After what felt like only a few hours of restless sleep, Lily rolled over to check the time. Quarter past five.
Accepting that getting any more sleep would be futile, she threw the covers off and rolled off the bed, quietly making her way to the loo to shower and dress for the day.
Showering quickly, it was easy to see the bruising around her nose and mouth, even through the fogged up mirror. The skin there was still tender and she wondered if it'd be unkind to wake Remus to ask for more of that salve he had used before. Surely that would help heal the bruising faster?
She had also been curious about him visiting the infirmary so late; not that it wasn't uncommon for him. He seemed to have the same constitution as his mother, getting sick often enough for the rest of his classmates to notice. Not that it mattered, Lily knew, having dealt with her father's own illness. But still concerning.
When she stepped into the common room, it was eerily quiet, empty. It wasn't often that she'd been in the living space by herself; the only other times after the Game – and even then, those had been with her friends.
She jumped when the portrait's entrance banged open; in stumbled three boys.
James, Peter, and Sirius seemed to notice her the same time she noticed them.
"Morning, Evs," Sirius said, rolling his shoulders as he worked out a kink in his shoulder. "Have a nice sleep?"
"Have had worse," she murmured.
Peter looked nearly ready to pass out on his feet – and James looked nearly just as tired.
"Coming from…?
"The kitchens," Sirius answered. "Did you know you've got some dirt on your face? Is it Ink?"
"They're bruises," James said, pushing up his glasses and rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. He nearly dropped the bundle of fabric in his arms.
"Oh, right," Sirius note with a delirious snort. He waved his hand over his face in a general movement. "The blood last night. What'd you do, get in a fight?"
She huffed out a laugh. "Not exactly. I was hoping to use some of that healing salve Remus had. Have you seen him?"
It was nearly comical, the way the three of them met eyes, suddenly shifty.
James's hand went to his hair. "We just saw him – he's still in the infirmary. Still recovering from the flu or something."
"I thought you just came from the kitchens?"
"Yeah, after the infirmary," Sirius inserted. "Did you want to come up? I know where he keeps it."
"Oh, uh, sure. You don't mind?"
"Not at all," James said. "Lead the way."
"Don't mind if the room's a mess," Peter joked. "Haven't had time to clean."
"I think I'd be more shocked if your dorm was clean," she said wryly over her shoulder, ascending the stairs before them. "This one right?"
"That's it," Sirius said and she opened the door – Peter hadn't been joking. Clothes were strewn across the room, parchment paper littering the floor.
"What happened?" she asked bewildered, stepping into the dorm with a dubious look.
The boys entered behind her, stepping around her with no qualms. Peter trudged towards his bed and collapsed onto it, pulling the curtains half-shut.
"You only get an hour," James said to him, slumping into a seated position onto his own bed. He chucked off his shoes and fell back, laying across the mattress.
"Remus gets a bit… manic when he's not feeling good," Sirius divulged, heading towards the bed and trunk Lily knew to be Remus's. "Doesn't have the patience to clean up after himself."
"Well, I hope he's feeling better soon then…"
Sirius popped open the case and rifled around, finding the familiar phial and handing it out towards her. "He should be. Maybe another day or two, I think."
Lily thought it odd that she'd only just seen him last night – looking fine. A bit peaked, if anything, but she hummed in acknowledgement, accepting the potion and popping off the lid, tipping it onto her fingertips and then rubbing it onto her nose. She sighed in relief.
"Better?" Sirius smirked, already walking towards his bed, pulling out a large piece of parchment from his pocket and tossing it onto his nightstand.
Lily nodded with a grateful smile, though he couldn't see. She tipped the bottle and massaged some into the skin around her lip.
"How's that potion coming along? The one with the magic healing properties?"
She winced. "Still have a ways to go, actually. Been revising the ingredients and brewing instructions."
"Well, I think we're going to need it sooner than later," he said dryly, beginning to shuck off his jumper.
"Padfoot," James barked before Sirius could pull off the shirt completely.
Confused, and a bit annoyed – did he think she cared? He obviously was wearing an undershirt, a dirty one, stained by what looked like some sort of red juice, wine? – Lily glanced at James to find him giving Sirius a warning look, eyes narrowed.
"Oh, shite," Sirius said sheepishly, allowing the jumper to fall back into place and wincing. "Forgot. We, uh, promised to respect each other's privacy more."
Lily gave him a odd look. "Right."
"Right – I'll just – go to the loo, then. Catch up with you later, Evs."
Had she noticed him limping before? She wasn't sure. The door swung shut behind him loudly as he entered the bathroom and she swung her gaze back to James, who was watching her idly.
A loud snore echoed from Peter's bed as he slumbered on.
"Well, thanks then," she said, suddenly feeling awkward. She placed the phial back onto an empty spot atop Remus's nightstand among the scattered belongings. It nearly toppled over and she had to shoved chocolate around to make room.
"See ya," James murmured and she could feel his eyes on her as she left the room.
The sounds of the other dormitory's waking up could be heard from the 6th Year boy's dormitory landing and so Lily hurried down the steps, not wanting to be caught near the boys' dorms so early in the morning.
The Common Room was still empty, luckily, and having the tenderness in her face eased, she decided to take advantage of the early morning hours to escape to the library, where no doubt, it would be just as quiet.
Just as expected, her favorite spot was empty and she slid into the seat, dropping her bag of books onto the floor beside her. She rested her head into her hands, her eyes studying the tall stacks of books around her, scanning for something interesting to read.
Her gaze fell onto Quintessence: A Quest and she stood to retrieve it from the shelf, despite having read it at least twice. She flipped it open to a random chapter and settled in to read, allowing to turn her brain off.
"Oi," Marlene said softly, catching Lily's attention easily as she popped her head around the corner.
"Morning," she greeted with surprise, lowering the book in front of her and waving her closer.
The blonde ventured forward and slid into the seat beside Lily, setting a piece of parchment in front of her. "I got this letter from mum this morning; Marc had been sent to the attack in Sudbury when it all started, and he was hurt. But he's okay," Marlene said in hushed tones, relief evident.
"Your brother," Lily breathed in realization, having forgotten he was an Auror with the Ministry. She reached out and embraced her friend tightly. "I didn't even think," she said ashamedly, feeling guilt burn in her stomach.
Marlene sniffed, returning her friend's hug. "It's fine, Lily. Mum said he's okay; only a bit scratched up. They have him staying at St. Mungo's for observation."
