Disclaimer: nothing is mine
Chapter Eight – Hogsmeade
On the next Hogsmeade Weekend Lily and Rose joined Remus, Sirius and James in one of the carriages that would take them down to the village. The carriages were s epical treat for the Seventh Years and they gladly used the,. Peter hadn't been allowed to go to Hogsmeade due to his failing Potions grade. He'd been forced to stay in the castle and study and then he had detention with Filch for being caught with a load of dung bombs in front of Filch's office.
"So what does everyone plan to do first," Sirius asked excitedly, bouncing up and down in his seat. Rose laughed at him and leaned against his shoulder. He stopped bouncing and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Zonkos," James answered, pulling out a three foot list of Zonko's products, "I need to replenish my stores."
Rose laughed before answering for herself and Lily, "We're going shopping, aren't we Lily?"
"Defiantly, I want that mini skirt I showed you in that catalogue," Lily grinned.
"What about you, Moony, old boy? Will you be joining me and Prongs in Zonkos?"
To all's surprise Remus blushed and shook his head, "I'm meeting Amelia Bones in the Three Broomsticks as soon as we get there."
"Moony, you old dog," Sirius crowed. "I think I'm starting to rub off on you."
Everyone laughed including Remus. The carriage jerked to a halt and they all clambered out. Sirius quickly kissed Rose on the cheek before she and Lily linked arms and headed off the boutiques at the end of the village. James stared after the red head, wishing he was going with it.
"Come on Prongs, stuff to buy, pranks to pull," Sirius tugged anxiously on James' robes, pulling him towards the popular joke shop. James laughed and together they ran down the street like the crazy third year who were seeing the village for the first time.
"Come on Lily, choose already. We were meant to meet Sirius and James at the Three Broomsticks ten minutes ago," Rose whined to the changing room door.
"God you get titchy when you're not around Sirius. It's like he's your version of what coffee is to America," Lily laughed as she stepped out of the changing room in her normal blank top and ¾ skirt. She held up two mini skirts, one aqua blue and the other black.
"I'm getting the blue," she decided and the black disappeared from her hand and back on to the rack it came from. "I have too many black clothes already. This just seems so bright."
Rose nodded and grinned, "I can just see every guy's face if you walked through Hogwarts wearing that."
Lily giggled, "Well, it is Sunday tomorrow and the weathers meant to be still warm, Could be the ideal time."
The two girls paid for their purchases and hurried toward the Three Broomsticks. Inside they found James and Sirius waiting for them, deep in discussion about the next Quidditch World Cup. Rose snuck up behind Sirius and covered his eyes.
Sirius jerked in surprise then smiled, "Hello Mrs Clause, I was wondering when you'd get tired of old St. Nick."
Rose giggled and playfully hit Sirius on the head before leaning round and kissing his cheek. Lily laughed at them and the girls sat down. As they did James jumped up. "I'll go get the drinks," he said hastily.
Lily watched him weave his way through the say of tables filled with excited students. The she turned back to the others. "What's up with Potter?" she asked.
Sirius looked up from his bag of Zonko products, "James?" he asked, "Nothing, I think, why?"
"No reason, he just seemed to want to get away from us."
"Probably wanted to get away before you could blow up at him," Sirius chuckled, "You know you're developing quite a reputation."
Though Lily laughed along with Rose and Sirius, on the inside his words rang in her head. Was she really always yelling and telling off James? She thought back to the past few weeks they'd been at Hogwarts. All James seemed to ever do was help her and all she ever did was brush him aside.
James came back and placed the four butterbeers on the table. Lily smiled at him and took one, "Thanks Potter," she said and drank deeply.
Sirius, who had also been tasting his drink promptly spat it out and stared at Lily.
"What did you say?" he choked.
"I said, thank you Potter," Lily grinned at the faces around the table, "Sorry I won't be so polite next time."
"No, no, feel free to have manners," Sirius said quickly. "I just think that that was the first time I've ever heard you say something nice to James – and meant it."
"Oh," Lily shrugged. "Maybe I'm coming down with something." She laughed inwardly at the boys and Rose's expressions as she lifted her tankard for another large gulp.
