Hear You Me (Lily)

[Deleted]

Exploring Diagon Alley was becoming a bit of a habit for Jace, and he was glad. If he got stuck in the flat his parents rented for the summer, he'd probably go crazy, a fact that his family was fully aware of. They even teased him for it, but Jace didn't really care about that, as long as they let him out on a daily basis. The fact that they let him roam around the alley was a relief, though sometimes his dad insisted he take his step-sister Indie with him, or Brooke (his best friend). He didn't mind that either, of course. Both Indie and Brooke liked to have just as much fun as he did, so it was just as easy to have adventures with them as it was to have them on his own. Still, he was spending his summer meeting new people, exploring a new place and having tons of fun. What could be better?

Today he wandered the Alley looking for a new face, someone he could introduce himself to and maybe have some type of an adventure with. It didn't have to be life-changing, maybe even just going into a new shop, but he wanted to make a new friend. As he walked past the ice cream shop, he saw a girl sitting on her own. Her eyes looked a little glazed over and she seemed distracted ... maybe even a bit sad? Well, Jace couldn't have that. He hated seeing people upset and had a bit of a talent for helping people cheer up. So he decided to give it a go with this girl and see if he could make a friend in the process. He walked up to her, a grin on his face. "Hi," he greeted, to no response. Huh. He poked her upper arm lightly. "Hey, I'm Jace. Are you okay?" He doubted she would really want to talk about whatever was troubling her, at least not right off the bat, but the first step was getting her to talk with him at all. 

lily luna potter

[lily luna potter]

@jace

Lily had gotten up really early in order to tag along with her mum as she went in to work. There really wasn’t much for the Gryffindor to do at home these days, and since her brothers were doing their own thing and Jamie had work, following her mother to Diagon Alley wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It was apparently safe there, the worries of whomever had whisked away her dad still ever present, but Lily was getting used to not caring about it. If they continued to worry and be paranoid about it, then of course they were going to see bad things. That was the world they lived in now. Her friends from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were victims of it. Her dad was too, even if he was still declared missing. Anybody that thought otherwise was stupid. All of this was connected, and not being able to do anything about it was frustrating. Getting that pent up frustration out by walking around the shopping district was the best way to go about it. Better than punching a hole in the wall of her room. She may have done that a few times already. Thank Merlin for magic. Repair spells and noise muffling charms were super handy for an enraged she-wolf.

Currently, Lily was sat at the ice cream shop. At one point there had been a frozen treat in the bowl on the table, but it had long since melted under the summer sun. She hadn’t thought much about the ice cream when she had ordered it, but it brought back memories that she wasn’t exactly ready to deal with while in public. The stupid crying thing needed to stop because that wasn’t who she was. Lily Potter laughed at life and had fun. Now everything was pointless and sad. She hated it. So instead of crying, she stared off into the distance, unsure of exactly how long it had been until she heard a person asking if she was okay. Blinking a few times but still in a daze, Lily turned to face the boy that was poking her arm. “Sorry?”

[Deleted]

She seemed so out of focus, staring out across the alley and Jace felt bad for the girl. What was going on, that would make her sit here all by herself. She was pretty, and didn't really seem like the mean type. At least, no one was skirting around her table, giving her anxious looks. He wanted to help, but wasn't exactly sure how he could. Maybe just be a distraction? Or invite her to do something fun with him? After he poked her, she turned to look at him, apologizing and looking confused. Jace put on a charming smile, hoping it would set her at ease. "Hey, my name's Jace. I was just ..." he tried to think of something to say other than asking how she was, but couldn't. "Are you okay?" He glanced at the table, feeling a little embarrassed, and noticed her melted ice cream. Yeah ... she definitely didn't seem like she was doing too well. 

lily luna potter

[lily luna potter]

@jace

The boy that had been poking her, and apparently trying to ask her a question as well, didn’t look familiar at all. She furrowed her brow at him as he smiled. Why? What was the point in smiling at someone who clearly hadn’t been paying attention? She hated that because that was exactly how she had been a few months ago. There was no use to be happy over something as trivial as talking to a stranger, especially if they looked like they had nothing to contribute. The reason she was sitting at the table staring off into nothingness was because she didn’t want to interact with others. Apparently that was hard to understand for the boy though. He continued on, introducing himself as Jace, and then followed up by asking her if she was okay. Lily stopped herself from snapping. The part of her that didn’t want to be mean or brush him off was preventing her from doing so. Whatever face she was currently sporting was wiped clean as she blinked a few more times and sighed. If someone she didn’t even know could tell she wasn’t okay, then it had to be pretty obvious to everyone. Going through mental hurdles like she had just done was exhausting too.

