Birthday Wishes Always Come True - Wish Upon a Star
written by: albe-chan
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned, I am making no money from this, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental. This work will contain MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing graphic sex, recreational drug use, nudity, etc.), and/or violence. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! You have been warned!
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Sunday passed in a blur of finishing homework, which wasn't as voluminous as last year, but much more difficult and time consuming. Lily was already almost afraid for NEWTs. Monday started with a nice lie-in, and got steadily worse. It poured nonstop all day, and Lily cursed herself inwardly for accepting the stupid Pep Team Captain role for the hundredth time, certain she'd end up practising in the rain when Tuesday morning looked to promise more of the same. To her surprise, and undying gratitude, the sun came out around noon and stayed out, and Lily decided to take it as a good omen, even though she'd forgotten, already, how to read omens from Divination.
The girls arrived on time for Pep Practice and Lily put the screws to them the second they'd finished stretching. By the end of the hour, Lily was hot, sweaty, grumpy, and had tied her hair up without thinking, and it looked a mess. But some of the girls had promise, and she felt confident she could whip the others into shape enough she wouldn't embarrass herself or her House by the Pep Final in June. They were just wrapping their cool down when the Hufflepuff Quidditch team sauntered onto the pitch. Lily tried not to blush, because the sun was hot and she'd been working hard, and had stripped right down to her tank top that rode up her stomach a little.
"What a way to start practice, am I right, lads?" the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain, Henry Dawson, a Seventh Year with an easy smile and angular face said, grinning at Lily in her tank and leggings, broom over his shoulder.
Against their will, Lily's eyes flicked to MacDougall for a moment, then she forced herself to turn to her team. The Fifth Years preened, the two Sixth Years giggled together a little and cast dreamy eyes at Robertson, and Missy Daniels was covertly checking out Dawson. "Alright, that's practice, ladies. See you all next time, and if you're late, you'll regret it." She smiled lightly at Dawson. "Pitch is all yours, boys."
"Stick around, Potter. We'll see how distracting you are for the lads," Dawson said. "Then maybe you can jump in the shower with me after."
Lily arched a brow and laughed. "Oh Godric, that's funny. Like I'd be getting in with you, Dawson." She smirked and patted his cheek when he grinned and rolled bright green eyes, a few shades darker than Albus's but close enough to remind her of him whenever she met them. "Have fun playing with your balls." She turned, glancing at MacDougall again, smiling ever so slightly at him, and then headed off the field.
She could tell Dawson, and possibly a few others, checked out her ass as she went to go grab her hoodie, because she felt awkward as she walked away and hustled back up to the castle. But at least she'd avoided a big crowd like at tryouts.
After dinner she went for a walk with Carmichael to smoke a joint and paid him his gold. "Nicely done, Potter," he teased. Lily rolled her eyes as they ducked under the cover of the Forest. "I heard you and your little Pep Team practiced today."
"Oh yeah?" she murmured, puffing off the joint. "News travels fast."
Carmichael grinned. "Dawson is a paying customer, and he asked if we're hooking up this year. I reckon he might want in your knickers, Potter."
Lily laughed. "He can get in line," she teased. Carmichael took the joint as she passed it, pulling her close as he leaned against a tree. "Not that the line's moving right now," she added.
His dark eyes rolled. "Don't remind me." He smirked a little, took a long drag off the joint, and his free hand moved down over her ass. "But Friday should be enjoyable."
It was Lily's turn to roll her eyes. "You're not getting laid," she said. He laughed.
"Stop reminding me." She kissed him. "Either way," he murmured, and passed the joint. She took a drag and then heard a foot crunching over dry underbrush and saw a wand light bobbing beside them. Her eyes widened in alarm as Carmichael swiftly reclaimed and Vanished the joint, then fixed his mouth over hers. She exhaled, as he inhaled and pressed closer to him as he huffed the smoke out in a thin cloud, directly upward. His lips moved over hers again, one hand fisting in her hair, the other lifting her thigh around his hip, and the kiss deepened rapidly.
