Disclaimer: You know the drill. Harry Potter is property of the amazing J.K. Rowling.
Author's note: Please Read, Enjoy, & Review!
Julia rose from her seat on the bench, her hand reaching for one last piece of potato. Shay was just telling them about how her latest innovation had successfully rendered Filch completely covered in hair from head to toe. He closely resembled cousin It from the muggle television show 'The Adams Family'. They stole a glance at him standing at the edge of the professors' table. He was discretely attempting to relieve an itch beneath the layers of hair, pretending to comb it with his fingers when McGonagall's disapproving gaze fell upon him.
Julia's mouth was too full to laugh out loud without threatening to shower her friends with partially chewed potato. But despite her best efforts, small bits escaped her lips which she swiftly covered with a napkin. Watching McGonagall reprimand Filch about his inappropriate behaviour while everyone was dining and threatening not to relieve him of the jinx as promised after the supper was simply too hilarious. Realizing that she was still half standing, half straddling the bench spewing food as she erupted in partially restricted laughter, she looked around to see if the caught the attention to her peers around her, embarrassed. To her chagrin, the first person that met her eye was Remus Lupin. She gave him a nervous closed smile, her mouth still filled. He returned it with a grin of his own and left the Great Hall, presumably to meet her at the library as planned. Once he left, she fell to the bench deflated.
Julia swallowed and sighed. "Why, of all people, does he always have to be the one to catch me at my worst?"
Lily, already finished, dabbed the edges of her lips with her napkin politely before replying, "The two of you grew up together, I'm pretty sure he's seen just about everything. Your parents bathed the two of you together when you were toddlers. What else is a mystery to him? A little bit of food dripping down your face isn't all that bad." Julia instinctively wiped her chin.
"That was a long time ago, before we could walk or remember! Now, he's….he's….ugh! He's Remus!"
Shay feigned bewilderment. "So before he was… wait, I thought he was Remus."
Julia glared. "Oh shut up." But she looked defeated.
Shay softened. "Hey, just forget about it and go get tutored. If you don't make it more than it is, it won't get weird and complicated." She ushered Julia out of her seat and toward the doors. "Now go learn."
Julia caught the messenger bag that Shay tossed to her and smiled thanks. Stealing one last glance at Filch who was still itching, she marginally settled the nervous feeling rising in her gut. Walking briskly, she slipped through the doors and bumped into none other than Remus Lupin. Startled, he fumbled to catch the bar of chocolate that jumped out of his hands. Julia, with her Chaser-trained reflexes, snatched it from the air and read the wrapper, "Cadbury." She smiled nostalgically and handed it back.
Remus smiled meekly and offered her a piece. "I find it remedial." She politely declined. "Shall we go?" He held out his arm towards stairs that led to the library on the fourth floor.
They made the short journey through the dull grey halls making small talk, Julia recalling Shay's earlier triumph and Filch's current condition. Finally reaching their destination, Remus opened the door for Julia and they walked in. The room was large and the ceiling was high. The bookshelves seem to tower over them, the highest tomes brushing the ceiling. They were stacked full of thousands of books ranging from new to old to ancient. There was a long isle running down the middle of the library with several long tables similar to the ones in the great hall. A couple students sat along the tables, some of them working, but several asleep with their noses in their books, too tired to continue. Numerous other narrow isles branched between the bookshelves into the systematized maze that was the library. They smiled to Madam Pince, the librarian who returned a nod in acknowledgement. Remus directed Julia to his favourite place in the library. He personally spent several hours in the here; it was one of the only places where the other marauders rarely set foot. It was his private sanctuary.
His little spot was near the back located in an alcove created by a grand window. It was surrounded by several bookshelves creating a cozy secluded room. The two armchairs were placed adjacent to each other with a low coffee table set between them. They unloaded their books and supplies from their bags and spread them out.
"So Lupin—"
He winced and put his hand up to stop her. "Please Julia, this is ridiculous. There's no way I'll just call you Rhodes and it hurts to hear you address me as if we're strangers."
