Hey, Jenny96, if you're reading this, I tried to PM you twice, and I guess it didn't work. I would LOVE to hear your idea for Brewing Up Disaster, and I totally appreciate the feedback you left me. It means sooo much. :) Love ya!
Dedicated to the four cats I'm babysitting this summer:
Pepper, Mayzie, and… the other two
Because strangely enough,
You managed to inspire me.
-------
Her mother put down her foot on Friday afternoon.
"Lily!" The redheaded teen looked up innocently from her book, and took in the exasperation etched across Rose Evans' face. "Sweetheart, we love you dearly, but you need to get out of this house!"
"I'm not in your way, am I? Mum, really, I just want to read! And – and Petunia! She isn't exactly doing anything either."
Her sister's voice drifted down the stairs: "That's because I'm getting married in two weeks, freak."
Lily winced and looked out the window. Her sister's names didn't hurt so much, now – she'd gotten used to them at around thirteen years – but the first part of Petunia's excuse was the most horrible thing she had heard all day.
I'm getting married in two weeks.
God, Vernon Dursley! Lily didn't like to use the word, but if anyone was a freak, it was Tuney's fiancée. How on Earth could her own flesh and blood be marrying such a pig?
"Lily," her mother sat on the edge of the sofa and gently took her hand, "Darling, an excuse to escape the wedding preparations can't be so bad. I don't care what you do – that's your decision. But I know your sister will be… especially tolerable if you could take a break from her."
Lily smiled. "You're noticing it, too, then?"
"I think the neighbors down the street have noticed her temper by now."
-------
Lily hated to admit to something so stupid, but she felt overwhelmed by her options.
"I don't know what to do," she told her one Muggle friend, Jane, as they walked to town. "I do need to get out of that house, but I can't decide how. Although…" she paused, looking critically at the nearby shops. "I suppose it would be nice to get a little cash in the process."
Jane pushed some of her brown hair out of her face, only to have the summer breeze lazily toss it back. "So you could apply at the bookstore on the corner, they're nearly out of business as it is. Or you could do the same as every other teen girl, myself included, by babysitting."
Lily scowled. "That didn't go so well last time."
"Well, that's just because Bobby Easterbrook is a nightmare, Lily, everyone knows that!"
"Apparently I missed the memo, then!"
Her friend snorted. "Never mind. You weren't around when he terrorized my sister. I forgot. You were over at, er-"
"School, yeah." Lily shrugged, and desperately thought of a way to change the subject.
She had met Jane only a year previously when their mothers had signed up in the same knitting club. Although the girls got along splendidly, Lily had to watch her tongue: she couldn't tell her Muggle friend that she attended Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
They weren't quite at that stage of confidence yet.
"I've got it!" Jane burst out suddenly, taking Lily by surprise. "What if you cleaned houses? Just for the summer, and watered plants, brought in the post, you know! It would be easy."
"I hate my own housework," Lily said dejectedly. "Why would I want to do it for a stranger instead?"
"Because strangers pay you handsomely for a job well done."
"…That they do."
-------
Dinner at the Evans household was an uncomfortably silent affair.
Petunia, who had been shouting about how she couldn't wait to move away only an hour ago, stabbed at her peas with sullen disgust, glaring at anyone who prepared to speak. On more than one occasion, (this meal qualifying as one,) Lily had suspected that her older sister wasn't actually related to her at all. It must have been one of those switched-at-birth things.
"So," Lily cleared her throat and politely wiped her mouth, not quite sure how her family would take the news. "I- well, I found a job for the summer."
"Oh?" Her mother perked right up, and a forkful of potatoes flew through the air, narrowly missing Lily's forehead. "Petunia Lucille, act your age! We do not throw food in this house, ever!"
Lily's father started to shove his own dinner into his mouth. He had the tendency to do this whenever the estrogen in the household decided to make itself known.
Lily cleared her throat again. "Well, I was hoping to, er, clean houses, water plants, you know. Just for the summer," she added hastily when she saw her mother's expression. "And it will be very safe, I promise."
"Lily…" Rose swallowed and looked over at her husband. He was non-committedly giving their eldest daughter a stern look. "I- what I mean to say, dear, is that we're very proud, and happy, that you've found a productive way to spend your summer! Really, we're very impressed, but… you're a young girl… on your own…"
Lily felt her face flush as she realized what her mother was getting at. "Mum, I've learned plenty of defensive magic at school, and I know where to… aim…"
Petunia let out a harsh laugh. "You and your freaky little friends aren't allowed to use magic out of school!"
