Chapter 21: Two months later
"JAMESIE-POOOO!! WHERE ARE YOU??" Sirus yelled the moment he stepped into Potter Manor from the humongous doorway. Sirus and Stefanie had just flooed home an hour ago from their grandparents' countryside home in Switzerland.
"SIRIEE-SSYYY!!" James called out the moment he heard Sirus' voice in the hallway. He dashed out of his room and ran towards the voice. The guys came together and gave each other a big bear hug.
"James, it's really great to see you after seeing no one but Sirus for two months!!" Stefanie said giving James a big bear hug after Sirus and James entangled themselves. Finally I see a human. Sirus is a monster!!
"Well, I'm dying of boredom here. The three of us never separate for that long ever since you guys moved over." James said, returning the brotherly hug. Me and Stefanie?? It's impossible. She's like a younger sister. I can't imagine her as my wife.
"AHEM!!"
"BELLLLAAAA!!"
"STEEFFFIIII!!"
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" The two girls dashed towards each other forgetting all about their trunks and guys and got into a big hug. The two girls started jumping and hugging, shrieking excitedly. No words needed, especially since they can read each other mind. But in this case no mind reading is needed to know that they had missed each other very much. The guys ignored the crazy girls and drifted into a small chat.
"Jamesie, nice to see you!!" Arabella reached over and gave James a hug when she finally entangled herself from Stefanie's hug. It had been so long.
"Wonderful to see you too, Bell!!" Finally. The day has come.
"My dearest Bella, I miss you so much!! By the way only I can call James Jamesie." Sirus exclaimed and gave Arabella a bear hug. I can't believe I missed Bell. That sounded so impossible. Hmm.. I can feel her chest. Heehee. I'm the luckiest guy on earth.
"I miss you guys too!!"
"LILLLEEE!!" Arabella broke away from Sirus' hug and ran towards the sooty Lily who just walked out from the Potter's fireplace. We're together again.
"Bell!! I miss you so so so much!!" Lily burst into happy tears and she hugged Arabella tightly. I finally get to see my friends again. I really miss them so much. More than I could imagine. I wonder what will I be without them.
"Oh Lils, I miss you so so so much!!" Stefanie said smiling as she hugged Lily tightly. The three of us. Once again. Life is wonderful.
"Stef!! You can't imagine how happy I'm now!!" Lily had tears in her eyes already. The three girls hugged together for a few moments. Bell. Stef. My best friends in the whole world. I'm so lucky!!
"Oh flower!! And what's with the 'so so so much'??" Sirus grinned at Lily and gave her a brotherly hug. Hmm.. Lils is not as developed as Bell. But still can feel something.
"Oh Sirus!!" Lily gave her good friend a hug, did not bothered to explain the girly stuffs to him. How much I missed Bell and Stef is totally beyond explanation. He certainly grew taller since the last time I hugged him. That's fast.
"Lils, I miss you so much!!" James said as he gave Lily a big and tight hug. I like hugging Lily. That's strange. Well, I can feel her chest. Oh, I can't believe my luck. Heehee.
"I miss you too, James!!" Lily returned his bear hug equally tightly. I missed James so much. More than Sirus and Remus. I think I'm developing a crush on him. This is so wrong. He's my good friend. That's going to be so awkward.
"Where's Remus??" Stefanie asked as the group finally finished hugging one another. I wonder what's keeping him. I actually can't wait to see him. Don't tell me I had fallen for him!! Oh great.
"He was the one who told us not to be late." Sirus said, imitating Remus voice. His voice had started to break and sounded a little off pitch. The imitated voice sounded far from Remus'. It's not the full moon tonight. I'm sure of that.
"Of course you can't be late. You're staying next door." Lily said jokingly wiping her teary eyes. They're so lucky to be staying so close to James. How I wish I could stay in Godric's Hollow too. But it's a wizarding neighborhood.
"Speak of the devil." James said smiling at the person standing at the fireplace. All here. Finally. Lily ran towards Remus and gave him a big brotherly hug. Remus was a little shocked at the outburst but was happy nevertheless.
"Remus, I missed you!!" Lily said and hugged him. I wish Remus were my brother. We just had this brother-sister bond there. I've it with Sirus too. But James. It felt different.
"What devil?? I miss you too, Lils." Remus said jokingly as he gave Lily a brotherly hug. Hm.. Lily gotten more developed from the last time I hugged her.
"REMMY!!" All of them dashed towards Remus to hug him.
"Wooahh!!" Remus got pushed backwards from his ecstatic friends. I'm so glad I've friends like them.
"OH REMUS!! I missed you!!" Stefanie said as she hugged Remus. I miss you. In fact I think I might even like you. But I can't possibly tell you that.
"I miss you lots too!!" Remus whispered to her ear. Hmm.. Stef's chest is definitely the most developed. I'm the luckiest guy on earth. Remus was feeling a little dreamy and lingered the hug a little longer than he had expected.
