CHAPTER FIFTY "Lily, stop that"
The morning of 31 October dawned bright and hopeful; pink rays of sunlight filtering into the girls Sixth Year dormitory, warming Lily's face, which was turned to the open window. Her eyes twitched beneath her lids as they tried to accustom themselves to the bright light. Unable to stand it any longer, she blinked and turned over beneath her covers.
Groggily, she opened one eye and glanced at the Muggle alarm clock on her bedside table, not realising what day it was. She grabbed a hold of her thick comforter and snuggled deeper into her pillow to have a bit more of a nap. A few moments ticked by until she bolted upright, consumed with anxiety over her date with James Potter.
Lily swung her feet to the side of her bed and buried them within the warm embrace of her slippers before shuffling over to Ophelia's bed. She didn't think twice before diving on top of her friend, waking her from her slumber. This was far too important, she thought to herself, shaking Phe awake.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Ophelia waved her hand around in the air; trying to swat away whatever had awoken her. "'Go away," she murmured. "'Sblurry Sunday."
Lily grabbed at her wrists impatiently. "It's me, and if you are any kind of friend you will wake up and stay with me until I go."
Ophelia struggled to pull a pillow over her face, but it was hastily taken away by Lily. "Why, what's going on today?" she asked sleepily, as Lily began bouncing up and down on the mattress.
"My date with James Potter!" she shrieked, a wave of hysteria washing over her features. It was quickly replaced by her normally calm and collected demeanor.
Phe maneouvered her way into a sitting position and placed a comforting hand on Lily's knee. "Alright, calm down. That's a pretty good reason," she yawned. "What time is it, anyway?"
The redhead smiled sheepishly. "Quarter to six. Did I mention that I'll be indebted to you for some time?"
A small smile appeared at Ophelia's mouth, as she pulled on a housecoat and followed Lily down the spiraling staircase, so as not to wake the others.
Once they reached the common room, they sank into the inviting cushions of the couch; staring at each other from the opposite ends. Lily was the first to break the contest, looking into the crackling fire.
"I still can't believe I'm here," she began heavily, taking a breath. "I'm about to go on a date, an actual date, with James Potter. If you had told me a year ago... hell- even six months ago -that I would agree to go out with him, I would have said you had had too much Cinnarum. Add onto that that I would be as anxious as a...a... well, a very anxious person."
Ophelia's jaw dropped as she studied her friend's face. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't of seen it myself."
Lily looked slightly alarmed. "Seen what? What are you talking about?"
She shook her head, smiling to herself. "Lily Evans at a loss for words. That Potter boy must have a real hold over you."
Lily's cheeks flamed, rivalling the shade of her hair. "He does not, I just... he's only..."
"Twice in one day even," giggled Ophelia, pulling tight her robe. "Don't convince yourself it's a bad thing, completely normal."
Lily rolled her eyes and gave her friend a kick. "Like you're such an expert."
She laughed before catching the meaning of her little dig. "I'll have you know that I suffered from this terrible affliction before I even liked Sirius. So there."
Lily lowered her chin, still keeping her gaze with Ophelia. "You lie."
"That's not the point," she replied quickly. "The point isthat as of late I have become an expert, or at least more than a novice. And I'm trying to calm your fears, why are you picking at it?"
Lily shrugged and focused her attention to her nails, turning each hand over to look at it. "Taking the mickey has calmed me down. Somewhat."
Ophelia waved her hand in the air, "Oh well, by all means then."
Lily grinned and gave a great sigh. "Nah, the fun's gone for me now."
Ophelia cocked her head, on the verge of some truly profound thought. "If all else fails, just keep in mind that you can't be more nervous than him. Let's be honest; James has been in love with you since Fourth Year, and probably before than too. I like to think it began when he first saw you, on the train. Anyway, here's my prediction for how the afternoon will go," she started. "You'll head off into the Three Broomsticks or maybe for a walk, and for a while it will feel like nothing has changed; that you've just popped out for a walk with a friend. And then he'll take your hand and it will just be... like it was always meant to be. And then you'll eventually get married and have an entire litter of tiny Jilys."
"Jilys?" replied Lily incredulously.
She smiled. "Well it sounds better than Lames."
