* Just figuring out this whole author's note thing - first story, you know how it goes. :) This is the start of my nano novel, my goal is to update it regularly as I work on the story. Wish me luck!
* In case it wasn't obvious enough, I do not own these characters! If/when I throw in some OCs, I will own them. Lily and James are not my babies no matter how much I wish they were. Also, the plot is only loosely mine. I wanted to combine Jily with my favorite kdramas (You're Beautiful, and KPop Extreme Survival), so here we are. Enjoy!
When she was asked how it started, Petunia Dursley would say it started much like any other day. She woke at exactly 7:05 in the morning, got up without disturbing her husband, brushed her teeth for exactly two minutes, brushed her hair exactly 100 times, and adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses so that they balanced just so on the bridge of her nose.
She paused for a breath when she caught her reflection in the full length mirror. Her hands rose as if on reflex to hover over her stomach; a stomach that was, as she knew too well, empty. With a small "hmph" and a raise of her chin, she grabbed her keys and marched out the door.
Anyone who saw her waiting at the airport would have assumed she was waiting for her superior, not her sister. Her posture was, as always, ridged. She stood in her pink dress, small red pursed draped over one arm, hands clasped at her waist, and waited. Had her husband been there he might have picked up on some of her discomfort. The slight press of her lips, and her ever whitening knuckles would have been clear signs.
"Tuney?" A familiar voice sounded from behind as two skinny freckled arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders.
"Oh Tuney I am so glad to see you! It's been what… 3… 4-"
"It has been five years Lily." Petunia's voice was frigid as she disentangled her sister's arms.
"Five years Lily, and not even a postcard until you call to announce your return! You missed my wedding Lily. My wedding!" she whirled on her sister, in part to see the guilt on her sister's face and to drive the point home.
"How could y-" she paused, her eyes and mouth perfect o's. "Y-your hair! My god Lily… what have you done to your hair?"
Lily's hand flew up to tuck her locks behind her ear before she remembered.
"Oh right," she shrugged, her hand moved from her ear to brush absently at the fringe by her forehead. "What d'you think? I mean it's shorter than I've had it before, but I quite like it. It feels sort of edgy you know?"
Petunia closed her eyes, lifted her glasses, and pinched the bridge of her nose before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Well it is definitely different, I will say that." She positioned her glasses back on the bridge of her nose and examined her sister's new pixie cut.
When they were children Lily had let her hair run wild. Petty had always urged her to cut it, perhaps out of jealousy, but her sister swore that it would never happen. She saw it as a "reflection of her personality", she would say. "It's just so bouncy and fun! I wouldn't feel like myself without it!"
"I know I swore I would never cut it" Lily started, "but after dad… and all those failed auditions… I just needed a change! I needed a fresh start."
Lily stared up at her sister through her eyelashes. It took some getting used to, Petunia mused, but it worked for her. She had never noticed her sister's cheekbones, but they really were quite stunning. And her eyes, they had never looked so large!
"It suits you." She said with a slight nod of her head. "Now about my wedding…"
Lily had the decency to hang her head at that. She looked properly sorry, Petty thought.
"We'll talk about it on the way back then. " She sighed. "Is that all you brought with you? It's not much is it. Here give me that bag of yours, I've parked just over there. Do try to be nice to Vernon when we get home. After all you don't know how long you'll be staying with us, and you know how particular he can be about manners."
The moment she sat down Lily closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. She felt like she had just averted the apocalypse! When the familiar hum of the engine filled the car, she allowed herself to peak out through one eye.
It had taken some quick thinking, but she had convinced Petty that she was far too tired to have any in depth conversation right now, and that what she really needed was a nap, and she promised-cross-her-heart-etc that she would be nicer to Vernon if she got some sleep. This was how she had managed to maneuver her way into the back seat, where she was now stretched out as much as you can be in a car.
This whole move thing was taking far more out of Lily than she had thought possible. The heartbreak of leaving her dreams behind in the states, combined with the sheer exhaustion of a cross-atlantic flight, had left her cranky and on her last nerve. Plus there was that guy on the plane… the one with the messy hair and awful smug smile that she just wanted to rip off his face.
He had had the nerve to ask her if she wanted his autograph! Granted this was after he had taken ages to get out of the in flight bathroom, and right before the girl behind him stumbled into him and pushed him right into her cup of coffee. Her hands and stomach still stung from the burn! His friends at least had the decency to look apologetic. The one with the sandy blond hair and sad blue eyes seemed nice; pity he was stuck with that specky git. "I hope he got burned" Lily thought with a vengeance. "I hope that coffee went right down his pants and burned him where it counts!"
James was not a coward. He was not the type to back down from a fight, or run away when embarrassed, but today he was making an exception. After all, he had an image to uphold! He couldn't very well be seen in a frilly shirt. What would his fans say? What would the papers say? Why did he even care?
It was all that boy's fault, he thought. The boy with the flame red hair had interrupted him at exactly the right, and wrong, moment.
Narcissa Black, the fake fairy with her ice white hair, had finally cornered him in the airplane bathroom. He had seen her when they were getting ready to board the airplane, but had avoided her like the plague. If Sirius were to see her… well he did not want to be responsible for what would happen. He had been washing his face when she appeared.
"What the - I thought I locked the door! How are you even - whatever. What do you want Narcissa."
"James you know I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be."
He had sneered at that. Narcissa Black had followed him around everywhere when they were little. She had been like a lost puppy, following him around looking for a treat, for years. Only her cousin's disinheritance had gotten her to back off.
