That Summer Chapter II
Lily woke up to the sounds of her roommates getting ready for the day. She only had a couple more hours of sleep the night before but was feeling rejuvenated all the same. She got out of bed with an easy smile on her face and bid the girls good morning. They didn't seem to notice Lily's good mood but she wasn't put off by it.
She had never formed a real bond with her roommates. Sure she would join in on the gossip once or twice, but overall, Lily thought they were a bit childish. As the years passed she had started to hang out more with the boys in her year. Not because they were any less childish but because somehow they always seemed to be at the same place at the same time.
Lily took a quick shower and set to do her morning routine. She used her wand to dry her hair, letting it fall to her waist in natural waves before putting on her shirt and magically shortened skirt. The weather was so nice that morning that she couldn't bring herself to wear the uniform knee socks so she only stepped into her high-heelled mary janes and looked at the floor length mirror appreciatively.
She could understand why people thought of her as one of the top five girls at Hogwarts.
Her body was lean and she was tallish for a girl but still her boobs were a nice size and she'd heard some of the boys say that her ass was 'fantastic' from all the Quidditch she plays. Not only was her body amazing but taking a closer look you could see that it wasn't her only attribute.
When they were third years, Elliot Avery had declared himself to her with a poorly thought out poem describing her face as seraphic. He still couldn't look her in the eye, years after she gently shot him down. Her lashes were dark and long, framing big, almond shaped, bright hazel eyes. Her button nose and full rosy lips completed the look of an angel. Or so Elliot had said.
She was past the time she used to think little of herself. Sure she still had insecurities like everybody else, but she knew she was gorgeous and she embraced it, sometimes even used it in her favour.
Lily grabbed her tie from her bedside table and set to tying it as she made her way to breakfast. The Great Hall was packed. There were only two more days of Hogwarts before the 7th years took their boats back to Hogsmeade station and left for the real world.
The bitterness in the air was so thick it was palpable.
She considered having breakfast with James and Fred but thought better of it. Even though this was their last year, it didn't mean she would be welcomed at the lions den.
She sat with Charlie Nott and Will Montague instead. They were what she considered to be the best fake friends she had. Fake because their relationship didn't exactly consist of telling each other deep secrets and braiding each other's hair at the common room. They simply stuck together because their personality matched and, again, they always seemed to be at the same place at the same time.
She guessed that didn't make them any less her friends — she did go to Charlie's house last summer after all — it was just different than what she had with her real best friend.
Lola Dursley was five years older than her and her ultimate best friend. They were cousins but really, it felt more like they were sisters. Lily spent days on end on her studio in muggle London with Dominique — the only Weasley cousin that really had absolutely no problem with Lily being a Slytherin — and she learned a lot about muggle culture because of her. Lily shook herself out of her reverie when she saw Charlie's attempts at making small talk.
"Another year gone by," he sighed dramatically and Lily rolled her eyes as a tiny smile played at her lips. Charlie was the most exuberant gay she'd ever met and she loved him for it.
"Oh, here we go," Will rolled his dark eyes at Lily and leaned into her space to shoot her a killer smile. He'd always been playfully flirty with everyone he met but this year Lily saw herself actually considering something else with him. He'd come back to his fifth year all new sorts of hot with his asian complexion sporting a nice tan and amazing muscles he developed for Quidditch.
"What?" Exclaimed Charlie with a playfully offended voice. "I'm just saying, we just finished our O.W.L's. From here on it's N.E.W.T.'s then the big, scary world and we'll all be separated because of life and then we'll only meet again ten years from now and we'll all be fat and old and— "
"Alright, Charlie tone it down, okay?" Lily cut him off. "Deep breaths, darling." She laughed at his antics and took a sip of the Lady Grey sitting in front of her. "We still have two whole years to go and even then we won't suddenly stop being friends."
"Besides," Will said around a mouthful, "do you honestly think Lily's gonna be fat ten years from now?"
