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How many tips does it take to win Mr. Rite?
Chapter 5 – What not to do when your crush is in sight…



The Hogwarts girls had gone wild.

A buzz of conversation had risen throughout the school, the topic: How to win Mr. Right. The newspaper was hugely popular by now, everyone had been informed, everyone had bought a copy and everyone had written asking for help on how to win Mr. Right. But what was so exciting for the girls of Hogwarts School were the tips that returned. They were fantastic. They were so simple, yet so genius the girl’s trusted them completely, and not wrongly. Their Mr. Right was soon theirs.

But the one question still remained. It dug into every teenage girl’s mind. It was the main topic of conversation. Even the Hogwarts Staff were intrigued. Who was the person writing back the brilliant advice, the person who called himself Mr. Right?

Could it possibly be one of the Marauders? After all they were the ones who created the newspaper in the first place. But really, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter, writing excellent advice, that was unlikely. No, many of the girls believed they had hired someone to do that part of the job for them. But who? The possibilities were endless, how many guys were at this school, it could be anyone really.

Anyone at all.

~*~*~

Lily stared weakly. The school was full of happy couples. Everywhere she went, couples were laughing, couples were hand-in-hand, couples were chatting to other couples. It was sweet she told herself. It was nice that everyone had won the man-of-their-dreams. It was cute, it was romantic… actually no… it was just plain depressing.

She tried to be happy for them. But it was hard. It was just unfair, why couldn’t she have a boyfriend? More specifically, why couldn’t she have Russell Rite?

It seemed as though only Zoey, Kelly and herself were single. Kelly didn’t seem to mind; she walked around happily, commenting on the cute choice of couples. Zoey, however, was beginning to get moodier, darker and grumpier.

She glared daggers at every happy couple unlucky enough to pass by her. Kelly had to keep her well away from Sirius and Melissa, there was no prediction of what she would do near them, but it was obvious to see it wouldn’t be something pleasant. Lily, herself was starting to get upset, but whenever she ventured this to her friends, Kelly quickly replied. ‘Use the newspaper’ making Lily snort and cross her arms stubbornly.

That newspaper was something Lily wanted to stay away from. It was unbelievable how popular it had become. She could bet the advice was useless. But then how did they school suddenly become so full of couples?

Lily sighed frustratedly as she climbed up to the girl dormitories and slumped down on her bed, covering a pillow with her face. Zoey angrily flew down on hers as well, but Kelly merely rolled her eyes at the two of them.

‘Will you two stop being so grumpy!’ she said rolling her dark-green eyes. ‘If you want a boyfriend so badly just write to the newspaper asking for advice!’

‘Ha!’ Zoey spat out. ‘I don’t want a boyfriend, I am perfectly fine by myself!’

Kelly raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t comment she then turned her attention to Lily.

‘But I know Lily wants a boyfriend.’

Lily groaned as she felt the mattress sink and slowly sat up and coming face-to-face with a smug looking Kelly.

‘Lily,’ she said in a singsong voice. ‘Use the newspaper!’

Lily snorted. ‘No way!’

‘Why not?’ Kelly said sighing.

‘Because it won’t do anything!’

Kelly rolled her eyes. ‘Lily have you seen this school? It’s full of happy couples and do you know why it’s full of happy couples?’

Lily groaned and pulled the pillow back over her face. ‘It’s because of the newspaper, so just use it!’

‘Yeah right,’ she said pulling the pillow from her. ‘And give Potter the satisfaction I don’t think so!’

‘Ah,’ Kelly said, eyes suddenly lighting up in realisation. ‘This is about Potter.’

‘No!’ Lily said angrily. ‘I just don’t want his big head to inflate even more.’

‘Lily,’ Kelly said sighing. ‘Potter isn’t going to know you’re writing to his newspaper, besides it’s not really his, he just helps, and I can bet anything he isn’t going to be the one writing back the advice,’ Kelly laughed at the last part. ‘Potter and advice just don’t go together.’

Lily seemed to fail slightly before she shook herself. ‘There’s no point anyway,’ she said glumly. ‘I bet Russell already has a girlfriend now that everyone is all coupled up.’

‘Erm…’ Lily and Kelly both jumped as Zoey murmured, forgetting about her presence.

‘What?’ Lily asked, as Zoey suddenly grew red.

‘Well I didn’t want to tell you this but…’

‘But?’ Kelly asked.

‘Erm well,’ Zoey said shuffling her feet. ‘Russell has a girlfriend.’

