Chapter two
The second Lily opens her locker, the first thing she sees is a teddy bear. It has a note on it; ‘HI, MY NAME IS LEZ!’
People have been like this ever since she came out. She’s been getting funny looks in the corridors, people whispering when they see her, “accidentally” tripping her, and a lot more. She once had a girl refusing to touch her during PE because she was afraid she was going to get the “lesbian disease”.People suck.
She rips the bear off and looks into the corridor. She knows exactly who put the bear there.
’Hey Lily, enjoying the bear?’
And there they were. Patricia Rakepick and Lucinda Talkalot. They were probably the most homophobic girls to ever exist in Hogwarts Public High School. They’re cheerleaders, extremely popular, have had countless of boyfriends, and a lot more that isn’t worth mentioning. What is worth mentioning though, is that they absolutely hate Lily.
’Yeah, I’m pretty sure this actually breaks a few laws.’ Lily replies to Patricia.
’It’s just our way of saying thanks for cancelling the prom.’ Lucinda’s eyes are full of hatred. Absolute hatred. Lily didn’t even do anything, all she did was talk to the PTA to try and get them to agree to let her take her girlfriend. They’re the ones who went ballistic. Not her.
’I didn’t cancel prom, your parents did.’
’Come on, lay off her.’
Now that’s a voice she’d recognise everywhere.
Mary Macdonald is undoubtedly the it-girl of Hogwarts High. She’s nice, he’s beautiful, she’s popular, she’s the cheer captain…
She’s who people want to be when they’re in high school.
But more importantly, she’s the one coming to her defense right now, even though Lucinda and Patricia are her best friends, just like Lily knew she would.
’So what, you’re on her side now?’
’Im not on anyone’s side, I’m just not four years old anymore.’
Patricia and Lucinda immediately shut up.
Mary turns around and walks away. ‘See you two at practice!’
’Unlike your social life, this isn’t over.’ Lucinda can’t help but tell her while she and Patricia walk to their next lesson.
———
God people suck at Hogsmeade. They really really suck.
Just as she came out of history class, two people approached her. She knew exactly who they were. Everyone does.
Nicholas Mulciber put his arm around her. Antonin Dolohov following him of course. ‘So Lily, who’s the girl you were going to take to the prom anyway? I didn’t know we had more then one lesbo in town.’
She immediately moves his arm and scoffs. ‘You wouldn’t know her, she’s new here.’
’So is she like, an exchange student?’ Antonin asks.
Lily turns around. They’ll believe anything she says anyway, why not mess with them a little?
’Maybe’She says, smiling, and then turns around, with every intention to walk away. But, as she probably should’ve expected, Mulciber can’t go without giving her an extra comment.
’If she’s an exchange student, why can’t you just, exchange her for a guy?’
That shouldn’t bother her as much as it does. But it does. That’s what her parents said when she came out. “Just replace her with a guy, and we won’t be mad.” She freezes. She wants to reply, wants to tell them they’re homophobic assholes. That’s all she wants to do. But her mouth doesn’t.
Antonin is the next to reply. ‘Dude? Nice burn.’
Yep. She will definitely avoid them as much as she can from now on.
———
’Lils?’
’Hey Rem.’ She says with a soft smile.
Remus Lupin is probably the one person in her school who’s actually on her side. Luckily, he has some power as class representative. He’s willing to fight for her. Yes because they’re best friends, but also because he too is very very gay. He hasn’t come out yet though, so no one knows it.
’Okay so I talked to the city’s attorney, she agrees this is a civil right issue.’ Remus looks happier then he’s looked since this whole thing started. He puts a hand on her shoulder. ‘This is a really big deal Lily. We’ll see how the PTA meeting goes tomorrow. But the way it’s looking right now, we have a really big chance of getting Prom back. And most importantly, getting you and her on there.’
’Rem this is…. Wow. Thank you, so so so much!’
’You’re welcome, you’d do the same for me.’ Remus looks down at his watch. ‘Shit, I’ve gotta get to class. See you later Lils, I love you.’
