… For Emi… Happy (early) birthday, love! ...
Disclaimer: DirtyDancing!AU based on the movie! Song doesn't belong to me either!
Words: 8,817
so I'll tell you something (this could be love)
... Prologue ...
This was it: The first day. The very first day that 15-year-old James Potter stared at his father with a mix of fear, disbelief and utter resentment.
The usually funny, mischievous messy haired man he had grown up loving was not to be recognized anymore.
Gone was the smile that lit up his face on even the most ridiculous of jokes, the kindness that was once written in his eyes had faded away and judging by the red, burning mark on James' left cheek he was now sure that the good, glowing heart that had once been beating strongly in his father's chest was now empty, black and cold.
The young boy swallowed hard; the pain he felt on his cheek where his father had just slapped him was almost nothing compared to the pain inside of his heart, that caused his whole body to tremble. And the distinct, strange feeling of being afraid of his own father was in a way one of the most terrible things the 15-year-old had ever experienced.
With all his might, he tried to focus on the important things, so he turned his head ever so slightly and exchanged one last look with his best friend, Sirius.
Pure and utter disbelief was plainly written all over his face, and James could tell that right now, Sirius probably blamed himself for what just happened.
Taking one last breath, James tried to brace himself for the ultimate encounter with his father and stepped forward; head held high, wand at the ready and his mind made up.
"If Sirius leaves, I'll go with him," James said courageously and braced himself for the older man's outburst, which he didn't have to wait long for.
"How dare you," he thundered, and almost dropped the bottle of whiskey he had already drowned himself in for the last couple of days. "You are my son, my own flesh and blood! How dare you to speak this way to me?!"
Successfully, James avoided another fist in his face.
"And I will not repeat myself," Mr. Potter screamed and wobbled towards Sirius on unsteady feet, "you will leave this house now. Or I'll make sure you regret the minute you stepped over this threshold."
James quickly jumped in between his father and best friend, taking the punch meant for Sirius. Pain once again shot through him, but by now, the anger that was boiling inside of him slowly surfaced and with a strength the black haired boy didn't know he possessed he moved his own wrist and struck back.
The old man staggered backwards, holding his bruised chin.
"You're really defending him?" the old man thundered dangerously, "the one who killed your mother?"
James heart contradicted painfully at the memory of his late mother, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Sirius' brown eyes dropping to the ground in shame.
The 15-year-old, despite feeling the like being stabbed in the chest upon remembering what happened to his beloved mother, laid an protective and defending arm around his friend.
"It wasn't his fault, Dad."
Crashing down on a chair, and taking another sip of his bottle, the old man only cackled. "Ha! Of Course it is! She went to the Black's house because of him."
James sighed. He knew that upon hearing the story Sirius had reluctantly told Mrs. Potter about his own mother, and how Mrs. Black had treated her son, Euphemia Potter had immediately taken matters into her own hands and paid Walburga Black a visit in order to make her give up her custody rights.
As a good-hearted woman, James' mother naturally hadn't expected the cruelty with which she had been confronted, and before the usually skilled witch was able to do so much as draw her wand, the 'Avada Kedavra' had shot from Walburga's wand and struck the blonde witch straight in the chest.
"Mother did what she thought to be the right thing to do. And Ms. Black killed her, not Sirius!"
SMACK
His father had once again, unexpectedly, struck him with such a force that James got knocked off balance and bumped on the floor.
"Get the hell out of my house!" the old man hissed, and through his now empty bottle against the wall behind them. James watched as the bottle shattered, and the tiny pieces of glass falling to the ground.
James was now completely filled with anger; his hands balled into fists. "As you wish," he hissed back, held on to his wand and grabbed Sirius's wrist; dragging his shell-shocked friend to the door.
Sirius had tears in his eyes, and he half mumbled, half begged James to just leave him and forget about their friendship to make amends with his father. That their friendship wasn't worth sacrificing his family.
But the 15-year-old ignored it all. Sirius was his family. It was a sacrifice worth making. The last thing he did before he forced the door shut behind him was wave his wand to summon the small, golden pocket watch out of his room; the last thing he had left of his beloved mother.
Then, he turned to his father for one last time. "If mother could see what a ghastly person has become of the man she had loved so dearly… who now throws out his own son and drowns himself in alcohol… she'd probably turn around in her grave."
…
Five years later
…
20-year-old Lily Evans sighed as she put down her book on the little nightstand next to the bed.
Not only had her father dragged her along to this 'family vacation' but he had most certainly overstepped the line when he had announced in an overly amused voice that she was supposed to share a room with her sister.
It wasn't like the two didn't get along – on the contrary, ever since the 'magic-issue' had been dealt with all those years ago, Petunia had actually managed to get over her earlier jealousy. Lily had to admit that the thought of magic being real had been quite fascinating for her eleven-year-old self, but after her parents had talked sense into her and repeatedly told her that something as peculiar as magic didn't exist – much less a magical school – the red-haired girl had finally seen their point.
Nevertheless, as much as the green-eyed young woman loved her older sister, they were simply not meant to share a room; especially since Petunia had just recently discovered that a lot of nice men were walking around the streets of London and that the prospect of finally having a boyfriend weren't as bad as she always thought.
