Chapter 3

Lily awoke the next morning and lifted her throbbing head. She sighed and slumped back down to the floor where she lay still for another minute in an effort to rid her head of the severe pain it was in. Finally, she reminded herself that this was her fault for drinking the night before, heaved herself off the floor with a great effort, and stood up. She had nudged Sirius as she stood, and he groaned loudly and turned over, laying his arm across Carmen's back, and fell back to sleep; Lily could hear him snoring behind her as she stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her head.
"Morning," James greeted her, appearing to be in only slightly better condition than Lily. He used his wand and tapped the kettle, which emitted a string of steam and began to whistle.
Lily kissed him on the cheek in reply to his good morning and began setting out mugs on the counter. She placed them onto saucers and moved across the room to open another cabinet as James deposited instant coffee grounds in each of the mugs. Lily put two round Advil tablets onto each saucer and reached into the fridge to get the milk.
"Make sure to get a strawberry yogurt out for Sirius, too," James said to her before she closed the door. Lily turned around to look at him; he was spooning sugar into one of the cups.
"Why?" she asked.
"Dunno, he just started doing it a few weeks ago and now he says he can't get over a night of drinking without his yogurt," James replied, putting the top back on the sugar and picking up the now-silent kettle.
Lily turned back to the fridge. "Ok then" she said and grabbed a yogurt out before shutting the door.
Lily followed behind James as he poured the hot water into the mugs and stirred, then Lily added the milk and placed three saucers on one tray and the other three on another.
She placed Sirius' yogurt on her tray and followed James into the living room.

"Wake upppp!" Lily called as they entered the living room where their guests were still asleep on the floor. Sirius grunted and Carmen made to hit Lily from where she was on the floor, but instead her hand just rose a little into the air and then flopped back down. Liz was already up, reading in the corner, and looking quite cheery as she marked her page and came over to help distribute hangover kits.
"Morning!" she buzzed, walking over.
"This is when I hate you for not drinking," Lily said, but she was smiling as she passed Liz her coffee, the only one without the Advil on the her saucer.
"Thanks, " she taking her mug and placing it on the lamp table. Then she brought the other cup and the pills over to where Remus was laying with his mouth open next to the television.
Lily dropped down and nudged Sirius. He pushed her away and rolled over, mumbling something about 'go away...don't like you.'
Lily turned him back over and forced him to sit up while James worked on Carmen.
"Wakey, wakey, kids," she said. Sirius glared at her and held his hands out for the mug and medicine, which Lily handed him.
"Just the way you like it: half coffee, half milk, 8 sugars...and a yogurt..." Lily added, and he forced a smile and thanked her. James had gotten Carmen to sit up as well, and she was now holding her own mug.
Lily and James picked there coffees up and grinned.
"Bottom's up!"

2 weeks later...

"Wake up, James!" Lily's eyes opened with a start as she glanced at the clock and realized what time it was. She shook James hard in an effort to get him up.
James grumbled something and turned over.
"James, you have your meeting with the Ministry Official today! In 20 minutes! You have to get up! NOW!" Lily continued to pushed on James, but he refused to respond.
"Fine," she mumbled, got her wand off of the nightstand and flicked it abive James' head. A fountain of cold water poured out and soaked James, his hair, and his clothes.
"AHHHH!" he cried, leaping out of the bed and glaring at her.
Lily couldn't help herself but giggle a little.
"What did you do that for!" he cried, looking down at his now-wet pajamas.
Instead of answering, Lily threw him his wristwatch and lay back down on her side of the bed; she didn't have any meetings to hurry off to today.
"Sht," she heard James swear on the other side of the room. She felt the watch drop onto the mattress next to her and heard James scuttle off to the bathroom. A second later she heard the water running in the shower and the muffled voice of James still swearing as he raced the clock to get ready in time.

James leapt out of the shower 5 minutes later and walked back into the bedroom, his body and hair dripping water everywhere. Lily was no longer lying on the bed; he assumed she was downstairs, getting some quick breakfast ready.
He threw open the closet and found a pair of nice, black dress pants and his favourite blue button down-shirt. He threw them all and used his wand to get out the wrinkles in his shirt, found a matching tie, threw on his socks and shoes and walked downstairs.

