Lily legged it, wrenching her arm out of Mrs. Granger's grasp and shoving her way past Dudley and Petunia.
"Lily, stop!" Mrs. Granger shouted after her as she flew out of the door. Lily turned left, running as fast as she could, not having the slightest idea where she was headed. Lily could still hear Vernon shouting after Marge, but she didn't care, and she pushed her way through the gawkers.
She ran until she was out of breath, and then ran even further, until she started hitting homes and hovels. Eventually, she reached a park, and collapsed onto a nearby bench, wheezing on every breath, her lungs and legs aching. She coughed roughly, her entire chest shaking from the effort.
When her breathing started to become normal, she took a look around. There was a dilapidated swing set nearby, as well as a slide and a set of bars. A few of the nearby houses seemed rundown, a few stragglers ogling her while they sat outside. Lily took a deep breath, to steady her nerves, then rose from the bench, setting off in the direction she came from. She had no intention of returning to the dentist's office. She just wanted to find something familiar, make it back to the Grangers, and get her trunk before the Ministry could find her. She'd have to borrow Hermione's wand; she needed to take the Knight Bus back to her own. She cursed herself when she almost turned down the wrong road; if she'd thought about it for just a moment, she could have at least gone in the right direction.
Lily walked for what felt like ages, but she had no idea where she was. She at least made it back to a nicer part of town. She wanted to stop and ask for directions, but she realized she had no address for the house. That was stupid of her. She should have asked, or at least looked at what street they had been on.
Lily glanced in the sky, trying to judge how much time had passed by the sun, where she spied two forms mounted on broomsticks fetching Aunt Marge from the sky. That got her panicking again. The Ministry was already here. She wouldn't be able to make it to the house without them finding her. They were probably already waiting for her as it was.
She'd just have to make a run for it. She turned to head down the nearest alleyway, when somebody grabbed her firmly by the shoulder.
"Get off," she shouted as she tried to turn away, but the man heard her more firmly.
"Miss Potter," the dark-skinned man said. "You are to return to the custody of the Grangers immediately. The Minister for Magic is waiting for you."
Lily let the man steer her away. She should have expected that they'd send Aurors after her. The man led her back down familiar streets, back towards the Granger's home, not saying a single word to her. That was fine. She really didn't want to speak. She wondered if they'd already gotten her wand from the Burrow, if they'd even bothered to notify the family.
The man waited outside the house when they arrived. There was another robed individual guarding the door, and she opened it so she could pass by. Lily's stomach felt tight, and taking a deep breath did nothing to settle it. She considered running for it again, but the nearest Auror shook her head, as if she knew what Lily was thinking. She took a step forward.
"Lily!" Hermione said as she entered, throwing herself around her in a tight hug. Lily didn't return it. She'd already spotted the others, ands he felt her heart sinking. Mrs. Granger stood from the kitchen table, where the Minister for Magic was sitting, looking relieved, spinning a green bowler hat in his hands.
"Thank Merlin," Cornelius Fudge said as he stood, "Miss Potter, you gave us all quite the fright."
"Am I under arrest?" Lily asked quietly. Hermione squeezed on her hand. Lily pulled hers free. She didn't need the embarrassment right now.
"Arrest?" Fudge said in a shocked tone. "For- oh, I see- no, Hazel, the Ministry will not be placing you under arrest for a bit of accidental magic. I mean, really, who hasn't blown up a few aunts in their lifetime?"
Lily felt her heart lighten when the Minister laughed nervously.
"I'm not expelled?" Lily asked anxiously. Fudge waved a hand at her.
"Merlin, no, although you can treat this as your official warning. The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad has already fixed the offices, and are bringing your Aunt down now. The Obliviators are already seeing to the crowds. No, I daresay this will all blow over soon enough."
Lily let out a sigh, and then sat at the table. She hadn't even noticed Hermione bringing her over.
"If I may ask for a bit of privacy," Fudge whispered to Mrs. Granger. The woman agreed, and then escorted Hermione from the room. Then, Fudge sat across from Lily, doing his best to appear fatherly and kind.
"I'm really not in trouble?" Lily asked one more time. Fudge shook his head.
"No, Hazel, you aren't. Although, I must stress to you that you must not cast any further magic outside of Hogwarts. When the Trace went off, I admit, I feared the worst, considering- well, no matter. No harm has been done. Now I must ask you a few questions, and we will be on our way.
"Alright," Lily said, leaning back a bit further into her seat. She decided she quite liked Fudge, although she was curious about whatever topic he seemed to be avoiding.
Fudge left soon after, Lily hardly remembering a single thing in her haze of relief. He asked something about if she'd seen anybody strange lurking about, but she could recall only the Dursleys. They somehow managed to talk for half an hour before the Minister stood to leave, seeming much happier than when he arrived. He shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Granger, bowed shortly, and then swept off into the yard, where he vanished along with his guards.
"Hermione," Mrs. Granger said once he was gone, "head on up to your room."
"But-"
"Do as your mother says, Hermione," Mr. Granger said more sternly. Hermione grumbled, but she did as she was told, dragging her feet up each step. She took one last, angry glance back, before heading off to her room, where they heard the door slam.
As soon as they were alone, Lily realized what was about to happen.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said quickly.
"We know," Mrs. Granger said, pulling Lily into a tight hug. Mr. Granger followed suit, joining in. "But you'll need to answer a few questions for us, anyway."
"But-"
"No buts, Lily," Mr. Granger said, pulling her off to the sitting room. "We won't ask much, we promise, but we do need a few answers."
Lily was sat onto the comfiest armchair, while the two adults took the couch. Lily rubbed her hands together nervously.
"Who were those people?" Mr. Granger started. Lily was silent for a long time, but neither adult pushed her.
