Unattainable

"Your turn Lils," Jasmine (Jazzy) Allen said, reaching for a black and silver blindfold. Her eagerly gleaming grey eyes betrayed her sober voice as she pulled a lock of her black hair out of her mouth.

15 year old Lily Evans sighed, smiled, shook her mid-back-length mane of red hair good-naturedly, and surrendered to the blinding of her almond-shaped sparkling green eyes. The whole prospect of Lily playing a variation of Truth or Dare, or any game for that matter, would shock a sizeable percentage of Hogwarts, seeing as she gave off and aura of seriousness and responsibility. Her friends however, knew oh so much better.

Alice Townsel and Mindy Hinta giggled as they conjured up a school hat full of folded papers. Alice and Mindy, who happened to be third cousins four times removed, or fourth cousins three times removed, or something of the like, looked very much like each other, with changes that only twin sisters usually made. Both had blonde hair, hazel eyes, were about the same height, went after the same types of boys, and could not live without their music. Alice, however, preferred heavy metal and was quiet about what boys she fancied, whereas Mindy had pixie-like hair, was very into pop rock and could not keep a secret for more than an hour, be it hers or someone else's.

"Truth, Dare, or Dire?" Mindy asked seriously. Lily pondered the query for a few moments before answering.

Truth? No, she had far too many secrets dear to her. Especially that one about-No! Forget the moron. That kiss meant nothing! Dare? Maybe, what's the worst that three girls could come up with? Oh, wait, that's the same thing Alice thought, and that landed her in McGonagall's office at two in the morning in a French maid costume with poor Frank Longbottom hand-cuffed to her. Dire? Well, it's not like she really had a choice.

"Dire," she said resolutely. She could practically feel the mock grave looks her friends were giving her.

"Is that your final answer?" Jazzy asked, monotone.

Lily imagined their faces breaking into grins. They knew that she never changed her mind.

"Why not?" Lily asked rhetorically, beginning to smile in spite of herself.

"Then let the dire deed commence!" squealed Alice.

"Take one!" squealed Mindy, shoving the hat at Lily.

"Only if you stop squealing! I don't speak pig, you know!"

The room immediately quieted.

Lily sighed and plunged a hand into the hat. She shivered as the papers began to dance, snake-like, around her arm. She quickly withdrew her hand, a piece of paper limp in her tightly clenched hand. She took off the blindfold and scanned the paper in question.

"You are so not serious," she said after a moment. She repeated it, like a sick mantra, getting louder each time. "YOU ARE NOT BLOODY SERIOUS!"

"No," came a soft voice from next to her. "I'm Jazzy."

"This is NOT funny. Jazzy, Mindy, Alice, you've got to be fucking me. Please tell me you're joking." Lily looked at her friends for any hint of an alternate truth in their faces.

"No Lily. We're completely serious. You have to do what that paper says. Otherwise, you know what happens."

Visions of herself in a chicken suit trying to seduce Lucius Malfoy danced before Lily's mind's eye.

"Okay," she said, obviously resigned. "I'll do it."