2010Fest ♥ FIC: Muggle Studies (Part 5 of 6)
Title: Muggle Studies
Author: museme87
Rating: R
Wordcount: 37,900
Warnings: dark themes (racism, hazing, slight non-con), sexual situations
Prompt: 60. Write or draw a Lily and James interaction in their Sixth Year - i.e. after Snape's Worst Memory, but before Lily finally agrees to go out with James. There should be UST even while James is being a git and Lily is resisting him.
Summary: As the Voldemort War rages outside the castle, long standing prejudices begin to seep their way into Hogwarts. For a Muggle-born student, everyday life has become significantly more challenging as Lily Evans knows too well. And her new partnership with one James Potter isn't exactly making things easier, especially when she discovers he isn't quite the arrogant toerag she once thought he was.
Beta(s): liebedance & klose
Author's Notes: Firstly, I would like to apologize for the length of this fic. Secondly, I'd like to thank L for all the effort she put into beta reading this fic multiple times and for spoon feeding me the summary (I owe you my first born for this, L). Also, to Y, thanks for being my other, wonderful beta, partner-in-crime, and Brit-picker! I went a little out of control with the prompt, but I still hope you all enjoy.
[ Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6]
V. A Serpent in the Garden
When she arrived back at school, Lily noticed another sudden shift in the student body. Over the holidays there had been another round of murders, only this time they were all Muggle-borns. She watched as Sev, Avery, Mulciber, and the rest of that Slytherin gang strutted around, pleased with the turn of events. They'd even chosen to bless her with their presence on two occasions, shoving her into the corridor wall once and flat out hexing her another time. It would be better if she stayed out of their way, she knew, and so she took to spending her spare time in the dorm studying for her advanced Charms lessons.
Though she'd hoped to run into him, James had been scarce these first few days back. The one time she had seen him he had waved to her and carried on with what he was doing. It was obvious her outburst over the holidays had seriously damaged their supposed friendship. Lily decided to give him a bit of space, thinking that perhaps all he needed was some time to think things through.
That was, of course, until Annalise, in her post-holiday cheeriness, came bursting through the door with a look on her face that Lily would expect to see on Christmas morning. However, when on Annalise, it was an I've-got-something-juicy-to-tell-you-witches face.
"What is it?" Mary asked from her bed.
"You'll never guess," Annalise said, looking as if she were about to burst.
Jane looked up from her History of Magic homework, humoring her. "Then don't keep us in suspense."
"James Potter is dating Georgiana Yaxley," she announced, punctuating her words with a squeal.
The sudden urge to vomit hit Lily like it never had before. James was seeing someone? But he didn't even know her, Lily thought reproachfully. Then she remembered that Georgiana had been playing Seeker on the Gryffindor team for the past year, which meant that he probably knew Georgiana better than he knew Lily herself. And that certainly didn't comfort her any better.
"Isn't it so adorable? I mean, they look perfect together. And they're both from well bred families, aristocratic even. It's like something out of a fairy tale," Annalise said dreamily.
Yes, and it was supposed to be her fairy tale. Now Prince Charming had run off with some other princess, leaving Lily waiting on the kiss that would wake her up. It was hardly fair. Then again, James had said that he'd just wanted to be friends; she was the one who kept convincing herself that he was still interested in her.
Of course, he had been interested in her for the past few years. Now that he had her attention, he didn't want it anymore? Lily couldn't help but feel a little bitter about it. Had everything up until their partnership been a game to him-see if the Muggle-born will fall for the pure-blood and then reject her? He had thrown the I-just-want-to-be-friends card not long after she'd nearly kissed him. None of this was her fault. It was that stupid, arrogant berk James Potter playing a prank on her, a three year long con just for fun.
God, how she wanted to hex him.
~*~
Her first instinct was to start avoiding him again, but Lily eventually settled on making her presence known. He would feel far more awkward with his obnoxious girlfriend if she were in the room than if she weren't, and Lily wanted him to feel uncomfortable. After all those years he had made her dread turning the corner into the common room, Great Hall, or any classroom, she felt he deserved it. Payback was a bitch. And she would be damned if she was the first one to speak with him. No, he would have to come to her if he wanted to talk.
The flaw in her master plan, however, was that she hadn't realized how painful seeing James with another girl would be. Perhaps if he'd decided to date someone plain, she would have been able to handle it. Georgiana Yaxley, however, was anything but. Like Annalise, she had flawless skin and perfect hair, a pale blonde that she fashioned in a different style every day. Lily thought of her own hair, and how she never bothered to do a thing to it. It also didn't help matters that Georgiana was the very definition of dainty-short, tiny boned, tiny waist, light as a feather. Lily would have sworn she was a whale next to James' girlfriend. And the fact that she was a pure-blood? That nearly made Lily cry. What's that he'd said about blood purity meaning nothing to him?
It embarrassed Lily to say that she watched them together in those small private moments. Well, not watched them but him and how he responded to her. She wondered how it would feel to have her fingers laced with his in the corridors, what having his arm wrapped around her waist would be like. Those feather light touches on her skin, those quick kisses and the not-so-quick ones too…what would it feel like to be James Potter's girl?
And so she yearned and stole glimpses. Jane called her a voyeur and Lily didn't even bother denying it. Her best friend wouldn't be able to understand this-what it felt like to be ignored for weeks by the boy who'd been after her for years. She'd not disclosed anything that had happened between her and James to anyone. Thankfully Jane was the only person to put together that Lily fancied him. Mary was hardly around and Annalise didn't have a mind for subtleties.
It wasn't until February was creeping into March and their next project deadline was inching up on them that James finally approached her. She'd been coming out of her one-on-one lessons with Flitwick when she'd heard him calling her name. At the sound of it, her heart tugged. She quickly suppressed any romantic feelings towards him, reminding herself that she'd been the butt of James' practical joke.
"What?" she asked bitterly as he approached her with sodding Georgiana Yaxley attached at his hip.
"I was just wondering if we were going to meet up before our next essay is due for Muggle Studies."
Naturally he would act like nothing was wrong between them, like he hadn't hurt her, played her for the fool. She had a lot of choice words for him, none of which would be appropriate to say in front of Georgiana. Lily needed to get him alone, but unfortunately it seemed that he never was nowadays.
"I guess."
He gave her a look, one that clearly said: I know we need to talk. Realize that just now, did he? The strong urge to hex him surged through her.
"When would be a good time for you? Back to our usual Thursdays then?" he asked.
Lily didn't miss the glare Georgiana shot him upon hearing "back to our usual Thursdays". It apparently didn't set well with her that Lily and James had a weekly meet up before she'd come along. And no doubt Georgiana was well aware of how James had once pined after her. It pleased Lily to see her uncomfortable or even worried for once, though there was no real reason for Georgiana to be.
