Inevitable

Chapter Two

One Week Grounded

The Problem Is Not The Problem. The Problem Is Your Attitude About The Problem. -Coach Brevin

On Saturday morning, Lily woke up to an empty dorm room around ten o'clock. She pushed off the heavy covers and rolled over to look out the window. The sky was clear, but she was shocked to see several red blurs flying around the Quidditch pitch. She jumped out of bed, dressed quickly, and hurtled down the stairs, grinning that she had won the bet already.

When she reached the bottom, however, Lily was shocked to see Potter already standing there, wearing ordinary robes. She walked slowly down the rest of the stairs.

"I'm surprised that you're not out there," she said casually.

"What? Blow my only chance on the first day of the week? I'd much rather stay behind and be bored until I can go down to breakfast with you."

"Well," Lily said quickly, "I'm not going for breakfast, I'm going to the library to study alone."

"You can't do that," Potter said in mock horror. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Besides, don't you want me around so you can make sure I'm not flying?"

"I do not want you following me around for the rest of the week."

"That's easily fixed, I'll walk beside you."

Lily thought quickly. There must be someway to make him want to go out there. I have to make him want to slip away, just for five minutes. I have to win.

"That must be a good wake-up," she said gesturing out the window, "the wind in your face."

His face lit up. "Yeah, it is. Especially when you're really high up, then you dive and - hey Lily! Where're you going?"

"To the library," Lily said, as she climbed out the portrait hole.

Walking along the corridor, Lily went through every possible thing she could do over the next week to make Potter cave in. In the library, she decided, she could go through sporting sections when she had finished her essay. Over lunch she would discuss the latest World Cup with anyone who knew something about Quidditch. She would even go up there herself for a bit if he insisted following her around.

"Hey Lily, I heard something very interesting from Remus last night. He said that you specifically stated that before you go out with me you'll kiss Snivellus," Potter said as he caught up with her.

She did a quick backtrack in her mind to her conversation the previous night. "That's right."

"Now I'm wondering," he continued, "is this a peck on the cheek kiss, or a full on the mouth I-wish-it-were-me kiss? If you're going out with me I don't think I'd appreciate you kissing someone else like that."

"One, I won't lose. Two, it would be one date, we wouldn't be a couple. Three, whichever you prefer," Lily said sarcastically.

"If you say so," he replied.

They were silent for the rest of the walk to the library. Passing through the doors, Potter suddenly dove behind the nearest shelf, pulling Lily with him.

"What- are- you- doing!" she gasped.

"Ha," he laughed, "let's just say that Madam Rogers doesn't like me too much."

"So what? Just don't do anything to upset her. Now let go of me, I have to go study."

Lily marched off towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts section, determined to find something on Stunning for her essay. She browsed through the books, pulling things out at random and trying very hard to pretend that Potter wasn't two steps ahead of her.

"What are you looking for?" he asked after two shelves of no luck.

"It doesn't matt - oh, I guess it won't hurt to tell you." Lily sighed. "I need to find something good on Stunning and it's uses. I know it's obvious, but I need quotes and bibliography references."

Potter ran his finger along the titles of several books, finally pulling out one.

"Try this," he said, tossing it to her.

Lily just managed to catch it. It fell open to a page about three quarters through, and the words 'disables without harming' and 'invaluable to Aurors' popped out of the page. She looked up to thank Potter, but he was gone.

She smiled to herself, hoping beyond hope that he was on his way out to the Quidditch pitch. Continuing down the aisle, she found two other potential books before settling herself at a table.

"Hello again!"

Lily looked up with a start to find Potter standing over her with an armful of books.

"Thought I might as well get started on this Potions thing if you're going to spend the whole day in here," he remarked.

*

Sunday, the day of rest, was the day of activity in the Gryffindor common room. Everyone who had put their homework off was scrambling to put together those last few paragraphs, and everyone else was just in the way. Lily and James were the only seventh years who had completed all their assignments the previous day; Lily because that was just her way of staying on top of everything, and James because he had nothing better to do, as Lily wouldn't talk to him and he couldn't play Quidditch with the rest of his friends.

Lily was sitting at the only table that wasn't covered in papers and books. She was writing a letter home when a shadow passed over her.

"What are you doing?" Potter asked. He sat himself down beside her, completely unaware that he was not welcome.

"Writing," she said in a clipped voice.

"Never would have guessed." He tipped his chair back, balancing on the back two legs. "Who're you writing to? Should I be jealous? Is this some secret boyfriend you're getting in touch with?"

"It's my parents. Don't you have work to do?"

"Nope. Finished it all yesterday."

"Havoc to wreak? Detention to get to? Things to steal?"

"I'm insulted, I do not steal."

"Want to explain where you got Snape's Herbology book?"

"I borrowed it. I fully intend to give it back, just wetter. And maybe unreadable, but I'll still give it back."

"You disgust me. Go away."

