Chapter Seven: Stop the Gossip

*“Well I heard she was out for blood!”

“Yeah, me too! I mean, she’s only the biggest freak in the entire school! Honestly? Who would dress like that on a normal basis? It’s just plain creepy if you ask me.”

“No, I totally agree. Where do you think she even buys that makeup of hers?”

“Nowhere we would shop, that’s for sure. I heard she made a potion once that that gave her permanent black circles under hers eyes and pale skin. It was like a mild form of poison or something.”

“No, really? Wow! All I heard was that she was really a vampire in disguise.”

“I could see that happening.”

James looked across the library at the three girls who were giggling around a table. He had heard every word, and liked not one. It was obvious they were speaking about Lily. But he didn’t understand how anyone could be so harsh about an innocent person. Lily had never done anything to give anyone reason to hate her or fear her, except maybe dress a little differently. Now if the girls had been speaking about Snape or Malfoy, he could easily see where they might have a motive. But for Lily? One of their own? It truly wasn’t a very pleasant thing for James to learn.

How long had Lily been treated like this? He supposed it had been the entire time she had been at Hogwarts, but he had never really noticed how much it was until now. To him she had always seemed a little odd, but as long as she never bothered him or his friends, he hadn’t cared much for her. Now that he was beginning to get to know her, even on a simple acquaintance level, he found it unfair the way everyone else simply wrote her off.

“James?” James looked up to see one of the girls from the other table standing before him.

“Yes?” He asked coolly. He had been incredibly turned-off by their heckling.

“Oh! I just, ah, well, I saw you from over at my table and thought you looked a little sick. Is everything ok? I mean, you’re really pale, but then you almost looked red too.”

“I’m mad.” James replied honestly. He was going to tell those girls what he thought. If he could squelch just one group of girls, maybe it would have a domino effect and the rest would leave Lily alone as well.

“Mad? What for? Is it something I can help you with?”

“You can begin by stopping the rumors about Lily.”

“Lily? Who’s Lily?”

“Lily Evans. Yes, Evans, the same girl you and your friends have been gossiping about. It isn’t a very nice pastime.”

“She has a name? I didn’t know.”

“Of course she has a name. And you should call her that.”

“James, if you don’t mind me asking, why do you suddenly care about Gothic Evans? I mean, she’s so creepy…”

“Lily. And you should care just as much as I do. She is a fellow Gryffindor, and you should at least she her some respect. Otherwise you’re nothing better than a Slytherin.” James narrowed his eyes. The girl gasped.

“I’m no Slytherin!”

“Then be more loyal for your own and use your bravery to stick up for her, not put her down. She can actually be nice if you’ll only speak to her. Give her a chance Arabella. Maybe you’ll find out she can be a decent person.”

“But the rumors…”

“Slytherin made.” James interrupted her.

“Really? She never was a vampire, or made a death potion, or transfigured anyone?”

“Not once.”

“Oh. Well then what about the makeup?” The girl, now known as Arabella asked skeptically. It was hard for her to see the concept that maybe Lily Evans was a good person.

“She wears a little too much makeup? Can you judge her for that? I thought appearances weren’t everything.”

“You know that appearances matter just as much as anything else James. It’s a human flaw, one that we can’t ignore, no matter how much we try.” James paused listening to her. She actually said something intelligent? He hadn’t figured her for a smart girl. However, James had never voiced his opinions aloud; and that was what made him different from her.

“I know. But maybe you could try seeing past that just once? Just introduce yourself to her and try calling her Lily. You may be surprised.”

“Maybe. But what would my friends say?” James lost some of the respect he had just gained for her. How selfish had her comment been? She was more worried about hurting her image than helping a lonely soul feel accepted?

“If they’re your friends, I would assume they would be just as welcoming. Otherwise, they aren’t really friends, just clingy people who like to gossip to hurt other people’s feelings.”

“Hmm.” James stood as Arabella stayed quiet, deep in thought.

“Arabella, I have to go. I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, ok.” She paused. “And James?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll try. No promises, but I’ll try. Besides, a makeover might be fun!” She winked and laughed. “Just joking. But I really will try.” She promised.

“Thanks. And Arabella?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll put in a good word for you with Sirius. That is why you came over in the first place? Right?” He grinned as she blushed.

“Maybe…” He laughed, then walked out of the library. Arabella stood stunned a moment more before smiling and walking back to her friends.

“So? What did he say Arabella?” One of them asked.

“He asked me to stop spreading rumors about Lily.” She answered absently.

“Who?”

“Evans! He wants us to be nice to Evans!” She cried.

“What?” Her friends exclaimed together.

“I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But he thinks we’re mean and horribly rude to be gossiping about her. He wants us to give her a chance. And he really wants us to start calling her Lily.”

“Rude? Us? But she’s a vampire, I swear! How can you be nice to one of them?”

“She can’t really be a vampire girls! Come on! It’s all just rumors! You can’t really believe all of that slander, can you?” Arabella’s two friends eyed each other and then looked back at her skeptically. “Oh honestly! James told me the Slytherins made it up!”

“They did?”

