Author's note: I love any of you how reviewed my story. THANK YOU!!!!!! The rest of you still have time to get on my "good" list before I upload the next chapter. I usually hate people who do this but I promise if I get, say 30 - 35 reviews the next chapter will be up MUCH MUCH faster. : ) pwetty pweese? *flutters eyelashes innocently*
Disclaimer: Like I said in the past, oh, 3 or 4 chapters, anything you recognize is J.K. Rowling's and EVERYTHING else is mine. ; )
Life went on. Lily broke up with Ben, due to his possessive nature that she just couldn't handle any more. Shannon and James went around more loved up than ever, obviously having gotten over their "rough patch" and Lily had to convince herself that she didn't care in the slightest.
"I can't wait for Shannon's party thing!" exclaimed Phoebe. "Three years in a row my Christmas has been soooo boring and just the most family-oriented thing you've EVER come across!"
Phoebe hated Christmas with a passion. As far as she was concerned the only good thing about the holiday was the presents bit. The whole family oriented atmosphere got a bit much for her, causing her to lock herself in her room for most of the "jolly" season away from her three elder brothers and parents who were two of the biggest perfectionists known to mankind.
"I know!" Tara rolled her eyes. "If I had to spend another Christmas with Vicki I would probably go insane, at least temporarily."
Vicki was one of those older sisters who just couldn't get on with younger siblings if they tried. She was so competitive with Tara it was unnatural. In her parents eyes she was the perfect daughter. Straight A's in school, polite, respectable friends, a boyfriend whom they considered to be a good influence on their eldest daughter, etc, etc.
"Practically perfect in every way," quoted Tara, mocking her mother's tone. "Like that bloody Mary Poppins one!"
"Mary who?" asked Phoebe and Alyson in unison, who had no recognition of anything that came from the muggle world.
"Never mind," Tara said, shaking her head. "The main thing is that I don't have to put up with her this year!"
"Older sisters suck," commented Lily, flopping down on the bed.
"You said it," agreed Tara, joining her. They sighed in unison.
"Lily, are you girls almost ready?" Saoirse, Lily's mother, called up the stairs. "You know Naomi (Shannon's mother) will go ape if we're late!"
Lily and the girls had been home for just over a week. Tara, Alyson and Phoebe had decided that Lily's family (minus Petunia of course) were the best family in the world and they wanted to move in with them permanently. They had also decided that her Texan cousins, Dave, Jonas and Darryl were the finest guys in the world. ("Wait 'til you see Shannon's best muggle friend, Tom!" Lily had exclaimed when the girls repeated this to her.)
"Yea two minutes, Mum. Phoebe is hogging the mirror," Lily bellowed down the stairs to her mother.
"I'm counting," Saoirse reciprocated.
"Bitch!" Phoebe slapped Lily, lightly, with one hand and applied a shimmery pink coloured lip-gloss with the other.
"Tara you're dress is gorgeous!" squealed Alyson when Tara emerged from the en suite bathroom attached to Lily's room. And it was. It was a dark red colour, which complimented Tara's dark hair and tanned skin to perfection, and looked a bit like the dresses those "cha-cha" dancers wore, sleeveless with a v-neck front and flowing down at the back with a ruffled hem coming up at the front. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a cute half ponytail and she wore only the barest hint of make-up.
"Thank you," Tara said, dropping into a mock curtsey. She came up laughing. "I love that skirt, Ally," she complimented in return. "Remember when you got it?" she asked, beginning to laugh.
"Oh yea!" Alyson snorted. "The day we went to Diagon Ally and Phoebe was following those foreign exchange students all over the place!" Both girls collapsed with giggles. Alyson had gone for glamour with black. Her skirt was a short leather one worn with high boots, which Phoebe like to call "Ally's fuck-me boots." Her top was a black one-shoulder top that tied at the top in a smallish knot and left the remaining pieces of material trial down her back. A silver, linked chain belt swung low from her left hip.
"Phoebs you look gorgeous!" Lily vociferated. "Now would you give the rest of us a turn to look in the mirror!?" Phoebe was wearing a gorgeous pale, pale pink strapless dress, which molded her figure like a second skin and ended about two inches above her knee. Her hair, which had been freshly bleached (with help from Lily and Saoirse) the day before, had been put into hundreds of tiny little plaits and suited her immensely.
