WHO: Lily Moon & Megan Jones WHEN: 4th July, 1998 WHERE: Their favourite coffee shop, Diagon Alley WHY: Megan has been away for almost a year. Now, with the dangers to Muggleborns over with she is back, and ready for a massive catch up. Tissues at the ready! RATING: PG - for mentions of violence STATUS: Completed
Lily sat in the same seat, in the same coffee shop as she had done a few days prior with Zach. This time however, she was impatiently awaiting the arrival of her best friend, Megan Jones. Megan’s disappearance had been a sudden one, but an understandable choice given what was happening to Muggleborn students all over. It has been an absolutely miserable year for Lily without her, and it was made even worse that she had promised not to contact Megan at all, except in case of a real emergency.
She remembered the night when Megan had come to her, bags packed, and told Lily her plans, and everything. It was a memory that Lily had been forced to remove afterwards, should she be questioned at school, or Helga forgive, anyone worse. The girls were both in tears, and distraught at what was happening, and when she left, Lily didn’t know whether she’d ever see her again.
The battle wasn’t long over now, but Lils had waited an extra few weeks before owling Megs, just to ensure no other dangers cropped up. Upon receiving her reply, she had burst into tears of relief, and owled all their mutual friends to let them know. Agreeing to let Megan get reacquainted at home for a day or so first, the girls decided to meet in their favourite coffee shop in Diagon Alley.
Lily sat there, rigid, practically ignoring her vanilla latte which was starting to cool off, her eyes fixed on the door, wondering what remains of her best friend might walk through the doors any moment. After a moment, a bell sounded, and Lily’s eyes grew wide.
For her part, Megan was extremely nervous to be meeting Lily. It had been a few days since their last owl exchange, and since then she’d come packed up her things, headed back to the UK and was back at home with her parents. They, of course, knew absolutely nothing about what had been going on the part year, and had been under the impression that she’d been at Hogwarts the whole time. With the usual return from Hogwarts toward the end of June, Megan hadn’t been very delayed, so when she arrived at the Jones home, it was as if nothing had been amiss. The fact that her current account was more than a few thousand pounds down, was thankfully completely overlooked.
The arrangement to meet in Diagon Alley had been made a few days later. She wasn’t eager to return to the wizarding world, especially given how she’d left things, but she was desperate to see her best friend. Allowing the chauffeur to drop her off in the vicinity of the Leaky Cauldron, Megan quickly made her way toward the portal, and through the pub toward the entrance to Diagon Alley. Stepping through, Megan paused a moment to take everything in. Things had been bad when she’d left, there were darkened windows and a gloom about the street, but although things certainly looked worse now, she hadn’t thought it possible, somehow it felt different.
Walking quickly along the cobblestones, her heels echoing as she moved, Megan tried to remember the way to the coffee shop. It had been a long time since they’d last been there; almost a lifetime ago. Arriving at the familiar shopfront, Megan paused for a moment. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before opening the door and stepping inside.
Almost immediately her eyes landed on the familiar brunette and Megan could feel herself start to well up as she rushed over to her. Within second she was hugging Lily tightly, burying her head on her best friend’s shoulders, closing her eyes as she clung to her.
Lily exploded into a complete quivering wreck as she laid eyes on Megan, and before she could say anything her friend was crying into her shoulders, both of them shaking. If it was at all possible, Megan had lost even more weight, something Lily noted as she clung to her. It must have been absolutely awful for her. “Megs..”, she breathed, and she squeezed her even tighter.
The elderly lady that owned the coffee shop almost dropped a teacup with the sudden commotion, and fetched a box of tissues for the girls. It went without saying from observing them, that this was a very difficult time for them, as it had been for many until late.
Lily accepted the tissues, and thanked the owner graciously, passing one immediately to Megan. “Babe, how are you? Were you alright? Did anyone find you?”. She had a thousand questions burning in the back of her mind, and when she realised she’d likely get them all answered in time, she relaxed slightly.
