Disclaimer: You sue. You end up with crappy printer and a pair of purple
pointe shoes. I smile. You cry because I haven't made millions yet. You cry
harder when I have made millions.
Er...Or I never will.
I'm attached to my pointe shoes, though. So don't sue!
Illicit Love
Chapter Six
Dinner with the Potters
Sirius, Remus, and Peter were having a water fight in waist-deep waters while Lily and James sat several yards away on the beach, chatting quietly. The sun was starting to set, turning the blue sky into reds and oranges as well as the water. Lily's auburn locks hung in loose tendrils at her shoulders and James' hair had gone from unruly to unrulier. All seemed perfect.
"So your mum's trying to play matchmaker?" James asked.
"I suppose that's what she's trying to do," Lily replied, picking up a handful of sand and letting it slip through her fingers. "She saw us together and realized that she didn't want me to be with someone like you. I'm surprised she even let me come."
"She's so proud of you, Lily," James said softly. "I saw it in her eyes."
"I don't know why. Petunia's really smart in her studies of the Muggle world, stuff my parents know about and can relate to. But they're more proud of me. Maybe they think I need more special attention because I'm different."
"Maybe," James replied, running a hand up and down Lily's calf.
"I mean, sometimes it's nice to get the things I want. Sometimes I wish my family had loads of money, like yours. Then Petty and I would get everything we wanted. Nice houses, nice clothes, nice cars."
James nodded, but to what, Lily didn't know.
"Jessica gets everything she wants - whatever she wants and whenever she wants it at the drop of a hat, no questions asked," James said, a faraway look creeping into his eyes. "I, on the other hand, have to work hard for the same privilege."
"Oh please. I'm sure you've never worked a day in your life and I'm sure you'll never have to."
James looked at Lily sharply. "What the hell do you know, Lily?" His icy tone stung her as if he had slapped her. "You don't know shit about what I have to go through."
"I - I didn't -" James cut her off.
"Do you know what my father is like? He expects me to be the king of the goddamn world. 'You'll play Quidditch all through Hogwarts, James, then you'll be placed on the Puddlemere United team, like I was. After seven years of that, you'll take the position of vice president at my company...' And the blooming list goes on! Did you know I'm practically betrothed to the Minister of Magic's daughter. My father uses it as some kind of threat: 'If you don't win the Quidditch Cup, I'm calling Minister Ramortia.' Or he'll say, 'If you don't kiss the ass of the Italian Minister of Magic and date his daughter, you'll never be high status like I am.' And then it keeps going and going from there. 'I'll take your behavior as rebellion.' 'My son needs to get some balls before he turns on me... A sex kitten is what you need...' Did you know he even set me up the summer of fifth year to lose my virginity to the bleeding American President's daughter? That was an exchange for some kind of funding arrangement. He plans out my whole life and I sit back and watch it play, like some kind of sick theatrical ordeal. Whatever my father says goes. I want to tell him to piss off, but I can't. I hate Quidditch, I hate money, I hate bloodlines, I - I - I hate my father..."
Tears had been streaming down James' face until he couldn't take it anymore and he placed his head in his hands and started sobbing, his whole body wracked, like a rag doll. Lily took him into her arms and let him cry upon her breast as she rocked him and rubbed his back soothingly.
"I'm really sorry, James," she said softly after his sobs had subsided and only hot tears ran from his eyes and down Lily's chest. "I shouldn't have - "
"No, don't," James said, his voice now steady. "I'm sorry I had a nervous breakdown right here on you."
"You needed to let it out, that's all," she replied, still holding him to her.
James looked up at Lily, his eyes still shining with tears, but his complexion was seemingly undisturbed.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "I did need to get it out." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Kissing her took away all the pain and made him feel that, for once, he was in control of his life and he was happy. He wrapped his arms around Lily's waist and she threw her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Soon they were contentedly snogging in the warm sand until they were interrupted by the sound of a gong, which was rather strange to Lily, but seemingly normal to James and the other three boys.
"Dinner's ready," James said breathlessly in Lily's ear.
"Can't we just skip dinner?" she asked, as breathless as he.