Charlie nodded sagely.
"You're probably right," he conceded.
Lily huffed indignantly.
"Why am I the only one who isn't going to be fat?" She raised her eyes from her french toast to her incredulous looking friends.
"You're joking, right?" Will asked.
"No!" Lily exclaimed, genuinely curious now. Charlie laughed.
"Honey, you're, hm, how do I say this delicately..." he put his finger to his dark jaw, light brown eyes shinning mischievously, "you're the fucking queen of vain," he finished bluntly. Lily gasped.
"Am not!" She exclaimed eloquently. Seeing their unbelieving smiles, she continued, "Would I be eating carbs if I was vain?" Charlie scoffed.
"You only eat so much because you are a freak who never gets fat."
"She never gets fat because of all that exercise she makes," Will raises his brows suggestively with a wolfish grin, "if you know what I mean."
Lily rolled her eyes and tried not to blush when they laughed loudly.
"Careful, love, now that loverboy is gone you can't be eating this." Charlie tried to steal her french toast only to have his hand slapped away by Lily who glared mutinously at him.
"You seem to have forgotten that I'm on the Quidditch team and have extensive workouts every week, dear friends." They only snickered at her. "Besides, I'm so not vain." She mumbled.
"Okay, so you're not vain." Charlie granted while Will continued to snicker. "Just tell me what you normally do in the mornings."
"I —" Lily started but paused to think of all the getting ready she did that morning, "— am not going to dignify that with an answer."
Their snickers turned to loud laughter as she glumly turned back to what was left of her breakfast. She looked around and saw that their laughter turned quite a few heads but only one in specific caught her attention. Bright grey eyes that she couldn't see from the distance but knew held blue flecks, shone in amusement as they locked to hers.
Lily felt her whole body warm up when he winked at her from a couple of seats down. She wondered if he heard what they were talking about and this time the blush was impossible to contain. She broke eye contact with him as her cheeks reddened.
Her friends were looking at her with surprised expressions on their faces when she turned back to them. She didn't acknowledge their looks and took a sip of her drink again.
"What was that?" Charlie asked incredulously.
"What was what?" She decided to play dumb but of course they wouldn't go with it.
"You just shared a look with the King," he insisted.
"I didn't just share a look with Malfoy," Lily tried to downplay it.
"Uh, yeah, you did," Will said incredulously and Lily glared at him.
"Are you two siding against me? I'm telling you it was nothing." They visibly backed off, Will even raised his hands as she glared at them.
"Alright, darls, if you say so," Charlie appeased her.
"I do. It was nothing." Lily forced herself not to look back at the blond Adonis and mumbled into her cup, "Nothing at all."
.
.
.
The last two days went by in a blur of summer days spent under the sun and tearful goodbyes. As she leaned against the window of the train on the way home, Lily thought back to the past year. It was definitely a good one.
She got to experience her first puppy love and discover the pleasure shared between two people. She learned how to drink and party and that good relationships aren't always meant to last just because there were no fights. Lily felt like she'd grown up so much just on this last semester alone.
Her thoughts on coming back home were conflicted. She knew she wasn't looking forward to telling her family about her breakup but she did miss them. And then there was the minor detail of three months away from school work. She was definitely happy for summer, she decided.
She looked around the compartment to see Will sleeping soundly and Charlie reading the latest Witch's Weekly edition. They weren't exactly close, but Lily hoped they could meet each other during the summer.
The train was close to a stop now and she knew it was almost time to disembark. Charlie shot her a small grin and closed his magazine before getting up and stretching. Lily followed his lead and shook Will awake. His confused face was cute as he tried to figure out where he was.
"Nice nap?" Lily asked him amusedly.
"Yeah," he laughed and got up to take their trunks from the overhead compartment.
The trio walked together through the crowded hallway and stopped right outside the train to say goodbye. Will hugged Lily and she could see over his shoulder her whole family waiting for her and her dad and brothers' frowning faces.
