A/N: I am royally ticked. This fic has taken me approximately three and a half hours to write. My gosh, I know. And it isn't even that good. But it has an odd quality about it that's really real and human and bittersweet and lovely. So I'm posting it despite my awful opinion of it. It's slow, dry, and rambling and at times even confusing. It's meant to be that way, I assure you.
Disclaimer: All JK's.
'This is the tale of Lily Evans and the Three Rebels who had an eye for adventure and an eye for the very young Lily Evans.'
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She was on the rifts of society. Falling in a dark dark abyss. You never would've thought so either.
Shiny ruby hair and saucer emerald eyes.
She hung out with the entirely wrong crowd, the bad boys.
They were purebloods, which is, quite unexpected. But they were rather polished for bad boys. Posh accents, fancy velvet cloaks and wavy hair. The three of them and her hung out in a secluded corridor, an area on the fifth floor. No one dared go there.
They wore their ties 'round their necks, untied. And their hair curled up in the rain. All of them defied the Hogwarts teachers--especially Dumbledore--but were oddly intelligent. Almost getting perfect marks just almost.
These boys were fifth years while she was just a third year and they taught her all she knew. They'd hang out in the secluded corridor and play cards or chess, a few bottles of rum or vodka by their side. Sometimes they'd even smoke a fag or two.
"Lils?"
"Mmm?"
"Here's your glass--rum mixed with pumpkin juice--it's pretty good."
"Thanks, Bry."
"No problem, sweets."
The four oddly matched companions did not hang out much other than in that secluded area. Once a day...one in the morning...don't be late.
...and they never were.
These "rendezvous" usually lasted till about six the following morning or until the four would trudge down to breakfast looking bedraggled, exhausted and thoroughly out of it. The little girl especially. She was wearing yesterday's robes, yesterday's wrinkled blouse and yesterday's long pleated skirt. The boys had to drag her up to pull her down to breakfast.
Pst.
Whisper whisper.
"Lils?"
"Mmmm?"
"Did you finish Jenkins' essay?"
"No. There was an essay?"
"The third years say there was...you told me you had one...it's six in the morn, love, we have to go to classes now...."
"I don't want to go...I don't want to go..." she rubbed her eyes and looked up at the tall boy, his shaggy ebony hair falling in his crystal eyes.
"Lils," he said, his voice slightly louder. "You need to go to classes, I can't cover for you all the bloody time!"
"Jenkins likes you," she said with a nod, "you're a Slytherin..."
"Lils!"
"Please Alex?"
"No."
"Alex?"
"Lils...love you darling, but no."
"Alex."
"Oh fine. Just once more, where will you be?" He said with a roll of his eyes
"In the dormitory, sleeping."
"Kay, bye."
"Bye."
So Alex went his merry way to class and when he got to Advanced Potions for fifth years. He told the professor that he saw that 'redhead girl' going towards the infirmary.
"What's the matter this time with her, Bryer?"
Alex fidgeted slightly and then eased into the lie, "dunno, sir. She was moaning about her arm, though."
"That will do Bryer."
Alex winked flagrantly at Brian who winked at Henry. When Henry went to check on the girl later that evening she was fast asleep in the girls' dormitory. Henry knew the password, Lily had told him earlier that week.
It is unknown and the reason unsure of why the three untouchables took a liking to the little girl. The three were "tough" boys who smoked and drank and did other "awful things." Usually getting about three detentions apiece (per week.) But the girl with eyes like big circled emeralds had made them chuckle and smile and reminded them of an innocence and feistiness unbeknownst to the three unloved boys.
"Bry? Henry? Alex?"
The boys nodded, "yeah Lily?" "What, Lily?" "You again, little Lils?"
"What are your Mummy's and Daddy's like?"
The three exchanged odd looks with each other and it was Henry who answered.
"Ah, tis a sad tale, Lily. Not for little girls like you."
Alex and Bryan held back snickers.
"What do you mean, Henry?" She asked. "What ever do you mean?"
"Let's just say," Bryan cut in, "it involves lots of clashes for power, riches, and let's just say that the poor bloke was never loved much as a kid."
"Hmmm," Lily said. "Hmmm. What about you, Bry?"
"Same."
"You, Alex?"
"Same...except my family's never been awfully rich. It's common knowledge that Bry's father and Henry's father make more money than my Father has in a lifetime."
Henry and Bryan exchanged guilty looks with Alex and nodded.
"No, really," he said, "it's fine. Really fine."
But he didn't look so fine.
