Chapter 18: A Poisoned Lily
The time to meet Bellatrix in the Slytherin common room had finally arrived, and Lily was on her way there, dress folded carefully in one hand and makeup bag in the other, when a gust of wind shot passed and something solid blocked her way. It was James Potter and he had his arms spread as over the entrance to the dungeons, blocking her. He also wore a mixture of expressions as he looked at her, none that she could quite pinpoint at the moment.
"What is it, Potter? I'm going to be late," Lily asked in what she hoped was a calm and even voice. Lately her meetings with him were becoming more and more distressing, and usual finished with one, or both, of them feeling tired and miserable.
"Ev-Lily," he breathed, putting his arms down at his sides. "I know I've been acting like a real...uh..."
"Jackass? Idiot? Chauvenist Pig? Moron? Barbarian?" she suggested with a small smile.
"All of the above, actually," he replied with a small smile of his own. "Anyway, seeing as how it's Christmas and such, I wanted to give you something as a proper way of telling you I'm really, truly and sincerely sorry."
With that he produced a small square box decorated in gold paper and tied in red ribbon. It fit into the palm of his hand and he gently placed it in Lily's after she transferred the dress into her other hand.
The moment the box touched her hand it unwrapped itself and opened the white box that was covered. Inside of it was a golden lily hairclip with ruby tipped petals and stripes flowing from the center outward.
"Just 'cause you're going out with a Slytherin doesn't mean you can't show your House colors, Miss Champion Lioness," Potter said with a wink and left the entrance so she could go through.
"That was actually pretty decent of him," she thought with a smile and put the lily securely in the secret pocket of her makeup bag before going down to the blank wall of the Slytherin common room.
In front of the wall stood Bellatrix who was looking at her in an impatient sort of way and tapping her foot, "You're running late Lily."
"Sorry. I got held up," the red head responded.
Bellatrix said the password, "Coils", and they were once again greeted by the sight of the green common room. Except this time around there were students there, reading books, talking and even practicing some basic wand movement. They scattered around the room, either in the chairs, on the couch, or in the dark corners of the room.
One student, who was by himself at one of the desks near the back, looked up when he saw the unexpected flame of red in the sea of blacks and greens.
"Lily?" Severus asked as he made his way to the girls.
On his passing many of the students stopped their activities to look at the new arrival. Some were whispering to each other about why their own Queen brought in her rival, others were looking at Lily like she was the most interesting find in a museum, and some- mostly girls- were giving her warning looks as if trying to say "Steal any of our boys and you're dead".
"Hello Sev," she said with a smile and gave him a hug, which he returned whole-heartedly.
"Lucky prat," a boy in the closest corner said to his friend who nodded in agreement.
"Not that I'm happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" he asked letting go of her, though he really did not want to.
"I invited her so we could get ready for the ball tonight," Bellatrix answered and dragged Lily by the arm to her dormroom. "And we're running late!"
They went up four flights of stairs before they finally reached a door. It was mahogany that had a brass nameplate on it saying "Prefect's Quarters", a brass doorknob, and a brass knocker shaped like two intertwining snakes in a ring.
"You have your own room?" Lily asked amazed.
"Of course, and so does Severus. It's standard for all the Slytherin Prefects," she explained in a dull voice as they walked into her room. "Why do you ask? Doesn't Gryffindor have private rooms for their Prefects?"
"No. We stay with our dormmates in a five bed room and one bath," Lily answered, trying to sound just as nonchalent but could not help but feel envious.
"One bath for five people! You poor dear!" Bellatrix said, turning on Lily and looking scandalized.
"It isn't a big deal, really," the guest replied, getting a little annoyed at how much of a princess her "friend" was acting. "Besides, I prefer going to the Prefects' Bathroom whenever I get the chance."
"Have went today?" she asked in a skeptical voice.
"I didn't have the time, so I just used the one in the dor- Hey!" Lily yelled as the other girl waved her wand and stripped her down to her underwear. "Bella!"
"Not another word, Lily!" she ordered as she pushed her into the bathroom.
In the bathroom was a large silver tub that was sunk into the ground with emerald green towels hanging on the racks on the walls. The facet and handles were done in an ornate "S", and the rug on the floor was a plush green.
"Get out of your underwear and into the tub. It will start filling up with your favorite scent and a pleasent water temperature. There's some shampoo and a choice of soaps in the cabinet on the side," the hostess explained and closed the door to the bathroom.
"Might as well enjoy it," Lily thought as she removed her underwear and followed Bellatrix's instructions.
