CHAPTER 5
"So Lily." Charisma stopped in front of the library and turned around, "Think its that easy to giggle your way into James' heart, huh?" she sneered scornfully, dangerously blocking Lily's way into the vast rows of knowledge, after their tense, silent walk from the common room.
"What?" Lily stood, shock at what she'd just heard coursing through her. She couldn't believe that Charisma had a grudge against her because of her relationship with James.
"You heard me. What have you got with James?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Lily rolled her eyes and pushed past her into the library, swiftly joining the short line in front of Madam Jont's return slot. Charisma followed her.
"Answer me, Lily. What have you got with James?" she whispered icily.
"Why don't you just ask him?" Lily drawled, concentrating on keeping the rage out of her voice, silently congratulating herself on sounding utterly bored.
"Lily, as much as you look it, you aren't stupid. You know as well as I do that I don't want him to think I'm jealous. Now you don't have to explain anything, just tell me which it is. Are you an ex-girlfriend, in love with him, do you just see him every once in a while, or is it what I think it is, that you are a jealous little whore who wants James only because he is with someone other than you or your pathetic posse?" she spat, her hands on her hips, her voice dangerously low.
"You're pathetic. I have never been with James and I doubt I ever will." Lily finally whispered, her eyes green flames and her fists balled up at her side.
"So I was right?" Charisma smirked, a statement more than a question. She was pleased to see that Lily was properly enraged, "You're jealous."
"Why ask a question when you won't accept the answer?" Lily asked, pulling herself together slightly, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Why do you keep answering a question with a question and expect me to think you're telling the truth, Lily?" she challenged.
"Look, honey, I don't have to listen to your idiotic accusations. I'll be in the common room with James." She smiled sweetly before turning on her heel and walking out of the library, eyes set firmly on the exit, no doubt in search of a friend to confide in. Charisma followed her halfway before her eyes fell on something that gave her a great idea.
Angela Heathers smiled at her from a table to her right just as Isabella Rey emerged from behind a large bookshelf and took a seat next to her. Spotting Charisma, she smiled and waved, a gesture friendly enough for her to join them.
"And I'll be starting Plan B, Lily." She muttered to herself, smiling innocently at them as she walked towards their table.
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Lily stomped out of the library and, first checking to make sure that Charisma had not followed her, she kicked the stone wall furiously until she had injured her toes so badly that she had a limp. She started down the third-floor corridor, surrounded by suits of armor, still cursing under her breath and scowling. One suit of armor, obviously thinking that it would be amusing to trip the angry limping girl, stuck a clanking leg out as she walked by and the next minute she lay face down in the middle of the corridor, one ankle sticking out at a weird angle, unable to get up. She sighed heavily and fumbled underneath her for her wand, trying to think of a spell to help her. She had just decided to levitate herself to the infirmary when she heard, and felt, footsteps coming towards her. She groaned, the thought of anyone seeing her like this made the heat rise up in her face.
"Lily?" a deep, yet gentle voice asked uncertainly a few feet away from her. She turned so that she lay on her back and sat up, just as she saw the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, Amir Patil, kneel next to her.
"Are you okay? What happened?" he asked, frowning. He was a fellow sixth year, tall, broad-shouldered, with muscular, bulky arms from his position as beater, and lean everywhere else as he was a natural athlete. He laid a well-tanned hand on her shoulder and she looked into his hazel eyes. Her eyes drove from the thick, black lashes to the unkempt eye-brows, drawn together to reveal a kind of manly concern. Her mind traced a line down his nose around his luscious, large, juicy lips…
With a start she realized those lips were moving.
"Huh? I mean… I'm sorry, what did you say?" she said in as confused and soft a voice as she could muster, aware that that was probably the most degrading thing she could have said at this moment. He regarded her curiously.
"I asked you if can stand up. It looks like you sprained your ankle." He repeated, placing his big hands under her arms and pulling her up. With one arm around his neck, and the other stuffing her wand back into her robes, she gingerly tested her left foot and couldn't suppress a small yelp, as it seemed to crumble under her weight. Amir quickly walked to her other side and placed his arm around her shoulders as her arm wrapped itself around his waist.
"Now, shall we walk to the Hospital Wing like this, or will I have the pleasure of carrying you?" He asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Hmm…this time we'll walk. But next time I'll insist on your carrying me." She smiled, hugging his waist closer as they started down the corridor.
"Next time? Do you do this often?" he looked down at her, holding her carefully as they made their way down a staircase.
