A/N: Okay, here's the long awaited second part of Chapter 10-- I won't stall any further, instead I'll just say, enjoy and sorry for the slight delay!
Chapter 10: The Long awaited, Part II
Lily watched, from a few feet away as Mrs. Dursley argued with yet another wedding planner-- she had gone through three already, this was number four and by the looks of it, she wasn't going to last much longer. At least Wedding Planner nuber four didn't look like a cry-er-- number two had been a cry-er, Lily thought, remembering Wedding Planner Number Two's reaction to having been fired.
If being nitpicky was an Olympic sport, Mrs. Dursley would surely take the gold but in Lily's eyes, that was not exactly a good thing, especially since a) it wasn't particularly interesting to watch, and b) the wedding was in three weeks time-- now was not the time to be nitpicky.
Petunia had run off with Vernon somewhere-- the cow, this was her wedding and yet, Lily was the one who was having the misfortune of spending most of the time in the company of Barbara and Marge Dursley as she planned out this little shindig. It was blasphemy. Complete and utter blasphemy especially since Barbara never asked for her input anyway nor did she really want her there.
Four hours of utter boredom now had Lily contemplating the thought of hanging herself off a nearby post with the yards and yards of tulle strewn around the yard (she would never go through with it, of course,-- for what? To give Petunia and Mrs. Dursley the satisfaction of having caused her to suicidal tendancies? I think not!) when she spotted two familiar figures walking toward her.
Not even bothering to excuse herself, if she was lucky, Mrs. Dursley would never even notice she was gone, Lily hurriedly walked toward the two boys.
"James, Sirius, thank god."
"Boring day, I take it?" James asked, smiling.
"Nonsense, Prongs, couldn't you see she was having barrels of fun before we showed up?" Sirius said sardonically.
Lily grinned. "god, that woman is so boring, you guys came just in time, I don't think I could have taken another second of her wedding bantering." she said, leading them over to sit near a rather large tree.
"And James here has informed me that you're not allowed to leave the premises, either." Lily nodded and scrunched up her nose in distaste. "The curse of being the Maid of Honor."
"So I've also heard-- I feel your pain as I've been in your position numerous times."
Sirius noticed Lily's look of curiosity, taking it as a sign to elaborate. "Three words: Big, Pure-blood family." Sirius said, ticking off the words with his fingers, "And I guess we should add the word 'traditional' somewhere in there as well, which basically means I've been an usher or ring bearer for as long as I can remember every time one of my idiotic cousins has married another of my distant-enough-so-it's-not-technically-seen-as-incest cousins."
"Hmm…I'll count my blessings I come from a small family, then." Lily commented.
"And I'll count mine that my parents don't exactly follow the norm when it comes to being from old pureblood families." James said.
"You mean you don't have to put up with all this wedding business like Sirius even if you are from a pureblood family?" Lily asked James curiously.
"My parents don't believe in following pureblood traditions." James said, smiling warmly.
"And I love them dearly for that, I must say." Sirius added. "God, if I'd have been made to sit at that bastard, Malfoy's wedding or my cow of a cousin's Bellatrix's, I'd have probably shot myself in the foot."
Lily giggled at Sirius' bluntness. "Wait, Bellatrix is getting married? Bellatrix Black?-"
"How many Bellatrixes do you know who also happen to be related to me, Lily?" Sirius teased.
"No, I know, I mean, but-- she's in our year. She hasn't even graduated from Hogwarts and she's getting married?" Lily asked.
"Well, not exactly at this moment, no," Sirius explained. "But she's been promised to Rodolphus Lestrange so I expect he won't waste much time after she graduates before marrying her.-- arranged marriages are all the rage in pureblood wizard families, you see-- it's really the only way they can make sure they continue the elite pureblood line." Sirius explained in a slightly sardonic voice.
"Again, really happy my parents don't believe in tradition." James said, leaning against the tree trunk.
"Told you I was lucky to get out when I did." Sirius smiled as he rolled his eyes good naturedly.
