Chapter Three: The Guidance Counsellor
Lily stomped down the hall, searching frantically for some higher authority to give her the go ahead to take away points. This was ridiculous! She had the power! She just had to prove it. She took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten. She had to stop getting so upset. After all, she was a prefect and needed to remain calm in all situations. The thought of the new herbal potion her book recommended for relaxation helped to sooth her boiling blood.
At the end of the corridor she spotted a woman with wavy flowing black hair slipping into a compartment. Could she be a professor or something? She didn't look familiar.
"Excuse me!" Lily waved a hand to catch her attention, but the woman had already disappeared and shut the door with a soft thud. Rats. She was never going to punish the Marauders at this pace.
Thump! Lily fell hard to the carpeted floor of the train. Pain shot through her neck and bum which she rubbed dolefully.
"Oh dear. Perhaps some of us should watch where they're going," a silky voice cooed. Loud tittering from a few girls followed the comment.
Lily glanced up to face a tall, slender blonde with thick goldilocks curls. Her heavily lashed eyes batted demurely before she gingerly took a step over the crumpled and fallen Lily.
"Excuse you," Lily muttered, pushing herself up. But a foot crushed her side and knocked her back down, three girls subsequently stepping over (and on) her. Lily's blood began to boil, but she remained quiet and groaned softly to herself.
Charlotte Vane, in all her blonde glory, stood hand-on-hip before Lily and smirked derisively. Behind her was her band of three girls.
"I think she got uglier, if possible," said Florence Page, a brunette girl with an unsuitably large nose. More laughter ensued and Lily curled up a little on the floor.
Helen Halverson grinned with sparkling white teeth then pursed her lips. "It's the hair. She's got granny hair. Look at that little bun! How quaint."
One of the girls was shorter than the others with straight mousse brown hair that fell past her shoulders and in her blue eyes. They flickered slightly behind large glasses and she took a small step back.
"Madeline," Charlotte practically snapped her fingers at the girl. She turned in response to Charlotte. "Don't you have something to say to Lily?"
Madeline peered down at Lily shakily and swallowed hard. "Erm…I…"
"What are you doing?" a voice came from the end of the corridor. Lily looked over her shoulder to find James Potter stalking toward them. Lily scrambled to sit upright.
He paused and looked down at her then eyed Charlotte reprovingly. "Having fun at others' expenses again, Charlotte?" he smirked. He held out a hand casually to Lily. She scoffed and pushed herself up, ignoring James' hand. He shrugged and turned his attention back to Charlotte.
"Hello James," she grinned and pushed past Lily. "Haven't seen you all summer…except…"
James grinned and ran a hand through his hair. The two were awfully close and Lily was feeling like a very uncomfortable onlooker. "Find someone less helpless to pick on."
Helpless? Lily felt her face flush. She was perfectly capable.
Charlotte smirked. "You'll have to do better than that. Try and stop me, James," and with that, she flipped her curls and spun around. Mid-turn she shot Lily a personalized glare and strutted off to the next car with her posse in tow.
Lily watched James grumpily as he followed Charlotte with his eyes. She sighed audibly and began stalking off down the corridor back to the compartment. James noticed she was leaving and latched onto her cloak with a swift hand.
"What's the rush, Evans?" he said smoothly pulling her back to his side.
Another irritated sigh passed Lily's lips. "I've had enough ego for one day. I thought perhaps that portion of the car would explode. I wouldn't want to get caught in it."
"Oh, she's not that bad," he furrowed his brow.
"I wasn't just referring to her," she said bitterly.
"Ouch. Don't be so uptight. It's no wonder you have no friends!" James' words were said flippantly but cut Lily beneath the surface.
She didn't respond, but instead swept straight past the compartment, her robes fluttering behind.
"Where are you going?" James raised an eyebrow.
"The loo. Join me if you'd like," she stomped off, not bothering to turn around.
James grinned and considered taking her up on the invitation when he heard laughing coming from inside the compartment. His curiosity for what his friends were doing was too strong. He tore his lingering eye away from Evans and joined the Marauders.
The train rumbled beneath her feet and the lights flickered and rattled slightly on the wall by the mirror. Lily glanced back at herself inside the small washroom compartment and shook her head. James was right.
She even looked uptight.
Reaching behind her head, she pulled out the hairpins and let her auburn tresses loose. Her hair spilled past her shoulders in soft waves from being wound so tightly. She stared at herself dumbly for a moment, then flipped her hair and giggled, imitating Charlotte and her friends.
Ugh! She looked cheap! What was she doing? This wasn't her! Hastily, she wound her hair back up and threw open the door. She trudged back to the compartment and entered to find the three boys rolling with laughter. Peter actually fell off his seat when Lily slid back the door with a bang.
"Lily, ha ha ha!" Sirius said through tears, "Look at this."
James too could hardly contain himself. That was a bad sign. Warily looking from one chuckling boy to the other, Lily stepped forward to see what Sirius was holding.
"Isn't it the damned funniest thing you've ever seen? I didn't know you had it in you!"
Lily immediately flushed. It was her self-help book Detoxify, De-stress, and Don't Explode- Literally- for the Modern Witch.
