Chapter 10: Lily
When Lily opened her eyes again, she was staring at her nightstand, and the perfect, yellow lily that remained undisturbed under her water pitcher made bright, yellow crystalline patterns dance across her wall in the gleam of daybreak. The dancing radiance, though pretty, was far too glaring this early in the morning. Lily groaned deep in her throat and rolled over onto her back, shielding her eyes from the offending brilliance with the palm of her hand. Next time, she would have to remember to draw the curtains before turning in for the night. A shadow passed across her window fleetingly, casting the room back into a comfortable darkness, though it passed far too quickly to allow Lily to settle back into her drowsy encampment of pillows and blankets.
She kicked out with her feet several times, pushing the comforter further down her body, a bit at a time, with each kick, until she was free of their soothing embrace. She rolled herself towards the edge of the mattress until she all but fell out of bed, supporting herself on one shaky arm to keep herself from having a face first collision with the carpet. Standing upright, she staggered her way blindly to the window with heavy footsteps, her hair a tangled rats nest piled wildly on top of her head. She would sooner withdraw to her burrow of blankets than deal with this glaring monstrosity so bloody early in the goddamned morning, but if she wanted any sort of relief, forward and onward it must be, until the sickening brilliance was snuffed out; or at least faded to a less offensive morning haze.
With a handful of drape clasped in each fist, Lily made to draw them closed in one fluid motion and cut them off at the source, but instead, found herself looking out to meet the morning head on (so to speak.)
The sun was brilliant, as it's commonly known to be, and everything looked fresh and well rested as though the whole Earth had woken simultaneously with her. Little diamonds of dew twinkled merrily away, glinting to remind her they were there and catching the light from many different angles that lit up the whole yard. Birds twittered happily in the distance and a handsome gray tabby cat could be seen walking silkily up the road, tail twitching.
Half-awed and half-annoyed that she wouldn't be going back to bed after all, Lily cracked the window open instead to allow the crisp sun soaked air to permeate the room. With a sigh of defeat and one last lust-filled look at the mattress, she dressed and headed downstairs to deal with her stomach's mutinous war cries.
Lily collapsed into the nearest chair beside Petunia and, without speaking, pulled the mountain of toast towards her, grabbing a thick slice and tearing into it ravenously. Petunia rolled her eyes but didn't say anything either as she sipped her tea, doing her best to ignore her younger sister and her sister's bad manners. The smell of scrambled eggs and crackling bacon wafted from the kitchen and made Lily's stomach growl impatiently as she swallowed back yet another slice of buttered toast in an attempt to stunt her voracious hunger.
"It's about time you decided to show up," Petunia whispered haughtily, breaking the silence and taking another loud sip of tea. "What's the problem Lily? Late night?" she hinted with a nasty smirk. Lily glowered at her and opened her mouth to reply when a loud shriek came from the kitchen.
"Andrew! Do something! For the love of-" Mrs. Evans let out another high pitched squeal as something clanged together loudly, followed by a great deal of frantic rustling that could be heard from the next room. Lily jumped to her feet and ran to the kitchen leaving behind a bewildered looking Petunia who sat transfixed and wide-eyed, clutching her chest in surprise.
"Mum!" Lily called in alarm. "Mum! Is everything al-" The words died in her throat as she turned the corner. She had come upon one of the most bizarre looking scenes she had ever witnessed. Mrs. Evans was on the floor shielding her head as though expecting a bomb to drop at any moment, while Mr. Evans had acquired a pair of oven mitts and was attempting to corner a large tawny owl that was desperately avoiding capture. Every once in awhile it would fly wildly about the room, crashing into things with it's large outstretched wings to avoid the grasp of the dreadful padded mitts. Behind them the curtains floated airily from the breeze that drifted through the open window. Lily clapped a hand over her mouth to hide the smile that invaded her lips.
"Andrew, PLEASE!"
"How did it get in here?" Mr. Evans grunted as he made another lunge for the owl, narrowly missing it's heavy taloned feet. The owl flew out of his grasp and crashed clumsily onto the countertop, hooting angrily. From the sound of it, the owl wasn't too thrilled with the way the Evans greeted house guests, and it had half a mind to tell them so.
"Dad!" Lily tried to interject loudly.
There was a third throaty scream from Mrs. Evans as the owl took off again, brushing the side of her face with one of its feathered wings innocently as it passed.
