A/N: Hello! Here's the next chapter. As for the poll on the last one…I only had several votes, but they all had something in common…chocolate and a baked good. cookies and brownies and such. I'm going to dedicate this chapter to an asshole. The asshole that invented college applications. They are such a pain. And the essay topics are horrible. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to deal, like everyone else has. I'll try to update as soon as possible…until then…read and review!
Chapter Four: Unpacking and Flat Finding
James and Sirius stood in the hallway with boxes and trunks surrounding them. They had just finished signing the final papers, giving them their new flat.
To the young men, it was perfect. It was located on the second floor, had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one small kitchen, a small dining area, and a living room for company. It was everything they wanted or needed. They were finally on their own. The flat was located in London, a magical flat that appeared like an old deserted café to Muggles, it had been advertised in the Daily Prophet and Sirius and James had decided it was the one for them almost immediately.
James smiled as he looked around and then gazed at his watch.
"Moony and Wormtail should be here any second to help unpack." he stated.
Sirius nodded. "Shame they don't want to live with us."
James shrugged. "Remus is working at Flourish and Blotts and that comes with a flat above the shop, so Mr. Flourish is letting him live there."
"No excuse for Peter." Sirius replied grudgingly.
"He can't help it if his parents want him to live at home." James remarked with a sigh as he heard two pops.
"They're here!" he exclaimed as a knock came to the door.
James opened the door with a grin on his face and he looked at his two friends. Remus was looking unusually chipper and Peter smiled modestly.
"So this is it." Remus stated, smiling.
Sirius nodded. "Yes, welcome to our humble abode. Please, grab a box and help unpack. With wands, of course!"
The boys chuckled as Remus and Peter walked in to get a good look of the place before helping unpack.
Two hours later, they were done, and Sirius and James looked around pleasantly at their new home. It was simple with a masculine air too it, yet there were a few objects that linked the household to a well-off family- solid gold goblets on the counter-top, for example.
"Would you gentleman care for a drink?" James offered to their guests in the playful ecstatic humor that comes with having your first residence.
Remus grinned. "Sure, a butter beer please. I'll just take my seat on the couch I helped unload."
Sirius went off to the kitchen and looked around.
"James we don't have any butter beer." he called out.
James looked towards the kitchen and called back. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Sirius replied. "Actually, we don't have anything. How do we get food?"
James thought for a moment.
"Well my mother always goes to this store in Diagon Alley, but I don't know what it's called. Maybe we could owl her."
"No! We can't do that. We have to prove to her that we can live on our own!" Sirius protested from the kitchen, still clattering about.
Remus just smiled and shook his head while Peter sat on the sofa looking around the flat.
"Well what should we do then?" James called back.
"I don't know!" Sirius shouted. "Let's just go to the store. Moony can come with us! I'm sure he knows what to do."
James nodded and then looked at Peter and Remus.
"Alright, let's go to the store!"
Remus just chuckled. This was going to be an adventure.
"I just think it's wise to wait to search for a place when you have a steady job, that's all." Beverly Evans told Lily as they walked down the streets of London, a copy of the Daily Prophet in hand.
"Mum, I got a letter that basically told me I had the job as soon as my N.E.W.T. scores came in. I'll be fine. And if I don't move out when it feels right, I might live at home forever!" Lily retorted, becoming slightly agitated.
Mrs. Evans looked at her in a way that made Lily think that her living at home permanently might not be that bad of an option. Lily sighed.
"Come on, we have to meet Charlotte in five minutes at the first flat." Lily replied as she continued to walk hastily down the road. She stopped abruptly when she came to a tall, imposing building.
"I think this is it." she said.
"Well it looks nice." her mother resentfully said. It indeed was a nice-looking building, and the streets did look safe. "Is it…is it magical?" Beverly almost whispered.
Lily nodded. "Well, it's located in Muggle London, so obviously we'll have to be careful, but since it was advertised in the Prophet, I'm assuming magical people lived here previously. It's not like an unplottable building like The Leaky Cauldron or Hogwarts, though. Muggles can see it as an actual occupied edifice. Charlotte's father is a Muggle, so I don't think it's a problem."
