Chapter 1: Sweet Sixteen
Rowed a boat, she was all alone
Great Lake Michigan is so far from home
Somewhere in the distance a lone wolf is crying out for us again
But she's only sixteen
Clean pristine
Messed-up, dirty sixteen
Not like the clean pristine dancing queens
No one special, but she's sweet sixteen
Lily Evans was nearing her sixteenth birthday, but unlike some people, she was not looking forward to her birthday. She wasn't dreading it, but there was nothing to look forward to—only two people bothered to wish her a happy birthday, that was all. No one else even knew she existed. She was just another speck of dirt in the clear shine of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a little speck no one cared to remove, a little speck no one bothered with.
But then… that's not the beginning…
Maybe… the story should start at the beginning…
*
"Arabella Clara Dayton Figg, stop!" came the plaintive cry from Lily Evans as she ran towards the Great Hall to breakfast. Arabella Figg dashed after the redhead, a green snake wrapped around her right forearm.
"He won't bite… much," Arabella responded, an evil twinkle in her eye.
"And if he does, he'll bite her anyway," input Molly Richardson as Lily ground to a hesitant halt. "I mean, she's the closest person."
"What?" Arabella had a look of pure horror on her face.
"Just kidding," said Molly with a sweet smile. "It's a garden snake. It won't bite."
Arabella sighed with relief, and Lily crowed her triumph.
"Bella was scared!" she shrieked.
"Was not," said Arabella fiercely. "I'm never scared."
"Except just now… of a harmless garden snake."
"You were scared, too!"
"But I'm not denying it… 'Fraid you're just a 'fraidy-cat, Bella," said Lily with a helpless shrug.
"GET BACK HERE LILY ANNABELLE EVANS AND TAKE THAT BACK!" shrieked Arabella, and they continued their mad chase, Gregory the garden snake forgotten.
"What was that all about?" Arthur Weasley asked Molly, coming up to the curvy redhead and slipping an arm around her waist.
"No idea, Arthur. None at all."
*
Arabella and Lily were completely out of breath when they sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, but they were laughing in gasps, choking on the words and their giggles.
"You—"
"Gregory—"
"Scared!"
And the giggles came back, full force.
"I'm not going to ask," said Sirius Black firmly as he passed them. "Wait… does that snake bite?"
It was just then when the owl dropped the letter onto Lily's empty plate.
*
"Where's Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall asked Arabella in Transfiguration, the first class for Lily and Arabella.
"I don't know," answered Arabella truthfully. "She ran from the Hall when she got the letter."
"The letter," repeated McGonagall. Arabella nodded dutifully.
"The letter," she confirmed.
"Oh, dear… I wonder… I shall ask Albus after class," decided McGonagall to herself. "Today's lesson will feature turning a rock into a comb. Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, please pay attention… you may need this lesson," she remarked, looking at their equally unruly and untidy black hair. A few small chuckles rung in the classroom. McGonagall allowed herself a small smile at the now-glaring Potter and Black and proceeded to pass out the rocks.
She was just about to tell them the spell when Dumbledore burst in.
"Minerva, are all of your students present?" he inquired urgently. McGonagall blinked at him.
"Y—no. Lily Evans is not here… Miss Figg said that she got a letter at breakfast and ran from the Hall afterwards?" McGonagall's voice was inquisitive—Dumbledore probably knew what this letter was.
"Oh dear, oh dear. A letter? I suppose she must have found out… Oh dear me. Dear, dear me."
"What's wrong?" McGonagall asked impatiently. Dumbledore looked up.
"Someone is on the eighth floor."
"That's strictly forbidden!" exclaimed McGonagall. "Penalty is expulsion…" Dumbledore nodded somberly.
"I know."
"Mr. Longbottom," said McGonagall smoothly, regaining her senses, "watch the class. Try to get them to transfigure their rocks. The spell is Incanto Stoneo. I will join Professor Dumbledore."
And the teachers swept out the door.