He smiled at her and her appearance. Her face was flushed, her chest rising and falling quickly, her emerald eyes aglow, and her wavy hair haloed out about her head in the sand. At that moment, he knew she was perfect. He didn't care that she wasn't as thin as the other girls he had dated or taller than; nor did he care that she couldn't sing or dance. She was perfect, and he wanted - desired - her above anything else.
"Are you all right, James?"
"Wonderful, love," he replied, still looking like he was in a trance.
Love?
Had he just called her love?
Lily's heart skipped a beat.
She smiled up at him, and he smiled back.
"Are you guys going to sit there and stare at each other like idiots all evening?" Peter called, trudging through the waters and to the spot where the two lay. He was followed by Remus and Sirius, who were starting to shiver.
"We're coming," James said, looking at his best friends. "We've got half an hour to get dressed and washed up, let's get a move on."
"Get dressed?" Lily asked, taking the hand that Remus held out to her and getting up. "I didn't bring anything for a nice dinner."
"Don't you worry."
"You're not going to try to get me to wear something of Jessica's again, are you?"
"No, but this will require her help."
"Great." (Spoken rather unenthusiastically, of course.)
They walked back to the beach house where they walked up the stairs to Jessica's room while Sirius, Remus, and Peter went to James' room to change.
"Jess," James called, knocking on a large wooden door.
Jessica opened her door in only her bra and a skirt. "What can I do for you?"
"Can you help Lily? She didn't know she was staying for dinner."
"I would absolutely love to." She shut the door and grumbling could be heard. A minute later, she opened the door again and practically threw an emerald set of dress robes at Lily. "Those should fit you," she said sweetly. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"Go change. I'll meet you in the entrance hall." Lily nodded and walked away, disappearing into a room on the left.
"All right, Jessica. What's your problem?" James asked, pushing his older sister into her room and shutting the door behind him.
"What?" she asked, going behind a changing screen and pulling off her skirt. "Can you hand me those dress robes?"
"Why are you acting that way to Lily?" he asked, throwing sky-blue robes over the screen.
"Well, you saw how Dad reacted to the article in the paper. I know how he is to you, James, and I don't want you to be in deeper than you already are."
"What, so your plan is to make Lily think that you don't like her so she'll break up with me?"
"I suppose. I wouldn't exactly put it that way, but hey, whatever works for you."
"Jessica, I can handle Dad and his reactions to things. He'll soon see that he can't make me do whatever he wants me to do."
The brown haired girl stepped out from behind the screen and arched and eyebrow. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
"What makes you say that?"
"I'm sure you're too young to remember," she started, acting as if she wasn't just three years older than he. "But I was once young and naïve like you. I thought I could change Dad and his ways. I was a bit of a rebel, and one day I brought home a Muggle, whose sister was a witch I knew. Dad threatened to send me off to a convent along with some other horrid things he threatened to go along with it, which I won't repeat to your young ears. Ever since then, I've been acting as Perfect Daughter and Sister. I graduated nearly two years ago, and do you see how he doesn't intend to marry off his perfect, angelic, and chaste daughter? Well, almost perfect, anyway. I bring home some people just to irk him, then I act like I didn't mean to upset him and that it wasn't my fault, they didn't tell me they were so common-blooded."
"You do all that for fun?" Jessica smirked. "You're sick, Jess. Real sick."
"I know, but what else can you do when you're perfect? You have to have fun somehow."
"So, tell me about this guy that you were snogging in the stall," James said.
Jessica rolled her eyes then smiled widely and demonically. "I'll never tell..." she said in a sing-song voice. "You better change before Daddy Dearest gets angry with us."
James nodded and kissed his sister on the cheek before exiting the room. At the door, he turned to Jessica, who was applying her makeup, and said, "You look really pretty, Jess. You're an evil woman, but you're a pretty one."
The older girl grinned, brushing rouge onto her cheekbones.
"I know."
