To Be a Mum
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights to… Rowling and whoever she gave rights to, I suppose.
Author's Note: This was written for owluvr's Mother's Day Contest. Dedicated to my mother, I suppose, since she's kind of amazing. For anyone who reads my other stories (Last Glances and Woes of Primary School) I promise I'll update as soon as I can, but I'm actually writing a Ted/Andromeda story right now. Anywho, reading is awesome, reviewing is equally awesome, do both and you'll be twice awer's Mother's Day Contest. Dedicated to my mother, I suppose, since she's kind of amazing. For anyone who reads my other stories (Last Glances and Woes of Primary School) I promise I'll update as soon as I can, but I'm actually writing a Ted/Andromeda story right now. Anywho, reading is awesome, reviewing is equally awesome, do both and you'll be twice awesome.
Rose Evans hadn't slept in two days.
It all started on her youngest daughter's birthday. Petunia and Lily had come in the house after spending the entire morning at the park with the Snape boy. For the first time in nearly a year, they were laughing and smiling together. Mrs. Evans didn't know what happened between her daughters, but their falling out had nearly broke her heart. Today, however, her heart felt good as new as the pair laughed and chatted rapidly together.
Rose had set out lunch, and told the girls they could go shopping if they finished quickly. Their plates were clean in less than ten minutes.
"Now, girls," she had scolded with much anger. "You'll get yourselves sick if you eat that fast." Lily and Petunia merely giggled and pleaded to leave. Rose gave in quickly, grabbing her purse and slipping on her shoes before being dragged out the door of their blue, two-story house.
The day progressed quite splendidly. After giggling and trying on dresses that were far over-priced and equally absurd, the girls had gone for ice creams. They then returned to the house and watched the AristoCats, a new Disney movie that they had watched almost every day since they bought it.
Harold Evans returned home from his job at a law firm and quickly swept the Birthday girl in his arms.
"That's my baby girl!" he cried happily as he spun her around, making a blur of red hair.
"I'm not a baby anymore!" Lily had declared indignantly, her freckled face deepening into a frown. "I'm eleven years old now!" Mr. Evans pretended to look confused.
"You can't possibly be eleven. I remember quite clearly you being ten." He told her.
"But I'm eleven now. Today is my birthday!" she cried, clearly upset at thought of being forgotten.
"Your birthday? Well, then I suppose you'll need a cake then won't you?" he smiled, pulling a rectangular box from a grocery bag. Lily and Petunia both squealed excitedly and hugged his legs. Rose smiled and leaned in for a kiss with her husband.
Harold changed out of his work clothes while Rose made a dinner of meatloaf and potatoes- Lily's favourite. They all said grace, ate their dinner at the table and joked happily. She had just begun to cut the cake when there was a knock at the door. Rose set the knife down carefully and walked briskly to the door, nearly tripping over a Barbie doll on the floor. She opened the large wood door to find a tall man with a white beard and a crisp brown suit. He looked rather uncomfortable, but his eyes still glinted with humor, and smile was still light on his face.
"Hello, Mrs. Evans. My name is Albus Dumbledore." He smiled, holding out his hand. Rose stared at it for a moment, and then quickly shook it.
"Err... hello. May I ask why- oh! Pardon my manners. Do come in." she invited, trying to be polite despite her confusion. The man, Dumbledore, chuckled lightly and stepped through the doorway.
"Thank you. You are most hospitable. There is no need to be confused. I am sure my purpose will reveal itself in due time. I wonder, if I might address the whole family?" he asked. Rose nodded slowly.
"Of course. We are celebrating a birthday today, so we weren't expecting any visitors. I'm sorry for the mess." She fretted, picking up dolls on her way through the hall. "Would you like some cake?" she asked absentmindedly.
"Oh, no thank you. I won't be staying long." He smiled down at the brunette woman, wise blue eyes meeting her sparkling green. Rose nodded once more as she entered the dining room.
"Harold, Lily, Petunia." She addressed each person. "This is Albus Dumbledore. He's asked to speak with us. Lily dear, would you mind terribly if we waited to eat your cake?" she frowned.
"No, I understand." She smiled up at her mother. Rose's heart filled with warmth at her daughter's unselfish heart.
"Thank you, dear." She beamed at the girl. She turned to Dumbledore. "This way, we can talk in the living room." She told him, leading him to the family room, bouncing girls and confused husband in tow.
Once seated, Rose watched as Albus Dumbledore looked over each member of her family before resting on Lily.
"I believe you know who I am, Miss Evans?" he asked her, and Rose frowned. Lily, much to her mother's astonishment, nodded excitedly.
"You're Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She recited as though she were asked a question in school.
