Disclaimer: Not mine. Please don't sue me, because you'll make me cry.
A/N: Here's the next chappie. I tried to make it longer. I'm not completely sure if I succeeded.
Chapter 7: Diagon Alley
Lily was spinning. She had her eyes shut tight against the wind rushing around her as she traveled to the Leaky Cauldron. I definitely do not like Flooing. She thought bitterly. Then she fell out of the fireplace with a thump.
"LILY!" Someone shrieked and engulfed her in a big hug.
"Nikki, chill. Let her breathe." Nikki let go of Lily and Lily stood up shakily. She muttered darkly about fireplaces and spinning when she seemed to register who was standing in front of her. She shrieked and threw her arms around them both.
"I missed you guys!"
"Lily, now we need to breathe." Lexi choked out.
"Oh, right." Lily let go and the three friends laughed at the craziness of the situation. Then Sirius came tumbling out of the fireplace. The three girls laughed at the undignified heap he landed in. He stood up grumbling.
"S'not funny you know. James pushed me." Sirius pouted and Lexi playfully whacked him on the arm.
"C'mon Black, don't be such a sourpuss." Black hit her back and ran as she chased him around a table. Then Remus flew out of the grate, smashing his head against a chair that was moved in order to accommodate Sirius and Lexi's game. Nikki immediately rushed to his side.
"Remus! Are you all right?" Remus looked vaguely startled at the attention but soon smiled when he saw who was the giver of the attention.
"I'm fine. Just a bump really. Wouldn't have happened if James hadn't pushed me." Nikki helped Remus to his feet and they sat down at a nearby table watching Lexi chase Sirius. Then James calmly stepped out of the grate. Lily was waiting for him and before he could say anything pulled him aside.
"Look at them!" She hissed happily. James looked at his friends. "They're perfect for each other!" James nodded.
"Yeah, but they'll never admit it."
"I just hate that! I hate when two people who are perfect for each other and obviously like each other, are too stupid to just get together." (Ooh. Irony.) James nodded, obviously pleased with the attention.
"I have an idea." James said causing Lily to look afraid. James laughed, and Lily looked indignant. "If they don't get together by themselves by the time it's time to go to Hogwarts, we help them out."
"You mean get them together, using any means necessary." James laughed.
"That's pretty much it." Then the others seemed to notice that James was standing there. Sirius and Remus advanced on him. "Now guys, don't do anything you'd regret. I don't think my mum would be willing to feed you if you killed me." Sirius backed off. Remus sighed and gave up too, but only because Sirius did.
"Don't worry guys. I'll handle him." Lily said to a disappointed looking Remus and Sirius. James looked excited at the prospects. Then he smacked his head, remembering something.
"Oh, let me do that." Lily joked. James rolled his eyes.
"My mum says to go on without her, but to meet her back here in a couple hours. She wanted to have a chat with Lily's mum and so decided to have tea with her." Lily looked surprised but didn't say anything.
"So, where to first?" Nikki asked. She was still sticking close to Remus, Lily noticed.
"Gringotts obviously. Otherwise we'd have no money to do anything else." Sirius explained as if she were stupid. Nikki stuck her tongue out at him, and Sirius repeated the gesture. Lily laughed.
"C'mon guys! Let's get going. Or do you want to hang out here for the rest of the day?" Everyone followed her out back behind the Leaky Cauldron. They waited as a group of witches opened the portal and then walked into Diagon Alley.
The group headed straight for Gringotts, and was soon speeding along in a very cramped cart. They stopped at Lexi's vault, then Nikki's vault, then James' vault, and then Sirius' vault. When they went above ground once more, Lily traded in the muggle money her mum had given her, for some wizard's gold.
After leaving Gringotts, the six of them headed off for Flourish and Blotts. James, Sirius, and Remus, however veered off course when they passed the joke shop. None of the girls noticed until they actually got to the bookstore. They went back to get them.
"Oi! Ear abuse, that's what this is! Ear abuse! This is the second time today!" James whined. Lily didn't relinquish her hold on his ear.