"Did I hear my name?" came Charlotte's friendly, sleek voice.
Lily smiled as she saw Charlotte. She was still somewhat awkward in her presence, as she had only really spent time with her at James's Christmas and birthday party. They didn't really know each other at all, except from what James had told the two about each other.
"Yes, I was just telling my mother that your father is a Muggle…my parents are Muggles too, you see." Lily explained, slightly embarrassed at being caught talking about her.
Charlotte nodded as she put her sunglasses into her purse. "Yes, yes, James told me…let's go in, shall we?"
Lily nodded and she and her mother followed Charlotte into the building.
Five minutes later, the three came hustling out.
"I'm sorry, but I refuse to stay anywhere with rats!" Charlotte exclaimed.
Lily nodded as she looked back at the house. "I have to agree, it was completely uncalled for…trying to rent out the place with vermin crawling about."
"It did look pretty though." Charlotte complimented. "But rats!"
Beverly Evans shuddered. "I wouldn't have let you stay there even if you had overlooked that aspect. It's completely unsanitary."
"Next place, then?" Charlotte suggested.
Lily and Beverly nodded.
"Yes, just down the road a bit and make a left." Lily replied as she looked at the paper. "This one sounds nice, and I think it's about like this one…it sounds Muggle."
"Let's go take a look." Charlotte said, once again, leading the way.
Forty-five minutes and three rejected flats later, and Charlotte and Lily seemed to have found the one, and even Beverly approved.
It was on the third floor in a Muggle building, which was owned by an old Muggle couple, it was well kept, in a safe location, and a block away from The Leaky Cauldron.
"This was just lucky!" Lily exclaimed as stood in the sitting area in the flat.
"I know! It wasn't even advertised in the Prophet, I'm glad you had your eyes open!" Charlotte said, equally as excited. "And we can be careful with magic, we both grew up in a Muggle house hold after all, and we're only a few minutes away from The Leaky Cauldron so we can apparate there…and oh, goodness, Lily! We can even have electricity and television. It's like the best of both worlds!"
Lily giggled as her mother took another long tour of the place. Her mother returned, and not having found anything horribly wrong with the place, smiled.
"It's perfect, Lily. Let's go ahead and sign the lease. Two years sound alright? I believe that's what the sign said." she asked.
Lily's eyes slightly bulged. She and James would be married and living together in two years. She looked at Charlotte, who seemed to sense her dilemma.
"Well, Mrs. Evans. Do you think that wise? I think a year would be much better…" she started as Beverly's gaze found her. "And, I mean, the couple downstairs…they're pretty old, I wouldn't want to still have the flat if they, God forbid, died and we were left with an absolutely atrocious land lord, and Lily and I wouldn't be able to get out of it…"
Beverly seemed to think this was a good idea.
"Yes, Charlotte, that is a brilliant point, I'll go have a talk with them." she then turned to Lily. "Lily, you are lucky to have such a thoughtful flatmate!"
Lily grinned and watched her mother hurry back down the stairs before looking at Charlotte with the utmost gratitude.
"Thank you, so much!" she exclaimed.
Charlotte grinned. "Well I couldn't let my favorite cousin have his wedding called off or anything. When do you plan on telling your parents? And James's? I'm assuming they don't know."
"On my eighteenth birthday we'll tell my parents. And then James's. It's just, you're not legal in the Muggle world till your eighteen…and I just want my parents to approve."
Charlotte opened her mouth to say something, what it was, Lily didn't know, as her mother had returned baring papers.
"They will allow a lease for a year, you just have to sign. They said move in whenever…but, I think you should wait a few more weeks at least, Lily."
Lily sighed. "Mum! I should be getting my N.E.W.T. scores this week, don't worry. I'll have a job. And Charlotte already has one as an assistant in the International Magical Cooperation unit in the Ministry…as she lived most of her life in France and all. And Beaxbutons gives their scores early so we know she's hired. Everything will be fine."
