The 1st of September brought the golden brown hues of autumn to their door; the sun rose slowly highlighting the trees that lined their street, they glimmered with vivid reds and robust oranges that stood out against the pale sky. The day looked promising as the crisp air was filled with the sound of tranquil birdsong.
It was 5.45am – only once did her alarm ring.
Lily bolted upright in her bed and hit the off button on her alarm clock as daylight seeped in through gaps in the curtains. She was thoroughly surprised that she'd managed to get any sleep at all, as of today she would be attending her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry alongside her older siblings.
Plus, she'd be getting her own bedroom. Well, she would be keeping this one. Since she had officially turned eleven she had argued her case ardently, her parents had agreed rather quickly most likely to shut her up, and mainly because Amber Rose had wanted the attic for ages.
This year would be different.
Lily grabbed her glasses and beamed at the sleeping figure that was indeed her sister. She went over and gently shook the peaceful form, "Rise and shine!" she sang.
Nothing happened. So when that didn't work she skipped to the curtains and drew them apart and waited for some sign of life.
Amber Rose groaned irritably her voice slow and husky, "Switch't off."
"Carpe diem." Lily smiled as she waited for her to stir.
"You wanna… carp arcadium?" she replied as confusion laced her sleepy state.
"Carpe diem. It's Latin for seize the day –" Lily repeated a scowl gradually made its way present on her face.
Amber Rose had shifted and slept once more.
"Fine. I'll just wake you up when I'm presentable." Lily muttered as she picked up her alarm clock, folded her pristine uniform and made her way to the bathroom.
Her blissful mood returned upon entering, she tuned her alarm clock again: 'fifteen minutes should do it' she thought absently. Grabbing her toothbrush and setting the shower.
She exited the bathroom with her hairbrush in hand and trusty alarm clock in the other. Lily mentally noted her new record, she'd left the shower with two minutes left to spare. Although, she had spent those two minutes admiring herself in her smart gray uniform, it was a pleasant change from the horrid beige and brown ensemble her primary school had sported. She'd twirled round a few times before hastily tucking her wand into her skirt and remembering to don two plaits.
Lily approached her room only to find the door locked. Amber Rose must've used a locking spell – the nerve! Of course a simple 'Alohamora' would suffice, the problem was first years weren't allowed to use magic. She would end up expelled before she'd even begun and Lily had waited long enough. No way was she was risking that!
Huffing, she spun on her heel and marched straight into James's room. She wrenched the door open and was met with the sound of a loud snore. Though, somewhere from the darkness of his room, golden eyes peered at her. It was James's cat Nix; she had a nasty pair of claws and really did live up to her name, she disliked anyone who wasn't her father or James. She also happened to be charcoal black and right now, she blended in nicely with the surroundings. As if sensing her negativity, Nix hissed a soft warning at the intrusion and Lily looked back with distaste 'stupid cat'.
Without a second glance, she chucked the alarm clock into the heap of clothes in his laundry basket. On her way out her foot got snagged in a t-shirt on the floor; she nearly screamed in alarm, before she kicked it off with a roll of her eyes. 'Boys.' Lily hoped Felix would turn out to be more promising in the clean room department.
It was set to 7.00am, it was a harmless reminder. This was quite generous seeing as they wouldn't listen to her but they would definitely listen to the clock. She liked to call it the domino effect; they had one thing in common, the mere fact being they both weren't morning people, James's disrupted sleep pattern would in turn affect Amber Rose's and in terms of packing they both weren't anywhere near her level of ready. Besides what better way was there to wake up?
They would both thank her later.
She refrained from stomping all the way down the hallway, a feat made even more impressive when she managed to descend the stairs.
Lily was so absorbed with her agenda she nearly tripped over her new cat Snowball; he zipped out of sight so fast all she made out was a white blur. She strode purposefully to her parents room and rapped a knock…three times.
A further five times…still no reply. "Wake up it's a beautiful morning." she sang through the door, as it was her mother's favourite line to use on the rest of the house.
Frowning as she knocked twice more. There was no resounding echo she soon realised that they must've used a silencing charm. Now Lily actually growled with frustration. 'It had to be her dad. Being naturally inquisitive she'd talked his ears off the past couple of weeks, to the point where she suspected he had been trying to avoid her. Surely someone appreciated her initiative?' She wondered.
