Before you throw rocks at me, I apologize for not updating in ages. I just started college in August and it's really scary. No, just kidding. It's amazing. I've been wanting to update for a long time but never found the time or willpower. So, here it is. I hope there's people out there who still want to read my story. Hopefully it's still good.
Okay, you can throw rocks now if you want to.
I own nothing except Morgan and James' parents and everything else you don't recognize.
Later that night James sat in his room calculating damage control. Okay, so the whole trip wasn't going quite according to plan. First off James' mother was proving to be more difficult to manage than he thought she would be, but that whole thing wrapped itself up neatly. Her anger had resulted in the admiration of Lily. She certainly hadn't expected James to actually defend her. James smiled happily to himself. It felt good to rescue someone, different, but good. Yes, the trip wasn't going according to plan, but he could rectify that. Things would look up. If the classic charm and magic of the Potter household could actually develop James' good mood, than he was sure it would work wonders on Lily. He settled comfortably into his own bed, nestling deep into his one thousand thread count sheets. Hey, this was Potter manor. What else would you expect?
He actually smiled at the thought of Lily. He enjoyed the challenge she offered, but he was also beginning to enjoy her. She had a fiery temper and left him wanting more from her. He wanted to discover every part of her, not just for the bet but for his own satisfaction. James hated to admit it but he was actually starting to care about Lily as a person, but he would rather die than admit it to Sirius or Peter.
The next morning everyone except for James woke up with trepidation in their hearts, fearful of the inevitable encounter between Lily and Mrs. Potter. The breakfast table was set for a magnificent feast, a little bit too extravagant for a morning meal. Lily felt sincerely out of place and wished for the simple comfort of her warm home. Everyone except for James and Sirius looked incredibly uncomfortable. Remus was sitting next to Morgan; his face had a worn expression and dark circles rested under his eyes. Lily felt very sorry for him and wondered if he was just sickly or if something was seriously wrong. But Remus really didn't look different from anyone else; it was obvious that although Sirius and James were comfortable in the opulent dining room, they still looked exhausted. At least this was true until Aidan came in. Lily knew she wanted to catch James as a beau and possibly even as a husband. She appeared as though she had inspected the Potter mansion and already decided what rooms she wanted to redecorate. Lily could almost see the calculations flurrying through Aidan's head. She pictured Aidan immersed in decorating materials saying, "Oh yes, James. I really thought gold curtains would suit this room better than the red ones that have been in your family for years." Lily shook her head to rid herself of the image but knew in her heart that this was the kind of woman James was destined to marry.
However, contrary to what Lily believed, James was thinking in his head at that exact moment how much he couldn't stand Aidan. She was bright-eyed even at this early hour in the morning and immaculately dressed, not a bloody hair out of place. He wondered if she was some kind of eternal demon, which never lost its perfection. But the arrival of his mother and father quickly ended that ludicrous idea. Vladimir escorted his wife to her seat and everyone rose respectfully until she was seated. Cordelia smiled at all her guests, her happy face only faltering at the sight of Lily. However, she bravely put up a positive front.
"Oh, how nice of all of you to wait for me before you started the meal. I know how those young boys love their food." Cordelia said as a way of informally beginning the meal.
Murmurs of, "Not at all." and "No worries." filled the room. Lily started to reach for the bowl in front of her that was filled with delectable looking strawberries, but Morgan shook her head no from across the table. Lily pulled her hand back, hesitating. Was she not allowed to eat because she was muggle born? Morgan mouthed the words, "Wait." Suddenly, servants flooded into the room and each one planted himself next to the occupants at the table. Lily's servant picked up her plate and began to fill the dish with a sampling of all the food.
"Um, I really don't like asparagus. I don't really associate it with breakfast," Lily said hesitantly when her servant laid a particularly large pile on her plate.
He turned his icy, blue eyes to her and nodded his confirmation, but strangely did not remove the food.
"Oh, well that's all right. I'll just make due," she said quietly as he flounced away.
Cordelia smiled at everyone from the head of the table. Well, not everyone. She managed to exclude Lily, which Lily did not understand. How can a person smile brightly at a whole table and still make it clear that one person is not welcome. Lily strongly suspected this was something aristocracy learned at birth. The art of appearing friendly to people while still snubbing them at every possible chance was an aristocratic gift.
"James, I'm terribly sorry that I could not stay awake to welcome you back to Tara, but I was so dreadfully tired."
Morgan smirked across the table to Lily and raised her eyebrows. Lily knew instantly what caused Morgan's humor. The fact that the Potter's referred to their manor as Tara was definitely amusing. They would have to ask James about it later.
"It's quite all right, mother. We were all tired ourselves and probably would have been bad company," James said and then gestured towards Morgan, "By the way this is Morgan Damien. I believe she is the only person here you haven't met."
