Disclaimer: If I have to tell you once, I'll say it a million times. I. Don't. Own. Harry. Potter!
A/N: Check out my other story, 'Meet the Parents!' and the sequel 'Meet the Parents 2'!
Chapter 16—To the End
"To the End," Ginny read, her red eyebrows rising in suspicion. "What the—"
But Harry wasn't paying attention to the funny title.
He was staring at the girl sitting next to him.
God, he really screwed up when he broke up with her. He really liked her. More than he had liked Cho Chang!
He knew that one of the happiest times of his sixth year was going out with Ginny and knew that breaking up with her hadn't been the best thing to do.
Harry still cared a lot for Ginny but the question was—did she still like him?
"Harry?" Ginny asked.
"What?"
"Pay attention and stop staring at me."
Harry turned red. "I am not!"
"Oh yeah Harry—I'm sure."
Even though she was pretending to be mad, Ginny liked it.
--
There was silence in the Heads Room as everybody stared at each other.
"James?" Lily squeaked.
"Lily!" James yelled.
"Kellie?" James and Lily said in shock.
"SIRIUS!" The black haired boy shouted. He really hated being left out of the conversation.
James glared at Sirius.
"Shutting up now." Sirius muttered as he took a huge sip of his cocoa.
Kellie rolled her eyes and glared daggers at Lily.
Lily shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Uhh, is there a reason why you are staring at me?"
Kellie glared even harder. "You know the reason why."
Lily swallowed and looked at the portrait hole, hoping to make an escape.
However, Kellie was standing in front of the entrance so Lily knew her chance of escaping was slim.
James stared at Kellie in confusion . "How'd you get in here?"
Kellie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Honestly James, you are blinder than I thought. I heard footsteps so I hid around the bend. When I saw it was you, I heard you say the password and I followed you in!"
Kellie tossed her hair and said, "I may be blonde but I'm not an idiot."
That is true. Lily thought.
"But I still don't—" Lily started to say but Kellie cut her off.
"Shut up." She said heavily, "Don't you dare speak."
"Don't tell Lily what to do!" James said angrily.
"I can stick up for myself thank you very much!" Lily yelled, annoyed that James thought that she could not stick up for herself.
Kellie laughed. "Yeah right. You, Shy Evans—the Human Christmas Tree—stick up for yourself? Please."
Lily felt a ripple of anger pass through her she had never felt before.
This is interesting.
James, knowing how Kellie acted when threatened started to play peacemaker.
"Okay, this is sorta weird. But Kellie if you don't mind—"
"The only time you stick up for yourself is when you have your friends around you." Lily shot back. "Otherwise, you're weak."
There was an inward gasp and an 'oooh' from Sirius.
"Me? Weak?" Kellie laughed again. "You must be confused. Let me help you—"
Kellie plunged her hands into her robes and brought out her wand.
Lily, with even faster reflexes, brought hers out before Kellie put her hand in her robes.
Sirius whistled. "Nice Lils. Why didn't you try out for the Quidditch team with those reflexes?"
"Shut up Sirius." Kellie snarled.
The two girls walked slowly in a circle, never taking their eyes off each other.
"You know what you are," Kellie smirked, "A low life tramp."
Lily stiffened but kept her cool. "And pray tell how am I a 'tramp'?"
"Let's see," Kellie looked mock thoughtful for a moment before saying, "You stole my boyfriend from me."
"I didn't even know who the hell James was when I was dancing with him!"
"Didn't you recognize his hair?" Kellie shrieked. "That's his trademark! It's messy, black and sexy!"
James couldn't help but puff out his chest in arrogance.
"Easy Prongs," Sirius muttered.
"Well sorry if I didn't look! Besides, James is not your property. Anybody can dance with him!"
"But you did!" Kellie brandished her wand so that a spark flew out.
James moved closer and hesitantly touched his wand just in case it got ugly.
"And what do you want me to do about it?" Lily yelled. "I didn't ask him! Hell, I didn't even want to dance! But then, a boy in a prince outfit came up to me and asked me to dance!"
"You could have said no!"
"Well that's quite rude isn't it?" Lily said, "I'm not like you."
Lily had no idea what was going on with her. She was actually sticking up for herself and about to duel with the Ice Queen!
"Ooh," Kellie said sarcastically, "Is that supposed to hurt my heart?"