Fourteen butterbeers later the four decided it was time to shop again. Only this time Rose refused to be separated from Sirius and dragged him off, saying she needed to buy Lily her birthday present. James yelled after them to meet at the carriages in an hour and turned to find Lily slumped on the bench outside Dervish and Bangs. Her eyes were closed and her head slumped in her hands, elbows resting on her knees.
"Evans," he said as he knelt in front of her. "Are you okay?"
Lily's eyes opened and she sprang out of her seat.
"I've never been better Potter. Now, where shall we go-ooo" Lily wavered and James quickly grabbed her waist to stop her falling. Lily giggled and pushed James away, "thank you Potter but I assure you I am quite alright. Whoa-"
Lily tripped herself up and fell face first into the muddy ground. James looked down at her and sighed. "This is the Head Girl of Hogwarts. What the hell is happening to standards?"
Lily rolled over and glared up at him, "I resent that Potter, I merely tripped up. Now get me up," she giggled.
James pulled her up and held on to her this time, ignoring the weird looks he was receiving from the students walking around them and into the Wizarding equipment shop. As Lily swayed around dizzily James was sure he could strongly smell alcohol whenever she came near.
"Lily how much did you have to drink?" he asked. The only answer he got was laughter and more swaying. "Lily – stop," he said in the angriest voice he could muster. Lily stopped what she was doing and smiled up at James. "Look at me," Lily looked up at him, her emerald eyes doing their best impersonation of innocence. "How much did you drink in there?"
Lily continued to stare at him blankly, either she hadn't heard the question or was ignoring him. Then she blinked and broke her gaze. "Ummm, let's see. I had three butters, two firewhiskies and then two butters mixed with rum I think…."
"Firewhisky?" James repeated, "What the hell were you doing drinking Firewhisky?"
"Amos brought me one when I was up at the bar waiting for our drinks. He was so surprised that I could drink one that I just had to show him I could handle another. And then Oliver Chang bought me the mixes when we were talking about Quidditch," Lily giggled and slumped against James.
"Alright, I think we'd better get you back to the castle before anyone else notices your drunk," James put one arm around Lily's waist and they walked slowly towards the waiting carriages. He looked around for any sign of Sirius, Remus or Rose but then decided he'd just deal with them when they got back.
As they pulled up to the castle James looked at Lily and held in his laughter. The redhead was fast asleep, her mouth pen and breathing loudly.
He picked her up and went into the castle. Once they were inside the common room James looked around him; there was no one there as everyone who had stayed behind was down in the Great Hall having lunch. But he couldn't leave her here, everyone would be back soon enough and he couldn't get up the girls staircase.
Chuckling at the thought of her reaction when she would wake up James headed toward the boys stairs and into his dorm. He put Lily down on to his bed and quickly grabbed the small mirror off his bedside table.
Holding it up to his face he called into it, "Sirius."
Half a minute later Sirius' face appeared in the mirror looking slightly startled, "What's up prongs, where are you? I thought we didn't have to meet for another twenty minutes."
"Yeah I know but we came back earlier. Our little Lily got herself drunk and fell asleep."
"She's not drunk James, you're just boring."
"Cheers Padfoot."
"Anytime mate. Rose and I'll be back in about half an hour," James tossed the mirror back on to the table once Sirius had disappeared. Then he looked down at Lily and smiled. Boy she'd never live this one down.
"She wouldn't stop giggling and she fell over a couple of times so I just decided to bring her back home," Lily heard Sirius snort and Rose stifle a laugh. She cracked one eye open and saw red hangings surrounding her. The others couldn't see her. She sat up slowly and opened both eyes. As she did Lily caught sight of the headboard and froze. There, written in gold and surrounded by little snitches was the words James Potter.
Shit! What the hell was she doing in James Potter's bed? And why could she feel a massive migraine coming on? Lily looked frantically around and her eyes landed on the silver cloak that lay at the end of James' bed. 'Stupid Potter,' she thought. Quickly she wrapped the cloak around herself and waited for one of the people outside to open the hangings.
Soon enough Sirius announced that it was time Lily woke up and faced the magic. He ripped back the curtain hangings on one side of the bed and she quickly slipped past him and over to the wall.
"Ah Prongs?" Sirius asked. "Did you say that Lily was in this bed or some other bed you happen to own?"
