On the morning of Halloween Lily awoke with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Nothing could stop her happiness, not the snide remark issued from Jane Walker about her hair, not the thought of an overdue but certainly not finished Charms essay, not even the slight twinge of pain radiating from Lily’s hip could cause her to stop smiling.
However, it seemed that happiness was not contagious. When Lily met Hugo at the bottom of the grand staircase, where they had agreed to meet in order to finalise their plans, she was met by stony silence.
–Why so dour faced?†she asked, slightly concerned.
Hugo shrugged. –I’m not a morning person. Why so happy?†he replied as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes.
–Because, little cousin,†Lily chirped, ignoring Hugo’s wince. –Today is the day that Caoimhe will finally be put back into her place, where she shall receive a taste of her own medicine. Today she will finally be served with some humble pie…†she trailed off, slightly embarrassed by her cheesy speech.
Hugo frowned. –I’m not your little cousin! You are older than me by two months, Lily,†he snapped. –Anyway, have you got the potion?â€
Lily grinned a large Chesire cat smile. She removed a small vial from the folds of her robes and shook it a little, admiring it as it glinted in the light streaming through the hall. –Of course I do! Now are you sure you know what you’re doing?â€
Hugo nodded briefly. Their plan was now in action.
***As planned Lily and Hugo separated for breakfast. Hugo went to the Hufflepuff table and Lily grabbed a seat at the Gryffindor table right next to Caoimhe. The girl looked rather suspicious at Lily’s close proximity, but didn’t say anything.
Sometime later, after the morning post, Hugo made his way over to Lily with a piece of parchment and a goblet of pumpkin juice in his hand. –Hey, Lily. My mum included a letter for you when she sent mine. Here it is,†he said as rehearsed. Lily winced slightly at his bland tone but reached over to accept the letter nevertheless. As Hugo leaned over Caoimhe to give Lily the fake letter he tipped his juice into Jane Walker’s lap providing a sufficient distraction for Lily to spike Caoimhe’s juice with the potion.
Once the distraction was over, Lily couldn’t help but grin as she watched Caoimhe drain her pumpkin juice before storming away proclaiming very loudly that she had a ‘date’. Lily’s bubble quickly burst as she realised that she too had a date. Groaning, she left the Great Hall to meet Noah. Of course, he was already there, standing on his own with a very goofy smile on his face. He smiled even more when Lily approached. –Lils! Can I call you that? How are you?â€
Lily forced a smile. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Caoimhe exiting the Hall with Robert Davies. He was a very good looking, but very big headed sixth year. Not wanting to miss the show she grabbed Noah’s arm and instantly let go when she realised what she had done. –Come on, come on, let’s go!†she said, marching Noah out of the Entrance Hall.
Noah looked a little surprised but followed her anyway. –Well, I was going to go grab a slice of toast before we left,†he replied as he followed at Lily’s heels.
–No time for that. You should have eaten this morning,†Lily barked back. Her full concentration was on Caoimhe. She was desperate not to lose her.
–Well, you see I was really nervous. I had this dream last night that you stood me up and went off with Davies or Wilson. I suppose it was more like a nightmare. Anyway, I woke up this morning and I was so worried. Then I couldn’t decide what to wear…â€
Noah’s speech was completely lost on Lily. They continued like this most of the way to Hogsmeade; Noah speaking and Lily ignoring him completely. Finally, they reached the small village. Lily scanned the crowd, searching for a glimmer of blonde hair that would tell her that Caoimhe was close by. –Shit, I’ve lost her,†she muttered to herself.
–Lost who?†Noah replied. Lily jumped; she had forgotten he was there. –Anyway, I was saying how chuffed Robert was when Caoimhe Finnegan agreed to come here with him.†Lily stopped short.
–I didn’t know that were friends with Robert,†she stated. –Do you know where he’s taking her?â€
Noah nodded. –We both go to Charms Club.†This caused Lily to roll her eyes. –I think he mentioned something about Madam Pudifoots.â€
Lily grinned. –How sweet. Why don’t we go there? I heard the cream cakes are really good,†she said feeling slightly sick; she sounded like her older cousin Dominique. Madam Pudifoots had been her regular haunt in her Hogwart days. She was infamous for being a huge flirt.
The small café was Lily’s worst nightmare, made even worse by the fact that Noah Smith was there with her. The café had changed very little over the years. It was full of adolescent couples who could not keep their hands off of each other and was decorated a lurid pink colour with clashing purple table clothes. Lily hastily ordered a pot of tea when prompted and kept her attention on Caoimhe while ignoring Noah’s desperate attempts to engage her in a conversation.
Lily was almost finished her tea. She was just beginning to worry that the potion would not work when a loud shriek silenced the café. Everyone turned to look at the origin of the sound: Caoimhe. At first Lily could only see Robert Davies. His face was the perfect picture of horror as he gazed up at something. That something was only distinguishable by her long blonde hair. Caoimhe’s face was fantastically swollen and painfully stretched with sore clusters of acne. –I’m ugly!†she cried out as she caught her reflection in a mirror.