Apart from that, Lily was more like the adventurous kind of person and a – in her opinion – ridiculously expensive stay at an incredibly luxurious, but boring hotel in London was something only Petunia and her parents would enjoy. But the redhead simply got bored attending karaoke events or playing bingo all day long…
"Lily, my flower, are you ready to go, darling?" her father's voice sounded once again from the corridor through the door. "It's time for dinner, my dear."
The young woman groaned inwardly, but got up from the bed, straightened her new, steel glamorous blue dress and reluctantly put on her shoes to follow her family into the Lobby.
…
Now I've had the time of my life
No I've never felt like this before
…
Lily was sure that if she had to sit in this overly luxurious dining room for very much longer, she'd probably die from boredom.
By now, she had stopped counting the many 'show-events' that had been presented by a great variety of the hotel's entertainer and artists, but there was only so much a girl could take for one evening.
Her father on the other hand seemed to enjoy everything immensely; Lily reasoned that it had something to do with the fact that he needed some distraction from his adrenaline-rushing profession as a surgeon…
Sure enough, Lily's hopes of being able to leave the hall early got crashed when a staff member entered the stage, took the microphone into his hands and announced that 'the time for dancing has arrived'.
The red-head sighed once the music started to play – it was incredibly slow. But since the majority of people in this room were at least twice her age she assumed that elderly people enjoyed this kind of music.
Sinking back in her chair, she watched as her father outstretched his hand and guided her mother to the dance floor. Petunia – who seemed to be completely happy with the rhythm of the melody – blushed furiously when one of the waiters asked her to dance with him. The guy seemed to be liked by a lot of people. The hotel-director practically beamed at him and gave him an encouraging clap on the shoulder that said something like 'go on like that, my boy, and you have earned yourself a promotion'.
Lily, however, only raised an eyebrow. He might be liked by everyone else, but the young woman had a bad feeling about him. Usually people like him – playing the perfect goody-two-shoes on the outside – had alterior motives. It was just a hunch, and naturally, she couldn't quite prove it, but the sight of his sweaty hands – yes, she could even see it from her position at the table – caused her to shiver. Additionally, this guy was incredibly creepy; the way his front teeth stood out of his mouth, the tiny little eyes that were a little too focused on her sisters cleavage and his bushy hair that was glued back in way her grandfather used to do it… she instantly imagined that he had a lot of similarities with a nasty little rat...
And upon hearing the loud "my, you are satin in heels, did you know?" which he rat guy whispered into her sister's ear, Lily couldn't but shudder again. 'I really don't want to hear this…'
After a couple of minutes, she once again straightened her steel blue dress and was about to take another sip of her wine glass, when the lights suddenly turned brighter and the music fastened up a little. Immediately, she sat up straight in her chair, just in time to see two additional people appear between the many guests of the hotel.
A young man and woman; both of them dressed in sparkling dance outfits and fitting make-up. Soon, the crowd started to create a circle around them and as the messy, jet-black haired young man laid his hands upon the blonde woman's back, they started a beautiful waltz. They danced for quite some time – and not only Lily was fascinated by the graceful moves they showed their guests. Soon, they started to include a couple of more, well, experienced moves, which Lily found very impressing. The elderly people in the room, however, were apparently not really used to this kind of dancing, and the almost athletic figures they showed. Most of them raised their eyebrows, and the red-haired woman noticed out of the corners of her eyes that a single, admittedly furious look from the hotel-director caused the two dancers to cringe visibly. With an almost defeated expression, they slowed down and continued the previous simple – boring – dancing.
Once they had finished with their show, they bowed to their audience. Before both of them vanished completely behind the red curtain, the messy haired man looked around one more time and it was that very moment when his blue eyes met Lily's green ones.
…
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
…
Later that night, Lily lay on top of her bed's covers, wide awake. A quick glance at her watch indicated that it was indeed well past midnight, but she just couldn't fall asleep. Images of dark blue eyes kept flashing in front of her eyes, and the partly apologetic, partly smiling expression that was mirrored in them.
Over and over again, the young woman wonder why the hotel- director was so strict about their dancing – sure, it was a lot more modern than most of the people attending the dinner were probably used to, but if he had just given the two of them a chance to show their skills, Lily was positive that their performance would have blown everyone's mind.
There had to be something else then, and Lily was determined to find out what it was. Well, at least she would find out where the dance-people had their quarters. Earlier that evening she had already taken a tour and inspected a majority of the corridors – though nothing that would indicate the dancers' whereabouts was to be found.
With one last, deep breath, she finally made up her mind, got out of bed and sneaked silently out of the room she shared with her sister. Luckily, Petunia was sound asleep. Apparently dancing with the rat-like Hotel-Director's favourite waiter had worn her out.
Since Petunia was apparently still dreaming about their dances – her feet moved even in her sleep – the covers fell to the ground.
Lily sighed, picked it up and covered her sleeping sister again. Tunia had an incredible talent of catching the flu, and the last thing the red-head needed was an edgy and unwell sister…
Upon turning around, her eyes fell on a little note on the night stand.
