Swan Heart, Ocean Soul
Chapter Two: DinnerLily sat in her room at The Leaky Cauldron with a towel wrapped around her. She was rummaging furiously through her clothes, muttering to herself as she randomly threw things over her shoulder.
What's the big deal? Its only dinner with Remus. she mutter to herself.
'Ah, of course, not to mention James Potter as well as Sirius Black hmm?' a voice retorted inside her head.
And what difference would that make?
'The difference that normally you never care what you wear and now nothing from your extensive wardrobe seems appropriate.'
That's absurd!
'Oh is it? Then pray tell why you have thrown your whole suitcase over your shoulder?'
Well, a girl needs to dress appropriately.
'For Remus, I'm sure.' There was a sarcastic tone to the voice.
Absolutely! Lily retorted hotly.
'Then the fact that you find James Potter rather attractive, despite his immaturity and conceited fat head?'
"Oh Don't be RIDICULOUS!" Lily yelled and then flushed. "I must be going a bit mad."
'Indeed.'
"Shut up you!" she retorted hotly to the voice echoing in the back of her mind.
As in despair Lily threw on a pair of semi-formal black pants and a dark green sleeveless turtle neck. Satisfied she then dried her hair with a charm and sat down at her little vanity table.
"Oh Bugger!" she exclaimed as she saw the time. Quickly she put on some lip gloss and left her room.
"What's taking her so god damn long?" James complained as they waited at the table.
Sirius smirked, "I didn't know you were so anxious to die Prongs."
Remus chuckled, "It's only quarter past, besides, she's half French, which means she will arrive 15minutes fashionably late, French manners, its expected."
Sirius groaned, "Well she's in bloody England now, and I'm starved, besides you're half French Moony, you're never late."
Remus grinned, "I'm not a lady."
Sirius snorted, "And Evans is? Damn prude."
James and Sirius were sitting next to each other and Remus was opposite Sirius, both by the window leaving the chair opposite James conveniently for Lily.
Remus who was facing the stairs stood up and waved as he saw Lily slowly coming down the stairs, on cue both James and Sirius shot out of their seats as if they had been sitting on hot coals and turned to face Lily who was sauntering over to them waving and smiling back at Remus. James' breath caught in his throat, it was rare to see Lily smile, especially in his presence. Almost as if she had read his thoughts the smile from Lily's face disappeared as she saw James. Giving Remus four kisses on the cheek, Parisian style she took her seat. James frowned, although he knew it was a French tradition to greet each other with kisses he had never gotten used to his dream girl kissing his best mate, even if it was just on the cheeks.
The three boys seated themselves once Lily had sat down. Sirius had a huge grin on his face and James was still frowning.
"Hey Ev-Lily" Sirius said.
Lily turned to Sirius with a cold smile on her face and said quietly mocking him, "Hey Bla-Sirius."
James looked intently at Lily and whispered, "Hey Lily"
Lily simply nodded in acknowledgement without looking at him causing James to frown and look down at the table cloth. An awkward silence descended upon the table of four when Sirius finally said, "So, Lily, how has your day been?"
Lily looked at Sirius and smiled weakly, "It was great mostly, a dark and evil storm cloud appeared this afternoon, but Remus cleared it up nicely."
Sirius chuckled, "Couldn't have been much of a dark and evil storm cloud if old Remus here could clear it up now could it?" lifting his butter beer to his lips.
Lily's eyes turned icy cold, "Well you see Sirius, Remus could clear up any storm cloud that hovers over me, no matter how dark or evil. He, possesses a great sense of maturity and kindness unlike other boys of his age who he hangs out with."
Sirius choked on his butter beer and excused himself to the bathroom. Remus seeing the opportunity said that he would go and order their food.
The awkward silence
settled in again as Lily and James were left alone at the table. Both were
staring at the table cloth as if it was the most interesting thing ever
created.
James glanced up to look at Lily and said quietly, "So… how was your summer?"
Lily not moving her eyes form the table cloth replied in just as quiet voice, "Fine"
"Cool… staying here?"
"Yes."
"So are we… you're room ok?"
"Yes."
"Great… get here today?"
"Yes"
"Sweet.. us too… so erm… Siobhan and Miki coming later?"
"Yes."
"That should be nice. Uh…oh, congrats on making Head girl."
"Thanks"
"Should be fun.."
"Yeah"
"Great… well… hmm… sorry about crashing into you today, I really didn't see you."
"Ok"
"Fine… if that's the way you're gonna be, What colour underwear are you wearing?"
Lily's eyes shot up from the tablecloth as she bolted out of her seat screaming, "THAT IS NONE OF YOUR GOD DAMN BUSINESS POTTER!"
James stood up as well and yelled back, "WELL MISS PRISS I WAS JUST TRYING TO HAVE A BEHAVED, WELL MANNERED, PRANK-LESS, PROPER, RESPECTABLE, CHARMING, CIVILISED AND JOKELESS CONVERSATION WITH YOU!" James sat back down again and grinned sheepishly adding, "But hey, at least I got a sentence out of you."
