Gateway to Heaven - James and Lily Potter (Jily) #Wattys2016

Surprise! - Lily

GUYS I OWE YOU ONE MILLION APOLOGIES FOR MY THREE-WEEK HIATUS. I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY TO HAVE KEPT YOU WAITING.

I hope you guys can understand that I've been busier than ever before, and with school and musical activities starting again, I barely had any spare time... (and if I did, I'd usually catch up on sleep haha)

Thanks for all you everlasting support, comments, votes. Hope you love this chapter!

"'Twas brillig; and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe, all mimsy-"

"Lily, dear, what in the world are you reciting?" Marlene asks as she looks up from the batter she's mixing. We're on Easter Break and, since I'm not to keen to come home as it means confronting my difficult and short-tempered sister and her newfound abominable boyfriend Vernon, my friend was kind enough to invite me to her mum's new cottage in Kent for the week.

"Muggle poems," I answer without blushing,"one I used to recite at home to annoy my sister." I take a glance at the recipe book that stands upright on the kitchen table. "Add two teacups of sugar."

"Why would muggle poetry upset your sister?" Marlene comments as she practically empties the jar into the bowl. Talk about a sweet tooth.

I shrug. "Because it's not exactly muggle poetry. It's a nonsense poem, proving that Lewis Carroll wasn't all non-magic, in fact -"

"Lily! Oh dear, they're here!"

"What, already?"

I run to the window, briefly eyeing the green landscapes that ends so abruptly on the chalky English cliffs and the dark sea hiding behind it.

"There they are! Put that cake in the oven, Mar, they're entering the gardens!"

I run to the doorsteps and open the woodsy door to not only a wonderful breath of salty air, but also two very loud, laughing girls, who run into my arms and we form a giant group hug.

"Lily, I'm so glad to see you!" Daisy exclaims, her blond curls ruffled and cute.

"Holy quaffles, this place is gorgeous!" Laura wolf-whistles, hanging up her coat and beret on a nearby chair.

"Too bad Alice couldn't make it," Marlene adds sadly,"It would've been so nice to have her here as well."

"She chose Frank over us, that's her business," Laura states boldly, nudging my elbows in the process. "This girl, however, chose the right side, huh?"

I laugh. "Sure I did," I answer confidently. I'd spent much time on deciding wether or not to accept James' invitation to the Potter's home, but after long and deliberate discussion decided to join my friends in Brielle, the area where Marlene's cottage lies.

I don't regret my decision - much. I suppose being with James and his parents for a whole week would've been too awkward.

"Oh, Lily would have loved to be with James, but she's too sweet to call us off," Marlene says teasingly.

"I never said I-"

"Never mind," she cuts off quickly, "please do come in. We've got tea and cake and my mum won't be here for at least three days. We've got the place to ourselves."

"Which reminds me," Laura says slyly as she sips her hot beverage and contemplating the small den in which we sit, "Alice will be coming at some point, her owl catched up on us on the Knight Bus to Canterbury."

"Ohhhh," Marlene says, a little to obviously,"Ohhh that's nice."

"Ohh what?" I ask, eyeing her sternly. "Whatever are you hiding from me?"