Chapter 4
A.N. I hope you like the story so far and I hope you like this chapter too.
On with the story…
It was 7pm and Lily was pacing up and down the exhibition hall frantically checking things off and she occasionally called out in panic in case someone had forgotten something. Suddenly someone came up behind her and put his hands round her waist. Lily smiled and tilted her head so she could see Jacques and kissed him. Then Jacques said
"You look gorgeous," Jacques said surveying Lily who was wearing a stunning wine red dress with gold earrings and gold shoes. Jacques was wearing a black tuxedo that made him look even more Italian then he already was (his mother is Italian and his father though English grew up in France but Jacques himself had always lived in Italy).
"So are you ready to do this?" Jacques asked her walking next to Lily as she began to walk towards the door separating her, Jacques, her assistants from the crowd outside. Lily flung open the doors to wild applause and people began to pour in to look at Lily's work.
"James, are you sure about this?" Melinda asked straightening her deep blue dress and self-consciously touched her hair. James as always looked perfect and was wearing a navy tuxedo.
"As sure as I am that you look beautiful." James said lightly touching Melinda's hair. With that Melinda and James entered the jewellery exhibition. Lily immediately saw them and quickly started talking to various people so she wouldn't be on her own with James. After awhile James had got bored of looking at Lily's jewellery however beautiful it may be and wondered over to where Lily was standing. Lily gave no inclination of James being there and kept talking to a very handsome man. Then they both smiled as if they were the only 2 in the room and Lily and Jacques kissed each other. For James the room was beginning to spin, voices were getting fainter and fainter and giddily James wondered why everyone was covered in green spots. Then he fainted. The next time he regained consciousness Melinda was kneeling next to him as was a doctor and though Lily wasn't actually there beside him she was looking horrified, though whether that was because her show had come to a standstill or concern for him, he never knew. He was soon walking around again and the party went back to normal. Melinda and James walked around for a bit with plenty of people turning to look at the attractive couple. Then suddenly Melinda put a hand on James' shoulder and whispered something in his ear. James looked worried but decided that it was worth a try. He decided that he would have to call in extra support though and summoned Julie who was essentially a slut who would do anything for James. She appeared in the girl's bathroom and then walked out to greet James. Julie was wearing a very sparkly, revealing dress. James told her what to do and he left her there in front of a box of rings. He walked up too Lily who was in the middle of a conversation who though James didn't know it was a very important fashion critic and somewhat of a jewellery designer as well.
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you could tell me the price of the ring over here, I want to give my girlfriend it but I don't know the price." Lily stared at him then walked over with him to the jewellery display case.
"Why are you here?" Lily hissed at him "And I thought you were single."
"It's that ring isn't Julie? I'm here because I needed to see you and I wanted to see what you did for a living that drew you away from the magic world. As for the single part well I'm not anymore" James said then kissed Julie passionately on the lips to prove his point. Lily stared at them trying to extinguish the feeling of jealousy that was rising up in her.
Meanwhile Jacques and Melinda were talking
"So did Lily invite you?" Jacques asked her
"Well not really, I think she knew that we might come but she didn't realise certain things."
"Whose we?" Jacques asked her, not sure if he was supposed to be so attracted to Melinda
"Oh, me and my cousin, he was the guy that fainted earlier." A sense of relief flooded over Jacques then he lowered his voice
"So are you a witch like Lily?" Melinda's eyes widened in horror
"How did you find out about the magic world?" She asked casting nervous looks
"Because I'm a wizard." Jacques said softly, enjoying the look of excitement and apprehension on Melinda's face.
"I don't believe you let me see your magic wand" Melinda said, still not really believing him.
"Let's go through here and I will show you." Jacques said, pointing to a glass door. Melinda glanced at James but found him talking to Julie and Lily. So being curious she followed Jacques. As soon as they were alone Jacques pulled the curtains and blinds down (or in the curtains case across) with one flick of his wand, then he soundproofed, locked and made the room impossible for people to see in.
"What are you doing?" Melinda asked nervously "You're engaged to Lily remember." Jacques cut her off with a kiss.
"What are you doing!" Melinda yelled, but of course no one could hear her.
"I love you, and I wanted to kiss you so I did." Jacques said simply then seeing the look on Melinda's face added "I love Lily, but as a dear dear friend, but my mother who is a seer predicted for me that I would meet the true love of my life at my fiancé's exhibition, and that is you, I can tell you love me." Melinda sighed, it was all true , she was attracted to him, but she had kept her morals as he was engaged to Lily but when Jacques kissed her again she let herself go…
"Ok, Julie you are dumped now go away" James said, carefully watching the look on Lily's face. Though she didn't show a lot of emotion her eyes flickered.
"So, shall we get away from here?" James asked Lily
"I can't James, all this jewellery, I made for tonight, I can't just let everything go as much as I want to." Lily said looking at James steadily for the first time.
"Lily, we can just freeze everyone, go somewhere then come back and unfreeze them, they wouldn't be any wiser. What's holding you back?" James asked her, with a tiny movement of her head Lily nodded. James pulled out his wand discreetly and muttered a charm and everyone stopped what he or she was doing. Lily wandered around the figures of everyone staring at there blank faces.
"Come on Lily," James said softly. Lily walked over to him, and took his arm then James disapparated with Lily following him. They appeared in Hogsmeade in the restaurant where "James" had broken up with Lily.
"What are we doing here James?" Lily asked looking nervously inside
"Having dinner." James replied and escorted her in. They were soon seated at a table for two.
"So, how well is your jewellery thing going?" James asked
"Amazing, we are doing really well and the company just won an award for the best jewellery designs. What about you?"
"Well, I'm an auror, and I have my own office at the Ministry."
"Cool, so what has happened in the ten years for you?" Lily asked him
"Let's quit the small talk, can we please just talk about us?"
"Fine, I love you James Potter, but I'm scared, I'm engaged, I work in a muggle job and I left all this magic stuff behind, are you happy now?" Lily asked her eyes flashing.
"What does that matter? I love you, you love me, the muggle job doesn't matter, and I would give up magic to be with you if I have to, as for your fiancé I can tell you now, it isn't going to last, I installed this little device on Melinda's dress, so if I lost her in the crowds, I would know where to find her, and look." James conjured up a bubble in which Lily and James could see Melinda and Jacques kissing each other. There was a lump in Lily's throat and she couldn't see properly
"Are you alright?" James asked Lily
"Yeah I'm fine, its just I have realised that I tried to replace you with Jacques and now I realise how much I love you." Lily said. James' looked at Lily and then kissed her, oblivious of anything, anyone around them. The waiter stood at their table and gently coughed. Embarrassed they ordered and as soon as the waiter disappeared they kissed again. To both of them it was like fireworks had gone off, and they were entering the timeless roller coaster of love.
A.N. James and Lily are back together but what will it go smoothly when Lily finds out about the whole curse thing?