Disclaimer: Sorry for the late chapter!
Surreal
Chapter One – Meetings and Backflips
3 years later…
It was different now. The tables have turned. 5th year has begun. It was awful going home for the summer holidays. Mother and Father were peachy, of course, but over-peachy. They wanted to know so much about me and were too damn over-involved. I enjoyed a lovely string of summer days. The weather wasn't too hot, it wasn't too cold... the sky was a pale blue color that seemed endless. That was the most enjoying thing of summer. Of course, I exchanged letters with my friends - but not the friends back in 2nd year. We started to drift apart, and I guess that was for the better. I made other friends, of course, and they were lovely. We had made plans to meet in Diagon Alley on September 2nd (the day before school started) and spend the night in the Leaky Cauldron. Antoinette Bouvre, named after the tragic, but very extraordinary, Queen of France. We just called her 'Tony' for short because she screeched at us for pronouncing 'Antoinette' wrong and how the English butcher the French language. Anyways, my other friend was Victoria Belluxe. (What's up with my friends being named after monarchs?) She was... interesting, definitely. Always keeping up with the latest fashion and boys, I could relate to her somewhat.
Relief engulfed me as the second of September rolled by. I had received my Hogwarts letter prior, and made my parents even more proud by becoming a Prefect.
"Bye, pookie," Mum cooed, kissing me on the cheek and leaving a lipstick mark. I grimaced.
"Bye Mum," I replied,
almost about to roll my eyes. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and a long
hug. Even though she's annoying, it'd be about another few months until I'd see
her again.
"Bye Fireball,"
Father said, opening his arms for a hug. "Hope you do well this term and
good luck with the Prefect thing. Plus, don't tell Mum, but I packed some extra
wizarding money for you to buy anything else you want at Diagon Alley." He
winked.
I smiled. "Thanks, Dad," I grinned. He was so cool. "I promise I'll write you!" I cried behind my back as I entered Diagon Alley, doing the trick with the brick thing.
"That's what you say every term! Let's see if you'll keep your promise this time!" He yelled back good naturedly.
I chuckled silently to myself. My father - the joker.
I entered and was immediately greeted by my entourage of friends.
"Lee-lee! 'Ow wundehrful eet eez zat you could make eet todey! I wos so wuhrried zat you wood not show up!" Antoinette shrieked happily as she embraced me with a hug. Her blonde curls were bouncing to and fro, due to her jumping, and her crystalline-blue eyes danced happily. I laughed and smiled. I loved her beautiful French accent and her sweet personality.
"Wow, I didn't know I was so popular," I replied sarcastically while laughing.
"Don't give yourself too much credit, Evans," Victoria replied in a fake disapproving tone.
"Glad to see you, too," I replied casually. "I'm just glad we're all together again."
"Me too, I 'ave been waiting for deez momehnt for wat seems lak forevuh!" Antoinette sighed. "So 'ap-pee zat we are togethur yet again!"
"Yes, yes," Victoria shushed us. "Anyways, I've prepared a schedule..."
"A schedule?" I asked. "Why do we need one?"
"To get things organized, duh," Victoria rolled her eyes, as if it was obvious.
"Ookay," I replied. "Where's our first stop?"
"Flourish and Blotts!" Victoria replied promptly.
"I can tell theez weel be a very, very lawng day..." Antoinette murmured to herself.
"Tell me about it," I replied, sighing. The things I do for my friends...
- - - - -
That day at Diagon Alley was definitely tiring. Strangely, Victoria was mainly focused on getting school supplies and Antoinette was the one who wanted to see the dress robes. With this combination mix, I got all my textbooks, plus some stylish dress robes. Very effective day indeed. The night at the Leaky Cauldron wasn't too bad either, of course, ignoring the fact that Victoria snored through the night and Antoinette stole all the blankets - it was a very successful evening. The next morning, we took a taxi to King's Cross Station and boarded Platform 9 and 3/4's. The ride was very dull, I slept quietly most of the way in the Prefects' compartment (due to the lack of sleep I have received prior to the day). It was quite lovely and none of the other prefects bothered me. The opening ceremony and feast were wonderful. Classes the first day was lovely. In fact, everything ran so smoothly until the very first Prefect meeting.
"Order, order," Martha Krumshaw demanded, crossing her arms, looking disapprovingly at the Prefects which surrounded the large, circular wooden-oak table. Martha Krumshaw was this year's Head Girl and Billy Joel was Head Boy. Two blundering idiots from Ravenclaw, I don't know how exactly they landed the position of Head students.
"Welcome to Hogwart's very first prefect meeting," Billy Joel declared grandly. "I am Billy Joel, your Head Boy, and Martha Krumshaw, the Head Girl."
Martha bowed, as if she was expecting applause.
Silence.
Even more silence.
Billy cleared his throat promptly. "All right, well, since for many of the new Prefects, it's their first time here," He started. "And might I say well done on taking the 1st years back to their new dormitories. It went very smoothly which is always nice to hear."
"God, this is boring," Kyle Andrews murmured to himself, picking at his nails. He was sitting right next to me and obviously not very good at keeping quiet.
"Tell me about it," Alyssa Henders replied, rolling her exquisite eyes. "I don't know how Krumshaw and Joel got the part of Head Students. Even I'm more qualified than Martha." She scoffed.
"Shut up," I hissed at them. This was the first Prefect's meeting and I did want to do a good job.
"Miss Evans, is there something you would like to say?" Martha asked me, raising and eyebrow and staring at me with a glance as if I dared to question her authority.
"No," I replied.
"10 points from Gryffindor, you really ought to keep your mouth shut in these meetings, Lily," Martha replied, smirking a bit.
Ugh, what a prissy bitch. Everyone knew Ravenclaw loved to take away points from Gryffindor - it gave them to feeling of self-satisfaction.
"That was really unfair," Another voice whispered into my ear. I turned around... James Potter was talking to me. He was grinning that lopsided grin of his, his hair unruly, and his piercing blue eyes staring straight back at me. He had beautiful eyes, highlighted with his curly eyelashes that I could dance upon. It had been 3 years since I've talked to him, and quite shockingly, I don't know why I haven't talked to him sooner.
"I know," I replied hastily, not wanting to start too much conversation and getting in trouble again.
"So what's up, how you been?" He asked perkily. It seemed like almost if he wanted to know.
"Mister Potter, Miss Evans - talking again!?" Billy snapped. "20 points from Gryffindor and I'll be taking away your badges if you talk again!"
"Sorry," I mumbled. Great - first day of being prefect and already the Head Students have threatened to take away my badge.
James didn't say anything, but from the corner of my eye, he shot me his grin. His wickedly fantastic, lopsided grin.
My stomach started doing back flips... and I had no idea why.
