A/n: Okay, so not too long of wait this time around right? I was a little disappointed at how slow the reviews came in because as of now the last chapter had 344 hits and only 19 reviews to show for it. It really doesn't take long to jot a little note and I reply to every one!—except the anonymous ones because there is no feature for that and that really frustrates me. But I can't do anything about that.
So, here is chapter 16 and I hope to have chapter 17 for you all soon. I'm hoping that the workload this term won't be too terribly bad. I've got my fingers crossed. So, read and enjoy and please remember to review!
I give full credit once again to the writers and producers of Dawson's Creek for a few scene/conversation ideas that I borrowed and added to or changed.
Challenge
Chapter 16: Reactions and Revelations
The first day of the Christmas holidays dawned crystal and clear, but still very cold. A wintry white sun twinkled in the castle windows and a bone-chilling wind made the trees in the Forbidden Forest groan and bend. The grounds were as muddy as they had been all week, Filch was still very grouchy, and there was an unusual amount of commotion in the dorms for so early an hour. The commotion was caused by the Hogwarts Express' early departure time. It was leaving two hours earlier from Hogsmeade Station to get the students to Platform 9 and ¾ by early afternoon.
In Gryffindor Tower, the seventh year girls—except Melissa who continued to slumber—rose at the crack of dawn to finish their packing. Alyssa stood between her dresser and trunk directing her clothes to fold and pack themselves with her wand. Izzy hummed various Christmas songs as she hand-folded and packed her belongings. Sydney was wedged beneath her bed searching for lost articles of clothing and other items, while Rachel was absent from the room entirely.
Keeping one eye on her folding socks, Alyssa glanced at Rachel's unmade bed and half-filled trunk. "Where's Rachel?" she asked looking at Izzy.
"Shower I think," Izzy replied absently, slipping several wrapped boxes between sweaters.
Rachel stomped into the dorm a short time later and slammed the door shut behind her. Alyssa and Izzy glanced at each other as Melissa burrowed further under her covers. The closet door slammed and Rachel dumped an armful of clothes onto her bed. Alyssa, Izzy, and Sydney stared as she began to forcefully shove things into her trunk, muttering angrily to herself.
"They're going to hit back soon," Alyssa said nonchalantly.
Rachel ignored her and continued to violently pack her trunk. Alyssa sighed; stopping her folding and packing spell—leaving a pair of jeans to fall back in the drawer unfolded—and pointed her wand at Rachel's trunk.
"Don't," Izzy warned.
But it was too late. Alyssa flicked her wand and the sleeve of a red sweater balled itself into a fist and socked Rachel in the face. It wasn't hard enough to leave a mark or even sting, but it did make Rachel stop and gasp in surprise. She raised her dark head and glared angrily at her friend.
"What?" Alyssa asked innocently. "I gave you warning."
Izzy threw her a very dirty look before looking at Rachel kindly, "You want to tell us what's going on?"
"Nothing," Rachel snapped, folding a pair of jeans haphazardly.
"It's obviously something," Izzy insisted gently, "Or you wouldn't be attacking your clothes."
Rachel sighed heavily, dropping her head back. "He kissed me," she mumbled incoherently.
"What?" Izzy asked frowning exasperatedly, "You were mumbling. Again. How many times have I told you not to mumble? No one can understand you when you do!" she admonished loudly.
"He kissed me!" Rachel exploded hotly, throwing her hands up in the air. "Okay? He kissed me! Sirius Black kissed me! Sirius Black kissed me last night! He—"
"We got it!" Alyssa exclaimed holding her hand up. At the same time Izzy, Sydney, and Melissa yelled in unison, "He did what?"
Alyssa rolled her eyes in annoyance, "What? You need her to rephrase again? Or maybe you need to hear it in another language?"
"Shut up," Rachel snapped and then added to Melissa and Sydney, "Not a word."
"I'll keep my mouth shut if you keep your voices down," Melissa said, waving her hand impatiently.
Rachel, Alyssa, Izzy, and Sydney rolled their eyes at each other. "Don't you need to pack?" Sydney asked her.
"I am packed," Melissa shot back. Her trunk sat open at the foot of her bed; a book, a spare bit of parchment, and two quills cluttered the bottom.
"Don't worry," Sydney said turning to look at Rachel. "You're secret's safe. Mum's the word."
Rachel smiled at her before slowly turning to face her two best friends. "So, he kissed you," Alyssa started conversationally.
Rachel ran her fingers through her still wet hair, "He kissed me."
"Spontaneously?" Izzy asked at the same time Alyssa said, "Voluntarily?"
"No, he fell asleep and his lips fell into mine," said Rachel. Izzy stared at her and Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course it was voluntarily! Not to mention completely out of the blue!"
Izzy crossed her arms over her chest, "Wow," she said sighing.
"No!" Rachel exclaimed. "Not wow! Bad! Very bad!"
"The action was bad or the kiss was bad?" Alyssa asked. Rachel made a face at her. "Was the kiss any good?"
Rachel opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "I am not answering that!"
Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest and was just about to retort when Izzy cut her off. "Why don't you just tell us what happened? From the beginning."
"Okay," Rachel sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed, "Last night, after you guys coupled off, Sirius and I got in a sleigh together and our conversation shifted to the stars. I don't know why. It just did. And it was nice…just sitting with him and talking." Alyssa smirked. "And everything would have been fine and normal if that stupid mistletoe hadn't escaped the castle and come after us!"
"The mistletoe?"
Rachel nodded, "Yes, the bewitched mistletoe. We tried to get rid of it, but it wouldn't leave. And then I guess I started babbling because he said 'don't you ever get tired of talking' and I said 'no' and he kissed me!"
"So," Alyssa said slowly, "You were under the mistletoe and he kissed you. You're freaking out over a simple under-the-mistletoe-smooch?" she asked in disbelief.
"What part of he kissed me did you not understand?"
"Well," Izzy cut in gently, "He kissed you under the mistletoe. That's generally what's expected when two people get stuck beneath it. It's tradition and you don't mess with tradition, but you also don't get so worked up over it either. That's the other part of the tradition."
