Before the Boy Who Lived
A/n: Hey everybody, and welcome to my first fic, Before the Boy Who Lived. Yay! I'm SO happy that I could finally get this to appear on the website because it took me so long! Okay, so I just want to let you know that this fic will be a little bit of everything. Humor, angst, romance, and pretty much anything else you can think of. These first chapters though will be some of the really sad ones. I promise not to make you wait too long for updates, I hate doing that myself. And I'll post as much as possible. Also, if you read ahead a bit, I have lyrics in the beginning of the chapter. In my notebook, every chapter has lyrics, so I'm going to try posting it with them. Hopefully it won't get deleted, but I promise to repost if it does. Read and review! (But no flames!) Enjoy!
Title: Before the Boy Who Lived
Rating: M
Warnings: VERY LONG STORY PLANNED! Abuse, language, and some other adult themes.
Summary: Believe it or not, Lily Evans never had a very easy life. An abusive step-family, attacks on her life, and being the sole caretaker of her younger cousin Laney took quite a toll on her. Join Lily as she battles everything from getting a date to the ball to suicides and murders. From before she enters Hogwarts to the day she dies, this is the story of Lily Evans.
Disclaimer: Nothing except for the characters you don't recognize/the plot belongs to me. It's all the idea of the wonderful Ms. Rowling. I also know that there are lyrics in the beginning. THEY DO NOT BELONG TO ME! They belong to Simple Plan, from the song "Welcome to My Life", from the "Still Not Getting Any" CD. PLEASE DO NOT DELETE MY STORY! I believe I am using a quote, not plagiarizing since I tell my source and use quotations. So please, I'm not making money off this, so just do me a favor and don't delete my masterpiece/junk. Plus I know of a lot of stories (I'm not saying which) that have lyrics and you haven't deleted them, so why delete my story? Thanks so much. Oh, and people/friends/enemies I know own some too. I like to add some real-life drama to make it more realistic!
Dedications: To my friend Veronica who got to work first, and who inspired me to give it one last try. Oh, and to Jennie Nguyen, I'd just like to say... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I GOT IT TO WORK! HAHAHA! Oh, and to all of the reviewers of Jennie's and my story: All's Fair in Love and War. You guys rock! (Don't forget to read this one too! -)
And now, on with the story...
Before the Boy Who Lived
Chapter 1: Welcome to My Life
"Do you wanna be somebody else?
Are you sick of being so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more
Before your life is over?
Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you're bleeding?
No you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels alright
You don't know what it's like
To be like me...
To be hurt, to feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked, when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life."
Welcome to My Life, Simple Plan (Still Not Getting Any...)
I woke up late that morning when a flash of lightning suddenly illuminated my room, making me jump and hit my head on the backboard of my canopy bed.
"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing a slowly forming bump. I looked around me, and groaned when I saw the clock. Once again, my step-mother Kerri had sent my half-sister Petunia and my step-brother Jake off to school without bothering to wake up my younger cousin Laney or me.
Aching all over from the many cuts, bruises and burns that I had gotten from Kerri, I rolled out of bed and brushed my long red-gold hair out of my emerald green eyes.
This would never have happened if Dad were here. But of course, he was once again on a concert tour along with his instrumentals that kept him away for weeks or months at a time, leaving Laney and I alone with the three people that hated us most.
You see, ever since I was born, my life was hell. It just became worse and worse over the years. Confused? Maybe I should start from the beginning...
It's March of 1959, and my father, Chris Evans, who was 26 at the time, was just declared England's newest rock sensation. He had just begun his first ever concert tour, and the first stop was Dublin, Ireland.
His concert was a complete success that night. Sold-out tickets and an arena full of adoring fans, most of them love-sick teenage girls. What could be better?
After the concert, Dad went back to his hotel room, only to be introduced to Abigail Fitzpatrick, a true Irish beauty with her curly auburn hair and beautiful almond shaped emerald green eyes, and one of his biggest fans. She had won a contest, and was to go on tour with Dad until it ended in June.
