Lily woke the next morning and had to recollection of ever coming up to bed. The last thing she remembered was falling, a pair of strong arms holding her, and a soft, gentle voice talking to her. But she couldn't remember the exact words, it was all just incoherent mumbles. She yawned and rubbed her tired, green eyes and smiled when she saw Ash Lynn stirring.
The Marauders sat in the common room by the fire. Sirius was waiting for Ash Lynn to wake up and the other three did not want to go down to breakfast without him. James and Remus could not stop yawning, they too, were extremely exhausted after a night of cleaning a girls' lavatory.
"So what exactly did Humus and McGonagall have you do?" Peter asked, he was asleep when James and Remus returned.
James rolled his eyes, "They made us eat slugs and write lines," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Peter obviously didn't sense the cynicism, "Really?" he gasped in disbelief. Sirius roared with laughter but was cut short by a scream from the girl's dormitory.
"What was that?" Remus asked. The boys shrugged but they didn't have to wait long because a few seconds later, Lily and Ash Lynn came bolting down the stairs and through the portrait hole without saying a word to the boys. Staring back at the stairs that led to the girls' dormitories, they saw three girls walking down. Well, only two were actual girls. James fell to the floor, laughing hysterically. Cleo and Taran came down the stairs carrying Rhenna who seemed to have sprouted flippers for arms and a beak. Remus had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from laughing. Sirius was on the floor with James and Peter was against a wall, crying from amusement.
"Turn her back, now!" Taran said angrily to the Marauders.
"We…we…don't know…how," James said between laugh and gasped breath. Rhenna squawked and her two friends carried her through the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall, in search of a teacher. Entering the Great Hall, Ash Lynn snorted into her pumpkin juice and Lily held her bright red face behind a book. The rest of the school watched on in amusement as two girls carrying a girl with flippers and a beak made their way to the teacher's table. Lily glanced up and saw that Dumbledore was fighting the urge to laugh out loud. His eyes twinkled in enjoyment and Professor McGonagall looked furious.
"Did those pesky Marauders do this to you?" she almost screamed. Taran and Cleo shook their heads.
"No, professor, they did not."
Professor McGonagall appeared shocked and looked up when she heard the Marauders walking in, laughing hysterically.
"Are you positive?" she asked. The girls nodded.
"It was Ash Lynn Terell and Lily Evans!" Taran exclaimed.
"Impossible," McGonagall muttered. She glanced over at the two girls and saw they were deeply conversing, not a trace of hilarity in their eyes.
"They do not like the sort to pull this kind of prank," Professor Dumbledore intervened, "But why not ask them?"
Professor McGonagall made her way towards the Gryffindor table, the three girls behind her, looking very peeved.
"Ms. Evans, Ms. Terell. Can you explain this?" she said, waving her hand towards their roommates.
"No professor, we came down to breakfast before they woke up," Lily said innocently, "Before, we were down in the common room talking with the Marauders about our Potions essay. I'm not sure how this could have happened, maybe one of their wands backfired or something?" she suggested.
"Yes, yes. Very well," she said before transfiguring Rhenna back. "Now please eat your breakfast in silence and do not blame those who are innocent for crimes they did not commit," she said, her friendly tone a bit more angrier. The girls glared daggers at Ash Lynn and Lily and sat down at the far end of the table.
"That was bloody brilliant," Sirius exclaimed. Ash Lynn and Lily smiled.
"We had to get her back for giving Lily crap the other night, Lily came up with this brilliant idea. Good thing I'm so skilled at Transfiguration," she said winking at Lily. Lily laughed and James smiled. She was finally happy, even though the Marauders could not bring her out of her shell, he was glad someone else could.
Everyone's mood seemed to be lightened up by the prank Lily and Ash Lynn had pulled earlier that morning, everyone's mood except for three young Gryffindor girls. Sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Rhenna sat in the back of the room, thinking of ways to get back at Lily and Ash Lynn. She didn't want to get back at them just because of this morning but also for the night Lily had jumped on her. She had been left utterly embarrassed and half the Gryffindors talked about it for hours. Rhenna flushed slightly at the thought and then bit the tip of her quill in anger. After class, Rhenna met with Taran and Cleo and discussed her plan to get a certain Lily Evans back. Cleo seemed apprehensive about the entire idea and refused to join in.
