"I don't know what it is, but I kind of like patrolling at night now," Hugo commented as he and Lily walked along the empty corridors of the sixth floor.
"Perhaps because there's no longer a psycho roaming them?" Lily suggested.
Hugo chuckled. "Perhaps." He looked over at her. "Think JB is almost done?"
Lily nodded. "I would think. Wanna walk by?"
"Yeah, let's," Hugo agreed. So they both changed their course of direction, and made their way to the seventh floor. JB meetings had started up again just a few days ago, and so far, all had gone well. "So, Lil, what are you doing for Hogsmeade this month?"
"I dunno yet," Lily sighed. "Part of me wants to just stay at the castle and be really lazy. What about you?"
"I'll probably hang out with Stacy," Hugo replied. "I'm not sure if she has plans already, though."
"I'd bet she'd include you if she did," Lily assured.
"Yeah, but if she's hanging out with someone like McLaggen or Wilde, I'm not sure I want to be included," Hugo joked lightly as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's a little awkward now."
Lily raised a brow. "Is Wilde still hostile toward you?"
But he shook his head. "Not toward me, but to Stacy. She's been like that ever since people found out that Stacy and I were . . . together kind of. But, anyway, whenever Stacy and I are together around her, Paige gets defensive and hostile."
"Jealousy in its prime," Lily mentioned.
"I guess," Hugo agreed. "Hey . . . it's the guys."
Lily looked ahead to where Hugo was looking. Just in front of the doors to the Room of Requirement, Jace, Christian, Xavier, Hunter, and Monty all stood around. Jace had his hands shoved his pockets, a scowl on his face. The other guys seemed to be talking to him.
"Why are they here?" Lily questioned. "Today's meeting is for Arithmacy. None of them take it."
"Maybe Jace is waiting for Lola?" Hugo suggested. Then he raised his hand in a small wave. "Hey, guys, what's up?"
Hugo's greeting caught the attention of the five boys. Jace looked oddly livid, while the other four seemed really hesitant. Without warning or a word, Jace stormed over to Lily and Hugo, who had stopped walking after the sight of the boys' faces. Jace was quickly in Hugo's face, their height almost equal now. Jace was only slightly shorter.
With a fierce glare, Jace grabbed the collar of Hugo's shirt. "Stay the hell away from my girlfriend, Weasley!"
Hugo looked at him in surprise. "What?"
"You heard me!" Jace growled. "Stay away from Lola!"
Lily looked at them in surprise and confusion. "Jace, what are you talking about?"
But now Hugo was looking a little irritated. "Look, Jace, I don't know what your problem is, but Lola is my friend. I'm not going to avoid her because you've got a problem."
Before Lily could stop it, or before Hugo could blink, Jace reared back and slammed his fist into Hugo's face. Hugo ripped away from Jace's grasp, but instead of throwing his own punch, he just nursed the side of his face. Lily quickly stepped in-between them, while Xavier and Hunter were the first ones to push Jace away.
Jace moved away easily, but still glared. "Stay the hell away from Lola, Weasley! Got it?"
Hugo glared back. "Bite me," he muttered as Jace stormed into the JB meeting room, followed by Monty and Christian. Hugo looked at Hunter. "What the hell is his problem?"
Xavier ran a hand through his hair. "He just found out about the fact that you and Lola had sex."
Lily raised a brow. "That's what he's upset about? Something that happened over a year ago?"
"He's pretty pissed about it," Hunter replied.
"Merlin, they're so alike," Lily mumbled.
Hugo rubbed his thumb along his brow, which was sure to bruise. "I thought he knew already. Otherwise, I would have told him myself."
"Not a good idea," Xavier argued calmly. "Jace isn't mad that no one told him. He's angry that it happened at all."
Hugo looked at him skeptically. "He'd expected Lola to be a virgin? Had he ever been around the two of us while we dated?"
"I think he had more faith in Lola," Hunter retorted.
Hugo sighed. "Well, I guess I get it now. He's pissed, because he's afraid he'll have to compare."
"Exactly," Hunter agreed.
"You've got it," Xavier sighed.
Lily looked at the three of them in confusion. "What do you mean by compare?" she demanded.
"It's a standard fear for a guy like Jace," Xavier replied. "You know, you're a virgin, but your girlfriend isn't. Sometimes you start to think that you're going to suck in comparison. It's a lot to live up to for some guys."
Lily rolled her eyes. "A lot to live up to? Boys are idiots," she muttered as she moved past the boys. "I'll finish up patrols. Hugh, go ice your face."
Lily sighed as she watched Slytherins trying out for the open Beater position. It had been almost a week since Jace had punched Hugo, and things had gone downhill. Jace refused to be anywhere near Hugo since then, and Hugo had refused to get rid of, or hide, the bruise near his eye. Rumors had flown around about what had happened, only a few close to the truth. And even worse, Lola had found out about why Jace and Hugo had fought, and now she was mad at Jace. So those two sat near each other in a chilly silence, with Lily in the middle of them. And Hugo refused to sit at the Slytherin table, not wanting to make things worse with Jace.
Lance came and clapped Lily on the shoulder. She looked up at him, and began to wonder when he had become so much taller than her. But he was. Probably almost as tall as Scorpius. His black hair, which had been spiked as of late, was now matted around his forehead with sweat. Muscles wrapped leanly around his arms, keeping his build quick and thin.
