Title: True to Self
Summary: Lily goes through an awful time after telling her parents she's gay
Pairing/Characters:
Lily/Alice
Rating:
T
Warnings: Swearing and derogatory terms for homosexual relationships and people.
Notes:
Written for International Woman's Day challenge at The Golden Snitch Forum: Belle Teal: Write about a character refusing to discriminate against someone. Bonus prompts: (word) courage, (word) callous, (object) Mickey Mouse costume, (object) desk. Hogwarts, Ravenclaw.

Disclaimer: I don't agree with the views presented in this story against homosexual relationships! I firmly believe in equality on all fronts and I don't see the difference between women who likes men, men who like men, women who like women or any other type of relationship. This is just a story and even writing these terms hurts. I really don't want to offend anyone, and I am so sorry if I do, but that is not my intention at all.


The very air seemed to sparkle with magic and happiness. Lily had never been to Disneyland before and the fact that she was here now was beyond anything she'd ever experienced before. Her family was with her, of course. Petunia was running up to any princess she spotted, but Lily was more interested in a certain mouse she'd managed to spot.

Lily ran through the crowds, around other children, adult's legs and she even had to dodge a food cart, but Lily barely noticed anything but the large mouse she was trying to reach.

"Mickey Mouse!" Lily screamed when she was closer to the mouse.

The mouse in question turned around at her scream, his face permanently forced into a smile, and opened his arms wide. She ran into them without another thought with the widest smile she'd ever worn.

"Hello, little girl—"

"Lily! My name's Lily and you're Mickey Mouse!"

Lily saw the mouse glance to his companion, a young woman in a dress Minnie Mouse would wear and ears on her head.

"Who're you?" Lily asked a little rudely. She didn't mean to, but she didn't like the fact that this girl stole Minnie's dress.

"I'm here to help Mickey. Where are your parents, Lily?"

Lily turned around, expecting to see her parents behind her, but she didn't see anyone she recognised. Suddenly more scared than she'd ever been before, Lily turned back to Mickey Mouse and moved closer to him. She trusted Mickey Mouse.

"I don't know. I thought—I thought—"

"It's okay. We'll stay with you until you can find them."

Lily nodded, warming up to the girl. She was still scared, she'd never been away from her parents for a long time, but the girl was smiling like her mum sometimes did and Mickey Mouse was here, so she thought she'd be okay.

They stayed in the same area for a while. Mickey said hello to a lot of other children and sometimes he had to take photos with them. Lily would only move away when a camera was brought out, otherwise she would stand next to Mickey and hold his hand.

Lily was starting to think that her mum had forgot about her when she saw someone running in their direction.

"Lily!"

Lily smiled, letting go of Mickey's hand and running to her mum, slamming into her. "Mum!" Lily said, holding onto her mum like her life depended on it.

"Don't run away like that, Lily," her mum scolded.

Lily nodded seriously, pulling back to look at her mum. "I won't. I don't want to be accidently left alone."

"Oh, sweetie, we'll never leave you alone. We love you."

Lily wrapped her arms around her centre as her mother screamed at her. Her father hadn't said a word, but from his deep frown and twitching hands, she knew he was angry. Petunia was smiling, the bitch. When had their relationship deteriorated so much?

"How could you do this to us?" Lily's mother said for the who-knows-how-many time.

"It's not something I chose," Lily said, moving forward, but stopping when her mother moved away.

"Of course it is. You aren't born a dyke."

"Mum," Lily breathed. She felt like she's been punched.

"No! You can't be a lesbian. You just can't be; I won't allow it."

Lily blinked back tears as she was assaulted with pain like her mother was hitting her not just yelling at her, but behind the pain a kernel of anger was growing.

"You can't change this! I am a lesbian and that's not going to change just because you tell me I can't be."

"Get out."

Lily's dad's cold voice halted her anger and she turned to him. He was pushing himself off the dining room chair, his hands clenched and eyes practically dead.

"What?" Lily couldn't help saying, hoping he didn't mean what she thought he meant.

"Get out. I want you out of my house right this instant. I will not have your sort living in my house and eating my foot. I will not have you contaminating my daughter with your disgusting views." Her dad never raised his voice, but that was almost scarier than her mother's screams.