* * *
At dinner the dinner table, Mr. and Mrs. Potter sat at the either end of the table in grand leather chairs. Jessica was placed next to her father with Sirius on her left and Mrs. Pettigrew next to him, then James at her left and next to his mother. Lily sat on the opposite side with Remus on her left and Peter on the other side of Remus and finally, Mr. Pettigrew at the end between his son and Mr. Potter.
Lily was nervous at having to sit next to James' mother, but she turned out to be quite the character. She was always telling jokes and she was very easygoing. She had drunk a lot of wine and by the end of the third coarse, she was slurring her words and giggling like a madwoman.
"So, tell me about yourself, Lily, love," she said, taking a bite of her fancy strawberry pudding with whipped cream on the top. "If you're dating James, I should think that there would be an exciting side to you. You seem kind of shy. Oops, sorry about that."
Lily picked up her napkin and wiped off the whipped cream that Mrs. Rhien Potter had spat out while talking with her mouth full.
"Well, I really like school," Lily said, furrowing her brow, for now Mrs. Potter was placing strawberries in her wine and trying to fish them out with her tongue.
"Thath goob." She started blowing bubbles. James blushed, looking highly embarrassed and refused to look at Lily.
Down the table, Charles Potter was talking business with Mr. Pettigrew. Jessica was talking softly with Sirius, who was blushing slightly, Peter was eating his dessert and chatting with his mum, while Remus was smirking at something, trying to keep himself from giggling out loud.
Mrs. Potter spilled her wine all over the white linen tablecloth and burst into giggles.
"More wine!" she called out.
"No more wine!" James said swiftly, moving his hand over the top his mother's goblet.
"James," Rhien Potter whined.
"Mum, you'll be sick in the morning if you drink anymore."
"No I won't. Besides, Jessie knows how to make a Headache Potion."
"Are you getting yourself drunk, Rhien?" Charles, who also had plenty to drink, asked.
"Of course not, I'm the sensible drinker."
"You're a sensible drinker, and I'm a Muggle."
"Would you shut your mouth, Charlie? We've got a Muggle-born girl sitting right here." She patted Lily's arm.
"Don't remind me," he muttered in reply. Lily frowned.
"Dad," James said a bit warningly.
"James, what was wrong with the Haugland girl? Or Julia Briggsby?"
"Nothing was wrong with them," James answered, confused.
"Then why are you dating this common-blooded trash?" Mr. Potter shouted. Lily's faced reddened and her eyes were stung with tears of anger and embarrassment.
"Charles Damian Potter," Rhien growled, standing up. "It is one thing to say something like that when you're by yourself, but it is another thing to say it in front of James and all his friends, and his girlfriend who happens to be the subject!"
Charles stood too. "This is my house, dammit, and I will not be treated like toddler. I can say whatever I want to say in this house and I'll be damned if you're going to stop me. That was the difference between the Potters and the Palmers. We're prideful of our blood, while you would have married outside of it if your parents weren't smart enough to realize what was good for them."
"Yeah? Well, I would have rather married a Muggle than to get stuck with you, giving you an heir to your inbred family."
"Maybe that would have been a good idea," Charles spat. "Then I wouldn't have been stuck with your bloody drunkenness and your inability to give birth to a proper heir. For crissake, look at him, he's shagging a Muggle. That comes from your side of the family!"
James now stood, his face reddened with anger.
"This is not Mum's fault," he said. "If anything, it's your fault."
"My fault?" Charles asked, arching an eyebrow. "You not being prideful is my fault?"
"I'm dating the smartest witch at Hogwarts anyone has ever seen in half a century. Isn't that good enough for you? Blood doesn't matter to me like it does to you. I'm falling in love Lily."
Charles' face purpled. Maliciously he voiced, "Do you think I care who you're in love with? Do you think it matters to me how smart she is or how pretty she is? Tell me why I should give a shit for the Mudblood? Because you're my only son and you love her? Let me tell you something, love doesn't mean anything. It never has and it never will. You can't buy love, you can't sell love, you can't use love to control something else. No. That's power and blood-ties that does all that. Love is nothing."
"I don't care what you say," James said softly, not looking at his father.
"I don't care how you feel on the subject," Potter the elder growled. "If I were you, I wouldn't get attached."