Forty-five minutes later found the group of three splayed out on the grassy ground, throwing out ideas which could possibly be used for entertainment, although, in Lily's opinion, the ideas were steadily becoming sillier rather than being of any use at all.
"We could play Wizard's chess." Sirius tossed out, picking at a piece of grass.
"Yeah, because I randomly carry around a wizard chess set in my pocket." James said sardonically.
"Really? Me too!" Sirius replied excitedly.
"Please, you can't be serious." Lily said, propping herself up by her elbow.
"Oh, but I am, my dear." Sirius said, beginning to extract an array of items from his pockets and laying them on the ground, "I know I've got it in here somewhere-- ah! Found it!" he said, revealing a small rectangular box. He tapped the box with his wand muttering the word 'Engorgio.' The box grew before their eyes and when it stopped, Sirius opened it to reveal a complete, set up to play, Wizard's chess set.
Sirius looked from Lily to James expectantly. "Well?"
"I'm black." James said, turning the board so the black pieces were on his side and the whites were facing Sirius.
"Fine, I play winners, then." Lily said, moving so she was laying on her stomach between the two boys.
****
"Pawn to D5" Sirius said, his chess piece moving to the spot he commanded.
"So he's really got the Dementors on his side, then?" James asked, continuing the conversation, which had somewhere down the line moved to Voldemort and his recent attacks, as he thought of his next move.
"That's what I've read in the papers." Sirius said, looking at the chessboard and trying to predict James' next move.
"Dementors?" Lily asked curiously.
James nodded, "Knight to H3-- you've never heard of Dementors?" he asked, turning to look at Lily.
Lily shook her head. "What are they?"
"They're these dark creatures that kind of float about in black cloaks-- no one really knows what they look like under there, unless of course, they catch a glimpse right before they're about to be kissed." James explained.
"Kissed?" Lily asked.
"Dementors feed off of other people's happy thoughts for the most part, but a Dementor also has the capability of sucking out one's soul-- that's what a 'Dementor's Kiss' is, the act of a Dementor sucking the soul out of a person."
"Oh." Lily replied lamely.
"Your turn, James." Sirius said, having moved his piece.
"Don't worry, though." James added before looking down at the chessboard, noticing the look on Lily's face after he explained what a Dementor was and what they did. " all the known Dementors guard the wizard prison, Azkaban and that's eons away from here--"
James was cut off by the sound of an approaching figure and Lily turned in the direction of the noise just in time to see her sister walking toward them looking displeased.
"There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you-- next time you wander off, please be courteous enough to tell someone where you're going so others don't have to spend forever and a day locating you." Petunia said, positively miffed.
"Well, if you knew anything about being courteous or polite for that matter, you'd know it's rude to launch into conversation and completely ignore everyone else around you." Lily snapped, standing up.
Petunia didn't say anything but stood there with her arms crossed, tapping her foot. Clearly, Lily thought, her sister was not going to be the one to introduce or acknowledge Sirius' or James' presence without being introduced first and as Petunia had already met James and Lily didn't want to come off as rude, she begrudgingly held her tongue and made to introduce Sirius to her sister.
"Petunia, this is my friend--"
"Sirius Black." Sirius said, cutting her off and standing as well. He grabbed Petunia's hand (which just so happened to be her left) intending to kiss it as a proper gentleman would when being introduced to a lady, "Simply enchanted to meet--woah!" Sirius said, cutting himself off as he noticed the rather large diamond perched atop Petunia's ring finger. "Would you look at the size of that thing? Mother of Merlin, that rivals Narcissa's ring and mind you, it's rumored that ole' Lucius paid over a thousand galleons for hers…"
By this time, Petunia was feeling rather uncomfortable but still hadn't pulled her hand away from Sirius who was still closely examining the ring on her finger.
"Alright, Petunia?" A fifth almost grunt of a voice asked as yet a fifth person joined them.
Petunia looked up to see Vernon Dursley trudging toward them and finally pulled her hand out of Sirius' before nodding in answer to Vernon's question.
