A/N: It's been slow going for me here, but as a special present to all my faithful readers, here are two brand new chapters! I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them! I'm on a roll!
Chapter Fourteen: Family Reunion Part I
Tap. Tap.
Tap tap tap.
Lily swallowed hard and gripped the fabric of her skirt tightly in her fists, knuckles whitening.
TAP TAP TAP.
McGonagall adjusted her spectacles primly on the tip of her nose and cleared her throat. She let out a little sigh and turned to the window.
"Yes, good heavens, it's open!" she said.
Immediately the latch clicked and the frosted windows burst open, a dark brown hoot owl fluttering in and landing at the edge of McGonagall's desk. It held out its talons expectantly as she unraveled the scroll it was carrying, then sent it on its way into the night.
She cleared her throat again and turned back to Lily. "Well, Miss Evans," her lips were pursed tightly, "This is...unexpected. Indeed. And extremely disappointing, I must say..." her eyes softened sadly, "I expected far better of you."
Lily stared stonily down at her lap, cheeks flushed. "I'm...I'm so sorry."
"Yes. Well..." McGonagall stood and smoothed her hair, searching for words. "There are, unfortunately, courses of action that must be taken in such a situation. I'm afraid, Lily, that I've had to refer you to the Governing Board and..." She scanned the letter with her spectacles perched on the tip of her nose. "It appears they will be bringing up the topic of your punishment at the meeting tomorrow."
Lily nodded. "I completely understand."
"Well, you are to attend tomorrow at three where they will reach a verdict." She traveled around the desk and held the door open for Lily who walked like a dead man toward it.
Lily was about to cross the threshold when McGonagall cleared her throat one last time. "In the meantime, Miss Evans," she said with a stony face, "You will be relinquished of your prefect title and duties." She held out her hand.
Wide-eyed, Lily stared at her open palm. With a sigh, she unpinned her prefect badge and handed it over. As she did so, she watched the tiny delicate inscription of Lily Evans fade to a blank slate.
The door shut behind her with a click.
This had to be, officially, the worst day of Lily Evans' life. How could she let herself travel down this path? What had come of sweet, innocent, intelligent, and proper Lily Evans? She took a deep breath and scrolled through the pages of Detoxify, De-stress, and Don't Explode- Literally- for the Modern Witch in her mind and thought of "The Three A's." What was it? "Absorb, Appreciate, and Accept. Remember, life is a beautiful thing."
She breathed in and out slowly...absorbing the icy cold emptiness of the hallway. She was having a bit of trouble appreciating that at the moment. In fact, life was not a very beautiful thing at the moment- not at all, really. She bloody hated hers!
Oh, Melinda was right. The book was completely useless. Damn it all. If there was any time she needed a friend, it was most surely this moment. She wished Melinda were there...
Suddenly, as she plodded down the chilled stony corridors of the castle, Lily Evans felt quite unabashedly...lonely.
---
Lily spent the night lying awake, thinking of a way to properly tell her parents that she would be coming home for the holidays rather permanently. Each time she composed the letter in her head, she had to fight off the urge to cry. There was no justifiable reason, because she had, after all, brought this upon herself.
The next morning she slept in, quite set on not attending class since there was really no point. She was exhausted and even slept through Charlotte complaining loudly in a nails-on-chalkboard voice about her curl coaxing hair serum.
In fact, it wasn't until Lily felt the soft feathers of her owl brushing against her cheek and under her nose that she finally awoke. "Ugh...Rue! Stop that-"
Lily's eyes burst open to find a pair of gray ones staring back.
"AUGH!" Lily scrambled upright, covering herself with her sheets. "How the bloody hell did you get in here?"
Sirius grinned at her, holding up a feather quill. "James is right. You are too much fun, Lily."
"I repeat-how-"
"Please, I'm Sirius Black!" he swatted the air dismissively. "And I'm kidnapping you, by the way."
"Oh, are you now?" Lily sunk back into bed and buried her face in her pillow. "I'm going to count to three, and when I open my eyes, you will be gone. One- two-"
"I'm here for James," he said casually. "He told me to fetch you and…ta-da!" Sirius grinned delightedly.
Lily lifted her head. "Sirius, I have to attend a Governing Board meeting in…" she glanced at her clock and grimaced, "an hour to determine my fate at this school. I've slept this long?"
"Yes. You're quite lazy. Now get up." Sirius was perusing the room, apparently not the least bit concerned about Lily's looming expulsion. He was examining one of Lily's unmentionables.
"Put that down!" she gasped, leaping out of bed and tearing it out of his hands. "You letch! Don't you have class this morning?"
Sirius shrugged and moved on to some other trinkets lying about. "What are you going to do about it? I don't see that shiny badge of yours around here anymore."
"Good point. But that doesn't mean I have to come with you." Lily frowned at him. He had just picked up something off the floor and popped it into his mouth. "I'm going to the bathroom to dress. When I come out, you'd better be gone!"
Sirius grimaced and spit the unidentified object back out into his hand. He waved Lily off. "Well that's not going to happen, so hurry up in there."