That said, Mr. Potter stomped out of the dining room. Mrs. Potter followed after him as well as Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew. James sat back down and placed his head in his hands. For a long time, there was silence in the dining room as the six children sat in the room, staring off into space.
"I think I should be going now," Lily said quietly. James looked up at her, unshed tears in his eyes, and nodded.
Lily grabbed her bag and returned to the dining room where her friends and a jar of Floo powder were waiting. She hugged Remus, Peter, and Sirius and kissed their cheeks softly. Before Lily could get to James, however, Jessica stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the younger girl. Not for amusement this time, but for real.
"I'm sorry, Lily," she whispered.
Lily nodded, tears now streaming down her cheeks. She then turned to James and hugged him and kissed him.
"I hope everything works out, James. I just don't see how it can right now."
He kissed her again and squeezed her extra tightly before she turned and threw a pinch of Floo powder into the roaring flames. She stepped in and called out her house address, then was swept off her feet swiftly, grates flashing before her eyes.
* * *
A/N: *sobs* Yes, this chapter is a bit nasty, folks. It had to come sometime. There was no use in keeping it a happy love-y story forever. But don't worry.... I'm not going to turn on you or anything, I promise. There will be lots more laughs, hugs, snogs, pranks, and other stuff. Ahem. Sorry, I feel as if I'm giving it all away, but I have to reassure you. Otherwise you would stop reading, and then what would I do with all these useless souvenirs?
Sorry it took so long to get this one out! School just started. Fun, but not fun. Okay, like that made any sense. So, I've been at school. I've got a playwriting class that I'm totally excited about! I'm going to learn how to write plays! So, if I write a play that ends up on Broadway, would you go to it?
I suppose you'd have to know my real name, though. That would be a bit easier to go to my play... One day I'll be rich and famous...you'll see!
* * *
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank-yous:
Martini Addict - You didn't have any comments for me this time... *frowns* You always make me laugh, though.
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Oliverwoodschic
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Majestyic
Gooey Gooey Coca Beans
Talena - Do you think that this should be rated R? Or do you mean you want it to be upped to R? It was very hard for me to only keep this chapter PG- 13. I have a tendency to express deep emotion with one word (guess which one...) because that one word has a lot of emotion when it's not overused. But then I had to calm myself, take a deep breath and handle the situation in a calm PG-13 manner. That was difficult!
DancinEvy - I try to make it believable as I can. Thanks for the praise. And, yes, I LOVE to dance. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! DANCERS ROCK ON!!!!
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Anonymous - Er.does my yard have colored sand? *whips out wand* *Shouts* Sandius Colourus Changus! *puts wand back in pocket* Now it does! Actually, my back yard is sandy, just not colored. I don't know why I wanted to send off colored sand. I thought it would be an interesting twist to the whole moldy boot thing. The Bahamas could have colored sand, you never know. And I'm glad I'm not the one getting boring.
AieDust
KaTiE - Don't you worry, you get a moldy boot and a jar of colored sand too! It's on its way via owl!
Britz - Okay, so you didn't review chapter 5, but I wanted to say that if you're going (or went) on a trip, have fun! I want to go on a trip. I want to go to Brazil with Sirius. Wouldn't you? Oh, fun, fun.
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* * *
*feels special* You guys...I'm completely shocked at all this!
THANK YOU!!!
* * *
Now, I know you enjoyed this chapter exceedingly, so all reviewers receive 12 free dinners at the Potter house! Chat with Mr. Potter (if you're pureblood, that is), find out why Sirius blushes so much, and witness Mrs. Potter drink a bottle of wine and embarrass herself.
**Note: Although highly likely, no promises of a drunken scene can be made.
Happy Reading!
~Lavender
Er...Or I never will.
I'm attached to my pointe shoes, though. So don't sue!
Illicit Love
Chapter Six
Dinner with the Potters
Sirius, Remus, and Peter were having a water fight in waist-deep waters while Lily and James sat several yards away on the beach, chatting quietly. The sun was starting to set, turning the blue sky into reds and oranges as well as the water. Lily's auburn locks hung in loose tendrils at her shoulders and James' hair had gone from unruly to unrulier. All seemed perfect.