"Vernon Dursley, I see you've met my fiancée." Vernon said, suspiciously outstretching his hand to Sirius.
"Yes I have," Sirius said, shaking it firmly. "Sirius Black-- I'm a friend of Lily's from school, and well, I dunno if you've met James yet or not but we live just next door."
James and Vernon shook hands as well and Lily was finding it very odd that Petunia had not muttered a single insult as of yet.
"Oy, pea brain, we're starting to collect dust down here, are you going to make a move or what?" came a tiny voice from down below.
"Oh right, sorry guys!" Sirius exclaimed, crouching down to examine the chess board.
Petunia and Lily shared looks of mortification and Vernon looked at Sirius as if he were utterly insane, having just talked to a chessboard which seemed to have not only talked back to him but insulted him in the process.
"I've never seen a chess set like that before," Vernon said suspiciously, trying to hide the amazement when the piece Sirius had commanded moved to the designated spot across the board.
"Voice activated too? But where do you put the batteries?" Vernon wondered as he picked up a spare pawn and turned it this way and that, trying to figure out what was making them move.
"Batteries?" Sirius asked perplexed, "We don't use batteries-- it's all done by magi--"
"He means it's all done by magnetism!" Lily said cutting Sirius off, knowing if they brought magic up in any conversation with Vernon, Petunia would never let her live it down.
"I've never seen magnets do that." Vernon said superiorly.
"Well, you see, it's this new technology they're testing out in Japan-- experimenting with lots of technological based things, Japan is." Lily lied, cringing at how discontinuing her explanation sounded.
Vernon said nothing but grunted once more and continued examining the piece in his hand.
Petunia smiled sweetly and pulled Lily forcefully to her side.
"Ouch! You wench, what'd you do that for?" Lily whispered, rubbing her arm where Petunia's fingers had pinched her.
"Oh, stuff it, you baby-- can't you get your freak friends out of here before Vernon becomes even more suspicious?" Petunia whispered back.
"What? Scared your he'll find out the truth about me?"
"You wouldn't dare-- it'd jeopardize my whole wedding," Petunia said fearfully.
"Well then why don't you two leave before I suddenly let something slip accidentally." Lily said, throwing her sister a smile sweet enough to rival hers.
"Prat."
"Cow."
"Witch."
"Oh very good, Petty, dear. Tell me, when are you going to learn that that's not exactly an insult since technically speaking I am a witch?" Lily asked.
"Hey, what's this thing?"
Lily turned around just in time to see Vernon bend down to pick up a slivery bracelet which she was almost positive Sirius had discarded from his pocket while in search of the chess set.
"No, wait! Don't touch--" Sirius began, but Vernon, being somewhat dense, picked it up anyway and almost immediately, the silver bracelet stretched, wrapping itself around his arm, emitting an orange glow, and in the blink of an eye, Vernon had transformed into an indescribable creature and Petunia let out an ear piercing shriek.
"Padfoot!" James said, abruptly, watching the affect the bracelet had on Vernon.
"I told that prat not to touch it!" Sirius said, rolling his eyes.
"Sirius! What is that thing?" Lily said mortified as she watched Vernon switch forms roughly every ten seconds, each shape he took on stranger than the next.
" I dunno! I got it at Zonko's-- it's still in the testing stage though!" Sirius exclaimed getting slightly flustered.
"Well, can you make it stop at least?" Lily asked, looking at Vernon who was still transforming.
Sirius didn't answer Lily's question, instead watched the boy in front of him transform again and again.
"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed.
"What?!" Sirius asked, snapping out of his daze.
"I said, can you make it stop?"
"I don't know, Lily! The guy at the counter never explained how!"
Lily rolled her eyes and whirred back around just in time to catch Vernon transform again, the feeling of panic growing heavier in her stomach but willing herself to think.
"The bracelet!" She cried, rounding on Sirius and James. "We have to get it off-- if he started transforming when it wrapped around his arm, then he'll have to return to his normal state if we take it off."
