Cruel Summer
The sky was a brilliant blue as she sat there; her delicate fingers intertwining with the fresh grass, and the bright green contrasting beautifully with her pale flawless skin.
The scent of wild flowers…fresh water…and her…was indescribable yet intoxicating, and it floated over the air as though Mother Nature was relaxing alongside her and was slowing down everything.
Here…the world turned leisurely and life was more tranquil.
Natural.
She shifted her gaze onto the sky, bathing in its brilliance. Against everything that surrounded her, she was clearly the most beautiful and natural thing. There was an aura around her, flowing from her very skin and shrouding anything she touched in a translucent light.
The pretty embroidered gown she wore fluttered around her feet as she stood up; her toes sinking into the spongy grass. She lifted the gown slightly and took a step back up the small hill that lead back to the village.
The sun was high in the sky and it shone down onto her, making her plaid auburn hair shimmer under the light.
The world was still.
All that could be heard was the crumples of her feet pressing into the crisp grass, the occasional bird in the sky, or the silent whisper of the wind travelling through the trees behind her.
Then as if out of a Muggle Fairytale, a horse appeared in the distance…galloping towards her, and advancing on the tranquil spot. She stopped and watched the white animal approach swiftly, knowing exactly for what was to come.
He was astride. She looked up at him once he stopped gracefully in front of her, and she kept quiet; letting the gown slip through her fingers to let the trim rest on the floor defiantly. She squinted her green eyes slightly as she gazed up at him; his face staying resolute, except for his eyes wandering over the pretty gown she was adorning. She thought it was amusing how serious he was with the mass of untidy hair he continuously had.
Finally, he extended a large hand for her to take, `Come now Miss Lily…thou knows that one such as thyself should not venture outside the castle walls alone.'
She fixed her steely gaze on him, `It would not be prudent, Mr Potter, to let a girl choose her preferences for herself.'
`Exactly Miss, but one, by any means could only imagine where thine preferences lead thee.'
She looked at him in front of her and smiled; her soft rouged lips curving slightly and her eyes dancing with charm. She reached out her small hand to his and he grasped it firmly, pulling her up and over the horse.
She held his waist tightly and he turned around to face her, absently brushing a lock of fallen scarlet hair behind her ear.
Her emerald eyes met his and he kissed her gently, producing a soft sigh in the back of her throat. He pulled away from her and rested his forehead against hers, her eyes avoiding his and looking down at their entwined hands.
`Mr Potter…I believe that…I love thee…'
She continued to avoid his gaze and he reached his hand to her face and brought it up to meet his.
Brushing a tear away from her cheek, he smiled slightly, `I love thee also Miss Lily…I always have.'
He kissed her again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, tears rolling freely down her face and merging into their kisses. She pulled away slowly and held tighter to his waist, and he turned back around, urging the horse on with a nudge of his boot and a sharp order. It set off in a canter with her clinging onto him…never wanting to let go.
Matthew Reede woke up with a jolt from the dream. He looked around the light room, not knowing where he exactly was. Then seeing other beds around his, he recalled that he was in the Infirmary. He tried to sit up, but a wrenching pain in his chest restricted him from going any further. His face also hurt like hell and he realised that one of his eyes was closed, and not that the room was just a bit darker than normal.
Son of a bitch!
And what the hell was that dream?
His head pulsed from the strain of too many things at once, and he rested his head back against the soft, white
pillow. The dream had angered him to an extent of never wanting to ever witness the events of them falling in love in
the real world. He swore revenge to the Gryffindor Seeker, and the fact that he was sweet on the Head Girl did make
things extremely easy…and also appealing.
I might as well have fun while I'm at it.
But `seeing' Lily in that dress was great. He could just imagine her wearing something like that when he took her. Seeing Potter's face when he found out would be a bonus too…he would be aware of the fight that would come after that, giving him a chance to retaliate, and hopefully put Potter in this bed instead of him.
It wouldn't matter about what he did anyway…the damage would already be done…and there's nothing he could do.
Revenge was sweet, and Matthew couldn't help thinking about ways in which he could make sure that the dream he had would never become reality.
*****************************
Lily walked into the Infirmary the next morning, carrying a packet of Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans. She received a strange - but very welcome - smile from Miss Pomfrey, the Medi-Witch, and was allowed inside, no questions asked. Lily thought it was certainly due to her Head Girl position, and walked towards the row of beds by the large arched windows.
Seeing Matthew sitting on the edge of his bed, she made her way over to him and was greeted by a lopsided boyish smile.
`Hi,' she said tentatively, standing a few feet away from him.
`Hey Lil',' he answered, `how's you?'
Lily looked at him briefly, `Look…I'm sorry about James…he…well I don't know what he was thi…'
`It's ok,' he said, standing up, `everything's forgotten.'
She looked at him, frowning slightly and he smiled at her, as though reading her mind, `Miss Pomfrey's magic is amazing…good as new.'