"Why not?" Rhenna exclaimed, "Don't you want to get her back for this morning and the other night?"
"No! She did those things to you, not me. I have no reason to do any of this to her, it's down-right mean. I am not going to put a girl through torture and misery just because of something she did to you. You're friendship with me is not worth this," Cleo spat, as she walked back to the Gryffindor Tower.
"Just don't tell her!" Taran screamed after her. Cleo sighed, was Rhenna's hatred for Lily so intense she was willing to put Lily through such despair? Cleo fought with herself, was she to tell Lily or not? She didn't even know if the plan would work out, they would have to find it first.
At dinner, Cleo sat next to some fifth year girls and cautiously eyes Taran and Rhenna. Taran sat next Lily and Rhenna on the other side, Ash Lynn was upstairs finishing up a Charms essay and the Marauders were wandering aimlessly around the castle.
"So Lily," Taran began, "About this morning, I don't blame you for it. I'm sorry for ratting on you," she said. Rhenna slipped into Lily's bag and pulled out the one thing they needed for getting back at Lily.
Lily looked doubtfully at Taran and then quickly turned back towards Rhenna, who in turn, smiled falsely. Lily rolled her eyes, the smile she practiced to be perfect wasn't really perfect at all. The way she walked, talked and lived was polished to impress, but I'm not impressed at all, Lily thought.
After dinner, Taran and Rhenna ran to the library for a few moments of privacy. Searching for what they were looking for, they tried desperately to find it. They finally succeed, Rhenna smiled wickedly as she and Taran made their way back to the common room.
Lily and Ash Lynn played a game of Wizard's Chess when Ash had finished the essay. The Marauders, back from their escapades watched on, none of them glanced up when the portrait hole opened. Rhenna stood in the center of the common room and cleared her throat to get the attention of everyone present. The Marauders, Lily, and Ash Lynn looked up to see Rhenna, her eyes twinkling with iniquity. She wasn't going to prank Lily, she wasn't going to make fun of her, she wanted to make her life absolutely horrible. She wanted everyone to know about Lily's personal life and there was only one way that was possible.
It seemed as if the entire common room had fallen silent, the crackling of the fire seemed to be muted by some invisible force. Lily gasped slightly when she saw what Rhenna held in her hands. It seemed as if the silence was waiting with bated breath for what was to happen. Lily stood up but Taran held her back and Rhenna cleared her throat again, grinning wickedly.
'Is it possible for everything in one's life to go wrong, all at the same time? It seems that there's always someone more important, always a time when I miss out and I feel alone. Even when I'm surrounded by so many faces, I'm left in the dark. A vicious cycle that seems to persist, how many blows will I take before I collapse? When will I learn that friendship just wasn't meant for me? I'm suddenly aware that this sad song seems sadder and these sad words seem to suddenly make sense. I look past all of your fake smiles and realize I'm a part of your blur. I am a part of your dramatization of false identities. I see all of my mistakes reflected back at me, drilling a hole deeper into me. I sink deeper into my pain, into your lies that you surround our lives with. I'm drowning. Your faces are just a whirlwind of misleading accusations. No one knows it but I'm left behind again. I live the life I'm given, nothing to fake. Reading off scripts that play along with your act. Can't you see the harm of being not yourself? It's what you always do to fit in. You are all nothing but liars in your deceptive world of false happiness and deceit.'
"So, is that what you really think of us Lily? Liars?" Rhenna asked. Lily held back a sob and bolted up the stairs to the dormitory, flinging herself upon her bed. Sirius had to hold back James, who was desperately trying to grab a hold of Rhenna.
"Don't hurt a girl," Sirius whispered in James' ear, "I know you're upset but we can't do anything about this. It's between Lily and Rhenna."
"Whatever Rhenna was trying to accomplish, she sure as hell got Lily very upset," James growled. Remus walked towards Rhenna, his eyes burning with angry.
"I hope you are happy," he snapped, grabbing Lily's diary out of her clenched hand.
