We passed upon the stair,
We spoke of was and when,
Although I wasn't there,
He said I was his friend,
Which came as some surprise.
Lily was lying on the grass in her back garden listening to the radio. She was looking up at the cloudless sky, just enjoying the slight breeze that blew across her garden. She liked the way it felt on her legs, and feel of the grass in between her toes. That's how slow the summer had been for Lily.
I spoke into his eyes,
I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago.
She was three weeks into her six week holiday and life was moving to slow for her liking.
"Who knows…?" she sang, her foot moving along to the beat.
"Not me. We never lost control." She hummed along to the beat.
Her mum had taken her wand from her, twice. Maybe stealing it back wasn't the best idea she ever had. Her mum had said that she had good reason to take it away from her. Making the sofa belch every time Petunia went near it wasn't considered a joke. Or a platform to show of what she had learned.
Your face…two face. With the man who sold the world.
So now that was under lock and key somewhere as she was told she had to be content with what she had. This to her didn't seem like an awful lot. She did have brief moments of how lucky she was to still be here. Considering she was kidnapped by a wizarding terrorist at the end of the year. That was a story to tell her sister. Though her dad said it was the wrong sort of thing to bring up. Though her Grandfather found it interesting. He was part of the reason she tried to get her wand back, to show him some new tricks.
"That was David Bowie with his new Number One hit, the man who sold the world. I mean, it's the biggest hit out there, if you haven't heard it, where the hell have you been!"
"Good question." Said Lily to herself.
Her mind wondered again to Hogwarts. The spires, the grounds, the woods, the lake, the castle itself, her friends. She sighed. Her friends.
She didn't have an owl to send mail to her friends, she could only send them replies. It seemed now that life was so much more boring when there wasn't magic around. She still saw Sev though most days. A small portal to the world she had left behind. They would talk about how much they missed their adopted home, the lessons, the food. Sev went on about Quidditch, which Lily didn't mind, until it came to that name.
One that had seemed to plague her all summer. The name that came up almost every time they had a conversation. Even her parents where obsessed by the name. It drove her up the wall, mainly because it showed her that there was someone smarter than her, and a mistake she once let control her. Letting her heart foolishly rule her head.
Potter.
The grinning idiot would somehow sneak his way into any and every conversation she would have with anyone from the magical world. In her parents case they were besotted with the boy as they saw him as some saviour (Which was right, but she pretended to agree with Sev and say it was his own arrogance that got them caught in the first place.) that saved their helpless little girls life. She was even more mortified when she found out that her dad had even met Potter's dad over the summer. When her mother told her it was irrational for her to hate him.
It was these times that Lily would tell her she wouldn't understand. Then come out here and enjoy nature for a short while.
"That makes her the third person to vanish this week, in other news, there has been an outbreak of tuberculosis in Romania, even though deaths have been put to hundreds the Romanian Government has declined assistance."
Lily flipped her radio off with her toe. She sat up, picked up her radio, and went back inside the house.
"Mum, can I have my wand back?"
"For the last time Lily, no." said Lavender. "I don't want my furniture farting at all times of the day thank you."
"Mum, it was only a joke."
"A joke that could kick you out of a school that you so happen to like going to." Said Lavender.
"Can't I just hold it?"
"What do you think."
"Yes?"
"And your teacher said you were one of the smartest in your year." Said Lavender shaking her head. "Lily, there are rules in place for a reason, I'm sure none of your friends are doing magic illegally."
"But most of my friends already knew they were witches and wizards." Argued Lily. "At least they can still see it."
"Well why don't you ask to stay at one of their houses." Said Lavender.
"I don't know." Said Lily. Lavender rolled her eyes in frustration, she half hoped she wasn't this frustrating when she was Lily's age.
"Well why don't you go with your dad to the Potter's, speak to James, there you go." Lily folded her arms.
"I'd rather spend time with Petunia's friends." Said Lily sourly.
"I don't get it. You fancied James and now you hate him, what changed?" asked Lavender. Lily sighed, she'd wondered that herself. He had been a source of her fantasies, but the day she saw him bullying Sev was all she had to see to go off him, much like the Slytherin's who had bullied Peter Pettigrew. And yet he had stopped that, did he only look out for people in his own house, everyone else had to look after themselves? The door opened and Lily's dad came into the dining room.
"Hey girls." He said, he kissed Lavender and sat at the table.
"When are you going to see Alec next?"
"On Saturday, why?"