"Dad!-"
"Alright, you overgrown feather duster, that does it. I'm through playing games! Get out! Get out! Get out of my kitchen!" Mr. Evans shouted angrily. Mrs. Evans was now face-down on the floor, pressing herself firmly into the kitchen tile to get as low as possible and desperately wiping at her cheek as though a single touch of a feather could somehow reep something contagious.
"DAD, STOP!"
As though just noticing she was there, the owl blinked slowly and fixed it's large amber eyes on Lily. Taking flight, it dove straight towards her and, in a moment of surprise, Lily ducked as the owl flew right over her head and landed on the table in front of Petunia, who screeched and toppled her chair over backwards in an attempt to get away.
Her parents came barreling in after the owl, but Lily held out her hands urgently in a gesture of restraint.
"No! Wait! He's got a letter!" she shouted excitedly. The pair of harassed looking parents froze in place, Mr. Evans now brandishing a frying pan in his gloved hands, the floral patterns sticking out awkwardly in the otherwise tasteful dining room. Mrs. Evans hair was in a frazzled state of disarray, while her face was flushed a bright crimson red.
Lily approached the owl carefully. As she swept closer, the owl stuck out it's leg obediently for her to retrieve the letter. It looked deeply annoyed and hooted indignantly as Lily worked to untie the letter, as though scolding her for the gross mistreatment it was forced to endure. She stroked the feathers delicately in appreciation and offered the owl the other half of her toast. The owl accepted it gratefully, but made no effort to be delicate about it. As he took the toast in his beak, he nipped at Lily's fingers angrily in the process.
"Ouch," Lily muttered, shaking her hand. "I guess we deserve that. I'm sorry about that," Lily nodded towards her parents who were still standing frozen in the doorway. "They aren't used to having owls fly in the house to deliver the post." she explained apologetically. With a final hoot the owl took off, knocking over the salt and pepper shakers on it's way and flying back out the open window, cuffing Mr. Evans round the neck as it flew by.
"What in the bloody hell was that all about!?" Mr. Evans roared angrily, rubbing at his neck.
"Andrew!" Mrs. Evans scolded, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. "The girls!"
"Right, right- Sorry Camelia, dear, but this is madness-"
Lily looked down at the cream coloured envelope in her hands addressed in emerald ink:
Miss L. Evans
The window over the roof
94 Rosland RD
Cokeworth, England
"It's addressed to me!" she exclaimed happily. "It really is! And it really came by owl!" Lily was waving the letter in the air and dancing on the spot. Mr. and Mrs. Evans exchanged a look.
"Well? Go on. What's it say?" Mr. Evans encouraged his daughter, still holding the frying pan stiffly in his outstretched hands. Lily tore open the crimson wax seal with trembling fingers and unfolded the letter. Petunia had righted her chair and sat stiff lipped and unnoticed, both hands flat against the table top.
"Dear Miss. Evans," Lily read aloud. "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
"What? Hogwarts? What's Hogwarts?" Mrs. Evans asked, her nose wrinkling in confusion.
"Well, I'd like to say it's a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry" Mr. Evans replied, not unkindly.
Lily chuckled. "A school of Magic!" she exclaimed happily. "And I'll get to go! Oh please say I can go! Please, please, please!" she begged her parents, hopping on the spot in excitement. Mr. Evans held out his hand for the letter, passing Camelia the frying pan as he did and then, realizing he still had on oven mitts, shrugging them off his hands irritably. Lily placed the letter in his outstretched palm, still dancing on tip-toes as he scanned the letter.
"Look at this Camelia, do you think it's some sort of joke?" Mr. Evans asked in disbelief as he handed the letter off to Mrs. Evans.
"If it is someone went through an awful lot of trouble for a laugh," she insisted. "The letter was delivered by a bleeding owl!" she said as she too scanned the letter.
"So I can go, can't I? Oh please, please, please! I won't ask for anything else in my whole life!"
"Now hold on there. Lily, settle down now-" Mr. Evans replied, placing his hands on his daughter's shoulders gently to stop her from vibrating through the floor. His eyes caught hold of the clock on the wall. "Oh no! I'm going to be late!" He exclaimed desperately. "Listen Lily, we'll have to discuss this further when I come home from work." Lily looked crestfallen. "Camelia, dear!"
