CHAPTER 2
Diagon Alley
On Saturday morning, Lily woke up feeling fresh and happy. There seemed to be a distinct cheerful mood to the day. And then she remembered. It was the day that she was supposed to go to Diagon Alley! Oh Merlin, she would see James! Immediately her brain tuned onto panic mode!
"Oh bilmey! What am I supposed to wear?" she muttered as she frantically started emptying out her wardrobe, in search of something suitable.
"What are you doing?" a snotty voice asked from the doorway.
"Tuney. Hi, good morning. I, uh, I'm looking for something to wear."
"Why? Are you going out? Meeting someone?"
"Um ya. I'm going to meet uh Alice and the others. Uh, in London. We're buying school supplies."
"So if you're only meeting the girls, then why the fuss over clothes? Or is there a boy involved?" Petunia demanded.
"Well, um, uh, Tu-t-Tuney, you see, um," Lily stuttered.
"Spare me an explanation. I don't want to know." "Here, wear this." Petunia threw a dress from the pile and turned to go. "By the way Lily, please refrain from calling me Tuney." And with that she left.
Lily shook her head regretfully. Ever since, they were children, she had called Petunia 'Tuney", and now Petunia's words seemed make it clear as to how much the sisters had drifted apart. She looked down at the dress she was holding. It was a pretty, tiffany blue summer dress that she had never worn before. Not waiting to ponder over the choice, she went to take a shower and change into the dress.
Standing below the stream of warm water, her mind wandered. "It feels weird. All this dressing up. What am I doing it for?" she asked herself. "You are dressing up for James dear." The voice in her head was back. "What? No! Definitely not," Lily screamed in her mind. "Oh dear, dear. Its going take time I see." Sighing, and ignoring the traitorous little voice, Lily turned off the water, and after drying herself, she walked out and put on the dress.
The dress was made of a light gauzy cotton material. The top part of the dress was fitting and hugged her torso, clinching her small waist. The skirt fell to her knees and seemed to float around. Lily pulled out a thick white hair band and strapped it on so that her open hair would not fall on her face. Massaging some sunscreen lotion, she picked out her favorite shade of matte pink lipstick and dabbed it on. Satisfied, she looked at herself. The dress looked wonderful.
"Hmm, who knew Tuney could choose so well," she mused.
Smiling slightly, Lily put on a pair of white ballerina flats and then went downstairs
"Lily, honey, you look beautiful," Rose said, beaming at her daughter. "Here have a bacon sandwich and I'll get the car out. You want me to drop you at London right?"
"Yes mum. Drop me near that coffee shop. Mary will meet me there." Swirling down some orange juice and munching on her bacon sandwich, Lily grabbed her purse and headed out.
"Good morning boys. I see you are up early?" Fleamont Potter asked, surprised to see the laziest group of seventeen year old he had ever known to be awake at 10 'o' clock in the morning!
"Yes Dad. We've finished our breakfast."
"What? Why? Is something wrong?"
"No sir, we are going to Diagon Alley," Remus replied.
"Oh there you are." The five turned around to see Euphemia Potter bustling down the stairs.
"James, Sirius, I have written to Madam Malkin's and she will have your robes ready. I suppose Remus and Peter also have to buy dress robes?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Oh good, good. So make sure you visit her first so that there is enough time for her to alter the robes."
"Okay mum. But now we really have to go," Sirius said and grabbed Peter, who was only half awake, while walking out to the garden.
Nodding at his parents, James followed them outside with Remus and the four apparated right inside the Leaky Cauldron.
Tom, the old, toothless barman waved cheerfully at them and asked, "Would you like some breakfast?"
"Uh, no Tom. Thanks, but we are just passing by now. We'll come back for lunch," James replied.
"Oooh, can we have some of Tom's onion soup?"
"No Sirius. You had enough breakfast. And remember, we are on a schedule. We have to meet the girls for lunch at noon and before that we have to finish with the robes and go to the apothecary."
"Okay Moony. Be a killjoy," Sirius mumbled as the two followed James and Peter out into the sunny streets of Diagon Alley.
Remus steered them away from a wizard selling trick cauldrons and straight to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Madam Malkin, a squat witch, dressed in shimmering lavender robes and a pointed mauve hat immediately walked to them, smiling broadly.