"Well Lily wanted to come with you." said Lavender.
"What? No, no I don't!" said Lily.
"Well you'd be there by yourself." Said John as he opened his newspaper. "He said that James has gone to California for the next couple of weeks."
"What?"
"Yeah he's gone to spend a couple of weeks out there with a girl he knows." Lavender glared at John who then looked confused. Realisation then dawned on him as he then looked at Lily who had her head bowed with strands of hair hiding her face.
"But I'm sure there are typhoons there." Said John.
"Hurricanes. Typhoons only happen in Asia." Said Lily. "Excuse me." She got up from her seat and made her way in to the hallway to her parent squabbling when the front door opened. Petunia walked in with her friends behind her. Lily groaned inside her head. SO much for getting away from it all she thought.
"What are you doing here?" asked Petunia viciously. In the year she had been away it was clear to see that Petunia was a little older, at fourteen and was now starting to become bitchier by the day in Lily's eyes, as her previous comment suggested.
"I live here." Said Lily.
"You wouldn't have guessed." Said Petunia as her friends walked in.
"Is this her, the Christian reform sister." Asked Cerise. She was short and fat with dark brown pigtails. She looked down on Lily with a distasteful look as she walked in. "She doesn't look very disorderly."
"Looks can be deceiving." Said Gwen. She, if possible was thinner than Petunia, she was looked sickly and was very bony, her blonde hair was back in a ponytail as she eyed Lily with distaste. "She could be planning something right now. Are you sure it's alright to have her staying here?"
"I asked my parents the same thing." Said Petunia. "Apparently, she'll be fine, so long as she takes her medication." Lily rolled her eyes.
"Well then, best you let me through." Said Lily, "Before I have another episode." She pushed past them and into the living room. A mischievous smile appeared in the corner of her mouth. "We wouldn't want another accident now do we." She said as she walked towards the stairs.
"What do you mean accident?" asked Cerise. Lily looked back.
"Didn't Petunia tell you?" asked Lily. They looked nervously at Petunia who had now gone ghostly white.
"Lily-"
"Pyromaniac." Said Lily with a slight grin. "I have a habit of setting tied back hair on fire, got the cane for doing it." Both Cerise and Gwen held onto their pigtails and pony tail respectively as Lily walked up the stairs to her room.
"She didn't really set girls hair on fire did she?" asked Gwen.
"Don't be stupid!" said Petunia shrilly. Lily giggled into her hand as she scampered to her room and closed the door. She grabbed her book from the bedside table and walked to her record player on the bed side table and got out the new album her mum had got for her.
Who's Next!
Lily slipped the vinyl out and placed it.
The rhythmic guitar sound blared out, it made Lily smile.
"Out here in the fields!" She sang while dancing around the room.
"I fought, for my meals! I get my back into my living!" Lily played air guitar to the beat.
"I don't need to fight, to prove I'm right!"
"I don't need to be forgiven!" Lily danced, completely blocking out the sound of her mother's footsteps. Lavender went to open the door and saw her daughter dancing. She smiled, forgetting all the times she looked in here and saw nothing, but now it was so full of life and vibrancy again.
"Don't cry.
Don't raise your eyes.
It's only teen-age wasteland!" She beat pretend drums mid-air.
"Lily." she wasn't listening, to warped up in her own little world.
"Sally take my hand! We'll travel south cross the land."
"Lily!"
"Put out the fire! Don't look past my shoulder."
"Lily!" Lily turned quickly and the disc stopped playing. Lavender should have looked surprised, but she was used to Lily using small magic around the room.
Lavender walked into the room which disturbed Lily from her dancing. She looked up dazed at her mother. Lavender folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at her.
"A Pyromaniac who sets fire to girls who have their hair tied back." Said Lavender, "Who has got the cane five times for doing so." Lily started to smirk.
"Lily-"
"It was a bit of fun." Said Lily walking over to her window seat.
"Lily, you can't say things like that." Said Lavender, "You might get yourself into trouble."
"So shall I tell them that I'm a witch who goes to a magical boarding school that teaches me Potions and Transfiguration." Lavender closed her eyes.
"No Lily." Lavender walked to the window seat and sat down opposite her. She sighed, Lily folded her arms, there was a little lesson coming now.
"…Lily, this situation is delicate to say the least." Said Lavender, "I know you were only trying to tease your sister but her friends can take that as truth."
"So I'm just supposed to let them think I'm a nutter." Said Lily folding her arms and scowling. "That I go off and really do set girls hair on fire." Lavender shook her head.
