honey honey, nearly kill me
“You want to get married?”
Andromeda’s face fell, caught off guard by her friend’s less-than-welcome reaction. “Yeah… I know I said it would never happen out of sheer spite towards my family but– Ted and I wanted to do something official, have a big party and all that. If you think it’s too much for you to have it at the villa, we can easily do it on the mainland. I don’t want to cause a big stress for you right when you’ve made this place so amazing.”
“No, no of course it has to happen here!” Lily quickly smoothed over her mistakes. “It’ll be great, especially for Dora, and if you want it to happen then it’s exactly what we’ll do. I’m sure we can make it work.” Lily wasn’t so sure. “We’ve been meaning to test out the villa for bigger groups anyways, right? We’ll make this the party of the decade.” Lily’s outward enthusiasm definitely seemed to placate her friend. “So what are you two thinking about then? Like the church on the–”
She was cut off by a loud crash and a string of near-curses from outside the kitchen window.
“I’ll go see what Harry’s managed to do this time,” Lily laughed, taking the welcome excuse to excuse herself from the conversation.
As happy as she was for Andy, it was going to be a shitshow: the villa was still crumbling from age-old cracks that hadn’t quite been smoothed and Lily herself was already falling apart at the seams trying to hold the whole thing together. A massive party with all sorts of old friends was the last thing she needed right now, especially when the numbers on her budgets for the villa always looked like they were missing a few zeroes. But she wouldn’t be here, both literally and figuratively, without Andy, and she would do everything she could to help.
As long as everything went according to plan, that summer would be the epitome of a beautiful island wedding, with the booze and partying to match. But of course, when did anything in Lily’s life happen according to her meticulous plans?
-
And so it was that turn of events that led to Lily standing at one end of Kalokairi’s tiny dock, waiting for the ferry.
Two familiar figures stumbled off of the boat, the shorter one mocking the taller indecipherably as the pair made their way to dry land. The tall one had a halo of dark curls that fell in front of her face as she pulled her heeled shoe out from the gap in the wooden decking to the relentless teasing of the shorter blond one, who’s own black boots were entirely out of place on the beachy island.
During their small string of issues, the rest of the ferry’s passengers had filed out, leaving Lily and the misfit pair alone at opposite ends of the dock.
“Will you look at what the tide washed in?” Lily shouted down to them.
Immediately in position, the blond one replied, “For one night…”
“...and one night only…” continued the one with the curls.
They all responded, drawing out their vowels for suspense. “The Valkyries!”
Lily ran towards them and was met with a crushing hug, time spent too long apart having done nothing to tarnish their friendship.
“You guys look great,” Lily said breathlessly, “A little overdressed I’ll give that, but all the same.”
“And you look like the island’s getting to you,” Mary replied affectionately, taking in Lily’s damaged dungarees and worn-out, tie-dye top.
“Valkyries! No respite! Sleep all day and… woohoo all night!”
God, Lily had missed this band of idiots. As much as they’d promised not to all through school, ultimately real life had gotten to them and it had been years since they had been together as a trio. She had seen them individually over the years, but even that was rare given Lily’s reluctance (mostly financially-driven) to go farther afield than the Greek mainland.
The three of them piled into Lily’s beaten-up truck, the sky-blue paint flaking off even as she slammed the door closed. There was a CD from their ‘good old days’ blasting far too loud for the tranquil setting, but all of a sudden Lily could blink and she’d gone back in time ten years, back to when her biggest worry was next week’s chemistry test.
“So any rich attractive singles coming to the wedding?” Mary started from the passenger seat. “I mean preferable wealthy as well but I can work around that.”
“Here we go!” Marlene leaned forward into the space between the seats to join the conversation, “Marriage number four, it’s coming!”
“No, no not for me,” Mary shook her head in mock offence, “For her!” She pointed back at Marlene, “How long has it been since you and Lottie ended it, huh? I reckon it’s time we found you Ms Right.”
