Chapter X: The Ties of Friendship
--
Growing from diversity
Out of true originality
It's the place to be,
And that's why
I fear the need to standardise,
And I fear the guys with normal eyes,
It's a precious child,
Come give it a try…
-"Save This Town" by Blue Foundation
--
Wednesday
--
"Okay, you officially have the worst reputation ever as far as party planning is concerned," Alice announced as she and Elle took a seat across from Lily at breakfast.
"Although, people still like you, thought the sentiment was sweet," Elle consoled her.
"Well at least you can be sure of the fact that you threw the most boring party this school has ever seen. Revel in it, Evans," Sirius told her with a grin.
"Let's have another party," Lily proposed.
"Where'd that come from?" James asked.
"I can't graduate with a reputation like that; it's humiliating. So let's have another party, totally over the top, like nothing this school's ever seen. So what do you say, boys? You up for the challenge?"
"Look at that, she's challenging us, going straight for the ego. She already knows how to manipulate us," Remus commented.
"Damn it, we already had Elle and Alice for that, now a third one!" James whined.
"You can take that as a yes by the way," Alice advised Lily.
"Good to know," Lily laughed.
"Good morning love," Benjy suddenly appeared. "Any chance you can come have breakfast with me?" he asked her with a small smile.
"Um, sure," she told him with a smile, taking his hand, letting him lead her to his table.
--
I try to try to lose my head
But I wish wish wish that you were always here.
And I try to try to lose my head
But I wish wish wish that I was dead.
-"Wish I was dead pt. 2" by the Stars
--
"Are you sure that you have to work with Potter? I could really use some help in Transfiguration, can't you just tell him to beg off?" Benjy whined as the pair stood outside of the classroom arguing.
"Well," Lily said rethinking her options until she saw Alice and Elle behind him violently shaking their heads at her. "I'm sorry, but I promised him, I can't just back out now, you know that."
"Bloody hell Lily, what's with you these days?" Benjy asked her.
"What do you mean?"
"The past week you've been so distant, hanging out with that wanker Potter-"
"Don't call him that."
"What do you have a crush on him now?"
"No! He's just a mate, a good one at that."
"Well ever since you became "good friends" with him you suddenly stopped acting like my girlfriend."
"What? How?"
"You've been cold."
"I have not!"
"Well okay, you kind of haven't, but still-"
"You're jealous!"
"What? No I'm not."
"Then what's the problem Benjy?" Lily asked, cocking an eyebrow at him, challenging him.
"He is."
"Well he's not going anywhere so you'd better adapt to it," she told him before leaving him and going into the classroom.
Benjy felt a hand on his shoulder, "Better not piss her off anymore Fen-Prick, it'll only make things easier for me."
"So you do want her."
"Of course I do, I mean it's a bit of a let down that she's only wanted friendship as of yet, but I think-I know, I can change that," James told him before making his way into the room.
Benny's voice stopped him, "So what? You're going after her just to get back at me?"
"Surprisingly, no, in fact, you're not even part of the equation to tell you the truth. She's perfect, that's why I'm doing it."
"Yeah she is, but for me."
"We'll see about that one, Fen-Prick," James told him with a smirk before walking away.
"Hey," James greeted Lily as he took a seat next to her.
"Hey, what happened with you and Benjy out there?"
"Just a bit of goading. So listen, I was wondering if you're busy tonight, there's something I wanted to show you."
"No plans as of yet, so it's a date," she told him with a smile.
"Great."
As they were sitting in class, Lily suddenly noticed a note on her desk in the middle of McGonagall's lecture.
Lils, sorry for before, what do you say to
Dinner tonight to make up for it? -Benjy
Benjy, I'm sorry, but I just made plans
with James, how about tomorrow night?
-Lily
Fine.
"A bit monosyllabic, if you ask me," James teased.
"You're a wanker, you know that?" she laughed. "And he's jealous."
"He is, no denying that one, but remember, he's been jealous before. It doesn't mean anything Lils, don't get your hopes up for no reason. The higher you climb, the greater you fall, always keep that one in mind."
"Yeah," she said with a small sigh.
"Lils, I'll help you get him, I promise, but you have to decide if he's what you really want. If he's worthy of you, not the other way around."
"I want him."
"I know, but just think about what I said."
--
Oh, this is the start of something good,
don't you agree?
I haven't felt like this in so many moons,
you know what I mean?
And we can build through this destruction
as we are standing on our feet...