"What are you talking about Padfoot? Lily's right there, isn't she?" James moved around to stand next to Sirius. Rose quickly followed. "Where the hell as she?" James stared at the bed. "I swear I haven't left the room since I brought her in."
As Lily was inching closer to the door Remus walked in, leaving the door wide open. She slipped out and hurried down through the common room and out the portrait hole, ignoring the shrieks of the Fat Lady when she didn't see anyone come out. Lily made her way out to the Quidditch Pitch, careful not to uncover herself or bump into anyone.
Once inside the empty Pitch grounds she pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and clambered to the top of the stands, where she promptly collapsed.
Back in the Boy's Dorm.
"Hey guys, why are we staring at James' bed? Remus asked as he entered the room.
"Well, Lily's meant to be there and she's disappeared," Sirius scratched his head.
"Can I ask why Lily was in James' bed o do I not want to know?"
James scowled at Remus, "She got drunk in Three Broomsticks and when I got let with her I decide to bring her back to the castle. Only when we'd gotten up to the Tower she fell asleep and seeing as I couldn't get her into her won dorm I brought her up here and then she disappeared."
"Well, maybe she slipped out when you had you're back turned, James."
"No, I checked on her like five seconds before Sirius and Rose came in. She didn't have time."
"Uh, Prongs, buddy, where's your cloak?" Sirius was staring at James and then at the foot of James bed where his Invisibility Cloak had been that morning.
"Oh, shit, and then when Moony came in…she must have slipped out."
"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on? James is wearing his cloak," Rose interrupted, looking from one boy to the other with total confusion.
"Oh, James owns an Invisibility Cloak and Lily knows about it. She's taken it and that's how she got out without us knowing."
"Okay, so if she's invisible then how do we find her?"
Sirius crossed over to his bed and rummaged around his trunk before pulling out a blank piece of parchment, "With this?"
"A piece of parchment?"
Sirius looked at Rose, horrified, "This is not just a piece of parchment, my dear lady, it is ultimate tool in the field of mischief. I give you the Marauder's Map."
Rose stared at him blankly as Sirius pulled out his wand and recited, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." He grinned and tossed the map at Rose. She flattened it out and watched as lines spread across the page and formed an outline of Hogwarts. There were dots moving along the page with words next to them. They were people, Rose realised and she quickly began scanning the page for Lily.
"Here, there's a quicker way," James took the map form her and pointed his own wand at it, "Lily Potter," he muttered and the lines formed another image which Rose saw was the Quidditch Pitch. A dot was placed in the middle of the stands labelled, "Lily Potter."
"That's amazing," Rose said as James muttered something else and the map cleared.
"Thanks," Sirius grinned.
"Wait, you made that?"
The three boys nodded proudly. "Come on," Remus moved toward the door, "Lets go get Lily before Hagrid or Filch find her."
Lily lay on her back, staring up into the cloudy sky. She'd used a healing charm to clear her migraine and the onset of a hangover. She'd worked out why she'd drunken so much – it was her way of trying to drown out the fact that James might not be as bad as she'd thought.
'This is so stupid,' she thought. 'I'm the Head Girl and I'm hiding from my friends because I got drunk."
The sky was darkening ever so slightly in the early October sky. Lily watched the clouds move, making shapes and animals out of the curves and lines. It was something she and Petunia had done when they were little and bored. Strange how some things stick in your mind.
"Lily?" a voice said tentatively. Lily sat up and saw Rose a couple of steps down, looking up at her.
"Yeah?"
"Are you alright? You really freaked us out doing that. I thought James was going to have a heart attack."
Lily laughed and stood up, dusting off her clothes. As she did James, Sirius and Remus came into view on the ground in the Quidditch Pitch, "Why are they here?"
Rose glanced behind her and shrugged, "They wanted to make sure I found you and that you were alright."
"How did you find me?"
"That map they have, even with the Invisibility Cloak you can still be seen."
The mention of the Cloak gave Lily an idea, "Hey Rose, could you see me lying down from the ground?" Rose shook her head. "I'm going to lie back down in a minute and put the cloak on me. I'll follow you back down and you tell them I want to stay here for awhile."
"Why?"
"Why not? They could have done this to us for years. I'm going to follow Potter around, see if I can discover anything."
Rose laughed and Lily quickly ducked down and covered herself. Once Rose couldn't see her she headed back down to the boys.
