A/N: This is the first fanfic I'm putting online, ever, so please be nice, I'm a new author. I really hope you enjoy this, and please review! -MitM
Disclaimer: I own nothing
30 January, 1960
Mrs. Evans held her newborn daughter in her arms. She was born nearly five minutes after Lily, who currently resided in Mr. Evans' arms.
"Rose," she decided, stroking her daughter's cheek.
"I suppose, since the other two have flower names already," Mr. Evans chuckled.
"Oh, wait until Petunia sees she has two sisters. She'll be so happy," Mrs. Evans smiled lovingly.
9 May, 1961
Lily was able to say eight words. Mum, Da, Rose, Tuney, up, no, shoes, and moose. Moose, of course, referring to her favorite stuffed animal.
Rose did not say any words, though she seemed to understand them just fine.
"Rose honey, where's the bird?" Mrs. Evans asked her daughter on a family picnic. Rose pointed to a robin twittering in a nearby tree. "Good sweetheart, you found it! Can you say bird for me dear?" The mother asked encouragingly.
The one-year-old stared, unresponsive.
"Say bird, sweetheart. Can you say that for mummy please?" Rose continued to stare with intelligent green eyes, but not once did she open her mouth.
3 June, 1961
"She won't talk. I ask her to say things and she just looks at me, but if I ask her to do something for me, she'll do it. I know she can understand me just fine, but she won't say anything! I can't make any sense of it at all." Mrs. Evans explained.
"Are there any other things she does, besides refusing to speak? Does she flap her hands, not respond when you call her, things like that?" The doctor asked.
"No, no, she's very smart… I just can't understand why she won't talk."
Rose was tested for mental disorders and problems with her vocal cords, esophagus, and lungs. There was nothing wrong with her.
"She'll probably grow out of it," the doctor shrugged.
4 March, 1963
Mr. and Mrs. Evans brought Rose to a children's hospital in a nearby city.
"There's nothing wrong with her," the doctor said, sounding terribly confused. "She simply won't speak. I can recommend a psychiatrist?"
23 June, 1966
Mrs. Evans drove Rose and Petunia to another doctor, after the Psychiatrist proved to be completely worthless.
"She has elective mutism," the doctor said in a professional sounding tone.
"What does that mean?" Mrs. Evans asked fearfully.
"She has the ability to speak, but won't. Some people with this condition only don't speak in social situations or around new people. Your child has a very severe case, it seems, but I'm sure we'll be able to cure her," the doctor said confidently.
2 September, 1966
"Why isn't Rose coming to school with me?" Lily asked.
"Because she can't talk, sweetheart," Mrs. Evans answered quietly.
"She doesn't need to talk!" Lily insisted.
"Yes she does darling, or else, how will she be able to communicate? If she can't communicate with her teacher or her classmates, it will be hard for her to learn anything." Mrs. Evans had quietly explained.
September 3, 1966
"Ms. Beakley?" Lily asked her teacher. They were supposed to be filling out their 'About Me' papers.
"Yes Lily, do you have a question?" Ms. Beakley asked kindly.
"Is there a way for people who can't say anything to communicate?"
Ms. Beakley paused, a little surprised.
"Well, yes there is, Lily dear. It's called sign language."
"What's that?" Lily asked, excited.
"Well, people who know sign language use their hands to speak instead of their voices." Ms.
Beakley tried to explain.
"I want to learn," Lily said confidently.
"Well, I'm sure the library will have something on that…"
5 September, 1966
"Rose! Where are you!' Lily ran into the house with a very large book clamped under her arm. Learning British Sign Language, the cover read.
"And here's the sign for mum, see?" Lily pointed. Both girls were sitting on Lily's bed, poring over the large book.
Mum, Rose signed, copying the gesture the book indicated.
"Look at that!" Lily said excitedly. "It's your first word!" Rose ducked her head, but a smile crept along her face. "Let's learn another one!" Lily squeaked in excitement.
"What are you two doing?" Petunia's curious voice asked from the doorway.
"We're learning to speak with our hands!" Lily exclaimed, looking up from the book. "Rose already learned her first word, see, show her, Rose."
