Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter.
Note - Another update. I've been working hard on this one ever since I finished the last chapter. A little more drama with Lily and James of course, some more with her father. Another visit with Duncan, and a surprise visit from a surprise visitor. Read, and then let me know what you think. And of course, if you haven't voted yet, don't forget about my poll on my profile.
Slytherin's Potter
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Guess Who's Coming Over
"These are really good pictures of you, Lily," Duncan said with a smile. It had been about four days since the fight with her dad, and Lily was still staying at the Burrow. It was much more relaxing than at home. It was quiet, something Lily wasn't really used to. Whenever she used to go to the Burrow, it was for a family occasion, so it was loud. But with just her and her grandparents, it was silent. She was able to continue going to Slughorn's for her lessons, as long as she said where she was going first, and she even had Lola over the day before. Victoire had come over this morning, offering to take her to work. So Lily had grabbed the magazines and brought them for Duncan to see.
"Thanks, Duncan. I'm glad you like them. You can have them if you want. I have copies at home," Lily told him.
"Thanks," Duncan said with a happy smile. Lily took a moment to look at poor Duncan. His other arm was completely grey, sending a pang through her. His ear was transparent now, and soon it would probably disappear. But he was still smiling.
"So, how have things been?" Lily asked, taking a bite of a Chocolate Frog.
"It's been really good," Duncan replied. "I mean, I can't make windows anymore, so I just rotate the ones I kept. And my parents got me a lot of Chocolate Frogs for my birthday."
Lily looked at him in surprise. "Your birthday?"
He nodded. "Yeah. My birthday was a couple of weeks ago."
"Oh! Duncan! I'm so sorry I didn't get you anything! I'll bring you something next time I visit," Lily assured.
But Duncan shook his head. "No, these pictures are enough. They're really cool," he assured.
"Are you sure?" Lily asked.
"Yeah," he reassured. "So, when is your birthday?"
"The sixth of August," she told him.
"What do you want?" Duncan asked.
Lily shook her head. "You don't have to get me anything. You just have to smile, remember?"
"But you're my friend. I have to get you something," he insisted. "Tell me what you want, and I'll ask my mum to get it."
"Duncan, whatever you get me, I know I'll love," Lily told him.
He smiled. "Then I think I have a great gift for you."
Lily smiled. "I know I will."
"So, how is staying with your grandparents?" Duncan asked.
Lily shrugged. "It's really nice. I'm glad I get to visit them," she told them, trying to seem truthful. She didn't want to tell Duncan the truth. Why bring more sadness into his life?
"That's good. And your trip with your friend was fun?"
"Yup. That's where I took the pictures. This was the sitting room, this was the beach, and this was a very pretty meadow," Lily told him, pointing at each picture.
"They look very nice," Duncan commented. Lily nodded. Duncan looked over at her. "Lily, can I ask you something?"
Lily looked at him curiously. "Sure. What is it?"
"Well, . . ." Duncan's brow furrowed, as if weighing his words. "Lily, . . . do you . . ." Duncan stopped talking and sighed, dropping his head.
Lily felt a little worried. "What is it, Duncan?" She reached out and brushed a bit of hair from his forehead.
Duncan raised his head and looked at her again. "Well, are you ever . . . lonely?"
Lily looked at him in surprise. Lonely? "What do you mean?"
"Do you ever feel like you're alone?" Duncan asked quietly.
Lily thought about that. Was she lonely? No. She had all of Slytherin House. They were all like family, always sticking up for each other. But, . . . what about her real family? The other Slytherins didn't come home with her. What about when she went home? She locked herself in her room, she did things to get out of the house and to be with the others, and recently, she ran away.
"Sometimes," Lily admitted. "Sometimes, I do feel a bit lonely."
"Why? Why are you lonely?" Duncan asked.
Lily bit her lip. Should she tell him that? Should she add more sadness in his life, something she never wanted to do. "Duncan, I don't want to dump this on you," she said gently.
"No, I want to know. Because . . . I want to tell you why I am, so I want to make it even. Please, tell me," he pleaded.
Lily felt a pang in her gut. He was lonely? But . . . didn't he usually have family visiting, and all the Healers that took care of him? Was he really lonely? But with that admittance, Lily couldn't say no. "Well, my family and I don't have a great relationship. So when I go home, I usually hide up in my room. It's times like those when, yes, I am lonely," she told him.
Duncan didn't show pity. He looked empathetic. "I always feel lonely," he whispered. "Except for when you're here."
"But what about your Healers and your parents?" Lily asked.
"Having Healers running in and out aren't the same. And my family doesn't visit me as often," Duncan told her.
What? His family doesn't visit as much? How could they just ignore this little boy? Their son? There had to be a reason. "Why?" Lily inquired.
"Well, I don't come from a rich family, Lily," Duncan started. "My parents don't have really fancy jobs. They're just normal, middle-class people. And that was ok before I got sick. After having been here so long, hospital bills pile up, and it gets harder for them to pay them. So they both have taken on more hours, and my dad got another job. So, they can't come around as often." His explanation ended in a whisper, and it made Lily feel so terrible.
"Oh, Duncan, I'm so sorry," Lily whispered.
