Faster than anyone noted summer seemed to slip away from the youngsters and all too soon they had arrived at the last week of August. It was the 27th of August before they met up with each other in Diagon Alley for their shopping trip.
At ten Lily found herself sitting with Branwen in the Leaky Cauldron waiting for their friends to arrive. Lily and Branwen had spent most of the summer on the Welsh coast. Lily with her father and a reluctant sister had gone to stay with Branwen, Taliesin and Tad for the summer in Aberystwyth.
Lily had enjoyed the holiday her sister had spent her time on the beach and shopping while her father got to know the adults better. Lily and Branwen had had fun gossiping, shopping in the muggle town for Lily's cousins' birthday presents and doing their homework.
Sitting in the Cauldron Lily took a swig of butterbeer; she had learnt over the summer that she liked the taste. They were suppose to be meeting the rest of the group to get their school supplies, but it seemed everyone was running late.
"Branwen! Lily! It's great to see you, how was your summer?"
Lily and Branwen found themselves in the tight hug of Remus Lupin. Pulling back from the hug Lily smiled up at the boy, he had grown and his voice had broken over the summer. He was standing at about 5"4 and his short sandy hair was now hung around his shoulders.
"Branwen, your hair what happened to it?"
"Oh I cut it after Lily's sister put gum in it, I like it though."
Branwen's hair no longer rested midway down her back but it was now the same length as Remus'. The three sat and quickly caught up on what had happened over the summer.
"Well I basically stayed at home, although I met up with Ginny once a week. Or more like our parents met up, they've become really close over the last few weeks."
A pair of arms wrapped around Remus' shoulders at this point cutting off whatever else he had planned to say. From behind his head red hair appeared and Lily couldn't help but smile back at a young boy who was swinging from his shoulders.
"Remus! Look, look I found Remus!"
"Charlie my boy!"
Remus quickly swung the boy over his shoulder so that he was sitting on his lap. The boy laughed as he looked around the table.
"Are you a Weasley or a Dunn?"
Lily's mouth fell open she hadn't expected to hear that from the young boy. He looked around four years old maybe a bit younger. His blue eyes cut into Lily's green, and before she could answer another voice spoke up.
"That's my friend Lily, she isn't either she's an Evans' Charlie boy."
The boy was lifted from Remus' lap and Lily locked eyes with Ginny. Lily noted that Ginny had changed over the summer, she was taller about 5"3 and her hair a lighter shade of red than normal rested midway down her back. Her frame was still thin yet there were clear signs of her curves developing. Her eyes neither blue nor green shone with excitement as she moved over to a chair and sat down next to them holding tightly to the young boy to keep him from escaping.
"And that's Branwen my other friend, say hello Charlie boy."
"Hello Lily, Brnwen,"
Both girls smiled and Lily loved the way he had said Branwen he couldn't say the name and it was sweet and childish when he had tried.
"Hello Charlie it's nice to meet you."
He smiled at Branwen before escaping Ginny to climb back onto Remus' lap.
"Someone's made a new friend."
Branwen laughed after her statement and Ginny went to the bar returning with two butterbeers and a pumpkin juice.
"Charlie you have the juice and leave Remus drink his butterbeer."
"Yes Aunt Ginny"
"I hope you guys don't mind Charlie coming with us, it's just Arthur's in work and Molly has had to take Bill to see the mediwizard he stuck something up his nose and we can't work out what. Mum and dad would have taken him but they've gone to see your parents Re, and after last time we thought it best not to take him."
"What happened last time?"
"Well they brought him to my house and we live on the edge of a small wood, well Charlie boy here ran into the woods and it took us three hours to find him, he was sitting in a tree talking to some birds weren't you Charlie boy."
"The birdy was called Stu."
Laughter rang around the table as they continued on this discussion. Another twenty minutes passed before they were joined by anyone else.
"Hey guys sorry we're late Aaron wouldn't leave until his hair was just perfect."
"Shut up Alley. I'm going to go meet Tina and Jo, be back here by no later than seven you two okay because if I don't take you both home mum will slaughter me."
"Bye bye Aaron."
He walked off and Alice grabbed the hand of the boy next to her
"I never thought he'd leave. Did you smell the aftershave on him?"
"Smell it, I can still taste it."
"I bet one of them is his girlfriend that's why he smells so bad."
"What are you two talking about?"
Alice and James looked for the first time at the group assembled around the table. James quickly pulled a chair up next to Remus and sat down while Alice took a seat next to Lily.