She looked down at her books and paused before repeating, "So Remus…"
"Better." He smiled. "So based on our last session, it seemed as if you were struggling the most with charms. I took the liberty of listing a few and recovering my notes on a couple distinctive ones that may have posed a problem. Let's just go through those and we'll add anything else you're not comfortable afterwards."
She nodded. He was all business.
"Alright then, let's start off with the silencing spell. It should be fairly simple." He shuffled a few of his papers until he had the one he wanted in his hand and laid it on the table for her to reference. They had laid out their respective notes for each spell on the table, Julia prepared to fill out hers with useful tips from Remus's. He looked up at her expectantly.
She took out her wand and pointed the tip at Remus. "Silencio."
Remus nodded and opened his mouth to speak but Julia was met with silence. He mouthed 'good job' before he motioned for her to remove the spell.
"Alright, now that we've warmed up, here's one that was taught more recently." Remus took out a parchment with the notes from the end of last year. "This is a binding spell. I want you to bind me to my chair with a set of ropes."
She nodded, not as confident as before. She closed her eyes, searching her memory for the right spell. Remus rotated his note and pushed it towards her to see. "Incarcerous." Remus watched a single rope appear before it dropped to the floor limp.
"Try it again, you have to rotate your wrist a little more like this, see?" He took her arm and demonstrated the correct form. Julia forced herself to concentrate memorize the motion of her wrist rather than the all too familiar sensation of his hand on her arm.
She shook her head to refocus. She repeated the wrist motion the way he showed her and he gave her an encouraging nod. "Incarcerous," she said in a stronger voice. This time, ropes appeared quickly, binding Remus from his shoulders to his waist. He bounced up and down on his seat to test his restraints.
He smiled and removed the ropes. "Well done! That was perfect! Professor Flitwick would be proud."
Julia laughed. "Only if he could spare the time from praising Lily."
He chuckled and agreed. "So let's move on. How about something more exciting?" His eyes lit up. "Oh, let's set something on fire!"
Julia couldn't help but giggle. It was times like these where the reason behind him being friends with James and Sirius became clear. Despite being calm and mature, he still had a very active inner child. "Okay, but I was never very good at this one, in fact, I never actually got the hang of it," she admitted.
"Let's just try, shall we?" He ripped off a small corner of parchment and set it on a stone.
"Alright." She took a deep breath and raised her wand. "Incendo."
Nothing.
Julia sighed. "Told you."
Remus looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Could you repeat that please?" She repeated the charm. Nothing. "Okay, I think I see the problem. This is a more aggressive spell, it can even be used in defence class. The nature of casting the spell reflects its function. You're being too gentle; there isn't enough force behind your spell. Go ahead, try again."
Julia scrunched her eyebrows. "Incendo!" The edges of the leaf slowly curled, the edges charred.
"You have to jab your wand, Jules, jab." His hand jumped to his face. He realized the moment he let it slip: his old pet name for her. He blushed. "Sorry."
"Incendo!" She repeated. He let out a relieved breath seeing as she either didn't hear his mistake or pretended not to. Either way, she ignored it. Looking at the leaf however, it was ablaze! Grinning, he lifted his hand in the air for a high five. She returned it with enthusiasm, finally getting the charm.
"Oh my goodness! I couldn't even get that with Lily!" She turned her face to him. "You are a miracle!" Before she could catch herself, she enveloped Remus in a tight hug and his arm instinctively wrapped around her. Time stood still for a moment long enough for their embrace to grow awkward. As if realizing a dire mistake Julia hurriedly pulled away, knocking over their papers as she moved. Their eyes followed the papers, deliberately avoiding eye contact.
Remus fell to his knees to pick up the papers that had fallen. Dividing the papers into piles, one belonging to him and the other Julia's, he saw a corner of an envelope peeking out from the middle of the pile. He shuffled the pile to reveal more of the envelope. There was a vaguely familiar crest at the corner and it was addressed to Mary S. Laurie but to Julia's address back home. He racked his brain to try to recall someone with that name but couldn't. The label was printed on paper rather than written in ink. This was muggle mail.
