Okay, so i'm terribly sorry for a few things. First, i haven't updated in a while. Excuse: i was taking a break from writing for a week, then i had a small bout of writer's block, then i got very sick. Sorry. Second, this chapter. It is exactly what it says: a filler chapter. It's 2,000 words and it's not very good in my opinion. Excuse: i knew exactly how i wanted the next three chapters to happen, but i didn't know what to do with this chapter, so this pile of... mud... came out. Sorry. Thanks for understanding.
Disclaimer: Nope.
Recap: Lily hates James and Snape, naturally. Marlene's parents are still missing. Marlene might have to take custody of her siblings.
James sped around the pitch quickly, surveying his players. They were running a mock game with two chasers. They weren't doing too badly, but it would take more than this to win the Cup.
James called for them to land. "Okay, tomorrow we're going to work on formation," he told them. Everyone nodded. "Get some rest and be ready tomorrow." With that, everyone disbanded.
James walked slowly into the locker room, Sirius by his side.
"What's up, Prongs?" Sirius asked.
"They're not playing as well as they can," James said.
"I know, but we're getting closer to the holidays. Everyone's just tired and wants to go home," Sirius explained.
"That's a month away, Padfoot!" James said. "That's no excuse!"
"McKinnon," Sirius called out, causing her to turn around. "How come no one's playing very good?"
"First of all," Marlene said, "it's very well. Not good."
"Yeah thanks, Remus," Sirius said sarcastically. "Just answer the question."
Marlene shrugged. "Well, the holidays are coming up."
"See?" Sirius said to James.
"That's a month away!" James complained.
"Then I don't know," Marlene said, a little more harshly than intended.
"Whoa," Sirius said.
"You alright, McKinnon?" James asked.
Marlene sighed and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "It's my parents. Dumbledore talked to the Ministry and they said they haven't had contact with my parents in months."
"Have you told the little McKinnons?" Sirius asked.
"Not yet," Marlene said guiltily.
"Well, you're handling it better than last time," James said.
"Yeah, I'll figure something out," Marlene said.
xoxo
Lily looked up from her work to see who dared to sit across from her. She could not have been more surprised. Severus Snape.
"Hi, Lily," he said softly.
"What do you want?" Lily spat.
He sat down across from her and looked at her with wide eyes. "I just wanted to talk to you."
"Well you better say what you need to before your bullies come and threaten to kill us both," Lily said.
"They're not like that. They're my friends," Severus said.
"Friends don't threaten friends, Sev," Lily said.
"They don't threaten me," Severus defended.
"Of course they don't," Lily said. "Why are you here?"
"I want to talk to you."
"About what?" Lily snarled.
"Anything," Severus said. "How are you?"
"Fine."
A pause, then, "That's it?"
"Yup."
"You're not going to talk to me? After everything?" Severus asked, desperately.
"You mean being hurt countless of times by your hand, being made to look a fool by your friends, and watching you grow less and less happy? Yes."
"So, that's the end?" Severus asked.
"That's the end."
"I am sorry, Lily," Severus said.
"That's a real shame."
Severus got up and left, having nothing more to say.
xoxo
November brought chills to the Earth and snow to the skies, covering the ground in a thin layer of white crystals. The days grew ever-shorter and the nights revealed thousands of stars shimmering happily.
Eli was slowly walking down the corridor, late for Herbology. She was playing with her wand, making random objects float when she came across Eric Tomkins.
"Where are you going?" Eli asked suspiciously.
"The library. I have a free period. Aren't you supposed to be in Herbology?" he asked.
"How do you know that?" Eli asked.
"Because," he said quickly, "the Marauders said they were going down. Surprising that they're going down before you."
"Well, I am going down, but I'm already late, so what's the point in rushing?" Eli reasoned.
Eric shook his head. "You sound like the Marauders."
"Is that a compliment?" Eli asked.
"If you want it to be."
"Wait," Eli said, confused. "How come you don't take Herbology?"
"Because it's not required after fifth year," he said, as if it were obvious.
"What? How come I'm taking it then?" Eli asked, annoyed and shocked.
"Well, did you pass every year?" Eric asked.
"Yes! I think!" Eli said defensively.
"Then why did you choose to take it?" Eric asked her.
"Oh!" Eli said, realization dawning on her. "It's because Lily chose my classes for me!"
"Why?" Eric asked.
"Because she's good at it. And if she does it, then usually we get our classes together. You know, Maria, Marlene, Lily and I."
"Well, blame Lily," Eric said.
"What do you take instead?" Eli asked.
"Alchemy," Eric said.
Eli's eyes widened and she started to laugh. "You actually take that?"
"Is that funny?" Eric asked, slightly hurt.
"No, no," Eli said quickly, trying to stop laughing. "I just didn't know you took that. Isn't that class, like, super boring and, like, no one takes it?"
"Well, yeah," Eric said, shifting uncomfortably. "The class is pretty small, I guess. But it's not boring."
"Sure, sure," Eli said, giggling. "You just don't strike me as the 'alchemist' type."
Eric raised an eyebrow. "What is an alchemist type?"
"I don't know. Nerdy? Boring? Quiet? Severus Snape-ish?" Eli said.
"Well thanks," Eric said, sarcastically.
"Are you even listening? I just said you weren't any of those things."
"Yeah, you're so considerate," Eric said.
"Hey, I could be so much more mean," Eli said defensively. "But I'm not. You should consider yourself lucky."
"Yeah, I feel blessed," Eric said.
"Well if you're just going to be a sarcastic jerk, then I won't bother talking to you!" Eli said.
"Says the queen of sarcasm and being a jerk," Eric said calmly.
