"Now just let your legs float," Katie said, still hanging on to Lily's tummy.
"How?" Lily asked, her legs still firmly planted to the bottom of the pool, her arms gripping the edge of the surface.
"Just lift them up," Katie said, using her other hand to help guide them upwards. "There you go, just like that. Oh, stop your squirming, will you?"
"I don't like this," Lily said, a heavy feeling in her belly.
"It's just floating," Katie said, rolling her eyes. "If you can't even manage this much, you're never going to survive the task. Honestly, I don't now how you've gone this long without learning how to swim."
"Like Aunt Petunia was going to take me to lessons," Lily grumbled. Some of her earliest memories were of being locked in the cupboard for hours while she took Dudley.
"Doesn't explain the fear," Katie said, teasingly splashing some water into Lily's face and earning a squeal from the girl. "Oh, stop squirming, it's just a bit of water."
"I'm not-"
"You've got to used to it quickly, Lily," Katie said apologetically, trying to force her legs back up and maintain the float. "It won't do you any good if you can't even get your face wet."
"I can too," Lily mumbled, taking in a deep breath.
"So, when are you going to tell me?" Katie asked.
"Tell you what?"
"Why you get so scared."
"I'm not scared. I just- I don't like being underwater, is all. Baths are fine, it's just- it's when the water gets big that I have problems."
"But why?"
"Doesn't matter," Lily said quickly. "Shouldn't we be practicing?"
"Fine," Katie said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to let go now, alright?"
"Wait, don't-"
Immediately, Lily's body fell, submerging her completely. Immediately after, she felt Katie's arms wrap around her and haul her back to the surface. Lily sputtered and gasped for air, but Katie just laughed and pulled her close, their torsos touching.
"You almost killed me!" Lily said, trying to rub the stinging from her eyes.
"Don't be so dramatic, Potter," Katie said, pushing her back against the pool edge and locking their lips together. Lily's arms rose of their own volition and locked behind Katie's neck. Katie's warm body felt very good amidst all the cool water. She found herself disappointed when the other girl pulled away.
"I thought you said no kissing while we practice," Lily said with a little pout.
"It was just a friendly goodbye," Katie said, moving away completely and pulling herself out of the pool. "I've got to get going. That Beauxbatons professor will kill me if I'm late to Potions."
"Belby isn't that bad," Lily said, resting her chin on the pool edge and attempting to get the back half of her body to float. A quick wave of Katie's wand, and a muttered drying spell, and the girl's hair and bathing suit were as wet as they started (which is, to say, dry).
"Tell that to my marks," Katie said. "Snape judges us less for mistakes."
"I don't know if that's true."
"Alright, maybe not," Katie agreed reluctantly, "but she's close enough. Oh, by the way, I've been meaning to ask you something."
"We're already going to the Ball together, you airhead."
"Oh, shut up." Katie tossed Lily's shirt into the water. "Oh, don't give me that look, you can dry it. Pogmorfin's is doing a special event during the holidays. Want to go together?"
"Pogmorfin's?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.
"World's largest amusement park?" Katie said as if it was obvious.
"Bit cold for that, isn't it?" Lily asked, feeling irresponsibly pleased at what seemed like an invitation to a real date. So far, all they'd done is join Hagrid for tea together; he was the only one they told so far, on account of him catching them snogging just a ways into the Forbidden Forest.
"It's indoors," Katie said, rolling her eyes.
"How's that work?"
"Well, we've got to keep it underground so the Muggles don't find it, don't we?"
"We do?" Lily said, blinking slowly.
"Course we do," Katie said. "Look, you want to come with me or not?"
"Yes, please."
"Good girl," Katie said, smiling and pulling her arms through her robes. "Stay close to the shallow end, if you're staying. Don't want you drowning just because I had to go to class."
"The Secret Chamber won't let me drown," Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"You have got to come up with a better name for this place," Katie said, looking at the large Swimming Chamber as she buttoned her robe up.
"Why does everybody keep telling me that?"
"Probably because it's rubbish."
"What would you call it, then?"
"Don't know," Katie said, straightening up her tie. "I'll have a think on it. Can't be any worse than what you've done, though. Don't stay in here too long. Don't want your skin getting all pruney."
"You say that as if you're going to be seeing any of it."
"Well, I certainly hope I will. Don't give me that look, I've got to go."
"It's just Potions," Lily grumbled as Katie pulled her bag over her head.
"Isn't that your favourite class?"
"Only when Slughorn is teaching it." The man loved complimenting her work. It was something she could get very used to.
"He's better than Snape, that's for sure," Katie said, glancing over to the door reluctantly, only to turn back. Lily could tell she was sincerely considering skiving off. "See you for supper?"
"Can't," Lily said with a sigh. "I've got Quidditch Practice."
"Just stay on the pitch, then," Katie said with a wink. "I'll bring you something and we can have a nice… fly."
Lily liked the sound of that. She just wished it wasn't accompanied by Katie leaving the Chamber. She sighed and laid her cheek on her crossed arms, closing her eyes. It took her a few moments to realize her legs were floating of their own free will.
She left the Chamber an hour later, dry and her hair much shorter (Katie might like it long, but she was still trying to hide it from the rest of the school). She still wasn't capable of swimming, and she definitely was not at all comfortable being in the water, but she could float, and that was better than nothing. Her last ten minutes were spent just floating on her back in the still water, trying not to move in case she panicked and caused herself to sink.
