The Potters appareted to the lodge and were being shown to there rooms. The buildings looked like log cabins from the outs side but inside the place looked like a grand hotel going back hundreds of years the lobby had a small fountain where the water cascaded down the unicorn statue the reception desk was made of old mahogany wood it was a very elaborate room with pale red wall paper crystal chandeliers and plush red carpets trimmed with gold. Old pictures showed the old owners of the hotel greeting people as the came and went for James this was nothing new but for the Evans family it would be. Sirius and James had a room together and it balcony looked over the snow peeks and the ice ring no to far away.
"How deep do you recon the snow is below?" Sirius asked
James considers this then asked why. "Well errr thought it might be fun to jump and land in the snow, as it would brake our fall if it's deep enough." James laugh and said "come on then I think its deep enough for that" as they both leapt over the balcony laughing as James mum shouted at them from the room next door as she looked out of her balcony
"Could have broken your neck what do you think your playing at." Whilst Mr Potter chuckled to him self in the background and she rounded on her husband
"It your fault they are always up to some thing you encourage them." As her husband pulled her to him and kissed her deeply and then replied, "but I was crazy too and you still love me."
A bright purple bus stopped in front of the Evans house. The young steward jumped off and knock on the door. The Evans rushed out and on to the bus which they all thought to be quite bizarre as there where tables and chairs everywhere not like you get on muggle busses. The Evans sat at the back of the bus which was lucky because the bus jerked of on it way sending them backward and were stopped from falling because the chairs hit the back of the bus. About an hour later after stopping at many other magical towns they arrived at the lodge. Lily gasped in amazement it looked like a little town full of gingerbread log cabins the snow glistened it was a picture perfect snow covered village. The stunned Evans were shown inside to the breath taking lobby there as just too much to look at to be able to take it all in. Lily had to share her room with Petunia neither of them were pleased with this aspect of their trip but lucky the beds had hangings round them so Lily could draw them and hide her self away from her sister or her sister hide from the wizarding world she disliked so much. The Evans family wandered the complex in order to discover where ever thing was. As they entering the bar the one and only Sirius Black bounded over
"Evans" he nodded to lily who was taken a back by the sock that Sirius Black was stood in front of her.
"O hello" said lily parent "are you a school friend?" As they grinned at lily
"Yeah" as Sirius ran his hand through his hair and stretched out his hand to shake theirs to introduce him self
O god I bet Potter here too Lily cursed to her self. This was not going to be a fun filled and relaxing holiday. Not only did she have to put up with her sister but now Potter.
Away in a corner a messy black haired boy gazed up to see where his friend had disappeared. He ignored those that were speaking to him as he saw the fiery red hair next to Sirius
O god lily is here he moaned. His heart was so broken at being rejected by her so many times. What should I do? He couldn't think straight this holiday was meant to cheer him up and take his mind off his aching heart for the beautiful Lily Evans. James watched as his parents made there way over to Sirius and Lily's family. Can this get any worse? James thought as he cradled his head in his hands
"James?"
"What?" As James came back to his surrounding
"You alright mate? Was just asking if you knew what you parent had planned this week it looks like a bloody auror convention." Kingsley pointed out
James laughed. "Yeah well they had to work last year when every one went to Rio so I guess they wanted to make it a big duo."
"Should be fun" Kingsley laughed and rubbed his hands together
"Humm yeah skiing is good" James replied in a distracted manner
Lily looked past Sirius who was introducing the Potters to Lily's parents when she caught sight of James sat in a corner surrounded with a few others from Hogwarts as well as other kid of all ages whispering to each other shaking hand and hugging each other.
"O your Lily Evans. I'm Elizabeth Potter James mother"
"It nice to meet you" Lily smiled
Mrs potter face had a wide smile on her lips as she knew this was the girl her son was in love with. She was worried for James she had never seen him so hung up on one person. But she could see what James liked about Lily Evans yes she was stunningly pretty but there was defiantly intelligence a wit that danced in those emerald eyes. Lily stood silently thoughts running through her mind when she was jolted again into reality by Mr Potter asking her father if they would join the Potters party this evening though it would be made up mainly of his work colleagues he knew there would be a couple of people that would interest the Evans.
