Hi folks! I promise this doesn't mean I'm abandoning my other stories. I just got inspired and felt the need to publish this. Hopefully I'll be able to say the same for Of Mysteries and Familiar soon!
Disclaimer: If I was JK Rowling, I'd already have made a bid for world domination, so nope, just GriffinRoar777.
It was cold. So unbearably cold. The torrential rain soaked her, blurred her vision, so that the cheerful village lights became little more than pinpricks. She didn't give a damn, she realised, laughing suddenly, manically. Didn't give a damn about the rain, the cold, the pretentious people who occupied the village, with their false smiles and Christian charity while behind her back they spoke of the mad young woman with the bastard child in her belly.
The second the thought crossed her mind, her hand went protectively to her swollen stomach. Not a bastard, she reminded herself firmly. A baby, her baby, which would never be anything but precious. It was the father who… but never mind.
She would do it, she thought determinedly. She'd bring up the baby herself, alone. Yes, she thought dreamily, tucking her legs under her and staring out to sea, one hand still on her bump, stroking absently. They'd do it, get away, start a new life. A little luck, a little time and they'd be free.
But first, she had revenge to seek.
Cursing the air blue, Lily hauled the handsome leather recliner out of the back of the moving van, while the beanpole of a driver flicked idly through that morning's Tribute.
"Almost there now." He murmured nonchalantly, raising an eyebrow when she made an obscene gesture in his direction.
"Ya see what it says on the van? Movers, not lifters-of-furniture."
Lily shot him a venomous look.
"And good old fashioned manners are dead huh?" she retorted, cursing even more loudly when the chair tumbled and landed on her foot.
"Well that's the last of it, so get lost."
He held out a palm and made a beckoning motion. Muttering under her breath, she paid him.
"What, no tip?" he asked and she shot him one incredulous look before returning to moving the sparse furniture into the place that would be, (for the next few months anyways) home.
They probably thought she was crazy in the village. Young, free and loaded, buying a house that was beyond saving. But she'd always been stubborn, obstinate even. She was inclined to believe it to be one of her best qualities. And she'd fallen in love when she'd seen it.
Sure, the majority of the roof tiles had fallen off, leaving her protection from the rain little more than prayers and tarpaulin. Yeah, possibly it was infested with mice and maybe rats, but the exterminator would fix that, in time. Ok, all the windows were gone but she knew a guy who could change that. So what if it wasn't exactly liveable? She'd worked with worse. And for the first few weeks she'd be living in the B&B anyways. But first, a tour.
Pushing back the thick ivy curtain that blocked the doorway she grinned. Oh God, there were spiders! And cobwebs! The remains of a teenagers impromptu picnic from bygone years were curled up in the fireplace, obviously someone had tried to burn them. Her stylish furniture that she'd dragged inside looked entirely out of place. It had character, she decided. Yes, that was the word. Delighted, where others would've been horrified, she spun around in a dizzy circle and laughed when she slipped and landed flat on her back on the filthy floor.
A sudden keening wail had her sitting up so quickly her head spun. She'd heard the stories, of course and that made the place seem all the more romantic to her. She imagined it was a baby crying. How hard it must've been, she thought, soberly, not bothering to brush herself down as she headed towards where the sound was coming from, the kitchen.
Wrinkling her nose at the smell of damp, she got down on all fours and crawled towards the cabinet under the sink. The wood was warped but amazingly still held in place nearly a hundred years later. The wail was louder now. It never occurred to Lily to be afraid or to be careful. After all, she imagined the sound to be coming from the house, echoing the cries of the last form of life that occupied it. Yanking the door open, she fell backwards and stared in shock at the tawny coloured bundle of fur that stared right back. A puppy, she thought dazedly as the small creature cowered in the corner of the mould covered press. Shock turned to anger. Who would shut a tiny defenceless puppy up in a press to die?
"Hi, honey."
She held out a hand for inspection and the young dog sniffed it warily before edging itself out of the tight space. Careful not to startle it she stood up and beamed when it scrambled after her. Stooping, she held out her hands and sighed with what she thought was the beginnings of love when it allowed her to scoop it up. One quick glance into the trusting brown eyes and she knew she was way past beginnings.
"C'mon baby." She cooed, already wildly in love.
"Let's get you sorted, yeah?"
Narrowing her eyes at the seemingly far off rain clouds, she looked at her bike and at the puppy that was already asleep against her chest. In a fit of sudden inspiration, she yanked on a windcheater over her dungarees and tucked the puppy inside, smiling sappily as she felt its quivering heartbeat against her chest.
Peddling slowly down the hill was difficult enough but the rest of the journey went fairly smoothly. Just as she pulled up in the village however, a bright red sports car pulled up, a tall curvy blond stepping out smugly. Sending one pitying glance at Lily, she sauntered into the small café on the corner. Shrugging it off, Lily cradled the small bump against her stomach and stepped into the village shop.
She was immediately engulfed by the smells of industrial cleaner and freshly brewed coffee which actually smelt pretty good. A bored looking youth, flicking through a comic glanced up disinterestedly at the tinkling of the shop bell and flushed when he saw Lily, shoving the comic to one side. He couldn't be more than fourteen, Lily guessed.
"Can I help you?" He'd deepened his voice and rubbed a hand to the back of his neck when she smiled up at him.
"Avengers, right? Black Widow is definitely my favourite, though I am partial to Captain America."
He goggled while she shifted through the cans of dog food, frowning at the labels.
"D'you have anything for puppies?"
At that precise moment her new found friend poked their handsome head out of the top of her jacket, yawning cutely. The boy's eyes widened as Lily unzipped the jacket, tucking both under her arm.