"You're out of bounds," someone said, and Lily pulled back even as Carmichael rolled his eyes. Because they both recognized the sound of Hank Zipzer's voice.
"So are you," Carmichael pointed out. Lily bit her lip and pressed her face into his neck, trying not to laugh as Zipzer gaped.
"You're going to get detention," he said nastily.
Carmichael shrugged and Lily turned around, frowning. "And I'll make sure you do too, Zipzer."
Indeed, after they all went back to the castle, Lily, despite feeling dead terrified, was determined if she got in shit, Zipzer would, too. She stopped on the way to the Headmistress's office to 'use the loo', which consisted of dropping her eyes, performing a few Freshening Charms on her person, and pep talking herself, even though Zipzer protested the entire time.
Professor McGonagall looked mightily displeased when they all arrived in her office, the portraits of sleeping former Headmasters and Headmistresses lining the walls. McGonagall sat behind her desk and Lily felt a tremble of fear. "Sit," she said, Conjuring another chair identical to the other two chairs before her desk, and they all sat. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?"
"Professor," Zipzer began, "I apprehended these two in the Forbidden Forest, which is notably off limits to students."
Lily fought the urge to interrupt McGonagall, who asked sharply, "Doing what?"
"They were-" Zipzer faltered for a second, blushing pink, and Lily rolled her eyes.
"We were making out, Professor," she said pointedly. Carmichael smirked. "And I'd like to point out that Zipzer was in the Forest, too. So he also broke a school rule."
"I was enforcing the rules!" he snapped back, turning toward Lily.
She narrowed her squinty eyes more. "Did you see us walk into the Forest?" the redhead asked, sitting back, folding her arms.
"Enough," Professor McGonagall said, standing up. "Zipzer, did you witness them-?"
"No, Professor, but I knew they were probably-"
"Did someone tell you, or did you venture into the Forest on a gamble?" the Headmistress cut in.
"Well," Zipzer said, going pink again, "I had a very good notion they would be-"
"So you went in even though there was a chance you might not find them, or the possibility that they might not even be there?" McGonagall said. Lily barely held back her triumphant smile.
"I…" Zipzer seemed lost for words.
"All three of you will serve detention, for three nights, inside the Forest with Hagrid. And I can guarantee you won't like it. Report to him at seven thirty on Wednesday. You may go." The Headmistress sat back. "Miss Potter, if you could please stay a moment." Lily glanced in alarm at Carmichael who shrugged, almost imperceptibly, but his fingertips skimmed up her arm as he passed by. Once the boys had left, Lily fidgeted as Professor McGonagall looked at her with a very serious expression.
"Am I in trouble?" she murmured, hoping to Godric the answer was no.
"That remains to be seen, Miss Potter," the Headmistress said, mouth thin. "Normally I don't endeavor to be acquainted with students' personal lives, but I would caution you, Miss Potter, that continued fraternization with Mr. Carmichael will undoubtedly be detrimental to your time here at school." Lily blinked, half torn between laughing and tell McGonagall to fuck off.
"Um," she said, with a hesitant amount of outrage, "with all due respect Professor, Carmichael's not the worst influence." She braved a glance at the Headmistress, who looked forbidding.
"Be that as it may, Miss Potter, the fact remains, he-"
"He gets good grades, he respects me, and he's not just pretending to like me because my dad is Harry Potter. So no offence, Professor, the fact remains, I'm probably going to keep seeing him." She sucked in a breath after her little impassioned speech and almost bit her tongue in half. She'd just back chatted, after interrupting, the fucking Headmistress! Oh dear Godric. Here came more detentions.
McGonagall gave her a long searching look and Lily tried to keep her eyes open, even as her heart thudded, loud and nervous, in her ears. "Very well, Miss Potter," she said at last. "That is all. But keep in mind," she added as Lily stood up, "your aunt Hermione sits on the Board of Governors and I know Professor Longbottom writes to your father regularly. Goodnight."
Lily's mouth fell open as she hustled back down out of the Headmistress's office, and didn't hear the murmur from one of the portraits of former Heads saying, "Minerva, she is the granddaughter of Lily Evans. Do you truly believe she will listen?"
