Illicit Love

Illicit Love

Chapter Four

Crazy for this Girl

Charles Damian Potter continued to glare at his son.

"Well?" he said. "Are you going to answer me?"

James looked at his father, then down at the paper again.

"I - I don't know where - "

"That is your picture, isn't it?" Potter the elder said, his tone icy. "Look at the caption, James."

'Hogwarts Student, James Potter, son of Charles D. Potter, seen kissing fellow Hogwarts student and Muggle-born witch, Lily Evans. See page 3B for more details.'

James knew he was in trouble.

"That is my picture," he said carefully, watching the picturesque (it had to be moving, didn't it?) James and Lily lean in and then kiss, then start all over again.

"How did they get it?" Charles pressed.

"Obviously they took it," James answered, still looking at the picture.

"But what I'm asking is, why were you seen with a Muggle-born? You know better than to go behind my back and betray our bloodlines!"

"Oh, Daddy," Jessica said, using her sickening-sweet voice and moving towards Charles and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's just simple infatuation. I mean, how many other smart and beautiful redheads are out there? Not many for sure. James told me that he just wanted to take advantage of this opportunity."

James' eyes widened. Jessica was sticking up for him? The same sister that had tattled on him years on end, locked him in the Hole for fun, and made him be her patient while playing Witch Doctor was now sticking up for him?

"I suppose I didn't think of that," Charles said, rubbing his smooth chin. "He should have as many women as he desires before he has to marry. I still don't like the fact that he knows better about bloodlines and still dates her."

"Rebellion, Daddy," Jessica said, her voice high and innocent. "We all go through it. Well, except for me."

"You're absolutely right, Pumpkin," Charles said, smiling fondly at his daughter. He looked at James, not glaring nor smiling, but simply calm. "You go on ahead with that cute little redhead. I'll allow it for now. Merlin knows you need a sex kitten - experience never hurt anyone - and you need some. I've got my eye on you."

He kissed the top of his Perfect Precious Pumpkin's head and left the room. Jessica shut the door behind him and turned to James.

"You owe me," she said, her voice normal again.

"I appreciate it," he replied.

"Not a problem. It's not like you haven't stood up for me before." She sat on the sofa and pulled James down next to her. "So, tell me about Lily. I saw the look on your face when Dad agreed that she was just the girl of the week. She isn't, is she?"

"Of course not," James replied. "I haven't known her for very long, but I like her a lot."

And it was true. Not a day or night went by when he didn't think of Lily and get butterflies in his stomach. She was funny, cute, and very easy to talk to. Not to mention a good kisser.

But those thoughts led him off into an entirely different universe, one that he didn't share with other people.

"Well, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. I'm sure she'll see soon that she's just another one of those hero-worshipping girls."

Jessica flicked her wand and turned on the Wizard Wireless to a talk show station. The topic of the hour was "I'm in love with my husband's sister's girlfriend". James rolled his eyes at the ludicrous topic and blocked out the wireless with lots and lots of thoughts about Lily.

* * *

Nicholas VonBurryn had just rolled out of bed and was sipping his orange juice in his room when Mrs. Serena Evans rang him early Saturday morning.

"Mrs. Evans?" he asked, slightly confused as to why she was calling him. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no, not at all dear," Mrs. Evans replied. "I was just checking on you to see how you were doing. You're well, I assume?"

"Yes, thank you. And you?"

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, hurting Nick's ear with her high-pitched tone. "I am quite well also. Actually, I was wondering if you would like to come over for a barbeque tomorrow afternoon. Lily is home from school for the holiday and she eager to see you."

"Really?"

He looked over at his desk and saw the numerous framed pictures of himself and the redheaded beauty called Lily Evans. The most recent one of her was from two years ago after she got back from her mysterious boarding school. She was sitting on a large rock by the sea and looking off into the night sky. Nick would no sooner forget that night with her than his own birthday. That night had been magical. Literally. Odd things were happening, and he knew from books he read that when you fall in love, magic sparks. But then there was the damper of when he tried to kiss Lily that night, his hair had started on fire. Too many sparks, was the only logical answer to that mystery, as he hadn't been even near a bonfire or any kind of fire at all.

Since then, the two best friends had grown distant. Never talking to each other over the summers, never writing letters, like they used to. (For some odd reason, they always had to go through her parents. He always thought that was creepy anyway.)

But he gazed at the picture and wondered, maybe, just maybe, things might work out.

"Nick? Are you still there?"

"Yes," he replied quickly. "I would love to join you tomorrow afternoon."

* * *

Sirius stumbled off the plane and looked around for his father. He spotted him quickly and dragged his suitcase in the South American heat towards the man that was his father. The man, Julio 'Carlos' Delacruz, stood next to a yellow taxicab wearing gray slacks and a blue button-down shirt.

"'Ello," he said, in his thick-accented English. "Your flight was good?"

"Not too bad," Sirius answered in Portuguese. "You're well, I hope?"

"Great. Let me get that," he said, taking Sirius' suitcase and placing it in the open boot of the car.