"See you soon, Potter," he let her go and hugged Charlie quickly before almost running to his impatient parents.
"Owl me," Charlie hugged her tightly and she left to meet her family.
At their impatient looks, she quickened her pace to a power walk. Her mom was the first to hug her tightly.
"Hey, sweetheart." Her arms went around Lily quickly, but tightly. She then pushed her at arms length and looked her over. "Look how much you've grown."
"Hey, mum." Lily was getting uncomfortable with the tears brimming her mum's eyes. Harry saved her from the waterworks.
"Ginny, come on, I have to get back to work soon." He stepped up to her and enveloped her with his arms like he used to do when she was a kid. "Hey, flower, long time no see."
His hug was quick like her mum's, but both left her feeling warm inside. Of course the moment was short lived.
"Come ooon." James whined. "We've been standing here waiting for her for ages." Lily rolled her eyes.
"Slytherin's compartments are at the end of the train, James. It's hard to get past everyone."
"What were you doing in the snake pit, anyway? Shouldn't you be with a certain blond boy?" Albus butted in and wiggled his eyebrows while James narrowed his eyes.
Icy grey eyes flashed in her mind and she could almost feel his scent in her nostrils at the mention of a blond boy. Lily knew Albus was talking about Lorcan and she also knew that she couldn't let this opportunity slip by. It was now or never.
"Actually, uh, Lorcan and I kind of broke up."
There. Now it was out there.
Her mum gasped and Albus widened his eyes while James and her dad fought little grins.
"So the rumours were true," Albus said, nodding almost to himself. This made Lily angry but she tried to hide it behind a nonchalant facade.
"Oh, honey, are you okay?" Her mum asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, mum. It was mutual and we're still friends." Lily tried to change the subject, desperate to get out of this conversation as soon as possible. "Weren't you late, daddy?"
.
.
.
A week later and Lily found herself back at Hogwarts for Jame's graduation ceremony with the rest of the Weasley's. The boys and her dad were wearing formal dress robes while Lily and her mum were sporting newly bought haute couture dresses.
The day after Lily got back from Hogwarts, Ginny had sprung an impromptu shopping trip on her. Apparently, she really thought Lily had grown over the past year and decided that as a mother-daughter bonding activity they would go out to buy new lingerie — not that anyone is going to see it, her mother had said, but it was still nice to look good for yourself — and a dress for the graduation ceremony.
So they left muggle London with their hands full of shopping bags and one of the most beautiful dresses Lily had ever seen.
It was floor length and had a slit that showed her right leg. The top was skin tight with vines and little blue and white flowers stuck to a sheer fabric so that it looked liker it was glued to her skin. The skirt was separated from the top by a thin black suede ribbon and it flowed around her legs in smooth grey-blue waves that reminded Lily of Malfoy's eyes.
She spent the day getting pampered with her mum and now her hair was pinned to the sides with charmed little flowers to match her dress. The rest of it hung in loose curls down her back. She was wearing minimal makeup and her nails were painted dark mulberry.
Her dad and brothers freaked out when they saw her in the dress but her mum actually stood up for her, saying that Lily wasn't a little girl anymore and that they had absolutely no say in the way she dressed. Sometimes having someone who grew up as the youngest to six brothers as a mum was great.
The ceremony inside the Great Hall was as boring as Lily thought it would be but she had to admit the house elves really went all out with the decoration. The whole place was filled with flowers and fairy lights and the ceiling reflected a clear summer night. It was all very beautiful.
Lily clapped dutifully along as James and then Fred were called on the teacher's stand to get their diplomas but was especially vocal when it was her friends from the Slytherin's team turn.
This, of course, earned a few ugly glances from her dad and uncle Ron but she didn't pay them any mind. She was damn proud of the friends that had welcomed her on the team and took her under their wings.
