It was already the middle of September and fall was all around the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. On a clear Saturday morning most students, third year and above, were romping around Hogsmeade, but two in particular were not.
Lillian Evans and Ngila Kenoir had been best friends since the day they both entered the magical school where they resided. Both were in their seventh and final year as well as in Gryffindor house together. On this warm day in September the girls were not up to skipping around Hogsmeade with the other students but instead took refuge in the middle of the front lawn of the school. Lily was sitting up cross legged writing in a tiny book while Ngila was lying flat on her back and staring up into the clouds.
"Ngila," Lily started slowly, tearing her eyes and pen away from her tiny, leather bound book, "what are you thinking about?" she finished questioningly.
"The names of my children, when I have them I mean." Ngila replied, peering at Lily through her fashionable, thick rimmed glasses.
"Well, what have you come up with?" Lily asked her curiously.
"If I have a daughter I was think Ngila James, after me, and if I have a boy it would be Ngilo James, after me." She chuckled.
"You self-absorbed cricket!" Lily shouted playfully while smiling at her best friend and smacking her with the same tiny book she had been writing in.
"Self-absorbed cricket? I don't believe I've ever heard that one before." Ngila said with a puzzled look on her face while raising herself from the ground and sitting up next to Lily.
"'Tis a Lily Evans original and you sha'nt be repeating it if you know what's good for you, scurvy knave!" Lily said while shaking her muggle pen at Ngila and her emerald eyes flashing with humor.
"Well, aren't you just the queen of insult today my lovely little melon?" Ngila said innocently while standing up and tying her brown hair into a sloppy bun at the stop of her head.
"I try my beautifully large citrus fruit." Lily replied while standing up and brushing the grass off the back of her skirt.
"You know, Lily, we are quite odd, aren't we?" Ngila asked while joining Lily in the walk back to the castle for dinner.
"Well, seeing as you just called me a melon and I called you a citrus fruit, a cricket, and a scurvy knave….yes, we are quite odd." Lily replied smiling at the ocean-blue eyed girl next to her.
"I knew it; I must be the most observant person in the history of people." Ngila told her matter-of-factly.
"Of course you are, darling. You just keep telling yourself that." Lily said while patting the girl's shoulder sympathetically.
"I already do, Lily! But, onto bigger and better things, it's time for our grand entrance." Ngila declared as they reached the doors to the Great Hall.
"After you, Mademoiselle Kenoir." Lily replied while bowing and opening the door for her.
"If you insist, Señorita Evans." Ngila said huffily while proceeding into the hall and stopping to wait for her friend. They stood in the front of the hall to drink it all in before they were shaken out of their reverie.
"Ken, Evans, over her ladies!" A masculine voice called out from the Gryffindor house table.
"I don't know why but I had the oddest notion that nicknames were supposed to originate from the first name and not the last." Ngila whispered to Lily as they approached the space where their names were being called.
"You do know that the boy who gave you that nickname was Sirius Black, right?" Lily whispered back while giving "Ken" a look of disbelief.
"Oh, I forgot, the ever-so-serious Sirius Black." Ngila said rolling her eyes causing Lily to chuckle silently as they came closer to the boys that called themselves the marauders.
"Sirius, darling, I missed you so!" Ngila called out as they got close enough to see them. Ngila and Lily were on the opposite side of the table as Sirius so Ngila quickly crawled under the table and was soon sitting next to the gray-eyed boy.
"Ngila, my love, where were you this afternoon? We were scheduled for two o'clock." Sirius said to her longingly.
"I'm so sorry, love, but I got caught up with Severus. Once he gets going he just can't stop." Ngila replied in a bored tone while piling food onto her plate.
"I know what you mean, he is a regular machine." Sirius replied while returning to his food. Ngila looked at him and nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world while Lily took her seat in between Remus Lupin and James Potter.
"Hello, my darling Lily, how come I didn't see you in the village?" The messy haired boy on Lily's left said.