Carmichael was waiting at the end of the corridor for her. "What the bloody hell was that about?" he murmured. Lily rolled her eyes, heart still pounding.
"McGonagall felt the need to let me know my 'continued fraternization with you' would be 'detrimental'." Dark brows lifted. "Right?" Lily laughed softly.
"Shit. I never thought McGonagall hated me so much," he drawled, smirking, and Lily giggled as they headed back toward Gryffindor Tower.
"Don't worry, I defended your honor," she murmured, and they ducked into a secret passageway that would take them right up toward the Fat Lady's corridor. "Because, y'know," she added as they passed through the dim passageway that wound steadily upward, "I am the best pretend girlfriend."
"You are, Potter," he agreed, smiling, and reached for her hand just as they got to the end of the passage. He pulled her close, kissing her, hands roving up under her shirt and with confidence over her bra. "The question is," he murmured, mouth moving down her neck, "are you going to be more than that?"
"Are you asking me out?" she breathed, then kissed him, suckling on his lip ring.
"Maybe."
Lily hesitated then opened her mouth to tell him to sod off, because he was smiling and she couldn't tell if he was joking around or not, but instead she found herself saying, "If you take me on a real date, I'll consider it." His brows lifted.
"A real date?" he drawled.
"Uh huh," she said softly, and her palms moved up and over his shoulders. "Like to Hogsmeade."
He snorted. "What are we, Third Years?" he teased, nipping her neck then kissing it.
"No," Lily conceded. "But I already told you I don't really want to be a slut this year, so if you're serious about for real dating, you better man up and ask me out properly."
"You're a dork, Potter," he murmured, grinning.
Lily leaned in and kissed his neck, then his jaw, and then bit his earlobe. "Maybe. But you like it," she breathed.
"Maybe," he conceded. "Fine. Want to come on a real date with me to Hogsmeade? We'll have coffee at Puddifoot's, then make out, then go smoke a fatty at the Shrieking Shack, and since you're not a slut, I won't get lucky. Again."
Lily laughed, head dropping back. Carmichael kissed her throat. "Wow, I can tell you're trying to be ultra romantic, Carmichael. But yes, I'd love to go on a real date with you. That sounds so fun." He chuckled. "But you also have to buy me Chocolate Cauldrons at Honeydukes', and hold my hand and shit. That's standard date procedure."
He laughed now. "Fine." They snogged for awhile longer, and Lily finally grunted as Carmichael tested the limits of her shirt's neckline. "You're going to stretch my third favourite shirt," she grumbled, pushing him back. He laughed softly and she bit his lip ring.
"It's called Reparo, Potter."
"That's funny, I thought you'd just tell me to take it off." She smirked, pulled him in for one last heated kiss, then slipped from between him and the side of the passage. "But I'm going to go be a dork and finish my homework. See you in detention."
"Sure you will," he murmured and she smiled. "Goodnight, Potter."
"'Night, Carmichael."
Once up in her dorm, Lily was feeling distinctly mellow, if still a little offended McGonagall had tried to meddle in her personal life, probably just because she was Harry Potter's daughter. Which, although irritating, wasn't precisely surprising. Hell, her father had probably asked for weekly update reports for all she knew. It wouldn't be surprising anyway.
Wednesday evening found Lily standing beside Hagrid's hut with Zipzer, waiting for Carmichael and seven thirty, so detention would start and be over sooner.. She'd come straight from stupid Pep Team practice, was already exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go shower and pass out. The former she hadn't seen all day, while the latter promised to arrive in less than a minute.
Zipzer was scowling and looked at his own watch. "Late," he grumbled, looking furious. Lily smirked and Zipzer glared at her. As her first serious boyfriend, they had dated most of Lily's fourth year, and broken up after she'd given him her virginity in a broom closet on the second floor and he'd told anyone and everyone who would listen all about it the next day. "Stop smirking, Potter. This isn't funny."
Lily smiled blandly. "Sure it is. You think you're above the rules and you're not. It's hilarious, and at least I got detention for a really good snog that was definitely worth it. You got detention for being nosy."