There was a brief bit of turmoil when Katie arrived late into the Slytherin practice, since their game with Beauxbatons was coming up this weekend, but Lily managed to defuse it by threatening to leave the team if Mia pushed it any further.
"Besides," Lily said with a firm nod. "We're going to smash them eventually, anyway, so it won't matter if she sees a bit."
Practice ended early, and they unfortunately didn't get the time to make use of this extra bit of solitude, as they were too busy quickly disconnecting from each other in the changing rooms when Hermione walked straight in without so much as a single knock.
"Lily?" she said, squinting into the darkness, trying to find the source of sound. "You in here?"
"Just changing!" Lily squeaked, hurrying to pull her waistcoat back over her head and then tossing Katie her robe.
"Now? Practice ended half an hour ago."
"Lost track of time! I can just be so stupid sometimes, you know?" Lily quickly waved her wand across her face, using a silent scourgify to wipe away anything that would give them away.
"In the dark?"
"Yes!" Lily said, quickly hurrying over and yanking Hermione's wand out of her hand before she could light it.
"What are you up to?" Hermione said, instead crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing!" Lily said, linking their arms together forcefully and then pulling the girl to the exit. "Just- just needed to rest my eyes for a bit, you know? Get a nap in. Finding the little bastard at night and in freezing temperatures isn't exactly easy, you know?"
"Alright," Hermione said, nodding her head after a long, thoughtful pause and not saying another thing on the matter. "Say, did your dress come in, yet?"
"This morning," Lily said with a sigh of relief as she finally dragged Hermione outside into the cold night air. "Greengrass brought it to me herself."
"I don't think she's started on mine, yet," Hermione said, raising her free hand to her lips to gnaw at it (as her other was currently still linked with Lily's).
"I'll talk to her," Lily said. "You'll get it, I promise."
"This wouldn't be an issue if you'd just shown up."
"I said I was sorry!"
"It's fine," Hermione said with a reluctant sigh. "I just- I'm going to look rather silly if it doesn't come in before the Ball."
"Get your date settled, then?" Lily asked cheekily.
"Oh, I imagine they'll be asking me any day now," Hermione said teasingly, squeezing Lily's arm closer. "I wish they'd hurry and get it over with, though."
"You could always just ask them, you know," Lily said, thinking happily to herself that's what I did.
"If they don't get it over with soon, I will," Hermione said, brushing some hair out of her face as they neared the castle. "Merlin, it's awful cold out here, isn't it?"
"Wind certainly doesn't help," Lily said. She almost pulled her robe tighter around herself to block it out when she noticed just how hard Hermione was shivering. Then, she rolled her eyes, pulled her arm free, and handed it to Hermione in one smooth motion. "Here. Don't want you freezing to death."
"Thank you," Hermione said, pulling it around herself and seeming awfully pleased about something. She then offered her arm back to Lily, and she grabbed it by the hand and pulled the two of them along at a faster pace.
"I'm trying to be nice," she said, ignoring the shaking starting up in her own limbs. "Not freeze to death."
"I'll have to add those warming runes to the rest of our clothes," Hermione said, a little him in her voice.
"Please do," Lily said, letting Hermione go and hopping up the stone steps four at a time. At this moment, she just needed inside the Entrance Hall at all costs.
"Say," Hermione said, grabbing her by the arm as soon as they were inside the warm(er) castle. "What say we head back to the dorm and see if Dobby will bring you a replacement for the meal you missed?"
"That sounds wonderful," Lily said, running a hand through her hair. "Think that he'd get some- what are you stopping for?"
Hermione was staring at her with a very strange look that Lily didn't have the slightest idea of how to interpret. Before Lily could even begin asking, Hermione looked around at the empty Entrance Hall before turning her attention back to her friend and crossing her arms in a very dangerous manner.
"Why do you have lipstick on your neck?" she asked.
"I don't," Lily said very slowly. It took every instinct she had not to rub at her skin.
"Yes, you do," Hermione said. "I'm not blind. Why do you- you- oh, Merlin, you weren't alone in the changing room, were you?"
"Of course, I was," Lily lied. "I told you, I just had a-"
"Who?" Hermione asked warningly. "Who was it?"
"I don't- It wasn't- I told you, I was-"
"Oh, hello, you two!" Katie said, jogging through the castle gates at the worst possible time, panting and red-faced and smiling far too happily. "Fancy meeting you here."
And, of course, her lipstick was noticeably the same colour stuck to Lily's neck. Lily made a quick gesture to Katie to leave immediately, absolutely certain it wouldn't go unnoticed, but Katie just gave her a strange look.
"Katie?" Hermione asked, head whipping back to look at Lily. "Her?"
"Err- I was just out for a jog," Katie said awkwardly, glancing between the two of them.
"It's not what you think," Lily said slowly, raising both hands.
"You're taking her to the Ball, then?" Hermione asked, taking one step forward. "She was who you were talking about?"
"No, we were just-"
"Is that why you didn't show up to the appointment?" Hermione asked, taking another step. "Too busy snogging your new girlfriend?"
"Err- actually, she was teaching me how to-"
"Oh, forget it," Hermione said, throwing both hands into the air and stomping straight past Lily.
"That didn't go well, did it?" Katie asked as Hermione slammed the dungeon doors behind her.
"She'll get it over it," Lily said with a sigh. "I'm starving. Want to get something to eat?"
"Can't believe I never thought about sneaking in here before," Katie said, looking around the kitchens as Lily shoveled food into her mouth.
