Lily looked around nervously, crumpling the paper in her hand. She had been given a paper by James with Sixteen Gilnela Boulevard written on it. It had taken nearly the entire walk with James for the address to register: It was James's family home. He had delivered the news that his parents had died a year and a half ago with little emotion, but that didn't surprise her. James's inner hardness had become apparent the first time she actually met him, and although it had softened for her, nothing had changed for his parents. Now, though, she was stuck waiting in the kitchen for James to come and get her for her introduction. He had actually left her in the entryway, but a familiar House-Elf had ushered her into the kitchen, remembering her 'Young Miss'.
Things hadn't changed much: the kitchen, untouched by and of the Mrs. Potters, was decorated in the eclectic preference of the three House-Elves who worked in it. Lily lovingly ran her hands over the old, scarred oak kitchen table that had once been the family dining table, but was now retired. She had put a few scars of her own into it when she took a very limited amount of cooking lessons before she finally gave up. James had fully encouraged it when she nearly cut her hand off.
"Hey, Lily?" Remus asked, sticking his head in the doorway. "Ready?"
"Re-Remus? You're here, too?"
"Almost all of us are here today. We're deciding if we're going to vote in a new member, this is a big event. Besides, could I let you face the bull with just James and Sirius at your side? I think not!"
Lily laughed ruefully, "Thanks a mil."
"I do try."
Remus warmly led her into what used to be a large family room, but was now set up in rows of chairs with a large desk at the front, a chalkboard, and a chair which seemed especially for her.
Nobody appeared to be there, even Remus disappeared once they were in the room. Feeling panicked, Lily started backing out, and would have completely left if James hadn't appeared behind her, and began propelling her forward. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "They're under invisibility spells for their safety. In case you don't get in, they're positions aren't revealed."
"This feels ridiculous."
"I know, I had to do the same thing. Sirius and Remus will take their charms off, and I won't put mine on. Come on, Lily. Quit being a wimp."
"I am not a wimp."
"Prove it."
"I will," she snapped out, and stalked toward the chair stationed for her. Lily crossed her legs angrily, ready to pick a fight. James seemed to have that effect on her lately.
"Please state your legal name and age for our records," a voice to her right said. It was deep and raspy, as if from someone very old and not exceptionally healthy.
Lily was startled, hearing voices but having no face to place it to was very disconcerting. "Er, Lily Adelle Evans-Potter, that's hyphenated, and I'm twenty-three years old. I'm going to have my name legally changed though, so you can strike out the Potter if you want." Lily didn't dare look at James.
"Very well. Why do you think you would be a contributing member of The Order of the Phoenix? You have no job to give us inside connections to, and James has told us that you have no connections with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"I, well, I thought you knew."
"We have to have your own admission. Why do you believe you should be one of us?"
"I…I, well, I have a gift for Legilimency and Occlumency. I'm really fairly good at it. I always have been."
James remembered the first time she had told him that, he had been shocked, and then suspicious, wondering what she knew about him, and then reluctantly admiring. Whispers went around the room, and James could imagine people turning to one another, smiling and making excited exclamations. Lily could indeed be very useful.
"How do you think this could help us? Do you have a connection with The Dark Lord?"
"No more than anybody else," Lily said, bristling at the implication that she had a special relationship with him. "However, I do know that I can get inside his mind on occasions, usually only when he's sleeping or really very preoccupied. He always knows though. I can definitely block him from my own mind, so I think there's very little risk to me."
"Can you read his present thoughts at all? I understand it's very rare, but sometimes it can occur."
"Not very often. I can only do it if I concentrate only on that, and I don't have to worry about interruptions. You must understand I didn't have the opportunity many times, so I'm no expert. It's also very exhausting and upsetting to me, I don't enjoy it at all."
"Thank you. Do you have anything else to add to the matter, ma'am?"
"No, nothing at all. Shall I step out of the room for a vote or something?"
"Just a few more questions. Would you be willing to answer a few questions about your allegiance to The Dark Lord under Veritaserum?"
"May I have the questions you're planning to ask in writing first? I would rather not divulge personal information."
"Fine, fine, fine."
Lily listened to the scratching sound of a quill against parchment. It soon appeared to float over to her. "This is fine," she consented, "however I expect you to stick to this faithfully."
"We will. I assure you, our intent is honorable with the good of the Order as our sole intent. Just a few sips are necessary."
Lily accepted a small teacup, looking between it and the front row warily. James, Sirius, Remus, and now Peter, being a late arrival, were all smiling at her. Peter waved happily at seeing her for the very first time. Sirius made a funny face and Remus smiled reassuringly, looking very calm. James was watching her intently, and when he saw that she was looking at him, he winked. Figuring that if neither of the four of them were leaping out of their chairs to knock it out of their hands, or at the very least looking hesitant, she was safe.
