When they reached the base of Gryffindor Tower, James said the password and waited expectantly for Lily to go in. To his surprise, she kept walking. "Er, Lily? The portrait's right there."
"I realize that."
"Then why didn’t you go in?"
"I'm meeting someone."
"Oh really?"
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"No. Not at all. I just didn't think you would actually, well, never mind, it's none of my business, you know."
"Yes, I do know, but I don't generally get upset when people ask mild questions. However, when you start pestering me, I do mind."
"I see. I guess, anyway. So who are you meeting?"
"Where are you going?"
"I asked first."
"Fair enough. I'm going to go meet Barty."
James snorted, everybody knew who 'Barty' was, seeings as that there was only one 'Barty' in Hogwarts. "Seriously?"
"Yes. Now you answer."
"I'm going to the kitchens."
"How nice for you." Lily nodded, and turned off in a corridor he wasn't familiar with. She met Barty as planned at the head of the stairs leading to the Hufflepuff common room. Lily smiled, and sat next to him, giving a saluatory kiss on the cheek. "Long time no see."
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come."
"I have yet to cancel a date without giving you advance notice." Lily informed him, turning to study him again. People were a great source of curiosity for Lily, and she was sad to think she had nearly figured Barty out. She enjoyed the enigma that was a select few; Barty wasn't among them. He was the all-around golden boy of Hufflepuff. It was his seventh year, and he excelled in most areas: he was beater on his house team, did well academically, and had a natural charm that could coerce people into doing nearly anything for him. He was a nice guy, basically.
"Point well taken." Barty observed wisely, stupidity not being one of his faults. "So how did another marvelous evening with Potter, the Hogwarts host of all things gloomy go?"
"Decently. I suppose." Lily shrugged, not exactly knowing what sort of label she would put on the experience other than 'interesting'.
"I've told you before, and I'll say it again, he's bad news, Lily."
Lily stood up abruptly, mostly in ire and frustration. "Maybe if I knew what sort of bad news the situation was, I'd stay out of it. However, nobody has deemed it appropriate for me to actually know what I'm getting myself into. So unless you’re going to tell me what this big secret that only I don't know is, drop it, Barty, I'm sick of it."
Barty also stood, looking apologetic. He placed a hand on her arm to keep her from walking away in anger. "I'm sorry. But we just don't talk about it."
"Why not? How do you know if you don't talk about it? What do you do, pass notes?"
"You pick it up from the atmosphere."
"I'm assuming you don't mean the weather. So basically, I have to somehow wrangle an invite to the greatest castle in England so I can see what the heck the whole world knows!"
"Wrangling an invite isn't that hard if you know the right people. And I'd say Hogwarts is greater." A cool voice, belonging to the subject of their dialogue announced from behind Lily, who felt the blood flow from her face, then rush back in an embarrassed blush.
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