The dorm fell silent as Lily opened the door and closed it again quickly behind her. Four pairs of eyes stared at her in surprise.
"Where have you been?" Dorcas asked immediately from her bed where she was brushing her hair. "I nearly went looking to McGonagall about you."
"I was with..." Lily trailed off, not wanting to say James' name aloud in front of Cecily and Ethel.
"John?" Emmeline suggested from over the top of the Charms text she was reading.
"Yes," Lily nodded. She glanced at Cecily who was plaiting Ethel's hair in front of the vanity mirror. The two girls caught her eye in the reflection and turned away soon after, obviously aware something was not right and that they had no part in whatever it was. Lily was glad for it, hurrying to her own bed where she stripped off her robes and wrapped herself up in her dressing gown, hoping for a nice hot shower before breakfast.
Dorcas and Emmeline gradually finished their own business and moved to Lily's bed as she gathered up her toiletries. "Well?" Dorcas said quietly.
"It was a disaster," Lily muttered, glancing over her shoulder at Cecily and Ethel. Neither of them appeared to be listening as they chatted quietly with each other. "I wouldn't be surprised if he never spoke to me again; he hates me."
Dorcas and Emmeline shared an anxious look. "It can't be that bad," Emmeline offered gently and Lily searched for her towel. "What happened?"
Lily paused in her search to glance up at them but couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"Come on, Lil," Dorcas added. "We're not going to judge you."
Lily sighed, knowing she was going to have to spit it out eventually. "I had a bit of a feel of his you-know-what," she murmured, averting her eyes from their curious faces. But they stared back at her blankly. "Oh for goodness sake," Lily hissed, making sure Cecily and Ethel were otherwise occupied. "You know, his penis." Again there was no response, but Emmeline was staring back at her in pure horror and Dorcas looked like she was trying not to laugh. Lily glared at them and resumed her towel search.
"Oh don't be like that," Dorcas said between chuckles. "It just came as a bit of a shock, that's all."
"I don't understand," Emmeline added in her clearly appalled tones. "Did he ask you to do that for him? Because that's really rude; he has no right to-"
"No," Lily cut her off with a sigh. "He didn't. That's why he got shtty with me."
"Oh," Dorcas and Emmeline said together, with matching expressions of sudden understanding. "You just thought you'd cop a feel then, eh?" Dorcas added with a smirk. "Honestly, Lily. What were you thinking?"
"You don't have to make me feel stupid," Lily snapped at her, catching Cecily and Ethel's attention. "I already feel like a fool as it is."
"What's the matter?" Ethel piped up.
"Nothing," Lily did her best to dismiss her. The two girls shared matching looks in the mirror before continuing their conversation. Now Lily felt bad about that. Cecily and Ethel didn't seem to have any other friends beside each other and Lily usually did her best to include them. Now they thought she was a bitch.
"Tell us what happened, Lily," Emmeline spoke again softly. "You must have had a good reason for doing it, right?"
Lily pursed her lips, plopping down onto the bed with her friends. "I don't know," she said dismally. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"So you two were snogging or something?" Dorcas prompted her for more information. "You didn't just walk over to him and grab him by the nuts or anything crazy like that did you?"