"There is no way I'm letting you stock up here! I'm not going to be pranked the first day, James! I won't! Not unless you want a repeat of last year!" Lily fought back. Lexi and Sirius followed Lily and James out of the store. Lexi had Sirius's arm pinned behind his back.
"Give me back my arm! That's attached too! I actually have to use that!" Sirius protested.
"No! I agree with Lily! Don't you remember last year? Do you want a repeat?" Sirius whimpered and shook his head. Nikki and Remus, both of whom were walking normally, closely followed this pair.
"You'd think they would just give up." Nikki commented.
"Nope. Not James and Sirius. They'd rather chew off their own arms then be beaten again this morning." Nikki looked confused.
"What happened this morning?" Remus shook his head. "Oh look! I think Sirius is trying to chew off his arm!" Remus looked eager.
"Really?" Nikki copied Lexi and twisted Remus' arm behind his back.
"No. Now what happened this morning?" Remus panted in pain.
"Ask. Lily." Nikki released Remus' arm, but then grabbed his ear in a similar fashion to what Lily was doing. She hurried to catch up with Lily.
"So Lily. Remus here tells me that you had an interesting morning."
"Really? What'd he say?"
"That's all he would say and I can't get him to say anything else."
"Well let's just say, Sirius and James are regretting messing with me. Oh, and Mrs. Potter gave me full permission to beat the crap out of these guys whenever they do something "bad"." Nikki and Lexi looked gleeful. James and Sirius hung their heads in shame.
"Really?" Nikki asked. Lily nodded.
"This is going to be one hell of a year!" Lexi exclaimed.
The three girls dragged the three boys to get their books. After which the boys had relinquished themselves to the girls will. James was now carrying his and Lily's books.
Sirius was carrying his and Lexi's books. And Remus was carrying his and Nikki's books. The three boys followed the girls grumbling until they saw where they were being led.
"Quality Quidditch Supplies. You have one hour. Meet us in Madam Malkin's after your hour is up. If we have to come looking for you there will be pain." Lily opened the door and the three boys rushed in looking as if Christmas had come early. The girls laughed and headed off to do their shopping.
"So how about this color?" Lexi asked holding dark green robes up to herself in the mirror. Nikki shook her head, took the robes away from Lexi, and handed them to Lily.
"They match Lily's eyes. Here Lexi, you try these. They bring out the color in your face." Nikki took the pale red robes away from Lily and gave them to Lexi. Lily laughed.
"Nikki, what would we do without you?"
"Dress very badly, I suppose." The seriousness with which she said this set all three girls into a fit of giggles.
"So, Lily, how's your summer been so far?" Lexi asked from one of the changing stalls.
"It's been…interesting, to say the least." Lily answered from a neighboring stall.
"You have yet to explain the whole snuggling situation." Lexi pointed out. Lily laughed.
"Well, I had the perfect opportunity to start to get them back for all the pranks they played and I took it. I convinced Mrs. Potter to charm some cake, and they got turned into the cutest little kittens. I put Remus and Sirius in their little cat beds, and lay down on James' bed." Nikki and Lexi giggled. "I was tired!" Lily protested. More giggling ensued. "Anyway James hopped up on the bed and I sort of forgot that he would change back into human James. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and his arm was around my waist." Some suggestive giggles from the changing stalls on either side of Lily. "I just sort of fell back asleep like that. No big." Lily exited the stall to check out her reflection. She found the two girls gaping at her.
"Wait. You slept in the same bed as James, willingly?" Lily nodded.
"Who are you and what have you done with Lily?" Nikki bent over giggling at Lexi's stunned face.
"I am Lily! I just found out that maybe…just maybe…James isn't so bad." Lily had an almost dreamy look on her face. Nikki and Lexi looked at each other.
"Love." They said simultaneously. Lily broke out of her daydream.
"Wait a second. Are you suggesting I'm in love with James?" Both girls nodded. Lily looked kind of happy. "Oh. Just checking."
"Aren't you going to try and deny it?" Lily shook her head.
"I don't think I can. I'm not sure how I feel about him. So, definitely the green?" Nikki nodded.
