A/N: Ok, well, here's chapter 3review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, with the exception of a few characters, and the general plot.
Chapter Three:
Friends; New and Old
Lily picked up her quill and tried desperatly to write something that would make Grace stop worrying about her. Even if she knew what she was saying was a downright lie.
Gracey,
I'm fine, really. It's not like it wasn't gonna happen eventually, the doctors told us years ago that it would happen soon. I was ready. Everything'll be all right. Just don't worry about me. I don't need to cry, I'm fine.
-Lily
Lily sighed as she watched the owl fly away with her letter. She knew Grace too well to think she would buy that letter. But, at least it was worth a try.
Lil,
You aren't all right. I know you too well to think you don't care that your mum's dead. If you don't cry, all the pain will stay inside and eat you up. You'll never be happy again if you don't cry. I'm serious, you've gotta cry.
-Grace
Lily sighed. There was just no beating around the bush with Grace.
Grace,
I can't cry now. I have reasons. I promise I'll cry later. I have reasons, but, I can't bring myself to tell them to anyone. Not even you.
-Lily
Lily,
Alright, as long as you have a reason. I won't interfere. Well, I have to go, see ya Saturday!
-Grace
A bit later in the day, Erica Potter, James' twin sister came over.
"Hey, Lils." Said Erica softly.
"Hi Erica." Said Lily, trying to be cheerful.
"I brought you your present, I would've owled it to you this morning but, James did't let me bring Pippy to visit Melany. He's my owl too, but James is such a prat. So, since Melody doesn't have an owl, seeing as she's muggle born, I had to give it to you when I got back, which is now. By the way, I was staying at Melody, my muggle friend's house for a week, that's why I was away. I spent one glorious week away from James the git. So, here you go, hope ya like it." Erica handed Lily a small box. "A pocket sneak-a-scope, sorry it isn't too great, nothing compared to what James got you"
"It's really cool, Erica, thanks! What do you mean nothing compared to what James got mea hair dying charm? A sneak-a-scope is nothing compared to a fasion emergency?"
"Oops, he hasn't shown you yet? Uh ohdon't tell him I said anything"
Lily laughed, "Alright, I won't."
"Er, by the way, I'm really sorry about your mum"
"It's alright, it was meant to happen, I'm just glad I have friends like you guys to help me through it."
Erica grinned. "That's what friends are for, that and for goofing off."
"Are you coming to Diagon Alley Saturday? How come Tawny didn't mention that you were coming?"
"Oh, Belle doesn't know I'm back yet, I wasn't supposed to be home till Monday, but I came home early. Oh, and don't tell Tawny I called her Belle, you know how she hates being called by her first name."
Lily laughed. " I'm NOT a cow so don't call me Belle, or Bella, or Arabella, for that matter.' " Said Lily immatating Tawny. Lily laughed. "She may not be a cow, but she sure does have a cow over being called by her first name."
Erica laughed. "Yeah, thank heavens she has a middle name"
"I don't see what's so wrong with the name Arabella Figg"
"Nope, neither do I, but, I am very used to calling her Tawny"
"Yeah, I know, even Tawny is. Last year in transfiguration when Tawny was fooling around and turning her rabbit into a bouncing clown toy, instead of a top hat Professor McGonagall said Arabella Figg, what in heavens do you think your doing?' It took tawny minutes to realize McGonagall was talking to her" Erica laughed.
Lily giggled.
"Well, I've gotta go home. See ya Saturday!"
"Ok, bye!" Lily walked inside.
An hour later Lily received a phone call.
"Hello?" Said Lily. Who could possibly want to talk to her that used a phone? All her friends were pureblood wizards and witches, and they could always owl her, most of them didn't even know how to use a phone.
"Lily! Oh my god, it's been so long! Is that really you? You sound so different!" Said the voice at the other end of the telephone.
"Yeah, this is Lily, who is this?" Lily asked. The voice sounded slightly familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was definatly not one of her friends from Hogwarts.
"Oh my gosh, Lils, you don't recognize my voice? This is Natty!"
"Oh my GOD! Natty, is that really you? Where are you calling from?"
"My parent's summer home in Maine. Oh, Lil, it's been sooooooo long!"
"Oh, I know Nats. What's been going on in your life?"
"Well, I've been going to erBoarding School in erFrance. How about you, we haven't written in ages!"
"Oh, I know Nats! Well, I've been going to a Boarding School too! It's in erScotland."
"Oh really? That's cool! What's it called?"
"Hog- erHoglia! How bout your's, what's it's name?"
"Beuxbat- eryeah, it's Beuxbater!"
"Oh, ok."
"So, the reason I called you was to say Happy Birthday!"
"Well, thanks Nat! So, how've you been doing?"
"Great! My school's really great, but I'm transferring to a different school because of erHow's Hoglia?"
"What? Oh, it's really fun. We learn a lot ofer, cool stuff."
"Sounds great! Look Lil, I'v gotta go! It was great talking to ya again!"
"You too! Bye!"
