I'm sorry for not updating so long, but here it is: the forth chapter.
Disclaimer: Same as always.
July passed quickly, almost like lightning and Lily gradually got used to James's presence while she worked at Daniel's.
She had also worked out how James had heard about her plan for the holidays: she had remembered that Sirius had stood next to Elena while they had read the advert in the Gryffindor Common Room. And now she found herself very stupid: of course, Magixchange used more than one storehouse for these exchanges or it would really be too obvious if so many pupils would appear in one place.
Some weeks earlier, she would have killed Potter, Lupin and Black because of that, but not now because it was really ok for her.
But she still didn't go out, just locked herself up in her free time.
Well, she had told Hal and Trish her true reason for behaving like that – James, of course – and they really understood her and tried to encourage her to ignore him. But that was the problem: she didn't want to ignore him as they really got along with each other now. That's why nobody understood why Lily still acted in this strange way.
There was another reason this time and Lily didn't even tell Nadine about it as she felt very embarrassed: she hated herself for starting to like Potter!
She thought about him in a new way now and silently admired his appearance ("How can he always look that good?"). She had stopped to dread his visits (his post office was on strike almost every second day now because of bad payment or something and as he and his friends were no "real" workers, but had only holiday jobs, they did not have to take part in the strikes and they also did not have to work), but rather enjoyed them now, having brief talks about nonsensical topics, just like the weather or food.
So, everything could be all right, couldn't it?
But it didn't feel right to Lily, she felt as if she wasn't herself any more.
How could she like Potter? He was arrogant, mean and a show-off, wasn't he?
These thoughts were the reason for Lily's hiding in the Mauves' library.
Then, she also hated herself for behaving like that, which made her very confused and sad.
She didn't tell the others about her feelings, as she thought that they would certainly assume that she was in love with Potter.
But she really wasn't. That was just not true, was it?
More days passed and suddenly it was her 16th birthday.
It was a sunny 9th August and when she woke up and remained in bed for a couple of minutes, she swore herself that she would change her behaviour. Nadine also had to suffer from it as she didn't want to go out without Lily.
And Lily really wanted to enjoy at least the rest of her holidays.
She got up and found the bed of her friend already empty, so she thought that Nadine had gone downstairs to have breakfast with Hal and Trish.
Lily put on a T-shirt over the top of her pyjamas and pinned up her red hair. Then she went downstairs and into the kitchen where she found the others sitting around the round table, on which stood a huge tart with many candles. They all showed Lily their broadest smiles.
"Happy birthday, Lily!" they all screamed when they saw the redhead.
The girl was really touched and blew out the candles at once, whishing for herself and the others that she would really make her resolutions come true.
Her birthday was the perfect day for this change of behaviour, as she and Nadine didn't have to work at all that day. Daniel had told her to see this free day as his birthday present for her.
"So, don't expect anything else from me. I am just a poor bartender and have no money at all. That's why I can't buy you anything!" Daniel had tried to stay serious while saying this, but his blue eyes had laughed at Lily.
She had to admit that she felt physically attracted to her boss. Daniel was about one head taller than she was, had brown, short hair, which he always messed up with much styling gel. His blue eyes were a dream, they had the same colour as the blue sky above them. And furthermore, he was a really nice guy. Lily talked to him like to her best friend, even though she didn't really know him.
Every conversation with him made her feelings for him more intense and Nadine always told her that she was flirting with him and that everybody knew it.
"Oh, come on, you like him and he likes you, that's no secret. You should go out with him."
Lily started to shake her head. There was no sense in doing so as she would leave Australia in some weeks and then, she would never see Daniel again.
So, if she started to date him now, her heart would break when she would have to leave him, she knew it.
Additionally, her feelings for Daniel complicated everything much more because she liked Potter and she liked Daniel and that was too confusing for her.
That's why she intended to relax on her birthday, enjoy her free day, have as much fun as possible and not think about the two guys.
Trish took the girls with her to the shopping centre of Sydney, as she had to work, and Lily and Nadine went shopping for almost the whole morning. They bought skirts and T-shirts, shorts and tops, shoes and books, etc.
Afterwards, they enjoyed an ice-cream in a very friendly-looking café and took the bus back to the Mauves' house when they were tired of shopping.
Hal was at home and had to deal with many important things as it seemed.
"Oh girls, what are you doing here now? I have to phone important people today and need silence, so please could you leave the house for some more hours?"
His dark eyes showed them that he really meant it and so they did what he had asked them to do.
"Sure Hal. We will go down to the beach as long as you have to work." Nadine answered.
The stocky man (he wasn't even as tall as Lily and Nadine) took the girls into his arms and laughed: "Thanks, sweethearts. You are great!"
So, the two friends put on their bikinis (Lily's skin didn't look white any more, she had gotten a nice suntan in the past few weeks because of her job at Daniel's, but she could not match Nadine, who had spent more time outdoors than the redhead.
They went down to the beach and went for a swim at first.
Afterwards, they lay down on their towels and closed their eyes to frizzle in the hot sun.
Suddenly, a shadow took away their sun and a deep, enjoyable voice said: "Ah that is what you do when you don't work."