’Love you too.’
Everything’s going to be okay. All she needs to do right now, is just breathe, survive, suck it up. It’ll all be over soon. And besides, it wouldn’t be high school without a test. And she is going to ace this one.
———
James and Sirius are, once again, absolute idiots.
Just as they were about to go, Marlene’s car broke down. James’s is at the garage, Peter usually uses his sister’s, who is now out of town, and they certainly can’t use Sirius’s motorcycle for the four of them. So they had to go and use their very last resort, an absolute nightmare for celebrities.
Public transportation. Ew.
James and Sirius were playing rock-paper-scissors. Try to pass some time while waiting for the bus.
But during their tiebreaker (James won because he always does), they didn’t hear Pete and Marlene shout at them that the bus was here. So they missed their bus, they’re on the next one right now.
It’s pretty empty in the bus. They’re all the way in the back. Except them, there’s probably about three people, all in the front. They’re all on their phones. Nobody pays any attention to them, which is pretty uncommon as celebrities. They’re still glad though, it’s nice getting to have a conversation in private.
’God I have such a headache.’
Sirius is the worst hungover. James has spent so much hangovers with him, he knows exactly what to do though. Just let him whine. This is exactly what he plans to do right now, in the back of an public bus. (Ew.)
Today is a bit different from his other hangover though. Sirius had been awfully quiet today. Okay, not that quiet. It’s Sirius. But still, way quieter than he usually is. He seems kind of distracted as well. It’s probably nothing, if it was Sirius would tell him.
He must’ve been missing Regulus. It’s weird, not having him here, for the both of them. Combine that with the press calling them narcissists and the hangover. No wonder he’s a bit more quiet.
Sirius leans his head on James’s shoulder. ‘Jamie? We’re good people, right?’
That was certainly a question he did not expect to hear. He looks at Sirius’s face. It’s an expression he’s never seen before. He can’t quite make it out. He does know, that it is absolutely not happy.
’Of course we are Pads. Why do you ask? Please tell me you aren’t actually staring to believe the press. They’re morons.’
’No, no not that. It’s just, we got into this business, yes, because we loved it. But for me, it was also because I really wanted to prove my parents wrong. You know what they’re like. But now, with what the media is saying, it almost seems..’ Sirius’s voice breaks. ‘It just almost seems like they’re saying I’m exactly like them.’
James hugs him immediately. ‘Pads..’
Sirius is properly crying now. ‘And I, I hate that I’m just like them. And i hate that they were right, that I never would make it with you guys..’
’Padfoot’ James says as holds him close, allowing him to cry it all out.
’and that I’m a narcissist, that I only care about myself. And now the press is saying it too and I just can’t..’
’Padfoot’ James tries again.
’And they’re right that I’m not worthy of love, which is very obvious seeing as I’m single and have fucked up every relationship I’ve ever had, and I hate that..’
’Pads shut up and listen to me!’
Sirius’s head snaps up. His eyes full of tears, his body shaking a bit.
’Your birth parents are not right. Not in the slightest. Not about any of this. You are absolutely nothing like them, do you hear me? I don’t think you’re capable of even being a little like them.’
Sirius still doesn’t seem convinced, but he has settled down a bit. His voice is still shaking though. ‘I’m, I’m not?’
’Absolutely not mon étoile. You’re not even slightly close to being like them’”
He seems to calm down a bit, but he still isn’t convinced. ‘How do you know?’
’Because..’ James shifts a bit, he’s still hugging Sirius tightly, but now he can see his face a bit clearer. ‘Bad people don’t worry about being bad people Pads.’
Sirius takes a deep breath and pauses for a bit before continuing. His voice is still shaking a bit, but not as much as before. ‘I just want to prove them wrong, prove that I can do something… important with my life.’
’That’s exactly what we’re doing. Something important.’
’Yeah, I just hope we don’t screw it up.’
That’s how they stay as Sirius slowly calms down. Together, James holding Sirius, on the back of a public bus. (Ew.)