Deleted Scene from No Wands
“Was that Lily leaving just now?” his aunt Ginny asked.
“Er, yes,” Hugo said. “Molly set her up with a new date cause Hob ditched her.”
“Who was it? I didn’t get a good look, but he looked familiar.” Aunt Ginny was still looking at the back exit as if she could summon her daughter back if she stared long enough.
“Jinks,” Molly spoke up. “I brought him to meet her just now. The idea came to me when I was watching her mope, again, about dying alone as a tragic old cat lady.”
Aunt Ginny rolled her eyes. “She’s a bit melodramatic, your cousin. Wait, you set her up with Evander Jinks?”
Molly nodded. “Lily and Jinks. Can’t you just see it now?”
“Lily and Jinks.” Aunt Ginny looked thoughtful. “I wouldn’t have thought of him for her, but now you mention it...”
Fitz tossed back his glass of champagne and then set the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter. “You should’ve seen them when they caught sight of each other, Mrs. Potter. It was like both of them had been hit in the head with a Bludger. Molly’s a bloody genius at matchmaking.”
“I reckon so. He should suit Lily perfectly, he’s even more melodramatic than she is.” Aunt Ginny glanced around and caught sight of James near the back exit. “Did the boys see her with Jinks?”
“Albus wasn’t paying attention. Looks like James was,” Hugo said, taking in the irritable look on James’s face.
“Oh dear,” said Aunt Ginny. “I hope they don’t run him off if Lily really likes him.”
Fitz chuckled. “You’ve met Jinks. Do you really think those two could scare him off after seeing him play Falmouth?”
Aunt Ginny smiled. “True. Jinks has never seemed easily intimidated when I’ve interviewed him.”
Molly smiled, a touch of smugness still in her expression. “That’s part of why I picked him. Jinks spends all day at training getting screamed at by this one,” and she jabbed a thumb toward Fitz, “and he calls that a sign of affection, so I don’t think James and Albus will bother him with their threats.”
“Wow, you really are good at this,” Ginny remarked, sounding impressed.
“Not all day,” said Fitz in his own defense, though he didn’t look ashamed.
James had spotted them and was headed their way with Navya on his heels. He was visibly annoyed and Navya looked vaguely embarrassed. Hugo thought she probably ought to get used to that if she was serious about marrying James. The amount of times he’d heard the Potter kids tattling or threatening to tattle on each other would embarrass anyone. They seemed to think it was funny, much like Lily pretending to faint whenever she wanted a bit of extra attention. Albus and James both caught her and played along happily. Hugo refused to participate in Lily’s faints, but Jinks was bound to love playing along. He probably wouldn’t even mind the not-so-secret Potter family motto of ‘I’m telling Mum.’
Speaking of which, Hugo thought dryly as James approached.
“Mum,” James demanded, “did you see Lily leaving with that Seeker? They were in the exit corridor just now snogging. Snogging. She only just met him!”
Aunt Ginny patted him on the shoulder and heaved a small yet long-suffering sigh. “James, leave her alone. She’s not twelve anymore, you know.”
“But Mum-”
“James, grow up,” Molly told him, quite calmly. “Tattling to your mum all the time, honestly...”
He did not look at all ashamed of himself, because he had nearly as little shame as Louis. “Oi, Molly, Lily said you set them up. You gave her a setup in the middle of another setup?”
“You didn’t want her on the first setup,” Hugo pointed out.
“I don’t want her on the second, either. I’ve heard things about that Jinks fellow,” James added darkly.
His mother rolled her eyes. “Grow up, James.”
He gave an ostentatiously haughty sniff. “No one wants to protect Lily except me.”
“That’s right, James,” Aunt Ginny told him. “We’d all just let Lily jump off a cliff into dugbog-infested waters, but you’re the hero here. Now run along before Navya realizes what a prat you are.”
“Too late,” Navya volunteered cheerfully.
“Don’t think I’ve forgot, this is all your fault,” James said, shaking a finger under Molly’s nose.
Fitz scowled at this gesture and stepped in between them, looking down on James, who was several inches shorter than Fitz. “Get lost, James.”
James grimaced and took off with Navya behind him. His mother shook her head, took the champagne flute from Molly’s hand, downed it in one swallow, and went the opposite direction from her son. Hugo made a mental note to have Fitz teach him that tone of voice. If it could intimidate James Potter, it was bound to come in useful in other situations too.
“Your family is all mad,” Fitz informed Molly.
“I told you.”