Disclaimer: Plot is mine, title is Queen's. Everything else is JKR's. Don't sue, that'd just be stupid.
A/N: You reviewers rule. Call it a Gift update is definitely next. Maybe.
Summary: Lily's been able to reject James for years, but will she be able if he leans to deflate his head? Is James up to the challenge? L/J Chapter Two: in which James is persistent, Remus is charming, trips to Hogsmeade are taken, we find out Lily is Not A Morning Person, and, yes, James' head his still pretty much the same size.
A Kind Of Magic
By Blackberry Ink
Chapter Two
The noise she woke up to the next morning was considerably different from the one she was used to. Normally, she'd here the subtle chirping of the birds and occasional rustle of the trees.
Today, she woke to James Potter banging on her window. At four thirty in the morning.
She was not pleased.
"Potter!" she yelled, deciding that the rest of the girls would be up anyway from his incessant pounding. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Umm," he said astutely.
"You'd better have a bloody good reason for waking me up at this hour!"
"It's already past four," he reasoned. "Aren't you always up early?"
"No!" she near-screamed. "I need my bloody sleep! This hour is ungodly!"
"Well, I certainly thought so," he said. She noticed dark circles under his eyes. Somehow, his hair was still the picture of tousled perfection. She hated that. "But I thought you always got up early, so I thought I'd get up with you and we could, you know, take a walk."
Lily glared at him.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
She let out a noise of frustration, stomped over to the window, and shut the curtains.
Madeline was awake, along with the only other Gryffindor girl in this year.
"What was that?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "You closed the curtains before I could look."
"Potter," she spat. "Waking me up to go for a walk, the sod."
"A walk?" Madeline repeated as Lily nodded. "You two alone, walking around the lake as the sun rises. That's awfully romantic."
"It's disgusting, is what it is," Lily said. "A walk? At this hour? With him?"
"I'd have gone," Madeline said.
"You're an idiot," a dark-skinned girl said to Lily, tossing braided hair over her shoulder. "It's James Potter. He's gorgeous."
"I don't go for looks," Lily said stiffly. "The guy's got to have a nice personality. Somewhere Potter is lacking. And he's not even good-looking, anyway."
"No personality? Are you mental?"
"Probably," Madeline said. "To have him chasing after her and not-"
"Please," Lily said. "Stop. I don't like him. I cede the field to you. End of story."
The dark-skinned girl shrugged. "Whatever you say, Lily. I just think you should take the chance while you have it."
"I don't want it."
"Okay, then," she said. "Your loss."
There was another loud bang at the window. Lily shot a look of annoyance towards the window as the door flew open.
"What is that?" It was Hannah, still in her nightclothes. "What are you girls doing? I can hear you all the way in my room."
Madeline jerked her head towards the window and Hannah went towards the sound before Lily could stop her. She opened the curtains to find James Potter, hovering on his broom and smiling broadly.
Hannah sighed, but smiled too. "Get downstairs, James. You're waking everyone up."
"Only if Lily comes with me," he said with puppy-dog eyes that Hannah, apparently, could not resist.
"Lily, go to the common room with James, will you? Before he wakes up the whole house?"
She shot him a cold look before throwing a pair of robes on over her nightclothes and going down the stairs. When she reached the common room, he was already there, climbing in the window and setting his broom against the wall.
"Morning, Lily," he said briskly, sounding much more awake than he looked.
"What was that all about?"
"I'm trying to shrink my head."
"That has absolutely nothing to do with you shrinking your head," she said. "That's being just as arrogant."
He made a pained expression. "Is it?"
"Yes, it is. Only someone as arrogant as you would wake up early to fly up to my window, showing off both their new broom and flying talent, as well as ability to use a hair-care spell."
"I didn't use a hair-care spell!" he insisted. "My hair is completely natural!"
"Right," she said. "Either way, you make me sick. I'm going back upstairs to get another hour of sleep. I'll see you in class."
He grabbed her arm as she reached the first step of the landing. "What about that walk?" he said, his eyes searching. "I woke up early for you, you know. I'm a late sleeper."
"I'm terribly sorry you had to lose precious beauty sleep to go out of your way to show off in front of all the girls in my dorm. I feel for you, really I do."
