Llef ylil yhw
-By Yo-yo
Disclaimer: C chappie #1.
Chapter 17- Mazes:
He was in a maze; that he could discern. Walls of thick, green foliage reached well beyond his head and cut through the blue sky. Below him his feet disappeared beneath the plush, carpet of grass that seemed to be inviting him to take a rest and abandon the quest, but he knew he couldn't. There was something that compelled him to keep going, to reach the end, to get the reward.
He didn't know what he was doing there, but he knew that he'd lost the rest of the Marauders a loooooooong time ago. He didn't fret over the loss of companionship, he was pretty sure he'd meet up with them at the end.
What he definitely knew was that he was cheating. He wasn't blowing holes through the vegetation as he should have, but he was definitely getting help from outside sources. It seemed that every time he pushed back the hair from tumbling over his eyes, a camouflaged hand would poke itself out from the brush and point him –hopefully- in the right direction.
He wandered around for a few more minutes, wondering what the hell he was doing in a maze anyway? Who came up with the bright idea? He didn't really care, he just wanted to leave, and mazes were never his thing.
As he moved closer towards the middle, his body seemed to find its own way through the brush. He raised his hands less to his disheveled hair and relied more on his instincts to lead him past the indistinguishable turns. He was being led by something he could not name, but something he trusted far beyond the "Helping Hands." It was not his brain, for he knew the workings of that organ, but it was something else. Something that lived deeper within him, something that he had never … felt before.
And then he came across a clearing. Not A clearing, THE clearing. Because before him, she sat. On a cement bench. Her body leaning over, not looking up as a diminutive Snitch flew around her head like a winged halo, casting an aura relative to sunlight around her being. She looked almost celestial as he sucked in a breath and made himself walk over to her and lean over her oblivious form.
It wasn't until his fingertips grazed her skin that she looked up. Her large eyes engulfed him. Taking him in wholly, they wrapped around him, bringing him closer as she lifted herself from her seat, never taking her eyes away. They did not speak as his lips descended down to hers and she lifted herself up, pressing their lips against one another, pressing their hearts against one another.
He snuggled deeper within the cocoon of warmth while trying to find a comfortable piece of floor to lay his back. He shifted once, twice, before opening his eyes and realizing he was too conscious to be comfortable and there was no way he was getting back to sleep.
Groaning softly, he sat himself up, leaning against the couch where Skye slept.
After the sojourn to the Perfects' lavatory they took refuge in the Common room. There was a calm vitality that they seemed to share after the salving soak. As they lay around the plush furniture, they passed around the bottle of Snap Dragon Champagne and talked until the wee hours of the morn, just as the dawn began to crawl above the horizon and poke its head up. And now everyone lay on any available surface, trying to catch as much sleep as possible, while darting the sun's rays.
Looking around, he only spotted four other heads. He knew who was missing, the one who was missing last night from the conversation:
Sirius.
Something was wrong with Sirius, he'd dashed out of the lavatory before everyone had gone and they had not seen hide nor hair of him since they'd gotten back…
Wait, what the hell was going on? He was having an out of body experience. Literally, he was standing outside of his body, wondering where this had come from. Wondering where… and how his lips became a vacuum, attached to the most least likely?
The couple before him- his outer body… his inner body… his… he and her-finally pulled apart. Her hair still within his fingers, so that the messy curls tumbled from his fingers like crushed silk, finding their crumpled place beside their sister hairs, catching her light and glowing. Their foreheads pressed against one another and their eyes intertwined… not their eyes, but what was just behind their eyes, that something he recognized that had guided him through the unfamiliar woodland… it was… their souls?
And suddenly, he was awake.
His body trying to recapture his breath that seemed to elude him. It escaped his grasp and he found himself jumping from the bed and rushing to the bathroom to throw water on his face.
"…wsksingDlalnn…" he sputtered, disbelief bathing his entire being. "IwaskissingDeliaFlynn…" he stared at himself in the mirror, his blue eyes wide, unseeing. "IWASKISSINGDELIAFLYNN!!!!!!"