Zipzer glared, but before he could reply, Hagrid's cabin door boomed open and the gigantic man stepped out. Hagrid, whom she'd know forever, beamed at her. "Hello, Lily!" he said. "Jus' go' a letter from your Dad!" Then he frowned massively, although his beetle black eyes shone. "So you're part of my detention party, then?" he said gruffly.
The redhead mushed her lips together, because Zipzer looked half terrified when Hagrid glanced at him. "Yes," she said calmly. Hagrid's bushy, salt and pepper brows pulled together and he looked sharply at Zipzer again. "And no, Hagrid, I wasn't caught making out with that, if you were wondering."
Hagrid's shoulders shook a little as Zipzer's eyes narrowed, mouth curling in derision, and then the half-giant pointedly looked around. "So where's the last one?"
"Undoubtedly partaking in some sort of heinous rule flouting, obviously," Zipzer said loftily and Lily almost smiled, because he sounded like a bloody ponce.
"What?" Hagrid asked distractedly.
Zipzer's eyes rolled and Lily intervened. "He means Carmichael's probably not coming. But we should get started."
Hagrid shrugged, and started with long strides toward the Forest. "I'll be reporting his absence to the Headmistress," Zipzer said importantly, jogging along after Hagrid, who snorted. Lily rolled her eyes at Hagrid's elbow.
"What are we doing tonight?" Lily asked as though this were a Care of Magical Creatures class instead of detention.
"Some o' the Thestrals go' scale rot, so you'll be givin' 'em their medicine." They walked deep into the Forest, Lily feeling perfectly at ease with Hagrid right there, and smirked as Zipzer crashed along behind them. They finally made it to a clearing with a massive portion of dead cow on the ground and the redhead grimaced at the smell.
Zipzer's whole face went white. "This can't be hygienic."
Lily laughed, and started as something brushed against her. She couldn't see any Thestrals, but felt their presence and saw chunks being torn from the cow. "Hagrid, how are we going to give them medicine if we can't see them?" Lily asked, feeling something else brush her sleeve.
Hagrid chuckled, pulled a large tin of ointment from his pocket with something purple and crusty around the edge of the lid. "Yeh use your hands, Lily," he said kindly, and patted something invisible right beside her. "Dragona likes you. She's normally eating her fill."
Zipzer looked confused. "We have to just stumble around, feeling for scale rot on Thestrals?" he asked in a choked voice. Hagrid frowned.
"This almost sounds fun," Lily said, smiling, and Hagrid beamed, then handed her the ointment. He passed another tin to Zipzer. The redhead almost gagged when she opened it, because it smelled awful. Like onions and manky cheese and something that might have been burning sulphur. "Oh Godric!" She did gag a little, holding the tin at arms length. "Ew, Hagrid, what is this!?"
"Medicine," he said simply. "Now you two go' ten Thestrals here, so get tendin' to 'em. Just the legs, all four on all of 'em, all the way up. I'll check if you done alrigh' when you're finished."
Lily gagged again, rethinking her assumption this would be fun. She wanted to put gloves on before she put her hand in the sticky purple goo, but manned up. She snorted as Zipzer choked. Hagrid moved to the edge of the clearing and plonked down contentedly on a log, supervising. Lily reached out blindly and her hand bumped something smooth and leathery and entirely invisible. It was unnerving, especially when the creature brushed her hair, but she patted the beast reassuringly. "Hello," she said to the Thestral. "Hagrid, what one is this?" she called, feeling across the bony creature to its rump.
"We're not supposed to be having a conversation, Potter," Zipzer snapped. "Detention is to mull over what you've done wrong."
Lily laughed. "Sorry," she said pointedly. "I'd have thought you'd be impressed I'm trying to obtain knowledge from one of our illustrious members of staff." Zipzer snorted as Lily held her breath and started slathering purple goop on the Thestral's leg.
"That's Dragona," Hagrid called.
