Chapter Nine: Monopoly and Strip Poker
By Natali K. A.
-Lily's POV-
I sighed, very sad. My school life is officially over, and I'll never be a student again. Off to the real world.
Damned real world.
"Where's James?" Chloe asked as she helped Ari drag her trunk off the train. "I thought you were going to ride back together."
"So did I," I muttered. "Whatever. Probably off playing pranks on some poor soul. Or Snape."
Ari nodded. "Well, you might be perfectly okay with it, but I for one am a bit peeved that Remus didn't so much as tell me he'd be off somewhere else."
"You'll get over it," Chloe and I said simultaneously. I kicked my trunk for lack of anything better to do.
In all honesty, I was a little upset. I mean, I did want to share our last train ride together-perhaps christen the train and scratch that off our list of places we want to shag. But I guess it just wasn't meant to be.
"Lily!"
I turned around, smiling. Kathy walked up to me and gave me a big hug with a kiss on either cheek, "Bobby" not far behind her.
"Have you seen our misfit of a son? We promised him we'd take him out to his favorite restaurant tonight," Robert said, glancing around.
"No, I don't know," I said, feeling my irritation again. Where the devil was he? "We were supposed to sit together on the train but I haven't seen him since breakfast. For all I know, he got left behind at school. Or he's chained himself to a desk, refusing to leave."
"Good chance of that," Kathy laughed.
"I've got to go though. Promised my parents I'd be home as soon as I could." I bent down to grab my trunk.
"We'll expect you later then?"
I looked up at her. "Later? Why later?"
"Well, you're coming to dinner too! James told you that, didn't he?"
I couldn't help but notice the look that she and Robert shared. Huh, wonder what that's supposed to mean?
"He must have forgotten to mention it." How strange. I knew very well he'd been on that train and he'd simply chosen to ditch me. Same as he'd simply chosen not to tell me of our supposed plans for dinner that night.
"Do come," Kathy murmured, looking as concerned as I felt. "Idiot son of mine." Her eyes focused on something over my shoulder. "Speak of the devil. So nice of you to finally show up, James."
"Quite," I said dryly. "I have to go. You didn't tell me about dinner."
"Sorry, I just-"
"Forgot, yes, I know," I said bitterly. "I've got to go, the parents are expecting me." I was just about to disapparate in a very unhappy mood when he stuck out his hand to stop me.
"Hang on, I've got to apologize. I almost forgot something in my room so I had to run back at the last minute. I just caught the train. By then, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had convinced me to go frolicking around, wreaking havoc for the last time without major consequences. Got quite a lot accomplished."
"No, that's just fine," I said stiffly. I saw the look Kathy gave Robert and almost asked what she was thinking but then thought better of it. I'm not entirely sure that I really want to know.
"Don't be cross," he begged, taking my hand and kissing it. "You will come tonight to dinner, won't you?"
"We'll see. I've got parents too, you know," I snapped, instantly regretting it. He looked genuinely hurt and apologetic.
"Yeah, `course. Senseless of me."
By then, the others had moved away either to speak to other graduates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or because they sensed we needed some privacy.
"Sorry I'm cranky. But you could have at least told me something. I waited half the trip before I finally gave up on your coming. I would have let you go off and cause mayhem and mischief," I hissed. "I understand that you and your mates needed to bond."
"I'm going to miss you," he said randomly, kissing my hand again. "A lot."
"James, we're not breaking up, last time I checked."
Oh, fuck. Don't suppose that that's what he's here to say? Oh, I'll castrate him if he does! It's going just fine and I'm perfectly happy and whatever problems he's having he's just going to have to suck up!
"No, no, naturally. It's just going to be different. We're not going to be living under the same roof any more," he explained, eyes browsing through the crowd.
I nodded, feeling forgiveness creep into my heart. The bugger was being completely truthful and sincere. Bugger.
"We'll see each other loads," I promised, pulling him into a tight hug. I realized then that I'd miss him just as much. It would all change, no matter how hard we tried to keep it from doing so. That's the way things go. It's a rule of life.
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-James' POV-
"Marry me," I whispered into her ear. The sky could've fallen on my head then and I wouldn't have noticed. I was only focusing on Lily.
"What?" she stuttered.
I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out the ring I'd almost left behind-like the nitwit that I am-and slipped it onto one of her tapered fingers.
"James, we-I-It's just… Oh, I don't…"
I grabbed her and kissed her, not knowing what to do. If she was doubtful in any way, I would probably lose my life right then, especially as I'd never known such a sure thing before. I wanted to marry her and I would, whether she consented to it or not.
