Greetings and salutations! This is the sequel to "The Best Times of Our Lives." If you haven't read that, I don't suggest that you start with this. Some of it may not make sense. I can't believe that it has taken this long to get around to this! Well, I hope that you like it, it's titled: Love Blossoms Here
Chapter One
Lily got off of the Hogwarts Express and crossed the barrier from Platform 9 ¾. She looked around for her sister and her parents. Petunia stood on her tiptoes and waved. "Lily! Lily! Over here!" Lily smiled and rushed towards her parents.
Lily's mother looked at her daughter. "You've grown since I saw you last." She frowned. "You're almost as tall as me now."
Lily's father laughed. "Both of your daughters are taller than you are, dear. You'll just have to get used to that." He hefted Lily's trunk and carried it to the car. Lily and her mother argued about their respective heights to the car.
"Did you have a nice time at school, dear? Did you learn a lot of neat things?" Lily's father turned the car onto Privet Drive. At the mention of Hogwarts, Petunia snorted.
Lily glanced at her sister. She knew how much Petunia hated the mere mention of Hogwarts. "Yeah, dad, school was fine. How was your school year, Petunia?"
"It was fine, Lily. I have a new friend that I want you to meet. We're going to have so much fun this summer! You remember my friend Shirley, right? Well, she invited the lot of us to go to her beach house! It's going to be great. Mom and Dad already said that we could go." Petunia was so excited. Lily was glad to be home.
* * * * * * * * * * *
One week later, Petunia, Lily, and Petunia's friends Toby, Castor, Michael, Shirley and Jeff Plunket were at Shirley's beach house playing in the sand and surf and generally having a good time. The guys were off seeing how long they could hold their breath under water while the girls were lying on towels in the sun. "I've noticed that you and Toby have been getting close recently, Lily. Anything going on?" Shirley sat up and pushed her sunglasses off of her face.
Lily buried her toes in the sand and smiled. "He's just being very nice. Nothing special is going on." Trying to change the subject, Lily said, "What is everyone wearing to the beach party tonight?"
* * * * * * * * * * *
Walking towards loud music and laughter, Lily and her friends chatted amicably about all of the things that they would see and do there. When they got there, there were hundreds and hundreds of people. There were little booths with games and all types of food to eat. In the center, there was a lighted platform with a live band playing all types of music from oldies to modern rock 'n' roll. Lily and her friends decided to all split up and meet up at the dance in a few hours. Lily got paired up with Toby, and they decided to try the American fare at a nearby booth. After getting some Chicago style pizza, they walked over to a table and sat down.
"So, how do you like the school that you go to, Lily?" Toby asked. "It's a music school, right?"
"Close, Toby," answered Lily. "It's a dance school. I absolutely love it. Right now I'm taking jazz lessons. It can get really hard trying to keep up with my studies and dance lessons also, but it is really worth it. I love dancing."
"Oh. I guess that there is no chance that you would, well,I was hoping that maybe you would stick around next year and go to school with the rest of us, " Toby looked at her as he took her hand in his. "You don't have a boyfriend at that school of yours, do you?"
Lily blushed. "I am kind of seeing someone. His name is James."
"Yeah, you probably have a ton of guys standing in line waiting to go out with you." Toby sighed. "Since you're only kind of seeing someone, maybe you could date me while you are home this summer."
Lily was in conflict. Toby had been flirting furiously with her, and she had really started to like him. She had to admit that she was lonely without James and her school friends, and she was having a wonderful time with Petunia and her friends, but what about James? She really cared about him. He had only sent her one owl all summer, and it was almost the end of June. She sent him one every other day. "Well, Toby, I'll have to think about it. But I promise, I'm not about to start dating anyone else this summer, and if I do, it would be you."