Lily sent Zipzer a gloating smirk. "Hello, Dragona," Lily murmured, and felt something brush her hair. She felt around blindly for another leg, determined to try to enjoy herself and piss off Zipzer as much as possible, although she couldn't help wondering where Carmichael was and what he thought he was playing at skipping detention. "I'm sorry you have scale rot," she said, smiling and wrinkling her nose against the stinky medicine. "Hopefully this clears it all right up soon."
An hour later, stinking up to high heaven and, unfortunately, with a smear of purple goo across her cheek from a feisty Thestral named Mortimer, Lily trudged back up to the castle with Zipzer, who looked furious. "I can't believe that lummox ditched," the Seventh Year Prefect grouched as they passed through the Entrance Hall. Lily laughed.
"Really? Wow, you must be an idiot. What makes you think Carmichael would come to detention when he barely goes to class?" the redhead drawled. Zipzer sent her a dirty look.
"What does that make you, then, Potter, for sleeping with him?"
The redhead smiled. "It makes me a genius. He's a god between the sheets and skiving class has nothing to do with it." She snorted a little. "Then again, maybe it does. I mean, you've never skived, right? And you sucked." She put on a mock thoughtful expression as Zipzer glared. "Maybe I'll have sex with Carmichael in that closet so I'll have some good memories of it."
Just as she got to the foot of the stairs, Zipzer spluttering and speechless with indignation and outrage beside her, she heard someone call her name, and gratefully turned away from the detestable Prefect. And then she wished said person hadn't called her, because it was MacDougall, and she was gross, smelly, and pretty sure she looked awful. "Hey," she said, pausing six feet away. "You probably don't want me to come closer. I stink."
MacDougall chuckled, eyes crinkling. "I can smell you from here. What is that?"
Lily blushed. "Apparently the remedy for scale rot in Thestrals," she said and MacDougall smirked, moving closer. "Seriously, though I smell bad."
"Seriously, Potter," he said softly. "I grew up on a farm and I can honestly promise you...you smell worse than anything I've ever had to smell. Ever."
Lily laughed. "What can I say?" she said lightly. "I'm a girl of many talents." She looked down, blushing a tiny bit, then glanced back up. "So I've been thinking about your offer to teach me to fly." It put her at ease to see him shuffle on the spot a little. "Still game? Knowing, of course, you'll hold my very valuable life in your hands and I'll beat you up if I fall."
One corner of his mouth quirked. "If you die, will I still get beat up?"
The redhead grinned. "Count on it. Four hundred Weasleys, remember?"
MacDougall laughed. "That's almost enough to scare a fellow off," he said, his Scottish accent softening the vowel sounds melodiously.
"Combined with the smell it might tip the scales," she said. "So?"
"If you promise not to smell like that, sure," he teased and she rolled her eyes, shoving him lightly. He didn't budge.
"Seriously, MacDougall, you're supposed to pretend I'm hurting you."
He grinned. "Like a gnat hurts a troll, maybe."
Lily laughed. "Am I the gnat? Rude. I'm not annoying."
"Hey, that makes me the troll, and I like to think I'm at least better looking than one."
Lily giggled. "Definitely better looking than your average troll," she agreed.
"Ouch, Potter. When is good for you?" He smirked. "Presumably when you aren't doing your Pep Team training?"
She blushed. "Please don't bring that up," she sighed. "Um, how about Saturday?"
"It'd have to be in the evening."
The redhead nodded. "Works for me." She knew from seeing the pitch schedule the Hufflepuff Quidditch team had training in the late afternoon. She'd booked the pitch for the hour beforehand for her Pep Practice.
"Cool. Seven?"
"It's a date," she said. MacDougall grinned. "And I promise I'll smell better."
He shrugged. "You kind of get used to it, honestly," he said, then leaned down, his face a little pink, and kissed her on the cheek that was free of purple goo. "See you then, Potter."
"Bye," she sighed and hustled upstairs to shower and gloat with her dorm mates. After she was clean and most of the smell had been washed away, Lily pulled on her pyjamas and listened as Hope dished about her own date with Bartleby.