"Favourite place in the whole school."
"Please don't talk with food in your mouth, it's disgusting."
"Sorry," Lily said after swallowing.
"Should I be worried about Hermione figuring us out?" Katie asked.
"No," Lily said, stuffing her mouth again. "I already told her what I was about. I just didn't mention you because you asked me not to."
"Well, good to know you can keep a secret, at least."
"You know," Lily said carefully, "this would all be a lot easier if we just got it over with and told everybody."
"Absolutely not, Potter," Katie said dangerously.
"Alright, alright," Lily said, holding her hands up in surrender.
"Everything is going to go perfectly," Katie continued unabated. "Everybody is going to see us all at the same time, we're going to dance, I'm going to kiss you, and they're all going to see that this is absolutely normal and that there's absolutely nothing to get angry about."
"Right," Lily said, not listening past the words 'kiss you.' "Say, want to actually go for a jog?"
"Can we use the Secret Chamber?" Katie asked after a pause. "As much as I want to see those little shorts of yours, I really don't fancy being out in the snow for it."
"The cold is the best part!" Lily protested. "Have to keep moving so you don't freeze!"
"You have my conditions," Katie said, taking a sip from Lily's drink.
Having a running partner was one of Lily's favourite parts of dating Katie Bell, and if she'd known how much fun it would be, she would have asked much earlier. As it was, she needed to go get changed before they could leave; she hated running in her robes.
"Won't be here long," Lily said, pushing the door open. "I'm going jogging with- what happened in here?"
"I don't know what you mean," Hermione said, sitting at her desk, located right next to her bed.
Her desk. Her bed. There were two of each, now, instead of the one they'd been sharing. Hermione had her Potion's book leaning on a stack of law texts while she scribbled away at a scroll, writing their next essay.
Lily glanced over to what was now her side of the room. Her deck was clean and clutter less, her wardrobe was no longer packed with so many of Hermione's things, the dresses she'd loaned to the girl were laid neatly across her bed, and her paintings were no longer lining every wall, with the ones that were on what was now Hermione's side stacked together next to Lily's wardrobe.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked quietly, confused at just how hurt she felt at something that really wasn't a big deal.
"Nothing is wrong," Hermione said coldly. "I'm just working on some homework."
"I thought you said you were fine with sharing a bed," Lily said, picking up the dress she thought had looked the best on Hermione.
"I didn't think it would be appropriate for us to share a bed now that you have a girlfriend," Hermione said, an audible sneer at the last word, head still bowed over her work. "So, I had Dobby request a separate one, and Dumbledore was happy to oblige."
"Alright," Lily said sadly. She supposed she couldn't argue with that. She laid the dress back down and crossed to her wardrobe, trying to swallow down everything she was currently feeling. "I'm sorry I- I'll be back later."
"Oh," Hermione piped up from the desk, but still not looking up. "If you're going to change, you should do it in the bathroom. I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate you getting nude in front of other girls."
"Err-" Lily said, pausing in her state of address. "Why would she care? We've shared a room for years. You've seen me plenty of times."
"Oh, I think you'd be surprised the kinds of things a girl could be upset about."
"Right," Lily said, reluctantly pulling her shirt back down, the pit in her stomach deepening. "I'll- err- I'll change in the loo, then."
"I think that would be best," Hermione said in a sickly sweet tone.
Lily shut the door behind her, clothes held in her arms, feeling completely sick. She ended up calling for Dobby and sending him off to tell Katie there'd be a change in plans, and then she spent the evening instead moping in the bath and wondering just what she did to make Hermione so uncomfortable around her. Several times, she held the mirror in her hand, spinning it between her fingers, wondering if Sirius would be able to tell her. When she finally called for him, far too late in the night, she received no answer.
"Nothing you can do," Katie said, shrugging when Lily told her the next morning. "Not everybody's going to be alright with it."
"She's supposed to be," Lily said, glancing over to where her supposed best friend was sitting with Sae and Ginny, her stomach rolling again.
"She'll see at the Ball, just like everybody else," Katie said, taking a sip of her juice. "She'll get over herself eventually once she sees it's perfectly normal."
"I thought you said there was nothing I could do," Lily said, narrowing her eyes.
Katie shrugged. "I'm an eternal optimist. Something has to go right eventually. That's why the Ball has to be perfect. They'll all see, Lily, trust me. See you for some swimming later?"
She had Transfiguration with the Durmstrang professor right after. He talked in such a thick accent that neither French nor English students could understand a word. Lily was almost entirely certain he did it on purpose just so his own students would have an advantage. Hermione did not sit next to her.
Later that day, they had History of Magic with the same school's professor, and he almost seemed worse than Binns. He didn't give boring lectures, but that was only because he didn't give a lecture at all. If you had him, all you did was read from the book until the bell rang while he glowered from the front. Regardless of where she ended up, Lily was going to be very glad not to deal with that particular style of teaching during the next year. Hermione did not sit next to her.
Their last class of the day was their last set of Dueling classes in the castle, taking the spot of Defense Against the Dark Arts from Hogwarts and just straight up the Dark Arts from Durmstrang. Lily looked over hopefully at Hermione upon entering the class, only to be disappointed that she was talking with Lavender and Parvati and completely ignoring her existence.
"You're going to love it," Lily promised Ron as she pulled him up to the nearest stage. She couldn't feel down all day. Katie was right; something had to go right eventually.
"Do I have to?" Ron whined. "My ego can only take so much bruising, Lily."