"I don't know Lily." said Lavender.
"This is your fault."
"I know." Said Lavender. "And I can't find a way to fix it."
"I wish everyone knew I was a witch." Said Lily, "Then there wouldn't be any sneaking around or telling lies. Maybe I should just stay here all summer."
"Come on Lily, be practical." Said Lavender.
"No, I mean it." said Lily seriously. "You can bring me food, clean my clothes." She held up her book. "A new book every week, and then send me off the Hogwarts at the start of the year. I'll be fine." Lavender smiled.
"No, no I don't think so." She said, "Because you won't be able to help me bake, would you."
"I might come down for that." Said Lily smiling.
"And I can't just pick out books for you anymore." Said Lavender.
"Well I might come down for you to choose."
"Don't give me that." Lavender gathered Lily in a hug and kissed the top of her head. "We're all very glad your home, and I know it's difficult readjusting, but please no stories about fire starting."
"Ok." Said Lily, "But admit it, you laughed to."
"Only a little." Said Lavender. "But there is another reason I came up here. Your father has been invited to this garden party to do with work."
"Oh ok." Said Lily.
"And it means that we all have to go to it."
"Petunia included."
"Yes, Petunia included." Said Lavender. "So we need to get you a few things, apparently this thing is a black tie event."
"Black tie?"
"It's a phrase." Said Lavender. "So we need to get you and Petunia something to wear."
"When's this?" she asked.
"Next week." Said Lavender, "So we need to go shopping soon I guess you're not doing anything?"
"Nothing important." Said Lily. "I've been going through three books a week. I might need to go my shopping for some new material."
"Do you need new books for next year?" asked Lavender.
"Apparently I do." Said Lily, "Plus we need to visit your favourite shop as well." Lavender's face went sour.
"Your ingredients you need to get on your own." Said Lavender shuddering. "And the third thing, dinners served." Lavender walked out and Lily joined her as Petunia walked beside her.
"That wasn't funny what you said earlier." She said in a constricted tone. "Mum had to convince Cerise and Gwen you were teasing them."
"Well I was." Said Lily pleasantly. "Don't get so mad about it."
"So long as you don't do anything weird at this party thing next week we can call your home time a success." Said Petunia." Lily turned to face her sister, by now they were at the top of the stairs.
"Weird?"
"Yeah, so long as we can put on the folly that were a normal family for once instead of hiding you then we'll be fine."
"But we are a normal family!" said Lily heatedly.
"HA! You really do need to go to a correctional school if you really think that!" she spat back. "Lily, so as long as you're alive were not a normal family. So long as you bugger off to Scotland or wherever this place is you will always make our family different. It's almost a relief that you go because we don't have to do this pretending everything's alright rubbish the rest of the time."
"What?"
"Oh we really don't miss you." said Petunia, "After all the freakish things you've done over the last ten years it was nice acting like an only child for the last year." Petunia was now smirking evilly at her sister.
"Yeah, me, mum and dad not having to continually making excuses for all the strange things you do. Blowing up light bulbs, things disappearing whenever you through a tantrum. Though they'll never admit it in front of you they've enjoyed the last year."
"That's not true!" said Lily fiercely.
"Well think about it." said Petunia. "If they really loved you they would of let you come home when you asked." She lightly pushed Lily aside and walked down the stairs toward the kitchen.
"Or maybe they share the same thoughts as me. That you freaks need to be segregated from the rest of us." Said Petunia as she walked through to the kitchen, leaving Lily alone at the top of the stairs. She looked down at her feet. No, no her parents made her stay there because she was meant to be better things. It wasn't because they were enjoying themselves too much, was it? No, no her mum and dad did miss her, they kept on telling her they missed her. Was that true, or where they trying to convince themselves that they did.
"Lily, Sweetpea dinners up." said Lavender from the kitchen. Lily snapped out of her daze and went down to the kitchen. She pulled her chair out and sat down gingerly. Not daring to look at Petunia who no doubt had a triumphant smirk on her face.
"Are you ok Lily? It looks like you've seen a ghost." Lily looked up from her lasagne at her mum who looked concerned. Was she feigning it? Or was her mum afraid she was going to do something magical.
"I'm fine." Said Lily plastering on a fake smile. She picked up her fork and prodded her food. Was Petunia right, did they really enjoy the last year without her. NO, of course they did, she told herself. Look how worried they were when they found out she had been kidnapped by Murdoch. She then remembered that Petunia didn't even bother coming to Hogwarts to even visit her. She told herself at the time it was nothing, but deep down she was really hurt that her own sister didn't care for her safety.