Before he had the chance to satisfy his curiosity, the envelope was snatched from underneath his nose. Without realizing, Julia was crouched in front of him, holding her letter tight to her chest. It looked large and fat, the seal straining to keep its contents in. She scrambled to collect the remainder of her things. Remus looked down again, realizing that there was more than one of the letters with different crests either at the centre or the corner of the envelopes. All of them were thick, their contents maximizing the capacity of their envelopes.
Julia was silent but her nervousness was so obvious, she was almost announcing it to him. Quickly, she separated her belongings from his, even going so far as helping Remus pack his papers. Clearly, their session was over. Her franticness was contagious and he quickened his pace perplexed at her sudden change. When she finished, Julia jumped to her feet and threw her bag onto her shoulder.
She looked down at him, Remus still staring at her confused. She looked at her wrist and then around the room when she realized she was without a watch. "Er…Sorry, it's about time to check in with Potter. And Shay. And Black." She winced, realizing how unlikely the latter two would be in the same room at the same time. He must have seen through her excuse like glass. She thickened the lie. "Quidditch strategies. Plays. Players." A deep sigh. "Yes. Well, we'll continue another time, okay? Bye!" She walked quickly from the alcove and rounded the corner. Remus watched stunned and partially amused as she ran when she thought she was out of his view.
He shook his head and sighed, rising from his position on the floor. As he rose, he noticed a couple stray papers escaped Julia under her seat. Reaching under, he found a few of their notes and a large envelope. It had the crest on the top left corner, just like the others. This crest was yellow outlined in black and an upward angled white band ran horizontally through the middle, separating three lions. The print above the crest was blacked out. Remus strained to read beneath the ink. The first two letters were 'un'. He failed to read any more.
Remus heard the click of the library doors and assumed Julia had found the exit. Looking at the letter again he wondered, 'what is this?'
Raisins! That's what her fingers looked like: raisins. Lily took her hands out of the sink and shook them free of water. Why couldn't she use magic in the kitchen? The whole concept of the lounge is the dining experience of dining in a muggle restaurant. Nobody is dining in the kitchen. Nobody is dining where she dispenses the garbage. No one is dining when she's scrubbing the kitchen floors. Nobody is even there when she's cleaning the tables and vacuuming the carpets after the doors were closed at night. It was a complete mystery to her as to why her magic was restricted the entire time she was at The Griffon. When she'd asked him about how he'd know if she was using magic, with or without a wand (without tipping him off that she was able to use wandless magic), he told her that there was a spell that was put on the restaurant. When someone used magic, a warning bell would sound. The customer would then be issued a warning and if the offence is repeated, they would be politely escorted out of the lounge. Lily had to resist the urge to test this mechanism. Perhaps he was lying the same way lifeguards say there's a chemical in the pool to turn urine blue to prevent children from contaminating the water.
Today was a Hogsmeade day and Lily could see several schoolmates walking outside through the window. Lily huffed, the foam in the sink blowing away. The double-sink was massive; it was large enough to bathe several small children. The kitchen counter was pure red and gold marble and ran across all four walls. The walls were coated with a crimson paint, the ceiling a brilliant gold. It didn't take a genius to guess the owner was a Gryffindor. The appliances were grander than any she's ever seen before. There was a huge maroon convection oven that must have cost a fortune. The walk-in fridge and freezer was large enough to house a small family. There were two stoves, each with ten separate burners. Everything was stainless steel, the appliances lining the room with several islands in the centre where the preparation was mostly done. Trays, ladles, spatulas, cutting boards, pot and pans hung off each island while every other kitchen necessity were stored in the wooden cupboards beneath the counters. The kitchen was extraordinary. So why was it missing a giant marvellous dishwasher?
The other students were out having fun, enjoying their time while Lily was imprisoned in here. The lunch rush just ended and there were fewer customers now. Drying her last dish, she put it on the rack and grabbed a new clean towel and spray, and headed out the kitchen door. A few booths were full, two long tables were being used, and there was a man at the bar. Most of the customers were finished their meal and were just enjoying each other's company. Lily made her way towards Kelvin, cleaning empty tables along the way. Kelvin was drying a glass. She deeply appreciated that he never added to her work load. He washed and dried all of his glasses personally. He also religiously disinfected his counter. The empty bottles were still her responsibility but he made sure to offer to help her whenever he handed over the bar's trash. She took a seat on the maroon velvet covered stool. She scanned the room quickly making sure James was still in his office upstairs.
