Ice cream, alcohol, and a chat with someone who wasn't the man she was in love with or a snarky doctor trying to give her doomed love advice? The trifecta of brilliance.
Gladly setting aside all her books, Lily went down to the bar and took a seat in one of the armchairs by the fire, waiting for Murphy.
The house elves had delivered in record time, so Murphy headed out without too much delay. "Long time no see," she offers, as she slides down into the seat next to Lily. She's not digging for an explanation. If it comes, it does. Sometimes folks just disappear, though.
"Yeah," Lily replied, a bit sheepishly, grinning at the other woman. "I've been...busy." Good catch-all explanation, that. "So, what sort of liquor are we looking for, then? And do we need anything else to make these drinks?"
"Whatever goes with chocolate ice cream. Peppermint schnapps, khaluha, chocolate liquour, pick your poison. Then you put it in a tall cup and mash it 'til it's melty and you feel slightly better about your problems. That's the whole procedure." She thumps the container of chocolate up on the bar.
"Hogwarts is a busy place," she agrees, and leaves it at that.
"Khaluha, tall cups, mashing," Lily repeated with a grin. "Got it."
Gathering up two large glasses, a few spoons, and a bottle of Khaluha, Lily then nodded towards the stairs. "Right, follow me, then, and we can head up to my room."
Steeler was sleeping on a rug by the fire, Mr. Quackers curled up next to him, when Lily opened the door. Arranging the supplies out on her coffee table, Lily then took a seat and gestured for Murphy to do the same. "So," she said with a wicked grin, "got caught snogging, eh? For shame, Murphy. I'll have to teach you a good privacy ward, so you don't get interrupted next time."
"It's actually a good thing we got stopped," she admits, with a snort. She stretches out in her chair and shakes her head. "I don't know about Dresden, but I'd tuned out just about everything else. Could've been awkward." She's joking, mostly.
"It didn't help we got caught out by old Gentleman Johnny. Bastard. He was laughing on the inside."
A wistful expression crossed Lily's face, just for a second, before she was grinning widely again. "Again - good ward and you can go to town in the middle of the Great Hall and no one would know. Magic is bloody useful, sometimes." She opened the carton of ice cream, dishing up a healthy amount into each glass.
The mention of Marcone made Lily pause. She'd been meaning to owl him...maybe Murphy would actually be a better way to go. "So, you've seen Marcone lately? I, er, was actually going to go check up on him, myself. A few mates of mine may have attracted his attention in a not so grand fashion." Lily poured the Kahlua over the ice cream and gave each glass a tap with her wand to mix them up. Handing Murphy one, Lily took a sip. "Merlin," she murmured with a smile. "This is a bit like heaven in a glass, isn't it?"
She takes her glass and takes a spoon to play with the frozen concoction a little. "Believe it or not, my sister taught me this... well, you would believe it, probably. Let's just say this isn't her normal sort of thing. She's kind of... domestic." She licks the spoon clean and uses it to gesture.
"Maybe you better not teach it to me. Dresden and I are going slow. Things like that'll just encourage him." And Murphy, if she's being honest. Which, she's not.
"Oh, yeah, I study with him just about every day now. Just keeping an eye on what he's into."
"Mine too," Lily smiled wanly, hiding it in another drink. "I was never very good at the whole 'domestic' thing. Thank Merlin for cleaning charms, or my house would have been overrun by dustbunnies."
Settling back in her chair, hooking her legs over the arm, Lily arched one eyebrow. "Yeah, Harry mentioned the slowness. How's that going for you?"
Huh. "What is he into? Because these two blokes...nice guys, the both of them. Both completely in love with each other and they don't have a clue, so a bit frustrating at the moment, but good eggs. So I sort of have an attachment to keep them in one piece, and they pretty much gave themselves away to Marcone - both that they're law enforcement and that they're watching him." She sucked on her spoon for a moment. "Should I be worried? Or just vaguely alarmed?"
"Mine married my ex-husband," Murphy notes, before taking a large swallow of milkshake. "I'm willing to bet I win."
And then another huge swallow. "Let's just say I'm chewing a lot of ice. Taking a lot of baths. Although I have started sneaking into his room to sleep with him at night." She looks thoughtfully into the middle distance. "Not sure what that's about."
She shakes her head. "As far as I can tell, he's really here to study. So as long as they're not trying to mess with that..." She frowns. "Look, I know things I can't say. But Marcone doesn't really give a crap about cops. He'll ignore them unless they really push it."
"Mine emotionally and physically abused my son for sixteen years after I was dead," Lily grinned at Murphy, a hard edge around her eyes. But then, forcing her gaze back down to her glass, Lily laughed. "But, yeah, you win. At least my bint of a sister is well away from me and my family now."