"What was that?" Fly groaned, pushing a curl from her forehead and sitting up from her cocoon on one of the squishy couches.
"Sounded like Sirius," James shrugged, just hearing the yells of anguish also.
"Well, tell him to shut up," she groaned, throwing the covers over her head and rolling back to sleep.
He looked down at the watch clicking lightly on his wrist. Pushing back his black curls, he sighed. It was eight. Breakfast was just starting and Mme. Benoire was coming in to collect Skye and Sunny at ten.
Rising from his seat beside the couch, he pulled the blanket he wore tighter around himself and leaned over Skye.
"Hey, wake up." He shook her softly. "Wakey, wakey."
"Go away," she groaned, covering her head with the pillow, trying to escape the light.
"You need to wake up, your Mum is coming in two hours."
"Why are you yelling?" she waved an arm out, trying to swat him away.
"I'm not yelling," he lowered his voice, knowing she was awake from the way she responded to him. "It's called a hangover. You're going to feel like shit this morning. And that's why you shouldn't have drunk so much last night, especially for your first time."
"Coulda', shoulda', woulda'," she frowned, turning to glare at him for a moment. "Well I did, so what can I do to get rid of this?"
"Be happy that you're a witch, I've got some pills in my room. C'mon, let's get up and send you to the lavatory. When you've done washing up, and maybe puked, I'll give you some medicine."
"But I don't wanna," Skye groaned as he pulled her by the arm up from her cave of sheets.
"Shut up Skye," Sunny yelled from her own spot in the Common.
"WAKE UP!" Skye screeched, successfully waking Sunny, Remus and Fly.
"Bitch, why'd you do that?" Fly glared, pushing back her curls.
"Because its time for you guys to get up." James said, pushing Skye towards her dorm and giving a pointed look to the other three.
James munched on a piece of bacon as he listened to Skye.
"…and then Pinky got upset and…"
His mind wandered and his eyes settled on Sirius and Fly. They were talking about Quidditch; he could hear snippets of their conversation. But the most interesting bit had nothing to do with their conversation, but the body language.
Sirius sat in front of her, his back hunched over and his hands in his lap. He looked pre-occupied. He was half listening to the conversation and half staring. There was something about his look. Something…
"-James, are you listening?" Skye rolled her eyes. "I swear, boys are hopeless."
"I'm sorry, Skye," he shook his head, "What were you saying?"
"It's ten, and my mom should be here. I'm going to grab my things, do you want to help?"
"Sure," he dumped his napkin on the table and stood up.
They were making their way out of the door when they heard the flapping of wings.
"James, you got mail," Sunny called, taking a lavender envelope from an owl above her.
Their world became mute as the owls fluttered down and they all received matching envelopes (well, except for Skye). Silence overtook them as they each opened the letters and suddenly,
Gasp.
"I'm bored," Lily yelled from her place on the couch.
"Well get your lazy butt off the couch and go do something." Susan called.
"There's nothing to do."
"There's gotta' be something."
Lily sighed, pushing back her curly hair and made her way towards the kitchen.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?"
"You're getting ready to poison Tuny so that you can have your favorite daughter to yourself?" Lily shrugged.
"Something like that," Susan smiled, "It's called cooking in other countries."
"Whatever," Lily sighed, "Can I help?"
"I don't know, can you?"
"You're not funny," she rolled her eyes and grabbed the chopping board and a knife. Susan placed celery on it and Lily began to chop.
Save for the sounds of sauces simmering in their respective pots and Susan rinsing the ingredients for her famous potato salad, an eerie silence had enveloped them. Susan snuck glances at her daughter as she quietly fulfilled her job requirement.
"What are you thinking about?"
She shrugged, pushing aside the cut vegetable and straightening the next to be cut.
"Is this about a boy?"
"God mom," she frowned, turning. "Why is it every time that Tuny and I have a problem you and dad immediately equate it with boy trouble?"
"Because you guys are teenagers, and usually it is boy trouble."
"You guys can be such losers," she rolled her eyes.
"So you admit you have a problem?"
"Maybe," she pouted.
