Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter.
Note - Here's the next update. I'll probably be wrapping up the rest of the summer in the next chapter or two, and then we'll be on our way to a new year. This chapter is a show of Lily's struggle to figure herself out, and for independence. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.
Slytherin's Potter
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Clean Potter Name
Lily packed her bag with a final sigh. They were leaving today, and Lily would be going back home. Home. Back to a house that didn't seem to fully accept her anymore. It was hard to imagine after the wonderful weeks she'd had with the Malfoys. After the incident in the bathroom, things seemed to return to normal between her and Scorpius again, although Lily now always felt that warmth when she was around him. Lily was just glad that things were somewhat normal between them still. Astoria had taken a few days to dress Lily like a doll, finding her best colors and fabrics. And she had insisted that Lily take the outfits that she had worn in the photos. Lily didn't get a chance to disagree.
A knock sounded at her door. Lily turned her head to see Scorpius standing in the open doorway. Lily smiled at him. "What's up?" she asked.
"I was just wondering if you needed a little help packing," Scorpius offered, stepping more into the room.
Lily shook her head. "No, I'm done. But you could bring it downstairs," she teased.
But Scorpius took her seriously and stepped forward to pick up her bag. Lily had founded it a bit heavy at half full, but while full, Scorpius picked it up with ease. "Got it covered. Come on, Princess." Lily rolled her eyes, but she followed him out of the room. He led her down to the fireplace in the sitting room.
"I'm going to miss this place," Lily murmured.
He nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "It's a great place to be." Scorpius sighed. "But it's time to go. You and I will be Flooing. Easier for us."
"Ok. Who first?" Lily asked.
"Me," Scorpius volunteered. "That way I can catch you if you fall."
"What a gentleman," Lily mocked. But Scorpius didn't seem to hear her. He took a handful of the powder and disappeared with a yell:
"Godric's Hollow, 117!"
Letting the fire die down a bit, Lily took a careful amount of the powder into her hand. Then she followed Scorpius's lead. "Godic's Hollow, 117!"
Lily began to spin as she kept her elbows in. Scenes went in and out of her sight, and she didn't stop spinning until she found a familiar one. Lily fell out from the fireplace, landing in Scorpius's open and waiting arms. He was smirking at her.
"Guess I was right," he teased.
Lily stood back up and shoved him away. His hands were evoking that heat in her. "Oh, shut it," she muttered.
Scorpius chuckled. "Well, I'd better be going. I'll write," he assured.
Lily felt a little disappointed that he was leaving so soon, but she still smiled a little. "Good. I'll write back."
Scorpius held out his arms, and Lily stepped into the warmth of the embrace. It was as if heat wrapped around her as well. Lily uselessly pushed away that feeling, but it persisted. The feeling tightened in her stomach, which was where the heat seemed to nest as well. When he let her go, she was sure that her entire body was flushed.
Scorpius still smirked. "Later, Princess."
Lily gave a small wave at his retreating back. "Bye, Scor."
Scorpius grabbed more powder. "Malfoy Manor!" He was gone. Then Lily was alone in the room, and seemingly alone in the house. Not one sound from anywhere. That was rare in a Weasley or Potter house. Lily grabbed her things and took them to her room, where she began to unpack. First she took all of her clothes, old and new, and put them away. Then she took out the magazines that Astoria let her keep, and hid them behind her vanity mirror. She was almost done unpacking when she heard someone coming.
"Lily? Are you home?" she heard Ginny call.
"In my room, Mum!" Lily yelled back. There were more footsteps, and then she heard her door open as she was putting away her bag.
"Hey, sweetheart!" Ginny exclaimed happily, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "I'm so happy to see you!"
Probably the only one, Lily thought. But she didn't voice this thought to her mother. Instead she just hugged her back. "Good to see you too, Mum."
Ginny pulled away to look at her daughter. "How was the trip?"
Lily smiled. "It was really fun. We swam, I hung out with Mrs. Malfoy, and we roamed the estate. It was great," she explained.
"Sounds like fun," Ginny said as she sat down on the bed. "You got a few letters."
"Really? From who?" Lily asked as she moved to sit at her vanity.
"One from Lola, one from Horace, one from St. Mungo's, and one from Lysander," Ginny listed.
Lily froze at the sound of the last name. "Lysander?" she murmured, her eyes looking at her reflection in the mirror.
"Yeah, it came about a week ago. Luna plans on visiting soon, so you can just wait until then to talk to him if you want," Ginny told her.
Lily felt her insides crush at the news. How could she avoid him when he was in her house? Then again . . . what was it Lorcan had said? Lysander deserved to know why she'd been avoiding him? Perhaps . . . maybe that was the perfect time to talk about it. But what if James or Albus barged in? Lily closed her eyes, trying to close out the thoughts as well. "What was that St. Mungo's letter?"