“Oh, please. Boring! Where am I going to find a wife here anyways? Isn’t most of Andromeda’s family super rich and Jesus-y anyways?”
“Most importantly, filthy rich and disgustingly attractive from what I’ve gathered,” Mary responded.
“And for the most part, also not coming ,” Lily corrected her friends before they got hooked on to some elaborate scheme involving one of Andy’s second cousins and a ski chalet in the French Alps. “Great pair of role models you are for Harry and Nymphadora. A serial dater and a little miss lesbian hermit over there.”
“That’s me, I’m a lone wolf,” Marlene punctuated her words with a howl, ruffling her hand through bleached hair.
“So what brought this on all of a sudden? Haven’t Andy and Ted been together for ages?” Mary asked, moving the conversation on.
“God, who even knows? I don’t understand our dear Andy sometimes. She used to be so strongly against any kind of marriage, and I never really knew Ted’s stance on the whole thing – I think he was just happy as long as they were together. But now she wants this big white wedding and the villa’s all decked out and we’ve been sewing like mad trying to get dresses made. Well, what can you do? She’s happy, that’s what matters to me.” Lily explained. “To be honest, it’s not us I’m worried about – the villa’s struggling as it is, I don’t know how we’re gonna fit all these extra people in.”
Marlene raised her hand, “We volunteer to sleep in the old goat house if that makes it any easier for you dearest Lilyflower.”
“Absolutely not.” Both Mary and Lily replied in synchronisation, sending the trio into a fit of giggles.
More catching up on each others’ lives ensued, until the dusty old truck pulled up into the villa. Harry came running out, his short little legs carrying him at a concerning pace over the uneven cobblestone. “Aunty Mary!” He shouted as he stumbled slightly, only to be caught by Mary’s waiting outstretched arms.
“Hey poppet!” Mary laughed, swooping the boy upwards and putting him carefully back down on the ground. “You’re running way faster than when I last saw you!” Mary had always had a natural ability with children, most of which Lily suspected came from her younger siblings. Marlene, in complete contrast, looked slightly awkward as she climbed out of the truck to the sight of an overexcited Harry. She’d confided to Lily before that she thought she was a bad influence on Harry as a result of some of her own personal issues and opinions on herself, but Lily had promised that she’d be a great aunt.
“I bet you don’t remember me.” Marlene smiled.
“Not with that bad bleach job he won’t.” Mary responded instead, nudging Harry towards his other aunt.
“Aunty Marlee!” Harry exclaimed, only just noticing her at that moment. He flung himself towards her, and Marlene only froze momentarily before relaxing into the embrace. Maybe it was his easy nature or wide green eyes, Harry had always had a talent to make people feel comfortable. Lily liked to think that was more the job she did raising him than the genetics of a man he reminded her just a little bit too much of.
When the moment was over, Lily grabbed and tickled Harry’s sides as she spoke, sending him into excited laughter, “Okay big man, why don’t you help me and your aunties move all their stuff?” She handed him Mary’s wide-brimmed sun hat that had fallen off at some point, “This is very big and important so I want you to be careful with it, alright? Can you take it to the deer room?” Harry nodded sincerely, off on his way as soon as she finished.
She turned around to see her friends cooing at the interaction. “Come on you two, we actually do need to move this stuff.” She picked up the first suitcase, only to immediately have to put it down. “Jesus Christ Mary, what did you bring? This thing weighs a tonne.”
“Oh, you know, all the good bits and pieces.”
“Could you please try to be any more vague,” Marlene joked, having easily swung her own under-packed duffel bag over her shoulder.
They started walking across the courtyard to the main house, some lugging more weight than others. “Watch the mosaic!” Lily shouted after Marlene, who had gone on ahead.
All of the small group’s steps faltered as they surveyed the patterned floor. The pattern was intricate and old, two swans together. It was fractured down the middle, damage from the sudden increase in use in the last decade and a lack of upkeep.
“It’s beautiful,” Mary exclaimed, “Shame about the cracks.”
