The Truth Of The Heart
Summary: Lily Evans has always, ALWAYS hated James Potter. So when they become Head Boy and Girl, nothing could be worse. But could working with him change Lily's opinion? Has she been ignoring the truth in her heart all along?
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this….except a few minor characters, so please don't sue me, JKR, 'cause I have nothing you want….unless you're into human flesh (you're not, are you?) Kudos to JKR, since I copied some bits out of CoS for authenticity in this chapter.
A/N: Thank you guys all SO MUCH for your reviews – it's nice to know I haven't been forgotten! I would do review thank-yous, but if this fic gets taken down again for anything, it won't be going up again, so I won't risk it.
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Chapter 12: The Polyjuice Potion
At ten o'clock that night, the party was still raging in the Gryffindor common room, and showed no signs of abating (at least, until McGonagall herself showed up). Bottles of Butterbeer and various snacks had mysteriously appeared on the table, and people helped themselves liberally as they celebrated their Quidditch victory. The only people who did not look as though they were thoroughly enjoying themselves were three girls clustered in a corner. Although they all had drinks in their hands, in an attempt to look festive, their faces were working against them, as they went through the circular conversation that they had had many times before in the course of the evening.
"Look, I can keep the potion going until tomorrow, it'll stay 'til then. I don't think it's a good idea to do it tonight. Everyone's too hyped up."
"What am I supposed to do again?" Lily questioned. Emma sighed.
"I'm going to distract Keegan and Tom – I'll ask them to go on a run with me, or something. All you have to do is take the potion, go up to their dorm, and start up a casual conversation, but work in a few questions as well. You'll have an hour to do that, then just come down again."
"Oh, is that all?" Lily said sarcastically. "What if Remus finds out where you are?"
"Good point." Emma frowned. "I'd suppose I should tell him that I'll be going for a run with them." She got up and made her way over to Remus, where he stood with his friends. Lily watched as she began talking and gesturing, until her gaze drifted sideways to the others. James and Sirius, James especially, had been receiving a lot of compliments for the match, but while Sirius bowed and smiled, James threw everything onto Moira's skill with such sincerity, that Lily wondered why his normally gigantic ego seemed to be so flat.
"Lily?" Sapphire was leaning forward, her eyebrows furrowed. "I really don't think this is a good idea."
Lily shrugged, trying to make her tone sound light. "It's too late, anyway. The potion's ready."
"Yeah, but I have a really bad feeling about this. We're going to come out of this badly."
Lily curled up on her chair, her green eyes reflecting the dancing light of the fire opposite. "Good or bad, there's nothing I can do now."
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The first thing Lily knew the next day was a persistent shaking. She opened her eyes to see Emma's face.
"Whassa matter?" she grumbled, turning over.
"Come on, you have to take the potion." Lily sat bolt upright, sleep falling away like her blankets. Sapphire was already sitting up on her bed, dressed and watching her nervously. After going to the bathroom, she came back and started pulling jeans on.
"You know, you can't really be Keegan if you're going to walk around in girls' clothes," Sapphire pointed out helpfully.
"I have a pair of trousers and a jumper here." Emma held up a bag. "I sneaked them out of the laundry yesterday. Besides," she added critically, eyeing Lily, "you're going to need something to change back into afterwards. Come on."
The three girls hurried silently down corridors, following Emma, who led them straight into . . . a girls' bathroom.
"Em, you didn't make it in Moaning Myrtle's place!" Lily gasped. She coughed, and waved her hand futilely at the thick black smoke.
"Well no one ever comes here, so it seemed like a safe bet," Emma said. She opened a cubicle door, and Lily caught a glimpse of a black cauldron bubbling on a toilet inside. She averted her eyes and looked instead at Sapphire, who seemed more and more apprehensive each minute. Soon Emma came back out with a glass of what looked like thick mud.
"Here," she said, handing it to Lily. "Hold." She fished in her pocket, and came up with a bottle containing three blond-brown hairs. Taking them out, she gave them to Lily, who dropped them in. The potion hissed and bubbled, before turning a deep cerulean blue. Feeling only slightly less nauseous, Lily gave Emma and Sapphire another glance, and then, holding her nose, drank the potion down quickly.
She did not have time to register the taste before her stomach began to writhe . . . she heard Emma and Sapphire's horrified gasps as she dropped to all fours and her skin began to bubble like hot wax, reshaping itself into a boy's body. Her jumper came loose at the front, as did her bra, as her chest receded, and she felt the weight of her hair disappearing from her shoulders, as her skin grew tanned. Suddenly it all stopped, and Lily got up gingerly, taking a ragged breath.