"You're a Professor? From a school?" Rose asked, more confused than ever.
"Indeed. Tell me, Mrs. Evans. Has Lily every done anything odd? Anything you couldn't quite explain?" the bearded man asked quietly. Rose frowned for a moment as she thought.
"Yes, I suppose. Once, when she was very young, she managed to draw on the ceiling." She whispered, her hands shaking slightly. Lily walked over and grabbed the shaking limbs.
"It's okay, mum. Really. Everything's going to be okay." She smiled, and Rose felt obligated to smile back.
"Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Lily is being invited to come to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That is to say, your daughter is a witch." He informed them as though it were nothing unusual.
"Excuse me?" Rose cried. "What did you just call my daughter?" Mr. Evans stood to escort the man out.
"Please calm down." The Headmaster soothed. "Lily possesses magical skills. This is not uncommon, I promise you. There are thousands of families with magical children. Hundreds of them go to Hogwarts."
"Does this mean Petunia is m-magical too?" Rose asked, unsure what to believe. Albus shook his head.
"I'm afraid not. You see, some families are purely magical- they have magical kids and magical parents, and their parents before them were magical. Some families are like you, normal I suppose you might say, but one of their children might be magical." He tried to explain.
"I understand." Said Rose. She didn't.
"Most students receive a letter of invitation by owl," he told her.
"Owl." she said disbelievingly. Harold shook his head, grabbing Petunia's hand.
"Yes, but a member of the staff usually delivers the letter personally to those in your circumstances." He told the couple, pulling a letter from his chest pocket. "I hope this explains a little more."
Rose and Harold read the letter thoroughly- twice- before passing it to Lily. Lily read it through, her smiled growing wider as she kept reading.
"So everything Severus said was true?" she beamed. Albus chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, Severus Snape has a non-magic father, but his mother is a witch. I trust he has explained everything you will need to know?" Lily nodded. "Then I'm afraid I must make a quick exit. I have a meeting with the Portuguese Minister of Magic." Albus Dumbledore winked.
After a confused and dazed good-bye on Rose and her husband's part, the old man left the blue, two-story house. Lily was positively overjoyed, and her joy rubbed off on Rose and Harold. Petunia pouted openly, but it was years before Rose and Harold realized that pouting moment was going to last her well into her thirties.
Now, two days later, Rose Evans lay awake beside her husband, tears flowing freely. The later it got to be, the harder the tears came, and soon she was shaking with sobs. Harold woke with a start, obviously shocked to see his strong and unwavering wife in tears.
"Rosie. Rose, what's wrong?" he asked, his deep voice filled with concern. Rose sniffled, trying hard to calm herself.
"A-Am I a b-bad mum?" she sobbed the question. She could just make out his frown in the dim light of the hallway.
"Are you joking? You're the best mum ever. Lily and Petunia love you so, so much. They're great girls, and you taught them how to be that." He paused. "With my help, of course." Rose chocked out a laugh.
"But, I-I didn't r-realize Lily w-was a witch. W-what kind of a m-mum doesn't r-realize that?" she cried, then quickly shushed herself, remembering the girls sleeping two doors away.
"Rosie, how could you have known? Neither of us thought witches existed outside of fairytales until that man came." Harold placated. Roses sobs softened a little.
"I'm h-her mum! I should know when she's sad, or upset, or afraid, so why shouldn't I know when she's exhibiting m-magical powers!" she cried. Harold laughed.
"Maybe you did. Maybe you did, deep down in your heart, but you ignored it, because being a witch would be a crazy thing to think about your child. Rosie, you know when she's sad, and you know how to fix it. You know when she's scared, and you sing to her until she doesn't have a care in the world. You know when she's hurt, and you've kissed every single 'ouchy' or 'boo-boo' better. You're the best mum in the world, Rose. Just because our daughter is a witch doesn't change that." He told her firmly. Rose's sobs slowly calmed to gentle breathing.
"Do they think so though?" she asked, tear stains glistening on her cheeks.
"I know they do." Harold smiled, then kissed her nose.
"I'm going to miss her so much." Rose sighed. And she did.
Rose walked Lily to the Hogwarts Express every year, even after Harold died in Lily's fifth year, and Petunia stopped coming. She wrote her every day, even when Lily got too old to reply to each letter. She was there when Lily came home crying because James Potter wouldn't leave her alone. She was there when Lily came home crying because James Potter wouldn't ask her out. She was there when Lily came home crying, because James Potter had finally proposed. She was there when they got married, and when Harry was born. She was there up until the night she day she died, her last words a whispered "I love you" to her two precious daughters. And every moment she spent with those two precious girls since two days after Lily's eleventh birthday she had known that she was the best mum ever.