Disclaimer: I own none of the characters involved!
A/n: I shall remind you that ~*~|*|~*~ separates the present whilst ~*~ separates the past. :D Now enjoy the newest chapter!
Chapter: Forsaking Flower [Part 2]
After the wedding, everyone scurried into the lounging area, where the tables, coffee tables, and ceiling had been decorated and where some Byerlys drifted around offering drinks and more. Harry sat down into a plump armchair that seemed to remind him of a water-bed because he immediately was sinking into the armchair. He quickly got up and looked down at the armchair.
A Byerly that passed by him and to Harry’s raised eyebrow, he chuckled, “It’s a flexi-armchair; it’s supposed to feel like a comforter.”
“Thanks,” Harry replied sarcastically, but lightly when he noticed that the Byerly had offered him a drink.
He took one and let the Byerly get lost, but when he was about to turn back to the armchair, he caught her blue eyes and as soon as he tried to smile at her, Cicily turned away to talk to Markus Byerly. The dragon inside of him growled and got ready to pounce when Markus made a joke and Cicily laughed heartily at it.
She never laughs like that at my jokes… Harry felt pained almost suddenly, but that was until Ginny waved at him from the archway of the room.
When she got to him, she hugged him. Harry felt himself blush, but the blush left as quickly as it had come.
“Hey, Harry,” Ginny greeted merrily.
Harry replied, “Ginny, how have you been?”
“A bit better after yesterday,” she told him and then turned to look at what Harry was glancing at. Instantly, she turned back and looked almost annoyed. “I feel better now that some things have gotten taken cared of.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you; what really happened to you yesterday?”
She shook her head. “Nothing, honestly, only a misunderstanding, but things got cleared up.”
“I wonder… what kind of misunderstanding and what kind of things?” Harry asked questioningly, teasing her. At least he could try to make the best of the time he was away from Cicily. Who knew if he still had feelings for the youngest red-haired Weasley?
Ginny’s smile gave him the memories of some odd years before. He had known her more than he had known Cicily, but he didn’t feel the same towards Ginny as he had a whole year before. He had forgotten about Ginny’s kiss from his seventeenth birthday. Harry only wanted Cicily’s kisses and his mind and body demanded them.
“Harry…”
He snapped back and noticed that she was waving a hand in his face. “Are you there? What’s up?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” he replied and tried to cover up his mental absence. “I was just thinking.”
She blinked. “Sure you were. About” – she paused to get the right word – “Cicily, what happened to you guys?”
“We’ve just… er…” Harry trailed off.
How could he speak of this so easily with the person that had started it all? Why did he have to tell Ginny that Cicily and himself had distanced after he had gazed at her for so long at baby Marcella’s reunion?
Well, he didn’t want to say anything and besides, he wasn’t very loud person to say anything about his personal life to anyone; even if it was to his old love.
“You can’t talk about it; I know,” she sighed.
How could she know? Is she an Occlumens or something? He raised an eyebrow.
“Everything seems to be tearing us apart from the ones that we love, isn’t it?”
Harry shrugged and answered, “I guess.”
“You know… you’ve been acting like a zombie since yesterday…” Ginny pointed out.
Harry nodded as Ginny sighed and let her shoulders slump.
You’re being ridiculous, Harry, overdoing yourself with fatigue over her. Can’t you just leave her in the past? To this thought, Harry let himself fall into the squishy armchair again and the armchair gladly sunk his body in its depths. No, I can’t leave her… she’s different than Ginny. She’s more than I ever bargained for… She’s Cicily Abner, the girl that I met only last year that actually is very exciting to get to know…
At this point he was drowning in thoughts and Ginny had given up her patience and left, muttering about Markus the whole way back.
However, she left Harry on his own, discovering how sour being alone was.
Had his Father felt the same when his Mother had left him?
~*~|*|~*~
Cicily watched him from the other side of the lounging area. Markus Byerly had been pestering her since the end of the wedding. Well, he had been trying to make connections with her and they weren’t coming up with much success.
“So the Chuddeys fell and the Spades won; just like that,” Markus told her, using his preferred nickname for the Chuddy Cannons.
Cicily nodded, sighing, “It’s impressive - how Quidditch is a good time taker.”
“Yeah,” he agreed as he swirled his Margarita drink around in its glass. “Say, aren’t you supposed to be with Harry Potter?”
She sighed again and crossed her leg over her other one. “Not really.”
“I’ve heard about your problem, really, Sicily-“
“Cicily,” Cicily corrected for the umpteenth time.
