bBeautiful Mistake Chapter Six
It's Not Over/b
"James Potter, what in the bloody hell is going on in here?" Lily shouted so loudly that the windows vibrated. Her face was a deep shade of red, and a group of first years huddled behind her, looking more fearful of the angry teenager girl in front of them than the once raving party inside.
"Just a little Welcome Back party," Sirius said lightly, sauntering out from the crowd. "Come join the fun." He said, flashing his 'dazzling' smile that would have any other girl on her knees. Except for Lily.
Lily glowered darkly at Sirius, and pushed past him muttering something that sounded like, "Save it for someone who cares." When she reached James, the whole room was watching the scene in intense silence. "Explain," she said simply, though acid seemed to ooze from the single word.
James lost any sign that he had been enjoying himself a few minutes earlier. Leaning a little closer to Lily, hoping that the rest of the room could not hear he muttered. "Could we speak some where… a little bit more private?" James finished carefully and quietly, though it seemed to echo through the room.
Though Lily looked ready to blow, she did take into consideration that all of Gryffindor was watching their fight at that very moment. Without speaking, she turned around and bounded towards the portrait hole. The first years quickly filed out, pressing themselves close to the common room walls. Lily exited the common room, and James quickly followed, looking slightly embarrassed though no colour touched his face. Truthfully, Chloe believed he was more fearful than anything.
The portrait hole door swung shut, and the room was left in silence. Remus snapped out of it first and quickly started directing the first years to their specific dorms, and Chloe helped the girl first years. She did not want to be the common room any longer, not when she had become very aware that Sirius was watching her. Once she had finished she rushed back to the common room where she found Remus lecturing Sirius about letting James get in his head that Lily would love his crazy ideas – and in this case a Welcome Back party.
Not wanting to be there, Chloe took this moment to shoo other students to their rooms. Being older than them, most of the younger students did not argue, though the fifth and sixth years settled down on the couches and chairs. Chloe was fine with that, they all knew that it was a better idea to keep to themselves.
"Though Lily was right to be mad, I wish she had not stopped the party." Kathy mumbled to Nadine and Chloe. "I was having a lot of fun."
Nadine grinned. "I saw you eyeing that sixth year – who knew you were such a cradle robber." She sniggered.
Kathy gave her a hard shove, though it didn't affect Nadine at all, only making her laugh harder. Chloe paid no attention, she was afraid that something big had happened just because Lily and James had been gone a long time. Mumbling an excuse, Chloe left the common room, certain that Remus had watched all of her movements.
Out in the empty corridor she was very aware that it was late, and would probably get into trouble. Doing her best to stay quiet she turned down onto another corridor headed to a secluded space she figured Lily would lead James too. When she arrived – a little doubtful as she had heard nothing – she found James sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. He looked up hearing her footsteps, looking hopeful, but he frowned deeply when he saw it was her.
"Where's Lily?" Chloe asked, standing in front of James.
"Gone," James mumbled.
"What do you mean 'gone'?" Chloe asked a little annoyed.
"She told she wanted to be alone." James told Chloe, and looked up at her. "We're still together – I think – but she wanted to be alone."
Chloe sighed. She had expected the worse, but this was fine. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that, now is there?" She reached her hand out for him to take. "We can just go back to the-"
"There's nothing wrong with that!" James grumbled loudly, waving Chloe's hand away and getting himself off the ground. "Every thing is wrong with that! That means she's off some where in the castle, with ihim/i." James hissed the last word, and Chloe stared completely confused.
"Who's 'him'?" she asked.
"Snivellus," James scowled, "The big-nosed, greasy haired, Snape." James seethed.
Chloe frowned. Though she never truly understood why Lily had liked the stringy Slytherin, she didn't think it was nice that James hated him so much. "Nothing is wrong with that." Chloe furrowed her brow. "They're friends."
James frowned. "You've been gone a long while," he said, and pushed past me. "So I will tell you this, they are inot/i friends. But when ever I seem to get on her bad side she always has to run to ihim./i"
Chloe's brow furrowed even deeper and quickly caught up to James as they made their way back to the Gryffindor tower. "Well if that is so, than you're just jealous because she would rather confide in him than you."
