"So how was it to grow up in an anti magic family?" James asked Lily as they sat by the beach and watched the sunset.
"Um, can we not talk about this?" Lily asked squirming slightly away.
"Why, what did they do to you?" James demanded sensing something was wrong.
"Nothing," Lily said. "It's just, I was a little too young and a little too dumb to think the day would come when Tuny would drive away and take her love with her. So I grew up fast in a whole new world, waved goodbye to that little girl,
sometimes I can see her now, innocent and seven," Lily said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You know sometimes I wish I had never turned eleven."
"Why?" James asked hugging Lily closer to him.
"Because if I wasn't a witch Petunia and I would be friends, I mean, I want my child to grow up knowing my sister the way I knew her, not like how she is now, resentful and jealous. When we were young she was sweet and caring and sharing and she
wanted what was best for everyone, not just her and her horrible husband."
James couldn't reply, all he could do was hold Lily close to him and rock her from side to side.
"But that's not what we want to talk about right now," Lily said with a sniff. "So how was it growing up with your little tomboy sister, I remember when I first met her she wore one of your old ties and told me she was going to be in Gryffindor
and she wasn't all sugar and she sure had some spice in her, I mean you must have some stories."
"Well there was this one time I found her playing with my guitar," James began. "She was writing this song about our neighbor. You know that girl in Ravenclaw, she was always trying to make up crap about our relationship and all that?"
"Yeah, Rita something right," Lily replied trying to remember the girl James was talking about.
"Yeah her, well she was our neighbor and Jess hated her, I mean the guys and I were practically in love with Snivelly compared to her loathing for Rita, and I mean even after he called you a you-know-what," James said. "Anyway, Jess stole
my guitar and she began writing this song, I think she called it the Only Prettier, but it was about Rita, about how she thinks she's superior and all that. It's a really good song."
"Do you have a copy of it?" Lily asked intrigued.
"Yeah, in my guitar case in the hotel," James answered.
"I'd love to see, and with her permission perform it."
"I'm sure she'd love it."
"You should owl her when we go back in and ask."
"I will."
"Good, do you remember how any of it goes?"
"Um, I think it goes 'we got a lot in common you will see, we're just like you, only prettier,' something, something, something," James tried, causing him and Lily to begin laughing.
"Wow, next number one," Lily joked, earning a punch in the ribs from James.
"Oi, that's my sister you're dissing there," he laughed.
"That's her song you're destroying," Lily replied punching him back.
"Fair enough," James surrendered.
James and Lily fell quiet and watched the waves crash over the rocks, they eventually got tired and fell asleep there in each other's arms.
"We love romance and candle lights," Lily sang into her hair brush as she took her shower the next day. "You like a cold beer, we like a fine wine, you hardly talk, we can talk all night, you wanna fix it, and we just wanna cry, it's a
girl thing, it's a girl thing."
"What's a girl thing?" James asked when he walked into the bathroom.
"It," Lily replied.
"New song?" James asked.
"You'll just have to wait to find out, won't you," Lily replied, sticking her head out of the curtain to stick her tongue out at James.
"I guess I will," James lamented. "When's your next concert?" He asked.
"You'll have to ask Trin," Lily replied.
"I haven't seen her since last night when we came back from the boardwalk."
"She must still be out with Sirius."
"Yeah, I guess," James said running a hand through his hair.
"Stop doing that," Lily snapped.
"Stop doing what?" James asked, confused.
"Running your fingers through your hair," she clarified.
"You can't even see me how-"
"I know everything James Potter."
"Yeah, I know."
"Now go away, I'm naked in here," Lily snapped.
"Now I don't wanna go," James whined.
"Get out," Lily screeched.
"I'm going, I'm going," James said, leaving the room.
A few minutes later Lily came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her chest and another around her hair.
"Hello beautiful," James smiled when he saw Lily walk in the room.
"Hello," Lily replied planting a kiss on James' head.
"So what do you want to do today?" James asked.
"I want to go to the mall," Lily said before sitting by her boyfriend on their couch.
"Ok," James replied.
"Really?" Lily asked surprised he was so happy with that. "I do mean the shopping mall, you know, the one with stores and clothes," she teased.