He nodded. “Well, Cicily, I’ve heard about your break up-“
It’s not a break-up! Cicily wanted to snap, but she stopped herself. That’s what she hoped it wasn’t, but everyone that wasn’t her thought that it was exactly that: a break-up.
“-it was what stopped the reception of the Snapes’ baby’s baptism,” Markus finished. “I can’t really say that it was supposed to be great. Nothing’s great when the person you love is gone.”
Cicily looked at Markus for the first time that seemed to feel like hours. He looked forlorn and lost. Cicily had seen that look in her Mother’s eyes after her Father had died.
“Don’t tell me… it’s happened to you?” she asked.
His brown eyes clasped on hers as he told her, “Yeah, it did.”
“Wait… you’re the bloke that was with Ginny Weasley, am I right?” at his nod, her eyebrows rose. “Now that’s a surprise.”
“Why?”
“Well, let’s just say that some red-heads cause split-ups,” Cicily told him.
A firm silence was inputted and it was broken by Markus, “What do you mean? She caused your break-up?”
“Indirectly, I think,” she answered while trying to sit down bow-legged in her large armchair. “What happened in yours?”
Markus curled his lip. “We had a discussion over my persona.” Then admiration showed in his eyes as he spoke, “I have never met anyone that has ever caused me to be angry. It’s a miracle that she actually managed.”
“Why?” This bloke must be mad… the thought seemingly was because of this: how could a guy be so impressed over a girl just because he has never snapped?
“Well… because I’ve never snapped in my whole life and I have what some people call ‘Management Skills’,” he told her with a slight blush of his cheeks.
Cicily nodded even though she didn’t understand Markus at all. She then returned to looking down at her hands as she felt one of her black curls fall into her face. Someone put it behind her ear. She looked up and noticed that no one was there.
After looking around the room, she noticed that Markus had caught up with Ginny and the two of them were talking. Ginny looked jubilant as well as Markus. Eventually they hugged and kissed and… just when everything got mushy and romantic, Cicily took her eyes off of them to look else where only to notice a very intriguing thing happening. Harry’s eyes were clasped on Cicily’s. She closed her gaping mouth and looked down at her hands again.
While she looked at her hands, the messy jet-black haired boy turned and left the lounging area with the idea of reading the passage of his father’s that he had been reading the previous day.
~*~|*|~*~
“Harry! Wait!”
Harry stopped in mid-stride and turned around to notice that his godmother and godfather had been calling him since forever.
He looked down at the floor and then back at Ginger. “Sorry…”
“Stupid – huge – house!” wheezed Ginger, but as she tried to catch her breath, Sirius told him, “You can’t really be leaving without saying your good-bye to us, you know.”
“Of course, you can’t,” Ginger told Harry with a slight smile, now that she had caught her breath she could talk easily, “Then again, you have to get going home, don’t you?”
Harry nodded and then answered quietly, “Yes, I guess I have to.” He could only think about his father’s journal, which was in his room – forgotten and waiting for him to read it.
“You can’t be in one place like a sitting duck because of something that is bothering you – don’t ask, everyone seems to know,” Sirius told him and then Ginger looked at Harry expectantly.
“Oh, yeah, my good-bye,” Harry told them carefully, “Well… I hope that you guys have a good honeymoon and hopefully not split up.”
Sirius and Ginger smiled at each other and then Harry.
Ginger told him, “We hope that you get patched up with Cicily.”
“If you can, that is,” Sirius added jokingly, but he stopped with the teasing tone when Ginger elbowed him in the side.
Then Ginger enveloped Harry in a hug. Sirius joined in and whispered, “We have to get going and you better do what we said.”
“Right; patch things up with Cicily,” Harry sighed and then added sarcastically, “That is, if I can. And what fun it will be…!”
Ginger kissed the top of his head and then Sirius gave Harry a handshake, but he also nodded curtly toward the door. Harry took the hint – it was time for him to leave.
And he did, just when his smart-alecky black-haired girl was coming out into the hall.
It took every ounce of him to leave and not come back.
~*~|*|~*~
Harry finally arrived home and went upstairs to his room to read from the worn out brown book.
Before opening it, he looked to his side where the covers of the bed were still untouched.
Why did I have to be so stupid? Harry wondered as he laid down and closed his eyes.
Think about her as hard as you can – feel her power source… His Father’s journal had said just that to get his Mother back, but it wasn’t working for Harry.
His emerald eyes opened and that was when he decided, Might as well get to reading.
