Wizarding Betrothal

Chapter 9: Crazy Boys

Lily was going to have to break down and start using a calendar; she had forgotten all about her Prefect Rounds. Good thing Benjamin was keeping up with the schedule. Three nights each week, Lily Evans and Benjamin Summers, the fifth year Gryffindor Prefects, were to patrol their scheduled portion of the castle for rule-breakers and mischief-makers. It was the early shift, and older students were still allowed in designated areas, so they didn't get to do much but send the little kids to their common rooms and remind everyone else not to loiter. Being a Prefect wasn't nearly as exciting as Lily had hoped. James did try to warn her...

They were pacing the dim corridors near the end of their patrol, and the only sounds to be heard were the echoing taps of their footsteps, and the occasional whispering of the portraits. Benjamin kept glancing her way.

"How are things with Matt?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I've just noticed that he hasn't been taking your break-up real well."

"He'll get over it," Lily said. She hadn't realised that Matt was so obvious about it with everyone else too. "What has he been saying?" Maybe she should worry - or at least tell him off again.

"Oh, nothing much."

"Liar."

Benjamin coloured and stared straight ahead.

"Benjamin, you know I can always tell when you're lying." It was the way he held his breath, but she would never tell him that. "What's the little rat been saying about me?"

He looked at her in surprise. Maybe she shouldn't call Matt names in front of his dorm-mates.

"He's just having a hard time is all. He's hoping to patch things up."

"Yeah well, I'm hoping to be crowned Queen."

"So you're sure it's over?"

"Absolutely."

With a deep breath he added, "And you're okay?"

"I'm okay." Matt had really hurt her, and it still stung. Lily's throat was tightening. "I wish he would leave me alone. I just want to move on."

"Moving on can be good. Everybody needs a fresh start sometimes."

Pausing to wait for a staircase to adjust itself, Lily looked up at him. "Everybody? Do you think you need a fresh start, Benjamin?"

"Me? Oh, umm..." He held his breath.

"Don't bother lying to me," Lily said.

Sighing, Benjamin laughed. "How do you do that?"

"I'm the Divine Oracle of Truth-Telling. Didn't you know?" A nearby portrait started sniggering and Benjamin shook his head in defeat as they ascended the staircase.

CRASH! Lily flinched when a deafening noise ricocheted around the stone walls. The clanging trailed off as Lily and Benjamin jogged towards the source. Hushed whispers stopped when they rounded the corner and Lily fought back a giggle. Zebulun Summers was entangled in a collapsed suit of armour sprawled across the floor; another first year was desperately trying to aid his escape. Hilarious was the only word for it.

"Benji! Dear, dear, dear brother!" Zebulun said in a too-happy voice. "How nice to see you!"

"Shut-it, Zeb!" Benjamin growled. "What do you think you're doing out here? It's after hours."

"Is it that late already? I had no idea! We'll just be running along then..." He noisily scrambled to his feet while his friend nodded. They were about to sprint when Benjamin grabbed his little brother by the arm.

"Not so fast," he said. Lily blocked the other boy's path, drawing her wand.

"Miss. Evans," Benjamin continued with false pomp and ceremony, "Do correct me if I am mistaken, but it appears as though these carousing juveniles are up to no good."

"Indeed Mr. Summers. It seems they've been apprehended in the midst of a mischievous plot involving Zonko's Animating Arachnid Ointment and a suit of armour." Lily picked up the tube of ointment and pocketed it.

"I do pity their lack of originality," he said with amusement. No kidding! Benjamin had pulled the same prank in their own first year - only he hadn't been caught.

"Hasten not to despise their inexperience, Mr. Summers. They are but children, after all."

"Thank you for the gentle reminder, my lady. But shall your gentleness extend to their punishments?"

"Merlin, no!" Lily cried, as though insulted. Benjamin laughed but the first years shifted nervously.

"My thoughts exactly," Benjamin said, dropping the formal voice. "Do you think we ought to hand them over to Pringle for a good ankle-hanging in the dungeon?" Zebulun and his friend were staring in wide-eyed horror, their eyes begging Lily to say it was just a joke.

"That's a good idea," Lily replied.

"Oh!" Benjamin snapped his fingers with disappointment. "I just remembered - the manacles have all been sent out for a professional polishing, so it would be weeks before they could be strung up."

Two little boys exhaled with relief.

"What a shame," Lily said, biting her lip to keep from smiling. "I guess we'll just have to dock points then."

"Do you think 200 each is enough?"

Two little jaws dropped in shock.

"Gryffindor doesn't actually have that many points yet, so it'll have to be a bit less," Lily pointed out.

