Chapter 642: Supervision Ⅵ
Five o'clock could not come soon enough for Rowan as she wrangled the last of the students and shooed the last of the stragglers towards the waiting carriages. The shadows had grown long and the black and orange lanterns in Hogsmeade glowed quite bright as the sun had long ago already begun to set. She was not the only one as the rest of the three other house Prefects did the same, Lily, Pandora, and Olympia Branstone, (the Hufflepuff female Prefect).
The usual light brown hair, neat updo, and fringe of Olympia had gone astray after a long day at Hogsmeade. Her light-colored eyes look weary and she with great relief gathers with the other three female Prefects. "Mark my words, Prefect Evans, Ravine, and Prince," Olympia Branstone swore, "from here on out, Andrew Abbott is stuck patrolling Hogsmeade."
"Seconded," Rowan grunted in full agreement, while Lily and Pandora though sharing the same sentiments remained silent as they still wanted to enjoy themselves at Hogsmeade and that could only do so if they were on patrol at Hogsmeade.
Glancing at the time, Rowan says, "Well, it's five minutes till the hour, we best be heading back to the carriages ourselves."
"Oh, yes, please," Pandora groaned. "My poor feet ache terribly so."
Olympia snorts and says, "Prefect Ravine, I certainly saw you enjoy your stroll through Hogsmeade with your paramour, Xeno? Am I in the wrong?"
Pandora flushes in embarrassment as Lily covers her mouth preventing her giggles from escaping her mouth. Cross Olympia turns her gaze upon Lily only to feel a firm hand on her shoulder. "We are all tired, Prefect Branstone," Rowan politely said. "Let us depart in peace, shall we?"
Hearing the warning note in Rowan Prince's voice, Olympia stiffly nods her head as Rowan releases her. A bit stiff-necked, Olympia marches ahead of them towards the waiting carriages in far off distance. Their footsteps crunch loudly across the cobblestones that are covered in bright leaves as they slowly trudge forward until Hufflepuff female Prefect is distant enough from them that they cannot be overheard.
With Olympia Branstone finally out of earshot, Pandora finally explodes. "Well, who does she think she is to be spouting such rude nonsense?! It is not as though I stole Xeno out from under her! She held no romantic interest for him that I am aware of!"
"Calm yourself, Pandora," Lily kindly said as she reached over to pat the fuming Ravenclaw. "It's just like Rowan said, we are all just tired after patrolling Hogsmeade all day."
Pandora grumbled for a moment, before eagerly turning her attention to Lily. "So, how did your date go?" Pandora's eyes glittered brightly at Lily as she expectantly waited to hear the good news.
Lily cast Rowan a wry glance, before quietly answering, "Well, James was a perfect gentleman." She paused as if uncertain how to word her next sentence.
"And?" Pandora excitedly asked for further details regarding the outing. Clearly, the Ravenclaw had been around Tiffany far too much as Pandora's words sounded exactly like something Tiffany would say.
"Well, that's all," Lily truthfully said with a shrug. Because it was true, but she had felt so uncomfortable the entire time that she only felt relieved when it was all finally over and done with. James was her friend, and as much as she cared for him, she did not like him in that manner. And frankly, that was a relief, but still, she felt a tad bit of guilt, because all during her date in her mind, she could only picture and think what Severus would have done differently.
Lily feels her face flush as though on fire causing Pandora to let out a low whistle and say, "That must have been some gentlemen's talk if you're blushing like that Lily."
"No, it wasn't like that!" Lily genuinely protested in panic. She did not want Rowan to think that she liked James like that, and then tell, Severus! At her last thought, Lily turns an even brighter shade of red almost bright enough to match her hair color.
Seeing Lily so embarrassed Pandora ceases to tease the poor Gryffindor and peeks at Rowan, who looked cool and aloof. Glancing over at Pandora, Rowan merely arches her brow at the Ravenclaw as if to say, "What?"
Changing the subject, Pandora eagerly says, "Xeno has decided that once he finishes his N.E.W.T.'s he will pursue his dream of bringing the truth to the world! Using some of his inheritance, he will start his own newspaper called, THE QUIBBLER!"
Upon reflex, Rowan rolls her eyes upon hearing the name. Well, the Quibbler had existed at least since the 1980s. It certainly made more sense than it would officially be created upon Xeno graduating from Hogwarts. But still to this day, she could not figure out where Xeno had come up with the idea that Crumple-Horned Snorkack's existed.
Then again, maybe, Xeno and the yet unborn Luna Lovegood truly saw things that were not normally seen to the naked eye. Paranoid and crazy even, but they always seemed to know the truth to an extent. Perhaps, they were farseers even in their own right.
Suddenly Pandora lets out a gasp causing Rowan to startle out of her thoughts and glance around only to spot the figure of James Potter waiting by the carriages. "Stalker," Rowan privately thought to herself, before turning to a rather pale looking Lily. "Lily, I hate to say this, but if you don't like Potter just tell him, and cease treating him like some dog. Just put him out of his misery already!"
"I thought I did," Lily replied in a quiet voice. "James had asked me out for a second outing, but I firmly declined and told him that though I enjoyed his company, I would prefer to remain friends and nothing more."
Pandora gapes in obvious shock as Rowan blinks taken back but with genuine respect and admiration in her eyes. "Well, Lily, color me impressed," Rowan truthfully said in awe causing Lily to smile shyly at her friend.
"Well, in that case, Lily can't go back with James!" Pandora protested, before sending Rowan a pointed glance.
"Fine, I will ride with Potter back," Rowan grumbled. "It's not as though I am not sickened tired of him."
"Good," Pandora muttered cheerfully ignoring Rowan's sarcastic comment. Wary Lily ensures that she sticks to Pandora's side, while Rowan walks a bit ahead.
Seeing Rowan Prince approach James calls out, "Are we all leaving together?"
"No," Rowan flatly replied as she grabbed Potter by the arm and pulled him into the nearest carriage, before slamming the door shut behind them as the carriage immediately sets off with a loud roll.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
EsliEsma
EsliEsma I would like to point out that the process of changing from a friendship to a romantic one is a process. For some, it is in a short time period others far longer. For some, the transition works and for others, it fails. J.K. Rowling stated that Lily could have very easily chosen Severus in the original work. However, they are both childhood friends and the transition might have taken longer for one party... Lily namely since Severus always loved her.
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