Every Beast Has Their Beauty
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own any of her work.
Chapter 2: First Impressions
Saturday, August 4 (a few days prior)
A beautiful redheaded woman with piercing emerald eyes and a fair complexion sipped on her morning coffee while reading the newspaper. She had been working as a personal assistant underneath a man named Todd Bellingham. He was a 35-year old man who was the CEO of a growing technology company with the headquarters in London, England. The woman had been his personal assistant for nearly a year but was looking for a change soon. She had come from America a year ago to work for him, having connections through her parents. However, recently, he was going through a nasty divorce and was putting advances on his personal assistant out of his frustration with the situation at home.
Not one to put up with the sexual advances in the work force, the woman was quickly and adamantly looking for new work before quitting her work with Todd.
Who was she? Her name was Lily Evans, 23-year old daughter of Robert and Anna Evans, sister of Petunia Evans (now Dursley), and a witch who rejected her abilities. When Lily was 11 years old, she had received a letter stating that she was accepted to Salem Institute for Witches. Thinking it was simply a joke, Lily threw the letter away. The note had come via an owl which Lily thought was a cool trick at the time. Shortly after, she had received another letter stating the same thing. However, her parents decided that they wouldn't allow Lily to go to that school. They were afraid of the news and prohibited her attendance. Not wanting to disappoint her parents, Lily opted to reject the letter and stay with her parents and sister.
Many times she wondered what it would be like if she had decided to go, but she refused to let her mind wander too deeply into the dreams. Now, the only times that she thought of what magic could bring her were in moments of sadness, anxiety, or anger at humanity; for example, when a drunk man hit on her, she would like to turn him into a toad.
Her family life wasn't bad at all. She got along rather well with both parents and she and her sister had been best friends until her sister had married a few years ago. She decided to move to England where her parents had met as nothing was tying her to the states anymore and she had been fascinated with London. She had heard their stories when they lived in London and it became her most desired place to be. She finally found the opportunity to go and took it. Now that she was here, she loved it more every day.
When Lily was a little girl, she was in love with fairy tale stories. To this day, she was still waiting for her prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet. She found that she was a difficult person to love, but if the right man came around, he would see past that and love her for all of her flaws and imperfections. Until that day, she would work hard making a name for herself. She wanted a man to woo her and romance her. When she was 15, she had her life plan set. She would go to college after graduating high school and she would double major in Communications and Event Planning. She would then work on moving to London to start work. When she was 27, she would meet her prince charming and when she was 28, they would marry. They would have a couple years to themselves of being together and then they would have one child, a girl, when they were 30. He had to be her same age, but born earlier in the year. She was born in August, so he had to have been born in any of the previous seven months.
He had to be successful and pleasant with wonderful parents. She desired to have a good relationship with her in-laws as she herself did not grow up with grandparents and had always wished to. In her mind, she wasn't asking for much but those were her requirements and she was not going to waiver. She had turned down many suitors because she was not yet 27, therefore, they couldn't be her true love.
"Hello, may I sit here?" a soothing voice inquired, pointing to the seat next to her on the bench. She looked up and saw an elderly looking man with a very long white beard and twinkling blue eyes.
"Of course," Lily replied, smiling pleasantly at the elderly man.
"Thank you, dear. Say, I'm a regular on this street and I don't remember seeing you previously," he mentioned casually, not looking to her.
"Oh, I'm not from around here. I actually tend to visit a park early in the morning on Saturdays but today, I wanted a change of scenery," she explained, folding her newspaper up and turning to the man. Her parents always taught her to be polite to her elders as they had a wisdom in life she may never learn.
"I see. Looking for work?" he inquired, smiling. Upon seeing her confused look, he continued: "You were looking in the job section of the London Equistar."
Lily nodded, blushing slightly. "Ah, yes. I guess you could say I'm looking for a change of scenery in more than one area."
The elderly man held out his hand to hers, shaking it. "My name is Albus Dumbledore."
"Lily Evans," Lily replied.
"America, I assume?" he inquired gently. She nodded in response.
"My accent give it away?" she asked as he grinned.
"Absolutely, Ms. Evans," he stated, and then a knowing grin spread across his face. "You should check the London Times in a few days for more job positions. I find that they have a better selection at times. Unfortunately, they are only sold at the small coffee shop at the corner of Peak Avenue and Shepherd's Run."
Lily nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore." She looked to her watch and inwardly groaned. "Well, it was nice speaking with you, I hope you have a great day, sir."
"Thank you, Ms. Evans. I hope to see you again if you ever visit this spot," he stated, smiling. She responded in the like, offered him her newspaper, and walked off.
