Living In Legend
Book 2- The Price of Glory
Chapter 11- Romance and Reactions
With all of the Marauders thoroughly exhausted from their numerous extracurricular pursuits, Lily and her friends found themselves enjoying a peaceful week.
Lily had been spending more and more time with Bellatrix. The two of them had become almost inseparable in their dislike of the Marauders.
One afternoon, Bellatrix and Lily were sitting down by the lake and enjoying autumns few retreating gleams of sunlight.
Bellatrix had been slyly warming up Lily with sly compliments and false sympathy when she sprung a sudden question.
"Lily, have you ever had a boyfriend?" She asked in a strange tone.
Lily blushed, her perspective of the opposite sex had only just begun to change. She still despised the majority of the boys she met.
"Well, no, not exactly," Lily answered shyly.
Bellatrix smiled coyly, "Well, why ever not?"
"I don't know. All of the boys in our year are so immature and annoying. Why would I want one of them for a boyfriend? That would be ridiculous. We hate them!" Lily exclaimed.
"Yes, well, there are other boys out there then the ones in our year. Real boys, older boys," Bellatrix coaxed.
"I suppose so," Lily sighed, not really caring much for the topic of conversation. Her only romantic experience had involved her secret admirer, and as it turned out he had actually been trying to kill her. It was not exactly a happy memory.
"And I," Bellatrix continued, "know a secret."
Lily raised here eyebrows, suddenly curious.
"What secret?" she asked eagerly.
Bellatrix averted her eyes. "I am not supposed to tell you, but I know someone who fancies you quite a bit. I believe he said that you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen!"
"Who?" Lily asked impatiently.
"Well, I can't tell you!" Bellatrix said indignantly.
"Oh, please! You cannot tell me so much and not give me a name to work with!" Lily yelled.
Bellatrix raised a finger. "Calm down, I will tell you, but you cannot tell a soul that I did."
"I promise not to tell."
Leaning forward, Bellatrix whispered the name in Lily's ear.
"Oliver Crabbe!" Lily screamed.
Bellatrix promptly hushed her, looking about nervously to make sure that none had overheard.
"But he is a Slytherin, and a fifth year!" Lily protested.
"I am a Slytherin too, what is wrong with that? Anyway, older is better, trust me. Oliver is cute, and so mature. He likes you a lot," Bellatrix encouraged her quietly.
"I have never even talked to him. I only know who he is because I have seen in at mealtimes and in the halls. How can he like me?" Lily questioned skeptically.
Bellatrix patted Lily's shoulder reassuringly. "Darling, boys do not like girls because they know them. Boys like girls because of their looks. He thinks you are pretty. That is all there is to it."
Lily nodded, puzzled but flattered.
The Marauders finished up their detentions at the end of the week and were very exhausted. James and Sirius were the most haggard of the group, for in addition to staying up late for their detentions, they had been rising early to go to their morning practices with Roderick. Several times they had not slept at all. The two Quidditch players were extremely happy that they would be able to join the rest of the team for their regular evening practices. Still, both boys had gained increased respect for Roderick, who had subjected himself to the early hours during their detentions as well.
The pressure was increased for them also, because their first Quidditch game was to take place within a matter of days. Though neither boy would admit it, both were terrified about their first time in a real match. They had both grown up on brooms, and thanks to the Potter family had the best that money could buy, but everything was uncertain until the first match came about.
The match was against Hufflepuff, and as such Roderick was not too worried, having seen the team practice. He still insisted on double practices to make sure that all the team members were ready for the first game.
Sirius and James both excelled at most aspects of practice. Their beater skills were getting better all the time. With Roderick's expertise, they were able to perfect things they never had even practiced before.
Sirius still had troubles with Roderick's agility drills. It was very common for him to crash into poles and people in many of the new captain's confusing exercises. Still, Roderick insisted that Sirius was in the perfect position, because beaters could get by often on brute strength alone. Sirius had good aim with a bludger as well, so he was a double threat.
James found that while he could make a bludger find it's target with ease, his strokes were not a powerful as his friends. He was more adept at positioning himself perfectly.
Either way, it was not the beaters that Roderick worried about. Every person on the team was doing wonderfully, except the new seeker.
As there had been no outstanding candidates for the seeker position at tryouts, the spot had gone to a fifth year boy named Scottie Weathershot. Scottie was, delicately put, a bit over his ideal weight. He was also not exactly in the best athletic condition, and to top it off it was seeming that his eyesight was nothing to be bragged about either.
