Chapter 10-Sshh! It's a Secret!
Author's*Note-Just wanted to address something that someone mentioned in a review about how they can do magic outside of Hogwarts if they're under age. What can I say?? Oops! Forgot that little detail…let's see if I can try and conjure up a reason, though..
My answer-Since Mr. Ryan is very influential in the wizarding world, he managed to get permission for the kid's to perform minor spells while under his supervision…just as a simple convenience! How does that sound?? Hmm…well I tried! :-)
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Ryan, Mrs. Bones." James greeted as he stepped into the Ryan's "entrance room". The Ryan mansion, like most of its kind, had a designated room that was specifically and officially for the arrival of guests coming into the house by Floo powder.
On that particular afternoon, James had made it a priority of his to retreat to the entrance room so that he would be able to dutifully meet up with his family, who, based on the information he'd gathered from Mrs. Ryan the day before, were due to arrive at the mansion at that time.
"Good afternoon, James." Mrs. Bones smiled warmly as she asked, "Are you here to welcome your parents?"
"Yes, ma'am." James confirmed.
"Oh, and tell me, dear, are they bringing little Annabelle with them?" Mrs. Bones questioned, her eyes sparkling with hope.
"I would assume so…unfortunately." James grinned slightly, thinking endearingly of his mischievous 7-year old cousin. Ever since she was but 5 years old, Annabelle Stanley had been residing at the Potter estate with James and his parents. Due to reasons unknown to James, her parents (James's father's sister and her husband) had come to visit his family for about a week during the Christmas holiday that year, then abruptly left, abandoning their little girl. Several weeks later, the Potters had received word that the Stanley's had been murdered. James assumed that his parents knew of the exact details of the murder, given that they had been avid participants in the investigation of it, but had never desired to know exactly what had happened to his aunt and uncle. He knew that, at that very moment, there were dark forces brewing in the most secluded, isolated areas of the wizarding world. He did not choose to acknowledge them, though. He was well aware that ever since the very establishment of his world, there had always been a group of wizards who believed in an entirely different, cruel and twisted type of magic. They had always been restrained and apprehended, however, before they'd even gotten the slightest chance to gain power. Therefore, James was sure that whoever it was that was presently trying to spread a wave of fear over the magical community would certainly soon be discovered and thrown into Azkaban for their horrid doings.
"James, dear, are you all right?" Mrs. Bones asked, her voice containing much concern.
"Oh, I'm fine…I must have just…spaced out." James explained, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Well, it appears as if you came back to Earth at the right time, dear. Your parents seem to be arriving at this very moment."
James looked to the room's single fireplace, which was now kindling an emerald green fire. In only moments, James's mother stepped out of the flames, looking completely unfazed by the ordeal that was traveling with Floo powder. A few seconds passed before Mr. Potter, tiny Annabelle in his arms, joined his wife.
"James! Oh, my little Jimmy." Mary Potter instantly cried, rushing toward her son and embracing him. As much as James hated to admit it, he had always been very coddled by his mother.
"Dad, I told you to make her stop calling me that." James mumbled, kissing his mother's cheek.
"Good afternoon, son." Nicholas Potter greeted with an amused smile, patting James on the back.
"I trust that you've been a fine gentleman during your stay here as of yet?" Mary questioned, her voice loving, but firm.
"Mary, I can assure you that James has been a perfect gentleman. Tell me, dear, how have you been as of late?" Mrs. Ryan addressed Mrs. Potter.
"Splendid." Mary responded, her voice warm and congenial.
"Mary!" Mrs. Bones stepped forward to embrace her friend.
"Deirdre! It's wonderful to see you. Tell me, have you heard anymore about Alison and Jeffrey?" Mrs. Potter's voice contained a great deal of concern.
"Well, they still haven't returned from their vacation. I suppose that they decided to indulge themselves by staying a few more weeks."
"A few more weeks? Deirdre, they were due to return 2 weeks ago and it is very unlike them to be spontaneous." Mary observed.
"Wait, the McKinnon's are missing?" James asked abruptly, his voice curious with stun.
"Oh, James, I wouldn't put a label on it yet. These women are simply far too anxious…you know how bad your mother's nerves are. I'm sure Ally and Jeff are on a beach somewhere right now while these two are fretting." Nicholas shook his head, as if he thought his wife foolish.
"Nicholas Potter, my nerves are just fine, thank you very much! I am not being anxious, I'm being sensible." Mary argued, her voice defensive.
"Worrying your son is not something I'd call a sensible action."
Mary gave a short cry of disagreement as she glared firmly at her husband. "I suggest that YOU should be the one that stops making unreasonable assumptions!"
"SO, Belle, how's life been treatin' ya?" James interrupted, focusing his blue-eyed gaze on his tiny cousin.
Annabelle giggled, understanding James's sudden change of topic. She was quite unusually intelligent for her young age.
"I'm good. Uncle Nick, please let me down. Being carried around makes me feel like such a child." Annabelle shook her curly black tresses as her uncle set her down on her feet.
"And look at her..she is obviously a grown woman! Dad, how could you be so foolish?" James chuckled as he scooped Annabelle up so that she was eye to eye with him.
"The old age is getting to him." Annabelle whispered in a not-so-discreet tone.
James grinned. "Yea..he's over the hill, all right."
Suddenly remembering one of the reasons he had come to meet his parents, James gently placed Annabelle back on the floor and turned toward his mother.
"Mum, when you get the chance, there's someone I'd like for you to meet."
Annabelle giggled. "Oooooohhhh….I bet it's a girl."
"A girl?" Questioned Mary, her curiosity pricked.
