Beauty chapter image by 100ways! Amazing beta-butterbeergal!
Introducing Edie Diamond and Samira Kelk.
Roxanne groaned beside me. A fight between Albus and Vivian Corner always ended in Al being in a right foul mood and lashing at anyone who breathed too closely to him.
I hurried out of the compartment, tripping slightly in my haste and peered out noticing other students doing the same. I saw Vivian Corner stalking off, her long silky black hair billowing behind her and Al standing, arms crossed with a stormy expression covering his thin face.
I approached him cautiously and touched him lightly on the shoulder. “Al, are you okay?”
He viciously tore his shoulder away from my hand. I guess that was a dumb question...obviously he is not ‘okay’.
I sighed. According to mum, my brother is very much like my father when he is upset. If he was angry, he would bottle it all up until something set him off and let it all out in a very explosive manner.
“Okay, Al, why don’t you go back to your compartment with Rose?”
He grunted still not looking at me. “Clar is there.”
I stifled a laugh. Of course he was and try as Al might, he just could not tolerate him...well, most of us couldn’t.
“Okay, well come back to my compartment?” I persuaded.
He grunted again, (my middle brother is oh-so-eloquent) and began to follow me back to my seat.
He sat down closest to the window and lay his head on the glass staring at the speeding scenery. My compartment mates gave me bewildered looks and I shrugged. Al was...different.
Edie and Samira excused themselves saying something about visiting the loo and Roxanne said she had to talk to Fred about their mum’s birthday (which incidentally is in two months). Roxanne has less street smarts than Hugo’s pygmy puff.
I looked at Al’s slouched form and smudged glasses...he looked quite disheveled. “Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Corner?”
He sighed, his breath leaving a fog against the glass and looked at me dejectedly. “Vivian is going steady with McDonald.”
Oh. Poor Al... Vivian Corner and him have been off and on since his fifth year but neither had actually dated someone else during their “breaks”.
“So, I guess it’s really over then between you two?” I asked hesitantly.
Al frowned. “Ya, I guess.”
“Well, I think you are way too good for her,” I told him confidently.
Al looked at me disbelievingly. “You don’t really mean that. You just have to say that ‘cause you are my sister”
I let out a very unladylike snort. “I don’t like you that much. And mum has to say things like that, not siblings. Plus, apparently mum dated Vivian’s father and dad dated her mum…that’s just odd.”
“I guess....” he trailed off, still looking quite morose.
I didn't know what else to say so I lay my head on Al’s shoulder offering him physical comfort. He sighed then wrapped an arm around me, giving me an awkward one armed hug.
“Thanks, Lily.”
“Your welcome, Albus,” I laughed slightly and took comfort in my older brother’s embrace.
The compartment door slid open and I turned my head slightly to see James pushing it open.
“Awww… so cute. How come I was not invited to the family bonding?” he smirked and then jumped on both of us, tickling me and simultaneously putting Albus into a headlock. What can I say? James Potter is a tank.
“Fuck James, get off me you git,” Al replied grumpily pushing my eldest brother’s muscular arm.
James took a step back still smirking. “So Al... you and Corner officially over then?”
I shot James a look warning him not to push Al’s buttons, but it was completely disregarded.
Al nodded slowly and James punched him lightly in the arm. “Cheer up, mate. I mean, I know no other girl will ever give you the time of day but no reason to be down”
Al’s face reddened dangerously but then he smirked cruelly. “Well, now that you mention it, I was thinking of asking Erin Thomas to Hogsmeade, she is actually quite fit you know.”
James’s smirk slid off his face. Al turned and ran out of the compartment door, James hot on his heels yelling obscenities and how Al was just a spectacled face prat.
Honestly my brothers are neanderthals, thank goodness I was born. The rate this is going, no girl will ever willingly bare my brothers’ offspring. Really, if it were not for me, the Potter name would probably die out completely...well I would probably change my last name when I get married as I am not much of a feminist. Hmmm…well my love life is not going so well at the moment, I will probably be a spinster, cat lady or a cougar, name your lonely old woman synonym.
The reappearance of Roxanne broke my rambling thoughts as she peeked into the compartment. “Is it safe?”
I laughed and motioned her in as she sat across from me. She crossed her legs in a relaxed pose.
“Oh my Circe, you have to see McLaggen. His skin cleared and my, is he fit!” Roxanne gushed excitedly. “I think I can take full credit for his transformation,” she smiled smugly.
“Roxy, you snogged him for like two seconds in a game of spin the bottle, that’s hardly Order of Merlin First Class worthy.”
