Shards of Broken Glass

cupcakes-and-wisdom

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: None of it is mine though I wish it were! I only know the ideas and plot !

The notes rang out through the thick silence of the house, cutting through the air like a knife, expressive and beautiful. Lily sat, back straight, red hair swishing down her back elegantly as her fingers flew over the piano keys with an easy grace which completed her. It was a new piece, her father noted from where he stood watching her. It was not unlike what she usually played; her music was always beautifully tragic, but this one seemed to flow from her fingers with a subtlety he hadn't heard before. She finished, and a victorious smile lit up her features as she looked at her dad, awaiting praise.

"That was beautiful Lily, was it a new piece?"

And just like that her smile grew as she basked in the glory of her success.

"Moonlight Sonata, by Beethoven. " she said, and he nodded. Beethoven was her favorite. Her first ever piece was "Für Elise" and since then she had made her way through the songs one by one. Playing the piano was something she adored; a challenge. She had always been that slight but more ambitious then her brothers, Harry noted and he wondered whether she would be the first to break the tradition if going to Gryffindor. He had a feeling she would.

With the same grace which she had sat down on the stool with half an hour ago, she rose and walked to the kitchen, no doubt hungry. She wore a white dress with lace patterns embroidered over it, and sighing he rose to join her. Her vanity had been another thing to set her apart, he noted. She took extreme pride in her looks. More so than was customary for a Wotter, as they were fondly nicknamed. She had something to be proud of though. Long, thick red hair which fell down to the middle of her back and with his own big green eyes, Lily Luna was exactly how he would have imagined his mother to be. He wondered if she too, had been different.

Rose didn't want to like Lily. She really didn't want to. But none can help liking her. She looked on in envy as Rose watched her interact with her family, throwing back her head and laughing at something that Hugo said. Rose couldn't help but like her. She was pretty, smart, funny and so nice. Rose had always been a little put aside. She wasn't very social, preferring the company of a good book, and she was difficult to get to open up. Lily had always ignored that though. She had no problem plopping down next to her and talking to her about everything and nothing. She had always gotten on with Rose wonderfully, but never better than with the others. She got on with everyone. So, as Rose watched Hugo grin victoriously at getting Lily to laugh at him, she couldn't help but envy her. After all, she had it all, didn't she? Popularity, looks, talent, grace … you name it, Lily Luna was always better than her. And as much as she loved her, she envied her just the same.

They were at the Borrow on a sunny Sunday afternoon. With the enormous increase that had happened when the Weasley kids reproduced, it was a bit cramped. But in the Burrow, it could never be too cramped. It was just cozy. After a lunch that never let them down, Grandma Weasley had ushered them outside to play. All but Victoire, who had insisted on helping her with the washing up.

So the adults joined in to a big family Quidditch match. There were, of course, arguments on who would be seeker, because it was the preferred position. Harry and Ron were the captains. On Harry's team, the keeper was Hermione, the three chasers consisted of himself, Rose, Teddy and Dominique, the beaters being Albus and Fred and the seeker was, to which everyone grudgingly admitted was incredibly talented, Lily. Ron's team consisted of him being keeper, Ginny, Roxanne and Molly II as chasers, Angelina and George as beaters, and James as seeker.

"Ready to be beaten, little sis?" James said from his position across from Lily, his ever-present smirk painted across his handsome features.

"Only by Victor Krum" she answered immediately, enjoying the small, outraged shock which flashed across his face before he burst out laughing.