Rachel groaned and flopped back onto her bed. Alyssa stared at her for a moment. "Izzy's right, Rach. You shouldn't be so upset."
Rachel sat up, "But I am upset! I'm furious!"
"We had no idea," Melissa mumbled sarcastically. Sydney chucked a pillow at her head.
"Yes, you're upset, but not at him," Alyssa said simply. "You're mad at yourself for kissing him back." Rachel blinked and looked away as Alyssa returned to her packing.
Izzy squeezed Rachel's hand supportively. "Come on. Let's get you packed. The train leaves in an hour."
"FUCK!" Melissa screeched jumping out of bed.
Sirius sat on the end of his bed, staring aimlessly at the wall while tying his trainers. Remus, Peter, and Andy gathered clothing and other various belongings, tossing them into their respective trunks while casting surreptitious looks at Sirius.
"Anything wrong, mate?" Remus asked him finally.
"Why would anything be wrong?" Sirius replied dully.
Remus shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. It was just a guess—considering you've been tying that shoe for the last ten minutes."
Sirius looked down at his foot and saw that the laces were all tied up in knots. He sighed heavily and began to untie them. "I kissed Rachel last night," he said after a few seconds.
Peter dropped a pair of socks he'd been folding as Remus and Andy looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Okay," said Remus sitting down, "What happened?"
"Well," said Sirius taking a breath.
"Wait," Andy said putting a hand up to stop him, "If you're about to launch into a detailed rendition of you kissing my sister I think I should leave the room."
"Why?" Peter asked, his eyebrows crinkling in confusion. "We had to listen to you and Alyssa that one night you forget the Imperturbable Charm on your bed."
Andy reddened. "Because," he said through gritted teeth, "I shared a uterus with her for nine months. I don't really need to hear the details of her extra curricular activities."
"You don't have to leave," said Sirius, "There aren't any details to give anyway."
Andy, Remus, and Peter looked at him. "There aren't?"
"Nope," Sirius said shaking his head. "Some stray mistletoe attacked us, the bewitched kind—and we tried to get rid of it, but it was like something sticky that wouldn't blow off. Did you know it has a tongue? It blew a raspberry at Rachel."
"Sirius!"
"Sorry," Sirius sighed, "It obviously didn't go away and Rachel started to babble like she does every time she gets nervous," he undid the last knot in his shoe laces, "And she started chewing on her lower lip…"
"She chews on her lower lip?" Andy asked.
"Andy!" Remus admonished sternly, "Keep going, Padfoot."
"And I kissed her," Sirius finished heavily.
"So, you kissed her! Good for you," said Remus.
"No. Not good for me. Because she left," Sirius swallowed, "The sleigh stopped and we broke apart. She looked at me, gasped, stood and then left. She didn't say a word. She didn't even look at me! She just left," he said sounding miserable. "But the thing that really gets me," Sirius said sitting up straight again, "Is that she kissed me back! She did! She kissed me back! She, Rachel Rabb, kissed me back!"
"You wanna say it again?" Peter asked.
"She kissed me back!"
"Okay," said Remus, "Now that that's out of your system. I'm not really sure what the problem is. You kissed her. She kissed you back. It was a good kiss—it was, wasn't it?" Sirius nodded. "Then, what's the problem, mate?"
"Well, the gasping, standing, and leaving—that's a bit problematic, don't you think?" said Sirius sarcastically. "The whole thing was her fault anyway! But that obviously doesn't matter…" Sirius said crossing his arms over his chest.
"I thought it was the mistletoes fault," said Peter, sounding confused.
"Well—yes, but—she told me that I was the one she thinks about! Me!" Sirius continued as though Peter hadn't even spoken. "And then—she gives me this look. I mean, what the bloody hell was I supposed to do? Do you know how long I've waited for her to give me that look? And then she started babbling and—I kissed her."
"And then she left," Remus said, filling in the last part.
"She jumped out of that sleigh as fast as a Snitch goes from point A to point B," Sirius exclaimed.
"Well," said Remus looking thoughtful, "She obviously freaked out."
"No kidding," said Sirius grumpily.
"It could have been worse," said Peter sympathetically, "She could have slapped you."
Sirius smiled wryly, "Honestly, I would have taken the slap over this any day. Because then I at least would know how she felt. But instead she left and I have no idea what she's feeling or thinking."
"You know," Andy mused aloud, "Rachel sounds like this cat we used to have." The other boys gave him quizzical looks. "Just hear me out. You see—this cat walked through the house like he was king of it or something. And we got him this little toy mouse to play with and he loved to chase it, pounce on it, and attack it more than anything. But the second a real mouse was in sight, he'd run scared in the opposite direction. It sounds like Rachel did the same thing—with you."
"So, you're saying that Rachel is like the cat or the mouse?" Peter asked trying to keep up.
Remus rolled his eyes, "What he's saying is that Rachel is just like every other girl. She can walk the walk and talk the talk until it becomes serious. Then she panics. Maybe it has something to do with a prior relationship or something."
Andy coughed and Sirius looked at him, a light bulb having gone off in his head. "It does, doesn't it?" he asked Andy. Andy didn't reply. "Does it have anything to do with why she's been kind of out of it this week?"
Andy hesitated. "Yes," he said finally. "But I'm not telling you what it is. What I am telling you is that you need to step up to the plate and do something. You need to become the hunter."
"Become the hunter?" Sirius repeated. Andy nodded. "Become the hunter."
James knocked on Lily's open bedroom door before entering. Lily was standing in front of her closet sifting through clothing and talking to herself. He peeked inside her trunk and saw that it was nearly full with clothes, books, and wrapped gifts that he knew were Christmas presents.
"I think you've got enough clothes for an entire army, Lil," he said jokingly. "It looks like you've packed for every type of weather and occasion known to mankind."
Lily looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "That's exactly what I've done."
James chuckled, "Why?" he asked, walking up behind her and slipping his arms around her waist.
Lily leaned into him smiling. "Because I'm a girl, James."
"I knew that already," James said, kissing her shoulder affectionately.