"No, I've rearranged prefect duty since we got back from holiday," she explained. "I'm afraid I'll only be able to do it on Saturday this week."
The truth of the matter was that Lily could be free on Thursdays if she wanted to be. However, she'd overheard in the girls' loo that James was taking Georgiana to Hogsmeade this weekend from a couple of the seventh year Gryffindors. Suddenly her Thursdays got all booked up.
Perhaps she should have felt guilty for her catty behavior, but Lily couldn't quite bring herself to, at least not where Georgiana was concerned. She'd watched from afar since January and saw Georgiana on multiple occasions laughing as one of her friends or her sister called other Muggle-born students "Mudbloods". Lily wasn't foolish enough to call James' girlfriend out on it when she was surrounded by her Muggle hating friends. If this-denying her a date with James-was the only way Lily could get back at her for now, then so be it.
"James," Georgiana hissed.
He groaned, frustrated. "Can we do it in the evening, Lily?"
"Sorry, I've promised to tutor Thomas from third year then."
"Well can't you cancel?" he asked.
"What do you have going on that's so important on Saturday?" she spat, knowing full well the answer.
"We're going on a date," Georgiana answered for him.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I guess you're just going to have to choose between a date and passing Muggle Studies then, Potter."
Georgiana looked up at James fiercely, who appeared to be shocked from Lily's use of his surname. "You don't need that rubbish class anyway, James. It's not important."
Not important? Lily had to resist the urge to strangle her. She shouldn't have been surprised to hear something like that from Georgiana, not with the Yaxley family's well known anti-Muggle doctrine. In fact, Georgiana's younger sister was known to be a part of Avery and Mulciber's crowd. But even equipped with all that knowledge, Lily couldn't help but resent Georgiana for her comment.
"Don't say something like that," James said, shrugging her off. "It is important."
"Oh, honestly, people only take the class as a soft option or because they're Muggle lovers."
A fight brewed in James; Lily could tell by his sudden tension and the scathing look he sent Georgiana. The use of the word "Muggle lover" had set him off, though Lily wasn't sure how he could be completely unaware that his girlfriend could have adopted her family's doctrine on blood purity. As much as Lily wanted to watch the events unfold, she didn't have the stomach for it.
"I'll be in the library at ten on Saturday, Potter, if you decide to join me."
James flashed her a look as if to tell her to stop making things difficult for him. What he failed to realize was that Lily didn't care. With a smirk of satisfaction, Lily walked off and wondered how things would unfold.
~*~
When ten o'clock rolled around that Saturday and James walked into the library, Lily couldn't help but feel victorious. He looked a bit worse for wear, which she could only assume was due to Georgiana voicing her disapproval of his decision to remain behind. More importantly, he did not look happy to see her. That was a first.
Not even taking a moment to exchange pleasantries, he said, "We need to go somewhere else."
"What for? This is where we usually meet."
"Because the two of us need to talk," he explained.
Understatement of the century. Lily didn't bother to pretend otherwise and gathered up her things, following James out of the library. They walked in silence, searching for the privacy of an empty classroom.
"Have you thought of a topic yet for this essay," she asked, as they walked into a deserted room.
"No, not really," he replied, his kindness forced.
"Hmm, guess it's kind of difficult to give it any thought when your girlfriend has her tongue down your throat all the time."
His look was scathing. Lily didn't care; she'd been waiting for this moment of confrontation for almost two months now. For weeks she'd been rehearsing exactly what she was going to say to the toerag the moment she got the chance. There hadn't been any point in rehearsing though because, in her anger and sadness, she threw the script out the window.
"How about this. You could set the essay up in a how-to format and write something catchy like, 'The Pureblood's Guide to Making a Mudblood Think You Care.' Or maybe even 'Charming a Muggle-born Before You Crush Her Heart, For Beginners.' You're really well versed in those areas, after all," she suggested sarcastically, tears pooling in her eyes.
"You think I purposely led you on?"
"What else am I supposed to think?" she spat. "You spend the last few years trying to get me to go on a sodding date with you, and when I'm finally ready, you start dating someone else!"
"It didn't happen like that, Lily."
"Then enlighten me! Tell me why you started dating someone else the moment you got confirmation that I fancied you."
"Because I fancied you back, alright?!"
Lily's retort, the one she'd been preparing for whatever he'd said next, died on her lips. James still fancied her? While she expected to be relieved, or even elated, Lily was more confused than before.
"That doesn't even make sense, James."
"Do you honestly think that a relationship between us would ever work?" he asked sincerely.
Why wouldn't it? Sure, they had their differences, but all couples did. And yes, they argued to the point of wanting to throw hexes at each other, but, well, that didn't mean anything. They would be fine. Probably. Maybe…
"I guess I always just assumed…"
"I don't doubt that we could have a seriously amazing sex life, Lily. And I'm the first one to admit that for all those years I spent chasing you, I had shagging on the mind. But when I got to know you, really got to know you, I knew that I'd never be able-"
"-to make me your fifteen minutes in a broom cupboard," she finished for him, softly.
He nodded. "It would have been so easy to kiss you when you asked me to, but I didn't want to lead you on, knowing that any sort of romance we had would never end well. And fuck if it wasn't hard. When I left your house over the hols, I knew I had to do something, and so I decided to distract myself with Georgiana. I thought it would be best if I forced myself to move on."
"Oh…"
Silence filled the room then. Lily wasn't sure what else to say. He'd basically told her she didn't have a chance in hell with him. It was a miserable feeling knowing the one thing she wanted most, she couldn't have. Trying to just be friends was going to be incredibly difficult, but maybe with some space and a little time she could do it.
She avoided his gaze, choosing to look at anything really, so long as it wasn't James. Lily knew she should just excuse herself and leave-he probably wouldn't fault her for that-but moving seemed like such an impossible task at the moment. From the corner of her eye she saw his hands clench and unclench, and heard a heavy, miserable sigh escape his lips.
"I think about you. When I'm with her. When we're…"
Lily looked at him immediately. "What?"
"The other day…we were…and I was…I sort of said your name. You're not exactly her favorite person at the moment."
As best she could, Lily tried to fill in those blanks. He and Georgiana were doing something, and he said her name when he was… Oh, God! Her cheeks burned, probably making her face a bright cherry red.
"But you have her. Why would you want someone like me?"
"Describe someone like you," he said, disbelievingly.
"Ordinary, temperamental, a certified Charms junkie. I'll never be as pretty as her or well bred. And I'm a Mugg-"
"Stop. I've heard enough rubbish."
James approached her, and just when she thought he was going to stop, he moved closer and closer until only a small gap separated them. James cupped her chin with his hands and tilted it up so their eyes met.
"You are gorgeous, Lily Evans, far more than she could ever hope to be. You're anything but ordinary. If by Charms junkie you mean bloody brilliant witch, then I'm inclined to agree. And don't you ever, ever bring up your heritage as a reason why you're inferior to someone. Blood purity means nothing to me."
