Unofficial Portkey Archive

SGR's Note: Well, lots of drama, ain't there? To those of you who came here from Fanfiction.Net, thank you for continuing to read. For those who don't know, Fanfiction.Net recently deleted all of my stories (a year and a half's worth of reviews, going on 3400 total) so I just decided to never post there again.

If you would like to be on a mailing list, my email address is on my main page, and just drop me a line.

For those of you who want to know where Ann came from, check out Deer to Me, Chapter 11, near the end.

"Your beauty is beyond compare,
With flaming locks of auburn hair,
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green.
Your smile is like a breath of spring;
Your voice is soft like summer rain,
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene."
-Jolene, Dolly Parton

Those Who Have Thrice Defied Him
Chapter Eight

"Girlfriend?" Lily said, blinking at him. She was positive that she was his first girlfriend. Had he been lying to her all this time?

"Er, it was before us," James coughed, reading her correctly.

"We had fun that summer, didn't we?" Ann laughed, gently touching James' arm. "Of course, James insisted that we break it off at the end of the summer. Him going to his fancy boarding school and all."

"Yes," Lily said, trying to keep her already short temper under control. She wanted to say more, but she wasn't sure she could say it without a sharp tone to her voice.

"So, um, what have you been up to?" James asked, trying for polite conversation.

"Oh, you know," she laughed, flipping her straight red hair behind her shoulder. "Finishing school, and I've just opened up a little café around here. What about you?"

"Same here," James nodded.

"Except you got married," Ann reminded him, a twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah," James smiled, running his hand through his hair again. "And had a baby and all that."

Ann shook her head, that pleased smile on her face. "You still run your hand through your hair, like that, don't you?"

Lily got the distinct impression that, unlike her, Ann had no problems with that mannerism when they dated. In fact, with the way she was staring at him, and the way James was looking back at her, Lily was suspecting that Ann had run her hands through his hair a few times as well.

"So what about you?" Ann asked after a few moments of private remembering between them. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh," James said, caught off-guard. "Doing a bit of...work...."

"James and I both work for the government," Lily interrupted.

"With a baby?" Ann asked.

Lily thinned her lips. "I have taken off for a bit."

"I cannot believe you had a baby!" Ann laughed. "So...young..." She eyed James mischievously, as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate. "I'm not even thinking about marriage yet, let alone starting a family."

"James proposed right out of school," Lily interrupted.

"Well, not right out," James corrected.

"Close enough."

"There was that little-"

"Hush, dear."

Ann cleared her throat and smiled again, her white teeth sparkling in the late summer sunlight. "How about we meet up for dinner tonight? I want to hear all about what you've been up to, James."

"That sounds great!" James said, looking back at Lily, who would have rather said no, but manners called for her to agree.

"What time then? My café, of course," she said, touching her hand to her chest lightly.

"Eight sound all right?" James said.

"Eight sounds great," Ann said, looking at her watch. "Well, I'd love to sit and chat, but I've got one hundred pounds of vegetables scheduled to arrive, so I've got to be there to sign for them!" She reached up and gave James another hug. "Eight sharp, at the Café de Pez, all right?"

"We'll be there!" James said, waving to her as she went trotting off. He turned around and his face fell into one of confusion. "What?"

"When did you date her?" Lily asked, turning and walking back to the house.

James ran up to catch her. "Summer before we started dating. Remember, you hated me then."

"I'm starting to remember, yes."

"Oh, Lily, come on, don't be mad at me!"

"What am I supposed to do?" she hissed, walking faster. "A girl shows up who looks like me, but prettier, and says she's your ex-girlfriend, and invites you out to dinner."

"Us, honey," James said. "She just wants to catch up with me. We had quite a fling."

"I don't want to hear that."

"You were with that Hobo guy."

Lily stopped and stared at him incredulously. "I cannot believe you would bring that up now."

"Why not? It's the same thing."

"You knew about Håkan. You never once mentioned this girl."

"I did so!" James said. "I remember exactly when I told you! It was over the Christmas holidays, when we were walking around your town, and I asked you how many blokes you'd kissed, and then I said that I'd slept with a muggle girl back at Godric's Hollow."

"....slept with?!"

"What?!" James said. "So I'm not allowed to have ex-girlfriends who I slept with? You almost slept with Hobo!"

"Well, if you hadn't been so stupid as to break up with me, I wouldn't have dated him," Lily spat.

"If you had said yes the first time I asked you out, I wouldn't have dated Ann," James retorted.

"I'm sorry if I didn't find you dangling Severus upside-down showing off his underwear attractive." Through their squabbling, they had reached the house, but stopped in front of the door to continue arguing.

"Obviously not," James rolled his eyes. "I seem to remember you stomping on my heart."

"Your head was so big, I'm surprised you could feel anything."

"Is that why you married me then?" James asked.

