Loverboy

"Merlin's balls, Lils."

"I think a Gryffindor girls-only slumber party is in order," Alice announced at dinner two days later. The group she was announcing this to was herself, Ollie, Sirius, Remus, Mary, James, Marlene, Frank, Lily, Peter and Dorcas. The girls all agreed, scarfing down the rest of their dinner.

Since four out of six were in the fifth-year dormitories and there wouldn't be space for all of them otherwise, an hour later, there were six pajama-clad teenagers in the cozy room. Marlene and Dorcas had snuck down and gotten armfuls of pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes.

It had been months since they'd had the slumber party-esque night with their guy friends, and even longer since one of their all-girls events like this. Despite being out of rhythm for so long, they all knew exactly what to do.

"It's been a bit," Lily began, still braiding her long straight hair. "So we should start with sharing what's happened recently." Everyone glanced around, agreeing silently. "I'll start."

"So, of course, Potter's asked me out. Again. And I said no, of course. Again," she declared, though all the girls there already knew that. Ollie and Mary had been there, even. "But... I don't know, I almost accidentally said yes?"

Dorcas had been taking a swig of water, choking on it when she heard this. Her amber eyes widened in shock. Mary, who had been running her fingers through her massively fluffy hair, froze, looking at Lily like she had suddenly grown four extra heads. Marlene had been scratching at the skin next to her eye, her hand slipping in surprise, almost cutting her actual eyeball. Alice had been about to bite into a pumpkin pasty, her jaws wide and her hand empty, for she'd dropped it in shock. Ollie stiffened, Cinnabon noticing this and pawing gently at her suddenly immobile hands.

"I don't know what it was, but I just- I was about to! I don't even like him! I can hardly stand him," Lily went on, not at all oblivious to her friends' reactions. Her usually pale cheeks began to turn slightly pink. "I said no, though, but still."

"Oh my God," Dorcas said suddenly, loudly, with a tone of voice that made her sound like she might be violently ill. "Oh my bloody God, Lily."

"Merlin's balls, Lils," Mary said, her dark skin appearing to have a sickly green tint at the edges of her mouth. "Have you gone utterly mad?"

"No! At least, I don't think so," the redhead defended herself. "Why are you all looking at me like I've suddenly got twelve legs?"

"Lily Evans, I think you may be developing a crush on James Potter," Alice said quietly, her own face paper-white.

Marlene and Ollie just looked at each other, silently communicating their disbelief.

"JAMES BLOODY POTTER?" Lily shouted, enraged by this suggestion. "Absolutely not! No!"

"Lily, you were about to accept a date with him. And you yourself said he was a looker," Ollie pointed out.

"I can't!" Lily insisted. "He's obnoxious, conceited, and he's just awful to Severus-"

"Snivellous calls Muggle-borns mudbloods! He hangs around with Avery and Rosier! Mulciber and Lestrange! He loves the Dark Arts! I think James is fully right in his dislike of Snape," Ollie retaliated. "And Snape's obsessed with you! He's creepy and gross, Lily, and I think even you have to have noticed that!"

"Does that make it fair that James relentlessly torments him?" Lily shot back, her cheeks ever so slightly flushed.

"Maybe not, but it's not unjustified!"

"I think we can have this discussion later," Alice piped up. "It seems like you might be starting to catch feelings for Potter. But you two don't have to shout so."

"Alright. Sorry for yelling at you, Lily, I just sort of... got caught up," Ollie said.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you, either," Lily admitted. "So, who wants to tell about their life next?"

"Well, me and Frank are officially official," Alice announced, to congratulatory smiles and hugs.

"I used to like Remus a bit," Mary said, "but I don't really like him like that anymore. I think that sixth year, McLaggen, is pretty cute though."

"McLaggen tried out for Keeper this year, didn't he?" Marlene thought aloud. "I remember because Donna didn't like how arrogant he was."

Ollie, who had present since James first tried out in his first year for Chaser, recalled this as well. "He did. Next year, he might make the team, since Don's leaving."

"Well I hope he doesn't, he's annoying," Alice grouched. "Anyway, who's up next?"

"Well, I asked Regulus if he wanted to hang out and at least be friends," Dorcas said. "But he said he wasn't allowed to hang out with girls who weren't pureblood." A chorus of "Awws" and "That's too bad" filled the room. "Also, he's gay."

"Well then," Alice said, not looking all that shocked. In fact, only Ollie and Mary seemed surprised by this.

"Ollie, what's new with you?" Marlene prompted, knowing exactly what was new. Her smirk and pose made it excessively clear.

"Well, I have a girlfriend," Ollie said, not allowing herself to smile or anything at her friends' reactions.

Alice nearly fell off of Lily's bed, Lily froze and stared, Mary dropped the chocolate frog she was about to eat, and Dorcas gripped her braids tighter than she meant to. Marlene laughed at their shock, and for a split second Ollie's feigned stoicness faltered as a corner of her mouth involuntarily twitched upward.

"Well, we need to hear the whole story," Dorcas demanded. "From the day you guys started to know each other."

Ollie smiled, tossing her braided hair over her shoulder. "Get comfortable," she suggested. "It's a pretty long story." And with that, she began to detail every day of the past two and a half months with passionate and vibrant descriptions.

---

aaannnnddddd fade to black- Anyways, we love this. I think Ollie and Victoria wouldn't be as out and proud about their relationship as Marlene and Ava are, so only their friends know. Also, Regulus, who hasn't really been prominent yet (oops) is fruity so... I wanna give him a love interest. Also we're gonna have a big time skip in the next chapter to the day when they're doing their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. You know... the scene that Harry sees in book five. Yeah. That's gonna be fun. Especially Lily and Snape's fight. And James pantsing Snape. And the aftermath of that. oooh boy that's gonna be a train wreck. anyways ily and byeee <3

951 words