Chapter Three – The Friendship Token

Though Lily Evans and Alice Grahams were on time the next morning, they had to hurry Marlene McKinnon up. She was still lying on bed.

At last, they could wake her up:

"Hurry, Marlene! We'll be late for breakfast! And if we're late for breakfast, we'll be late for classes as well!"

Marlene started lazily and got up from bed. Her hair was all mixed up and she had some big rings under her eyes. She wore her school robes and fixed her hair magically. Meanwhile, her friends watched impatiently.

When they were crossing the Fat Lady portrait, she opened her eyes widely and seemed to wake up suddenly.

"I... I... I forgot to... give you... something... I need to go get it!" she said in a rush.

"No, no, you can't!" said Lily. "It's getting late already! You'll give us whatever it is after classes!"

Resigned, Marlene walked along with her friends.

"Hey, girls! Wait up!"

For a bitter instant, Lily though the guy calling was James Potter. But when she turned her head, she saw she was mistaken: her frown turned into a wide smile as she saw Frank Longbottom trying to catch up.

"Hey, Frank!" Lily said.

"Hi," answered Frank. "Can I walk with you? I'm supposed to meet Benjy and Bert down at the Great Hall."

"Sure," said Alice.

The four teenagers then walked together. Both Alice and Marlene knew that Lily felt something special about him. It wasn't love, it was just a crush. Frank Longbottom was the most popular guy at school (after James, of course, but Lily didn't think it that way). He played beater in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He was good-looking and strong just imagine Cedric Diggory.

They got to the Great Hall. Frank's two friends, Benjy Fenwick and Bertram Aubrey were waiting for him on the Hall entrance. Lily didn't like them as much. They were Ravenclaws, and as most Ravenclaws, Fenwick and Aubrey were a little tough. Besides, Lily thought Aubrey wanted something with her.

"Hi, you guys!" said Frank.

"Hey, Frank! See you got company," said Fenwick.

"And what kind of company! Lily Evans!" complemented Aubrey.

"Well, yeah. They agreed to walk me downstairs. Thanks, girls."

"It's been a… pleasure," said Lily.

And the three boys walked away.

Alice elbowed her. "It's been a pleasure! Damn girl! You really like this guy, don't you?"

"Of course not!" said Lily. "He's just a… good friend. Anyway, I don't think he likes me.

It's gotta be either James Potter or Bertram Aubrey. And none of them seems promising…."

Lily, Alice, and Marlene arrived to Slughorn's class that morning. Almost everyone else was there already.

"Why, hello, my dears," said Slughorn. "Please take your seats, Lily, Alice dear, and ¬– well, you too."

The girls sat down embarrassed. They knew that Marlene was the only one of them who hadn't made it into the so-called "Slug Club".

Lily looked around. Yes, Lupin was missing again. She was getting used to his absences. They were some days every month or so. What she thought weird, anyway, was Potter's, Black's, and Pettigrew's absences too…. But what did she care anyway?

"Okay, my dears, allow me to put you up to date. We were about to see Confusement Draughts. Let us see… who can tell me what effects does sneezewort have on people?"
That was a hard question, but Lily knew the answer, so she raised her hand confidently.

"Mr. Snape?" said Slughorn.

Lily turned around surprised and saw Severus Snape, the most unpopular Slytherin fifth year smirking at her and giving his answer instead.

"They inflamate people's brains, sir."

"Why, Mr. Snape!" said Slughorn. "That is quite right! Ten points to Slytherin!"

And the class went on like that, with Lily and Snape rivaling on getting right answers.
After Potions they had a free hour, for Dumbledore hadn't managed to find a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor yet.

"Now, Lily," begged Marlene, "could you come now?"

"Sure, Marlene."

Before they walked on, Marlene turned around and told Alice: "Er…. Could you wait here, Alice? This thing is kind of private".

"Sure," said Alice gladly. "You two have got things to talk. I'll just wait on the Great Hall."

Lily and Alice arrived to the Girls' Dormitories.

"Well," Lily asked. "What is it?"

"Right…. I don't know where to start. I guess I should apologize first for what I did, and for what I made you do. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

Lily hugged Marlene and she kept on.
"I had thought about it and I think I should repay what you did on Flitwick's class. Listen: my dad sent me this." Marlene showed Lily the old coin she had been sent. "He said it is something special, so I thought on giving it to you."

She handed her coin to Lily and she inspected it carefully.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "This must be special. And even more if your dad gave it to you…. I can't take it!"

"Well, you have to. It's going to be our Friendship Token. As it is so special to me, I guarantee I'll always have you as my friend if I give it to you. Please, don't reject it. It means a lot to me if you take it."

Resigned, Lily took the coin. "I'll take care of this as if it was my own life."

They hugged again.

"Now, I think we should join Alice downstairs."

And as she had said, she was waiting at the Great Hall. She was reading the Daily Prophet.

The headline said: "Hipstriker Abandons Bowtruckle Rights Protest for Mysterious Reasons" and it showed the picture of a hippie-looking wizard.

"Hi, Al," said Marlene, sitting beside her.

"Shhh," Alice hushed.

"What's wrong?" said Lily after taking a seat beside her friends.

"Don't look now," informed Alice, "but those Slytherins are looking suspiciously at you."