Before he could retaliate, the balls had been released and the game begun. Lily flew as high up as she dared, scanning the pitch for the snitch. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James doing the same to her left. Hermione, never having loved Quidditch had already let the quaffle in twice, and Lily winced at the proud smile on Ron's face. He would no doubt get a big talking to later. As the chasers flew around distracting their counterparts, faking, turning, diving and throwing the ball between them, Lily continually searched for the glimpse of gold she was seeking. A flash of the snitch later, she was off, pushing her Cleansweep 7 to its limits as she dived into the match. James had taken off behind her, on a better broom, the Nimbus 2001, but she was still at advantage. Her over-analytical mind had already formulated a plan; she had realized that the Nimbus 2001 was a racing broom. She, however, had a Quidditch broom, taking that to her advantage she did some fancy maneuvering, knowing full well that her eldest brother would be losing speed quickly trying to keep track of her. One more swoop, another loop the loop and then the small golden ball was clutched in her small fist and the victorious smile returned to her face, replacing the concentrated frown which had been there moments before.

She swung off her brown proudly, accepting the compliments and congratulations that were thrown her way with an ease which could almost be categorized as arrogant, but not quite. She was still sweet, still innocent, talented, popular, Rose noted. And she would always be better than her.

"Dooooom, please? I really need a new pair of jeans, and I can just imagine you in a cute top I saw the other day?" The small redhead pleaded, green orbs wide and demanding. Who could resist such a cute face? She gave in. That was the other thing which made Lily Luna all the more perfect in the female members of the family's eyes, and all the cuter in the males'. She loved shopping. Her parents insisted she was too young though, so she was constantly pleading her older cousins to accompany/chaperone her. Rose was her latest target. Rose had flat out refused, insisting she couldn't stand shopping, and all the others were either busy or had found another way to escape the wrath of Lily Luna Potter.

So that's how she had found herself on a Saturday afternoon, being dragged through muggle London and shopping with Lily. She loved the kid. She was just so cute! Not to mention that she had great taste. By the end of the day, Lily's pocket money was all used up, and she had several bags that were filled to the brim with clothes. New ripped jeans, a variety of new tops, that cute dress she saw on the rack, an oversized hoodie, you name it, she had bought it all. They took the knight bus home, and Dom stepped into the Potter residence only momentarily to drop off Lily and give a kiss and a hug to Uncle Harry and Aunt Hermione before she flooed home.

Lily Luna was just too cute.

Lily Luna Potter didn't care. Not really. Her brothers could say what they wanted—they always did anyway—it's not like they really knew anything about anything.

"You just wait," James teased as soon as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of Kings Cross Station. A scowling 11-year-old Lily was sitting in a compartment with her cousins Hugo and Freddie Weasley and her eldest brother. Her other brother, Albus, had wandered off with Hugo's sister, Rose, as soon as they had said good-bye to their parents to find their friend Scorpius Malfoy; leaving Lily to suffer her first train ride to Hogwarts with her idiot brother.

Actually, both her brothers were idiots, but James was the bigger idiot of the two in Lily's opinion-especially when he was with Freddie.

"You're going to be the first person in our family's history to get sorted into Slytherin," James continued, ignoring his little sister's expression of disinterest, as per his usual. "Oh the shame!" James put the back of his hand to his forehead and pretended to swoon from the force of the hypothetical shame. Freddie proceeded to egg James on by fanning the fake-fainted James' face and muttering things like: "Gracious!" and "How you young whippersnappers trouble an old man's heart!" and "The scoundrel!"

Lily rolled her hazel eyes and lightly banged her head against the window beside her as though she were trying to dislodge James' stupid words from eating away at her brain. James and Freddie snickered from the seat across her and Hugo, who was sitting beside her, gave Lily a sympathetic smile as if to remind her that nothing could be done about James and the majority of content that spilled from his mouth was bull anyway.

She didn't need reminding though—she lived with the idiot.

"Don't you two have anything better to do than pick on a first year?" she asked drily; satisfied when the boys' laughter cut short. It was more than a tad pathetic for two fourth years to be hanging around a couple of first years; relatives or not.

Freddie snorted, clearly hiding hurt at her comment. "You're lucky you have relatives who will sit with you on your first train ride," he told her smugly. "You should be thanking us."

Lily wondered whether James and Freddie had friends outside the family. Then she reminded herself that she didn't care; at least the two idiots had each other.

