Life is getting busy, but I will do my best to keep on posting :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 6 – The House of Potter

Lily gasped as the uncomfortable feeling of being pressed through a tight space subsided and her lungs filled with fresh air. She stumbled slightly, head spinning, but strong arms around her waist tightened to keep her upright.

"Alright, Evans?" a soft voice asked, and she blinked rapidly against the blinding sunlight to see a concerned James watching her closely.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright," she gasped, slightly out of breath. "I just really hate Apparating."

James chuckled and, much to Lily's disappointment, slowly let go of her after he had made sure that she wouldn't fall over. "Who doesn't?"

"Marlene doesn't mind it." She gently ran both hands over her hair to check whether her ponytail had been messed up by the less than elegant landing after Apparating. No matter how often she had done it, she just couldn't get the hang of just… standing up right afterwards. She always fell over. "And neither does Dorcas. Or Sirius."

"Sirius is just too vain to admit that he vomits nearly every time he Apparates."

Lily blinked at him owlishly and the grin he flashed her was wicked.

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p', "but he'll tell you I'm a liar if you ask him about it."

"Are you lying, though?" She narrowed her eyes as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Because I can't tell whether you're just messing with me or with Sirius."

James just grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "You might never find out, Evans."

She shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her lips. Honestly, sometimes she couldn't believe that guy! The very guy who was walking two steps away from her, only to turn around and motion for her to come with him.

"Let's go. Mum is probably already ripping her hair out from anticipation."

And that is when she looked up and saw it.

A mansion. She couldn't describe it as anything less. The building was huge. With its ornate decorations around the numerous windows and along the dark roof, it looked more elegant and impressive than Hogwarts castle.

Potter Manor was made out of some type of rough, dark grey stone that was shaped into delicate gargoyles, swirls, and statues all along its exterior, with the focus being the humongous double front door made out of dark, heavy wood, finished with metal hinges and metal handles. It was three stories high and the glass of each window sparkled beautifully in the sunlight. The building was standing in the middle of what looked like a park. The grass was a healthy green, unlike the dead hey-like substance that covered the playground they had just Apparated from. This lawn looked luscious and thriving, and Lily was one hundred percent sure that there had been a charm placed on all of the greenery surrounding the manor. Over towards the left, sparkling reflections hinted at a pond of an unknown size behind a set of beautiful olive trees. How olive trees could grow in Great Britain, Lily didn't know, but magic made almost everything possible, she felt.

The wide, cobbled path leading to the house was bordered by low bushes that looked so dense that Lily was sure that if she were to sit down on one, it wouldn't only support her body weight but most likely also be extremely comfortable. More trees of various types were growing off to the side, including a humongous willow tree, framing the property in a very tasteful way while still keeping unwanted guests out. The big iron gate behind them did the rest.

"You like it?"

Lily shook herself out of her stare and turned to James, who was looking at her with a shy smile that she rarely saw on him.

"It's a lot, I know."

"No! No, I mean, yes, it's a lot, but it's gorgeous!" She gaped up at the building. "And you live here?"

"Grew up here, in fact. It's been family property for over three hundred years now."

"Three hundred years?" Flabbergasted, she turned to James, who looked slightly embarrassed. "Three hundred… Wow."

"Yeah, it's a lot." He turned back towards his home, frowning slightly. "For I can't remember how many generations, my ancestors have lived here. Most of their portraits are hanging on some walls somewhere in the house. I don't think I've ever found all of them if I'm honestly… It's been handed down from father to first-born son ever since it was built." He stayed silent for a few seconds before sighing through his nose. "One day, I will inherit it."

Lily watched him closely. He looked almost anxious, his hazel eyes narrowed, his posture tense. "And you don't want that?" she asked quietly.

Slowly, he shook his head. "It's too big," he said, "too show-off-y. You know? I mean, of course, we're not the only people living in there. We have house elves, and unlike other pure-blood families, they actually have rooms and whole quarters to themselves. It's still too big of a house to really feel homey."

"Do your parents know how you feel about it?"

James scoffed. "Yeah, they know alright. But they don't really have a choice but to give it to me after… well, once it's time. Who should they give it to otherwise? The Ministry?" He snorted and shook his head. "I'd rather it stayed in the family than some big-headed Minister declare it their new home to host Ministry galas in."

"Sounds like you like it more than you know."

James blinked and turned towards a now smirking Lily. "Yeah… Yeah, maybe you're right." He scratched his neck, gazing back up at the mansion in front of them. "I still can't imagine living there until the day I die."

"Well, I'm sure you don't have to if you don't want to." Lily walked up to him slowly and hesitantly took hold of his hand which was hanging loosely by his side. James twitched violently but didn't pull his hand out of hers, obviously too stunned to do more than stare at her. She tried to ignore the butterflies that were on a rampage inside her belly and took a deep, calming breath. "You'll know what to do when the time comes. I'm sure of it."

