Disclaimer: Not JK or C.…
A/n: Written for the Story Off contest in the Dreamverse forum! The pairing I was given was Lily Eustace, the prompts were scorched, football, death and 'Just jump of the cliff already'.
Also dedicated to Amy, for suggesting that I should try new styles of writing. Hope I got the hang of it, Amy!
Hope you enjoy!
The most unbelievable things Lily Potter has ever done in her life.
I always think I was born for greater deeds, and the most surprising thing? So do others. Ever since I was a little toddler, I had (and to this day have) my father, the freaking Boy-Who-Defeated-the-Dark-Lord wrapped around my finger. And the same goes for the rest of my family, well, except my Mum and Aunt Hermione, but they're too sensible to fall for my traps so they don't count.
Being admired for breathing, breathing, was my first ever achievement. "Look how even her breath is, I mean, she's so so soft." Mum imitates Dad's words at every presented opportunity so I know this incident pretty well.
And then came the task of opening my eyes, looking at people, giving them my award winning smile, or crying my lungs out (in James and Albus' case, but that was because I knew, right then, that those two were evil jerks), and then there was the process of crawling, sitting upright…I know I'm startling people with my achievements, but frankly, I'm growing tired of recounting them one too many times. So, right off the bat, we'll get to the most incredible and implausible things I did, yeah?
i…Getting knocked down by the goalpost while attempting to catch a football.
"Foot ball! Whatever in heaven's name is that?" Lily looked astonished, staring at the ball placed before her by her brother. It was round, white and not at all like a quaffle; Lily eyed it warily.
"It's a Muggle sport, Lilykins; I've seen Muggles go all ga-ga over it and thought, why don't we try it out too? So, will you play?" James asked with a hopeful expression on his face, but Lily remained resolute.
"You know I don't trust Muggle things. What if it explodes or something?"
"That would be one of Uncle George's creations, Lily. I swear this is as harmless as Quidditch is. Please?" Lily knew James wouldn't be begging her like this if Teddy had been able to play; she would have had to satisfy herself with sitting in the sidelines, watching the game, bored to death. But as it happened, Teddy had got his leg broken and they were a player short.
"I will decide after you tell me what this game is all about." James nodded frantically before he explained.
"It is pretty simple, really, almost like Quidditch…"
"What's the difference, then?"
"Well, instead of using out hands, we use our feet to push the ball around the field and into the goal posts." He replied, indicating the two nets on either side of the playground.
"Our legs? Isn't that kind of like, kicking the balls? Isn't that degrading or something?" Lily knew her question make perfect sense; it was moral turpitude to kick things, but her brother who wouldn't know ethics if it kicked him in the face stared back at her weirdly.
"Well, the footballs haven't objected for the past so many years so it should be alright. But you aren't going to kick it around, if that makes you any happy." James led her by the shoulder towards the middle of the ground where the rest of her family was stood. Lily was impressed; they had managed to drag even studious Molly to the field.
"I call dibs on Lily, for the goalie."
"Not fair, James! Lily's the best keeper we've had in ages!" Fred whined, irritating his twin sister on purpose.
"Then what, do tell me dear bro, am I? Chopped liver?" Fred's eyes widened when he realized his situation; Lily chuckled as she watched the two siblings run around the pitch, Roxanne screaming bloody murder at Fred. When they returned, Fred was sporting a nice bruise on his forehead and Roxanne, a winning smirk.
"Now that we've got that settled, let's divide up the rest of the players." That resulted in a horribly noisy and bloody argument and when the teams were finally settled, only Lily and Molly remained unscathed. Lily, because she had already chosen her side and Molly…well Molly had been too busy reading some random book Lily hadn't bothered to find out about.
When Lily found out what a goalie was, she blanched, "I have to catch the ball you kick at me? All those dirt and whatever else from your shoes? No way, James!"
"That's why you have gloves, Lils. Come on, be a sport." Grumbling, Lily wore the gloves; they were too big for her, figures. Seeing Roxy wink at her from the other side, she grinned back; and the game began.
It was boring mostly and filled with a lot of cheating. Teddy's whistle blew constantly as he called them out one after the other. Lily honestly thought he would have had more rest if he had just taken her post, since the ball never seemed to come within a kilometer of her.