"So my job is pure torture, how's yours?" Lily plopped herself onto one of the bar stools. Kelvin quickly wiped the part of the counter in front her before her body collapsed on the cold marble.
He laughed. "I'm doing pretty well. And your job can't be that bad. And even if it is, the big-ass pay check must make it worthwhile." It was true. It was a dirty job. Not many were willing to work without magic and Potter was generous without being kind.
She smiled. "It's not like I get to spend it personally. Every penny I earn is sent home. Usually, when I'm at a bad job I just tell myself 'it could be worse' but this time, I don't think I can." She huffed, blowing a stray hair from her face. Kelvin couldn't help but laugh at her misery. They heard the sound of James's office door slam shut. Did that man not know how to close the door gently? Either way, Lily shot up from her seat and darted towards the nearest table and whipped out a cloth to start wiping. By the time James came down, she was clearing a nearby table and Kelvin was attending the lone man at the bar.
"Greetings Mr. Potter," Kelvin said with a grin.
James returned the smile. "Mr. Teoh." James made small talk with the bartender while periodically looking at Lily who was vigorously wiping a nearby table and observed her work.
Lily could feel the scrutinizing stare of her boss while she sprayed some more Lysol. Why does he have to do that? He doesn't stare at every employee this way. He does not stare at Kelvin while he's cleaning his glasses. He doesn't stare at Chef Michael while he's cooking, at least not in the irritating and intimidating way he does to her.
Finally, growing tired of being watched, Lily turned around to face the owner of those patronizing hazel eyes. Just as she suspected, James was facing her while half sitting on one of the stools, one of his leg bent, foot on the foot rest and sipping from a drink that Kelvin no doubt prepared. Drinking on the job, how irresponsible. And illegal.
James looked at her with an indifferent face with a subtle underlay of arrogance. "You missed a spot." He pointed at the spot she just wiped.
Gritting her teeth, she wiped it again and gave him a massive forced smile. "Satisfied, Mr. Potter?"
"Getting closer. I see you have several dishes. You know that it reflects poorly on the lounge if you leave them in sight, Miss Evans."
She fought the urge not to role her eyes. "Yes, I'll get to those in a moment."
He raised his eyebrows in expectance.
This time she couldn't fight it and made a show to rolled her eyes at him. "...Mr. Potter," she added. He grinned. What an ass.
Before she could mentally curse James Potter anymore, the door opened and a familiar face walked in.
"Hi Lily!" It was Benjamin Parchment.
Oh no, how did he find me? She looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. "Err, hi Ben. See, I'd love to chat but I'd best be going. The dishes are calling."
"Oh, but wait. I've been looking for you all day and I've finally found you. Can't you take a little while off and join me for a drink? Or better yet, come on a real date with me. You've been working all day. Come on, what do you say?"
"Sorry Ben, I'm afraid I can't take any time off. I'm already behind on my duties and my boss will have a fit if he catches me not working." Her eyes shifted to James. Perhaps his controlling attitude could come in handy. She hoped that rather than embarrassing the poor boy in front of the entire restaurant with her rejection, James would save her the trouble.
Expecting James to nod in agreement, maybe even add how absurd an idea it was that he'd even consider such a thing, she was surprised to see a mischievous grin on her boss's face. Such an overlap of 'school Potter' and 'Mr. Potter' never happened. He got off of his stool and walked towards them.
"Mr. Parchment, what a pleasure." The men shook hands. "And I agree, maybe it's time for Lily to take a break. Go ahead, take the rest of the day off. I promise I won't dock you any pay. Go on." She looked at him in shock. Never had he ever shown such kindness to her at work. He'd never just let her go off if she asked to spend the day with friends rather than clean the kitchen. Maybe it was because it was so evident that letting her go was not a demonstration of 'kindness' based on how reluctant she was to go. Killing her with his kindness, what a twisted application of the phrase.
