in the third week she woke late, not realising that she had and made her way down to the baths. She strolled in her usual early- morning, languid way, whistling a tune. She sauntered into the bathroom and put her stuff down on the edge of the bath, then froze. Mercury was there, yet again foiling her mission. He was beaming at her. "Emh...hi," she said "Haven't seen you in here for quite some time...where've you been?" he asked "Coming in earlier..." she said sheepishly "Avoiding me?" he said, making puppy eyes at her "No...I just prefer bathing by myself." She said "Okay," he said, smiling knowingly She folded her wings around herself, and Mercury respectfully turned round to face the opposite way. Lilly stripped off all her clothes and slipped into the water. She immediately began her hair ritual. Mercury watched her for some time as she sat on the floor of the shallow end, combing conditioner into her hair. "What time is it?" she asked "Half five," he said "You're a bit earlier than usual..." she said "I know, I was hoping to catch you...so are you late or would you normally wash like a speed-a-holic?" he asked grinning "I'm a bit late this morning," she said "Thought so," he said There was a long silence in which Lilly rinsed her hair and soaped herself "Li...Lilly?" he asked "Yeah?" she said, not turning round. "Are you doing anything this Saturday?" "No..." she said "It's just that I thought you might want to hang out, it's the first Hogsmeade weekend and I could show you around." "That would be cool," she said, secretly grinning her head open and rinsing off the soap. "Great," he said, she turned round slightly and saw him smiling happily to himself. After a few moments of soaking she clambered out of the tub, carefully guarding herself and snuggling into a towel. School wasn't remarkable that day but before they started the end of day feast in the hall Dumbledore spoke up. "Good evening everyone, it is my pleasure to announce that there will be a Halloween ball on the 31st of October for 4th years and above. Dress robes are required and to keep the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years happy there will be a Mini-ball the night after." There was loud excited chattering among students, especially the girls "Ah-hem," said Professor Dumbledore, "There will be a dance competition judged by myself and the each head of house. The best dancers will be awarded 50 house points for their efforts. "Now, dig in!" he said sitting Lilly ate happily; she wasn't too excited as she knew about the dance anyhow. She slept well that night and woke even later, though when she went down for a quick shower, Mercury wasn't there. She supposed that he didn't wake so early on a weekend. After washing, drying, stretching and carefully clothing herself in light blue jeans, white vest top and long sleeved net top. She grabbed her stuff and went down to breakfast. Mercury met her by the lake. "Hey," he said "Hey," she said, "How are you?" "I'm good, you?" he said watching people pour out of the doors towards the gates to Hogsmeade. "I'm very good," she grinned They walked with the crowd out of the gates and down the road to the village. Mercury showed her round every square yard of the interesting parts of the village. They had fun smelling books, stealing tastes of sweets and sipping warm butterbeer. For the last thing Mercury had saved a little hidden shop down a back alley. She almost squealed with delight when she found big racks full of Magic Music records. "This is amazing!" she said, she darted immediately for the metal, rock and punk section and began rifling through them, finding several choice records. She only just stopped herself from flinging her arms around him. "Thank you! Why is no-one in here?" "No-one knows about it except a few older students and locals." "I love it!" she said trotting up to the counter and paying for her records. She hugged Mercury before they made their way back to school. They shared a quick peck before they parted and Lilly went to her duelling lesson. She was thoroughly warn out when she went to dinner and only had a quick chance to rest before going to her first ever hand to hand combat lesson. It was with the new Dark arts teacher Professor Kielty, she hadn't seemed the fighting type but it turned out she was an ace at martial arts. She was surprised at Lilly's ability to fight, which she had learnt from the street. Despite this ability she was aching, bruised and thoroughly pooped when she went to bed at the early hour of 9. She woke at 5 and went and had her usual bath before stretching out her aching muscles. She remembered her task for today, to attract Mercury's attention so that he could comfort her, it wouldn't be hard, the day was sad enough anyway. She got an early breakfast and had it by the lake, tossing bits of crust to the giant squid. She sighed, draining her pumpkin juice glass before taking her plate and things back inside. She couldn't quite fathom how much a single date could get her down. She was just setting down her things when a familiar pale face interrupted her. "Lilly, why so glum?" asked Malfoy "None of your business." "Okay, don't get shirty with me doll face." He said pushing her into the table. She knew she couldn't get angry and break his neck in front of everyone in the great hall, she just straightened herself up and glared, her wings arched, her eyes flashing and her pointy teeth bared. "That doesn't scare me anymore my little vampire, what can you do in a crowded room?" he said "And the same goes for you, so go fuck off." "Oi! Don't you dare..." he began but she'd already turned and was marching off, tears in her eyes, her wings twitching. She was striding along the corridor, her eyes slightly blurry, towards the library when she practically ran into Harry, Ron and Hermione. She looked startled, wiped her eyes, blinked, mumbled something about having weak tear ducts before carrying on her way. She found a nice big book on bottled magic to hide behind and read. She was there for some time, when she realised that tears were leaking out of her eyes, and someone was standing over her. She looked up awkwardly blinking tears out of her eyes, it was Mercury. "Hi," she croaked "What's wrong?" he asked crouching next to her chair She shrugged, "It's silly..." "Tell me, please." He said, his eyes going all droopy and concerned "My parents died on this date, when I was very little, I don't remember them." He said nothing, but pulled her out of her chair and into a warm hug, she buried her face in his shoulder. They went and sat in a dark secluded corner and Lilly talked about her life as an orphan. At around 10 she realised she had missed her first two extra lessons of the day and ran to her respective teachers and apologised profusely and promised it wouldn't happen again. To make up for it she stayed in her dorm and studied until lunch. Feeding cat snacks to Fonze occasionally who asked her lots of questions and read over her shoulder about never- pods and Quintet's vine. She had lunch then sat in the library with Mercury who helped her with her Transfiguration homework and just generally hung out until it was time for her to go to her Charms lesson.