"O do you have dress robes?" asked Elizabeth
Lily's parent exchanged glances
"O not to worry I will sort it. I will get some one to collect you later so you don't get lost, see you about eight ish is that ok?" asked Elizabeth
"That would be fine and thank you for inviting us."
The Potters departed with Sirius into the bar and the Evans wandered to take a look at some of the other facilities available there.
"Hey James you wont guess whose here". As Sirius pushed in between James and a cute blond haired French girl who looked upset at Sirius action
"Lily?" James replied sarcastically
"How did you know?"
James rolled his eyes "I saw you talking to her"
"O right"
"Well?"
"Well what?" a confused Sirius asked
"What did she say? And what did my parents say?" groaned James
"Well nothing much just asked what we were doing here don't think she was too pleased, o and your parent invited them to the party to night. And you know what adults are like James they stated talking about school their jobs all that stuff still tonight should be interesting. We can see where Evans gets it all"
"All what?"
"Her fiery temper"
"Right"
"Look I know this is hard for you and I know your trying to get over her. But we both know that it is not going to work. Look where we are mate why don't you try and you know talk to her. It not like her mates are about."
"Have you boys finished your homework?" Mrs potter asked as she wandered over to the boys
"Mum how can you talk about homework we are meant to be on holiday?"
"Well you still have work James"
"Exploding snap?" Grinned Sirius
"Sure Pad foot why not" Elizabeth potter rolled her eyes and looked towards her husband accusingly
Lily left her family sat in the little café to make her way back to the library that was available in the hotel. It wasn't as big as Hogwarts by a long shot but it obviously student came here in the holidays as it had some of the major texts that would help Lily to finish some of her homework. But want interested lily the most was the selection of muggle and wizard fiction books as she had not packed a book for this trip. She wandered through the rows of book when she came across some of her favourite classics she took down pride and prejudice and smile crossed her lip thinking of the beautiful images and warm feeling this book gave her when she read it. Lily picked up the book and checked it out and was told to look after it, as it was the librarian's favourite book as well. Lily skipped off to join her family drinking hot chocolate and emerged her self into the world of Mr Darcy.
"Lily dear" her mother gently coaxed "it time to go get ready"
Lily groaned
"Well at least the book will last you a little bit longer." Smiled her mother
"Mum we don't have dress robes so what the point"
"Yes we do"
"What?"
"Mrs potter got us some dear so your father and me could experience the wizarding world. Was very kind of her I felt terrible but she just said I was being silly."
"Err ok mum didn't think you talked that much"
Lily arrived in her room to find a beautiful emerald green dress which matched her eyes perfectly. She sister on the other hand had a salmon pink dress her mother light blue and her fathers black robes.
Lily put her dress on it was beautiful and fitted to her curves perfectly the back plunged low so it just covered part of her lower back. The spaghetti straps crossed down her back. There was even jewellery to go with the dress, silver sparkling jewellery, simple but elegant and it looked stunning with the dress lily let her hair hang down in curls and she just stood staring at her self in the mirror she had never looked this good it was simple every thing from her makeup to the dress its self but beautiful
"I don't want to go" petunia moaned, "I don't know them and they are all freaks"
"You are going that the end Elizabeth potter has gone to a great deal of trouble for us."
Lily looked to the boxes the jewellery came in and notice a note attached
Dear lily,
I'm afraid the jewellery is just a loan for now as it has been passed down our family for years but when I saw the dress I knew it would look perfect. I hope you have a wonderful time to night and I hope to get to know you more.
Love Elizabeth Potter
Lily looked to the mirror again and stroked the jewellery and bit her lip. She felt nervous this was too much especially with the fact that she does not get on with James or Sirius.