"Come on, it'll be fun!"
"I thought you said this was going to be fun," Ron grumbled moments later, his legs glued together, his hair transfigured into little snakes, and his entire body hanging upside down in midair.
"For me!" Lily said with a fake happy tone. She glanced over at Hermione, wondering if the other girl had seen, only to be disappointed that she was still chatting with the Gryffindor girls, giggling and smiling about something and not paying her the slightest bit of attention. She clenched her jaw and turned her own attention back to dueling; it was time to work off some stress.
She was very lucky that Hogwarts and Durmstrang didn't yet know not to duel her. While Beauxbatons avoided her entirely (aside from Clara and her mates jeering at her from the sidelines of every single match), the students from the other schools seemed to be very enthusiastic about toppling her from the peak of the leaderboard. She was just as enthusiastic about showing them their place.
After Dueling, Lily got a little reprieve from her terrible, moody day, as she got to attend her first meeting with Professor Flitwick. In his office, she was given about a dozen books on highly advanced charms, Flitwick giving recommendations and stories for each one on what she should practice first.
"I'd love to show you myself," he said, "but- err- perhaps next year? Wouldn't want you to be accused of cheating!"
"Right," Lily said, slowly. "Err- next year, then." She should have known Flitwick would forget he already promised her that he'd teach all the spells himself.
"Wonderful!" Flitwick said, shaking her hand in both of his. "Oh, it's been so wonderful having you in class again, Hazel, really! It's always a treat to watch you perform!"
"Thanks," Lily said, a smile overcoming her previous trepidation from the thought of wanting to return to Hogwarts.
She was floating her new possessions along in front of her as she headed towards the Secret Chamber moments later (trying to cheer up at the thought of spending time with Katie). Technically speaking, she still wasn't supposed to use magic in the hallways, but so long as she wasn't caught by Filch (or any particularly nasty Professors and Prefects), she didn't see the harm in it. With the castle so much larger than before, any encounters with such things seemed far too unlikely to worry about.
She was lucky (or perhaps the boy was) when she turned the corner and found Neville on the ground, a broken pot on the floor, dirt spread all around him, and Clara standing over him with two of her newfound compatriots, all laughing and speaking rapidly in a language Neville didn't understand, with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle standing in front of them and taking turns kicking at Neville's protected chest.
"What's wrong, Longbottom?" Malfoy said as Crabbe sent another kick at the downed lad. "Still haven't grown any courage since I've been gone?"
"And you haven't found any new friends, I see," Lily said, pointing her wand straight at the blonde boy as he turned. The giggling cut off the instant the French girls noticed a Champion coming towards them.
"Ah, Potter!" Malfoy said, turning to face her with a smile. "Just having a bit of fun with Longbottom. Isn't that, Neville?"
"You alright, Nev?" Lily called out, earning only a grunt in return. "Seems like a real fun game, Malfoy. Does it have to be six against one, or do you fancy evening the odds a bit?"
"Potter," Clara said, smiling and sounding cruel. "Careful where you aim that thing. I have it on good authority that one little slip up and you're out of Beauxbatons."
"I'm already out of Beauxbatons," Lily said, tapping her wand casually on her chin. "Can't exactly be punished for something I did while not a student, can I? What are you doing to Neville?"
"Heard him mouthing off during Herbology," Malfoy said, kicking at a broken piece of pot. "He didn't like our new badges, see?" Malfoy tapped the bright yellow badge on his chest. "We've been making them to show our support for our favourite Champion, and we were going to run them by you, but it's just so hard to find somebody who thinks she's above attending classes with the rest of us. Here, take one."
Lily swiped the extra badge out of the air as Malfoy tossed it to her. She held it in front of her face so she could read it without taking her eyes off the six standing students. The badge was far less impressive than her own work with the S.P.E.W. stuff, and bore only two words: Potter Stinks. The only bit of impressive magic was when it changed from English, to French, to Bulgarian, and then repeated endlessly.
"Cute," Lily said, pining the thing to her chest, right next to her S.P.E.W. badge and earning a glower from all the others. "I'm assuming this is because of Skeeter's article? 'Something stinks,' she said, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, that's right," Malfoy said. "Why don't you just keep moving, Potter?"
"I don't think so," Lily said. "I think it'd be best if you left, actually. Wouldn't want you getting hurt. Daddy won't protect you, now that he doesn't love you anymore. Goes for you, too, Lavigne."
"Shut up," Clara growled.
"Careful, lads," Malfoy said, drawing his own wand and nudging Crabbe and Goyle. "Potter thinks she's something special."
"I'm a Champion," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Sure you want this, Malfoy? Clara's almost a squib, those friends of hers haven't won a single duel, and I seem to remember I've already beaten the rest of you all at once. You know you can't win this."
"You sure you want to test that?" Malfoy said. Lily's eyes glanced towards his hand, where he was rolling his wand nervously.
"Do you?" Lily asked coolly, Clara and her friends reaching for their own wands, Clara whispering in a rapid French.
"Put the whore in her place," she heard her say. She clenched her jaw and decided it was time to teach a lesson.
"Rictusempra!" Malfoy shouted. Lily laughed and flicked the spell back towards him.
"You'll have to do better than the tickling jinx, Malfoy," she said, rising a stone wall from the floor to block the rest of the curses sent her way. "We're not first years anymore. Why not show me some of the Dark Arts you've been learning?"
"Suffocoatum!"