"How's it going, Captain?" Lance asked her.
Lily sighed. "Sucky, but being back on the field makes everything better, even for a brief period."
"I know the feeling," Lance said with a chuckle. "Some Quidditch and some flying can make anything feel better." Then he sighed. "So, who's looking good to take Tanner's old spot?"
"Hard to tell at this point," Lily replied. "But I'm thinking that I'll look for someone in a younger year. That way when you take over as captain next year, you can have more time to train someone."
"So I'm going to be captain next year?" Lance inquired.
"I can't imagine anyone else being made captain but you," Lily retorted casually. "But it's not my decision."
"Hey, guys," Hugo greeted. His normal hat was pulled down over his hair, the small bill creating a shadow over the bruise around his brow. It only did a crappy job of hiding it.
"Hey, dude," Lance greeted. Then he sighed. "Well, I'm going to go shower, Captain. That cool?"
Lily nodded as she kept her eyes on the tryouts. "Yeah, no problem. Tell the others that have finished their tryouts to go ahead and shower too."
Hugo moved to stand closer once Lance left. "Things looking good, cuz?" he asked.
"Not too bad," she replied.
Hugo adjusted the hat on his head. "So, I didn't know you were planning to make the whole team tryout again," he commented.
"Just a formality, and to let the others get a workout in," Lily told him.
Hugo gave a nod. "So . . . how's Lola and Jace doing?"
Lily forced herself not to scowl. "Ask Lola yourself," she countered.
Hugo sighed heavily. "I don't want to make things worse."
"I'm not sure they can get worse at this rate," Lily argued. "And I don't want to be in the middle of this. I just want to stay out of it. Let them figure out their relationship, and let Jace get over his problem with you. No offense, cuz, but I really want to stay out of it."
Hugo rubbed the back of his neck. "I can understand that. But . . . I don't want to make it worse. I mean, before I knew what was wrong, I wasn't going to stop hanging out with Lola. But now that I know the problem, and now that the two of them are having problems too, I don't want to damage things even more."
"Lola and Jace are too much alike. Lola was mad at me for kissing Jace years ago, and she got over it. Jace will eventually get over it too," Lily assured.
"Yeah, you're right," Hugo agreed. "But I worry about Lola. I'd like to think that I know her well enough to know that, inside, she's not taking this well."
"You're right, trust me," Lily muttered. "And she's not helping the situation. Whenever Jace isn't around, she's complaining about him, and then will even occasionally compare him to you."
Hugo moved to sit on the grass. "I feel like I should talk to her . . . but I don't want to make it worse, as said before."
"Well, Huey, do what you think is best," Lily sighed. "Don't let anyone change your mind, and every other generic advice ever given."
Hugo gave a sound that was a mix of a scoff and laugh. "Gettin' lazy there with the original advice there, ain't ya, cuz?"
Lily shrugged. "I'm a model, not a guru."
"I've decided to not get involved with this one," Lily told Scorpius as she propped the mirror against her pillow, allowing her to look at his face in the mirror perfectly. She'd been telling him about the recent problems concerning Hugo, Lola, and Jace. Mainly how little involvement she wanted.
"That might be best," Scorpius agreed. "You can't solve everything, babe."
Lily rolled her eyes as she began to brush through her hair. "I know that, but that isn't my reason for keeping out."
Scorpius chuckled. "Then what is the reason?"
Lily sighed. "I'm tired. Really, really, tired. And all I want is one year with little drama involved. I can handle small and normal things. Little tiffs here and there, fine. But big crap like this? No. I'm tired, and really just want to graduate, and continue with my life."
Scorpius smirked. "I see."
Lily sighed again as she put down her brush, and dropped onto her stomach, resting her head on her arms. "Does that make me a bad friend?" she whispered to him.
Scorpius closed his eyes, looking almost peaceful. But when he opened them, they were stormy as usual, but soft in their own way. "It makes you normal, Lily. After what you've been through in the last seven years, anyone else would be exhausted. It's understandable that you'd be tired. Take a year and relax. After all, it's your last year."
Lily lifted her head a little, and shifted her position, allowing her to rest her chin on her palm. "I guess you're right," she mumbled.
"A Malfoy is always right," Scorpius joked. "Never doubt it, love."
Lily smiled. "I've given up on doubting you."
"It's so irritating!" Lola complained as she and Lily walked toward the library. "I mean, he thought it was 'silly' when I was mad at you for not telling me about the kiss you two shared. Then he does this?"
Lily just brushed her bangs away from her eyes as she listened to her friend rant. It wasn't the first time she'd heard this complaint, and she was sure she'd hear it again.
"And, he's taking it worse than I did! I mean, it's not like I ever hit you! But then he hauls off and hits Hugo! And for what? I mean, it's ridiculous! Because I had sex? I mean, I had sex with Hugo. Why not be mad at me too? It wasn't like Hugo forced me! Trust me, it was a two-way street!" Lola raved.
Lily rubbed her temple and groaned under her breath. She really didn't want to hear too much more about this subject. Especially concerning her cousin.
