She was going to see him. Today.
Lily's head and heart were a racing mess as she stood in front of her closet, growing more frustrated by the minute. Had she ever owned anything at all worth wearing, ever? Right now, she found that hard to believe; every single article of clothing she owned looked bland at best to her.
"Petunia!" Lily called over her shoulder, holding on to the door handles of her closet as if they were saving her from drowning. A shuffling outside of her bedroom announced her sister's presence.
"What is it, Lils? I really don't have time to chat right now, I'm off to meet the girls for lunch," Petunia informed her as she stuck her head into the small room. She was dressed in a sky-blue shift dress and her plain brown hair was twisted into a pristine bun.
"I have nothing to wear," Lily wined while she scrunched her nose at an old pair of chequered wool pants that she threw onto an already large pile of discarded clothes in the corner of her room, "next time I decide that monochrome prints would look good with my thighs, stop me, will you? With force if necessary."
"Gladly! Well, I'm sorry you don't have anything nice to wear, but not at all surprised I'm afraid. How long have I been preaching to you that mum and dad could spend a little more money on our wardrobes occasionally?"
"Uh... three years tops?" Lily guessed.
"You always did have a tough time handling the rhetorical," tutted Petunia. Lily stuck her tongue out at her.
"Petunia, I'm serious! All the dresses I sewed this summer are in the washer and now I really need to borrow something from you. I know for a fact that you bought a bunch of cute new clothes with the money you got from working in the flower shop on Amsterdam Road. Speaking of, that dress you're wearing is looking awfully new to me as well. Pretty please can I pick something out something of yours?" At Lily's pleas, Petunia just let out a cackling laugh.
"Maybe I judged too quickly as you must be kidding," Petunia chortled and started to turn on her heel, "or out of your mind for that matter!"
"No! Wait. It's important, Tuney. Please?" Lily begged, intertwining her fingers as if in innocent prayer. Her elder sister threw a glance over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Lily.
"Important? What on earth could be so important that you would need to borrow my clothes?"
"Well you seem, Mum's taking me to Diagon Alley," Lily tried to explain.
"Buh-bye now."
"No, wait! Well, if you must know, I'm hoping to run into someone while we're there," Lily shared unenthusiastically.
This would be a feast for her sister, who always teased her about her lack of interest in boys and dating. It wasn't that Lily didn't date, but she just didn't want to go out with someone for the hell of it. She felt that the "friend" part of the word was just important as the "boy" part, and every guy she went out with ended up boring her a bit by the time they had had their first butter beer at the Three Broomsticks. Even Lucas Shelby, the beyond gorgeous seeker from Hufflepuff she went out with a couple of times this past fall, couldn't hold a conversation that didn't involve school or people from school. That's why Lily always loved going to Hogsmeade with Severus. She could talk to him for hours about topics that were far beyond their everyday lives; they discussed complex magical theory, current politics, and even literature. The only problem was of course that she was not attracted to Severus one bit- even though that would've made things a lot easier for the both of them. He also never really made her laugh in a "pumpkin juice out of your nostrils" sort of way. Not that he hadn't tried. Severus, however, found it funny to laugh about others- a quality they did not share. Now of course, looks and laughs were the least of their problems.
After Lily had confessed, she had finally gotten Petunia's attention. The slender girl turned to face her younger sister whilst still gazing out of the window with ostentation and heavy lids, as if consequentially bored out of her mind by this information.
"Listening," Petunia yawned demonstratively.
"Okay... So perhaps there's a boy," Lily blurted out.
"I'm shocked," Petunia said mockingly, a triumphant smile playing on her lips, "who knew that Lily Evans could descend from her wild unicorn to join the rest of us mere mortals and actually fancy someone? Don't tell me- is he a vampire? A werewolf? Ooh, wait, a cyclops? Don't start getting ordinary now, freaky freak!" Lily rolled her eyes at her sister in annoyance.
