Chapter 2: The Hufflepuffs
A pair of perfect, knee-high Prada boots pounded the cobblestones of the small London alleyway. Their owner was dressed to kill, with a sharp, business suit that stopped several inches above the boots revealing creamy white, shapely lags. Hugging her portfolio to her chest, the woman continued on her way down the alley, through a rather shady pub and back out onto the main road, her boots clicking on the pavement as she walked at a comfortable place. Within minutes, she arrived at her destination, a large office building. Entering the large marble hall, she made her way across the room towards the elevators at the end.
Boarding the elevator, the woman ascended up towards the seventeenth floor. Walking out of the elevator, she smiled as she spotted the main receptionist of this office; seated at her desk before the rather large inscription reading Lilly Moon Designs. The female receptionist smiled at the woman before picking up the now ringing phone. She mouthed a 'hello' as the executive made a note of the people in the waiting room and headed back through the main doors and into the offices. Walking along the corridor, she found her way past her own receptionist and into her large spacious office. It was all the way in the back, a corner office wit a beautiful view of the Themes. Settling into her office chair, she rang for her messages.
'Miss Hayes? Have I missed anyone?'
'Yes Ma'am. Your husband called a few minutes ago, should I ring him back at the office?'
'Yes, yes, of course. Actually, could you ring his mobile? I'm not sure he's in his office. Thank you, Ariana.'
The woman flipped the intercom button without another word as she waited for her secretary to get her husband on the line. Pulling out her nail file, she crossed her legs and started working on those nails. Examining them, she smiled as the telephone rang, and pressed the appropriate button so she wouldn't have to pick up the receiver.
'Lilly… you can't ring me yourself?' Lilly grinned as she heard the familiar voice on the line. As the owner of a rather profitable clothing company, Lilly rarely did anything herself. Of course, even before Lilly Moon designs went global last year she rarely did anything for herself. That was what house elves and servants were for. Even incompetent assistants like Alexander served their purpose.
'Of course not, love. Why should I pick up my mobile when Ari can ring you herself? After all, what do I pay her for?' Lilly said, airily, smiling to herself as she heard the man laugh. A deep throaty laugh that just made her want him more every time she heard it. 'It only makes sense, Just.'
'You pay her for loads of things, sweetheart. We both know that. That's not to say I don't love your spoiled little arse,' Justin grinned on his end, knowing that his Lilly would think nothing of his good-natured tease. In fact, he grinned as he heard that familiar giggle, 'so, how is the incredibly sexy Mrs. Finch-Fletchley doing on this fine Tuesday morning?'
'Brilliantly actually, I had a quick run in Diagon Alley and I've got a few meetings this afternoon but nothing nearly as bad as yesterday,' she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, remembering the horror that had been that Monday afternoon. He's had emergency after emergency and hadn't even managed to come home until well after nine at night. Justin had been wonderful and given her a massage after which she had promptly fallen asleep.
'Excellent, sweetheart. Does that mean I get to enjoy the pleasure of your company for lunch?' Justin asked as he leaned back in his own chair. Justin was currently seated in his office desk in St. Mungo's. His day had been as busy as usual and though he was enjoying his time at work, he loved seeing his wife and had missed most of that the night before, 'I've got a letter from Hogwarts to show you. It just arrived by post this morning, before you left for work.'
'Hogwarts? Really? Are you sure it's not just from one of our mates? Ernie and Susan maybe? Or Zach?' Lilly shook her head trying to figure out who exactly would be writing them. She saw Lixie and Megan on a regular basis, and although Susan and Hannah occasionally wrote, she wasn't expecting an owl from either one of them, much less the school.
'Lilly... I can read,' Justin retorted a slight tone of annoyance in his voice. It wasn't that Lilly thought he was dim, he knew otherwise, but rather that she did have a habit of going on.
'Oh maybe Wayne!' Lilly said suddenly, she'd barely listened as her mind kept mulling over all of the possibilities. Eloise never wrote her, which was just as well, as Lilly never particularly liked her; Sam also rarely wrote, although she has just received an owl from him, so it couldn't be Sam Roper.
