A/N: So this is actually my second version of this chapter (writing it in the car all in a couple of hours). The original or first version will be included at the end in the `blooper' chapter. It was good enough, yes, but I just thought that everything progressed too quickly right there at the end, and I needed to add a little more humor to this chapter. Ah, well, I failed at adding humor, but oh well… if nothing else, it certainly is much more suspenseful. Read and Review!
Disc.: I humbly own nothing, aside from the plot and a slight annoyance at my kids (who are sitting in the back seat of my car, kicking my seat and making me want to threaten to turn this car around RIGHT NOW, despite not being the driver).
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C37: Noisy Neighbors
Lily yawned, her eyes opening slightly to the light that crept between the curtains in a small but powerful beam, crossing her face. She had been dreaming, though she couldn't recall what the dream had been about. She struggled to remember what had wakened her. She had heard a voice, and for a moment she could have sworn that she had heard James' voice clear as a bell. She strained to listen but all she could hear was the noise and rowdy behaviors of the neighbors in room eight oh four. Sighing, she rolled over to her left, certain that it would be better, since the book said that the left side fed the uterus with a better blood flow which was better for her babies.
She rested there, thinking about the babies. She had only just found out that she was carrying James' twins, but she was in love with them. She couldn't imagine life as a mom, but she knew that she would give up her own life to save them. They were that important to her. She loved them. She didn't know if they were boys or girls, or both, but now that she knew they were growing inside her, she couldn't imagine them not being there.
"Are you awake?" Alice asked as the mirror over the dresser rattle, the inhabitants in eight-oh-four obviously mistakenly thinking that they could walk through the wall.
"How can I not be?" Lily retorted quietly. A few more loud thumps and some loud laughter echoed through the wall.
"Annoying buggers," Frank grumbled as he reached down from the bed to the floor, picking up one of his shoes and throwing it hard at the wall, missing the mirror by inches. It thudded loudly, shaking the mirror and for a second, the noise on the other side of the wall stopped. The three breathed a sigh of relief before someone began pounding their fists on the wall. Frank groaned. "It figures."
Lily stood up, searching around on the floor for her jeans. She slid them on over her panties, trying to fastening them. She tried to squeeze them closed, but she needed like another two inches of pants, and these were her `fat pants' and had always been way too big, even when everything else was even a slightly bit snug. Sighing, she yanked them off and dug around in her duffle bag, pulling out her favorite little sundress. Tee shirt forgotten on the bed, she pulled the dress on to find it, too was growing a bit too snug around the midsection. It would have to do for the moment.
"I need to get some clothes," Lily murmured.
"Are we packing up and heading to the airport for Australia?" Frank asked as he pushed himself up on one arm, his arm draped across Alice.
"I want to give the boys some more time," Lily said shaking her head. "I was thinking… I'll stay here a few more days, and you two can continue on to the hotel in Sydney."
"Would you want us to stay with you? I don't really want to leave you by yourself," Alice said quietly while glaring at the wall between their room and the loud room next door.
"I'm fine by myself," Lily said. She grinned at them. "Plus, wouldn't you two like a few days by yourselves?"
"It would be nice," Alice did say, smiling. She snuggled deeper under Frank's arm.
"I'm going to go shopping," Lily said as she sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling on her shoes. "This dress barely fits me, and I don't think I'm going to get any smaller."
"No, probably not," Frank murmured. Lily looked at Alice.
"You told him?" Lily asked. Alice shrugged.
"He's my husband," Alice countered. "I couldn't help but tell him. I'm sorry, Lily."
"Don't worry," Frank said. "I am not about to be the one who tells James that you're knocked up. I don't fancy getting hit."
"Do you think he is really going to take it that badly?" Lily asked nervously. Alice slapped him lightly on the arm.
"Don't scare her," Alice said shaking her head.
"He'll be fine about it," Frank said quickly. Lily looked at him skeptically.
"For nine weeks along with twins, I feel like I am already as big as a house. You can tell, can't you?" Lily said as she grabbed her purse.
"Yeah, you can tell, but it suits you," Frank said. "You look incredibly beautiful."
"Awe, isn't he so sweet?" Alice cooed as she kissed her husband. Lily giggled.
"I'll see you two in Sydney by Thursday. Fly safe and please call me when you get in," Lily said brightly.
"I hope the boys don't disappoint you," Alice said. Lily shrugged and picked up her wand, making a motion with it. The sparks fizzled and dribbled from her wand.
"Where ever they are, at least they are safe," Lily murmured. The thumping and banging continued next door. Lily pounded on the wall.