*
Lily was, at that moment, crying. Stupid letter, it was all a stupid joke—except, it had the Ministry of Magic seal…
They were not dead.
They were not dead.
They were alive, they were perfectly healthy, they were…
Dead.
A fresh wave of tears overcame her, and she cradled her own head in her hands—no one else would. No one had cared enough to come after her… maybe they thought she wanted to be alone.
I do want to be alone, she thought desperately. I do.
But she didn't. She wanted someone to tell her that it was okay, her parents weren't dead, her life was going to go on as it always had.
No one came.
She waited, the tears pouring down her face, but still no one came. Shakily, she stood, wanting to go to class and afterwards find someone to comfort her. Somewhere, fuzzily, in the distance, she heard a door open and close.
Footsteps.
Maybe someone cares, she thought hopefully. Arabella, or, or, or, someone… maybe.
It wasn't Arabella.
In fact, it wasn't even a student.
Nor was it a person.
It was a flash of bright color…
The gypsy butterfly danced before her eyes, humming. Love, and power, and downfall… I'm sorry, you'll be gone… but at least you will have loved. Aren't you glad you will have loved?
I'm going to die? Just like my family? Lily shrieked, but she couldn't hear her voice, just her thoughts. She wasn't focused enough to realize that although gypsy butterflies excelled in divination, they rarely told the true prophecy.
Yes, everyone does. Your time may be sooner, but by Merlin, you will have loved. Aren't you glad? Not everyone ends up loving before they die. You will have loved… so much…
What do you mean?
No time, Merlin and Guinevere are approaching. So long, and be glad you will have loved…
The butterfly disappeared, and Lily looked around, confused. What on earth was that? What about the footsteps?
Her last question was answered when Dumbledore and McGonagall came around the corner. Lily's eyes were staring straight ahead when they came, as she tried to work out Guinevere and Merlin and the butterfly's prophecy, and she was a sight to behold, her flaming red hair curling down to her elbows, her emerald eyes large and vibrant against her porcelain skin, lips parted slightly in awe.
Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a look, one of their many, this one filled with awe. The girl was beautiful now, before she heard the crushing news, innocent and free, but troubles and sorrows hidden in her tear-filled eyes.
"Miss Evans," said McGonagall gently, "would you be so kind as to explain why you are on the eighth floor?"
The emerald eyes turned their way, and Lily's face turned white.
"I'm not on the eighth floor," she said quietly…
"Yes, dear, you are," said Dumbledore. "What did you see?"
"Guinevere and Merlin and the butterfly… I'm going to die, Professors, I'm going to die young… at least I will have loved…" Her shock was still present.
"You saw the butterfly?" Dumbledore asked sharply. "It spoke to you?"
"It prophesized."
"Oh no…"
"Why is that so bad?"
"The butterfly, it can… never mind, Lily. It's a long story, and you don't have lifetimes to spare."
"How young will I die?"
"I don't believe anytime soon…"
"I'll graduate from Hogwarts, though, won't I?" inquired Lily anxiously. Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged another look.
"Lily, the penalty for being on the eighth floor is expulsion…"
A jewel of color sparkled in the air as it turned, bright wings spinning.
At least you will have loved…*
And so Lily had been expelled from Hogwarts in spring of her first year. No one was told why, so they assumed she had done a dastardly deed, but she was soon forgotten—the rumors grew old after a while, and the members of the Potter gang, who had nicknamed themselves the Marauders, were thinking up new pranks every day.
Lily had nowhere to stay, and after pleading with Professor Dumbledore that she simply couldn't go to a Muggle orphanage, she was allowed to stay on as Hagrid's assistant. Dumbledore was so kind to the expelled…
Hagrid had a heart of gold, and Lily, whose sister had made her do all the chores, eventually got used to the lifestyle and Hagrid's food—although she was the one who cooked normally, for fear that Hagrid's rock cakes would kill someone. Her parents had not left her much money—once more, her sister had triumphed and gotten it all—but sister Petunia had given her Mother's old necklace, which Petunia had deemed too unfashionable to wear, and that was Lily's prize possession, which she wore at all times.