"I'm so glad he's okay," she said sincerely, releasing her friend. "I bet he hates that."
Marlene chuckled. "Oh, he totally does. Mum says he's already tried to escape twice."
Lily laughed with her, having been told stories of how Marlene's brother was flighty; couldn't sit still.
"Oh, God, speaking of your mum – I saw her this weekend. In Muggle London."
"You did? What was she doing there?"
"Shopping. With Mrs. Potter."
"Huh! Odd coincidence. I'll have to owl her before I forget. I noticed you snuck out early," Marlene noted. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Felt restless," she shrugged, glancing down at the tabletop.
"I understand," Marlene replied, smiling softly. "How was the rest of the trip home?'
She winced, having wanted to avoid the topic but unwittingly brought it up. "It was fine," she answered unevenly, Vernon's angry face flashing in the back of her mind.
"Bridesmaid dress that ugly?" Marlene quipped.
She chuckled dejected, unable to deny it. "The whole past weekend has just been horrible."
Marlene frowned, leaning forward. "What happened at home?"
Her lip quivered against her will. "Vernon knows what I am."
Marlene relaxed the slightest. "Well, that's not so bad. Your sister's marrying him. It's a reasonable assumption she'd want to tell him."
Lily looked away. "He threatened to kill me."
Marlene gasped loudly. "He what?"
She immediately hushed her, frantically checking their surroundings for any annoyed students – or librarians.
Marlene was turning red. "That bastard," she snarled. "What the hell happened? Why would he threaten you?"
"It was a misunderstanding, to start –"
Marlene scoffed.
"I scared his parents. He thought I was attacking them or something. He ended up throwing me against the wall, trying to intimidate me. It worked. Petunia just stood by and…"
"She was there?"
"He ended up leaving that night – and the next morning, I tried to confront Pet, but she – she ended up slapping me, telling me I had no right to tell her what to do – since I'm a freak." Lily rubbed at her collarbone subconsciously, feeling the tender skin there.
"I'll fucking kill her," Marlene growled. "I'll kill him. I'll kill 'em both!"
"Mar, sh," she hissed, but truly didn't have the heart to chastise fully. "Please don't tell anyone," she said quietly. "It was a true shite weekend and I just want to forget him –"
"Lily!" Marlene scolded. "We can't just forget about this. He nearly beat you!"
"I love Petunia. She's my sister. And if she's going to marry him..."
"And she just sat there and did nothing!" Marlene exclaimed, pulling back and giving Lily an incredulous look. "Did you even say anything to your mum?"
"Marlene," she warned, giving her friend a hard look. "Drop it."
"I won't," Marlene replied angrily. "I'll write to Rose myself."
Lily rubbed at her eyes, feeling the corners begin to sting with tears of frustration. "Please – I promise I'll tell my mum. Just… let me do it on my own time."
"You have to."
The encounter with Vernon had made Lily quickly realize how reliant she was on her wand. She wasn't seventeen; technically she couldn't even be using it. But she shivered, remembering the cold anger in Vernon's eyes; the frightened look in her sister's. Her hands shook from where she grasped onto her bag's strap, feeling a heavy weight sink into the pit of her stomach.
She nodded tiredly. "I will… I just have to process everything first."
Marlene gave her a skeptical look, but didn't push further, which Lily was grateful for. "Your face is looking better, by the way."
"Oh." She reached up to prod at the area around her nose, pleased to feel it was nearly back to normal. "I hope Hagrid doesn't think I'm angry about it."
"He won't," Marlene reassured her.
Lily paused, recalling her and Hagrid's confrontation with Mulciber and Avery. "I need to go to Frank – or even McGonagall – Oh, those wankers."
Marlene reared back in confusion at her outburst. "What?"
"Mulciber and Avery – they were in the Entrance Hall when Hagrid was walking me back. They said some vile things –" Lily told her what had happened; how she'd taken points because of what they'd said and her trip to the infirmary.
"Those fucking pricks. Forget Dursley; I could curse them," her friend viciously spat. "Who the hell do they think they are? Sixty points was not bloody enough."
"I'm sure it wasn't either. I'll need to let Frank know. He'll want a written reason why."
"Did you say James ran into you later?"
"Yeah," Lily confirmed. "I swore I thought it was Mulciber or Avery coming back around…"
"Lucky it was him," Marlene agreed. "I'm not sure I like you walking around on your own – after these attacks, what they've been saying…"
"Marlene," she complained. "It'll be fine."
"Guess we'll just have to stick you with a buddy everywhere you go."
"Marlene."
The blonde leaned back casually into her seat, a smirk growing on her face. "Maybe we'll have it be a 24/7 surveillance job. Pair you up."
"Seriously."
"Exactly. Sirius one night. Or maybe James takes first rounds. He'd sure watch your back…"
"Oh, sod off –"
"Lily?" Severus's voice cut through the air sharply as he revealed himself from behind a nearby bookshelf.
"Snape?" she demanded, vaulting up from her seated position. The chair clattered loudly behind her, making her jump once more.
"'Sirius or James'?" Severus repeated, his expression livid. His hands were wound into tight fists at his sides, shaking. His tone was accusatory. "What are you doing with them, Lily?"
She scoffed, annoyed. "Oh, Christ, Snape! Are you always spying into other peoples' conversations?"
"I think you need to shove off," Marlene ordered immediately, standing from her seat as well.
Lily glared. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."
"I can't do that if you continue to go off traipsing with Black and Potter," he hissed contemptuously.
"So what if I am, Snape?" she demanded, her hands were beginning to shake. "I still feel safer with them than you recently."
"You think they're not dangerous? You don't think they have their own agenda? They're not as innocent as you think they are, Lily," he sneered, cheeks flushed. "You watch – you'll see –"
"Have you been spying on them, as well?" Lily snapped. "Just like you've been spying on me?"
He scoffed loudly in response, crossing his arms defensively.
Lily's stomach churned, hardly believing this vindictive, possessive person had been her friend – her confidant – for years.
"You need to leave, Snape," Marlene ordered, stepping beside her.
"Just ask Lupin. Ask Potter," he snarled, stepping closer.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Lily demanded.
"Just ask them. Ask them what they do after hours – running around the castle in secret –"
"Sod off," she spat, suddenly paranoid he was referring to their Game. Were the boys daft enough to get caught and not tell them? Would he tell on them? "I am so tired of repeating the same things to you, Snape. Please just leave me alone."
