Speak Now

Knowing when to Speak Now is tricky - especially if Rose Weasley or Lily Potter. With Lily's soul mate marrying the wrong girl and Rose Weasley's life taking an unexpected turn; will they be able to Speak Now? And will their past hold the key for their futures.

DISCLAIMED: I do not own the song Speak Now nor am I J. K. Rowling which to be honest kinda sucks. I do however own the creation of Charlie, who unfortunately I used repeatedly in story as the guy that never gets the girl - I should write a story about him.. I think I'll work on the story at hand. He is not Charlie Weasley he just happens to be called Charlie. He is also not named after Charlie from Twilight or from YouTube's Charlie the Unicorn.

Chapter 1: Surprise

I looked at the bare and empty apartment. My life was packed up in one suitcase. It was strange to think it had been four years since I left home. This apartment could never replace my home, no matter how hard I tried to believe it could. The idea that all my belongings could fit into just one suitcase made me feel lonely. Everything packed up ready for the long flight home, ready to face everyone again.

When I moved to San Francisco I didn't exactly get a lot of support from my family. They thought I wanted to get away from the trouble, thinking I had runaway because of a bump in the road of a relationship. Dad helped though he begged me to stay. No matter what anyone said, it was because of the job. When I had left school I had done a two year course in journalism but it proved to be no good. Not when there wasn't any jobs going around anyway. Finding a job in journalism back home was hard and here they offered a job in a muggle paper to me instantly after seeing my work and the pay was good.

Charlie peeked his head round the door, "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said sighing but smiling at my roommate as I picked up my bags and my keys off the breakfast table before exiting the door and locking up for the last time. Charlie and I took the lift downstairs to the car park, carrying my suitcase. Luckily I didn't own a lot of stuff as I didn't take much with me and everything else I gave to my friends as gifts.

Charlie had offered to take me to the airport in his car and even though it would have been easier to apparate I didn't want to disappoint him. Although he thought I was a muggle and didn't know a lot about me, he knew a lot other people didn't. He was a good friend, if not my best friend in San Francisco. He knew I hated Opera and secretly loved Broadway and he knew how to push my buttons, how to calm me down, how to cheer me and he didn't need telling to shut up when I wanted to think. I felt bad sometimes that I couldn't tell him but what was the point?

The car ride was a silent one. I didn't know entirely what to say – I wasn't good at goodbyes. I don't think there's anything good about them. Charlie turned on a CD and I listened to the music as it soothed me.

Charlie didn't say anything the entire way there either. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was a peaceful silence, it gave us both time to think.

He offered to park the car and wave me off but I said it wasn't that important so he pulled up outside the front door.

"Well here we are," he said with a slight smile.

"Um, thanks for everything," I said, "I'm really going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too Lily," He said with his big-melt-your-heart-in-one-second-flat-blue eyes. "But hey, I'll talk to you over the phone all the time."

"I can use my new cell phone," I said grinning remembering his gift. "Well, goodbye I guess."

I hugged him over the car seat before getting out with my bags and smiled, holding back tears. He held his hand up in farewell before driving off into the distance, his shiny red Citroen a spec in the distance.

I stared after him before letting go and trying to find my way around the airport. I convinced myself I was going by plane to fool Charlie but deep down I just really wanted to go on the plane as I'd never been on one and I suppose that showed.

I walked through the airport, surrounded by muggles which after five years of pretending to be one wasn't that hard. Admittedly I had googled what to do as I didn't want to do anything wrong. Now I wished I had written the instructions down. I checked the departure board and then made my way to the check-in desk. I almost blew it when I was being searched and the guard came across my wand but let through as though taking pity on the poor insane girl carrying a stick.

When I eventually got on the plane and sat down staring out of the window wondering what exactly to do. The speaker murmured something about fastening seatbelt and thanks to Charlie's car as least I knew what they were.

The plane ran along the runway gathering speed and then without warning we lifted off in the air. It was a weird experience but I personally still preferred brooms.

Dad had sent money over for me to fly first class and there was a TV attached to the seat in front of me one Charlie had in his apartment but it was slimmer and I had earplugs for it. Friends was on, the one muggle show I actually liked so I sat watching until I fell asleep.

By the time I woke up, it was 7.30 British time and the plane would be stopping in twenty minutes. I yawned, tried from the journey as I gathered my things ready for landing.