The ceremony moved outside where the house elves had set up a gigantic tent and arranged round tables for everyone to sit and feast while a band Lily didn't recognise played covers of the Weird Sisters. They were in between the Quidditch pitch and the lake and there were lights everywhere, giving the warm summer night a fairy tale vibe.
Lily had been listening to her dad, aunt Hermione and uncle Ron talk endlessly of their Hogwarts time while quite obviously avoiding using the words 'Slytherin' and 'evil' in the same sentence — even though Lily had heard them say it a thousand times before she was sorted — for the better part of an hour before she saw Emilia Bulstrode striding with a ridiculously happy smile towards her.
"Hey, Potter!" She bellowed jokingly as Lily got up and turned with a smirk towards her.
"Let me guess, pay thirty?" Lily joked back. She could see almost all conversation had stopped at her table and that her whole family was watching their interaction.
Emilia chortled.
"God, I'm gonna miss saying that to you!" Lily laughed with her and the two girl hugged tightly.
"I'm so happy for you, Em," Emilia let her go first and held her within arms length, tears brimming her eyes.
"Thank you, Lil." She quickly blinked away the tears and her smile grew even bigger if possible. "About the captainship for next year…"
"I'm sure we all know who's gonna get that badge, Bulstrode," Lily huffed a laugh, thinking about the blond that was the perfect choice for captain.
"Yeah, Malfoy is a cocky git, but he earned this." Emilia remarked. "I gave him specific orders on whom to ask to wear the badge when he's in my place, though…" Lily's eyes widened.
"Are you sure I could handle that?" She asked excitedly. She would be more than honoured to be Quidditch captain in her seventh year.
"Don't be silly, Potter. The only reason you're not getting the badge to wear for the next two years is that Malfoy is too damn good looking to resist," she jokes and Lily rolls her eyes, careful to school her features into exasperation and to keep the blush from her cheeks, because fuck yes, he was good looking but she didn't need her family knowing she agreed with Emilia.
Lily knew they were watching her closely and even though snap shots of their last encounter flashed before her eyes to sustain her friend's claim, she had to keep her cool. She didn't even have to reply, because before she was even done speaking, Emilia's eyes widened and her mouth parted in a happy squeal as she looked past Lily.
"Oh, sweet Salazar, are those mini cherry clafoutis?" She hugged Lily again and gave her a hurried goodbye and a promise to keep in touch before speeding after the magically levitating tray that held the sweets.
Lily was about to turn back to her family when she felt a pair of impressively strong arms go around her waist and spin her around. When the person finally let her go, she immediately turned around to see who it was and found herself face to face to Sebastian 'Greek God' Quintin. He was over six foot tall with wavy brown hair, light brown eyes, a nice tan and muscles to die for.
Sebastian was Slytherin's now ex-chaser and one of Hogwarts most eligible bachelors. And of course, he was Lily's unofficial big brother. He was the one who taught her how to drink properly and how to sneak booze into the school and even how to make a decent batch of sobering potion.
"Seb!" Lily jumped back into his arms and he guffawed.
"Looking good, Lil' P," he set her back on the ground and shot her his most charming smile.
"You too, love," she grinned brightly back at him and felt a pang in her heart as she realised he won't be coming back to school come next term.
"Hey, don't go looking all sad on me, Lils." He chucked her under her chin and grinned. "I promise to owl you from Ireland."
"You decided to stick to family business, then?" Lily asked him curiously, pushing her sadness away. This was a time to be happy and proud of him, not to let pesky emotions like sadness get in the way.
Sebastian's family were the owners of the 'exceptional smooth' Quintin Black, the most popular mead all over the continent. He'd struggled the past year to decide what he wanted to do after he left Hogwarts, not knowing if he wanted to move all the way to Ireland to take care of business and get stuck in one place. Sebastian always said he wanted to travel the world and see different things, so it was a little surprising that he decided to help out his family.
He shrugged.
"I found out a way to do what I want and keep my family satisfied. I'll stay in Ireland for a year to learn more about the business and after that I'll just focus on expanding our branches throughout Europe. That way I can still travel but will also be helping the old man out."
