Title: Fissures in the Crystal Ball
Author: Ravenne Lil
Rating: PG -13
Category: AU, Drama, Angst, Romance
Warnings: Death (later chapters)
Summary: Lily declines her invite to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, years later with the Wizard War bleeding into the muggle world, Lily finds herself drawn into a conflict she is not prepared for, a young wizard of pureblood ancestry who she did not expect and destiny that she cannot avoid.
Author's Note: This was originally a stand alone for a fest I did on Live journal. A few have seemed interested in reading a story that is longer with this sort of set up, I figure it would be fun to write. For those that read the original fic, there may be some changes in details. Not very big ones though.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and do not make money from this fic. I am doing this fun fun, my own amusement and hopefully the amusement of others.
Chapter 1 – Fate and Probability
This wasn't James' first excursion into Muggle London. He and Sirius had done it many times over the past two summers, since Sirius had come to live with James and his parents. The last month of summer before they were due to report to platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross, the two friends-more like brothers in many ways-would come to the city from the Potter home and enjoy what the city life had to offer. There was always also the added bonus of it being somewhat of a taboo. They could imagine themselves as rebels coming out to mingle among the Muggles. At least for someone like Sirius with his family and their extreme prejudices, this could be considered being a rebel. James' background was not nearly as strict at his best mate's had been.
The general plan was usually aparating to a familiar spot they had discovered during their last outing and then going on from there. Usually they would just keep going till they found something that caught their interest. It wasn't very hard to find something entertaining. They had both been raised in the wizarding world after all; this Muggle stuff was intriguing and at times bizarre. They had been doing this for several summers now though and they were well familiar with the areas that were close The Leaky Cauldron and parts of greater London. On this day, they had walked down Charing Cross Road just passing Leicester Square Underground and made a left onto a street that they hadn't much explored. Mostly because it was a street that consisted entirely of books shops, mostly those that were second hand or extremely obscure. And while there was nothing wrong with books, it wasn't the sort of entertainment that they usually were hoping for.
However this day had been exceptionally dull and when they had spent most of the summer exploring there was only so much that was left.
As him and Sirius walked along the side walk, passing bookstore after bookstore, nothing in particular catching their attention, James' companion in this journey was becoming rather frustrated and crabby. "Bloody hell, James," Sirius said with an exasperated groan. "This is not what I would call an adventure." He leaned into his mate to whisper so none of the passing Muggles could overhear. "It would be more entertaining to be in class with Binns."
James let out a soft snort at other adolescent's complaining, "Then you think of where we can go, Sirius. London holds many entertainments. Pick one if it is so simple."
Sirius leaned back and gave him an annoyed look. James knew full well that he had no idea what to do either. It was sad really. They were only 16-years-old and already had run out of good ideas. James never thought that they would have reached their peak so soon. They had been brilliant after all.
"Thought so," James replied as they continued to walk.
It was then out of the corner of his eye that he spotted a few books in window of a shop they were passing. Stopping he leaned in for a closer look. They all had to do with magic! Not really of course but Muggle magic. Or what was it that they called it…the Occult. "Sirius, come look at this." James said reaching out to grab his friend's sleeve and pull him back towards the window.
Sirius gave James a disgruntled look as he was pulled back, nearly losing his balance. He couldn't think of an instance during all the time that he had known James where he was so excited over books. Perhaps what made it even more unbelievable was the fact that they were muggle books. They both had taken muggle studies and while neither of them had any issues with muggles, it wasn't the most thrilling of classes, especially compared to something like Defense against the Dark Arts. They really were changing it seemed or bored out of their minds. "It's just rubbish, James," he said as he looked over the titles of the books that were displayed. He looked up, noticing his friend moving towards the door to enter the shop. "What are you doing?"
"We have nothing better to do." James said, not even bothering to stop to look back at Sirius before he opened the door and walked in. Sirius had opened his mouth to try countering James' reasoning for entering but he really couldn't think of anything. They really did have nothing better to do. Finding no reason not to and realizing that if he had listened to his family and their logic of blood purity and magical superiority, he wouldn't even be on this street and considering going into a muggle bookshop about muggle magic in the first place, Sirius followed James into the store. This really just went along with his rebellion.
Inside the store was overrun with the smell of old, worn pages of the publications it held. The topics seemed to vary between occult and new age with sprinklings of eastern religion thrown in. None of it was familiar reading to either of the wizards. They looked through the stacks, taking out a book ever now and then to read the back of the cover or flip through the pages.
"Muggle magic." Sirius muttered with a small laugh as he leaned a hip against a nearby wall and flipped through a book that he had pulled off the shelf. Considering his knowledge of real magic, this all seemed rather silly. Did Muggles really think that these little tricks and rituals they did were actual magic?
