A/N: Clearly, this is a Jily AU. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a Selection crossover, but it's based off some of the same ideas.
This is set in the beautiful kingdom of Hogwarts. It is arguably the finest and most beautiful kingdom apart from Beauxbatons. Complete with rolling hills, winding rivers, grassy plains, marbled architecture, and cascading waterfalls, it is a sight.
But who inhabits these beautiful grounds, you may wonder? Who rids the kingdom of bandits and Death Eaters under the rule of the soldier-gone-wrong Voldemort? Why is it the safest kingdom?
Beautiful people and creatures inhabit it. Tucked away from the rest of the world, live unicorns and griffins, elves and goblins. Wizards, witches, creatures of all kinds. Nobles, princes, princesses.
This all sounds beautiful and just. But yet, there is still turmoil in the kingdom caused by Lord Voldemort. Each year, in an effort to repopulate from the killings, each noble (much like purebloods) submit a paper describing their perfect match. The cavalry searches far and wide for anyone with a feature exact to so described. Five matches are brought in to the noble, who then holds a series of trials to determine which is most compatible with him.
And so the story begins.
In the small settlement of Cokesworth the Evans' family began to awaken. The sun shone brightly through the poorly shaded windows, wreathing the 17-year-old Lily Evans' form in light. Her hair positively was set on fire in the sun's light, casting red shadows around the loft in which she slept.
Per usual, Lily was the first awake. The redhead let herself drift in and out of the region between sleep until her mind became bored with it. Ready to begin the day, she shifted on her straw mattress to face her sisters Violet and Petunia. The latter was snoring softly while the former was but a lump beneath the sheets.
Petunia was a thin, bony-faced woman about the age of twenty. She was neat, organized, and maybe overly clean. There was no straw around her mattress, not a single grain. Violet was the opposite. A round-faced, cheery 12-year old, she was messy and unorganized. Their mother, in private, occasionally called Lily the 'perfect medium' between the two.
Lily quietly rolled out of her bed and pulled her nightdress over her head, the faded yellow blending with the straw floor. She wrapped a towel around herself and stepped down the ladder from the loft where she and her sisters slept. Her parents slept directly below it, and seven yards away were their horse and cows.
The redhead creaked the barn door open and slipped out. Lily breathed in the fresh morning air, savoring each breath and only letting it out when she needed to breathe again. She tipped her face up to the warm sun and sighed deeply. At last opening her eyes, she gazed fondly around the field. Looking around for any sign of life, she began to run to the pond.
The grass was damp on her bare feet as she ran like a gazelle, probably looking laughable to any onlooker, although to her it was not. As soon as she reached the glassy water, she removed a bar of soap from a stump, shed her towel, and dove in.
As Lily sunk deeper, the color behind her eyelids faded to a deep black. She stretched out her fingers, brushing the top of weeds. With a final stroke downward, her feet hit the bottom and she shot upwards toward the light. The bar of soap bobbed next to her, and she scrubbed herself down.
She stood up and inspected herself. There was still plenty of dirt ingrained in her skin, but it was a good enough job. It wasn't like any nobles were looking for anyone like her. Too-pale skin, green eyes that stood out from her face, a hoard of freckles, and flaming red hair. That's what Petunia had told her, anyway. But she liked herself just fine the way she was, although she wished she would tan instead of burning.
There was a chance that anyone from 16-25 (who was not currently married or engaged, of course) could be chosen for the Choosing. Lily was 19, and had just graduated from her school, Hogwarts Academy. So she had a relatively fair chance of being chosen. 19 and 20 were the most popular ages. She floated on her back for a moment, and then waded over to shallower water.
Lily exited the pond and wrapped the towel around herself. She returned to the barn and opened the front door and slipped back in.
Everyone but Petunia had awoken so far and was getting ready for the festivities that day. The Choosing Day was probably the most enjoyable ceremony in the town, especially because of the delicious, fresh food.
"Lily, come here," her mother instructed, holding a folded piece of cloth. It proved to be a pleasant blue checkered dress, which Lily donned after climbing up the ladder and fully drying off.
Her father had just arrived back from the smokehouse with the smoked pig. Although a grill was perhaps easier to use, the Evans found that the smokehouse gave it a more smoky taste than any other way.