"Where'd you find it?" James was cracking up. "Zonko's? Elliot's? No, must have been Zonko's…that stuff's too rich!"
Lily immediately snatched it away and clutched it tightly to her chest, doing her best to hide it beneath the billowing fabric of her robes.
"What's your problem?" Sirius said. "We were complimenting your taste in humor."
"What humor?" James guffawed. "She walks around with a stick up her arse all day."
The lot of them burst into hysterical laughter, James practically patting himself on the shoulder for his cleverness.
Lily gritted her teeth, her eyes beginning to sting despite her best efforts. She knew they were just mocking her, but she'd had enough of their jokes. Tight-lipped and without a sound, she grabbed her bag and left, slamming the door behind her. It rattled slightly in the silence.
The humor in James' eyes faded slightly, but Sirius and Peter were still laughing.
"Did you see her face?" they burst. "What is with her anyway, that bloody book. I know she's a geek, but damn. She never fails to surprise me."
But something in James' stomach twisted. Suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore. "Shut it."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh, she'll come off it in an hour. Don't worry."
"I said shut it," James glared at him.
Sirius raised his eyebrows and scanned James' eyes a moment, as if to make sure he was entirely serious. "Alright mate. Sorry."
James sat silently glaring out the window. Why'd she have to be so bothered by everything? It got on his nerves. He was just having a bit of fun…but Evans never had fun. It was like a forbidden language for her.
Peter shifted uneasily in the awkward silence, utterly grateful when Remus slid open the compartment door.
He paused. "Where's Lily?" Peter shook his head causing Remus to retract his statement. "Forget I asked. Anyhow, I brought us some food. Keen?"
He tossed a few pasties and frogs onto the seat, but Peter was the only one who lunged for them. Remus tossed one to Sirius and James who caught them deftly, but remained silent.
Sirius grumbled to himself in the corner. What was his problem anyway? He was getting all uptight over a girl…he never used to be that way. Warily, he peered over at James. It better not be what he thought it was. Because if James Potter was going to let a girl affect him like that, they were going to have to have a little chat.
But it was too early to assume. He was probably just reading too much into it. James would never let that happen. Right?
James stared grimly out the window with a partially unwrapped chocolate frog in his fist, not once taking a bite.
Lily took her time wandering carelessly down the corridor as the train chugged tirelessly along. It wasn't like she had anywhere to go. Finding another compartment was highly unlikely…she could just walk up and down the cars for the next few hours, she supposed…
Ugh! She slumped down on the floor, leaning against a compartment door. The year hadn't even started and she could already tell what it was going to be like. But no matter. Her grades would be top and she would keep on organizing, and once she was out of Hogwarts with a fantastic career, she could laugh at her former classmates and their miserable jobs and squash Charlotte like the little dung beetle she was! Yes. That would be appropriate-
"Whoa!" The compartment door slid open behind her, and Lily landed flat on her back with a thump. She felt her cheeks flush a violent scarlet as she peered up at a beautiful woman with a cascade of curly dark hair. She had silvery eyes and flawless skin. Lily recognized her immediately as the woman she'd seen earlier. "Erm…"
Lily pushed herself up and smoothed her hair, embarrassedly. "I'm really sorry," she gushed, gathering her bag and standing up.
A glowing smile broke out on the woman's face and she took Lily by the hand. "It's alright. You look like you could use a compartment. Why don't you stay here with me."
"Huh? Oh…well, I don't want to intrude," she held up her hands.
"Dear, it's fine!" she said softly, beckoning Lily inside. It appeared the woman had the compartment to herself. "Please, I could use company."
Lily stared at the woman a moment, then couldn't help but grin back. She was very beautiful and kind, and her smile was infectious. Lily dropped into her seat while the woman slid gracefully into the one across from her.
"I'm Melinda," her silver eyes shimmered. "Melinda Moonshine."
Moonshine…why did that name seem so familiar? "Lily Evans," she smiled and shook Melinda's hand. Then, unable to quell her curiosity, she added, "I'm sorry…you seem a little old to be a student. Are you a guest or something?"
"Oh no," she shook her head, the curls framing her heart shaped face, "I'm new to the staff. Miss Moonshine. I'll be the new guidance counsellor."
Lily was taken aback. Guidance counsellor? "Wow…Hogwarts has never had a counsellor before…unless the detail of chapter fourteen in Hogwarts, a History is too outdated…"
Miss Moonshine laughed. "No. The Ministry commissioned me for the position. They believe that times of crisis require special needs, and considering these dark times we're in…so many students have lost family and friends. They felt it only right to instate someone the students and staff can talk to. Also, I can help you all choose an appropriate career path."
"Really…" Lily smiled. "I suppose that's a good thing. Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here. I'm a prefect, so if there's anything you need-" she added to boost her self-importance a bit.
She smiled. "Thank you dear. That's lovely of you to say."
Lily fell silent and fingered the hem of her sleeve. After meeting and greeting, she never really knew what to say. The train rattled on beneath them for a good ten minutes. Lily shifted uncomfortably; she could feel Melinda's eyes on her expectantly.
