Lily Potter's eyes flickered open and then quickly closed again. She thought she heard a noise in the room, but the light blinded her before she could verify. She tried again, squinting to block it out. She thought she saw a figure standing at the foot of her bed. She rubbed at her eyes and then opened them again.

Her ginger cat, Weasley, stretched at the foot of the mattress, then hopped down to the floor. He walked to the door, meowing for his master to get up.

Lily grumbled, and then rolled over, throwing a pillow over her head to block out both sun and sound. She was up late last night, writing a new story by candlelight. She hadn't quite figured out the specifics yet; she was just experimenting and having fun. She wouldn't be able to finish it before school started again (not like she finished any of them before), and she'd never risk actually taking them to the castle with her. She didn't want anybody else getting into them. That would be a complete nightmare.

Weasley jumped onto the bed, choosing to stand on top of the pillow that was covering Lily's head. She groaned and to swipe him off it with her right hand. Weasley swatted at it, meowing incessantly.

"Fine," Lily said, throwing the pillow off her head. "I'll get up, happy?" Weasley mewed his agreement and hopped down from the bed.

Lily sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She yawned, stretched, and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She cursed and grabbed her foot; there was something sharp on her foot and, of course, her foot found it immediately. When she checked below, she couldn't find anything. She checked her foot again, and while there was a red welt from where the point pressed in, there didn't appear to be a puncture or cut.

Weasley pawed at the door again. Lily stood and opened it for him, moving carefully to avoid stepping on anything else, and the cat ran out into the hallway. Lily laid back down across her bed, staring at the ceiling. She wondered if she'd be able to get some more sleep before Gran called for her. She was rarely ever allowed to-

"Lily," a voice called from the kitchen on cue. "You finally up? Get down here!"

"Coming, Gran," Lily shouted back, hopping up from bed again. She turned right as she left her room, noting that Neville's door was already open. He was probably out in the garden; he already spent most of the summer there. Lily was worried he was trying to avoid her, but she tried to ignore those thoughts. They never did her any good.

She took the stairs slowly; last time she hurried down, she fell. The mere memory of it left her feeling completely mortified. She didn't know why she was so clumsy lately, but she hoped it would end before she went back to school. Gran had yet to let it go, and if she was going to continue to make fun of Lily for it, then her friends at school definitely would.

Lily turned the corner to the kitchen and then stumbled over Weasley, the bloody cat laying right in the center of the doorway as if frozen in place. She caught herself just in time, grabbing onto a nearby chair for support. The cat yowled, running for cover.

"Easy there, girl," Gran said from her seat at the table. She didn't look up from The Daily Prophet she was reading. "Don't need you breaking another chair," she said, chuckling to herself.

"I haven't broken a chair," Lily grumbled, taking a seat across from Gran. Gran was wearing a set of dark blue robes today and, thankfully, removed the stuffed vulture she usually wore on her head. Her gray hair was tied back in a tight bun. She wore the same tight frown she always had plastered on her face. She very rarely smiled; and Lily was never sure if it was genuine when she did.

"Don't be so grumpy," Gran said, taking a sip of her tea. "You're a lot prettier when you smile. And brush your hair after you eat, you look like a bird's nest."

Lily ignored that. Gran loved commenting on her and Neville's appearances, and it always made her feel terrible, at least. If Neville felt the same, he'd never talk about so long as Gran was around to potentially overhear.

The teapot flew from the countertop nearby, filling a cup that placed itself in front of Lily. The pan flew by soon after, piling eggs onto her plate, and soon enough, toast was flying across the room as well.

Lily took a look around the table as she picked up her fork. "Where's Neville?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"He's tending to the garden. That bush you gave him is blooming, and he wanted to check if the scents changed yet." Gran took another sip of her tea as the turned the page of her newspaper. "I don't know why he's bothering. He'll be lucky if it happens in his lifetime."

"Anything interesting happen today?" Lily asked, pointing at the paper with the toast she had in her hand.

"Not a thing," Gran said. "That Lockhart fellow is supposed to be in Diagon Alley in a couple of weeks, though, for his new book."

"Who is he?" Lily finished off her plate of eggs, starting on the toast she was holding. She had a system she liked to use for breakfast: eggs first (so they didn't get cold), then toast, then the bacon (or sausage, if that was what Gran had picked that morning). The Longbottoms always had the same breakfast; Lily had yet to see it change. She had no idea what she'd do if it did.

