Illicit Love

Illicit Love

Chapter Five

Bahamas, Baby! (Here Lils Comes)

While James and Sirius were blabbing on the beachfront, Lily was forced to chat with Nick VonBurryn.

He was a really nice guy, and he always had been, but he was extremely dull. Lily plastered a smile on her face and wondered how someone could become so dull in two years. He used to be so fun, she thought. Placing tadpoles from the pond in the park in Petunia's bed together. They had always done everything together. And he wasn't bad looking. Certainly not a James Potter or Sirius Black - and certainly not as entertaining as he went on and on about his school and how there were (gasp) no girls there.

No wonder.

That solved the puzzle to the Dull Nick VonBurryn.

And that puzzle only had - what? - five pieces.

When Lily had asked how Thiffa, his French poodle, was, Nick recounted the events of the last two years up until the dog was hit by a car while crossing the street. "That's awful," she gasped. After all, it was a shame that it had happened to the cute little frizzball. Secretly, Lily felt that the accident should have occurred to the owner of the dog instead of the dog itself. Then she felt horrible for wishing such a thing on a human, but she couldn't help but justify selfishly that if he had, he wouldn't be - er - gracing - her with his presence.

"Look at you two!" Mrs. Evans cried, poking her head into the small sitting room that they were chatting in. "It's like you never parted!"

Lily, with her smile still plastered on, nodded, praying silently that someone would come and save her. Mrs. Evans beamed brightly (almost blindingly, Lily couldn't help but think) and left the room to go back in the kitchen to mingle with the other guests while Mr. Evans started the barbeque.

Mr. Evans then came in and kissed Lily on the cheek, then raised an eyebrow at Nick, as if challenging him to make a move on his daughter while they were alone. He certainly couldn't trust this one. He'd been at an all-boys academy for six years, either he was some hormone-crazed demon, or, well....

That was something he didn't want to think about. But the latter would mean that his youngest daughter was safe.

"I'm going to try to get Petty out of her room. She just doesn't seem to want to come out since she graduated. All she does is sulk or talk on the telephone. It's not like her." Lily nodded at her father. "Ser!" he called to the kitchen before going up the stairs to the next floor. "Can you put the hamburgers on?"

Mrs. Evans called back, agreeing. The sound of the sliding glass door opening could be heard, and then the sizzle of the meat being placed into the fiery container. But what everybody wasn't expecting was for a high-pitch cry to sound as a loud thud was made.

"You must be Mrs. Evans," a voice said, coming from the side window. "We've come for Lily."

Lily's jaw dropped when the voice of the male speaker sounded familiar. She eyed Nick and was about to excuse herself, but then the thought Screw It came into her mind and she leapt up from the sofa, where Nick was sitting uncomfortably close to her anyway, and ran through the kitchen full of taken aback people. ("Should we go out there?" "No, she must have dropped a patty or something, you know how she is when it comes to cooking. Everything must be perfect!" Nods of agreement.) She yanked open the sliding glass door and walked to the side of the house where the grill was.

Standing two feet from the grill and her mother, who was looking very faint, was two dark-haired young men holding a moldy-looking boot.

"James! Sirius!" she cried, and launched herself at the two, then throwing her arms around them and squeezing tightly. "Are you two angels or something? Because you just answered my prayers."

"If only women this gorgeous would throw themselves at us with praises like this everyday, eh, James?"

Lily laughed, coloring slightly, and backed away.

"What happened to Brazil?" Lily asked Sirius.

"I got bored after one day. Can you believe that? Someone who has so low an attention span can get bored in one day?"

"I don't know why you'd want to come to dreary England if you were in Brazil and the Bahamas. You're crazy! But I'm really, really glad you are here!"

"Do you want to go back to the beach with us?"

"How?"

"Portkey," James replied, as if it was the simplest answer in the world. He held up the moldy boot and Lily looked at it in disgust. "Remus is flooing over too. Peter is and his family are flying over via broom."

Lily turned to her mother, who was completely confused by the lingo of the wizarding world that her mouth had gone agape. "Can I go, Mum?"

Mrs. Evans shook herself out of her daze, then looked at Lily. "What about dinner?"

"I'll eat there, Mum," Lily replied, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Er..." she was thinking quickly for reasons she shouldn't go. "What about Nick? He's been so excited to see you."

"What about him? Petty can entertain him."

Mrs. Evans pursed her lips.

