Chapter Thirteen

The Return

No one really like Alex very much and Lainie knew it very well. It bothered her slightly but it wasn't like she was going to marry the guy. But she hardly had time to contemplate it. She was preparing for her owls and studying hard. Between quidditch practice and school she didn't see Alex very much. But tonight they were walking around the lake in the evening. They didn't talk very much and were just walking along when she leant against a tree. He came over to her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and they just stood there for a while.

"Hey Alex, I got to go. Got to study." She said pulling away from him " I'll see you later"

"Ok. Better study too. I'll see you tomorrow" he said kissing her on the cheek.

As she headed for the Gryffindor common room, all the rest were sitting in the common room. Sirius cleared his throat and said "Right guys, I've got a problem. I might as well just say it then you can help me. I saw Alex with Melissa Fox. You know as in..., together. Should I tell her or what"

"Oh shit. She'll be crushed. She really likes him. God knows why. I can't believe that guy" James said "She trusts me more than him. I think"

"But you know how stubborn she is. Why don't we just leave her to find out for herself" Remus said reasonably

"And just let her be crushed like that. No bloody way" James said.

"But what else can we do" Livvy said..

"We can't tell her otherwise she would think we are trying to sabotage it" Peter said

Lily said. "No she wouldn't".

Just then Lainie climbed through the portrait hole"Hey guys. Something wrong? We should probably get studying." Everyone agreed nervously and went to get their books. Lainie knew something was wrong but decided not to pursue it. When they returned to the common room and sat down and began to look over their notes. All was quiet except for Lainie who was murmuring to herself. After an hour of study everyone got distracted and started talking. Just then a group of third years came up to Remus and talked to him about the talent quest.

"Hey guys, I think that we should do a thing for the talent quest. All of us." Livvy suggested. "Yeah, that's a good idea." James said "Well, I can't sing, play or act and I'm not dancing" "Well, I guess that settles it then. Seems James can't do but dancing, we will have to do that" Lily said, smiling with fake nastiness.

"Right. So Lainie and James will teach us all to dance and we will publicly humiliate while dancing on stage." Remus said skeptically.

"That's the plan"

After dinner they all got together in a large room. There was only six as Peter had refused to dance saying that he had two left feet. The rest of them gathered in the room. Lainie and James demonstrated the first move and everyone copied. They were dancing to a mix of songs like the Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog, Surfing USA and Rock Around the Clock. They had a solid hour of dancing before it was time for curfew and during that time they had mastered the Surfing USA bit because it was the easiest. James and Lainie had a solo during Rock Around the Clock. They had been practicing and everyone agreed it looked pretty good. They only had three weeks till the show and with exams next week they wouldn't have much time but they agreed to practice for an hour twice a week till exams then a lot more after that because they would certainly need it.

THen everyone went to bed. Everyone was excited with the quidditch cup final on Sunday and James was nearly hysterical, making all team members go straight to bed. Lainie was a little preoccupied with the dancing, quidditch, school, Alex and why the others were acting so weird before and, come to think of it, whenever Alex was mentioned. She puzzled over it for a while but left it as she had to get to sleep.

Lily was lying awake too. She was staring at the ceiling and watching her room mates sleeping forms. Lily was worried, not only about exams and her sisters upcoming wedding to her disgusting boyfriend Vernon Dursly. Lily was extremely concerned about her growing feelings for none other than James Potter. She had tried, she honestly had to dismiss feelings for him. To be honest, yes brutally honest, he had really charmed her. His sense of humor, even the way he was cocky, God she was talking like a star struck fourth year. It really annoyed her, she fancied the guy who she couldn't stand. And worst of all, when she had started to like him, he had started to fall for someone else who was her best friend. She felt her heart rise up into her throat and she felt tears prick her eyes. She took a deep shaky beath and let it out slowly. She said to herself pull yourself together Lily, one guy turns you into a sobbing mess. She took a few steady breaths. She went and got herself a drink of water and took a few gulps, spilling some on herself. Then she wandered back to bed, pulled the covers up and closed her eyes.

In the morning, after quidditch practice, Lily was sitting at the table with James, Lainie and Sirius. She was watching the three of them talk and joke around. She felt as if her mind wasn't part of her body, like an observer or God or something. Get yourself together, you're comparing yourself to God, you psychopath. Just then a voice woke her from her conversation. "Lily, don't you agree" James said, looking at her expectantly.

"Agree on what" Lily said, completely mystified

"That Alex is a complete arsehole and Lainie should dump him and move on." Sirius said.

"I suppose so but I still don't see why you two are so concerned about who she dates." Lily said, frowning slightly and looking with satisfaction at Lainie while the boys were obviously stuck.

"But he is a completely dick who is ch......" Sirius said but before he said the last word Lily and James quelled him with a murderous glance. Lainie was mystified.

"What was that about" she asked.

"Nothing, lets go back and continue studying" James said, as they trooped out of the hall and back to the common room. When they all arrived back they settled back down to their original positions, Lainie by herself in the big armchair, surrounded by a stack of parchment and several large books. She was taking 7th year astronomy this year so she was studying really hard. She was a normally good student except when she got distracted by someone or something. Her best subjects were astronomy, transfiguration, potions (she had greased up the teacher in first year and he had liked her so naturally she was his favourite student) and arithmacy. Though she was pretty good at defence against the dark arts she just couldn't compete with the likes of James and Sirius who lead the class by a mile. Her worst subjects were history of magic and muggle studies. She just couldn't stomach them. At the moment she was studying the goblin rebellions with Lily. Lily was best at history of magic for the sole reason was that she actually managed to listen and charms. It all started in first year when Lily was able to levitate her feather way before anyone else in the class had managed to move them. The whole class was called to watch "Miss Evan's Marvelous Swish and Flick". James had mocked her constantly about it for that entire till Lainie and Lily became best friends.

The girls had met each other in first year, basically because they were the only girls who knew no one else. They kind of clung to each other but when they realized how well they got on, they became a lot more confident. To everyone's surprise they became one of the popular people.

They stayed in those positions for the entire rest of the day till they all retired to bed at various stages of the night. Lily was last up, still hunched over her notes. She flopped over onto the couch and just let herself "rest her eyes" because she really should study more. James was in the search for a drink of cocoa. He wandered downstairs and was just pouring himself a glass when he noticed that someone was sleeping on the couch. He wandered over and recognized Lily. He considered what to do for a moment, then he began to gently shake her. "Lily, Lily wake up" he whispered. She only stirred slightly. "James" she said blearily, half opening an eye. "Come on" he said, hoisting one of her arms around him and walking up the stairs and into the girls dorms. He was amazed that he was able to walk up the stairs but he assumed that he was able to do it because Lily was with him. They staggered up the stairs and James lifted her into bed and pulled the blankets over her. Then he went downstairs, shaking his head and smiling to himself.

The next morning Livvy wasn't there. When she arrived the other two were waiting for her. "Where were you" Lily said sharply.

"With Remus" Livvy said shyly

"What...," said Lainie, scandalized

"The whole night?"

"Yip"

"What" came two shocked voices.

"Did you, you know....., sleep with him"

"No, but I came close" Livvy said, blushing.

"That's alright" Lily said

"I was thinking."

"What..., have you done... you know, stuff, like that before, Lily" asked Lainie

"Yeah, why haven't you and Alex" Lily said, frowning in surprise.

"Not yet, I don't know what I will do. I don't know how to do, well, anything" Lainie said, almost regretfully.

"We'll tell you" the other two chorused. And so they did. In all the gory details.