Auburn hair whipping in the wind, which stung her emerald eyes, Lily stood on her front porch surveying the street in front of her. She could sense the storm rolling in. It was going to be a big one. It made her think of a quote she had read from a book long ago, "A great storm is coming. One like this island has not seen in many years, and many things will change in the wake of this storm." Lily, unlike most witches and wizards, also enjoyed reading Muggle books, she thought you could still learn a great deal about the world from reading them. Yes, she thought to herself, this storm was sure to be a big one.
It was humid, making everyone in a bad mood, especially Lily's best friend Wanda who sat next to her on the porch. Wanda could be a bit disagreeable at times, but they had been friends since before Hogwarts, and she was the only other witch in Lily's neighborhood.
Wanda liked to talk, and she was certainly at her best now, babbling to forget the heat. "Lily, comeon, tell me where you're goin'! Please?"
"I can't Wanda, I'm not allowed. To tell you the truth," she confided, "I'm not even quite sure myself."
"So you're going to do something crazy and risky that you know nothing about? Come on Lil, we've been best friends forever, we tell each other everything! Why won't you let me in on this?" Wanda gave Lily an pouting look, making them both laugh.
"Wanda, if I could tell you, I would James just said that--"
"Oh? James? James Potter?" Wanda giggled.
Lily rolled her eyes, "Geez, I thought at least you, of all people, would have enough sense not to believe that silly rumour."
"What rumour?" Wanda asked innocently, as if she didn't already know.
"That he likes me. And that-nevermind."
"What?" Wanda pressed on.
Lily glared at her, "You know very well what they say, and it's not true, not any of it! No, I didn't entrance him with a love potion. No, he didn't pay me to say we weren't dating, I never dated him at all. WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!"
"Ok, but it is true you know, part of it."
"What?"
"He DOES like you."
"Whatever. Look there he is! I've got to go, bye, Wanda," she called, rising from the porch swing.
"Awwwww, Lil, don't go, I've got nothing to do, It's so boring here without you!" Wanda whined.
"Why don't you go talk with Petunia?" Lily asked with a sly smile.
Wanda glared daggers at her, "That is not even funny, Lily!"
Lily laughed, and waved goodbye, heading for the road where James stood by his broomstick.
James road a nice Comet 260, of which he was very proud. It had been a present from his friends for the last Quidditch season, and he held it as practically sacred. He wasn't quite as crazy as Sirius, who was rumoured to worship his motorbike. James didn't believe that, but he did know for a fact that Sirius washed it before and after every ride and kissed it goodnight. Remus and Peter thought they were both nuts, but kept these opinions to themselves.
James smiled as he watched Lily approach. He didn't care what his friends said he should do. He wasn't going to tell Lily he liked her. What if she didn't like him, and what if it ruined their friendship? That was a risk he just wasn't willing to take, their friendship meant everything to him.
"Hi James," she said with a smile. "Always on time, aren't you?" She looked at his broom, "you're allowed to ride that in the daytime?"
"Only if I don't get caught," he responded with a grin, "come on, let's go!"
Lily climbed on the broom behind her friend, and they set off towards Hogwarts castle.
Peter was on his way to the castle to, at least, he was trying to get on his way. He'd asked Sirius to give him a lift, but didn't realize that in return he'd have to get Sirius out of bed.
It was eleven o'clock when Peter knocked on Sirius' door, and the meeting was supposed to begin at half past. Luckily Peter had been able to get in with the extra key Sirius ahd once given him.
Quite suprisingly, the house was in order, which was a big improvement for Sirius. Not finding his friend on the ground floor, Peter made his way upstairs and had found Sirius asleep. It was now a quarter after eleven and Peter was still having no luck.
"Come on, Sirius, get up! We have fifteen minutes!" he had long since given up trying to wake his friend gently, he was now shaking him violently, and shouting in his ear. Peter had known Sirius to be a heavy sleeper, but this was insane.
"Maybe you're dead?" Peter moved away, shuddering at the thought of having touched a corpse, but no, Sirius was snoring lightly.
So Peter began shaking him again. Finally Sirius, opened his eyes, stretched and yawned. "Well, since you're finally awake you--"
Sirius had rolled over with a loud snore, back asleep again.
"I give up!" Peter stormed out the door, headed for the stairs.
"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm! That was refreshing. I wonder if Peter's here yet, Pete?"
"What?" Peter re-entered the room.
"There you are, don't be hiding over there. Where were you?"
"I've only been trying to wake you for the last twenty minutes."
"Is it that late?" Sirius looked at his clock, "Awwww, it sure is, Dumbledore's going to have my hide! Well, come on then, let's go!"
"Erm, Sir, don't you want to-"
"Nope, no time for anything now, if we hurry we can still make it in time."