"Some upstart who thinks he's the hottest thing since sliced bread," Gran said, as Lily chewed on her slice of hot bread.

"You don't sound like you like him," Lily said.

Gran scoffed. "Why would I? The man's a fool, any person with sense can see that." Lily eyed the smiling, handsome man on the front page. He certainly seemed trustworthy, with his well-kept hair and his fancy smile. He reminded her of the movie stars Aunt Petunia would always pretend to be disinterested in. Lily wondered if Gran was trying to pull the same stunt.

Lily drained the rest of her tea, wishing it was pumpkin juice instead. She didn't like to have a cup until after breakfast, but in Gran's house, it was Gran's rules. The breakfast teas were a little too bitter for her tastes, but Gran wouldn't allow sugar or even a dash of milk with them. She said the bitterness helped to wake up. Lily thought she just didn't want to give the kids any extra energy. It wasn't like either of them would do anything to annoy her on purpose. She just always seemed to be annoyed no matter what they did.

"Your birthday is in a few days," Gran said not looking up.

"Is it?" Lily said nervously, knowing full well that it was. She was hoping the old lady would remember without anyone's help. She'd never had any family members who had before. She only reminded the Dursleys once, when she was six. She had no idea why she did it. In hindsight, it was a very stupid idea.

That was the year her magic appeared, or at least the first time she was consciously aware of being an abnormal freak. That was when she learned to always expect the worst, even though you desperately wanted better. That was when she learned to expect pain as a daily part of her life.

Lily started pushing her food around, not feeling hungry anymore. Her head always hurt every time she thought too hard about the Dursleys. She always tried hard to avoid it, but then it always came back. She wished she could just forget it all. Sometimes she did, sometimes she could force them out, but other things were just burned into her brain.

"I think we'll go to Diagon Alley for your birthday," Gran said, not noticing a thing. "We can celebrate yours and Neville's together."

"I thought we were going with the Weasleys?" Lily asked. She had been looking forward to it all summer. She was keeping a little calendar in her rooms, knocking off the days as they passed. She'd never been invited to visit anyone before, and she was thrilled to experience it.

"I'm sure they'll be willing to go a day early," Gran said, rolling her eyes as she set down the paper. "They're likely planning to throw you a party, anyway, might as well do it on the proper day."

"What about Neville?" Lily asked, biting her lip our of nervousness. Neville was her actual grandchild, he was Ron Weasley's best friend, why was it her birthday they were going to celebrate?

"What did I say about biting that lip, girl?" Gran snapped.

Lily quickly let the lip go. Gran was trying to break all of her bad habits over the summer. Lily had a habit of pulling on her tie as well, and Gran was making her wear one every day. So far, none of her efforts had paid off. Lily just got better at sneaking them. Unfortunately, Gran was also getting better at catching them.

"What about Neville?" Lily repeated, properly this time, without even twitching a single muscle. Thankfully, Gran couldn't see Lily wringing her hands under the table.

"I'm sure he won't mind celebrating a day late," Gran said, standing up from her seat. "I better go write the Weasleys, give them plenty of time to respond."

"Did the post come yet?" She had been expecting a letter for weeks now, but as of yet hadn't received a response. She kept getting her hopes up every day, only to be left crushed.

But such was her life, no matter how sick of it she was.

"Nothing for you today either, Lily," Gran said as she went out the front door.

Lily tried to hide how bad that made her feel. She was getting too old to act so scared and sad all the time, her and Neville both. Gran was getting onto them near daily for it. They were both Gryffindors, the House of the Brave, and they needed to show it.

She got up to go to back to her room, feeling dejected once again. She was waiting on her friend, Hermione Granger, who she wrote to on the very first day of the break. She borrowed an owl from Gran, who suggested waiting a week, but Lily had been unable to do so. Hermione was a Muggleborn, a witch with nonmagical parents, but had a snowy owl of her own (that Lily bought her for Christmas). They got into a row at the end of last year (which was very much Lily's fault), but she promised to try making up over the summer. So far, the promise had gone unfulfilled, despite Lily's best efforts.

She sent out four more letters in the two weeks after, but Gran made her stop before the fifth one. She said she'd annoy the girl even more if she kept on bombarding her with letters, and that would make her even more unlikely to respond. Lily had been heartbroken, of course, but she figured all she could do was wait for the other girl.

Lily closed her door behind when she got back to her room, starting to feel slightly better in the solitude. She always felt better when she was alone. She knew Weasley would be roaming around for hours before he returned for his cat nap. He'd likely get outside somehow and go bother Neville in the garden.

