true loves poison • james potter

31

Just short of two weeks later, Lorelei geared up for her own birthday celebration.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Oh come on Lori, you're turning seventeen." Argued Melissa, pinching her fingers together, "Just a tiny party?"

"No!" Half laughing, half scoffing, Lorelei threw her bags on the bed, "The days halfway over already, and I am tired. I have homework I need to do."

Giving each other a long suffering look, Melissa and Liz sighed in unison, "Fine," Liz caved, "But if you feel bored at our boring little celebration, just know we tried to get you to live a little."

"Yeah, you're free of the trace now. How do you feel?" Melissa asked.

Lorelei shrugged and pulled off her uniform, "Same as always."

"It's only a matter of time before we're in our seventh year." Melissa mused, also getting undressed out of her uniform.

Rifling through her drawers for new clothes, Lorelei scoffed, "That's months away."

"It's only six months until the end of term." Melissa said, "The last part of the year always rushes by faster than the first part."

Pulling out a matching blue pajama set, pulling on the shorts, Lorelei got to work unbuttoning the shirt. "I hope it does. I'm ready for this year to end. Then we only have one more until we're free."

Melissa finished dressing before Liz and Lorelei. "Ah yes, only a year and a half before we can join the war. How pleasing that sounds." She remarked sarcastically.

Lorelei pulled the shirt on like a coat, and got to buttoning them back up, "Not all bad-"

A knock at their door cut her off. "Who is it?" Melissa called from where she sat on the bed.

"It's Lily!" She called through the door.

Finishing buttoning her shirt, Lorelei walked over to the door. "Did you need something?" Lorelei asked.

Lily smiled, standing with her hands behind her back, "I heard it was your birthday, why didn't you say anything."

"It's not a big deal to me." She shrugged, keeping a light smile in place.

"Well. Despite the late notice, I got you something." Lily pulled her hands around revealing a small wrapped package.

Fake pouting, Lorelei grabbed the gift from her, "Lily, you didn't have to. Really."

Lily nodded to it, "Open it, I want to see your reaction."

Pulling back the brown paper, Lorelei found a book titled, The Diary of Salazar Slytherin.

"What is it?" Lorelei asked, running her fingers over the cover. It looked oddly similar to the book on blood magic she'd returned to the library weeks ago.

Lily looked pleased as she looked at the book, "Well Alice told me you checked out a book on blood magic a couple months ago, so I did a little digging and found that. It should have more information on blood magic if you're interested."

Looking at the book with newfound appreciation, she looked up at Lily, "That's incredibly thoughtful Lily."

Nodding, Lily waved her hand, "I have to get back to Marlene, she was trying to make a potion that's frankly above her skill level." She chuckled, "Happy birthday, Lorelei."

Waving before shutting the door, Lorelei tossed the wrapping in the bin before setting the book on her trunk. "Alright, which one of you is going to the kitchens for cake?"

In the end, Melissa was the one who volunteered to get snacks, leaving Liz and Lorelei alone.

"What book did Lily get you?" Liz asked, looking at the cover.

Walking next to her, Lorelei also looked at the book, "She'd heard about my interest in blood magic and somehow found an even more detailed book then the one I found. I don't even know how she would."

"Well it's Lily," Liz started, walking away from the book, "She didn't hang around a Slytherin for years with nothing to show for it."

"I can't argue with that." Lorelei said, tucking the book in her trunk for a later date.

"Are you going to read the whole thing in a matter of days, like your usual pattern?" Liz teased, setting pillows and blankets on the floor.

Lorelei shook her head, "I'm feeling swamped already with apparition class, and my other classes, and half terms coming up. So unfortunately The Diary Of Salazar Slytherin will have to wait."

The door moved open on its own and soon Melissa walked inside holding a three tiered cake, "I asked for a small cake, and the house elves gave me this."

"If this is a small I'd dread to see what a large one looks like." Liz scoffed, walking over to help Melissa.

Sitting on the floor with the cake in front of them and forks in hand, the three ate the cake while talking. Around two hours and half a cake later, Melissa set her fork down, "I'm done. If I eat one more bite I won't be able to stomach breakfast tomorrow."

Lorelei hummed and followed suit, "I suppose you're right."

"Weaklings." Liz teased, taking another bite.

Lorelei smiled and shook her head. Taking her place on her bed, she said back, "Well finish quickly because I for one want some sleep."

"Oh leave her be." Melissa said, sitting next to Lorelei on her bed. "Have you decided what you're going to do yet?"

"For what?"

Melissa tilted her head, "Well, you were guilty about your project. And now you and James aren't on good terms anymore."

Lorelei sighed, "Well, I'm not guilty anymore I'll tell you that." She bit the inside of her lip in anxiety, "I think I'm going to put it on the shelf for now. I can't even look at James regularly anymore, and thinking of adding more to my plate on top of classes and quizzes sounds like hell." She shrugged, "I just don't want to deal with any of it right now."

Melissa nodded and stood, "Probably for the best anyway. The longer you break away from James, the longer he'll want you back."

Lorelei gave a ghost of a smile, pulling her covers over her legs, "And he'll deserve it when I crush his heart."

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The next chapter will be a time skip <3