A/N- First, I would like to thank my reviewers: Ellen Weasley, ItsNotMeItsYou, only Black lover, nessyness90210, LunaMaiaPotter, -Scp-, Adorkably Adorkable, and tcpeters
A Day in the Sun
Chapter Thirty-four
Belle walked through the cold, blustery wind wrapped in a heavy coat. Tears were freezing to her face as she walked to the door of the little yellow house on the corner. When she reached the door she rang the doorbell and waited. The door was answered by the most handsome man she had ever seen, "Hi James."
James let Lily's friend in to his home. "Hi Belle. Let me get your coat." He helped her remove her coat as he yelled up the stairs, "Lily, Belle's here."
"Thanks." Belle said she then noted that James had on his own coat. "You headed out?"
"Yes, I'm late getting back to work from lunch. Apparation works best when this happens." He smiled.
"Hi Belle!" Lily said from the staircase immediately noticing the tears on her friend's face. She would get to that once James was gone. She turned to face her husband and stood up on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun at work."
"Ha ha. I'll be home for supper." He left.
The moment he was gone Belle lost her composure. She grabbed a hold of Lily an cried on her shoulder letting loose huge sobs that shook her entire body.
Lily placed her arms around Belle and held her close. She rubbed Belle's back and whispered softly to her that everything would be alright.
When she had calmed some Belle pulled away from Lily. "I'm sorry, I'm actually here for a happy thing. Or at least it should be." The convincingness of this statement was severely downgraded due to Belle's tears and obviously fake smile.
"Come sit down and we'll talk about what's bothering you." Lily led Belle into the kitchen and the two sat down at the wooden table.
"Where is Ariel?" Belle asked looking around.
"She's just upstairs playing with Barbies. Don't worry about her. What's bothering you?"
"I'm here to ask you to be my maid of honor."
"Who are you marrying?" Lily asked. She hadn't spoken to Belle since she had been in the hospital.
"Kingsley."
Lily felt as though she'd been hit in the stomach. She kept fixating herself on the day she saw him stumbling out of the Hogs Head in diagon alley. "I'm so happy that you've chosen." She said once she realized that Belle was waiting for a response.
"So you won't be my maid of honor?"
"What? Of course I will be! You're my best friend Belle. I have to stand up at your wedding I can't believe you even questioned that for a moment."
"It's just that we haven't seen each other in a while. I was wondering if we were even still friends."
"I'm sorry, Belle. I've gotten busy and forgotten to be around. I'm really, really sorry. Please forgive me?" Lily immediately resolved to spend more time with her friends. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd spoken to Marci. And Alice! Who knew how her marriage was working out? She'd gotten way too carried up in herself.
"That's okay. Here's the deal. We finalized everything today and we're going to have the wedding the day after tomorrow because Kingsley want's to get it over with. So there really isn't time for shopping and the like so just wear whatever you've got around. We're going to be a real slapstick bridal party."
This was all happening so fast. "What time?"
"The wedding is at 4. Be there at 3?"
"Sounds perfect, Belle." She understood Belle's former tears of frustration and anger. She was being placed in a lifetime commitment with a man she hardly knew. She had been lucky to get a gentleman, she only hoped Belle could be so lucky.
"Great. I've got so much to do between now and then, so I'll be going now. I'll see you then." Belle stood up to leave.
"You're certain that you don't want any help with the planning or anything?"
"Yeah, more than one person will just slow me down. Can't have that, Can I?"
Lily stood too. "No I guess we can't.": She walked Belle to the door, but before she would let her leave Lily grabbed her into a hug. "I love you, Belle. And I'm here for you. You can tell me anything. Everything works out in the end. Think about that rather than the fact that you don't want to do this."
Belle smiled wanly and exited with a wave.
Belle was getting married. The day after tomorrow. Really? Who gets married on a Sunday? She really hoped that Kingsley's eagerness was due to his happiness at finding someone like Belle to marry, for Belle's sake.