"Better," Lily said, tapping her stone wall three times and sending a large brick towards each of the Beauxbatons girls (and earning a couple of girly screams in response). "But it doesn't matter none if your opponent still has a wand and can cast silently. Plus, I learned that last year." Lily hopped up to the top of her wall. Another flick of her wand had Goyle sinking down to his neck in the stone. Lily liked to think people on the floor below would be able to see his legs.
She also couldn't help but notice Clara and her friends fleeing down the hallway, completely abandoning their compatriots.
"Depulveri!"
Lily blocked it again, a quick motion upwards, and the stone floor rose to block the curse, disintegrating immediately after contact.
"Now that's more like it," Lily said, swishing her wand sideways and smashing Crabbe into the wall, his unconscious body crumpling to the ground. "Still too slow, though. Do you really think your father would approve of such a-"
"Cru-"
Lily shut him up quickly by thinking Langlock in her head. She could hear his tongue hitting the roof of his mouth, and Malfoy's spell fizzled at the tip of his wand.
Lily tsked him with her free hand and then, with another swish upwards, sent him sprawling in the air, hanging by his ankle on an invisible hook, the ends of his thick robes spilling back towards the earth.
"Too far, Malfoy," Lily said, floating her stack of books back to her side.
Malfoy turned his wand back towards her, a low grunt escaping his mouth. Lily just let out a little sigh and, with a lazy point, disarmed him.
"We."
Lily flicked her wand at her stack and then towards Malfoy, sending a heavy book from the top of her stack straight into his head.
"Don't."
Another one, this time hitting his chest.
"Use."
Another one.
"Unforgivables!"
Lily kept flicking until her stack was empty, her books were collecting dust on the ground, and Malfoy's limbs were hanging loosely as he slipped into unconsciousness. With another sigh, Lily let him fall to the ground and then turned to Neville.
"Thanks," Neville said, accepting her hand.
"Don't tell Hermione," Lily said, pulling him back up to his feet. "She'll have an aneurysm if she finds out I used the books like that." Assuming she can even be bothered.
"Are they going to be alright?" Neville asked, looking at the two slumped boys and Goyle (who was still struggling on the floor and attempting to shout for help).
"I wouldn't worry about them too much," Lily said, levitating all her books back into a nice, floating stack. "I've hit Malfoy with worse. Plus, you heard what he tried. Doubt he'll say a thing. They'd have to check his wand, and that would just result in a one way trip to Azkaban. You hear that, you dunghead?" The last part she aimed towards Goyle, just to make sure he got the hint not to speak. "Where were you heading, anyway?"
"The greenhouses," Neville said, looking forlornly at his broken plant. "Sprout wanted to take another look at my Flutterby Bush."
"Oh!" Lily said, raising a hand to her mouth. "Is that the plant I got you?"
"It was," Neville said with a grimace.
Lily moved her stack of books to the side and focused her attention to the ground. With slow, deliberate movements, she gathered the broken shards together and stitched them back into a presentable pot. Then, by raising both arms upwards, the gathered dirt twisted and swirled together, flowing upwards and back into the pot. The bush came along with it, the few fallen leaves reattaching themselves (where, hopefully, they would flourish back to life). The end result was the plant and pot looking (at least, Lily hoped) exactly as they had before Neville's unfortunate encounter with Malfoy.
"Come on," Lily said, floating the pot and books along in front of her and proceeding back in the direction she came from. "I'll walk you to the greenhouse."
"I can carry it on my own," Neville said, falling in step with her. Lily noticed his face was a bit red.
"It's fine," Lily said with a shrug. "I don't mind, really."
"Katie'll be angry if you're late," Neville said. That got Lily stopping short to glance at him.
"How'd you know I have to meet with Katie?" Lily asked.
"She's teaching you to swim?" Neville said, blinking slowly. "Where else would you be?"
"I- what- how did you know that?"
"Katie told me," Neville said. "Came straight up to the dorm and told me, even kicked Ron and Seamus out so we'd have some space."
"Really?" Lily asked. "Err- what else has she said?"
"Sorry, Lily," Neville said with a small smile. "But that's a secret."
"Do you think- err- does she like me?"
"Lily. You're dating."
"Right," Lily said, scratching at her nose. "Err- I never asked, did I?"
"Asked what?"
"How do you feel about- err- me liking girls?"
"Why would it matter?" Neville asked. "You're still you."
"Thanks," Lily said, feeling a bit better about herself. "I just wish Hermione felt the same."
"Don't tell me you're fighting again."
"She's the one who went bananas just because I'm dating a girl."
"She did?" Neville asked. "I thought she seemed so happy for you."
"I thought so, too," Lily said with a sigh.
The further down they went, the more Neville quietened. At first, Lily thought he was trying to reason through her tiff with Hermione, but after seeing what he was staring at, she realized she was projecting. Neville sullenly watched as Lily kept knocking his pot together with her books to amuse herself, pretending they were little horses in a jousting tournament.
"How do you do all that?" Neville asked as they walked outside, when Lily was having the pot juggle her books (or, at least, that's what it looked like).
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, face screwed up in concentration.
"I mean you weren't doing any of this last year," Neville said, brow furrowing, arms spreading in a wide gesture. "Honestly, sometimes I thought you were just as hopeless as I was. So why can you now? What changed?"
"Nothing changed," Lily said. "I just- I finally figured it all out, I guess."
"I don't get it."
"You remember how many hours I spent studying Transfiguration in first and second year?" Lily asked after a pause. "How I couldn't even get that snuffbox to transform into a stupid little mouse?"