Mrs. Evans had disappeared into the kitchen, discarding mitts and pan and grabbing a brown paper bag that contained her husband's lunch. Hurriedly she thrust it into his hands as he shrugged into his jacket and hastily fastened up one or two misaligned buttons. He grabbed his wife and children as he passed and gave them hurried hugs goodbye as he swept up his briefcase and threw open the front door.
"Love you girls! Lily, I promise we'll talk when I get home!" he called behind him. There were some muffled sounding goodbyes and shouted 'I love yous' from inside the house as Mr. Evans rushed out the door, where he collided unexpectedly with something very solid. He crashed to the ground bringing whatever stood in his way down with him in a flurry of chartreuse fabric. Groaning, Mr. Evans sat himself upright and opened his eyes to see what he had bumped into.
"Really, Mr. Evans!" An accented and stern sounding voice said in disgruntled dismay. "I should think you the sense to at least watch where you're going! Especially if you insist on going about it like a charlatan." A stern looking woman with a tight bun and squared spectacles had rose to her feet and was dusting off her clothes. She had only just righted her overly large feathered hat when Lily's face appeared at the door. "Ah, you must be Lily!" she exclaimed kindly, stepping over Mr. Evans and shaking her hand gently. "Oh and Mr. Evans do come in, we have some important matters to discuss concerning your daughter."
Mr. Evans, who had just picked himself up off the stoop and was straightening his jacket, looked back at the woman in disbelief.
"Wha-? Who are you? What's all this about?" he asked hotly.
"Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." the witch replied with a stiff bow.
"Oh, right. Look Mrs. McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwash School of- thing, I don't mean to be rude, but I really am in a rush. I'm running late for work, you see. Perhaps we could schedule an appropriate time later this week." Mr. Evans replied crisply, glancing down at his watch.
"This will only take a moment." McGonagall insisted, guiding him back into the house.
"I can't afford to be late! I'm going in for a promotion-"
"Calm yourself Mr. Evans, I will get you to work on time, I guarantee it. I really must insist. This is a very serious matter regarding your daughter's future. Surely you must have time for that." Professor McGonagall fixed him with a steely gaze.
Mr. Evans looked unconvinced that somehow, by some miracle, this odd looking woman was going to get him to work on time, but he relented anyhow and allowed himself to be steered back into the house he had just left. Mrs. Evans came to the door to check on all the commotion.
"Andrew? I thought you were running late- Oh, hello," Mrs. Evans said in mild surprise at the third person standing in her entryway. She approached the woman with an outstretched hand. "Camelia Evans."
"Professor Minerva McGonagall," the woman returned, taking the proffered hand and shaking it firmly. "Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"How do you do Mrs. McGonagall," Mrs. Evans said respectfully.
"Minerva, please," the woman said waving a hand dismissively at the formality.
"Minerva," Mrs. Evans repeated smiling. "Could I interest you in a cup of tea or a spot of breakfast?"
"Just tea, if you please Camelia," McGonagall replied smoothly, walking in and settling herself down on the sofa. Mrs. Evans nodded and disappeared once more into the kitchen returning with a tray of tea, a bowl of sugar cubes and some heavy cream. A few biscuits were also placed neatly on a separate plate beside the tea.
Professor McGonagall poured as much cream into her cup as it could hold and stirred, the china clinking away delicately, the sugar left untouched. Settling back in her seat she took a deep swig and eyed the Evans who were all watching her curiously. Lily had parked herself right beside Professor McGonagall, grinning widely up at her while Mr. and Mrs. Evans sat on the little loveseat by the window. Petunia, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Noticing the others from over her cup and realizing that they had all been staring in silence for some time, McGonagall took another hefty gulp of tea and, lowering it, smiled at them all. "Thank-you Camelia, dear, the tea is delicious," she said replacing the cup in its saucer and setting it on the little table in front of her. "Now I trust you all had a chance to read the letter."
They all exchanged uncomfortable glances with one another, remembering the chaos of the tawny owl's visit only moments before McGonagall arrived.
"Er- yes well, skimmed over it, more like," Mr. Evans admitted. Professor McGonagall looked appalled.
"Skimmed?" she replied strictly. "Something as important as this?"
Mrs. Evans interjected. "We had some trouble with the- owl- that delivered it," she explained politely. Professor McGonagall looked confused, looking first from one face to the next.
