A/N: Sorry about the delay, I've had writer's block. I still have writer's block. Enjoy the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I own anyone that you don't recognize. Everyone else belongs to J.K Rowling.
Who's That Girl?
Chapter 3: Detention
"Every trophy, shield, statuette and even every cupboard is to be scrubbed until they gleam. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Mr. Drysdale," Lily said to the caretaker of Hogwarts castle.
"I'll be patrolling the corridors but I'll return here to see how you're progressing at regular intervals. I expect to see a noticeable change every time I do. Am I understood?"
Lily sighed. "Yes, Mr. Drysdale."
"You will not leave until everything in this room is the cleanest it's been in centuries. Am I understood?"
Lily was getting very annoyed at Mr. Drysdale for ending his orders with his favourite saying, 'am I understood.'
"Yes, Mr. Drysdale. But, please sir, how long will this take?"
Mr. Drysdale sneered. "As long as it takes." He shoved a bucket into Lily's hands. In it was a handful of rags, ornament cleaner and polish.
"What's all this for?" Lily asked.
"The cleaning. Being muggle- born you should know what to do with everything. You are not, I repeat, not, to use magic. If you do, I'll know," Mr. Drysdale said menacingly. "Am-"
Before he could complete the sentence however, Lily held up her hand. "Yes, Mr. Drysdale, I understand. Thank you."
Lily turned to the cupboard on her right and, opening it, took out a small statue. She grabbed a rag and the ornament cleaner and began cleaning the statue.
Mr. Drysdale watched her do this for going on five minutes before he turned and left the trophy room.
Lily let out a small sigh of relief and began scrubbing more vigorously. The job was easier without that creepy old man breathing down her neck.
Well, it looks as if it's a good thing you're a mudblood now, Lily Marion Evans, she thought to herself. At least you know what to do with a rag and a bit of cleaner. Snape and Malfoy would have no idea. But then you wouldn't find Malfoy in detention in the first place. Snape maybe, but never Lucius Malfoy. He was too good at sweet talking his way out of things.
Miracles happen though, or unexpected events did anyway. This time last week, if someone had told her that she would like James Potter, almost confront him about it, cry in his arms, not hand in an essay and get detention, Lily would have laughed in the person's face.
Lily Evans did not get put in detention. It just didn't happen. That is, until now. James had been sweet though, letting her cry like that and then offering her his essay. He'd tried to talk to her since that encounter two days ago but she had stubbornly ignored him. What she'd give to talk to him. Sit down and really talk. What she'd give to know him like nobody, except maybe Sirius, could claim to.
Lily sighed, smiled and stared contentedly into space.
"Is it anyone I know?" asked a voice.
Lily visibly jumped, dropping the trophy she had been polishing. A hand reached out, quick as lightening, and grabbed the trophy before it reached to floor.
She looked into the hazel eyes of James Potter. Where he'd come from she had no idea. Lily had been cleaning and polishing for a little over two hours, with Mr. Drysdale popping in every now and again, but she hadn't seen or heard James enter.
"I beg your pardon?"
"The person you're thinking about," James clarified. "Is it anyone I know?"
Lily didn't answer. Instead she took back the trophy and resumed her polishing. When she was finished, fifteen minutes later, James was still standing patiently beside her and neither one of them had spoken. The silence was killing her.
Putting the gleaming trophy on the gleaming shelf in its gleaming cabinet, Lily said, "When did you arrive? I didn't hear you come in. I didn't see you come in either, for that matter."
James replied, "Oh, I've been here all the time. I left when you did and followed you."
"Why didn't I see you then?"
James laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Weelll, that's kind of a secret."
"A secret that Sirius, Remus and Peter know about?"
"Well, yeeesss," he said, becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "But they'd never tell."
"And I would I suppose?"
"N-no! Of course not! I didn't say that!..."
Lily clapped her hand over James' mouth. "Shhh! Drysdale will hear you!"
Sure enough they could hear the heavy footfalls of the caretaker.
"Miss Evans? Who can I hear you talking to?" he called.
"Quick!" Lily whispered. "Hide!"
James kissed the palm of the hand that still held his mouth shut, pulled away and took out his wand. "Scourgify," he muttered.
"I'm not allowed to use magic!" Lily said desperately.
"You didn't," he replied and picked up a cloak that Lily hadn't noticed before. "I did."
Before Lily had the chance to say anything, James put the cloak on and disappeared into thin air.
Lily gasped and stared at the space that James had occupied only seconds before.
"Well, Miss Evans, care to tell me where your little friend is hiding?" Mr. Drysdale said and Lily spun around to face him. He obviously hadn't seen James.
"Little friend? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really? Who were you talking to then? Don't deny it. I heard you with my own two ears."
"Talking to?" Lily asked, trying to think up an excuse.
"Yes! Talking to," Mr. Drysdale was getting extremely impatient.
"Talking to…" Lily muttered, trying to look as if he'd lost his marbles.
Then she had an idea.
Lily slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Ohhh! I know what you're talking about. I was talking to myself."
"Talking to yourself?" Mr. Drysdale repeated, suspiciously.
"Yes. I was congratulating myself on cleaning everything in this room in just over two hours."
Mr. Drysdale frowned and glanced around the room. Thanks to James' charm, everything gleamed, just like it was supposed to.
He was suspicious however. He'd watched students scrub for hours upon hours to get through this detention. This girl had managed to do it in two hours. Foul play was involved. He just knew it.
Mr. Drysdale walked slowly around the room, checking everything and searching for a hidden wand or student. He found neither.
"Turn out you pockets," he demanded when he reached Lily,
"Excuse me?"
"Turn out your pockets!"
"What right do you have to demand any such thing?"
"You cheated! I know you did! You used…" He didn't say the last word.
"Magic?"
Mr. Drysdale nodded quickly and Lily leaned in towards his pock- marked face.
His small eyes were too close together on either side of his rather large nose. His thin- lipped mouth was slightly open and Lily could just glimpse his yellow teeth. His breath wasn't exactly the scent of roses either.
Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Lily whispered, "Prove it."
Before Mr. Drysdale could reply though, one of the trophies by the door fell to the floor with a loud crash.
Lily and Mr. Drysdale looked over at the trophy on the floor. Lily thought for a moment that James had pushed it over but suddenly, Peeves the Hogwarts poltergeist, appeared, hovering upside down above the dented trophy. He blew a loud, wet raspberry and flew away cackling.
"Peeves!" Mr. Drysdale yelled and ran off after him, completely forgetting about Lily.
A/N: Okay, I think that's longer than the previous chapters but I'm not sure. I'm going to try and post the next chapter later today or tomorrow. I want to get it done 'cause I start school again on Tuesday (Feb 1st). I'll try my hardest, I promise. In the meantime, REVIEW!