Disclaimer: Owning Harry Potter is something someone not me can claim. No, I don't own.
AN: This is written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition round 4.
"Under, over, between, above, below are all examples of prepositions," Lily stated firmly. "Prepositions are words that show the relationship between nouns or pronouns and other words in a sentence."
Rose nodded with a smile. "Excellent. Now what is a conjunction?"
"Conjunctions, also known as connectives come in two forms. Coordinating conjunctions are conjunctions that join items of equal importance in a sentence. Subordinate conjunctions join subordinate parts of the sentence to the main part of the sentence," Lily recited smoothly and Rose smiled even harder.
"Excellent Lils, you're doing really well," she said and Lily smiled.
"Yeah, I just need to do well in the exam. Now hit me with another question."
"What is a pronoun and where would a pronoun be used?" she asked. Lily licked her lips slightly and closed her eyes for a moment. Pronouns, pronouns…then out of the blue, the meaning hit her.
"Pronouns are used in the place of a previously mentioned noun," she paused and took in a deep breath. "Personal pronouns can be used as subjective pronouns, objective pronouns, possessive pronouns and reflexive pronouns, depending on their position in the sentence."
That's good, but-"
"Subjective pronouns act as the subject of verbs, objective pronouns act as the object of the verbs, possessive pronouns are used when applied to something owned by either the speaker or by a previously mentioned something or someone," Lily paused and took another deep breath. "And reflexive pronouns are used to reflect back to the subject in which they are used."
"Well, all that revision has paid off. I think you'll do fine if you keep this up," Rose said with a smile. "And then you'll go onto university and-"
"Rose, does it ever feel like you're busy running through your parents maze?" Lily asked abruptly and Rose looked puzzled.
"What do you mean 'running through your parents maze'?" Rose asked curiously and Lily shrugged.
"It's nothing. Forget it."
"Lily, what's bothering you?" Rose asked as her expression became more serious and Lily shrugged.
"Just forget it Rose!" Lily snapped and Rose frowned.
"Is the stress getting to you?" she asked. "Because you don't need to stress out. You'll do fine, I'm sure of it and-"
"Yes, I'm just getting wound up," Lily said, rubbing her forehead. "Can we call it a day? We've been studying for hours."
"Yeah, I guess we have been studying pretty hard today," Rose said wistfully. "And you do know what you're talking about so I guess we can call it a day. Okay, see you tomorrow then."
"See you tomorrow Rosie," Lily said and she almost let out a sigh of relief. She would never really understand what Lily was thinking anyway, with her perfect wizard boyfriend and magical ability and…
Well basically the ability to actually fit in the wizarding world. Rose and Albus and James and Hugo and everyone else in her family had magic. Lily on the other hand didn't.
Looking surreptitiously at her closed door, she reached under her bed and pulled out an Application form that she had kept hidden there and ran her finger down the page. Pulling out a pen, she began filling in the next stage of the form.
A sudden bang made her suddenly jump, dropping her pen and the form in shock.
"Rose can you come and-"
"Don't you ever knock?" Lily snapped, glaring at her cousin Lucy. The younger girl merely raised an eyebrow.
"What are you hiding?" she asked with a smirk and her playful blue eyes fell upon the fallen application form. Lily made to grab it, but Lucy grabbed it first and her eyes widened as she read the title.
"Give it back Lucy or I'll-"
"Hurt me with your squib powers?" Lucy asked sardonically, before giving Lily a look of surprise and concern. "You're joining the army? That muggle organisation where people try to kill you?"
"Not every part of the organisation is going into combat and fighting you know," Lily replied, before grinning. "I want to be an armoured engineer."
"What does an armoured engineer do?" she asked and Lily allowed herself another smirk.
"It's an engineering job. You know, for military jobs. Like recovering damaged vehicles, building bridges, that kind of thing. Without magic," she told Lucy and was rewarded with a shudder from Lucy.
"Urgh. That's so…male. Why would any self respecting witch want to do that for a living?"
"I'm not a witch," Lily reminded her dryly. "I'm a squib."
"Why don't you go and do something less…strenuous?" Lucy asked with a look of distain. "Especially given your…condition."
"I'm a squib, not an invalid," Lily pointed out and Lucy snorted.
"That's practically the same thing," she replied with distain. "I mean, you can't do this," Lucy waved her wand and Lily's alarm clock levitated from her bedside table. "Or this," Lucy waved her wand again and the clock went flying into Lily's bed with a flump. "You can't even fly a broom or play Quidditch."
"Nice to know that being in Slytherin has stripped you of the ability to think," Lily said dryly. "How do you think muggles have gotten along for so long?"
"Well, you aren't a m-"
"And of course withes and wizards haven't always had their wands to hand, or been allowed to use magic," Lily pressed on and Lucy glared. Not being allowed to use magic during the summer holidays was something that rankled with her and Lily knew it. "I don't know what the problem is."
"The problem is that as a disabled-"
"Not really sure that I qualify as disabled," Lily pointed out and Lucy glared once more. "I just don't have magic. Just like a muggle really."
"I bet the rest of the family don't know about this," Lucy said with a smirk and Lily was momentarily taken off guard by her change of direction.
"No, why?" she asked suspiciously. Lucy smirked and picked up the form.
"What is it worth to you that they remain in the dark?" she asked and it was Lily's turn to frown.
"What is it you want Lucy?" Lily asked and Lucy smirked.
"Well…I have some…items that I wouldn't want my parents to find and I could do with a place to hide them," she said in a matter-of-fact voice. "And I think your room would do nicely."
"They aren't dangerous, are they?" Lily asked and Lucy laughed.
"Not dangerous as such, just…difficult to explain. And generally not welcome at home," Lucy explained and Lily raised an eyebrow. "They aren't illegal, just…something my boyfriend gave me."
"The boyfriend that your dad disapproves of, right?" Lily asked and Lucy nodded. "What exactly am I hiding? On second thoughts, I'm not sure I want to know."
"Thanks Lily, you're the best," Lucy said with a hint of sarcasm. "It's amazing what a little diplomacy can achieve."
"Then how come you never use it?" Lily snapped back. Lucy ignored her, dropped Lily's application form to the floor and removed a package from her coat pocket. A package larger than her coat.
"Isn't magic wonderful?" she asked with a sardonic smirk. "Extension charms are so very useful. Especially for removing…difficult items." Lily didn't say anything and Lucy handed over the package. "Keep it hidden and I won't say a word."
"Fine. Now I've taken your package, will you kindly buzz off," Lily said through gritted teeth and Lucy smirked.
"But of course," Lucy said with a smirk and she sauntered out of Lily's room.
Lily looked at the package. There was only one place she could really hide it and that was under the bed. With a sigh, she put it under.