Disclaimer. JK: everything. Me: Nothing. nada. squat.
aPadfoot: point taken. I agree. has been changed. thankyee humbly.
"Come on Michael, shall we go and play on the slide? No, don't touch that, it's dirty. No, I said put it down. Come on, the slide's far more fun than that old stick!"
He squealed as Lily picked him up and swung him round like and aeroplane, laughing and wriggling as they spun around and around until she noticed through the blur of colour, that there was some one else in the park.
Lowing down slightly in her Michael spinning, she realised with a sickening jolt that she knew some of these people. She had gone to school with most of them.
There were some of her old friends, Mary, Charlotte and Kelly, as well as some of the more popular girls that had bullyied her; Faith, Rachel, Doris... And Sarah. She stopped in shock, as something exploded in the pit of her stomach.
Sarah.
Her old best friend. A girl she hadn't seen for 5 years. The girl that had practically been her sister. The girl she had promised she would always be with. The girl she had betrayed and forgotten about.
They were sitting on the swings, laughing, and one of the ones she didn't recognise pulled out a cigarette and started to pass it round.
Lily purposely turned away from them, guiding Michael towards the roundabout, and tried to ignore the feeling of several pairs of eyes burning holes in her back.
"Look Michael, it's a roundabout! Do you want to play on it?" She asked in what she hoped was her most authoritarian yet sweetly persuasive voice. Unfortunately, he didn't fall for it.
"Slide!" he shouted, pouting and set off as fast as he could towards the slide, which unfortunately was on the other side of the swings. He ran full pelt into the swings, fell over and started crying. Lilly swore under her breath and hurried after him.
"Shh, there there," she soothed as his sobs turned into hiccoupy sniffles. "I'm really sorry, she said, addressing the group, keeping her face turned downwards, "He wanted to play on the slide, and wasn't looking where he was going."
She briefly looked up at them, then mentally cursed herself as she saw a flicker of recognition pass across Rachel's face.
"Well, well, well! If it isn't little Lily Evans!" There were murmurs from the rest of the group as those who remembered her realised, and those who didn't asked who she was.
"Hey Lil's." Sarah was the first to speak. Her voice was quite and tired, and almost slightly regretful. A ghost of a smile flickered across her face. "How's life?"
Lilly smiled sadly. She had given up Sarah and all her muggle dreams when she went to Hogwarts without looking back once. She had never really thought about her or any of her muggle friends before. It was strange how a single encounter could bring it all back.
She had used to love dancing, ballet, and had secretly dreamed of being a dancer when she grew up, even though the practical side of her brain had told her that she never would.
She loved French and maths, and she and Sarah had made plans to university together and share a flat, her doing French and Sarah doing art. They had spent hours lying on her bed speculating about being older and having exams, and boyfriends, and discussing moving on. But whatever they talked about, they had talked about doing it together. And then Lily had received her letter and had vanished, sending only a short note to her saying that she was going to boarding school far away, not coming back, and that Sarah would be moving on alone.
"I'm good thanks, how's life treating you?" she replied.
But before Sarah could open her mouth to answer, Doris cut in.
"Isn't that nice? The little geek freak is having fun at her boarding school! How are your friends? Do you have," she paused slightly, a cruel smile twisting her lips "a boyfriend?"
There were some sniggers around the group, but she wasn't finished yet. "Wait, I forgot! A friend would distract you from your work, wouldn't it? And we all know there's nothing more important than work, do we?"
Lily could feel her face flushing and her stomach twisting as she tried to stare blandly back at the group, but Doris wasn't finished yet.
"And as for a boyfriend, well, I don't know about you, but if I was a boy, I'd run a million miles before being seen with this ugly little prude."
Crude as they were, the insults hit home, and Lily felt her stomach twist and knot, and her face get redder and redder.She cursed herself for not bringing her wand - what she wouldn't give to hex these awful, bullying laughing girls until they begged for mercy, until they were lying on the ground whimpering and begging her to...