"Lily?"
"Yeah?" Lily looked up.
"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Lavender.
"Yeah, yeah I am." Said Lily, "Just thinking about homework." She lied lamely.
"I thought you said you'd done it all?" said John taking a bite.
"I have." Said Lily, "I was just thinking if I forgot something." Her dad shrugged it off and went into how his day was at work. Lily looked up at the ceiling above her kitchen and wondered what the sky was like above. Another thing she missed about Hogwarts, all the small weird details that made it endlessly fascinating. It was now second nature to skip up every third step in case it decided to fall through, or, like now, looking up at dinner or lunch to see if it was worth going outside. Was she really getting homesick for Hogwarts again?
Could be, maybe?
Lily was lying on her front on her bed with her book and listening to the Beatles. Oh why did they split up?
"Lily."
Lily blew some hair from her face and turned the page of her book. She was clearly lost in her own little world of music and literature.
"Lily!"
Again, completely oblivious to her mother's voice downstairs Lily turned the page of her book with the Beatles still blocking her form reality.
"Lily!" Still nothing. "That bloody record player!" Lavender ran up the stairs and opened the door.
"Lily!" Lily snapped out her escape.
"Yes?"
"Come downstairs, you have a visitor." Said Lavender walking out. Lily rolled off her bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen where Sev was standing by the back door.
"Hey Sev." Said Lily brightly, already pulling on her trainers.
"Make sure your back for seven." Said Lavender as she went back to washing the dishes. Lily smiled and walked out of the door with Sev. Lavender looked uneasily at the door.
"If you don't like him, tell her." said John as he turned the page of his paper. Lavender sighed and went back to washing the dish.
"That would be the last thing I'd do." Said Lavender. "Teenage girls are born to rebel."
"She's not a teenager though."
"She will be, John!" said Lavender, "She will in a few months, and then it's seven years of raging hormones and messed up decisions. And I just hope that this Snape isn't one of those. Do you really want him as a son in law. I mean really?"
"Well…"
"Of course you don't." said Lavender. "And if we don't approve of him publicly then she'll go off the rails and end up having a child out of wedlock by the time she's nineteen."
"I think your over thinking this." Said John. "Lily discovered boys in a different way last year, and now she's not interested in them. It's fair to say that I'm over the moon about that." Lavender scowled.
"But I think you take to heart the fact that her one close friend is a boy, it doesn't mean it's romantic."
"She might not." Said Lavender, "But this Snape might."
"Well there too young to be thinking about that sort of stuff anyway." Said John. "Lily knows her boundaries."
"Why couldn't she be more friendly with that Potter boy?" asked Lavender. "He's the sort of son in law I would want."
"How so?"
"Brave, courageous, smart." Said Lavender fondly. "Lily might only be twelve, but she already has impeccable taste when it comes to boys."
"Shame James doesn't feel the same way."
"He'll stop seeing that American hussy." John laughed.
"The girls only thirteen and you've never met her." he said, "How can you be sure she's a hussy?"
"She's in the way of my daughter's ambitions." Said Lavender loftily. "And it's up to me as her mother to help fight her corner." John smirked.
"Well it's not her." said John. Lavender turned round.
"James doesn't like Lily?" she said amazed. "Why?" John shrugged his shoulders.
"Apparently he finds her a know it all who puts her nose in where it's not wanted." Said John.
"That toerag!" said Lavender appalled. "Lily's as good as gold!"
"I said the same thing and Alec agrees with me." Added John hastily. "But then again Lily doesn't exactly approve of him either." Lavender raised an eyebrow.
"Guess what she called James when I questioned her about him?" Lavender shook her head. John laughed and leaned back in his chair.
"You'll like this." He said. "She called James an Arrogant toerag. Sound familiar?" he asked with an amused glint in his eyes. Lavender quickly turned to the sink and placed the plate in the drainer.
"I don't even know why they broke up." Said Lily, she jumped over a fallen branch. "Lots of people think that Yoko had something to do with it."
"Who's Yoko?"
"John Lennon's girlfriend." Said Lily absentmindedly. "Apparently she broke up the Beatles."
"I still don't know who the Beatles are Lily?" said Sev. Lily shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry I'm just ranting." She said looking at the trees above her. "I was listening to their album and it's weird that there never going to make another one."
