With a deep rumble and small grunts of surprise, Sirius, Lily, Remus, Peter, Ari, Torii and Lis were shot out of the fire place and pushed across the Potter living room with the force. It was the 29th of December and they were all coughing and covered in soot.
A small scream of surprise startled the kids and they realized that they had interrupted some sort of tea party. Many women were sitting gracefully in powder blue arm chairs and sofas wearing dress robes of silk and satin in vibrant colors in a variety of patterns. The tinkling of china tea cups greeted them. Some of the women looked slightly amused. Others looked sour.
A medium sized woman with quite a good figure for her age of 45, brown hair that was tied up in an elegant bun at the nape of her neck and dressed in chocolate brown satin robes stood up and smiled.
"Well, I see that you all made it safely! I'm Julia Potter, for those of you who haven't met me. Good Lord Sirius, you've grown about a foot since the summer!" The woman said smiling.
"Well, you know me.......all food and play......." Sirius replied with wry humor, before stepping forward and embracing the woman like she was his mother.
Mrs. Potter scrutinized him carefully. "Your hems need to be let down I see," She said. Looking at the others she picked out the ones she knew. "I'm so glad you've all come. Look at you Peter.......brilliant! And Remus.........you do look like you need more filling out , but I suspect that you'll be alright in a few days, won't you?"
"With that marvelous house-elf of yours, I'm sure I will," Remus returned.
Mrs. Potter bustled around and hugged Ari warmly. "Ari! How's you mother? We will have to get her around for New Years, and yours too Remus."
Remus grinned and introduced the others. "I'm not sure if you've met Torii, Lis and Lily."
"Merry Christmas Mrs. Potter," Lily said politely.
Mrs. Potter smiled and shook her hand. "Do call me Julia, all of you." She insisted
"Nice to know that some children have manners," said a stern, portly lady wearing stiff maroon robes. With a twinkle in her eyes, Julia introduced the other ladies sitting in the room.
"Everyone, this is James's Grandmother Edith, Cat's Grandmother Josephine and their Great Aunt Helena." Julia said, indicating the three older women.
"Then we have some of his Aunts, there's Linda, Amilie, Angelica, Denise and Georgina. But don't worry if you can't remember them all. There are so many people coming and going, even I have a hard time to keep track."
"Though you do a marvelous job though 'Lia," said Josephine. She was obviously the less stately of the three clan monarchs and hand her silver hair in a tight braided coil.
Julia smiled gratefully. "This is my sister Sarah," she gestured to a good natured women who was wearing baby pink robes with a loose scarf of magenta. "And this of course, is Cat's mother, Rachel." She finished.
Cat's mother smiled gracefully. It was easy to see where Cat got her grace and beauty from. Mrs. Rachel Starrling had honey blond hair that curled to her shoulders with no effort at all, and her eyes seemed to hide grace and femininity. As well as secrets. Mrs. Starrling smoothed her plain navy satin robes. "It'd lovely too see you again," She said, addressing the girls.
Lily noticed Sirius shift slightly and smiled. She guessed that he had never met any of Cat's closest family members, and she was glad that he was nervous.
"Let me got find James, I think he's upstairs with Mark, Darren and the others." Julia said before apparating away.
"You must call me Rachel," Cat's mum said. "After lunch Julia will have to take you over to my place. That'd where all the girls are. And probably where our husbands are too, come to think of it." She chuckled slightly, though everyone noticed she was watching Sirius carefully.
"I'd better go. I've got to get some lunch for my daughters and I've got to go find my husband." Rachel said.
"And I'd better come with you," Said Georgina, standing up and shaking her cream robes, trimmed with gold. "Knowing my husband, he is probably up to no good."
!#$%&()
"Hey you guys! How are you?" James said, bouncing around the hall after his mother had fetched him from the attic. He was now leading the newcomers and his cousins up the stairs. His hair was rustled and sticking up in odd directions. Lily longed to reach up and flatten it, though she was embarrassed. She wondered if James's family knew that they were going out.
"I'll show you your rooms in a second, just let me find our house elf, Minky. Then we can all go over to Cat's or something." James paused suddenly. "It's great to see you all," He said sheepishly.
"Good to see you, buddy," Sirius said, winking.
"Your house is so big. Nothing like my small house," Lily said ruefully. James eyed Lily carefully for a second, before introducing the other men in the room.
