Rock your body
Even with the warning, Lily had no idea what she was about to uncover about James Potter.
The results still managed to exceed all her expectations.
When Alice looked up the actor's name, the girls quickly realized why it sounded so familiar. The real surprise hit when they discovered that James was practically royalty in the industry. His father was none other than Fleamont Potter, one of the most famous cinematographers of all time. Fleamont had worked on productions like No Country for Old Men, Fargo, The Shawshank Redemption, and so many more. It was an impressive résumé, but it still didn’t compare to his wife’s.
James’s mother was the one and only Euphemia Potter. Oscar-winning Euphemia Potter.
Her filmography read like a list of the decade's best films. She won the Best Actress award for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a movie Lily had seen in cinemas a few years ago and considered a gem. Euphemia was also one of Wes Anderson’s muses, playing quirky but brilliant roles. And among a thousand other things, she voiced various animated characters, like Kaa from The Jungle Book. Euphemia was the kind of actress everyone, from kids to adults, couldn’t help but know.
“Bloody hell, Lily!” Alice exclaimed. “You’re about to work with the offspring of pure talent. That’s insane!”
“My mum is going to freak out when I tell her this,” Lily marveled. Even though she dealt with celebrities from a distance in her role, Lily had never been this close to a concrete interaction. She could already imagine Euphemia dropping James off on set, like a mum leaving her kid at nursery school.
Lily realized that it was James’s information she needed, so she asked Alice to click on the images tab.
The moment Alice clicked on the first family picture, she let out a loud gasp.
James was just as expected. With his tousled, shiny curls and green eyes peeking out from behind round glasses, he looked every bit the prom king. That bored Lily. Her prejudice against guys like him was often spot on, as most turned out to be as deep as a teaspoon.
And so, Lily Evans decided she had no interest whatsoever in getting to know James Potter.
- - -
Alice was upset when she found out she’d temporarily lose her flatmate.
“They want me to live with them,” Lily grumbled in frustration.
“What a nightmare,” Alice moaned, perched on the edge of Lily’s bed, the only spot not covered with clothes, towels, and makeup. Lily was packing, and the room looked like a whirlwind of chaos. “How do you feel about living with guys who are clearly spoiled and probably don’t even know how to do the dishes?”
“Let’s hope MTV pays for a cleaner,” Lily sighed. Moving to Richmond didn’t seem so bad in theory. It was a posh area, far from the turmoil of central London. But living with men had the potential to be a nightmare. And living with trust fund actors? That sounded like purgatory.
For the past three days, Lily had been mulling over what her dynamic with the four guys she’d be living with might be. Would they see her as the killjoy? She was likely the same age as them, but she feared they’d view her as an old grouch who hated fun. While Lily wasn’t the most wild and carefree person, she did enjoy stepping out of her comfort zone from time to time. She didn’t want to be seen as the school principal, waiting to catch them in the act and punish them.
Obviously, Lily wasn’t going to be foolish either. She’d keep the boys in line and do what Horace needed her to do, even if it cost her their goodwill.
"I’m going to miss you." Alice moved closer to Lily, who was anxiously folding her clothes, and hugged her. "Promise you'll call me if they throw a massive party?"
"Alice!" Lily protested. "There won't be any parties on my watch!"
- - -
The taxi driver shot Lily a glare when she tried to cram three large suitcases into the trunk. Unfazed, she calmly settled into the back seat on her way to Richmond.
Her phone buzzed. It was her mum. Lily had called her parents earlier to share details about her new role. They were so proud, and her mum’s message only bolstered that:
Hope you enjoy this new chapter! Keep those boys in check and show the company you're no pushover. We’re so proud of you, Lily. You’re going to do great.
Lily smiled, but the silence from her sister gnawed at her. Surely, she’d heard the news by now, but still—nothing. Not even a single message.
But Lily had grown used to the rift that had widened between them. She regretted it, but she no longer carried the pain.
As the scenery began to change, the LED lights of the city were replaced by the warm glow of old-fashioned street lamps, lending an air of elegance to southwest London. Mansions and parks came into view as they entered Richmond, and everything felt like a life out of reach. She wondered if she’d ever live in a place like this.
It was a Friday night, and the driver sped along, eager to catch more fares during this lucrative time. Lily and her bags jostled as they drove through the neighborhood’s wide streets.
The taxi driver, who had been quiet until now, suddenly asked, "You moving in here, miss?"
Lily had been warned about the weirdos in London, and although he didn’t seem like a creep, she answered cautiously, "I’ll be working around here."
"Nanny?" the man asked, disinterested.