Cordelia's sharp eyes swept down the table and examined Morgan. Morgan gave her an icy stare in return, never breaking eye contact. After all the Damien's were just as rich and respected as the Potter's. Their lineage was impeccable and Morgan had no reason to bow to Cordelia's unrelenting stare. Finally, Peter coughed awkwardly and the staring match was drawn to an uneasy truce.
Cordelia shifted uneasily in her seat, "Morgan, your mother wouldn't happen to be Anne Damien, would she?"
"Yes." Morgan said sweetly.
"Oh, so she did marry Christopher Damien?"
"Yes," Morgan repeated, "And they're very much in love."
Everyone winced at the snub, because it was a well-known fact the Potter's were not as in love as they once were. The wizarding community whispered that they no longer even slept in the same bed. Cordelia visibly stiffened, but a tight grin crossed her face. She had acknowledged the fact that Morgan wasn't backing down and still accepted her if only for the sake of Morgan's powerful family.
"Well," Cordelia said and folded her hands across her lap, "I believe I've had enough."
Lily looked doubtfully at what Cordelia had eaten and doubted that she really had enough. All that was on her plate was a half-eaten grapefruit and a few strawberries. Lily wondered if Cordelia was anorexic along with psychotic.
" I trust James will entertain you all accordingly. Please remember though that the East Wing is closed for repairs, but the stables are up and running if you would care for a ride." She pushed her chair out and hurried out of the room before anyone else could stand respectfully.
Silence filled the room after her sudden departure until Vladimir spoke up, "Well, I think I'd better move along as well. I've got to do something in the North Wing."
James looked up from his eggs, "Father, we don't have a North Wing."
Vladimir glanced at his son, "Right you are. Which is why I have to go do something about that. Can't have the Malfoy's outdoing us since they have all four wings."
James rolled his eyes at his father's lame excuse of backing out of dinner. His parents were going crazy. They insisted everyone attend a formal breakfast and then scurry out of the room the first chance they got. James knew his father was going to pour himself a drink in his study where he would most likely spend the rest of the day.
Sirius started laughing as soon as Vladimir was out of ear shot, "Well, James that was remarkably longer than our last formal breakfast."
"Quite," James said, "I knew this charade of being the perfect Potter family wouldn't last. They bloody hate each other too much. By the way Morgan I admire the way you completely put my mother in her place."
Morgan had the decency to blush, "James I didn't really mean it. I slipped out by accident."
Remus squeezed her hand reassuringly and smiled at her, "James doesn't mind at all. He's just jealous because he didn't think of it himself."
Perhaps it was because James was embarrassed of his parents or because of the fact that he knew Morgan really did have the perfect family but he couldn't keep his mouth shut. He threw Remus a snotty glare, "I would never be jealous of the freak from Gryffindor."
Lily looked at Morgan and she saw that the insult didn't bother her, but then Morgan glanced at Remus to see what he would do. Remus, however, stared dumbly at his food instead of defending his girlfriend. This hurt Morgan more than James' lame retort but she quickly brought a smile to her face even if it didn't reach her eyes. In a move that looked purely accidental to anyone but Lily, Morgan swiftly spilled a few drops of pumpkin juice on her cashmere sweater.
"Oh, how silly of me," she said, "I've really got to get this out before it stains. You know how difficult cashmere can be when it stains."
"I'll go with you," Lily stood up and started to walk out of the room.
"I'll go," Remus offered, eager to make amends. He knew he should have come to Morgan's rescue, but old habits die hard. He hardly ever stood up to James or Sirius.
"No," Morgan said, "I think I just need some time with Lily. Can we go for a ride James?"
He paused. He had been unfair to Morgan and didn't really want to piss her off anymore for Remus' sake, "Sure. I'll have the help pick out two horses."
"We'll do it ourselves," Morgan said and the two girls left the room.
In the stable Morgan was furious, but she wouldn't talk about it to Lily. She stomped around while looking into each stall, debating on what horse to choose. Lily had already chosen a very gentle mare named Amity. She was a pretty tan color with a white mane and seemed to be good tempered which is what mattered most to Lily. Since she didn't really know much about horses, Lily decided having a tame one would be the best way to go. However, Morgan was looking for a fiery horse to suit her temper. She was an accomplished equestrian and had won several awards for her excellent showmanship. Morgan paused in front of an immense coal-black stallion. He was pacing nervously in his stall and shied away from Morgan's touch when she reached out a hand.
"This one," she said shortly to the stable boy.
He bowed his head respectfully before speaking, "Begging your pardon, miss but I do not know if this is the best choice for you. Artorius is a stubborn beast and is usually ridden only by Mr. Potter."
