Chapter 6 - Comforting Sin
She could not focus as she stumbled through the castle in an attempt to get away from everybody. Muttering the passwrod to the mermaid, Lily hurried into the room, running into a chair. With her anger getting the best of her, she grabbed the chair and attempted to throw it, only succeeding in sending it crashing to the ground. Collapsing against the fallen chair, Lily's tears partially stained it.
"Why does he have to be such an asshole?" she exclaimed into the cushion. A sudden recognition lit up in her eyes and she rushed over to the stairs and up to her room. From the trunk at the foot of her bed, Lily pulled out a shoebox. Fillping off the lid, she looked at all the cards he had ever sent her.
A tear fell down her cheek as she looked at her reflection in the mirror above her dresser. She wiped it away quickly when she saw the vase.
It had been a Valentine's day gift from James last year. Even though they had been unwanted, she kept the dozen red roses, with a preserving charm, in the shimmering crystal vase.
Clutching the box to her chest, she reached over to grab the vase. Heading out of her room, the fire caught her eye when she reentered the Common Room. Staring at the fire almost trance-like, Lily grabbed the roses from the vase and threw them into the fire. She closed her eyes and inhaled the bittersweet scent of the flowers, tossing the box into the fire next to the burning roses.
The vase slipped out of her hand to shatter on the floor as Lily collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
Lucius walked down the hall and away from the gaping group of Marauders. He was proud of how he succeeded in pissing off his enemies by touching Lily in front of them. She didn't even pull away, either, he thought with a smile, perhaps, just perhaps, there may be a chance.
He reached the portrait of the mermaid and murmured the password. Entering the Common Room, Lucius noticed the change in temperature from the warm, crackling fire. Lucius took the steps two at a time and reached his room quickly. Throwing open the door, he made it to the closet in order to change for classes. Coming out of the room, Lucius froze: somebody was in the Common Room making a lot of noise.
It's only the second day, nobody could know how to get in, he thought as he hurrie ddown the stairs and into the main room.
The scene surprised him. Lily had taken a box of something and had thrown it into the fire, where it burst into flames, releasing a powerful scent. Behind her, one of the comfortable chairs was laying on its side where Lily had shoved it. In front of the fire, shattered glass reflected light from the flickering flames into his eyes. Her body curled into the fetal position, laid shaking, right next to the broken glass.
Lucius left his position in the staircase and hurried over to her huddled form. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her into a warm, comforting embrace and she relaxed into his arms, crying into his chest.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently. "We can stay here and skip classes today if that will help at all."
She sniffled loudly and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'd rather not go to class today, after all, I'm not a Gryffindor, so why would I go to class with them?"
He rubbed her back. "Was I suppsed to understand that?" he chuckled deeply. "I don't think you should go to class, Lily, you're not making any sense."
When she did not reply, he deepened the embrace and just sat there holding the distraught Head Girl.
"I'm sorry, Lucius, but I just am not up to dealing with people today. You can go to class. I'm just going to stay here and calm myself before I go off and hex somebody."
"Alright," he gave in, "do you want me to bring up Jessica later? Maybe she can help you because I can't."
Lily shook her head, "No, Lucius, it's not that I don't want you to help me... it's just that I need to be alone to just run things through in my mind."
He smiled at her. "I understand. You still forgot to answer my question."
"What was it again, I'm sorry... I was a little preoccupied."
"I asked you if you wanted me to bring up Jessica after classes?"
She stood up, with her head hanging. "Yes please. I would really appreciate it." Lily turned towards her staircase.
"I'll send up some food at lunch," he said to her.
Lily paused at the stairs. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me."
Maybe I do have a chance, he thought as he left the Common Room.
James stood outside the Hall, his jaw tight and his gaze on the floor. The one person that he could actually say that he loved had just told him that she did not want to be a Gryffindor. His obsession for her had flourished into an all-out crush, which turned into a desire... a need for one Lily Evans and she just told him that she did not want to be in the same House.
"James," Sirius asked putting a hand on his shouler, "are you coming?"
Not moving, he replied, "No, I'm not very hungry right now. I think I'll go get ready for class."
"Alright," said Sirius, pushing the other two Marauders into the Hall.
James looked up and quickly turned away from the Hall, marching solidly to the Gryffindor Common Room. He leaned against the picture of the Fat Lady.
"I think I really messed up this time!"
She smiled at the distraught James. "What prank did you pull this time?" Her face changed to almost a shock, "You didn't prank the new caretaker did you? He means business when it comes to rowdy students."
He looked down, "No. I think I did something even worse than pranking, because at least, aftwerwards, all of us can look back and laugh. Trust me, this time around we won't be laughing."
"You look lik eyou n eed to go in and just sleep for a little while. Can I have the password?"
He half-snorted. "No, I've got to focus on class...maybe that'll make me feel better... even just a little bit." James murmured the password and stalked passed the portrait.
"Poor boy... and it's the first day back, too," the Fat Lady said swinging shut behind him.
"We need to figure out how to get these two togehter," Sirius said. "James is practically head over heels for Lily, and she is obviously in denial."
"Well, he does seem to provoke her a lot," Peter squeaked.
Sirius smacked him on the back of hte head while Remus kicked him for hitting Peter.
"Leave him alone, Padfoot, he's actually right, you know." Remus chastised.
Peter sent a smug look at Sirius who just glared back.
"If she'd stop interrupting our conversations at the wrong time, maybe she'd see that James is different... more mature," Sirius almost whined.
Remus sighed in exasperation, "Padfoot... she's got to see him on her own. We can't sit her down and force her to talk to James." He put two pancakes on his plate and then handed the platter to Sirius.
A malicious grin appeared on Sirius' face as he stuffed an entire pancake into his mouth and bolted from the table.
"Shit, I gave him an idea," Remus said, banging his head against the table.
"That can't be good," stated Peter.
Remus halted his head-banging to look up at him, "Shut up, Wormtail."