Lily's Very Buddha-rific Year

January - All Aboard Dem’s Funky Truck!
January 1, 1978
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls’ Dormitory

Dear Diary,

I kissed Remus at midnight, partly because Flora wasn’t here, and I didn’t even want to explore the possibility that I might have feelings for James.

Eurgh, Ves and I have the hangover from hell. I think I might...just...drift off...

Later
Gryffindor Common Room

Dear Diary,

Lis came and sat on me. "LILYYYY!" she squealed. "Oh, love, I missed you!"

Her dad and latest stepmom don't allow her back to school until the day before term, which is today. So she's never known the goodness of a drunken New Year's Eve Event - she has never lived.

"And Daddy Warbucks?"

"God, Lils, you know I hate him. He's a pig, that's all there is to it. You know what he asked me? He asked me if I was engaged yet. I tell you, the nerve. And d'you know who he suggested? Regulus Black! And then, even more appallingly, he asked Lavinia, the new wife, to owl Mrs. Black. Like it's not enough he has to ruin my life, he can't even do it himself!"

"So..."

"So by this time in about two months, I'll probably be engaged to Regulus Black. I'll be Sirius's sister-in-law - I can't let that happen!"

"...So what are you planning to do?" I asked her.

"I'm going to run away and elope with Sirius." She smiled.

My stomach sank. But - but he couldn't! He wouldn't let her throw away her million Galleon fortune just to be with him. Sirius isn't sensible in a lot of respects, but he knows that she's much better off without him, no matter what he feels for her. "Well, er, isn't it a bit sudden? Couldn't you start it with jilting Regulus and then...move to dating Sirius? I mean, really, why rush things?"

"Because taking things slow and being polite won't make a point!" She leaned in closer. "Listen. I've always wanted to break away and now's my chance. It's an impeccable opportunity!" Lis smiled. "It'll work out perfectly."

January 2, 1978
Over by London, where Rom lives

Dear Diary,

Missing the first day of term, which would make Dad's hair curl. But I'm sure Dumbledore and McG understand that there was a death and I had to go.

Lis and Ves are coming along, even if they never really knew Josie, which proves what great friends they are.

That, or my threats are very effective.

Later
Rom's Flat

Dear Diary,

Well, the wake was uber-scary. Mr. and Mrs. Berkhardt, Josie's parents, being Muggles, gave Josie a Muggle wake, and I expect, funeral (which is tomorrow).

This included having Josie's coffin open and her body on display for people to pray over her soul.

So for a while, Lis, Vesta, and I were standing around like goosegogs until Rom nudged us and said, "You larks, go pray over her body!"

"Why?" Ves asked.

"You'll get accosted and called a heathen and run out of town with a pitchfork, believe me."

So all three of us kneeled, and I tried to pray, but it was so hard when her dead body was just lying there. I kept imagining a horror movie with Josie's glued-shut eyes ripping open and she comes back from the dead now possessed by Grindelwald.

Obviously, the death has left me very distraught.

Rom took us three to her flat, and once we were there, the grumbling began.

"You know what, girls?" she said, shaking a spatula at us. "I hate - strongly dislike Dumbledore," she amended her words after noticing Dora creeping around the corner of the kitchen. "The asshat - don't you dare repeat this to Daddy, Dor - says I have to go into hiding - again. Like the four-year-old changing hair colour won't be a dead giveaway." She drew a deep breath and set the spatula down. "So be sure to call me Annie Thompson in public. THis whole thing is ridiculous!" Rom began to storm off, but ended up slipping on one of Dem's toy trucks and fell on her arse, which, despite my fierce loyalty to Rom, was fucking hilarious.

"DEMETRIUS THEODORE TONKS!" Rom bellowed. "You need to pick up your fucking trucks!"

We kind of snorted, and Rom looked at us scathingly.

"Oh, laugh on, loons. Laugh on."

And so we did.

Few minutes later

Dear Diary,

Ted just came home and saw Dem's trucks lying out and asked Dora if that was Dem's truck.

Dora nodded and said, "Yep, Daddy, Mummy said that was Dem's funky truck."

That's it, Rom is adopting me pronto.

January 4, 1978
Gryffindor Common Room

Dear Diary

Back to school. Ho hum. Amazingly enough, McG counted Josie's wake and funeral as an excused absence, which disproves James's popular soulless McGonagall theory.

