Episode 1; Summer Blues

Lilies for Lily

It was early, just past eight a clock, on a Wednesday in mid July. Lily Evans sat, legs tucked up under her, elbows propped up in front of her and chin leaning against her hands, at her vanity. She peered at her reflection in the mirror, she had chopped off a large portion of her bright red hair the previous weekend and hadn't thus far come to terms with whether she liked it or not. It wasn't bad really. Her hair always curled and tousled and took ages to shampoo so it was, in the end, a matter of practicality. At least in part. But Lily was used to her hair cascading down her back, not being abruptly cut off by her collarbones. And, worst of all, she didn't know what to do with it. She had cut it of mainly as it seemed practical, also she figured it had been a fast way to get out of, and that part had actually worked, her sisters wedding, but now it was to short to braid properly.

Sighing she started to very quietly, Marlene was a sleep in the bed and Lily did not want to wake her up, rummage around the vanity drawer before finally locating a headband which would have to do. Placing it on her head she reached back into the drawer and subsequently emerged with two new items, a pink-ish lipgloss and a wand of mascara. Now, Lily Evens wasn't a vain person per se. However, it was human to need extra motivation at times. She tried jamming the drawer shut, it seemed futile at fist since the tree had suffered water-damage and expanded over the years, but it finally closed with a thud. Glancing over her shoulder, to see if the noise had disturbed Marlene in her sleep, Lily could only see the top of her light hair, while her own hair was close in colour to fire or blood oranges she considered Marlene's to be the colour of honey or wheat. She seemed to be fast asleep anyway so Lily turned back to the mirror to apply the mascara.

"What the bloody hell are you doing up?", Marlene's voice came, icy, from the bed Lily flinched and got mascara in her eyebrow.

Now, this wasn't surprising in it self, Marlene had a sharp tung and did not hesitate to use it. But she normally would hold back around three people: her nine year old sister Claire, Jane Saint-Selwyn and Lily Evans. Reluctantly and while muttering something about no fun goody-two-shoes, but nether the less, she would warm her voice by a degree or two. Having a sharp tung had helped her though. Marlene was slim and dainty, with blue eyes and blonde hair falling to her elbows, she did not look like she could throw a punch or disintegrate someone with a sentence or two. She could, however, do both. And scare Lily half to dath as it turned out.

"Shit. Marlene, would you not shout when I have pointy objects close to my eyes? How would you explain to Jane that you have blinded me? She'd be disappointed.", Lily glared at Marlene, now sitting up, in the vanity mirror. Marlene rolled her eyes and threw a pillow, a bit haphazardly, before leaning back against the headboard.

"Eh, Merlins penis, Jane is always disappointed in me. It wouldn't make that much of a difference really.", Marlene sighed, smoothing the duvet in front of her.

"Maybe because you are not too fond of euphuisms. Merlins penis is a bit harsh this early in the day, don't you think? You don't really leave room for a lot of evolving.", Lily said as she tried to get the mascara out of her eyebrow. Marlene threw another pillow, hitting the back of Lily's chair this time. "Ouch! That's just mean! I won't make you any breakfast, and you will have to deal with the scary muggle toaster all on your own."

"Suit your self, but I didn't think you'd want me to burn your house down. Don't your parents get back from Italy today?", jumping out of bed Marlene made her way to the wardrobe. She swung the doors up and started browsing Lily's summer wardrobe, every now and again pulling out a pice of fabric looking contemplative. Marlene had been living with her for about a week, since her parents had gone to Italy and Petunia had left for her soon-to-be-in-laws country house, but quickly abandoned her own clothing for Lily's more substantial range.

