Ch. 13 "God, Life Sucks"

Lily quickly reacted to the shoulder tap and spun around. She narrowed her eyes. "Don't touch me," she warned Tanya. Tanya sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. Her crossed arms and slumped posture told Lily that Tanya wasn't happy. As if Lily cared.

"What are you doing down here?"

Lily's eyes were now tiny slits glaring mercilessly at the young woman standing in front of her. "As if you really care," Lily stubbornly retorted. She always seemed to find her courage when she was talking to Tanya.

"You're right, I don't care. I'm just looking for another reason to get you in detention with Filch." Tanya's featured twisted into a smirk, an expression that gave the girl an ugly look.

"Man, do you need a hobby."

Tanya's hazel-green eyes flashed. "So, are you excited to leave for summer vacation?" Tanya deliberately changed the subject and Lily was wary. "We're leaving tomorrow, you know. Summer seemed to sneak up on us, didn't it?"

Lily refused to let her surprise appear on her face. Tanya seemed . . . less dangerous today. Not as mean. She shrugged.

"You look really uneducated when you shrug like that, you know. People will think you're poor," Tanya informed Lily sweetly.

Lily's teeth gritted together and in the darkened corridor, Lily's clenched fists were camouflaged. "You know, Huggins, you really sound much more intelligent with your mouth shut," Lily barked. What Lily really wanted to say was, "You really need to get away from me or I'll hex you into oblivion," but her brain wasn't working properly right now. Then she noticed something. "Who was down here with you?"

"What, are you hearing voices? Take a look around, Red, it's just you and me."

You and I, Lily silently corrected. She hated it when people didn't use proper grammar. Especially Tanya. "I heard two sets of footsteps and a cough. And I don't suppose that when you cough, you sound like a man, am I right? Because if you do, maybe you just need a cough drop," Lily said smugly. But her mind was screaming, Can you be any more 12 years old??

"No one," Tanya confirmed. Lily knew she was lying. But why would Tanya lie about snogging a guy after hours? That was something you could usually never get her to shut up about. And Tanya and James didn't have anything to hide, Lily assumed. But that cough didn't sound like James . . . and she would know. She was always the one secretly listening to James as he have his fake cough that the coast was clear and the Marauders could successfully perform another one of their harmless pranks on a first year. But if it wasn't James's cough, then . . . Lily was shaken out of her thoughts when Tanya loudly cleared her throat.

"So I just imagined the cough?" Lily asked doubtfully.

"Looks like it, Red."

"I thought we'd already been over the topic of you not calling me Red," Lily snapped irritably.

"No, it was cut short when you ran out of the Great Hall like a little girl," Tanya said smoothly. She smiled. "Why don't you go up to bed, Fireball. You have a big day ahead of you."

"No. I want to know who was down here with you. Was it James?"

"You really should go to bed," Tanya pressed.

"So it wasn't James. Then who was it?"

"You really need to go to bed . . ."

"So you're making out with guys other than James? That would mean you're cheating on him. Are you cheating on James?"

"What is your problem?" Tanya yelled. "Really, what is with all these questions? I am not cheating on anyone, you can't prove anything! God dammit, Red, are you defending him or something? Do you like him? Well too bad, 'cause he's my property now. And I can guarantee he will never be yours." She turned around and walked away from Lily, her robes snapping as she turned the corner.

Lily was in shock. That was without doubt the oddest conversation she had ever had. She too began to leave the corridor, as she had just noticed how tired she was.

Her mind created the conversation she would have with Sara once she got to the dormitories. Lily would tell her all about the predicament she had landed in, then Sara would say defiantly, "Tanya's a bitch." Lily would laugh and tell her again about the noises she heard. Sara would pause to think then say, "Well, we definitely know she wasn't with Potter, as you and your advanced cough knowledge has told you that it wasn't him . . . let's catch her in the act! We can follow her for weeks and when we finally do catch her, we can record it and show the entire school!"