"You still have that other band. Flickmac?"
"Fleetwood Mac." Said Lily giggling. "And I'm sure they'll be making music till I'm old and grey."
"What if they go the same way as the Beatles?" reasoned Sev.
"Don't worry, most of them are dating each other anyway. I think only Mick Fleetwood's single." Said Lily. "So no Yoko on that front."
"You really hate this Yoko." Said Sev.
"She broke up the fab four." Said Lily, "That's reason enough to hate anyone."
"Isn't that over reacting." Said Snape.
"She took away John." Said Lily. "He is probably the best of the lot."
"I thought you said you liked Ringo?" said Snape. Lily laughed.
"No, no one likes Ringo." Said Lily.
"I thought he was the best drummer in the world." Said Sev.
"He isn't the best the drummer in the Beatles." Said Lily as they reached lower Cokeworth. They walked to the shop, Sev went to buy them Ice cream as Lily looked at the advertisements in the window. There wasn't a lot to see there, mainly people trying to sell unwanted gifts. Lily looked down at a worn poster of a carnival that came to town a few years ago, but below it was something that did catch Lily's eye.
"Sev, Sev come look at this." Said Lily as her eyes travelled down the poster.
"What is it?" asked Sev as he got closer.
"It's an underage disco. How cool is that!" said Lily, "Says they'll be music from the Beatles, Elton John, and The Who."
"Sounds awful." Said Sev.
"What!" said Lily turning round. "This is incredible, we have to go to it."
"No, we don't." said Sev.
"Why not?"
"Well for one, it's all the way in Sheffield."
"My dad can take us." Said Lily.
"We won't know anyone there." Said Sev.
"Who needs to, we have each other." Said Lily.
"That's not what I meant." Said Sev. "It's probably going to be boring anyway, and it's not as if the bands are live."
"So, it's a chance to go enjoy ourselves." Said Lily a little hurt at Sev's frosty tone. "Come on Sev I've been coped up in this place for nearly three weeks! I need to do something fun."
"We could go to the clearing." Said Sev. "That's fun." Lily huffed, all they did there was drone on about how much they hated Potter. It may have been fun for him, but it certainly wasn't for her.
"No, a different type of fun." Said Lily excitedly. "We can go dancing!"
"I can't dance." Said Sev.
"I'll teach you." said Lily. "It's real easy once you have a knack for it."
"God Lily, I just don't want to go, ok, can we just drop it!" he said thrusting her cornetto into her hand and stalking out into the late sun. Lily sighed and looked at the poster before walking out after him.
It really set the tone. They just sat in the clearing eating ice cream, if this was Sev's idea of fun then Lily was serious for his sanity. She left at half six to go back home. The opened the door dejectedly into her kitchen.
"You ok love?" asked Lavender, "You seem down." Lily pulled out her chair and sat at the table.
"Mum, I'm bored." Said Lily burying her face into the table.
"But you've been out today." Said Lavender, "Surely that's not that boring?"
"Well it was." Said Lily. She looked up from table, half her face plastered onto her forearm. "Sev finds everything really boring."
"How do mean?" asked Lavender.
"Well there's an underage disco in Sheffield in a few days." Said Lily. "I said to Sev that we should go, but he said it would be stupid."
"Well you should go Lily." said Lavender. "You don't need him to go with you. Why don't you ask some of your school friends whether they want to go with you?" Lily picked her head up.
"You honestly didn't forget you had other friends did you?" asked Lavender amused. Lily's cheeks went pink.
"Yeah, ask them round." Said Lavender. "That Dorcas was nice, and it'll be a change for you to have some friends over."
"Could they stay over?" asked Lily.
"I don't see why not?" said Lavender. "How many are there?" Lily counted in her head, Dorcas, one, Sarah, two, Mary and Marlene, four, maybe Isabel and Jess , six.
"Six of us." Said Lily, "Though I'm not sure what there all doing so it might be less."
"Ok, we'll work something out."
"Will Petunia mind?" asked Lily.
"She shouldn't." said Lavender. "You've had to put up with her friends over the summer."
"I'll go and check then." Said Lily, she left the table and went upstairs to her room.
"Freak! Go get that bloody thing out of the house!" shouted Petunia. Lily's face screwed up in confusion. She went into her room and saw a snowy owl on her desk chair. It hooted happily at her presence as she walked in. Lily smiled walked over to it.
"Athena, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Just get that thing out of the house!" shrieked Petunia. Lily glared at the door and Athena hissed.
