Thanks for reviews guys.
And LadyofMoselle(sp?) I'll update on my others soon.
Chapter 2
James came home tired.
He was trying to find out where out where one of his assignments lived so that he could get and interview with her.
She didn't answer his knock and the whole trip had been a waste.
Sighing he dropped his overnight bag on the couch.
He had this big house all to himself.
Not that he minded but it would be better if he didn't have to clean it every week.
He saw the fire in the fireplace glowing a dark red and new there were some messages for him.
The first one was from his mother who wanted him to consider going to her house for Christmas.
The other was from his friend down at the paper telling him about the latest assignment he got.
When James turned around to take off his cloak a familiar voice swamped him.
'This is Lily Evans. Don't bother to come to my parents' anniversary party.'
That was all it said.
Turning around he went back and replayed the message again.
[I] That was her? The same Lily Evans that I haven't seen in over five years. Why in the world would she tell me not to come to her parents' anniversary party? And not even a "hi" or "hello". Was she angry with me still? After all this time? We haven't talked in five years the least she could have done was say hi. I knew I should have accepted the invitation when Simone asked me to come. Against my better judgement I said yes. Maybe it was because I wanted to see Lily again. [/I]
He looked at her face in the fire.
She looked different from when he last saw her. Not much but she changed, grown up maybe but no doubt wanted the same things as last time.
A long committed relationship.
He wondered if she found somebody willing to settle down with her.
An hour later he went to bed his thoughts still filled with Lily Evans.
Lily was in a foul mood, she loved her job.
The job is not what had her in this mood; it was the fact that her boss, or rather the son of her dead boss wants to run this differently.
William Associates was the name of the place she worked in.
Billy was the third William to be CEO.
Come on he was forty, why in the world would he want things to be young and hip.
And to top it all off her superior, Bozworth asked if she could [I] possibly [/I] dress younger. Who the heck did he take her for? That was the first question that popped into her head.
'Hey there Lily are you okay?' asked a voice from the doorway.
Lily looked up and smiled, it was the first time that day so she was grateful for the distraction.
The person who stood at her office's door was her best friend in the building.
Apart from Simone she was the only other person that Lily was sure she could talk to. Jessi Sabrina smiled as she came in.
'I heard about our new demographic.'
'Really? I would have thought he'd hold off on announcing it so early.'
You see Lily was a PR officer, the head officer in crisis management. They work for private wizards and sometimes for the ministry of Magic.
She worked there the November after leaving Hogworts, as an intern and finally four years later this is where she was.
And she was proud of it.
'Does he really want you to focus less on your area and more on young people?' she asked coming to sit down on the comfortable chair in the front of the desk that was opposite Lily.
Jess has shoulder-length dirty blond hair that's usually in a sloppy bun but he still manages to look great. She had glasses the covered her hazel green eyes. She was Irish and had a temper on her but other than that she was funny and outgoing but a little sarcastic, funny and hyper.
She, Simone and Lily do things together and she was a bridesmaid and Simone's wedding.
'Yeah I am young, but he wants to bring in a more hip style.' Said Lily frowning.
'Really and did you tell him that it would work.'
'I did and then Bozo said or rather implied that my job may be up for grabs if I don't. He made it seem that I wasn't spontaneous enough to do this right.'
'So they want you to be more spontaneous?'
'Yeah like Hannah.'
'Wait a minute the intern Hannah?' asked Jess surprised.
'Bozo told me that I should get some pointers from Hannah Elizabeth Walker.'
'He did?'
'Yeah I guess being young and dressing in mini skirts even if its freezing like the North Pole does get you the attention of others.' Said Lily as she looked down at her own clothes, which she felt, was appropriate and warm under the circumstances. Jess laughed.
'Jess do you think I need more spontaneity in my life?'
'No Lily you're set in your ways yes but you're the most organized person I know.'
Lily figured she mean that as a compliment but she felt insulted.
Even when she was at hogworts she loved to put everything she had to do into a list. James made fun of her a little but he had respected her for it.
At least she thought so.
Now she didn't know.
Had he really cared for her at all?
She had given all she had and more into that relationship after she realised that she loved him.
Even though he had been so set in his ways about a commitment she had been confident that she could turn his head.
'Lily?' asked Jess and she snapped her head up to look at her friend.
