CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

NOT MAKING A CHOICE

"Lily, open the door, Sweetie." My Mum shouts 10 minutes later through the ensuite door. She, Aunt Audrey, Molly and Aunt Hermione, have been there for the last 5 minutes, trying to coax me out of the bathroom.

"I'm not coming out, everyone's mad at me." I sob. I know I sound ridiculous but in my defense, it's been a hectic night.

"Nobody's mad at you Lily." Says Aunt Audrey. And I laugh.

"Nobody? Albus is. He's so mad. He hates me and-" I break off crying again.

"He doesn't hate you, Darling," My Aunt Hermione tells me, "And you know Albus, he'll be mad for a while and then he'll get over it." But she doesn't sound certain. She sounds like she's trying to convince more than just me.

"No. This is different. He won't forgive this."

"Lily, look, you can believe whatever you want to believe," Starts Molly, "But for Merlin's sake, open the damn door. This is my bathroom too and I am pregnant and need to pee." Despite myself, I laugh and open the door. Molly grins at me and my Mum and Aunts look relieved. While Molly's in the toilet I sit on the edge of my bed and wipe my eyes. My Mum wraps her arm around my shoulders and hug me close. Aunt Audrey, Molly and Aunt Hermione go downstairs.

"If you don't want to talk, Darling, that's fine. But I would like to know exactly what's been happening. This does involve 2 of my children." She tells me. I sigh loudly.

"I met Caleb and I liked him. And I didn't think he liked me. But then it turns out he did. So we started going out, but we didn't tell anyone because we knew Al would react ... well, like he did. Then I really started to like him - a lot - and I was planning on telling everyone over the holidays but I forgot. Then Caleb came here tonight but he wasn't mad and he said he had a plan and it turns out kissing me was his plan and now Albus is mad and I'm just ... I'm so sorry, Mum." I gasp out. My Mum, who had been nodding her head trying to keep up with my rambling explaination, has a sympathetic, slightly confused, look on her face.

"Oh Honey, It's ok. I wish you'd told me but I'm not mad. And Al will forgive you, you know that."

"Do I? Because he doesn't look like he's willing to forgive. But, anyway, it's not me I'm worried about. It's Caleb. He and Al are really close, and he doesn't want to stop being friends but Al ..." I trail off.

"Yes, your brother can hold a bit of a grudge, can't he? But there's nothing we can do about that, Lily. At the end of the day I can see Al's point. I don't think it's right to stop talking to Caleb all together but his best friend did keep a pretty big secret from him. And that'll be hard to forgive. Give him time."

"OK, Mum. Thanks."

"Wait, I'm not done. We can't do much about Albus, but I'm more concerned about you."

"Huh? What about me?" I ask, very confused.

"Well, I mean ... just how serious are you with this boy? I mean you said you really like him. I was just wondering - um - how long have you been going out? And how far have you gone?" I blush bright red.

"Um- since about, maybe, October. And all we do is kiss, honest." I tell her. Relief is evident in her eyes.

"Ok, Honey. C'mon let's go back downstairs. There's still a party going on and it is your birthday!"

"But Al-"

"Lily, you can't avoid him forever. Let's just get it out of the way now, hm?" I reluctantly stand up and follow my Mum downstairs.

The room goes quite quiet when I walk in. My family all turn to look at me, some shooting me strange looks or encouraging smiles. All except my brothers, who are sitting on a small sofa, the other side of the room. They don't look at me at all. I take a deep breath, to prepare myself, and walk over to where they are sitting. I feel a room full of eyes watching me, as if waiting for another argument to break out. Which it probably will.

"Albus?" He pointedly looks the other way, "Al, talk to me, look at me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm really sorry." He still doesn't look at me. But James does. His expression is unreadable.

"Albus told me to tell you that he isn't speaking to you ever again, unless he absolutely has to."

"What and you're siding with this!? Supporting this!? How could you, James? I thought you would understand. You're going out with my best friend!"

"That's different and you know it. I never kept that from you. You did." He points out. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. But I don't give up.

"But even if I had told you I didn't want you two going out, would you have listened? No. Because you're the amazing James-freaking-Potter. The Chosen One's first-born. You think you bloody well own Hogwarts and own this family. Well, you don't isn't even your fight! This is between me and Albus so just bugger off." I whisper-shout. It doesn't matter, the whole room hears me anyway.

"Lily!" My Dad says, half scolding me for bad language, half in shock after what I've just said. But I don't care. My Mum mutters something along the lines of "Leave her be, Harry.".

James looks boiling mad but gets up to walk away. Before he leaves he says to Al:

"Just talk to her." Albus turns to look at me, his face void of any or all emotions he may be feelling.

"What do you want me to say, Lily? That I forgive you? That I forgive both of you for betraying me? Lying to me? 'Coz I don't." He tells me.

"Why not? I've said sorry. That's all I can do. What do I have to do to get you to forgive me? To forgive Caleb? Because he hasn't done anything wrong. I'm your sister, I'm the one who betrayed you." I insist.

"Hasn't done anything wrong?! He was supposed to be my best friend. My only friend. I'll never forgive him. Ever." He hesitates, "But I might be able to forgive you ... If you break up with him." I gasp and tears well up in my eyes. But I don't answer, "C'mon Lily. What means more to you. Me - your own brother - or him?"

" I ... I - how can you-? I mean ... God, Albus how can you make me choose?! I know you don't notice me, but surely you've seen how happy Caleb has been lately? You can't do this to me." I cry.

"All I've seen lately is my best friend sneaking off every time he gets a chance, and lying, and keeping secrets. But from the sounds of it ... you've made your decission. You're choosing him over me. Over your own flesh and blood."

" There is. No. Choice, Albus. I'm not choosing anyone. I love you and I ... really like him. That's all there is." I sob. I move to try and hug my brother, because by this point we are both standing, but he moves away. He goes to walk away. I don't know what makes me say it, maybe I'm trying to emotionally blackmail him or something, But as he walks away I say, "It's my birthday you know?" He doesn't turn around.

"Happy birthday, Lily." He says and then he goes upstairs and slams his room door shut. But unlike when Caleb said it, it doesn't feel like a bright spark in the darkness, it feels like the last line in a book. Like the last bar of a song. It feels like goodbye to the good relationship me and Albus once had. And I sink to the sofa as the emotion of it hits me like a fist. Mel rushes over, followed by Rikki, despite the look James gives her, and they take me upstairs, practically dragging me.

How could I have gone to make things right ... and made them 10 times worse?

Ok so quite a short chapter but what do you think? I need opinions here, people!

Also I was thinking instead of Lily's birthday, I just go back to Hogwarts in the next chapter OR I could do 2 more chapters - lily's birthday, and lily meeting Caleb's family. What do youguys think?

Read, Review, And most of all give me your opinions - good or bad!