"Yes, they do, and it would be preferable of the house was still standing and I'd suppose it be cruel to let you eat burnt toast. I'll make some pancakes, but you can't have all of them with butter and sugar or you'll die from heart failure before you're thirty-five!", smacking her lips together Lily made sure she hadn't missed a spot.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll eat one with banana or something. Oh, what you got here!", smiling impishly Marlene yanked a pice of blue fabric out from the closet. It was an incredibly short, silky dressing-gown and on top of that periwinkle blue. Lily's mother, Barbara, had bought it at a sample sale and given it to Lily as a welcome home present. Why she'd thought to give her sixteen year old daughter something that practically could passed as lingerie was more than Lily could guess. "I'm so wearing this. Since the boys will come over and all, you know?"

Lily dropped the hairbrush she was holding.

"Marlene", she slowly bent down to pick up the brush. Marlene was changing out of the Queen t-shirt, also Lily's, she had been sleeping in and into the dressing-gown. "What boys?"

"Oh, eh, I kind of promised to help Euphemia, James mum you know, with one of my mum's recipes. So James said he'd come get me, since his parents has amped up security quite a bit with all the recent Death Eater activity, and I said that I living with you for a week but that he could come get me here. And I also maybe mentioned that you'd make breakfast and that he could bring Sirius. Altho he probably would have, permission or not.", downstairs the doorbell chimed. "I also said that they could come whenever they woke up."

"I loath you."

With a shrinking sensation in her stomach Lily examined her reflection briefly, she still wore her pyjamas, altho it was far less revealing than what Marlene twirled around in, a matching set in yellow, before heading downstairs with Marlene in tow. Lily really didn't want to deal with James Potter this early in the morning, not Sirius Black either for that matter, and she really, really, didn't want to deal with him dressed in flannel pyjamas. She was genuinely angry at Marlene. James Potter was a self-consumed spoiled rotten bullying twat of person, and a little bit of a tart at that. It was too early for this. But nonetheless Lily opened the door expecting to get trampled by a heard of hippogriffs, or something equally prone to trampling they had gotten their hands on.

And got a bouquet of lilies practically pushed up her nose. She flinched catching a glimpse of Sirius Black through the lilies.

"Black, get that out of my face!", Lily said swatting helplessly with her arms. He did take a step back, grinning.

"Come on Lils, you're no fun! I'm being a perfect gentlemen, bringing flowers and all."

"Sure, still doesn't mean I want to eat them."

"I bet they're healthy, you can use them in a salad. See my gift isn't only gentlemanly but practical as well."

"Actually, lilies are poisonous, they shut down your kidneys. Stop tying to kill off Evans, would you, it's starting to get annoying", James Potter grumbled and smacked Sirius on the back of the head before peering up at Lily. He had grown taller just since end of term, Lily was certain, and then she immediately chastised herself for noticing. It was stupid. "Hi, Evans! You cut your hair, I like it! McKinnon, you've been practicing for tryouts? You know I'm the captain now right?"

Pancakes with honey

James Potter sat in Lily Evans kitchen. It was both a place he'd dreamt of visiting many times, and a place he'd never thought he'd actually get to see for real. It wasn't a terribly large kitchen but homey and bright, with flowery wallpaper and windows overlooking the quiet street. He sat on the countertop next to the stove, watching Lily flip pancakes rather aggressively. The first thing that hit James when he saw her was the same as always. She was beautiful, Lily was so beautiful. He also knew she didn't want to hear that from him, so he wouldn't, it just stressed her out. Which was, he suspected, one of the reasons she flinched slightly every time he sighed or said something to Sirius. Padfoot had been stressing Lily out more than he did, asking about every muggle-apparatus in the kitchen and James was glad he'd taked muggle studies since third year, until Marlene practically got him to sit down at the kitchen table by sheer force. But Marlene was forceful.

Lily repeatedly tapped her fingers against the countertop, he remembered that she always was very irritable and jumpy during exam season, and put his hand over hers to make her stop. She hastily pulled it away, changing in which hand she was holding the frying pan and flipped a pancake. It seemed for good measure since it obviously wasn't done.

