Chapter Twenty

Back on the Wagon

The end of holidays was drawing to a close. Everyone was dreading returning to Hogwarts, actually having responsibility. Lily and James were Head Girl and Boy. James was thrilled and Lily tried to pretend that she wasn't. The nerve of that girl!!! Acting all coy.

James and Lainie were being their usual social selves. Going to parties at their friends houses and just being their usual, almost social butterfly like, selves. Except James, who wasn't flirting with every female within in reach and Lainie, who was. Not with every girl, of course, but with quite a few guys. She had decided that, she needed to, to move on from...., well, to move on. Anyway, she wore a mini skirt and cute little tops, which her mum was only too happy to see her wear.

She was overjoyed to see her tomboy of a daughter wearing girly clothes. She also didn't mind seeing her friends teenage sons, flirting with her and not being sharply knocked back, she noticed when peering out towards the pool area.

Lainie was surprising herself by actually enjoying it. All her friends had recommended it and she had taken their advice. She danced with many different guys and pashed quite a few. Basically she made up for lost ground in about three weeks.

Everyone was amazed. First that she actually took their advice and that she had turned into, "a bloody guy magnet. I swear, they all flirted with her so hard it was sickening" in James's words, but it was agreed it was nice to see her get 'back on the wagon'.

On the last day of the holidays, everyone was packing and preparing to return for their last year at Hogwarts. All their spell books were packed away; broomsticks and the like were all put carefully in their trunks. Lily said goodbye to her house and her garden, which she had worked in so hard, planting pansies and roses. The others all thought the gardening and painting 'pretty' pictures was a bit much but none of them was going to tell her that.

Then, suddenly, the day was upon them, and despite all their moaning and groaning, they still found themselves on Platform 9 and ¾. Livvy and her two brothers arrived first, five blonde heads standing out from the sea of mottled hair. She was sad, leaving her parents at the platform for the last time. She helped her brothers load their luggage onto the train, then went back out to say goodbye. She found them, looking a little lost, without the gaggle of children that usually surrounded them. "Well, Mum, Dad. I guess I should say get back on the train. I'll write to you.... Soon." She said, not knowing what to say. It wasn't like her normal goodbyes, this was the last time. Ever. "Bye Mum," she said, wrapping her arms round her mother, "Bye Dad". They both hugged her. They broke apart, she smiled and turned around and walked toward the train.

"Reckon she'll be all right" John said, smiling at his wife."Think she'll survive another year without us."

"I think she'll manage. I think it's the boys we should worry about. Now if they get homesick........." Claire said, with a smile. They turned and walked back to the car.

Livvy was walking towards the train when Remus and Sirius ran up beside her. They linked their arms through hers and Remus leaned over and kissed her on the check. "Hi guys." She said, as they walked through the crowd. They spotted James walking towards them, his hair messy as ever and his glasses slightly askew on his face. He pushed his trolley towards them, and turned to walk in line with Livvy and the boys.

"Hi guys, where's Lily" he said brightly.

"Hello to you to James." Livvy said, laughing

"She's not here yet. Now I can see why Lainie got pissed with you."

"Hey, not my fault" James said, with mock innocence.

Not so very far away, Lily was saying goodbye to her parents. Petunia was sulking in the car. She wouldn't have come at all, if her parents hadn't said that she couldn't see Vernon for a week if she didn't. Lily had just finished loading her trolley and had just turned round to say goodbye to her parents, who didn't wait for her so say anything and threw their arms around her. Lily found herself feeling strangely sentimental. She could still remember turning up on the Platform for the first time. Looking round, her eyes wide with shock. She had never seen anything like it, people wearing robes and holding owls. Other brand new trunks emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest. She remembered looking at the seventh years, wondering how they could look so comfortable and self assured in this strange environment. Now she was one of them and next year she wouldn't be coming back. Her parents pulled back and kissed her on the cheek, before she pushed her trolley off to join her friends. She shook off the tears that threatened to show and wiped her eyes.

Lainie ran up to her pushing her trolley. She had just been hugged by her parents and had said a few sad goodbyes. Sentiment hung in the air like fog on a winter morning. Lilly turned and embraced her friend. When she pulled back, she noticed a change in her. her hair had been cut in a fringe which was over on one side. The rest of her hair framed her face, making her look much more delicate than ever before. "Lainie, what's happened." Lily said, holding her out at arms length.

"Um, well Mum took me to get a haircut and we bought some new clothes. Do you like it." She said, seeming embarrassed at this fact.

"It looks great. I can't believe you. You sneaky thing." Lily said, delighted. Lainie was wearing jeans and a top but the jeans were very flattering on her and the top was just a polo but she looked different. She seemed to give out a light. Lily thought she was in top form. She hugged her again and they walked off to the train.

