The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Oh, There's the Ice Cream!

Lily laughed so hard she snorted. "Oh bloody hell, he would, too."

"Every time he came 'round, he would," Jasper nodded.

Marlene smiled, "I reckon it would be pretty fun. Do you miss school at all?"

"Always the Ravenclaw," Jasper said, smirking at her.

Marlene shrugged.

Jasper said, "Well, I mean, I miss you lot. All my friends. I miss quidditch."

"You ought to play with the boys during the summer," Lily suggested. "Frank Longbottom and James Potter were talking about doing some pick-up games later this summer, since Frank's gone and graduated."

"Has he?" Jasper looked surprised, "Gods, time has been going by so fast... That must make you Seventh Year?"

Lily nodded.

"And -- James Potter. How is he? Last I saw of him -- well, I - I mean I don't remember it, but I read about it in the Prophet. I s'pose it wasn't even him in the end, who I saw." Jasper rubbed his head and his hair fell messily over his forehead as he did.

"Yeah..." Lily trailed off, her face twisted unhappily at the memory.

"I wish I'd realized it sooner, in time to tell you before I was confunded," Jasper said apologetically.

"I wish I'd realized it myself," Lily confessed. "I should have."

Marlene said, "A good deal of people were fooled, not just you lot. It's a long list that includes his best mates and his mum and dad, so you're in good company."

To change the subject, Jasper nodded toward the door of the shop, "You lot on your way in for a scoop? On me."

"Well, I was going to pay for it," Marlene said, smirking, "But since it's on you."

Jasper turned and pushed open the door for them to pass through. Marlene went first, followed by Lily. "So," he said as she passed him, "Are you still... seeing Potter?"

Marlene butted in before Lily could answer, "That's precisely what we've just been talking about while we were walking."

Lily flushed.

Marlene continued, "She wants to be seeing him but Potter's so thick she's gone and asked him out and he doesn't get it."

Jasper said, "Probably doesn't dare believe it more like. He was so bloody in love with you - always was... I always felt rather bad for him, the way he cared for you was so plain on his face. You're just that lovable, Lily."

Lily was even redder than her hair, if that was possible. "Oh stop," she said. 

"It's just the truth." Jasper took a pink striped apron off a hook behind a lime green counter and tucked it over his neck, grabbing a little hat and popping it onto his hair. He walked 'round the counter and got two glass dishes and started scooping up the raspberry he already knew was Lily Evans' favorite flavor. "I always had a feeling though," he said, head down in the cooler, "That it was only a matter of time until this day would come."

"Oh did you?" Lily said doubtfully.

"Yeah," Jasper said, and he surfaced from the cooler with a packed full dish of the ice cream, handing it over to Lily with a bright pink spoon stuck in. "Ever since he gave you that bracelet and you wore it all the time."

Lily looked down at her wrist at the gold bracelet that hung there. She looked up at him. "Jasper, you gave me that bracelet. For Valentine's."

Jasper shook his head, "No... no I distinctly remember being very jealous over that." He started scooping butterbeer ice cream for Marlene, "I never could afford a gift like that, as much as I would've liked to give it to you," he added, "But James Potter - he could. But it isn't about the gifts or anything like that anyway. It was the sentiment behind that bracelet and the way you wore it everyday. It was the way you looked at him and the way he could make you laugh. Always, no matter what was going on, James Potter can make you laugh. And that's good. That's inevitable."