Author's Note: Thank you, Celina Black, OTHCharmedHPFreak, xXXx, Jean DARK, and AnjaliMalfoy for your reviews! Since you are such wonderful people, I couldn't just leave you hanging ).
Chapter Five: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
"I
walk a lonely road,
The
only one that I have ever known.
Don't
know where it goes.
But
it's only me and I walk alone."
-Green
Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams
"I still can't believe this," Amirah sighed, with an elegant shake of her head. "I can't pretend to understand what she sees in Malfoy the Muggle-hater, but what really irks me is that she didn't trust us enough to tell us."
They were in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, waiting for class to begin.
"I know," Chelsea agreed. "God, we tell her everything – well, almost everything, in any case."
"What secrets are you hiding?" Amirah asked in surprise. What a perfect way to start off their last year at Hogwarts – by finding out her two best friends kept secrets from her.
"Oh," Chelsea said with a quick laugh and slight blush, "not big secrets, just little bits of information about our lives. For example, we don't talk about what color underwear we're wearing or whatever."
Amirah smiled. "Yeah, nor do we want to talk about our underwear."
"Who's talking about underwear, love?" Sirius asked, sliding into the desk beside Amirah. Remus sat beside Chelsea and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Not us," she responded with a laugh.
Lily walked in just then, and her face darkened slightly. She looked around and saw Alice Flynn.
"Hi, Lily," Remus said kindly.
"Hi," she responded with surprise. Amirah watched her walk over and sit beside her from the corner of her eye.
"Wait, but what about writing a letter to Remus?" Amirah asked quietly, but accusatorily. "When were you planning on telling us about that?"
"I wanted to surprise you two," Chelsea elaborated. "I wasn't planning on keeping a big secret. You know, I think she was planning on keeping this from us until her wedding day. Or perhaps she would never have told us. Wouldn't that be horrible?"
"Unbelievably so," Amirah said. How long had they known each other exactly? How could Lily do this to them?
"I'm worried about James," Sirius spoke up quietly. "This news has hit him hard."
"He really loves her, doesn't he?" Amirah asked.
Nobody said anything.
"Yeah, he does," Peter said finally.
" 'It's just a little crush. He'll overcome it.' That's what Lily always said," Chelsea told them. "She was so wrong. How can she do this? She just broke the poor guy's heart."
"Where is the poor guy anyways?" inquired Amirah.
"Patrolling the hallways, making sure that everyone gets to class on time," Sirius replied. "He's definitely heart-broken. I mean, he's taking his bloody Head Boy duties seriously."
Amirah looked up at Lily, who was trying to engage Alice in a conversation. Alice was, of course, being Alice, was extremely shy and quiet.
"Yes, poor James, blah, blah, blah," Cerise spoke up impatiently from where she was sitting beside Sirius. "But you guys have to look at things from Lily's point of view too."
Airheaded as she was, Cerise Kayne had the ability to be extremely insightful – that, Amirah had to admit.
"You're right," Amirah said, "and I would look at it from that perspective, but the fact that she just stomped off after telling us and didn't give us even a moment to digest the news; that was what truly bothered me."
"Same here," Chelsea agreed. "We could have supported her – unhappily, but if we understood her feelings, it would have been easier to accept, despite the fact that James has been hurt so much. I mean, we all know about this ability she has to always see the good in people. But she just left. Now she's giving us the cold shoulder."
"All right, student," Professor Smartt said loudly, walking in. "Open your books to page eight. Class is beginning now."
"My friends won't talk to me," Lily told Lucius. "You were right."
"I'm sorry," he said, stroking her cheek with a long finger. "I understand if you want to break up."
"No way!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing. "I know what you're like. I know you're sweet and amazing. They don't know it. I'm not going to break up with you and give them the satisfaction of knowing they're right, because they're wrong."
"I love you, Lily," Lucius said softly, kissing her gently.
"I love you too," she said, looking down and blinking. "I have to go – patrol, you know."
"Yeah," he said. "Is Potter talking to you?"
"Not at all," Lily said with a sigh. "But you hate him, right?"
Lucius shrugged. "So what? He's your friend. I don't want you friend to not talk to you."
'He is my friend,' Lily realized with a start. Aloud she said, "Well, I do have to go now. Good night, Lucius."
"Good night, Lily."
She left the Room of Requirement, as she and Lucius referred to the little room they met in and hurried back to the Gryffindor Tower before anyone realized she wasn't there – not that they would care. Except for Cerise and Alice. They were still talking to her.
