Chapter 4.

"And right over here is where your desk will be," the lady with the pink pantsuit told her.

Beth took a look at her small office space. It was everything she had imagined it would be. The cubicle was facing the western part of the building and was located near a window, something she knew she would enjoy when the days became more and more stressful. The space itself was bare, but her mind quickly put together a collage of pictures featuring her friends and family decorating the blank spaces. A vase of flowers here, a set of notepads there, and this will be perfect.

"I love it," Beth smiled, clutching all of her papers to her chest.

The lady with the pink pantsuit ushered her into her work space and handed her a small piece of paper. "This will tell you where to find your first bit of work. Unfortunately, I have a meeting in just a couple of minutes and have to be off, so I'll tell you this: the work that we do here is crucial. Everything each person does has been specifically chosen for them and is based on their competency and skill level. So," the lady said, leaning in closer to ensure the importance of what she was about to say, "do not think that we are necessarily giving you busy work by filing through papers. That's what you'll do for a while, and it'll seem tedious and unimportant, I promise. However, they are extremely important for what we do here and absolutely have to be done. Every person here has started with this and has worked their way up the ladder. Give it time and all of your effort, and you'll be able to do the same."

Beth smiled at the lady in the pink pantsuit. "I will."

"Wonderful," the lady said, standing back up. "Introduce yourself to your office mates soon. They'll be crucial to your sanity."

Beth looked around at the people in her area. They were hard at work, hardly taking a moment to breathe, nose deep in papers and post-it notes and office memos. Beth looked back to her blank desk, unsure how or when to introduce herself to the others when she currently had no work to do. The last thing she wanted to do was impose upon others' work schedules to spend time discussing the unusual amount of traffic she was in on her train this morning. Taking one last sweep of those around her, she gulped down the knot in her throat and silently decided that she would meet at least one friend before she left today, no matter who she had to interrupt. "I will," she replied to the lady, nodding to herself for extra assurance.

"And Beth," the lady called, causing Beth to look back up to her. As soon as their eyes met, the lady smiled at her reassuringly. "Welcome aboard."

The lady walked away, and Beth found herself completely alone for the first time in seven days.

She had been at James' flat for a week now, using the short break to spend as much time as possible with James and Lily. Since she had grown up around all of the tourist attractions, the days were spent finding off-the-wall pubs and pizza shops, occasionally opting to stroll through a park or tour the countryside. They'd had an absolutely wonderful time, and with every step, Beth had grown more and more confident in her decision to spend the summer here. In fact, she had been thinking that it wouldn't be so terrible if she moved back altogether, though she was still unsure how Sirius would react to it.

Of course, he'd joined right along with them on their daily trips. She hadn't even been asked if it would be alright for him to come too, not that she would have said no. It had simply been assumed that the four of them would tour her favorite country together, and together they went. He'd been there to point out every sleazy motel and adult store, always asking Beth if she wanted to go in and check it out. She had, in turn, asked the same to him about every zoo, circus, and jail, insisting that he must have escaped from one of them. They had battled each other everyday, usually uninterrupted as James and Lily led them on several steps ahead.

The first three days with him were absolute agony. He had been annoying and crude and obnoxious from the moment he woke up to the moment he fell asleep, even then creating some form of torture as he snored loudly. She'd woken up tired, jet-lagged, and angry each day, only to find that Sirius was hogging the guest bathroom for (what she hoped was) his hair. She'd pounded on the door, demanding he let her in with the early morning logic that she was the guest.

"We're both guests," he shouted back. "I don't live here either!"

They'd both been on edge the remainder of those first three days, constantly making snide comments towards each other and hoping one would stick. Even involuntarily, they were at odds. At breakfast, his hand moved too fast and spilled orange juice in her lap. She'd tripped while holding a smoothie and it landed all over his favorite leather jacket. He'd found the one slick spot on the floor at a pub and had grabbed at anything to keep him steady, his hands "conveniently" finding her boobs. She'd kicked a shoe off when she'd returned from her run and landed it on his groin. He'd yell, she'd scream, and James and Lily would rub their heads at night, trying to figure out how to keep them civil around each other.

