But James didn't do anything at breakfast the next morning. On the contrary, he was still sitting with his three friends, laughing and carrying on as usual. He had hardly looked at her yet. Lily was both relieved and nervous, because what if this meant that he hated her? It was a stupid thing to do! thought Lily angrily, mashing into her eggs. Who kisses anyone on the cheek? I mean honestly, he thinks you're a psychotic prude…
"Morning Lily!" said Emmeline brightly, plopping down in front of her. Emmeline's hair is perfect as usual, Lily thought. Lately she had been noticing the other girls in her year, and how so many of them seemed fantastically beautiful compared to her. And her skin is never blotchy. She always looks so confident and cool—
"Hey Lily," Dorcas said, sitting on Emmeline's left. Marlene took her seat next to Lily. And Marlene has such perfect curls, it's not fair really. And Dorcas can eat whatever she wants and not gain—
"So," began Emmeline wickedly, slicing an apple. "We wanted to wait up for you, Evans, but you were just so late…well, we needed our rest. So how was your snog?"
Lily nearly spat out her chocolate milk. How did she know? She couldn't have seen! And that's hardly a snog, she can't—Ah, she thought wisely, seeing Emmeline's red-lipped smirk. She's joking, just joking, hah, of course… Lily decided to calm down. No one could have seen, and besides, who would begrudge her a little peck on the cheek? The best thing to do would be to joke it off, because thinking about patrols with James still gave her the shivers.
"Excellent," replied Lily primly as she regained her composure. "We have loads in common." This time it was Emmeline's eyes that bugged out of her head.
"Really?" she asked excitedly. "You and James really…"
"James?" asked Lily in mock surprise. "Heavens no, Vance, I was talking about Caradoc." Dorcas and Marlene laughed; Dorcas snorted right into her porridge. Wiping her eyes, Dorcas said,
"She's got you there, Emmy." Emmeline raised her eye brow, attempting to look extremely aloof and huffy.
"Hah. Let Lily have her fun. I would just like to inform her that Caradoc is perfectly entertained with me," she replied smugly.
Lily glanced over at the tall Ravenclaw with wavy brown hair, who was laughing with his friends and sneaking glances at Emmeline.
"He plays Quidditch, right Emmeline?" asked Lily curiously. Emmeline grinned and winked.
"Oh yes. He's the Ravenclaw captain this year. Chaser, you know. I think we'll have a problem at matches now, what with you cheering for James and me—"
"Dreaming of snogging Caradoc?" suggested Dorcas. Emmeline scowled.
"Well yes," she answered, sending the three girls into titters, "but I was even thinking of trying out for our team this year. I do really like flying and all, and I'm sure I can get Mum to send me my broom—"
"Why?" asked Dorcas impatiently, "So you can moon over Dearborn during every game?" Dorcas, although not a Quidditch player herself, was very serious about the sport and her team, the Holyhead Harpies. Deprived of Harpy mania during the school terms, she was a fierce Gryffindor supporter and as bad as any boy with the excitement before important matches.
"And," continued Dorcas, ignoring Emmeline's nasty looks, "you'd never be any good at it, because your hair'd get messed up by a Bludger, although you would be a good Beater since you're so—"
"Thank you, Dorcas, best friend," snapped Emmeline loudly. "Just saying. Although with support like this from my mates, I might as well go over to the Slytherin table—" Marlene shuddered. Lily looked at her quizzically and asked,
"What's up, Marley? Someone from Slytherin bothering you?" Emmeline waved her hand dismissively.
"How can anyone be bothering her? It's the second bloody day of class—" Marlene was nodding, looking nervous. Emmeline stopped. Marlene, as the most gentle of the girls, was looked after like a little sister by the more aggressive three. Dorcas looked at Marlene seriously.
"Who?" Although her face was very even, Dorcas sounded the slightest bit menacing.
"Well," began Marlene awkwardly, "in Astronomy, yesterday, you know I don't have classes with you guys, and so I was sitting there with Miriam Strout and I looked over and there was this boy staring at me. He's a Slytherin, and I've never talked to him at all. Ever. He just stared and stared, and even when I looked straight at him, he didn't stop. I didn't like the way he was looking, he seemed like he was mean…and oh I don't know I didn't want to mention it to you lot, but it just seemed, sort of odd, you know? And—"
"What did he look like?" asked Lily patiently. "No one has the right to make you feel uncomfortable, Marlene."