Turning to look out the window, both witches saw the pale pink glow had faded, replaced instead with an incredible amber light. "Breakfast?" Lily asked, even though it was more of a statement. Without waiting for a reply she got to her feet and pulled Ophelia to hers, and together they walked down to the Great Hall in silence.
"You're trying to see what mine and Sirius' names would be like, aren't you?"
"Yes!" Lily cried out exhasperatedly.
Phe shook her head sadly. "It doesn't work; believe me, I've tried a hundred times over."
They settled down at the Gryffindor table and loaded their plates with Sunday breakfast. Taking a bite of of her toast and marmalade, Lily turned to see Vega float into the the Hall, as if still dreaming.
"Morning you two," she said brightly, joining them at the table. "What are you doing awake at this hour"
Ophelia motioned towards Lily. "This one was up at dawn screeching over James Potter."
Vega grinned wickedly. "Oh yeah? I guess you don't know it to glance at him, but I can see how he'd be"
"Come again?" Lily cried, dropping her fork with a clatter. Ophelia choked on her pumpkin juice and tried to suppress the waves of laughter that were dying to be released.
Vega looked back and forth between the two before realising her mistake. "Oh... pardon me. I thought you were... never mind."
"I thought that was brill," laughed Phe, shooting her a secretive wink.
"So did I," Lily admitted, taking a quick drink of her milk.
Vega began pulling at her blonde curls, staring off into space. "So what exactly is this Hogsmeade? What's the deal with it?"
Lily stood up a bit straighter, seizing the opportunity to educate her peer. She cleared her throat. "Hogsmeade is the only village made up entirely of wizards. It is located a few kilometers away from Hogwarts itself. It is popular amongst students for it's pubs and sweets shops. It was founded in"
"Aww," cooed James, sitting down and looking at her with complete and utter adoration. "I love it when you're... booky."
Lily stifled her cringe and returned a smile. "Thank you James."
Ophelia looked smuggly across the table at her friend. "Now why are you up so early, Mr Potter?"
Sirius grabbed his elbow and whispered something into his ear. James confidently met her eyes. "My legal counsel has advised me to remain silent on the matter."
Phe set her jaw and turned to Sirius. "Oh did he? Well, as Lily's personal advisor I think it only wise that we meet up to discuss terms."
Grinning, he leaned across the table. "I wholeheartedly concur." Ophelia stole a quick kiss before turning back to Lily.
"Before you go, I need help," began Lily, narrowing her eyes.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Phe replied, receiving a swift kick under the table.
"Oh," she chuckled. "Right. Yes... let's go do that."
They stood up in unison and went to leave, as Vega struggled to remove herself from the table. "Wait!" she called, "You need me for the... oh sod it. I want to come."
Ophelia linked arms with the witch and the three of them headed back to the Tower.
When they arrived, Talia and Mai were still buried beneath their covers, taking full advantage of the weekend hours. Lily kicked her trunk, the sound echoing round the dormitory. "What's all the noise for?" grumbled Talia, pulling the blanket over her head.
"Well aren't you going out with that Caradoc chap today?" asked Vega, rummaging through her wardrobe.
"No, that's next weekend," she replied groggily, brushing them off.
Ophelia pulled her sister's calendar down off the wall, with the days date circled in bright maroon ink. "Are you sure?" she replied. "Because this makes me think that it's today."
Talia reluctantly opened one eye and glanced at the roll of parchment in her sister's hand. "Fantastic," she muttered, pulling herself into a sitting position. "What time is it?"
Mai silently got up from her bed and walked around the length of the room to Talia's bedside, her eyes still closed. The girls watched as she took the slippers from beneath her dresser and returned to her own bed.
Vega shook her head, frowning. "It's half-past eight o'clock."
Talia sighed heavily and ran into the bathrooms, slamming the door behind her. "She's been very stressed lately," said Ophelia.
"I heard that!" Talia shouted from behind the door.
Lily threw her hands into the air. "I'm sorry, but can we focus on me for a few minutes? The train for Hogsmeade leaves in an hour and I still look like I just woke up."
Ophelia took her friend by the arm and sat her down at her vanity. "Just relax; you could show up in a burlap sack with your head shaven and still get James excited."
Lily shot a quick look at Vega as if to warn her to keep silent.
"I wasn't going to say anything" she replied sulkily, running a fat-handled brush through Lily's hair.