"I don't know. It didn't have a name on it. Just addressed to you," Ginny told her. She pulled out her wand, and with a murmured spell and flick of her wrist, a small stack of letters came flying into the room. Ginny held them out to her. "Here you are, honey."
Lily took the letters to look at them. One from Lola, she'd read that later. Lysander's . . . she'd get to it. One from Slughorn, probably about continuing the lessons. And then one from St. Mungo's. What could this be? Lily tore it open and looked at the handwriting. None that she recognized, so she looked down at the name. She gasped. Duncan!
"Dear Lily,
I'm having Gordon writing this letter to you. I've lost the feeling in my other hand, so I can't use it. Gordon told me that it will probably be turning grey soon. So he's my hands now. Anyway, I'm writing to you to ask how your year was? Did you have fun? You must be excited for your fourth year. I'm really excited for your visit this summer. I want you to see my collection of Chocolate Frog cards. It's gotten pretty big since I started. Also, I put another one of my windows in the envelope for you. I thought that you might like to have it. Plus, I threw in another picture I drew. It's one that I drew especially for you. Waiting with a smile.
Love,
Duncan."
Lily felt her heart sting. His other arm. He was losing it. Duncan wouldn't ever draw again. With a thick gulp and clumsy fingers, Lily picked up the envelope and pulled out two more folded pieces of paper. She looked at the first picture, finding the beautiful artwork of the meadow that she had watched him finish during her last visit. How much more beautiful it looked now, knowing that it was one of his last. Lily felt her eyes prick and sting at the sight, but she pushed back the feelings, not wanting to cry, aware of her mother sitting on the bed. Putting down the picture, she picked up the other paper and unfolded it. She gasped.
It was her. He had drawn a picture of her, only this was much more beautiful than she could have ever been. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, and it was a vibrant red color. Her eyes looked like melted chocolate, and they seemed so gentle. She was never gentle. Her skin was fair, and she had a small smile, suggesting that she was only slightly happy. Lily looked at her mirror, not at all seeing the picture's beauty in her reflection. In fact, her eyes were more watery than gentle.
"Who was the letter from, Lily?" Ginny asked.
Lily hurried to blink away the tears and re-fold the picture. "Oh, just a friend. Her parents took her there since she wasn't feeling well. She was just writing to update me, and let me know that she was ok," she lied. She didn't look at her mother. Ginny would know she was lying immediately.
"Well that's good," Ginny said lightly. Lily tensed, wondering if she already knew of the lie.
"So, how were the last few weeks around here?" Lily asked, hoping to divert her mother's thoughts.
"Oh it was normal. Quiet. Nothing too exciting," Ginny told her.
Lily nodded. "And work?"
"The same. Just a lot of writing. Why all the questions?" Ginny asked.
Lily shrugged, trying to seem relaxed. "Just curious, I guess."
"Hm," Ginny hummed. "Well, I'll leave you to read your letters. Your father's coming home from lunch, so I better start it up." Lily felt a kiss at the top of her head, and then heard the footsteps walk away. Lily stayed at her vanity, waiting for the steps to fade completely away. Then she pulled out some parchment, and a quill and ink. She wrote her first letter.
"Dear Victoire,
I have a favor to ask. I was wondering if you would take me to work with you again. I'm hoping to visit someone who is in the hospital. Please write to me and let me know if you can take me. Thanks.
Love,
Lily"
Lily set that letter aside and started another letter.
"Dear Duncan,
Don't worry. I'll be visiting you soon. Thank you for the pictures. They're beautiful, and it means a lot that you gave them to me. I'm sorry to hear about your arm, but I'm sure you'll get better soon. I've got a few more Chocolate Frogs for you to add to your collection. Also, I have another gift for you as well. And I'm happy to hear that you're smiling.
Love,
Lily"
Lily sealed both letters in two envelopes, signed them, and then gave them to Regal. She instructed him where to go, and he took off silently, flying out her open window. Lily sat back down and decided to look at her other letters. First the one from Lola.
"Lily,
I hope your summer is going well. Since I didn't know where the Malfoys were taking you, I sent this letter to your house. But anyway, I was thinking that we should hang out sometime soon. Bobby has been bugging me about having you over, so I just thought that you might want to come over on the twelfth? Just write to me and let me know.
Love,
Lola"
Lily smiled at the idea. It would be really fun to finally meet all of Lola's family. Then she opened the letter from Lysander with heavy muscles.
"Dear Lily,
I'm not sure what to write, and I barely know why I'm writing. But Lorcan suggested that I do it, so I am. I don't know if you know, but my family and I are coming to visit your house on the twentieth. And I think we need to talk. It's been a while since the incident, and I think now is the time we talk about it. Think about it.
