I know that it has taken me forever to get the next chapter out but I've had some set backs as I am a university student which means I've just finished exams and my laptop was stolen back in October with my work on it. So as of now I cannot make any promises to update faster but I can try now that I'm on winter break. Thank you for patiently waiting. Enjoy and Review :).
Chapter 11 - Liles
Lily woke up in a daze, her face felt puffy and her eyes were swollen, she felt out of her own body. She pulled herself out of bed, pulling her hair into a messy bun and pushed herself out of the door into towards the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat down by herself at the Gryffindor table and slowly poured milk into a bowl. 'Snap out of this Lily.' She thought to herself.
"Wow," Scorpius whistled at her and before Lily could stop herself, she hissed at the blond perfection now sitting beside her.
"What are you doing?" 'This friendship thing is going to need some getting used too.'
"One day we're friends, the next day I can't have breakfast with you Potter?" He bat his eyelashes at her and she shock her head.
"Just not in the mood for company today Malfoy." She slightly chuckled at their formality towards each other and he let out a chuckle as well.
"Did you want to talk about it? I'm a great listener, I've been told." He laughed as he said it.
"Oh and by who I might ask? Maive?" She smirked and he winced. Lily rolled her eyes and started apologizing, "I'm sure you're a great listener, and I'm sure Maive is great, blah blah, the nice friend thing to say about your friend's girlfriend who both of them know that they utter despises each other." She gave him a huge fake smile and he burst out into a fit of laughter. A group of seventh year Slytherins were giving them both dirty looks; Scorpius ignore them.
"You Potter are an awful listener. I was trying to tell you yesterday that well -" he started.
"Lily! There you are!" Ivy huffed as she, Raven, and Kenda who was tailing behind came running up to them. Ivy gave Scorpius a quick cold glance and continued on, "We thought something happened to you and –"
"You know how we worry about you Lils." Kenda finished Ivy sentence and Lily raised her eyebrow at them all.
"You guys do realize that I usually get up like 2 hours before anyone right?"
"Er, well yes." Kenda stammered and blushed looking down.
"Just making sure nothing is happening to you Lils, that's all." Ivy smiled big at her. Lily went back to eating her cereal as the girls all sat down.
"So you were about to say something Scorpius?" Lily asked casually, chewing her cereal.
"Yeah, uh, don't worry about it. I'll talk to you later." Scorpius got up in a huff and headed for the door.
"Oh alright! Talk to you later then." She called after him, rolling her eyes.
"So just because you're friends with Malfoy now, doesn't mean we are." Ivy said stubbornly and Raven started to protest.
"Actually, I've been friends with him for awhile now…" Raven trailed off as she took a longer then necessary slip from her cup.
"WHAT?" Ivy yelled across the Great Hall, several first years and the same seventh years were now staring at the girls. Ivy coughed and cleared her throat, while Kenda look vaguely upset that she was out of the loop. "I mean, what in merlin's beard is going on here?" Raven sighed and looked at Lily, who just shrugged and made no input into the conversation, just keep eating her cereal in silence. Raven launched into a similar story that she had told Lily and Scorpius the day before. She finished in a huff with Ivy and Kenda looking wide eyed at both of the girls.
Ivy was the first to talk, "I'm still not going to like him."
"I really don't have that much of a problem with him." Kenda finished quietly, she was glad to be back into the loop. "So, I have something I need to discuss with you." Lily looked up at Kenda with curiosity while Ivy pouted and Raven grabbed some toast. "So, um, although the, er, um – "
"Spit it out Kends," Raven told her biting into her toast with crazyberry jam.
"You know that the Yule Ball is coming up while within the next –"
"Months," Ivy pointed out bitterly.
"Yes within the next two months; month and half, I know it's rather soon. But, er, Owen asked me to go with him. Like on a date to the Yule Ball." Lily almost chocked on her cereal, and Ivy patted her on the back as she coughed.
"That's great Kends, really great." Lily managed to cough out.
"Yes, very great, you look cute together." Ivy tried to expand on Lily's point.
"It is very soon, two months." Raven said worried, but they all tried to smile for her. Kenda look mildly disappointed in her friends reactions.
"I know, but this is my chance to have my fairytale, unlike you all who've got to have them all. Thank guys." Kenda then left the storm, and the three girls sat there in silence.
"Are we horrible friends?" Raven asked them and they nodded, they were so caught up in their own problems that none of them had bothered to ask Kenda how she was doing.
"Fairytales?" Lily asked sarcastically. "Where has she been?"
"We'll see her in class, come on." Ivy said and the girls got up making their way to Charms. Kenda was sitting on the far side of the room with Anna Creevey, making a point of not looking at the girls as they walked in. Hugo was sitting there really puzzled as Lily went to sit down next to him.
"What's up with Kends?" Hugo whispered as Professor Frobisher had started the lesson.
"Owen asked her to the Yule Ball and we weren't excited." She whispered harshly.