Lily dropped the subject.
On a late April night right after the long walk to the corridor Lily plopped herself down between Alexander and Henry. Bryan sitting next to Henry.
"How long have you three been friends for?"
"Forever," was the response in unison.
"Really," said Lily, "really, how long?"
"Forever."
"I wish I had that," she said almost forlornly.
"You do."
All was forgotten.
When we say that these chosen three boys taught her everything she knew we aren't just talking about how to mix wonderful drinks and how to find your way around Hogwarts quickly, efficiently and quietly they also taught her how to live. For a very uptight, scholarly girl such as Lily Evans it took a lot for her to be happy and excitable and do...bad things.
They taught her how to get out of a detention, how to write message on the lavatory walls that was unable to be cleaned or magiked off. They taught the girl about the world and how it works.
"Lily," Alex said in what was to be assumed a very 'trying' tone, "you've got to understand that when you have a boyfriend..."
"I'll never have a boyfriend!"
"Oh yes you will, you're too pretty not to."
"Well, I won't."
"And it'll probably be James Potter, he's a decent bloke, I don't like the idea of anyone getting my little Lils but if it has to be someone it might as well be him. Anyway, make sure you don't let him kiss your hand."
"Why not?"
Henry laughed and chimed in, "Lily, be reasonable...kissing hands is a rich people thing! You must've known...?"
"So...?"
The boys sighed and went back to reading the Daily Prophet and ripping it to shreds, another note from the staunch Minister of Magic, another editorial written by an uptight shrieking witch. Once Alexander even wore a political satire type shirt proclaiming: "Property of the Ministry of Magic."
Of course, this was insinuating that the Ministry of Magic controlled everything, which it even did at one point. But this was ages ago, and Alex wasn't even alive then.
But, nonetheless...when in doubt, do it your own way.
"Nice shirt, man."
"Thanks, Bry."
"Spiffy," added Henry with a short laugh.
"I mean...don't you--"
"Of course we agree."
"Yeah."
Lily laughed upon seeing the white shirt with red scrawled cursive. "Alexander!"
"Yes?"
"That's...that's a nice shirt, a bit provocative though wouldn't you agree?"
"No."
And the subject was dropped.
It became a habit among the four, Lily wrote 'Property of the Ministry of Magic' all over her clean, chocolate colored, suede book-bag and Henry had a pin that said the same. Bryan reluctantly wrote it on his boots.
Sometimes the teachers stared, but they were just young and unable to be blamed. They were just young, and they were just trying to start a rebellion. They were just young and defying their superiors. They were just young...and if possible they knew more than the adults.
Sometimes in the secluded corridor Lily would take turns dancing silly two-steps with the boys and at the end they'd all be exhausted and thrown on the marble floor.
"That was fun," she proclaimed.
Henry, the other redhead smiled at her, his cheeks flushed. "Yeah it was."
"Do you have a little sister?" She asked, seemingly out of the blue.
"Yeah," Henry said with a nod as he took a big bite of acid pop, "yeah, I have you."
She smiled and gave him a hug.
Things with James were rocky, the more he proclaimed his love for her the more she wanted to beat his brains out. The more he sent her notes the more she crumpled them up. The more he tried to sit near her, the farther away she sat.
"Did you tell him off?" The three boys whispered.
"Whom?"
"James Potter, who else?" Henry chirped.
"I told him to keep his hands off me or I'd get you guys to talk to him."
"Oh there would be no talking little lady," Bryan laughed, "there'd just be a lot of punches thrown."
"You're awful," she said.
"Only for you, Lily."
She was the little Princess among the rich Lords and she was treated accordingly. She was their little sister, their companion. Their loud sometimes-unruly child. She was Lily Jamison Evans. She always wondered why they liked her so; she was just thirteen, really young.
They were all she had.
"Do you believe in God?" She had once asked the trio of young men.
"God?" Alex laughed, an almost vicious laugh.
"That's what she said you git," Henry said with a roll of his eyes. "Look, Lily, you're a really bright little girl but to put it simply--no. Nope."
Bryan glanced over at Henry and hit him hard on the shoulder: "Henry! Don't be a git; we're dealing with a little kiddo here. Of course I believe in God, Lily."
He tried to hold in the snickers and Lily rolled her eyes as Henry punched Bryan back.
"You guys are so stupid," she said.
Alex had always loved acid pops.
Alex was said to be having an affair with an acid pop.
They were his one true love, except for his Lily, he always laughed.