"One walk," he said. "Around the lake and back for the start of breakfast." He held out his arm for her to slide hers through.
"No," she avowed, expressionless, as she finished walking up the stairs. She heard him collapse into a chair as she went up.
"Because of the growing fear of Dark Wizards outside Hogwarts," Gideon Prewett of Hufflepuff was saying at the prefect's meeting that evening. "I would like to put forth the suggestion that the curfew time be changed from eleven to ten. This may seem like only a small change, but-"
"Sorry I'm late," Potter said, bursting in with his broom in hand and adorning dirty Quidditch gear. "Practice. I left early."
Gideon heaved a sigh. "Have a seat. I know this is your first year as prefect but at least try to come on time from now on, yeah?"
"Sure thing," he said as he sat down in his assigned seat beside Lily. "Won't happen again."
"Right," Gideon said. "As I was saying – this may seem like a small change, but-"
"Sorry," Potter interrupted. "But what may seem like a small change?"
Gideon, slightly agitated, filled him in. "As Head Boy, I'd like to change curfew time from eleven to ten."
"Right, thanks," Potter said, smiling. When Gideon continued, Potter discreetly leaned closer to Lily and whispered, "Why the blazes would he want to make curfew earlier?"
"Why do you care?" Lily whispered tersely back. "It's not as though you're going to be in the tower at curfew no matter what time it is."
He grinned. "True. But still, why?"
"Perhaps if you'd have been here on time you would have known."
"I told you, Quidditch practice. I couldn't-"
"Shut up," Lily said. "I'm trying to listen."
For once, he obeyed. He leaned back in his seat, artfully running a hand through his hair and glancing at her from time to time as he listened.
"...wondering if any of you have an opinion on the matter," Gideon concluded. He looked around the table. Potter raised his hand.
"I don't see how moving curfew back an hour is going to protect us in any way."
"I plan to begin with pushing it an hour earlier for now, then perhaps in the future making it even earlier. It's not safe for students to be allowed to have free reign over the school at those late hours, especially on the grounds."
"Then why not just make the grounds off limits after dark?" Lily suggested.
Potter stepped on her foot beneath the table and she emitted a small yelp. Gideon looked questioningly at her and she faked a smile to cover it. Potter shot her an urgent glance as another student spoke, and shook his head, mouthing the word "no".
The student finished speaking and Gideon nodded in assent. "And I third the idea. The main issue is safety on the grounds, since it is mainly through the Forbidden Forest that safety could be a problem. Who else agrees?"
All hands went up except Potter's.
"I want a unanimous agreement before I take the issue to Dumbledore," Gideon said, looking in particular at Potter.
"I'll agree to the hour earlier curfew thing," Potter said. "But not to the grounds being off limits after dark."
"Anything anyone can do to try to persuade you?"
"No," he said firmly.
Gideon nodded, settling for that. "Then all who agree with making the new curfew ten o'clock raise your hands."
Every hand went up this time.
"Good," Gideon said. "I'll take the concern to Dumbledore." He paused and shuffled some papers. "Everyone knows their jobs at this Hogsmeade weekend, yes? We've got sixth years on early patrol duty – seven o'clock until noon. Fifth years follow, from noon until five, and seventh years will patrol from then until ten o'clock. Nothing formal, just keep an eye out for trouble and the troublemakers while you're doing your business. You've all got that? Yes? Does anyone have anything else to add? No? Okay, then. Meeting adjourned. I'll see everyone next week, normal time."
Potter sat up immediately and got up from his chair. He got to the door before Lily and held it open for her, then accidentally let it close on the hand of a Hufflepuff fifth year prefect. Lily rolled her eyes and didn't wait for Potter to catch up to her. Still, moments later, he jogged slightly to pick up pace beside her.
"You made me leave Quidditch practice for that?" he commented.
"It's a meeting. It's important."
"You call that waste of a half hour important? They could have voted for the curfew thing without me."
"And then the grounds would have been off limits after dark."
"Just how you wanted it, right?"
"It would be safer that way," she said. "Gideon was right, you know. It would have been safer to have students not allowed out of the building at night. You never know what-"
"Nothing like that's going to come to Hogwarts," Potter said. "They're not that stupid to do something like that right under Dumbledore's nose."