And this was how Lily Evans grew up, and it brings us back to the beginning…
*
"Hagrid, I'm taking Fang out. He just knocked over the lamp."
"So 'at's what the crash was," said Hagrid as he came in the door. "Fang," he reprimanded the dog lightly, "don't do that again." Hagrid grabbed his umbrella and pointed it at the lamp. Lily watched the pieces fly together and up to the table where it had stood before.
"Thanks, Hagrid."
"Nothing, Lily. It's me lamp and me floor anyway." Hagrid reached up and got a pot out from the cupboard. "I'm goin' to make some rock cakes, a' right?"
"Oh, Hagrid, no…" said Lily, distressed. "My jaw got glued together last time that happened."
"Yeh're right," Hagrid sighed, but then he brightened. "But what if I add more water or summat?"
"I'll make dinner tonight, okay?"
"Okay. Yeh're a better cook anyway," sighed Hagrid. "But remembah to make extra. We've got company tonigh'."
"Company?" Lily blanched. "Who? Dumbledore?"
"Nah, a coupla students are coming."
"What year?" Lily inquired anxiously, clutching her necklace.
"Ehm, sixth, I think."
"Oh no, Hagrid!" cried Lily. "That's the year I would have been in if I hadn't gotten expelled!"
"Yeh, so? People from your year have com' 'ere before fer dinnah. Twice, in fact, I think."
"But that was in the spring!" explained Lily. "I didn't eat dinner with you that night, I ate early and did my chores while they were here! I can't do that because I can't do my winter chores outside in the night, and I can't leave them until tomorrow!"
"Nah, what I don't understan' is why you don' wan' them ter see you."
"Because they'll start talking to the rest of the school—'Oh, you know that one girl who got expelled? She's a servant, and she's really ugly.' Then they start making fun of me—those who aren't already," Lily finished morosely.
"Yeh're not a servan', an' yeh're not ugly, Lily. Make extra dinnah, an' you'll no' be hidin' in th' woods when they show up."
"But Hagrid!"
But Hagrid's mind was made up, and he was not going to relent.
*
"Hullo," said Hagrid, swinging open the door to the hut upon the knock.
"Hi, Hagrid," chorused the three young men on the doorstep.
"Come on in," Hagrid offered courteously. The trio obeyed and entered the hut, watching Hagrid lean out the door and look around.
"What're you looking for?" inquired the tallest one.
"Did yeh three see a girl out there?"
"No…"
"Okay, then. She lied." Hagrid shook his head. "Oh, well. I guess she foun' summat more importan' ter do." Hagrid shook his head once more and changed the subject. "Remus, how's yer mum?"
"She's good… Dating a guy named Jack," the tallest one said. He took after his mother Rowena, actually, with light brown hair and chocolate-colored eyes.
"Muggle?"
"Yeah, Muggle. Wizards don't have names like Jack Johnson," said Remus despondently.
"Is he nice?"
"I haven't met him yet," Remus answered, eyes focused on the ground. "Maybe at winter break. She seems to like him, so…" Remus shrugged. "I guess he's okay."
"I bet yeh'll like him. Does he know abou—Sirius Black, get yer hands offa that lamp." Hagrid glared at the young man with shaggy black hair that insisted on falling into his equally black eyes, which were trying very hard to look innocent. Sirius Black had problems keeping his hands off things that were supposed to be left alone. "It's already been broken once tahday."
"You broke it?" inquired Sirius, inspecting it. "It doesn't look broken."
Hagrid turned red under his beard. "I fixed it," he muttered. "Don' tell anyone, though. Yeh know I'm not s'posed ter do magic, terchnicalley speakin'."
"Okay, Hagrid," Sirius agreed, sitting down in a chair. The others followed suit, and once seated, Hagrid picked up his knitting.
"So," he said conversationally, "how's school? Yeh've got semesteh finals coming up soon, right?"