Megan was shaking as the tears started. It hadn’t felt real until that moment. Coming home, seeing her family when even Preston didn’t know what had happened, hadn’t had much of an affect on her. She’d been relieved and so incredibly happy to see her family, but it wasn’t the same as seeing Lily. Lils knew that she’d been hiding, she’d known that the Death Eaters were after her.
It was so different being here, in Diagon, with Lily. Giving her a squeeze, Megan didn’t let go right away, allowing the tears to overtake her. It was to be several moments before she started to calm down. Pulling back, Megan gave the lady a small smile in thanks before accepting the issue, and lightly dabbing her eyes, ever so grateful that she’d worn waterproof mascara. At the barrage of questions, Megan nodded first, before trying to figure out how to explain herself.
“I’m okay. ” She said finally, her voice shaking slightly. She dabbed her eyes again, and sniffed, hoping she didn't look too puffy. “No one found me, there was a close call, but then I moved further south, and tried using different names, and for the most part it was okay. I’m okay.” Megan repeated, almost as if she needed to convince herself of that fact..
Lily’s eyes widened as Megan recounted her version of events, feeling physically sick at the mention of there being a close call. “It’s alright now, everything is over”, she cooed, rubbing her friend’s back lightly in an attempt to calm her, and giving her a small kiss on the side of her head. “It’s over...”, she repeated, mostly for her own benefit.
After another few minutes, Lily ordered another vanilla latte, as hers had gone cold, and whatever Megan wanted. It was lunch time, so Lily also ordered a small ham and salad sandwich, and offered something to eat to Megan. Turning back to her friend, Lily held her hands as she waited for the food to arrive. “Where were you when you got my owl?”, she asked gingerly.
Megan sighed softly at Lily’s words. It was comforting; her whole presence was helping to calm her down, and she was immensely grateful, even if she couldn’t quite express it at the moment. “I really hope so.” Megan murmured before moving to dab her eyes once more.
When they gravitated back to Lily’s table, Megan took a seat and ordered herself a latte, though turned down the offer for food. She wasn’t particularly hungry at the moment. “A small cabin outside of Nice.” Megan explained, wrinkling her nose a little at the mention of it. “It was okay, but not the best of places. I just wasn’t sure leaving a paper trail was a good idea.”
Lily nodded animatedly. “No, of course”, she agreed, patting Megan’s hand lightly. A moment later, Lily’s sandwich arrived with their coffees, and she began to eat almost straight away. The sudden relief had made her rather hungry. “I’m guessing you are dying to know what's been going on!”, she exclaimed between chewing (very un-ladylike but Lils was past caring at the moment), “so i’ll let you ask me what you want to know, and i’ll fill you in”
Lily’s lunch arrived, and Megan was starting to feel herself getting more comfortable. She gave her friend’s hand a light squeeze and shot her a grateful look before moving to pick up her latte. Placing her bag on her lap, she rummaged through it for her mirror, as Lily spoke. She stopped and looked across the table at her friend as she left it up to her. Where could she possibly start?
“Everything!” Megan said, suddenly far more interested in what Lily had to say about everyone else than what she’d actually been through. There was something to be said about getting attention, but she didn’t particularly like it when it involved her looking like a mess. “What are you up to? Zach? Everyone else? How did it happen? What happened? Is Harry okay? It was so him that fixed everything, isn’t it? Everyone said it was going to be him.”
Taking a deep breath, Lily realised how much Megan had actually missed. “Right”, she started, flexing her fingers and biting her lip gently as she tried to recall the events of the past year. “Currently all the students have been sent home from school, and anyone who was in their seventh year is going to have to re-do it, but we’ll be called ‘eighth years’”, she paused knowing this next part would upset Megan. “The castle...it’s gone, well it’s in ruins”, she continued, trying not to well up herself. “Don’t worry though!”, she added quickly, putting her hands out to brace Megan, “they have got the BEST people in from all over to repair it”, she said, “it should be habitable by the time we go back, although not everything will be the same”
Pausing momentarily, she continued. “Zach is Zach”, she said, and couldn’t help but break out a small smile. “I saw him a few days ago actually, and it looks like he has his sights set on my cousin Jake”, she said, screwing her face up slightly as if to say ‘awkward’.
