Lily Evans (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lilium_evansiae) wrote2011-01-17 06:29 pm
lilium_evansiae) wrote2011-01-17 06:29 pm
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Girls' Dormitory, 3 April 1976
"Have you gone completely mad?" Perdita demands, slamming into their room.
All four of her roommates look up, then look at each other.
It's Cliona who asks, "And just which of us are you questioning the sanity of?"
"Lily, of course," Perdita says. "D'you know what they're saying downstairs?"
Mary, Cliona, and Glynis look from Perdita to Lily.
Lily takes a second to wish the floor would open up and swallow her. And then she marks her place in her Transfiguration book, closes it, and says, very calmly, "Given your reaction, I suspect they're saying I'm going to Professor Slughorn's party with Severus."
"What?"
"Lily!"
"Snape?"
"I told you," Perdita says. "Completely mad."
"Perdita, shut up," Cliona says. And then turns to Lily. "Seriously, though, have you gone mad?"
"Yes, the fact that I'm going to a party with a friend makes me a raving lunatic."
"You're going on a date with Severus Snape?" Glynis asks. "Why?"
"No, it's not a date."
"It sounds like a date," Glynis says.
"Well, it's not. We're just going as friends. It's no different than when I went with Cliona's brother at Christmas. You didn't all jump down my throat then."
"That's because it is different," Mary says. "Liam's not -- "
"What? A Slytherin?"
"Yeah, a Slytherin," Mary says. "I know you don't like it, Lily, but that doesn't mean it's not true. It is different, and you know it."
"Have you forgotten what they did to Mary last term?" Perdita asks.
"No, of course not," Lily says. Mary has dropped her eyes to the floor, arms crossed tight across her chest. "You know I haven't, Mary, and I won't, but ... but that wasn't Sev!"
"No, it was just his friends," Cliona says.
"He has terrible friends, Lily," Glynis says. "They're all really creepy. Except for you, of course."
"Well, thank you, Glynis," Lily says, a little tartly.
"Don't take this out on Glynis," Perdita says.
"I'm not taking anything out on Glynis!" Lily snaps.
The room is silent for a moment, and all four of Lily's roommate stare at her.
Lily takes a breath.
"I'm sorry, Glynis," Lily says.
"It's all right," she says.
"Look," Lily says, more calmly. "I know none of you like him. You've all made that very clear for years now."
"Lily, it's not that we don't like him," Mary says.
"Speak for yourself," Perdita cuts in. "I can't stand him."
"It's just that there are things about him that worry us," Mary says, ignoring Perdita's interruption.
"Like who he chooses to spend his time with," Cliona says.
"Other than you," Glynis adds.
"And the sorts of things they do," Mary says.
"And the fact that they're slimy," Perdita says.
"Creepy," Glynis says.
"Mean-spirited," Mary adds.
"And using Dark Magic. And you know it," Cliona finishes.
"I ... Severus has been one of my best friends since I was nine," Lily says.
"And maybe he was, when you were nine," Cliona says.
"But are you sure he still is?" Glynis says.
"Yes, of course I am," Lily says, even though she realizes that if she were, that answer would have been four words shorter than it was.
"Lily -- " says Cliona.
"Would you all please just stop?" Lily asks.
She hates this, hates feeling like this, hates having to defend one friend to all the others, over and over and over again.
Hates that she's starting to wonder if they might not be right. Hates that she's even entertaining that notion.
Hates that she's ignoring it, too.
Mary comes over, sits down next to Lily, and puts her arm around Lily's shoulders. "Lily, we're not trying to upset you. We're just afraid you're going to get really hurt."
"I'll be fine. I'm just going to a party with a friend. That's all. It's not a big deal."
Cliona sighs. "I really hope you're right about that."
"Me, too," Glynis adds.
"For the record, I'm fairly certain you're wrong," Perdita says.
"Perdita!" Mary says.
