This is fine. Everything is fine. You're not in trouble. You're here because Ms. Sinistra is representing you. Just be honest.
Lily's foot taps rapidly on the ground, slipping in and out of her sensible black ballet flat as she sits in the stiff cushioned chair on the other side of the wide cherry desk, waiting for Aurora Sinistra to return. Mona set Lily up with her attorney and longtime friend after Severus had served the intent to sue papers nearly a month ago. Their first meeting was by phone, where Aurora advised Lily to collect any receipts, written agreements, texts, or other messages that could help with the case for them to go over today.
The process of gathering said documentation took far longer than Lily wanted it to, but seeing as how she is stuck in England, she couldn't hop on a quick puddle jumper to return home and had to rely on Petunia's help as a result. Petunia had begrudgingly agreed after insisting Lily tell her what was going on, and the paperwork arrived last week after multiple 'I told you not to trust hims' and 'when are you going to find a sensible jobs'? Lily shakes the recollection from her mind. She doesn't need her unsupportive sister in her ear, berating something she has no control over.
"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," a light, yet business-like voice interrupts her thoughts as she whips her head around to see the newcomer. "You must be Lily. I'm Aurora Sinistra. It's lovely to meet you, though I'm sure you'd rather it be under other circumstances."
The woman has long, jet-black hair with streaks of gray. Her face is severe, with angled cheekbones and thin lips, but her pale blue eyes are soft and kind, surrounded by well-placed wrinkles that match the stress of her career. Aurora extends her hand and Lily takes it, offering a firm handshake in return before speaking.
"Thank you so much for agreeing to work with me on this. I'd honestly be lost without you and Mona." She offers a weak but grateful smile as the nerves continue to bubble traitorously in her stomach.
"Of course. Anything for a dear friend of Mona's. Now, I know we talked briefly about what I'll need to help you fight this case and we'll get to that soon. But first, I'd like to get started by hearing your story."
"My story?"
"Yes. I know I've asked you to gather any important document you can find to build your case, but in order to fight this, I want to know everything about your relationship with Mr. Snape."
"Oh, um, alright."
Lily should have been expecting this. How else could a lawyer defend her if they didn't know the details of her partnership with the man?
"Where would you like me to begin?"
"How about when the two of you first met?"
"About a year and a half ago. I was having coffee in Belfast at my favorite shop—Deja Brew. I'd brought a few samples from a menu I'd created for a tea party I was catering. I'd just finished up with the client and was making notes and adjustments to the menu when he approached me."
"So he was friendly then?"
"Y-yes. He complimented the spread of leftover desserts I had with me, and I offered him some. The less I had to carry home, the better," Lily recalls with a chuckle. "He seemed so nice and genuine, and when we parted ways, he left me his business card."
"And that business card is in the documentation you've brought?" Aurora asks, pulling the file toward her and opening it to sift through.
"Yes. There's not much information on it, other than his number and the word 'investor' under his name."
Aurora finds the business card and studies it, while Lily looks on. Her palms begin to sweat and she's becoming more nervous now, despite the constant reminders to herself that she'd done nothing wrong.
"I looked him up, even called around to get a sense of his reputation. I wouldn't just blindly trust someone with something so important to me! Everything checked out and seemed to be legit, so I called him and we began meeting for coffee. I'd bring whatever treat I'd been testing that week in the kitchen, and he'd always gratefully accept. Honestly, he was a great friend to have."
Aurora nods along as she continues to sift through the documents. "Who brought up the partnership?"
"He did. I never called him initially to meet with that in mind. I simply wanted to ask him questions and get a better sense of what I'd need from the financial side of expanding my business to an actual storefront. Sev would give me tips and pointers when we'd meet, and I'd continue developing my business plan, which you can see in the files."
"I see." Aurora purses her lips and Lily is dying to know what she's thinking. "So, he's the one who suggested the partnership to you?"
