Post by grey scale: on Dec 5, 2011 21:28:16 GMT -5
“Wow.”
That was the only thing I could say for about an hour after we landed in London. We ran through customs, and headed into the city, hailing a cab as we neared the sidewalk. I had to admit, this was the most kick-ass birthday present anyone’s ever given me.
London was a beautiful city – I’d always favored the lights and bustle of a big city rather than the small town where I lived. Of course, this was my twenty-first birthday, so all my friends and family saved up to send me, my parents, my sister, and my best friend to London for a week. This was going to be great, I could just tell.
Milly was unbraiding my hair. It was our last night here in London, and I was getting mildly depressed because we were leaving tomorrow. But tonight, we would party – and we would party hard. I winced as Milly ran her hairbrush through my newly attained curls. “Tear my hair out, would you?”
She laughed quietly and shook her head; I could see her reflection in the full-length mirror in front of us. “Stop being such a drama queen, Lils.” I stuck my tongue out at the mirror, and she did the same. Very mature, right?
“So, this club…” I said, walking to my closet after she was done with my hair, “How did you find it, again?” She got this mischievous gleam in her eyes; I started to worry, doubtlessly. “What have you done now, Mills?”
She gave me a look that just screamed, “Don’t you trust me?” I smirked as her light, airy voice reiterated my thoughts.
“Not always. What do you have going on tonight?” I raised an eyebrow and she just laughed, with a, “You’ll see.”
Yeah, I bet I will.
We were dancing in the middle of the club. Well, it was more like Milly selling herself to a bunch of manwhores in the corner by the bathrooms, and me dancing with some random people close to the bar for obvious reasons. I really didn’t drink a lot, and tonight was no exception. Really, the truth was, I just wanted to be able to sit down every once in a while, since the tables were few and far between, and on the other side of the club. Just because I don’t drink a lot, doesn’t mean I don’t drink at all.
I smiled at a familiar-looking redhead as I made my way to the bar one last time. It was about two-thirty, and we needed to sleep because we had a fairly early plane ride later. I asked the bartender for a Mojito, and he started mixing the different liquids. I honestly didn’t care what was in it at this point. I sat at one of the bar stools, sipping on the drink as I watched some too-young looking co-eds dancing in the center of the room to 30h!3. I smirked and half-heartedly shrugged. They could get in trouble if they wanted. I was here legally, as of last Friday.
Remember that familiar redhead? He came up to me and smiled at me again, leaning against the counter. Now, I could hold my liquor pretty well, but I started to feel dizzy when he brought with him a wave of air filled with the scent of cologne and guy-ness, I guess. I was already a little buzzed and my thinking was still normal, I just got loopy and hyper after a few drinks.
“Hey,” he said, grinning wider, if that was even possible. “I’m James, Phelps.” He said this with an air of expectancy, as if he was waiting for me to swoon and fall at his feet. Fat chance. I don’t even know who this guy is, I doubt either one of us will be on our knees anytime soon.
“I’m Lily,” I said, nodding my head. Okay, note to self: don’t nod when you’ve had alcohol.
He chuckled and glanced at the dance floor. “Do you want to go outside, so I can actually hear you properly?” I nodded, and he took my free hand, and pulled me outside. I ignored the bartender’s protests as I drug with me my glass. I would probably forget to bring it back to him, but oh well.
Once we were outside, the beat and rhythm of the blaring music shaking the ground beneath us, James led me to a concrete bench about fifty feet from the entrance. I sat sideways, and he lined the back of the bench with his arm, his hand barely brushing my shoulder. “So, Lily, was it? I’m sorry, but I couldn’t hear in there. It’s old-age in a building.” He chuckled and looked at me sheepishly. I smiled back, nodding.
“I understand,” I said, biting my lip as I looked down at the grass beneath the bench. “I feel the same way, sometimes.”
He started to fidget nervously, and then he sighed. “Look – I just, I guess I wanted to ask you out? I saw you, and I was just sort of, I guess… I don’t know,” he admitted ruefully, looking at me, hope filling his eyes. I felt my heart drop right there, right then.
“I’m sorry… James,” I said his name with slow deliberation, hesitantly. “But I’m leaving back for America this afternoon.” I looked at my phone, seeing the time was now three. “I should actually find my friend Milly-“
I stopped talking immediately upon seeing the change of his facial expression. “You mean you’ll be off this continent in twelve hours, Lily?” I nodded mutely and he sighed wearily. “That blows.” He got up and tore off a flyer from the club wall and tore off the corner, then bothered a bouncer for a pen. He returned to the bench and smiled as he wrote something down – his number.