The funeral was agony. I sobbed and...God, she's gone. Poor, poor Fabian. Even Rom, who's hated Fabian ever since he called her a typical pureblood after she wouldn't help him with ratting out Death Eaters, felt sorry for him.

And now Josie's dead and in the ground.

...Lis has thrown a note at me, noticing my lack of happiness. Here it is:

All aboard Dem's funky truck!!

In spite of the great amounts of tragedy in my life, I am smiling.

January 6, 1978
Transfiguration

So...discussion vis a vis Operation Mrs. Black - L.S.
What discussion? You're mad as a bull for even thinking it'd work. - L.E.
It WILL work, Lils. Just like Buddha told his followers, "Have faith, ye of little faith."
What do you even know about Buddha?
For your info, Buddha and I have a very close working relationship.
Whatever you say, Bull-woman.

Saw you writing furiously to Lis there. - V.c.
You mean Bull-woman? - L.E. Not even curious. What's up?
She's still convinced that Sirius will elope with her.
She's so removed from reality she's meeting fictional characters.
I don't know if she's as much removed from reality as she doesn't realise that Sirius isn't as stupid as her.
True.
It's just - it's like she's heading towards this impending doom and I can't save her this time.
We'll be there to pick her up, though.
You can bet your ass on it.

January 7, 1978
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls' Dormitory

Dear Diary,

Marigold Parkinson gave me a note. I'm surprised there's not one of those mail bombs inside it.

...Oh, it's from Severus. Oh - oh my.

Later

Dear Diary,

Who is he to say that he wants nothing to do with me and then ask me to help him again, hm? Who the hell is he?

January 9, 1978
Gryffindor Common Room

Dear Diary,

Well, I met him again.

And, God, why do I do this to myself?

He handed me the book back and said, "I believe you were working on something."

I took it back and began to continue my work quietly.

Finally Severus said, "I can't stand it; you're too quiet. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Lis is completely unrealistic, Auror friends of mine die, lather, rinse, repeat."

"Just breathe and work. You're doing just fine," he said.

Eurgh, all of this is just weirding me out. I think I need to release my pent-up energy and dance to "Gimme Gimme Gimme" by ABBA with Sirius. He's always game for some disco.

Later
Laughing my ass off in the dormitory

Dear Diary,

Has the Lord ever made anything funner than discoing with Sirius?

Luckily, it was on Vesta's wireless, and I grabbed Sirius's hands and said, "Chez Discotheque?" and he nodded and said, "Oui!"

Halfway through, all of the seventh-years were gathered around us, and while none of them had the guts to join us, we were all singing in perfect unison:

"GIMME GIMME GIMME
A man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?!"

And then, with quite possibly the best timing ever, McGonagall walked in and said, "Students, I have something of a serious nature to - what in Godric's name are you doing, Miss Evans and Mr. Black?"

"Le Chez Discotheque," I said.

"Oui," Sirius nodded.

"Would you turn off that cacophany this instant? I can't leave you lot alone for a second!" and she stormed out.

As soon as she was gone, Sirius turned to the "audience" and said, "Must not have been that serious of a nature."

And now Lis, Ves, and I are dancing, and we might dance forever if we get the chance.

January 12, 1978
Transfiguration

Tomorrow is the big day!!!!
Ooh.
You sound a little less than excited.
You = lark. Goodbye.

January 13, 1978
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls' Dormitory

Dear Diary,

Well, Lis's big plan went about as well as Ves and I planned it to.

"He said - he said I had duty and honour and - and that he couldn't ruin my life like that and other responsible bollocks, and oh, Lils, it was terrible!"

"Oh, I bet." I looked pointedly at Vesta, who shrugged.

"And he told me to marry Regulus!" Lis wailed. "To do my duty and have honour, because he could never have me anyway - which is a bit ironic when I was standing there right in front of him screaming for him to just take me away!"

And then she passed into incoherence. Now I think I should have told her what Sirius said.

January 15, 1978
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls' Dormitory

Dear Diary,

Lis has crashed, worse than November.

She hasn't left her bed since forever and she isn't talking at all. She just lies there.

It fully creeps Alice out. Today she poked me and whispered, "Is she ever going to move?"

And I shrugged while Ves said, "She's a bit jet lagged from her move to reality."

January 18, 1978
Gryffindor Common Room

Dear Diary,

I have nothing to say, except read this:

Dear Lils,

I know you don't like to hear about your mum, but this is something you need to know.