She shrugged and laughed slightly, “Oh well, he was an awful kisser anyway.”
For the next couple hours Roxanne and I gossiped and talked, our conversation only broken by the arrival of the trolley. We both stocked up on Licorice Wands and Pumpkin Pasties, my whole family tended to avoid chocolate frogs. It was very strange to see our parents’ portraits staring up at us from the foil.
We were about an hour away from Hogsmeade station when there was a knock on the door and the compartment door slid open showcasing my ‘friend’ Luke Wood.
Maybe in the past I had just grouped him with the rest of the idiots my brother hung around with but after our....ermmm...interaction, I couldn’t fail to notice the fact that he got better looking every time I saw him. He had changed into his white school shirt, the top two buttons open and his Gryffindor tie loosely knotted around his neck while his dark curly hair was slightly mussed.
“Hey girls, James wants us all in the Marauders compartment to discuss pre-season strategy.”
Roxanne and I groaned. My brother is psychotic. Only James would start thinking about Quidditch before term even started.
“Bloody hell,” Roxanne cursed loudly letting her head fall back on the seat cushion.
Luke put his hands up in defense and smiled, “I am just delivering the message!”
Both Roxanne and I laughed. “Okay, we will be there soon. Tell James to keep his knickers on,” Roxanne replied.
“You better or James will blame me for you two not showing up!” Luke started to head down the hall before he turned and shot me a devastating grin making me blush a deep crimson.
I let my hair fall in front of my face to hide my blush from Roxanne, but I heard her snickering.
I shoved her lightly which only made her laugh harder and I sighed knowing I was fighting a losing battle to deny anything to Roxanne.
“Oi! Shut it! We have to go now or James will probably kick us off the team.”
Roxanne scoffed. “No, we won’t. There is no way your brother will be able to find another beater who works as well with Freddie as I do, and you are a cracking seeker...even if you are kinda scrawny.”
I laughed and poked her in the ribs in retaliation. “Wood’s a pretty fantastic keeper isn’t he?” I spit out before I could stop myself. Note to Lily: Think before you speak.
Roxanne smirked but chose not to answer leaving me with some dignity. Instead she rose and motioned for me to follow her.
She stopped midway down the hall and resulted in me banging into her.
“Owww, Roxanne...” I whined rubbing my fore head.
She turned and looked at me seriously, “Lily I just have to make sure...”
“What?” I was slightly worried, what the bloody hell is going on?
She placed a hand on my shoulder. “Are you going to be able to resist jumping Luke Wood’s bones during James’ painfully long winded strategic talks?”
I gaped at her and started to laugh.
“Please tell me now, so I can do my duty as your best friend and cousin and stop you from committing any sober action you may regret,” Roxanne smirked.
I laughed even harder and shook my head at her antics. I brushed past her to continue down the hall way to my brother and cousins’ compartment.
“I am taking that as a no then?”
James’ showed the team (Daemon and Louis had been kicked out) numerous boards and crumpled papers of complicated squiggles and crooked lines. Roxanne and I started to count the amount of times my eldest brother ruffled his hair before he finally cottoned on and threatened to inflict bodily harm on us (we were at twenty six...honestly he preens more than Victoire does).
I spent the majority of the time after he told us off trying to avoid looking at Luke, his eyes serious and concentrating on the ridiculous plays James had concocted...don’t get me wrong, I love the sport but these boys are obsessed. Honestly, if James could marry his broomstick he would be the happiest wizard on the planet.
The Quidditch meeting stretched on until we felt the train pulling to a stop. Roxanne and I quickly threw on our robes and joined the bustle to get off the train. I heard Hagrid calling for the first years and I felt a pang of envy, the view from the lake of the castle is probably the most breathtaking view I have ever seen in my life. What a way to be introduced to Hogwarts.
“Oi, Potter!” a deep voice cut through the crowd and I turned to see Daemon shouldering his way through the crowd of students, trying to grab a carriage.
“It’s Lily,” my brother’s Slytherin friend rolled his eyes and motioned for me to follow him. I raised my eye brows at Roxanne but followed Krum anyways. It was rare for Daemon to speak to anyone but his Marauder mates, he would only approach me out of necessity.
“James and Al got into a fight after the meeting ended and we can’t split them up. We get them away from each other and then they lunge at each other’s throats again.”
I sped up my pace and rounded the bend to find a group of students surrounding my eldest brother who was being restrained by Louis and Fred while glowering at Al who was sporting a blossoming black eye and was being held by Luke.