- Lysander"
Lily felt her nerves go on end as she read the letter. The twentieth. He wanted to talk? That seemed so close in time. What would she even say? What did she want to say? 'Sorry, but I'm a social disaster, and I don't want you to suffer like me?'. That sounded idiotic. Lily glared at the wood of her vanity. Was she really suffering socially? Did she want to be accepted by James and Albus, the complete jackasses that they are? Maybe she was getting the better end. But Lysander seemed to want to be friends with all of them. That would be impossible . . . but that was his decision. Should she cut him out if he's willing to take that chance? Maybe . . . maybe it could work.
"So this is your house?" Lily commented to Lola. They had taken the Knight Bus, which had let them off in front of a cozy house that looked to be about three-stories. It was painted a light grey, had quite a bit of windows, and a cherry red door. "It looks nice," Lily said with a smile.
Lola scoffed. "Wait until you see the inside. It's a mess," she replied. She led Lily up to the front door, and opened it for her to walk in. "Welcome to the Pritchard household."
Lily stepped inside to see a sitting room that looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Toys were everywhere. Lily spotted a toddler's broom, Exploding Snap cards, Chocolate Frogs, and an assortment of WWW products.
"Where's your family?" Lily asked. With all of the siblings Lola had, the house was pretty quiet.
"My parents took them all to some dumb Quidditch match, and Ginger and Martin are at work," Lola explained. She kicked off her shoes, so Lily did the same. She smiled at Lily. "Come on. We'll go to my room."
Lily followed her up a set of stairs. "So, what did you mean in your letter by Bobby bugging you about me coming over?" Lily questioned.
Lola laughed. "Bobby has a crush on you, even though he won't admit it."
Lily laughed too. "You're kidding!"
"I wish. Maybe he'd shut up more often," Lola joked. They entered a long hallway, and Lola took her to one of the last doors. "It's a bit messy. I share a room with Marsha." She opened the door to show a very white and pink room. There were clothes everywhere, along with papers, books, what looked like letters, and magazines
"Which one is Marsha?" Lily asked as she stepped over a few things to drop down onto one of the beds. She guessed that it was Lola's, seeing as how it was covered in a Slytherin bedspread.
"She's my little sister. She turned ten a few months ago, so she'll be at Hogwarts during our fifth year," Lola explained, dropping down next to Lily.
"How many younger siblings do you have again?" Lily inquired.
"Six. Two little sisters and four little brothers," Lola told her. "They are such a handful, especially now that I'm the oldest one living at home. I'm stuck babysitting them all the time."
"That's gotta suck," Lily muttered.
"It blows majorly," Lola scoffed. "I mean, I love them, but . . . there's only so much I can take."
"How old's the youngest one?" Lily asked.
"Matt will be a year old soon. Now he is eight months," Lola said with a sigh. "All he does is cry and scream. I had Ginger silence my room for me a couple of months ago. I couldn't sleep."
"Really? Teddy and Vic said that Theo is really kind of quiet," Lily said with a laugh.
"They are so lucky," Lola muttered. She sighed again. "So, how was the trip with the Malfoys?"
Lily smiled. "It was a lot of fun. And now I have a 'part-time' job," she told her.
"What do you mean?"
"Mrs. Malfoy is using me as a teen model," Lily told her.
Lola's eyes widened. "Merlin! Are you serious? That's awesome!"
Lily giggled. "Yeah. She put a few pictures in magazines too."
"That's so cool. How'd your parents take it?" Lola asked.
Lily laughed. "That's the best part. They don't know yet."
Lola laughed as well. "You've gotta tell me how they react."
"I'm sure all of Godric's Hollow will hear my dad's reaction," Lily joked.
While the girls began to laugh, a ringing sounded from the corner of the room. Lola immediately jumped up and ran to where the sound was. She picked up what looked like a Muggle telephone. Lily looked on in confusion. Why did Lola's family have one of those? They were pureblooded magic family.
Lola turned her back and put the phone to her ear. "Hello? . . . Oh! Hello, Mrs. Peterson. . . . What? Oh, I'm sorry. Well can I talk to him first? . . . Oh, he already left. Ok, well that's ok. Thank you for calling. Bye." Lola set the phone down and sighed. She turned back and sat down on the bed again. "Sorry about that. Johnny went to his friend's house, and I guess his friend got sick. He's on his way home," she explained.
Lily was still a bit confused. "Why do you guys have a Muggle phone?"
Lola tensed. "Why do you ask? You have one in your house."
"Just curious. My dad was raised by Muggles, but from what I know, your parents are both pureblood," Lily mentioned.
Lola shrugged, but she didn't meet Lily's eyes. "Johnny has a lot of Muggle friends, so this makes it easier for him to talk to them."
Lily felt like there was something different about Lola's answer, but she didn't push the subject. "So, I'll finally get to meet Johnny, huh?"
Lola looked a bit panicked. "Oh, um . . . he'll probably go off to another one of his friends' house. He probably won't stay around long."
