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Unwritten
Mei Queen
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Authoress' Note: I just want those of you that read "Every Other Time" to know that this will be somewhat similar, because I had planned to have this happen in this story anyhow. Sorry if it's slightly repetitive, since there will be a similar plot thread with Petunia's wedding rearing its ugly head. A major shoutout to my new beta, Chelsea, for helping me with my slowness and bizarre addiction to the word "reply", lol…you rock, Chelsea!
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Disclaimer: Haha. Not mine.
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Chapter 6: Disgusting Dresses, Expedient Escorts
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Eduina Azevedo, having drunk the least amount of alcohol the night before, was the first to stir in the Heads Common Room that Sunday afternoon. Moaning softly in pain, she vainly attempted to straighten her chestnut mane before trying to get the horrible crick out of her neck. She reluctantly opened her eyes and light eagerly flooded her line of vision, much too quickly (and brightly) for her tastes. She noted with amusement that she had slept with her head on a throw pillow in Sirius Black's lap, feet stretched out across Remus Lupin. Observing that neither of them was awake yet, Eduina quickly turned to check on the room's other two occupants, who were probably very uncomfortably sharing one armchair.
Eduina couldn't help the quiet giggle that bubbled in her throat when she saw her unconscious friends. Lily Evans was stretched across the lap of James Potter, his tanned arms holding her close and one of her hands covering his. If only her Fifth Year self could see her now, the brunette noted with irony, unable to keep the wide Cheshire cat grin from her features. Young Lily would definitely not approve. Surprisingly enough, though, they seem rather sweet together…
Sitting up as quietly as she could, she inadvertently roused both Remus and Sirius from their peaceful slumber.
"Sorry," Eduina whispered, tucking a long strand of shiny straight fringe behind her ear nervously.
Remus smiled, replying, "It's all right. We really should get up to make sure we get our assignments done before tomorrow, anyhow."
Sirius' face contorted in distaste. "Please tell me that the first words out of your mouth today were not about assignments, and this is just a horrid dream."
Eduina smirked. "Do you really want us to tell you that, Black, or would you prefer the truth?"
Face contorting further, Sirius groaned and pulled a throw pillow over his head, flinging himself back on the couch vigorously. "It's too bloody early. If Prongs doesn't have to be up yet, I'm not going to be, either."
"Suit yourself, mate," Remus countered with a shrug, offering an arm to Eduina. "Ready for breakfast?"
"Are you kidding?" the brunette asked gloomily, looking at the floor. "Breakfast has to be over by now. Did you see how low the sun already is? Merlin, it's probably already one in the afternoon."
He smiled broadly. "Though I may not always act it, I am a Marauder, Eduina."
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Lily Evans stretched her arms above her head in a yawn. Her head was pounding mercilessly, she noted with distaste. Where was she, anyway? Wherever it was, it was murder on her poor back. "Ouch," she mumbled softly, finally opening her eyes to view her surroundings.
Hmm. Armchair. Uncomfortable armchair. Why are there arms around me?
Turning her head quickly, she noted with shock just who the strong arms belonged to. Potter? What in the name of Merlin happened last night that would make Potter feel he could wrap his arms around me…and make me not tell him otherwise? Bloody hell.
Trying to edge out of his grip as slowly as possible, Lily gently began to lift his arm from her torso. Her hand touching his, however, seemed to have the opposite effect of what she had wanted. Feeling a warm hand touching his, James' natural reaction was to cover her hand in his, giving it an affectionate squeeze.
All while still staying sound asleep.
Lily sighed, grudgingly giving up her struggle and relaxing slightly in his embrace. Well, I guess it can wait until this bloody hangover goes away, she thought exhaustedly, allowing her eyes to droop slightly. I'll just rest my eyes for a moment…
Soon, Lily Evans was, again, fast asleep.
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Eduina Azevedo stifled a laugh behind her olive-skinned hand, a slight smile coming to light her exotic features. Who knew Lupin could be funny? He's actually not too bad to look at, either, she thought to herself with a wry grin and looking over at the sandy-haired boy in question, who was currently telling her about some of the Marauders' more infamous misadventures in their years here at Hogwarts.