Duncan shook his head. "It's not your fault. You visit every chance you get. Every holiday you have off of school, and during the summer. It's not your fault," he said. "I just . . . I just wanted to be able to get that thought out of my head. I knew that I could tell you, and that you would listen."
Lily reached up to touch his cheek gently. "Duncan, you can tell me anything, and I'll listen. Put whatever you want in your letters, and say whatever you want during my visits, and I'll listen to it. I want you to be happy."
Duncan smiled a little. "You're very kind to a boy that you've only known for a short time."
Lily smiled. "Actually, it's been almost a year now."
"Still, you're awfully nice," he insisted.
Lily shrugged and opened up another Chocolate Frog. "I've had things happen to me that I thought were unfair. That life was mean to let it happen to me. Then I met you, and . . . , Duncan, what's happen to you is really unfair. And life isn't just mean. It's cruel to let it happen to such a sweet boy." Lily pulled out the frog and held it by the leg, not letting it jump.
Duncan laughed a little. "Bad things happen to good and bad people all the time. I think life would be unfair if it let mine be perfect."
Lily wasn't sure what to say to that. It in a way was true, it would be unfair to let someone have a perfect life while others suffered. But did such a terrible thing have to happen to Duncan? Did such a sweet boy have to get the worst possible tragedy? He couldn't get a smaller sickness? Something easier to get rid of. But Lily didn't voice her thoughts. Instead she held out a card to Duncan.
"Here. It's a card of Hermione Granger."
Lily sat in her room at the Burrow. Actually, it was her mother's old room. Her grandmum said that she could pick whichever room she wanted, and her mum's old one seemed the best choice. She thought about Uncle George's, but the room sot of scared her. She didn't know what was in there.
She currently sat at an old desk, a piece of paper in front of her. She was tapping her fingers, wondering if there was anything else she needed to add.
"Dear Gemonk,
I, Lily Luna Potter, would like you to make a transaction for me, since I am unable to meet with you personally at the bank. I would like you to take out fifteen Galleons, seventeen Sickles, and ten Knuts from my vault and send it to St. Mungo's to provide for the care of Duncan Chapman, second floor, room 234. I want the money to come from an anonymous source, and for my name to be kept secret. If there are any problems, contact me by sending a letter to Ottery St. Catchpole, The Burrow, in Devon, England.
Thank you,
Lily Luna Potter"
Finding the letter was to her satisfaction, Lily sealed the letter in an envelope, addressed it, and then sent Regal off to deliver it. Then Lily dropped down onto the bed, unsure of what to do. She didn't have lessons with Slughorn today, and she didn't want to just barge in on one of her friends. Her grandpa was at work, and her grandmother was busy at the market, buying a few things for lunch. What was there she could do? She could always take a ride on her bike in the field out back.
There was a knock at the door, surprising Lily. Had Grandad come home early? "Come in," Lily welcomed.
The door opened, and Lysander walked in. Lily felt her body tense as she watched him close the door and look at her. He was silent for a moment before speaking. "Hey," he said quietly. He looked just as tense as she felt.
Lily brought in a gulp. "Hey," she greeted softly.
Lysander shoved his hands in his pocket and was silent for another moment. Lily took the time to look at him. He looked taller, and looked like he'd filled out more. He was leaner, and she could see the muscle in his arms. His hair looked shorter than usual, reaching the middle of his forehead, but it was still incredibly wavy. His eyes looked more focused than usual, and even a little darker of a blue. Lily couldn't deny that he was still attractive.
"We came over this morning, and your mum said that you've been staying here for about a week now," Lysander muttered.
Lily nodded. "Yeah. Time away for me and my dad to cool down," she whispered.
"What happened? A fight?" Lysander asked.
Lily let out a sigh. "You could say that."
He gave a nod. "So, . . . we need to talk."
Lily nodded as well. "Yeah. I know. Sit?"
Lysander sighed and moved to sit down on the edge of the bed. Lily pulled her legs to her chest, sitting close, but enough for a distance to be between them. "So," he choked out, "how should we start this?"
Lily ran a hand through her hair, wondering that herself. "Um . . . look, I think that you should just let me explain my actions to you."
He nodded. "Yeah. That sounds good."
Lily relaxed her shoulders, taking in deep breaths. "Ok. Well, . . . Lysander, you've been friends with me and my brothers for years and years. Since we were all born. And that's great. But then after everything happened, and you and I . . . had a few dates, you thought that you could be friends with my brothers, and still date me. But, Ly, . . . that can't happen," Lily told him. "Because James and Albus won't let that happen. I'm a social disaster when it comes to them and their group. Hanging out with me is like taking an AK."
"Lily, -," Lysander started.
But Lily kept going. "And I was wrong. It wasn't right for me to just cut you from my life. It was right for me to make that choice for you. So, if you still want to date me, then you have to realize that you risk losing a lot of my family as friends."
Lysander rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, Lily, . . . you were right in a way. It was partly my fault. I was idealistic about it. I knew how things were between you and your brothers, yet I tried to push the boundaries. I should have defended you. I shouldn't have let him say that about you. So, if James can't handle me being with you . . . then I don't think I want to be his friend anyway."
Lily felt a smile tug at her lips, and she felt a bit of a weight leave her mind. She relaxed a bit more. "So, where does this leave us?"