He always had handfuls of acid pops 'on hand' and carried them in his book bag.
"Want an acid pop?" Alex said one Late November Night (or was it morning?)
"Sure."
He put it in her hand and then squeezed her hand tightly. "Nervous?" He asked.
"Of what?" She said, sucking on the lolly.
"I don't mean to scare you...little Lils, but the war, you must not be so oblivious as to the facts in today's downtrodden society?"
"Well, I've heard OF it," she said. "But I'm still so young, I hardly doubt that say, nine years from now that sort of violence shall still be going on?"
He sighed.
What did she know?
...not much.
She grew up her third year at Hogwarts. But she was still a child to them. They were old and mature and interesting and they knew--stuff. They knew about the Minister of Magic and his secret 'plans' and they knew about power and money and anything of any importance.
But the girl made them comfortable, she was nurturing and caring and she asked them odd questions.
"Henry."
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
He hastily tried to wipe a pearl tear from his hazel eyes. "Of course, Lily, of course."
"Of course twice isn't a comfort," she laughed. "Tell me."
"Lily, you're thirteen years old, you can't...help me."
"Henry, you put that broomstick down right now!" He dropped the Nimbus to the ground and met her glare.
"Is this serious?"
"Well yeah," she said, "it is."
"Why you even care about me is beyond me," the young man said emotionless.
"For the same reason you care about me," she said toughly, poking his chest. "For the very same reason. I love you, Henry. I really love you."
"Lily."
"What?"
"I'm leaving."
"What?"
"I'm...I'm going to go back...somewhere else…"
"You're leaving Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Why?" She asked, "why?"
Tears protruded from her eyes, "Henry...I love you."
"And you think that means something, you think that bloody means anything? I'm sorry to break it to you sweetheart but it doesn't."
"Why are you treating me like this?"
"Look, kid, it goes something like this. A war is about to begin, you think Hogwarts is safe. You really think so? Well it isn't, kid. It isn't."
"So you're running away? So you aren't fighting it anymore?"
"Look, I don't want to leave you."
"Leave me?" She choked out. "You can leave me...whenever...you're a big boy you can make your own choices but you're really cheating yourself, Henry. I want you to be happy, and if you can't be happy here...then where are you going?"
He shrugged. "I'm leaving, Lily. I want to get out of here. The tyranny that is inhabiting our school is evil in its own right and then the war and it's...it's too much for me!"
"You aren't Henry!"
"I very much so am!"
"Did you tell Bry and Alex?"
"Of course."
"What'd they say?"
"Bry punched me," he pointed to his black eye, "said I was a traitor and Alex sort of took deep breaths and told me off and then we all shook hands like perfect gentlemen and that was it."
"Well. Go then."
"Yeah, yeah, I guess so--"
"The carriages--"
"Yeah, they're picking me up tonight. Everyone already knows."
"Okay," she said softly. "Okay, Henry. Love you for always."
"Love you for always too little Lils. And you and James...you and James...but later you're still a baby."
"Right, Henry, right."
She choked back tears and he shouldered his broom.
"I want to spend forever with you," she said after a few moments of silence
"What you learn," he said, "is that forever really isn't very long at all."
And he left.
Nothing was the same after that; it just wasn't the same without Henry. Henry was Henry. That rambunctious, obnoxious boy who always had to sit in the corner during Primary school. Henry was the sort of kid who when you said 'no more cookies' didn't just take one more but took three more and then smiled at you. Henry was awful at forgiving and he felt the same resentment he had at five and six years of age. He had a frigid heart, but if you got to know him you'd learn that the boy was lovely. Everything about him was charming and rebellious. Sometimes he even smoked a bit in front of a teacher, he never did really care. Henry was the perfect example of someone who had been pushed so much as a child to get perfect marks and then sort of gave up.
...Henry's parents loved him...if only Henry knew.
"Bry?" She asked in the darkness.
"Yeah, love?"
"Do you miss him?"
"Of course I miss him."
A brow furrowed. Then he said stonily once more, "of course I miss him."
"Was he being selfish?" She asked.
"What do you think?" He asked, semi-caustically.
"I think Henry had to do what was good for him..."
"You think he did what was good for him?"
"No."
"Then what do you mean?"
"This place wasn't meant for Henry," she laughed hollowly, "Henry isn't good here, he needs to be...free so to speak even if free does mean defying his parents and being alone."
"You think that's okay?"
"No, no, I don't think so."
"You're silly, Evans, you don't really even make sense."
"Thanks, Bry."
"Any time, baby, any time."
