Disclaimer- I do not own it. Happy?
Summary: Lily Evans is forced to get a summer job…and soon her mother takes matters into her own hands. Before you know it, things are spiralling out of control as Lily takes on the task of doing laundry…James Potter's laundry.
A/N: Ok, so I'm a horrible person for not updating in so long, but ok, give me a chance to explain ok? See, school was devised by an evil, evil man (not a woman. Women are more sensible than that) and with this horrible thing (ok, so I secretly like school…shhhh…) comes homework (I can assure you, I DO NOT secretly like this). Plus there's all this pressure for me to do exceptionally well as my choice of post-secondary education will be looking at my grade eleven transcript. Plus there's the fact that my (older) sister is engaged to my physics teacher's (younger) brother and there's lots of dress shopping trips.Yeah… My life is quite…er…entertaining right now. But enough excuses. You've all been brilliant by sending me so many reviews, so finally, I am holding up my end of the bargain.
Previously on WJWLily freaked cause James removed all of his boxers from his laundry (which Lily had to do by default), which turned an awkward situation to an even MORE awkward situation. Lily called in reinforcements (AKA Chelsea) who didn't help matters much by mentioning non-existent silk boxers. (Which for anyone who didn't understand the significance, it was simply Chelsea stirring the metaphorical pot, ok?)
Washing James' Whites Chapter Five
Lily stormed intoChelsea Fanrae's room, a look of murder on her usually pleasant face.
"Lily my pet, how are you?"
"I'm going to kill you. No, first I'm going to torture you, THEN I'll kill you. How does shattering your kneecaps sound?"
"Sounds lovely, now I've been meaning to talk to you---"
"I hate it when you don't take me seriously."
"Yes well brighten up my friend," Chelsea said, smiling brightly, "I want to hear about how the rest of the day went."
"How the rest of the day went? HOW THE REST OF THE DAY WENT? I'll tell you how it went, I stayed locked up in the laundry room, banging my head against the wall because not only was the situation awkward enough, you had to go and mention NON-EXISTANT SILK BOXERS!"
"Well now Lily-kins, they might very well exist, we just weren't in possession of them."
"I hate you right now."
"Love you to Lily-kins, now what are we going to do about you and boxer-boy?"
"Nothing," Lily said, glaring at her friend, "We are not going to do ANYTHING. Understand?"
"No. We are going to put aside this long-time feud between the two of you once and for all. Remember the Psychic, Lily? She said you were destined to marry James Potter. That's what started this whole thing! You were so vehemently opposed to being told what your future was, even at the age of ten, and so you refused to like him. You use everything against him, even now when he isn't such a prat."
"That psychic was a crack addict. She said you'd be top of the class."
"I was in divination. For a week, remember?"
"Oh yes, now I'm completely convinced," Lily drawled, rolling her eyes and huffing slightly. Chelsea sighed.
"Admit it Lils, your heart likes him but your brain is just slow on the uptake cause you've poisoned yourself against him for so many years."
There was a long pause, in which Lily Evans stared at the spot where the floor met the wall, and looked as if it was the most enthralling thing she had ever seen.
"You're wrong."
"Excuse me?"
"You're wrong. I don't like him. I may not hate him, but I don't like him."
Chelsea watched her friend for a moment, and then nodded.
"Ok."
"What, that's it?"
"Yes, of course."
"No more persuasive arguments?"
"No."
"No cajoling?"
"No."
"No coercing?"
"No."
"No blackmail?"
"No, Lily, no blackmail."
"Good," Lily said, nodding sharply, "I should go now, my mother is expecting me home."
"Bye, Lily," Chelsea said, walking her friend to the door. And as Chelsea made her way back up the stairs to her room, a disastrously devious smirk was already spreading across her lips.
The incessant knocking was beginning to bother James Potter. He wasn't sure long how it had been going on, but he was seriously considering the idea of throwing something in the direction it was coming from. James let out a groan and looked at his clock.
6:45 AM
Someone, James decided, better be in mortal danger or he was going to be very, verypeeved. James rolled out of bed, ran a rough hand through his hair, and stomped to his bedroom door.
To his surprise, no one was there.
The knocking persisted.
"COME ON JAMES, YOU IDIOT!"
"Chelsea?"
"No, it's a talking marshmallow. WHO DO YOU THINK IT IS?"