"Don't remind us!" said Sirius, loudly and melodramatically. "I don't want to know what'll be on the Charms test…"
"I'm more worried about Potions," inferred Remus.
"James, what d' yeh think?" asked Hagrid. "Yeh're bein' quiet tonight."
"He broke up with Hannah Cranner, and she's spreading rumors about him right now," explained Sirius. James turned his eyes to Hagrid and managed a weak smile.
"She won't be able to ruin my rep much, will she?" he questioned.
"Tha' depends, James—d' yeh have a good rep?"
This brought smiles to all of their faces.
"Well…"
At this precise moment, Fang and Lily fell through the door. Well, Lily tripped over Fang's foot and fell, and Fang tripped over Lily and fell on top of her, but they both fell through the door.
"Hullo. Nice o' yeh ter join us," Hagrid said, amused.
"Hagrid, I'm sorry!" wailed Lily. "Fang just set off running around the Quidditch field and he wouldn't stop, and you know how big he is, and I couldn't catch him, and when I finally did he dragged me along after him, and I know I promised but won't you forgive me, please?"
All four men stared at her. Lily stood up self-consciously.
"I'll make dinner," she said matter-of-factly, heading for the stove. All four suppressed grins at her story and disheveled appearance.
"Who, Hagrid, is that?" James inquired in a low voice, with a raised eyebrow.
"That's Lily. She's meh assistan'."
"Since when?" Sirius asked suspiciously. Hagrid looked around like a deer caught in the headlights, and Remus saw Lily glaring at Hagrid with vibrant green eyes.
"Since a lon' time ago," covered Hagrid, concentrating on his knitting, which resembled a long lime-green, orange, and mustard-colored scarf with electric-blue and red fringe on the end. It was, in the minds of all those present except Hagrid, who was making it and therefore thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world at that moment, and Fang, who was colorblind, the ugliest thing they had seen in a long, long while.
"Those are interesting colors," said Remus politely. Hagrid nodded enthusiastically.
"Glad yeh think so… I don' think Lily agrees, though." Hagrid tilted his head towards Lily, who looked at him innocently from underneath the soot-streaked hair falling into her face.
"Why, Hagrid, I think it's simply lovely," she protested. Hagrid chuckled.
"Good girl, Lily."
"How old are you?" Sirius inquired.
"Me?" Lily seemed to have forgotten that the Marauders were there.
"Yes, you."
"I'll, I'll be sixteen in a bit," she stammered, twisting her hair around her finger. "Oh, dodge it all!" Lily had caught sight of the smoke twisting from the stove, and kicked the stove hard. The stove, in response, gave a somewhat miffed grunt and stopped smoking.
"Dinner will be ready eventually," she announced, oblivious to the fact that Remus was staring hard at her, as if he recognized her, and equally oblivious to the other fact that James was looking at her with confused interest.
*
"Tha' wasn't so bad, was it?" Hagrid asked Lily the next morning. She grunted.
"Remus recognized me… he had this knowing look in his eyes while I was putting the food out."
"Remus 'as been through a lot, Lily. He knows a lot."
"He's only sixteen or so," argued Lily. "How much has he been through?"
"How much 'ave yeh been through, Lily? An' yeh're still fifteen."
Her eyes grew saddened as she washed the dish. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"Nothin' ter be sorry for," Hagrid said, business-like. "Yeh just forgot, an' tha' migh' be a good thing."
"I don't want to forget them, Hagrid," Lily argued. "I just want them to be here again. I want to have the life I did for eleven years." Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized what she had said, and she continued hurriedly, "Not that you haven't been kind or anything—I mean, you've been so tolerant—and I mean, you've been ever so nice—but I mean—"
"I'm no' insulted," Hagrid assured her, a smile pulling at his face. "I know what yeh mean."
"I think I'll go help the house elves up at the castle cook lunch or breakfast or something," Lily said absently, wiping her hands on her apron and stacking the last dish on the pile.
"Yeh don't need to work all th' time, Lily, yeh know."
"I don't have anything else to do anyway," said Lily, shrugging.