"I mean, did he expect me to be a virgin forever? I had a very serious relationship with Hugo! Sex would of course be an option! He is such an ass!" Lola hissed. "Besides, what does he care? So, I'm not a virgin? Big deal!"
Lily sighed heavily. "Lola, chill out, please?"
"I mean, do you think Scorpius would freak out like that if you were in my situation?" Lola grumbled.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Scorpius would murder whoever the guy I'd slept with was. But luckily for you, Scorpius and Jace are two different guys."
"Well I got over him kissing you!" Lola argued. "And he can't get over my history? Even if I went a little further, I don't see why he couldn't get over it! I mean, does he really think I'm going to compare him to Hugo? It's nice to know that he's been thinking about sex this entire time!"
"I wasn't."
Both girls jumped and then swiftly turned around to see Jace and Xavier not far behind them, standing by the door to the boys' bathroom. Xavier looked hesitant as he stood by Jace. Jace looked as if his expression was made of stone. Lily bit her lip as she assessed her situation. She was standing between the two of them, one with a face of stone, the other with surprise and hesitance. Fantastic.
Lola obviously gulped in a breath of air. "Then why would you care about whether or not I slept with Hugo?" she demanded, although her voice was much softer.
Jace shoved his hands in his pockets. "I guess I just made the mistake of caring about you so much. But thanks for stomping on it again. Watching you and Hugo fifth year wasn't enough to kill it. Maybe this'll do it." Without another word, or even a change in expression, Jace turned on his heel, and began to walk away.
Lily glanced over at Lola. Her lip was trembling, but her eyes were still firm in their anger. Lily watched as her other best friend steeled herself. "I've gotta study," she mumbled. Then she too turned around, and headed for the library, leaving Lily and Xavier left standing there.
Lily ran a hand over her eyes. "One year. All I wanted was one year."
Xavier sighed heavily. "Well, I think I'm just going to go find Liz. See what she's up to, since Jace obviously doesn't feel like studying anymore."
"I'm going for a walk," Lily muttered.
It was late when Lily found herself finally walking back to the common room. She'd been walking around the castle and grounds for hours now, just wanting an hour of peace. Her only luck of the day was that she wasn't scheduled to tutor or watch over the JB meeting for the night.
When Lily stepped into the common room, she'd expected it to be empty. It was way past curfew, even for the older kids. But to her surprise, and yet not too surprising with her luck, Lily found just one person sitting alone in the common room. Jace, sitting on the couch, and staring into the low fire.
"What are you doing up, Jace?" Lily asked quietly as she walked over to the couch. "It's late. Go to bed."
"How long ago was it?" Jace asked in a whisper.
Lily glanced at the clock on the wall, and sighed. "I don't know. Hours."
Jace gave a stiff nod. "Sounds right. I've been sitting here since I came back here after that moment. My ass is kind of numb."
Lily scoffed as she sat down next to him. "Then why don't you get up?"
Jace shrugged. "My foot's been asleep for a while now."
Lily leaned back. "So, have you been beating yourself up since you sat down?"
"No, Lola did that for me. There's not much left to beat," Jace murmured.
"Jace, you're both just angry at each other. It's nothing new. It'll blow over," Lily replied.
Jace didn't say anything back. Instead they both just sat there in a long moment of silence. The fire was getting lower, leaving a dim glow around them, sending shadows around the rest of the room.
"Lil," Jace mumbled quietly into the silent air of the common room.
Lily looked at his somber face. "What is it?" she asked.
He turned to look at her, his handsome face holding a slightly sad expression. "Did you really forget about kissing me?"
Lily looked at him in surprise, and then felt worry roll in her gut. Was he upset that she forgot? She gulped. "Sort of," she admitted. "It was just so long ago. I'm surprised you remembered."
Jace chuckled dryly. "No one forgets their first kiss, Lil. I didn't . . . But I guess since it wasn't your first . . . I can understand that you forgot. Tons of guys were aiming to kiss you that year anyway. And still to this day."
"Jace," Lily protested lightly.
"But it's true," Jace sighed as he looked back to the fireplace. "I can name ten easily off the top of my head. And honestly, if I wasn't totally in love, I would too."
Lily looked at Jace in complete and utter shock. "Love?" she inquired.
Jace nodded. "Yeah. I love her, Lily. I never thought I would before, but I really do. With all my heart . . . and I know that she doesn't love me. At least not yet. And I want to take the next step with her. I want to be closer with her . . . but I don't want something to change, and for me to just be another boyfriend." He looked at her again, with a real pain in his eyes. "I'm scared, Lily. And I don't think that there's anything I can do to make it stop."
Lily reached forward and brushed some hair from his brow. "Jace, you have to fight fear. Otherwise . . . it'll eat away at you. Trust me. And Lola . . . she really cares about you. Just give her time to sort it out, ok?"
Jace moved over and leaned his head on her shoulder, so Lily gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "What if she changes her mind about me though? Like how she and Hugo suddenly changed? I'm not sure what I'd do if she changed her mind."
"Well no matter what, I'll still be here, Jace," she promised. "You're one of my best friends. I won't leave you hurting."
Lily knew it was morning, but she was way too tired. She wasn't sure how long she'd stayed up with Jace the previous night, but she was just glad that it was Sunday. He'd been so sad and hurt, Lily couldn't bring herself to leave. They stayed in the common room for hours, just sitting. He was hurting, and Lily hated that he was hurting. But he was right. It was all something that Lola would have to figure out herself. She held control of it all.