"My aunt and uncle," Lily said at last. She stared down at the floor, hoping to get this over with as quickly as possible.
"Hermione told us your family was dead," Mrs. Granger said matter-of-factly.
"I wish they were," Lily muttered. "I just- I don't talk about them."
"They aren't part of the Weasleys, are they?" Mr. Granger asked.
Lily shook her head.
"Thank God," Mrs. Granger said with a nervous laugh. "Register said Dursley, but I thought they might just be distant relatives. You don't live with them, then?"
"Not anymore," Lily said.
"This is the hard part, Lily," Mr. Granger said cautiously. "Why did they make you so angry? I didn't see most of it, but Vera said- well, from what I've heard, they were awful to you."
"I don't want to talk about them," Lily said plainly.
"Lily, we can't help you if you don't-"
"I don't want your help," Lily said, her body shaking with her sudden anger. "I don't talk about them, I don't even like to think about it, they don't- they don't matter, not anymore."
"Lily," Mrs. Granger said, placing her hand on Lily's, "They aren't here. They can't-"
Lily took her hand away. "I'm not talking about it. I don't need your pity." She said that last bit more harshly than intended. She hated the look on Mrs. Granger's face. She hated being here, she just wanted to be alone. She looked away, staring at the ceiling, grinding her teeth together.
"Then we won't talk about it," Mr. Granger said after a long, awkward moment of silence. He stood, offering her a friendly smile. "What about a movie? We'll order some food, perhaps Chinese? There's a nice little place not too far from here."
"It looks great on you," Mrs. Granger said sweetly. Her voice had a tense quality to it, like it always did when she was alone with Lily these days. Lily had the impression that she and her husband were arguing about her. They always talked quietly in heated whispers whenever they thought the girls couldn't hear. Lily couldn't wait to be out of here, to head back home. She didn't know how much more she could take.
Lily was sitting in the front seat of the smaller vehicle again, fussing about with her new cut. She got it trimmed to her shoulders, less than half its previous length, when it ran down to her lower back when not tied up. She liked it well enough. She didn't like how curly her ends were, though, but she couldn't help that. The longer she spent around the Grangers, the curlier her hair got. She was pretty sure it was her magic doing it, and she had no idea how to stop it.
"Really, Lily," Mrs. Granger said, "I think it looks lovely."
"Thanks," Lily said sheepishly. She couldn't trust what Mrs. Granger said about it, though. Hermione would be the real test. She waited at home while the other girls went out. Said she didn't want to get her own hair trimmed. Lily was pretty sure the other girl was sick of her; she'd been acting very sulky for a while now. They'd all be free of her soon enough, though; she only had a few days left with them.
Mrs. Granger made them stop to pick up a few things at the market before they went back home. In addition to the normal groceries, they picked up some mint chip ice cream and a bag of pretzels, which got Lily excited, ever-so-briefly. Both were a first for her this summer, but she absolutely loved them. It was going to be hard adjusting back to normal wizarding snacks. At least she could still get the ice cream at Diagon.
Mr. Granger's car was back in the drive when they arrived. Mrs. Granger parked behind him. They'd take hers to work to work after the weekend, assuming they drove at all. They walked most days, when it wasn't absurdly hot. Lily wondered why they bothered having two cars; the drive could hardly fit them. Lily and Mrs. Granger managed to grab all the bags, negating the need for an extra trip, although Lily felt like her arms were going to break from the strain.
She nearly dropped them as she entered the house, Mrs. Granger holding the door wide for her.
"SURPRISE!" Hermione and her father shouted as one. Lily jumped as Mr. Granger pulled a cracker, a small burst of confetti showering her in the entryway. At least she knew why Mrs. Granger took all the more fragile bags now.
"Surprise?" Lily repeated back, her heart thumping quickly in her chest. She was confused, and her eyes moved to a large, red banner hanging over the staircase.
Happy Birthday, Lily!
"It's a bit early," Mrs. Granger said happily, "but you won't be here for your actual birthday. Thought we'd send you off with a party."
Lily was stunned. She couldn't even force herself to move, even with a stupid, big smile plastered across her face. Mr. Granger took the bags from her arms, while Hermione grabbed her hand and pulled her to the table, where a bright pink cake was waiting for her, her name written on it in chocolate frosting.
"Happy Birthday, Lily," Hermione said. She pulled the girl into a hug. Lily was having a hard time finding her voice. She'd just spotted a small pile of presents sitting on the other side of the table.
Mr. Granger laughed from behind. "I think we broke her, dear."
"I think so," Mrs. Granger agreed. "Don't think she's been this quiet all summer."
"Your hair looks lovely, Lily," Hermione said with a satisfied nod. She twirled a strand of Lily's hair between her fingers, as if she was inspecting it.
Lily let out a little squeak. It was all she could manage. She had no idea what to say. Hermione forced her to take a seat, while she ran off to help her parents put away the groceries. Lily stared at the cake, her mouth hanging open stupidly.
She'd had a birthday party before, just last year as a matter of fact. But that had been prearranged. She'd never expected somebody to throw a surprise.
She hadn't thought anybody cared enough for that. She was fighting hard not to cry, her eyes straining from the effort.
"Why don't you go ahead and open your gifts?" Mrs. Granger said. She was digging around in the drawers, the other two Grangers already seated at the table. Lily realized she was still standing and sat down, right in front of the cake. Mr. Granger slid a large, heavy package over first.
"Better get the big one over with first," he said with a wink.
Lily reached out a shaky hand, unsure of what else to see. She peeled the paper off the box, which Mr. Granger then graciously cut open for her while his wife cut the cake. Lily opened the box herself, lifting the heavy machine out of the box, placing it gingerly in front of her so as to not break it.