Lysander turned his head to look at her, showing her a small smile of his own. He leaned forward, set his hand on her cheek, and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was sweet, something she always expected from Lysander. She kissed back, placing her hand on his. Their fingers interlocked, and Lysander moved their hands into her hair
Lily broke the kiss, but she didn't move their hands, and she didn't let more than an inch of space between them. "So, when do you have to go back?" she asked.
"Well, since we live not far from here, I probably won't have to go back," Lysander told her. "So, do you mind going somewhere with me? Leaky Cauldron, perhaps?"
Lily nodded slightly. "Yeah. As soon as Grandmum gets home. She might kill you if you take me somewhere without telling her."
Lysander grinned. "Well, you're worth the wait."
"How do you like the dress, Lily?" Astoria called from the other side of the door.
"It's great!" Lily called back. She was in the dressing room in Astoria's work room in Malfoy Manor. Astoria had written her a few days ago, telling of a couple of beautiful dresses she had for Lily to model. They worked out a date for Lily to come over to work, and now here she was. Apparently everyone else was out of the house. Draco and Lucius had gone off to the Ministry, Narcissa went to visit her sister, and Scorpius had gone to visit Mitch. Lily was a little disappointed to hear that, but also kind of thankful. After what had happened between them, and her not being able to stop feeling the warmth, she wasn't sure how to tell him that she was back with Lysander. Officially.
But Lily focused on the task at hand. The dress she was in was a stunning silver color. It was strapless, and it flowed out at the waist, ending just at her knees. Astoria had given her a large Slytherin pendant to put around her neck. It was silver as well, with emerald eyes that seemed to glow.
Lily walked out of the dressing room to show Astoria how it looked. Astoria looked over excited. "It's perfect!" she squealed. "Ok, come and sit down. We need a bit of makeup, and we need to fix your hair."
For almost an hour, at least an hour and a half, Lily was sitting in a chair as Astoria treated her like a doll. She loosely curled her hair again, did a bit of blush, eyeshadow, lip gloss, and a little eyeliner.
"You have beautiful eyelashes, so mascara isn't really necessary," Astoria had told her. But then she was allowed up, and Astoria was taking her down to the parlor for pictures. "I want a classy setting for the photos," Astoria told her.
Lily surveyed the room when they entered. The grand fireplace was what first caught her eye, so Lily moved over to it. "How about here?" she suggested.
Astoria smiled as she looked over the area. "Yes, I think that might be perfect. You know what to do?"
Lily leaned her back against the mantle, both hands behind her back, and she smiled. "I've got a good idea."
Lily was there for five more hours, changing into different dresses, having different hairstyles, and going through different makeup. She changed locations over and over again. Doing pictures in the dining room, in the study, in the garden, and a few on one of the balconies. Lily never knew how tiring pictures could be, but she sucked it up.
Later, she and Astoria were back in the workroom, and Astoria was crossing things off on her list. "Ok, so I was thinking that in a couple of weeks, we can do a shoot for fall and winter outfits," Astoria suggested.
Lily raised a brow. "Winter? Isn't that jumping the gun a bit?" she asked.
"Well they wouldn't come out in magazines for months. But this way we won't have to take you out of school for them," Astoria told her.
"Ah," Lily said with a nod. "Makes sense, then."
Astoria sighed as she began to rummage through a drawer in a counter. "Now, I'm not sure which magazines these will be in. After your first appearance, a lot of magazines have been asking to show pictures of you. Those magazines sold a lot when you appeared on the cover," she told Lily.
Lily grinned. "Money has it that a lot Slytherins from school bought some," she joked.
"That's what Scorpius said," Astoria said with a laugh. "I hear that you're very popular in your House."
Lily shrugged. "I guess. I'm often told that."
Astoria smiled at her as she walked back over to her, holding out a pouch. "Here. This is what you've made for today. The rest will come once the magazines come out next month"
Lily sighed as she took the pouch. "You know, this isn't necessary." This bag felt heavier than the last did.
Astoria just waved it off. "Nonsense. Despite what people think, modeling can be taxing. You deserve it. Besides, you've only done one shoot and you're already on the way to being a top model according to magazines," she insisted.
Lily knew better than to argue, so she set the pouch down next to her, and watched as Astoria messed with the camera. "So, can you do me a favor, Mrs. Malfoy?"
Astoria smiled at her. "You can call me Astoria. I'd prefer it, since I was calling Narcissa that for years. It doesn't seem right when I'm called it."
Lily giggled slightly. "Ok. I can do that."
Astoria smiled again as she sat down. "But, anyway, of course I can do a favor. Anything you need."
"Well, I was wondering if you could send a copy of some of these pictures to a friend of mine in St. Mungo's, since he can't afford a magazine subscription?" Lily asked.
Astoria nodded. "Of course I can. That's no problem at all. Any certain pictures?"
Lily shook her head. "No, whichever you choose."
"Who am I sending these to?" Astoria asked, taking out a small sheet of paper.
"To Duncan Chapman, second floor, room 234," Lily told her.
Astoria scribbled something on a paper quickly. "Ok. I can do this for you. No problem whatsoever."
Lily smiled. "Perfect! Thank you so much. I know he'll love it."
"So, shall I do this with any pictures we take from this point?" Astoria asked.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you so much."