"Guys, this is Mark," James said, gesturing to a tall, well built boy with black hair and a sharp nose.
"Brian," He said towards a boy with the same unruly hair as James, but with dark blue eyes.
"And Darren, who you should all have met sometime before," James said addressing the old Head Boy from two years ago.
Suddenly, there was a pop and two other boys appeared out of now where. " 'Ello" One of them said cheerfully. He had messy blond hair and blue eyes. "I'm Steve. Or Stevie, if your a girl," The boy said charmingly.
The other boy rolled his eyes. "I'm Simon." He said. "Cat here?" He asked. James glanced at him and then at Sirius. He ignored this question and immediately said, "This is Sirius, Cat's boyfriend."
Simon nodded. "Ahh." But did not make any move to be friendly or to inquire where Cat was again. He had rumpled blond hair and stiff cold eyes. Lily wondered if he was related to James, and why he was in such a bad mood. And why did James ignore his question and immediately tell Simon that Cat's boy friend was here?
"Brian!" A voice screeched from down stairs. "Get over to the other house! Your having lunch over there!"
Brian winced. "Dear Aunt Helena......" He muttered as he stood up and got out his wand.
"Well, Toodles," He said as he apparated away. Simon took out his wand as well. "I'll be down stairs," He said.
!#$%&()
"Pass the chicken Jamie," Josephine said affectionately to he grand-nephew.
She, Julia, James, Denise and a cousin that had appeared from some where, named Stella where trying to make conversation, though the stiff Aunts and the sullen Simon were making things difficult.
The visitors found themselves liking Simon less and less as lunch went on. Lily and Lis politely answered and asked questions, but the others didn't say much at all. They just concentrated on the roast chicken and extravagant salad that was for lunch. Lily wondered how they could have roast chicken, salad and deviled eggs for lunch? The Potter's and the Starrling's were wealthy.
Finally, the new-comers where alone with James, Stella and Mark in James's bedroom. The talk had ranged from Quidditch and Christmas until finally, Lily asked the question they had all been thinking about.
"Is Simon related to you?"
James hesitated. "No, he's a family friend."
"And Cat's ex." Added Stella.
Sirius looked up in surprise. "I never knew that," He said softly.
"I did." Ari said. "She asked me not to tell you though, it's not something that she revels in anyway." Ari smiled sympathetically.
"Makes no difference to me," Sirius said, inspecting the Quiddich duvet on James's bed.
Though the others new that it did.
!#$%&()
Cat walked up the stairs and into the family room of her house. The rooms was painted yellow and had cheerful curtains of red, yellow and green stripes. Seated by the fire place, was a tall girl with long honey blond hair and dark blue eyes and Simon. The girl was looking at some thing with a smile on her face.
Softly, Cat crept up behind her and brushed her wet hair out of her face. Then, she pounced on the girl with a wild cry.
"Argh!" Autumn cried. "What the hell? Cat!"
Cat grinned and sat down beside her. "You ready to leave?" Her cousin asked her.
"No, I've got to get dressed first." Cat answered. She had had a shower, but had put her pajama's back on. Autumn sighed. "Well hurry up. I want to go see your boy friend and all your other hot friends." She put the pictures down. Glancing at Simon, she asked, "Can I have a piggy back?" Simon frowned. "No." He said.
Autumn looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Your not still mad about the Flying Scissors, are you?" She said slyly. Cat snorted and laughed silently. "'Cause I'm telling you, I don't know what possessed me to do that. I wasn't aiming to hit you in the eyebrow. I swear, some one must have jinxed me to do that or something......."
"Yeah, you were really trying to hit him on the nose," Cat said cheekily.
"Yeah," Agreed Autumn. "No!" She said quickly. "Anyway," She went on, "I think your jealous of Cat's new boy friend."
"No," Simon corrected, "I'm not. I'm only concerned that Cat can do better. He's a Black."
Autumn rolled her eyes. "Who cares? He's hot!" She looked at Cat with a smile on her face. "And I've got pictures to show all your friends........"
Cat looked suspicious. "Which ones?"
"Well..........." Autumn said consulting the ones in her hand, "I have one of you and James in the bath.........that's a good one."
Simon frowned. Autumn, seeing the look on his face started laughing.
"What! I was 2 years old!" Cat said in defense. "I don't even remember it. But don't show it anyway............" She said quickly.
Autumn shrugged. "And I have some from when we played truth or dare two years ago. You know, every time you don't do a dare or answer a truth you have to take an item of clothing off? And you lost!"