"It's a typewriter!" Hermione said excitedly. "I noticed you writing all summer, and I thought this would help you speed things up!"
"It was hard to keep hidden from you," Mrs. Granger said. "Hermione had to keep you distracted in Diagon while I snuck off. Shop keep said it's enchanted to never run out of ink and to correct your spelling errors."
"And it has these knobs, see," Hermione said, leaning in and point out a strange set of dials. "This one controls the volume, makes it so others can't hear you typing, and this one here- well, we couldn't figure out what it does, to be honest, dad and I have been messing with it for ages."
"I think it's supposed to control the colour of the ink," Mr. Granger said, scratching at his chin, "But I don't think it's working, it just makes it look all murky."
"And this one, here, makes your font size bigger," Hermione said, pointing to the last of them.
"Thank-" Lily said, taking a moment to clear her throat. "Thank you." Her voice still sounded a little thick.
"Here's your cake," Mrs. Granger said, sliding Lily a rather large piece. As it turned out, the cake was chocolate underneath all the icing. Lily took a large bite of the sweet mess, if only to stop herself from talking.
"We rented a few movies," Mr. Granger said, accepting his own cake. "You can pick, it's your party. No scary ones, don't worry."
"Thanks," Lily said again, taking another bite.
Lily fixed her earring back to her left ear after washing her face. It was shaped like a lightning bolt and made of small rubies. She got a pair from a Wizard Christmas Cracker in her first year at Hogwarts. She lost the other one that same year in the Forbidden Forest. Tough luck, really. She quite liked them. She just kept forgetting to search around in Diagon for a replacement.
It still felt weird not having her hair dangle down her back, but she decided she really did like having it shorter. She wouldn't want it much higher, but she thought it was perfect around her neck. The curls were getting worse. She learned to accept it.
Her trunk was waiting for her when she came back to Hermione's room. The other girl was downstairs, helping her mum cook breakfast. Mr. Granger was still in the other bathroom, Lily was pretty sure. Her things were all packed away, including the gifts the Grangers unloaded onto her. She even had an extra bag of pretzels hidden away. She'd snuck those from the pantry the night before. She wasn't quite sure if they'd let her take them should she ask, but she had no idea where to get them in the wizarding world. Hermione had tried to pawn off her old Game Boy onto Lily, too, but she had to refuse. She definitely would not have been able to find batteries. It was for the best. She never would have gotten it away from Mr. Weasley.
She brought it down the stairs as gingerly as she could. She never cared to be gentle at the Burrow or Hogwarts, but the Granger steps were nice and pristine. She'd hate to blemish them. There was a fry up waiting for her on the table, one for each of them, as a matter of fact. She got the joy of eating half of Hermione's, as well, since the girl was entirely incapable of doing it on her own. Lily was pretty sure she'd put on a bit of weight over the summer. She'd work it off during Quidditch Practice once they made it back to school.
She was a bit silent as they loaded into Mr. Granger's car. She'd suggested just taking the Knight Bus back, so the Grangers didn't have to go out of their way, but they insisted; they needed to drive down to London, anyway. Their flight left the next day, so they'd take her all the way to the Burrow. Mr. Granger let her pick the music, at least. She had her own collection, now, although it was pretty meager. She simply didn't have a taste for it yet, although she was growing one, slowly but surely. Mostly, though, she just spent the long, arduous drive chatting with the Grangers, and Hermione in particular.
"I just can't wait to start Ancient Runes," Hermione said excitedly. "I can't decide if I'm more excited for that or Arithmancy, they both sound fascinating. What about you, Lily?"
"Care of Magical Creatures," Lily said with a firm nod. She was waiting on their book lists to come in purely so she could get her hands on the text. She already had her heart set on reading it first, although she wasn't sure how useful it'd be in her studies of the other classes. She always liked to make notes in the margins with the things she learned in other classes. It kept her top of the class in Potions. There were just so many things that particular text didn't cover.
"Do you think they're actually going to have you lot handling the animals?" Mr. Granger asked.
Lily scoffed. "It's Hogwarts. I'd be surprised if somebody doesn't end up in the Hospital Wing on the first day."
Lily was pretty sure it'd be her, but she didn't say it.
Lily let out a yawn as they drove down a familiar stretch of road. They were almost there. She'd somehow resisted to the urge to nap, even after the conversation died down. Hermione had spent most of the drive plotting over the maps with Lily (to her agony). She'd remembered the promised lessons at the last possible moment. She hardly retained any of it. Her head was too busy worrying about everything else she had going on.
"I don't suppose it's much further," Hermione said nervously. Her eyes kept flickering from the map to the road in front of them.
"It's a couple of minutes, I think," Lily said with another yawn. "Should be first turn up on the right."
"They really live out in the middle of nowhere, don't they?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"Most wizards do, mum," Hermione said. "It's part of the Statute. They don't like to be seen."
That brought up a good point.
"You don't suppose the Burrow will be invisible to your parents, do you, Hermione?" Lily asked.
Hermione let out a little gasp. "Do the Weasleys keep charms up?"
"They must," Lily said, "Otherwise somebody would have seen them playing Quidditch by now."
"You girls will have to tell us when it comes up, then," Mr. Granger said. "We couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all for Hermione's first year; she had to drag us in by the hand." He was leaning over the steering wheel staring out at the road, squinting into the sunlight. Lily was pretty sure she could see the Weasley's drive coming up, but it didn't seem like he did.
"Stop here," she said before they passed it. Mr. Granger stepped on the brakes, and glanced around, eyes not catching on the crooked house sitting to their side, down in a little field, with a pond sitting next to it.
"You need to turn right, dad," Hermione said. "The drive's right there."
