Reactance | James Potter

NEWS OF LILY and James' . . . disagreement spread like wildfire. Within hours, despite there having been less than a dozen witnesses, everyone in the school was talking about it.

   Olivia forced away the selfish thought that kept peeking in from the back of her head.  .  .  . A reminder that this surely took the light off her for allegedly having a fling with James.

Whispers followed Lily everywhere she went. In the corridors, in the commons — blimey, even in the hall of dorms! Students conspired about her . . . about how she'd gone clean off her rocker and attacked poor, innocent James.

"He only wants to be loved!"

"There are so many beautiful girls throwing themselves at him! If only he wasn't so loyal."

Lily was a criminal, a hostile. People moved out of her way when they saw her coming. If she was brave enough to go off on a stocky, strong Quidditch captain then she'd likely fight anyone. And without her wand! The nerve of it!

"She punched him? That's quite . . . barbaric, no?"

"It's the Muggle in her. She likely forgot she even had a wand."

"Or she doesn't know how to use it. In class, sure, she can show off just fine. But in the heat of battle . . . she falls short."

Halfway through the day, Lily stopped going to classes and all the girls bunked off to join her. Crammed six in one dorm, they pushed Olivia and Lily's beds together. Alice and Mary took to a quiet game of chess, Marlene aiding both sides as a neutral party, while Dorcas read over her Quidditch playbook, gifted to each player at the start of the season by James.

   And Olivia rested flush against the pillows, a book in one hand and the other running smoothly through Lily's silky hair.

Lily was back in her pajamas, despite it only being afternoon. She looked peaceful, finally, with her eyes shut and her head on Olivia's lap. If she was asleep, Olivia couldn't be sure.

There were few people on Lily's side about the whole thing. Most flocked to the Marauders like blind moths to a light. They chastised Lily, insulted her, called her names. Never to her face directly, but always within earshot and louder than muttering.

Some did defend her.

"He deserved that! Something happened to her wand in our DADA practical, no doubt it was him!"

"He torments her! It's about time she's stood up for herself!"

But the good was too poor to outweigh the bad, and Lily was crying in the loo by second block.

There was no seeing James; He didn't come to dinner, then he wasn't in breakfast or the two classes the girls went to. But none of the Marauders were at dinner. Remus and Peter were at breakfast, then in class, but Sirius only showed at the very end of the first lesson, minutes before the final bell.

Olivia twisted a piece of Lily's hair gently, rubbing it between the pads of her fingers. She hadn't read more than a page of her book, too distracted by her thoughts.

"She sleeping?" whispered Marlene. Olivia looked up to find her peering around Dorcas.

"Dunno," said Olivia softly with a supple shrug. "Hope so."

"What're we gonna do about him?" demanded Dorcas sternly. "Enough is enough, truly!"

   Alice hushed her, then asked quietly, "What would you suppose we do, Dorcas? Hurt him? Where will that put you other than facing expulsion from Quidditch?"