"Yes," Neville said hesitantly.
"You remember how many hours I spent in the summer, just reading and copying notes in my books?"
"Yes," Neville said more confidently.
"I never stopped practicing, Nev," Lily continued. "I never stopped trying, even when I really wanted to give up. Even last year, when I was- err- having issues. I still practiced, even if I wasn't doing my homework. I'm still practicing now, matter of fact, it's just- I've moved on to more difficult things. Really, you should see how ragged Fleur was running me. A real taskmaster, that one."
"I wish I could do that," Neville said, still watching her levitating objects with envy in his eyes.
"You can, Neville," Lily said, patting him on the shoulder. "You just have to put a bit of work in, is all. I love Ron, you know that, but if you want to do more than just pass your classes, you have to practice a bit more often than right before exams. But, to be honest with you- err- the only transfiguration I really have down is the wall thing."
"I could tell," Neville said, finally laughing. "You've only used it in every duel."
"It keeps working!" Lily said in her defense.
"Do you think you could teach me?" Neville asked after another pause.
"Sure," Lily said happily. "I need someone new to practice with, anyway. Katie's got to prepare for her OWLs, and Hermione- err- but it'll have to wait until after the second task. I'm too busy learning how to- err-"
Neville nodded again. "Swim, yeah."
"Bloody hell, the two of you are just real best mates, aren't you?"
"She told me you have a dragon tattooed on your back. Is that true?"
"Err- no? Do you- err- do you think she'd like that?"
"No idea," Neville said, smiling again, only to have his face crinkle as they turned the corner and approached the greenhouses. "Who's that talking with Hagrid?"
"Skeeter," Lily hissed, stomping forward faster, books and pot ahead of her swaying dangerously.
"Well, sure," Hagrid was saying as they approached, running a hand through his thick beard. "I 'spose I could tell yeh 'bout the skrewts. Not much to say 'bout them, really."
"Oh, I would very much like to hear all about them," Skeeter said, batting her eyes at him. "What say we-"
"Skeeter!" Lily shouted, turning her wand towards the woman. "Get away from Hagrid!"
"Why, Hazel!" Skeeter said, smiling at her. "What a pleasant surprise!"
"Hagrid, leave," Lily said, putting every ounce of authority she had into her voice.
"We have an interview arranged, actually," Skeeter said, grabbing his sleeve so he wouldn't move.
"Err-" Hagrid glanced between the two women. "We were jus' talking about the skrewts, Lily. Said she was very interested in-"
"Whatever she's interested in, it's not the Skrewts," Lily said, still not moving her wand away from Skeeter. "Whatever she's up to, it'll ruin your life, I guarantee that."
"Why, Hazel," Skeeter said, tilting her head. "You make me out to be a monster, while I all I do is report the truth."
"Leave, Hagrid," Lily repeated. "And if you ever talk to this insect again, I'll drop your class, I promise you that."
"Right," Hagrid said, immediately pulling his arm free from Skeeter. "See you for tea this weekend, then?"
"Sounds lovely," Lily said, matching Skeeter's glare equally as Hagrid left.
"What do you know?" Skeeter asked suspiciously.
"I know that I've had enough of you," Lily said. "I know that you're a despicable human being who doesn't deserve the slightest bit of happiness. I know that if you ever come after me or my friends again, you'll never find any again."
"You'll regret this, Hazel," Skeeter said, her face flushing darkly.
"Don't think I will, actually," Lily said.
"I will offer you one chance to apologize," Skeeter said, trying to put command back on her side. "You see, I've been sitting on a little story. I was waiting until I could find a source to corroborate it, and I've found one, but then, I thought, perhaps it was just a bit too much. Apologize, or I will run it."
"Whatever you've got, I'm not scared of you," Lily said, pushing her way past the woman. "Go ahead and run it. See if I care."
"I don't know if that was smart, Lily," Neville said warily as he hurried after her.
"Probably not," Lily admitted, "but I'm done with all this rubbish."
When the weekend arrived, so, too, did Lily's first official Quidditch match of the season. The Beauxbatons/Slytherin rivalry was at the highest it'd ever been, especially since Beauxbatons desperately needed the win after their previous devastating losses, and when Lily joined her team on the field, she was met with cheers only from her House. When Beauxbatons started screaming out taunts about her promiscuity again, Lily vowed she'd do everything in her power to completely trounce them.
True to her word, Lily showed no mercy. She spent the game divebombing and committing fouls. Twice, she knocked both French beaters from their brooms. One of them she even injured, sending him out of the game and causing a timeout and subsequent replacement. Henri, especially, she targeted with cruel exception, wanting to get rid of some of the frustration she felt over his girlfriend. Every time the Quaffle even came close to his hands, Lily would ram it out of the air.
The ending made it very clear that she was not to be messed with, when she knocked the French Seeker from their seat and snatched the Snitch practically straight out of their hands. Lily even purposefully flew as slowly as possible during the mad chase just to make it even more agonizing on them.
The ending score was 420-0 in her favour. Slytherin won their match against Beauxbatons by ten more points than Durmstrang did.
"You could have at least pretended to go easy," Katie grumbled after the game as she arrived for the night's swimming lesson. "I mean, with that, I doubt anyone has a chance at the Cup other than you and Krum."
"I don't pick favourites," Lily said with a shrug.