Emma and Sapphire were staring at her in shocked amazement.
"Give me the clothes," Lily said, and the voice that came out was not hers, but a smooth low voice. Keegan's. Mutely, Emma handed over the bag, and she stepped into a cubicle to change. She came out again and gave Emma a half-grin.
"Well, at least I know that the hairs weren't from Malfoy now," she joked awkwardly.
Sapphire's mouth was still hanging open.
Crossing over to a cracked mirror, Lily examined her – or rather, Keegan's, face; the face of a boy she had known for six years. She ran a hand through the short blond-brown hair, and over the tanned skin. Her nails were no longer long and feminine, but short and blunt. She turned round.
"You know, you could have got me some shoes."
Emma seemed to pull herself together. "Doesn't matter. Come on, we have to go." The three of them took a quick route back to the tower.
"Don't walk like that."
Lily looked back at Sapphire. "Huh?"
"Don't sort of . . . sway your hips. You're not a girl any more. And it wouldn't hurt to swing your arms a bit, either."
"Like this?"
"Yeah, that'll do."
In a corridor near the Fat Lady, Emma stopped and pushed the other two into a shady alcove, behind a suit of armour, and shoved Lily's clothes at Sapphire.
"Right, you two stay here. I'm going to go meet the boys. Once you hear us go past, go straight to the Tower and do your stuff. Saffy, you'd better wait downstairs. About five minutes before your hour's up, come down, meet up, and go back to the toilets to change. I'll meet you, as soon as I can."
Lily gave her a nod, and Emma walked off down the corridor. There was an uncomfortable silence, until Sapphire began to laugh quietly.
"Imagine if anyone found us here!" she gasped, clutching her side. "It would be all over the school: 'Heathleigh and Adams caught snogging', but Keegan wouldn't even know what had happened!"
Lily began to laugh too, but quickly sobered up as she heard footsteps. Presently, Emma's voice could be heard.
" . . . So where do you usually run? I mean, this place is full of ways, but still, you must have a route you like . . ." She continued to talk aimlessly, but both hidden girls (or boy) felt her gaze sweep over them as they walked on. As soon as the voices had faded, Lily squeezed out. Ten of her precious sixty minutes had already gone.
"See you then," she said, and walking quickly, she entered the tower and headed up the boys' stairs, trying hard to look as though everything was normal.
The boys' corridor looked much like the girls'. Lily headed towards the last door, which had Seventh-years on it in curly writing, took a deep breath, and walked in.
"Keegan!" said a voice in surprise.
At first Lily did not reply, too busy taking in the dormitory. The basic decoration and arrangement did not differ much from her own room. It was simply the boyish differences; aftershaves and colognes lying where make-up would normally be, a general . . . mess on the floor instead of the odd bra or Witch Weekly magazine dropped carelessly, and the many posters of Quidditch teams on the wall. Remus was sitting on his bed, sorting through a stack of parchment, and Sirius appeared to be searching for something under his bed. Peter was reading a book in the corner.
"I thought you'd gone for a run with Tom and Emma?"
"Yeah, well, uhm . . ." Lily looked at her feet and tried desperately to come up with something. "We were, uh, running, and my trainer came off, so I, uh, tripped, and my . . . ankle hurts. Yeah, really painful." She sat down on the nearest bed, praying it was Keegan's.
"Oh," Remus said, his attention back on the parchment.
Relieved that he wasn't more curious, Lily bent down and pretended to rub her ankle. She was feeling distinctly ill at ease.
Just then, the door banged open, and James barged in. looking fresh and clean, his hair wet. "Padfoot, the bathroom's yours." He turned round and saw Lily. "Uh, Keegan? Why're you sitting on my bed?"
Oh damn. She got up hurriedly. "Sorry, I just sat down anywhere." Frantically, she looked round, and thankfully spotted a photo of what looked like Keegan's family on a dresser. She moved over, trying hard to fake a slight limp, and began to rub her ankle again, nervously.
"Why aren't you out running with Tom, anyway?" James called, towelling his hair. Lily repeated her story as sincerely as she could make herself sound. James turned to her and raised an eyebrow as he dried his hair. "How did you manage to fall over and do all that when you only left ten minutes ago?"
"I fell over just outside, I didn't do my trainer up properly," Lily lied. She shifted uncomfortably as James gave her a strange look, and turned to Sirius again.
"OI, PADFOOT, BATHROOM'S FREE!" he yelled. Sirius emerged, grinning triumphantly and looking like he had just aged forty years – his head was covered in dust.
"Found it!" he proclaimed, holding a dusty green sock up. "Sorry James darling, did you call?"
James rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Forget it."
Remus looked up. "You know, Prongs, you should really tidy your bit up."
James surveyed the mess around him and groaned. "But it's a Sunday!"
"All the more reason to do it," Remus replied calmly.
Grumbling, James began to pick up the random pieces of underwear on the carpet.
"Remmie dear, do stop taking lessons from Emma. You're not our mother now, are you?" Sirius chided teasingly.
"Speaking of Emma, aren't you worried about the fact that she's out with Tom?" Peter asked slyly.
"No," Remus said simply. "I trust her."
Lily saw her opportunity. "So, you really like her, huh?" she asked casually.
"Yeah," Remus said quietly. "She's special."
Lily fought to control the girlish squeal of delight that threatened to erupt; she doubted it would be taken very well. Instead, she nodded impassively, and bent down to her ankle again.
"Speaking of girls, Wormtail, who were you dreaming about?" Sirius smirked. Peter went red.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh yes you do. I saw you changing your sheets in the middle of the night! You had a . . . wet dream!" Sirius' voice became hushed, but his grin grew even wider as Peter turned purple and sputtered like a firework. Lily felt slightly ill as she realised what they were talking about. Oh my god, she thought faintly, as she attempted to smile weakly at Sirius' crude jokes. I've been scarred for life.
After getting more and more agitated, Peter finally thought of a comeback. "I'm not the one who dreams about a certain red-head every night!" he squeaked.
The grin began to fade from James' face.
"Why don't you tell us about these dreams of yours, Jamesie?" Sirius rounded on him.
"I've heard him saying her name in his sleep," Peter said breathlessly. "All the time."
Even Remus was looking up in interest now.
Sirius looked like he was having the time of his life. "So what exactly goes on in this 'working relationship' between you two that provides such interesting material for dreams?"
Oh god. Please, please don't let them be talking about . . .
James turned abruptly away and bent down to his bed, but not before Lily had seen his flushed cheeks. "Lily and I are just friends."
Woah. Hold up a minute there. Has the world stopped turning? James doesn't have a crush on me anymore?
YES!
"Hmm . . ." Sirius said mockingly.
"At least I don't bloody bully girls, like you!"
"Who, Sapphire?" Sirius looked innocent. "She's just . . . she has a lovely reaction to it, that's all." He grabbed his bathrobe hastily. "I should go shower." The door swung shut behind him as he walked out.
Remus raised his eyebrows. "There's something not right about that. . ."
"Nah, he just hates her so much that he doesn't want to talk about her," James said off-handedly. The conversation switched to more everyday topics, including a heated discussion of Quidditch between James and Peter. Far from feeling happier about the change of subject, Lily began to feel more and more uncomfortable, as though she was she was intruding on their privacy. The feeling intensified and weighed more and more on her conscience as she thought about it. Even if they could be immature prats at times, wasn't it a bit . . . immoral to be listening to all their secrets like this?
How could I have agreed to this? she thought in shock, completely oblivious to the others. I'm worse than they could ever be!
"Hey, Keegan, you ok?" James asked, breaking into her train of thought. "You're not usually this quiet, especially when we're discussing the Kenmare Kestrels!"
"Yeah. Whatever." Lily looked blankly at her watch. Time to go. "I'm gonna . . . go get food. See you guys later." She walked out as quickly as she could manage. Clomping down the stairs, she met Sapphire in the common room and the two of them headed down to the toilets, Lily's anger growing with every step.
Five minutes later, Lily emerged from the toilet looking like herself again, complete with suitable clothes. The transformation had gone without a hitch; but Sapphire was not blind to the look on her friend's face.
"Come on," she barked at Sapphire. "We have to go . . . discuss things with Emma." She swept off down the corridor, her rage burning a trail of fire through her mind, and almost slammed into someone – Tom, who was coming down in the opposite direction. Not even bothering to say sorry, she stormed down various passages until she reached the Portrait Hole and climbed through it.
"Hey Lily, we need to -" a voice said. Lily turned her head to see James standing a few feet away. He gave her a puzzled look as she threw him a Class A glare.
"Later," she ground out, and she carried on up the girls' stairs. Sapphire, following her, could only shrug apologetically as she hurried after her.
The door flew open, and Emma looked up in surprise to see Lily standing in the middle of the dormitory, Sapphire closing the door quietly behind her.
"How'd it go?" she asked.
"How'd it go? How'd it go? I'll tell you how it went, Emma Vance. How could you do this to me?"
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A/N: Do a good deed for humankind (or rather, for my ego) and leave a review. You know you want to…