"Well," Lily continued, "Girls like to be prepared for everything. Unlike boys who pack two pairs of jeans and three shirts and rotate them in a week long period."
"Ouch," James chuckled, "That hurts, Lil. That you think so lowly of our personal hygiene efforts."
Lily laughed softly and then shrugged, "I guess I just want to make a good impression on your parents."
"You're not worried about that are you?" he asked softly.
She shrugged again and he gently turned her to face him. "Maybe a little."
James cupped her face and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You have nothing to worry about," he promised, "My parents will love you. What's not to love?" he added teasingly. Lily blushed and James kissed her forehead. "They can't wait to meet you. Told me so in their letter."
Lily looked up at him with doe-like eyes. James leaned down and captured her lips with his. Lily hummed her approval and gently raked her fingers through his messy hair. "I'm really glad you're coming home with me," James murmured when they broke apart.
"Well, thank you for asking," Lily replied smiling.
"Well, I wouldn't have been able to see you for three whole weeks otherwise," said James.
"Oh, is that all?" Lily teased.
"No," said James. He placed a feather light kiss on her jaw. "I wouldn't have been able to talk to you."
"Post?" Lily gasped as his lips moved to her neck.
"Face to face," he added, pressing his lips to her skin. "I wouldn't have been able to touch you." He slipped his hand beneath her sweater and splayed his fingers across the bare skin of her lower back. Lily shivered. "Or kiss you," he whispered against her lips.
Without another word, Lily leaned in and pressed her lips to his. James grinned and pulled her close. A muted groan escaped his throat when she deepened the kiss. James tangled his other hand in her hair as the fingers of his other hand swirled across her heated skin.
"James," she whispered.
"Hmm," he murmured against her lips.
Lily kissed him, "We should…" she kissed him again.
The door flew open and Sirius walked in. He stopped abruptly when he saw them. "Uh—hey," he said awkwardly.
"Sirius," James growled.
"Sorry," Sirius smiled sheepishly, "Um—Remus made me come up here. He said that if we're not downstairs in fifteen minutes the carriages are going to leave without us."
James looked down at his watch, "Shit," he sighed, "He's right."
Lily smiled and moved away from James to get her cloak. James ran a hand through his unruly hair, drawing his wand with his other hand. "I need to talk to you," Sirius said in an urgent whisper.
James raised his eyebrow as he summoned his cloak and trunk from his room. "What about?" he asked yawning.
"Later," Sirius grunted.
A loud thump followed by a grunt made the two boys look behind them. Lily was massaging her calf from where her trunk hit it when she heaved it off her bed. "I'm fine," she said waving her hand, "Just a bruise."
"Here," said Sirius moving to help her.
"No-no-no," Lily said waving him off, "I've got it," she said beginning to drag her trunk out of the room.
Sirius raised his eyebrows at James, "Self-reliance much?"
James laughed, "To the highest degree."
"You know that no one was listening to a word you said in there right?" Rachel asked as she, Remus, James, and Lily made their way back down the train from the Heads Compartment. But Lily was focused solely on whatever James was whispering in her ear. "And no one's listening to me either," she said shaking her head. "Terrific."
Remus laughed, "I was listening, Rach," he told her, gently bumping his arm into hers.
"Thanks." Rachel smiled.
They arrived back at the compartment the others were occupying at the same time Sirius arrived back from the loo. But Sirius and Rachel were so caught up in their own thoughts that they didn't notice the other standing there. It wasn't until they both made to follow Remus into the compartment that they came face to face as they wedged themselves in the doorway.
"Oh," Rachel gasped in surprise at the same time Sirius mumbled, "Uh." They avoided eye contact and tried to pull themselves free. Sirius pulled left and Rachel pulled right, but all's they managed to do was bump heads. "Ow!"
Inside, everyone, except Lily and James, were wearing identical grimaces. "What's the matter with you two?" James asked, completely oblivious. "See each other naked or something?"
Sirius could have hit him. Andy and Remus flinched. Peter slapped a hand over his eyes. Alyssa and Izzy rolled their eyes, both thinking the same thing. Men are idiots. Rachel spluttered awkwardly as Lily looked at the two stuck in the doorway suspiciously.
"What?" Rachel finally got out.
"Well, I—you—" James stuttered, suddenly very confused by everyone's reactions to what he'd thought was a funny statement.
Sirius and Rachel pulled hard and managed to wrench themselves from the doorway and into the compartment. Rachel grabbed Lily's arm, "I need to talk to you," Rachel said in a low voice.
"I think you better," said Lily before Rachel dragged her away. Alyssa and Izzy followed them out of the compartment.
The second the girls had left Sirius turned and slammed the compartment door shut. A momentary lapse of silence followed and then, "Did you really see each other naked?" James asked.
Before Sirius could think it, Remus hit James upside the head. "Ouch! Mooney!"
Sirius' shoulders sagged, "Thank you."
James crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his friends suspiciously, "Okay, what the hell is going on?"
-
"He kissed you!" Rachel nodded. "Oh my God!" Lily exclaimed. "Oh my God," she repeated having allowed the words to sink in. "Where? When? Why?"
"Last night," Alyssa piped up. "In a sleigh."
"Mistletoe attacked them," Izzy continued.
"She started babbling…" Alyssa picked up.
"And he kissed her," Izzy finished.
Rachel looked up at them, "Thank you Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I think I can take it from here." Alyssa and Izzy grinned sheepishly at her.
"Mistletoe, huh?" Lily repeated. Rachel nodded. "Well, was it a good kiss?"
"That's exactly what I asked!" Alyssa exclaimed.
Rachel glared at her, "And I didn't answer you then. And I'm not answering you," she looked at Lily, "now. And I'm not going to answer it ten minutes from now."
Lily looked behind her at Alyssa and Izzy, "It was good."
"Duh," Alyssa said immediately.
Rachel groaned and buried her face in her hands. "You people are not helping. He wasn't supposed to kiss me in the first place!"
"You were under the bewitched mistletoe," Lily reminded her. "It doesn't go away unless it's satisfied with a kiss. What did you expect him to do?"
Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and slouched in her seat, "He still didn't have to do it," she said grumpily, "And he didn't have to be so sweet about it either," she added without thinking. "And there really was no need for him to look at me like he did like…"
"I know that look," Lily interrupted her. "We all know that look." Rachel scowled and slouched further in her seat.
"Oh, stop it already!" Alyssa exclaimed. Izzy, Rachel, and Lily all looked at her. "You're not mad at him. You're mad at yourself and you know it."
Lily crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "Alyssa thinks that Rachel isn't mad at Sirius for kissing her, but is actually mad at herself for kissing him back," Izzy said filling her in.
"Oh."
"I am not," Rachel replied stubbornly.
"First step to helping yourself is admitting you have a problem." Alyssa said in a singsong voice.
"I don't have a problem!" Rachel shouted. The girls went silent. Alyssa smiled knowingly. Finally, Rachel cracked, "Merlin, I do have a problem!" she sat up and leaned forward putting her head in her hands, "God, what am I gonna do?"
"You're asking yourself the wrong question, Rach," Lily told her quietly, "You need to ask yourself how you feel—about the situation…and him."
-
"Rachel and I were in a sleigh together, mistletoe attacked us, she started babbling, said I was the one she wanted to kiss under the mistletoe, I kissed her, the sleigh stopped, and she left," Sirius explained to James.
James stared at him for a moment before looking to his left at Remus, "That's the short version, I assume?" Remus nodded. "Okay, so, you kissed her! Good for you mate."
"See?" Remus exclaimed, "Now that's what I said."
James looked at Sirius' face, "But that's obviously not good. What's the problem?"
"She rejected me, Prongs."
"You don't know that," James protested.
Sirius glanced up at him, "She left like the sleigh had caught fire. And left me to go up in flames with it."
"Right," said James, "And it's not like the other times she's walked away from you because you actually kissed her this time. More at stake."
"Ding," said Sirius unenthusiastically, "We have a winner."
"Okay, well, Rachel is a girl…" James began, but was interrupted by Peter.
"We had this discussion already, Prongs."
James frowned at him. "As I was saying," he said turning back to Sirius, "Rachel is a girl. And sometimes girls freak out after a first kiss with a new guy. I mean Lily didn't talk to me for three days after she kissed me at the Costume Ball. And then when we finally did, I told her that we were both at fault and that we shouldn't worry about it."
"And did you?" Sirius asked.
"Did I what?"
"Not worry about it?"
"Of course I worried about it," James replied, "But I didn't want to worry about never talking to her again. That's why I told her what I did. I would have rather been haunted by that one kiss for the rest of my life then to lose her as a friend."
"So," said Sirius, slowly comprehending James' words, "You would have settled for being her friend and nothing more if that's what she had wanted?"
"Yes," James said simply, "I would have. It would have been hard, but I knew that I needed her in my life in some way. I guess it comes down to deciding how you want to live your life. You have to decide what you really want. What you can tolerate. And what you're willing to lose."
"I'm not willing to lose her," Sirius said after a moment.
James clapped a brotherly hand to his shoulder, "Then you've made your decision, mate."
"This place is a ruddy nightmare," James said, waiting for Lily and the others to gather their trunks and animal cages.
"Isn't it always?" Lily panted dragging her trunk behind her.
"Do you want some help?" he asked her.
"No," said Lily puffing her hair out of her eyes, "I am perfectly capable of hauling this thing to wherever we need to be."
James chuckled, "O-okay." His hazel eyes scanned the platform as children and teenagers were reunited with their families. "Hey Padfoot!" James shouted over his shoulder. "You see my parents anywhere?"
"No!" Sirius called back. "I can't see anything Prongs. Too much commotion," Sirius said as a little girl with pigtails followed closely by a little boy ran in front of him.
James sighed heavily and scanned the crowded platform again. Finally, he spotted his parents standing apart from most of the commotion. "There they are," he shouted to the others.
Lily caught a glimpse of a couple in their early 40s obviously waiting for them. She swallowed nervously and then followed James and the others.
"James! Baby, you made it!" an ecstatic Melanie Potter exclaimed hugging her son close.
She was a thin woman of average height, but a good deal shorter than both her husband and son. She had shoulder length strawberry blonde hair and kind, mischievous hazel eyes; the same color and shape as James'. She wasn't a gorgeous woman, but she was no plain Jane either. She was what one would call a simple beauty.
"Wild hippogriffs couldn't keep me away from your cooking," James teased kissing her cheek.
Melanie grinned. "Hey, dad," James said turning to hug his father.
"It's good to have you home son," John Potter said clapping his son on the back, "The house has been far too quiet without you and Sirius."
It was easy to see where James got some of his finer physical attributes as well as some of the not so fine ones. John was a tall, thin man, built like his son with broader shoulders. He had black, very untidy hair that stuck up in the back just like James' and laughing, light blue eyes framed by a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.
"Melanie!" a voice behind them shouted. "Where's my second mum?" Sirius shoved James into his dad and his smile turned golden. "There she is! Looking beautiful as always!"
Melanie shook her head and smiled, "Always the charmer," she said moving to hug him.
"You know you can't resist," Sirius teased, lifting her off her feet.
Melanie yelped, "Oh, for goodness sake, Sirius!"
Sirius laughed and set her back on her feet. He donned a somber expression as he turned to shake John's hand, "John, good to see you. How's the team?"
"Doing very well, Sirius," said John, mimicking Sirius' somber expression and tone. John was the owner of the most successful Quidditch team in the Britain and Irish league to date, the Montrose Magpies. "And how are classes?"
"Murder," said Sirius shaking his head.
John nodded sympathetically and then grinned. "C'mere you knucklehead," he laughed pulling Sirius into a hug.
Meanwhile, Melanie was greeting the rest of the Marauders. "Remus, I think you've grown about three inches since I last saw you."
Remus chuckled. "I don't know about that, Mel."
Melanie smiled, "And Andy it's good to see you again. Looking more like your father every day."