"Shut up over there!" She hollered.
"You shut up," a muffled voice shouted back as they pounded back.
"Pregnant woman trying to sleep!" Lily shouted as she kicked the wall.
"Trying keeping your legs shut," the person shouted back. Lily looked out raged and marched over to the phone on the side table. She pressed the zero for the operator. The clerked picked up the phone.
"Yes, this is room eight oh three, there seems to be some strange things going on in eight oh four next door," Lily said. "They are being incredibly loud and destructive."
"Well send someone up," the clerk promised.
"Thanks," Lily said quietly as she hung up the phone. She picked up her purse and keys. "If for some reason the boys show up in Australia, just call me please."
"Of course we will," Frank promised.
"Fly safely," Lily said. Alice waved her off as she rolled into Frank's arms for a little married coupling.
Lily stood at the elevator, waiting for the lift. She glanced at the two doors, wondering which one would open first. The one to the left opened and Lily stepped on the elevator, pressing the ground floor. The doors slid closed on the left one as the door slid open on the right one. James stepped off of the elevator, a bag of food in his hand. The two missed each other by seconds.
James opened the door to his hotel room to see Sirius wailing into Peter again with a pillow. Occasionally, Peter would break free and run straight into the wall. James laughed as he pulled some food from the bag, sitting on the edge of the bed Remus was still sleeping in. James grabbed Remus' ankle and jiggled the other boy awake.
"Remus, wake up," James said. "I brought food."
"Between Sirius fighting with Peter and our noisy neighbors next door, I've barely gotten any sleep," Remus said.
"I should be the one who's most tired," Sirius said pouncing on the bed next to Remus. He pulled out one of the wrapped breakfast sandwiches, eating it in three bites. "I feel energized."
"Good," James said. "We have to hit all of the monuments to see if we can find the others. I can't believe that they left us."
"It makes perfect sense," Remus said as he pulled himself up out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He left the door open, a typical move of boys, and continued to talk. "To be honest, we don't exact instill confidences in the others. We're never on time for anything. So, it makes sense that Lily would insist that we arrive on time, give us three days of a grace period, and then leave us behind."
"So, where to next?" James asked as he pulled out his wand and the ruined itinerary. He touched the itinerary with his wand, sparks barely emitting from the end, dribbling down the sheet, and fading out in the air.
"I thought about that," Remus said as he flushed and washed his hands. He poked his head out the bathroom door. "The book Lily gave me has places marked and noted in it. I think the next place they are going is Sydney, Australia. Actually, I'm certain of it. So, if we don't find them now, we will drive up to New York and catch a flight."
"You figured that all out on your own?" Peter asked as he cowered in the corner, worried that Sirius would resume beating him with a pillow.
"Not everyone is simple minded like you," Sirius said as he threw the pillow at Peter, missing and knocking a lamp into the wall. The people on the other side pounded back. "They have been pounding on that wall all morning."
"Could it be a result of you two playing around?" James asked smirking. Sirius grinned and shrugged.
"Who'd come to a hotel to sleep anyway?" Sirius asked shaking his head.
A knock came to the door, causing the four to turn and look at the door. James stood and headed to the door, not knowing who was going to be at the door. He glanced back at the others, Sirius jumping up and righting the lamp. James unlocked the door, the chain dangling, and opened the door.
"Management might not tell you but you really must shut the hell…" Alice started angry as could be. She stared at James standing there, fully dressed, while the others stood around behind him in various states of undress.
"Alice? What are you doing here?" James asked slowly. Alice screamed loudly, causing James to jump, and she threw her arms around James tightly. Her scream brought Frank running, dressed in only his boxers and holding an umbrella in his hand, as well as a few other people who were still in their rooms on the eighth floor.
"Where have you been?" Alice asked as she finally released him. She pushed into the room, with Frank directly behind her.
"Oh, my god," James said shaking his head. "We ended up in Washington State. Did you know that there's a place called Washington State?"
"No, really? How weird!" Alice said as she sat down on the bed, retrieving one of the breakfast sandwiches.
"I know!" James said.
"Then Peter drove eight hours south instead of eight hours east," Sirius offered. Peter glowered at him.
"Then James got a speeding ticket!" Peter tattled.
"And got a flat that ditched the car," Remus said.
"I can't believe that all of happened," Alice said.
"Why would we lie?" Peter asked. Alice shook her head.
"That's not what she meant, Peter," Frank said quickly. "She meant it as a shock that you all went through so much and still managed to make it here by the Fourth of July. Alice and I were just about to head to New York to catch a flight to Australia."