She struggled to hold back her tears. It was too much to manage though, and Lily broke down. James smoothed away her tears with his thumbs. No one had ever said anything so nice about her before, had ever made her feel so special. The urge to kiss him nearly overtook her senses, but she knew that it couldn't happen. Even so, that didn't mean that they couldn't address it, right?
"James?"
His expression was gentle, tender. "Hmm?"
"The other night when you were with her, when you said my name, what was she…what did you imagine me doing to you?"
At first he didn't look like he was going to answer her, but then James flicked his eyes downward. Lily's breath hitched at the thought of him fantasizing about her doing that. The very idea thrilled her.
"And if you could, what would you have me do to you now?" she asked.
"I…oh, fuck, Lils…" he said, raking his eyes over her before running his hands through his hair in frustration."We have to stop this before it gets out of hand. And trust me when I say it will get out of hand. It's all I can do to deny you now."
It disappointed Lily that she wasn't going to get her answer, though she loved that just the idea of it made James squirm. She nodded in agreement with him; if he'd tried anything, she knew she'd readily let him to a point.
"Muggle Studies," he reminded both her and himself.
"Right, Muggle Studies."
~*~
It pleased Lily that things were finally back to normal between her and James, or at least as normal as they could be. He began sitting with her again in Muggle Studies and walking with her between shared classes when Georgiana wasn't around. Georgiana was, however, more often around than not. Ever since James opted to stay behind on that Hogsmeade weekend, she had barely let him out of her sight. And when she did catch James and Lily together, she threw Lily dirty looks.
Lily tried to ignore it for the most part, staying out of her way as often as she could, but it was sometimes difficult since they were both in Gryffindor. By word of mouth, she knew that Georgiana was no friend of hers, but she'd never actually heard the older girl talk about her until she was walking through the courtyard after lunch one day in late March.
"-the way she looks at James! Ugh, I would love nothing more than to use an Unforgivable on that stupid bint."
"And look who we have here, the girl herself," a girl said, and Lily recognized the voice as belonging to Georgiana's sister.
Lily turned to face them against her better judgment, tired of being talked about. Georgiana was sitting on a bench with her Slytherin sister and their mutual friends. It didn't surprise Lily that most of them carried anti-Muggle sentiments.
"I've been dying to get alone with you for weeks now, Evans," Georgiana said, approaching her. "Seems like you're sensible enough to be afraid of me."
"And why would I be afraid of you exactly?" Lily asked with bite to her words. "You're about as intimidating as a Cornish Pixie, Yaxley."
"Is that right, Mudblood?" she retorted, arching one finely manicured eyebrow. "I can think of several reasons why you'd want to shut that mouth of yours. My family has connections, you know."
"To the Dark Lord I'd wager."
"How dare-"
Lily pulled her wand upon seeing Georgiana's friends take a few steps in her direction. "Oh, I dare."
"Stay away from James, Evans. Or you'll regret it."
"He's my Muggle Studies partner. I can't do that as you very well know."
"You might like James, but he'd never stoop so low as to fuck a Mudblood like you. He has some class. So if I so much catch you looking at him, I'm going to see to it that you live a very hard life for the rest of this school year. Someone like you can never compete with someone like me. Last warning."
Lily wanted to say something witty in return, but the only thing she could get to form on her tongue was incantations that would earn her a week's detention. Georgiana Yaxley wasn't worth her time. Turning on her heel, Lily walked away, though not before overhearing a nasty slur come from Georgiana's mouth and a chorus of laughter from her friends.
~*~
"Lily!" Annalise called, coming into their dorm. "You'll never believe it, but we actually managed a win against Ravenclaw!"
Glancing up from her diary, a genuine smile forced itself onto Lily's lips when she saw how happy Annalise was. Even she knew the prospects were grim for Gryffindor with Black serving detention for the latest Marauder prank. James was brilliant on his own, but they were an unstoppable force together.
"Brilliant."
Annalise slipped her cloak off and promptly went to the mirror to inspect her hair. "You're coming to the party in the common room, aren't you?"
"I don't know…"
As a prefect, she ought to go just to try to maintain control over the situation; she could already see McGonagall frowning at such frivolities. However, the idea of partying didn't particularly set well with her. She wasn't much of a partier anyhow, but the idea of seeing James and Georgiana celebrating together turned her off the idea completely.
"You're a complete stick in the mud, you know that?"
Another variation on being uptight? Lily would have been mad if it hadn't been for the fact that Annalise hadn't meant it. And even Lily had to admit that lately she'd been a real downer, though not without reason-reasons which Annalise was not privy too. She decided to brush the comment off.
"I'm not," Lily defended, lightly.
"Come on, I'll help you get ready. Put some curlers in your hair and rouge on your cheeks. You'll be the belle of the ball, Lil."
Lily looked down at herself, clad in her pajamas (it had been a rather long game) with limp hair and a spot on her skin. "It would take nothing short of a fairy godmother."
"Consider yourself Cinderella then," Annalise said with a smirk, surprising Lily with her recognition of the reference.
She felt all dolled up once Annalise got through with her. Curled hair put up in a twist, pink lips with eyes shadowed in greens, a short, flirty dress-Lily was impressed with her transformation. While Annalise was rubbish at Transfiguration and Herbology, she knew her glamour charms.
A wave of self consciousness crept over her as she entered the common room from the girls' dorm staircase. Most of her fellow Gryffindors were already shouting at each other over the loud music or dancing or necking. Typical Gryffindor house party.
Scanning the room for Jane or Mary, she came up with nothing. Though she did see Black in the corner with Remus, a bottle of Firewhisky in his hand. She watched amused for a few moments as the pair tried to steal a touch here and there. The next time Lily had prefect duty with Remus she would have to tease him about it.
No sooner had she located the table with the butterbeer than she felt a tap on her shoulder and someone coming to stand close next to her. James. Embarrassed, she bit down on her lip as she saw him drinking her in.
"You look beautiful tonight," he whispered, careful not to draw any unwanted attention to them. "What's the occasion?"
"Temporary insanity?" she offered with a smile. "It only lasts until midnight."
"What?" he asked, amused. "What kind of rubbish spell did you use?"
Lily waved him off. "You won't get it. It's a Muggle thing. How did you escape?"
"Butterbeer," he explained, picking up two bottles.
"Not Firewhisky like Black?"
James smirked. "Private stash in the dorm for the after party."
"Am I invited?" she questioned, flirtatiously.
"Always. Just don't get caught by my girlfriend."
As if he'd jinxed it by bringing her up in title, the room quieted down and Georgiana hopped up onto a table and began speaking. She went on about Quidditch and the game, the amazing job the players did, but Lily cared about none of it. James was next to her, the fabric of his shirt brushing against her arm heightening her awareness of him. That was, of course, until Georgiana called up "our Captain, James" and demanded a celebratory kiss.
