Thread: Zacharias & Lily
Who: Zacharias Smith and Lily Moon. When: July 1st, 1998. (Backdated). Where: Cafe in Diagon Alley ---> Flourish and Blotts. What: Zacharias and Lily get together. Zacharias has questions about a certain cousin of Lily’s. Also, shopping for books and talk of cat ladies. Rating: G.
Summer was properly settling in and Zacharias was enjoying the time away from school - especially after the past year. Although he was not looking forward to the prospect of another year (however much of a write-off the last school year had been, especially if you were in House Cannon Fodder as he had been), the one thing Zacharias did miss when summer holidays came around was his friends. So of course, get togethers were in order, and there were few people Zacharias liked to get together with more than Lily. Which was why he had owled her about meeting up at a cafe that morning, with the potential of lunch to come after.
And okay, maybe he had a tiny ulterior motive in asking her to get together. But Zacharias always liked to see Lily, ulterior motives or not.
The cafe was in Diagon Alley, a little cozy place run by an older witch who was of the adorable little old lady sort. Zacharias Flooed to Diagon Alley and made a quick walk up to the cafe. Letting himself in, he glanced around to check for Lily. As his friend was not there yet, Zacharias ordered himself a cup of black tea and went to grab a table in the corner near the window for people watching.
Lily had been relieved to get the owl from Zach asking her out for a coffee. Since the war was over, she had spent the week since crying uncontrollably, and when she had finally got it all out, she had started going back to her books, reminiscing about her times at Hogwarts. With each subject, she had wondered what the classroom would be like now, and what had happened to various students that might have studied in them. It had all become a bit too much, and this coffee was the welcome break she needed.
Being a tight-knit house, she had of course had other offers since they had been home to meet up with friends, but this is the first one she had accepted. As she knew all too well, Zach was incorrigible when he wanted something, and he was hard to say no to. Flooing into Diagon Alley, Lily brushed her clothes free of soot. She had opted for a more 'Muggle' look today, in a long maxi dress which brought her in at the waist. Slinging her mini brown satchel-esque bag across her shoulder, Lily adjusted his sunglasses and made her way to the cafe.
As she opened the door, she lifted her glasses up and spotted Zach immediately. Despite recent events he hadn't changed a bit, and Lily smiled to herself as she realised how grateful she was for his consistency of just 'being Zach'. Waving excitedly, Lily made her way over and sat opposite Zach, ordering a vanilla latte from the old lady who owned the place.
"Hello you", she smiled.
When Lily came through the door, a smile formed on Zacharias’s face. It was one of his true smiles, not a smirk and not that cocky ‘I’m awesome and you know it’ grins, but a genuine smile that was mostly reserved for his Puff friends. He rose from his seat as she approached, because it was a habit of manners to stand when a lady approached the table - not that Zacharias stood up whenever any female joined him, but Lily was someone he respected and cared about.
“Hey, Lils,” he replied, joining her as she sat. “You look good.” He’d been concerned, about her and about their Housemates. Curling his fingers through the handle of his mug, he took a sip of his tea. It was still scalding, but that was just how he liked it.
“How is summer treating you?” They had chatted, of course, via owl post and the journals, but that wasn’t the same as face to face. Setting his mug down, he sat back in his chair, in a comfortable sort of manner, making himself at home wherever he was.
Lily smiled back at Zach even brighter when she noted how genuinely pleased he seemed to be to see her. He was infectious like that, and it was something she had missed. Crossing her legs under the table, Lily set her bag to dangle off the back of her chair, and turned back to Zach, putting her glasses down in the table. "Much better lately", she replied honestly, lacing her fingers together, "and thank you, so do you", she added with a smile in response to his other comment.
Her latte arrived moments later and Lily thanked the owner before turning back to Zach. "How about you?", she asked, leaning in slightly. "Have you heard from many of the others?"
Zacharias’s blonde brows lifted slightly, but he refrained from saying ‘of course I do’ as he might have to anyone else. “I’m glad to hear it. I think we all deserve some peace and bloody quiet for now.” Absently, a fingertip traced over the rim of his mug, the ceramic warm from the liquid inside. “I’ve been throwing myself back into the swing of things.” Practicing Quidditch skills, horseback riding and the like. “You ought to come over for a ride sometime soon. You can meet the new foal.” Which Zacharias’s mother had fallen in love with - he was fairly sure it would not be sold, as was his father’s initial intention.
“Through the journals,” he replied, inclining his head in a nod. “Some more than others.” Which was always the case - especially during summer. Especially during this summer. Dealing with the aftermath of the war and various summer activities could make for busy people. “Ernie, of course.” He’d known the other boy since they were in diapers, and had always seen him frequently over the summers. Their mothers were good friends.