"Really?" she asked in shock when she heard the amount of routes out of the castle they had found to date. "That's unbelievable…how did you find them all?"
Pausing to tickle the pear on a portrait of a fruit basket, Remus thoughtfully allowed Edie to cross in to the kitchen first. "Good question, Eduina. Sirius, for all his blunders, has a bizarre sense for stumbling upon things like that. Twice he's hurt himself in the vicinity of the route and cursed so incoherently that the guarding statues took it as a password."
Eduina wrinkled her nose in amusement. "What curse word sounds like Dissendium?"
Remus Lupin turned to her, his bright eyes sparkling. He managed to choke out a "believe me, it's so horrid that I'm afraid you just don't want to know" before collapsing in laughter, laughter that was quickly joined in to by Eduina. After their chuckles died and the companionable silence resumed, the Marauder looked over at Eduina, who was currently asking a house-elf for their breakfast, and couldn't help the thought that echoed in the deepest recesses of his mind: she's a pretty bird that knows how to carry on an intelligent conversation. Who knew they actually existed?
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Hmm. Well, what do you know? Maybe it's Prongs' lucky day, Sirius Black quipped later, slowly rousing from his long and gratifying snooze. Mussing his locks slightly, he couldn't help the small smile that overtook his face when he studied Lily and James' sleeping expressions. Both of them look so peaceful. They seem happy. Now if only they'd stop fighting it when conscious, we'd all have it made…
Sirius Black was lost in thought (a rare occurrence because, after all, he wouldn't want to damage his reputation, but he didn't mind thinking when people weren't around to witness it) when the lovely smells of breakfast foods tickled his nostrils. Looking to the portrait, he was elated to see that Remus and Eduina had brought him, Lily, and James some food back from the kitchens.
Quickly hopping over the back of the couch, Sirius helped them set the food down on the one table in the Heads' Common Room, eagerly digging in to a plate of eggs and kippers.
Eduina wrinkled her nose at the ferocity with which Sirius was attacking his breakfast. Turning to Remus, she quietly asked, "Is he always like this?"
"Actually," Remus countered with a grin, "this is rather tame for the fact that he hasn't eaten in over twelve hours. I'm surprised he hadn't resorted to cannibalism."
Chuckling at Eduina's alarmed expression; he leaned in, whispering, "It was a joke. No need to fear for your limbs."
Nodding with visible relief, the brunette turned to her own plate eagerly. "So," she interjected between bites, "when do you think the lovebirds will wake up?"
"I thought I heard Lily yawning earlier," Sirius offered nonchalantly, reaching for a slice of toast.
"Really?" Remus asked, obviously surprised. "That means she was conscious, however briefly…and she didn't panic? Well, obviously she didn't, considering she's still in the same position we left her this morning. I'd say that's a point in Prongs' favour, mate!"
Sirius looked up from his toast, which was practically dripping marmalade, to reply somewhat unenthusiastically. "Huzzah."
Eduina shot him a sidelong glance. "What, you've decided you're off of the Lily-James Team now?"
"Oh, honestly," he snapped with exasperation. "I think they'll end up together on their own time, Azevedo."
"Oh, really, Black?" she retorted in an extremely snarky tone, her eyes glaring in to his. "So that's why she's turned him down vehemently the past…what was the count the last time, Lupin? Three thousand times? You don't think that this situation is basically requiring some help from their mates?"
"No, actually, I do not," Sirius answered simply, obviously not intimidated by the petite brunette.
Remus Lupin looked nervously from a noticeably furious Eduina to a rather uninterested Sirius, who was obliviously munching on a second slice of toast. Shaking his head hopelessly, he turned to his own breakfast, fervently hoping for Lily and James to just bloody wake up already… preferably before their best mates snuff one another, Remus mentally added with a smirk
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Ten minutes later, Sirius groaned impatiently, the silence of the room quite obviously becoming too much for him. Taking a throw pillow from the sofa, he chucked it in the direction of Lily and James' armchair. Apparently his aim had not diminished from the amount of Quidditch practices he'd skived as of late, because he managed a perfect bulls-eye.