"What heart?" Lily challenged.
Kellie smirked. "I've heard that one too many times."
"Then I guess you won't mind if I say this. I'm not the tramp—you are. You need to learn to stop living in the past and get over the fact that James dumped you. He obviously didn't like you."
There was another silence as everybody stared at Lily, who glared at the blonde in an almost Kellie-like way.
Lily was satisfied to see that Kellie's blue eyes lost its venom and that she shortly looked upset and ready to cry. Also, for once in Kellie's seventeen years of life, she was speechless.
She finally found the Ice Queen's weakness.
"So, let's get this straight," Sirius, said cutting into the silence, "Kellie, you're mad at Lily because she danced with James at the Halloween Dance?"
"Not just that!" Kellie yelled the fire returning into her eyes, "It's because James fell in love with her!"
Lily stiffened and her eyes went wide as she looked at a red-faced James.
A crush was one thing but—love?
Holy shit.
Sirius blinked. "Okkaaay," he said, drawing out the 'a', "I'm done."
Lily dropped her arm in shock and let it dangle there.
"You love me?" Lily gasped as she stared, goggle-eyed at James.
James turned tomato red as he took a step towards Lily.
"Yes, I do."
It looked like James was about to kiss Lily too. He closed the space between them and lifted Lily's chin with his finger.
Just before their lips met, Kellie gave a scream of anger and rushed towards Lily.
With his peripheral vision, James saw Kellie come after Lily and quickly stepped in front of the redhead.
He grabbed the blonde girl's arms as she lunged towards Lily, who gave a scream of terror.
"Sirius!" James yelled as he struggled to hold Kellie from attacking Lily.
"Righto!" Sirius said as he took out his wand.
He held the wand at Kellie and kicked away hers as she made a mad scramble for it.
Lily stared at the scene with wild eyes.
James looked up at Lily, his hazel eyes softening. "Lily..."
However, the redhead just shook her head. "No way," she said hoarsely, shaking her head, "No way."
With that, Lily ran out of the Heads Room as fast as she could.
She could hear James shout her name but she really did not give a damn right now.
Lily also knew that she had changed. The old Lily would have never run out or stick up for herself. The New Lily shocked herself at what she had just done.
She had stood up to the Ice Queen, Kellie Crosby and run out.
What else could Lily accomplish?
--
She had no idea where she was heading but her feet were directing her towards the doors to go outside.
Outside? Lily thought as she neared the doors, How can I go outside? I'll freeze!
It didn't matter—she was opening up the doors.
A gust of cold December air hit her face and she saw a barren land.
Lily, not caring that she was only wearing a green sweater and jeans, rushed into the white wonderland.
She didn't know where she was heading until she found herself nearing the lake.
Her chest was on fire, her face hot and sweaty as she collapsed by a huge rock near a tree.
--
Back inside, there was silence as the remaining teenagers gaped at the empty space where Lily had stood just moments ago.
Sirius cleared his throat and looked at James, "Shouldn't you be going after her?"
James shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
"You are absolutely right," He said, but then glanced at Kellie.
As if reading his mind Sirius gave a thin smile and said, "Don't worry—I'll take care of her."
James threw Sirius a grateful look. "I owe you."
"I'll remember that." Sirius said cheerfully, "Now go find your girl."
It was probably one of the deepest things Sirius had ever said.
James nodded and ran out.
Sirius then frowned as he glared at Kellie, "I really do hate it when people try to ruin my friends' happiness."
"Oh go to hell." Kellie spat.
Sirius shook his head. "Tsk Kellie. You need to be taught a lesson..."
However, James was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Where could she be hiding? James thought frantically, this is like looking for a needle in a haystack!
Suddenly the idea came to him.
Twins!
--
James skidded to a halt in front of the marble staircase leading to the girls' dormitory.
He knew that he couldn't climb the stairs and he sure as hell was definitely not going to shimmy up the railing.
Therefore, thinking for a few moments he took a deep breath.
"OY! MONTEREY TWINS! COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!"
There was a crash and an angry looking Tessa flew out of the room.
"What the hell James!" She exploded. "Is there a reason why you're screaming?"
James grinned in his Marauder way and said, "Do you know where Lily is?"
Tessa threw up her hands in exasperation, "Is this the reason why you screamed? God damn it!"
James was enjoying listening to Tessa rant. It reminded him of his own mum.
