Aimee
The truth isn't far behind me Chapter one
The proof is in the lipstick
Lily smiled as she slipped off her shoes and dipped one foot cautiously into the lake. After assuring herself that it wasn't going to freeze her, she sat down and put both feet in.
"I am so glad that we are finally through with that dreadful test!" The girl beside her, Dana, squealed. "Now, I can focus my energies towards more… important things," as she spoke, Dana turned her head and looked dreamily at Sirius Black who was lounging with is comrade's beside a beech tree.
"Oh give it up, Dana. He is never going to notice anyone except those slutty fourth years that are willing to do anything to get him." The girl who spoke now was Olive, fellow Gryffindor, and Lily's best friend.
"I know." Dana sighed wistfully, "But still, I can dream. Besides, what's up with you and James, Lily?"
"Absolutely nothing. He is the foulest, most arrogant… boy I have ever met. I can't possibly lower myself to him." Lily glared at him across the way. He was toying with a snitch (which he had probably stolen) and making poor Peter Pettigrew cheer like a child.
"O.k. if you say so," Lily caught her two friends exchanging knowing looks, and splashed water at them.
Lily couldn't stand it when they did things like that, they'd all known each other since their first year here at Hogwarts, and every now and again the two would patronize Lily with questions as to her status with the most popular boy in their grade. It was supposed to be common knowledge that the two of them would one day wed, but Lily had absolutely no intention of that. On the contrary, she would like nothing more than to slap his arrogant smirk off his face. She glanced at him, and caught him staring in her direction. She gave him a scathing look and turned away.
"So, I've a question for you Olive, what did you get for number fourteen on the test? It was the one about stinging rubtus sap." Lily forced a change in pace of the conversation.
"Er, I think I put something about rubbing tea dregs on the affliction. Who cares, it's over now, I don't want to think of it- oh wow, look at that." Olive pointed to where the boys were.
Lily turned to look, and turned red with fury. In the moments that she had turned away, Sirius and James had seized the opportunity to pick on Severus mercilessly before a crowd of onlookers. He was inching towards his wand, muttering, apparently being arrested by some unseen force. Just as he was ten feet away from his wand, James released a stream of soapsuds from his wand into Severus' mouth, causing him to choke and gag.
Before Lily even had a chance to think, she was stalking over to the scene.
"Leave him ALONE!"
James and Sirius looked around at her, and James ruffled his hair.
"All right, Evans?" James asked her nonchalantly, in what he obviously thought was a 'smooth' tone.
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, radiating of dislike and loathing. "What's he done to you?"
"Well," said James thickly, apparently trying make a point, "It's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…."
Many of the surrounding onlookers laughed. Lily did not.
"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on… Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
Lily glanced at Severus, who was inching towards his wand again, taking advantage of James diverged attention.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid!" Lily said coldly.
"Bad luck, Prongs," Sirius shrugged and turned back to Severus. "OY!"
But Sirius wasn't fast enough, Severus had his wand in hand, and with a flash of light, a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about; a second flash later, Severus was hanging upside down, with everything exposed from his knobby knee's to his slightly graying underpants. Onlookers cheered.
With much force, Lily suppressed the grin inside of her, and seethed, "Let him down!"
"Certainly," James said, and jerked his wand upward, causing Severus to fall in a heap to the ground.
Quickly moving, Severus dove for his wand, but was stopped by Sirius's shout of "Locomotor Mortis!", and fell rigidly to the ground.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted, now she had her own wand out, pointed at James and Sirius, who both eyed it cautiously.
"Ah, Evens, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.
"Take the curse off him then!"
James sighed and muttered the countercurse.
"There you go," he said, as Severus struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus—"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Severus spat at them.
Lily blinked in surprise at the lash out at her.
"Fine," she said coolly, "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash my pants if I were you, Snivellus."
"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Severus, his wand pointed dangerously at his heart.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're just as bad as he is…."
"What?" yelped James, "I'd NEVER call you a.. a you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."
Lily spun around and raced up to the castle, not looking back, even as she heard James shouting to her.
