Summer Letters

Lily POV

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Lily groaned as the alarm clock blared in her ears, jerking her from a dream including Quidditch, a hag, and, to her embarrassment, James Potter.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Shut it, you," Lily grumbled, too tired to realize she was talking to her alarm clock.

Lily twisted in her bed, her thin sheet falling to the floor as she looked at the clock through bleary eyes. She rubbed her eyes again as she saw the time: 3 o' clock.

3. In. The. Fucking. Morning.

"Petunia," Lily cursed. It was the worst time for her sister to annoy Lily, but she didn't feel sorry for Petunia for forgetting how irritable she was early in the morning. Without waiting, she slipped out of bed, a plan for revenge already in her head.

She didn't need magic for getting even with her sister; she just needed her wand, some (washable) paint, and Petunia's limited view of the magical world.

Surprising how one year with the troublesome Marauders gave Lily a new view on payback.

"Okay, Marigold, I need you to stay quiet, girl. Whatever you do, don't wake Petunia," Lily whispered to Marigold as the door to Petunia's bedroom where her older sister was peacefully sleeping. Lily could barely see the top of her curlers beneath Petunia's blankets; Lily wondered how in the name of Merlin Petunia could sleep comfortably in curlers and blankets when it was summer.

Marigold clicked her beak softly in understanding, and she alighted next to Petunia's nightstand, a luminous white ghost with the full moon shining softly into the spotless room.

Lily quietly tip-toed over to Petunia's closet, and she picked out one of her favorite shirts with a bottle of green paint in her hand.

"Lily?" Petunia's voice was hoarse ten minutes later, and Lily had to work to keep from giggling.

Marigold held Petunia's blouse in her beak, and Lily could make out the bright green writing.

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts

Teach us something, please…

With Marigold displaying her unusual intelligence, and Lily with her wand out, it was the worst scene that Petunia could imagine.

"What are you doing?" Petunia asked, now sitting up in bed and half-awake.

"Wait, Petunia! I'm almost done. Let me think…" Lily continued to gaze at the shirt as if in deep thought. She had always prided herself on acting, and Petunia was buying right into it: she really thought that Lily was charming her shirt instead of thinking about something as simple as Muggle washable paint.

"I'm just trying figure out how to get this shirt to sing. I'm almost there, just fifteen more seconds. Do you like it so far?" Grinning, Lily motioned for Marigold to hold up Petunia's top.

"Let me try a couple more charms. Abra kedabra alakaZAM!"

She was wrong when she predicted that Petunia would hate it. Wand out, Marigold flapping, green words, and temporarily ruined blouse…Lily had presumed that Petunia would start yelling at her.

Instead, Petunia started screeching.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU LITTLE WITCH! YOU SHOULDN'T FLAUNT YOU'RE ABNORMALITY! GET OUT! OUT!"

Marigold snapped her beak at Petunia's shouts in annoyance, and Lily was laughing so hard at Petunia's reaction that she almost didn't hear her confused parents' questions.

"Petunia, dear?"

"Are you alright?"

"What's going on?"

Petunia shot Lily a look of disgust, and Lily smirked. "Lily thought it would be funny to show me some of those things she learned at that- that school!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "'That school'? Honestly, Petunia, at least come up with an original insult."

Petunia glared, and Lily's parents finally rushed through the door to see Marigold holding up a defaced blouse, Lily with her wand out and a smile on her face, and Petunia looking positively furious.

"Lily Azaela Evans? What are you doing?" her mother said severely. "You know you're not supposed to use magic outside of Hogwarts."

"But I wasn't, Mummy! Petunia set my alarm clock-"

"YOU LIAR! YOU WERE TRYING TO TRICK ME, WEREN'T YOU?" Petunia shrieked.

"Two plus two, Petunia. I'm so proud of you," sneered Lily, sarcasm dripping off of every word. It was definitely too early in the morning.

Marigold continued to keep Lily company as she labored in the basement. Her parents had been angry that Lily had tricked her sister like that, and so her punishment had been to clean the basement without magic. Lily thought it was unnecessary for her parents to add that bit since the Ministry would be swooping down on her if she ever did use real magic.

