Chapter 58: Joy in Life
"Do you know how harmful is the ultraviolet light??" Stefanie asked the three guys whose skin were sort of reddish and peeling.
"Luckily the sunscreen we used was quite good. We get a bit of tan but yet not peeling like the guys." Lily said, applying moisturizer on her hands and legs.
"Pass the moisturizer over." James asked the girls. Lily squirted some onto her palm and passed the big bottle of Nivea Intensive Moisturizing Lotion to him.
"We're bringing business for Nivea." Sirius said, getting some moisturizer from James.
"Well, we definitely need this. It's so cooling." Remus said as he applied some all over him.
"But using about one bottle a day for the six of us seems really exaggerating." Arabella joked, rubbing in circular motion. There was a carton of twenty-four bottles of 500ml moisturizer kept in the storeroom, which was cooled magically as if it was a muggle refrigerator.
"Help me apply my back??" Arabella asked Stefanie, facing her back in front of Stefanie.
"We would be more than willing to help you apply as well." Sirius grinned cheekily. Stefanie put her hand in Arabella's off-shoulder grey top and started rubbing.
"No thanks!!" Arabella stood up and glared at Sirius at his pervert sounding comment.
"Stef, when you're done, wanna take a walk along the beach??" Remus asked Stefanie, sounding casual.
"Sure. I'm done actually." Stefanie said, rubbing the last bit of moisturizer in her palm onto her shoulders. "Bell, you done??"
"You pervert sicko!!" Arabella shouted at Sirius, both of them standing up and facing each other.
"All guys think of that!!" Sirius answered with his trademark cheeky grin.
"James and Remus don't!!"
"They just don't say it!!"
"At least they don't say it!!"
"I'm just being absolutely honest with you girls!!"
"We don't appreciate that sort of honesty really!!"
"But girls like guys to be honest!!"
"Honest yes!! Pervert no!!"
"So you're saying all men are perverts??"
"I'm saying particularly some men are desperately perverts!!"
"Whom are you referring to??"
"Who else but you??"
"How can you call the great and handsome and wonderful and amazing and interesting and humorous-"
"And egoistic!!"
"You saying I'm egoistic?!?"
"Duh!! Am I talking to anyone else but you??"
"I've confidence in myself, unlike some people."
"You saying that I've no confidence in myself??"
"I didn't say that!!"
"You meant that!!"
"Smart huh!! That's what I mean."
"They seem to be having a great time arguing." Remus comment, eyeing the bickering pair who were standing on their couches to elevate themselves.
"Do you want to stay here and watch or get out of here??" Stefanie asked.
"I would prefer them to stop actually." Lily said. "Saliva is splattering all over the place, literally."
"They had yet to have any decent argument with us around to stop them." James pointed out.
"So we shall let them argue to their heart's content today??" Lily asked, grinning away.
"Stef and I will be going to walk along the beach. How about you two??" Remus asked Lily and James. Stefanie nodded at Lily.
"I can't believe we ended up doing this." Lily said, talking to no one in particular actually.
"Don't you think this is cool??" James asked.
"It's cool in physical sense. But not in the normal sense."
"I always enjoy this. It's so relaxing."
"It is relaxing. But somehow I felt the company is not right."
"I don't make a good companion??"
"I don't mean that of course."
"Then??"
"I would prefer to do something like this with girls actually."
"I usually do it alone."
"That's because you've it at home. So do both of them."
"Yeah. It's kinda bored you know."
"There is always accompanying music."
"I know. But no one to talk to."
"You're really lucky to be born with a diamond spoon in your mouth."
"What do you mean by diamond spoon?? I only heard of silver spoon."
"Just exaggerating a little."
"Then what about yourself?? What type of spoon??"
"I would say plastic toothbrush."
"That's a funny way of saying it."
"I'm not well-to-do in case you hasn't notice that."
"I know. But I'm not discriminating the poorer people around."
"I know I know, Mr. Nice Guy."
"Thanks!!"
"That wasn't meant to be a compliment."
"It wasn't??"
"Never mind."
"Let's enjoy the sensation of the pressure."
"I'm already enjoying it."
"Glad to hear that."
"Fion is good at the little but important details."
"Yeah, I gotta agree with you for this."
"Maybe we can ask her join us for a couple of days."
"Why would you want a big old woman to join us when we youngsters are having fun??"
"She's not that big nor old. She's mature and gorgeous."
"Excuse me. She's far from that. You probably didn't know she sat on me literally the night before we left for Hawaii."
"For what??"
"Make me promise her that I don't burn the house down or something."
"She could fireproof it."
"She did."
"That's funny. Why would she say that??"
"I think when I was really young, I heard about the 'lumos' spell. I started muttering it around the house and burnt down the ground floor without my parents knowing until when they came out of the study."
"Oh my god."
"Long story anyway, in simple words. The immature Fion made me promise her stuffs by sitting on me."
"That explains why you enjoy sitting on Sirius so much." Lily started laughing uncontrollably.
"Hey!!" James said and splashed the water at Lily.
"Don't splash me!!"
"You laughed at me first!!"
"It was funny!!"
"Fine!!" James muttered and sat down onto the edge of the large Jacuzzi again. Lily was sitting at the opposite end, facing him. The Jacuzzi was large enough to hold at least twelve people at normal size and can be magicked to hold more people when need.
"Angry huh??"
"James Potter is never a petty fella." James said unconvicedly.
"Really??" Lily said cheekily and started splashing water vigorously at him.
