Masquerade

Masquerade

You hid yourself and never disclose
Your mystifying you I do not know

You kept me pondering, on and on
Until now, I think, my wish had finally come true

Chapter 4: Behind The Mask

A small group of four fifteen-year-old teenagers waited patiently outside Potter’s Porthole, James’s house. It was a large mansion with simple yet elegant sculptures on its white stone walls. The pretty, white Victorian mansion stood in the center of the surrounding high walls and green flourishing gardens.

James greeted his friends happily at the gate.

‘Do you live in a prison?’ Lily asked, staring at the towering walls nervously. ‘It looks like you need a princess to rescue you!’

‘Don’t bother her. She lives in the country,’ Remus said. ‘I live somewhere near her place.’

‘Afraid of closed walls?’ Peter mocked.

‘Should I?’ Lily asked. ‘I don’t like high walls. What if a dragon comes and invades this place along with Godzilla and King Kong? We’ll be stuck in here—as their lunch!’

‘There’s a spell placed around here by the elves,’ James said. ‘C’mon, get in. Have to introduce you to dad and Cindy and my bunch of giggling quarter-cousins. They’re gooses, really.’

‘Quarter?’ Sirius echoed inquiringly.

‘I’m not related to them idiots. Sure, they’re witches, but I seriously think they deserve "Dunces" on their hats!’ James huffed. ‘Get into your robes. Just put them over.’

James introduced his friends to his father, Edward Potter, a funny man who dressed like a genius (as Lily would describe). In that case, with a deranged sense of clothing. He looked like James but was taller than his son by a head.

Then came Cindy, a woman with chestnut brown hair, dark brown eyes, an oval face and, Lily decided, a supremely lousy taste for clothing and colour sense. She wore a white hat and chocolate robes with yellow earrings. Downright yucky.

Next came Jason Potter, James’s half baby-brother. He didn’t impress Lily much. He pulled her red braids, yelling ‘Goo ga goo!!’ all the time until James finally carried him away.

Lastly, a whole row of giggling ‘quarter-cousins’ of James came into the guest room, uninvited, and began pointing at Lily rather rudely. Lily hated them that very moment, and all six were given nicknames at once.

James then showed them to their rooms. Lily got a third floor guest room, pointed in cream white with little daisies decorated randomly. Sirius got a room next to James’s, also on the third floor. Peter got a room next to Sirius’s and Remus’s room followed after.

Lily stared blankly at her room. What is she suppose to do now? Well, unpacking seems like a good choice… her bag’s here and the cupboards are waiting to be filled.

‘Doing okay?’ James asked, peeping into her room.

‘Yeah, um, I guess so,’ Lily said bluntly, pulling out a collection of storybooks from her trunk.

‘My room’s just next to yours. If you need help, just knock.’

‘Sure. No big deal,’ Lily said, now flipping a book blankly. James sighed, closing the door. Lily tossed her book away boringly.

‘I think it’s the tenth time I read that boring book,’ she muttered to herself. ‘Maybe I should start unpacking already.’

She dug around her clothes. Most were muggles clothes, save four pairs of robes. She sighed. Everyone seems to be wearing robes in here. She’ll look odd in her muggle T-shirt and skirt and pants.

Oh well, that’ll just have to do. Besides, she is a muggleborn, and it’s not a crime to wear muggle clothes.

Lily yawned suddenly. Hmm… maybe she should sleep for a while. And maybe, if she’s lucky, she might get to know the ending of her dream last night. The part where the prince is rescuing the princess.

Lily stumbled to the bed and fell asleep at once.

~ * * ~

Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong! The clock in the hall chimed around the house. Lily sat up in bed, a soft smile on her sleepy face. She had had her dream ending and is satisfied with it.

Knock knock!

‘Yeah?’ Lily called, snapping out of her dream world.

‘Hey Lily! We’re playing Quidditch now. Wanna come?’ James called.

‘Sure! Just let me have a minute or two to wash my face,’ Lily called backed, rushing to the washroom. She unbuttoned her black robes and smoothen the lines on her white shirt and skirt.

In a minute, she opened the door promptly, grinning and holding her bronze-coloured broom in hand.

‘Good!’ Sirius said. ‘You’re with us, against the seven Giggling Gooses.’