"Don't mind her." said Lily. "She's a little crazy."
"There's a damn owl in your room!" shouted Petunia, "That isn't normal!" Lily huffed and walked round to her door.
"It's normal to me!" she gritted out before slamming her door. She turned round to Athena who cocked her head to the side.
"Yeah, it's a mad house here." Said Lily.
"Don't talk to it, get rid of it!" shouted Petunia through the wall. Lily rolled her eyes and walked over to the owl. She stroked its neck, she cooed happily and flapped her wings impressively.
"Good girl." Said Lily, "Now, whatcha got for me?" she said excitedly rubbing her hands together. Athena tucked her wings in and nodded to a letter on the table. Lily went for the letter, she picked it up and heard a squawk and Athena nipped her ear.
"OW!" she said holding her ear. "What was that for?" Lily then saw some writing on the back.
Could you please feed and water Athena, it's a long flight.
Lily looked around. She frowned in thought. Owls ate mice, she didn't keep mice. She looked over at her door. Maybe her mum knew something.
"Wait there." Said Lily pointing at Athena, picked up some long socks from the floor and wrapped it round her forearm. She motioned for Athena and the owl flew onto her arm. Lily stroked her and the owl hooted.
"Come on, I'm sure my mum has some food you can eat." Lily walked out of the room with Athena and down towards the kitchen.
"Yeah, this is my house." said Lily at Athena who looked around at the enclosed corridor. "This is where Lily Evans spends her holidays."
"Stop talking to it!" shouted Petunia. "Just give it what it wants and get rid of it!"
"And that's my sister." Said Lily after a sigh. "She doesn't like wildlife." Lily walked down the stairs carefully to the living room and into the kitchen.
"Ah Lily." her mum said, not looking at her. "Can you lay to table ready for din…?" She turned round and stopped at the sight of her daughter holding an owl.
"Mum, meet Athena." Said Lily. "She's Dorcas's owl."
"Uhm…hi." Said Lavender. "Lily, why is there an owl in our kitchen?"
"Dorcas sent me a letter." Said Lily, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "But Athena needs feeding and I was wondering if we had anything she could have." Lavender nodded slowly.
"I…uh…I think there's some cold chicken in the fridge." Said Lavender slowly.
"That's great." Said Lily smiling and walking over.
"Well looks like you're in luck." She said to Athena while opening the fridge, both of them looked inside.
"Top shelf." Said Lavender distantly. Both of them looked up to the top shelf.
"Found it." said Lily reaching up with her free arm and bringing the plate down. Athena looked down curiously at the plate.
"Sorry it's only chicken." Said Lily. "We don't really keep mice." Lily looked up at Lavender who was still eyeing the owl curiously. "Do we have a water bowl?" asked Lily as Athena nibbled at the chicken. The owl nodded approvingly before eating more vigorously.
"Uhm…you could use a cereal bowl?" said Lavender. Now holding on tightly to the kitchen worktop. Lily snapped her finger.
"Of course." She said walking over to the cupboard. Athena squawked, not wanting to get away from the chicken.
"Ok, you stay here." She told the owl. Athena walked onto the table and started to eat again while Lily got some water into a bowl for her.
"She's great isn't she." Said Lily placing the water by Athena who started to sip from the bowl.
"Lily, there's an owl on our table." said Lavender not quite believing it herself.
"I know." Said Lily happily, "This is just like Hogwarts." She stroked Athena who hooted happily to Lily's giggles.
"Lav!"
"Kitchen!" said Lavender straight away. John walked in and stopped in the doorway and stared wide eyes at the owl.
"Hi dad." said Lily brightly. "This is Athena."
"Hi." Said John waving timidly at the owl who hooted back and went back to the chicken.
"Why is there an owl on the kitchen table?" asked John. "Normally they wait outside."
"This is Dorcas's owl." Explained Lily. "So she came to find me, she brought me mail. And I'm making sure she's strong enough to fly back."
"Right…" said John. "Lily…we don't usually have animals on the table. They stay outside."
"I know, but can you make an acceptation." Said Lily.
"Dad! Dad!" Petunia ran down the stairs. "There's some bloody bird in Lily's room and it won't go away!" she peered through the gap her dad left through the door and saw the owl on the table.
"AHHHHH!" Petunia squealed and ran back towards her room.
"Tuney doesn't like her." mused Lily while stroking the owl. "She just needs to rest and she'll be gone tomorrow."
