OPPOSITE FORCES, A Jily Love story

Burnt piece of Tapestry

It is weird how sometimes you see something, no matter how oblivious you were before seeing it, you just can't unsee it. It is always in your thoughts; you start to see patterns and try to find the reason behind them. That's what started to happen in the case of Sirius Black and Lily Evans.

He would notice her, hands sometimes pressed on her forehead, eyes screwed shut going through intense pain. She would be in class or great hall or anywhere near him and he would notice her uncomfortable expression, sometimes even wincing in pain. Maybe that's why on the third November when he saw her rushing out of the great hall making some excuse to her friends- who were preoccupied with the prank - meanwhile looking teary-eyed, he followed her. He needed answers.

He followed her silently but as soon as the crowd dissipated and they were alone, he called her out, "What's going on Evans?"

She was in midst of drinking some potion from a flask, she turned around startled, "What are talking about Black?"

"Something is definitely wrong. Are you sick? And why are you hiding it from your friends?"

"Nothing is wrong. I'm merely tired."

She was avoiding eye contact with him, he couldn't help but smirk, "Such a bad liar. It's not the first time I've noticed you."

She shoved the entire contents of that flask and answered, "Yeah at Marlene's house. I was tired that day too."

"Also, a dozen times this week. Even I saw you gasping in pain that day in astronomy class. What's going on Lily?" He repeated his question, this time softly.

"Don't tell me you're concerned about me." Her tone was dry.

"Yes I'm. What I'm supposed to do? Ignore?" His answer seemed to surprise her.

She didn't say anything for a while, just kept staring at floor. For a long time, he thought she might not say anything at all. And he was ready to repeat his question, he was persistent and unlike James, patient too.

In a small voice she started, "I don't know. But this started after that day, the weekend after love potion incident. I fainted outside Professor Jones office."

"What?"

"Don't make a big deal out of it. Okay, where I was? Yeah so, I thought it was because I was skipping breakfast sometimes, maybe that's why. But more I thought of it, more I couldn't remember parts of it. Which actually the reason what started these headaches, I think."

He wanted to say something, but she never gave him the opportunity. It was like she was also dying to tell somebody all of this. Once she started to pour, she couldn't stop.

"So I went to Madame Promfey, to get a checkup or something. Turns out it wasn't cold; flue or lack of nutrition and I thought it was all due exhaustion and lack of sleep maybe. But even after weeks it didn't stop, and I can't-" She took a deep breath and he questioned how she succeeded to hide this much from her friends.

"Then I stumbled on this pain-relieving potion on my many trips to hospital wing. This has helped."

"Blimey! Why haven't you told anyone?"

She looked at him, "Who am I supposed to tell? Marlene? Who is mourning, or Mary? Who cannot keep a secret for life of her."

It was a fair point. Macdonald had her reputation in this arena. "Have you found out what is it?"

"No. But I have read some books and it must be some sort of jinx. I think someone hexed me, when and where I don't know."

"You should inform someone. It could be something dark."