Revised and Extended

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE The Death of a Fantastic Summer

The next week by most was spent preparing for the new school year, reviewing their new class load.

Talia, however, rushed around the house in a frenzy, getting ready for Caradoc's visit. Anytime that she crossed paths with Pete, she would scream at him to get out of her way and he would quickly scramble away.

The Saturday of their guest's visit soon arrived and Talia was a bundle of nerves. She had a glass of Cinnarum with her breakfast to calm herself down. By lunch, she was hiccoughing and smelled of the old wizards at the Three Broomsticks.

Lily and James were assigned the task of making dinner, much to his disdain. He kept muttering under his breath about how witches should be in the kitchen, until Lily threatened to hex him.

Ophelia forgot that it was a red-letter day and slept in until late in the afternoon, having fallen asleep at the foot of her bed. She woke up to Celebel licking her hand.

She groggily lifted her head from the blanket. "Mwha?" she grumbled. A strong scent of garlic mashed potatoes was wafting into her room. She glanced over to her vanity, where Remus was sitting lazily with his feet propped up on the tabletop. He had her worn leather journal lying open in his lap.

"What are you doing?" she asked, leaning on an elbow.

"Checking up on you. You're visions have gotten more frequent." he answered simply. "You haven't told me about them and when I came to wake you up, I found this on your desk."

"You mean in my desk?"

Her brother looked scandalised. "I would never go through your desk. It was laying open on top of your Defence textbook."

"What time is it?"

"Four o'clock in the afternoon." replied Remus, "And Lily's friend gets here in an hour."

Ophelia shrugged. "He's Talia's concern, not mine. I have my hands full with Sirius." She giggled at what she had just said.

"Well no matter. You should get ready." He got to his feet and walked to the door. "See you downstairs."

Ophelia got out of bed and shuffled around her room. She quickly washed her face and dressed in jeans and a Who t-shirt.

She made her way to the kitchen where Lily and James were busy slaving away cooking for the night's dinner.

"Glad to see you could grace us with your presence, Phe." James grunted, wiping a smudge of flour from his cheek. "I was beginning to think you had died."

"Well it's nice to know you care, Prongs." she answered, falling onto a stool. "What are you doing?"

"Making a crab bisque." he proudly explained, mixing the batter in a large, glass bowl. "Want to help?"

"No thanks. Do you know where Sir is?"

Mai wandered into the kitchen. "It smells like duck in here."

"No it doesn't. It smells just as it should." cried Lily, "Like... like crab bisque!"

Ophelia got up from her chair. "I'll be back in a bit."

James opened the heavy door of the fridge and stuck his head inside. "I don't see the olive oli, Lil. Are you sure it's in here?"

"That's where we keep it at my house."

"Well, Remus and Ophelia don't really do things the way other people do." he chuckled, "And if I know them as well as I think I do... it should be under the sink."

Lily kneeled down and retrieved a bottle of olive oil. "Good thinking, James."

A slight redness came to his cheeks. "Thanks Lily. Er.. so what's next?"

"What do you mean?"

"For the bisque; what comes next?"

"Oh right," she giggled, "Er, we make the glaze."

"Alright, and we do that how?"

Lily went to work instructing James on how to make the buttery coating while she set the table. She returned to the kitchen just in time to see James bending over to pick up a fallen knife.

James could feel her eyes on him and slowly stood up.

"I wanted to thank you, James." she began.

"For what?"

"This past summer. I was fairly worried that it was going to be a complete disaster. That you were going to be a comple--"

"Prat?"

Lily smiled. "But you're not a total prat."

James glanced round and hopped onto the counter, dusting his hands off on his jeans. "Well thank you, Miss Evans."

"Thank you for being a gentleman these past few weeks, Mr Potter."

James grinned and took this as a positive signal. "Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go out some time?" he asked, this words spilling out one after another.

"Yeah sure. Some time."

Remus came into the kitchen, a towering stack of books balanced precariously under his chin. "Has Phe been down yet?"

"Er, yeah. About five minutes ago." James answered, as his friend set his load down on the counter. "She went to find Sirius, I think."

"Good, I had to hide these from her. She's been so wrapped up studying for her classes lately." he explained, "She's kind of scaring me."

Lily shrugged, "I don't think it's anything to worry yourself about. She just wants a head start on James and Sirius, which I don't think will be that difficult."

"Thanks." replied James good-naturedly.

She rolled her eyes. "The glaze is done. I'll be right back."

She hurried up the stairs to Sirius' room and threw open the door. Sirius rolled off the bed and onto the floor with a dull thud.

Ophelia sat up, her face flush. "Lily! What is it, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. Sirius, would you mind excusing us for a minute?"

"This is my bloody room!" he laughed.

"Please, Sir?" Ophelia asked, using her sweetest voice.

"Fine." he grumbled. "I'll give you five minutes."

"What's up?" she asked, once the door closed behind him.

"James asked me on a date!" she screeched.