Mum, Rose signed.
"What's it mean?" Petunia asked.
"Mum, see? And this one's dad, like this." Lily copied the book's illustration.
Dad, Rose signed.
"I want to learn too!" Petunia exclaimed, hopping on top of the bed.
8 October, 1966
"Rose, do you want water or juice?" Lily asked at dinner.
Juice, Rose signed.
"Rose said she wants juice, daddy," Lily informed her father confidently.
"And how do you know that?" Mrs. Evans asked, amused.
"She told me." Lily shrugged.
"I didn't hear anything," Mrs. Evans responded suspiciously. Petunia rolled her eyes, grinning.
"In sign language, mummy," Petunia giggled.
"Sign language you say?" Mr. Evans sounded appalled. "Did you girls all learn sign language?"
"Yes, daddy. We've got a big book upstairs we've been learning out of." Lily nodded knowingly.
"I can't believe we didn't think of that!" Mrs. Evans cried, looking at her husband. "You girls can all talk to each other?" She sounded close to tears.
"Don't cry, mummy, it's not sad." Lily patted her mother's arm comfortingly.
"I'm not sad, sweetheart." Mrs. Evans pulled her daughters close into a hug. "I'm happy. So, so, happy."
8 March, 1969
"What did you pull me all the way out here for?" Lily asked. Rose had grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her all the way to the playground, two blocks away.
Look, she signed. She hopped on one of the swings and began to swing back and forth.
"Rose, I already know how to swing." Lily frowned. Rose impatiently gestured for her to wait while trying to swing simultaneously.
Lily watched as Rose swung higher and higher, and then launched herself off the swing.
"Rose!" Lily cried, terrified. Rose soared twenty feet into the air, before landing as soft as a butterfly.
Lily gaped, like a fish.
"How did you do that?"
Rose shrugged.
"I want to try!" Lily decided with a shout, and ran over to the swing set.
Lily copied Rose, swinging higher and higher. When she was as high as she could get, she let go. She soared like a bird, letting her arms wide while her red hair streamed behind her. Her feet planted firmly on the ground as if she had never left it.
"Woah!" She cried.
"Lily!" Petunia's voice screeched. Both girls turned to see Petunia running towards them full force. "Are you hurt?" She panted.
"Not at all," Lily giggled.
"How did you do that?" Petunia looked shocked.
"Rose showed me!" Lily said excitedly. Petunia looked at Rose, who shrugged in confirmation. She squinted in suspicion, her mouth pulling tight.
"You try it, Tuney!" Lily exclaimed, already pushing her older sister towards the swings.
"From now on, no one is allowed to jump off the swings. Alright?" Mrs. Evans asked sternly. Lily and Rose nodded with bowed heads, looking ashamed. Petunia sniffed, holding a pack of frozen peas to her chin while Mr. Evans put cream and bandages over her scraped hands and knees.
"Sorry Tuney," Lily whispered. Petunia didn't answer.
24 March, 1969
What's wrong? Rose signed to her sisters, who had just stomped into the house, seething.
"That hideous Snape boy called me a muggle, whatever that means." Petunia spat angrily.
"And he called me a witch!" Lily humphed, stomping her foot and folding her arms.
That's not nice, Rose signed.
"He's river-scum anyways," Petunia sniffed.
31 March 1969
"Rose! You'll never believe what happened today!" Lily whisper-shouted to her twin, stumbling over the front door step in her excitement.
Rose's fingers ceased movement over the piano keys as she turned to her twin, raising her eyebrows in curiosity.
"Remember that Snape boy?" Lily asked.
The one who called you a witch? Rose asked.
"Yes, yes, but listen! He says there's a school for people like us! A school for- for-" Lily, glanced around the room nervously before leaning closer. "For magic!" Lily sat back to see the reaction on Rose's face.
Rose looked at Lily blankly.
Since when have you started listening to boys like him? Rose signed suspiciously.
"He wasn't trying to be mean when he called me a witch, Lily. It's what you call girls who can do magic like me- like you!"
I'm not a witch, Rose signed, frowning.
