Chapter 16
"Lily, what are you doing this summer?" asked Cat.
"I'm staying at my grandmother's summer manor on the coast. Petunia's going on a trip with some girls from Durmstrang, so it will just be me and Grandmother."
"That sounds great."
"Yeah."
Lily began to dance to unheard music. Cat smiled. She was so glad Lily was happy again.
"You dance alone often?"
Lily stopped dancing and looked at Sirius.
"How in the world do you get up here? A seventh year boy tried last year and he fell down the slide."
Sirius grinned.
"My secret."
Lily rolled her eyes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Whatever."
"You don't mind the fact that he can get up here any time he wants?" asked Gabby.
"No, do you mind Potter can get up here any time he wants?"
Gabby blushed.
"No," she muttered.
"Then it doesn't matter."
Cat rolled her eyes and laughed.
"So, am I still allowed to come up?" asked Sirius.
"Allowed? No, but as long as McGonagall doesn't find out, you're gold."
Sirius kissed her.
"Y'know, most people think you follow the rules, but I know better."
He wiggled his eyebrows and Lily laughed.
"Yes you do."
"Come with me, there's something I want to show you."
"Uh oh," said Lily as she followed Sirius out of Gryffindor Tower, and the fourth floor.
He opened a mirror and walked in, Lily followed and closed it behind her. As they walked, torches lit up just in front of them. They went down a long flight of stairs and walked even longer before another set of stairs going up, then they emerged in the back of Zonko's.
"Here we are, Hogsmeade, on a Thursday," said Sirius.
Lily laughed and kissed him on the cheek.
"Well, what now?"
He patted his pockets, making them jingle.
"Dinner, if you don't mind."
Lily laughed at his "suave" voice.
"Absolutely," she said.
Sirius offered his arm and Lily took it, then they headed to The Three Broomsticks, and had dinner. After that they walked around Hogsmeade then went back to Zonko's before closing, bought a few pranks, then headed back through the secret passage back to Hogwarts. The following week, they looked at their scores and finished packing for summer holiday.
"What were the scores?" Jenni asked Sirius.
"In twenty-fifth, out of twenty- eight, Peter Pettigrew." The group clapped. "In eighteenth, Gabrielle O'Connor," more applause. "In fifteenth, Caterina Sweeny," Cat stood and bowed to her applause. "In ninth, Francis Longbottom," Cat let out a 'Woop! Woop!' for Frank, who blushed. "In eighth is our very own Remus Lupin," Remus laughed at Sirius. "In fifth is the SEXIEST man alive—"
"Harrison Ford?" asked Cat.
"Amos Diggory?" asked Gabby.
"No, they're hot, but sexy would be Jacob Wood," said Lily.
"He's all ready graduated," said Peter.
"I know, meaning I have to wait until I'm eighteen."
"You can have a relationship with an older guy, you just can't—"began Jenni, then she looked at Lily. "Lily Maria Evans!"
Lily laughed and looked over at Sirius, who was pouting.
"Continue, Sirius."
"Thank you. As I was saying before I was interrupted, in fifth is the sexiest man alive... me, Sirius Black." Lily gave him a standing ovation. "In fourth is Miss Jennifer Alexander!"
Jenni stood and pretended to cry.
"I'd like to thank my mother and father for giving birth to me, and Hogwarts for accepting me, and to Lily, for being smart so I wouldn't have to be—"but Jenni couldn't finish, her fake tears had become real laughter.
"In second place, by a hundredth of a point..." Sirius stopped and looked at both Lily and James, Lily chewing on her index finger, and James pretending like he didn't care, yet he was beginning to sweat.
"Come on all ready before Lily eats her finger and James drowns in his own sweat!" said Cat.
"In second by a hundredth of a point is... wait, I forgot."
Sirius turned, grinning.
"Not funny!" said Jenni.
Sirius turned around.
"James, and the beautiful Lily Evans came in first place AGAIN, for the fourth year in a row!"
Lily grinned.
"Yes!" she said.
Sirius kissed her.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
The next day they were on their way home. When the train pulled up in the station, Lily saw her grandmother and Lily went to her and hugged her.
"Hi, honey," the older woman said.
Lily smiled a little.
"Hello Grandmother."
"So...?"
Lily smiled a little more.
"I got first in our year, again."
Maria Bouchinelli hugged her granddaughter.
"That's WONDERFUL, duckie!"
"Where are we staying this summer, Grandmother?"
"My manor, as always, duckie."
Lily smiled, she had missed her grandmother.
"Good."
Maria smiled and led Lily out into Muggle London and into her car.
"Home, Nevins," said Maria.