"Easy, Evans! It's pancakes not a O.W.L exam. We did those, remember?", he said jokingly. Lily glared at him and James suddenly felt out of breath. Merlin she was gorgeous.

"Sorry for not being overly cheerful at making you and Black breakfast, Potter.", Lily snapped angrily flipping another pancake.

"Marlene said we could come for breakfast!"

"Well, Marlene didn't tell me!"

"That isn't my fault! I only came as I was told", James sighed slightly exasperated. "Go bitch at Mar instead, would you, and stop being such a prat."

"I'm being a prat? You think I'm being a prat? Excuse me for being slightly stressed out over having my house invaded by Hogwarts biggest twats! Not to mention that I'm yet to have a cup of coffee, Emmeline will be over in an hour and she's still avoiding you after the quidditch debacle and I don't know when my parents will be back from Italy. So yes, I'm a bit stressed out. Would you bloody drop it.", she angrily flipped over the last pancake onto the platter and carried it over to the table. Where Marlene and Sirius animatedly discussed a wizarding band called the Snitches.

"I'm glad you consider me Hogwarts biggest twat, it's an honor.", James smirked. "Do you want some coffee?"

"It's a muggle kitchen James, I'll make it.", she sounded tiered but James flinched. She'd called him James, James, not Potter. He felt his chest swell as he considered her scooping ground coffee into a french press, her shoulder length hair seemed to move like fire in the light from the kitchen window and she had a speck of flour on her cheek.

"It's a cute pyjamas.", James regretted it as soon as he'd said it. Lily threw a wooden spoon in his direction without looking.

"Shut it, Potter, or you can leave right now.", her voice had a threatening tinge. Maybe he would have said something else, and actually gotten kicked out, but Sirius cut him off.

"Prongs, did you see the Profet?", Sirius sat with his ankles propped up on the table, feet dangling off the side, with the paper in front of his face. "'Three aurors dead in Death Eater attack', God it's getting worse. Do you reckon your dad will tell us who they were?"

"Probably", James sighed. "But probably he wont need to, they'll release the names by too night. People are frightened, and when people are frightened they'll floo the DMLE until they get answers. And the DMLE as better things to do than stand by their fireplaces calming panicking witches and wizards."

"You're dad's still in the DMLE?", Marlene asked cautiously. "I thought he retired after… Well, a few years back?"

"Yeah," he swallowed. "They sort of called him back in, with the increased Death Eater activity and all. He doesn't mind though. If they hadn't asked him he'd probably volunteered anyway."

Sirius shifted slightly, glancing at him worriedly. His dads condition wasn't something James thought about if he could avoid it. He felt his eyes burning and blinked rapidly, wishing for a distraction.

"Padfoot, bum me a cig would you." James could hear the slight crack in his voice but did his best to ignore it. Sirius handed him a cigarette and he made his way to the kitchen door before realizing he couldn't use his wand for light in a muggle household. A light tap on his shoulder. It was Lily, handing him a green lighter. "Uhm, Thanks."

"I'll want it back.", she said curtly before returning to the cupboard she'd been rummaging through. He couldn't help but watch her half a minut, fiery hair, yellow flannel pyjamas and a patch of freckled skin where her shirt had risen up, before heading outside.

He'd smoked half the cigarette, leaning against the Evanses white wall, when someone stepped out and stood beside him. A brief moment he hoped it was Lily. It turned out to be Marlene.

"I didn't know you smoked.", she said after a moment.

"I don't. Not really, not like Sirius does."

"Nobody smokes like Sirius, I'd be surprised if has any lungs left."

"Fair point."

"Ey, James, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have brought it up. I was just kind of surprised when you mentioned he was working.", Marlene scuffed her feet and watched the large willow in the Evanses backyard sway in the wind. James had known Marlene since he was five, she'd always hated apologies. Especially when they were implied, and Marlene knew that James knew that she didn't mean anything hurtful by it. She just had a though jargon.