"I'm so excited for you, Seb," Lily felt like her face was going to split in half from the size of her smile. He kissed her on the forehead and hugged her tightly.
"Thanks, Lil' P. Promise to stay in touch, yeah?" They shared another smile and then he was gone and Lily was left to deal with her family who were all looking at her.
She knew it wouldn't take long before one of them started asking questions. She was barely seated when her dad began.
"Isn't he a little old to be hitting on a sixteen-year-old?"
"He wasn't hitting on me, dad," Lily countered. The whole table was watching the exchange nervously and Lily could see her uncle Ron looked as pissed as her dad did. She was glad her her brothers and Rose had left to socialise with the group of Gryffindors by the band because they would only add fuel to her dad's fire.
"He couldn't keep his hands off you!" A few people from the tables around them glanced at him at his little outburst so Lily fought to keep her voice down as she replied.
"It's not like that, dad," she glanced meaningfully at him and willed him to drop it. But of course he had backup.
"Like hell it isn't! Bloody wanker is what that s—" Ron stopped mid sentence but Lily knew what he was going to say.
"Snake?" She completed for him, raising an eyebrow, her whole face stoic. He opened his mouth, maybe to apologise, but she didn't want to hear it, "No, uncle Ron, it's true. He is a snake. And so am I."
No one said anything for an awkward moment. Lily knew now definitely wasn't the time to get into deeper stuff with her family, to discuss how much their attitude bothered her and how she felt so unwelcomed, so she let out a deep sigh and tried to put a stop to the pregnant silence.
"You should't worry about him, daddy. He's like a big brother to me," she saw her mother breathe a silent sigh of relief as she defused the tension.
"You already have a big brother, flower." She saw in his eyes that her dad knew she didn't forget uncle Ron's comment and that this wasn't her letting it go. Good, as long as he knew this wasn't finished. "Two in fact. Three if you count Teddy."
"Yeah, but it's not like we see each other that much in school, dad," she shrugged and Harry frowned deeply.
"What do you mean you don't see each other in school?" He looked so worried that Lily felt the need to amend.
"I mean, we see each other in the corridors in between classes every now and then… It's just, uh, their friends don't particularly like me."
"Why the hell not?" Her mum exclaimed incredulously. Lily shrugged yet again and tried to tell them it was no big deal with her body language.
"Well, I tend to wear green for class and they don't care much for that particular colour."
She thought maybe that was the wrong answer by how both their faces soured and their brows furrowed. But, really, what else could she say? She didn't care if her brothers and cousins didn't spend that much time with her at Hogwarts, at least not anymore. She'd been accepted with open arms at Slytherin and she could see it was where she truly belonged. She'd created her own loyalties there and everyone in green took care of each other. Even if she wasn't particularly close to any of them, she still felt like she had a family in the snakes.
Conversation began to slowly flow back to what it had been before but Lily knew that the slight scowls on her parent's faces and the failed attempts at going back to giving the big smiles they had been giving earlier in the night were because of what she said. She just couldn't find it in herself to be sorry for saying it.
This was their reality. They had drifted apart when she got sorted into Slytherin and they had to start accepting it. She wouldn't feel sorry for being who she was or for who she was friends with.
.
.
.
Hey, guys! Sorry this took so long, this was probably the only chapter of the story that I didn't have mapped out and it was an absolute bitch to write. This was sort of a transition chapter, so not much interaction between the two of them but next chapter we'll start with the good stuff. I'm really excited about something I'm doing with this story that is creating a Pinterest file on it for you guys to see where I took inspiration for the characters, clothes and places. If you check out my profile, there's a link to my Pinterest account where you can find that visual aid under the 'That Summer' file.
I wanted to thank everyone for each review, follow and favourite. They honestly make my day, I hope you guys enjoyed this!
See you soon,
~Julie Deschemps