"Um..yeah, actually it is a girl. She's one of Jenn's friends."
"What is her surname, son? We may be acquainted with her family, Mary." Nicholas suggested pleasantly.
"Oooooh, yes! Tell me, dear, does her mother read Witch Weekly?" Mary, who had happened to inherit the empire from her mother, was currently running the popular magazine.
"Is her father a fan of the Cannons?" Nicholas inquired, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.
"Well, her surname is Evans, but-." James began apprehensively.
"Oh, Nick, we could invite them to our next dinner party! Or possibly, they could come for tea?" Mary announced excitedly.
James rolled his eyes. As was usual after the announcement of a new girlfriend, his father would immediately ask all about her father's opinion of various Quidditch teams, while his mother would start rambling about inviting the girl's family to every possible event she could think of.
"Actually, mum-." James began, but, once again, was quickly cut off by his mother.
"Oh, let's not dwell on specifics right now. Your father and I not only have to settle into our room, but we also have so many people to catch up with. We'll learn more about this new girl when you introduce her to us. Now, dear, could you please watch Annabelle for us? Our affairs for the day appear dreadfully boring for a child."
"I….all right." James uneasily agreed, taking hold of the little girl's hand.
"It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Ryan, Mrs. Bones. I'll talk to you later, mum, dad. Bye!" After bidding farewell to his parents and their friends, James quickly ushered Annabelle outside.
Lily was waiting for him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * "Where is he?" Lily voiced the question that had been running through her mind for the past 10 minutes.
"Do I look like his secretary?" Sirius asked, not bothering to look up from the article he was reading out of the Daily Prophet.
Lily shifted restlessly in her seat. "I'm getting kind of bored."
"Mmmm…that's nice." Sirius mumbled from behind the newspaper.
"What exactly are you reading?" Mandy inquired from the seat next to his, attempting to crane her neck so that she'd be able to get a look at the article Sirius was so very interested in.
"Well?" Lily asked her friend.
Mandy rolled her eyes. "The Daily Quidditch Report."
Lily sighed. "Honestly. Don't you men ever read anything of substance?"
"First, I get, 'Sirius, don't read dirty magazines'. Now, I get, 'Sirius, don't read anything about Quidditch'. Ladies, may I ask what exactly you expect me to read?"
"I don't know…something important..something about world issues-like politics!"
"I know my politics." Sirius remarked defensively
Mandy raised her eyebrows at Lily. "All right, Sirius. Who's up for Minister of Magic this year?"
"I don't know all of the nominees..but one of them is Preston Patil."
"Um…and how exactly did you know about him?" Mandy asked, plastering a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.
"Are you kidding me?? His daughter is totally hot!"
Mandy groaned. "You're such a jerk."
Sirius pouted and wrapped his arm around her. "Aww…Mandy, don't be jealous. I think you're hot, too."
She kicked him in the shins.
"Ooohh, and feisty. Just how I like my women." Sirius grinned and leered teasingly at her.
"Go…..to…..hell." She responded slowly, glaring daggers at him.
Sirius clutched at the right side of his chest and gasped. "Ooooohhhhh…ooooohhhh…ughh…I think I'm dying. She's, she's given me a heart attack with her nasty words!!"
"Sirius, your heart is on the other side of your chest." Lily remarked simply.
"Oh." He quickly changed the position of his hands so that they were now clutching the left side of his chest and, once again, began to moan.
It was then that James showed up.
"Hey, Lil." He bent down and kissed her cheek.
"Hey, you." Lily murmured happily, a smile playing on her lips. She then noticed the little girl next to him.
"Oh..and who might you be?" Lily asked gently.
"Annabelle, his cousin." The girl explained shortly, nodding her head. She tended to be very shy around people she didn't know, a quality that had many of the Potter's friends describing the child as "curt".
"Hi, Annabelle. Hey, James." Mandy greeted pleasantly.
"Hey, Mand, what's-." James stopped and gave her an awkward look.
"What's wrong with him?" He gestured toward Sirius, who was now on the grass, writhing in pain, causing many guests to stare worriedly at him.
"Is he dying?" Annabelle asked worriedly, her eyes wide.
Mandy let out a resigned sigh and remarked dryly, "If only we were that lucky."
Sirius abruptly sprang up and pointed an accusing finger at Mandy. "You….are…so hurtful."
"Cut the crap, Sirius. Be normal around the kid." Mandy advised, her tone agitated.
As if just realizing whose presence he was in, Sirius's countenance changed from one of utter despair to another of positive delight.
"Belle!!!! My favorite little friend!! It has been far too long since we last met!" Sirius cried out dramatically, dropping to his knees in front of the little girl.
Annabelle giggled. "Sirius, you just saw me a week ago before you came here."
Sirius shook his head thoughtfully. "Really? Huh…time is a tricky thing."
"Then again, most things don't come too easily to Sirius." Mandy whispered to the little girl.
"Hey, Ms.Nasty, give it a rest!" Sirius opened his hand and then clapped it shut in an instructional gesture.
"Are you telling me to shut up?" Mandy demanded, sounding just a tad angry.
"Ooo..you do catch on quite fast." Sirius complimented in a mocking tone.
"Sirius!!"
James sighed and whispered to Lily, "My, God, does it ever end?"
"No..it's like the Energizer Bunny…just keeps going, and going, and going." Lily quipped.
"What do Mandy and Sirius have to do with rabbits?" James questioned, his brow furrowed.
Lily let out a short laugh and looked up into his naïve eyes. "Never mind. C'mon, let's leave them to their arguing."
