After lunch, Lily decided, rather guiltily, to skip Charms. Professor Flitwick was teaching revealer charms and Lily had learned those by heart three years ago. Charms was always her best subject.
She found herself unable to concentrate, anyway.
So, Lily hurried toward the Gryffindor Common Rooms, thinking about Andie's absurd idea, when she smacked right into a tall, greasy haired someone.
Snivellus.
"Serverus," she said out loud, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you." She stooped down to collect her scattered belongings. Snape watched her coldly through his beady eyes.
"Well, watch out next time. I have enough grime on my clothes without yours too, you disgusting mudblood."
A vein on Lily's forehead popped. Her mind exploded with insults she wanted to hurl back at him, but she felt oddly frozen, numb.
She regarded filthy, swallow-skinned Snape with bulging black eyes and oily black hair parting in a curtain down the centre of his face. She loathed every bit of him. And to think she had stood up for him this morning.
"Don't you dare call me that, Snape," she managed, her voice dangerously low.
Snape wasn't fazed. "Oh really, Miss Prefect?" taunted Snape.
"Scrougify!" a familiar voice from an adjoining corridor announced. A brush and a bucketful of 'Maid Merriam's all-purpose Cleaning Solution' (for everything from sinks to scum) appeared and began scrubbing, rinsing Snape's mouth.
"I reckon you are scum, Snape, but even Maid Merriam wouldn't be able to get the filth off your tongue purified," a familiar, sarcastic drawl reached Lily's ears.
It was James. Lily nearly gasped out of shock.
He was standing by the pillar, looking awfully proud of himself, waiting expectantly for Lily's praise.
Lily pulled herself together, ignoring the writhing, mumbling Snape.
"Thank you, but next time I can look out for myself." Lily coolly walked off. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw James's beaming face transform into a gloomy thundercloud.
She felt oddly satisfied; in a mean sort of way.
A half-hour later, Lily found herself wandering aimlessly outside. She regretted skipping Charms, yet she needed some time to unmuddle. She spotted Amelia Moon crouched by an alcove of trees, examining the ground.
"Amelia!" Lily waved. Amelia, a bespectacled seventh year with intelligent grey eyes and to braids of golden brown hair, waved back.
"Hi, Lily!"
Lily approached Amelia a little nervously.
Amelia a little strange, always experimenting with magic. Even though her experiments had circumstances, Amelia never gave up. For instance there was day she had fried her hair, had a face full of horrible acne. The most memorable one was when Amelia accidentally turned her hands blue and had to wear gloves for a whole two weeks until she discovered the antidote.
"What are you doing?" Lily inquired interestedly, crouching beside Amelia.
Amelia tucked a stray wisp of blond behind her ear. "Oh, nothing much-" she answered evasively, her voice sounding distinctly guilty and her cheeks colouring a rose pink.
"Amelia," Lily began, grinning, trying to get a peek at the clipboard she held.
Amelia sighed. "Lily Evans, you're just like the rest of them."
Lily felt slightly stung. "What do you mean?"
"Prying…" Amelia fixed her protuberant grey eyes on Lily. "But I tell you, anyway because I can trust you…."
"I'm collecting Fernandys and moonflower," Amelia said as if expecting lily to understand.
When Lily didn't comprehend, in a dull voice Amelia recited, "Fernandys and moonflower are commonly used in love potions or spells of attraction-"
Lily took a minute to digest this information.
"Oh…but…you!" Lily exclaimed, slightly stunned. She didn't think Amelia Moon would be attracted to anyone except her work. But then, Lily, supposed-everyone did have a set of hormones to exactly that, after all.
Amelia 's face flushed again. "Swear against birthseed you will never tell anyone, Lily Evans! Against the birthseed."
"I swear against bird seeds," Lily vowed solemnly, trying to keep a straight face as Amelia swatted her with her clipboard, half-angry, half-playful.
"So, who is it your trying to attract?" Lily asked casually.
"None of your business, Lily," Amelia said, unusually irritable , "but you can do me a favour."
Seeing Lily's expression, she added, "please?"
"All you would have to do is deposit this-" Amelia placed a envelope in Lily's palm, "at the Astronomy Tower at midnight tonight-"
Lily sat dumbstruck, till Amelia pleaded once again.
"The potion says to get a friend to drop a keepsake in a place where lovers reside in the moonlit hour. I really like him, Lily and you're the only friend I can trust…"
Amelia glanced at her hopefully.
"Oh alright," Lily grumbled a consent. Amelia smiled a rare smile.