Andy smiled, "It's good to see you too Mrs.—" Melanie gave him a stern look, "Sorry. Melanie."
"And Peter," Melanie turned to the shortest boy, "It's been a while."
Peter smiled apologetically, "Yes, it has. My grandmother was sick most of the summer so I spent most of my time with her."
"Understandable," Melanie said kindly.
James watched the exchanges between his mother and friends before turning to look at Lily. Lily gave him a small smile and James motioned her forward. She walked slowly to his side and he slipped his hand into hers giving it a little squeeze. "Mum. Dad," James started.
Melanie and John turned and Melanie's smile became soft and knowing. "You must be Lily." Lily looked mildly taken aback and Melanie smiled. "We've heard so much about you. It's great to finally meet you," she said going to hug Lily.
"I've heard a lot about you too, Mrs. Potter. Thank you so much for the invitation," Lily said returning the hug.
Melanie smiled, "It's my pleasure. And it's Melanie and John—to all of you," she added to the others as well, "None of this Mr. and Mrs. stuff. Makes us sound old."
"Which you are most definitely not," Sirius chirped.
James elbowed him, "Stop hitting on my mum," he said laughingly.
"James," James turned, "You said Lily was beautiful, but you failed to mention just how much," John said, his eyes teasing.
Lily and James reddened. "Dad!" James whined.
"What?" John laughed.
Melanie turned to the other girls, "Now, you must be Izzy," Melanie said and Izzy nodded. "You're dating Remus right?" Melanie asked giving the curly haired blonde a hug.
Izzy smiled broadly, "Going on five months," she said looking over at her boyfriend. Remus winked at her.
"And you have got to be Alyssa. John and I have seen you play. He's anxious to talk with you," Melanie told her also giving her a hug. "I love your hair by the way."
Alyssa grinned, "Thank you."
Melissa turned to the last member of the group. "Which would make you Rachel, right?"
"That's right," Rachel smiled and returned Melanie's hug.
"Well, we've heard quite a bit about you too, of course," Melanie said making the smile on Sirius' face slip.
Rachel raised an eyebrow curiously, "Have you?"
"Of course. Si—"
Sirius slung an arm over Melanie's shoulders, "Sorry to interrupt, Mel," he said avoiding Rachel's gaze, "But my stomach is making an awful lot of noise."
Melanie laughed, "Always thinking with your stomach, Sirius." Sirius grinned, glad that he was able to avoid a small catastrophe from happening. "Alright troops! Let's head home."
"Home sweet home," James said when he and the others apparated into the foyer of the Potter home.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Sirius asked him.
"Brilliant," James replied grinning, "Come on. I bet mum made your favorite."
Potter Manor was located at the top of an older street in a small wizarding village in the northern part of England. The house was the only white one on the block, but like all the others was very large. It was set back from the road and was surrounded on all sides by large trees, which offered shade in the summer.
The inside was warm and homey with bright, yummy colored walls, soft carpets, and shiny hardwood floors. There were high ceilings and large bay windows and a giant staircase that led to the upper floors. The furniture was tasteful yet very comfortable looking, and every room had two or three magnificent paintings.
"This is beautiful." Lily lightly fingered the wood frame around the painting in the foyer.
"That's my mum's," said James, coming up behind her. The others left their luggage off to the side and followed Melanie and John to the kitchen. "She owns a gallery," James continued. He pointed to Melanie's signature in the bottom right corner.
"Are all of these hers?" Lily asked, gesturing to the paintings in the other rooms. James nodded. "She's quite the artist."
"Yes, she is," James said proudly. "When I was little she'd take me down to the gallery or into her study when she wanted to paint. And I would sit on the floor and watch her for hours."
"You mean she got you to sit still for longer than ten minutes?" Lily teased. "I'm impressed."
"Ha-ha." James leaned in and caught Lily's lips for a chaste kiss.
"Oy Prongs!" Sirius' voice floated toward them from the kitchen.
James sighed, "Coming!"
Lily giggled as James took her hand, "He sure has impeccable timing today, doesn't he?"
"I don't know if impeccable is the right word." He and Lily entered the brightly lit and bustling kitchen. "Sorry. Lily was admiring your paintings, mum."
"Oh!" Melanie smiled happily. "Are you into painting? Or art?"
James motioned for Lily to sit on one of the bar stools at the counter. "I love art and your work is exquisite, but I have issues drawing a straight line with a ruler," Lily admitted.
Everyone laughed. "James used to say the same thing until I put a brush in his hand, right sweetie?" Melanie said looking over her shoulder at her son.
"Yep and after I successfully painted our house elf from head to toe—dad put a broom in my hands. I haven't let go since," James continued.
"That's right," John said, mussing his son's already messy hair.
"You actually painted your house elf?" Rachel asked. "James, didn't you know? Paint is for paper."
Melanie snapped her fingers, "I knew there was something I forgot to tell him."
Everyone laughed. "Your work is really beautiful," Alyssa said admiring the painting behind the kitchen table.
"Thank you, Alyssa." Melanie smiled. "Now who's hungry?" Her reply was a chorus of "me". "Okay," she said laughing, "Well, I promise a meal for dinner tonight that actually puts my culinary talent to good use, but for lunch I thought you all could do with some comfort food. Which means—"
"Peanut butter and jelly," John and James said together as Sirius exclaimed, "Yes!"
-
"Thirds anyone?" Melanie asked the table of teenagers. Everyone shook their heads. "Sirius? What about you?"
Sirius looked at his empty plate and then at his very full stomach before handing his plate to Melanie. "Just a small one then."
The others laughed. "So, Lily, what part of England are you from?" John asked the redhead.
"Cambridge," Lily replied. She smiled when James, who was sitting to her left, grasped her hand under the table.
"And you live with both of your parents? I believe James said that they're both muggles."
Lily nodded, "My dad's a doctor—a heart surgeon actually. I'm hoping to follow in his footsteps—as a Healer though. And my mum owns a nursery and her own landscaping business."
"Do you have any siblings?" Melanie asked, returning to the table with Sirius' third peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Lily nodded, "My older sister, Petunia. She and I don't get along very well. You see she doesn't really except magic."
