Disclaimer: Not JK…
A/n: All compliments go to Pearl who came up with the awesome '200 Flavorful Prompts' challenge! This fic is for the 24th June's prompts: mudslide, leaf, drizzle, Earth Day and characters James, Albus and Lily!
Hope you enjoy!
"Why're we doing this again?" I asked, hands on my hips, as I stood before the makeshift mudslide. I still couldn't believe my brothers had roped me in for one of their harebrained adventures. I usually avoided them, but Albus had been too convincing about it being for the 'welfare of the world'.
"Because today is Earth Day and we need to do something related to the Earth which will make it feel better," Albus replied seriously; I don't know how he managed that without bursting into laughter. I suppose it comes with being a hardcore Slytherin.
Before we go any further with this insane episode, I'd like to introduce my family to you. Just my brothers, don't panic. Like red and green; impulsive and cunning; stupid and stupider, they're an unmatched pair. While James is all about doing something or the other (which will land him, invariably, in trouble), Albus is all about manipulating people into seeing his way (which is why I got dragged into this mess). I've always wondered where I fit in; Dad calls me the heart of the group and Albus is obviously the brain. Albus remarked that James would happen to be the limbs; James wasn't pleased about that. If I know him at all, he'd have wanted to say something like the spirit or the soul or whatever.
"How, pray tell me, is sliding over a mud patch going to help save the world?" Albus shrugged and James, who had never been the brightest in the group, followed Albus. I looked down the path; to their credit, I couldn't spot a twig or stone as far as I could see.
"I made sure the ride wouldn't hurt," Albus spoke from behind me, reading my mind. It was an accepted fact that he read minds, or emotions. He claims to not even have touched a book on Legilimency, but for all his objections, he picks words right out of my mind.
"That's one relief, but where does this lead to?" I asked, rightly suspicious. The last time I had given in, I had become the object of a Niffler's affections. You don't want to know how, trust me.
"The waterfall lake, of course," James sounded excited; and I couldn't blame him. As haughty as I sound, I am a daughter of Harry Potter and my life, right from the day I was declared the reincarnation of Lily Potter (couldn't get any more ridiculous, really) has been one big line up of media conferences, planned and pounced on.
It was no wonder that Dad placed an anti apparition charm around the house to avoid us getting photographed every time we so much as looked out the window. We'd been forbidden to step out of the boundary right from our childhood and though we weren't kids anymore, the line was something of a sacred code.
The waterfall lake, as James as so eloquently named it, was a small depression formed at the foot of a waterfall that just appeared randomly near our backyard one day. Dad was mighty suspicious of it but even Aunt Hermione couldn't find anything wrong with it (except that it appeared out of nowhere) and so it had become our hideout, since it was situated inside the apparition line.
"So you mean we're going to plummet right into the lake?" I did not sound excited, not really, but my brothers, eager as they were in getting into trouble, dragged me to the very edge.
"Wait, are you sure this is safe?" I asked as a last resort, trying to postpone the moment of terror. Albus and James shared an exasperated look over their shoulders, I noticed.
"Is it safe, James?" Albus tried to mock my voice; tried being the operative word. It was more like a chicken squawking; a chicken that had swallowed a big bite of whatever chickens ate.
"Of course it is, I even tried it out once!" James replied in an overly exuberant voice that I completely did not trust. But before I could even protest about their bad imitation, we were off.
Thinking back, it was rather nice to do something together once again and I'm sure that was what those two had wanted in the first place, but for the first few minutes, all I could think was 'Argh!' and several other uncomplimentary words about my brothers.
The slope was gentle and we whizzed past without a glitz, landing in the lake in a giant splash. I landed on James' back and smoothly rolled away as Albus crashed into him. I laughed as the two struggled; water fights between James and Albus were always fun to watch, so long as you didn't referee.
"I won!" Albus claimed triumphantly as he surfaced up, but James yelled at the same time so it sounded more like, 'Iow' which I assumed was a distress call and did the most natural thing.
"Protego!" a blue shield appeared separating the two, both of them struggling to go past it. I thanked my Dad for teaching me to cast this one; he realized I was the only one who could separate these two when in a fight and taught me this spell as soon as I got my wand. It was tough, admittedly, but I've mastered it after these many years.
By the time they gave up, James was covered in mud from head to toe ( apparently, the shield allowed mud to pass through, as Albus gleefully found out) and Albus was having random tree parts sticking out of his hair(which was as messy as a rat's nest and scarily resembled a Greek crown, with the number of leaves in it).
"Done?" I asked evenly, beginning to walk back towards the slope. It had begun drizzling and the water was sliding down the slope in a gentle stream. I tried walking up the trail, but apparently, whatever charm Albus had cast on it didn't work upwards.
With an almighty splash, I landed back in the lake, much to the other two's amusement. They guffawed as if it was the most humorous thing in the world and it took me two well aimed kicks to their shins before they turned serious.
"Let's go back," I urged, but they didn't seem all too eager. If there is one thing I hate about my dear brothers, it is that they're damn lazy. Knowing it was the only way, I stood up again, and holding onto the large birch near the bank for support, began trekking up the slide. It took a few minutes and a couple of slips on my part before I heard them stand up and climb back.
"Wait, Lily," I heard James' warning tone and complied. There were time when you messed with James and there were times when you didn't. When it came to dangerous things and me, it's always the second option.
James appeared before me, taking one of my hands; Albus was right behind him, holding out his hand for me to grab. I did so gladly; I did not fancy walking up an entire mile of slippery ground. Together, they lifted me and as much as I felt bad for them, it was a fun ride back.
I landed on solid ground and when I looked back, both of them were on the ground, panting. I grinned wickedly at them and said, "We should do this every year," Despite their exhaustion, James and Albus nodded, identical smiles on their faces. Because I was happy; I knew it. Idiots, the two of them, making me emotional at the worst of times.
Suffice to say, the trail works till today; and only downwards.
A/n: Do review!