"Wh- Rose! There's no denying it. You've got a whole lot more magic than me! Everything I can do is stuff you've showed me first!" Lily protested.
Not true.
"It is true! You HAVE to believe it all! We're going to get letters!"
Letters?
"Yes! They send them to all the magic children!"
Who sends them?
"Hogwarts! The magic school!" Lily exclaimed.
Well, that sounds like you're already planning on going, then, Rose signed, and then turned
back to the piano.
"Well, you'll come with me, obviously," Lily sounded impatient now.
No. Rose signed.
"And why not!?" Lily demanded angrily.
I can't go to school, remember? I can't speak!"
"You could if you wanted to! You're just stubborn!" Lily yelled.
What's going to happen to Petunia when you leave? She can't go. Mum and Dad can't go. I
can't go. Rose scowled furiously.
"But you CAN go!" Lily snapped.
No. Rose got up from the piano. I can't. She stomped up the stairs angrily, leaving a fuming Lily behind her.
16 June, 1970
"And we're all right, because we're only kids. They only use Dementors on really bad wizards, the ones who end up in Azkaban. That's the wizard prison. Anyways, once you get a wand and start going to Hogwarts, you can't use magic outside school anymore. They're going to send someone to our house to explain to our parents about us, but usually they send and owl…"
Rose rolled her eyes. Lily had been talking to Snape again. She rolled away from Lily and shut her eyes. She didn't need to hear about a school she wasn't going to.
5 August, 1971
Knock knock knock
Rose looked up from her piano music, frowning. It was mid afternoon. Who would come calling?
She peeked outside the window and saw a tall, oddly dressed, stern-looking woman.
She opened the door.
"Hello little girl, my name is Minerva McGonagall." The woman introduced herself. Rose looked up at her, squinting in the summer sun. "Are your parents home?" The woman asked, frowning.
Rose shook her head, her dark red curls bouncing around her face. "Perhaps I should return at a different time, then?" McGonagall asked, looking suspicious. Rose shrugged. "What time would you say would be best?"
Rose stared, shrugging.
"Can you tell me your name?" McGonagall was definitely frustrated now. Rose didn't answer.
Just then, the Evans' car pulled into the driveway, returned from picking Lily and Petunia up from school.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am! I only stepped out for a minute, I didn't expect anyone to come calling…" Mrs. Evans trailed off. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, who did you say you were?"
"Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The woman introduced herself.
"Witchcraft and- I'm sorry, I think I must have misheard you?" Mrs. Evans asked.
"You did not mishear me. Two of your daughters have been accepted into Hogwarts." The woman said.
"I'm sorry ma'am, I think you might have the wrong house. I didn't submit any applications for the girls, and we're very happy in the school district we're in."
"Your daughters possess special abilities that enable them to do things that are not ordinary."
"You mean like this?" Lily piped up, holding out a flower. Mrs. Evans gasped when the flower began to open and close its petals.
"Exactly." McGonagall smiled.
Mum, I'm not going to a magic school, Rose signed to her mother.
"Well I'm sure they won't force you," Mrs. Evans said, sounding dazed.
Good, then I'm going upstairs. Rose signed, and then hurried out of the presence of the rather hawk like woman.
8 August, 1971
"I can't believe you convinced them to let you homeschool." Lily said, sounding astonished. Rose didn't answer.
"What am I going to do, Rose?" Lily asked, sounding scared. "I thought we would go together."
I'm not ready for school, Lily. You will be fine, Rose signed, smiling softly at her sister. Lily tackled her in a hug, burying her face into her shoulder.
"I'm not ready to be apart form you," Lily cried. Rose hugged her close, her arms communicating what her mouth couldn't.
Me either, Rose thought, but remained silent.
3 September 1971
I have to use the toilet, Rose signed to her family.
"Alright dear, but make it quick," Mrs. Evans said absentmindedly.
Rose wandered through Kings Cross, not really making an effort to find a bathroom. Truthfully, she was avoiding going onto the magic platform. She didn't want to be in a station full of wizards. People would try to talk to her, and what then? Her family would have to make up excuses for her again, and that's the last thing she wanted.