"Ah, James Potter and friends. Yes, Mr. Potter your mother informed me about you. Now, do you all require school robes and dress robes?" she asked, chirpily.
"No ma'am, him and I only require dress robes," Peter said, pointing to Remus and himself.
"Fine then. I think it will be better if I get your school robes ready and then the four of you can go and look for the dress robes."
The four boys nodded, looking thoroughly bored. Remus and Peter wandered off aimlessly as Madam Malkin took measurements for Sirius and James.
"Ouch! Woman that hurt!" Sirius yelped as a stray pin struck him in the elbow. "Now boy, if you didn't slouch so much, then no harm would be done."
An hour later the four emerged from the shop carrying dress bags and looking very relieved to have finished with the horrifying experience of shopping for clothes.
"So gentlemen, shall we head for the apothecary to refill our potions kits? And then to Eyelop's Owl Emporium; Sirius and I need owl treats for Fonte and Dom," James asked. Remus and Sirius nodded while Peter just shrugged noncommittally; much to his dismay, he had not qualified for NEWT level Potions, Defense against the Dark Arts or Transfiguration.
Mary was already waiting for Lily when her mother dropped her off at the Bean's Coffee Bar. Lily smiled widely at the short, frail looking blonde, with large blue eyes that made her look like a very pretty china doll. Mary hugged Lily and waved Rose goodbye, with Lily promising to be home by six.
"So are we apparating directly to Diagon Alley or do we go through the Leaky Cauldron?" Lily asked.
"No not through the Cauldron. I don't think I can handle the smell of booze this early. We'll go there for lunch later. Now c'mon, I'll take you in Side-Along Apparition."
Arriving on the cobbled streets, in front of the Magical Menagerie, Lily stumbled, trying to catch her breath; she had never before been in side along apparition and found it to be a not very pleasant experience.
"Lily! Mary! Over here!" Lily and Mary looked around and saw two girls running towards them.
"Alice! Dorcas! It's so good to see you!" Mary screamed as she and Lily jumped on them, hugging.
Alice, the tallest of the group, was a brunette with cropped hair that just touched her shoulder, brown eyes and a kind, round face. Dorcas was taller than Mary and Lily and had tanned, olive skin with heavily curled black hair and equally dark eyes.
"So, girls, guess what?" Alice asked smirking.
"What?!"
"Last night….Frank proposed!" Alice held up her left hand, grinning. And sure enough, a thin golden band with a singly princess cut diamond glittered form her ring finger!
The others immediately pounced on her, screaming with joy!
Frank Longbottom and Alice had been a couple since Alice's fourth year. But even after Frank graduated from Hogwarts, the two had been together. Frank was now in Auror Training.
"When is the wedding?" Lily asked.
"I don't know yet. But we want it to be in the spring following our graduation."
"Oh! A spring wedding! Gorgeous!" the girls clapped and cooed.
"Well ladies we must really be going," Mary reminded them.
"Yeah, so what's the plan?"Dorcas asked.
"Um, Mary wants to buy a cat, I don't know why, so we'll go there. And then we need to go to the Apothecary, before we meet the boys for lunch," Lily replied.
"I need new robes, so we'll go there too," Alice said. The girls set off toward the Magical Menagerie.
"Now, Lily," Dorcas started slyly. "I see you are dressed so prettily. Does this have anything to do with a dashing Mr. Potter?"
"Oh shut up Dorkie!" Lily ran forward, blushing madly as the girls chased her, giggling all along!
The girls soon finished shopping. While Mary picked out her cat, Lily and Dorcas helped Alice to get her school robes. Then, they all headed to the Apothecary to fill their potions kits.
"Phew! That's it then. Now we have to meet the boys and then get our books and stationary after lunch," Lily said, glad to be in the sunshine and out of the Apothecary's clammy interiors.
"But the question is that where are those dimwits?" Mary grumbled as they all craned to search for the four lanky seventeen year olds.
"Maybe we could just wait for them at the Leaky Cauldron? They are sure to turn up there," Dorcas suggested.
"Hey! Look! There they are!" Alice pointed in a vague direction and sure enough, there they were.
