Chapter Twelve
Lily was now sitting down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast with her head in her hands, hoping and praying that Travis wouldn't walk by. He had merely brought her back to the common room with a quick "Good night" before running up the stairs to bed. And she knew now that she didn't have a chance with him, no matter how hard she dreamed. Suddenly, she heard male voiced enter the Great Hall. She turned, saw the Marauders, and smiled.
"Hello there, boys. Good Morning, James." she said. James looked at her like she was wearing spiders.
"What do you want?" he asked bitterly. Lily was shocked.
"Um, I was just saying hello. Is that all right?"
"No. It's not." he suddenly said. "I don't want people to think that I associate with the likes of you; a back-stabbing, conniving mudblood."
Sirius, Remus, Peter, Nancy and Jenny all were staring stunned at James. Even Snape and Malfoy, who were sitting across the room, heard the dirty word and looked up. James, however, was just staring hatefully at Lily, who's jaw had hit the floor.
"Lily?"
Everyone turned. It was Travis in the doorway who had finally broken the silence.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked hesitantly in front of the crowd. Lily stood, took James' hand and walked right past Travis. "I'll be right back, Travis. I need to have a discussion with my friend." She emphasized he last word sarcastically as she dragged James from the room. Once beyond the Great Halls doors and into the foyer, James yanked his hand from her grasp.
"What do you want, Evans? I really don't need to be seen with you. And please don't call me your friend. I don't want you to give people the wrong idea." Lily was now angry, hurt and confused, and she didn't know what to say first.
"James, what the hell was that?" she said through gritted teeth. "Where do you get off calling me names and belittling my character?"
"Excuse me?" James said emphatically. "You are so full of it, Lily. You are such a hypocrite!"
"What?!"
"Where do you get off making fun of me and belittling my character in front of other guys, huh? And don't even act like you don't know what I'm talking about because it seemed to be your favorite thing to do last night!"
Lily was suddenly taken aback and speechless.
"Making fun of me just so you could get closer to the guy you really want? Me? Your so-called friend?"
"James, I -"
"Why can't you just be honest, Lily? With others or yourself?"
"What do you know about last night? Who told you?" She said with tears in her eyes, ashamed of his knowledge, but avoiding his question at all costs.
"Oh, don't worry, Lily dear. I have my connections. But I can give you something to worry about."
"Oh really?" she dared.
"Yes. I'm going to have me a little talk with Travis. Since you're so afraid of the truth, I thought I'd fill him in on it."
"And say what, pray tell?"
"Well, first of all, I hope that I have made myself perfectly clear that he doesn't need to worry about you and I being friends anymore. So you can also forget any 'hopeless crush' too." he said pointedly. "I'll tell him what a back-stabbing, manipulating wench you really are, and I don't know what I ever saw in you."
"Fine." she said, not bothering to wipe the tears that were spilling over her cheeks. "Right back at you, Potter." He nodded, apparently not the reaction he had wanted, and turned to leave. "Tell me, what does the fact that I'm muggleborn have to do with any of this?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to piss you off." He said bitterly. She suddenly walked up to him and slapped him hard across the face.
"You are the nastiest jerk I have ever met, James Potter." she said hatefully.
"Second to you." She turned away and closed her eyes. His words stung, like rubbing salt in an open wound. She was about to turn around to make another comment, but he was already gone.
"Serves him right." she said, wiping the tears from her face as she headed to the Great Hall once again for breakfast.
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A few days passed since Lily and James confrontation. There was no more study times, considering James now knew how to study correctly. No more 'Lily flower,' no more pranks, no more anything. Lily didn't think she'd miss her daily 'Good Morning, Lily flower,' but she did. It made her feel special. Nothing that she had ever felt with Travis.
Yes, Travis had asked her out, and Lily had gladly accepted. Besides, Travis would never call her a mu- well, you know.
She was happy with Travis. This was one of her first real boyfriends and she was thoroughly enjoying having one. Someone to talk to, someone to cuddle with. And with him being on the quidditch team, her popularity was going up. Lots of people knew her now. Good grades, popularity, great boyfriend - what more could a girl want?
Well, to make life completely perfect, she could lose the nagging reminder of James' words. They had cut through her like a knife. And she knew she had hurt him. But how had he known what she had said to Travis? She thought it was common knowledge, his crush on her. Why would he get so upset? She wasn't trying to use or hurt him at all! Lily sighed.
As she was walking towards the quidditch pitch to meet Travis, thoughts were swirling in her mind. Even worse, was he right in his assumptions of her? She never thought of herself as back stabbing or manipulative. This was her first chance at getting a real boyfriend. Why did he have to go mess it up? Right when she was beginning to think that he was an okay guy . . . Why did everything have to be so complicated?
Lily suddenly looked up when she heard voiced coming in her direction. It was the Gryffindor quidditch team - James. She had forgotten that James would be there when she went to meet Travis. Her pulse quickened, hoping Potter wouldn't see her as she hunched behind one of the team members.
"Where's Travis?" she whispered.
"He's still in the pitch, throwing the quaffle around." said one loudly. She blushed and looked at the ground as they walked away, hoping to avoid any more confrontations, but her attempt was in vain.
"Too ashamed to look me in the eye, Evans?"
She looked up to see James, who had stopped walking. The others were walking past them, towards the school, leaving them alone to stare bitterly at each other.
Evans. It burned her to the core to hear it. Maybe he was trying to make her understand how much he hated her calling him Potter. But she wouldn't let him win this one.
"You know, after all the crap you said about me, you should be the one apologizing. Especially since you called me a..."
"All right, fine. I apologize for that. But everything else I said still stands."
"Well, you know what? You can take everything else you said and shove it!" then she turned and stormed towards the stadium.
"Shove it where?"
Lily stopped and turned. He never knew when to quit!
"I don't get you!" she screamed. "I don't see why you feel you have to make me so bloody mad all the time! I'm sorry for what said to Travis, all right? I'm sorry! But I don't understand why you're getting so upset that I'm going out with him!" Though as she said those words, she suddenly did understand.
"And they think you're smart?" James smirked, shaking his head and turning to leave.
"You know what?" she said. "You're just jealous!" And with those words, he surprised her. He turned around instantly with narrowed eyes and marched up to her, taking hold of her chin firmly, their faces mere inches apart. She felt his angry breath on her face and she weakened, but she remained still.
"Yeah, so what if I am? Would there be a problem with that?" he said lividly.
"Yes, James." she said, pulling his hand away and taking a step back, for such closeness to him was intimidating. "I have a boyfriend now. You've got to back of." There was a gentleness and sorrow in her voice that even she hadn't intended, like it would kill her too, to have him leave her alone.
"Fine." he said, putting his hands in the air in defeat. "I'll leave you alone." He turned again to leave and this time Lily did not stop him, though she didn't feel any better. She simply watched him walk away. After he had ran a hand through his hair, he yelled "Damnit!" Then he hopped on his broom and speedily flew away.
Lily sulkily turned and walked towards the stadium. She must've really hurt him - and his pride. She hadn't meant to, and she didn't want to. She liked James and she wanted him as her friend. But clearly, that wasn't an option at the moment.
Lily sighed. Suddenly she didn't feel like walking with Travis anymore.
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A/N: Okay, that's all for the night. Review and let me know what you think, but no death threats please! -huggles all readers-