"Sir, really, I think you should at least-"
"I don't have time, come on Pete, we gotta get the bike started up."
Peter shrugged. If Sirius wanted to go to the meeting in teddy bear pajamas, it was fine with him.
It was humid, making everyone in a bad mood, especially Lily's best friend Wanda who sat next to her on the porch. Wanda could be a bit disagreeable at times, but they had been friends since before Hogwarts, and she was the only other witch in Lily's neighborhood.
Wanda liked to talk, and she was certainly at her best now, babbling to forget the heat. "Lily, comeon, tell me where you're goin'! Please?"
"I can't Wanda, I'm not allowed. To tell you the truth," she confided, "I'm not even quite sure myself."
"So you're going to do something crazy and risky that you know nothing about? Come on Lil, we've been best friends forever, we tell each other everything! Why won't you let me in on this?" Wanda gave Lily an pouting look, making them both laugh.
"Wanda, if I could tell you, I would James just said that--"
"Oh? James? James Potter?" Wanda giggled.
Lily rolled her eyes, "Geez, I thought at least you, of all people, would have enough sense not to believe that silly rumour."
"What rumour?" Wanda asked innocently, as if she didn't already know.
"That he likes me. And that-nevermind."
"What?" Wanda pressed on.
Lily glared at her, "You know very well what they say, and it's not true, not any of it! No, I didn't entrance him with a love potion. No, he didn't pay me to say we weren't dating, I never dated him at all. WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!"
"Ok, but it is true you know, part of it."
"What?"
"He DOES like you."
"Whatever. Look there he is! I've got to go, bye, Wanda," she called, rising from the porch swing.
"Awwwww, Lil, don't go, I've got nothing to do, It's so boring here without you!" Wanda whined.
"Why don't you go talk with Petunia?" Lily asked with a sly smile.
Wanda glared daggers at her, "That is not even funny, Lily!"
Lily laughed, and waved goodbye, heading for the road where James stood by his broomstick.
James road a nice Comet 260, of which he was very proud. It had been a present from his friends for the last Quidditch season, and he held it as practically sacred. He wasn't quite as crazy as Sirius, who was rumoured to worship his motorbike. James didn't believe that, but he did know for a fact that Sirius washed it before and after every ride and kissed it goodnight. Remus and Peter thought they were both nuts, but kept these opinions to themselves.
James smiled as he watched Lily approach. He didn't care what his friends said he should do. He wasn't going to tell Lily he liked her. What if she didn't like him, and what if it ruined their friendship? That was a risk he just wasn't willing to take, their friendship meant everything to him.
"Hi James," she said with a smile. "Always on time, aren't you?" She looked at his broom, "you're allowed to ride that in the daytime?"
"Only if I don't get caught," he responded with a grin, "come on, let's go!"
Lily climbed on the broom behind her friend, and they set off towards Hogwarts castle.
Peter was on his way to the castle to, at least, he was trying to get on his way. He'd asked Sirius to give him a lift, but didn't realize that in return he'd have to get Sirius out of bed.
It was eleven o'clock when Peter knocked on Sirius' door, and the meeting was supposed to begin at half past. Luckily Peter had been able to get in with the extra key Sirius ahd once given him.
Quite suprisingly, the house was in order, which was a big improvement for Sirius. Not finding his friend on the ground floor, Peter made his way upstairs and had found Sirius asleep. It was now a quarter after eleven and Peter was still having no luck.
"Come on, Sirius, get up! We have fifteen minutes!" he had long since given up trying to wake his friend gently, he was now shaking him violently, and shouting in his ear. Peter had known Sirius to be a heavy sleeper, but this was insane.
"Maybe you're dead?" Peter moved away, shuddering at the thought of having touched a corpse, but no, Sirius was snoring lightly.
So Peter began shaking him again. Finally Sirius, opened his eyes, stretched and yawned. "Well, since you're finally awake you--"
Sirius had rolled over with a loud snore, back asleep again.
"I give up!" Peter stormed out the door, headed for the stairs.
"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm! That was refreshing. I wonder if Peter's here yet, Pete?"
"What?" Peter re-entered the room.
"There you are, don't be hiding over there. Where were you?"
"I've only been trying to wake you for the last twenty minutes."
"Is it that late?" Sirius looked at his clock, "Awwww, it sure is, Dumbledore's going to have my hide! Well, come on then, let's go!"
"Erm, Sir, don't you want to-"
"Nope, no time for anything now, if we hurry we can still make it in time."
"Sir, really, I think you should at least-"
"I don't have time, come on Pete, we gotta get the bike started up."
Peter shrugged. If Sirius wanted to go to the meeting in teddy bear pajamas, it was fine with him.