The Rise And Fall Of The Stag And The Doe

fall out boy

She hadn't gone swimming since the cabin, but moving through the September heat, her body was soaked in sweat. Lily felt like she just dove straight into the ocean and not remotely in a refreshing way.

"Okay...Okay." Lily panted making a motion to stop Marlene. "I should not have ...How could I thought...fuck."

Marlene jogged around her to keep up her pace. "What is it?"

"Are you a fucking...tri-athlete?"

Chuckling, Marlene kept moving. "Lily ...we haven't even gone a mile."

"Christ," Lily held her sides, her hair frizzing at the edges of her hairline. "How..." She took a second to collect her breath many are we supposed to go?"

"I was going to take it easy on you and go only three."

Lily eyebrows crunched together, her mouth opening in outrage. "...How many do you usually do?!"

"Depends. Start of the season only 5k, Mid-season 10k and by the end 13k."

"...What is wrong with you?"

"Of all people," Marlene began halting condescendingly. "You shouldn't be asking anyone that."

"DEAR GOD!" Lily groaned propelling herself forward, "Why is this a thing? I fucked up! I pushed him too hard. It's over. Let's let it go! Now James can move on!"

Marlene kept up with her easily, giving the smaller girl a look. "Okay now you are completely delusional. At first you were just mad about you, but now it's spreading to other people."

"He said," Lily wheezed, "He was done, and...then he walked away."

"Oh come on! You think he's honestly done? After everything?"

"He...can do better Marlene. He can live a better life."

Marlene threw up her hands. "I WANT TO SHAKE YOU!"

"I'm not convinced that he would have charged up to Voldemort if it weren't for me!" Lily said shakily. "And not you or anyone else will convince me otherwise!"

"You are upset!"

"I'm fine!" Lily insisted, dodging a low tree branch. "I'll admit Head meetings are awkward, but I'm fine."

"But James said you love him."

Lily gulped, ignoring her friend's hard expression. "I never told him that."

"But you do! You need him! It's not wrong to need someone!"

"I DON'T need him! Not at all! And he doesn't need me! We just have... feelings and they will go away and we will both do what we are supposed to do."

Marlene looked like she was about to rip out her hair. "I just...I'm not going to talk to you about this, because I'm going to get angry, and then you will get thrown-"

"You can't lift me."

"Dude, I can lift Sirius." Marlene shot back with a scoff. "The point is at some point you will have to face it. This isn't going to just go away."

Lily said, "Why? You and Sirius got over your shit. Why can't we be the same?"

Marlene's expression stiffened. "That's different. We are different."

"How? You love each other, it's clearly there and you know it will never work so you walked away because you believed it was the smart decision."

"...It didn't happen like that Lily. I gave him a chance, he could have asked me to stay and he didn't take it."