A/N
Hi Everyone.
Thanks so much for all your reviews! I'm so happy. 27 reviews! I'm totally thrilled. I hope you will like this chap as well. And I hope you will review again. I think there are a few mistakes in the chap but I will correct them in the next days.
Thanks for your patience!
Chapter 2- Kick up the fuss
Lily seized the knocker and struck the iron, coiled snake against the dark wood of the entry door that had seen their better days slip away. The black color had chipped off in some places and exposed the weathered wood beneath the thick paint. While she waited, Lily gazed skeptically at the dried out front garden. Yesterday it had rained, so she was confused as to why the flowers look so dead. Shaking the ponderings from her head, she pressed the bell button impatiently when no sound from inside reached her ear. As she touched the cool metal she felt an engraving and with a closer look Lily once again saw the coiled snake.
What is with all the snakes? She shook her head and forced herself to relax and calm down. With a slight delay, a quiet ringing reached her ears and then she could hear steps from inside the dark and foreboding house. About three seconds later the front door swung open and a young man, who couldn't be much older than she was, looked her up and down, under a veil of pitch-black hair.
"Yes?" he asked boredly and leaned against the doorframe.
"Hello," Lily greeted with a warm smile, "Mr. Sirius Black I assume?" she inquired.
"That's me," the young man replied continuing to scrutinize her from his position against the doorframe.
"My name is Lillian Evans," she said and she extended her right hand to him.
"Pleasure," he said shaking her hand, "What leads you to my doorstep? I don't have much time," he mumbled before she could speak further.
"I'm from Artemis & Verne. I'm here to have a look at the amulet", Lily continued to introduce herself, "I am your official contact," she smiled charmingly.
"Then I suppose you should come in," Sirius answered suddenly and inexplicably friendlier. Actually, he had planned to treat James ' work colleague as impolitely as possible, but something had deviated him from his intended goal.
"Thank you," Lily still smiled and stepped past him into the dark entrance hall. For a short moment everything was black, but then her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness. Lily glanced over yellowed walls covered with an innumerable amount of portraits. It smelled moldy and old. The place struck her as oppressing and intimidating; she wished ardently for a brighter, friendlier area.
"Follow me please," Sirius instructed and Lily followed him down the long corridor. Quietly he opened a door to his left and they both entered (to Lily's complete astonishment) a bright and friendly living room. There were several large windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor were opened and a gentle breeze blew through the room. There was also a light, pleasant scent, vanilla and ginger.
"Please sit down," he directed her to a comfortable sofa and sat down beside her.
"Thanks," Lily said before jumping instantly into business, "I am your agent for this sale and my buyer wishes a fast completion of the business." She still smiled infatuatedly.
Sirius examined her in detail for a while. No miracle, James had said, I am to downplay my allure. Padfoot complained in spirit and execrated himself, but he had sworn to Prongs that he would not let his charm play.
"Mr. Black?" Lily asked carefully. The young man beside her seemed somehow absent. His grey blue eyes looked past her and stared on the wall behind her. "Mr. Black?" she tried again and touched his arm. "Is everything alright?"
"What?" Sirius snapped back into reality.
"Is everything alright with you?"
"I'm sorry," he blinked, "I'm fine. Beg your pardon, but what have you said?" Lily smiled benevolently at him.
"I asked you to show me the amulet. I would like to examine it for its authenticity, if you would permit it."
"Yes, naturally," and he rose agilely and went to a cabinet. Sirius returned with a small box and placed it directly before her. Lily took a magnifying glass from her bag, opened the box, and took a small round disk from within the velvet lined box.
Carefully she moved her fingers over the old forgotten inscriptions. The blood-red ruby in the middle of the amulet radiated with a feeling of struggle, hate, and obsession. But Lily was not swayed or moved by it. Professionally, she wedged the magnifying glass before her eye and studied the amulet.
Is that really the Amulet of Asael? she thought and remembered everything she had heard in her Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. The Amulet had been stolen centuries ago by a traveler from the holy places of Machian and now Lily held it in her hands.
With all blood acts that rested on it.
With all plots and lies that we crafted to give it power.
It must be the real one, Lily determined after a few minutes when she had examined each minuscule notch in the metal. Suddenly Lily had the feeling that someone was looming over her and she turned her head in slowly to the side. She looked directly into gigantic grey-blue eyes. In her fright, the magnifying glass fell from her pinched eye and rolled under the table. Sirius had bent over the seat-back to look over her shoulder as she studied the amulet.