"Well, I suppose I could let you go. How could I keep my precious daughter from being with her own kind in her own world? But you owl me and let me know you've gotten there safely. I don't want anything to happen to you, you know. You're the only witch in the family, and I can't lose you!"

Lily threw her arms around her mother's neck and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Mum! Thank you!"

Mrs. Evans patted her redheaded daughter and kissed the top of her head.

"But don't think this gets you out of spending time with Nick," Mrs. Evans whispered.

Lily eyed her mum, confused, then raced up the stairs of the balcony and through the door that would lead her to her room. She threw some things together in a book bag, then was back outside within one minute.

"I'm ready."

"Great!" cried James. He looked at his watch. "The Portkey leaves in one minute. Sorry we couldn't introduce ourselves to you more thoroughly, Mrs. Evans. It was a pleasure to finally meet you though. Lily talks nothing but good about you and your cooking."

Serena Evans colored. "Why thank you. Sometime I'll have to have you over."

"That would be wonderful. The Portkey leaves in forty seconds. Are you coming, Lils?"

"Of course," she replied.

"All you have to do is place a finger on the Portkey and it will take you with it."

Lily wrinkled her nose at the thought of touching the boot, but she did anyway.

"Ten seconds." James smiled at Mrs. Evans. "We'll take good care of her, I promise."

As soon as the statement left his mouth, a seemingly hook tugged behind Lily's navel and she was in a roar of rushing wind as the world blurred past. Within one second, Lily fell onto the ground and was thankful that the said ground was sand, as it would have hurt.

Sirius tossed the boot into his knapsack and helped Lily to her feet. She smiled at him, brushing the sand off her backside. Then she turned to James and threw her arms around him.

"It's only been a few days, but I've missed you!"

"It's nothing compared to how I felt about you!" James replied, kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Hey! Get a room, for Merlin's sake!"

Remus was trudging barefoot towards them, wearing blue swimming trunks and a T-shirt. He hugged Lily and kissed her on the cheek.

"And how are we doing?" he asked her.

"Not too bad. Looks like you've gotten over the nasty flu bug that caught you just at the end of the year."

Remus' eyes darkened as he nodded. "I feel one hundred percent better, thanks." He looked back and forth between his two friends and Lily. "So, are we up for some swimming?"

"Swimming?" Lily asked, swallowing.

"Yeah," he replied. "That's kind of what you do when you come to the beach."

"I - I didn't -"

"What? Didn't bring that sexy little yellow string bikini?" Sirius said.

"Well..."

"Go put it on!" James exclaimed.

"You just want to see her in next to nothing, that's the only reason you want her to put it on," Remus said, slapping James roughly on the back.

James colored, as well as Lily.

"No," he said. "I just think that we should do some swimming. The water's wonderful."

"I don't think - " Lily started hesitantly.

"I suppose Jessica can lend you one of hers," James said, "if you don't want to wear the one you've brought."

Lily looked even more horrified at the idea of wearing the evil woman's swimsuit.

"Oh, she wouldn't mind at all," James said, interpreting Lily's look far, far from correctly. "Or you could borrow one of my mum's."

"You know what, I think I'll just - uh - watch from the shore."

Sirius laughed. "I don't think so. Get your cute bum in there and get into the suit."

Lily glared at him for making such a comment, but walked past the boys, but not before smacking Sirius upside the head.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Sexual harassment," she replied.

"What? What'd I do?"

"It's no wonder you can get woman easily - you pick the easy ones that will melt at your comments."

"What?" Sirius exclaimed, starting to walk after Lily, who was moving towards the large beach house that the Potters owned. Remus and James followed after the two, listening as Lily and Sirius argued all the way up to the front steps.

As they entered the front hall, James pointed to the door that led to a changing room. She nodded and walked nervously into the softly lit room. When she entered, there was a noise that sounded suspiciously like snogging and moaning and whimpering. Lily figured that she'd just ignore the trysting couple and change in a stall when she heard, "Shit! Someone's in here. Get out!" There was a faint popping sound and the stall door opened, bringing out a disheveled Jessica Potter.

Great, Lily thought. This was not a good way to get on the good side of your boyfriend's demoness sister.

"Uh, hi," Lily said nervously. "I just came in to change..."

Jessica arched a finely penciled brow.

"Figures someone like you would interrupt me," she said.

"I didn't -"

"I thought I said stay away."

"I - I - "

Before Lily answered, a knock came at the door. She had heard of being saved by the bell, but never saved by the knock. And she was thankful that someone had, once again, answered her silent prayers.