"How do I look?" Lily asked her family
"You look breathtaking" her father smiled kissing his Lily on the head. "In fact we all look good that Elizabeth Potter know what she is doing."
Knock knock
"O that will be a guide I will just grab my bag"
Her father opened the door as her mother grabbed her bag off her bed and the Evan's followed the steward to the ballroom.
James stood glancing at the door waiting for Lily to come through wondering what his mother had got for Lily to wear. He knew it must have been some thing good his mother kept smiling and look at him. He was nervous and Sirius was laughing. The room looked fantastic a summer evening sky crossed the ceiling and slipped down the walls which seemed to meet an horizon of Italian land scape the table were cover in delicate silver cloth the twinkling lights and huge plants all around giving the room a feeling of being out doors in a summer evening. All the guest were here apart from the Evan's. The room was a buzz of chatting and laughing and James father had already stated teasing people with tales from down memories lane. James mischief height and hair came from his father where as is warm hazel eyes from his caring mother. James was too busy lost in his thoughts to be involved with Sirius and the others. Sirius lightly patted James gave him a reassuring smile knowing how much James was being eaten up on the inside by his feelings.
The doors opened and announced the arrival of the Evan's family. James couldn't breath o my god she so beautiful his mouth open just staring at lily the girl of his dreams his one and only true love. His mother walked over to James and made him close his mouth. Maybe giving lily that dress wasn't such a good idea if James was not going to be able to act normally round this girl. Sirius laughed at James and just watched as James parents brought the Evan's in and started introducing them to different people.
They all took their places for dinner at the table. The adults sat at one end discussing all manner of business and news at the other their children chatted about quidditch. Sirius was arguing with a few people as to who the best team were. Petunia was sat with Lily and said hardly a word and just scowled at people. Sirius found it highly amusing as she was nothing like Lily. Lily took more after her father with the same hair and eyes where as her sister took from her mother.
"She is defiantly a daddies girls" he whispered to James "have to win him over"
"So Petunia isn't it?" asked Sirius
"Yes"
"How are you finding the traditions of the wizarding world?" Giving her his dazzling grin
Petunia blushed. "O well its errm different."
Lily looked a little shocked her sister hadn't said anything awful o god she doesn't fancy Black does she o god no please help he will make things hell.
Sirius started explaining things to Petunia and some how managed to tell her about dementors she doesn't look to impress by that.
"O lily's how's your summer been so far" asked Emily who was in Ravenclaw back at Hogwarts.
"Not to bad we went to Spain for a while. Had really good weather then two weeks later we are here so I cant really complain. And the beginning of summer I went watching the tornados with Julie and her brother."
"O Lily shush don't want Sirius to bagger on about quidditch again" she laughed
"James your being quite not like you" Emily changed the subject
"What?.. Yeah just thinking"
"Don't worry about Prongs we got some good jokes up our sleeve for later he winked at her." Petunia didn't seem to impress by the attention that Sirius was paying to Emily.
After the meal the table and chairs disappeared and more comfortable ones with smaller table appeared round the edges of the room and the centre became the dance floor. Sirius offered his arm to Emily who accepted and off they went o dance most people split off to either dance or sit in the comfy chairs laughing and chatting away. Petunia stormed off to the bar and was being chatted up by the bar man who turned out to be a muggle.
James approached lily
"w-would you like to dance." He smiled and slightly blushed
Lily looked around looking for an escape. She did not feel like getting into an argument especially in front of his and her parents but there was not escape
"Sure"
James smiled and looked to the jewellery she was wearing his cheeks coloured slightly and he shuck his head
"What?" Lily asked forcefully
"Nothing" he said taking his eyes from what she was wearing and holding his hand out for her. All the while his mother was watching out of the corner of her eyes smiling to her self.
Lily put her hand on James shoulder and gently placed his on her waste.