She brought her hand up to face level once I'd released her and blinked back tears.
"You're a rotten man." She sighed, throwing her arms around my neck. "Alright, yes. Let's do this."
I couldn't restrain myself. I gave a gleeful whoop, attracting the attention of everyone still on the platform. I twirled her, laughing and kissing her. I heard vaguely in the background my mother demanding that my father pay up some money, but I didn't really understand it. Didn't care to.
"Nothing short of death is going to keep me from marrying you, so there's no turning back. That's it. You're committed," I said in one happy rush, kissing her multiple times in between.
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-Ariana's POV-
Two months out of Hogwarts, and this is where we are-baking biscuits and throwing a concert for the pots and pans?
Bloody hell, how did we ever make it through seven years of school? And who in their right mind would have ever made Lily Head Girl?
While Chloe sang way off key, prancing around the kitchen like the twit that she is, I leant over to Lily while we prepared our fourth batch.
"Are you two gonna move in together or not?" I asked, slipping a bit of the raw dough into my mouth.
"Wouldn't know. Haven't talked about it. Haven't really mentioned our engagement at all except to tell anyone we can that we're engaged," Lily said brightly. "No rush, after all."
I snorted. No rush? Sure. Says the one who got engaged soon as she got off the Hogwarts Express. No rush my arse.
"But you're going away together? Don't you think you should be having this conversation some time soon?" Chloe asked nosily, reaching over my shoulder to grab a ball of dough of the sheet and shove it in her mouth.
"We are going away together. It's not exactly like a pre-honeymoon sort of thing. It's six mates going down to Brighton and lounging around."
Chloe and I caught each other's eye and smirked. Sure. Just "lounging". I doubt that we'll even see Lily and James out of their room for more than twenty minutes except to eat-if even that. There's always room service, after all.
"Might as well move in, you know. You practically live here as it is," I piped up. "Tad uncomfortable with his parents and all, but I'm sure these walls are soundproof."
"Shut up," Lily hissed. "There's loads of servants wandering about. Could you just close your mouth?" She closed the oven door. "Anyway, what'll my parents think? Daddy can barely handle that I'm engaged. He almost went into a rage. Don't see what the big deal is, but I think he's still ticked off from Petunia eloping."
Chloe snickered. As I'd never had the grand pleasure of meeting Petunia though she had, apparently it was some great joke. From all I'd heard, it was quite an ordeal.
Suddenly, the door of the kitchen opened and three very sweaty males walked through, heading directly for the pile of biscuits we'd already had laid out.
"No, you are not touching them!" Lily shrieked, running towards James with a wooden spoon and whacking his knuckles.
"Ow! Why not, they're baked in my house!"
"They're for the girls later this afternoon. Get your nasty hands away from them. If there's any left over, you can have some." She stood on tiptoe and gave him a peck on the lips. "You're smelly. Go up and shower." She turned to Remus and Sirius. "You two, as well. Grab one of the guest room bathrooms and change. You'll stink up the house."
They grumbled, but you could tell they didn't really mind. Probably had something to do with the fact that Sirius had swiped about ten biscuits from a plate behind Lily when she wasn't cooking.
"Fun game?" I called after them.
"Very," Remus replied.
"They were so very filthy," Chloe said, scrunching her nose. "I've never seen guys get so messy playing Quidditch. It's almost as if they do it on purpose. You're in the air for heaven's sake, why is there dirt on them?!"
"You look just as bad at times. You know, you and your Quidditch playing self," I sniffed. Still can't understand why she would want to straddle a broom and ride on it through the air, waving a big ugly bat at people and trying to knock them off their brooms. It's just no sport for a girl!
Chloe rolled her eyes and gave me a not-so-gentle shove. "Fuck off, Ari. I'm not having this argument again. Anyway, you won't have to see me play anymore. Any games I have will not be in your vicinity." Under her breath, she added, "You're just mad because my legs are nicer than yours as a result."
"I am not! You have a man's legs, Clo! All muscular and-"
"Stuff it, both of you," Lily interrupted. "Ari, for the billionth time, leave Chloe alone about Quidditch. Chloe, you shouldn't even have brought it up. Let sleeping dogs lie, will you? Ugh, what are you, eight?"
Both Chloe and I grumbled grudgingly, but we did eventually let it alone.
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-Natali's POV-
Now, as an author, this leaves me in quite a difficult position. Should I or shouldn't I post this small portion of my own thoughts and everything that I would have said?
