After they were done at Madame Malkin’s the girls headed down the street until they came to a store neither James nor Lily had seen before. James noted that its windows looked rather much like the ones in Zonko’s joke shop back in Hogsmeade. Before they went in, he lifted his eyes to read the sign. It read, Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, and suddenly James remembered that Harry’s twin brother-in-laws owned a joke shop.
The shop was completely packed with Hogwarts students, and seemed to be everything a prankster could ever dream of. Fake wands, Fanged Frisbees, and Dungbombs shared space with things like extendable ears, Ton Tongue Toffee and something called Skiving Snackboxes. Most of the things in the store were items James had never seen before. When reading the explanations on the merchandise it wasn’t very hard for him to understand why the store was so full of students. After all, half of the things in here seemed very useful if you wanted to skip class or annoy Filch, or whoever the caretaker was these days.
When George and Fred spotted the girls, they both waved at them. Pushing their way through all the people they finally made it back to their uncles who gave them both huge hugs and invited them in behind the counter. One of the twins was busy taking care of the customer, but the second one took them further in behind the store and down to the stores basement.
The basement looked, if possible, even more amazing than the store. Not only was this the storage place for all of the products, but it also contained new products, ingredients for potential products, experiment tables, drawings, recipes and James’ favourite “ experimental products, not fully tested yet.
The girls and their uncle, who turned out to be the one named Fred, chatted happily and he showed them the new and experimental products, explaining what they did or was supposed to do. Lily and Millie listened attentively and asked questions when they didn’t understand. By the time they were done and headed back up to the store the girls each had a bag full of new and experimental products as well as a wide selection of the regular products on sale.
Once up in the store Fred took over the register to allow his brother to talk to the girls, something he seemed very happy to do. He had just managed to slip the girls a few more of the stores products when Eddy and another boy came down to the store from the flat above.
Eddy lit up when he saw the girls and headed over to them. He hugged his cousin and then Millie, shuddering slightly when he touched her. James and Lily smiled and took the opportunity to look closer at his friend.
He was rather tall, although not nearly as tall as Eddy and had black hair and dark eyes. His skin was darker than the others, but still so light that James and Lily found it hard to determine if he was coloured or just tanned. He broke into a smile when he saw Lily and tried to give her a hug when Eddy hugged Millie. Lily however crossed her arms over her chest making it impossible for him to do so.
“As hard to get as ever, I see Potter,” he said with a smile revealing very even white teeth.
“As much a flirt as ever, I see Jordan,” Lily retorted back with a strained smile.
“Come on Lil, give him a break. He’s not as bad as you think,” Eddy laughed. “He hasn’t had more than a few measly dates this whole summer.”
“Oh, so the French girls were smart enough not to fall for you charm, Jordan. Well good for them! Although I’m sure, you’ll be back to your old self as soon as school starts now won't you? At this latest comment from his cousin, Eddy just shook his head and gave up, turning to Millie instead.
“How about we let the two of them bicker alone,” he said nervously nodding towards Lily and his friend before adding, “I have something I want to talk to you about anyway.” Millie just nodded, apparently to nervous to even utter a word. Lily gave her a glance and an encouraging smile when they walked upstairs.
Both Lily and the boy called Jordan watched them as they disappeared from sight, and even Jordan got a smile out of Lily when he turned back towards her.
“Wow, with a smile like that you might even melt a heart like mine,” he said with a huge smile of his own.
“That would be assuming you have one,” Lily replied coolly still holding her arms crossed in front of her.
“Ouch, that hurt Potter. I may have irresistible charms, but that does not mean that I don’t have a heart,” he laughed.
“And there is another false assumption, Jordan,” Lily responded. “I can promise you that your charms are not in any way irresistible.”
“Well I might take your word for it if you ever gave me half a chance to prove you wrong,” Jordan countered quickly. “But hey that can be changed. All you need to do is to go on a date with me. Tell you what “ if you still find my charms anything other than irresistible then I promise I will never utter a word to the contrary. So does the Yule ball sound ok to you Potter?”
“The what?” Lily demanded in a very high-pitch voice. “Oh, you, pompous, conceited, self-absorbed…” she started, but Jordan quickly interrupted her by holding up his hands in the air.
“Ok I give up! I take it that means no, and you’re not going to the Yule ball with me,” he said, still smiling however. “Blimey Potter, if I had known I was going to get steamrolled then I wouldn’t have asked.”
“Ask? Since when did you even ask?” Lily shot out, apparently still angry. “Not that you would know the difference anyway!”
“Potter, if I didn’t know you better, I’d think you really didn’t like me,” Jordan said with a mock tone in his voice. Lily was just about to shoot off another comment when Eddy and Millie came back down the stairs, smiling. Both Jordan and Lily watched them intently, but instead of telling them anything, Eddy and Millie just smiled. When Millie did speak, it was only to tell Lily that they were already late and had to go.
As soon as the girls were out on the street, Lily started asking questions, not being able to control herself for another second.
“So did he ask you to the ball? He did, didn’t he? What did he say? How did he do it?” The questions shot right out of her so fast that Millie couldn’t help but to laugh at her.
“You do know that if you want me to answer any of those you will have to give me an opportunity to speak, don’t you?” she then asked, still laughing.
“Oh, don’t be smart with me, Millie! Just answer me. Did he ask you to the ball, or what?” Lily said almost jumping up and down with suspense. Millie blushed slightly before she nodded.
“I knew it! I just knew it! Didn’t I tell you he would? Didn’t I?” Lily exclaimed happily making Millie nod once more. “So, what did he say? How did he ask?” she then added curiously, not even trying not to jump up and down anymore.