Lily felt the cool burn of Veritaserum slide down her throat, and then a light-headedness settled.
"Mrs. Potter, we will begin now," that same voice said slowly and clearly, as if talking to a child. Lily reflected that that was how she talked to Celeste when she was being complicated.
"Okay."
"Are you a Death Eater under cover?"
"No, I am not."
"Have you ever willingly helped He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"No, I have never helped Voldemort if I could avoid it." Lily was dimly aware of whispers again, and she sort of felt like she was drunk.
"Given the chance, would you rejoin The Dark Lord and his forces?"
"Never."
"Do you harbor feelings, romantic or otherwise, for him?"
"I hate him," Lily said violently, putting more force into it than she meant to, and she gritted her teeth.
"Would you willingly join our Order and participate in our activities whole-heartedly?"
"No. I will never be near Voldemort again, I refuse. If one of the things you would want me to do is sneaking into his residence, I won't."
"Very well, that's all. I think that if you'll step outside, Lily, we'll vote."
Lily nodded, and shakily left the room; Veritaserum really did make you feel intoxicated. She slid down the wall, eagerly anticipating when her mind would be fully her own again and she could lie. Then again, maybe she was lying too much. It had really become a habit with her lately, and come to think of it, so had babbling. She had also become an excessive coffee-induldger, part-time smoker, and finger-drummer.
Inside the room, invisibility spells were taken off, and a great amount of rustling and comparing with neighbors were being done.
"Do we have any discussion before this taken to a vote?" The raspy voice, now placed to the body of Gideon Prewitt, not an old man but a heavy smoker. "None? Very well, raise your right hand if you wish to induct Lily Adelle Evans-Potter, that's hyphenated, into The Order of the Phoenix. Very well, hands down. Raise your right hand if you are against the addition. Very well. Lily Adelle Evans-Potter is now an official member of The Order of The Phoenix by an eleven to three vote by the present quorum. James, could you give her an understanding of our rules and policies? If there is no further business, let's adjourn."
*~*~*
Lily walked down the road hastily, trying desperately to be quicker than James. Maybe she could make the first portkey time, and he wouldn't, and she could completely avoid him. That would be really, really beneficial right now. But then, she couldn't smoke around Celeste, and Professor Figg had consented to take care of her as long as she needed to. Immediately changing directions, Lily started digging in her purse for a lighter and that small, rectangular box, and began searching for a coffee shop. Two vices being fulfilled at once, how excellent.
"Since when do you smoke?"
Lily jumped at the voice behind her, and inwardly groaned. "Are you my chaperone?"
"Apparently you need one. That's a bad, disgusting, and very unhealthy habit." James plucked the cigarette from her fingers and tossed it on the pavement as he walked beside her. "My next guess, knowing you the way I do, is that you're heading towards a coffee shop. It's not a good habit, but it won't kill you."
"Thanks for the advice. Don't you have someplace you need to be?"
"Not really. Penny's working the late shift…"
Whatever else James said was drowned out as Lily ground her teeth. "Would you just shut up?"
He was taken aback. What had brought that about?
"I am so sick of this entire thing. I don't know what you think you're doing, but I want it to stop."
"Want what to stop?" James asked in confusion, ruffling his hair nervously, something he hadn't done in ages around Lily.
"You hang around me, tell me what to do like you're my husband, flirt with me like you've got a crush on me, and then go home and eat dinner with Penelope. I hate it the way you act like you know me, but you don't, James, not anymore, not at all."
James stood there, staring pensively as she glowed in her anger, obviously pent up. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
"About what?"
"About what happened. I think that might be the first step for smoothing things over between us. That way, I'll know what to avoid, and what I can help you with."
"Why do you want to smooth things over between us, James?" Lily asked in a low voice. "Have you forgotten that you're married to Pen-wait. Technically, you're married to me. Not her. Instead of a divorce decree, you had a death certificate, and look who isn't dead? So technically, you're living with her. Okay, so as a revision, have you forgotten that you're living with Penelope? There is no point of trying to smooth things over, James. I don't feel that we're hostile toward each other, maybe we're friends, I don't care. I'm going to a solicitor tomorrow, and I'm getting the legal divorce papers drawn up, and you'll be served as soon as possible. That way, you can marry Penelope, and I can start piecing my life together. Without you, James, so stay out." Lily started walking away again, digging once again for her cigarette stash, this time to annoy him.
"Lily, stop it," James said sharply, making her pause. He grabbed the entire pack from her and stuck them in his own pocket. "Maybe I should be one of the pieces in you life."
*~*~*
AWWW, cutesy! Okay, I'm leaving in approximately seven hours for vacation, so see you guys in a couple of weeks. I don't have time to list the reviews, but a special thanks to everblue3 for the awesome review, it was really great.
I have a rather bit storyline revelation, but I didn't really have time to work with it this time, but I will next time. Adieu!