"And what you think of the amulet? Is it authentic or not?" he asked calmly, although he was now so close that he had noticed the pleasant scent of her perfume.
"Out of all my experiences with such artifacts, I would say that it is authentic," she confirmed charmingly and groped on the floor for her magnifying glass.
"Ah!" Sirius radiated, "Perfect," and he straightened up again.
"For how long have you been in possession of this piece?" Lily inquired, while she confirmed the authenticity in writing.
"Oh, eternities," he said readily with the wave of his hand, "One of my ancestors bought it on a journey. Since then it is in family estate."
Lily smirked knowingly, when he told her this story. In the course of the years people had told her the craziest things to cover the true origins of an object. Lily always knew better though. Padfoot put the amulet back into the box, when it suddenly whispered.
"Traitors!" the voice was strained and hushed. Lily looked up.
"What did you just say?"
Sirius started to turn red and closed the top of the box: "N… nothing."
"I know I heard something whisper . . ." Lily said resolutely.
"Really?" he asked nonchalantly, "I didn't." Lily looked one moment urgently at him. Something was strange about this Sirius Black. She had the feeling, a strange feeling, almost as if he wasn't a Muggle. Because if he was a Muggle, how could he have come to possess this amulet.
But for now, she pushed these thoughts aside. She had to complete the sale and trump over James. But that was more easily said than done. Once, the selling price was too low for Sirius, then he wanted to have considering time and then he blocked completely.
"Mr. Black," Lily began. "I'm getting the impression that you do not want to sell at all."
"Oh trust me," Sirius said with a sly smirk, "I want to be rid of this thing. It just sits around and collects dust . . ."
"Then why do you not want to complete the business transaction as fast as possible?" Lily sighed in frustration. He was making this far more difficult than it needed to be.
"Because I would like you to go to a party with me," and arrogance flitted over his face. Lily considered this for a moment. This turn in actions was not welcomed at all. But Lily knew she needed to close this deal before James closed his.
"When is this party?" she asked plastering a fake smile on her face.
"In three days." Lily bit back a frustrated groan.
"And afterwards you'll sign the contract?"
"You have my word!" Sirius smirked across the table at her.
Lily pushed a strand of hair from her face and bent her head somewhat to the side. Again she smiled infatuatedly and looked at him with a slightly seductive look. This aura surrounded her, which could actually reduce any one with her to nothing; normally this would be enough to move the person to sign the contract. But Sirius was immune to any of such attempts, expecting an answer. As Lily realized that this usual mesh did not pull, she breathed resignedly in and out.
"Well, where does the party take place?"
Sirius smiled joyful before answering: "At the Bones' family estate. Where should I go to pick you up?"
"We should meet there," suggested Lily, "I live out of the way and it would be a large detour for you."
"As you wish," he smirked.
XXXXXXXX
James looked up at the house and noticed how a curtain moved on one of the upper floors. The Dragon is expecting me already; he thought and cringed at the thought of Augusta Longbottom's green dress and her large hat, with the enormous canary on top. James smirked at the nickname Sirius had given the old bat; it was fitting that was for certain. The front door was opened and a young man with dark, carefully combed hair stood before him.
"Hello James," Frank Longbottom welcomed him with a knowing smile.
"Hello Frank. How are you?" James inquired politely. Lily was already here; Prongs just had a sinking feeling that she had pulled strings and prepared for the fight.
"Oh, fine. Thanks for asking," Frank smiled and stepped to the side. "Come in. Mom is already waiting for you," and he pointed up the stairs. James followed Frank along the corridor, while the door closed automatically behind them. Some portraits winked at Prongs. A small girl dropped a curtsy and an older man tipped his hat. Together they climbed up the stairs, dodging the 14th step that always creaked and sauntered to Augusta's personal salon.
"Mom, James is here," informed Frank needlessly to Augusta Longbottom.
"I thought so!" she answered grumpily. Well then the first round of the battle has begun, James thought.
"Hello Mrs. Longbottom," he shook her hand. "How are you?"
"Like a witch of my age", she retorted.
"Mom!" Frank said admonishingly, "please!" And he disappeared from the room.