"Oh sorry, that was my brother Aaron, he's gone girl mad over the summer he keeps owling either Tina or Jo and well he couldn't leave for the Alley until his hair was just right so that's why we're late."
"Who are you?"
James looked at the red head in Remus' lap. He was smiling at James and there was a twinkle in his eye.
"I'm James Potter, who are you?"
"I'm Charlie Weasley. Who's she, is she your girlfriend?"
"No! That's Alice, my friend."
"Oh. Remus is Ginny's boyfriend."
James snorted a laugh at this as he saw his two friends blush. Lily looked shocked while Branwen and Alice were laughing as hard as him. Ginny who was as red as her hair stammered to answer her nephew.
"Charlie, Remus isn't my boyfriend he's just my friend. Remember I told you."
She was still red and to try and cover the discomfit around the table James stood.
"Ginny why don't you come with me to the bar and we'll get everyone some more drinks."
Ginny followed James surprised that for the first time she was the talker than him. She knew that she had grown but had thought everyone had since Remus was still taller than her. James however stood just above 5 foot and his hair was still as messy as before.
They ordered their six butterbeers and a pumpkin juice and headed back to the table. Lily noticed that Ginny seemed to have recovered and as she sat she turned to Alice
"So Al how was your summer?"
"Amazing we went to the South France for two weeks at the end of July, it was so hot over there. It was such a laugh wasn't it James especially when Aaron tried to get this girl to notice him, he just made a fool of himself."
"You went with her James?"
He looked at Branwen sitting next to him and smiled.
"Our fathers work together and it was a business trip so we ended up spending the two weeks together. It was brilliant we went to this muggle water park and it was just amazing all these rides and we had so much fun especially when Aaron fell over in front of that girl he thought was cute and pulled her top down."
"Yeah that was so funny well except for the girl I did feel sorry for her but when she slapped him it was hilarious."
Small laughter broke out around the table and then a loud bang came from Remus. They all turned to see Charlie as he looked sheepishly at James. He had pumpkin juice dripping off the table onto his trouser leg.
"Charlie! That was naughty say sorry to James this instant!"
"Sorry James."
He pulled a puppy dogface that made all the girls except Ginny melt. Lily couldn't help but think that he would be handsome when he was older. She saw him turn to look at Ginny and put on a funny smile.
"When can we leave Aunty Ginny I'm bored?"
"It won't be long Charlie boy, we're just waiting for a few more people."
"You promise Remus?"
"Yes Charlie boy I promise."
Silence enfolded around the group as muttering erupted in the pub itself loud chatter could be heard and then clapping. They looked around in time to see a boy of James' height run from the crowd and search the tables. Lily met his blue eyes and he smiled happily at them.
"Hey guys sorry I'm late."
"That's alright Pete do you want a drink or something?"
"No thanks Gin, I think that we should just get out of here and into the Alley now before Bootés and Alistair turn up."
"Who?"
"Sirius and Amanda's dads. They won't let Si or Mand come round with us and if they see as all sitting here they'll go mad."
"Peter! Get over here now!"
The group watched as Peter shivered and moved over to stand next to a man with dark eyes that almost looked black. His hair also dark in colour was tied back into a long ponytail with black ribbon that matched his robes. Next to him stood another man with light brown hair also tied back into a ponytail with black ribbon. His eyes with silver and reminded the group of someone's but they were unable to place it.
"Where is your father Peter?"
"He is at work Sir. He said to tell you that he will be there tonight at nine."
"He did good. Now come with us we will get you your supplies."
"But he's suppose to be shopping with us."
The two men looked at the speaker
"Potter!"
The man with the dark eyes sneered the name as he stared at the boy.
"Peter you are not to socialise with these abominations how many times must you be told."
"More times than you've already told us."
The group looked at the girl that had spoken. She was short only about 4"11 but what she lacked in height she made up in attitude. Her brown eyes were scrunched up in anger and her long brown hair was tied up and showed that red had appeared over the summer.
She moved away from the men and straight to the group.
"Ginny. I've missed you so much girl."
The pair hugged and smiled as they began to whisper something.
"Mand, your dad looks like he wants to murder you. Say goodbye to Ginny and come over here with me and Pete."
"Go away Si!"
"MAND!"
Something in his voice caused them all to look around. There was something in his eyes that instantly told her to move. With a goodbye she moved back to their parents. With a wave the three youngsters left with the adults.
"What do you think that was all about?"
"I think it might be that we are not the type of people that Sirius and Amanda's fathers like. Come on lets go do our shopping we'll speak to them on the train in a few days."
They agreed and following Remus' words the group stood and left for Diagon Alley to buy their supplies for school.