I smiled, tucking a strand of his long-ish hair behind his ear. He smiled back, but it wasn’t really a smile, it was more like a murdered attempt at one. “James, you seem like a great guy – any girl would be lucky to have you. I promise,” I said, nodding my head matter-of-factly. He laughed quietly and looked away. I felt bad as I leaned forward, kissing his cheek. “Bye,” I said, biting my lip as I stood to go find Milly, so we could leave.
Three years have passed since then. I literally kicked myself when I realized who James was – the infamous Fred Weasley’s counterpart. We kept in touch, but not much. I think he got over me pretty easily, actually. I sighed at my desk, typing up some boring law-matter. Being a lawyer had its perks, but it also had its down-sides (aka the boring old men and Stepford wives at Chrismas parties). I stretched, turning off my computer when I was done and grabbing my bag as I headed out the door.
Walking down the streets of New York City at night, alone, is definitely not something you want to do before you die – probably because it’ll most likely be one of the last things you do, anyway. I didn’t have any choice right now, though. I didn’t have enough cash on me for a cab and public transportation of any other form makes me gag.
I suddenly bumped into something tall and lanky. A pole? No, this was much too warm to be a pole. It was a person – and when I looked up, I noticed it was a someone I knew. “James?”
None other than James Phelps grinned as he looked up at me. “Sorry about that, ma’a- Holy shit, Lily?” I grinned and nodded my head as he took my shoulders and hugged me tightly. “How’ve you been? Are you good? Gosh, I don’t know why, but I’ve actually missed you!” He quickly covered his mouth and his eyes widened. “Oops, sorry, that came out wrongly. Don’t hate me!” He whined, jumping slightly on the balls of his feet. I just laughed it off and shook my head.
“Don’t worry, James, it’s fine. I just can’t believe it’s you!” He grinned and put his arm around my shoulders. “I guess I’m going to have to give you a tour, aren’t I?” He nodded. “You‘re lost, aren’t you?” He nodded again. “You don’t even have a hotel yet, do you?” He shook his head. “So disorganized, James. Really?” He chuckled and nodded again.
I walked him to a good hotel, and stayed in the lobby til he finished getting a room. He turned back to me, surprising me as his hand ran through my hair. “You still owe me that date, Lily, love.” I laughed and nodded my head.
“I wouldn’t count on it, darling.” I teased him, kissing his cheek as I left him in the lobby, staring after me.
“I will get that date, Lily,” I heard him yell after me as the swinging door closed.
That was the only thing I could say for about an hour after we landed in London. We ran through customs, and headed into the city, hailing a cab as we neared the sidewalk. I had to admit, this was the most kick-ass birthday present anyone’s ever given me.
London was a beautiful city – I’d always favored the lights and bustle of a big city rather than the small town where I lived. Of course, this was my twenty-first birthday, so all my friends and family saved up to send me, my parents, my sister, and my best friend to London for a week. This was going to be great, I could just tell.
Milly was unbraiding my hair. It was our last night here in London, and I was getting mildly depressed because we were leaving tomorrow. But tonight, we would party – and we would party hard. I winced as Milly ran her hairbrush through my newly attained curls. “Tear my hair out, would you?”
She laughed quietly and shook her head; I could see her reflection in the full-length mirror in front of us. “Stop being such a drama queen, Lils.” I stuck my tongue out at the mirror, and she did the same. Very mature, right?
“So, this club…” I said, walking to my closet after she was done with my hair, “How did you find it, again?” She got this mischievous gleam in her eyes; I started to worry, doubtlessly. “What have you done now, Mills?”
She gave me a look that just screamed, “Don’t you trust me?” I smirked as her light, airy voice reiterated my thoughts.
“Not always. What do you have going on tonight?” I raised an eyebrow and she just laughed, with a, “You’ll see.”
Yeah, I bet I will.
We were dancing in the middle of the club. Well, it was more like Milly selling herself to a bunch of manwhores in the corner by the bathrooms, and me dancing with some random people close to the bar for obvious reasons. I really didn’t drink a lot, and tonight was no exception. Really, the truth was, I just wanted to be able to sit down every once in a while, since the tables were few and far between, and on the other side of the club. Just because I don’t drink a lot, doesn’t mean I don’t drink at all.
I smiled at a familiar-looking redhead as I made my way to the bar one last time. It was about two-thirty, and we needed to sleep because we had a fairly early plane ride later. I asked the bartender for a Mojito, and he started mixing the different liquids. I honestly didn’t care what was in it at this point. I sat at one of the bar stools, sipping on the drink as I watched some too-young looking co-eds dancing in the center of the room to 30h!3. I smirked and half-heartedly shrugged. They could get in trouble if they wanted. I was here legally, as of last Friday.