Rose watched her family enter the platform magically and waited for them to exit again. After around fifteen minutes, Petunia and her parents reemerged.
Rose hurried over as though she had just come back from the bathroom.
"Rose! Where have you been? You missed saying goodbye to Lily!" Mrs. Evans asked.
Sorry, I got lost. Rose signed.
Mrs. Evans looked apologetic. "Oh! I'm sorry sweetheart. Well, at least you're here now. Let's go, shall we?"
19 December 1971
Rose was sitting at the piano, squinting at the notes to Rondo Alla Turca. Her fingers had just began to play again when the fireplace burst into life with blazing green fire. Lily stepped out of the fireplace and coughed, dusting soot off her clothes.
"Rose!" Lily yelled, racing over to her sister.
Rose smiled and stood up from the piano, overcoming her initial shock.
"I've missed you so much!" She squealed, clutching her twin close. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh! How are you?" Lily pulled back and held Rose at arms length, looking her up and down.
Fine, Rose signed, smiling.
"Where's Petunia? Lily asked, looking around the house.
Mum is picking her up from a friend's house, Rose answered.
"Oh, okay. This is the perfect time to catch up, then!" Lily dragged her sister upstairs, no doubt to build a blanket fort like they did when they were kids.
"And THEN he turned Sev's hair purple! How rude is that!?" Lily ranted, holding her stuffed moose close to her chest under the shelter of the blanket fort.
Rude, Rose agreed.
"He's probably the meanest boy I know. Mary says he only acts out when I'm around. How does that make any sense? I told her she's losing her marbles, but she reckons he wants to get my attention. As if. What's he want my attention for? He doesn't get enough from his nasty friends?" Lily continued.
He probably likes you, Rose suggested.
"Oh, sure. If anything, he wants to put ink in my hair. He's already done it to Marlene, the stupid git. Poor Marlene, it took her ages to get it all out, even when we all helped her. Alice managed to find a cleaning spell in one of our textbooks, which worked pretty well, but it took us a few tries to get it right… Anyway, the point is, James Potter is a horrible prat, and I will never be friends with him." Lily said the last sentence with finality, crossing her arms firmly. "Anyway... " Lily shifted her position. "Enough about me. How have you been getting on?"
Rose shrugged. I'm fine, I suppose. I mostly study out of my textbooks and play piano. Petunia doesn't want to be around me much, anymore. Rose added the last part sadly, thinking about her sister.
"Really? Why not? She's not mad at you too, is she?" Lily asked, looking sad.
She doesn't want anything to do with me. She has a lot of friends from school now. Rose shrugged, trying to brush it off as no big deal.
"Oh Rose, how awful! I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I'll write to you every day, if you want. I hope mum and dad won't mind the owls…" Lily trailed off.
I'm sure they won't mind, Rose smiled.
"Hey, do we have any Christmas cookies?" Lily asked, getting up.
Not yet, Rose signed.
"Well, let's go make some!" Lily pulled Rose up and flounced out of the room, her long red locks swaying behind her.
2 September 1772
"Please come to Hogwarts, Rose! It's not the same without you." Lily begged, clasping Rose's hands in her own.
Rose shook her head firmly.
"Please! Just try it?" Lily pleaded.
No.
"Come on, Rosie! I don't want to go alone!" Lily shook Rose back and forth out of frustration.
Rose flopped onto her bed and pulled her pillow over her ears, glaring out at Lily. Then, she deliberately shook her head.
"Well fine! Be like that!"
23 December 1972
"He asked me out eight times in the past month alone, he is so annoying. I always say, 'James, I would rather date a toad.' He doesn't even care. I don't think he listens to a word I say, actually."
Why don't you ignore him?
"Well I can't, he is far too annoying. Yelling at him gets my anger out, or else it all bottles up. The last time I tried to ignore him for a day, I accidentally blew up glass we were supposed to be transfiguring. It wasn't pretty."
You let him get to you too easily.
"Well I don't let him. He just does, argh! It's like there's ants crawling under my skin and my stomach is jumping around, my heart goes up, and face just starts burning and I just HAVE to yell at him. It's just a natural reaction." Lily shrugged.