"Ahh!! Stop!!" James said and got up of the Jacuzzi, his white Esprit tee shirt and red Quiksilver Bermudas was dripping with water. James muttered the drying spell and it was dried instaneously.
"So how relaxing is this Jacuzzi??" Lily asked from behind, getting out of the Jacuzzi towards James' end. Her white Hard Rock Café tee shirt and green shorts was dripping with water, which she could not dry it because her wand was not with her. "Dry me!!"
"I'll dry you if you can catch up with me!!" James said and started running.
"This is not fair!! I can't run fast!!" Lily said, running from behind, chasing James out of the Jacuzzi room all the way around the house.
"So what do you think Lily and James are doing??" Stefanie asked Remus casually as both of them sat out in the sand and looked up at the evening sky.
"I don't know. But I'm sure they're definitely having fun." Remus replied, knowing James.
"That's nice. I'm pretty sure Sirius and Arabella are still bickering. They probably haven't notice the four of us went missing for the last half hour." Stefanie joked.
"So any idea what shall we do tomorrow??" Remus asked.
"No idea. We already went windsurfing, wakeboarding, canoeing, kayaking, played beach volleyball, quidditch by the sea, and lots of don't know what in the last week."
"I've an idea."
"What??"
"We can try fishing."
"Fishing??"
"Yeah, the Potter owned the biggest cruise ship in the world and it looked like Titanic except the stuffs are magical!!"
"Yeah, we have been there when we were younger."
"Maybe we can go on a cruise or something??"
"But don't you think it's a little too exaggerating??"
"Six of us go fishing on a cruise ship?!?"
"Erm, speedboat??"
"Yacht??"
"How many ships does the Potter's own??"
"No idea. I think should have about ten altogether. James doesn't know the exact number either."
"Minister earns a lot??"
"Mr. Potter is a muggle businessman as well. He has the connections."
"Really capable man."
"Jamesie boy is a lucky guy."
"He has everything and anything he wants."
"Well, he deserves it." Remus said and gave a soft sigh.
"What's with the sigh??"
"Let's not talk about unhappy stuffs."
"Ok."
"So, any idea where we might be going in the next summer break??"
"That's like too far to think."
"I think Arabella might have some idea about it."
"I guess so. She predicts the stuffs subconsciously."
"Poor her. Know too much for her own good." Both of them remain silent for a while, looking at the now night sky, after Remus comment. It was a silence of understanding and acknowledgement and not the awkward type.
"So Remus-"
"So Stef-" Both of them spoke up at the same time. They turned to each other and laughed at their rapport.
"You first."
"No, ladies first."
"Ok. Ladies say gentlemen go first."
"Then I shall say first."
"Just wanna ask if you wanna be-"
"Yes."
"I haven't said out yet."
"I understand."
"You do??"
"Yes." Stefanie said, smiling at Remus.
"Well, since you said yes, I'm going to
tickle you!!" Remus said and started tickling Stefanie on her waist.
"Stop!! Stop!!" Stefanie struggled and screamed. Remus paused for a moment to speak, his head slightly above Stefanie's because she was lying on the sand.
"I wanted to ask you if you wanna be tickled and you said yes. So I'm tickling you!!" Remus said and continued tickling.
"NO!! Stop!!" Stefanie squealed and resisted tickling.
"What did you thought I wanna ask??" Remus said cheekily.
"I thought you wanted to ask me if I want-" Stefanie said blushing, thanking the darkness which hid her blush. "To return to check if Sirius and Arabella had stopped squabbling." Stefanie completed lamely.
"I hope this answer the question." Remus said and planted a gentle kiss onto Stefanie's right cheek.
"Fishing is for gentlemen!!" Arabella said, totally annoyed with Sirius' arrogance.
"I'm a gentleman!!" Sirius replied, never losing out to Arabella remarks.
"You?? Oh please!!"
"I shall go and fish for you to see!!"
"Yeah, I'm going to be so impressed!!"
"Fine, wait and see. I'm going to ask James
and Remus to go fishing with me!!"
"Yeah?? Like when?? Next year??"
"Tonight!!"
"Go ahead. Drown in the sea if possible!!"
"I think you fit into the ocean better than I do!!"
"Aww.. Just admit you can't fish!!"
"Who says so??"
"I bet you never even touched a rod before!!"
"I didn't. But I'm a fast learner!!"
"Fish a fish up for me to see!!"
"We shall see!! James?? Remus?? Let's go fishing now!!" Sirius said, turning around to face an empty seat on the place when James and Remus were previously sitting on.
"Where are Lily and Stef??" Arabella turned around to find her two friends went missing from their seats.
"How could they left without a word?!?"
"Yeah. Let's go and find them!!"
"For once you agreed with Sirius the great
one!!"
"Oh please. It was just a remark and not an agreement!!"
"But you agreed!!"
"Wah, it's nine already!!"
"You wasted so much of my precious time when I could spend them at the gym or something."
"You look freaking muscle-less, so you might as well as stop wasting your time."
"You're probably just jealous of my six packs." Sirius said, patting his abdominal muscles.
"Haha. Very funny!! I wouldn't want to exchange for that United Nations." Arabella said, patting her flat tummy.
"Excuse me, I've continents in case you can't tell the difference."
"Who says I can't?? I'm just not intere-"
"I can't believe you guys are still arguing." Lily called out to the still bickering Arabella and Sirius. They had argued for the last two hours and apparently it was still going on if not for Lily's interruption. "Guess what James and I found??"