9. Love you, love you not

A girl in white gown with a train full of silver sequins is running with a man in black suit.

Someone shouts 'Lily,'

The girl turns back and sees the man in the black suit with his back towards her. He had ebony black hair, combed back. She put her hand on his shoulder, he turned back, Lily saw a flash of hazel eyes and a bright smile………………….

………………….and Lily got up.

Her heart was thumping madly and she was breathless. For a moment she felt that she had seen James and the next moment she felt as if the voice was Aulay's. Her head was heavy and she couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.

………………………………………………………..

More than a week had passed since their departure from Hogwarts. Sirius and Lily were missing their school and friends dearly. Being a weekend, the day was given off for all of them. Mary and Pamela had decided to visit the nearby village, Lhysterdaux. Ted was busy completing the notes of the classes that he had missed. Sirius was resting in his canopy. Lily was sitting in the common area reading a book on Jean Daudet, a famous wizard, when Aulay came and sat next to her.

She looked at him and smiled and he smiled back. Lily closed the book and started talking to him.

"So, how's your school like?" Aulay asked him after answering the same question.

"It is my haven, home away from home. It is such a nice place, so comfortable, so affectionate; feels as if it lives," Lily replied dreamily while Aulay gazed at her.

"I have never thought like that. Probably Durmstrang lives too. But I love it even otherwise," he grinned when Lily's eyes met his. He continued, " And how are your friends?"

" Friends……….I have quite a few. Let me name them for you – Sydney, Remus, Peter, James, Sirius, Sev…..," she couldn't go on.

"Who's Sev?" Aulay noticed the change in expression in Lily's eyes after she said his name.

"My oldest friend, my best friend. But last year things changed. We started drifting apart, and now there is an unbridgeable gap between us," Lily answered. She was shocked that she uttered these words to Aulay. She had never said them to even herself.

Aulay patted her cheek and she smiled weakly.

"How are your friends? I saw that you don't gel well with Pamela," Lily asked him to get out of her mood.

"Pam and me can never gel. We are two poles being forced to work together. She hates me, I hate her, end of it. It is the same as you and Sirius,"

"I don't hate Sirius," Lily frowned at the comparison.

"You don't? I do,"

"Why? I mean if you don't mind me asking,"

"We've never been pals. Since the time I knew him, he's been an insufferable arrogant brat and I don't like such people,"

Lily was about to defend Sirius but decided otherwise, considering the privacy between two people and their fights.

She changed the topic.

"Do you read books?" She asked him.

"I love to. My favourite is the one that you are holding,"

"Really?"

"Yup! The wizard is so amazing, so powerful. I wish to be like him,"

"Do you wish to be amazing or powerful?" Lily asked him naughtily.

"I am amazing. Now I wish to be powerful,"

Both, Lily and Aulay, started laughing at this.

"You have beautiful eyes, Lily," Aulay complimented her, looking deep in her eyes.

Lily grinned at him. She said 'thank you' and looked at his eyes. They were pure hazel. Aulay was the second person she had met who had such eyes. They were exactly like James'. In fact, Lily found many things about Aulay that were like James; like his body type, his hair colour, his love for quidditch, his smile. Though less innocent than James', his smile was very endearing.

"Hey Lily, a letter," Sirius announced coming out of his canopy, over-expressing his disgust, by his expression, on seeing Lily and Aulay together.

"Whose?" Lily asked him.

"Come with me," Sirius said firmly.

"She is talking to me and you have no business here. So. Just leave us alone," Aulay stood up from his seat and spoke to Sirius.

"Keep your nose out of it, wannabe, or you'll have it punched out,"

"Oh yeah?" Aulay moved towards him when Lily came in between both of them.

"I'll see you later Aulay," she said hurriedly and took Sirius out before it got too late.

They went near the river and Lily asked him, " What is it, Sirius?"

"A letter from Prongs,"

"For me?"

"Us,"

"You. Why do you tell me?"

"I want you to read it,"

"I don't want to,"

"Then listen to it,"

"Sirius, please don't,"

Sirius held Lily's hand tightly, so that she couldn't run away, and started reading the letter.