'Sorry about that.'
Jess nodded in understanding but she didn't dare tell her friend she was thinking about James again.
She didn't even know who James was.
Well she did only because Lily told her.
She could kick herself.
Why did she have to go off track and think about him?
Deciding to force the thought of him form her mind she brought up business and tried to work.
James had finally gotten a lead.
The woman he was trying to find did hired a PR firm a few months ago.
Sirius and his girlfriend Morgan had tried setting him up with this girl named Maribel but he hadn't felt like it.
He put on his almost best robes and decided that he might as well try his luck at the firm.
The witch at the desk said the area he requested was on the seventh floor.
When he got up to the floor, it read "Crisis Management."
Seeing the witch administrator he walked up to her.
'Do you by chance know who I can speak too about a client of yours?'
The witch looked at him and smiled politely.
'I'm sorry we aren't allowed to give out such information.'
'I understand completely about discretion but could I speak with the person in charge so he could tell me that?'
She smiled indulgently.
'Go on in, the door is open; there shouldn't be anyone there at the moment so our head Crisis manager could speak to you. I should tell you by the way that its not a he but a she.'
Only, mildly surprised James nodded and walked in with out knocking.
Lily hadn't expected anyone to enter her office with out knocking.
Then again she hadn't expected to be changing her top behind of her desk either.
She was bickering with herself in her mind as she had remember how Billy had wanted her to dress more provocatively to entice more clients to the agency.
She'd be darned if she would copy Hannah's style but there were some things she could do.
She had looked down on what she had on and decided that first of all if she the black turtleneck had to go.
It was warm enough in the office for her to only have her sweater on which was plunged in the front.
She had planned to wear it so that was why she was wearing a slightly low cut wired bra.
She didn't want to go to the women's restroom, that would have wasted the time she didn't have so she had might as well do it here since she didn't have any appointments. She heard the turn of the door knob and called, 'just a second.'
The dark oak door banged inward on loose hinges and she faced her visitor with the sweater only till her neck.
'Now that's what I call effective public relations.' The newcomer said and pushed the door close.
'James!'
'Do you do a striptease for all your potential clients?' he had a devilish smile, and he beamed it at her full force.
She was too stunned to continue dressing.
Five years had weathered the vestiges of boyishness form James Potter's face but his deep-set eyes were hazel and penetrating as ever.
'What are you doing here?'
'Sorry. The witch said I could walk right in.' he said turning his back to her.
'Are you a potential client?' she asked as she fought her uncontrollable fingers to put the rest of the top on.
'Not exactly.'
'It has been a long time. How have you been?' Other than tall, gorgeous and ©ocky.
'Fine.'
'You can turn around now. How did you know I worked here?'
She tried not to squirm and he turned around and gazed at her.
'You look spectacular Lil.'
'Thanks.'
Her what about him? How could he possibly look any better at twenty-four years old than he did as an eighteen-year-old boy?
'If you came for an apology, I'm sorry.'
'Oh your message,' the little grin he had vanished. 'My dentist leaves a friendlier one.'
'Sorry about that. I was upset.'
'Because Simone invited me? If you didn't want me to be there it's ok.'
She was touched that James decided to look her up but this meeting was getting her a little frazzled.
She had to fight the urge to jump in his arms and kiss him silly.
She had imagined seeing him by accident someday and giving him witty comments to show that she was over him, so why couldn't she remember any now?
'It's not that the party is cancelled, my parents are getting a divorce.'
'Lily I'm really sorry. I know it's a blow when parents split.'
'Yeah, I never saw it coming.
'If its any consolation, mine are happier apart. They remarried and have new lives.'
'Sorry if the message was so abrupt. I'd just found out and I had so many people to tell and --' she forced herself to stop.
'No problem but you didn't even know Simone invited me did you?'
'Actually no.'
Now that the initial shock of seeing him was wearing off she remembered the months of heartache he caused her and she wasn't about to go through that again.
'Well thanks for stopping by.''
It was a bonus seeing you again Lil, but I came here because I was following a lead on a story.
He always had an ulterior motive.
He told her that he wanted the address of Haley Manning the daughter of the world famous Matthew Manning.
He was a Quidditch Player twenty-five years ago.
