Chapter 3
"Two words. 'Dig in.'"
Many voices throughout the Great Hall sounded 'Here, here!' Others just began to murmur and clank their silverware around on the tables. The first day back was surely going to be a good one.
"'Is 'eh 'um guh' 'ood!" Sirius tried to speak, though spraying bits and pieces of whatever was in his mouth all over the table. Hestia laughed. Lily shook her head.
"'ad'ut, 'oo 'olt!" James said, swallowed, and shoved another spoon full of mashed potatoes into his mouth. "'oo ar'n't 'upposuhd 'oo 'awk wiff 'ur mouf 'ull!"
Lily choked on a piece of chicken laughing. Hestia patted her on the back was suppressing giggles. Obviously, James meant to tell Sirius that he wasn't supposed to talk with his mouth full. He's being hypocritical, Lily thought, shaking her head and gulping down some pumpkin juice.
"Well, surely this year's to be better than the rest!" Hestia snorted. The four of them, unusual as it was, were having quite the time with themselves.
Lily dished out herself some pudding, but as it slid onto the plate it splattered all over the table as Peeves the Poltergeist knocked her spoon forward. Pudding went all over her face and clothes. With an angry expression, Lily cursed Peeves to the underworld so many times that everyone around just stared at her. As if it weren't the first time that day.
"What, do I have a sign that says 'Stare at me' tacked to my forehead?" She grumbled angrily.
Everyone just shook their heads quickly and went back to jabbering or shoveling food into their mouths. Lily huffed, pulling out her napkin to wipe off the mess. James sighed and waved his wand that he'd drawn from his pocket. Instantly, the goop that was pudding disappeared. Lily looked at him with a half smile.
"Thanks, James."
Sirius began going 'Ooooo!' at that point. Hestia nudged Lily, and James looked like his face might explode, with the redness they were getting. Lily, however questioning her expression was at that point, was laughing hard on the inside. It cracked her up, and boosted her ego at the same time, to see how she could embarrass the head prankster of Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry. At that time, the Headmaster stood, tapping his fork on his goblet to get the school's attention.
"And now, to introduce our Head Boy and Head Girl for this fine year at Hogwarts." He received applause for just that until he held up a hand. The students silenced. "Our Head Girl for this year, Lillian Evans."
Lily stood up and smiled brightly as the school clapped and cheered for her. She hadn't told her friends, but it was to be a surprise. Although they probably already knew she was destined for the position, she wished not to tell them. Peering around, Lily remained standing, as they were supposed to, and waited for the announcement of Head Boy.
"And Head Boy, James Potter."
The crowd silenced. Lily turned sharply, not facing the aisle any longer, and stared at the boy who had been sitting across from her as he stood. Sirius and Hestia gaped up at him. Lily just stood there, the word 'shock' written all over her face. She could see Remus as Head Boy. Maybe even Lucius Malfoy of Slytherin. But never James.
After the prolonged pause, the school erupted in another fit of applause, this time even louder than the one lily got. It must've been some surprise for them for that. Even as everyone went back to eating, Lily stared at James, her face showing another expression of confusion. How could that be?
"So, Prongs, how did you get to be Head Boy?" Sirius gaped at his friend still, trying to figure out his secret. "Did you do something to Moony? By the way, where is Moony?"
"Ah, he's down there talking to Emmaline," Hestia grinned, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the end of the table. Indeed, he was. Except 'talking' couldn't describe it. They were flirting, and everyone around them could tell.
"Wonder why he didn't get it? Head Boy, I mean," Sirius nodded down that way as the rest went back to eating.
"Probably because of his Gran, Padfoot," James gave Sirius a real serious look, no pun intended. Hestia raised and eyebrow while Lily mashed her potatoes more than they already were.
"Anyways, you know what this means," Hestia spoke, looking from Lily to James. "You two have to spend more time together doing things. Like decorating for Christmas and stuff."
Lily groaned and rolled her eyes. She was already going with Hestia's plan, so why should she be tortured this way. James was just nodding and staring absently past Lily. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she could see some Hufflepuff girl waving at James with a flirtatious look about her. Lily turned back towards them, her eye twitching.