Can only repeat myself, you're a Satin in heels, Petty. (Lily's eyebrows shot to her hairline at reading this. Petty? What kind of nickname was that?!)
Really loved our dancing. Meet me in three days again? Wanna show you how much you mean to me. Peter.
Lily was about to curse out aloud, but remembered that she didn't want to wake anyone, so she set down the letter with a disgusted expression on her face and headed towards the door.
Gosh, this rat was so creepy!
…
I've been waiting for so long
Now I've finally found someone to stand by me
…
Lily wasn't quite sure where she was going or what she should actually look for, so she simply walked out of the main entrance onto the streets of London. Her father probably wouldn't like it if he knew that his 'little' girl was strolling around on the outside alone and in the middle of the night, but Lily was old enough to take care of herself.
Admittedly, for a Monday night, the streets were still quite busy. A lot of tourists were taking pictures, cars drove all around her and bright letters of advertisement all around were almost blinding her.
However, after walking around for a couple of minutes, the red-haired girl spotted something rather peculiar. A young man, with wavy black hair and brown eyes, casual clothing and slightly torn shoes was carrying several water melons in his arms. Well, or at least he tried to do it.
She chuckled at the sight, but in the end Lily decided to lend him a hand. Upon asking whether he needed help, the man looked at her confused at first, then studied her for a couple of seconds.
"You sure it's not too heavy for you?" he asked, a small smirk on his face.
Lily rolled her eyes in a nice way and denied the question, which made the man drop one of the melons into her arms.
"I'm Sirius, by the way," he mentioned as he showed her a small trail that led to a location somewhere behind the hotel Lily was staying with her family. "And thanks for that. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome, Sirius," Lily replied and tightened her grip around the green object in her hands. "I'm Lily."
…
We saw the writing on the wall
As we felt this magical fantasy
…
Despite the fact that it was already late at night, Lily could hear loud music with a nice, fast rhythm. She had followed Sirius on a small trail that lead them behind the hotel. It was clear that the hotel's personal had their quarters there – all living in little wooden houses, neatly in rows next to each other. In comparison to the fancy hotel, this looked like they didn't make a lot of money.
But when she remembered the face of the hotel's director, it didn't surprise her. He was probably paying them way too little and keeping most of the money for himself. How he was able to do it was still a mystery to Lily, but she guessed that the people working here were happy to have a job at all. Living in London was expensive, and the prospect of having a bed in one of these little houses was probably better than nothing.
Tightening her grip on the water melon, she followed Sirius into a slightly larger, but equally old and dusty apartment – the place where the music apparently came from.
Upon entering, Lily's eyes widened. It seemed like the whole staff was singing and dancing in here. They all were out of uniform, dressed in short trousers, t-shirts, even shorter dresses and skirts and their dancing! Wow, this was so much more than the little performance the two dancers had shown the previous evening at dinner! They clearly didn't stick to the rules. They danced with fun, happiness and a passion that was just wonderful; albeit including athletically figures with such a grace that Lily couldn't help herself but stare at them for a moment.
Sirius' little nudge on the shoulder, and the goofy smile he flashed her caused her to shake her head and continue carrying the water melon.
Once they put in down next to the other fruits on a table, Sirius smiled happily, and partly exhausted. "Before you ask, yup, they dance like this all the time," he mentioned as Lily's eyes once again settled on the yet-black haired man and his blonde partner that had just stepped on the dance floor.
Lily blushed furiously.
"Don't worry, we all envy them a little," the curly haired man said, carefully grabbed her arm and tugged her along into the crowd of partying people. "But you'll see, once you've settled in and worked here for a bit, you'll get used to it."
At his words, Lily looked up, surprised. "Actually, Sirius, I'm not working – "
He laughed and placed his arms around her, swinging with her to the rhythm of the music. "Yeah, I know, as a newbie you'll probably just start next week, but I thought I'd rather tell you now that James and Marlene are the best around here. Not that I'm not good. No, I'm just not – well, let's say as… athletic as James. But at least I did inherit some good genes from my mother… or I would probably look like Peter…"
Still trying to move her feet into the right direction, Lily followed Sirius' glance and immediately spotted the rat-like guy her sister had been with earlier. Again, she shivered. At least she knew now that his name was Peter. However, giving him a name didn't really downplay the fact that he was already with another girl. And from what it looked like he was eager to slither into her chamber of secrets tonight…
Lily tired not to look confused at this 'chamber of secret' statement – whatever that meant – but she immediately made a mental note to talk to her sister the next morning. She really had to stay away from that guy.
"Don't worry," Sirius said and tried to dance with her a quick-step, "Peter isn't one of us anymore. He shouldn't actually be here today after… well, that's another story. But believe me when I say he's not as nice as the director thinks."
"I already figured that one out…" Lily mumbled as she watched the rat-guy leaving with a pretty brunette in his arms.
…
Now with passion in our eyes
there's no way we could disguise it secretly
…
About half an hour – and a couple of dancing instructions from Sirius – later, James and Marlene approached them. At first, he was smiling, heading straight towards them, but as soon as his eyes fell upon Lily, his expression changed.
"Padfoot, are you insane?"