Talia emerged from the toilets a few moments later, dressed in her Muggle finest. She flopped down onto her bed and began lacing her shoes frantically, muttering curses to herself. "Why?" she began. "Of all days, did Caradoc ask me to go out on Halloween? We'll be lucky if we get through the first hour, bloody cursed day."
Vega scoffed. "What are you talking about? Halloween isn't cursed! It's one of my favourite holidays."
Talia rolled her eyes as if horribly put out. "Of course it isn't cursed, but it's not a very good day to have a first date, now is it?"
Lily looked horrified as she turned back to look at her reflection in the mirror, "I'm doomed. James is going to think I'm a troll and never speak to me again."
Ophelia threw Talia a dirty look and continued trying to calm her friend down. "You're both going to be fine and make James and Caradoc fall madly in love with you. Alright?" Both girls nodded and turned back to what they were doing earlier. Vega nodded silently and flashed Phe a thumbs up.
A short while later, the girls were all dressed and ready for the village. Mai had gotten herself ready, as well, which consisted of her rolling out of bed and pulling on a brightly coloured outfit that had been laying on the floor. The five girls made their outside into the courtyard, where the Marauders were waiting for them.
Lily pulled Ophelia aside. "You don't think he expects me to go on our first date with Pete and Remus hanging on the bell, do you?" she screeched, painfully digging her nails into her friends arm.
"Lil, relax and let go of my arm," answered Phe, pulling back out of her reach. "I'm sure James is going to relish his time alone with you, all right?"
Lily reluctantly nodded and went back to the others, who were now making their way to the train. James grinned and linked arms with her, leading Lily away from the castle.
Talia looked around, searching the groups of students for Caradoc. As if on cue, he ran from the castle totally out of breath. "Hullo," he managed, clutching his chest. "Thought I was about to miss the train."
Mai shook her head dramatically as she walked past the two. "That would be absolutely dreadful; a travesty really."
Talia glared angrily at her friend before turning back to the Caradoc. "I'm ready if you are," she began, as they headed towards the train.
Lily stepped off the train, all the while holding onto James' hand. She secretly marveled at how well their two hands fit together, like little cut-out pieces of a jigsaw. James caught her staring at their interwined hands and smiled, giving hers a squeeze. Lily looked up, blushing.
"So," she began importantly. "Where are we off to?"
James, skillfully hiding his sudden look of panic and replied, "I sort of planned on having a spontaneous sort of day, heading over to the Three Broomsticks for a bit."
She smiled, shaking her head. "Ignoring the fact that you can't plan a spontaneous date, that sounds lovely." James glowed at the comment and continued to lead her down the dirt path.
As they entered the pub, they spotted their friends who were holed away in a corner. Lily made to call to them but James held a finger to her lips and shook his head, his dark hair flopping about. "I sort of reserved a private room for us," he explained quickly "Is that okay?"
Lily grinned unabashedly. "Yes, that sounds nice."
He stealthily led her into the back, where a few cushy chairs had been set up. James pulled out Lily's chair for her before sitting down himself. A few moments after their arrival, Madam Rosemerta arrived with a pitcher of Butterbeer and some Honeydukes sweets- just for the occasion.
James nervously took off his glasses and began to clean them with the edge of his robe, as he had done several times since meeting with Lily that morning. She noticed and smiled to herself, taking a sip of from her mug. "So, er... how are your classes coming along?" he asked.
"Classes are fine, I suppose," she replied. "Though I can't really talk about my training."
James bowed his head, "Of course."
She cleared her throat, playing with the napkin in her lap. "How about you, James? How is your Auror training coming along?"
"It's interesting, I've learned a lot..." he replied, his voice wavering towards the end. "This is all wrong." he muttered suddenly, running a hand through his hair. Lily frowned.
"Pardon me," James stood up and began pacing the small room. "I've been dreaming about this for so long, for our first date," he admitted. "And here we are; after six years we are finally on a date. And we're talking about school? This is bloody ridiculous!"
Lily sighed and set down the glass she had been handling. "You were the one who brought up classes."
His shoulders fell and he ran a hand over his face. "I know, I wasn't blaming you, Lils."
She worried her lip, thinking of some way in which she could calm James down. "This is my date, too," she thought to herself, "I'm not going to let his neurosis ruin it for me." Moving quickly to close the distance between them, she took his face in her hands, bringing him into a kiss. James, who registered his initial shock by mashing his nose against Lilys, soon pushed her shoulders away from him.