"No, it's a real live boy, Geppetto."
"Fascinating," Petunia assessed.
"Come on, Tuney! You were the one that said I should bring a date to your wedding. You know, I'm doing this all for you," Lily fluttered her eyelashes in generous obedience.
"Oh is that really so? Well, I would prefer it if you brought someone that doesn't quite resemble that hideous Snape boy," Petunia mused, seemingly very comfortable in her position of power, "what exactly did you plan on borrowing?"
"Um. Your denim skirt with the buttons down the front and, and... yurabashrt," Lily mumbled quickly.
"My what now?" Petunia's eyebrows nearly touched the ceiling.
"Your... your... Your ABBA shirt?" Lily whispered in fear.
"What!?"
"The white one with the gold letters?"
"I know which one you mean, pumpkin head" Petunia snapped, "and you have obviously lost your wits."
"I'll do anything," Lily pleaded, dramatically falling onto her knees in front of her sister. Petunia looked Lily up and down, now seemingly intrigued.
"Anything?"
"Yes!" Lily's face lit up, "See, I could do your share of the dishes for the rest of the summer!"
"For another whole two weeks? Very generous of you, but I'll pass. But I could think of something..." Petunia examined Lily intently with her eyes.
"Uh-huh?" Lily feared what was to come. Petunia seemed to be fighting with herself, tugging at her dress, perhaps embarrassed of what she was going to ask of Lily.
"Well… I want a winter wonderland wedding, Lils," Petunia allowed.
"I know that, Tuney. It's going to be beautiful! I'm so happy that I get to be your maid of honour!" Petunia held up her hand to stop her from continuing.
"Lily, listen to me for a second. It's not going to be a winter wonderland if there's ugly and grey December drizzle. You know how my hair frizzes up at the mere mention of humidity on the news. Well, I'm wondering if you could... I need you to try... I need you to make it snow," Petunia said uncertainly, purposefully staring out of the window again. Lily's heart sank.
"Oh, Tuney, I-I wish I could. That's a really powerful spell. I'm not nearly advanced enough to-" Petunia's face fell instantly and then her eyes formed to slits, her expression viscous.
"What are they teaching you at that school?" Petunia snapped, "I thought you're always bringing home such good grades, the way dad raves about you. Are they just handing those out to everyone? Or are you faking your scores?"
"Petunia, I really wish I could... But magic doesn't work like that. You need to train for a long long time to change meteorologic events. Only very few wizards and witches are powerful enough to master the spell. But hey, now that I think of it, I do know someone who can make it snow inside! Would that help?"
"That's not natural, Lily. I don't want anyone to think- to think that I'm associated with freaks!" Petunia spat and raced out of the room. Lily was hurt at her sister's words but quickly followed her to the room next door, thinking on her feet.
"Lily, I would appreciate it if you left me alone, I'm late already to meet the girls," Petunia sniffed.
"Look Tunes, I know I can't give you snow. But how about tons and tons of white roses? You love those! And- and I could make them all glitter. I know how to do those spells." Petunia stood at her desk, her back turned towards Lily and her expression a mystery. After a minute of silence between them, Petunia finally stirred.
"I want my headpiece to glitter as well," Petunia's voice was quiet, but firm. Lily broke out into a wide smile, a flood of relief flushing over her.
"Absolutely. You're shoes too, if you want!" She finally got Petunia to turn around and to even grant a small smile. Suddenly, Petunia walked over to her closet, rummaged around for a bit, and wordlessly handed Lily the skirt and the shirt she had asked for.
"Here, these wedges will go well with the outfit," Petunia cleared her throat.
"Thanks, Tunes," Lily breathed in sharply as she took the beautiful shoes from her sister's hands, "you're a superstar!"
"Get out of my room now."
"Alright then!" Lily's mood couldn't be dampened and she hopped back over to her room to change. Her sister's clothes fit her very well. Once she had put everything on, she examined herself in the full-length mirror in the upstairs hallway.
