Title: Light

Author: Amelia Bedelia

Chapter Three: Dinner and a Swingset

AUTHORS NOTE: Hello again! Chapter three is up! (In case you didn't already notice…)

Well, I think I'll just let you get to reading!

Chapter Three: Dinner and a Swingset

The Evans' family and James sat down at Lily's small four-sided square table with Lily and James crammed onto one side and Petunia on the opposite side.

James was about to start for the food but Lily and her family bowed their heads over their plates and held hands in a circle around the table. Lily looked up sharply and James followed suit also.

Will said the grace while James squirmed uncomfortably in his chair - especially when Lily's father was thanking that their "little girl" had a wonderful boyfriend. James had even looked up when Will said that and saw Petunia turning red with hatred.

When they finished, Lily's family dished some food onto their plates and passed it around the table. James had taken at least one serving of everything even though he didn't know what half of the food was.

He tried the chicken and thought it tasted wonderful. He was about to say "Compliments to the chef," through a mouth full of food but caught himself in time and said it at a more appropriate time. When he did say "Compliments to the chef," Christine smiled at him and, shocked, Lily looked up and gave the first and the smallest smile to him also. Not so rude after all, Lily thought.

Everything was going as they had planned until James picked up the corn on the cob. He came from a wizarding family and had never had corn. Why, they didn't know.

He asked Lily what it was and, unusual to what she was like at school to him whenever he talked to her, politely told him what it was. "It's corn on the cob. Look," Lily said. She stuck two small picks in the ends of the corn and James did the same to his. "Good. Now you can put some butter or salt on it if you want, but personally I don't like either and I -" but James was already rolling the corn in butter and pouring large amounts of  salt on it.

"Ok. Well then," Lily said looking at him curiously. "Now you take a bite. See?" Lily took a bite of her corn and swallowed.

She looked at James expectantly. Slowly, he brought the corn to his lips and took a large bite. He was tempted to spit it at Lily to annoy her but a picture of his Shooting Star popped back in his head. He did want his Shooting Star back. He would get it too - even if it killed him. Disappointed, James swallowed.

Soon James was deep in conversation with Lily's father on his right while Lily talked to her mother. "So," she asked, "what do you think of-" Lily forced out the name - "James?"

"Oh, he's a very nice, polite young man and he is so kind!"

"If only you knew," Lily muttered under her breath.

"What was that dear?"

"Oh, I just said that he - " but, luckily, she was cut off by laughter and a scream. Lily's head snapped away from her mother's and looked directly at James who was doubled up with laughter alongside her father. Petunia was cowering underneath the table.

"What happened?" Lily found herself screaming.

"Calm down!" James gasped. "Your dad - joke - I had corn -" and at this point both of the men were rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter. Petunia got up from under the table showing the product of James' accident.

"Lily, darling, I just told James a joke!" her father said.

"Is that it?" Lily asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah!" James exclaimed. "But the funniest part," he gasped, "is that!" He pointed his forefinger straight at Petunia who turned beat red in part anger and part embarrassment.

Lily started to chuckle and soon found herself rolling on the ground alongside James and her father.

Petunia walked around the table and gave them all what she thought was a death glare but turned out to be more like a scrunched up face with her eyes half-closed. This, however, didn't help their laughter at all. Petunia stomped off with her mother following close behind with a towel in hand. Lily just barely had enough strength to get up and see her mother practically holding her breath so as not to laugh. This, also, didn't help Lily. Thump. Lily fell hard on top of James and both were laughing too hard to tell the other to get off or move.

That's a first…

When their laughter had finally subsided to small chuckles here and there, Lily realized her head on James' stomach. Immediately stood up and stopped laughing altogether. Figures, she thought miserably.

Will sat up. "I better go help your mother now."

"Yeah," Lily said. "We'll pick up.

After he left Lily turned to James. "You know, I never knew that you were so - so - what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Hilariously funny!" James supplied while he picked up the dishes and Lily filled the sink with water and soap.