Ah, oh hell. My story, my rules.
The story. Right.
They're all playing Monopoly right (which James can't pronounce right. He keeps calling it "Mo-no-ply" or "Monpoly" and once even "Morepoley", which, of course, angers Lily because it's easy enough to say and oh, why can't he put some effort into learning muggle ways?) now, and I seat myself at an empty, fluffy armchair that happens to recline and has a nice can of diet coke waiting for me.
"Naw!" Lily shrieked, reaching over and grabbing the piece from James' hand. "You can't do that! It's against the rules."
James shrugged, chuckling, and skipped three spaces just to piss her off. After all, fighting is what James and Lily do best.
"Ja-ames," Lily whined, pouting. "Guys, tell him he can't do that."
"Dunno, Lily," Remus sighed. "James is above the law."
"Are you out of your mind?! He is not above the law!"
"No, Remus is perfectly right," Ari said rationally, patting James on the head. "The dear really is. You see, when you're an old wizarding family like the Potters, you tend to have the power to bend the rules to your will."
"But that's a double standard! How very… Pureblood of them all!" Lily gasped.
Chloe gave her an askance look. "Lils, you'll be a Potter. You'll have that very same power."
"Behold, Lily," James said, picking up her left hand. "The power." She supposed he meant the ring.
I know he meant the ring, which symbolizes their impending marriage. Why? Because I wrote it!
I scratched my chin, thinking. Something was very, very the matter here. But what could it be?
Pop!
"Uh…" Amanda looked around suspiciously. "Where am I?"
"My story," I replied. "I need your help."
"Omigosh, is that James!" she squealed, running over to pour loving kisses all over James. After I pulled her away (I had to threaten her with adding James to our list of castrations if she continued), I decided the Potter drawing room needed another chair and suddenly there was one.
How utterly beautiful.
"What's wrong with this picture?"
"James isn't naked," Amanda said instantly.
I thought it over. "Good point. Nor is Sirius or Remus."
Pop!
Cazzy smiled at me from my left. "If they get naked, this story might go XXX rated."
"You and your slash," I rolled my eyes. "Save that for our fic." I snapped my fingers and instantly the three males were naked in all their splendor.
Yum.
"But why are they naked?" Cazzy asked, cocking her head to the side.
Amanda and I glared at her, though she responded for me.
"The Marauders don't need a reason to go naked. Except Peter. Peter should never allowed to show even an inch of skin."
"Something's still bugging me about this scene," I sighed, putting my chin in my hand and watching the six interact with each other. "And Caz is right-they do have to have a reason to be naked because this is a story and a story has to have some sort of plot and reasons and… Yeah. It's a huge mess, really."
They nodded simultaneously and a ribbit was heard behind my armchair.
"Sorry," Cazzy giggled. "Natali snuck in with me."
I narrowed my eyes. "No frogs allowed in my fic."
"I've got it!" Amanda cried suddenly, standing up (though we all knew it was to get a better look of James). "Strip poker!"
Ah-hah.
"Alright, thanks," I smiled. "We can go now."
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-Sirius' POV-
Humiliation. Utter humiliation.
Lily, Chloe, and Ari were all laughing… laughing… laughing their oh-so-amused arses off.
"You lot," I said through gritted teeth, glaring at James and Remus, "are the absolute worst poker players I've ever seen. I think there should be some sort of law stating that you're never ever to go near a deck of cards ever again."
"It's been a great pleasure playing," Lily said with a smug smile on her face. "But we'll be going up to bed now, as we've got to wake up early to leave on our vacation. And I do suggest you three do the same." She sat up a bit straighter. "A bit chilly, Remus?"
"Oh, shut up!" Remus hissed, grabbing a pillow off the couch and holding it over his privates. "You're conniving little things, did you know? Yes, you. Don't look at me all innocently, Ari. Now I know your true self!"
Then, with all the elegance and self-assurance in the world, the girls left us to our naked selves.
I started snickering. "Do you think that we really care about taking our clothes off?"
"Yep," James and Remus chorused, standing up. I joined them.
Remus was staring down at himself. "I do not look cold. Tell your girlfriend to go… I don't know what, but to leave me the hell alone."
James and I looked at each other and burst out laughing, accidentally knocking all the chips off the card table.
Not cold indeed.
*~*
A/N: Yes, sorry, late. One thing: that my POV thing?? One time thing. I don't know, the notion appealed to me. And… well, sorry. Feel free to ignore it completely.
Much love and happy belated Spanksgiving!
NKA
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