"You look …."
"Yes" she glared
"Never mind" he said down hearted but he was also happy at the same time that they had managed to be in each other company with out arguing and he got to touch her.
He could feel her soft skin on his finger he felt tingles running up his arm. He stared in to her beautiful eyes becoming lost in them.
At least Potters not being a prat for once must be on his best behaviour because his parents are here. But he does have beautiful eyes so warm and caring. But still he is a prat god how many times has he hexed me then asked me out god he can be so annoying. He is just so big headed. And what was that before he was being wired why was he shaking his head.
"James?"
She called me by my first name. Maybe she's warming to me.
"Yeah"
"What were you shaking you head at before?"
"Nothing it doesn't matter"
She stopped dancing and took a step away from him.
Great ive said the wrong thing but it to wired to tell her about the jewellery I know my mothers done it on perpose.
Bang laughing filled the room all turned to look at some one covered in feathers and James father along with lily's parents bent over laughing
"Well my father got the first prank in looks like you dad helped though" James said taking lily hand back to dance with her. Which she took as she was distracted by what just happened.
"Any way" she snapped back "I want to know what you were shaking your head at I'm not going to be part of some joke you and Sirius have cooked up"
Great she thinks I'm pulling a prank on her, but should I tell her. Why did I have to react like that what do I say?
"You really want to know?"
"Yes I wouldn't have asked other wise."
"Right well errrr…you see.. Its tradition"
"Tradition?"
"Yes tradition," James cheeks coloured slightly "in the Potter line the hair to the estate when he get married gives the jewellery your wearing to his bride or bride to be" he blushed. "It's a sign of true and eternal love."
Why did I tell her? James cursed to him self
"Then why would you mother send them to me?" She asked quizzically
"I don't know." His cheeks coloured again
He couldn't look into her eyes, he loved her and his mother knew it.
Mrs potter was watching James dancing with lily knowing that he will never love any one else, as she was the only girl he has talked about for the past 6 years.
"I guess she just thought it would go"
"Hey James, come on its time to get this party started." Sirius winked to James
"Excuse me lily" James said feeling a little relief at being able to escape the conversation
James wandered away thanking Sirius for his perfect timing to get him out of an awkward situation. Lily just stood there watching James go and began to fiddle with the necklace she was wearing feeling very self conscious especially as Mrs Potter had only really known her five minuets. Emily joined lily along with a few others.
"Kingsley over here mate" waved Sirius. "James did you get the potion?"
"Do I ever let you down?"
"Right excellent, we just need to get it in their drinks we either bribe the bar man or distract"
"Well Lily sister is doing quite a good job at distraction but still I don't like the situation" James pointed out
"Hey I could try coming on to Lily sister you know get him distracted more like really come on to her" said Kingsley
"I like your thinking Kinsley" replied Sirius "Prongs you got your cloak?"
"Yep"
"Great you can slip behind the bar then" smiled Sirius with a mischievous twinkle in his eye
"And what are you gona do Pad foot?" James asked as he looked round to make sure they were not being watched
"Make sure no one else sees, your mum has eyes like hawks tonight she caught me trying this already," explained Sirius
James chuckled "o so that's why I'm going behind the bar"
The three split up to complete their operation all was going smoothly well for the plan to work any way but Petunia was not happy with how Kinsley was treating her and neither was the bar man Kinsley gona have a beautiful black eye tomorrow. All three lay in wait whilst Kinsley press an ice pack to his eye. Lily had seen the incident with her sister and was not happy at all and she knew that Sirius and James had some thing to do with it. Beneath her surface she was fuming things were hard enough with her sister. Then it happened pink hair sprang up all over the place people were howling with laughter especially Sirius and James but unfortunately Petunias hair changed to pink too and she was so upset that she ran from the room crying. Lily jumped up her rage boiling over
"POTTER!"
James gulped as he saw Petunia exiting the room
"YOU ARE SO IMMATURE, LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, YOU PLAY JOKES, DO YOU EVEN CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES!"
