Ch 23
Lily had expected the Common room to be deserted this early in the morning. She hadn't thought anyone would be downstairs at six o'clock, even though it was a Saturday. Any sane person would be snuggling up under their covers to keep warm while the chaotic storm raged outside.
Not that she and Alice were anything short of sane; they had been rudely ejected from their dormitory under... bizarre conditions. Or was she over- reacting again? Lily shook her head sadly and tried to jam her cold hands into nonexistant pockets. The phrase 'weird morning' kept running through her mind, and she tried unsuccessfully to fish out all the rational thoughts and put them together. Nothing made sense. And the air- something about the air just felt so strange, even now as she pattered down the stairs behind Alice.
At the bottom, the first thing Lily noticed when she entered the Common room was the bleakness of everything, the odd grayness of all the colors. It almost felt like there was some sort of large, sweeping shadow that enveloped the room and the castle in dark gray haze and wouldn't let go. It was dim here, not as dark as their dormitory, but it was a lot colder. The fires hadn't been lit yet for some reason; she shivered again in response.
The next thing she noticed was that there were three heads poking up over the edge of a coach and chair, staring at her in surprise. Three familiar heads... the fourth was missing. She almost pulled Alice back up the stairs, but realized there was no where to go and had continued forward wearily, crossing her arms firmly around her chest. She felt very, very naked.
Alice turned nervously to her and asked if she wanted to sit somewhere farther away, nodding towards the windows.
Lily surveyed her options. The three heads had taken up residence around the dark fireplace, which would probably soon be lit and sending off warm, comforting waves of heat. The other empty seats were by the cold, rattling windows, which offered no protection it seemed against the storm outside. She sighed in defeat.
Lily looked towards the fireplace again; the three heads were silent and still gazing in their direction. She caught Remus's eye first and he smiled tentatively at her. Next to him, Sirius grinned and gave her a hearty wave. On an armchair adjecent to the couch, James stared at her blankly. She stared back, daring him to grin or throw some haughty comment at her face.
She slowly began making her way towards the fireplace, intent on maintaining her composure, which she assured herself would be very easy. She wasn't mad at anyone, after all. Sure, James was a big-headed prat. Big deal, there were plenty of them. At least he was sitting in his own chair.
She had come to the conclusion earlier that week that she didn't actually hate James, that she never really truly hated him. Hate was a strong word. It was the wrong word. Disliked, despised, detested. Those words were more fitting. Lily didn't actually hate anyone; the definition of hate was something in itself. She would save her hate for the right person. Not that she was hoping she would ever meet someone she could truly hate. James Potter was just a childhood rival.
One who could best her in Transfiguration! She reminded herself quickly of her newfound stance on hatred. Nevermind, she'd beat him by the end of the year.
She stopped moving and stood facing them, glancing around quickly to find a seat. She ignored the surprised looks of the three boys and collapsed into the cushy armchair across from James on the other side of the fireplace.
Alice stood hesitantingly in front of the occupied couch in between the two armchairs for a second and then smiled.
"Room for one more?" she asked sweetly, flipping her hair back.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "There's always room for one more." He grinned devilishly and patted the space next to him.
Alice narrowed her eyes and then grinned. "Don't even think about it, Black," she said before settling down next to him.
Everyone stared at eachother for a few awkward, silent seconds before Remus finally said, "Weird morning, eh?"
Alice looked at Lily quickly. "Funny. That's what we were just thinking," she said, leaning back. Lily pulled her legs up to her chest and leaned sideways a bit, making sure her nightgown covered her totally. It was so cold in here.
"What are you ladies doing down here so early in the morning?" Sirius asked probingly, leaning in closer to Alice.
"What do you care?" Alice retorted as she squinted at him and leaned away.
Sirius put on a mock hurt expression. "I was just wondering." He shot a glance at James and then shrugged, settling back against the couch.
"If you must know, the storm woke us up," Lily said quietly from her seat. She turned towards the window and saw a flicker of lightning crack through the sky. "I just hope the windows don't break," she said to no one in particular.
"No, they won't. McGonagall's already been in here to reinforce them with magic. They should hold up," James said, looking at her calmy. They stared at eachother. His eyes were as cloudy at the storm outside.
"Oh." She paused. "That's good then."
Awkward silence.
"Oh, wow!" Alice burst out suddenly, making everyone jolt slightly. "I just noticed that Peter isn't here. Well, I figured he'd be sleeping on the floor or something and then I totally forgot... Where is he?"
Lily could've sworn she saw a guilty exchange of faces between the three boys but it disappeared in a split second. Slightly suspicous now, she looked around herself slowly for any sign of him before she said, "Yes... Where is he?"
There was a slight pause. Then a collective "errr..."
"Upstairs."
"Sleeping."
"Sick."
The three answers came jumbling out all at once. She looked at Alice and then raised her head and stared at Remus, figuring he would be the easiest one to spot a lie in. He was looking at the rug.
"Lies," Alice said instantly.
"Er. We just meant that he's upstairs sleeping... because he's sick," James said suddenly. Sirius nodded emphatically and said, "Exactly."
Alice sniffed.
"Fine," Lily said loftily. "Fine... So what are YOU guys doing down here so early in the morning?"
"The storm woke us up," James said quickly. Sirius nodded. Alice reached over and put a hand under his chin to stop the reckless bobbing, making Sirius look over at her and wink. She glared at him warningly and moved to the corner of the couch.
"Right," Lily said, nodding. She stopped herself from rolling her eyes. It was better not to know what they were up to. Then again, she was curious... It took a lot of willpower to swallow her questions, but she did it grudgingly and stared into the empty fireplace.
