Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters and the ones you don't recognize belong to me. And the plot is Jane Austen's. Okay. Read on.
The next evening, Lily and Francie where huddled underneath a blanket, discussing the events of the previous night.
"Francie, you and Mr. Black made a very smart match dancing last night," began Lily. Francie blushed a light pink and smiled shyly.
"Well, I dare say that Mr. Potter was impressed by your, er, conversational skills," Francie said back. Lily looked at her sulkily.
"Oh come Lily; just give Mr. Potter a chance. I'm sure he's a very pleasant gentleman once you get to know him," Francie said, trying to condemn herself for saying the previous comment.
"I would give Mr. Potter another chance if he hadn't wounded my pride so," said Lily, who just played with a loose string on the blanket. Francie looked at her.
"I'm sorry Lily. Mr. Potter needn't have said that. Besides, I think he's acting older than he is. What young man doesn't dance?" Francie said. Lily looked up at her and smiled.
"A young man with a stick up his….." Lily started, but much to her disappointment, her mother walked in with a warning for the girls to go to sleep. Lily and Francie began giggling and soon, where fast asleep.
The next day, Francie was sitting in the parlor, sketching a picture of a lark, when Beth ran in with a letter in her hand.
"Francie, this letter just came from Miss Black!" cried Beth. Anxious to see what Bellatrix had written, Francie tore the letter away from Beth's hands and ripped it open.
"What does it say, what does it say?" cried Beth. Francie looked at her and smiled.
"It is an invitation to go and visit her at 123 London Place," Francie concluded. Beth squealed and grabbed Francie's arm. At the same time, Lily came downstairs from all the racket.
"What's going on?" Lily asked. Francie opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get a word in edgewise, Beth had started.
"Oh Lily, the most wonderful thing has happened! Miss Black has invited Francie to go and visit her!" cried Beth. Lily looked at Francie with a careful glare.
"But you hardly know Miss Black," Lily said. Francie nodded.
"As I thought too. But it said in the letter that Miss Black saw what a charismatic girl I seemed to be and thought it be best if we make friends," replied Francie. Lily cocked her eyebrow, but said nothing as her mother walked into the room.
"What's this, Francie?" Mrs. Evans asked. Francie turned to her mother and excitedly told her mother what was to happen. Mrs. Evans smiled in delight.
"When are you to go, dear?" Mrs. Evans inquired.
"The invitation says to arrive tomorrow," Francie said. "But father said that it looked like rain."
"Well, dear, you'll just have to take the carriage," Mrs. Evans said as she walked towards the kitchen.
Francie looked to Lily for another answer, but Lily just shrugged her shoulders and walked into the parlor.
Francie left the next morning after breakfast and sure thing; it began to downpour only a few minutes after she left.
"Mrs. Evans, why did you let Francie go when you knew that it was going to rain?" asked Mr. Evans as they both looked out of the rain soaked window.
"If all goes how I planned, Francie will become ill from traveling in the rain and will have to stay with the Black's until she's better," Mrs. Evans replied, still looking out of the window. Mr. Evans looked at her with a questionable glare, but said nothing more. One thing he knew after being married to Mrs. Evans was that you never messed with her plans. Ever.
Mrs. Evans ended up being quite right. The next day, the Evans received word that Francie was bedridden with a fever and a headache and, forced by Mr. Black, would stay until she was well again.
"Oh my poor Francie," Mrs. Evans said, but all knew that she meant for Francie to become ill. It was all apart of the plan to get Francie and Mr. Black to marry.
At breakfast that day, as everyone was discussing Francie's health, Lily stood.
"I'm going to stay with Francie," Lily announced. Everyone looked up at her, but no one said anything.
"Alright dear, go gather a bag and I'll prepare the carriage for you," Mrs. Evans began. But Lily held her hand.
"I prefer to walk, mama," Lily said.
"Lily, the walk is three miles!" cried Scarlet.
"I know. I just enjoy walking, that's all," Lily protested.
"But you'll tater your dress and mess up your hair and…" Beth started, but her father held up his hand, symbolizing his wish for her to stop.
"If Lily wishes to walk, then she shall walk," he said in a calm, reassuring voice. He looked up to Lily and smiled. She smiled in return.
"Thank you father," she said as she walked away from the table. As soon as she was upstairs, Mrs. Evans stared at Mr. Evans.
"And what do you think you're doing, letting Lily walk three miles in the rain? If she wishes to make an impression on Mr. Potter, then she…" Mrs. Evans hissed.
"She must be herself. And Lily enjoys a good walk," Mr. Evans said, cutting his wife off. Mrs. Evans just glared at her husband and when Lily came in to say that she was leaving, said nothing.
Things were going well at 123 London Place, aside from Miss Francie lying in a bed upstairs. Miss Bellatrix, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Black were sitting in the parlor after dinner, enjoying a quiet evening reading. Unbeknownst to them, the evening was about to get rather interesting.
As they sat there reading, a servant came in.
"Miss Bellatrix, there's someone here for Miss Francie," said the servant. Miss Bellatrix, who had no idea anyone was coming to visit, looked at both her cousin and his best friend with curiosity.
"Send them in Mary," she said. The servant nodded and turned around to fetch the visitor. In a moment's time, the servant and Lily walked into the room. Miss Bellatrix smiled a bitter smile.
"Miss Lily, how pleasant to see you," she said with a grimace tone to her voice.
"Hello Miss Bella, Mr. Black. Mr. Potter," she said, with a sour tone to her voice as she said Mr. Potter's name. "I'm here to care for my sister, as she is ill."
Miss Bellatrix, who was about to say something nasty, was cut off by Mr. Black.
"I'm glad to see that you've come to care for her, as a good sister should. Let me show you to her," said Mr. Black. Lily nodded and began following Mr. Black, when Miss Bellatrix called to her.
"Miss Lily, pray tell, how did you get here? If you had taken a carriage, you would have arrived hours ago," said Miss Bellatrix with a underlying malicious tone to her voice.
Lily, who knew that Miss Bellatrix hadn't taken a liking to her, raised her chin and said defiantly, "I walked. And, may I say Miss Bellatrix, if you tightened your corset any tighter, your breasts will swell and may choke you."
Miss Bellatrix was absolutely enraged by that comment, but Lily and Mr. Black had left the parlor with Mr. Black shocked, but still laughing.
"Well, at least I don't look like a peasant. Did you see her hair? It looks like a family of sparrows had made a nest in her hair. And her dress! It was tattered and looked like something a farm hand wouldn't even wear," said Miss Bellatrix in retaliation to Mr. Potter.
"Indeed," said Mr. Potter half-heartedly, for his mind wasn't on the disgruntled Miss Bellatrix. Instead, it was on that redhead who had just stormed her way into his thoughts.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Life gets in the way of everything, doesn't it?
Just a reminder: I'm not sticking entirely to the plan of "Pride and Prejudice" (which comes out on video in the US on Tuesday! Hellz yes!), but I'm doing the best I can.
I love you all for the reviews and I would love even more if you gave me more.