“Yes! Come on girls, let’s us give her a try, shall we? Besides, if we do and she becomes our friend, two good things can come out of it.”

“What are those?”

“Well, one, we make friends with the Marauders and James puts in a good word with Sirius about me, and two, we get to do a makeover!” Arabella knew that would brighten her friend’s thoughts about the situation, and was delighted to see she had been right when their eyes lit up.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s find Evans and be friends!”

“Do you know how fake that sounded? I think we should really try to help her girls. I mean, it can’t be easy living here at Hogwarts for six years and never having any friends, can it?” Arabella stopped them.

“Yeah, but she’s Evans! I mean, she was probably used to it before she came here, don’t you think?”

“Then maybe it’s time she had a few real friends. Let’s go then!” And the three girls stood, gathered their things, and left the library in search of Lily Evans.

>>>)(<<<

But Lily herself didn’t feel like being found. In fact, she didn’t feel much like anything. Earlier in the day she had received the news of her sister’s engagement. Petunia was getting married. Married. Petunia. Since when had life become so deranged? Petunia was barely eighteen, the legal age for marriage, and already she was certain she had found the man of her dreams? Of course Lily had heard of him through her parent’s letter, but other than that she had never met the boy.

She supposed that she should think that it was a good thing that she had never met that man from her parent’s letter, but she still felt worried. Was this man good enough for her sister? Even if Lily and her sister never quite got along, she was still worried that this man would somehow hurt her sister. She wanted to protect Petunia as long as she could. Lily shuddered.

Why did she have to be so nice? She knew she should be angry at Petunia for teasing her her whole life, but for some reason she couldn’t find it in her heart to feel hatred against her own sister.

What she did feel, however, was a slight bit of jealousy. At the age of eighteen her sister already knew whom she loved and who loved her. Why couldn’t Lily ever feel like that? She knew why: because she was a freak, just like Petunia had always told her. And of course, one of the drawbacks to being socially inept was the fact that she would never find love and instead grow up to be an old spinster. Lily sighed and wiped away the teas that had begun to form. She needed to get out, to take her mind off of some of these depressing truths.

As soon as Lily got outside the castle, she headed for the one place she knew she would be welcomed. The small hut across the grounds didn’t take long to get to, and before she knew it, Lily was standing in front of the door and rapping on it gently.

“Come in!” Came a booming and husky voice in reply. Lily opened the door and entered the warm hut.

“Well all be! Lily! Come right on in here and warm up! It’s getting chilly for the fall season!” Lily had to smile.

“Thank you Hagrid.” She blushed and hung up her scarf on the twisted wooden coat rack the rested by the door. She grabbed a seat from the small table and placed it next to the fireplace. Then she waited for Hagrid to take his usual place in the comfy armchair chair across from her.

“Now tell me Lily, how are you dear?”

“Been better actually. Petunia's getting married. My mother wrote me this morning to let me know.”

“That git of a woman’s getting hitched?”

“Hagrid! Petunia isn’t a git!” Lily flushed.

“She’s got you so convinced that you’re a freak that you hardly ever smile! I should say she is a git!” Hagrid slapped his giant knee with insistence. Lily sighed. He was always like this.

“Hagrid, you know she’s right. I am a freak, why bother denying it? And I don’t smile because there’s nothing to smile about. Please don’t start this conversation again.”

“Lily, you are not, never have been and never will be a freak. And that’s all I’ll say on the matter.” Hagrid announced. Lily rolled her eyes, but did not dispute his words. If she did, she knew she would only get into an argument she had had many times and had no desire to repeat again.

“Anyway. Hagrid, I’m worried for Petunia. What if this man she’s so in love with isn’t good for her? What if he treats her poorly, or he can’t support her?” Lily spilled to the giant man. She always felt at ease around him- he was the only one at the entire school whom she trusted to give her advice. Why, she didn’t really know. Maybe it was because of that one time he had saved her from the jeering seventh years. Or the time he had stopped Malfoy from cursing her. Or the time… well, he had always been there to back her up.

And besides. People usually looked at Hagrid the same way they looked at her: like he was scary and mean. People avoided him, like they did with her. So they had common ground to build off of. The only difference was that Hagrid, unlike herself, didn’t believe she was a freak, like she did.

“Let me get this straight. You’re worried for her?”

“Yes.”

“For her who treats you so poorly?”

“Hagrid…”

“I know, I know. Well then. I don’t think you should. Your parents like him well enough, don’t they? And you trust your parent’s judgment, don’t you?” Hagrid scratched his bushy beard.

“Of course.”

“So then not to worry, they’ll take care of everything.”

“You think so?”

“Of course! Anything else got you down?”

“Well…” Lily wanted to tell him her other worry- about never being in love- but for some reason she hesitated. Just as she was about to begin again, a knock came at the door.

“Come in!” Hagrid shouted. The door opened and Lily nearly gasped to see who was standing in the doorway. Of all the people, never had she expected to see James Potter visiting Hagrid. *

~~~In case you haven’t noticed, I want to build friendship between Lily and James before I build romantic interest. But don’t worry. There will be plenty of attraction and tense moments between the two coming up! You’ll get you’re fair share of lime, I promise! Much love, –Vixen~~~