Lily grabbed James's hand and led him and Annabelle away from their bickering best friends.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heather Black's breath was cut short as a sudden realization dawned on her.
"No, this isn't happening..this isn't…it can't be!" She whispered anxiously, her tone conveying an infinite amount of worry and fear.
"Oh, god…" She allowed her body to go limp as she slid down the wall of her private bathroom, coming to rest on the cold, hard tile.
Her face scrunched up in despair, and within seconds, her cheeks were wet with tears.
She whimpered hopelessly as she curled up into a ball, her head sinking down to her knees.
"Not now, not now…" She breathed, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to halt the tears.
After a few minutes of silence, she let out a long shaky breath and reached up her left hand to the side of the porcelain sink that was within inches of her body.
She gripped the edge of it and slowly pulled her body up. Once she was standing up and decidedly steady on her feet, she crossed to the door of the bathroom and unlocked it. Without hesitation, she turned the knob and quickly stepped out of the bathroom and into her spacious bedroom. She immediately headed for the fireplace, wiping her eyes and cheeks as she walked.
She picked up a little jar of what appeared to be some kind of sparkly dust off the top of a nearby nightstand and sprinkled a pinch of the powder into the fireplace. At once, red-orange flames erupted from the 3 logs piled up in the center of it.
"The main parlor."
In seconds, Mrs. Ryan's head appeared in the fire. At the sight of Heather's pale face, her forehead creased with lines of worry.
"Heather, dear, is there something you need? I can send one of the house elves up-." Mrs. Ryan began.
"Oh, no, no..that won't be necessary. Could you..um…find Jenn..and send her up here, please?" Heather requested politely, trying very hard to make her voice sound normal.
Mrs. Ryan paused. "Dear, if something's wrong, I could get your mother-."
Heather's eyes went wide, but she managed to contain herself. "No, don't bother her. I just need to speak with Jenn about something."
Mrs. Ryan, once again, paused. Except, this time the silence was more drawn out. Finally, she spoke. "All right, dear. I'll send her right up as soon as I can locate her."
Heather managed a faint smile. "Thank you. Good bye."
Mrs. Ryan looked very slightly miffed. "Good bye, dear."
With a pop, her head disappeared from the fireplace.
Heather let out a deep breath. She hadn't meant to be so short with Mrs. Ryan, but under the circumstances, she'd had no choice.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, Mandy, I believe that we have some plans to discuss." Sirius stated a few minutes after Lily and James had left the table, his voice surprisingly civil.
"The only plans I want to discuss with you involve your suicide." Mandy responded caustically.
"Hey, c'mon, this is for real. You told me that you'd go to the wedding with me."
Mandy paused for a second. "Oh, yeah."
"I really think that we have to work on our social skills." Sirius suggested, his voice containing just the slightest hint of mischief.
Mandy immediately picked up on his tone and became suspicious. "How exactly do you propose we do that?"
"Well, we could hang out with each other…say, maybe, 8:00 tonight? Dinner and dancing…you know, for practice."
Mandy considered his suggestion. Was he actually being careful about how he represented himself as brother of the bride at the wedding? Or was this some type of prank? Even though the latter sounded much more appealing to Sirius, she decided that she should give him a chance.
"All right." Mandy reluctantly agreed.
Sirius grinned. "It's a date, then."
Mandy's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa..it is not a date. We're just friends, remember?"
Sirius smirked and tauntingly teased, "That's not what you said last night."
Mandy rolled her eyes. "See, just then we were having a NICE conversation. Did you absolutely have to go and ruin it with your immature nonsense?"
"Ah, Mand, loosen up a little. Why do you act so differently around me? You're always so tense and sarcastic with me. Is that like your defense mechanism or something?" Sirius prodded.
"What, prey tell, would I be defending myself against?" Mandy crossed her arms, awaiting his answer with amusement.
"Your overwhelming attraction to me." Sirius stated slyly, puffing out his chest in an arrogant manner.
Surprisingly, she laughed lightly and sat back in her chair. "Sirius, your ego is about as big as your rating on the annoyance scale."
"Say all the mean things you want, but just know that every time you insult me, I'm thinking 'She wants me'." Sirius responded, his smirk growing.
Mandy stood up and, in an act that made Sirius's jaw drop open, sat down on his lap and tossed back her hair.
"That's right, Sirius. You've finally uncovered my deepest, darkest secret. I want you." She stated in a seductive tone, her voice suddenly obtaining a very breathy quality.
Sirius looked taken aback. In a meek, shocked voice, he asked, "I was right?"
She ran a hand across his face and leaned closer to him. "Yes."
Sirius's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"R-r-really?"
At last, her mysterious attitude vanished as she broke into hysterical laughter.
Sirius's shocked expression morphed into a frown.
Mandy cupped his face with her hands and sputtered between giggles, "The…look…on…your face…was…PRICELESS!"
"That was mean." He replied, sounding about 10 years younger than he actually was.
Mandy got up and then leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Ah, the tables have turned. It's not me that wants you, but completely the other way around!"
Sirius huffed. "At the moment, I could not like you less."
"Sirius is in love with me, Sirius is in love with me!" Mandy chanted jauntily, a contagious smile on her face.
Sirius joined in on her happy mood. "See, that's the Mandy I was talkin' about before."
Mandy stopped her chant. "Wait, you're not mad at me?"
"Nope."
Her eyes narrowed. "C'mon…not even a teensy bit of anger…annoyance maybe?"
"Not even a little bit."
Mandy frowned. "Why not?"
"Because I like to see you smile." He responded honestly, his tone full of conviction.
Mandy crossed her arms in an act of insecurity. "Oh."