Melanie smiled sympathetically and decided to steer the conversation to a different topic. "Sirius." Sirius looked up. "You, Rachel, and Peter seem to be the only single ones of the group."
Sirius dropped his eyes to his half-eaten sandwich, "Yep."
"You had a girlfriend around this time last year didn't you?" John asked.
"He was only dating her, dad. They never actually made it official," James said.
"Oh, right."
Melanie turned to Rachel, "And what about you, Rachel? You're a pretty girl. I bet you have the boys lining up around the block."
Rachel blushed. No one except John saw Sirius clench his fists.
"Yeah, and I scare them away with my older brother protective stare," Andy said lightening the moment.
Sirius coughed loudly, "Whew. It's a bit warm in here. I—um—think I'll go outside and get some—uh—fresh air," he said standing up.
Rachel looked at him, but he refused to meet her gaze. "Alright then," Melanie said as Sirius left the kitchen. "Well, why don't we let you lot settle in, yeah? James," she said looking at her son, "I thought the girls could have the two rooms at the top of the hall. You in you're room and Sirius in his usual. And there's a single and double for Remus, Peter, and Andy to fight over."
"Okay, mum. Thanks for lunch," he said getting up. Everyone else followed suit and echoed their thanks before following James into the foyer.
"Okay, you heard my mum. Up the stairs you lot!" James said making the others laugh.
Everyone gathered their trunks and owl cages and began making their way upstairs. James grasped the handle of his own trunk and began to follow them up the stairs. Lily struggled along with her trunk a few steps behind him. James stopped and Lily nearly ran into him.
"Okay, Miss Self-reliance, would you please let me help you?"
"No," said Lily. "I carried it all morning. One flight of stairs isn't going to kill me," she said moving around him and up one step.
"Oh, come on. This is ridiculous! Give me this." James said reaching for the handle of her trunk before she could struggle with it anymore. This time Lily let him and followed him the rest of the way up.
-
Alyssa shivered in the cold and pulled her cloak tighter around her neck. A small shed a few meters off caught her attention when she rounded the east corner of the manor. One of the doors had been left ajar and a beam of light fell across the hard ground. Gently easing it open, Alyssa found Sirius fiercely sanding one leg of a vintage-looking vanity table.
"I think you've got that one covered, Sirius." Alyssa said stepping inside the small shed. "If you sand anymore you'll wind up with a toothpick."
Sirius exhaled heavily before moving to sand one of the other legs. "It's Melanie's Christmas present. To replace the one James and I ruined by accident." Alyssa raised her eyebrows. "A few years ago, James and I spilled a concoction of ours on it and it ate away the wood. It was a right mess by the time John made it upstairs to see what all the fuss was about.
"And then over the summer, Melanie took us antiquing and I found this covered in dust in a corner. I bought it and stashed it in here to restore it. John's kept Melanie away from here while I've been at school," he explained.
"That's a very thoughtful gift, Sirius," Alyssa told him smiling. Sirius smiled and turned his back on her to continue sanding. "You know, you might feel better if you talk about it," Alyssa said after several minutes of silence.
"Talk about what?" Sirius asked without looking up.
Alyssa thought the answer was obvious, but she didn't voice that opinion. "About what's bothering you."
"Nothing is bothering me."
Alyssa shrugged. "Okay."
"Okay." Several more minutes of silence passed. "So, maybe I do have a little bit of a problem," Sirius said, sitting back on his heels.
"I noticed," Alyssa said hopping up on one of the cluttered benches.
Sirius looked over at her, "Is it that obvious or are you reading minds now?"
"I wouldn't want to read a person's mind. They have too many thoughts and my mind is plenty cluttered with my own."
"Okay. So, can we maybe pretend that it's not so obvious?" Sirius asked her.
"Only if we pretend to have a conversation about it," Alyssa replied.
Sirius inhaled and then exhaled heavily, "Fair enough. All right, let's say, for the sake of argument that I am in an impossible situation. That I had, hypothetically speaking—"
"Of course."
"Fallen for or was in the process of falling for the worst possible person that I could ever fall for. And that in the heat of the moment kissed this said person who then left. What would you tell me to do?"
"Well," said Alyssa thoughtfully, "I would have to ask if these feelings you're having are a new occurrence?"
"Not really, no." Sirius smoothed his thumb over his chin. "They've been there for quite a while, but—uh—they've grown stronger these past few months. Quite strong, in fact."
"I see." Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest. "Then I guess I would have to tell you that impossible situations are only made possible by doing something about them."
"I tried that—sort of. And it didn't really have a good outcome. So—what now? Am I supposed to go and declare myself to her? She'd laugh in my face." Sirius pursed his lips. "Not so much a good idea."
"How do you know that's how she'd react?"
Sirius gave her a pointed look, "I'm pretty sure, judging from past actions, that my rough charms don't really register on her ratified romantic scale."
"So, I guess you're left with a decision."
"Choose to be friends and mostly happy or choose to ignore her and be miserable." Alyssa nodded. Sirius sighed, "The answer to that is simple."
"As it should be."
Sirius ran his hands over his face, "It's just hard, that's all."
Alyssa hopped off the counter, "Well, that just means it isn't pretend anymore." Sirius gave her a small smile and she put her hand on his shoulder. "But it doesn't mean you give up."
Sirius looked down at the sand paper in his hand, "I don't plan on it," he said quietly, closing his hand around it.
Sirius didn't sleep well that night. He stared at the clock by his bed watching the seconds tick by. He stared at the ceiling and the walls for minutes at a time. He even counted sheep. But nothing worked. By six o'clock, he forgot his attempts and got out of bed. He donned a t-shirt and pajama bottoms and carefully eased his squeaky door open.
He padded downstairs and into the kitchen and was only mildly surprised to find John sitting at the kitchen counter sipping coffee and reading the Daily Prophet. "Morning," John said as Sirius sat down beside him. "Coffee?"
"Please." Sirius rubbed his temples as John filled a mug to the top and sat it in front of Sirius.
"Rough night?" John asked.
