A/n: Well, who would have thought I'd have the next chapter out so soon? And yes, I will be starting the one that comes next ASAP. Cause it's mean to leave you guys with a chapter like this for months and months…lol, anyways, please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Same old, same old…
About a week after the midnight escapade to the forest, Jackie found herself back in the girls' secret room, pacing all over the place. Maybe we were wrong to try and get into something real…we probably should have never even gotten back together. But I love him, I really do! I'm just so scared…we're just fifteen, and this! This is about as close to marriage as we may ever get! Oh, what am I going to do when I see him again…? She was obsessing, and she knew it; all she could think about was that little ring sitting in a box under her bed, hidden away from her roommates. Hidden away, just like their relationship…
Looking back, she regretted their decision to keep it a secret. In the beginning it was because they both thought it was just a fling; and technically, it had been. They had, after all, broken up for summer break. They thought they were finished, but seeing each other again back at Hogwarts had brought up all the old feelings, most of which had never left. For awhile they tried to stay away from each other to ward off the fatal attraction; both thinking they could never have a real relationship together. But then there was that night they had accidentally run into each other in the library. She had gone there after dinner, and he was already there. They sat and talked for hours…ok, maybe they did a little bit more than talked. Nevertheless, they decided to give the whole 'serious relationship thing' a shot, and agreed to keep it a secret from all of their friends because it had worked pretty well the first time around.
Plus, she recalled with a smile, there is that rush you get when you're doing something sneaky…
"What are you smirking about?"
Jackie nearly broke her wrist; she jumped so high she lost her balance and came crashing down to the carpeted, yet still uncomfortably, hard, floor.
"Holy snappers, Lily! You scared the shit out of me!" the grey-eyed girl clutched her heart, taking deep, calming breaths.
"Sorry, sorry," her petite friend standing in the doorway said sincerely, rushing over to help her up, "I thought you heard me come in! I didn't realize you were so caught up in your thoughts…what were you thinking about anyway?"
As soon as Jackie had gotten back on her feet, she fell right onto the couch behind them with a magnificent,
"Humpherrahja!"
"And in English, that would be…?" Lily asked taking a seat beside her.
"Nothing in particular," Jackie said as nonchalantly as she could. Lily wasn't an idiot though. She knew something was up with her best friend. Knowing a person for five years will do that to you.
"Come on, Jackie, you can't lie to me, and you know it! Are you having some boy trouble?" Lily questioned, putting the last comment out there for no real reason. She knew Jackie wasn't seeing anybody.
Except then Jackie looked at her in that pitiful way that all girls do when we're having those kinds of troubles and know we need the council of our dearest, closest, bestest friend.
"In so many words…"
"Oh my gracious schnazzle!" Lily cried, shocked to high heaven, "Who? When? Where? How? How long? And why on earth didn't you tell me?"
"I can't really disclose the details, Lils," Jackie said, truly sorry she couldn't tell her, "We agreed we would keep it a secret."
"It! Are you secretly dating someone?" Lily was now completely aghast.
"Oh, I am I am!" she yelled out dramatically, "I am, and I am so utterly lost and confused…" Jackie said collapsing the upper portion of her body on Lily's lap, "Please, please don't be mad at me for not telling you. It's just it was going so well as a secret and all…"
"I'm not mad, Jacs. Shocked, naturally, but never mad," Lily said as the initial shock wore off, "Alright. I understand that you can't tell me the details, but you've got to at least tell me what is making you so horribly depressed. Don't think I haven't noticed your behavior over the past week, missy. Just because I was abducted doesn't mean I didn't see you with that terrible look on your face…there that one!" Jackie looked up to an accusing finger, "Like you just set your rabbit free on the side of the road and watched it get hit by a truck."
So, with a sigh, Jackie explained about the Christmas present Mr. Anonymous had sent her, and her dilemma as to what to do about it. When she was finished, Lily took awhile to let everything sink in.
"Well, wow, woah, Mother of Aphrodite! An Ameor ring? That's big commitment there, Jackie; and I know how you are about the whole commitment thing. You've got a bit of what we in the scientific world like to call 'commitmentphobia'. Not an altogether unusual trait, but a very difficult one to cure…" she said as she mulled over how to help her best friend.
"Don't joke, Lily, even if it is true," Jackie said while Lily gave her a great head scratch. Anyone who has never had a head scratch cannot imagine how relaxing this is; in all truthfulness, they are perfectly heavenly.
"I know, this is important. All I can say, Jackie, is that you need to talk to this mystery guy about this. You have to tell him you love him, honey. This guy loves you; I mean you just told me he did."