The Marauders. Lazily strolling out of the Quidditch Quality Supplies. Really where else would they be?
Remus, hearing Alice, waved to them and immediately the boys came over.
"So ladies, how are we this fine morning?" Sirius asked in what he thought to be a suave manner, throwing an arm across Dorcas's shoulder.
"Well, we were very good Black, that is until you came over," Dorcas quipped, wriggling away from him.
"Aw. Back to surnames? I thought we were all friends now?"
"Sirius stop pouting. It's not attractive." Lily glared.
"But Red, of course you would think so. You are blind to my dashing good looks, as you are so busy lost in your daydreams of…OW RED!" Sirius never got to finish as Lily sent a Stinging Hex straight at his rear.
"That Black is for the nicknames and the inappropriate comments. Now c'mon you lot I'm hungry," She said, walking away.
The others followed, chuckling at Sirius's misfortune. Remus and Peter supported him, while James lagged behind looking rather dazed with a stupid smile in his face.
Peter bagged a table for them as they ordered their food at the Leaky Cauldron. Tom soon arrived with the steaming hot plates and Alice served them.
"Okay, so the beef steak is for Remus, the chicken soup, bread and cheese for Peter. Here you go. Lily and I are having the lamb chops and Mary and Dorcas ordered the chicken roast. What else is left? Onion soup, buttered buns, pea soup, pork chops and fish fry. You mean to have all this?" she stared at James and Sirius.
"Yeah, well we are growing men and we need nourishment," James replied grinning cockily at Alice, and started wolfing down all the food.
"Men! Yeah that's right," Lily muttered under her breath.
"Got a problem there Lily?"
"No Potter."
"You know, Lily, I think we should use our first names while talking to each other. We will be working together you know and will have to hold civil conversations!"
"Yeah fine, James."
"What? Why are you going to be working together?" Mary asked, looking between the two of them.
"Well Prongs here is the Head Boy and Evans is the Head Girl," Peter explained.
"Oh Merlin's wet beard! Lily?!" the girls screamed.
"Yeah, okay. I forgot to mention it.
"Oh! Congratulations! You too James."
"Thanks MacDonald."
"Hey now that we all know the fabulous news, can we have some celebratory ice cream?" Sirius asked. "Prongsie will pay!"
"I will…?"
After finishing their lunch, the eight seventh years went to purchase their books.
"Mmm….this is my absolute favorite shop! Don't you just love the small of books and parchment and ink?" Lily sighed, pushing open the doors of Flourish and Blots.
"Frankly, no, Lily. An old bookstore holds no charm."
"Yeah Po- James. You would think so. But only because you are a half witted prat!"
"Oi! Take a notch down, will you?" James called good naturedly, as Lily went behind the bookshelves.
"Psst. Lily!" Lily looked around to see Alice, Mary, and Dorcas peeping from the Quill and Ink Counter.
"What is it?"
"Well Lils, are you all right?" Mary began, a little nervously.
"Yes, of course. Why?"
"Lily, why are you snapping at James so much?"
"Why am I snapping at James? Why do you think so? He is an arrogant, bullying, immature toe rag!" Lily whispered, furiously.
"No Lily. You are just not choosing to look beyond the fifth year James," Alice said quietly.
Lily simply glared.
Dorcas gently patted her on the back, trying to soothe her. "Lils just try and bear with him. The bloke is trying a little too hard."
"Ok. I'll try."
"Hey girls?" Remus called. "We've finish with our stuff. So we thought we'll go down and order the ice creams while you shop. Any choices?"
"Mint chocolate chip!" the four answered in unison.
Remus rolled his eyes, grinning and left the bookshop. The marauders strolled down the streets. The sunlight was fading and the shops were lighting up. Suddenly a movement near the entrance of Knockturn Alley caught James eyes.
"Hey look who it is," he said.
"Excellent! Snivellus!" Sirius seemed more than happy and had already pointed his arm!
"So what do you say gentlemen? Let's have a pre-Hogwarts prank shall we?"
"James. No. you promised to change."
"But Moony c'mon. A little harmless spell won't affect anything!" James almost whined, pulling out his wand and joining Sirius.
"Ok then. Wormtail take out the cloak," Remus sighed.