‘Giggling Gooses?’

‘James’s quarter-cousins,’ Peter explained. ‘Lily, are you sure you’re going to play Quidditch in that skirt? I mean, it’s long enough and all but-’

‘I call them the Villain team,’ Lily muttered. ‘But my skirt’ll do fine.’

‘What?’

‘Nothing, nothing!’ Lily said, smiling broadly before humming a tune to herself as they march down the stairs. James listened to the familiar tune.

‘Lily, what song is that?’ he asked.

‘A song,’ she replied, before humming again.

‘It’s not like any nursery rhyme,’ James said. Lily laughed.

‘Of course not!’

‘Then how do you sing it?’ Lily stopped to think for a while.

‘How? Hmm…’

‘Hurry up!! We’re starting!’ Edward Potter yelled.

‘Tell me later,’ James said. ‘Coming, dad!’

‘There’s only five of us,’ Remus said pointedly.

‘Plus dad. Six.’

‘What about the seventh?’ Sirius asked.

‘A house-elf can fill that.’

‘JAMES!!!!’ Edward yelled.

‘COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

~ * * ~

‘Alright, I’m the Beater,’ Sirius said.

‘I want to be a chaser,’ Remus said.

‘I’m a Beater, too,’ Edward said. ‘James and Lily can be Chaser. Tibbles?’

‘Yes, master? Tibbles at master service!’ a squeaky elf said.

‘You’re the keeper. Peter, you be the seeker, get me?’

‘Tibbles follow master words!’ the elf cried. Peter nodded confidently.

‘Alright Edward! We’re all ready here!’ Cindy called out happily.

‘It’s ME, Cindy, who’s the captain of this team,’ James said, scowling, as he went to the center.

‘Mistress Cindy and young master James come to center!’ another house-elf squeaked, for he (of course) is the game coach. Cindy and James shook their hands. ‘BEGIN!’

The broomsticks shot up into the air as the whistle blew off shrilly. Lily caught the Quaffle from Cindy’s team where Cruella de Vil (one of James’s nicknamed cousin) is desperately trying to balance herself on her broom. Lily made a face at the girl tauntingly as Cruella scowled and cursed her (with words). Lily passed the Quaffle to Remus, who caught it neatly before sending it to James, who scored their first goal.

‘10-0!’ the elf cried. James’s team cheered. Peter and BillyGoose (Lily’s another nickname to the girl) were still looking for the Golden Snitch. Sirius beat a Bludger to Queen o’ Hearts (another one of Lily’s nicknames) and – as the girl was busy sulking – it hit her squarely in the face.

Remus snatched the Quaffle from a Chaser, Prunella (Lily’s nickname—again) and sent it hurtling towards Lily. Lily caught it deftly before sending it towards the goal post.

They scored.

‘20-0!’

‘Hey!!! I found the snitch!’ Peter yelled, putting his hand into the tree. ‘It got stuck in the tree!’

‘270-0!’

‘I thought it was 150pts,’ Lily said in confusion.

‘And extra 100 wouldn’t hurt anyone,’ Edward grinned. ‘Great play, Lily!’

Lily blushed. ‘Thanks.’

The Giggling Gooses team landed with sour faces, except Cindy, who’s beaming broadly.

‘It’s only a game, girls,’ she said to her nieces.

‘But aunt Cindy!! They’re all boys! It’s hardly even fair!’ BillyGoose whined. Lily gaped.

‘I’m a boy?!’ she screeched. ‘I’m a girl!’

‘She’s right, Selena (that’s BillyGoose’s real name). Lily is a girl, like you are,’ Cindy said gently.

‘She’s like a boy!’ Queen o’ Hearts wailed. Lily felt deeply insulted.

‘I’m a girl like you all are!’ Lily cried. ‘If you’re all such sore losers, why even play a game? And you, Prunella! You were dreaming half the time! And you, Cruella de Vil! You can barely even sit on a broom, let alone fly on it. Just admit that you

lose!!!’

‘What’s she talking about?’ the girls whispered among each other, wondering who Lily Evans is referring to.

‘I’m off!’ Lily said huffily, walking off, her prized broom on her shoulder.

‘What is the dear girl talking about, Edward?’ Cindy asked worriedly.

