Apples, Trees, Bubbles, Etc.
Even though she'd had one of those days, the days where you wanted to hex everybody in the office thoroughly, she knew that when her mum said that it was a 'family event' that there wasn't really an option to skip out. The food would be good, as always, but that really wasn't the problem. It was all the questions.
As she opened the door to her flat she knew something was off. Something wasn't quite right. Something in the shape of her older brother, sitting in the chair near the window, reading a book and trying to act nonchalant about breaking into her place.
Fine. Two could play that game. Acting as if it was nothing out of the ordinary she slipped off her heels, opened her refrigerator and stuck her head in, as if looking for something. "Hello, Jamie. So what's Mum having tonight? Is this a Potter thing or a Weasley thing?"
"So you don't care that I let myself in? That I completely bypassed all your security? What kind of Unspeakable are you that..."
"I made an exception for family members." She pulled out a small bottle of flavored spring water, popped the lid and took a sip. "But I left some stuff on just for you."
James rolled his eyes and unfolded his legs with his hands. "Yeah, real funny. As soon as I can walk you're toast." As if a switch had been flipped his voice changed, reminding Lily of when they were children in the sing-song way he spoke. "Anyway...do you know why we're having this? It's a Weasley thing. All hands Weasley thing. Charlie's in from Romania level Weasley thing. Mum went and got her hair done Weasley thing."
"Really?" That stopped Lily from taking another sip. Her mum was not very fussy, only going to the hairdresser for big things like weddings and official Ministry functions. A Saturday dinner for family? "Ok, you obviously know something and just couldn't wait to tell someone. You're telling me, so it's about Al, isn't it?"
"Annoying Slytherin."
"Gossipy Ravenclaw." She stared at him for a moment. "Well?"
"Yes, you're right." He sank back in the chair. "How long until my legs work?"
"How long have you been here?"
"Um..." He glanced at his watch. "Ten, fifteen minutes."
After a sigh Lily shook her head at him. "I'll put the kettle on."
If she was being honest with herself, as she heard James turn on the wireless, the Unspeakables were all horrible gossips. Granted, their topics were a little more esoteric than the 'which Chaser is looking for a new team because of blah blah blah' stuff that James made a living with, but it was still gossip. Both part of their jobs, really, if you thought about it. Instead of talking about it on the wireless like her brother, though, hers was classified by the Ministry.
Once she'd handed him a mug of tea she sat down across from him, took a deep breath and waited. And waited. James took a sip of tea, stared at her with a goofy smile, and just sat there. Eventually he brightened, nodded and leaned forward. "Ok, so..."
"You were waiting on your legs, right?"
He tapped the top of his thighs with his fingers. "If I have to wait, you have to wait. Felt my toes. So do you want to know or do you just want to show up and..."
"Spill. What did good ol' Albus Severus do this time?"
James pulled his chin back and looked at her oddly? "How did you know this was about Al?"
"It's always about Al, isn't it? Think about it."
Feeling his heels finally regain some life in them, albeit with minor prickling sensation, James thought back on things and realised that Lily was right. Everything from convincing Aunt Luna that he absolutely had to have a Niffler and then taking the thing to Gringotts 'accidentally'; sneaking into the Harpies dressing room before one of his mum's games and then delaying the start of that game because he was uncontrollably streaking through the stadium on a stolen broom; attempting to simultaneously date a girl from each house during his fifth year at Hogwarts; being simultaneously dumped in public at the Battle of Hogwarts Memorial in front of the press...and those were just the ones before leaving Hogwarts that came to mind immediately.
"You're right. And to think I'm the one named after the troublemakers." James snorted. "Like I could ever get away with a thing. They watched me like a hawk."
Lily sighed. "Welcome to the Song of James, Al Gets Away With Everything, verse two-hundred, same as the previous one hundred and ninety-nine. I know, I was there, and a target for a lot of it. And you know what happens when someone tells him he's 'just like his father.' Goes mental."
"Dying his hair, growing that pitiful beard, it was all rubbish. I did think drawing the lightning bolt on his forehead, then making a circle around it with a slash through it with Mum's Never-Fade lipstick when Hermione made Minister was rather inspired, though." He waved her off. " But Al coming back from Canada would always mean a family dinner. I mean, this has been on the calendar from moment he took that apprenticeship with the broom company. So why would Charlie be coming over?"
"And why would Mum get her hair done?" Lily tilted her head. "Calves yet?"
After tapping them he nodded positively. "Yes. And precisely. It's because he's bringing someone with him. Someone female. Someone female who, according to Lolo Criswinder at the Canadian Quidditch Weekly magazine, who is wearing a ring. On that finger."
"Oh. OH." Lily sat up straighter. "This ought to be good. I mean, oooh. So Mum knows who..."