Beverly Evans resigned herself and nodded. "…Alright then. Let's sign and go…the car is at least four blocks away."
"Five." Lily corrected her as she happily signed.
Charlotte held in her giggle and signed as well, making their first contract to their first flat.
"Lily will be over in five minutes!" James exclaimed to Sirius as he ran through his flat, picking up dirty laundry and putting dishes in the sink with a few swishes of his wand every once in a while. He and Sirius had only lived there two days, and it was already a complete and total mess.
Sirius sighed and helped James, and in approximately two minutes, their place was practically spotless, well, as spotless as a place could get with Sirius living in it.
James took a breath and went to check his reflection in the mirror. Sirius just laughed at him until he heard a knock.
"I'll get it!" James yelled as he rushed towards the door.
"Of course you will." Sirius replied sarcastically. "It's been a full two weeks since you last saw ickle Lilykins. If you don't count the ten owls a day that have been flying through here, that is."
James rolled his eyes as he opened the door to see Lily standing in front of him, looking more beautiful than ever, and standing behind her was Charlotte.
"James!" Lily cried out before embracing him with a long kiss, which James more than readily returned.
Sirius let out a noise of disgust before plopping down on the couch. Charlotte made her way past the couple and into the living room to see Sirius lazily reading the Daily Prophet.
"Sirius Black reads." she said as an introduction, her tone playing between amazement and amusement.
Sirius looked up at the sound of her voice.
"Well yes, it's the only way to find out which clubs are hosting which bands."
Charlotte nodded as she played with her purse.
Sirius looked over at Lily and James who were talking animatedly.
"Want to go check out Diagon Alley?" he asked hopefully.
Charlotte turned to look at him with a smile.
"Sure."
Sirius hopped up from the couch. "Alright then, let's go."
Sirius made his way past James and Lily with Charlotte tailing him.
"I wonder where they're going?" Lily commented as James closed the door behind them.
"They certainly weren't planning anything." James replied, dismissing the two's actions. "Well there's enough dinner for three…we didn't expect Charlotte…I guess we should have. But that doesn't matter now…want to go sit in the dining room? It's rather small…wait! I'll give you the tour first." James continued talking as his thoughts shot through his brain.
Lily laughed and nodded as she held on to James's hand. "Yes, I want the grand tour!"
James smiled. "Well this is the grand living room!"
He moved a few feet backwards and pushed the door to the kitchen open while holding on to Lily's hands.
"And this is the kitchen. Where Sirius and I fail miserably at cooking. We just learned how to grocery shop the other day."
Lily laughed as James then led her to the small dining room, complete with a table for four.
"The dining area, where Sirius and I share candlelight suppers."
James smiled and winked before walking back out of the dining room and kitchen, still holding on to Lily as they entered the hallway.
"And down here is the bathroom." James motioned to the first door on the right and then to the room opposite of it. "And this is Sirius's room."
They walked a few more meters until they reached the final door which James opened elaborately and bowed to Lily. "And this is my room. I have a bathroom too."
"How did you get the room with the bath?" Lily asked coyly.
"Sirius and I had an Exploding Snap competition and I won. He's still sore about it really."
Lily laughed as she looked around. James's room was still James, except there seemed to be a more mature reality about it. Instead of Quidditch posters being displayed all throughout his room there were pictures of friends and family. He had a blue patchwork bedspread instead of the bright gold and maroon combination that had taken over the décor of his Hogwarts room. His old dresser was in the room, as well as a nightstand and a chair.
"My Quidditch posters are in my closet." James said as he watched Lily look around his room. He laughed as he saw her smile.
"This is really nice, James. Your whole flat is really perfect. It suits you and Sirius." she commented as she felt James come up behind her and broke her gaze.
"Let's go eat some soup before it gets cold. I have to warn you, I'm not sure how great of a cook I am…for the past couple of days Sirius and I have been eating at home whenever possible."