But Astoria just shrugged. "For you, Lily, anything."
Lily sighed as she packed up her bag. It had been weeks since she'd started staying her grandparents' house, but she felt that it was time to go home. She couldn't stay there forever, and she couldn't avoid them forever. Her grandmum had gone to visit her mum the other day, and had reported that she looked a bit upset, and was insistent on knowing how Lily was doing. This was killing her mother, and Lily couldn't take it out on her. She hadn't run off because of her. So Lily finished business here. She deposited the money she'd made from Astoria, sixty-five Galleons, seventy-one Sickles, and twenty-three Knuts. Way more than she'd made last time. Then she told her grandpa to keep her bike here. With how her father was acting, she didn't want to risk him taking it away.
Lily dragged her bag down the stairs, not wanting to leave, but needing to leave. She stopped at the fireplace, dropped her bag, and then walked to the kitchen. Her grandparents were sitting there, having tea since it was her grandpa's day off.
"I'm ready to go," Lily told them.
Molly looked a bit sad. "Are you sure this is what you want to do, Lily?" she asked.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, I've been hiding here for weeks now. I think I've cooled off enough."
Arthur nodded. "Yes, I think so too. Not that I don't like having you here, but I do think it's time you and your dad sorted this out."
Lily almost cringed at the idea. She was actually planning on just avoiding the topic at all. But . . . perhaps that wasn't the best way to go. And her mum probably wouldn't let that happen anyway. "Yeah," Lily said with a sigh. "So, I should probably be going."
Molly got up from her seat and hugged her tight. "Well, I'll see you in about a week for your birthday. You be good, ok?"
Lily nodded as she pulled away from the hug. "I will, Grandmum." Lily moved over to give her grandfather a half hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Grandpa."
"Bye, sweetheart," he said with a small smile.
Lily left the kitchen, and went back to her things. She shouldered her bag, held tight to her broom, and went through the Floo. She stumbled on slightly, and caught her balance. As soon as she put her things down, she heard footsteps coming toward the living room. Lily turned to look at the entrance just in time to see her mother walk in.
Ginny rushed over and pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "Oh, we've missed you, honey! Welcome back!" Ginny pulled back a little, smiling at her daughter. "How was staying at your grandparents?"
Lily looked oddly at her mother. Wasn't she mad? Lily had run away. She'd snuck out, and it was obvious that she had plans to run away. Was she just ignoring that? "It was good. A nice way to relax. Sorry for running off."
Ginny sighed, pushing back her daughter's hair, and placing her hands on Lily's cheeks. "Look, I'm not happy that it happened, but I am happy that you were smart and responsible enough to run to your grandparents. You went to a place that you knew was safe. And once your father comes home, the three of us are going to sit down and have this out, ok?"
Lily stared at her mother. The three of them? What about her brothers? Was her mother completely taking out the fact that her brothers contributed to why she ran off? Was she ignoring the fact that her brothers made life at home hell too?
Lily swallowed thickly, not wanting to seem angry. "Ok. That sounds fine," she mumbled. "I'm going to take my stuff upstairs." Lily gently moved past her mother, and walked upstairs. When she was in her room, she locked the door.
"Now," Ginny addressed, "you both need to talk this out calmly. No yelling, interrupting, and no storming off." It was a few hours after Lily arrived home, and she was now sitting with her parents in the kitchen, getting ready to talk it out. Her brothers were both at their friends' houses, apparently having no part in her actions.
Harry let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. Lily thought that he didn't look angry, but he didn't look calm either. "Ok. Look, Lily, I don't want you do this . . . modeling thing. It just stereotypes you as some idiot, pretty girl. You are very intelligent, and very talented. You can do something much better with your time," he explained.
Lily sighed as well. "Like what, Dad? Everything I could be doing, it's been done in our family. I mean, I just want to do something different. Something that's only mine. That's part of the reason why I kept out the name Potter. And I like that I'm smart and doing this. It cuts out the stereotype that only dumb girls model," she argued politely.
"It's not a concrete job, Lily," Harry warned.
"I'm not looking at this as a career, Dad," Lily retorted. "I'm thirteen. This is just something for me to do as a favor to a really nice woman, and for something to kill time. And this way I make my own money. I can afford to buy my own things. I don't know what I want as a career late in life. I'm just doing this to fill time," she assured. "And if I chose it as a career, then so be it."
Harry rubbed his temples. "I don't like it, Lily."
"Dad, those magazines sold amazingly. Apparently it's one of the best issues. Other magazines are asking Astoria if they can host pictures of me," Lily told him.
"That's the thing though," Harry replied. "I don't like that. I don't like the pictures you take. Pictures where my daughter is half naked, or has a skirt that's practically underwear."
Lily did her best to keep from rolling her eyes. "The skirt was longer than that, Dad. And it was for summer clothes. Bathing suits deal with summer. It's not like I'm an underwear model," she pointed out.
"And this new . . . style of clothing that you're always wearing," Harry added.
"Look, Dad," Lily interjected, "I know that at first, I did it to make you mad. But the more I wore it, the more I've come to like it. I do it for me now. I know you don't like it, but it's me."
Harry sighed as he ran his hand through his hair again. "I just don't like all these changes that you're making. You don't even give us a warning."