They were just loading their trunks when they were tapped on the shoulder, when they turned around they were confronted with the Livvy and the boys. The girls both grabbed Livvy and hugged each other tightly. Then they all hugged the rest, and commented over Lainie's new haircut and her activities of late. Then they boarded the train and it chugged out of the station.

"So, aren't Lily and James supposed to be up front?" Livvy said, while looking at the photos from down at the beach, sitting on the seat, leaning against the wall, with her feet crossed on the seat in front of her, her blonde hair curling over her shoulders and framing her face.

"Yip, me and Lily will now go patrol the corridors. Good day to you, kind sirs and fine ladies." James said, offering his arm to Lily. "Shall we" Lily linked his arm through his and they left the compartment, with the others exchanging glances.

"Patrolling the corridors, that's a new one." Sirius said.

"Gross, Sirius. It's not like that, yet." Livvy said.

"Will be soon though." Remus said, fishing the photos out from Livvy's lap.

"Yip, funny isn't it. How Lily couldn't stand him and rejected him, now they're flirting and soon they'll be, together." Lainie said.

"Do you remember when she rejected him the first time? He couldn't believe it. And we just killed ourselves laughing when he told us. He couldn't believe that she wasn't attracted to him." Remus said, smiling remembering that night. More precisely the look of complete and utter disbelief on his face.

"Good times, good times" Lainie said. "Anyway, I'm off to hunt that lady with the trolley. Are you going to accompany me, kind sir." She said, gesturing to Sirius, with raised eyebrows. He stood up and linked his arms through hers, then they went into the corridor.

"Well, well, well. Lily and James flirting now the other two, being all coy and flirty. Who would have guessed that they fancied each other? Certainly not me." Remus said.

"All followed us." Livvy said, sidling over to her boyfriend. "But I reckon I got left with the dud." She said, jokingly.

"Oh really." Remus said, playing along, raising his eyebrows at her.

"I think so. Oh well, I love you anyway" she said, then she stopped. What, did she just say that? Shit, what was he going to do. Flee from her like the plague.

"Did you just say what I think you said." He said quizzically. She nodded.

"Really." He said, "That's good. Now I know you like me, I can kiss you like I should have been doing all along. Talking wastes my energy." He leaned and pulled her onto his knee and kissed her, placing his arms around her waist. She kissed him back, thanking God that he hadn't freaked out when she said, the 'L' word.

Sirius and Lainie arrived back at their compartment, only to find that it was, hmmm, occupied.

"Great, suppose they didn't think that we would have nowhere to sit when they started trying to snog each other stupid." Lainie said.

"They cant help it. They've been separated for like three whole weeks. Couldn't quite wait to get back to school. Where's Peter, anyway. Wait, he's looking for James. So where are we going to sit. Our compartment has been taken over by hormonally challenged teenagers. All evacuate." He said, leaning against the wall beside Lainie.

"Don't be mean. They're in love, how cute is that." Lainie said.

"Very cute. But after you're flirt-a-thon in the holidays, you surely see the advantage of a single life" he said.

"Maybe, I'm a little envious of what those two have. Come on, lets go sit down in the corridor and eat." They sat down with their back against the wall a little way down the corridor.

"I still can't believe I'm a seventh year. To me they all seem so big and confident, I'm not quite there yet, but give me a year or two and maybe I'll get there." Lainie said, between mouthfuls.

"I think I have peaked too early. Now everyone's starting to get together, in our year anyway, I'll be alone and unwanted. Well accept for you, at least you're still slightly Ice Queenish, so you can be alone with me." Sirius said, seeming disturbed by this fact.

"Nah, girls are peeking out of their compartments to see you, so I think you've still got a few takers. It's me that's really screwed." Lainie said.

"Yeah, I'm still okay, I mean you still can't resist me." Sirius said, grinning at her.

"Don't start that again......"

Lily and James were sitting in the front cabin, in the prefects cabin.

"Did you enjoy the beach." James said, looking into her face.

"Course, it was gorgeous. Do you and Lainie's parents buy houses next to one another on purpose? Or was it just coincidence." Lily said.

"I don't know how it happened, but our country houses we had before we became really good friends. Then they bought a house on the same road as ours in town. We came up to the beach with them, and ended up buying there too. Kind of silly really." James said.

"Silly, three houses. You must be loaded. Sorry, that was really stupid." Lily said, realizing that she must sound really materialistic. She felt herself go red.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I suppose we are, we weren't always but Dad made lots of money off a deal when I was about eight. Lainie's dad was his old business partner and so we became friends through that." James said, smiling at Lily to tell her that that was all right.

"So, did you only have like two houses before hand?" Lily said, with a smile.

