Prologue
Once upon a time, there was a small cottage where a poor peasant lived with his three children. He alone provided for them, for their mother died during the birth of their youngest daughter.
The three children were all very different from one another. First, and eldest, was the only son Julian. He was kindly and sweet, caring of others and loving of his family. He was rather shy, but his heart was strong and he was tough. Second, the middle child, the daughter Petunia. She was a jealous creature with bitter and sometimes harsh feelings towards others. But she loved her family dearly and would do anything to keep them safe.
Third, the youngest and the heroine of our story, a beautiful child called Lily. She was a loving girl with a tender heart who cared for all things, down to the smallest ant. Being rambunctious child, she would run off to explore in the village and surrounding forests and return hours later to find her entire family searching frantically for her. Their father would say, "Where have you been Lily?" and hug her tightly, "You scared me to death!" Then she would smile sweetly and say, "But, Papa, I made you a bouquet!" and present him with a handful of daisies. He would of course forgive her and accept them, placing them in their finest vase.
Petunia had always been a little jealous of her sister's beauty. Lily had flowing, silky, red hair that fell to her waist and clear deep green eyes that seemed to hold wisdom beyond their years. Petunia's own hair was dirty blonde and cropped short, but she still loved her sister dearly. The villagers in the town doted upon her, and while they were not unkind to Petunia, Lily was the most treasured. She had inherited from her mother, along with her red locks, her fiery temper. She was bold and when there was something she didn't like, she came right out about it. There was no beating around the bush with Lily Evans. Petunia and Julian had inherited their father's messy blonde hair, blue eyes, and shy nature.
Julian felt himself to be Lily's protector; and so he was. He took care of her, followed her in her random wanderings into the forest, and usually carried her back from them. If she was upset by something, whether it was because another child in the village had hurt her feelings or because she had found a wounded bird, she always came to him. He would hold her hand, kiss her cheek, and help her bandage the bird's hurt wing. Petunia always went to their father for this comfort; the age difference between her and Julian was not so large, and they often bickered.
As Lily grew, so did her loveliness. Her hair grew ever longer, as she refused to cut it. Her body changed and she grew into a beautiful young woman. She learned to ride on horseback and reveled in the feeling of the wind in her hair as she rode. She loved visiting the town stables and assisting the stable master in caring for the horses. She and Julian earned weekly wages there and eventually they raised enough money to buy their family a beautiful chestnut mare that Lily named Belle.
Being an adventurous young woman Lily would still liked to wander off into the woods, especially when she was supposed to be cleaning. She would slip away when backs were turned and vanish without a trace, only to return hours later with flowers in her hair, just as she had done as a child. Petunia would often wake from slumber to find a wreath of petunias in her hair or a rose at her bedside. She would often retaliate by making Lily a scarf on the loom, which she would wear until it became so dirty and tattered that Petunia would have to steal it back in the middle of the night.
All in all Lily, Petunia and Julian had had a good childhood, despite their relative poverty. They were happy in their little village in the countryside, with its meadow full of flowers and the wild rushing river.
But, less than a week after Lily's eighteenth birthday, everything was going to change.