Morgan turned her icy hazel eyes to the young boy, "I was told I could ride any horse I choose and I choose Arotrius."
Lily spoke up, "Really Morgan, maybe it's not such a good idea. He looks like he has a hell of a temper."
The stable boy looked gratefully at Lily and nodded his agreement. Morgan pondered Lily's advice. She really was a sweet girl, but Remus had deeply hurt her and her stubborn streak was getting the best of her.
"No," she shook her head, adamant in her decision, "I want to ride Artorius."
Lily sighed and nodded her assent to the stable boy. He reluctantly began to saddle Amity and Artorius, hoping that Morgan was as good a rider as she claimed she was.
In the manor the four boys and Aidan were discussing the Gryffindor girls.
"You just had to fuck things up, didn't you James?" Remus asked, angry with his friend.
"I gave you the perfect opportunity to prove to Morgan that you really liked her. All you had to do was stand up to me." James shot back.
"I haven't stood up to you since the first day I met you. What makes you think I would start now?" Remus said.
James rolled his eyes, "I don't know. Maybe I thought you would grow some balls by the time we were seventh years."
Remus' green eyes grow stormy and he stood from the breakfast table. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. Sirius leaped up and put his arm around Remus' shoulders.
"Boys, we're letting two unessential girls get in the way of our friendship. You two really need to relax." He said and gently removed Remus' wand from his hands.
Peter nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you two really need to just get on and fuck them because they're starting to cause more trouble than they're worth." He then looked up, horrified. He had forgotten Aidan was still at the table. She, however, appeared to be deeply involved in examining her flawless nails.
Peter leaned forward and hissed at his friends, "Tonight boys. Get it done."
The paths around the Potter household were extensive and Lily and Morgan took the one the stable boy recommended. He said it would lead them out to a scenic vista of the entire valley the manor was located in. So far he was right. The snow sprinkled on the ground and trees made for a pretty picture. The two girls were gossiping about Cordelia as the horses leisurely followed the path.
"I mean, naming your house Tara. How silly is that? It's right from Gone with the Wind." Morgan laughed.
"I'm sure it was an ancestor thing," Lily said, "But if I were her I would never use it. The name wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't already used."
Morgan nodded, "But this whole breakfast was a fiasco. I really should have slept in."
Lily clucked sympathetically, "Yes, it was but at least for once you and Remus were arguing instead of James and I."
"Your words of comfort aren't sounding quite as comforting as you probably mean them to be," Morgan said dryly and shot Lily a glare.
"Sorry," Lily said, but before she could continue a buck broke out from the woods and ran across their path, "How pretty." She exclaimed but she stopped when she saw the effect the buck had on Artorius.
The black stallion was spooked and Morgan was struggling to control him. She stroked his neck and whispered soothing words, but the damage was already done. His eyes rolled and he danced nervously away from Amity. When a doe came running out after the buck, this was the final straw for Artorius. He broke away and galloped down the path.
"Fuck," Lily yelled and used her riding crop to send Amity after her friend. Artorius was the faster horse but Amity stayed steadily behind him. Lily prayed that she would stay on Amity and cursed herself for never taking real riding lessons. The only time she had ever galloped was when she had ridden at the Damien's residence and that was only for a few minutes. Morgan was doing a good job of holding on but Artorius wouldn't slow down. Lily hoped that Morgan could hang on until the horse ran out of steam but that looked like it would take a long time. The path started to grow rocky and the horses had to maneuver through dangerous areas where roots and stones jutted out of the ground. Lily could only see the back of Morgan's head but her friend seemed to be maintaining her seat while still trying to calm the runaway horse. She desperately wanted to stop Amity from following Artorius because she knew the road was becoming more perilous than ever. Leaving Morgan at this time would be foolish though. Lily strained her eyes ahead looking for obstacles and gasped when she saw a large branch hanging over the path. Morgan chose at that instant to turn around and attempt to catch Lily's attention.
"Try to get next to me so Amity can calm him down," she called over her shoulder.
Lily couldn't hear the words but she saw the branch, "Bloody hell, Morgan! Turn around. There's a branch!"
Morgan turned right when her head connected with the branch. She dropped like a stone to the ground and a sickening crack was heard as she landed. Artorius kept galloping forward, heedless of his rider's peril. Lily reined Amity to a halt and leapt off her back. She crouched next to Morgan; afraid that perhaps she had broken something in the fall. The crack Lily had heard did not sound promising though. She was no nurse but Lily knew that you weren't supposed to move people after a serious accident in case their bones were damaged. So, for a few seconds Lily knelt on the ground, hoping that some mediwizard would appear. Then, Lily shook her head and realized her stupidity. She was on her own and she would not leave Morgan alone in the wilderness. Morgan was sprawled on her back, unconscious. Her face was pale and Lily was terrified. She pressed a gloved hand to Morgan's cheek and gently tapped her.