'Dear Padfoot,

How are you? And how is Lily? I'm missing you both a lot. Transfiguration is such a drag without you. No new prank, Moony going out with Syd and the ever-more-sloppy jokes of Wormtail; I'm feeling like a prisoner in Azkaban. By the way, Lou is a sweet girl and the only time when I enjoy myself nowadays is when I'm with her.

Will write later. Take care of Lily.

Prongs'

Lily's eyes were watery but she quickly regained her composure and sat on the edge of the land near the river.

"He's smitten. But he hasn't forgotten you," Sirius spoke, controlling his urge to tell it all to Lily.

Lily didn't reply. She kept looking at the pure water, which was flowing above her feet, tickling her toes.

"You like him, don't you?"

Again, silence prevailed.

"Come on, Lily. Speak up. Until and unless you speak you won't be able to understand what you feel,"

"Yes,"

Sirius couldn't believe that she was confessing her feelings for James to him. It meant a lot to him. He vowed inside himself that he won't ever let her down and will make sure that she gets through to James.

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"It was just a frivolous crush. Moreover, I never took it seriously,"

"He did. He loved you,"

Lily looked at him and felt a shovel digging deep inside her. She couldn't take it; so she looked away and Sirius understood that his job was half done. He decided to discuss another major issue.

"By the way, what is it going on between you and Mackenzie?"

"Me and Aulay?" Lily looked surprised.

"Yes. You looked quite comfortable with him on the broomstick,"

" I was, but he's just a friend,"

"He's not a friend, he's a fiend. He cannot be anybody's friend,"

"Why?"

"There are some things, Lily, which you must understand now. Aulay is not a nice person,"

"But he's been so good to me,"

"He may have vested interests,"

"How can you say that?"

"I've known him childhood . He's a crook, a bad crook,"

"How?"

"He's James' step-brother and I've spent half of my life in his house,"

"What?"

"Let us not get into the gory details of things. But let me warn you off him. He doesn't deserve anybody's friendship," Sirius finished and got up.

He put his hand out to help Lily get up.

"I'll come later," she said.

"OK," said Sirius and walked towards the castle.

Lily sat there, pondering over what Sirius had told her. Then her mind glided over to James' letter and very soon she started wondering about her dream.

She was busy thinking when someone shouted her name. She turned back and saw the same pair of hazel eyes. She noticed his hair – they were combed.

'Aulay!' she thought to herself.

Aulay came, sat down beside her and said, " So, he's told you that I'm James' stepbrother,"

"How do you know?" Lily asked in confusion.

"He gave me a queer look when I crossed him in the gallery. I guessed and I guessed right,"

"It doesn't make a difference. It is not a crime to be someone's stepbrother. I don't know why this is a cause of such a row between you two, but I don't give it much importance," Lily spoke calmly.

"Thank you. You're the first person I've met who doesn't think that being James Potter's stepbrother is a crime,"

They sat in silence for a while then Aulay spoke again, " Lily, I like you very much,"

Then he bent down on his knees and said, " You have enchanted me. You are like no other girl and I have fallen in love with you,"

Lily was rooted to the spot.

"He's not a friend, he's a fiend. He cannot be anybody's friend,"

"I've known him childhood Lily. He's a crook, a bad crook,"

"Let me warn you off him. He doesn't deserve anybody's friendship,"

Sirius had warned her to stay away from Aulay. But her dream had shown her something else. The voice was Aulay's.

Lily was confused. She said just one thing and ran away to the castle, " I need time,"

………………………………………

Everybody was busy packing their belongings. They were being sent back early because of the upcoming examinations in Durmstrang. Lily felt a bit awkward when Aulay came in and smiled sweetly at her. She smiled back weakly and went inside her canopy. Everybody had gotten a letter from the caretakers. Lily's letter was placed on her bed.

'Ms. Lily Evans,

We have been extremely privileged to train such a brilliant batch of students. We had been evaluating all the students and the marks are as follows:

Ms. Lily Evans - 70 points

Ms. Pamela Devlin - 50 points

Ms. Mary Sears - 60 points

Mr. Sirius Black - 45 points

(lost 20 because of his disappearance)

Mr. Aulay Mackenzie - 75 points

Mr. Ted Odum - 55 points

Note: After two weeks, the students of Durmstrang and Beauxbaton will visit Hogwarts for the next stage of the training.'

Lily felt relieved to go back to Hogwarts, to her haven, her home away from home.