Disclaimer: I do not own harry Potter or any of the characters, places or items mentioned. They all belong to J.K Rowling.
Chapter 1: Summers end.
There's nothing quite like the treacherous reminder of the British summer. Unlike the summer on the television shows that are constantly played in front of us, or the catchy headlines in the moving newspapers that my eyes have become so fond of, summer here is –as many choose to call it- wet. Okay, so the occasional spout of tickling sunshine may creep its way out of the clouds, bathing my back enough for a tiny tint of pink to appear on my skin but this is usually all. My only souvenir to show Marlene and Alice (both whom escape to different areas of the world where by guessing the weather doesn't choose to spit at you) that we did in fact get any rays at all.
I couldn't help but ponder the mortal fate of the past six weeks that had previously just passed any other way than this; my face pressed up to the thick glass of my bedroom window, almond green eyes following the continuous beads of water that slid down my window while praying desperately to see my owl –Ronan- sweeping his way across the clouds towards me. What was I searching for? That would be the question that my parents chose to ask me as I sat upon my window sill each morning. Two things. One, a sincere apology. And two? Well, this one wasn't a secret by any means. By definition, a letter stating I would be Head Girl. A certain something I had pined for ever since I discovered the opportunity in first year.
"Lily dear, it won't come by wishing." My mother, poking her head in my room for a minute. I turned my eye sight away from the window for a brief second to appreciate her. Like me, she wasn't particularly a tall woman, her hair stopping at her shoulders a beautiful shade of strawberry blonde. While admiring her features, it didn't take the shortest of time for me to notice what was hanging over her arm, draped perhaps like a rag. Rag? I could only wish.
"What did she think?" my head nodded in the direction of the thick poufy material in which lay in my mothers arms.
After an elongated sigh, and a small grin my mother looked down at the material. "I'm taking it back this evening."
Of course she was. This was at least the twelfth dress in which Petunia had tried on this week.
"Why didn't she like it this time?" I dared ask, spinning my body around 180 degrees to face my mother, raising my knees to my chest.
"She said, and I quote 'It made her look fat.' "
At this I couldn't help but snigger. Petunia? Fat? These were two things that could never, and would never be in the same sentence. Unlike me and in so many words our mother, Petunia was tall and incredibly bony. Her neck was like a stretched out telescope when it came to listening in to any gossip she could get her hands on, her bright blonde hair barely crossing the line of her etched jaw and her eyes? The replica of our fathers. A cool -yet when they wanted- icy blue.
I turned around again to face my window, the rain refusing to do anything but lash down with anger, my chest deflating again at the heavily grey clouds in the sky, which in my eyes were missing an owl. My owl.
"So, has she set a date yet?" my lips moved, my head barely interested, still looking outside.
"Not that I know of. But, whenever it is you will have to be available to come."
This gained my attention. Head flicking around, my bare annoyance meeting my mother's definite tone of voice, clashing before I had even opened my mouth.
"Mother, she told me I wasn't to come."
At this, my mother stood upright.
"I don't care what she said. You are her sister, you are to come."
"But-Mum-"
I knew right there and then my argument would be invalid.
"Nor do I care what Vernon said either. All family are to attend."
With this, my mother nodded continuing her path down the corridor, my ears pricking as she took each creak down the stairs until I could only hear Petunia begin to play her Bee gees record at full volume.
So it was settled then. I was going to the Wedding of Petunia Evans and Vernon Dursley. And nothing and I meant nothing could make me unhappier.
"Lily? We are heading out to Dorie's Dresses in about half an hour. You are to come with us, it'll do you good to have some fresh air."
Except that.
"No, uggh, no—no! What were you thinking Mother?" Petunia, as she flipped over some more of the white poufy dresses in which were laid out in front of her. The location? Dorie's dresses. Petunia herself had chosen this particular shop because, and I hope my tone isn't too harsh, but the most expensive wedding dress shop in the entire country. By default, they had to be the nicest. Or so you'd think.
"Now Petunia-"
"-This! Now this is more like it!"
I didn't try to raise myself off of the rounded black seat in which my body was sat upon, nor did I try to even see which dress she had decided she liked this second, as my guess was that in the next 24 hours, or even a record for Petunia; the next 2 hours she would change her mind.