“It’s based on the old legend about Aphrodite’s fountain being on the island, you know, the goddess of love,” Lily explained, directing the last part at Marlene, who had always blocked out Lily’s tangents about Greek mythology at school, “They say if you drank the water, you were supposed to find true love and perfect happiness.”
“I’ll have a glass of that,” Mary said in awe.
Marlene added, “Yeah and I’ll have a whole bucket.”
“Magic water or not, it’s a selling point for us,” Lily said, “We’ve got an old school friend of Andy’s coming for the wedding who’s a journalist, she’s agreed to publish an article if she can swing it with her higher-ups. Dorcas Meadow or Meadowes I think her name is.”
They climbed the slightly rickety stairs to the ‘deer room’, and Lily pushed the door open to let her friends inside. It was officially called the Artemis room, named like all the others after various deities, and the one that Marlene or Mary usually stayed in anyways.
“I thought you didn’t want boatloads of tourists?” Marlene asked, drawing Lily back to their earlier conversation.
“Oh, no, not boatloads. But, you know, a few more would be nice. We’re not exactly in a prime connection spot here – we don’t get the classic ‘stumbling in’ hotel customers, so what we get is what we get.” Lily replied. As her friends started unpacking their things, she added, “Okay also the thing with the toilet, if it doesn’t flush right away, just go and come back in a while, and it should… you know.” She skirted across the room to the window that opened out above the courtyard, “Nothing really works around here except for me. I’ve been running this hotel for seven years and I have never had a day off.” She flung - well, tried to fling - the light blue shutters open, only for one of them to fall to the ground far below. “Shit, sorry!” Lily shouted as she leaned forward to check that she hadn’t hit anyone.
“Nevermind.” Lily said, turning her back to her most recent disaster. Mary and Marlene met her with pitying looks. “You know, sometimes I just think if all of this would’ve been easier if I found myself a nice wealthy man. Harry’s dad, god forbid, if I’d tried a bit harder to make him stick around.”
“More like if you’d given him the chance to stick around,” Marlene corrected, not unkindly.
“Touche.” Lily relented.
It was in that moment the ground trembled ever so slightly, making the cracks on the mosaic outside split ever so slightly more.
“What was that?” Mary asked, visibly beginning to panic.
“Do you feel it? The earth moved, love. We’re falling apart here, but don’t think about it. Come on, let’s go have some fun!” Lily excused herself to the kitchen to check Andy was looking after Harry for the afternoon as planned and to grab a bottle of something strong – for old time’s sake.
Before long, far too much alcohol for that early in the afternoon had been consumed, and there had been so much and yet very little of substance when it came to conversation between the trio.
That was until, inevitably, Lily’s ever-growing to-do list crossed her mind again. “Oh, my god! I’ve got a crack in my courtyard, a massive one! I really need to go fix that.”
She tried to stand up, but was forcibly pulled back onto the bed by her friends. “Hey listen Lily. Lily?” Mary said.
“Oh sit down, come on.” Marlene held her down as Lily tried to resist by returning to the world and responsibilities of adulthood.
“I know you’ll make a fortune once that journalist gets here, but are you gonna be alright until then?” Mary asked genuinely.
Marlene explained, “I think Mary’s offering to sell her massive collection of bits and bobs she’s got hidden in that suitcase.”
Mary gave her blond friend an exasperated look, “No seriously, Lily… you know we’re always here to support you, right? Financially too, if you need it.”
“No! Of course not Mary.” Lily responded. Yes, she definitely needed it, but there was no way in hell she would mooch off her friend when she knew she could do it herself. She just needed a bit of time, that was all. “I’m just complaining. You know me, I don’t need to be taken care of.”
“Yeah, but are you being taken care of?” Mary challenged.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you getting any…” Mary made a vague but very obviously sexual gesture.
“Nah, not much choice around here really. Everyone’s old or married, and I’ve got Harry and this goddamn villa to put all my love and energy towards instead. But honestly I’m glad that whole part of my life is over, I absolutely do not miss it.”