Lily had expected the Common room to be deserted this early in the morning. She hadn't thought anyone would be downstairs at six o'clock, even though it was a Saturday. Any sane person would be snuggling up under their covers to keep warm while the chaotic storm raged outside.
Not that she and Alice were anything short of sane; they had been rudely ejected from their dormitory under... bizarre conditions. Or was she over- reacting again? Lily shook her head sadly and tried to jam her cold hands into nonexistant pockets. The phrase 'weird morning' kept running through her mind, and she tried unsuccessfully to fish out all the rational thoughts and put them together. Nothing made sense. And the air- something about the air just felt so strange, even now as she pattered down the stairs behind Alice.
At the bottom, the first thing Lily noticed when she entered the Common room was the bleakness of everything, the odd grayness of all the colors. It almost felt like there was some sort of large, sweeping shadow that enveloped the room and the castle in dark gray haze and wouldn't let go. It was dim here, not as dark as their dormitory, but it was a lot colder. The fires hadn't been lit yet for some reason; she shivered again in response.
The next thing she noticed was that there were three heads poking up over the edge of a coach and chair, staring at her in surprise. Three familiar heads... the fourth was missing. She almost pulled Alice back up the stairs, but realized there was no where to go and had continued forward wearily, crossing her arms firmly around her chest. She felt very, very naked.
Alice turned nervously to her and asked if she wanted to sit somewhere farther away, nodding towards the windows.
Lily surveyed her options. The three heads had taken up residence around the dark fireplace, which would probably soon be lit and sending off warm, comforting waves of heat. The other empty seats were by the cold, rattling windows, which offered no protection it seemed against the storm outside. She sighed in defeat.
Lily looked towards the fireplace again; the three heads were silent and still gazing in their direction. She caught Remus's eye first and he smiled tentatively at her. Next to him, Sirius grinned and gave her a hearty wave. On an armchair adjecent to the couch, James stared at her blankly. She stared back, daring him to grin or throw some haughty comment at her face.
She slowly began making her way towards the fireplace, intent on maintaining her composure, which she assured herself would be very easy. She wasn't mad at anyone, after all. Sure, James was a big-headed prat. Big deal, there were plenty of them. At least he was sitting in his own chair.
She had come to the conclusion earlier that week that she didn't actually hate James, that she never really truly hated him. Hate was a strong word. It was the wrong word. Disliked, despised, detested. Those words were more fitting. Lily didn't actually hate anyone; the definition of hate was something in itself. She would save her hate for the right person. Not that she was hoping she would ever meet someone she could truly hate. James Potter was just a childhood rival.
One who could best her in Transfiguration! She reminded herself quickly of her newfound stance on hatred. Nevermind, she'd beat him by the end of the year.
She stopped moving and stood facing them, glancing around quickly to find a seat. She ignored the surprised looks of the three boys and collapsed into the cushy armchair across from James on the other side of the fireplace.
Alice stood hesitantingly in front of the occupied couch in between the two armchairs for a second and then smiled.
"Room for one more?" she asked sweetly, flipping her hair back.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "There's always room for one more." He grinned devilishly and patted the space next to him.
Alice narrowed her eyes and then grinned. "Don't even think about it, Black," she said before settling down next to him.
Everyone stared at eachother for a few awkward, silent seconds before Remus finally said, "Weird morning, eh?"
Alice looked at Lily quickly. "Funny. That's what we were just thinking," she said, leaning back. Lily pulled her legs up to her chest and leaned sideways a bit, making sure her nightgown covered her totally. It was so cold in here.
"What are you ladies doing down here so early in the morning?" Sirius asked probingly, leaning in closer to Alice.
"What do you care?" Alice retorted as she squinted at him and leaned away.
Sirius put on a mock hurt expression. "I was just wondering." He shot a glance at James and then shrugged, settling back against the couch.
"If you must know, the storm woke us up," Lily said quietly from her seat. She turned towards the window and saw a flicker of lightning crack through the sky. "I just hope the windows don't break," she said to no one in particular.
"No, they won't. McGonagall's already been in here to reinforce them with magic. They should hold up," James said, looking at her calmy. They stared at eachother. His eyes were as cloudy at the storm outside.
"Oh." She paused. "That's good then."
Awkward silence.
"Oh, wow!" Alice burst out suddenly, making everyone jolt slightly. "I just noticed that Peter isn't here. Well, I figured he'd be sleeping on the floor or something and then I totally forgot... Where is he?"
Lily could've sworn she saw a guilty exchange of faces between the three boys but it disappeared in a split second. Slightly suspicous now, she looked around herself slowly for any sign of him before she said, "Yes... Where is he?"
There was a slight pause. Then a collective "errr..."
"Upstairs."
"Sleeping."
"Sick."
The three answers came jumbling out all at once. She looked at Alice and then raised her head and stared at Remus, figuring he would be the easiest one to spot a lie in. He was looking at the rug.
"Lies," Alice said instantly.
"Er. We just meant that he's upstairs sleeping... because he's sick," James said suddenly. Sirius nodded emphatically and said, "Exactly."
Alice sniffed.
"Fine," Lily said loftily. "Fine... So what are YOU guys doing down here so early in the morning?"
"The storm woke us up," James said quickly. Sirius nodded. Alice reached over and put a hand under his chin to stop the reckless bobbing, making Sirius look over at her and wink. She glared at him warningly and moved to the corner of the couch.
"Right," Lily said, nodding. She stopped herself from rolling her eyes. It was better not to know what they were up to. Then again, she was curious... It took a lot of willpower to swallow her questions, but she did it grudgingly and stared into the empty fireplace.