Here's chapter 4, hope you like it! Have a good weekend! ^^
Chapter 4: Toaster and Floo powder
-Please Lily, again! I'll listen! I promise! Please one more time! Lily sighed and for the third time of the morning, she explained to Sirius how the microwave was working.
Two days had passed since she had found him at the park, two days during which, he had followed her around like a pocket-dog and where she had explained to him, again and again, how every Muggle things in her house were working. The TV, telephone, coffee maker, toaster and Walkman.
She had let go when he had asked her for at least, the thirtieth time, how to put a tape in the walkman and she had offered it to him. He had then, spent more than an hour and a half spinning it in his hands, muttering things to himself, sometimes nodding his head.
She had never found herself, now that she thought about it, alone with a Pureblood in a completely muggled environment. Marlene's mother was a Muggle, so she knew how to use everyday objects.
Most of her friends at school were all Half-Blooded and they all knew, more or less, how to live in a world without magic. But Sirius had never ever seen those things before. He was descending, from what she had read in a book retracing the families of wizards, probably from the oldest one still existing.
He had told her, that he had never been to the Muggle side before he had to go to King's Cross. He had then see, for the first time in his life, at eleven years old, people with no magical powers. His mother had brought him to platform 9 and 3/4, Regulus had stayed home with their father, to avoid too prolonged contact with the non wizarding world.
-Can you grill breads one more time? Asked Sirius, taking her out of her thoughts.
-It will be the third time since we're up, don't you think it's enough, you're not even eating it anyway. She answered, shaking her head.
-No it isn't enough! I still want to see how we do it! It's really awesome! He screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders. - Seriously, I want all those stuffs when I'm going to have my own house! Go and redo bread please! See! I'm even begging you!
She laugh but did it happily, it was, at least, distracting him from the last few days and he had started to smile again. She knew that he was trying to reassure her, to not crack, and that he pretended everything was fine, but she knew, in the end, that everything was upside down for him right now.
Sometimes he would stopped talking, and seemed lost in his thoughts. She saw him watching the tattoo on his arm, the one representing the four animals. She had noticed that the moon was changing according to its current phase, Sirius glancing at it with narrow eyes, as if he were afraid that it would become full before his time.
He had told her, that Remus had been horrified when he had saw it and that he was disagreeing. Because it was a permanent and magical tattoo and also because he refused that his friends got so worried about him. He had laughed, and had went on with his story, telling her that Peter had one too, an unfinished one, because he hadn been unable to bear the pain of the needles.
She had seen another one, on his right arm, which was a little above his t-shirt, which seemed, to represent a constellation. She would never have thought that he had so many tattoos. When she had asked him if he had more, he had, once more, burst out laughing before answering with a simple nod.
It was her turn to laugh at him as he let out an exclamation of surprise, the bread had popped out of the toaster. He let the slices fell on the floor screaming it was too hot. She shook her head and kept looking at him, he was really like a little child!
As she stood up to help him, a voice suddenly rose from the rooms behind them. She was so surprised that the mug she was holding slipped of her hand to crash on the floor and Sirius jumped so violently, he almost fell backwards. The two looked at each other with the same puzzled faces before fixing the corridor.
-SIRIUS BLACK! YOU BETTER ANSWER RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR YOU'LL REGRET IT the voice screamed. Eyes and mouth wide open, Sirius began to run for his chamber, Lily on his heels.
He opened his suitcase and pulled out all the clothes, books and other things that were in his way, his stuffs falling everywhere in the room. He grabbed a small piece of mirror and she saw him display a smile of relief.
-James! Sirius shouted, Lily hearing his voice cracking under the emotion and his eyes turning glassy. -I thought you'd be back only the day after tomorrow!
-Did you really think we'd stay on holidays as if nothing had happened after we saw the headlines in the Prophet? James Potter replied to him in a reproachful tone.
-You just arrived? Did you got news from Rem 'and Pete? Sirius asked him hastily.
-No, of course not! We just came home, we did as quickly as possible, my mother is dead anxious, where are you? What happened? My father's coming to get you! Tell me where you are! James replied in a more urgent tone.
Sirius quickly looked up at Lily and she nodded. -The Flowers Cottage. She said softly. -He can take Floo powder, it works here. Sirius repeated the name she had given him and James told him to be ready. He got up quickly and rushed to the living room, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he thought he might just get out.
A few seconds later, green flames rose in the chimney and a man of a certain age came out. Lily stayed surprised, detailing Mr. Potter. She had never seen him before on platform 9 and 3/4 during the departing for Hogwarts. James was always already there and alone when she arrived.