Peter threw James's Invisibility Cloak over the four of them and James and Sirius whispered together, "Tantallegra!"
Almost at once Snape's legs started changing into spider legs that danced. Poor Severus! He had to Stumble down the steps of Knockturn Alley, dancing weirdly, while the four boys on the opposite end of the street collapsed, laughing.
"Now c'mon. Let's get the ice creams. And Prongs you better hope that Evans does not find this out," Peter said, still gasping.
When the girls arrived, none of them said a word. They simply collected their ice creams from Florean Fortescue's Ice cream Parlor, stopping to chat with Mr. Fortescue, who always seemed to know a lot about medieval witch burning.
"We had better get going'" Alice said to Dorcas.
"Oh yeah I'll come too," Mary said.
"What about you Lily?"
"I have to go to London. Mum will pick me up."
"Oh okay. So we'll leave you here."
"Peter and I should go as well. Peter isn't your curfew at 5:00?"
"Yeah Moony. Let's go then."
So they all said goodbye and hugged before Mary, Alice, Dorcas, Remus and Peter apparated.
"So Lily, have I told you that you look beautiful today?"
"No James. But thank you," Lily giggled, blushing. James smiled at her goofily as Sirius pretended to gag.
"Oh stuff it Black!"
"Sure Lilykins!"
"James! Sirius!" All of them turned, hearing the squeal.
A tall, slim girl with breathtaking beauty stood in front of them. She fluttered her long eyelashes and opened her blue eyes wide; pouting her perfectly sculpted red lips. It was Velma Vane, a sixth year. She was Hogwarts' most famous seductress and her brother Rayce, a seventh year, was the total man whore! Velma's newest fancy had been James. Now if only that Evans girl would just get lost! Or else Sirius would do too!
"Vane. How are you?" James asked politely.
"Oh! I'm fine, now that I've seen you!" she walked up to them and hugged James and Sirius tightly, almost shoving her ample bust in their face.
Seeing her hug James, Lily felt a pang of anger that she couldn't place.
"Jamesie, Rayce told me that you are Head Boy!" Velma squealed, flipping her glossy black ringlets.
"Yeah thanks. Uh, Lily here is Head Girl."
"Oh whatever. I'm surprised to see you here Evans. I wonder what you did to get Head Girl. Obviously you are nothing compared to darling James here," She said, with a lot of venom.
"Oh well. You know Velma; I'd have to be as empty headed as you to even come under remote comparison with Potter here!" Lily laughed.
Velma glared at her, her large eyes filling up with fake tears.
Sirius decided that this was a great time to step in. "Hey Vane, sorry, but we really have to go. So see you at Hogwarts," he said squeezing her lightly. That seemed to do the trick. Velma brightened up immediately.
"Oh of course! I won't be keeping you! See you on Monday!" she waved playfully and walked away, swaying her hips, but not before throwing a scathing glance at Lily. The two boys simply shook their heads and continued walking, Lily followed them, quite flustered from the encounter.
"Sirius, don't you have to go to Gringotts?"
"Yes, that's right Prongs."
Lily looked at them sharply. "You two will be going to Gringotts? Now?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"It's nearly six! Wont your parents worry?"
"Chill Lils. Sirius lives with me. And my parents don't really worry about us. We can manage you know. Plus the two of us won't be going. Sirius will go and I'll walk you to London," James replied, smiling crookedly.
Lily shook her head. "No. No. No James. You will NOT accompany me. I can't stand you flirting with another buxom bimbo we meet. And you are still immature enough to prank innocent people, even if they are Slytherins paying a visit to Knockturn Alley!"
"Y-yo-you s-s-s-saw?" Sirius and James stuttered.
"Yes I did. So forgive me, but I'll see you in the Hogwarts Express. Enjoy your evening," Lily replied viciously.
"Oh shit Padfoot. This is bad," James groaned staring at the love of his life, as she walked away.
"Now c'mon Prongs. You'll get her. But tonight, let's go to Gringotts first and then we can celebrate you getting Head Boy with Tom serving us some good old Ogden's Firewhiskey!" Sirius said, ruffling James's hair.
The two friends laughed and started toward the Gringotts Wizard's Bank.