Lily walked back to her room. She sat on her bed and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, early in the morning, Norma walked into the room. "Isn't it past your bedtime?" Norma asked coldly.
"It's part your curfew, Norma," Lily said with more confidence than she knew she had. Where was all this anger coming from? "I'm going to have to report you for this as a Prefect. Don't you realize that you'll go on Probation?"
"Oh, and that's going to stop me?" Norma asked without looking at her former friend. "Oh, Probation, I'm so afraid. Besides, I was tutoring, you saw me. You can't turn me in for that."
"I can turn you in for Reckless Behavior, Disregard of Curfew," Lily said, "Oh, and being a slut."
"What? How dare you accuse of being a slut?" Norma said. "Everyone knows you slept with all the Marauders."
"How can you say that?" Lily demanded. "We were friends when those rumors were going around, and you know I didn't sleep with anyone. I know for a fact that you have been sleeping for Gregory Gorgeous-Ass."
"And?" Norma said after a moment, not denying it anymore.
"Why, Norma?" Lily asked.
"Let's just say Gregory is not only a Gorgeous-Ass," Norma said, "But a Rich-Ass."
"He's paying you!" Lily almost shouted.
"Of course not! He just gives me gifts," Norma said. "Is that so horrible?"
"Do you love him?" Lily asked.
"What kind of a question is that?" Norma demanded.
"You used to not want to have sex until your wedding night, and Sara and I even doubted if you would do it then," Lily said. "What happened to you? You used to think you only slept with someone if you loved them; otherwise your ears would turn green. What happened, Norma?"
"Love? Who gives a shit about love?" Norma shouted, not caring about the other sane people who were asleep. "Love is shit. There is no love. Love is what losers tell themselves to make them feel better. 'Love' is supposed to be forever. 'Love' is supposed to conquer anything! But your so-called 'love' dies as soon as your parents sign the divorce papers. Even doing it the Muggle way, how sick is that? That way they have documents that their love is dead. They had no love; otherwise they would still be together. You said you loved James, and see how easily you two fell apart? Love is shit, Lily, if not worse. Love is shit!"
"Your parents are getting divorce?" Lily asked quietly. "When did you find out?"
"What does it matter when I found out?" Norma asked. "Or are you trying to be a shrink? Like I changed because of what's happening to my parents. My parents couldn't send me to a shrink, so what makes you think I'll talk to you?"
"Why didn't you tell me, Norma?" Lily asked.
"We're not exactly the best of friends right now, Lily," Norma said.
"I don't care what you said, you did change after your parents told you," Lily said. "Wait a minute. That weekend you went home, right after the Halloween Dance. That's when they told you, isn't it? That's when you came up with your 'love is shit' idea, isn't it? Norma, why didn't you just talk to me?"
"You just told everyone Sara was a Death Eater, surely you would tell them my parents were getting divorced the Muggle way," Norma said. Lily felt like she had been punched in the stomach.
"But Norma…I'm your friend," Lily said.
"I have no friends," Norma said. "Friends are…"
"I know," Lily said. "Friends are shit, right?" Lily looked at Norma for a while; trying to find the sweet, smart girl that used to be there- and failing. Lily waited a moment and then left. She walked to the common room and sat in the big chair near the fire. She watched the dancing flames and thought about when she, Norma and Sara were best friends. Nothing tore them apart. They had no secrets between them. They stayed up late talking, gossiping and laughing. They were going to all live on the same street and their children would be friends. They were going to own a store. The theme of the store changed as the girls grew. First it was a doll store, then an all pink store. It went from unicorns to magazines to clothing. What happened to their perfect friendship, perfect life? Sara went dark, Lily went to James and Norma went to slut. Fortunately, Sara and Lily came back, but would Norma? Lily could only wish.
(Thanks for your reviews! Will Norma come back? What will happen to Norma's supposed boyfriend, Arthur? Please review!)