"Yes, about ten months later—last summer. I'd come into the shop excited that day after securing a huge wedding gig. It was going to give me enough to secure a deposit for a small shop that I'd seen for rent near St. George's Market. I was perfectly happy moving forward on my own, but then he suggested we work together. That he knew a better location that was coming available in a few months."
"Did he offer to help cover the rest of the finances to get you up and running?"
"Yes, and to help outfit the space with the right equipment. I wasn't sure at first. I'd done everything on my own and part of me still wanted to prove I didn't need any extra help, but he drew up a contract and wasn't asking for much of my profit in return, and I trusted his friendship enough to give it a shot."
Tears were stinging Lily's eyes in shame as she rehashed the events leading up to the moment everything had fallen apart. She desperately tried to blink them away, trying to hide them from her legal consultant.
"Lily, I don't fault you for anything you've said so far. You've got a sensible head on your shoulders, and judging by a glance of what you've provided, you followed all the right steps. From the research my legal aide has conducted on Mr. Snape, his business is legitimate, though he tends to err on the side of medical research. Yours is the first instance where he pursued something outside of that field."
"It is?"
"You didn't know?"
"I—no. I never wanted to be rude and inquire about his other investments. I didn't think it was appropriate.
"Be that as it may, it's enough to help build our defense."
Lily lets out a deep exhale, her body relaxing in relief as she leans back against the chair. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, thank yourself. Your attention to detail and record-keeping is what's going to help us. Though, there is one thing that seems to be missing."
A knot of dread twists in Lily's gut, erasing the sense of relief she felt only moments ago. "Oh? Petunia sent me everything she could find in my files, and I printed everything I had on my laptop that might pertain to the case."
She racks her mind for anything she could have forgotten. All of her finances, the intent to lease from the realtor, even all of her text exchanges with Severus are in that file.
"Where is the copy of the final contract Severus wanted you to sign?"
A cold sweat crashes over Lily's body, causing her to freeze as panic begins building in her core. Her heart beats erratically in her chest as visions of that day outside what would have been her bakery smash together in a taunting matter. His negotiation, the new agreement he proposes, and the way he rips the contract in two.
"I never received one." Her voice is no more than a whisper, eyes pleading with Aurora to tell her that won't matter even though deep down she knows it will.
Aurora remains calm, observing Lily's frenzied state while closing the file. "Well, I won't lie to you. That will make things much more complicated to fight, seeing as how we have no grounds to prove what Snape was asking for."
At these words, Lily buries her head in her hands. Even if the fight isn't lost yet, she knows she's got no chance of proving Sev was after something more than being her business partner. She can't bear to look at Aurora, feeling as though she's let her lawyer—and Mona, for helping with the connection—down. And now, any money she's made while in England to help get her back on her feet is going to be sucked into legal fees for a case that should be as good as closed.
"Lily, please don't give up. There's enough here to help you fight this. We're just going to have to work harder and smarter to expose this man's true intentions."
Forcing herself to look up and stay strong despite everything crumbling around her, Lily asks, "But what if it's all for nothing? What if he's more convincing?"
"Then shame on the judge for believing him. This is far from over."
"Really?" Lily can't help but be skeptical.
"Yes. I believe you, and I will do everything in my power to make the court believe you too."
Lily does her best to stay positive on her way home. She doesn't want to bring Marlene or Mona down with her lousy attitude, but she can't help berating herself over such a minuscule mistake. But as the thoughts fester, her guilt transforms into anger, and all she wants to do is call Severus up and scream at him for being a slimy little liar who needs to use his money to try and get a girl. Too bad Aurora has advised against contacting him, not that she would anyway.
Maybe Marlene would be up for checking out one of those new axe-throwing places, or that spot where you can pay to go into a room and break stuff. Yeah, that's exactly what Lily needs to make herself feel better.
When the private town car rolls up to the familiar house, Lily grabs her bag and exits the car, thanking him for driving her. Despite all her best efforts to try and hire a taxi, Mona insisted on her taking the car. When her time comes to an end here, Lily hopes she won't forget how to function as an independent woman when she returns to Belfast.