"I won't," he answered immediately.
"You will," Marlene cut in, raising her wand towards his face. "Leave, Snape."
He glanced down at her wand warily, eyes flicking back up to Marlene's face – and then Lily's. After a long moment, he finally did as ordered, reluctantly turning his back and walking away silently, glowering as he exited. The two girls remained standing until he was completely out of sight.
"Mother of Merlin, can he ever take a hint?" Marlene hissed.
"I think he was talking about the game," she murmured, waiting to make sure he didn't come back.
"Ignore him," Marlene said. "He wouldn't do anything to get you in trouble."
"We don't know that," she murmured uneasily. "He's been angry with me."
"He needs to get over it," Marlene said quietly. "You're not his friend anymore."
"Exactly," Lily said grimly, sinking back into her seat heavily. "It doesn't help that he's seen me with Sirius and James. Even Remus. He hates them."
"Maybe we should get to the Great Hall," Marlene said tensely. "Before you have any other unwanted run-ins with any Slytherins."
She followed her silently, cursing her poor luck.
Severus could hold grudges that could last a lifetime and was known to be quick to anger. She couldn't say how far he'd go with his actions or threats.
"You're probably right," she murmured, grabbing her book and returning it to the shelf.
"I always am," Marlene replied breezily. "Something you should be used to by now."
"Ha," she said blandly, looping her arm through Marlene's. "Something I guess I must've forgotten."
Marlene knocked her hip into hers. "I'll have to keep reminding you."
Lily smiled unwillingly. "I'll look forward to it everyday."
They exited the library. And although Lily's weekend was absolute shite and there was too much to honestly be worried about, Lily was happy to have her best friend. Talking hadn't resolved anything, but she did feel a little less weighed down.
"Hello girls," Emmeline greeted, offering Lily tea.
"Morning," she replied, accepting the warm cup. "Ready for Charms?"
"Always," Emmeline smiled tentatively, returning to her plate.
The rest of the Great Hall appeared somber, the students quietly chattering as they ate breakfast. Though by now, eating was usually well underway; but nearly a third of students were missing. The head table seemed tense, they're normal comradial conversations nonexistent.
Lily's attention was pulled away by the arrival of James, Sirius, and Peter.
"You three look like shite," Marlene commented.
"Sure feel like it," Sirius murmured, greedily grabbing a cup of tea while Peter began to pile food onto his plate, his movements slow and sluggish. James blinked tiredly at the table, his square glasses dipping low on the bridge of his nose.
"Where's Remus?" Marlene asked, taking a bite out of her toast.
"Not feeling quite well," Sirius answered as he down the rest of his cup's contents in one go. "He's in the infirmary."
"Have you checked on him?"
"Of course. This morning. Lookin' worse fur wear."
Peter snorted into his goblet, juice dribbling down his chin.
James scoffed loudly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Merlin, Padfoot. Have some fuckin' dignity," he said, dropping his hand and readjusting his glasses. "Or just shut up."
Having been used to their inside jokes and teasing, Lily gave it no thought, dusting her hands of crumbs and gathering her bag to her.
"Wow," Marlene said to them, brows raised. "Not just looking shitty. Cranky, too."
"We better get to class, Em," Lily said, setting down her cup.
Emmeline nodded in agreement and they both stood. "We'll see you lot later."
The rest of the group bid them a quiet farewell and the two girls left, heading towards the Charms classroom.
"Have you thought anymore about your semester project?" Em asked.
"I haven't," Lily said honestly. "Between all the other workload, my potions proposal, and everything else, I haven't set down any pen to paper."
Emmeline nodded. "I understand. They say 6th Year is easier, but it's not."
Charms, similar to breakfast, was a somber affair. Flitwick, without his usual flair, held a reserved class, focusing on the reading more than practical. Only two other students seemed to be missing from the class, but their presence was missed. It soured Lily's mood further.
"You okay?" Emmeline asked her as they left the classroom.
"Just tired," she replied, feeling as if it was the easiest answer. "Not looking forward to Defense."
Emmeline gave her a look of sympathetic understanding as they parted ways, waving goodbye.
"Ready for class?" Marlene asked grimly once they'd met at the threshold of the Defense classroom.
Lily nodded silently.
"Don't provoke him," Marlene whispered, giving her a stern look.
She returned it with a hurt expression.
"I didn't mean it like that," Marlene tried, but Lily continued towards their designated seats without responding. "Lily."
"What'd you say this time?" Alice asked teasingly from her spot at the table behind them.
"It was nothing," Lily cut in before Marlene could reply, pulling out her book and notes, trying to brush off Marlene's words.
Marlene did not have a chance to say anything else; Donahue exited his office in a swooping, irritated motion, slamming his door loudly behind himself to announce his presence.
Lily clenched her jaw tightly, letting her eyes drop onto the book and notes in front of her instead of the professor's face.
"Morning class," he greeted enthusiastically.
"Morning," the class droned in return.
"After the events of yesterday, I think it best we focus on a theory rather than practical."
Which had actually been the case for the last few classes. Not that Lily minded. It would mean that they wouldn't have to listen to Donahue's ridiculous rhetoric and only focused on reading and reviewing the lessons from the book directly.
"Flip to chapter twenty-three and study the analysis and effectiveness of fortifying protective charms."
The sound of pages turning filled the room as the students located the aforementioned pages.
"Maybe if they'd studied more, there would've been less death," Gregors, the Hufflepuff prefect, murmured loud enough to be heard.
"Have some bloody respect, Gregors," James snapped from his own table.
The prefect shrugged defensively. "What, Potter? It's probably true. I know people there who were killed. My third cousin died. Can I not be angry?"
Sirius scoffed "You're allowed to be angry, Gregors. Not be a damned arsehole."
"Screw you, Black."
"Enough," scolded Donahue. "Return to your books."
Gregors gave Sirius and James a scornful look, which they returned with similar glowers.
"Defensive magic wouldn't have helped that lot," Donahue said under this breath.
"Sir?" Gregors questioned.
Donahue shifted in his seat behind the desk at the front of the classroom. "The wizards who attacked that town are powerful. They know of dark curses and hexes that'll stop you before you know it. They were using the skills they were taught. They know stronger magic than the defensive spells those folks knew. They wanted to send a message," he continued. "Fed by a belief that they were following a noble cause."
The class teetered.
"A cause that puts them above those they feel are lesser than them. And no one would've been able to stop them."
"Then what's the point?"