"Lily, look out." Lily snapped back to attention right in time to see the ball fly towards her; it was slightly above her, and to her right. She leaned forward, her legs lifting from the ground, her hands extended in the direction of the ball, when it hit her; or should she say, she bumped into it? Lily wasn't in the mood for analyzing things; her head was throbbing with pain like she had never known before and her eyesight began fading. Her brothers' concerned face was the last thing she saw before everything went black.
ii…Somehow, miraculously, ending up in Narnia (I told you I was born for greater things, didn't I?)
"Ed! She's waking up! Come here!" A girl's sweet, unfamiliar voice was the first thing Lily heard as she came to. When she opened her eyes, the first thing that caught her eye was the blue sky; as blue as Victoire's Veela orbs. It was winter in England, then how was the sun shining brightly at her? Why was there a cool, salty breeze blowing? Wait, salty?
"Ed!" The girl's voice became louder, confusing Lily further. She knew Fred's girlfriend Miranda called him Ed, but she knew for a fact that Miranda's voice wasn't this young.
Tilting her eyes to look around her, Lily was confused to see that she was lying on something hard, like wood; hadn't she fallen on the ground? And the scene around her was even more dizzying; who the hell had decorated the room to resemble a ship, complete with sailors and…mice?
"Hello Miss." Lily's eyes rounded as the mouse bowed to her, speaking in voice that was, for the lack of a better word, gracious. Lily raised herself on her hands, sitting up; there was no doubt in her mind now; she was aboard a ship, and a mouse was talking to her. Had she hurt her head too bad?
"Reepicheep at your service, Ma'am." The mouse bowed again, the little sword hanging at its hip dangling to the ground.
"Aren't you a mouse? How come you speak?" The question seemed to offend the mouse immensely, and it was a few minutes before it answered.
"I am deeply chagrined that you would think so low of me, Ma'am. If you would refer to me as Reepicheep." The polite words seemed to take its toll on the mouse and Lily couldn't help but marvel about it.
"I'm so sorry, Reepicheep." She replied, and the mouse's (she really should stop referring to Reepicheep as mouse) face brightened.
"Reepicheep is honored to be in your presence, Ma'am." It bowed once again, and Lily couldn't help but smile; she was about to comment how absolutely adorable it was when a low voice sounded in her ear.
"Just don't tell him he's cute." Lily turned to face the boy who had so helpfully muttered in her ear; he wasn't too good looking; no, that would go to the other two walking towards them with a little girl in tow, but Lily could see, in his eyes, an air of arrogance that repulsed her.
"Eustace, leave her alone." The girl told the boy, who was apparently named Eustace. Lily wondered, who named their child Eustace? Admittedly, her own father had named his children after dead people so she wasn't all that eligible to talk.
"It's good to see you have woken up. Do you think you could stand?" The girl helped Lily up as she stood, leading her towards the inside of the ship where she was made to sit on a bed in a cabin; the rest of them followed her.
"So, how did you get here?" The girl asked once Lily had settled herself.
"I have no idea where 'here' is." Lily replied, her confusion returning now that she was a bit more comfortable. Reepicheep climbed the bed by the post and stood beside her, alert.
"Narnia, of course." The taller of the two guys, who was weirdly dressed, like the picture of a King she had seen at one of the Muggle museums, said.
"Nar…is that some kind of chocolate?" Lily asked, looking at the girl for explanation.
"It is a kingdom, a magical kingdom filled with talking animals, moving trees, and many, many adventures." The girl replied excitedly, her eyes shining brightly as she described Narnia.
"Magical? What the…" Lily's eyes darkened once again and she lost conscious again.
iii…Almost, almost ridding the world of an arrogant toe rag (Another feather in my cap or what?)
When next Lily woke up, she found that the ship, was she really on a ship?, was rocking like a crib. She sat up in bed carefully, trying to gauge is she was feeling dizzy; she felt fine.
Standing up, she opened the door to her cabin, almost hitting Reepicheep who was just outside the door.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Reepicheep. Did I hurt you?" She asked considerately, kneeling down to look at it closer.
"No Ma'am I'm perfectly all right. I was just coming to check if you were safe when you opened the door." It replied grandly. Lily lent a hand in its direction; Reepicheep stared at it for a minute, puzzled.
"Get on." Lily said and the mouse, after a moment's hesitation, climbed into her palm and up her hand, standing on her shoulder.
Lily smiled at the mouse as she walked out of the cabin and onto the deck. Nobody questioned her when she began climbing down the ropes and into the water. She swam the little way to the shore, walking on the sand towards the only interesting thing on the island; the sole mountain.
