Familiar Stranger
Chapter One - Of Running Away and Sharing Beds.
0x-
She felt trapped. Constricted in a world where her image ruled her life. Held hostage by paparazzi and her agent. Things used to be so simple; she used to act because she loved it, used to smile because it felt natural and used to have days where she was allowed to roll out of bed, throw on whatever she was wearing yesterday and traipse down to the shop.
When she had been young fame had seemed everything. Everything. It had been her dreams, hopes, wishes and ambitions. To be in the lime light, to no longer be an anonymous face in the crowd but to be the one everyone knew. What a fool she had been. Fame and fortune had not been the way to go. It was a shame really, her grades from Beauxbatons had been rather outstanding, she was indeed a clever witch, but no, she had done exactly as her mother had told her and had made Acting her life rather than a hobby.
And now, here she stood, lipstick glued to her pouting lips, make up layered upon her naturally beautiful face and breathing in uncomfortably due to the fact her dress was a size too small, but it was apparently the fashion so, she must adorn it. What a Lucky Girl she felt. A flute of sparkling Bollinger champagne was pushed into her hand abruptly and no sooner had the waiter arrived he had disappeared - that was what they were instructed to do - be invisible to all the celebrities on the 'A list' and not bother them for autographs or pictures.
Lily slipped a fake smile around her lips as a fellow thespian passed her, raising his glass jovially at her. Raising her own glass to her lips the liquid lapped gently at her tongue as she gracefully drank, it tasted strong and bitter - it was tainted with money and high expense.
Behind her she could hear the sound of drunk Actor's wives cackling loudly, hear them gossiping over what had been in the paper that day and who they could tell of the people they had seen here this night. Her fellow actresses, although seemed nice enough, were turning their noses up at each behind one another's back, that was another problem living in this type of society; you could befriend no one for fear of them stabbing you in the back.
All anyone needed in here was a bit of hearsay about you and if their career started to slip then they would suddenly let that piece of information be found out by the press and before you could say 'Cut' your livelihood was also in danger. These people were vengeful and determined - if they were going down they were taking as many with them as they could. Though, Lily was almost begging someone to let slip a false piece of gossip about her, anything would do - a scandal is just what her career needed. A fake stay in rehab perhaps, or a sordid past and no longer would the agencies be wanting her to star in lead roles. She could leave the industry through default. She yearned to escape, to leave this world behind - to go back to Diagon Alley and Hogsmede.
Suddenly impulse hit her. Throwing her glass to the ground she tore from the building, leaving her coat, bag and many gaping A-list people behind her. Tearing down the steps, tripping to the floor at the bottom of them, her scarlet hair flopping in front of her face, her shoes breaking; many reporters began snapping their cameras wildly. Blinding lights and yells of 'Evans', 'Lily!' and 'Not to your taste, Miss Evans?!'
Behind her she could hear the footsteps and desperate calls of her managers and assistants, but she would not turn back. Kicking off her spindly heeled shoes she continued to make her getaway. Not stopping. Not caring. The cold of the night did not affect her but allowed her to continue running, the goose pimples forming on her arms were not registered consciously by her. Stopping a at row of Taxis she wrenched open the door and threw herself into the back seat bodily. Finally able to breathe. She shut her eyes; she had always been known for her rash unpredictable actions and this was just like the sixteen year old Lily that had bunked off at dances to go and fly on a Thestral's back.
Just as she took in a good amount of oxygen the Taxi driver turned to her and smiled, "Lily? Lily Evans?! By gawd! You wouldn't just si -" Lily did not allow the man to finish his sentence before she had bolted from the car. Delving her hand into her dress she found her long pale fingers gripping around her wand, not thinking twice about consequences of Muggles seeing her she thrust her right arm out, still grasping her narrow strip of wood and urging The Knight Bus to hurry it's self along. The first piece of magic she'd done in years.
BANG.
A large, triple-decker bus appeared in front of her, it's purple paintwork gleaming in the streetlamp's dim glow. Not allowing the old conductor to wheeze himself off of the bus in order to give a long winded speech, she barged past him. The driver turned to her, his eyes sparkling with recognition, however he seemed wise enough not to mention the obvious - that she was running away from something. Her hair was now tousled and hanging about her face, her smoky eye makeup slightly smudged making her green eyes look large and accentuated. Leaning back against the window of the bus, she breathlessly muttered the word, 'drive.'
Nervously Lily looked about and to her horror every bed on this floor was taken. "Ah, yeah, sorry about that, Missy," smiled the Conductor - Lily glanced at his gold pin on the front of his deep plum-coloured uniform, it read Eric Pottle.
"Are there no others on different floors?"
Eric shook his head wistfully, "Sorry 'bout that, I daresay you look like you need a lie down too. I'll wake Mr Potter up 'ere, I'm sure he'll let you perch…they're all Aurors you see, Miss, 'cept James-y there, 'e's no longer an Auror."
Lily nodded and merely accepted the man's patronising tone, she was in no mood to disagree on how he spoke to the female of the species. "Okay. Wake up Mr Potter and ask him for me." she agreed, her tone slightly superior - after all she had been pampered for the majority of her life and, until only recently, was held in very high regard by everyone she met, she knew she'd have to break the habit of talking to people like they were only there to perform her bidding.
0x-
Eric Pottle smiled at the pretty young redhead and ambled his way to the back of the bus, weaving between the sleeping Aurors, some of them snoring, others with their head firmly under the blankets while others clutched at their wands even in slumber - poised and ready to wake and attack their enemies. Lily guessed they were all on their way home after a hard day at the Ministry - The Ministry…Lily had never fancied working there - sure a Auror would have been fascinating, but if Lily had not made it as an actress she knew Healing would have been her calling, she'd have made a damn good healer and probably worked for St. Mungos.