"Dad, get that disgusting thing away from me!" Petunia squealed as she came down the ladder, hair in curlers.
Her father just sighed and began to wrap the pig up. LiTly, always eager to lend a hand to her father, rushed forward but was stopped by her mother. "Here, try something with me for a change," she said.
Lily nodded cheerfully and trotted after her mother. Together they began to walk to the garden to harvest fresh herbs to boil into the chicken soup.
"Head over to the drying racks to get the dried herbs. Oregano, basil, and bay leaves should be plenty." Her mother said. "I'll get these ones. Meet you back at the house."
Lily gathered the dried herbs and returned to the house and picked up her knitting project. Petunia had just finished a scarf to donate for the wintertime, her third one for the week. Lily couldn't seem to get the hang of the work. Hers came out with knots and missed rows and once she had almost stabbed someone's eye out with her needles. Needless to say, it wasn't her favorite thing to do.
After one knotted row, her hands felt cramped and tired. Sighing, she stretched out her shoulders and checked the position of the sun. About nine a.m. The festivities began at ten. Her mouth watered at the delicious scents rising from the kitchen. Violet, who had a deep passion for food and cooking, would of course be in the kitchen.
"'Tuney, would you do my hair for me?" Lily asked, using her childhood nickname for Petunia.
The older girl sighed heavily. "Can't you see I'm busy?" But she sat down and deftly braided Lily's hair. "There, happy now?"
"Yes, thank you," Lily replied. She smiled cheerfully at her sister, and went to go see if she could be of use in the kitchen.
After a half hour had passed, all three Evans girls began transporting the goods out the door. They set up a stand for hot cider, maple syrup figures, and apple pies. Always popular toward the beginning of fall.
The day passed faster than anyone could have ever imagined, and soon the cavalry galloped into the small town. A hush quickly fell over the gathered crowd, only broken by an occasional giggle or whisper.
Lily clung to her friend Marlene McKinnon's arm nervously. The two girls were no better than the offensive gigglers and whisperers. Each was filled with a nervous tension they would be chosen.
The dashing soldiers gathered into a line. The central soldier (Sir Pemberton) cleared his throat and unrolled the scroll of descriptions.
Sir Pemberton was an old, jolly man with a thick white mustache and twinkling blue eyes. He had been reading descriptions for as long as the oldest person in Cokesworth had been around.
"Ahern. Thank you for gathering here today. As usual, no formal speeches. You will find out which noble you are assigned to later." The merry man looked down at his paper. "Blonde." Marlene rose into the air, propelled by a pale blue light. "Green eyes." Dorcas descended. "Freckles." The two remaining in the air spun to face each other. "Humorous." One descended, sour-faced, while the other moved forward through the crowd. Cokesworth was a small town, the population about 150, explaining the lack of green-eyed blondes.
Sir Pemberton moved through the list quickly as usual. Lily was just beginning to nod off, for after all it was nearly midnight, when she shot up into the air for the first time. Looking around, there were twelve other girls, including Marlene. "What did he say?" she mouthed at her friend.
"Independent," she replied. Lily nodded.
"Strong-willed," three girls sank.
"Unique," six down, all wearing the same dress. They glared at each other.
There was Marlene, Lily, and another girl Lily didn't know.
"And lastly..." Sir Pemberton said dramatically, for this was the second-to-last noble on the list.
"Funny." The last girl sank, leaving Lily and Marlene looking confused. Only one girl from each town could be picked, if any.
"These were the requirements for two nobles. Proceed, girls." Sir Pemberton said with a smile.
"Marls...we got picked!" Lily said, barely able to contain her excitement.
"I know!" Marlene said, wrapping Lily in a tight hug.
Lily looked up into the night confidently, shocked but happy. Soon, she would be living in a castle, with (hopefully) her future husband.
What she didn't know is that her noble would be the one she least expected.
A/N: So? Love it, hate it? Review! I swear it'll get more interesting. Flames welcomed, as long as you explain why. Will try to update by every weekend.
Oh yeah-and doing a SYOC for girls, nobles, etc. I'm planning on having Sirius, James, and Remus with a hint of Peter for the main nobles. Reccomendations for book characters welcomed.