Chapter Two
"So what's the agenda for today, Lils?" Maya inquired quietly after the two of them had been working meticulously on their Charms essay in the library. The bonus of having your best friend's mum as a teacher was that she'd help you with homework usefully. Their two other friends Jenivive and Terrie wouldn't come as the assignment wasn't due until next week. However Lily and Maya preferred finishing tasks immediately to get the weight off their shoulders.
After appointing them to the correct books to research from, Selestle gave them additional notes from her knowledge. Consequently the girls had impressively produced more work on the essay than was required.
"Not sure yet…" Lily answered, relieved that she finally had gotten all her homework over and done with "have a round of chess with the others?"
Before getting a chance of granting her assent, Maya watched as Lily stood up and headed towards the desk.
"Wait while I go thank your mum." Lily explained.
"Madam Selestle," she said "you have my utmost gratitude for your assistance. We're guaranteed to ace the assignment now."
"Anytime honey," Selestle pleasantly replied "it's not as if I, as a proud mother, have anything better than to do than help my two daughters become successful valedictorians"
Lily felt a rush of emotion at being compared to a daughter. Her mother had passed away last year, leaving her father to raise her along with her sister Petunia single-handedly. She found her position irreplaceable.
"That's right, you're a daughter to me Lily," she repeated, sensing Lily's feelings slightly inaccurately "I'll always be there to support you. I could not have chosen a better friend for my daughter, to inspire her towards achievement and devotion. In return, it's imperative that you turn to me, should you need anything whatsoever. You've always been wise beyond your years sugar, and I admire you for that."
Lily was wondering how to reply to this when she was spared by Maya applauding in pretence next to her.
"How sentimental and… sweet, I'm touched!"
She wiped an invisible tear from her cheek playfully.
"Lower that volume of yours," Selestle warned her, "daughter or not, you're to obey the library rules just like everyone else."
"In that case, can you step outside for a second?" Maya requested solemnly, "I need a word."
Her mother sighed wearily, turned to a spotty student and asked him to supervise during her brief moment of absence. Lily noticed that he looked reluctant to oblige but he knew better than not to refuse.
They stepped outside with Lily in tow whom felt the urge to be there.
"What's on your mind?" Selestle asked patiently.
"Well there's this boy who…"
"Who's a downright womanizer," Lily interjected.
"Lily!" Maya exclaimed indignantly.
"No, thank you Lily," Selestle said, causing Maya to glare at her so-called best friend "but whether she used that adjective or not, you know very well that I do not approve. Even if he was a Mary Sue you know you're not to date him, whoever he is. I am getting frustrated at your attempt to persuade me."
"If he was a Mary Sue then he'd be gay, no doubt." Lily murmured under her breath so that only Maya could hear, but for once she didn't giggle at her humorous comment.
Feeling that this situation was a private family business, Lily tried to slip away but Selestle pulled her back ("We've just had the discussion minutes ago, surely you haven't forgotten already?").
Maya felt frustrated.
"At least I'm seeking your permission as opposed to sneaking behind your back like some people I know," she retorted politely, not willing to create a scene. "Why mum, why wont you let me date? Everyone else does! Please trust me not get up to any intimacy whatsoever. And we'll be secretive, if you're worried about respectful reputation risk- something you haven't failed to frequently remind me of the past few years..."
Her mum was about to interrupt but Maya calmly asked to let her finish.
"I can assure you he won't distract me from my work, it's one of my top priorities after all. And he's such a nice boy, Kevin McKlan is, so can I pretty please go out with him?"
Selestle didn't look convinced.
"McKlan then is it? I don't like him. He hates the sight of the library. Was here a day or two ago urging his friends to 'hurry up'- telling 'em that there's no need to study, that they can copy the homework from the friendless one, what's his name? Snate? Ever such a vulnerable boy."
