(Sorry for the long wait. But I've had a lot of other things to do around that time. But here is the prologue for my next Harry Potter characters in a fairytale. Please let me know what you think.)

Prologue: I don't want to Grow Up

It was an unseasonably cold August evening that swept over the grey and dull city. The chilly night wind blew across the almost empty streets, the occasional carriage going down the cobblestoned roads with people wrapped up in coats and scarves; looking eerie as they walked underneath the feeble light of the gas lamps.

Inside one particular house, made of a strong brick, and dark windows there was a young girl getting ready for supper with her family—at least she was supposed to be down for dinner about ten minutes ago…

"Lily?" called her mother's voice from downstairs.

Lilly Evans didn't hear her at first because she was so lost in her book story: about faraway places, magical castles, wishing wells, magic spells, flying through the air, a brave heroine stands for what she believes in…

Though she had read this part so many times, it was her favorite part. It was just at the end of the couple's journey and they had reunited after countless adventures and hardships:

They didn't need words to express what they felt in their hearts. For it was here that they knew; as they stood in that field underneath the star shower they knew that they were meant to be together. And no matter how far, or how long they were separated, their hearts will belong to no other…

"LILY!" screamed a voice and Lily jumped, causing the book to fall out of her lap.

"Coming Mum!" she cried out, leaping out of her chair and running out of the nursery; stopping only to glance up at the old, grandfather clock that chimed 7:13. Oh, no, she was late to dinner again. Deciding that the quickest way to get downstairs, she swung herself up onto the banister as soon as she reached the stairs and slid down it—landing with a bounce at the bottom.

Unfortunately, her grumpy nanny had been cleaning there when she landed.

"You are a lady," her nanny scolded, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the kitchen door. "You are not supposed to act so wild!"

"But it was fun," Lily said at once. "And I was running late."

"That doesn't make it right," she hissed, pushing her off to the kitchen. "And you are always late!"

Lily was rushed into the dining room, apologizing to her parents and sister before she took her seat, across from Petunia.

"Must we always go through this, Lily?" her mother asked her tiredly as Lily folded her napkin across her lap. "Is it too much to ask that we all have meals together?"

"I'm sorry," Lily muttered embarrassed. "But I was reading and…"

"That stupid book again?" Petunia asked knowingly.

Lily shot her a dark look. "It's not a stupid book. I just lost track of things."

"Enough you two," father said, looking at his two daughters. "Lily, while I'm glad that you like to read, please try to remember that we all need to eat."

"Sorry, father," she said humbly, and began cutting into her food that was already turning cold. She sat there quietly as her parents talked to each other on how father's business was going. Once in a while Petunia would start talking about the family next door, and how their son had caused some trouble around town.

Lily was polite enough to keep her opinions to herself. Though she loved her family, she couldn't see why they insisted on eating dinner like this… it was always so quiet that she might've just as well ate alone.

"Petunia?" she asked in a voice that sounded unusually loud in this quietness, "Can you pass the salt?"

Petunia slid the salt shaker across the table at her, but Lily couldn't help but notice how her sister's neck was bent at an odd angle so that she could see out the darkening window behind her, and Lily knew that Petunia was trying to see over her head so that she could look into the neighbor's yard again. But Lily knew better than to ask, for Petunia was sure to deny everything; so after she added the salt, she sighed and went back to her bland dinner.

"Girls?" father suddenly said and they looked up. He put down his fork and said, "I have some exciting news."

"Yes?" Petunia asked excited.

"Well," he looked to his wife and said with a smile, "You both are getting pretty old now."

"I'm only ten," Lily interrupted at once.

"And you are becoming a young lady," her father said firmly. "You'll be eleven very soon. And you are almost thirteen Petunia. So your mother and I decided that it was about time that you both left the nursery."

Petunia looked thrilled and jumped up eagerly. "Do you mean it?! Oh, thank you father! I'll go and get ready right now."

"Now now," he laughed, waving his hands down at her. "I'm afraid that you'll have to wait a few more days before everything's ready. But this weekend, you both will be getting your own rooms. We feel that you are old enough. You both will stay in the nursery for two more days. Your rooms are almost finished being set up. Your names have just been added on the doors just this afternoon."

Petunia ran around the table to hug her father, but Lily just sat there.

"Lily?" her mother asked in surprise.

"What?" Lily asked, coming out of her daze. "Oh, that's great. Really," she said, hoping that she sounded upbeat. Now, she knew that her parents had the best intentions, she couldn't help but feel a little bit sad… she practically grew up in the nursery after all. "But—ah—what will happen to that room?"

"Well, it will be made into an office or something," mother said smiling, looking a little surprised at how her younger daughter was taking the news.

Petunia didn't notice. She finished hugging her father and gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before she ran out of the room and up to the nursery. However, Lily just sat there, trying to think it through.