"Yer birthday's in a few weeks," Hagrid noted, looking at the large calendar hanging on the wall and jabbing it on a Friday. "Th' twenty-third o' December."
"Yes." Lily came over to look at the calendar, and poked the Saturday after her birthday. "'Great Hall decorating'," she read. "What's that?"
"Yule Ball that night," grunted Hagrid. "Bit stupid, really, considerin' th' Yule Ball's a part o' th' Triwizard Tournament an' tha's certainly no' happenin', but I s'pose th' students wanted it," sighed Hagrid. "Yeh can help decorate it if yeh wan'—I'm sure yeh could hang ornaments on th' trees or summat, being as yeh're smaller tha' th' rest of us."
"No thank you, Hagrid," Lily sighed remorsefully. "I'm sure the teachers can do it magically much better, and evergreens like to poke me."
"All right, yer choice," conceded Hagrid. "What d' yeh wan' fer yer birthday?"
"Nothing, there's no need," Lily assured him.
"I'm gettin' yeh summat anyway, yeh know."
"Really, Hagrid, there's no need, leave it be. Is there anything you want me to do or should I go help the house elves?" Even to her own ears, she sounded miserable.
"What's wrong, Lily?"
"Nothing…" Lily headed towards the door, taking her hat—green and purple and knitted especially for her by Hagrid, who for once had not used bright pink and mustard yellow—off the shelf by the door and tugging it on. "Hagrid?" she inquired as she swung open the door and began to step out into the snow.
"Yep?"
"D'you think I'll ever get to go to a ball?"
"Someday, Lily, I'm sure," Hagrid assured her. She sighed, forced a smile to show she was thankful for his obvious lies, and moved out the door, into the whiteness of winter.
*
"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Lily, happy birthday to me," sang Lily softly, looking out the window at the moonlight reflecting off the ice-covered lake. She felt a cold wind blow, and the cold glass of the window made her shiver as her fingers stretched upon it.
Hagrid's clock gave twelve high-pitched, small dings and was silent.
"Happy sweet sixteen, Lily," Lily said to herself. "Four years here. How long are you going to stay?"
Seventeen she would be legally old enough as a witch to live on her own. She wouldn't be a witch, though, she'd be a Muggle. A Muggle who knew about witchcraft and wizardry. That was all. They had broken her wand when she had gotten expelled, and she wasn't a witch without a wand.
Stop it, Lily, she said to herself. It's not your fault…
It was her fault.
She had killed her parents.
Never mind that she wasn't even present when they had died, she had killed her parents. Petunia had said so when their parents died:
"It's all your fault, you know. All your fault. They would never have died if it wasn't for you," Petunia said, calmly.
"But I wasn't even there!" cried Lily.
"You still killed them, you wench. Killed them! Your witchcraft—you know witchcraft killed them! You know it! Why won't you admit it? Your kind killed them, and they would never have killed them if it wasn't for you!"
True enough that her parents had died in a car crash, but Petunia did not believe what she didn't want to…
"No, Lily, you will not do this to yourself. You worked hard at making those memories go away, and even if all they did was fade slightly, you are not bringing them back. You are not bringing them back," she told herself fiercely. Breathe, Lily. In, out, in, out…
"Happy birthday," she told herself, and lay down on the mattress on the loft that was more a corner shelf than anything. "Happy birthday," she repeated as she drifted off to sleep, winding the blanket tightly around her.
*
"Prongs!" yelled Sirius, shaking James' body. James sat upright and looked around blearily.
"Where's the fire?" he asked, grabbing for his glasses, which were sitting on the nightstand.
"I heard you broke up with Emma Gardner," Sirius accused him. James stared at him.
"Sirius, where did you hear this at midnight?"
"Oh, I mean, you know, I was talking…" Sirius turned red under James' unconvinced stare. "Okay, so I went down to the common room, and Arabella was there, and we started talking—okay," he admitted, "making out, but that's irrelevant—and you know Emma is obviously in her dorm, so she's like, 'You know, Em's really sad about James breaking up with her, maybe you should get him to apologize', and after a couple of, ahem, minutes…"
"Spare me the details," groaned James. "Yes, I broke up with Emma."