Sirius nodded in agreement and James lunged for the arm on which the silver bracelet was coiled. He tugged once, twice, and on the third tug, the orange glow blew out and the bracelet slipped off, dropping to the ground.
Vernon transformed once more, this time back into his normal body, his breath came out in short gasps as he touched his face and patted down the rest of his body to make sure he truly was back to his normal state.
"I- you- who are-- what in the bloody hell are you people?!" Vernon finally sputtered out.
"Vernon, please, calm down dear, I can explain," Petunia chided, trying to get his attention as she clung to one of his beefy arms. "My sister-- Lily-- she's, she's different! She doesn't go to Loretto like I've told you and neither do her friends, here. They.-- She, goes to a special school because she's, well, she's a witch!" Petunia blurted out.
Lily stood there, mouth open and utterly shocked that Petunia had revealed what was arguably their family's most guarded secret to her future husband in such a way but had no time to act surprised before Vernon rounded at Petunia, as if the words she had spoken had finally sunken in.
"What the devil are you talking about, Petunia? There is no such thing as magic and witches certainly DO NOT exist," he stated matter-of-factly, his voice dripping if possible with even more anger. "now, are you going to tell me the truth about your family and explain to me why you're still obviously lying about your freak of a sister--?"
"Don't you dare call Lily a-- APOLOGIZE TO HER THIS INSTANT!!" James roared, positively outraged, now having whipped out his wand, pointing it threateningly at Vernon.
Vernon winced slightly at James' uproar, eyes squinted as if he were expecting James to sock him one. Vernon opened his eyes when he didn't feel the impact of James' fist connecting with the side of his face-- an act he was most positive would occur-- and chuckled scathingly at the site of an obviously furious James pointing his wand at him, looking threateningly at him.
"Do you honestly think I'm that thick? You really expect me to be afraid of that wimpy-- no, pathetic looking stick of yours?"
"You should be." James replied in a low almost whispering tone, hearing Lily's plea of "James, don't." but choosing to ignore it.
Vernon laughed coldly.
"If that's the best you can do, then I think it's you, Potter, did you say it was? That should be scared--" Vernon said, making to grab James' wand away from him.
But the moment Vernon made contact with James' wand, an electric shock like feeling pulsated through his body, starting at his hand, and suddenly, Vernon Dursley was thrown back, landing with a thud on the ground, his body going completely rigid as if he had suddenly been frozen.
Petunia shrieked loudly, rushing to his side immediately.
"James!-- You stunned him! How could you?" Lily bellowed, hurryi8ng over to Vernon and Petunia, her wand now out as well.
"I didn't mean to," James began weakly, hastily walking behind Lily toward the couple on the ground, Sirius hot on his heels. "he was going to snap my wand!-- I panicked!"
"Petunia, I'm sorry, here let me, I can fix it." Lily said, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder, but as soon as Petunia got sight of Lily's wand, she let out yet another shriek, this time flinging her body over her fiancée's, trying desperately to shield him.
"Don't you dare point that thing at him!" Petunia growled.
"Petunia, please!" Lily screamed. "You have to let me perform the counter curse or--"
"Don't you think," Petunia said quietly, cutting her sister off. "that you and your freak friends have done enough?"
"Petunia, listen to me." Lily said, grabbing her sister by the arm and whirling her around, forcing her to look her in the eye. "It's no use, he won't get out of that state unless you let me perform the counter curse, so I'm going to ask you once more." Lily said calmly. "Can you please, move aside so I can fix him?"
Petunia said nothing, but grudgingly did as Lily asked and Lily could see the fear in her sister's eyes as she pointed her wand at Vernon Dursley and muttered the counter curse.
The spell hit him square in the chest with a flash of light and suddenly, Vernon was gasping for air once more as he shakily got to his feet.
"Oh, Vernon!" Petunia cried, flinging herself upon him once more.
Vernon patted Petunia awkwardly in what he assumed was a comforting manner, still obviously shaken up from having been stunned.