Lily moaned irritably, as the pillow had hit her smack in the forehead. "Go 'way, Petty."
Eduina giggled. She knew about this morning habit of Lily's, this tendency to curse Petunia Evans in the early hours of the morning. Eduina always found it extremely amusing, actually. It's the only time of the day the poor girl will actually stand up to that cow, the brunette thought with contempt evident on her delicate features. If only that wench were actually here to listen…
Sirius looked somewhat befuddled by the response, though. "What did she just say?"
Twirling a strand of her chestnut mane around her index finger, Eduina darkly explained just who Petunia Evans was. "Remember how I was telling you last night about her sister? You know… the one that's totally wrecked Lily's self-confidence? Yeah. That's who Petty is."
Remus' nose wrinkled in blatant distaste.
Sirius, meanwhile, just looked thoughtful. "Do you think there's any way we could undo the damage that Petty's done to Lily? You know, make Lily feel good about herself, make Lily start to love herself again…"
Remus caught on almost immediately. "That's actually pretty brilliant, Padfoot. Lily probably won't be able to love someone else until she loves herself, so maybe if we find a way to rebuild her self-confidence…"
"James has a way in," Eduina whispered in agreement, meeting eyes with Remus with an excited grin plastered to her features. "Who would have known that Marauders actually had decent ideas once in awhile?"
"Why are you talking about me and James?"
Lily Evans had apparently leapt out of James' sleepy embrace while Eduina was conspiring with the other two Marauders, as now she was standing barely a foot from the trio, obviously livid.
James Potter, meanwhile, was slowly regaining consciousness. He looked extremely shocked to see that Lily Evans was no longer in his arms but across the room chatting with his mates, as he somewhat remembered what had happened last night and how Lily had fallen asleep. It was lovely, he thought longingly, his gaze travelling again to the beautiful redhead. Yawning slightly, he asked, "Wuzzgoinon?"
Lily forgot about her anger as she chuckled with the rest of the group at James' morning hair, which was quite the sight to behold. Tufts of it were sticking up at angles that, in Lily's sarcastic opinion, defied gravity itself. There is just no way normal hair can do that…which is yet more evidence towards my long-time theory that Potter is actually somehow possessed, the redhead thought with a sarcastic snort, laughing even harder at James' futile embarrassed attempts to make himself slightly more presentable.
The group's good time abruptly ended when there was a curt rap on the portrait entrance. James and Lily met eyes with frantic worry laced in to their expressions. They weren't supposed to have visitors up here, but nobody had ever sought them out up here before, so the Heads hadn't figured anyone would be the wiser. Figures we get a bloody visitor the one day we're breaking the rules, Lily thought sardonically, panicked and trying to get James to help her figure out what to do with their guests.
James Potter finally seemed to regain his senses, opening his bedroom door and motioning Remus, Sirius, and Eduina in. Lily, meanwhile, headed to the portrait. Upon the confirmation of a shut door to the Head Boy's bedroom, Lily welcomed their visitor: Professor Minerva McGonagall herself.
"Good morning, Professor," Lily said with a polite nod, making sure to apply a smile.
"You should say 'good afternoon', Miss Evans, as it's after one in the afternoon," the stern woman reprimanded with what Lily thought might have been the ghost of a grin.
"Yes, of course. Good afternoon," Lily corrected herself, still standing at the portrait's entrance talking with the professor.
Professor McGonagall made a 'tsk' sound. "Such manners, Miss Evans…are you planning on leaving me out in the corridor all afternoon?"
James snorted (earning quite the impressive glare from Lily, indeed) while Lily apologetically ushered their Head of House in to the common room, where she took a seat opposite the Head Students.
McGonagall raised an eyebrow at James' outburst before turning to survey the room. Pillows tossed randomly, food half-eaten on a table; chairs pulled this way and that… Wrinkling her nose in disgust at the mess, she stepped closer to Lily, holding out a package. "This came for you this morning," the woman managed gruffly. "You missed breakfast, I'm told, so I was asked to deliver it."