"Here?" Mr. Granger said nervously. "Hermione, there's nothing but a forest here. Are you sure?"
"Quite sure," Hermione said. "I can see it. This is it, right, Lily?"
"That's the Burrow," Lily confirmed. Mr. Granger shrugged, but he turned the wheel, pulling off onto a road he couldn't even see. He seemed a bit anxious to be pulling into a bunch of trees, and he inched forward very slowly. He let out a little gasp as they passed into the Weasley's yard, and Mrs. Granger laughed.
"Blimey," she said. "That was an experience, to be certain."
"Are all wizard houses so lopsided?" Mr. Granger asked. That made Lily feel embarrassed, although she couldn't say why.
"Yes," she lied, if only to save face. It wasn't like the Grangers would ever find out for real.
"I suppose it's held up by magic, then," Mr. Granger continued. "It certainly couldn't be that single plank of wood. Where'd they even find one so long?"
"Oh, look, dear," Mrs. Granger said in an excited tone. "They have chickens!"
Mrs. Granger was holding one of the beasts in her arms fondly as Mr. Granger got Lily's trunk out from the back. She was much better than Lily was at it. She was only moderately jealous.
"I don't suppose you have the key?" Mr. Granger asked shading his eyes as he inspected the house again.
"I don't think they lock it," Lily said with a shrug. "Muggles can't find it unless they're told where it is."
"Wizards aren't much worried about robberies, then?" Mrs. Granger asked. She was still petting the bird. Lily was starting to feel a bit more envious. It wasn't even trying to struggle.
"I don't suppose they have to be," Mr. Granger said. "What with all the spells they must have at their disposal. How would they even catch a robber?"
"That's what Aurors are for, dad," Hermione said. She was squinting off down the yard, towards where the Quidditch pitch was. "Besides, they have trackers and detection charms. That's how they know if we cast magic outside of school."
"Can't be too good, can it?" Lily asked. "They never knew I was doing it the last two years."
"Well, you better not this summer," Hermione said sharply. "You don't have Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to cover for you. Lily rolled her eyes, but Hermione was right; she needed to be on her best behaviour. She didn't want Cornelius Fudge visiting her again.
"I like your- err- poster," Hermione said. They were in her room, now, just two floors from the top. Lily was too embarrassed to look at her poster of Gwenog Jones. It was hanging on the ceiling right above her bed, the dark-skinned beauty winking occasionally at nothing in particular. She wasn't going to admit that she was quite fond of it.
"It was Ginny's first," she said to try and deflect. She felt her face flush a bit when Gwenog winked at her.
Hermione was sitting on her bed, now, glancing around at the rest of the room. Her parents were driving down to the village, trying to find some takeaway they could eat together before heading for London. Lily tossed her letter from Mrs. Weasley onto her desk. She'd read it later. She did snap her wand holster back onto her left forearm, though. It was left for her on the table downstairs, just as Mr. Weasley promised it would be.
"Do you mind if I ask a question?" Hermione asked. She was staring at the handle of Lily's wand.
"Go ahead."
"When did you get a new wand?" she said. She shuffled her feet a bit nervously. "I meant to ask last year, but it kept slipping my mind. Your old one was hazel, wasn't it?"
"Yeah," Lily said with a nervous laugh. Her right hand spun the wand in its socket. "I- err- fell down the stairs last summer, and it snapped. Had to get a new one."
Hermione let out a sudden laugh, but shut it off when Lily glared at her.
"How did you manage that?" she said with a hint of amusement in her tone.
"Slipped, didn't I?" Lily said. "Can we talk about something else? I don't like to-"
"I can't imagine Mrs. Longbottom was happy about that," Hermione said with a smile.
"She wasn't," Lily grumbled. She still felt a bit nervous when she remembered the scolding she got afterwards. There was where it all started going wrong.
"I like it," Hermione said, pointing back at Lily's wand. "It's Vinewood, isn't it? That's what mine is made of, too. What's the core?"
"That's where I recognized it!" Lily said happily. "Yeah, Vinewood! I knew it was familiar. Mine's phoenix father, Ollivander said it was from a sibling of Ginny's wand. Said they'd perform well together. I really should have tested that, shouldn't I?"
"Probably," Hermione said with a smile. "Still, I can't believe you broke a wand."
"To be fair," Lily went on, "There was a House Elf stalking me, trying to keep me from getting into Hogwarts. I fell down a lot of stairs that summer."
"A House Elf?" Hermione asked.
"Did I not tell you?" Lily said excitedly. "His name was Dobby, he was working for the Malfoys, but I freed him after-"
"The Malfoys?" Hermione asked. "They had their House Elf stalking you?"
"No, no, no," Lily said as she waved her hands. "He knew about the plan with the- err- diary. It came from the Malfoys, see, they-"
"They didn't!" Hermione interrupted loudly. "That- that was why Malfoy's father picked up my books? He put Tom in the stack?"
"He did," Lily confirmed with a nod. "But I figured it out, see, and I hid one of my socks in the dead book and ran after him, and he handed it to Dobby, so now he's free!"
Hermione was staring at the floor now. Lily felt a bit bad. She was standing in her excitement, fully engrossed in her story. She crossed the room, took a seat neat to Hermione on the bed, and threw an arm around her shoulder. Hermione leaned into her.
"Sorry," Lily said. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lily. If I hadn't-"
"It's not your fault, Hermione," Lily interrupted. "Really, it's the Malfoy's if anything. You couldn't have known. I think they targeted you specifically because you were a Muggleborn, and you wouldn't have known to be suspicious."
"And now you have to share a common room with him."
Lily frowned at that, and leant back onto her back, so she could stare up at Gwenog Jones. Hermione joined her a second later.