"I'm growing up, Dad," Lily told him. "I'm sorry that you don't like that, but I won't be sorry that I am. I'm almost fourteen. I'm going to dress differently, I'm going to change, and yes, I'm going to date."
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly at that. "I really don't like that."
"I'm not asking you to," Lily told him. "I'm just hoping that you don't explode if I bring a boy home to meet you."
"Like who?" Harry said lowly.
"Like my current boyfriend," Lily told him.
It looked to Lily like her father desperately wanted to glare at her. "Who?" he demanded.
"Lysander Scamander," Lily answered.
"I thought you and him had a falling out?" Ginny asked.
Lily shrugged. "We talked it out, and we've decided to try again."
Harry sighed, but it sounded a bit like a groan. "So, you are dating Lysander? Legitimately?"
Lily nodded. "Officially."
"And this is the only boy I need to know about?" Harry asked.
Lily shrugged. "How many do you want to know about?"
"I mean that you haven't been involved with any others?" Harry explained.
"No, I have," Lily told him honestly.
Harry sucked in a deep breath. "Who?"
Lily sighed. "Well, after Lysander I went out with Xavier Avery, a boy in my year," she told him.
"And is that all?" Harry asked, looking as if he was afraid of the answer.
Lily nodded. "Yes, that's it," she told him, leaving out the other boys she'd kissed, and leaving out how she felt about Scorpius. Sure, she was sort of 'involved' with them, but not that he needed to know.
"So, are we to expect Lysander coming over often?" Ginny asked with a smile.
Lily shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not sure I want to bring him around the boys. They proved to be problems last time."
"I'd make sure they behaved," Ginny assured.
But Lily shook her head and stood from her seat. "I'd rather not risk it."
Lily sighed as she sat in her room. She had just finished opening that last few gifts she'd gotten from her friends. Her birthday had been four days ago, as well as her birthday party at the Burrow. Lily hated it. Ever since she became a Slytherin, her birthday parties were a joke. All of her cousins and her brothers acting as if they were happy to celebrate a whole day to her. Only the adults were sincere. But her friends had sent her some great gifts. Scorpius had sent her a ring with the Slytherin crest, and her name along the outside. Lysander had sent flowers and a pretty necklace. And in every letter she got from her fellow Slytherins, they all complimented her on her magazine appearance.
"Lily! Can you come down here for a moment?" Ginny called up to her.
Lily glanced over at the door before putting down the letter in her hand and leaving her room. She went into the kitchen where her mother was. "Yeah, Mum?" Lily questioned.
"Can you help me for a minute? Your father sent Kreacher on an errand, and I don't trust any of the boys around food," Ginny asked.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, sure."
"Can you take that pie out of the oven and replace it with the one on the counter?" Ginny asked. "Sorry that's it's such a small task to call you down, but there's filling all over my hands."
"It's ok," Lily told her as she pulled out what smelled like a cherry pie.
She replaced the pies, and curious what the other one was. Everyone heard the doorbell ring, and they all heard Harry yell, "I've got it!" Lily watched as Ginny washed her hands, so Lily moved to see who was at the door. Because usually the only people that came over were Ron and Hermione, but you could hear them seconds after they rang. She couldn't even hear her dad talk.
Lily stepped into the hall to look and see who it was, but all she could see was an open door and her dad's back. So she listened instead.
"I, um . . . , I didn't expect to see you," her father spoke.
"Yeah," said a bit of a deep voice. "I never expected to visit, but, uh . . . we were on our way to my parents' house when I saw a sign that said 'Godric's Hollow'. I remember seeing that on all the cards you sent me, and . . . just a spur of the moment, I decided to drop by for a couple of hours. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"Oh! No, not at all. Um, come in and meet my family," her father invited. He stepped aside, and Lily caught sight of a large, portly, blonde man. He looked to be around her father's age. His face was big with pink cheeks. Lily had no clue who this man was.
Harry caught sight of his daughter standing there. "Oh, Lily! Sweetheart, this is my cousin, Dudley. Dudley, this is my daughter, Lily."
The big man waved a beefy hand toward Lily. "Hello, Lily. It's nice to meet you."
Lily waved a little too. "Same to you," she said quietly.
Harry sighed. "So, um, where is your family?"
Dudley looked behind him. "They're coming. Ah! Harry, this is my wife, Abigail. Abigail, this is my cousin Harry."
Lily watched as the woman shook her father's hand. This woman was a stark contrast to her husband. She was tiny, lean, had dark black hair and dark eyes. "Hello, Harry. I've nothing but good things about you," she said with a smile.
Harry gave a nod. "Thank you. I'm very happy to meet you. Um, this is my youngest, Lily."
The woman smiled, and it seemed genuine. "Hello, there, Lily."
"Hi," Lily said politely.
"Who's at the door, Harry?" Ginny yelled from the kitchen.
Harry looked hesitantly at the kitchen. "Um, Ginny, can you come out here? I want you to meet someone."
Lily heard her mother coming closer, and she wondered why her father looked so odd. But soon her mother stepped into the hall, and she looked just as confused as Lily did by the sight of their guests. "Oh, hello," Ginny said with a bit of confusion.
