Head Boy and Girl
They all arrived at the Great Hall by eight o’clock. The Hall was full of excited children discussing their summer or the newest gossip they had heard. Lily sat down to the Gryffindor table next to Remus.
Mary stormed in just a few minutes before McGonagall placed the little chair and the Sorting Hat. She was wearing pink, heart-shaped sunglasses and she was chewing a huge blue bubble gum. She quickly sat down on Lily’s right.
“Merlin, Evan Rosier got really hot over the summer.” she said.
“Mary!” Marlene gasped.
“Okay, okay. I know he’s a Slytherin.” she waved a hand “We’re not dating the enemy.”
“Not to mention the fact that he’s definitely a Death Eater” James mumbled.
“Oh for fuck’s sake! Why every hot guy has to be a racist murderer?” she rolled her eyes. They all laughed.
Mary was always the kind of person to make everyone laugh even at the most stressful moments. Lily never once seen her being nervous. She always lighted every room she has entered bringing joy and laugh with herself. This was truly a blessing these day as the war became more and more intense and desperate.
They spent the Sorting Ceremony with trying to guess each kid’s house before the Sorting Hat. Lily got right almost all of them which after a while drove the boys crazy. They all laughed when Sirius threw his napkin at Lily which she had transformed into a butterfly on the fly that didn’t seem to leave Sirius alone for the rest of the feast.
When the leftovers disappeared from their plate Lily advised Remus to go see Madam Pomfrey to fix his face. Lily had already healed her little wound on the train as it was just a small cut, but Remus’ face was still covered in gore, and she was afraid that the first years would get scared of him. So, Remus left to go to the Hospital Wing, and Lily stood up, and she put her Head Girl pin on her robe. To her biggest surprise James did the same thing.
“What the hell, Potter!” she gasped.
“Evans, Evans. Swearing around first-years, huh?” he grinned.
Oh, how she hated that complacent grin.
“You’re... But Remus” she stammered “But Remus was Prefect. Why?”
“He rejected the offer. So, I became Quidditch Captain and Head Boy this year.” he straightened his back proudly.
It truly was a creditable achievement, and a lot of work of course, but Lily couldn’t wrap her had around it. Why James!?
“And why didn’t you tell me on the train? Or all those times when we met in summer?” she started to get mad, and she didn’t even know the reason.
“Well, I found out last week. It was sort of a lastminute decision. And well, I couldn’t wear my pin on the train, ‘cause of Moony, and then the incident with Regulus- Quite frankly there was no good time for it.” he shrugged.
Lily wanted to say something or at least yell at James. But she had to realise that it truly wasn’t his fault. He took this opportunity – as in Lily’s mind everyone would. Except Remus apparently.
“By the way, please give your pin to Sirius so he can transform it. Y’know ‘cause it’s silver.” James emboldened as Lily seemed to ease.
“I can transform it myself, thank you very much” Lily raised his head.
She turned around and without a word she left James. For the rest of the night she didn’t co-operate with him or helped him so it was quite a disaster.
Lily loved being Prefect and she enjoyed being Head Girl even more. It was nice to do it with Remus – although he never fancied stopping the other Marauders from doing mischiefs – who took all of his job very seriously. She was good with children so whenever a first-year student had a problem, they felt safe to go to Lily who always managed to find a solution.
When they finished the tour, she sent the little ones up to their dormitories and she lumped down on the couch in the common room. It was late, only the marauders and a few sixth-year student were there, everyone else already went to sleep. She left out a long, tired breath and she closed her eyes as she leaned back on the couch. She was exhausted by doing everything alone – even thought it was sort of her fault as she didn’t let James do anything. But she would never have admitted that. She must have dozen off because she woke up to the Marauders talking.
“All I’m saying that you looked better with the bruises.” she heard James’ voice.
“As if I didn’t already have enough scars on my face.” Remus responded sarcastically.
“Yeah, exactly. That’s what makes you the Macho of Hogwarts.” Sirius said.
Even Lily opened her eyes to that and she caught a glimpse of James staring at her.
“What?” Remus asked confused.