"About time," James said crabbily, once she returned. "Where were you? Off sleeping with Malfoy, perhaps?"
"See?" Lily said. "That's the sort of thing that made me hate you so much in the first place."
"I'm hurt," he said sardonically. "Let's just go, okay?"
They patrolled in silence for the first hour.
"Do you hear that?" James asked, suddenly.
Lily listened, and sure enough, could hear low cries – like someone in pain. "Should we investigate?"
"Naturally."
Seemingly without thinking, James ushered Lily behind him, almost protectively. He crept forth and pressed his head against the cold walls. He glanced at her triumphantly and put his door on the handle. Pushing it open, he jumped in the way, his wand held out. Lily followed quickly.
A Ravenclaw sixth year girl and Hufflepuff fifth year boy were in an awkward position on a desk of the unused classroom, their robes strewed across the floor. The boy's triumphant cry died away as he caught sight of them, and he blushed profusely before pushing himself off the girl and thrusting her clothes at her. She covered herself, her face twice as crimson as his.
Lily and James exchanged amused glances. It made Lily's heart melt in relief to see the laughter in his eyes as he looked at her and then looked back at the couple.
"Well, looks like some people are getting lucky tonight," James said, wiggling his eyebrows.
The Ravenclaw girl quickly pushed the Hufflepuff guy away and strained up, her face still a brilliant pink.
"James! We were just…it was nothing serious," she said breathlessly. "I swear."
"But you said – " began the guy.
"Just a bit of fun," she interrupted earnestly. "He doesn't have to be the only one who has fun."
Lily stifled a laugh.
"Sorry, kids," James said.
Lily couldn't help but grin at the expression on the Ravenclaw's face. She seemed ready to strangle Lily…or the Hufflepuff guy, or herself even. It was so obvious that she had a crush on James – and Lily was positive James wasn't at all oblivious to that fact.
"Ten points from Ravenclaw and ten from Hufflepuff," he continued, then addressed the girl, "If I catch you at it again, it'll be fifty points and a little trip to the Headmaster's office."
Now she seemed ready to cry. Despite everything she had done, Lily couldn't help but feel instantly sorry for her.
"James," she said. "Don't be so mean –" she turned to the girl "- I'm sorry, but he's right. Now hurry off to your respective common rooms and get some sleep."
The girl stomped by them, followed by the guy.
Lily looked at James, wondering if he had melted a little, at least. She couldn't believe how upset she had been when James had stopped talking to her – and they had only really talked two-odd times.
"So, we're almost done," Lily ventured, "do you have any homework left?"
"No," he said shortly. "We should report to Professor McGonagall and go back to the Gryffindor Common Room."
"Okay," she agreed meekly.
"Mr. Potter, I'm surprised at you," Professor McGonagall said sharply once they entered her office.
James looked slightly alarmed, and furrowed his eyebrows as though he were thinking about something.
She softened her voice and actually smiled, "I have to admit, I wasn't sure you would be able to handle being Head Boy. You're doing a great job of it, though."
So, after talking to Professor McGonagall, they returned to the Gryffindor Tower in a tense silence.
James refused to look at hurt or even acknowledge her presence. Once again, Lily found herself amazed that his anger cut more than skin deep. But it had been…fun talking to him that day. Also, it was strange how she missed James calling her "darlin'." When she thought about, he called many girls "honey," but she was the only he ever called, "darlin'." And now he had stopped doing that. Had she really hurt him so much?
"Listen, James," Lily said suddenly, cutting in front of him and not allowing him to go to his dorm once they reached the Head Common Room.
"Move, please, Lily," he said, sounding exhausted, more than angry.
"I just want you to hear this first," she said. "This is my life and I'm sorry if it doesn't match up with your life. I really am. I really like you, James. You're an amazing friend, and I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance before. But in this sense…romance will never work out between the two of us, because we're too different. I'm sorry, James, I really am."
"Are you done?" he asked in a chillingly calm voice.
"Yes," she responded, taking a deep breath.
"Good," he said. "Good night, Lily. Have a nice life."
Sneak Peek Chapter Six:
"Lucius!" Lily exclaimed, upset. "That was…we shouldn't…you can't…"
She stopped and took a deep breath.
Lucius looked at her, visibly alarmed and perturbed. "What, Lily? Is it because Potter walked by?" He said "Potter" with a note of disgust.
"No, well, yes," she responded miserably. "It is."
Author's Note: Next update on Sunday, June 19!