It took Lily a moment to realize she'd been the one to speak.
"Miss Evans?" Donahue queried with an impassive look.
"Lily..." Marlene whispered warningly.
"Do you think the wizards and witches who attacked Sudbury used honorable dueling practices?" she asked.
"I think they fought with whatever principles they felt they needed – against a community that was helpless to stop them."
"What made them 'helpless'?"
"I'm not saying this community was slain because they weren't properly trained. I'm only stating they were hopeless against these thugs, no matter what happened."
"I don't understand what you're trying to say, sir. Are you saying that they were ill-equipped? That the wizards and witches in that community, who likely had the same training as us here, were going to be killed regardless?"
"I think it had more to do with, than that –"
"So what's the point?" she repeated. "Why are we here if whatever you're teaching us is useless when we need actual defending against attackers? How do we protect others – the powerless – when apparently nothing we do is going to help?"
Donahue's jaw clenched. "With the right skills and background –"
"Background, sir?" she questioned. "There were old wizarding families there. They died. Did their backgrounds help them at all?"
"Of course the wizarding community is going to mourn those of great lineages – it was a great loss to the Ministry –"
"There were muggles there. That died. Do they not matter?"
"Miss Evans, if you're implying I don't care about humanity –"
"No, sir. That's not what I'm implying at all."
He looked warily pacified.
"I'm only commenting on the fact that it appears you don't care about the people who are non-magical – or even those who aren't of notable lineage. As if you're implying they're not worth anything and are simply collateral when killed. That regardless, they were unable to save themselves against these 'thugs' you refer to."
"This is quite off topic –"
"It's not, though. We're here to learn about protecting ourselves against dark wizards. Is that not the name of this class? Defense Against the Dark Arts? Should we only care about ourselves when it comes to defending? Isn't there an oath you take before becoming an Auror, promising to defend the weak and protect the vulnerable?"
"Yes, but –"
Lily laughed derisively. "You're not making yourself very clear, sir. Are we here to learn defense or give up if we're not gifted with the correct bloodline?"
Donahue appeared to struggle to answer, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "Miss Evans, I'm going to ask you to remove yourself if you're going to become combative at each lesson I provide –"
"So now we can't ask questions?"
"Evans –"
"Or can only those with a genetic disposition, as you've mentioned before, are allowed to?"
"Get out," Donahue snapped, slapping his hand onto the desk.
"Gladly, Professor," Lily sneered, ripping her bag open and shoving her belongings into it.
The rest of the room was silent except for Donahue's loud breathing and the sound of Lily shuffling her chair back. She refused to look at Marlene's face, for fear of what her expression would be. She exited the room without looking back, the stunned silence of the class burning her ears.
Lily was already down the corridor and to the stairs before she stopped at the sound of her name. She turned to catch sight of James following behind her, hair windswept and bag haphazardly thrown over his shoulder.
"Merlin, you are fast when you want to be," he said wryly.
"What are you doing?" she asked, unimpressed, turning to continue down the stairs. "You should get back to class."
"I already read ahead," he said, skipping down the steps closely after her. "Thought I'd go for a walk."
"Is that right?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
She snorted, turning the corner around the balustrade and descending towards the Entrance Hall. "Convenient."
"It is. And I just happen to be going in the same direction as you, it appears. Which is…?"
Lily paused at the bottom of the stairs once they'd arrived at the main level.
She glanced around impatiently, catching sight of the Great Hall doors – too early for lunch – and the corridor that led towards the kitchens – close to the Slytherin Common Room. Her eyes landed on the doors to outside.
"Hagrid's," she said spontaneously, turning on her heel towards the doors.
"How odd," James said deadpanned, keeping stride with little issue. "Exactly where I was headed."
She turned to glare at him. "Can you not?"
"I don't know what you mean." He moved to get the door open for her, waving her through with a pleasant smile.
She halted in front of the open door, giving him another unimpressed look. "I'd like to go alone. Do you even visit with Hagrid?"
"Honestly, I don't think you should be alone. And I saw him two days ago. I helped him plant some Alihotsy plants."
"Oh," she said, involuntarily surprised. Did she know he was friends with Hagrid? Surely she would have noticed, wouldn't she have?
"Can you speak with him another time then?" she asked, perhaps a bit too frosty. "If you'd only just seen him."
He waved her forward once more and she grudgingly stepped through the doorway. "I have to check on the Alihosty plants, obviously."
"Why must you be so insufferable," Lily demanded, quickening her pace.
He kept up with her with ease as he laughed, unbothered. "It's a trait that I can't seem to shake. Blame my mother."
Lily suddenly recalled running into Mrs. Mckinnon and Mrs. Potter over the weekend. Without meaning to (as she was quite annoyed with him), she said, a bit snarky, "She seems lovely, actually. I don't think you got any of her qualities."
James gave her a bewildered look. "What's that mean?"
"I saw her – in Muggle London. She was out with Mrs. Mckinnon."
He looked concerned for a moment, lost in thought.
"Oh, damn," she hissed, suddenly remembering the bag of chocolates. They'd flown from her hand when Hagrid had accidentally hit her. Had they scattered and been scavenged by the animals of the forest? "I was supposed to give you some chocolates."
"Frogs?" he asked with an amused smile.
"That's right," Lily confirmed, glancing at him curiously as they treaded the path towards Hagrid's. "She said she picked them up for your dad – but she bought too much."
He grimaced, looking away. "Yeah, he seems to only want to eat sweets. It's the only thing she can get him to."
It was an odd piece of information – and Lily wasn't sure if she should pry. Hadn't her dad seemed to only desire candied sweets towards the… ? She remained silent, stomach falling. She couldn't bring herself to ask him if that's what he meant.
Up ahead, the roof of Hagrid's hut appeared, smoke rolling through the chimney.
James motioned her to knock.
Hagrid swung the door open only a moment later, eyes widening in surprise. "Lily? James?"
"Hello, Hagrid," she said. "Thought I could visit for a cuppa?"
He grinned bashfully, pulling the door open wider. "Got a pot started just now, actually. Come on in."
James allowed Lily to enter through the doorway first, smiling up at Hagrid. "Sounds great. Did you get more sugar?"
Hagrid chuckled. "Still need to bring in some more. Fang loves the stuff."
He motioned for Lily and James to have a seat at the large round table. She did so graciously, glaring when James sat and crowded her on the bench, nodding at her to scoot for more room.