She heard the curtains of her bed being pulled around in a rush, so Lily opened her eyes and kept her head on her pillow. Megan was standing by her bed, a curious brow raised. "You were with Jace last night?" she questioned.
Lily sat up and yawned. "Yeah," she replied. "He wanted me to stay with him for a bit, so we just sat in the common room."
Megan sat on the edge of the bed. "Just sat there?"
Lily nodded. "Yeah, why? . . . And how did you know that?"
"Because Lola saw you last night, and now she thinks that because of what happened between her and Jace, that he ran to you last night, and that he still has feelings for you," Megan answered.
Lily sat up straight and with alarm. "What?" she demanded.
Megan was the one nodding now. "Yeah. She thinks that Jace is still hung up on you, and that you two were pretty close last night."
Lily groaned as she dropped onto her back. "Dammit! Why must things always involve me? And why must they always be bad? Jace was upset because of what happened! That's why he wanted me to stay down there! He thought I could shed some light on a few things!"
"Well then you better find and tell Lola that, because she is internally freaking out," Megan told her.
Lily sighed as she quickly got up. "Where is she?" she asked as she began to grab an outfit to wear.
"Last I knew, she was off to the library to 'study' for N.E.W.T.s," Megan replied.
"Fuck my life," Lily mumbled as she made her way to the bathroom.
After Lily had showered and dressed, she'd practically ran to the library. But there was no sign of Lola anywhere. She asked a few Ravenclaw girls if they'd seen her. They could only tell Lily that Lola had left about ten minutes ago, but they had no idea where she'd gone. Lily left the library, thinking of places Lola might be, but was coming up blank. So she headed back to the common room. But just as she got to the dungeons, she heard a voice calling to her.
"Lily!" Lily turned to see Hugo hurrying toward her. Lily felt a bit of relief. Hugo. Maybe he would know where Lola was.
"Hey, Huey," Lily greeted. But just as she opened her mouth to ask if he'd seen Lola, he spoke.
"Are you insane!" Hugo yelled at her, surprising her.
Lily moved back a little. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.
"You spent the night with Jace?" Hugo hissed.
Lily rolled her eyes, and felt like banging her head against the wall. He had seen Lola. "No!" Lily argued, but then hesitated. " . . . Well not like what you're thinking."
Hugo scowled. "Then what?"
"Look, Jace was really upset about what happened between him and Lola. So he wanted to talk about it, and he got even more upset, so he needed someone to stay and comfort him. So I did! I don't know what Lola thought she saw, but she was wrong! Jace didn't come running to me, and he's not hung up on me. He's in love with her! And he's admitted that!" Lily practically snapped.
Hugo seemed to relax, but his face was serious. "He loves her?"
"Yes. But he's afraid that she doesn't, and never will, love him back," Lily explained. "So I need to find Lola, and explain this to her. Now, have you seen her?"
Hugo adjusted his hat. "She's taking a bath in the prefects' bathroom. I gave her the password. I felt like she needed the time to relax. I know using the prefect bathroom is relaxing for me."
Lily ran a hand through her slightly messy hair. "Well . . . I guess I'll just wait in the common room for her."
"I'll send her your way," Hugo assured. "I'll lie and say that Izzy or someone is waiting for her."
Lily smiled. "Thanks, Huey. For doing that . . . and sticking up for Lola, even if it was a misunderstanding."
Hugo shrugged and grinned. "I still care about her, although in a different sense than Jace. She's . . . special to me in someways that I don't fully understand yet," he joked lightly. "Besides, I told her if she ever needed me, I'd be there. I won't back down from that."
"I'm glad to hear that, cuz. Really glad."
Lily paced around the dorm room, her body feeling tired, and her mind just the same. She was mainly tired of all the drama, but life would probably always be full of that. But all at one time? Too much.
When the door finally opened, Lily turned to see Lola step in. Lola looked at her, at first with a terrified look, but then with one of hurt. "He lied," she mumbled.
Lily sighed. "I asked Hugo to get you here, because we need to talk about last night."
Lola wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the door, her eyes downcast. "What about it?"
Lily sat on the foot of her bed. "Nothing happened between me and Jace last night. But he is upset about what happened between the two of you. He's afraid that you're going to break up with him."
"Well tell him that I'm not," Lola replied, finally looking at her.
"You need to tell him that," Lily argued. "This is your relationship. And Jace loves you, Lola. Loves you. And he doesn't want to just be another boyfriend. But he thinks that you'll break up with him."
Lola slid down so that she was sitting on the floor. "Truth is . . . I know he loves me," she whispered. "He's never said it . . . but I've just somehow known it. But I've never known how to react to it."
Lily felt a pang of pity for her friends, but she knew that there was little she could do to help. "Lola, you need to figure out how you feel. This whole thing is up to you. Jace's feelings are on the table. You need to sort out yours, and put them there too. Then you and Jace really need to talk. You're both internally going crazy, and only the two of you can solve it."
Lola buried her face into her hands. "I don't know what to do, Lily," she admitted.
Lily sighed. "Honestly, Lola, I don't know what you should do either. But, if you just think about it, I'm sure the answer will come to your heart."