"Thank you, Professor," the redhead acknowledged gratefully, setting the package on an empty chair.
The professor got up to leave, glancing around the room one last time. "Oh, and one final thing…Miss Evans, Mister Potter, the next time you feel the urge to break in to the kitchens, it's best to leave the evidence there."
Motioning to the table, she shook her head in disappointment at the two chastened seventeen year olds before her. "I would have expected better from both of you. I'm afraid I'll have to give a detention apiece…you're to serve them next week with our new caretaker, Mr Filch."
Lily looked at James in outrage. Both of them had been asleep the longest, there was no way either of them had gotten the food! But it wasn't as if they could tell McGonagall that the friends they snuck in to their private common room against the rules had gotten the food, because that would only dig them in deeper than they already were. Grudgingly accepting their punishment, James murmured, "Yes, Professor."
Nodding, McGonagall exited.
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Lily collapsed on the chair nearest the fire. "Detention? Can you bloody believe this? We didn't even do anything!"
"I know," James concurred with irritation, getting up to let their friends out of his room. "But what else could we have done? It's better to just get this over with, right? At least we'll probably have it together."
"Yeah, I guess," she replied grudgingly, slightly placated, but crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance anyway.
"What's in the package?" Sirius asked curiously, pointing at the box that was still sitting untouched on the chair.
Lily's eyes strayed to the package. "Oh, I don't know. I've been too busy being brassed off about the detention to open it."
Remus stepped a few paces closer to Lily's chair. "I'm sorry we got you both in trouble, we should have left the food there…we just figured you'd be hungry."
Lily shook her head. "It's not your fault, Remus. Believe me; we probably got in a lot less trouble for the illegal food than we would have gotten into for sneaking people in to our private common room."
Sirius, meanwhile, picked up the package and motioned for Remus to go the length of the room. Turning to Lily in an extraordinary bit of thoughtfulness, he asked, "Do you think it's something breakable?"
"What? Did Reparo stop working overnight or something?" Eduina asked with a snicker, walking over to sit in the chair next to Lily's.
"Oh, right!" Sirius exclaimed with a grin, before tossing it across the room to Remus. "Oh, bad form, man! How're we ever going to win the Cup with that catching skill…or lack thereof, should I say?"
Remus cast a dark look in his direction. "Padfoot, we're not on a team to win the Cup. I'm not even on the bloody house team, for that matter."
"But you do a lovely job as commentator," James interjected with a wry grin.
"Well, thank you, Prongs," Remus said, accepting the praise humbly and walking over to Lily to deliver the package to its rightful owner. "I try."
"Try harder," Sirius muttered, grumbling and extremely annoyed that Remus had taken away his toy, even if it didn't rightfully belong to him in the first place.
"So," James said softly, meeting Lily's emerald eyes over the top of the sizable package. "You ready to find out what's inside?"
"I suppose," she slowly mumbled with a sigh, first picking up the letter affixed to the top of the package. "Oh, shite Edie …its Petty's writing."
"The fates help us all," the brunette countered sarcastically, leaning over Lily's shoulder to see what Lily's sister had written this time.
Lily-
The wedding is December 23rd, making it three days in to your holiday break. Mum wants you to come home at the start of holiday, and don't forget to bring a date. Vernon's friends obviously won't want to dance with you. Mum says he can stay in the guest bedroom and leave with you when you go home from break.
Hope this dress fits, the extra fabric cost an utter fortune…thank Mum for compromising for your fat arse next time you see her.
-Petunia
"Charming bitch, isn't she?" Eduina whispered darkly, trying to pull the note from Lily so she could crumple it and toss it in the fire.
"Oh, yeah," Lily said weakly, her hands keeping a hold on the note while she propped her head in her hands. "I just live for these love notes of hers."
"What did it say?" James asked curiously, trying to pull the note his direction now, too.
"Same old thing," the redhead answered darkly. "You know, I'm not good enough, thin enough, pretty enough, she's only having me in this wedding because Mum is forcing her, et cetera, et cetera…"
Sirius quirked an eyebrow in surprise, eyeing the letter suspiciously. "She fit all of that into a note that small?"
