A Fork in the Road

Story Disclaimer: I am not JKR. This universe and the characters you recognize belong solely to her.

When making your choice in life, do not neglect to live. -Samuel Johnson

1

Lily Potter stepped through the doorway to Eeylop's Owl Emporium. Her red hair was swinging in a long, straight ponytail behind her as she whistled and stepped toward the register. A slightly balding and heavy-set man stood behind the register counter, counting out change in knuts and sickles to a customer, holding a metal cage with a large tawny owl sleeping inside.

"There you are," the portly man behind the counter said, his cockney accent as heavy as his weight. "'Ave a good day, an' come back an' see us."

As the customer nodded and walked out of the shop, the man turned to Lily.

"All right, Lily," he said. As he smiled at her, his chubby cheeks bunched up and made his eyes appear very small. "Cages need 'a be cleaned today."

Lily smiled and nodded. "Sure thing, Edwin."

The redhead turned to the door behind the counter, opened it, and snatched up a bucket of cleaning supplies. She turned to leave the supply room and was confronted with a t-shirted chest. She looked to see her boyfriend, Tad Hornsby, smiling down at her.

"Hello, love," he said, bending down to kiss her.

She pushed him off quickly, but grinned nonetheless. "Tad, I'm at work."

He shrugged. "It's just home to me, Lily-Billy."

Tad's father was Edwin, the large man behind the counter. Edwin Hornsby was the owner of Eeylop's, having inherited the family business from when his mother, daughter of the original shop owner, had passed away several decades earlier. Edwin and his wife, now deceased, had raised their son on the profits from the family business, and Tad was set to take over the business when his father eventually retired.

Lily brushed past Tad, bumping him playfully with her hip, and set to work, magically making each sponge clean an owl cage. As the suds worked up, she went to pulling the food trays out and cleaning them and refilling them.

"Dad, can Lily take an extra half hour for lunch?" she heard Tad asking.

She turned around. "Tad, that really isn't necessary—"

"But I want you to," he said, almost pouting. Lily, unable to stop herself, grinned at him. It was hard to resist his nearly perfect face—dark eyes, dark hair, and dimples. She wasn't exactly sure why she ever even tried to deny Tad what he wanted; it seemed no one else did.

Edwin shrugged his thick shoulders. "Eh, fine by me, long as Lily 'ere makes up the time."

Lily nodded. "I'll stay an extra half hour at the end of my shift."

Tad smiled. "Thanks, Dad. Lily-Billy, love, I'll see you at noon then." He swooped down and planted a kiss on her lips before bounding out of the door, the bell on top ringing as it swung shut behind him.

Lily shook her head as she watched him go, and then turned back to her task. Cleaning the owl cages was never fun work—but if she got to it and really focused, she could be done by lunchtime.

As she worked, she thought about her boyfriend. Tad was a few years older she was, and he had attended Hogwarts with her older brother Albus and several of their cousins, although he'd been in Slytherin. When Lily thought about it, it seemed almost odd that she'd be dating a Slytherin, but really, the Weasley and Potter clans were used to their children dating all sorts—from Victoire dating Teddy Lupin to Rose dating Scorpius Malfoy. Her family had started out really liking Tad, actually.

At first, she had just gotten a summer job at Eeylop's to save up for what was supposed to be a post-Hogwarts trip around the continent with her best friend and fellow magical creatures-lover, Owen Thompson. Lily was obsessed with magical creatures and wanted to tour the world observing and journaling about creatures in their natural habitats. Her friend and housemate, Owen, had a similar passion for all magical beings, and they began planning their future travels together in their fourth year. By the end of fifth year, Owen already had a job—he helped in the summers at The Leaky Cauldron—and Lily decided that she needed something to do to save up her own funds for the trip.

It had originally been her Uncle George who suggested applying at Eeylop's. With his shop only down the street, he had gotten on friendly terms with Edwin and knew the wizard had wanted some part-time help. Lily's parents, Harry and Ginny Potter, had approved of the job right away; they suggested that it would be enjoyable to work with the owls and that it would be a good part-time job to list on a resume in the future, after Lily had finished schooling.

While Lily worked at the shop, she'd gotten to know the shop keeper's son very well. The dark haired boy, only a few years older than her, was handsome and somewhat mysterious at first. Tad loved to have fun, and, as one summer turned into the next and part-time turned into full-time, Lily began to love him.

