"Lily overslept again!" Norma whispered to Sara during Care of Magical Creatures. "And she wouldn't talk to James at all last period! Was I the only one who noticed that? I'm sure James did."
"Ouch! This damn Mark. It's burning me." Sara said, rubbing her forearm. "I think it means he's calling me."
"You couldn't get it off yesterday?" Norma asked.
"The Slytherins ignored me, then when I asked them if I could speak with the Dark Lord, they laughed. They said if I wanted to tell him anything, I should just think it." Sara said smirking. "I told them I've been thinking they were all morons for following this wannabe leader who would just lead them to poverty. They ignored me again and left."
"Wow. Just.... wow." Norma said. She continued the work they were supposed to be doing. "Why do you think Lily is dreaming about You-Know-Who?"
"Why did I join him? Why is he in power? Why is his favorite color pink? There are many unanswered questions in the world, Norma." Sara said. "Maybe they should be left that way."
"His favorite color is pink?" Norma asked in disbelief.
"No, but it would be funny if it were." Sara said smiling. The two friends laughed and were told to be quiet. They continued to work and didn't discuss Lily's dreams anymore.
"Lily?" James asked her in the Dining Hall during lunch. "Can we talk?"
"I guess..." Lily thought. She followed James outside to the hallway. The second they got out there, James started kissing her. Lily didn't exactly pull away, but she didn't put much emotion in it.
"What's wrong?" James said as he pulled away.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"You've been ignoring me, you just stood there while I kissed you and you've been oversleeping. What is up with you these days?" James asked. Lily was about to say nothing and storm off when she saw he was really concerned. 'I can't tell him I like Sirius. Which I don't! Do I?' Lily thought.
"I've just been worried about...the Potions essay." Lily finished lamely.
"Oh honey!" James said pulling her into a hug and buying the lie. "You did wonderfully! Don't worry about it. I love you." James looked right into Lily's eyes, waiting for her to respond.
"I love you, too." Lily said after a moment. "I'm hungry, I'm going to eat lunch." She ran off before James could do anything else. The afternoon went by quickly. The only thing that was memorable when Sirius said hi, and Lily felt jittery again. Almost as jittery before any of this had ever happened.
Lily was getting ready for bed that night when Norma and Sara came in. "Whoa, getting ready for bed already? It's 8:30!" Sara said.
"I know that! I'm hoping if I get to sleep early enough, I won't oversleep, okay?" Lily said and she got into bed.
"Well, sweet dreams, uh, I guess." Norma said.
"But if you can't sleep." Sara said as Norma was pushing her out of the room, "There's going to be a game tournament that Sirius and James made up calling Exploding Snap or something. It sounds dumb, but it could be fun. Just to let you know!" Lily nodded and got under her covers.
The second she fell asleep, her dreams started again. This time Prince James came and saw Lily pacing around her room. She was yelling. "Why in Farmelon does that moron like Deramus? We are better! That moron peasant better not tell anyone I'm here." James knew at once she was taking about Sirius, pretending to be a peasant. After all, she did say moron. She seemed to be from Farmelon. James had an idea.
"Excuse me, dear lady!" James yelled up. Lily came to the window. "I seem to be lost. Where am I exactly in Farmelon?"
"Unfortunately, you are not in Farmelon." Lily called down. "You are in Deramus. Just near the border. Do you need directions to get back to Farmelon?"
"Yes! Why would I want to be Deramus when I could be in Farmelon?" James called up; praying that his father would forgive him if he found out he was saying these things.
"I'm glad someone agrees with me!" Lily said.
"What do you mean, fair lady?" James asked, already guessing what had happened.
"This moron peasant visited me yesterday from Deramus. He actually believed Deramus was better than Farmelon. He even said that King Hapholan was better than the great King Oran!" Lily said, proud of her father.
"What? Who could make such a mistake?" James said in mock-disgust. He remembered a well-known rumor in Farmelon and decided to use it. "I hear that the princes here cannot even speak Latin!"
"No, they cannot!" Lily said. "Even the moron peasant yesterday could speak Latin, and yet the peasants could not?"
"I would love to discuss the wonders of Farmelon more with you, but I have an achy throat, and cannot yell." James said, adding a cough for effect.
"Well, you could come up and join me, if you wish, that is." Lily said, suddenly very shy. "But I would, of course, first need to know your name."
"I am James, and I would love to come up." James said. "But I do not see a door."
"Go around the back, and answer the three questions." Lily said. "The answers are Good, Friend and Love. Oh, and I am Lily."
"Thank you." James said as he rode around the back. He saw the door and without looking at the questions said, "Good, Friend, Love." He walked up the stairs, and Lily was standing in the doorway waiting for him.
"I have waited so long in this horrible land to find another Farmelonian! You have no idea." Lily said taking his hands and leading him into the room. "My father sent me here for the duration of the war to keep me safe. How lonely I have been with practically no visitors from my homeland."
"Ego amo patria." Prince James said in Latin, translating to "I love my homeland."
"Nos amamus patria." Lily said in Latin, translating it to, "We love our homeland." Lily thought they were both talking about Farmelon, but really only she was. Still, James was not lying to her. He did love his homeland, it just happened to be Deramus. "But, "Lily said, "Enough Latin. I've had to take Latin my whole life, and I've hated it! I only learned it because I had to, as an heir to the throne."
"An heir to the throne?" James said, having the same reaction his brother did. "But you are a woman!"
"I know that. Do you think I would have spent my whole life not knowing I was female?" Lily said.
"What I meant was a woman cannot rule. It has always ended leaving the country in ruins." James said. "For example, Mary Tudor."
"Mary Tudor had gone crazy knowing she was the true heir and not getting the throne." Lily said. "I am nothing like that. But what of Elizabeth Tudor?"
"Her mother was beheaded for adultery. How do we know she was a true heir?" James countered.
"Only a true heir could rule as she did." Lily said.
"Then Mary was not a true heir?" James said. "You are contradicting yourself. That is not a good thing for a supposed future queen to do."
"Leave me! I thought you were a goodly person. Now I see you are like the others." Lily said, moving away from him.
"I am just being realistic." James said. "I'm sorry to offend you. I would hate to hurt a princess...especially such a beautiful one." James bowed and left. He got on his horse and trotted away. He half-expected Lily to call him back, but she did not. As he trotted away, he heard a galloping horse coming towards him. He knew it was Sirius, so he hid away.
"Oh, brother! I know you are there! I heard you run away." Sirius called when he got to about where James had been. "Well, I'm going to see the lady in the tower...for the second time. I doubt that you have seen her up close at all. Well, I bid thee farewell, brother!" Sirius rode off. Anger bubbled up inside of James. 'I will win thy love," James thought, thinking of Lily. He pulled the reins and heading the horse back to the tower. He would not let Sirius steal this maiden from him.