Dad was entranced by her beauty, and amazed by her kindness. When he introduced her to his three year old daughter of his deceased girlfriend (she died in childbirth) Petunia, Abigail loved her as her own child. Dad had come to realize that he loved her- rather, lusted for her.
By now it was April, and the tour was in France. They were given a few days to sight-see before they left for Germany, and Dad showed Abigail the time of her life in the city of lights, the city of love- Paris.
One night, the pair left Petunia with her hired nanny at the Hilton they were staying at, and went out for a night on the town. Romantic dinner, beautiful sights, and champagne; it was a lovely evening. That is until they went dancing. Abigail and Dad went to a hip little club and hotel, and started dancing and downing a lot of alcohol. Before you know it, the songs grew more sensual, and Dad was soon snogging Abigail, who was not protesting.
I don't know if it was the music, the atmosphere, or just a lot of lust and alcohol, but soon Dad and Abigail were locked in one of the hotel rooms and wouldn't be getting back to Petunia until the next morning, if you catch my drift.
Nine months later, January12, 1960, I was born. Abigail, my mum, was only 15. Fifteen. Her family (except her twin sister Rose), embarrassed and angry, disowned her, and without money, her high school, Dublin High, would not allow her to continue her schooling there. Her life was ruined.
Dad at least had the decency to ask Mum to marry him. They were married that June 23, and Mum, Dad, Petunia and I were officially a family.
As I grew up, I was the perfect child. Smart, kind, quiet, obedient, and I was growing to look more and more like my beautiful mother. I even had musical talent thanks to my dad. Although their love would seem like something great, it was the exact opposite. While they showered me with praise and attention, Petunia was slowly forgotten, packed away in a deep corner of their minds.
From the time that we were in diapers, Petunia despised me. I was everything she wanted to be, and I had all of my parent's love. My parents thought I had the voice of an angel when I sang. I hated it. Petunia just hated me even more.
That was when the fighting started. Dad, still very popular on the music scene, was always away on tour, and would often come home with little things like lipstick tubes or notes hidden away in his trunk. Mum found them, and accused Dad of cheating on her. They would fight and yell all the time, with not even a moment for Petunia or me.
When I was eight, my Auntie Rose and Uncle George were killed in a car crash. Laney, who was only three then, survived and came to live with us. Mum and Dad were so caught up in their fighting by then, I doubted if they noticed that Laney had arrived. The poor parentless child often cried for her mother, and I took it upon myself to comfort and care for her. We were all each other really had.
Then, when I was nine, Mum and Dad finally got the divorce. Dad won custody of the three of us, all of his money, and of course the mansion by the sea we lived in. Mum told us each how much she loved us, promised to try and visit, and moved to a tiny flat in a dodgy town not far from London. That was all she could afford.
Before the ink on the divorce papers was dry, Dad had Kerri and her son Jake flown in from Miami. It turned out that Dad had met beautiful, blonde, curvy Kerri and her son the same way that he had met Mum. It was her he was having an affair with while he had still been married to Mum.
They got married soon after. Laney and I were furious that Dad could just move on to some random bimbo like that, and we wouldn't talk to him a month and a half. She had only married him for his fame and his money!
Petunia on the other hand, was delighted. She and Jake got along wonderfully (they were the same age), passing the time by teasing Laney and I, and Kerri agreed with them. I looked too much like my mother for her taste, and I had too much of my mother's fiery spirit. I don't know why she decided to hate Laney; probably because she liked me so much.
Soon, the vacation time Dad took off to be with us (more like Kerri) was up, and he prepared to leave on a tour of Switzerland. I was upset that I was to be left in the care of three people I knew hated me, but I wasn't worried. They couldn't do any thing to me, and besides, I had Laney. Boy was I wrong.
To keep Dad from fighting with her or punishing her favorite children, Kerri made it look as if she, Petunia and Jake loved us as much as they loved each other, like we were the ones who hated them. The moment Dad left, the façade vanished, and my personal hell got darker and hotter, only this time, I dragged Laney down with me.