“Have you?” he asked in turn.
"Mostly the girls", Lily nodded in response, "but obviously you, Ernie, Wayne", she continued, to name a few. "It's horrendous being away from you all", she admitted with a smile, and blew on her coffee a bit before taking a sip. It tasted delicious. Lily had been off her food recently, and having a taste of something so calorific was heavenly. "I'd love to come for a ride!", she exclaimed, realising momentarily how else that could be taken and blushing red. Yes, he still had that effect on her. Shooting him a look that said 'don't you dare', she sighed and smiled.
"So, what's new?", she asked, raising her eyebrows slightly as she took another sip of coffee. She smelt a Smith agenda here.
“Me as well,” Zacharias had to agree. “You lot are the only reason that next year will be bearable. Well, that an Quidditch.” Quidditch made everything bearable, and he planned to whip the team into shape. Already he’d been spending time working on plays and drills to run, as well as pondering which of the younger might be good reserves. His grin turned a little bit wicked at the blush that stained her cheeks - they may have been just friends now, but it wasn’t as if he had forgotten about that stage of their life. Of course he would dare! “You’re fortunate that you always look good in red,” he teased.
A little shake of his head and a rueful look crossed his face. “You know me too well, don’t you Moonshine?” he asked. “I did have a question for you, actually. Not that your company isn’t enough to invite you out.” Because it always was. “Jake Dorny - he’s your cousin, yeah?”
Lily flushed again, and then turned serious when Zach asked about Jake. It was a name she hadn't heard in a while, and all thoughts suddenly turned to what he was up to at this moment in time. Speaking slowly at first, Lily nodded cautiously. "Yes...", she replied suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"
Looking over Zach's face Lily knew the answer before she was given it, his reaction, body language, eyes. Zacharias Smith had a crush on her cousin.
“I could say ‘no reason’, but I don’t think you’d believe that,” Zacharias replied. Especially since he wasn’t even attempting to look innocent or nonchalant. Jake had caught his eye in the months leading up to the end of the war. There hadn’t been time or place to do anything about it though - Zacharias had been more concerned with everything else that had been going on in the school. But now that the war was over and things were calmer, he could return to that interest.
“Tell me about him.” Zacharias knew Jake Dorny only vaguely - from various Pureblood functions and what not, but he hardly knew anything about him, save for what was obvious. He was Slytherin, he was a year below them, he was attractive.
Lily started to grin. What was he like? This was one of the reasons they had decided to break up, Zach was not exactly someone that would stay tied down for long. Her thoughts then turned to her cousin. "It sounds awful", she started, "but I hardly know him well myself", she admitted honestly.
Jake's mother was her Aunty, and despite her being a lovely woman Jake's Father, Charles, was dangerous. "He had a tough childhood", she continued, taking a brief sip of her coffee again. "His Father is an awful man, and I don't think it has done him any favours over the years"
Shifting in her seat slightly, Lily's heart briefly went out to her cousin, she understood in some ways why he was the way he was, but it didn't excuse his behaviour the rest of the time. He was cold, cruel on occasion, and had little respect for women. Looking over at Zach, she silently hoped he knew what he was getting himself into. "He can be difficult, arrogant, and cold", she continued, gauging Zach's reaction as she went. "I'm sure he has nicer qualities than that, but you'll need to ask Gwendolyn for those"
Zacharias made a ‘hmming’ noise as Lily began to explain her cousin. He did not know much of Jake’s parents - he had likely seen him, at various functions, but he could not bring faces to mind. It did seem, sometimes, that being Pureblood and rich had the tradeoff of having parents who expected a great deal - sometimes too much. He stored the things Lily told him away in case they were needed in the future. He liked the puzzle of the human mind - if it was an interesting mind.
Difficult didn’t bother Zacharias, nor did arrogant. “Two out of three,” he commented with a little grin, because he was well aware of how he came off to people who were not his friends. He was purposefully difficult to those he did not care for, and arrogant? Well, Zacharias thought of it as having a healthy self-esteem. A really really healthy self-esteem. As for cold? Well, it only made him wonder if that ice went all the way through.
“I did think of asking Gwen. But I wanted to ask you first.” Lily was his closest female friend, and just one of his closest friends in general.
Lily nodded a smiled a bit, absent-mindedly tracing where the coffee had been on her lips. Despite everything they had been through over the past few years, she was ever grateful for the fact that they could still talk about anything. That was the side of Zach that had surprised her initially. Through all the arrogance and bravado he was one heck of an amazing guy - and it seemed a small part of him still needed her in some way, which was always a compliment.
"Thanks", she said quietly, raising her eyes up from her coffee cup to meet Zach's. It was heartfelt. Then came a chuckle, "He has no idea what he's in for, does he?", she grinned.