If possible it was Bry who took Henry's absence the worst. Alex sort of just smiled and said:
"Henry's a good kid. He'll do well. He'll rule the world one day."
"No he won't," Bry said, "Henry will be the guy trying to kill the guy in charge of ruling the world."
And they all laughed, because Henry would have.
Henry never owled them, Bry said it wasn't in his nature.
"Henry didn't believe in forever," he said, "Henry believed in 'right now' and 'at this second.' Nothing in Henry's life ever lasted forever."
"What about us?" Lily chipped in.
"Not even us, Lils."
She shrugged.
It was an awful other half of her third year. She missed Henry like all of the others but it wasn't so much that she missed Henry it was that she missed the fact that things weren't the same. Things were different and they still met at 1 AM and they still drank fancy liquors and smoked expensive cigarettes, but Henry's presence was surely missed.
And then Lily got older.
The boys finished their seven years at Hogwarts whilst she was just in her fifth year. As the years passed few things changed but what changed the most was the coldness that had befallen all of them.
There weren't as many chuckles and there was less ale to pass around. The boys' cynicism grew and their hears seemed to shrink slightly.
But they were still her boys.
They were still Alexander and Bryan.
...and Henry.
Sort of.
But not so much Henry.
During the war Bryan's Father died and Alexander's Mother was having an affair. Their families were severely broken apart and the hearts of the people during 'war time' seemed to become cold and used to pain. Far too used to pain.
Lily stayed strong during these times and she was never ever their 'shoulder to cry on.'
...she was too busy crying on their shoulders.
"Hush, Lily," Brian said, "c'mon, pull yourself together!"
"I can't," she choked, "I can't. Your...Daddy...he died."
"Well yes," Bryan said, "people do die at times. Part of life," he looked off into the distance and she noticed a tear creeping down his cheek.
"Did you love him?" She asked.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"No, no, I didn't love him," Bryan laughed, "but he was my Father and so there you have it."
"There you have it?"
"Yeah."
"I hate him for leaving Mother alone though," Bryan said, "but not as much as I hate for myself for never telling him I loved him."
"But you didn't love him," the girl reasoned.
"That's not the point, Lils."
Maybe it wasn't.
Alex quietly dealt with the fact that his Mother was slowly becoming insane and that his Father wasn't crumbling--just dying slowly.
"Alex?" She asked.
"Hmmm?"
"How's your Mummy?"
"She's good."
"Just good?"
"Lily...can you go away for a while?"
"I don't want to leave."
"I know, but I want you to."
But she didn't leave.
Wars tear people apart. It brought out viciousness and desperation and pleading in people who were never any of those things.
After the boys left Hogwarts and went off in their own ways, Lily was left 'alone.'
Bryan wrote her once a day he was now part of Voldemort's 'inner circle' a true elitist. She sort of laughed it off and told him to come visit her.
He smiled grimly, "maybe...later, Lily."
She couldn't say she was surprised or even annoyed at the fact he was working for the Dark Side. She really wasn't. It was expected and Bryan was just so very good at it.
If she hadn't been so gosh darn religious she would've thought that it was his calling.
Alex went on to do, well nothing. Alex was a highly unmotivated soul and he moved out of his parents' house and lived in an old beat up flat. His parents sent him a few galleons here and there and he lived on that money.
Lily laughed upon hearing this.
Alex was stupid.
He wrote her weekly and always badgered her about James. He said that the drinking was down the tube, said he didn't have enough money for the 'good stuff.' She laughed. She didn't have enough money for the good stuff either.
'Fix some rum and lemonade...' she said 'it's good...'
'will it get me drunk?' Alex asked hopefully.
'hopefully.' Lily laughed.
Henry went on to be big, which was of course, expected. He led a rebellion called 'The Snake's Rebellion' for people against the Ministry somewhere in the late '70's and it is said that many people showed up.
He was their hero.
But firstly he had been her hero.
Henry didn't give up on his passions and so he relentlessly pursued a woman by the name of 'Rosmerta.'
He wrote editorials in the Daily Prophet and she read them all.
'To my lovely Lily,' he wrote in one, 'who perfectly emulates a free spirit.'
She snickered.
She got lonely though. Her boys were gone. No more secluded corridors. No more 1 AM sleepovers. No more run and pumpkin juice was just made in that 'special way.' No more flying lessons, no more 'Property of the Ministry of Magic.' No more babble about teachers and philosophy.
No more.
But the words of the silly yet brave Henry Tyson made her wake up of a silly reverie.
