Chapter Thirteen: Apology

It was quite chilly.

Lily wrapped her cloak tighter around her, shook the stray auburn strands from her eyes and stretched. In the distance the surface of the lake shimmered, reflecting the rising sun. Little bugs were buzzing about at the start of the new day, and the pixies were gladly taking pest control into their own little webbed fingers.

Lily hadn't slept a wink last night. She'd been up talking to Melinda for quite some time; everything had sort of just…spilled out. It started with a briefing on James' treatment of her, their little deal, and of course, that entailed admitting she had started the fire in the library.

Granted, it was rebuilding quite nicely. In fact, the building itself was repaired rather quickly with magic. Its contents, however, were not in the greatest shape. Madame Pince's efforts to restore the books and other priceless items was taking longer than expected, and many had been lost completely.

Lily felt terrible. She hadn't bothered to go back to her dorm at all. She'd simply spent the evening thinking by the lake, watching the beast's tentacles splash idly about until the stars began to fade. There was no point in hiding from Filch. She knew that Melinda, as an authority on campus, had a duty to report it to the Headmaster. In fact, perhaps it would be better if Filch simply caught her and drug her off. After all, it was only a matter of time before Dumbledore or McGonagall called her in to have her expelled. It was the only reasonable punishment for what she had done.

And, of all those things to think about, there was also James.

James Potter.

Ugh, what was she thinking?

Lily wiped her lips once more at the memory and wandered back up to the castle. She might as well face her fate right now, head on.

---

"How did it make you feel?"

Lily blinked down at her open palms laid flat on her lap. She looked up. "What?"

Melinda tipped her head and leaned back in her chair. "When he kissed you. How did it make you feel?"

"Er…" she blushed. "I-I don't know- I mean- fine- I think…"

Melinda cocked an eyebrow. "It made you feel…fine?"

"Er. Well. You know. I mean, it was a kiss. It was…" she could feel the blush creeping steadily higher. "It was a kiss…it was nice…"

Melinda smiled. "I see."

---

Lily gulped and lifted her chin. In all her years at Hogwarts, she had only been sent to Dumbledore's office twice. And one of those times was to congratulate her on her impeccable O.W.L.S. and to discuss some international exchange programs with the Ministry. And now she was marching to the scaffold on her own accord. She wouldn't wait for word to travel to him, she would tell him herself. It was the least-

Wham!

Lily toppled to the floor, cushioned by her bum. "Ngghh…" she groaned and rubbed her backside. But when she looked up her heart skipped a beat. It was McGonagall. Lily gulped.

McGonagall tutted. "Good heavens!" she adjusted her hat and smoothed her black robes. "Miss Evans, what on earth are you doing up at this hour?"

Lily swallowed hard. "Er…I was just…just coming to see the Headmaster."

McGonagall squinted inquisitively. "The Headmaster? Well I'm afraid he is out on business at the moment. What is it that you need?"

"Well…" Lily began slowly. "It's just that…" McGonagall looked rather impatient. She was tapping her foot. This only made Lily more nervous. "It's just, I'm assuming you heard about what happened with the library-"

"The library?" McGonagall peered down at her sharply. "Whatever have you heard about the library, Miss Evans?"

"Well, it's not so much heard as seen…"

"Seen?" McGonagall looked furious. "Are you trying to tell me you knew about Potter this whole time and haven't said anything?"

Lily blanched. "Potter?"

"He came to me last night and confessed to having a hand in the entire thing. Some sort of prank as usual…he claims it simply got out of hand," she was rambling, waving a hand dismissively. "But of course this is the final straw. He will meet his punishment."

"Professor, no, I think you mis-"

"Please, Miss Evans," McGonagall peered past Lily's shoulder distractedly. "I really must be going."

Lily opened her mouth, but McGonagall cut her off. "Really, we will continue this conversation later. You had best make your way back to the tower."

"But professor-!" But she'd already gone, black cloak whipping around the corner and disappearing into the shadows.

Lily smacked her forehead and groaned. James had given himself up in her stead?

---

"Perfect. Absolutely perfect, as usual," Helen nodded her head primly.

Charlotte whirled around twice in her beautiful new ice blue dress robes. "Yes. I am."

"James won't be able to resist you," Florence added, slurping on the end of a red sugar quill.

Charlotte grinned slyly. "Who said I liked James?" Then she frowned irritably at Florence and the stream of red dribbling down her chin. "Ugh." She rolled her eyes and looked back in the mirror at her own much more appealing image. "But…I definitely wouldn't mind taking him to the Yule Ball."

Helen giggled. "It's so obvious that you want him!"

"Of course it is!" Charlotte sighed. "Because I do."

Just then the door creaked open. Lily dragged herself in and tossed her bag onto her bed. She flopped down on her stomach and buried her face in her pillow.

Charlotte smirked and glanced at Helen and Florence. Sashaying her hips over to the window by Lily's bed, she peered outside. "Out all night again, Lily? Goodness…you must be tired."

Lily was silent, and buried her head deeper into the pillow.

"So…do like my new dress?" Charlotte examined a nail. "It's for the Yule Ball, you know. Are you going to go the Yule Ball, Lily?

"Haven't we already had this conversation?" Lily's muffled voice drifted up from within the pillow.

Charlotte tittered and began wriggling out of her dress. She hung it up and slipped into her robes. "I believe we have. I think there was also mention of James. As in, he's going with me. Not you."

Lily snorted and lifted her head. "Fat chance of that, Charlotte."

Her eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean? I thought we agreed you aren't good enough for him."

Lily frowned. "I don't recall that at all. But what I do know is that James Potter will probably never step foot on Hogwarts grounds again."

