Disclaimer: everything belongs to JK Rowling, except for characters and
events unrecognizable as being part of the Harry Potter series.
A/N: well, hello again. Thankyou all for the reviews, and I hope you like this chapter. Any idea what that mysterious message might have meant? Have a guess; it's not too hard to figure out! One clue- it's not a code.
NOTE: just to clarify, Lily, Grace and Sarah share an apartment, but Andrea lives with her parents for now. Remus, Sirius and James share an apartment, and Peter is away, though never fear, he'll be back. Also, please remember that this is pre-OoTP- as in, I'm not abiding by the new info we found out about Sirius' family.
Ok, on with the fic, I'll try t spice things up in this chapter.
Chapter Five
Cake Competitions
"You are coming, right?" Remus asked, turning to look at his friends from where he stood in their tiny kitchen. "I mean, you're not going to strand me when I need support?"
Remus was finally going to show Andrea that eh was twice the cook she was. He had agreed to go to her house and bake a cake right under her nose, so that she could see first hand his cooking prowess.
Sirius rolled his eyes, and looked up from the catalogue he was flipping through. "Of course we'll come, Moony," he said. "Oh god, look at this- they're trying to imitate my flying motorbike. So immature."
Sirius' motorbike was currently in a dingy garage at his parent's house. He had to start using it again, or it'd go completely broken down.
"James?" Remus prompted. He dusted his floury hands, and wiped the bench top idly. "You're coming, right?"
James groaned, lifting his head from where he was lying on the couch.
"Do I have to? Lily'll be there!" he whined.
"Oh, stop being such a wimp," Sirius suggested. "Come on, we can get my bike back at the same time."
Remus smiled. He was pretty certain that Andrea was a better cook than him. Still, it wasn't like him to resist a challenge. Thinking about that girl made him shake his head fondly. His affection for her had only grown since he had met her at those classes. Every morning, she had been coming and helping him with his unruly sports children. He definitely needed the help. Those kids were crazy!
James sighed, and dragged himself into an upright position.
"Ugh. Fine," he grumbled. "Just give me a second. I can't go in this." He indicated his rumpled jeans and faded t-shirt.
Sirius grinned.
"Yeah- got to impress the girls, right?" this earned him a dirty glare form James, who then stumbled off into the room to return five minutes later dressed in a pair of cargos and a black shirt.
"Here," he said, throwing Remus a shirt. "Thought you might want to change from that flour rag."
Remus smiled his thanks, dragging his shirt over his head. Once he had replaced it, he nodded to his friends, and then apparated away.
James followed suit. And Sirius, though he still rolled his eyes a little at the immaturity of the whole contest, apparated from where he was sitting.
Lily had always loved the Black's house. Mrs Black was an immaculate cleaner, but she still managed to retain that family feeling a house should have.
At that moment, she was slumped in a chair at their dining table, watching while Andrea prepared for the boy's visit. Lily had resigned herself to her fate- there was no way she could ignore James any more, so she would just have to give up and spend time around him.
"You do know that this is insanely competitive," Sarah remarked, walking into the kitchen form the lounge. She picked up an apple form the fruit bowl and bit into it. At that moment, the three boys apparated into the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah,' Andrea sighed. "Hey guys. Ready for me to put you in your place?" she grinned at Remus, who rolled his eyes, but smiled.
"You wish," he said, coming over to stand beside her, behind he bench.
James seated himself uncomfortably next to Lily at the table, and they spent the next few moment carefully avoiding each other's eyes, and failing miserably.
Sirius was avidly watching Sarah eat the apple.
"Want some?" she offered finally, holding out the apple.
"Sure," he said, leaning forward and tilting his head.
"I meant the apple, stupid," she said, amusement in her voice. She pushed him away lightly.
Grace wandered in and sat down on the other side of James. She pushed her knees up and rested her hands on them.
"So, when are you going to start?" she asked.
The bench was laid out with the ingredients needed o make a basic cake, and after ten minutes, during which there were about three flour fights, two spills and a couple of embarrassing moments for Lily (such as when she reached across the table to get a spoon lying there and accidentally grabbed James' hand).
After the cooking was done, they walked outside and slumped on the grass, with Remus and Andrea bantering friendlily about whose cake was better, and Sirius lying down with his head in Sarah's lap. She played idly with his hair, while Grace tuned a small radio to the WWN (is that right? I don't' have my HP books with me to check!).
Lily and James once more engaged in that cute little game where one looked at the other and then looked away quickly when they were caught at it.
It was becoming a very pleasant afternoon.
James wracked his brains for something to say. There was no way he could let this charade continue.