"How do you know?"
"I'm top of the class. I know everything."
"Right," Lily scoffed.
They reached the portrait hole and Lily muttered the password.
"Are you going up to the dorms?" Potter asked.
"Why do you care?'
He shrugged. "Just wondering. If you stayed down here for a little while maybe we could-"
"Well I'm going up," Lily said, pleased at the disappointed look on Potter's face.
"Good night then," he said, scuffing his foot slightly on the ground.
She left without a response.
Lily tapped her quill impatiently on the desk and Professor Binns droned. She had no idea why she'd elected not to drop History of Magic – it was even more boring than last year. The only other Gryffindors in the class were Remus and some girl who was known to pick her nose behind books and pretend she hadn't done anything. She usually kept to herself during this class.
"You haven't fallen asleep yet?" someone said quietly, sitting down in the seat next to hers. She turned to see Remus setting down his books and glancing quickly at Binns, who had been talking in monotone for at least fifteen minutes, to see if the ghost had noticed him come in late. Binns didn't look up from his notes.
"Why were you so late?" Lily wondered aloud.
Remus raised his eyebrows. "Why do you want to know?"
"As prefect, I feel obligated to ask." She wanted to eat her words a moment after she'd said them – Remus had been prefect with her last year and Potter had, for some reason, taken his place this year. She hoped he wasn't bitter about it.
"I've been hanging around James and Sirius too long," he said, apparently not noticing Lily's worry at mentioning his former position. "They rub off on me."
"Can't be rubbing off too much," Lily said. "You're not nearly as irritating as they are."
Remus laughed slightly, making her smile. "Thanks, I suppose," he said.
"Don't mention it."
He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a small candy box, from which he extracted two Sugar Quills. "Want one?"
"Sure," Lily said, their fingers touching as she took one from his hand. "Thanks." She saw the palm of his hand for a moment before he turned it over. Spotting a red mark on it, she impulsively reached out and grabbed his hand. Reaching from one end to the other was a large, angry welt. She gasped. He pulled back his hand quickly.
"Where did you get that?"
"Oh, Herbology," he said nonchalantly. "It's nothing."
"Did you go to Madame Pomfrey?"
He looked uncomfortable about the topic. "No need. James-"
"You should," she interjected. "It looks like it-"
"Really," he said, eyes offering reassurance. "It's nothing."
She wasn't sure if she believed this, but figured she had to trust that it was nothing. They weren't very close; he didn't have to tell her. She nodded. "Fine, then." She traded the owl feather quill she'd been holding for the sugar one.
When the bell rang to signify class as over, Remus helped Lily with her books.
"See you later, Lily," he said.
She couldn't help but notice that his smile wasn't as sincere as it had been last time. Still, she smiled warmly. "'Bye."
They were jostled out of the classroom by the other students, and Lily didn't get a chance to speak with him for the rest of the day. She looked over her shoulder to see Peter and Black greeting Remus and heading back to Gryffindor Tower. Lily intended to go right to the Great Hall for lunch. She turned back to walk towards the Hall when she ran straight into a pole.
"Er."
A pole that talked, perhaps?
She looked up – it was Potter.
"Morning," he said. "Can I take your books?"
"Taking a leaf out of Remus's book, are you?" she wondered.
"Remus?" he repeated. "He's carried your books before?"
She shook her head quickly. He truly hadn't. She wasn't sure why she'd thought of it. Perhaps because of Remus's obsession with literature? Still, she wondered why she felt so keen to keep anything (which was practically nothing, anyway) between her and Remus away from Potter.
"Well, can I?"
"No, I think I can manage on my own, thanks."
"I never doubted your strength," he said defensively.
"Did I say you did?"
"You implied it."
"I most certainly didn't."
"You-"
"This is a stupid conversation," Lily intervened. "I'm going to lunch."
"You always say that." He began to walk the way she was going. "I'm starved. I'll come with you," he said, as if he were doing her a favor by allowing her to be in his presence longer.
"All of your friends went back up to the Tower. Why don't you go join them?"
"You're trying to get away from me, aren't you?"
"Merlin," she said, stopping and looking at him in wonderment. "You think?"
