"Lily, staring out the window isn't going to make the post get here any faster," Sirius said from the couch, reading a book.
"I know that!" Lily said, sitting on the little window cubby itself, a pillow propped behind her back, the spine of her own book tapping relentlessly against her thigh instead of getting read. She'd settled her to read some Tales from a certain bard named Beedle while she waited for the post to arrive, with her record player sitting on the table, right in front of Sirius, blaring some of her favourite tunes.
"Just get over here," Sirius said. "You've got to be cold by the window."
"No. I'm perfectly fine, actually."
"You're not Weasley, Lily," Sirius said. "There's no need to bask in the sun."
"What's good for him is good is food for me," Lily said, giving the feline next to her a food scratch on his tummy.
"Lily."
"I'm not going to miss it," Lily said, eyes still glued to the street. "I was promised a surprise."
"So, it's running a little late," Sirius said, rolling his eyes at her (or, at least, she imagined he was). "She's at Hogwarts, Lily. It takes a while for an owl to get here."
"And I'll be right here when it does," Lily said, pulling at the corner of her book.
"Can we at least turn the music down?"
"No."
"Well, I suppose I'll go get us some lunch, then," Sirius said, sighing as he set his book down next to her record player. Lily pretended not to notice when the volume was turned down a bit. "Want to come with me?"
"No."
"Suit yourself," Sirius said, already in the hallway. "Let Ashley in when she gets here, yeah?"
"Be safe!" Lily shouted as he went out the front door. She could see him walking down the little path to the sidewalk, and he waved at her as he took a right. Lily waved back, and then turned her attention back to watching the sky.
Her surprise was supposed to arrive today, and no matter how much she asked, Hermione wouldn't say a single word about what it was, which meant Lily needed to keep a firm lookout for Hermione's owl. Hedwig was running abnormally late, and Lily was well past worried. Twenty more minutes passed before she was starting to feel very hurt rather than worried, convinced Hermione simply forgot to send it. Another ten, and Sirius was back for the food, Ashley arriving just five minutes later, all while she was lying face down on the couch and preaching her worthlessness. Thirty more, and she was pacing back and forth across the room, ranting to herself while the two adults ignored her. Another thirty, and she was back in the cubby, glaring out the window with her knees pulled up to her chin, her meal sitting at her side, growing cold and hardly touched (she had to keep moving her cat away from it when Weasley would try and eat it).
"It'll come, Lily," Sirius said, patting her on the shoulder after another half an hour. "It's just running late. It happens."
"If you say so," Lily grumbled.
"Why don't you go head upstairs and do something else for a bit?" Sirius said, picking up her container of food. "I'll get this in the fridge for you, and you can finish it up later, alright?"
Lily shrugged, Sirius gave her one more pat, and then he left her alone, her cat hopping down to the ground to follow after him.
"Weasley needs his food!" Lily shouted after him.
"I think I got that, thanks," Sirius said, the cat's mewling following him into the hallway.
Lily sighed and swung her feet over the edge, letting them rest on the carpet below her. Hands tucked in her pockets, she left her book laying in the cubby (although she did pick up her record player) and started making her way upstairs, wondering how she was supposed to distract herself when she felt like something was wrong. She was halfway down the hall, a few floors up, when the doorbell rang down below. She stopped, wondering if Ashley forgot something when headed back for work. She got more confused when she heard several voices at the front door.
"Sorry we're late-"
"Traffic was awful-"
"-she figure out we were coming?"
"Oi, Lily!" Sirius shouted. "Your surprise is here!"
"You've got to be kidding me," she said, already taking the steps three or four at a time, setting her record player down a bit too roughly.
"Don't fall down the stairs!" Sirius called up at her.
"I've got a better idea," Lily said, rounding the corner. When she caught sight of bushy, brown hair turning into the sitting room, pulling a large trunk behind her, Lily decided she was over taking it slow and she jumped straight over the railing from the first floor. She landed straight on the couch, expecting to roll off of it gracefully.
Instead, it broke under her weight, and it collapsed with a loud crash onto the floor, Lily making a squeak to accompany it.
Sirius sighed from above her. "I loved that couch, you know."
"Sorry," Lily said, blowing some hair from her face.
"Come on, then," Sirius said, offering her a hand up. "You hurt anything?"
"No, I think I'm good," Lily said, giving all her limbs a shake just to test them.
"Nothing broken?"
"I don't think so. Would I be able to move them if they were?"
"Just the couch then," Sirius said, staring at the poor piece of furniture in grief.
"Oh, don't be a baby," Lily said, giving him a light punch on the arm. "You're a wizard. We can fix it." She was about to ask for her wand to do it herself when she noticed their company.
"Well, wouldn't that be useful?" Mr. Granger said, his hair just a little thinner than the last time she saw him.
"Oh," Lily said, her face growing hot when she realized they'd seen everything. "Hello, Mr. Granger."
"Hello, Lily," Mr. Granger said, accepting her handshake. "First thing Hermione did when she got home last summer was knock over her mum's favourite vase. Poor thing."
"It's not my fault it wasn't where it was supposed to be," Hermione said, giving Lily an incredulous stare. "Honestly, I was just trying to get my trunk inside. How was I supposed to know you put it right next to the door?"
"It was just asking for trouble," Mrs. Granger said, still sounding sour about it but giving Lily a quick hug.
"It was an ugly vase, anyway," Mr. Granger whispered when his wife walked off to say hello to Sirius. "Optimal outcome, really."
Lily turned, expecting to get a hug from her best friend, only to find her shaking her head while wearing that same befuddled expression.
"Hello," Lily said, waving awkwardly instead.
"Sorry we're late," Hermione said, starting to smile. "The train got here hours ago, but Dad made us go to a museum before we could come."
"We always do when we're in London!" her dad said, over where he was still talking with Sirius.
"We had plans today!"
"Yeah, well, you're the one who made us go all the way to Diagon Alley," Mr. Granger said, winking at Lily. "Hermione got to pick, see, so blame her, please."
"Diagon?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I wanted to see the Museum of Magical History," Hermione said, blushing slightly. "We haven't had the time before, and they've just opened a new exhibit on centaurs that I really wanted to see."
"Centaur?" Lily asked.
"Yes," Hermione said, lifting her chin in a way that told Lily she was about to receive a very charged political opinion. "The Ministry's just passed a series of legislation that-"
"You two better get upstairs," Sirius said from where he was whispering with the Granger parents. "The Order meeting starts soon, and people will be arriving any moment now."
"Come on," Lily said, grabbing Hermione by the hand. "I'll show you my-"
"Oi!" Sirius said before she could make it to the stairs. "You're forgetting her trunk."
"You serious?" Lily asked, looking over at the heavy thing.