James returned home at 7 on the nose. He noted the smell of something savory coming from the kitchen and assumed that supper was ready. He removed his coat and entered the kitchen to find it transformed into something similar to what he imagined hell to look like. There were bridal magazines and scraps of fabric on ever available surface, but the really scary part was Lily's calm in the face of this mess and her own multitasking. He could tell immediately that she was gently reprimanding Ariel for some wrong done, holding a piece of off white fabric up to her eyes and moving her finger in a stirring motion using her magic to stir what he could only assume to be tonights supper. He was immediately struck with pride that she was catching on to wandless magic so well. Most people had terrible troubles with it. "What's going on?"
"Thank goodness you're home. Supper's almost ready." With a wave of her wand she removed all of the debris from the table and left it in organized stacks on the counter. She turned back to the soup. "Belle is getting married the day after tomorrow. She's having us all just grab an old dress to wear so we don't need to worry about that, thank goodness. We can run out tomorrow and grab a present. I knew this was coming I can't believe I was so unprepared!"
"Lily, It's okay. We'll work everything out." He said soothingly. "Why am I just hearing about this now?"
"Belle and Kingsley set the date today! That's what she was here to tell me. Apparently Kingsley wants to "get it over with." That's an excellent attitude with which to go into a wedding, isn't it?" She ended sarcastically.
James merely nodded.
...
When supper had ended and the dishes had been cleaned and put away James immediately volunteered to spend time with Ariel while Lily finished with whatever it was she was doing.
"Daddy, I want to watch a movie!" Ariel informed James.
He loved being called Daddy. When this law had first come out he'd wondered about his ability to be a father, but now he knew that it was what he was meant to do. "Of course, sweetheart, go pick something out." She and Lily had been slowly introducing him to their Disney collection.
"Honey girl, you might want to show Daddy your favorite movie. It's about time you make him watch it repeatedly." Lily smiled at her daughter.
"Okay, Mommy!" The little girl ran from the room in search of the film.
"James before you two settle down would you mind helping me bring my wedding dress down here?"
"Why?" It was the first thought that came into his head. What could she possibly want with it.
"I'm going to transfigure it."
"You can't transfigure it! It's the dress you wore at our wedding!"
Lily wanted to respond with a scathing comment. It was none of his business! But she'd learned that it was better to find out what was bothering him or to explain her reasoning than to start a useless fight. "Why are you so upset about this?"
He looked to the floor before answering, "I guess that the dress means something to me, and I thought it might mean something to you."
She reached out to grab his hand in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. "James, come sit with me at the table."
James did as she requested. He was always shocked when she initiated contact, because it happened so infrequently outside of the bedroom.
When they were settled she reached out her other hand and clasped his larger hand with both of her small ones. "It does mean something to me. That's why I have to do this." As she spoke James looked up with a strange look on his face that she couldn't quite identify. She could only hope he was trying to understand. "Every woman deserves to have something special on her wedding day. Having that dress meant so much to me that I can barely describe it. Right now Belle is planning on wearing the dress robes she's been wearing to school dances. I got Marci to smuggle me the Bridal magazines Belle's been keeping since she was 9. look."
He felt the absence of her hands acutely as she opened the nearest magazine. He saw that she'd found a dog eared page. When she turned it toward him he saw a picture of a woman looking away from the camera with a wedding dress on. The sleeves of the dress were tight to the elbow but flared out from there. They were circled in black pen and curly letters had written, PERFECT!"
"She's been picking out pieces of gowns for years. I'm going to transfigure my wedding dress into her dream dress."
He couldn't really argue with her about this. He completely understood why she would want this. "Are you going to let her keep it?"
"No! Of course not! Anyway, I'm lousy at transfiguration that lasts for a specific amount of time. She will probably give it back to me before the reception for fear of it turning back into my dress." She let out a small giggle.
"Are you sure it will be only temporary?"
"Oh yes. I've never pulled off a permanent transfiguration."
"Lily, you are the top of your class. How is it you can be so terrible at transfiguration?"
"I'm not that terrible! Plus, I really rock in Charms and Potions and pretty much every other subject. You know Ariel has probably already started the movie without you."
