What Happens Next
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling wrote the books not me. I don't own anything. Except the characters and the plot, which I made up.
Author's note: Hi, I only got one review on my last chapter, which is kind of sad, thanks to that one reviewer though. Please, please, please read my story. I would really like people to give me their views on it. Plus reviews make me want to post quicker.
Chapter 4
When the cars finally got through the London traffic and eventually got to a housing estate in a grotty part of London. The house's windows were all boarded up and the walls of the houses were covered in graffiti. They drove for five minutes past all these houses, Lily and her friends wondering how James could have a house that they called the manor in a place like this.
They turned onto one more street then the car came to a halt in front of possibly one of the worst houses in the area. The windows were all boarded up and the door had been kicked in and there was nothing in the front garden except litter. Lily got out of the car and stared in disbelief at where they were. Surely this was a joke.
"Home sweet home." James said looking up at the dirty old building he seemed to think was his house. He stared at it for some time before his grandparents bustled him to get his luggage and to show his friends inside.
"Yeah follow me," James said wheeling his trunk into the front garden and up towards the house. The others followed him, keeping quiet. He took out a slightly larger than normal gold key and put it into a lock that was at the side of where the door should be. Had it been there before? It seemed strangely out of place as it looked shiny and gold against the house dirty brick walls.
James put the key into the lock and sighed a deep breath before turning it. Nothing seems to happen for a second, they just stood there waiting. Until something moved and a door appeared in the doorway. He put his hand on the doorknob and entered with his friends dragging their stuff behind them.
They entered the house and what was expected was what you saw on the outside a dirty disgusting dump of a house but instead you entered in a large round room with a towering ceiling that went on forever, with a fountain was in the centre of the room with a statue of a god as the centre piece. The statue was made completely of gold, it shined so brightly it seems to light the entire room up.
Lily stared at disbelief instead of a run down old house a palatial manor lay before her. She has never heard of magic like this before. James went to the side of the room and placed his key on the table and looked at around him. He seemed to click that his friends probably wanted to unpack.
"Come on, I'll show you to your rooms." James said. "Leave your stuff here, the elves will bring it up." He said. He led them up the main staircase that was stationed behind the fountain. They climbed three floors before stopping.
"Girls you can choose any of the bedrooms on this floor me and the boys are a floor down. The higher floors are off limits. We'll meet you downstairs in an hour." And with that he left them to do as they pleased. Cressida and Amaryllis squealed at soon as they were out of earshot.
"How amazing is this Lil's?" Cressida squealed and then she ran into the nearest bedroom. The other two followed to have a look. The room was painted in a grey blue and there was a four poster bed as big as three cars. There were two doors leading off it. Cressida opened the first and cried out.
"Look at the size of this bathroom!" She said running in and checking out the bathtub which was actually a small pool really. Amaryllis opened the other door and inside lay a walk in wardrobe.
"This just gets better and better!" Cressida squealed, "this room is definitely mine."
"Fine, I am going to find my own," Amaryllis said leaving the room to have a look at the room across the hall.
"Hey Lil's," Cressida asked before Lily left in search of a room.
"Yeah Sid?" Lily asked turning to look at her friend lounging on her bed.
"What's up with James? Doesn't seem his usual cheeky self." Sid asked lying back and sighing in content.
"Um… I don't know. Just missing his parents probably." Lily said.
"Where are they?" Cressida asked.
"Sid, they're dead, they died four years ago. Look I wasn't supposed to say anything," Lily said looking at Cressida who had sat up and had a serious look on her face.
"Oh, okay. God, poor James. I never knew." Cressida said.
"Yeah neither did I," Lily mumbled leaving the room in search of her own room. Amaryllis was jumping on the bed across the hall. Her room was identical to Cressida's except that it was in shades of tree green instead of blue. Lily went in search of a room.
Opening each door and looking in. Each room was subtly different, she finally reached the last one and it was the most different from the others. It had a large window going round the corner of the room looking over what seemed to be acres of green garden. She sighed.
This was the one for her. She sat on the large bed and looked out the window and saw a large building with a glass ceiling, it looked to contain the swimming pool and a full sized quiddich pitch could be seen in the distance. She was awe-struck with what she was seeing. She has never seen a house like this, it was the most beautiful place she had ever been. She felt so at peace.