"Mamma Mia," she whistled as she took in her reflection, "You're a lady, Lily Evans! Who'd have thunk it?"
"Lils, are you talking to yourself again?" she heard Petunia's voice calling from downstairs. Lily quickly locked herself into the tiny upstairs bathroom and attempted applying black eyeliner without Dorcas' help. Thirteen fails later, it didn't turn out half bad and Lily contently exited the bathroom.
"Lily-bean, we also need to get going!" Rose Evans called from downstairs and as Lily rushed to meet her, "sweet Queen of England, what's happened to my little girl? Lily, what in God's name are you wearing?"
"What? This belongs to Tuney! If she's allowed to wear it-"
"Yes yes, no need to further discuss. I vividly remember fighting with your sister over that skirt, I'm through with you girls. I suppose this has to do with the boy you're hoping to meet at Diagon Alley?"
"Mum, just because I confided in you, doesn't mean you get to make fun of me now!"
"Oh sweety, I'm not! You look stunning, honestly. Almost too beautiful for your own good. I don't want to know what happens in that castle, a bunch of teenagers running around... I remember my youth, and I can tell you that-"
"Don't, mum. Please, I don't want to hear about how you snogged Dean Digby and half the football team before you decided on dad right now."
"It was Dean Dalby, actually," Rose Evans winked, "and at least three-quarters of the football team."
"Mum!"
"Alright then, let's get going shall we? We need to catch the 9 o'clock train after all. Oh, and here's the letter with the list of school books. It's really heavy this year, isn't it? Well, it makes sense that you would need a lot of books to study for N.E.W.T.s."
Lily had completely forgotten about her letter from Hogwarts. It had come during her shift at the movie theatre yesterday. She remembered her mother telling her about it, but she had been so exhausted that she hadn't thought about it any further that evening. She delicately took the heavy letter from her mother's hands, breathing slowly as she opened it. She pulled out the several parchments the envelope held, but there was still something heavy remaining at the bottom of it. Lily knew exactly what this meant. She was in trance. She unfolded the parchments, skipping past the long list of books she needed for her N.E.W.T classes to the next page.
Dear Ms. Evans,
I am pleased to inform you that Prof. Albus Dumbledore, along with the unanimous support of the teaching staff at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, has appointed you the position of Head Girl.
Your first task will commence on the 1st of September. You are asked to kindly lead the annual Premier Prefects Meeting that transpires on the Hogwarts Express. As you took part during the last two meetings of this kind, I expect you to be sufficiently prepared. Please find enclosed a guiding list of topics that are to be addressed during this meeting. However, as Head Girl you are free to adjust and add to this in accordance with your best judgement. You are furthermore asked to meet Prof. Dumbledore on the 2nd of September together with this year's Head Boy to discuss your position and further awaiting tasks.
Congratulations, Lily. I could not be prouder to have a student of my house representing Hogwarts as Head Girl, and such an exceptional witch as yourself on both academic and social accounts at that. You have truly earned this.
Yours Sincerely,
Minvera McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"By Merlin's knotty beard," Lily murmured, a thousand thoughts running through her head.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Rose Evans shut the clasps of her purse. Lily dug around in the envelope and held up the golden badge for her mother to see.
"They've made me Head Girl, Mum."
Rose quietly took the heavy pin from her daughter's hand and stared at it, frowning. For a strange moment, Lily thought her mother was going to be angry. But then Rose Evan's eyes met her daughter's, and Lily saw that her mother was crying.
"Mum, are you alright?" Lily didn't know what to think. But then, her mother smiled a smile that lit up her entire face and with it the room around her. A smile that Lily had inherited.
"Lily Jane Evans, you have no idea how proud you make me every single day. Oh, my little girl!" and with that, mother and daughter embraced each other tightly, the golden badge falling to the floor.
