CHAPTER EIGHT

WHY DO YOU CARE?

"He said what" Shrieked Rikki, as I walked into our dorm. She looked like she and Mel were having an interesting conversation. They looked like that a lot lately. Then they would stop talking or change the subject the second they saw me. I respect the fact that they have a secret but I can't help but feel excluded.

"Who said what?" I ask, knowing I'm not going to get the truth.

"Lily! Em, well - we were just...um." Rikki stutters - she is a terrible liar, always has been. That's one of the reasons she can't keep a secret.

"Professor Longbottom told me my grades have been improving." Interrupted Mel. I can tell she isn't lying - and I'm happy for her - but I know that isn't what they were talking about. I mutter a half-hearted congratulations and climb into bed. Rikki and Mel look at each other, as if having a mental conversation which results in them both sighing heavily and going to bed as well.

I guess I shouldn't be too mad at her - after all, I have secrets too. Well, not secrets really but for the last 3 days, ever since the meeting, I've been feeling strange. The rules are we can't tell outsiders about our family meetings and I never have, but I so badly want to tell Mel and Rikki about Caleb. I haven't stopped thinking about what he said. It implied that he noticed me, but he can't, I mean I'm just me. Sweet Lily, "the quiet one", invisible - I'm not the kind of girl that boys like Caleb notice. These last few days I've watched him. Not in a creepy-stalkerish way but I've noticed him. He's cool and popular. And the girl's practically throw themselves at his feet. Beautiful, gorgeous, sexy girls - things that I am not and could never be. Despite how gorgeous - and slightly desperate - they are, it's like he doesn't even notice they're there. I mean he has obviously had girlfriends before but he doesn't use girls. I like that. My cousin Louis is a player, uses girls for sex (which is emotionally scarring for me) and moves on - of course most of them don't mind but still. But I haven't just been watching Caleb - something happened yesterday.

*START FLASHBACK*

I was walking down the crowded corridor and some girl bumped into me and I fell down like a sack of potatoes. Nothing new of course. People bump into me all the time. But this time I smacked my head off the floor, and with my recent head injury it really hurt. The tears welled up in my eyes but I blinked them back. I never cry. It draws attention to you and I try not to do that. But then a hand was held out in front of my face. At first I thought it was Rikki or Mel.

"Lily, are you ok?" He said. I knew from his deep, almost musical, voice that it was Caleb. I grabed his hand and let him pull me up but dropped it instantly, ignoring the feeling his hand in mine gave me. Also, for the sake of my sanity, I tried to avoid eye contact. I cleared my throat but to my annoyance my voice still came out shy and mousy.

"Thanks. Well, em ... I better-"

"Are you ok? Did you hit your head-" I cut him off.

"Yeah. But I'm fine so I think I'll be going to class now." I tried to walk away but he grabbed my arm.

"If you hit your head you have to go to the Hospital Wing." I tried to protest but he shook his head, "No complaining. C'mon I'll take you." He practically dragged me up the stairs, ignoring my protests.

When we get to the Hospital Wing I have to wait to be seen because a boy will not stop throwing up. It seems that Fred and Roxie have started selling WWW products again. Makes sense - they made a massive profit last year. After they got so much money you would think we would get better Christmas presents but we got the same as every year - WWW products.

Caleb and I sat in silence. As usual I sat there and over-thought things until finally I blurted out what was on my mind.

"Why do you care anyway." He looks at me confused.

"What?"

"First you say you notice me, then you help me up after I fall down and insist I go to the Hospital Wing ... Why? Why do you care?" He looks baffeled, then uncomfortable, then finally he stutters out an answer.

"I - erm you're." He clears his throat and changes his expression until I can't read his emotions. "You're my best friends little sister, he would kill me if I had just left you lying there. Plus, you've had a head injury recently so it could have made that worse. Plus, y'know - anything to get out of potions!" He laughs akwardly. We didn't talk after that but I kept looking at him out of the corner of my eye and only once I saw him looking back.

*END FLASHBACK*

I don't know why but I was hurt. I had only been staring after this boy for a few days and I knew it was ridiculous but he was the first boy to notice me. When he had said that it was only because I was Al's sister it had hurt. That's all I've ever been known for - Ginny and Harry Potter's daughter, James and Al's little sister, Rose and Hugo and Victoire and Teddy and Dom and Louis and Molly and Lucy and Roxie and Fred's little cousin. "The quiet one", invisible, nothing. The first person who notices me (apart from Mel and Rikki) and it turns out he was only doing his friend a favour looking out for me - because even my own brother can't be arsed with me.

I fall asleep crying. I don't know why.