‘I haven’t got a clue, but it sure sounds funny,’ Edward replied with a goofy grin. ‘Interesting, though.’

James stared after Lily. He knew what Lily was talking about. How many times had Cerulean told him those stories? Countless. Lily had nicknamed all of his cousins with the villain’s names. Cool. They sounded creative. He should use them, too!

~ * * ~

‘A boy indeed, humph!’ Lily fumed in her room, practicing her transfiguration with her wand. ‘What sore losers! They couldn’t even sit on the broom and they’re blaming the team I’m in for being boys. How very ridiculously funny! I should dearly love to turn them all into hogs with warts all over them!! Shows them that I’m from Hogwarts!’ She pointed furiously at the table. It turned into a white desk, complete with bookshelves.

‘Perfect!’ Lily said, pleased, and began filling it with her books.

‘Er, Lily? Can I come in?’ James called, knocking the door.

‘Alohomora!’ Lily cried, pointing her wand at the door. It burst open. James, standing at the doorframe, was blinking blankly and in surprise.

‘ER, nice welcome to the room, Lily.’

‘Reversi alohomora!’ Lily cried. The door slammed shut.

‘I see that you are, um, redecorating,’ James said uneasily. He had never seen Lily this furious before. He hadn’t even seen her furious before! Calling her a boy must have insulted her tremendously.

‘I’ll put them back to normal once I’m done with them.’

‘ER, I want to ask… what was the song that you were humming when we were on our way down?’ James said, sitting himself on the couch.

‘Starry Night,’ Lily replied. She paused. ‘I think. How was it like anyway?’

‘Not the usual nursery rhyme you sing,’ James said helpfully.

‘Yeah, I guess it is,’ Lily said, putting her wand down.

Next question. ‘How do you come to know it?’

‘Hmm… Mother used to sing it whenever we were under a sky of sprinkled stars,’ Lily said dreamily. ‘Someday, I would want to sit under a starry night sky with my prince.’

Why is this sounding so familiar…?

‘Okay. Anyway, dinner’s ready,’ James said. Lily made a face.

‘I’ll skip it. have to, erm, maintain my body figure,’ Lily said, racking her head for an excuse girls usually use. She doesn’t feel like seeing the Giggling Gooses again.

James obviously didn’t believe her as he rolled his eyes at her. Lily’s "figure" is nice enough. If she skip meals, she might turn into a skinny bone bag. Besides, she’s those type of girls who can eat all they want and not affect their physical appearance. Also, Lily is what you can describe a food chomping machine.

‘Don’t lie. You’re starving,’ James said.

‘I think I’d better practise some Charms now,’ Lily said, picking up her wand again. Grrr….! James cocked his eye as Lily made a face that read "Ack!"

‘Yeah right. You’re coming with me, Lily.’

~ * * ~

It has always been a miracle how Lily can just be not there when they were at the table. Everyone talked as if she wasn’t there. Everyone joked, everyone laughed. Some of his ‘quarter-cousins’ even had the cheek to insult her!

But no one noticed Lily. No one asked her for second helpings. No one made her join in the fun. No one but James ever noticed her.

Lily. Lily, come on, join in,’ James whispered, pushing some scallops onto her plate. Lily ignored him and pushed her food to one side of the plate. She seemed to be elsewhere—at least, her mind seem so.

‘And that girl! What does she mean by Cruella de Vil?’ Queen o’ Hearts would say.

‘She didn’t make much sense in that speech,’ Prunella would reply.

‘But that’s Lily,’ Sirius would defend the girl. ‘She’s always that way! You can’t blame her!’

‘Pardon me, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, James and everyone else,’ Lily said suddenly, standing up. ‘I’m full. I wish to be excused, please.’

‘Yes, yes, go ahead,’ Edward said, taking another swig of butterbeer.

‘Thanks.’ With that, she walked away from the table, her head in the air.

‘When did she come?’ BillyGoose whispered.

‘She was here all the time,’ James snapped. ‘You were the one who’s so obstinate, with your cutting remarks. I’m not surprised at all that she left!’

‘Then she should speak!’

‘Dad, you saw her, didn’t you?’ James said. Edward looked up.