"We have to start worrying about that now?" Hugo looked worriedly from Lily to Kenda.
"No no, don't worry. Owen is just a keener. Knows exactly what Kenda wants." She said bitterly. 'Wow, what was wrong with her today?'
"A little harsh Lils." Hugo whispered to her.
"Sorry, just an off day is all." Lily sighed.
"You ok Lils?" Hugo gave her a look, knowing something was wrong.
"I don't know, don't worry Hugo." She gave him a small smile and listened to Professor Frobisher discuss their OWLS. She'd been so focused on everything else that the fact that they would be taking their OWLS, the one of the biggest exams of their education, the exam to decide what they were going to do with their lives, in a matter of months had casually slipped her mind. Lily spent the rest of the class worrying about her OWLS.
After classes as the 4 were walking out, Kenda ran up to join them.
"Look who decided to join us." Ivy scowled at her.
"OK, I made of over reacted just a tad, I've decided you're all forgiven." Kenda pouted.
"Forgiven." The four said in unison.
"Did anyone else get freaked out by the OWLS talk?" Kenda asked them, fidgeting with her hands as they made their way to the library.
"I feel like we've wasted a good amount of time already." Raven said sarcastically.
"I won't study probably till the week before." Hugo laughed and they knew, he probably wouldn't and you still do well; which irritated the girls more then anything. They sat down at a table big enough for all five of them and pulled out their books.
"Where do we even begin?" Lily groaned, placing her hand against the table in a sad attempt to make it go away.
"I don't even know, my head hurts already." Ivy joined Lily.
"Malfoy is looking at you Lils." Kenda said in a matter of fact tone, "You might want to start there." She giggled and Hugo almost chocked.
"Shush," Lily said as her head sprang up and scanned the room for Scorpius; a pair of grey met her brown eyes that were sitting at her table. Scorpius gave her a soft smile and motioned to her. "Er, hold on." Lily got up as the other four gave her looks and walked slowly towards Scorpius.
"Care to join me today Potter?" Scorpius chuckled as he motioned to the empty chair across from him – her chair.
"Why not Malfoy?" She told herself to breathe as she sat down. She was starting to question her emotions today; they had been a bit everywhere.
"Looked like you might break down over there." He chuckled as he folded the paper in front of him. Lily looked down puzzled at his long pale fingers as they folded away.
"OWLS," She answered shortly, "Why do you do that?"
"The folding?" She nodded, "keeps my hands busy I guess, it's a muggle thing you know?" She looked at him questioningly.
"I'm sorry what? The king of Slytherin? Muggle thing? Did I hear that right?" Lily chuckled darkly thinking back to stories she had heard.
"You think it's funny? I'm in Muggle Studies if you must know, very interesting class." He finished folding the paper and handed it to her. "People are capable of change." Lily examined the folded paper in her hand – a lily. "Origami."
"I'm sorry?" Lily asked as she stared at the lily.
"It's called Origami, it's the Japanese art of paperfolding." Scorpius said as he took out his wand and tapped the paper lily lightly. Lily looked in amazement as the paper lily transformed into a real flower in her hand. "And that's magic, good ol' fashion, magic." He chuckled.
"It's beautiful." Lily whispered looking at the white and pink flower in her hand. "They're my favourites – Lilies." She rambled, hovering and rotating the flower just above her hand. "It's clique I know. Rose's favourite are Irises; mine could have been Roses or even Daisies but Lilies are just beautiful…" She trailed off and let the Lily flutter down to the table; a small smile crossed her lips. "So there was something you were trying to tell me earlier before you stomped off."
"Oh, yes. Well do you think this is the appropriate time or? Do you think someone is going to interrupted again?" He chuckled slightly.
"No the present is perfect." She giggled.
"So what I was trying to tell you before about was that …"
"Lils, we got to go to class!" Ivy shouted across the library and Madam Pince came rushing over to scolded her.
"Seriously? You're kidding right?" Scorpius started howling covering his mouth quickly and Lily giggled into her arm.
"I promise, later? How about I meet you?" Lily giggled.
"Yes, court yard?" He asked her.
"I'll be there, 8." She smiled at him as she ran away.
"What's that?" Hugo pointed to the lily behind her ear. She quickly grabbed it and threw it into her bag, praying that it would be wrecked.
"Nothing, don't worry about it Hugo." She scowled him.
"How's the new best friend?" Ivy asked smugly, pretending she was hurt.
"Oh stop, just a friend." Lily laughed as they made their way to class as Raven again explained the story to Hugo. All four of them teased her the entire day about it and it seemed her sprits had been lifted.
The five of them finally made it to into the common room later that night and clasped onto the couches.
"Why am I so tired?" Raven yawned curling up into a ball on the chair.
"Before holiday blues." Hugo announced.
"What? That's not even a thing?" Kenda whined yawning as well.
"Sure it is, think about it. We're always so tired before holidays." Hugo pointed out.