"You seem to fish out a problem with every boy I ask to date!" Maya said, trying her best to keep her temper in tact "And if you mean Snape, well he practically offers people to copy off his work since he's desperate for a friend. You can't genuinely blame anyone for resisting, even if it's wrong."
"I don't fish for the problems your potential candidates posses," Selestle said, beginning a motherly lecture "they're as clear as the water which the fish swim within. And don't you use that tone with your mother, young lady. I'm not risking any chances and I'm not going to worry about you getting impregnated or diagnosed with aids, sorry- dating can patiently wait until next year after graduation. Nothing you say shall convince me so do not bother anymore. I have your best interests at heart just like every other parent. Besides, Lily doesn't date."
"Yes," Lily agreed, taking Selestle's side. "I feel that the boys who attend this school are either flaming mutants or miscreants. I don't intend to go out with any Hogwarts student."
Maya felt as if she'd been slapped in the face. She eyed Lily with hurt. Lily responded by quickly shooting her with a there's-more-to-it-I'll-tell-you-later look.
"Why cannot you be more like her?" Selestle asked her daughter, not noticing the brief exchange.
Suddenly the spotty-faced supervisor cleared his throat, clearly wishing to abdicate.
"All right, I've come to a reasonable decision…" Selestle impatiently concluded.
Maya looked hopeful.
"You're hereby officially allowed to date, simultaneously to Lily."
Maya's face fell.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, naively expecting an alternative explanation that would be more reassuring.
"You're smarter than that darling," Selestle said tapping her foot "you are forbidden to date unless your sister does. That way you can look out for each other. Same time. Same place."
By now the spotty kid was standing by the door, wanting to depart.
Selestle waved her hand dismissively in good-bye and dismissed the boy as she took over her role as the librarian.
"But Lily will never date!" Maya called at her mum, whom had returned to her attempt of detecting a sound from the students in the premises.
"Precisely," she replied, causing some people to raise their eyebrows at the librarian for raising her voice at an unacceptable volume.
When Lily and Maya went to meet up with the rest of their group, Maya asked her about her intentions.
"Well," Lily said slowly "I told your Mum that I wouldn't be dating anyone from school. If I directly told her that I would be dating, either way, she wouldn't have made this brand new rule."
Maya hugged her favorite friend, unaware of Lily's crossed fingers behind her back. Her rush of hope however quickly wore away as she realized that she too would have to date someone from… Durmstrang?
When Lily and her troops strode into the Great Hall for breakfast the following day, they sensed something unusual. People began whispering amongst themselves out of the blue, some eyeing them with interest.
When they passed by a particular Slytherin group someone daringly stood up on his chair and imitated Selestle.
"Ooh, darling Lily! My daughter! Awww… sweetheart, come let me change your diaper- baby!"
Lily and her friends froze. The boy's cronies sniggered as he quickly sat back down again. The expression on Lily's face was scary enough to make Voldemort run as far away from her as possible. But then a conspiratorial grin spread across her face, as she flicked her wand merrily and proceeded to her seat at the Gryffindor table. Her friends eyed each other questioningly before joining her.
The Slytherins looked victorious, that is until somebody took a sip from their drink.
"Auuuurggh!" Narcrissa Black shrieked, dropping her glass in disgust "Where did my lemonade go? This cup is filled up with… URINE?! Evans you despicably cunning witch!"
Only she didn't say 'witch', but the word that rhymed with it.
She gagged and ran out of the hall. Probably to the toilets.
The rest of the Slytherins followed suit as they spat out their drinks.
"I've got- GROSS! Vomit!"
"Mine's blood! Evans, next time donate this to vampires instead of burdening me with it, will you?!"
Lily's friends, clutching their stomachs from vigorous laughter, looked at her with admiration.
"How did you do it?" Jenivive, a girl with chestnut curly brown hair, wanted to know.
But Lily only smirked mysteriously and mischievously.
Across the table, the Marauders looked impressed.
