This way comes
Title : This way comes
Summary : So, a magnificent Gryffindor, a gentle Ravenclaw, a just Slytherin and a valiant Hufflepuff walk into a magical castle...stop me if you already know that one. Reincarnated Pevensies at Hogwarts AU, Marauders Era. Post 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' AU
Rated : T
Pairings : Canon pairings : James/Lily, one-sided Severus/Lily, Frank L/Alice, Andromeda/Ted T, Narcissa/Lucius, Molly/Arthur.
I'm not decided on anything else yet, but clearly romance won't be the center of this fic. Could be het, slash or femslash, I'm not picky, but nothing graphic in any case.
Disclaimer : Neither Harry Potter or the Chronicles of Narnia belong to me
Author note : as usual, I feel compelled to be precise. English is not my first language, buuut my lovely beta is kaida171, may her reign be long and fructuous!
Chapter 2 : Diagon Alley
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"Of all things, I had my trigger moment thanks to my older sister Bellatrix. She thought it would be funny to hide a Boggart into my closet. A character -building experience, she said. I was never Black enough for her tastes, whatever that meant.
I was barely eight.
I opened the door to my room, and the floor turned covered with corpses. Three, more precisely. A man, tall and proud, blond and crowned, impaled on his own sword. A girl, her pretty dress torn to shreds, strangled to death. And a unidentifiable corpse, mostly eaten by wolves. I identified it anyway.
I screamed so loud I rendered everyone in the house literally deaf at the moment with my most violent accidental magical outburst ever. I always was quite the screamer. No wonder I got a magical horn to call for help.
I had to spend a week in St. Mungo's psychiatric ward after that, to my mother's everlasting shame. Mental diseases had always been a particularly sensitive subject for Blacks after all. She got me out the moment I stopped having spectacular crisis of anxiety, against the healers' advice. But she never cared much about healers' advice. She never cared for anyone's advice that couldn't present to her a thorough analysis of their full pedigree, and even then...
I had nightmares every night weeks after that, where I woke up screaming and crying.
I still do sometimes. But now there are many more corpses on the floor.
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I. Something Magnificent
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Minerva McGonagall could be relieved to know that, at least, some things never changed, mature muggleborn or not.
"Are you telling me," Peter repeated with a huge, growing grin she could tell after years of handling trouble-makers, meant no good, as in a-week-worth-of-detention-no-good. Minerva really needed some time away from preposterous children. "That you have flying brooms? Actual flying brooms?"
His mother, on the other hand, warily eyed the shop and the brooms displayed. Minerva could feel her pain, really. Though she did enjoy displaying the Quiddich cup on her desk and gloating to other heads of house as much as the next teacher, she could never quite understand the fanatical passion that centered around this life-threatening activity they called a sport.
Peter Andrews, on the other hand, did not seem to have any problem grasping what the big deal was about.
"What have I been doing all my life?" the blond boy asked rhetorically, with a familiar eager glint in his blue eyes.
Boys. Honestly.
"Fear not, Mr. Andrews," the professor deadpanned. "You will have many occasions to rectify that dreadful lacune this year, when classes start. Now, if you don't mind, we still have many purchases to do."
Mrs. Andrews startled at the announcement. "Wait, there are mandatory flying classes? Is that...safe?"
No. Absolutely not. Fortunately, Poppy wasn't here to deliver another pamphlet on this stupid, neck-breaking, hell of a sport. Not that Minerva could blame her, what with all the injuries caused by the damn game the nurse had to heal every year, but rants could get tiring after the hundredth time of hearing them, especially when Minerva wasn't the one doing the ranting.
"Our students are very closely monitored, Mrs. Andrews." And our infirmary very crowed, especially after Quidditch matches, but somehow she doubted the anxious mother wished to hear about that.
"What's left to buy then, Professor?" Peter asked neutrally, probably hoping to distract his mother from the matter altogether. "We've got the books, the potions stuff, the telescope, the wand..." His smile turned shining bright at the reminder, and Minerva vowed to make the point on the interdiction to using his wand clear. Very clear. Crystal clear.
"We still have to buy your robes," nodded the stern Head of House. "And you have the option to bring a pet with you, as long as it's a rat, a toad, a cat or an owl. I personally suggest you take an owl, so you could have correspondence with your mother. Nonetheless, school owls are at your disposal."
They stopped in front of the Magical Menagerie, the shop bursting with life this time of the year, as the rest of Diagon Alley. Mrs. Andrews smiled keenly at the kitten playing behind the storefront.
"Cats, toads, rat and owls?" frowned Peter, thoughtful. "That's very...specific. Why not dogs, or rabbits?"
