Lily and James were having another midnight conversation. They had just finished talking about the benefits of crushing the Sopophorous bean rather than cutting it whilst brewing draught of living death.
"So Marlene is going to be coming around tomorrow..." James started "I know you don't like her but I was hoping you'd give her a chance. She's a laugh when you get to know her. You could be good friends"
"I'm not very good at making friends, Jay" Lily replied sheepishly
"Uh yeah you are, we became friends didn't we?"
"No, that's different though!"
"In what way is it different"
"Well you're Remus' friend so we were already sort of friends just not fully friends"
"Not fully friends? Merlin Evans you come out with some right shit sometimes" he laughed.
"And you, Potter, are so rude sometimes" she said with feigned offence. "Why is Marlene coming around anyway?"
"She's coming to practice quidditch, we're all going to play; Sirius, Remus, Pete, Mar and I. I'd be more than happy if you wanted to join in, you could be on my team!"
"Um thanks but no thanks. I don't mind watching quidditch but playing it is a completely different story".
"You can be my cheerleader then" James winked at her.
"As if" Lily spluttered, she found herself blushing beet red.
"Just think about what I said Lil's, I think it'd be good for you to interact with someone other than me and Remus. You need to get back into the swing of things ready for school".
The next morning Lily was rudely awoken by Remus (she wasn't used to waking up so early after speaking to James so late into the night).
"Come on Lil's, you'll miss breakfast" he'd thrown a pillow at her and spoke too cheerfully for her liking. Remus was a 'morning person' whereas Lily was a 'noon person' in the summer holidays.
She dragged herself out of bed and stumbled into the en suite shower. After washing her hair and drying it the muggle way, she threw on a green band tee (Lily loved Queen) paired with some bootcut jeans and her white Chuck Taylor's. Lily ran a brush through her hair, opting to wear it down for the first time in weeks. She really needed a haircut, she thought, as she checked the mirror; her bright auburn hair was now touching the bottom of her spine.
Lily had one more check in the mirror before she left the room and headed downstairs to breakfast. There was a weird feeling in her chest; a sense of needing to look her best for someone. It was probably just anxiety to meet Marlene, she (incorrectly) assumed. She shook her head, as if physically shaking the nerves from her body.
When she reached the kitchen, the boys and Marlene were already eating. Only Sirius noticed James' eyes light up at the sight of Lily, he made a mental note to interrogate him later. She waved hello to everyone and bee-lined for the table.
"Lily dear, I saved you a plate over here" Euphemia passed her a plate of scrambled eggs on toast.
"Thanks Mrs Potter"
"Please, call me Effie, Lily I hate the casualness"
Lily sat herself in the spare seat between Sirius and Peter. "You look... good, Red!" He spoke in an accusatory way, looking her up and down.
"Thanks Black, I think?"
"I just mean that it's nice to see you dressed in something that doesn't look like it belongs to a vagrant" Lily slapped him in response and reddened at the laughs Sirius' comment received.
"You know you won't be able to play quidditch in that?" James innocently tilted his head to the side, the action reminded Lily of a puppy, and grinned.
"The day I get on a broom Jay, is the day pigs fly". James subtly winked at Lily and she blushed a deep Scarlett in response. It was a gesture only Sirius had again noticed. What was going on with the two of them?
"Pass us the salt Mar" Peter spoke, lifting Sirius from his reverie.
After breakfast they all headed outside. Lily, with a book in one hand and a picnic blanket in the other, fell into step with Marlene.
"I hope this isn't too awkward for you Lily. I always come to practice over the summer but for some reason, James has been postponing. I literally had to threaten him to get him to agree to this.
"Oh no of course not. I haven't been outside all summer so it'll be nice to get a bit of sun" Marlene didn't question why Lily hadn't been outside in the hot summer weather yet.
"It's nice to have another girl around here anyway, those boys need a bit of womanly sternness!" They both laughed.
They both found a nice spot on James' four-acre garden, to lay down the picnic blanket. To Lily's surprise, Marlene sat herself down.
"I thought you'd be wanting to listen to James' game plan?" Lily asked, there was a subtle hint of provocation laced through her words.
"Nah, that lad just loves to hear himself talk; we get given the same instructions every summer" If Marlene sensed Lily's implication, she didn't let it show. "So what book have you got there?"
"Oh, it's Animal Farm by George Orwell- it's a satirical allegory for the Russian Revolution and the rise of Communism in 1917!" Marlene was taken off guard with Lily's word vomit.
Suddenly, Marlene hunched over and began to shake with laughter. Her laugh wasn't in judgment and was in fact infectious. Lily's straight face began to waver and her bouncing shoulders gave her up. They eventually collapsed onto the blanket
"Ple- please st- stop!" Lily gasped
"I ca- can't br- breathe" Marlene wheezed "Okay, okay! It sounds good, you'd have to lend it to me sometime" having pulled herself together for the time being.
"Sod off Mar" Lily replied in fake annoyance with a big grin lining her face.
The girls chatted and laughed like this until Marlene was snatched away for the quidditch match, by the boys. Eight chapters later, Lily looked up from her book to see everyone walking over to her. The game must have finished.
"I'm starving" Peter was complaining
"God Wormy, do you ever stop eating?" Sirius joked.
"Leave him be Sirius" James, ever the mediator, spoke "who fancies a brew? Yes Peter there will be biscuits"
They all made their way inside to the kitchen table. Lily sat next to Marlene and James.
"Hey Red" James had whispered when she sat down. He was so close to her that the words sent shivers down Lily's spine; not for the first time today, she flushed a rose-coloured pink. Lily had to internally condemn her damned pale skin and refused to meet James' gaze. Sirius once again was the only one to have noticed this weird interaction and added it to his growing list of 'what's going on between Lily and James?'.
YOU ARE READING
Marauders Sister
FanfictionA mostly pottermore compliant JILY story except Lily Evans was taken in by Remus' family in third year. Remus introduced magic to Lily therefore she and Snape never became friends and the fifth year 'incident' didn't happen. The Harry Potter world...