The Head girl paused, looking at the Ravenclaw chaser. His hair was mussed…a little like James', she had noticed, but there was no marks or bruises over his pale skin. The new Medi-Witch was very good; Professor Dumbledore had made an excellent decision.
`Well…I'm glad you're alright, I couldn't believe what James had done to you.'
Matthew frowned, `He caught me off guard, that's all…I'm fine.'
`Yes…' she murmured, handing over the sweets, `I brought you these…as a peace offering, you know.'
He stepped towards her and she looked up into his face. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he moved towards her and softly grazed his lips over hers, in a fleeting breath of a kiss. But the intensity wasn't lost on her, and her eyes fluttered closed as he pulled away.
`Lily…' he started, her eyes meeting his again, `…I don't blame you…he clearly is in love with you, and jealousy is a fickle thing…I don't…'
Lily moved into him, sealing the space between their bodies, and pressing her soft lips firmly against his. Winding her arms around his neck and into his hair, he pulled her tight against him.
God, this is so easy…I should've thought of this earlier…
Matthew tore away from her lips and trailed hot kisses down her neck, feeling the quickened pulse under the delicate skin.
`Matthew…' she whispered, `I don't love James…I never have…what he feels for me doesn't jeopardise this…'
Using his low grunt as conformation that he had heard her, she concentrated on his fierce caresses down her chest, and heard a groan break the silence of the room, subconsciously aware that the groan came from herself.
Matthew turned and pushed her down onto the Infirmary bed. The soft springs pressing into her back as he moved on top of her, looking into her emerald eyes. Lily looked up at him nervously as he moved a large, Quidditch-trained, hand down her body, and she arched up into him slightly.
If only Potter could see her now…god, his face would be priceless!
`Mmm…Lily,' his eyes roamed over her short, school skirt, straying to the smooth expanse of skin of her legs.
Her long eyelashes rested against her rouged cheeks and her full lips were parted in a silent moan. He moved his face to her silky exposed thigh, and gently grazed a kiss over it, earning a whispered gasp to escape her throat.
You're just a little slut really, aren't you Lil'?
Matthew grinned to himself as he moved the kiss higher, sliding his hand along the silky-smoothness of the other.
A short, sharp cough brought them both out of the feeling of endless sensations, and Matthew jumped off the Head Girl. Lily sat up quickly on the bed, and they both looked at Miss Pomfrey. Surprisingly enough, the witch didn't seem that angered, and she fixed a look onto the Ravenclaw.
`I know that you have recovered to full health, Mr Reede, but you don't need to go flaunting the fact.'
With that, she turned and walked into her office. Lily looked up at Matthew in embarrassment, and she moved her legs over the side off the bed to get up.
She shifted her gaze over to the Chaser and paused, `So…I guess I'll see you later then.'
Matthew nodded, `yeah.'
Lily smiled slightly and moved past him, towards the door and out of it. He watched her leave and turned, to flop back on his bed.
Stupid god damned teacher…10 more minutes and I would've had her!
****************************
Before dinner, later that night, Lily and Rachel had planned to meet in the library to work on the Halloween Ball plans. The dark, book-filled room was pleasingly quiet as Lily poured over past Hogwarts books. She had gone through a lot of them already and marked things that had been done in past Balls, and she thought that it would be good to use some similar things. Rachel wasn't very good at the research part so she kept quiet and let her best friend do the thing she excelled at.
`Hmm, that would be nice,' the Head Girl pondered, turning the book around to face Rachel, `Read that.'
Rachel's sharp blue eyes fixed on the text in front of her, and the Gryffindor read aloud, `Hogwarts Halloween Festivity, 1854. The Muggle theatre was introduced and a `Play' was organised. The idea was based on the ways of Muggle Halloween, and it was the year that the Hogwarts class of Muggle Studies was introduced.'
Rachel paused and raised an eyebrow, `Won't that take forever Lil? I mean Halloween is only a week away…how are we meant to get everyone to take part?'
Lily sighed at her friends' scepticism and closed the large, leather bound book in front of her. She wanted this Ball to go exactly perfect and her ideas were swamping her mind. She also knew that the ball would be perfect if Matthew asked her to go.
Rachel narrowed her eyes at her best friends' dazed expression, and she sat forward in her large oak chair.
`What's that look on your face?'
Lily blinked and looked back at Rachel, `What?'
`You, you've got a dopey, lovesick smile on your face,' she grinned.
`Yeah right, sure I have,' the Head girl lied…badly.
`Come on Lil…tell me…what happened? Did you kiss him?'
A grin crept across Lily's face, but she tried to hide it by moving some of the books, `Look, we're trying to do this.'
Rachel pushed the books away sternly, `Lily. Come on…this is more important!'
Lily looked at her, faintly annoyed. But she knew her friend wouldn't cease to keep asking her until she finally gave in. After Lily had given Rachel the whole scenario, plus all the gory details as she had requested, Rachel was practically squirming in her seat from the fact that things were actually going on in the whole `Lily sex-life front'.
