"I still think this is a bad idea, Pent." Scarlet chided over breakfast, from where she was jotting things down onto an old bit of parchment. I sighed and leant over to check what crazy venture she's onto now.
"No, no, it's great!" Penta argued. "Lily gets to make money- AND she gets to rock that body up!" She pumped a fist in the air and went back to her cereal.
"I still don't like the idea." Leanna put in. "Anyway for us to make money and leave, huh? Just make sure we don't miss you at the Cauldron, K? We'd hate that. Trace would miss you, and so would Cameron." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"What are we all bitching about?" Macie put in from where she was slouched across the couch, drinking coffee and watching bad reality TV.
"Lily's conversion to one of us." Penta replied.
"Lil's joining the Marinas?" Macie questioned, shooting up into a sitting position. This news wakes her right up. "No fuckin' way! So glad, by the way."
"Only nights and only down to my underwear, OK. I need some money." I shrugged. "Not that big a deal."
"It's still a terrible idea." Scarlet insisted, sketching merrily around the parchment.
"Like… necklaces and bracelets made of imported plastics from the remotest parts of northern Ireland?" I craned over to see more of what she was doing. "Is that factory even legal? Weren't they in the news for…"
"It's fine!" Scarlet defended, gathering her plans in her arms.
Macie cackled. "Do you think this one is gon' succeed?"
"She has a point." Kimi said as she entered. Kimi was a morning person; she had been up for ages- taking a shower, putting on her thick makeup and putting on her best work outfit (a neon pink crop top and skirt with a silver jacket).
Scarlet's mouth dropped open. "You guys doubt me and that hurts. This is my best idea yet."
"Better than the guitars? And the illicit potion ingredients? And your line of dress robes made from the fabric those guys supplied you with?" Leanna retorted.
"Shut up." Scarlet eyeballed her and went back to her plans.
"Didn't Lil sleep with one of them?" Macie wondered absently.
"Fuck no. That was Penta! You could've got a disease, BTW!" I yelled in defence. I didn't sleep with those shady assholes! Who knows where they'd been? Penta though… I avoided the laundry room for months afterwards. My girlfriends are absolutely mad, but I couldn't live without them.
"He was hot." Penta defended. "Sex snob."
"Didn't you actually get a disease off it?" Kimi questioned.
"No. It was that girl in my year from Slytherin, Reina, when she slept with that drug dealer who tunnelled under in our seventh year and sold a ton of Magical Highs to all the students." Penta corrected.
"Eh, he was hot." Macie agreed.
"Kimi and I were in sixth." Scarlet commented. "I remember. Papers were crying."
Kimi wrinkled her nose. "I think I bought one. Yeah, yeah, I bought one for a dare. Stupid Lila Haines… Felt really weird for a while, but I'm fine. Had Scar to take care of me."
"Least you didn't sleep with him!" I sing-songed.
"Ah, Hogwarts." Penta reminisced. "Though the time for memories is not now. Get your ass ready, Lils. You two as well." She pointed to Kimi, who was shovelling sugary Muggle cereal into her mouth, and Macie, who was still flaked out across the sofa. "Carson says it'll be a busy day and we have a good chance to make it rain!" She, Kimi, and Macie cheered, while Scarlet shook her head and tutted.
"It'll be a busy day at the Cauldron too, you flaky little abandoner." Leanna mocked. I jokingly gave her the finger and went off to Scarlet's, Leanna's and my room to get dressed, to the sounds of mockingly good natured banter. We're an odd match- three strippers, two dishwashers and one failing entrepreneur. But no matter what jobs we have, we'll always be the best of friends.
Carson Thackeray's eyes trailed over my body as I stood in my skimpy dancing outfit in the Muggle club, the Blue Delphi, feeling a little like a piece of meat. Penta was excitedly whispering in her boss's ears, (hopefully) promoting me.
"You know, I like this, Bletchley." He nodded appreciatively. "You, Miss Potter, let's go through this. You'll be working nights, but you're not willing to strip. You'll dance though. That's "
"Correct." I answered.
"So. You are very attractive. You could do well here. And we are in need of some spare dancers for when it gets busy… welcome to the Blue Delphi! You can start tonight."
