Cauldron
Lily had never felt more intimidated in a setting than she did standing at the entrance of Cauldron.
The club’s exterior was stunning. It was enormous, with neon lights everywhere, glass walls, and lasers shooting into the sky. Luxury cars pulled up to the valet, and impeccably dressed people stepped out, wearing sunglasses and fur coats as if it were a red carpet event.
Lily, meanwhile, felt underdressed, wearing a mix of her work clothes and pieces Mary had kindly lent her.
After a heated discussion, everyone had decided to stop at a gas station before heading to the party to use the restrooms to freshen up. The hair and makeup team had removed the basics from everyone, but there were still traces of makeup on the girls and bits of gel and hairspray in the boys’ hair.
Despite Sirius’s protests about the unsanitary conditions of the neon-lit, grimy bathroom, everyone emerged looking almost the same as they had when they entered the studio earlier. Mary’s curly hair was free and wild, Marlene’s sharp white layers were on full display, and James’s curls had reverted to their usual natural charm.
And apparently, everyone—except Lily—had packed a change of clothes. Mary had brought an entire makeup bag and what seemed like five different outfit options, one for every possible occasion. She changed into a tight, royal blue dress that shimmered, while Marlene went for fishnet tights, distressed shorts, an oversized shirt that fell off one shoulder, and her signature smudged black eyeshadow.
“Lily, do you need anything?” Mary asked, finishing up her lip gloss in the dimly lit, cracked mirror.
Lily was caught off guard, leaning against the bathroom door, not expecting them to remember she was even there.
“Oh, no, I—” Lily stammered.
“I brought extra clothes!” Mary grinned, reaching into her bag. “C’mon, pick something! I heard Cauldron is super fancy.”
“Have you been there before?” Lily asked hesitantly.
“Never!” Mary answered enthusiastically, pulling out more clothes. “It’s the kind of place that West End’s rich kids are already tired of. This was Sirius’s idea, after all…”
Lily glanced at the pile of outfits, debating whether she should accept Mary’s offer.
Mary noticed her hesitation and held up a light, flowy green blouse. “This would look amazing on you!”
“Oh, I couldn’t—” Lily began, eyeing the delicate, glitter-dusted fabric.
“Don’t be silly!” Mary interrupted, pulling her closer. “We’re mates now! And besides, it’d look way better on you than it ever would on me.”
Lily gave a small, shy smile and turned away from the girls to try it on. It was soft, airy, and surprisingly comfortable.
“That looks nice!” Marlene said with a thumbs-up and a playful grin.
“Yes!” Mary cheered. “And I have a skirt that will match perfectly!”
“Just… not too short, okay?” Lily added, embarrassed to set conditions. “I’m technically on the clock.”
“In theory, you’re not,” Marlene teased, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, it feels like I’m working 24/7,” Lily admitted with a shrug. “Since I have to follow the boys wherever they go.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Marlene said indignantly, leaning against the bathroom wall.
Lily didn’t know how to defend herself, so she just gave a defeated look and started putting on the skirt Mary handed her. It wasn’t exactly work-appropriate, but it wasn’t scandalous either. It would have to do.
She kept her worn boots—scuffed but sturdy—as her one connection to herself amid the borrowed glamour.
When the girls stepped out of the bathroom, they found the boys leaning against the van with beers in hand and impatient looks on their faces. But when they saw the girls, something in their expressions changed.
They seemed a bit stunned. And Lily couldn’t help but notice that some of those looks were directed at her, even if subtly.
She nearly blushed when she caught Peter glancing at her legs, but he quickly pretended he hadn’t, and she pretended not to notice.
- - -
Lily stared at the luxurious entrance, questioning just how terrible of an idea this whole thing seemed.
From inside Cauldron, the faint sound of Who’s That Chick? could be heard, confidently sung by Mary in the parking lot. The boys began stepping out of the van one by one, each with a different expression. Sirius looked completely at ease, as if he were walking into his own living room. Remus, on the other hand, seemed the opposite—visibly uncomfortable to even be there. James appeared genuinely excited, and Peter followed close behind, though with a hint of nervousness.
When she noticed that everyone was heading straight for the line, Lily rushed ahead of the group and called out:
“Wait! Just listen to me first!”
The boys came to a stop. Sirius rolled his eyes, but Lily paid him no mind.
“I need to quickly go over the rules for behavior in public spaces, at least for a moment!”
Everyone turned to Lily, giving her their full attention.
“MTV has very clear rules about its stars’ reputations, especially for teen shows. I’m sure none of you want to end up on TMZ, right?” Everyone pulled a face at the thought. “So, the first rule is: Don’t try to draw attention to yourselves. We’re here to relax, not to crash and burn. That means no overdrinking and absolutely no drugs, please. Those are the kinds of things paparazzi love to catch, and I’m pretty sure we’ve got some of them lurking around here, right?” Lily looked at Sirius, who initially didn’t want to answer but reluctantly admitted:
“Yes.”
“Exactly,” Lily continued. “Don’t talk about the show. The production is CONFIDENTIAL. I’d even suggest lying about your names if you meet anyone. And please, no fights or anything like that. That can be even worse than drugs. A hot-headed celebrity is worse than a reckless one.”
Everyone nodded silently in agreement.
“Understood? Good. Let’s go.”
The bouncers at the club looked Lily up and down before Sirius said that everyone was with him. Yes, she knew she didn’t look as rich as the rest of the crowd, thank you very much.