With a renewed sense of determination for a fun night out with her best friend, Lily enters the house and calls for Marlene, kicking off her shoes and shedding her coat, haphazardly dropping it on the floor in her haste to find her best friend.
"Marls! Where are you?"
"In the kitchen!"
"How was the meeting?" Mona calls.
A waft of cinnamon and sugar hits Lily as she barrels toward the back of the house and a brief thought leaves her wondering what Mona's baking before she carries on, "Absolute shit. How would you feel about trying one of those—REMUS?!"
Lily stops in the doorway of the kitchen when she sees that Mona and Marlene aren't alone and that her most trusted friend is sitting with them at the island, icing homemade cinnamon buns.
"It's about time you got home!" Remus beams at her as he places the piping bag on the counter and moves toward Lily to give her a big hug.
"What are you doing here?"
"Visiting you, of course!"
"But how did you—"
"Marlene invited me. She said you've been a little down lately with the case and the competition and...other stuff."
Lily's eyes dart over to Marlene. "You did not tell him about that!"
"She didn't have to. I saw it in the Daily Mail."
"See? I told him people look at the bloody paper!"
"Oh, it wasn't that noticeable. None of my friends knew it was you," Remus reasons, but Lily glares at him. "And I didn't tell them, either."
"I'm so relieved."
She walks over and joins them at the counter, reaching out for a cinnamon bun before Mona swats her hand away. "These are for tomorrow!"
"Aw, come on! Can't you see I need to stress eat?"
Marlene sniggers, "If you stress eat, you won't fit in that gorgeous dress this weekend."
Lily turns to her best friend. What dress is she talking about? The one she bought at the wedding expo? And why would she even need it? She had no plans other than stay at home and do nothing. Who knows when she'd be getting three days off again?
"What are you talking about? I've got no plans but to hang out with you three, and maybe go smash some stuff if I can convince anyone to come with me."
"Smash stuff?" Remus sounds interested in Lily's suggestion before Marlene glares at him.
"Marlene, what do you know about that I don't?"
"Come on, Lils, don't play dumb."
"Hard to play dumb when you really are. I have no idea what you're referring to."
"It's James's birthday weekend. We're going to Peverell!"
"No, we're not."
"Will you stop it? You can't honestly tell me James hasn't invited you." Marlene lays her hands down on the counter and leans forward, searching Lily's eyes for any hint of a lie.
"He did invite me," she says, there's no need to lie about it, "and I declined."
Marlene quirks an eyebrow while Remus watches the exchange in interest. Even Mona pauses from washing the dishes to give Lily a look of confusion.
"Why ever would you decline, dear?" Mona breaks the silent stalemate as water drips onto the ground from the rinsed baking sheet in her hand.
"Because it's not my place? We've only gone out a few times. It's not serious enough to warrant going home and meeting his mother. Besides, who would want to be around a bunch of stuffy, rich people? Seriously, who throws a ball for someone's birthday?"
"I think it's sweet," Marlene protests, her voice dreamy.
Lily sighs. She knows that Marlene is the one with the normal reaction here, and Lily should have been just as excited at the prospect of being invited away to the country for the weekend. But things with James are complicated, and she doesn't need any more excuses for the press to capture her identity with the court case looming. Especially now that she knows there's a weak shot at her winning on her verbal claims alone with no hard evidence to back it up.
"Well, you can think it's sweet all you want, but I'm staying here. Besides, I have an excuse now that Remus is here visiting! It would be rude to ditch him for a weekend away!"
She glances over to Remus, basking in her victory until she sees his cheeks redden and a sheepish smile cross his face. "Actually, I've been invited, too," he admits.
"What? How? You don't even know James!"
"No, but remember that night at the pub?" Marlene intervenes, "When we met James and Dora?"
"Marlene, don't—" Remus interjects, his face turning a darker shade of crimson.
"Oh, stop, I think your little crush from afar is cute! And Sirius seems to think Dora feels the same," Marlene giggles.