Neville Longbottom was her other friend, and the one whose house she was currently living in. She was brought here the last summer, after being rescued from her old family. They really only saw each other at meals; he had always been nervous when it was just the two of them, but he seemed to have no problems when others were around. Lily tried not to let it bother her too much, although she desperately missed his company.

Lily sat down at her desk, blowing a puff of air into her fringe. It wasn't just Hermione who she hadn't heard from. She had yet to receive any mail at all since the summer began. She lived with Neville, so he had no reason to write, but not even Hagrid, the friendly groundskeeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had written back. And he was the one who insisted she write in the first place!

Ron Weasley, her last friend (who was really more of Neville's, but he hung around Lily anyway), also hadn't written, even though Lily made him promise to do so. At least she'd see him soon enough. She'd take what she could get.

Overall, it had been a lousy summer, even if it thoroughly outclassed her previous ones.

Lily leaned back in her chair, not interested in working right now. She could see Neville working in the garden from her window. She got up from her chair, stretched, and decided a shower was in order. She grabbed a fresh, gray waistcoat, a white undershirt, and a pair of black trousers from her wardrobe, as well as a matching red tie. She'd leave it loose whenever Gran wasn't around, but she'd make sure to tighten before going downstairs for anything. She had more casual clothes, but even without Gran's training regime, she couldn't wear them. These clothes hardly fit her as it was; she was growing very quickly.

Thirty minutes later, Lily left the bathroom, refreshed and feeling much less greasy. The nights were excruciatingly warm, and she had taken to sleeping under a single, thin blanket; even then, she was still very sweaty once she woke.

Lily wondered how Gran and Neville could stand the house being so hot; surely a wizard family would have better ways of maintaining comfortable temperatures with all the different sorts of magic they have at their disposal, but, yet, the house was always uncomfortable. At least at the Dursleys, she was always kept in-

No, she wasn't going to think about that right now. It was time to move on.

She fastened an earring to her right ear. It was made of ruby, and shaped in the form of a lightning bolt. She liked that it matched her scar, even though she hated anybody seeing the thing, and it was even her birthstone. She got two of them in a Christmas cracker at school, and then subsequently lost one in a detention after she blew up a bush.

She went downstairs, heading straight out the back door. She rolled up her sleeves as she walked towards the garden, deciding she didn't want to get them dirty. Gran could clean it no problem, but she'd still get an earful for the stains. It was better to avoid them entirely. She was usually very pale, but her face, neck, and arms had been getting a nice tan over the summer from the few times she had helped Neville in the garden.

"Hey, Neville," Lily said, pulling on a pair of dragonhide gloves they kept in the shed. Neville left them out on a nearby table, along with a few tools he had been using.

Neville looked up from the plot he was tending. "Hey, Lily," he said, quickly looking back down. His chubby face was covered in dirt and sweat; he had clearly been at this a while.

"Need some help?" Lily said, grabbing a pair of clippers.

Neville glanced up, then quickly back down. "You could trim the hedges for me."

The garden was Neville's favourite place in the entire world; his favourite subject at school had always been Herbology. It was the only subject he truly excelled at, and he clearly had a passion for it that was matched only by the professor of the class.

Lily let the conversation lapse back into silence. Neville would say something if he wanted to. She grabbed the hedge trimmers from the table, giving them a good couple of snips to test them out.

"The fairies like to come by in the night and replenish them," Neville said, carefully pruning a rosebush. "You'll have to trim them shorter than you'd think."

"Why are fairies such pricks?" Lily asked as she started her work, very satisfied at how quickly the blades ran through the hedges.

"I wouldn't let them hear you," Neville said, "You don't want to get on their bad side."

"Neville, we just learned about them in Defense. They're nowhere near as bad as the Muggles believe."

"Well, no," Neville said, "not here, anyway. I've heard the sort in Ireland are really nasty, though. You wouldn't want to get them angry."

"If you say so, Neville," Lily said, trying to get done with the clipping as quickly as she could. While this was the only way she could get Neville to have a conversation with her, she still didn't want to be out under the sun for too long; she burned quite easily.

Lily wiped the sweat from her forehead, making sure to scratch her scar as she did so. It always itched when she was hot. She was just thankful it hadn't hurt in a while. At the end of the school year, she got into a rough spot of trouble, and the scar throbbed so badly she-

No, she wasn't going to think about that either.

