A girl of seventeen stood outside a mansion in Godric's Hollow. A frigid wind swirled snowflakes around the lane in which the house was situated, and the girl shivered, pulling her threadbare jacket tighter around her. She wore a long, swirling skirt that had mud caked around the bottom and was torn in places. Her brilliant red hair trailed past the hem of her too-small jacket, ending in damp curls just bellow her bottom. Her bangs fell into her eyes, and she pushed them impatiently out of her face as she glanced once again at the address on the crumpled, snow covered flyer in her frozen fingers. She gripped the strap of the worn messenger bag slung across her shoulder, and once again wished that the bangs that were providing to be such a nuisance to her in that moment, were long enough to fit in the knit beret that clung to the back of her scalp.
She took a deep, steadying breath, and raised a white knuckled hand to knock on the heavy, wooden door that stood in front of her. As soon as her knuckles came in contact with the frozen wood, she shivered again, and tucked her hands under her breasts for the warmth that was not provided by any other part of her half frozen body. She waited for what seemed like an eternity, before the sound of footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door. She hurriedly tried to shake the snow and of her hair, and used her fingers, stiff from the cold, to tug her jacket and skirt into a more presentable manner, though she knew it was no use.
A kindly looking woman who looked to be about forty three opened the door. The single streak of gray in her red hair gave away her true age. Her kind hazel eyes opened wide in shock at the sight of the disheveled girl in front of her. She reached out and grasped the girl's arm, then pulled her into the warmth of her home with more strength than the young girl expected.
"Oh you poor dear, you must come in! How long have you been standing out there in the cold!?" The motherly woman sat the startled girl on the sofa in front of the fire and bustled out of the room. She came back moments later with a steaming mug of hot chocolate in her hands. She handed it to the frozen girl on her couch, then sat down next to her. The girl to the mug gratefully, and was about to take a sip, when she lowered the mug from her lips and looked at the old woman with startling green eyes, and whispered three words in the most musical voice the woman had ever heard in her forty eight years.
"Who are you?" The woman smiled kindly at the wary girl in front of her.
"My name is Maggie Potter. And you are . . . ?" Maggie looked curiously at the girl in front of her. The girl stared into her hot chocolate for a long while, her eyes calculating. Finally, she seemed to decide the woman was who she said she was, and took a long sip. She brought the mug away from her mouth, and a pink tongue swept out across her upper lip, before disappearing back inside her mouth, taking with it the thin layer of chocolate that had remained on her lip when she pulled the mug from her lips. She gave Maggie another calculating look, before answering her question.
"I am Lily Evans." Maggie noticed that, while the girl was still speaking quietly, a slight french accent intruded into her speech, the louder she spoke. Maggie's eyes widened when she realized that this was the girl who sent the application. She had sent out flyers for a maid, and didn't realize that they would get as far as France. She smiled kindly at Lily.
"You're here for the job, am I correct?" Lily nodded shyly.
"Yes, Mrs. Potter." Maggie frowned.
"Oh, hush that 'Mrs. Potter', nonsense! Mrs. Potter is Ike's mother. No, you must call me Maggie." Lily frowned but didn't argue. Maggie smiled, and nodded.
"Lovely. Shall I show you the house? Wonderful! No, no, take that with you, we'll put it in the kitchen." She said and stood as Lily picked up her mug again off the coffee table. They walked through to the kitchen and Lily put her mug in the sink. They then exited to the right into the hall way. They walked up the grand staircase. Lily looked around wide-eyed at the house, especially fascinated by the huge amounts of marble she fathomed must have been mined to make the staircase alone. They wound through corridors and hallways, past bedrooms and libraries, bathrooms and offices. Lily found her head spinning at the enormity of the house.
How am I supposed to remember my way? I'm already lost, and I have guide! , Lily thought desperately. Maggie must have registered Lily's overwhelmed look, because she smiled at her and told her not to worry.
"You can always come to me or Ike, here's our room. Or my son James, this is his room here, his friends will be here all of break, and all summer, so you could ask them. And here, next to James' room, is your room." Lily pushed open the door and walked inside. She looked around, and her already wide eyes seemed to double in size. Then her face split in huge, blindingly bright grin. Lily dropped her messenger bag on the floor and ran over to the bed. When you walked into the room you saw a huge picture window, with a reading seat. Against the wall next to the door was a dresser, next to which was a door which led to a walk-in closet. Then was the picture window, then huge, glass doors that led to a snow covered balcony. Then in the middle of the wall opposite the closet, was a huge, round, white bed, with hundreds of feather pillows against the headboard. Next to the bedside table, with the convenient reading lamp, was the door that led to the bathroom. Lily came out of the bathroom with a confused frown on her face.
"Maggie, what does the door on the other side of the bathroom lead to?" Maggie smiled apologetically.
"That leads to James' room. I'm afraid you'll have to share a bathroom with him. Don't worry though, the doors lock from the inside, and there's a charm on them so they can only be opened from the inside. So James can't walk in on you, and you can't walk in on him. Alright?" Lily nodded, thinking to herself that she would rather like to meet this 'James' Maggie kept talking about.
Maggie smiled at the thoughtful look on Lily's face.
"You will be expected to wake tomorrow at ten thirty and make breakfast for the boys. Mr. Potter has work, but he won't want breakfast anyway. I'm going to tea at nine with some of my friends, so I also won't need breakfast. You will spend the day watching the boys. Then at three o'clock you will be expected to make dinner for the minister and our family. The dinner will consist of a small salad or vegetable course to begin with, followed by a pasta or meat, light, mind you. Next will be the main course, preferably a meat dish, then dessert. I hope you like your new home." Maggie smiled at her and left the room.
Lily turned and unpacked her few belongings from her messenger bag, setting a picture frame on the bedside table. She then realized she didn't have pajamas. She frowned and went into the hall to see if Maggie had any. She frowned at the doors in the deserted hallway. She couldn't remember which one was Maggie's. She shrugged and knocked on the door next to hers. The door opened and a boy of about six foot two stood in the doorway. He had messy, jet black hair, the twinkling hazel eyes to match Maggie's were framed by wire-rimmed glasses. He was shirtless, so she could see all the muscles on his torso. His drawstring pants were slung low on his hips, so she could see the perfect curve of his pelvis. She blushed and raised her eyes to meet his. He grinned down at her. His muscular frame towered over her petite five foot three. She blushed some more.
"Um, sorry, wrong door." She said hurriedly, and turned away hastily, but was stopped by a strong grip on her arm. She looked up at his steady gaze and blinked at the intensity of it. He smiled gently at her.
"Hey, no worries. What's the matter, you obviously came looking for something. Perhaps I can help." He still hadn't let go of her arm. None the less, Lily managed to look skeptical.
"Not unless you have something I can sleep in." The boy grinned even wider.
"Wait here." He winked and disappeared into his room, reappearing moments later with a t-shirt. He offered it to Lily, who, still dazzled by the wink and the grin, took it with a mumbled thanks. He stuck out his hand.
"James Potter." He said with mock formality. Lily smiled.
"Lily Evans." She shook his hand, both marveling at how well their hands fit together. Lily blushed, then scampered off to her room, slamming the door shut and sliding down it on the other side, leaving James grinning stupidly in his doorway.
First LJ fic be nice. REVIEW. no flames accepted