Ice
by Rainsong
A/N: Takes place around 7th year in the Marauders Era. Lily and Sirius go ice skating, and do a bit of reminiscing. Definitely NOT A SHIPPER FIC (L/J all the way!), just one of those fuzzy moments that I thought of while I was rollerblading the other day. Please read and review!
~~~
Sirius walked out onto the ice tentatively, his skates cutting into the light layer of snow that topped it. The noonday sky was grey, flanked by tall pine trees that lined the other side of the area. Smoke was rising steadily from almost every visible chimney. He turned to look in the other direction, and saw Lily standing by the edge of the frozen lake, biting her lip and looking at the ice contemplatively.
"Come on, Lil'. It hasn't been that long." Sirius said, circling around the rink.
"Yes it has, though that probably doesn't register with you. A week is the equivalent of a millisecond in Sirius Time. 10 years is like a half-hour to you." Lily said, her red hair flying wildly around her earmuffs.
"Lily, you didn't forget how to skate. I think your purposely blocking it from your memory." Sirius said, coming to a halt in front of her.
Lily folded her arms. "Why in God's name would I do that? To make the falling part come sooner?"
"No... Maybe its because you feel guilty. You didn't tell Prongs where you were going, did you?" Sirius asked, smirking.
Lily looked away, blushing slightly. "Well, I said I was going out with a friend. And you're a friend, so its not like a lied. But you know James and jealousy go hand-in-hand." she said, looking back at Sirius.
"So true. Speaking of hand-in-hand, I really don't want to have to drag you out onto the ice, Lil. Trust me, you'll remember how as soon as you get out here. You won't fall, I promise." Sirius said, looking impatient.
"Fine, fine.." Lily mumbled, and slowly stepped out on the ice. She stretched her arms out, trying to balance herself as she moved shakily towards Sirius.
"One foot after the other, thats it. You know, for a Head Girl, I thought that would be a relatively easy direction." Sirius said, watching Lily hobbling around.
"Stuff it, Sirius." Lily said, watching every movement of her skates. Slowly, she started to skate, picking up speed as she circled the lake. She stopped next to Sirius, and the two began to skate around slowly, talking all the while.
"Nice removal of a mental block, there. And I guess you're right. It has been a long time since we were last out here. How old were we; nine or ten?" Sirius mused.
"I think so. I remember when we first met. We were both seven years old, and knew nothing about each other. But somehow we found things to talk about as we skated around in the winter. I can't believe you only lived a block away!" Lily said, pointing towards the house that used to belong to Sirius.
"I know. Right in the middle of a Muggle neighborhood; Its a wonder I never told you anything about the wizarding world back then." Sirius said, looking back at the horizon.
"Yeah, and I'm surprised that I didn't notice anything different about you besides your clothes. But I guess that didn't matter much. It was good to have a friend."
Lily said, smiling.
"I remember when we both got our letters for Hogwarts. You were sitting by this same lake, reading yours, and I ran out of my house to show you. I was sort of shocked when you said you had one too. By then I knew that you had a Muggle family." Sirius said, looking towards the cozy brick house that used to belong to Lily.
"Its a shame we always stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas break for the past 6 years. We could have come back here to skate." Lily said.
"And wouldn't James love that idea?" Sirius added sarcastically. Lily laughed, putting her mittened hands inside her coat pockets.
"He trusts both of us. And the thought of doing anything romantic with you is repulsive, Sirius. No offense, of course." Lily said.
"None taken. Trust me, the feelings of 'eww' are mutual." Sirius replied, grinning at her.
Lily chuckled. "So what do you think is going to happen after Hogwarts is over? Any thoughts on what you want to do?" she asked.
"Personally, I just want to live. Do you think all of this Voldemort stuff will ever blow over?" Sirius asked, sounding serious for the first time in their conversation.
"I hope so. Dumbledore'll probably be the one to do him in, if it ever comes down to that." Lily said. "Or maybe the Order of the Phoenix. Any one of their members could take him, I think. But then again, I don't know them personally." Lily said, shrugging.
"Me either. My dad used to tell me stories of all of the adventures the Order members had, fighting Death Eaters and travelling to meet foreign officials. It always sounded like fun, but the more I see of this whole Voldemort thing, the less appealing it becomes. People are dying everywhere." Sirius said quietly, looking down at the ice.
