Chapter 7: Lily's friends.
"So you and James are.. er... a thingy?" asked Katie Sampson, Lily's best friend who was looking at the photo in Lily's hands of Lily and James.
"If you mean a couple, then yes we are," said Lily. "It's pretty serious," added Lily as she handed the photo to Katie and began to play with the necklace around her neck that James had given her.
It was four weeks after Lily had found out she was marrying James. James mom, Emily had been over to meet with Rose, Lily's mom, countless times to talk about the wedding arrangements. Each time she came over, she came with a gift from James. Yesterday when she had come over Emily had handed Lily a small book rapped in red wrapping paper.
Lily had run up to her bedroom expecting to find a ring from James but found a heart shaped necklace instead. Lily could tell the necklace had cost James a fortune because it was covered with tiny diamonds all over the surface. Lily was surprised to find no card.
Lily didn't understand why James just didn't come over with his mom because she rarely got to talk with him. They had had two meetings with Dumbledore about being Head Boy and Head Girl, but at the meetings James was completely serious and knew what he was talking about. At first Lily was taken back by how well James acted as Head Boy because he had never been Prefect. But after Lily thought about it, James always liked being in charge and being the best. So adding Head Boy to his résumé would definitely help. Lily also didn't understand how could find time to buy her these gifts she kept getting from him. He was Head boy, Quidditch Captain, and not to mention his friends who he always seemed to hang out with. He was acting like a perfect boy friend to her. Except they never saw each other.
"Did James give you that necklace?" asked Alyssa Anderson one of Lily's other friends. Alyssa reached forward and grabbed at the necklace around Lily's neck. "Take it off," ordered Alyssa, "I want to see it."
Lily unbuckled the necklace and handed it to Alyssa who was sitting next to Lily's other good friend Rebecca Rashaw, Bekka for short. Alyssa and Bekka were best friends and Lily and Katie were best friends too. The group often hung out and did things together.
"I just can't see it," said Bekka quietly. "You and James... you have always hated him lil, always."
"Yes, Bekka has a good point. How did you even begin to like Potter in a friend sort of way?" asked Alyssa.
Lily had known her friends would ask her these questions and that was one of the reasons she had waited so long to invite them over to her house and tell them.
"Well, James is Head Boy an-" began Lily before she was cut off by Alyssa.
"Umm.. wait... you just said that Potter was Head Boy. I must have misunderstood you because Theodore Whaling, the Quidditch captain of Ravenclaw was a shoe end for Head Boy," said Bekka.
"Well, I guess Dumbledore picked James," mumbled Lily.
"You know what?" said Alyssa. "I bet Potter's parents paid Dumbledore to make him Head Boy. Doesn't that seem like something he would do?"
Lily had known this would happen to Alyssa who freaked out over every boyfriend Lily, Katie, or Bekka had had.
"Alyssa," said Katie. "If you are jealous of the fact that Lily is going with James then just say it. Not everyone here is having an arranged marriage."
The girls starred at Katie as she looked back down at the photo in her hands. Katie was the quietest one in the group and she was even more quiet around teachers, boys or other students from Hogwarts. She opened up most when it was just her and Lily but was still rather quiet and had many walls around herself.
Katie had long, thick, dark brown hair and baby blue eyes. Lily thought Katie was absolutely beautiful but Katie never liked talking about herself. Katie had a small nose, thick eyebrows, and thin lips that always seemed to be turned up in a small smile, as if she was smiling to her own private joke. But when Katie smiled her biggest and happiest smile, big dimples popped onto her cheeks. Katie was tall, about 5'9" and had a very athletic and toned body.
Katie, like Lily, was muggle born and her parents had never heard of Hogwarts when she was excepted into the school. Lily remembered meeting Katie on the bus to Hogwarts when she heard someone crying in the bathroom. Lily had comforted Katie about leaving home and ever since then they had been best friends.
A long silence had filled the room as Lily and Bekka starred at Alyssa. "You're having an arranged marriage?" asked Bekka.
"Yes," mumbled the loud, bossy and outgoing Alyssa. "With Theodore Whaling."
Lily laughed and Alyssa smiled.
"How long have you known?" asked Lily.
"Since I was five," replied Alyssa simply. Lily, Bekka, and Alyssa all laughed as Alyssa buried her head into the pillow.
"How did you know Katie?" asked Bekka. Katie smiled and then blushed real red quickly when Alyssa looked up at her with a questioning look.
"Yes, how did you know?" asked Alyssa. "Theodore wouldn't have told you."
"I-I sa.. I... well.." said Katie nervously. "Ok fine... I walked into the Transfiguration room one day last year looking for Professor McGonagall and I saw you kissing Theodore Whaling."
Everyone laughed and it was Alyssa's turn to blush.
"It's so weird though, you getting married.." said Bekka. All the girls looked at each other and Lily leaned over and hugged Alyssa around the neck.
"Theodore's parents are friends with mine, good friends," said Alyssa. "And as you know he is the heir of Ravenclaw."
"Wow," said Bekka. "I never knew that. Unlike Potter who is always bragging about being the Heir of Gryff..." Bekka stopped when she saw the look on Lily's face. "LILY! How can you like Potter! We have spent six years of our lives trying to avoid him!"
"It's... well... complicating," said Lily. "He's changed, it's like his head has deflated and he is more mature. He had so many ideas about things we should do this year, it's like he's a different guy," said Lily as a dazed expression crossed over her eyes for a moment..
"Well, maybe you and James, and me and Theodore can all double date together!" said Alyssa excitedly.
"Well, yeah, that would work I guess," said Lily.
"Does this mean we have a truce now with the boys in Gryffindor?" asked Bekka. "Can we date them now?" Everyone laughed and looked at Bekka who was always thinking about boys.
"Well, I myself may go for Remus," said Katie shyly. The girls all laughed and Katie blushed. "Dark and mysterious is my kind if guy!"
"I think that would be great," said Lily. Katie smiled to herself and looked out the window.
"I wonder what he's doing right now..." said Katie