Outward Appearances

Chapter 7: Unwanted Date

"He's WHAT?"

Arabella laughed. "You heard me."

Lily raised a dubious eyebrow at her. "It's sweet that you're trying to make me feel better, but--"

"Lily!" Arabella cried. "I am dead serious. I wouldn't make up something like this."

Lily studied her friend, searching for a crack in her serious demeanor.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Arabella ordered. "I swear that if you could just hang out with both of them together, it's pathetically obvious."

Lily shook her head, stunned. It was ridiculous. The very idea... "How?" she managed. "How would you know this?"

"I've been hanging around with them lately, and it doesn't take a genius to pick up vibes." Arabella leaned her head back against the granite wall and sighed. "You aren't the only one whose been making a fool of herself."

Lily shook her head again, stubbornly clinging to her denial. It couldn't be true. It didn't make any sense!

But, it sort of did...

Oh, God...

She groaned. For a supposedly smart person, she really was an idiot. Why hadn't she seen the signs before? Did everyone else already know about them? Was she so stupid that she hadn't notice anyone making fun of her?

But Arabella hadn't known at first. Lily looked at her friend.

Wait! What had Arabella just said?

"You?" Lily asked, surprised. What could Arabella have done?

Arabella smirked. "Yes, me. I guess you could say that I have a tiny crush on Sirius."

"Well, I knew that," Lily said, smiling slightly. "But how did you make a fool out of yourself?"

Arabella ran a hand through her dark hair, sighing again. "Ever since that party in the Common Room, I've basically been throwing myself at him."

Lily held back a smirk and tried to look sympathetic. Arabella gave her a knowing look.

"Don't strain yourself, Lily."

Lily smiled. Maybe her best friend knew her better than she sometimes let on. Then another thought struck her. If it was true... Then... Oh, no.

"No," she moaned, covering her face with her hands.

Mistaking her moan for disappointment, Arabella put a soothing arm around her. "Hey, but this is better, right? It beats the alternative, doesn't it?"

Lily shook her off. She didn't know it was better or if it was worse, but she could only focus on one humiliation at a time. "James!" she groaned. "I just--Oh, God--said all those things about... No..."

She put her head back in her hands. James had known! He had to. Why didn't he just tell her in the first place? Her supposedly dead anger flared again. That jackass. He could have told her weeks ago! But no, he had let her go ahead and act like a total idiot.

"Yeah, I heard," Arabella muttered.

"What if he tells someone?" she whined.

Arabella raised an eyebrow. "Tells what? That he's head over heels for you, or that you lost it in a hallway?"

Lily flinched. "The last part. And James isn't anything over me. I've done nothing but yell and accuse him. He probably thinks that I'm insane."

Arabella held up her hands. "I'm not even going to play this game. But for the record, you are insane."

"What game?" she asked, confused.

"The whole denial game," Arabella said knowingly. "But tell me, are you going to make up with Marcella now? Because this whole feud has Vivian about to jump out of a window. She's dying to ask you about James, but technically she can't until everything is cool between you and Marcella."

"What does she want to know about James?" Lily asked hesitantly. She had no intentions of approaching Marcella. She could only imagine what the girl had told James behind her back, and over something so stupid.

"Well, Marcella has her under the impression that you're both having some secret affair." Arabella laughed. "Honestly. The very idea that Potter could keep his mouth shut if you were."

Lily smirked. It figured. Now she was definitely not going to apologize to Marcella. "She's going to have to keep wondering, because I won't be the one telling her otherwise."

Arabella looked surprised. "Why is that?"

"Marcella never would have made such a big deal about this if she hadn't had back-up. The girl can't even pick out her own clothes without someone's approval."

Arabella shook her head. "Come on, Lily. Marcella is her best friend. I'm automatically always on your side, aren't I? That's just how it works."

Lily didn't know what to say to that. "You're too smart for your own good," she grumbled.

Arabella laughed. "It's a curse. Beautiful with brains. I'm special because that's always been rare throughout history. You're an exception, because half the time you're quite dim."

Lily shoved her, laughing. She really loved Arabella. In a few minutes she almost had her forgetting all the crap that had just been shoved on her. "What would I do without you?" she mused.

