Secretly
Lily Evans and James Potter have been best friends since their first year at Hogwarts. What happens when Lily discovers the one thing that has the potential to ruin their friendship? (Starts mid 6th year.)
Disclaimer: No, definitely not. If I owned Harry Potter and co. you'd be waiting a hell of a lot longer for each book to come out. And also I would be rich.
Chapter Ten: Fool For Love
The morning after the ball, Sirius, Remus, and Peter awoke to classical music, courtesy of James' slightly off key humming. James, of course, was already fully awake and obliviously waltzing to the music of his mind.
"James," Sirius started irritably, sitting up in bed, "What in the name of hell are you doing? It's eight-o-clock in the bleeding morning, and you're waltzing, sans partner, around our dormitory. I hate to dampen your spirits, but screw your head back on and shut up so the rest of us can go back to sleep!"
"I'm sorry Sirius, I just don't think I can stop," James informed him with a stupid grin. "Last night was just so…" James continued to babble about his night with Sarah, not noticing the silent plan made by Sirius and Remus.
Remus casually walked to the door and opened it. Sirius rose, substituted himself for James' imaginary partner, and waltzed James out the door. He rushed back in just as Remus shut the door on James and turned the lock. "Well that's solves that problem," Sirius said. "Now back to my beauty rest."
James waltzed into the common room, where Lily was curled up with a book in front of the fire, fast asleep. His humming woke her with a start, and she sat straight up, earning a surprised look from James.
"Good morning, Lily," James said politely, as she tried to shrink away from him.
"Morning, James," Lily stammered as she quickly rose and shook out her wrinkled clothes. "I was just… reading a bit… before breakfast." She looked at her wrist as though she was wearing a watch. "Look at that, breakfast has just started! Guess I'll get going!" she squeaked, dashing out through the portrait hole, leaving behind a befuddled James, who was no longer able to waltz.
Lily groaned as she walked down the hall. She hated herself for acting that way around James. It seemed to Lily that she was turning into one of "those girls" – the type that act all crazy the second they make eye contact with a boy they like. She shook off the feeling as she rounded the corner and walked past an open room. Lily did a double take and stepped back for a moment. She quietly peered into the room and saw none other than Sarah Sills talking to a boy Lily knew she recognized, but couldn't match a name to. Pressing herself against the wall, Lily listened.
"Are you sure?" the male voice asked.
"I've got him right where I want him, baby," Sarah said. "Mark my words, Dustin Ivers," she continued, revealing his name to Lily, "I have James Potter eating out of the palm of my hand."
"How can you be so sure?" Dustin questioned her, doubtfully.
"Because he chose me over her Lily Evans, his best friend in the entire world. I'm so in. Now all I have to do is get him away from his little gang and we'll be all set…"
As the voices stopped, Lily peered into the room and saw Sarah straddling Dustin, her lips locked on his. Lily didn't stay to see or hear any more. She rushed down to the Great Hall to gather her thoughts. 'Great,' she thought. 'Not only is he making me lose sleep, but I'm eavesdropping and spying and going crazy in general!"
She entered the nearly empty dining hall and sat at the end of the Gryffindor table, mulling over what had just happened. 'I have to tell James,' she thought loyally. She procrastinated mentally. 'Later,' she told herself.
In Herbology that day, Lily and Bella were working and talking together when Lily decided to ask Bella about what she had heard earlier.
"Hey Bells? Completely hypothetically, if Sirius was cheating on you…"
"He's what?" Bella screamed.
"Bella, no!" Lily tried to tell her.
"Sirius Black we are through!" Bella yelled across the greenhouse.
"What? Why?" a panicked Sirius shouted back.
Lily grabbed Bella's arm and pulled Bella to face her. "Bella, that was hypothetical. Sirius is not cheating on you."
"Oh, right," Bella processed this. "Sorry babe, we're back on!" she advertised to Sirius, as well as to the entire greenhouse. "Now Lily, what were you saying?"
"Okay, don't freak out this time." Bella nodded. "Hypothetically, if Sirius was cheating on you, which he is not, but if he was, and I knew, would you want me to tell you?"
"Of course," Bella answered instantly. "Lily if you know something like that, you have to tell whoever it is. They won't like hearing it, but they'll thank you later for saving them more heartache in the long run."
"That's what I figured," Lily murmured dejectedly.
Later that night, at dinner, Lily timidly approached James during a rare moment when Sarah was not at his side or in his lap. "James, I need to talk to you."
"Shoot, Lily," James said casually.
"Not here. Come outside with me." James obliged and rose to follow Lily out the door.
When they reached the steps outside the main entrance, James finally asked, "What's up? What did you have to talk to me about?"
"James, this is really hard to tell you and I swear I wish it wasn't true, because I know how much you like her…"
"Spit it out, Lily," James said impatiently, thinking that Lily was going to tell him what he had overheard her telling Sirius a month earlier, before their relationship had become so strained.
"Sarah is cheating on you!" Lily blurted out.
"What?" James spat angrily.
"I saw her… James, she's cheating on you. I'm sorry."
"What do you mean?" James asked her slowly, trying and failing to mask his anger with a falsely calm voice.
"I'm trying to tell you… James, I saw her. I saw Sarah with another guy. That Slytherin, Dustin Ivers," Lily said, remembering how Sarah had given away his name.
"I know what you said. I want to know what the hell you mean by dragging me out here and lying to me about my girlfriend cheating on me just because you're jealous," James menaced.
"Lying to you? I would never…" Lily's voice broke. "James what do you mean? Why would you say that?" she pleaded.
"Because you are. You're jealous because I'm with Sarah. I know you are. You told Sirius you're in love with me," James ventured boldly.
"How did you know…" Lily's words gave her away. "He didn't tell you…"
"No. I overheard your conversation. So it's true."
"You were eavesdropping on me? James, what has happened to you?"
'I don't know,' a part of James wanted to say. It wanted to reach out and comfort her, to tell her how sorry he was… but no.
"Nothing," he snapped violently. "You just can't take the fact that I have someone that I love and it's not you."
Lily looked up at him tearfully for a minute before turning to run back up the stairs and into the castle, but not long enough to see the flicker of regret in James' eyes. She walked down the hall, not really caring where she was or where she was going. James didn't believe her. And worse, he didn't trust her. 'He actually thought I would lie to him… He knows I love him…' she thought. Lily choked back a sob and stumbled up the first step of the staircase she had unknowingly come upon. She began ascending the stairs, still lost in thoughts of what had just happened. 'I've lost him,' she thought.
As she continued miserably up the long staircase, still thinking about James, Lily didn't notice the staircase starting to move, nor did she hear the footsteps behind her. Right before she fell, Lily turned to see the face of Dustin Ivers twisting into an evil smirk as he waved to her. 'So this is what dying feels like,' Lily thought as she plummeted toward the ground, not even aware of when the falling stopped and she hit the stone floor.
Coming out from behind a pillar, Sarah remarked, "Didn't even scream on the way down." She snuggled into Dustin as he put his arm around her and gave him a satisfied smile. "Guess our little Lily was a little sad," she said in a mock baby voice, before strutting haughtily down the hall with Dustin in tow.