Lily accidentally laughed out loud and blushed. Anyone watching her would think she was crazy. Then the truth hit her: that conversation wouldn't happen tonight. They were fighting.

Lily approached the Fat Lady. "Blue pixies," she said clearly. The Fat Lady's grudge against Lily had seemed to soften, for Lily had received a compliment on the color of her eyes.

She scrambled through the portrait hole and without thinking about it, nervously scanned the common room for any signs of Sara. Her heart sank when all she saw was a sleeping 5th year she knew fairly well. Lily also noticed that Tanya wasn't there, but Lily was too exhausted to think about her. She quickly hurried to her bed and after pulling the curtains shut, drew up the covers and finally went to sleep.

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Lily hauled her trunk towards the gleaming Hogwarts Express. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and glanced at the swarm of students eager to go home. Lily couldn't believe it was time to leave already. The main thing on her mind was that she hoped she didn't fail her OWLS.

The night she got back to Gryffindor tower and the following morning, Tanya wasn't there. And to make matters worse, Sara wouldn't even be in the same room with Lily. Lily had learned from experience that when Sara got mad, she caused the next World War. If it got too bad, she would make it worse and get the whole school (minus the Slytherins) involved. The last time that happened the girl Sara was fighting with was attacked by a group of girls on Sara's side. The girl was in the Hospital Wing for three weeks with a broken rib, burns, and an unexplainable growth on her foot.

Lily unhappily walked onto the train, the realization of the fact that she had no one to sit with finally sinking in. Her heart sank. Lily passed chattering groups of friends talking endlessly and sighed. As she neared the end of the train, she saw a flash of golden-brown hair disappear into a compartment. Lily gulped. Sara.

She stood up as straight as she could and walked towards the compartment, looking out of the corner of her eye as she passed, and yetnot giving the impression that she was looking. A talent Lily enjoyed.

Sara was sitting with all the Marauders and – wait. Lily did a double-take and backed up. She gasped and speedily hustled to the first empty compartment she saw. She whipped her trunk inside and sat down. Obviously, Tanya was there, and so was Nicole Kay, Tanya's best friend, but also Lauren Adams.

Sara used to constantly complain about how evil Lauren Adams was and how she should never be trusted. Lauren Adams was a widely known back-stabber and had no friends, only the men foolish enough to date her. She was also incredibly rude, even worse than Tanya. Ten times worse, Lily decided once she thought about it. The thing that bothered Lily was that she saw Lauren whispering to Sara, and Sara was nodding at her and smiling.

Can my life possible be any more confusing? Lily asked herself and readied herself for what could possible be the loneliest, most boring train ride of her life.

I love all my reviewers, 117 reviews!! I am so excited! And I have 2 new reviewers! Yay. So thanks to nobodyknowsbutme and Kristanna, along with everyone else. P

nobodyknowsbutme: thank you dearly for your compliments, and i'm glad you liked the idea. that whole "make-them-think-it's-lily-then-tell-them-at-the-end" thing came to me when i was daydreaming in home ec lol. i guess i should do that more often ;)

Ronniekinsgrl: no, the makeover hasn't happened yet and i don't blame you for forgetting; i would have too. i hadn't noticed how much i delayed it until just now and now it's kind of too late. my story might me a little bit longer than i thought.

Annmarie Aspasia: i am SOOO sorry you are confused. i literally slapped myself in the forehead. i'm sorry, i kind of write these subconsciously who knows if i spelled that right) and i get about ten ideas in my head at at time but i can only write one. very sorry, if you're still confused, tell me.

soccerchic1989: i'm sorry, i did leave you hanging! i really hope the next update doesn't take me as long as this time, but there is school ..... man i hate school. hope you like this chapter, my story(s) too! i plan to write more. MUCH more.

InLuvWitRupert: how could i forget you?! lol i have now memorized your name. lol oops. i don't really have much to say, just that you rock. :)
oh yeah and about lost??!! did you see the last one? i almost DIED! i was like CHARLIE!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!! lol, i love brits.