Lily heard the familiar scraping of crayons on paper. She had been so intent on waking her parents she had failed to take in the surroundings. Finally, someone who was awake! She walked to Felix's room and found the little boy in his penguin onesie reciting his ABC's.
"Hello Felix" she bent down and greeted him with a hug.
"Hi Lily!" he returned eyes lighting up.
"What are you doing up?" she asked curious.
Felix pointed to the drawing, "Drawring."
"Please may I see?"
He nodded.
"Oh, it's very nice." She blushed.
It looked like a stick figurine of her and Snowball. Felix had taken a liking to her cat.
"For you." The small boy spoke shyly.
Lily smiled widely and kissed his cheek, "I love it! Thank you Felix."
She picked up the picture fondly and took his little hand in hers.
"You want some breakfast?" she swung their joined arms as she spoke.
"Brekkie!" he exclaimed happily.
As they proceeded downstairs, she glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway. It was currently 6.40 am as they walked into the terracotta kitchen.
'Soon.' she whistled to herself as she passed the radio and set about some making porridge for the both of them. Meanwhile, Felix was recounting numbers in his high chair. Lily grabbed a banana and two small cartons of orange juice from the fridge; she gave him one and then dished the porridge adding chopped bananas to his bowl, finally she sat down to toast with peanut butter.
Then the grandfather clock chimed. She could barely eat and chose to sip at her juice instead. Mentally she began the count down. Nothing else was heard for a good while.
Until a shrill 'brrriiinnng, brrriiinnng' sounded through the silent house. This continued for a good five minutes and it only grew louder.
"GET IT OUT OF MY ROOM AND SHUT IT UP!" James roared.
Another five minutes later the alarm was silenced, followed by a set of stampeding footsteps and the sound of a door being pulled open full force. Lily knew it was her room. Amidst that debacle there was an almighty clunking thud.
"AHA! TAKE THAT!" a very triumphant sounding James exclaimed.
"WHAT THE –?" now the bafflement was evident in his voice. As the same door was unceremoniously slammed shut and the sound of racing feet resumed.
Lily spooned some honey into her bowl of oats. It was about to get a whole lot better.
Fists banged on what could only be the bathroom door. It was none other but James.
"AMBROSE I KNOW YOU DID IT!" he yelled.
"Why good morning to you too, dear brother!" Amber Rose responded a tad too brightly to his misfortune.
Lily could just envision the eye roll accompanying that greeting.
"WELL NOW I'M UP!" he added.
"So?" she replied uncaringly.
"GET OUT!" James managed to grit out.
Straight to the point as always, her brother had never been a boy of many words.
"You snooze you lose, sorry dude." She smoothly declined.
"You'll BE sorry!" he muttered darkly.
"My, oh, my! Manners, Jamie. Manners." Amber Rose mocked with an affronted air.
"DUMBLEDORE'S SOCKS WOMAN! I'M NOT THE MOOD!" he thundered.
"Well… that's no way to woo Roxanne!" She sang rather loudly.
Amber Rose was artfully skilled in payback. Lily bet all her galleons that window was wide open for all ears to hear.
"Luckily for you I don't have time for this! Make sure you're out in ten." Lily heard James's resounding threat as he stormed off to his room.
"I'd reschedule if I were you!" she called out sarcastically.
'Well that was disappointing.' Lily thought. The drama usually lasted much longer than that. Maybe it was because her parents hadn't intervened.
She sighed as she picked up their dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. With a sad pang Lily realised this was probably the last time she would encounter technology until she next came home. She unstrapped Felix and held him to her as she entered their living room.
Lily took in the white leather sofas and winter rug; everyone seemed to suffer from cold feet this time of year, the bookshelf that creaked under the weight of precariously stacked tomes. There was the widescreen television and play station, many fights had broken out over that blasted gaming system. The royal blue walls were plastered with magically animated photographs, which were charmed to appear normal to muggles. Lily had her favourites; her grandparents were happily dancing, her parents beautiful wedding James and Amber, each separately beamed proudly in their Quidditch robes with the cup held high, she watched Felix ambling to take his first steps, in another frame Fred winked at her and Teddy changed his appearance repeatedly.