The fourth day, however, things began to get slightly more tolerable. The forecast called for torrential rain the entire day, effectively canceling the plans that they had. Lily called earlier to announce that she was caught up in a situation she couldn't get out of, causing James to play the ever-valiant white knight and come to her rescue. And so, Sirius and Beth were left alone in a flat that wasn't theres with many a breakable things in their reach.

Instead of the fight that both of them expected, though, the two spent the entire day watching the telly and doing impersonations of people they knew. Sirius proved to do a rather convincing Nixon impersonation, causing Beth to roll off the couch from laughing so hard. Beth, in turn, did a spot-on James impression, which caused Sirius to shoot milk through his nose. They laughed and talked easily, both of them well-rested and at ease, and were in the middle of a rousing discussion about whether honey was to be eaten or drank when James finally returned.

After that day in, their interactions were more calm and enjoyable. Instead of finding distinct ways to aggravate the other, they ganged up on James and Lily, even when they could not hear them. Sirius would tell a story about one of the many times James tried to ask her out, and Beth would respond with one regarding him practicing his kissing technique on his favorite stuffed animal. The system worked perfectly, and would usually end with one or both of them praising Lily for agreeing to marry him, much less agree to go out with him.

Yesterday, they had ended the night with him showing off his motorcycle (although Beth personally thought that Lily's title, "the only thing he loves more than sex and James," was better). Beth had been none too shocked when he announced he had it with him, choosing instead to be shocked at his offer for them to go on a drive.

"Please tell me you're not going to ask me if you can take me for a ride," she'd begged.

"Technically, it'd make more sense for you to ask me that," he'd replied, winking at her (he did that frequently). "But no, if you want, I have an extra helmet."

She had hesitated, looking for James and Lily for help deciding what to do, but the couple had returned inside. She looked back at Sirius, who was holding the helmet out to her. "Come on, Beth. You haven't seen a London sunset until you've seen it on a bike."

He was right.

Of course, he'd made some comments about her holding on tight ("Hey, does this count as our first hug?" was her favorite), but she had to admit that the ride was breathtaking. He'd driven her up and out of the hustle and bustle through multiple backroads, twisting and turning every which way. About half an hour later, Beth found herself in the middle of nowhere, Sirius insisting that the best view of the city was right over that hill. Upon arriving, Sirius turned off the bike, pointed to the right side of them, and said, "Look over there."

And there, right out before her, was the city she loved so much, the sun gleaming off the buildings in such a way that she nearly cried at how beautiful it was. The purple, orange, and pink of the sunset danced with each other, creating a delicate blend as they all merged together. And the sun, the gorgeous, breathtaking sun with the power to blind those who stared at it too long, had never looked so at peace, so marvelous, so radiant. Her eyes moved from point to point, simply taking it all in, never wanting to let the mental image go.

"You know," she'd said to Sirius, who was now sitting beside her on the grass, "my dad used to tell me that God always loved painters. He thought they were extraordinary coming up with pictures representing the work he made, so he came up with a plan. Every time a painter died, he'd let them create one last masterpiece in the sky." Beth shook her head in amazement. "Whoever did it tonight certainly knows what they're doing."

"That's beautiful," Sirius had admitted, never taking his eyes off of the sky. "I think I like that."

Beth had laughed. "Yeah, I think I do too."

They sat there, taking in the scenery before them, basking in the beauty, when Sirius had said, "I was told a story sort of similar to that." At Beth's encouragement, he'd told her of the first day he had officially moved in with the Potter's. "I grew up in a house that celebrated discrimination," he'd explained. "It was part of the reason why I left. I hated the idea of thinking myself higher than another simply because of my status."