The train ride continued as train rides do—with lots of noise and shaky movement and idle chatter and games of exploding snap—but Lily couldn't make herself get into the whole experience. She was too worried about the sorting.

Perhaps worried wasn't the right word. No, that made it sound like she cared what house she was put in. She didn't, not really. She would be surprised if she was sorted into Hufflepuff but it wouldn't bother her; neither would being sorted into Slytherin. She never understood why everyone worried about it. Every sorting in her family since she could remember someone had worried about being sorted in with the snakes. As if any of the Potters or Weasley's would be Slytherin material anyway.

Albus had nearly had a conniption when it was his turn to be shipped off to Hogwarts. It didn't matter how many times their dad had told him that the sorting hat took personal preference into consideration-Al still had to breath into a paper bag on the car ride to Kings Cross Station two years ago.

Lily didn't have a personal preference. She was just curious to see where she would be put based on what the sorting hat saw in her. Whether that old hat based its judgment on the subconscious or personality or the heart's desire, Lily didn't care how deep the hat looked into her, she just wanted to know the truth.

She had always been a little different from the rest of her overly large family. Her humor was dry and sarcastic instead of slapstick and witty; she thought things through instead of diving in headfirst; she wasn't prone to fretting over small things; even her hair was a darker shade of red than the traditional Weasley red.

She couldn't even connect well with most her family. Sure her immediate family was all good to her—despite how much she, James, and Albus fought-and Teddy and Victorie were always nice to her but they were nice to everyone and she would always have Hugo since they were the same age and he was a little different too—but not a bad different like her, Hugo just didn't let anything phase him, he was so easy-going it bordered on transparency. The rest of them though…

Suffice it to say that Lily Luna Potter wouldn't mind being sorted into a house where she wouldn't have any relatives to rely on. There would be so much potential if she were sorted into a house with just her and bunch of people she knew nothing about and who knew nothing about her. Then she could make a name for herself.

Lily wasn't nervous. Not in the same way the rest of the first years gathered outside the Great Hall were. There was much whispering as the children wondered how they were supposed to be sorted and others spent the time smartening themselves by straightening their hair or robes. Lily didn't bother, she looked fine and besides she knew what she was going up against. How one was to be sorted into houses was suppose to be a secret to every new student, but with a god brother who worked at Hogwarts and eight cousins and two brothers ahead of her, word got out.

Hugo, who was standing beside her as they waited to be taken to the Great Hall, was so pale his freckles stood out more than they usually did. He looked terrified and Lily couldn't fathom why.

"What's wrong with you?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth. She had never seen him look so phased by anything. He had always been easy smiles and shrugs and laughter.

"I think I'm nervous," he stated, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Why, it's just a hat?"

Hugo shrugged. "There are going to be a lot of people watching."

Lily raised a curious eyebrow at him. "I didn't know you got performance anxiety?"

Hugo gave her a sidelong look which clearly said he didn't want to talk about it.

Shortly after the group of first years were taken into the Great Hall by Teddy-or Professor Lupin as she would have to call him now. Lily had gotten separated from Hugo by the great multitude of first years and she hoped that he would be alright.

They were herded into the Hall in a straight line and Lily ended up between two boys. The one in front of her was slightly taller than her and had dark skin and short black hair. The boy behind her was a lot taller than her and skinny, with shaggy black hair that fell into alarmingly blue eyes. She figured she looked extra small sandwiched between these two boys but she knew she should get over it. If her mother and father's heights were any indication she wouldn't grow very tall anyway.

As they stood in front of the whole school and listened to the hat sing its song about the different houses and house unity most of her fellow first years trembled where they stood with the stares of the whole school on them. Not Lily though, whatever the hat decided Lily knew she'd be alright.

As Teddy went through the list of first years Lily made sure to take note of some names so she would at least have an idea of who her housemates might be. Boster, Harold was the first to be sorted and ended up in Hufflepuff. Christie, Christina ended up in Gryffindor. Flint, Axel went into Slytherin along with Grant, Vala. And Hacker, John was the first into Ravenclaw.