Lily felt like her world was shattering. ‘A girlfriend?’ she repeated weakly.

‘Yeah, I saw him with that Ravenclaw girl, you know one of the chasers?’

‘Oh,’ Kelly said. ‘Casey Smith?’

‘Yeah, that’s the one,’ Zoey said clicking her fingers. ‘Apparently they’re an item now.’

‘Casey Smith? Yeah she’s a really good chaser actually, tall, black hair, she’s quite pretty.’

Kelly stopped as she saw Lily glaring at her angrily. ‘But I’m sure she’s nothing compared to you.’

Lily sighed. ‘See it’s pointless.’

‘You should have did what I told you.’ Kelly said. ‘Then you’d be the one dating Russell, no matter how snobby I think he is.’

Lily sighed again and fumbled around the side of her bed, pulling out some worn-out trainers. ‘I’m going running.’

‘Oh no, Lily,’ Zoey said pulling her friend into a hug.

‘Err…did I miss something?’ Kelly asked, puzzled.

‘Lily only ever goes running when she really upset,’ Zoey told Kelly.

Lily pushed Zoey away. ‘No, honestly I’m fine; it’s just that I’m sick of being in this stuffy castle I need some air. Honestly Zoey I’m fine.’ She said as her friend gave her an unconvinced look.

‘Well, do you want us to come with you?’ Zoey asked.

‘No it’s fine,’ Lily said putting on a stretched smile and exciting the room.

She pulled on her trainers and wrapped her jacket tighter around her before climbing down the stairs into the dormitories. Her stretched smile quivered and disappeared as she saw the new couples chatting to each other by the fire. She needed to get out.

She ran all the way through the portrait hole and out of the castle until she was at her favourite running path. She stopped running so fast and picked up a steady jog.

Finally she was away. Away from people, away from the couples, now it was just her, and her thoughts.

But most of her thoughts were unhappy so Lily shook them and just concentrated on the path in front of her.

She couldn’t believe Russell had a girlfriend that was so unfair; she wanted to be his girlfriend.

Lily sighed as the thoughts came rushing back. There’s no need to be jealous, she thought to herself. Maybe Russell wasn’t the guy for you anyway.

But even now as she tried to find all the bad points in him she couldn’t find any that actually bugged her. Maybe his family was too rich for her liking; she could never be comfortable around people with so much money. Maybe sometimes it was a little annoying that he was so into Quidditch and she could never relate to him about it. Maybe sometimes he was a little snobby like Kelly said.

Oh, who was she kidding? He was perfect.

It didn’t matter how much money his family owned, she liked the fact that he was so into Quidditch and he wasn’t snobby at all that was just Kelly being…Kelly.

He was perfect and she knew it.

Lily was so lost in her own thoughts she didn’t see a boy come flying round the corner, literally knocking her off her feet.

‘Sorry about that,’ the boy murmured and stood up reaching a hand towards her. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t see you; I was just in such a rush. Wait a minute! Evans?’

Lily rubbed her head where she had collided with the ground on her fall and glanced up at the boy, her blurred vision suddenly stopping. ‘Potter?’ she spat and stood up quickly, ignoring the light headiness that followed.

‘Evans?’ he repeated. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘What do you think?’ she muttered angrily. ‘I was running until you came flying out of nowhere and pushed me over!’

James blinked. ‘Sorry, I honestly didn’t see you, and it was much as your fault as it was mine!’

‘What!’ Lily shouted angrily, her fiery temper suddenly rearing up. ‘You knocked into me!’

James just sighed and glanced round the corner of her.

‘Potter! What are you doing?’

But James was already running past her and grabbing thin air. ‘Got it!’ he exclaimed gleefully.

‘Got what exactly?’ Lily asked crossing her arms stubbornly. But James wasn’t paying her much attention; he cupped his hand to his mouth and shouted loudly. ‘I got it! Russell I got it!’

Lily rolled her eyes; he was such an idiot, what the hell was he doing. Wait. Lily traced over his words. Russell?

And sure enough the Ravenclaw boy came rushing out from behind and jogged across the track up to James.

‘Ha!’ James exclaimed happily pushing his hand into Russell’s face. ‘I got it!’

Lily face had gone red, she was so close to Russell, maybe she could just slip away, they weren’t paying much attention to her anyway, no, that was focused on the thing Potter was holding. But before she could run away James’ eyes snapped towards her making Russell follow his gaze to her.

That’s another reason why I should hate James Potter, Lily thought to herself angrily.