*

Monday went by in a blur. After classes, Lily scouted the halls in search of Garret Doyle, a Ravenclaw seventh year. He was in Lily's Study of Ancient Runes class, and was a Chaser on the Ravenclaw team. She had finally figured out how to get Potter out to the Quidditch pitch.

"Garret!" she yelled down the hall when she finally spotted his telltale lime green hair.

"Oh, hey Lily," he said casually.

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Sure," Garret said.

"Can you show me some Quidditch stuff after dinner?" Lily put all her energy into looking at his face, not hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Can you go out to the pitch with me after dinner and show me how to play Quidditch?" she clarified.

"Why don't you get your boyfriend Potter?" he said with a glint in his eye.

"Potter is not my boyfriend. Please Garret?" Lily put on her best puppy-dog face.

"Okay. Meet me in the Entrance Hall around seven, that sound good?"

"Yeah. Thanks, I owe you one."

"Hey Lily!" Garret yelled as she made her way back down the hall. "You have your own broom, right?"

"Um... I can use a school one, right?" she yelled back.

"Borrow someone's, you don't want to use a school broom unless you're really stuck."

*

A large pile of homework was waiting for Lily when she returned to the common room after her second ever try at Quidditch (her first try had been a complete disaster in first year). Garret had been a pretty good teacher, and Lily had learned a lot. That was really saying something considering that she kept glancing back at the school to see if Potter was coming down.

She had just dipped her quill in an inkpot, feeling far to exhausted to work, when Potter arrived at her table.

"What were you doing?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" she responded innocently.

"You went out to the pitch with that green-haired Ravenclaw. He's on their Quidditch team, he's the enemy, we play them on Saturday."

"Maybe to you. Garret's a nice guy. I wanted to learn a little about how to play the game, and he taught me." Lily had written two sentences of her foot-long essay, she needed peace to get it finished.

"I could have taught you," Potter said, sounding a little hurt.

"You couldn't have. You can't fly. Besides, I would have had to actually spend time with you."

"Ouch, that one hurt," he laughed. "Okay, ignore me, work on your essay. I'm fine, I'll just go sit over here... Alone."

Lily looked up just in time to see him wink as he left.

Nothing will get to him, will it?

*

By Wednesday afternoon, Lily had to fall back on her original strategy of total avoidance. Potter had popped up more often in the last week than in the whole of the previous two months. She went up to her dormitory, complaining of a stomachache, and had a good, long gossip session with Marlene and Pat.

"I heard you spent yesterday afternoon with him," Marlene said slyly.

"He spent yesterday following me," Lily retorted.

"But you didn't get rid of him," Pat said.

"She just fighting the inevitable," Lene said, with the air of one who has all the wisdom in the world.

"I'd rather she was fighting a worthier cause," began Pat, "like this new rule about Hogsmeade. It's not fair! Our final year here and now its only designated weekends because of this stupid war."

"Dumbledore does have a point though," Lily said, staring down at her comforter.

"Yes," Lene said, "I know it sucks Pat, but we don't know who's on what side anymore. Let's not talk about the war anymore. Hogwarts is perfectly safe and it's depressing."

"Mhmm," Lily agreed. She had come to dread the arrival of the Daily Prophet, because of the news that was always in it.

"I think he might agree to letting us have a final formal though," said Lene hopefully. "I'll go through the rest of the details with McGonagall tomorrow."

"I don't know why you want to have this thing so much," Pat said.

"Muggle schools have them," Lily added. "It would be a complete waste of time and effort though, with our NEWTS right after."

"It would be so much fun though," Lene pleaded. "One last party with all the seventh years before we go out separate ways. As far as we know we might not see each other after this year. We need one last night of memories. Besides, we'd have it after NEWTs, as a - an it's over thing."

"She'll get the message when McGonagall laughs her out of the office," Pat said to Lily.

A knock came at the door, and it slowly opened to reveal Melissa, a pretty, but very petite sixth year.

"Lily, Pat - Sirius and James asked me to get you to come down. They want to talk to you about something." she said quickly.

"He wants me to come down!" Pat shrieked.

"What about me!" Lene said, faking a hurt expression.

"Why won't he leave me alone?" Lily moaned.

Melissa stood there, speechless at their reactions (well, Lily's anyway). She gave them all one, strange look before backing down the stairs.

"Lily! Get up!" Pat shouted shrilly. She ran over to the vanity they all shared and pulled a brush through her hair.

Pat bounced down the stairs, Lily following sulkily behind. She stepped off the staircase to find Sirius Black and Potter waiting at the bottom.

"Afternoon, ladies," Sirius said while offering his arm to Pat. "May we escort you to dinner?"

"What's this about Sirius?" Lily asked while Pat giggled nervously. She completely swept by the arm Potter was offering her.

"Why nothing, Lily. We just thought it would be courteous for us to escort our favourite Gryffindor girls down to dinner, that's all," Sirius said.