Just as she'd settled herself into bed, there was a tap at the dormitory window, and Lily glanced over, mouth dropping open. She all but bounded out of bed, heart pounding in her throat, stomach clenching in mingled anxiety and excitement. Because there, sitting on the window ledge, looking weary, was Albus's owl Leona. And she was carrying three fat envelopes. The redhead threw the window open, startling poor Leona, who hooted indignantly, and nipped her when she reached for the letters. Lily didn't care.
One was from Albus, the other two from Scorpius, and she tried to swallow and breathe normally, hands shaking as she undid the letters. Leona took flight once relieved of her burden, probably to go rest up in the Owlery. "What's with the post so late?" Cheryl asked. Lily's stomach dropped, because she didn't want to admit Albus had owled her, and not Cheryl.
Lily couldn't hold back her massive smile as she turned though. "It's from Scorpius," she breathed. The twins and Matilda stopped talking as Cheryl gaped.
"Read them out loud!" the twins demanded in tandem.
"No, let her have them for herself," Matilda said fiercely.
Cheryl swallowed. "All three from Scorpius?" she asked pointedly. Lily bit her lip and cast her dark haired friend an apologetic look. "Whatever," she said blandly. "No big deal. Enjoy your post."
Lily sat down in bed and opened Al's letter first. There were two letters crammed into one envelope. Lily opened the first one, and her eyes vaguely registered the words boobs, mouth, hot, and Cheryl. She practically threw the parchment aside with a loud, "Ew!" Her dorm mates looked at her, but Lily frowned at Cheryl. "That one's for you," she said, pointing to it.
Cheryl snatched up the pieces of parchment, going bright red, and tossed them casually aside. "Cool. I'll read it later." Lily smothered her smirk, knowing Cheryl would die rather than admit she was possibly more pleased than Lily at Leona's delivery. The redhead opened her letter from Albus, which was more like a short note, and a thick wad of folded parchment fell out into her lap.
Lily,
It's come to my attention I missed your birthday. Oops. My bad. How old are you again? Just kidding. So, here's your very belated present, and I shall merely say you're welcome in advance. You probably think I'm daft and I've just given you a wad of paper. Wrong again little sister! Remember all those times Scor and I mentioned the Map? Voila. Guard it with your life, use it only for wreaking havoc, and if I ever find out you used it to avoid detention, my work as an older brother will be done. Happy belated birthday, Lils.
Love, Al.
PS. - You must solemnly swear you are up to no good, and always, ALWAYS, make sure when you're done, you say Mischief Managed. Otherwise anyone can read it.
PPS. - Don't write back. I don't actually care how old you are.
Lily stared in blank disbelief. This was supposed to have been confiscated a half dozen times over. She sucked in a deep breath, glanced furtively around at her dorm mates, and casually tucked the Map, the Marauder's Map, the bit of parchment she'd heard stories about from almost all of her family members, and the relic that was supposed to be locked in her father's desk drawer at home. And now it had been, finally, passed down to her. She debated who to tell then decided to keep it to herself for the time being.
And then she looked at Scorpius's two letters. She didn't want to cry in front of everyone, so she closed herself in her curtains, cast a Silencing Charm, and sucked in a deep breath. A massive part of Lily was dying to tear into the envelopes. Another, smaller part of her was afraid of what they might say. She opened the first one and then the second one, and started the letters chronologically, of which there were five total, three in the first envelope, two in the second.
By the time she put the first letter down, she was crying and hated it. She missed him. She could picture him in the places he described. She could imagine him in the scenarios with locals abroad he wrote about with amusement. It was as if she was there with him.
She couldn't handle the rest. Not all in one night. And so the redheaded witch refolded the other four, wiping her face hurriedly as she sniffled a bit. She wouldn't miss him. She would be there with him, in her imagination. She undid her charm and opened the curtain, but when her eyes flicked, from habit, to the Remembrall and saw it was a very deep green, they filled with tears again. Lily swallowed hard and tucked the other, unread letters into her nightstand drawer with the Marauder's Map. She stared for one long moment at the Remembrall, recalling every perfect memory of Scorpius that had been branded on her brain, picked up the first letter, reading it again, letting herself get lost in the words, painting pictures in her mind.
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