Sirius nodded and took a large gulp of the coffee, not really caring that it scalded his throat as it went down.
John folded his paper and set it aside. "So, what is it keeping you up? A girl or something?" He asked nonchalantly, sipping his coffee.
"What?" Sirius tried to sound oblivious.
"Okay, so it's a girl," said John, obviously not fooled. Sirius' nostrils flared as he took another sip of coffee. "Who is she?"
Sirius shrugged. John sipped his coffee. "She just drives me mad!" Sirius burst out suddenly. "I never know where I stand! I mean we fight constantly—since day one we've been fighting. And there's not a single topic on the face of the planet that she doesn't have an opinion on. It's mind-boggling! She's got some kind of witty remark for everything!"
John laughed. "You sound like me when I first, Mel. She drove me absolutely insane. My friends said I made her sound like a nightmare." Sirius grinned. He knew that Melanie had a witty sense of humor and mischievous streak just like Rachel. "They told her that at our wedding. Never really talked to them much after that," John deadpanned.
Sirius shook his head laughing. "But I like talking to her. Almost as much as I like pushing her buttons." John chuckled. "And we've gotten quite close since the start of term. We've spent a lot of time together. And she's brilliant and funny…"
"Is she pretty?"
"Yeah," said Sirius softly. "She is pretty. She is very pretty. She's actually the kind of pretty that gives you butterflies, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah," John took another sip of coffee, "Never lose the butterflies."
"What?" Sirius asked as Melanie breezed into the kitchen.
"Hello, boys," she said cheerily. John filled another cup of coffee and handed it to her. "Thank you," she said giving him a kiss. "Sirius, I wasn't expecting you until noon."
Sirius smiled, "Couldn't sleep anymore. Pete's snores seem to echo in this house."
"Is that what all that noise was last night?" Melanie asked. "Merlin, I thought the Knight Bus was coming through the living room."
John laughed. "No," said Sirius, "that was definitely Peter."
"I'll put an Imperturbable on his room later," John promised as Melanie headed to the stove.
"Pancakes or waffles?" she asked the boys.
"Pancakes," they replied without hesitation. Melanie winked and began summoning the ingredients with her wand.
Sirius turned to John, "What were you saying about the butterflies?"
"Never lose them." Sirius gave him a quizzical look. "For some people, when they get older, they lose the butterflies."
"Did you lose them?"
"I guess you'd have to call me one of the lucky ones. Because every time I look at that woman," he said looking at Melanie, "about a thousand butterflies flutter in my stomach. No other woman has ever given me butterflies and no other woman will." Sirius mulled John's words over in his head. "Look, Sirius, you don't come across that many people with the ability to give you butterflies. You just don't. And when you find the one that does—you've got to hold on like hell."
Sirius nodded slowly and was just about to thank him when a flash of pink in the doorway caught his eye. John looked up too as Rachel entered the kitchen wearing hot pink, snowflake print, pajamas.
"Good morning," Melanie said warmly.
"Morning," Rachel said smiling softly.
"Did you sleep well?" Melanie asked.
Sirius could tell without having heard her response that she hadn't. Her eyes were a little bloodshot and there were deep circles forming beneath them.
"Or did Peter's snores keep you up?" John asked.
Rachel laughed, "I know the boys complain about his snoring, but I had no idea he was that loud!"
Sirius raised his cup, "Welcome to my world." Melanie and John chuckled. Rachel smiled and for the first time in twenty-four hours locked gazes with Sirius.
Rachel broke her eyes away first, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, no. I've got everything under control," Melanie said, supervising the mixing of the batter and the chopping of fresh fruit. "You sit and relax, sweetie."
Rachel smiled and went and sat on Sirius' other side. John busied himself with the paper once more. "Coffee?" Sirius asked reaching for a cup.
"The biggest cup you got," Rachel replied.
Sirius smiled as he filled a mug for her. "Here you go."
"Thanks." She looked up at him and their eyes locked again. "Sirius…about the other night and yesterday—"
"I know," Sirius interrupted her. "I'm sorry. This whole thing was my fault and I hate how we spent yesterday."
Rachel gave him a small smile, "Me too. And I'm sorry for acting like I did."
"So, truce?"
Rachel smiled, "Most definitely."
The clock on James' bedside table struck midnight. James flung back the covers and reached for his glasses. The dark room came into focus and James quickly tied on his trainers. He'd been planning a surprise for Lily sine he'd read an article in the Evening Prophet.
He snuck out of his room and crept down the hall to the room Lily and Rachel were sharing. He eased it open and slipped inside. The soft moonlight allowed him to see Rachel's dark head in the bed closest to the door, which left Lily in the bed by the bay window.
He made no sound at all until he reached her bed where he promptly stubbed his toe. He grunted, but neither of the girls showed any indication that he'd woken them. He placed his hand on Lily's arm and gently shook her awake.
"James—what?"
"Shh." James put a finger to his lips. "I don't wanna wake Rachel," he whispered.
"I'm already awake you clumsy oaf," Rachel said.
James winced, "Oh. Sorry."
She propped herself on elbows, "Has anyone ever told you that stealth is not your strong point?"
James stuck his tongue out at her. "I have a surprise for you," he said turning back to Lily. "Dress warm."
"Why? James it's 12:15," Lily protested.
"Shh," James put a finger to her lips, "Don't ask questions. I'll wait for you outside." He kissed her forehead and then left the room.
Lily stared at the closed door. "What on earth?"
"Oh, just go see what Sir Romeo Crazy-Oaf wants," Rachel grumbled. "You know you want to." Lily smiled and hurried out of bed to get dressed.
-
The door creaked open and James turned as Lily pulled the door shut. She was wearing jeans, what looked like two heavy sweaters, her cloak, gloves, hat, and scarf. He chuckled.
"What?" Lily asked.
"Nothing," James said giving her a kiss. "You just look cute all bundled up." Lily smiled. "Come on. Quietly." He took her hand and led her toward the stairs.
"Where are we going?" she asked in a hoarse whisper when they reached the foyer.