Lily couldn't stomach watching that kiss among the cat calls. Already well aware that it would be far from a quick peck on the cheek, there was no point. Georgiana would kiss him full on the mouth, her hands roaming up and down his back, and James would respond the way any teenage boy would-with complete abandon.
Realizing that this whole party was a horrible mistake, Lily fought her way through the throng of Gryffindors dancing to a new, upbeat song. Just before she climbed up the steps, she took a look back at the crowd, spotting James dancing with Georgiana.
They were kissing, and quite nearly rubbing against each other, Georgiana's hands toying with the hair at the back of James' neck and James' ghosting his hands along her waist and arse. Just before she turned to leave, James' eye caught hers and he stared at her for a long moment, almost pained. She knew what he was thinking, remembering his words clearly: When I'm with her, I think about you.
As soon as Lily locked the door to the dormitory, she threw off her clothes and put on an oversized tee shirt to sleep in. With a flick of her wand, Lily put out the lights, cast a silencing charm, and drew her bed curtains.
Swaddled in complete darkness and silence, her thoughts returned to James and the way he moved against Georgiana, the way he wanted to move against her. James' hands, calloused from Quidditch with elegant fingers, running over her bare skin, unbuttoning her button up, unclasping her bra, cupping and squeezing her breasts.
Her hand moved beneath her shirt, tweaking and tugging at her nipples. It was hardly a good substitute for James' hand, but just knowing that he thought about doing this to her, that he probably wanked to it, was enough to allow her imagination morph the situation so that reality dipped into fantasy.
James was there with her, lying behind her, his mouth hot against her exposed neck. She could imagine his kisses, the feel of his teeth nipping at her skin as he massaged her breast. Her sex was tingling uncomfortably then. And the thought of his erection pressed against her leg made wetness pool between her thighs.
What was once tingling became full throbbing at the thought of him pushing inside of her. The friction of rubbing her legs together was no longer enough to sate her, and so she slipped her fingers-his fingers-beneath her knickers, dipping into wet warmth. He explored her, hit that spot that she loved so much over and over and over again until it was maddening. His thumb was meanwhile rubbing against her clit, sending her into sensation overload.
She could feel the pressure building within her, every touch pushing her that much closer to the edge. Lily panted into her pillow, eyes shut tight, her world revolving around James in that one moment when she reached her peak. She moaned his name as she rode the spasms out. As reality came rushing back to her, when her fingers suddenly became her own again, Lily felt so empty she could cry.
~*~
"I think," Lily began, "that you're sitting under my tree."
What had been a beautiful Spring day had become all the better when she found James in her usual haunt on the Hogwarts grounds. He turned his head towards her, the smile on his lips making her heart race. So much for reading.
"Since when is this your tree? I don't see a name on it."
"You know very well, James Potter, that this is my spot."
He shrugged and patted the grass next to him, inviting her to sit. After surveying their surroundings to find no Georgiana in sight, Lily obliged him. She sat close, probably far too close for just a "friend," but James didn't seem to mind.
"So what are you doing out here?" she asked.
"Trying to come up with some strategies for the next match. Hufflepuff's team is really good. We might not win the cup this year."
"I've faith in you."
He bumped his shoulder into hers, grinning. "Thanks. And what brings you out on this fine day?"
Lily held up a well worn paperback. "Reading."
"Pride and Prejudice," he read. "What sort of rubbish book is that?"
"It's not rubbish," Lily countered. "It's Austin."
"Well pardon me."
"This book could have been written about the two of us, you know."
"Yeah? And do we get our happy ending then?" he joked.
Lily nodded. "We do, though not without wading through a bunch of shite first."
James laughed. "Sounds about right."
Lily noticed him drop his hand near her own, but despite knowing that, she'd nearly jumped when his fingers brushed hers. They lingered there for a moment until Lily spread her fingers, allowing James to intertwine his with hers. It was all a slow process, filled with hesitation, but when Lily met his warm eyes, she knew she wouldn't let go of his hand for the world.
"You make it so hard to just be friends, Lily. You're brilliant and beautiful, and I just can't stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I try."
He reached out, slipping a lock of her hair behind her ear. His fingers skimmed over the line of her jaw, making it suddenly difficult for her to breathe. Turned towards each other, their bodies were oh-so-close. She could feel herself being pulled towards him and wondered, for the first time, if it wasn't their own magic drawing them to one another.
"Kiss me," she begged.
James nodded, but Lily never knew the touch of his lips. She recoiled, her hand, the one intertwined with James', felt aflame. The pain raced up her arm and across the right side of her chest. Lily'd never quite felt pain like this-searing and maddening-and it was only getting progressively worse.
"You filthy fucking Mudblood!"
Georgiana, her wand pointed at Lily, looked perfectly murderous. James was on his feet in an instant. Lily tried to join him, but whatever had hit her made it impossible.
"Don't call her that," James warned.
"She has you under some sort of love spell, I know it. You'd never lower yourself to her level otherwise."
"I'm not under any sort of spell, Georgiana."
She looked at him disgusted. "So you actually fancy the Mudblood back?"
"I told you not to say that word!" he shouted, and Lily knew it was taking all the self restraint he had not to draw his wand on Georgiana. "And I never pegged you for a Muggle-hater, but I guess it does run in the family. Silly me."
"How could you of all people-a pure-blood-be in support of Muggles and Mudbloods? They're barely human, James, and they certainly don't deserve a place in our society. We'd be better off with them dead so they don't pollute our blood lines. Surely you understand that."
Lily wanted to disbelieve was she was hearing, but the fact of the matter was she'd heard those sentiments so many times before that it didn't surprise her. Everyone would be better off if she were dead, would they? How she tired of hearing it.
"Get out of here," James ordered, his voice low and threatening.
"My pleasure. As if I'd want to be seen with the likes of you, blood traitor." Georgiana turned her attention to Lily. "And you, I warned you to stay out of my way. You're going to regret not taking my advice."
With that, Georgiana stormed off, and James stood ridged in front of Lily until she was out of sight. Falling to his knees, he reached for her arm, which was throbbing and now covered with blackened veins.
"I think it was a stinging jinx," she said, wincing as he examined it.
James shook his head. "No, she's cursed you. We need to get you to Pomfrey straight away."
The urgency in his voice frightened her. "Am I going to be alright?"
"It's Dark Magic, love. I can't say for sure, but I know you need a healer. Things like this can get serious very quickly."
James helped her up, and she tried to gain control of her legs. The throbbing was spreading down her side now, making it difficult to keep herself steady. The uncertainty of her ability to walk obvious, James slung her arm around his neck and grabbed her around the waist. Every few steps the pain grew worse, and Lily feared whatever magic it was, it was traveling through her blood.
"You're going to be okay, Lily. I promise you."