"Let's all get properly smashed and go kill the Minister of Magic. And then, and then my darling Lily I shall show you the stars and everything that comes with."
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Disclaimer: All JK's.
'This is the tale of Lily Evans and the Three Rebels who had an eye for adventure and an eye for the very young Lily Evans.'
x
x
x
She was on the rifts of society. Falling in a dark dark abyss. You never would've thought so either.
Shiny ruby hair and saucer emerald eyes.
She hung out with the entirely wrong crowd, the bad boys.
They were purebloods, which is, quite unexpected. But they were rather polished for bad boys. Posh accents, fancy velvet cloaks and wavy hair. The three of them and her hung out in a secluded corridor, an area on the fifth floor. No one dared go there.
They wore their ties 'round their necks, untied. And their hair curled up in the rain. All of them defied the Hogwarts teachers--especially Dumbledore--but were oddly intelligent. Almost getting perfect marks just almost.
These boys were fifth years while she was just a third year and they taught her all she knew. They'd hang out in the secluded corridor and play cards or chess, a few bottles of rum or vodka by their side. Sometimes they'd even smoke a fag or two.
"Lils?"
"Mmm?"
"Here's your glass--rum mixed with pumpkin juice--it's pretty good."
"Thanks, Bry."
"No problem, sweets."
The four oddly matched companions did not hang out much other than in that secluded area. Once a day...one in the morning...don't be late.
...and they never were.
These "rendezvous" usually lasted till about six the following morning or until the four would trudge down to breakfast looking bedraggled, exhausted and thoroughly out of it. The little girl especially. She was wearing yesterday's robes, yesterday's wrinkled blouse and yesterday's long pleated skirt. The boys had to drag her up to pull her down to breakfast.
Pst.
Whisper whisper.
"Lils?"
"Mmmm?"
"Did you finish Jenkins' essay?"
"No. There was an essay?"
"The third years say there was...you told me you had one...it's six in the morn, love, we have to go to classes now...."
"I don't want to go...I don't want to go..." she rubbed her eyes and looked up at the tall boy, his shaggy ebony hair falling in his crystal eyes.
"Lils," he said, his voice slightly louder. "You need to go to classes, I can't cover for you all the bloody time!"
"Jenkins likes you," she said with a nod, "you're a Slytherin..."
"Lils!"
"Please Alex?"
"No."
"Alex?"
"Lils...love you darling, but no."
"Alex."
"Oh fine. Just once more, where will you be?" He said with a roll of his eyes
"In the dormitory, sleeping."
"Kay, bye."
"Bye."
So Alex went his merry way to class and when he got to Advanced Potions for fifth years. He told the professor that he saw that 'redhead girl' going towards the infirmary.
"What's the matter this time with her, Bryer?"
Alex fidgeted slightly and then eased into the lie, "dunno, sir. She was moaning about her arm, though."
"That will do Bryer."
Alex winked flagrantly at Brian who winked at Henry. When Henry went to check on the girl later that evening she was fast asleep in the girls' dormitory. Henry knew the password, Lily had told him earlier that week.
It is unknown and the reason unsure of why the three untouchables took a liking to the little girl. The three were "tough" boys who smoked and drank and did other "awful things." Usually getting about three detentions apiece (per week.) But the girl with eyes like big circled emeralds had made them chuckle and smile and reminded them of an innocence and feistiness unbeknownst to the three unloved boys.
"Bry? Henry? Alex?"
The boys nodded, "yeah Lily?" "What, Lily?" "You again, little Lils?"
"What are your Mummy's and Daddy's like?"
The three exchanged odd looks with each other and it was Henry who answered.
"Ah, tis a sad tale, Lily. Not for little girls like you."
Alex and Bryan held back snickers.
"What do you mean, Henry?" She asked. "What ever do you mean?"
"Let's just say," Bryan cut in, "it involves lots of clashes for power, riches, and let's just say that the poor bloke was never loved much as a kid."
"Hmmm," Lily said. "Hmmm. What about you, Bry?"
"Same."
"You, Alex?"
"Same...except my family's never been awfully rich. It's common knowledge that Bry's father and Henry's father make more money than my Father has in a lifetime."
Henry and Bryan exchanged guilty looks with Alex and nodded.
"No, really," he said, "it's fine. Really fine."
But he didn't look so fine.
Lily dropped the subject.
On a late April night right after the long walk to the corridor Lily plopped herself down between Alexander and Henry. Bryan sitting next to Henry.
