"Damn that Sirius." James muttered as he hopped down the stairs after Lily. "First he encourages me to like her then he discourages my chances. Figures."
Rafe was still standing there with his jaw dropping to the floor. Helen had stuffed a bit of toast in that mouth (and Sirius and Remus added a bit of pepper and some gross vegetable on the next table). Lily had ducked her head to avoid stares. Hopefully no one remembered her like she was an hour ago. Covered in breakfast foods.
"So, what was that all about?" Sirius asked as soon as Lily had hidden herself properly.
"We were having a decent conversation, then James started talking with his mouth full and got a piece of pancake in my eye." She said with a muffled voice. She was hiding under the table.
"So that ended up with cereal and milk on your butt, toast on your shoes, bacon and pancakes in your hair and a biscuit coming out of your vest, right?" Remus asked with curiosity, buttering his own biscuit.
"Yeah, so?" She asked, her voice still muffled. Because of the horrible view, she didn't see James walk up.
"Where's Lily?" He mouthed. Remus pointed silently at the table.
"And the best part about it is I got the scrambled eggs down his-" She began, but soon the space got cramped.
"Shirt." James said, his voice also muffled as he sat in an uncomfortable position under the table. "That's the most fun I've had at a meal in a long time."
"I didn't tell you about my stepmother's garden party, did I? Well, the little petit fours had Pepper Imps in them, the stirrers were the blood-flavored lollipops, the ice cream had Ice Mice in it and candies were peppermint cream toads, except the cook helped me mold them like real peppermint creams. The bonbons exploded miraculously and you could hear Claire screaming my name for miles, you can ask the villagers! And then when we went on a trip to Paris, I exchanged her airline peanuts with Cockroach Clusters!" She whispered excitedly. On the table above her, everyone pushed their plates in front of them. It may have been funny, but to think of it while eating.. All except Sirius, of course, who was just engrossed in his pancakes.
"And then of course, there is the exploding bouquets that were set around the table, they had Dungbombs in them, and the teacups were Nose-Biting Teacups, but even if you got beyond that, the tea tasted like blood, and then the grand castle cake that the cook spent hours on (I didn't ruin this, otherwise the cook wouldn't have helped me with the peppermint creams) I added little fireworks on top. Claire was pleased with that, but she had a teacup on her nose and dung all over her and a hopping stomach (I heard her describe it to her PA), she desperately needed breath mints and a fire extinguisher and she had sticky bonbons stuck to her blouse. It was fantastic!" Lily exclaimed. "One of her heels broke so as she tried to approach me, she was slowed down and my father came home so she didn't mess with me. And then I was off to Hogwarts anyway and wouldn't return until next holiday."
James and Sirius seemed to be the only ones listening. Everyone else had lost their patience and their appetites.
"Fantastic as that may be, Miss Evans, we have a bit of shopping to do." Came Dumbledore's amused voice. James was the first to get out from the table. He offered his hand and Lily emerged. Her hair was kind of messy when she got up. James smoothed it with his hands, savoring the moments when he could touch her.
Lily shivered. James was right, she was cold. Before she knew it, James's varsity jacket was hanging onto her by her shoulders. They stopped at a prank shop first, letting Sirius give them the grand tour. Lily must have dropped fifty Galleons on the place. She even amazed Sirius, who was all too willing to test out the products for her.
Next they stopped at a robe shop. Not that they would need the dress robes until December for the Yule Ball, but they stopped anyway. Lily picked some dragon-fly combs for her hair for that evening and she bought each of the girls something they liked, though they were simply trinkets of some kind.
At the Quidditch shop, she bought personalized equipment for each member of the team. James, Jackie, Arabella and Munguldus each received a Quaffle, Ronan got a Golden Snitch and a little but secure box to keep it in, and Rafe and Sirius each got a bat and a Bludger, along with a Bludger cage. They thanked her with true exuberance.
And at the Gryffindor shop it was James's turn to give them a tour and spoil them. Each Quidditch team member (and Remus) received a poster with a growling lion. Everybody bought things to give to their families and friends for Christmas. They even got something for Peter (it was a figure of a lion eating a small white rat. Lily couldn't understand it, but Sirius said it was because the little rat literally ratted on them).
Lily was amazed at some of the things in the back of the shop. It had a lot of Hogwarts stuff. There was this tapestry that read the family of Salazaar Slytherin, a rug that did the same for Rowena Ravenclaw, a tablecloth reading the family history of Helga Hufflepuff. Lily gasped to herself. There was a banner, a very large banner, scarlet, with a golden lion that roared, it read Gryffindor and Potters- United Forever.
"Interested in that, missy?" The creepy shop clerk asked.
Lily turned and nodded, gulping with fear.
"It was basically the announcement for the grand wedding of Lady Lillian and Godric Gryffindor. Heard of them?" He asked, pointing a rather crooked finger at her. Lily nodded silently. "Rather sad story. Lady Lillian was originally set to marry Sir Gryffindor when all of a sudden, Lord Slytherin took over the province Godric ruled. Lady Lillian fought and fought, but in the end- Lady Lillian.."
"Lily?" Came James's voice. He had found her. "We have to go."
"Couldn't we stay just a little while?" Lily pleaded, but James shook his head. "We can come back later."
"Yes, James." She whispered as he led her by the arm out of the shop.
"Lily.. Lily?" James asked as he handed her into the carriage. They were going off to some historical site. "What was the shopkeeper telling you?"
"Nothing, James. Just the story of Lady Lillian. He didn't finish it." She said after a moment.
"Here." He said, thrusting a package into her hands.
She unwrapped the brown paper carefully. Then, a figure, about eight inches tall, a lion with every detail, down to the hairs of the fur to the soft, scarlet velvet feet, stood on her palm. It was golden, and standing upwards, roaring. Its eyes glistened of rubies and its tongue was a ruby
"James.." She murmured. "James.. I co- I co- I couldn't accept this."
"Yes you can. It's mine to give." He said, fingering the lion's tail. "Look at this. You wouldn't believe what this was."
"What?" She whispered, her finger following his.
"This was the plaything of Godric's first son. Godric was helping building Hogwarts and he sent that to his son to remind him to keep courage and protect the home, and his sisters. I thought you'd like it."
"I do. I do." She said excitedly. "Thank you so much." She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
His finger felt the side of her cheek. "You're welcome, Princess." He murmured. "You're always welcome, Princess."
Lily got up to return to her seat. "No, stay." He murmured, running his hands over her hair. "Stay."