"It's fine, I know. You really didn't have to apologize.", he said as he put out the cigarette.

"I did if wanted any pancakes. Lily said I had to or I wouldn't get any.", Marlene snorted angrily.

"Evans sent you? I didn't know she knew about…", he trailed off. "Erm, well, my dad."

"She doesn't.", Marlene rolled her eyes. "Not really at least, she's just an annoyingly good person at times. And don't read anything in to that would you. She'd do the same for anyone, it doesn't mean she wants to have your babies."

"Eh yeah, sure", James trailed off, the warm feeling in his chest back.

"Let's go back inside. I'm starving.", Marlene pushed the door open and jittered inside, a smell of coffee, syrup and honey escaped from the flowery kitchen and James remained at the threshold for a moment, trying to shake all thoughts of his father. Some curses didn't heal. It was as simple as that. With a sigh he picket up the cigarette but he'd stepped on, he did not want to litter in Lily Evans garden, and followed Marlene.

Lily and Sirius sat across from each other and looked to be on their second or third pancakes, James couldn't help but notice the empty coffee cup in front of Lily. He smirked. Maybe she wouldn't bite his head of immediately. Marlene had already sat down next to Sirius so he took the place next to Lily and carefully, so she didn't notice, positioning the chair so it was slightly turned towards her.

"Here", he handed her back the lighter. She shook her head and pushed the stack of pancakes towards him instead.

"Keep it. It's my mums and she's tying to stop, better it comes to use. What do you want on your pancake?", for once Lily's voice wasn't sharp. James didn't like it. Not the fact that she spoke to him in a normal conversational tone, he'd prefer it if she that more often to be honest, but he didn't want her to do it out of pity. He rolled his and pocketed the lighter

"I wont break Evans, no need for pleasantries.", he grinned teasingly. "But since you offer so nicely you can pass me the honey"

"Git. And who has honey on pancakes? That's disgusting! I only took it out because Marlene wanted some in her tea.", Lily snapped. But she did pass him the honey and some blueberries.

"Have you ever tried? It's delicious!"

"I haven't, because it's disgusting. Honey doesn't belong on pancakes."

"But oh, honey, they do!"

"If you're trying to be infuriating it's working.", Lily declared, still eyeing the honey suspiciously. "Because by that logic you're calling me a condiment for pancakes. And I don't consider that a compliment."

"Oi, Prongs! I'm offended, I thought I was the only condiment for your pancakes.", Sirius said grinning widely.

"Sorry mate", James laughed. "You've been replaced."

"What kind of homoerotical romance novel have we stepped into?", Marlene smirked rolling her eyes at Lily, whom shrugged.

"I'm happy as long as I'm not compared to things belonging on pancakes.", Lily shrugged. "And I've been anticipating their wedding invitations since fourth year."

James was just about to reply something bitingly sharp witted when the kitchen door flung opened revealing a middle aged couple. A tall woman with long auburn hair and a slightly shorter man with dark hair and a massive beard.

"Mum! Dad!", Lily shot up. "I thought you'd be back much later."

"We can see that", the man, Mr. Evans James realized, said. "Is there any pancakes left for us?"

G'night

They disbursed quite quickly after that. Lily did introduce James and Sirius to her parents, they already knew Marlene, causing her dad to say something about "so this is the famous James Potter" causing James to practically grow wings and Lily too wish she could sink trough the floor. She, however, did not. But she did, rather slyly, mention that wasn't they in a bit of a hurry? In an attempt to prevent her parents to invite them for lunch. And while that succeeded they were, nether-the-less, invited for dinner the following Saturday, along with which other friends Lily wanted of course, causing the James, Sirius and Marlene to beam expectantly and Lily to contemplate demanding legal emancipation from her parent. But she at least got them out of the house.