"Lily what is it?" her father asked her. "We thought that you'd be pleased to get your own room."

"I guess," she said, poking her fork around the edges of the plate. "I mean, it's not that I don't appreciate it. It's just a surprise that all… I really like the nursery and I never had my own room before." She looked up and said, "You know, you can give Tuney her room right now. I can still sleep in the nursery. I really don't mind."

"Sweetheart," mother said in surprise. "I know that you like the nursery, but it's just a room. You're getting older and it's about time that you start getting used to it. This is all part of growing up."

Lily nodded in understanding. But she couldn't help herself from saying, "Why do we have to grow up? I wish we could be kids forever."

"Would you rather stay in that nursery forever?" her mother asked her. "I know that change takes some time getting used to, but you won't be a little kid forever. It's about time to start learning that."

"Well, no. I know all that. I'm just not sure I'm ready for all the responsibilities," she said firmly.

"And I'm sure that there's some fairyland somewhere that exists," father said grimly, continuing to eat. "Like from your storybooks. But the sad thing is that we don't live there now do we? I'm sure that once you get used to the idea, you'll learn to love it."

Lily blushed a little before she nodded and forced a smile on for her parent's sake. She finished up her food before she went up the stairs slowly. She walked by the old black and white photos on the walls, and little knickknacks that littered the shelves. She glance sadly at the salmon-pink wallpaper as she headed down a long hallway. Sure enough, she spotted the two doors with plaques on it. She knew that daddy had several men over for the last few days working on them, but she just assumed that it was for something small. But when she looked closer, she saw the door closest to her had Petunia's name, and the one next to it had hers… she mustn't have noticed them in her hurry to get down to the dinner table.

She turned around, almost tripping on the worn carpet as she went back to the nursery to see that Petunia was already in her nightgown.

"This is so great," Petunia said, brushing her hair. "Soon we'll both get our own rooms. We won't have to share anymore."

"I like sharing with you though," Lily said, walking over to the comfy chair in the corner and picked up the book she dropped earlier.

Petunia rolled her eyes. "Lily," she said. "Grow up. I'm already thirteen and I still sleep in the nursery. You know, some of my friends are teasing me about that. I think it's time for a change."

She walked away to the small bathroom that they shared and Lily heard the water running as she brushed her teeth. Lily just shook her head as she quickly changed into her own nightgown and waited for her sister to finish with the bathroom. As she looked around her at the bright walls and clock that stood in front of the door—her eyes then trailed over the two beds that sat on opposite sides of the room, with two matching wardrobes that held their clothes. There were trunks at the foot of both beds that held their toys or other sorted objects.

She walked between the beds, her bare feet feeling nice on the thick rug as she headed to the cushioned window seat by a large window and stared out at the dark city; her fantasy book in her hands. She wished with all her heart that she could go to the place that her book described. About a far off land with a castle surrounded by green fields and a sparkling lake filled with mermaids. But instead, she was trapped here in this house.

It wasn't really the idea of getting a new room that she was so sad about. It's just that she heard from everyone else that once you moved out of your nursery, you start to get treated like a grown-up. And it was that she wasn't ready for just yet. She wished that she could just close her eyes and when she next opened them, she would be in that world of magic.

She shut her eyes and dreamt. She was flying through the night sky, away from this house and to a story of her own. To have a few adventures

She sighed and opened her eyes… only to see that a pair of hazel eyes was looking back at her through the glass. She gasped in shock and fell backwards onto the floor.

She crawled away from the window as fast as she could just as her sister came back.

"You can have the bathroom now," she said, kicking off her slippers. "I just…" she then saw Lily on the floor. "Now what are you doing?"

She was shaking and pointed to the window with a trembling finger. "There was someone there!" she gasped, surprised at how calm her voice sounded. "I just saw them! There was a pair of eyes!"

Petunia stared at her before she ran over and pushed the two window doors open. She then stuck her head out and looked around her before she pulled her head back in. "Enough games, Lily," she said annoyed, closing the doors with a little more force than she meant to so that they rattled.

"Games?" Lily repeated in outrage. "This isn't a game! I saw them!" she got up onto her feet and said loudly, now looking through the glass herself, "I did! I really did see eyes looking back at me!"

"Well, there's nothing there now," Petunia snapped. "Unless they could fly, there is no way they could be there anyway. We're on the second floor, Lily!"

"I'm telling you! There was someone there! You don't understand," she said stubbornly.

"You're probably dreaming," Petunia ended the conversation briskly as she pushed her over towards her bed on the other side of the room. "I think it will be good for both of us to finally get our own rooms. You really need to get out of here."

Lily gave her sister a dark look, but didn't say anything as she crawled into bed, her back to the window and waited for Petunia to turn off the lights.

Little did she know that there was someone listening in to everything they said… for outside on the roof… the owner of those hazel eyes was lying on his stomach, and watching through the window below him at the little girl with red hair.