"But she's like Arabella's best friend, almost!" shrieked Sirius. "You might have ruined all chances I had with Arabella!"
"Yeah." James rolled his eyes. "Right." His words were pure sarcasm.
"Well, maybe not, I guess, but never mind that. Who are you going with to the Yule Ball now, then?"
"I dunno." James shrugged. "No one, I guess."
"You can't go stag!" screamed Sirius.
"Shut up, Padfoot," hissed James. "You want McGonagall up here?"
"But you can't go stag!" Sirius wailed. "Well, okay, you are a stag, technically, but that's not the point—"
"There are a lot of things that are irrelevant here, Sirius," James said dryly.
"But
James…"
"Sirius, leave me alone. I
had my reasons for breaking up with Emma, and there's no need to yell at
me."
And with that, James took off his glasses, rolled over, and went to sleep.
*
"Hagrid… Hagrid…" Lily said, tapping her foot impatiently. "Hagrid…" She gave up. "RUBEUS GRINGLE HAGRID!" she shouted into his ear. Hagrid gave a snuffle and a grunt, and leaped up.
"Where's th' pea soup?" he yelled, still mostly asleep. Lily stifled a laugh.
"No pea soup, Hagrid, sorry. We've got eggs and toast today."
"Wha'?" Hagrid seemed to wake up and looked around. "Eh, sorry, Lily. I was, ah, no' fully awak'."
"I noticed," Lily said dryly, but then she smiled sunnily. "Well, hurry up, breakfast is getting cold!" She bounded over to the counter and picked up two green plates with, as promised, eggs and toast on them. "Here you go, Hagrid," she said, sliding one in front of Hagrid's place at the table and setting another down for herself. "Breakfast!"
Hagrid eyed Lily suspiciously. "Yeh're ter much o' a mornin' person, Lily. Much ter much o' a mornin' person."
"I know, I am, aren't I? There was new snow last night, I'll shovel the path after breakfast. And then I can shovel around—"
"WAIT A DANG-DARN MINUTE!" roared Hagrid, remembering something suddenly. Lily's eyes flew open and she jumped out of her seat. "IT'S YER BIRTHDAY!"
"Yes," Lily acknowledged. "Happy sixteenth birthday to me. Anyway, as I was saying, I'll shovel around—"
"First of all," started Hagrid, "yeh are no' workin' on yer birthday."
"I have all my other birthdays."
"Tha' was because yeh foun' a way aroun' me, young lady," said Hagrid. "I've expilicitally tol' yeh no workin' on birthdays, but yeh don't obey…" Hagrid shook his head. "But never min' tha'. I've got a present for yeh!"
"Oh, Hagrid, I really can't, I mean, it's kind enough of you to let me stay with you these last four years, you really—"
"I'll be offended if yeh don't take it, Lily," said Hagrid calmly. Lily gulped. She disliked to offend people… "Now, just lemme fin' it…"
He reached under his bed and searched with his hand for a couple of minutes, then triumphantly pulled out her gift, wrapped in mustard-yellow wrapping paper with electric-pink dots all over it and a lime-green ribbon.
"Yep, here it is," Hagrid informed her cheerfully, handing it over with a great flourish.
Lily gingerly took it and untied the ribbon, slowly and methodically pulling off the unattractive wrapping paper. She hesitated a moment before pulling off the lid of the box, and upon pulling it off, she gasped audibly.
"Hagrid, I can't, I can't…"
"Yeh can, yeh can," Hagrid reassured her. "Yeh deserve it, fer puttin' up with all th' chores an' jobs an' work an' me…"
"I… I…" Lily began, tears filling her eyes. "I better wash my hands before I touch it," she said, sniffling and running towards the door of the hut.
Her hands were pink and freezing when she finally deigned them clean enough to touch her present, and she lifted the dress from the box with awe.