Sirius raised an eyebrow and mumbled a quiet, "Probably as insane as you are, Prongs…"
James sighed and rolled his eyes, then gestured towards Lily. "What were you thinking… bringing her here? For Merlin's sake, she's a guest at the hotel! Do you want to get us both sacked?"
This said, the other man's eyes widened, and with his mouth hanging open he looked at Lily.
"You didn't let me finish my sentence," she said apologetically to him, then turned to James and glared at him. "Stop being such a stiff. If you want to be angry at anyone, be angry at me."
James studied her for a moment. Lily wasn't quite sure what was going on inside of his head – heavens, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to know – but there was a small flicker of something in his eyes… a strange mixture between fear, hope, and sadness.
Without any further explanation, he turned around and left. The blonde woman stepped forward with a sigh. "James doesn't mean to be so rude. He – he has a lot on his plate right now. Also, he's right about the director. He doesn't like it when guest come here… he's afraid they might see something…"
"Something unexpected," Sirius offered with a small smirk. Lily was sure that this wasn't the whole truth, but she let it rest for the moment.
"I'm Marlene, by the way," the blonde said and stretched out her hand; a small smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you, Marlene," Lily said and shook her hand; happy that at least one person was sort of happy to see her. "I'm Lily."
…
So we take each other's hand
'Cause we seem to understand the urgency
…
She had a rather nice conversation with Marlene, who had – after Lily had gotten rid of that Peter guy, who had tried to touch Marlene - even allowed her to stay. Apparently, the blonde wasn't a great fan of the rat-guy either, because she started to shiver rather heavily and excused herself to go to the bathroom. Sirius, who was apparently the hotel's DJ, stepped in and had shown her around the staff's apartment a little.
Lily wasn't sure how much time had passed since then, but once they returned to the main room, everyone was still dancing. She scanned the crowd and once her emerald green eyes spotted a piece of yet-black messy hair, Lily was determined to make amends with the man.
As she made her way through the people, she thought about what to say to him. After all, she didn't really felt like apologizing to him… but before she could make up her mind, James was standing right in front of her; his eyebrows raised.
"Before you say something," Lily said quickly, "Marlene allowed me to stay."
A smugly, but damn sexy smirk appeared on his face, which caused Lily's heart to skip a beat. "Did she, hmm? Well, the damage is already done, so you might as well stay."
Sirius, who had apparently returned to the DJ's desk, changed the music. James looked at her expectantly. "But you do realize, that when you're here, you have to dance, right?"
Lily felt the blush that was covering her cheeks as he slid his strong arm around her waist; leading her to the middle of the dance-floor.
"Don't be so stiff," James then whispered into her ear as they started the cha-cha-cha.
"I'm sorry… I'm not that good with regular dances…"
To her surprise, James only smiled at her. The kind of goofy-boyish-mischievous smile that melted girls' hearts faster than it would chocolate. "We don't stick to the rules. We do everything a little different here; a lot more passionate – dirty – if you'd like. We dance with feelings, wherever our feet take us. Let me show you…"
…
Just remember you're the one thing
I can't get enough of
…
And he did show her. Even long after the dance had ended, long after James had accompanied her to her apartment, long after she fell asleep, Lily was still thinking about the way they moved together. It felt so right.
And she couldn't deny it, but the way he had looked at her, with these stunning blue eyes… it was something she wasn't quite able to forget.
…
So I'll tell you something
This could be love because
…
The next morning, Lily excused herself from breakfast table as early as she could. Her parents first looked at her with strange faces, but after she told them the little white-lie of 'being fascinated by one of the golf-courses', they only smiled at her and wished her a good day.
'They probably think that I finally found a new hobby,' Lily thought as she exited the hotel into the streets of London and followed the same little path James had shown her the previous night, that led to the Staff Quarters a lot faster.
Before she even got the chance to enter the main room, the red-head immediately felt that something was wrong. She didn't have to wait very long to find out, since the doors burst open and Marlene stormed out; her eyes red from crying and tears streaming down her cheeks.
Apparently, the blonde was completely lost in her own thoughts; so much that she didn't even notice Lily standing right behind her.
"Marlene…" she whispered and carefully touched the woman's shoulder before sitting down next to her on the stairs.
The woman sobbed heavily, and Lily put an arm around her. She didn't really know what to say, so she just sat there, trying to offer comfort the best way she could.
Soon, she heard the door opening behind her once more, and this time, James and Sirius stormed out.
"Marlene, listen to me, we will find a way. We will – what are you doing here?"
James was angry; his eyes blazing with a fire Lily hadn't thought she would ever see in them.
Sirius' eyes also widened upon seeing her. "Lily… good to see you, but I don't think this is the right time…"
"Leave," James commanded her, his tone cold as ice.
But Lily wasn't scared off by that. She only raised an eyebrow and glared back at him. "I won't leave her like this."
"This is none of your business. You – "
Marlene' soft, but terribly unsteady voice was so quiet they almost didn't hear it. "It – it's alright, James. Let her stay."
Lily resisted the urge to grin at James; she was very well aware of the seriousness of the situation.
"What happened?" she therefore asked; her hand still resting on the small of the blonde's back.