"Yeah, but what if he doesn't really; or worse, what if I tell him, and it's too late?" Jackie asked her voice revealing just how scared she was.
"Jackie, sit up and look at me," Lily said pulling her friend up despite the differences in size, "You love him. You have to take a leap of faith. If he's there to catch you, he's the one. And if not, then he's not worth your time. But trust me sweety, he'll be there."
"And what about the ring? How am I supposed to tell him I can't wear it yet…that I'm not ready for a step that big?"
"You just tell him. I don't think he gave you the ring to wear right away anyways. I think he gave it to you to show you how far he is willing to take this relationship. You don't have to take it that far now."
Jackie nodded. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Thanks, Lils. This talk is so what I've been needing."
"Just make me maid-of-honor at the wedding, and I'll be happy," Lily said with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Of course! Who else?" Jackie added with a sarcastic smile, "Well, now that we've spent the last hour discussing my love life…how's yours?"
Lily eyed her friend guiltily. I can't believe I haven't told her yet, what exactly was it that was stopping me? Oh, wait, I remember now: her strange ability to try and set me up with every boy I've so much as mentioned was pretty cute…
"Actually, I have my own little love secret," Jackie raised her eyebrows, "Not as big as yours of course, but still…"
"Well, well, just a tad hypocritical, aren't we?" the brunette said jokingly, "Do spill!"
"Ok, you're the only one who I'm telling, at least right now anyways, and whatever you do Jaclyn Morrow, you cannot tell anyone, not even your Mr. Secret, about this, understood?" Lily asked in complete earnest, yet still in a mocking way.
"Aye, aye!" Jackie said and pulled her arm to a solute. Lily rolled her eyes.
"Ok," Lily took a deep breath, "I like James Potter."
There, she had said it, and now she felt a lot better, to be honest.
"Oh my gracious schnazzle!" Jackie then proceeded to hop off the couch and jump up and down.
"JACKIE! Chill girl," Lily screamed. The tall girl stopped her jumping and resumed her seat on the couch.
"Lils! Oh my gosh, why haven't you said anything? I mean, of course, almost everybody saw this one coming a mile away. You two have known each other for forever; you practically live at each others houses during the summer. It's only natural that a little bit of attraction would happen," Jackie surmised. Lily sighed and rolled off the couch onto the floor, grabbing a pillow as she went.
"I don't know why I didn't say anything. I guess it was because I realized it the first night we got back to Hogwarts. You know, there were the tell-tale signs…I hated it whenever he flirted with all the other girls; and I got jealous whenever he got a new girlfriend," Lily shook her head, "You know, I don't even think it was jealousy; it was more like disappointment that she wasn't me. So that's when I admitted it to myself."
"Oh, Lily! This is so romantic; childhood friends falling in love!" Jackie sighed, a delighted smile on her face.
"Don't get ahead of yourself there, Miss Morrow," Lily said sitting up and leaning against a chair that was catty-corner to the couch, "So far this is only an unrequited love. James has made it quite perfectly clear that I am only his best girl friend. That's girl friend with a space in the middle," she clarified at the look on Jackie's face, "I don't plan on telling him any time soon, if I even tell him at all. For all I know this could just be a passing crush."
"Alright, alright. I can see you're not going to press a relationship here," Jackie conceded, "And that's probably a good idea. But remember, Lils, it's only a good idea when you're just crushing. The moment, and I mean the very second, if such a second comes, that you realize it's more than a crush…that is when a confrontation is in order."
"Right, if that moment comes. I really just think it's a phase…you know the one. Where when you haven't had a boyfriend in so long anybody is looking like a good choice," Lily said, shrugging off the feeling that she might be lying to herself.
"Anyways, enough of the serious talk! Go on girl; tell about all the sex fantasies!"
!
Apparently misery isn't the only emotion that loves company. A week after Lily and Jackie's rather revealing conversation, another event happened that set the trauma-meter off the charts.
It was a nice, calm, laid-back kind of Friday night that the incident occurred. Jackie, Gwynne, and Lily were all up in the dorm talking and sitting on Gwynne's bed. Technically, because Gwynne's bed was by the window, Lily and Gwynne were sitting on it, and Jackie was sitting on the window seat.
"Now, Gwynne, I do believe this is the first time you have been severed from Sirius since you two got together," Jackie said with a smirk.
"It is not," she replied indignantly.
"Well, it's at least the first time we've been able to talk to you without him nearby," Lily put in, "So now is the time you tell us everything."
Gwynne rolled her eyes at the eager way in which her friends looked at her.
