The Forgotten Tale of Lily and James

Disclaimer: NOT MINE!

Ch2 – Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun

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Lily stared disbelievingly up at Dumbledore while he was making his annual 'welcome back' speech after the sorting of the scared, unknowing first years. Once Lily saw the children she couldn't help but muse over her past six years at Hogwarts, they were wonderful, they were. Full of just about every emotion possible. Even the bad ones, but that's what made them so memorable, they were real. She didn't live a lie, a lie full of fake happiness, forced laughs, atrociously plastered smiles, and pretend teenage romance. That wasn't like her. If she was happy, she made sure that everyone that looked at her knew it, if she was miserable, she knew she looked it, untucked shirts, crinkled skirts, ruffled hair and a frown. She wasn't one to give off false impressions.

So naturally, at this moment, she looked as angry as all hell. Her eyebrows furrowed, her lips formed a slight pout, and she seemed to glare at everyone she looked at. Yet, the only thing that she seemed to be thinking of in her pretty little angered head was, how could he?

As in, how could Dumbledore have made James Potter Head Boy? James Potter. Head Boy. It was ludicrous, that's what it was. It was a completely irrational decision. Irrational, ridiculous, and unfair. Lily had worked so hard for her position. She had done all of her homework assignments, all of her projects, and done well on every single test that she had ever took. Because she studied. A completely foreign concept to James Potter. She studied for every single test, quiz, examination, final, everything. Sometimes she even studied for full nights in a row, no sleep, no food, no distractions. Just hardcore studying. And what had James done in his previous six years? Oh, besides get about a million detentions? Absolutely nothing.

Lily crashed into reality when she heard Chanel rudely remarking about her behavior to her other friends. And heard her mutter under her breath, 'Well, she was being a bitch.' when Eloise gave her a stop-that-right-now-you-know-it's-about-James look. Lily's special talent was reading Eloise's faces like a damn book, they were just too easy. Well, to her anyway.

"Sorry." Lily mumbled.

"No you're not." Lily looked up to see Chanel's smug face.

Instead of replying with a copious amount of the most colorful words she had ever learned, Lily simply returned to looking at her plate and slowly bringing the food to her mouth.

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James looked at Lily from across the table, mesmerized by her radiance as always.

It's not fair, he thought. I tried so hard. Maybe it just isn't meant to be after all...

And of course, admitting this was the hardest thing to do. Sure dealing with family, school, and his friend's drama was tough. But Lily. Oh boy, she was the hardest thing to cope with out of everything. He tried to make it work between them, well he tried for a relationship. He wasn't asking for her to be betrothed to him for fuck's sake. He just wanted a chance. Not a lifelong promise, just one damn chance. Why didn't she get that?

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After the Welcome Back Feast, Chanel wandered through the halls of the castle, alone. It was almost past curfew. She had left after everyone got back to their dorm and unpacked. She needed to think. She was wondering what her purpose was. She did that often actually. It was obvious to her that she was often lonely, even when surrounded by all of her closest friends, for a reason that not even she knew. She felt as though something was missing. Something huge. Something really important. She had friends. Lily and Ellie were her world. Even The Marauders could be relied on sometimes. She had a family. No matter how broken. The move was the real reason her family split up. The move was all her fault too. But in the end Chanel didn't really care about the past. She cared about now. What could she do to figure out what she was missing? How could she make her life seem complete? What did she need?

"Chanel?" She whipped around. "Who's there?" She asked forcefully, with her wand drawn. A figure stepped out of the shadows. She couldn't really tell who it was from so far away. She stepped forward cautiously.

"It's Remus." She could see him clearly now. "Oh, hello Remus. What are you up to?"

"I'm doing my rounds. I got stuck with first night patrol."

"Ah, that blows." She stated simply.

"Erm, yeah. Um, its past curfew Chanel." He said nervously. She would bite his head off if she wasn't in the proper mood. She'd done it before.