"Yes, ma'am," said the tall driver.
Lily got in the car with her grandmother as Nevins put Lily's trunk in the back of the car. Lily waved to her friends as they pulled away in the black Rolls Royce, and drove to Dover. As soon as they hit the road, Lily fell asleep.
"Come on, duckie, wake up."
Lily opened her eyes and got out of the car. She squinted in the sunlight, but she quickly adjusted.
"Which room is Miss Lily staying in, Madame?"
"The Ocean room."
Lily smiled. The Ocean room was her favorite room in the house where she could paint, and write or just stare out into the ocean, hoping to get her mind off her mother and father. Nevins took Lily's suitcases to the room, and Lily and Maria went out into the garden for tea.
"Gran, where's Petunia?" Lily asked her.
Maria shrugged.
"Off with some of her school friends, gallivanting around America."
"Oh."
Lily tried not to laugh at her grandmother. Maria Bouchinelli was anything but old fashioned. Maria had decided to keep her maiden name, long after all three of her former husbands had died. Maria was too fast for them, Rosemary had always said. Maria sighed.
"I don't know where she gets it. My son—your father, never wanted to travel or be a hoodlum. Sometimes I don't even know if she's really related to us. Lord knows I love her, but honestly!"
Lily smiled a little, but had to force it at the mention of her father.
"I dunno, Gran."
Maria smiled gently at her granddaughter.
"You know your mother and father left a will, do you not?"
Lily nodded.
"I all ready know Petunia gets everything."
Maria laughed.
"Your dad had nothing to give! He had what he made, and that was it! All the land and money is mine, and I'm not giving it to just anyone. Actually, I'm giving everything to you."
Lily looked at Maria, shocked, to say the least.
"M—me?"
"Yes you. Who were you expecting me to give it to? The one who only likes me because of the gifts I buy her, or the one who loves me for me, who doesn't ask for anything, the one I KNOW actually cares for me."
Lily smiled and ran around the table and hugged Maria.
"Wow, Gran, thank you."
Maria held Lily an arms length away, looking at her, smiling proudly.
"No, duckie, thank you."
A month and a half later, Petunia arrived at the manor, and Maria was called away to Northumberland, because one of her friends had suddenly become very ill.
"Hi Lily," said Petunia, sadly.
"Hello, Petunia."
Tears ran down Petunia's face.
"Lily, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"This."
"Lily, what are you doing this summer?" asked Cat.
"I'm staying at my grandmother's summer manor on the coast. Petunia's going on a trip with some girls from Durmstrang, so it will just be me and Grandmother."
"That sounds great."
"Yeah."
Lily began to dance to unheard music. Cat smiled. She was so glad Lily was happy again.
"You dance alone often?"
Lily stopped dancing and looked at Sirius.
"How in the world do you get up here? A seventh year boy tried last year and he fell down the slide."
Sirius grinned.
"My secret."
Lily rolled her eyes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Whatever."
"You don't mind the fact that he can get up here any time he wants?" asked Gabby.
"No, do you mind Potter can get up here any time he wants?"
Gabby blushed.
"No," she muttered.
"Then it doesn't matter."
Cat rolled her eyes and laughed.
"So, am I still allowed to come up?" asked Sirius.
"Allowed? No, but as long as McGonagall doesn't find out, you're gold."
Sirius kissed her.
"Y'know, most people think you follow the rules, but I know better."
He wiggled his eyebrows and Lily laughed.
"Yes you do."
"Come with me, there's something I want to show you."
"Uh oh," said Lily as she followed Sirius out of Gryffindor Tower, and the fourth floor.
He opened a mirror and walked in, Lily followed and closed it behind her. As they walked, torches lit up just in front of them. They went down a long flight of stairs and walked even longer before another set of stairs going up, then they emerged in the back of Zonko's.
"Here we are, Hogsmeade, on a Thursday," said Sirius.
Lily laughed and kissed him on the cheek.
"Well, what now?"
He patted his pockets, making them jingle.
"Dinner, if you don't mind."
Lily laughed at his "suave" voice.
"Absolutely," she said.
Sirius offered his arm and Lily took it, then they headed to The Three Broomsticks, and had dinner. After that they walked around Hogsmeade then went back to Zonko's before closing, bought a few pranks, then headed back through the secret passage back to Hogwarts. The following week, they looked at their scores and finished packing for summer holiday.
"What were the scores?" Jenni asked Sirius.