"I'm always tired. I have no excuse." Ivy laughed as she lay down on the couch.
"What time is it?" Lily realized looking at the clock in the common room. It read 8:08. "Shit, I got to go." Lily ran out of the common room, down the halls to finally she saw a figure leaning against the wall.
"Sorry, I'm late." Lily inhaled sharply out of breath from running to fast.
"Thought you had forgotten." He chuckled motioning for her to sit down.
"Yeah, well I did but then I thought, well better not leave him there looking like more of an idiot then he is." She chuckled and he joined her.
"Hey now, we're supposed to be friends." He laughed.
"We are, haven't you heard of friendly bantering before?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Yes, I've heard the term before. You seem in a better mood from this morning." He pointed out.
"Much. OK – no one will interrupt you this time. I swear on my mother's life." She giggled.
"That's a pretty hefty price to pay for this." He smirked.
"Yes, sure. Tell me already." Lily beamed. She wanted to know what he had to tell her so badly that he still remembered after all these interruptions.
"Yes, well what I've been trying to tell you, which doesn't seem to be relevant anymore to anything we are talking about as of now…" He paused for dramatic impact and Lily punched him in the shoulder playfully, "is that I broke up with Mavie."
"Oh." Lily stared blankly at him, as she fully did not know how to process that bit of information. "Well, good?"
"Yes Lily, that's a good thing." He chuckled at her confusion.
"Do you want to talk about it? Are you sad? We could start a group therapy session if you want? Call it Breaking up 101 or yeah I got nothing. Sorry, I tried but she's a ditz." Lily joked giving him a big grin.
"No I'm fine. Are you fine?" He got very serious staring at her from across the cut out.
"I've been better, it will pass." Lily sighed, she knew it would – it had too.
"So your OWLS?" Scorpius lightened the mood.
"Don't even say it, they're awful things." Lily groaned putting her head against her legs.
"You'll do fine, you're smart." He chuckled, "Besides, you have lots more to worry about before that."
"Like what, nothing like that will decide my future as we know it." Lily said over dramatic.
"Well, there's winter break and before that the Yule Ball." Scorpius chuckled.
"That is still a month and a half away." Lily pointed out stubbornly.
"Yes, quite a bit of time you're right Potter." He joked as he examined the black watch on his wrist. "We better get back, it's almost curfew." He announced as he hopped down off the cut out.
"Oh god, Rose is going to kill me." Lily groaned.
"Have a good night Lily." Scorpius gave her a charming smile that she didn't think could ever be for her.
"Likewise, goodnight Malfoy." Lily giggled as she ran towards her common room.
What an odd how she could feel so empty and mixed up, and then with Scorpius she felt like everything made sense again. It was a sense of which she felt only when she was with her family. Scorpius was right about one thing is that winter break was coming up soon which meant that she could relax a bit more.
"Lily!" Rose yelled as she came to a screeching halt.
"Yes dearest cousin of mine." Lily said sweetly looking at the clock in the common room.
"You're late." Rose said as she stared at her.
"By a minute, come on Rose I'm tired." Lily yawned.
"Come on Rose, it's fine." Chase grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the couch.
"Fine this time Lily. Goodnight." Rose muttered annoyed.
"Goodnight. Rose. Chase." Lily sang as she ran up to her dorm. Everyone was fast asleep by the time Lily came creeping into the dorm. She changed and hopped onto her bed with her bag. She looked carefully for the flower that she had shoved into her bag this morning and there at the bottom of her bag it was.
"Wow," she breathed, it was still in perfect condition it almost sparkled as she placed it into the box beside the other paper flower. She lay down and pulled the covers over her. It takes her a long time to fall asleep but she finally does as she drifts off until the nightmares take over.
She was greeted by the woman from the painting again and like before she motioned for Lily to follow her. She lead her down a different corridor this time only to vanish in front of a door. Lily reached for the lock; turning it slowly and pushing the door open into a blackened room.
"Hello?" Lily called out to the darkness.
"Lily?" An airy voice called from the dark and she hesitated before stepping into the room.
"Lumos," Lily whispered and her wand began to glow. She twisted in circles looking for the voice.
"Lily," The airy voice repeated.
"What do you want?" Lily screamed into the darkness and then she heard a dark chuckle from behind her as she whipped around to see what it was; a pair of icy blue eyes that belonged to Zenith met her.
Lily screamed a high-pitched blood-curdling scream as what appeared to be the tail of a giant snake. Lily struggled to get free as Zenith stood there as he controlled the snake.
"There, there, Little Lily." Zenith hissed at her.
"What do you want!" Lily cried gasping for air as the snake tightened its grip.
"Lily!" A voice came from behind her as she tried to twist around to see.
"Scorpius?" She cried in confusion. The snake had loosened its grip on her as she managed to twist away from it falling to the ground with a gasp.
"Lily!" Scorpius ran to her as soon as the snake went to lung for him. The teeth inches away from his face …