Lily walked back out to find James standing with a vacant expression on his face.
Godric chuckled and she turned to see him walk to put an arm round Rowena's waist, "Little scamp was having trouble adjusting to the situation so I...helped him out."
"Godric," Rowena said reprovingly, "are you sure that was necessary?"
"Well, he was getting rather agitated about Miss Evans and saying something about how this could all be some kind of trick...it was the easiest way to calm him down." He shrugged unapologetically.
Lily walked over to James and waved a hand in front of his face, "what did you do?"
"Oh, he'll be fine," Godric assured her, "just guide him until he regains his awareness."
"And how long will that be?" Lily asked suspiciously.
He grinned, "let me know won't you, it's hard to do magic when you're only sort of real."
Lily gaped at him and was about to tell him off when Rowena cut in, "Really Godric, you might have waited and let me do it." She shook her head and tapped him on the nose affectionately, "ah well, no harm done. I'll just make it so that he'll follow you." Before she could protest, Rowena had clicked her fingers and James walked over to stand next her, his arm practically touching hers.
Lily sighed and looked at James, "how close will he follow me?"
"Within about a foot give or take."
Lily made an irritated noise and folded her arms, "so I'm his baby sitter, just because you couldn't wait for someone more competent to come and do a spell?? And do you realise how close that is?" She added glaring at Rowena who smiled back at the angry girl.
"Do come back and visit us soon," Godric said cordially, ignoring her sudden flash of temper.
"Oh, and one more thing," Rowena said, "Why do you still keep the Mediocrity Charm in place? It means nothing now. You know who you are; it is time the rest of the world found out too."
And with that the two of them turned and walked into Rowena's frame.
Lily scowled at their retreating backs then turned her gaze on James and sighed.
"I wouldn't be that disappointed if I were you," a voice said.
Lily turned to see who it was and saw Helga Hufflepuff smiling down at her. She wore her long blond hair in two thick plats and her round, dimpled face was looking down friendlily at her. She sat herself down in a large chair within her frame and looked at James.
"Disappointed?" Lily queried.
"Oh, unless that's you're pleased reaction?" Helga grinned.
"It's just that," Lily glanced up at James, "a foot is awful close. I mean, what if I want to go to the bathroom or something?"
Helga burst out laughing, "now that is an entertaining thought!"
"Not for me!" Lily retorted.
"Well, well," Helga said in a mollifying tone, "it probably won't last long."
"We'll see," Lily muttered and turned to go, at the exit she stopped suddenly, James ran into the back of her. She made an irritated noise and turned to face Helga, "I'm sorry if I was rude-"
Helga waved her hand dismissively, "no offence taken. I can understand it must be trying to have an attractive boy following you around." The corners of her mouth twitched as a flush rose on Lily's face.
Lily kept her comments to herself and walked back the way she had come with James, hoping she could remember the way without his help. Honestly, what had Helga Hufflepuff been thinking? She'd never thought of James in that way, sure he was attractive, but not the first person she thought of when she thought about the opposite sex in that way. If there was anyone she was interested in…she flushed and thought of a certain other friend.
As she came to a slow stop, having learnt from experience, Lily paused and looked at the two diverging corridors before her. One was sloping downwards slightly and the other narrowed as it went on. She couldn't remember having gone though any of those on the way here!
"Just great," she muttered, "I'm lost and my guide presently has the intellect of a flobberworm!"
She looked up at James who was still staring vacantly in front of him. "Don't tread on my heels," she told him, poking his chest in the hope that maybe he'd get the point. Then she chose one of the tunnels at random and walked on. The tunnel sloped gently downwards as it went although it was still broad enough for two people to pass abreast. The ceiling lowered and she heard James bang his head on a protruding brick. She span round expecting to hear him make some sort of noise, but he just stood there, a thin trickle of blood running down his forehead.
With concerned eyes she lit her wand and held it up to illuminate his face, with her other hand she fished in her pocket for a clean tissue. She had to stand on her tiptoes to look into his face and clean the cut. Gently, she dabbed away the blood and used a quick spell to clean to cut.
"What are we going to do with you?" she said quietly. Lily thought for a moment and then took his arm, moving him so he was next to her. Then she put a hand over his head to make him stoop slightly as they walked. Patiently she walked on down the corridor, hoping that it would get higher soon.
Five minutes later she paused and leaned against the wall. She was no closer to knowing where they were or which way would lead them back out. Her arm ached from forcing James' head down and she was hungry. Surely it would be time for dinner. Sighing she looked at James, who stood in front of her. He was unnervingly close. 'Wait-no, it's just he's invading my personal space, that's all.' She told herself.
She gave him a sharp shove and he took a step backwards. To her surprise she found she had to lean forwards as he leant back. She staggered a few steps into him, pushing him against the opposite wall. There was a grinding sound and the wall gave way.
They tumbled together down a long chute, Lily could barely tell what it was she was banging into most of the time it was so dark. Fortunately their fall was a lot more controlled than they could have been and she didn't think either of them had been badly hurt.
She yelped as she felt herself suddenly falling through empty air and threw out her arms. Immediately she halted, floating in mid-air. A dark shape that was James hung beside her. She wasn't sure whether this was her doing or just another effect of Rowena's spell. Squinting into the darkness she tried to see around her, she could just about make out grey shapes below her and the solid blackness of high walls. Summoning a ball of light that hung above her she looked to see what she had illuminated.
They were floating some fifteen feet above the ground. Below them ran a long and dusty corridor, there were no windows and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Looking up, a gaping black mouth showed where they had emerged.
