Cruel Summer - Lily and James Potter

Chapter 3 - Alterations

That night James had slept really well on the muggle bed in the guest room. However, for Lily it was completely the opposite. Whatever she tried to make herself fall asleep didn't work and she had tossed and turned all night. She hated having James here, in her house. They were enemies it felt strange and wrong.

That morning she was sitting at the kitchen table still in her shorts & vest top pyjamas, reading the paper when James came downstairs.

'Cereal, coffee or whatever is over there,' she said flatly, pointing over to the side and not bothering to look up at him.

'See-real what?'

Lily looked at James incredulously and got up, walking over to the work surface. But James was taking absolutely no notice of what she was doing. He was too preoccupied with the fact that she had no bra on underneath the skimpy top she was wearing and the way her ti...

'James!'

He snapped his attention to her face and blinked, 'Yeah?'

'What are you having for breakfast?'

A million sordid thoughts shot through his mind after her question and he tried to focus.

'Erm...' he choked, 'Pumpkin Juice?'

'You can have the next best thing.'

Lily walked over to the fridge, opened the door and pulled out a carton of juice. Grabbing a glass, she handed both of them to him and walked back to the table. James gulped and sat opposite her, trying to keep his eyes and thoughts centred on one thing, but both just kept going back to Lily's chest.

'I'm taking you shopping today,' Lily said, out of the blue.

'You're taking me where?'

'Shopping,' she said, looking at him, 'you know, where you get things in exchange for money?'

James narrowed his eyes at her. His thoughts of her were changing until she opened her mouth and said something.

'Fine,' he mumbled, sipping the juice.

After a silence of about 10 minutes, James stood up, 'I'm going to take a shower.'

'Uh huh,' she muttered and continued reading.

'Well, can you show me how to work it?'

Lily looked at him, an insult on the tip of her tongue but she chose to keep silent.

After his shower, she had used it as well. She had been amazed at the sweet smell of his shower gel.

'At least I hope it was shower gel,' she had thought.

Wrapping a towel around herself, she got out, dried herself off and got dressed into a pair of cords, a scooped white top and her favourite pair of black boots. After quickly drying her hair and applying her make-up with magic, she stepped out into the hall and down the stairs into the lounge.

'Petunia,' she said to her sister, 'have you seen my handbag?'

'No,' she answered flatly, refusing to look up from the television.

Lily looked at her, 'I thought Mum and Dad told you to find a job while they're at work?'

'Shut up Lily.'

Lily sighed, walking into the kitchen and picking up her bag that sat on the shelf, next to the post.

At that point, James came down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, fully clad in wizarding robes. She looked at his clothes and reached for her wand.