Throughout all of the practices since tryouts, each day the snitch had been released. Scottie had failed to catch it even once. Every time Roderick had been forced to go after it himself, sometimes even using a spell to retrieve it.
One of the chasers, a new girl named Molly, was extraordinary, however. Louis Armand, the other chaser was, though not wonderful, pretty good. Roderick was counting on the chasers to score many points with the quaffle. He himself, along with Sirius and James would try to keep Hufflepuff from scoring any points of their own.
Practices grew in intensity as the game approached and all of the team members began to see Roderick's aggressive side.
"We cannot lose our first game!" he would exclaim quite often, with a threatening tone.
"Great, that does not add any pressure at all," James would answer sarcastically.
"I really don't know about this, Bella," Lily protested. "He is too old for me and I've never really even met him!"
"Nonsense Lily, he really likes you! Anyway, it is not like you have any other boys after you. A girl has to take what she can get. Trust me, he is the best that you can do." Bellatrix urged. "Now hold still so I can finish your hair. You date is in three hours and I want you to look good!"
Lily could feel the butterflies mounting in her stomach. When Bellatrix had announced that she had set up a date between Lily and Oliver for the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, Lily had been excited to go. Bellatrix promised that Oliver knew a way to sneak Lily into the village.
Now, with the date only hours away, Lily was feeling very nervous. She was supposed to meet him near the statue of Gregory the Smarmy on the third floor.
When Bellatrix was satisfied with Lily's appearance, she returned to common room, leaving Lily to ponder herself in the mirror.
She looked a whole different person, with her hair restored to it's ordinary length and arranged in an elegant up do. Bellatrix had given Lily a potion from her mother that grew hair in a short period of time. Four hours after drinking the foul concoction, Lily's hair problems had been solved. She wore the same robes, but for the first time in her life she was wearing makeup. What remained of her bruised nose had been covered beneath layers of Bellatrix's foundation.
Lily touched her hair delicately over and over again, hardly convinced that it was really back. It was as if her ongoing nightmare had finally ended.
Jackie walked into the dorm in time to see Lily admiring herself.
"Oh honey, your hair is back!" Jackie rejoiced happily, touching Lily's curls gingerly.
"Yes, Bellatrix gave me a potion to restore it. She said that I couldn't look so scrappy for my date," Lily explained happily.
"You have a date?" Jackie gushed enthusiastically.
Lily nodded. "Bellatrix set me up with Oliver Crabbe. He is going to sneak me into Hogsmeade, since I am too young to go."
"Oliver Crabbe?" Jackie asked warily. "He is cute enough, but he is a fifth year! Too old for you!"
Lily shrugged. "Bellatrix said that older is better."
"Oh, listen to you," Jackie sneered suddenly. "Bellatrix said this, Bellatrix said that! I do not trust that girl an inch. If I were you I would not go on this date. You can do better than a Slytherin, honey."
"Jackie! You are just jealous! How dare you say such a thing? Bellatrix is a very nice girl, she has done nothing but nice things to you. You have no right to judge people based on their house!" Lily cried, offended.
"I am not judging her based on her house, but based on herself. She does strange things sometimes. Like when Nymphadora punched you, back on the train, she smiled! Does that sound like something a friend would do?" Jackie retorted.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous Jackie! I can't believe you would talk about her behind her back like this. She would never say anything bad about you! I do not want to talk with you anymore if all you are going to do is insult Bellatrix," Lily answered, walking towards the door.
"Wait Lily," Jackie called, "I'm sorry. I am not trying to insult her but… just be careful! Okay?"
Lily reached the statue five minutes early. It was not exactly her nature to be late for anything.
Oliver, on the other hand, arrived at the destination ten minutes late. Lily did not really notice. She was distracted by the fact that he towered over her so much. It seemed sort of strange to be going on her first date with someone who was at least a foot taller than her.
"Lily, you look good, just like a lily," Oliver said intelligently with a clumsy laugh.
Lily blushed and blurted out a quick thanks.
"So, how exactly are we going to get to Hogsmeade?" Lily asked skeptically.
Oliver smiled and tapped Gregory the Smarmy in the nose with his wand. Instantly the statue swung around to reveal an opening in the floor.
"Dive in, Lily the lily!" He called happily, pointing towards the hole.
Timidly, Lily approached the opening and gingerly lowered herself into it, wishing that he had volunteered to go first into the mysterious darkness below.
The journey lasted about twenty minutes. During the walk Oliver entertained her with such witty comments as, "I drank four gallons of milk once, then I threw up."