Charlotte blanched. "A-And just what does that mean? What did you do to him?"

Lily lowered her eyes and lay back down. "What haven't I done to him? Just go away, Charlotte." The thick red curtains shut in Charlotte's face with a snap.

She gasped and stumbled backwards, gaping at Helen and Florence.

"So…" Florence slurped on her feather quill. "I don't suppose you could lend me that dress? You not needing it now and all…"

---

"Melinda!" Lily burst through her office door, unannounced.

Melinda Moonshine peered up from her desk, which was piled with a few neatly stacked boxes which she was magically cramming into a small briefcase.

Lily halted. "Where are you going?"

Melinda smiled. "I'm leaving. Something's come up at home, and I need to take care of it. I'll be back...It's only temporary."

Lily furrowed her brow. "Is everything all right?"

Melinda smiled. "Yes. It will be."

She hesitated, biting her lip. "I...I was wondering..."

Melinda raised her sparkling eyes. "If I'd told Professor McGonagall what you told me?"

Lily blushed, completely embarrassed. "Yes. Well, I assumed you had. I'm sure it's your duty as part of the staff." She fiddled with the hem of her sleeve.

The dark curls shook from Melinda's eyes. "There's no need."

"But...why?"

"Lily, my holiday leave began yesterday. As far as I'm concerned, what you told me was entirely off the record. Besides," she smiled, "That is what friends are for."

Lily stammered, "But I thought that-"

"Lily," Melinda put down her things and faced her, placing a hand on Lily's shoulder. "I know you'll do the right thing."

---

Remus adjusted his spectacles and flicked the page of his book. It was just getting good when-

"Remus?"

He glanced up from his reading and blushed. "Hello, Lily. Er…is there something wrong?"

Lily stood there wringing her hands, back to the fire. They were in the common room and a few students were wandering through. She glanced nervously at them and lowered her voice. "Have you…have you seen James by any chance?"

Remus sighed. "I haven't. Not that he's speaking to me. James…well, he does this sometimes."

Lily frowned. "Does what?"

"Leaves. For days on end. Sometimes weeks."

"Weeks?" Her jaw tightened and she felt a damp sweat growing on her brow.

"It's just something he does," Remus said, closing his book. "I wouldn't worry. He'll turn up."

Lily began to panic. The boy can't turn himself in and then disappear! "But where does he go? How does he even get off the grounds?"

Remus smirked. "He has his ways. Er…is there something wrong?"

"Well...it's just...he's done something for me that he shouldn't have and now I think he's in real trouble."

Remus quickly lost his smirk. "What are you talking about?"

"He..." she took a deep breath. "He lied for me. And now he's surely going to be expelled."

"Wait. James..." sudden realization dawned on his features. "Did you two...the library?" His spectacles nearly fell off the edge of his nose. He ripped them off irately and waved his book about. "Are you crazy? How'd he convince you to get in that sort of trouble?"

"That's the thing," Lily blushed, embarrassed, "It was my idea."

"It was your idea to burn down the library?" He hissed incredulously.

"Of course not!" Lily sighed. "It was just...an accident. Look, I just need to find James so we can put things right."

"No, Lily." Remus stood abruptly. He grabbed her shoulder. "You can't do that, you'll be expelled."

"Remus, I have no choice!"

"You do. It may not be the right one, but...consider this," he said sternly. "James comes from a wealthy family. What could the school possibly do to a boy whose father pays a yearly lump sum to the school's fund?"

"It's the principle of the matter, Remus," Lily frowned. "I thought you would understand."

"I do," he sighed, "But...I'd rather not see you tossed out of school for some accident that you got caught up in with James, because I'm fairly positive he had a good hand in it too."

Lily sighed and removed Remus' hand from her shoulder with a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for the advice, but I have to own up to the consequences."

Remus watched her sadly as she climbed through the portrait hole.

Lily wandered through the corridors a bit, purposely taking the long route until at last she reached McGonagall's office door. There it stood, a bit more foreboding than she remembered. With a heavy sigh, she reached up to knock on the door when someone caught her wrist.

She was dragged backward unwillingly and shoved through the doorway of an empty classroom. Her back slammed against the chalkboard with a painful crack. "Ow..." she rubbed her head tenderly.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" a voice hissed in the dark, coming from a large shape looming over her.

"Lumos," she muttered, pulling her wand from her pocket.

James was staring down at her angrily, still grasping her left arm that she'd raised to knock on the office door.

"James! Where have you been?"

"Never mind that. Just tell me what you were thinking!" His hair was more disheveled than usual, and his eyes were dark with fury. "I did not risk my neck for you to come crawling back here and get yourself in trouble!"

"Yes, well while we're on that subject, why did you confess to burning down the library?"

James glowered. "Lily, why can't you just accept it and keep your mouth shut for once! Let me take the fall," he said, "The most they'll do is suspend me a few days. Look, my family has money in the school, and there's no way the school council is going to let me be expelled. No James, no Galleons for their Christmas bonuses."

Lily was shaking her head. "James...I can't. I'm sorry...it's just not the right thing to do."

"Then bugger the right thing for once! Lily!" He pleaded. "Please! Just...take it as my..." he choked on the word a bit, "apology to you."

Lily wanted to laugh, but her nervous stomach wouldn't allow it. "That's sweet James, really, but I have to do this."

James looked distraught. "You'll be expelled."

Lily sighed inwardly. She was more than aware of that. Yes...she was. "I know." She gave him a weak smile before leaving the empty room.

She reached McGonagall's office door once more, and took a deep breath. She lifted her hand and knocked twice.