"You'll see." James' eyes twinkled as he went to the hall closet to retrieve his broomstick. "Okay, let's go," he said, returning to her side and slipping his hand into hers again.
She eyed the broomstick warily. "What are you going to do with that?"
"You ask too many questions," James said. "Just relax and let me take care of everything." Lily pouted, but allowed James to lead her outside through the kitchen door. "Here's good," he told her when they'd walked out to the middle of the yard. He positioned his broom so that both he and Lily could comfortably mount it. "Okay," he said reaching for both of her hands, "Let's get you settled first.
"Oh no!" Lily exclaimed, pulling her hands from his grasp and backing away from him.
James turned and stared at her. "What?" And then he laughed thinking she was joking. "Come on. C'mere."
Lily backed away from him again. "No," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am not getting on that thing."
"Why?" James asked sounding completely bewildered and slightly frustrated.
"B-Because."
James looked at her again and his whole demeanor changed. He could see fear swimming in her emerald green orbs and she looked positively petrified. "Lil," he said softly moving to stand in front of her, "What's wrong?" Lily looked away from him. "Hey," James tilted her chin up, "You can tell me."
Lily sniffled, but still didn't respond.
"What are you scared of?" he asked her quietly. Lily froze. "I can see it in your eyes, Lil. What are you scared of?" Lily shrugged. "Are you scared of flying?" Again, Lily shrugged. "Are you scared of heights?" He knew the answer before she even opened her mouth.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, "Yes, I'm scared of heights, okay? Now can we go back inside, please?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes.
"No," said James, shaking his head. "No, we can't go back inside." Lily closed her eyes and started to move away from him. James grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "It's okay to be scared," he told her, "Everyone is scared of something."
"You're not," Lily said quietly, "You're not scared of anything."
"What?" James asked surprised. "Is that what you think?" Lily shrugged. "Oh, Lil," he pressed his lips to her forehead, "I'm scared of so many things." She looked up at him doubtfully. "I'm scared of leaving Hogwarts in June and entering the real world as an adult," he began honestly, "I'm scared of the war that will no doubt begin because of Voldemort. I'm scared of losing all of the people close to me—the people that I care about. I'm scared of losing you." Lily gazed into his eyes and saw many emotions in the hazel depths. "Everyone is scared of something, Lil. It's what makes us human."
Lily smiled despite the lone tear that slipped down her cheek. James wiped it away with his thumb and then lowered his lips to hers for a soft, meaningful kiss. "Do you trust me?" he whispered, opening his eyes to look into hers.
Lily nodded, "With my heart," she whispered back. James couldn't help but grin as he felt his own heart soar at her words.
"Will you trust me to take you flying?" Lily looked at him hesitatingly. "I'll be with you the whole time." He placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "I won't leave you." He held his gloved hand out for hers.
Lily looked down at his hand and then slowly placed her own smaller, gloved hand in his. James smiled and led her over to the broom before helping her onto it. He climbed on behind her and kissed her chilled cheek. She smiled softly as he moved his arms around her waist and his hands to the handle of the broom.
He gently pulled up on the handle and Lily shut her eyes tightly. Lily felt them rise into the air and she gripped his forearms in a vice like grip. "Okay!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking. "That's high enough!"
James stopped and looked over his arm at the ground. "Lil, we're three feet off the ground."
Lily cracked one eye open. "Really?" James nodded. "Oh. OK. A little higher then."
James pulled up on the handle again and they rose gracefully into the air. Lily sat stiffly in front of him; her eyes shut tight, her hands still gripping his forearms. "Lily," James whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her cheek.
"What?"
"Open your eyes." Lily shook her head furiously. He tightened his arms around her waist, "Come on. Open your eyes. Please?" He set his chin on her shoulder.
"I c-can't."
"Okay, but your missing the view," James sighed, hugging her close. They sat in compatible silence for several long minutes until a small, cold, wet fleck hit his nose. Another hit the crease of his left eye and he blinked it away.
The same tiny, wet flecks dusted Lily's forehead and cheeks. Her eyes fluttered. "James," she breathed.
"Hmm?"
"Is that—?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed.
James grinned, "Open your eyes and see."
And Lily did. Slowly she opened her eyes and smiled happily at what she saw. The tiny, wet flecks that she'd felt were tiny snowflakes. "It's snowing," she whispered happily.
"I know," said James, "The Evening Prophet said it would start between midnight and 1 AM." He looked at his watch. "They were right on the galleon for once. It's 12:30." Lily squeezed his arms and continued to gaze at the falling snow in wonder. "We're expecting two feet."
Lily squealed happily and James chuckled. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked, leaning back against his chest.
"Almost as beautiful as you," James whispered, kissing the top of her head. He loved how his shoulder cradled her head perfectly, almost like it was made for her.
"And this view is amazing," she added.
"Told you," James said grinning.
Lily smiled. "Thank you." She pressed her lips against his jaw softly. James tipped his head down and she moved her lips against his, kissing him soundly. James moaned his approval when she nibbled gently on his lower lip. She smiled and kissed him again more softly before pulling away and smiling. James' nose bumped hers and they chuckled.
Lily laid her head on his shoulder again and he tightened his arms around her sighing contentedly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"How did you pass flying our first year?" he asked.
"Oh," Lily blushed and she was glad he couldn't see her face, "I—um, talked Madam Hooch into letting me write an essay instead."
James laughed. "Did you really?" Lily nodded. He laughed again. "Well, I guess you aren't top witch for nothing."
Lily grinned slipping one hand behind his head. James took the hint and lowered his lips to hers again. He kissed her deeply as the snow continued to fall around them. The snowflakes were bigger now and the cold wind whistled through the trees as though whispering a warning of the storm to come. But Lily and James were too lost in each other to notice or even care.
A/n: Alright, I hope you all enjoyed that. Major foreshadowing in the last two sentences for the next chapter. I hope to have it out soon! Keep your fingers crossed. Big thanks to my two beta's, Kristin and Jen. Now don't forget to review. Say it with me r-e-v-i-e-w—review!
Until next time,
AlexaRose