"Uh, let me check in the back."
Grinning, Lily ruffled the puppy's fur and added a small toy, bed, collar, leash and shampoo to her shopping. As a last second impulse, she grabbed a bag of sherbet lemons to the growing pile.
"It's a sickness." She sighed, shaking her head when he just stared at her.
"What's the damage?"
"Um…thirty three fifty. I err… haven't seen you around before." He said in an attempt at being casual.
Handing over the cash and dragging the bag off the counter she shot him a warm smile.
"I'm new. I'm the weirdo who's redoing the old Chysler place. Mad, I know." Shrugging cheerfully, she gave him a small wave and exited the shop humming. Mounting her bike and donning her windcheater once more, she tucked the small wriggling bundle inside to shelter it from the oncoming rain as much as for convenience sakes.
Peddling at a fairly rapid pace, eager to get to the B&B before getting drenched, she didn't see the pickup truck come zooming around the corner. It, or rather, its driver saw her however. Slamming on the breaks with a squeal so startling, Lily toppled over, the truck stopped and the furious driver leapt out.
"What the HELL were you doing?" he yelled, striding over and glaring at her. Rubbing her aching head, Lily peered blearily up into a second pair of stunning brown eyes. Well, they were more hazel than brown, but she wasn't being picky.
"I'm fine thanks." She murmured dizzily, putting a hand to her stomach where the puppy quivered, terrified. She saw his gaze dart to her swollen abdomen and watched him jump to the entirely wrong conclusion.
"I didn't know you were-"Letting loose a string of curses that rivalled her own earlier demonstration, she smiled. He was really good looking, she decided. Tall and lanky with messy black hair that stuck up at every possible angle and the most meltingly gorgeous bespectacled hazel eyes, he was a definite looker.
"S'all right. No damage done." Accepting the hand he offered to help her up, she ran a quick hand through her hair, more out of vanity than anything else.
"Shush." She said comfortingly, stroking her stomach and bending to pick up her bike, she peered at him again from under a curtain of hair. Oh yeah, he was a real looker.
"Lily Evans. Crazy old bat who's taking on the Chysler place. Pleasure to not-quite-be-run over by you."
Shooting her a bewildered stare he shook it.
"James Potter. Mrs Daniels never said you were-"
"Clumsy? Accident prone? It's a curse, one I will no doubt pass on to my offspring as my father did to me. But it is one we Evanses faithfully bare. Who's Mrs Daniels?"
"The landlady of the B&B."
Clapping her hands delightedly, she shot him a blinding smile.
"You're a local! Oh brilliant, can you show me how to get to the B&B? I have a vague idea that it's around here somewhere." She waved vaguely with her right hand at anywhere within a twenty mile radius of the village, smiling sunnily as she did so.
"But I'm not entirely sure where."
Sighing heavily, as if about to commit an act that he feared he would come to regret he opened the door of his truck.
"I'll drive you there." Shrugging, she picked up the small shopping bag that held almost all her worldly goods.
"That's not necessary, but I appreciate the offer."
As soon as she said it she realised that it was very rarely someone said no to James Potter, if they had ever done so.
"Don't be ridiculous. It's going to rain and you're all-" Seemingly lacking in words, he made a frustrated gesture towards her middle. Raising a cool eyebrow, she allowed her almost constant smile to desert her face.
"I assure you I am more than capable of getting there myself." Turning away from him sharply, she tried to mount her bike again, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards, almost causing her to fall again.
"Let go of me!" she snapped, outraged. Ignoring her, he picked up her bike and threw it into the back of the truck, hauling her inside and strapping her in. Once again, terror didn't occur to her, despite the fact that he was both taller and stronger than she was. The second he sat into the car she slapped him hard enough to make his ears ring.
"Let me make this abundantly clear. I do not appreciate being manhandled and I will do whatever I choose. Comprendé?"
Instead of responding, he gunned the engine and took off at such a speed that she didn't dare trying to jump, especially because of the bundle of fur concealed by thin layer of plastic but also because he had her only method of transportation until she deemed it necessary to grow up and buy a car and all the responsibilities that went with it. It was a miracle, she thought when they squealed to a halt outside a handsome two storey cottage, that they had stopped at all. Ever the gentleman, she thought sourly when he got out and held the door open for her. Shooting him her most withering glance (generally reserved for tax collectors and her cousin Edmund) she swept past him and in through the door, thinking perhaps her stay here may not be as pleasant as she'd hoped.
She heard the click of the door behind her and assumed he'd followed her in. Sticking her nose high in the air, she called out,
"Mrs Daniels? Are you here?"
Seconds later she was engulfed by a round middle aged woman, the kind that reminded you inevitably of a family member you had a distinct fondness for. For Lily, it was her maternal great aunt, Gladys.
"My dear! I'm so glad to finally meet you! Thin as pin, but we'll soon fix that, won't we Jamie?"
Frowning, Lily turned to look at the tall man, who was smiling. The first time she'd seen him do so during their incredibly brief acquaintance.
"You'll be rolling her out of here Mrs Daniels, as always. And she'll roll right back in." Eying her with a mixture of what seemed like contempt and interest, he continued:
"They always do."
A sudden yip made them all jump.
"What was that?" James asked, both alarmed and curious. Lily felt a certain level of smugness when he watched her withdraw the puppy from under her jacket with both shock and anger? Amusement?
"I hope you don't mind. I just couldn't leave him. Someone had shut him up in a cupboard, imagine!"
"Imagine." James growled and swept from the room, leaving her smirking behind him.