Sirius looked up at her, and for the first time in a long time, she truly looked back at him. The eye contact continued for about 10 more seconds before it was abruptly cut off.
"I have to go. I was supposed to meet Sarah for l-lunch." She lied, backing away from him, her voice firm but vulnerable.
"I'll see you tonight."
"Bye." She waved lamely and turned around, hurrying away as quickly as she could without being conspicuous.
Sirius shook his head sadly and got up out of his chair. He sincerely doubted that he could ever get Mandy McQueen to admit that she cared about him just as much as he cared about her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
After a short walk, Lily, James, and Annabelle had ended up sitting in a secluded grassy area.
"So, Annabelle, what are your hobbies? What kinds of things interest you?" Lily chirped, trying to be as upbeat as she could be without appearing phony. The little girl seemed to be so quiet and withdrawn around her that she felt the need to try her best at making her comfortable.
Annabelle remained silent.
James sighed. "Belle, don't be rude."
Annabelle looked up at James, a distant look in her eyes.
"I don't know her." She said simply.
Lily shifted uncomfortably. James noticed that and smiled reassuringly at her.
"Don't worry, she's like this with almost everyone. She doesn't trust many people." He explained.
Lily decided not to prod any farther, even though her curiosity was piqued. James's short explanation would have to do for the moment.
"So…you told me this morning that you had a surprise for me." She said, her obvious interest and excitement at the prospect displayed in her eyes.
James grinned. "Yes, I do. Well, do you remember what you were saying to me last night?"
Lily bit her lip as she tried to concentrate on their conversation the night before.
"Weeellll, I called you a liar....I threatened to curse you..and I told you that I dislike you," she mulled, appearing pensive until her eyes abruptly widened.
"OH MY GOD…..the surprise is that your breaking up with me!" She cried out in distress.
James immediately responded. "No, no, no…I wasn't taking you seriously, then….I mean, not that I don't take you seriously..or that I disrespect you in ANY way, but I…y-you were just joking..well, at least I thought you were…it appeared that-…oh, hell, Lily the surprise is that my parents are here and would like to meet you."
Lily's eyes returned to normal as she visibly calmed down. "Oh…well, that is MUCH better news. Believe me. Oh, and you shouldn't get so flustered when you dig yourself into a hole, it's not good for you."
James reddened slightly, something very uncommon for him. "I didn't want you to get offended. Been there, done that."
"With who?" Lily questioned, tilting her head.
"Oh, well you know, other girlfrien-." James stopped himself before he said that final word.
Lily raised her eyebrows at him.
"You know, I should really stop talking now." He suggested aloud to himself, nodding his head.
Lily smiled, amused, and leaned over toward him. She gently gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then lingered inches away from his face.
"You're so cute." She mumbled, running her fingers through his hair.
"Yeah, well I try." He grinned.
James leaned in for another kiss, but was quickly interrupted by a soft noise.
Annabelle was clearing her throat suggestively.
Lily backed away.
"We shouldn't be doing that…in front…u know, of her." Lily mumbled, looking flustered.
Annabelle turned around so that she wasn't facing Lily and smirked at James.
James raised his eyebrows and gave her a "look".
Yea, she appears innocent, James thought to himself, but damn can that kid be devious.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"All right……first love?" Jenn asked playfully, nudging Remus's arm. The two were laid out on beach towels in the middle of the Ryan's quidditch pitch. Going along with a suggestion Jenn had made, the two were making their relationship "official" by asking each other personal questions. They were tired of describing their connection as a "fling" and were willing to take the necessary steps to make themselves into a full-fledged couple.
Remus looked uncomfortable, but answered anyway. "Uh….Charlotte King."
"Charlotte?" Jenn asked, incredulous. Charlotte King was a very pretty Gryffindor whom Remus had dated for about 5 months in their 4th year. Not only was Jenn surprised that he'd actually been in love at such a young age, but also by who he'd been in love with. Charlotte may be pretty, but, in Jenn's opinion, she was much too full of herself.
"Hey, this is a game of questions, not judgment." Remus corrected.
Jenn let out a reluctant sigh. "Fine. It's your turn."
Remus thought for a minute. "First kiss."
Jenn grinned and replied, "Brad McKinnon."
Remus's jaw dropped open. "That git? What could you have possibly seen in him?!"
Jenn smirked and answered innocently, "Oh, but sweetheart, I thought this wasn't a game of judgment."
Remus glared at her. "Your turn, dearest."
"Hmmm….how about…most embarrassing moment at Hogwarts?"
Remus smiled faintly and laughed. "Uh..that would be the day when Sirius and James spiked my pumpkin juice with love potion. Professor McGonagall saw them do it and came over to our table. Unfortunately, she ended up being the 1st person I saw, so I spent an hour telling her how beautiful and magnificent she was while Professor Lorn (A*N-the Potions teacher) made the antiserum."
Jenn tried to hold in her laughter, but was unsuccessful.
"Same question." He told her.
Her laughter stopped and a sour look took over her features. "On my very first date to Hogsmeade in our 4th year, Mandy turned my hair this bright pink color. Oh, I looked awful!"
Remus smirked and began to laugh. "That was you, wasn't it?!"
Jenn frowned. "I doubt there was anyone else walking around that day with PINK hair. Not to mention that I was already wearing pink robes. Oh, god, I looked like the cotton candy princess or something."
"I saw you…you looked…all…right." Remus stuttered, trying to sound believable.
"Remus, you and Sirius were the ones that pointed at me and yelled 'Look who it is-MaJENNta Ryan!'"
Remus snickered. "Oh yeah, sorry about that."