“Well,” Millie started hesitantly, “he…he asked me if we picked up our robes today, and then what mine looked like and when I told him he said that his were blue too so that would be matching, and then he just asked.” She shot a glance at Lily who seemed to be waiting for more.
“That’s it? Oh come on, he must have said something else, you were gone like forever!” Lily then exclaimed in a tone of voice that said that she would not settle for anything less than a full account of what had been said and by whom.
“Well, he did say that he wasn’t just asking because our robes matched…” Millie said blushing really hard and biting her lip to suppress a very happy smile. “…he kind of added that I had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen,” she then added, almost holding her breath as she said it. At this, Lily even stopped her dancing around. She stood absolutely still staring at Millie.
“He said…” she asked almost stunned, before she broke out in a huge grin. “He said that?” she then asked again, more assertively this time.
“Yes he did! I don’t know why you are surprised by it though. You were after all the one who said he was going to ask me!” Millie answered.
“Well I knew he was going to ask you, I just didn’t know he was going to be romantic about it!” Lily declared happily; now back to dancing around Millie as they made their way down the street.
“So did he kiss you?” she asked. If Millie had blushed earlier, it was nothing compared to the deep shade of red her face took on when she heard Lily’s question.
“No he did not!” she said very firmly. “He’s a gentleman! We haven’t even been on a date yet! Of course he didn’t kiss me!” she then added.
“Oh,” said Lily, looking so disappointed that James and Lily couldn’t help but to laugh. They too were really happy for Millie, especially considering how worried she had been about not getting a date at all only an hour ago.
When they reached Florean Fortescue’s, the rest of the family was already there. Christopher had already managed to get ice cream on his robes and Sirius was talking happily about his new broom. Harry shot a quick criticising glance at the bags with three big Ws that the girls were carrying.
“So what have your uncles given you now to make Hogwarts unsafe?” he asked critically still looking at the bags. Lily frowned and sat down in a free chair before answering.
“Nothing really, a few screaming yo-yos and nose-biting teacups that’s all. Nothing for you to be worried about.” Harry gave her a scrutinizing look, telling her that he did not believe her.
“Why are you only looking at me?” Lily demanded. “Millie has a bag too!” she then added nodding towards Millie’s bag.
“Because, last time I checked, Millie was the one who got to be prefect and you were the one who spent half your free time in detention,” Harry answered, not letting her go with his eyes for even a second. At this piece of information, James looked absolutely delighted while Lily seemed rather shocked.
“Well I wouldn’t be in half as much trouble if you gave me that invisibility cloak you have,” Lily answered cheekily.
“I certainly will not! You break enough rules as it is and I have no inclination what so ever to make it any easier for you,” Harry said in a voice that would have sounded stern if he had not been so close to laughter as he was.
“How can he not give her the cloak?” James exclaimed. “It is meant to be used to break rules in. Give the girl a break.” Lily on the other hand did not agree with this and instead applauded Harry for not giving in to the girl.
“It’s not like you never got in trouble in school,” Lily answered her father. “You got in tons of trouble when you were in school, and probably broke every rule there was during your time.”
“And I will never let you speak to your uncles again as long as I live!” Harry laughed. “I cannot believe that they tell you these kinds of things. Not that it matters anyway “ most of the times I got into trouble was when I was trying to stay alive or help someone else do so,” he added shooting a glance at Ginny as he said the last words.
Lily gasped when she heard her son talk like that. This was the second time they had heard Harry talk about his own death, or would-be death, in such a casual way. The fact that no one at the table even flinched at what he had just said did not make her feel better about it at all.
“You’re not going to pull the Voldemort-tried-to-kill-me-the-entire-time-I-went-to-school card again are you dad?” Lily said rolling her eyes. Lily shrieked and even James could not for the life of him understand how Harry’s daughter could talk about Lord Voldemort or about him trying to kill her father in such a manner. With fear Lily turned and looked at her husband. James’ gaze met Lily’s and she could se that his eyes mirrored the distress she felt as he put his arm around her and pulled her in closer.
“Besides,” Lily then continued in a very matter-of-factly manner, “you might want to tell me how using the cloak to sneak into Hogsmeade with your friends, when you were grounded on the school for your own safety, has to do with staying alive.”
“Or using it to sneak of to the Room of Requirement or the Shrieking Shack to be alone with mum, for that matter,” added Sirius happily grinning at his sister for approval. They weren’t the only ones who grinned at this “ James too had broken out in a huge smile along with Millie and Christopher. And even Lily tried to put the stress what they had just found out behind her in order to give if not a grin, then at least a small smile.
“I never thought of using the Shack to that purpose!” James grinned pulling Lily closer to him and nibbling her neck so much that even now she couldn’t help to laugh. “Wish I had though,” he then murmured in her ear, getting an accusing but loving look in return.
“Now, that is enough from the both of you!” said Ginny firmly interrupting the children’s fit of laughter.
“And you’re still not getting the cloak, young lady!” added Harry with a reprimanding smile causing his daughter to frown even if she couldn’t possibly have been surprised.
“Furthermore, I think it is just about time for us to head back home,” Ginny then said, putting a definite end to the conversation. This time Lily wasn’t the only one who frowned at the table. Nevertheless, they all got up and headed for the Leaky Cauldron and home. James and Lily followed them closely and before long Lily had caught James good mood, and she couldn’t help but laugh when James said that he now understood why Harry had chosen to live at the Shrieking Shack.