Summary: Lily nervously prepares herself to meet Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Will she pass as their new daughter-in-law or will she fail miserably?
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Free feel to sue me, and I will send half a box of Altoids, a Diet Coke, and my watermelon chapstick.
The First Step
By: Miss Skeeter
Chapter One
First Impressions
Lily leaned over the sink, peering into the mirror. Her auburn hair struggled against her fruitless attempts to behave itself. Its limp curls settled on her shoulders lifelessly, and it was frizzy despite the liberal amounts of gel she poured on her head. She tackled the tangles easily with her brush, tugging on the rebellious locks of hair ferociously.
She groaned and looked at her glittering emerald eyes. Deep bags settled beneath them, shadows deepening their appearance. Her lips were unusually dry and chapped. She clicked her tongue, annoyance spreading across her face.
"Ready?" James's head poked through the door. "You look beautiful…" He smiled encouragingly, his hazel eyes twinkling. Lily whirled around at him and glared.
"NO, I don't!" she snapped. "Look at me! My hair is a mess…and work has done a toll on my eyes!"
"All I see is a beautiful woman with radiant red hair and dazzling green eyes," James said honestly, standing in front of Lily. "They'll love you. And don't think I wouldn't marry you even if they do disapprove." He held up her left hand, examining the shimmering diamond slipped on her delicate finger.
Lily smiled nervously. "Thank you," she said drawing a deep breath. "I needed that." She fiddled with her hair again, a furious expression crossing her face. "But my hair is really--" James pulled down her hand and looked at her straight in the eye.
"It looks fine," he said firmly, pulling her away from the mirror. She protested but his grip was strong. "Lily, my parents are not going to bite. They'll love you!"
Lily frowned. "Alright," she said slowly. "If you say so…" She bit her lip anxiously and glanced around wildly. "Are we going? James, I need more time! Do I need to wear more appropriate clothes? Maybe a black dress or some robes?"
"Lily," James said impatiently, grabbing her hands. "Look at me." She obeyed, staring into his hazel eyes. "You look beautiful. I don't know how hard it is to understand that." He sighed and dropped her hands. "Just be yourself."
"I can't!" Lily said exasperated, wringing her hands. "They won't like me, I know it! I get clumsy when I'm nervous and…what if I offend them?"
"You won't," James cried. "Do you want to go by Floo Powder or Apparate?" Lily didn't answer, busying herself with her hair.
"Apparate?" he asked. She fiddled her sundress, smoothing it down, tugging on its skirt. "Okay." He slipped his fingers through her hand. She looked up. "Ready?" he whispered.
She nodded grudgingly. "Okay. One…two…three." CRACK.
Clarissa Potter scrutinized herself carefully in the magical mirror. "Beautiful," it drawled lazily. "There's a bit of hair there, sweetie." She slipped the strand behind her ear carefully, beaming at herself. She pulled her dark hair into a twist, accented with a simple clip. Her blue eyes glittered with excitement, and her lips were painted with red lipstick.
She brushed down her periwinkle robes quickly. "JAY! Are you finished? They will be here any minute now!" Her husband walked out of the bathroom, fiddling with his glasses. Clarissa clicked her tongue and grabbed a comb. She attacked the mop of infamous Potter hair planted on his head, flattening it down with her hands.
"Ack! 'Rissa!" Jay snapped, ducking.
"I want our new daughter-in-law to think we're gracious! At least look it!" Clarissa snapped. "I'm quite eager to meet her. Sirius told me our Jamesie liked her ever since…third year, if I'm not mistaken."
"Red hair, green eyes?" Jay said interested. "James told me that bit. He said her eyes were amazing. Like yours." He smiled slyly, grasping his wife's hand.
"Oh, stop it!" she said blushing. "I'm checking on Gibby!" She emerged from her bedroom and hurried down the spiral staircase. "Gibby!"
"Mrs. Potter?" a voice squeaked. Shuffling feet made their way up the stairs. Clarissa sighed impatiently. "Oh, Gibby, just stay there," she said. "I'll come down."
"Yes, Mrs. Potter," Gibby said obediently. Clarissa skipped a few stairs hurriedly, finally staring down at the house elf, dressed in a clean toga. "Let me help," she said. "What are you doing?"
"No, no! Gibby does it!" the house elf protested. Clarissa shook her head and entered the immaculate kitchen. "I will set the table…" She pointed her wand at the cupboard, her best china flying out, gently landing on the kitchen table.
Gibby moaned as she scurried after Clarissa. "I says I does it!" she groaned. "Mrs. Potter doesn't be needing to!"
"I want to," Clarissa said firmly. She grabbed the plate of scones off the counter and placed it in the center along with two plates of cakes and éclairs. She waved her wand again, pointing at the drawers, silverware floating gently toward the table to join the plates. "And some jam…" A jar of jelly zoomed to the table with a clattering butter knife.
"Go, Gibby," ordered Clarissa. "You can rest." The house elf nodded and hurried off, dusting portraits as she went.
"That house elf," Jay said loudly, "she does wonders."
"She shouldn't have to work so hard," Clarissa said glaring at her husband. "You know what I feel about--"
Crack! "My goodness!" she hissed, grabbing Jay's arm. "They're here!" She scurried to the den and smiled brightly at her son. "Oh, Jamesie!" She hurried toward him and squeezed him lovingly. Her heart filled with happiness as she pecked him on the cheek. Pushing him away from her, Clarissa studied James with delight.
"You look like a big boy now," she squealed. "And an Auror, too!" She glanced over at the redhead, hovering near them awkwardly. "You must be Lily," she added politely. She studied her carefully from her glossy auburn locks to her stunning emerald eyes. She was indeed very pretty.