"I never wanted to leave you, you know," he said suddenly. Lily turned to stare at him. "I just didn't think it would work."
"You never asked me, though, did you? How could you just assume that I wouldn't want to stay with you because you wanted to pursue a dream?" Lily accused softly, turning away again.
"I...I didn't think...I just didn't consider that. I wanted the best for you," he said helplessly.
"Yet, you never thought that I would know what was the best for me. James, you don't have to take everyone's problems onto your own shoulders," Lily said tiredly. "Some of us do know how to fend for ourselves."
James turned to look at her.
At that moment, Andrea got to her feet.
"Better check how these cakes are going, hey," she said, offering a hand to Remus.
They disappeared into the kitchen, and Lily got up to follow them. James sighed. He seemed to be incapable of saying the right thing.
"Life's tough, isn't it?" Grace said. She turned off the radio, and stood up.
"Yeah," James conceded. "Yeah, it is."
Sirius and Sarah had already wandered off inside as well. James got up reluctantly and entered the kitchen. The smell of fresh baking ad filled the house.
The sad thing was both the cakes were identical.
"I think we should taste test," Sirius said. "I'll have slice of both.
Sarah turned and rolled her eyes at him.
Lily watched them form the table. Idly, she pulled her bag towards her and rummaged inside for a second, trying got find her notebook so she could get the recipe of the cake for her next class. Instead, her fingers picked up a small piece of cardboard.
She pulled it out and read it in a glance-
'Ohhe-buk
Your Admirer'
Lily closed her eyes and counted to ten. She would get to the bottom of this.
She looked up to see James watching her. It was time to make a peace offering.
"Do you want to try Remus' or Andrea's?" she asked, letting a smile cross her face.
His eyes lit up.
"Uh...I'd better try Remus'. Loyalty, you know," he replied. She nodded, as she got up to cut the cakes. As she passed him, she squeezed his shoulder briefly.
It was time they stopped behaving childishly.
"I've missed your friendship,' she murmured.
"Me too."
The kitchen was filled with laughter, and Sirius' clowning, and Andrea's protesting that her cake was the best. But best of all, it was filled with a sense of whole. They were reunited now. It was time to let time take its course.
A/N: so, another mysterious note! I wonder who it could be? My fingers are numbing from cold as I type this, so I'd better end, hey/ well, please review, and let me know what you want to happen form now on. And have go at cracking the code; I'd like to see what you think it says!
Luv, Jaizar.
A/N: well, hello again. Thankyou all for the reviews, and I hope you like this chapter. Any idea what that mysterious message might have meant? Have a guess; it's not too hard to figure out! One clue- it's not a code.
NOTE: just to clarify, Lily, Grace and Sarah share an apartment, but Andrea lives with her parents for now. Remus, Sirius and James share an apartment, and Peter is away, though never fear, he'll be back. Also, please remember that this is pre-OoTP- as in, I'm not abiding by the new info we found out about Sirius' family.
Ok, on with the fic, I'll try t spice things up in this chapter.
Chapter Five
Cake Competitions
"You are coming, right?" Remus asked, turning to look at his friends from where he stood in their tiny kitchen. "I mean, you're not going to strand me when I need support?"
Remus was finally going to show Andrea that eh was twice the cook she was. He had agreed to go to her house and bake a cake right under her nose, so that she could see first hand his cooking prowess.
Sirius rolled his eyes, and looked up from the catalogue he was flipping through. "Of course we'll come, Moony," he said. "Oh god, look at this- they're trying to imitate my flying motorbike. So immature."
Sirius' motorbike was currently in a dingy garage at his parent's house. He had to start using it again, or it'd go completely broken down.
"James?" Remus prompted. He dusted his floury hands, and wiped the bench top idly. "You're coming, right?"
James groaned, lifting his head from where he was lying on the couch.
"Do I have to? Lily'll be there!" he whined.
"Oh, stop being such a wimp," Sirius suggested. "Come on, we can get my bike back at the same time."
Remus smiled. He was pretty certain that Andrea was a better cook than him. Still, it wasn't like him to resist a challenge. Thinking about that girl made him shake his head fondly. His affection for her had only grown since he had met her at those classes. Every morning, she had been coming and helping him with his unruly sports children. He definitely needed the help. Those kids were crazy!
James sighed, and dragged himself into an upright position.
"Ugh. Fine," he grumbled. "Just give me a second. I can't go in this." He indicated his rumpled jeans and faded t-shirt.
Sirius grinned.
"Yeah- got to impress the girls, right?" this earned him a dirty glare form James, who then stumbled off into the room to return five minutes later dressed in a pair of cargos and a black shirt.
"Here," he said, throwing Remus a shirt. "Thought you might want to change from that flour rag."