“Hmm, what else...”, she mused, taking a sip of her coffee. “Oh! Everyone else is alright, we’re just rebuilding, y’know”, she said, “especially Suze, I think she got the worst deal because of losing so much of her family...”, she trailed off. Her thoughts immediately turned to their mutual friend Susan Bones, and how much indeed this war had caused her to lose. Sighing heavily, Lily took a bite of her sandwich. The next part would be hard.
“The attack was rather sudden”, she started slowly, swallowing her mouthful a little too forcefully, “Death Eaters came in from what felt like all sides, there were just so many...”, she trailed off. “He said that if Harry came out alone he’d make it stop...” Her eyes were filled up now, and she put her hand to her mouth to stop any whimpers. Picking up a tissue, she continued, dabbing her eyes as she talked. “He was so brave, Megs, he just went out there on his own - we felt for sure we’d lost him, but then he came back...there was a duel...Neville, he stood up to him too”, she said, recalling fragments now, the rest it seemed she had mentally blocked, “they were brilliant...”, she sniffed.
Exhaling another deep sigh, she took another sip of her coffee and wiped away a few tears which had started to fall. “The wounded were looked after, there were a few that didn’t make it”, she grimaced, thinking back to that day, hearing Molly Weasley’s cries of anguish. “We were all sent home, and I think I cried for weeks”, she said, finishing finally. “I’m surprised there is any left, actually”, she added, forcing a chuckle.
Despite the war, Megan almost expected a bit of a gossip fest. Some light moments, stories of what she’d missed at Hogwarts and all of the surely scandalous affairs and relationships. Only Lily started to explain and Megan found herself confused, brows creasing as Lily continued to speak. “Eighth year?” She echoed. What had happened? Why would anyone but her need to return? Her eyes then widened at the mention of ruins. Lily’s touch was reassuring, but it all seemed like so much to actually take in. She managed a smile at the mention of Zach though that quickly turned into a look of confusion and surprise as Lily continued. Since when had he.. By the time she had time to react, Lily had moved on and Megan was more confused than ever.
Crossing her legs, Megan clutched her bag to her as she leaned forward in her chair, taking in every last word Lily was saying. She reacted quickly, gasping audibly, her hand flying to her mouth as she described Harry’s heroics. It was something like out of a film, though it clearly wasn’t and Megan was shaken by it all. As Lily reacted, Megan reached out to her friend, giving her hand a light squeeze of her own. It seemed she was not the only one needing comfort.
It was only after Lily finished speaking that it hit Megan. She had been lucky. Scared witless at times, uncertain of her future, but she had been the lucky one. Struggling not burst into tears, again, Megan glanced down at her bag, her fingers tracing the famous triangle as she considered it all. She’d known it could have been worse, that she could be dead or in Azkaban, or God only knows what else, but somehow she’d been far more focused on herself than anyone else, and she suddenly felt deeply ashamed. Looking back at Lily, her eyes brimming with tears, she swallowed hard. “I am so sorry, Lils.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper as she choked out the words.
She’d always imagined it was the people like her who would be worst affected. Muggleborns who would be targeted, harassed,imprisoned. They were the ones with the dirty blood and who You-Know-Who had deemed unworthy. Only everyone else had fought the battle for her. What had she done? Run away and hidden like a child. Megan wiped away the tears with her fingers now, completely forgetting her make-up. “Are you okay? Your mum, dad?” She said finally.The
Lily nodded absentmindedly. “We’re all fine”, she nodded. She supposed she had that much to be grateful for. Unlike some who had been through this war, she had emerged relatively unscathed. Finishing the last bite of her sandwich, Lily brushed the crumbs off her hands, and turned back to Megan, wiping away the last of both of their tears. “We’ve got to put all this behind us babes”, she said, nodding as she straightened out Meg’s make-up where the odd bit had smudged. “Zach wants to throw a bit of a soirée”, she said, smiling softly. She knew the mention of a get together would perk Meg back up.