"I'm sorry, I have a family dinner." I replied. This was true; my family still loved to meet up with each other, and despite not really fitting in, I wouldn't miss one for the world. That and my mother would track me down and kill me if I did.
"Fine, fine, whatever. You start tomorrow. Be here tomorrow."
"So, Lily, what did you do all day?" my mum asked politely.
"Still washing dishes?" Rose fired.
"Aunt Hannah didn't see you today. She told me." Lucy butted in. "Where were you?"
"I took the day off. I was really tired." I lied. My family already dislike the fact that I work as a dishwasher- a stripper would be worse.
"Still hanging out with those friends of yours?" James frowned, his arm around Annoying Asha Wyndham, his dumb ten-years-too-young girlfriend.
"Still hanging out with your ridiculous girlfriend?" I snapped back, storming over to talk to Hugo. I distinctly heard Annoying Asha's shocked gasp. However, that was a bust, as he and his wife Summer were engrossed in their daughter Amethyst.
"Hey Hugo." I said uncertainly.
"Hi." he muttered distractedly, not looking up from his daughter and wife. "How have you been."
"I'm fine." I answered dully. "I've been fine."
"Great." he replied.
I left soon after and went with my parents to go greet Albus and Marilla, with their ten year-old son Harry the Second and three year-old daughter Kinna, after Marilla's mother. "Hey Albus." I greeted half-heartedly, giving him the expected hug. "How are things?"
Without a word, he dragged me to the kitchen and whispered in my ear. "I think Marilla might be cheating on me."
I gasped; I was truly shocked. "Al, that's awful!" I gripped his shoulder and tried to be comforting.
"Well, what do you expect?" He didn't seem angry, only just bitter and sad. "When Harry came along- what else could we do but stay?"
"I always knew she was an asshole." I mumbled noncommittally. It's true as well- no-one's ever really liked her. "What're you gonna do?"
"I dunno." Albus muttered. "Let-let me think." He walked off at Marilla's yell for him.
"Lily!" Victoire cheered, running in from the garden and wrapping me in a tight hug. That girl does not understand the process of breathing. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, thanks, Victoire."
"Got a boyfriend yet?" she teased.
"Nah. I'm too busy." I rolled my eyes.
"If you had a guy you could move outta that flat of yours." James put in. "Didn't one of them get a disease off a drug dealer or something?"
"Fuck off, James." I snapped. "That was Reina from Slytherin."
"Lily Luna Potter, do not talk to your brother like that. He has a point." my dad said angrily. "You know, in all my life I never thought my little girl would end up in this position in life. Twenty-six years old with a cramped flatshare and a job washing dishes."
"I'm also a-" I stopped trying to defend myself.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"Nothing." I quickly scarpered and went to stand by a late and flustered Roxanne. "Roxy!" I greeted. "How are you?"
"Great." she answered. "I got that promotion last week."
"You're really making your imprint on the law department, aren't ya?" I replied, biting back any resentment.
"Taking after me." Aunt Hermione complimented, approaching and wrapping Roxanne in a hug. "I'm so proud of you! How are you, Lily?" Without waiting for a response, she breezed on. "Good, good, right? That's great. Now, Roxy. You say you're in a senior position now. I should give you some advice. Come on, come on, a strong woman must focus on your career." She placed an arm around my cousin and lead her away.
I looked around. Dominique was talking to Louis, his wife Claire, Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill, Roxanne and Hermione were talking law, Ron, Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, Fred and his (pregnant) wife Lana were discussing god knows what, James was all lovey-dovey with Asha the Annoying, Albus, Scorpius and Rose were focusing on Scorpius and Rose's two children, Everett and Tori. Grandad Weasley was talking to my dad and mum, while Victoire and Teddy entertained their God-knows-how-many kids. Molly, Lucy, Lorcan and Lysander (yes, the twins married the twins in the mother-of-all cliche double wedding) were talking and taking care of the three small kids the four had between them. Marilla was helping Grandma Weasley in the kitchen like the fake little bitch she is, and Albus was playing with Kinna, albeit rather half-heartedly.
So where did this leave me?