"Ginny, this is my cousin Dudley. This is his wife, Abigail. Dudley, this is my wife Ginny," Harry introduced.
Lily was surprised at the amount of shock on her mother's face. "Oh! Well it's . . . nice to finally meet you," Ginny told them. But Lily felt like her mother didn't really mean it.
"Our kids are outside. They're being a little shy," Abigail told them.
"Well come on in. The living room is right through here," Ginny told them. "Lily, introduce your brothers, I need your father's help in the kitchen really quick."
Lily didn't trust her mother's tone, but she didn't disobey. You didn't make Ginny Potter mad. All the kids knew that. So she stepped into the living room, the adults following. "Hey," Lily said, addressing her brothers while trying not to be mean, "we have guests."
Her brothers looked at her without trust, and James was openly glaring at her. Lily ignored them. "These are my brothers, James and Albus," she said, pointing them out. "This is dad's cousin, Dudley and his wife Abigail."
James dropped the look when he looked at the new people. He gave what others called a 'charming' grin. "Hello. I'm the oldest, James." Lily bit back a snarky comment.
Albus stood up and held out his hand. "I'm Albus," he introduced.
Dudley shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you all."
"Dad? How long are we staying here?" a bratty sounding voice asked. The voice already grated on Lily's nerves. They all looked to see a girl standing in the door way. She looked to be about James's age. She had dark black hair, dark narrowed eyes, and she was popping a piece of gum.
"Oh, kids, this is my oldest daughter, Elaine. Elaine, this is James, Albus, and Lily," Dudley introduced. "Actually, I think you and James are the same age."
"I'll be eighteen this October," James bragged.
"Elaine here just turned seventeen," Dudley said, obviously doing the work to make a connection.
This Elaine was eyeing James with interest, the type that made Lily sick. "Nice to meet ya, James," she said. She pushed past her parents to join him on the couch.
"Ah! And here are my other children," Dudley said as three other kids walked in. "My sons, Marcus and Ricky, and my youngest, Jane."
The children didn't look happy to be there, but they didn't seem as snotty as their sister in Lily's eyes. The older boy was tall and husky, but it looked to be muscle. His hair was dark and curly, and his eyes were a dark blue. The younger boy, Ricky, had long blonde hair that was falling into this eyes, which were so dark that they stood out. He was shorter than his brother, and much skinnier. The little girl was very tiny, and very young. She had long, curling blonde hair and blue eyes. Her cheeks were pink, and she was the only one smiling. She was adorable.
"Marcus here is fifteen, Ricky just turned thirteen, and little Janie here is five," Dudley said fondly, picking his little girl up.
"I just turned sixteen," Albus told them with a proud grin as he tried to puff out his chest. Too bad he was too skinny to look tough, Lily thought.
"And how old are you, Lily?" Abigail asked as she sat on the sofa.
"I just turned fourteen a few days ago," Lily said politely.
"Oh! I wish we'd known, we could have brought you something," Abigail replied.
Lily shook her head. "No worries, it's fine. I've got enough presents to last a lifetime."
"So, what school do you guys go to?" Marcus asked as he sat on the arm of one of the chairs.
Lily tensed, and her brothers looked hesitant too. "We go to a private school in Scotland," Lily said quickly.
"The one your father went to?" Dudley asked vaguely.
"Same one," Albus said a bit shakily.
"Lily, is this you?" Dudley asked.
Lily looked at him curiously, and then saw that he had picked up one of the magazines with her picture on the cover. It was the one with her in the white dress. "Oh, yeah that's me. I started modeling this summer," she explained.
Dudley gave her a surprised look. "That's quite impressive," he replied.
"Well, my friend's mother is a fashion designer, and she'd never had a teen model. So when she asked me to do it, I just couldn't say no," Lily told him.
"You probably get paid very well," Dudley responded.
"Very well, actually. I was told that I'm on the way to becoming one of the top teen models," Lily answered. She couldn't exactly explain to them how much she made, because she didn't know what it would all be when converted to Muggle money.
"I've never seen that magazine," Elaine said with a pop of her gum.
Lily raised a brow. "Really? Can't imagine why."
Elaine ignored her. "So, why does reception suck in your house? My cellphone has like, no signal," she complained. She looked to be holding a tiny Muggle phone in her hand. Lily had never seen anything like that. Well, she'd seen other Muggles on the streets carrying them, but she never actually knew what it was.
"It's probably just a dead zone, sweetie," Dudley said, noticing the odd looks Lily and her brothers were giving the Muggle object.
"Dudley," Harry spoke as he entered the room, "Abigail, why don't you join me and my wife in the kitchen, let the kids get acquainted?"
"Sounds like a great idea," Dudley replied, and he and his wife followed Harry out of the room.
The kids sat in the room in an awkward air, unsure of what to do or say. Lily felt the instinct to run, to get the hell out of the room. There was something about this she didn't like. She didn't trust the oldest, there was something odd about the younger boy, and she definitely didn't trust her brothers, and little Jane had followed her parents, holding on to her father's pants.
Lily sighed. "Well, I'm going to my room." She turned and walked out of the room. But as she went up the stairs in the hall, she heard another pair of steps. She stopped and turned around. The older boy, Marcus, was following her. "Can I help you?" Lily asked.