Lily hung up the phone and sighed. She never expected to hear from Natty again! They were best friends and neighbors in elementry school, but Natty had moved away and Lily went to Hogwarts. At first Lily was sad she'd never be able to see Natty again, but soon she realized Natty and her had nothing in common anymore. What could a witch and a muggle possibly have in common??? Lily listened to wizarding music, so they couldn't have that in common, and Lily read wizarding books and magazinesthere was no possible way Natty and Lily could still have anything in common. Was there? Oh well, there was no way Lily'd ever SEE Natty again, so she wouldn't have to worry. Then, Hannah called Lily down to dinner and Lily's mind slipped away from her friend.
Thursday and Friday came and went and soon it was time to go to Diagon Alley. Mrs. Potter had offered to drive Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily, and Grace along with James and Erica in their Ministry car. Tawny, who lived far away, would meet them there. So, at ten o'clock (A.M.) they set off for Diagon Alley.
They met Tawny and her parents in the Leaky Cauldron. Tawny was full of soot.
"I took Floo Powder and the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron is all sooty! They should really clean it out. I hate Floo Powder, look at this! I broke a nail!" Tawny shrieked.
"Oh, that's ever so dreadful." Teased James in a high pitched voice. Everyone except Tawny laughed.
"Humph. I'm serious, and all you guys do is laugh at me!" Tawny said putting on a mock hurt face. Then she grinned and laughed. "So, how's everything been with you guys?" Then she spotted Lily. "Oh, Lils I'm so sorry. I'd tell you, but some FRIENDS of mine, didn't tell me about it until they owled me this morning! They seemed to think I'd make you feel worse."
"Well, you would remember what you did to make Frank Longbottom feel better when his parents were killed." Said Grace giggling.
Tawny blushed. "Well, How was I supposed to know that singing feel better' cards reminded him of his parents? Plus, Im older now."
"Yeah, and even more immature. Plus, It wasn't the card that made him feel worse, it was the lyrics." Grace giggled. "How did it go again?"
"'I'm very, very sorry that your parents are dead! You-Know-Who blasted them in the head! Their glasses probably shattered all over their face. But, don't worry they'll go to a better pl-ayayace! Yeah!'" The boys chimed in. Then everyone laughed 0like mad, and Tawny went bright red.
"Ok, give me a break, so, I wasn't a very good song-writer. I was twelve, for heaven's sake!" Said Tawny between giggles.
"Oh, poor Frank, he locked himself in his dormitory, and wouldn't come out for days, we had to bring him food."
"I guess, I kinda know how he feels. At least I only had one parent left to lose." Said Lily sadly.
"AwwwLils, I really am sorry." Said Tawny.
"I know you are. So am I, but whatever happens happens. There's never anything we can do abut it." Said Lily cheering up a bit.
"You've gotta admit, that was kinda funny, Tawn." Said Sirius.
"Humph. Boyfriends aren't supposed to tease their girlfriends, Siri." Said Tawny with mock anger.
"But, Tawn, I just can't resist the temptation." Said Sirius innocently.
"Resist it or I'll dump you!" Threatened Tawny, but the rest knew she'd threatened to dump Sirius a hundred times and she never did, and right on schedule Sirius put on a hurt face and Tawny sympathized. "Oh, if you weren't so cute, I swear, I'd have no trouble dumping you." Said Tawny leaning over and kissing him.
"And there go the cutest couple in Hogwarts again." Said Erica laughing.
"Yep, the cutest and the most obnoxious." Said Lily, also laughing.
Then, Mr. And Mrs, Potter and Figg came over. "Ok, guys, me and your father are going to stay with the Figgs, and do some shopping on our own. You guys can go off alone."
"Sure mum, bye mum!" Said Erica and James at the same time and ran off with the rest just as their mother was about to give them instructions.
"So, where first?" Asked Remus.
"Well, Gringotts, of course!" Said James and they all ran torwards Gringotts, little Peter got left behind and had to run to catch up.
In front of Gringotts Lily bumped into a girl about her age. "Oh, I'm so sorry." Said Lily apoligetically, then she looked up at the girl's face and gasped."Natty!"
"Lily?" Asked the girl.
"Omigosh! It's really you! You're a witch?"
"Yeah! Are you?"
"Of course!" Said Lily with a huge grin. "Guys, this is Natalie Fisher. But, everyone calls her Natty, or Nats, or Natters. Natty, these are my friends Grace Andrews ("Hi" said Grace.), Tawny Figg, but her real name is Arabella, Tanya is just her middle name, but if you call her Arabella, or Belle, or anything but Tawny ("Hey! Nice to meet ya! Call me Belle and I'll slaughter you!") Erica Potter ("Hey, Natty!"), James Potter, he's Erica's twin and a big numbskull ("Don't listen to her, she's the numbskull."), Sirius Black, he's Tawny's boyfriend, but he'll let you call him whatever you want, ("As long as it's not Ed.") Remus Lupin ("Hi!), and finally, Peter Pettigrew ("Hello!"). Well, that's all of us!"
"So, what school do you all go to?"
"Hogwarts!" Said Lily.
