Chapter Forty: Humiliation and Stupidity

The next day, I woke up to the sun streaming into my eyes.

"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty!" Padfoot called in a sing-song voice.

"Get up James, or we'll never hear the end of Padfoot." Moony advised quietly.

I growled and rolled out of bed. Grabbing fresh clothes and a robe, I staggered to the bathroom. I squeezed a generous amount of toothpaste onto the bristles of my dark blue racing broom shaped toothbrush and shoved it in my mouth.

Then I roughly turned the shower on and hopped in, spending all of 3.5 seconds in there, before leaping out and dragging my robes and clean clothes over my head.

The guys had waited patiently for me. Moony handed me a bag with my assorted books in and we galloped down into the common room.

There was Lily. My Lily.

She was standing, talking to some fifth years I vaguely recognised. Her auburn hair was held off her face in a messy ponytail and her emerald eyes were outlined very slightly in a thin coat of black mascara.

She turned and saw me. Making her way over, she smiled at me sweetly. Her soft pink lips began to move, but my brain failed to comprehend the words.

"Will you go out with me?" I blurted suddenly.

She blushed lightly and shook her head in the negative. Bella and Cassie appeared and the three girls wandered out of the Portrait hole.

"WHAT was THAT?" Moony asked in annoyance.

"I don't know." I answered truthfully.

All I could see was her, smiling, shaking her head, and then blushing.

I mentally smacked myself.

Lily's POV

"Omg!" Cassie grinned in her 'I'm-a-blonde-ditz' mode.

"What was THAT?" Belle burst out. Her eyes flashed alarmingly. I could see her hand grip her wand tightly.

"Calm down hun." I whispered softly.

We sat down at breakfast and I reached across, grabbing a piece of white bread toast from under Belle's fingers. She shot me a glare and took a waffle instead.

"Bella! How can you eat that?" I cried, scandalized as she doused it in maple syrup.

"Quite easily." She grinned and stuffed it into her mouth.

I rolled my eyes and took my schedule from Cassie.

Charms with the Hufflepuffs, double Transfiguration, lunch, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Herbology. What a great day! No Potions!!!

"Shall we depart my fair ladies?" Cassie asked, wriggling her eyebrows at us.

"Why yes my dear lady." I replied, taking her proffered arm.

"I'll catch you up. I'm still hungry." Belle responded, whilst piling her plate high with waffles.

"Okay hun. See ya!" I called, waving in a large arc.

Cassie and I headed out to Charms class, waving to various people as we went.

We arrived at the Charms classroom and headed inside, taking our usual three-seat desk. I pulled my textbook from my bag and dropped it on the wooden table infront of me.

"Hey, my little chickadees!" Bella sang loudly as she entered and flopped into the seat next to me.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Sweetie, I think you've gone mad."

"What'd you mean gone?" Cassie whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

I laughed.

"What was that?" Belle asked in mock-anger, rising to her feet and glaring down at Cassie.

Just then, Professor Flitwick walked in. I tried to signal to Bella and Cass, but they didn't notice me.

"What, pray tell, is so interesting that you must talk about it in my lesson, Miss Figg? Miss Parks?" He asked.

"Nothing Professor." They both mumbled, their faces burning red.

James' POV

Ah well.

At least I'm not the only one who tasted humiliation today.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for the long wait! I had the worst case of writer's block and I'm truly, madly, deeply sorry.

Can you forgive me enough to review?

Please?

Love to all,

M

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