Beth turned to look at him, shocked at his being so open about the situation and wanting to ask questions, but he had simply continued. "That first day, though, James' mum and I took a walk and somehow we started talking about clouds. We were probably saying what shape it looked like, I don't know, but she said, 'You know, I've always thought that the clouds represented people who died. The ones closest to the sun are the ones who believed that they were all high and mighty in life, but look how little they really impact the earth. They provide no life, hardly any shade from the sun, and look as though a small breeze could break them apart. It's the people who spend their life working for the good of others, doing everything they can to love everyone no matter who they are or what they look like, that actually benefit the earth. They're as large as their love for others, providing relief from heat and life to plants. They're the ones to remember. They're the ones that bring life.'"

Beth took in the words, her eyes shifting to see a truth she had never considered. "That's remarkable," she'd whispered, feeling her heart rate increase as the words soaked into her being.

Sirius had smiled. "I've never looked at clouds the same way."

He'd driven her back, and she'd held on tightly (for safety reasons, she'd told herself). She'd thanked him repeatedly for the trip, and he'd thanked her for wanting to take one with him in the first place.

"I know I can come off as a bit of a tosser, and I know I don't really do anything to try to stop that," he'd said, causing Beth to laugh. "But I really enjoy your company, Beth. I think I'm going to be very happy indeed that you're here to visit."

"What if I decided I wanted to live here?" she'd teased as they'd walked to the front door.

Sirius had stopped and had given her an intense look, one she wasn't sure how to interpret. She'd immediately tried to take it back at his lack of response. "Hey, I was just kidding."

He'd stared at her a moment longer before shaking his head, as if coming out of a trance. "I just thought of something," he'd explained. "I think it'd be brilliant if you lived here."

He'd immediately pushed open the door and went inside, leaving Beth confused. His reaction was nothing close to anything she had anticipated, expecting him to throw all kinds of naughty suggestions as to where she could stay if she did. His lack of a response wasn't normal, and Beth had determined to ask him if she had said something wrong. He had already retired for the night when she'd finally entered the flat, however, and Beth, while slightly disturbed at his reaction, decided it best to not push the issue.

This morning, however, he'd stopped her just before she'd stepped out the door for her first day, calling her back. "Good luck today," he'd said. "You'll be fine."

She'd flashed him a smile, told him thank you, and set off, the smile staying on her face for longer than she anticipated.

Which brought her to where she was now, six hours after her initial meeting with the lady in the pink pantsuit, desk flooded in paperwork that would have to be set off until tomorrow, and a hunger that was insatiable. It had taken her nearly half an hour to find the room indicated on her sheet of paper, twenty minutes for the man at the desk to explain to her what to do, and another fifteen to find her way back to her desk. She'd flopped the load down and immediately got to work, determined to finish with everything before she left. Beth thought back to her all those hours ago and laughed. What a naive little intern she'd been, thinking she could get that amount of work done in one day.

Beth picked up her bag and set off on her way, deciding that she had just enough time to have a bite to eat before she caught her train. She knew the only food that would be waiting for her at the flat was cereal, and she was not about to allow that to be her first meal after her first day at her internship. She listened to her heels clack as she walked toward the marble staircase, ready to leave.

"Now, I know for a fact that there is no way that could be Beth, because Beth lives in the states."

Beth turned around at the voice and found a friendly red-haired woman with her arms stretched out wide. She immediately recognized her. "Caitlin!" she exclaimed, running towards her. The two embraced each other with an excitement that only long lost friends could have, and Beth silently thanked God for a person she knew being here. I guess I did meet a friend before I left, she thought, feeling victorious for the first time all day.

"What are you doing here?" Caitlin squealed.

"I'm in town for the summer," Beth explained, still hugging her. "Remember James Potter?"

Caitlin pulled back. "Dorky little James Potter who followed you around like a lost puppy? How could I forget!"

"Yeah, he's getting married at the end of the summer and asked me to come stay with him, so I got an internship and here I am."

"He's getting married?" Caitlin asked.

Beth immediate response was to try and cover for James not inviting her. "Oh, they're only inviting a couple of people, I'm honestly shocked that I—"

"Oh, no, not that," Caitlin insisted. "We haven't spoken in years, you at least I got a letter from every once in a while. No, it's just that," Caitlin threw up her left hand, "I'm getting married too!"