"Yeah." James said, laughing.

"You don't have any siblings, do you." Lily asked.

"Nup, just me. Wish I did though. It's a bit lonely. That's another reason our parents spend so much time together, so me and Lainie don't get lonely by ourselves." James explained."But what about you, I'm boring."

"I've have parents, a sister, and two cats. My sister is a spiteful cow who lives to be horrible to me, my cats are called Minnika and Flicka and my parents are just exist. And we only have one house." Lily said, smiling at her last statement.

"Okay, we can build on that. What are your hobbies, favorite movies, bands, foods, songs and stuff like that. Come on, I want to know." James said, grinning at her, again.

"Well, I like painting, dancing and shopping and stuff. I love Breakfast at Tiffany's, the ABBA musical, Mamma Mia, ohh, and other musicals, and romantic comedy's especially the Princess Diaries and When Harry met Sally. And Sleepless in Seattle. I love The Proclaimers, The Beatles and, well lots which I can't think of right now. I love caramel ice cream and dried mango. Yes, weird I know. I also love this song by Bert Baccarat but I can't of it's name. I also love Orlando Bloom. He is so hot. Anything else." She said, cheerfully.

"Cool. Great. Should we go patrol the corridors, while I continue to ask questions." James said, standing up and opening the door.

They began walking down the corridor. Meanwhile Sirius and Lainie were playing the 'who would you rather' game.

"Professor Dippet or Snape." Sirius said, enjoying watching her wince.

"Ewww, that's gross. But I'll say Snivellus. Professor Dippet would be pedophilia. Lily or Livvy. And you have to answer." She said, with a flourish.

"Hey, now that's nasty. I, but...., well, I don't know. Either. Their respective boyfriends would kill me. I'll have to pass." Sirius said.

"Fine, I'll let you off. Hey, speaking of Lily. Looks who's coming. And James too." Lainie said, looking down the corridor.

Lily and James were walking down the corridor towards them.

"So you're telling me you've never seen the Sound of Music or listened to ABBA ?" Lily said, amazed.

"Nope. They don't sing "I Will Survive." Do they?." James said, trying to make a connection.

"No. I'll have to introduce them. They rock my world." Lily said, with a dead serious look on her face.

"Right" James said, trying to work out whether she was joking. They walked along in silence for a while, when Lily suddenly tripped over. She pitched forward. She floundered trying to keep her balance. James calmly reached over and steadied. They looked around and found two laughing faces looking up at them, with similar impish smiles.

"That was nasty guys. We were patrolling the corridors." Lily said, giving them her scornful look.

"Patrolling the corridors, eh." Sirius snorted, looking with raised eyebrows at Lainie. Lily and James blushed.

"We weren't doing anything." Lily stuttered.

"Yeah, that's why you're both red and stammering." Lainie said, sarcastically,

"Go on, better get patrolling those corridors." Sirius said, with fake enthusiasm.

"What are you two doing anyway? Looks like you might have needed patrolling." James said, finally recovering his voice.

"Well, I'm eating chocolate frogs and Sirius is helping me. Nothing quite as exciting as patrolling the corridors, I'm afraid." Lainie said, throwing a chocolate frog at each of them.

"Thanks" James said, unwrapping his. "But really, why are you out here."

"Livvy and Remus decided to, um, you know, while we were getting food and we have had to evacuate the compartment. So here we are. You have been warned." Sirius said.

"That gross, Couldn't they have waited." Lily said, pulling a face.

"Seems not." James said.

"Hormones, dreadful things." Sirius said, and they laughed.

"So...." James said, looking antsy when they had stopped laughing. Lainie and Sirius exchanged glances.

"Go on, James. We know you want to." Lainie said.

"What." James said.

"Go have more 'quality time' with Lily. Just leave us, all on our lonesome." Lainie said. James grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah. All on our lonesome, but we don't mind, do we. Never know what me might get up to, without you two around." Sirius said, grinning at James's horrified face and slinging an arm around Lainie's shoulders. James and Lily walked off, rolling their eyes.

"He wouldn't would he, in a corridor, it would be scarring." James said,

"Ouch" he exclaimed as Lily whacked him on the back of his head.

"Dick." Lily said, "You know that they'd get a room.

When they arrived at Hogwarts and chattered excitedly with each other till they arrived in the Great Hall, with the velvety sky above and candles floating in mid air, lighting up the faces around them with a ghostly light. The feast was great and all went well, before they knew it, they were returning to their dorms and back in their old beds. Lainie looked out her window at the stars she had gazed at for countless evenings. Yes, she decided, it was good to be back.

hey ho, all who read this. so, what do you think, please tell, i beg of you, see how desperate i am, anyway, review pleasse.

luv u all

cam xx