I managed to find the entrance desk where Dad was waiting for me. He was there smiling, her hair slightly thinner than remember but those same alive vibrant green eyes that comforted me reminding I was finally back home.

I broke out into a run to him and hugged him, never wanting to let go. I missed my family a lot, more than I was willing to admit to anyone.

"So how was your trip?" Dad asked once I'd wiped my blurry wet eyes.

"It was good, not as fun as I'd thought it would be."

"I told you should have just apparated." He said, picking my bags up and walking with me as we headed out of the airport.

"Yeah but that would have been too easy," I said smiling widely back at him. "How are you? How's mum? Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, everyone's fine, glad to have you back for sure; Grandma's been cooking all day to get stuff ready for tomorrow's family lunch." Dad said grinning.

"It's nice to be back." I admitted.

We got to the car; Dad was driving seeing as he had to return the car at the ministry later that night anyway. I sat in the passenger seat chatting to Dad for the rest of the journey about how work was going, how my nieces and brothers were and whether mum had gotten her birthday present last month. I felt like I'd miss so much.

As well as my family, I'd miss London. I could never get over that buzz that you get your there – to me it would always be home even through I was brought up in Godric's Hallow, a village outside London. I was going to be staying with Rose seeing as she insisted I stay with her. It would be nice to catch up with her. Even though we were cousins, we were more like sisters.

"So am I going to see everyone tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

"No, you're seeing them all tonight," Dad said and then realised in horror what he had said. "Don't tell your mother I just said that."

"Please don't tell me there's a surprise party?" I moaned, tired from the journey and Dad could tell the last thing I wanted after my thirteen hour flight was a party.

"Surprise," my Dad said gently, looking apologetic.

I grimaced but then smiled – all through it was the last thing I wanted I was happy. It felt good to know people cared and meant they hadn't forgotten about me too much.

We left my stuff in the car and walked up the steps to my cousin's London house. I opened the door and the next words uttered were so predictable I could have said it with them.

"Surprise!"

I looked as surprised as I could and think I managed to fool them judging by the looks on their faces. All my family was there including Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, my never ending list of cousins, along with some friends I'd left behind. It was a typically party, paper cups and balloons in primary colours – Rose's attempts at decorating.

The crowd dispersed after I'd thank them and I was alone with Rose and my mother. My mum hugged me tightly and then looked me in the eyes.

"He let it slip didn't he?" She said.

I hugged her again – she was one of the only people who could read me like a book.

"I missed you." I whispered.

"Where's my hug?" Rose teased once I released my mother and she went to see my Uncle Ron.

"Where's my black sweater?" I asked, teasing her over the old top she'd lost.

"Oh ha ha." She said sarcastically, embracing me. "I missed you too. How was your flight?"

"It was alright, Charlie dropped me off at the airport. Last time I ever use public muggle transport anyway."

"Auntie Lily!" screamed a-five-year-old Violet, jumping into my arms.

"How's my favourite flower?" I asked twirling her up in the air before returning her to the ground. I think it was fair to say she idolized me as her Auntie who lived in America and always played told the best bed time stories.

"So how's San Francisco been treating my little sis, then?" James asked, waltzing over with his wife, Sophie who was holding my other niece, Charlotte.

"It's been good, nice to be home through." I replied. I turned to Sophie.

"Wanna hold her?" She asked smiling with a glow.

"Sure," I said, nervously. Babies generally weren't my forte but I was willing to try as I had never seen my new niece apart from in pictures. She was so small and delicate; her eyes were so full of life. She had nothing to regret. "Hello," I whispered to her as her little hand clasped around my finger. Then I smelt something that definitely should not have been there.

"Um, I think she needs to be changed," I said, passing her carefully back to her mother who with a nod to me, quickly made her way to the bathroom.

"Wait," I realized, "Where's Albus?"

James snorted. "He'll be here later; he's working late but he'll be here later with Tamara."

"Ah, the girlfriend I've heard so much about," I said.

"Well, the fiancée, you mean." Rose corrected me.

"They're engaged!" I shrieked. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"We thought he'd told you," said James shrugging.

"Well, he didn't…" I felt disappointed.

"Anyway Lil, I better go and check on Sophie," James said, swallowing the last gulp of his drink and leaving the cup on the side.

"Albus is engaged?" I exclaimed to Rose, "And no one told me! It's not that hard to write a letter."

"Is it that hard to come and visit once in a while?" She challenged. I rolled my eyes, ignore her comment. We walked over to get some food, pick up random snacks and adding it to our plastic blue plates.