"I'm told that's my name, yes."
"Can I use magic?"
"No."
"Sirius, come on! It's up five floors!" It used to be less, but Sirius insisted an expanding the house to give the Order more space.
"Seeing as how you murdered my couch, you can treat it as a just reward," Sirius said, showing her no mercy. "Think of it like you're lifting those weights of yours."
"Fine," Lily said, acquiescing and lifting the luggage with a hearty groan. "Merlin, couldn't you have left some books at the castle?"
"I packed everything I needed," Hermione said, blushing again.
"Right," Lily said, starting up the stairs and grunting with each step. "Don't mind me, then. I'll just be dying."
"Don't be so melodramatic," Sirius called after her. "I've seen you carry heavier things upstairs faster than that."
Lily grumbled to herself and picked up the pace instead of making a show of it. Sirius was right. It was hard work, but nowhere near the worst. That award went to the dumbbells and weights she had to carry upstairs over the holidays. She was never bringing those back down. Currently, they were in a little spare room Sirius converted into a private gym for her. She'd have preferred to keep them in her room, but Sirius didn't want her using them when nobody was around to spot her. That didn't stop her from sneaking some in when she felt like it, though.
Lily was happy she left her door cracked open; it was much easier to just kick it wide than to try and fumble with the handle (Hermione's hands were full, too, since she so kindly stopped to pick up the record player Lily left in the hallway). Her room was still exactly as messy as she left it, with an ever-growing pile of laundry in the corner (which Weasley had been using as a bed as of late) but Lily lugged the trunk over to the spare mattress, where she dropped it at the foot. Then, realizing just how messy her room truly was, she tried to clear off the bed before Hermione could notice.
"Merlin, what were you doing in here?" Hermione asked, not at all being fooled.
"Working," Lily said, putting another box on the stack. Her balcony window was now almost completely blocked, but where else was she going to put everything? "I wasn't exactly expecting guests, was I?"
"Well, it was a surprise," Hermione said, sounding enormously pleased as she set Lily's record player on the nearest clear spot of floor. "What have you been working on?"
Lily pointed to the easel sitting at the center of the room, a stool right next to it, a small table next to that where her paints and whatnot were sitting, and all of it on top of a crumpled, wrinkly blanket.
"You never went to this much bother at Hogwarts when you painted," Hermione said.
"That's because I could just use magic to clean it all up," Lily said, realizing there were no sheets, blankets, or pillows on Hermione's bed. She swore and went to her wardrobe, hoping she had a spare set. "Sirius won't let me, here, unless we're doing classes, even though Maraktis said he should. Anyway, he says 'a bit of paint on the tile gives it some charm, makes it feel more lived in.'"
"Then why cover it?"
"Because I've practically got a mural under there already," Lily said, swearing again when she failed to find any bedding. "I'd hate to ruin it."
"And what's this?" Hermione asked. Lily turned and found her lifting up a large thing of plastic and metal from her desk.
"A Walkman," Lily said, tapping her chin while she thought. "Ashley gave it to me so I could listen to my cassettes and give Sirius some peace and quiet, but it doesn't work."
"Why not?"
"Too much magic, I guess," Lily said with a shrug.
"But there's electricity," Hermione said, gesturing to the lights on above them. "And you have a telly right downstairs!"
"Yeah, but Dobby helped hook those up," Lily said dismissively. "He offered to teach me how, but I just really want to do it on my own."
"What for?"
"Well," Lily said slowly, wondering if she should just strip her own bed and offer Hermione those, "I- it would be nice to listen to music on the go, wouldn't it?"
"Sure?"
"And wizards don't have any way of doing so," Lily continued. "So- if I can get it working, not only can I listen to the Powerpuffs in peace, but I figured I could also sell the thing."
"You want to sell cassette tapes?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Hermione said. "It's just- well, Muggles have moved on to CDs, now."
"What's a CD?" Lily asked, blinking at her slowly.
"They're like miniature records," Hermione said, setting her Walkman down. "Don't worry about it. Cassettes are fine. The Wizarding World wouldn't feel the same if their tech was up to date."
"If you say so," Lily said, deciding that she could spare a pillow or two, but blankets and sheets would need to come from somewhere else.
"Say, I've got a question," Hermione said, innocently shutting the door behind her.
"What's that?" Lily asked, snapping her fingers and laying straight on the ground so she could look under her bed. She remembered stashing some linen under there to make room for- no, none there. Just her three boxes of secrets and treasures (containers stolen from other rooms around the house).
"Why did you jump onto the couch?"
"Does it matter?" Lily asked, pushing herself off the ground and wiping some dust from her cheek. "You've caught me doing much dumber things."
"I don't know about that one."
"Come on. I jumped off a mountain earlier this year and came out just fine."
"You passed out from a concussion!"
"Is that what happened?" Lily asked, moving to the other side and dropping to the floor again. Maybe she stored it under the other bed.
"Answer my question."
"I dunno," Lily said, rummaging through the many things in the confined space (most of which she couldn't remember putting there, like a box filled with only broken quills and paintbrushes; why were those even in a box?). "'spose I was just happy to see you."
"Really?" Hermione said, sounding awfully pleased about something.
"Well, it's been about- ah ha!" Lily grabbed the bundle of linens and then dragged them out into the light.
"Lily, I'm not sleeping in those," Hermione said, now sounding awfully disappointed about something. "They're covered in dirt!"
"Fine," Lily said, pulling the sheet back off the mattress. "I'll throw them in the wash when they're done in the kitchen."
"I suppose we'll just have to share a bed tonight," Hermione said, sounding happy again, the hints of a smile on her face, it disappearing a moment after. "Wait- you have a washer, but you can't get your Walkman to work?"
The rest of the day was filled with catching up and relaxing in each other's company, with a brief stop to eat supper with Hermione's parents before they left. It wasn't until later that night, when they were readying themselves for bed (and well past Lily's normal bedtime) that Hermione remembered something.
"Oh!" she said, hopping straight off of Lily's bed. "I almost forgot your surprise!"
"I thought you were my surprise," Lily asked.
"I'm just part of it," Hermione said, sound incredibly pleased again. She seemed a bit less pleased about having to skirt around the mounds of Lily's clutter.
"What's the other surprise?" Lily asked as she stubbed a toe on one of Lily's boxes.
"We've got to clean up in here," Hermione said, grumbling under her breath.
"Oh, come on," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Just tell me."
"Fine," Hermione said, sighing and walking far more gingerly towards her trunk on the other side of the room. "You know, I've got to say- it's nice being able to walk around bare foot again- err- when I'm not stepping on anything, anyway. The dungeon floors are always just so cold."