'Lilly! I've said it was Hogwarts!' Justin nearly dropped his mobile as he threw his hands up in frustration. He finally heard her sigh and settle down, as she muttered something about maybe it being April Runcour before agreeing to listen to Justin. 'I won't tell you what it's about until lunch, so you're going to have to wait. So, when do you want to meet?'
'Actually I can't darling. I've promised Meggie we would spend all of lunch searching fore those suede boots I saw the other day. I can't for the life of me remember where it was we found them. Of course, I'll need a new outfit for that dinner with your parents this weekend, so I thought we'd start looking for that right now, so I ca add some personal touches before Saturday. I'm sorry, love, I'd offer you to come along, but I know how you feel about spending hours shopping. Besides Lixie's said something about showing off his latest bloke, so we may end up going to a few other shops if we can fit it in. I know you'd be bored to tears, seeing as you're straight and not female,' Lilly prattled on as she dug her compact out of her purse and started touching up her makeup.
Justin smiled as he listened to his wife talk. He loved hearing her babble on, even if she tended to come off sounding selfish, spoiled and detached. She was his selfish spoiled brat and he loved her, 'Ah, well that's really a shame, sweetheart. I hope you'll enjoy your lunch then, please eat something you're starting to get a bit thin.'
Lilly smiled softly at her husband's comment, he always showed such wonderful concern for her, and she loved him for it. 'I know darling, I'll get myself a sandwich or something on the go. Besides, I do eat plenty, you see me at home. I do love the concern though,' Lilly paused as she heard a knock on her door. Looking up, she waived the person into her office before smiling. 'And I love you. But I'm going to have to go now; I'll see you at dinner? Lizzie should be making cordon blue. I asked her to do so this morning,' she waived the person over to sit down at the chair in front of her desk.
'I'll bring home a bottle of champagne then. I'll see you at dinner, Lil. I love you too,' Justin smiled as he flipped the mobile closed. He smiled to himself and looked back at the charts in front of him. Justin would spend the next several hours attending to particularly difficult cases. As the head of the Spells Damage division of St. Mungo's he was always the first Healer consulted when every case entered the hospital.
Back in her office, Lilly proceeded with her meeting, this time a woman seeking employment within the advertising division. Although Lilly moon Designs usually had a company to so their PR work and their advertisement, Lilly kept a small group of Advertising and PR employees on hand to insure that the companies were promoting her line properly and that advertisements ran smoothly. As such, Lilly always conducted job interviews for her London staff on her own. Factories and the like were managed by said managers, but Lilly liked to make sure that those people she had direct contacts with were right for her company.
The rest of her day went smoothly, as Lilly went for her usual hour and a half of lunch spending most of it with Megan Jones in the shops followed by a short meeting with Felix Summers in a small, quaint pub not far from her offices. After a sour-apple martini, Lily headed back to her office, where she had a few other interviews followed by discussions with both madam Malkin's and Harrods of London. Promptly at six o'clock in the evening, Lilly apparated home. Her staff had gone home a few minutes early and thus with the cleared office, Lilly could be free to apparated out of her office.
Arriving at her flat just before Justin, Lilly smiled and removed her travelling cloak. Hanging said cloak in the cloak wardrobe, Lilly proceeded into the spacious million galleon flat. The Finch-Fletchley's flat was a large penthouse flat located in Kensington Gardens in London, in one of the posher sections of town. As both of their parents were of old money, the flat was located near both sets of parents. Lilly walked into the Solar noting the impeccably lean state of the room and smiling. Lizzie was an excellent maid and she could not have asked for anyone better. Lizzie used to live in one of the two guest bedrooms before Lilly and Justin married, but after their wedding just last year, Justin had been kind enough to purchase the maid a nearby flat. Lizzie still spent loads of time in the flat, although she usually completed her tasks within a few hours. The house elf that Lilly owned helped as well. Of course, Justin didn't see the point in having so much help in the flat, but Lilly wouldn't hear of it. Lizzie had been her maid since she was merely seven, and no pure-blooded lady of consequence would own a flat without a house elf. Nevertheless, the elf always found something with which to occupy himself.