"Queen Lucy, King Caspian and King Edmund went into the island a few hours back, with that boy following." Reepicheep provided her with the gossip as she began climbing the mountain through a lonely trail. The climb helped Lily; she had always resorted to physical labor when she had been indecisive. And she was about to pull her hair out now. She was in Narnia, a magical kingdom. A land of…what had the girl said…talking animals? But how could animals talk? The very exception was traveling on her shoulder at the moment. They talked of magic, but Lily was yet to spot even one wand.
"Argh!" Her cry startled Reepicheep into almost falling off her. The mouse looked at her in amazement.
"Stumbling, isn't it?" Lily turned in the direction of the voice; she was almost at the top of the mountain now and she had to admit; the climb was worth the view. Eons upon eons of sea expanded before her, the small islands like green dots on blue parchment. The sky and sea were almost the same color, blurring the boundary where one separated from the other. The ship that had seemed so magnificent and huge to her was now but a minuscule dot, bobbing in the waves. Birds flew a few inches above her head, and Reepicheep was having entirely too much fun chasing them away from her. She had had over protective brothers before, but Reepicheep was almost like her bodyguard, a cute one, though she'd never say that to him; she had had fair warning.
"What?" She asked the guy beside her, who, to her, looked pompous and denigrating.
"The view, the ship, this place, Narnia…magic." He spat the last word like poison, and sent her reeling.
"What's so wrong with magic?" Lily asked a bit snappily.
"Don't tell me you have gone and fallen in line with my insane cousins. And here I thought you were sensible enough. Magic, really? Who believes in that?" Lily's wand was out in a flash and Eustace was dangling by his ankles upside down, his eyes wide as he saw the object in her hand. Even then, Lily noted that his stuck up expression did not change.
"I do, since I happen to be a witch." Lily flicked her wand once more, making him fall to the ground. The ground he fell on was a bit slippery and before she next knew, Eustace was hanging to a decaying root for his dear life. Lily twirled her wand nonchalantly, turning her back to him.
"Hey! You can't leave me like that! Get me back to the ship!" Lily turned at his panicked voice, leveling him with an unaffected stare.
"Just jump off the cliff already." With that, she turned away and was almost at the other end of the cliff where the one way path started, when she heard his alarmed yell. The root he had been hanging to was giving away slowly. He would really fall off the cliff if she left him now. Reepicheep muttered in her ear to save him, frantically. Nodding, Lily lifted her wand once again.
"Levicorpus." Eustace was lifted off his precarious position and he shook himself once when he landed. When he spoke, his voice trembled, "Acrophobia; I have Acrophobia." He panted as if he had run a mile.
"Fear of heights? Why did you climb to the top of the cliff, Genius?" Lily asked bitingly, though she had no wish to know his answer.
"I was trying to get myself stranded on this island." His answer was slow, but his voice had stiffened, as if he was expecting her to chide him any minute.
"Why in Merlin's name were you trying to do that? Do you want to die or something?" Honestly, could the guy get any weirder? Lily had expected him to storm off at her retort; she would have done the same thing if she had been there. Maybe it was because they were alone, maybe it was because she had just saved him from certain death, maybe because she knew him too little to judge him too bad, but he did not.
"You wouldn't understand." It was his superior expression that had her seeing red. Lily had to take deep breaths to calm herself. Killing him isn't worth it, she kept repeating to herself as she spoke.
"And why wouldn't I? Is there a specific criterion for me to be understanding?" She asked, her hands flying to her hips even as her eyes flashed in annoyance.
"Yes, yes there is. You'll only understand if...if you have parents who know what's good for you, all the damn time. You'd only understand if you feel frustrated all the time, like you are in a gaol in your own room, if you want to do something so bad but can't for fear of what your parents will say. You'll only comprehend if you fell like your parents' helpless puppet! So don't you dare talk about it as if I'm having a bloody walk in the park!" His voice rose as he spoke until at the end, he was yelling for the entire island to hear. Silence reigned on the cliff except for the noisy wind blowing. The wind played with her auburn strands, but Lily ignored it.
She had never known a guy like Eustace who, for all intends and purposes, looked like a right prick, might have something of a turmoil inside of him. She had always had a soft spot for people who had had their parents' decisions thrust on them and Eustace was now at the top of the list.
"Your parents are…controlling? But what does that have to do with you getting stranded on a barren island?" Eustace seemed to flush lightly, and his eyes were embarrassed when he replied.
