DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognise... at all.
A/N: I know! You all hate me, right? I'm soooo sorry it took me so long to post, but I had a total writer's block and then I had exams and I finally got the will power (and time) to write more. I did have a whole lot written, and totally planned out the next 10 chapters, but thanks to my friend, I have decided this story is way too much love stuff and not enough angst, which is what I am all about. So, I scrapped them, and am now developing a new plot, and will thus not be able to upload as often, however, I have two weeks of school holidays coming up, and I will work hard on writing atleast a chapter every two days or so, but I won't post that often, because I have to get all my old readers back and I need to get new readers. Plus, you will all end up used to me posting really regularly and will be sorely disappointed when I go back to school. But I promise to try to upload every week. So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, while thinking: "I'm going to KILL you Catherine!" And if it makes you feel better, I would kill me too, if I were one of the readers and not the author. Anyway, thanks for reading my really long Author's note. Now, I'm sure you're all dying to get back to the story, so I shall delay you no longer.---
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN (a/n: what an evil number for an evil chapter!)
'You're... you're what?' James asked as his eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped.
Lily fiddled absent-mindedly with the bottom of her shirt, her eyes not meeting James'.
'I... well, I'm going out with Thomas Franklin. He asked me today... in the common room. Gryffindor common room. And I agreed. I didn't think we were ever going to talk again, let alone be locked in a room together. But I'm not going to apologise, because we are not getting together again. I can't because I can't trust that you will stay faithful.' She whispered, still looking down at her shirt, frowning slightly.
'You can't trust me to stay faithful, but you can trust him?' James demanded. 'Lily, he's the biggest player in the school! He is only in this for a bet that I heard him and his buddies make. They have a bet that he couldn't nail –'
Lily cut him off, her green eyes blazing with anger and hatred. 'You would love to think that! What is it James? "If I can't have her, no one can"? Is that what this is? You can't handle the fact that you screwed up and now you don't want to see me happy. Is that all you can you can think of? Your own ego? How would it look if dear, sweet, innocent Lily not only dumped the James Potter, but was also the first one to move on? Can't look good on your résumé with other chicks, can it? It'll be in the Daily Prophet, won't it? I can see the headlines now.' Lily looked up into the room and drew her hand across is a sweeping motion, proclaiming the headline. 'Infamous James Potter dumped by Mudblood Girlfriend. Catchy, don't you think?' Lily held her chin appreciatively, nodding her head slightly.
James looked absolutely horrified with her sudden outburst and visibly flinched at the use of the word "mudblood" to describe Lily.
Mudblood was a word used to insult muggle-born witches and wizards. It meant foul or dirty blood. A mudblood was the opposite of a squib, who was someone from an entirely magical family who could not competently do magic. They were outcasts, almost to the same extent as muggle-born witches and wizards. Half bloods were given some bigoted insults, but not as many. Purebloods who were friends with or dated muggle-borns or squibs were insulted. It seemed in the wizarding society, one must be pureblood and remain so. You must come from a well off pureblood family, have pureblood ideals, in that you don't think muggle-borns should be allowed within the walls of Hogwarts, and that muggle hunting should be allowed as a sport. Then, you must marry a nice pureblood, from a nice pureblood family, and have nice pureblood children, who will follow in the steps of their parents.
'Lily Evans, you are not a mudblood!' James hissed through clenched teeth.
'Oh really, James? I beg to differ. I am a mudblood because I am a muggle-born witch,' she stated matter-of-factly, without any emotion in her voice.
James sat there, stunned and horrified. How could you reply to an answer like that? How could he come up with a logical argument against that of Lily Evans? It just couldn't be done. She was, by far, the brightest witch to ever come to Hogwarts. The perfect student. Always hands in homework on time, with more than necessary completed. Never on detention for fighting in corridors or for being caught kissing in empty classes or broom cupboards. Always helping the First Years with their work, and giving advice to Second Years on subject choices. Coaching the Fifth Years in ways to study to gain more O.W.L.s. She was admired by more than half of the female student population, and wanted by all the males – even if the Slytherins wouldn't admit it out loud.
In the time James sat there thinking, Lily had stood up and walked over to the large door, knocking on it. James attention snapped to the door when he heard Kayla's muffled voice.
'You two sorted all your shit out?'
Lily leant against the door heavily and spoke in a language unrecognizable to James.
'Hai. Kaylasanwa, doa o akete kudasai.'
The heavy door swung open and James watched as Lily straightened out her clothes and walked out the door, head held high. He heard the distinct sound of someone being slapped and a soft female cry. He got up and raced out of the door and looked between the people.
He saw Lily and Kayla glaring at each other, Kayla's cheek a brilliant red. Both girls had fire in their eyes, staring each other out.
Sirius cleared his throat at that point and everyone's attention spun to him.
'Excuse me everyone, but is it wise to be standing here? That knew DADA teacher is far from friendly. And she's not even half as bad as what the new Potions professor will be like. They're always bit-"
The sound of skin colliding with skin echoed around the corridor loudly. Sirius's head was facing to the side, the force of the slap making his head turn. Lily's penetrating glare was focused on the side of his head, her eyes ablaze with fury, her red hair looking electric. Her lips were a thin white line and her hands were clenched in fists, her knuckles turning white.
Sirius turned back to look at her, his eyes dark with suppressed rage.
'What – the fuck – was – that – for?' he demanded loudly, emphasizing each word.
'Don't you dare insult Lucinda Bennett! How dare you? Lucinda is the best potions student this school has ever seen! She's fifty times the potions student you will ever be, Black!' Lily hissed.
'"Lucinda"?' he asked. 'I don't even know a Lucinda, so how could I insul – oh!' A look of dawning comprehension crossed his features.
Lily mocked his look with her own and gave a long, drawn out 'Oh' sound.
'Yes, Black. Professor Bennett is the new Potions teacher. And she is a very dear friend of mine. She's young, too. She was a Seventh Year when we were in First Year, so she's not much older than us. Plus, she's a muggleborn. Just goes to show, not all the teacher's have to be purebloods. Muggleborns are just as capable of doing well in the wizarding world as the pureblooded witches and wizards. Take a look at Miranda Goshawk. Muggleborn, and yet she wrote 'Standard Book of Spells', and even worked in the Department for Experimental Charms. She created about a third of the charms we know. Where would the wizarding world be without her, I'd like to know.'
With that said, Lily turned on heel and walked swiftly down the corridor, her shoes tapping against the stone floors.
Kayla stood there, looking uncomfortable and opened her mouth pointing after Lily, but looking at the boys.
'Umm...' was all she said, before looking defeated and jogging after Lily.
James and Sirius exchanged wide-eyed glances as if saying 'well-that-was-interesting'.
'Women!' they both declared, before bursting into fits of laughter.
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A/N: So there you have it, another chapter. I know my chapters are short, but they will get longer. I just wanted to get this one posted tonight. I wanna thank you all for reading this chapter. I especially wanna thank all my old readers – thank you for putting up with this stupidly long break I've had. But I'm back, and I hope you're still reading this. I also would like to thank all the new readers of my story. Thanks for taking time to read my story. I promise next chapter I will have a list of thanks to all my reviewers and I will put in comments to each of you. As always, your reviews are valuable and will help to shape the story. So please review. And thanks again for reading my fic, I will try to update this weekend sometime.
Love you all,
LiL-MiZZ-KaT