"Let's make it ten points each then," he said, " and if I ever catch either of you two buggers again I'll lock you in a suit of armour along with the Giant Hogwarts Boggart!"

Benjamin released Zebulun's arm and the boys scurried away at top speed.

Lily giggled into her hand while they ran. "The Giant Hogwarts Boggart?" she said. "You couldn't come up with something better than that?"

"Hey, I was working under pressure!"

Lily couldn't stop giggling; that was the best fun she'd had as a Prefect yet!

"Okay, it was pretty pathetic," Benjamin admitted. "But they bought it!"

"The bit about Pringle hanging them by the ankles was inspired!"

"Thanks, but I actually can't take credit for that," he said. He bent to drag the armour out of the middle of the hall. "I just borrowed it. When I was a first year the Head Boy, James Potter, used that on me and Josiah one night."

"James?"

"You remember him don't you? He was a Gryffindor."

"Yes. I know who James Potter is." Lily began to help shove the pieces of armour against the wall.

"Dinah had the biggest crush on him forever. Of course, she was four years younger than him, so he never gave her a look. She got over him once Chas came into the picture, though."

"Oh. That's lucky." What else could she say?

"Yeah. Potter chases for the Cannons now. I hear he has women crawling all over him. That's great for James, but Dinah's better than that."

"Yeah." Lily had figured that it would be easy for James to get a date, but she'd never really thought of him quite that way - with adoring women all over him. It rather turned her stomach. Think about something else. "So, Dinah and Chas seem to be getting pretty serious."

"She hardly talked about anything else all summer; it wouldn't surprise me if they wind up married."

Lily sighed wistfully. "They must really be in love. That's so cool."

"A lot of people are in love."

"Do you think so?" Holding the helmet in her arms, Lily stroked the plume and scrunched her nose.

"I know so," Benjamin said with confidence.

Her parents loved each other, but their love didn't look real passionate or romantic. "I don't know very many."

"What makes you say that, Lily?"

She dropped the helmet in the corner and they began to walk again. "I just can't think of very many people who act like they're in love."

"What's Love supposed to act like?"

Good question. How would she recognise Love if she saw it? In the movies, Love looked like amazing self-sacrifices, passionate kisses, and daring rescues. Lovers felt their devotion in every fibre of their being and couldn't bear to be parted or reunited without buckets of tears. Lily didn't know anybody who acted like that.

"I guess I really don't know," Lily admitted.

"You should find out."

"How?"

"Fall in love."

"Oh. Okay!" Lily said. "It's that easy, huh?"

"As easy as falling down."

"Falling hurts." What kind of crazy person wanted to fall down?

Benjamin looked at her. "Sometimes it hurts," he said, "but you can't be afraid, or you'll never get the good parts either."

Lily shivered and reached to close a window that had been left open. The frame was wedged stuck, and the panes of glass only rattled when she tugged at it. A gust of air struck and whipped her loose hair across her face.

"Recingo." With a well-aimed spell, Benjamin loosened the window casing and it closed easily in her grasp.

"Thanks."

"No problem." His voice startled Lily with its nearness. Dragging the last of her hair away from her eyes, Lily saw Benjamin's reflection close to hers in the windowpane; he was standing just behind her, watching her reflection over her shoulder.

She could sense the warmth of his body against her back when he reached in front of her to close the window latch. Apple cider - he'd been drinking that at dinner; the spicy scent was tickling her nose. Benjamin closed his eyes for a brief moment and then looked up to catch her gaze in the reflection. Lily couldn't quite breathe. Nor could she escape.

"Lily." Benjamin paused, as though steeling his resolve. "I came to school this year swearing to myself that things would be different."

"Different how?" Maybe she shouldn't have asked that.

"A fresh start..."

She swallowed and stared.

"Lily, I know I've never said anything about it, but I can't not tell you anymore. I really like you, Lily. I'm wild about you. Completely crazy."

Crazy was right! "Ben. Please don't." She sounded so weak.

Murmuring against her ear, he said, "You're the sweetest girl in the whole world, Lily."

"I'm not."

"I need you to know..."

She twitched her head a little away from him and caught her breath. Inhale. Exhale. Swallow. Inhale, again.

"Whenever you're near me," he continued, "I can hardly think about anything...except how pretty you are, and how much I want to hold you...to be near you all the time."

Lily's head was spinning, or maybe it was on fire. She couldn't think of anything but how close he was. How one of his hands was near her elbow, drifting up her arm. How his breath was ragged and hot on her temple. How if she didn't get out of there pronto she would have a lot of explaining to do to James. "Please, Ben, I..."