~*~|*|~*~
Dear reader,
I’ve been trying had with this planning for too long. Lance said that she’d come over one of these days. I hope that she doesn’t come when Lily is here though. It would really ruin the planning of my flower’s surprise party (Pamela and Lance came up with the idea).
Then again, not everything goes as it is planned. Have I mentioned that I’m planning on making a Charm for her?
Yours truly,
James Charles Potter (My name is still as wonderful as it always has been – I can assure you as much…)
~*~|*|~*~
Harry rolled his eyes at his Father’s arrogance. This suddenly made him remember what had happened long ago. Cicily had laughed at his Father’s written jokes and his pompous arrogance. Her laughter, which had appealed to him like the forbidden fruit, had caused him to almost kiss her and just when Ginny had entered the room.
Stop thinking and just read! Her voice again, it caused him to feel a tug at his heart.
No one had ever made him feel that way, except Ginny, but Ginny was in the arms of another – the arms of Markus Byerly.
Read aloud, please! she pleaded, her voice sweet as apple nectar.
He soon started to read as his imaginary recording of Cicily’s voice had pleaded.
~*~|*|~*~
Lily continued to watch James as the weeks passed by them. She also noticed that her practices at St. Mungo’s were going to end soon and she would one day be a full pledged Healer. Lily wanted that very much. She kept thinking about her on going class of counter charms and how to create them as she cooked.
“’ello, Lils,” James said happily as he circled his arms around her waist and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. “What’re you cooking?”
“Hmm… nothing, just dinner,” Lily told him as she chopped carrots and celery. “Say, what are you up to?”
James smiled cheekily. “Business, my lady, business.”
“What kind of business?” she asked, twisting around to face him.
Green met hazel and soon he was kissing her breathless. By the end of their kissing frenzy, he smirked, “I’ll tell you… later.”
Lily came back to reality instantly (being befuddled a moment ago, thanks to his kiss). “Honestly, James, I’m going to marry you and you can’t tell me that little business secret – it’s so unfair that it hurts!” She mocked pain and even placed a hand on her forehead to feign distress.
Her fiancé, James, simply shrugged. “I can’t really tell you now, but I’ll tell you later.”
Moments later the two of them were at the table, eating and talking about how jobs were going.
“So, you’ve got your new job in the Healer department?” James asked Lily as he casually slipped his hand forward towards her face to tuck a long lock of blazing red hair behind her ear.
Just after tucking it in, it fell out again just as Lily nodded. “Yes and I’m enjoying it – seemingly. How’s your Auror practice coming up?”
“Not so well, Frank’s been beating the crap out of me,” he answered through the lot of food that was in his mouth.
Lily sighed, “Don’t eat with your mouth full and please don’t speak like that!” Her bright eyes were gleaming with amusement though. James looked adorable with his huge hazel eyes and puppy pout (which had taken years to copy straight from Sirius Black’s version).
“Don’t do that either, it reminds me of Sirius,” she told him as she struggled not to laugh.
James rolled his eyes as he swallowed down his food. Lily only watched him, wondering what was going through his head when he told her, “Don’t worry about anything that I do from now on, Lils.”
Then he finished and left, leaving Lily on the brink of suspicion when hearing him mutter, “Everything’ll…alright…”
~*~
James rubbed his hands together after reading the letter that Pamela had sent. The letter was as follows:
Dear Jamesie,
If you think that I’m not going to Lily’s party – you must be MAD (as anything, honestly)! If you need a party planner… I’m freaking here to help out!
You better expect me because I am so going to that party (fixing it up too)!
Your buddy,
Pam
P.s.
Oh, I’ll be right over on Thursday! (Fear my arrival, Prongsy…!)
Of course, Pamela had been an almost close attachment to the Marauders. Not that anyone knew – she had been James’ first girlfriend and so had always been on his side in some disagreements that had him involved in it. One of the agreements that came to mind was the one in which Sirius and he had stopped talking because he had accidentally spoken badly about Ginger in the train.
And Sirius had threatened to almost kill him.
Pamela had instantly taken James’ side because, as she had said, ”He’s going through infatuation and he shouldn’t have threatened you, James!” Pamela also still held an emotional bond to James (he had been her first crush) and James was more than happy to be her boyfriend (just to start off with learning the girls’ complex ways). Then again, when he had started to go out with Pamela, he noticed more of Lily.
The poor late-thirteen-year old had become aware that Lily Evans was pretty for the first time in the thirteen (almost fourteen) years of his life.
The memory instantly gave James’ lips another stretch to form a grin.
At least Pamela was coming in one more day and she would help him out.