Megan nodded, thankful for at least those small favours. She sighed softly as Lily spoke again, and nodded in agreement. They did need to put it behind them, it wasn’t going to do to get upset and weepy every all of the time. It was not an attractive feature. “You’re right, darling. There’s nothing we can do now.”
The words worked wonders and Megan did indeed perk up visibly. Straightening up in her seat, she flashed Lily a look. “”And you’re letting him plan it?” Megan asked with a sigh and a shake of her head. “Honestly darling, you know you’re far better suited for that sort of a task.”
Lily tossed her head back in a real hearty laugh at Megan’s comments. The noise seemed to shatter the atmosphere, and caused the poor old owner to almost drop another teacup. “He’s not that bad at organising things”, she giggled, “but i’ll definitely offer my services there”, she agreed, nodding her head. It was usually Zach that hosted this sort of thing, being the Heir of Hufflepuff and whatnot, he seemed to be the guy most in their house looked up to. “I think i’ll try and persuade him to have it at the end of the month, to let people settle and so on”
Adjusting in her chair, Lily sat forward again and drank up the last of her coffee. It was a rainy day outside today, which seemed fitting of her general mood. She gazed silently at the rain running down the window for a moment before turning back to Meg. “Are you going to need new books?”, she asked, remembering her recent trip to Flourish and Blotts a few days before. It was slightly off topic, but Lily thought it pertinent to ask.
Megan giggled in response and shook her head. She was already feeling so much better and it was all thanks to Lily. Then again, Lily had always been brilliant at lifting her spirits. “He’s a boy, Lils. And Heir or not, there’s something inherently not compatible with party planning in their genes.” Megan said with a shake of her head. Honestly though, sometimes the way Zacharias went on and on about his heritage one would think he was descended from the queen! “Good, that’ll probably better, give everyone some recovery time, and more importantly give me loads of time to catch up on the latest gos.” Megan added with a grin. Not to mention time to ease back into society, though the thought of spending any extended amount of time among certain types of people still made her feel quite queasy.
As Lily moved, Megan finally remembered that she had a drink herself, and picked up her mug, sipping it quietly. She glanced toward the windows, her gaze following Lily’s. “Not seeing anything, she picked up her mug again, and glanced up when Lily spoke. “Probably.” She said with a nod. “I still have the ones from sixth year, but we went through most of those”
“We can go and get them now, if you like?”, Lily offered, flexing her fingers again. “May as well whilst we’re here?”, she said with a shrug. Well someone was going to have to force Meg back in there, and who better than her. “I swear we’ll go clothes shopping afterwards!”, she added, holding her hands up innocently as a peace offering, and grinning.
Megan chewed on her lower lip as Lily suggested that they go book shopping. Not that she didn’t like Flourish, per se, but the idea of going in there left her more than a little uneasy. Though Megan soon laughed and gave Lily a skeptical look. “We better, Lils, because if you have turned into a Ravenclaw on me, I might have to go find a new best friend!”
“Ew!”, Lily joked, prodding her friend lightly in jest. “Don’t worry darling, i’m still me, just a new me that really doesn’t want to be going through a ninth year at Hogwarts”, she giggled. Getting up from the table, Lily picked up her mini brown satchel, and draped it over her shoulders. “Flourish first? Or clothes shopping?”, she asked, with a mischievous grin on her face.
Megan laughed at Lily’s response and feigned a look and sigh of relief. “Thank god. Breaking in a new best friend would have been a complete nightmare!” Meg said with a giggle of her own. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of another two years at Hogwarts and stood herself. Sliding her bag strap back over her shoulder, she smoothed out her top and looked at Lily to make sure she was ready. At the question Megan laughed. “Flourish. Let’s get the boring part over with!”
It didn’t take the girls long to get the things Megan needed from Flourish and Blotts. Lily had been only a few days earlier herself. She still enjoyed the smell of the place though, like fresh parchment. Perhaps she was part Ravenclaw! After they’d paid at the counter, the girls made their way back out onto the street, and onto Madame Malkins dress robes shop. If Zach was throwing a soirée, new robes were definitely in order!