"Marigold, you are so lucky you're only an owl," Lily said as she put the broom away. "Sometimes I wish I could just fly away from here. No get me wrong, I love Mummy and Dad, but Petunia is just so…urg! It feels like it has been a lifetime since we were actually sisters, but it's only been three years."

Lily looked at Marigold who had taken residence on a small box containing Petunia's and Lily's old toys. As if on cue, Marigold flew and landed on Lily's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Lily, you have owl post!" her mother called, and Lily suddenly ran up the stairs. It had been one week since Hogwarts had sent her home to Cokeworth, and Severus had said he would spend as much time as he could with her, but so far he wasn't back from a visit with Mulciber.

"Who is it?" Lily demanded, bursting out of the door and into the kitchen.

"Alice."

Lily ignored Petunia's open dislike she always showed to Marigold tore open Alice's letter. One week away from the Wizarding world, and already she felt like she was in quarantine.

Dear Lily,

PROFESSOR BANKS RESIGNED FROM HOGWARTS. Mum just heard it from Mrs. Marchbanks that she had accepted an invitation from some defense organization in Brazil. I wish you could be here at my own little party.

I've been thinking about what you said at the end of the year. Zachary Hilbert only has some people visiting him, including a friend from the Muggle Liaison Office and a man named Antonin Dolohov.

I've asked my parents about Victoria Gobsworth, Bernard Thatcher, and Magnolia Rears. The only thing in common that they have is being Muggle-born and successful enough to earn recognition. I don't know what you think is the link between them besides that there may be a couple of pure-blood extremists who don't like them, but I don't think anybody, even the extremists, is capable of murder.

Anyways, I wanted to ask you if you would like to spend the last two weeks of summer at my house fifty miles from Liverpool. You really should. Mum and Dad would love to have you over, and we can go get our stuff from Diagon Alley together.

Please send Marigold with your answer by the end of the week. Dad needs Vinold back because he's important for his work.

Sincerely,

Alice

Lily giggled at the part about Professor Bank's resignation. She and Alice had started a feud back in the start of first year, and it had barely cooled throughout the year. It was entirely plausible for Alice to throw a party complete with hiring the Weird Sisters.

"Mummy!" Lily called, and her mother entered the kitchen from the dining room where Lily thought she could smell pine cleaner.

"What is it, sweetie?" her mother asked.

"Alice invited me to her house for the last two weeks of summer. She lives outside Liverpool."

Mrs. Evans bit her lip. "As long as you behave for the rest of the summer and don't cause drastic trouble."

That's an opinion, Lily couldn't help but think, flashing back to the Marauder's antics at school: her mother's idea of bad trouble and theirs was completely different.

Nevertheless,

Dear Alice,

Mum says that I can go as long as I don't cause any more trouble. I would love to see your house. Will Gideon and Fabian be there? You said that they were close to you, and I really want to meet them if their as big of troublemakers as the teachers made them out to be.

Lots of Love,

Lily

Two hours later, and Marigold was sitting on the windowsill of Lily's messy bedroom; she wasted no time in reading it.

Lily,

First off: What do you mean by 'cause any more trouble'? What did you do?

My parents are heading to Italy for a couple of weeks, so I'm going to be alone with Smiley, our house-elf, so I'm going to be needing somebody to write to. If you don't write, I'm sure to go crazy.

Fabian will be there, but Gideon might be away on some assignment. You're gonna love the twins. They crack me up so much.

Hope to see you soon!

Sincerely,

Alice

Dear Alice,

It's a long story, and it will be better to tell it to you in person. I will say that it involves Petunia and a forgotten fact that I don't like to be woken up early in the morning.

Petunia's been spending a fair amount of time away from the house, and I have no clue what she's doing. I don't think that my parents notice anything, but I do. I want to ask her about it, but she'll probably throw me out of her room and tell my parents I tried to do magic again.

Lots of Love,

Lily

Lily,

You tried to do magic? Don't you know that you'll get expelled if you use it? They're pretty strict on that stuff. Somebody two years older than my cousins was expelled because he practiced the Body-Bind Curse on a Muggle.

But I am curious as to what your sister did.

As to why she's acting weird… Maybe she's doing wizejuana? Either that or she has a boyfriend. Merlin forbid if that ever happens.

