Chapter 6
"Alright there, Evans?"
"Oh, shut up, James."
The Gryffindor Common Room, usually in its maroons and golds, now bore Halloween colors: a dark orange and black. Small pumpkins floated in the air here and there, bumping into others occasionally. Lily stood on an armchair, trying to put up a banner by hand. 'Happy Halloween,' it said. James stood and watched in amusement as she struggled to keep her balance on the back of the chair.
"D'you need some – Watch out!"
Lily's heel caught the end of the chair as she stood up on her toes. Unfortunately, the chair became top heavy and tipped backwards, spilling Lily off of it. James stepped quickly over there and caught her. But again, top heaviness took over and James and Lily fell to the floor, Lily on top.
"What an embarrassing position, don't you think, Hestia?"
"I do believe you're right, Sirius."
The two looked up to see Sirius and Hestia standing above them, shaking their heads. Lily scrambled to her feet, blushing a deep crimson to the roots of her hair. James stood up, rubbing the back of his head.
"Lily fell. I caught her . . ." James began to explain, but was cut off by Hestia.
"Oh, wow! You two did this?" Hestia motioned to the decorations. Lily and James nodded. "If this is the least of it, I can't wait to see the Great Hall!"
"Ah, no, Hestia. You'll only see it at dinner. It's not going to be up during lunch," Lily nodded, looking to James, who nodded soon afterwards.
"Boo!" Sirius and Hestia hissed together. Then, laughing, the two of them went off.
"Guess we should get going?" James said.
Nodding, Lily replied. "Yeah, I guess so. And James?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for catching me.
A few hours later, James and Lily were on their way to the Great Hall. Lunch had passed, and dinner was coming up. They wanted to check to see if the teachers were doing the decorations exactly right. They didn't want anything messed up, of course.
"Well, well, well. Mrs. Potter." A cold hiss came from behind them. Lily turned sharply to stare into coal black eyes.
"Snivellus," James growled, reaching for his pocket.
The hook-nosed boy of Slytherin with the greasy hair stood in front of them. A smirk was drawn across his icy lips.
"So, Potter, decided to wed this Mudblood yet?"
"Take it back! NOW!" James nearly threw himself at Snape, if it weren't for Lily holding him back. He would've succeeded in ripping his face off if Lily weren't so damn strong.
"How about . . .No?"
"Go wash your grease, Snivelly," James spat, pulling out his wand. A bucket of water dumped over Snape's hair, drenching it. Lily glared.
"James Potter!"
"He deserves it, Lily!" James pointed a finger, but when he turned around, Snape had left. James, infuriated, huffed and glared around.
"Whether he deserved it or not, you're still an arrogant git!" Lily fumed, not caring any more about her little plans. She'd told him not to do anything by holding him back. She could've sworn he'd agreed with her. Obviously he didn't.
Lily stalked off into the Great Hall to see the decorations. They were going as planned. Sighing, she went back out, figuring she should apologize to James for that little outburst. He wasn't a git. Never in a million years could she think that way about him. But as she exited the hall, she saw no James. With a questioning look, Lily went to the Common Room. Hestia and Sirius were sitting there, enjoying the silence.
"Sorry to interrupt what ever, but have either of you seen James?" Lily questioned, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Sorry, Lily. Haven't seen him since you two left." Hestia shook her head. Sirius did the same. "Same for me."
Stomping her foot and letting out a frustrated sigh, Lily stalked out of the Common Room. Where could he be?
"Looking for someone, Lily?" A soft voice asked.
"Oh, hello, Emmaline. Remus." Lily nodded to the both. "Yes, in fact, I am. Have you two seen James?" Remus shook his head, but Emmaline nodded.
"Yeah, he was on the third floor. He was muttering to himself about something," She nodded.
"Thank you so very much, Emma," Lily thanked her graciously, and then bound down the staircase.
Once or twice on her way down from the seventh floor, Lily encountered a moving stairway. They were always changing their minds. It took almost forever, but Lily finally reached the third floor. Desperate now, Lily searched every corner, room, and hallway. It was only on the last one that she found something. And she felt sick.
"Oh, Jamesie!"
"C'mon, Cessily. We'll go somewhere quiet."
Lily's eyes filled with tears of sorrow. Tears of sadness. And tears of anger. She would never speak to James again.