"Act worried," a voice hissed behind her. Rose didn't even blink.
"Hey, where's Evans?" James called as Rose and Lily drew closer.
"She wanted to stay awhile longer. I think she's been thinking about her Dad again."
Lily tensed as Sirius questioned about her Dad. She hadn't told anyone but Rose and Clover the entire story. She quickly nudged Rose from behind, hoping Rose would understand to tell them everything.
"Her dad died at Christmas last year in a car crash. He was driving back from the store form picking up some cream or something that Lily had forgotten to pick up. After the funeral Petunia, her sister, accused her of killing their father. If Lily had remembered the cream then her father would still be alive."
Lily fought back the tears threatening to flow as she looked form one boy to the other. Remus was pale, Sirius was for once barely moving and her eyes were dull. And James, James was staring at Rose as if he had just realized something.
"But when she came back, she was just like normal."
Rose nodded, "She didn't even tell us till three weeks later. Lily's good at hiding things that hurt her. Come on, we need to get back to the castle."
Rose and the three boys turned and walked slowly in silence, Lily just behind them. Rose fell behind for a moment and Lily reached out, careful not to uncover herself, and squeezed her hand. Rose glanced sideways to where she assumed Lily was and smiled sadly. Then she quickly caught up to Sirius and took his hand as they entered the castle.
"Shouldn't she be back by now? Maybe we should check the map," James said, glancing at the clock which read five past eleven.
"No," James looked at Rose, surprised at the force in her voice. "I mean, we need to respect her privacy. She'll meet us here when she's ready."
They were all in the boy's dormitory, even though if Rose was caught it would mean deep shit. But they hadn't wanted to talk where they could be heard. Rose didn't look too worried though. She was sitting in between Sirius' legs, leaning back against him. Sirius himself looked half asleep, his arms around Rose and his hands linked with hers.
Remus was lying on his bed a book levitating above him, turning the page automatically when he finished. Peter, who had been filled in on Lily when he'd come back from detention, was playing a solitaire game of exploding snap and James was trying to do his homework but kept glancing at the clock and then at the door. Lily was sitting in the cloak on the window sill.
"But she missed dinner and she's out after curfew. If she's caught –"
"She had your cloak, she won't get caught. She's fine, I know it," Rose assured him.
James slumped back down on the bed and listlessly picked up his Transfiguration notes. Lily had to stifle a giggle; it was funny to see the calm, collected Quidditch Captain all riled up. She knew all about his feelings for her – she'd gone 'with' Remus and James earlier, just after dinner.
"I can't believe she could keep that all in," James had said.
"I know, it's not exactly the easiest thing to deal with, your father dying and being blamed for it," Remus rubbed his temples. "You'd never have guessed it, talking to her."
"Moony promise not to tell anyone, not even Sirius or Peter?"
"Promise, but I don't even know what it is."
James took a deep breath and looked at his feet, "I like Lily."
"Well everyone knows that. You've been asking her out for three years," Remus smiled.
"No, I mean I really like Lily. I can't stop thinking about her Moony. Everywhere I look I see something that reminds me of her. When she's not around I miss her being there, even if all she does is yell at me." Lily stopped short at this and nearly knocked over a suit of armour in the process.
"Sounds serious," Remus said. "What do you plan to do?"
James shook his head, "What can I do? Lily hates me; I'm not going to tell her, ever."
"You can't keep it bottled it up, you'll explode eventually."
"I'll risk it. Who knows, maybe I'll get to save her life and she might hate me less."
Remus laughed and they headed back to the common room. As they reached the portrait James turned to Remus, "Don't mention a word of this to Sirius."
Lily looked around the dorm, Sirius and Rose were whispering quietly. Peter had given up on his game and was sleeping soundly, the curtains drawn around the bed, Remus and James hadn't moved. She decided it was time to enter. She crept to the door and opened and shut it widely. Everyone looked up and Lily pulled the cloak off herself.
"Thanks Potter," she said coolly and dropped it on his bed. "Move over Remus," she smiled as she shoved Remus' legs over and sat on his bed. He grumbled and sat up aswell while the book dropped and landed on his pillow.
"Where were you? Surely you didn't stay out by the pitch all this time," James said, folding the cloak and laying it on the end of his bed.