"If someone were to attack me," Lily snapped, "do you honestly think I'd let a silly rule get in my way?!"
There was a moment of tense silence, in which the two girls clearly competed over who had the fiercest glare (Lily was inclined to believe she won, as her dark green eyes and red hair made her slightly more intimidating than her horsy sister,) until Mr. Evans threw in his two cents.
"I think it's a lovely idea."
"Robert!" Lily's mother cried.
"She's very responsible, hard-working-"
"She's sixteen years old!"
"She will be fine," he said firmly, and Lily leapt from her seat to hug him.
"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered, and cleared her dish from the table before her mother could protest.
-------
The Magic Cleaning Company
"House care with that mystical touch!"
Available June 1 through August 31
Contact Lily Evans (012) 345-6789
to schedule today
-------
"Have you gotten any calls yet?" Jane asked as they sat on Lily's front porch. The weather had suddenly become hot and humid, so the girls had resorted to eating popsicles and hiding in the shade as long as possible.
"No," Lily said truthfully, closing her eyes to the bright morning light. "Then again, it's been less than twenty-four hours… thanks for helping me with the fliers, by the way."
"It was no trouble, though I still think that was a strange name to choose. 'Magic Cleaning'? You get that from a book or something?"
"Or something," Lily murmured vaguely, tossing her syrupy ice cream stick onto the grass in front of her. The shrill ring of the telephone interrupted what was going to be a suggestion of moving inside.
"That could be a business call!" Jane said enthusiastically, and made to run into the house before Lily pulled her back down.
"I doubt it."
But sure enough, moments later, Mrs. Evans emerged from the house, holding the cord phone with effort, as it was still attached to the kitchen wall. "Lily, dearest, call for you. I have no idea who, they seem to be having trouble on their end…"
"Thanks, Mum," she said quickly, grabbing the phone and racing to the kitchen so as not to break the strained phone line. "Hello, Lily Evans speaking."
"Hello, Ms. Evans, my name is Grace, and I was wondering if you would be available to attend to my house this week?"
The voice was feminine, warm and friendly. Lily had no idea what her mother had meant – their phone line seemed to be working perfectly.
Then she registered what the woman had said, and she blinked rapidly before answering. "Erm, I mean, yeah. Of course I'm available - you're the only one who has called me, so that seems alright. Do you mean Monday through Friday, just mornings, or-?"
"I was hoping if you could do Mondays through Saturdays, actually. My house is a bit of a mess- my son has his friends over this week, you know, and, well, they are quite difficult to contain to just one room."
She laughed, and Lily did so as well, although with some unease. She was going to be cleaning a trashed house while a minimum of three boys ran through, creating disaster wherever they went?
"Mornings, then?" She asked weakly, trying to remember why she had thought this was a good idea.
"Yes, I think that would be best. You'll be paid by the hour, if that's alright. I don't think the tasks are too difficult- you needn't worry about the post, that's covered. I think the main issues are trying to revive our dead plants, taking care of the owls, and, well, the cleaning, of course."
"You have owls?" Lily blurted out before she realized that might be considered as a rude interruption.
"Yes, three. They're very tame, though, I don't think it should be a problem."
"No, owls are fine. They just remind me of, well…" How could she say that owls reminded her of life at Hogwarts? She didn't know if her new client would take that little tidbit of personal information very well. Instead of cleaning a house, she might end up cooped in an insane asylum. "Never mind. I just like owls."
The woman – Grace – laughed again. "So do we. Very well, Ms. Evans, here is my address," Lily hurriedly scribbled the place across the back of her hand, "And we will see you tomorrow morning! Does nine o'clock sound like a good time? We would prefer to handle the worst jobs before the heat becomes unbearable…"
Lily found herself nodding. "I wholeheartedly agree."
"Excellent! It has been a pleasure talking with you, Lily; I can see why my son asked me to call you!"
Lily felt her heart catch for a moment. "I- I'm sorry, but… your son?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? James is around your age, I think, and he said he knew you from school. It was nice to finally speak with you; he's told us so much."
Lily heard herself make some sort of response, but she couldn't exactly register what she said. James was the son of her new employer. James, as in… James Potter? James had his friends over and they were trashing the house…
"Oh, God…!"
-------
I'm thinking this will be a short one, just three or four chapters. Feedback is always appreciated, :), and if you had time, I would love love LOVE it if you could check out my other Lily and James story, Brewing Up Disaster. But enough self-plugging. :P
Thanks to all readers! Have a great day.