Author’s Notes: Lily’s POV.
Chapter 4 – Lilium Inter Spinas (1)
“How many teaspoons of the powdered unicorn horn was I supposed to use?” the tawny-haired boy asked for what had to be the fifth time that night.
“Just two,” Lily replied, trying to be patient. It wasn’t his fault he was so abysmal at potion-making, after all, and he really was quite smart. His help in Defense Against the Dark Arts had kept her from tanking quite a few exams over the course of the year, and he was great to talk to, as good as any of her girlfriends.
“Right. Sorry. Thanks, Evans.” He gave her a quick grin, then returned to measuring ingredients.
“You know,” she said watching him carefully, “we’re in the same House and the same year – four drops, not three – and we’ve been studying together since early October. That’s nearly eight months now. Why don’t you call me ‘Lily’?”
“Really?”
“Really.” She smiled, though he didn’t see it with his eyes fixed on the beaker in his hand.
“You can call me ‘Remus’.”
“Really?” she mimicked, hoping for another grin.
He obliged. “Really.”
She returned it. “I’d like that.”
* * * * *
“There you are, Rem!” Black exclaimed the moment Remus and Lily appeared though the portrait hole, bounding up to them like an eager dog. “Come play chess! Jamie-boy’s flattening me, I need your help.”
Remus didn’t budge. “How much?” he demanded.
Black’s eyes widened innocently as he asked, “How much what?”
Lily wasn’t fooled.
Neither, apparently, was Remus. “How much are you betting on the game?”
“Why, Remus, I don’t have the foggiest as to what you mean.”
Remus’s eyes narrowed.
Lily watched with interest, unnoticed by the two boys. She’d never seen anyone treat Black like this, not even the professors. Not even Potter. All the teachers doted on the Black boy, though they didn’t hesitate to put him in detention for any of his numerous misdeeds. Potter was just as bad, worse, maybe; it made her uncomfortable the way he’d stare at her – at least Black didn’t do that. But Remus was behaving as though he could do what no teacher could, crack the innocent mask and make Black confess his sins.
Sirius held Remus’s stare for nearly a full minute before his cheeks turned an intriguing shade of red and he muttered, “Two Galleons.”
Lily was in shock. Quiet, affable, almost shy Remus Lupin had gotten brash, confident, popular Sirius Black to ‘fess up? Not only ‘fess up, but blush! This was good enough for lights-out gossip.
“You know I don’t like gambling, Sirius,” Remus was saying, a frown of disapproval on his face.
“Aw, come on, Rem,” Black pleaded, a look on his face that would have put a real puppy to shame.
“No.”
“Just one game.”
“No.”
“You know you love chess.”
“Sirius.”
“I know you love chess.”
“Sirius.”
Dream on, Black, Lily thought, oddly satisfied. Remus is stubborn. ‘No’ means ‘no’ with him. Figured you’d know that after all this time.
“For me?”
“Siri…”
“I knew you would!” Black’s expression was delighted, and a little smug, as he grabbed the smaller boy by the hand and dragged him off towards the table Potter and Pettigrew had set up across the room.
“I’ll see you, Lily!” Remus called over his shoulder, an apologetic smile on his face.
Lily lifted a hand in acknowledgement and returned the smile with an understanding one of her own, but felt thoroughly startled. First Black had cracked, then Remus had given in. What was going on?
She looked around the Common Room for Winnie, needing to talk with her best friend.
She spotted the girl doing homework with their other friends just as Potter’s voice floated towards her from the other side of the room.
“Did you just call her ‘Lily’?”
Lily smirked at his indignant tone as she went to sit with her friends.
* * * * *
“Really?” Winnie exclaimed excitedly, bouncing a little on Lily’s bed.
“How is that possible?”
“I have no idea,” Lily gushed. “But is was so not like them! I mean, even McGonagall can’t make Sirius Black admit he did something if he doesn’t want to, and Remus just had to look at him, and he owned up to gambling! And not mere Knuts, either, but two Galleons! And Remus may be a regular sweetheart, but the Queen herself (2) couldn’t make him do something he doesn’t want to, and all Black had to do was ask!”
“And you said it was like they both knew the other would cave in,” Winnie reminded her.
“They both knew it,” Lily confirmed. “And they both knew they both knew.”
“And they knew they knew they knew,” Winnie quipped.
“Say that three times fast,”
“What do you think it means?” Lily asked, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“Maybe they’re in looooove!”
“You think?” Winnie asked, wide-eyed. “I mean, we’re all still so young – ”
“I was just joshing!”
Lily and Winnie exchanged a look, and Lily knew that Winnie was thinking the same thing she was. So what if they’re both boys?
“We should probably sleep,” Lily said abruptly. “It’s late, and we have a lot to do tomorrow, what with exams in a few days.”
The other girls nodded, and returned to their own beds.
Lily couldn’t help but wonder if,
jesting or not,
Well, thought Lily as drowsiness started to take hold, exams start soon, I don’t have time to worry about it now. If they are in love, they’ll figure it out soon enough. After all, it’s not like they can keep it bottled up or fool themselves for years. If they are in love, it’ll come out soon enough…
TBC
(1) “Lilium Inter Spinas” – A Lily Among the Thorns (it’s Latin, for those of you who don’t know, and I heard it in a movie… anyone know which one? ::grins::)
(2) Lily is Muggle-born, remember, so she wouldn’t necessarily swear by Merlin or whomever else those born to magic families would swear by, especially since she hasn’t even been in the wizarding world a full year.
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