“Not really,” Lily shrugged, turning her whole body to face the boy. There was no point in lying to him. Nothing was gained nor lost from that. “But it’s my own problem to deal with, so yeah…” He couldn’t do anything for her. At least she didn’t think he could. He was neither old enough to buy her alcohol, similar to how Will had somewhat allowed her, and she didn’t want to beat up a little boy in a play fight. There were certain things she was unsure about anymore, and one of those was her ability to stop herself once she got going. Understanding repercussions was obsolete in her mind, and so far the majority of the summer had been spent avoiding responsibilities as well. “Do you need something?” she asked, trying to come across like she was too bothered by his presence.

[Deleted]

The girl was obviously upset and Jace felt a little bad for interrupting her. Maybe she'd be upset about it, but at the same time ... maybe she needed some kind of distraction. She said she wasn't okay, but that it was her own problem and he felt himself grow a little more hesitant. That was weird. Jace wasn't one to really hold back when it came back to interacting with others. He normally just did whatever he wanted and had fun. The thing was, he didn't want to annoy her, though when she asked if he needed something it seemed clear that he was, but he wanted to see if he could help. He bit the inside of his cheek a little and then shrugged. "Well I'm new here and was looking for someone to show me around? Do you want to do something?" She'd probably say no and then he'd go off and find someone else, but he might as well ask and try to help, if he could. He watched her expectantly

lily luna potter

[lily luna potter]

@jace

Lily was hoping that the boy would just up and disappear after understanding that she really didn’t want to talk to him at all. But he didn’t, and instead stood there. How hard was it for him to go away? There were probably plenty of other lonely looking people in Diagon Alley that were willing to accept his help. She wasn’t special at all. Not anymore. There could be any number of people around her that knew exactly who she was; her dad’s disappearance wasn’t exactly a secret anymore, and she was sure that tabloids were spreading around family pictures with him missing from them. At least not giving a darn about those kinds of things was still part of her – if she actually cared then going out in public would have been horrid. As it was though, getting pestered by the pipsqueak next to her was terrible enough. Ugh, the look she must have had on her face for him to pity her was embarrassing to think about.

He kept talking after a few seconds of silence, explaining that he was new and looking for someone to show him around. Why he was choosing her of all people, didn’t make sense, but Lily stood up from her seat and stared at him. Her ice cream was basically done for, and she didn’t have the money to buy another one to eat. Going home right now was also out of the question, since she didn’t want to be cooped up there any longer than she had to be. That left two options: run off and find her mum and bug her for the rest of the day, or actually do something with the boy. Lily sighed. “What do you mean by new here? Like moved here, or vacation?” she asked. That would distinguish which places they would go, if she decided it was worth her time to show him around.

[Deleted]

The girl did not seem to want to talk at all and Jace decided that if she gave him any more silent treatment he would just leave her be. He could tell something was off, but assumed she didn't want to talk about it. If she didn't want someone to try and cheer her up either, who was he to not let her have her own space? Granted, leaving people be wasn't really Jace's forte, but he didn't want to cause a problem in a new place. She sighed and then asked him a question and he shrugged. "Moved here. My school got damaged, so I'm here to go to Hogwarts this fall," he explained. She probably would know he was talking about Ilvermorny, but he didn't want to give the long explanation to someone that didn't want to talk. "It kind of feels like vacation though. I'm just kind of exploring around and trying out new things and places, you know?" He didn't know if she would. She didn't really seem like the adventurous type, sitting there feeling sorry for herself. Jace felt a little bit bad for her. At least, at the moment he did. If she decided to stay there, he wouldn't feel as bad anymore because at least he tried.

lily luna potter

[lily luna potter]

@jace

His school was…damaged? That sounded stupid. Lily knew he was American, but that didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t a Durmstrang or Beauxbatons student. She could see how not all parents would want their kids going to either of those after what had happened a few months ago. Then again, how much safer was Hogwarts these days? People seemed to forget what had happened the year before last; she hadn’t. Being able to play it all off and see positivity had made it seem like she had, but the recent things going on in her life had made the ones from the past erupt once again. Regardless, the boy said he was going to be attending Hogwarts in the fall, and Lily nodded her head. She supposed he would need to know where things were in Diagon Alley after all. That was kind of integral for getting the full experience. That was one of the things she took for granted. While the shopping district still left her with a considerable amount of awe every time she visited, the ‘magic’ these days had disappeared. Maybe that was a her problem though, and not the fault of Diagon Alley.