"I'm starting to second guess my decision," Lily snapped, flinging open the door and walking inside.

"Hey!" Ann smiled, seeing James walk into the door. "Where's your wife?"

"Oh," James cleared his throat. "The baby was being fussy, so she said she'd stay home." Fussy was an understatement, the baby was screaming at the top of his lungs, and wouldn't stop. James and Lily were still not on the best of terms, and she had "kindly" told him to go to dinner without her.

"Oh, what a shame," Ann frowned.

"Wow, this place is...a lot bigger than I thought it would be," James said. When Ann had said "small café" she had meant "two story, on the water, full scale restaurant."

"Yeah," she smiled, humbly. "It's grown very quickly."

"Apparently," James laughed.

"Shall we then?" Ann reached forward and took his arm in hers. "I've got one of the best tables reserved for us." She squeezed his arm. "I'm so glad I ran into you! I was just thinking about you the other day. You know my parents moved out of Godric's Hollow while you were away, so I've just not been in touch with anyone back there. I guess that's why I didn't hear that you got married."

"Er, yeah," James said, a little uncomfortable with the way she was grasping at his arm. She opened the door to a terrace over-looking the bay, and a light breeze was blowing through. He noticed that the table was set for two, but didn't say anything of it.

"Always a gentleman, aren't you?" Ann smiled as James helped her into her chair.

"Habit, I guess," he said, taking his own seat.

"So," Ann smiled. "What a coincidence, hm?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect to see anyone here-"

"No," her long red hair brushed her bare shoulders when she shook her head. "I mean that you married a girl with red hair, and green eyes."

Oh snap, James thought, but kept his composure. He didn't think she would be too pleased to hear that she was a replacement for Lily when she didn't like him. "Guess I know what I like."

"Obviously," Ann reached forward and took his hand. "James, don't you remember how I always insisted on using protection?"

"Yes...?" James said, slowly.

"See what happens?" she chided him lightly. "Now you're stuck with her for life."

"Er...?"

"The baby is adorable though," she sighed.

"Thanks...?" James was still unsure of what she was talking about.

"But let's move on to other things," she nodded, letting go of his hand when the waiter came to pour the wine. "Like this job of yours..."

"Again?" Lily said, turning around from changing Harry's diaper. Both she and James had to talk over the crying of the baby, which had been nonstop except for slumber.

"Lily, she's been really nice to invite us out so often-"

"You," she snapped, as she picked up Harry, trying to sooth his piercing cries.

"What?"

"She's been really nice to invite you all over town," Lily said, trying to keep her tears at bay. "I've been too busy with the baby."

"Why don't I take him for a little while?" James asked. "You're always with him-"

"That's because he's sick and he needs me!" she snapped. "And I don't want to leave him alone with anyone else."

"Lily-" James said, but the baby's crying frustrated him. He walked over to Lily and took the baby from her, putting him in the bedroom and closing the door.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she shrieked, trying to get past him.

"You've been trying to get him to stop crying for three weeks now," James said. "I don't think that five minutes alone will do any damage."

"You see?" Lily said. "This is why I don't want to leave him alone with you!"

"What?!" James blanched.

"You'd neglect him!" she pointed.

"I'm his father, Lily," James glared at her. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my son, if his mother would let me."

"He stopped crying!" Lily gasped, pushing James out of the way and running into the bedroom. She let out a breath of relief when she saw him simply asleep.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" James exclaimed.

"James, don't you realize that one day we might wake up and our baby might be gone?" she said.

"No," he folded his arms over his chest. "You're paranoid." He looked at his watch. "And I've got to get to dinner."

"Fine!" Lily cried. "I don't care that she's a better looking version than me!"

"Good bye, Lily," James said, kissing her on the forehead and walking out. Once the door closed, Lily laid back down on the bed and started sobbing.

"Oh, she couldn't make it again?" Ann said, not looking surprised. She was waiting outside of a local bar, looking a bit more than friendly than James thought someone who was just trying to be friendly should with her low black dress.

"The baby's cholera is very bad, apparently," James nodded, solemnly.

Ann gave him a second glance but said nothing. He opened the door for her and the two of them walked inside.

Lily stirred and opened her eyes, looking at the clock on the wall. She rubbed her eyes and then, nervously, her eyes looked to the crib, where the baby was still sleeping. Harry had never slept for this long. She got up off the bed and reached down, gently touching his cheek. It was warm and soft, not to mention perfect.

She sniffed and reached down, kissing the baby on the forehead. Maybe James was right, maybe she did worry too much.

Although, she was sure that her worrying to him this evening had little to do with the baby and more to do with him spending all of his time with a single, sexy, better-looking version of her.

She heard the tell-tale alarm going off when somebody with a wand walked into the from yard and smiled, walking to the window and looking out.

"I'm sort of glad that she went home," James coughed a little bit. The bar was smoky and very dirty. "This isn't really a place for a baby."