"What is it about?"
"Stupid boys," she murmured.
"We are such losers," Susan smiled, returning to her cleaning.
"It's not boy trouble, it's about stupid boys… completely different."
"Do I know this 'stupid boy'?"
Lily didn't respond, but instead resumed in chopping.
"Ok, so we'll keep names confidential, so what makes him a 'stupid boy'?"
"You can stop with the air quotes," Lily frowned again.
"Sorry, you're cranky today! Maybe you need a nap, that seemed to help when you were little-"
"And still scuttling around in my diapers."
"All I'm saying is that it helped," Susan shrugged with a smile. "So, does this boy go to your school?"
"Yea…"
Susan didn't respond but rather let Lily go at her own pace. She needed to feel comfortable telling her mother about mature subjects. Susan knew from her own experiences as a teenager that telling a parent about relationships was particularly hard.
"We can never get along. We fight, then we're friends. We fight, then we're friends. It's a vicious cycle that never seems to remedy itself. We've tried to be civil to one another, but everything he does annoys the hell out of me and vice versa. We share the same friends so it puts a strain on the relationship and on our friends. And then, God, we got into this major fight just a few weeks ago and things just… they're not fitting together as they used to. My relationship with my friends is still strained… and then… then… I was just a bitch towards his girlfriend. I was a really bad person, Mom. And I couldn't help it. I'm so mean and he's so nice sometimes… and he tastes so good…"
Lily's eyes glazed over as she pictured him in her head and she laid down her knife. She wasn't smiling, but rather a tear tumbled down her cheek and was brushed away by hands that smelled of lavender before they could fall from her.
"So you like this boy, I take it?"
"No," Lily mumbled, "and you will strike those last couple of sentences from the record."
"Lily," Susan grinned, brushing away the fresh tears. "There's nothing wrong with liking him. When Aaron and I first met… it was like fire and oil. He and I couldn't agree on anything. When we were together, everything was electric-"
"Dad, you're talking about? My Dad? The nerdy, skinny guy who lets you brush his hair in the morning and who lives for bread and stinky cheese?"
"That would be him," Susan laughed, "and he isn't nerdy. Well anyways, one weekend Nana invited some patrons of the Flowery to a barbeque. So your dad shows up with his friends, and they all brought dates. These tacky women that didn't have very good reputations. Nana had contracted me out to be a server. So an employee, Arabella Figg, and I walked around passing out food and drinks. So I had to go back into the supply closets for more cups. When I opened the door I found your father making out with some girl… and that was the moment. We both exploded at one another, getting kicked out of the barbeque and unfortunately telling each other how we truly felt about one another. The words just fell out…we were both shouting and suddenly, 'I love you,' came out. And then suddenly we were making out… your dad tastes good too."
"Ewww," Lily laughed and cried at the same time. "My mom and dad were making out."
"If you think that's gross…" Susan winked, "Think of what it took to have Petunia and you."
"Oh Mom, that's- and after all this time you've had me lying," Lily admonished. "I've sworn up and down that my parents were still virgins! You're supposed to save yourself for God! I'm so disappointed in you."
Susan laughed out loud and hit Lily on the head with a carrot stick,
"You're unbelievable."
Two hours later Susan was buzzing around the house, trying to put things in order for the guests.
"…I don't' know why you're running around like a chicken with its head cut off… it's only Nana and Aunt Jo."
"And your friends, don't forget," her mother flew past, placing the centerpiece on the dining room table.
"Mom, I have to talk to you about that," she looked down.
"What is it-"
"Susan, where is my tie?"
"Which tie?"
"The black one with the-"
Ding, dong.
"Lily, can you get that?" her parents yelled simultaneously from their respective places in the house.
"Sure," she groaned, pushing back her flaming red hair and heading towards the door.
"They're definitely meant for one another," she groaned opening the door. "Hi Nan-"
Gasp.
TBC…
A/N:I'm sorry this took so long. I'm trying. Next is the Christmas chapter. Well anyways, Linda, does the brownie offer still stand?
w/ luv,
Yo-yo