"Lexi, you take the red and I'll take the blue." The girls went up and paid for their belongings laughing and joking everyone in a much lighter mood.
The boys' hour was up. Lily, Lexi, and Nikki were waiting very impatiently outside of the robe shop laden with new clothes. They were all very irritated at being kept waiting. (high maintenance, much?) (oh wait, I wrote them that way. heehee.)
"Where are they?" Lexi asked impatiently. Lily shook her head.
"Wait here." She growled, putting her things down on the sidewalk. She stomped off to Quality Quidditch Supplies.
A few minutes later, loud bangings and scrapings could be heard from that general direction. A loud screechy noise echoed out. James, Sirius, and Remus walked slowly toward Madam Malkin's. Their heads cast downward. Lily walked behind them smiling triumphantly.
The boys obediently picked up the girls' purchases and followed them to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream store. The boys sat down dejectedly. Lily held a whispered conversation with Lexi and Nikki and went into the store. A few minutes later, they left the store carrying three ice cream sundaes.
"We've decided to reward you for being such good boys." Lexi said mockingly. Sirius started to stick his tongue out at her, but stopped when he saw the sundae she was carrying. The three girls sat down.
"Where're yours?" Remus asked.
"We never could have eaten all that ice cream, so we're going to share. It kills two birds with one stone really. We don't get fat, and you don't become pigs." Nikki answered and gave a spoon to Remus. The boys sat there waiting for approval. The girls took a bite and looked curiously at them.
"Aren't you going to eat too?" Lily asked gesturing to the sundae she was sharing with James. The boys nodded. Lily smiled. "Aww. Were you guys being nice and letting us have the first bite?"
"Um…yeah! That's exactly what we were doing!" James said trying to cover up what the boys really thought. Then they dug in happily, while the girls tried to get in a few more bites before the sundaes were completely devoured. Everyone left the ice cream shop in high spirits.
"So when did your mum say to meet her?" Lily asked James. They were waiting in the Leaky Cauldron.
"She should be here in a couple minutes." He responded tiredly. Their group was spread out among the tables, their stuff taking up any extra floor place. Nikki looked like she was asleep on Remus and he looked perfectly content with that. Lexi and Sirius were thumb wrestling. And Lily and James were sitting and talking.
Suddenly the fire in the fireplace turned bright green. Mrs. Potter carefully stepped out. She surveyed the chaos of the room, until she found the group. She walked over smiling.
"Lily, that hair of yours is really quite useful. I don't know how else I would have found you guys in this madhouse." Lily blushed. "Oh dear, is Nikki asleep?" Remus nodded careful not to jostle Nikki. "Well then, you'll have to take her home, Remus."
"Please, mum, could everyone stay over tonight? It could be like a little party or something." Mrs. Potter nodded absently, trying to help Remus get Nikki into a standing position.
"I've already talked to everyone's parents. They're all okay with it." James smiled triumphantly.
"Well then! Homeward!" Sirius shouted playfully, acting like a pompous fool. Lexi hit him for waking up Nikki. Remus helped Nikki to walk over to fire and they Flooed to James' house, immediately. Sirius went next with his and Remus' stuff. Then Lexi went with her and Nikki's stuff. Next James went with his stuff. Lily went to head to the fireplace, but Mrs. Potter pulled her aside.
"Dear, be good to James." Lily looked questioningly at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"You obviously have his heart, and I just don't want him to get hurt." Lily smiled comfortingly.
"I won't hurt James. At least, not unless he deserves it." Mrs. Potter smiled at her.
"You know, I think you're exactly what James needs. Home then." Mrs. Potter led her to the fireplace. Lily Flooed to James' house with all of her stuff. As soon as she landed she was pulled out of the fireplace and into James' arms.
"Thanks James." He smiled and let her go. Then they walked into the entertainment room where everyone else was waiting. Everyone was laughing and joking. It would be a night to remember.
A/N: Braces suck. A lot. Maybe your reviews will help ease the pain. If not, Advil always works. I would really appreciate your reviews though. I like reviews. They're nice. Please be nice and review. I'll stop rambling now.
Bee :)