The girls opened their eyes to find Nadine's brown-haired hottie. He sat down on the sand next to the blonde girl and grinned at her. Lily saw that he had a dimple in the left corner of his mouth. He wore only bathing shorts and now, she understood why Nadine found him that charming as the girls could admire his strong and trained arms and his muscular stomach.
"Is that forbidden?" Nadine asked playfully and grinned back.
"No, not forbidden, but I missed you today. This morning, I came to Daniel's as always, ready to finally ask you for a date, and you were not there."
Nadine blushed slightly.
"Well, I've got a free day because it's my friend Lily's 16th birthday today." She pointed at Lily and the guy congratulated the redhead and then, gave his full attention back to Nadine.
Lily could see that Nadine was very excited and was hardly able to suppress a huge smile because she felt that happy.
"Who says that I will go out with you?" the blonde girl asked sweetly and his face darkened immediately, but she added: "I don't even know your name."
The grin was back on his face. "That can be changed!" He held out his hand and said: "Hi, my name is Kyle Burnes, my zodiac sign is Sagittarius, I am 17 years old, I come from Cornwall and I would love to have a date with you."
Nadine had to giggle wildly after this little speech and answered: "Hello Kyle from Cornwall, my name is Nadine Meyer and I would also love to have a date with you."
Kyle kissed her hand and asked Nadine to play a bit water ball with him.
"Are you coming, too?" Nadine asked Lily, but Lily said no as she knew that she would be in the way.
She felt very happy for her friend and hoped that at least Nadine would fall in love this summer.
Then, Lily lay down again, her eyes closed, but it was not meant for her to stay alone for a long time, as another shadow appeared above her and took away the sun.
She opened her eyes and sat up when she saw that the shadow sat down next to her.
"Hey Lily, happy birthday to you." James smiled at her and she thanked him.
"What have you done today?"
Then she told him about their shopping-trip and about the beach.
Afterwards, he became a bit nervous and she realized that he was hiding something behind his back.
He looked into her remarkably green eyes and gulped loudly: "I have something for you, a present."
"Oh, that is not necessary, James! You really don't have to give me something."
Her knees began to tremble slightly and feelings that she had wanted to suppress were rumouring in her stomach, so she hugged her knees, hoping that James would not notice anything.
He looked very good again in his bathing shorts. She could see that he used to train his body, as his arms and stomach were muscular.
"It's your birthday, Lily, and therefore, you get presents!" and he finally gave her a little packet, which he had hidden behind his back.
It was wrapped into very beautiful wrapping paper and around it was a nice ribbon.
Lily took it gladly and unwrapped the present.
When she saw what was inside, she almost threw her arms around the boy next to her and kissed him. It was the latest CD of her favourite band, which she could not get anywhere as it was "sold out" everywhere.
"How…?" she could not find the right words. "Thanks." She breathed instead and hugged James briefly.
Then, they just smiled at each other, sparks all around them.
When Lily finally found her voice again, she had to ask one urgent question: "How do you know that the Crying Whizzes are my favourite band?"
The black-haired boy didn't look at her when he answered, but took her right hand into his left hand: "Don't you know that, Lily? I am not the stupid guy that you think I am, or at least not always."
They both laughed at that.
"I have watched you very often and listened to what you have said and that's why I know you very well, even though you may not believe me."
He looked at her again and their eyes met and somehow, she believed him.
They were sitting on the beach like that for about an hour, starting to talk vividly after some minutes of just looking at each other. They found out that they were not as different as Lily had always thought they were and that they had many things in common, like their favourite band – the Crying Whizzes.
Then, Nadine came back with Kyle and asked Lily if she wanted to go back to the house to have dinner. She suggested taking the boys with them. But at first, she wanted to visit Daniel's as she said that she had forgotten her bracelet there.
The redhead agreed and they headed towards the café.
Lily entered Daniel's before the others and suddenly, a surge of great noise was coming towards her: "Happy birthday!"
A huge crowd of people was standing in the little café with party hats on their heads and huge smiles on their faces.
They almost carried Lily to the middle of the room, which had been prepared for a huge party. There was tasty food, there were drinks and everything was decorated with light strings and lampions and a band.
Everybody drank for Lily's health and then, they gave their presents to her – there were also the presents from her family and from her friends Elena and Jennifer.
Lily felt very happy and could not stop laughing.
Afterwards, the band began to play and the people in the room began to dance.
Daniel asked her to dance with him and one song became five and still, they did not stop dancing.
"Happy birthday, beauty." Daniel whispered into Lily's ear and she laughed loudly.
But when she saw the hurt expression on James's face, who was watching them, her smile vanished.
To be continued...
Lizzi, Elizabeth: "But this won't be one of those stories where Lily's friends also hook up with the Marauders, right?"- No, it won't be a story like that, or it isn't as Nadine is in love with "Kyle". :-) "And the length of this chapter seems about medium, which is good. Good job. Now, you can update even faster with an even longer chapter, because you already know how to write a longer chapter and still update fast." - I would love to update faster and write more, but if I write more, then it will take longer as school started on Tuesday and I won't have that much time this year because it is my last year :-( , so I hope that the length of this chapter is ok for you!
sugar-huny-bun: Here's more :-)
silverwisps: Nadine is in love with Kyle and Lily likes Daniel, who is the surfer-guy. I hope that it becomes clear in this chapter!
Thanks for your reviews and I am really looking forward to more. :-)