When Teddy finally called "Potter, Lily" her name seemed to echo through the hall, demanding silence and attention.

Taking a deep breath she walked to the stool and the old sorting hat with her head held high. As she went she saw her brothers and cousins giving her multiple thumbs-up and smiles of encouragement. She didn't acknowledge them and took her seat on the stool with as much confidence as a queen sitting on her throne.

"Good luck, Lils," she heard Teddy whisper as he dropped the hat on her head…

'Ah,' a voice spoke in her ear, 'another Potter. I remember when I was on your father's head, although you share very little in common with him when he was your age. I remember him begging me not to place him in Slytherin. Do you have any requests?'

Lily was surprised that it wanted her opinion. 'No,' she thought, 'I don't have a house preference. I was wondering where you would have me go, seeing as you can see into my head.'

'Good, I love it when children don't have preferences, it makes things more interesting. But you do know you've been over thinking this, don't you?'

'Have I?'

'Oh yes, I see that you are very gifted and have a wonderful mind. You can be a bit of a troublemaker when you want to be. You're ambitious and have more subtly in your pinky finger than your whole family has between the lot of them; you also have great confidence in yourself that often borders on arrogance. Hmmm.'

The hat paused for a moment.

'Do you not know where to put me?' Lily wondered.

'It's not that. I've known where I was going to put you since I was placed on your head,' the hat told her. 'You're very easy to place, Lily Potter. A smart girl like you should know exactly where she's going to end up.'

'I'd rather you make an unbiased decision,' Lily thought.

'A heart's desire is never unbiased,' the hat told her. 'It is what it is. I can see you want to make a name for yourself. It's all you've ever wanted; all you will ever want is to not be cast in someone else's shadow. You've got all the potential—all the drive—but you've got a nasty habit of letting others make decisions for you; like you are trying to do with me. But ultimately it's all on you whether you live your dream or not. You're an ambitious one—but it won't be easy—living one's dream never is. It's so much easier to let life pass by and claim you tried.'

'I know I can do it,' Lily thought determinedly. 'I just need a push this one time.'

'Pushing is what I'm for, girl….' "SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was taken off of her head and there was a spattering of confused applause from the Slytherin table. Lily caught James' eye as she walked to her house table, he looked stunned but when he noticed her looking he gave her a strained smile. Suddenly Lily realized that her brother's teasing had all been for traditions sake. James had teased Al into believing that he would be in Slytherin years ago and Teddy had probably done the same to James…they had never actually believed anyone in the family would be sorted into Slytherin. Not even her.

She looked over to Hugo as the sorting continued and felt a twinge of guilt; he had went on all summer about how great it would be when they both got to Hogwarts and in all of his fantasies he and Lily were in Gryffindor together.

After Lily was sorted four more first years were added to Slytherin so that by the end of the sorting there were four girls including Lily and five boys.

Hugo had been sorted into Gryffindor but Lily had never doubted that he would. It did make her a bit sad though. It would take her family some getting used to; knowing that among all those lions a snake had been born. Still, she knew that if she had ended in Gryffindor she would have spent her whole life being just another Potter. She would be safe and secure but she wanted more than that. And in Slytherin there was no telling how her life would end up. It was odd how one little decision could set the course for someone's whole life.

A part of her hoped that being in Slytherin wouldn't change anything in regards to her relationships with Hugo or her brothers. But she knew it would. Oh well, Lily smiled as the feast began and her housemates started introducing themselves and talking about their respective families. She really didn't care if it did.

A/N: So, what do you think? She might seem a little closed off, arrogant or manipulative right now, but don't worry, she just gets better ;) This is the only chapter which will be told from other people's perspectives, apart from the last bit, the rest will all be from her's. Hogwarts years coming up! The next chapter should pretty much outline her first year, and then I want to skip straight to either her fourth or her fifth year, because that's when the interesting stuff starts happening! Please leave a review or a comment down below, and remember I'm open to suggestions, questions or constructive criticism.