"Yeah," Lily agreed, wiggling her little toes when Hermione turned back to look at her. "'course, it still gets pretty bad at night. Try to keep some slippers nearby, in case you need the loo. I always forget mine somewhere else, and then it's a nightmare trying to fall back asleep."
"Gee, I wonder how you can keep losing anything in here?"
"Oh, shut up," Lily said, watching as Hermione produced a small box and a sealed envelope from her trunk. "I'm allowed to keep my room as messy as I'd like, thank you very much."
"Here, we are," Hermione said, retaking her seat next to Lily on her bed and handing her both items.
"The watch parts came in, then?" Lily asked, lifting up a nice, leather wristband.
"Yep," Hermione said, scooching close enough so their shoulders were touching. "All that's left, now, is to put it all together and test it out."
"Well, that's not all."
"What?" Hermione asked, blinking slowly. "What else is there to- ow!"
"Sorry," Lily said, winking and tucking the hair she just plucked from Hermione's head into the box with everything else. "I need something to tune the watch to your signature if I'm going to be giving you a hand."
"You could have warned a girl," Hermione said, rubbing the sore spot on her head.
"Not a chance. I like watching you pout."
"I do not pout."
"Sure, you do. You puff out your little lip and everything. It's cute."
"I-" Hermione cleared her throat to hide her little voice crack. "If you say so."
"And what's this?" Lily asked, setting the box to the side and lifting up the envelope.
"Oh, that's the best part," Hermione said, eagerly watching her open it.
"Tickets?" Lily asked, pulling out the two small pieces of paper.
"Tickets!" Hermione agreed happily. "See, in a few weeks, they're finally getting around to those performances we were promised! Hogwarts is doing Babbitty Rabbitty and the Witch's Stump-"
"And her Cackling Stump."
"Whatever- Durmstrang is doing a very long name I can't even begin to pronounce, and this-" Hermione said, tapping on the tickets, "is for Beauxbatons!"
"And?"
"And," Hermione said in a singsong voice, "it just so happens to be an extravagant ballet starring a certain part-Veela Champion."
"Oh," Lily said, staring at the tickets with far more reverence before sighing and setting them aside. "Thanks, and all, but Sirius would never let me go."
"Yes, he will!" Hermione said desperately.
"Hermione, I'm barely allowed out of the house. How am I going to-"
"Oh, don't worry about it!" Hermione said quickly. "I'll talk to him- you'll see!"
"Alright," Lily said, glancing at the tickets again. "But who am I supposed to go with, even if he does let me?"
"Well, I-" Hermione said, suddenly seeming put out. "I- err- I thought that- that we'd go together, actually."
"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Lily asked.
"Err- well, yes, but-"
"You should go with him, Hermione," Lily said, patting her knee. "I'll figure something out."
"But- but I was going to-" Hermione's lips pursed into a very thin line that reminded Lily of McGonagall. "Fine."
The next couple days weren't as eventful. The two girls spent an awful lot of time cooped up in her room, working on various projects between Hermione forcing her to clean her living space. While Lily was no longer required to complete the Transfiguration assignment, Hermione was… and as it was Lily's ideas that spun so wildly out of control, she felt obligated to help. With a whole day spent toiling away with fine, tiny gears, and delicate, complex magic (after Sirius was finally convinced to allow her to use magic), they just managed to complete the working music box. It wasn't quite what Lily imagined up in her head, but they simply didn't have the time for that.
The next day was spent constructing Hermione's watch, as well as putting the finishing touches on the rest of them. Now, all that was left was to testthem. That proved difficult in and of itself, as Sirius wouldn't let them out of the house.
"For starters, you're not supposed to," he said, pointing at Lily after he caught them trying to use the Floo. "You're under strict security. You're not to leave without an armed member of the Order."
"Then come with us!" Lily said, gesturing to the fireplace.
"As well," Sirius said, pointing towards Hermione, now, "I promised your parents I wouldn't let you leave, either. They seemed concerned that the two of you would try to sneak off somewhere and get yourselves killed. Imagine that?"
They were still trying to think of a way to get out during the next day's breakfast, using a bit of private time to brainstorm in the kitchen, while Sirius was having a cup out in the sitting room with his girlfriend.
"What if we use your powers to look different?" Hermione suggested.
"Well, the problem with that is still getting by Sirius," Lily said, drumming her fingers on the table. "Besides, even if he let me go out like that, I can't transform you, too- not without my wand, anyway, and Sirius won't let me have that, either."
"Oh," Hermione said, posture sagging, her own fingers joining Lily's in tapping. "You know, I don't think I'm cut out for this whole 'subterfuge' thing."
"You'll get used to it. You just need more experience."
"Oi!" Sirius said as he walked into the room, a box tucked under his arm. "You've got a package, Lily."
"Me?" Lily asked, blinking slowly and exchanging a look with Hermione as he set the box on the table. "From who?"
"Dunno," Sirius said, shrugging, "but it's passed everything we checked it for, so- have fun?"
"Well- alright, then," Lily said, carefully reaching out for it.
"Lily!" Ashley called from the hallway, popping into the kitchen and holding the morning's paper out in front of her. "I think you're going to want to read this."
Hazel Lily Potter:
Have We Been Too Harsh?
I'm sure many a dear reader rolled their eyes at that statement, and I'm sure many a more are even addressing the elephant in the room: 'Why, Rita, weren't you the harshest critic of all?' The answer to both your and my question is the same: yes. As such, I'd like to begin with a firm statement: I am truly, deeply sorry, Hazel Potter. If I could go back in time and undo the things I've done, I would. To make recompense, I am donating a hefty amount of Galleons to the Foundation for Queer Witches, as thanks for educating me on the trouble I've caused.
Hermione scoffed haughtily and crossed her arms and legs. "'The Foundation for Queer Witches.' If she really wanted to apologize, she would have donated to S.P.E.W. instead of a charity that excludes everybody but 'natural-born' witches and demonizes foundational changes that would directly help them in the name of 'protecting true feminism.'"
"And they'll make quite the splash soon, too, if Skeeter is donating as much as she's hinting at," Ashley said, taking the seat opposite Lily.
Hermione scoffed again, the fingers on her right hand tapping against the bicep of her left arm. "Honestly, if we just had the resources, we could make such a difference! Wizards think they're just so much better than Muggles, but what for? We've got no NHS, we've got no employment protections, Muggleborns can only attend Hogwarts for their mandatory magical education if they want to stay in Britain- the most expensive school in the isles, by the way- and don't even get me started on how we treat werewolves, goblins, centaurs, and elves- elves! We have actual slaves, and nobody even bats their eyes at it!"
"Yes, it's terrible," Ashley said, studying her curiously. "And what would you do about all of it?"
