A/N: I know I told many of you that I wouldn't release anything until Tuesday, but then I found myself sitting here after I aced my test for Music Appreciation (woohoo) and I thought what better way to celebrate than to write a little chapter. Now, this isn't as long as the previous chapter, but hopefully you will still like it. I say let's raise our juice boxes and cheer! Things are progressing! And thank you to all of you who have added this to favorites and to those of you who are reviewing! I love it.
Lily yawned as she stood in front of the sink, piled high with the cookware used to make the dinner that would be served that evening. She was tired, but still she smiled slightly. She had missed her day off, but tonight there was no need for her. The Potters had hired in professional wait staff. She planned on curling up with a good book and going to sleep early. If she was lucky, Sirius would still be awake at his three in the morning craving and could just nosh on the scraps from the party.
"But first, these dishes," Lily said aloud to no one in particular. She pushed the window above the sink open so that the lilting summer breeze could come in. She carefully rolled her sleeves up on her button up shirt, a little glad that Mrs. Miner hadn't gotten a chance to alter her uniforms completely. Her clothes were much more comfortable than those uniforms.
The sun was setting through the window, making Lily's hair redder than ever, like flames upon her head. She thought about that with a laugh. She had been feeling like she had been on fire when she thought about James. She shook her head, clearing herself of those thoughts. She had been feeling a little out of sorts as of lately. Lily dipped her hands in the warm water, scrubbing each pan diligently. She felt a tickle on the back of her neck and instinctively rubbed one of her soapy hands on it. She glanced out the window; the breeze wouldn't have blown from behind her. She looked around, but she found that she was alone at the moment.
"James?" Lily asked hesitantly. She continued to look around, confused. She felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of her voice saying his name. She scowled.
`What in the world has gotten into me?' She thought as she turned back to the task at hand. Surely, it was just the wind. It probably bounced off the wall behind her. She shrugged and began to hum a song she had heard as a child. She no longer knew the words, but the melody was still there in her head. She felt the same tickle of breath on the back of her neck and she turned quickly, reaching out and grabbing the thin air. Her hand did not close on anything but said air.
"James Potter, I know you have that stupid cloak," Lily said matter-of-factly. "You had better come out and quit haunting me."
Lily hesitated. Haunting wasn't the word she had intended on using. Bothering, yes, but not haunting. Haunting meant that he was following her, in her mind as well as in person. She hadn't intended on letting that little bit of information slip out. Heat rose to her cheeks, and she was grateful that she was not greeted with James popping up out from under his cloak.
After the last pot was dried and put away, Lily headed to her room. She grabbed a towel and her night dress, heading straight into the shower. Her bathroom was no where near the size of even James' closet, but still it was hers alone, and she was grateful as she stepped under the scalding water. She rested her head against the cool tile while the contrasting hot water caressed her body.
`Like a lover,' Lily though dreamily. Her eyes bolted open in shock at the lazy thought that crept into her mind. She would have been beet red had it not been for the fact that the water had already pinked her skin. She cut the water off and headed out of the shower. Dried and dressed, she glanced at the clock. It was nearly eight; the party would be starting now. She was no longer needed.
Curling up under her covers, Lily pulled out her favorite book. Her eyelids began to droop as she read the first familiar page. The letters began to run together, and she tilted her head back for a second. At this moment, the threshold between wakefulness and sleep, Lily had little control of the thoughts and images that floated lazily in her mind. She certainly didn't have the ambition to fight them away.
`I should have let James kiss me in our fifth year. I bet he is a good kisser, and it would have been fun,' Lily's mind reeled back to the fifth year. They had been assigned as potions study partners after James' last potion climbed out of his cauldron and made off with Professor Slughorn's favorite scales. Professor Slughorn thought that perhaps bright Lily could help the equally smart but horribly misguided James do better. He was at risk for not getting good marks in his O.W.L.s for potions.
`It was late, and I was so tired,' Lily justified as she thought about how the two of them were hunched over the books, reading theories to potion making. James had turned to her and slowly leaned in to kiss her. Lily had almost let him, but then that damn good sense of hers flooded back into her and she left a handprint as red as a tomato on his face. It stayed there for three days before it begun to fade.
`Stupid, I bet it would have been spectacular,' Lily thought as she finally drifted off to sleep. `Not that I like him or anything.'
"Lily, wake up," Mrs. Miner said shaking Lily's shoulder roughly while she balanced on her one good, fat foot.
"Huh?" Lily replied bleary eyed. She looked around the room confused. There was no way it was morning already. That just wouldn't have been fair. She didn't feel rested, at all.
"Mrs. Potter wants you dressed and in her office, now," Mrs. Miner said hurriedly. Lily nodded, seeing the worried woman's face. She climbed out of bed and threw on a dress quickly, thinking she would look less put together if she tried to match a shirt to her pants. Slipping her feet in her sandals and raking her hand through her hair- much like James does, she thought grinning nervously- Lily headed up the back stairs to Mrs. Potter's office.
"You wanted to see me, Mrs. Potter?" Lily asked as she rapt on the door. Mrs. Potter nodded and ushered her in quickly.
"Ms. Joy has deserted us. Apparently my nephew sic-ed Crookie her on her and she has been teetering on the edge of breakdown for about a week," Mrs. Potter said. She looked at Lily expectantly, hesitating a moment. "The agency is sending over a nanny in the morning, but tonight there is no one. I need you to step in and take care of him during this big charity dinner. Normally his mother would, but she can't tonight."
"But Mrs. Potter," Lily protested.
