Flower Tears and Marauder Fears

Chapter 9: Wilted Flowers

Amber frowned slightly as Lily forcefully dragged her down the hallway away from the marauders.

"Lily? What's up? Why the dramatic …" Amber inquired but stopped when Lily slowed and Amber caught a glimpse of frustration and self disgust mixed on Lily's face.

"James and I had a fight… again" Lily said but held up a hand to stop Amber from saying anything. Lily began to open her mouth then walked quickly walked down the hallway. Amber ran to keep up.

"It was really a normal fight until he helped me when I cut myself on that stupid rose." Lily said as she and Amber found them in front of an oaken door where they were having runes at 8:00, it was now 7:57. "He was being … well sweet …" Lily announced quietly her surprise showing on her face "Then he kissed me"

Amber stood stunned, carefully searching Lily's face "Are you … angry? Happy?" she asked cautiously.

Lily sighed "I don't know how I feel" She admitted her face full of confusion and self disgust. "I thought maybe he might not be –"

"An arrogant prat?" Amber supplied the corners of her mouth quirking slightly.

"I thought he might actually … have a heart" Lily said seriously "That he might not be as cold as he pretends to be, I could have sworn that I caught a glimpse of something more. But…" Lily paused as their Ancient Runes teacher opened the door to the classroom and the students who had gathered in the last three minutes before class. The throng of students caused Lily and Amber to walk in also.

"There's no use wondering about something that doesn't exist"

Amber grinned and rolled her eyes as she and Lily sat down at two desks in the middle of the classroom. She frowned slightly as she thought of Lily and James stubbornness. If it were up to them they would simply wait till the other made some sort of action.

"Perfect" Amber thought gloomily "I just hope this isn't a glimpse into the whole year"

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Lily stared at the teacher, trying extremely hard to stay concentrated on the lesson he was attempting to teach; but her mind kept drifting back to what she and James had said after the … incident in their dormitory.

Shaking her head slightly Lily looked back down at her parchment and began to furiously write notes. Half way through she felt a tingling sensation start in her hand, then her face, and her arms…

"That's weird…" Lily thought and looked down to see if anything unusual was happening to her hand.

Suddenly a bright puff of smoke surrounded Lily. Amber stopped writing and the teacher trailed off as the smoke cleared. Instead of the beautiful auburn hair and pale skin Lily usually had, everything from her hair to her eyes were now a startling shade of… PINK.

"What?" Lily asked astounded

"What's going on here?" the teacher asked loudly attempting to be heard above the laughing now ensuing the room. Lily didn't get a chance to answer. Directly after the professor finished asking his question. Flowing script appeared high above Lily's head.

"Like the color?" It proclaimed in red and gold multi color.

Lily read the words and came to a conclusion, a conclusion that brought tears to her eyes. "Why James? Why?" Lily thought as the hurt passed angry replaced it and gave her courage.

Standing up Lily addressed the teacher "I believe I've been pranked" Lily said surprised at how calm her voice sounded while inside she was boiling mad. The teacher quirked an eyebrow but nodded.

"Go to the hospital wing, It's almost time for…"

The clock tower rand out the next hour, and students hurried to gather their stuff and rushed out of the classroom. "Your free period" he finished

Lily nodded and after waiting for Amber to gather her things Lily walked steadily down the hallway… in the opposite direction of the hospital wing.

"Lily where are you –"

"I'm going to find myself a dead marauder"

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James hurried out of his divination class when the tower clock rang 9:00 and made his down the spiraling staircases to the main hallway connecting all the hallways on the first floors. He had just made it down and into the students hurrying down the hall way when he saw a bright spot of very bright color heading straight for him.

"Lily!" He asked as the person drew closer "What happened?"

Lily stopped right in front of James her face showing blind fury. Her now pink eyes blazing a deep reddish color.

SMACK! SMACK! "You… aragonite... pig headed… conceited…" Lily said accented each word with a slap to James face, until James caught her hand in his own; making her even madder.

"Wow Lily, calm down. I didn't do this, I wouldn't do this" James pleaded blocking another slap as Lily tried to hit him with the other hand. Now holding Lily by both hands, he saw that she had only become angrier not to mention the unwanted attention they had attracted. In a semi circle around them Hogwarts students gawked at the pair quarrelling in the hallway.

"Potter" Lily spat a bit calmer "Let go of my hands. I have every right-"

"Lily, IDID NOT DO THIS TO YOU" James said slowly and clearly as if he were speaking to a child. Seeing the slight spark in her eyes he went on "I know you hate pink why would I-"

"BECAUSE" Lily screamed now showing a slight trace of another emotion other than anger on her pink face "I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU WEREN'T SUCH A PRAT AS I HAD THOUGHT YOU WERE. MAYBE YOU DIDN'T JUST WANT ATTENTION, THAT YOU WEREN'T TRYING TO HURT ME." Lily looked away from James to hide the pure hurt on her face but he caught it anyway and he showed the first emotion he had ever shown in public.

"You proved that you're everything I thought you were." Lily said calmly her normally warm face which showed all her emotions – stone cold. Shaking free of James grasp Lily shot him one last angry not to mention hurt look before walking quickly through the crowd that had gathered.

James looked around for the first time at the crowd seeing Remus' worried face, Amber's angry one (not to far away), and a sea of other faces he didn't care to register.

"Alright shows over" James yelled to the crowd taking advantage if his position as head boy. "Go to your common rooms" when no one moved but merely stood where they were James –

"COMMON ROOMS NOW OR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU GETS DETENTIONS!" He bellowed and was stunned when they listened.

"Well" he thought wryly "Lily isn't as tough as she is by merely giving commands"

When he thought of Lily James' face fell and he buried it in his hands. He was so preoccupied he didn't realize that the hallway he'd assumed had emptied of everyone was still occupied by two people.

Remus stood staring at James when he realized that Amber was still beside him. Turning to her he saw that her amber eyes were now a fiery orange. Startled by the change and the anger on her face he gently touched her shoulder. Trying to ignore the spark he felt by doing so he waited until she had turned to look at him.

"Amber, please don't do anything –" he started worried by the blind fury he saw in her eyes and face.

"Don't do anything what Remus? Rash?" She asked furiously "James turned Lily PINK. Not to mention the fact that she's probably having a complete break down right now. Hurt Lilies wilt. She's closed herself off. I'm going to TALK to James" Pushing past him she walked over to James. Remus followed close behind her.

"James" Amber demanded "James Potter"

James looked up into a pair of brown eyes, his head hanging slightly. "Yes, Amber?" he asked somberly "If your goimg to yell at me-"

SMACK! "Amber!" Remus exclaimed grabbing hold of her hands in his before he made another attempt to slap James.

"No I'm not going to yell at you" Amber said furiously "I'm demanding that you explain what's going on before I really get mad."

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(Hope you like it. I wasn't as happy as I could have been with this chapter)

Madusa's Daughter