A Matter of Pride
Unfortunately I do not own anything except the storyline. As much as I'd like it, I'm not J.K. Rowling.
Saturday mornings were always quiet in the Evans household. Andrew and Jane - Petunia and Lily's parents - always slept in, leaving the two young girls to do what they wanted for an hour or two. This particular morning both girls were up at the crack of dawn, and for good reason. Today was the day Lily turned eleven. Even though it was her birthday, her insides were all knotted up. For Lily, today was more than her birthday. If Severus was right, today was the day that her Hogwarts acceptance letter should come.
Lily was sitting on the couch in her pyjamas while Petunia braided her hair when their parents crept down the stairs and into the living room. "Ow, Tuney! Be careful!" Lily whined as Petunia secured her long red plait with a green hair tie. "Oh, shush. I'm done now anyway" "I'm finished." Lily corrected, earning a playful slap on the arm from her sister who had just sat down on the arm of the sofa. Deciding now was the best time to make an entrance; Andrew snuck up right behind his little girl and grabbed her around the waist.
"Put me down!" Lily yelled, legs and arms flailing all over the place as her father carried her through the kitchen and out the back door. "Oi! You just hit me in the nose, Lily!" Jane exclaimed as Andrew ran past her, down towards the pond at the bottom of their garden. Lily, was about to make a smart comment when she felt herself flying. She realised what was going on and covered her nose and mouth just before she hit the water, which was cold from the frosty January night. She felt herself hit the bottom and pushed herself up to the surface, just like she did last year, and every year since she learnt how to swim. "DAD!" she screamed as she broke the surface. Her family were all in stitches, and her reaction made them laugh even more. She started laughing too, pushing loose strand of hair out of her face. "Oh crumbs." She thought, feeling the back of her plait. It was dry. Taking advantage of her family's state, she hopped nimbly out of the pond and legged it into the house. She took the stairs two at a time and ran to her room, slamming the door. "Yup." She thought, looking at herself in the mirror. "I've done it again." And done it again she had. Her clothes, which should be saturated, were bone dry. Grabbing a shirt and a pair of jeans, she ran across the hall to the bathroom and changed. Then she filled the sink with cold water and dunked her hair into it. She wrapped a towel around her head and quickly soaked her pyjamas in the water. Happy with her handiwork, she threw her wet pj's into the wash basket and walked downstairs to her birthday breakfast.
"Happy Birthday to you!" her mother and Petunia chorused, setting plates of sausages and rashers on the table. Lily smiled as she went to sit in her usual seat but her dad was already sitting there. "Ah, ah, ah. Birthday Girl sits at the head of the table" he said with a wink. Lily pulled back the chair and was about to sit down when she saw something small. "A fake mouse, Dad? Really? It's my birthday, not April Fool's!" she scowled, chucking the little plastic mouse at him. Petunia and Jane sat down and the family started breakfast. "So, what have we planned for today, Andrew?" "Glad you asked, Jane dear! We, my dear children, are going ice skating!" Lily and Petunia let out whoops of joy and Andrew reached over the table to high-five Jane. "Told you they'd love it!" she boasted. "And Lily hasn't even heard the best of it yet!" This caught Lily's attention. "What? Tell me!" she said, resisting the urge to tug his sleeve. God, how she hated that.
"Well, since you are now the big One-One, we decided that you could bring a friend! Your mother cleared it up with Eileen. Severus will be here in twenty minutes. Lily blinked, and then launched herself at her father. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed, planting a kiss on his cheek and racing upstairs to grab her coat and gloves. Petunia however glared at her parents. "Why would you invite that queer little boy to our nice family outing?" she said coldly. Andrew gave her a look and she said no more. "Fine" she thought. "I'll put up with him, but there is no way in hell that I shall be anything more than civil."
Half an hour later the Evans family and Severus Snape were on their way to the park, where an ice skating ring had been set up for the holiday season. Petunia was between her parents, and the three were in a deep meaningful conversation on the future of the television. Lily and Severus were lagging behind them, in a deep conversation of their own. "Sev, I'm scared. What if I don't get a letter? What if I'm not good enough for them?" Lily worried, knowing Severus would understand her. "You'll be fine Lil. I was worried that Father wouldn't let me go, but Mama convinced him. You have nothing to worry about. They would be mad not to send you a letter." Lily took Severus' hand and squeezed it. "Thanks Sev." They walked the rest of the way in amiable silence, not noticing Petunia looking at them every few seconds.
After a great day ice skating, Andrew and Jane took the two younger children home for a hot chocolate. Petunia had met a friend of hers and was gone for a walk with her. Jane had told Eileen that Severus would be home around five o'clock, and it was just gone three. Lily was glad. She wanted Sev here when her letter arrived. The post arrived at a quarter to four, and was followed promptly by a knock. "Odd. The postman never knocks." Jane muttered to Andrew, a confused look on her face. She walked briskly to the door, Andrew on her heel, and Lily could hear her grab the key off the hook and unlock it.
"How may I help you?" Lily heard her mother ask politely.
"Hello, I am Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here to inform you that your daughter Lily Claire Evans is a witch and to answer any questions you may have, as well as deliver her acceptance letter." The woman at the door answered. As soon as she had finished speaking, Lily and Severus ran to the door. Dressed in a long, black robe, Professor McGonagall stepped past Andrew and Jane, who appeared to be hyperventilating, and handed an envelope to Lily. "Welcome aboard, Ms Evans." She smiled.
Two strong cups of tea and many questions later, Andrew Evans smiled. "Who would've guessed it? My Lily-petal, a witch! I am so proud of you." McGonagall had explained everything to Mr and Mrs Evans - including the fact that Severus was a wizard and would also be attending Hogwarts - and now that they were over the initial shock, they couldn't have been prouder. "Off to Hogwarts to become a witch, my goodness!" Jane exclaimed, the skin on her face stretched from her gigantic smile. No one noticed Petunia in the doorway.
"I can't believe you're going off to be a freak!" she yelled at Lily, giving everyone a fright. "Any I can't believe you two are happy about it! A freak for a daughter, you must be so proud!" And with that she stormed up the stairs, leaving her relationship with her sister behind her.