I have been looking forward to these next few chapters.
I rolled over, right into Scorpius's chest. Mumbling something unintelligible, I sat up and stretched yawning. Glancing into the bed next to ours, everything came flooding back. James's blessing. Albus's sleeping form. Cuddling with Scorpius. Groaning, I flopped back down on the pillow. Al's bed was empty, and I could hear his shower going from the bathroom connected to his bedroom. Groaning, I rolled out of bed and glanced at the clock: 3:39. We had to leave at six for the airport, and I still had to shower and do my hair and makeup before I was half presentable. Rolling out of bed, I gently shook Scorpius awake (Whassamatter? Who's dying?) and left the room.
Turning on the shower, I jumped in, and straight back out as the ice-cold water jerked me out of my half-asleep daze. Shaking off, I got back into the now toasty warm water and washed my hair. Stepping out and toweling off, I stepped over to my vanity and put my makeup on, barely paying attention enough to make sure my lipstick looked okay. I had laid out my yoga pants and t-shirt, along with a sweatshirt. Pulling my still wet hair back into a ponytail, and then sliding my purse over my shoulder, I tugged my suitcase and carry-on down the stairs, to where Dad was sitting at the table and drinking a morning cup of coffee.
"Good morning," he said as I added three tablespoons of sugar and milk to my cup. I glanced at the clock again: 4:45. I hadn't realized it had taken me so long to get ready, but then again, fifteen-year-old girl habits can be time consuming.
"Morning," I yawned, pulling toast out of the toaster and spreading peach marmalade on top. Slowly people trickled in and out of the kitchen. Mum came down with a suitcase and then Apparated into London to exchange our Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts for Muggle money at Gringotts. Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Ron and Hugo arrived, Hugo joining getting himself a cup of coffee and joining me at the table. Dad and Ron had started loading up the car, and Aunt Hermione disappeared to somewhere in the house to do something or other. Uncle George joined Ron and Dad to load the car and to magically expand it, and Aunt Angelina sat with Hugo Roxy and I. Fred and James went somewhere. Finally the four boys stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen. We packed up fifteen thermoses of coffee with varying degrees of sugar and milk, and piled into the magically extended car.
It was a white bus-like van, which was large enough to fit nine without all the suitcases. Luckily, we happened to be a family of Wizards, and now the van was expanded to seat the thirteen of us, plus our entire luggage. And there was a lot of luggage. Al and Scor climbed into the seat that had been stretched to fit four, and Roxy and I squeezed in the middle. In front of us James and Freddie clambered in with Hugo and Louis, who had joined us because Hugo had wanted a friend. Rose and Dominique, also here because Rose didn't want to be lonely, climbed into another row of seats with Mum and Hermione and Angelina. In front of them, Ron, George, and Dad filed in with Dad behind the wheel, and we set off on the hour drive to London International Airport. Just ten minutes into the drive I could feel my head starting to droop onto Scor's shoulder, and Roxy's head slumping onto mine. Within five more minutes all of us were nodding off against the windows or each others' shoulders, despite the loud honking in downtown London.
"Are we there yet?" I yawned, waking up as we were in a standstill some ten minutes from the airport.
"Does it look like we're there yet?" Al asked.
"Don't be a d-"
"Lily we don't need that language in the car, now," Fred mock scolded.
I stuck my tongue out in response as the car shuddered forward finally, and the traffic continued to move. Dad turned into the airport drive and pulled up alongside the international terminal, helping us load the entire luggage onto a number of trolleys. After parking the car, he met back up with us and we got our boarding passes before heading to the gate.
"I'm going to go get a pack of gum and a magazine for the flight," I said, standing up about half an hour before we were due to board the plane.
"I'll come with you," Al said, and we headed off to a little shop that was visible only to Wizards, one Mum and Dad had shown us our first time in London airport. They had said that if we were ever lost, go to this shop and they'd help us.
As we made our way away from the rest of our family and towards the shop, Al opened his mouth to speak.
"I saw you this morning."
"Doing what?"
"Don't play stupid."
"I'm not playing stupid, what did you see me doing that's so bad? Sleep walking or something?"
"Lily you were in Scor's bed. You know how I feel about this."
"Oh? Was I now?"
"Unless there was some other fifteen year old redhead with a thing for my best friend in the house last night, then yeah, it was you."
"You were probably imagining things."
"Lillian Luna Potter, you know full well I was not imagining things this morning when I walked past and saw you in Scorpius's bed, curled up right into his chest. You also know that I don't approve of the two of you dating, and won't appreciate it if you do."
"Listen up Albus Severus Potter, I will do whatever I want whether it concerns you or not. So you'll quit being a douche about this sort of stuff, and let me choose whom I'd like to date. Understood? Good."
Not waiting for an answer, I paid for my Witch Weekly and pack of spearmint gum before turning around and heading back to the gate. Everybody was standing up by the time we got back, and Dad was passing out boarding passes.