This story concludes in Part 6, here.
Author: museme87
Rating: R
Wordcount: 37,900
Warnings: dark themes (racism, hazing, slight non-con), sexual situations
Prompt: 60. Write or draw a Lily and James interaction in their Sixth Year - i.e. after Snape's Worst Memory, but before Lily finally agrees to go out with James. There should be UST even while James is being a git and Lily is resisting him.
Summary: As the Voldemort War rages outside the castle, long standing prejudices begin to seep their way into Hogwarts. For a Muggle-born student, everyday life has become significantly more challenging as Lily Evans knows too well. And her new partnership with one James Potter isn't exactly making things easier, especially when she discovers he isn't quite the arrogant toerag she once thought he was.
Beta(s): liebedance & klose
Author's Notes: Firstly, I would like to apologize for the length of this fic. Secondly, I'd like to thank L for all the effort she put into beta reading this fic multiple times and for spoon feeding me the summary (I owe you my first born for this, L). Also, to Y, thanks for being my other, wonderful beta, partner-in-crime, and Brit-picker! I went a little out of control with the prompt, but I still hope you all enjoy.
[ Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6]
V. A Serpent in the Garden
When she arrived back at school, Lily noticed another sudden shift in the student body. Over the holidays there had been another round of murders, only this time they were all Muggle-borns. She watched as Sev, Avery, Mulciber, and the rest of that Slytherin gang strutted around, pleased with the turn of events. They'd even chosen to bless her with their presence on two occasions, shoving her into the corridor wall once and flat out hexing her another time. It would be better if she stayed out of their way, she knew, and so she took to spending her spare time in the dorm studying for her advanced Charms lessons.
Though she'd hoped to run into him, James had been scarce these first few days back. The one time she had seen him he had waved to her and carried on with what he was doing. It was obvious her outburst over the holidays had seriously damaged their supposed friendship. Lily decided to give him a bit of space, thinking that perhaps all he needed was some time to think things through.
That was, of course, until Annalise, in her post-holiday cheeriness, came bursting through the door with a look on her face that Lily would expect to see on Christmas morning. However, when on Annalise, it was an I've-got-something-juicy-to-tell-you-witches face.
"What is it?" Mary asked from her bed.
"You'll never guess," Annalise said, looking as if she were about to burst.
Jane looked up from her History of Magic homework, humoring her. "Then don't keep us in suspense."
"James Potter is dating Georgiana Yaxley," she announced, punctuating her words with a squeal.
The sudden urge to vomit hit Lily like it never had before. James was seeing someone? But he didn't even know her, Lily thought reproachfully. Then she remembered that Georgiana had been playing Seeker on the Gryffindor team for the past year, which meant that he probably knew Georgiana better than he knew Lily herself. And that certainly didn't comfort her any better.
"Isn't it so adorable? I mean, they look perfect together. And they're both from well bred families, aristocratic even. It's like something out of a fairy tale," Annalise said dreamily.
Yes, and it was supposed to be her fairy tale. Now Prince Charming had run off with some other princess, leaving Lily waiting on the kiss that would wake her up. It was hardly fair. Then again, James had said that he'd just wanted to be friends; she was the one who kept convincing herself that he was still interested in her.
Of course, he had been interested in her for the past few years. Now that he had her attention, he didn't want it anymore? Lily couldn't help but feel a little bitter about it. Had everything up until their partnership been a game to him-see if the Muggle-born will fall for the pure-blood and then reject her? He had thrown the I-just-want-to-be-friends card not long after she'd nearly kissed him. None of this was her fault. It was that stupid, arrogant berk James Potter playing a prank on her, a three year long con just for fun.
God, how she wanted to hex him.
~*~
Her first instinct was to start avoiding him again, but Lily eventually settled on making her presence known. He would feel far more awkward with his obnoxious girlfriend if she were in the room than if she weren't, and Lily wanted him to feel uncomfortable. After all those years he had made her dread turning the corner into the common room, Great Hall, or any classroom, she felt he deserved it. Payback was a bitch. And she would be damned if she was the first one to speak with him. No, he would have to come to her if he wanted to talk.
The flaw in her master plan, however, was that she hadn't realized how painful seeing James with another girl would be. Perhaps if he'd decided to date someone plain, she would have been able to handle it. Georgiana Yaxley, however, was anything but. Like Annalise, she had flawless skin and perfect hair, a pale blonde that she fashioned in a different style every day. Lily thought of her own hair, and how she never bothered to do a thing to it. It also didn't help matters that Georgiana was the very definition of dainty-short, tiny boned, tiny waist, light as a feather. Lily would have sworn she was a whale next to James' girlfriend. And the fact that she was a pure-blood? That nearly made Lily cry. What's that he'd said about blood purity meaning nothing to him?
It embarrassed Lily to say that she watched them together in those small private moments. Well, not watched them but him and how he responded to her. She wondered how it would feel to have her fingers laced with his in the corridors, what having his arm wrapped around her waist would be like. Those feather light touches on her skin, those quick kisses and the not-so-quick ones too…what would it feel like to be James Potter's girl?
And so she yearned and stole glimpses. Jane called her a voyeur and Lily didn't even bother denying it. Her best friend wouldn't be able to understand this-what it felt like to be ignored for weeks by the boy who'd been after her for years. She'd not disclosed anything that had happened between her and James to anyone. Thankfully Jane was the only person to put together that Lily fancied him. Mary was hardly around and Annalise didn't have a mind for subtleties.
It wasn't until February was creeping into March and their next project deadline was inching up on them that James finally approached her. She'd been coming out of her one-on-one lessons with Flitwick when she'd heard him calling her name. At the sound of it, her heart tugged. She quickly suppressed any romantic feelings towards him, reminding herself that she'd been the butt of James' practical joke.
"What?" she asked bitterly as he approached her with sodding Georgiana Yaxley attached at his hip.
"I was just wondering if we were going to meet up before our next essay is due for Muggle Studies."
Naturally he would act like nothing was wrong between them, like he hadn't hurt her, played her for the fool. She had a lot of choice words for him, none of which would be appropriate to say in front of Georgiana. Lily needed to get him alone, but unfortunately it seemed that he never was nowadays.
"I guess."
He gave her a look, one that clearly said: I know we need to talk. Realize that just now, did he? The strong urge to hex him surged through her.
"When would be a good time for you? Back to our usual Thursdays then?" he asked.
Lily didn't miss the glare Georgiana shot him upon hearing "back to our usual Thursdays". It apparently didn't set well with her that Lily and James had a weekly meet up before she'd come along. And no doubt Georgiana was well aware of how James had once pined after her. It pleased Lily to see her uncomfortable or even worried for once, though there was no real reason for Georgiana to be.
"No, I've rearranged prefect duty since we got back from holiday," she explained. "I'm afraid I'll only be able to do it on Saturday this week."