I marched through the crowd and stood in between them my hands on my hips. “What in Merlin’s name has gotten into you two?”
Neither of them looked at me. Al scuffed his feet and James looked over my head, Luke simply looked amused.
I growled slightly and stalked over to Al, grabbed him by the ear and did the same to James dragging them over to the carriages. I shot a scowl at a scrawny second year who blanched and scuttled away while I shoved my two brothers in the carriage. I looked at both of them and noticed Al’s glasses were broken and James’ lip was bleeding.
“Explain.”
They both looked mutinous. I kicked James in the shin and he squawked loudly.
“Explain,” I demanded for a second time.
James looked at me sourly. “He asked Erin out.”
“What?!?”
James made a face, he looked as if would throw up at any second. “And she said yes.”
I looked at Al who looked incredibly smug even under his bruises.
“Al, please tell me you didn’t.”
“Well, he was harping on me about my break up with Viv...Corner so I thought about the one thing that would really piss him off. At least I manned up and asked her.
If James wasn’t such a pouf he would have done it years ago,” Al spat back at me.
James’s face contorted with rage and he emitted a strangled snarl while making violent motions towards my middle brother.
I swiftly pinned James with my wand and turned on Al, “Go tell her you took Essence of Insanity or something, I don’t care, but you will not be taking her out.”
“Shut it Lily, you are not mum you can’t tell me what to do,” he replied angrily.
“You better be glad I am not mum, Albus Potter, and if you want to pull that card don’t think I will hesitate to write her!”
Albus cowed under my glare. Ah, yes, Ginny Potter had always been an effective threat.
“Now you two are going to sit in this carriage and get over this ridiculous row by the time you get your arrogant and stubborn arses up to the castle!”
They looked at me like I was asking Voldemort to cuddle a kitten...they are so dramatic.
The carriage lurched and began to move slowly, so I quickly hopped out and joined the next one in line to find myself in a compartment with a group of sixth year Slytherins. They looked at me surprised until a handsome blonde boy nodded at me coolly, “Potter”.
“Malfoy,” I replied blushing slightly. He was intimidating to say the least. Athletic attractive and his academic record only beaten by my cousin Rose...so basically, he is perfect.
I do simply have the best luck.
“What brings you to our carriage, Lily? Usually one only gets in here with an invitation,” asked the beautiful Patricia Zabini haughtily.
“Please don’t flatter yourself, Pat, into thinking I actually want to be around you,” I scoffed meeting her eyes...this spoiled princess did not intimidate me.
She scowled at me, most of the other Slytherins rolled their eyes and returned to their conversation bored by me already. I heard someone laugh and I looked into the grey eyes of Scorpius Malfoy,
“Running from the sibling fight then?”
I blushed. I did not want our family’s dirty laundry known around Hogwarts. But I guess it’s too late for that. My brothers were rather public in their stupid fight.
I followed the typical Slytherin rebuttal and rolled my eyes at him, not trusting myself to speak without sounding like an idiot. I lay my head on the window ignoring Scorpius and his stupid smirk.
Finally the carriage rolled to a stop and I let the Slytherins rush by me. I was in no hurry to have to diffuse yet another inevitable blow up between my two thick brothers.
I was about to step out of the carriage when a pale hand placed itself on my arm, and I looked up surprised to see Malfoy gazing at me.
“Wha...” I was utterly confused, maybe I have a new gift that I had no idea about...attracting older boys whether I wanted them or not.
“Can you give this to your cousin Rose?” he handed me a thick piece of parchment with her name elegantly scrawled across it in green ink, my thoughts of being irresistible to Scorpius diminished quickly.
“S..Sure,” I managed to stutter out. He nodded at me again and gracefully jumped out of the carriage.
I took a minute to collect myself and then went to step out of the carriage. Somehow my foot managed to get caught in the lip of the door and I tumbled out crashing into an innocent passerby.
I landed heavily on the person, my body pressed closely to his and my nose inches away from his own.
“Lily?” his soft lips parted whispering my name, his breath brushing my ear and sending unwanted tingles up my spine.
Fuck. What a marvelous way to start the term, landing in an intimate way on the last person it was appropriate to do so.
Three guesses who.
AN: Please no sticks and stones! I know it has been forever...okay longer than forever but hopefully this long chapter redeemed the wait at least a little. I promise the next update will not be as long I have already started it! Also 133 favourited I am thrilled, really but it would be incredibly nice for everyone to leave a review...even if it is just short, it would make my day!
Let me know what you think!
Much love...potterwriter340237
Printer Friendly Version