Lily looked at Lola with a look of deep confusion. "Lola, . . . what's going on?"
Lola gulped. "Nothing."
A knock sounded on the door, and then it opened. There was a boy coming in. He was young, maybe a year younger than the girls. He had light blonde hair that flopped onto his forehead, and eyes that looked both blue and grey. He was taller, taller than the girls, but he was slight in stature. And he had a smile that had Lily a little flustered. This boy . . . he was really cute.
The boy smiled at both of them. "Hey, sis. Who's this?"
Lily glanced over at Lola, who still looked a bit panicked. "Um, this is Lily. Lily, this is Johnny."
Lily looked back at the boy. This was Johnny? But . . . he looked to be at least thirteen, if not fourteen. How could he not be at Hogwarts? But Lily smiled. "Hello, Johnny. It's nice to finally meet you."
Johnny laughed a bit as he strolled over to sit at a desk chair. "Same here. Lola has been talking about you for years, but never had you over," he teased.
Lola blushed. "Get out, Johnny."
Johnny just grinned. "Still no boys allowed?"
Lily laughed lightly. "It's ok, Lola. So, how old are you, Johnny? Because you look to be fourteen."
"Oh, I'm thirteen, but everyone says I look older than I really am," he told her.
"Then why aren't you at Hogwarts?" Lily asked curiously. Surely she would have known if Johnny had been at Hogwarts.
Johnny looked confused now. "Oh, didn't Lola tell you?"
Lola sighed. "No, I didn't."
Johnny shook his head, but Lily just looked between the siblings, confused. "Tell me what?"
Lola stood up and walked to the door. "I'm going to use the bathroom." She closed the door behind her, leaving them alone.
Johnny sighed. Lily looked at him. "What is going on with her?"
Johnny ran a hand through his hair. "Well, Lily, I'm a Squib."
Lily looked at him in surprise. "Really? She never mentioned that."
He nodded. "I think she's embarrassed by it. Not a big surprise, a lot of families don't talk about that type of thing. It's uncommon for a long line of purebloods to have a Squib son. But when we're alone, my family ignores it and treats me like they would each other. But when company comes over, they send me to a friend's or they just don't introduce me. At one point my dad considered sending me to live with a distant cousin," he explained.
Lily was shocked at how casually he spoke about his family's actions. Would Lola really do that? "Johnny, that's terrible."
Johnny shrugged. "It's kind of an embarrassment in the crowd my parents are in. We just don't talk about. And I know they love me dearly. They think that if people know, then it'll cause problems for me. Like all the prejudice people in their circle. It's their way of protecting me. They mean well."
The door opened, and Lola slowly walked back into the room. She looked hesitant, as if she was walking into a war zone. "Um, Johnny, can Lily and I talk for a minute?" she asked quietly.
Johnny nodded. "Yeah. I'm gunna make some lunch. You girls want something?"
Lily shook her head. "No, I'm good."
"No thanks, Johnny," Lola muttered.
Johnny walked out of the room, and Lily looked at Lola carefully. "So, you never wanted me to come over, because you were embarrassed of Johnny?"
Lola's eyes went wide. "No! No! That's not it . . . but it is because of him." Lola sighed and moved to sit next to Lily again. "It's just . . . I was raised to believe that a Squib was an embarrassment. And then one year we find out that there's one in the family. I still loved him, and I treat him no different than before we knew. I thought everything was fine. But . . . then my grandmum and grandfather found out, and they refuse to acknowledge that Johnny exists. They pretend like he died. After that . . . I just don't want Johnny to feel the way he did when they found out." Lola's voice had trailed to a whisper.
Lily gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Did you really think that I would do that? Me of all people?"
Lola played with the comforter on her bed. "I never thought you would. After having people turn their backs on you, I was sure that you would understand . . . I just didn't want to risk being wrong. I'd hate to lose my best friend," she said, giving Lily a small smile.
Lily smiled too. "Believe me, I wish that my siblings were as good as you are. You're a great older sister."
Lola's smiled grew, and she relaxed a bit more. "Thanks, Lil. You're a great friend."
Lily awoke with a yawn. She glanced at her window to see a bit of sunlight peaking through the curtains. It was morning. She sat up and stretched her arms. She threw off the blankets and made her way out of her room and down to the kitchen. She entered to see her mother making breakfast, so she went to sit at the table.
"Good morning, Mum," Lily greeted.
"Good morning, Lily. Nice sleep?" Ginny asked.
Lily shrugged. "You could say that."
Harry walked into the room, trying to fix his collar. He smiled when he came into the room. "Well, it's my two favorite girls," he greeted happily.
Lily gave a small and slightly tensed smile. "Morning, Dad." Things still hadn't cooled completely between them.