"Oi! Evans!" Lily spun around, and the sight that greeted her made her heart alternately fill with relief and harden.
Behind her, she could hear short gasps as 7 skirts were hitched up and tops pulled down. Remus, Sirius and James were walking across the park.
She walked over and briefly hugged Remus, ignoring the surprised gasps behind her, thankful that someone had turned up and saved her from the humiliation of being bullied by girls she hadn't seen for 6 years.
"Hey Remie, good to see you! – what the hell are you doing here?" She asked curiously.
"Hello to you to, yes I had a lovely summer," mimicked James looking enviously at Remus. "how come he gets a hug? What has he got that we don't?" He and Sirius pulled identical puppy dog faces.
Lily threw them a scathing look. "Shut it Black, Potter. Not jinxing you into next Sunday is my friendly hello"
"well if you want to be like tha... hey, who's this? that was a bit quick Evans, who've you been shagging? So much for saving yourself for me.." He said loudly, smirking slightly and crouching down to the same level as Michael, who had wondered over and was peering at the three marauders from between lily's legs.
"mochel!" he said proudly as lily blushed scarlet and stammered angrily.
"well," he said dryly, not looking up, "at least you can now say that you've had two guys between your legs.
"you sick, perverted - " she began furiously, her eyes flashing, but she was cut off by a derisive laugh from behind her.
"for the first and last time, Evans," spat Rachel lazily, before turning to the marauders.
"no point in trying to teach her a good time, that geek couldn't shag a slut if she paid them. Not like us though..." she crossed her legs daintily and fluttered her eyelashes provocatively.
An ugly look came over the boys faces, particularly James. "Those tarts," he hissed angrily, striding over to them, closely followed by Sirius and Remus, completely ignoring Lily's protests.
"Hello, 'ladies'" he said sexily, in his most persuasive and charming tone, which lily knew too well. "couldn't help but over hear a remark you made about Evans there. Now, in the spirit of 'friendship'," he raised one eyebrow alluringly, "You wouldn't mind me setting things straight, would you?" The girls giggled coquetishly, which he took as a sign to continue, his voice hardening and one hand gripping his wand very tightly.
"Lily Evans is one of the best looking most popular girls in school. She's had boys chasing after her since she was 11, and the reason she doesn't sleep around is because she has standards, something I couldn't say of you. She is hardworking, clever, funny and more popular than you sluts will ever be. Leave her alone unless you want us to deal with. She's a friend of the marauders, and no one insults the marauders." He pulled out his wand, and behind him, he felt Sirius and Remus do the same. "Do you understand?" he practically hissed. The look on the girl's faces was one of complete shock, bewilderment, confusion, and a slight undercurrent of fear. The three of them gave them a final scathingly look before turning his back and walking back to Lily.
"By the way," Sirius called over his shoulder, "You might want to try wiping that slap off your face and lengthening your skirts slightly. You look ridiculous."
Lily hadn't moved, she just watched them looking slightly bemused, and only protesting minimally when James grabbed her arm and steered the 5 of them out of the playground. The moment they were out of earshot however, she round on them, her eyes flashing furiously.
"What the hell did you think you were playing at?" she hissed, practically spitting. "just waltzing in here, insulting my friends, ordering me about – and you still haven't said what your doing here! What are you playing at? I was handling it just fine!
"Fine were you?" James rose to the challenge. "Last time I saw you, you were just standing there on the verge of tears, so we come in, help you, and get yelled at! And if they're your friends, maybe you're better off without them!"
"Spying on me then Potter? She spat loudly, "I was doing FINE! I did not bloody need you to come in all knight in shining armour and rescue me! Now unless you can remember the pathetic excuse as to why you came here, I suggest you and your big head bugger off and leave me alone!" And she turned on her heel and stormed off, practically dragging Michael along with her.
Sirius breathed out slowly.
"Well," he said brightly, "that went rather well, don't you think?"
AN. I need a beta.... any volenteers?