James entered the kitchen to see Lily pouring herself a tall glass of orange juice. Another glass of juice was set down on the table next to a plate with two pieces of toast, topped with strawberry jam. Jame kissed Lily good-morning and then quickly begin eating his toast. He finished his breakfast quickly, gulped down the orange juice and walked into the adjoining room. When he returned, he was fastening his traveling cloak around his neck and was ready to go.
He glanced at the clock.
"6 minutes till'," Lily informed him, walking over to straighten his tie.
"Good. Just enough time to apparate and still have a minute to get my bearings. Thank-you," he added as she smoothed his tie down and rebuttoned his cloak.
"I should be back around noon, half past at the latest," he said, kissing Lily quickly.
"Oh, you have a little..jam," she said. "I got it." She kissed him again and then once more.
James grinned against her mouth. "I have to go," he said.
"I love you," she said, ruffling his dark hair.
"I love you, too," he said, and turned on his heel towards the living room where the fireplace was. Lily followed him.
James took down the floo powder and threw a pinch into the fireplace, which went ablaze in green flames. James stepped in an turned around.
"Good luck!" Lily called to him. He smiled, waved her good-bye and said, 'The Ministry of Magic' before dissapearing in an uproar of flames.

Lily walked back into the kitchen and placed the dishes in the sink, flicked her wand to start the self-washing process and tapped the kettle to make tea. Then, sitting down with her mug she pulled the paper towards her and began to read.

James held his arms in tight as he spun past fireplace after fireplace, until finally he felt himself slowing down. James threw out his arms and they caught on the edge of a fireplace. As he pulled himself up, he felt someone take a hold of his hand to help him out. He opened his eyes and saw appetite young witch with bouncy blond hair and an airy demeanor. He figured she must have been about 25.
"Thanks," he said, as he rose to his feet and dusted himself off. He unclipped his traveling cloak and she held out her hands to take it for him. James realized she must be some sort of low-ranking assistant in the Ministry. "Thank-you," he said again as the girl hung his cloak on a clawed cloak-stand; there were already several traveling cloaks and a hat or two hanging from the many hooks. James stared at her for just as second; he was sure he recognized her from somewhere, but he just couldn't place those blue eyes.
"I'm James Potter," he finally said, stepping forward to shake her hand.
"I know," he replied, taking his hand in hers and shaking them up and down in a handshake much firmer than James had expected. James looked surprised at her crudeness. "My father is expecting you this morning," she added, and James realized she must have been told you fetch James for his meeting the Minister.
Then something dawned on him from what she had said. "Oh, you're Lyla Mencanio?" he said, and then realizing how stupid he must have looked, reveling in his own genius, he dropped his eyes to the floor.
Lyla giggled, her blond curls bouncing joyfully around her head.
"Like I said; my father is expecting you, or at least he was two minutes ago," she said, glancing at her watch. James looked confused. "You're late," she clarified, as if delighted by his tardiness.
"Oh God," James swore under his breathe and she arched her eyebrow.
"I'd suggest you run; his office is on the top floor," Lyla offered.
"What? Oh, right. Yes, nice to meet you, very nice. I uhh, have to run...literally!" James said, shaking her hand again quickly and turning on his heel and sprinting down the hall, slowing only for the very important ministry officials he saw on his way to the Minister's office.

James knocked a few times before hearing the 'ok' from within, and he pushed the door open. The Minister, an old man who was far past beginning to bald on top, was sitting at his desk, scribbling his signature on some papers while a stern-looking 20-something man in pitch black robes and with a stone face waited next to the desk.
"Take a seat, James, this will only take a minute."
James did as he was told and took the comfortable cushioned seat on the other side of the minister's desk. He looked up at the man who was who was waiting for the folder of documents back; the man did not take his eyes off the far wall so James turned his attention instead to the room itself.
The office was as he remembered seeing it as a child, when his parents (very high-ranking wizarding officials) has brought him in to meet the Minister of Magic; it was fairly plain, a personal carpet down on the floor on top of the original crimson-red carpet, a few old photos of past ministers on the wall, dozing in their frames, a cloak stand in the corner, and a personal fireplace for the minister's most important guests. The minister himself sat behind a gorgeous chestnut desk; it was strewn with paper and ink bottles, several old quills and paper-weights. It was an odd sight for this junk-heap of a desk to be sitting right in the middle of such an immaculately tidy room.
The Minister signed one last document and closed the folder, handing it back to the young man next to the desk, who bowed but did not speak, turned on his heel and exited the office, shutting the door behind him.
The Minister paused a second before he looked up at James.
"My you've grown, James Potter," he said, beaming across at the young man.
"Yes it's been years since I've been in here," James replied, and added politely, "How have you been?"
"Oh, you know...I'm about as good as a tired old man of my age can be. Getting by with just a little more effort than when I was a young'en like yourself," he replied, smiling in reminiscent way. "Anyway, that'll all be over soon!" he added cheerily.
James looked surprised. "Are you stepping down, Minister?" he asked.
"Yes, I think it's time, James. Once we find a new replacement, I'll be out of here for good and on my way to a relaxing retirement." He looked very pleased at the prospect. "Now, down to business," he said, suddenly looking ready for action.
James sat up a little higher in his chair, and braced himself for whatever questions might come his way.

Sorry it took me forever to get this new chapter up...im way ahead of this is writing..lol...just been reallllyy busy!

More soon!

Jes xoxoxo