Hagrid was tinkering with the large tea kettle set over the fire. "So what brings ya' two down here for a visit?"
She glanced at James out of the corner of her eye. "I just wanted to check on you after last night. Show you that my nose is healing up."
Hagrid leaned forward to inspect her face and smiled sheepishly. "Already looks much better. Cleaning 'way the blood definitely helped."
She grimaced. "There had been a lot."
"Tha' there was," he said gruffly, stooping to grab the tea kettle as it started to whistle. "Any cream or suga'?"
"Black, for me," James inserted, relaxing into the seat beside her.
"Tha's right," Hagrid grinned, grabbing three misshapen mugs. "Lily?"
"A little sugar, please," she requested, accepting the mug as he handed it over. "How are the Glumbumbles? Growing alright?" she asked as he reached and grabbed the cup of sugar from the topshelf, handing it to her with a spoon.
Hagrid looked pleased, scratching at his cheek. "The makeshift nest I made for 'em outside seems to be holding up pretty well. As long as I keep the fire pretty close…"
"Do they get pretty big? Do they need a lot of warmth?"
"They do," He nodded. "Need lot's of warmth. Had to keep checking to make sure the fire hadn't gone out. Strangest thing happened, though," he murmured, taking a large drink of his own mug. "Saturday nigh', it must've been."
Lily took a sip of her tea, trying to hide her grimace. It was bitter. "What happened?" she asked distractedly as she reached forward to add more sugar.
"Well, I was stokin' the fire, adding more brushwood to it, and I caught sight of a stag, just inside the Dark Forest."
James suddenly coughed violently, spraying the table with a mouthful of tea.
"Pleasant," she commented dryly as he spluttered, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his cloak.
Hagrid was looking at him concerned. "Are you alrigh'?"
"Fine," James rasped, pulling out his wand to clean up the tea. "Tea was just hot."
"Sorry about tha'," Hagrid said sincerely, leaning back to allow room for James to cast the Scourgify charm.
Lily took another sip, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. It was tepid, at best. "What's surprising about a stag, Hagrid? Aren't there all sorts of elk in the woods?"
"Deer," James corrected, replacing his wand into his cloak.
"What?" she asked, confused.
He cleared his throat. "A stag is a deer."
Hagrid was nodding. "He's righ'."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.
"But it wa' a strange sight' Wouldn've expected one so close to the castle."
"That is odd," James observed. "What did you see? What'd it do?"
Hagrid's brow furrowed as he thought. "No' much. Was prancing around, it seemed."
"Running," amended James, crossing his arms. "Surely a stag as big as that was probably running around."
Hagrid shrugged. "I'll have to keep an eye out for it. Didn't see it last night when I went back out – but tha' reminds me! I've got something fer ya."
Lily watched as he shuffled across the cluttered space, tugging open a low cupboard and pulling out a small tote – covered in dirt and leaves. He handed Lily the bag. "You dropped this, the other nigh'," he murmured, a bit sheepish.
Amazed, she glanced inside; it was the bag of Chocolate Frogs from Mrs. Potter; a bit beat up, a little flattened, but most of the boxes intact.
"You saved them!" She rummaged through the bag, pulling one out. She handed it to James. "Your frog."
James laughed. "I'll have to let mum know they survived the trip."
"Thank you, Hagrid," she said sincerely, turning back towards the tall wizard. "You didn't have to go back to find them."
Hagrid let out a gruff sound. "I shouldn't have hit ya. I shoulda been more careful."
"Hagrid," she chided. "I should've been more careful."
"And then I shouldn't have gone an' left ya alone with those two after they said –" he broke away and winced, obviously recalling the Slytherins' words.
"It's fine," she insisted and motioned towards James. "I actually ran into James soon after. I got to the infirmary – and you can see, I'm okay."
Hagrid made a gruff noise.
Lily caught James looking between the two of them curiously. Self-conscious, she leaned across the table closer to Hagrid, as if to prevent James hearing what she had to say next. "Forget about what those two pricks said. They were being purposefully mean – and crude. I'm writing a whole report on it – sixty points was not enough."
Hagrid looked shocked, if a bit amused – then shifted uncomfortably. "Don't put yourself out anymore – I bet they won't take kind to that."
"I don't care," she said determinedly. "They can't go treating you like that."
"It's alright, Lily. 'm used to it," he mumbled, expression subdued.
"You shouldn't be, Hagrid," she countered. "They should have never said those things."
The trill signaling the end of the class period sounded across the grounds.
Hagrid jumped up, seemingly grateful for the interruption. "I should let ya two get to lunch. Must be starving."
"Hagrid," she complained softly.
"I should be checkin' on those Glumbumbles, anyways," he murmured, collecting their cups and placing them into his sink. "I'll chat with ya later?"
"Of course," James said mildly, standing to let Lily off the bench. "We'll see you later, Hagrid."
With a doleful look back, she let James guide her out of Hagrid's hut, his palm against her back to press her forward, as if he knew she wanted to stay and say more. She nearly forgot the bag of chocolate until James handed it to her.
"Mind me asking what that was about?" he questioned as they headed up towards the castle's entrance.
"Yes," she answered honestly. "Mind me asking why you're still here?"
"Who said what to Hagrid?" he asked, ignoring her patronizing tone.
"Don't worry about it. It's not any of your concern."
"Sorry that I'm worried about your wellbeing," he said.
Lily turned to look at him, surprised by his annoyed tone. "I didn't ask you to," she snapped. "I didn't ask you to check on me after ditching class. I didn't ask you to join me to Hagrid's."
"Oh, so now I'm the bad bloke."
"That's not what I meant," she growled, rubbing at her temple. "Just – don't go prying into someone else's business."
His laugh had a bit of an edge. "I wanted to know what happened. Am I not allowed to? I've seen you run away during the Game. I've seen what you're like when you're in a panic. I know now, after running into you last night, you were scared. What happened?"
Lily huffed. "God, it was Mulciber and Avery, being their arsehole-selves. They walked away before they got nasty, alright?"
"Not 'alright'. You can't trust anything those two do. You don't think they'll retaliate?"
"Oh, knock it off with this white knight shite."
"And let you get hurt? Merlin's sake, Evans, can you really be that daft?"
"Potter."
"No, seriously. You were just in the hospital wing. Twice. In less than a week. And you wonder why Marlene was so pissed at you last week?"
"That was completely different! You can't even compare the two. Last night was a bloody accident."