"Well, for starters," Hermione said eagerly, "we've been really focusing on getting the youth support through our programs at Hogwarts."
"Oh?"
"The administration before Fudge passed legislation allowing Muggleborn witches and wizards to vote with the emergency powers granted them," Hermione said. "And, while Fudge is currently trying to rollback a lot, he's yet to touch anything too substantial."
"Well, somebody has been paying attention in History, at least," Sirius said, looking straight at Lily.
"But," Hermione continued, "despite that, only ten percent of Muggleborns vote in every election, and we only hold five percent of Ministry positions- almost entirely in low level places. The Department for Muggleborn Protections doesn't even employ any! In fact- in most cases, Muggleborn aren't even allowed to join the Ministry! The 'Protection of Magical Blood Act' prevents Muggleborn from enrolling in anything past entry level positions without a sponsor."
"And Muggle Studies, too," Sirius said. "Would you look at that?"
"She's not even taking that, Sirius," Lily said, still reading ahead silently.
"And what does that have to do with your 'youth programs?'" Ashley asked.
"Well," Hermione said, "while Lily- err- while Cedric is tutoring the younger students, I've had the other members of the S.P.E.W. Council- don't give me that look, Lily, that's what we're calling it- working on the older students."
"And?" Ashley asked.
"Most Muggleborn don't take Muggle Studies, because they feel like they don't need to," Hermione said. "And, just like Lily-" Hermione gave her a pat on the hand- "almost nobody pays attention in History of Magic. As a result, so many Muggleborn just don't know their own rights, and- after a quick survey done by Lavender- we've found that over sixty percent of Muggleborn Hogwarts students didn't even know they can vote. So, that's what the rest of us have been working on- raising awareness and trying to recruit more members. Optimally, I'd like to have a small but strong core set of supporters before we finish school, because that will make it easier to fundraise and continue growing our agenda when I join the Ministry."
"But you just said Muggleborn can't get in," Ashley said. "How do you plan on doing it?"
"Same way you did, actually," Hermione said casually. "I've been speaking with Slughorn at the latest Slug Club meetings, and he mentioned he wouldn't mind putting in a good word for me with his contacts in the Ministry."
"Wait," Lily said. "When did those start back up? I was waiting ages for them!"
"Err-" Hermione said slowly, "well- the first one was right after you left, actually."
"Brilliant," Lily said, clenching her jaw. "I suppose that explains why Slughorn thought my potion was rubbish, at least."
"Anyway," Hermione said, face flushing. "I- Slughorn thinks I'd do really well, and- and he's got a few contacts he'd like me to meet with during the next meeting."
"You know, Hermione," Ashley said, reaching across the table to take a bite of Lily's toast, "Slughorn's right. You would make quite the politician. How would you feel about meeting with Madam Bones?"
"Bones?" Hermione said, blinkingly slowly. "Really?"
"We're busy with the Wizengamot at the moment," Ashley said, chewing slowly, "but I may be able to introduce you over the summer. Perhaps, if you're willing to be my assistant, I may even be able to get you an internship- no old Slug required."
"I- that- that'd be brilliant!" Hermione said, her face beaming.
"Right," Lily said, grumpily setting the paper down and assuming her own offer to be a Potions apprentice was no longer on the table. "Well- what's in the package, do you think?"
"Not going to read the rest of it?" Sirius said.
"Gave it a quick enough skim while those two were flirting," Lily said snidely. "She's just putting on the smarm, just like I asked, but reading it makes me sick."
"Like you asked?" Sirius said, narrowing his eyes at her. "What did you do?"
"Nothing to worry about," Lily said hastily, reaching for the sealed package. "Mind opening this for me? A certain godfather of mine still won't let me do magic."
"Grab a knife," Sirius said.
"Really?" Lily said, gesturing to the two adults in front of her. "You're going to make me get up?"
"Wands are next to the couch," Sirius said, shrugging. "Didn't think to grab them."
"Fine," Lily said, standing, groaning, and trying to ignore the still chattering Hermione and Ashley.
"You'll need better than a butterknife to get through all that Spellotape, Lily," Sirius said, taking a sip of tea.
"I'll manage," Lily said, pointing the dull edge at Sirius. "And that's my cup, thanks. Make your own."
"You don't drink tea in the morning."
"I do now."
"Suit yourself, then," Sirius said, placing the cup back where he found it.
She had to brute force it open, but it did work. Inside, she found a fresh Quidditch robe of green and gold, a large 777 embroidered on the back, the name 'Potter' emblazoned right on top of it. Lily was too busy squealing in delight to notice the letter that accompanied it but snatched it from Sirius's hand the instant he pointed it out.
Dear Lily,
Heard from Tae (who heard it from her sister) about you getting kicked off the Quidditch team for 'being too violent.' Don't worry about it; there isn't a Harpie alive or dead that hasn't been criticized for playing too rough at some point in their life. Hell, I just earned about ten penalties myself in our most recent game.
It'll be harder to get a spot on the team if you go to a private student league, and I understand if you've decided to go with something else. No hard feelings whatsoever! We'd still love to have you, even if it's just as our biggest fan, and to prove it, have the robe we were working on for you. We thought we'd try to sell you as 'Lucky Lily.' You can keep that idea, if you want.
You're on Easter holiday, right? I'm going to throw in a few tickets to our next game, too. One for you, a guardian, and your little girlfriend, too; we saw the papers, and we're just dying to meet the bird.
Happy Easter,
Gwenog Jones
It didn't exactly read like that; Lily had to take multiple breaks to continue making her little squeals of excitement. It even got Hermione and Ashley to shut up about politics for a few minutes, although that was helped out by Lily throwing her arms around the other student in a fond hug to show her the tickets.
"Oh, it'll be brilliant," Lily said, already wearing the Quidditch robes. "This is just what I needed, too! Merlin, I can't wait to-"
"Hold on, Lily," Sirius said slowly, crashing her enthusiasm straight into the ground with no survivors. "You can't go by yourself, and I can't take you."
"What?" Lily asked, slipping her arms off of Hermione. "But- but the- why not?"
"It's the full moon," Sirius said, crashing Lily's heart further. "Half of our employees will be off, and I've got to man the shop to make up for it."
"Oh," Lily said, shoulders completely slumping.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Sirius," Ashley said. "I'll take the both of them."
"You sure?" Sirius said, ignoring Lily's renewed noises of celebration.
"Oh, it'll be fun," Ashley said, standing from the table. "We'll talk about it later; I've got to get back to work." She gave Lily a quick hug, first, since the girl was too happy to deny it, exchanged a quick kiss with Sirius, and then slipped out the kitchen door while pulling her robe on.
"Go," Hermione mouthed to Lily. "This is our chance."