"No!" James gestured emphatically. "Mum doesn't know who, nobody does. That's the thing. And after his last girlfriend, the one who drug him through the press after their breakup, you remember what Dad said, right?"
Lily nodded, took out her wand and tapped her throat. The voice that came out sounded precisely like her father. "Albus, for the love of Merlin, next time pick someone who doesn't get us in the papers? For everything? Please? And James be nice to your sister."
After the shudder subsided James shook his head. "Don't do that. That's just wrong. I don't even want to know how you do that."
With a second tap of her wand Lily's voice returned to normal. "Unspeakable. Wouldn't tell you. Sorry."
"No, you're not, but that's not important. It can't be that bad, right? Why is he keeping it this secret? More importantly FIX MY DAMN LEGS!"
"Oh fine, whinger." Lily twirled the end of her wand in a small circle and pointed it at her brother.
After the pale, blue light dissipated over his legs he stood up, relieved but then suddenly irritated. "You could have done that right away, couldn't you?"
With a completely fake expression of innocence Lily shook her head. "No, afraid not, had to at least get up to the calves before it would be effective. Or would it?"
"Remind me to tell Mum about your trip to Slough."
"You wouldn't!"
James shrugged and headed to the door. "See you there."
-ooo-
At the edge of the Burrow are a series of trees, fairly young trees, but with branches perfectly spaced for climbing. All of the Weasley grandchildren loved to climb them, but at the moment nobody was in their branches; instead two camp chairs were unfolded, occupied by a redhead and a blonde.
"Nothing yet." Lily handed the Omnioculars over. "But I think Gran is ready to burst."
Settling the Omnioculars on her lap Lucy took a drag off of her cigarette. "When isn't Gran ready to burst?"
"True. Are you not going to look?" Taking back the offered seeing instrument Lily chuckled. Of all her cousins Lucy was her favourite; besides being closest in age there was the fact that both had been sorted into Slytherin, she was hilarious most of the time and...well, she was just not your normal Weasley. Not like Rose, who was so perfect at things most of the time it made Lily want to vomit. Lucy just didn't seem to care, which drove her parents batty. Not true, of course, she was a smart person; she just didn't like playing the official Ministry game. One of the reasons she worked in the Office of Records; paperwork she could deal with, people not so much.
"Fuck!" Lucy threw down her cigarette, smushed it out with her foot and vanished the butt. "They're here. Gimme those." After a moment she laughed. "Well, whoever had the bet that Al's girl would be a redhead has lost. Blonde, really blonde. So much for that 'he's just like his father, Potter boys and redheads' shite. C'mon, let's go."
As they entered the warm chaos of a Burrow event Lily saw James talking to Al, shaking the girl's hand, and doing his level best to stifle a laugh. She'd seen that face way too often to know that something was up. Feeling Lucy elbow her she muttered, "I know, I know, shhhh" and then made her way over.
The girl smiled as they came closer. "Oh, you must be Lily. Al has told me so much about you. What he can, that is."
Lily shook her hand. She was shorter than Al, but not by much, and they way she'd said that last part, intimating that she knew that Lily was an Unspeakable, was done with the slightest hint of a smirk. Good sign. "Don't believe anything he says. Very nice to meet you."
"Lily, uh, hi Luce..." Al blinked rapidly, took a deep breath and smiled. "Jennifer, this is my sister Lily and my cousin Lucy. Jennifer's my..."
"Fiancée. Yeah, the rock was a hint." Lucy put out her hand. "Lucy Weasley."
Al's fiancée shook her hand. "Jennifer Beasley. So nice to meet you."
"Wait." Not letting go of Jennifer's hand Lucy shifted slightly, as if trying to get a better look at a painting in a gallery. "Do they always call you Jennifer?"
"Well, no." Letting go of Lucy's hand she turned to Al. "My family calls me Jenny."
At that moment Lily felt an arm on her shoulder and looked up to see that James had just stepped between her and Lucy, draping an arm over each. "Sweetie, if your middle name is Molly I don't think we can take it."
After giving Al a look, Jenny smirked. "You're in luck, then. But don't use it, please. It's awful. Hyperion. Family name, apparently, from my mother's side."
Lily felt it first, before she heard it; her brother's laugh started low but then grew until pretty much most of the family was looking at him oddly.
"Quit it, Jay! It's not that awful of a middle name. I'm the one with Severus, for fuck's sake." Al looked angrily at his brother while he put an arm around his rather confused fiancée.
"No no no no!" James reached forward and took Jenny's hands. "It's not about your name, love. Well it is, but about your last name. I just realised, you're Artemis Beasley's daughter." Turning to the others James didn't see any change in their confused expressions. "Artemis Beasley manages the Canadian national Quidditch...she's...this will be news, whether Dad likes it or not." He turned back to Jenny. "I'm sorry, I would say it's usually not like this but it's usually like this. Has he told your family what they're in for?"