"Yeah, I know," James answered. "I wanna spend time with you before the end of the summer."
"Ahh, I have the sweetest boyfriend ever," Lily declared with a smile.
"I second that," James said with a cocky grin.
"Yeah I'm sure you do," Lily said with an eye roll before she stood up and walked over to her closet.
"So when do you want to leave?" James asked while he watched Lily chose her clothes and get dressed.
"Um, well I still have to get ready," Lily said over her shoulder. "So I'm thinking an hour or two."
"Ok," James replied with a shrug.
"So what stores do you want to go to?" Lily asked as she went into the bathroom to do her makeup.
"I don't know, I'll see what they have, I could really do with a new guitar strap and a pick, because I collect those at every place we play," James said. "Oh and I could also do with some better quidditch padding because the stuff from
Hogwarts isn't holding up any more," James teased.
"Oh you really are a prat," Lily hissed, throwing a towel at James.
"I thought we moved past this part of our relationship," James said in fake hurt.
"I don't know why we're still together," Lily said with a shake of her head.
"Because you love me bestest," James joked.
"Ok," Lily replied with an eye roll.
"So Lil, where do you want to go?" James asked.
"I'm going to hit up my favorite stores and see if my friends are still working there," Lily answered as she came out of the bathroom.
"Wow," James breathed when he saw her.
"What, is something wrong?" Lily asked, confused.
"No, you look amazing, I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep my hands off you," James said.
"Oh please, I look like crap," Lily said as a blush began covering her cheeks.
"If this is your definition of crap, what's your definition of amazing?" James asked.
"I don't know, put together, this is just my casual to go shopping look," Lily said with a shrug.
"Well I love your casual shopping look," James said.
"It's just fitting I love you too isn't it," Lily smiled before leaning over to kiss James.
"I am pretty amazing," he said cockily.
"You and your ego," Lily said shoving his shoulder as she stood up. "Well come on," she said when she grabbed her purse and James wasn't with her.
"Oh, now, I thought you said an hour or two," James said jumping up.
"So I lied, I forgave you for lying to me," Lily said as she walked out of the room.
James' heart dropped before he ran after her. "Wait, what lies?" James demanded.
"Oh just the ones you told while we were at Hogwarts, you know, you and Mal were just friends, you really loved me, Remus was just really sick, just those ones," Lily said with a shrug.
"Lily I'm so sorry about that, I haven't lied to you since then though, I swear," James said.
"James I knew you were lying to me what you said those things to me, I don't care," she said slowly.
"Really?" James asked.
"Really," Lily confirmed. "Now I want to rub my new boyfriend in Jordan's smug face," Lily said as she continued walking.
"So what mall are we going to?" James asked when they hailed a cab.
"There's one just outside of Pensacola that I used to go to when I was young or when I would visit my mum," Lily said as they climbed into the cab. "Cordova mall," Lily said when they got into the cab. When they got to the mall Lily's
face split in half the smile was so huge.
"Here you go," James said when he paid the cab driver.
"I've got to go to Starbucks first because I haven't had one yet and I need my Starbucks, but then we have to go to Cookie Connection and show you off to an old ex best friend," Lily said.
"Ok," James said taking Lily's hand. Lily smiled at him gratefully before squeezing James' hand and walking over to the Starbucks.
After the places their orders and got their drinks they went over to the small bakery. Lily was nervous to see her old friend but she was happy to have James as backup with her.
"Can I help you?" A young sales associate asked when they walked into the store.
"Yeah, is Jordan still working here?" Lily asked.
"She does still work here but she's on her break, I can give her a message for you if you like," the lady offered.
"Um, no that's ok, do you know when she will be back?"
"She'll be back in twenty minutes," the lady said.
"Ok, thank you," Lily said before pulling James out of the store.
"I love muggles," James said when they left the store.
"Oh yeah, I should have warned you, Cookie Connection is an amazing bakery," Lily said with a smile.
"It's bloody brilliant," James exclaimed.
"Good," Lily laughed.
"Red?" A male voice asked causing Lily and James to turn around to see who was talking.