Present Day
Lily Evans walked into a rather large building, anxious for her interview. She had taken Mr. Dumbledore's advice and looked into the London Times. She had found a position opened immediately for a personal assistant for the CEO of Potters' and Son's Enterprise. The company was the competition of her current company with Todd. She smoothed her business skirt to ensure that no wrinkle existed. She had opted to wear a black dress suit with the skirt stopping just above her knee. She wore matching black pumps and a light purple blouse. Her long, wavy red hair had been placed into a high pony tail with her bangs neatly in place. Her black-rimmed glasses covered her green eyes even though she had perfect vision. Working in business for a few years, she found that people took her more seriously when she wore glasses as, to them, it implied some intelligence.
"Hello, Ms.….?" The man at the front desk asked. He was a rather large man with a friendly expression. She looked at his name tag and saw that it read 'Joe Ellison, front desk security'.
"Evans. Lily Evans. I'm here for an interview with Mr. Potter," she stated, holding her voice steady of nerves. She smiled widely and sweetly, showing off her pearly whites.
The man looked down at a list of names, with many names that had already been crossed off, and checked off her name, the last name.
He grinned. "Alright, Ms. Evans, please follow George to the elevators," he stated, pointing to a man that was standing off to the side. He was watching them and smiled at Lily when she turned to face him.
"Thank you, Mr. Ellison," she smiled, and then followed George to the elevators with her briefcase gently in her hand. He walked to the last elevator and flashed a badge. He stepped inside of the elevator with Lily following behind. He dialed a number into a number pad, ensuring the Lily couldn't see the numbers he was dialing. The elevator accepted the numbers, closed its doors, and sped off to the 21st floor.
"Ms. Evans, good luck to you," he smiled, as the doors opened and he indicated for her to go to the front desk.
"Thank you, George," she stated and walked to the front desk as the elevator doors closed, bringing George back to the first floor. At the front desk was a petite woman with shoulder length dirty blond hair that was in perfect order. Her perfectly manicured nails were typing on a lap top sitting in front of her. She briefly looked up and smiled at Lily, indicating for her to hold on one moment. Her light blue eyes were focused on the document she was typing. When she finished a thought, she folded her hands and looked to the redhead.
"Your name?" she asked, still smiling.
"Lily Evans," the redhead stated. The blond smiled and crossed off Lily's name on her list.
"Alright, Ms. Evans, please take a seat anywhere and Mr. Potter will be ready for your shortly. Lily listened, walking towards the waiting area. Instead of sitting down, she watched the fish tank. She hated fish. They were such a pointless pet.
Lily didn't feel that she needed to prepare for the interview. When she was in college, she went to many interview practice sessions to ensure she would stand out. She knew it would be no problem. Plus, she knew the types of Mr. Potter. She studied his background and that of his closest confidents. She had to learn it at her last job. She knew he was a wealthy bachelor who went through personal assistants like crazy whenever they would become romantic, as the rumor stated. It was disgusting, really. Lily turned to the double doors when she heard it open and a beautiful brunette walked out, blushing. Lily held back her eyes from rolling on their own accord.
"Ms. Evans, sir," the woman at the front desk notified the man standing at the door.
He nodded, accepting the information and turning to Lily.
"Follow me, please," he muttered, clearly tired. It was now 7:57 P.M. and Lily knew she was the last interview. She requested to be the last person interviewed when she spoke with a man named Mr. Lupin on the phone.
"Ms. Evans, I'm Mr. Potter," he stated, shaking her hand and indicating the chair she was to sit at when they entered his rather large office. She was sitting on one side of a long table while two men, other than Mr. Potter, occupied two of the three seats on the other side of the table. "This is Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin. They will be listening in on the interview."
Lily nodded hello, smiling. Mr. Potter grabbed the center seat and looked at his notes.
"I saw you admiring the fish out there. Do you like fish?" he asked, without making eye contact.
Holding back an eyebrow raise, she responded, "no."
"No?" he simply inquired.
"I don't like fish," she responded, crossing one leg over the other and sitting up straight.
"Why not?" he asked, still not looking at her.
"They're useless pets. Simply a living decoration more than anything…kind of like a plant, I suppose."
He rose an eyebrow at her. "So pets are only meant to bring you satisfaction through what…the ability to play with it? Kind of selfish, isn't it?" he asked bluntly.
Blushing slightly, Lily held her ground. "Leave them in the ocean or the lakes where they have originated from. Having them as pets is only more money spent for a look. Buy a painting and a dog. You can decorate your home with paintings and have a dog that you can have actual responsibility over."
"Interesting," he stated, not sounding very interested. "Tell me about yourself," he stated, not looking up from his notes.