The truth of the matter was that Lily could be free on Thursdays if she wanted to be. However, she'd overheard in the girls' loo that James was taking Georgiana to Hogsmeade this weekend from a couple of the seventh year Gryffindors. Suddenly her Thursdays got all booked up.
Perhaps she should have felt guilty for her catty behavior, but Lily couldn't quite bring herself to, at least not where Georgiana was concerned. She'd watched from afar since January and saw Georgiana on multiple occasions laughing as one of her friends or her sister called other Muggle-born students "Mudbloods". Lily wasn't foolish enough to call James' girlfriend out on it when she was surrounded by her Muggle hating friends. If this-denying her a date with James-was the only way Lily could get back at her for now, then so be it.
"James," Georgiana hissed.
He groaned, frustrated. "Can we do it in the evening, Lily?"
"Sorry, I've promised to tutor Thomas from third year then."
"Well can't you cancel?" he asked.
"What do you have going on that's so important on Saturday?" she spat, knowing full well the answer.
"We're going on a date," Georgiana answered for him.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I guess you're just going to have to choose between a date and passing Muggle Studies then, Potter."
Georgiana looked up at James fiercely, who appeared to be shocked from Lily's use of his surname. "You don't need that rubbish class anyway, James. It's not important."
Not important? Lily had to resist the urge to strangle her. She shouldn't have been surprised to hear something like that from Georgiana, not with the Yaxley family's well known anti-Muggle doctrine. In fact, Georgiana's younger sister was known to be a part of Avery and Mulciber's crowd. But even equipped with all that knowledge, Lily couldn't help but resent Georgiana for her comment.
"Don't say something like that," James said, shrugging her off. "It is important."
"Oh, honestly, people only take the class as a soft option or because they're Muggle lovers."
A fight brewed in James; Lily could tell by his sudden tension and the scathing look he sent Georgiana. The use of the word "Muggle lover" had set him off, though Lily wasn't sure how he could be completely unaware that his girlfriend could have adopted her family's doctrine on blood purity. As much as Lily wanted to watch the events unfold, she didn't have the stomach for it.
"I'll be in the library at ten on Saturday, Potter, if you decide to join me."
James flashed her a look as if to tell her to stop making things difficult for him. What he failed to realize was that Lily didn't care. With a smirk of satisfaction, Lily walked off and wondered how things would unfold.
~*~
When ten o'clock rolled around that Saturday and James walked into the library, Lily couldn't help but feel victorious. He looked a bit worse for wear, which she could only assume was due to Georgiana voicing her disapproval of his decision to remain behind. More importantly, he did not look happy to see her. That was a first.
Not even taking a moment to exchange pleasantries, he said, "We need to go somewhere else."
"What for? This is where we usually meet."
"Because the two of us need to talk," he explained.
Understatement of the century. Lily didn't bother to pretend otherwise and gathered up her things, following James out of the library. They walked in silence, searching for the privacy of an empty classroom.
"Have you thought of a topic yet for this essay," she asked, as they walked into a deserted room.
"No, not really," he replied, his kindness forced.
"Hmm, guess it's kind of difficult to give it any thought when your girlfriend has her tongue down your throat all the time."
His look was scathing. Lily didn't care; she'd been waiting for this moment of confrontation for almost two months now. For weeks she'd been rehearsing exactly what she was going to say to the toerag the moment she got the chance. There hadn't been any point in rehearsing though because, in her anger and sadness, she threw the script out the window.
"How about this. You could set the essay up in a how-to format and write something catchy like, 'The Pureblood's Guide to Making a Mudblood Think You Care.' Or maybe even 'Charming a Muggle-born Before You Crush Her Heart, For Beginners.' You're really well versed in those areas, after all," she suggested sarcastically, tears pooling in her eyes.
"You think I purposely led you on?"
"What else am I supposed to think?" she spat. "You spend the last few years trying to get me to go on a sodding date with you, and when I'm finally ready, you start dating someone else!"
"It didn't happen like that, Lily."
"Then enlighten me! Tell me why you started dating someone else the moment you got confirmation that I fancied you."
"Because I fancied you back, alright?!"
Lily's retort, the one she'd been preparing for whatever he'd said next, died on her lips. James still fancied her? While she expected to be relieved, or even elated, Lily was more confused than before.
"That doesn't even make sense, James."
"Do you honestly think that a relationship between us would ever work?" he asked sincerely.
Why wouldn't it? Sure, they had their differences, but all couples did. And yes, they argued to the point of wanting to throw hexes at each other, but, well, that didn't mean anything. They would be fine. Probably. Maybe…
"I guess I always just assumed…"
"I don't doubt that we could have a seriously amazing sex life, Lily. And I'm the first one to admit that for all those years I spent chasing you, I had shagging on the mind. But when I got to know you, really got to know you, I knew that I'd never be able-"
"-to make me your fifteen minutes in a broom cupboard," she finished for him, softly.
He nodded. "It would have been so easy to kiss you when you asked me to, but I didn't want to lead you on, knowing that any sort of romance we had would never end well. And fuck if it wasn't hard. When I left your house over the hols, I knew I had to do something, and so I decided to distract myself with Georgiana. I thought it would be best if I forced myself to move on."
"Oh…"
Silence filled the room then. Lily wasn't sure what else to say. He'd basically told her she didn't have a chance in hell with him. It was a miserable feeling knowing the one thing she wanted most, she couldn't have. Trying to just be friends was going to be incredibly difficult, but maybe with some space and a little time she could do it.
She avoided his gaze, choosing to look at anything really, so long as it wasn't James. Lily knew she should just excuse herself and leave-he probably wouldn't fault her for that-but moving seemed like such an impossible task at the moment. From the corner of her eye she saw his hands clench and unclench, and heard a heavy, miserable sigh escape his lips.
"I think about you. When I'm with her. When we're…"
Lily looked at him immediately. "What?"
"The other day…we were…and I was…I sort of said your name. You're not exactly her favorite person at the moment."
As best she could, Lily tried to fill in those blanks. He and Georgiana were doing something, and he said her name when he was… Oh, God! Her cheeks burned, probably making her face a bright cherry red.
"But you have her. Why would you want someone like me?"
"Describe someone like you," he said, disbelievingly.
"Ordinary, temperamental, a certified Charms junkie. I'll never be as pretty as her or well bred. And I'm a Mugg-"
"Stop. I've heard enough rubbish."
James approached her, and just when she thought he was going to stop, he moved closer and closer until only a small gap separated them. James cupped her chin with his hands and tilted it up so their eyes met.
"You are gorgeous, Lily Evans, far more than she could ever hope to be. You're anything but ordinary. If by Charms junkie you mean bloody brilliant witch, then I'm inclined to agree. And don't you ever, ever bring up your heritage as a reason why you're inferior to someone. Blood purity means nothing to me."