"So your mum's trying to play matchmaker?" James asked.
"I suppose that's what she's trying to do," Lily replied, picking up a handful of sand and letting it slip through her fingers. "She saw us together and realized that she didn't want me to be with someone like you. I'm surprised she even let me come."
"She's so proud of you, Lily," James said softly. "I saw it in her eyes."
"I don't know why. Petunia's really smart in her studies of the Muggle world, stuff my parents know about and can relate to. But they're more proud of me. Maybe they think I need more special attention because I'm different."
"Maybe," James replied, running a hand up and down Lily's calf.
"I mean, sometimes it's nice to get the things I want. Sometimes I wish my family had loads of money, like yours. Then Petty and I would get everything we wanted. Nice houses, nice clothes, nice cars."
James nodded, but to what, Lily didn't know.
"Jessica gets everything she wants - whatever she wants and whenever she wants it at the drop of a hat, no questions asked," James said, a faraway look creeping into his eyes. "I, on the other hand, have to work hard for the same privilege."
"Oh please. I'm sure you've never worked a day in your life and I'm sure you'll never have to."
James looked at Lily sharply. "What the hell do you know, Lily?" His icy tone stung her as if he had slapped her. "You don't know shit about what I have to go through."
"I - I didn't -" James cut her off.
"Do you know what my father is like? He expects me to be the king of the goddamn world. 'You'll play Quidditch all through Hogwarts, James, then you'll be placed on the Puddlemere United team, like I was. After seven years of that, you'll take the position of vice president at my company...' And the blooming list goes on! Did you know I'm practically betrothed to the Minister of Magic's daughter. My father uses it as some kind of threat: 'If you don't win the Quidditch Cup, I'm calling Minister Ramortia.' Or he'll say, 'If you don't kiss the ass of the Italian Minister of Magic and date his daughter, you'll never be high status like I am.' And then it keeps going and going from there. 'I'll take your behavior as rebellion.' 'My son needs to get some balls before he turns on me... A sex kitten is what you need...' Did you know he even set me up the summer of fifth year to lose my virginity to the bleeding American President's daughter? That was an exchange for some kind of funding arrangement. He plans out my whole life and I sit back and watch it play, like some kind of sick theatrical ordeal. Whatever my father says goes. I want to tell him to piss off, but I can't. I hate Quidditch, I hate money, I hate bloodlines, I - I - I hate my father..."
Tears had been streaming down James' face until he couldn't take it anymore and he placed his head in his hands and started sobbing, his whole body wracked, like a rag doll. Lily took him into her arms and let him cry upon her breast as she rocked him and rubbed his back soothingly.
"I'm really sorry, James," she said softly after his sobs had subsided and only hot tears ran from his eyes and down Lily's chest. "I shouldn't have - "
"No, don't," James said, his voice now steady. "I'm sorry I had a nervous breakdown right here on you."
"You needed to let it out, that's all," she replied, still holding him to her.
James looked up at Lily, his eyes still shining with tears, but his complexion was seemingly undisturbed.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "I did need to get it out." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Kissing her took away all the pain and made him feel that, for once, he was in control of his life and he was happy. He wrapped his arms around Lily's waist and she threw her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Soon they were contentedly snogging in the warm sand until they were interrupted by the sound of a gong, which was rather strange to Lily, but seemingly normal to James and the other three boys.
"Dinner's ready," James said breathlessly in Lily's ear.
"Can't we just skip dinner?" she asked, as breathless as he.
He smiled at her and her appearance. Her face was flushed, her chest rising and falling quickly, her emerald eyes aglow, and her wavy hair haloed out about her head in the sand. At that moment, he knew she was perfect. He didn't care that she wasn't as thin as the other girls he had dated or taller than; nor did he care that she couldn't sing or dance. She was perfect, and he wanted - desired - her above anything else.
"Are you all right, James?"
"Wonderful, love," he replied, still looking like he was in a trance.
Love?