"Of course not, Potter. I met up with Malfoy and snogged him for an hour while we plotted ways to take over the Ministry."
Sirius, Rose and Remus laughed while James scowled, "Don't tell me then."
"I just told you and you don't even believe me. Well I'm not going to stay where I'm not wanted," Lily jumped off the bed. "Night boys, see you soon Rose." And she was gone before anyone blinked.
James yelled in frustration and glared at Remus, "See what I mean?" he roared before closing the hangings and disappearing form view.
Sirius looked questioningly at Remus who shook his head, "No clue." He closed his hangings too, giving Sirius some privacy to say good night to Rose.
Rose smiled at the sight of the three closed off beds. Then she started to move away but found two muscular arms blocking her, "Sirius you have to let me go."
"No I don't," Sirius grinned. "It's my bed; I don't have to do anything.
Rose leant forwards, trying to break his grip, "That's not fair, your stronger than me."
"Life's not fair."
"Pillock."
"Witch."
"Prat."
"You know you love me."
"Let me go!"
"Say it! Admit it and I'll let you go."
"Alright, god, talk about pressure. I love you, Sirius."
"And I love you too," Sirius chuckled as he let go of Rose. Instead of getting up she leaned back against him. "Though you were leaving?"
"Not just yet," Rose mumbled, closing her eyes. "I just wanted to be able to."
She turned her head sideways and kissed Sirius, turning the rest of her body around as she did. They continued to kiss until Rose pulled away.
"God, Sirius, its past midnight." She kissed him once more and pulled back. "Night." She blew out the candle next to his bed and used the light of the half moon to see.
"Night," Sirius replied. Rose started to leave but as she passed James one hand threw the Invisibility Cloak at her.
"Good night Rose."
"Good night James. Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
The door closed and Sirius could hear Remus chuckling from his bed between he and James, "Go, are the hangings see through?"
"Nah, I just can see through the crack at the corners," Remus continued to laugh and James and Sirius soon joined in.
Across the room a voice came from the last bed, "What's so funny guys, did Lily come back?"
The laughter increased but Remus managed to answer, "Yeah, she's fine. Sirius is just embarrassed cause he got caught making out in front us. Go back to sleep."
"Whatever," Within seconds light snoring was heard and the boys cracked up with laughter again.
Lily looked up and smiled as the door opened and closed. She felt someone land on the bed and the hangings closed. Lily quickly cast a silencing charm around the enclosed bed and Rose pulled the Invisibility Cloak off.
"What took you so long, it's been ages since I left?" Lily asked, lighting the end of her wand so they could see each other.
"I had to say good night to Sirius."
"And that took an hour?"
"Well, we started kissing and –"
"Alright, I don't need a mental image!"
Rose laughed, "Sorry but you might find something interesting."
"What?"
"He said he loved me."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Did you say it back?"
"Yes, of course."
"That's so great. Wow, Sirius black admitting he loves you, who'd of thought," Lily leaned over and hugged Rose. This put out the light on her wand. "Whoops, Lumos."
"So, what happened?" Rose raised her eyebrows at Lily.
"When?"
"I know you followed James and Remus after dinner. What were they talking about?"
"Oh," Lily though quickly but decided she didn't want to keep secrets from Rose, especially since Rose had helped her spy on the boys. She quickly filled her in on their conversation. As the end Rose squealed.
"Oh my God, Lily that is so sweet!"
"No, it's not. This is James Potter we're talking about."
"Exactly. James Potter, leader of the most popular boys at Hogwarts, Quidditch Captain and sex god. Lily, most girls would kill to be in your shoes."
"They don't know what he's really like."
"And you do?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You think you know what James is really like? You've never given him a chance Lils, how do you know what he's like?"
"Rose, he's a bully."
"To Slytherins! You know first hand what their like to anyone who isn't one of them."
"That doesn't give him –"
"Before you judge him, you should know all these to him," Rose slipped from the bed and left Lily on her own.
"Nox," she whispered and her wand went out, plunging Lily into darkness.
This ended up really long because it was split into two chapters which I decided made one the right length but the other too short. So I made it long… seeing as I haven't updated in awhile.
Hope you like, please review, I finally figured out how to change the review thingy so you don't have to be signed in to review.
LittleAquarianPrincess