Harry moved to kiss his wife before sitting at the head of the table. "Mail here yet?"
"Not yet, but it should be here soon," Ginny told him. "As should the boys." Lily made a face at the thought. Ginny set down a plate in front of the both of them, and then sat down with her own. "So, Lily, I never did as you about your day at Lola's."
Lily shrugged again. "It was fun. I met the rest of her family, we played games, had fun. That sort of thing." It was true. After awhile, the rest of Lola's family had come back, excluding Ginger and Martin. It made for a very loud house, although not as loud as the Burrow was during holidays. But since she was used to it, Lily adapted and had a wonderful time.
"Sounds lovely," Ginny said with a smile.
"When should we be expecting Lola over?" Harry asked with a knowing smile.
Lily grinned. "Sometime soon, I'd guess."
There was a tap at the window, and they all looked to see an owl tapping at the window. "Ah. Mail," Harry said. He got up and made his way to the window.
"What's for breakfast?" James demanded as he and Albus walked in.
"Plates are on the counter," Ginny told them.
"What the hell is this!" Harry yelled, making them all jump. Albus even dropped his plate.
Ginny looked at her husband in alarm. "Harry, what is it?"
Lily was surprised when her father turned glaring eyes onto her. "What the hell are these, young lady!" he demanded. Then he stomped to the table and slammed something down onto the table. Lily was a bit surprised to see her own face looking up at her, but then recognized the three magazines that Astoria had sent her pictures to.
Lily did her best to stay calm. "They're magazines," she answered.
"No cheek!" he yelled.
"Lily, what are these?" Ginny asked as she looked at the magazines.
"What the hell?" James muttered.
"I want an explanation!" Harry exclaimed.
Lily sighed. "Does everyone have to be here?"
"It doesn't matter! Explanation, now!" Harry commanded.
Lily felt a bit of her temper bubble, but she suppressed it. "During my trip, Mrs. Malfoy asked if I wouldn't mind modeling a few of the teen outfits of her fashion line, since she's never had a teen model. I told her that I didn't mind at all, so we did a few shoots. Then she asked if I wouldn't mind her sending a few of the pictures to a couple of magazines. I told her I was fine with it," Lily told him.
"My daughter will not be some flighty little model!" Harry yelled.
"Harry," Ginny warned.
Lily stood from her seat. "Well too bad, because I like being a flighty little model! It's the one thing I can do myself!" she hissed.
"No daughter of mine is going around and taking half naked pictures!" Harry exclaimed.
Lily glared at him. "Well, father, you'll notice that nowhere on this cover does it say Lily Potter! Your Gryffindor name is clean!" she sneered. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
"Lily!" she heard her mother call after her.
Lily ignored it and kept walking. She heard footsteps behind her. And then she heard her father's angry voice. "You're grounded, little girl! If you want to lock yourself in your room, then you can just stay there!"
Lily spun on her heel. "Good! Why would I want I stay down here with a bunch of Gryffindor saints?" She ran up the stairs and slammed her door, locking it behind her. She kicked her trunk in anger, turning it on its side. She hurried to pull the magazines out of her hiding place and then she tore off the covers, and carefully tore out the pages that contained the spread of her. Then Lily carefully put them up on her walls, making sure to keep them in one piece. If her father wouldn't be proud of her, then she'd show how proud she was.
Lily quickly changed into a skirt and a green shirt with medium length sleeves. She put on some socks and pulled on a pair of black and white shoes. She put in a set of earrings and then pulled out a backpack and put in another set of clothes. She packed in a potion book and her kit, then grab any other little thing she might need. Lastly she grabbed her broom. She moved to Regal's cage, which was already open.
"Ok, Regal," Lily said sweetly, coaxing him onto her shoulder. "We're going to go out for a while. Now, just meet me at the Burrow." Once she pushed open her window, Regal took off from his place on her shoulder.
Lily moved so that she was sitting precariously on her windowsill, her feet dangling out of the house. Carefully, she maneuvered so that her broom was in front of her, outside as well. Carefully, Lily took a small leap out of her window, wobbling when she landed on her broom. Lily steadied herself before slowly flying down to the ground, away from the kitchen window. She landed with a muted thump, and she stepped off her broom. She ran around to the front and then ran down the sidewalk. She kept running until she got to the corner. Then she stopped, taking a moment to pant, before pulling out her wand.
A 'BANG' shot out into the air, and a purple bus slammed to a stop in front of her. The door slowly opened, and a man stepped down off of the bus. He looked at Lily with a bit of a bored look. "You've called the Knight Bus. Transportation for the stranded witch or wizard. Where can we take you too?" he rattled off.
"Ottery St. Catchpole. In Devon?" Lily inquired.
The man ripped off a ticket and handed it to her. "Climb aboard," he muttered.