His hazel eyes widened slightly as he was looking down into her emerald green ones. A soft, warm breeze ruffled his hair, pushing a strand of jet black locks over his eyebrow as his eyes jumped down to her lips. She swallowed nervously, the hand that was still holding his squeezed gently as her eyes took in everything that was James Potter.

But before anyone could do what Lily would have expected to either ruin or make her entire day, a loud snapping sound cracked through the air, making them both scream. James jumped back, hand pulling out of Lily's, while Lily felt her heart beat at a pace that was anything but healthy.

"Young Master Jamsie, Sir," a high-pitched voice squeaked somewhere below eye level and both James and Lily simultaneously looked down to see a tiny house elf clad in a tuxedo made out of what looked like once had been fluffy towels, died black. Its big blue eyes blinked up at James, bat-like ears flopping in the wind. "Mistress Potter asks Tooky why young Master Jamsie and his Miss do not seem to want to come inside and greet the guests."

"Merlin…"

"Just Tooky, Sir! Young Master Jamsie knows Tooky's name, Sir!"

Lily suppressed the laugh that wanted to bubble out of her with all she had, but James' shocked expression really didn't help. A snort escaped her.

"Bless you, Jamsie's Miss!" Tooky chirped happily before turning back to a sputtering and tomato-red James. "What can I tell Mistress Potter, Sir?"

"O—Okay, first of all, Tooky," James cleared his throat, clearly more than embarrassed, and motioned towards a still giggling Lily. "This is Lily. Please don't call her my Miss."

"Welcome to Potter Manor, Miss Lily." Tooky grinned up at her before bowing deeply.

"Lily, this is Tooky. One of our house elves." The way James said that, all dejected and quiet, had Lily suppress another laugh.

"Nice to meet you, Tooky."

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Lily. Tooky is honoured to meet Master Jamsie's Miss! Mistress and Master Potter have wondered when young Master Jamsie will bring his Miss to introduce her to them!"

James spluttered, hands waving through the air hectically. "Okay, this is enough, Tooky! Tell Mum we're on our way."

"Very well, young Master Jamsie." And with a last bow, the small elf Apparated back into the manor, a loud crack the only thing that he left in his wake.

"Bloody hell," James groaned and reached up with both hands to push his hair out of his face. "I'm so sorry!"

Lily laughed loudly. "No need to apologise," she said, a wide grin on her face. "I really like Tooky. He seems to adore you."

"Yeah, he's one of my favourite house elves." He scratched his neck and nodded towards the manor, motioning her to follow him as he started to slowly walk down the cobbled path. "He and Lobsey were responsible for looking after me whenever my parents were out of town for Order business. So they like me more than the others do, who mainly work in the kitchen and clean the manor. Tooky and Lobsey are more involved in everything that includes… well… people."

"And babies."

He snickered at her cheeky comment. "Yeah, and babies."

"Did it happen often?"

"Hm?"

"That your parents were out of time because of Order business."

"Oh." James pushed his hands into his pants pocket and looked up at the bright blue sky. "Yeah, sometimes. It didn't happen that often as Grindelwald's followers aren't really all that active anymore, but Dumbledore would ask the Order to help with general Auror things or Wizengamot issues. My dad has a seat in the gamot, you know?" He looked back towards Lily. He looked almost sad as he smiled at her. "All Heads of Ancient and Most Noble Houses have one. So whenever a family that was involved with the Dark side tried to push for a certain law, Dumbledore would summon all of the Ancient and Noble Houses for an emergency meeting. And all of the Order to fill out their ranks." He sighed through his nose. "So it wasn't necessarily because of Order business that they had to leave a couple of times, but because of our heritage."

Lily nodded slowly, trying to wrap her head around what he had just told her. "And I'm guessing that's another thing that you will one day have to face yourself." It wasn't a question but a statement, as she watched James' demeanor change over the last couple of minutes. This whole family business was putting him under a lot of pressure and she didn't like how much it bothered him.

James scoffed, but his lips pulled up into one of his lopsided smirks, sending Lily's heart into overdrive. "Yeah, that's another thing I'll have to deal with once the time has come. Which," he took a deep breath, "will hopefully still take a couple of years. It's not that I don't know what my role will be and how to be the Head of the House of Potter. Dad has made sure to teach me from a young age, so I wouldn't be overwhelmed. He himself became the Head of our House when my grandpa passed. I wasn't born yet, so I've never met the guy in person, but I've had a couple of chats with his portrait and he seemed to be a strict but alright chap. He died when my father was in his late twenties, so he had enough time to get introduced into the family business, so to speak. Dad told me that his old man took him along to Wizangamit meetings and such, even had him represent the House on occasion. I have to be honest, I dread the day that I will have to represent my dad in front of all of those stuck-up assholes. Sorry," he added sheepishly as Lily let out a loud laugh. "I don't particularly like the other Heads of Houses. Well, some are alright, I guess…"

"What Houses are there?"

