021. summer 1976.

[alotofgood]

July 6, 1976
Tower of London/Tower Bridge
London, England

Orange ink today because I had to buy a Muggle pen. Ink, it turns out, is not entirely practical writing on the go.    So we're at the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge today. It is brilliant. I remember seeing pictures but going there amongst Muggles is quite different.    Tonight, Sirius and I are going to our first Muggle pub. I saw one on the way over. Should be fantastic. JP.

Lily Evans 96 Durham Road Milton MN14 3DS

Comments

[lilium_evansiae]

From: Lily Evans
96 Durham Road
Milton
Lancashire

To: James Potter
53½ Harrington Gardens
South Kensington
London

Via Owl Post

9 July 1976

Potter,

I trust that by now you and Black have found your way back out of your first Muggle pub. And that you were not too disappointed to discover that you were underage for Muggle pubs.

Then again, this is you and Black, so you got away with it, didn't you?

I also trust that you have not had to endure too many more dreadful parties.

The Tower of London is wonderful, isn't it? We spent a whole day there once, and I still don't think I saw as much as I would have liked.

Out of curiosity, do you know when our OWL results are due to arrive? I'd like to stop worrying about how I did so I can start worrying about what I'm going to study next year.

Thank you for the postcard.

L.E.

P.S. I have to agree with you about the bottled ink, but then, I've always thought that it was not entirely practical at any time, when you consider the alternatives.

[alotofgood]

Via Owl Post

Lily Evans
96 Durham Road
Milton
Lancashire


11 July 1976

L —

Sirius and I actually did manage to get into the pub. It took a bit of smooth-talking and Sirius did a whole bloody lot of it, but we managed.

Muggles have some brilliant beers. I wish I knew about this sooner.

The Tower of London was great. You were right. All those stories about the ghosts and things, I really liked that.

I haven't got a clue when our OWLs are supposed to arrive, but I reckon in another week or two. It's already July, after all. (I'm sure you did fine. I wouldn't Don't worry too much.)

Today Sirius and I are going to Trafalgar Square. Sirius says he wants to get a Muggle camera to try. I actually think he mostly wants one to put the pictures up in his room to annoy his parents. Either way, it's brilliant. I'll let you know if we get it to work.

What've you been up to? Work as usual?

JP.

[lilium_evansiae]

Via Owl Post

James Potter
53½ Harrington Gardens
South Kensington
London

12 July 1976

Potter,

My summer has been quiet, really. Nothing nearly as exciting as smooth-talking my way into pubs, though I've been to a couple with Mum and Dad.

I go to work, most days. Mum and I have been doing some sewing. Dad has been giving me books to read. He worries, I think, a bit about the fact that we don't read them at school. So I try to catch up in the summer. Right now I'm reading Agnes Grey, but I've only just started it, and read the first chapter, so I don't know if I like it yet.

Cliona might drop in to visit when she's in England for her brother's Quiddith game later this month. It would be nice to see her. I miss everyone. I get letters, of course, but it's different. You're lucky, to have your best friend right in the same city.

I don't think you and Black will have much trouble with the camera. A lot of them are very simple to use, and then, of course, you just drop the film off and the complicated part gets done for you. (Unless you got an instant camera, of course. Then you get the picture right away.) But do let me know how it goes.

Have you been to out to Greenwich yet? You can stand in both hemispheres at once, and on a nice day, it's got a gorgeous view of London.

I'll do my best not to worry too much about OWLs.

L.E.

[alotofgood]

{ Aether, a tawny owl, arrives at the Evanses and drops off an envelope. }

Lily Evans
96 Durham Road
Milton
Lancashire

13 July 1976


L —

Went to Trafalgar Square. We hung around for a bit. Sirius got to try out his new camera. He was a bit rubbish at it. You should see some of the earlier shots. Still, it's actually more or less the same as a wizard's camera, only the film's a bit different.

And when we got the pictures developed, we were both expecting the pictures to move, only they didn't. It's so strange.

I am sending you one. (Don't worry — it hasn't got either Sirius or me in it.)



Cliona's going to visit you? That's brilliant. I haven't heard from her for a while.

I haven't gone to Greenwich, no. I've told Sirius about it and he thinks it'd be cool to stand on both hemispheres. I have to agree. I think we're going to try to go there next week.

You sound a bit like Remus, reading all those books. He likes them too.

What are you sewing?

JP.

[lilium_evansiae]

Via Owl Post

James Potter
53½ Harrington Gardens
South Kensington
London

14 July 1976

Potter,

It's a very good picture of Trafalgar Square. And I hope you weren't too beset upon by pigeons while you were there.