"Lily, are you decent?"

"Yeah, you can come in."

James walked in and spotted his sister. "Oh, I didn't realize that you were in here."

"I was about to change into my swimsuit," she said, using her sweet and innocent tone again. "But then I realized that I had forgotten my swimsuit. Ha, silly me."

James rolled his eyes as his sister passed.

Jessica threw a glare at Lily behind her brother's back and said, in her high-pitched tone, "It was wonderful to see you again, Lily dear, and I do so hope that you can stay for supper. It should be quite a wonderful event."

Lily nodded, furrowing her brow. Jessica exited the changing room and James turned and shut the door behind her.

"So, what did you want?" Lily asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing really," he replied. "I was just hoping to see you naked."

Lily smacked his arm and he grinned. "You're not funny, mister."

"Oh, I was under the impression that I was. That's what you tell me at least."

"Yeah, you're funny - funny looking."

"That's the oldest joke there is," James said. "Besides, you're only saying that because you don't want to admit that you find me remarkably and unbearably sexy."

"Oh yes, James," Lily said, pretending to be breathless. "You're so unbearably sexy that I want to snog you in one of the stalls like your sister was to some guy who Apparated away when I walked in."

"Jessica was what? Well, that doesn't surprise me."

"Your sister's the devil."

"Why state the obvious?" James replied, running a hand through his black hair.

"Well, if we're ever to go swimming, I will have to put my swimsuit on."

"Go right on ahead. You can pretend like I'm not watching."

"You have a very dirty mind, you know that?"

"I'm pretty aware, thank you."

James kissed Lily deeply before he left the changing room. She locked the door behind him, not even caring that Jessica might turn up again. She changed into her yellow two-piece and looked at herself in the mirror.

She had it on. She was so embarrassed. Tying a long black sarong over her waist so she didn't have to feel self-conscious of her lower area and leaving her bag in the stall, she stepped out of the changing room and saw the three boys, along with Peter, who had just arrived, waiting for her.

James was floored. His jaw dropped at the sight of Lily in her yellow bikini, black skirt flowing from her hips to her feet, showing her long legs. She was the most amazing thing James had ever seen - about as sleek and sexy as the newest version of the Shooting Star Quidditch broom with her hair in waves slightly past her shoulders.

Sirius, on the other hand, was a bit less than floored, as he did have all those pictures of naked women in his room. Besides, he did have a dirty mind and it wasn't hard for him to picture any girl without her clothes. Although she didn't look like any of the women he had seen in the magazines that Elíha left under his bed, she was - there was no other word that Sirius could use for it - shag-a-delic.

"Where's your swimsuit?" he teased, smirking slightly.

Lily smiled, blushing profusely.

"Well then, let's get down there," she said.

The five friends walked down to the beach and laid their towels down. Lily situated herself on a purple- and green-striped towel and closed her eyes.

"Uh...Lils..." Remus started. "Aren't you going to swim?"

"I don't intend to, no," she replied, not opening her eyes.

"Why not?" Peter asked. "If you want to get in, we promise to close our eyes until you're in deep enough that you feel comfortable."

"Speak for yourself, Peter," Sirius said. "I'm sure James would only pretend to close his eyes."

"Shut up. Lily doesn't have to go in if she doesn't want to," James said. Lily smiled inwardly. "Come on, Lily. Come swim with us!"

"Not going to happen."

James looked at his three friends and held up his hand to perform a type of sign language code of theirs. On the (silent) count of three, they were going to jump on Lily and tickle her until she gave in and went into the water.

One.

James smiled in anticipation, listening to Lily hum softly.

Two.

It was Sirius' turn to smile. It had been a long time since he had tickled anyone.

Oh, wait. That was wrong. It must have been a few days ago. Well, that was practically a long while ago.

Three!

All hell broke loose as the four boys dove on top of Lily and started attacking her stomach and neck and sides and feet.

Lily screamed and laughed at the same time.

"No, stop!" she cried, laughing as Remus found a particularly ticklish spot on her knee.

"Swim, Lily, swim!" one of the boys chanted, Lily couldn't tell which, as she was laughing so hard.

"All right, all right!"

She sat up, pushed the boys off her, then stood and tugged off the sarong. She then practically marched over to the rocks that formed a cliff into a deep pool of water. She stood at the edge, taking a deep breath. Slowly, she raised her arms above her head and leapt off the side, soaring through the warm July air until she dove, headfirst, into the warm, crystal clear ocean.

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