The Head Girl had to laugh at her friend; she seemed to be more engrossed in her affairs than her own. Typical Rache. The Gryffindor had finally calmed down enough for them to do some more research on the Ball before dinner, and they had come up with a lot of good ideas between them. Rachel had thought that the Ball should be formal dress, as the dressing up circumstances would be great fun, and even the boys would be able to get out of their stuffy black Hogwarts robes.
`Oh…Ben would so handsome,' Rachel swooned, `I'll have to pick out his clothes though…boys so can't do that!'
Lily had laughed at Rachel again, but then her mind drifted over to Matthews's appearance in formal robes. She smiled to herself, and continued to pack the books away.
This Ball's going to be fun.
*****************************
The Marauders - minus one - were sitting at the Gryffindor table talking worriedly about their best friend. Well, Sirius didn't think it was anything really to worry about whereas Remus on the other hand, he thought that there was something seriously wrong with him. They were trying to keep their voices low due to the fact of listening ears, but Remus was finding it hard to keep his voice at a whisper due to Sirius' serious lack of contribution.
`Look…' the werewolf hissed, `there is something wrong with James, Padfoot! I don't believe you can't see that!'
Sirius shifted his gaze from his plate of chips, to the boy in front of him, `well I don't…Prongs is fine.'
Remus sighed in exasperation of repeating himself, and cast the dark haired Gryffindor a hard glare. He knew exactly what was wrong with James, he could tell everything about his friends. Whether it was the werewolf inside him giving him a higher perception on everything, he didn't know…but he definitely knew that something weird was going on.
`I know exactly that James isn't just fine, Sirius,' he continued at a whisper, earning the look of the Marauder again.
`Oh and what's wrong then?' he answered sarcastically.
Remus paused, turned to the door and pointed slightly, `Her!'
Sirius twisted around quickly to watch Lily enter the Great Hall with Rachel. He narrowed his dark eyes in her direction has they sauntered over to the table together. He paused, just watching the girl sit down, laughing amicably with all her friends. After studying her fully, he turned back to Remus.
`You can't be sure of that.'
`Oh please…he's always talking about her…he beat up the guy she's dating…and erm he always talks about her!'
Sirius looked dryly back at him, the sarcasm of his friends' voice irritating him slightly. As he was about to retaliate, James appeared next to them and sat down. Remus eyed him carefully, while Sirius turned back to the plate in front of him. It was Peter who spoke.
`Hi Prongs…'
The Head Boy grunted a response and reached for food that covered the large section of table. He kept silent as he ate, and by the time dessert was nearly finished Sirius was also convinced - not that he would admit it though - that something was the matter with him. Remus kept sneaking him glares across the table, trying to express his points. After a while Sirius just left him to it, he wasn't going to get involved, and if it was about a girl he was surely doing the right thing.
But unfortunately, other people around him didn't have the same idea, and a 7th Year Gryffindor, who sat across the table, turned to James.
`I thought Lily was meant to set the school an example?'
James paused then slowly turned to the voice. Remus and Sirius watched on, not really knowing what to do.
`What?'
`Lily…' the boy said, pointing towards the Ravenclaw table, `inter-house dating…doesn't she know?'
The Marauders all turned the way he was indicating. Lily had moved from the Gryffindor table to sit with the Ravenclaws, and some of them - the girls mostly - weren't totally liking the fact that she had. She was sitting with Matthew, talking to him and smiling her pretty little smile. James sat glaring at both of them, not caring what strange looks he got in the meantime.
`Maybe they're just friends,' Peter suggested, getting three separate scowls from them.
`Don't be an idiot!' James snapped, turning to look back at the Head Girl.
They were sickening just looking at them. James wanted to go over there and somehow show her exactly what he was like. He didn't know what to do…she was making a mistake; he knew that…but she didn't.
God!
He watched the Chaser kiss the girl he loved, move his hands up her arm, and softly caress her neck. James sat wishing it was him. When Lily pulled away slowly, James watched Matthew look at his friends and wink, and they all grinned.
He couldn't take it anymore and he stood up in his seat, slamming the glass he held onto the oak table, and walking out of the Great Hall.
Matthew watched Lily turn around to the noise, and he held her chin to turn her back to him. Lily looked at him, and frowned slightly.
`Forget him Lil…he's just jealous.'
Sirius caught the chaste kiss that he placed on the Head Girl's lips, and he narrowed his eyes at the Ravenclaw. Feeling someone watching him, Matthew glanced at Sirius, and grinned. Sirius got up from the table, eyes of Remus and Peter on him.
`Come on,' he said to both of them, `…James is gonna need our help if he wants to do this properly.'
Remus frowned but obeyed him out of curiosity, and they walked out of the Great Hall and up to the Head dormitories. Sirius didn't even bother to glance at the Chaser for the last time.
He should have known better…the Marauders never let anything go without retribution.
A/N: Hehe bit of a cheesy ending! Plz R&R…stuff's gonna start happening soon!!!!!
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