"And if I wasn't the one to find you in the corridor last night? If Mulciber and Avery came back to find you?"
Lily let out a caustic scoff. "They didn't."
"That's not the point."
"I don't understand what point you're even trying to make, Potter! I can take care of myself – and I'll thank you to not assume I can't."
He huffed, rubbing at where his glasses pinch his nose. "I didn't say you can't take care of yourself –"
"You're implying it!"
"But those two are bad news –"
"God," she scoffed again. "You sound like a damned soap opera – 'bad news' –"
"– and you've got enough of a target on your back."
"Oh, wow, really, Potter?" she sneered. "I'm a loathed, disgusting muggle-born. Who knew? I certainly didn't. You mean they weren't being tossers just because I was a redhead? I am shocked, Potter, truly."
"For fuck's sake, Evans. This isn't a game. I'm worried that –"
"I haven't asked you to care."
"I've been trying. I thought we could be –"
"Together?" she interrupted with a scornful laugh.
"– friends," James finished flatly, expression shuttered.
At the word, Lily deflated. She turned away, inexplicably embarrassed. "Just leave me alone, Potter," she said tiredly.
"Happily," he replied, brushing past her this time and entering through the castle doors.
Her cheeks still felt warm as she took a tour of the first floor, willing her emotions to calm before joining her friends for lunch. Students had been milling about the corridors, filtering through towards the Great Hall, still somber from the attack over the weekend. They barely paid her mind, despite her dishevelled appearance.
She felt like shite.
With every step she took, the unwelcome weight of guilt began to fill her stomach. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.
She'd apologize to James, she'd decided reluctantly. The sane part of her mind recognized he only meant good intentions… even if she didn't want to hear it. She cringed internally when recalled assuming he wanted to be 'together' and his reaction to the word.
Of course he'd continue to want to be friends… they've started to hang out more. Almost begrudgingly, she could admit that he wasn't all that horrible to hang out with. Once he stopped being so prattish.
Lily pressed her fingertips into the skin of her hot cheeks, willing the redness of her skin to go away.
Despite her goal to apologize (honestly, quickly as possible to get it over with), she felt unwilling to face him. She was torn between heading to the Great Hall or skipping lunch to instead hide in the library, as she was wont to do.
"Lily!" Marlene called from above her, rushing down the stairs into the Entrance Hall. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Walking," she responded moodily.
"What were you thinking?"
"That Donahue is an arse."
"We know that. Why did you have to go and ruffle his feathers?"
"Marlene," Lily sighed, pressing her fingers into her brow to soothe the oncoming headache. "I know, I know. I just… couldn't stop."
"You've got control issues."
"I know."
Marlene took pity on her. "You didn't miss much once you left. He had us keep reading while he escaped to his office. Are you hungry? Let's grab some lunch. "
"Is that where everyone else is?" James?
Marlene shrugged. "Not sure. I'm just assuming."
Only half of the group was there – Sirius, Peter, Emmeline and Alice. Lily slipped into a spot between Marlene and Emmeline, serving herself a little of everything. She allowed a small appreciative smile as Sirius offered her the bowl of potatoes.
He did not seem concerned by the lack of his best friend's presence, but this did not appease the heavy weight in her stomach.
"So I heard that the ministry is trying to recruit more Aurors," Alice informed them, catching everyone's interest straight away.
"I haven't heard that," Emmeline said with a surprised expression. "Where'd this come from?"
"One of the 7th Year boys was talking in the common room about it with Frank. Apparently one of the representatives from the Ministry who's teaching the upcoming Apparition lessons is going to give a recruitment talk … Because of how the attacks are happening more frequently and becoming stronger. They're losing too many aurors..."
The weight of her words hung heavily in the air. Lily couldn't help but glance at Marlene's face, watching as it smoothed over into an impassive look.
"Sudbury proved that, I think," Sirius murmured into his plate, the grip on the fork in his hand tight.
Everyone shifted uncomfortably at his bitter comment, picking mindlessly at their food. Lily remained silent, the flashes of the destruction the news on her telly had shown playing in front of her eyes. She took a long sip of her drink, unwilling to share the extent of the damage done to the small town.
"Did you want any pudding?" Marlene offered, noticing the redhead's full plate. She held out a plate of treacle tart, of which Lily almost hardly refused.
"I think I'm good," she did her best to assure her friend, smiling gratefully to try and appease Marlene's concerned look.
Peter cleared his throat. "Did you guys see the Hogsmeade notice? For Halloween Weekend?"
Emmeline hummed. "I wonder if they'll cancel – out of caution from this recent attack?"
"They'd be pretty fucking daft to attack Hogsmeade so close to Dumbledore, wouldn't they?" Sirius pointed out. "Plus, I bet all the 3rd Years and up will riot if it gets canceled."
"The professors will probably want some sort of normalcy this week," Lily murmured. "Probably scheduled it to give the students something to focus on."
"Smart," Peter agreed. "I knew I didn't forget seeing one scheduled before."
"Normalcy," Sirius mused. "Speaking of it, why don't we schedule another study session? Catch up on some work, you know?"
"Absolutely," Marlene jumped in immediately. "I could certainly use a little distraction."
"What about Dorcas? James and Remus?" Lily prompted.
Sirius shrugged. "Remus should be able to break out of the infirmary tomorrow, maybe the day after – James, as long as there isn't a practice scheduled, would be willing whenever."
Lily pursed her lips, doubtful. She'd probably need to speak to him first.
"You know Dorcas," Alice teased. "She'd be ready whenever."
"Later this week, you think?" Marlene asked the group.
Lily shrugged. "No patrols for me – yet."
Sirius snorted. "You're lucky you didn't get detention."
"Why would Lily get a detention?" Emmeline asked curiously.
"For poking the kneazle. Donahue's, that is," he replied, taking another bite of his food. "If I tried that…"
"Not that she gave him much time to tell her off. But I'm sure he doesn't want people to think he's even more purist by giving Lily detention," Marlene pointed out. "That'll get back to McGonagall – or Dumbledore – for sure."
Lily thought that was probably true. Marlene gave her a look, as if she was still disappointed by her actions.
"Lily," Emmeline said in a disappointed tone. "What happened?"
"He was talking nonsense, like usual," she murmured into her cup, annoyed that Sirius had brought it up at all.
"He didn't even clarify what they could've done differently," Peter said in a soft voice. "How those wizards and witches died, because they didn't have proper training?"