"Right," Lily said, quickly following after her.
"Need something, Lily?" Ashley asked, leaning against the wall as she pulled on her boots.
"Yes, actually," Lily said, clearing her throat and standing up straight. "I need to ask a favour."
"Alright, but best make it quick," Ashley said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I'm already running late, and there's only so many excuses Bones will buy."
"I'll just come right out and say it, then," Lily said, not at all lifting her hands to wring them nervously. "After the game, I need you to let me and Hermione sneak off."
"And why, exactly, would I do that?" Ashley said, tilting her head curiously, both boots firmly on.
"I've been working on a gift for Sirius," Lily said, clearing her throat again. "Well- him and the Weasleys, but that's not important- what's important as that- err- we're pretty sure it all works, but we need to test it, and to do that, we need to go and visit a bunch of places."
"And you can't do that with me making sure nobody's trying to kill you?" Ashley asked. "You know your protection order doesn't come from us, Lily. Dumbledore is trusting us to make sure you don't do anything stupid."
"I won't!" Lily said quickly. "I promise. We're just going to get something to eat- and we'll do it in Muggle London, where no one will recognize me- and then- err- we might go see a movie, or something." There was one more destination she had in mind, but she'd yet to approach the topic with Hermione.
"I see," Ashley said, a small smile on her lips. She glanced down the hallway before leaning in conspiratorially. "You know, Lily, if you just want to go on a date with your girlfriend, you can just tell me."
"Pardon?" Lily said, blinking slowly.
"I thought the two of you were awful touchy," Ashley said, winking at her. "You can trust me, Lily, Sirius won't hear a peep from me."
"Hermione's not my girlfriend," Lily said, her brain finally starting to work.
"Sure," Ashley said, nudging her with an elbow. "And I'm the Queen."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Lily said a bit more desperately, her face growing hot.
"Really, Lily," Ashley said, moving hands to hips. "You're not fooling anyone. She looks at you the same way that you do a container of Pad Thai."
"I- she does not!"
"I've had my suspicions for a few days, now," Ashley said, humming happily to herself. "Honestly, I think the two of you are cute together. Fine, I'll give you two a little private time, but only under two conditions."
"She's really- she's not- Ashley, I swear, we're not going to-"
"One!" Ashley said, holding up a finger and cutting her off. "You have to swear to me that you won't do anything stupid. If I do this, and you go getting yourself hurt or noticed or anything, really, I don't think Sirius will ever forgive me."
"Fine," Lily said, "but Hermione isn't my-"
"Second," Ashley said, holding up a second finger. "You have to let me teach you Potions."
"Fine, but-"
"And Astronomy."
"Fine, alright," Lily said. "You can. I promise."
"Third!" Ashley said, finger moving.
"You said two conditions!"
"Well, it's three now," Ashley said, waggling all three fingers at her, middle one poking at her nose.
"Fine," Lily said. "What is it?"
Ashley spread her arms wide. "Give me a hug."
"Are you serious?"
"You just did back there," Ashley said, waving her arms slightly. "Shouldn't be a problem now, should it?"
"I- that- that was different!" Lily said. "I was just- I was caught up in the moment, is all."
"Do you want to go on your little date or not?" Ashley said, waving her arms faster. "Trust me- it'll help me sell you just saying 'goodbye' if you give me a hug. Don't think Sirius hasn't noticed you disappearing from the table."
"Fine," Lily said, reluctantly threading her arms around Ashley's back and allowing the other woman to embrace her. "It's not a date, though," she added in a grumble.
Lily wasn't sure anybody told Hermione that, though, because while she was ready to head out to the game in just a few minutes (Quidditch robe on, every single watch strapped to one of her arms under the sleeves), Hermione spent ages getting ready in the bathroom. When she finally emerged, her hair was tame, lovely, and the curls tumbled to her shoulders in a way that made Lily worry she was taking the 'date' idea a bit too seriously.
"Well, don't you two look cute," Ashley said as soon as she saw them. "Ready for your little date, then?"
"It's not a-"
"We sure are!" Hermione said, happily linking their hands together. All Lily could do was blink slowly and wonder if she was the one that was misinterpreting things.
This isn't really a date, is it? She thought, still holding hands with Hermione as they left the house.
The Quidditch game itself went about as well as it possibly could have. Lily's only real worry was when Hermione would occasionally startle her out of her cheering and enthusiasm by touching her hand again. Otherwise, their seats were among the best in the stadium, the Harpies played exceptionally well, winning against the Tornados 370-120, and, despite Ashley's constant nervous worrying, not a single person tried approaching her the entire time. At least, not during the game. Afterwards, Gwenog Jones herself came swooping down into their box while the rest of the crowd were still celebrating their victory.
Much to Ashley's horror, and to Lily's delight, the Quidditch player roped her into a little photoshoot, where she was constantly held with an arm around her shoulders while they posed for the ravenous press.
"See?" Gwenog said, giving the teenage girl, who was almost as tall as she was, a shake. "Not so dangerous after all, is she?"
"You're not worried about the association?" a reporter asked. "Potter's just been expelled from school for her violence."
"I wasn't expelled," Lily said, still blushing furiously from how close Gwenog Jones was standing.
"She's a kid, mate," Gwenog said, rolling her eyes. "Despite how you lot treat her, she's not a monster. Anybody'd crack under how much pressure she's been given."
"And what about her proclivity towards her fellow women?" another asked. "You don't find that unnerving at all?"
"Not a bit," Gwenog said, laughing and pulling Lily just a bit closer. "As a matter of fact, let's just get this out of the way- I happen to feel the same way about women that she does, and you can print that on your front page."
"Are you sure you want do that?" Lily asked her afterwards, when the press had had their fill of follow-up questions.
"It's the least I could do," Gwenog said. "Artie was worried about doing it this way, but- well- after the way they outed you, we just felt bad. Thought this would get at least a bit of pressure off your back."
Lily wasn't particularly sure how to feel about that, but she certainly felt much better when Gwenog gifted her season tickets without even requiring her to sell her soul to the Holyhead Harpies (which was good, because at that particular moment, she might have done it). Finally, Ashley managed to get her away, and started leading them towards the exit.
"You promised no interviews with the press," Ashley told her, glancing around before pulling them both into the ladies' room.
"After we split up," Lily said, still staring at her tickets in shock. "Honestly, this is the optimal outcome."
"Let's just hope Sirius sees it that way," Ashley said, glancing around at the emptying stalls, waiting until they were fully alone before speaking again. "Alright, girls, this is it. You know the rules."
"Don't worry, Ms. Smith," Hermione said innocently. "I'll make sure she stays out of trouble."