“I think I get it,” Lily answered. She more than got it – she lived that life 24/7, 356 days a year up until recently. What seemed effortless was now a weight. Thinking about it more, Lily decided that helping the boy would do her more good than not. He hadn’t done anything to her, and it wasn’t like he would ever be able to understand what she was going through, so there was no use letting that get in her way. This was her chance to get back to normalcy, or at least mimic it for the time being. “Are there any places you want to see, or just get a basic tour of the popular places?” she asked, starting to walk away from where the table was. “I know of all the best spots, so ask away and I’ll show you.”

[Deleted]

She said she got it, but Jace wasn't entirely convinced she did. It was interesting how even talking to someone didn't help her attitude or anything, but then again he didn't know anything about this girl. Maybe she was going through a hard time or something and really didn't want a stranger butting in. He couldn't blame her for that, since he was also one who liked to keep personal things to himself. Then again, he wouldn't go out and wallow in public when he was upset. Either way, it didn't matter. He was getting the feeling he was just in the way. He was about to leave when she asked him a question and started walking away. Wait. She wanted to show him around? Well that was a good sign. Probably.

Jace followed her, shrugging a little. "Umm, I don't really know much about London to be totally honest with you. So maybe some of the more popular places, or your favorites? I'm really good with anything," he told her. Honestly, as long as Jace was doing something, he wasn't particularly picky. He just wasn't really one for hanging around and doing nothing. "Do you prefer magical landmarks, or muggle ones?" Jace asked curiously.

lily luna potter

[lily luna potter]

@jace

The boy said he didn’t know anything about London, and that caused the gears in Lily’s head to start to turn. Luckily for him, she knew quite a fair bit about all the cool places. He wouldn’t have to worry about being bored while following her around – doing dull things was not her in the slightest. Even this new version of her still disliked being cooped up and forced to go places against her will. That was also why she was going to hang out with this kid instead of going back and bugging her mum for the rest of the day. The best part though, was that he said he was fine with anything, and that meant she could toss all the boundaries out the window. Hopefully he wasn’t one those kinds of people, the ones that said they were game but really couldn’t handle it when it came time. “Doesn’t really matter to me. Personally, I think the magical ones are more compelling because they always have stories and secrets to them,” Lily explained. Her description was essentially Hogwarts in a nutshell. Secret passages, hidden rooms, food that appeared out of nowhere (at least to those that were not privy to the house elves that dwelled beneath the Great Hall), and ghosts aplenty.

“For the time being, we’ll stick around here. Probably don’t need to tell you, but this is Diagon Alley. Horizon Alley accompanies it a little ways over there,” she pointed towards a signpost that pointed in the direction of the other street. “And then there is also Knockturn Alley. That has all the seedy witches and wizards, and going there always means trouble.” She felt like she was reading off of a pamphlet as they were walking, making sure to also make comments on the different stores, such as Madame Malkin’s and Flourish & Blott’s. “But for the sake of making things a little interesting, we’re going to go to Knockturn and see what’s up today. Any questions so far?” Lily asked as she stopped right outside the entrance to the other alley.

[Deleted]

She said she didn't care what types of sites they went to see and Jace thought for a moment, listening to her explanation. "Well then magical ones definitely sound more interesting ... so we can do those if you'd rather." He didn't want to make the choice, since he wanted her to be happier. That meant she needed to make the ultimate decision about what they did, but he could tell her what sounded more interesting to him, since she offered the information. 

He smiled and nodded, walking along with her when she explained that they were in Diagon Alley, with both Horizon and Knockturn Alley nearby. She explained shops that were nearby and then suggested going into Knockturn Alley. Jace smiled, ready to try what she thought was interesting. It should be fun, at least. "Nope, that all makes sense." He chuckled. "I've tried Diagon and Horizon Alleys a bit, so I'm definitely ready to try out Knockturn Alley." He was sure his parents probably wouldn't like it if they knew he was going there, but they didn't have to know. It would be fine.

lily luna potter

[lily luna potter]

@jace

Like usual, Lily didn’t really care what the people accompanying her wanted to do; once she was in control of the situation, it was her way or the highway. The boy seemed to allow her to do that, which was easier than having to convince him that she wasn’t interested in doing muggle things today. Being in the magical district let her get away with a lot more while under a less scrutinizing eye – on the muggle side she had to watch what she said and did, and self-restraint seemed to be one of her major flaws. While she was all for sticking it to the big man in charge, that meant making Aunt Hermione’s job that much more difficult, and that was one family member she didn’t want to cross on a bad day. Her intensity was…powerful. “What was your name again?” Lily asked, or commanded rather, glancing over her shoulder at the boy briefly, before snapping it back ahead of her in a flash of hair. She was positive he had made an attempt to say it earlier, but it had already slipped her mind on what it could have been.

