Disclaimer: I don't have my name on Harry Potter or any part of the wizarding world. ^_^ I'm just a mere muggle trying to create an alternative world for this brainchild, which is owned by none other than Joanne Kathleen Rowling. :^) And I don't own Meteor Garden, either, from which some of the characters' personalities are based.
Author's notes: This fanfic was inspired by the television series Meteor Garden, and the animated film Spirited Away. ^_^
It was already half-past ten in the evening when fifteen-year old James strode his way towards the edge of one of their enormous family pools, pausing for a moment to admire his handsome reflection in the water. It was hard to hide the fact that he liked almost everything about his appearance— the well-proportioned nose, the charming dent that formed at the corner of his lips every time he smiled; and that messy, tousled jet-black hair that topped his clear, well-featured face, buttoned nicely with a pair of grayish-blue eyes.
James continued to stare at the pool lazily as he slipped his fingers around the wide strings that enclosed him in the dark, velvet blue robe he had on. The robe fell off to reveal him in an expensive pair of black swimming trunks, which were the ones he always used for his evening dips. His eyes scrolled over the water in the same pride he had always had for it, knowing that he was in for another soothing dip of extreme comfort.
And why wouldn't he be?
This uniquely-designed pool had countless knobs of different colors, with some for bubble-making, some for changing the temperature, some for drinking, and some for mere smelling, and James would always get out feeling like he had the best bath of his life, indeed. It was easily his favorite geometrical volume of water, even if such a category remained non-existent in those end-of-the-year slumbooks.
With a private grin of eagerness, James sat down comfortably on one of the pool's steps, and rested a head on one of the pool edges. He closed his eyes as he thought of the additional advantages he would be getting as a prefect after that train ride going to Hogwarts the following morning. It was fortunate that he managed to keep his grades up, though tiring as it was. And he was lucky to have had inherited the good brains of the family; otherwise, his tendency to fool around with his friends and socialize with other rich girls would have gotten the better of him.
"Wick!"
All at once, a chubby little house-elf came tottering toward the boy. He had enormous, bright blue eyes, which glimmered with eagerness every time James called.
"What is you wanting, Master James?" Micklewick the house-elf squeaked in a tiny voice.
"Twist knobs 14, 23, and 32 open for me," he ordered lazily, pointing to the numbered knobs that surrounded the pool. "And get me a glass of that 17… and some chocolate frogs."
Micklewick nodded his head gleefully and began scuttling over to each of the knobs. In a mere set of moments, puffs of yellow and purple smoke surrounded the area, and the air smelled of a very relaxing mix of oats and milk. The increasing warmth of the water spread slowly to James' skin as Micklewick came back with a tray hovering over his elfish hands.
"Number 17 and ten packs of Chocolate Frogs, Master James," he chirped cheerfully, handing over the tray of snacks James had asked for.
James nodded. "That'll be all, Wick. You may leave."
House-elves would normally scuttle away at this point, or otherwise bang their heads for disobedience, but Micklewick didn't even bother to leave. He loved his master so much and enjoyed being with him, in spite of James' occasional arrogance and extremely vulnerable temper, as Micklewick knew it didn't really bother his master whenever he sat by him during his evening dips. Besides, house-elves hardly ever got to enjoy wizarding pools, and it was fortunate for the enthusiastic little house-elf that he was one of those that James really trusted, having grown up with him during his entire fifteen years as a pure-blood wizard.
Micklewick watched as James took a sip from his number 17, which looked to be a mixture of butterbeer and whipped cream poured into a clear wine glass.
"Oh, and before I forget, open those chocolate frogs for me. And save the cards, make sure you don't damage them."
The snobbish and conceited tone that James always brought up couldn't fool the little house-elf, however, because he knew that his master considered him as family as well. It was just in James' personality to speak that way, and Micklewick had gotten quite used to it.
"In a flash, Master James!" Micklewick squeaked.
In a matter of seconds and house-elf magic, a tiny hill of chocolate frogs appeared on the silver tray. A pile of cards sat next to it, containing moving portraits of some of the most reknown wizards and witches in the world.
James took the entire pile of cards at once; they were the ones he really looked forward to seeing over the chunks of frog-shaped chocolate. He muttered several names under his breath, apparently reading the names of the cards he got. And then, more than halfway through the pile, he suddenly choked on his number 17.