Lily laughed as she followed James back to the kitchen. "And what, am I going to be your test subject?"
"Well I was hoping we could all be test subjects together." James smiled.
Lily giggled as she took a seat and James appeared with two bowls of steaming vegetable beef soup and a loaf of bread.
"It smells good." Lily complimented as James set the bowls on the table.
"That's always a good sign, but it can be misleading." James remarked with a smile as he took his seat.
As soon as James sat down, he stood back up. "We need wine!"
Lily couldn't help but laugh as James poured two large glasses in a French-waiter style she had seen in films, with a white napkin draped over his arm and tipping the bottle ever so carefully.
He raised his glass when he had sat back down again.
"To us, and our N.E.W.T. scores which should be pounding down our doors at any moment."
Lily grinned as she clinked her glass with James's.
"I hope mine turned out alright, I was going to give Dumbledore my final answer about the Order after they came. I didn't want to give him a reply to eagerly and then have him come up to me… 'Lily, you received a Troll in Transfiguration. We just can't have you in our organization. You're a liability.'"
James grinned at her. "Oh come off it, you did not get a Troll in Transfiguration. You know you did well, I bet you got an Outstanding, in fact, I'd bet my life on it."
"Well, maybe I did get a Dreadful…" Lily continued, winking at James. "Have you written Dumbledore back yet?"
James shook his head. "No, I was going to wait for you…Sirius was going to send his today…Remus already did. Peter is waiting for Sirius and me, of course. I don't know about the others."
Lily nodded. "I haven't really heard from anyone else." She looked down at her soup. "I suppose it's safe to taste?"
James grinned. "We'll do it together. You can't mess up soup too badly."
"Alright then." Lily replied, lifting up her spoon. "On the count of three."
James grasped his spoon and prepared for the dive.
"One." Their spoons dipped closer to the bowl. "Two." The silver spoons dipped into the soup and came up with the broth. "Three!"
They each put their spoons into their mouths.
Lily let the warm broth trickle down her throat and tried to hide her face of disgust. The soup was rather wretched, but James had tried so hard.
James, however, was not going to act as if he enjoyed it, and made a face.
"That was absolutely terrible. I'm sorry I made you go through that."
Lily smiled as she dabbed her lips with her napkin.
"It isn't terrible…it just needs some seasoning or something." she tried.
"It was horrible, Lily." James continued. "Go ahead and say it. It really won't insult my masculinity…my feminine side is a different story…"
Lily laughed.
"Alright, it wasn't that good…but you tried! That's what matters."
James smiled at his fiancée. "Well as long as I get points for that. Should we go down to Diagon Alley? Florean might still have the ice cream parlor open."
"Oh! I love his ice cream!" Lily exclaimed.
"Well then, let's go." James stated, pulling out his wand and sending the rejected dinner to the kitchen.
"Ok, but next time, you're coming to my place, and I'm cooking!"
"Can that be trusted? I don't believe I've ever had any of your cooking." James teased. "I won't die will I?"
"Not tragically, at least." Lily replied with a grin. "Let's go."
"Alright, but I get to hold your hand!" James stated as he opened the front door for Lily.
"Well, I don't know about that." Lily replied. "Gilderoy was hanging around here somewhere…"
James's laughter joined Lily's as they walked down the steps of the apartment building.
Incredible amounts of thanks to: X.Little.Black.Cat.X, Kaean, dreamergirl86, sosirius'sgurl3245, chikichiki, Zippy-Wings, scooter5710, Forest Unicorn, Emerald Lily Flowers, IAMSOAP, and glowing-ice.
myzteek: Thanks for the review, I'll try to read and review your story as soon as possible.
Lady in Red: It is an excellent cd…I found it while going through my older brother's boxes of junk…I guess it paid off, I found several cool cds. My favorite song right now is Pay for What You Get. It's good to know the people reading my stories have good music taste. I love the Postal Service…anyhoo, keep reading and reviewing.