He rolled his eyes, but looked torn between joining her or going to see his friends. She took advantage of his indecision by hurrying ahead of him towards where she saw Hannah sitting.
"Hey, Lily," Hannah said as Lily sat opposite her.
"Hi," Lily said. "Is Owen not-"
"Hello, ladies," Potter said, smiling broadly the both of them as he sat beside Lily. "You don't mind if I join you, do you?"
"I'd rather you-"
"I knew you wouldn't mind," Potter said, pouring himself some pumpkin juice. Lily raised her eyebrows towards him and Hannah shrugged.
"So, Hannah," Potter said. "I don't talk to you often. How is your day?"
Hannah looked torn between laughing and being touched. "Good," she answered. "How is yours?"
"It was going okay, but now that I get to eat lunch in the presence of you fine ladies it has taken a turn for the better."
Lily took a large bite of mashed potatoes and did not look at him.
"And how is your day, Lily?"
"Oh, please, Potter," Lily said. "Like you care."
Potter looked like he'd fallen out of stride. "I thought you-"
"If this is supposed to impress me by showing charm and charisma," she said. "You've failed miserably."
His shoulders sank slightly but he remained resilient. "Is there anything you'd-"
"Having sincerity," she said. "Is a major part of head deflation."
Potter spluttered and the pasted-on grin slipped away. "I was only trying to-"
"Stop being so glib, Potter," she said. "Now go eat with your friends."
"I want to stay with you," he said.
She laughed humorlessly. "Nice try," she said. She gestured towards the other end of the table. "It looks like dear Sirius is beckoning you. Why don't you join him?"
Potter pouted, spent a second or two looking torn, but went to sit with his friends.
"Slick one, isn't he?" Hannah said.
"Only a bit."
"Rather annoying, at times."
Lily smiled at Hannah. "Finally someone agrees with me."
"Well, it's really only the sixth years and below that worship the bloke," she said, shrugging. "It mean, you can't deny he's handsome-"
"Hannah, I thought you were on my-"
"-but he's an arrogant prick most of the time."
"All of the time," Lily amended. "I wish he'd leave me-"
Hannah put up a hand. "Save it."
Lily smiled meekly. "Right. Sorry."
"He is really funny, though...oh look," Hannah said, waving at someone behind Lily. "It's Owen."
Lily turned to see him take the place Potter had occupied minutes ago. He put his books down on the bench beside him.
"You get that assignment from McGonagall?" he asked Hannah.
Hannah nodded. "Horrible. I'll never get it done in time."
"Tell me about it," Owen said. "I'm beginning to regret taking N.E.W.T. Transfiguration."
"I was just thinking the same thing," Lily said. "It's my weakest subject; I have no clue how I got into the class."
Owen shook his head. "You're only in your first year of the class. You haven't seen the worst of it."
Lily grimaced. "McGonagall's a good teacher, at any rate."
"I guess," Hannah said dryly. "I could do with a bit less work, though."
"That's why I like Flitwick," Lily said. "Not nearly the amount of homework the other N.E.W.T. classes have."
"But he makes up for that with those bloody projects," Owen said. "I missed all but one of the Hogsmeade weekends last year to do work for his class."
"Oh, they're not all that bad," Hannah said. "You're just a perfectionist."
Owen shrugged. "Did well, at least, in the end."
Lily took a final bite of her food and stood up. "I'm going to head off to the library for a bit before class. I didn't finish the homework yet for Vector, and I have that class next."
"See you," Hannah said, and Owen nodded his goodbye.
Lily walked alone to the library, meeting no one in the halls but Sir Nick, who smiled and said hello before gliding through the wall to the adjacent corridor. She pushed open the large wooden doors and took her usual seat in a blue armchair near the section on Mythology. She grabbed her Arithmacy book from her bag, a quill, and a half-filled parchment and began to write.
"Hello, Lily."
She jumped slightly, sat upright, back stiff, and locked eyes with Remus. She laughed a little before nodding towards the chair next to her for him to sit beside her.
"Sorry I startled you."
"Don't worry about it," she said. "What are you here for?"
"Just the quiet," he said. He took a gold hardcover out of his canvas bag. "Brought my book."
"What are you reading?"