Lily, without a doubt, looked as gorgeous as she possibly could. Her dress, which was a sheet of green velvet that fell to the ground attractively and was held up with spaghetti straps, contrasted flatteringly with her hair, which fell to her mid back in soft curls. A silver, glittery hair band rested on her head without pulling back her hair. A slit to her mid-thigh showed off a great deal of snowy white skin.
"Lily I can honestly say that you look fab!" proclaimed Tara.
"Thanks darling," Lily countered, applying a dusting of shimmery eye shadow over her eyelids.
"Lily you really have to come NOW, sweetheart," Lily's father, Ian, called up to his beloved daughter.
"Coming," roared Lily. She rummaged in her desk drawer and extracted the magical camera her parents had given her for her last birthday and raced down the spiral stairs, her friends in tow. "Take a picture of us before we go," Lily said, throwing her camera to her dad and posing her friends in a matter of seconds.
"OUT!" Lily's mother pointed to the door as soon as the picture had been taken. The four girls scrambled for the door, still blinking from the flash of the camera.
"Lily, darling, you look absolutely fantastic, as usual!" trilled Naomi, when the group eventually reached the house, waving a champagne glass in the air. The party was obviously already in full swing. "Have a drink, dear," she offered, swiping a cocktail off the tray of a passing waiter and handing it to her niece. "What about you girls?" she asked Phoebe, Alyson and Tara. She snapped her fingers and instantly three more cocktails appeared on the table next to her. She handed them to the three, astounded girls. "Oops got to fly, Lils," she said, nodding her head towards a tall man who was in the middle of a large group of people. "Looks like Shay is trying to tell his elephant story again." She made a face. "Ta Ta, doll," she said, gliding away.
"THAT'S Shannon's mother?" Phoebe asked, in astonishment. Lily nodded and sipped her cocktail.
"What's the elephant story?" Alyson asked.
"You DON'T want to know," Lily replied. "Come on," she urged, downing the last of her drink and pulling the girls after her. "Let's go mingle!"
"Lily Evans!" proclaimed a voice, as an arm slipped around her waist.
"Tom!" Lily said, turning to face him. She gave him a peck on the lips, which he immediately deepened. "Great to see you," she said, when she pulled away.
"You too!" he answered. "So how's my favorite sex goddess doing?" he inquired, walking with her.
"Tom, you charmer!" Lily said, not sounding a million miles away from Naomi. "Meet my friends, Phoebe, Tara and Alyson," she said, waving a careless hand towards the three who were standing in a circle, whispering about the food, the drinks, the people, everything.
"Charmed!" Tom said, raising an eyebrow and smiling. He shook each girl's hand in turn, receiving a wink from Alyson, a hot smile from Tara and a raised eyebrow to match his from Phoebe. "So where's my darling Petunia tonight?" he asked, looking around the room. "I just love tormenting her."
"She's over there," Lily whispered, smiling. Tom turned and saw her.
"Petty, sweetheart," he shouted walking over to her, arms outstretched.
"HE'S Shannon's best friend?" Phoebe hissed. "He's soooo hot!" Lily shrugged.
"What can I say?" she said. "Shan has good taste!"
"Lily you look gorgeous!" Shannon appeared out of no-where, clinging to James' arm.
"You too, Shan," Lily smiled and took in Shannon's dress which had no doubt cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds. It was a long, blue halter dress, with slits up both sides. It looked like something she had been poured into and suited her enormously. "Hey James," she said, smiling an innocent smile at him.
The two had barely spoken since the night Phoebe had interrupted them. Just the odd hi and the like. It wasn't as if they were feeling awkward. It was more like they were afraid of what would happen if they were left together.
"I saw you had a run-in with Tom," Shannon whispered, rolling her eyes and grinning in spite of herself.
"Hey," Lily defended. "I can handle him."
"He still adores you," Shannon informed her cousin. Lily and Tom had dated for an entire summer when Lily had visited Shannon two years ago.
"He's a sweetheart," Lily answered. "Anyway I'd better go introduce the girls to some people before they murder me or something." Shannon nodded. She poked her head around Lily.
"Have fun," she said to the three girls standing, not so patiently, behind her.
"See you later, Shan. Bye James." Lily nodded to them and set off again.