Wide eyed, Dana and Olive rushed to gather their things from the lakeside, and rushed after their friend.
They found her in the dorm, fuming and pacing about.
"How dare he act like that, if front of all those people! Humiliate me like that! Oh I could just hex him!" Lily raged, pacing faster and faster, flicking a strand of auburn hair from her face.
"Erm, who, Snape or James?" Dana asked cautiously.
"James! He is so awful! 'I will if you'll go on a date with me'. I should have slapped him right then and there, like I wanted too. Then, that awful… bastard Severus, calling me a… a… well, you heard him, calling me that after I stood up for him." Lily's eyes welled, as was the usual case when she worked her self into this furious of a rage.
She threw herself onto her bed and sobbed. Dana and Olive quickly rushed over to comfort her.
"I can't stand it. I really can't! It's always the same with every one here. Severus is always coarse with everyone, James is always arrogant, and I'm the one who ends up crying in the end. I'm sick of everything!" Lily wailed.
"Shh." Olive soothed, stoking her friends hair gently. "It'll all be fine, you shouldn't let it all anger you so. Nothing's worth that. You know, some one that my mum really likes once said 'No one can make you feel inferior with out your consent'. I just don't remember who it was."
"Eleanor Roosevelt."
"Huh."
Lily sat up. "It was Eleanor Roosevelt. And you know what. She was right. Severus isn't qualified to label me, and James is even less so!" Lily's eyes sparked and she got up. "Well, I'm off to the library."
"What? Why? Exams are over. You should be relaxing!"
"Yes, exams are over for this year, but next year I start N.E.W.T. courses! I need to be ready."
Dana groaned as she watched her over achieving friend slip out of the dorm.
Lily didn't go to the library. She had other plans.
Looking around to make sure she wasn't noticed, she slipped out of the dorm, and ran smack into James.
"Hello Evans!" James smiled down at her. He was alone.
"Shove off, Potter." She spat at him, making to edge past him, but he stopped her.
"Listen, I've been looking for you. I'm sorry for the way I acted at the lake."
"Don't you get it? It wasn't just at the lake. You're always like that! Sorry I'm not willing to fall all over your feet the way that Peter Pettigrew does!"
"Evans, you didn't let me finish…"
Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "Then go ahead, finish, though I doubt it will do you much good."
"See, there, you aren't even giving me a chance to defend myself!"
"You haven't earned that right!" Lily finally shoved past him and stormed off down the corridor, but stopped short at his next words.
"Hey, Evans, don't worry, I won't tell any one about your little secret."
She rounded on him like a wolf. "What are you talking about?" she tried to hide the sudden fear from her voice.
"Oh, come on, I know its you that's been doing all that stuff to the first floor corridor. The paint, the stink pellets, all those mischievous things that are falling onto Peeves. I don't know why you're doing it, but I know its you."
Lily almost laughed out. "What? You are crazy. I am just going, down to the kitchens to get and éclair, so if you don't mind, stop accusing me of things that you know very well your lot are doing."
Relief seeped through Lily as she whirled around and stalked away. He didn't know, no one could know.
James watched Lily walk away and sighed. Why did it have to be this way. He knew that they were made for each other, but for some reason she didn't think so. He'd tried everything, having other girlfriends to make her jealous, sent her flowers, groveled, pleaded, and he'd even once been nice to Snape. Nothing worked on her. But now, he knew she had a secret. She was about to panic when she thought he knew, when he was just buying time. He was going to figure out what that secret was.
In the common room James sat down Between Sandy and Bolivia, two fourth years that had been drooling over him for some time.
"Hello, ladies."
There was no reply.
"So, how's going Livia?" James turned to the dark skinned girl to his right, she sniffed and turned away. "Aw, come on, what's wrong?" James tried not to panic.
"We have been warned. You are apparently 'claimed property', and we would rather not be hexed for the likes of you."
James spluttered. "What?"
"You are claimed. Do you need me to spell it out for you. C-l-a-i-m-e-d! It was in the third floor girls bath, pained on the mirror in red lipstick."