Before Jenn could respond, she spotted her mother hurrying onto the field.
"Jennifer!"
Jenn got up and strode over to her mother.
"What's up, mum?"
Mrs. Ryan's face was full of worry. "Dear, I'm afraid something is very wrong with Heather. I just talked to her about 20 minutes ago and she seemed quite distressed. She wanted to speak with you."
About what? Jenn thought to herself, her confusion evident in the puzzled look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your time with Remus, honey, but if I were you I'd go up to her right away. She's in her room."
Jenn nodded. "I know..I definitely have to go up..but what shall I do with Remus? He's not going to want to just sit there. I might be a while."
Mrs. Ryan paused, thinking. Her face lit up as she suggested, "How about I take Remus and introduce him to some friends of the family?"
Jenn bit her lip, looking hesitant. "Uhh…mum, I don't know if he'd want-."
"Remus!" Mrs. Ryan called out, smiling pleasantly, "Dear, Jenn has some..business..to attend to. Would you like to come with me and meet some of Jenn's relatives and friends of our family? I'm sure they'd be delighted to meet Jenn's new beau."
Remus eyed Jenn, speculative. In response, the girl shrugged as if to say "Why not?"
"All right." Remus agreed at last.
"Oooohh, splendid! Come along now, dear." Mrs. Ryan motioned for Remus to follow her out of the quidditch pitch.
He kissed Jenn goodbye and then hurried after her mother.
"I'll see you later!" He called out, before disappearing around the corner of the fence that surrounded the field.
"Bye!" Jenn yelled, waving.
Once she was alone, she paused for a few minutes, thinking.
What in the world could Heather be so upset about? She thought to herself. And what could I possibly do to help?
After deciding that she wasn't going to figure out why she was needed until she was told, Jenn began to make her way up to her home.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Oh, Mary, if I were you, I wouldn't worry. I'm sure Ally's fine. She'd been complaining for weeks about how much she needed a vacation, so don't be surprised that now that she's finally on one, she's milking it for all it's worth." Margaret Branchard said with confidence.
Alana Black (A*N-Sirius's mum) looked doubtful. "I understand what you're saying, Marge, but surely they wouldn't leave young Brad at home by himself for so long. I know both Ally and Jeff very well and they are certainly not those types of parents."
Denise Flynn sighed. "She's right, you know, Margie. You have to admit that it's awfully peculiar of them to leave Brad unsupervised for such a long time. He's not exactly an innocent angel, if you know what I mean."
Celia Finnigan clicked her tongue. "Denise, don't you think it inappropriate to talk in such a gossipy tone at a time like this?"
Mary Potter, who'd been trying to keep her nerves in control through her entire conversation with her friends, decided to speak up. "Ladies, maybe my husband is right. Maybe we all need to just calm down. We're worrying ourselves sick! Well, at least I know I am."
Alana placed a consoling hand on her friend's shoulder. "Mar, even though I have my suspicions, I doubt that they are in any type of danger."
"But we all know what's out there these days. Just two years ago my sister and her husband were murdered and Ministry officials are yet to find their killer! We have to be cautious. Dark times are ahead…I can it feel in my very bones." Mary trembled slightly as she spoke.
"Mary, where is it that they finally found Laura and Trent?" Celia asked, her tone serious.
Mary's face paled. "In-."
She was quickly cut off by Alana's sharp hissing. "Ssshhhh!! Sshhhh!!! Here come the children!"
Mary turned in the same direction as Alana and beheld James and a very pretty red-headed girl approaching their group, hand in hand. Annabelle could be found in front of the couple, looking restless and bored.
Mary took a deep breath and eyed her friends, willing them to end their conversation.
"Mum!" James greeted, smiling broadly.
"Hello!"
At the sight and sound of Mary, Annabelle went running. "Aunt Mary!"
Mary smiled endearingly as she gave her niece a hug. "Hi, sweetie."
"There's someone I'd like for you to meet," James announced, nudging Lily forward.
"Mum, this is Lily Evans."
"Hello, dear, I'm James's mother, Mary." Mary smiled in delight as Lily shook her hand.
"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you." Lily responded politely.
James was just about to say something, and, noticing that, Mary held her pointer finger up. "One moment, darling."
"Nicholas!!" She cried out.
A few tables away, Mr. Potter's head turned.
"Love, James has brought someone for us to meet!"
Mr. Potter apologized to his companions and then quickly strode over.
"Hello, I'm Lily. It's a real pleasure to meet you, sir." Lily greeted pleasantly, holding out her hand.
"Same to you, dear. I'm James's father, Nick." Mr. Potter shook Lily's hand.
"So, dear, what are your parents' names? I can't come up with anything for Evans off the top of my head, but I'm sure I'd be able to place a name with a face if I knew what their first names were."
Lily paused. She knew that there was no way that Mrs. Potter knew her parents, but decided to humor her anyway. "Lori and Jeff."
Mrs. Potter crossed her arms, thinking. "Nick, love, can you think of anyone by the name of Lori or Jeff Evans?"
"No, dearest, I can't." Mr. Potter replied, crinkling his eyebrows together in thought.
James cleared his throat to get his parents' attention. Their heads shot up simultaneously.
"Lily's parents are Muggles." James explained shortly.
There was an awkward silence.
Then, Mrs. Potter spoke up. "Well, dear, since we don't know them already, I guess we're just going to have to get to know them!"
James smiled at his mother. She had never been one for making people feel uncomfortable. James knew that his parents had nothing against Muggles, but, judging by their silence, just didn't expect for him to be dating one, considering that all of his previous girlfriends had been purebloods who had parents whose grandparents knew his.