As she stopped at the entrance to Knockturn, Lily grinned when the boy said he was ready to ‘try out’ the darker district. Issuing a warning to someone that thought of it that way would be fruitless – if he ran out screaming, he ran out screaming. Stopping him from doing either wasn’t her thing, and she was sure that there was something interesting for to find inside Knockturn Alley with or without him by her side. “Sure. You can try it out,” Lily agreed. “Just don’t make eye contact with anyone but me, ‘kay? Or touch anything. Especially if it has a warning label.” Danger should have been her middle name (despite her actual namesake contributing to Lily’s odd sense of everything), but sticking her paws on black-magic books or cursed artifacts was one of the things she strayed from. Too many close calls had taught her a lesson, similar to that of a dog with an electric fence collar. Eventually she got tired of the negative reinforcement and learned to keep her hands to herself when it came to the shops in Knockturn. “If you see a shop that looks interesting, let me know and we’ll duck inside,” Lily said as she took the first step into the alleyway, and towards the row of shops.

[Deleted]

Lily was leading the way and Jace followed, content to let her have her lead. At least she was off the bench. Maybe she'd be distracted from whatever was giving her such a sad expression. He didn't know what it was, of course, but he hated seeing people upset for whatever reason. "I'm Jace," he said with an easy smile when she looked back at him. She was already looking forward again, which was fine with him. 

She stopped as they approached a new area. Looking at the signs, it was easy to see that they were about to enter Knockturn Alley and Jace felt his anticipation rise. He didn't know what to expect, but he was excited to see what was in this place. He nodded at her warnings. "Got it. Eye contact with you, hands to myself," he echoed. Normally he wouldn't be particularly excited to obey commands like that, but this girl's no-nonsense attitude made him more determined. He started to follow her inside, looking from side to side. "Will do," he told her. These shops were different from the ones in Diagon, obviously. They were supposed to be. Even just from the outside they were darker and more sinister-looking. Interesting. "I'm guessing you've been here before? Where did you go then?" he asked curiously. The shops were fascinating, but nothing was calling to him yet.

lily luna potter

[lily luna potter]

@jace

Jace. That was his name. Now she remembered him introducing himself right when he walked up to her. She used to do that too, from time to time. Jumping right into a conversation with someone regardless of if she knew them, or if they even wanted to talk to her. Most of the time (at least at school), people were more than happy to discuss whatever she wanted to blabber on about. Not in Knockturn Alley though, so that was one of the things she was afraid of this Jace kid doing once they entered. He said he hadn’t been there before, which meant that he didn’t really understand what it was about. Technically she wasn’t allowed either, but there were enough friends and cousins of hers that were willing to let her tag along, albeit on a tightened leash. What they never seemed to learn though, was that she was an expert at escaping, and that was how she had come to have more than enough rough encounters in the darker side of the shopping district.

He agreed to keep his eyes averted and hands to himself, which was a good start. As he asked if she had been before, Lily nodded her head. “A few times. And I’m serious about not touching anything. There are shops here that only sell cursed items. Without handling them properly, you can get really messed up.” It was almost gross that she was warning someone about potential danger. Hadn’t she spent the spring term climbing trees and acting like an idiot because she could? Magic was apparently the limit to that though, and things in Knockturn were not to be meddled with. If the items didn’t kill you, the shopkeepers very well could. “I like the bookstore near the entrance. It has a lot of things you won’t find in Flourish and Blotts or the other ones in Diagon,” Lily explained. “I’m not much of a reader, but these texts have pictures and diagrams on ancient potions and rituals, so they’re kind of cool. Most of those won’t kill you to look at either.” They were getting close to the bookstore as she explained it, somewhat hoping that would be the one he wanted to go in first.

[Deleted]

He watched her as they walked, making sure to not look at the other people or shops around. While he was excited to be going into a new area, he also felt that she really meant he shouldn't take this lightly. Her serious attitude made him feel the need to control himself perhaps a little bit more than he normally would. Jace was normally the extremely curious type that was looking at everything, if not touching it, but as she repeated her warning he nodded. "I heard you. I'll keep to myself," was his answer. He had no intention of getting himself cursed right before his adventure at Hogwarts was about to start. No, Jace wanted to have fun and getting himself hurt was definitely not a good way to do that.

She started talking about a bookstore that had cool pictures and diagrams and old magic explained inside and Jace found himself curious. "That sounds like a good place to start," he answered, though he really doubted that anything he said would change her mind about where they went. She seemed to be the kind of person that did what she wanted when she wanted to. He was just interested in seeing things he wouldn't normally see. "Have you bought books from there, or mostly just looked around?" Jace asked curiously. He couldn't touch things right now, or look around, so he had to get his curiosity out somehow. Asking questions seemed like the best way to do that.

lily luna potter