"Oh, but I am," Rhenna said happily. The Gryffindors all looked at Rhenna in disgust. How could a Gryffindor do something so horrible to another student? It just didn't make sense…
Ash Lynn had rushed upstairs after the fleeing figure of Lily. The door to the dorm was locked and Ash Lynn pounded on the door.
"Lily, Lily please open up!" Ash Lynn screamed. When Ash Lynn didn't hear Lily get up to open the door, she sighed in frustration and did the next thing that came to mind. "Alohomora," she muttered as she heard the door unlock. Ash Lynn walked over to the crying Lily and sat on her bed. She rubbed her back gently, "It's alright Lily, it's alright," she whispered. But Lily's sob did not cease and Ash Lynn glanced up when she heard the stairs turn into slides. A boy had tried to get into the dorm. She opened the door and saw a very confused looking Remus, lying in a heap on the floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know, I just wanted to return this," he said, holding up Lily's diary. He threw the diary up the stairs and Ash Lynn caught it. Locking the door behind her, she made her way back to Lily and laid her diary upon the desk next to her bed.
"It's alright, Lily, please stop crying," Ash Lynn pleaded, as she continued to rub her back. It seemed like an eternity, but Lily stopped crying and her breathing rhythm slowed to a steady pace, she had fallen asleep. 'I can't believe that Rhenna would push this that far. Just some harmless pranks led to something that would horribly scar a young girl's soul. Rhenna would pay.' Ash Lynn unlocked the door and made her way to the common room to talk to the Marauders.
"I really hate Rhenna, I just can't believe she would stoop so low!" James said angrily.
"I know! Oh, she will pay though. I can assure you of that," Ash Lynn said. Peter bit his bottom lip, not trusting what he would do. Inside he felt ecstatic, elated. Finally something to bring down that horrible girl. Her misery made him feel superior, knowing that he was perfectly normal and she was just some…freak.
The common room emptied and Ash Lynn wiped her eyes tiredly, staying with Lily had been tiring.
"Go to bed, Ash," Sirius said gently. Ash Lynn nodded and stumbled up the stairs, calling goodnight to the Marauders. She opened the door, glanced over at Lily's sleeping body and then towards Rhenna's. Her anger coursing through her veins, she'd get Rhenna back, no matter what it took, or how long it took, she would get her back. Pay back was bitter sweet.
The Marauders sat in the common room by the fire. Sirius was waiting for Ash Lynn to wake up and the other three did not want to go down to breakfast without him. James and Remus could not stop yawning, they too, were extremely exhausted after a night of cleaning a girls' lavatory.
"So what exactly did Humus and McGonagall have you do?" Peter asked, he was asleep when James and Remus returned.
James rolled his eyes, "They made us eat slugs and write lines," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Peter obviously didn't sense the cynicism, "Really?" he gasped in disbelief. Sirius roared with laughter but was cut short by a scream from the girl's dormitory.
"What was that?" Remus asked. The boys shrugged but they didn't have to wait long because a few seconds later, Lily and Ash Lynn came bolting down the stairs and through the portrait hole without saying a word to the boys. Staring back at the stairs that led to the girls' dormitories, they saw three girls walking down. Well, only two were actual girls. James fell to the floor, laughing hysterically. Cleo and Taran came down the stairs carrying Rhenna who seemed to have sprouted flippers for arms and a beak. Remus had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from laughing. Sirius was on the floor with James and Peter was against a wall, crying from amusement.
"Turn her back, now!" Taran said angrily to the Marauders.
"We…we…don't know…how," James said between laugh and gasped breath. Rhenna squawked and her two friends carried her through the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall, in search of a teacher. Entering the Great Hall, Ash Lynn snorted into her pumpkin juice and Lily held her bright red face behind a book. The rest of the school watched on in amusement as two girls carrying a girl with flippers and a beak made their way to the teacher's table. Lily glanced up and saw that Dumbledore was fighting the urge to laugh out loud. His eyes twinkled in enjoyment and Professor McGonagall looked furious.
"Did those pesky Marauders do this to you?" she almost screamed. Taran and Cleo shook their heads.
"No, professor, they did not."
Professor McGonagall appeared shocked and looked up when she heard the Marauders walking in, laughing hysterically.