"But, I'm your daughter," Lily whispered desperately.

"No daughter of mine will be homosexual."

Lily had no words to say to that; even her sister, who was taking so much joy from the situation, was shocked at their dad's words.

"You have ten minutes and then I want you gone," her dad snapped, waving a hand towards the front door like she was an unwanted bug.

Lily left the room and walked upstairs without another word, her shoulders slumped, defeated. She'd never felt so alone.


It was only a week later when she arrived at Hogwarts to complete her sixth year. She'd, thankfully, bought her supplies with her parents before the incident that Lily refused to think about. She'd spent the last week at the leaky cauldron, thankful that she thought to gain a summer job for the last two summers. She had a pretty decent amount of money saved up, but nowhere near enough for her to live off. She wasn't sure what she was going to do next summer.

Her first week was a whole load of crap. She felt like she'd been beaten down more than ever before, and she didn't know how she was going to fix it. She knew there were a lot of people that noticed, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

In the third week, Lily entered the common room only to see a group of seventh years surrounding Alice next to one of the wooden study desks. There were even a couple of her dorm mates nearby, but none seemed to be helping Alice who was looking close to tears.

"What's going on?" Lily asked, moving forward and pushing her way to the front of the group.

A few of the girl's barely even looked at her, but some glanced over and smirked.

"Alice here just admitted her feelings towards girls."

Lily's blood ran cold. She could hear the callous disdain in her voice and the cruel faces all around her. Why was the world so heartless as to shove her devastating loss in her face once again? Her whole body seemed to slump, her legs felt like jelly and her eyes itched.

"Towards girls?" Lily managed to mutter, hoping beyond hope that they were talking about something different.

"Yeah, she just told Mary here who she wants to kiss, and guess who it was."

Lily didn't respond, looking at Alice out of the corner of her eye. She was crying and she was looking anywhere but at Lily.

"You. Alice likes you, the little dyke."

Lily's eyes widened. She wasn't sure whether she should collapse into tears at hearing that awful word being used again, or run to Alice and kiss her. She settled for staring at Alice with wide, almost disbelieving eyes.

"I'm sorry," Alice said desperately, pressing herself more firmly into the wooden wall behind her. "I'm so sorry, Lily. Please."

"Go on, Lily. Tell Alice what you think of her disgusting crush. She's probably been perving on you for years."

Lily glanced between Alice and the girls surrounding her. She knew what would happen if she defended Alice. She would be prosecuted along with Alice, hounded and bullied for the rest of her time at Hogwarts. What's worst, she would be constantly reminded of her parent's kicking her out.

Still, she recognised the dread in Alice. She saw the same desperate fear that Lily had been feeling and the hope that maybe one person would stand up for her. Lily couldn't let Alice down like her family let her down.

"You're an idiot," Lily said, sneering at the group of girls. "All of you are complete idiots and if you think I'm going to follow your lead, you are sorely mistaken."

"What?" one girl muttered, but Lily didn't let them get another word in.

"If this is the honourable and loyal people of Gryffindor, I wished I was sorted somewhere else." Lily walked towards Alice and looked at her directly in the eyes. "Alice, will you let me kiss you?"

Alice's eyes widened and stared at Lily like she was some alien. When Lily didn't move or smile or joke, Alice could only nod, unable to speak.

"Are you some leso as well?" Mary practically screeched from behind the pair.

Lily turned to Mary with a stony expression. Lily actually liked Mary a lot. She was a sweet girl that could always make people laugh, but Lily had heard that her family were really strict, so she wasn't surprised by her discrimination.

"You should take a good look at yourself, Mary. You're going to lose friends over this." Lily didn't say anymore, turning back to Alice and smiling at her. "I've wanted to do this for years," Lily muttered as she moved forward and closed the gap between them.

She may not have a home anymore, she may not have any friends after today, and Alice could very well tell Lily she wasn't interested in a relationship, but Lily felt happy for the first time since being kicked out. She was being true to herself, and in that moment, that was all that mattered.


(w.c 1,562)

WolfWinks-xx-