…
I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before
…
"I can help," Lily said thoughtfully as they walked on the crowded streets of London a couple of hours later.
James turned his head, an eyebrow raised and clearly surprised. "That's kind, flower. But I doubt you have as much money as we need for this," he sighed.
Emerald eyes sparkled. "True, I don't. But my father has."
The messy-haired man looked at her; the tiniest flicker of hope visible in them. "And you think he would give you the money so Marlene can have an abortion?"
The redhead cringed a little. Her father would have her head if he found out. "He doesn't have to know what the money is for," she answered instead, sticking to the half-truth. "He trusts me, I can get it."
James sighed again and they sat down on a small wooden bench.
"You'd really do this?" he asked, still a little suspicious. "Why?"
Lily smiled at him kindly. "Because you're good people. And…" she hesitated a little, "and I like you and… I care for you."
She heard a soft chuckle, and at first she thought that he might laugh at her and walk away. But instead, the young man carefully put an arm loosly around her shoulders.
"It's been some time since someone said something like this…" he mumbled, his eyes fixed upon the street in front of them.
"I don't believe that," Lily mumbled, as the picture of the sweet blonde woman floated in front of her mind. "I doubt your girlfriend doesn't tell you she loves – erm, cares for you."
As soon as the words had left her mouth, the redhead shut her eyes and wanted to slap herself at the display of such an embarrassing statement.
But contrary to what she thought would happen, James only smiled slightly. "Marlene and I … we're not a couple, if that's what you were trying to say."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're not? But you seem so…"
"Close?" James offered, his eyes twinkling. "Sirius, Marlene and I have known each other for years. We went to school together, but after my father kicked me out… well, I had to find a way to earn my own living. When we told her we'd leave, she came with us. And," he added with a full smile now," she's having a crush on Sirius for – like – forever. But don't tell him."
Lily smiled; relief flooding through her in waves. "I won't. Though I think he likes her, too."
"Yeah, he does. But he's got to figure that one out on his own. He hasn't been sorted into Gryffindor for nothing…"
She had no idea what he was talking about, so he added a quick, "erm, never mind that now," at seeing her confused expression.
They laughed a little, but after some time, his face re-gained the previous serious look on his face and he turned his head towards her.
"But even if you get the money… The hotel's going to have a great celebration in a couple of days, and Marlene and I are supposed entertain the guests," he mumbled and ruffled his hand through his already messy hair; worry clearly written on his face. "We'll still lose our jobs because she cannot dance. It's a lousy job, but we need it…"
Lily hadn't thought about that before. Her mind had been filled with Marlene' tear-stricken face when she had told them the story of how she had been raped in the middle of the night…
"I will dance with you," Lily suddenly said; shocking not only James, but herself with her unexpected words.
James' eyebrows shot to his hairline. "I fear you need to be able to dance more than a slow waltz, Flower…" he answered, but she could see in his eyes that he was thinking about the possibility.
Lily shrugged. "Teach me, then," she grinned. "You are a dance-instructor after all, aren't you?"
…
With my body and soul
I want you more than you'll ever know
…
"Please, James, let me try again!"
Lily, albeit frustrated immensely by stepping over her own feet for what felt like the hundredth of time, put her hands on James by now sweaty shirt and looked at him with begging green eyes.
He just shook his head. "This isn't working – "
"Please, I just need a bit more practice!"
James stared at the calendar that was hanging on the wall of the dance-studio and sighed.
"The show's in three days, Lily." He walked away from her and sat down on the small little sofa in resignation. "I should not have expected you to be able to cover for Marlene… it's just too much… I should not have agreed to this in the first place… it's probably better if you leave before someone sees you with me."
Lily resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she stemmed her arms into her hips and raised an eyebrow.
"So that's it? You're just giving up, then? I always assumed you weren't a quitter."
This got his attention. "I'm not."
"Looks a lot like it right now."
James brushed his fingers through his messy hair and took a deep breath. "You are stubborn, you know that?"
Lily smiled. "Yeah, I've heard that before."
…
Don't be afraid to lose control, no
Yes I know what's on your mind when you say, "Stay with me tonight"
…
That evening, Lily was quiet during dinner. Petunia told her mother everything about her fantastic day with Peter. The red-head tried to voice her own opinion about the rat-guy a couple of times, but every time, Petunia just glared at her and continued talking.
Her father seemed to be in a good mood, too, so she decided to be courageous and ask about the money for Marlene.
"What do you need so much money for, Lily-Pad?" the older man asked with a raised eye-brow.
"I cannot say right now, Dad, but you have to believe me when I say it's very important," Lily said and looked him straight in the eye.
With a sigh, her father retrieved his wallet and fished out some bank-notes.
Lily smiled at him kindly. "Thanks, Dad. Thanks a lot."
…
You're the one thing
I can't get enough of
…
Marlene opened her mouth a couple of times, but no words came out.
Sirius, who sat next to her with one arm around her also stared at the red-head with wide eyes. "You really got the money? In so little time?"
Lily nodded. "When is the procedure carried out, then?"
"Tonight," Marlene answered, still not able to form a complete sentence. She turned her head and stared at Lily with watery eyes. "How can I ever thank you for this?"