She smiled to herself as she walked round the coffee table to the fireplace mantle with Felix in her arms, the most recent picture was the one taken on August 14th – her birthday party. Her parents were stood on either side and both swooped in to kiss her cheeks as she blew out the candles.
That day Burrow had been alight with cheer; there were fat pitchers of chilled pumpkin juice and bottles of butterbeer littered amongst tables along with the odd firewhiskey here and there. Food resided absolutely everywhere.
James had given her theworst birthday beats ever –when Nana Molly had proceeded to hug the life out of her straight after. They had gathered round and sang 'Happy Birthday' to her then and she'd had to assure every one of her so called 'tears of joy.' Of course, Aunty Fleur took credit for her French rendition.
"Oh Lee-lee doo nought cry. Eet was c'est magnifique, oui? I weel teetch yoo!" she had boasted.
Lily recalled the way Uncle Ron appreciatively devoured his piece of chocolate cake, Uncle Percival's expression displayed his utmost disapproval whilst Uncle Draco openly voiced his comments. They argued famously for the majority of the night which had made Aunty Ginevra and Uncle George crack up so hard their faces nearly outdid their hair. Poor Felix had been subjected to playing dress up-tea party with triplets; Daisy, Holly and Poppy. The makeover resulted with the nickname 'Felicia.' The teenagers had waged a prank war, which ended up with Roxanne Weasley encountering a bad jelly legs jinx and Scorpious Malfoy sporting turquoise hair which Teddy matched easily.
All in all, that evening she'd received a predictable total of twenty-five books; Snowball was from daddy, the set of quills with coloured inks was from mummy, a pair of rainbow earrings and a rare mood plant from Aunty Luna and Uncle Neville.
Tearing her eyes away, Lily suddenly didn't feel like leaving home just yet. She watched at the photo of her parents when they were her age for some sort of sign. Her father smiled shyly and Uncle Ron made a face as her mother laughed and put her arms around both boys.
"Snowy!" Felix jolted in her grip causing her elbow to knock the clay pot of floo powder on the carpet. A white blur zoomed out of sight as the green glitter ignited on impact.
"Bugger." She breathed before she heard her little brother exclaim, "Uh oh."
Lily shrieked and very nearly dropped Felix. She stepped back in fear, she knew what to do in terms of a fire drill but this was magical fire – but she hadn't read any books on this! Heat radiated as green flames licked at her feet and piles of fluorescent smoke rapidly billowed.
Wasting no time, she ran up two staircases and right into James.
"Whoa there Lils, where's the fire?" he joked as he steadied her and took Felix.
Her eyes widened.
'Telepathy? Occlumency!' Lily's brain questioned. She pushed it aside. "It's the living room –" She paused when she found James studying her face intently.
Felix was silent. For a moment all they heard was the beginnings of Amber Rose's panic, her audible high pitched wails of panic. 'Better late than never I suppose.' Lily thought absently.
"Good. You're actually getting loads better." James regarded her impressively.
Her jaw dropped. 'How could this fool hit the nail on the head and discard it?' Before she could question his lack of logic, he interrupted her rant.
"I can't believe you were behind the alarm clock! I was starting to think we weren't related, if it weren't for mum's brains and yours or the fact that we look somewhat alike…" He trailed off distractedly.
'This was no time to be thinking! He should be doing - doing was what he did best!'
"James I am not kidding!" she all but adjusted her glasses.
"I'm not falling for that." He placed Felix on the ground and crossed his arms resolutely.
"Felix, please go tell Rosie to get mummy and daddy." She bounced on the balls of her feet as the little boy walked as fast as his legs could carry him. Once he'd disappeared, Lily did something she'd never done before; she fisted James's vest to pull him down and pressed the tip of her wand into his chin. A small spout of angry gold sparks buzzed at the tip.
"Do-I-look –like-I'm-kidding?" Her voice shook ever so slightly as she looked at him dead in the eyes.
"Where the heck is my thingy majig!" Amber Rose's frantic whine floated into the corridor.