James scratched his head, "Where are you?"
"Outside your window, you nit-wit."
James walked to his window and pulled back the curtains and there Chelsea sat on a broomstick, her arms crossed over her chest and looking rather unpleasant.
"Took you bloody long enough."
James didn't bother replying but simply sat down on his bed while Chelsea climbed in through the window.
"What are you doing here?" James asked, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.
"I needed to talk to you," Chelsea answered as she pulled a chair over and sat on it.
"Couldn't it have waited?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Lily can't know I'm here."
"Why?"
"Because then she'd kill me."
"Oh."
"Now listen to me, James, I need you to help me out, ok?"
"With what?"
"I need you to help me prove that Lily likes you."
"What?"
"I thought I told you to listen."
"You've gone nutters."
"Listen, she likes you, she's just too stubborn to actually admit it."
"What?"
"James, Lily likes you."
"It's too early in the morning…I could have sworn I heard you say that Lily likes me."
"She does."
James gave Chelsea a skeptical look, "She sure doesn't act like it."
"I told you," Chelsea sighed, "She's stubborn."
James ran a hand through his hair and let out a groan, "So if what you say is true, what am I supposed to do?"
"You have to be her prince charming."
"Her what?"
"Oh come on, it's not just a muggle term. You have to sweep her off her feet…treat her like a princess…be charming---"
"I am charming!"
Chelsea sighed, then looked at her watch, "I'd better go, Lily will be here in a bit and you need to get ready."
"Get ready?"
"Potter, just go take a shower and doll yourself up, ok?"
"Chelsea, are you sure you're right?"
"Positive," Chelsea said, smiling reassuringly as she climbed back out the window on her broomstick, "Now get a move on, James."
James had been on edge the entire day. Lily had been shocked at how quiet he had been. And he had been almost annoyingly and suspiciously polite. Of course, everything had also been extremely awkward do to the knicker-incident the day before.
It was four o'clock when the Potters arrived home early from work.
"Oh, Lily, I forgot to tell you we'd be home early. James' aunt and uncle are coming over for dinner today. You're invited to stay of course," Mrs. Potter added, smiling kindly.
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly impose---"
"Nonsense," boomed Mr. Potter, "we'd love to have you stay for dinner!"
"Are you sure?" Lily asked, still unsure. Mrs.Potter laughed, "Lily, of course we're sure!"
"Alright, thank you, I'd love to stay," Lily said, smiling.
It was six o'clock when the Panners arrived. The bustled in the door, full of laughter and friendly greetings and hugs.
"And who is this beautiful young woman?" Mr. Panner asked, looking at Lily. Lily blushed and smoothed her black knee length skirt.
"Lily Evans," she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft.
"Ah so are you James' girlfriend? Or Sirius'?" Mrs. Panner asked, smiling. Lily let out a scoff, "Neither, just a friend from school. I've been babysitting James' nephew."
"I see, well, our son, Derek, is---"
"Sorry I'm late! I got held up and---"
Derek trailed off as his eyes landed on Lily. Derek was the very definition of tall, dark and handsome…and Lily felt her stomach give an odd lurch.
"---Andwho is this?"
"Lily Evans. Pleased to meet you….?"
"Derek."
"Derek," Lily said, smiling.
Sirius, who had been relatively quiet, elbowed James.
"This doesn't look good, mate," he whispered. James nodded, his mouth suddenly feeling dry.
Derek took Lily's hand and kissed it. Lily let out a giggle, which then caused her to blush.
"Well, dinner is almost ready, why don't we all head into the dining room for some drinks?" Mrs. Potter suggested, sensing the growing tension in the room.
As the group moved to leave, James hung back and grabbed Derek by the arm.
"Derek, leave her alone," James said bluntly.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Derek asked.
"Well no---"
"Then she's free game, isn't she?"
"Don't talk about her like that."
"Like what?"
"Like she's some animal that you intend to shoot."
"James, lighten up," Derek said as he followed in the direction of the others.
In the dining room, Derek and James sat on either side of Lily.
"So Lily," Derek asked, "What do you plan to do after Hogwarts?"
"Lily, would you pass me a napkin?" James asked. Lily scowled, passed James a napkin and then turned to Derek.
"I'm not entirely sure, I figure I'll probably---"
"Lily?"