Good point, one Minerva never knew how to explain, aside from 'we always did like that' which was hardly a convincing answer.
"Those are not magical pets, Mr. Andrews, I'm afraid. So, do you want to take one?"
Peter took one considering glance at the pets, and Minerva was sure she caught an expression of sheer longing before the boy eased his face back into a polite smile. "No, thanks. I think we've spent enough money today. Mum, shall we go?"
Funny how the moment Peter Andrews had managed to convince her he was just a typical eleven-year old, he did something uncannily mature for his age and shattered her the portrait she made of him in her mind.
"So what were you saying about flying brooms and a sport again, Ma'am?"
Or not.
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II. Something Gentle
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If there was someone who could always tell how Regulus Black really felt, way before his mother, or his self-centered airhead of a brother got any clue, it was his cousin Susan Black.
To be fair, Regulus was utterly convinced Susan knew everything, so it did make sense she would understand his own feelings even better than he did. That was just the Susan effect for you.
"Alright, what is it?" she whispered at him as Sirius tried another wand, and almost blew up his own hand. "You've been brooding all day."
"I have not!" he denied indignantly, resisting the urge to puff his cheeks in anger.
If his cousin had been less of a lady already, Regulus bet she would have been rolling eyes at him.
"Yes you have. On the inside." She drew her hand to her heart for emphasis, while smiling softly at him.
In the background, his brother waved what had to be his twelfth wand. What a klutz, really. Couldn't help himself not to bring attention to his person. It really wasn't surprising no wands could stand him and his Gryffindor massive ego.
The nine-year old felt his own heart constrict in his chest. In a few weeks, he wouldn't have to endure his obnoxious brother constant presence anymore, there would be no need cover up for his idiocies, neither to sneak pastries to his room when he was being punished for whatever deed Regulus hadn't manage to stop him from doing.
In a few weeks, Regulus would be all alone. Useless.
"Oh Reggie," Susan's pretty eyes turned sad. "You know we will be writing constantly to you. Well, I will, and I'll force Sirius to do the same. You will be just fine, I'm sure."
Without answering, Regulus tried to stop his tears from showing. How unbecoming. Fortunately, everyone's attention got stolen by Sirius' cry of victory, as he held his new wand proudly.
"Perfect, Mr. Black," mumbled Ollivander, before turning to the pair waiting by the counter. "I think we're done here. Your turn, Miss Black, I reckon?"
Susan straightened as everyone's eyes drew in their direction, before nodding at the shopkeeper.
Finding a wand for the ever-diplomatic youngest Black girl surprisingly turned out to be even more complicated than for Sirius. Who would have thought?
"A difficult custumer, I see," mumbled the wandmaker, growing even more excited at each failure. "But we shall prevail, Miss Black. I wonder if..."
Ollivander went back from the back of his shop with an unreadable expression. And as he presented a delicate white wand to the brunette, she froze for half a second, before easing her face into a neutral expression that would have fooled Regulus, had he not known his cousin so well.
She took the wand almost reverently into her thin hands, before giving it a wave. A beautiful white spark turned into a flower, before disappearing into thin air. Much classier than Sirius' loud display, but that was to be expected.
"How odd," brightened the wandmaker, obviously fascinated. "The wood is made of a very rare kind, called Godswood. In ten years, I only sold one before yours, in fact, just a few hours ago. Very odd indeed..."
Susan visibly froze again. "This morning?" she inquired, oddly frantic. "To who?"
"Hum?...Oh, a eleven-year old boy, his first wand, like yours. 14'' godswood, griffin feather. His name is Peter Andrews, if I recall."
Mother snorted with disdain. "A mudblood I reckon, with a name like that. You are accepting everybody these days, Ollivander."
The shopkeeper shrugged, apparently indifferent to the reprimand. "Magic is magic, Mrs. Black. If blood-status doesn't matter to the wands, it doesn't to me either. There, young lady, 11 inches, Godswood, and Dryad hair as a core. Very strange combination indeed."
Susan nodded absently, her eyes riveted to her new wand. "Do you have others of these, Mr. Ollivander?"
"I do actually. Two, one of unicorn hair and the other of centaur hair. Very, very strange indeed. I haven't used those materials in years, see. Maybe I'll sell them today too."
Susan's smile turned serene, masking her barely remarkable agitation. "Maybe you will."
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III. Something Just
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There was, Lily Evans deeply believed, a distinct way for people to walk, telling of their character. Her mother, for instance, all but bounced with delight, Tuney decidedly marched everywhere like she owned the place and Severus sneaked up as if he didn't want anyone to notice him.
And Edmund Snape? Well, if there was a word for how Ed walked, Lily had yet to find it. It wasn't confident, or serene, or discreet, or decided, or inconspicuous. It was all that, but at once.
