Until We Came
By: Naeginnie6
A Re-Written Version
Chapter Two:
Tic.
Toc.
Tic.
Toc.
"OH, SHUT UP WILL YOU?" A frustrated Lily yelled at her clock. She took in deep breaths and blew them out slowly.
There were only three hours left. Lily had spent the preceding four hours pacing, eating lunch, pacing, biting her nails, painting her nails so she wouldn't bite them, playing Trivial Pursuit (against herself) and winning, talking to Petunia, pacing, day-dreaming about what James's family would be like, what she would wear, remembering she already knew that, and stressing out.
Petunia stepped in. She witnessed Lily throwing a hardcover book at the clock. "Hey, what's the clock got against you?" she joked.
"EVERYTHING!" Lily bellowed.
"I see," Petunia said mildly.
"Sorry, Petty, I can't help it! I'm so excited and nervous. What is his family doesn't like me? What if he doesn't like me? Pe-ehhhhhh-et!" she whined.
"Lily. Calm down. Now. Look at me. IN THE EYES! Ok, good. Now, you have three and a half hours left. We will spend that time playing a board game to take up one hour. Talking to take up another hour. That leaves an hour and a half. Then we will get you dressed and do your hair and makeup and everything else. Then you'll have ten minutes, I'm guessing. We will un-stress you, till the moment he walks through that door. Got it?"
Lily took a deep breath. "Yes."
~*¤*~
"Woo-hoo! I got the BOARDWALK BABY! Eat that Petunia!" Lily punched the air in triumph as she moved her thimble to the boardwalk square. "And I have enough!" she marveled. "How often does that happen?"
"Not often. My turn." Petunia shook out the dice and got a five. "One, two, three four, nooooo!" Petunia's ironing board had landed on the boardwalk.
"Ha! I win, because you only have five dollars, and you owe me WAY more than that!" Lily got up and did a little jig. "I win! Oh yes! It is myyyyyy birthday. I'm cool! Oh yeah! Go Lily!"
"Lil, it's a game," Petunia said slowly.
"Yeah, a game that I won!" Lily continued her victory dance.
"We have one hour left, we went overboard on the game. Two and a half hours on Monopoly, can you believe?"
"WHAT?" Lily cried. "FIVE ALREADY? EEEEEEE!!" She proceeded to run around the house like a lunatic.
"LILY!" Petunia hollered. "GET OVERE HERE!" Lily came to a stop, and walked calmly towards Petunia. Petunia gripped her shoulders. "Go in the bathroom, and put on the dress. Call me when you're done."
~*¤*~
"Just a bit of eyeshadow, and… we're done!" Petunia wheeled the chair her younger sister was sitting in around.
Lily gasped. "Ohmigosh, Petunia, how could you make my face look like this? It's wonderful!"
Petunia glowed with the praise she was receiving from her younger sister.
Lily's face was very tan, after all it was July, and she had been outside most of the time- training with the Cheshire Sea Dogs, her swim team. Her auburn hair was pulled into French braid pigtails that went halfway down her head, and ended in curls. Her eyes, emerald green, now sparkling with delight, were framed in a thin line of black eyeliner. Her eyelids had a faint greenish-blue glow, the result of eye shadow. Her lips were very pink and glossy. She looked perfect.
"Oh, Lily! You look so mature! His family will love you… I'm sure he already does!" Petunia giggled along with her sister.
"Petunia, thanks so much! You're the best!" Lily said happily. She brushed off her dress, although it was quite spotless, and turned around in a circle. "I really never thought I could look like this! Oh Pet…!" She ran and gave her sister a hug.
DING-DONG!
"Ahh!" Lily cried. "He's here!"
Petunia smiled, and went to get the door. "Hello James. I'm Petunia Evans, Lily's older sister. I've heard a lot about you. Lily is very excited. She should be down in just a second."
"Thanks," James said.
Petunia looked him over and approved. He was dressed in khaki slacks and a black dress coat covering a starch white shirt.
Just then, Lily walked down the stairs and smiled at James. He looked truly happy to see her. He took her arm with a grin and led her off to the house next door. Petunia was happy for her sister. Too bad he didn't have an older brother…
~*¤*~
"Mother, Father! We're here!" James called as they walked through the door.
Lily just goggled as they were walking up the front walkway. It was illuminated by what looked like little laterns. The lawn was perfectly manicured. They had exotic flowers all along the stone footpath. In short the yard was stunning.
The house was a large Victorian, like hers. As they stepped through the door, a long hallway met them. A plush red velvet carpet lay ahead of them, and a crystal chandelier hung over their heads in the well-lit hallway.
Two adults emerged from an adjoining room. The man, presumably his father, was tall and had short black hair that was gelled back. He wore a complete three piece suit. The woman on his arm, who Lily guessed was his mother, was gorgeous. Her French-manicured fingers shone in the light. Her long silk gown shimmered as she welcomed them in.
A butler came in and led them to a long wood table that could have seated ten people. They sat at the very end seats, Lily and James on the right side, and his parents on the other.
"Your dinner," the butler said, waiving an arm around fancily.
He disappeared through a door and came back holding two trays, each bearing two silver platters with silver covers.
They lifted the covers, and saw each a small chicken, surrounded by a small side salad, and a lemon quarter.
Mrs. Potter gestured in a way that said 'here it is', and invited Lily, "Eat!"
~*¤*~
"So, Lilian,"
"Lily,"
"Sorry, Lily then," Mr. Potter apologized.
"Go on, please," Lily said politely.
"Yes," he said, and continued, "what school will you be attending?" he asked, emphasizing school.
"As of now, I'm thinking of enrolling at Richmond Academy for Girls, but I'm not quite sure that's the place for me. I feel like I belong somewhere else, you know?"
James's parents exchanged a glance.
"And what do you think is making you fee like this?" Mrs. Potter asked.
Lily sighed. "I don't know. Weird things have been happening to me lately, and I feel like there's just more to me then I think. Like, the night we moved here, I kicked a table across the room. A heavy table. And, there's been more stuff, too. It's just all very strange."
His parents exchanged another glance and both hid smiles. They'd seen cases like this before.
"So, Lil, mind if I call you Lil?" James started with a grin.
"No, that's fine." She grinned back at him.
His parents exchanged another glance, again hiding smiles.
"Wanna go down to the Quid- I mean, my room?"
"Ok, sure," Lily said.
"I call it the Quidditch Shrine of all Time!"
"That sounds stupid. What's a Quidditch? And that doesn't rhyme!!"