"The Lazy Tour Of Two Idle Wizards," he read from the cover. "I'm not too far into it, but it's pretty good so far."
Lily nodded. "You don't mind if I work, do you? I know I'm horrible company, but I've got a lot to do."
"Go ahead."
Lily smiled at him and picked up her quill again. She paused a moment later and looked back at him.
"Do you happen to have any more of those-"
"Sugar Quills?" he finished for her,
"Yeah," she said. "I don't want to-"
"I've got a ton. James and Sirius nicked them for me. Here." He handed her the rest of the box.
"The whole thing?"
"If you want it. I've got at least a dozen of those, if you run out."
She smiled again and took one out of the box. "Thanks."
"Anytime."
Friday passed quickly, and Saturday dawned a bit too early for Lily's liking. She groaned as Madeline shook her shoulders gently to wake her.
"Lily," she whispered urgently. "Wake up. Hogsmeade time."
"Five more minutes," she groaned, throwing the pillow over her head.
Madeline pried it off. "Don't you want to get started on your Christmas shopping?"
"It's only September."
"But practically October. Get up, it's a brilliant day."
"What time is it?"
"Nine o'clock. Everyone else is up and gone."
Lily sat bolt upright. "You're kidding me. Please say you're kidding me."
Madeline looked confused. "No, why?"
"Shit, shit," Lily muttered, hopping out of bed and hastily pulling on a pair of gold weekend robes. "What was I...oh shit."
"What is it?"
"I was supposed to be on prefect duty at Hogsmeade two hours ago," she said. "Hopefully Gideon won't kill me...."
"Anything I can do?"
"Just...hand me that...yes, that, thanks," Lily said. She quickly brushed her hair and threw it back in a messy ponytail. "I've got to run down there. I'll talk to you later."
She left Gryffindor Tower at a sprint and continued her pace down the dirt path to Hogsmeade village. She reached the gate, when a stern looking man in gray robes halted her.
"Are you here as a Hogwarts student?" he asked.
She furrowed her brow as she replied. "Yes."
"And do you have any bags?"
She paused, taking stock of what she had. No bag. She reached into her pocket – only three knuts. So much for early Christmas shopping. "No, I don't."
"Please stand still." He raised his wand.
"Wait," Lily interrupted. "What's this about? Who are you?"
"The new security, just ordered today by the Minister. I'm with the Ministry." He held out a badge for her scrutiny.
"I wasn't aware Hogsmeade was a potential Dark Wizard target."
"Better safe than sorry," he said. "Now, please stand still."
She did as she was told this time and allowed him to cast the spell. "Just an Inspection Charm, right?"
"Right," he said. He brought his wand down and nodded. "Looks like you've passed." He waved his wand again and the gates opened. "Enjoy your day."
"Thank you," she said as she hurried past him. Okay. She was in. She could just pretend she'd been here the whole time and no one would –
"Late, are we?" She blanched and turned. Potter. Of course it would be Potter.
"Not late," she said quickly, aware of her guilty tone. "I just popped out for a moment."
He smirked. "Lying, now, on top of that? What has gotten into you, Miss Evans?"
"Stow it, Potter," Lily said, brushing past him. He caught her arm and she found their faces disturbingly close. She shook free of him and stepped back.
"Some example you're setting," he said. "For someone who tells off me for being two minutes late, you go and take the cake by showing up two hours late-"
"You were more than two minutes late," she replied. "And for someone who wants to get a date with me, you're acting awfully annoying."
"I've just caught you oversleeping for an important prefect-type thing, Lily. Moments like these don't just happen every day. So stop raining on my parade."
"Leave me alone," she snapped. "Go glory at my baseness somewhere else."
He grabbed her arm again, gentler this time. "I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to make you mad."
"Everything you do makes me mad," she said. "Besides when you go away."
"But don't make me do that," he implored. "I want to spend the day with you."
She shook her head. "I'd rather eat dirt."
"I'm going to be the perfect gentleman," he said. "I promise."
"Absolutely not," she said. "I don't believe you, anyway."
"My head's deflated," he said. He pointed to it. "Look: normal size. I want to go out with you, Lily, and I'll be perfect, I'll be amazing, I'll be whatever you want-"
"What I want," she said. "Is not you. It is, in fact..." She stumbled for a moment. "...something else that is not you. So piss off."