Had he just called her love?
Lily's heart skipped a beat.
She smiled up at him, and he smiled back.
"Are you guys going to sit there and stare at each other like idiots all evening?" Peter called, trudging through the waters and to the spot where the two lay. He was followed by Remus and Sirius, who were starting to shiver.
"We're coming," James said, looking at his best friends. "We've got half an hour to get dressed and washed up, let's get a move on."
"Get dressed?" Lily asked, taking the hand that Remus held out to her and getting up. "I didn't bring anything for a nice dinner."
"Don't you worry."
"You're not going to try to get me to wear something of Jessica's again, are you?"
"No, but this will require her help."
"Great." (Spoken rather unenthusiastically, of course.)
They walked back to the beach house where they walked up the stairs to Jessica's room while Sirius, Remus, and Peter went to James' room to change.
"Jess," James called, knocking on a large wooden door.
Jessica opened her door in only her bra and a skirt. "What can I do for you?"
"Can you help Lily? She didn't know she was staying for dinner."
"I would absolutely love to." She shut the door and grumbling could be heard. A minute later, she opened the door again and practically threw an emerald set of dress robes at Lily. "Those should fit you," she said sweetly. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"Go change. I'll meet you in the entrance hall." Lily nodded and walked away, disappearing into a room on the left.
"All right, Jessica. What's your problem?" James asked, pushing his older sister into her room and shutting the door behind him.
"What?" she asked, going behind a changing screen and pulling off her skirt. "Can you hand me those dress robes?"
"Why are you acting that way to Lily?" he asked, throwing sky-blue robes over the screen.
"Well, you saw how Dad reacted to the article in the paper. I know how he is to you, James, and I don't want you to be in deeper than you already are."
"What, so your plan is to make Lily think that you don't like her so she'll break up with me?"
"I suppose. I wouldn't exactly put it that way, but hey, whatever works for you."
"Jessica, I can handle Dad and his reactions to things. He'll soon see that he can't make me do whatever he wants me to do."
The brown haired girl stepped out from behind the screen and arched and eyebrow. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
"What makes you say that?"
"I'm sure you're too young to remember," she started, acting as if she wasn't just three years older than he. "But I was once young and naïve like you. I thought I could change Dad and his ways. I was a bit of a rebel, and one day I brought home a Muggle, whose sister was a witch I knew. Dad threatened to send me off to a convent along with some other horrid things he threatened to go along with it, which I won't repeat to your young ears. Ever since then, I've been acting as Perfect Daughter and Sister. I graduated nearly two years ago, and do you see how he doesn't intend to marry off his perfect, angelic, and chaste daughter? Well, almost perfect, anyway. I bring home some people just to irk him, then I act like I didn't mean to upset him and that it wasn't my fault, they didn't tell me they were so common-blooded."
"You do all that for fun?" Jessica smirked. "You're sick, Jess. Real sick."
"I know, but what else can you do when you're perfect? You have to have fun somehow."
"So, tell me about this guy that you were snogging in the stall," James said.
Jessica rolled her eyes then smiled widely and demonically. "I'll never tell..." she said in a sing-song voice. "You better change before Daddy Dearest gets angry with us."
James nodded and kissed his sister on the cheek before exiting the room. At the door, he turned to Jessica, who was applying her makeup, and said, "You look really pretty, Jess. You're an evil woman, but you're a pretty one."
The older girl grinned, brushing rouge onto her cheekbones.
"I know."
* * *
At dinner the dinner table, Mr. and Mrs. Potter sat at the either end of the table in grand leather chairs. Jessica was placed next to her father with Sirius on her left and Mrs. Pettigrew next to him, then James at her left and next to his mother. Lily sat on the opposite side with Remus on her left and Peter on the other side of Remus and finally, Mr. Pettigrew at the end between his son and Mr. Potter.
Lily was nervous at having to sit next to James' mother, but she turned out to be quite the character. She was always telling jokes and she was very easygoing. She had drunk a lot of wine and by the end of the third coarse, she was slurring her words and giggling like a madwoman.