Lily whipped around in her chair to face James, "What, Potter?"
"I wanted the other napkin."
"Can't you see I'm trying to have a conversation?"
With that, she turned away from him.
"Smooth move there, Prongsie."
"Shut up, Sirius."
"Look, so what if she's talking to Derek? I mean Derek may be a womanizer and he may try to convince her to go into the backyard with him so they can snog like mad snogging-things, but Lily wouldn't do that. It's isn't proper."
"Thank you Sirius, that was very consoling," James replied flatly.
"James, you told me that Chelsea was positive that Lily liked you, she couldn't be wrong."
"Well it sure seems like she is."
"Dinner is ready," Mrs. Potter announced, using magic to make many dishes of food appear on the table. Everyone dug in.
James was brooding so much that Sirius had to step on his foot five times before James realized that he was trying to eat his soup with a knife. Laughter kept erupting from Lily and Derek as they chattered away through dinner. It wasn't until dessert that James had finally had enough.
Sirius knew something was wrong the moment James wasn't eating his ice cream. He was just staring at it. Or more precisely, he was glaring at it. Sirius, knowing that something big was about to happen, pressed a small button on his watch.
James began to shake with anger.
Chelsea burst into the room.
Every glass in the room shattered.
The room fell silent.
Lily stared in shock at Chelsea.
Derek looked at James.
James stood up.
Derek stood up.
"James! Don't!" Chelsea shouted.
James punched Derek right in the face.
Lily screamed.
Sirius tried to pull his friend away from Derek.
Derek pulled out his wand and fired a curse at James.
It missed.
"Is that the best you've got?"
"Boys, stop this instant!" Mrs. Panner yelled.
"James!" Mr. Potter reprimanded.
"Derek!" Mr. Panner scolded.
"You're such a prat, James. You're acting like a twit just because Lily likes me better than you!"
James lunged at Derek.
"STOP! BOTH OF YOU!"
Everyone froze.
Lily stood, her body shaking with rage.
"You," she said, pointing at James, "are an idiot. And you," she turned to Derek, "you're no better."
Lily glanced at Chelsea, frowned and then swept out of the room and out the front door.
Derek walked out of the room, followed by his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Potter frowned at their son, then left as well.
James looked at Sirius, and Sirius shrugged. Chelsea stepped forward, shaking her head.
"This wasn't what I had in mind, James. I knew it was a good idea to talk to Sirius about an emergency call signal. Although, I had hoped he wouldn't have to use it."
James looked at the floor, then ran a hand through his hair.
"I screwed up."
"Yes, you did, but it's fixable. At least I hope. Give me two days."
Two days later, Lily showed up at the Potter's doorstep with a suitcase, and a very large box of Kleenex.
Mrs. Potter opened the door, "Hello Lily, I'm so glad you could come and stay here while your parents are on their business trip. I'm sorry to hear you're sick, though."
Lily smiled as best she could, "Yeah, thanks for letting me stay. It was unfortunate that Chelsea's parent's are away as well so I couldn't stay with her as she's with her aunt."
Lily dragged her stuff up to her temporary room without a glance at James. She hadn't spoken to him for two days, even when she had been babysitting. She had explained to the Potters that she didn't mind babysitting. It wasn't Travis' fault that James was a prat.
The next morning, Lily woke up with a fever.
"Lily, you can't just walk around with a fever. You could end up killing yourself."
"James has a very valid point, Lily," Sirius acknowledged.
Chelsea, who had come over to see Lily, nodded.
Lily slammed down the teapot.
"I'm fine, ok?" she said angrily.
"Lily, it's for your own good. I can look after Travis wile you rest," Chelsea offered.
Lily, sitting at the table, stood up and made to storm over to the fridge to grab some cream, but she never made it. She hesitated, then her knees buckled and she fainted. James rushed forward and managed to catch her before she hit the floor.
He picked her up, carried her to her room, and laid her down on the bed. He stared at her for a moment, before turning to find Chelsea right in front of him.
"Alright James, I've gotten you this far," Chelsea said, "Now show her who you really are. It's time to put on that shinning armor you hide under your bed."
A.N: Ok, so it's ten pages long….does that earn me any bonus points even though it took me so long to update? Again, I'm sorry it took so long….
I hope this makes you happy…or at least less peeved at me…Lol.
Don't forget to review!
---SuperSpy