"I'll be fine," Lily said. "Really, Hermione, there's no reason to worry about it. You should have seen our duel before term ended, I doubt he'll try anything else, I beat him bad."
"You shouldn't be antagonizing them, Lily," Hermione said in a scolding tone. "Really, you should be trying to get along with them. You should have sat with them at the last Quidditch game."
Lily scoffed. Gwenog Jones winked at her again.
"Why would I ever do that?"
"I'll see you soon, Lily," Hermione said with one final, tight hug at the front door. Her parents were waiting by the car, swatting away the bugs that dared to venture close.
"Have a lovely Holiday," Lily said with a last squeeze. She broke the hug first, then gave her bushy haired companion a bright smile. "You're always welcome to come see me at work, if you can. I'll probably be miserable."
"I can't believe they're still making you do it," Hermione said. "You never would have agreed if Lockhart hadn't-"
"Let's not mention him here, please," Lily said quickly, a shudder going down her spine. "This is supposed to be my happy place, Hermione."
"I'll leave you to it, then," Hermione said. She stepped away, throwing one last wave Lily's way. She waved back, the Grangers piled into their car, the engine roared to life, the headlights clicked on, and they were pulling out of the drive. Lily stood there, the light from the house casting her shadow across the yard. Weasley pawed at her leg, and she scooped the orange cat up before heading inside. She closed the door firmly behind herself. She took one step, hesitated, and then turned the lock on the door, just to be safe.
She was alone, now. She still had some leftovers to eat, and she was getting a bit peckish. She'd held off in front of the Grangers, although they already knew how much she ate. She was feeling a bit self-conscious about it. She tried to change into a fresh pair of trousers, and they'd been a bit tight. She couldn't resist the urge, though, and the food was gone shortly after, Lily tossing the empty container into the bin.
The Burrow was strange with nobody else in it. There was hardly a sound to be heard in the house, except for the occasional moan from the ghoul in the attic. The place was mostly spotless. Mrs. Weasley really did a great job getting it all scrubbed before she left. There was hardly a thing for Lily to do.
Lily wandered into the sitting room, stroking her cat idly with one hand, glancing at all the portraits hanging on the walls. She hardly spared them a glance before. This one had Mrs. Weasley holding the baby twins, looking extremely tired but extremely pleased. There was a younger Percy, there, looking excited as he tore open his Hogwarts letter. That one was Ron covered in mud, a crying, dirty Ginny sitting next to him. Mr. Weasley must have taken that one; Mrs. Weasley would have been too busy fussing about the dirty children. Lily had never met the older Weasley children, but there were Bill and Charlie, smiling brightly with the rest of the family during a Christmas season; Lily assumed it was before their first year, based off how young Ron looked in it. He was still unusually tall for his age, but he always had been. Lily assumed she was, now, too. She wondered how that happened. She'd been so small, before. She looked around for a picture of her, intending to compare her then to her now.
She couldn't find one. She didn't know why she got her hopes up. Of course there wouldn't be one of her, she wasn't a part of the family. She found the Christmas photo from last year, with the Weasley kids (sans Ron) happily holding all the brooms she'd bought for them. Her framed newspaper article was sitting the background. She forgot all about that. She must have left it downstairs. She wondered where it went; it wasn't up in her room. Mr. Weasley must have hated her for not liking it, but she hadn't meant to react the way she did. Lily moved on, trying to shake away the lump in her throat.
There wasn't a fire roaring in the hearth, so Lily chose not to sit downstairs. It'd feel a bit weird, anyway, with nobody else around. She briefly ducked her head into Ginny's room, for the first time since last summer. She just hadn't really thought to before now. Her Gwenog Jones poster was gone, obviously, but it was otherwise just as cramped and pink as before, although a poster of the Weird Sisters took the place on the ceiling. Lily had no idea who those were, but they looked a bit freaky. Lily shut the door closed, so the other girl wouldn't think she'd been snooping. She didn't even consider checking the next room. The twins probably had it booby trapped. She skipped the next one, too, although that was just because Percy was boring.
She thought about checking the two rooms above her, but she decided to duck into her own, instead. She was feeling a bit nostalgic. She left her door open for the cat. There really wasn't any reason to close it, if she was the only one home. Her school trunk was sitting at the foot of her bed, and, based off the heft when she briefly tried to lift it, it had yet to be unpacked. That was all for the better. There were a few unsavory sketches that she really would have preferred nobody seeing, even by accident. She got those put away, first, hiding them at the very bottom of her stack of filled sketchbooks. She had a few new ones purchased via the Grangers. She'd be set for the rest of the summer.
She tossed her photo album gently onto the bed, but she decided it was really best to read Mrs. Weasley's letter before she got too comfortable. Weasley curled up on top of the thing, anyway, and she'd hate to disturb him. She sat at her desk, lit a candle with a match, and tore the thing open. Why she put it in an envelope, Lily wouldn't be able to answer.
Dear Lily,
We were hoping to catch you before we left, but we really had to be going. We've left you a full pantry, dear, it should be enough for you to get by until we return. We'll only be gone a couple of weeks, but I'm sorry we won't be back in time for your birthday. We'll try and send you something and, failing that, we'll bring something back with us.
Make sure you keep that cat out of the garden; the gnomes have been getting particularly nasty with him, lately. And Arthur has asked me to remind you that you are absolutely, positively, NOT allowed to perform any magic what-so-ever while you are outside of school.
Do try to have fun, dear!
Molly Weasley
Lily tucked the letter into the box she kept the rest of her mementoes in, wondering how long she'd be able to last before she broke that particular promise. She took the wand from her arm, and placed it gently in a desk drawer.