"Thanks, Carl," Sirius said. He climbed into the cab and Carlos climbed in after him. The cab started driving slowly on the ill-paved street and off to the flat that Sirius hadn't seen in nearly nine years.

"How is your mother?"

"Quite well, thanks for asking. She says hello."

Carlos nodded, then looked out the window. Sirius did the same, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence. The palm trees and run-down shacks of houses passed by until the cab stopped at what could only be described as a Diamond in the Rough. The building where his father lived hadn't always been well kept and prettied, but rather run-down, just like the rest of the buildings in the area. Now it was the grandest thing on the block, probably even the whole town.

"Here we are," Carlos said, opening the cab door and stepping out. Sirius also stepped out and helped his father pull his suitcase out of the car boot. They walked up four flights of stairs until they reached the penthouse. Carlos showed Sirius into his room. "This is where you will be staying," he informed.

Sirius looked around the room. 'Lovely,' he thought, as he took in the décor.

Half of the room was in sports theme. Posters of basketball, football, American football, and baseball literally covered the walls. There were trophies and signed balls and plaques and pictures.

And the other half?

Oh, the other half....

Sirius had to swallow and wonder how in the world someone could go from so innocent to so extreme.

The other half of the room had a whole...well, Playboy Bunny theme, though Sirius didn't find out until later that night what Playboy was. There were women galore on the posters on this half of the room. And these women were wearing practically nothing. Some of them were wearing nothing.

"Elíha and I disagreed on what we thought you would like to have in your room, so, we each did one half."

Sirius didn't have to wonder who did what. Elíha, Carlos's mistress for ten years, was a former stripper from Toronto, Canada. Elíha wasn't really her name, as she had changed it when she fell in love with Carlos and moved to Brazil to be with him. Elíha was a made up name, but she took it in, saying it was a Portuguese translation of something in some form of...was it Elfish that she had said? Sirius certainly couldn't remember, and he didn't believe her anyway.

Elíha was blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and a goddess worshipper, believing in magic and the forces of the elements. She got on with Sirius so well because he was a wizard, though she didn't exactly understand what kind of wizard he was. She thought more along the lines of spiritual paths and magician work. She liked to ask him about the 'spiritual world' he was in and the magical creatures he had seen. And he listened ply to her talk about her kinds of magic and her spiritual world.

"This will be great," Sirius said, not too enthusiastically. If Carlos noticed, he didn't say anything. "I'm feeling a bit tired, so, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a nap."

His father nodded and patted Sirius on the shoulder before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Nine years since he had been here, five since he had actually seen his father and that time was a run-in at a gig of his in North Scotland. Now Carlos Delacruz wanted to be back into his son's life.

Sirius lied down on the bed and sighed. He had just got there and he was ready to leave.

Sometimes he thought Floo Powder was a pain in the arse. Right now, the little pouch tucked away in a corner of his suitcase was a godsend.

* * *

James Potter sat by the beach reading Quidditch Through the Ages for the second time, as his father demanded that he become Hogwarts best Quidditch player. His father didn't care that Gryffindor had one the Quidditch Cup five years in a row because of his ability to place the Quaffle through the hoops so easily. His father didn't care that James was already hero-worshipped because of his skills. All his father cared about was that when James tried his best, it was never good enough.

"What's happening?" a voice said in his ear.

He looked up and saw his best friend standing over him, wearing swimming trunks and sunglasses, his black hair slicked back.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Brazil?" James asked, squinting in the sun.

"Carl knows I'm here," Sirius replied. "Floo powder."

"Well in that case," James said, "get out of the way, your big bum is blocking my sunlight."

James grinned at Sirius, who grinned back as he sat himself in the sand next to James.

"I saw the paper yesterday. I'm entirely shocked that your dad let you go to the Bahamas after that."

"You're shocked?" James said. "Jessica helped me out."

"Jessica? Your sister Jessica? The same sister that used to make potions and tried to force us to drink them?"

James smiled at the five-year-old memory. "That very same one." He sighed and looked out at the clear blue waters. "So how's Carl and his woman?"

"Not bad," Sirius replied. "Elíha had t hear about school, but she made me tell her in English, but she had to have me repeat everything I said three times before she even got it since she hasn't spoken English in ten years. Bloody nightmare, that was. It would have been easier just to tell her in Portuguese." He also explained about his room that they had made for him. James laughed. "So. Speaking of women, have you owled Lily yet?" The other wizard shook his head. "It's been a few days, I'm sure she's worried about you."

"Why would she worry about me?"

Sirius shrugged. "Because you're her 'One and Only'," he said dramatically.

"Oh stop it. It was the best way I could put it. Besides, it was romantic. Chicks dig romance."

"It's true," Sirius agreed. He saw James' face as he was staring out at the ocean. His countenance had become flushed and serene and content. "You really are crazy for that girl, aren't you?"

James smiled, not looking at his best friend. He sighed softly and replied, "Yeah, I am."