"It was a foolish wish of mine, really. I'm…I had always wished for an adventure, you know? And I've now got it. Even if it is with my cousins who I don't like all that much, it is still an adventure, right out of one of my books. I have enjoyed watching it play out immensely, but I know I'll have to return. I thought…I thought I'd have more time if I got lost. I was kind of trying to hide from fate, I guess. Foolish, I know." He sat on one of the large boulders, his head hung.
"Leave? You have to leave too?" Lily asked, incredulous. She had assumed Eustace belonged here, in Narnia. She had only just arrived, how could she even comprehend leaving?
"We all have to, at some point. Lucy is sure we'll have to start soon and I got…desperate."
"Desperate enough to try to get yourself left behind on an uninhabited island? That's…pathetic. But even so, you sulking around like this isn't going to help anything, is it? I mean, you have to go, sometime, and wishing against it isn't going to help. You have to make memories, that's the way, right?" She smiled brightly at him, trying to infuse a bit of her optimism into him. She went to sit beside him on the boulder, and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. He seemed to relax some, but his voice was still grave when he spoke.
"Memories?"
"Yeah, memories. If you had memories, you could remember them when you're feeling frustrated with your parents. Like a shield, you know?" Lily chuckled at her own alliteration; maybe landing herself in a land of Princes and Kings had changed her perspective.
"You're…you're right. I never thought of it quite that way, I guess." For the first time since she had seen him, Eustace smiled. Lily was reminded of the sun hidden behind the clouds. He really was quite handsome when he smiled.
"I'm all for looking things from different angles." She smiled back at him as she dragged him away from the cliff and towards the shores, a befuddled Reepicheep following them. Humans are so hard to figure out was the only thought that was running through his head.
iv…Managing to fall in…oh, no she hadn't, no way
"So, what's going on between you and my cousin?" Lucy asked innocently as they sat in Lily's cabin, speaking of everything and nothing. It had been almost a week since Lily had arrived at Narnia and Lily had to admit that she was enjoying it immensely.
Lucy was easy to talk with and laugh with; she seemed to be pleased with whatever she said not to say that she was boring. Lucy was the most sincere and honest person Lily had ever met and that was why Lily felt bad not telling the entire truth to her.
"I dunno what it is for him, but he…helps me take it in that I am really in Narnia, being new here himself." Lily replied, staring at her nails as she spoke.
It was nothing more; she wasn't really falling for him; no way. He just wasn't her type; her type was the soft, jovial gentleman, someone like Lysander. Even with them, she'd only break their hearts, like she had with Lysander. But it had been alright, he was so obviously in love with Molly now…Molly…
Thoughts of her cousin brought up her family, filling her heart with a lead weight.
"You're getting homesick, aren't you?" Lucy asked knowingly and added, "It happens to everyone. Even to Eustace the mighty. He's been grouchy ever since he came her, but I've never seen him smile so much in my life, I'm so glad he's changed now, and all because of you." Lucy placed a hand on Lily's, more by way of reassurance than comfort.
"Sure you are, Lucy, you couldn't bear with me a week ago." The two of them jumped at the sound, Lily stumbling with her own fingers as she turned to him.
Eustace was leaning on the doorframe, his intent grey eyes looking at her as if he was evaluating her. She felt scorched from his survey, her face heating up of its own accord. She was being silly, she told herself repeatedly. She couldn't just fall in love with him because he smiled, could she? All for one breath-taking smile? Was falling in love so easy, she wondered. Hiding her thoughts, Lily stood up.
"Eustace!" Lily greeted with a wide smile as she bounded up to him and hugged him. He had been shocked the first time she had done that, but apparently, he got used to things easily because his arms tightened around her and Lily fancied that he held her a little tighter, a little longer, than was necessary.
"What did I do right now?" His eyes were twinkling as he pulled back, holding her at arms length by her elbows.
"Just giving you another memory to cherish." Lily replied brightly as she skipped out of her cabin, walking to the deck. Eustace followed behind Lucy. Lily looked back at him once before she went on to the deck; there was still the remnant of the smile that had greeted her tugging at his lips.
"Come on! Let's go bother Edmund and Caspian." She called out, but Lucy shook her head.
"That's my job; you go on and enjoy the day with 'Stace." With that and a suggestive wink when Eustace wasn't looking, Lucy disappeared around the bend of the ship, walking or skipping rather, to Caspian's cabin. They heard her greet the two in a sunny voice before the door closed and all went silent.