"A baby sure changes things," Ann nodded. "See why you should have worn a condom?"

"Ann, I really have no idea what you're talking about?" James shook his head.

"You always needed bluntness," Ann shook her head. "Getting a girl pregnant when you were barely out of school, or were you even out of school-"

"You mean, my wife?" James said.

"You were married before you got her pregnant?" Ann said, incredulous.

"Yes, whatever did you think?"

"Oh," Ann backed off a little bit, a blush rising to her face. "I thought...well...never mind."

"No," James grumbled. "What did you think?"

"I thought that you wanted a replacement for me, and then got her pregnant accidentally," she laughed. "Oh, silly me!"

"Actually," James said, hotly. "I dated you because Lily wouldn't have me."

"...what?" Ann said.

"Excuse me," James said, standing up and grabbing his coat. "It was nice seeing you again, Ann."

With that, he left her, blushing and embarrassed at the bar.

"Lily?" James called, walking into the door. Silence greeted him.

Thinking that she was simply asleep, James put his coat in the closet and walked into the bedroom, intent on apologizing for his horrid behavior earlier in the evening. When he walked into the bedroom, however, he found it completely empty.

"Lily?" he said, getting a bit worried. He searched the whole house and became very worried.

There was no sign of a struggle, and the house wasn't blown up into tiny ashes, but James portkeyed himself to Dumbledore's office, just in case.

"Oh thank Merlin," James breathed out. Lily was sitting, very stiff-backed, in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. The older man seemed to have been talking to her, but he stopped when James appeared.

"I think I shall retire tonight," he nodded. "Lily, Madame Pomfrey will prepare a bed for you."

"Can she prepare two?" Lily snapped.

Dumbledore said nothing, but walked out the door.

"What happened?" James asked.

"Be quiet, Harry's finally asleep," she snapped.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong!" Lily hissed. "You are out gallivanting with another woman and somebody came to the house!"

"What?" James's face fell.

"Dumbledore doesn't think that they were coming to kill, just to see if we were really there. I got out before whoever it was could see us, but Dumbledore thinks we should move regardless."

"Lily, I'm sorry-"

"Sorry?" Lily gasped. "Sorry? Sorry is for when you say the wrong thing, James. What you were doing was beyond sorry."

"What?" he blinked.

"You were out with another woman, James!" Lily cried. Harry, in a crib in the corner, began crying.

"For the record, I was just trying to catch up with an old friend," James said, beating Lily to the crib and picking up Harry. "She was the one who was trying to-"

"To what?" Lily said, dangerously.

"I don't know what she was trying to do, but there was a reason why I left her at a bar back in Pembroke."

"What was that?" Lily asked, sitting back down on the chair, angrily.

"Merlin, Lily, I'm not cheating on you!" James exclaimed.

"You expect me to believe that?" Lily asked.

"What happened to you?" James stared at her.

"Excuse me?"

"When we first started dating, people thought I was cheating on you then too!" James said, gently rocking Harry back and forth; he was gurgling happily. "But no, you said that you trusted me. What happened to the woman I married?"

"So you're pinning all of this on me again?" Lily said, angrily.

"Give me a break," James muttered, taking out his wand and tapping Harry. He left Harry bobbing happily in the air. Before Lily could shriek in protest, James had pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"You just-"

James kissed her again.

"James-"

"I'm tired of fighting you," James said. "I'm tired of you being so uptight. I'm tired of us not being able to enjoy our child. I'm tired of-"

"So what do you suggest we do?" Lily asked.

"I suggest that you relax," James said. "And let me worry about everything."

"But you don't!"

"Exactly," he smiled, summoning Harry to them. Lily looked like she wanted to say something about it, but didn't. "If you leave the worrying to me, and I don't worry, then nobody will, and we'll be a happy family."

"James, you don't-"

"Lily, for crying out loud, I know just as much as you do on how to be a good parent. I had two of my own! I can't believe you just don't trust me!" he said, a hurt tone in his voice.

"If something happens to him, I'll never forgive myself," she whispered. "I don't want..." She trailed off.

"Ah!" came a voice from the wall. "Now I remember! Your parents, yes! You made quite the spectacle then, too, didn't you? You do have a flair for the dramatic-"

"Phineus, buzz off," James growled, not turning around. The rest of the portraits in the office had disappeared once they had started arguing, but Phineus Black, apparently, wanted to watch the show.

"Fine, fine. Interrupt good gossip..."

"Lily, I know you're worried, but you're going to make yourself sick!" James whispered. "Yes, we're in danger, but it's been two months since we were last attacked. That says something, doesn't it?"

She shrugged, not convinced.

"Now," he yawned. "Should Poppy still prepare two beds?"

"I don't know," Lily said, clearing her throat. "If we don't share one, I think Poppy might want to."

James laughed and kissed her on the forehead. "See? I knew you were in there somewhere."