Lily couldn't help smiling at Sirius' obvious naïveté. He's got no common sense at all, but I guess I can see what James see in him…he must be a good mate, very loyal, the redhead thought to herself with a smile, grudgingly allowing James to take the note from her hands while she turned her attentions to the package. Upon lifting the lid, Lily shrieked in frustration as she was swallowed in a cloud of pink taffeta. Well, that's what it bloody feels like, anyway. I feel like this dress is going to swallow me whole, the redhead thought to herself petulantly. Heaving a sigh, Lily turned her thoughts to trying to push the box lid back down in a vain attempt to beat the evil dress into submission.
James looked up at Lily after reading the letter with a look of utter shock written all across his features.
"It can't be possible. How can you be related to someone like…like…this?! You're perfect, and she's…possessed!"
"Luck of the draw, I guess," the redhead drawled unenthusiastically, curling up in the armchair.
"Well, everyone, I don't know about you all, but I have some assignments to finish," Remus interjected, sitting up from the spot he'd been relaxing at on the floor. "Eduina, Sirius…you coming?"
"Aye, I suppose," the brunette girl consented, grudgingly getting up from her spot beside Lily with the help of an arm from Remus. Reaching over to give her best friend a hug, she murmured softly, "Don't let that wench get to you, all right? You're gorgeous. She's an utter cow, that's all."
Eduina was happy to notice that when she pulled back from the embrace, her friend's expression had brightened slightly. "That's what I like to see, Lily."
Lily smiled more broadly and got up to walk her friends to the portrait. "Thanks, Edie. I suppose I'll see you lot tonight, then?"
"Sure, Lil," Eduina agreed with a grin.
With one final hug and exhausted goodbyes all around, James and Lily bid their mates farewell…for the few hours left until evening meal, anyhow. Smiling tiredly at one another, they flopped companionably down next to each other on the sofa.
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After a few minutes of blissful silence, James cleared his throat nervously. "Erhm…Lily?"
His voice interrupted Lily's train of thought, and she slowly looked over at him, somewhat dazed. "Hmm?"
"Well," he murmured, his cheeks reddening. "I saw in your note that the wedding's over winter holiday."
"Yeah? So?" the redhead asked, shrugging and staring in to the fire.
"Well…that's in two weeks, you know," James stated, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world and Lily was the last person on earth to figure it out.
That got her attention quick enough.
The redhead thought she might just be having a panic attack, she was quickly forgetting how to breathe. "Winter holiday is in a fortnight? I have two weeks to find a date with no plans over winter break that will tolerate my family the whole while?! Are you joking?"
James raised an eyebrow in amusement, regarding the hysterical redhead apprehensively. "Um…Lily?"
"Who is possibly going to want to go at this late notice? I'm going to have to go to the reception alone!" This seemed to be the most horrifying prospect to the redhead, judging by Lily's face, which had screwed up in an expression of such extreme disgust that James was now in tears laughing at her. She hadn't noticed, however, as she was still on a roll. "I'll have no one decent to talk to. Oh, Merlin, what if Vernon or his caveman friends try to feel me up? Eww…"
That sobered James Potter up quickly. "If any of his mates try anything," he whispered harshly, his hands closing in on his wand protectively. "I'll hex them so bad their grandmothers will feel it."
"And how exactly are you planning on doing that?" the Head Girl asked in annoyance, her sheet of red hair swinging with her as she turned to face him.
"That's what I was trying to tell you Lily," James said impatiently, one hand reaching up to muss his hair. "I'll go with you. My parents cancelled our holiday plans…I was just going to be sitting around rotting here at the castle, anyhow."
Lily cocked her head to the side, analysing the situation. Well, James and I are friends…he would be the best person to ask, now that I think about it. We actually like to talk to one another. I'll bet he even knows how to dance, what with his rich family and all. Besides, it would brighten up an otherwise horribly dull holiday if James actually decided he needed to hex Vernon or his mates…
Smiling broadly, Lily Evans came to her decision. "I accept."
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