Small Town Girl

Summary: Lily Evans lived in a small town. Strange things just didn't happen there…

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. I am not making money from these stories. J.K. Rowling is the original author of the characters.


Chapter 1

Lily Evans grew up in a small town in the middle of no where. All the shops were closed by four. Everyone was home schooled – by either parents or other family friends. Everyone knew everything about everyone else. Nothing was not noticed by others and everyone knew if something went wrong. You married into the town and so did your children, generations could be traced easily. The town was conventional. Girls wore dresses and men wore pants. Only the style changed with the centuries.

Nothing strange ever happened there.

When Lily was 10 developers came to the town – liking it for its natural beauty, seclusion and the calm townspeople. They set up a real estate agency in the middle of town and started building homes around the edges of the original village. Most townspeople frowned upon the agents and the builders who were always shirtless and flirting with the young girls (of which there were few). Within two years the town had double in size – though most of the newer houses had no residents. Finally people bought the homes as holiday houses. Lily Evans (the only girl born her age in the town) grew up to be a strange teenager in these strange circumstances.

One summer when Lily was 16 a group of boys and their parents came to stay in the village for 2 months during the summer. They boys were undeniably attractive to people around their age. But Lily wasn't what they expected.

Lily enjoyed horse riding – and considering that her parents owned the town ranch on the outskirts of the town (including lots of land) that was a very good thing. Lily had 6 brothers. And she was the oldest. The closet to her was Jack and Jim (identical twins) the most mischievous children in the town. 1 year after them was Paul – already an excellent shearer of sheep he also took over her old job of milking the cows. Besides… they love him anyway. Another 2 years after him came Andrew, the almighty weaver – deft with his fingers he could beat anyone (including Lily and her Mother) in weaving by the age of 6. Will came another year after him and he was quick on his feet. He helped out with making wooden object (even though he wasn't allowed to at his age). Lastly – the 7th Evans child of that generation, young Johnny, was another 4 years later.

As the oldest by 5 years she had learnt everything first. She could fell a tree, cut firewood, weed, plant and best of all – she was the most accomplished student in the town. She knew everything there was to know about recognising different plants and loved books.

For the people of the town she was strange. She wore dresses in public but otherwise she always wore old boys clothes and shirts. They thought that it was cute when she was young, but as she grew it became un conventional and the people of the town found her strange. But then she had proven herself at a wood cutting excursion and had beaten all the boys her age and older.

The boys that came on that particular holiday bought the 2 Holiday Houses next to their property. The boys ended up taking one of the houses and their parents took the other. Lily found this strange – why would you not live with her parents?

Finally – two weeks after they had moved in, they met outside the back of the houses (they were quite close) and Lily was chopping wood by the fence that connected the properties.

"Ooh! Look James – a working girl."

Lily looked up to see a slightly chubby blonde boy leaning on the fence – calling to one of the group of 3 coming from the back door of their house.

"What's wrong with a working girl?" Lily asked. She peered at the other boys as they came closer.

"Where we come from – girls are lazy. Your doing a mans job!" That was the one with longish black hair – almost perfectly straight and very elegant.

"Yeah – I can't picture any of our friends chopping wood!" The one with the short floppy brown hair that looked worn.

Lily smiled at them. "Not many girls ere work either. I'm the only one in this village."

"Really?" Blonde one again.

"Yeah – most of them do other chores. They like weaving. But my weaving and sewing gets tangled. My younger brother Andrew can weave really well though. I think he got all the talents I was supposed to get and I got his,"

"I didn't know any boys lived there." That was the fourth one. He seemed to be the most attractive one to Lily. Messy short black hair and an irresistible grin. He was the first boy – man she was attracted to.

"Yes – 6 of them." Their eyes widened.

"Really? Are some of them older then you?"

"No they're all younger."

"Right – well I bet you – right here right now – that I can beat you at chopping wood." That was the long black haired one again. Lily smiled and laughed.

"Not likely. My name is Lily by the way."

"Oh right. Um, my names Remus. And Peter is the blonde one. Sirius is the one that's challenging you and this idiot is James." Ahh, perfect name for a perfect person.

James was laughing. "Sirius, I don't doubt that you could drop that axe but I think that the aiming and the lifting might stump you a bit."

Remus and Peter snorted and started laughing. Sirius scowled at James before climbing the fence.

Lily handed him the axe and he physically drooped under the weight.

"Maybe you should just show me how to do it just once…" he looked slightly sheepish and James smirked at him over the fence.

Lily smiled and Sirius handed the axe back. She nicked the corner into a piece of wood to chop and hefted it up onto the chopping block. Deftly she removed the axe from the wood, swung back, put all her weight behind the blade and thumped it down exactly into the middle of the pine block.

Sirius stared. "On the other hand maybe I won't try…"

James started laughing again. "God Sirius, your such a wimp."

Sirius puffed up his chest. "I'm not weak! Just for that I'll try. " He turned around and grabbed another pine block from the stack still to be cut and lifted it onto the chopping clock. He carefully took the axe from Lily and aimed, holding the axe over the block. Carefully he drew the axe back and thudded it onto the pine with all his strength. The was a massive crash and Lily's mother came out the door to see what was happening.

All of the teenagers were laughing their heads off. Sirius was sitting on the ground with the axe by his side.

There wasn't even a dent in to wood.

Lily's mother laughed as well.

"You, boy - you need to learn how to use an axe. Someone of your height and age should be able to cut that block – whether it takes 1 stroke or 10."

Sirius smiled sheepishly at Mrs Evans. "I've never learnt ma'am. My parents have a gas fire – and we bought the already cut firewood for it from the shop in town."

Mrs Evans tsked at him. "During your months here we will have to teach you – and your friends, to do proper house work. Do you ride?"

"Ride what?"

"Horses of course."

James shook his head. "No, none of us do. I don't think I've ever touched a real horse either."

"You've got to be kidding me!" This came from Lily who stood there, shell shocked, after the previous statement. "You have to have!"

"Well I haven't… and it doesn't matter." James poked his tongue out at Lily.

"Well if you haven't – you will learn soon. In fact, Lily can teach you. Be round here by 8!" And with that Lily's mother went back inside, leaving 5 stumped teenagers by the fence.