"So, tell me about yourself, Lily, love," she said, taking a bite of her fancy strawberry pudding with whipped cream on the top. "If you're dating James, I should think that there would be an exciting side to you. You seem kind of shy. Oops, sorry about that."
Lily picked up her napkin and wiped off the whipped cream that Mrs. Rhien Potter had spat out while talking with her mouth full.
"Well, I really like school," Lily said, furrowing her brow, for now Mrs. Potter was placing strawberries in her wine and trying to fish them out with her tongue.
"Thath goob." She started blowing bubbles. James blushed, looking highly embarrassed and refused to look at Lily.
Down the table, Charles Potter was talking business with Mr. Pettigrew. Jessica was talking softly with Sirius, who was blushing slightly, Peter was eating his dessert and chatting with his mum, while Remus was smirking at something, trying to keep himself from giggling out loud.
Mrs. Potter spilled her wine all over the white linen tablecloth and burst into giggles.
"More wine!" she called out.
"No more wine!" James said swiftly, moving his hand over the top his mother's goblet.
"James," Rhien Potter whined.
"Mum, you'll be sick in the morning if you drink anymore."
"No I won't. Besides, Jessie knows how to make a Headache Potion."
"Are you getting yourself drunk, Rhien?" Charles, who also had plenty to drink, asked.
"Of course not, I'm the sensible drinker."
"You're a sensible drinker, and I'm a Muggle."
"Would you shut your mouth, Charlie? We've got a Muggle-born girl sitting right here." She patted Lily's arm.
"Don't remind me," he muttered in reply. Lily frowned.
"Dad," James said a bit warningly.
"James, what was wrong with the Haugland girl? Or Julia Briggsby?"
"Nothing was wrong with them," James answered, confused.
"Then why are you dating this common-blooded trash?" Mr. Potter shouted. Lily's faced reddened and her eyes were stung with tears of anger and embarrassment.
"Charles Damian Potter," Rhien growled, standing up. "It is one thing to say something like that when you're by yourself, but it is another thing to say it in front of James and all his friends, and his girlfriend who happens to be the subject!"
Charles stood too. "This is my house, dammit, and I will not be treated like toddler. I can say whatever I want to say in this house and I'll be damned if you're going to stop me. That was the difference between the Potters and the Palmers. We're prideful of our blood, while you would have married outside of it if your parents weren't smart enough to realize what was good for them."
"Yeah? Well, I would have rather married a Muggle than to get stuck with you, giving you an heir to your inbred family."
"Maybe that would have been a good idea," Charles spat. "Then I wouldn't have been stuck with your bloody drunkenness and your inability to give birth to a proper heir. For crissake, look at him, he's shagging a Muggle. That comes from your side of the family!"
James now stood, his face reddened with anger.
"This is not Mum's fault," he said. "If anything, it's your fault."
"My fault?" Charles asked, arching an eyebrow. "You not being prideful is my fault?"
"I'm dating the smartest witch at Hogwarts anyone has ever seen in half a century. Isn't that good enough for you? Blood doesn't matter to me like it does to you. I'm falling in love Lily."
Charles' face purpled. Maliciously he voiced, "Do you think I care who you're in love with? Do you think it matters to me how smart she is or how pretty she is? Tell me why I should give a shit for the Mudblood? Because you're my only son and you love her? Let me tell you something, love doesn't mean anything. It never has and it never will. You can't buy love, you can't sell love, you can't use love to control something else. No. That's power and blood-ties that does all that. Love is nothing."
"I don't care what you say," James said softly, not looking at his father.
"I don't care how you feel on the subject," Potter the elder growled. "If I were you, I wouldn't get attached."
That said, Mr. Potter stomped out of the dining room. Mrs. Potter followed after him as well as Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew. James sat back down and placed his head in his hands. For a long time, there was silence in the dining room as the six children sat in the room, staring off into space.
"I think I should be going now," Lily said quietly. James looked up at her, unshed tears in his eyes, and nodded.
Lily grabbed her bag and returned to the dining room where her friends and a jar of Floo powder were waiting. She hugged Remus, Peter, and Sirius and kissed their cheeks softly. Before Lily could get to James, however, Jessica stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the younger girl. Not for amusement this time, but for real.