James briefly scanned the room. He knew this salon very well with its heavy, green velvet curtains, behind which one could hide oneself without a problem. There was the small hole in the carpet right in front of the fire-place and the creaky floorboard near the window, which gave a view of a garden. Oh yes, James knew this salon well.
Like always Augusta wore her green dress. She must have had hundreds of them; James considered and held also a look out for the gigantic red handbag. The hat with the gigantic canary lay carefully on a likewise-large hatbox.
"So, there you are," Mrs. Longbottom began and pointed to an uncomfortable chair. Deeper lines entrenched themselves around her mouth further.
"Yeah, here I am," he smiled unsuccessfully, because the woman sitting opposite of him had not responded to his means of politeness. She, instead, looked him up and down critically with an elegantly arched eyebrow. Silence grew between them and small dust specks danced merrily in sunlight that shown through the windows.
"Should we start?" James asked carefully and took a few papers from his bag.
"Yes, we should", Augusta answer briefly and took a silver bracelet out from the innumerable folds of her dress. In the center it had an elegantly cursive letter "H" and it was surrounded by an eagle and a badger on one side and a lion and a snake on the other. Without a word she handed it to him and James took out his magnifying glass.
"I know that it is authentic," he explained, "but I haven't seen it for a long time." James examined longingly the filigree work and was annoyed that he couldn't buy it. Well, he could have done it, but how could he explain to David that he had taken the piece for his own and snatched it away in from the best customer of A & V? Carefully he placed the bracelet on the polished wooden table between them and confirmed the authenticity. Casually he mentioned the purchase price and Augusta didn't seem against the offered price.
"I already got the contract. My customer would be very glad for a fast completion," James tried to get over with it while Mrs. Longbottom watched him with a bored expression, up until now that is.
"I'm not selling right now. I want some time to consider."
James was surprised: "Do you have any objections?"
"No, I have none," she answered grumpily.
"Then I don't quite understand . . ." he began, because James had expected more imaginativeness of Augusta. But she interrupted him gruffly.
"I have no more time. I'll sell in one week, good day," and she rose and rushed from the salon. James blinked, as if he could not believe that this geriatric woman could disappear so fast. Suddenly someone coughed behind him and Frank entered the room.
"Do not worry about Mom. She was really upset earlier when Lily was here," he said as he fell down on the sofa. "I told her that I don't believe that you do such things. But if it concerns Lily . . ." he glanced meaningfully at James, ". . . then she sees no more soil in the cauldron!"
"Who began with this mean stuff?" James snapped, "I certainly did not."
"Lily would beg to differ. She was so upset! The last time I saw her like that was when I played with Dad's wand and suddenly she had blond hair. She is so proud her hair."
James' jaw dropped and nearly hit the floor. Why he hadn't come with it by himself?
"Wait a moment," he began and sat upright. "Lillian Evans is... is a witch?"
"Um, you didn't know that? Frank asked somewhat uncomfortably. James made an expression as if he would pass out and fall from his chair at any moment.
"No, from where . . . but how . . ." he burst out and grew immediately silent. On his forehead deep wrinkles appeared. It looked as if he was considering something really hard.
"She hexed you and you didn't notice, didn't she?" Frank smirked. James was dumbfounded.
"She did!" he answered thunderstruck. Me, he thought me, James Potter, got hexed by a girl and didn't even realize it!
"What has Lily done?" asked his grinning companion.
"I think . . . she made me look like a fool and intentionally! She hexed my zipper open and I didn't notice!" That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Yeah, that's Lily. I really believe she is the female counterpart to you," Frank Longbottom laughed. "Nonverbal spells are her specialty. I would be careful with her around."
James made a face that resembled that of a furious storm could. Oh, I'll pay her back, he thought. Nobody pulls a stunt like that and goes unpunished by me, whether she is pretty or not.
XXXXXXXXX
"Please wait!" Lily called a few meters away from the elevator. She didn't want to wait for the next. Just half an hour ago she had been condemned to go out with a customer to be able to complete the contract as fast as possible. Merlin alone knew what she could expect from the party. Self-willed she pushed through a crowed and entered the elevator.
"Which floor?" a gentle voice asked. Before Lily had looked up, she knew who had asked. There he stood with a smile on his lips and a shrewd look in the face.
"Third please," she answered and smiled likewise.