"Yeah. It worries me sometimes. If something ever happened to you all, I don't know what I'd do. Its so much safer at Hogwarts." Lily said sadly, looking back at Sirius.
"Lily, trust me on this one. Nothing will happen to any of us." Sirius said, stopping to face her. "And if it does, we'd try our best to move on, right?" Sirius asked, looking worried.
Lily nodded silently. Sirius wondered whether she had been worrying about Voldemort as much as he had prior to today. Not that that was unusual, but mortality was something that was brought into question each time another student lost their family, or Voldemort escaped another Ministry-set trap.
They continued to skate, both seemingly lost in thought. Then Lily returned to the original question of life after Hogwarts.
"I think after Hogwarts I'd like to do something abroad. Maybe work for the French Ministry of Magic for awhile, then see where life takes me next." Lily said, a far away look in her eyes.
"I'd like to be an Auror. Maybe I can take a chunk or so out of the Death Eater Scum population." Sirius said, looking enthusiastic.
"I hope we all still see each other after Hogwarts." Lily said suddenly, as though she was speaking a thought that had suddenly burst to mind.
"We will. If I know myself, I'll be practically living at James's place, and obviously you'll be there a lot too. Moony will probably do the independent-living thing, and get his own flat somewhere. God knows what Wormtail will do; especially with the N.E.W.T.'s he got. Not exactly top-of- the-scale." Sirius said, shaking his head. "He's hopeless."
Lily hit whacked Sirius in the chest with the back of her hand. "Don't be so hard on Peter. He tries so hard, and he thinks so highly of you and James and Remus." Lily scolded.
"I know, I know. I feel sorry for Remus, too. I wonder if he'll have trouble getting a job with his..er..condition." Sirius said. "But then , putting his hands in hiagain, thats different. Remus is durable, for lack of a better term. I can see Peter falling apart." he continueds pockets.
"Well, there's nothing we can do except be friends to him. I'm sure he'll be fine." Lily said, though she herself looked a little uncertain.
"So how goes it with Prongs? Still riding the passionate love train?" Sirius asked, changing the subject.
Lily smiled. "Oh, you know. Same as usual. I love him, and as far as I know, he loves me. Very basic relationship structure." Lily said.
"You think you two might tie the knot someday?"
Lily blushed deeply. "Well, maybe. We're still only seventeen. A little early to be thinking about that now, don't you think? Anyway, I can't give you an answer to that question until he asks me." Lily said firmly.
"He asks you? Isn't that one of those 'sexist traditions' you're always ranting about?" Sirius asked.
"No!" Lily said, stopping. "Its romantic. And what would I do? Present HIM with a ring?" she asked.
Sirius shrugged, grinning. Lily opened her mouth as if to retort, but shook her head suddenly and continued to skate.
"James and I are fine, in answer to your question. How's you girlfriend, Miranda?" Lily asked.
Sirius looked a little uncomfortable. "We broke up about a week ago. It just wasn't going anywhere, I guess." he said, looking down at the ice. Lily put a hand on his arm.
"Sorry." she said softly, not really wanting to know the details of the actual breakup, which Sirius hadn't provided.
"S'ok. I prefer my freedom, anyway." Sirius said, a smile returning to his face.
"You know, I don't think I'll ever understand men." Lily said, shaking her head.
"Well, its pretty basic. Quidditch, sex, and food, though probably not in that exact order." Sirius replied.
Lily looked disgusted. "Thats barbaric! I mean, I could have probably given you the same list, but hearing it from a guy proves that I'm not just overly opinionated."
"Yeah. We'll, they're not all barbarians, if its any consolation. Every now and then you get the ones who have actual emotions. But those men are a dying breed." Sirius replied matter-of-factly.
"Then I'm lucky to have found James. He's caring, romantic, dreamy.." Lily trailed off.
"Lily, stop it! This is my best friend you're talking about! I won't be able to look at him without cracking up if you continue!" Sirius whined, covering his ears with his mittened hands.
"Oh, stop it." Lily said, though she too looked like she was was laughing.