"I'm sorry, Lily," she whispered.
Lily nodded, tears now streaming down her cheeks. She then turned to James and hugged him and kissed him.
"I hope everything works out, James. I just don't see how it can right now."
He kissed her again and squeezed her extra tightly before she turned and threw a pinch of Floo powder into the roaring flames. She stepped in and called out her house address, then was swept off her feet swiftly, grates flashing before her eyes.
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A/N: *sobs* Yes, this chapter is a bit nasty, folks. It had to come sometime. There was no use in keeping it a happy love-y story forever. But don't worry.... I'm not going to turn on you or anything, I promise. There will be lots more laughs, hugs, snogs, pranks, and other stuff. Ahem. Sorry, I feel as if I'm giving it all away, but I have to reassure you. Otherwise you would stop reading, and then what would I do with all these useless souvenirs?
Sorry it took so long to get this one out! School just started. Fun, but not fun. Okay, like that made any sense. So, I've been at school. I've got a playwriting class that I'm totally excited about! I'm going to learn how to write plays! So, if I write a play that ends up on Broadway, would you go to it?
I suppose you'd have to know my real name, though. That would be a bit easier to go to my play... One day I'll be rich and famous...you'll see!
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Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank-yous:
Martini Addict - You didn't have any comments for me this time... *frowns* You always make me laugh, though.
Too lazy to log in - Er...I don't know who you are, but thanks!
Oliverwoodschic
Sarbear
Feline13 - You can stop holding your breath now. Uh-oh. We've got a situation here. Call 911 - Feline13 is turning blue!!! Breathe! Breathe! Phew...I thought we lost you there for a minute... *grins*
Majestyic
Gooey Gooey Coca Beans
Talena - Do you think that this should be rated R? Or do you mean you want it to be upped to R? It was very hard for me to only keep this chapter PG- 13. I have a tendency to express deep emotion with one word (guess which one...) because that one word has a lot of emotion when it's not overused. But then I had to calm myself, take a deep breath and handle the situation in a calm PG-13 manner. That was difficult!
DancinEvy - I try to make it believable as I can. Thanks for the praise. And, yes, I LOVE to dance. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! DANCERS ROCK ON!!!!
Ma'hi - *grins* Your names always makes me grin...
Nats56 - Thanks for all 5 reviews!
The Lady Lillian - *picks up a rotten tomato* Thanks for sticking up for me! I'm glad that you are! And I agree to throw rotten tomatoes at the Mean Person. *chucks tomatoes* They just criticized without even knowing what they were talking about.
Anonymous - Er.does my yard have colored sand? *whips out wand* *Shouts* Sandius Colourus Changus! *puts wand back in pocket* Now it does! Actually, my back yard is sandy, just not colored. I don't know why I wanted to send off colored sand. I thought it would be an interesting twist to the whole moldy boot thing. The Bahamas could have colored sand, you never know. And I'm glad I'm not the one getting boring.
AieDust
KaTiE - Don't you worry, you get a moldy boot and a jar of colored sand too! It's on its way via owl!
Britz - Okay, so you didn't review chapter 5, but I wanted to say that if you're going (or went) on a trip, have fun! I want to go on a trip. I want to go to Brazil with Sirius. Wouldn't you? Oh, fun, fun.
Pilikika - Thanks for all of them!
Bella Black - *hands BB a boot* Everyone gets souvenirs!
Mystikalolo
Meghan
Tomboy
Soccergirl - Wahoo! Thanks for helping me reach the 100 mark!
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*feels special* You guys...I'm completely shocked at all this!
THANK YOU!!!
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Now, I know you enjoyed this chapter exceedingly, so all reviewers receive 12 free dinners at the Potter house! Chat with Mr. Potter (if you're pureblood, that is), find out why Sirius blushes so much, and witness Mrs. Potter drink a bottle of wine and embarrass herself.
**Note: Although highly likely, no promises of a drunken scene can be made.
Happy Reading!
~Lavender