"How long have you three been friends for?"
"Forever," was the response in unison.
"Really," said Lily, "really, how long?"
"Forever."
"I wish I had that," she said almost forlornly.
"You do."
All was forgotten.
When we say that these chosen three boys taught her everything she knew we aren't just talking about how to mix wonderful drinks and how to find your way around Hogwarts quickly, efficiently and quietly they also taught her how to live. For a very uptight, scholarly girl such as Lily Evans it took a lot for her to be happy and excitable and do...bad things.
They taught her how to get out of a detention, how to write message on the lavatory walls that was unable to be cleaned or magiked off. They taught the girl about the world and how it works.
"Lily," Alex said in what was to be assumed a very 'trying' tone, "you've got to understand that when you have a boyfriend..."
"I'll never have a boyfriend!"
"Oh yes you will, you're too pretty not to."
"Well, I won't."
"And it'll probably be James Potter, he's a decent bloke, I don't like the idea of anyone getting my little Lils but if it has to be someone it might as well be him. Anyway, make sure you don't let him kiss your hand."
"Why not?"
Henry laughed and chimed in, "Lily, be reasonable...kissing hands is a rich people thing! You must've known...?"
"So...?"
The boys sighed and went back to reading the Daily Prophet and ripping it to shreds, another note from the staunch Minister of Magic, another editorial written by an uptight shrieking witch. Once Alexander even wore a political satire type shirt proclaiming: "Property of the Ministry of Magic."
Of course, this was insinuating that the Ministry of Magic controlled everything, which it even did at one point. But this was ages ago, and Alex wasn't even alive then.
But, nonetheless...when in doubt, do it your own way.
"Nice shirt, man."
"Thanks, Bry."
"Spiffy," added Henry with a short laugh.
"I mean...don't you--"
"Of course we agree."
"Yeah."
Lily laughed upon seeing the white shirt with red scrawled cursive. "Alexander!"
"Yes?"
"That's...that's a nice shirt, a bit provocative though wouldn't you agree?"
"No."
And the subject was dropped.
It became a habit among the four, Lily wrote 'Property of the Ministry of Magic' all over her clean, chocolate colored, suede book-bag and Henry had a pin that said the same. Bryan reluctantly wrote it on his boots.
Sometimes the teachers stared, but they were just young and unable to be blamed. They were just young, and they were just trying to start a rebellion. They were just young and defying their superiors. They were just young...and if possible they knew more than the adults.
Sometimes in the secluded corridor Lily would take turns dancing silly two-steps with the boys and at the end they'd all be exhausted and thrown on the marble floor.
"That was fun," she proclaimed.
Henry, the other redhead smiled at her, his cheeks flushed. "Yeah it was."
"Do you have a little sister?" She asked, seemingly out of the blue.
"Yeah," Henry said with a nod as he took a big bite of acid pop, "yeah, I have you."
She smiled and gave him a hug.
Things with James were rocky, the more he proclaimed his love for her the more she wanted to beat his brains out. The more he sent her notes the more she crumpled them up. The more he tried to sit near her, the farther away she sat.
"Did you tell him off?" The three boys whispered.
"Whom?"
"James Potter, who else?" Henry chirped.
"I told him to keep his hands off me or I'd get you guys to talk to him."
"Oh there would be no talking little lady," Bryan laughed, "there'd just be a lot of punches thrown."
"You're awful," she said.
"Only for you, Lily."
She was the little Princess among the rich Lords and she was treated accordingly. She was their little sister, their companion. Their loud sometimes-unruly child. She was Lily Jamison Evans. She always wondered why they liked her so; she was just thirteen, really young.
They were all she had.
"Do you believe in God?" She had once asked the trio of young men.
"God?" Alex laughed, an almost vicious laugh.
"That's what she said you git," Henry said with a roll of his eyes. "Look, Lily, you're a really bright little girl but to put it simply--no. Nope."
Bryan glanced over at Henry and hit him hard on the shoulder: "Henry! Don't be a git; we're dealing with a little kiddo here. Of course I believe in God, Lily."
He tried to hold in the snickers and Lily rolled her eyes as Henry punched Bryan back.
"You guys are so stupid," she said.
Alex had always loved acid pops.
Alex was said to be having an affair with an acid pop.
They were his one true love, except for his Lily, he always laughed.
He always had handfuls of acid pops 'on hand' and carried them in his book bag.
"Want an acid pop?" Alex said one Late November Night (or was it morning?)
"Sure."