Toby smiled and said, "Well, that's about all I can expect. How about we go cut a rug on that platform, and you can show me some of those dance school moves."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Lily went home that night with several things running around in her head. Should I go back to school? I know that if I stay away, Voldemort won't come looking for me anymore. If I stay here, I can go to a normal school, have a normal life, and never have to think about witches or wizards or anything like that again. But what about James? I think that I love him. Toby is being so sweet though. What if he and I were to fall in love instead? I wish that I could just talk to James about this. With us being together, he can't give me an unbiased view. Lily picked up her cat Glitch and cradled him in her arms. "What do you think, Glitch? Should I break up with James and stay here? Or should I go back to Hogwarts?" Glitch replied by licking her nose. "Thanks, Glitch, I needed that." Lily made up her mind to do something. She sat down and wrote a letter.
Dear James,
How is your summer going? I am having so much fun here at the beach. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to get back to you sooner, I've been a little busy. I have to tell you something, and I don't think that you are going to like it. I think that we should see other people. I don't know if I am going to come back to Hogwarts this year or not, and I don't think that a long distance relationship between us would work out. I'm so sorry, James. I feel terrible about this after what you and everyone did for me last year, but I feel that it is the only thing that I can do right now. I do love you, but I don't know if I love you that way anymore. Please don't hate me, James. I'm just confused and scared right now. If you're wondering if there is someone else, there isn't. There is only the thought that there might be someone else. I love you, James, more than you'll ever know. I'm so sorry.
All of my love,
Lily.
Lily sat on her bed and reread the letter several times. She lay it on her bedside table and shut off the light. She glanced one more time at the letter, and rolled over and went to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Petunia crept into Lily's bedroom. She wanted to surprise her sister when she woke her up. When Petunia walked over to Lily's bed, she saw the letter sitting on her bedside table. Petunia picked it up and read it. Not going back to that school? That's fantastic!! Lil and I are going to have so much fun this year!! Petunia lay the letter back where it was and left her sister's room. Petunia would let her sleep the rest of the morning.
Lily awoke with a start. For a moment, she was disoriented, and then she remembered where she was. She looked over at the letter lying on her bedside table, sighed, and picked it up. She rummaged through her suitcase holding her clothes for the summer and found her wand lying at the bottom where she had left it. She put it high in the air, and gold sparks flew from the end of it. A few moments later, there was a post owl tapping at her window. She tied the letter to its leg, and dropped a few knuts in the pouch tied there. "Goodbye, James, " she whispered.
Chapter One
Lily got off of the Hogwarts Express and crossed the barrier from Platform 9 ¾. She looked around for her sister and her parents. Petunia stood on her tiptoes and waved. "Lily! Lily! Over here!" Lily smiled and rushed towards her parents.
Lily's mother looked at her daughter. "You've grown since I saw you last." She frowned. "You're almost as tall as me now."
Lily's father laughed. "Both of your daughters are taller than you are, dear. You'll just have to get used to that." He hefted Lily's trunk and carried it to the car. Lily and her mother argued about their respective heights to the car.
"Did you have a nice time at school, dear? Did you learn a lot of neat things?" Lily's father turned the car onto Privet Drive. At the mention of Hogwarts, Petunia snorted.
Lily glanced at her sister. She knew how much Petunia hated the mere mention of Hogwarts. "Yeah, dad, school was fine. How was your school year, Petunia?"
"It was fine, Lily. I have a new friend that I want you to meet. We're going to have so much fun this summer! You remember my friend Shirley, right? Well, she invited the lot of us to go to her beach house! It's going to be great. Mom and Dad already said that we could go." Petunia was so excited. Lily was glad to be home.
* * * * * * * * * * *
One week later, Petunia, Lily, and Petunia's friends Toby, Castor, Michael, Shirley and Jeff Plunket were at Shirley's beach house playing in the sand and surf and generally having a good time. The guys were off seeing how long they could hold their breath under water while the girls were lying on towels in the sun. "I've noticed that you and Toby have been getting close recently, Lily. Anything going on?" Shirley sat up and pushed her sunglasses off of her face.
Lily buried her toes in the sand and smiled. "He's just being very nice. Nothing special is going on." Trying to change the subject, Lily said, "What is everyone wearing to the beach party tonight?"