"Something in your eye, Evans?" Sirius grinned. For that he received a menacing glare. "Sheesh, just asking . . ."
The rest of the feast went well, or without a joke about being Head whatever. Many younger Gryffindors came to congratulate Lily and James, but mainly James. They asked how he did it, but he just shook his head and shrugged. While that was going on, though, Lily whispered to Hestia.
"Hey, who's that girl over at the Hufflepuff table? The one with the brown pigtails?" Lily muttered for only Hestia to hear.
"That? Oh, that's Cessily Hues. She's possibly the flirtiest, prettiest, and the thickest girl at Hogwarts. She'll flirt with anyone, mind you. Even Snivelly over there." Hestia nodded towards the Slytherin table where a greasy headed boy sat. His hooked nose distorted his features, making him positively revolting. Lily shuddered.
"Then why is she after James?" Lily hissed under her breath.
Hestia turned slightly, looking at Cessily. Indeed, she was flirting with James. She would flip her pigtails every now and then and cast a glance in his direction with the most seductive smile anyone could ever imagine. James just stared right past Lily to the girl, it seemed.
"Ooh, Lily, don't mess with her. She's even more a bully than I am, and that's saying something," Hestia nodded, seeing the look of pure hatred written across Lily's face. Hestia could hurt someone really bad when she wanted to, and saying Cessily was worse was something any girl, or guy even, would fear. Lily clenched her teeth, the muscles tightening in her jaw. She wouldn't let that girl get James. Not on her watch. Or hourglass. Whichever they used in the Wizarding World.
Meanwhile, James was muttering his own problems to Sirius.
"God, what is up with Cessily?" James hissed in disgust. The looks that girl was giving him were sickening even to the thought.
"She's got something for you, Mate," Sirius said seriously.
"Yeah, well, you can tell her that I've got something. A few little dung bombs I could give to Amelia Bones to put in her bed if she doesn't stop looking at me like that!" James muttered furiously. He let a glare slip in the direction of Cessily and she immediately took that as a good sign. She even dared blow a kiss back at him! James, disgusted to the last point of his nerves, stood up.
"I'm going back to the Common Room. Everyone's going to leave in a few moments, anyways."
True enough, the Headmaster stood and dismissed the school to their house dormitories. The four of them, James, Sirius, Hestia and Lily, stayed together in the hallways. They hoped to get back to their houses without fuss from Slytherin students. Well, they got half of what they wanted.
"Jamesie! How are you?" A high-pitched girlish voice sounded from somewhere behind them. They all turned about swiftly.
Cessily Hues stood there, her eyes shining like she were talking to a movie star. The curls in her pigtails bounced half-elegantly on her shoulders. Her bright, almost baby blue eyes scanned over the crowd, landing on James. Lily would say she was sort of pretty, if it were not for the fact of her liking James.
"Hello, Cessily," James sounded dully.
The girl latched onto his right arm and hugged it tightly. James felt like his arm was going to fall off.
"Oh, do you still not have a girlfriend? If you don't, I'll volunteer!" Cessily said, batting her eyelashes up at the tall Quidditch player. James looked down, and only Sirius could tell that he wanted to puke.
"Oh, sorry dearie," Lily said, surprising them all. Cessily raised one of her over-plucked eyebrows. "He already has one."
"Oh yeah?" Cessily said shrilly. Standing straight, she put her hands on her hips. "And who, might I ask, would that be?"
"Me," Lily said coolly, taking hold of James's free hand. Her emerald eyes showed a hint of icy hatred in them.
"Humph. You. Wish." Cessily flipped her pigtails and stalked of to go with her group of jabbering friends. After they were out of sight, Lily let go of James's hand and stuffed her hands in her own pockets.
"The heck?" Sirius glanced at James, who seemed to ask the same question, only with his eyes.
Hestia shrugged mischievously to the boys. With a grin, she went to Lily and the two girls walked off up the moving staircases to Gryffindor Tower.
"What's gotten into her?" James said, rubbing the hand that Lily had held. Surely, he would never wash that hand again.
"Dunno, Mate," Sirius shrugged, but added with a grin.
"You'd think she was dropping hints or something."