She struggled to hold back her tears. It was too much to manage though, and Lily broke down. James smoothed away her tears with his thumbs. No one had ever said anything so nice about her before, had ever made her feel so special. The urge to kiss him nearly overtook her senses, but she knew that it couldn't happen. Even so, that didn't mean that they couldn't address it, right?
"James?"
His expression was gentle, tender. "Hmm?"
"The other night when you were with her, when you said my name, what was she…what did you imagine me doing to you?"
At first he didn't look like he was going to answer her, but then James flicked his eyes downward. Lily's breath hitched at the thought of him fantasizing about her doing that. The very idea thrilled her.
"And if you could, what would you have me do to you now?" she asked.
"I…oh, fuck, Lils…" he said, raking his eyes over her before running his hands through his hair in frustration."We have to stop this before it gets out of hand. And trust me when I say it will get out of hand. It's all I can do to deny you now."
It disappointed Lily that she wasn't going to get her answer, though she loved that just the idea of it made James squirm. She nodded in agreement with him; if he'd tried anything, she knew she'd readily let him to a point.
"Muggle Studies," he reminded both her and himself.
"Right, Muggle Studies."
~*~
It pleased Lily that things were finally back to normal between her and James, or at least as normal as they could be. He began sitting with her again in Muggle Studies and walking with her between shared classes when Georgiana wasn't around. Georgiana was, however, more often around than not. Ever since James opted to stay behind on that Hogsmeade weekend, she had barely let him out of her sight. And when she did catch James and Lily together, she threw Lily dirty looks.
Lily tried to ignore it for the most part, staying out of her way as often as she could, but it was sometimes difficult since they were both in Gryffindor. By word of mouth, she knew that Georgiana was no friend of hers, but she'd never actually heard the older girl talk about her until she was walking through the courtyard after lunch one day in late March.
"-the way she looks at James! Ugh, I would love nothing more than to use an Unforgivable on that stupid bint."
"And look who we have here, the girl herself," a girl said, and Lily recognized the voice as belonging to Georgiana's sister.
Lily turned to face them against her better judgment, tired of being talked about. Georgiana was sitting on a bench with her Slytherin sister and their mutual friends. It didn't surprise Lily that most of them carried anti-Muggle sentiments.
"I've been dying to get alone with you for weeks now, Evans," Georgiana said, approaching her. "Seems like you're sensible enough to be afraid of me."
"And why would I be afraid of you exactly?" Lily asked with bite to her words. "You're about as intimidating as a Cornish Pixie, Yaxley."
"Is that right, Mudblood?" she retorted, arching one finely manicured eyebrow. "I can think of several reasons why you'd want to shut that mouth of yours. My family has connections, you know."
"To the Dark Lord I'd wager."
"How dare-"
Lily pulled her wand upon seeing Georgiana's friends take a few steps in her direction. "Oh, I dare."
"Stay away from James, Evans. Or you'll regret it."
"He's my Muggle Studies partner. I can't do that as you very well know."
"You might like James, but he'd never stoop so low as to fuck a Mudblood like you. He has some class. So if I so much catch you looking at him, I'm going to see to it that you live a very hard life for the rest of this school year. Someone like you can never compete with someone like me. Last warning."
Lily wanted to say something witty in return, but the only thing she could get to form on her tongue was incantations that would earn her a week's detention. Georgiana Yaxley wasn't worth her time. Turning on her heel, Lily walked away, though not before overhearing a nasty slur come from Georgiana's mouth and a chorus of laughter from her friends.
~*~
"Lily!" Annalise called, coming into their dorm. "You'll never believe it, but we actually managed a win against Ravenclaw!"
Glancing up from her diary, a genuine smile forced itself onto Lily's lips when she saw how happy Annalise was. Even she knew the prospects were grim for Gryffindor with Black serving detention for the latest Marauder prank. James was brilliant on his own, but they were an unstoppable force together.
"Brilliant."
Annalise slipped her cloak off and promptly went to the mirror to inspect her hair. "You're coming to the party in the common room, aren't you?"
"I don't know…"
As a prefect, she ought to go just to try to maintain control over the situation; she could already see McGonagall frowning at such frivolities. However, the idea of partying didn't particularly set well with her. She wasn't much of a partier anyhow, but the idea of seeing James and Georgiana celebrating together turned her off the idea completely.
"You're a complete stick in the mud, you know that?"
Another variation on being uptight? Lily would have been mad if it hadn't been for the fact that Annalise hadn't meant it. And even Lily had to admit that lately she'd been a real downer, though not without reason-reasons which Annalise was not privy too. She decided to brush the comment off.
"I'm not," Lily defended, lightly.
"Come on, I'll help you get ready. Put some curlers in your hair and rouge on your cheeks. You'll be the belle of the ball, Lil."
Lily looked down at herself, clad in her pajamas (it had been a rather long game) with limp hair and a spot on her skin. "It would take nothing short of a fairy godmother."
"Consider yourself Cinderella then," Annalise said with a smirk, surprising Lily with her recognition of the reference.
She felt all dolled up once Annalise got through with her. Curled hair put up in a twist, pink lips with eyes shadowed in greens, a short, flirty dress-Lily was impressed with her transformation. While Annalise was rubbish at Transfiguration and Herbology, she knew her glamour charms.
A wave of self consciousness crept over her as she entered the common room from the girls' dorm staircase. Most of her fellow Gryffindors were already shouting at each other over the loud music or dancing or necking. Typical Gryffindor house party.
Scanning the room for Jane or Mary, she came up with nothing. Though she did see Black in the corner with Remus, a bottle of Firewhisky in his hand. She watched amused for a few moments as the pair tried to steal a touch here and there. The next time Lily had prefect duty with Remus she would have to tease him about it.
No sooner had she located the table with the butterbeer than she felt a tap on her shoulder and someone coming to stand close next to her. James. Embarrassed, she bit down on her lip as she saw him drinking her in.
"You look beautiful tonight," he whispered, careful not to draw any unwanted attention to them. "What's the occasion?"
"Temporary insanity?" she offered with a smile. "It only lasts until midnight."
"What?" he asked, amused. "What kind of rubbish spell did you use?"
Lily waved him off. "You won't get it. It's a Muggle thing. How did you escape?"
"Butterbeer," he explained, picking up two bottles.
"Not Firewhisky like Black?"
James smirked. "Private stash in the dorm for the after party."
"Am I invited?" she questioned, flirtatiously.
"Always. Just don't get caught by my girlfriend."
As if he'd jinxed it by bringing her up in title, the room quieted down and Georgiana hopped up onto a table and began speaking. She went on about Quidditch and the game, the amazing job the players did, but Lily cared about none of it. James was next to her, the fabric of his shirt brushing against her arm heightening her awareness of him. That was, of course, until Georgiana called up "our Captain, James" and demanded a celebratory kiss.