'Marginally better', Lily thought to herself as she slowly lowered herself and James to the ground. Once her feet felt solid ground under them she called the ball of light to her. It hovered just above her outstretched palm. With a sigh, she glanced behind to see the vacant expression still in place on James' face and started to walk along the corridor, knowing he was one step behind.
It was another twenty minutes of silent walking before they came out into a passageway she recognised. They were somewhere on the third floor, and if her memory served her correctly, they weren't that far from the Gryffindor common room.
'That's all I need,' she thought to herself dryly, 'for Sirius to find James trailing me like a puppy.'
She stood for a moment, trying to decide what to do next, her stomach rumbled and she made a face. It definitely was past dinner time.
"Where do you think he is?"
The sound of another voice made her jump, she groaned, it would have to be Remus wouldn't it, and she would bet all her galleons that Sirius wasn't far behind.
"Maybe him and Lily-"
"Sirius!"
"What? Don't look like that, it could happen."
Lily looked around her, if they found her things could really get awkward. She took a few hurried steps forwards and tripped on an uneven stone in the flagging. James fell into her and both of them fell to the ground.
"Get off me," Lily grumbled, pushing him off her and scrambling into a sitting position.
"What's going on here then?" Sirius and Remus had rounded the corner and were looking down at the two of them. Remus looked as though he were trying to decide whether or not he found this amusing, while Sirius was grinning openly.
"Nothing," Lily retorted, getting up and brushing dust from her robes. A strand of hair fell over her eyes and she pushed it back impatiently. Immediately James got to his feet and stood right behind her.
"Where on earth have you been to get so dirty?"
"And why is Jimmy-boy acting like your bodyguard?"
Behind her James blinked repeatedly and stared around him, "W-w-haa.."
Lily span round, "thank goodness!" she exclaimed and took a step away from him. She was relieved to note that he made no move to follow her.
James ran a hand through his hair and frowned in confusion, "What's going on?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Sirius grinned.
This was one thing she didn't want to have to explain, "Look, I'll catch you guys later ok? I'm hungry." And without waiting for a reply she ran off down the corridor.
"Hungry? What have you two been doing to make her so hungry, hey Prongs?" Sirius laughed.
"Is that all you ever think about?" Remus asked, shaking his head.
"Pretty much," Sirius agreed unashamedly.
"How did I get here?" James asked, "and when did I get covered in dust?"
"Don't ask me mate, we only just found you."
"Yeah, we haven't seen you all afternoon," Remus said.
"But- but-" spluttered James.
"Don't you remember what you've been doing for the past five hours?" Remus asked.
"Erm…" James looked thoughtful, "I remember walking along the passageways with Lily, and finding the room with the portraits…ermm…and then…well…actually, that's all I remember."
"This had better not be an elaborate ploy to get out of telling us what happened with you and Lily," Sirius warned, a twinkle in his eye.
"Nothing happened," James insisted, "well, at least I don't remember anything happening."
Sirius laughed.
***
Lily walked smartly along the corridors, towards the kitchens. She was starving and she had a lot to think about. A quick check in her pocket reassured her the tablet was still in one piece. With all this new information, she couldn't wait to get back and get started on translating the parchment. But her stomach told her in no uncertain terms that food came first.
It didn't take her long to satisfy her hunger and she was soon walking into the Ravenclaw common room. Saffron was sat with the rest of the Quidditch team in front of the fire. She paused in the doorway and watched them for a moment. Dan, their captain was sitting next to Kirena, their Seeker, cheeks pink. The beaters, Matt and Ben, were laughing at him from where they sat on the other side of the fireplace. The chasers, Saffron, Mike and Rosie were squashed up together on the sofa next to the two beaters. The two girls were either side of the blond chaser and casually leaning against him, his arms were spread out behind him along the top of the sofa.
Lily smiled at the picture they all made and Rowena's words came back to her, 'you know who you are now; it is time the rest of the world found out too.' Perhaps she was right, a lot of things had changed for Lily over the past months and she found that she couldn't even remember why she had felt the need to place that Charm on herself in the first place. 'And,' she thought to herself, 'the day that happens is the day when I know that I no longer need it.'
Her lips moved silently as she removed her charm. The others glanced up and called her over to come sit with them.
"There's always room for another with us," Matt said with an innocent look.
"Yeah, especially one as pretty as Lily," Saffron retorted, "Don't trust Matt," she advised her friend.
"Hey!" he protested.
"Ben's alright though, you'll be safe with him. Not that you really need protecting," Saffron said with a grin.
As Lily walked over to join them she thought that she wouldn't need the Mediocrity Charm again.
****************
A/N: So sorry for the long wait for the update, I've had no internet since I moved up to uni. Blame my sister for the fact that this chapter wasn't posted on my behalf before I came home on a visit(actually I have my driving test on Monday! Eeek! Pray for me people!) Actually, don't blame my sister, I never would have started writing if she hadn't encouraged me to start on a lotr fic 2 years ago.
Ermm...oh yeah, thanks for sharing your thoughts ppl, it was really interesting. Ok, question this week...umm... who was surprised that Lily doesn't fancy James?
Oh yeah, and before I have to start ducking missiles and dealing with hate mail, it isn't very likely that she would only ever fancy one person in her entire life! I'm just making this more realistic, besides, if she's had experience with other relationships then when she gets together with Jimmy boy then she can appreciate more just how special what they have is. If you still aren't convinced I can give a more comprehensive list of my reasoning behind this next chapter ^__^ Let me know if you need persuading ;)