"No."
"Yes."
"I'll buy you a drink."
"I've got money."
"Not as much as I do. I'll-"
"There you go again, Potter. I know you're the bloody fucking richest boy in the school, you flaunt it enough, and I don't care."
"I'm not the richest in the school. Certainly top ten, maybe even top five-"
"I said piss off!"
Perhaps her voice was more harsh than normal, because his confidence seemed to wilt.
"Let me guess," he said. "Go hang out with my friends?'
"You're too smart."
"Can I at least buy you a coffee later?"
"No."
"A butterbeer?"
"No."
"A cookie?"
"No."
"I'm not leaving until you say yes."
"Then we're going to be standing here arguing an awfully long time."
"I don't mind."
She groaned. "You wouldn't."
"Was that an insult?"
She shrugged.
"If it was, it was pretty crappy."
In spite of herself, she emitted a punctured giggle because of his frankness, and the fact that it may have been slightly true. He grinned broadly and she cursed herself.
"I knew you'd slip sometime," he said proudly.
"I wasn't laughing at you," she lied.
"It's still nice to see you smile," he said.
She shook her head. "Please go away, Potter."
"I was just going," he said. "But I'm buying you a drink before this day is over."
"Whatever you say, Potter. But it's time to sod off now. Thanks in advance."
"Anything for you, Lils."
"Don't call me that."
"Okay. Sorry."
"I thought you were leaving."
"I am. Leaving right now."
"Good."
"Wonderful."
"Fantastic."
"Completely and utterly-"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Potter, just go."
"Right. Going."
He gave a jaunty wave before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking off towards Zonko's. What an idiot.
"Lily, hey, over here!" a voice called. It was Madeline, toting along Jade. Lily waved and Lily waved back, reluctantly. She wasn't sure if she was up to spending the day with the pair of them, but Hannah and Owen weren't coming until noon and there was no one else, excluding Potter, who she could walk around with. She walked over to her dorm mates.
"Everything good with being late and all?" Madeline asked.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, it's fine."
Madeline grinned. "See? I knew it would be."
"I was lucky not to run into Gideon," Lily said.
"And lucky enough to run into James," Madeline teased.
"I wouldn't call that lucky."
Jade sniffed. "For someone who doesn't like James, you sure do spend a lot of time around him. Most girls would kill for that."
"Most girls are slutty attention whores," Lily replied shortly. Jade sniffed again.
"So," Madeline said, putting her hands together and stepping between the two of them. "Butterbeer, anyone? Actually, I guess it's too early for that. How about a run to the Shrieking Shack? It's supposed to be positively fearsome this time of year."
"I say we check out Dervish and Banges," Jade put in. "They're supposed to have gotten an entirely new supply of potions equipment I'd like to check out."
"Sounds good," Madeline said. "You coming, Lily?"
"Sure," she said, and allowed Madeline to take a hold of her sleeve to bring her up to pace with her and Jade. As they walked past Zonko's towards the supply shop, she was aware of eyes in the window watching her every move, but paid no attention. Potter would only follow her if he realized she knew he was looking.
They spent the next three hours shopping, or rather Madeline and Jade shopped while Lily kept a close eye on the Hogwarts students to make up for the time she'd missed.
"Now's a good time for lunch, don't you think?" Madeline suggested.
"And I'm finally off duty," Lily said.
"Want to head into Three Broomsticks, then, since it's right here?"
Lily glanced inside to spot Potter and his cronies surrounding a table and laughing at something Black had just said. She opened her mouth to propose they go to one of the smaller restaurants, but the two girls were already headed inside. Lily sighed and followed, hunching her shoulders slightly as she walked in, keeping Madeline and Jade in between her and the boys' table, hopefully blocking Potter's view of her. They sat at a table and Lily put her back to them.
"So, erm, round on me, then?" Madeline said, to remedy the silence.
"Oh, no, I'll get my own, thanks," Lily objected. Jade just shrugged.
"Suit yourself," Madeline said. She accepted the coins Lily gave her and went to get drinks for all of them.
"What are you playing at?" Jade asked sharply, the moment Madeline had gone.