"Yes, to some extent." Jenny smiled. "Mom said it was ironic, coming back here, since her family left a while back." She looked at Al. "I told you that, right?"
"Uh...don't remember." Al saw his sister giving him one of those looks. "We haven't been together that long, ok?"
Lily started to give him crap but was elbowed by Lucy. "Well, welcome to the family. C'mere, Lily, let's get a drink." As they made their way towards the table filled with drinks, weaving through family members, Lily felt the tumblers start falling into place. By the time they got to the table and took a drink she was pretty sure she'd made the connections.
"I figured out who she looks like." Lucy took a big swig of beer. "Scorpius. Hair colour and..."
"I think she's his cousin. Second cousin. Some sort of cousin. Through Lucius." Lily took a beer and watched Lucy seem to deflate. "Stole your thunder? Sorry, it's a work thing that I can't really...let's just say the family trees of all Death Eaters are well known for a reason and leave it that, ok? It'd take me a few minutes to verify, but..."
"Fine." Reaching into her jeans she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, then waving it slightly. "This? At this point nobody will even notice. Well, I was thinking about sending an owl to this reporter I'm sort of sleeping with and imaging the headlines ALBUS POTTER ENGAGED TO JENNY BEASLEY and then just sort of throwing in that she's probably a Malfoy or something but..."
"Bit mean, isn't it? She seems nice." Lily sighed. "But we can't call her Jenny. We need something else. For her sake. Hell, for ours; I don't think she could survive another Burrow do without James saying...wait. Has she met Uncle George yet?"
"Fuck." Lucy dodged an apple that swirled around her head. Not even looking she pretended to toss the cigarette on the ground and yelled "FINE, DAD."
"Uh..." Lily looked over to Lucy. "She's coming this way. Just her."
"Really? Hmmm." Lucy turned her back to the party, took another drag and exhaled. Before she knew it there was Jenny. "Sooo...the Burrow, huh?"
Jenny's eyes widened. "Al told me it would be...well, yeah." After a moment of hesitation she sighed. "D'you have an extra one?"
"YES!" Lucy pumped a fist. "I'm not the only one, see? See, Lils?"
"It's disgusting, but go right ahead." Lily stepped aside and watched as Lucy lit Jenny's cigarette with the end of her wand.
Once a long drag was taken and expelled, Jenny's shoulders sagged. "Circe, I haven't had one in ages, but this..."
"It's usually a shitstorm here, but you and Al upped the ante." Lucy took a drag and exhaled. "I don't usually have one here, Gran goes mental, but with all the Weasleys and I mean all the Weasleys here it just makes me want to lose it. I won't say anything to Al, if you want. I mean, Dad's been on me for ages to quit, and he's been trying stuff with Uncle George to make me quit…
"Bubble." Lily elbowed her cousin. "Bubble on it's way. Two bubbles."
Lucy waved her away and kept talking to Jenny. "So one of the littles has some bubbles out, that's nice. Anyway..."
"No, bubbles." Lily grabbed Lucy's arm and turned her around.
Lucy saw what was approaching and realised that it wasn't normal almost instantaneously; bubbles are rarely four feet tall and moving towards a person at a rapid rate of speed. The fact that they were going against the wind was remarked upon afterwards. Almost instinctively Lucy threw down her cigarette and ducked behind the table. This left one person standing upright with a lit cigarette; Jenny Beasley.
The first bubble surrounded Jenny's hand, the hand with the cigarette, shrinking down to make a quick seal against her wrist. The second bubble, however, expanded and then encapsulated Jenny. Completely. Her exhale of surprise combined with the timing of it all had her cough, the subsequent smoke contained within the bubble, turning it bright blue.
"Merlin's balls!" Lily stood there in shock as Lucy sat back on the grass as if stunned, both of them watching as Al's fiancée floated above the ground by a couple of feet, still contained in bubbles. It was obvious that Jenny was trying to get out, smacking her hands against the surface of the bubble, but instead of breaking or tearing it simply expanded and then returned to it's perfectly round shape. Lily took it all in as the extended family gathered around the bubble, Percy yelling at Lucy, Al yelling at George, James just laughing…
Later, when the bubbles burst and things went back to as normal as they were ever going to be, Lily found Lucy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for their first dance, Albus and Bubbles Potter."
And that is how Jenny Potter, nee Beasley, became Bubbles. The press had a field day with Jenny's name until a series of interviews with Al's family popularised the nickname of Bubbles. Lucy thoroughly liked it because despite the family connections no real Malfoy would ever tolerate being called Bubbles. Also, nobody ever smoked out at the Burrow ever again. Just in case.
A/N: Just a one-off, though I do like Lucy quite a bit in this one. That may carry over into another story somewhere.