Lily readjusted her pack and then stepped onto the bus. She moved to the back, wanting to be alone, and not wanting to talk to anyone. And she thankfully wasn't disturbed through the ride. The bus made several stops before the man from before motioned to her that it was her stop. Lily stepped off the bus. As soon as her feet were on the ground, the bus shot off with another loud 'BANG'. Lily looked at the nearest street sign, finding her location. Then with a smile, she set off toward her grandparents' house. What better place to go than her grandpa's shed? The ultimate sanctuary in her family. When she caught sight of The Burrow in the distance, Lily began to jog down to the house. She slowed to a stop when she got close. She could hear a radio playing from inside. Celestina Warbeck, an easily recognizable artist among the Weasley/Potter family. Grandma Molly played it every Christmas break. When she passed the kitchen window, she could see her grandmum's back as she went through the cabinets. Lily kept walking around to the shed.
Lily peaked her head into the shed to see her grandpa messing with something on one of the shelves. She smiled and stepped in fully. "Hey, Grandpa," she greeted happily.
Arthur turned his head to look at Lily. He smiled as well. "Why, hello, Lily. What brings you here?"
Lily did her best to seem casual. "Had to get out of the house," she replied.
He chuckled. "From what I hear, you're hardly in the house at all."
Lily shrugged as she dropped the bag by the door. "I just thought I'd come and see you and my bike," she teased.
Arthur really smiled now. "Well I have good news for you." He walked over to where the bike was covered by a blanket, and he ripped the blanket off with a 'swish'. Underneath it was the bike, all the parts put together, cleaned up and pretty. "We're done," he told her.
Lily smiled happily, her heart pounding. "Really? Can I take a ride?"
Arthur looked at her carefully. "Well . . . if you can change out of the skirt, then I guess I can teach you."
Lily almost jumped for joy. "One moment!" She dug through her bag and pulled out a pair of jeans. Arthur turned his back, so Lily changed quickly, shoving the skirt into her bag. Then she zipped it up and sighed happily. "Ok. I'm ready!"
Arthur turned around with a smile. "All right. Let's wheel this out and I'll show you how." He grabbed the handles and began to wheel the bike outside. He wheeled it away from the house, probably so Molly wouldn't see it. Lily followed him, eager to get started. When he stopped, Lily bounced on the toes of her feet. Arthur looked at her, trying not to smile at her obvious excitement. "Ok. Lesson one."
What must have been hours later, Lily was on the bike, her hands on the handlebars, and her feet on the foot pegs, ready to go.
"All right, you remember everything I taught you?" Arthur asked.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, I got it. Can I try it?"
Arthur nodded slowly. "Yeah. Try it."
Lily held the clutch tightly, and kick-started the bike, enjoying the roar and vibration beneath her. She tried the throttle once, smiling at how it sounded. She kicked the gearshift down one and then eased up on the clutch. She lurched forward a bit, but then she was flying down the grassy path of the field. Lily felt the rush of excitement and adrenaline as she flew across the grass, wind whipping her hair. Lily turned a little, getting used to the feeling of the bike. She turned right a little, and Lily soon turned around to go back to her grandpa. When she got closer, so she slowly grasped the brake with her right hand, letting the bike slow to a stop. She smiled at her grandpa, her heart hammering.
"I love it," Lily told him.
Arthur laughed. "I had a feeling you would." Then he sighed. "How about some lunch? Then I'll let you go out for a ride."
Lily shut down the bike and grinned. "Sure. I am pretty hungry."
"Oh! Lily, when did you get here?" Molly asked with a smile. She hugged her granddaughter tightly.
Lily smiled as she tried to catch her breath after that hug. "Um, a few hours ago. I was helping Grandpa in the shed," Lily told her.
"Well sit down! Have some lunch," Molly insisted. Lily sat down at the table, waiting politely. "So, Lily, I saw the pictures in the magazine. How did this happen?"
Lily tensed a little, wondering if her grandma was disapproving too. "Well, Mrs. Malfoy asked if I wouldn't mind doing a bit of modeling for her fashion line. She's never had a teen model," Lily explained.
"What magazine?" Arthur asked. "I haven't seen it."
"One the counter, dear," Molly told him.
Arthur moved to the counter and picked up the copy of Witch Weekly. "Wow. This is quite a sight. I would have never expected it of you," Arthur commented as he sat at the table. He flipped open to the pages of her spread.
Lily shrugged. "It's actually kind of fun. It's kind of like a summer job for me."
"Well, I'm glad that you have something to fill your time," Molly told her.
Lily looked at her back in surprise. "Really? You're ok with it?"
Molly turned around to set down a plate for the three of them. "Lily, hun. For years and years I worried about my children. No surprise, there was a war going on. But even after, and before, I worried. Now I think it's my children's time to be worried and responsible. Besides, your pictures are very pretty," she explained.