"Lily did you just…threaten me?" he breathed dazedly. She felt herself nod as fear registered in his eyes and he practically flew downstairs.
She held her breath until she heard him again.
"AGUAMENTI!" James bellowed.
Lily ran into her room, puzzled to find Amber Rose perusing a piece of parchment and Felix on the bed hugged a resigned looking Archimedes. The poor owl seemed to have just returned from a hunt.
"Oh Jeanie! Thank God. Listen have you seen my –"
"What are you doing?" Lily breathed disbelievingly.
Amber Rose raised her eyes from the paper and waved her hand nonchalantly,
"I borrowed James's s checklist – Oh you meant Felix? He's fine, as you can see Archimedes is babysitting."
Lily gritted her teeth together and counted to five. Sometimes her siblings really were useless.
"Did Felix mention anything of value to you?"
"Huh? Not really. I think he wanted mum and dad at some point." She tilted her head to the side in thought.
"I told him to come get you!" Lily snapped.
"Well excuse me! I'm rather busy if you hadn't noticed." Amber Rose reacted haughtily at the change of tone.
"That's no excuse. You had ages to pack!" Lily rubbed her temples. The house was at stake.
Now was not the time for an argument but her nerves were getting the best of her.
She counted in her head to regain some semblance of calm.
"Gosh. Not everyone can be as perfect as you." Amber Rose remarked coolly.
Lily only reached five.
That comment did it. She rarely fought with Amber Rose but when they did – it wasn't pretty. Today was turning out to be a nightmare. Lily wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock and restart the day
"Perhaps if you actually tried a little harder?" Lily enunciated sneering.
"YOU'RE SO FULL OF YOURSELF!" Amber scoffed, her voice suddenly raised.
"OH WELL YOU'RE DISORGANISED AND LAZY!" Lily retorted with equal volume.
"ER HELLO? A LITTLE HELP HERE!" James voice drifted back up to the room.
The tension alleviated somewhat and Amber Rose raised her eyebrows.
Lily gasped and hurried out the door, calling over her shoulder as she ran. "Make yourself useful and wake mum and dad. They charmed their door!"
She reached downstairs and her socks skidded – on wet floorboard.
Lily entered the lounge and she took in the wrecked living room, it looked like the room decided to take a shower. James was stood there calmly, with his uniform charred in places. There were soot smudges on his pale face and his black hair was covered with residues of green ash that dully glittered. Her eyes fell on the fat patch of carpet where a hole had burned through and there was even a puddle.
When James finally spoke his expression was stoic, "What do I do?"
The panic in his voice caught her off guard. 'Now he was worried? Well, you would be too if you had to board the Hogwarts Express vaguely looking like Edward Cullen...'
Lily snorted.
"What –?"
Amber Rose slid comically as she entered, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!"
"W-what –What did I do?" James repeated dumbly.
"You're so irresponsible!" she continued disbelievingly.
"I STOPPED A FREAKIN' FIRE! WHERE THE HELL WHERE YOU!" he shouted.
Amber Rose gaped, as if she were seeing him properly for the first time. "You –"
"YOU – YOU DID NOTHING! From zero to thirty seconds. He was absolutely livid.
"I-I didn't know. I'm –" she was no doubt flustered.
James didn't wait to hear her near apology.
"LILY WAS RIGHT, YOU ARE REALLY DISORGANISED!" he snorted.
Lily laughed even harder at the sound. She inwardly cringed, even as she bent double.
Amber Rose flushed spluttering, "YOU CAN'T SIDE! –"
"I-JUST-DID!" James rudely cut her off.
"ALLYOU DID WAS TRY TO PLAY HERO!" Amber Rose laughed scathingly.
"AT LEAST I'M NOT LAZY –" he replied his voice was dangerously low.
From what Lily could see James had whipped his wand out and it was emitting foreboding dark green sparks.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Amber Rose's tone was clipped and she drew her wand fast.
Even bent double Lily could see her wand fizzed a menacing ice blue at the tip.
"I SAID –" James began.
"YOU WEREN'T EVEN INVOLVED –" Amber Rose intervened her voice brooked no argument.
Sure her family fought but not like this - 'It wasn't supposed to happen like this!' Lily thought desperately.