Another squeal erupted from the two girls, causing the receptionist at the desk to give them a nasty look. The two didn't care, though, and Beth reached out for her hand to stare at the rock she was wearing. "Good Lord," she cried. "What does he do for a living?"

"Right?" Caitlin asked, staring at it too. "Anyway, yeah, I'm getting married!"

"When?"

"This Saturday night actually," she smiled widely. "It's all coming together, Beth. Everything has honestly just been so perfect lately and now you're here and—" Caitlin suddenly gasped loudly, clutching Beth's hands as she did. "You should come!"

Beth shook her head, trying to decide whether she heard her correctly. "What?"

"No, you should come! It would work perfectly. I haven't seen you in forever. This is destiny!"

"Caitlin," Beth stopped her, trying to get her to calm down. "I would love to come, but don't you have everything planned out? A seating chart, that sort of thing?"

"But no, see, this is what makes it destiny," Caitlin said, urging her off to the side when the receptionist gave them another dirty look. "My cousin called me today and said that his girlfriend and him just broke up and that he won't be bringing her. You can just take her place!"

"You want me to go to your wedding with your cousin?" Beth asked.

"Oh, you won't actually have to be with him," she assured. "Honestly, he's kind of a bore. No, that'd just be where you sit for dinner and then you could go off and have a great time. I'll even set aside an entire ten minutes solely for you. Oh, Beth, please come, it'd be a favor to me if you did."

Beth chuckled at the coincidence of the situation before she nodded. "If it's alright with your cousin, then I'd love to go."

Caitlin squealed again and wrapped her arms around Beth's neck, spinning them around. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the receptionist put her head in her hands and groaning. Caitlin did not seem to care. "Oh, Beth," she said, still twirling them around, "you have no idea how amazing this is. I was just talking to my fiancé about you the other day and now here you are, agreeing to come to my wedding!"

Beth pulled Caitlin towards the elevator, urging her to get away from the distraught receptionist. "Why don't you call me later tonight with all of the details? Then I'll be able to write everything down so I won't forget."

"I'm one step ahead of you," Caitlin declared, pulling an invitation out of her purse. "I always keep a couple of these on me, mainly just to show off that I can." She handed it to Beth, pointing out the different details. "This is the church address, and underneath it is the reception hall. I cannot tell you how hard it was to try and decide where to hold the reception. Tom's mother decided that she wanted to have it at her house, but I told her absolutely not, because her house is entirely too small. She even managed to have Tom gang up on me, which was remarkable in itself, because he never…"

Beth managed to leave nearly a half hour later after hearing multiple stories about the bouquet ribbons, flower girl dresses, and band arrangements. Promising that she would meet up with Caitlin for lunch soon and assuring her that she would look for her when she arrived at work tomorrow, the two set off. Looking at her watch, Beth realized with a sudden disappointment that she no longer had time to grab something to eat if she wanted to reach her train on time. The thought to be upset about seeing Caitlin crossed her mind, but she immediately threw it off, determined to be happy about a friend than disappointed about a meal. The cereal at home would do.

Beth released a contented sigh when she finally arrived at the flat. She could not wait to sit down and breathe, anxiously awaiting the moment when she could finally take her heels off. The thought of sitting on a comfortable couch with her best friend right next to her was everything she needed, and she nearly cried of happiness when she finally reached the door. Turning her key, she opened the door.

Immediately, a wonderful blend of smells swirled around her. Beth instantly reacted as she recognized the scent of pesto, knowing that no matter what accompanied it, she would love it. The smell wafted around her like an expensive perfume, and Beth felt her stomach rumble in response.

"Beth's home," she heard Lily call from the kitchen. Seconds later, James was at the door, welcoming her back.

"How was work?" he asked, walking her towards the kitchen with one arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"It went really well." The smell continuously got stronger as they walked closer. Beth took in a deep breath. "They just had me filing papers today, but that's what I expected. I saw Caitlin Taylor today, too."

"At your work? Really?"