"I was hanging around on the grounds, Potter, and don't call me darling." Lily snapped while she began to gather food and James resumed eating.
"Where's Peter?" Ngila asked the boys curiously while glancing around the table.
"I think he went to study with that Ravenclaw he was talking about." A tired Remus responded from the other side of the table.
"Oh, does little Peter Pettigrew have a date?" Lily asked while her and Ngila exchanged maniacal smiles.
"I do believe he does. She was as cute as a button." Sirius told them shortly while grabbing the roll off of Ngila's plate.
"If she is as cute as a button, do try not to whisk her away from Peter. I for one am happy for the little chap. It's not everyday that Pettigrew finds himself a beauty. And don't steal my food, get your own!" Ngila finished sharply.
"I would never try to steal his girlfriend away when I have you, Ken." Sirius replied, batting his eyelashes as Ngila who just rolled her eyes and stole her roll back.
"So, what were you boys doing in Hogsmeade today?" Lily asked before Ngila and Sirius could get into a fight.
"The usual: drinking butterbeer, stocking up at Zonko's, buying candy, stocking up at Zonko's, scoping for ladies, stocking up at Zonko's….." James continued until Remus stopped him.
"I think they get the point, mate. What did you lovely ladies do?" Remus asked the girls suavely.
"Oh, you do flatter us Remus dear but I'm afraid our day was not quite as exciting as yours." Ngila replied smiling at him.
"We sat around the common room reading and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day lying in the middle of the lawn. By the way, have you seen Aurora?" Lily asked, now conscious of her other friend's absence.
"I think she is sitting with Oma a few seats down." James told her motioning towards the end of the table where they were.
Lily found her friend Aurora Knight next to her best friend Oma Blaise. Aurora was not one of Lily or Ngila's closest friends but they shared a bond because all three girls had a love for music and played instruments.
"Why were you looking for Aurora, Lils?" Ngila asked, shaking Lily from her memory.
"I was thinking we could jam or something later. I feel like I haven't practiced in ages." Lily told her while turning back to her own section of the table.
"That's actually a good idea. We could get some practice in together like we used to and maybe we might be able to play the Yule Ball this year!" Ngila exclaimed.
"You know, you say that every year and we never do." Lily said while propping her head up on her fist.
"But we must do it this year! I know you hate to hear it but it's our last year and it's time to do the things we never had the courage to do!" Ngila smiled widely at her.
"I haven't seen you do anything you wouldn't do normally." Lily said in a bored tone.
"That's because I have had no reason to yet."
"Fine, fine, we'll play at the stupid ball. But as long as we don't wear stupid matching costumes or anything." Lily replied only trying to please her best friend.
"Lily, I love you!" Ngila screamed before jumping out of her seat and into the isle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables where she did a sort of weird jig. Soon, Sirius had jumped up and joined her while everyone else just stared at the couple dancing in the isle.
"Ms. Kenoir, Mr. Black, although I do find your performance quite enjoyable, would you please proceed back to your seats?" Professor Dumbledore boomed from the Head Table.
"Sorry, Professor." Ngila yelled back while smiling at the old, gray haired Professor. She dove in her seat like Sirius had seconds before her.
"Well, that was interesting. Why were we dancing?" Sirius turned to ask Ngila who was staring intently at Lily.
"Was that out of the ordinary enough for you? Usually I would have been like, `Awesome, Lils!', but not this time. So, was it? Was it!?" Ngila gestured wildly while smiling at Lily.
"I'd have to say it was quite odd. Now I understand exactly what you mean." Lily exclaimed, sarcastically.
"So, why were you two dancing?" James voiced Sirius' question again.
"Because Lillian Annabelle Evans is the best ever!" Ngila chirped.
"Oh, that's what we were dancing for? If I'd known that I would have worn James' `I Love Lily' t-shirt!" Sirius said happily to Ngila and then boomed with laughter at James' beet red face.