Remember that familiar redhead? He came up to me and smiled at me again, leaning against the counter. Now, I could hold my liquor pretty well, but I started to feel dizzy when he brought with him a wave of air filled with the scent of cologne and guy-ness, I guess. I was already a little buzzed and my thinking was still normal, I just got loopy and hyper after a few drinks.
“Hey,” he said, grinning wider, if that was even possible. “I’m James, Phelps.” He said this with an air of expectancy, as if he was waiting for me to swoon and fall at his feet. Fat chance. I don’t even know who this guy is, I doubt either one of us will be on our knees anytime soon.
“I’m Lily,” I said, nodding my head. Okay, note to self: don’t nod when you’ve had alcohol.
He chuckled and glanced at the dance floor. “Do you want to go outside, so I can actually hear you properly?” I nodded, and he took my free hand, and pulled me outside. I ignored the bartender’s protests as I drug with me my glass. I would probably forget to bring it back to him, but oh well.
Once we were outside, the beat and rhythm of the blaring music shaking the ground beneath us, James led me to a concrete bench about fifty feet from the entrance. I sat sideways, and he lined the back of the bench with his arm, his hand barely brushing my shoulder. “So, Lily, was it? I’m sorry, but I couldn’t hear in there. It’s old-age in a building.” He chuckled and looked at me sheepishly. I smiled back, nodding.
“I understand,” I said, biting my lip as I looked down at the grass beneath the bench. “I feel the same way, sometimes.”
He started to fidget nervously, and then he sighed. “Look – I just, I guess I wanted to ask you out? I saw you, and I was just sort of, I guess… I don’t know,” he admitted ruefully, looking at me, hope filling his eyes. I felt my heart drop right there, right then.
“I’m sorry… James,” I said his name with slow deliberation, hesitantly. “But I’m leaving back for America this afternoon.” I looked at my phone, seeing the time was now three. “I should actually find my friend Milly-“
I stopped talking immediately upon seeing the change of his facial expression. “You mean you’ll be off this continent in twelve hours, Lily?” I nodded mutely and he sighed wearily. “That blows.” He got up and tore off a flyer from the club wall and tore off the corner, then bothered a bouncer for a pen. He returned to the bench and smiled as he wrote something down – his number.
I smiled, tucking a strand of his long-ish hair behind his ear. He smiled back, but it wasn’t really a smile, it was more like a murdered attempt at one. “James, you seem like a great guy – any girl would be lucky to have you. I promise,” I said, nodding my head matter-of-factly. He laughed quietly and looked away. I felt bad as I leaned forward, kissing his cheek. “Bye,” I said, biting my lip as I stood to go find Milly, so we could leave.
Three years have passed since then. I literally kicked myself when I realized who James was – the infamous Fred Weasley’s counterpart. We kept in touch, but not much. I think he got over me pretty easily, actually. I sighed at my desk, typing up some boring law-matter. Being a lawyer had its perks, but it also had its down-sides (aka the boring old men and Stepford wives at Chrismas parties). I stretched, turning off my computer when I was done and grabbing my bag as I headed out the door.
Walking down the streets of New York City at night, alone, is definitely not something you want to do before you die – probably because it’ll most likely be one of the last things you do, anyway. I didn’t have any choice right now, though. I didn’t have enough cash on me for a cab and public transportation of any other form makes me gag.
I suddenly bumped into something tall and lanky. A pole? No, this was much too warm to be a pole. It was a person – and when I looked up, I noticed it was a someone I knew. “James?”
None other than James Phelps grinned as he looked up at me. “Sorry about that, ma’a- Holy shit, Lily?” I grinned and nodded my head as he took my shoulders and hugged me tightly. “How’ve you been? Are you good? Gosh, I don’t know why, but I’ve actually missed you!” He quickly covered his mouth and his eyes widened. “Oops, sorry, that came out wrongly. Don’t hate me!” He whined, jumping slightly on the balls of his feet. I just laughed it off and shook my head.
“Don’t worry, James, it’s fine. I just can’t believe it’s you!” He grinned and put his arm around my shoulders. “I guess I’m going to have to give you a tour, aren’t I?” He nodded. “You‘re lost, aren’t you?” He nodded again. “You don’t even have a hotel yet, do you?” He shook his head. “So disorganized, James. Really?” He chuckled and nodded again.
I walked him to a good hotel, and stayed in the lobby til he finished getting a room. He turned back to me, surprising me as his hand ran through my hair. “You still owe me that date, Lily, love.” I laughed and nodded my head.
“I wouldn’t count on it, darling.” I teased him, kissing his cheek as I left him in the lobby, staring after me.
“I will get that date, Lily,” I heard him yell after me as the swinging door closed.