Lily Evans was now apparently the girlfriend of Amos Diggory. They had also supposedly spent all night snogging up in the Astronomy Tower.
It had spread through Hogwarts like a wild fire and Cynthia Goodwin had lighted the first match.
Lily trudged down to breakfast as usual, prepared to possibly pretend as if last night had never happened. Yet she had forgotten that Cynthia Goodwin wagged her tongue faster than a Krup forked tail, an animal which they had learnt about in fifth-year.
Lily did notice people giving her strange looks and that wasn't that very foreign to Lily, early in the morning. She knew she looked like proper mess.
She did see Amos though, admist worshipping Hufflepuffs, telling some joke or the other. Amos was a tall bloke with curly brown hair and a pair of bright blue eyes. Lily's heart gave an unexpected skip. Maybe she should stride over there and confidently ask him out-then everything would be alright…her problem solved. Gen always said she could get any guy she wanted. Amos wasn't a bad choice, after all.
Lily observed her surroundings as she sipped on pumpkin juice. Andie was winking at Sirius at some inner joke that they seemed to share. Gen was speaking earnestly to James's other friend, Remus Lupin. And James himself…was staring at Lily…
Their eyes locked in an instant. Then James did something he had never done before.
He looked away.
Lily, unexpectedly, felt the strong urge to twist his head and force him to look at her once again. This urge was so absurd. She almost laughed. She should be glad, that James Potter had finally decided to leave her alone.
Lily suddenly felt a poke on her shoulder. It was Amelia Moon, potion-maker and mad-magician. In full attire, Lily noticed. Amelia had donned a stuffed vulture hat and long Viking boots; an odd combination in her dull Hogwarts robes. Lily also observed, her favourite pair of carrot earrings dangled from her earlobes. Lily could help but smile at her peculiar friend.
Amelia looked rather sheepishly at Lily.
"Lily," she began, "I can't tell you how sorry, yet blissfully happy I am. You're a true blue bud-" Amelia began. Her language got extremely flowery when she was excited or…guilty.
"Save it," Lily advised her and went back to eyeing Amos.
Amelia followed her gaze. "Yes, even I heard about that …" said Amelia.
"What?" enquired Lily cluelessly.
For once it was Amelia giving Lily the strange glance.
"That you and Amos Diggory were secretly dating and then broke up over James Potter…?"
"Oh, Andie…" Lily moaned, banging her head against the bathroom wall.
Andie hopped off the rim of the large basin and approached Lily, putting an arm around her.
"Lil-technically it wasn't Cynthia Bad Egg that started it." Andie glanced Lily meaningfully.
Lily groaned. "I know…it was me. No, it was James. He makes do stupid things…" Lily let out a frustrated sigh as Andie watched her bemusedly.
"Look at you…blaming James Potter, when he was innocent for once!"
"What?" Lily asked, in bewilderment. "I'm sure he aided Cynthia with the gossiping-"
Andie shook her head. "No, he didn't. He actually defended you Lily. He said, quote, 'Lily's standards are too high for scum like Diggory' And you were never dating either of them in first place, though Diggory has more of a chance than he ever does."
"Oh…" breathed Lily quietly. 'And then what did the others say?"
"They laughed at him. Said he was jealous, of course. After all, he's been after you for years."
"And what about Amos?"
"Diggory?" Andie wrinkled her nose. "He's a pompous jerk."
"What did he say, though?" Lily asked urgently.
Andie sighed. "Alright, he said you were 'disillusioned and were simply having your nightly fantasy about him'"
Lily gasped in anger.
"And to think I liked him for a second!" she cried furiously. Then she stared at Andie, rather helplessly.
"What to do now, Andromeda?"
"Simple, Lil. Break up with your imaginary relationship with Diggory. Break it brutally. Summon your inner actress and make sure James Potter and Cynthia Goodwin are watching."
Lily strode into the great hall once again. She glanced at the large straight ahead and noticed that the hands were at five to nine.
Five minutes to give her performance. Lily gulped hard. She had never done this sort of thing before. This was Andie area of expertise, but this was got to be done. By her, that too.
She strolled with an air of superior confidence, towards Amos and his friends.
"Hi, Amos," she said coolly.
Amos looked up, his blue eyes blinking repeatedly. He regarded her with amusement and uncertainty.
"Hi, Headgirl."
The entire Hufflepuff table chuckled as if Amos had uttered a wonderful, little joke.
Lily took a seat and stared Amos earnestly in the eye.
"This is not working, Amos," she said softly, but loud enough, so Cynthia Goodwin, who was seated beside Amos could listen.
"For both of us. There is not magic between us, Amos. It is lost."
Amos began laughing. "Lily, what are you-"
Lily stood up, towering over him, her expression had swiftly changed to one of mottled purple fury.
"LISTEN! Don't make this, difficult! I saw you kissing her!" Lily gestured at Cynthia, wearing an expression of distaste.
Cynthia's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "What the-"
James, who had been prying on the scene, ambled forward. If he was surprised, he did not show it.
"Cynthia!" he exclaimed instead.
"Last night was wonderful, Amos…but I've realised now…you're nothing but a big-headed jerk!"
The Hufflepuffs gasped in unison. Lily had thrown a dagger at their hero.
"Cynthia…I'm afraid…you're not my type, after all," James said loudly. Cynthia tried to protest, but her cries were in vain. She looked guiltier than boy caught stealing apples. And Amos looked dumbstruck; he tried to speak, defend himself, deny Lily's false accusations, but words failed him.
'I think that's settled, then," Andie called loudly, commanding the attention of the curious onlookers, "Lily Evans and Amos Diggory have broken up over Cynthia Goodwin, not James Potter."
And so the story changed….