A place of solitude. That was all Lily wanted. A place where she could sit and not be bothered. A place where drama could be avoided. And the library seemed perfect for that. Madam Pince kept it quiet, so drama was very rare for the library. At least public drama was.
When Lily stood at the door to the library, she looked around, wondering where she would sit. Hopefully, a table alone. Her eyes found Megan and Hunter sitting together at a table, which made her hesitant. Megan and Hunter? After what happened the first day back? And Lily's thoughts were right, because not a minute after she noticed them, Megan stood up, smacked Hunter on the head with her book, and then stormed away toward the shelves. Shaking her head, Lily walked over toward Hunter.
Hunter was rubbing the back of his head when he noticed Lily. He grinned a bit sheepishly. "Hey, Lil. Studying?"
Lily sat down and placed her textbook in front of her. "Hunter, what are you doing? What is it that's making Megan beat the crap out of you?"
Hunter just waved it off. "Nothing," he whispered. "She's just being sensitive and a baby about something. I'm just trying to get her to agree to something."
Lily raised a brow as she flipped her book open to a random page. "Agree to what?"
"A date," he replied as he flipped the page of his own book.
Lily felt her shoulders slump in disbelief. "A date? That's why she's beating the crap out of you?" Surely not. Lily had seen Megan reject a boy before, and it was never violent. Maybe a bit rude, but she never punched one. Was it because Hunter was apparently being persistent?
Hunter chuckled. "Partly. There's a bit more to it, but it's private, Lil. If Megan wants you to know, she'll tell you. Promise." Then he looked over at her. "So, how's it between Jace and Lola?"
Lily sighed as she ran her finger over the edge of the table. "Terrible and rocky at the moment. It's all up to Lola to decide how she feels now."
"So she knows that Jace loves her?" Hunter asked.
Lily shrugged. "Apparently, she's known for a while how he felt. Not that he said it, she just knew. But either way, the Quaffle's in her hands now."
"I feel bad for those two. Too much drama in their relationship," Hunter said sympathetically.
Lily scoffed. "Coming from the guy that's getting beat up by the girl he wants to date?"
Hunter grinned. "Hey, not everyone has a relationship that has as little flaws as yours does."
Lily rolled her eyes. "There are plenty of flaws between Scorpius and I. We're just better at not being so obvious and public about them."
"Apparently, because I've never seen a major problem between the two of you," Hunter replied. "Compared to everyone else? Tons of drama and crap. Xavier's heartbreak over Manny, Hugo and Stacy, Lola and Jace, Lana and Dante, and Megan . . . hitting me whenever I ask her out."
She didn't know why, but Lily didn't like how Hunter hesitated when he started to bring up Megan's supposed drama with relationships. It was obvious from the start that something more was up. But now . . . it seemed worse to Lily. But she knew Megan wouldn't say anything. She'd just dismiss it or avoid it. But . . . what was up?
"Are you sure you don't wanna hang out or anything, Lil?" Hugo asked as he, Lily, and Stacy stood by the doors to the Great Hall. It was the day of the first trip to Hogsmeade, and Lily was opting out, and staying at the castle. Apparently, everyone else was going. Shannon had a date with Chris, while Megan and Izzy were dragging Lola out with them. And the guys were taking Jace as well, forcing him to "have fun" as Christian put it.
With a sigh, Lily nodded. "I'm sure," she replied. "I just want to relax and not worry about a thing today." She ran a hand through her hair. "And if I go to Hogsmeade . . ."
"Then you might run into the girls, or the guys, and have to listen to drama that makes you worry," Hugo finished. "Understandable."
"If you change your mind, you can always come find us," Stacy assured her.
Lily smiled at her. "Thanks. But if possible, I might just go ahead and sleep the whole day away." As she walked by him, she gave her cousin's arm a reassuring squeeze. "See you later."
She made her way back down to the dungeons, and headed toward the common room. Maybe she'd play around and make another potion, or something. Or, maybe she really would sleep the day away. It didn't sound like a bad idea at the moment. When she entered the common room, it was practically empty, since most kids were at Hogsmeade, and the first and seconds years were enjoying the nice weather outside.
"Hey, Lil," Liz West greeted from a table near the stairs. Not seeing any harm in doing so, Lily walked over and sat with her.
"Hey, Liz. You're not hanging out with your friends in town today?" Lily inquired.
Liz shook her head as she closed the magazine she'd been flipping through. "No. Courtney and Lance have a date, and Xavier said he was hanging out with the guys today. I decided to stay here today."
Lily gave a nod of understanding. "So, if you don't mind my asking, what are you and Xavier now? Just friends, or what?"
Liz sighed as she seemed to think about it. "Well . . . I guess you could say that we're at a stage of benefits right now."
Lily laughed lightly. She liked how Liz was very straight and honest about things. "How so?"
Liz shrugged. "Well, I really like Xavier. And I know he likes me. But we have yet to reach a point where we want to begin officially dating, to avoid the annoying questions of friends and such. But, if another guy asks me out, then I could always say I'm already hanging out with Xavier that day. When I say that we aren't dating, rumors are avoided. Hence the benefit."
Lily raised a brow. "That's the only benefit the two of you get? Less questions?"