"Wonderful!" Ben raced to where he was standing and took the bucket from her hand that was held the Lysol along with her other equipment, and handed it to James. James was a little stunned at the gesture but Ben was moving too fast. By the time his retort was at his lips, Ben had already ushered Lily out the front door.
"I had a nice time," Lily said to Ben as they arrived outside of The Griffon. It was late in the evening by now, the only lights illuminating their faces now coming from the street lamps and the lights from the inside of The Griffon. It was beginning to get chilly and Lily was tired, hoping to quickly finish up inside and get back to her dorm. Although Ben was to arrive back at Hogwarts, Lily had the duty of locking up despite taking the remainder of the afternoon off. She wasn't lying about having a nice time, albeit a bit boring. Any break from work was welcomed. She could see that he put the effort into keeping a conversation constantly going, never allowing them to lapse into silence. He asked her about her friends, her family, even about people she didn't like, namely Potter. What she aspired to do with her life, what she thought of Hogwarts. She always responded with short answers, never any true detail. There just wasn't that natural ease between the pair of them.
"That's great because I had a wonderful time! I guarantee that next time will be even better." He had such a great big smile plastered on his face, Lily didn't have the heart to say no (despite not being asked, but told about a second date), nor the time as she suspected she was already late. She just returned a wavering smile and curt nod and turned to face the grand crimson doors and end their night together. Before she could push them open, Ben took her arm, spun her around and crashed his lips onto hers. She was so shocked, she awkwardly stared at his close-up face, her arms stiffly at her sides. Frozen, all she could think of was how wrong it felt, as if they were two puzzle pieces forced together despite belonging on separate ends of the picture. Finally, after a few awkward moments, he pulled away, said good bye, and raced back towards the castle. It took a couple seconds for Lily to realize what just happened. Far from the best kiss she ever experienced, it was certainly the most uncomfortable and unexpected. Lily wiped her lips with her fingers unconsciously and pushed open the front door.
Inside, she expected it to be empty. However, sitting at the bar was James Potter, waiting like an overprotective father after curfew. She should have expected that, seeing as he liked to keep tabs on her at all times. Most of the lights were off, save a the one above the bar. It cast long shadows over James's face and exaggerating his disappointed look.
"Did you have a good time?" He asked, clearly disinterested.
"Yes, it was pleasant."
He got off his stool and walked to her so he stood only a foot away. "What were you thinking, disregarding your duties like that? Do you think I simply forgive those who walk out on the job?"
She looked at him, stunned. "I beg your pardon? If I recall correctly, you gave me permission to leave!"
"I presented you an opportunity to demonstrate your loyalty to this job. But clearly it doesn't mean much to you. Why would I allow you to continue working here knowing that you would dash off every time the opportunity presented itself? Did you know that I was left to finish your cleaning?" His voice was cool and collected but with each word, Lily felt increasingly aggravated since he was the one who let her go when she wanted to stay. He practically made her go. "Each employee has a role in this establishment and when people start giving their work load to others, that's when chaos begins. This is your last warning Miss Evans. And I will teach you that there are consequences to your irresponsible actions."
"But you said—"
"I will keep my word and not dock your pay. Instead during your next shift, you are to work the hours that you took off today to make up for the time you've lost. In addition, before you lock up tonight, you are to continue your chores that you should have done today."
"But that'll take me hours!" She was furious. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, resisting the need to strangle James. This wasn't fair!
"These are the consequences and they aren't meant to be pleasant. Get to it." James turned his back to her to leave. She was shaking at the injustice. How could he be so cruel? Her teeth grinded together so hard, she though they would crack at the sheer force she was using to retain the string of curses she held on the tip of her tongue. The lights in the restaurant flashed on and off, her magic sparking out of control like a young untrained witch. She barely registered the soft warning bell coming from the nearest booth. The lamp next to James's head shattered, the shards barely missing his face.
Slowly, he turned around to face her. "You're paying for that."
Author's note: Oh dear, it's been a while. Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review! Thanks! Another chapter will be up soon!