"What is her favorite movie?"
"The Little Mermaid." she answered his question and watched him walk from the room. She then set to work on finding the neckline Belle had picked. It was the only piece she hadn't found.
Within moments James had returned with her dress. He saw that Lily was engrossed in a magazine so he didn't disturb her. He immediately went to the living room to find his daughter.
Lily marked the finding of the neckline with an audible cheer. She looked up to find the dress waiting for her and felt an immediate rush of gratitude to James for bringing it down. She placed the bulky garment on a chair and started her work.
She began with the color. None of the magazines had specified color, but Lily had heard Belle's remarks about the color of Lily's dress. While Lily's dress had been an off-white almost cream color, Belle had informed Lily that "real" wedding dresses were whiter than snow. With a flick of her wand the dress changed colors. She then added seed pearls throughout the bodice, then changed her mind and removed them. Instead she added small stones that reflected the lights. They looked like millions of tiny diamonds. She removed most of the bulk from the skirt, ironically this was the part of the dress that she had liked least, but Belle had insisted upon.
She replaced the straight hemline with one that included a long train. She easily became absorbed with the task, only occasionally having to glance at the magazines lying all around her. As she was putting the finishing touches on the gown Ariel ran into the room crying.
"Mommy!" The little girl ran to her mother and sobbed in her chest.
"Shush, Honey Girl, it's alright." She wrapped her arms around the small child. She looked up to find James standing in the doorway a stricken look on his face. He was pale. She immediately assumed that what had upset him had also upset their daughter. When the flowing of tears had slowed some Lily suggested that Ariel finish her movie to which her daughter replied:
"But, Daddy says I can't!" She stated between sobs.
Lily looked up once more and noticed that in his hand James held the movie. She reached up to take it from him and felt no resistance. She looked at the tape. It looked fine. The film wasn't broken as far as she could tell. She decided to try the VCR here for herself. "Well, lets try the movie again, Okay, honey girl?"
She picked Ariel up and they walked past James into the living room. Lily started the tape with ease. "Baby, stay here." She left Ariel in the room and headed back to the kitchen. There she found James. His face had been transformed since the last time she'd seen him, from guilt to anger in a matter of seconds.
"What's wrong?" She asked cautiously. Something must have come up while she'd been gone.
"How can you allow her to watch that poison?" His voice was filed with anger but the volume was kept low. Lily recognized that he didn't want Ariel to know that they were fighting.
She was genuinely shocked. It was a Disney movie, there was nothing inappropriate in it. "Are you talking about The Little Mermaid?"
"That movie makes it seem like all witches are evil! What does she think about you? About me? What will she think about herself when she goes off to Hogwarts?" He noted that at his words Lily's face paled. He would be lying if he didn't admit that he felt a little smug at this observation.
Lily was cautious with her answer. How could he not have noticed? "I explained to her that most witches and wizards were like Glenda. We've never spoken about you. I'm not even certain that she knows you are a wizard."
"Who is Glenda? You don't believe that she would have noticed me doing magic around the house?"
"Glenda is the good witch from The Wizard of Oz." At his confused look she added, "Another movie." I'm sure she has, but to her it's not unusual. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought we were both muggles."
"You haven't even told her that you are a witch? Do you want her letter to come to her completely out of the blue?"
She replied hotly letting her anger get the best of her. "First, she's four. The letter is not coming tomorrow. And she may not even get one!" Immediately her hand flew to her mouth. She wished nothing more than to reach out and snatch those words back.
"What are you talking about? Of course she'll go to Hogwarts. Why wouldn't she?"
She decided to ignore the question. Maybe he would get the hint and back off, or better yet figure out the answer for himself.
When she didn't answer James felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He reached out and gently, but firmly took a hold of Lily's arm. "Answer me, Lily. Why wouldn't she?"
"I'm a muggle born and He is a muggle. The odds of her having magic aren't all that much better than they were for me. Plus she hasn't ever had any," here her voice lowered so that he could barely hear, "accidents."