Lily wanted to stay on that bed forever drinking herself silly with her best friends, but eventually she actually did have to get to work. She threw open the doors to the storage area underneath the old goat house in search of something she could use to at least mask the massive cracks in the courtyard. Humming a tune as she looked, she faltered when she heard a crash from up above her. At first she thought nothing of it – as this villa had already more than proved today, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the whole building was crumbling. But then she heard muffled voices. That definitely wasn’t supposed to be there.
As far as she knew (which should’ve been the extent of what was happening; she ran this place for god’s sake) the house was just for people to crash in if they were only staying the night of the wedding. Normally, Andy’s cousin Sirius would sleep there when visiting so he wouldn’t intrude on the villa when there were guests, but he was supposed to arrive tomorrow. And even so, she was pretty sure he would end up staying with Remus down in the village like usual.
Ultimately Lily’s curiosity got the better of her. She climbed the ladder-like steps up to the trapdoor, and pushed it open ever so slightly.
Lily could pinpoint the moment her heart stopped.
She ran. The trapdoor fell shut behind her.
Surely she was dreaming.
Or more like one of her worst nightmares had come to life.
The humid air outside did nothing to ease her unsteady breathing as she collapsed against the weathered stone wall. The window beside her called, beckoning her, daring her to look. To check that she wasn’t dreaming. She had no choice but to relent, a small flicker of hope within her that somehow it had been a trick of the light.
But Lily could never be that lucky, and her second glance confirmed as much.
Three people, all older then when she remembered them but there was absolutely no doubt as to who they were. A slight man with ebony curls, who ran his fingers over the dusty collection of books. A beach-ready, messy-haired man with thinly framed circular glasses. And a blonde woman in a flowing summer dress, pacing around the room like she was already planning how to leave.
Three people. Three summers. Three disasters Lily could not deal with the stress of reliving right now.
The first was Regulus Black. Quiet, reserved and the biggest fan of classic Roman and Greek mythology that Lily had ever met. The pair had been friends at first through university, bonding over complicated sibling relationships and a love of literature. But then, of course, the summer came. Regulus persuaded Lily to go island hopping, except with a careful plan they compiled together so he could see the many famous sights of long-lost tales, and Lily would have time to relax and breathe. One thing led to another and… (‘dot, dot dot’, as they did in the old days.) That was the summer Regulus fell in love with Lily, but the summer that Lily fell in love with Kalokairi. They were never supposed to last, and she thought she had made her peace with that a long time ago, until that past showed up right on her doorstep.
And it could only get worse from there.
Next in this line-up from hell was none other than James Potter. At the time, he was a rich boy thriving off of his parent’s wealth on a lads’ trip that, thanks to a spot of bad planning and poor research, ended up on one of the least party-suited islands in the whole archipelago. But, alas, that was probably just what happened when you gave a guy in his early twenties with little forethought and no sense of direction a boat for his birthday. Lily had agreed to house them for a few nights in the villa (not that it didn’t hurt her – the group had money to burn and little understanding of how shit of a deal they were getting), and there was something about James with his sunshine smile and relentless charm that had Lily falling to pieces. James let his friends go on without him and… Harry happened, that’s what. The summer had to end eventually, and James returned home with no knowledge of what his surprise stay on the island had left behind.
The third was the most recent, and by far the most painful scar. Pandora Rosier. The woman who had swooped into Lily’s life a mere three years later and put her entirely under her spell. Lily had always fallen hard and fast, loved too much too soon and clung on with tooth and claw. But that time it was particularly bad. She had been a moth to Pandora’s brilliant glowing flame, and had left all her inhibitions at the door. So of course that was the time she walked out, her heart shattered on the floor as Andy did her best to collect the broken pieces and weld them together. She had, eventually. Lily had kept her heart soldered tightly closed to anyone new, she had built her walls up around her island home and around all that love she had to give that strained at the bars of its enclosure. She was safer that way. Safer from another Pandora.
Lily had to get them out. She wouldn’t let her past issues get in the way of Andy’s big day, and she knew they would if she allowed them to haunt her every moment on the island.
