Chapter Twenty-Three: Secrets and Surprises

Upon returning home for the summer, Lily learned that her sister and Vernon had decided to push their wedding to the end of September instead of the end of August as previously planned. Lily acted appropriately disappointed for her parents sake, on the inside she couldn't help but be relieved. What was more is that the professors had set a literal mountain of homework for the sixth-year students for the summer. It was a fantastic excuse for Lily to avoid being involved in wedding planning conversations. Not that Petunia wanted her there but Mrs. Evans did. Naturally Lily finished all the work in the first week of the holiday before beginning her rounds of rereading all her favourite books.

It was now midway through July and Lily couldn't handle Petunia any longer. She had to use all her self-restraint to not talk about magic or intentionally freak Petunia out. Of course she managed to do it on accident at least five times a day.

Lily was washing the dishes by hand. And seriously considering pulling out her wand to help herself now that she was no loner underage. Petunia shrieked as an owl tapped on the window. Lily dropped the plate she'd been washing into the sink with a splash.

"It's a bird, Tuney. Just a bird." Lily muttered as she wiped her hands on the floral apron and let the owl into the kitchen. She was James's beautiful barn owl, Stella. "Leave it to James to pick the prettiest owl."

Stella cooed at the compliment and nipped Lily's finger. She fluttered to the still open window gave a soft hoot and took off. Lily looked at the familiar script on the parchment and a flutter of her own bounced through her chest.

"Stop it. He's just a boy and you're just friends with him." Lily set the letter aside and hurried to finish the dishes.

Petunia glared at her from the sitting room as Lily bounded up the stairs two at a time letter in hand. "Freak."

Lily,

I hope you're well. I'm writing to tell you that if I lose my sanity over the course of the next six weeks that the blame falls on the shoulders of Sirius and Marlene who might as well be shagging but aren't. Honestly the amount of tension between them is driving me mad. I'm going to have to be locked away in one of those madhouses the muggles have if I have to hear my father try to give Sirius the 'talk' one more time. It's a shame about your sister's wedding. Between you and me, Remus was really looking forward to it. He was flattered that you asked him to be your date. I on the other hand am put out that you did not ask me. Sirius hasn't shut up about it not being him for two weeks. Please save me!

Marlene said she was going to write you but I figured I would ask. AS FRIENDS! Sirius, Marlene, and I are going to Diagon Alley the first weekend in August to pick up our supplies and it would be great if you would come too. Marlene said Alice would probably come.

Lily looked up as she heard a tap on her bedroom window. This time it was Marlene's owl. She was certain this was Marlene's letter telling Lily the same information James was. She let the owl in and laid some owl pellets out on her desk.

Lily!

James is such a wanker. He thinks that because you're letting him write to you over the summer that it means he can try to usurp me. Queenie will not leave until you reply to my letter. Tell me you'll meet us in Diagon Alley the first Saturday of August! Then you can come spend that first week with me and Alice.

XOXO

Mar

Queenie hooted impatiently. She matched Marlene's personality. Lily chuckled as she penned a quick reply to Marlene telling her she needed to ask her parents first but it was likely a yes. She settled back on the bed and picked up James's letter again. There was that little flip in her stomach again.

I'm looking forward to seeing our new Head Girl in person. Don't be bashful, there's no one else Dumbledore would pick. I promise to be on my best behaviour this year.

James

Lily felt all warm and tingly inside. Mrs. Evans popped her head in to Lily's room and smiled. "Lily dear, why don't you come and join your father and I in the den?"

Mrs. Evans didn't miss her daughter tuck the note she'd been reading into the now tattered copy of Peter Pan. A special book for a special note? Mother and daughter made their way down to the den. Mr. Evans was reading the paper. This round of radiation was really taking a toll on him. Lily kissed his cheek and then settled into her favourite arm chair by the record player.

"Anything you'd like to tell us dear?" Mrs. Evans had picked up her knitting.

"Actually, would it be alright if I met up with Alice and Marlene in Diagon Alley on the seventh? And could I go and stay with Marlene for the week after that?"

Mr. Evans looked at Lily over the paper. His glasses down at the end of his beaky nose. He glanced sideways at Mrs. Evans. The two shared a look. "Will there be any boys?"

Lily maintained her composure although on the inside her brain was headed towards full out crisis mode. Her parents couldn't know. Lily didn't even know herself if she liked James. "I think some of the boys from our year will be around. Marlene is really good friends with James and Sirius."

"So which one have you been getting letters from for the past two weeks?" Mrs. Evans didn't even look up. If Lily didn't know any better she'd say her mother had been spying on her.

"I've been writing to a few people over the past few weeks. It's strange going from sharing a dormitory with four other girls to having a room to myself."

Mr. Evans let out a laugh. "That is a diplomat's response, miss. Now answer your mother's question. Which boy have you been writing to?"

Lily scowled slightly at her father. "I've been writing to James and Remus mostly."

