Lily in the Shadows

Chapter 12

 Running around her room Lily swiftly gathers her school supplies while simultaneously trying to get ready. She woke up late and was panicking trying to get ready while still looking cute. She jumps around pulling on her socks and looks for her tie. Not seeing it she opens her trunk digging around for it, once she finds it she pulls it on rushing into the bathroom. Claude rises from his sleeping basket and jumps into the trunk rummaging round it like a common mudlark. His little hands throw excess things out of the trunk, Snuffles sitting by watching random shoes, skirts, and a few socks, fly from the trunk's depth. He doesn't care much until something flies out cracking against the stone floor. Snuffles jumps from the bed to see a dark stone cracked down the middle, bits of mud shards lying nearby. He sniffs the rock, not smelling anything out of the ordinary. He picks it up and lays back down on Lily's bed, waiting for her.

He didn't have to wait long before she fluttered back into the room. She grabs her books and turns to leave, calling for him over her shoulder. Snuffles barks at her, sitting up on the bed. She turns to see him with a dark blob on the bed.

She gasps, "Snuffles did you poop on the bed?" She walks over to him taking a closer look. Seeing that it is in fact not poop but the muddy rock from her trunk she sighs in relief. "Oh, okay. I'll deal with it later, let's get going." He growls at her quietly, and her eyes snap to him, surprised. "All right, all right. I'll take it with me." She places the rock in her pocket and they leave. Together they walk to her potions class.

Before entering the room she crouches down to Snuffles, petting him. "I gotta go to class now, I'll see you after. Be a good boy and don't get into too much trouble." She goes into class and Snuffles wanders off.

Lily and Ginny greet each other with hugs and sit together at their bench. Professor Snape flies into the room, cloak floating behind him. Severus gives them a lecture on the importance of potion making, blah blah blah, you will need to know these things because, blah blah blah. Once he puts the instructions on the chalkboard and lets everyone get started. Lily and Ginny work well together, talking about their years so far and the gossip they've heard. Once they finish their potion, a little earlier than everyone else due to Lily's skill set, they pull out their timetables comparing classes. Seeing as most of their breaks conflict with one another they cannot find a long enough time slot to continue their potions lessons.

Lily thinks hard before getting a wonderfully evil idea. "You know who would be perfect to help you? My big brother, your housemate." Seeing Ginny's face she giggles, "Oh come on, he would be so helpful. And what he doesn't understand I'm sure Hermione will. You know she won't let him tell you wrong."

Ginny finally agreed. Lily took out a bit of parchment, wrote Harry a note with her idea of him tutoring Ginny, folded it into an origami swan (pigeon-looking thing) and enchanted it to go find him. Their class comes to a close and everyone leaves. Lily and Ginny walk to their next class when another paper pigeon comes flying towards them. Opening it she sees a positive response from Harry, he and Ginny will now meet during their breaks twice a week. They separate, going to their respective classes.

As Lily sets her stuff down at her desk she hears something heavy in her pocket thump against the seat. Reaching in she pulls out the crusty stone. Looking around her she sees that their charms class is getting rather full and sits down to pay attention. She can't stop thinking about the rock, feeling the pull to go deal with it. Once Professor Flitwick starts the lesson, she sees it is just a simple Dancing Feet Spell. Flitwick goes over the hand movement and pronunciation of Tarantallegra, it doesn't take her long to get the hang of it. Once her partner uncontrollably dances around she asks Professor Flitwick to be excused. Leaving the din of her rambunctious classmates she goes to the lavatory close. Checking that no one is nearby she pulls the rock out and sets it in a washbasin. Turning on the water she begins to scrape at the mud with soap, warm water, and her nails. Small bits of mud and dirt chunk off, but she can tell she must soak the rock to clean it. She can start to see something dark and shiny underneath, the beginnings of a grey marking. She brings Claude out of her pocket and tells him very slowly to run to the dungeons, grab her water bottle from her dorm and bring it to her in class. They separate and Lily goes back to learning charms. It isn't long before Snuffles enters the room, Claude gripping his back as he carries her bottle in his mouth. No one notices much but Lily grabs her bottle, sets Claude on the desk, and gives Snuffles some gentle head pats. Leaving class once more she and her pets go to the lady's washroom. Putting some soap and hot water in the water bottle she puts the rock in it as well, shaking it. The three arrive back to class.

The rest of her day goes on much the same until she finally finishes classes. Dropping her books off in her dorm, Lily grabs her knitting stuff and some paper. She and her pets walk outside to the great lake, sitting under a tree. She props up the knitting book, trying her very best. It doesn't go well and she once again gets fed up.

Hearing laughter nearby she sees her group of friends walking over, cackling. Draco falls next to her, face red as he catches his breath.

She looks at them, setting her knitted tangle down. "What's so funny?" She watches as they keep laughing, occasionally one will flail around screaming and the rest will bust out laughing once more. Lily grabs onto Draco's arm, "Draco what is it?"

Draco finally catches his breath, leaning against her side he pants wiping his tears. "Oh, we were in Potions class. Hahaha, and then all of a sudden..." He laughs some more, before shushing the others. "Potter starts screaming, flailing his arms all around. It disturbs everyone, he looks like a fool." Theo interrupts him.

"Snape grabbed him asking what his deal was, and it was a piece of paper! He was scared of a paper pigeon!! AHAHAHAHA!!!"

Lily covers her mouth, having remembered sending Harry the pigeon note. She watches as the others laugh, Draco looks at her face, eyes wide, mouth covered, blush. "What is it Lils?"

The others gather themselves and watch her, "I-I sent Harry the note. I had to ask him to tutor Ginny and I folded it into a pigeon. I forgot he's scared of pigeons."

Pansy reaches forward and grabs a piece of paper. "Will you teach us how to make pigeons?"

Lily shakes her head, "No, no I don't want you to scare Harry."

They promise not to and Lily begins their lesson. Snuffles lay down behind Lily, letting her lean on him. She holds her hands so he can see, showing him as well as her friends how to make paper pigeons. After they've made over a hundred pigeons between them all they pack up and go inside to get ready for dinner.

While at dinner the Great Hall doors burst open and about three hundred paper pigeons fly into the room. The Slytherins laugh as they see Potter scream, hiding under the table along with a large group of students who don't know what is going on.

Lily smacks Draco on the shoulder and he holds his hands up. "We didn't enchant the pigeons, I swear."

"Well, then how did they come alive?" She asks.

Draco laughs, dodging her hits. "I don't know I promise.

Snuffles lets out a laugh-like bark.