"Trouble? How so? He found the correct address, did he not? He gave the letter to the intended addressee?"
"Yes-" Mrs. Evans replied slowly. "He did, but-"
"But we weren't expecting to have a wild animal fly in through our kitchen window and deliver a letter," Mr. Evans finished for her.
"Nonsense," McGonagall waved her hand again. "There's nothing wild about post owls. They take their jobs quite seriously." She took another sip of tea. "If you had read the letter thoroughly-" she eyed Mr. Evans pointedly. "-then you'll have known that your daughter, Lily, has a place at the finest wizarding school in Britain-"
"Yes, but-"
"You will also have known," McGonagall continued loudly over the interruption "That term starts the 1st September and you'll need to acquire all of her school things from Diagon Alley before the train leaves from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at precisely 11:00 A.M. There's a list of provisions included with the acceptance letter," McGonagall added briefly.
"Quite right," Mr. Evans agreed, his irritation growing. "But the thing is, Mrs. McGonagall, why is my youngest daughter being recruited to a school that teaches witchcraft? It's all a little too fantastical for my liking."
McGonagall's eyes grew round and she chuckled nervously. "It seems I've gotten a bit ahead of myself. Forgive me Mr. and Mrs. Evans, when you've seen as many Muggle parents as I have it all begins to blur into one. You forget you're talking to Muggles who don't know-"
And she launched into her usual, obviously rehearsed, speech about how magic was real and their youngest daughter had magical blood in her veins that allowed her to do the kinds of things they only read about in fairytales. The further along she got in her speech, the wider the Evans' eyes grew until they were as big as saucers. When she had finished, both parents were white as ghosts, and looked as though the news had physically exhausted the lot of them.
McGonagall, who was clearly used to this sort of behavior, took up her cup and had another sip of tea while she waited for the information to be absorbed by Andrew and Camelia Evans. Lily on the other hand, couldn't help but grin from ear to ear with excitement, and every now and again she breathed a weighty 'wow' under her breath.
"Say I can go! Please Mum! Please Dad!" Lily exclaimed suddenly as though she couldn't wait any longer in the deafening silence. Professor McGonagall smiled fondly at Lily and stood up from the sofa.
"It really is the best thing you can do for your daughter Mr. and Mrs. Evans," McGonagall goaded gently. "It is essential that the young lass be amongst her own kind, to learn about her world. It's the finest establishment one could ask for. Young witches and wizards need to learn how to control their magical abilities. I'll send along further instructions for Diagon Alley and the school platform along with Lily's train ticket. I'll be in touch," she assured them both warmly. Glancing at the clock on the wall she added hurriedly. "Mr. Evans, we must be getting along! Come now, quickly!"
Mr. Evans stood up in stunned silence as McGonagall pushed him along and rushed him outside the door. She snaked one arm through his, as though he were about to escort her someplace classy and, with her spectacles glinting mysteriously in the daylight, she waved to Lily and Mrs. Evans who stood perched on the front step and disappeared on the spot with a loud crack, taking all trace of Mr. Evans along with her. Camelia Evans fainted.
Lily could hardly believe it! She finally got her letter for Hogwarts! And it came just as Severus said it would, owl and all. Her parent's handled it better than she was expecting, honestly, and once Lily had successfully revived Mrs. Evans with a cold cloth clamped against her forehead it didn't take long for her to agree to let Lily attend. Lily was so excited she couldn't hold still, she kept re-reading the acceptance letter and stared in amazement at the list of school supplies she'd be needing to attend classes, all the while pacing frantic circles around her room. She needed to find Severus and share the news! Besides, if she got her letter, it was more than likely that he got his too, and she couldn't wait to compare.
Lily ran a brush through her wild tresses and tied it back in a loose pony. She knew she would end up running and she didn't want her hair to get in her way and slow her down. Satisfied, she raced to the front door and called out into the whole of the house.
"Mum! I'm going out! I'll be back later!"
A distant voice sounded from somewhere upstairs in eerie, echoey response.
"Don't forget curfew!" the voice said curtly.
"I won't! I promise! Love you!"
And with that, Lily flew through the open door, letting it slam shut behind her and jumping the steps of her front stoop before racing her way up the street. She desperately wanted to find Severus and share in the good news.
