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Chapter 42: Cooperation with Lily
🕑 Added 2025-09-29 22:50:25 +0000 UTC[General point of view]
Ryan stood still, watching the Hufflepuff common room barrel close behind Eliza.
Silence.
Only him and Lily Evans.
They didnât move at first. As if the very air needed a second to reset.
Ryan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
What strange events. Minutes earlier he had been thinking about his projects, lying lazily on cold hard stone. And suddenly: Mulciber. Rosier. Little Eliza. The sound of a broken quill.
He felt a anger at the sight of it.
Heâd had his revenge, and if Eliza hadnât been watching it might have been more violent.
That Eliza had bought a second-hand quill didnât surprise him. Heâd seen the pattern before: students bought one, then wanted a different color, resold the first at a reduced price to recoup a couple of galleons and buy another.
Some students even liked collecting colors, so they didnât sell the original theyâd bought.
And since his quills had become popular, that kind of student microeconomy had expanded.
Now he was alone with Lily Evans, a fourth-year.
He looked at her properly for the first time.
Long, straight, reddish hair a deep, vibrant shade that fell over her robe like a polished waterfall. Defined cheekbones. Soft but expressive brows. And green eyes. Intense. Intelligent. A deep, warm, observant green.
The same look that, he knew, Harry Potter would one day inherit. Of course she didnât know that. She had no idea who her son would be.
Nor that he, Ryan Ollivander, was watching the future mother of the Boy Who Lived while pretending they had merely shared a walk to accompany a frightened child.
âAhem,â Lily coughed, with a half-smile, noticing the way heâd been looking at her. âAre you going to keep staring at me like that or say something?â
Ryan blinked and gave a quick, mischievous smile.
âSorry,â he said, with not a shred of genuine remorse, âAlthough, to be fair, you were looking at me while I spoke with Eliza.â
Lily held his gaze, without denying it.
âYou surprised me, thatâs all,â she said. âI didnât imagine you could be so⌠warm. So patient with a child. Itâs not something you expect after hearing about⌠previous reputations.â
Ryan tilted his head, amused. âSarcasm, chaos, ego-worship, genius inventor? Those parts?â
âExactly,â she replied. âThat part is well documented. The other not so much. And those are good things, by the way.â
He shrugged, smiling a touch more sincerely this time. âThanks, I suppose.â
Lily looked down for a second, as if weighing whether to ask something else. Finally she did: âAnd what are you going to do with the wands?â
Ryan didnât answer immediately. He pulled one of the wands from inside his robe and twirled it slowly between his fingers. Mulciberâs, perhaps.
âI thought of a little game,â he said at last.
Lily raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Her stance was no longer that of someone about to leave. Sheâd stayed, watching him closely. âWhat kind of game?â
Ryan smiled to one side. âA treasure hunt.â
That was enough for Lily to narrow her eyes at him, amused. âA treasure hunt with stolen wands?â
âTechnically requisitioned,â Ryan corrected, keeping the smile, âFor misconduct.â
âOf course,â Lily said, laughing softly.
âI need to hurry,â Ryan said, putting the wand away, âIâm pretty sure those two are off to bawl to McGonagall or Slughorn. So if Iâm going to hide them⌠it has to be now. And I need a good riddle. Something that brings them a couple of tears, if possible.â
She looked at him. She didnât say it was a bad idea. Nor that it was immature. Nor that they would punish him.
âAnd do you have any idea where youâre going to hide them? That would be the first step to making the riddle,â Lily said.
Ryan turned his face slightly toward her and gave a small sideways smile. âYou seem very interested. Do you want to help?â
Lily shrugged, but her eyes didnât hesitate.
âYes,â she admitted. âI froze when I saw Mulciber and Rosier bullying Eliza. I wanted to interveneâŚbut I couldnât. So at least I want to help now.â
Ryan didnât make an easy joke; he only nodded seriously. âItâs not shameful to feel fear, Evans. Especially against that ape Mulciber who must be over 1.85 meters and weigh more than a hundred kilos. Even I felt a bit afraid when I saw him breathing near me.â
Lily couldnât help laughing.