Best not to be tempted, after all. She had to move her cat out of the way, so she could lay down next to him. Then she opened her photo album, flipping to her favorite photo of her mum, who was sitting at the dinner table, looking like a much older version of herself, smiling while she fussed about trying to feed a baby Hazel. Her mum was already shorter than Lily was now. Lily assumed she must have gotten the height from Aunt Petunia; she was always freakishly tall. That didn't make her feel any better. Lily ran a finger over her mum's hair; hers was the same length as her mum's, now. She wiped a tear from her eye, then flipped the page over.
Lily woke up late the next morning to her cat smacking his paw against her face. She groaned and rolled over, throwing a pillow over her face to block out both the feline and light. That didn't stop him, though, as he simply crawled underneath and nipped at her nose.
"Fine," Lily said, throwing the pillow off her and onto the floor. "Fine, Weasley, I'm up. Happy?"
Weasley meowed at her, hopped from her bed, and ran to the door, where he stopped to glance at her. She glared at the cat, but got out of bed. She decided this was a pajama day, and settled on never changing out of them.
She fed the cat, sat at the table out of habit, and then realized that she needed to cook her own breakfast. The fridge (which was more of an enchanted ice box, since the Weasley's didn't have electricity) had almost three dozen eggs in it, which Lily thought was rather ridiculous. How on earth was she supposed to eat that many before they went bad? They even owned their own chickens, for Merlin's sake, she was never in danger of running out.
She ate half a dozen in one sitting, naturally, as well as half a loaf of bread.
She found a few of Mr. Weasley's beers left in the fridge as well and she was awfully tempted. She settled against it. He'd probably notice, and she was not getting in trouble for that.
That became her routine for the next few days. She'd wake up, make breakfast, feed the cat, maybe shower and change her clothes (depending on how gross she felt that day), have some tea, draw, study, make supper, study some more, look over her photo album, cry, and then sleep just to do it all over again the next day. She didn't even have to feed the chickens, something Mrs. Weasley had been worried about prior to their holiday. They had an automatic feeder set up, presumably one that Mr. Weasley had tinkered with. And the beasts hardly even used that. They had full reign of the field, and they settled for bugs and lizards and whatever else they could get their monstrous beaks on. They were getting quite fat, actually.
Lily didn't know what textbooks would be required as of yet, although she was expecting the letter fairly soon. It was almost her birthday, and they always got them before then. She did buy some advanced Potions texts, though, and that was what she was going through.
Currently, she was sitting atop her favorite tree, the book, ink, and parchment perched precariously on her lap. It was really rather stupid to be doing it this way. She could have just borrowed one of the ink pens she'd purchased for Mr. Weasley the past Christmas. Instead, she was using her quill of all things. She just liked the scratching noise it made on parchment. It helped her relax while she took her notes. This chapter was all about the various effects using a silver knife could have on different Potions ingredients. She'd transfer her findings to the text once she finally got her hands on it.
Lily thought the tree would have been far more uncomfortable now that it had leaves again, but it was actually quite pleasant. The shade kept the sun off her, and she could still see most of her surroundings. A few more insects landed on her than she would have liked, but she grew accustomed to them over time. One time a lizard even came up to say hello to her. She was disappointed to find out that she couldn't speak to them like she could snakes.
Her stomach was rumbling. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, and she finally noticed Weasley calling for her down below.
"Must be dinnertime," she said to herself. She corked her ink bottle, tucked it into her robe pocket, put the quill between her teeth, tucked the book into an arm, and then began the descent down. She was getting much better at climbing trees, lately. She hardly ever fell.
She ate out in the garden that night. The sun was still up. It set late this time of year. It was actually quite pleasant. She roasted a chicken while she was up in her tree. Mrs. Weasley really made sure she was well stocked on food. She roasted some potatoes with it, but that was all she could be bothered to do. It was more than enough food, even for her. She was feeding Weasley a few scraps from it while she read from her Potions book. She was considering brewing some potions tomorrow; they weren't allowed to use magic, but, as far as she knew, there were no rules about brewing potions. It didn't involve any wand waving, after all, as Professor Snape was fond of saying.
Lily closed her book, stretched, and glanced at the half-eaten chicken still sitting before her. She was trying to figure out what she'd do with the rest, when she spotted something walking down the drive towards her. Her first thought was that Mrs. Granger was right and somebody was coming to rob her. That was, of course, utterly ridiculous.
It was a large, shaggy, black dog. It hesitated when it noticed her looking at it. It looked like it hadn't been fed in a while. It must have smelled the chicken. Weasley was looking at the dog, now, giving it a familiar look while he cocked his head.
Lily let out a whistle, tore off a hunk of chicken, then tossed it to the ground a few meters away.
"Here boy," she said gently. "Here boy, chicken."
The dog walked forward slowly, head held low from anticipation. It was clearly staring at the chicken Lily had tossed it. Just a few feet away, it gave up on being scared, ran the rest of the way, and gobbled it down.
"Here boy," Lily said again. She tore another chunk off, meaning to toss it closer, but the dog was already coming towards her eagerly, his tail wagging fast. He really was underfed. Lily wondered how long he'd gone without food. She knew how that felt.
She gave the rest of the chicken to the poor thing, while Weasley watched the two of them curiously. She made sure not to give any bones to the dog. She was pretty sure dogs weren't supposed to eat chicken bones. She'd heard that from somewhere.
Lily scratched the dog behind its ears while he wolfed down the last piece. The dog flinched from her touch, but he didn't try to run.
"Where'd you come from?" Lily asked. The dog stared up at her, then sat down on its hind legs as it smiled up at her. It cocked its head at her. Lily thought that funny. She'd never had a dog (Petunia thought them nasty, disgusting beasts), but she'd never heard of one acting so peculiar. It must have been well-trained, before it escaped from- well- wherever it came from.