"Two words. 'Dig in.'"
Many voices throughout the Great Hall sounded 'Here, here!' Others just began to murmur and clank their silverware around on the tables. The first day back was surely going to be a good one.
"'Is 'eh 'um guh' 'ood!" Sirius tried to speak, though spraying bits and pieces of whatever was in his mouth all over the table. Hestia laughed. Lily shook her head.
"'ad'ut, 'oo 'olt!" James said, swallowed, and shoved another spoon full of mashed potatoes into his mouth. "'oo ar'n't 'upposuhd 'oo 'awk wiff 'ur mouf 'ull!"
Lily choked on a piece of chicken laughing. Hestia patted her on the back was suppressing giggles. Obviously, James meant to tell Sirius that he wasn't supposed to talk with his mouth full. He's being hypocritical, Lily thought, shaking her head and gulping down some pumpkin juice.
"Well, surely this year's to be better than the rest!" Hestia snorted. The four of them, unusual as it was, were having quite the time with themselves.
Lily dished out herself some pudding, but as it slid onto the plate it splattered all over the table as Peeves the Poltergeist knocked her spoon forward. Pudding went all over her face and clothes. With an angry expression, Lily cursed Peeves to the underworld so many times that everyone around just stared at her. As if it weren't the first time that day.
"What, do I have a sign that says 'Stare at me' tacked to my forehead?" She grumbled angrily.
Everyone just shook their heads quickly and went back to jabbering or shoveling food into their mouths. Lily huffed, pulling out her napkin to wipe off the mess. James sighed and waved his wand that he'd drawn from his pocket. Instantly, the goop that was pudding disappeared. Lily looked at him with a half smile.
"Thanks, James."
Sirius began going 'Ooooo!' at that point. Hestia nudged Lily, and James looked like his face might explode, with the redness they were getting. Lily, however questioning her expression was at that point, was laughing hard on the inside. It cracked her up, and boosted her ego at the same time, to see how she could embarrass the head prankster of Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry. At that time, the Headmaster stood, tapping his fork on his goblet to get the school's attention.
"And now, to introduce our Head Boy and Head Girl for this fine year at Hogwarts." He received applause for just that until he held up a hand. The students silenced. "Our Head Girl for this year, Lillian Evans."
Lily stood up and smiled brightly as the school clapped and cheered for her. She hadn't told her friends, but it was to be a surprise. Although they probably already knew she was destined for the position, she wished not to tell them. Peering around, Lily remained standing, as they were supposed to, and waited for the announcement of Head Boy.
"And Head Boy, James Potter."
The crowd silenced. Lily turned sharply, not facing the aisle any longer, and stared at the boy who had been sitting across from her as he stood. Sirius and Hestia gaped up at him. Lily just stood there, the word 'shock' written all over her face. She could see Remus as Head Boy. Maybe even Lucius Malfoy of Slytherin. But never James.
After the prolonged pause, the school erupted in another fit of applause, this time even louder than the one lily got. It must've been some surprise for them for that. Even as everyone went back to eating, Lily stared at James, her face showing another expression of confusion. How could that be?
"So, Prongs, how did you get to be Head Boy?" Sirius gaped at his friend still, trying to figure out his secret. "Did you do something to Moony? By the way, where is Moony?"
"Ah, he's down there talking to Emmaline," Hestia grinned, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the end of the table. Indeed, he was. Except 'talking' couldn't describe it. They were flirting, and everyone around them could tell.
"Wonder why he didn't get it? Head Boy, I mean," Sirius nodded down that way as the rest went back to eating.
"Probably because of his Gran, Padfoot," James gave Sirius a real serious look, no pun intended. Hestia raised and eyebrow while Lily mashed her potatoes more than they already were.
"Anyways, you know what this means," Hestia spoke, looking from Lily to James. "You two have to spend more time together doing things. Like decorating for Christmas and stuff."
Lily groaned and rolled her eyes. She was already going with Hestia's plan, so why should she be tortured this way. James was just nodding and staring absently past Lily. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she could see some Hufflepuff girl waving at James with a flirtatious look about her. Lily turned back towards them, her eye twitching.