By the time they actually entered daylight, Lily had to admit to herself that Oliver's repertoire was not very impressive. She was only twelve years old, but could easily consider herself more witty than he.
"Where are we going?" Lily finally asked.
"I am taking you on a date," Oliver answered wisely.
"Yes, but I mean where?" she laughed.
Oliver looked puzzled and Lily realized that he had not meant the comment as a joke.
"On a date," he repeated earnestly.
Lily nodded and decided it best not to ask again. Instead she walked in silence letting him dominate the conversation with his astute comments.
The destination question was solved when he led her into the joke shop.
Lily turned up her nose. The place reminded her of James and the other Marauders. Somehow the situation did not seem at all romantic. Still, Bellatrix's voice reverberated in the back of her head. "He is the best you can do!" Lily shrugged and tried to convince herself that Oliver was being romantic.
That illusion was quickly shattered when he released a dung bomb right under her nose and then burst into uncontrollable laughter. Lily coughed and stepped back in disgust.
Lily felt like the date could not get any worse, when through the door waltzed James, Sirius, Remus and Peter.
James froze in the doorway and stared at Lily in consternation.
"Could you stare any harder," Lily hissed.
James shook his head, "Lily, I have never seen you looking so… Wow! Your hair is back!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Why are you here? Second years cannot come to Hogsmeade."
James shrugged. We are Marauders, remember? We have our ways. The real question is what is a loser like you doing here? You never could have figured it out yourself."
Lily was spared the task of answering when Oliver waddled over and thrust himself between them. "Let's go get some butterbeer. I'll pay."
"Yes, let's get out of here now!" Lily replied.
Then she turned to James. "For your information, I am here on a date."
Sirius laughed and made numerous jokes with this new information, but James simply shook his head in wonder, staring at the familiar redhead as she disappeared in the distance. She looked so different next to the hulking fifth year.
"What a stupid bloke! We ought to pull something on him next!" James exclaimed to the other Marauders.
Remus cocked his head in surprise. "Who, Crabbe?"
"Yes Crabbe!" James yelled a bit too loudly. "What does Lily think she is doing hanging out with all of those Slytherins?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Don't get so worked up, mate. People are starting to stare at you. You're beginning to take the attention away from me!"
Book 2- The Price of Glory
Chapter 11- Romance and Reactions
With all of the Marauders thoroughly exhausted from their numerous extracurricular pursuits, Lily and her friends found themselves enjoying a peaceful week.
Lily had been spending more and more time with Bellatrix. The two of them had become almost inseparable in their dislike of the Marauders.
One afternoon, Bellatrix and Lily were sitting down by the lake and enjoying autumns few retreating gleams of sunlight.
Bellatrix had been slyly warming up Lily with sly compliments and false sympathy when she sprung a sudden question.
"Lily, have you ever had a boyfriend?" She asked in a strange tone.
Lily blushed, her perspective of the opposite sex had only just begun to change. She still despised the majority of the boys she met.
"Well, no, not exactly," Lily answered shyly.
Bellatrix smiled coyly, "Well, why ever not?"
"I don't know. All of the boys in our year are so immature and annoying. Why would I want one of them for a boyfriend? That would be ridiculous. We hate them!" Lily exclaimed.
"Yes, well, there are other boys out there then the ones in our year. Real boys, older boys," Bellatrix coaxed.
"I suppose so," Lily sighed, not really caring much for the topic of conversation. Her only romantic experience had involved her secret admirer, and as it turned out he had actually been trying to kill her. It was not exactly a happy memory.
"And I," Bellatrix continued, "know a secret."
Lily raised here eyebrows, suddenly curious.
"What secret?" she asked eagerly.
Bellatrix averted her eyes. "I am not supposed to tell you, but I know someone who fancies you quite a bit. I believe he said that you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen!"
"Who?" Lily asked impatiently.
"Well, I can't tell you!" Bellatrix said indignantly.
"Oh, please! You cannot tell me so much and not give me a name to work with!" Lily yelled.
Bellatrix raised a finger. "Calm down, I will tell you, but you cannot tell a soul that I did."
"I promise not to tell."
Leaning forward, Bellatrix whispered the name in Lily's ear.
"Oliver Crabbe!" Lily screamed.
Bellatrix promptly hushed her, looking about nervously to make sure that none had overheard.
"But he is a Slytherin, and a fifth year!" Lily protested.
