The Truth Behind the Veil ✔️

Every Word

"Am I crazy?"

   "Yes," Marlene answered Lily's question instantaneously.

  "You didn't even hear the context!"

Fawn snorted at her friend's outburst. "We didn't need it."

   "You guys are so mean."

Alice smiled. "I don't think you're crazy Lils."

  "Thank you, Alice."

   "Insane maybe."

   "Alice!"

Marlene and Fawn cackled, Alice had really grown in confidence over the summer and was no longer afraid of teasing and bantering with friends. She had cut her once long hair to a pixie cut and was working fervently on becoming an Auror. The attacks of the previous year seemed to have fueled her fire making her fiercer than even Marlene these days. Alice questioned the less than capable Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and no longer giggled at the Marauders, admittedly less frequent bouts of immaturity. Alice Fortescue was now a force to be reckoned with and she made sure those around knew as much.

Lily threw her hands up in the air, her shoulder-length hair swishing around her shoulders. "I meant about Potter."

  "Hm, still gonna need more context for that."

They all knew what she meant, Lily had been openly fancying James Potter for the past two weeks, though it was clear they had been around for much longer, but it was still fun to feign ignorance when possible.

The war had changed everyone this year. Lily, after losing her best friend and her parents in the same year, realized there was far more to life than NEWTS and books and was now embracing the full teenage experience. She had joined the boys in a prank or two, and was even considering trying out for the new Seeker position given that the third year girl, Isobel Milton was not the best.

Lily Evans was no longer a scared little girl striving for perfection to prove herself of deserving to be a part of the world she'd been invited to. Now, Lily Evans had let down her guards, refusing to let anyone walk over her, and accepting freely who and what she was and wanted to be.

She recognized that James had matured immensely and had decided that this side of him she was quite endeared by. He was caring and silly, strong and soft, smart and idiotic, James Potter had turned out to be far more that an insufferable, arrogant toe rag.

Marlene, with the onset of her brother's new status, had decided to fight harder than ever. She put everything into standing up for those who came under the Slytherin-Death-Eaters gazes and took her anger of the world out of the Bludgers she had the privilege to bat during Quidditch.

After many months of anger towards Werewolves, her views changed seemingly overnight. She began advocating for equal treatment for minority groups and joined Fawn's SPEW group. Her goal was to win the war and change the world for everyone. Marlene McKinnon was no longer a giggling girl who pretended to drool over a certain raven-haired boy. No, now she was a confident, self-assured badass who owned her identity like a badge of honour.

Lily sighed in defeat. "I fancy him," she admitted with a small crinkle in her brow as though still fighting with herself at such a preposterous thought. "And I want to know if acting on those feelings would be completely stupid or not."

"Acting on your feelings is natural Lily, I say you should go for it."

  Fawn nodded. "I agree with Alice on this one. He's completely whipped for you, I don't see any red flags in the situation."