"I appreciate that." Said John, "But could you get her off the table." Lily sighed, she motioned to Athena to get back onto her arm. The owl walked back on.
"I'll take her to my room." Lily said dejectedly. She walked away slowly past her dad with the owl who hooted happily.
"Yeah, yeah I know." Said Lily as she climbed the stairs. "It is good to be home." Lavender sighed and went to the sink and wetted the dish cloth and began wiping down the table.
"I didn't realise that the house was going to be a front for Disney films." Said John looking upstairs.
"Why is that thing still here!" shouted Petunia. The unmistakable sound of Lily's door slamming filled the house.
"To be fair to Lily it's the first time she's done it herself." Said Lavender. "Though the ones she sent back from her school always landed outside." John smiled.
"Girls, dinner!" shouted Lavender.
Petunia came into the kitchen, looking round nervously as she inspected the room to see if Athena was still lurking around.
"Is your sister coming?" asked Lavender.
"So long as she doesn't bring that bloody bird I'll be fine." Said Petunia.
"Petunia." Said Lavender sternly, "Is your sister coming down?" Petunia shrugged.
"Lily!" called Lavender. No answer. Lavender frowned and walked to the kitchen door. "Lily, dinners ready!"
"Can you dish dinner up and I'll go get her." said Lavender. John nodded and went to the counter while Lavender went out of the kitchen. She walked up the stairs and knocked on her youngest door.
"Lily." no answer. "Lily love, dinners ready."
"I'm not hungry." Said Lily through the door.
"If this is about your owl were sorry," said Lavender. "It was just a bit of a shock sweetheart."
"I'm just not hungry." Said Lily grumpily. Lavender opened the door and saw Lily sitting at her desk writing. Athena was sitting on her windowsill with her head under her wing.
"Lily, please come down." Said Lavender. "I said I'm sorry."
"Can I ask you something?" Lily turned in her chair so she was facing Lavender.
"Of course Sweetpea." Said Lavender.
"Do you ever wish I was normal?"
"Normal?" said Lavender confused. "Lily, you are normal."
"But I'm not though, am I?" said Lily. "And I've only just seen that."
"Lily."
"I'm not done." Said Lily, her brow frowning. "What happened in the kitchen, every one of my friends would have found that normal. In the last year, that is normal. And yet you all thought I was insane, like I was some sort of-"Lily cut herself off mid-sentence. No, she couldn't possibly think that about herself.
"Lily?" her mum asked, sensing something was wrong. Lily sat back down on her chair again, her face blank. Lavender walked forward into her room and kneeled beside her. "Lily." she took her daughters hands in hers.
"Lily I don't know what you're thinking. But whatever it is you think you are, you are not." Said Lavender. "You are perfect just the way you are."
"Why do I feel this way?" asked Lily. Lavender smiled sadly.
"I think you're missing school." She said. "And maybe being away from other Witches and Wizards." Lavender hugged her.
"Mum I'm so confused." Said Lily. Tears now leaking from her eyes. "I really feel like an outcast here."
"You are not an outcast here." Said Lavender. "You are my daughter."
"But Tuney said."
"Your sister has her own demons." Said Lavender. "As do you, but you cannot let her get into your head and tell you that you are something you're not."
"She said you didn't miss me." Said Lily. "You and dad. She said that you glad I was gone, so things where normal." Lavender shook her head.
"They were far from normal." Said Lavender. "Not having you home isn't normal. You are missed by us every second you are away." Lily buried her face into her mums shoulder.
"I just needed to know." She said quietly. Lavender leaned back and smiled.
"You are always missed, and don't let your sister rub you up the wrong way." Lily now smiled through the tears. Lavender ruffled her youngest hair.
"I brought some chicken up if Athena is still hungry." She placed the dish on Lily's desk, but Athena didn't stir.
"She isn't hungry." Said Lily, "But she will be later though."
"She's a very nice owl." Said Lavender.
"She's Dorcas's owl." Said Lily, "There very useful for delivering mail. But they there own owlry in Hogwarts. So I've never needed one."
"So what's Dorcas written to you about?" asked Lavender.
"Just catching up." Said Lily. "But I'm going to ask her about this disco."
"Dinners ready." Said Lavender. "Come on, I've waited too long to have you home, I don't want you to mope around in your room." Lily thought for a moment. She then nodded and went with her mum towards the kitchen.
"She's lonely." Said Lavender, she was brushing her hair, sitting in front of her dressing table. John was sitting in bed looking at her with folded arms.