"I am a Slytherin too, what is wrong with that? Anyway, older is better, trust me. Oliver is cute, and so mature. He likes you a lot," Bellatrix encouraged her quietly.
"I have never even talked to him. I only know who he is because I have seen in at mealtimes and in the halls. How can he like me?" Lily questioned skeptically.
Bellatrix patted Lily's shoulder reassuringly. "Darling, boys do not like girls because they know them. Boys like girls because of their looks. He thinks you are pretty. That is all there is to it."
Lily nodded, puzzled but flattered.
The Marauders finished up their detentions at the end of the week and were very exhausted. James and Sirius were the most haggard of the group, for in addition to staying up late for their detentions, they had been rising early to go to their morning practices with Roderick. Several times they had not slept at all. The two Quidditch players were extremely happy that they would be able to join the rest of the team for their regular evening practices. Still, both boys had gained increased respect for Roderick, who had subjected himself to the early hours during their detentions as well.
The pressure was increased for them also, because their first Quidditch game was to take place within a matter of days. Though neither boy would admit it, both were terrified about their first time in a real match. They had both grown up on brooms, and thanks to the Potter family had the best that money could buy, but everything was uncertain until the first match came about.
The match was against Hufflepuff, and as such Roderick was not too worried, having seen the team practice. He still insisted on double practices to make sure that all the team members were ready for the first game.
Sirius and James both excelled at most aspects of practice. Their beater skills were getting better all the time. With Roderick's expertise, they were able to perfect things they never had even practiced before.
Sirius still had troubles with Roderick's agility drills. It was very common for him to crash into poles and people in many of the new captain's confusing exercises. Still, Roderick insisted that Sirius was in the perfect position, because beaters could get by often on brute strength alone. Sirius had good aim with a bludger as well, so he was a double threat.
James found that while he could make a bludger find it's target with ease, his strokes were not a powerful as his friends. He was more adept at positioning himself perfectly.
Either way, it was not the beaters that Roderick worried about. Every person on the team was doing wonderfully, except the new seeker.
As there had been no outstanding candidates for the seeker position at tryouts, the spot had gone to a fifth year boy named Scottie Weathershot. Scottie was, delicately put, a bit over his ideal weight. He was also not exactly in the best athletic condition, and to top it off it was seeming that his eyesight was nothing to be bragged about either.
Throughout all of the practices since tryouts, each day the snitch had been released. Scottie had failed to catch it even once. Every time Roderick had been forced to go after it himself, sometimes even using a spell to retrieve it.
One of the chasers, a new girl named Molly, was extraordinary, however. Louis Armand, the other chaser was, though not wonderful, pretty good. Roderick was counting on the chasers to score many points with the quaffle. He himself, along with Sirius and James would try to keep Hufflepuff from scoring any points of their own.
Practices grew in intensity as the game approached and all of the team members began to see Roderick's aggressive side.
"We cannot lose our first game!" he would exclaim quite often, with a threatening tone.
"Great, that does not add any pressure at all," James would answer sarcastically.
"I really don't know about this, Bella," Lily protested. "He is too old for me and I've never really even met him!"
"Nonsense Lily, he really likes you! Anyway, it is not like you have any other boys after you. A girl has to take what she can get. Trust me, he is the best that you can do." Bellatrix urged. "Now hold still so I can finish your hair. You date is in three hours and I want you to look good!"
Lily could feel the butterflies mounting in her stomach. When Bellatrix had announced that she had set up a date between Lily and Oliver for the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, Lily had been excited to go. Bellatrix promised that Oliver knew a way to sneak Lily into the village.
Now, with the date only hours away, Lily was feeling very nervous. She was supposed to meet him near the statue of Gregory the Smarmy on the third floor.
When Bellatrix was satisfied with Lily's appearance, she returned to common room, leaving Lily to ponder herself in the mirror.
She looked a whole different person, with her hair restored to it's ordinary length and arranged in an elegant up do. Bellatrix had given Lily a potion from her mother that grew hair in a short period of time. Four hours after drinking the foul concoction, Lily's hair problems had been solved. She wore the same robes, but for the first time in her life she was wearing makeup. What remained of her bruised nose had been covered beneath layers of Bellatrix's foundation.
Lily touched her hair delicately over and over again, hardly convinced that it was really back. It was as if her ongoing nightmare had finally ended.
Jackie walked into the dorm in time to see Lily admiring herself.
"Oh honey, your hair is back!" Jackie rejoiced happily, touching Lily's curls gingerly.
"Yes, Bellatrix gave me a potion to restore it. She said that I couldn't look so scrappy for my date," Lily explained happily.
