CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

THE ONES WHO DIDN'T GO

I march into the Three Broomsticks, like a woman on a mission. I sweep the room for my brother and spot him and Rikki sitting at a table, with Mel and Louis, in the corner. Out of the corner of my eye I see Caleb and Al sitting nearer the door but I don't even spare them a glance. I stride straight up to James, who currently has his arm around Rikki's shoulders, and glare at him. I know that my anger is evident on my face.

"Lily, what -" He starts.

"How dare you. How dare you. You had no right to send them a letter. I was going to tell them. But now they'll think I was hiding it from them. You are such an arse, James." I scream. The whole room goes silent but I don't care. I don't care that I'm acting immature. I don't care that the whole room can hear me. I don't care that I'm embarrassing myself. I'm just so mad. James looks flustered for a moment and then he opens his big mouth.

"Weren't you? You didn't tell anyone - in my world that's the same as hiding it." He retorts.

"Really? Even if I was, you think that gave you the right to tell Mum and Dad? Maybe I should tell them about all the alcohol and the parties and sex in broom closets, huh James? Because I'm fairly certain that they don't know about that." I sneer.

"I'm just concerned about you. Merlin, Lily, you should be grateful. Honestly, when did you become such a moody little bitch?" He asks me. Suddenly I'm not filled with burning rage anymore. I'm just upset. In my head, I know that it's not really that big a problem. Mum and Dad will be fine with my having a boyfriend and James will just have to deal with it. But the lack of trust he has in me is ... dissapointing.

"Maybe I always have been a bitch. You just never noticed." I say, looking into his eyes. He rolls his eyes and sighs.

"Lily, I didn't mean-"

"Fuck off, James, I know you meant it. Enjoy your date, I'm going back to school." I nod to Rikki and Mel who are sitting there, their mouths hanging open, and leave. I feel Caleb staring at me as I walk out the door.

I walk all the way to the castle, wrapping my jacket tight around my body because I'm bloody well freezing. I start off in an awful mood but walking with the wind whipping in my face clears my mind, calms me down. By the time I reach the castle I'm starving so I head straight to the kitchens, since I've missed lunch but I'm too early for dinner. When I get to the kitchens I'm not the first person there. Molly is sitting on a chair in the corner, stuffing her face with strawberry ice-cream. She looks up with frightened eyes when she hears the door but when she sees it's only me she goes back to her food.

"Hey Molly. Not at Hogsmeade?" She shakes her head and swallows her mouthful.

"No. It's just ... I know it's ridiculous but I felt that if I went to see Uncle George he would know somehow. Yeah, I know it's stupid. And I didn't want to go and just not visit him because that might hurt his feelings so ... I just didn't go. What about you? Why didn't you go?" She asks.

"Oh I did go. But something happened with James and I decided to come back early." She gives me a look that says "explain" so I continue, "Well, you know how I have a boyfriend? Well James has been trying to get me to break up with him and when that didn't work he sent a letter to my parents. I was going to tell them in my own time and he just went and ... grr I'm so pissed at him."

"I can tell." She laughs, "But that's James for you. The worst part is he probably thinks it was the right thing to do." I nod. There is a break in the conversation while Molly keeps eating and I ask the house elves to make me a sandwich. Then I sit down next to her.

"So" I say, "We go home for the holidays in exactly 3 weeks." Her face falls.

"I know." She states. I understand why shes scared. Going home means having to tell everyone shes pregnant.

"It'll be OK." I tell her, even though I can't know that for certain. She shakes her head but doesn't say anything. We sit in silence while she eats her ice-cream and I eat my sandwich then we both get up and leave. It strange - I never really spent much time with Molly but I have hung out with her twice in the last 2 days.

When I get to the Common Room there are only a few people in it. A couple first years and Roxie. Her head is bent over a book and she doesn't notice me walk in. I walk over to where she is sitting and tap her shoulder. She starts.

"Shit, Lily, you gave me a fright. What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?" She asks.

"I could ask you the same thing. Uncle George was worried about you." I tell her. She gives me a look that I can't describe and looks back at her book before saying:

"Leave it alone Lils. I'm too busy. I'll send him a letter. Besides I'll be going home in a few weeks." I sigh and open my mouth to tell her what I think but she holds up her hand, silencing me, "I said leave it, Lily."

I throw my hands in the air, exasparated, and go up to my dorm. I'm pretty tired from Hogsmeade so I accidently fall asleep the second I lie on the bed. I'm awoken a few hours later by Mel shaking my shoulder.

"Lily. Wake up, it's dinner time." She tells me. I sit up and stretch.

"I'm not really hungry. I had something when I got back." I reply a little sleepily.

"Well, will you still come down and sit with me anyway. I think Rikki's going to sit with James."

"Twice in one day. Wow they waste no time. But why did you wake me and not just sit with Louis?" I ask her.

"He's sitting with his friends."

"So? He sits with us all the time. Just sit with him and his friends." I suggest. Mel frowns.

"I don't want to embarass him."

"Mel you could never embarass him. Don't be silly. But fine I'll come down and sit with you." I grin. Her sea-blue eyes light up.

"Really? Oh thank you. So now I can tell you about today. Well I met your Uncle George." We leave the dorm and start to walk down the stairs.

"Oh yeah, how did it go?"

"Quite well I think. He was lovely. A bit silly ... and I got hit on the head by a plastic owl when I opened the door, but I had a good time. I was so nervous." She laughs.

"He's always silly - that's just him." We leave the Common Room and walk downstairs to the Great Hall. Mel yaps on the whole time but I don't mind.

"So.." She says when we sit down at the Gryffindor table, "You shouting at James ... want to explain. I mean, I got the jist of it but..."

"Basically, he asked me to break up with Caleb -though he doesn't actually know it's Caleb- and I said no ... so he sent a letter to Mum and Dad. And I was planning to tell them but he just went and did it. He was hoping to get me into trouble because he doesn't trust me and ... it's very upseting."

"That sucks. But just one thing I think you've got wrong - I don't think it's you he doesn't trust, it's your boyfriend. I don't have any siblings so I wouldn't know but I think he's just trying to look out for you." I open my mouth to protest but she holds up a finger, "I'm not saying that makes it OK to meddle but you can understand why he did it."

"Whatever." I say and wave it off. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rikki and James leave the Great Hall hand in hand. Maybe Caleb's right. Maybe we should just tell everyone. It would certainly make things a lot easier. I could hold his hand and hug him and kiss him in front of everyone. I don't know ... I'll think about it.