"Girls!" hollered a voice out of no-where. "We were JUST about to come and look for you." Sirius, Remus and Peter stepped out in front of them. "Jamsie is off being introduced to all the future in-laws and we were feeling a bit lost," Sirius commented.
"I don't think you know HOW to feel lost, Black," Lily returned.
"I'm hurt, Lils," Sirius said, putting a hand over his heart. "Come on, Phoebs," he said, dropping his act. "How about a dance?" He whirled Phoebe onto the dance floor. Remus took Tara's hand and led her over to one of the many food tables. She let go of his hand, wrapped her arm around his waist and smiled up at him.
"Come on Ally, I'll introduce you to a couple of people," Lily said. The two walked off, chatting about Sirius and Phoebe at a hundred miles per hour. Lily stopped and turned around.
"You too, Pete," she said to Peter who was standing by himself near the whirling couples on the dance floor. "Come on." He hurried after them and smiled gratefully at Lily. "You having a good time?" Lily asked him, as they walked again.
Four dances later Sirius and Phoebe were still dancing, crashing into the other dancing couples around them, drunk on hyperness. Remus and Tara were sitting at a table talk, animatedly. Remus was holding her hands and stroking them, softly. It looked so loved up Lily felt like puking and cooing all at once. Alyson was dancing with Darryl, who had taken a shine to her otherworldly glamour. She had set Peter up with a cousin of hers, Geraldine, and they too were dancing. Shannon and James were leaning against a wall, facing each other, in the middle of a conversation. Lily was searching the room. If only she could spot Shannon's gorgeous cousin, Stephan, related to her from her father's side and therefore no relation to Lily, everything would be peachy.
"Fancy a dance, Lils?" Tom came up behind her and swept her up in his arms. She shrieked.
"Will you let me down?" she asked.
"Of course," he answered.
"Ok," Lily agreed. He set her back down and half dragged her onto the dance floor.
"This is a wicked party, Lil!" cried Phoebe as she passed Lily, who was dancing with Stephan whom she had eventually found, with Jonas, practically wrapped around her. Naomi had started some sort of karaoke contest on the magical stage, which Phoebe and Lily had evidently won after singing "Sweets for my sweets."
"I know. Naomi ALWAYS gives good parties," Lily informed her. "Listen," she said to Stephan. "I've got to get some air. Do you want to go for a walk?" he nodded and wrapped his arm around Lily. They turned and headed for the door. James watched them go, almost downcast.
Disclaimer: Like I said in the past, oh, 3 or 4 chapters, anything you recognize is J.K. Rowling's and EVERYTHING else is mine. ; )
Life went on. Lily broke up with Ben, due to his possessive nature that she just couldn't handle any more. Shannon and James went around more loved up than ever, obviously having gotten over their "rough patch" and Lily had to convince herself that she didn't care in the slightest.
"I can't wait for Shannon's party thing!" exclaimed Phoebe. "Three years in a row my Christmas has been soooo boring and just the most family-oriented thing you've EVER come across!"
Phoebe hated Christmas with a passion. As far as she was concerned the only good thing about the holiday was the presents bit. The whole family oriented atmosphere got a bit much for her, causing her to lock herself in her room for most of the "jolly" season away from her three elder brothers and parents who were two of the biggest perfectionists known to mankind.
"I know!" Tara rolled her eyes. "If I had to spend another Christmas with Vicki I would probably go insane, at least temporarily."
Vicki was one of those older sisters who just couldn't get on with younger siblings if they tried. She was so competitive with Tara it was unnatural. In her parents eyes she was the perfect daughter. Straight A's in school, polite, respectable friends, a boyfriend whom they considered to be a good influence on their eldest daughter, etc, etc.
"Practically perfect in every way," quoted Tara, mocking her mother's tone. "Like that bloody Mary Poppins one!"
"Mary who?" asked Phoebe and Alyson in unison, who had no recognition of anything that came from the muggle world.
"Never mind," Tara said, shaking her head. "The main thing is that I don't have to put up with her this year!"
"Older sisters suck," commented Lily, flopping down on the bed.
"You said it," agreed Tara, joining her. They sighed in unison.
"Lily, are you girls almost ready?" Saoirse, Lily's mother, called up the stairs. "You know Naomi (Shannon's mother) will go ape if we're late!"