A soft smile crossed her face at that. "You're in love with him," she replied, looking over at Murphy. A small gleam of envy flickered through her eyes and was gone. "There's something about sleeping next to the person you love, in being that vulnerable and open with them, that touches on the very heart of what a relationship is about. When you sleep, you're completely you. No masks or walls or boundaries." Lily shrugged, "Why do you think women want to cuddle after sex? In many ways, that's more intimate. You want to share that with Harry. It's a good thing."
Biting her lip, Lily considered. "I don't trust him," she told Murphy. "But I do trust you. If Marcone comes near them, I'll deal with him. Until then," Lily shrugged and
( ... )
Which one of them talked? I wouldn't want to kneecap the wrong guy. (kidding, somewhat).
Ever made an alcoholic milkshake? I feel the need for ice cream. Late night ice cream.
Murphy
Reply
I refuse to reveal my sources. (Thomas totally ratted you out.)
Alcohol and ice cream? I've never thought to put those two things together, and I have no idea why not - that sounds brilliant.
And yes. Late night ice cream is needed. When and where?
~ Lily
Reply
Damn it, I figured it was Dresden or Sirius. I can't kneecap Thomas.
Coffee liquour and chocolate ice cream. You'll never go back.
I'll bring the ice cream to Ravenclaw, we can steal from the bar and settle in your room?
Murphy
Reply
Nah, they held firm. Though I did see that Harry was fairly glowing at that party thing in Ravenclaw.
Yeah, I think you just described my perfect drink.
That sounds lovely. I'll meet you at the bar.
~ Lily
Reply
Don't laugh, we'd just gotten caught making out on the couch. Huh, that's still funny.
See you there,
Murph
Reply
Gladly setting aside all her books, Lily went down to the bar and took a seat in one of the armchairs by the fire, waiting for Murphy.
Reply
Reply
Reply
"Hogwarts is a busy place," she agrees, and leaves it at that.
Reply
Gathering up two large glasses, a few spoons, and a bottle of Khaluha, Lily then nodded towards the stairs. "Right, follow me, then, and we can head up to my room."
Steeler was sleeping on a rug by the fire, Mr. Quackers curled up next to him, when Lily opened the door. Arranging the supplies out on her coffee table, Lily then took a seat and gestured for Murphy to do the same. "So," she said with a wicked grin, "got caught snogging, eh? For shame, Murphy. I'll have to teach you a good privacy ward, so you don't get interrupted next time."
Reply
"It didn't help we got caught out by old Gentleman Johnny. Bastard. He was laughing on the inside."
Reply
The mention of Marcone made Lily pause. She'd been meaning to owl him...maybe Murphy would actually be a better way to go. "So, you've seen Marcone lately? I, er, was actually going to go check up on him, myself. A few mates of mine may have attracted his attention in a not so grand fashion." Lily poured the Kahlua over the ice cream and gave each glass a tap with her wand to mix them up. Handing Murphy one, Lily took a sip. "Merlin," she murmured with a smile. "This is a bit like heaven in a glass, isn't it?"
Reply
"Maybe you better not teach it to me. Dresden and I are going slow. Things like that'll just encourage him." And Murphy, if she's being honest. Which, she's not.
"Oh, yeah, I study with him just about every day now. Just keeping an eye on what he's into."
Reply
Settling back in her chair, hooking her legs over the arm, Lily arched one eyebrow. "Yeah, Harry mentioned the slowness. How's that going for you?"
Huh. "What is he into? Because these two blokes...nice guys, the both of them. Both completely in love with each other and they don't have a clue, so a bit frustrating at the moment, but good eggs. So I sort of have an attachment to keep them in one piece, and they pretty much gave themselves away to Marcone - both that they're law enforcement and that they're watching him." She sucked on her spoon for a moment. "Should I be worried? Or just vaguely alarmed?"
Reply
And then another huge swallow. "Let's just say I'm chewing a lot of ice. Taking a lot of baths. Although I have started sneaking into his room to sleep with him at night." She looks thoughtfully into the middle distance. "Not sure what that's about."
She shakes her head. "As far as I can tell, he's really here to study. So as long as they're not trying to mess with that..." She frowns. "Look, I know things I can't say. But Marcone doesn't really give a crap about cops. He'll ignore them unless they really push it."
Reply
A soft smile crossed her face at that. "You're in love with him," she replied, looking over at Murphy. A small gleam of envy flickered through her eyes and was gone. "There's something about sleeping next to the person you love, in being that vulnerable and open with them, that touches on the very heart of what a relationship is about. When you sleep, you're completely you. No masks or walls or boundaries." Lily shrugged, "Why do you think women want to cuddle after sex? In many ways, that's more intimate. You want to share that with Harry. It's a good thing."
Biting her lip, Lily considered. "I don't trust him," she told Murphy. "But I do trust you. If Marcone comes near them, I'll deal with him. Until then," Lily shrugged and ( ... )
Reply
Leave a comment