Life for Laney and I was a fate worse then death. Since Dad was no longer around, my horrible family made their loathing obvious by abusing us, mentally and physically, and treating us like slaves. I fought back in the beginning, but it wasn't long until my fiery spirit was shattered into a million pieces.
There was no way to rekindle that flame either. At home, I had to face the beast. My mother, so wrapped up in financial issues never noticed what had become of me. At school, it was just as bad. Between my appearance, the weird (almost magic) things that happened around me and the reputation Petunia and Jake had given me, I was known as the school freak. Kids constantly teased and sabotaged me, and then beat me up once school was over for the day. I managed to protect innocent Laney by allowing them to take everything out on me.
Some good news though, is once Dad realized that Kerri was very high maintenance and would "need some help" around the house, he hired Liza, a teenage, curly brown haired, hazel eyed girl from London as our maid. Liza soon became Laney's and my only confidant and friend. Even if it was only when Kerri or my siblings weren't around, it was a small comfort. She did her best to console us, and make everything all better, but try as she might, my wounds just would not seem to heal. All those who hated me so made sure of that.
The nuns (I went to Saint Mary's Catholic School for Young Ladies and Gentleman) also hated me. Don't get me wrong, I was smart, but since I was so distracted, I had D's and F's in every subject. Whenever something bad or a prank happened, I was automatically blamed, and they thought me a trouble maker. It didn't help that Laney and I were almost always late to school either. But that was Kerri's fault. Then again, it doesn't matter. They'll never understand that.
With a sigh, this thought brought me back to reality, and I glanced across the room at Laney's angelic sleeping form. I was eleven now, as of January, which reminded me what today was.
Today was April 25- Laney's sixth birthday. I smiled to myself and reached under my bed, grabbing the cute blue teddy bear holding a little heart with the words, "Don't Stop Dreaming" written on it in gold thread. I had bought it for Laney using the money I found around the house while cleaning for Kerri.
Quietly padding over, I sat on the edge of her bed, the mattress squeaking under my weight. Reaching a hand over, I brushed Laney's long dark brown hair out of her face, causing her to moan something in her sleep.
"Wake up sleepyhead," I called to her softly.
Laney's eyes fluttered open, and I stared into a pair of emerald green orbs identical to my own.
"Lily?" she yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
I kissed her on the forehead. "Morning hun. Happy Birthday."
I pulled out the bear from behind my back and she gasped with delight. "You remembered!"
She took the bear out of my hands and hugged it close to her body. Then she threw her arms around my neck. ""Thank you Lily!" she cried happily.
I giggled at her child-like happiness and pulled her back, sitting her on my lap. "Sure thing sweetie," I tapped her on the nose and sat her on her bed as I stood up. "Now come on, get dressed. We have to hurry and get to school."
Laney laid the bear back on her fluffy white pillow and looked at me with a confused look on her face. "Did Kerri let us sleep in again?" she asked.
Without meeting her eyes, I answered, "Yeah honey, she did. Now hurry and get ready for school okay?"
"Okay..."
I looked at the clock again. 10 o'clock, great. It would be lunch by the time we finally got to school.
Quickly, the two of us slipped in to our blue plaid uniforms, and I brushed our hair, leaving mine down and putting Laney's in her favorite, a French braid.
I grabbed both of our book bags and slung them over my shoulder, much to Laney's protest.
"You're the birthday girl," I insisted, "Can't have you carrying such a heavy bag on your birthday, now can we?" Eventually, she gave in.
After that, we tiptoed out of our room, being careful to make sure that Kerri was safely in the bathroom taking her daily bubble bath first.
We crept silently down the stairs and snuck into the vast kitchen. I threw together a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a juice box and an apple for each of us, and I snuck a cupcake into Laney's lunch. That was the closest she'd get to a birthday cake today.
Keeping quiet, the two of us dashed out the French mahogany front doors and onto the court in front of the mansion. "Just our luck," I thought as we pushed through the iron gates, "it's pouring rain!"