"So she may," he stressed the word, "not be magical. Why haven't you told her that we are?" He wasn't entirely convinced that Ariel was not magical. Sure four was pretty old to show magic, but it wasn't unheard of for people to start as late as 10. He wouldn't believe it until she failed to receive a letter from Hogwarts.
"You don't know why?" She couldn't believe that he had no idea, but at this question he merely raised his eyebrows and shook his head from side to side, as though he thought she was the one who had overlooked something. "Squibs have a terrible lot in life. They don't feel as if they belong in any world. People in the magical world mock them for not sharing the gift, but they can't share any of their life at home with anyone in the muggle world. I'm not going to do that to her. I hardly use magic away from school. I want her to know how to do things without magic and to be able to share her life with someone who may or may not be a muggle."
James released Lily's arm and moved to sit at the table. He placed his face in his hands and sat there for a moment to think. He'd never even entertained the thought that Ariel wouldn't be magical. It was something he had always thought he would never have to worry about with his own children. He would simply refuse to accept Lily's determination until Ariel had turned eleven. Everyone was different when it came to showing their magic. Maybe Ariel just had better control than other children.
That was where his thoughts cut off, because that was when Lily began giving him a neck massage. He was so surprised. Twice in one day she had touched him. He couldn't help feeling proud of Lily for becoming comfortable with him. "mmm, that feels good." He opened his eyes and turned around, pulling his shoulders out from under her gentle ministrations. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd planned to do, but the urge to turn around had been great. Lily's face was streaked with tears and her skin was a mottled red.
"Please don't punish her for this." She raised her hand to keep him from speaking. Lily was barely keeping her sobs in check. She'd known that he wouldn't be able to understand. Ariel wasn't even a squib, strictly speaking, but she was close enough for people to talk. Squibs were looked down upon in the magical world even more so than muggleborns like herself. "She loves you and wants nothing more than to..." Here a sob broke in and she knew she was about to loose what was left of her calm exterior. She let the rest out in a rush, "...to please you." She could no longer hold them back, so she allowed sobs to wrack her body.
She tried to walk away, but was thwarted in her attempt by James who grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his lap. She struggled for a moment and then went limp in his arms. After a moment she realized that one of his hands was rubbing circles on her back, the other was on her hip holding her on his lap. He was whispering "Shh." In her ear. It felt good and soon the body wracking sobs had subsided and only slight hiccups remained.
How could she even think that his feelings for Ariel rested solely upon her ability to do magic? Perhaps he'd been wrong in thinking that she was starting to trust him. "I love Ariel. That has nothing to do with what we've been speaking of. Do you understand?
She nodded mutely. She hoped for Ariel's sake that he was telling the truth, but she wasn't so sure.
"Love doesn't come with conditions, Lily. At least mine doesn't. I love her and I love you. That will never change." He could tell that he was making Lily uncomfortable, and yet he was still not expecting her to stand up from her seat upon her lap, which was, of course, what she did. She stood silently in front of him with her hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes were downcast and she was biting her lower lip. She looked like a chastised child in front of her chastiser. He reached for anything to keep that depressed look from her face. Behind her he noticed a dress. "Is that your dress?" Surely it was different.
She looked behind herself and then brought her eyes back forward. "Yes." She stated cautiously. This was an abrupt change of subject and she wasn't exactly sure how to react to it.
"It's lovely. I never would have recognized it. I thought you said you were bad at transfiguration."
"It's my worst subject, but I certainly don't carry the lowest marks in the class."
"Are you finished with it?"
"Yes." She didn't understand their sudden change in topics and tones, but she didn't want to fight. She didn't like the way James was starting to make her feel. Sometimes her stomach went crazy when he was near her. She got butterflies when he touched her. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She relied on him, wholly and completely. According to the law she and Ariel were both the equivalent of his property. That she didn't like. She didn't want to feel that indebted to another person. But, of course, there was nothing she could do about it.
A/N- The Little Mermaid did not come out until 1989, but I liked using this movie as Ariel's favorite, since the main character shares her name. Please review!