Completely Out of Control
By h-kitty
*******
And here is the story!
Lily was practically falling asleep. And this was not a good thing. First of all, Potions was NOT her strongest class, so in order to get a good grade, she needed to pay attention. Secondly, she had a bet with James Potter.
The night before, he had asked her if her classes ever bored her.
"Of course not," she answered self-righteously. "I'm interested in all my subjects."
"Yeah, right."
"Some people actually find their classes interesting," said Lily patronizingly.
"Not me. I tell you what," said James, "Let's strike a bet. If I catch you sleeping in class tomorrow, you have to do something for me."
What an easy bet, thought Lily. "Okay, but what would I have to do?"
"How about . . ." although James apparently knew the answer, he thought long and hard about it. "How about, if you fall asleep, you have to go on a date with me next Hogsmeade weekend?"
It wasn't a prospect that had pleased Lily at the time, but it wasn't like she was going to fall asleep. "And what if I don't fall asleep?"
"Hmm . . . I'll ask you out on a date?"
She giggled. "I've got a better idea. If I don't fall asleep, you have to do all your homework . . . by yourself, for a whole week."
"Deal?"
"Deal."
She had never regretted such a bet before, but she sure was regretting it now. Her eyes drooped. Her head longed to rest on the desk. And she wanted to take a nap.
Meanwhile, James was concentrating all his might on the sleeping charm that he had set on her. He watched in triumph as Lily looked sleepier and sleepier. Any moment now . . .
The Professor glanced over at him. "Potter? Are you listening?" He was jerked to attention, and could not continue the charm. Lily suddenly felt awake, completely awake. She looked around, confused.
"Potter, I will take five points away from Gryffindor for your failure to pay attention." The professor, of course, favored Slytherins over Gryffindors. Severus Snape smirked. James looked more upset than usual, and that was always a plus for him.
But of course, he didn't know the whole story. James sighed as he put his wand back in his pocket. Maybe next period.
Lily laughed when she saw him after class. "You almost had me! I could feel myself falling asleep!"
James smiled at her. How could he fail to smile at such a beautiful face? "I guess you had too much self-control. But next is Arithmancy, and that's twice as boring as Potions."
"Only for you. I find it quite interesting."
James sighed. "Do you always have to be such a perfect student?"
She smiled, and took it as a compliment. "I try."
"On the contrary. You don't try at all. That's what makes it so aggravating for people like me."
"Like you try."
He tried to look offended, but acting had never been one of James' talents. "Occasionally." Lily laughed.
"Here, go on up to Arithmancy. I need to go to the bathroom." Lily turned right to go to the prefect's bathroom. She was right next to a girls' bathroom, but she felt that it was worth the trip to go to the prefect one, because it was just so much nicer.
Bellatrix had the same idea.
As she saw Lily say the password and enter the bathroom, Bella summoned the nerve to do what she had never tried to do before. She needed to talk to Lily. What better chance would she ever get? But Bella wasn't about to do anything drastic. She wasn't a backstabber or anything like that, at least not yet. Her idea of torture was more along the lines of a weak poison-it was only temporary pain if the point came across.
And at this moment, Bella really didn't have any sort of plan at all. All she knew was that, in order to sabotage, you first have to get to know the enemy.
She walked in. "Lily?"
Lily was washing her hands at the sink, and looked up, startled. She had never talked to Bellatrix before in her life, or at least they had never had a real conversation. Although they had gone to school together for six years, she had never gotten to know Bella. Of course she recognized the face as a schoolmate, and even knew her name. After all, they were in the same year, and both had been prefects.
But why was Bellatrix talking to her now?
"Bellatrix? Hi!" It wasn't an enthusiastic greeting-it was more like a casual greeting you would give to someone you barely knew.
"Yeah. You can call me Bella." What the hell, thought Bella. If I'm going to make friends with the girl, I might as well do it properly.
"Bella." Lily was still confused.
"Well," said Bella, giggling nervously, "I just wanted to say hi. You know, it's the funniest thing-we've gone to school all these years together and we've never gotten to know each other."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"But you know, I've always wanted to get to know you." Bella was seething inside, but she knew she had to get to know Lily at all costs. But how it hurt to have to suck up to the one person she hated above all else.
"Really?" Lily blushed. Bella knew that her plan would succeed. The girl was nothing but a gullible mudblood after all.
"Yeah. So . . ." Bellatrix looked at the floor. "Oh! Don't you have Arithmancy next?"
"Yup."
"Me, too! Here, we'll talk on the way." Like friends, the two girls walked out of the bathroom.
Lily tried to be polite, which wasn't hard. Bella seemed like a real sweet girl. "So, Bella . . ." It was weird called a girl she had always thought of as Bellatrix Black by her nickname. "How do you like your year so far?"
"Oh, it's all right, I guess. School's school, you know?"
Lily laughed. "I know."