There was something both deeply irritating and soothing about one Edmund Snape and his sliding ways.
"Lily," he grinned at her. "If you get any more enthusiastic, you might self-combust, and since we're surrounded by highly flammable books, burn everything down with you. I don't want to face the paperwork your arsonic ways would entail, not to mention your father's fury when we bring back your BBQ'ed body."
Did she mention what a infuriating douchebag he could turned into?
"I'm not!" she spat back indignantly, involontary drawing the attention of the closest other costumers. "Sev, tell him I'm not being too enthusiastic!"
Before her unlikely knight could open his mouth to defend her honour, Ed rolled his eyes at him. "Right, because we don't all know everything you do is worth gaining sainthood in my dearest brother's eyes. Ain't that right, Sevy?"
Severus turned bright red at the implication. "Aren't you quite done, the two of you?" he hissed at the pair, rather unfairly, Lily might say. "You're drawing half of Flourish and Blotts' attention!"
Ed shrugged unapologetically under Lily's pointed stare. "Hey, now you know how I feel when you bicker endlessly with Petunia."
And to that, the young witch found herself reluctantly nodding along. Because the most irritating thing about Edmund often turned out to be the fact he always ended up being right.
It probably annoyed her so much because she was like that too. But less successful.
"It's different!" Severus vehemently denied, before casting a worried glance at Lily.
"Whatever you say, bro. Anyway, Mum will be back in fifteen minutes or so, don't get lost and don't burn anything until I'm here to laugh at you!" and then he went upstairs, to do whatever Ed did when left to his own devices in a magical bookshop.
Even Lily admitted there were things best left unknown in this world.
Severus, still slightly pink with embarrassment, led her to the Hogwarts section, and the redhead bounced happily among the shelves.
"Look, it's Hogwarts, a History! I've wanted to read this one for ages !" she swooned, hardly resisting the urge to held it to her chest and shed a tear of happiness. Or two. Maybe three, at the most.
There were in a magical bookshop. A girl had the right to be moved.
Her dark-haired friend chuckled indulgently at her antics, and Lily almost patted herself for accomplishment. She considered each smile from Sev as a personal victory against his natural gloominess.
"Ooh, are you going to Hogwarts this year too?" an unfamiliar voice interrupted her inner dance of victory.
Both Severus and herself turned to face a beaming girl she was pretty sure none of them had met before. The newcomer was clad into lovely but slightly messy robes, with an equally messy bob haircut of golden blond soft-looking hair.
Lily liked her almost immediately.
" Definitely, you too?" she beamed back at the barely smaller girl. Not that Lily had much room to talk on that account.
" Absolutely! I'm Lucy Prewett, by the way," the blonde presented herself while extending her hand to Lily, who shook it without thinking, then towards Severus.
"Lily Evans, and this is Severus Snape." She sent a pointed glare at her socially awkward friend, who managed to mutter a shy "hello" and a nod at Lucy.
Fortunately, the beaming blond didn't seem to take offense at all about Sev's reluctance. Lily knew there was a reason she liked her.
Before she had a chance to question the other girl further, a another boy, slightly older made his appearance from behind a shelf.
"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy," the dark-haired boy tutted at her with huge smile, before throwing his arm on her shoulders. "What did I tell you about harassing strangers, hmm?"
Lucy's smile turned sheepish. "Not to do it?"
"And what did you do?" her friend inquired with an eyebrow slowly rising. Lily was that close to taking notes on the smoothness of the move.
"I ignored your wise advice, as usual?" Lucy laughed unapologetically, while throwing back his arm off her shoulders.
"Exactly," the newcomer sighed with an obviously fake expression of despair, before turning his attention towards the pair. "You will have to forgive my cousin, she can't help herself being nosy."
Lily laughed at Lucy's indignant outcry. "Not at all, it was a pleasure. I'm Lily Evans, and this is my friend Severus Snape."
Lucy's cousin beamed at her. "Frank Longbottom. Are you first year as well? If so, I'm afraid you will have to endure my cousin's presence then. She's a special kind of snowflake, but I assure you, you just get used to it after a while. Sort of."
And there, a miracle if there ever was, Severus smirked back. "Don't worry. I have plenty of experience dealing with nosiness."
Oh reallynow.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Severus Snape?" Lily put her hands on her hips as she had saw her mother do many times when trying to make a point.
He dared smile at her innocently. What a shameless scoundrel. Ed had a terrible influence on him. "Why, feeling affronted now, Lily? I was speaking of Petunia, naturally."
Speaking of the wolf...Ed's typical low laugh erupted behind her. "Growing a spine, Sevy? And here I thought you were already too whipped for help! Why is it so crowed here? Are you starting recruiting minions for your evil army already, Lily?"