James swallowed hard. "Well, I assure you, that there is no such thing. I'll be right back."
James raised himself from the couch and raced off to the third floor. He was going to get to the bottom of this allegation. With out really any fear, he burst through the door tot he girls' bath and stared at the mirror. Sure enough, there was a message there. It read:
Beware to all girls who might have their sites set on a one James Potter. Forget it. He has now been claimed. He is mine, anyone who has a problem with that, should take it up with me, lest I hex them to an oblivion. Heed my warning.
-Lily
James' stomach turned. Lily? Surly she hadn't written this message. He had to find her.
James found Lily out on the grounds, eating a chocolate éclair. He ruffled his hair, then walked up to her with great caution.
"Lily?"
She jumped, then looked at him coldly. "Why do you want?"
James cleared his throat uneasily. "Er, well, I was wondering, that is, I found something."
"Congratulations. So, how does this involve me?"
"Well. You did it."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me this is about that graffiti that you and your friends are doing."
"No, it's about… graffiti you're doing. I went in the third floor girls bathroom, and I found… a message on a mirror, and it is signed 'Lily'."
Lily stopped eating the éclair. "What? I didn't, what did it say?" she was suddenly pale in the face, looking frightened.
James ruffled his hair nervously. "Well, it said that you. Uh, that is that you claimed me. And that no one else was to talk to me or anything."
Lily jumped up. "WHAT! Sounds more like wishful thinking on your part Potter!" She stormed off to the castle.
"Wait up. I didn't write that! Evans, stop being so stubborn, besides, I don't wear red lipstick sweetie, you do."
"Don't you dare call me that again you pig. And I didn't write anything, least of all THAT! I am going to get to the bottom of this." Lily raged, storming up the stairs to the third floor.
James stopped for a moment to think of how cute she was when she was mad, then raced after her.
She was already in the bathroom, staring at the mirror, her mouth open, when he caught up. She was so furious, James could feel the energy leaking from her. He knew she didn't write it. Before he could say anything, she spun around and stormed out of the bath room..
"Wait, Evans, where are you going now?" He jogged to keep up.
"To find out who did this!" She crashed into Gryffindor common room, and looked around wildly. "Dana! Olive! Come here, NOW!"
The two walked over cautiously, glancing at James as he stood behind her.
"Hello Lils, um, how are you? Er, we saw your message on the mirror in the third floor bathroom, every one is talking about it. Is that what this is about." Dana looked almost scared as she stood before Lily.
"So, neither of you did it?"
"No, you did it Lily. It's in your handwriting." Olive put in weakly.
"I assure you I didn't do it!. When would I have such time, what with studying, and I have been around the two of you constantly!"
"I assumed you did it last night, when you were out of bed." Dana looked at her carefully.
"What? I was in my bed all night! I even went to bed early! Why are you shaking your head?"
Dana looked at her. "You weren't there all night, I got up to get some water, and you were gone. I thought it was odd, but went back to sleep."
"No, that's impossible!" Lily started towards her dorm, her friends in tow, "James, STOP FOLLOWING MY YOU PRAT!" He stopped and watched her stalk up to her dorm, not even trying to follow her.
Baffled, he just sat on a couch, wondering who would write such a thing, if not Lily.
Lily crashed into the dorm.
"Even if I was gone, I can still prove I didn't do it. Here! Look at my lipstick!" Lily furiously yanked the cap off and froze. The lipstick was flattened down, just as it would be if it had written on something.
"Lily, honey, have you ever… sleep walked?"
A/n: dun dun dun. Is this insight into Lily's thoughts and true feelings, or are Dana and olive trying to set her up? Lol, j/k well, that was chapter one. Please review, I am not exactly sure when I can have chapter two up, so in the mean time I hope that you will go read my other fic 'Sanity of the insane' it has five chapters so far (it needs a beta too). Also, I would very much appreciate it if any reviewers would take the time to submit plot ideas (for either story) with their review. I will give them credit and stuff, but it is hard work coming up with everything that happens. So thanks. Review!
Ciao!
Aimee