Lily hugged her with a smile. "Tell James he needs to be a little more patient with me," she whispered, smirking a bit.
"I heard that," James shouted from his place next to Sirius.
"I think you were meant to hear it," Marlene joked, and Lily was relieved that a small smile had returned to her face again.
Then James got up and took Lily by the hand. "I am patient. But you still need to practice," he said in a fake-grumpy voice. Then he looked at Sirius and Marlene. "You'll be alright tonight?"
Both of them nodded.
"Alright, we'll see you when you're done."
…
So I'll tell you something
This could be love
…
"So, care to explain what exactly we are doing out here at a lake?"
If Lily hadn't been suspicious before, then the boy-ish smile that James flashed her would have been enough.
"Well, you're doing better than I had expected – "
"See, I told you – "
"Ah! Let me finsish," he said and let her to the shore, one hand around hair waist, which made Lily blush ever-so-slightly. "As I said, you're doing better than I thought, but there's still one thing we need to practice."
"And what, pray tell, might that be?"
"The lift."
Lily's mouth dropped open and she stared at him with wide green eyes. "You can't be serious."
"Well, true, Sirius's with Marlene right now – "
She groaned and nudged him softly. "You know what I mean!"
James smiled. "Do I now? Well, I know for sure that you'll be angry with me soon."
Now she furrowed her brow in confusion. "What, why should I be conf – "
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt his hand on the small of her back and one second later, she got pushed into the lake.
Water spilled over her face, her white dress got soaked and she coughed a bit when she reached the surface again.
"That's why," James laughed and jumped into the shallow water next to her. "Nice bra, by the way."
Lily rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.
"Eyes up, Mister," she laughed, "let's get this over with, shall we?"
…
becauseI've had the time of my life
no I never felt this way before
…
"Are you cold?" James asked, as the two of them hurried back through the starry night; both their clothes completely soaked.
"A bit," Lily admitted, shivering.
James pushed open the door to their quarters and ushered her in. "I'm sure Marlene won't mind if you borrow one of her dresses."
The red-head nodded. She was about to say something when they heard Sirius' furious voice echoing through the door of Marlene' room.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!"
Instantly, both Lily and James changed directions and headed for Marlene' room.
The sight that met their eyes knocked the breath out of them: there she lay, her legs outstretched, on her bed, eyes closed and her face pain-struck. Her lower-abdomen was covered with several bandages, but blood kept spilling from it.
A man around their age, dressed in black, turned around suddenly and with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights-expression dashed out as soon as he spotted James.
"COME BACK YOU LAME EXCUSE OF A SQUIB! SHE'S BLEEDING! COME HERE AND BLOODY FIX IT!"
James jumped before Sirius and held him tightly, stopping him from running after the fraud.
"Padfoot, calm down, mate! He's not worth it!"
Sirius' eyes were still blazing. "He hurt her, Prongs! He hurt my Marlene!"
While James was handling his best friend, Lily rushed over to the bleeding Marlene. "Marlene, dear, can you hear me?"
She nodded, though only half-heartedly and only barely conscious.
"It's going to be alright, ok? You've got to hold on, I'll get help, ok? You're going to be alright, I promise!"
This said, she turned around and ran to the door.
"Where are you going?" James shouted, still holding his grip on Sirius.
Determination glimmered in Lily's eyes. "I'll go fetch my father. He's a surgeon. He'll help."
…
yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you
…
"Dad! Dad, please, wake up!"
Slowly, her father groggily opened his eyes and yawned. "What…?"
Lily had tears in her eyes. "Please, you've got to come with me! It's Marlene! Something's gone terribly wrong and – "
Irritated, the grey-haired man got up in his bed and stared at his daughter. "Hold on, Lily, what's going on?"
Taking a deep breath, Lily confessed. "The money I gave you," she started und rushed backed to the door," it was to pay someone to perform an abortion."
Her father's eyes widened with realisation and anger.
"Please, Marlene needs your help!" Lily whispered desperately, "there was a complication. Please, Dad!"
"Alright, where's my med-bag?"
…
but I've had the time of my life
and I've searched through every open door till I found the truth
…
Along with her father, Lily rushed through the staff-apartment door right into Marlene's room. Sirius – a suspiciously James-looking bruise on his head – lay on the sofa, apparently knocked out.
Lily gave James, who was sitting on a chair next to Marlene and holding her hand, a confused look.
"He was going mad," he said with a shrug, "I didn't do anything, he walked against a door, I swear."
Lily raised an eyebrow, but before she was able to reprimand him, her father's angry voice thundered through the room.
"Get out, all of you. Especially you," he pointed at James. "You did enough. Out with you, now, and let me work. She looks bad enough as it is."
…
now I've had the time of my life
no I never felt this way before
…
Awake again, Sirius paced in front of them while Lily and James sat on the small bench out side the apartment.
"You think she's gonna be fine?" Sirius asked, close to tears.
Both the red-head and the black-haired young man looked at him worried, but nodded eventually.
"All we can do now is wait."
…
yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you
…
After what felt like hours, Lily's father returned – his face angrier than the young woman had ever seen him.