Lily stormed out after her sister so angry knowing that her sister would make things a lot worse for her.
"It was just a joke." Sirius shrugged to James
"Don't think she would have minded so much if it weren't her sister." Moaned James
"Well every one else thought it was funny forgot about it mate and forget about her. You could have who ever you want back at school. Look that French girl is checking you out again." As Sirius made his way over to her
James whispered to himself "I don't want any one else"
"Prongs this is Elodie she from Paris" Sirius winked to let James know he was well in there
"Hello" she sweetly smiled at James holding her hand out for him to kiss
"Errr hi"
She took his hand and walked him off into the trees to hide away from every one else to have James to her self.
Lily parent's left soon after the girls exit thanking the Potters for a wonderful and enjoyable evening.
Elizabeth Potter shuck her head at her son realising that things just went badly for James around lily Evans. The pink hair wore of an hour later and the party was slowly dieing down and James could be found snogging with Elodie
Way to go Prongs hoping that James had seen the light after six years of being in love with Evans. Just keep him away from Evans and get other girls to replace her was Sirius plan to get James to being his usual happy self. James had just received one to many rejections.
Lily apologies to her sister over and over again but it was no use she sister balled at how she was a freak and couldn't believe that she had been persuaded to come here to be the butt of every once jokes. Petunia packed up her things and left to go back home after all she was old enough to look after her self and her parents thought it would be best for her to cool off.
Lily was upset by her sister but in away she did not have to put up with her for the rest of the week. Lily settled her self down on the balcony to read.
"How did it go with Elodie?" Winked Sirius to James as he wandered into their room
"Great" sulked James
Sirius raised his eyebrows seeing the look on his friends face.
"She is like every girl I have ever been with"
"So you mean she isn't lily"
"Yeah" he sighed "I have never felt like I do for her with anyone which is crazy because she doesn't even like me she hates me."
"Maybe it's the fact you can't have her, you know, you might not even really like her, just a challenge for you?"
James just stared out of the window with Sirius eyes on his back.
Sirius climbed into bed and closed the hanging leaving James thinking about all the times he had screwed up. The first couple of years at Hogwarts he had hexed Evans pulled on her hair in class thrown paper at her in order to get noticed but it just made Lily dislike him. She didn't flock to him like the other girls did when he joined the quidditch team and was easily one of the best players. Apparently according to Lily this is what swelled his head to the size of a hot air balloon bloating his already huge ego. Couldn't she see it was a front? Yes he loved the feeling that quidditch gave him, the attention was a perk but he didn't care about the attention he just wanted hers. Ok so he had showed off a bit and it makes her think he is immature that can be changed. He could also stop hexing people well apart from Snape but the pranks might be a little harder to stop Pad foot would kill him. Stop asking her out all the time as that annoys her too. Is Pad foot right? Should I just let go, its not like she is ever going to like me especially now after years of annoying behaviour. He needed to clear his head. James grabbed a towel and headed out of his room.
Lily was feeling to pent up to be there in her room so now she was out in the open air surrounded by trees in a beautiful Laguna. You have to love magic she thought to her self snow everywhere but then you get a pool which feels like it's in paradise. She emerged her self in the water in a part cut off from the main pool where it was warmer and the water bubbled around her. She let her mind wander and relaxed closing her eyes leaning back into the seating shelf just listening to the sounds of birds and insects she was blocked from view by the tropical plants and a waterfall, the stars twinkled above her all was peaceful and calm. Her thought jumped to her sister back at the party then on to James. But unlike usual her thoughts weren't entirely negative towards James. They had managed to speak with out arguing he hadn't been a big head prat in fact he had been complimentary but not in his usual immature way. A splash brought Lily to here senses someone else was there.