"Well that, and the occasional snog," Liz replied honestly. "But it's not as often as some would assume. We talk a lot more than anything. I like talking with Xavier. He's interesting."
Lily grinned. "Yeah, he can be."
Then Liz looked at her, and rested her chin on her fist. "So, what was it like dating Xavier for you?"
Lily thought about it, then shrugged. "Nothing special, really. I mean, we were thirteen. We were just like really good friends that kissed."
Liz gave a nod. "That's pretty much what Xavier said when I asked him."
"You two talk about your relationships?" Lily asked.
"Kind of, but I was a little more curious about the two of you, since I knew how his and Manny's ended," Liz told her.
"Why be curious about ours?" Lily questioned.
Liz grinned. "Lil, when a girl dates a guy who has dated or kissed you in his past, she's curious."
Lily rolled her eyes. "What is so special about me?" she demanded, knowing that Liz would actually answer.
"Well, ever since I can remember, you've always been exceptionally pretty. Beautiful in your own way really," Liz replied. "And, you've always been able to have fun, and be casual no matter who you were with. Boys or girls. And you've been revered by boys for years now. Since I'm not a boy, I can't completely explain why you're seen that way, but you are."
Lily sighed. "So why are girls curious about me when they date a boy I've kissed or dated?"
"It would be a miracle if a boy were to ever break up with you, Lily," Liz retorted. "So, a girl always knows that a relationship ended because you broke it off. Some girls wonder if they're really over you. Me, I wondered because I was curious as to how good of friends you two are. How high he holds you in regard."
Lily raised a brow. "What did you find out by his answer?"
Liz smiled. "He sees you as his best girl friend. He'd do anything for you, because he knows that you'd do anything for him. In that sense and way, he loves you."
It wasn't until September was finally coming to an end and fall was beginning to show that things seemed to get a little better on the "relationship drama" end.
"I know what I want to tell Jace!" Lola squealed as she burst into the dorm room. Megan was close to asleep from boredom, Shannon was brushing her hair, while Lily and Izzy were flipping through an issue of Witch Weekly together.
Izzy raised a curious brow. "What are you going to tell him?"
Lola closed the door, and sat on the end of Lily's bed. "Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about me and him."
"A lot? It's been forever," Megan grumbled.
"And," Lola said, obviously ignoring her, "I've come to the conclusion that . . . I think I love him too."
"Aw! That's great, Lola!" Shannon gushed.
"He'll be happy to hear that," Izzy said with a smile.
"Woah! Wait," Lily stopped them. She looked at her best friend. "You think?"
"Well it's better than nothing," Lola pointed out. "And, I really think I do. I'm just not totally sure yet."
Lily shrugged. "I guess that's true. He'd be happy to hear at least something."
"But what about his fight with Hugo?" Izzy asked.
"I'm going to tell him that if he wants to be with me, than he has to get used to Hugo being one of my best friends," Lola said firmly. "Hugo is important to me, and Jace will have to deal with that. I won't sacrifice my friendship with Hugo."
"Good for you," Shannon said with a smile.
"It took you practically a month to come up with that?" Megan mocked lightly.
Lola threw a pillow at Megan and laughed. "Bite me!"
Lily looked over at Megan. "So, Megan, what's this I hear about Hunter wanting to go out with you?"
While the other girls squealed with excitement and surprise, Megan only rolled her eyes. "That idiot told you?"
Lily nodded. "Yeah. Just that he's been asking you out, and you keep saying no."
"Pretty much," Megan replied dryly.
"Well why not go out with him?" Shannon asked. "Hunter's really not a bad boyfriend, speaking from experience."
"Because I don't really want a boyfriend," Megan sighed. "I'm not up for a relationship."
"But didn't you hook up with a Hufflepuff boy during the Hogsmeade visit?" Izzy pointed out.
Megan rolled her eyes again. "There's a difference between casual sex and a relationship."
"Well why not suggest that to Hunter?" Lily inquired.
"Because he wants a relationship," Megan told them.
Lily raised a brow. "You really think Hunter would be against the two of you just having sex?"
Megan nodded. "Yeah, eventually, he'd want more. Trust me on that."
"You should give him a chance," Izzy said. "I mean, Hunter's a great guy."
"Not risking it," Megan stated firmly. "No matter what you say, I'm not giving him a chance. I do not want a boyfriend. There's no point in it for me."
Lily didn't say anything else, but something about the way Megan acted . . . seemed off. It was . . . changing. She normally didn't care if she ended up in a relationship. She didn't care with Logan. So . . . was it Hunter?
Lily walked out of the Quidditch locker room to see the Gryffindor team entering the pitch. The Slytherin team had just finished practice themselves, and now Lily really wanted to just relax in the prefect bathroom.
"Hey, Lil!" Hugo called as he jogged over to her.
Lily gave a dismissing wave to the rest of the Slytherin team. "Go on ahead, guys. I'll catch up."
"Kay. Later Captain," Rachel Derrick, their new Keeper, said with an excited smile.
Hugo came to her just as her team stepped off the pitch. "Hey, so Jace actually came to talk to me yesterday."
Lily raised a brow. "It took that long?" Lola had finally told Jace about her feelings over a week ago, and he was just now apologizing to Hugo?