"Very well. What do you mean by everything?" she asked.
"You know," Jackie pried, "How far have you two gone? What are some of the cute things he does? The traditional gushiness a girl says about her boyfriend."
"Uh…alright," Gwynne said hesitantly, "Well, we've only kissed so far…"
"What kind of kissing?" Lily interrupted, "Any frenching?"
"Maybe a little," the shy girl said with a blush, "Ok, maybe a lot."
This comment sent the whole group into a burst of giggles.
"So how was he?" Lily asked.
"Well, not that I have anyone to compare him to, but I'd say he's pretty good," Gwynne answered.
"Aw, Gwynne! Our little baby's growing up, Lils!" Jackie mocked.
"There was something I've wanted to ask you guys about," Gwynne said with a more collected air.
"What is it?" Lily asked.
"Sirius hasn't ever…"Gwynne paused, trying to find the right euphemism, "you know…"
"Oh, has he ever gotten laid?" Jackie put oh-so-eloquently.
"Well, yeah. I mean, I know we're kind of young, but he does have that sort of play-boy aura going for him," she stated rather uncomfortably.
"You'll be happy to know, Gwynne darling," Lily said, "That our Sirius is still a virgin, no matter how experienced he may act."
"Yes, but just a word of caution," Jackie added, "Just because he hasn't gone all the way, doesn't mean he hasn't crossed a lot of turf on the way there."
"Like, how much turf?" Gwynne asked a little nervously. Jackie and Lily exchanged looks that agreed not to tell her the whole truth.
"Don't worry Gwynne;" Lily said rubbing the girl's back, "As far as Sirius may have gone with previous girls, doesn't mean he'll be expecting to get there with you any time soon, I'm sure."
"Yeah, he wouldn't push you into anything you aren't ready for," Jackie added and then declared, "And that is the last good thing I'm going to say about him tonight!"
"What is up with you and Sirius," Gwynne asked her, "You're like friends, but not…or something…"
"Ah, there are so many answers to that question," Jackie said whimsically, "And yet, none of them are right. Actually, I just have no idea. It must be admitted that we were rather forced together by our friends; otherwise I don't think we would have met at all. I guess there's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way and vice versa."
"What Jackie is trying to say," Lily decided to put in, "Is that they like bickering too much to show everyone what good friends they can be."
"Well, that's just weird," Gwynne said very confused about the whole matter.
"Tell me about it!" Lily said exasperated, "You've only just met the two of them this year. Try having to deal with it for five!"
"Since we're on the topic, where is Sirius tonight?" Jackie asked. Considering he was Gwynne's boyfriend, she decided to answer.
"I don't know, exactly. He said he and the guys had a project to do, or something of the sort. That's why I was up here, instead of in the common room when you guys were looking for me. After Peter, James, and Sirius left the common room there really wasn't much else to do."
"Now, what can those boys be up to…?" Lily asked more of herself than anyone else.
"Who knows," Gwynne answered, "But what I really want to know is what's up with Remus. I haven't seen him since the end of classes, and even then he wasn't looking very good."
Here Lily and Jackie sent another look at each other. Gwynne still hadn't been informed of Remus's lycanthropy. They had assumed Remus had given Sirius the ok to tell her, as they were dating, but from that statement, they surmised she was utterly clueless.
Lily slight shook her head to show they wouldn't tell her. After all, it was Remus's secret to tell, not theirs.
"Yeah, he was looking a little under the weather," Jackie admitted after that silent conference, "He probably went to the hospital wing." A statement that wasn't altogether untrue.
"Well, I hope he's feeling better soon. Don't you think it's awful to get sick on the weekend?" Gwynne asked. She had been oblivious to Lily and Jackie's looks and had apparently bought their ignorance.
"What time is it?" Lily asked in the middle of a rather large yawn. Gwynne glanced to her bedside table where a clock sat.
"Geez! It's already two o'clock!" she said hardly believing her eyes.
They had spent the whole night talking without even realizing it. They hadn't even noticed when their dorm mates had come in and gone to sleep. And asleep they surely were, for now they could hear the snoring and shifting of sleeping bodies.
"Wow, look at that moon, I had forgotten it was full tonight," Gwynne said noticing the beautiful orb when she glanced out the window. At that comment, Jackie casually looked out the window…
And saw something she hoped she'd never see again.
A/n: Dun, dun dun!!!! Yes! I still have some great cliffhangers in me after all!!! And can you believe it, I got this chapter out in…like two days! I am so proud of myself. And now I am going to thank all my lovely reviewers! Please keep reviewing, cause you guys really keep me writing.