"I guess so. That'll have to be the word…"

"Silly Lily," James sighed. "I'm always hilariously funny! It's just 'cause you obviously don't appreciate the fine art of pranking!"

"Excuse me?"

"Well," James continued, "I just play all of my pranks on you!"

"Do you act like this all of the time?" Lily asked. "Do you get in trouble with your parents a lot? Do they even discipline you?!?"

"Uh," James had focused all of his attention on the stack of dishes he had to dry. "I don't have parents anymore," he whispered.

"Oh my god," Lily muttered. She had stopped washing the dishes. "James, I am so sor - "

"No," James interrupted. "It's not your fault. You didn't kill them, did you?" James asked.

"Well, no, but - "

"Hey!" James yelled, now facing Lily. He seemed to be staring her down and crushing his brown eyes into her green ones. "Drop it."

"Okay," Lily muttered, shocked to hear him sounding so serious for once in his life. This was definitely not how James normally acted. He was even scaring Lily though she never got scared. But she'd also never admit it.

James picked up a bowl and dumped the excess water Lily hadn't rinsed out onto her head and continued drying as though nothing had happened. Lily didn't move as the water slowly traveled down her head and dripped onto her shoulders. James had obviously used this diversion to hide his emotions and to lighten up the mood. She pulled out the sink faucet and sprayed James in the face. Setting it back down, she watched amusedly as he tried to wipe off his face onto his shirt.

Sure enough, James had retaliated by pulling out a handful of dungbombs and dropping them all on Lily's head. James couldn't hold in his laughter.

Lily saw this as a sign of war. Well, it already was war, she thought amusedly. This is just another common battle.

Lily grabbed up the dish  detergent and the water faucet while James pulled out some ketchup and mustard from the refrigerator. He moved closer thinking that he was already soaked and it couldn't hurt to be wet some more. He took careful aim for Lily's hair and clothes.

What an aim it was!

Lily and James fought each other for a few minutes and found out that they were actually enjoying themselves!

It was no less that fifteen minutes later then Lily's parents came back downstairs to see both teenagers covered in food, water, and soap - just like the kitchen.

Christine gave a small yelp as an egg was thrown into her face.

"Lillian Amy Evans!!!" Will shouted. Immediately both stopped and James looked over at Lily.

"You're first name is Lillian?!?" James asked incredulously.

"Shh!" she hissed looking at her parents, guiltily.

Christine started to laugh.

"What are you doing?!?" Will whispered, though loud enough so that James and Lily heard also. "We're supposed to  yell and punish them!"

"William," Christine said gently, "don't you remember us at this age? We'd goof off all of the time! I think it's natural for kids in love to act like this! You know, flirting constantly!" Both James and Lily turned red from embarrassment though, luckily, neither of their parents saw.

"Ok, Lily, your mother and I will clean this up. Why don't you go and run on outside before I change my mind," he said, dangerously.

"Alright!" Lily didn't even hesitate before she ran, flat out, to their backyard. James, however had gone back to grab his cloak.

"Lily?" he called into the silence. "Oh, Lady Lillian?"

"Boo!" Lily shrieked happily as she jumped on James, pushing him to the ground. Lily was happy to hear his breathing twice as fast as normal when she pinned him to the ground. Once Lily started to laugh, though, she could physically feel him relax.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" James asked, horrified.

Lily burst into a fit of giggles and James took his chance to pin Lily to the ground where she still laughed. James couldn't help but smile.

Even though James and Lily were - quite obviously - alone, he started to whisper. "Ya know, Lily, I bet you probably have the strangest family in the world."

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, her giggles subsiding.

"Well, your parents are the best anyone could ask for. I mean, who wouldn't punish their child and their 'true love'" - Lily blushed - "for covering their entire kitchen in food, water, and dish detergent? You virtually have the best parents in the world. Even I can't say mine are better. Then there's your sister."