He was accused to throwing a game on bribery and never played again. Lily knew who that was. It wasn't long ago, well more than five years ago that she loved sports and followed everything about quidditch.
James's boss was a collector of his mementos and wanted his name cleared so that he could donate everything he has collected to the Quidditch Hall Of Fame as a tribute to Manning. James was the third one trying and he wanted to interview Haley, the thirty five year old daughter of Manning.
'I'm sorry James I can't help you.'
'Come on.'
'You're not going to talk me into betraying a client.'
'Okay come with me to dinner and I'll tell you everything.'
'I can't.'
'So you have someone to go home to?'
'No its not that it's just that it isn't a good idea.'
'We'll go somewhere close and quick.' He said still not taking "no" for an answer.
Lily noticed Hannah standing by the door with wide eyes.
Did she think Lily was so old she was on a shelf?
'Alright.' she said impulsively. 'I'll meet you at the ground floor at six thirty.'
'I didn't know you had company.' Hannah said as she moved over to her worktable openly checking out James.
Hannah's buttocks had a life of their own under that short skirt and James couldn't help but have noticed her backfield-in-motion bid for his attention.
'This is James Potter, sports writer for the Daily Prophet and he was just leaving.' Lily said dryly.
'I'm Hannah Elizabeth Walker, Miss Evans's intern.' She said sending James a high wattage smile.
'Nice to meet you.' He said, to his credit not rising to take Hannah's bait.
He backed toward the door and left without giving Hannah the appraising look she usually received from men.
Lily realised that she let all the stored up annoyance for her intern trap her into meeting James for dinner.
For a minute she enjoyed showing the little sex pot that's he could attract more men too.
That however was short lived because she realised it was a bad idea for seeing James again.
Her last boyfriend Jerry never did anything to her and James was just a few feet away form her and she still felt tingly.
She was totally over him and wanted it to stay that way.
'Who was that I just saw leaving?' asked Jess when she came in soon after. 'Good-looking chap wasn't he?'
'That love was James Potter.'
'[I] The [/I] James Potter?' she asked wide eyed.
'Yes.'
Jess whistled.
'What did he want?'
As Lily told the girl everything she wondered how she was going to get through the evening.
And LadyofMoselle(sp?) I'll update on my others soon.
Chapter 2
James came home tired.
He was trying to find out where out where one of his assignments lived so that he could get and interview with her.
She didn't answer his knock and the whole trip had been a waste.
Sighing he dropped his overnight bag on the couch.
He had this big house all to himself.
Not that he minded but it would be better if he didn't have to clean it every week.
He saw the fire in the fireplace glowing a dark red and new there were some messages for him.
The first one was from his mother who wanted him to consider going to her house for Christmas.
The other was from his friend down at the paper telling him about the latest assignment he got.
When James turned around to take off his cloak a familiar voice swamped him.
'This is Lily Evans. Don't bother to come to my parents' anniversary party.'
That was all it said.
Turning around he went back and replayed the message again.
[I] That was her? The same Lily Evans that I haven't seen in over five years. Why in the world would she tell me not to come to her parents' anniversary party? And not even a "hi" or "hello". Was she angry with me still? After all this time? We haven't talked in five years the least she could have done was say hi. I knew I should have accepted the invitation when Simone asked me to come. Against my better judgement I said yes. Maybe it was because I wanted to see Lily again. [/I]
He looked at her face in the fire.
She looked different from when he last saw her. Not much but she changed, grown up maybe but no doubt wanted the same things as last time.
A long committed relationship.
He wondered if she found somebody willing to settle down with her.
An hour later he went to bed his thoughts still filled with Lily Evans.
Lily was in a foul mood, she loved her job.
The job is not what had her in this mood; it was the fact that her boss, or rather the son of her dead boss wants to run this differently.
William Associates was the name of the place she worked in.
Billy was the third William to be CEO.
Come on he was forty, why in the world would he want things to be young and hip.
And to top it all off her superior, Bozworth asked if she could [I] possibly [/I] dress younger. Who the heck did he take her for? That was the first question that popped into her head.
'Hey there Lily are you okay?' asked a voice from the doorway.
Lily looked up and smiled, it was the first time that day so she was grateful for the distraction.
The person who stood at her office's door was her best friend in the building.