Lily couldn't stomach watching that kiss among the cat calls. Already well aware that it would be far from a quick peck on the cheek, there was no point. Georgiana would kiss him full on the mouth, her hands roaming up and down his back, and James would respond the way any teenage boy would-with complete abandon.
Realizing that this whole party was a horrible mistake, Lily fought her way through the throng of Gryffindors dancing to a new, upbeat song. Just before she climbed up the steps, she took a look back at the crowd, spotting James dancing with Georgiana.
They were kissing, and quite nearly rubbing against each other, Georgiana's hands toying with the hair at the back of James' neck and James' ghosting his hands along her waist and arse. Just before she turned to leave, James' eye caught hers and he stared at her for a long moment, almost pained. She knew what he was thinking, remembering his words clearly: When I'm with her, I think about you.
As soon as Lily locked the door to the dormitory, she threw off her clothes and put on an oversized tee shirt to sleep in. With a flick of her wand, Lily put out the lights, cast a silencing charm, and drew her bed curtains.
Swaddled in complete darkness and silence, her thoughts returned to James and the way he moved against Georgiana, the way he wanted to move against her. James' hands, calloused from Quidditch with elegant fingers, running over her bare skin, unbuttoning her button up, unclasping her bra, cupping and squeezing her breasts.
Her hand moved beneath her shirt, tweaking and tugging at her nipples. It was hardly a good substitute for James' hand, but just knowing that he thought about doing this to her, that he probably wanked to it, was enough to allow her imagination morph the situation so that reality dipped into fantasy.
James was there with her, lying behind her, his mouth hot against her exposed neck. She could imagine his kisses, the feel of his teeth nipping at her skin as he massaged her breast. Her sex was tingling uncomfortably then. And the thought of his erection pressed against her leg made wetness pool between her thighs.
What was once tingling became full throbbing at the thought of him pushing inside of her. The friction of rubbing her legs together was no longer enough to sate her, and so she slipped her fingers-his fingers-beneath her knickers, dipping into wet warmth. He explored her, hit that spot that she loved so much over and over and over again until it was maddening. His thumb was meanwhile rubbing against her clit, sending her into sensation overload.
She could feel the pressure building within her, every touch pushing her that much closer to the edge. Lily panted into her pillow, eyes shut tight, her world revolving around James in that one moment when she reached her peak. She moaned his name as she rode the spasms out. As reality came rushing back to her, when her fingers suddenly became her own again, Lily felt so empty she could cry.
~*~
"I think," Lily began, "that you're sitting under my tree."
What had been a beautiful Spring day had become all the better when she found James in her usual haunt on the Hogwarts grounds. He turned his head towards her, the smile on his lips making her heart race. So much for reading.
"Since when is this your tree? I don't see a name on it."
"You know very well, James Potter, that this is my spot."
He shrugged and patted the grass next to him, inviting her to sit. After surveying their surroundings to find no Georgiana in sight, Lily obliged him. She sat close, probably far too close for just a "friend," but James didn't seem to mind.
"So what are you doing out here?" she asked.
"Trying to come up with some strategies for the next match. Hufflepuff's team is really good. We might not win the cup this year."
"I've faith in you."
He bumped his shoulder into hers, grinning. "Thanks. And what brings you out on this fine day?"
Lily held up a well worn paperback. "Reading."
"Pride and Prejudice," he read. "What sort of rubbish book is that?"
"It's not rubbish," Lily countered. "It's Austin."
"Well pardon me."
"This book could have been written about the two of us, you know."
"Yeah? And do we get our happy ending then?" he joked.
Lily nodded. "We do, though not without wading through a bunch of shite first."
James laughed. "Sounds about right."
Lily noticed him drop his hand near her own, but despite knowing that, she'd nearly jumped when his fingers brushed hers. They lingered there for a moment until Lily spread her fingers, allowing James to intertwine his with hers. It was all a slow process, filled with hesitation, but when Lily met his warm eyes, she knew she wouldn't let go of his hand for the world.
"You make it so hard to just be friends, Lily. You're brilliant and beautiful, and I just can't stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I try."
He reached out, slipping a lock of her hair behind her ear. His fingers skimmed over the line of her jaw, making it suddenly difficult for her to breathe. Turned towards each other, their bodies were oh-so-close. She could feel herself being pulled towards him and wondered, for the first time, if it wasn't their own magic drawing them to one another.
"Kiss me," she begged.
James nodded, but Lily never knew the touch of his lips. She recoiled, her hand, the one intertwined with James', felt aflame. The pain raced up her arm and across the right side of her chest. Lily'd never quite felt pain like this-searing and maddening-and it was only getting progressively worse.
"You filthy fucking Mudblood!"
Georgiana, her wand pointed at Lily, looked perfectly murderous. James was on his feet in an instant. Lily tried to join him, but whatever had hit her made it impossible.
"Don't call her that," James warned.
"She has you under some sort of love spell, I know it. You'd never lower yourself to her level otherwise."
"I'm not under any sort of spell, Georgiana."
She looked at him disgusted. "So you actually fancy the Mudblood back?"
"I told you not to say that word!" he shouted, and Lily knew it was taking all the self restraint he had not to draw his wand on Georgiana. "And I never pegged you for a Muggle-hater, but I guess it does run in the family. Silly me."
"How could you of all people-a pure-blood-be in support of Muggles and Mudbloods? They're barely human, James, and they certainly don't deserve a place in our society. We'd be better off with them dead so they don't pollute our blood lines. Surely you understand that."
Lily wanted to disbelieve was she was hearing, but the fact of the matter was she'd heard those sentiments so many times before that it didn't surprise her. Everyone would be better off if she were dead, would they? How she tired of hearing it.
"Get out of here," James ordered, his voice low and threatening.
"My pleasure. As if I'd want to be seen with the likes of you, blood traitor." Georgiana turned her attention to Lily. "And you, I warned you to stay out of my way. You're going to regret not taking my advice."
With that, Georgiana stormed off, and James stood ridged in front of Lily until she was out of sight. Falling to his knees, he reached for her arm, which was throbbing and now covered with blackened veins.
"I think it was a stinging jinx," she said, wincing as he examined it.
James shook his head. "No, she's cursed you. We need to get you to Pomfrey straight away."
The urgency in his voice frightened her. "Am I going to be alright?"
"It's Dark Magic, love. I can't say for sure, but I know you need a healer. Things like this can get serious very quickly."
James helped her up, and she tried to gain control of her legs. The throbbing was spreading down her side now, making it difficult to keep herself steady. The uncertainty of her ability to walk obvious, James slung her arm around his neck and grabbed her around the waist. Every few steps the pain grew worse, and Lily feared whatever magic it was, it was traveling through her blood.
"You're going to be okay, Lily. I promise you."
This story concludes in Part 6, here.