Lily smiled a little at her grandmum's words. "Thanks, Grandmum. I'm glad someone likes them."
"Is that why you came over so early?" Arthur asked. "Your parents saw them?"
Lily sighed and she pulled the crust off of her sandwich. "My dad said that no daughter of his would be some flighty, little model. Mum didn't really say anything. Dad was screaming too much," Lily muttered.
"I'm sure he'll come around," Molly assured. But Lily knew that her grandmum didn't believe that either. Her father was just too stubborn.
There was a tapping on the window. Arthur looked over in surprise. "What's this? The mail already came." He got up and opened the window. A large, silvery owl with black streaks perched on the windowsill, a letter in his beak and a pouch tied around his leg. Arthur took the letter and the bag, and the owl flew off without a sound. Arthur came back to the table and looked at the envelope. "Lily Luna," he read off. He held out the letter and bag. "I think it's for you."
"Must be a smart owl to know how to find her," Molly commented as Lily took the things.
Lily looked at the envelope. The writing was beautiful with silver ink. But there was no name. Lily turned it around and saw a familiar name above the seal.
Astoria Malfoy.
"It's from Mrs. Malfoy," Lily told them. She carefully tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter.
"Dear Lily,
I'm sure you know that the magazines came out today. They turned out spectacularly, and people love them already. The magazines told me that a few hours ago that these issues are selling fast. I just wanted to let you know how well they were doing, and also to give you your pay for doing this. Now, don't argue, and take the money. I won't accept 'no' for an answer. I'll write you soon about another photo shoot.
Sincerely,
Astoria"
Lily looked at the letter with surprise. She had forgotten that Mrs. Malfoy had planned to pay her. Lily opened the pouch and let the money spread out on the table. She piled it together and counted it out. Thirty Galleons, forty-seven Sickles, and 20 Knuts! Merlin that was a lot!
"That's quite a bit of money for one shoot," Arthur commented with a bit of surprise.
Lily nodded. "Yeah. You said it."
"Mrs. Malfoy must really like you," Molly mentioned.
Lily nodded. "Yeah. She's really nice." Lily bit her lip before looking at her grandparents. "Um, would it be ok if I went to Diagon Alley after lunch?"
Molly smiled. "As long as you try to not spend your money in one place," she teased.
Lily laughed. "Of course not."
Her grandpa walked Lily out to the shed again. Lily had pocketed the letter, as well as the money in the pouch. He gave her a bit of a stern look. "Now, Lily, I've decided that I'll let you take the bike to the Leaky Cauldron," he told her.
Lily looked at her grandfather in surprise. She'd expected to take the bus. "Really? But won't people notice that a really young girl is on a motorcycle alone?"
Arthur grinned wryly. "I know. That's why I added a few things. An idea I got from an old car of mine. It's this blue button here," he said, pointing to a small blue button. "It'll turn the bike and you invisible to all Muggles. So you can make it fly, and go unseen," he explained.
Lily smiled. "Really? You're ok with that?"
He nodded. "As long as you stay safe, keep invisible, and come back."
Lily nodded rapidly. "I promise. So, can I go?"
Arthur stepped back. "You know what to do. Go ahead."
Lily rolled the bike outside and got on. She started the bike after a few tries, hit the blue button, and started to move. She waited to gain speed before hitting the button to make it fly. She slowly rose from the ground as she sliced across the air, making her way away from the field. Lily turned around and made her way over her grandparents' house. She glanced down to see her grandpa waving at her. Lily risked a small wave before turning back to where she was going. She flew over the town of St. Ottery Catchpole, looking down at the Muggles below, who didn't seem to see her at all.
Lily rolled her shoulders as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. The Leaky Cauldron was coming into sight, and she wanted to be on the ground. She hit the pavement, jolting her entire body slightly. She slowly hit the brake, coming to a stop just in front of the pub. She shut down the bike, got off, leaned it against the building, and hit the alarm button. Then she stepped inside. Lily carefully looked at the counter, trying to see if Hannah or Neville was around. She couldn't see them anywhere, so she hurried across the pub, trying to get out to the entrance to Diagon Alley without being seen. She didn't want her parents to know where she was, or where she'd been.
Lily made it into Diagon Alley without incident, and smiled when the wall opened up for her. People were milling about, going in and out of shops. In the window of one, Lily could see a magazine rack, and there she could see multiple pictures of herself. It sparked a bit of pride in her. Lily made her way down the street to the biggest building in the area. Gringotts.
Lily stepped into the lobby and walked along the counter of goblins. She stopped at one that was not only unfamiliar, but not busy. She waited to sit down. "Excuse me?"
The goblin looked up from the papers on the desk, and he gave her a shrewd look. "Yes?" he spoke. His voice was kind of raspy, but still deep.
Lily kept her calm, even though the stare of this goblin made her insides feel uneasy. "I want to discuss opening an account here," she spoke.