Now, Lily's family despised her job and disapproved of Tad. After she left Hogwarts with seven NEWTs, her family could not understand why she didn't want to leave Eeylop's. She had tried explaining that Tad promised to make her manager and owl-trainer at the shop when his father retired. Lily argued that it would be a good opportunity and a steady job. Her parents and brothers (along with the rest of the family) thought she was wasting her talents to stay still in a stagnant situation.

Owen had gone on his trip around Europe without her. They still kept in touch, and Lily still considered him her best friend, but he was off pursuing his career—backpacking across the globe, taking notes on behalf of the Wizarding World Creatures' Cooperation, a group dedicated to preserving natural habitats for all wild magical creatures.

Owen would come back to Diagon Alley every once in a while, meet up with Lily, and tell her all about his adventures. She'd listen excitedly, relishing in the details of his encounters with grindylows and phoenixes, and then she'd go back to Tad and Eeylop's. She felt content with her situation; it was comfortable.

"Lily-Billy!"

Lily flicked her wand, making the sponge drop into the sudsy bucket with a small splash. She turned around to see Tad tapping his foot and looking at his watch.

"It's five after twelve," he said. He jerked his head toward the door and strode quickly out of it. Lily shrugged to Edwin, who had watched the encounter with a bemused expression, and ran after her boyfriend, toward one of the many small cafes lined down the alley.

Patience was not one of Tad's many assets—although, she had to admit to herself, his bum in those pants certainly was.

The Leaky Cauldron was very busy for a Thursday night. As soon as she'd gotten off of work for the evening, she'd come here to sit, nursing a butterbeer, beside Tad, who was joking and laughing over several firewhiskeys with his mates. Lily herself was not one for loud or lewd behavior, like Tad and his friends enjoyed, but she played the role of girlfriend well—quietly sitting at the table, nodding and smiling when necessary.

As Tad laughed loudly at a rather randy joke made by one of his mates, Lily looked over to the bar. Hannah Longbottom was flicking her wand to pour several drinks at a time. She looked pretty with her slightly greying hair up in a sloppy ponytail and her yellow apron tied around her waist. Her round-faced husband, Neville—a professor at Hogwarts, off of work for summer holiday—seemed to agree with Lily's observation as he stepped behind the bar and popped a kiss on his wife's smiling face.

Lily sighed, almost envious of the older couple. Neville and Hannah were very good friends of her family, both having gone to school with her father and having helped with the battle against Voldemort at Hogwarts.

She turned to Tad. "I'm going to go talk to Hannah," she said, rising from her chair.

"Grab me another whiskey while you're there, will you, Lily-Billy?"

Lily nodded her consent and took off to the bar. Hannah and Neville looked up as they poured drinks and handed them out.

"Lily!" Hannah said, her smile growing wide.

"Hi, Hannah, Neville."

Neville beamed. "How's it going?"

"Everything's going well. Looks like you've got some serious business booming tonight," Lily replied, slipping onto the only empty stool at the bar.

Hannah nodded happily. "It's really been doing well lately."

Neville poked his wife in the side. "It's all thanks to Hannah's new recipes and new décor."

"I noticed that you put out new table cloths and fresh flowers, and I told Tad that the soup had to have something extra in it," Lily said kindly.

She watched as Hannah smiled proudly. "Well, thank you, Lily, dear." Hannah raised an eyebrow. "Are you here to see Owen when he gets home?"

Lily blinked stupidly. "Owen's coming home?"

Owen was a muggleborn, but when his parents found out that he was accepted to a magical school and would be taught how to cast spells and brew potions, they had a fit and disowned him. Professor McGonagall, as headmistress of Hogwarts, talked to Neville and Hannah and arranged booking Owen a room in The Leaky Cauldron every summer. In the seven years that he'd needed a home, Neville and Hannah had gladly provided for him, and he had become somewhat of a surrogate son to the couple. Owen certainly loved the two as though they were his family.

Hannah looked confused as Neville replied, "Yes, he has a week off and said he was coming home for a bit. We thought he would've told you."

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but the front door of the pub swung open to show a man in a traveler's cloak and a knapsack in his hand. Lily's face broke out into a huge smile, and she nearly knocked over her stool as she hopped off of it, running and crashing into Owen's sturdy chest. He hugged her back with just as much enthusiasm, chuckling at her display of affection. Lily could feel the rumble in his chest, and she smelled the piney, musky smell that she always associated with Owen; she smiled at the familiarity.

"Hey," he said, pulling back and examining her face.

Lily looked up into his big, golden eyes, unbelievably happy to see her best friend. His dirty- blonde hair was cropped short, and he was much tanner than when she had last seen him. An earring hung from one ear.

"Hi," she said, almost breathless.

Owen was home.