Inevitable

Chapter Thirteen

Valentine's Day

If love were easy, life would be too simple- Camus

On Valentine's Day Lily woke up with a stuffed up nose and a headache. Not to mention bad hair and an overall resentment of the world around her.

"Ohhh..." she groaned, trying to brush her teeth without the ability to breathe through her nose.

"Pepper-up Potion!' Pat cried happily into the bathroom where Lily was standing.

"I hate that stuff," Lily grumbled.

"It works," Lene said . "Besides, you don't want to be sick all day. You might have to breath through your nose if..." she trailed off, waggling her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

Lily stuck her tongue out, but relented, deciding to go straight to the Hospital Wing after thoroughly cursing her hair. Her dark red hair, usually in tight ringlets that fell halfway down her back, had decided to puff up considerably through the night, and no amount of yelling or brush waving would make them go back to normal. Eventually, Lily had to borrow hair potion from Pat, which not only de-puffed her hair and made it feel very heavy, but made it straight. Lily had never in her life had straight hair before; she was shocked at how much length it gained. As she walked to the Hospital Wing she could feel the ends brush against her waist.

Madam Pomfrey, a young nurse who was rather keen to prove herself, was more than happy to give her a hefty dose of Pepper-up Potion (which Lily most certainly did not think of spitting out all over the gleaming floors). Five seconds later, her nose was cleared up and her head felt better, but there was thick smoke pouring from her ears and a horrible after taste in her mouth. It was very unromantic, even if she had been on speaking terms with her boyfriend.

At least she felt better as she went to class, if a bit hungry. Unfortunately, once she arrived in Study of Ancient Runes (after tripping on the hem of her robes and making an idiot of herself), she was late, and Garret, although he apologised several times on the note he passed her, had sat with another Ravenclaw. Lily was the only Gryffindor in the class, and, as there were an odd number of students, she was forced to sit alone.

After Study of Ancient Runes, Lily tromped down three floors to Charms, her favourite class. As she entered, her eyes immediately flashed to where James and Sirius sat. Their heads were bent together, discussing something quietly.

Fine, Lily told James in her head, be that way. Maybe I'll just have to punish you with something other than detention... She then snapped out of her rage, and sat down beside Marlene quietly.

"Don't be sad," Lene said, although she looked a tad peeved herself. "I'll bet he's planned something huge for you."

Lily nodded slowly, although she couldn't bring herself to look her friend in the eye. "He didn't even send me a card," she said, trying to sound disgusted.

"Did you send him one?" Lene asked cautiously.

Scowling, Lily responded by dropping her quill on the floor, so she wouldn't have to look her friend in the eye. As she straightened up, her forehead came in contact with the edge of the desk, and she was seeing starts for a few moments.

The class that day, thankfully, was a review period, of everything they had learned so far that year. Lily and Lene, both with near perfect records in that class, didn't pay much attention to the class, but passed a note back and forth.

Lene began it, writing in tiny letters in the top corner of a square of parchment before passing it to her left, for Lily to read.

So... what do you think you'll be doing on the weekend?

Lily read it quickly, but had to wait for Professor Flitwick to turn around before jotting her response

I don't know. I've got a Prefect meeting on Saturday. Ugh.

Lene just managed to suppress a laugh. I hear ya. Those Prefects are damn problem kids. Never listen to their elders and betters (being Greg, not you) They'll all end up in Azkaban for their intentional rule breaking.

Thanks a lot! Lily wrote back. Greg's just as bad as the rest of them, always wandering about after hours, yelling at people... It's disgraceful.

Lene was forced to keep the parchment for a full ten minutes before she could write back. One would think that the Head Boy would set an example. Is he seeing anyone?

Lily's eyes nearly fell out of her head. Lene wanted to know if Gregory Kane, a perfectionist to the third degree, and Head Boy to top it off, was seeing anyone. What happened to the worship of Sirius?

DON'T WRITE THAT! What if someone sees? Marlene scratched out Sirius' name before passing it back, so that you couldn't even tell how many letters there were.

Sorry. But...you should really do something about it before you decide it's not worth it.

Please. As much as I wish... I couldn't degrade myself that much.

Degrade? How?

By hopping on the bandwagon! It would be like supporting England just because we're winning in Quidditch!

From what I hear from James we're never winning at Quidditch.

That's beside the point. Besides, he just sees me as a friend, nothing more, and I don't want to tell him and then have him avoid me for the rest of forever. I'm going after a new target, being your co-Head.