"We could get her to join us, you know." Sirius suggested uncertainly "She could come in handy."
"And risk our lives in the process?" Remus objected "thanks but no thanks."
"Well there's already a lot of life risk going on in our little team, if you ask me." James pointed out, in reference to Remus turning into a werewolf monthly and the rest of them joining him in their animagus form.
Remus, not knowing how to reply to this statement, was about to gulp down his pumpkin juice. But he seemed to change his mind as he placed his cup at quite a distance from himself, remembering Lily's recent revenge on the Slytherins.
During History of Magic, Lily and her friends unsurprisingly were passing notes to each other, discussing the morning events.
Lily to Jenivive:
How do you suppose those axxxxxxx found out about Maya's mum's mushy little speech to me yesterday?
Jenivive:
The library wasn't vacant, was it? It could have been anyone in there who eavesdropped. By the way, that wasn't the only thing that interested everyone- they were all gossiping about Maya's mum's new dating rule, according to Terrie. Apparently Bob Zefferay informed them.
Lily:
Pimple-face? I've never liked him. I did think his expression was rather suspicious during the library scene.
However her opportunity of passing this final note was deprived, for Professor Binns had glided towards them, snatched the note and read it out loud to the class.
A few people snickered. Beverly Haxtor, a person with serious acne problems, covered her blushing face- feeling offended.
"You might want to take history notes instead, Mrs. Uboniun." Binns said, scolding her "You'll find that it helps with your NEWT history of magic grade. I'm keeping this."
Lily's face reddened. She glared at the ghost throughout the rest of the lesson; swear words forming in her head. Some she even made up. She had always taken history notes. In fact she was one of the only ones who did, while the others relying on her for note duplication laid back. And he didn't even get her surname right!
Her stereotypical red-haired temper eased as Lily resumed taking notes on the Grand Duchess Anastasia, the last member of the royal Romanov family. She had used her witch powers to narrowly escape murder but took her own life a couple of years later due mental problems after witnessing her family's death. As fascinating as the subject was, Binns made it sound so dull that practically everybody apart from Lily and Maya were figuratively picking their nose.
When everyone left class, Terrie (a short strawberry-blonde) began her usual winging.
"Why is that futile subject compulsory? Does the school board think we have nothing better to do with precious time than listen to that living, sorry DEAD bore, go on and on and on about dead people?"
As usual, Jenivive commenced with her reasoning.
"Well, knowing Dumbledore- he might've wanted a subject in which we can rest our minds in. You know, for a break- some peace. Heck we need it after deep concentration during Potions."
Terrie pondered that logical theory for a second.
"Well I have to contradict his motives. I'd rather waste time on a useful subject that would benefit my future and career. My brain's vacation could wait 'til after classes, couldn't it?"
"Ingrate." Lily muttered, "Dumbledore's perceiving this from the entirely correct perspective."
Maya's screech cut off Terrie's retort. Everyone twirled around to see what the matter with her was.
She had bent down and clutched her foot. "Oww my tootsies!"
"Oh, I am so sorry!" Michael exclaimed, banging his head with his wrist "How clumsy of you, Michael Sadders! Watch where you're going next time!"
Jenivive and Terrie giggled heartedly at this.
"My shoe," Maya said, upset "they're brand new and now your foot mark ruined the left one."
"I insist on fixing it then. I have some magical shoe potion… makes shoes look exactly the way they were when you bought them, if not even better."
"Oh, goodie." Maya said, relieved. "You don't have it now by any chance, do you?"
"Oh no of course not," He laughed, as if the thought was ludicrous "it's not something one usually carries around to classes now, is it?"
"Okay…"
"But if you meet me on the quad when classes are over, let's say exactly near by lake. I shall have it," he grinned.
"Fine then. I'll be there." She smiled.
When he walked off and made sure he was out of eye-(and ear)shot, he high-fived Jason.