"How can she be lonely?" said John, "She has us."
"I think this magical world has grown on her." said Lavender, "She misses it. Sure she has the Snape boy as a sort of bridge but even she finds him annoying from time to time."
"So what's this solution you've been talking about?" asked John.
"We're going to buy her a cat." Said Lavender. When John didn't reply she turned round.
"A cat?" said John. "…why does she need a cat?"
"Because she feels lonely." Said Lavender, "In her letter last year it said she could take an owl, a cat, or a toad."
"So why not an owl."
"You saw how Petunia reacted to having Athena there. Do you really want to put up with the scream?" John nodded.
"Well I can't see Lily going for a toad. So a cat then."
"I think a kitten." Said Lavender. "Something that'll be with her for her school days."
"And they a bit temperamental?" asked John.
"I'm sure Lily will smooth it out." Said Lavender getting into bed. "But I think something that'll let her have a connection to the worlds she lives in would be good for her. So when she comes home, she'll still have a little part of it with her." John shrugged and settled down to.
"So I guess that you'll find one and then I'll pay for it then?" Lavender giggled and pressed his nose.
"Glad to see you still know your position here after all this time." John smirked. Lavender then shrieked in surprise and laughed as John imposed himself on top her.
"Yeah." He said with a devilish smile, "I suppose I do."
The Marauders Proudly Present Lily Evans In: The Marauders Year Two
Chapter Two
Somewhere Only We Know
Written By Chambers10
Knockturn Alley
"Did anyone see what happened?"
"Make way, make way, CSU are here!"
"Set up the cordon, I don't want the public or the press hearing about this!"
"Is true."
"Yes, it's one of our own."
"Enforcer, Enforcer, what is going on!"
"A statement will be issued shortly! Now get back behind that cordon!"
Alec walked through a puddle down to the crime scene. People where outside in the cold night trying to get a good look, and the press trying to establish the details. While Enforcer's held them back, trying to remain calm. He lifted up the yellow tape and turned the corner down an alley way. He could hear people directing questions at him, about everything, his life, Murdoch, James. Thank god there was a dead body for him to take his mind off it.
"Auror Potter." He said flashing his badge. He walked up to the body. It was a man in an enforcer's uniform. He was face down with his right arm out stretched, like he had been crawling away from something. Alec saw that the back of the victim's hair was stained with blood.
"Ah, Auror. Thank you for coming." The pathologist, a portly man in his late fifties with grey hair and a rapidly receding hair line came over.
"Who's out Vic?" asked Alec.
"Enforcer Joe Murphy." He said. "Twenty seven years old."
"How did he die?" asked Alec.
"Omega curse." Said the pathologist.
"So why has he got his on the back of his head?" Alec gloved up his hand and pointed to the blood on the back of the victims head.
"He was hit with a concavement charm. It crushed the base of the skull to stop him from running."
"He was running?" The pathologist nodded and pointed down the Alley.
"Blood spatter starts about fifty feet down there and ends here." He explained. "So he was running, hit with a charm and slumped the floor.
"Any other injuries."
"He was tortured first. The nerve endings are inflamed, that indicates prolonged exposure to a stimulant charm."
"The cruciatus curse." Said Alec. The pathologist nodded in agreement.
"Did Murphy have his notebook on him?"
"No, it was swiped."
"Memories."
"Wiped post mortem." Said the Pathologist. "They were careful." Alec looked at the outstretched hand, it was balled up in a fist while the left hand was palmed on the wet pavement. Strange.
If he was crawling to get away, then surely both hands would be palmed for crawling. Alec turned the arm round and noticed something crumpled up in his hand. Alec gently prised the fingers apart and pulled out a piece of paper. Alec got to his feet and turned away. Trying to get some more light.
MfW planning mass attack on Boulevard, date, soon!
Alec got an evidence bag out of his coat and placed the note in. The Boulevard was the American equivalent of Diagon Alley, it was slowly becoming one of the most popular places the magical world. A whole shopping centre underground, it was certainly dangerous, if it was a bomb then the whole roof could cave in, causing the ground above to collapse. If it was a massacre attempt then sealing off all the exits would be easy to.
"What's that?"
"A lead." Said Alec.
MfW. It wasn't a name Alec was familiar with. Maybe it was a small group. But if Murphy was running away with this information, and kept it in a place where he knew no one would find it, it must have been important.
Who are the MfW, and what do they plan to do?