Naturally she tried Pine Peak first, but when that yielded disappointing results she only knew of one other place she should try next. If he wasn't by the river then she was out of ideas, she already passed the playground on her way to Pine Peak and it was just as Severus-less and empty as Pine Peak was now. She was out of breath from running so much, so to recharge she was speed-walking through the familiar trail that would lead her out of the trees and into the open field that lay by the water.
Once clear of the trees she looked hopefully towards the river bank, and the small thicket they had parked themselves under just a few days before. The trees were vacant, and her heart sunk deep in her chest in bitter disappointment. Her eyes scanned the terrain for any sign of a scrawny wizard boy, and just when she was about to give in and go home, she saw a dark shadow cast against the river. Her heart jumped back to life when she saw it, and she dared hope that it was him, though from this distance it didn't look like a person.
But it could be-
Lily began to speed towards the bank and towards the darkened blotch on the grass. As she drew nearer, she recognized it for what it was. Severus. Though he was hunched over in a tight wad of flesh. His knees were brought up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them tightly, his head down, resting against both knees and arms, as though he were trying to make himself as small as possible. Lily smiled and broke out into a run.
"Sev!" She called excitedly as she sprinted towards the figure on the bank. The shadow never stirred. "Sev!" she called again, brandishing her letter in the air and waving it about with a flourish as she continued towards him. She closed the distance between them until she was right up beside the scrunched up ball that was her best friend. Lily keeled over panting and trying to catch her breath. "Sev! I got it! I got my letter! You wouldn't believe what happened! The owl, it flew in through the kitchen window, and oh God, my parents, you should have seen them-" Lily cut herself off noticing how unnaturally unresponsive Severus was.
Something was wrong.
Remembering the last time she saw him and the circumstances around it, a sudden fear slipped up her spine until her sweat turned cold against her skin.
"Sev," she tried again more gently. "Are you alright? Did something happen?" She settled herself next to him, so close their arms touched, and there she waited for an answer. Underneath her touch, the hunched pile of flesh and cloth stirred and turned its deadened gaze over, until obsidian eyes met green. Lily took in the faded blotches of red that had taken residence against the smooth pale skin of his face and was hit with an overwhelming sense of guilt.
He did it. His dad hit him. It's all my fault.
When Severus still refused to say anything but instead returned to his initial position, Lily leaned into him and rested her head against one bony shoulder, trying to comfort him the only way she knew how. If he didn't want to talk, well, that was just fine with her. They could just sit here on the bank and simply be. She would stay here with him for as long as he needed her to, or until he told her to leave. Whichever came first.
When some time had passed and there was nothing but the occasional rise and fall of Severus's shoulders as he let out large sighs of weighted breath, he raised his head and looked out across the water.
"My Aunt Vesta came to visit this morning-" Severus began in a disconnected and quiet sort of voice. Lily didn't dare interrupt him for fear he would close right back up and return to shutting her out. "I didn't even know I had an Aunt Vesta. My Mum- she doesn't have contact with her side," he explained shortly. "But she turned up. She turned up out of nowhere...and she asked- she asked me to come live with her."
Lily listened with rapt attention, removing her head from Severus's shoulder and turning to watch him attentively. "M-my Mum wouldn't let me go with her." Severus choked back a sob, his voice beginning to crack. "I- I was so close to getting out of here-" He broke down then. His shoulders shaking with the frantic sobs that came bursting through the careful restraint he always wore, and there he was, powerless to stop it.
Lily's mind worked out what that meant. That he could have been freed of his father's wrath and of Spinner's End and possibly even of poverty, if his Aunt Vesta was a well off sort of woman, and her heart shattered. She didn't know what to say. Knowing Severus to be a proud and secretive sort, she knew that anything she said to try and remedy the situation might unintentionally hurt his pride. She needed to get him thinking about other things. He needed a distraction from the harsh reality of his unwarranted life. Before she knew what she was even going to say, it left her lips in a surprisingly steady and casual tone of voice that was as natural as though she had planned on saying it all along.
"Fancy a swim?"
A/N: Sorry this chapter took a long while to get out. I ran into some writers block with it and then got hit by an ugly bout of depression that had me question whether or not I wanted to finish the story at all. Rest assured, with all remaining chapters briefly outlined I think it's safe to say I won't be abandoning it. Let me know what you think, if you have some time. It's nice to know if people are enjoying the story or not. As usual, thanks for reading!