Harry Potter and the New Bloom (A Marauders AU)

The Tellyphone Call

Lily Anne was having a very terrible night.

They were out of Cadbury Animal biscuits, which Lily Anne always had as a snack when they got home, and she was absolutely inconsolable as a result. She lay in the middle of the carpet in the living room, face down, crying and kicking one foot rhythmically, muttering "busy, busy" over and over as she touched her thumb to each of her finger tips, one arm twisted 'round an old stuffed duck whose beak was a mess, having spent years being chewed upon.

Daisy sat on the floor beside her, gently rubbing Lily Anne's back with her palm intermittently, delicately balancing the line between providing comfort and over stimulating her. She flicked through telly channels until she'd found an airing of Mr. Bean just starting. "Lily Anne," she said, "Lily Anne, look, it's Mr. Bean."

Ecce homo qui est faba... ecce homo qui est faba...

Lily Anne half-looked, her fingers still moving feverishly, eyes sodden with tears. "Busy, busy, busy..."

"You love Mr. Bean, look - he's so silly!" Daisy laughed along with the laugh track and Lily Anne glanced between Daisy and the telly, a wobbly smile coming 'round her face. Daisy smiled too.

The telephone rang, then, and Lily Anne startled at the sound, her voice quickening, "Busy, busy, busy, busy...."

"It's alright, darling, it's just the telephone... just the telephone... Mummy's going to answer it, you watch Mr. Bean. Look, he's dancing to the saxophone music now! You love that part." Usually Lily Anne danced with Mr. Bean at that part. Today, she just watched in fascination. Daisy pushed herself up from the carpet with a sigh and hurried to the kitchen, where the nearest extension was. She lifted up the phone, "Hello?"

There was even more noise on the other end of the line as there was at her flat. Loud music was playing and shouting voices.

"Hello? Hello?" came a voice, a bit muffled.

"Hello?" Daisy repeated.

There was a loud scuffling, scraping sound, then, "Daisy?" It was James Potter, his voice suddenly sounded proper. "Hullo?"

"Hi, James - yes it's me, Daisy. Can you hear me?"

"Ah there you are!" his voice was a bit louder than necessary, but she assumed that was because of the party or whatever was happening in the background.

God, please don't let him be in a bar. Why is he calling me from a bar? she thought, and she bit her thumbnail, looking out over to where Lily Anne lay on the carpet, clutching the goose and staring up at Mr. Bean on the telly, still counting off her fingers. The sobs had stopped though, which was a good sign. The laugh track from Mr. Bean seemed sharp to Daisy's ears, but Lily Anne liked it.

"Where are you?" Daisy asked, holding the phone with her shoulder and moving both hands to untangle the long coil of the cord that connected it to the wall-mounted cradle.

"Sorry?"

"Where are you? It's very loud," she raised her voice.

"Oh. Blast, sorry. Hang on." There was another scraping sound, then he said something that she couldn't quite catch. The background went positively silent and when he came back on, she could hear him clear as a bell - but he was still talking louder than necessary, "Is that better?" he asked.

"Yes!" she said, mocking his volume, "But you could do with speaking up a wee bit, I can't quite hear you when you're shouting!"

James paused, "Sorry," he said in a regular tone.

Daisy asked, "Are you at a party or -- a - a bar or something?"

He'd been so perfect. Why'd he have to go and ruin it? Why did she let herself fall for his charm and let her guard down and --