Arabella pretended to look thoughtful. "You'd probably be huddled in a corner chewing on your hair." She made a face. "Or you'd still be with Rosier. Now tell me, who took it as their personal responsibility to nag you about that every day? Who made that list of reasons to dump him?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Who takes it as their personal responsibility to put their nose into other people's business?"

Arabella stuck her tongue out at her. "For the life of me, I'll never know what the hell you were thinking dating a Slytherin."

Lily shrugged. She had wanted a bad boy, someone who wouldn't stammer and stutter over something as simple as holding her hand. Unfortunately, Evan was also a perverted idiot. She sighed, and laid her head on Arabella's shoulder. "Thanks, Bella. I feel better now." Although she still hadn't processed this new information on Remus.

Arabella patted her head maternally. "I'm glad. So, can we talk about my problems now?"

Lily smiled. "I'm sorry about Sirius."

"Not here, Lily. We can talk about my crappy luck in the Great Hall. It's time for lunch, and this way the whole table can get in a good laugh at my expense."

Lily bit her lip. She wasn't ready to face anyone, yet. Especially Remus or James.

"We'll pay Fletcher a visit," Arabella said, reading her mind. "I'll introduce you to Greg."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously interested in him?"

Arabella shrugged. "He'll serve as a decent rebound board."

Lily smirked. "Poor Greg."

Arabella snorted. "He doesn't have the brightest bulb upstairs, if you get my drift. But he's got a great ass and it wouldn't hurt me one little bit to be seen on the arm of a House Seeker."

"Bella!" she cried, feigning shock. "I never knew that you were so shallow!"

She smirked back. "Well, I am. There's no sense in entering a convent just because you haven't found Mr. Right, yet. So, while I wait for him, Greg will have to do."

"You're full of crap," Lily said smartly. "You could have any guy you wanted. Greg must have something to him that you're not telling me."

"Maybe I am," she said, shrugging. "Or maybe I just need a distraction while I condition myself to not mooning over Sirius Black. The world may never know. Greg definitely won't."

"Poor Greg," Lily repeated.

"He'll hardly suffer in the process," she said dismissively. "But you'll know what I mean after you meet him. Come on!"

Arabella hauled Lily to her feet, and pulled her out of the corridor. Lily followed warily. She really wanted to go to bed for the rest of the day, and attempt to forget everything that had happened during the past few weeks.

When they got to the Great Hall, Lily carefully avoided looking at the Gryffindor table.

Damn that whole house, she thought bitterly. Why had she been put in it? At least Slytherin didn't house James, Remus, Sirius, or Marcella. The list went on. What about that idiot Deidlan Domerly? Of course, she didn't really have any right to call someone else an idiot right now. And Slytherin wouldn't have wanted her anyway, not with her parentage.

Lily shook her head, shocked. Had she just been wishing that she had been put into Slytherin House???? Lily sighed. She really needed a cigarette.

When they reached the Ravenclaw table, Arabella poked the back of Mungdungus's head. He jumped around, nearly knocking his milk jug over. He smiled when he saw them.

"I thought that you were Gilda Westen!"

"Why would we be Gilda Westen?" Arabella asked curiously.

Mungdungus shrugged sheepishly. "I kind of knocked into her while she was carrying hot blackberry juice."

Lily glanced over at the Hufflepuff table. Gilda was glaring daggers at Mungdungus while her friends tried desperately to get the dark juice out of her hair. Lily snickered.

"Hey, Arabella," Greg smiled from his seat across from Mungdungus. She winked back at him.

"Any room for a couple of weary travelers at your table?" Arabella asked, throwing a cheerful wave at Gilda.

"Sure!" Mungdungus squeaked. "Move over!" he said to two first years. They gave him a disgruntled look, but moved down the bench. Lily and Arabella sat down on opposite sides of him.

"So, Lily," Greg said. "Did Arabella tell you? I asked her to be my date when we go to Hogsmeade next weekend!" He smiled like a child who had just gotten a cookie for being a good boy.

Lily shook her head, surprised that he knew her name. "No, she didn't tell me." She resisted a smirk. He sounded like it had been a huge accomplishment.

"Oh, by the way, Lily," Arabella said. "Greg asked me to be his date when we go to Hogsmeade."