‘Lily right?’ Russell asked making her blush furiously and nod her head; her mouth obliviously wasn’t obeying her.

James smirked. ‘I told you!’ he exclaimed. ‘I got it first even when Evans knocked into me, I was still faster!’

‘You knocked me over!’ Lily said angrily then blushed again as Russell turned to face her.

James held up his hand revealing the golden snitch. ‘How did you get that?’ Lily asked staring at the tiny gleam.

‘Stole it years ago,’ James said grinning. ‘Me and Russell here just had a bet to see who could catch it first, and I won!’ Lily rolled her eyes, great now there were more reasons for him to be bigheaded.

Russell sighed. ‘Well I guess you can run faster.’

James grinned happily. ‘See you then, I’ve got to meet Padfoot and tell him the good news, bye Evans,’ he added with a wink and ran off. Lily was in the middle of rolling her eyes as she realised.

She was alone with Russell Rite.

Well, this wasn’t good.

‘Well, I’m still the better Quidditch player.’ He said as he watched James run off, then he turned to her, Lily blushed and gave him nervous smile. He grinned back.

‘We have Ancient Runes together right?’

‘Erm, yeah,’ Lily said nodding her head quickly, a little too quickly as the light headiness came running back. Great she must look like such an idiot.

‘You okay?’ he asked as Lily winced.

‘Yeah,’ she muttered. ‘I just banged my head when Potter came running into me.’ She silently cursed James.

‘Maybe I should take you to the Hospital Wing?’

‘No, it’s okay.’ Lily said blinking a few times until the world became clear again. ‘I’m fine.’

Russell still looked unconvinced but started to walk along with her. ‘We’re in Charms together as well aren’t we?’

‘Yeah,’ Lily said smiling weakly. ‘And Herbology.’

‘Yeah,’ Russell said happily. ‘You sit next to James.’

‘Unfortunately,’ Lily grumbled as Russell laughed.

‘Not a big fan of James, are you?’

‘That’s a bit of an understatement,’ Lily said.

Russell laughed again. And Lily suddenly realised she was talking to Russell and she’d made him laugh! This was amazing.

‘Yeah,’ Lily said suddenly gaining more confidence. ‘I was just running, I know it’s weird but I love to run.’

‘Me too,’ Russell said grinning. ‘It’s the only time I can stand to be with my thoughts.’

‘That’s exactly how I feel,’ Lily exclaimed, making Russell grin at her.

‘I guess we’ve got similar personalities,’ Russell said smiling at her. ‘Shame you’re not in Ravenclaw.

‘Well, I was almost put in actually,’ she said weaving her way through the stones and sticks as she thought just how great this was going. ‘But I guess I suited Gryffindor more.’

‘Well you must be much braver than me then,’ Russell said as the castle came into view.

‘I doubt it,’ Lily mumbled. ‘I’m scared of everything.’

‘Spiders?’ Russell asked.

‘Defiantly, and the dark not to mention heights.’

‘Ah, see that’s where I part with you,’ Russell said laughing as he looked up to the sky. ‘I love nothing more than heights.

‘I guess that’s why you’re such a good Quidditch player.’

‘Not as good as me though!’ James said jumping out of a bush, making Lily squeal. Russell laughed and said. ‘Wanna bet?’

‘Haven’t we just had one?’ James said smirking. ‘And I won!’

Lily grounded her teeth together angrily. Why did Potter always have to spoil things. She was actually having a conversation with Russell and he came and spoilt everything.

‘Lily?’

He was such a bigheaded git, why couldn’t he just leave them alone.

‘Lily!’

She couldn’t stand him; she had never hated anyone with so much passion. In fact she had never hated anyone at all, but something about him made her blood boil. He was so immature, he was so self-centred and he was so…

‘LILY!’

…loud.

‘What!’ she said angrily and tried to spin around but before she could she slipped and fell. She tumbled and crashed down the side of the hill, shrieking loudly as she did so. Then she landed head first in a pool full of mud.

‘Watch out for that hill,’ she heard a distant shout of James Potter.

She had fell down a hill, a hill how blind could she be! And too make things worse she was covered in mud. And Russell had seen.

Well, this wasn’t good.


~*~*~

Hiya! I know i haven't updated in a month and i'm really sorry! I was going to give up on this story and i've had loads of exams. And i started to write a new story and have spent most of my time writing that. By the way its called No Ordinary Girl, i you want to check it out. *looks hopeful*

And i know this chapter is really short and not very good but i promise to do better next time, so until then thanks for reading and please review!

P.S A HUGE thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!