Stalking journey
“Lily, you can’t be serious about accepting this.” Sev looked at her with a hint of disdain.
"Look, they're offering me extra for this," Lily tried to justify herself. As soon as she got the news from Slughorn and told him she'd think about it, the first thing she did was head back to her desk and spill everything to Sev. And then she regret it. "And you know it's a great opportunity. Just look at Skeeter, she went out in the field years ago and now she's the company's spokesperson.”
“Skeeter’s an idiot, and you’ll be one too if you accept this.” Sev’s words cut through the air, sharp and painful as a knife.
“Hey!” Lily protested, not even sure how to respond.
“No ‘hey’!” Sev’s tone rose, his mouth twisting to one side. “They’re trying to exploit you, Lily. They’ve put you in the most abusive position possible. Babysitting four brats who'll be a pain in the ass and get paid ten times more than you for it.”
“And what’s my other option?” Lily asked, scooting her chair back a few inches. “Sitting here answering stupid emails? That’s not what I want, Sev.”
“Then what do you want? That?” Sev raised an eyebrow.
Lily fell silent. She couldn't answer, not right away. She wanted so many things. She wanted success, stability, independence. She wanted to be someone respected and valued. And maybe taking on this new task could bring that to her.
“I'm sorry if you can't be happy for me, Sev," Lily finally said, disappointed.
When she looked into Sev's eyes, she saw the regret. She knew he wanted to say something, but his pride wouldn't let him.
Realizing there was nothing left to say, Lily got up and went to her desk, fuming. She packed her things into her backpack and quickly headed for the exit, but not before saying:
"See you tomorrow, guys." To her department colleagues.
And when she saw their faces, Lily realized everyone had heard that disappointing conversation.
- - -
"Girl, I can’t believe it!" Alice gasped, covering her mouth, but her eyes were filled with excitement. "This is so amazing!"
Lily and Alice were sitting on the floor of their flat, sharing a plate of nachos and chili that Lily had grabbed on her way home from work. Cults was playing in the background.
"I know!" Lily replied, smiling. On the way back, everything about the offer seemed perfect. She didn’t even mind that she’d have to keep an eye on four rebellious teens. It couldn’t be that hard, right? "I’m really excited."
"You should be!" Alice said in her usual friendly tone. "You’re going to be part of a production that thousands of people will watch."
"It’s pretty wild," Lily sighed. "Only Sev wasn’t too thrilled about it..."
"That workmate of yours?" Alice asked, pulling a face. "He’s such a weirdo, don’t listen to him..."
"I don’t know..." Lily suddenly remembered, feeling the weight of the situation. "He thinks they’re giving me a role I’ll regret."
"Why would you regret it?" Alice waved her hands dismissively. "You’re great at what you do, and I bet you’ll have way more fun in this role."
Lily smiled at the thought and grabbed another handful of nachos.
"You know what I need?" Lily suddenly remembered, jumping up with her own idea.
"Oh my!" Alice was startled by the sudden tone. "What?"
"Your hacker skills," Lily grinned mischievously.
"Absolutely!" Alice leaned in closer. "What are we gonna dig up?"
"The boys I’ll be looking after," Lily replied, excitement in her voice.
Alice didn’t need to be asked twice. She dashed off to grab the computer. The girls’ flat was exactly what you’d expect—chaotic but full of their personalities. Lily left books scattered everywhere, and Alice was a fan of cat-themed items. So, the flat was a cozy visual mess.
In less than a minute, Alice returned, skidding into the room with her laptop in hand.
"Okay! Tell me what you’ve got."
Lily pulled out her phone.
"Right," she said, starting to scroll through her messages. "Soon after I left, I texted Molly, one of the casting department girls. She sent me their names and a few details about them."
"This is so exciting!" Alice cheered, clapping her hands.
Lily laughed and continued:
"Molly told me this: 'We’ve got Remus Lupin. The kid’s got talent. He’s still a bit rough around the edges, having only done a few school plays and then tried out. We were impressed.'"
"Uh! Let’s dig in," Alice said, typing eagerly.
Lily glanced at Alice’s keyboard, and the girl was so quick that she had already found a blog review about the play Remus had been in.
Remus Lupin’s performance in St. Edmund’s latest play was nothing short of impressive. The young actor displayed a remarkable depth and focus, bringing his character to life with a maturity well beyond his years. Lupin’s portrayal suggests a promising future in theatre, showcasing his ability to fully immerse himself in his roles.