"Do what?" she knew what he meant but wanted to draw out the conversation. The pain brought involuntary tears to her eyes.
"You know, randomly collapse in the middle of the third floor corridor, sprawled out on the ground with an injured leg… flailing your arms desperately, wailing for someone to rescue you…" she laughed at this, rather shakily through tears. He winced as she stepped on the landing and trembled, the pain was obviously increasing.
"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you? It just around the corner…" he asked. She would have gladly let him but Charisma would be here soon, on her way to the common room, and she was afraid she might make a scene.
"Oh, I can make it around the corner on my feet. Its not that bad." She answered, trying and failing to sound confident. They reached the hospital wing where Lily was put into the hands of Madam Pomfrey while Amir waited patiently, watching the young medi-witch mend her ankle.
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"Charisma! What's up, what are you doing here?" Isabella asked cheerfully as the girl approached and sat in a vacant chair at their table.
"Oh, I was just returning a book. What are you guys doing? We don't have another essay to write, do we?" she asked, watching Angela pore through a book, picking up her lavender quill and jotting down a line or two from each page. Isabella rolled her eyes.
"Nah, don't worry. Merlin knows why but Angie's doing extra research for Divination." She gave her friend an exasperated look and received a scowl.
"At least I come to the library to do research, unlike you who comes for the sole purpose of ogling at guys." She retorted, a smug smile on her face.
"What do you mean 'guys'? I've only had my eye on one for the past week…" She answered dreamily.
"Who? Sirius?" Charisma grinned, making her way into the conversation.
"No, no, no. Why would I come to the library to stare at Sirius?" She answered impatiently, "Its Craig Pierce. Isn't he so hot?" she said, her gray eyes glittering hungrily. Charisma looked around.
"Where?"
"Over there… behind the bookshelf." Isabella answered, steering Charisma's shoulders a little to the left so she could get a good look at him.
"Him?" she asked, referring to the burly figure reaching up to put a book back onto a shelf, the outline of strong biceps visible even through his robes.
"Yeah…Oh Morgana! Just look at those arms! What do you think?" Charisma strained to recognize him, she didn't think she had any classes with him but she had definitely seen him before.
"He's attractive." She finally answered, remembering that she had seen him with a group of Slytherins that had insulted James' gang on their way to Potions last week, resulting in a duel and several detentions.
"Attractive? He is not just attractive… he's-"
"Isn't he a Slytherin?" she asked, crinkling a brow. She thought Slytherins and Gryffindors were sworn enemies.
"Uhuh, he is…oh no, he moved! Stupid ass…" she hissed in frustration as he moved onto a new row of books on the other side of the library. She turned to Charisma, smiling mischievously.
"I know he's got a thing for me though."
"Oh yes. They "gesture" implyingly at each other all through Divination. Its rather distracting." Angela added condescendingly.
"Only for you honey. Everyone else finds it entertaining." Isabella smiled, standing up. "Well, I'm off to find Craig… and perhaps do more…"
"I wish you luck in courting, my dear." Angela drawled, putting on a formal air. Charisma tried to look as bewildered as possible.
"But… I thought… you and Sirius…?" she said curiously, frowning.
"Yeah." Was the vague answer she received. Angela and Charisma watched her walk across the library and vanish into a maze of bookshelves. Charisma turned to Angela.
"I thought she was going out with Sirius." She said, hoping for Angela to spill all. Angela closed her book.
"Yeah but… well, Isabella and Sirius are not your normal couple. They've been together since fourth year and at the same time they've been with other people…" There was a pause while Angela searched for words and Charisma thought of a way to urge her to continue.
"So its kind of like a security relationship? To make sure they've always got someone?" she asked.
"I don't know if that's exactly it but I do know that in all my life I've never met two people more independent than Sirius and Isabella. They act like boyfriend and girlfriend all the time but they don't follow all the rules. What I mean is that they both think its fine to go out with and flirt with other people…er... aggressively, and openly too. I guess they don't like being tied to others because they go through most of their relationships pretty fast… well, except for the one they have with each other." Angela finished, looking thoughtful.
"Oh…" was all Charisma could say to this bit of gossip. It certainly was not good news that one of James' best friends paid no heed to the 'commitment' part of a relationship. And one of Lily's didn't either…
She needed to know more.
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Lily thanked Madam Pomfrey as she stood up and tested her leg. She smiled at Amir, who grinned back, and when they walked out, grasped the hand he offered her. He walked her back to the Gryffindor common room while she wondered vaguely whether he would ask her to the ball, as she found no other reason for him to still be following her. They stopped in front of the portrait hole and Amir turned to look at her.