"Ok, enough of hugging. Let's go and get some food." James instructed and led the group towards the ballroom-sized dining hall. The girls were chatting excitedly over how much they missed each other. In fact the last time they owled each other was only the day before. They just had too much to say to one another.
"WOW!!" Lily was amazed at the sight. There was a table full of food, which looked like it was meant for a banquet when there were only six of them. They sat around the table and started eating ravenously. The house elves kept bringing more food once a plate is cleared. The poor house-elves definitely had a busy evening.
The growing thirteen-year-olds helped themselves with multiple servings and stuffed their faces with all sort of food. There was a wide range of pastas and pizzas.
"Can't make it already." Stefanie was the first to stop eating after her Hawaiian pizza and went to sit by one of the six large couches, which was arranged in a circular manner around the fireplace.
"I'm full as well." Remus said when he cleared his plate of beef lasagna and went to join Stefanie at the fireplace. I feel like spending some time with Stef. Really missed her lots.
"I'm filled." Lily said when she finished her creamy chicken linguine and she walked over to join Stefanie and Remus five minutes later. One of the most sumptuous meals I ever had.
"Me too!!" Arabella left the dining table after her third slice of supreme pizza and headrf towards the couches. I'll puke if I continue to eat with Sirus and James.
"That's what you called a filling lunch." James said as the two guys walked over to join the rest fifteen minutes later. The two guys had a very satisfied look on them.
"Well, only to you two maybe." Lily said jokingly who was too full to move from her couch. James' expression looks cute. Oh great. I better don't think of it that way. This is ridiculous.
"Our stomachs are bottomless pits, you see." Sirus said, and he gave a loud burp to maximize the effect. This is a great feeling. I can't do this in front of Grandma. She'll scream. Haha.
"Eeeewwww." The girls chorused and looked at Sirus in total disgust at his loud blenching sound, which they found totally nauseating.
Then the six of them just sat by the fireplace and talked about their summer holidays. All of them were too full, too lazy or too tired to move.
Suddenly, there was a roar at the fireplace. The six of them jumped and headed behind their couches. Out came..
"FION!!" Lily, Arabella and Stefanie shouted and dashed to give her a hug. The girls treated Fion as the type of older sister they never had, and Fion treated the girls as the younger sisters she never had.
"Hey girls, it's so wonderful to see you again after so long." Fion said and hugged the girls in a sisterly fashion.
"Hey Siriee and Remmy, long time no see!! And you too Jamesie!!" Fion grinned; she had always managed to make the guys kept quiet at least for a short while.
"Oh my lovely lady, you had grown prettier since the last time I seen you." Sirus walked up to Fion, kissed her hand and gave a bow.
"Oh my hero, I could hardly recognize you as the little boy I last seen two months ago."
"I'm not a little boy anymore, my lady." All of them broke into laughter, including Fion and Sirus.
"I leave you guys here, gotta head back to my room." Fion smiled as she sashayed up the circular steps in the grand hall of Potter Manor in her office wear.
"Let's head back to my room to continue. Who knows who might come up next?" James said and led the group to his room, which by now all of them knows where is it.
"I can't believe the last two weeks just flew by!!" Lily said while the three girls were sleeping together on a king-sized four-poster bed. I sure wouldn't mind spending all my summers like this. But I also know good times never last long so I must cherish every moment we've together.
"Well, you had so much fun with James that's why." Arabella said and she giggled. Should I read her mind?? I'm pretty sure it's mainly about James.
"No, I don't. I had fun with you two." Lily argued stubbornly. What James!! I had fun when the six of us are together.
"Haha, don't deny, Lils. That was so obvious. Since the hug two weeks ago especially." Stefanie said as she started yawning. I wonder what're the guys doing now. I wonder what is Remus doing now.
Stef, let's check out what Lils thinking about.
Great idea, Bell.
I'm not thinking of anyone or anything now in case you two invade my privacy by popping up in my thoughts again.
How did you now we'll pop by??
We had been good friends for three years, my dear Arabella. And you two are having the Let's-pop-by-Lily's-thoughts look on your faces, just for your information.
Ok ok, time to sleep.
Arabella turned towards the right edge of the bed, Stefanie turned towards the left edge of the bed, leaving the middle portion all to Lily. She stared at the ceiling and started thinking about school and summer holidays and.. James.
Still say you're not thinking of James??
Hey Stef, how come you still can read my thoughts with your back facing me??
I use my mind, my dear Lily, for your information. I don't need to see the person to get into the thoughts.
Oh my god!! I'm not even safe when your back is facing me.
When there were no more voices from Stefanie, Lily assumed that both of them had dozed off. After some time, Lily fell into a deep sleep drifting into a dream involving James. Once again.