Hugo nodded. "Yeah. He came up, apologized for hitting me, to which I said I understood. Then he asked for some advice."
"What about?" Lily asked as she walked with Hugo as he made his way to the locker rooms.
"Well," Hugo said as they stopped by the door, "he wanted to know a few more things about what Lola finds romantic. Things like that."
"What' s he up to?" Lily asked hesitantly.
Hugo scratched at his neck. "Well, he didn't for sure say . . . but he may be thinking about bumping their relationship up to the next level. Possibly."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course. And you would know just how to do that."
Hugo laughed. "Not in the way he's wanting to do it. He wants it to be like a thirteen-year-old girl's dream. Totally romantic, perfect, and blah, blah, blah. I just admitted that between me and Lola, it just happened. And we liked it that way. But, I also understand how he'd want it to be perfect. After all, he's got some competition."
Lily laughed. "From you?"
Hugo grinned. "Not just me. But from Scorpius, and Chris Summerby, and all the other stories she's heard from friends."
Lily raised a brow. "What?"
Now Hugo chuckled. "Ok, so it's a guy thing. But we like being the best. So, when we know that our girlfriend hears about all her other friends' stories, we want to be better than those. So we are always trying to top them. And he knows that Lola has heard about you and Scor, and Shay and Chris, and others. He's gotta compete." Hugo held up a hand just as Lily began to open her. "I know it's stupid, but it's in our genes. We can't help it."
Lily shook her head. "So, that's how guys compete against other guys?"
Hugo nodded. "Yup. Boyfriends compete against ex-boyfriends, and other girls' boyfriends."
Lily scoffed. "I'm sure Scorpius knew he didn't have to worry about competing with Lysander."
But Hugo raised an amused brow. "Really? You should ask him that. Because I bet you three galleons that he did." Then with a small salute, he stepped into the locker room, leaving Lily to just shake her head at the stupidity of men.
Lily and the other girls sat in the common room together, all studying for N.E.W.T. exams. Personally, Lily found it boring, but Lola had tricked her into it by pretending to need help, and now she was stuck.
"Total waste of a Sunday," Lily mumbled.
"Amen to that," Megan agreed.
"Quit pouting," Lola retorted. "What else would you be doing?"
"Anything," Lily replied.
"A guy," Megan said with a grin.
"You're hopeless, both of you," Izzy said as she grabbed the Herbology book from the table.
Lily sighed as she leaned back in her seat. She was so bored! . . . But then she heard a song. One she'd never heard before, but was sung by a voice she'd known all her life. Lily turned to look at the table of kids listening to the song. "Hey, turn that up?"
Alex Branson, a first year, turned it up as his eyes skimmed his book. Lily felt a wave of happiness at the song's vocalist.
"Who is this?" Lola asked. "I think I know the band."
"It does sound familiar," Izzy agreed.
"The band's called Magic Unknown," another kid at the table said.
"It's Dominique," Lily told them. "That's her voice." The girls became silent for a moment as they all listened to the song.
"Merlin, it is!" Lola gasped.
"I didn't think they were popular enough to reach back here," Shannon mentioned. "At least not yet."
"Maybe they've come back?" Izzy suggested.
But Lily shook her head. "No, I have faith that Dom would have at least let me know if she'd come back."
"They're sounding pretty good though," Megan complimented. "A lot better than when they started. And at least they finally settled on a name for their band."
"I wonder if they'll come back at all? Even for a simple concert or tour?" Lola wondered absently as she turned back to the books in front of her.
But Lily kept her mind on the song, and wondered that too.
Lily found days moving faster and faster for her. She fell into a simple and normal pattern for herself. She went to classes, taught potions, helped with JB in some way, patrolled as Head Girl, and had Quidditch practices. Besides that, she was sometimes dealing with drama within her group of friends. She'd caught Megan hitting Hunter multiple times, and didn't bother to give her detentions anymore. At this point, something was seriously up with Megan, and Hunter was seriously asking for it. And Lola and Jace were still a little shaky, but somehow on an equal level of understanding. And because of Hugo, Lily found herself hanging out with Stacy much more, even when Hugo wasn't around.
"I heard that our Hogsmeade trip this month will be on Halloween," Stacy mentioned as she and Lily sat in the Quidditch stands, watching the Gryffindor team practice.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, Professor Brown told me. He thought it'd be nice for the older kids to go out, have fun, and then come back for a big feast."
"It is a nice idea," Stacy agreed. Then she sighed. "Lily, can I ask you a question?"
Lily nodded. "Sure, go ahead."
"It might be a bit awkward, since I'm kind of dating your cousin," Stacy warned.
Lily played with her ponytail. Of course Stacy would ask her. "It's fine. Ask away."
Stacy took in a breath. "Well, has Hugo told you anything about me and him?"
"Just that he's very serious about you, and that he's very serious about moving at the pace you want. He doesn't want to rush, or make you feel uncomfortable," Lily replied.
"Yeah, and he's told me that . . . and so I was wondering . . ." Stacy trailed off, and by the look on her face, Lily would guess that it was from embarrassment.
Lily nudged the girl's shoulder. "What's up, Stacy?"
Stacy's cheeks turned pink as she looked at Lily. "Well, how do you tell a guy like Hugo that . . . that you want to move a bit faster?"
Lily raised a brow. "Faster?"