"You have a date?" Jackie gushed enthusiastically.
Lily nodded. "Bellatrix set me up with Oliver Crabbe. He is going to sneak me into Hogsmeade, since I am too young to go."
"Oliver Crabbe?" Jackie asked warily. "He is cute enough, but he is a fifth year! Too old for you!"
Lily shrugged. "Bellatrix said that older is better."
"Oh, listen to you," Jackie sneered suddenly. "Bellatrix said this, Bellatrix said that! I do not trust that girl an inch. If I were you I would not go on this date. You can do better than a Slytherin, honey."
"Jackie! You are just jealous! How dare you say such a thing? Bellatrix is a very nice girl, she has done nothing but nice things to you. You have no right to judge people based on their house!" Lily cried, offended.
"I am not judging her based on her house, but based on herself. She does strange things sometimes. Like when Nymphadora punched you, back on the train, she smiled! Does that sound like something a friend would do?" Jackie retorted.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous Jackie! I can't believe you would talk about her behind her back like this. She would never say anything bad about you! I do not want to talk with you anymore if all you are going to do is insult Bellatrix," Lily answered, walking towards the door.
"Wait Lily," Jackie called, "I'm sorry. I am not trying to insult her but… just be careful! Okay?"
Lily reached the statue five minutes early. It was not exactly her nature to be late for anything.
Oliver, on the other hand, arrived at the destination ten minutes late. Lily did not really notice. She was distracted by the fact that he towered over her so much. It seemed sort of strange to be going on her first date with someone who was at least a foot taller than her.
"Lily, you look good, just like a lily," Oliver said intelligently with a clumsy laugh.
Lily blushed and blurted out a quick thanks.
"So, how exactly are we going to get to Hogsmeade?" Lily asked skeptically.
Oliver smiled and tapped Gregory the Smarmy in the nose with his wand. Instantly the statue swung around to reveal an opening in the floor.
"Dive in, Lily the lily!" He called happily, pointing towards the hole.
Timidly, Lily approached the opening and gingerly lowered herself into it, wishing that he had volunteered to go first into the mysterious darkness below.
The journey lasted about twenty minutes. During the walk Oliver entertained her with such witty comments as, "I drank four gallons of milk once, then I threw up."
By the time they actually entered daylight, Lily had to admit to herself that Oliver's repertoire was not very impressive. She was only twelve years old, but could easily consider herself more witty than he.
"Where are we going?" Lily finally asked.
"I am taking you on a date," Oliver answered wisely.
"Yes, but I mean where?" she laughed.
Oliver looked puzzled and Lily realized that he had not meant the comment as a joke.
"On a date," he repeated earnestly.
Lily nodded and decided it best not to ask again. Instead she walked in silence letting him dominate the conversation with his astute comments.
The destination question was solved when he led her into the joke shop.
Lily turned up her nose. The place reminded her of James and the other Marauders. Somehow the situation did not seem at all romantic. Still, Bellatrix's voice reverberated in the back of her head. "He is the best you can do!" Lily shrugged and tried to convince herself that Oliver was being romantic.
That illusion was quickly shattered when he released a dung bomb right under her nose and then burst into uncontrollable laughter. Lily coughed and stepped back in disgust.
Lily felt like the date could not get any worse, when through the door waltzed James, Sirius, Remus and Peter.
James froze in the doorway and stared at Lily in consternation.
"Could you stare any harder," Lily hissed.
James shook his head, "Lily, I have never seen you looking so… Wow! Your hair is back!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Why are you here? Second years cannot come to Hogsmeade."
James shrugged. We are Marauders, remember? We have our ways. The real question is what is a loser like you doing here? You never could have figured it out yourself."
Lily was spared the task of answering when Oliver waddled over and thrust himself between them. "Let's go get some butterbeer. I'll pay."
"Yes, let's get out of here now!" Lily replied.
Then she turned to James. "For your information, I am here on a date."
Sirius laughed and made numerous jokes with this new information, but James simply shook his head in wonder, staring at the familiar redhead as she disappeared in the distance. She looked so different next to the hulking fifth year.
"What a stupid bloke! We ought to pull something on him next!" James exclaimed to the other Marauders.
Remus cocked his head in surprise. "Who, Crabbe?"
"Yes Crabbe!" James yelled a bit too loudly. "What does Lily think she is doing hanging out with all of those Slytherins?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Don't get so worked up, mate. People are starting to stare at you. You're beginning to take the attention away from me!"