"I thought I'd just get the hell out of there. It's a tad bit uncomfortable," he told her. "Mind if I follow you?"
Not seeing a reason to say no, Lily shrugged. "Sure. Come on." Lily led him up the stairs and into her room. She locked the door once they were both in. "Sit anywhere," she told him.
He chuckled. "Is there a reason you locked the door?"
Lily glanced at him. She had the feeling that she wouldn't be seeing this boy after today, so why not just say it. "I hate my brothers, and the last thing I need is for them to try and get in here."
Marcus sat on her desk chair. "I hear ya. I hate my brother and older sister. They're annoying as fuck," he muttered. He stretched his arms above his head. "Elaine's too bratty, and Ricky won't shut the hell up."
"My brothers are the same way," Lily said with a laugh.
"Honestly, they look that way," Marcus laughed. "They both seem like ass kissers."
"They are pros at it," Lily joked. She dropped onto her bed. "So, how old are you again?"
"I'm fifteen," he told her.
"And what school do you go to?" Lily asked.
He sighed. "I go to freaking Smeltings. My dad's insisted on it. But once I turn sixteen, I'm out of there."
"You mean you're going to drop out?" Lily said in surprise.
"Yeah. I don't give a fuck about my education, and I hate that school. The only good thing about it was boxing, but I'm already the champ at my school. It's boring," he groaned.
"Boxing?" Lily inquired.
Marcus looked at her with a raised brow, but he didn't question her. "It's a sport where two guys get in a ring and punch each other's lights out," he explained.
Lily laughed a bit. "Sounds kind of awesome." The thought of getting into a ring and punching the hell out of James or Albus was appealing.
"Yeah. But there's no one at school that can beat me," he told her.
"Need new people to punch out?" Lily teased.
"Actually, I go to an underground ring. Me and a bunch of guys go and cage fight. It's illegal, but I don't care. I make money, and I get out my anger. Win, win, baby," he said with pride. "I mean, how do you let out the anger you have against your brothers?"
Lily thought about that. "Well, nothing really. I avoid them. And when they start something, I do something to get back at them. I've never really done anything to let out my anger."
Marcus leaned forward and grinned. "That's the problem. You're less inclined to kill them if you're able to let out your anger."
Lily looked at him curiously. "What would you suggest?"
"Well not boxing. No offense, and I don't mean to sound sexist, but you're pretty tiny compared to the guys I fight. So . . . I would suggest . . . Maybe just doing some type of physical activity. Getting your blood pumping and pushing your body to its total breaking point is a great way to let it all out. Plus it releases endorphins, and that helps to keep a positive spirit," he joked.
Lily laughed lightly. "I might try that," she told him.
"Maybe try kickboxing," he teased. Lily laughed too, even though she had no idea what kickboxing was. But Marcus seemed to catch onto that. "No idea, huh?"
Lily shook her head. "No, sorry."
He grinned and stood up. "Stand up," he told her.
"What?" Lily asked.
"Stand up," he repeated. He held up his arms. Hesitant, Lily did as he suggested. "Ok, now kick my forearm."
Lily looked at him in confused surprise. "What?" she asked.
"Just do it," he told her. "Face me, and kicked your leg up to my forearm."
Lily bit her lip, but she did as he told her. She barely got her leg up that high. Marcus sighed. "Ok, I'm going to teach you how to do this, ok?"
"How to kickbox?" Lily questioned.
He nodded. "Yeah. It's a great way to get exercise, and it something that I think you can do. Plus, I'm not going to tell you to do competitions. It's just something you can do on your own."
So for the next few hours, they stood in her room, and he helped her stretch, and showed her the technique to kickboxing. Lily found that it was really hard, and it had her kind of sweating. But she did feel great. It was a great way to forget things. But soon, they were being yelled to come downstairs and say goodbye. Marcus and his family were leaving to his grandparents'.
"Well, I guess this is it. Maybe I'll see ya around one day, Lil," Marcus said.
Lily nodded. "Maybe. Thanks, Mark."
He grinned. "No problem. I'm always willing to help a fellow family outcast. Here." He took a piece of paper from her desk. "You got something to write with?"
Lily opened the bottom drawer of her desk, pulling out a pen. A Muggle item her grandfather had given her. "Here," she told him.
Marcus wrote something down, and handed it to her. "If you're ever in the neighborhood, here's our address. Anytime you need help," he offered.
Lily grinned. "Thanks," she said, taking the small slip of paper.
"Now let's got down there and pretend to be nice," Marcus joked.
Lily laughed, but followed him as he left the room. They went downstairs where everyone was saying goodbye to each other.
"It was nice to meet you, Lily," Dudley told her.
"It was nice to meet you too," Lily replied.
Marcus patted her shoulder, and Lily didn't say it, but it kind of felt like a hammer. "I'll see ya around, Lils."
"Later, Mark," she said with a wave. Soon the entire family had made it out the door, and Lily heard the sound of their car pulling away from the house. Lily stood in the hallway as her own family talked around her, thinking about her lessons from Marcus. Kickboxing. It was such a Muggle thing. But . . . maybe the physical activity would be a good thing for her. Even if she didn't keep up the actual kickboxing, she could keep up the exercising. The stretching, the running, and other little warm ups. Maybe it would be a good thing.
