Chapter six
"Lily…"
Lily jerked away from the unexpected touch, and turned around to see Sarah standing there, her raven-black hair falling over sapphire blue pyjamas.
Smiling softly, Lily asked: "Blue and black. Aren't those the Ravenclaw colours?"
Sarah made a sound somewhere between a snarl and a laugh. "We planned ahead, okay?"
Lily grinned. "Me too." She turned around and Sarah saw maroon and gold pyjamas, emblazoned with the Griffendor crest.
Seeing Sarah's amused face, Lily's own fell. "I'm a Potter. I'm supposed to be in Griffendor, not lousy gothic Slytherin!" She turned back around.
"Hey, don't act like you're the only one here moping. This whole thing sucks." Sarah growled, flopping onto the emerald couch. Lily saw tears in her eyes. "I sent out a SOS to my parents, but that's probably such a bad idea, I realize now. I'll get grounded and shunned for life!"
Lily couldn't help a small laugh. "So your parents are gonna ground you, because of what a hat said?"
Sarah glared at her friend, but her face melted into a grin. "Do you know what you just said??! That sounded insane!!"
In seconds, they were rolling on the floor, clutching their guts and wiping tears from their eyes.
"Oh, how hilarious."
A sharp voice cut the girls' giggles short. Lily whipped around to see Scorpius Malfoy leaning against the railing of the boy's dorm steps.
Lily saw a mischievous glint in Sarah's eyes. In a flash, she tore out her wand and pointed it at Scorpius' neck. Despite his efforts, Scorpius blanched like a sheet.
"You c-can't do a-a-anything, P-P-P-Parker!" He stuttered. "You know f-f-four spells!"
Sarah shrugged. "If you insist."
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Lily yelped, cutting Scorpius' sneer short. Sarah watched as Lily guided Scorpius into the air and around the common room. His mouth was wide in a silent roar of anger.
With a grin, Lily flicked her wand and Scorpius plummeted down onto the couch, bouncing to the rug. Sarah was laughing so hard she wasn't making any noise except for a few gasps of breath.
Scorpius stumbled to his feet, and Lily's amusement faded. She could already see Scorpius calling out to the Prefects, and she pictured herself on the Hogwarts Express, gliding away…
To Lily and Sarah's shock, Scorpius said simply, "You've got moves, Potter." And stalked off to bed.
Sarah blinked. "Wow. Scorpius Malfoy gave you a compliment."
Lily flushed. "That was basic… besides, he would have… he insulted…" she stammered.
"Whatever." Sarah said, though Lily saw her smile. Suddenly, Sarah began prancing around the common room; softly singing "Lily loves Scorpius! Lily loves Scorpius! Potter and Malfoy sitting in a tree…"
Lily screamed and launched herself at Sarah, pinning her to the bookshelves. "I do not." She snarled.
Sarah laughed. "Just kidding. Scorpion is a worm."
"Scorpion?"
"Yeah, Scorpius, Scorpion… you know." Sarah grinned. Lily returned it.
~*~*~*~
Lily lay awake, staring up at the green canopy above her. I wish those were red. She thought bitterly. And Rose, not Sarah.
Hmm… then again, Sarah is okay. Looking over at Sarah, Lily realized that Rose was two years older, and Sarah was easier to relate to, considering that Rose had ended up in Griffendor.
Lily pulled the covers up over her head and fell into a restless sleep, full of dreams of being shunned by everyone, traveling home on the Hogwarts Express and seeing how disappointed her parents were, and, for some reason, singing and dancing hats.