"And will Remus be at Diagon Alley?" Mrs. Evans asked. Lily always said nice things about the boy and they seemed to be good friends. The way Lily had explained it they had spent much of their last term together.

"Mum, I'm not dating Remus. We're really good friends. Anyways he and Marlene were together last year."

Mrs. Evans smiled at her daughter. She nodded towards Lily's father. "Alright, you can go to stay with Marlene but no boys."

Lily promised her parents that there would be no boys around Marlene's except for her brother Max. Lily further explained she had it on good authority from Marlene that he was in a rather serious relationship right now. She also told them that Max was not fond of the boys in a big brother protector way nor did he live at home. Max had his own flat but came around for Sunday dinners. This seemed to satisfy the Evans'.

Mr. Evans closed the newspaper, folded it, and placed it on the table beside him. In his lap was a small jewelry box, the kind that rings came in. "Your mother was looking for some things for your sister's wedding when she came across these. I gave them to her a long time ago."

The box opened to reveal a pair of absolutely gorgeous art deco style earrings. The center stone in each was a deep emerald with tiny diamonds that spiked out around it. They were the most beautiful thing that she had seen. Lily sat down on the floor beside her father and accepted the little box from him.

"Mum, these are beautiful. Are you sure that you want to part with them? Thank you!" Lily pulled the little pearl studs she had in her ears out and put on the new earrings. "What do you think? How do they look?"

Mrs. Evans stood up and crossed to her daughter. She knelt down on the floor and pulled a few pins from Lily's hair. She gently rolled the hair back from Lily's face on either side and pinned it back. "With a little bit of lipstick, you'd look like an actress straight from the silver screen."

Lily couldn't help herself, she got up and went to the hall to look in the mirror in the entry way. She could see it. A deep red lip and a cat-eye and Lily would be like some of those American actresses of the 1930s. A shimmering green gown came to mind, off the shoulder with a flare at mid-thigh. She didn't see her mother peering around the doorway at her.

James was sitting at the kitchen table, shoveling pancakes into his mouth when Sirius walked in looking rather groggy. The boy sat down across from James and stacked pancakes on his plate. They were halfway through their third helping when Stella swooped in through the open window. She dropped envelopes in front of the nearly empty serving plate.

"Hogwarts letters," James murmured as he reached for his. Sirius mumbled something with a mouth full of pancake that James couldn't understand. "Honestly, Padfoot."

The first piece of parchment was the standard letter informing him of the necessary supplies for the year. Also included on this was a list of items that were banned. Sirius got a good laugh out of that. James had to read the second page three times before he realized that some type of mistake had to have been made. He hadn't heard Sirius trying to talk to him until the other boy snatched the parchment from his hand.

"Have they finally decided not let you back? How sad."

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Dear Mr. Potter,

I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Head Boy for the academic year of 1977-'78. Enclosed you will find your badge. You will be responsible, alongside the appointed Head Girl, to lead the student prefects this year and setting an example for the student body as a whole. On September 1st, please report to the Prefects' Carriage at the front of the Hogwarts Express. There you and the Head Girl will direct the appointed prefects to their patrols on the train.

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress

"They've gone off their rockers. You? Head Boy?" Sirius was barking laughter. "What is Lilyflower going to say when she realizes she has to work the whole year with you? How is she going to feel living with you? Going to get all cozy in the Heads' dorm? Merlin, Prongs! We have access to the Heads' dorm now!"

Euphemia entered the kitchen to find out what the ruckus was. The Head Boy badge was sitting on the table between her two sons. She watched James try and snatch the piece of parchment back. They both froze when they saw her. James made one more grab for the page but Sirius held his arm out in front of him handing it straight to Euphemia. He stuck his tongue out at James.

"Don't tell me that Minerva is sending home a letter before you've even gotten to school yet." Euphemia adjusted her glasses and read the letter. "Oh, James. Your father will be so proud."

James flushed and accepted the letter back. For a moment he thought Sirius might be jealous but his shaggy-haired friend was already planning how to use the Heads' dorm. Euphemia pretended not to hear him. She gave James a hug and took her cup of tea back to the library.

"You don't think they would give Head Girl to anyone other than Lily, do you?" Suddenly a hole opened up in James's stomach. What ifs flew around in his head. "I mean, I'm not a prefect so they could give Head Girl to any seventh-year girl, right?"

"Well you'll just have to wait and see won't you?" Sirius laughed. James sprinted from the kitchen towards the grand staircase. Sirius chased after him. "You don't get to owl her, that's cheating!"

Sirius and James grappled their way down the hallway, knocking paintings askew. The occupants of those paintings were less than please about this. Finally they reached James's bedroom only to find that Stella was not in her cage. James cursed when he realized he had owled Remus this morning and that she had not returned yet.

"Guess you'll have to wait." Sirius practically skipped from the room.

Sirius caught James preening in front of the mirror. "Hot date, Prongs?"

James flicked sparks from his wand at Sirius. "Can you not?"

