Alice's POV (What else is new! I plan to have James POV in the future! And some chapters will return to my initial 3rd person POV)
I was out with Lily doing some shopping. I normally wouldn't be spending time with her if it was just the two of us but my stay at Grimmauld Place had brought us closer. However, my stay bad been cut short. The reason being I was utterly embarrassed. I had accidently said James' name instead of Alubus'. An accidental slip of the tongue that meant absolutely nothing mind you! But, I had to get out of there regardless. I suspected James had overheard my little name mix-up because that day at lunch he kept looking at me. He usually stares at me incessantly, but he had a knowing grin this time. Even though he hadn't mentioned it I knew better. Regardless both my parents and Nick would be back tomorrow.
So far I'd only found a few pieces of clothes I planned to wear on weekends when I was back at Hogwarts. I was quite excited when I spotted a small golden charm in the shape of a heart. Nick and I hadn't had an official six month anniversary date and I planned to give it to him when he came to visit to me tomorrow. As cheesy as it sounds that way he'd always have my heart on his sleeve.
"Do you like these?" Lily asked holding up a pair of light blue jean shorts.
"Yeah their cute. Are you buying them?"
"I don't know . . . "she said studying them. "You don't think their too short." She said timidly.
"Lily! For goodness sake if you like them get them!"
Lily would be starting her third year but I felt like her family still regarded her as a baby. She wasn't only the youngest in her family, she was also the youngest girl in the whole Weasley/Potter clan.
"So . . . has any boy at Hogwarts caught your eye?"
"No don't be silly." There was a hint of pink in her cheeks.
"It's not silly."
"Well it's completely just completely absurd . . . boys don't think about me in that way . . ."
"Lily what are you ranting about?"
"Well . . . let's just say I don't look like you."
I bit my lip in puzzlement. Just how could I convince Lily she was wrong. Oh! That's right.
"No you don't! You're far far prettier!"
"Oh come off it!"
"Lily soon enough there is going to be more guys interested in you than you know what to do with."
"Oh my! However will I handle them all?" She asked in a playful tone.
"Do not worry my dear, manage thy will." I countered in a false aristocratic voice.
"Oh really? Tell me would you mind sparing a tip or two." She followed with a drawling voice and mannerism that reminded me of Scorpius' dad.
"Lily don't . . . I can't . . ." I held my stomach which pained me from laughing so much.
"Really though Alice how do you keep guys at bay?"
I took her question into serious consideration.
"What you have to do is get yourself your very own James Sirius Potter he'll pretty much hex any guy who's interested in you. Heck he'll hex any guy who tries to get within five feet of you. Sure he'll be incredibly annoying, but if you're lucky enough the cream will rise to the top and you'll land yourself with your very own Nick."
"Nick" I repeated again dreamily with a smile. "Hey, how about we grab a sundae?" I grabbed the shorts Lily set down and went to pay for them at the counter.
"You didn't have to buy them for me Alice." Lily said as she bit into her sundae.
"I wanted to. You shared you're room with me it's the least I could do."
"Thanks."
"So, are you excited for the new school year?"
"I'll finally be able to go to Hogsmeade."
"Oh! I love Hogsmeade it's the best Nick and me had our first date there and it's just about the only place I can get away from—" I stopped myself.
"James? Alice its fine just say it!" Lily laughed.
"I don't mean to sound rude but Hogwarts castle is how big . . . and James seems just to run into me all the time. " I thought back. "Thank God my dad let's me hang out in his living quarters whenever I don't want to be heckled by him. I swear it's like he knows where I am all time!"
Lily suddenly looked away. She knew something.
"Lily? Is there a reason James always knows where I am?"
"Well there's no harm in telling you. I never promised I wouldn't." She said with a smirk. "A while back James snatched a piece of parchment from our dad's desk. It was blank, but only at first. James knew it must have been important so he and Freddy tinkered with it for a while. I'm not exactly sure how but they figured it out. It's a map of Hogwarts. It shows what everyone in the grounds is doing—"
". . . every minute of every day," I finished for her. "I've definitely heard of it before . . ." I thought back distantly to a conversation between my dad and George Weasely. "But, either way that prat!"
"Don't tell him I told you. He'd just annoy my ear off asking whether you seemed pleased or not."
"Not!" I answered immediately. "But don't worry Lily my lips are sealed, scout's honor!" I raised my hand. She looked at me confusingly. For someone with muggle cousins I assumed she'd get the joke. Either way I was dead set on not placing James' siblings in the middle of our bickering.
We continued to eat our sundaes and I learned more about Lily than I ever thought possible. It turns out her muggle cousins; well second counsins had introduced her to muggle literature. She suggested I read Alice in Wonderland, We also shared what it was like having Luna as our godmother."
"Tell me she didn't!"
"She did," sighed Lily.
"I can't believe she also gave you a cork necklace for your eleventh birthday! And we didn't know because neither of us has actually worn it in public."
We continued on like this until we finished our sundaes.
"You know I'm not quite done shopping. If you wouldn't mind accompanying me to another store there's a matching top in it for you."
"Sure, hanging out with you is a lot more fun than I thought it would be." She looked at me half-horrified. "Sorry! I didn't mean it the way it came out!"
I covered my mouth to keep my drink of lemonade from spilling out as I laughed. "Relax! I get it. Too bad it took a hit to the head and a broken arm for us to become friends!"
It was dinner-time when I led Lily to the Floo Network at the Leaky.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" I asked.
She grimaced as she looked over at Seamus trying to extinguish the flames from his cooking.
"No I really shouldn't. We said we'd have dinner at Shell Cottage. Are you sure you're not interested in going?"
"I'm sure. Anyway, if I spend any more time with your family they might as well adopt me."
"Okay then bye. Oh! I almost forgot! The family says happy birthday" She startled me by giving me a hug and handing me a purple parcel with a green bow.
"Wow! Tell everyone I said thank you."
She took a handful of floo powder.
"Speak Clearly!" I reminded her.
"Shell Cottage." She vanished in a green haze.
I opted to skip on Uncle Seamus' overly cooked meal; hopefully there would be something in the pantry of our family's upstairs apartment.
I made my way upstairs and unlocked our front door. "Oh my God . . ." I said aloud. The living room had a banner saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALICE! And there was a bouquet of wildflowers on the coffee table. I picked them up gingerly. They were absolutely vibrant. I held them to my nose. There were few people who knew my preference of wildflowers over roses.
"Nick!" I thought happily.