~*~
At last, it was Thursday and Lily had left the house to get into her car. She was going to visit her parents and bring them some delicious apple pies (which had been made with the help of magic!). The smell was wafted immediately by a very happy James.
Well, Lily amended, very happy James; too happy to be true…
He also opened the two boxes that were on the chair in order to take a look at the large pies that were hidden inside.
“James, leave those alone!” his fiancé snapped. “They’re for my parents.” Then she gazed at the box that was on the table to add, “And for my older sister.”
“I thought that you didn’t like her at all to be giving her a pie!” James frowned distastefully. “Your sister is quite a poor case, I say, to deserve such a wonderful…good-smelling pie.”
Lily slapped at his hands, which were trying to get one chunk of the pie that he was looking at. Quickly, she closed the box and sealed it with a charm from her wand.
“Don’t you dare touch these pies,” she started her threat, “Or I’ll…”
“You’ll do what?” James teased, “Give me as many detentions as possible so that I’ll be – literally – outside the door and humiliated out of my wits?”
To her narrowed eyes, he continued, “Honestly, Lily, it’s getting old.”
This time she held her wand close enough to his waist that he got the idea.
“Okay, never mind…”
Lily smirked, “As I thought. Anyway, I’ll be out to my parents’ and then I might go to St. Mungo’s.”
That was when she took the two boxes in her arms.
“Where will you be going with those load of boxes?” her fiancé asked as he quirked an eyebrow. “You can’t Apparate holding that much weight. Let me help you…” He moved on to try to get the boxes from her.
Lily simply rolled her eyes. “Actually, I’ll be driving. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that.”
“Oh…” James gave up, but then he tried again, “Can I at least open your car door for you?”
Shrugging, Lily told him, “Go ahead, if you must.”
“Cliché, I see-“
“James Charles Potter, if you don’t get moving I’ll…”
“Okay, okay, I get the point!”
“Finally!” Lily said gleefully when she put the boxes on the passenger’s seat of her Ford. “Thank you, James-“
“A thank you deserves a kiss, don’t you think?” James wondered as he moved closer to Lily.
She tried to look defiant, but his closeness made her feel butterflies in her stomach. She looked up at him whilst he looked down.
“A kiss-“ she was caught in the middle of her sentence. James neatly kissed her and embraced her.
James finally broke the deep silence that had enveloped the two of them, “Well… you do have to get going, I think.”
“Sure I will,” she smiled, once again befuddled thanks to his kiss.
She put the key into the ignition and raced off, forgetting about the third pie; just as James wanted her to.
~*~
He opened the box while he held his spoon above the large brown mass that smelled like caramelized apples.
“Just a few seconds from now and…” he could almost taste the sweet apples in his mouth.
His hand wouldn’t move though. He didn’t want it to be indulged by the pie. James felt guilty. This was Petunia Dursley’s pie. Tuney’s pie.
“She doesn’t deserve the pie; get on with it!” James’ evil side seemed to say anxiously. “Go on, dunk in your spoon and enjoy the pie!”
His angelic side said otherwise. “No, don’t do it! Lily said that it was her sister’s pie, James. It’s Tuney’s pie! Tuney’s!”
Just when his evil side was about to speak, the door bell rang. Quickly he closed the box and threw his spoon towards the sink. It made it and that proved to him that he could have been a Quidditch star instead of an Auror on duty twenty-four seven.
He went towards the door, thinking that it was Lily. Once he opened the door, the blonde girl pounced on him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“Pam! I’m glad that you could make it!” he grinned.
Just as well, he frowned when he heard a car door smack shut and the car’s wheels squeak unpleasantly.
~*~|*|~*~ A/n: Tell me – what does the car have to do with anything in the last piece?
Oh… another question – doesn’t this remind you of Harry and Ginny?
Hmm… or another question – will Cicily and Harry get married any time soon now?
Oh! Severus’ question from earlier: what did Potter do with the ring, pray tell?
Your writer,
~Meli♥
P.s.
I might write later (as well as move at the end of this school year – the place that my sister found looks absolutely… enlightening, so if I do move – more stories to write – both here and in fictioncentral.net).
[Answers and Doubts – new to this fic at the time being]
*This fic will be longer than I had intended – more space for diaries are soon to come (tell me who’s diary you want to read from – I’ll come up with something instantly – at the time being, that is…)
*Dionysus is actually the baby boy that will be Severus and Margo’s.
*Harry’s kids’ names (all in according order): Charles James Harry Potter, Genette Lily Potter, and Albus Severus Caelestis Potter.
Tell me what you think! (Other than the fact that this Author’s Note being long…)
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