"Marls, don't tell me you're trying to play matchmaker. Remus lives in Northern Ireland! He's about to graduate culinary school and Dora hasn't finished secondary!"
This is all getting to be too much, and Lily's beginning to wonder if this is all some ridiculous elaborate scheme to get her there. Surely, James couldn't be arsed to try this hard for two nights with Lily nearby.
"But she is of age! Besides, Remus wants to go, right?"
"Yeah, it'll be fun!"
"And obviously, I'm going because I'd never turn down an invitation to spend more time with Sirius." Marlene bats her eyelashes as she smirks knowingly at Lily.
"Well, good for you two, but I'm sure Mona needs my—"
"Nope, the bakery is all set for the weekend. Lily, you deserve a break. Go. Spend time with your friends, wear a fancy ball gown, and dance with that sexy man," Mona folds her arms in front of her chest, reflecting the insistence in her tone.
"Yeah, Lils, come on. You have a hot guy who's clearly into you. Just have some fun. You know the press won't be around," Marlene reasons.
Yeah, but other people with camera phones might. Lily opens her mouth to protest, but then she notices the hope and excitement on her friends' faces. For whatever Godforsaken reason, they want to go away to Peverell, and they want her to come to.
"It'll be like a mini holiday, Lil. And who knows, maybe James will be so busy you won't even see him." Remus's voice is soft, giving Lily one final nudge in the right direction.
Lily closes her eyes, knowing that either way, this is a losing battle. Her mind is screaming no, while her heart shouts yes. All of the superficial reasons she's been feeding her brain are faltering, and slowly but surely, she realizes it will be easier to go than to stay here and let them go without her. At least there's an excuse to wear the too expensive gown she never should have splurged on.
"Fine."
"You'll go?!" The surprise in Mona's voice makes it hard for Lily to expel a dramatic sigh to make them feel guilty.
"I'll go. But you all owe me."
"Sure, Lil, whatever you say," Marlene winks.
Later that evening as Lily lays in bed, she pulls out her phone, figuring it's probably time to text him and let him know he's won. She has half a mind to just surprise him upon her arrival, but Sirius has already offered to take Marlene, Remus, and Dora. Four people in his sports car will be tight enough, even though Lily would gladly suffer in the middle seat if it meant making James wait it out a little longer.
Lily: Congratulations, you've won.
She hopes her passive-aggressive attitude shines through the words as she sends the message. It doesn't take long for him to respond.
James: I didn't know I was eligible for anything.
Lily: Has anyone ever told you you're not funny?
James: Only you.
James: But in all seriousness, care to tell me what I've won?
Lily: As if you don't know.
James: If I did, I wouldn't be asking.
Lily: My friends are forcing me to accompany them to Peverell this weekend against my will.
James: But I thought you weren't interested?
Lily: I'm not.
Lily: But since I care about my friends, and for some reason, they care about a weekend in the country, I find myself tagging along, yet somehow in need of a ride.
Lily: Which is why I still think you've orchestrated the whole thing to get me to change my mind.
James: Would it really be a bad thing?
Lily: That remains to be seen.
Lily clicks her phone off and throws her head back against the pillow. She doesn't want to be excited about the weekend. Doesn't want to feel the giddy rush of joy whenever a notification from James flashes on her screen, and yet, her heart continues to betray her. There is something seriously wrong with this situation.
Her phone buzzes, and eventually, after some more empty jabs back and forth, details are ironed out. Despite her best efforts to distance herself from James, she's now faced with a weekend in his company. At his family's estate. The prospect is both terrifying and exhilarating as she ponders what might happen if they find themselves in the privacy of each other's company.
She closes her eyes and imagines James's body pressed against hers, his lips trailing soft kisses over her body, and shudders. Her efforts to keep her distance have done nothing to stop the undeniable desire she has for James's touch. If anything, it grows stronger the longer they're apart. And with this, Lily knows without a doubt what will happen if the opportunity arises this weekend, and perhaps that is what scares her most of all.