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

Bacon - Lily

I wake up the next morning with a gut feeling that... well, that I don't really want to wake up this morning. My bed is warm and lovely, and the covers are soft and my pillow is warm. That's when I smell it. I smell more than one thing, actually.

The first thing I smell is sweat. Sticky, smelly, boys' sweat. Which reminds me of our unexpected visitors. Hadn't they set up a tent outside? I open my eyes. Sirius is snoring, all huddled up in a humble corner of the attic. He looks cute, to be honest, but Merlin's beard, that boy sweats like a troll. Half of me wants to wake him up and tell him off for sneaking upstairs while he should have been perfectly comfortable outside, but the other half of me finds the entire scenario too adorable - and besides, waking him up would mean yelling Laura and Daisy and Marlene awake as well, which they really don't deserve.

The second thing I smell is bacon. The warm, salty smell reaches my nostrils like some creepy spell, I can hear it sizzling all the way from the top floor, and oh! Did I just detect eggs, too? That's it. I've got to go downstairs and see it for myself. I whisk myself out of my warm fuzzy paradise, slip on my slippers, and head downstairs without a second thought.

Which reminds me of something. While the smell of bacon and other breakfast wonders is incredibly alluring, I know there must be a cook behind it all and while the girls and Sirius are still snoring then it must be...

"Good morning, Lily!" James' merry voice rings through the tiny kitchen. His hair is still all messed up - I mean, more messed up than usual - from a good night's sleep, his glasses are a little lopsided and he's wearing a pink flowered apron that goes all the way down to his knees. He's looking at me with a smile, and, well, while I'm still not convinced that his visit here will do my holiday good, I can't help but grin back and return the greeting.

"Good morning, Potter," I respond as I fold up the ladder (there's a special button for it next to the window) and close the trapdoor. "I didn't know you could cook."

"There's many things you don't know about me, Evans," James says absentmindedly as he flips the bacon strips in the huge pan, "all you need to do is ask."

"Ah well," I say, a little taken aback, "I can't really think of anything right now."

"How about my favourite colour? Lily, do ask me what my favourite colour is."

"Fine, " I say, "then what's your favourite colour?"

"Why, Lily, how nice of you to ask. I didn't know you were so interested in me."

"James, I didn't ask this to feed your ego."

"Fine. It's red. And I know yours, too, so no need to ask. It's blue. Not the electric, chemical kind, or the  watery kind, but the real, airy kind, the colour of the sky just before sunrise."

"Talk about awkward stalkers," I say airily. But the truth is, I'm a little taken aback. How does he even know all this stuff? It's not like I spend my time spreading this kind of information. I know I should be creeped out by his extensive, stalker-worthy, knowledge me, but for some reason, I'm a little flattered.

James smiles cockily at me but then turns his eyes away from me, to the trapdoor that's only just opening.

"Hey, I smell bacon." Sirius yawns as he descends the trapdoor, wearing only one slipper, and completely shirtless.

"Sirius Black!" I exclaim. "Go right back upstairs and put a shirt on, for heaven's sake. If you're going to be a guest here, at least follow the household rules."

He looks at me, a little lost. Then he yawns again. "Oh all right, missus Evans. I didn't know my shiftlessness affected you so badly."

"It doesn't," I said, "but it's entirely inappropriate and you need to change. Speaking of rules, why in the world did you decide to join us upstairs? That's a no-no and you know it." 

"Yeah, well it was cold outside, and besides, we didn't make a sound and took up the littlest place in the world."

"I smelled it, Black. The smell was enough. Now go back upstairs and change."

"Yes, mother," he snorts, sticking his tongue out at me.

"Did somebody just sass Lily?" I hear from upstairs. So the girls are awake, too. "No he didn't," I say, "he hasn't got the guts."

"Try me!" he shouts back, and this time, I laugh. 

"Bacon's ready!" James winks at me. "And the table's all set."

"Alrighty," I say, my empty tummy begging for food, let's have some breakfast."

Well helloooooooo, it's me. I was wondering if... I wasn't wondering anything, actually. It's just that this year was so chaotic and busy, that I kind of left my Wattpad updates aside. Besides, I wasn't inspired. But hey, guess who's back!??? Forgive me for the hiatus. I guess sometimes you need it? Let me know what you think of this chapter. I enjoyed writing it, for sure. 

All the love,

Isa