Hiding Bruises

Chapter 20- 'Girlie Talk' :/

Dedicated to Stacie (Just_A_Dream_Away) as a thank you for being so patient and complementary when I take so ridiculously long to update :/

Tina's POV

I rolled over, groaning from the new bruise on my back, and fell out of bed.

“Ahh!” I screamed as I hit the floor, hard.

Lily rolled over to look at me, “what’s up?” she asked, as she opened her eyes. She saw my picking myself up of the floor, rubbing my head and moaning, and burst out laughing.

“Thanks for the sympathy, Lil.” I said, shooting her an evil glare as I got up and went into the bathroom.

From in there I heard a thunk and Lily’s laughter stop long enough for her to exclaim ‘Ow! That hurt!”

“Then shut up!” I heard Marlene reply curtly, “and give me my pillow back.”

“No, you threw it at me! Why should I?” asked Lily.

“Lily.” Marlene said meaningfully.

“Fine, have your stupid pillow.” There was silence for a moment before I heard Lily say ‘Ow! Why did you do that again?”

“Shouldn’t have given me the pillow back, should you?” Marlene teased.

“You asked me too!” Lily yelled.

“Ow!” said Molly, waking up.

“Oh, sorry, Molls” said Lily, sounding sheepish, “I was aiming for Marlene.”

“Is that so?” asked Molly cheekily.

“Molly, don’t please, I’m really tired and I only just woke up and… ow!”

By then time I came out of the bathroom the whole dorm was engaged in a full-scale pillow war.

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Once everyone had run out of what little energy they had we all lay on the floor, looking up at the dark ceiling.

“So,” said Lily, “who did everyone kiss at new years?”

“Arthur Weasley,” said Molly, dreamily.

“Well duh!” said Marlene.

“Frank.” Said Alice.

“Well duh!” said Marlene, “anyone who hasn’t got a long term boyfriend want to answer that question?”

There was a long pause, “James.” Said Lily slowly, tentatively, as though trying out the sound of his name in her mouth.

“Really?” I asked sitting up quickly, “Lily, that’s great!”

“I know, it was…” said Lily, trailing off.

“Well, everyone did see him spinning you round and round wooping for joy just after the countdown, so I think most people know that one too.” Said Marlene.

“So? I just thought you would like to hear it first hand,” snapped Lily.

“Well, I will tell you first hand that I bagged the captain of the Ravenclaw quidditch team,” said Marlene standing up and storming out.

“Apparently he wasn’t much good,” said Lily, trying to lighten the mood and ignore what everyone else knew.

“That’s not why she left,” said Molly quietly, trying feebly to defend her friend

“I know,” said Lily, looking slightly ashamed, “I was joking. It wasn’t very funny. Sorry.”

Molly hauled herself up from the floor, “Sorry, but I have to go. You know how Marlene is.” When no one nodded she obviously felt she needed to explain further to us. “She’s really over dramatic and stuff but hopefully she’ll get over it soon. She’s not used to not getting what she wants, especially when it comes to guys and well, I think she actually quite likes him.”

“She doesn’t seem very interested,” I said, sticking up for myself. I wasn’t going to have Marlene make me look like some sort of boyfriend-stealing-bitch.

“I don’t know, I think she’s always had this kind of idea that because they’re the two most-” Molly searched for a word that wouldn’t make her seem biased, “promiscuous people in the school that they are meant for each other, I guess. She just thinks they fit. I don’t know.”

I didn’t want to show how much this got to me. Maybe that’s what everyone else thought- Siruis and Marlene were the obvious couple. Not me. “Just go see her Molly,” I told her and she scurried away. I stood up telling myself that the obvious couples never really ended up together- only in films. In real life it wasn’t just the most popular girl and the most popular guy- it was whoever you liked and liked you back.
Lily and Emmeline stood up too. “Uh, guys?” Emmeline said, talking with her backs to us and she got clothes from her wardrobe with rather more deliberation then usual, “don’t you want to know who I kissed?”

Lily shrieked, and with no exaggeration I think I can safely say that any dogs in a 100-mile vicinity would have cocked their fuzzy little ears and looked around. I could almost see smoke coming out of her ears she was that excited.

Emmeline winced but managed to smile despite her burst eardrums.

“REMUS! REMUS! REMUS!” Lily started to chime.

Emmeline grinned at her friend and sat down on the edge of her bed. “I’ve liked him for ages Lils, he’s so great.”

“I knew it!” Lily cried and jumped on her blonde companion, squeezing her so tightly I was almost afraid for Em.

“Lily,” I said, trying to get her attention, “you know this thing we humans need to survive- oxygen it’s called- and it’s the air.” She didn’t listen. “We breathe it in, through our lungs.” Lily still didn’t let go. “Let her breathe!”

Lily let go, still grinning, “sorry Em.”

“It’s ok.”

“You make a really cute couple.” I said to show Emmeline my support.

Emmeline blushed, “Thanks. So do you and Sirius.”

I smiled at her and we were all silent for a minute, contemplating our newfound romances.

Lily broke the silence, “and we all know me and James look goorrgeous together.”

Emmeline chuckled.

I gasped in mock amazement, “Lil?” I paused for effect, “I think his ego’s rubbing off on you.”

“Shut it,” said Lily, the smile stick stuck to her face.

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