Laney shivered and her teeth chattered, so I whipped off my sweater and put it around her shaking shoulders. Now, the rain began to seep through my thin silk blouse, and made my bedraggled hair stick to my face.
"C'mon Lane, we have to run so we can get to school soon. Don't want you sick on your birthday, right?" I asked as I flipped my limp, wet hair over my shoulder and grabbed Laney's small hand in my own, pulling her along as I ran.
The school gates were in sight when Laney slipped and fell in a huge, sticky mud puddle, pulling me down with her. I rubbed the mud off my face and looked at my cousin who was doing the same.
"Yuck!" she exclaimed.
I smiled and lifted her off the ground, both of us looking like we braved a hurricane. "Come on now Little Solider," I implored, "Time for school."
Being more careful this time, we walked toward the school and into the gates, finally reaching the school's huge oak doors.
We went in and I sighed. No sign of any nuns. Now all I had to do was get Laney to class and-
"Miss Lily and Laney Evans. How nice of you to join us." A crisp voice said behind us. Slowly, with a sense of dread, Laney and I turned around to face our captor.
Before us stood Mother Victoria, the strictest of the nuns as well as Headmistress.
"Hello Mother," I greeted meekly with a weak smile.
She frowned and I winced as she grabbed me by the ear. "You two are coming with me," she announced and led us down the hall to her office.
Mother opened the door and sat down in the winged chair behind her majestic desk, frowning.
"Take a seat," she ordered.
Laney and I sat down across from her. Mother leaned forward and looked at us over her long boney fingers. "Now girls, this is getting ridiculous. This is the eighth time you've been late this month. Is something wrong? Petunia and Jake have no problem getting here on time."
I put on a big fake smile and denied, "Of course nothing is wrong Mother. Laney and I just have a hard time waking up in the morning is all."
Mother opened her mouth to continue interrogating us, but just then the lunch bell rang. She waved her hand. "Just go to lunch girls," she instructed, "I'll continue talking with you later."
"Yes Mother," I replied, taking Laney's hand and leading her out of the office.
Laney and I walked carefully out of Mother Victoria's office and into the sea of students in the corridor, all of them headed toward the lunchroom.
People pushed past us and tripped us, taunting and teasing. Because of this, the lunchroom was full to the brim by the time we finally got there.
An aura of tension filled the air, and I directed my gaze to the floor as we made our daily crossing of the lunchroom to 'our' table next to the dank, drafty wall farthest away from everyone and everything else.
I heard a group of footsteps and stopped as I felt someone's presence before us. Slowly, I lifted my gaze and met the cruel, taunting gaze of Petunia, Jake, and their cronies. I was silent as the fourteen and fifteen year olds surrounded me.
"Well, well, well, the freaks finally decided to join us. Damn, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," Petunia smirked evilly.
I looked down at the ground, unlike my fiery self would have done, and noticed out of the corner of my eye that the tiny six year old next to me was glaring defiantly up at the group, an air of confidence about her.
"It's a shame. The little freaks couldn't even clean up for school. Look how dirty they are. Oh wait, they did clean up. This is better than usual," Jake laughed, his eyes glittering maliciously.
Laney gritted her teeth and stepped in front of me, balling her fists angrily. "We are not freaks! For your information Jake, we fell in the mud!"
Petunia's best friend Angelique, a tall platinum blonde French girl with eyes colder than ice spoke up, "So basically you're telling us that not only dirty freaks, but you're clumsy too? Oh that is so sad," she finished, theatrically wiping a fake tear from her eye. Petunia smirked and then leaned down to my eye level with a sinister look on her face.
"You're just going to let that little twerp fight your battles for you?" she hissed so that only I could hear, "I knew it. You aren't strong. You're just like that stupid little whore Dad knocked up and you call Mum. You're just a weak little freak!" At the last word, a resounding smack resounded throughout the room as my older sister slapped me so hard I fell to the cold stone floor with tears in my eyes.