"So when did you tell Prince Charming you'd be back from your mysterious rendevous?"
"Before dark." Lily replied, looking at the sky. I wanted to have a little leeway." she said.
"You certainly have a criminal mind, Evans."
"Shut up."
They continued to skate around the rink, the sun peeking through the clouds slightly. The brisk breeze that had been present before was fading, and Sirius noticed a few people walking outside to pick up their newspapers.
"Wow, I feel really accomplished. I didn't fall once out here. I thought by the time we left I'd have the flattest bum on this side of Britain!" Lily said, laughing.
"I told you you wouldn't. And its good you didn't flatten your bum. Then I'd really be in trouble with James."
Lily smacked Sirius, but continued to laugh. They both took another silent lap around the rink, and stopped at the small wooden bench situated near the edge. Sitting down, Lily said "You want to go get a butterbeer? My treat."
Sirius smiled. "Sounds great. I'm just going to take one more lap around the lake, ok?" he said, pointing over his shoulder. Lily nodded, and began to remove her skates.
Sirius turned, and began to slowly glide over the ice. So many questions were running through his mind.. questions about Voldemort, the future, his friends. Everything suddenly seemed uncertain. But he calmed his fears, remembering his conversation with Lily. They'd all still see each other, and they'd all live. Sirius stopped in the middle of the rink, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.
"Sirius! Are you ready to go now?"
iHe turned, seeing Remus standing there expectantly. Sirius began to walk over the ice, his shoes making everything much more slippery. He put his hands in his pockets, still gazing out over the lake.
"You know, I still don't think this is a good idea." Remus said, as Sirius reached the ground. "A walk down Lily and James Memory Lane is really not a good idea for your mental state."
"I'm fine." Sirius said shortly, standing back and taking one last look at the lake.
Remus nodded, unsure of what the lake meant to his friend. Turning, they began to walk away, looking for a safe area to Apparate.
"I'm surprised you didn't fall out there. Did Lily fall often when you two skated out there as kids?"
Sirius simply shook his head, but thought silently to himself, "Angels don't fall. They soar."/i
~*The End*~
4.14.02
by Rainsong
A/N: Takes place around 7th year in the Marauders Era. Lily and Sirius go ice skating, and do a bit of reminiscing. Definitely NOT A SHIPPER FIC (L/J all the way!), just one of those fuzzy moments that I thought of while I was rollerblading the other day. Please read and review!
~~~
Sirius walked out onto the ice tentatively, his skates cutting into the light layer of snow that topped it. The noonday sky was grey, flanked by tall pine trees that lined the other side of the area. Smoke was rising steadily from almost every visible chimney. He turned to look in the other direction, and saw Lily standing by the edge of the frozen lake, biting her lip and looking at the ice contemplatively.
"Come on, Lil'. It hasn't been that long." Sirius said, circling around the rink.
"Yes it has, though that probably doesn't register with you. A week is the equivalent of a millisecond in Sirius Time. 10 years is like a half-hour to you." Lily said, her red hair flying wildly around her earmuffs.
"Lily, you didn't forget how to skate. I think your purposely blocking it from your memory." Sirius said, coming to a halt in front of her.
Lily folded her arms. "Why in God's name would I do that? To make the falling part come sooner?"
"No... Maybe its because you feel guilty. You didn't tell Prongs where you were going, did you?" Sirius asked, smirking.
Lily looked away, blushing slightly. "Well, I said I was going out with a friend. And you're a friend, so its not like a lied. But you know James and jealousy go hand-in-hand." she said, looking back at Sirius.
"So true. Speaking of hand-in-hand, I really don't want to have to drag you out onto the ice, Lil. Trust me, you'll remember how as soon as you get out here. You won't fall, I promise." Sirius said, looking impatient.
"Fine, fine.." Lily mumbled, and slowly stepped out on the ice. She stretched her arms out, trying to balance herself as she moved shakily towards Sirius.
"One foot after the other, thats it. You know, for a Head Girl, I thought that would be a relatively easy direction." Sirius said, watching Lily hobbling around.
"Stuff it, Sirius." Lily said, watching every movement of her skates. Slowly, she started to skate, picking up speed as she circled the lake. She stopped next to Sirius, and the two began to skate around slowly, talking all the while.