Rose smirked. What she was describing didn't sound like hate at all.
2 September 1973
"Rose, I can't go to Hogwarts without you! If you were there I might be able to bear people like James Potter and Sirius Black."
You seem to do fine without me.
"Well, I'm not. Marlene and Mary don't even get upset with Sirius anymore, they think he's fetching." Lily paused to pretend to retch.
You'll be fine, Lily.
"But-"
No.
13 April 1974
"Absolutely unbearable, do you know how many times he's asked me out? I've been keeping track. He's coming close to two hundred."
You know exactly how many times he's asked you out?
"One hundred and eighty seven times, he is so annoying."
If you insist.
18 April 1975
"And then he called me a mudblood," Lily sobbed. Rose rubbed soothing circles on her back, silent as always. "Why would he do that, Rose?"
He's a scumbag, Rose signed.
"Yeah," Lily nodded, sniffing. "You're right."
25 December 1975
Lily, Rose signed.
"Yes?" Lily looked up from her presents.
There's an owl here.
Sure enough, a tawny owl stood outside the girls' window, peering at them with yellow eyes.
Lily wandered over to the window and opened it, allowing the owl to hop inside.
"It's a package. To me," Lily added.
Open the letter first, Rose suggested.
"Right," Lily agreed. She squinted at the untidy scrawl. "My Dearest Lily Flower," she read aloud. "Oh no," she muttered. "It's from James."
Rose immediately snatched the parcel and letter from her sister and hopped to the other side of the room to read it, before Lily could burn it.
My Dearest Lily Flower
Happy Christmas, I hope you enjoy your gift. You know how I hate to be away from you, and I thought it would be appropriate.
Love you always,
James Potter
Rose ripped open the parcel while Lily snatched the letter away. Lily froze when Rose's gasp was audible, even in breathing Rose rarely let herself be heard.
Rose held a snow globe in her hands, an absolutely beautiful elegant silver stag stood in the middle of it, while snow drifted around it serenely.
Lily couldn't refrain from sighing in adoration.
Look, Rose signed, pointing at the silver base of the snowglobe. In elegant silver print it read, "My love has made me selfish. I cannot exist without you- I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again" Thinking of you -James
He's good, Rose signed.
Lily nodded blankly without thinking, her eyes glazed over in adoration as she held the silver gift in her hands.
5 July 1976
Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Lily, and Rose were all in tears.
"How could she do this to us?" Mrs. Evans sobbed, clutching Petunia's letter to her chest. Lily sobbed, holding her mother in a tight hug. "I thought we raised her right. Where did I go wrong?"
"It's not your fault, dear," Mr. Evans said gruffly. "You are a wonderful mother."
"Then why would she run away? Why would she leave us for a boy? A boy we've never met before!" Mrs. Evans cried even harder into her daughter's arms.
"I can't believe Tuney's eloped," Lily sobbed. "I didn't even get to see the wedding. I didn't even get to-" she broke off to be overcome by tears again, her shoulders shaking violently.
"We're her family!" Mrs. Evans agreed with a sob. "I'm her mother!"
"My little girl has gotten married," Mr. Evans choked. "And I didn't get to walk her down the aisle."
Rose stayed silent, her lips gluing themselves together, her throat closing around itself. Her cheeks were coated in a fresh sheet of sparkling tears.
Mother, the letter read. I've gotten married to a man named Vernon Dursley. I love him, and I'm starting a new life with him. We already have a house and a car and he has a job with an important company. I am very happy here, and I won't be moving back in with you. Signed, Petunia Dursley.
2 September 1976
"Rose? What are you doing?" Lily asked, looking around their room. There were clothes everywhere, with Rose in the middle, tossing things into piles.
Packing, she signed.
"Packing for what?" Lily sounded cautious, but Rose could hear a tiny flicker of hope in her voice. Rose turned to face Lily, slowly, deliberately.
Hogwarts.
Sorry my intro is really long, I had a lot of backstory to cover. The rest of my chapters won't be this long, promise.