She chose a rose-scented soap, and the moment she set foot into the tub it filled up with warm, purple, flower-scented water. Lavender.
After she finished her bath, which took a good fifteen minutes to enjoy, she wrapped a fluffy green towel around her body and made to put on her underwear that she had folded and placed on a shelf. But they were gone. In their place was a lacey, high-cut, hip-hugging pair of black bottoms.
Blushing fiercly Lily begrudgedly put the bottoms on and made to put on her towel again, but it too was replaced by another article. A silky, silver robe with a green sash, which she put on, and was embarrassed to discover it only came halfway passed her thighs.
She opened the door, still red in the face from having to put on the skimpy articles, and would have liked nothing more than to Disapparate on the spot. Standing beside Bellatrix at the black mahogany vanity, with a fake smile on her face and menacing blue eyes was Narcissia Black.
"Hello there Evans," she said as though speaking to a puppy in a sugar-sweet voice. "How have you been since we last met?"
"Very well, thank you," Lily said in an even voice. "How are things between you and Lucius Malfoy?"
"Better than I hoped. We are getting married during the Easter holidays," the tall blonde responded.
"Congradulations," the red head continued in the same voice.
Clapping her hands to break the few seconds of silence Bellatrix said, "Well, now that all of the tea-party chatter has been taken care of let's get started! Cissy, you'll be in charge of Lily's hair and I'll take care of the makeup."
With that the petite black witch hauled the petite red witch to her vanity and sat her down on the pouf. She then went into the walk-in closet and began searching the drawers for the promised corset.
Narcissia came up behind Lily and started to comb out her hair with the purple comb that Lily had in her makeup bag, which instantly dried as it swept through the locks.
Turning her eyes at the reflection of the closet Narcissia whispered to the girl in front of her, "I was quite surprised when Bella told the family that she wanted to stop being enemies with you and wanted to be friends."
"That so?" Lily asked in a fake curious tone.
"Yes," she answered, now taking the other's hair and summoning bobby pins from the makeup bag. "At first our parents thought she was joking, but when she said that she was serious they began to question her sanity. Of course that lead to quite the shouting match between the three of them."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Lily replied, meaning it. "I hope it did not end on a sour note."
"Not at all. After everybody had calmed down from their arguments it was confirmed that Bella had made a good choice," Narcissia said with a smile at the girl's reflection. "You are the only one that Bella can properly compete with and still maintain a civil conversation. Besides, the other girls that we have been introduced to by other families are...how should I put it? Pushovers as it were. None have what it takes to maintain a proper household, or to uphold the traditions of their families."
"Their quite weak compared to you, and your lineage proves it," Bellatrix added coming out of the closet with a corset. It was emerald green and had black lace outlining the top, bottom and sides. The back had black strings that were laced in a tresle and had a zipper to cover the strings afterward.
"Before Bella tries to squeeze you into that thing," Narcissia began, looking at Lily's reflection, "how would you like your hair done? In waves, slightly pinned in the back? Up in a bun? In curles?"
"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a plaited bun," Lily answered thoughtfully.
Considering it Narcissia began her work, and in a few short minutes Lily's tresses were a tasteful combination of the suggested hairstyles. Half of her hair was in a bun with a plaited base, and the rest was structured into a curly ponytail with the ends cascading off in delicate waves over her shoulders and back.
"Nice work Cissy," Bellatrix commented. "What do you think, Lily?"
Smiling Lily said, "I think it's very beautiful. Thank you, Narcissia."
"You're quite welcome, Lily," the blonde responded with her own smile.
"Now then, let's get your makeup on before we put this cute little number on you," the black- haired hostess said with a Chesher-cat grin, indictaing the corset.
After a good five minutes of putting on Lily's makeup Bellatrix asked her older sister to leave so her guest would feel more comfortable putting on the corset. Narcissia happily obliged, stating something about wanting to spend the rest of her holiday with her fiance, and hoping to see them both at the wedding next summer. At that Lily was truly shocked.
When the older Black sister left Lily voiced her surprise, "Did your sister just invite me to her and Lucius Malfoy's wedding?"
"No, she invited myself and the other red head in the room," the younger sister sarcastically replied, her grin getting bigger. "Of course she invited you, silly Lily!"
"It's just that, since I arrived at Hogwarts, she didn't exactly see favor with me," Lily justified looking incrediously at Bellatrix, one of her eyebrows arched slightly.