“Not in the least,” Zacharias said with a laugh and a small shake of his head. He was quite sure that Jake Dorny had absolutely no idea that Zacharias had noticed him - a notice that went beyond the general way that he noticed people in passing - and had set his sights on him. But that just made it all the more entertaining.
“He will soon enough,” he added, fingers tapping lightly against the side of his mug. Zacharias was not one to sit idle and hope a person came to him. When he wanted something, he went after it, plain and simple.
“What of you, anyone caught your eye?” He only wanted the best things for Lily, and that included the best people. “Remember, no Quidditch players, unless they’re on my team,” he teased. But partially meant it. She couldn’t date a rival!
Narrowing her eyes in jest, Lily gasped at Zach's question. "A lady never tells!", she laughed, prodding him gently in his tickle spot on his side.
In actual fact, there had been no one since Zach. They split up just as they were starting their sixth year, and then it seemed the world went mad. It was something Lily hadn't given much thought, but as she sat there with him, she knew it was something she needed to rectify in order to finally get over him. She was already most of the way there, she just needed that final push.
"I'll have to keep a weather eye open this year", she continued with a smirk, "not that Ben will like it", she giggled, thinking of her cousin. "If all else fails i'll just get a load of cats!"
Zacharias twitched at those prodding fingers, squirming away a little bit. Had anyone asked, he would claim not to be ticklish in the least, but Lily knew better. “Where’s a lady?” he replied with a wide grin on his face. “Did one walk in?” That mischievous light was dancing in his eyes as he scooted his chair over, the wooden legs scraping on the floor as he moved to escape those wily fingers.
“I have to say, your cousin seems a lot more wise now than he did when we were dating.” Really, Ben was exactly the same, but back then he had always looked at Zacharias cross eyed because he was dating Lily, and now Zacharias could be nearly (but not quite) as protective. “I do like cats though. Just please, don’t dress them in little sweaters and name them things like Madam Fluffypants.”
At Zach's comment Lily placed her hands on her hips and gasped again, this time over dramatically. "Git!", she exclaimed, and pretended to ignore him for a moment until he mentioned dressing up cats in tiny jumpers. "As if I would!", she chuckled in horror.
Drinking what was left of her coffee, Lily looked over to see if Zach was finished too. "I have a few bits to get for school whilst i'm here-", she said, "would you mind if we nipped into Flourish and Blotts?"
“You never know,” Zacharias said, schooling his face and attempting to adopt a more solemn atmosphere. It did not quite work, and that grin of his tried to escape out around the edges. “First a woman ends up with one cat, then three, and then suddenly she’s dressing them in frilly tutus and calling them Princess Whiskerton the Third.”
He glanced down at his mug, which was nearing empty, and the remaining tea had gone cold. “Not at all - I could use a new book or two.” And likely some school supplies as well, although Zacharias tended to leave all that until the last minute. Quidditch supplies he’d get well in advance, but school supplies, they could wait. He pushed back his chair and rose. “Shall we?”
Nodding, Lily picked up her sunglasses and rested them on top of her head, grabbed her bag from the back of her chair and headed to the door of the coffee shop with Zach, giving the sweet old lady that owned the place a wave. Moments later, they were back in Diagon Alley.
It seemed the place had changed in the last five years, at one time it was completely inaccessible, but now it was finally starting to get its buzz back. It didn't take the pair long to get to Flourish and Blotts, as it was only a few doors down, and Lily stepped to the side to allow some extremely excited kids run past into the bookshop. She assumed they were about to begin their first year.
"Aww", she smiled, looking over to Zach, and headed inside herself. It took her a moment to locate the books she needed. Hers had been destroyed in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Zacharias grinned at the kids running about, full of excitement (and probably full of sugar as well if the bags hanging from their wrists were any indication). He could still recall coming here for the first time for school supplies and his wand and everything else. It seemed like absolute ages ago, but their group had been through a lot.
“We were once that little. Well, some of us still are,” he said as he looked at her, because he had quite a few inches on her. He wiggled his brows at her as they passed into the shop, the scent of books on the air.
Zacharias followed her down the aisle, fingertips tracing idly over the spines of books. “Just don’t tell me you’re going to spend the entire summer reading textbooks and we’ll be okay,” he said as he looked for something a little more interesting to read. Maybe something on Quidditch, if there was a book on the subject he didn’t already own. “I think we’ll have to organize a gathering of Puffs soon.”
Lily responded to Zach's wiggly eyebrows with a smile and eyeroll and made her way the pick up the books she needed. Armed with her seventh year books all over again, she heard Zach talk to her from across the shop.