Lily took a step toward them with the intentions of making sure both of them were alright, when Vernon suddenly lashed out once more.
"YOU! You stay away from us!"
"I- I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," Lily said, pocketing her wand and looking from her sister to Vernon. "I just wanted to make sure you were both okay." she said, taking another step, which, Vernon must have felt was one step too close for just as Lily moved that step closer, he pushed her forcefully back with his forearm, saying: "I said, stay away!" as he did so.
Lily stumbled back in shock, tumbling into James who steadied her.
James didn't bother letting go after he caught her, instead opting to hold Lily almost protectively, with Sirius standing beside them to his right, looking just as protective and angry.
"If you ever," James began dangerously, looking directly into Vernon's icy eyes. "so much as think about laying a finger on Lily again, I swear to you that getting stunned will be the least of your worries."
"And that, goes for me too." Sirius added, glaring at Vernon as well.
"Y-you're mad! All of you!" Vernon sputtered, his voice quivering with fear as he backed away slowly. "You deserve to be locked up in the loony bin!-- that's where you belong! In the loony bin along with all the other freaks!"
And with that, Vernon Dursley took off running as fast as his legs could carry him in the opposite direction.
"You bitch!" Petunia swore, staring murderously at Lily. "You and your abnormality always ruin EVERYTHING! Why can't you just go away and leave us alone!"
Petunia's words pierced through Lily like shards of glass and as the last words of her rant rang through her ears, Lily watched as her sister spun on her heel and ran after Vernon.
When Petunia's cries of "Vernon! Wait! Please!" were but a faint calling, James finally looked at Lily, who was still in his grasp.
"Lily, are you alright?" He asked softly. But before James could even get the question out, Lily pulled free of his grip forcefully as she turned to look at him, giving him a look of rage which he knew all too well. But this time, her look of rage was accompanied by yet another emotion, one which James would classify as disappointment.
"How many times am I going to have to tell you that you don't have to curse every single person who insults me?! I can take care of myself-- I'm not weak, you know!" Lily said, pausing as she shut her eyes tightly as if willing some of her anger to go away. When she opened them once more, she stared icily, straight into James' hazel eyes before she spoke again, her voice steadily rising with each word. "I don't need a knight in shining armor, James, so STOP TRYING TO BE MINE!"
Finishing her speech, Lily too, spun on her heel and ran back in the direction of her house, taking care to ram into James' shoulder forcefully as she did so.
James watched her go, slightly shocked, the familiar feeling of sadness washing over him that usually went along with knowing he had done yet something else to upset Lily Evans. He stayed silent, rooted on the spot he had stood when Lily had told him off until Sirius' words broke him out of his silent thoughts.
"Well, that went well." Sirius commented dryly. "You were right, mate, I guess wedding planning isn't so dull after all."
James smiled weakly at Sirius' feeble attempt to lighten the mood and Sirius, being the good friend he was, clapped a hand on James' shoulder and waited until he was finally ready to trudge back home.
A/N: Finally! Typed, completed, and posted! ((see, Dona? I promised I'd have it out before I went to bed, lol)) MAN I feel so good now that I've gotten this up.
Anyway, probably not what you were expecting when I told some of you the second part to chapter 10 was going to be exciting but hopefully you liked it anyway.
I'm justifying the fact that Lily just blew up at James like so: Lily and James' relationship has been flowing too easily since they decided to try out this friendship business and really, what would a friendship be without a few bumps in the road, right? And if you don't like that explanation? Well, you can always just blame Vernon for being an utter prat….
Okay, so, I'm sure you're all wondering when the next update will be and well, knowing me, I could give you a date but I'd hate to break a promise and not have anything out by then so I'll just say that my PLAN is to update once before I get back to school for second semseter ((I go back on the 24th by the way)) and possibly once before I leave for Europe somewhere around February 16th but really, it all has to do with how fast I can plan out the next couple of chapters.
Take care and as always don't forget to review!