"Oh, sorry Remus. I hadn't realized it was so late." Chanel replied softly. "So am I the first one?"

Remus was confused. "Are you the first one of what?"

"The first of the year to get a detention, you nitwit."

"Oh," Remus said, now knowing what the blonde was talking about. "I can't give detentions the first night."

"Since when, Remus?"

"Now."

"Oh really?" She said walking closer to him. She grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her level. "And why would that be, exactly, Remus?" She loved watching him stumble over his words. It was adorable.

"I-I-I u-um, w-well, since you u-um. I m-mean-" He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again he looked into her eyes and said, "Why are you doing this to me?"

She leaned closer. "Doing what, exactly? Remus?" She didn't bother to wait for his response. She walked away slowly at first, but once she was hidden by the shadows, she ran. All the way back to the tower. She didn't even stop to talk to Ellie, who was whispering with Sirius until she walked into the room. She ignored her inquisitive stares and just went up the stairs. She quickly changed and went to bed. She had classes tomorrow. Ew.

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"So what does your name actually mean?" Sirius asked her. Sirius and Chanel were sitting at lunch two days after Remus and Chanel's late night encounter. Eloise was off doing the back-to-school essay she never did. Remus was, well no one knew. James and Lily were doing 'Head work'. So Chanel was left to endure Sirius' company for the hour.

"Ugh, Sirius! What's with the questions?"

"Secrets, secrets are no fun?" He gave her the puppy eyes. Anything but that.

"'Channel'. It's French." Chanel replied.

"What's a channel?"

"It's like a passageway, sort of, that anything can pass through, you know?" She replied, not really caring about her own name.

"So why'd your mother name you Chanel?"

"It's also a muggle fashion brand. She loves it. Why'd your mother name you Sirius then, huh?"

"I don't know. Because I'm serious?" He replied with a grin.

"You're so retarded. Seriously, Sirius, why?"

"Well, that's a mouthful," He laughed. "Actually, I'm named the Dog Star." He growled to prove his point.

She snorted. She hated when she snorted, she felt like a right idiot. "That's interesting. Different."

"Your name's French, you said? I didn't know you were French."

"I'm only half French." Chanel replied. "What's the other half then?"

"I'm not quite sure actually. My mom's the French one. I lost touch with my dad years ago. I don't know what his heritage is."

"Why'd you lose touch with him?" Sirius asked cautiously. He didn't want to seem too intrusive. But come on, he wanted to know.

"I never talked to him or my older brother after we moved." She replied guiltily while looking at her plate.

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"Yeah, I have two actually. Beau is my younger, Marco is my older."

"You moved from America, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I lived in New Jersey. But I went to school in Pennsylvania. Cokeworth School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Yeah I've heard of it. Why'd you move?" He inquired.

Chanel shrugged, she didn't feel like explaining. "A couple reasons."

Sirius nodded, she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe he'd see if Remus knew, Remus would tell him. He changed the subject. He could see she was uncomfortable. "What does Ellie's name mean?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure. But her real name isn't Ellie anyway." Chanel rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I was just asking, chill out darling!" Sirius was about to go back to scoffing down another sandwich when something clicked. "Wait, Ellie's real name isn't Ellie?"

Oh no, Chanel was in for it now. "Erm," She said uncomfortably. "No it's not."

"Well…?" Chanel merely stared at him. "What is it woman!"

Chanel rolled her eyes and reluctantly told him. Ellie would kill her for sure. "It's Eloise."

"Eloise!" Sirius chuckled. "I knew Ellie couldn't have been her real name!"

"Why couldn't it be her real name, O Smart One?"

"Because Ellie isn't a real name!"

"Oh really?" Chanel smirked. "What about Ellie Barbre, you know, the fourth year? Quidditch team, Hufflepuff?"

"Hmm, well that's only one, I suppose." He replied matter-of-factly.

Chanel scoffed. "If she asks, you better tell her you figured it out on your own or I'm a dead witch."