"Are you positive?" she asked. The girls nodded.
"It was Ash Lynn Terell and Lily Evans!" Taran exclaimed.
"Impossible," McGonagall muttered. She glanced over at the two girls and saw they were deeply conversing, not a trace of hilarity in their eyes.
"They do not like the sort to pull this kind of prank," Professor Dumbledore intervened, "But why not ask them?"
Professor McGonagall made her way towards the Gryffindor table, the three girls behind her, looking very peeved.
"Ms. Evans, Ms. Terell. Can you explain this?" she said, waving her hand towards their roommates.
"No professor, we came down to breakfast before they woke up," Lily said innocently, "Before, we were down in the common room talking with the Marauders about our Potions essay. I'm not sure how this could have happened, maybe one of their wands backfired or something?" she suggested.
"Yes, yes. Very well," she said before transfiguring Rhenna back. "Now please eat your breakfast in silence and do not blame those who are innocent for crimes they did not commit," she said, her friendly tone a bit more angrier. The girls glared daggers at Ash Lynn and Lily and sat down at the far end of the table.
"That was bloody brilliant," Sirius exclaimed. Ash Lynn and Lily smiled.
"We had to get her back for giving Lily crap the other night, Lily came up with this brilliant idea. Good thing I'm so skilled at Transfiguration," she said winking at Lily. Lily laughed and James smiled. She was finally happy, even though the Marauders could not bring her out of her shell, he was glad someone else could.
Everyone's mood seemed to be lightened up by the prank Lily and Ash Lynn had pulled earlier that morning, everyone's mood except for three young Gryffindor girls. Sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Rhenna sat in the back of the room, thinking of ways to get back at Lily and Ash Lynn. She didn't want to get back at them just because of this morning but also for the night Lily had jumped on her. She had been left utterly embarrassed and half the Gryffindors talked about it for hours. Rhenna flushed slightly at the thought and then bit the tip of her quill in anger. After class, Rhenna met with Taran and Cleo and discussed her plan to get a certain Lily Evans back. Cleo seemed apprehensive about the entire idea and refused to join in.
"Why not?" Rhenna exclaimed, "Don't you want to get her back for this morning and the other night?"
"No! She did those things to you, not me. I have no reason to do any of this to her, it's down-right mean. I am not going to put a girl through torture and misery just because of something she did to you. You're friendship with me is not worth this," Cleo spat, as she walked back to the Gryffindor Tower.
"Just don't tell her!" Taran screamed after her. Cleo sighed, was Rhenna's hatred for Lily so intense she was willing to put Lily through such despair? Cleo fought with herself, was she to tell Lily or not? She didn't even know if the plan would work out, they would have to find it first.
At dinner, Cleo sat next to some fifth year girls and cautiously eyes Taran and Rhenna. Taran sat next Lily and Rhenna on the other side, Ash Lynn was upstairs finishing up a Charms essay and the Marauders were wandering aimlessly around the castle.
"So Lily," Taran began, "About this morning, I don't blame you for it. I'm sorry for ratting on you," she said. Rhenna slipped into Lily's bag and pulled out the one thing they needed for getting back at Lily.
Lily looked doubtfully at Taran and then quickly turned back towards Rhenna, who in turn, smiled falsely. Lily rolled her eyes, the smile she practiced to be perfect wasn't really perfect at all. The way she walked, talked and lived was polished to impress, but I'm not impressed at all, Lily thought.
After dinner, Taran and Rhenna ran to the library for a few moments of privacy. Searching for what they were looking for, they tried desperately to find it. They finally succeed, Rhenna smiled wickedly as she and Taran made their way back to the common room.
Lily and Ash Lynn played a game of Wizard's Chess when Ash had finished the essay. The Marauders, back from their escapades watched on, none of them glanced up when the portrait hole opened. Rhenna stood in the center of the common room and cleared her throat to get the attention of everyone present. The Marauders, Lily, and Ash Lynn looked up to see Rhenna, her eyes twinkling with iniquity. She wasn't going to prank Lily, she wasn't going to make fun of her, she wanted to make her life absolutely horrible. She wanted everyone to know about Lily's personal life and there was only one way that was possible.