"Yes," Lily said hurriedly, leaning forward. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Potter." Clarissa smiled and hugged the girl, leaving Jay to finally give James a brief hug and admire him. She released Lily and drew back.
"Let me see that ring of yours," Clarissa said playfully. Lily gave a nervous smile and stretched out her left hand, revealing the glittering diamond ring. "Beautiful." She compared it to her own ring of gold.
"That is an amazing ring!" Lily said breathless, grabbing Clarissa's hand eagerly.
"Yes, a Potter heirloom," Jay interjected. He looked up and down at Lily.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Mr. Potter. Nice to meet you," Lily said quickly, dropping Clarissa's hand immediately. She shook Jay's hand quickly and smiled awkwardly at the two parents.
"So…tea?" Clarissa said promptly. "Come on in the kitchen, dears."
Lily followed James, averting her eyes down at her feet shyly. The Potters were polite and rather gracious. They probably hated her and put poison in her tea. She smiled slightly at her silly thoughts as she looked at the kitchen table, groaning beneath plates of biscuits, cakes, and tarts.
"Tea, Lily?" Mrs. Potter said her blue eyes sparkling.
"Yes, please," Lily replied. James plopped down in a chair and patted to the seat beside him. She sat down carefully as Mrs. Potter bustled about, pouring tea into their cups.
"So, where do you work, Lily?" Mrs. Potter asked, finally sitting down.
"Oh… I work for the Daily Prophet but I plan to become an Auror soon," Lily said.
"Oh?" Mrs. Potter said, an odd look crossing her face. "Do you know that new woman, Rita Skeeter? She has just started…"
"Yes," Lily said uncertainly. Rita Skeeter wasn't a bundle of pleasantness but…perhaps, Mrs. Potter was fond of her. She certainly wasn't. "She…is--"
"--a gossiping twit," finished Mrs. Potter, raising her eyebrow.
"Yes, that," Lily said laughing with relief. "And nosy."
"She interviewed us," Mr. Potter said thoughtfully. "Called me a…what was it? A lying rich hedgehog. Yes, that was it." He grinned. Lily looked shocked.
"I didn't know she interviewed you!" Lily said startled. "You know, her stupid quill twists everything." She sipped her tea and looked at the scones. She wondered if it would be rude to take one when everyone's plate was empty. Suddenly, James snatched three éclairs.
She quickly took a scone. "Yes," Mrs. Potter said pursing her lips furiously. "Well, how did you two meet?"
James looked at Lily with a grin. "At Hogwarts, mum," he said obviously.
"I knew that!" Mrs. Potter laughed. "How?"
"Oh…she was in Gryffindor and was quite pretty," James said glancing at Lily who felt her cheeks burn. "Actually, she was smart and pretty. An unusual combination, right, dad?" He and Mr. Potter laughed while Mrs. Potter glared at them disapprovingly.
"Anyways, she was hard to get, too," James continued, stuffing his mouth with éclairs. "Hated me with a passion, she did. Thought I was a bigheaded twit." Lily looked at Mr. and Mrs. Potter for their expressions. They were smiling to themselves to her surprise.
"I finally impressed her by deflating my ego in seventh year," James said proudly. "And after that, it went on…" He gulped down his tea.
"Good," Mr. Potter laughed. "My son!"
"Mrs. Potter--?" Lily began, suddenly interrupted by Mrs. Potter.
"Please call me Clarissa," she interjected.
"And Jay," Mr. Potter added. They nodded together. She looked awkwardly at them and nodded in consent.
"Erm…Clarissa, do you work?" Lily asked politely. She clumsily knocked her scone to the floor.
"Oh, no," Clarissa said with a smile. "I don't. Actually…" Lily slid her foot underneath the table, searching around blindly for the scone.
"Oh…Well, what do you do, Mr.--I mean, Jay?" Lily stammered, her foot nudging into someone else's. Clarissa raised another eyebrow at her. She smiled.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Oh! Sorry, Jay, go on." Her foot landed on the scone. She rolled it toward her quickly but perhaps too quick because--BANG!
"DAMN!" she yelled. The Potters stared at her. She flushed. "I hit my knee," she said. The table had rattled and Lily's cup jumped into her lap, splashing her with tea.
"Um…well, I'm sorry," she whispered. "I…I dropped my scone." Clarissa looked at her like she was crazy, and Jay gave her a sympathetic look. James's shoulders shook with silent laughter. His hazel eyes danced as they stared at Lily who turned a deep shade of red, blending with the roots of her hair.
She ducked underneath the table and grabbed the dirtied scone. The teacup rolled off her skirt as she leaned down, hurrying across the floor. Lily cursed underneath her breath and whirled around to snatch the cup, stretching out her arm to its fullest extent.
BAM! Her chair tipped over, and she fell, her hand hitting the cup. It rolled off to the wall, smacking hard against it. "Lily!"
James kneeled down beside her. "Are you okay, sweetie?" he asked soothingly. "Do you want to wash up?"
"I think it's best," Lily muttered, her face turning redder if possible. "I think I ruined it, James. And your mum's china, too." She nodded at the cracked cup at the base of the wall.
"Lily, it's fine," James whispered reassuringly. "Just go and I'll talk to them, okay? The bathroom is on the left out in the hall."
Lily climbed to her feet and excused herself quietly. She hurried as fast as she could out of the kitchen, face burning with utter embarrassment.
First impressions always counted. And hers was the worst…
A/N: Time for a poem!
Now that's it's over, there's one thing to do,
Nope, it's not tying your shoe,
Nope, it's not using the loo,
It's review!
Press the button down below,
It's only the place to go,
And if you don't mind please,
Leave one and I'll give you canned cheese!
It's not the best but I tried! Now please review! PLEASE!