Your grandmother Sartori sent me a letter about how she worries that your mother won't live to see the summer. She's been having liver problems and such, but she's still staying out all night.

Keep her in your prayers. I know you're disappointed in her, but the fact remains that she is your mother.

Love,
Dad.

And enclosed is a picture of her. And instead of the beautiful olive skin that I didn't get, I see a jaundiced, sickly yellow. Her once-thick golden red hair looks thin and dull, and she's lost about a stone.

And still...

Her celery-green eyes still burn and taunt.

I am just like my mother.

P.S: Lis still in bed. This makes it Day FIVE. Ves says she probably discoes when no one's around.

January 20, 1978
Gryffindor Common Room

Dear Diary,

I sat on the couch, looking at the fire, when James, Sirius, and Remus walked out of the boys' dormitory (apparently, Pettigrew had a hot date).

"What's the matter, Lils?" Remus asked as he sat down by me. "January doldrums?"

"No, not exactly..."

"Why is it that doldrums make me think of snails?" Sirius asked.

How Lis ever thought he was ready for marriage is beyond me.

"C'mon, Lily, tell me where it hurts," James said.

I pointed to my heart, which was a mistake, especially around hormonal teenage boys. Sirius's eyes grew very vide. "WEll, I would love to examine those!"

James socked Sirius in the arm and yelled, "Back off, you pig; she's mine!"

"I'm going to leave before a threesome breaks out." Remus walked towards his dormitory, and I followed.

"So am I. Good night, boys!"

James kept after me though. "Honestly, Lily, tell me."

"Tell you? Can you even begin to handle it?"

"I think I can," said James hesitantly.

"My mother is drinking herself to death!" I screamed.

Then, like nothing, we kissed. No tongue or anything, just a long kiss. And I ran away, like some dumb first-year.

But how dare he take advantage of me like that? I mean, obviously I'm slightly distraught, and really, is that the time to snog a girl?

I THINK NOT.

January 21, 1978
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls' Dormitory

Dear Diary,

Lis is walking around. Getting accustomed to reality, I suppose.

She ate ravioli last night and sang along to "Gimme Gimme Gimme" when it played on Ves's wireless. It was so odd; Alice, Vesta, and I just were sitting there when Lis began to warble, "Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight..."

We all about died, and she smiled. "That was a fun night at Le Chez Discotheque."

And however altered, I think Lis is back.

January 25, 1978
Gryffindor Common Room

Dear Diary,

Ahh, a nice, relaxing doldrum-y night in front of the fire.

...James has just asked me if the snog ever happened.

Later
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls' Dormitory

Dear Diary,

Well, we've both decided that it was the moment and the news that my mother's condition was rapidly declining that made me especially vulnerable.

Or at least, I decided that. James just sort of nodded along.

Why is this all making me feel very guilty?

January 26, 1978
Transfiguration

L.E. - why didn't you ever tell me I was a blithering puerile mess? - L.S.
L.S. - We did. Several times. But you insisted you were the tres sophisticated socialite, so Ves and I decided to live and let live. - L.E.
That makes me think of that Paul McCartney song, the one he made for that Muggle film about a dashing secret agent..."Live and Let Die."
I had a feeling you'd say that.
Weeeell, live and let DIE!!!
Back to normal?
If you mean a blithering and puerile mess, then no.
That's what I like to see, Lis.

January 29, 1978
By the lake

Dear Diary,

I wish it was strappy sandal season again. Right now I'm wearing a floral skirt with knee-high boots, which, while being very utilitarian, clash terribly with my skirt.

James is walking out towards me again. Like so many times before. He really is a good-looking bloke - a fantabulous-looking bloke. Oh, bugger. I can feel his lips on mine, and I want to feel them again and again with no limits, boundaries, or margins. I always want him by me, so I can always have a Styx singing partner. I want him to be the Jimmy Page to my Lori Maddux.

I think I might be in love.

January 30, 1978
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls' Dormitory

Dear Diary,

Nothing happened last night. He just talked to me and was gentlemanly. But I didn't want him to be gentlemanly; I've had enough of gentlemen!

I kept looking at his strong hands and thinking, "Will you please touch me - anywhere?"

I think I might have blown it with him.

January 21, 1978
Gryffindor Seventh-Year Girls' Dormitory

Dear Diary,

My mum is dead.

Oh, no.