Chapter 19 ~ The Room of Rivendell

After the strange Christmas , the relationship between Lily and Albus became detached once more, and adding to Lily's new-found loneliness was the silence between her and Vlad Malfoy. Though Lily Potter and Rose were still welcome to her, they had their own circle of friends apart from Albus, Rob and Fred, and Lily entered that silent phase again. They saw her in class and at meals. She was always absent in the evening. 

The main reason for the detachment of Lily and Albus was Albus' confusion. He didn't want to speak to her because he knew he'd start on about that Christmas Night. He just didn't know how to speak to her after all that had happened. But they were a team, the triwizard tournament could not be forgotten. So, in the middle of January, he finally told himself to get over it and find Lily to carry out the conversation he'd planned in his head.

''Where's Lily?'' He asked his sister as she scribbled in front of the common room fire. She looked up from her work, clearly irritated.

''How should I know, I hardly speak to her, let alone see her any more! Find her yourself.'' And with that, the flaming head bent back down again to attend to the parchment. Albus sighed and left his sister to her scribbling, heading down to the library where he found Rob and Fred.

''Hey guys, you seen Lily?'' He inquired. Fred creased his brow.

''You mean Lily as in tournament Lily and not your sister? If so, I met her in the common room, said she was heading for the seventh floor.'' Albus grinned gratefully and said his thanks before heading for the stairs. There were six sets before he was there. 

By the time he reached the seventh floor he was truly out of breath, but he managed to pant round the floor once, opening all the doors of the rooms she could possibly be in.

He looked in all of them, he went round twice more to make sure. By the time he was making his fourth lap he had basically given up hope. But where else could she be? He'd been on all the other floors. Unless she was in the dungeons, or in the..

That was what was going through his head as he nearly missed the carved oak door that he hadn't seen before. He frowned and ran his hands over the intricate carvings on the golden-brown door. Birds, flowers and leaves bordered the piece of art and a beautifully detailed water fall graced the center. There were symbols below the waterfall carving, they didn't mean anything to him but they were elegant and lovely all the same. He put his ear to the door, but could only hear the faint sound of what seemed to be falling water. Well, there was no harm in seeing what was inside.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside the room he never knew to have existed. The door slid slowly shut behind him, but he was to busy gazing at the wonderous enviroment around him. Under his feet there was fresh spring grass, dotted with white clover, the scent of the Lily's growing by a little stream that burst from a rock face drifting up to his enter his nostrils. The stream was real, but the moving, lifelike enchantment on the back wall was not, a fact he found out by touching it softly. For the wall was a moving picture of a palace and city, glittering waterfalls bursting from the rock faces around it. He realized the tiny patch of grass was on a ledge, looking down and across at the beautiful white structures, the deep floor of the valley far below them.

Them? Yes, he had found Lily. She slept peacefully on the green blanket of grass that cushioned her against the smooth rock upon which she leaned. He crept over to her, sitting down by her side and continuing to gaze at the beautiful scene.

And then it clicked. Of course. This was the room of requirement. Seventh Floor. Becomes any place you want it to be. He remembered his Father's stories about ''Dumbledore's Army'' from his school days, a year before the wizarding war. So this was Lily's dream. No wonder. It was so beautiful it felt like a dream.

She stirred, eye's fluttering open to gaze sleepily upon Albus before her eyes flashed open and she jumped up, alarmed.

''Albus - what - what are you doing here?'' She stood up worridley.

''Calm down Lily.'' He took her hand and sat her down on a rock, sorry that he'd disturbed the peaceful atmostphere. ''Look, I just wanted to say sorry. Sorry that I've been ignoring you and keeping away from you and -'' 

She cut him off mid-sentence with a sudden hug that lasted fore several seconds, Albus surprised at first before welcoming the embrace. Ten seconds later, she drew out of it, smiling happily at him. 

''Apology accepted.'' She laughed, a little colour back in her cheeks. ''And I am sorry, for all that happened at the yule ball and how I've acted since.'' Albus' stomach constricted at the mention of the incident, but Lily ventured no more on the subject, instead looking around herself almost sheepishly. ''So, what do you think of this setting?'' 

He smiled. ''I think it's beautiful.'' He looked closely at Lily, who was now beaming in a proud way. ''I know this is the room of requirement, so, is this what you wish for?'' 

She smiled, but did not answer, changing the subject. ''You know of the room of requirement?''

Albus nodded, smiling ironically. ''It's kind of a tradition in my family - to use it. My Dad used in during the wizarding war along with my Mother, James used it plenty of times to avoid being caught by angry caretakers and the like, and my sister Maxine used to use it for duelling.''

Lily smiled, but looked at him curiously. ''I never hear you talk about your siblings, Albus - well, except for Lily. What're they like.''

Albus creased his brow and sighed slightly. ''I don't talk about them because I barely see them anymore.'' He admitted. ''James and Maxine belong to this organisation....it's something strange...and they go abroad the whole time. To be honest, I don't really know them very well anymore.''

LIly looked at him sympathetically, but could see Albus didn't want to talk anymore and broke the silence as well as changing the subject. ''Come on, time for Muggle Studies.'' She picked up her bag from where it lay on the grass before heading for the door, where she watched Albus grab his own bag and cloak. ''I'm glad we're friends again Albus. We have so many ups and downs, but in the end we will always be friends.'' She held the door open for him and he passed through. They turned their different ways for the different classrooms. Yet as Albus turned to go the opposite way to her, she herself turned round and called after him, causing him to turn.

''But I am afraid you are slightly wrong Albus. It is not the room of requirement.'' His brow creased. What else could it be. She replied to his thoughts. ''It is the room of Rivendell.''

And with the usual questionable comment, she turned and was gone.