"I'm originally from America, having grown up in New York City. There, I went to school for Public Communication and Event Planning with a 4.0 G.P.A. I have worked under celebrity Lucy Lane in America while attending college until I moved to London to work for Todd Bellingham, CEO of Genaro, Inc. I am able to type 83 words per minute and I am a hard worker. I will work until the job is complete to your satisfaction. I do not believe in procrastination and will ensure that you are at every meeting on time," she replied, her smile unwavering. He nodded, without looking up. She watched as Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin each took notes.
"Why are you looking to leave Mr. Bellingham's work?"
"We are currently going through a conflict of interest that is damaging to the work environment," she stated, having practiced that statement briefly.
"So he wants to sleep with you?" James asked frankly.
"In a manner of speaking, possibly," Lily blushed. One of her flaws was that she blushed so easily. James simply nodded but didn't respond to that line of questioning.
"What are your hobbies outside of work?"
"I've been dancing since I was 2, ballet, ballroom, and salsa. I assist in a couple different dance schools in London on occasion. I serve food at a local homeless shelter every week, I run in the mornings, and I read every day."
"How long have you been in London?"
"Nearly a year," Lily responded.
"And how many friends have you made?" he asked.
"Well," she started, blushing again. "None, sir. I work a lot."
"I see. A bit of a loner, then," he stated not as a question.
"You could say that," Lily replied.
"That's why I did, Ms. Evans," he stated, sounding bored. "You may go. The interview is over."
"Excuse me?" Lily asked before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth. For the first time, he looked up. "May I ask why?"
"I said that you may go. I am not interested in hiring someone who worked for Mr. Bellingham as the last employee that I hired that came from his company was simply collecting information on my company. How do you think his company grew so quickly? Not out of his intelligence, I'm sure. Then there's the fact that you are, indeed, a loner. The personal assistant needs to be able to make relationships with others. If you've been here for nearly a year and still have not been involved a relationship with anyone to build a friendship, then I question your ability to complete this job successfully. This position requires talking with many of my business partners and competitors which will imply you have the capability of speaking to them without offense. You dislike fish because of the lack of satisfaction it brings you which implies you like things that bring you satisfaction rather than because it is a living creature. This interview, as I stated, is finished. Thank you for your time."
"With the utmost of respect, sir, I don't think you've given me a fair shot."
"That's not your decision, is it?" he countered. "Tell me, Miss. Evans, why should I hire you above all of the other applicants I have seen today?"
Lily grinned. "I won't sleep with arrogant pricks like you," she smiled sweetly. "It's against my moral code and quite frankly, you're not my type…not even in a million years."
James rose his eyebrow in response while Sirius and Remus grinned and held back laughs.
"Arrogant prick, hmm? I see you judge before you even know me, Ms. Evans. Poor quality in a personal assistant, I shall think," he finally stated, a flash of irritation in his eyes. He stood from his position, seeming to intend for her to do the same. She ignored that and responded.
"You grew up in money. Your great-grandfather, Alexander James Potter, had started this company with his own money and intelligence. His wife was a dancer in the courts. They both worked hard to ensure this company was a success, not for their personal well-being, but for the greater good of society. They were honest, hard-working individuals. Your grandfather, Alexander James the second, helped his father with the company to ensure it grew rapidly. He worked day and night to provide for his family and give to the poor. He was very high into charity. Your grandmother had worked as a scientist and he fell in love with her because of her persistence to ensure perfection. She died in childbirth, giving birth to her only son and your father, Charlie James, naming him after her own father who had been murdered when someone tried to kidnap your grandmother. Your grandfather never remarried. Your father took pride in the family business, growing it tremendously throughout the world. He married his childhood sweetheart, Arielle Haughton. She became a successful lawyer for this company, having a very high success rate of closing cases. She was a brilliant woman. I know that your parents both died when you were seven years old, leaving your Aunt, her sister, to take care of you. She spoiled you rotten, quite literally. You became, and still are, a spoiled brat who gets what he wants. Your two best friends are sitting in this room here and Mr. Lupin's sister is sitting out there. You and your two friends kept getting in trouble but of course, your aunt ensured that it wasn't released to the press to make sure your name remained clean. I know that your aunt has been trying to steal your assets and has been in the middle of a legal battle.
"Now, shall I get more personal? Your favorite color is grey, nice and bland. You had a dog named Rosco growing up. Dogs are your favorite pets. You lack a fashion sense, which I'm going to guess is where your personal assistant comes in. Your socks do not match your tie. You played every sport imaginable and you enjoy doing triathlons. However, you don't really donate much money but when you do, you ensure the tabloids hear. How am I doing so far? You hate getting close to people, but you do have a few close friends. You lack self-control and you are selfish, hence why you are searching for yet another personal assistant as you simply cannot keep your pants zipped. You, James Potter, are never satisfied. Oh, and your favorite food is throw up, otherwise known as cottage cheese."