Lily smiled, also. James's parents seemed like nice people…. maybe a little arrogant, but not voluntarily.
"Yes, I agree. Lily, you'll have to extend an invitation to our home to your parents. We'd love to meet them." Mr. Potter agreed, flashing Lily a reassuring grin.
"I'm sure they'd love to meet you, too." Lily replied, smiling even wider.
"Well, now that you've met, please excuse us, we have some quality time to catch up on." James smirked as he waited for his parents' approval.
"Aunt Mary, please let me stay with you. Their idea of 'quality time' isn't something I want to be a part of." Annabelle begged in a mischievous voice.
Nicholas grinned knowingly. "I'll watch her for the rest of the day. You can go spend some time with Lily."
James grinned and bid farewell to his parents and his mother's friends. Lily reiterated how delighted she'd been to meet them, and then followed James into the Ryan Mansion.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
When Jenn arrived at Heather's room, she paused for a minute or two, just staring at the door and wondering what would occur after she opened it.
Then, she stepped forward and knocked softly on the smooth mahogany.
Silence…and then, "Jenn?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Come in."
A soft click confirmed that the door was now unlocked.
Jenn turned the knob and entered.
The first thing that she saw was Heather, sitting on her bed with her head down.
"Heath?" She prodded.
Heather looked up and Jenn's eyes widened slightly. Her face was very pale, her cheeks tearstained, and her eyes glassy.
"Heeyy…" She greeted, her voice shaking.
"Oh my God, Heather, what happened?" Jenn rushed over to the bed and sat down beside her future sister-in-law.
Heather looked up. "I'm sorry for bothering you, but I needed to talk to someone."
"Well, do you want me to call your mother?"
"NO!" Heather gasped, her eyes wide and desperate.
Jenn held up her hands in submission. "Okay, I won't. I promise."
Heather visibly relaxed. "Listen, Jenn, I don't want anyone else knowing what I'm about to tell you. I-I'm not ready for them to know."
"Sure, whatever you want." Jenn agreed.
Heather's face scrunched up. "Oh, Jenn, this can't be happening. It just can't."
Jenn slid closer to her. "Heath, tell me. Please, please tell me. I can't help you until I know what's wrong."
Heather let out a shaky breath and then looked Jenn straight in the eyes. She opened her mouth.
"HEATHER!" A woman's voice cried out from outside the bedroom.
Both Jenn and Heather jumped, immediately averting their eyes to the door.
"Who is it?" Jenn asked, knowing that her voice sounded a lot steadier than Heather's at the moment. She didn't want whoever it was behind that door to become suspicious.
"It's Mrs. Black, Jenn. Is Heather in there with you?"
Jenn was about to respond, but Heather tapped her arm suggestively.
"I'm here, mother." She responded, her voice surprisingly calm.
"Dear, Mrs. Ryan said that she spoke with you earlier and you sounded upset. Is there anything that I can do?" Mrs. Black's voice was overprotective and motherly.
"No, mother. Jenn's here with me, helping me solve the problem. It was her bridesmaid dress. They sent the wrong color and I got a little upset about it. But, this new color looks great on her anyway, so I'm fine now." Heather lied.
"Oh, ok, dear. You shouldn't let such minor setbacks get you worked up, honey. The wedding is going to be beautiful no matter what."
"Thanks, mum."
"All right, well, I have guests to go tend to. You girls have a fine afternoon."
"Thanks, you, too." Jenn responded politely.
"Bye, mum!" Heather chirped.
"Bye, honey. Bye Jenn."
"Bye!" Jenn replied.
The two girls waited until the sound of Mrs. Black's heels click-clacking on the floor faded into silence.
It appeared that Heather had lost her nerve. "Listen, Jenn, I don't think I should tell you right now. My mother is probably suspicious. She may sound convinced, but I know her. I'm going to go do some more persuading."
"When can we talk?" Jenn asked.
"Well, I have wedding business to attend to this afternoon. Then, I'm having dinner with Zach. How about we meet on the back terrace at 9:30?"
"That's fine." Jenn responded, wondering how she was going to get through the rest of the day.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Remus, dear, how long have you been courting little Jenny?" An older woman asked him.
Remus Lupin, who was surrounded by mostly middle-aged women, was not exactly enjoying himself.
However, he wasn't about to be rude. He smiled at the woman and responded, "About 3 months."
"Ooooohhh….Marla, you might be planning another wed-ding ver-y sooooon." The woman hinted in a sing-song voice.
Remus's throat went dry and he gulped.
"This one's skin tone is just right for black marital robes. Some of the boys the girls are bringing home these days are awfully pale. A pale man in black robes looks like he's dead." A close friend of Mrs. Ryan's stated knowingly.
Remus's eyes widened. Since when was he planning a wedding?!
"Ooooooh, and Jennifer would look so lovely all decked out in white." Another woman cooed.
Remus snatched a glass of water off the table behind him.
You know your drinking somebody else's water, don't you? The voice inside his head questioned.
Remus ignored it.
You could be drinking some kid's drink, some kid who spit in it. You could be drinking saliva right now, the voice informed him.
Remus's eyes widened once more and he spit the water out. The women gave him a "look".
"Don't drink the water." He lied in a warning voice.
"Why?!" Mrs. Ryan asked, concerned.
Remus grinned stupidly. "Because it's SO GOOD that once you taste just a little bit, you might very well go and drink all of it…and you can't have a wedding without WATER!"
The women stared blankly at him. Smooth, the voice said, real smooth.
A moment later, however, they jumped right back into their conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Remus felt himself relax.