Days kept going by, and Lily felt as if it was all going quickly. Lessons with Slughorn went by quickly, and Lily's next magazine came out, much to her father's irritation. Along with the magazines came more payment from Astoria. According to her letter, it was from the magazines. Her pictures had appeared in five magazines this time. Then she soon did her photo shoot for fall and winter outfits, where Astoria paid her again. Lily took the time she had to deposit the money into Gringotts. Now they were all waiting for their Hogwarts letters, and Albus's O.W.L. results. They finally came though.
"Look what I have," Harry teased at breakfast one morning. "Letters from Hogwarts. Time to go shopping."
"Albus, how did you do?" Ginny asked eagerly.
So Albus was the only one to get one of his letters. The one containing his results. Albus opened it, and Lily noticed his hands were shaking. He read over the results, keeping their mother in suspense.
"So?" Ginny urged.
Albus smiled at her. "An E in Potions, an O in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. An E in Charms and Herbology, a P in Ancient Ruins, a D in History of Magic, an E in Care of Magical Creatures, and an A in Astronomy," he listed.
"That's great, Albus!" Ginny said excitedly.
"Good job, son," Harry told him.
"Way to go, little bro," James told him, ruffling his hair.
Lily just sighed. "So, can the rest of us have our letters?"
Harry looked a little surprised. "Oh! Of course. Here you all are." He handed James one letter, Albus another letter, and oddly he handed Lily two.
Lily opened her first one to see her supply list for the next year.
"I got Head Boy!" James exclaimed loudly.
As Lily did her best not to bang her head on the table, her family began to congratulate him.
"Looks like we're going to have another party at the Burrow," Harry joked.
Lily was still trying not to groan. Was luck ever going to be on her side? She ignored the happy remarks to his promotion to Head Boy, and opened her other letter. The first thing she read surprised her.
"Ordinary Wizarding Level Results"
O.W.L. results, Lily thought. They must have the wrong person. But she kept reading, and it kept to her name. She kept going down the letter.
"Passing Grades, Outstanding (O), Exceeds Expectations (E), Acceptable (A). Failing Grades, Poor (P), Dreadful (D), Troll (T)."
There was only one class listed.
"Potions . . . . . . . O."
Lily looked at it in confusion, until it clicked. That difficult test she took for Slughorn at the end of the year. That was an O.W.L. test? And she got an O? How in the hell had she done that?
"What are you looking at, princess?" Harry asked.
Lily looked at her father in surprise. She'd forgotten that she was still at dinner. "Oh, just my supply list." She quickly folded it under the table, and the picked the actually supply list that was sitting in her lap. She handed that over to her father. "Here, you take it."
"And you're getting a bit taller. We might have to get her robes refitted," Ginny mentioned.
"Yup. We'll all have to go out. The boys will probably need new ones too," Harry said with a sigh.
Lily only half listened as she folded up her test result more and shoved it into the pocket of her pajama shorts. "Um, when will we be going shopping?" she asked.
"We'll probably go on your father's next day off. So next Sunday," Ginny answered.
"Think I could get a new broom?" James asked. "I need one for Quidditch, and I did make Head Boy."
"Don't you have a job?" Lily pointed out.
James glared at her. "Do you have an achievement that our family can be proud of?"
"Children?" Harry warned,
"Well I'm not a pompous ass," Lily retorted.
"Lily Potter!" Ginny scolded.
"I'm not an evil bitch!" James countered.
"Enough!" Harry yelled, slamming his hand on the table, making them all jump. "Both of you, upstairs in your rooms, now! If you can't get along, then you don't need to be together!"
Lily grinned as she stood up. "Glad you're finally seeing it my way, Dad."
"Now!" Harry commanded.
Lily was the first up the stairs, but James caught her easily. "I'm getting pretty fucking sick of your attitude!" he hissed.
Lily kept walking. "Well I'm pretty fucking sick of your face," she mocked. She stopped near her bedroom door, and turned to look at him.
"Remember, snake, I'm Head Boy now," James hissed.
"Remember, dick," Lily sneered, "my Head of House can overturn your decisions with ease, and he likes me a hell of a lot more than he likes you!"
"I'm going to make your life Hell," he said with a cruel chuckle.
Lily rolled her eyes. "My life has been hell for a long time now. You can't make it worse." Lily stepped closer. "But I can easily make yours worse."
"Really? What the fuck could you ever do?" he scoffed.
Lily remembered her time with Marcus with a smile. The best way to let someone know you're mad at them. She brought her foot up swiftly, kicking James in the side. He stumbled sideways, his shoulder colliding with the wall.
"I could kick your ass," Lily replied with a glare.
James glared at her. "I'm going to fucking kill you," he snarled.
"Try it," Lily taunted.
Lily was a bit surprised when James actually grabbed her hair, and yanked her forward. She never thought that he'd have the guts to. "Mark my words," he warned slowly, "you will regret this. I'll make sure of it."
Lily glared at him, doing her best to ignore the sting in her scalp. "I've regretted knowing you for a long time now," she spat.
James let go of her, making her legs a bit shaky as she tried to reestablish her footing. James shoved past her, roughly rocking her entire body. She didn't turn to look at him.
A door slammed behind her.