A/N: Hurray! Saddam Hussein is caught at last! (Sorry, I'm just showing my feelings of joy)
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Chapter 7 - Tell Him the Truth
Lily had made up her mind. She was going to break up with Matthew. She felt terrible about it, but it was better that he knew the truth.
She'd been awake all night, but she wasn't tired. It was as though a fire had been lit inside her, and it kept on burning.
Once she had broken up with Matthew, she would be free. She wouldn't have to pretend anymore. She just had to tell him that she'd never fancied him, she just didn't want to hurt his feelings. That was all she had to do.
So, Lily rose early and was waiting for Matthew in the Common Room at 6 o' clock in the morning. She wasn't aware of the time that passed. All her concentration was fixed on what she was about to do. She couldn't stop thinking to herself, over and over again, I've got to tell him the truth.
At last, an hour later, Matthew came downstairs. He was smiling, and he had a kindly, sympathetic look on his face. Lily was so shocked by his expression, which she had expected to be distraught, that she almost forgot why she was waiting for him in the first place.
"Matthew, I promise you, I'm not going out with Potter."
"I know, Lily."
"But Matthew, there's something I-"
"It's all right, Lily," he said, so kindly. Lily stared. "I understand," he continued, a loving look in his eyes. "You didn't mean to say it, I know that. And I trust you, I know you'd never betray me or anyone else, for that matter. I know you'd never go out with someone else behind my back. So, I figured that it just slipped out. And I can't honestly say I blame you. It's my fault. I'm sorry, Lily. Will you forgive me?"
She couldn't believe it. Matthew thought that he was in the wrong. And he trusted her not to betray him. How could she tell him now? How could she tell him that she didn't fancy him, and she never had, when he was looking at her with so much love?
"I should never have taken such a strict attitude with you," Matthew went on, oblivious to Lily's sniffs and gulps. "I have no right to tell you what to do, I am not your superior, and it's your life. You've got a lot of responsibility on your shoulders and I know that you just want to let your hair down a bit. Everyone feels like that at times. I just don't want you to get into trouble." He patted her shoulder caringly. "I'm sorry about the way I behaved. You were probably really angry and you had every right to be."
God, he was being patronising. And yet he was so understanding. And she had been lying to him all along. Poor Matthew, if he only knew... Lily felt sick.
Matthew took her head in his hands and kissed her. It was a long time before he broke away. He looked into her eyes.
"I love you, Lily," he said quietly, still smiling that unbearable, kind smile. He loved her. He loved her, and she had let him think that she loved him back. She didn't even fancy him. A helpless tear fell from one of her beautiful emerald green eyes.
"Ssh, don't cry," whispered Matthew, and he embraced her in a warm hug, unable to hear her screaming inside.
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The Quidditch final was drawing near and emotions were running high. Ravenclaws and Gryffindors usually got on very well, but old friendships were now cast aside in the desperate longing for the Cup. Members of the two houses were rarely seen talking with each other, and when they did, there was a cool tension in the air. It had been so long since Ravenclaw had got through to the Final that they'd almost lost all hope of ever winning. Consequently, the coming match was discussed tirelessly throughout every day; at breakfast in the Great Hall, to and from lessons, at breaktimes and lunchtimes, and in the evenings by the warm fire in the Common Room. Two first years got a week's detention from Madam Pince, for tearing 'Quidditch through the Ages' in half during a heated argument over who was going to read it first, so they would know all the advanced rules.
The other houses were also taking an excited interest in the match, at least, the Hufflepuffs were. As far as Lily could tell, they didn't care who won, they were just happy that Slytherin definitely wouldn't. It was the first time in 16 years that Slytherin hadn't made it to the Final, and they weren't very happy about it. To show their displeasure, the Slytherins began hexing twice as many people as usual. Two Ravenclaw Chasers and a Gryffindor beater ended up in the hospital wing with broccoli growing out of their ears, while a Hufflepuff second year was turned into a kettle. Madam Pomfrey finally cracked when 10 Gryffindor fourth years were knocked unconscious and she didn't have any spare beds.
"I've had enough of it, I tell you!" She wailed, wringing her hands. "They've gone too far!"
"There there, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall soothingly, "It's all right, Professor Dumbledore has had them taken to St. Mungo's."
"I can't cope!" Shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "I can't take it any more! Why can't they just leave each other alone?" Professor McGonagall gave Madam Pomfrey her handkerchief and assured her that anyone found to have hexed anybody else would earn a week's worth of detentions, and lose 50 points for their house.
"I'm sorry, Minerva - *sniff* - but it's driving me - *sniff* - crazy," she sobbed through the handkerchief. "I can't handle - *sniff* - this amount of students on my own - *sniff* - and now it's come to this," she looked desperately around the room. "I can't even - *sniff*- look after my own students. What kind of - *sniff* - nurse am I?"
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OK, so Madam Pomfrey crying has nothing whatsoever to do with the story, but its just a bit of background information that I couldn't resist putting in.
The chapter after the next (and I will upload them both together) is THE LONG-AWAITED QUIDDITCH MATCH and it will come a lot sooner if you review. So, here's a little sneak preview:
"Potter was diving down again, the crowds were roaring, but all Lily could see were memories of Potter. Potter as a first year, when he was as idiotic as all the boys, swinging schoolbags and shouting. Potter as a second year, when he was cheeky and irritating, but always nice to Lily. Potter as a third year, when he swore, made tasteless jokes and pulled pranks. Potter as a fourth year when he started asking her out and swaggering down the corridors. Potter as a fifth year, when he showed off, boasted and hexed people for fun.
But then Potter as a sixth year, when he stopped all that and started thinking about other people. Potter as a seventh year, the funny, witty, charming person that Lily knew and admired. And Potter last Tuesday, when Lily wished him good luck for the match and he'd replied, "Thanks, Evans. But please, don't call me Potter anymore. I'm James.""
So if you like it, review! If you don't like it, review anyway!
Bye!
Dancingmango ; )