"It's 11:11," she whispered, leaning forward to hand me a mug of butterbeer, "Make a wish?"
"I can’t believe I didn’t notice.” I laughed loudly. A bit too loudly, making the beautiful girl in front of me flinch. “Sorry, Lils. It just surprised me ‘cause this is our thing! We always make a wish at 11:11" I took the mug from her.
"Has your wish changed or is it still the same one?"
Lily’s beautiful emerald eyes shone so brightly in the dim light of the Three Broomsticks. I had never wished more that she would get over her stupid, gold retriever, jock boyfriend and choose me.
"Hey Panda? Are you still wishing about keeping Reg safe?"
"Yeah,” I replied. “You know I don’t like changing things."
It was always like that with her. Butterbeer. Wishes. Small smiles.
But no, I didn't make the same wish "as always". I lied. That time I let myself wish for something selfish. I let myself wish that I could have her. I let myself hope that she wasn’t madly in love with James: that she would fall for me, the delusional Ravenclaw with far too many Slytherin friends.
“Panda?”
Again I’d been distracted by my delusions.
“Pandora?”
“Yes?”
“Were you even listening to me?” Lily remarked with a hint of annoyance in her voice, “I asked how the studying went whilst I went to talk to James.”
“You mean whilst you went to flirt with James in front of his friends.” If she got annoyed, so did I. We were in fact academic rivals.
“James and I broke up a week ago.” Lily had stiffen and her voice sounded completely emotionless.
Wait what… They seemed so in love, so perfect, so mushy it was disgusting. And now I’d hurt Lily. Reg was always saying I was incapable of hurting anyone and the sweetest person he’d ever met, but with Lily, I always seemed to mess things up.
“Hey I’m sorry” I regretted everything I’d said and felt. Lily being upset and heart-broken was much worse than Lily being in love and happy.
“It's fine. We both like other people.” Lily mumbled, a faint smile crossing her lips.
Who could she possibly like? Remus Lupin? Or were he and Sirius finally dating? Did she like Mary Macdonald? It was a known fact that Mary and Lily had kissed at a party in 3rd year.
“Who do you like?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“What do you mean?” I scrunched up my forehead. “Is it Mary? I know you kissed in 3rd year.”
“No! Dora…” Lily stumbled over her words, “It’s you.”
Me! Lily - the beautiful, unattainable, perfect Lily Evans liked me. Pandora Lovegood. A self-proclaimed weirdo.
“Am I dreaming?” I asked, even though I knew I wasn’t. Lily Evans had stood in front of me and told me she liked me and it wasn’t a dream. Maybe I wasn’t as delusional as I thought.
“No Dora you’re not. You like me too?”
“Yes. I thought I was completely delusional.”
We giggled. Lily slid into the booth next to me and reached out to take one of my hands between hers. This was all my daydreams come true.