"James asks you out all the... wait a second. You said yes, didn't you?"

Lily nodded excitedly.

Ophelia swung a pillow at her best friend. "You little tart! Why didn't you tell me you liked James?"

"Because you already knew."

"Yeah, I did." she replied smugly. "But now you're dating."

"Well... almost."

"What do you mean almost?"

"James asked if I wanted to go out some time."

"And..."

"And he didn't give me a clear date. For all I know, it could be bloody January of next year!" cried Lily.

"It's James Potter. The boy's been in love with you since First Year. I don't think he's going to put it off."

Lily smiled. "Alright, that makes me relax a bit."

Sirius poked his head inside the room, "Can I come in yet?"

"Yes, I'm done with her for now." Lily got to her feet. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour." she said before leaving.

Sirius closed the door behind Lily and hopped back onto the bed. "What did she need?"

"Just to talk to her best friend. I think you should expect James to give you the same talk in a while."

"Really?" he grinned, "Is it what I think it's about?"

"Yep. They're not daft after all."

"I knew they would come around."

"Did you now?"

"Of course I did." he answered. "I think I deserve a little credit for their matchup..."

"What do you think you did?" she laughed.

"Just... subtle little things."

"Like what?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "If you don't want to believe me, I--"

He stopped mid-sentence as Ophelia pounced onto him and brought him into a kiss.

Sirius pulled away. "What are you doing? We were having a conversation."

"No we weren't. You were just rambling." she argued.

"I was trying to make a serious point here."

"No you weren't. And I'm not going to waste the remaining hours we have before we head back to school listening to you ramble." she chuckled. "Have you even thought of how we're going to get together at school? It's not going to be easy, I know that much."

Sirius thought for a moment before giving into her. "I guess you're--"

The door swung open once again.

"I swear to Radagast, someone better be in Mungo's!" cried Ophelia.

Talia slid into the room, ashen-faced. "He's here. Caradoc's here." she muttered, "He's here, downstairs."

"So am I to understand no one's in hospital?"

"Caradoc Dearborn is here. Only the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen."

"I have to disagree with you there." smiled Ophelia.

"Aww, I love when you defend my honour."

"Yeah, take notes, Sir. It's usually the men who do that."

"Well that shouldn't be a problem seeing as he's not... a man that is," replied Talia distractedly.

"Talia!" she screeched, "Stop being such a tart and get out!"

"Fine." she huffed, leaving the room.

"I am so a man." said Sirius quietly, once Talia had left.

Ophelia kissed his forehead. "I know you are. But before Pete or that Dearborn stranger pop in, I think we should go downstairs."

"Or we could just put a locking charm on the door." he smirked.

"Oh, so now you want to... no. Sorry, but I'm hungry. I haven't eaten all day."

Sirius frowned, "You're really going to trust James' cooking?"

"It smelled good enough." she shrugged, taking his hand. "Come on. let's go."

Only after everyone was seated around the large table outside, did Lily uncover the steaming dishes.

"Looks great, Lily." said Caradoc, casting a nervous glance round him.

"Thanks."

"So.. er, Caradoc, is it?" Mai began, "How do you feel about the enslavement of lower class Red Caps?"

He frowned, "Excuse me?"

"I read in the Daily Prophet this morning that the Ministry is considering putting captured Red Caps to work."

"I... have no opinion on it." he replied quietly, "I've only just now heard of it."

Mai turned her head to Talia and raised her eyebrows. She snorted and quickly took a sip from her glass.

"What are you drinking, Tal?" asked Ophelia, eyeing her glass.

Sirius shook his head. "You don't need anything to drink, Phe."

"I can have a drink if I want, Sir. I thought you of all people would enjoy when I have the occasional drink."

"I do, I mean--"

Remus cleared his throat. "We have a guest, remember..."

"Oh please, don't worry about me." said Caradoc, "I'm sorry if this is too forward, but are you dating?"

"Yes." said Sirius and Ophelia in unison.

"Really? I always thought Black was kind of a..er..."

"Tart?" Lily volunteered.

"He likes to think he was." giggled Ophelia, taking a sip from the goblet Talia had just handed her.

"Hey!" Sirius cried, "I have it on good authority that a large portion of witches at Hogwarts think I am quite attractive."

"What did you do; research it? Take a bloody survey after Transfiguration?"

"I wouldn't put it past him." said Lily.

"You think I am. Attractive, I mean."

"Lucky for you, or else you'd be with Pan--"

"Don't say it!" he hollered.

Caradoc leaned into Talia. "Are they always like this?"

"Yeah," she chuckled, "It's been like this all summer."

"We can hear you." screeched Ophelia.

"Well it's true!"

The meal was finished a while later and they left the table, breaking off into various groups.

Lily and James made their way down to the lake, across from where Talia had led Caradoc.

Remus had agreed to a game of wizard's chess with Mai, and neither noticed when Sirius and Ophelia headed back up to her room.

More calmly than it had began, the summer of 1976 came to an end.