Davies rose to his feet and took a step backwards as if he has afraid. The whole café remained silent and still for a split second before breaking into hysterical laughter, for whilst Caoimhe was revered and respected at Hogwarts she was not particularly liked. The laughter carried on for what seemed like a lifetime before Caoimhe stood and stormed from the café with tears streaming down her horribly disfigured face.
Lily mentally high fived herself as she turned to face Noah. Even he was chuckling to himself. –I did hear once that Finnigan was in actual fact a hag and had to come to school in disguise,†he solemnly informed Lily.
At this Lily rolled her eyes. Although usually quick witted she struggled to think of a come back to this. Finally, she snapped –And I’m a flipping Merlin come back from the dead.†Before downing the rest of her tea she muttered, –I’m finished, let’s go.†Ignoring Noah’s protest that he hadn’t quite finished yet she left the café, wondering how she was going to escape him.
They awkwardly walked through Hogsmeade for a while with Lily not quite tactfully provided one word answers every time Noah tried to spark up a conversation. Finally, they reached the Three Broomsticks and Lily turned to face him. –Look, Smith, I have loads of homework to do. I better get going.â€
Noah simply grinned down at Lily not quite taking the hint. –Well, I will walk you back up. Is it Herbology homework? We could work on it together.â€
Lily shuddered. –No thanks, I can walk myself. And it’s… Divination homework†she lied, knowing full well that Noah knew that she did not take Divination.
Noah opened his mouth to speak before turning around as someone called his name. –Smith!†someone shouted. –Shouldn’t you be at Charms Club? I heard something about an emergency meeting. Vance is going mental because you aren’t there!†Lily looked over Noah’s shoulder to see who her saviour was. That someone was none other than Scorpius Malfoy with a giant smirk on his face.
Lily had seen Nifflers move slower than Noah and she shook her head as she watched him dash away toward the castle whilst shouting apologies over his shoulder. Slightly amused, she turned to face Scorpius. –Charms Club?†she asked him.
Scorpius shrugged. –Smith? Really?†he replied, completely ignoring her question.
–I never knew you had a sense of humour… or a soul,†Lily retorted, thinking of the little she knew about Scorpius Malfoy. She knew he was intelligent, very intelligent in fact. She knew he was quiet and very serious and that he had a terrible family who had committed crimes that she could not quite imagine.
It surprised her when he threw his head back and laughed. –I’ve been told I am the first person in my family to have one,†he joked. Lily flinched slightly; it was almost as though he had read her mind. She rolled her eyes at herself. Don’t be silly, he’s just a stupid Slytherin. she thought to herself.
Lily frowned and ran her hands through her hair, blushing slightly. –Well, I better get going,†she muttered as she walked away not quite believing what had just happened. She wasn’t shy and never had been, so why had she blushed back there, and why had her stomach jilted a little when she had saw him? He was a Malfoy.
This turmoil continued all the way back to Hogwarts until she finally entered her dormitory, where she was not met with the peace that she had hoped for. Instead, she was met with a flying textbook.
–What in the name of Merlin is wrong with you, you little idiot!†Caoimhe Finnegan screeched in Lily’s face, spit flying in every direction.
Lily stayed calm. –What are you on about? And what the hell happened to your face?†she retorted, slightly disgusted with the close up view of Caoimhe’s face. Not a patch of skin was without an ugly tight spot, leaking with puss.
Caoimhe advanced even closer to Lily. –What happened to my face?†she spat. –You happened, you cow! I know it was you!†she screamed, a slightly deranged look on her face.
Lily shrugged complacently. –No idea what you are on about,†she said breezily. –Shouldn’t you be down at the Hospital Wing?†she asked, grinning as Caoimhe fizzed with anger.
–I already have and apparently I have to wait for them to die down. There is nothing the stupid woman can do,†she said through gritted teeth.
Lily backed away and calmly sat on her bed. –I have some spot cream you can borrow if you like,†she said whilst shrugging. She was finding it hard not to collapse to the floor in laughter.
Caoimhe snapped and picked up another textbook. She lobbed it in Lily’s direction again, an almost animal look in her face. –I ACTUALLY HATE YOU!†she screeched.
Lily started to retort before she was interrupted. –Calm down, Caoimhe!†Mariella Vane muttered from the corner of the room. Shocked, Caoimhe turned around.
–You’re not on her side are you?†she hissed, her eyes still wide and wild.
Mariella shrugged. –She says she has nothing to do with it.â€
With one last shriek Caoimhe stormed from the room slamming the door behind her in a blind rage. Mariella turned to follow her after turning to Lily and giving her a wink. Slightly confused, Lily lay back on her bed running through the day’s events in her head. One word kept on recurring again and again. Scorpius.