I hear from Cliona once or twice a week. She's fine. Needless to say, she is not at all worried about her OWLs, or if she is, she's not writing about it. Her letters are full of news about her brother Kieran and her niece, Niamh. I think they've both got her wrapped about their fingers, a bit, but don't tell her I said so.

The whole family is coming over for Niall's match, it sounds like, and she thinks she's talked Liam into Apperating her up here to visit me for a few hours at some point.

Won't life be easier next year when we can Apperate ourselves?

Mum and I were working on my new dress robes, when I wrote, but they're finally done, and I'm really pleased with how they came out. Mum is absolutely brilliant, she can make anything out of anything, really. I really did have a dress made out of a curtain when I was little. She learned during the war, when she got evacuated. Mum lived in London, and when the war started, and they were worried about places like London getting bombed, they sent a lot of the children out to the country or overseas. Most of them went back home before too long, but my grandfather was in the army and my grandmother was a nurse, so they were both away and there wasn't really anyone for Mum to go home to.

So she stayed with Mrs Wilton for the whole war. And Mrs Wilton was a seamstress, so she taught Mum to sew. And to play chess. Mum says going to live with Mrs Wilton was like discovering you had really wonderful grandmother you never knew about before. And, of course, she's the one who introduced Mum and Dad. She was lovely, though I just barely remember her. She died when I was four.

I've let this get a bit longer than I meant to. Sorry for the rambling.

I hope you enjoy Greenwich.

L.E.

P.S. Was that your owl who brought your letter? He (or is it she?) landed on the table and made Petunia jump up and scream and knock over the orange juice. She also threw toast at him, but don't worry, she missed. Ridiculous over-reaction, really, since he didn't land anywhere near her. Still, I gave him some bacon as an apology and I hope that was all right. What's his name?

[alotofgood]

{ There's a soft hooting as Aether delivers an envelope to the Evanses. }


Lily Evans
96 Durham Road
Milton
Lancashire


17 July 1976

L —

Aether's his name. (My mum gave it to him. Dad still insists he needs a better name, but he's been saying that for years.) And he's a boy, yeah. He's the family owl. He's been a bit busy the past couple days, sending a letter off to Remus who is being a git and won't come to London.

(Sirius insisted I write about that. Honestly, I'm inclined to agree. It isn't as though we won't put him up if he came to London.)

Thanks for giving Aether a bit of bacon. He loves that stuff. That'd also explain why he was so chipper when he came home. Usually he gets all huffy if he's made a long trip.

Do you know, I'm going to be at that match too. Remember those tickets I got for my birthday? I'd forgotten Cliona's brother plays for the Ballycastle Bats. (And don't tell her I said that. She probably expected me to know that very well.)

Your mum sounds like a really brilliant person.

Sirius got some new film today. I reckon he's found himself a new hobby.

We're going to be going to a concert for Muggle music tonight. I haven't got the faintest clue who the band is, but while we were at another Muggle pub, we got free invites and said we'd check it out.

It's bound to be better than Celestina Warbeck though, yeah? ☺


JP.


P.S. — Are you going to be at that Quidditch match, too?

[lilium_evansiae]

Via Owl Post

James Potter
53½ Harrington Gardens
South Kensington
London

18 July 1976

Potter,

I think Aether's a fine name for an owl. Very mythological. He seems a very nice owl, too.

I'm sorry to hear that Remus is being a git. I was going to object to the term for Remus, but I have think that you and Black know gittish behaviour when you see it, to say nothing of knowing Remus better than I do, and will, in this case, defer to your opinion. Just this once. Aside from being a git, how's he doing? Did you talk him into coming to London yet?

Don't worry, I certainly won't tell Cliona that you forgot about Niall's playing for the Ballycastle Bats. For one thing, I'm not especially anxious to have to help her break out of Azkaban when she's done hexing you for that.

I won't be at the match, I'm afraid. Which might be for the best. Your team playing Cliona's ... it's kind of hard to wrap my brain around, you two not agreeing about something related to Quidditch.

Enjoy it. I'm sure one of you will let me know who wins and who gets bragging rights.

I hope the concert was good. Or if it was bad, that it was bad in entertaining ways.

L.E.

[alotofgood]

{ Aether arrives promptly to deliver an envelope to one Miss Evans. He appears to linger for some extra little snack. }

Lily Evans
96 Durham Road
Milton
Lancashire


20 July 1976

L —

The concert was brilliant. It was some Muggle rock band, they've got a great sound. It almost makes me want to play the guitar. And it makes me wish we could bring Muggle things to Hogwarts, only they don't work. It'd be brilliant to get a proper Muggle record player in the dorms.

I wonder if our record players will play Muggle records.