Lily and the girls had been home for just over a week. Tara, Alyson and Phoebe had decided that Lily's family (minus Petunia of course) were the best family in the world and they wanted to move in with them permanently. They had also decided that her Texan cousins, Dave, Jonas and Darryl were the finest guys in the world. ("Wait 'til you see Shannon's best muggle friend, Tom!" Lily had exclaimed when the girls repeated this to her.)
"Yea two minutes, Mum. Phoebe is hogging the mirror," Lily bellowed down the stairs to her mother.
"I'm counting," Saoirse reciprocated.
"Bitch!" Phoebe slapped Lily, lightly, with one hand and applied a shimmery pink coloured lip-gloss with the other.
"Tara you're dress is gorgeous!" squealed Alyson when Tara emerged from the en suite bathroom attached to Lily's room. And it was. It was a dark red colour, which complimented Tara's dark hair and tanned skin to perfection, and looked a bit like the dresses those "cha-cha" dancers wore, sleeveless with a v-neck front and flowing down at the back with a ruffled hem coming up at the front. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a cute half ponytail and she wore only the barest hint of make-up.
"Thank you," Tara said, dropping into a mock curtsey. She came up laughing. "I love that skirt, Ally," she complimented in return. "Remember when you got it?" she asked, beginning to laugh.
"Oh yea!" Alyson snorted. "The day we went to Diagon Ally and Phoebe was following those foreign exchange students all over the place!" Both girls collapsed with giggles. Alyson had gone for glamour with black. Her skirt was a short leather one worn with high boots, which Phoebe like to call "Ally's fuck-me boots." Her top was a black one-shoulder top that tied at the top in a smallish knot and left the remaining pieces of material trial down her back. A silver, linked chain belt swung low from her left hip.
"Phoebs you look gorgeous!" Lily vociferated. "Now would you give the rest of us a turn to look in the mirror!?" Phoebe was wearing a gorgeous pale, pale pink strapless dress, which molded her figure like a second skin and ended about two inches above her knee. Her hair, which had been freshly bleached (with help from Lily and Saoirse) the day before, had been put into hundreds of tiny little plaits and suited her immensely.
Lily, without a doubt, looked as gorgeous as she possibly could. Her dress, which was a sheet of green velvet that fell to the ground attractively and was held up with spaghetti straps, contrasted flatteringly with her hair, which fell to her mid back in soft curls. A silver, glittery hair band rested on her head without pulling back her hair. A slit to her mid-thigh showed off a great deal of snowy white skin.
"Lily I can honestly say that you look fab!" proclaimed Tara.
"Thanks darling," Lily countered, applying a dusting of shimmery eye shadow over her eyelids.
"Lily you really have to come NOW, sweetheart," Lily's father, Ian, called up to his beloved daughter.
"Coming," roared Lily. She rummaged in her desk drawer and extracted the magical camera her parents had given her for her last birthday and raced down the spiral stairs, her friends in tow. "Take a picture of us before we go," Lily said, throwing her camera to her dad and posing her friends in a matter of seconds.
"OUT!" Lily's mother pointed to the door as soon as the picture had been taken. The four girls scrambled for the door, still blinking from the flash of the camera.
"Lily, darling, you look absolutely fantastic, as usual!" trilled Naomi, when the group eventually reached the house, waving a champagne glass in the air. The party was obviously already in full swing. "Have a drink, dear," she offered, swiping a cocktail off the tray of a passing waiter and handing it to her niece. "What about you girls?" she asked Phoebe, Alyson and Tara. She snapped her fingers and instantly three more cocktails appeared on the table next to her. She handed them to the three, astounded girls. "Oops got to fly, Lils," she said, nodding her head towards a tall man who was in the middle of a large group of people. "Looks like Shay is trying to tell his elephant story again." She made a face. "Ta Ta, doll," she said, gliding away.
"THAT'S Shannon's mother?" Phoebe asked, in astonishment. Lily nodded and sipped her cocktail.
"What's the elephant story?" Alyson asked.
"You DON'T want to know," Lily replied. "Come on," she urged, downing the last of her drink and pulling the girls after her. "Let's go mingle!"
"Lily Evans!" proclaimed a voice, as an arm slipped around her waist.
"Tom!" Lily said, turning to face him. She gave him a peck on the lips, which he immediately deepened. "Great to see you," she said, when she pulled away.
"You too!" he answered. "So how's my favorite sex goddess doing?" he inquired, walking with her.