Never.
"Alright there, Evans?"
"Oh, shut up, James."
The Gryffindor Common Room, usually in its maroons and golds, now bore Halloween colors: a dark orange and black. Small pumpkins floated in the air here and there, bumping into others occasionally. Lily stood on an armchair, trying to put up a banner by hand. 'Happy Halloween,' it said. James stood and watched in amusement as she struggled to keep her balance on the back of the chair.
"D'you need some – Watch out!"
Lily's heel caught the end of the chair as she stood up on her toes. Unfortunately, the chair became top heavy and tipped backwards, spilling Lily off of it. James stepped quickly over there and caught her. But again, top heaviness took over and James and Lily fell to the floor, Lily on top.
"What an embarrassing position, don't you think, Hestia?"
"I do believe you're right, Sirius."
The two looked up to see Sirius and Hestia standing above them, shaking their heads. Lily scrambled to her feet, blushing a deep crimson to the roots of her hair. James stood up, rubbing the back of his head.
"Lily fell. I caught her . . ." James began to explain, but was cut off by Hestia.
"Oh, wow! You two did this?" Hestia motioned to the decorations. Lily and James nodded. "If this is the least of it, I can't wait to see the Great Hall!"
"Ah, no, Hestia. You'll only see it at dinner. It's not going to be up during lunch," Lily nodded, looking to James, who nodded soon afterwards.
"Boo!" Sirius and Hestia hissed together. Then, laughing, the two of them went off.
"Guess we should get going?" James said.
Nodding, Lily replied. "Yeah, I guess so. And James?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for catching me.
A few hours later, James and Lily were on their way to the Great Hall. Lunch had passed, and dinner was coming up. They wanted to check to see if the teachers were doing the decorations exactly right. They didn't want anything messed up, of course.
"Well, well, well. Mrs. Potter." A cold hiss came from behind them. Lily turned sharply to stare into coal black eyes.
"Snivellus," James growled, reaching for his pocket.
The hook-nosed boy of Slytherin with the greasy hair stood in front of them. A smirk was drawn across his icy lips.
"So, Potter, decided to wed this Mudblood yet?"
"Take it back! NOW!" James nearly threw himself at Snape, if it weren't for Lily holding him back. He would've succeeded in ripping his face off if Lily weren't so damn strong.
"How about . . .No?"
"Go wash your grease, Snivelly," James spat, pulling out his wand. A bucket of water dumped over Snape's hair, drenching it. Lily glared.
"James Potter!"
"He deserves it, Lily!" James pointed a finger, but when he turned around, Snape had left. James, infuriated, huffed and glared around.
"Whether he deserved it or not, you're still an arrogant git!" Lily fumed, not caring any more about her little plans. She'd told him not to do anything by holding him back. She could've sworn he'd agreed with her. Obviously he didn't.
Lily stalked off into the Great Hall to see the decorations. They were going as planned. Sighing, she went back out, figuring she should apologize to James for that little outburst. He wasn't a git. Never in a million years could she think that way about him. But as she exited the hall, she saw no James. With a questioning look, Lily went to the Common Room. Hestia and Sirius were sitting there, enjoying the silence.
"Sorry to interrupt what ever, but have either of you seen James?" Lily questioned, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Sorry, Lily. Haven't seen him since you two left." Hestia shook her head. Sirius did the same. "Same for me."
Stomping her foot and letting out a frustrated sigh, Lily stalked out of the Common Room. Where could he be?
"Looking for someone, Lily?" A soft voice asked.
"Oh, hello, Emmaline. Remus." Lily nodded to the both. "Yes, in fact, I am. Have you two seen James?" Remus shook his head, but Emmaline nodded.
"Yeah, he was on the third floor. He was muttering to himself about something," She nodded.
"Thank you so very much, Emma," Lily thanked her graciously, and then bound down the staircase.
Once or twice on her way down from the seventh floor, Lily encountered a moving stairway. They were always changing their minds. It took almost forever, but Lily finally reached the third floor. Desperate now, Lily searched every corner, room, and hallway. It was only on the last one that she found something. And she felt sick.
"Oh, Jamesie!"
"C'mon, Cessily. We'll go somewhere quiet."
Lily's eyes filled with tears of sorrow. Tears of sadness. And tears of anger. She would never speak to James again.
Never.