"Yeah, she works as an assistant to one of the higher ups. She says she loves it there, so that was good to hear. She invited me to her wedding, too." Beth wondered when it would be appropriate to stop the conversation altogether to ask if she could have some of the food.

"Oh, yes, I heard she was getting married. I also heard she doesn't forget to tell a single person she sees that she is," he joked, causing Beth to laugh in agreement.

They turned the corner to the kitchen where Lily was stirring a pot of risotto. Sirius was standing next to her, buttering pieces of toasted french bread. The scent was too much, and her stomach growled loudly again.

"Oh, good, you're hungry," Lily said, stopping a moment to hug her. "We made you a 'congratulations on your first day' dinner."

Beth looked at the array of food before her, touched by the thoughtfulness of it all. "You did all of this for me?"

"Don't count on this happening everyday," Sirius said, looking up from his task. "You're the working girl, so we're counting on you to deliver with a fancy lobster dinner quite soon."

"Oh, come off it," Lily said, nudging him to the side. "This was your idea."

Beth looked up at that, glancing towards Sirius. He had returned his focus to the bread, buttering it with a forced intensity. "Was it really?"

"Seriously," James replied, shoving Sirius into the counter before moving to wrap his arms around Lily's waist. "We'll finish up in here if you want to go wind down for a bit. It should be ready in what, ten minutes, Lil?"

"Closer to five, actually," Lily corrected, leaning into James' embrace as she stirred in the bowl of pesto she had prepared. "Oh I forgot, will one of you go get a chair for Beth? We only have three at the table."

"I got it," Sirius replied, wiping his hands off on a towel and going towards the entryway. He glanced down at Beth, who was standing only feet away, a large smile adorning her face. "Don't even think about it," he said, pointing a finger towards her.

Beth threw her hands up. "I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking."

"I was thinking about how hungry I am," she teased.

"You were about to thank me," he called over his shoulder as he went into a separate room to find a chair.

"You flatter yourself," Beth replied, walking into the room next to it to change. "Who says I was going to thank you?"

Sirius appeared only moments later in her doorway. "You're not going to thank me? How positively rude of you, Beth."

Beth laughed as she kicked off her heels, rummaging through a dresser to find a pair of sweatpants. "You just told me not to."

"Maybe I was testing you."

Beth eyed him. "Oh, really? Then tell me something. Why do I have a feeling that a simple 'thank you' wouldn't have been enough?"

"Well, I did create a feast for you," he said, taking a step further into her room. "Perhaps a slightly more gratuitous response is in order?" He wagged his eyebrows.

Beth shoved him out, laughing. "You're incorrigible."

Sirius laughed with her, picking up the chair. "Can't say I didn't try," he replied before walking down the hallway.

Beth stood there for a moment, sweatpants in hand, gazing at the door. It was such a simple gesture, but she truly was appreciative of it. She knew for a fact that he would not have made the effort a week ago, and she was touched by how considerate it was. She raced towards the doorway before she could stop herself, calling out his name.

"Yeah?" he responded, turning one head over his shoulder.

"Thank you."

A smile met her gaze, one that was filled with genuine happiness, and she once again found herself entranced by his eyes. Unlike his reaction earlier, they sang of mirth and merriment, easily reflecting the smile he gave, and Beth found herself wondering how someone so obnoxiously marvelous could have felt so distraught by his own family that he felt the need to leave.

"You're welcome," he said, still smiling, before turning back towards the dining room.

A/N: Just to clarify, Beth has absolutely no idea about the wizarding world. Sure, she's going to get a little skeptical about Remus conveniently getting "sick" once a month, but the last thing she's going to think is, "Oh, I'll bet he's a werewolf!" The question of what's going on will be brought up, but nothing will be given away accidentally. The day they have Beth and the others have a conversation about their identities is completely planned out, so stick around to find out when that will be!

I just finished the chapter about Caitlin's wedding, and let me tell you, it's one of my favorites so far. I can't wait for you to read it!

Nimblescrivener, as always, thank you for all that you do.

Up next, Beth, Sirius, James, and Lily have dinner at James' parents' house!