Chapter Eight

Time Ticks On

The euphoria of winning the Quidditch match lasted exactly a week and three days. Andie enjoyed immensely, for it seemed, she had replaced James's Potter position as star player on the team. She would tell anyone the tale of her nearly fateful feint and that she could very well be poor laid-up Anthony Fobbs, with a severely bloodied nose and several broken bones. Lily watched amusedly, as Andie waltzed over to Sirius, snitch in hand, armed with another heroic version of her story to thoroughly irritate her beloved cousin.

Although Sirius had seen the whole thing, he let Andie do the talking with a bemused expression on his face. He knew well enough not to interrupt his enthusiastic cousin.

"Andie and Sirius would make the perfect pair, don't you think?" said Lily to Gen one Tuesday evening, as they sat cross-legged on the hearth rug in their dorm-room.

Gen was gathering her brown hair into a messy pony-tail.

"They're cousins, Lily" she gaped, collapsing onto her bed.

Lily laughed. "So, in two weeks there is that Hogosmeade trip, huh?" she inquired, glancing into the mirror, brushing her glossy auburn hair as she spoke.

"Hmm…I'm going with Remus. Did I tell you that?" Gen said suddenly, her face colouring an interesting pink shade.

Lily nearly dropped her brush in shock. "Well, well, that's… good." she finally managed, "This place is really getting infested with cute couples, don't you think?"

A second later she regretted saying it. It was so tactless; she should be happy for Gen , not sour and moody.

"Really, Lily," Gen pouted, "you should be more open to love,"

"I'm open to love!" Lily protested, placing her brush on the dresser and turning to face Gen. "I just don't think snogging with your boyfriend is good display of it."

Gen sighed heavily. "Lily, for your information, Remus hasn't even kissed me! I had enough trouble getting him to ask me to Hogosmeade in the first place."

Lily pursed her lips.

"That's the problem! Why doesn't the girl ask the guy? It would have been a lot easier if you just been forthright about it."

Gen leaned against her pillows, hugging her knees. "You'll understand, Lily Evans, when you're in love."

"Hah! That'll be possible when pigs fly." Lily replied, in an unusually sour mood.

Gen simply groaned as Lily flicked the lights outs with a swish of her wand, signalling the end of the conversation.

Her thoughts, however, continued to haunt her in bed, for Lily didn't instantaneously fall asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. She really couldn't believe, Gen, her shy Gen was going on her first date. Lily felt guilty, she had always thought Gen would always be there, a friend to fall back on, but now she was going out with Remus.. Her thoughts drifted…to James.

He had generally avoided Lily, never in the common room with the rest of the Marauders. It wasn't a tense, angry kind of avoidance, however. He had probably just realised what Lily had done and was embarrassed for it. Lily, in turn hadn't approached him either. With a dry smile, she wondered if they were better to one and other with distance.

Lily's eyelids drooped and drifted into a sleep.

A week more of October passed without much ado, Lily concentrated on her studies and spent a lot of time with a slightly perkier Amelia. Time ticked on.

Then, as the last week of October pulled up ready to prepare for a dramatic finish, things began to happen.

A new student arrived, much to everyone's surprise. Genevieve Thierry, a transfer student from Beauxbatons had come to complete her seventh year at Hogwarts. No one knew why she had come to Hogwarts, or why the Headmaster had even permitted her to join.

Genevieve, instantly declared by the sorting hat a Ravenclaw, had flowing white-blond hair, wide-set blue-grey eyes and a smile that knocked the Hogwarts' male population down flat. Indeed, Genevieve was the envy of every girl in Hogwarts. She was perfect, in their opinion. Along with her good looks, she was also very smart and had a thick French accent that was to 'die for'.

Andie eyed the pretty blonde with contempt, as Sirius ran to pull out a chair for her. They were all having dinner in the great hall, on the third day after Genevieve's arrival.

"So obvious…she's a Veela," she muttered mutinously, stabbing at her steak, rather viciously.

Gen glanced at Genevieve as the girl threw her head back, her musical laughter filling the great hall.

"She's flawless…" she declared in a revered tone.

Lily snorted; she did not like Genevieve much more than the others.

"No one is flawless, Gen, that would be impossible. I sure Veela girl has some flaw or the other."

Lily gazed at the willowy French girl through narrowed eyes.

"What are you so angry about? You don't have a boyfriend!" Andie proclaimed, rather tactlessly.

"Neither do you!" Lily shot back fiercley. "Unless you posess less than cousinly feeling towards , Sirius!"

