Sweet in Winter, Sweet in Rain
By ann no aku
General Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by J.K Rowling. The opening quote is a portion of the song "Dirty Epic" by Underworld
Author's Note: The question of the invisibility cloak shall be revealed! *insert dramatic music here*
Opening Quote:
"I'm so dirty, and the light blinds my eyes.
You're oh so dirty, and the light it blinds my eyes.
Here comes Christ on crutches."
Chapter Three: Christ on Crutches
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As Mr. Evans slipped back into the den, James and Remus slid the invisibility cloak off of themselves and waited anxiously for Lily to come down the stairs.
Except that she did not emerge from down the stairs. She came right around the corner after witnessing Remus and James de-cloak. "You might've still wanted to wear that in case Father sees you, Potter," she said folding her arms neatly over her chest.
"Nice to see you, too, Evans," he retorted trying to conceal the scowl on his face. He had been hoping to use the invisibility cloak as a prank for her later on, too.
"Sirius, Remus," she continued looking at each one while saying their names. But neither looked at her, both stared at James as if waiting for him to explain what he had done to make him unwelcome in Lily's home.
"I'll tell you later," he started.
"Why don't I get my sister Petunia down to tell the story? I bet she still remembers."
"How could I forget?" she asked coming down to the parlor swinging what looked like a pair of deadly blades attached to some odd sort of shoes. "Coming, Lily? You promised to go with me today." She sneered at the band of boys standing in her way.
"Go? Go where? We came to visit! That's not very nice to guests, you know," James countered ignoring the stare from Petunia.
"Great," Sirius mumbled incoherently under his breath.
"You-are-not-invited!" Lily hissed all in one breath. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"You can't honestly shove us back outside in that snow, now can you, Lily?" Remus questioned attempting not to look as guilty as he felt. Even in his voice hung the pity he felt for the girl.
"I don't care! I did not invite any of you here, especially you, Potter!" Even though she looked very angry, especially in her fiery green eyes, she still could not (in good consciousness) make them walk all the way back in the snow (mainly because they were in nothing but their winter robes with no hat or gloves). "Besides, I promised Petunia that I'd go ice skating with her this afternoon."
"Good, then we'll go ice skatting, too."
"Skating," she corrected.
"I said that-ice skatting."
"Argh!" She tossed her hands up in the air and walked over to the hall closet tugging out her winter gear. Hats, gloves, and scarves flew behind her into a nasty pile. All the while, she cursed them and muttered insults so that they could not hear her. On occasion, words such as "stupid", "fool", or "what the hell as he thinking" could be overheard through her shifting of the clothes.
Petunia, on the other hand, did not look the least bit pleased that her sister had given in so easily to the strange boys. A sour expression took over her face as though she had sucked on a lemon all afternoon. She traced a long slender finger on the blade of her shoe, her gaze following the strange boys whom looked very out of place in her neat home. "I do not want them to come," she growled approaching her sister at an amazing speed.
"Petunia, it'd be inhuman to make them walk back in the snow."
"Oh, don't be naïve! Do you honestly believe that they walked here in the snow? They're . .those weird things!"
"Wizards, Petunia, they're called wizards," Lily sighed.
"I don't care what they are! They do not belong here, and I will not have them ruining my afternoon!!!"
"Fine."
"Fine? That's all you have to say?!" She held her hands on her hips allowing her ice skates to dangle dangerously at her side. "After what he did last summer?! I can't believe you!" Her frown could barely conceal her horse like teeth.
"Yes."
"How can you just give in to his antics? You know this is some stupid game he's playing with you!"
"Because I am better than them, and I am not going to give in to Potter by giving in to him." She turned around to face her sister, her green eyes matching her sister's.
"That makes no sense! You are giving in to him by allowing him to come with us! Or does your school not teach you simple things like that to understand?"
"What do you reckon they are arguing about?" Sirius asked while ruffling his hair.
"What do you think, Padfoot?" James snarled.
"Here are the rules, Potter," Lily announced after emerging from her nest in the closet looking, if at all possible, even more upset than before. "If any of you, any, so much as breathe incorrectly, I am going to take my ice skate and cut off the only thing you'd be missing that resembles a wand! Is that clear?"
"Is it that time of the month, Evans?" Sirius inquired. "You seem awfully more testy than usual."
"You are lucky my wand is in my room, Black," she threatened her face turning a frightening shade of red that almost matched her hair. "You three can rent skates; I hope you have money." Despite the fact that she was a little more than annoyed that Potter and his friends have decided to drop in, she was also a little happy about it, too. No one from Hogwarts had ever come to visit before, and her friends from school hardly ever wrote her. It was a nice surprise, even if it was from James.
"I can't believe this," Petunia angrily grumbled and crossed her arms in the same manner as her sister had done earlier.
"Unless they take sickles, we'll be bored, now won't we?" Sirius challenged, his voice dangerously dripping with sarcasm.
"Everything going well?" Mr. Evans inquired, poking into the hallway and staring curiously at the black haired boy. "Don't I know you?"
"Lily has invited," Petunia began hoping to force the boys home.
"We are just going ice skating," Lily finished.
"Be back before supper, okay, Love?" He slipped back into the den once more, but not without giving James another glare.
Lily tossed her skates over her shoulder roughly so that anyone near her could have had an eye or two poked out. "You three are lucky I am not making you walk home in that snow. Frankly, I don't even see how you got here anyway." She ignored the incredulous looks from her schoolmates and practically shoved them out of her house as they made way to the frozen pond.
Lastly, even though Petunia did not want the boys to come, she could not help but to think that Sirius was, at the most of course, a twinge attractive. It was not as though she fancied the boy, never! She just thought he possessed maybe one (or several) qualities that she made someone attractive. Maybe the outing wouldn't be so bad, if they were not there, that is.
End of chapter three! Please leave reviews . .tee hee
~ann no aku
Also, there is a corresponding picture to this story on my website. Here is the link! It is not that good, and takes a while to load (the scan is awfully large), but I just could not resist! The whole story was based upon this picture I drew one day while at work.