"Accio wands…"
She could see their feet at this angle so she hadn't been surprised at the addition. In stead she saw a pair of jeans and trademark trainers. She could imagine James and Amber's faces drained of all colour at the entry of their father as they determinedly continued to stare each other down.
Lily felt slight relief wash over her.
His voice had been soft but knowing her father, his face had probably belied any emotion. She could tell by his stance that he was carrying Felix and their newly acquired wands. They waited pensively. The silence was so overwhelming; you could hear a pin drop and yet somehow they all failed to notice their mother's entry.
"Reparo..."
Amber Rose jumped and James flinched as the rug under their feet mended itself. It was much harder to ascertain how Hermione Potter would take this.
Her mothers' voice had been quiet – too quiet…no one seemed to be breathing.
Yet Lily had a crisis of her own. She couldn't stop the laughter, her shoulders shook silently from it and her mouth made no noise. Tears collected at the corners of her eyes and her stomach hurt.
All she could see was her mothers pacing feet. She heard nothing.
"So who was involved?" she sounded mildly curious more clinical.
The sound of a book snapping shut echoed. Lily gasped involuntarily. Her mother's back was turned towards them. So far, she seemed to be taking in the scene of disaster – astonishingly well.
She was quite mistaken.
They all watched her bend to pick something up, then there was a sickening squelch. Lily slowly straightened up to look at each of them in turn; James muttered something that resembled a curse, Amber Rose sheltered behind him all signs of her earlier rage gone, Felix seemed to shrink against his father who looked disappointed at the turn of events.
Alarm coursed through Lily as her mother turned round and held up the compressed soggy article she'd been working on for the past week. Her tired brown eyes flashed furiously. Ink ran down her arm as her hand trembled, it stained her white nightgown. Her other hand was clenched into a fist.
"Nine hundred and eighty two pages…SOMEBODY HAD BETTER START TALKING – RIGHT NOW!" she shouted.
Silence ensued.
"Oh. I'm sorry am I speaking a foreign language?" she threw the lump into a puddle.
The air crackled with some kind of electric current, raw magic in its purest form. It was pretty, ribbons of colour streaked from her mother who was positively glowing and seething… Lily amended as heavy waves rolled into the atmosphere.
Silence met their ears and Lily's eyes watered traitorously.
Felix sniffled, and her father spoke then. "Calm down Hermione."
She held up her hand and critically analysed the older two with each step she took.
"How convenient. I see you've all forgotten how to speak? Guess I'll have to remind you then!" came her snarky tone.
"Well, the definition of conversation is WHERE YOU OPEN THE HOLE ON YOUR FACE AND KINDLY REPLY THE PERSON WHOSE TALKING TO YOU!" she screamed manically as her hair went static.
Her calm demeanour had changed so unexpectedly that Amber Rose, who had clutched onto James's jumper at some point, had fallen backwards onto the wet leather chair. James who'd been startled had landed in her lap.
'Their expressions!'
Lily couldn't help it the panic surged – she giggled uncontrollably.
Stunned faces turned in her direction. Had she gone mad? Lily wasn't sure as her mother glided towards her purposefully.
"HERMIONE! –"
"NO HARRY. JAMES COULD'VE DIED PUTTING OUT THAT MAGICAL FIRE! CAN YOU IMAGINE IF ROSE HADN'T…IF WE HADN'T –?
A-AND LILY IS STOOD THERE –!"
"Crying." He finished quietly.
Her gusto deflated as she took a moment to process his words. Sure enough, Lily heard herself weeping and felt hot tears streaming down her face.
"It's m-my fault! I'm s-sorry-I-set-t-that stupid-alarm clock. I wanted t-today to be p-perfect-I-r-ruined-everything! I d-don't even w-want to go anymore!" Lily hiccoughed.
Amber Rose's eyes widened in recognition and she shoved James off. He glared at her but didn't dare say anything as it still wasn't safe to speak.
Her mother's face was puzzled, "Go where? –"
Their front door opened and closed.
"Geez, doesn't anyone answer their door anymore? I even rang the fellytone." A familiar voice muttered.