Micklewick was frantic. "Master James! Micklewick is done bad to Master James! Bad Number 17! Bad Wick!" He banged his head on the edge of the pool repeatedly, making James raise a hand to the house-elf's face.
"S-Stop that, you blundering little berk!" he managed to croak out as his coughing faded. Micklewick raised his head back up to see James glued to his new card collection. "What in Japes' is this?"
James scanned each of the cards carefully again. He had Morgana, Morgana, Hengist, Gunhilda, Dumbledore, Agrippa, Dumbledore, Cliodna and another Gunhilda of Gorsemoor. And--- there was something else, which was either a huge mistake, or some other Chocolate Frog card James hadn't seen before. But even at first glance, James could tell it wasn't a Chocolate Frog card.
He peered in closer to see three words engraved on a tiny, bronze, plate at the top: Serpens Illecebra Obsequium, whatever that meant. He then began to study the odd, moving portrait on the distinctly heavy card.
There was a queer, and yet extremely realistic photograph of a dead, leafless tree with seven distinct branches. The card also seemed to be emitting a faint howling sound, particularly from the hole at the center of the tree trunk. And, what made it even queerer was the addition of seven serpents wrapped around the tree, one slithering around each branch, moving so smoothly and sneakily that they could just pop into real life with and with a plop into the pool.
He held the card up to a cross of the moonlight and floating flames conjured by Micklewick. It glimmered conspicuously, and yet only as flatly as a card can get.
However, once James held it back into his face, it didn't look so flat anymore. In fact, it looked very much three-dimensional… or even four. And as though being lured into the picture, James held a finger up, feeling like he wanted to stroke one of the snakes in sheer curiosity...
SPLASH!
"Sheesh, Wick!" James scolded, feeling his heart jump startlingly at the sudden sound. His house-elf had fallen into the water.
"Can you even support the weight of your own ruddy head, Wick? Quit fumbling around or I'll have those ears hexed!"
Micklewick brought himself back up to the edge of the pool and began banging his head onto the hard floor again. "Micklewick is very sorry, Master James! I is slipped on the puddle! I is humbly asking for your forgiveness, young Master James!"
If James had acknowledged the apology, he didn't show it much. "Damn house-elf," he muttered crossly. "Take the entire tray to my room and hand me back my robe. I've had enough swimming for the night."
After clothing himself once again, James kept his new additions to his card collection in a robe pocket, all except for the queer card that still rested in his damp hands.
"Ouch!"
Lily winced as she felt her head bump onto her bed's headboard. She rubbed the spot gingerly, feeling irritated with the constant rings of her alarm clock echoing liberally in her ears. It didn't make things any better when her mother burst into her room all of a sudden, carrying a folded, white towel in her hands and a tiny bell between her thumb and index finger that seemed to ting-a-ling her senseless.
"Time to wake up, dear!" her mother exclaimed with an annoyingly perky smile, ringing the bell as though calling a puppy for her breakfast. "Oh, look at you, you look absolutely horrible... come on now, ditch the dilly-dally and rise and shine!"
"Mum..." Lily groaned, feeling like she'd barely gotten an hour of sleep. "It's half-past eight in the morning."
"Oh, no matter!" said Mrs. Evans cheerfully. She tore away the covers from Lily and parted the curtains open, letting a blinding amount of sun scream into the room.
Lily felt her eyes compress together immediately in response. "Mum! That hurts!"
Mrs. Evans shook a finger at her daughter animatedly. "Uh-uh-uh! Scowls never pay to begin the day, as I always say! Up and into the tub, now! Mummy isn't going to let you into that extravagant educational establishment with your hair sticking out like that! Magic and rich wizarding boys are waiting, dear! You must look your best!"
Scratching her head petulantly and still wearing a scowl, Lily got off her bed groggily and took the towel from her mother's hands.
"Scrub well, dear! You must look your best for all those young, wizarding men!"
Rolling her eyes at her mother's persistent, interminable ambitions, she made her to the Evans' bathroom and locked the door behind her.
Hmph... rich, wizarding men... is that all she thinks about?, she thought disbelievingly as she paused in front of the mirror to wash her face.
She looked at the bleary reflection staring back at her, dented slightly in between the eyebrows from being irritated so early in the morning. Subconsciously, she began to study her own face-- small frame and nose, well-arched eyebrows and bright green eyes. Add to that, fine, wavy, auburn hair that could look nice if it wasn't this time of the day. Come to think of it, she didn't look all that bad. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe she could actually attract some rich wizarding boys without trying too hard...
