Chapter 9
Vaguely Lily could hear the distant sounds of "Orange peel!" through the door of her dormitory, but her eyelids quickly lowered and she drifted off to sleep…
Almost instantaneously, her eyes shot open in her dream world.
"Creamy Tortellini Chicken Primavera, Lily?"
Inspecting her surroundings, she discovered she was sitting at a mahogany table of a lofty, well-heeled dining room where Sirius was offering her poultry as her apparent meal.
"Are you wearing anything under that apron, Sirius?" Lily asked, eyeing him up and down. She could just make out his chest behind the monkey-like hair and his furry legs above the 'KISS THE COOK' apron. She sincerely hoped the temperature would not rise and lead to Sirius discarding clothing.
"You know how hot I get when I cook, Lily! HAR HAR HAR HAR Moony, be a darling and pour the wine."
Remus, looking rather huffy, as if annoyed at the guests' presence and interruption of his and Sirius' personal time, made to the wine, pouring them into goblets.
"Your hair is rather unkempt, Remus," a voice commented amusedly. She instantly recognized it belonged to James and faced the grinning boy across her. This dream was getting odder by the second. "I wonder what you got up to before our arrival, eh?"
"So, poisoned wine for you, James?" Remus gritted through his teeth, sliding his drink to him.
"Toxin away, my friend!" he replied chivalrously.
Lily watched as Sirius dunked something that closely resembled coal on to the golden plate in front of her. Though it was a dream, her eyes watered from the smoke of the supposed burnt chicken, and she blocked her nose from the oddly real pong. "I'd like to wake up now," she stated.
"What, orange peel?" James asked absentmindedly, taking a sip of wine. He choked on his drink when Sirius gave him his own portion of the smoked bird. "You're the worst cook ever, Padfoot. Really, let's just order a Chinese takeaway next time."
Sirius gasped at such a suggestion. "I slave, and I slave, AND I SLAVE over the kitchen!" he yelled, his hands placed on his hips. "And this is what I bloody get!" He made an exaggerated sniff and waved his hands at his eyes that seemed to threaten to discharge. "I just won't BOTHER anymore!" He made to untie his apron but Remus cried out, reminding him that he was unclothed underneath.
"Birthday suit, Sirius."
"I knew that," he clarified, storming from the room. You could tell by his clenched buttocks he was not pleased.
"Sorry," Remus apologized for Sirius' rude exit, also making his departure as he fled after him.
James rolled his eyes, squeezing Lily's hand from across the table. "Newlyweds," he laughed.
Just as Lily was about to question Sirius and Remus' apparent marriage ceremony, or even possible elope; she felt a presence behind her, hearing someone's slow breathing. She didn't turn around and instead watched James frown silently in front of her, studying the unknown person as he released her hand.
"You give me heart palpitations," the voice said softly, and noticed James had mouthed the same words, getting up from his seat. "The modest Rose puts forth a thorn-" she knew what words were coming next "-The humble sheep a threatening horn. While the Lily white shall in love delight, nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright."