Lily clipped through a rather thick part of branches and brambles, and then paused. She did a doubletake, staring back at the section she just finished.

Two large green eyes were staring at her from the section of hedge a metre away. Lily stared back, not sure what was happening. They were still there when Lily blinked. She thought about rubbing her eyes, but she thought that'd give away that she noticed.

"Err- Neville?" she asked, not daring to break eye contact.

"Hmm?"

"How big are fairies supposed to be?"

"Not very big. About the size of your palm. Why?"

The eyes blinked, then opened again. They were about the size of Lily's palm, sure, but that was each of the two. Unless there were two fairies, and their entire body mass was a single eyeball, there was no way this was a pair of them.

Lily looked back towards Neville, trying to grab his attention.

"Neville?" she called out.

"Yeah?" Neville said, looking up from where he was working. He wiped sweat from his brow, which only served to smear the dirt across his face.

"What's that?" Lily asked, nudging her head in the direction of the eyes.

Neville stared for a moment, his face unchanging. "It's a hedge, Lily. Are you all right?"

"Not the hedge, Neville, the eyes."

"What eyes?" Neville asked, brow furrowing.

Lily turned back around. "The eyes, Neville, right-" Lily stopped as she pointed at the hedge. The eyes were now gone, only green shrubbery remaining.

"Are you sure you're all right, Lily?" Neville asked again. "Maybe you should head inside, I think the sun's getting to you."

"Maybe you're right," Lily grumbled. She wiped her forehead again. "I'll finish the hedges first," she said, getting back to work. She made sure to keep an eye on everything she could see. She had the distinct feeling that they were being watched by something.

Lily rose earlier the next morning, making sure to grab a shower first. Neville tended to use up all the hot water in his incredibly long showers. She let her long, red hair fall loose around her shoulders, although she made sure to brush out any knots first, so Gran wouldn't complain. She let it dangle down her back. She threw on a pair of slick, black boots that barely fit.

"Morning," Lily said as she sat down across from Gran, fastening her tie. She picked up her cup of tea with her free hand while the other finished tucking the neckwear.

Gran grunted in response. "You got something," she said, sipping her morning tea.

Lily set her own cup down in excitement. "From Hermione?"

"Hogwarts," Gran grunted.

"Oh," Lily said, significantly less excited.

"You've grown again," Gran croaked.

"Have I?" Lily asked, looking at herself more closely.

"Your wrists and ankles are showing again."

Lily looked down. There was skin showing, sure, but it really wasn't too bad. The main issue was how tight everything felt, but she was never one to complain.

"They'll do you until the end of summer," Gran said, sniffing, "But it looks like I'll have to buy you yet another new wardrobe for next year."

"You don't have to do that," Lily offered, "I have my own-"

"Nonsense," Gran said, waving her hand, "While you're under my roof, I'll be feeding and clothing you."

Lily lulled back into silence. She wasn't used to having people offer to buy her things and she wasn't sure if she ever would be. The Dursleys never would have-

"Stop, Lily," she whispered to herself.

"Would you like some more dresses, or are you satisfied with your current clothes?"

"I like these," she said, gesturing to our current outfit. She didn't, really, but she preferred them by far to the dresses Gran bought them last year.

Gran nodded in approval. "It's a nice look for a proper witch. I didn't like those sundresses you wore last summer."

Lily frowned. "You bought them."

"I bought them because it was all I could find on short notice. You should still be wearing your robes, though. I got you some nice ones. Don't like them?"

"It's too hot out," Lily said. She did have some rather nice robes, but the last time she wore one outside, the heat nearly made her pass out. Of course, that was at school, where it was much hotter, but she learned that lesson.

"It's been a real scorcher lately, hasn't it?" Gran said, sipping her tea again.

"I thought I was going to die yesterday, helping Neville out in the garden."

"Should have left him to it. If the fool wants to keep it, he can do so himself. I can't stand being out there, either."

Lily considered something for a moment. "Gran?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever seen a pair of large, green eyes staring at you around the house?"

Gran looked up from her newspaper, eyebrow raised. "What on Earth are you talking about, girl?"

Lily bit her lip, earning a "tut tut" from Gran. "When I was in the garden with Neville yesterday, trimming the hedges, I saw a pair of eyes watching me from the bushes. I was just wondering if you'd seen anything."

"The only green eyes I've seen around here are yours," Gran said, going back to her news. "And the cat, too, I suppose."

"Weasley?" Lily asked.

"What other cat is there?"