On that day, it became increasingly clear that the Cup's victor depended entirely on how badly you could smash Beauxbatons. Lily might have felt bad for them, if the amount of jinxes and curses she received in the hallway didn't increase immediately after her own victory. Not to mention the increasingly nasty rumours spreading out about her that she was working very hard to completely ignore. She was also doing her best to remind Clara (and Henri, since he was always nearby) that, despite playing three games, Beauxbatons' point total was lower than both Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who, at this point, have only played one each.
In addition to her game, Hufflepuff played their first match against Ravenclaw, a tense, close match that ended in a ten point victory for Ravenclaw. The younger years also got to play some games, but as Sae wasn't a participant in this batch, Lily hardly paid attention to it at all. She was entirely focused on the news Hermione brought to her after the conclusion of the older year's game.
"Viktor Krum asked me out," Hermione said immediately upon Lily's entrance into the dorm room.
"Pardon?" Lily asked, immediately dropping everything she'd been carrying.
"Viktor Krum asked me out," Hermione repeated. She seemed to be in quite the daze, sitting at the edge of the bed and staring blankly at the wall. The oddest part was that she didn't even have a book within three metres of her. It was almost enough to concern Lily.
"What did you say?" Lily asked.
"I said no," Hermione said, blinking slowly and seemingly noticing Lily for the first time (despite talking directly at her).
"What?" Lily said, feeling like she was hit by a stupefy. "Why- are you mad?"
"I'm not going to the Ball," Hermione said slowly. "I've already signed up to go home."
"What? I- why would you not want to go?" Lily dumped all her stuff on to her bed. "We were supposed to go together! We have matching dresses!"
"I don't want to go," Hermione said, her face twisting at the mention of the dresses. "I want to go home."
"I just don't understand you," Lily said, shaking her head.
"No," Hermione said coldly. "I suppose you don't."
Lily was still seething the next morning, and she completely refused to get up and see Hermione off. Not that the other girl even invited her to do so, as she slipped out without so much as a word to her. Lily continued laying in bed until doing so would cause her to miss breakfast. Only then did she get up, although she didn't bother to wash up or make herself presentable. She was already off to far too bad of a day to bother with any of that rubbish.
She was getting far more snickering and stares than usual as she made her way through the common room. Several girls even seemed completely disgusted at her appearance, but she just ignored it. If she wanted to bother, she could outdo them all. And she would at the Ball where she would dance with her girlfriend and not even spare a single thought for Hermione.
The sense of emptiness did not disappear as she made her way towards the Great Hall, nor did the strange reactions of the students around her. But most damning of all was a pale-faced, terrified Katie Bell running out of the Great Hall, locking eyes with Lily immediately, attempting to hide a magazine behind her back.
"Lily, you need to get out of here," she said, eyes frantically moving back and forth, one hand trying to drag Lily by the arm back towards the dungeons.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked. "I need to eat."
"It doesn't matter, you need to go," Katie said. "Come on, we have to-"
"Potter!"
"Lily, go!" Katie hissed. Lily wrenched her arm free and stood her ground.
"I'm not running," she said, clenching her jaw and straightening her posture as Malfoy approached, smiling brightly, magazine held in the air, Clara and the rest of his goons standing a bit behind. "Not from anybody. Not anymore." Lily noticed that Henri finally grew up enough to not stay with them, at least.
"I always knew you were a freak, Potter, but this really takes it to another level," Malfoy said, shoving the magazine into her chest with a sneer.
"What are you on about now?" Lily asked, pulling it away and getting a good look at the article's title and a large photo of her standing against the fence with Katie, their bodies completely intertwined in an awkward looking snog.
POTTER PREFERENCES PROCURED
THE-GIRL-WHO-LIVED PURSUES GIRLS-WHO-LOVE
"Oh," she said, feeling rather faint.
She expected it, even did her best to ready herself for it, and was completely floored by just how much it hurt. This was supposed to be her moment, and now, it, too, was taken from her. She could feel her hand flexing.
"Really going at it, aren't you?" Malfoy said far too happily. "Really, I don't know what all the buzz is about. I always had you pegged as a-"
Lily didn't find out what Malfoy had her pegged as. She was too busy sinking her fist into Malfoy's nose. She heard a lot of people screaming very suddenly, but with all the blood rushing through her ears, she couldn't make out a word of it. She didn't remember the Weasley twins joining in and tackling Crabbe and Goyle, nor did she remember Ron having a brief duel with Malfoy while Neville attempted to drag her away from it all, but the end result was the same. She ended up face to face with Clara, her wand pressed tight against the girl's throat, and just daring her to say anything else (although what she said prior, Lily hadn't the foggiest) while Ginny tried to pull her off so she could get at the girl herself. The only thing she really could remember was the ending, when McGonagall came storming down the steps, face full of fury and thunder.
"Stop this at once!" she shouted. At the same time, every one of them did, all except for Lily, who kept her wand pressed firmly against the pale-faced Clara's throat. "What in Merlin's name are you thinking?"
"A long list of curses," Lily answered.
"You two, with me," McGonagall said, voice shaking along with her hand as she pointed at Katie and Lily. "The Slytherins will report to Professor Snape's office, the Beauxbatons to their Headmistress. The rest of you will wait in my office. Immediately. Move."
Every student moved at once, hurrying to obey the orders, again, all except for Lily.
"Come on," Katie said, her own voice shaking as she grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her away from her target.
"Completely inexcusable behaviour," McGonagall lectured loudly as they continued up flight after flight of stairs. "Potter, I understand that you'd be angry, but you know better than to behave like- like an uneducated, delinquent troll."