"Well, Jenny certainly has found herself quite a catch in Mr. Lupin here." A woman with a gigantic yellow hat on her head complimented.
The women murmured in agreement.
"Oh, but dear, you really should get your hair cut. Boys are looking far too shaggy these days!" A woman in the back of the group suggested.
Remus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The only part of his hair that was even the slightest bit shaggy was the section on the top of his head, which was a very popular style at the time.
God, does my mother follow me wherever I go? He whined to himself.
The woman closest to him leaned forward and asked in a hushed tone, "Now you've respected Jenny, right? You've been a gentleman. Haven't tried anything that she's not ready for?."
Remus gulped again. He recognized the woman as Jenn's aunt.
"No, no of course not." He responded in a meek, hoarse voice.
It was going to be a long day.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
4 hours later---8:00
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Wow, we've actually been being polite and even congenial to each other. So far, so good!" Sirius announced excitedly as him and Mandy took seats at a table for two. The Ryan's had so far obeyed their promise of a "dinner party every night". Every evening, they'd conjure up a beautiful ballroom inside of a humongous, white silk tent. In the far corner, soothing dinner music was played by first-rate musicians. Each table was made of oak and covered with a lovely silk tablecloth. Laid out on top of each table was expensive china, and in the center of all the place settings was a single red rose in a tiny glass vase. The setting was quite romantic.
Mandy raised her eyebrows at her companion. "Sirius, we've only been together for 5 minutes."
"Still, though, we're doing great so far!" He grinned enthusiastically. Then, sighing as he remembered a very important rule of dinner date etiquette, he quickly got up.
"I'm sorry. I completely forgot to pull out your chair." He apologized.
Mandy stared at him in disbelief. "Sirius, you missed your chance. I'm not going to get out of my chair and sit down all over again just so you can pull it out for me this time."
"Actually, I was hoping that you'd get out of your chair, walk back to the entrance of the tent with me, walk back to this table and then allow me to pull your chair out for you."
Mandy just stared at him. "You have got to be kidding."
"Aww, Mandy, c'mon. We have to start the date off right! Pleeasseeeeeee…" Sirius whined.
"Sirius, you are drawing attention to us! Stop it!" She hissed threateningly.
"See, and now we're no longer being nice to each other! If we could just-."
"No!" Mandy whispered, glaring at him.
"Mannnndddyyyy, puh-leeaassseeee!" He begged, dropping to his knees in front of her.
She groaned and covered her face with her hands.
"Sirius, you're embarrassing us!"
"I'm not embarrassed." He stated honestly.
"Well, I am. Get up now!" She ordered.
"I'm not starting this date off wrong, Mandy."
She let out a frustrated sigh, then finally relented. She stood up, pulling Sirius with her. She quickly walked to the tent entrance and back with him.
When they arrived back at the table, she stood with her hands on her hips.
Sirius politely pulled out her chair for her, waited as she sat down, and then pushed her toward the table. He then crossed to his seat and sat down.
He smiled at her. "So far, so g-."
"Oh, would you shut up!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, on the other side of the tent, Lily and James were just sitting down, also.
"Do you think your parents liked me?" Lily asked tentatively, completely out of the blue.
James studied her worried expression.
"I mean, it didn't seem like they hated me, but-."
"Lil, they're just not used to me having Muggle girlfriends, that's all. Every girlfriend I've had so far has had parents who grew up with them. Don't worry, they aren't arrogant purebloods like the Malfoy's, they're just naïve when it comes to certain things. Believe me, they liked you." He assured her.
Lily nodded silently, then changed the subject. "So, I know we've mentioned it already, but haven't really discussed what we're going to do when we get back to Hogwarts."
James paused, thinking. "Well, I guess we'll just come back as a couple and let people say what they want."
"I can't help but think that there are going to be problems with Robbie-."
"Lily," he cut in, "I'm not going to stop liking you just because a few people disagree with our relationship."
Lily bit her lip. "Promise?"
He smiled gently at her. "Cross my heart."
"Ok." She smiled back at him.
"So, what are you going to order?" He asked.
"Umm…I'm thinking I'll get steak and fried potatoes..with an iced tea." It seemed as if she was giving her order to her plate, which, any magical person could tell you, she was.
Immediately, a juicy steak and crispy fried potatoes appeared on her plate, as her champagne glass filled up with iced tea.
"I'll have steak, also, but with a side of…hmm…corn….and pumpkin juice." James stated. He immediately received his request, also.
As the couple began to eat, they also began to learn more about each other.
"Wellll…..I've been friends with Mandy ever since the first year. We met on the train…she was kicking Malfoy in the shins for calling her a mudblood. She didn't even know what it meant back then, but as she told me, 'It sounded offensive.'" Lily grinned at the memory.
James laughed. "That was her?! She's a tough one, Malfoy had to go straight to the infirmary that day."
"So, how about you and Sirius?" Lily asked.
"We've known each other since we were infants. Our parents are very close." James explained.
Lily grinned. "So, tell me…has he always been weird?"
"Let me put it this way-when we were 7, he spent a whole day trying to convince me that Heather was Satan's spawn."
Lily laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."
"OK..I have a good question." He announced.
Lily set her elbows down on the table and rested her chin in her palms. She grinned at him. "Shoot."
He leaned toward her. "Have you always been this lovely?"
Her smile grew wider. "Mmm..you were right, that is a very good question."
"Well?" He prodded.
"That would be a matter of opinion. If you asked my sister Petunia, she'd tell you that I'm about as attractive as a monkey."
"She sounds like a sweet person."
"Oh, yes, I adore her!" Lily exaggerated.