"Right," Lily said as she stood. "Why am I even talking to you? You're just a dog."
Lily walked to the door, carrying the platter she'd had all the food on. Weasley went through his little door, and the dog tried to push past her inside. She had to block it with her leg, and it whined at her.
"If you come in," Lily said sternly, "I'm going to have to give you a bath. Don't want you bringing any fleas in while the Weasleys are on Holiday. Got it?"
The dog gave her a little twirl. She was starting to think he understood her after all. She sighed, smiled, and let the poor thing in. She hoped the Weasleys wouldn't mind when they got back.
She'd always wanted a dog.
The poor thing really wasn't very well-groomed. The bath took ages, although he seemed to enjoy it, strangely enough. By the time she'd finished brushing out all his knots and drying him, he had a huge smile on his face. Lily didn't even know dogs could smile.
The dog sprinted out of the bathroom when they were done. Lily was still soaked in water. She changed her clothes immediately after, while the dog explored the rest of the house. He was waiting for her downstairs when she was finished, laying comfortable on the couch, with his belly in the air.
"I don't know if the Weasleys want a dog on their couch," Lily said as she sat down next to the thing. She scratched his belly, and the dog kicked one of its legs. She cracked her book open again just as the dog started snoring. Poor thing must have been tired.
She turned in a bit earlier that evening. The excitement of the day really tuckered her out. Weasley slept downstairs, but the dog followed her upstairs. She left the door open for the cat, anyway, just in case he changed his mind. She still spent an hour looking at her photo album, of course. The dog curled up with her when the tears started coming. She pet its head fondly, then moved the album down to where it could see. She didn't know why she did it. The dog seemed to stare at the pictures of her parents within, but he couldn't understand. It made her feel better regardless. She slept very well that night.
The dog didn't even try to leave her the next day, nor the next after. She was becoming very fond of his companionship. Even Weasley was getting over his sudden presence.
She decided to name him. She was going to name him Arthur after the fictional king, but she didn't think Mr. Weasley would take too well to that. She decided on Duke, instead. It seemed like a good name for a dog, and he liked to sit on a little hill and watch the yard while she was up in her tree, as if he was the lord of all he surveyed. Lily drew the dog on a particularly nice day. She even gave him a little crown. It made him seem more regal. She almost started drawing the runes to animate it, but then she remembered she wasn't supposed to be doing magic. It would have to wait. She settled for adding some flowers to his hill, conspicuously drawn in the shape of the necessary figures, adding clouds that matched them.
She ate out in the garden again that night. She fried up some sausages and roasted some more potatoes to go with them. She was finding out that she was a bit lazy whenever she had to cook for only herself. She was also getting a bit lazy with the chores she was supposed to be doing; the house was nowhere near as clean as it had been before. She'd just rush to get it all done the day before. She was sure she'd regret the decision, but it was her mistake to make.
Duke started barking and growling at something in the nearby bushes. Lily glanced over casually, chewing on a sausage she was holding between her fingers. She couldn't be bothered to wash a fork, and she'd been out of the for days. It was a miracle she washed the pots and pans at all, but she didn't much fancy walking to the village for every meal. Weasley was sitting in her lap, vying for her attention, but she ignored his swatting. They probably had a peeping gnome to deal with.
Duke growled one more time, then ran forward to sniff at the ground just a few feet away. Only then did Lily notice the small, green snake slithering through the grass.
"Oh!" She said happily. She moved Weasley gently to the ground, set her sausage down on her plate, and went after both the dog and snake. Duke kept sniffing at it, although he made no move to hurt it. He seemed more curious than anything, like he just wanted to get it away from all of them.
"Don't worry, boy," she said happily. She picked the poor little thing up, letting it curl around her hand. The little guy had a green back and round pupils. It seemed wary of her, but she hissed soothing words at it. "Easy, little guy, I won't hurt you."
Both dog and snake turned their heads at her. The snake slithered further up her arm, and she giggled as it curled around her shoulder, a forbidden memory coming back to her. She pushed it away, just as she always did. The dog looked stupefied, if that was even possible. Lily gave him a gentle pat on the head, then went back to her meal. Weasley didn't seem interested in the food anymore, and busied himself with swatting at the snake's tail playfully from her lap. Lily let it know the cat wouldn't hurt it. It used her neck to bathe in the hot summer sun. Duke watched her eat from a distance away, only coming closer when Lily tossed half a sausage towards him.
Lily found an old terrarium in the shed for the snake. She figured she'd at least try to keep it. She thought giving the snake up reluctantly would make keeping the dog an easier sell. Surely the Weasleys wouldn't get rid of both of her new companions. She had to run to the Muggle village the next day to find a heat lamp for the poor thing, and then had to run back to find a power source she could actually use with it. Her room didn't have a power outlet. None of them did, as a matter of fact. She found one that ran off of very large batteries, and settled on having to return to the village whenever they died. She had to exchange a few Sickles with the local butcher. He was the only shop in town that took Muggle money.
Her life was becoming far more comfortable the next few days. Only a few more, and the Weasleys would be back home.
It was also her birthday, which meant she was a bit miserable, just as she always was this time of year. She woke up bright and early, ran down the stairs to tell the rest of the household, and then remembered she was alone. It was also pouring rain outside, which meant she couldn't even head to her tree to relax. She considered heading out and playing in it anyway, but she quickly changed her mind when she saw a bolt of lightning crack down onto a tree at the edge of the property. The whole house shook from the following thundercrack, and she wasn't even sure if it'd keep standing. The ghoul was screaming up in the attic from all the noise, which only made everything far worse.
There was a tightness in her stomach when she sat down to read a book. She was finding it hard to focus. Her mind kept wandering to the interview she was supposed to be giving the next day. She was not looking forward to being alone for it.