"You're right; it is rather rubbish but…intriguing. It's like they want to reach out; at least some of them." James said as he flipped through the pages of a book that he had randomly pulled off the shelf.
"You think so?" A new, feminine voice spoke up from the side of them. Sirius and James both turned at once to find the source of the voice and came face to face with a pretty redhead with vivid green eyes who seemed to have materialized there suddenly. Of course she probably didn't do that. "Welcome to Watkins, gentlemen," she said in a cordial tone, looking between the both of them, "Is there something I can help you with?"
James was awe struck for a moment and unable to speak. Sirius glanced over to his mate, arching a dark brow for a moment at the apparent trance James was suddenly in. Turning back to the red head he spoke up, "We're merely browsing. If we need anything we'll call for you." The shop girl gave a slight nod before turning to head back to her spot behind the counter at one end of the shop. It was then that James found his voice again.
Leaving Sirius' side, he followed the redhead to the counter that was lined with knickknacks that were associated with books and reading. "Do you really believe in these sort of things?" he asked holding up the book that he had been reading.
"Excuse me?" The red head asked, folding her hands together on the counter top.
James looked down at the book and pointed to it. Looking back at her he grinned, "This? This stuff about magic; you don't really believe in it, do you?" She really didn't look the type. There was intelligence in her vivid green eyes and James couldn't imagine a smart girl believing in Muggle magic.
"Magic? I'm open minded," she said with a slight smirk. Reaching out to take the book that he was holding. There was something else behind that look, but James wasn't sure yet. Really, it made him curious about her all the more.
"Open minded," he repeated leaning against the counter and giving her a slight nod. That was interesting. Though really he wondered how open minded she really was. If he busted out some magic, would she be so open minded about it and not freak out like many Muggles were apt to do? He wouldn't do that of course, but it was a thought that came to his mind.
"Yes," she replied, looking him up and down for a moment, perhaps taking his nod as condescending. "At the very least it's an interesting topic. You even seemed to concede to that when I came up behind you and your friend. Intriguing I believe was the word that came from your lips."
"Intriguing and being interested in something doesn't mean I believe in it," he countered, leaning in further. This here, however, was very interesting. He hadn't expected to come into this shop, find a pretty girl who worked there and talk the validity of magic with her. "All this is a waste of time. Believe me. Mugg-Humans don't have any sort of abilities outside of the normal," he said, nearly tripping up for a moment.
If the redhead had noticed his slight stumble, she didn't give away any clues.
"You have a very decided opinion on the matter," the redhead replied, crossing her arms under her chest. "Or just no imagination. What's wrong with believing in magic? It makes the world seem a little less bleak and boring. If magic could really exist, it would be spectacular." There was a passion in her tone. She may have not said that she believed in magic or followed what was in those books but James would bet anything that she did. The way she spoke of it, she seemed to have a very strong invested interest in the topic.
"Are you going to buy anything?" she asked, her voice having a bit of edge on it. That alone told him that he had touched some kind of nerve.
"Um…Yeah, that one," he said nodding to the book that she had taken from his hands. He wasn't even sure what title of the book was, but he felt somewhat guilty talking to her and then leaving the shop without buying anything. The least he could do was end it on a high note. He checked his pockets for some money, realizing then that he had only sickles and knuts and a galleon or two on him. No Muggle money.
He looked over his shoulder looking over to Sirius pleading. The other young man could read the look and came over to the counter. Luckily for James, Sirius had come a bit more prepared for a trip into Muggle London. He paid the girl the money for James' book, giving her a smile before bidding her fair well and heading out the door.
James took the book from her and smiled, leaning in against the counter again, "What's your name?" he asked.
"Why would you want to know my name?" she asked, putting the money that Sirius had given her into the till. It wasn't in the same annoyed tone however, and if he didn't know better he was sure that he saw her grin a little bit. She could just be being nice.
"I plan to come back to the shop and I want to know your name for when I see you again. My name is James if that helps any."
"Come back again and I'll tell you my name." He gave her a confused look at first, to which she replied by leaning over the counter, giving him a flirty grin, "Come back again and I will tell you my name. I work on the weekends."
Backing up towards the door to the shop with his newly purchased book in hand, he grinned, giving her a final salute with the book. "I'll be coming back," he assured her.
It was evening when Lily's shift at Watkins ended. Leaving the bookshop, she found her thoughts drifting to the young man with dark messy hair that walked into the shop that afternoon. This wasn't the first time that she had been hit on in the shop. She was an attractive young woman and fairly popular at school back home. Since Lily had come to stay with her sister in London for the summer, she had a few occasions where young men would chat her up. This was different though.
