One Week

By: VoldemortsIllegitimateChild

Chapter Six: Sweeter Than Chocolate

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          Lily ran ahead of her friends (and Potter), jumping slightly in the air.  She twirled around, stopping to face them, grinning.  "Hogsmeade, Hogsmeade, Hogsmeade is the place to beee!" she sang. 

          "I gathered," Carrie said dryly.   

          "Was it the singing or the twirling that tipped you off?" Sirius asked.

          "Neither, it was earlier, when she jumped up and down on her bed, screaming 'I love Hogsmeade!'" Carrie answered, her eyes sparkling. 

          Sirius laughed.  "I can see why you would make that gigantic mental leap."

          Lily, oblivious to the people talking about her, ran behind Remus and jumped on his back. "Piggyback ride," she squealed. 

          Remus rolled his eyes and gently took her hands off of his shoulders.  After Lily leaped to the ground, he suggested, "Why don't you three have a…a girls day?  You can shop and giggle and all of that nonsense, and we can go to Zonkos and Honeydukes.  We'll all meet up for lunch." 

          Everyone agreed, and the girls and boys separated into two groups and headed off into different directions.  The girls' first stop was Gladrags Witchwear, which was next its male counterpart, because it was the closest.  Riana, who always hated that store, complained vehemently as they went in.  She pretended to glance around for all of five seconds before sitting in a chair next to the fitting room, a space normally occupied by bored males.  In fact, there was one her age in the seat next to her, sighing and cracking his knuckles.  Riana sneaked a look at him.  He was tall and thin, with dark hair.   His eyes were a cool gray, and his face was finely structured.  The thing Riana noticed most though was his relaxed way of sitting, a loose form, a casual one.  There was something about it.  She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was there. 

          Meanwhile, Lily and Carrie where looking around for robes.  Lily, however, had more devious things in mind.  "We haven't gotten them back yet," she said, flipping through a rack of grey robes. 

          It was clear that Lily meant the Marauders by 'them'.  Carrie looked up from her inspection of the embroidery on a hunter green sleeve and said, "We'll check out Zonkos."

          "But they'll be there," Lily said miserably. 

          "We'll show up late for lunch," Carrie suggested.  "They'll expect it; Riana always is."

          Lily smiled.  "Can you find anything here?" she asked, looking around. 

          "Not really," Carrie said.

          Lily let out a gasp.  She strode purposefully forward and stopped in front of a beautiful red robe.  Beautiful on the rack, at least, but not for Lily.

          "Um, Lily?  I don't think that's quite your color," Carrie said. 

          "Not for me," Lily said, "but picture it on Riana!" 

          Carrie smiled too.  "Riana!" they cried, rushing towards her. 

          Riana snapped out of her reverie and looked up.  "What?" Carrie grabbed her friends wrist and pulled her out of her seat.  "What?" Riana asked again. 

          "We found it," Lily said with flourish.

          "You found what?" Riana asked.

          "The robe," Carrie answered, pulling her friend to the fitting room.  A stout witch followed, ready to see where adjustments needed to be made.  She pulled and plucked at the dress, the measurements written by themselves on a pad next to her. 

          "These'll be ready after lunch, dear," she said, smiling kindly. 

          "Thank you!" Riana said.  When they got outside, she said, "Those robes do look nice, don't they?"

          "Nice? They were made for you!" Carrie yelped. 

          "They are in love with you.  They want you for your mind and body," Lily said. 

          "That may be going a bit far," Riana said, "but they are attractive."

          "Of course they are.  We wouldn't stuff you into ugly robes.  Not unless we were really mad at you," Carrie said. 

          "Gee, thanks," Riana muttered. 

          "Come on, we have more shops to go to," Lily said.  "You may have found the perfect robes, but we haven't."

          Finding the perfect robes for Lily and Carrie proved to be a problem.  Strike that.  The problem lay squarely on Carrie's shoulders.  Everything was too fluffy, too stiff, too bright, too dull, too sluttish, unless it was too modest.  It went on and on and on.  Finally, Carrie got fed up.  She picked up the closest dress and said "This is it.  I just don't care anymore.  If this doesn't work, I'm going in my knickers."    She went into the dressing room in an angry huff, and came out a stunner, a model, a beauty queen. 

          She was looking in surprise at the mirror.  The robes fit well everywhere, save the fact they were a tad too long.  That was remedied by the matching pair of high sandals; Carrie was short anyway. She grinned at her friends.  "Finally." 

          The girls made their way to Zonkos, laden down with their shopping bags.  "What are we looking for, again?" Riana asked. 

          "Nothing specifically," Lily answered, inspecting a container of Puke-Breath Pellets.   "Just…revenge, if you know what I mean."  Then something caught her eye.  "'Instant Babbling Beverage! Feed to your worst enemies and watch that gibber uncontrollably!' This will be excellent, if we can get it in their drinks at the club."   She wanted more, though.  She decided to keep looking.  She was so intent on her purposes, she didn't know Riana and Carrie were next to her, until the began to poke her mercilessly. 

          "What?" she asked looking at them.  

          "Look!" Riana said, excited with their find.  Lily looked at the box, which read: Roxbury's Roses, just one whiff will make the drinkers act the fool on the dance floor.  Lily turned the box over, laughing at the picture of two men in shiny suits at various clubs, shaking their head as to dance, or doing some awkward thing that was looked like a woman sandwich.

          "They'll be mortified!"  Lily said, looking at her friends, both of whom where grinning with glee.  Lily was looking forward to her night at the club.

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I was re-reading OotP, and I came across the phrase Babbling Beverage (when Harry is trying to tell Snape that Sirius is in danger, and Snape says, "If I wanted you to shout nonsense at me, I would have given you Babbling Beverage.")  I was going to make it the original prank, but then, the song "What Is Love?" came on, and it hit me.  NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY!! To have a prank to make it act like that….excellent! 

The Author would like to thank: 

Luthien Vardimar: You think I'd get used to typing out your name.  Anyway, gosh, you scared the crap out of me at first!  Why would you do such a thing? 

Hefelump: the Slytherin aren't at Hogwart, but their may be an encounter at the club.

Rowan Arkenson: Fortunately, my writers block floated away.  For now, anyway.

Summerpony: Sam, I am!  Writing more, that is.

mz-duCkiee: Thanks.  It's so fun writing Lily as evil.  Not EVIL evil, but evil enough. 

Elvencherry07: I do feel special, actually.  Thanks.

Freakyfroggurl22: I struggle with pranks, but they're important, so I plow through.  And don't think that's it, not by a long shot.  He-he-he, foreshadowing!