Standing Still

Standing Still 01
Juliet's Announcement

“I think I'm in love!” Juliet Sinistra swept into the fourth year girls' dormitory wearing an over-large smile upon her face.

Lily Evans couldn't help but smile at her friend's sudden declaration, despite the fact that Juliet was “in love” with at least three to four boys - younger and older - every week. “With who this time?” Lily inquired, marking her place in the book she was reading before stowing it safely away in the folds of her scarlet duvet.

A thoughtful looked passed over Juliet's delicate features before she sighed dramatically and collapsed on the edge of Lily's bed. “I don't know! But I do know that he's a sixth year and is very handsome.” She wiggled her eyebrows and sat back up, crossing her legs in front of her and facing Lily.

“Oh, Jules,” Lily moaned. “Don't you remember the last time you decided to chase after a sixth year? It's not that you're not likeable, but really - a sixth year?”

Juliet rolled her almond-shaped eyes. “Yes, yes. How could I forget that we're lowly fourth years without a chance in the world to be with sixth years. You only remind me of that every day of my existence!”

Lily noticed her friend's expression change from elated to rather depressed in a few short seconds. She hated raining on Juliet's parade, but if she didn't Juliet would end up getting hurt. Lily knew from her own bad experiences that older boys only went with younger girls when they were desperate, on the rebound, or for some other nasty intention. “Well, he could like you too, Juliet,” Lily said finally, ignoring the derisive voice in her head reminding her of Amos Diggory the year before - how he had strung her along and broke her heart the second his old girlfriend decided she wanted him back, how Lily had discovered he was merely using her to make the other, older, prettier girl jealous, how much it had hurt, and how she had vowed not to let Juliet take a plunge like that just to get hurt like Lily had.

The light in Juliet's eyes returned and she hopped up from Lily's bed to twirl around. “You really think so? Wow, me and a sixth year. In a relationship.” She let out a wistful sigh as a dreamy look overcame her face. “Oh, Lily! Now that I'm in love, you need a boy to be in love with too! That way we could double date to Hogsmeade and have a double wedding and live next door to each other! Our kids could be friends, and maybe they'd even fall in love too. Wouldn't that be wonderful?”

“Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself?” Lily queried. “You don't even know his name and you're already planning your wedding.”

Juliet scoffed. “Oh, my wedding's been planned since the day I discovered boys really didn't have cooties, when I was eight years old.”

Lily laughed. Juliet really was very funny if not a little ditzy and boy-crazy, but Lily loved her just the same. Juliet was from a pureblood family, unlike Lily who was a Muggle-born student, but did not treat Lily or any other Muggle-borns, for that matter, without the respect she received from them. Lily and Juliet had met and become instant friends on the very first day of their first year, on the Hogwarts Express. However, it was not the same manner that Lily met her other two elitist roommates that she would be forced to share a dormitory with for seven years, three of which she'd made it through already. If she made it through her fourth, Lily would be surprised since the two were trying their darndest to make Lily's life miserable.

“Are you listening to me, Lily?” Juliet was now standing with her hands on her hips, staring at Lily with narrowed eyes.

Lily wrinkled her nose and apologized. “I drifted off. You know me. What were you saying?” “I was saying that the love of my life is absolutely gorgeous!” Juliet squealed happily, twirling again. “He's got these amazing blue eyes that make me absolutely melt. And his hair is just wonderful, even better than yours and that's saying something!”

Lily raised an eyebrow and ran a hand through her currently tangled red tresses. She'd been growing her hair out ever since she was little and had never really cut it, save for a trim of an inch or so every couple of months. Her long hair was one of her prettier features and she was always getting complimented on it, especially by Juliet (whose own dark hair was very, very pretty).

Seeing the self-conscious gesture of Lily's, Juliet quickly added, “I mean, you still have beautiful hair and all, but his is just magnificent!”

“I know what you mean, Jules. And I'm not feeling jealous even though I've now got mystery boy vying for the title of 'Best Hair'.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Great!” Juliet's usual perkiness was back and Lily grinned. It was no wonder people wondered how the two managed to be such close friends. The girls' personalities and viewpoints differed greatly.

Whereas Lily was more timid and laid-back, Juliet was outgoing and overly-dramatic. Lily loved to just curl up and read a good book while Juliet preferred an adventure of some sort or some teen magazine that she'd just bought. Juliet was also more into fashion and looking her best while Lily thought fighting crowds in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley was too ridiculous just to buy the newest, trendiest designer robes available at the moment. When Juliet went out on one of her boy-chasing (man-chasing now, obviously) trysts, Lily stayed in the dormitory and reveled in her newly-found chance to read.

Personality wasn't the only thing Lily and Juliet differed in; their appearances were also very different. Lily was taller, standing at five feet seven inches and was more slender. Her bright pine-green eyes stood out startlingly against her creamy complexioned skin and Lily's curly red locks tumbled over her shoulders and fell all the way to the middle of her back. Juliet stood at five feet three inches and had a slightly chubby build, although that didn't effect her chipperness in the least. Juliet often said that she probably wouldn't look right any smaller and accepted her weight. She had almond-shaped brown eyes the color of melted chocolate that were always framed with her thin glasses and a beautiful olive-colored skin tone. Juliet's dark brown hair was not quite as long as Lily's, reaching about an inch below her shoulders, and it was always pulled back with the intricately designed comb that she had received as a gift from her late grandmother, who had just passed away the previous year. The two had been very close and it was one of the few mementos that Juliet had to remind herself of the small, white-haired woman.