"Save the 'Ms.' for when you're at the office," Ashley said, mocking a shiver. "Makes me feel old. Here, Lily," she added, handing her a very familiar shade of wood. "I was only supposed to give that to you if something happened, but if you're doing this, you might need it."
"Thank Merlin," Lily said perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. Ashley pulled it back slightly when she reached out for it.
"You have to promise me you'll give it back when you return," Ashley said. "You are not supposed to have it at all. I'm taking a big risk, here."
"I promise, I won't," Lily said, taking her wand from her grasp.
"And, here, this is for you," Ashley said, handing Hermione a small, ancient-looking bronze bracelet.
"What's this?" Hermione said, rubbing a thumb over one of the faded runes and squinting at it.
"It's a Trace-Blocker," Ashley said. "Had to pull a favour to get it- strictly speaking, you're not legally supposed to have it, either, but if Lily's going to be apparating the two of you around, you'll need it, or it'll set off all sorts of alarms."
"Interesting," Lily said, eyeing the thing greedily. "And- err- how does it work?"
"Ministry secret," Ashley said, giving her a look of trepidation. "And, yes, you have to return it right after. The last thing I need is you trying to make your own."
"I don't even need one, thank you very much."
"No, but I don't want you going around selling any, either. I've heard all about what you've done to my Walkman."
"But-"
"No 'buts,'" Ashley said. "Hermione, promise me you won't let have a look at it."
"I promise," Hermione said, snapping the things around her wrist and pulling the sleeve of her robe over it. "Not a single glance."
"Great," Ashley said, glancing around them again. "Got your disguise all sorted, Lily?"
"Mostly," Lily said, sighing and pulling her Harpies robe off, leaving her in the sundress she'd worn under it. Her wand holster would look a bit strange with it, so she handed that over, too, putting her wand in a pocket that Hermione sewed for her, instead.
"Well, get it sorted," Ashely said, accepting Hermione's robe, too. "Got your wand?"
"Right here," Hermione said, patting the back pocket of her jeans.
"Good," Ashley said, turning back to Lily. "With any luck, it'll- oh. Changed your hair already, then?"
"Yep!" Lily said, happily running a hand through her now aqua green hair, shortened to just below her ears.
"Err- don't you think that shade stands out a bit?"
"No?" Lily said, running a self-conscious hand through it this time instead. "I saw some other girls wearing it while Sirius and I were out running just the other day. You don't think it's weird, do you?" She turned towards Hermione, but Hermione was giving her that same, strange look from when she made her hair ridiculously short a couple months ago.
"I-" Hermione started. "I- err-"
"And what's with all the watches?" Ashley said, not noticing any of this and pointing down at Lily's arms.
"Nothing," Lily lied, trying to hide them behind her back. "It's a fashion statement."
"Right," Ashley said skeptically before shrugging. "Well, who am I to judge? We did all sorts of strange things when I was a kid. You better give me those earrings, though- everybody knows you wear them. They'll make you stand right out."
"I think it looks nice," Hermione finally said while Lily removed her little rubies from her ears.
The first step on their little outing was apparate into an abandoned little boutique just a couple streets over from Grimmauld Place- an Apparition Station set up by the Ministry specifically for wizards to pop into and out of. From there, they walked a few more streets to an art store (filled with people wearing their hair in all sorts of colours that Hermione apparently couldn't stop staring at) so Lily could buy a pencil and a sketchpad. Then, they found the nearest bench, so they could take a quick break while Lily sketched every little detail of the Trace-Blocker, something Hermione was all too happy to allow.
"If Purebloods are allowed to cast magic without consequences during the Holidays, then we should be able to, too," Hermione said, tucking the pad and pencil into her bag once they were done.
Their next stop was to the cinema. Lily really just wanted to watch a musical, but as there wasn't currently one playing on any of the screens, and as she was rapidly running out of unseen ones at their local rental store, she was left with no other choice. They settled on spending good money on something called Terminal Velocity only to promptly walk out of it when they decided the rubbish film simply wasn't worth their time.
"I told you we should have seen Blue Sky," Hermione grumbled on the way out.
Lily snorted. "Yes, I'm sure that would have been much better."
Their second stop was to turn right back around and watch Hermione's choice of movie. While Lily managed to make it through that one, she still couldn't say she was a fan. Hermione certainly seemed to think otherwise, though; anytime there was the slightest hint of romantic tension, her hand would find a way to sit on top of Lily's, which only further convinced her that she was the only person that didn't think this was a date.
"How are the watches doing?" Hermione whispered partway through, her fingers trying to sneak their way between Lily's.
"They're all on 'out,' Lily said, giving them a quick glance, if only as an excuse to get her hand away from Hermione's so her heart rate could return to normal.
Their next stop wasn't really a stop. They just walked around Muggle London, trying to settle on somewhere to stop in for a bite to eat. What they settled on was picking up some takeaway and then settling somewhere for a nice picnic. Hermione suggested a nice park, but Lily had a better idea that would really put this 'date' to the test. If Hermione didn't disapprove, then- well, then Lily didn't really know what she was going to do, but it would certainly be a good sign.
Merlin, Lily thought after realizing she was starting to hope this was a date.
"Where are we?" Hermione asked after their apparition.
"Godric's Hollow," Lily said, carrying the bag of food and starting to think that, if this was supposed to be a romantic outing, this would be a very easy way to go and ruin it all. "I- err- thought it might be nice to have lunch with someone."
"Who?" Hermione asked, thoroughly confused.
"My parents," Lily said quietly, panic rising as she realized what a huge mistake she was making. "Err- if you don't want to, we can- we can go somewhere else." She didn't look at Hermione and just said a silent prayer that the other girl would suggest something better.
Hermione responded by grabbing her free hand and threading their fingers together. This time, Lily didn't shy away, even when Hermione laid her head on her shoulder.
"I'd love to, Lily," Hermione said, running her thumb over Lily's. "Lead the way."
Merlin, Lily said, nervously taking the first step, her face burning hot. If this is what I think it is, then I really need to apologize about those tickets.
It was a little awkward walking around a small English village, still rocking her strangely coloured hair and holding hands with another girl. They earned more than a few stares, but nobody tried to accost them, at the least. Lily liked to think it was because she had an intimidating figure. She felt a little less intimidating when they entered the small graveyard and approached the solid piece of familiar stone.
"Hello," Lily said awkwardly, not really quite sure what to do. Waving at the headstone definitely didn't feel right, but there she was, doing it. "Err- I brought a- a friend," she added, absolutely not willing to take that gamble yet. "This is Hermione."
"Hello," Hermione said, copying her wave when Lily gave her hand a little shake.
"I- err-" Lily said, lifting the bag she was still carrying. "I also brought food. It's Thai. Thought it might be nice to- err- Merlin, this isn't awkward at all, is it?"
