Open Your Eyes

The Great Hall has always been the perfect place to sit and read a book peacefully- that is when it's not full of students chattering away while eating their meals. So, on mornings when it got too loud in the Great Hall for me to focus, I would sneak away from the castle and sit on the edge of the black lake to read. It was perfect.

Due to the distance, I would get a bit of a workout walking there and back; and since there was never anyone else out here, it was very peaceful.

That's was where my closest friend, Lily Evans, found me this morning.

"Amery, what are you doing out here? It's a Hogsmeade weekend!" She questioned, plopping own in the grass next to me. "Oh, uh, I was trying to finish this book so I could buy a new one when we actually go to Hogsmeade today." I didn't stop reading as I answered her question. Letting out a breath, Lily ran her hand through her red locks as she looked at me. "I will never understand how you find the time to do all your assignments, even the optional extra credit, and read a new book just about every day." She exclaimed.

At this point, I closed my book and turned my head to look at her. "I don't know, I guess I'm just determined. "I shrugged my shoulders ever so slightly. She was silent for a few moments, but I could feel her eyes on me- trying to read my emotions.

"Amery, you don't have to prove your worth to your parents. They love you." Lily spoke softly, looking at me with sad eyes. Her words sent a pang through my chest. "Yeah, I know." I muttered, feeling a bit bad that we were having this conversation yet again. "So, why do you keep torturing yourself trying to prove that you're the best? They will love you no matter what." Reaching out, she put her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I know they will. I just want to do my best for them, ya' know? Plus I like studying and reading. It's peaceful." I explained further. When she said nothing, I pushed myself to my feet. "Come on, lets head back and get some breakfast before Hogsmeade, yeah?" I smiled, offering my hand out to her. She hesitated briefly before taking my hand and allowed me to pull her up to her feet. Together we wiped the morning dew from the back of our pants and began the lengthy, up hill trek back towards the castle.

The Great Hall was now filled with noisy, chattering students. Seeing as it was the weekend, students were all dressed in their own clothes rather than uniforms. I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so even among the noise, the large platters full of food looked and smelt absolutely amazing. So, we found ourselves a place to sit at the Gryffindor table and began filling our plates.

"So how much do you have left to that book, anyway?" Lily questioned, motioning to the book I had set down on the table next to me. I was spooning some eggs onto my plate, about to answer her question when a small butterfly came flying down in front of Lily.

To be clear, it wasn't a real butterfly. Just a piece of folded paper that had an enchantment placed on it.

My eyes watched as the butterfly landed on the table before bursting into flames. Looking to my left, I saw the culprit, surrounded by his widely known group of friends. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin , and Peter Pettigrew. James Potter had been the one who sent the butterfly to Lily. He has only been pursuing her for years; but she always said no.

James Potter, in my opinion, is an arrogant, pig-headed boy. The first time I met him was when he and his friends were very joyfully bullying my friend, and potions partner, Severus Snape. I had put a stop to it by punching James in the nose. This caused his watch dog, Sirius Black, to turn on me.

Ah yes, the watch dog. Sirius Black was an outcast to say the least. Abandoned by his own family- but taken in by the Potters. The rumors began on our very first day of school, and you can still hear the whispers as he walks by. The Black family was widely known for their pure blood. Every member of their family had been in Slytherin house when they attended Hogwarts. All except for Sirius; and they disowned him for it.

Moving on to the third in the group of friends, Remus Lupin. Compared to the other two boys, Remus was the odd one out. Where James and Sirius were more athletically inclined, Remus was more into academics. The young man studied hard and made almost perfect grades, and always has since our first year. He didn't seem like he would fit in too well with his choice of friends, but somehow they made it work. I think Remus is what balanced the other two boys out.

Lastly, there was Peter Pettigrew. The fourth and final member of their little group. He was of no real importance. The boy was a coward who just followed the rest of them around- never made any real lasting impression.

Now, where were we? Oh right, the burning butterfly.

James had an obvious smirk on his face, as if expecting a piece of burning paper to get him what he wants. Lily's attention. My eyes moved to focus on the girl who was sitting across from me. She almost looked slightly offended by this act. Instead of voicing this, she instead reached out and wiped the ashes away from the table and into the floor. Then, putting her elbow on the table, she rested her cheek softly in the palm of her hand.

"So, what was that you were saying before we were so rudely interrupted?" She smiled at me, speaking loud enough for James to hear. His cocky smirk immediately disappeared.

I couldn't help but smile as well. "I only have a few pages left, and was actually planning on buying a new book today in Hogsmeade." I explained to her. It took a few moments for the boys to realize that they weren't getting our attention back, and move on to their own conversations. "So candy, books, and a butterbeer or two. Does that sound about right?" If I didn't know better, I would have thought that she was mocking me.

When I first met Lily, it hadn't taken me too long to learn that she plans everything out very meticulously. "That sounds like a perfect day to me!" I smiled, eating the last bite of the food sitting in front of me.

Even though we would always plan how Hogsmeade weekends would go, they almost never went according to plan. James would always find some way to 'casually' run into us and try to impress Lily. It was almost kind of pathetic really. The boy was just so determined, in all the years that we've attended Hogwarts, he just hasn't given up. No matter how many times Lily has told him no.

Standing from the table, I wiped away any crumbs that might've fallen onto my legs while I was eating. Lily did the same as I grabbed my book, before we walked down the length of the table towards the doors. The sun was shining brightly outside, but it was still rather chilly. Chilly enough that when the wind was bowling, you were going to want a light jacket at least. Seasons are starting to change, and it was becoming more and more obvious as the days passed. Leaves changing colors and falling away from their branches. Day was turning to night earlier than it had been.

The walk to Hogsmeade from the castle was always one I enjoyed. Even in the cold, the fresh air was amazing. Plus it gave Lily and I more time to talk about things that happened throughout the week.

"So, are you ever going to tell Potter to leave you alone?" I questioned suddenly. My eyes were glued to my feet, watching the path as we walked. "Actually." Her voice changed somehow. Realizing what she was saying, my eyes launched up to look at her face. She had a sheepish smile playing on her lips.