"Don't you DARE show those!" Cat said, jumping up and wrestling the pictures out of Autumn's hand. "I only lost because all the guys kept giving me dare like, take all your clothes off and jump out the window."
"And the scary thing is, they are all related to us," said Autumn wryly. . "And remember how Veronica kept singing Beatles songs? And Vanessa was really hyper and kept saying..."
"I think I've seen a porno like this once," Cat finished. They both laughed. "And knowing her, she probably did," Cat added.
"Where are Ness and Ver anyway?" Cat asked. Autumn flapped her hand, "Don't know, Don't care. Get ready so I can go see your hot friends! Do you want to borrow my embroidered mesh panties?"
Simon got up. "Bye." He said before apparating away.
"Uh......no." Cat said.
Autumn had a dreamy look on her face. "I remember when Remus Lupin was at James's house once. And I was there and they had breakfast in their boxers.............so get dressed. And I'll come with you since I need to go get a fan. Hot Hot hot," She said breathlessly.
"I think I've seen a porno like this once," Cat said.
!#$%&()
"Let's play Pool," Stella announced to the others in the billiard room. Simon was there, unfortunately for Sirius, who disliked him openly.
Lily hesitated. "Um......I don't know how to play. My parents aren't really that type." Lily found that she felt a little left out. Her parents, Maggie and Charlie, were well off, but not like this. They never had expensive work parties, and Lily certainly never had this many relatives.
James put an arm around her. "Don't worry, I'll help you."
With a pop, two girls appeared in the room. "Awwww, cute." One of them said. "Too bad we can't stay, huh? Cat here?" The other one said.
What'd with everyone looking for my girlfriend? Sirius wondered. At least these were girls.
"Nah. Lily, Sirius, Lis, Torii, and Remus, meet Vanessa and Veronica Starrling. Ari, I think you've met them already."
"Hey," Vanessa said. Both of them had waist length brown hair and were very thin.
"So Cat's not here? Crap......Man,. We were going to go shopping, 'cause you know, parties and stuff and it's after Christmas, so stuff is like, 89% off. Have to go tomorrow then. Shoot,"
Veronica said.
She and Ness looked at each other. "Right. Ok. Well. Tell Cat and Autumn, if you see them, that we have uh......." Ness exchanged another look with Vern. "We've got a discount at the ware house on Fourth Street."
Stella frowned. "That ware house is empty though......." She said slowly.
"But we've got a discount for January 3rd." Vern insisted.
Stella nodded understandingly. "Right. I'll tell them that." Her strawberry blond hair was in a loose braid that ran down her back
"Yeah." Ness said, before exchanging another look with Vern and Stalla and apparating away.
James frowned, but didn't say anything.
"So, Pool?" Mark said, though he was looking suspiciously at Stella.
Simon shook his head. "No. There's something going on. And if I know Cat and Autumn the way I do, there in the thick of things."
"Look, let's just leave it alone, ok?" Mark said.
"No. I'm going to find out what's going on," Simon said.
"You? You think your some kind of big shot? Their smart ok? And they like shopping. And we don't know anything about shopping. And unless your some kind of weird freak, you shouldn't know anything about girls and shopping either. So leave it alone."
Another pop echoed in the room and the two girls, Autumn and Cat entered the room.
"Dude." Said Autumn. "Are we arguing here?
"Yeah," Simon said. "I want to know what the hells going on."
"Huh?" Cat said, clueless. "We've got a discount for the ware house on Fourth Street, on January 3rd." Stella told her.
"In an empty ware house?" Simon demanded.
"Oh Good! I really need a manicure. Look at my nails. Horrible. Whole spa deal, you say?" Cat said to Autumn while she moved over and stood next to Sirius. She kissed him on the lips. "Hey!" She said smiling. Simon looked like her was going to kill someone.
"Definitely. The whole deal." Said Autumn with a smile.
!#$%&()
And so the plot thickens. So why is Vanessa, Veronica, Stella, Autumn and Catherine going into an empty ware house for?
Next chapter- New Years Eve party. A very stately event with many visitors.
Then: Sirius, Lily, Ari, Remus, Torii and Lis go back to school. But Cat and James don't. Why? You'll see. And Voldemort plays a HUGE part in it.
Here's to my reviewers, I love you guys!
Autumn- YOU ROCK,lol.
Laters,
Rhia