The trapdoor loomed in front of her again. She convinced herself she had no other choice.
“What the everloving fuck is happening here?” Her demand startled the three of them, voice ringing too loud through the peace of the mostly-abandoned goat house.
“You always knew how to make an entrance,” Pandora murmured, low enough that Lily wasn’t sure she was supposed to hear, and it only served to make her angrier.
“I’d better be dreaming.” She said, “You guys better not be here.”
“Want me to pinch you, Lily?” James offered, smirking at her outburst. Lily shot him a blazing glare that immediately shut him up.
“You probably don’t recognise me, do you?” Regulus asked. His hair was much shorter than it had been, the longest of his ebony curls brushing his cheekbones. Now, in the room with him, he seemed broader, less waif-like than he'd been in their early adulthood. But the biggest change of all was the way he carried himself. He was no longer curled into himself, defensive and skittish - there was an unobtrusive confidence that carried his frame, holding his head up a little higher. He looked at peace with himself, which made the realisation hit Lily that she had barely known what that looked like on him.
“Of course I do Regulus,” Lily assured, her tone softened by fondness but her anger still not entirely gone.
“I’ve probably changed a bit, but you certainly haven’t,” Regulus responded, the other two agreeing with him.
“Why are you here?” The bite had returned to Lily’s voice as her address included the two she was significantly less happy with, “What are you doing here, right now?”
James went first, his usual ego stripped away in the face of Lily’s rage, “I brought Sirius here for the wedding, he needed a lift.” And Andromeda invited me, which Lily didn’t get, nor, my mum gave me a whole lot of shit about how his birthday once a year isn’t frequently enough to see my son.
“I-uh. I was on holiday and though I would just drop in to say hi,” Pandora followed with another legless excuse.
“I’m actually here for the wedding of my dearest cousin. Wouldn’t have happened to be the same one James’s friend was going to, would it?”
Lily was completely dumbfounded at that one. “Okay, we will be coming back to that later - cousin? - never mind. What is.. This?” Lily gestured vaguely at the three people who, in her mind, shouldn’t even be on the same plane of existence, let alone all in a room together.
“It’s one of those serendipitous moments in life when three complete strangers share a common thought,” James explained.
‘Pretentious private school prick’ was all that crossed Lily’s mind. “Strangers? You don’t know each other?”
“That’s generally the definition.” Regulus said.
“Okay, good, but who… Why are you here?” She pointed at the dusty, cracked floorboards underneath her feet, “Who said that you could stay up in my old goat house?”
“Didn’t catch the name…”
“…Greek lady.”
“Well, she spoke Greek.”
“Yeah.”
“Or maybe she said we couldn’t stay in the old goat-house.”
“Yeah, maybe that was it, in Greek.”
“Yeah, that’s it, that’s it.” Lily put an end to their joint scrambling for an explanation. Something wasn’t quite adding up, but she was sure she was just being paranoid and pushed her suspicions aside. “You can’t stay here because I’m closed and I’m full. And I’m busy, I’m really ... I have a wedding, my friends are getting married…”
“Lily. Lily, don’t worry about us. We’ll be out of your hair the whole week, I promise.” Pandora interrupted. Her eyes were still the same clear blue as the sea, luring Lily in like a siren’s song until she forgot all her past grievances with the other woman. “I just wanted to see the island. You know what it meant to me.” Lily chose to ignore that. She couldn’t deal with the knife that was driven through her heart at those words. How much it had meant to them, more like, back in the time where they could have been a them.
“Okay, I’m gonna arrange for a boat to take you all back to the mainland.” It was dangerous for Lily to dwell on her thoughts when she had so much to do.
“No worries, Lily, I have a boat,” James said, “I was hoping to take Ha…”
“You have a boat? Good, get on it, and anchors away. Away, away.” Lily couldn’t give him an excuse to stay, because that meant not just dealing with him but also with Pandora.
“Hey, Lily –” Pandora started.
“–It’s good to see you.”