"Oh my gosh! I go to Buexbatons, but I'm transferring to Hogwarts this year. People say it's safer, what with Dumbledore being there and all."
"Oh, Natty, that's awesome, that way you can get to know all my friends, they're really great!"
"Yeah, they do sound great! Where're you going next?"
"Gringotts."
"Mind if I tag along?"
"Course not."
They walked inside Gringotts. "No more than four to a cart!" Said a large troll.
Sirius dragged Tawny and Remus into a cart, then Tawny said. "Yoohoo! Mr.Troll, would you like to come to our cart?" The goblin grunted and got into their cart.
Grace, Erica, and Peter grabbed Natty and took her into their cart. "Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?" Said Natty.
Lily sighed. "They always do this."
"Our friends find joy in torturing us." Said James.
"It's for their own good, they need to be a couple, they're running out of time!" Explained Tawny.
"Yeah right, like I'd ever go out with Potter!" Said Lily, climbing into the cart.
"Wanna bet?" Said Sirius grinning.
"No, because, then you guys would find some way to use a love spell on me and I'd lose."
"Now, why would we ever do a thing like that?" Said Sirius innocently.
"Because you are all prats!" Said James and Lily at the same time. Hten they both glared at eachother.
"You see what an adorable couple they make?" Said Grace to Natty.
Natty grinned. "Yeah, a real Romeo and Juliet."
"Aren't they, though." Said Tawny.
A few seconds later the carts jolted forward. James let go of the handles and started to yell. "Faster, faster."
Lily was beginning to turn green. "No, you really don't need to." She said weakly, her hands clutching the bars. She stared at James who was hanging off the edge of the cart.
"This is like flying!" He yelled over the wind. Sirius was sitting back comfortably.
"That's the spirit, Jamsey, m'boy."
"Don't call me Jamsey, m'boy'."
"Ok, Jameseroo." Laughed Sirius. Suddenly, the cart came to a halt.
"Vault 508, I believe that's our's." Said Erica. The goblin opened the vault to see a huge room crammed with gold galleons. Obviously magically charmed not to fall out of the vault. Erica and James hastily grabbed some galleons and closed the vault. Being rich wasn't something they were proud of, esspecially because of where the money came from. But, that's to be discussed later.
They quickly got into the cart and about a minute later they had reached the Vault 721. "That's me." Said Sirius. His vault was almost as full as the Potters'. He, like Erica and James, hastily shoved some money in his sack.
The next vault was Tawny's. It was the reason they had been so hasty in taking their money. Tawny's vault was opened to reveal a meek little pile of gold. Tawny quickly grabbed the pile and shoved it in her bag. Lily saw the look on her face, the same look she had every time they went to gringotts. Lily almost wanted to cry. Quickly Tawny realized that she had a horribly grim look on her face and grinned. "Well, are we gonna go or what?" She said.
"'kay, c'mon."
The rest of the vaults were all pretty much average filled. When everyone got out of gringotts they were all grinning.
"So, what first?" Asked James.
"Ice cream!" Said Tawny and Sirius at the same time.
"You two almost make a cuter couple than James and Lily." Said Grace. "Your both immature, and act like two year olds."
"I'll take that as a complement, thank you very much." Said Tawny.
"Yeah, and I'm quite a bright two year old." Said Sirius.
Everyone laughed. "Your very special, Sirius." Said Lily. "Special Ed, that is." There was quite a bit more laughter as they bought their ice cream.
"Mint Chocolate Chip!" Said James and Lily at the same time. They glared at each other.
"Actually, now that I think of it, I'll have Vanilla, thank you." Said Lily, glaring at James as if he'd stolen her ice cream.
"They do this every time. They spend hours thinking about what ice cream flavor they'll get the next day, then they pick the same one and Lily asks for another."
Natty laughed. "You two are way too full of yourselves for your own good!" She giggled.
Finally, they finished their ice creams, and went to buy supplies. Later that evening, Mrs.Potter came to pick Lily, James, Erica, Grace, Peter, Sirius, and Remus up, Natty went up to the room she was staying in, in the Leaky Cauldron, and Tawny left to find the fireplace.
Once home Lily went up to her room. She lay on her bed and sighed. Those were her friends, the best friends in the world. She grinned and fell asleep immediately.
The next morning was a sunny glowing day. She woke up to the chirping of the birds. Miss I Have To Wake My Little Sister Up At 6:00 AM On Her Birthday' a.k.a. Petunia, was sleeping late, and Hannah could be heard downstairs making breakfast. Lily ran down the stairs. "Morning, Hannah." She said cheerily.
"Morning, Lily. Sit down, breakfast will be ready in a minute." Said Hannah warmly, as she fried eggs. "Do you have any plans today?"
"No, not that I know of." That second a tiny owl came flying over Lily's head and into her hands. There was a scribbled note on a piece of paper.
Lily,
We're gonna go over to James and Erica's quiddich pitch and play quiddich. Bring your broom over as quickly as you can.
~Grace
"Well, Hannah, I guess I do have plans!" Said Lily cheerfully.
A/N: Ok, well, review, please!!!