Lily Evans was used to being called many things. Amongst them, pretty and smart were her favourites. Some people even called her "beautiful" especially when talking about her silky auburn hair and dazzling emerald eyes. Her bone structure and general build were also remarkable, symmetrical and overall quite pleasant. She was of average height for her age, as was her mum, and her mum before that, and her feet and hands were delicate, fairy like.
She was quite often called pretty like a princess, and tried to behave like one, as her sister Tuney was lacking some manners.
Lily also had a penchant for lost causes and underdogs.
Growing up with role models like Snow White and princess Aurora, she knew that small animals and quirky sidekicks were essentials for being the perfect princess, so she often took care of all kinds of strays.
Most importantly, she liked being called caring. She was fond of the homeless men living on the other side of the river, and often brought them bread and some of her old books. She also had a proclivity for picking up dogs that were bound to go to the pound and giving them a few meals, as well as rescuing birds with broken wings and nursing them back to health. Often at school, she defended the smaller kids from bullies, and chastised her friends whenever they partook in the odious activities.
It was no surprise then, that when she met the queer unkempt boy by the riverside, that she felt the sudden pull she felt whenever her caring personality wished to adopt another unfortunate soul. Even if the ill mannered boy had called her a witch.
The phone rang early that morning. WAY too early! It isn't even 6! And it's SUNDAY
She padded out of her room, squinty-eyed and armed with her fluffy robe. The phone was closest to Lily and Petunia's rooms, so it was no surprise that an angry bead-headed blonde was the first to pick up the wretched device.
"Yes, hello? GRAMPS! How are you? How's London? Did you have a nice trip?" The sudden change in the blonde's demeanour wasn't a surprise to Lily, Gramps was the best. "Mum? Sure, I'll call her.. MUUUUUUM, gramps on the phone" Thankfully, she had covered the receiver before screeching as she knew best, allowing Lily some reaction time for covering her ears to prevent deafness-by-Petunia. There was a bit of what sounded like a scuffle downstairs and then Lily heard her mother's heels quickly climbing the stairs. She must have started early today, or maybe, judging by the shadows in her eyes, she hadn't slept at all.
"Thank you Petunia, dear." Her smile was tense, as were her shoulders. "Good morning dad, any news?"
Lily's sleep-addled brain slowly remembered the reason for Gramps' sudden trip to the big city. She had heard the grownups speak in hushed words about her maternal aunt's condition. Cancer they said, many surgeries, but she had seemed to be recovering, last she'd heard. Maybe Gramps was calling to update on her condition. Mother was worrying sick since the day before, when a little bit after noon they received a call from uncle. Gramps was packed and boarding the train in less han an hour, and that's the last thing the Evans family had heard. Until now.
Her mother's legs gave out, and Lily rushed to keep her form falling too hard, but it was a bit too late. Tears were forming in her mother's face. "Oh Lord. Are you sure? I... I... Should we go now? What about Donald? Is he all right? What am I saying, of course he isn't... Is Mi with you?" Slowly, her mother started climbing, aided by Lily's hand, and a pair of male steps announced Dad's arrival. He looked into her mother's eyes, and using that weird parent telekinesis, he asked a silent question answered by Mum's trembly sigh and a shaky "no" with her head and more tears. "...All right. I just can't believe it. Yes, Harold's here, I'll tell him and the girls. No, I don't think we'll drive down there, I'll try buying tickets as soon as possible. I love you. Wait... give Donald our love, Mi too. I'll call before leaving. You're staying at Eileen's right? God, I can't believe it. Anyways, I'll call, so ask if they need anything we could bring. I love you, goodbye."
With shaky hands the phone was hung. Her mother fell into her fathers arms. "She's gone Harold. My baby sister..."
In the blink of an eye, plans were made, bags were packed and mum was quickly delivered to the train station. Lily, Tuney and their father would be going by car to London on Monday morning if they decided to have the funeral in the big city. They'd have to wait for their mother to arrive at the Granger's before making any decisions, so Petunia was uncertain if they were skipping school or not.
A distraction was needed. Lily went to the park.
She looked around half-hoping to find the Snape boy, half-hoping she was left alone. She hadn't seen much of her auntie the last year, given the state of her health and the distance between the families. She hadn't received as many of her calls as she used to, but she still felt the loss. She wasn't going to be taking them to the zoo anymore. No more trips to the museum and Galleries, walks in Piccadilly, licking ice cream cones with her quiet cousin while her sunny mum prattled about this thing or the other. Her godmother was gone.