That looks wrong. Co-Head. Makes it sound like I have two heads.

Yeah... I can't see you with two heads. You'd always be arguing with yourself! Back to my original question - we haven't been to a party in a while, and the Ravenclaws just happen to be having one in their common room on Saturday...

And you want to go.

Of course! Lene rolled her eyes at Lily's incompetence. Bribe Doyle, get him to let us in.

I guess. How many others want to come? You could always just ask Liz.

Just then, class was over. People all around the girls began to pack up their things and leave the room. By the time Lily had everything back in her bag, she was the only one left in the room; Marlene had rushed off in order to get herself in the good graces of the Ravenclaws.

Running down to lunch, Lily tripped over her own feet. She caught herself before falling, but her bag, which was only over one shoulder, went flying out in front of her. It slid along the just-waxed floor and down a set of stairs. Lily slapped her hand to her forehead and ran after her bag.

Kill me. Just kill me now.

This was not turning out to be Lily's day.

She hurtled down the stairs, wondering in the back of her mind how many people had seen that graceful display. Halfway down, she was shocked to see someone at the bottom, picking up her bag and holding it out to her.

"Yours?" Severus Snape asked, holding it out to her.

"Yes," Lily replied, wondering how he was going to work in calling her a Mudblood. "Thank you."

"You might try carrying it down," he said. "It's not as fast as throwing, but there's less chance that ink bottles will get smashed." He walked away down the hall, leaving Lily speechless.

Did Snape just attempt a joke? He didn't even call me Mudblood! Something must be wrong. Oh no - did he curse me when I wasn't watching? Are there?- she spun around, checking for potential attackers - What is going on today!

Lily wandered down to lunch absentmindedly while checking through her bag. One of her inkbottles had broken in the fall, and her books were now splattered with ink. She walked into the Great Hall and was halfway along the table, towards James, when she remembered they were fighting. She contemplated, for about two seconds, about being the bigger person, and going to apologise. Then, of course, her natural stubbornness kicked in and she sharply changed directions and went to join Deirdre Churchill, a sixth year prefect, and her friends. Marlene was nowhere in sight, which meant that she was still working on getting her invite, or was working on getting an 'okay' to bring along friends. Or was working on getting Greg Kane. Lily decided not to worry too much about it.

She was just reaching across the table for the pitcher of pumpkin juice, conveniently located just out of her grasp, when she heard a shout behind her.

"Ah!"

Lily was about to turn around when she felt something very cold and very wet running down her neck. Wincing, she turned around to find herself face to face with a very embarrassed looking first year, whom she had never seen before.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl squeaked. "I didn't mean to, I just tripped!"

"That's alright." Lily sighed, flicking her wand at herself and muttering a charm. In an instant she was dry, all trace of the drink spilt on her had vanished. If only her bruised ego could heal that nicely...

"Wow," the girl whispered. "You're the best charms student in the school, aren't you? Professor Flitwick said that if we ever needed help, go to Lily Evans, 'cause she knows what she's doing."

Lily smiled at the girl's flattery. She had never considered herself to be the best in the school - nowhere near, in fact. It was a comment that she needed to hear.

"Thank you," she said.

I just wish I could place this girl. I'm supposed to know everyone.

"Sorry again!" the girl said merrily as she made her way down the table, stumbling a little.

After lunch Lily tuned out, her mind wandering completely as she made her way from the Great Hall to her next class.

It was on her way to Transfiguration that she was once more brought to a state close to tears, as she hurried down the hallway.

Just as she was rounding a corner she heard voices that made her stop and lean against the wall. Some girls, she couldn't tell who, were talking about her.

"-a matter of time before he realises that she's just not worth it."

"I totally agree. I mean, she's mad at him more often than not."

"I heard that they're fighting today - Valentine's Day! I'd bet it wouldn't take much to convince James that he could do better."

"Ugh. She's so... I don't know. She doesn't deserve him. She doesn't try at all, but almost every guy in the school is all over her!"

"Like James Potter isn't enough, she has to have all the guys in our house fall for her too! Damn it... I wish she would just act more like a slut, you know? So we'd have a good reason to hate her."

"Well, I for one am not going to let this opportunity pass up. I haven't watched every Quidditch match and practice since third year for nothing."

Outraged, insulted and hurt, Lily spun around and opted for a longer route to Transfiguration, so she wouldn't have to discover the identity of those girls. By the time she arrived she was late, so she lost five points. Her face must have shown some of her distress, for she noticed several people eyeing her throughout the lesson.

