Written for the Potter Family Challenge in the HPFC. Lily has a heart-to-heart with Moaning Myrtle.

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Blinded by tears, she really wasn't sure how she made it to the safety of a deserted loo. Only the drip drip drip of a leaky faucet joined her sobs as she hid her red-blotched face. Her brothers had, once again, refused to let her play with them.

Was it really so bad to have a First Year for a little sister? Was it too much to ask to let her join their snowball fight? According to James and Albus, yes. It absolutely was.

As they packed snowballs and cast warming charms, Lily curled up in the corner of the girl's bathroom, intent on a sob-fest for one.

"Hello there," a high-pitched voice called. Lily's brown eyes, swollen with sorrow, searched for the source. "Up here."

She really shouldn't have been surprised. It was, after all, quite normal at Hogwarts to see ghosts. Then again, something about this ghost seemed so... sad.

"H-hullo..." Lily replied nervously. She wiped her cheeks with her sleeve and sniffled.

"Why are you crying? I'm usually the only one crying in here." the ghost said, slowly drifting towards Lily.

"M-my brothers wouldn't let me play with them. They said I'm just a bother; I wouldn't be a bother, I could help," the redhead justified.

"I cry because I'm dead."

"Oh," Lily blushed, feeling rather foolish for being upset over such a trivial thing when this girl – alive or not – cries over her own death. "How did you die?"

Because of her innocent question, her puffy eyes and genuine interest, Moaning Myrtle felt her heart go soft. In that bathroom, with only the dripping faucet echoing around them, Myrtle told little Lily Potter the story of her death; An evil serpent, a dark wizard, and instant death surrounded by hints of her own father at Hogwarts.

"So you see, in the end, I will always have something to cry about. But you...you can raise a hue and cry."

Lily thought about her words of wisdom. Myrtle may be stuck in her sorrow forever, but Lily can certainly change her circumstances. If her brothers didn't want to play with her, she can make her own friends and her own fun. If they couldn't be bothered by her now, they certainly can't be bothered when she does something more dramatic...like get a boyfriend! Right?

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Definitely not my best writing, but I'm trying to get back into my groove. Thanks for reading!

Ami

(Uploaded 2-26-14)