She grabbed a lonely bloom. It was around 8 am so the kids wouldn't start arriving until later, thus she felt free to practice a bit more. She was up to two flowers opening and closing simultaneously when a throat cleared behind her, shaking her from her thoughts.
"Yes?" Apparently, it wasn't too early for a scrawny, oily looking Severus to appear. He looked a bit shy, his ghostly skin painted in a bit of a blush. His expression froze when his eyes focused in her face, his posture suddenly guarded.
"What happened to your face?" He asked gruffly, then flinched when he seemed to realise how his phrase may come across.
"My face?" While normally she would have jumped at the comment, she felt a bit drained and muted, so she simply touched her face, now crusty with tears and felt the puffiness under her eyes. "Oh. I was crying. My aunt just died." She blinked, then frowned. "What are you doing here so early?"
The boy looked quite uncomfortable by then. He fidgeted with the extremely long sleeves in his stained jumper. It looked as if he were trying to widen the holes it had at the seams, right over where the thumbs should go. "Uh… I… I wanted to talk to you. I think I might've come across a bit pushy back the other day. I didn't… I didn't mean to insult you, you know?" His face turned a bit solemn, a weird look for a boy their age, his crooked nose enhancing the severity of the expression.
Lily was grateful for the change of topic "Yes, about that. It wasn't a really nice thing to say, you know? I mean, I'm not that awful looking, and I've been told I have a nice personality, even if I fight a bit with Tuney."
"I think you may be confusing witch with hag, but that's all right, you were raised by muggles" The boy looked as if he was starting to gain some confidence in the conversation and walked a few steps towards her. "No, I was saying a witch, as in a magic user, you know… like… like Merlin, you understand? The power to do things that other people normally can't, like your flowers, or flying." He was starting to sound excited, and his eyes were shining just a tiny bit. "Here, I'll try to show you." He took one of the blooms and placed it in the ground in front of him. Squinting, and frowning he extended his arm, palm looking down and mimicked a grabbing movement.
The bloom shook a bit and slowly it started lifting, all on its own. The bloom was floating near his waist when Lily was able to look at his face again. He looked wide-eyed, just as surprised as she must've looked. He tried hiding his expression to one of nonchalance when he noticed Lily grinning. But it was too late. She knew.
"Ok. I believe you. Tell me all about this witch thing."
Petunia and Lily had to go to school on Monday. The other girls were very nice with them, and some of Lily's friends shared their snacks with her and offered to braid her hair. Some remember her auntie from their trip to London, and gave her a big hug, saying they were very sorry for her loss.
They missed school that Tuesday. The early morning was spent with a quiet and quick breakfast, they were picking mum and gramps at the station. Their cousin and uncle were driving directly to the church, as was the hired funerary car that was bringing their aunt to her final place of rest, right next to gran and uncle Edward, who Lily didn't get to meet, but was often told had the same auburn locks she did.
As she expected, the funeral was a somber affair. The church wasn't filled to the brim, but there were about fifty attendants, mostly family and childhood friends. There had been a small place for mourning in London so most of the friends the Grangers had made at the big city had given their parting words there. Lily had composed a small speech she'd deliver in her family's name before Mi's and right after one of aunties school friends. Hankies were out within seconds as she spoke of their wonderful trips and her aunt's smile, a small laugh or two could be heard at some points, and she closed her words with a few tears, a croaky voice and a tiny feeling of satisfaction for a job well made, and sat in the front row, next to her mother. Her mother thanked her and she had to agree, it was a nice, adequate, touching speech.
Mi looked as if she would break any minute. She was shaking, her big hair making it apparent from a distance. She stepped up, gathered herself, and when she opened her eyes a look of fiery determination materialised on her face. Her speech was personal as a daughter's would be. She spoke words of love and goodbye, quoted some philosophers. It was overall, very Mi. Lily tried listening, she really did, but the dissonance between her cousin's eyes and her shaky hands was very distracting. Was she breaking? Was she mending? Was she getting ready to explode?
"... I really hope this isn't goodbye. I promise mum, I'll try to make it that way." After Mi's parting words the people around Lily stayed silent and stared at her cousin with pity, worry, and in some cases a bit of both. Mi straightened her back, rolled her shoulders, and walked with as much grace as a preteen could have towards her father's waiting arms.
The burial was a smaller affair, family-only. Her cousin looked small, so Lily did what she knew. She gave her cousin a bear hug and offered her hand. The adults around them were smiling sadly at the girl's display. Mi was quiet, but squeezed Lily's hand in a way of thanks.
Lily Evans squeezed back and felt the pull for a second time that month. She decided right then and there that she was a caring girl, and her cousin looked like she needed a caring friend.