Then he got an eyeful of the other pair, and just froze.
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IV. Something Valiant
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"Alright, spit it out," Fabian whispered in Frank's ear as soon as his lovely younger sister was out of earshot. "Did you put something on her drink or what?"
Fabian was well-used to Lucy high's spirits of sheer optimism and good nature. But ever since he came back picking the kids from Flourish and Blott, she had been all but bouncing in the streets and blinding innocent bystanders with her hundred-volt huge smile. Soon enough, people would come asking for therapy bills, and Merlin knew the Prewett's could do without additional expenses.
"We were in the bookshop," his cousin laughed it off while Lucy went to compliment a seller on the 'amazing purple shade of her hat', which honestly was a truly hideous piece of velvet. Fabian was growing worried that whatever made her so damn high also inflicted her with color blindness. "There were hardly any drinks to spill, I'll have you know."
Fabian loved Frank Longbottom to pieces, really. Most friendly chap if there ever was, despite his draculean-like mother. But sometimes, like right now, he wished the boy would just get to the damned point already.
"What happened then?" inquired the Prewett twin, trying to rein in his growing impatience. Merlin forbid Fabian ever took a job that required having to actually play nice with people.
If only Gideon could have come with them. He was so much more of cool head than Fabian ever was, which admittedly wasn't that much of an exploit.
"I'm not sure, actually," frowned his only mildly reliable source of information. "We met other first years, a redhead girl, nice gal, and her friend, a bit shy but seemed like a cool bloke. Everything was fine until the dude's fraternal twin showed up. I mean, he was pretty friendly and polite, but I could swear there was something pretty intense going on for half a minute between him and Sunshine Stuff over there. Like, you know, they knew each other or something, but she said they never met before when I asked."
The thirteen year-old Gryffindor shrugged before adding: "That's all I know. They left pretty soon after that, the twin's mother was waiting for them, as I recall."
Fabian froze on the spot so abruptly his younger cousin almost bumped into him. A boy. Intense glance. Oh dear. No. Way. Where the fuck was Gideon when he was desperately needed?
"You don't think she is having a crush, right?"
Frank laughed, and then frowned as he understood the dreadful gravity of the situation. At least that's how the older man interpreted it. "You're kidding, right? Man, she's eleven!"
And didn't Fabian know that. But girls were pretty precocious these days, and Lucy, despite her ever cheerful behavior had always been extremely mature for her age. A fact her siblings had been terribly proud of, although right now not so much.
"What did you said his name was again?" the redhead asked with a very fake casualness.
Time for Gideon to put all that stuff he was learning at Aurors Training for Paranoid Bastards to good use. And Fabian, being the devoted brother he was, would gladly give him a hand.
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August 1971, Evans Home
You little nosy interfering freak,
You really think you can do whatever you want here just because my sister turned out to be weirdo like you and your slimy sneaky git you call a brother, right? Well I won't tolerate it! You keep your ugly owl to that dirty hole you live in and out of proper people's houses, you hear me, Edmund Snape!
Hatefully, and hopefully for the last time,
P. Evans
PS : Mother ordered me to thank you for the book, so there, thank you. It will surely make nice combustible for the fire next winter.
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August 1971, Evans Home
Dear Edmund,
Don't listen to whatever Petunia wrote in her reply letter! I'm sure it was very nasty and ungrateful, but know she didn't meant it. No really. Deep down. She kept it on her bookshelf, and I'm convinced she read it twice now. I even caught her underlying parts, if you can believe it!
Is that what you were doing at Flourish and Blott? Buying 'Dealing with your Wizard relative for non-nonsense Muggles' for my sister? That's so incredibly thoughtful of you, Eddie! I take back everything I said about you being a tactless moron, at least until you do something that proves me right again.
No, seriously, thank you so much! Can you even believe she asked me something about our trip to Diagon Alley this morning? I mean, she sneered at me for the form, but she was actually interested and everything! I thought my relationship with Tuney was completely unsavable, but maybe I gave up too soon after all. I really missed her, you know. Not that Sev and you aren't great, but, well, it's not exactly the same, right? I mean, what am I supposed to do without someone taking it upon themselves to tell me my coat looks absolutely hideous with the color of my shoes? Don't take it as an invitation to criticize my wardrobe though, Edmund Snape, I know how you think.
Anyway, I can't wait for September to come! Do you realise that in less than a week we will be at Hogwarts, finally learning real magic? I know I don't.
Say hello to Sev from me, and please send my best regards to your parents. I guess I'll see you two soon at King's Cross!
With all my affection,
Lily Evans