"Petunia." Lily muttered dryly.

"Yeah!" James said. "What's shoved up her - "

"James," Lily warned. "I hate her guts more than you can imagine, but she is still, sadly, genetically related."

"Whatever," he mumbled. He then realized that he had been sitting on Lily through their whole conversation. He blushed and stood up, allowing Lily to get up also.

They moved over to Lily's old swingset and began to swing. Well, Lily was, James just sat there.

"Lillian?" he asked.

With a tired voice, Lily responded. "Yes?"

"Do you have any other siblings that you haven't told anyone at school about?"

"No, James, I don't"

"Lillian?"

"What?!?" she asked, getting very peeved.

"Why don't you tell anyone that you have a sister who's a muggle?"

"Actually, James, I do. I've told Bella and Breanna."

"But they don't count." James complained.

"Yes they do."

"Ok, fine, they don't count for what I'm talking about!"

Lily smiled into the wind. She had known the whole time what he was talking about - just liked to torture him a bit before actually answering the question. "Do you mean why I don't tell anyone else?"

"Yes!"

"Because Petunia doesn't deserve to be mentioned."

"'Scuse me?"

"I told you. Because Petunia doesn't deserve - "

"I heard what you said!" James shouted, exasperated.

"Then what do you want to hear?"

"I wanted you to talk into more detail about why she 'doesn't deserve to be mentioned.'"

Lily hesitated. "No, I don't feel like telling you."

"Why not?" He had been working for over five minutes to get the answer "I don't feel like telling you." Well, he wouldn't accept that now, would he?

"Maybe I'll tell you later."

"Ok," James said. He felt satisfied with that answer and knew he would never get past it. Once Lily set her mind to something, she got what she wanted. James felt his head where there was still a scar on his cheek. She definitely got what she wanted when set to it.

"Lillian?"

"What do you want James?!?" she shouted.

"It doesn't seem right."

"What do you mean?" This was the second time that day James had scared Lily with that quiet, serious voice.

"I'm not sure…"

"James, how can you not be sure about something that doesn't seem right when you don't know what 'it' is?"

"I don't know."

Lily sighed and let her swing slow down lining up with James' swing.

Lily, about to propose they go back inside stopped before she spoke.

Wham. Lily and James looked at each other nervously as a scream sounded, shattering the air. Both teenagers ran inside the house, holding their wands.

AUTHORS NOTE: I hope you enjoyed the story! Maybe if I get up to twenty reviews, I'll post another one again!!! :)

REVIEW SECTION:

Activegirl100: Thanks for reviewing!!!

Mystical Obsessions: Thanks! I'm glad you're reading both of my stories!!! Thanks for reviewing!!! And, yes, I guess you can call me Melia!

Myrtle: Maybe she'll make them kiss… Maybe she won't… Maybe you'll just have to wait until the next chapter… :) Thanks for reviewing!!!

Buggy-Such: Thanks for reading both of my stories!!! I'm glad you're still sticking with the stories even though they're a little love/hate. But if you wait for a few more chapters then they start to soften! (Ch 8 or 9!) Thanks for reviewing!!!

Lil' Lily In A Pond: Thank you! Thanks for reviewing!!!

Hazelmist: Yes! He was reading! I was wondering if I would get any laughs from that! Thanks for reviewing!!!

Snowlily: Thank you! And thanks for reviewing!!!

TriGemini: Thanks for the comments! And thanks for reviewing!!!

Rozycanadian2002: I thought your comment about James being an actor was hilarious! Just for that comment, I wrote put up another chapter of the story with James' "acting" in it. Thanks for reviewing!!!

NEXT CHAPTER: Let's see… We find out what James and Lily heard inside… A small flashback in James' past… And a little something between Lily and James… Hmm…

Am I making you curious about the next chapter? Good! Cause I'm gonna need to get to twenty reviews! :) (I love being evil…)

Thanks everyone!

Yours truly,

Amelia Bedelia