Priori Incantatem [HARRY POTTER FANFICTION]

Chapter 42: The Best-Laid Plans

Chapter 42: The Best-Laid Plans

The former Gryffindor seventh years scattered somewhat for the approximate month until they received their NEWT results. Remus returned to Ireland with Kathleen so that he could meet her family, Frank and Alice went on holiday to Italy for ten days and were planning to visit Frank's family in Lancashire when they returned. Dorcas went home to her family in Dorset, and Peter went on holiday to Bath with his mum like they did every year. Morwenna, Sirius, James, and Lily returned to their respective homes in London. Since receiving his unexpected inheritance, Sirius could now afford a flat in London and was in the process of looking for one and nearly always insisted that James accompany him. Since James refused to be separated from Lily for long, she often came too, as did Morwenna, who spent a good bit of time on her own while her granny was busy at the Ministry.

Mr and Mrs Evans were clearly delighted to have Lily home again and had surprised her with a new car in honour of her leaving Hogwarts. Lily passed her driving exam a week or so into the holiday and insisted upon driving her new car everywhere. James and Sirius were initially very sceptical about riding in a Muggle car that had no spells on it whatsoever and was driven by Lily as opposed to a Ministry chauffeur, which was the only sort of car they'd encountered up 'til this point. But soon James and Sirius were completely obsessed with cars and driving to the point of reading Muggle car magazines, begging Lily for driving lessons, and devouring such wizard titles as: So You'd Like to Get Around the Muggle Way: Muggle Travel with a Wizarding Twist, Your Muggle Car and You, and 101 Simple Spells for Your Automobile. Sirius even began shopping round for a motorcycle.

Finally Sirius found a flat in Diagon Alley about two weeks into the holiday. He was jubilant and immediately began making plans for when he and James would move in and made it the coolest bachelor flat ever seen by wizardkind.

Lily and her parents went on holiday to France at the end of the week and James and Sirius went to the Potters' country estate. James moped about the house for the first few days 'til Sirius had enough and walloped James with his broomstick. Naturally, a fistfight ensued, and finally James and Sirius emerged, Sirius grinning in spite of his split lip and bloody nose. At least James was back now.

"We're going to have to look into some Unbreakable Charms for the furniture in our flat," Sirius said as he and James righted the table they'd knocked over during the course of their disagreement. "Maybe Lily can help us out with that."

James grunted but made no real reply, his face carefully neutral. Sirius eyed his best mate closely.

"All right," he sighed finally. "Out with it, then."

James fidgeted, running his hands through his hair, before taking a deep breath. "Ahmmmmph," he said, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Wha'?" Sirius cocked his head.

"I said I can't come live with you," James repeated uncomfortably.

"Oh," Sirius replied, fighting for nonchalance. "Well, that's all right, really it is."

"It's not that I don't want to live with you," James explained earnestly. "It's just - well - I'm hoping to live with Lily."

"That might be good," Sirius said kindly, though it was clear he was disappointed. "If you're both really lucky, maybe that sister of hers - what's her name? Begonia? - will disown Lily entirely for living in sin with a wizard." Sirius grinned, but it lacked something somehow. "Have the pair of you found a place yet?"

"Lily doesn't know anything about it yet," James gulped, took a deep breath, and blurted: "I'm going to ask Lily to marry me."

Sirius didn't say a word, he simply fumbled for the chair behind him and sat in it abruptly. "M-Marriage?" Sirius stumbled over the foreign word. "You W-WANT to get M-MARRIED? What brought THIS on? Wait a minute - Lily isn't sprogged up, is she?"