"Brilliant! The plan worked smoothly. I got to meet her!" He said, whooping with joy. "Was I too obvious though?"
"I don't know. Depends on the woman's mind. A mystery man has failed to study."
Down the other end of the hall…
"That was so obvious," Terrie giggled "Creative. But obvious."
Maya played dumb.
"Obvious? Don't be vague. What are you talking about?"
Lily smirked at her friend. "As if you don't know. I mean I could tell from that sloppy smile he gave you the other day that he had the hots for you. Bad."
"And our routes don't even collide at this point," Jenivive pointed out "it's when we're on our way to Transfiguration that they intersect. Looks like someone's been taking a detour."
"And I don't think much of his cohort though," Lily added "Captain Jason!"
Everyone ignored this comment.
"He could've thought of another way to meet me though, instead of 'accidentally' stepping on my foot." Maya said, wincing from the pain. "Hey what about McKlan you guys?"
"Forget him." Terrie, the gossipy one of the group, said "He's a dope. When he heard that your mum wouldn't let you go out with him he ran after the Hufflepuff Abott girl."
"Damn he's such a playboy." Jenivive remarked, "Who does he think he is anyway, Sirius Black?"
When Devinition finally ended, Maya rushed out of class to meet Michael as promised.
Spotting him dipping his legs in the warm lake, she scanned the quad for any of her mum's spies before approaching him. Eventually indulged, she cheerfully walked towards him, a plastic smile on her face. The boy's haircut was so… dorky.
"Ah, nice weather- isn't it?" He said in greeting as she came nearer, gesturing at the clear, sunny sky.
"Nice." She echoed, taking off her shoe.
He assumed she was going to join him; hence dipping her legs into the lake too- so he scooted up.
"Oh I can't stay for long!" Maya said apologetically "I just want to apply the potion, is this it?"
She grabbed the bottle which lay by his side.
"Mhmm," Michael tried to hide his embarrassment by looking nonchalant and maintaining a cool, casual tone "Why can't you hang around for a little while?"
"Because if my mum finds out I'm 'fraternizing' with boys… I'm doomed, of course."
"But what about this new rule," he said, fiddling with a weed "about Lily dating? Is there any truth to it?"
"There is. But Lily will never date. At least not a local. Full stop." Maya sighed, running her fingers through her hair wearily. "However she wants a foreigner so it wouldn't work out for me."
"She would date someone from around here if I found somebody suitable…" He said carefully.
Maya looked doubtful.
"She isn't…" He trailed off.
"No, don't worry. Lily's heterosexual. But yeah she is also a major misanthropist. Especially towards the boys in this school."
Satisfied with her shoes, which were now gleaming against the sunlight, she got up.
"Well, thanks."
She was about to turn and walk off but changed her mind and squatted down.
"She does have a thing for The Siamese Twin Brothers though…" she whispered in his ear "if you can find someone with the same qualities… it would be great."
She would have winked at him but decided it would be unfeminine and tomboyish, something she wasn't. Settling for a Daddy's Girl smile, she began rushing off.
"I'm on it. Later then." He yelled indifferently.
After making sure that she was miles away, Michael shouted with glee and slumped back on the grassy fields, as happy as can be. Only to withdraw himself quite quickly as he realized that he had banged his head on a rock.
His ecstasy from having two conversations with Dream Girl all in one day wore out as he troubled himself with the obstacle that lay ahead of him: where would he find someone even remotely similar the Siamese Twin Brothers who also possessed enough guts to date the shrew?
He got to his feet in search of Jason, rubbing his throbbing head.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Sorry for the delay people. Exams progressed for a full three weeks so I found no time to post this chapter. Anyway, Lily and James will interact soon enough. I would've added a few more scenes in which this would happen but decided to save them for the next post; this one is long enough. Right now I have 6 reviews (thank you if you contributed to them, whether they were negative or positive!). I'll continue if and only if the number reaches 10 (or more).