She lay down on the bed and looked at the ceiling. The ceiling was painted with a huge mermaid lying in the centre, she had bright red hair just like Lily. Coincidence Lily thought to herself. She sat up and her trunk and owl had appeared to be place at the bottom of her bed. She unpacked her stuff into the walk in closet. Though they hardly filled the large room. When she had finished she sat back on her bed and looked at her watch there was another half an hour before meeting the others.
She looked out the window and decided to go exploring through the garden. She left her room and travelled down the corridor passing her friends rooms, she could still hear them squealing over how wonderful their rooms were. She didn't bother to tell them where she was going she just went straight down the stairs back to the first floor. The foyer had many doors leading of it and Lily tried the first and walked in. She had entered the kitchen it seemed. There were three house elves bustling about cleaning and cooking.
"Excuse me?" Lily asked. The house elves jumped a mile when they saw her and bowed immediately in front of her.
"Yes miss," The first elf said. "What can we help you with?"
"Oh I was just wondering how I get to the garden." Lily asked.
"Gilly will show you," Another house elf said guiding her through some doors to a room with door backing onto the garden
"Here miss," the elf said.
"Thanks Gilly," Lily said smiling. She opened the door and walked through the doors and into the garden. The sun had come out and it was quite warm. She walked down a path down the main lawn. It wen past the pool, which she had to have a look at, it was enormous, not surprisingly.
She also went past the quiddich pitch, which was an exact replica of the one in Hogwarts except only Gryffindor colours hung from this one, obviously the Potters were a strong Gryffindor family. She carried on walking until she was met with a small wood at the end of the garden. The first tree in front of her was a willow tree; she walked into it brushing the willow's arms out of her way. Inside it was almost like another world.
Like the tree made a shell and you couldn't see anything else outside. The tree was enormous and clearly ancient. Its trunk was as thick as ten people and twisted up into many branches. She walked up to the tree and was surprised at what she saw.
James was sitting on one of the higher up branches swinging his legs and looking down on Lily.
"Hey James," Lily said as she began to climb the tree to talk to him.
"Hi," he said quietly.
"What are you doing up here?" Lily asked finally reaching James' branch and sitting herself next to him.
"Just thinking, I haven't been here in a while." James said looking pensive.
"Why did you bring us here James?" Lily asked.
"Why not?" James said looking straight into her eyes. "I think its time don't you?" James added not taking notice of what he was telling her.
"I guess James, I just hope you don't regret bringing us here," Lily said.
"Why would I think that, I think we're going to have the best summer ever here, it's the perfect opportunity to put the past behind me." James suddenly said changing his attitude and smiling a bit.
"I hope so, thanks for letting me stay here James," Lily said.
"Anytime Lily, anytime." James said really meaning what he said.
"I'm so glad I don't have to go home this summer." Lily said thinking of home.
"Why's that?" James surprised she wouldn't want to go home.
"It's just my sister, she's getting married. Her fiancée is a dick. He hates me almost as much as my sister does. I just can't stand to be around them. You'd think Vernon, that's his name, was an angel from the way my parents talk about him. They think he's wonderful I can't stand seeing them fawn over him," Lily said looking down.
"You're lucky, you shouldn't take it for granted." James said. Lily winced, she was being so insensitive, he didn't even have any parents.
"I'm sorry James, I shouldn't be such a brat," Lily said looking cross with herself.
"You're not. I just wish I had had the chance to tell them things and appreciate them more. I just wish…" he tailed off. He looked at his watch and jumped straight down from the tree.
"Its time we meet the others." He said. "Come on jump down."
"No way, I'll kill myself." Lily said looking at him as though he was crazy for suggesting it.
"Come on, just jump," James said smiling at her shaking her head.
"No I'm too scared," Lily said.
"I'll catch you Lily, I won't let you fall." James said putting his arms out.
"Okay but you better catch me." Lily said then she closed her eyes and jumped off the branch. Her small body was immediately trapped in James arms and he put her feet on the floor and let her stand up. She brushed herself off and looked at him and smiled.
"See I told you I would catch you," James said.
"Yeah, I know, I knew you would," Lily said then she set off at a run to the house letting James try to run to keep up.
"Come on James, can't yourun faster than that?" Lily teased when she was about twenty metres ahead of him.
"Oh you want to see it do you," then he speeded up and caught her in a few seconds. He grabbed her round the waist and tickled her tummy.
"Stop it!" Lily said giggling.
"Say I'm the fastest." James said tickling her senseless.
"You're the fastest you're the fastest! Just stop tickling me," Lily squealed. James tickled her once more then carried on running towards the house.
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