Sincerely,

Alice

Dear Alice,

Wizejuana? Is that some form of pot? If it is, I can tell you that is exactly what she is not doing. Petunia's too much of a goody-two-shoes for that stuff.

My 'trying' to do magic has to do with what Petunia did at the beginning of the summer, and I'll you that when I see you again.

Lots of Love,

Lily

Lily,

You're killing me here. What exactly happened?

I'll be able to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Alice

"LILY AZAELA EVANS! YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!" Alice yelled as Mrs. Prewett and Lily Flooed right into Alice's living room. Barely two seconds had passed since Lily had arrived in a swirl of ash and flames before Alice forcefully yanked Lily out of the fireplace and into the grand parlor.

"Wow," Lily breathed as she absorbed the spectacular parlor. It was certainly much more sophisticated than Lily's living room: while her living room was quaint and tidy, the Prewett's parlor had a high ceiling with arching windows. Sofas and armchairs matched with plush cushions and pillows, and the intricate designs cover the coffee table and candleholders.

"Glad you like it- Lily Evans, I presume?" a young man asked coming forward and shaking Lily's hand firmly. A shock of red hair covered his head, but his brown eyes crinkled into a warm smile that hinted at mischievousness he was certainly capable of, reminding Lily of the Marauders.

"Fabian Prewett, I presume?" Lily asked Alice's cousin.

He laughed. "So my little Cuz mentioned me, yeah? Surprised she was able to shut up long enough to ask you your name."

Alice, however, couldn't be less distracted by the décor and Fabian. "Move over, Carrot-Top; I'm not interested- what happened between you and your sister?"

Lily purposefully jerked her head towards the turned back of Mrs. Prewett, and Alice got the message immediately: it isn't for parents' ears.

"Anyways, Lily, nice to meet you," Fabian winked cheerfully before heading towards a room where Lily could smell a delicious shepherd's pie.

"I'll show you my room, and Smiley might be able to get us some pumpkin juice," said Alice. She and Lily took two opposite ends of Lily's trunk, but they barely made it ten feet before Alice was grumbling.

"What do you have in here? Bricks? Smiley!" Alice yelled not unkindly.

Pop!

Lily yelped as something suddenly appeared out of thin air. Although Lily had never seen the large, bat-like ears, brown eyes the size of tennis balls, and the tomato nose, she had heard enough from Severus to know that the strange creature who Apparated in front of Lily was a house-elf.

"So sorry, miss! Smiley would not have come had he known that his presence upset young miss!" the house-elf squeaked, his chin trembling.

"No! No, that's fine. You didn't upset me, Smiley; you just startled me, that's all," said Lily, trying to placate the elf who looked like he was close to crying.

"Smiley, would you mind taking Lily's stuff up to my room?" asked Alice, and the elf's demeanor changed abruptly.

"Smiley would be more than happy to do anything that Miss Alice and Miss Lily required!"

Smiley took the handle of Lily's trunk and her shoulder bag before disappearing with another loud pop!

"Here's my room," said Alice, opening a heavy, oak door.

While the bed and walls were very ornate and elegant, nobody could have mistaken Alice's room for just another room in the Prewett mansion. The faint blue walls were covered with posters from Quidditch field diagrams to a poster featuring the Weird Sisters. One had a picture of a hippogriff and read, got wings?

Her bed was extremely messy, and clothes littered the floor. In one corner Lily spotted Alice's broomstick and a crate that shook slightly, indicating that there were two bloodthirsty Bludgers waiting to be released.

"You've stalled long enough, Lily. What happened?"

Lily sighed and started to tell Alice about the unfortunate incident.

Dearest Lily,

I am so sorry for not being around as much the entire summer. Mulciber had invited me to his place, and it's a big deal for a half-blood like me to get to spend time with a family like the Mulcibers. I'm sure you understand that it was an opportunity I could barely pass up.

I know that you've been spending a lot of time with Alice Prewett, but please, Lils, your friends aren't all you make them out to be, and I hope that eventually you could see that Mulciber is actually a good friend. Some of the things her family believe aren't exactly right, and you should be careful around them.

Remember what I said, and I'll see you at Hogwarts.

Your friend,

Sev