"We're boarding, first class guys come on."
I tugged my carry on over to the line, standing behind Roxy and in front of Scor. Together we filed onto the enormous jet, four seats on each side. Roxy darted into the window, me following her, Scor next to me, and Al on the aisle. The other members of our clan arranged themselves in the seats we had reserved, and settled in for the long flight.
"Uh, Lily?" Scor glanced around uncertainly.
"Hm?" I said while stowing my carry on beneath my seat and buckling the clip around my waist before turning to clip Scor's. I'd forgotten he'd never been on a plane, and was quite confused.
"We're going to fly, through the air, on this tin contraption."
"Correct," I was now opening the air vent while he watched with interest.
"This doesn't worry you in the slightest?"
"Are you scared?"
"A little! What if this thing falls out of the sky or something? We could very well die!"
"If it falls out of the sky, you've passed your Apparition test. I know thirteen people on this plane who for sure will live."
He seemed satisfied with my answer, for he relaxed a little and pulled out the safety card in front of him to follow along with the video now playing on the monitors in front of our heads.
"Thank you for waiting, we'll be on our way now," the pilot said over the intercom. Scorpius jerked a little next to me, searching for the source of the voice.
"Relax, it's just the pilot," I muttered. "Don't draw attention."
"Easy for you to say, you've done this before," he muttered.
Rolling my eyes, I settled back into my seat to sleep for the long flight. No sooner had I closed my eyes that the plane started rolling forward to the runway, and Scor grabbed onto my shoulder rather tightly. Opening my eyes, I looked at him to find him staring, wide eyed with fear down at me.
"Scor, let go of my shoulder, that hurts," I said.
"Right, sorry," he blushed a little and ran a hand through his hair to tousle it up. Why did every male I know do that?
"Chill, the plane has to move to get to the island you know."
"Right, being silly," he leaned back; teeth clenched as the plane sped down the runway. Smiling a little, I slipped my hand over his, which was curled in a tight fist on his leg. Working my fingers in, I squeezed it lightly, and he responded by nearly breaking my fingers. As the plane lifted off the ground and ascended to the clouds, he relaxed a little bit more. At least he relaxed his grip on my fingers. Leaning back again, I settled in for the flight. Or at least until the flight attendant came down with drinks.
The girl was skinny, almost painfully so, and wearing high heels, along with her uniform. Blonde hair was hairsprayed to perfection, stiff and unmoving. She was nothing like the kindly old witch who ran the trolley on the Hogwarts Express. Passing out the napkins, Roxy asked for a Coke, I aSprite, Al a Coke, and Scorpius was at a loss for words.
"He'll have a Coke," I told the flight attendant. She gave her fake little smile that they're trained to do, and then set her eyes on Scorpius. Yes, he's quite good looking. Looking him up and down, she gave a genuinely bigger smile and leaned across Al to place the can down on his tray table, giving him a view down her shirt. Scorpius smiled at me and pressed his lips to my forehead, and thanked the flight attendant for the Coke. Scowling, she turned away.
"Everywhere you go, you just seem to attract women, don't you?" I whispered. Roxy heard me and snorted into her cup of Coke, poking me in the side.
"Got a problem with that sweetheart?" she muttered as I glared at her and Scor talked with Al.
"I never said I did," I muttered back.
She smirked.
As if that settled the matter, Roxy pulled out one of the many magazines she had brought for the trip, and we spent the next two hours gossiping like normal fifteen year old girls – or as normal as two teenage witches on a Muggle airplane could possibly be considered.
Sometime in the middle of the flight I fell asleep, because when I woke up we were over the ocean and the sun was shining. Scorpius's arm was wrapped around my shoulders and he was snoring lightly, head resting on the seat. To my right Roxy was curled with her feet tucked beneath her, a set of headphones plugged into the armrest where music was playing. Satisfied that nobody would see me, I pulled out Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and started the chapter on Thestrals for my Care of Magical Creatures essay. I hadn't been at it long before the others yawned themselves awake, glancing around as if shocked to see they were in the air.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're beginning our descent to York's Island, we ask that you return to your seats and remain there for the remainder of the flight. We'll be landing in approximately 26 minutes," the pilots voice crackled a little as it went off, and I shook Roxy awake.
"What do you want?" she groaned, slamming the window shade shut to block out the rays of light. "It's too early."
"Get up, we're landing soon."
We passed the remainder of the flight teaching Scor and Al how to play Go Fish! a Muggle card game that the two found fascinating.
When the plane dropped in altitude upon approaching the runway, Scor grabbed my hand again and I laughed.
"Told you this thing was bound to fall out of the sky. I'm just amazed we made it seven hours before it happened!"
"Scor we're landing," I said between gasps. His eyes widened as we thumped down onto the runway, and finally came to a stop.
"I'm never getting on a plane again."
