serendipity - r. lupin

THIRTY ONE

"You wouldn't understand," Remus answered for them all.

Three knocks suddenly came from the front door, the sound echoing through the house walls. Mary pushed her chair backwards, the sound of wood on smooth tiles screeching through the air before standing up with an excited smile.

"That should be the other one," she gushed, walking out of the room to go answer the door.

Genevieve looked at her father with one raised eyebrow. "Other one?"

"You'll see," Thomas said earnestly, taking a sly sip of his tea which only made Gen more nervous.

They all went quiet at the table, their heads turned towards the door so they could try and hear bits and pieces of the conversation and who the unknown person was.

"You've grown so much!" She could hear her mother say with in cheerful, octave higher tone that only came out when she greeted people.

"I have? I thought I got shorter!" She heard the familiar voice of a certain redhead.

"Lilypad!" James shrieked from one side of the table, his knife and fork clattering harshly against the porcelain plate in a way that made Anna cover her ears and Peter jump a little.

She glanced over at James, a look of disbelief mixed with happiness on his face. Already knowing what he was about to do, Gen pushed out her seat and started running at the same time he did.

"Where is she?!" Genevieve demanded to know with the greatest of impatience, both her hands on either side of the doorway as an almost mad look embraced her face.

Mary stepped out of the way with an amused smile, revealing a wide-eyed and extremely frightened Lily Evans.

James pushed his way from behind Gen and sprinted towards the girl he had gawked over for five years of his life with greatest speed she had seen.

"My Lilyflower!" James cried, throwing himself at her with wide, open.

Lily didn't catch him, she didn't want to touch him at all. Instead, her bottom hit the wooden floor with a thud that sent a jolt of pain through her body, and then an extra jolt of pain when James landed straight on top of her.

"You didn't say it would be here," Lily groaned while trying to squirm her way out from under James.

"I didn't know it was coming," Genevieve said as she pushed a lovesick James from off the top of Lily, outstretching her hand for Lily to take.

James jumped to his almost like he had springs attached to his feet, his lips curling upwards as he brushed a hand through his hair obnoxiously. "You're as gorgeous as the last time I saw you."

Lily's face turned red as an already bubbling anger scorched the insides of her stomach, her teeth pressing down on her tongue harshly as she tried not to splutter out a string of curses at the face in front of her.

Mary flickered her gaze between the angered face of Lily and then in-awe one of James. In a way it reminded herself of the days when both her and Thomas were young. "Lovers?" She whispered to Gen inquisitively.

"Soon to be lovers," Genevieve assured her before grabbing James's bicep tightly.

"What are you doing?" James asked with a frown as Gen dragged him back down the hallway, trying to tug his bicep back out of her surprisingly firm grasp.