Lily closed the door and groaned. This was getting ridiculous. Exactly how much was James going to interfere? And more importantly, what was he planning that he couldn't have come to get her himself? She stared idly at herself in the mirror a moment and rubbed the bags beneath her eyes. Bugger. Well, a ponytail was really the best she could do...Though it didn't really matter. How she looked in front of the school Governors wasn't going to change the fact that she burned down the bloody library.
When Lily emerged again, Sirius was lounging on her bed, perusing a copy of Witch Weekly.
"Looking, er, fab, love." He tossed the magazine aside and stood up. "Er...where are you going?"
She reached for the doorknob. "To get some lunch."
He snatched her cloak off the end of her bed and jumped in front of her. "No, 'fraid not. Put this on."
"Sirius, please. This is ridiculous, now move aside." Lily tried to shuffle around him, but he kept blocking her. "Black! Out of my way!" Lily made to shove him aside, but the instant she lifted her arms, he snaked a hand around her waist and tossed her over his shoulder.
"Sorry, love. I'm acting on strict orders from the best mate." With that, and Lily shrieking loudly in his ear, he tossed James' Invisibility Cloak over them and in a flash, disappeared.
---
James peered up from his table at the Hog's Head and frowned. "There you are. What took you so bloody long?"
Sirius ignored him and turned to the bar where a grouchy old man was scouring a dirty glass. "'Lo, Aberforth!" Sirius slapped a hand on the counter, sending a puff of dust into the air.
The barkeep grunted and continued scrubbing the mug in his hand.
Lily was dropped to the floor in a daze, but when she spotted James, her eyes immediately became slits. She stomped across the empty tavern and slammed her open palms on the surface of the table in front of him. His drink wobbled and sloshed a bit. "Just what do you bloody think you're doing, Potter?"
James grinned. "Lily, relax. I have a plan."
She leaned in with a dangerous look in her eye and thunked him on the forehead.
"Ow!"
"James Potter, you are going to take me back to my bed in Gryffindor Tower this instant or I'll- I'll-"
"You'll what?" he leaned gingerly on his elbow. "Give me a detention?"
Lily's mouth was agape, at a loss for words.
"That's what I thought." James stood up and slung his arm around her shoulder roughly. "Now, Lils darling, you completely disobeyed me the first time and turned yourself in to McGonagall. Well. I'm not going to allow that."
"I'm sorry James," Lily grimaced, tugging free of James' grasp, "I'm afraid you can't turn back time."
"Perhaps not. But I can change the future."
Lily folded her arms. "And how do you plan on doing that?" She held out a demonstrative hand. "By holding me for ransom in a whiskey-sodden shack?"
Sirius plopped down at the table next to Lily, dropping a foaming mug of something that looked suspiciously unlike Butterbeer onto the chipped wood surface. "Lily, have a seat." He yanked her cloak so that she plopped unwillingly into the chair beside him.
Lily frowned at something sticky and green on the floor beneath her feet.
James began pacing back and forth in front of her, while Sirius snaked an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight. "It's very simple, really. We're going to Floo you straight to the hearing so the Governing Board won't have a chance to send their own goons to bring you in."
Lily looked offended. "They were going to escort me? They think I won't show up of my own accord?"
Sirius shrugged. "You're a right felon now, aren't you?"
Lily frowned, but he had a point. She was a delinquent. In their eyes, what was stopping her from ditching the thing?
"Right…" James continued, face suddenly flushed, "And I frankly hated the thought of them…manhandling you like a criminal- which you aren't!"
Lily felt a tug at the corner of her mouth. Was it possible he actually cared about her well-being? Regardless, she was still uncertain of this little "plan," because so far, all she'd seen was the inside of a smelly tavern and was most definitely doing something against the rules.
"Anyway," James brushed away his anger, the scowl becoming a self-satisfied grin. "I've got you a way out."
Lily just glared at him. "This is ridiculous. I'm leaving. I'm not going to let your little antics get me into anymore trouble."
Sirius leapt out of his chair and blocked her path. "Whoa, whoa. I'm afraid you can't do that, love."
James nudged Sirius out of the way and placed his hands on Lily's shoulders. "Lily, please. Just give me a chance…I…I know I've been a complete prat, but you've got to trust me on this one. I've been in far worse situations, and there is one thing that always, always gets me out of it. Just let me help you."
Frowning, Lily stared James down. She searched his hazel eyes for any flicker of mischief or malice…but she found none. What she did see, though it shocked her to admit, was genuine concern.
Lily sighed. "All right. Let's go."
James grinned and took Lily's hand, dragging her over behind the bar. "Aberforth- we'll take that Floo powder now."
They were following the grumbling old man up a set of stairs when Lily noticed Sirius wasn't with them. "Aren't you coming?"
He took another swig from his glass and winked. "No, love. I've got to get to class."
When they arrived at the place of the meeting- a dimly let, yet richly decorated round room lined with several doors- they were already late. A wizard directed them through one of the doors, and Lily took a deep breath. James took her hand gently and ushered her inside.