"Something in your eye, Evans?" Sirius grinned. For that he received a menacing glare. "Sheesh, just asking . . ."
The rest of the feast went well, or without a joke about being Head whatever. Many younger Gryffindors came to congratulate Lily and James, but mainly James. They asked how he did it, but he just shook his head and shrugged. While that was going on, though, Lily whispered to Hestia.
"Hey, who's that girl over at the Hufflepuff table? The one with the brown pigtails?" Lily muttered for only Hestia to hear.
"That? Oh, that's Cessily Hues. She's possibly the flirtiest, prettiest, and the thickest girl at Hogwarts. She'll flirt with anyone, mind you. Even Snivelly over there." Hestia nodded towards the Slytherin table where a greasy headed boy sat. His hooked nose distorted his features, making him positively revolting. Lily shuddered.
"Then why is she after James?" Lily hissed under her breath.
Hestia turned slightly, looking at Cessily. Indeed, she was flirting with James. She would flip her pigtails every now and then and cast a glance in his direction with the most seductive smile anyone could ever imagine. James just stared right past Lily to the girl, it seemed.
"Ooh, Lily, don't mess with her. She's even more a bully than I am, and that's saying something," Hestia nodded, seeing the look of pure hatred written across Lily's face. Hestia could hurt someone really bad when she wanted to, and saying Cessily was worse was something any girl, or guy even, would fear. Lily clenched her teeth, the muscles tightening in her jaw. She wouldn't let that girl get James. Not on her watch. Or hourglass. Whichever they used in the Wizarding World.
Meanwhile, James was muttering his own problems to Sirius.
"God, what is up with Cessily?" James hissed in disgust. The looks that girl was giving him were sickening even to the thought.
"She's got something for you, Mate," Sirius said seriously.
"Yeah, well, you can tell her that I've got something. A few little dung bombs I could give to Amelia Bones to put in her bed if she doesn't stop looking at me like that!" James muttered furiously. He let a glare slip in the direction of Cessily and she immediately took that as a good sign. She even dared blow a kiss back at him! James, disgusted to the last point of his nerves, stood up.
"I'm going back to the Common Room. Everyone's going to leave in a few moments, anyways."
True enough, the Headmaster stood and dismissed the school to their house dormitories. The four of them, James, Sirius, Hestia and Lily, stayed together in the hallways. They hoped to get back to their houses without fuss from Slytherin students. Well, they got half of what they wanted.
"Jamesie! How are you?" A high-pitched girlish voice sounded from somewhere behind them. They all turned about swiftly.
Cessily Hues stood there, her eyes shining like she were talking to a movie star. The curls in her pigtails bounced half-elegantly on her shoulders. Her bright, almost baby blue eyes scanned over the crowd, landing on James. Lily would say she was sort of pretty, if it were not for the fact of her liking James.
"Hello, Cessily," James sounded dully.
The girl latched onto his right arm and hugged it tightly. James felt like his arm was going to fall off.
"Oh, do you still not have a girlfriend? If you don't, I'll volunteer!" Cessily said, batting her eyelashes up at the tall Quidditch player. James looked down, and only Sirius could tell that he wanted to puke.
"Oh, sorry dearie," Lily said, surprising them all. Cessily raised one of her over-plucked eyebrows. "He already has one."
"Oh yeah?" Cessily said shrilly. Standing straight, she put her hands on her hips. "And who, might I ask, would that be?"
"Me," Lily said coolly, taking hold of James's free hand. Her emerald eyes showed a hint of icy hatred in them.
"Humph. You. Wish." Cessily flipped her pigtails and stalked of to go with her group of jabbering friends. After they were out of sight, Lily let go of James's hand and stuffed her hands in her own pockets.
"The heck?" Sirius glanced at James, who seemed to ask the same question, only with his eyes.
Hestia shrugged mischievously to the boys. With a grin, she went to Lily and the two girls walked off up the moving staircases to Gryffindor Tower.
"What's gotten into her?" James said, rubbing the hand that Lily had held. Surely, he would never wash that hand again.
"Dunno, Mate," Sirius shrugged, but added with a grin.
"You'd think she was dropping hints or something."