A Hogwarts Cinderella
By: Tiger Lily21
Chapter Three
*~*~*Three Years Later*~*~*
Author's Note: Thanks so much to the following anonymous reviewers: catblack35, flossie, and Bombshell for their reviews on chapter two! Thanks a bunch! And thanks to all the reviewers who I already thanked personally. 28 reviews! You guys are the best!
"Lily! Lily Evans! Over here!"
Lily, now seventeen, ran over to where Remus stood.
Remus circled her like a vulture.
"If you're quite finished I'd like to get on the train before it leaves in fifteen minutes!" said Lily, getting annoyed with his antics.
"Sorry, Lily," he said, "It's just that you look... different.What happened to you?"
It was true, she did look different. For one thing she was taller, towering over Remus by at least four inches. (A/N: I don't know metric so I didn't use it.) Her red hair, which had previously reached just above her waist, now hung to her shoulders. She wore a jean skirt, a short-sleveed pale green blouse, and a simple chain and locket.
"What'd you do to yourself?"
"Oh, you mean my hair?" asked Lily.
"Uh, yeah," said Remus," Why'd you cut it?"
"I wanted to," said Lily breezily, " I decided that I needed a change. Now can we go?"
Remus grinned. "Well, Miss Hogwarts Cinderella, you may go but I must say that if you are trying to impress Prince Charming aka James, with your new look it'll work! Bye!" He then ran through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10 before Lily could slap him.
Lily ran after Remus. As she reached the other side of the barrier she bumped into someone. Her trunk popped open and several books fell out.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.
" It's okay," said the person she'd bumped, "It was my fault. I'm trying to find the Head Girl but I don't know what she looks like."
"Well you found her," said Lily, "I'm the Head Girl. Lily Evans at your service."
The boy helped her up. Lily took one look at his face and nearly let go of his hand. It was James Potter.
"Well don't just stand there goggling!" said James, "Let's pick up your stuff and go before the train leaves in exactly two minutes."
Lily immediately began picking up books. She shoved them all back into her trunk and locked it. When she straightened up she realized that James was still holding one of her books.
"Hey! Give that back!" she said.
James playfully held the book out of her reach and read the inscription on the inside front cover.
"To my darling Lily Flower," he read, " I hope that the stories in this book will open your imagination to the impossible. But don't forget reality. You must learn to live in both worlds. Share these tales with everyone around you and don't forget that I love you. Love, Daddy."
"Now may I have my book back so we can go?" asked Lily, torn between anger and sadness at the memories the inscription brought to her mind.
"Here," said James, " I just wanted to look at it. I've never read those fairy tales before. Let's go!"
He took his trolley and Lily's and took off. Lily ran behind him. They managed to get on the train just as it was leaving.
"We have to get to the Heads' compartment to tell the prefects what to do," said Lily, " Come on!"
They ran to the compartment and arrived there just as the last prefects filed in.
" All right, what are we supposed to be doing?" asked a Slytherin fifth year who looked remarkably like a twisted version of Sirius Black.
James had a blank look on his face. Lily remembered that he had never been a prefect so she took charge.
" You'll be patrolling the corridors every few minutes, just to make sure no one is causing trouble," she explained.
"Oh, and what will you two be doing?" asked the Slytherin.
"James and I will be discussing ideas for activities this year," said Lily, "but we'll take our turns patrollling the corridors. We won't just sit around on our bums."
Most people laughed at that.
Remus raised his hand. "When will Prefect meetings be?" he asked.
Lily and James exchanged looks. They would have to schedule the meetings around Remus's werewolf transformations.
"Uh,we'll work that out," said Lily, "Now, unless someone else has a question let's get to work."
The prefects filed out of the compartment and Lily sat down.James took the seat next to her.
"Thanks for taking charge," said James.
"It was nothing," said Lily, blushing slightly.
James picked up the book of Grimms' fairy tales that Lily had let drop to the floor and gave it to her.
"Are these any good?" he asked, "I've never read them before."
Lily burst out laughing. "You've never read the Brothers Grimm?" she asked in surprise.
James hung his head. "My dad doesn't approve of fairy tales. He says they're for babies and that I shouldn't waste my time reading them over and over and over again."
"Well you have to read Grimm!" said Lily, " They're the classics! Every fairy tale lover starts with these! Here, borrow my book." She handed him the book.
James looked at the book incredulously, as if it might explode when he opened it. "But, your dad gave it to you," he said.
"Yes, but he also told me to share the stories with other people," said Lily, "So take it. Just make sure you give it back when you're done."
"Okay," said James,now beaming. "Okay, thanks! Thanks a lot."
"You're welcome," said Lily, "But really, it was nothing."
For a while there was silence in the compartment as James read the book and Lily worked on a story she was writing. (A retelling of Cinderella .)
Then the door flew open.
"James! Hide me!" squealed Sirius Black, dodging behind a seat.