‘She’s a charming young lady. Beautiful girl, too,’ his father said. ‘Is she your girlfriend, James?’

‘Daaaaaad!!!’

‘Yes, yes, I saw her there… Sheesh, can’t take a joke, can’t you? But she is a pretty one,’ Edward said, winking secretly at James.

‘DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!!!!!’

~ * * ~

Lily was reading her book peacefully when a knock sounded on her door. She groaned.

‘Come in, James. It’s not locked.’

Cindy walked into the room, closing the door behind her.

‘Hello Mrs. Potter,’ Lily said tonelessly, flipping the page.

‘Lily, I notice you’re very close to James,’ Cindy started.

‘Correction, Mrs. Potter. I am NOT close to James. I barely know him, actually, and he barely knows me. We’re just friends,’ Lily said, her green eyes tracing the outlines of the printed wordings.

‘I think you will be a nice girl to James,’ Cindy said. ‘And as his stepmother, I feel I have responsibility to know you closely.’

‘Well, my names is Lily Evans, and I’m 15 – nearly 16 soon – in Gryffindor house in Hogwarts. Oh, I’m also a prefect and a Chaser in the house team. What good is that to you?’ Lily said blankly.

Suddenly, Lily slapped her book on the bed and she jumped off it hurriedly.

‘What?!’ she cried. ‘Me? A nice girl? To JAMES?!’

‘I quite think so, Lily, and I’m sure my husband agrees with me.’

‘But no!!! a friend I know loves James! And she’s—’

‘She’s not here,’ Cindy finished. ‘James probably hasn’t any feelings for her.’

‘But I don’t love

James!’

Cindy sighed. ‘Well, I’m sure we can decide that later…’

‘No,’ Lily said firmly.

‘And it IS too early to judge you, dear,’ Cindy said. ‘I’m sorry for bringing this topic up. See you tomorrow, Lily.’

Lily dropped back to her bed, stunned and paralyzed for words.

‘Hey, what was that yelling all about?’ James asked.

‘Nothing. A bad dream.’ Oh, she wished it was a bad dream.

~ * * ~

James couldn’t sleep. He stared at the clock on the wall. Two o’ clock in the morning. What is happening?

Maybe he should get himself some food. Tibbles might be awake, knowing his master’s stomach’s cry for food at the odd hours of the day. James pulled into his robes and tiptoed into the dark corridor.

No, it’s not really dark. There’s light spilling from the room next to his. Lily’s room. Is she awake too, like him? Well, one way to find out.

James knocked onto the door. He listened. There was a gasp, a sound of something dropping and some scrambling of papers.

Finally, Lily’s voice called out, ‘Who’s there? I’ve got my wand, and I’m a near-certified witch cause I’d just completed my O.W.L.s Really dangerous; one you shouldn’t mess with at all! Try and die!’

James grinned. What a welcome speech!

‘It’s James, Lily. Can I come in?’

The door was unlocked and Lily’s pale face opened the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw James at the other side.

‘Why’re you up so late?’ Lily yawned, closing the door.

‘I should ask the same to you. Your lights are on, so I decided to check on you.’

‘I fell asleep reading my storybook.’

‘Oh. Sorry. I couldn’t sleep.’

‘No point in waking me up,’ Lily said pointedly, yawning again.

James racked his brains. He had something to ask Lily… ‘I was wondering if you could, uh, sing me that song. The Starry Night,’ James said. ‘It sounded pretty familiar to me.’ Lily nodded sleepily.

I've waited all of my life

For the day when love appears
Like a fairy tale in days gone by
He will rescue me from my fears

And now I feel him standing close to me
And how can I tell him what he means to me?
My heart stands still... Has he come?

Oh starry night
Is this the moment I dream of?
Oh starry night
Tell me, is he my own true love?

Every night, I think of him
Here in my lonely room
Waiting for my prince to come
Wondering if he'll be here soon

And I sit patiently, waiting for a sign
And I hope that his heart longs for mine
He calls my name... Has he come?

Oh starry night
Is this the moment I dream of?
Oh starry night

Tell me, is he my own true love?
Oh starry night
Is he the one that I dream of?

Oh starry night
How will I know?
Will his love show?
Is he my own true love?