Lily clenched her jaw, genuinely wishing she'd taken it a bit further. She would have snapped back to defend herself, but the pale, quiet, terrified face of Katie Bell beside her concerned her far more. She linked their hands together, but her girlfriend hardly seemed to notice, aside from accepting it in a deathlike squeeze.
"Oh, Merlin," Katie whispered. "Please don't let them see it."
McGonagall led them all the way to the familiar gargoyle blocking off the Headmaster's office. She led them all the way up the spiral staircase, as well, and her loud knocks clearly did nothing to vent the anger she was still stewing over. Lily could hear similarly wrathful voices arguing inside the office, and when the door swung open, the shouting match became a cacophony.
"I won't have her-"
"-my daughter is not a-"
"Oh, shut up, they're just-"
"Miss Potter," Dumbledore said, his cool tone cutting through and silencing the dissenting voices. "Miss Bell. Have a seat, if you would."
Lily moved forward, surprised to get a tug back on her arm when Katie didn't, as she was standing still as a statue in the doorway, staring straight at her parents, who were now done glowering at Sirius and were now doing their best to kill Lily with their glares.
Lily squeezed Katie's hand one more time to snap her back to reality and then didn't let go until they were both seated in front of the Headmaster and next to their respective guardians.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked the both of you here," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Because I broke Malfoy's nose," Lily growled, thinking she should have done more while she was at it.
"We want her gone, Dumbledore," Mr. Bell said, pointing straight at Lily. "She's a blight on this school. Just look how she's corrupted our daughter!"
"She's corrupted her?" Sirius said with a barking laugh. "Mate, your girl is the older one, here, and she's the one what made the first move."
"Katherine is not a freak!" Mrs. Bell shrieked. "It is your little monstrosity that has caused irreparable harm to our darling's reputation!"
"Monstrosity?" Lily repeated in a mumble.
"And we will be seeking reparations for it, I assure you," Mr. Bell added.
"Reparations for what, exactly?" Sirius said his face going dark. "For being a couple of lovesick teenagers?"
That set about another screaming match, and Lily tried her best to keep her mouth from getting her into any serious trouble.
"Enough!" Dumbledore said, raising his voice just slightly. "I assure you that this egregious invasion of our students' privacy will not go without investigation. Your scorn should be directed towards Ms. Skeeter, and not to these two girls."
"You- you would tolerate this nonsense?" Mr. Bell said, horrified.
"There is no nonsense to tolerate, Mr. Bell," Dumbledore said, steepling his hands together. "All I see are two perfectly normal girls doing what teenagers are bound to do when unsupervised."
"We absolutely will not stand for this!" Mrs. Bell said, yanking Katie out of her seat.
"Don't touch her!" Lily said, rising with her. She tried to grab onto Katie's hand again, only to be stopped by Sirius's hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be stupid, Bell," he said. "Don't do this."
"We know best for our daughter, thank you very much," Mrs. Bell said, chin held high and voice pompous. "Don't presume that you can tell us what to do. You should be controlling your own freak before she-"
"Don't call me that," Lily said, reaching for her wand, this time stopped by Sirius's other hand.
"See, Dumbledore!" Mrs. Bell said, pointing at her. "You've been warned about how dangerous she is, and, yet, you still allow this- this abomination to live within these esteemed walls!"
"Miss Potter is welcome here," Dumbledore said calmly. "Far more than the two of you are, I can assure you."
"We'll be taking our daughter, Dumbledore," Mr. Bell added, standing still while his wife pulled a silent and shaking Katie from the room. "And you'll be hearing from our representative about all this, I assure you."
"You will be doing your daughter an ill service by taking her from this school," Dumbledore said, eyes watching Katie as she vanished around the corner of the staircase. Lily moved to go after her, only to be held still by Sirius again.
"Do not pretend to know what is best for our daughter, thank you," Mr. Bell said, placing his hat firmly on top of his balding head. "I suggest you get this school under control, Dumbledore. How you've allowed the standards to fall so far since our tutelage, I'll never know. This never would have been allowed in our day, and I fully intend on fixing this. Good day."
Lily was almost positive Sirius was going to slug the man (or perhaps she was projecting her own thoughts again), but Mr. Bell was allowed to leave unscathed. The same couldn't be said for her shoulder, which Sirius kept in a vice-like grip up until the man was gone.
"Lily," Dumbledore said, gesturing to her seat. "Please. We have much to discuss."
Lily sat, but she hardly paid attention at all to the discussion around her.
This was Skeeter. It had to be. This was the article she was holding back. But how did she find out? How did she find any of her reports out?
"What do you know?" Skeeter had said. Why did she say that?
I called her an insect, Lily thought, staring downwards.
She focused entirely on her right hand. She could remember the little beetle crawling all over while she talked with Sirius about girls. She could remember it flying off as soon as she said she was going to be meeting one soon. She could remember a twig snapping during their little kiss. She could remember hearing a very similar noise from the camera of a certain reporter's photographer.
She could remember the same little beetle hanging all about them while she told Cedric she was casting magic outside of school, right after earning Skeeter's ire the first time around. She could remember seeing that beetle many times, actually, now that she had the context behind it.
Lily laughed. At first, she almost contained it. Then, she covered her eyes with a hand and completely lost it, laughing hysterically while the room fell silent around her.
She was going to ruin Skeeter for this. She already had a plan in mind on just how to do it. And, if she ever saw that little bug again, she was going to smash it.