Walking into the dinning room, Lilly smiled, the food was ready, and the table was decked for a romantic dinner for two. As she was about to inspect the kitchen, Lilly hear the familiar sound of a wizard arriving at her home. Smiling, she walked towards the foyer. She'd wanted to run, but couldn't risk it in her heels. Justin had just closed to cloak wardrobe when he spotted his wife. Walking towards her, he tugged on her hand and pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard on the lips as he ran fingers up her back. Lilly giggled softly as he ended a kiss and gently stroked his cheek, gazing up into his soft, hazel eyes.
Kissing him again, she wriggled out of his embrace and tugged on his arm. She gently pulled on his arm as she walked towards the dinning room, turning to look back at him, so she could give them man her best sultry stare, 'So, you tell me about this letter thing, Justin Finch-Fletchley. I'd like to know what it's all about over dinner so then I can ravish you afterwards without having to worry about what the thing states.'
Justin laughed and stopped in his tracks at her words. He pulled her back into his arms as he kissed her full lips as he ran his fingers though her dark tresses. 'Helga, Lil. Can't we get to the ravishing first? I'm hungrier for you,' he said against her lips, looking down into his wife's eyes. Lilly closed her eyes for a minute imagining the things they would do in their bedroom and shivering slightly before looking back up at her Justin.
His eyes already had that familiar glazed that showed her had only one thing on his mind and Lilly could not help but grin. She pressed her breasts against his chest. 'No bloody way, Just. I want to know about the letter, eat dinner, and then you can have your way with me.' she grinned as she turned on her heel, shaking her arse a little just to prove her point. Laughing, Justin ran into the living room and sat down on his chair as Lilly sat down across from him. Picking up his fork, Justin started eating his dinner and smiled at the exquisite taste upon his lips.
'Lovely, dear, simply lovely,' Justin smiled at Lilly, as he continued eating. Pulling out the letter he had received earlier that morning, he placed it on the centre of the table. 'It's from Hermione,' Lilly nodded in acknowledgement, eyeing the letter.
'It's not about the DA is it Justin? I don't want to see you go off and fight anyone! I haven't heard about anything that should bring you lot back, but I... I don't want to see you place yourself in any danger,' Lilly said as she picked up a forkful and looked at Justin in worry. Thankfully the war had ended rather quickly (though violently) the day of their return to London at the end of their seventh year. Even so, Lilly always worried that something would call the DA back, and if that silly chit (who desperately needed a makeover as far as Lilly was concerned) thought she could take her husband from her, she and the Golden boy had another thing coming.
'No, no, I said it was from Hogwarts, remember? She, Harry and Ron have decided to arrange for a tenth year reunion for all of us. They've invited everyone in our year, plus a guest to return to the castle for a weekend this summer while it's empty,' He smiled up at his wife. 'What do you think, Lilly? Should we go?'
Lilly of course was grinning excitedly by now. The chance to see everyone again was just too much for the former gossip queen to pass up. 'Of course! I can't wait Just! Do you think Suze and Ernie will bring their latest baby? Oh! I'd love to see little Amelia. Isn't that such a silly name for a child? But I suppose it makes sense since she named her after her aunt. Although I still think the name suits the Minister of Magic better than a little child. I still hope she brings the child and their little boys too. Oh right, it'll just be us. Well, no matter, it'll be great to see everyone again. I doubt everyone knows we're back together again.' Lilly went on, between chewing and swallowing her dinner.
'Lilly… we announced that in the society pages of both muggle and wizarding newspapers and even your cousin Theodore made it to the wedding, I highly doubt people did not hear about our wedding. I'm still surprised we managed to cram both wizarding and muggle ceremonies into one,' Justin said, shaking his head as he thought back to that fateful day, 'so we go then Lilly, you'll get to show off all of your beautiful designs and I'll be able to show off that gorgeous arse of yours.'