Both dog and cat came onto the couch with her, Duke curling up next to her, Weasley curling up on her lap. That only made it harder to read, but she was far too comfortable to argue against it. The radio was nearby, and Lily clicked it on, so she at least had something to listen to. She would kill for a bit of telly right now.
"And that concludes out first Black Watch," the female announcer said as the radio hummed to life. "Remember, folks, all citizens are advised to not approach if you sight him. Black may be armed with a wand, and is highly dangerous, even without one. Please send for Ministry officials immediately. We'll be back after a short break. For now, here's the hot new single from The Thundering Trolls."
The show cut off, replaced by a loud, obnoxious song that Lily absolutely loved. She was drumming along with the beat with her fingers on the arm of the couch as she hummed along. She had a scroll next to her with her quill and ink, just so she could make notes, and she wrote down the name of the band with a note to check them out later. Duke hopped off the couch, wandering over to the door. He scratched at it, begging to be let out. Lily sighed and rose from her seat, safely plopping the cat into a different cushion.
"Need out?" she asked. Duke got more excited and scratched at the door again. Lily clicked the door open, letting the dog sprint out into the heavy rain. She lost sight of him really quickly, but she left the door cracked open so he could come back in without her assistance. She went back into the kitchen, settling on actually making herself that breakfast. She might even make herself a cake, if she could find the willpower for it.
The mail arrived with Errol, the Weasley's ancient owl, just as she was plating her eggs. She'd fried up the last five, deciding there was no sense in leaving just one or two, and made herself some fried bread to go with it slathered in butter. She set it down to rifle through the various letters and papers. There were a few packages with her name on them, which did well to make her feel better. She decided to open those last. She wanted to open the Hogwarts letter, first. They were supposed to be here a while ago. She set the other Weasley's to the side, and tore her own open as she bit into one of her pieces of toast.
There was an extra paper inside.
Dear Ms. Potter,
Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at precisely eleven o'clock.
Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission slip to your guardian to sign. Enclosed is a schedule of the visits for your planning and perusal.
A list of books for next year is enclosed.
Your sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Lily glanced at the permission slip, noting that it was not already signed. No, it would have been far too easy for Dumbledore to just sign it before sending out the slips. She tucked the list of books into her pocket, taking a look at the visitation schedule. There were two or three every month, starting in October. She was already very much looking to going. She took a glance over her other letters, noticing today's issue of the Daily Prophet. The front page had a picture of a screaming man in prison tatters.
SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES AZKABAN
Lily balled the paper up and tossed it into the bin, deciding that was far too miserable a topic for her to focus on when she was supposed to be feeling happy. She eyed her breakfast, but she no longer had the appetite for it. She sighed and picked up the plate, walking over to the still open front door.
She whistled sharply as she stood in the entryway. "Duke! Food!"
She couldn't see the dog in the yard. She whistled for him again, wondering where he'd gotten to. She swore loudly, wondering if she'd have to go chasing after the son of a-
"Lily!" a voice called from behind. She nearly jumped out of her skin in her fright, and she did drop the plate, letting out another swear when it broke against the floor. She'd have to clean that up, now.
She poked her head into the kitchen nervously, searching for the source. She didn't see any people, just her cat sitting on the table, licking at where she'd spilt a bit of egg yolk. She'd have to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't try to eat the stuff near the shards of glass.
"Lily!" The voice called once more. She jumped again, then let out a nervous laugh as her brain processed who was speaking. The sound was coming from behind her, from the fireplace in the sitting room. Mr. Weasley was lucky she'd lit one shortly after getting up.
"Good morning, Mr. Weasley," she said as she leaned down. The man's balding, thin face was in the embers. He was using the Floo to call her, likely still in Egypt. She hadn't known it could work from that distance. She'd have to ask him how that worked later.
"Lily!" Mr. Weasley said with relief as she came into his view. "Thank Merlin you're still there, I thought- never mind, are you alone?"
"Yes," Lily said with a sigh, "Katie hasn't written-"
"Lily, listen very carefully," Mr. Weasley said calmly and sternly. "I need you to write Dumbledore immediately, tell him that you're home alone. I had to use a corollary to call you, but I'm going to take a portkey back as soon as I can."
"Why?" Lily asked as her heart sank. She tried to ignore the obvious answer.
"I'll explain later," Mr. Weasley said. "Just write Dumbledore and-"
"There is no need, Arthur," an aged voice said from the front door. Lily let out a little shriek that time, feeling utterly embarrassed. Professor Dumbledore was at the door, wearing a deep blue set of robes and cloak, his eyes locked sharply onto Lily from behind his half-moon spectacles. He smiled at her from beneath his waist-long, silver beard.
"Thank Merlin," Mr. Weasley mumbled. "Headmaster, if you could just watch her for a few hours, I'll be-"
"There is no need for that," Dumbledore said calmly. He walked forward and took a seat in Mr. Weasley's favorite armchair. Lily glanced towards the front door, noting that the remains of her breakfast had vanished. The image of Dumbledore taking the time to clean up her mess gave her a little bit of joy.
"Sir?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"I would hate to interrupt your Holiday, Arthur," Dumbledore said kindly. "Do not worry, she will be safe. I will take her elsewhere, where she can stay until your return."
"Do I have to?" Lily groaned.
"Take her to the Diggory's," Mr. Weasley piped up. "They're a friend of mine, and they're nearby, they'll watch her if you ask."
"Very well," Dumbledore said happily. "Lily, be a dear and fetch your belongings. I must have a few words with Arthur before we depart."
"But-"
"Go, Lily," Mr. Weasley ordered.
Lily huffed.
"Happy birthday, Lily," she muttered to herself as she stormed up the stairs.