"Well, I am. I'm sorry, but I think the sooner you see him for what he is, what he really is, the better it's going to be for all of us, and especially you."
"Perdita, that's enough," Cliona says.
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
All four of her roommates look up, then look at each other.
It's Cliona who asks, "And just which of us are you questioning the sanity of?"
"Lily, of course," Perdita says. "D'you know what they're saying downstairs?"
Mary, Cliona, and Glynis look from Perdita to Lily.
Lily takes a second to wish the floor would open up and swallow her. And then she marks her place in her Transfiguration book, closes it, and says, very calmly, "Given your reaction, I suspect they're saying I'm going to Professor Slughorn's party with Severus."
"What?"
"Lily!"
"Snape?"
"I told you," Perdita says. "Completely mad."
"Perdita, shut up," Cliona says. And then turns to Lily. "Seriously, though, have you gone mad?"
"Yes, the fact that I'm going to a party with a friend makes me a raving lunatic."
"You're going on a date with Severus Snape?" Glynis asks. "Why?"
"No, it's not a date."
"It sounds like a date," Glynis says.
"Well, it's not. We're just going as friends. It's no different than when I went with Cliona's brother at Christmas. You didn't all jump down my throat then."
"That's because it is different," Mary says. "Liam's not -- "
"What? A Slytherin?"
"Yeah, a Slytherin," Mary says. "I know you don't like it, Lily, but that doesn't mean it's not true. It is different, and you know it."
"Have you forgotten what they did to Mary last term?" Perdita asks.
"No, of course not," Lily says. Mary has dropped her eyes to the floor, arms crossed tight across her chest. "You know I haven't, Mary, and I won't, but ... but that wasn't Sev!"
"No, it was just his friends," Cliona says.
"He has terrible friends, Lily," Glynis says. "They're all really creepy. Except for you, of course."
"Well, thank you, Glynis," Lily says, a little tartly.
"Don't take this out on Glynis," Perdita says.
"I'm not taking anything out on Glynis!" Lily snaps.
The room is silent for a moment, and all four of Lily's roommate stare at her.
Lily takes a breath.
"I'm sorry, Glynis," Lily says.
"It's all right," she says.
"Look," Lily says, more calmly. "I know none of you like him. You've all made that very clear for years now."
"Lily, it's not that we don't like him," Mary says.
"Speak for yourself," Perdita cuts in. "I can't stand him."
"It's just that there are things about him that worry us," Mary says, ignoring Perdita's interruption.
"Like who he chooses to spend his time with," Cliona says.
"Other than you," Glynis adds.
"And the sorts of things they do," Mary says.
"And the fact that they're slimy," Perdita says.
"Creepy," Glynis says.
"Mean-spirited," Mary adds.
"And using Dark Magic. And you know it," Cliona finishes.
"I ... Severus has been one of my best friends since I was nine," Lily says.
"And maybe he was, when you were nine," Cliona says.
"But are you sure he still is?" Glynis says.
"Yes, of course I am," Lily says, even though she realizes that if she were, that answer would have been four words shorter than it was.
"Lily -- " says Cliona.
"Would you all please just stop?" Lily asks.
She hates this, hates feeling like this, hates having to defend one friend to all the others, over and over and over again.
Hates that she's starting to wonder if they might not be right. Hates that she's even entertaining that notion.
Hates that she's ignoring it, too.
Mary comes over, sits down next to Lily, and puts her arm around Lily's shoulders. "Lily, we're not trying to upset you. We're just afraid you're going to get really hurt."
"I'll be fine. I'm just going to a party with a friend. That's all. It's not a big deal."
Cliona sighs. "I really hope you're right about that."
"Me, too," Glynis adds.
"For the record, I'm fairly certain you're wrong," Perdita says.
"Perdita!" Mary says.
"Well, I am. I'm sorry, but I think the sooner you see him for what he is, what he really is, the better it's going to be for all of us, and especially you."
"Perdita, that's enough," Cliona says.
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."