"Nice removal of a mental block, there. And I guess you're right. It has been a long time since we were last out here. How old were we; nine or ten?" Sirius mused.
"I think so. I remember when we first met. We were both seven years old, and knew nothing about each other. But somehow we found things to talk about as we skated around in the winter. I can't believe you only lived a block away!" Lily said, pointing towards the house that used to belong to Sirius.
"I know. Right in the middle of a Muggle neighborhood; Its a wonder I never told you anything about the wizarding world back then." Sirius said, looking back at the horizon.
"Yeah, and I'm surprised that I didn't notice anything different about you besides your clothes. But I guess that didn't matter much. It was good to have a friend."
Lily said, smiling.
"I remember when we both got our letters for Hogwarts. You were sitting by this same lake, reading yours, and I ran out of my house to show you. I was sort of shocked when you said you had one too. By then I knew that you had a Muggle family." Sirius said, looking towards the cozy brick house that used to belong to Lily.
"Its a shame we always stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas break for the past 6 years. We could have come back here to skate." Lily said.
"And wouldn't James love that idea?" Sirius added sarcastically. Lily laughed, putting her mittened hands inside her coat pockets.
"He trusts both of us. And the thought of doing anything romantic with you is repulsive, Sirius. No offense, of course." Lily said.
"None taken. Trust me, the feelings of 'eww' are mutual." Sirius replied, grinning at her.
Lily chuckled. "So what do you think is going to happen after Hogwarts is over? Any thoughts on what you want to do?" she asked.
"Personally, I just want to live. Do you think all of this Voldemort stuff will ever blow over?" Sirius asked, sounding serious for the first time in their conversation.
"I hope so. Dumbledore'll probably be the one to do him in, if it ever comes down to that." Lily said. "Or maybe the Order of the Phoenix. Any one of their members could take him, I think. But then again, I don't know them personally." Lily said, shrugging.
"Me either. My dad used to tell me stories of all of the adventures the Order members had, fighting Death Eaters and travelling to meet foreign officials. It always sounded like fun, but the more I see of this whole Voldemort thing, the less appealing it becomes. People are dying everywhere." Sirius said quietly, looking down at the ice.
"Yeah. It worries me sometimes. If something ever happened to you all, I don't know what I'd do. Its so much safer at Hogwarts." Lily said sadly, looking back at Sirius.
"Lily, trust me on this one. Nothing will happen to any of us." Sirius said, stopping to face her. "And if it does, we'd try our best to move on, right?" Sirius asked, looking worried.
Lily nodded silently. Sirius wondered whether she had been worrying about Voldemort as much as he had prior to today. Not that that was unusual, but mortality was something that was brought into question each time another student lost their family, or Voldemort escaped another Ministry-set trap.
They continued to skate, both seemingly lost in thought. Then Lily returned to the original question of life after Hogwarts.
"I think after Hogwarts I'd like to do something abroad. Maybe work for the French Ministry of Magic for awhile, then see where life takes me next." Lily said, a far away look in her eyes.
"I'd like to be an Auror. Maybe I can take a chunk or so out of the Death Eater Scum population." Sirius said, looking enthusiastic.
"I hope we all still see each other after Hogwarts." Lily said suddenly, as though she was speaking a thought that had suddenly burst to mind.
"We will. If I know myself, I'll be practically living at James's place, and obviously you'll be there a lot too. Moony will probably do the independent-living thing, and get his own flat somewhere. God knows what Wormtail will do; especially with the N.E.W.T.'s he got. Not exactly top-of- the-scale." Sirius said, shaking his head. "He's hopeless."
Lily hit whacked Sirius in the chest with the back of her hand. "Don't be so hard on Peter. He tries so hard, and he thinks so highly of you and James and Remus." Lily scolded.
"I know, I know. I feel sorry for Remus, too. I wonder if he'll have trouble getting a job with his..er..condition." Sirius said. "But then , putting his hands in hiagain, thats different. Remus is durable, for lack of a better term. I can see Peter falling apart." he continueds pockets.
"Well, there's nothing we can do except be friends to him. I'm sure he'll be fine." Lily said, though she herself looked a little uncertain.