"Do you have a date for the ball?" he asked, reaching for her other hand and smiling, the fat lady in a pink satin dress waiting expectantly in the portrait they were blocking.
She would have loved to say 'no' and forget all about her promise to Peter but she couldn't break his heart by taking back her consent to his being her partner.
"I understand if you do…" he answered her silence. She wanted to kiss him right there, he was so sweet.
"Oh Amir, I'm sorry…" she finally said softly, reluctantly. The pleading look in her eyes made it obvious that she really was. Amir watched her closely.
"… because I do too." He said, with a twisted smile. She stared at him.
"Why did you ask me then?" she asked, after an awkward pause.
"Well… I don't know why I asked her, I guess it was out pity…" he said guiltily, "I was thinking that maybe at the ball we can be each others dates…?" he asked hesitantly.
Screw Peter, he was an idiot if he thought she really wanted to go with him.
"That would be great… who are you taking…?" she asked, wondering which girl she would be accused of stealing the date of tomorrow night.
"Leila Gillani, you? I take it you aren't too interested in your date…" he said, his eyes twinkling. She laughed.
"Interested? In Peter Pettigrew? I've been dreading the ball until now. A couple of days ago he heard that I didn't have a date and asked me. You should have seen him, brick-red, sweating like crazy, I couldn't refuse…" she explained.
"It was pretty much the same for Leila, I felt really bad because she was in front of all her friends and she had a death grip on my arm when she started teasing about how I would never ask her… she looked really hopeful and the whole common room was staring at her like she was an idiot… I didn't want to embarrass her…" he said, looking exasperated. There was a moment of silence and they stared at each other.
"I would never have imagined that you, Amir Patil, captain of the Quidditch team was going with a pity-date to the Anniversary Ball…" she said softly, taking a step closer to him, both of her hands in his, fingers intertwined.
"And I wouldn't have imagined it for you either, Lily Evans…" he replied lazily, smoothly pulling her closer as she took a step towards him. They stood for a moment, still holding hands at their shoulders, elbows bent completely. Closing her eyes, she stood on tip-toes, just as he bent his head towards her…
The portrait hole banged open, hitting Lily's back and throwing her into Amir's arms as he staggered into the stone wall, hugging her. The sound of casual chatter filled the air as a laughing figure stepped out slowly, one hand on the portrait, about to shut it and the other holding onto the wall for support, she was still facing someone in the common room and backing out. The words 'Hey Lily! Come here!' could be heard from somewhere inside. Lily took the moment to compose herself and let go of Amir who she had been holding onto to break her fall. Amir straightened up and ran a hand through his hair as the girl finally shut the portrait hole and turned around. It was Vanessa.
"Hey Lily!" she smiled, oblivious that she had just slammed the portrait on her.
"Hey Vanessa, looking for Charisma?" Lily asked sweetly.
"Actually, I was going to find Giselle, but while I'm at it, I guess I'll look for her too. Have you seen her?" she asked, looking curiously from Lily to Amir.
Lily didn't bother to introduce them.
"No." she lied. With a smile, Vanessa started towards the staircase. They watched her descend the steps in silence, then Lily turned to Amir.
"I'd better go in, someone's calling me." She smiled, walking towards the portrait and muttering the password. The portrait shot open and the sound of cheerful chatter filled the air once more, "I'll see you at the ball."
"Wait." He grasped her hand as she took a step in, "And when will I see you after that?" he inquired. She turned around to look at him.
"The next time I am in desperate need of rescuing off the ground after grievously spraining my ankle, of course." She winked at him.
"And pray tell when that will be?" he asked, eyes twinkling, still holding her hand.
"How about Thursday, at five-thirty?" she asked, "I'll take care to collapse in the Entrance Hall and we can take a walk on the grounds afterward if you like." She added. He smiled and crossed to her, closing the arms-distance their clasped hands had made between them. They stood for a second, not in but not out of the common room. He brushed his lips against hers for the briefest moment but it was enough to make her heart flutter at his soft touch.
"It's a date." He answered in farewell, letting go of her hand and walking out into the corridor. She smiled and walked into the common room, finally closing the irritated portrait behind her. The ball wasn't going to be so bad after all, she thought, smiling with content.
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REVIEW!!! Sorry I took longer than I had anticipated to post this chapter. Out of sudden impulse I started another story that I won't post until I'm further ahead with this one…. Or at least when I start on "Turn Me Green, Kiss Me Pink Part 2"