New Year

Chapter 9: August

(J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L)

8th August 1977, 11.45am

The voices from the kitchen weren't loud, but they were loud enough that Lily paused in the hallway instead of going straight in.

'I'm just not so sure about this Rose.' Her father's voice wasn't angry, but there was a low edge to it that Lily didn't think she recognised. William Evans wasn't an argumentative man, and he tended to allow himself to be led by his wife; if they were arguing, then it was unusual and she didn't want to hear it. She turned back towards the stairs and began to creep back towards them when the next words made her stop in her tracks.

'He's a teenage boy. They have...urges.' Her father said darkly, and Lily could just imagine him folding his arms emphatically as he sat in one of the kitchen chairs and scowled.

Lily's curiosity overwhelmed any scruples she might have had about eavesdropping on her parents' conversations, and she stayed frozen on the spot, ears straining to catch the rest of their words.

'Yes, he is a teenage boy. A teenage boy that you have no good reason to distrust. And she is a teenage girl that we have always, always trusted. There is nothing to worry about.' Her mother sounded unusually exasperated; this discussion must have been ongoing for some time then.

'Rose, it is one thing to trust our daughter, but it is another thing entirely to trust a boy with our daughter for an entire week without us.'

Lily stiffened. They were talking about her? And James, obviously. She stifled the frustrated groan that wanted to escape; they'd been through this the minute she'd come home from Marlene's, and she thought she'd satisfied any doubts they might have had during that little interrogation.

'William.' Lily recognised that tone, and winced on her father's behalf. 'If you have concerns about the nature of Lily's relationship with James, perhaps you should discuss it with her. But we have no reason to stop her going, and in any case James will be here to collect her very shortly, so it's too late now.'

Deciding that she might as well intervene after all, before there was any possibility of parental permission being revoked, Lily walked as loudly as she could possibly manage without being overly obvious along the hallway and into the kitchen.

'I'm packed, thought I'd make myself a cup of tea while I wait for James.' She smiled at her parents and flicked the kettle on, opening the cupboards for mugs and assorted tea-making paraphernalia.

'So just to be clear, our house is going to be placed on the...floo network?' Rose asked, hesitating over the still unfamiliar word.

'Uh huh.' Lily nodded absently as she fiddled with her mug. 'James' dad knows someone in pretty much every department at the Ministry of Magic, and he pulled some strings. The house is being connected just for an hour or so today and then it'll be reconnected for a short time when James brings me back. So you don't need to worry about strange wizards dropping in or anything in the meantime.'

'That sounds very responsible, don't you think William?' Rose narrowed her eyes at William, who managed to offer a grunt in response.