"And so what if I am!" James snapped, "She is my girlfriend. Shouldn't I be the one she's confiding in?"
Rolling her eyes, Chloe walked a little ahead of him. "Maybe if you stopped being such an inconsiderate prat, than maybe she would." She said, staring back at him, and rushed forward to the portrait hole, only pausing for a second to say the password. Looking forward again, she didn't stop to talk to anyone, though she knew Remus and the girls were all wondering why she was so red in the face. Running up the dormitory steps she raced to the right room, feeling not any less tired than she would on a normal day back home.
Chloe entered the dormitory and found her exactly where she figured she would be. Relaxing her brow, she put on a more sympathetic look, and sat on her own bed that was right next to Lily's.
"He may be a prat, but letting him think you are off with Severus isn't so nice." Chloe declared, and watched as Lily slowly pulled down the covers from her face. Tears stained her cheeks and her bright green eyes bloodshot.
Though Chloe and Lily had never been too close before, Chloe could tell that Lily was instantly attaching herself to Chloe and for some reason Chloe was beginning to grow attached to Lily as well. It was strange, but Chloe could relate to Lily – dating a Marauder was never easy.
"If he had any sense he would know that I was in here." Lily mumbled, sitting up and propping herself against the bed.
"Speaking of that, how did you even manage to get in here without any one noticing?" Chloe asked, realizing she had not seen Lily once enter the Gryffindor common room.
"That's because…" she trailed off looking around the room a little nervously. She looked back at me, her eyes not as bloodshot as before. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked, her eyes shining with the unknown.
Chloe nodded, knowing very well that what ever secret Lily was about to tell her was nothing bigger than the one she had. "I will not tell a soul." Chloe said, grinning a little.
Lily grinned, and quickly rolled on to her side, leaning under her bed and rummaged around for a few seconds before sitting up straight pulling a silky looking cloak with her. She looked at me, her eyes wide. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
Chloe shook her head. "No idea," she really didn't know.
"It's an invisibility cloak – it belongs to James." Lily told Chloe, and as if to prove to her she wasn't lying she pulled it over her head, and Chloe watched in shock as she disappeared under the silky material making it look like the bed was empty. "It comes in handy sometimes." Lily explained, her voice seeming to come from no where.
Chills went up Chloe's spine, and she laughed at herself. "Take that thing off before I start to think I've gone insane."
Lily laughed as she pulled the cloak away, and stashed it back under her bed. "That is another thing it comes in handy for." She laughed, Chloe joining her.
Slowly, they both fell silent, and looked away from each other. It was so strange for Chloe to feel so comfortable around Lily. Well, it was strange to Chloe that Lily was being so open to her. That was one reason why both girls had not been to close. They both already had a best friend before entering Hogwarts – both boys coincidently. Chloe looked at Lily as she continued to stare out one of the tower windows. She used to think Lily was a rude and know-it-all girl for the first three years in school. By her fourth year she had grown to find the girl kind, smart, and beautiful, but yet they spent no time together except at meals and in the classroom.
Chloe had always wanted to be closer to Lily, she knew that, but she had never been sure how to achieve that. Chloe had always been a little shy, especially around girls. They all seemed to hate her for one reason or another. She was best friends with Remus Lupin; she was beautiful; all the boys seemed to like her; she was smart. Truthfully, Chloe didn't see any of this in herself, but it had all been things she had been told over the years. Chloe thought they were stupid reasons to not like her – could they not see her faults? She was a clumsy, overly sarcastic, shy, closed-off girl who could never relax – especially after having a child of her own.
"I'm tired," Chloe mumbled without thinking. Lily looked at her and nodded, as if giving her permission to let Chloe get ready for bed.
Chloe changed into her favourite worn t-shirt and her father's old pajama bottoms. Her mother had let her take them when she was small, and she loved them every bit. She crawled into bed, and rolled on to her side to look at Lily who was now facing her as well.