Apart from Simone she was the only other person that Lily was sure she could talk to. Jessi Sabrina smiled as she came in.
'I heard about our new demographic.'
'Really? I would have thought he'd hold off on announcing it so early.'
You see Lily was a PR officer, the head officer in crisis management. They work for private wizards and sometimes for the ministry of Magic.
She worked there the November after leaving Hogworts, as an intern and finally four years later this is where she was.
And she was proud of it.
'Does he really want you to focus less on your area and more on young people?' she asked coming to sit down on the comfortable chair in the front of the desk that was opposite Lily.
Jess has shoulder-length dirty blond hair that's usually in a sloppy bun but he still manages to look great. She had glasses the covered her hazel green eyes. She was Irish and had a temper on her but other than that she was funny and outgoing but a little sarcastic, funny and hyper.
She, Simone and Lily do things together and she was a bridesmaid and Simone's wedding.
'Yeah I am young, but he wants to bring in a more hip style.' Said Lily frowning.
'Really and did you tell him that it would work.'
'I did and then Bozo said or rather implied that my job may be up for grabs if I don't. He made it seem that I wasn't spontaneous enough to do this right.'
'So they want you to be more spontaneous?'
'Yeah like Hannah.'
'Wait a minute the intern Hannah?' asked Jess surprised.
'Bozo told me that I should get some pointers from Hannah Elizabeth Walker.'
'He did?'
'Yeah I guess being young and dressing in mini skirts even if its freezing like the North Pole does get you the attention of others.' Said Lily as she looked down at her own clothes, which she felt, was appropriate and warm under the circumstances. Jess laughed.
'Jess do you think I need more spontaneity in my life?'
'No Lily you're set in your ways yes but you're the most organized person I know.'
Lily figured she mean that as a compliment but she felt insulted.
Even when she was at hogworts she loved to put everything she had to do into a list. James made fun of her a little but he had respected her for it.
At least she thought so.
Now she didn't know.
Had he really cared for her at all?
She had given all she had and more into that relationship after she realised that she loved him.
Even though he had been so set in his ways about a commitment she had been confident that she could turn his head.
'Lily?' asked Jess and she snapped her head up to look at her friend.
'Sorry about that.'
Jess nodded in understanding but she didn't dare tell her friend she was thinking about James again.
She didn't even know who James was.
Well she did only because Lily told her.
She could kick herself.
Why did she have to go off track and think about him?
Deciding to force the thought of him form her mind she brought up business and tried to work.
James had finally gotten a lead.
The woman he was trying to find did hired a PR firm a few months ago.
Sirius and his girlfriend Morgan had tried setting him up with this girl named Maribel but he hadn't felt like it.
He put on his almost best robes and decided that he might as well try his luck at the firm.
The witch at the desk said the area he requested was on the seventh floor.
When he got up to the floor, it read "Crisis Management."
Seeing the witch administrator he walked up to her.
'Do you by chance know who I can speak too about a client of yours?'
The witch looked at him and smiled politely.
'I'm sorry we aren't allowed to give out such information.'
'I understand completely about discretion but could I speak with the person in charge so he could tell me that?'
She smiled indulgently.
'Go on in, the door is open; there shouldn't be anyone there at the moment so our head Crisis manager could speak to you. I should tell you by the way that its not a he but a she.'
Only, mildly surprised James nodded and walked in with out knocking.
Lily hadn't expected anyone to enter her office with out knocking.
Then again she hadn't expected to be changing her top behind of her desk either.
She was bickering with herself in her mind as she had remember how Billy had wanted her to dress more provocatively to entice more clients to the agency.
She'd be darned if she would copy Hannah's style but there were some things she could do.
She had looked down on what she had on and decided that first of all if she the black turtleneck had to go.
It was warm enough in the office for her to only have her sweater on which was plunged in the front.
She had planned to wear it so that was why she was wearing a slightly low cut wired bra.
She didn't want to go to the women's restroom, that would have wasted the time she didn't have so she had might as well do it here since she didn't have any appointments. She heard the turn of the door knob and called, 'just a second.'
The dark oak door banged inward on loose hinges and she faced her visitor with the sweater only till her neck.
'Now that's what I call effective public relations.' The newcomer said and pushed the door close.
'James!'
'Do you do a striptease for all your potential clients?' he had a devilish smile, and he beamed it at her full force.