“Oh come on Moony! Half of the girls at Hogwarts are in love with you. You, with your cigarettes, Martens, and your messy brown hair. Plus, you’re smart. That’s attractive as hell, Moony.” Sirius said while spinning his wand around his fingers.
“Well, thanks, I guess” Remus shrugged looking away from the boys shyly.
“Anytime, mate!” Sirius stood up and patted Remus on the shoulder “Well, I’m off to bed. This guy needs his beauty sleep.” he grinned “Peter, if you knock the lamp of the nightstand again when you come in, I swear to Merlin, I will bite you!”
“It’s not my fault that I can’t see well in the dark…” Peter mumbled.
“Just try to be quiet, please. See you tomorrow Evans!”
Lily just waved goodbye. She was too tired to even say a word. She looked at James who was playing with the snitch and Peter who seemed very tired but didn’t want to leave before James. She was about to stand up and drag herself up to her dorm when Remus sat down next to her. He seemed quite awake. “No wonder” Lily thought “It’s full moon tomorrow.”
“Sorry, that I left you with the Head Girl duties.” he said guiltily “I wanted to tell you on the train...”
“No worries” she waved a hand trying not to look too tired.
The truth is that the argument with Petunia and the adorable, but loud first-years, and James took all her energy out. But she always had energy for Remus.
“So, Lils!” Remus whispered into Lily’s ears “About what I said earlier on the train... Besides my parents… You’re still the only one who knows. And I- I want to keep it that way. Just for a little longer. I’m- I’m still not ready to tell the boys.”
“It’s okay.” she whispered back “I haven’t told anyone before, and I won’t if you don’t want me to. It’s your choice.”
“Yeah, I know you won’t tell anyone. It’s just that… James is getting suspicious, and he constantly tries to find me a girlfriend. He keeps saying that ‘You deserve a girlfriend Moony, more than any of us’. He has introduced me to four girls today.” Remus left out a nervous laugh. Lily rolled her eyes.
“Do you want me to talk to him? Ask him to leave you alone?”
“No. No. He would put two and two together.” Remus replied fast.
“You want me to be your fake girlfriend?” the idea just popped into Lily’s head. She could do it for Remus.
Remus seemed to think about it. He always bit the left side of his upper lips and puckered his eyebrows when he was thinking. Lily could see his scars more than usual and for a moment it reminded her all the pain Remus must have gone through in his life. But she didn’t notice any new scars for a while now, nor bruises or bigger wounds, which was in her understanding a good sign. Maybe his wolf side started to calm down. She didn’t really know much about it (only those things she read in the library when she started to be suspicious, and Remus finally told her the truth) but she was happy for him.
“No” Remus said finally “I don’t want to hurt James. He’s been such a good friend to me, and we all know that he fancies you.” Lily rolled her eyes. Of course she knew. He has been asking her out frequently since fifth year. But she couldn’t help but smile at Remus being such a thoughtful friend.
Remus eyes widened as he came up with a solution. He turned to Lily with a satisfied smile on his face.
“Next time he mentions it I will tell him that I already have a girlfriend. I’ll say she’s a muggle. I just want to ask you to confirm my story. Say that you got us together or something, ‘cause you know muggle girls.” he looked away shamefacedly. His ears became very red.
“Oh, okay!” Lily shrugged her shoulders smiling “Yeah, no problem. But we should name her. Because what if they ask her name and you panic and say something silly.” Lily smiled at Remus assuring.
“Yeah, that’s likely of me.” finally Remus smiled too “Do you know a good girl name?”
“Emily Smith.” Lily answered.
“That was fast. Who is she?” Remus asked.
“We used to go to the same muggle school. She made fun of me in fourth grade. Then I accidentally set her hair on fire.” Lily said while playing with the end of her hair.
Remus cracked up.
“In my defence, I didn’t know I had magic yet.” Lily laughed too.
They talked for a little while about stuffs that they could only tell the other one. Lily told Remus about the argument with Petunia, and Remus told her the story of his coming out. Around half past midnight Lily hugged Remus, said goodbye to James and Peter and went straight to bed. She just quietly put on her pyjama trying not to wake Mary Marlene and Dorcas. She got into the soft and warm bed and while listening to her cat’s purring she quickly fell asleep.