Stepping into the shop, they were both greeted by Madame Malkin. The witch knew them both well, albeit mostly from the amount of time and money they had spent in her store over the years. Lily beamed at her as she greeted them, and went over to start looking at the new arrivals. She needed something, stunning - and so did Meg if Justin was going to go, which was pretty likely. “What do you think Justin would like?”, she grinned wickedly, holding up the skimpiest dress in the shop.
Megan was quite happy to find that their trip to Flourish was brief. She could still remember the last time she’d been in the shop, happily preparing for her final year at Hogwarts. They were pleasant memories actually, even if the whole of Diagon still made her feel uneasy. It was more so the people milling about her, that threw Megan off; watching her, judging. Not remembering what books she’d need, she relied mostly on Lily to keep her advised and it wasn’t long before they were finally able to get out.
When they finally arrived at Madam Malkin, Megan felt her tension ease. It was always the same when she entered a clothing store, as if she’d arrived at home. She grinned broadly at Madam Malkin, pleased to see a pleasant, familiar face. Making a beeline for the new arrivals, Megan joined Lily as they looked at the latest styles. “That one. Definitely.” Megan responded with a giggle. She tilted her head to look at it. It wasn’t bad, short by wizarding standards, but hardly the sort of thing that might scandalise a Muggle. “God, if he doesn’t notice me in that, he never will.” Megan added with a grin and a giggle.
“If he hasn’t already noticed you he’s a bloody idiot!”, Lily exclaimed a little too loudly. She was obviously aware of Megan’s feelings for Justin, and had been for some time now. “I think it’s perfect”, she grinned, “and just your colour!” Trailing her fingers over the hangers, Lily stopped when she reached a red dress with pretty straps on an interesting angle. “Oooo”, she breathed, turning back towards Meg and holding it up. It was just like old times, and finally it seemed like the final piece of her life was back together. “Need...it”, she grinned, squeezing the hanger desperately.
Megan laughed at Lily’s response but nodded as she took the hanger from her friend. “Oblivious, more like it.” She said with a laugh and a roll of her eyes as she walked toward one of the nearby mirrors. Holding it up to her, she turned as she moved, trying to decide if it suited her. Of course, Madam Malkin would have to take it in some, but it was without a doubt her style. “I think you’re right Lil’s it is perfect!”
Looking over her shoulder as Lily selected her own dress, Megan’s eyes went wide. “Oh my gosh, that is so stunning.” She nodded enthusiastically. “You had so better get it!”
“Already done!”, Lily giggled, taking it over to Madame Malkin. It may need some alterations, but it was stunning enough already. Madame Malkin graciously took her payment, and they agreed to keep the dress there so that Lily could come in for alterations over the next few weeks. With a sigh of relief, Lily waiting for Megan to buy hers too.
After they were finished there, the girls stepped back out into Diagon Alley, and Lily noted the time on the large clock about Gringotts (which was still largely under repair) “I have to go”, she pouted, “but come and stay at mine tonight?”, she offered. She wasn’t sure how likely it was given that Megs had just spent a year away from her family, but she thought it was worth a try. “Plus I still need to tell you about the Malfoys”, she said, putting her hand to her mouth again in shock.
Megan grinned as Lily agreed to the dress. She cast a last glance at herself in the mirror, and quickly whipped out her lip gloss from her bag, reapplying it, before joining Lily to pay for her purchase. Making an appointment for next week, Megan smiled , thanked her and followed her friend out of the shop. That had been properly delightful.
Pouting herself as Lily mentioned having to leave, Megan glanced up the alley toward the exit. She didn’t really want to leave her yet. So when the offer came, Megan brightened and nodded. She was sure her parents wouldn’t mind and Preston was already back at Oxford, so there wasn’t much reason for her not to agree. Though at the mention of the Malfoys, Megan gasped and linked her arm through Lily’s as she started for the end of the street where they could apparate. “Did they do something scandalously unpure? You have to tell me all about it, and don’t you dare leave a single bit out!”