"Well, he had real pale eyes, and longish dark hair—"
"Dear, you're describing Sirius Black!" interrupted Emmeline with a smirk. Dorcas glared at her. Down the table, Sirius looked up from his bacon.
"Someone call me?" he said loudly. Emmeline rolled her eyes and waved her hand in a shooing motion. Sirius winked and went back to his breakfast.
Lily froze. James was looking over too, and he didn't seem pleased. He met Lily's eyes and she smiled tentatively. After a moment, he broke into a wide grin and went back to talking, although Lily noticed (or hoped she noticed) that he seemed to be smiling a bit more than he had been. I wonder if he thought I was talking about Sirius—
"No, I'm not!" argued Marlene hotly, wrenching Lily back to the present. Marlene's cheeks were getting red. "He wasn't like Sirius at all! He was shorter for one thing, and he had real watery eyes, like…like I don't know. And he had this faint mustache, and it made him look real mean, like someone who tortures animals—"
"Tortures animals?" Emmeline exclaimed. "You've never even talked to the boy, and you already set him up as being some sort of killing nutter—"
"What Emmeline is trying to say," interrupted Dorcas, shooting Emmeline a warning glance, "is that we don't even know who this boy is. I can't tell from your description, but maybe we'll wander by your Astronomy class tomorrow and see if we can place him—"
"Oh no!' cried Marlene, blushing furiously, "You don't need to do that! Besides, Emmeline is probably right, it's probably just me—"
"Don't say that, because Emmeline didn't say it either!" interjected Lily. It wasn't right for Marlene to get so upset over this; she didn't deserve it and she hardly did anything to anyone. "We just want to be sure. I mean, we're not mad for it or anything, but we'd still like to see what's going on. Okay? Let's drop it."
"Especially if he's in stinking Slytherin," muttered Dorcas, giving the entire Slytherin table such a glare that if it had been turned on Lily, she would have headed for the hills.
"Let's drop it," repeated Emmeline loudly, nudging Dorcas with her elbow. Dorcas looked mutinously at Emmeline and speared her sausage with venom. There was a moment of quiet.
"So," said Emmeline in a light voice, "If I get on the Quidditch team, I'll get to share the locker room with James—" Lily tossed a pear at her. Emmeline ducked. They all laughed and chatted, putting the shadow of doubt and darkness at bay.
At least, until later that morning. Lily and Marlene were returning to castle from Care of Magical Creatures when they saw a group of third-year Ravenclaw girls walking towards them. Their leader seemed to be a shorter girl with short, curly hair as red as Lily's, and a generous amount of freckles. She was discussing something with another girl, in a very happy voice.
"—and I've heard all about Hogsmeade, the only non-Muggle settlement in—"
Professor McGonagall came rushing over and tapped the girl on the shoulder. She looked very worn, and sad, and she had a very tight look on her face. Lily and Marlene saw McGonagall pull the girl aside and whisper something in her ear. The girl's smile froze right off and her eyes widened.
"No!" she cried, her voice rising to a scream. "No! Not Mum! They can't—he can't! No! NO!" Professor McGonagall tried to calm her.
"Now, now. Let's be right off, Joey, they're still in St. Mungo's, you'll be fine, come now, up you go—" Half-wrestling, half-cajoling, McGonagall led the hysterical girl into the castle while her friends remained dumbfounded. One of the girls burst into tears.
Lily and Marlene were stopped cold; Lily with her hand over her mouth. Marlene whispered,
"Her family…it must have been You-Know-Who…"
"Voldemort," said Lily, in a horrified sort of undertone. Marlene flinched and looked at Lily with wet eyes.
"Lily! How could you—"
"Because I have to," said Lily quietly, as she began walking again. She was slow, and thoughtful, and she felt so sorry for that girl that she could barely move her feet. Somehow, James' face at the prefects' meeting stuck in her mind.
"I have to believe he can be stopped, Marlene, and I have to believe he's just as fragile as me. I have to," she finished, her voice breaking. With heavy hearts, they trudged toward the entrance together, arm and arm, as a shrill breeze whistled across the Hogwarts grounds.
Bit of an intense chapter, but I figured I can't just ignore ol' Voldemort... eh, more Lily and James next one I think.
Thanks to all you kind reviewers who encourage me!