"In twenty-fifth, out of twenty- eight, Peter Pettigrew." The group clapped. "In eighteenth, Gabrielle O'Connor," more applause. "In fifteenth, Caterina Sweeny," Cat stood and bowed to her applause. "In ninth, Francis Longbottom," Cat let out a 'Woop! Woop!' for Frank, who blushed. "In eighth is our very own Remus Lupin," Remus laughed at Sirius. "In fifth is the SEXIEST man alive—"
"Harrison Ford?" asked Cat.
"Amos Diggory?" asked Gabby.
"No, they're hot, but sexy would be Jacob Wood," said Lily.
"He's all ready graduated," said Peter.
"I know, meaning I have to wait until I'm eighteen."
"You can have a relationship with an older guy, you just can't—"began Jenni, then she looked at Lily. "Lily Maria Evans!"
Lily laughed and looked over at Sirius, who was pouting.
"Continue, Sirius."
"Thank you. As I was saying before I was interrupted, in fifth is the sexiest man alive... me, Sirius Black." Lily gave him a standing ovation. "In fourth is Miss Jennifer Alexander!"
Jenni stood and pretended to cry.
"I'd like to thank my mother and father for giving birth to me, and Hogwarts for accepting me, and to Lily, for being smart so I wouldn't have to be—"but Jenni couldn't finish, her fake tears had become real laughter.
"In second place, by a hundredth of a point..." Sirius stopped and looked at both Lily and James, Lily chewing on her index finger, and James pretending like he didn't care, yet he was beginning to sweat.
"Come on all ready before Lily eats her finger and James drowns in his own sweat!" said Cat.
"In second by a hundredth of a point is... wait, I forgot."
Sirius turned, grinning.
"Not funny!" said Jenni.
Sirius turned around.
"James, and the beautiful Lily Evans came in first place AGAIN, for the fourth year in a row!"
Lily grinned.
"Yes!" she said.
Sirius kissed her.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
The next day they were on their way home. When the train pulled up in the station, Lily saw her grandmother and Lily went to her and hugged her.
"Hi, honey," the older woman said.
Lily smiled a little.
"Hello Grandmother."
"So...?"
Lily smiled a little more.
"I got first in our year, again."
Maria Bouchinelli hugged her granddaughter.
"That's WONDERFUL, duckie!"
"Where are we staying this summer, Grandmother?"
"My manor, as always, duckie."
Lily smiled, she had missed her grandmother.
"Good."
Maria smiled and led Lily out into Muggle London and into her car.
"Home, Nevins," said Maria.
"Yes, ma'am," said the tall driver.
Lily got in the car with her grandmother as Nevins put Lily's trunk in the back of the car. Lily waved to her friends as they pulled away in the black Rolls Royce, and drove to Dover. As soon as they hit the road, Lily fell asleep.
"Come on, duckie, wake up."
Lily opened her eyes and got out of the car. She squinted in the sunlight, but she quickly adjusted.
"Which room is Miss Lily staying in, Madame?"
"The Ocean room."
Lily smiled. The Ocean room was her favorite room in the house where she could paint, and write or just stare out into the ocean, hoping to get her mind off her mother and father. Nevins took Lily's suitcases to the room, and Lily and Maria went out into the garden for tea.
"Gran, where's Petunia?" Lily asked her.
Maria shrugged.
"Off with some of her school friends, gallivanting around America."
"Oh."
Lily tried not to laugh at her grandmother. Maria Bouchinelli was anything but old fashioned. Maria had decided to keep her maiden name, long after all three of her former husbands had died. Maria was too fast for them, Rosemary had always said. Maria sighed.
"I don't know where she gets it. My son—your father, never wanted to travel or be a hoodlum. Sometimes I don't even know if she's really related to us. Lord knows I love her, but honestly!"
Lily smiled a little, but had to force it at the mention of her father.
"I dunno, Gran."
Maria smiled gently at her granddaughter.
"You know your mother and father left a will, do you not?"
Lily nodded.
"I all ready know Petunia gets everything."
Maria laughed.
"Your dad had nothing to give! He had what he made, and that was it! All the land and money is mine, and I'm not giving it to just anyone. Actually, I'm giving everything to you."
Lily looked at Maria, shocked, to say the least.
"M—me?"
"Yes you. Who were you expecting me to give it to? The one who only likes me because of the gifts I buy her, or the one who loves me for me, who doesn't ask for anything, the one I KNOW actually cares for me."
Lily smiled and ran around the table and hugged Maria.
"Wow, Gran, thank you."
Maria held Lily an arms length away, looking at her, smiling proudly.
"No, duckie, thank you."
A month and a half later, Petunia arrived at the manor, and Maria was called away to Northumberland, because one of her friends had suddenly become very ill.
"Hi Lily," said Petunia, sadly.
"Hello, Petunia."
Tears ran down Petunia's face.
"Lily, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"This."