|
On the fourth day Lily grudgingly earned a small amount of respect when she walked into the library at 8:30, two hours later than usual, after James had his little Quidditch practice.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Amos and Remus." She said tiredly. After having a particularly exhausting Career-Charms class, sitting in the library was the last place she wanted to be. She made the necessary small talk for an hour that basically only filled time. She learned very little about James, he learned very little about her, and there was no mental enlightenment involved. "Goodnight, James."
"Goodnight, Lily. Don't come tomorrow night."
"Why not? Have you finally found what you're looking for?"
"Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm taking a day off."
"Well then, happy birthday. How old?"
"Eighteen."
Lily raised her eyebrows at his older than average seventh year age.
"The Hogwarts cut off date is September first, so I had to wait an entire year."
"I see. Goodnight." By the time Lily reached her dormitory, she was royally confused. Her subject of observation was one of the more perplexing people she had ever been in acquaintance with. What's more, he was completely opposite her in just about every way possible. While he oozed cynicism and life’s disappointments, Lily was about as cheerful and naive as they come. She dropped on her bed and sighed in sheer frustration.
"Rough meeting?" Millie asked, insinuation flooding the question.
"You could say that."
"But I won't. However, I'm going to say again that this is an awful idea, Lily!" She walked over and sat at the foot of Lily's bed, drilling into her eyes. "You're not the sort of person that deals well with his sort."
"I deal well with everyone."
"For a short time, yes!" Millie wailed, "But you're spending an hour with him every night! He's not like you! You're the sort of person people like him hate!"
"Millicent." Lily paused to let her cringe at the usage of her legal name, "He is a person just like the rest of us, albeit a dark and entirely scary person, but a person. And I would like to take the opportunity to remind you that I'm doing this because I need help in Transfiguration, and if I just find out what James Potter is doing, I'll get free tutoring for the rest of the year. I don't mean to sound cold-hearted, but that's why I'm doing it."
"Lily, he's got some major problems you don't want to get involved in."
"Like what? Is he a serial killer? Rapist? Thief? Identity stealer? Kidnapper?"
"Well, no, but...he just has some problems that you don't want to get involved in."
"Tell me."
"I can't. It's just sort of a wizard code; you don't talk about his family. They're a dangerous set to get involved in."
"Until you tell me, I will base my actions on my own experience with him. When I deem him dangerous, I will cease my spy-like activities."
Millie scowled. "You don't understand, or you would stop them now."
"Let me judge for myself."
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"That's right, I don't." Lily pulled clothes from her trunk.
"Where are you going?"
"The Prefect's bathroom."
"Chicken!"
"Feel free to tell me about what I'm getting myself into at any time."
*~*~*
Lily began a search that would turn out to be even more difficult than James's. Well, at least she assumed so; hers was rather fruitless, but he had to be turning up with something. As it turned out, Millie wasn't the only witch to stick by some sort of unspoken wizarding code about the Potters. After an entire weekend of clandestine searching, the only thing that had been revealed to her was that all their great piles of gold and public fame, they were far from happy. Even this wasn't said, but Lily picked it up from the general implication of the people she spoke to. Sadly enough, Lily's biggest advancement to date would come from James himself on her fifth day of meeting him in the library
"Back again I see."
"Of course. I can't pass up an opportunity for free Transfiguration tutoring just because you happen to be in a permanent bad mood."
James narrowed his eyes, "If I helped you with Transfiguration, would you leave me alone while I'm doing this?"
"Nope. A deal's a deal."
"Figures. In that case, you might as well do something while you're here." He scooted a stack of papers in front of her. "Look for anything about my mother, if you see her picture or any article even mentioning her, copy it into this notebook," a large scrapbook type object was held up, "along with the date."
"Alright. What's your mother's name, and what does she look like?"
James gave her an incredulous stare. "You're kidding me."
"Not at all."
He burst into loud laughter, looking happier than she had seen him yet. Madame Pince came bustling over after about thirty seconds, "This is a library, and as Head Boy, I would think you of all people would honor the silence it should be shrouded in."
"My apologies." James wheezed out, his eyes watering, "But she doesn't know who my mother is!"
The librarian looked at her in surprise, but let it pass. "If there"s any more disturbances, you'll have to leave."
"My Lord, this is too perfect!" His head hit the table with a thump, still laughing like a maniac. "You don't know my mother! Are you a Muggle-born or something?"
"Yes, I would happen to be." Lily said stiffly, not particularly liking the way he said that. "If you happen to be one of the purebloods who think they're greater than God himself because of their pedigree, you just did a wonderful job of getting rid of your investigator."
When she stood up, James immediately grabbed her wrist and indicated she should sit back down. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that you obviously haven't lived in the wizarding world if you don't know who my mother is. And as much as I would love to sever myself from your company, I wouldn't wish to do so in such an offensive way."
"I see."
"Actually, I'd wager you don't, but we can move on." James started laughing yet again. "Her name is Emmaline. Her maiden name was Bones, here's a picture. If you see James Potter anywhere, read that to see if she's mentioned. Actually, when you se an article with him, copy it too. You know, 'copius'."
"Yes. I do know." Lily resisted the urge to kick him under the table.
"I wasn't sure. You forgot the levitating charm after all."
"Can it. James Potter, hmmm, I'm assuming you mean senior, your father?"
"The twenty third, let's leave it at that, okay?"
"Fine. Fine." Lily sat on that for awhile, waiting for a good opportunity to ask questions to satisfy her own curiosity. Since she was mildly scared to beard the lion in his den, she had to wait quite awhile for that opportunity.
"I'm done." James said abruptly, re-stacking the papers. "I'll walk you back to the tower. It would be a tragedy if your path was blocked. You might be stumped for a good many hours thinking up a spell."
"For someone who found sixteen articles on your stupid parents, you're being awfully rude." She said angrily, entirely fed up with the whole trunk episode.
He grinned unexpectedly, "You're the first person to agree with me about my parents. I think I like you."
"You really need some help, you know."
"So I've been told."
|
|