Uncle Ron chuckled from their hallway, "Blimey Hermione! Your time keeping skills are worse than mine! Getting rusty with age, eh?–"
"BLOODY HELL! HARRY I TOLD YOU SHE WAS MENTAL!" He gawked as he stumbled clumsily across their threshold.
Though it did kind of look like she was holding them hostage, it was the wrong to say. It didn't make matters anymore convincing when the surviving china vase flew at his head and smashed against the wall.
He had just managed to duck his lanky frame in time, "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR WOMAN!"
Her mothers' anger was about to resurface ten fold.
When her dad quickly sidestepped her and diverted the coming of another World War.
"Ron, what time is it?" he asked.
"Er now… round ten forty I reckon." Uncle Ron's temper dissipated.
"What are you doing here Ronald?" she sighed wearily.
He shrugged unfussed, "Lav sent me to check up on you. The Hogwarts Express leaves in twenty minutes."
Her mother was mute.
"You're joking?" he breathed disbelievingly at their horrified faces.
Amber Rose too k the chance to excuse herself and James hurriedly followed suit.
"THIS ISN'T OVER YET!" she called after them as she tried to pat her hair down.
Lily silently took Felix and went to slip on her shoes in the hallway. She sat on the stairs and listened to their conversation.
"Mate, this happens nearly every year with your lot!" Uncle Ron exclaimed.
"Yeah? Just wait till your precious little angels grow up." Her father muttered darkly.
"Oi! Don't jinx me! Waiting on Lavender is more than enough." Ron mumbled.
"HARRY DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Her mother hissed overwrought.
Lily could just see Uncle Ron's raised eyebrows in an 'I told you so' kind of manner. She glanced at the grandfather clock. 'We'll never make it.' she thought glumly.
"MIONE WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? WE'RE ALL OUT OF FLOO."
"IT'S TOO LATE TO DRIVE! LONDON IS NEARLY TWO HOURS AWAY!"
"WELL WE CAN'T FLY EITHER FELIX IS TOO YOUNG TO RIDE A BROOM!"
"Guys, I've got an idea –"
"NOT NOW RON." Her father's voice sounded tight.
"But we could apparate –" Uncle Ron began.
"RONALD NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR OPINION! IF YOU'D BOTH CARED TO READ HOGWARTS A HISTORY YOU'D KNOW WE CAN'T APPARATE ONTO HOGWART'S GROUNDS!" Her mother shrieked.
And a set of crystal glasses exploded in the hallway cabinet. Lily had no time to be startled as James decided to leap over her without any given warning. He bounded into the living room all earlier repercussions forgotten.
"Have you seen Nix?" he breathed.
Lily hastily moved to the side, just in time to see Amber Rose skipping steps. She had tied her hair into a high ponytail it swished rigorously as she ran past.
"I'm done –!"
There was a thump. Lily took her cue and sighed as she walked to the doorway.
"We all fall down!" Felix bounced happily.
At her feet lay James who had been knocked off his by Amber Rose's arrival, she'd unceremoniously landed on him, all that effort and her hair band had still snapped.
"No one's leaving until this house is intact." Her mother forced calm into her voice.
"B-but mum you broke those things." James mumbled clearly perplexed as he returned the favour and shoved Amber Rose off.
"Until it's been cleaned up then." Her father's face was stern.
"Dad that's not fair! Jeanie caused t-the… James put it out…I –" Amber stuttered.
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Lily screeched.
"Kitchen. Now!" Her mother enunciated with a gritting of teeth.
Everyone spoke at once and uproar erupted.
"MERLIN! ARE YOU DONE?" Uncle Ron yelled.
Uproar ceased.
"DO YOU THINK I WALKED ALL THE BLOOMIN' WAY FROM KINGS CROSS?" his face was incredulous.
At least they all had the decency to look embarrassed.
"AND YOU CALL YOURSELVES WITCHES AND WIZARDS!" he shook his head.
An awkward silence fell – at the delayed realisation that they were capable of magic.
OUTSIDE…
They stood under their gardens' largest tree; the lawn was quiet except for the sound of a radio filtered from next door. Lily was situated in the middle of the group, she was holding onto her uncle's hand for dear life. On her left her father was holding Amber Rose's hand. She looked to her right and saw her mother balancing Felix on her hip as she held James's hand.