"Yes," Potter added, making it impossible for Lily to ignore him. "Besides Lily, Sirius' cousin Bella has been flirting with me all week. Don't you want to show her up?"

"Ha!" Lily laughed sarcastically. "You can't get it through your thick head can you? I. Don't. Like. You. Not one bit. You can marry Bella for all I care. I'm not going to feel jealous, or possessive, or whatever it is you want me to feel. The only authority I have over you is that I'm Head Girl. You, on the other hand, have no authority over me. I don't care what you do with your life as long as you leave me alone!"

She stormed out the door without another look at Potter, Sirius, or Pat.

*

Lily was very relieved that Potter left her alone for the rest of the day. She was, however, surprised that he didn't go to the Quidditch practice after dinner. She had assumed that the bet was off. She felt a little sorry for the bluntness that she had used, and had tried to approach him to apologize for the severity with which she had expressed herself. However, he had seen her coming down the hall and surrounded himself with a group of his admirers.

*

Thursday night Lily was up in bed, when she remembered that she had left her Charms homework on one of the tables downstairs. She slipped out of bed and into her dressing gown. Creeping quietly out the door and down the stairs, she was surprised to hear voices in the common room; it was nearly two in the morning.

I'll have to send them to bed. It's far too late for students to be up. Ugh, it's far too late for me to be Head Girl.

"-get it Padfoot. The one girl I like is the only one who can't stand me. It's not fair."

That's Potter's voice! What's he talking about, me? Who's Padfoot? Lily stopped in place on the stairs, just above the point where she could be seen.

"Not much in life is, Prongs. You've always known she thinks you're full of yourself, stop giving her reasons to believe it."

Prongs? Is that Sirius' voice?

"Much help you are, mate. I've only got one more day on the ground before she has to go out with me. Do you think she'll come? Damn it... I'm not supposed to be this... I don't know. Did you hear what she said to me yesterday?"

"The whole flippin' common room heard that. Don't worry about it, Lily'll come around. If she doesn't, you've always got Bella."

"You know that was a joke. Just wanted to know what she'd say. I honestly did think she liked me. I thought she was just joking around... like I was."

"Yeah well... I don't know why you're so worked up, you could have any other girl here."

"That's not the point. I like her. I really like her. She hates me."

His voice got very quiet, and Lily strained to hear what he mumbled next, but couldn't make it out.

"I don't believe you!" Padfoot (Sirius?) shouted. "I'm going to bed. You've got yourself in way to deep with this one, I'm not going to bail you out. I can't bail you out. This is between you and Evans. I'll tell you this though, if it makes you feel any better, Lene and Pat think she's just fighting what she really feels so she won't get hurt."

"So you think I still have a chance?" Potter asked quietly.

"I think you'd have to ask her that one. Or pick a different girl, I've been listening to the same 'she doesn't like me' for the past three years."

They left, Lily could hear them gather up papers. She waited until the sound of their footsteps had faded on the stairs to the boys' dormitories before going to gather her homework.

What was that about? Was it really Potter? He sounded so... hurt, sad. It couldn't have been him. Nothing can get Potter off his pedestal, especially not me yelling at him. Does he really like me that much? Could I hurt him like that? What is wrong with me! I'll just have to be nice to him for the next few days, till he gets over whatever crush he has on me. I do not like him. I don't... I won't.

*

After classes Friday Lily went off in search of Potter. She was determined to tell him that she would go out with him, she would lose graciously if it killed her. She had tried every trick in the book over the course of the week to get him out on the pitch. She had lost. The only problem was that he, Sirius, Remus and Peter were nowhere to be found. She wondered the halls for nearly an hour before finally seeing them standing beside an old, floor to ceiling mirror.

"Hello," she said, coming up to them. They all jumped and instantly formed a line, blocking the mirror from view. "Can I talk to Potter for a bit?"

Potter gave them all a reproving look before following her down the hall.

"Okay Potter, you won. I'll go to Hogsmeade with you tomorrow, and kiss Snape. If I must."

"It doesn't matter any more," he said. "If you're being forced to go then neither of us will enjoy it and I don't want that."

"No! You went through with your part and now I'll go through with mine!" Lily was in no mood for him to go and be noble, then she'd feel even worse.

"Lily, I don't want you to go out with me because you're obliged to. It doesn't work like that. I'll see you later."

He walked away before she could get another word out.

Lily stood there, dumbstruck. She didn't understand, what had just happened? Didn't he want to go out with her? Hadn't that been his mission in life for the past few years? And when did he become noble? Since when wasn't he a total prat?

Oh great, now I'm going to have my conscience yelling at me. The worst thing is, I'm almost... I am, disappointed. I didn't want to go out with him though, did I? No, of course not. I just feel bad because he's not letting me fulfill my part of the bet. Ah! I know what to do. I'll start tomorrow morning, before the game.