His hair was almost entirely grey, and she could distinguish many wrinkles behind his glasses. He wore a suit under a dark grey wizard's dress. He stood upright and seems to imposed respect by his only presence. She could easily understand why he was Head Auror.
Green flames rose again from the fireplace and this time, James came out of them. Lily could not help herself and roll her eyes when she saw him drag a hand in his hair to make them even more messier, but still she smiled, some things would never change.
-I told you to stay home. His father said in a more amusing than angry voice.
-Yeah, as if I were going to wait ages for you to return! He said, raising his eyes to the sky, pushing his glasses back on his nose before rushing on Sirius to hug him.
He was taller since the last time she had seen him, she can't helped to notice. His voice was deeper and more pleasant, not because he was trying to make it so. She shook her head before seeing Mr. Potter staring at her with a smile and she felt her cheeks turn red. He then turned his gaze towards the two boys and Sirius came to hug him when James agreed to let him go.
-My boy. He said to him, taking his face in his hands, looking him from head to foot. -Are you all right?
Sirius nodded, the lump in his throat threatening to explode if he answered with words. He turned slightly wiping his face with one hand before grabbing Lily's hand with the other. -I'm fine because of Lily! Without her I don't know where I would be right now!
It was only at that moment that James seemed to notice her, staring at her in disbelief, blushing. He had his mouth wide open, like a fish out of the water, and his eyes passed from Sirius to Lily, not seeming to understand what had happened for them to be standing there, in front of her, in her own living room.
-Well enchanté Lily, I'm Fleamont Potter. Said James's dad, warmly squeezing her hand. -Now, since Sirius seems fine, I think we can go home and stop bothering this charming girl. Exclaimed Mr. Potter laughing, cutting off the discomfort between them. He pressed his son's jaw to close his mouth. -Is it possible to have a word with your parents? He asked Lily.
-I'm sorry they're not here, sir. They are off on a… fishing weekend. She replied, trying to ignore James staring in her direction. She found the situation rather unusual. She would never have thought that the Head of the Auror Office would be in her living room one day, to pick up his son's best friend. Son who had harassed her throughout all of last year for her to go out with him.
Mr. Potter nodded and smiled softly. James definitively looked very much like his father. -Sirius? He said, turning towards him. -Do you have all your things ready son? We must leave, before Euphemia dies of anxiety and believed something had happened to us. he said laughing.
Sirius rushed to the room he had occupied the last two days, and he picked up his things in a haste, dragging his suitcase with him. Back in the living room, he walked over to Lily and hugged her, unable to stop himself as he winked at James.
-Thank you for everything. He said to her. -And thanks for the... the thing that plays music! He laughed. -I'm going to make it work in a magical area.
-I suspected you wanted it for a such a reason. She laughed as she kissed his cheek. -We'll see each other in three weeks. She smiled at him. She wave quickly his hand at James, who had remained abnormally calm and silence. -Take care of him Potter. She said to him, ignoring the scandalized look he was giving her.
-Yeah, he's coming home, we'll take care of him. He finally said, still staring intensely at her, unable to believe that she had just kissed Sirius like that, in front of him, as if nothing had happened! -Thank you, for not leaving him alone. She nodded, waving her hand to tell him it was nothing. He smiled at her and his pushed him into the fireplace with Sirius.
Mr. Potter made them go first, both disappearing into the flames before turning one last time to Lily. -I would beg you not to tell anyone that Sirius was here. He said to her.
-When your parents will be back home, I would like to have a word with them and if you allow me, I will come back to be sure everything is under control. You understand, I am sure, the gravity of the situation.
-Yes, sir, will I send you an owl when they'd returned? She asked.
-Excellent! Thank you very much Lily for all that you have done for him, I am eternally grateful to you. He exclaimed cheerfully. He talked about Sirius as he would have talked about James and seemed to have been as worried as if it had been his only son who'd have gone missing. He squeezed her hand again before vanishing too in the green flames, leaving her alone in the living room.
She push back her long hair before sighing and looking around, only silence answering her. The end of her holidays was going to be boring without Sirius. She had to admit that he was quite entertaining and that days had passed in a flash with him.
She had took no time to get used to his presence and his colorful personality. He was kinder than what he was showing of himself and he could be amusing without being obnoxious, which was hard to tell when you were not his friend, because he was quit obnoxious. Marlene would certainly not believe her when she'd told her what had happened.