"Do you know where she is?"
"NO!" Tessa yelled. "I don't! Now, go away!"
James shrugged and turned to leave but Tessa called in a softer voice:
"James?"
He turned around again.
"Do you know that she's really Miss Cinderella?"
James nodded.
Tessa grinned. "Then go venture out and find her."
--
Venture out and find her? What kind of bullshit is that? James thought as he sat in the common room thinking.
How am I supposed to find her?
Suddenly, the idea came to him.
He hit himself over the head asking himself why he didn't think of that earlier.
The Marauders Map.
--
He bolted to the boys' dormitory and searched through his trunk, taking out everything.
Finally, after a few moments, he had dumped everything out of his trunk (and the room looked like a tornado had spun through) and did not find the map.
Where did I last put the map? James asked himself frantically as he searched the entire room.
Finally, he found the map.
It was under Sirius' pillow next to the latest issue of PlayWizard and the rip out swimsuit calendar of Betty Swanson—Sirius' favorite PlayWizard bikini model.
I'm going to kill him.
--
Taking the map out, James bolted out of the boys dorm and the common room.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," James muttered tapping the map lightly.
With the map open, James peered at it and saw numerous dots but didn't find the ones that he wanted.
She can't have gone off the grounds! James thought frantically as he scoured the map.
Finally, he found the dot he was looking for.
Lily Evans.
She was by the lake.
--
James cursed the December weather as he walked onto the grounds, the only sounds he heard was the crunching of snow underneath his shoes.
Why in the world did she go outside? James wondered to himself as his hands began to numb.
Taking out his wand, he transfigured a twig into some gloves.
"That's better," James said happily, as he slipped on the red gloves. "Now, where are you?"
He couldn't miss that red hair.
--
He found Lily sitting up in a tree, staring at the frozen lake.
He frowned because he knew that he could not climb trees. He could—but he was afraid to climb. He had a nasty accident when he was six with climbing a tree.
He looked up and saw Lily staring at him with a frightened expression on her face.
"Afternoon Lily," he said, trying to be courteous.
All he managed to do was make Lily climb up higher in the tree.
James frowned as he slid down the trunk of the tree and sat there, trying to think of something.
Finally, he did.
"Okay," he said, "Hypothetically speaking, if someone searches for the love of their life and once they finally find them, they make sure their friend stalls them so that this someone knows that they will be with their love, and when they finally see that person, their love runs away. What would you do?"
He knew that didn't make a lot of sense but it was on his mind.
He heard silence and knew that Lily did not respond.
James sighed.
Finally, he heard a crunching noise and saw that Lily had dropped from the tree and walked up to him.
"Do you want to know what I would do?" Lily asked softly.
James nodded.
Lily crouched down until she was close to his face.
"I would kiss him."
James swallowed as he tried to hide his grin. "That doesn't make a lot of sense."
"Neither do you."
--
By the next day, everybody knew who the real Miss Cinderella truly was.
None could believe that it was Lily Evans.
"Are you sure that Lily Evans is the real Miss Cinderella?"
"That's what James said! The mask probably fit her!"
James never asked Lily to try on the mask. All they had to do was talk about the conversation they had that night.
Besides, he trusted Lily.
"Congragulations that you finally found Miss Cinderella!" Tessa cheered as she downed a glass of pumpkin juice.
James grinned smugly as he wrapped an arm around Lily, "Yup. I bet this was a huge shock to you that Lily was Cinderella!"
Sirius, Remus, Erica and Tessa all shared a look.
"Actually James," Remus said lightly, "We all knew that Lily was Miss Cinderella."
James groaned. "Are you serious?"
Erica nodded. "Even Marissa Everhard found out before you did."
James groaned dramatically and cried, "I was outsmarted by an idiot!"
"Are you talking about Sirius?" Remus asked innocently.
Sirius frowned and hit Remus hard in the back so that the werewolf would choke.
The five exploded with laughter.
"Hey Tessa." A voice said and everybody turned around to see Mitchell Braden pass by.
"Hi." Tessa said.
Mitchell looked at Tessa who was sitting across from Sirius and said, "I hope you're happy with Black."
Erica waited until Mitchell left before saying, "He hopes you're happy with Sirius? What's that all about?"
"Well," Tessa said, not looking embarrassed, "He was bugging me yesterday so I said I was going out with Sirius. I guess he believed me."