She was too stunned to continue dressing.
Five years had weathered the vestiges of boyishness form James Potter's face but his deep-set eyes were hazel and penetrating as ever.
'What are you doing here?'
'Sorry. The witch said I could walk right in.' he said turning his back to her.
'Are you a potential client?' she asked as she fought her uncontrollable fingers to put the rest of the top on.
'Not exactly.'
'It has been a long time. How have you been?' Other than tall, gorgeous and ©ocky.
'Fine.'
'You can turn around now. How did you know I worked here?'
She tried not to squirm and he turned around and gazed at her.
'You look spectacular Lil.'
'Thanks.'
Her what about him? How could he possibly look any better at twenty-four years old than he did as an eighteen-year-old boy?
'If you came for an apology, I'm sorry.'
'Oh your message,' the little grin he had vanished. 'My dentist leaves a friendlier one.'
'Sorry about that. I was upset.'
'Because Simone invited me? If you didn't want me to be there it's ok.'
She was touched that James decided to look her up but this meeting was getting her a little frazzled.
She had to fight the urge to jump in his arms and kiss him silly.
She had imagined seeing him by accident someday and giving him witty comments to show that she was over him, so why couldn't she remember any now?
'It's not that the party is cancelled, my parents are getting a divorce.'
'Lily I'm really sorry. I know it's a blow when parents split.'
'Yeah, I never saw it coming.
'If its any consolation, mine are happier apart. They remarried and have new lives.'
'Sorry if the message was so abrupt. I'd just found out and I had so many people to tell and --' she forced herself to stop.
'No problem but you didn't even know Simone invited me did you?'
'Actually no.'
Now that the initial shock of seeing him was wearing off she remembered the months of heartache he caused her and she wasn't about to go through that again.
'Well thanks for stopping by.''
It was a bonus seeing you again Lil, but I came here because I was following a lead on a story.
He always had an ulterior motive.
He told her that he wanted the address of Haley Manning the daughter of the world famous Matthew Manning.
He was a Quidditch Player twenty-five years ago.
He was accused to throwing a game on bribery and never played again. Lily knew who that was. It wasn't long ago, well more than five years ago that she loved sports and followed everything about quidditch.
James's boss was a collector of his mementos and wanted his name cleared so that he could donate everything he has collected to the Quidditch Hall Of Fame as a tribute to Manning. James was the third one trying and he wanted to interview Haley, the thirty five year old daughter of Manning.
'I'm sorry James I can't help you.'
'Come on.'
'You're not going to talk me into betraying a client.'
'Okay come with me to dinner and I'll tell you everything.'
'I can't.'
'So you have someone to go home to?'
'No its not that it's just that it isn't a good idea.'
'We'll go somewhere close and quick.' He said still not taking "no" for an answer.
Lily noticed Hannah standing by the door with wide eyes.
Did she think Lily was so old she was on a shelf?
'Alright.' she said impulsively. 'I'll meet you at the ground floor at six thirty.'
'I didn't know you had company.' Hannah said as she moved over to her worktable openly checking out James.
Hannah's buttocks had a life of their own under that short skirt and James couldn't help but have noticed her backfield-in-motion bid for his attention.
'This is James Potter, sports writer for the Daily Prophet and he was just leaving.' Lily said dryly.
'I'm Hannah Elizabeth Walker, Miss Evans's intern.' She said sending James a high wattage smile.
'Nice to meet you.' He said, to his credit not rising to take Hannah's bait.
He backed toward the door and left without giving Hannah the appraising look she usually received from men.
Lily realised that she let all the stored up annoyance for her intern trap her into meeting James for dinner.
For a minute she enjoyed showing the little sex pot that's he could attract more men too.
That however was short lived because she realised it was a bad idea for seeing James again.
Her last boyfriend Jerry never did anything to her and James was just a few feet away form her and she still felt tingly.
She was totally over him and wanted it to stay that way.
'Who was that I just saw leaving?' asked Jess when she came in soon after. 'Good-looking chap wasn't he?'
'That love was James Potter.'
'[I] The [/I] James Potter?' she asked wide eyed.
'Yes.'
Jess whistled.
'What did he want?'
As Lily told the girl everything she wondered how she was going to get through the evening.