"Tsk! Tsk! Prefects, too!" A sarcastic voice from behind caused them to spin around. It was Regulus Black and Marissa Downey. Joy upon joy. Just in the nick of time, too.

"And here I've been thinking that Prefects were supposed to prevent hallway snogging," Regulus said. "I guess some of them are above the rules."

"Don't waste your breath on things you don't know anything about, Black," Benjamin retorted. He and Lily drew their wands.

"What don't I understand, Summers? Rules, Prefects, or snogging? Because I think I've got a pretty good handle on all three."

Marissa snickered and clutched Regulus' arm. He didn't seem to notice; he was too busy staring at Lily.

"Or maybe you're talking about Evans there," he said, "but I understand her better than you might think."

"You don't know anything about me, you nasty little slug!"

"Don't I?" Regulus detached himself from Marissa and slithered nearer to them. "I do know a certain one of your friends, who would be very interested to know whom you've been snogging, Evans. Very interested indeed."

Lily's breath caught in her throat. Did he know about her betrothal to James? She'd ask James about that later. For the time being, she crossed her fingers in hope that Regulus wouldn't spill her secret. Who knew how many people he could have told!

"We're already sick of you Black. So keep walking or I may just have to count you out of bounds," Benjamin spat.

"Ooh!" Regulus taunted, "Listen to the little fifth year talk like he's so big and bad!"

"I'm surprised they passed you to sixth year, Black," Lily said. "I thought they'd decided to hold back all the little filthy mouthed jerks like you."

"You want to inspect my mouth for cleanliness, Evans?" Regulus smirked and licked his lips. "You can look as close as you want!"

Ewww! That was way too gross! Even Marissa looked offended.

Benjamin was about to lose it. He raised his wand but Lily pushed it back down before he could utter the curse.

"Out of bounds: Regulus Black and Marissa Downey!" Lily was ready to have it over with. "That's ten points each from Slytherin. Go straight back to your common room now or I may just find you out of bounds again. Second offence in one night is double the points, you know."

Marissa gaped at her. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me." Lily meant business and she was willing to prove it.

"Don't get your knickers all in a twist, we're bored with you two lovebirds anyway." Regulus wrapped his arm around Marissa and strutted off down the corridor with her.

Only when they were almost out of sight did Lily look back to Benjamin. His face was red and his eyes were narrow as he watched them disappear around down a staircase.

"You should have let me curse the bastard," Benjamin grumbled at her.

"Like it would have done any good." Lily grabbed Benjamin's sleeve and dragged him in the opposite direction until he started walking. "He'd just come after you again later."

"So? I can take him!"

Lily couldn't help but laugh a little. "I know you can, Benjamin, but if you take points then you won't get in trouble too."

Benjamin gave a groan that sounded a lot like "Girls!" and pocketed his wand.

"I mean it! Save fighting for when it counts for something, not some stupid argument."

"I just can't stand hearing him talk to you like that, Lily."

"I can't stand hearing him talk at all!"

It didn't take them long to finish up their route and slip back to Gryffindor Tower. Regulus and Marissa had left Lily's mind; she was busy remembering the conversation that they had interrupted. Benjamin seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

The common room was far from deserted and Lily saw Laura beckoning her over to a group of girls huddled around a small table.

"Lily." Stopping her by the entrance, Benjamin spoke in a low voice. "I meant what I said earlier about my feelings for you. I don't expect you to feel the same way yet," he rushed. "I just needed you to know. I couldn't keep it in anymore." He stopped to take a breath.

Lily suspected he'd been rehearsing that while they were walking up to the tower. She couldn't blame him; she would have done the same thing if she could have come up with anything worthwhile to say. Unfortunately, Lily's brain was still shell-shocked on that particular subject.

"Can you just tell me, Lily...do I have any kind of chance with you at all? Ever?"

Lily wanted to cry. "I like you a lot, Ben, but not the way you want me to. I can't."

"You can't?"

"I'm sorry." She really was. Her stomach was burning and her throat was tense. Where was a good hiding place when a girl needed one?

Benjamin searched her face for some sign of hope. Finding none, he closed his eyes and sighed. "I can't give up on you, Lily Evans."

"Ben..."

"I mean it. You're too important to me. I can't let you go that easily."

"I wish I could give you what you want, Ben."

He nodded sadly and headed up the boys' staircase, leaving her standing quite alone in a noisy room.

Lily watched him go, and stopped fighting the pressure that had built up inside her. As the tears began to flow, she wondered, not for the first time... How many ways could a heart break?