Jubilation and Remorse, a Tale of Lily

A Sad Summers Eve

She sat on her bed, reading. It was a favorite past time of hers. She had already finished all of her summer homework, but so what if she just wanted to see what lay ahead in the year to come? The young, pretty thing had just receive her school letter and list and, having spent all day in Diagon Alley with her parents, her new textbooks were things of much interest on the summers evening. There was a charm she had just read about she was eager to learn: a stream of water would spout from one's wand. This would be nice on a day like today.

Getting though a few chapters in her Charms book, she ran her fingers through her auburn hair. Maybe she would go and persuade her parents to take her sister and her out to eat. They hadn't done that since she returned home from school at the end of hadn't done that since she returned home from school at the end of June. Grinning, she remembered having to stick around King's Cross after all her friends had left, waiting with her parents on her sister, who was due back from Miss Cookie's School for Future Socialites. It was almost disgusting watching her elder sister of two years, Petunia, flick her pretty blond hair and giggle with her bubbly girlfriends as they got off their train.

Petunia and Lily were, indeed, very similar. They were both very pretty and feminine looking. Petunia was more of a convention, empty-headed, magazine model for teenage girls kind of pretty. (Lily sometimes secretly wondered if Petunia ate while away at school.) Lily, however, was a more classic kind of beauty. Her hair was never perfect, but seemed to have the wind-blown look to it. Her eyes were catching, a very brilliant green. She was healthy looking, meat on her bones to say, but toned to an extent. No one could argue Lily herself was mal-nourished. In fact, if you talked to certain people at her school, they would advise you to not get your hand in the way of her favorite pudding desert. Both girls were intelligent. However, Petunia seemed the idea of this was an insult to her. Her idea of knowledge consisted of mini skirts and the newest skimpiest swimming outfit.

Before she had made it to her door, however, Lily spotted her owl, Pegasus, at the window with a letter. She smiled to herself and let him fly up to her shoulder. With the promises of an owl treat or two, he loosed her letter. Winking, she beckoned him to go ahead and roam the night to his content. Lily picked the letter up from the floor. She knew who it was from at once

To Little Miss Lily Evans

One of those bedrooms up the stairs

In that one Muggle Village I can't remember it's name

Dear Lily,

How are you! I assume you have gotten your books and such today, and have spent you entire time with you nose in them! Breath, don't forget to breath. I cannot let you suffocate. I wouldn't be there to inherit your unusual muggle belongings. On another note, why must we have so many text books? Two for Transfiguration, two for Charms (ecstatic about that one, aren't you), three for Potions (damn that Slughorn!), well, you are getting the picture. You know, a lot of them have the same information in them. Maybe one day I will pull that repetitive info from all those books and combine them into one. What do you think? I have always wanted to see my name in print.

O and I suppose you are a prefect again? It figures.

Well, I would invite to come stay, but I know you love these holidays with her parents and your lovely sister, Miss Muggle of the Month—well, every month in her book. I will try to write again, if Michael and Jordan don't drive me to murder before I get the chance.

Love bunches,

Miranda Goshawk

Lily suppressed a giggle, and made a mental note to write back soon. Maybe she could keep her friend sane from her brother and her cousin. The thought of Miranda putting forth enough effort to write a text book was clear insanity, if you asked Lily. Sure, Miranda was plenty smart, but it came without much effort or will power. She never put for extra effort, just enough to get her through.

She glanced at desk, at the shiny silver badge. Yes, she had made prefect again. She was sure Remus Lupin, a lovely and intelligent boy, though troubled, had gotten a similar badge. Last year they had been prefects together. Lily would call him her friend. Though, his friends were a different story…

Leaving her thoughts, she walked across her small bedroom to the door and pulled it open. Some bubblegum pop music was coming from her Sister's bedroom across the landing. Petunia's taste in music was not what Lily would call good. Ignoring the sounds issuing from behind her sister's door, Lily suppressed the urge to slide down the banister. When her sister and she were younger, and didn't fight as much, they used to partake in the trivial pleasure. Now, well, Petunia told Lily they were far too old for rubbish like that. Lily didn't think she, herself, would ever be too old for anything.

Strolling into the living room, Lily plopped herself down on the couch beside her father. Taking a break in the news, Mr. Evans looked over at his daughter. He was such a caring and kind father. He had never, not once, told Lily there wasn't something she could do. Never told her she was bad at anything. Lily's father was always proud of both his girls, no matter what they did.

"What is it, Lily?" He asked, putting his arm around his youngest. Lily lay her head of her father's shoulder and decided to be content in the moment and shook her head.

"Anything interesting in the news, Pops?"

Now, he had a stony look on his face, and shrugged. "Some weird stuff…The collapse of a professional building in London, several politicians killed, disappearances of some of the Ministry employees. No explanations for anything, as usual. But there is no need to let it get us down. It can't rain all the time."

Lily looked away from her father, out the window. She was suddenly and horribly reminded of the world she had left behind in June, but would soon return to. She hadn't told her parents for her fear of their fear for her. She knew they would never keep her from her favorite place, Hogwarts School, which she had attended for five years, and would soon return for her sixth. It eased her mind, though, to know they wouldn't worry themselves about anything other than her stressing over her grades.

She turned her gaze back towards her father. Suddenly, new worries popped into her head. Her beloved father's face was red. His breathing was funny. He grasped for his chest, unable to speak. Lily's green eyes were huge. No, this couldn't be happening.

"Mum! Petunia! Call an ambulance!"

He would be okay, wouldn't he?

Mr. Evans slumped onto the floor. Lily knelt beside him, still screaming for her mother and sister.

As the scene unfolded itself, Lily barely took notice of her mother kneeling next to her, bawling. The sounds of her sister calling 911 were faint whispers. The sirens that soon followed seemed to come from some distant room.

She had left her other would in danger; to come back to this serene would of her childhood. Lily thought she would always be safe with her parents, they ones who taught her to fear no one, to do as her heart contented.

At this moments, though, some dark wizard wreaking havoc in the wizarding community, toying with muggles… None of that mattered. This, what was going on now. Petunia and herself climbing into their parents' car to follow the ambulance with their parents in it…

There was no greater evil. No greater peril then what was going on at this very second.