Andie hissed in response. "How dare you accuse me of liking-"

She cut off herself, as she glared at Sirius. "Look at him! I'm ashamed to call him my cousin," she muttered, as Sirius poured more pumpkin juice into his already overflowing goblet.

"And look at him…" Gen cried in despair. Remus sat in his seat, his food untouched, his mouth open, staring at Genevieve as if she were a goddess.

"That is what I call inhuman! Professor Flitwick is always praising her as if she's some angel. All the teachers do!" said Lily.

This was true, Genevieve was incredibly intelligent, always beating Lily in tests, assignments, or simply responding to a question.

It made Lily furious. Studies, especially Charms was her thing and Genevieve had strode into Hogwarts and grabbed it out her hands effortlessly. It didn't help that all the guys were gaga over her. Including James, Lily observed. He was acting worse than an overeager puppy. For some reason, Lily felt giving him a good knock on the head. She took a quick sip of water, ignoring the mouth-watering dishes before her to watch James as he talked with her.

Genevieve threw back her magnificent blonde hair backward a couple of times as she laughed a tinkly laugh. Sometimes she would speak, her voice rich and heavy. It was the sort of voice that lulled Lily to sleep, but it was also the kind of voice you fought to remain awake, so you could listen more.

"You are too, funnee, Monsieur Pottair. I am laughing always weeth you!" announced Genevieve as James finished off another joke.

Genevieve caught Lily's gaze, and swiftly rose from her chair. "Leely!" she called as Lily cringed.

"You must come ovair here. We can practice our szpinning charms togethair! And James iz most hilariousz-"

Lily had grimaced inwardly earlier that day, when Professor Flitwick had placed Genevieve and Lily together for a project. He described it as a strong partnership.

Lily described as a match made in hell.

Reluctantly, she dragged her feet three paces to the left. She was greeted with James Potter's cool brown eyes and Genevieve's obliviousness.

"Well, Leely, this iz James. I'm szure you'll get on admeerably," Genevieve declared.

Lily held back her laughter.

Genevieve gazed at the two of them expectantly. "Well, what air you waiting for? Wair are your mannairs? Shake zhee hands!"

Biting her lip, Lily extended one pale hand towards James.

James, unsure, yet a tiny smile tugging at his mouth, took it.

"Pleased to meet you." The shake was warm and firm and Lily felt at loss as he quickly let go.

"Ah! Zhats bettair!" Genevieve exclaimed heartily, pushing Lily onto the bench alongside the long table.

"Now, Leely, lets get started. James, shoo, shoo!" Genevieve gestured at James, grinning. Lily hid another smile; the girl was quite amusing when she wasn't annoying.

James moved away, his hand running through his mass of black waves. This was the time to approach him, Lily realised and de-awkward their situation.

"Um…Genevieve, maybe we can do this later. I have to talk-I have to do something…." Lily said hurriedly, zipping her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"James!" she called, waving frantically. James turned, her hazel eyes found her and widened in surprise.

"What, Leely? After two weeks of solid silence, come to make more sarcastic remarks?"

Lily decided to let it go and laughed, falling into step with him.

"I just figured you wanted to avoid me…since the match." She looked at him. He seemed completely blank.

"Why… did I perform that badly, you didn't want anything to do with me?" he inquired curiously.

Lily chuckled, hardly believing James could be so thick. "No, remember that talk we had at time out…"

Seeing James's expression, she stopped. Of course, she was so stupid-he didn't want to remember it.

"Never mind."

The walked in silence, passing a gaggle of sixth year girls.

"D'you want to go to Hogosmeade with me this weekend?" Lily asked, on sudden impulse. When she was greeted with silence, she forged on, "well, because I don't have anyone to go with…. I mean Andie is going with Sirius and Gen with Remus and if you and I go…we can go all together. Like a six-some."

Lily tripped over her words; everything was coming out all jumbled and garbled. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

James stared at her, her arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. "So, like a date?"

"No…." Lily managed, after she had recovered from initial shock, "just like a group thing…" She giggled- a rare occasion.

And the most irritating thin-James simply stared. He stared at her for the longest time and she felt embarrassed and looked down at her tattered shoes. She thought of random things, like, maybe she could fix her shoes and ideas of her Charms project.

Then finally, in what seemed eternity, but in reality was a matter of minutes, James answered.

"Sorry, I'm going with Genevieve."

James shot her an apologetic look before striding away.

He left an open-mouthed Lily. If she was more shocked, her jaw would touch the ground.

She had just been rejected!

Rejected by James Potter. James Potter, whom everyone claimed was pining away for her, waiting to ask her out. Who had already asked her out a million times and she had declined every single time.

And the funny thing was, she wasn't even planning to ask him out in the first place.