“Wow. He seems really involved,” Alice remarked, impressed. “But do you think we can find anything about his personal life?”
Lily watched as Alice navigated through the search results like a pro, but there was nothing about Remus.
“He’s probably just like us,” Lily concluded, shrugging.
“Alright, who’s next?” Alice asked, her eyes glued to the screen.
“Hmmm…” Lily scrolled through the messages. “Peter Pettigrew: A sweet kid, a bit shy. He needs some guidance, but he’ll manage.”
“They’re not setting the bar too high, are they?” Alice chuckled at her own comment. “Okay, let’s see what I can find…”
The screen suddenly filled with results.
“Son of Robert Pettigrew… Who’s that?” Lily wondered as the results loaded on the screen.
“A director of documentaries and corporate films,” Alice read from the Wikipedia page, sounding confused. “What the hell are corporate films?”
“They’re like… documentaries that double as ads for companies. Kinda lame,” Lily replied casually.
“Boooring,” Alice rolled her eyes. “Is there anything el… Look, a photo!”
Lily looked at the family photo in front of her. Peter had a round face, with short, reddish-blonde hair just above his ears. He was shorter and chubbier than his father, with an expression that was a mix of boredom and discomfort. Peter didn’t look anything like what Lily imagined a teen series star would.
Next to him was a sweet-looking blonde girl, probably his sister, smiling gently. His parents, however, had less friendly expressions. Robert Pettigrew didn’t have even the slightest hint of a smile, and his wife seemed lost, unsure of where to look.
“Who does he play in the series?” Alice asked, and Lily knew exactly why she was curious.
“I don’t know yet,” Lily admitted. “I barely skimmed the synopsis; I need to catch up!”
“You’ve got time…” Alice said, waving her hand casually as she settled into the girls’ yellow sofa. Lily followed, excited about what they were uncovering. She felt powerful, knowing more about these boys than they did about her. “One more, let’s go!”
“Sirius Black, ooooh!” Lily laughed at how fancy the name sounded. “He’s playing the villain, but has an unmatched sense of humor. He’s eager to break into the entertainment industry, and we believe he’s got what it takes.”
As soon as Alice typed his name into the search bar, both girls’ jaws dropped. Thousands of news articles and photos appeared. Silently, they scrolled through the information on their screen.
It quickly became clear that the Black family was once considered nobility. They were descended from an English duke with a notorious reputation, including scandals involving slavery and embezzlement of public funds. Numerous photos, particularly of Sirius’s father, Orion, were accompanied by headlines like:
Orion Black Shares His Thoughts on the British Economy: ‘Entrepreneurs need guts; not everything is handed to you on a silver platter.’
Tycoon and Heir, Orion Black, Opposes Immigration Law Reforms
Scandals, Wealth, and Nobility: What Orion Black Has to Say About the Massive Financial Hole at Black Financial Center That Shook the Stock Market
Black Family Spotted at Equestrian Club; Staff Allege Rude Treatment
Lily wasn’t quite sure how to feel, but looking at that man was almost intimidating. And his wife? Just as much. Her skeletal, pale face radiated no warmth at all. Then there were the boys. The older one, likely Sirius, looked utterly miserable in every photo. He had dark hair parted down the middle, a chiseled face, and thick eyebrows. The younger one had shorter, curly hair, the same pale skin, and a distant gaze.
“Why aren’t there any pictures of him when he’s older?” Alice wondered aloud.
She was right. The photos of Sirius only went up to a certain age, maybe fourteen or fifteen. After that, he disappeared from the family pictures. The younger brother, however, continued to appear. In the most recent photos, he looked about seventeen.
But Lily didn’t have an answer for Alice’s question, and both girls just shrugged. They agreed that it was an odd family, which made Lily wonder what it would be like to meet Sirius in person. Would he be arrogant? Rude? Would he treat her the way those club staff had described?
She tried not to dwell on it too much. There was no point in getting anxious when she would soon meet them and form her own impressions.
"And now, the last one..." Alice announced, almost disappointed that their stalking journey was coming to an end.
Lily unlocked her phone, scrolling through Molly’s messages. She had to go back quite a bit to find where she’d left off.
"James Potter. Oh, well…" Lily paused for a moment.
"What?" Alice asked, trying to peek at Lily's phone.
"All Molly said was... You’ll see."
Lily couldn’t quite make sense of it, but all she could think was that maybe she didn’t want to see nothing at all.