Immediately, all eyes turned on them. Lily blushed.
The room was small, but crammed full of chairs for spectators, of which there were only a few, and at the head was a long, curved table lined with several chairs, each filled with a witch or wizard robed in black and silver.
"Ah," grimaced a slender old man with a pinched face, "She arrives. At last."
Lily felt her cheeks flush even deeper.
James frowned. "Donahue. Looking pasty, as always."
The old man fumed and banged his gavel, turning to the other witches and wizards. "Shall we resume? Albertson. Gerald. If you wouldn't mind collecting the defendant in question?" He indicated to two rather large cloaked men in the corner.
They moved in on Lily, making to grab her, but James stepped in their way, pushing Lily behind him. "She'll sit with me for now, thanks."
The beefy men frowned with their fish lips and turned bewilderedly to Donahue for instruction.
Donahue looked as if he wanted to scream, but instead nodded curtly. Albertson and Gerald made their way back to their little corner and continued to look stern and brooding.
James took Lily's hand and sat her down beside him in the front row.
"While you were taking your precious time, Miss Evans," Donahue announced tersely, "The Board came to a decision."
Lily held her breath and squeezed James' hand unconsciously, her stomach twisting and turning.
An elderly woman stood and read gingerly from a piece of parchment, "It is the decision of the Esteemed Governing Board of the Howarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, that the offending student, Miss Lily Evans, be permanently expe-"
"I would highly advise going no further with that statement," a deep voice boomed from across the room.
Lily and James turned to see who had spoken. A tall, elderly man strode across the room, clutching a fistful of parchment. He slammed his hands down on the immaculately carved table and spread the parchment out before the Governors. He stood back, hands folded neatly behind him.
Donahue looked extra pale all of a sudden. "Why, Mr. Potter, I didn't realize we'd be having the pleasure of-"
Lily blanched as white as Donahue, turning to James with an indescribable expression. He simply watched his father intently, muttering under his breath, as if urging his father on.
"Believe me, there is no pleasure on my part," Mr. Potter interrupted, nodding his head in the direction of his son. "I've been informed by my son of the ill fate of his friend Miss Evans. I do believe my son came to you with the explicit claim that it was he who had a hand in the aforementioned crime, did he not?"
"He did, but-" Donahue wiped the sweat from his brow.
"And I do appreciate your sincere certainty that my son is innocent in the matter, however, in doing so you call my son a liar."
Donahue looked a tad peeved. "With all due respect, Mr. Potter-"
"I'm afraid you've directed your respect to the wrong fellow. I'll have you look over these student records here, though I'm sure you have already. But allow me to refresh your memories. Lily Evans was not only a prefect, but top of her class with an outstandingly perfect record." Mr. Potter's graying hair gave him a very regal air as he began pacing, his eggplant velvet robes swishing behind him. "That is, until she became acquainted with my son."
The Governors exchanged glances.
"As much as I love him, my son does have his faults, as we can all agree upon comparing their records. I think it's clear the amount of coercion that likely went on." Mr. Potter stopped pacing, and turned to directly face the Governors. "I'm certain that my son will be very willing to join Miss Evans in serving on the student-formed committee to help with the restoration of the tarnished library property, just as I will be more than willing to make a sizeable donation to more than cover the repairs of the library. And I'm sure that we can all come to the agreement that this was simply a terrible, terrible accident, regrettable to both parties." His hazel eyes twinkled, and made him appear half his age.
Donahue looked visibly shaken, but satisfied. "Well then, you are, of course, one of Hogwarts' greatest benefactors." He banged the gavel. "Upon acceptance of a generous donation to cover repair costs, Miss Evans will be pardoned of her crime."
Lily's heart seized up. She looked tearfully to James who was grinning, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Lily glanced down and realized she was still holding James' hand, probably soaking him with sweat. But she didn't care. She leapt out of her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Thank you," she whispered, squeezing him tight.
James smiled and pulled her gently off of him, adjusting his robes. "No problem." But his smile froze when he locked eyes with his father who was making his way back down the short aisle to the doorway.
Lily stopped Mr. Potter, touching his sleeve lightly. "Sir, I can't begin to thank you enough. Whatever can I do to repay you?"
James' father stared down at her stolidly. "No need to worry, child." He glanced at James. "You've done plenty." He shunned her and turned to his son. "Your mother and I will be waiting for you at home."
With that, Mr. Potter disappeared through the door.
"What on earth was that about?" Lily stared after him.
"Don't mind him," James scowled. "See? Didn't I tell you it would be alright?"
"Yes…but…now I feel as if I'm entirely indebted to your family!" Lily fretted, pale from nerves. "What will I do? You're father must be donating an exorbitant amount to keep me in school."
"Relax," James waved it off. "It's no big deal. You don't owe him anything. I do."
Lily frowned. "What do you mean?"
James shrugged. "Never mind. Let's get you back to Hogwarts."
"All right…" Lily said tentatively, "but only if you let me buy you a Butterbeer on the way." She nudged him playfully in the side.
James grinned. "I suppose I can accept that offer."