"So Lily," she snatched Lily from her stupor, "Does that girl always bully you?"
It took Lily a moment to register the question. Usually she was asked the basic 'what year are you?' and 'how are your classes fairing?' none of which were quite so, erm, straight-forward.
"Um…well, Charlotte's just…" Lily scrabbled for an explanation. "Charlotte's just Charlotte."
"And by that you mean stuck-up twat?" Melinda raised an eyebrow.
Lily coughed. "I- ah- well-" She couldn't help it; she laughed. "Yes, actually."
Melinda's expression turned stony. "But don't tell anyone I said that- they'll have my head."
Lily shook her head. "Of course not. Erm…I'm just shocked a teacher would talk about a student like that…"
"Well," Melinda rolled her eyes, "She's not just some student. She's my cousin."
"You mean-?" She gaped, knowing she probably looked rude but didn't care. "You're a Vance?" Melinda was so nice! How could she be related to such a wench?
"Actually, it's the other way around."
"She's a Moonshine?"
"No."
Lily was confused.
"You see, her family changed their name. Mine changed when I married," Melinda explained. "Our family name is Mottlebum."
Lily nearly choked and then coughed as an attempt to cover her laughter. She felt awful, but really: Mottlebum?
"I know, I know," Melinda waved her hand wearily as if this was one of a hundred times she'd encountered the very same reaction. "It's horrid. But her family had no right to change it and turn their backs on the rest of us. Just because we come from a long line of Hufflepuffs doesn't mean-"
"You were Hufflepuff?" Lily didn't mean to sound so shocked, but Melinda was just so…graceful.
"Yes. But as soon as my uncle's first son made it to Gryffindor they thought themselves too good for the rest of us I suppose."
"That's horrible!"
"Yes, well…that's that family," Melinda sighed. "So what house are you, Lily?"
"Er…" Lily was a little embarrassed to reveal her house name now. "Gryffindor, actually."
"Gryffindor? Really?"
Well, now, she didn't have to act so surprised. Lily puffed up a bit and pursed her lips. "Yes. I am a Gryffindor. A Gryffindor prefect."
"Ah," Melinda nodded. "I just expected you to be Ravenclaw. You have that look."
"Oh." That's interesting, Lily thought, though is made sense. She was impeccably organized and equalled their book smarts, if not surpassed them. "Miss Moonshine, how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
Her silver eyes sparkled. "I thought you might ask. Twenty actually." She continued with a smile when she saw the shock in Lily's eyes. "I started my career early. Never needed much training for what I do, you see. I guess I have a gift or some such nonsense, as my mum puts it." Her eyes travelled to Lily's partially open bag and lingered on her copy of Detoxify, De-stress, etc. "Are you reading that?"
Lily followed her gaze and blushed furiously, shoving the peeping book down into the depths of papers in her black bag. "Erm…yes. I…am."
Melinda smiled and said nothing more. The sky grew dark outside the window and they chattered about various things; Lily warned Melinda about Peeves and Filch, while Melinda in turn reminded Lily that she was a student only a mere four years prior. Lily subsequently blushed and swallowed the lump of her prefect pride that had lodged in her throat. But Lily quickly felt at ease with her, and the professional, courteous manner of a prefect addressing a professor evaporated leaving two girls, similar in age, gossiping about nonsense.
"Oh, it's lovely to talk to someone young again, Lily, you have no idea," Melinda sighed. "Everyone at the Ministry is so stiff save the interns- and their priorities are wedged so far up their bums they can barely walk straight let alone chat for a moment about things outside the government."
Lily laughed. She felt older than sixteen with Melinda, like an old friend from school chatting over drinks. She felt grown up. Silly, she knew, but intellectually, Melinda was her match.
The train slowed to a halt and whistled loudly. Slamming and sliding compartment doors and the shuffle of students could be heard outside their door. Reluctantly Lily stood up and stretched, picking up her bag.
"Well, I suppose I'll see you on campus, Melinda…erm…Miss Moonshine."
"Of course!" Miss Moonshine exclaimed. "Please feel free to come by my office anytime. I look forward to talking with you more…and please, call me Melinda when it's the two of us. We'll leave awkward titles for the halls. I hope I can consider you a friend and vice versa."
Lily felt herself grinning despite her best attempts. "I…I'd love that!" Wow! A new friend! Given, she was an authority figure. Of course as a prefect, so was she, Lily reminded herself proudly.
Miss Moonshine slipped from the compartment gracefully and gave Lily a kind smile and wave. Lily, however, waved and toppled not-so-gracefully over her left foot and nearly fell face first to the floor. Luckily she caught herself on the door, but the contents of her bag spilled out in a shower of parchment and quills.
With a groan, Lily began shoving the objects back in when she came across Detoxify, De-stress…She was about to cram it back in her bag, but something caught her attention on the cover. The gold embossing on the bottom of the cover shimmered in the starlight. The author's name stared blatantly back at Lily and she nearly slapped her forehead:
Melinda Moonshine.
She knew she'd heard that name somewhere before. And now her de-stress guru was going to be working at her school! How could she have been so stupid as not to recognize her? Melinda must think her a complete fool!