"Here," Hermione said, pulling her wand from her jeans and aiming it at the ground. "Linteno." A wide, checkered tablecloth sprang from the tip of her wand, spreading itself over the ground next to the grave.
"Are we allowed to do this?" Lily asked as Hermione pulled her to sit on it. "I mean, we're not going to get arrested for this, are we?"
"It is a little odd," Hermione admitted, sitting next to her and reaching for the bag of food, "but- well, I don't see what the harm in it is."
"Alright, but you don't make the law, do you?"
"No, but it's a bit too late to think of the legality of it, don't you think?" Hermione said, finally letting go of her hand. Lily missed the feeling, but she definitely wasn't going to admit that. "Don't worry about it, Lily. Loads of cultures present food to deceased family members and spend a meal with them. It's just out of the ordinary here." Hermione thought for a moment before adding, "Besides, I'm sure your parents appreciate the company."
"Fair enough," Lily said, accepting her little box of noodles. She tapped her fingers on the top, staring at her parents' grave, wondering what else to say. She'd had very few first dates. She'd had even fewer sitting in a graveyard while trying to convince herself it wasn't a first date and that she was just reading into things incorrectly. "Nice weather, yeah?"
"A bit unseasonably warm," Hermione added, "but it's nice to get some sun for once."
"We could go flying, later," Lily offered. "Err- we'd have to go to the Weasleys, but I don't think they'd mind."
"Please," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a very good flier."
"I'll teach you!" Lily said a bit too quickly. "I- err- I won't let you fall, I promise."
Hermione blinked at her and then quickly looked away. Lily tried to convince herself the pink on her cheeks was just a trick of the light.
Merlin, she thought, stomach roiling. This is really happening, isn't it?
"It is awfully warm, isn't it?" Hermione said, fanning herself with a hand.
Oh, Merlin, I brought a girl to see my dead parents on the first date.
Lily snorted, trying to force away her sudden nerves. "And how is it over at Hogwarts, then?"
"Oh, it's been miserable," Hermione said, taking a bite of her meal. "Honestly, if you told me a warlock was messing with the weather, I'd believe you- just the last week, we kept swapping from unbearably warm to having freezing rain. Sometimes both. I don't even know how that works!"
"Good ol' Hogwarts," Lily said, finally opening her container. "Those mountains still there?"
"Yes, but they're supposed to be removing them over the holiday," Hermione said. "Now, they're busy brewing something up in the Forbidden Forest."
"Really?" Lily said, blinking slowly. "Well, that's good news for me, then, isn't? Practically my home turf."
"Lily," Hermione said, ignoring her puffed out chest, "you haven't been inside since First Year, and you spent the entire time running through the trees and screaming."
"That isn't true," Lily said. "I did a good bit of arguing with Malfoy, too, and I distinctly remember blowing up a bush."
"You know," Hermione said, gesturing towards the gravestone with her chopsticks, "I can't imagine they'd be happy hearing you've been in the Forbidden Forest."
"Please," Lily said. "You know how many times Dad went in there with Sirius and the others? Don't tell him about the troll, though."
Hermione laughed loudly, and Lily's stomach started twisting again. "I forgot all about the troll."
Merlin, I don't actually fancy her, do I? Swallowing her food got very hard with how dry her mouth suddenly became.
"Really?" she said, scooting a bit closer. "You forgot that it chased us?"
"Yes," Hermione said, scooting closer, too. "I was more focused on our meeting with Fluffy afterwards."
Lily chewed her food slowly. "Where is Fluffy, anyway?"
"What do you mean? He was just there to guard the Philosopher's Stone."
"No, he wasn't. He was Hagrid's pet. Where'd he end up?"
Hermione stopped chewing entirely, her brow furrowed in thought. "Now that is a good question."
While they worked their way through their food, they spent their time theorizing about just that very thing, occasionally taking a small break to explain something to her parents that they had no way of knowing. That turned into Lily happily boasting and joking about her previous adventures, both to catch her parents up, and to hear Hermione laugh some more. By the time they were done with their food, they were sitting close enough for their shoulders to touch, and Hermione hadn't moved her hand off of Lily's for at least half an hour.
Lily still wasn't quite sure how she felt, but she was starting to come around on the idea that even if it was a date, it was going very well.
"Of course, the dementors were no big deal, really," Lily boasted. "My Patronus scared them right off."
"Oh, yes, and I'm sure Dumbledore's had no effect what-so-ever," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"How would you know?" Lily said with a sniff. "I seem to recall you were thoroughly unconscious at that point."
"Exactly!" Hermione said, poking her arm with the hand that wasn't on Lily's. "I've never even gotten to see your Patronus. For all I know, it doesn't actually exist."
"Well, that's something we can fix," Lily said, digging her wand out from her dress.
"Lily!" Hermione said, giving her wand hand a little slap as she raised it and glancing around the graveyard. She leaned in close and dropped her voice. "You can't do magic, here, any Muggle could walk right on in and see us."
"There's no one around, Hermione," Lily said, gesturing to the empty graveyard around them.
"There's a church right there!"
"Oh, come on," Lily said, raising her wand again. "It'll be fine."
"Lily, you promised Ashley you wouldn't do any-"
"Expecto Patronum."
Hermione sighed deeply when Lily's lion burst forth from her wand. Lily gave the guy a good scratch on his mane and under his chin before quickly dismissing him away.
"See?" she said smugly. "Not a single person saw Léon."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at her. "You named your Patronus?"
"Err- Fleur did, actually."
Hermione nodded as if that made perfect sense. "Can't resist anything a pretty girl tells you, can you?" Lily couldn't help but notice that she finally pulled her hand away.
"No," Lily said, plucking at some grass to hide her disappointment. "If you've got a better idea, though, I'm all for it. Léon is just so cliché. I just didn't have the heart to tell her."
"Don't look at me. I named my owl 'Hedwig.'"
"What? No, you didn't, I did."
"Are you sure? Naming an owl after a female revolutionary seems a lot more like me."
"I happen to be a girl, too, Hermione."
"That's got nothing to do with it! Politics is my thing!"
"I'm a founding member of S.P.E.W.!"
"Fine," Hermione relented, glancing up at the sky. "We can say it was both of our ideas. We should probably get going, Lily. It's getting late, and we're supposed to be back before sundown."
"I suppose," Lily said, reluctantly staring back at the headstone and chewing on her lip.
"We can come back later, Lily," Hermione said, gently placing a hand back on top of hers, her thumb rubbing Lily's soothingly.
"I just feel bad for making such a mess of it last time," she said. Plus, she had to admit, I don't really want this to end, yet.