"Morgi!" Lily exclaimed before dropping James' hand and jumping on the boy in front of her.
"I haven't see you in so long, how are you?" 'Morgi' asked.
"I've been amazing, I came back from England a year ago and met up with Kenzie, Trinity, and Jasmine and created a band, we've been touring around the state all year," Lily said. "But how have you been, I heard you left Crater and you dropped
off the face of the earth. How have you been?"
"I've been alright," the boy said with a shrug. "I went back to Crater for our senior year and you weren't there to take me to prom," he teased.
"She took me instead," James cut in. "James Potter, her boyfriend," James said sticking out his hand.
"Nice to meet you James," the boys said. "I'm Morgan, I'm Lily's 'brother'," he said taking James' hand.
"Oh, funny that I haven't heard of you at all," James remarked.
"James stop," Lily snapped.
"I just want to meet your friend," James said.
"It was super great seeing you Mrs. Curly Fries," Morgan said before turning to walk away.
"Wait Morgi," Lily said before shooting James an angry look. "I wanna see you again, when are you free?"
"Um, I'm free right now, or tomorrow from noon till one, then I have a plane to catch to Cali," he told her.
"How does tomorrow at Spoons work?" Lily asked.
"Perfect, until then," Morgan said with a little bow.
"See ya butt head," Lily called out before turning back to James.
"He seems like a delight," James said sarcastically.
"That's my childhood best friend you jerk," Lily said shoving him.
"He didn't seem too interested in being your best friend if you catch my meaning," James said.
"So?" Lily demanded.
"So he should know that you're taken," James explained.
"You are truly an egotistical prat, aren't you," Lily said.
"I thought we've already been over this," James said lazily.
"Ugh, James I'm going back to Cookie Connection, if you're done being a prick you can come or you can wait until I'm done and we can go back to the hotel," Lily said with a sigh.
"I'm sorry, I want to meet your old friend," James apologized.
"Ok, I accept your apology," Lily with a nod. "Let's go."
They walked back over to the store and within a three seconds of them walking into the store there was a squeal of "Lily!" A girl with short brown hair with multi colored highlights came over and jumped on Lily.
"Jordan," Lily said happily giving her old friend a hug.
"Who's this beauty?" Jordan asked when they separated.
"This is James," Lily said with a smile.
"Nice to meet you," James said while extending his hand.
"Well, it looks like Lily has done something good with her life to land Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome," Jordan said in a passive aggressive way.
"It was nice seeing you Jor," Lily said while giving James' hand a squeeze to tell him she needed to go.
"You too, oh we should get together soon before you leave again!" Jordan exclaimed.
"Yeah we should," Lily said in a noncommittal way. "It was great to see you!"
"It was very nice to meet you," James said while leading Lily out of the store.
"You too!" Jordan shouted at their retreating backs.
When they were a ways away from the store Lily found a bench and collapsed into James' shoulder.
"You did well," James tried.
"I let her get to me," Lily said with a shake of her head. "You know, she and I were best friend when we were in school and now I'm exhausted by five minutes of conversation."
"You still did well," James said running his fingers through her hair.
"Did you hear her comment about you?" Lily asked.
"Yeah," James whispered.
"Imagine five, five, I'm talking f-i-v-e years of that," Lily said.
"It's done now," James told her. "Unless you want to, you never have to see her again."
"You're right," Lily said.
"Thanks," James said cockily.
"Come on," Lily said with a sloppy smile, "I wanna go to back to the hotel."
James stood them up before turning on his heel and taking them back to their hotel room.
"You know there were muggles there?!" Lily screamed when they arrived.
"So?" James asked with a shrug.
"You can't do that when there are muggles around," Lily hissed.
"Oh calm down it's fine," James said.
"I hope so," Lily groaned into his chest.
"Come on, let's watch one of your movies on the Telly," James suggested.
"You mean TV?" Lily asked with a smile.
"British muggles call it a Telly, ok," James snapped with a laughed.
"Ok whatever," Lily said while she walked over to the couch.
"So what to watch?" James asked pointing his wand at the tv to turn it on.
"Oh I love this show!" Lily said when Friends came on the screen.
"Alright," James said relaxing and watching the show before him.