"Do you still love him?" Lily's question caught Chloe off-guard.
"Huh?"
"Do you still love Sirius, even after what he did to you?" Lily repeated, her green eyes boring into Chloe's.
Chloe quickly looked away, finding it too intense. Across the room the half moon shown through, cascading on to the floor. Thoughts of Remus flashed into her mind and how he was probably once again worrying if his friends would leave him alone when he transformed.
"You don't have to answer," Lily said quickly, noticing how fast Chloe had looked away.
"No," Chloe replied looking back at Lily. "It's all right, I just wasn't expecting it." She admitted.
"I'm sorry," Lily spoke quickly, "We never were really that close. I can understand if you don't want to answer."
"Stop that," Chloe laughed looking at Lily. "Your right, we were never that close. But that doesn't mean we can't be now. Remus…" she trailed off thinking of her friend. "It seems like he's finally made some world-class friends. It seems like he doesn't need to depend on me anymore." Chloe said it without thinking, and quickly she wished she hadn't. "Not that I'm trying to use you or anything."
Lily nodded understanding. "I know what you mean." Chloe nodded, thinking Lily would go on but she didn't.
Propping herself on her pillow she looked at Lily straight in the eye and did not flinch away this time. "About your question," she paused, "I guess I should answer. The truth is, yes, I do still love him. I don't really know why, I mean after all he did to me. Told me he loved me, that I was his world - I slept with him! I gave myself completely to him, and the next thing I knew he was embarrassed about me. He couldn't tell me he loved me. I even had…" Chloe trailed off realizing she almost told Lily everything, told her about Ryan.
Lily didn't shrink back like Chloe thought she would, and she ignored the fact that Chloe broke off so quickly. "He is a pig," she said and got out of her bed and sat on Chloe's. "I can't believe he did that to you. I thought it was bad enough that he didn't say he loved you, but after that. Wow." She finished in a stunned silence.
Chloe looked at her, tears in her eyes. Lily hadn't judged her; hadn't called her a sloo or any other names. No, she had sided with Chloe, affirmed that Chloe had every reason to walk away and brake off with Sirius.
"Thanks," Chloe mumbled, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Thanks for what?" Lily asked, now moving back to her own bed.
"Thanks for not judging me. It's pretty bad, I was fifteen and I had sex. Kathy hadn't even been kissed yet." Chloe tried to laugh.
Lily rolled her eyes, lying on her back. "Why would I ever judge you? I swear, you have been spending far too much time with Remus; thinking I could hate you for that. I am a little surprised, but I guess if you loved him and he loved you it's not so bad."
"Well obliviously he didn't love me that much." Chloe said rolling on to her back as well and stared at the canopy of her bed.
"Chloe," Lily said sharply, "If there is one thing I know, is that Sirius loved you than, and still does. He couldn't keep his eyes off of you all dinner. When you were together he was so touchy feely, and I don't think he ever stopped smiling around you. The only reason he is a prick is because he is trying so hard to prove to everyone that he doesn't love you." She finished with a cold echo around the room.
Chloe blinked a few times, unable to say anything. Finally she opened her mouth and said, "Be quiet Lily."
Lily snorted. "Good night to you too."
"Good night," Chloe replied and rolled on to her side, her back facing Lily.
Thoughts raced through her head. She had almost told Lily everything, and she hadn't freaked out. Did this mean Chloe could trust Lily? Could Chloe tell Lily the full story? She didn't know yet. It was still too early to tell Lily everything, Chloe figured. Even if they had already covered so much. Sighing inwardly Chloe decided that she had given enough thought on the matter for one day. Pushing any stray thoughts from her mind she focused on one thing; Ryan's smiling face. Quickly she drifted to sleep dreaming of being back home and taking care of her beautiful son.
bA/N: So here is another chapter. Another chapter that I am not happy with at all, and I am sure you won't like it completely either. Some bits are a bit strange, but I've spent far too much time on it already so I really just had to put it up and let you all decide. Well, it's getting late, and I should be off to bed. I'll dream up another chapter soon ;)/b