The group fell silent again, tense. Emmeline clearly wanted to push, but appeared unsure where to start.
"I should probably go meet Frank," Alice said quietly. "I promised I'd meet him in the courtyard before his Creatures' class."
The others said their farewells to her back as she left and Marlene turned towards Lily. "Want to head towards the library before your next class?"
Lily, thinking of James, glanced searchingly around the Great Hall reluctantly. "Sure, we can."
They said goodbye to Emmeline, Sirius and Peter ('We'll talk to James,' Sirius had offered. 'Make sure he doesn't have practice scheduled this week for another session.')
"You're abnormally quiet," Marlene observed, tightening her grip around Lily's elbow.
Lily exhaled softly, eyes tracing the lines of the stone blocks of the floor as she bit the inside of her cheek. "I said something to James that I feel guilty about," she said finally. "And, well... I was hoping to apologize for something I had said."
"To James?" Marlene questioned with surprise. "I wondered if he had caught up to you after sneaking out of class."
"Yeah, he found me in the Entrance Hall. We went to visit Hagrid."
"How was he? Did he think you were mad?"
She smiled faintly. "No, luckily. He actually offered some tea – and found a bag of chocolates I had dropped."
"Well that was kind," Marlene mused. "For him to go back and get those."
"Right? And I told him I was filling out a report about Mulciber and Avery, what they said. I think he wanted to drop it, but I just can't."
"You'll have to be careful – taking the points already probably put a target on your back."
"Well, now you sound like James. Again."
"Is that what you wanted to apologize for? Getting cross with him about being worried?"
Lily's nose scrunched as she bit her lip. "Not exactly. I sort of – had implied he wanted to get together and that's why he cared."
Marlene hissed a sympathetic sound. "You didn't."
"It just came out. I'm tired – and pissed about this weekend – and he kept pushing, and why else would he care? I'm fine on my own – I can handle two Slytherins being snots, but –"
Marlene gave her a look as they entered through the library doors. "I think we can all say we're always worried about you. Haven't we had this same conversation before?"
"Yes," Lily said reluctantly, following close behind Marlene as they headed towards their usual table. "I'm just tired of you all thinking I can't take care of myself. Like I'm weak."
"Have you thought more about becoming an Auror?" Marlene asked once they'd sat, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on the table. "With these recruiters coming to talk to the 7th Years…"
"I still want to be one," she confirmed strongly.
"Even with Donahell and the attacks?"
"Even more so," Lily said quietly, looking down at the tabletop in front of her. "I can't see myself doing anything else."
"Teaching? Potion-making?"
She leaned back into her chair. "I think at first I wanted to do something with Charms…"
"You are good with them," Marlene conceded.
"But I don't think I could do as much as being an Auror," she continued. "Why do you ask?"
"From what I've heard and seen, especially from Marc – you work as a team. Much like the Game."
"So…?"
"Why is it so hard to consider others would have your back – even if you're strong enough on your own?"
Lily's brow furrowed in thought. "I won't mean much to a team if I can't be taken seriously."
"Who ever said we weren't taking you seriously, Lily?"
Hesitantly, she inclined her head, silently acknowledging no one had.
"Well, sounds like James does deserve an apology."
Lily glared. "I know that."
"Good."
Marlene leaned back, turning inwards to her own thoughts. "'Sides. Ever since Marc was hurt in the attack, I can't help but think about it more. Especially if the Ministry is coming here to recruit… They must be desperate."
"Do you want to be an Auror?" she asked seriously.
"I'm not sure… but I feel obligated."
"Because of your brother?"
"Because of you," Marlene corrected, her tone factual.
Lily's eyebrows rose high on her forehead as she looked at her friend. "But why? I don't want you doing something you don't want to do. Not something like this. It's just – I know that you've always been interested in Quidditch – even if it meant being in the bleachers."
Marlene sighed heavily, setting her quill down as she ran her hands through her hair. "That wizard out there; he's been murdering muggles… hell, even Muggle-borns. There aren't very many muggle-borns out there to begin with… And damn it, you're better at magic than most of the purebloods here. It's wrong."
"That doesn't mean you need to fight for me," she insisted quietly, her eyebrows furrowed.
"You're my best friend," Marlene said simply, as if that would end the argument.
"You're my best friend," she retaliated.
"Remember that whole teammate thing I just talked about? Don't get all offended," Marlene replied. "We all know you're a bloody good dueller. You're probably the best defense player at the Game."
Lily bristled at the compliment.
Marlene rolled her eyes. "And I don't want to fight for you; I want to fight with you."
The blonde had said the last sentence with such finality that Lily couldn't respond right away. She struggled to find something to say, slightly speechless at her friend's feelings.
"I…" Lily cleared her throat, overwhelmed for a moment once again by the appreciation she had for her best mate.
Who had a point. What if she had been there with her in the Entrance Hall with Avery and Mulciber? If she had been there with her on the porch when Vernon had confronted her. How different would those situations have turned out?
She worked through the feeling of tightness in her throat. "As if you could keep up," she quipped, unable to find it in herself to keep it serious.
"I could kick your arse any day," Marlene retorted without taking a beat.
"You wish," she scoffed, unable to keep herself from smiling.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
It wasn't until after Runes and returning to the Gryffindor Common Room, that Lily was able to catch up with James. He was sitting at one of the tables in the living space, scribbling on a piece of parchment.
"Were you able to grab something to eat for lunch? I didn't see you in the Great Hall," she said, trying to keep her voice as casual as she could.
He hummed disinterestedly in response.
She chewed on her bottom lip awkwardly, crossing her arms over her chest. She took the next few moments to build up courage. "Do you mind if we talk?" she asked quietly.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, one of his eyebrows disappearing beneath his fringe as he gave her a long look. His chest moved slowly, as if he was releasing a long breath.
She waited.
He shrugged a shoulder and leaned back, gesturing towards the empty seat across from him. "Have a seat."
"Thanks," she said, a bit surprised. She glanced around the room, pleased to find it not very busy. "I wanted to apologize – for what I said earlier," she continued quietly (regardless of the lack of audience).
He remained silent, gazing at her unerringly.
She held back a nervous inhale. "I became very defensive and – this past weekend was just shite – not that that's an excuse, but I just didn't want to listen to what you were saying, that I need to be more careful, I'm not invincible –"
He scoffed.
Lily glared. "I'm trying to apologize," she stressed. "I was upset and I reacted very badly. I shouldn't have been so rude."