All promises, which she had given herself not to tackle James Potter, were forgotten the moment those doors slid shut. James bent somewhat forward to press the button and easily brushed her arm.
"I think we work on the same floor," she interrupted him and smiled.
He answered her with a smile and the elevator started to move upwards. Lily felt goose bumps prickle on her skin because of his look. That had never happened since . . . well actually that had never happened to her before.
"And, how are you, Potter?" Lily inquired anxiously for small talk. What's the matter with me? Just one hour ago I wanted to hex James into next week and now I'm asking him how he is!
"We should address each other by first names, don't you thing?" James offered, "We'll be working together for a long time and I think it's more appropriate."
"Well, okay", she answered, "Lily," she stretched out her hand for him to shake.
"James," he took her hand and again both looked deep into the other's eyes.
It was at that moment that the elevator doors opened and several people stepped inside. Lily had to step closer to James so she wasn't jostled about. But now she was pressed closely to him. His warm brown eyes rested on her emerald-green and they stood entranced as they stared into the depths of the other's eyes. James's heart started beating faster, then he inhaled her pleasant scent and every thought fled from his brain. He forgot that he wanted to speak his opinions about things that had happened just one hour ago. The temperature seemed be slowly riding. Air was so charged that it crackled around them.
No . . . wait . . . that was someone rustling a shopping bag.
Bing. The lift had reached the third floor and people stormed out of the elevator. They were completely pressed into a corner even after the people had left, and they stood still and held hands.
"Well I . . . I think we're on the third floor," James said slowly not looking away from Lily.
"You think?" she asked gently with a hint of humor in her voice.
"Yeah, I can see Estelle starring at us," James replied glancing out of the corner of his eye. With a jolt they both released the other. Reality had reached them and brought them back down to earth.
They were completely silent as they entered the third floor and hurried into their office. James and Lily felt the boring, critical stare of the receptionist lady in their backs. That'll give them something to gossip about around the water cooler, thought James and hurriedly closed the office door behind him.
Melanie was sitting behind her desks and typing something into the computer. When her colleagues entered the office, both were blushing a vibrant shade of red and Mel smiled knowingly. Her plan would work and she knew it. She had trusted in the fact that James and Lily were too proud to talk to each other about her little interfering and everything was going swimmingly.
This is going better than I thought it would, she smirked and amended some things in the contract, which she would complete soon.
James had sat behind his desk and appeared to be looking over an auction catalog. But in reality, he reminded himself that he hadn't paid Lily back yet. In the elevator he would have had the perfect opportunity.
But no! Instead I throw myself practically on her neck, he thought. He wondered for a moment if she had used a charm on him. He pondered and thought of all possible charms (that he ever had found in the library at Hogwarts), but he couldn't remember any that could have bewitched him in such a way that he would forget everything he intended to do. Perhaps the Imperius, but that he would have overcome that without problems.
While he thought about everything, the plan to pay Lily back became clearer and clearer. She would pay for what she had done to him!
XXXXXXX
The day seemed to drag on, but the end finally arrived and the sun dipped beneath the horizon and colored the sky in a tender lilac. A single star was in the night sky. The planet Venus, Lily knew it for certain. She stretched her back briefly and looked up. Melanie had gone already and James was brooding now over a huge file. Slowly she rose.
"James?"
He glanced over his glasses at her and looked questioningly at her.
"It's getting quite late, and I believe we are the last in the office," she answered his look and gathered a few things into her handbag, while he glanced at his watch. This is what James had been waiting for.
"Yes, I guess I'll pack it up as well and call it a night," James said yawning. They left the office together. Nobody was on the floor. How did it happen that everyone had left and they hadn't noticed?
When they stepped into the elevator, Lily pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors closed and the lift started to move downward. But just a little, because then the lights flashed and the small space became pitch black. In the same moment the elevator stopped moving.
"What . . .?" began Lily astonished and frustrated. This could not be happening. Great! At the end of a workday I get stuck in the elevator, she thought. It can't get much worse.
"W-w-w-we should call the mechanic as fast as possible," said James and something in his voice was different. The stutter was very out of character for him. Somehow it seemed higher pitched than usual and he sounded like he had just finished running a marathon.
"Is everything alright?" Lily inquired into the darkness.
"N. . . N . . . No," James said with great difficulty.
"What . . . What is it?!" Lily asked alarmed at hearing James' breathing shallow and quicken.