"Tom, you charmer!" Lily said, not sounding a million miles away from Naomi. "Meet my friends, Phoebe, Tara and Alyson," she said, waving a careless hand towards the three who were standing in a circle, whispering about the food, the drinks, the people, everything.
"Charmed!" Tom said, raising an eyebrow and smiling. He shook each girl's hand in turn, receiving a wink from Alyson, a hot smile from Tara and a raised eyebrow to match his from Phoebe. "So where's my darling Petunia tonight?" he asked, looking around the room. "I just love tormenting her."
"She's over there," Lily whispered, smiling. Tom turned and saw her.
"Petty, sweetheart," he shouted walking over to her, arms outstretched.
"HE'S Shannon's best friend?" Phoebe hissed. "He's soooo hot!" Lily shrugged.
"What can I say?" she said. "Shan has good taste!"
"Lily you look gorgeous!" Shannon appeared out of no-where, clinging to James' arm.
"You too, Shan," Lily smiled and took in Shannon's dress which had no doubt cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds. It was a long, blue halter dress, with slits up both sides. It looked like something she had been poured into and suited her enormously. "Hey James," she said, smiling an innocent smile at him.
The two had barely spoken since the night Phoebe had interrupted them. Just the odd hi and the like. It wasn't as if they were feeling awkward. It was more like they were afraid of what would happen if they were left together.
"I saw you had a run-in with Tom," Shannon whispered, rolling her eyes and grinning in spite of herself.
"Hey," Lily defended. "I can handle him."
"He still adores you," Shannon informed her cousin. Lily and Tom had dated for an entire summer when Lily had visited Shannon two years ago.
"He's a sweetheart," Lily answered. "Anyway I'd better go introduce the girls to some people before they murder me or something." Shannon nodded. She poked her head around Lily.
"Have fun," she said to the three girls standing, not so patiently, behind her.
"See you later, Shan. Bye James." Lily nodded to them and set off again.
"Girls!" hollered a voice out of no-where. "We were JUST about to come and look for you." Sirius, Remus and Peter stepped out in front of them. "Jamsie is off being introduced to all the future in-laws and we were feeling a bit lost," Sirius commented.
"I don't think you know HOW to feel lost, Black," Lily returned.
"I'm hurt, Lils," Sirius said, putting a hand over his heart. "Come on, Phoebs," he said, dropping his act. "How about a dance?" He whirled Phoebe onto the dance floor. Remus took Tara's hand and led her over to one of the many food tables. She let go of his hand, wrapped her arm around his waist and smiled up at him.
"Come on Ally, I'll introduce you to a couple of people," Lily said. The two walked off, chatting about Sirius and Phoebe at a hundred miles per hour. Lily stopped and turned around.
"You too, Pete," she said to Peter who was standing by himself near the whirling couples on the dance floor. "Come on." He hurried after them and smiled gratefully at Lily. "You having a good time?" Lily asked him, as they walked again.
Four dances later Sirius and Phoebe were still dancing, crashing into the other dancing couples around them, drunk on hyperness. Remus and Tara were sitting at a table talk, animatedly. Remus was holding her hands and stroking them, softly. It looked so loved up Lily felt like puking and cooing all at once. Alyson was dancing with Darryl, who had taken a shine to her otherworldly glamour. She had set Peter up with a cousin of hers, Geraldine, and they too were dancing. Shannon and James were leaning against a wall, facing each other, in the middle of a conversation. Lily was searching the room. If only she could spot Shannon's gorgeous cousin, Stephan, related to her from her father's side and therefore no relation to Lily, everything would be peachy.
"Fancy a dance, Lils?" Tom came up behind her and swept her up in his arms. She shrieked.
"Will you let me down?" she asked.
"Of course," he answered.
"Ok," Lily agreed. He set her back down and half dragged her onto the dance floor.
"This is a wicked party, Lil!" cried Phoebe as she passed Lily, who was dancing with Stephan whom she had eventually found, with Jonas, practically wrapped around her. Naomi had started some sort of karaoke contest on the magical stage, which Phoebe and Lily had evidently won after singing "Sweets for my sweets."
"I know. Naomi ALWAYS gives good parties," Lily informed her. "Listen," she said to Stephan. "I've got to get some air. Do you want to go for a walk?" he nodded and wrapped his arm around Lily. They turned and headed for the door. James watched them go, almost downcast.