One of his dark eyebrows rose. "No, you shouldn't have," he said simply.
"I'm sorry," she said once more.
"Okay," he replied, his tone neutral.
"Okay?"
"It's fine," he said.
"It's fine?"
"Sure."
"I need more than that," she replied, exasperated.
"Sorry to disappoint," he retorted, his expression pulled into an annoyed frown. "I don't know what you want me to say."
"I don't know," she said helplessly. "Am I supposed to apologize for – for referring to your past behavior? About the – together comment?"
There was a sudden awkward tension as Lily mentioned it – her assumption of what he was trying to get out of their – whatever they were now. Friendship, apparently.
She huffed. "I shouldn't have brought it up – I was just – using your 'Evans, go out with me' cracks as a mean-way to get back at you."
James snorted, disbelieving. "'Cracks'?"
"Jokes, prank, teasing, whatever," she rushed to say. "I just wanted to apologize because I know I was being a bitch again. You didn't deserve it. And that we are friends."
He looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it, reaching forward to grab the parchment he had been working on and pulling it back towards him. "Thanks," he said coolly. "I appreciate the sentiment."
"James," she huffed, put off by his demeanor.
"I'll talk to you later, Evans," he said in a cool tone, ending the conversation.
She stared at him a moment longer, discomfited, but yielded, not wanting to push further. Without another word, she stood and walked away, heading towards the girls' dormitories. There was only so much to do to save face.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Marlene found her later, laying on her bed in the dormitory. She jumped up beside her. "So?"
"So what?" Lily asked irritably, hugging her pillow tightly.
"I'm guessing your apology didn't go all that well," Marlene surmised, leaning back against the bedpost.
"Your guess is right." she huffed, burying her cheek into the soft pillow. " And I suppose I shouldn't keep expecting him to forgive me when I'm a complete cow."
"Probably not," Marlene teased, bumping Lily's shoulder with her own.
"You're not helping," she grumbled, lying back on the bed.
"There's not much I can do. You've dug yourself into this hole."
"Thanks," she replied dryly.
"Want to share Alice's hidden chocolate?" Marlene asked mischievously.
"You found it?"
"Always do," Marlene replied proudly as she jumped up and tapped her wand against the wood post of Alice's bed. A square piece popped off and Marlene reached into the hidden spot to reveal a bag of Honeyduke's famous chocolate.
"My favorite," she said faintly, accepting a large chunk from Marlene.
"'Stolen'," Marlene sighed happily, tearing out a bite with her teeth. "My favorite, too."
Lily huffed a laugh and took a bite out of her own piece, beginning to feel slightly better. "We'll have to replace it on the Hogsmeade trip."
"Aye," Marlene agreed with a full mouth.
The two girls sat and chatted for a while on Lily's bed, leaning against the headboard as they sat side by side, munching on the 'borrowed' chocolate.
When the doorknob to the room began to jostle, they both jumped up, scrambling to hide the evidence.
"There you two are," Alice said, none the wiser. "I think we're heading to the lake to study. Would you two like to join?"
"Isn't it a bit windy out?" Lily asked, struggling to swallow down the chocolate without being too obvious.
"It's not too chilly anymore," Alice assured. "Wind died down. It's turning into a nice afternoon."
Marlene shrugged her shoulder. "Sure. Nice to have some relaxation."
"Didn't you need to study Charms?"
Marlene huffed. "Yeah. I'll grab my book and notes."
"Great!" Alice said. "We can head down and spend an hour or so."
"Who's 'we'?"
"Frank and his friends. Emmeline's joining too, since it's the other 7th Years."
Lily wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed. "Hang on, let me just grab my books. I can work on that potions theory some more."
"Did Slughorn get back to you yet?" Alice asked in interest.
"Not yet," she said. "Maybe soon. But still something I'd like to work on."
The girls gathered their bags and joined Alice down the stairs, catching sight of the study group near the door.
Lily caught sight of James still sitting at the table, but he was steadfastly working on the sheet in front of him. He looked up at the moment she readied to turn away and she froze as his eyes landed on her – and then he looked away, as if she hadn't existed.
"Let's go," Marlene prompted her.
Lily followed.
Alice had been right. The late afternoon sun was still shining brightly.
The group settled beneath the tree by the lake, pulling out their books and notebooks. Alice and Frank sat nearest to the trunk, while the others gave them a wide berth.
Lily had pulled open her Potions notes, taken one look, disheartened, and tucked it away. There was no way she'd be able to focus on something that took so much effort. She pulled out another book.
"Anyone got a spare quill?" one of the 7th Year boys – Rochester, Lily remembered – asked. "Mine just broke."
The group murmured and shuffled, checking their things. She plucked one from the outside pocket of her bag. "Here," she offered.
"Thanks," he said with a neat smile, a blonde curl falling into his eyes.
"You're welcome," she replied easily.
"Lily, right?"
"Daniel, right?"
"An 'Outstanding' for you," he said in a wry voice. "What're you studying?"
She held up her book. "Transfiguration."
He winced on her behalf. "Rough going. Topic?"
"Elemental," she sighed. "Not an easy one for me."
"All goes back to basics," he assured, holding up his own book. "Sand to dirt, metal to rock, same basic fundamentals as organic chemistry."
"I'll have to remember that. Something about transfiguration just… gets all muddled in my mind."
"Fair. Me and Runes? Can never expect a higher result than a 'P'."
They chuckled together.
He shrugged. "Let me know if you need someone to review. I don't mind."
"Thanks," she said sincerely. "Sometimes I feel pretty hopeless."
"Definitely don't want that," he teased.
"Lily?" Marlene asked pointedly, barely hiding her smirk when the redhead looked over. "Can you take a look at my work? I think this paragraph is off."
"Sure," she said, feeling her cheeks warm and purposefully not looking towards the 7th year boy as she scooted closer to Marlene. "Let me see it."
Marlene handed over the parchment dutifully.
"Don't give me that look," Lily huffed quietly.
"What look?"
"That, oh, Lily's got a crush look."
"I don't have that look."
"You do. You always give it when Ja–"
Marlene smiled teasingly. "When…?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Shut it. Let me read."
"Right, don't want too many distractions."
She glared at her friend, marking a note more forcibly than she probably needed to. Her emotions were a tad too raw to take on Marlene's ribbing, so she instead focused on the words in front of her.
If she happened to be a bit more severe in her assessment of Marlene's essay than she might've previously, it was mere coincidence.