"I . . ." James' voice failed completely.
Lily looked in the darkness for him. He stood pushed in a corner. "What is with you?" she felt for him. A hand rested on his chest, the other one groped to his face.
"I . . . I can't be . . . in small rooms for too long," breathed James fast.
"Oh no! You have Claustrophobia!" Lily said close to panicking herself. She could feel sweat on James' face and he trembled. His chest was rapidly and shallowly rising up and down.
"Oh no, what am I going do?" Lily murmured to herself. Feverishly she sought for a way to help James in the depths of her mind. But nothing occurred to her simply! I don't know anything that would help . . . Wait! She thought as she thought of the wand resting in her purse. I must do it. I must help him.
"James, what I'm about to do and show you right now you cannot say a word to anybody. Or I'll have to modify your memory."
"Wha . . . wha . . . what?" he stuttered.
"You'll see. Just try to calm down, okay. You are better in a few seconds," Lily said soothingly.
James could hear Lily rummage in her handbag. Actually he was feeling sorry that he paid Lily back this way and made her worry so much. He had enjoyed her touch, but when this game was over, she would never touch him the rest of all eternity.
"Ah, there it is!" She exclaimed "Lumos!" she said and the point of her wand illuminated.
"What . . . what . . ." he babbled and fear appeared in his eyes.
"Everything is alright James, you'll be better in a moment," she tried again to calm him. But he looked only more worried. Panic increased in Lily when she looked at him. What if the charm doesn't work? What would she do then?
"Your better . . . you . . . soon," she babbled her own fear taking over. "Sed . . ."
"Sedativus," James answered completely calm in her place. Lily looked at him with shocked eyes. He suddenly looked completely normally. He didn't tremble any longer; he had no more sweat on his forehead and he leaned relaxed against the wall.
Perplex Lily stepped a few steps back. "What?!" she nearly cried.
"Sedativus," he said and took out his own wand. "Finite Incantatem," he spoke further and the light went back on and the elevator began to move again.
Lily looked still surprised, but after she had blinked twice her look changed. James had known her for only one day, but even in his wildest dreams he couldn't have pictured her so furious.
"You kicked up the fuss!" she called raving, "You knew for a fact that I am a witch and you . . . you . . . damn! You scared the shit out of me, JAMES!" and she hit him on the shoulder.
"Ouch!" Protested James, "That was for the thing with the zipper!" He rubbed the place where she had hit him.
"My prank was a little thing!" she defended herself, "You provoked me on purpose! You needed one in the eye!"
James looked at her in harshly. Her cheeks were as red as her hair and her eyes had the appearance as if they would each spray fire at any moment. Perhaps I went too far, James considered briefly.
"Are we even now?" he asked and ignored her last remark.
She was still furious as she looked at him. "Claustrophobia is not a topic to make jokes about. I had seriously intended to rescue you!"
"That I will not forget for all eternity," he answered with a mock bow.
For a short moment Lily wanted to smile, but annoyance won, once again, the upper hand. "Damn! Couldn't you come up with something else?" and she made a step forward. James suddenly felt threatened. Meanwhile they had arrived on the ground floor. Lily still had her wand in her hand.
"Lily, don't do anything stupid," he reminded her.
"Get out of my sight," she hissed and it reminded him much of a cat. To underline this sentence sparks sprayed from the point of her wand.
"Oh, come on . . ." he started a playable attempt.
"Sod off!" she hissed again.
James glanced at her for a last moment and disapparated, before she could do him any harm.
XXXXXXXX
Lily ran like a mad woman along the roads. People, who came across her on the sidewalk, were blown away like a heap of leafs, by a strong wind. I do not have anything against a good prank, when it's funny, she thought angrily. But the stunt James had pulled ... that was simple below the belt!
She did not notice at all how fast she had arrived at her flat. Furiously she stomped up the stairs and then heard it. Music! Loud, nerve-racking, annoying music! Perfect ending for the perfect day, she thought bitterly as she unlocked the door.
Minerva jumped to her and snaked around her legs. Lily ruffled her cat behind the ears.
"You know what Minnie, anything you catch and kill you can put in front of the door of the neighbor. I recompense you for it," she whispered. A grateful meow rang out, followed by a still louder purr. "And now I need a relaxing bath," Lily explained and Minerva followed her in the bathroom.
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