Greg looked confused. If he was as much of a simpleton as Arabella had suggested, then Lily had no idea how he was going to handle being around Arabella. Or vice versa.

"Do you have a date yet, Lily?" he asked.

"Nope," she said honestly.

"I could set you up with one of my friends," he offered. "We could all go together in a group."

Lily was about to protest, but Arabella quickly said, "That would be great!"

Greg beamed at her. Lily did the opposite, and sent a glare at her, but Arabella purposefully didn't look at her. Annoyed, Lily stared down at the table. She didn't want a date anymore. A pang went through her. Damn Remus.

"Maybe you could bring Vivian for me?" Mungdungus asked hopefully.

Arabella and Lily both looked at him.

"Mungdungus Fletcher!" Arabella screeched. "Do you have a crush on Vivian?"

He turned bright red, and stared down at his plate. "No..."

"Yes, you do!" she said triumphantly. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Viv!"

Mungdungus looked horrified, his mouth falling open. "Don't Bella!"

"Relax, Mungdungus. She's kidding," Lily said reassuringly.

"Oh... I knew that," he said, releasing the napkin he had been twisting.

"I'll see if she's free," Arabella said, shooting a look at Lily.

Lily avoided her gaze. She didn't care if Vivian came, because she wouldn't be going. Not after that scene with Remus in the library.

The rest of the meal passed by uneventfully. Arabella flirted shamelessly with Greg, who was very sweet, if not too bright. Lily listened half- heartedly. She was glad that her back was to the Gryffindor table. She looked up when she realized that they were all looking at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I asked if you'd like to go with my friend Xavier," Greg said, pointing to a boy who had just entered the Great Hall. "He's in Ravenclaw, too."

Lily quickly searched for an excuse. Anything to get her out of this.

"He's cute," Arabella observed. Greg looked hurt, so she quickly added, "But not as cute as you."

Lily examined the boy who was now laughing with some people at the Hufflepuff table. He was tall, with blonde hair. From what she could tell, being a small distance away, he had a nice smile. Not too shabby, but she still didn't want to go with him.

"I'll go ask him," Greg said, standing up. Lily opened her mouth to stop him, but he was already gone. Damn. Now how was she supposed to back out?

Arabella gave her a knowing look. "Rebound board, Lily," she muttered quietly.

Mungdungus, who was still sitting in between them, looked confused. Lily didn't bother trying to explain, glancing back over at Greg and Xavier. Xavier was grinning at her, and Greg gave her a thumbs up. Damn. Now she was stuck.

Lily stood. She had to get out of there before Greg brought him over to talk to her.

"I'll see you guys later," she said hastily, already walking towards the doors.

She couldn't help but glance over at the Gryffindor table on her way out. Shit. James, Sirius, and Remus were all looking at her. Peter was talking, seemingly unaware that no one was listening to him. Lily averted her eyes, her face burning, and increased the speed in her stride. She didn't breathe again until she was safely through the doors and out of sight.

Lily had every intention of sneaking outside for a cigarette, when someone caught her arm. She turned, half-expecting James to be standing there. But it was Severus. She quickly pulled away from him.

"What do you want, Severus?" she asked impatiently.

Severus stared at her, and for a moment Lily thought he wasn't going to say anything, but the words suddenly tumbled from his mouth.

"I was thinking that you might go to Hogsmeade with me."

Lily blinked at him. Was he serious?

Severus was looking intently at his shoes, his greasy hair hanging in his face, so she couldn't see his expression. But she did see the blush creeping up his cheeks. Ah, crap. Severus better not be developing a crush on her.

"Sorry, Severus," she said, attempting to sound kind. "But I think that I'm going with Greg Darvin's friend." What was his name? Oh, right. "Xavier."

Severus's head shot up. "Gallaway?"

Surprised, Lily nodded. Severus knew him?

His face twisted into a scowl. "The Ravenclaw Chaser. You know, Rosier said that you were only after reputations, not men. First Potter, now Gallaway?"

Lily scowled back, more than a little offended. "I don't care what Rosier had to say to keep face," she said angrily. "And I don't know what reputation he's referring to. He hardly qualifies as man."

With that, Lily left Severus standing alone in the corridor, possibly hurt and confused.

Much like James had left her only an hour earlier.

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