For The Last Time | Jily

CHAPTER 7

~ Scraps of Paper ~
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The great hall looked different that night. Nothing big was different but some things were out of place. The tables were further backwards, and the teachers table was longer, and there was a huge goblet with fire coming out of it in the middle of the room.

Lily strolled into the hall and took her seat. She'd had a bad day and felt awful, she'd been crying at lunch and now, at dinner, she didn't feel much better.

She slunk into her usual space, "hey."

"Hey," Alice looked at her sympathetically, "you feeling any better?"

"Not really, I just want this to be over."

"You know the chances of someone you know getting picked are incredibly small right!" Alice was trying to make her feel better but it didn't seem to work, "there are what 4 people you actually know entering, out of about 50 in total. Odds are in your favour."

"4? You counted James and Sirius?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

Alice laughed, "alright then two. See the odds are even slimmer now."

Lily rolled her eyes and smiled a little.

Marlene slumped into the seat besides her, "hey Lils, how you doing."

"Fine," Lily replied stiffly.

"You're still mad at me? Come on we've been through this already! You knew I was entering, you helped me prepare! You knew this was going to happen you can't be mad at me," Marlene was distressed, today was meant to be an exciting day, but instead she felt guilty.

"I'm not mad," Lily said eventually, "I just-" she caught her breath as she could feel her throat tightening, "I don't want to see you hurt. Or even Severus."

"Oh so that's what this is about," Marlene smiled wisely as it finally clicked I'm her brain, "Look I know what he did today was a dick move, but Lils... I'm not him, I know what I'm getting into, this isn't a spur of the moment thing, I'm ready."

Lily smiled sadly and put an arm around Marlene, she knew Marlene was right but it still hurt.

"Besides, I haven't even been picked yet, could be anyone."

"That's exactly what I was saying!" Alice said exasperated.

The rest of the hall soon filled up and the feast commenced. Lily didn't have much of an appetite - she couldn't stop thinking about the tournament, and how she might have to watch one of her friends get hurt, or worse...

No, no point in dwelling, well at least for now.

"Hey Evans," the familiarly annoying of a Potter boy voice called out to her, "you alright? You wouldn't talk to me earlier... I was just wondering if-"

"I'm fine," she snapped.

"Oh, alright then okay-"

"She's worried about one of us getting picked for the tournament and then hurt," Marlene told James.

"Ah, don't worry we'll be fine! We've been training for weeks-"

"Not you, you prat," Marlene cut him off again, "me and her stupid friend Sever-"