Lily was anxious as this would be her first time apparating. Well she was alongside someone but in general it was a new experience. None of them had managed to change. She had watched her mother hastily shrink their trunks and pop the miniatures into her bag. Snowball had come willingly so that wasn't a problem; Archimedes had set off ahead of them so he'd get to Hogwarts before nightfall, luckily her father had found Nix in no time – that stupid cat had its favourites.
Finally, they were all set.
Her mother left first. The rest who remained were anxiously on the lookout.
Her father was next. A crack sounded through the air but otherwise went unnoticed.
Uncle Ron checked his wristwatch, "Been in this house for 10 minutes and I think I need to be checked. Mental the lot of 'em." He breathed to no one in particular.
Then they were gone.
The station was jam packed. Lily adjusted her glasses with her free hand as her uncle tugged her hand, "Ready?"
She nodded and they ran towards the unseen barrier. The wall was confounded – meaning any muggle who looked upon them would automatically forget what they saw and remember some long forgotten errand.
Upon passing through Lily heard the familiar voices of friends and family. Then her eyes fell on the majestic red steaming train, finally she would be boarding it.
Out of the corner of her vision she took in the surrounding people.
Uncle Ron was now being hounded by three mini red headed girls in matching outfits chorusing, "Daddy!" Aunty Lavender seemed to be scolding him for cutting it fine, her usually wavy blonde hair was immaculately pinned up today.
Granddad Arthur held onto Felix whilst Nana Molly set her wand to work floating trunks onboard the train, "Trouble again dears?" she tutted.
Her mother began to form a reply and her father looked sheepish before his eyes set on the young man before them.
"Well the new look definitely suits you mum. You'll make tomorrow's front page of the Witch Weekly for sure!" Teddy winked.
Her mother's cheeks coloured and her dad grinned, "Cheeky git."
She rolled her eyes fondly and pulled him into a hug, "Shut up Teddy."
They laughed.
Lily walked further into the crowd and saw James's gang.
She smiled. He still looked like Edward Cullen.
"James! You look –" Roxanne tilted her head at a loss for words.
"Like atomic bomb decided to make you its target." Scorpious finished.
Fred shook his black mop of curls and laughed. "Classic! Shameless Scorpious."
"Well, Lils decided to set fire to our lounge and threatened me to put it out." James grinned looking oddly proud.
"Lies" Roxanne punched his arm. He shook his head and her jaw dropped, "No way!"
Fred stopped laughing, his blue eyes widened. "Lil J? You're joking, right?"
"B-but that's…bad?" For the first time, Scorpious sounded puzzled.
They all turned towards her and Lily's cheeks grew hot.
Thankfully the whistle blew.
Lily turned round and spotted Amber Rose having her wet patches dried off by Auntie Luna. The heating charm was quick but not quick enough. She blushed gloriously when James called out that she'd wet herself, Lysander stood beside her consolingly. At that precise moment her mother had sidled over to pepper James's face with kisses of her own. He groaned and their friends struggled to contain their laughter.
She had to admit she felt more than a little sorry for Amber Rose. But Lily knew she'd get her own back in time and there was no way she was missing out on that.
The people on the platform began to move. She could see families exchanging hugs and goodbyes. Lily scanned the area but lost sight of her own parents; students were clambering onto the train, and she felt slightly dejected.
Suddenly a pair of arms then snaked themselves round her middle,
"I'm sorry I've been so terrible and I do understand you just wanted it to be perfect." Her mother whispered tearfully.
She nodded to dislodge the lump in her throat.
Her father knelt before her, his green eyes soft as he ruffled her fringe and planted a kiss on the crown of her head. "Now 'Mione, Lily bear promised she'd write."
Lily offered a weak smile.
Out of nowhere, Felix appeared and grabbed hold of her face. He planted a big kiss on her mouth.
"I'll miss you too." She pulled his penguin hood up and smiled genuinely as she remembered his picture in her pocket.
They walked off to join the other adults in waving.
Leon tapped her shoulder, "Hey Lily you ready?" he grinned.
Lily beamed back in return.
For she found she was as ready as she would ever be.