When Hermione stood, Lily did, too, their hands still interlinked. Before they went, and while Hermione was vanishing the remains of their little outing, Lily placed a hand on the top of her parents' grave. The stone was surprisingly warm to the touch.
"Anything you want to say before we go?" Hermione asked, giving her hand a little squeeze.
"Loads," Lily said, clearing her throat to get rid of the thickness in her voice. "But I'll be back. I promise."
"Do you want me to leave you alone with them?"
"No," Lily said, shaking her head. "We better get going. Ready?"
"Ready?"
Lily turned on the spot, and they disapparated.
"What are the watches on, now?" Hermione asked when they reappeared in an empty boutique.
"Travelling," Lily said, lifting her right hand to check, her left tucking her wand back into her pocket. When she lowered it back to her side, Hermione slipped hers back in, locking their fingers back together again, and Lily felt like she needed to make a decision quickly. Was it worth potentially risking her most important friendship for something she could easily be misreading?
Merlin, she thought. This is the second time I've been here, isn't it? One time, she could brush off as just an isolated incident of idiocy. But two?
It couldn't be a coincidence, but Lily had to find out for sure.
"It's a shame we had to go," Hermione said, still holding tight even as they entered the busy London street. "I was really enjoying our little 'date.'"
"Yeah," Lily said, her stomach twisting again. Just out of nervous habit, she checked the watches on her left hand, and then made a decision. She needed to test it before she took things too far.
"Here," she said, pulling her right hand free so she could unclasp one of the watches strapped to the arm. "This one is yours."
"They're really quite lovely, Lily," Hermione said, smiling happy as she took it. "You're sure, though?"
"Yes," Lily said, nodding and feeling abnormally happy as the other girl strapped it to her left wrist. "It's already keyed to the both of us- my hand and yours. Course, if I messed up which one, we'll find out soon enough once you get back to school." Lily moved away, just a bit. If Hermione moved closer and took her hand again, then she'd know for sure. That would mean it had to be on purpose.
"Really, Lily, thank you," Hermione said, moving closer. "This means a lot to me."
Lily's heart skipped a beat when she felt fingers on hers, and then they were linked again, walking down the street, Lily doing her best to seem calm and collected while she was screaming inside. Now that it was happening, she wasn't sure which result she actually wanted.
"So," she said, ignoring the squeak in her voice. There was one final, confusing thing she needed to figure out before she could do anything. "Err- how're things going with Anthony?"
"Oh, we broke up, actually," Hermione said, humming and missing the way Lily almost stumbled on the pavement. "Did I not tell you?"
"No!" Lily said quickly. "Err- what happened?"
"Actually," Hermione said, brushing some hair out of her face, "he just wouldn't stop complaining about you."
"What, really?" Lily said, laughing nervously.
"Honestly, he wouldn't give it up even after you were gone," Hermione said. "I mean- the last straw was a week and a half ago, when we were snogging in a broom closet on the fourth floor and-"
"You?" Lily said, interrupting with a laugh. "Snogging someone in a broom closet?"
"What's so strange about that?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"You just don't seem the type."
"I can snog in as many broom closets as I want, thank you very much."
Maybe you could show me sometime, Lily thought, trying to figure out if that would be a smooth thing to say or not.
Merlin, this was really happening, and now she had to-
"Anyway," Hermione continued, "it doesn't matter, because now I'm seeing Justin."
"Oh," Lily said, ignoring the way her heart dropped. "Finch-Fletchley?"
"That's the one," Hermione said, smiling and sounding happy again.
"Since when are you so popular?" Lily asked, perhaps a bit of hurt in her voice, but, honestly, she wasn't sure she cared all that much. She wasn't even sure Hermione noticed when she pulled her hand out of hers.
What was with all the hand holding, then? She thought. What was with everything?
"Since Krum tried to ask me again after I broke up with Anthony, actually," Hermione said. "Those were his tickets, actually- he insisted I keep them, even if we weren't going together. Anyway, apparently an international superstar trying to pursue you does wonders for one's desirability."
"Right," Lily grumbled. "Where's all my love, then?"
"Justin happened to walk in on Cormac McLaggen trying to bully me into going out with him, the little prat," Hermione said. "He pretended I was already going with him so I could get out of there, and then I asked him the next day, because it was such a sweet gesture."
"Right," Lily grumbled again, picking up the pace of her stride. The sooner they got back to the house, the sooner Lily could hide her shame by taking a long bath.
"Anthony didn't really take it very well," Hermione said, apparently not even noticing and falling right in with her. "He tried to tell me he's been seeing Mandy behind my back."
"Prat," Lily said, still stewing. "Why'd you let him stay in S.P.E.W.?" Really, why would she even expect Hermione fancied her?
"I didn't, actually," Hermione said. "Cedric's been teaching all of the younger students. I offered to find him others, but he insisted that he doesn't mind one bit."
"Brilliant," Lily said. Besides, it wasn't like she was even interested in Hermione. She just let Ashley get in her head with her teasing, that was all it was. Merlin, she was so stupid.
"I didn't really believe Anthony, anyway," Hermione said. "He tried to convince me he was seeing Mandy behind my back, but she was far too interested in you to give him the time of day."
Honestly, how could she ever even think for a second that Hermione would be interested in-
"Come again?" Lily asked, stopping in place while her brain finally registered what Hermione said.
"I said Mandy fancies you," Hermione said in a singsong voice, hands held behind her back.
"And you didn't tell me?" Lily asked.
"Well, you were too busy pining over Lavender at the time when she told me," Hermione said. "And then, after that, you swore that you were done trying to date anybody."
"I was joking!" Lily said, grabbing both sides of her head. "I just didn't want somebody to try kidnapping me again!"
"Well, I- she's not really your type, anyway."
Lily scoffed incredulously. "Hermione, my type is 'girl who is nice to me.' Honestly, when Pansy and Daphne were acting all pleasant, I even thought about giving them a go."
"Really?" Hermione said, blinking at her slowly. "Well- err- I'm sure she's still interested. Why don't you try writing her?"
"What's the point?" Lily said, kicking at a stone and truly feeling the doom.
"Oh, just write her," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She took a deep breath before speaking again, her posture straightening and her eyes closing. "You've got those tickets I got you. Ask her to go with you!"
"Sirius isn't going to let me-"
"Then sneak out again!" Hermione said, sounding angry for some reason. "If you don't write her, I will. I'm not having you mope about for the rest of the holiday."
"But-"
"No buts!" Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips. "You're asking her as soon as we get back."
"Alright," Lily said, reluctantly smiling. "You think she'd like my hair like this?" she added, running one final hand through it.
"Yes," Hermione said, stiffening slightly as her eyes wandered upwards. "I don't see how anybody could possibly think otherwise."