"Lily!" he cried. "What are you doing?"
She grinned mischeviously, advancing on him once more. "What did it feel like I was doing, Mr Potter?"
James got to his feet and retreated to the other side of the room. Given the close quarters, he didn't move more than a few feet from her. He ran a hand through his mussed up hair as he tried to process what had just happened.
"Don't you think we should take this slow?" he said finally, as he began cleaning his glasses for the second time since their arrival.
"Yes, of course," Lily nodded earnestly. "But we've been taking it slow for years. You have no reason to be nervous- neither do I for that matter. So I was only trying to lighten the tension."
He suddenly straightened up energized by his sudden boost of confidenceand sauntered back to the table.
Lily smiled and took another sip of her Butterbeer. She took a deep breath"I like you James. A lot, actually. So let's just... see where this takes us, alright?" she finished, surprised at her own words.
It was now James who had turned a bright fuschia. Unlike Lily, however, he embraced it and smiled charmingly at her. "You've no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that."
"Yes I do," she replied, folding her hands in her lap. "But we're here now, so how do you suggest we continue this date?"
A strange gleam came to James' eye, the very same that had just a few moments ago resided with Lily. "I think we could occupy ourselves somehow."
Caradoc ran into the Head Boy's compartment, pulling Talia in along with him. He slammed the door shut so hard that a loose pane of glass shuddered and threatened to fall from it's place. It went unnoticed, however, as Caradoc and Talia began snogging like a witch and wizard who had just been reunited after a long stint at Azkaban.
"Mwait," muttered Caradoc, the first to break away. He smiled, "I thought we agreed that we were going to take this Hogsmeade trip as a time to... well, to get to know each other better. And seeing as how we didn't fulfill that goal at Puddifoots, we have to get it over with before we get back to the castle."
"Silly me; I thought that's what we'd been doing for the past two months," she retorted, crossing her arms angrily over her chest.
He kissed the back of her hand. "Don't get cranky, Lily specifically warned me about your cranky moments."
"And?"
"And I've arrived at the conclusion that miserable Talia is far too much work for someone such as myself. The Head Boy, that is," he finishsed, flashing what he surely thought was a handsome smile.
Talia rolled her eyes. "Can we get back to the topic at hand? The very reason why we're not... making ourselves useful at the moment. Talk! Get to know me so I can get back to.. knowing you."
Caradoc got up and sat down opposite her. "Where did you grow up?" he began.
"Edinburgh," replied Talia impatiently.
"No, I meant before you moved in with the Lupins."
She set her jaw. "Next question, please."
He nodded understandingly. "All right. What did your parents do?"
"Are you serious?" she chuckled. "Have you not caught on that I don't want to talk about anything related to before I came to Hogwarts or my biological family or any of that rubbish? Just let it alone"
The compartment was silent for a few moments before Caradoc let out a laugh. "Gods Tal; you have to learn how to lighten up. Take things with a certain stride, like I do."
She grinned. "Oh yeah? Well than, Mr Dearborn, let me ask you a few questions. Where did you grow up? What do your parents do? What are you planning on doing once you graduate"
"Suffolk; father's a banker and my mum works as a secretary. And I'm leaning more towards being a Curse-breaker for Gringotts," he answered, in a manner that suggested he had expected her interrogation the entire time.
"A-And?" stuttered Talia "Your parents are..."
"Muggles, yes. Is that a problem"
She shook her head and smiled. "Nope, not for me."
"Good, because I don't want to bring you home to my parents only to have you run into the broom closet when you see our television." Caradoc waited for a moment. "I just told you I want to introduce you to my family; most girls would be jumping around the train crying and planning our wedding."
A look of pure disgust washed over Talia's face before she forced a smile, which was really more of a grimace. "I think you'll find that I'm not like most witches. I don't really like talking about the future," she explained, crossing over to sit next to him. "I like to live here; now."
The train came to a screeching halt as they arrived back at the castle, just in time for the start of the Halloween Feast.
Caradoc grinned, his eyes never leaving Talia's. "I'm not feeling very hungry, how about yourself? Didn't think so. Well I have an empty Head Boy room just asking to be put to some use."
She grinned and grabbed his hand, pushing their way through the other students and back up to the castle.