"So come on, I want to know everything!" She demanded as she picked up a pasty.

"Well, it was great," I said, repeat what I had said to everyone.

"Really, because it doesn't sound like you did."

"No, it was great-"

"Was it anything else but "great"?" She gave me a look that said – you're not fooling me.

I made a bee-line for some chairs but on my way accidentally knocked into a girl with long dark blonde curly hair.

"Watch where you're going!" the girl turned around to face me, unimpressed.

"Sorry, I didn't see you." I said, being politer than I usually would have if some had spoken to me in that tone. "Hey sorry, do I know?" I asked because it seemed odd to have someone I didn't know at my own welcome home party even if it was a pretty big one.

"I'm here as someone's date." She answered, moody.

"Oh right, just wondering," I clarified.

She took one last look at me as if she was sizing up an opponent and then walked off.

Rose caught up with me.

"Jeez, what's wrong with her? Who is she anyway?" I asked Rose.

"Um, just here with somebody I guess."

I glanced in the direction the girl had left, seeing she had disappeared through the crowd.

"So how are you? All we seem to be talking about is me." I complained lightly, stirring the conversation around to her.

"Well you're the one who went on the big adventure, I'm same as normal."

"Seeing anyone special?" I joked, knowing that Rose would have told me.

"No, no one," she sighed.

"What about what's-his-name? M-martin?"

"Mark," she corrected me immediately. "No we're not seeing each other anymore."

I got the impression she didn't want to talk about it so I decided to let it lie. For now.

"I'm going to get a drink," I said excusing myself to leave her musing in her thoughts.

I went over to the table which held the yellow plastic cups and pulled one out of the stack and poured myself some pumpkin juice from a jug.

"Hi." I hear a voice from behind me and I froze, the voice sending shivers down my spine.

I turned around, knowing who it was by just hearing their voice. "Hi," I said back, looking up and looking down quickly. "So how've you been, Scorpius?"

"I've been good." He said, awkwardly. The silence lengthened and so I jumped in to say something.

"Well, it's was nice seeing you again maybe –" I babbled before.

"Hi baby, I was looking for you," a girl wrapped her arm around his and I felt an instant twang of pain hit like some had punch me in the stomach. She smiled before it turned into a grimace when she saw who he was talking to. Me.

"Lily," Scorpius began. "This is Kara, Kara this is Lily."

"We met early," she told him, her lips pursed in a fake subtle smile. "Mmm, well we better be going." She clung her boyfriend's arm protectively.

"So, I'll see you around, Lily," Scorpius said softly.

"Yeah," I said softly too, as they turned and weaved to a different part of the room.

I felt alone, more than ever. I marched back to Rose who was still sitting down, eating her food, demanded to know why she had invited him.

She looked sheepish. "Well, I know he's your ex-boyfriend but he's my friend too and Albus'. Last time I checked, we were all best friends at Hogwarts."

"Yeah but inviting him to my coming home party?"

"Lil, cool down," Rose told me. "You need to relax, so what your ex boyfriend shows up?"

I took a deep breathe. I was over reacting. Like Rose said, so what? I watched her take a bite out of a pasty when she suddenly turned green.

"Are you alright?"

"Um, yeah, I just need to go to the bathroom," She scurried off upstairs while I stood watching the people I knew and loved talk to one another.

"Albus!" I call as I saw him enter with Tamara.

"Hey you must be Lily right?" the girl I assumed was Tamara.

"Yes and you must be Tamara?" She had glowing cappuccino skin with big intense brown eyes.

Albus looked at me, smiling slightly but obviously keeping his distance. He had never quite forgiven me for leaving. Maybe it was because Scorpius was his best friend or maybe it was just because I was his little sister. It was upsetting to see him so wary of me. It would take time, I convinced myself.

"Good to see you Lily," he said and I knew they was hope.

I had seen all of my family at last. And although I had missed a lot; it felt good to be home.

Okay so the ending wasn't my best but I just wanted to put this story up. I'm unlikely to update regularly and I'll probably take this down as I've put it up as an impulse therefore there may be grammer issues and little things like that (I really need a Beta - any volunteers?). Apart from that I wrote this a while ago and just never put it up. It is a full story and I've written more chapters but seeing as I have exams coming up I'm likely to be busy. May return in a few weeks time and actually complete. Sorry for the long explanation and hope you liked it.