Pat and Lene both voiced their concern in whispered tones throughout the lesson, but Lily said nothing. She only shushed them, too wrapped up in her own thoughts and worries.

He wouldn't. He wouldn't. Would he? No. He wouldn't. He wouldn't.

She glanced over at James, and was relieved to see that his head snapped back down, as if he had been watching her. Lily allowed herself to gaze at him for a while, debating in her mind whether she should apologise or not. She knew that she was wrong, but she wasn't very good at admitting it.

*

Lily was not expecting much when she ambled down to dinner. She had really picked the wrong time fight with James. It wasn't as if she wanted a gift, they had both made it very clear that they weren't getting each other anything, as they hadn't spoken in the last two days, but Valentine's Day was a holiday nonetheless, and Lily had wanted to spend it with her boyfriend. At least some of it, and from the looks of things, he was still furious with her, or at least he was still unsure.

The teachers, for the most part, did their best to ignore the holiday completely. There was nothing different in the Great Hall from any other day. Lily wandered over to the Gryffindor table, she didn't see James anywhere, and wasn't sure she wanted to, so she aimed for Lene, who was sitting alone at one end of the table.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Lene said sarcastically.

"My feelings exactly," Lily said, sitting down beside her friend. "Murphy's Law was in full force today."

The instant Lily sat down, white confetti and red balloons began drifting down from above the Gryffindor table. Like everyone else, she looked up to see the source, but there didn't seem to be one. People began standing up to join friends at other tables; no one wanted to be eating with things drifting down on their food. Lily stood as well, planning to go eat with some friends at the Hufflepuff table, but it stopped.

Raising her eyebrows at Lene, Lily sat again. The confetti began drifting down once again. She stood, and it halted. She sat down and then stood up very quickly, producing only a few more balloons. Lene shook her head laughing, and beckoned for Lily to follow her to the Hufflepuff table.

"I'd say someone wants to celebrate with you." Lene laughed.

Lily felt slightly better at her friend's lighthearted response. "I think I'm going to have dinner first."

"It's so sweet," Lene said. "I need a James. How much do they cost?"

"Some more than others," Lily giggled. "But I got mine for free."

"What? No one else wanted it?"

"No, it made everyone else look fat."

"Ah, I see. Don't you hate it when you find something perfect, but it makes you look fat?"

"Very much so. I think I should go find my James after dinner."

"You should. If you see any others on sale, be sure to let me know."

"Can do."

"Anna," Lene called, "mind if we join you for a bit?"

"Not at all," Anna replied cheerfully. She was a Hufflepuff seventh-year and prefect. She was also in several of Lily and Lene's classes, so they knew her well.

"Thanks," Lily said, sitting down between Anna and another girl named Diane. Once again, as soon as she had sat herself down, white confetti and red balloons began drifting down from above the Hufflepuff table. Lily stood up automatically, embarrassed, although no one else knew it was she who was the cause of it.

"I just remembered," she said quickly, "I have to... homework." She rushed out of the hall, but first grabbing a large roll with butter.

Outside the doors of the Great Hall Lily leaned against the wall, caught between extreme amusement and horror. She knew exactly what had happened, James (or one of his friends) had charmed the tables, the exact thing that had caused this stupid argument. Though how they made it work only when she was sitting was beyond her. She stared at the staircase for some time, not sure what to do next.

Is this only in the Great Hall, or everywhere I sit down? Is he trying to make up, or torture me?

Wondering just how many things they had charmed, Lily cautiously sat on the bottom step of the marble staircase. Nothing happened. Sighing in relief, Lily stood back up and made her way back up the stairs, slowly eating her roll, on her way to find James and forgive him. Or apologise, she wasn't sure which yet. It was a sweet gesture, even if it had ruined her dinner. She was still nervous about touching anything; although she hadn't run into anything else - James had a tendency to overdo things.

As she rounded a corner on the way to the Fat Lady's portrait, she didn't have to wait any longer to find James. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against a door as if waiting for her.

Looking up at her, he smiled. "Your hair's straight."

Lily hid a smile. "You don't like it?" she asked, pouting.

"S'different. Looks good though. You have snow in it too," he remarked offhandedly.

"Is that so?" she asked. "I wonder how it got there, I haven't been outside today."

"An open window maybe?"

"A hurricane of confetti more likely."

"That was my next guess." James stood up and brushed some of the white paper off her shoulders. "Don't you like confetti?"