She'd read a lot about Wizarding law back when she'd first joined the Wizarding World, so Lily knew that the Wizengamot, as the most powerful institution that votes on laws and is responsible for hearings of criminals that are accused of murder, torture, and the like, is composed of the seats of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Wizarding Britain, as well as the Minister of Magic and the Heads of the various departments of the Ministry. However, she couldn't find a lot about the families in Hogwarts' library as over the years, a lot of lines were extinguished when no male magical child was born. Some even lost their seat due to fraud, a debt, or becoming involved in crime themselves. Lily knew of the Weasley family who had lost their seat about a century ago due to a life debt the Head of House owed another Head of House. So the information that she could find wasn't necessarily up to date.

"Ten Families remain in the Wizengamot," James said quietly. "The Houses of Black, Malfoy, Greengrass, Crabbe, and Goyle are all considered Dark. Their agenda usually follows the general line of 'I don't trust what looks different, so I want to discriminate against it.' The Houses of Potter, Diggory, Longbottom, Abbott, and Prewett are considered Light. So you can imagine that we go against pretty much everything the Darker Families vote for, which can get a bit repetitive and frustrating sometimes. Everyone has their own agenda, of course, but alliances have been formed mostly based on who's considered Dark and who isn't. It causes a lot of drama whenever the Families are summoned to discuss a certain law, so the seats that the Heads of each department have are necessary to agree on laws or sentences. It's a mess, honestly, and if I could choose, I'd let Dad do his thing for as long as he can use the Floo and somehow get into the Department of Mysteries where the Wizengamot is seated. Because I really don't want to be caught in the middle of the supremacists trying to manipulate everyone in the room so they get their say."

"Yeah," Lily breathed, "Yeah, I totally get that."

"It's a lot."

"It definitely sounds like it."

After a few seconds of silence, Lily turned to back James. He was looking towards the building that was now just a few metres away from them, eyes squinting slightly in the bright sun. "Has your dad ever mentioned whether the Dark Families are getting more… vocal about things?"

James stopped walking almost as soon as Lily uttered those words. "He isn't allowed to tell me what happens during those Wizengamot gatherings." His voice was soft, a mere murmur, and Lily had to take a step closer to him to be able to understand him over the birds chirping in the background. "But I'm his Heir, so the Family Magic allowed him… to give me advice on what to do should the times change towards the Darkness."

"Family Magic?" Lily had never heard about anything like that before or come across it in her numerous studies on Wizarding law and politics.

"That's magic that only responds to the House it belongs to," James explained patiently as they continued their slow walk down the path. "The members of the House can call upon it whenever they need help, but it's usually used to swear oaths of sorts. The Head of House has the main control over it as he is the one who leads the House and thus the magic. It's very old and powerful magic, and I have to be honest, I don't know whether it can be used outside of the 'Yes, I'm a Potter and yes, I accept your request for alliance'-type of oath. It would be brilliant, but I haven't heard about anything apart from it being used in politics that way." He shrugged. "There's not a lot of literature on it and that's for good reason."

"It makes sense if you think about it," Lily chimed in and James nodded.

"It does. The Houses are only really of importance because of politics, so I wouldn't be surprised if the magic could only be used for that ancient purpose."

A sigh escaped him as he turned towards the house, his home, where his mother was hosting a summer party to lighten up spirits. But Lily felt anything but light in that moment and according to James' tense posture, he felt the same.

"Things are changing, Lily." He looked over at her, head tilted slightly. "We need to be prepared that the Light will be attacked sooner rather than later. The Light Families don't know much, neither does the Order, but something's going on. The Dark Families have held meetings amongst themselves, something they haven't done in a long while. Not since Dumbledore won over Grindelwald. Dad can't tell me what they discuss at the Wizengamot gatherings specifically, as he's under an Oath of Secrecy, but he could tell me that much. The Order will start recruiting soon, and that's never a good sign."

Lily could hear someone laughing in the background and absentmindedly wondered whether some guests had started to venture into the gardens behind the manor.

"When the time comes," she said and gently put her hand on his arm. His eyes jumped up towards hers, blazing. "We will know what to do. But before that happens, let's try out best to enjoy the peace and quiet while we still can."

James smiled tentatively at her before taking a deep breath and nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Let's try and enjoy the house filled with nosy acquaintances and family friends, and let's do our best to stay out of the way of my mother, her sister," Lily started grinning, "and Sirius. Especially when combined near the buffet."

"Why's that?" She snickered as they continued their stroll down the cobbled path until they reached the front door. The wood was stained with age and just by looking at it, Lily knew that what James had told her earlier about the age of these walls is definitely true.

"I don't want any type of painful embarrassment today and those three people are masters at it." Lily watched, curious, as James lifted his hand and pressed it against the wood. The ancient magic intertwined into the structure responded immediately to his touch. A soft creak reached her ears before a warm wind ruffed her ponytail and the doors swung open.