"It's just for one little cameo appearance that little Christopher has to make, and then you can bring him right up to bed," Mrs. Potter said. "And you already are dressed, so that saves time. Thank you, dear." Lily sighed.
"Ok," Lily said reluctantly. Inside, she felt a little like crying. She was already so damn tired, and now she had to baby sit. Lily was dismissed and she headed straight to Baby Potter's nursery. He was alone, naked sans his under-roos, running around like a mad man.
"I'm a pirate, arg!" He crowed at her as she walked into his bedroom. He had a pirate hat on now, and he grabbed his sword. He jabbed her in the leg, and Lily was thankful it was plastic. "Walk thar plankton, matey!"
"Christopher…"
"My name are Captain Booty," Christopher laughed. Lily laughed.
"Ok, Captain Booty. You need to get dressed," Lily said. Christopher shook his head.
"Nope, nuh-uh," Christopher told her in no un-certain terms.
"You have no choice," Lily said firmly.
"Where is my pirate's gold?" Christopher asked as he ignored her. Lily made a grab for him, but Christopher was lightening quick. Lily saw him heading towards the bedroom door and she flicked her wand to slam the door shut to keep him contained to the one room.
"You are going to get dressed," Lily said.
"You can't make me, you aren't my nanny," Christopher screeched at her as he threw his sword at her. It bounced off her thigh and fell silently to the floor. She rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin.
"How about a game?" Lily said suddenly.
"A game?"
"Yes, a game. Let's race to see who can dress half of you quicker. You do the bottom half, and I will dress the top half," Lily said with a grin on her face. Christopher squinted at her suspiciously.
"That's not a game," he said.
"Yes, it is. And the winner can go down to the kitchen to find some of Chef's chocolate cookies," Lily tempted him.
"Cookies?" he said, his mouth watering. Lily nodded.
"Chef makes the best cookies every," Lily said as she looked away playfully. She turned back to see Christopher trying to pull his pants on, both of his legs caught in the same pant leg. With in fifteen minutes, he was presentable. Lily glanced at herself, thinking she looked a little tired, but nearly as bad as she would have looked had she been in her pajamas.
"Ready, spaghetti?" Lily asked as she scooped him up. He laughed.
"I am Spaghetti," Christopher said as Lily carried him carefully down the front stairs. She was amazed at the view you got as you came down those stairs. She wasn't certain if she was even supposed to bring him down them, but at the moment, she could careless. Everything was bright and sparkling. It was as if the light itself originated from this house. It was certainly humbling and awe-inspiring.
`I wonder if James and I got married if we could talk his parents into giving us the house,' Lily thought. She nearly stumbled over her feet at that thought and mentally smacked herself in the face for thinking such. She forced a smile and headed towards Mrs. Potter.
"Lily, thank you so much for getting him dressed," Mrs. Potter said quietly. She shook her head. "I really don't know why so many grown nannies have issues with Christopher, and here you are a girl not much older than James, and you manage to repeatedly tame the Potter within him."
"Who, Christopher?" Lily asked reflexively. Mrs. Potter smiled and patted her cheek tenderly.
"Mr. Potter wants to show Christopher off to the minister," Mrs. Potter said as she disappeared into a crowd of socialites. Lily obediently carried Baby Potter to Mr. Potter.
"Minister, this is my nephew," Mr. Potter said. Christopher grabbed the minister's toupee and Lily quickly pulled his hand free.
"I am so sorry," Mr. Potter and Lily both apologized.
"I am so Spaghetti," Christopher said seriously. The minister looked at the stern face of the little boy and roared with laughter, startling Christopher into digging his tiny nails into Lily's shoulder.
"My, god Potter, you are all the same! Great senses of humor," The minister said laughing. "I was telling the misses the other day that your boy, James, was up at the Bluff earlier this summer and completely flooded the pool with some sort of green gelatin goo."
"Did I introduce you to Lily Evans?" Mr. Potter said quickly changing the subject. "She is a student at Hogwarts and has so graciously given up her summer to help us out here."
"Mr. Minister," Lily said lightly shaking his hand.
"You're quite a looker, dear! If I was just twenty years younger," The minister said. He laughed heartily again and Lily took her cue to exit the conversation. She was pink in the cheeks and Christopher was squirming to get down.
"How about those cookies?" Lily asked as she glanced over to see James and Sirius standing with a beautiful set of twin girls. One was laughing at something Sirius had said, and the other one was touching James' shoulder and whispering something in his ear.
Lily felt the strangest sensation boiling up from deep with inside her. It felt a little like puking, but with much more anger. Definitely, it had more anger. Lily continued to look at them, and she could feel this strange sensation tearing at her insides, like fire and knives, rolled into one digging around in there. Her mouth nearly dropped as she turned her back to them and headed towards the kitchens with Christopher.
"Lily Evans, you are JEALOUS!" She said aloud. Christopher looked up at her quizzically.
"Jealous?" He asked as she sat him on the counter and pulled out a pint of milk.
"Yes, jealous," Lily replied almost angrily, though whether it was at herself or at the girl, she had no idea. "Jealous is when you see someone you aren't supposed to admit you like with another person, and you just want to run across the room and grab that witch by her perfect blond hair and beat her face in."
"Cookie?" Christopher offered, holding up one with raisin he had bitten into, his bite mark in the cookie and the sampled piece spit out. Lily took the sampled cookie and bit the other side absentmindedly.
"I can't believe I am jealous. It just seems so wrong," Lily grumbled as she and Christopher polished off half of the cookies in the cookie jar. "Just so wrong!"
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