Lily raised her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
"Hanging around with Madeline, all of a sudden. What are you playing at?"
Lily thought for a moment. Looking back, she supposed Jade and Madeline had always hung around, being the only other Gryffindor girls. Should have thought of that right away.
"I'm not trying to take your friend or anything, if that's what you mean," Lily responded.
Jade made a noise that could only be described as a snort.
"I'm not," she persisted. "Look, what would you have me do? It's Madeline who's bloody asking to hang around with me, not the other way around."
"You're not-"
"Make a space!" Madeline said hurriedly, barely clutching three tall drinks filled to the brim. "I'm going to-" One of the drinks slipped from her grasp just as she leaned over the table, spilling warmed butterbeer all over Lily's lap. "Oh, bugger." She reached for some napkins. "I'll just-"
Lily grabbed Madeline's arm before she could move any further. "Don't bother," Lily said. "I'll just go over to the lavatory and clean it up."
"I'm really sorry, Lily," Madeline said. "I'll go buy you a new one."
Lily shook her head. "Not necessary. Actually, I think I may go back up to the Tower, rest a bit, do some homework." Madeline looked truly upset. "Really, it's fine." Her voice came out a bit sharper than she'd hoped.
"Are you sure? I'm sorry. Now I've gone and ruined a perfectly wonderful day. All my-"
"Honestly, Madeline, she said she doesn't care," Jade said, just as snappish as Lily had previously been. "You do look really tired, Lily."
Lily looked quizzically at Jade in response to the sudden almost-kindness, but pushed it away because it got her where she wanted. "Yes, yes, I'm dead tired," she agreed. "So I'll talk to you both later."
"'Bye, then," Jade said quickly, her voice ushering Lily out the door.
She left before Madeline had another chance to object. She looked over at Potter's table. He had been looking at her again, she could tell, because the tops of his cheeks had gone pink and he was suddenly talking very fast to Black. Peter laughed uproariously at something he said as the other two chucked appreciatively. They all seemed wholly aware of her exact presence despite the fact that they looked steadfastly away from her.
Shrugging to herself, she left. Best he wasn't looking at her, anyway. She didn't feel like dealing with stalkers at the moment – all she wanted was to curl up in her jumper with a book in the good chair by the fire. She hurried back to the castle, hoping she wouldn't meet anyone to stop her along the way.
A/N: Sorry for taking forever with this chapter, but I made it longer (and hopefully the rest of the chapters will be like this); Call It A Gift has been taking up most of my fanfiction writing time recently and this one has been on the back burner. It's priority may be moving up, though, since I've recently become obsessed with The Shoebox Project (written by ladyjaida and dorkorfic, the absolute best MWPP fic I've ever read and you really need to read it.) and I'm back in Harry Potter fandom mode. (Not that I ever left it, but, I'm not even more obsessed than ever. Perhaps even at my peak of obsessiveness.) So we'll see. Sorry, I'm babbling. There are thank yous to be made!
For reviewing chapter one:
Loves to Read, BabyD, Twerksie Gogara Relffin, blackdragonofdeath13, MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus, Katie115, Princess Pixie Ice, The Queen of the Pugs, Tindomiel-PA, Mayumi-8805, Dulcis Caelum, StarryEyes9.
tHeOnEaNdOnLyStEpHy: Of course I'll update this one (actually I just did, but beyond this chapter, I mean). And as for the Lily/Remus, well, you'll just have to read and see, won't you?
Nadine: Another Queen fan, yay. They're one of my favorite groups.
Armadrieclya: Just...wow! I probably don't deserve that kind of praise, but I thank you a million times for it nonetheless.
MaGicHappEnS: Ah, sorry for not updating before you left. I hate when fanfic writers do that to me and it seems I do it all the time. But you're back now, right? I'll try to be quicker next time.
Just re-read through the reviews, and it's so good to see some of the old faces (or usernames, more aptly) that I haven't seen from all my time in the Ella Enchanted fandom. It's good to be back again. :) They're making me want to go get started on the next chapter already.
Reference: The Lazy Tour Of Two Idle Wizards, the book Remus says he is reading, is a title that comes from Dickens's The Lazy Tour Of Two Idle Apprentices. I haven't actually read it, but wanted to wizardify the title for kicks.