Stacy began playing with her own hair. "Yeah, faster. I mean . . . we haven't even kissed yet . . . and I want to. I don't want him to think that he has to move slower than he wants just because of what happened to me. I know Hugo's different from Andrew was. I'm not afraid that Hugo will change too. So I don't want him to feel like he has to move slow for me."
Lily looked back to the pitch, and found her cousin hovering near the goals, waiting for a shot attempt. "Well, then why not tell him that?"
Stacy looked over at her. "Tell him what?"
"Just what you told me. Let him know that he doesn't need to move slow, and that you're not afraid, or fragile. Just be honest," Lily told her. "Hugo's a straightforward guy. Just tell him."
"You think I should?" Stacy murmured.
Lily grinned jokingly. "That or just kiss him," she joked. "He might get the message then."
Stacy laughed lightly as she too turned to look at Hugo. "Yeah, maybe."
"So, I thought Chris would have come out to see you, Shay," Izzy commented as the girls, minus Lola, walked through the streets of Hogsmeade. It was Halloween today, which wasn't really Lily's favorite day. Perhaps of because of a certain birthday that fell on this date. It was funny, Lily mused, how one day could go from a favorite day, to one that you dreaded.
"He would have, but he had some family function he had to go to today," Shannon sighed.
"Probably boozing it up at a Halloween party," Megan countered.
Shannon rolled her eyes, and didn't comment back. Over the past few months, the girls had grown used to Megan's increasingly snippy attitude. They had taken to letting it go when she said something like that, and were now just waiting for Megan to tell them what was wrong. "But, he said he'll be out on the next one, hopefully."
Izzy looked at Lily. "Do you think Scorpius will ever be able to make it to a Hogsmeade visit?"
Lily shook her head. "No. He's always training. And now that they're in their final year, they do a lot of mission simulations. Teamwork tests and so on," she told them. "He gets home a little earlier though, now."
"Wouldn't the simulations take longer, though?" Megan asked.
"Depends on the person or team. Generally, once the team or person is finished, they're allowed to go, even if they get done early, or late. They just can't go until it's done," Lily explained it the same way Scorpius had explained. They kept it to the basics.
"Oh, well that sucks," Izzy said sympathetically.
Lily shrugged. "I've come to accept it. Besides, a little after the school year ends, and he'll be done."
"You know," Megan spoke in a tone that was soft . . . at least for Megan that is, "I almost . . . don't want our time at school to end this year. I kind of wish we could stay for another year."
Shannon raised a brow. "I don't think I've ever heard you say something so sentimental."
Megan sighed. "Well, it's true. I like Hogwarts. I feel better here . . . almost a little free, despite the rules and crap."
"Does this tone have something to do with whatever's been up with you lately?" Izzy inquired.
Megan seemed to ignore her question. "I mean, are you guys really that excited to leave?"
Lily didn't press Megan like Shannon and Izzy obviously wanted to do. "I guess I can understand that, and agree a little. As much as I'd love to be out of school and continue my life, be with Scorpius more often . . . I would miss this place dearly. It holds seven years of my life."
Shannon twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. "It does sound sad. Hard to think that we've only been here seven years. It seems like a lifetime."
"Only months left," Izzy agreed.
"I wish it was years," Megan mumbled.
Shannon stopped, and placed a hand on Megan's shoulder, stopping her as well. Lily and Izzy stopped walking, watching with curiosity. "Megan," Shannon spoke, "the five of us girls have been through a lot together. Seven years worth of life, problems, and memories. So, why now, won't you tell us what's wrong? And don't try to play like nothing's wrong. We know something's up."
Megan looked to be thinking about it, like debating the pros and cons in her head. But then she looked away from the three girls, and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "It's nothing big . . . at least not to me. I just . . . don't want to leave Hogwarts yet. I'm not ready to."
Lily stepped a little closer. "Megan, I don't think any of us are really ready. But we'll have to anyway, and we're going to have to face whatever life wants to throw at us."
"Yeah, but I know what life will throw at me, and I'm not ready for it," Megan mumbled.
Lily looked at her curiously. So . . . Megan was dreading something that she knew was going to happen? But what could it be? "What's going to happen after school?" Izzy asked.
Megan shook her head. "Nothing."
Shannon sighed. "Come on, Megan. You're always dragging things out of us, let us do the same. Tell us."
"Hunter drags it out of me enough. I don't need someone else doing it too," Megan argued. Then she ran a hand through her dark hair. "Let's stop in and get a butterbeer." Without another word, she moved away from the girls, and stepped into The Three Broomsticks.
The other three looked at each other. "You think that's why she's been beating up on Hunter so much lately?" Izzy wondered.
"Has to be," Shannon replied. "But . . . if he's been asking her out, why would he bring it up? Whatever it is."
"I'm curious as to how he knows," Lily mentioned. "Because he obviously does. And, how does it relate to him asking her out?"
"Bad part is . . . I don't think Hunter will tell us if we ask," Shannon mumbled.
"I know he won't," Lily retorted. "Hunter's pretty good at keeping secrets. He won't say anything."
"But then how do we get Megan to talk?" Izzy questioned.
Lily shrugged as she headed for the door to The Three Broomsticks. "For now, we just wait for her to crack, and tell us."