Lily’s soprano voice brought flashbacks to James’s first meeting with Cerulean. How alike both girls had sang the same song; and how alike Lily’s tone of voice is to Cerulean’s sweet voice…!

‘Cerulean…?’ James said in a daze. Lily, who was already half asleep (she was nodding already), woke up at once, her green eyes wide open.

‘What?’ she said at once. ‘What did you just say, James?’

‘… Cerulean… Lily, are you Cerulean?’ James said, grasping Lily’s shoulders. ‘Are you that girl, always dressed in blue robes and mask ever Masquerade night at Hogwarts? Are you? Are you? Tell me!’ At this point, he was already shaking her petite body furiously.

‘Um… yes, I am dressed in blue… how did you…?’ Lily stammered, shaken with fright at James’s suddenly aggressive nature.

‘I’m Night! Night! You know me, Lily, don’t you? I’m Night, and you’re Cerulean!’ James said, somewhat enthusiastically. Lily gasped for some air.

‘It’s always held at night, the Masquerade,’ Lily managed to say in the midst of breathing for huge gales of oxygen.

‘No!! I mean, Night! As in with the capital N! A name!’ Instant or rotoundo and a goldfish gape.

‘You… are?’

‘Yes!!! Why didn’t you tell me you’re her?’

‘I – I didn’t know that you- you were him,’ Lily stammered, her eyes wide with fright. James smacked his head. Yeah, it’s a masked party. How stupid can you get, Potter??

‘So I—’ James eyes went wide when he realized that he had confessed his love to the girl a day after Christmas. What were her words? Blind love. They don’t know each other. They are strangers.

Until now, at least. James’s Christmas wish had been granted. His wish to know the girl behind the mask.

‘And what was Cerulean’s – no, Lily’s – words when he pleaded her to show her face? Till Destiny decides its time.

Meanwhile, Lily’s mind was running wild with blur colours. James was Night. The mysterious boy she met every night of the Masquerade, from the very first day of the party. Night confessed his love to her. She rejected it.

It had been James confessing his love to Lily. It had been James whom Lily

had spent hours of nights with during the annual Masquerade. It had been James whom she had secretly crushed on. It had also been the same person whom she, Lily Evans, was so dreamy and crazy over.

Her reason of rejection – and her best one – is knowing that a girl would be out there for him.

Now Destiny had unmasked them both. And it is her, whose fault it had all been. Her strong belief of a prince in fairytales. She had left out the fact that the princes in the tales were strangers to the princesses.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

‘Well,’ Lily started, as calmly as she could, ‘now that you know who Cerulean really is, I guess that the magic must have finished weaving its spell. Its continuos yarns among us has caused trouble to Lady Destiny. I take it, now, that it isn’t much fun to know Cerulean, is it, without her mask?’

‘Well, I…’

‘I take you are disappointed, aren’t you? Wishes do come true if you have faith to believe in them,’ Lily whispered, tears stinging in her eyes. ‘May I ask, did you wish that wish of yours on Christmas Eve on Christmas night?’

‘Yes, but I don’t see…’

‘I wasn’t there. I heard rumours that prefect’s wishes will be granted. I ran off to my dormitory as promised. I don’t want my wish to be granted.’ Drip! A tear fell on the bed Lily was sitting on.

‘Well…’

‘Are you glad know, that you had known me finally—after all these years? Are you happy with the broken dreams?’ Drip, drip!

‘Lily…’

‘I don’t stay past midnight, because I don’t want to know you. I don’t want you to know me, either!’ Drip, drip!

‘Don’t cry, Lily!’

‘Fairytales are nice. They’re in our lives; I know they are. But my fairytale will never ever be finished.’ Drip, drip, drip! Lily rubbed her watery eyes.

‘Lily, please don’t cry,’ James begged.

‘I want to cry, because I have to! I can’t stop it,’ she whispered. Drip, drip!

‘Lily, what are you talking about? Don’t cry anymore!’

‘Jen… call Jenny tomorrow… I’ll go…’

‘But- but why??’ James replied in puzzlement. ‘Why should I?’

‘She loves you. Owl her. Or use Floo Network. And perhaps this is the last time we’ll ever meet, Night. The last time you’ll hear of me, the last time you’ll ever see me. I’ll be lost to you, forever.’