It seemed as if the entire common room had fallen silent, the crackling of the fire seemed to be muted by some invisible force. Lily gasped slightly when she saw what Rhenna held in her hands. It seemed as if the silence was waiting with bated breath for what was to happen. Lily stood up but Taran held her back and Rhenna cleared her throat again, grinning wickedly.
'Is it possible for everything in one's life to go wrong, all at the same time? It seems that there's always someone more important, always a time when I miss out and I feel alone. Even when I'm surrounded by so many faces, I'm left in the dark. A vicious cycle that seems to persist, how many blows will I take before I collapse? When will I learn that friendship just wasn't meant for me? I'm suddenly aware that this sad song seems sadder and these sad words seem to suddenly make sense. I look past all of your fake smiles and realize I'm a part of your blur. I am a part of your dramatization of false identities. I see all of my mistakes reflected back at me, drilling a hole deeper into me. I sink deeper into my pain, into your lies that you surround our lives with. I'm drowning. Your faces are just a whirlwind of misleading accusations. No one knows it but I'm left behind again. I live the life I'm given, nothing to fake. Reading off scripts that play along with your act. Can't you see the harm of being not yourself? It's what you always do to fit in. You are all nothing but liars in your deceptive world of false happiness and deceit.'
"So, is that what you really think of us Lily? Liars?" Rhenna asked. Lily held back a sob and bolted up the stairs to the dormitory, flinging herself upon her bed. Sirius had to hold back James, who was desperately trying to grab a hold of Rhenna.
"Don't hurt a girl," Sirius whispered in James' ear, "I know you're upset but we can't do anything about this. It's between Lily and Rhenna."
"Whatever Rhenna was trying to accomplish, she sure as hell got Lily very upset," James growled. Remus walked towards Rhenna, his eyes burning with angry.
"I hope you are happy," he snapped, grabbing Lily's diary out of her clenched hand.
"Oh, but I am," Rhenna said happily. The Gryffindors all looked at Rhenna in disgust. How could a Gryffindor do something so horrible to another student? It just didn't make sense…
Ash Lynn had rushed upstairs after the fleeing figure of Lily. The door to the dorm was locked and Ash Lynn pounded on the door.
"Lily, Lily please open up!" Ash Lynn screamed. When Ash Lynn didn't hear Lily get up to open the door, she sighed in frustration and did the next thing that came to mind. "Alohomora," she muttered as she heard the door unlock. Ash Lynn walked over to the crying Lily and sat on her bed. She rubbed her back gently, "It's alright Lily, it's alright," she whispered. But Lily's sob did not cease and Ash Lynn glanced up when she heard the stairs turn into slides. A boy had tried to get into the dorm. She opened the door and saw a very confused looking Remus, lying in a heap on the floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know, I just wanted to return this," he said, holding up Lily's diary. He threw the diary up the stairs and Ash Lynn caught it. Locking the door behind her, she made her way back to Lily and laid her diary upon the desk next to her bed.
"It's alright, Lily, please stop crying," Ash Lynn pleaded, as she continued to rub her back. It seemed like an eternity, but Lily stopped crying and her breathing rhythm slowed to a steady pace, she had fallen asleep. 'I can't believe that Rhenna would push this that far. Just some harmless pranks led to something that would horribly scar a young girl's soul. Rhenna would pay.' Ash Lynn unlocked the door and made her way to the common room to talk to the Marauders.
"I really hate Rhenna, I just can't believe she would stoop so low!" James said angrily.
"I know! Oh, she will pay though. I can assure you of that," Ash Lynn said. Peter bit his bottom lip, not trusting what he would do. Inside he felt ecstatic, elated. Finally something to bring down that horrible girl. Her misery made him feel superior, knowing that he was perfectly normal and she was just some…freak.
The common room emptied and Ash Lynn wiped her eyes tiredly, staying with Lily had been tiring.
"Go to bed, Ash," Sirius said gently. Ash Lynn nodded and stumbled up the stairs, calling goodnight to the Marauders. She opened the door, glanced over at Lily's sleeping body and then towards Rhenna's. Her anger coursing through her veins, she'd get Rhenna back, no matter what it took, or how long it took, she would get her back. Pay back was bitter sweet.