"Quite the bundle of joy, isn't she?" Lily remarked, looking at the door.
"Yeah, yeah she is." Eustace's eyes were glued on her face. The sun was shining brightly that day, bringing out the black strands in her otherwise perfectly auburn hair. The specks of green in her hazel eyes popped out, giving her a vulnerable look. She was the picture of perfection as far as he was concerned; she also happened to be his worst nightmare.
"Let's take a walk around, Lily?" She merely nodded, noticing his pensive expression. She weaved her hand through his as they walked and saw a sliver of a smile grace his lips; her heart jumped just one little bit at that.
"What are you taxing your little brain with?" He merely chuckled at her, turning to the sky, as if trying to calculate something.
"Fifty hours." He replied curtly, but Lily understood only too well; her time at Narnia was shorter than his, and it was coming to a rather quick end. Lily leaned her head on his arm, not caring what he or anyone else would think. It was impossible, completely unbelievable, but for one minute, one glorious moment in time, she would accept it to herself, she would let the blissful glow of happiness flow into her heart, making it a liquid mess.
"Let's not worry about that now, yeah?" Lily asked, and Eustace nodded, sighing.
"Memories, I need lots of memories of you to keep close to me, Lily. I never want to forget you; ever. Narnia, this ship, this adventure, Reepicheep, even my cousins and Caspian, I could bear to forget. Not you, not the reason I was thrown into a world of magic." His eyes pierced hers, even as he poured his heart out to her.
"I am not…" Eustace shushed her with a finger to her lips.
"The most magical of all things in this world…" His smile drilled deep into her heart, embedding itself in there.
"Eustace, I…" Whatever she had been about to say was cut short as the ship rocked suddenly, throwing them apart, on two sides of the ship.
This was how they'd always be, on opposite sides, Lily thought as her throat clogged up. She wouldn't give him the memory of her tears, she resolved determinedly as she stood up.
Over the few days, Lily was confused; was she making these memories for Eustace, or for herself?
v…Missing her once chance, one last chance at the biggest achievement of them all…
The wind blew furiously as the five figures stood on the deck of the ship; two on one side and the rest on the other. One of the two figures walked towards the three hesitantly, dragging her feet.
"I'll miss you all, so very much. King Caspian!" They both chuckled at her attempt at a formal farewell.
"King Edmund, though you'll never be High King." Edmund merely smiled complacently at her; he knew she meant it more as a compliment than an insult.
"Lucy!" Lucy launched herself at Lily, hugging her until Lily could feel her air supply get cut off. When she drew back, her eyes were wet.
"Don't you cry, Lucy. I don't want to remember this weepy female Lucy. I need to see the smiling, chirpy Lucy, yeah?" Lucy chortled despite herself, lightening the atmosphere.
"Do you know how…" Lucy shook her head in a no. Of course, no-one knew how she was to return, Lucy only knew that it would be any minute now.
Lily resolutely ignored the stare from behind her; she wouldn't, couldn't say good bye to him, not in a thousand lifetimes.
"Lily?" Of course he wouldn't let her go away without a good bye; he was too proper for that. She turned to him slowly, letting her eyes find his only after she had controlled the emotions in them. He opened his arms and she flung herself into them, burying her head on his chest as he drew her close. The first drops escaped then; the first of one too many. She heard him mutter her name over and over again; no sound ever sounded sweeter to her.
"Eustace…" He looked expectantly at her and she almost told him, almost, for just then, the ship rocked again, throwing her out of his arms. His face, filled with earnest affection, overflowing with love, was the last she saw as she hit one of the masts…
vi…Spending the rest of her life reliving a week spent aboard a ship, where she had found the most powerful of all magic…
""Lily! Lily are you alright?" James' panicked voice awoke her; she was lying in her won bed back at Godric's Hollow.
"What happened?" She asked as she sat up.
"You hit your head on the goal post and had a concussion. You're alright now, you're alright." James hugged her tightly, and she thought his voice cracked right at the end.
Before, she would have pulled away hastily, but now, now she hugged him close, savoring the love she had been blessed with.
Because Lily knew, memories, small and big, were what made life. No-one ever got back a missed opportunity, a missed chance, another turn, especially at love.
A/n: Please no favouriting without reviewing. If you like enough to add to your favourites, please, just drop a couple of lines outlining what you liked.
All the best to Mad, you're an amazing writer!