Oh, for Gryffindor's sake, why on earth are you thinking about those things?, she argued with herself. Physical beauty and wealth are not proper bases for a person's worth!
Trying to shrug things off and avoid getting late at the same time, Lily twisted the tap open and began scrubbing her face. Besides, she continued in her thoughts, all the rich wizarding boys I know are complete gits. She couldn't help stifling a tiny grin as she thought of the first name that entered her head.
Potter.
Hah!
Her? Even think of attracting someone as egoistic and spoiled as that immature boy? In his dreams!
Then again, Lily thought, her smile getting even wider as another name entered her mind, there is Remus. He's not as rich as those other stuck-up Marauders, but he's always been so nice and helpful to me... never even joined in any of his friends' bullying sessions...
Lily felt a tinge of soap sting her right eye as a tiny voice at the back of her head spoke up. 'You've got a crush on him, don't you?'
"I do not!" she cried out loud, shutting her eyes tightly to fight back the soapy sting. She immediately placed her head under the faucet and started cleaning her eyes madly. I do NOT have a crush on anybody!, she said to herself in a more subtle manner, suddenly realizing how loud her voice had been.
"Is everything okay there, Lily, dear?" a voice called out from outside the bathroom door.
"Erm... yeah! I just got a-- a bit of soap in my eyes!"
There was a brief pause, and her mother's voice came sailing back into Lily's ears. "Okay, then, dear! Don't forget to scrub behind your ears!"
Lily shook her head in sheer disbelief once more, and looked back at her water-drenched reflection in the mirror. She sighed.
You're hopeless, Lily, she thought to herself vacantly.
It was already exactly ten in the morning when Lily bid her final goodbyes to her father and sister. It took about ten more minutes for William Evans to give his daughter a kiss on the cheek and several words of supposedly fatherly advice for "financial success when you graduate", and around ten seconds for Petunia to look up from the television and shoo her sister away with a "Yeah, bye, get out." By the time Lily and her mother got into the car, the day's traffic had already started.
Lily sat quietly at the front seat of their old car, feeling both anxious and nervous at the same time. She was pondering on the coming school year when a very inconsiderate car honk sounded right beside her.
Mrs. Evans shook her head disapprovingly. "These people will never learn! Hmph, honking their cheap little cars as though they were riding in limousines!"
Lily looked to her side and stifled a chuckle. It was a limousine. And a white one at that.
"Really," her mother continued, talking to nobody in particular. "Such attention-seekers! Why, I would take off their engines personally if I were rich enough! These cheap-skates... can't even wait for the traffic to move... social-climbers... honestly..."
A chuckle was about escape Lily's throat when the car honk grew even louder at her side.
"Now that is really rude!"
Lily looked at the prim, expressionless limousine driver beside her in irritation. Mrs. Evans leaned past her daughter to look at the offending driver.
"Excuse me, but I believe you are--- oh!" The rambling expression of her face quickly changed into a pleasant, welcoming one as she saw the vehicle. "A limousine! My apologies, dear sir, and I must say, you have good taste in limousines! The color is just exquisite!"
Lily rolled her eyes. From what she knew, limousines hardly came in anything else other than black or white.
"Oh, have I introduced myself?" Mrs. Evans continued as though she wasn't in a car at all. Lily immediately wished that the traffic would move. "I'm Desiree Evans! Would you bother introducing the rich young lady you are working for, dear?"
The thirty-something driver looked at Lily's mother as though she was mentally ill.
"I see, I've forgotten to introduce my daughter here!" Mrs. Evans continued with a very friendly smile. "This is Lily! Perhaps she and that rich young lady at the back can be friends?"
At once, the sliding window that separated the two ends of the limousine slid open. A pair of blue-gray eyes greeted Lily at once, accompanied by a teasing wink.
Lily felt her face burn. It was James Potter.
A/N: Phew! I finally got past the first chapter! I'm getting rather addicted to Meteor Garden and likened some of the characters to the ones in here. I've likened Dao to James, and Lily to who else… San Cai :) But that doesn't mean the whole plot will go the exact same way. ^_^ And there's a plot, I swear! It deals with how James and Lily deal with the outburst of the Seven Deadly Sins among their loved ones and how James deals with Lily's crush on another Marauder…no… no… please don't leave yet! =P. Please state your comments and suggestions through a helpful review! I need some feedback! So please review! :^)