"Lily dear, come see."
Why was mother so intent that I should be involved? Petunia and I had come to the more–than-mutual agreement that I should have nothing do with her wedding. My reasons being my critical dislike of her future husband. Her reasons? Only that she didn't want something 'freaky' to happen at her wedding. Because in her eyes, all witch craft and wizardry was…freaky.
"Mother-"
"Lily."
It wasn't a request as I had thought. More an order.
I arose myself off of the round seat in the corner, pushing my way past racks of white wedding dresses, pictures of couples and hearts to find Petunia hugging the dress she had chosen. For now.
"This is perfect! Why haven't I seen this one before?" she asked, spinning round with it.
I knew why. I think most of the country, or even the rest of the sane world knew why! It was peach. An orange shade of peach, with a skirt that trailed down the floor. Around the waistline was a mixture of fabric roses continuing all the way round. The chest sagged down and to top it all off was the shawl. It was covered in peach coloured roses. Every. Inch.
"It's…" My mother painted on a smile, my guesses trying to look pleased.
"It's gorgeous! Oh, Vernon will love it!"
At least then it would be two of them.
"…Lily, what do you think?" my mother hesitated to ask. I too suppressed a smirk, receiving a glare from Petunia.
"I don't need her opinion." She muttered.
"You do." My mother gritted her teeth. Shocking us both, she stomped her foot on the gleaming wooden flooring. "Petunia Evans, I shall not have this attitude towards your sister be tolerated any longer, do you hear?"
At this Petunia's lip tightened, head tilted to the side slightly.
"Well, that rule will not be applicable once I am Petunia Dursley."
Turning on her heel, Petunia would not hear any more of it, entering the changing room and slamming the door shut.
"Mother-"
"No. I will speak to her later."
She sighed, following me as I made my way slowing over to the round black seat again, slumping down.
"Thanks for trying, but there is no point. She made this decision years ago."
"I wish you both would just get along, like you used to."
I smiled, reminiscing over the memories of our childhood, the plain simplicities that we had taken for granted.
Mother began to smile to herself, turning to face me, my own staring into my lap.
"You haven't been complaining about that boy much this summer."
To this my head arose slowly, my instant reaction was to shrug. I knew which boy she was talking about, and by my many rants from the many times this particular boy had made it his business to annoy me, I was pretty sure she did too.
James Potter.
The same James Potter who only a few months ago had I completed my work experience at the ministry with. The same James Potter who I had gone from hating, to liking, to kissing to hating again. Some roller coaster huh? Not to mention the tiny fact that we were both now targets of the darkest wizards in the country. But my mother wasn't to know that. She also wasn't to know James and I hadn't spoken in months. Sure, at first I was pretty sure he was going to apologise for forcing me to trust someone who I didn't seem fit or worse, apologise for asking me to torture my own sister and a muggleborn boy to save my own life. But now? It had been months, and this sincere apology that I was waiting to hear had not arrived along with my Head Girl letter.
"I just...I don't know. I should be glad really, finally a summer without being bugged by Potter." I tried to make it sound cheerful, trying to hide the fact that I did in fact miss the constant irritation from him. It was better than being ignored.
My mother smiled, pushing a strand of my now chest length hair that had fallen astray behind my ear.
"Now, why don't I believe that? Before last term, you were my smiley happy Lily, but she has been replaced by this reserved, anxious girl who is always waiting. Don't think I haven't noticed. I'm your mother."
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest, tugging at the thick material of my woollen jumper, the light blue material suddenly feeling too heavy. I had been told not to talk to my family about the traumas I had experienced within my work experience to save them the worry. After all, if I knew my parents at all, knowing would only make them halt the entrance to my next year in magical education. I couldn't miss my seventh and final year at Hogwarts. This wasn't an option.
Getting up, grabbing my umbrella and muttering "I need some air." I made my way over to the glass door of the shop, pushing it open and waiting for the sound of the tinkling bell. Other than a butchers that lay far down the hill, this was the only shop around. Its unique features and desolate destination had to be what made it so popular, but due to the wet weather, people weren't queuing to be out in the countryside. The struggle to pop up my umbrella wasn't as long as I had thought, the metal retracting allowing me to push up the red material, suddenly being sheltered from the storm. Things were much less frilly out here, just how I liked it.