Approaching Potter's bed silently Eric poked at the mass of blankets.
"Um wha?" spoke a voice groggily, a handsome tousled face appeared from beneath the plush purple quilt and looked about quickly, as though scrutinizing the entire situation. When he saw no Death Eaters were attacking he looked at the man who'd roused him. "We in Hogsmede already?"
"No, Mr Potter, only we have a little problem…"
"And that would be?" the black haired man urged the conductor to continue.
"Well, we have a lady aboard, and if you ask me, Sir" he lowered his voice considerably, not that Lily would have heard anyway as she was sorting out with the driver some money to be taken directly from her Gringott's accounts as she had nothing with her - apart from her wand - to pay him with. "she's in need of a little TLC. Poor thing looked like she was running away from something or other…"
"Pottle, spit it out - why is this my problem?"
"Well, I can imagine you are the only one on this here bus that I trust to allow her to share a bed with."
"What?" questioned Potter, his eyebrows shooting into his head - he went through women like no one's business and everyone knew it, so why was he trusted with this women.
"Well, there are no other beds and to be honest I don't trust any of your colleges with her - a delicate little slip she is."
"Ex-colleges." he corrected.
"Yes sir…ex-colleges"
After a moment of silence he spoke again, "Alright, you twisted my arm." smiled Potter, "I'll take her."
0x-
Lily had been led down and introduced to 'Mr Potter' however he had quickly informed her to call him 'James', she had smiled and nodded while sitting upon the end of his bed, her legs curled underneath her. She was studying James, he had tanned whether-worn skin, callused hands, large sparkling hazel eyes and incredibly messy black hair - he wasn't a pretty boy, far from it, but he was handsome, very much so actually…but in a rugged, un-kept way, his hair long and a small bit of stubble about his chin gave him a cheeky character.
After Eric had provided her with a steaming mug of hot-chocolate he ambled his way back to the other end of the bus. Silence elapsed over the bus and Lily was now staring out of the dark window and seeing nothing but the odd blur of street lamps and every now and again feeling the bus go over a bump or take a corner particularly hard.
"You're familiar." James said suddenly, analysing her face. She blushed a little under his probing stare but looked resolutely back into his gaze.
"How so?"
"You did well for yourself in the Muggle world, no?"
Lily sighed, would she ever escape it? Pasting on a bright and false smile she shook his hand while saying in a feigned happy voice, that was a few decibels higher than her usual tone "Hi, Lily Evans is the name, Muggle Actress, thoroughly sick of being recognised."
He smiled at her sarcasm tainted words. "Indeed." he replied but had no chance to say anything further as the Knight Bus stopped out side the Leaky Cauldron with more force than was necessary and catapulted Lily headfirst into James, her drink coating them both in warm hot chocolate, but James wrapped a strong arm about her waist stopping her from rolling onto the floor. She stared up into his eyes, her dark red hair falling about her face.
"Sorry about that, James."
He smirked at the feel of her slender body wedged between his arm and his chest, however he was bought into reality as she placed her hand on his chest and stood herself up, almost the entire bus had emptied and she sat herself upon the recently vacated bed beside James'. Sighing she leant back onto the pillows then looked down at her stained dress.
The light gold material ruined. "Ah crap. If Danny could see me now." she spoke allowed.
James bristled, "Your boyfriend?"
She laughed, a charming loud laugh, full of life, "No, he's my dress fitter, and I suspect he would prefer your company to mine," she placed a finger to her lips to tell James not to shout it about - after all if you were that way inclined, it was the seventies and you wouldn't have been accepted. He smirked however and visibly relaxed again.
"Well what would he do if could see you now?"
"First, scream at me for ruining the shoes he gave me" she held up the spindly heels that strap was hanging off of one and the heel had snapped on the other, "secondly, scream at me for leaving the Premiere." she motioned around herself, at the bus to show him she was quite obviously not at the Premiere for a new movie "and thirdly scream at me for pouring Hot Chocolate all over myself…ah well, never did like this dress anyway."
James looked at her bemused, most witches he knew would have killed to be donning the clothes Lily was currently wearing - minus the drink stains of course - "why? Not expensive enough for you?"
"Oh no, ten thousand pounds on a dress is pretty reasonable." she remarked as though she were merely commenting on the décor, "I just prefer my jeans."
James smiled. "So, Lily, where are you staying?"
"Hmm, I figured at crash at The Three Broomsticks"
"Er…Evans, they don't do bedrooms at The Three Broomsticks anymore, you have been out of touch with us a while haven't you."
Lily bowed her head and a blush appeared upon her cheeks. "Now, I am, as they say - in the shit."
James observed her hunched profile in the silence - she was pretty, no doubt about it, yet he couldn't help but think without her hair tied up in the intricate style and without the large amount of make-up on her face she would be stunning. A sudden image of her pale skin against his tanned complexion fleeted into his mind - her dark red curls sprawled across his white linen bed clothes. The bus stopped.
"'Ere you go, Mr Potter." called Eric.
James stood and gathered his things. Lily looked up to him, about to speak her thanks and good bye when he took her by the top of the arm, "come along, Evans, you're staying with me." Smiling at him she allowed herself to be led towards the end of the bus with James.
Author's Note:
Mmkay. This is AU Lily/James and is based on a Chanel advert starring Nicole Kidman, it isn't really following the plot of said advert but it was heavily inspired by =]
Cat or Placid_Destruction is my beta reader - and she's loverly.
Review? I'll…heart you forever.
Tasha x