And I would be the one (to hold you down) | Yandere Lily Evans

A battlecry (Part II)

Lily never learns of any of these conversations. Naturally. It would upset her, and Natsumi doesn't like it when Lily is upset because she gets strange. Scary. As she always does when something doesn't go her way regarding Natsumi. Possessive doesn't begin to cut it.

She doesn't even seem to notice that Severus is acting differently. Taking care to always be in the same room or area as they are when he can help it. As if he's shielding Natsumi from her. Why would he do that? Lily would never harm her. She's told her a million times. A hundred million times.

Natsumi rubs her hands together in a gesture of self comfort, thinking about her mother.

The topic of Eileen Prince had finally come up recently. Well, it had come up various times in the past, and her mother had never really stuck to it, but this time she had. She had recounted a few little stories about studying with Eileen and chatting about their crushes to each other, and it was a very nice moment for the two of them. Mother and daughter.

And then her mother had told her something rather concerning.

"Nat? Naaat!"

Natsumi blinks from her stupor, breaking her train of thought, "Yes?"

"Where'd you go, silly?" Lily giggles, putting down her playing cards, "It's been your turn for six minutes, I thought you were just concentrating real hard on those cards of yours.

"O-Oh," she shakes her head, shaking out her thoughts with the gesture, "uh...um...I put down a, um, red seven!"

Lily laughs again, "I told you, you don't have to announce your moves like that. It's UNO, not Wizard Chess." She pauses, "You're stuttering again...What's up?"

"Huh?"

"You only stutter when you're nervous now, Nat." Lily abandons her cards, moves closer. Too close. "What's up."

It takes everything in her not to stumble over her words, "Nothing."

Her eyes go half-lidded, in the shape of peach blossoms, "You're not lying to me?"

"I would never lie to you, Lily." She lies through her teeth.

"Good!" Lily knocks her forehead against hers, "By the way, UNO!"

Natsumi draws another card from the pile, ignoring the sweat forming at the back of her neck, "You'll never let me win, will you?"

"Oh Nat, you're such a sore loser." Lily sticks her tongue out, reclining back against the tree, "I always let you win."

This is, of course, completely untrue. When has Lily ever just let her win a game? Of anything? It must be some of Lily's strange brand of teasing again...

"I suppose." Natsumi knows better than to argue that, of course. Lily's so stubborn, she'll fight tooth and nail to prove that she's right. It gets so tiring. Too much.

They play for another fifteen minutes before Lily wins (again), and retire the cards into their box in favor of laying back and enjoying the weather. Lily finds her head in Natsumi's lap and lounges this way for a small while, watching the autumn leaves fall and Hogwarts castle in the near distance. It's peaceful. Good. Natsumi even forgot about what was worrying her earlier--

"Hey Nat..." Lily draws out, sounding casual.

Of course, Natsumi knows better than to believe her tone casual. It's calculated. This has been something Lily's wanted to bring up for a while, despite whatever she might try to imply. "What is it, Lily?"