Anyway, I've included a few photos recently developed. The second one has got the back of my head.



Remus is a git. He keeps making up stupid excuses about why he can't come into London. But once we get Peter over here, he'll have no choice. I reckon he's afraid of my mum or something. (If you ever write him about some prefecty thing or another, feel free to tell him that!)

It's too bad you won't be at the match. It's bound to be fantastic! But I suppose you're right. When Ballycastle loses, Cliona's not going to be happy about that. (Ha ha.)


JP.

[lilium_evansiae]

Via Owl Post

James Potter
53½ Harrington Gardens
South Kensington
London

21 July 1976

Potter,

Muggle records will play on Wizard record players, but you have to get a special needle to make them work. They're not hard to find in Diagon Alley, though. Mary and I have been playing Muggle records on wizarding record players for years, now.

I cannot think what I'd be writing to Remus about that would afford me an opportunity to tell him that you think he's a git and afraid of your mum, but I suppose one never knows.

Why would he be afraid of your mum, anyway?

I'm sure you and Black will wear him down without my help.

Black seems to be getting the hang of the Muggle camera (since the back of your head is in the picture, I assume you did not take it). Has he figured out how to use it to meet girls yet? (And before he asks, no, it's not asking if you can take their picture. That just comes off a bit creepy.)

L.E.

P.S. Aether is a terrible flirt, when he wants bacon.

[alotofgood]

{ Prompt as ever, Aether appears with an envelope addressed to Lily Evans. }


Lily Evans
96 Durham Road
Milton
Lancashire

22 July 1976

L —

Is there a special needle, really? I reckon there are going to be other records we might pick up. Sirius and I are going to investigate that before the summer is through.

You know how Remus gets. He's always worried about what everyone else thinks of him, and my mum's my mum. He gets nervous around mums. He'd probably be afraid of yours, too. Still, I haven't got a clue what he's got to be worried about.

In fact, I suppose I should be the one worried. If he comes over, my mum's bound to like him better than she likes Sirius and me. He's a prefect, quiet, hardworking, really ridiculously well-behaved. Looks like we haven't taught him all that much after all these years of friendship!

Anyway, I told Sirius that you thought he was getting the hang of the Muggle camera and he says that he would, in fact, like some tips on using his newfound hobby to meet girls.

(Tell him something really, really stupid if you could. I want to see him make a fool of himself. ☺)


JP.

PS — Aether's a Potter. He's got charm, too. Especially for bacon.

[lilium_evansiae]

Via Owl Post

James Potter
53½ Harrington Gardens
South Kensington
London

23 July 1976

Potter,

There really is a special needle. It has a Charm on it to make it read the Muggle records.

I think your mum must be very brave, to be willing to have all of you in the same place at the same time. Things seem to happen, when you're all together. Perhaps you should try arguing that you need him to come be the quiet, hardworking, really ridiculously well-behaved one for some balance, before your mum signs you and Black up for the French Foreign Legion or something. You know, impress upon him that he'd be doing you a favor instead of the other way around, if he visits.

Perhaps that would work.

I doubt very much that Black needs my help make a fool of himself. I'll give you the real answer, and you can decide if you want to share it with him, or make something up yourself.

It's very simple. You can't ask to take her picture, but you can ask her to take yours, in front of whatever tourist thing is nearby. Or you can ask if she knows anything about cameras, because you can't figure out something with yours. It's a handy excuse to start a conversation. Mary met the boy she's seeing right now by asking him to take her picture with Edinburgh Castle in the background. It's a terrible picture -- she sent me a copy and he cut her head right out of it -- but it sounds like he's a nice enough guy, if not a very good photographer.

Just don't try it if she looks like she might run off with your camera.

L.E.

[alotofgood]

Via Aether.

Lily Evans
96 Durham Road
Milton
Lancashire

24 July 1976

L —

Blimey, that's brilliant! I can't very well share those secrets with Sirius. He'll be unbearable about it. (More unbearable than he is now.)

No, I'll tell him the opposite of that until he thinks he's gone mad. Then I'll let him in on this tactic of yours. I'm a brilliant mate, aren't I? Ha ha.

I also like your idea regarding one Messr Lupin. It's not quite the same without him (and you, for that matter) around giving me and Sirius the metaphorical stink-eye whenever we get up to something that could potentially get us into a lot of trouble. We start losing sight of the limits, you know! We aren't sure whether something we might do could be trouble-making or not. Utterly lost, we are!

Tomorrow's the Quidditch match. I'm excited about it. I wonder if Dumbledore will be there. He's quite a Puddlemere fan too, so I've heard.

Can you believe it's nearly August? It's been bloody hot too, hasn't it?

JP.