There was something about James that just didn't come off as 'right'. She couldn't quite place it though. All she had to go on was her feelings but this didn't deter Lily as over the years she had learned to trust her intuition. Whether it had something to do with her abilities she didn't know. Perhaps she just had a good grasp on reading people. Either way, she was convinced that there was something odd about James. A part of her hoped that he was being honest about coming back so she would have the opportunity to find out just what it was.
Lily grinned to herself as she came to the bus stop. Thankfully no one else knew what she was thinking. If they did, they might think her a bit smitten with James. He was barely in the shop for more than 20 minutes yet he had managed to make enough of an impression on her that he consumed her thoughts. What exactly did that mean?
Once the bus arrived and Lily had boarded, the trip back to her sister's apartment had been uneventful. Getting off at her stop, she walked the half a block to the apartment building and went inside.
The apartment was in its normal state of perfection. Petunia had a certain standard of living and it reflected in the apartment. Everything had to be just so and the only reason that Lily was able to handle living with her sister-even for this short time-was the fact that she had grown up with Petunia. She knew her sister's habits and Petunia knew hers. Of course that didn't stop her sister from complaining if even the smallest thing was out of place.
"Lily," she heard her sister's pinched tone only moments after walking through the front door. "When you asked to come and stay with me for the summer, I said yes on one condition: respect my rules. One of those rules is that at the very least you clean up after yourself."
Coming into the living room, Lily placed her back down on the couch. "I do clean up after myself, Petunia," she replied to her sister, Lily's tone a mixture of confusion and annoyance at Petunia's nagging.
"You don't do a very good job," Petunia insisted as she flittered about the apartment. Coming over to the couch she picked up the bag Lily had put down and handed it back to her sister, a silent but clear indication that it wasn't suppose to go there. Lily took the bag back and watched her sister curiously for a moment, taking note that she appeared more agitated than normal. "Like this afternoon, you left crumbs all over the counter! Is it so hard to wipe it down?"
"I was in a hurry."
Petunia just let out an exasperated breath as she continued to move about, straightening things that didn't look as though they needed to be straightened or adjusted. "Tunie, what's wrong?" Lily finally asked. Normally, her sister was high strung and after so many years, Lily had learned how to decipher when she was just being her normal agitated self or when someone truly was bothering her and cause even more agitation.
"I just want everything to be perfect for when—"she cut off suddenly and looked at her sister, clearly reluctant to finish. Lily was sure that she could guess the rest though.
"You've invited someone over?" Lily probed gently before a small grin came to her face, "A boy?"
"A iman/i," Petunia countered, a slight edge in her tone as though it were silly to even suggest that she would have interest in a boy at her age. She ran her hand over the couch that was also Lily's bed at night, straightening out a wrinkle. "I just want everything to look perfect. It will be the first time he sees the apartment. There's nothing wrong with wanting to make a good impression."
Lily could understand her sister's insistence on making a good impression, even if she didn't fully believe it. Put your best foot forward of course but no one was perfect and it was really useless to try and convey an illusion of perfection. Their lives certainly weren't perfect. Things had changed so dramatically after their parents' death. Going to live with distant relatives and adjusting to a new life and a new location had been hard at first. Lily supposed that's when Petunia had begun to become particularly neurotic.
"And I know I don't have to remind you but while he's here, nothing…nothing magical," Petunia said suddenly.
Just a little too coincidentally, a lamp on the side table began to float upwards several inches from its perch. "Lily!" Petunia explained as she rushed over to the side table and pushed the lamp back down. She recognized what was going on immediately, it was a trick that Lily had been able to do since she was small. It bothered Petunia, it wasn't natural and she gave her younger sister a glare that said she didn't appreciate the display.
"It was just a little joke, Tunie!" Lily exclaimed going over to her sister and placing her hand over Petunia's as she held the lamp.
"I'm sorry," Lily said gently to her sister, meaning the words. "I promise no magic."
Slowly, Petunia let her hands come away from lamp which now was staying firmly on the side table. It probably had been mean but it was too much of a temptation for Lily to pass up. And it wasn't as though she did magic very often. Only since she had turned seventeen had she started up again. She barely knew how to tap into or utilize her gifts.
"Say, if you're worried about me doing magic in front of him that means I get to stick around and meet him? You aren't going to shoo me away? It must be getting serious if you're willing to let him begin to meet family," Lily asked with a small smile.
"Don't make me regret that choice," Petunia said pointedly before she went to do another walkthrough around the apartment to make sure that everything was as perfect as it had been the last pass.