Waving her hand in the same dismissful way Lily became accustomed to Bellatrix said simply, "Oh, she was just being the overprotective bigger since you and I had our little rivalry going on. But now that we're friends she's eased up a bit. Now, enough stalling Lily, and get in the corset," she added and pulled off the silver robe.
"Bella!" Lily exclaimed wrapping her arms around her chest and blushing uncontrolably for being quickly exposed, even if it was in front of another girl.
"Come on now, Lily!" the other girl said playfully irritated. "It's not like you don't have anything I don't have."
With that the black headed menace wrapped the corset around the appropriate areas, and started tightening the strings in the back. After a few adjustments, during which said menace gave the blushing girl's breasts more lift with a small bit of cleavage, the zipper came up and covered the strings, leaving a small bow at the top of the back.
Once that was done, next came the panty hose and shoes. Lily brought them out of her bag with a flourish, along with a white napkin to wipe off any dirt on the items, but had knocked the golden lily hairclip from its pocket.
"How pretty!" Bellatrix exclaimed, picking it up ever-so gently from the long couch the bag was sitting on. "Where did you get this?"
"Potter gave it to me at the Entrance Hall, along with an apology," Lily answered, somewhat dismissfully, looking at the gift while putting on the hose and silver, Athenian-strapped short heeled shoes.
However, when the torchlight hit the flower at a certain angle, Lily saw a small point in the middle of the gap where the clip opened, right underneath the lily where the red streaks were coming from. Taking the clip gently from the other girl's fingers Lily inspected it more closely.
Upon opening the clip the point grew longer and a small drop of red liquid came out of the tip. Lily swiftly caught the drop on her index finger, which had the napkin on it, and when the substance hit the white surface it shaped itself into a small heart.
"What on earth?" Bellatrix asked in a confused voice as Lily took a quick sniff at the still-fresh drop.
When she did an immediate sense of longing came to her for the very person that gave her the golden flower. It made long for his strong arms to envelop her, for his lips to kiss her own, her for hazel eyes to...
Snapping out of her quick trance in a split second Lily pulled the napkin away from herself and threw it on the floor, a furious expression on her face as it drifted down on the dark hardwood floor. Then she turned her attention to the flower and rushed to the bathroom.
Opening the toilet she re-opened the clip wider, tearing the bottom half off the miniature henges, and a steady stream of the red liquid came out of the lily and into the water, dying it a rose-red color while it emitted a sweet-smelling aroma. As it was being drained of the liquid the lily was also being drained of the red streaks, from the outer tips to the inner part of the base.
Bellatrix was about to come in but Lily stopped by shouting, "Get back, Bella!", and covered her nose and face with her free hand to stop the scent from penetrating her senses further.
After the flower was drained of every last drop Lily looked at the contents of the toilet. Then the angry girl instictively thought, "Evansio!", and the bowl instantly obeyed her command and the contents disappeared, along with the smell.
"A wandless, nonverbal spell!" Bellatrix thought, wide-eyed and completely impressed.
Looking utterly disgusted at the plain, gold clip Lily threw it on the ground and stepped on it, hard. It broke into a thousand pieces, turning into a pile of shining glitter on the marble tiled floor with only the broken halves of the clip showing in the debris.
"Why did you do that?" Bellatrix asked, bewildered at the other girl's behavior.
"Because," Lily started, fuming and sitting down on the couch in a huff, "that little apology came with a cost, and I'm not talking about mere Galleons."
Bellatrix still looked confused so Lily elaborated, "That thing was filled with love potion! Had I put it in my hair, or pricked my finger with it, it would have sent to retched stuff onto my skin and I would have felt the urge to snog that egotistical pig senseless!"
"Let me get this straight," Bellatrix said, sitting down next to Lily on the couch. "You mean to tell me James Potter, the great has-been hero of Gryffindor, tried to poison you with a love potion-filled hairclip? Isn't he in enough trouble as it is?"
"Not as much trouble as he's going to be when I get ahold of him after the ball," the narrowly-escaped victim hissed. Then she brightened a little bit and said to her hostess, "How about we finish getting ready? I'd hate to keep my date waiting any longer than necessary."
"Why the sudden change in attitude?" Bellatrix asked, although she could probably guess the answer from seeing a hint of vengence in the other's eye.
Smiling mischievously at the dark girl the fair one replied, "Well, if Potter wants to recieve a Chirstmas gift after he gave that unique flower on me, I might as well reciprocate and give him something just as interesting."
"Like what?" the other girl responded, her smile matching Lily's.
"Do you have anymore Vertiserium?" Lily asked slyly.