"I told you Australia," Remus cheered.
"Lily was going to stay behind a few days in hope of you guys showing up," Alice said. She looked at them. "Why didn't you just call and tell us you were over wherever you were?"
"We did," James said. "I've been leaving messages for room 308 for days."
"Where in the world did you get that number? We've always been in room 803," Alice said. James shook his head.
"I could have sworn Lily had told me that it was 308," James said. He laughed.
"That was all you, I fear," Frank laughed. "Lily wouldn't have made a mistake like that."
"So, where is the future Mrs. Potter?" Sirius joked. Alice looked at James in surprise.
"You're going to ask her to marry you, aren't you?" Alice asked. James just grinned, not confirming or denying.
"So where is Lily," James asked as he changed the subject. Alice glanced at Frank for a moment before focusing on James.
"Oh, er, she went shopping," Alice said quickly. "She didn't say when she'd be back because she assumed that we would be gone before she returned."
"So, we'll just hang out in the room and wait for her to return then," James said simply. "I have missed her so much. I can't wait to see her."
"Me either," Sirius said laughing. "Even if to prove to you that Lily's chunking up."
"She is NOT!" Alice and James both said loudly. Frank shot Alice a look, but said nothing, and it went unnoticed by anyone else but Alice.
"Seriously, Sirius," Frank said shaking his head. "You'd want to watch yourself around that one. She's got a mean streak in her."
"Two… mean streaks," Alice said quickly without thinking. She laughed a nervous uneven laughter. James looked at her oddly, but said nothing.
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Lily stood in the maternity department of some store in the mall, looking at the ugly tents that pregnant women were forced to wear. She shunned things that were not flattering and she practically ran to the women's department, selecting dresses and clothes that were just a size or two bigger than she wore currently. By the time she picked her clothes, she headed through the mall until she came out of a sickly wonderful store full of baby things.
She wondered what would be the best way to tell James. It wasn't every day that you tell a man that not only are you having his baby, but you are having a pair of his babies. She wanted it to be as perfect as possible, since one day she'd have to tell her children the story, and she wanted to know she had done her very best to make it memorable. She looked at the cute bibs and clothes, not really wanting to get ahead of herself. Then she saw it, a pair of matching jumpers in yellow and green. She bought them at once, and found a pair of bibs that said `No, we are not looking in the mirror' on one and `Yes, We ARE Twins!'.
"They're perfect," Lily murmured as she paid for them. She tugged at the dress, fighting the snugness. She headed to the tiny boutique nearby, seeing maternity clothes that she could really live with. They looked like normal muggle clothes, except that they had room in them for the growing belly. Lily immediately snatched up a few in different patterns and bought them. She headed straight to the nearest restroom and stripped off her ill fitting clothes. A breath of relieve rushed over her as she put on her new maternity dress. She looked at herself in the mirror.
"Even at nine weeks, I can't hide this," Lily said as she looked herself. The doctor had told her, with her already being on the small side and carrying twins, she'd look bigger faster. Whereas other women who were only nine weeks along really wouldn't have much more than a slight pooch, with twins in her belly, she was already looking a little closer to eighteen weeks.
"Even this, James' going to notice," Lily said shrugging. "I guess he can take it or leave it. I just never knew how big I got, and hell if this dress doesn't accentuate my babies."
Lily headed over to the food court, suddenly craving soft pretzels and pineapple smoothie. She knew the pineapple smoothie was full of sugar and the pretzels were covered with salt, but she didn't care. She was eating for three now, and if she wanted it she was going to eat it. She looked at her watch, thinking maybe she should head back to the hotel for a quick nap before she headed out to the greens to watch the fireworks. Alice and Frank were probably already in the cab on the way to New York.
Lily found her rental car easily and climbed into the driver seat, placing her bag on the seat. She set her purse down, and put her keys in the ignition. A tap on the window drew her attention. She glanced over to see a man standing there, his eyes glowing almost scarlet and a cruel smile curled on his face. He had a wand pointing right at her.
"Can I help you?" Lily asked through the window as her hand reached slowly for her wand. If ever she was in danger, this was probably it. She knew who he was, even if she had never met him before, his face plastered all over the front of the Daily Profit. She knew if she could get to her wand, if she could point it at him quick enough, the spell would work.
"Stupefy!" he said in a remarkably high voice. Lily felt the blast erupt from the end of his wand, the force of the spell throwing her to the side, and everything went dark. She had been stunned by Lord Voldemort himself.
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