"Sirius' mother wishes to speak with him." She had stated it with an air of indifference, as if she were talking about the weather.
James had brushed a hand through his hair without thinking, his mind going through the possible reasons for Walburga Black's sudden interest in her oldest son.
That woman was the devil as far as James was concerned. She had once locked Sirius in his room for two days, just for being too nice to one of the maids. In her eyes they were above normal mortals, and any sign of decency shown to another person was a black mark against their family. James couldn't remember a time when she wasn't yelling and Sirius wasn't desperate to escape.
"Sorry, not going to happen." James had said, squeezing past Narcissa so that his back was against the door.
James remembered staring down at the brown roots of her hair as his hand reached for the doorknob. Before she could say another word, or give another excuse for Walburga, he had opened the door and come face to face with a young red-headed man.
At least James assumed it was a man… a boy… a man-boy. He glanced over his shoulder at Narcissa, it would be all over the internet if someone saw him and Narcissa together. He stood as tall as he could and blocked the bathroom door.
"Do you want my autograph?" he had asked the boy, doing his best to distract him. His mind now stuck on the memory of the boy's eyes. They were striking, now that he thought about it. Green, like grass or new leaves in spring, and so bright it was blinding. He shook his head at the memory, like a dog stepping out of water. Men should not be thinking about another man's eyes!
Narcissa had chosen that moment to shove past him, pushing him right into the young man and his coffee.
"Here mate, catch!" Sirius tossed a sweatshirt at James who just ducked in time.
"Thanks." He mumbled before pulling it over his head. "Where's Remus got to?"
Sirius slumped down into the seat in front of James, his long legs stretched out in front of him. With a shake of his head he brushed his long hair out of his eyes, "I think he's calling the President. Minnie's waiting with him by the pay phone."
"You know if he just caved and bought a cell phone, or god forbid borrowed one of ours, he could be sitting here with us."
"Yeah well, you know Remus. Bit old fashioned isn't he." Sirius smiled at his friend and gestured to his shirt, "Better than that flowery shit you were wearing earlier eh?"
James glanced down at his union jack hoodie and grimaced. "Only slightly…"
"Oy! I paid good money for that, I think it's flattering on you - brings out your eyes and whatnot."
"Oh yes, I'm sure the patriotic look is great on me. Do you know where I put my glasses? These contacts are driving me crazy!"
Sirius nodded and reached back over James's seat to one of the bags in the back. "Yeah, I think I remember you putting them somewhere…. Ah! Here we go." He handed James his glasses case and contact lens solution before plopping himself down next to him. He folded one leg up underneath the other and faced James, a mischievous smirk stretching across his face.
"You burn anything… delicate with that coffee?"
"Nah, but my stomach might be red for a while." He was lifting his shirt to show Sirius when the door opened and a graying head peaked in at them.
"Gosh Minnie, didn't anyone teach you to knock?" Sirius asked, his voice as flirtatious as ever.
"Very funny Mister Black." Minerva's voice was as dry as a desert, her mouth didn't even twitch. "Albus will join us at the office. Behave boys."
Her head disappeared as Remus climbed in and took his usual seat.
"I let Dumbledore know we landed. I cannot wait to put this Peter thing behind us."
James and Sirius glanced at each other abashed.
"Did you two really think I could be the one the Dark Marks were trying to poach? I thought you knew me better, honestly."
Remus hadn't spoken more than three words to his two friends since Peter left. The plane ride had been painfully quiet.
"Look we're sorry mate! I swear we were just being cautious. We didn't think either of you were going to ditch us, but we had to be careful." Sirius had never sounded so sorry in his life, he was practically whining.
"Look, it's behind us now yeah? You lot are my brothers, we won't let this set us back." James clapped a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Alright boys, that was all touching I'm sure, but I will be driving now." They hadn't even realized Minerva was there, that woman was scary quiet.
"We're doing what?" Sirius burst out of his chair, more shocked than angry.
"Sirius!" James and Remus grabbed his shoulders and forced him back onto the couch.
"No, no guys this is ridiculous! Peter just left like what, two weeks ago? Three? This is too soon!"
"We must present a united front to the public." Albus said, gazing at them over his half moon glasses, his fingers steepled together. He could never tell what this man was thinking, James thought. His eyes twinkled though, which was somehow reassuring.
"By finding a new band member, we will send a message to the public that indicates how unaffected you are by his betrayal. It will also give your fans something to focus on other than Peter's departure."
"The rat." Sirius muttered under his breath.
"Who do you have in mind President?" asked Remus, one hand bracing Sirius shoulder.
"What about that guy, Ronald? Ryan? The one from that band that recently broke up? He seemed good I thought." James offered, his eyes watching Dumbledore for a reaction, but the man merely twinkled in his direction.
"I have a different plan in mind." Albus stood and walked around his desk to lean against it. His white hair glowed in the dim lights of his office. James had always thought the man went out of his way to make his office feel comfortable and welcoming. It was like a cross between an old fashioned library, and his grandmother's living room.
"We will hold a contest of sorts, an open audition if you will, in search of a new talent. Someone who has been overlooked, but has the potential to shine."
The boys stared up at him in shock. Remus, as always, was the first to break the silence.
"Are you sure President?" he glanced at his fellow band mates, "It just seems sort of risky."
James and Sirius nodded in agreement, Sirius' nod more enthusiastic than James'.
"Not to worry my dear boys, my plan is already in motion. We should be receiving the first responses to my ad any moment now."
The marauders stared at each other, eyes wide, before a jarring telephone ring sounded. It had begun.
* BOOM BABY! I hope you are enjoying it so far. Let me know what you think :)