Lily was now crossing her arms, a wicked smile spread across her face. "I do my research, Mr. Potter. And no information is too far for me to catch it, hence why I know about your unwritten legal issues when you were underage. Now what, daresay, do you know about me? You were clearly eager to end the interview before it even started so you must know something about me that would make you want to close the door. What is it?"
Remus and Sirius were scribbling furiously in their notebooks, smiles spread across their face while James eyed Lily suspiciously.
"Why did you work for Mr. Bellingham? Poor choice of work."
Lily shrugged. "What can I say – I like a challenge."
"You are leaving work with Mr. Bellingham because of, most likely, sexual advances. And yet, here you are, interviewing with a man you believe has no…what was it?...ah, yes, 'self-control' and cannot keep his 'pants zipped'. This simply makes no sense to me. If I had any sense, I would suggest that it is you who is putting the sexual advances on Mr. Bellingham and he responded negatively and now you're looking for your next victim."
She flushed in anger at his statement as he walked over to her.
"Let me walk you out," he stated, indicating to the door. Lily made a face and stood from her position, holding onto her briefcase and standing close to him.
"I'm curious. Did you even bother to read my resume or are you simply going off which woman looks to be easiest to sleep with?" she spat.
James grinned. "Fiery redheads are not my type. A piece of advice, keep your pretty little legs closed when working with Mr. Bellingham…it'll make the work environment much better."
"I'll walk myself out," Lily stated and walked out of his office angrily.
"Have a good-" the woman at the front desk, Ally Lupin started, but stopped when Lily had already rushed out. Ally looked confusedly to James who was standing at his door.
"Didn't go well?" she asked as Remus and Sirius pounced to the door, meeting James.
"We've made a decision!" Remus exclaimed excitedly, throwing an arm around James' shoulders. James furrowed his eyebrows.
"Don't I get a say? Let me look at those notes," he stated, reaching out for their notebooks. They hid them behind their backs childishly.
"Nope; she's perfect," Sirius exclaimed. "James Potter, meet your match, Lily Evans, your new personal assistant who wouldn't sleep with you in a million years! So now, we can set you up on more actual dates."
"No," James frowned, crossing his arms. "It makes no sense why she would transfer to this company when she believes I make it a habit to sleep with my personal assistants. She's leaving her current company to go to a company she believes will be the same? I don't believe that for a second."
"Yes," Remus stated. "As your voice of reason, she's exactly what you want. She will not sleep with you and she will do her work. Perhaps she finds that you will be easier to resist," he laughed.
Sirius ran past Remus and James, flashing his badge to run down the staircases.
"Where are you going?" James yelled out, angrily, towards Sirius' back but Sirius was already running down the stair cases. Ally was looking at them amusedly.
"I'm going to guess it went well?" she asked. Remus nodded and James shook his head.
"Absolutely not. She's a bloody American nightmare. I will not employ her!" James declared, crossing his arms across his chest stubbornly.
"Did you want someone who would want to sleep with you or not?" Remus asked, crossing his arms as well, mimicking James. "James, we need you to have a break and actually go on dates. Sticking with your personal assistants is not working very well and as you reminded us, not that we needed it, is that you are running out of time. She's fully capable of being your personal assistant so that you can focus on other things."
"Fine," James muttered, begrudgingly. "Bloody women," he groaned.
"Hey!" Ally declared, standing up from her position, revealing just how short she really was. "You take that back or I'll make sure the media has every personal detail that I've been hiding for blackmail!"
James grinned. "Sorry, Ally. Bloody women, minus Ally, the great and wonderful," he cooed at her. She grinned.
"That's my boy," she smiled, gathering her paperwork and documents to get ready to leave.
Sirius was just catching up to the angry redhead that had already left the building and was halfway to her vehicle.
"Ms. Evans! Ms. Evans!" he called out. She turned ever so slightly to see him at the corner of her eye. She waited for him to reach up with her.
"Yes?" she asked, irritated.
"What time can you come in tomorrow?" Sirius asked, grinning.
"Why?"
"Because you've just been hired. You're exactly the person Remus and I want. James wants it too, but he just doesn't know it yet. We'd like to offer you a position as his personal assistant."
"And he's okay with this?" she asked, confused.
Sirius shrugged. "He'll come around. So…interested?"
"Very. I can be in at 8 in the morning, sharp. Must I bring anything?"
"Bring your identification and your eligibility to work here. Everything else will be provided and you will begin training tomorrow. Joe from the front desk will direct you to Human Resources when you come in tomorrow so that the proper paperwork can be completed. You can call me Sirius, by the way."
Lily nodded. "Lily."
"Okay. I will see you tomorrow then. Drive safely, Lily," Sirius stated, shaking her hand goodbye. He watched as she got in her car and safely drove away. He grinned to himself, shaking his head. This will be interesting, he thought to himself as he reentered the building to laugh at his good friend.