"At least I know when I'm being a jerk," Eli said, upset.
"I know when I'm being a jerk. But I'm really only a jerk when I want to be," Eric said.
"Oh, so you don't like me?" Eli said.
Eric frowned. "Well, no."
"Then why are you a jerk to me?" Eli asked.
"I am a jerk to people who deserve it. Or my friends and other people I like."
"So I deserve it?" Eli asked.
Eric just shrugged.
Eli realized that he was very right. She did deserve a bit of her own medicine. But she wouldn't admit that. "Ugh! You are so annoying!"
She stormed away. Away from Herbology.
Eric watched her go and sighed.
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As the days went on, Lily found more reasons not to talk to James, and more ways to avoid him.
In potions, they were working on the Wiggenweld Potion. Well, Lily was working on it while she slapped James's hand if he tried to touch something.
She had not said a word to him since they started working on it.
"Evans?" James asked.
She didn't speak. Instead, she added the lionfish spines.
"So, you're still mad at me," he said. "And not talking to me. Oh! I have an idea!" He rummaged through his bag and took out a piece of parchment and put it down in front of her. "This time, I will talk, and you will write!"
Lily picked up her wand and flicked it wordlessly at the piece of parchment. Suddenly, it burst into flames and turned to ashes on the table. She put her wand down and added the two drops of flobberworm mucus.
James stared at the ashes on the table with wide eyes. "Okay, then," he said. "I can see that you don't want to write either. Well, will you at least let me talk?"
Lily stirred the cauldron, watching it slowly turn red. She didn't say or do anything else.
"I will take that as a yes," James said cheerily. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I know, I know, I've said it a lot. But I really do mean it. Please believe me."
Lily added more flobberworm mucus and continued stirring.
James sighed and looked to Sirius, who sat next to Marlene. They were arguing about the next ingredient to add.
"Padfoot," James hissed. Sirius turned to look at him, allowing Marlene to add the ingredient she thought was right. "I'm bored. Entertain me."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Evans still not talking to you?"
"No," James said, bitterly.
"Mr. Potter," Slughorn said, coming up behind them, "please keep your conversations between you and your lab partner."
"Yes, Professor," he mumbled, turning back to Lily. She was starting to add the salamander blood, the last step. "Although it would be easier if she was speaking to me."
Lily watched as the potion turned green, but said nothing.
"Oh, James," James said in a high-pitched, breathy voice. "The only reason I won't talk to you is because if I do, I can't promise it would be appropriate."
Lily took a deep breath to calm herself before putting a few drops of the potion into a vial.
"Oh, Lily," James said in his normal voice, "I understand. Many women go through the same thing. You are not alone."
Lily opened her mouth and James's heart sped up, thinking she would say something to him. Also, worried what she would say to him. But when she spoke, she called out, "Professor! How is this?"
Slughorn made his way over slowly and inspected the potion. "Why yes, it seems you have perfectly brewed another difficult potion on your first try. Well done, you two! Fifty points to Gryffindor!"
"Good job, Evans," James said. Lily ignored him.
"Good job, Evans," Sirius called to her. Lily turned to him and smiled.
"Thanks, Sirius," she said.
Sirius grinned smugly at James and James made a face. "I'm still bored, Padfoot!"
It was at that time that Sirius's and Marlene's cauldron decided to bubble over and smoke.
"No!" Marlene called out, jumping back.
Sirius, too, jumped back. "You added the flobberworm mucus before the lionfish spines, didn't you?!"
"You turned your back!" Marlene defended.
Slughorn, on the opposite side of the room, waved his wand. The potion cleared away in an instant. "Get new ingredients," he sighed. "Start again."
Marlene and Sirius had a quick argument before Marlene went to go get more ingredients.
"Wow, Padfoot," James said. "I have to admit, that was quite entertaining."
"Shove off," Sirius snapped. "Now we get to start all over while you and Lily celebrate being done and perfect."
"You realize that I had nothing to do with making it, right?" James said.
"You still get to celebrate," Sirius said, before turning back to Marlene as she sat down with the ingredients.
James turned back to Lily. "So, what's new with you?"
"Potter."
"Yes?"
"Shut it."
xoxo
As the days wore on the snow started to create a thicker layer on the ground, and the students grew more and more excited. December was nearing, bringing Christmas and holiday with it.
"So," Tommy said to Lily in the library, "my mom is very anxious to meet you."
Lily's heart skipped a beat, as the sentence brought up the memory of their Hogsmeade visit and the surprise "I Love You."
Lily's face must have expressed her feelings because Tommy quickly said, "Only if you want to, I mean. If you don't want to, or you can't, that's totally fine."
But Lily was already shaking her head and smiling. "No, no," she said. "I would be happy to meet her. When?"
"She wants to meet you over the summer. She wanted to see you over Christmas break, but she can't."
Lily grinned. "I can't wait."
Lily had never officially met Tommy's mom. She had seen her from a distance and waved, but never spoken a word to her. Not that she didn't want to, it just never worked out that way.
She had met Tommy's dad twice and had brief conversations with him. She had met his older sister, Avery, many times and had very much liked her. But Lily had never met his mom.
She grew excited at the thought of meeting Tommy's mom. She thought, briefly, about how one day she might call that woman her mom.
But then, Tommy snapped her attention away from that thought with a question. Lily was quite happy that he did not see the blush that had crept onto her face.
However, Severus Snape, who had been watching from behind a bookshelf a few feet away, did notice, and he grew angry. His only consolation: at least it wasn't Potter.
Next chapter will come out next week (hopefully) and it's called "It's a Sibling Thing." See ya next time!
~Jill
MissSlytherinxoxo
XOXO