And Ryan smiled too, as if that were a small personal victory.
âGood, then it will be an honor to have the help of someone so clever,â he added, mock-solemnly inclining his head.
She looked at him, half amused, half surprised. âDo you know me?â
Ryan paused for a second, as if weighing his answer. âYou have a good reputation. Very good grades, always on top of your homework, respectable attitude. Enough that even those of us who donât speak to you, we know.â
Lily blinked. She couldnât help feeling happy. Not because anyone else said it because he said it. After everything heâd seen and done.
The clock was nearing seven. An hour earlier you could have gone to the Great Hall for dinner, so the corridors were empty.
Besides, Lily and Ryan were moving through deserted passages so they wouldnât be seen.
Between jokes, conspiratorial glances, and a hail of absurd ideas (some Ryanâs, some surprisingly hers), they ended up creating a riddle together.
A clever one. Perfectly designed to break the patience of two furious Slytherins. When they finally finished, it was 7:05.
âThe whole school should already be in the Great Hall,â Lily murmured, checking the time on a clock.
âYes, letâs go backâ Ryan said, but he didnât move right away. He turned to her, serious for a moment.
âEvans⌠youâd better let me take all the credit for this. If youâre seen with me now or linked to what I do, you could end up punished. Or worse: you could become a target for Mulciber or Rosier.â
Lily looked at him. Her lips pressed together. Her chin slightly raised. âI donât want to hide.â
âItâs not hiding, itâs avoiding thatââ
âThis is the first time in my life Iâve broken a rule,â Lily interrupted calmly but firmly, âAnd this time I feel itâs worth it. I donât want to stand aside while youâre punished when I helped you.â
âAnd as for Mulciber and Rosier⌠Iâll manage if they want to attack me.â
Ryan watched her silently for a few seconds. âI see why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor.â
Lily raised an eyebrow, offended, though there was a spark of humor in her look. âAre you questioning my bravery because I froze before?â
Ryan raised both hands in surrender, feigning drama. âNot at all! Youâre taking my words out of context, Miss Evans. Donât report me to the authorities.â
She laughed, lowering her head for a moment, but when she looked up she was more serious.
âBut seriouslyâŚâ she said, âI know hiding wands that arenât ours is going to get us in trouble. It will cost us points, probably some punishment.â
Ryan nodded slowly. He didnât deny it.
âBut we also have to make sure theyâre punished,â Lily added. âMulciber and Rosier broke Elizaâs quill, intimidated her, called her a mudblood.â
Her green eyes shone with a calm but cutting determination. âThat should also cost them points, lots of points. And a punishment. It canât go unpunished.â
She crossed her arms.
âIâm going to talk to McGonagall. Iâll give my testimony. I saw everything from the start. If you do the same, and Eliza agrees to confirm what they did⌠at least theyâll have to sanction them.â
âIt will happen. They wonât go unpunished. Their cruelty will be exposed in front of the whole school,â Ryan agreed confidently.
Lily squinted at him. âIn front of the whole school? What are you planning?â
"Nothing serious. Just when the moment comes, youâll have to give your testimony. Just like you said," Ryan replied without going into detail.
"The moment?" Lily repeated, frowning.
She imagined something simple. A conversation with McGonagall. Maybe in her office, after dinner. Formal. A normal procedure. Why couldnât it just be that?
But Ryan didnât offer her that kind of reassurance. He offered something else.
"Youâll see," he said, still smiling.
And against all odds, she didnât protest.
Not because she trusted him completely. But because there was something in the way he moved, spoke, looked, that made everything seem like it would turn out fine. That even if they were about to do something reckless, it would be a good kind of recklessness. One worth it.
And that, Lily thought, was strange.
Because she had known him for less than an hour. And already it felt like sheâd known him before.
As if she were about to get into trouble. And for the first time, that didnât scare her. It amused her. It excited her, though she wouldnât admit it.
Comments
Orion Chung
Haha I like this side of Lily , sheâs both intelligent, kind, Brave and mischief and good first meeting between Ryan and Lily