"Morgan," she called, "Come on honey. Wake up. This had better not be a bloody joke."
But Morgan didn't move. Her hazel eyes would not open. Lily realized that she had to get Morgan back to the Potter's quickly. Unfortunately she didn't have her wand or else she would send for help. The afternoon was rapidly approaching and no one would think to look for them until it was too late. She would have to hoist Morgan onto Amity and lead them to safety. Lily gingerly felt Morgan's body, hoping that she could feel the broken bones. Nothing seemed out of place so Lily slipped her arms under Morgan's back. Amity brushed her nose against Lily and the redheaded girl looked up.
"At least you're close," she said to the horse, before she hoisted Morgan to her knees, "God, I hope you're okay. Forgive me if I do permanent damage."
It was difficult work getting Morgan onto the horse. First Lily had to lift her friend to her knees and then she rested. After that she lifted underneath her armpits and draped Morgan over the horse, before finally pushing her onto Amity's back. Morgan's leg was dangling at an odd angle and Lily realized the crack she heard was the sound of her friend's leg breaking. At least it wasn't her neck, Lily thought and took Amity's reins. She walked next to the horse, guiding her from the side while holding onto Morgan so she didn't slip off the side. The house seemed far away and the path was rocky. Lily prayed that Morgan would be all right.
Finally after a tedious and torturous trek back, the back of the Potter mansion loomed in front of Lily. She gasped in relief and shouted for help. The stable boy peeked his head through the doorway of the stable, saw Morgan and ran for the house. Lily stopped Amity and slid Morgan to the ground. She knelt by her friend and clasped her hand, "Hold on Morgan. We'll have you fixed in two minutes."
Lily looked up to see Remus sprinting across the lawn, followed closely by James and Vladimir. Remus fell to his knees and took hold of Morgan's other hand.
"What happened?" he asked wildly, his green eyes full of concern.
"Artorius. He spooked and took off. Morgan tried to hold on but she a low branch hit her on the head. She fell and I think she landed on her leg because it looks broken and I heard something crack when she hit the ground." Lily babbled, "I told her not to take Artorius but she was angry. She thought she could handle him."
Vladimir gently pushed Lily aside and nodded to James. James stepped forward and put his arms around Lily.
Vladimir looked Morgan over, "She probably has a concussion and her leg is definitely broken. We can have the leg fixed in a few minutes but we'll have to get her medical attention for the concussion. I'll levitate her into the house and we can call a mediwizard." He pulled out his wand, muttered a few words and Morgan rose into the air. Strangely, she reminded Lily of Sleeping Beauty. Her red lips were a bright crimson against Morgan's pale face and her brown hair tumbled into the air. Remus followed Vladimir and Morgan anxiously into the house. James watched their slow walk into the house and realized he was shaking. That could have been Lily. It was bad enough that it was Morgan but the thought of losing Lily filled James with confusion. He wasn't supposed to be feeling like this. Lily made a move to go into the house but James held onto her arm before she could follow.
"Why didn't you have your wand?" he asked. James filled his words with venom, hoping to disguise the panic he felt inside.
Lily tugged her arm away from him, "You know we're not allowed to practice magic outside of school grounds."
James shook his head, "We can if there is an emergency. You should always have your wand on you."
"I didn't think we'd run into a dark wizard on a fucking horse." Lily said and turned to go inside.
James shoved his black hair out of his face, for once annoyed that it was such a distraction, "Yes, but she was injured and a concussion is serious. You should have been more careful."
Lily spun around, her verdant eyes turning a violent green, "Do you think I wanted this to happen? I was the one stuck in the wilderness with her. I was the one all by myself. I had no idea what to do or what was wrong with her. I thought she broke her bloody neck and I have never felt so helpless in my life. You have no right to lecture me, James. No fucking right." She screamed the last three words and burst into tears, the sobs racking her body. James too felt like crying. He stepped towards Lily hesitantly and reached out a hand. He stroked her smooth skin and raised her chin so he could look in her eyes. She was trembling, her lower lip quivering from her sudden outburst. James traced his finger along her jaw, awed by the emotions he was experiencing. Lily stared at James. This was not the James she knew. He appeared to be fragile and scared. He took one last look into her eyes before enfolding her in a hug. They clung to each other in the yard as snow fell gently on the ground.
James kissed her forehead and whispered into her hair, "It could have been you."
Okay, there it is. Hope you liked it. Read and review. I experimented with separating chapters but I don't know if it'll work and frankly it's two am and its finals week so I don't care.
Read and review. If my readers are still out there tell me if I should continue with this. If you review I'll give you a horse like Amity and if you flame I'll give you one like Artorius.