"Something like that," Lily replied, a small smile tugging at her lips.
- - -
Lily had been given the address and a photo of the boys' house via email. It looked like a family home—but of a wealthy family. It was on a blind alley, one of the last houses on the street, and the neighborhood had a welcoming atmosphere.
She planned to arrive around eight in the evening, but due to her unusual disorganization, it was nearly nine when the taxi driver asked:
"That street there, right?"
Lily glanced at the sign. Yes, Nurmengard Street.
Her anxiety spiked. Lily had already imagined a thousand and one scenarios for how meeting them would go. They’d curse her out and send her packing immediately. They’d be clean, well-mannered boys who’d give her a group hug, accepting that they needed to change their behavior on set. They wouldn’t be home, and Lily would be left outside.
All of these scenarios were ridiculous, but Lily was anxious. In the email, Horace had told Lily that the boys would be informed of her arrival. So, everything was fine, right?
Lily took a deep breath as the driver rounded the final corner.
But just when her nerves seemed to settle, something started to go awry.
Because Lily heard music.
At first, it wasn’t even music, just a bass. A strong, loud beat echoing down the street. As the driver got closer, the beat morphed into a sax, then a guitar, then a piano, and suddenly a voice. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE?
Holy shit, it was fucking Rock Your Body.
No, no, no, no, no. Please, don’t let it be coming from their house.
But when the taxi stopped right in front of the house from the photo she’d been sent, Lily realized the music was indeed coming from the same place, complete with bright lights flashing behind the windows.
Those little shits were throwing a fucking party.
- - -
After Lily paid the cab driver, who looked at her with amused sarcasm, and put her bags on the curb, she figured out what to do next.
Should she barge in shouting? Should she just leave?
She had barely arrived, and the job was already ramping up her anxiety.
After a thousand scenarios flitted through her restless mind, she decided to just… Go in.
So, struggling, Lily dragged her bags to the front door of the house. She rang the doorbell and waited.
And then nothing.
Lily rang the bell again. She waited a few more minutes. And still nothing. The music was so loud that Lily was already regretting her eardrums. She rang the bell one more time, and clearly, no one was hearing.
So Lily just tried to open the door. And it worked. The idiots hadn't even locked it.
Her immediate view was a complete whirlwind.
It was clearly a living room. But Lily couldn’t see a piece of furniture in its proper place. There were so many people there, that Lily imagined it was necessary to move everything around just to fit them all in. And, oh boy, those people needed space.
Lily saw everything at first glance. There were guys drinking from a funnel and shouting something inaudible. There were girls sticking stickers on each other’s foreheads. There were two couples making out on a sofa in the corner of the room, almost overlapping due to the lack of space. There were two girls crying and hugging each other. The air smelled like they all had smoked a bag of weed each. Everything looked so chaotic that Lily couldn’t even imagine what time the party had started. Everyone was clearly high and drunk.
And the worst part? No one noticed when Lily opened the door.
The girl took a few steps, still trying to understand what was happening. The place looked like a dump, with ashtrays and red cups scattered across the floor. The red and blue light coming from a gigantic speaker gave her a headache. If Lily had a meltdown and screamed there, no one would even hear.
Suddenly, one of the guys with the beer funnel, whom Lily remembered as Peter Pettigrew, turned to her with curiosity and said, looking at his right, his words almost inaudible over the music:
— Hey, Black! Looks like you’ve got a guest!
And then Lily saw Sirius Black. He didn’t look like the unhappy boy from the gossip blog photos anymore. His hair was longer, and his demeanor was clearly confident. He was wearing a black sweater and a leather jacket. His eyebrows were thick and groomed, and Lily could see pieces of a tattoo on his neck. He was tall and imposing, but when he looked at Lily, his quick thinking made his eyes fill with panic.
Sirius just ran out of her sight, disappearing into the small crowd towards the bedrooms. Lily, stunned, stood there, confused.
Peter approached, with a slight smile. The guy was wearing a beige sweater with yellow stripes. He was clearly drunk, holding a nearly empty cup, his reddish-blond hair tousled. He was older than the photos she´d seen.
— Hey, what’s up? — Peter made a face that seemed like an attempt at flirting. — What’s your name?
Lily opened her mouth to indignantly say that she wasn’t any guest at this party, but before she could, she was interrupted.
The music suddenly stopped. The shock was immediate when everyone heard a clear, commanding voice shouting at the top of its lungs:
— Everyone out!
No one moved, still confused by the abrupt end. Then the voice yelled even louder and firmer:
— NOW, FUCKING MOVE!
Lily looked to the opposite end of the room, and James Potter was staring at her.