* * * * * * * * * * *
Walking towards loud music and laughter, Lily and her friends chatted amicably about all of the things that they would see and do there. When they got there, there were hundreds and hundreds of people. There were little booths with games and all types of food to eat. In the center, there was a lighted platform with a live band playing all types of music from oldies to modern rock 'n' roll. Lily and her friends decided to all split up and meet up at the dance in a few hours. Lily got paired up with Toby, and they decided to try the American fare at a nearby booth. After getting some Chicago style pizza, they walked over to a table and sat down.
"So, how do you like the school that you go to, Lily?" Toby asked. "It's a music school, right?"
"Close, Toby," answered Lily. "It's a dance school. I absolutely love it. Right now I'm taking jazz lessons. It can get really hard trying to keep up with my studies and dance lessons also, but it is really worth it. I love dancing."
"Oh. I guess that there is no chance that you would, well,I was hoping that maybe you would stick around next year and go to school with the rest of us, " Toby looked at her as he took her hand in his. "You don't have a boyfriend at that school of yours, do you?"
Lily blushed. "I am kind of seeing someone. His name is James."
"Yeah, you probably have a ton of guys standing in line waiting to go out with you." Toby sighed. "Since you're only kind of seeing someone, maybe you could date me while you are home this summer."
Lily was in conflict. Toby had been flirting furiously with her, and she had really started to like him. She had to admit that she was lonely without James and her school friends, and she was having a wonderful time with Petunia and her friends, but what about James? She really cared about him. He had only sent her one owl all summer, and it was almost the end of June. She sent him one every other day. "Well, Toby, I'll have to think about it. But I promise, I'm not about to start dating anyone else this summer, and if I do, it would be you."
Toby smiled and said, "Well, that's about all I can expect. How about we go cut a rug on that platform, and you can show me some of those dance school moves."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Lily went home that night with several things running around in her head. Should I go back to school? I know that if I stay away, Voldemort won't come looking for me anymore. If I stay here, I can go to a normal school, have a normal life, and never have to think about witches or wizards or anything like that again. But what about James? I think that I love him. Toby is being so sweet though. What if he and I were to fall in love instead? I wish that I could just talk to James about this. With us being together, he can't give me an unbiased view. Lily picked up her cat Glitch and cradled him in her arms. "What do you think, Glitch? Should I break up with James and stay here? Or should I go back to Hogwarts?" Glitch replied by licking her nose. "Thanks, Glitch, I needed that." Lily made up her mind to do something. She sat down and wrote a letter.
Dear James,
How is your summer going? I am having so much fun here at the beach. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to get back to you sooner, I've been a little busy. I have to tell you something, and I don't think that you are going to like it. I think that we should see other people. I don't know if I am going to come back to Hogwarts this year or not, and I don't think that a long distance relationship between us would work out. I'm so sorry, James. I feel terrible about this after what you and everyone did for me last year, but I feel that it is the only thing that I can do right now. I do love you, but I don't know if I love you that way anymore. Please don't hate me, James. I'm just confused and scared right now. If you're wondering if there is someone else, there isn't. There is only the thought that there might be someone else. I love you, James, more than you'll ever know. I'm so sorry.
All of my love,
Lily.
Lily sat on her bed and reread the letter several times. She lay it on her bedside table and shut off the light. She glanced one more time at the letter, and rolled over and went to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Petunia crept into Lily's bedroom. She wanted to surprise her sister when she woke her up. When Petunia walked over to Lily's bed, she saw the letter sitting on her bedside table. Petunia picked it up and read it. Not going back to that school? That's fantastic!! Lil and I are going to have so much fun this year!! Petunia lay the letter back where it was and left her sister's room. Petunia would let her sleep the rest of the morning.
Lily awoke with a start. For a moment, she was disoriented, and then she remembered where she was. She looked over at the letter lying on her bedside table, sighed, and picked it up. She rummaged through her suitcase holding her clothes for the summer and found her wand lying at the bottom where she had left it. She put it high in the air, and gold sparks flew from the end of it. A few moments later, there was a post owl tapping at her window. She tied the letter to its leg, and dropped a few knuts in the pouch tied there. "Goodbye, James, " she whispered.