-"Follow Through" by Gavin DeGraw
--
"James. where are you taking me?" Lily laughed as he pulled her by the hand, forcing her to walk faster.
"The Womping Willow."
"What? Why?"
James turned to her, "Do you trust me?"
Lily paused for a second, technically speaking she shouldn't, they'd only really been mates for a week and hated one another for seven years prior to that, but logic wasn't always all that logical, "Yes."
"Then follow me," he told her as he led her a bit closer to the tree. "Okay, stop right here, but when I tell you to run, do so and follow me."
"Um, okay," Lily said, confused as to what he was going to do.
She watched him grab a stick and poke a knot in the tree, suddenly it stopped moving and he told her to run. He led her to an entrance in the tree.
"Welcome to the Shrieking Shack," he told her once they entered. The furniture was ripped apart; the entire room was in a state of disarray.
"It's very-um, quaint?"
James smiled at her choice of words, "Come on, follow me."
Upstairs, James opened a door to a room, which once Lily saw she was left in a state of awe, "It's beautiful."
"Yeah, I thought you'd like it."
Lily pointed her wand to the fire place and lit it, "I love it."
"Well good, now take a seat on the lovely sofa."
"What? Why?"
"Well I need to have a serious talk with you.'
"Um, okay, go" she told him with a confused smile as the two both took a seat on the couch, sitting on it so as to face on another.
"So I realized something yesterday… or really today because it was at about four in the morning when I couldn't sleep… and it's something kind of shocking… troublesome really, it's had unrest all day."
"What is it James?"
"I care about your opinion… it really matters to me."
Lily smiled at him, "Well the feeling goes both ways."
"Good, but because of that I need to talk to you. You once said that I use girls, that I lead them on-"
"I was wrong, I get that. Don't listen to me, I didn't even know you-"
"No need to make excuses, I realized that as much as I hated to admit it to myself, you were right. Lil, I've never been in love, I've never wanted to commit-- not really. Being unable to be in a monogamous relationship isn't something that I'm really proud of…"
"There are tons of guys like that-"
"No, you don't get it. I'm egotistical and vain, took me seventeen years to realize it, but it's true. That's not going to change… we are the way we are… but it was because of that, that I never really thought a girl was worthy of me, of a relationship with me."
He expected Lily to respond, but she just sat there in a stunned silence. "But the thing is, I don't want to be that guy anymore."
"I should hope so, he sounds like a bit of a prick," she smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood.
James winced, "I guess I should be thankful that at least you're honest with me. I just-I don't know-- I just wanted to be candid with you. Friendship is about the bad things too, right?"
"Wait, does that mean that all those years of me calling you a shallow, vain, egotistical, wanker proved to not only be true, but useful as well?"
"Not the wanker part, that one was definitely false," he smirked at her.
Lily laughed, "You're such an arse."
"Told you my ego wasn't going anywhere." He paused, his insecurity settling in yet again, "So you're okay with it?"
"No, you were a jerk as far as those girls were concerned. You had no respect for them, but I guess if you're going to try I can forget that."
"You know I did have respect for them, just not nearly as much as I did for myself."
Lily snorted at that statement.
James laughed at hearing the sound, "well now, that's not very ladylike, is it?"
Lily grinned at him. "Promise not to tell my mother, she'd kill me."
"What's the story behind that? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."
"Well since this is `spill you heart out' night, I guess I should share. Be forewarned though, very few people know this. It's really private and if you tell anyone, I swear I'll beat you with a bloody stick."
"Good to know."
Lily laughed. "I come from a pretty well off family and my mom had high hopes for me. She had this idea in her head that I'd be the best debutante to ever grace this planet, marry into the Crandall family-the richest one in muggle England. When we found out I was a witch however, it was more than a bump on the road to `ultimate prosperity.' She and Petunia, my horse-faced bitch of a sister, think I'm some sort of a freak.
"I'm sorry about that."
"It's fine, I mean, at least I have my dad, we're close. I mean there are people like Sirius who have no one in their family."
"He told you?" James asked, surprised by the fact.
"Had a run in with Regelus one day and I was there. We spent the day reveling in our self pity; it was very cool, tons of alcohol."
James laughed.
"James."
"Yeah?"
"I'm really glad we're mates."
"I am too, Lils."
"But I do miss fighting with you, it was fun. I got to test out my creativity by coming up with nicknames for you."
"That's very nice."
"I know."
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