The goblin raised a brow. He sat back in his seat and pointed at the chair. "Sit then." Lily did as he said, sitting in the plush chair in front of him. "My name is Gemonk. Yours?"
"Lily Potter," Lily stated clearly.
Gemonk pulled open a drawer and began to pull out some papers. "Age?"
"Thirteen."
Gemonk looked at her skeptically. "Thirteen? Aren't you a bit young?"
Lily stared back at him. "I have a need for independence," she retorted.
Although he still had a skeptic look, he kept going. "Date of birth?"
"August 6, 2007," Lily told him.
"Full name."
"Lily Luna Potter."
"Address."
"Godric's Hollow, 117."
"Name of parents."
"Harry and Ginevra Potter," Lily said with a sigh. This was getting boring.
Now Gemonk really looked at her carefully. But he didn't question her on it. "And what kind of account are we talking about here?"
"Purely money," Lily told him. "So just a simple vault is fine."
"What kind of security?" he asked.
"Somewhere along the line of middle ground," Lily answered.
"And how much are you putting in to start?" Gemonk asked.
Lily held out the pouch, setting it on the desk. "Thirty Galleons, forty-seven Sickles, and twenty Knuts," she told him.
Gemonk took the money out and began to count it out, making sure that she had the right amount. When he seemed satisfied, he pushed it into his palm and then put it back in the pouch. "Wait here a moment while I set up a vault," he said in a monotonous voice. He handed her a paper and a quill. "Sign this, and then we'll be done with paperwork."
Lily nodded once as he disappeared behind a door. She looked at the paper, which had a lot of writing. Having time, Lily scanned the reading. It was a lot, but it was basically terms she was supposed to agree to, promises to the security of her vault, and similar things. Lily dipped the quill in a bit of ink and signed the paper. She put back the quill and placed the paper on the desk. Soon after, Gemonk came back to the desk.
"You have been given vault 672. It had the normal standard of security, and it to be opened with this key," Gemonk told her, holding up a bronze key. He held it out to her, and Lily took it. Then he looked at the paper. "And since you have signed the paper of agreement, you are now a proud owner of a vault in Gringotts Wizarding Bank. If at any time you need a withdraw or deposit, you may speak to any goblin here. If there is any other problem or question you have in the future, you are welcome to come back, or to send us a letter. Is there anything else?" he asked.
Lily shook her head. "No, that will be all. Thank you, Gemonk," she said politely.
Gemonk nodded once. "Of course, Ms. Potter."
Lily tried not to grimace at the name. "Please, just Lily."
He raised a brow again. "Very well, Ms. Lily."
Lily nodded. "Thank you. Good day." Lily turned and walked away from the desk, making her way to the door. She couldn't stay here long either. Not while her uncle Bill and aunt Fleur were still working for the bank. Once she was out into the sunlight, Lily made her way to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, and pulled out the money that's she'd brought from home. She got a simple sundae, not wanting to go back to the Burrow just yet. It was beautiful out, and she wanted to enjoy the day.
Lily landed her bike in the field by her grandpa's shed, and shut it down. She rolled it into the shed, and then made her way to the house. She stepped into the house, but noticed that neither of her grandparents were in the living room. She made her way toward the kitchen when she heard voices.
"I can't believe she would run away from home," Molly said.
Lily tensed. Were they talking about her? They must be.
"Lily's been having a tough time lately. I'm sure Harry exploding at her didn't help a thing," Arthur told her.
"That's no excuse to run away," Molly retorted.
"Yes, but she was smart, Molly. She didn't run off to sleep in an alley. She came straight here. She came to a place she knew was safe. I will give her credit for that," Arthur said in defense.
Lily slowly back away from the door, ready to run for her bag, but she didn't get far.
"Lily Luna, I know you're out there!" Arthur called to her. "Come in here!"
Lily groaned and walked into the kitchen, trying not to look guilty. "Yes?" she squeaked.
"We know that you didn't tell your parents you were leaving," Arthur told her. "Your mother came over, frantic, wondering if we'd seen you."
She really felt guilty now. She sat down at the table. "What did you say?"
"Well, I told her where you got here, and where you'd gone. But we came to a conclusion," Arthur told her gently.
Lily looked at him a little confused. "What do you mean?"
"We've decided that you will stay here for a few days, giving you and your dad time away from each other to cool off," Molly told her.
Lily's hopes rose a little. "Really? I get to stay here?"
"If that's what you want," Arthur told her.
"Yeah! That sounds perfect!" Lily said with a smile.
"But we do have rules, Lily," Molly said firmly. "You will be home by eight, and you will let us know where you are going and who with. This won't be a free ride to do whatever."
Lily nodded fervently. "Yeah, that's fine. Of course."
Molly smiled. "Ok then. Your mother brought you a bag. It's in the living room."