Marlene sent her an owl later apologizing for thinking it was funny, but withholding that it was in fact funny, and that Lily probably should invite the other Marauders since they could keep track on James and Sirius. Lily had to admit that Marlene might have a point and had sent an owl each to Remus and Peter the following day. It turned out that Peter visited family in Irland and couldn't make it, but he did send some Irish chocolate cauldrons. Remus on other hand could, and would come with James and Sirius. Instinctively Lily was relived she didn't see Snape anymore, tying to explain to him that most of the Marauders would come to her house for a dinner party would probably end their friendship if it wasn't already over.

After that particularly gloomy thought Lily proceeded to invite the remaining Gryffindor sixth years. She got owls back from Gilbert Merrythought and Mary MacDonald saying they couldn't come, Gilbert because he was in France and Mary because her mother refused to let her out of the house since she found out Mary had sneaked out a few weeks previously. The others, Emmeline Vance, Dorcas Meadows and Jane Saint-Selwyn, all wrote back saying they'd come.

When the dinner rolled around it turned out not to be all that bad. Barbara and Harold Evans had prepared the dining room, who otherwise only came to use around Christmas and on birthdays, and served a large assortment of dishes. Her father had even, with Lily's help, gotten ahold of some butterbeer and was almost giddy about it. Over all it was a success. Jane had been the first to arrive and had, upon entering, immediately clapt her hands together and asked Lily's mother:

"So what should I help with?", accompanied by large smile. Needles to say Barbara adored Jane. The Marauders had keep their cool, mostly. Lily and James had only screamed at each other once, over the dessert, and it had been fairly quickly resolved. Dorcas, Remus and Emmeline had entertained her mother with anecdotes about growing up in magical families. James and Marlene discussed quidditch, sometimes stopping to explain something for her father whom where listening intently. Jane, Sirius and Lily herself discussed Simone the Beauvoirs view on essentialist feminism, causing Lily to decide that Sirius Black maybe wasn't so bad after all.

Lily stood in the door waving them off when they left. She leaned her head against the doorframe watching them leave, she closed her eyes and breathed in the warm summer air.

"Evans?", her eyes flew up. James Potter had turned back and stood on the driveway a few meters away. "You sleeping?"

"Not yet, did you want anything?", she said shifting slightly.

"Just", he hesitated. Please don't aske me out, Lily thought. "Just, thanks. For the dinner, and the lighter."

Her stomach dropped. He didn't ask her out, it was odd. James always asked her out. She shifted again, squinting at him, but he made no further inclination that he wanted to add something.

"Oh, well, no problem really. I think my parents ar just glad they get to entertain, they used to throw a lot of parties but it's kind of hard to keep up facades when they have to pretend their daughter is of at like finishing school and not magic school.", she finished a bit breathlessly. James nodded.

"I'd imagine…" he started but cut off mid sentence and furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait. Their cover story that you go to finish school? How did they manage to pass that of? As far as I'm aware the typ of girls that attend finishing school doesn't skive of to go see David Bowie!"

James wheezed with repressed laughter and Lily glared at him.

"Shut it, Potter."

"Hey, I don't mean it as a bad thing.", he excused, still choking lon laughter. "I much prefer sneaking ot to concerts over afternoon tea. I'm just surprised, that's all"

"They've said it since I was eleven, they can't just suddenly change the story."

"I suppose they can't. But don't your relatives get suspicious when you don't start acting more like a lady?"

"The probably think I'm a lost cause and that all refining in the world couldn't change that", she smirked briefly. James stood closer to her now, smiling. Maybe he would ask har out anyway. Uff, she didn't want to deal with turning him down now they had a decently civil conversation. She could feel him watching her so she looked out onto the night sky instead, trying to prepare herself to turning him down.

"I think that might be the case. G'nigh Lily.", was all he said before turning around and making his way down the driveway. Lily felt cold and bearly remembered to call a haphazard: "G'night Jam… Eh, Potter!" after him.

He really hadn't asked her out. She had an anxious twinge in her chest as she turned around and closed the door after her.

a/n: and theat chapter one done!