He walked with long steps towards James and Sirius and Lily thought for a moment that he was to punch both of them, but instead he pushed a package of pills in their hands.
Wordlessly, he grabbed Lily's hand and dragged her with him towards the staff-quarter-exit.
…
I've had the time of my life
no I never felt this way before
…
"If you think nothing of these people," Lily asked once her father had practically dragged her back to their apartment; hurt evident in her voice, "then why did you help her?"
Mr. Evans didn't even look at her; just kept staring out of the window – his hands balled into fists. "I'm a surgeon, Lily. It's my obligation."
Anger was boiling up inside of her. "I see. They have less good an education and try to earn their livings by something as profound as teaching people how to dance and that's reason enough for you to look down at them?"
Now he turned around, his expression colder than she had ever seen him.
"Those people… they're not good for you. I talked with the director. They are strange. Talking about things no one can make any sense of. Words like 'Quidditch', 'Hogwash' and 'Gryffinddings'."
Lily was appalled. "So the director is watching them in their free time and using that against them? That's not fair. They don't even have – "
"Enough, Lily!" her father silenced her. "You will stay away from those people."
"But – "
He glared at her once more. "Listen to me carefully. This James, the one you have been so very defensive about, if he really was the gentleman you believe him to be, why would he get his dance-partner pregnant if he clearly doesn't care about what's happening to her, hmm? A good man would take responsibility for his actions!"
It was then when it downed upon Lily that her father thought it was James that got Marlene pregnant. From his perspective, seeing him there with her all the time, seeing how he flirted with women from the hotel, seeing how tense he had been during the whole procedure… yes, from his perspective, James was the image of the perfect villain.
"Dad, listen," Lily tried to reason with her father, "James isn't – "
He slammed his hand down on the windowsill – the numb sound of skin against wood sent a small shiver down her spine. "Rumor has it that this man is sleeping his way around. Let it be other dancers, artists, waitresses or even guests! You will stay away from him. This is my final word!"
…
yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you
…
Lily hadn't cried that night; she was hurt by her father's words, but her anger got the better of her. So she once again sneaked out of the hotel to the employees' apartments.
Remembering where James had hidden the key, she let herself in and careful not to cause any noise, she slipped into Marlene's room.
She was white as a sheet of paper, but slept peacefully.
Sirius, sat in a chair next to her, was holding her hand. He was also sound asleep and his head was placed on a small empty spot on her bed.
With a small smile, Lily returned, closed the door behind her once again and headed for James' room.
To her surprise, he was still up.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice cold, and he didn't look at her, but kept staring out of the window.
"I wanted to know how Marlene was doing," Lily improvised. It wasn't a lie per se, she really cared about the other woman.
James turned around and looked her in the eyes.
"Is that all?"
Damn. He could read her like a book.
She sighed and stepped closer to him. The moonlight that was falling through the window illuminated their faces.
"I've never seen my father this angry," she admitted.
James nodded. "He's got all right to be angry."
Lily shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He can be angry at me for lying about the money, I don't care about that," she said bitterly, "but he's badmouthing you. He thinks you got Marlene pregnant."
For a moment, the young man didn't reply. "Well, it's a plausible conclusion, isn't it?"
The red-head sighed, stepped forward and brushed her fingers through his hair. "That doesn't make it right," she whispered, then brought her arms around his neck.
"You shouldn't be here," James whispered, though only half-heartedly, "when your father finds out that you're with me then – "
She put a finger on his lips. "Then he finds out. I don't care. I – I want to be with you."
He looked into her eyes for a moment – ocean blue meeting emerald green – and then he kissed her softly.
"Dance with me," he said when the need for air got too great, "dance with me, Lily."
…
'cause I've had the time of my life
and I've searched through every open door
…
They danced more passionately than they ever had before. Their bodies brushed against the other, his hand on the small of her back, pulling her as close as if he feared he'd loose her.
Soon, Lily couldn't help herself but unbutton his shirt, then she pulled it over his head and leaned her head on his now bare and muscular chest.
James then skilfully unzipped her summer dress and it slowly fell down on the floor.
He leaned in, tightened his hands around her body and leaned in to kiss her passionately.
Burying her hands in his hair, Lily jumped up and clutched her long legs around his upper body. Then, he picked her up completely, cross the room and lead her down on his bed.
Lying on her back, Lily reached out and pulled him even closer to her…
…
till I found the truth
and I owe it all to you
…
The next morning, Lily was woken up by the sunlight that shone through the window.
She opened her eyes and the sight that greeted her made her smile. Next to her, James – the bed covers around his naked body – was popped up on his elbow and staring at her.
"Good morning, Flower."
She smiled and gave him a small kiss. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
He returned the smile and Lily was glad that she was still on the bed, for she feared her knees would have gone weak. "Couldn't help but admire the few," was all he said before he kissed her again, senselessly.
…
you're the one thing
I can't get enough of
…
She didn't know how, but luckily she managed to sneak back into her own bed again before Petunia woke up.
Neither her mother nor her sister knew why her father didn't speak to her during breakfast, but Lily didn't care.