But there are some things that you don't expect to see in the countryside.
A faint 'Pop!' could be heard in the background, body turning, almost jumping out of my skin at the sight of my headmaster, Professor Dumbledore standing in the rain. Appearing from nowhere.
"Good morning Miss Evans, I do hope I am not interrupting?"
"Professor? No, not at all! But-But what are you doing here?"
He smiled a little, his blue eyes directed to the sky as if he was mentally scolding the sky for behaving badly before returning to my presence. His hands intertwined one another, pacing in the middle of the street, lampposts that were before not on, now were flickering.
"Well, like you, I was enjoying my lovely Saturday afternoon when something quite urgent came to my notice."
"Enjoying wouldn't be the word of my choice, Professor..."
"Right then. It's settled."
At this, he held out an arm. My eyesight drifting back to Dorie's dresses to see Petunia stuffed into the peach dress looking dreadful as ever, my mother doting over her closely followed by a sales woman who looked as though she had just woken up. They wouldn't miss me, not for a little while.
A whoosh! And an ear pop later we were gone, landing straight onto the porch of the Potters house. My previous temporary state of residence. I felt my gut drop immediately.
"Professor, I don't think I should-"
"Nonsense Miss Evans. We have been expecting you."
As if on que, a familiar face poked his head out of the doorway, hurtling his way towards me as if he had two extra pairs of legs, arms spread wide like an eagle until he reached me, wrapping me into a bear hug.
"Oh Lily flower, how I have missed your voice!"
Sirius Black. One of James's best friend, and whom, by only recently I had the honor to call one of my friends.
"Hi..." I feebly muttered once he realised me from his grip, holding my shoulders admiring me for a second like he would the house cup.
"Man, I think you look a little older."
I smirked at this; him being one of the very few people who could generally generate a smile upon my face these days.
"Why thank you, Mr Black. But I think you need a haircut."I reached out to pick up a strand of his hair that had grown past his ears, tutting at it to show my disapproval then letting it drop. "It'll soon be as long as mine!"
Sirius used his hand to flick away his hair, as if he was was in a TV advertisement, looking rather pleased.
"...and yet, I'd still be a handsome ol' fellow even with that red hair of yours."
We were interrupted in our conversation by the waving of Mr and Mrs Potter. They, by any means hadn't changed at all since I had last seen them. Mrs Potter was as prim and tidy as ever even in the ghastly rain, beckoning us indoors to shelter. Mr Potter, well, he still wore the stern expression in which he reserved only for his son, but at the sight of Dumbledore and me, he softened. But only a little.
After being encouraged indoors, Dumbledore and I wiped our feet upon the rug , stepping upon the wooden floor of the Potter household. This place certainly wasn't somewhere I had wanted to come back to so soon.
"Lily dear, how have you been?" Mrs Potter asked. " I haven't seen you around here much since..." she paused, clearly uneasy.
"It's fine Mrs Potter- I'm fine. Yourself?"
"Very well, dear. Very well."
The Potters took their time greeting Dumbledore, Sirius choosing the exact moment to try to high-five our headmaster, Dumbledore having no other choice but to return the favour. Of course, there was only one thing missing from the equation. But boy, this one thing was something I wasn't looking forward to.
"Having fun are we?"
All heads turned, the smiles that played on the faces around me froze, shrinking slowly, the laughter playing to a halt.
James.
But he was different. Different to the James I had remembered. His hair had grown again, shaggy like Sirius's, his glasses were no longer rounded but were replaced by much newer rectangle glasses and around the line of his jaw was a layer of stubble. But, his build was more or less the same; still as lanky and tall as ever. The only thing I found myself missing in the second that our eyes met was a smile. He didn't smile. He only looked at me with the deepest contempt.
"Evans."
"...Potter."
Author Note: Long time no see, eh? Well, I cannot apologize enough for not posting this sooner. It seems that my work load that some-what increased now I am back studying. Which means less time for this…but(Yes, there is a but) I should have the next chapter up when I can. No promises…only when I can, so bear with me guys, as things are about to get exciting again. Thank you!
Ickleblueeyedwitch