"I can see that." James responded playfully.
"Anymore questions?" Lily asked, sliding her elbows down to the table, so that her arms were crossed in front of her.
James thought for a moment. "Yes."
"Oh, then please, don't hesitate to ask. Especially if it's like that last one. I'm completely open to obvious flattery." She grinned.
"Are you ever going to finish what you started before?"
Lily tilted her head, thinking. Then it came to her.
"Oooohhhh…..yes, I think I will."
"Go ahead. Feel free to finish any time you like. Now would be good, actually." He suggested.
She smiled sweetly at him. "The mood isn't quite right right now."
James looked put out. Then he was struck with an idea. He stood up and held his hand out to Lily.
"Would you like to dance?"
She smiled. "Now, we're talkin'."
James led her over to the middle of the ballroom, which was strictly for dancing, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She immediately responded by wrapping her arms around his neck.
"How's this for a romantic atmosphere?" He questioned, smirking.
"Not too shabby." She remarked.
"How about instead of you finishing, I start something of my own?" James suggested.
Before she could respond, James leaned down and covered her lips with his own.
Yes, definitely not too shabby.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Surprisingly, across the ballroom, Mandy and Sirius were actually getting along.
"-and then McGonagall told me she thought that I 'had something against' Snape!" Sirius exclaimed.
The pair started to crack up, finally enjoying each other's company.
"So, tell me about the time when you and James bewitched Malfoy's cauldron to say 'Severus Snape is sexy!'" Mandy enthused.
"OK..so-." Sirius was promptly cut off.
"Sirius, dear, why don't you ask Mandy if she'd like to dance?" Mrs. Black suggested, nudging her son's shoulder before walking away.
"Hint, hint." Mandy teased with a smirk.
"All right, we might as well practice."
Sirius held out his hand to Mandy, thinking it proper, even thought she'd most likely slap it away. However, much to his great surprise and satisfaction, she graciously accepted it and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.
As they swayed back and forth, Sirius started up some conversation.
"You know, you're not half bad when you're not insulting me."
"Neither are you, when you're being serious." She grinned.
"But, Mand, I'm always Si-."
"Don't start." She warned.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't be sarcastic."
"Don't give me orders."
"Hypocrite! You can't order someone to not give you orders!"
"Oh, you're impossible!"
"I'm impossible? You're the impossible one!"
"Am not!"
"We're doing it again." Mandy smiled slightly in defeat.
"Damn, we're not ones for civility, are we?"
"Guess not."
"You gotta admit, though. We make a damned attractive pair."
"Oh, yes, we can most certainly give ourselves that." Mandy grinned.
Sirius gently brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "We most certainly can."
Before he could even realize what he was doing, Sirius was kissing her. For a few blissful moments, Mandy didn't resist, but instead, actually kissed him back. Then, she pulled away, looking regretful and slightly embarrassed.
"I-I shouldn't have let that happen." Mandy stuttered, looking guiltily into his eyes.
Sirius shrugged, trying to remain upbeat. "Temporary insanity."
She gave him a faint smile. "Obviously."
Not knowing what else there was to say, Sirius remained silent as they finished out the remainder of their dance.
When the song ended, they simultaneously let go of each other. For a few moments, they just stood there on the dance floor, staring awkwardly at each other.
"Sirius, I….I had a great time tonight. Thank you for being my date. I'll see you tomorrow." Mandy stepped forward and kissed him softly on the cheek before turning around and walking towards the exit that would lead her back outside.
With a sigh, Sirius returned to their table…alone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
At 9:29, Jenn could be found at the exact place Heather had told her to meet her at. She shivered, hoping that Heather wasn't late, considering that the air had become quite chilly.
Luckily, Heather showed up but a minute later. Leave it to that girl to be prompt.
"Hey…" She greeted
Jenn cut right to the point. "Did you tell Zach?"
Heather sighed and folded her arms, stepping closer to Jenn. "N-no…I don't…I c-can't tell him yet."
"He's your fiancé…..your husband in a matter of days! You should be able to tell him anything, Heather!"
"Jenn, I'm going to tell him. I have to tell him. It's not the kind of problem that just goes away."
Jenn paused. Her brain seemed to be on the verge of telling her what Heather's secret was. It was like she already knew. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, but for some reason, she was preventing her mind from coming to a final conclusion. Maybe it was because she dreaded being the only one who knew what Heather's problem was. It would be a humongous weight on her shoulders. Or maybe, she just wanted to hear it, whatever it was, from Heather herself.
"Jenn?" Heather broke into her thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I was just thinking."
"About what?" Heather prodded.
"About…hey! We came here to talk about your problems, not mine. Don't try to sidetrack me. I want to know what's going on."
Then, as if she just needed to say it aloud, to understand that it was, indeed, true, she blurted it out.
"I'm pregnant."
And that's where I think I'll leave ya for now…:-D
Author's*Note-Hey, guys! I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG. I admit that I've been back from vacation since the 3rd, but haven't been able to set my mind on writing this chapter until just recently. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! PLEASE REVIEW!! Oh, and in case anyone is thinking that Heather is being too dramatic, I just wanted to remind you that not only is that Heather's personality, but she's also only just 20. She's scared enough by the fact that she'll be getting married in a few days, and this new little surprise just adds to her nerves.
Coming up in the next chapter---
Is Heather really pregnant?
What's the deal with Mandy and Sirius?
What's Jenn going to do, being the only one that knows the reason why the bride is so distressed??
-----and much, MUCH more…including more L/J! So stay tuned!
Oh, and once again, I shall remind you-REVIEW!!