He put it in her hand and then squeezed her hand tightly. "Nervous?" He asked.
"Of what?" She said, sucking on the lolly.
"I don't mean to scare you...little Lils, but the war, you must not be so oblivious as to the facts in today's downtrodden society?"
"Well, I've heard OF it," she said. "But I'm still so young, I hardly doubt that say, nine years from now that sort of violence shall still be going on?"
He sighed.
What did she know?
...not much.
She grew up her third year at Hogwarts. But she was still a child to them. They were old and mature and interesting and they knew--stuff. They knew about the Minister of Magic and his secret 'plans' and they knew about power and money and anything of any importance.
But the girl made them comfortable, she was nurturing and caring and she asked them odd questions.
"Henry."
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
He hastily tried to wipe a pearl tear from his hazel eyes. "Of course, Lily, of course."
"Of course twice isn't a comfort," she laughed. "Tell me."
"Lily, you're thirteen years old, you can't...help me."
"Henry, you put that broomstick down right now!" He dropped the Nimbus to the ground and met her glare.
"Is this serious?"
"Well yeah," she said, "it is."
"Why you even care about me is beyond me," the young man said emotionless.
"For the same reason you care about me," she said toughly, poking his chest. "For the very same reason. I love you, Henry. I really love you."
"Lily."
"What?"
"I'm leaving."
"What?"
"I'm...I'm going to go back...somewhere else…"
"You're leaving Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Why?" She asked, "why?"
Tears protruded from her eyes, "Henry...I love you."
"And you think that means something, you think that bloody means anything? I'm sorry to break it to you sweetheart but it doesn't."
"Why are you treating me like this?"
"Look, kid, it goes something like this. A war is about to begin, you think Hogwarts is safe. You really think so? Well it isn't, kid. It isn't."
"So you're running away? So you aren't fighting it anymore?"
"Look, I don't want to leave you."
"Leave me?" She choked out. "You can leave me...whenever...you're a big boy you can make your own choices but you're really cheating yourself, Henry. I want you to be happy, and if you can't be happy here...then where are you going?"
He shrugged. "I'm leaving, Lily. I want to get out of here. The tyranny that is inhabiting our school is evil in its own right and then the war and it's...it's too much for me!"
"You aren't Henry!"
"I very much so am!"
"Did you tell Bry and Alex?"
"Of course."
"What'd they say?"
"Bry punched me," he pointed to his black eye, "said I was a traitor and Alex sort of took deep breaths and told me off and then we all shook hands like perfect gentlemen and that was it."
"Well. Go then."
"Yeah, yeah, I guess so--"
"The carriages--"
"Yeah, they're picking me up tonight. Everyone already knows."
"Okay," she said softly. "Okay, Henry. Love you for always."
"Love you for always too little Lils. And you and James...you and James...but later you're still a baby."
"Right, Henry, right."
She choked back tears and he shouldered his broom.
"I want to spend forever with you," she said after a few moments of silence
"What you learn," he said, "is that forever really isn't very long at all."
And he left.
Nothing was the same after that; it just wasn't the same without Henry. Henry was Henry. That rambunctious, obnoxious boy who always had to sit in the corner during Primary school. Henry was the sort of kid who when you said 'no more cookies' didn't just take one more but took three more and then smiled at you. Henry was awful at forgiving and he felt the same resentment he had at five and six years of age. He had a frigid heart, but if you got to know him you'd learn that the boy was lovely. Everything about him was charming and rebellious. Sometimes he even smoked a bit in front of a teacher, he never did really care. Henry was the perfect example of someone who had been pushed so much as a child to get perfect marks and then sort of gave up.
...Henry's parents loved him...if only Henry knew.
"Bry?" She asked in the darkness.
"Yeah, love?"
"Do you miss him?"
"Of course I miss him."
A brow furrowed. Then he said stonily once more, "of course I miss him."
"Was he being selfish?" She asked.
"What do you think?" He asked, semi-caustically.
"I think Henry had to do what was good for him..."
"You think he did what was good for him?"
"No."
"Then what do you mean?"
"This place wasn't meant for Henry," she laughed hollowly, "Henry isn't good here, he needs to be...free so to speak even if free does mean defying his parents and being alone."
"You think that's okay?"
"No, no, I don't think so."
"You're silly, Evans, you don't really even make sense."
"Thanks, Bry."
"Any time, baby, any time."
If possible it was Bry who took Henry's absence the worst. Alex sort of just smiled and said:
"Henry's a good kid. He'll do well. He'll rule the world one day."