Lily's chest was heaving, if looks could kill James would've been dead a thousand times over with knives and daggers sticking out all over him, but James stared back into her eyes unwavering, challenging her to tell him that he had been anything other than polite.
Remus appeared, "What was that all about? I leave you two for three minutes and hell breaks lose."
Lily turned her death stare to Remus who raised his eyebrow at her as if saying, 'and what is that look supposed to make me do, quiver in fear? Give me a break, I'm immune to your looks.'
Lily sighed, "Potter here needs to learn some manners."
James snorted, "Nice talk on the 'maturity' issue and storm clouds from before Evans, you're enough to create a monsoon over any living being, and even Remus couldn't get rid of it."
Lily's head snapped back at James, "White Potter, white with pink hearts."
James looked gob smacked, "Wha-What?!"
Lily smirked and sat down, "In answer to you question, they are white with pink hearts on them. Seeing as I don't like being insulted for my maturity, I suppose I have to sink to your level of it."
Remus looked at James questioningly and then turned to Lily, "Dare I ask what the question was?"
Lily shrugged, "Potter asked me what colour underwear I am wearing."
James flushed and Remus opened his mouth in disbelief at James. At that point Sirius returned, curiously looking back and forth from James to Lily and then raised an eyebrow at Remus, "What was all the commotion? I could hear you guys all the way to the bathroom!"
Remus shook his head, "You don't wanna know mate."
Sirius grinned and took his seat, "Okey-Dokey then, time to order, my lovelies?
Remus grinned at Sirius, "Already did the honours mate, Tom's coming with another round of butterbeers."
Sirius chuckled, "Aah, good stuff."
Yet again the awkward silence settled over the quartet, James was frowning at the table cloth lost in thought, Lily on the other hand was constantly glaring at James while Remus and Sirius exchanged mischievous knowing looks at each other while observing the oblivious love-doomed couple.
Breaking the silence Sirius daringly addressed Lily, "So, Lily, what are your goals for this year as our beloved head girl?"
Lily turned to Sirius and sighed, "I plan to rid the school of disruptive trouble makers by bringing back corporal punishment, you know me, the goodie-two-shoes that I am, I love to be in all superiors good books, even Filch. Then I will go on to rule the world. And your ambitions are?"
Tom returned with four butterbeers and left.
Sirius grinned, taking a sip of his butterbeer, "You're dripping with sarcasm my fair lady. I, Sirius Black, have goals to break the detention record set by my role model, our very own Albus Dumbledore, have you ever read Hogwarts, A History Lily? Dumbledore was by far, the most mischievous wizards ever to attend Hogwarts… aaah the joys to be the one to follow his footsteps. What about you Prongs?"
James' head jerked up from his observation of the table cloth, "What?"
Sirius sighed, "Never mind mate, Moony?"
Remus chuckled, "I chose to remain secretive about my future ambitions thank you very much."
Sirius winked and James snorted and was about to say something when Tom came with their French Onion soup starter. Silently the quartet started to eat.
"So, Lily, picking up, once more, on our conversation, what did you do for summer?" James said with a serious tone, looking Lily straight in the eye.
Lily dabbed her mouth with a napkin and frowned at James, "I went to the south of France."
James grinned, "Sun and sea eh? Where abouts' were you?"
Lily was clearly annoyed by James inquisitions, his grin mocked her, he knew she couldn't be rude or refuse to answer, especially not in front of Remus. James was, after all, being normal and civil, this was out of the ordinary and it troubled Lily because she felt insecure and unprepared. Normally when she had to talk to James Potter it was throwing insults at him, now she was forced to have a decent conversation with him and it vexed her for the triumph look on his face as Lily knew he knew what he was doing and what she was thinking. Through gritted teeth she replied, "Palavas… it's near Montpellier, by the beach."
James nodded, still holding eye contact with Lily, desperately willing her to see that he was genuinely interested and wanted to have a proper conversation with her. "Sounds great, so tell me, are the beaches there as nice as they are believed to be?"
Lily sighed inwardly, "Yeah, they're ok, the city is nice too, absolutely beautiful…"
"I can only imagine… the most I've seen of France is Paris." James replied. "Though I have been to Greece, and the beaches are there are fantastic! Ever been?"
Lily shook her head, "No, but I'd like to go though, apparently Athens holds some of the worlds most ancient magic alongside Egypt, curses and such."
Remus and Sirius were grinning at each other as they watched Lily and James deep in conversation, this was a strange sight indeed. Never in their whole lives of knowing the pair had they seen them have a civil conversation. Lily seemed to have forgotten about the 'cold' role she usually played in James' presence and James himself was clearly enjoying it.
Dinner went fairly smoothly in Remus' opinion, at least, as smoothly as dinner could go between James Potter, Sirius Black and Lily Evans. It was evident that, as dinner drew to a close, James was reluctant for it to end, but headed up to bed after Sirius and not before saying "Good night, sleep well and sweet dreams." To Lily. Remus walked Lily to her room and received his usual four kisses good bye and headed back to his shared room with Sirius and James. The two were already engrossed in a game of wizarding chess so Remus bid them his good nights and went off to his bed to read… soon nodding off to welcomed sleep.