"In reasonable amounts, away from my food." Lily found herself forgetting about being mad at him, she wouldn't have to apologise or forgive, they would just pretend it didn't happen. She grinned as he tried to get some of the confetti out of her hair. Shaking her head, little pieces came off and floated down around her. "I wonder where all of those balloons came from?" she said offhandedly. "They could be used to beat whoever put all this in my hair."

"You would beat someone with a balloon?"

"I could," Lily said passively. "But I think I'll settle for less violent revenge." With that, she swiftly stole James' glasses and tore off down the hall.

"LILY! Get back here!" he called, laughing. He was forced to move much more slowly than usual, and Lily could dance away, just out of his reach.

Finally, he caught her, reaching his arms around as she held his glasses behind her back. Grasping them, he tickled her side to make her let go, then pinned her wrists together so she couldn't repeat the performance.

"That was cruel," he whispered, his face inches from hers.

Lily laughed again. James was still holding her hands behind her back, so all she could do was look up at him innocently.

"Sometimes," he continued as she kept up her innocent smile, "I think you're more trouble then you're worth."

"Oh, but that's why you love me," Lily said. She tilted her face up slightly to kiss him.

"So," James said casually, "should we go celebrate Valentine's Day someplace more... private?" He grinned lopsidedly, looking very cute as he pushed back a stray strand of her hair.

"Of course," she replied, slipping her hand in his.

Why was I mad again? Was I mad? He's good at this forgiveness thing. Maybe today won't be a completely useless day after all.

*

Marlene was not overly impressed with the world. Her day had been nearly as hopeless as Lily's, although in her own frustration her best friend had failed to notice. And now, Lily had taken off in the middle of dinner, and hadn't come back to the common room yet.

Off snogging James, most likely.

For another thing, she had to put up with her dormmate and the boy she had liked for as long as she had known him flirt mercilessly with each other across the room.

The world, Marlene decided, is out to get me. Or at least ruin my life. Damn it... I wonder if I acted more like Pat... NO. Absolutely not. I would never. But... if that's what he wants...

Lene had liked Sirius for as long as she could remember. She had a crush on him even before they first met - when he had just been that boy at the Sorting Ceremony, and her idea of a boyfriend still involved serenades and flowers and holding hands being very physical. And... it had just gone on from there, but her personality had conflicted with her emotions.

She would never admit it, and especially not to Lily, but she was jealous. Jealous that Pat had been able to just walk up to him and begin a relationship. Miserable that he had always seen her as 'one of the guys.' That it had almost seemed, the year previous, that he was beginning to see her differently. But he had spun around completely, and now treated her at the same level that he did any other guy - not girl - but guy. She was sick of being the tomboy to talk Quidditch with. She just didn't know how to be a girl, to have him see her as a girl.

I almost thought... I dunno. It seemed like he was always flirting with me last year, and now... And now I'm back where I started. Just being Lene. That girl - just a friend. I suppose that's best. I mean - I wouldn't want to get into something, and then have him hate me, right? Right. I guess. Maybe. No. I wish... I wish I wasn't just 'one of the guys' to them. To him. I wish -

"Disgusting, isn't it?"

Lene whirled around, startled, only to find Peter Pettigrew leaning over the back of her chair.

He chuckled at her surprised expression. "Them," he said, nodding in the direction of Sirius and Pat. "No pity for the common folk, those who don't want to see the mating rituals of the hopelessly popular."

Lene was rather confused at this. Now, she didn't want to sound vain, but she was fairly certain that she was just as popular as Pat, even if it was in a different way. Pat was preppy, while Lene was independent and trend setting. Pat wore dresses and jewelry and eyeshadow, Lene wore ripped Muggle jeans and T-shirts and eyeliner. Pat dressed to flaunt her figure, while Lene was content to pretend she didn't have one. She stayed silent, wondering if Peter would continue.

"Prancing about like he owns the school," he said disgustedly. "Both of them. But at least James and Lily have the decency to go where no one can see them."

Lene raised her eyebrows; she had never heard Peter say anything negative about his friends before. Come to think of it, she didn't think he had ever begun a conversation with her on his own before.

"But you have to agree, Sirius is a great guy," she said defensively.

"Hmph. You're the last one I had expected to fall."

"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean!"

"That you, like every other girl here, has fallen for hair and Quidditch skills."

"Peter, are you all right?" she asked not bothering to be offended, because it was just Peter, after all.

Peter didn't respond. He gave one long look in the direction of Sirius and Pat, then turned and left the common room.

What the hell was that?