"No he won't," Bry said, "Henry will be the guy trying to kill the guy in charge of ruling the world."
And they all laughed, because Henry would have.
Henry never owled them, Bry said it wasn't in his nature.
"Henry didn't believe in forever," he said, "Henry believed in 'right now' and 'at this second.' Nothing in Henry's life ever lasted forever."
"What about us?" Lily chipped in.
"Not even us, Lils."
She shrugged.
It was an awful other half of her third year. She missed Henry like all of the others but it wasn't so much that she missed Henry it was that she missed the fact that things weren't the same. Things were different and they still met at 1 AM and they still drank fancy liquors and smoked expensive cigarettes, but Henry's presence was surely missed.
And then Lily got older.
The boys finished their seven years at Hogwarts whilst she was just in her fifth year. As the years passed few things changed but what changed the most was the coldness that had befallen all of them.
There weren't as many chuckles and there was less ale to pass around. The boys' cynicism grew and their hears seemed to shrink slightly.
But they were still her boys.
They were still Alexander and Bryan.
...and Henry.
Sort of.
But not so much Henry.
During the war Bryan's Father died and Alexander's Mother was having an affair. Their families were severely broken apart and the hearts of the people during 'war time' seemed to become cold and used to pain. Far too used to pain.
Lily stayed strong during these times and she was never ever their 'shoulder to cry on.'
...she was too busy crying on their shoulders.
"Hush, Lily," Brian said, "c'mon, pull yourself together!"
"I can't," she choked, "I can't. Your...Daddy...he died."
"Well yes," Bryan said, "people do die at times. Part of life," he looked off into the distance and she noticed a tear creeping down his cheek.
"Did you love him?" She asked.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"No, no, I didn't love him," Bryan laughed, "but he was my Father and so there you have it."
"There you have it?"
"Yeah."
"I hate him for leaving Mother alone though," Bryan said, "but not as much as I hate for myself for never telling him I loved him."
"But you didn't love him," the girl reasoned.
"That's not the point, Lils."
Maybe it wasn't.
Alex quietly dealt with the fact that his Mother was slowly becoming insane and that his Father wasn't crumbling--just dying slowly.
"Alex?" She asked.
"Hmmm?"
"How's your Mummy?"
"She's good."
"Just good?"
"Lily...can you go away for a while?"
"I don't want to leave."
"I know, but I want you to."
But she didn't leave.
Wars tear people apart. It brought out viciousness and desperation and pleading in people who were never any of those things.
After the boys left Hogwarts and went off in their own ways, Lily was left 'alone.'
Bryan wrote her once a day he was now part of Voldemort's 'inner circle' a true elitist. She sort of laughed it off and told him to come visit her.
He smiled grimly, "maybe...later, Lily."
She couldn't say she was surprised or even annoyed at the fact he was working for the Dark Side. She really wasn't. It was expected and Bryan was just so very good at it.
If she hadn't been so gosh darn religious she would've thought that it was his calling.
Alex went on to do, well nothing. Alex was a highly unmotivated soul and he moved out of his parents' house and lived in an old beat up flat. His parents sent him a few galleons here and there and he lived on that money.
Lily laughed upon hearing this.
Alex was stupid.
He wrote her weekly and always badgered her about James. He said that the drinking was down the tube, said he didn't have enough money for the 'good stuff.' She laughed. She didn't have enough money for the good stuff either.
'Fix some rum and lemonade...' she said 'it's good...'
'will it get me drunk?' Alex asked hopefully.
'hopefully.' Lily laughed.
Henry went on to be big, which was of course, expected. He led a rebellion called 'The Snake's Rebellion' for people against the Ministry somewhere in the late '70's and it is said that many people showed up.
He was their hero.
But firstly he had been her hero.
Henry didn't give up on his passions and so he relentlessly pursued a woman by the name of 'Rosmerta.'
He wrote editorials in the Daily Prophet and she read them all.
'To my lovely Lily,' he wrote in one, 'who perfectly emulates a free spirit.'
She snickered.
She got lonely though. Her boys were gone. No more secluded corridors. No more 1 AM sleepovers. No more run and pumpkin juice was just made in that 'special way.' No more flying lessons, no more 'Property of the Ministry of Magic.' No more babble about teachers and philosophy.
No more.
But the words of the silly yet brave Henry Tyson made her wake up of a silly reverie.
"Let's all get properly smashed and go kill the Minister of Magic. And then, and then my darling Lily I shall show you the stars and everything that comes with."
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