She then asked, "Why do you want to know what Ellie's name meant." It was actually more of a demand then an actual question.

"I felt like it." He replied indignantly. Why did everyone jump to conclusions? Couldn't he just ask a simple question? Chanel opened her mouth to reply, when she was interrupted. Remus interjected, "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Hay is for horses, dumbass." Sirius had to put his two cents in.

"My mother says that, all the time." Remus replied.

"I know your mother more than you know." Sirius replied with a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Remus opened his mouth to verbally beat up Sirius, but just like Chanel, he was interrupted. "Can we have some decent conversation here boys?" Chanel requested.

The two boys crossed their arms and frowned.

"Oh, grow up!"

Boys will be boys.

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Lily walked alone after James Potter and she had a forty five minute argument on furniture layouts for the Halloween Ball. He was so annoying. Why did everyone like him so damn much? Whatever, Lily didn't have enough time to list society's issues. She glanced at her watch, it read 12:45. There wasn't enough time for her to eat lunch. I hate James Potter, Lily thought. More than anything. If she ever saw Potter again, it would be too damn soon.

"Lily!"

Way too soon.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily grumbled.

"Well, we have to work together now, right?" James told her. Lily glared in response.

"And we'll have to get along, right?" Another glare.

"And we'll have to-"

"Spit it out, Potter!" The redhead was getting angry now.

"James." He said calmly.

"What?"

"James," He said. "That's my name, you know. You could try using it."

"I prefer Potter, Potter," She smirked. "After all, we're not friends."

"Ah, you are correct in saying that, Lily-flower. That's what I came to talk to you about."

"You want to be friends? With me? Are you daft?"

"No, no. It'll take hard work for us to be friends, my dear Lily-bean. I wish to be your acquaintance."

"What? Why?"

"Come on, Lils, you don't want fifty minute arguments every time we meet. We have to spend tons of time together since we share the Head's tower and stuff. What do you say Tiger-Lily?"

"On one condition, you stupid prick." She scoffed. He looked at her confused and surprised. He didn't expect her to agree, even if there was a condition. "My name is Lily, not Lillian, Lils, Lily-bean, Tiger-Lily, Lily-flower, or any other variation of my name. Understood?"

"What about sweetheart?"

"No."

"Honey?"

"No."

"Cutiepie?"

"No!"

"Well, what about-"

"For fuck's sake, no! It's Lily or it's nothing!"

"Fine, fine. Lily." He rolled his eyes.

"Thank you…James." She said, as if she was trying it out to see how it sounded. She never called him just 'James'. It was either Potter or his full name. "I have to get to class so-"

"I'll see you around." He winked at her and turned and walked away slowly.

"Yeah, okay." She whispered to herself.

That was weird.

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Eloise was pacing the hallway outside her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She had asked to go to the bathroom, but was too lazy to walk all the way there so she settled for walking around the hallway. She was bored. She didn't want to learn this shit. She wanted to become an Auror! She didn't want to re-learn about stupid magical creatures and the Unforgivable Spells, she learned that in fourth year! She wanted to learn about Defense Spells and the Death Eaters. That was interesting to her! She knew she could be an Auror. She already had the transformation part down. She was a Metamorphmagus after all. She changed her hair from lime green to a deep purple, just to prove her point to herself. She couldn't wait to fill out her Auror application. She couldn't wait to go to training, even though she heard it was brutal. She couldn't wait to be called out on assignments and go undercover. Eloise was ecstatic, she was working herself up to the point that she actually got mad at herself when she realized what she had been doing and still had a number of months before she would even get her application and a couple years before she could be a full Auror. That would be awesome.

"I almost didn't recognize you with purple hair, Vance." A voice said from behind her. She held her breath and turned around. When she saw who it was she let out her breath with relief.

"Oh, it's just you."

just so you know; the characters' names are: Chanel Williams and Eloise 'Ellie' Vance