He walked down the dark wood chip path where the snow ended abruptly and the green paradise begun. It was a perfect evening very still and calm he reached the end of the pool and glorying in the fact that no one was there he looked towards the waterfall knowing behind lay the bubbling pool but he was more interested in just working his troubles out of his system. And he dived in to the cooling water to melt away his thoughts of Lily Evans and how she was lost to him.
James body was starting to ache and he knew he would be uncomfortable the next day. He would be able to sleep now. He dived under the waterfall which came out into the bubbling pool where he had the shock of seeing lily the person he was trying to forget.
"Hi" he looked at the figure resting against the side with eyes closed
She jumped up brought back to reality by the sound of James voice.
"What are you doing here" they both asked and answered "couldn't sleep."
Both blushed as they had been thinking of the other. James was stood up and the water was around his waist lily stared a little looking at the mussels which quidditch had chiselled over the years she could defiantly understand why so many of the girls at Hogwarts fancied him. She noticed a scare on his side thinking it was strange as wizard generally only had scares if they were involved in a nasty accident or didn't seek medical attention which was more likely the case for James. James noticed her looking and grinned at her though his cheeks coloured a little.
"I was just about to go" she moved to the edge to get out
"Same here. I could walk back with you, if you can bare my company" James voice betrayed his miserable and frustrated feelings
"Err sure" Lily replied wondering how she had upset James
He watched her as she got out her blue bathing suit clinged to her curvy body her hair was tied up and dry. She quickly grasped her towel feeling very self-conscious. James jumped out behind her and picking his towel up and roughly dried his hair and tied the towel round his waist. His hair was messier than normal but lily didn't complain as she was having other thoughts. They walked back to the lodge down the wooden path lit with little colourful lanterns with out saying a word. James walked her to her door and said goodnight and carried on down the hall with out looking back as Lily stood by her door and watched his back until it disappeared.
The rest of the week passed in a blur. Lily enjoyed her time skiing and ice skating with Emily they occasional caught a glimpse of Potter and Black but only civil words were ever exchanged as both did not desire each others company but for very different reasons. It appeared James was his old self again which for Lily meant he was showing off. It seems that James skill was not only on the quidditch pitch but him and Black were both good at snow boarding. Cheering from on lookers mainly girls could often be heard on the slopes which annoyed lily
"CANT BLACK AND POTTER GO ANY WHERE WITH OUT A FAN CLUB"
She would exclaim to Emily, but she would just laugh at Lily. Emily though black was very cute lily just rolled her eyes at her. The both girls said they should spend more time at Hogwarts together especially since they were in some of the same classes and it was a shame they hadn't got to know each other better before now. Both had received notice from other boys which had annoyed James but he knew he had to let it go, there was no way he would win Lily heart by doing any thing about her admires.
James had managed to make life difficult for those that went out with Lily she was stamped as James girl. He got to go out with a new girl every few weeks as did Black where as Lily had only been out with one person whilst at Hogwarts. Lily had no knowledge that she was labelled as Potter's girl. Lily was well known for her fiery temper to match her fiery hair especially when it came to James. James always tried to show off in front of Lily messing up his hair to look like he had just come of a broom, allot of girls at Hogwarts lapped it up but lily Evans was different. Sirius joked that most of the time James only liked her because he couldn't have her, she was a challenge to him and that why he desired her. But Sirius and the other fellow maunders knew that James really loved her that she was his perfect woman for him they just didn't want James thinking about it too much as it appeared that Evans did not feel the same way.
Lily had on occasion admitted that James was attractive more to her self than to her friends but he did come up in conversation between them especially since he asked Lily out all the time. Lily's friend Katie was sure that with his long-term persistence with Lily that Lily would never be just another notch on the bedpost so to speak and would ask occasional, as it was not a favourite subject of Lily's why does she not give him a chance. Lily remembered many times in which she had caught James hexing another student which she thought was immature and bullying so she didn't think highly of him in that respect. His popularity gave him arrogance and a big head with the belief that he could do any thing he wanted.