"What happened?" asked Lily just as James asked, "What did you do this time?"
After fifteen minutes had passed Sirius came out from behind the seat.
"I played a prank on Snape," he explained, " And my wretched little Slytherin Prefect brother found me and was chasing me up and down the train, trying to catch me. So I hid in here. By the way, Jamesie, Violet is looking for you."
James blushed to the roots of his hair. "Oh," he said, "Um, tell her I'm in here."
Lily looked from James to Sirius and back again, wondering which question to ask first. At last she decided to start with Sirius.
"You have a brother?" she asked.
Sirius looked at her like he didn't know who she was then said," Um, yeah,\. Regelus. Nasty little teacher's pet. Mum loves him sooo much. She told me to use him as a model because he's in Slytherin, just like the rest of the family. I'm the black sheep in the ' Most Ancient and Noble House of Black'. No pun intended. Who are you?"
"Lily Evans," said Lily, " I'm Remus's friend."
"Oh," said Sirius.
Lily turned to James. "If you want to have some private time with Violet I understand. I'll leave for a while. Patrol the corridors and the like."
"No, no," said James, "You don't have to leave. Stay. I'll need some help with Violet. She doesn't like fairy tales too much."
"Oh," said Lily, "Well, if you want me to I'll stay. I just thought..."
"Thought I might want to be alone with Violet so I can snog her?" completed James.
"Uh, yeah," said Lily.
"Well, actually we don't do too much kissing anymore," said James.
"You don't kiss your own girlfriend?" asked Lily.
"Can we change the subject?" asked James, "Violet's a bit of an uncomfy topic for me right now."
Lily didn't say anything but she thought, "Did they break up? Will they break up soon? Oh please let them break up soon!"
Violet entered the compartment a minute later.
"Jamesie!" she squealed, " I've missed you sooooo much!"
James tried to peel her off him as he said," Uh, yeah. I missed you too, Violet."
Violet would not be removed. At last James gave up and let her sit on his lap.
"Jamesie, why is Evans in here?" she asked, noticing Lily for the first time.
"She's Head Girl," explained James.
"Oh, well can't you tell her to get out?" Violet whined. "I want to be alone with my Jamesie."
"Don't call me Jamesie," said James through gritted teeth," And Lily stays. She's my friend and she has every right to be in here."
Violet looked at him, her eyes wide and pleading. "But darling! How can we have our private time together with her in here? Make her leave!"
Lily hid behind her notebook, scribbling furiously and trying to imagine that she was invisible.
"I'm not here," she said, " Just imagine I'm not here."
Violet smiled and kissed James.Lily noticed, with a smile, that James didn't seem to enjoy it much.
An hour later Violet had slackened off on James. He was reading the book of Grimms' fairy tales again.
" What are you reading?" asked Violet, setting her copy of Witch Weekly aside.
"It's a book of fairy tales," said James," Lily's letting me borrow it."
"Why do you still read that junk?" asked Violet, clearly disgusted.
"It isn't junk, as I've told you before. They are wonderful stories that I happen to like.And they're a lot better than your stupid magazines any day."
"Look James, you're seventeen, not seven. You shouldn't be reading kiddy stuff anymore! All that book will do is fill your head with more stupid dreams that you know will never come true. Burn it."
"No! Violet, this is Lily's book! And I won't burn it or give it back to her until I'm finished with it! So leave me alone!"
Violet glared at Lily. "This is your doing, Evans," she said," You gave him the book. If he starts mooning about Cinder-what's-her-face again I'm blaming you. Got it?"
" Shut up, Violet," said Lily quietly.
Amazingly Violet obeyed. She rolled her eyes and picked up her magazine again. Lily went back to writing.
Suddenly a note hit her in the forehead. It was from James.
Lily-
I'm really sorry about everything Violet said to you.
She's changed since the ball three years ago.
At the ball she seemed to be as obsessed with Cinderella as I am.
She was funny, interesting, sweet, pretty, and great to talk to.
But now Violet is scorning the fairy tales.
She's rude, mean, and sarcastic.
Did she get a personality transplant or something?
I don't know why I'm telling you this.
I guess I just need to tell someone and you're the only person I can tell right now.
Thanks for listening,er, reading.
I hope we can talk again soon.
Your friend,
James Potter
Lily smiled at James and wrote a reply on the back of the note.
Dear James,
Did you ever consider that you might have put the shoe on the wrong girl's foot?
Maybe Lady Gryffindor is still out there, waiting for you to realize you made a mistake.
Deal with Violet he best you can and look for Lady Gryffindor .
If you find her, sorry, when you find her, tell her how sorry you are about yuor mistake and ask her to be your girlfriend.
You never know what might happen.
But no matter what happens I'll be here to talk to you. That's what friends are for.
Your friend,
Lily
She threw the note at him. He read it and smiled at her.