"So how goes it with Prongs? Still riding the passionate love train?" Sirius asked, changing the subject.
Lily smiled. "Oh, you know. Same as usual. I love him, and as far as I know, he loves me. Very basic relationship structure." Lily said.
"You think you two might tie the knot someday?"
Lily blushed deeply. "Well, maybe. We're still only seventeen. A little early to be thinking about that now, don't you think? Anyway, I can't give you an answer to that question until he asks me." Lily said firmly.
"He asks you? Isn't that one of those 'sexist traditions' you're always ranting about?" Sirius asked.
"No!" Lily said, stopping. "Its romantic. And what would I do? Present HIM with a ring?" she asked.
Sirius shrugged, grinning. Lily opened her mouth as if to retort, but shook her head suddenly and continued to skate.
"James and I are fine, in answer to your question. How's you girlfriend, Miranda?" Lily asked.
Sirius looked a little uncomfortable. "We broke up about a week ago. It just wasn't going anywhere, I guess." he said, looking down at the ice. Lily put a hand on his arm.
"Sorry." she said softly, not really wanting to know the details of the actual breakup, which Sirius hadn't provided.
"S'ok. I prefer my freedom, anyway." Sirius said, a smile returning to his face.
"You know, I don't think I'll ever understand men." Lily said, shaking her head.
"Well, its pretty basic. Quidditch, sex, and food, though probably not in that exact order." Sirius replied.
Lily looked disgusted. "Thats barbaric! I mean, I could have probably given you the same list, but hearing it from a guy proves that I'm not just overly opinionated."
"Yeah. We'll, they're not all barbarians, if its any consolation. Every now and then you get the ones who have actual emotions. But those men are a dying breed." Sirius replied matter-of-factly.
"Then I'm lucky to have found James. He's caring, romantic, dreamy.." Lily trailed off.
"Lily, stop it! This is my best friend you're talking about! I won't be able to look at him without cracking up if you continue!" Sirius whined, covering his ears with his mittened hands.
"Oh, stop it." Lily said, though she too looked like she was was laughing.
"So when did you tell Prince Charming you'd be back from your mysterious rendevous?"
"Before dark." Lily replied, looking at the sky. I wanted to have a little leeway." she said.
"You certainly have a criminal mind, Evans."
"Shut up."
They continued to skate around the rink, the sun peeking through the clouds slightly. The brisk breeze that had been present before was fading, and Sirius noticed a few people walking outside to pick up their newspapers.
"Wow, I feel really accomplished. I didn't fall once out here. I thought by the time we left I'd have the flattest bum on this side of Britain!" Lily said, laughing.
"I told you you wouldn't. And its good you didn't flatten your bum. Then I'd really be in trouble with James."
Lily smacked Sirius, but continued to laugh. They both took another silent lap around the rink, and stopped at the small wooden bench situated near the edge. Sitting down, Lily said "You want to go get a butterbeer? My treat."
Sirius smiled. "Sounds great. I'm just going to take one more lap around the lake, ok?" he said, pointing over his shoulder. Lily nodded, and began to remove her skates.
Sirius turned, and began to slowly glide over the ice. So many questions were running through his mind.. questions about Voldemort, the future, his friends. Everything suddenly seemed uncertain. But he calmed his fears, remembering his conversation with Lily. They'd all still see each other, and they'd all live. Sirius stopped in the middle of the rink, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.
"Sirius! Are you ready to go now?"
iHe turned, seeing Remus standing there expectantly. Sirius began to walk over the ice, his shoes making everything much more slippery. He put his hands in his pockets, still gazing out over the lake.
"You know, I still don't think this is a good idea." Remus said, as Sirius reached the ground. "A walk down Lily and James Memory Lane is really not a good idea for your mental state."
"I'm fine." Sirius said shortly, standing back and taking one last look at the lake.
Remus nodded, unsure of what the lake meant to his friend. Turning, they began to walk away, looking for a safe area to Apparate.
"I'm surprised you didn't fall out there. Did Lily fall often when you two skated out there as kids?"
Sirius simply shook his head, but thought silently to himself, "Angels don't fall. They soar."/i
~*The End*~
4.14.02