"Trying to look sexy for Lily? You might as well not even bother trying. Not when you'll be standing next to this fine piece of ass." Sirius danced out of the room to go wait for James in the library. They planned to all meet at the Leaky Cauldron at eleven.

Sirius and James arrived fifteen minutes late, much to James's displeasure. Sirius had thought it would be funny to change all the clocks in the Potters' home overnight so they were running fifteen minutes behind. He enjoyed the expression James made when he realized that they were late.

Lily and Marlene were enjoying a butterbeer in a booth at the Leaky Cauldron when the boys showed. Lily explained to them that Alice was going to join them later this afternoon. The girls cackled about how she had to spend the day with Frank's mum. The boys scooted into the booth. Sirius sat next to Lily and winked at James. He tossed his arm over the back of the booth and let it hover above Lily's shoulders.

James cleared his throat. "Lily, how has your summer been so far?"

Marlene snorted and rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend that you two haven't been writing back and forth daily. We all know you have been." This earned her glares from both of them.

"You excited about getting to live in the Heads' dorm this year, Lily?" The anticipation was killing him. He cried out and stared at Marlene when she kicked him hard in the shin. "What is wrong with you?"

"Lily didn't make Head Girl." Marlene muttered angrily through her teeth at him. James was a deer in the headlights as he looked at Lily across the table startled. She didn't meet his gaze and held a chagrin look on her face.

James stuttered and ruffled up his hair. "Aww man, Lily I'm sorry. Dumbledore doesn't realize what he's done. Sirius, do you want a butterbeer?" The boy tripped as he was getting out the booth and made his way to the bar to order from Tom.

Lily tried hard to keep her laughter soft. She covered her smile with her hand. "You two were right, this is going to be so much fun. Thank you, Sirius."

"Anything for Lilyflower," Sirius winked at her. "Let me go talk to James for a minute."

Sirius slid out the booth smoothly. Lily laughed as she caught Marlene looking at his arse. It was a common thing that was brought up in their letters over that summer. Lily couldn't help but agree with James that they just needed to shag and get it over with.

"Mate, maybe you should keep the fact that Dumbledore made you Head Boy a secret until we head to Hogwarts." Sirius murmured to James as they made their way from bar to booth. "I think it's a little fresh right now and you wouldn't want her to go back to hating you on account of being made Head Boy when she didn't make Head Girl."

James eyed Sirius skeptically. It was very rare that Sirius made such a rational comment that something had to be going on. He said as much to his friend. "What are you playing at, Black?"

Sirius made himself look all innocent. "Just channelling my inner, Moony. Oooh, have you told him yet?"

James cursed under his breath as they approached the booth. Remus would likely feel a little put out by the fact that a non-prefect had been made Head Boy. James made a mental note to let Remus know before they got to the Hogwarts Express.

The four Gryffindors finished their butterbeers and made their way to the alley behind the pub. Sirius tapped his wand on the wall and led the way into Diagon Alley. The normally packed street was not as full as it normally was. Plenty of people still mingled and shopped but the current climate with You-Know-Who was putting many people on edge. The Daily Prophet had reported more missing witches and wizards earlier that week.

The girls let the boys drag them over to Quality Quidditch Supplies where they picked up things for the coming season. As they passed Madam Malkin's, a green dress in the window made Lily stop. Her face fell a bit when she saw the cost on the tag. She smiled at Marlene who looped her arm through the redheads. James didn't miss the crestfallen expression.

"Thinking of buying her a gift, are you?" Sirius quipped softly. He danced out of the arm that would have smacked him square in the chest.

The four of them were sitting at Fortescue's enjoying ice cream when Alice appeared in the window. She smiled brightly and waved to them. "Thank goodness I finally found you! I've been looking for you lot everywhere!"

"How's Mrs. Longbottom, Alice?" Marlene laughed at the face Alice pulled. The brunette launched into rant about her.

"The worst part is I didn't even get to see Frank! He has been so busy with auror training that I hardly see him." She elbowed Sirius who was making animated faces and pretending to be her as she complained. "At least I am getting some, Black."

"You hearing this pipsqueak, McKinnon? Maybe we should head out and teach her a lesson." Marlene blushed slightly and ducked her head a little. Lily and Alice looked at each. Neither had seen Marlene act bashful before.

They made their way to Flourish and Blotts, strategically making this the last stop since no one wanted to carry around stacks of books with them while they shopped. James caught Lily glance at the green dress in the window. After finishing with their shopping the girls started to make their way back the Leaky Cauldron where they would apparate to Marlene's.

James stopped Sirius. "Sirius and I still have a few errands to run. Alice, Lily, we'll see you on the train. Mar, mum says to come around for tea next Sunday with her and your gran."

"Where are you going James Potter?" Marlene raised her eyebrow and eyed the two boys. She spent enough time with them to know that they were up to something. "If you think you can step foot down Knockturn then you're wrong. I'll tell Auntie Eu."

Sirius was near bouncing behind James. "Don't worry, McKinnon. I'll keep Prongs out of trouble."