Albums was reading in the living room when his mother came in. He could tell it was her, by the way her stilettos clicked against the floorboards, and the smell of her sickly sweet perfume. It was the special perfume she wore whenever she went out whoring, which was every other night.
"Albus, honey, I'm going out for drinks with Hermione and Luna tonight, so there's leftovers in the fridge to heat up." This was a part of the game that all of the Potter family played. Ginny knew, that Albus knew what she was really doing, but neither of them could acknowledge it. "I'm pretty sure James knows already, but would you mind telling Lily? She'll probably want something to eat."
Another part of the twisted game they all played. James didn't know anything these days, unless you counted getting high on whatever was available. And they all knew that Lily won't eat. "Okay sure. Dad floo called a couple of minutes ago, he's going to be working late." Albus refrained from mentioning that it was the fourth time that week. "Oh, of course! He has the big case that they just put him on, it must be quite stressful."
With that, his mother put on a final touch of bright red lipstick, checked her outfit (knee length trench coat and fishnets, with something sexy underneath) and hurried out the door. Albus sighed, and went to the fridge. He heated two plates of pasta (one for him and James) and made a small bowl of salad for Lily.
Taking the food upstairs, he paused at the door. "James, I have some pasta for you. Mum is out, and Dad's working late." James grunted from his bed, where he lay smoking god knows what. The fumes from whatever it was nearly knocked Albus out. He put the pasta down, where he knew James would be able to reach, and left.
At Lily's door, he knocked. "Hey Lils, mind if I come in?" When he pushed it open, he saw Lily doing crunches. This routine he knew well. She wouldn't stop until she had done a thousand crunches, in the hopes she would get skinnier. Albus wanted to tell her that she was skin and bones, and barely weighed more then air.
She couldn't even fly a broomstick anymore, because it wouldn't register her weight. "Lil, I've brought some food. Don't worry, it's just salad, mostly celery, and two litres of water. You need it after that workout!"
"Thanks Al." Lily finally replied, having finished her torture session. "Is Mum out again?" "Yeah, drinks with Aunt Hermione and Luna. Dad's working late again, but he flooed, which is better than usual." "Oh, and James is in his room?" "Yeah, sleeping."
"Cool." Albus noted that his sisters once beautiful hair, was now falling out in clumps, scattered around the room. What was left on her head was dull, and dry, nothing like the vivid red it used to be. Her head looked too big for her body, and he could see every bone in her back. Her knees jutted out, bigger than the rest of her legs.
"Brrr, it's so cold in here. Did someone turn the heat off?" "I think so Lils, put a jumper on, and I'll turn it up." "Thanks Al, you're the best."
While heading downstairs to turn the heat up, (because it was on, but Lily was always cold nowadays) he wondered how his family got so screwed up. It only seemed like yesterday when his biggest worry was being sorted into Slytherin. His dad, the "great" Harry Potter, "saviour of the wizarding world" had been able to make him feel better then.
Now, he could barely even look them in the eye. Working late and leaving early, his auror job at the ministry had become his obsession.
His mother walked the streets, sleeping with random men. He wasn't sure why she did it, considering that with the Potter fortune and his fathers ministry job, they were pretty rich. Maybe it was her form of escape.
James had graduated from Hogwarts, and now spent his days at home, making, and taking drugs. While his father stayed away, and his mother became a slut, James' solution was to escape reality. Being the resident screw up of the family didn't really bother him.
Lily, on the other hand, was obsessed with the idea, the epitome, of perfection. Everything had to be perfect, including her. Hence, the diets and crazy workouts, not eating for days at a time. She probably got the idea from the image they all projected out to the public.
Interviews with Harry Potter, the perfect husband, talking about how he loved his wife and kids. Ginny, the beautiful, adoring wife, talented at Quidditch. James, the good looking party boy, who was fit and cared about his family. Lily, the princess, happy and popular, nice to everyone. And him, Albus. Quiet, smart and studious, he was shy, and had his group of close friends. Altogether, they were the perfect family.
Of course, these were lies. But they didn't need to know that. If word got out that Harry Potters perfect family, wasn't so good after all, it was be a scandal. Luckily, nobody had cracked yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Secrets were made to be found out, after all.