"I may be forced to look these over", she grinned, knowing full well she would be doing so the moment she got in. She really wanted to apply herself this year, "but more importantly I need to get some new robes, and stuff to wear out to Hogsmeade", she paused, "but don't worry, I have Megan for those kind of shopping trips", she laughed, the thought of Zach's face in a clothes shopping environment was hilarious.
"A gathering sounds great!", she almost squealed. It would be a perfect opportunity for her to see all her friends, something she missed dearly.
Zacharias’s expression was starting to turn vaguely pained when Lily mentioned needing new robes. While he would go with her if she needed a friend on such a shopping trip, clothes shopping - especially shopping for women’s clothing - was not exactly his favourite thing in the world. So relief came in the mention of Megan’s name. “Thank Merlin for Megan,” he said. “I’d probably be of little help in that department anyway.” Sometimes the styles of girls baffled him a little bit - he was a typical male in that regard.
Her enthusiasm was infectious. “And we need to make sure that they’re all getting out and not being terrible recluses.” Which was understandable given the war and everything that came after. But Zacharias was one for moving forward and not living in the past. “I’m sure I could arrange something, have everyone over. Mum wouldn’t mind.” And his father was generally off on business or tucked away in his study, so it didn’t much matter.
He tugged a book from the shelf, a new biography on a recently retired Quidditch player. Flipping it over, he glanced at the back and decided he’d get it. Book in hand, he wandered back over to where Lily was, arching blonde brows at the books she held.
"Don't give me that look", Lily laughed with a roll of her eyes upon noting Zach's expression. "All my books were destroyed, plus if I don't pass this year I'm screwed!", she added, with a serious afterthought. Shrugging, she took them to the counter and paid for them, allowing the shop assistant there to bag them up for her.
Turning around and leaning on the counter behind her, Lily bit her lip slightly as Zach paid for his book. "At least my wand is alright, I'd dread having to get a new one of those!"
Zacharias tilted his head in a slight nod of acknowledgement. “Touche. One more year is bad enough, I’d go mad if it was any more than that.” And it was only Quidditch that would make the year bearable. Well, Quidditch and another year surrounded by his best mates, so really, he couldn’t complain about that. Fortunately they kept the Gryffindors penned up somewhere else.
He paid for his book after Lily did, pulling a face. “Having a replace a wand would be horrible,” he agreed. Zacharias had had the very same wand since he turned eleven and planned on keeping it forever, thank you. It suited him just perfectly.
“Now broomsticks, on the other hand - those I like buying new ones.” Which explained why Zacharias owned about eight different ones currently, and had his eyes open for the new models that generally came out during the summer in time for the World Cup.
Lily rolled her eyes again. This became a frequent habit in Zach’s presence. Smiling at him she reached up and ruffled his hair. “Oh Zacharias”, she grinned, and said no more on the subject. He already knew how adorable he was.
As they made their way out of the front of Flourish and Blotts, Lily heard a clock tower chime four. With a sigh she turned to Zach. “I’ve got to go”, she grimaced, leaning in to give him a hug. “I’ve got some things to do tonight, and I think it’s about time I owled Megan now the threats to Muggleborns are over. What are you doing with yourself for the rest of the day?”, she enquired, half suspicious she already knew the answer.
“Not sure yet,” Zacharias replied as they stepped outside. He slipped his arms around her, meeting the embrace in an easy way that came from knowing someone for many years - and having dated them.
“Probably go for a fly, throw some Quaffles around.” That was pretty much a given on any day that it wasn’t positively piss pouring out (and even then, well, Zacharias wasn’t afraid of some rain). “Maybe go for a ride. I haven’t taken Ransom out in a couple days.” And then that wicked smile of his returned. “Maybe contact your cousin.” Which would be completely out of the blue, but Zacharias did like to take people by surprise.
Lily grinned, she was correct on all accounts. “Be a good boy”, she warned, half serious, “and don’t let Jake take advantage of your sweet nature”, she added quickly. She’d heard one or two things about the way Jake treated his ‘pursuits’ and she didn’t want to have to clean up the mess. She knew Zach though, Mr Go Hard or Go Home - it certainly would be interesting to see how this went. A nagging voice came from within her subconscious. Yeah, interesting and creepy!. Frowning, Lily shoved that voice away somewhere, where it couldn’t be heard.
There was nothing left but to say goodbye, and that is exactly what she did as soon as she reached the Leaky Cauldron. Waving goodbye again to Zach, and gave him a little wink, and then disapparated home.
“Sweet nature? Me?” Zacharias continued to grin. Some believed that of him - he was well aware of what people outside of his circle of friends tended to think of him. In fact, he usually acted like a prat on purpose when it came to people he disliked. It was amusing. “I’ll be careful,” he promised, leaning down to peck a kiss to her cheek before they parted ways. He watched her disapparate, and then headed to check out some Quidditch supplies. Since he was in the area and all.