Lily was just about to ask Juliet more about the boy she was “in love” with when the door to the dormitory swung open so violently that it hit the wall with a loud bang. The two girls already inhabiting the room exchanged knowing looks; door-banging-wall was the trademark and very exaggerated entrance of Elizabeth McKenzie and Nancy Shook.

“Hello, girls,” Elizabeth drawled, a smirk adorning her face as she walked across the room to glance in the mirror (“You look splendid today, dear!”). “How are we?”

Lily forced a very fake smile upon her lips and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear; she often did that in the presence of Elizabeth and Nancy and Juliet had come to find out it was a sure-fire sign of annoyance. “We're very good,” Juliet answered in a syrupy sweet voice, making Lily gag.

Elizabeth turned and rolled her eyes at Nancy, who snickered. In turn, Lily rolled her eyes at Juliet. The two fake blonde haired, blue eyed fourteen-year-olds weren't on very good terms with Juliet and Lily, as Juliet and Lily weren't with them.

Lily felt a surge of relief wash through her when the other girls walked prissily to Nancy's bed and drew the curtains around them. Instantly, hyena-like laughter filled the room. Lily figured they must be talking about boys. Boys seemed to be the popular subject of conversation around Hogwarts these days, Lily discovered and all at once realized it was most likely because of the annual Halloween Ball that was just around the corner. Lily had no interest in going with anybody if she even went all, but she knew for most other fourth years, it was a top priority to get a date. Most of the female population of Hogwarts were vying for the attention of sixth years and above, and Lily almost felt sorry for the lack thereof that the fourth and fifth year boys were receiving.

“Common room?” Juliet mouthed, raising her eyebrows in an inquiring motion. She loved raising her eyebrows and had tried to master the technique of raising just one at once, like Lily was able to do, but she hadn't quite gotten there yet.

Lily nodded and stood up from her bed, patting out the wrinkles while Juliet made a face. Lily was a neat freak who believed that everything had its place and that's where it should always be when not in use. Juliet, however, was another story; she believed that the floor was a huge shelf for anything and everything and that's where most of her things went. Lily had long ago given up trying to clean up after her friend.

For eight o'clock in the evening, the common room was still pretty crowded, although several of the younger kids, as well as a few of the older ones, were already in their night clothes and dressing gowns.

They had walked halfway to their favorite spot - on the fluffy scarlet couch by the fireplace that hardly anyone ever sat on - when Juliet grabbed Lily's arm and let out a small shriek, drawing the attention of several students close by. Lily quickly wrenched her arm away, shot Juliet a reprimanding look, and then hissed, “What is it, Juliet?” under her breath. Eyes were still on the pair and Lily was beginning to feel uncomfortable underneath the stares.

“That's him! That's the man I'm in love with!” She pointed, and Lily quickly swatted her arm down.

“It's not nice to point.” Lily looked to the group of boys Juliet had pointed at and was shocked. “Jules, they're practically the most popular guys in school and you have to fall in love with one of them? That's just the greatest decision you've ever made. And I can't believe you don't even know his name!”

Juliet pouted. “I'm so glad to know that I have your support,” she muttered dryly. “Anyway, what's that boy's name?”

Lily followed Juliet's finger, which was pointed at a tall, muscular sixth year with dark brown hair down to his ears. He looked like the stereotypical bad-boy with his Muggle leather jacket on. “That's Sirius Black.”

“Sirius.” Juliet giggled. “That's such a great name! Where have I heard it before?”

Lily stole a quick glance at Juliet just to make sure she was joking. She wasn't. “Um, besides being a word, it's a constellation known at the Dog Star.”

“That's just so manly. I have to go talk to him!”

Before Lily could wonder what was “manly” about being named after the Dog Star, Juliet had started off toward the group. Before she could get very far, though, Lily thrust out a hand and grabbed a handful of Juliet's set of light pink robes, pulling her back. “You can't just waltz over there to them, Juliet.”

A fire was blazing in Juliet's eyes. “Why?” she demanded, pulling her robes out of Lily's hand. “You've wrinkled my robes!”

“Sorry. You can't go over there because he is a popular sixth year and you're a pesky blood stain from an injury on his favorite set of Quidditch robes (he does play Quidditch, you know) that won't come out.”

“Nice metaphor, Lily.” Juliet's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she eyed Lily with daggers in her eyes. “If you don't want me to go over there, I won't. But let me warn you, you're not going to be holding me back all of my Hogwarts career.” She turned and stalked over to the fireplace.

Lily felt her face fall. Her eyes stung with tears as Juliet's harsh words rang in her head. Was she really holding her friend back? Now that she thought about it, Lily decided that it sounded like she was being a wet blanket, getting in the way of Juliet having a good time by being overly cautious.

And she'd be damned if she didn't change that.