The silky fabric fell in shimmering white-ivory folds, as pure as a swan, and as elegant as well. It was sleeveless and simple, with laces that laced from her lower back up to the low, square-cut back neckline and a matching square-cut neckline in the front. It was by far the most gorgeous thing she had ever owned, and most likely one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
"Oh, Hagrid," Lily cried. "It's so beautiful."
"I picked it ou' myself," Hagrid said proudly. "A bit o' trouble gettin' yer size, but then I got 'elp."
"Hagrid, I love it, and thank you ever so much, but you don't recall—I have nowhere to wear a dress like this," Lily said in dismay. Hagrid smiled.
"Well, see, I was thinkin' tha' yeh could go ter th' ball tomorrow nigh', but if yeh don' wan' ter…"
Lily gave a small squeak, dropped the dress in the box, and hugged Hagrid. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," she wailed into his shirt.
"Yer welcome, yer welcome, yer welcome," Hagrid replied with an amused look on his face. "Wait, there's another presen'." He took a box, smaller than the dress' box, off the top of a cabinet and handed it to her. This present was nicely wrapped in dark blue paper with small silver stars and no ribbon, leading Lily to the correct conclusion that this was not at all from Hagrid.
"Who's it from?" Lily inquired. "Who'd be sending me a present?"
"Dumbledore," Hagrid said gruffly. Lily's lips formed an 'O' and her eyes widened.
"But—but—but—I'm not—"
"I think 'e foun' 'em, foun' no use fer 'em, an' decided yeh'd need 'em," Hagrid said simply. Lily looked at the gift in shock, then proceeded to pull off the wrapping paper.
The box contained slippers. Glass slippers, to be exact.
"Merlin, this is a dream, right?" Lily asked Hagrid as she held a shimmering crystal shoe up to the light. "I wonder if they fit… but oh, Hagrid, I can't wear them, they'll break!"
"'Honestly, Lily," sighed Hagrid, "did yeh forget tha' those are from a wizard?"
"Oh, right…" Lily inspected the shoe, embarrassed, then set it down on the ground. "Well, let's see if it fits, shall we?" She gently eased her foot into it, still frightened of it breaking, like a joke.
"Perfectly," she breathed, sliding her other foot into the other shoe. "Hagrid, this has been absolutely the best birthday ever!"
Tried to row her boat on the empty sea
Got nowhere, no thanks to me
Glass bottle in blue, we're floating away
Like wings of a dove, we can't be bothered to stay
She's not clean pristine like the other sixteen
This girl is no dancing queen
Dollar store you can buy her for a dime
She doesn't care so neither do I…
Oh no, here we go, follow-the-leader
Fairy tales with unicorns and dust covers
This is the only true Cinderella Story…
DISCLAIMER: Sirius Black, James Potter, Lily Evans, Rubeus Hagrid, Fang, Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Hogwarts, Arthur Weasley, Molly Richardson (in a way… she's the future Mrs. Weasley), Hagrid's hut, and anyone/anything else you happen to recognize belong to JK Rowling.
Gregory the garden snake and Emma Gardner belong to me, unless I somehow unconsciously stole those names from somewhere else.
The plot can belong to Your Worst Nightmare if it's too much like her story (Ever After: A Cinderella Story), for which I am sincerely sorry if it IS too much like her story, since I just wanted to write a Cinderella story, and hers inspired me, and if she wants me to take it down I will because I don't want to be accused of plagiarizing anything… it will be different than her story AND different from the movie Ever After in the end, okay? Please don't get mad at me… and do read Your Worst Nightmare's story, it's the BEST.
I have no affiliation whatsoever with JK Rowling or Scholastic or Your Worst Nightmare or anyone, and I do not lay claim to anything except this actual story itself and the song in it, and if you want to steal Gregory or Emma, fine, but no plagiarizing/claiming this story as yours because it's not, okay? Ditto with the song. Thanks, you guys!
Thanks for reading… love y'all, platonically…
---IVY