"Is it hard being Head Girl?"
"Not too bad. But there's hall patrol every night."
"With the Head Boy?"
"Yeah, with James Potter. Do you know him?"
Bella's job was getting easier by the second. "Yeah. What a character. What do you think of him?"
"I hardly know."
Interesting, Bella thought. "Well, I don't really like him that much. He's so stuck-up, and a real rule-breaker. My cousin Sirius tells me all about his . . . well, exploits." She laughed inwardly. Of course perfect Lily Evans had no idea what a bad boy James was.
"Oh, I know! Sometimes I just can't stand him!" Bella stared. Lily didn't think James was perfect?
"Really? You don't like him at all?"
"Well, he's really not that bad, but it's just so aggravating being around him sometimes! I can't believe they made him Head Boy, and sometimes he dumps all his problems on me! Sorry," she said to Bella, "sometimes I just have to rant to someone."
Bellatrix was bewildered now. This girl could have James Potter on a silver-no gold, platter, and she didn't seem all that overjoyed.
"So . . . you really don't like him all that much."
"Oh, don't get me wrong . . . I don't hate him, but he has a lot of growing up to do." They were at the door of their classroom. "Okay, it's classtime! I'll talk to you later, okay Bella?"
"Sure," said Bella, as she slumped into a chair at the back of the classroom. "Talk to you later."
*******
After class, James told Lily, "I didn't know you knew Bellatrix."
"How do you know that I know her now?"
"I always try to find out as much as I can about you. It's a special talent of mine. And maybe it's my main problem." He looked at her sweetly, imploringly.
"You only have one?"
"Why are you so cruel to me?"
Lily sighed. "I honestly don't know. Do you?"
"Is it because I'm too cute and athletic and popular and smart?" Lily cast him a withering look.
"James, how did you guess? Maybe now that you know the problem, you can go to a psychiatrist and maybe get some appropriate medication."
"Sci-ki-a-trist? What's that?"
"Oh, I forgot. You're not a Muggle. Well, maybe you're better off not knowing." Lily smiled. It would be more fun to have James think the worst.
"What is it? Tell me!" James grabbed Lily's shoulders playfully.
"No. By the way, did you notice that I didn't fall asleep all day?"
James almost slapped his forehead. He had forgotten to use the charm in Arithmancy.
"So it's no help on homework for a whole week."
"Oh, come on, Evans, that's too cruel!"
"It was a stupid bet. You know I never fall asleep in class." Lily pulled herself away from James and laughed. "Have fun on homework, I gotta run!"
Later that night, alone in the common room, James regretted the bet as well. What a stupid idea. He sighed. At least it had been fair.
*******
After an unusually uninteresting hall patrol, Lily sat alone in the library. She knew that James was working hard on homework in the Common Room, and she didn't feel like being his personal tutor. Recently, after she had began tutoring him, he started to take her for granted, as he always did. In a way, it wasn't his fault. He had always had whatever he wanted.
But Lily just wasn't going to give it to him.
She got up to look for a book. Besides, she had been sitting down too long, and she needed to stretch her legs. She walked along a shelf, running her fingers over the spines of the books.
"Lily!" Remus was surprised to see her. "It's so late, I didn't think anyone else would be here!"
"Oh, I just couldn't stay in the common room today. I needed to go somewhere new."
"Was it because of James?"
"How did you guess?"
Remus sighed. "I can be pretty observant. But I do hope that you'll give James a chance after all."
"A chance at what?"
"A chance to prove that he's not the obnoxious, arrogant prick that he seems. Maybe there's some things that would make you proud of him, if you knew them."
"What? Tell me."
"That's not my job. I'm not going to tell you how great he is, because he's not perfect, anymore than anyone else is. It's just that . . . well, Lily, I know you see his faults. And he's got quite a few. Just keep an open mind, okay? James is a great guy, and he'll do great things, eventually. He just needs some time to grow up."
Lily was amazed. Remus understood. But she still wasn't quite ready to admit it. "Remus, what do you want me to do? I can't help it that I don't like him!"
"I know, Lily, I know. Just give him a chance." He looked at his watch. "Wow, it's late, and the library is gonna close soon. I think I'm going to go back to the common room. See you around."
"Wait! I have a question."
"Sure."
"Remus . . . was your grandmother really sick?"
He was startled. "Yeah . . . she was."
"Remus?"
"Lily." He was firm.
"Okay. It's all right. I guess we all have our secrets, right?"
"Thanks. Goodnight, Lily."
"Goodnight."
*******
And a new chapter is done! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. All of you, out there! Tell me what to write in your reviews! I love your input!
Sorry if the Lily/Bellatrix and Lily/Remus encounters were boring, I just wanted to put in some character development . . . I'll try to make it more interesting in the future . . .
And again, review! Take just one minute out of your busy day to make me really really happy! And if you have any constructive criticism, please let me know!
Love,
h-kitty