Elder Brothers

“James!” I groaned.

He grinned sheepishly as my boyfriend of two days stormed out, covered in stink sap. I glared at him, as Mark shouted something about ‘we’re through!’ as he apparated away.

“He was a right little git,” James suggested, shrugging. “He was in Al’s year, I should know.”

“James,” I repeated. He groaned.

“Just call Rose and hex me and get it over with!” he said, throwing his hands up.

At eighteen and out of Hogwarts for two weeks now, I was perfectly able to jinx him at will if he annoyed me - just so long as I didn’t get out of hand, which I was kind of afraid I’d do.

“I don’t think I need Rose,” I said, walking slowly toward James. He backed away, into Diagon Alley - Mark and I had been on a date at a little-known café, which I should’ve thought over better because James works part-time there just to be doubly sure he makes enough for his wife and one-year-old kid - even though Milly - his wife - was a key person in Uncle Percy’s office at the Ministry.

“Now, now, Lily,” James said pleadingly. “It was just a little joke --”

“James, you know what happens when you mess around with my boyfriends, don’t you?” I waggled my wand threateningly.

“He interrupted a date again, eh?”

I felt my face go red as an arm dropped over my shoulder, ignoring all the stares we were getting from shoppers and passersby.

“Yes, for your information, he did,” I said, not looking at Luke and keeping my wand on James. “Of course, I didn’t really like the bloke, but he asked and I didn’t want to turn him down, and perhaps I should be thanking James for giving me and excuse to be rid of him, but I won’t because I’ve inherited stubbornness from the Weasley side and I want to jinx him.”

“Let’s not do that,” Luke laughed. “Why don’t we go in the café, and you can tell me all about these last two weeks?” he suggested. I sighed in defeat, stowing my wand away.

“You’re off the hook this time,” I told him, as Luke headed into the café before me.

“Only because you fancy him,” James retorted, smirking.

“Don’t you dare,” I replied, fingering my wand and reentering the small building, making my way to the counter to sit by Luke.

We ended up talking for a good hour and a half, eventually making our way to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour for a sundae.

*---*

“Dad!” I groaned, three weeks later at the beginning of Auror training. The astonishing part about being a Potter was that I, the youngest and the girl, was the only one who went on to be an Auror. “That’s the fourth time in a row!”

“You’ve got to be able to properly defend yourself, Lils,” Dad said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He knew I wasn’t getting hurt, per se, I was just sore.

“I can properly defend myself,” I retorted, “but not against one of the best bloody Aurors at the ministry!”

“Practice,” Dad said, shrugging. “Here, I’ll get your Uncle Ron’s trainee to practice with you for a while. I’m taking lunch.”

“Dad!” I called after him. He waved his wand, and a plate of sandwiches appeared. I knew he hadn’t conjured the food, because that was an exception to Go-something or other’s law of Transfiguration.

“For you and - I can’t remember his name, actually.”

I rolled my eyes, but collapsed on the floor and took a sandwich tiredly.

“Lily! Hi!”

I was starting to get accustomed to Luke popping up in unexpected places.

“I didn’t know you were becoming an Auror,” he said, grinning, “and being trained by Harry Potter, no less! Although he is your father, and all…”

“Hey, Luke,” I said, smiling, as he plopped down beside me.

“I’m his relief, I guess you could say,” Luke chuckled, taking a sandwich. “I’m getting trained by Ronald Weasley, of all people! One of the war heroes! Of course, you probably guessed that one already, and he’s your uncle, isn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s my Uncle Ron,” I said, rolling my eyes but grinning nonetheless. “I didn’t know you were training to be an Auror, either. You never told me!”

He shrugged and finished chewing. “I didn’t think it was that important at the time,” he said, still as smilingly as ever. “And actually, I hadn’t quite decided yet. It was actually you who convinced me, you see.”

I flushed slightly. “How did I convince you to become an Auror? I never told you that you should be one, or anything of the sort. Although your brains might very well come in handy as an Auror, come to think of it…why didn’t I tell you to be an Auror?”

He chuckled, taking a bite of his sandwich before answering, “You convinced me by talking about it so much. You were so…passionate? When you talked about it, I mean. It was kind of humbling, I guess, seeing someone who could be so determined about one thing when the only thing I’d ever been so determined about was getting top O.W.L. scores and getting on your good side.”

The last bit didn’t seem like something he’d meant to say, and he kind of stuttered after he’d said it, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Why d’you need to be on my good side?” I asked, letting another giggle escape. “You were never on my bad side.”

“Well, you know, I don’t like people being angry at me…” he said, shrugging and taking a rather large bite.

“Nice save,” I rolled my eyes, but grinned at him to show I was teasing.

“Yeah,” he said, but he seemed kind of distracted. “Nice…save.”