She would endure the tennis course her sister had signed her up for before she'd attend the talent show with her family in the evening.
The show in which she'd perform the final dance with James.
…
so I'll tell you something
this could be love because
…
Lily sighed in frustration and hid her face behind her hands once her sister descended the stairs after she had 'performed' her play in front of every single hotel-guest.
Beaming, Petunia approached the table where Lily was seated with her parents.
Both Mr. and Ms. Evans forced a joyful smile and congratulated their eldest daughter on her singing and dancing skills.
Lily gave her best not to roll her eyes at them – she'd rather avoid angering her father even more since he was still giving her the silent-treatment.
Trying to distract herself, she glance up on the stage – and spotted James' face lurking through the curtain.
Once he had spotted her, he winked – signaling for her to come backstage.
Without saying a word, Lily got up from the table – ready to leave.
"Where do you think you're going, young Lady?" her father asked, his voice still cold.
"I'm taking part in the show, Dad," she answered equally harsh and without another word, she hurried towards the stage.
…
I want you more than you'll ever know so we'll just let it go
don't be afraid to lose control, no
…
"Now Ladies and Gents," Sirius shouted into the microphone he had just stolen from the moderator with a big smile, "this last act is not part of the programme – since our lovely director has decided to fire the lot of us – "
The audience started whispering in confusion – naturally, none of them new that the Hotel-Director had sacked the dance-staff.
"But that won't stop us from giving you one final show," Sirius continued, and for a moment, he looked to his left where Marlene sat in her wheel-chair behind the curtain.
"We need this job," he spoke and started pacing, "but according to the Director," he said and pointed at the man in question, "people at the Hotel are 'not fond of our lessons'."
"So far, we've only shown you the dances we were told to teach you," Marlene said as she rolled on the stage with her chair. "We obeyed, but today, we want to show you what we are really capable of!"
Lily heard from behind the curtain as the audience started to applaud.
"Without further ado, welcome our last dance-couple for tonight," Sirius introduced happily.
"Lily, James, come join us here on stage and show us what the guest have been missing out on," Marlene said, rolled off-stage and pulled the curtain up.
…
yes I know what's on your mind
when you say, "Stay with me tonight"
…
The moment Lily entered the stage – her hands entwined with James' – she spotted her father's shocked and angry expression.
She started to tremble, but James placed his hand on the small of her back, and lifted her other hand up.
"Hey, you can do this, Flower," he whispered reassuringly and held her glance.
She didn't speak, just nodded, and once the first tunes of the music started, Lily forgot everything around her and just followed James' lead.
…
so I'll tell you something
this could be love
…
The applause they received for their performance was ear-breaking.
Lily beamed as James lifted her up, causing her to hover over his head.
All the guests had started dancing around them in a not-so-uptied way, even her father was twirling her mother around.
Once James let her down, he kissed her softly. That is, until he spotted Peter who was dancing with Petunia.
Tagging Lily along, he rushed over to him and used his fist to punch him in the face.
Petunia almost fainted, but Mr. Evans, who had danced next to them, caught her in time.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded to know.
"He deserved that punch after what that bastard did to Marlene, Sir."
Realisation dawned in Mr. Evans eyes as he stared from James to Lily, over to Petunia in his arms, to Sirius who approached with Marlene in her wheel-chair.
The other guests hadn't noticed anything yet and still danced happily.
Then, to everyone's surprise, the older man helped Peter up.
"Dad – " Lily protested, but her father held up his hand. Peter was about to thank Mr. Evans, when he got punched once again.
"I might be a surgeon, you little bastard," Lily's father growled, "but I won't be fooled by you any longer! Doing this to a young woman, seducing my daughter and letting someone else take the blame and badmouthing these honest people?"
He let him fall to the ground. "I'll suggest you leave and never come back."
Peter ran as fast as a rat that was chased by a cat.
Right after he vanished through the doors, Lily's father turned to face James, Sirius and Marlene.
"I apologize for my judgmental behavior towards you," he said, "I was mislead by prejudice and doubt. I will talk to your Director to extend your contracts. Especially after the performance you just showed us."
Here he looked directly at Lily and James. "I did you wrong, my boy."
"It's alright, Sir," James answered and put an arm around Lily's waist. "You were just looking out for your daughter. I would, too, if she were mine."
For the first time that evening, Mr. Evans smiled softly.
"You danced wonderful, little flower."
The red-haired young woman smiled at her father. "Thanks, Dad, hearing that means really a lot to me," she replied and leaned back against James, who in return put his arms around her even more.
Then, he turned to her and smirked. "What do you think, Flower, would you give me the honor of the next dance?"
…
now I've had the time of my life
…
A.N.:
Written for Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry || Going, going, gone! Event at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry | Gryffindor | 56. (5 coins) First Line: This was it: the first day.
Written for Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry | Insane House challenge | Gryffindor | 403. Glamour
Written for Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry || Film Festival Challenge May | Knocked up (2007) | 7. Setting: Hotel Room & 10. Item: Summer House
Written for Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry || 365 prompts | 211. Plot Point - Dancing Together
Written for Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry || Writing Club | Character appreciation | Susan | 22. (genre) friendship