Inside, it was even more luxurious. There was a shiny chandelier on the ceiling that acted like a disco ball, reflecting light everywhere. Champagne with sparklers passed by the hands of tuxedoed waiters. There was a snack table that Lily didn’t dare to touch, lest she be charged. The DJ was on a high stage, surrounded by thousands of technicolor lights.
“Wow!” James rubbed Sirius’s head. “You nailed it, Padfoot!”
“I know, Prongs!” Sirius shrugged. “I always like to surprise people with Cauldron.”
“Then why haven’t we ever come here before?” Peter shouted to James as he came closer to the two.
“We’re too much of a bunch of kids...” James laughed, grabbing a champagne flute from a passing tray. Lily wondered if they’d be charged for that.
Indeed, the people around seemed older, somewhere between 25 and 35 years. She herself was just a girl wearing boots.
“I could get used to a place like this…” Mary said, looking around at everyone with interest.
“It’s too noisy!” Remus complained.
“Oh, Remus!” Mary smiled at him with her usual charm. Mary was a very pretty girl. “Stop being such a grumpy old man. You’re young, and you got a chance in life! You have to enjoy it.”
Remus was about to say something but stopped mid-sentence and smiled at Mary, who gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“That’s the spirit!”
They all continued deeper into the club, eventually reaching a bar that looked like it was meant to resemble the North Pole or something, the counter made of ice, with blue lights and a smoke machine.
“Where’s the smoking area?” Remus leaned in to ask Sirius.
“Already, Moony?” Sirius smiled, looking up. “Can’t go an hour without smoking, huh?”
“And you can’t go an hour without making jokes, clown,” Remus replied, irritated. “Just point, will you?”
“I’ll take you there, my boy.” Sirius grinned, leaning over the counter. “Let me just grab a drink. One single malt Scotch, please.” Sirius winked at the barmaid, who smiled and grabbed a lowball glass.
“Hold on a second!” James stepped in front of Sirius. “If you’re drinking, then we’re all drinking!” Then he turned to the barmaid. “Miss, a round for everyone!”
“Not for me!” Lily said quickly, but James pretended not to hear.
The satisfied barmaid lined up the glasses in a spiral on a tray and gestured for a waiter to set up a table in the middle of them. Lily watched the whole scene in growing despair. It hadn't even been ten minutes since she laid out the rules.
The tray arrived, the clear brown liquid already releasing its woody scent—one Lily wasn’t particularly fond of.
“A toast!” James called out. “To those who earned their place in the sun!”
“To us!” Sirius added, throwing an arm around James’s shoulders. “The bunch of crazy-ass metaforms we are!”
James let out a weird howl, which Sirius immediately followed:
“AUUUUUUU!”
“I hate men sometimes,” Marlene laughed, shaking her head.
“Same,” Remus added before downing his shot, prompting everyone else to follow.
Well, everyone except Lily. She stared at her glass before turning to Mary.
“Want mine?”
“Nope,” James cut in, stepping closer with a loose laugh. Lily looked at him, and there was something about him that already seemed way bolder than before. “The toast was for everyone.”
“You’re not gonna disrespect the shot that I paid for, are you, PR?” Sirius shot Lily a look, and immediately, her stomach twisted with embarrassment.
How dare he act like that? What a jerk.
Lily downed the shot in one go, feeling a wave of warmth spread through her body. The bitter liquid was surprisingly good. Of course—it had to be one of the finest malt Scotchs in the world.
The music sounded better now. Still pop, but something more mellow. Lily glanced around.
The groups of people were incredibly stylish, but they also seemed completely carefree. At the table next to theirs, a group of women looked like they were having a girls’ night. One of them had platinum blonde hair in a bob, with one side shaved and a leopard print design dyed into it. She laughed easily, twirling a neon-colored drink in one hand, the olive on a toothpick bouncing from side to side. The woman talking to her, on the other hand, was practically a Desperate Housewife—a tight top emphasized what was probably a very recent surgery, and her lips, painted with Snob lipstick, curved into ironic smiles as she scanned the room, probably looking for new prey.
“Well, I think it’s time for a little walk…” Sirius glanced around. “Moony, Mary, wanna head to the smoking area?”
Mary blinked in surprise but tried to play it cool.
“Sure!” she grinned, effortlessly charming. “Brought some good menthols.”
Lily raised an eyebrow.
“Tobacco, Lily!” Mary widened her eyes, laughing. “Not drugs, okay?”
Lily just smiled and said nothing. Remus followed the two extroverts, looking both exhausted and slightly panicked. Lily had to hold back a laugh.
“Well, Wormtail and I are gonna take a lap,” James announced. “See if we run into some familiar faces.”
“Try not to draw attention,” Lily warned, stepping toward him.
“Well…” James looked her up and down. Lily could feel a slight whiskey-laced breath against her skin, the faintly sweet scent making her a little flustered. He was wearing a mahogany shirt and beige trousers, paired with the same Converse from the night before. Wasn’t he supposed to be, like, a millionaire? “If we do, you’ll handle it, right?”
Lily opened her mouth to answer, but within seconds, James was already walking off with Peter, both chuckling under their breath.
“Well…” Marlene turned to Lily, grinning. “Looks like it’s just us, huh?”
“Looks like it.” Lily smiled back, but she felt pathetic. It was obvious no one wanted her around right now. She was an outsider here.
Marlene tilted her head slightly, almost like she could read Lily’s thoughts.
“Come on!” Marlene suddenly grabbed Lily’s hand, pulling her along. “Let’s have some fun.”
Lily looked at her, a mix of amusement and panic flashing in her eyes.
“We’re drinking on Sirius’s tab,” Marlene whispered in Lily’s ear. And just like that, Lily let out a mischievous little laugh.