Sirius grinned and said in a suggestive voice, "You did? You want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
Tessa rolled her eyes. "Please—I'd rather go with Braden—that reminds me."
She stood up and yelled, "HEY BRADEN!"
Mitchell looked up, "What?"
Tessa beckoned to him and he walked back over towards her.
"What?" He asked.
"Do you still want to go to Hogsmeade?" Tessa asked.
Everybody goggled at the black-haired girl.
Mitchell shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks. I'm going with somebody else."
As Mitchell walked away Tessa shrugged, "It was worth a try."
Lily turned towards Sirius, "What happened to Kellie?"
"She's over there," Sirius pointed towards Kellie, who was sitting by herself.
"Where are Morgan and Marissa?" Remus asked.
"Morgan's sitting with Rebecca Hewitt and Marissa is in a broom closet with Peter Michelson."
"I feel sorry for her;" Erica said sympathetically, "Kellie doesn't have any friends sitting with her."
"I don't." Lily said shortly, "She got what she deserved."
Tessa cackled and clinked her glass with Lily. "Hell yeah!"
"I propose a toast," Sirius said, picking up his glass so fast that pumpkin juice sloshed over his goblet. "To the new beginning!"
"New what?" Remus asked in confusion.
"The new beginning of Lilykins and Prongsie! You know I have a feeling that they'll get married in the not so distant future."
Lily and James turned a bright shade of red.
"Sirius!" James hissed, "Lily and I have only been dating for one day!"
Sirius winked. "Always be prepared."
James groaned.
"I propose a toast," Erica said, raising her glass, "To Lily, James, the rest of us and to the future! To us!"
Five pairs of glasses were raised in the air.
"To us!"
THE END.
--
"The end?" Harry asked dumbfounded. "That is the end? 'To us'? What kind of ending is that?"
But Ginny wasn't listening as she turned to the next page.
"Hold up Harry, there's an epilogue."
--
For Lily and James, life went smoothly afterwards. Three years after they got together, they got married. One year and six months after their marriage, Lily Potter gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Harry James Potter.
Unfortunately, life is not picture perfect.
On October 31, 1981, Lord Voldemort, leaving Harry an orphan, tragically murdered Lily and James Potter.
Even though they are both gone, we will always remember James Potter as the handsome Quidditch player and we will always remember Lily Evans as Miss Cinderella.
--
Ginny grinned slightly as she brushed away a lone tear trickling down her face.
"Is that end a little bit better?" Ginny asked, staring at Harry, her grin wavering.
Harry nodded. "But I already know how that epilogue went," Harry said. "After all, I lived through it."
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"I would still like to know who wrote this book." Harry said wistfully.
Ginny sighed and turned the book over. "We'll check one more—hold the phone."
MISS CINDERELLA said the cover in faded gold.
They had seen that part earlier.
However, more writing had been added.
By Tessa and Erica Monterey.
Ginny gaped. "How did we not see this earlier?"
Harry, however, gave a short laugh. "I should have known that Mum's friends wrote this. We should have bet on this too."
Ginny rolled her eyes and went to smack Harry but he caught her hand.
Ginny looked up and saw Harry's emerald green eyes staring attentively at her.
Green eyes met brown eyes and she felt a spark.
And this had nothing to do with a spark of electricity.
She felt herself inching closer towards Harry until she could see every shade of green in those brilliant eyes.
Ginny could feel Harry's warm breath near hers and her heart raced in anticipation.
He is going to kiss me, Ginny thought in shock.
She felt his lips fall onto hers.
She had no time to register her shock.
After a few moments of kissing Harry in delight, Ginny pulled back as she remembered something.
"Harry?" She asked.
"Hmm?"
"We still need to find Hermione's book."
THE END.
--
Haha! There! I'm DONE!
Ahh, thank god.
Well this is the end for 'Miss Cinderella.' I'm quite happy with this chapter too—for once.
I'd like to give a HUGE and BIG thanks to ReadingRobyn and JPX3LE for giving me such great ideas for this chapter! Everybody else who gave me ideas, thank you too! If it weren't for you guys, I would probably be on writer's block!
Haha, out of ALL the guesses of who wrote the book you guys didn't put the twins! Well, now you know!
Well, that's it for now. Stay tune for my newest fic coming in the distant future!
--Greekchic