Remus smiled his thanks, dragging his shirt over his head. Once he had replaced it, he nodded to his friends, and then apparated away.
James followed suit. And Sirius, though he still rolled his eyes a little at the immaturity of the whole contest, apparated from where he was sitting.
Lily had always loved the Black's house. Mrs Black was an immaculate cleaner, but she still managed to retain that family feeling a house should have.
At that moment, she was slumped in a chair at their dining table, watching while Andrea prepared for the boy's visit. Lily had resigned herself to her fate- there was no way she could ignore James any more, so she would just have to give up and spend time around him.
"You do know that this is insanely competitive," Sarah remarked, walking into the kitchen form the lounge. She picked up an apple form the fruit bowl and bit into it. At that moment, the three boys apparated into the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah,' Andrea sighed. "Hey guys. Ready for me to put you in your place?" she grinned at Remus, who rolled his eyes, but smiled.
"You wish," he said, coming over to stand beside her, behind he bench.
James seated himself uncomfortably next to Lily at the table, and they spent the next few moment carefully avoiding each other's eyes, and failing miserably.
Sirius was avidly watching Sarah eat the apple.
"Want some?" she offered finally, holding out the apple.
"Sure," he said, leaning forward and tilting his head.
"I meant the apple, stupid," she said, amusement in her voice. She pushed him away lightly.
Grace wandered in and sat down on the other side of James. She pushed her knees up and rested her hands on them.
"So, when are you going to start?" she asked.
The bench was laid out with the ingredients needed o make a basic cake, and after ten minutes, during which there were about three flour fights, two spills and a couple of embarrassing moments for Lily (such as when she reached across the table to get a spoon lying there and accidentally grabbed James' hand).
After the cooking was done, they walked outside and slumped on the grass, with Remus and Andrea bantering friendlily about whose cake was better, and Sirius lying down with his head in Sarah's lap. She played idly with his hair, while Grace tuned a small radio to the WWN (is that right? I don't' have my HP books with me to check!).
Lily and James once more engaged in that cute little game where one looked at the other and then looked away quickly when they were caught at it.
It was becoming a very pleasant afternoon.
James wracked his brains for something to say. There was no way he could let this charade continue.
"I never wanted to leave you, you know," he said suddenly. Lily turned to stare at him. "I just didn't think it would work."
"You never asked me, though, did you? How could you just assume that I wouldn't want to stay with you because you wanted to pursue a dream?" Lily accused softly, turning away again.
"I...I didn't think...I just didn't consider that. I wanted the best for you," he said helplessly.
"Yet, you never thought that I would know what was the best for me. James, you don't have to take everyone's problems onto your own shoulders," Lily said tiredly. "Some of us do know how to fend for ourselves."
James turned to look at her.
At that moment, Andrea got to her feet.
"Better check how these cakes are going, hey," she said, offering a hand to Remus.
They disappeared into the kitchen, and Lily got up to follow them. James sighed. He seemed to be incapable of saying the right thing.
"Life's tough, isn't it?" Grace said. She turned off the radio, and stood up.
"Yeah," James conceded. "Yeah, it is."
Sirius and Sarah had already wandered off inside as well. James got up reluctantly and entered the kitchen. The smell of fresh baking ad filled the house.
The sad thing was both the cakes were identical.
"I think we should taste test," Sirius said. "I'll have slice of both.
Sarah turned and rolled her eyes at him.
Lily watched them form the table. Idly, she pulled her bag towards her and rummaged inside for a second, trying got find her notebook so she could get the recipe of the cake for her next class. Instead, her fingers picked up a small piece of cardboard.
She pulled it out and read it in a glance-
'Ohhe-buk
Your Admirer'
Lily closed her eyes and counted to ten. She would get to the bottom of this.
She looked up to see James watching her. It was time to make a peace offering.
"Do you want to try Remus' or Andrea's?" she asked, letting a smile cross her face.
His eyes lit up.
"Uh...I'd better try Remus'. Loyalty, you know," he replied. She nodded, as she got up to cut the cakes. As she passed him, she squeezed his shoulder briefly.
It was time they stopped behaving childishly.
"I've missed your friendship,' she murmured.
"Me too."
The kitchen was filled with laughter, and Sirius' clowning, and Andrea's protesting that her cake was the best. But best of all, it was filled with a sense of whole. They were reunited now. It was time to let time take its course.
A/N: so, another mysterious note! I wonder who it could be? My fingers are numbing from cold as I type this, so I'd better end, hey/ well, please review, and let me know what you want to happen form now on. And have go at cracking the code; I'd like to see what you think it says!
Luv, Jaizar.