Satisfied, the gang turned their backs on us and began walking away. Laney rushed to my side and pulled me to my feet. She glared at me with disbelief.
"Are you just going to let them get away with that?" she asked incredulously.
I looked into her innocent emerald eyes, where I saw the flame that was once inside my mother, inside me, but was now blown out. Laney still had that flame, filled with hope even when there was so much pain around her. I had lost it long ago.
"Yeah Lane. There's nothing we can do about it anyway," I answered, defeated.
"Of course there is!" she shouted, standing up, "you could..."
"No Lane," I said firmly, "It's in the past.
The child gazed at me hopelessly one last time and then turned to glare at the retreating backs of our siblings and their friends. She stared at them long and hard, with a small thoughtful smile on her face.
Suddenly, a scream echoed against the stone walls. It was Petunia, strangely enough. I looked up and grinned widely when I saw that her nose hair had grown out in very long ringlets and her front teeth were growing larger by the minute; by now they had reached her waist.
"Excellent," I muttered.
Laney let out a soft cry of glee, glancing up at me while she clapped her hands.
But at that moment, I was staring at Petunia, thinking of the many things I wished would happen to her.
Petunia screamed shrilly as she rose into the air, straight for the ceiling. I never broke eye contact by blinking as I watched her go up the whole way. Then, I unexpectedly swung my head around to the right to look at the wall opposite me.
Seemingly, Petunia went with my gaze. Screaming the entire time, Petunia flew from the ceiling, across the room and collided with the wall with a bang. Slowly, while moaning in pain, she slid to the floor.
"Serves her right," I mumbled to myself.
I smiled at Laney when she giggled. But our fun was short lived. Just then, Mother Victoria rushed into the lunchroom toward Petunia, for whom she had a soft spot.
"Petunia, dear, who did this to you?" she inquired as she bent down next to my slowly returning to normal sister. Petunia lifted a shaky finger and pointed at Laney and me standing all alone in the middle of the lunchroom.
"Them," she uttered, "They did this to me."
My eyes widened, and Laney got closer to me, grabbing my hand. Mother turned around slowly, an ominous thunder cloud as she peered down at us.
"LILY AND LANEY EVANS! MY OFFICE NOW!"
Now, thankfully, it was the end of the day, and I sat at my desk, twirling a pencil around between my fingers while the rest of the class watched the news on the telly Sister Margaret had turned on a few minutes ago. I though, was thinking of Laney.
Although we had no idea how or what actually happened, we were blamed for what happened to dear, precious Petunia. It was always us.
We were lucky though. Instead of getting suspended, the two of us got off with a weeks worth of lunch detentions, which didn't much bother us anyway.
I stared at a fly buzzing lazily around the window pane in the afternoon sunlight, almost dozing off when someone yelled, "Look! It's Lily's mum on the news!"
My head shot up and I stared at the telly hung in the upper corner of the room. Kerri? No, it was my real mum, Abigail Lisa Evans.
"Turn it up!" I cried, for once forgetting my wallflower status. This channel was on in every classroom. Whatever happened, soon the whole school would know about it. I tried to strain my ears to hear whatever the reporter was reading.
"We have a breaking news flash! Just moments ago, Abigail Evans was arrested under the charges of armed robbery and manslaughter. She will be having an open court session as soon as possible. We now go live to Bob Jackson at the crime scene in center London. Bob, over to you..."
My breath caught in my throat as everyone turned to stare at me. My mother? A thief? A killer? "Oh God Laney!" I cried.
I jumped up and ran out the door into the corridor, running as fast as my legs would take me to Laney's classroom. She burst out of it before I got there and ran toward me until we met in the middle, engulfing each other in a hug as we sobbed and cried.
"Why Lily? Why di-did Auntie do it-t?" Laney wailed into my shoulder.
"I don't know Lane," I told her, "I j-just don't kn-know."
A/N: Well my dear readers, that's it for now. Now, before I go, you see that little button down there in the corner? Yes, yes, that button. Heh heh. I would really appreciate it if you left me a review. You know you want to...
Shannon-