"Gran, Weasley has gold eyes, not green."

Gran looked up from her newspaper again, brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"

"I think I know the colour of my cat's eyes, yes," Lily said.

"Don't get snippy," Gran said, laying her folded newspaper on the table. "I suppose I did see some green eyes around, then."

"But I asked about large ones, and Weasley has small eyes." She formed the shape of them with her hands, trying to give Gran a sense of how large they had been.

"Oh, well," Gran said, standing up. "I had word from the Weasleys, by the way. We'll be meeting them in Diagon Alley for your birthday. Do tell Neville for me."

"Where are you going?" Lily asked as Gran headed towards the front door.

"Never you mind," Gran replied, throwing on her large vulture hat. "I've got some errands to run. Keep the house clean for me, dear, if you would." The front door closed behind Gran before Lily could respond.

Lily ate her last strip of bacon, then stood up. She grabbed the stack of letters from the countertop, flipping through until she found her name. She was disappointed to find only the one, but it was the most she'd gotten all summer, so she couldn't complain too much.

Dear Miss Potter,

The next school term begins September 1st. The Hogwarts Express will leave from Kings Cross Station Platform 9 ¾ at precisely 11 am. If you are unable to board the train, please contact Hogwarts immediately.

You will find enclosed a list of necessary items and books for the second year. Make sure you pay special attention to those required for Defense Against the Dark Arts, as we will have a new professor joining us this year.

Second years are allowed a personal broomstick on the school grounds and are allowed to try out for their house's Quidditch teams without exceptions. Brooms must be provided by the student for try outs.

We look forward to having you for another year at Hogwarts.

Yours Truly,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Lily glanced at the book list, frowning. She hadn't even heard of Gilderoy Lockhart before yesterday, but he had half a dozen books on the list. She wasn't looking to how many notes she'd have to take before term started; she really wanted to get ahead.

Lily tossed the booklist onto the counter, grabbing a slice of toast as she went back upstairs. She decided to spend today finishing the summer homework, so she could spend the rest of the holiday relaxing. She'd just let Ron and Neville copy it later, so they didn't have to do it themselves. Lily left her door open as she came in, just in case Neville needed something. She heard him leave the house a couple of hours later, followed shortly after by the sounds of him working in the garden.

Lily heard Gran return home a few hours after that, just as she finished up her Potions work. That was the last of it. She leaned back in her chair, stretching to soothe the cramp in her neck.

"Lily!" Gran shouted. "Grab Neville, and then meet me in the parlour."

"Yes, Gran," Lily yelled back. She felt Weasley rub against her legs and she scooped him up before she stood. Lily carried him over to the window, resting him in one arm as she threw it open.

"Neville!" she called out.

Neville looked up from the garden, wiping his brow. "What?" he called back.

"Gran needs us in the parlour," Lily said, "Get in here."

"Give me five minutes," he said, getting back to work.

Lily huffed and then closed her window. She carried Weasley downstairs, feeling daring enough to blow a raspberry on his tummy. He swatted at her face, nibbling on her hand. She almost slipped, but managed to catch herself on the banister. Weasley jumped out of her arms after that, which left her disappointed, but she completely understood the reasoning.

Lily tried to open the parlour door, but found it was locked. She knocked.

"Gran?"

"Is Neville with you?" she said through the door.

"No, he said he'd be in shortly."

"You'll have to wait, then," Gran responded. "I'll let you in once I'm done in here."

Lily huffed, leaning against the wall. Weasley was rubbing himself against her legs, purring, which warmed her heart. The cat was a lot more affectionate over the summer, now that Lavender Brown wasn't there to compete for his attention.

Neville came in soon after, hurrying to the kitchen to wash his face and hands, making Lily wait even longer. She could hear the sink running, and she started tapping her foot, feeling very impatient.

"Come on, Neville," she said, "Don't make me wait forever."

"Just go on without me, then," he shouted from the kitchen.

"I can't, Gran won't let me."

"Will you two be quiet," Gran shouted through the door. "The whole neighbourhood can hear you."

"Gran, the nearest house is five kilometres away."

"Which makes it all the more impressive," Gran responded.

Neville rounded the corner, freshened up. Lily wasted no time in knocking on the door again.

"He's here, Gran, can we come in now?"

"Neville?" Gran called.

"Yes, Gran, I'm here," Neville said.

The door clicked, and Gran opened it to let the two in.

Lily let Neville go in first, since it was his house. She followed in shortly after.

The room was empty, which was unusual, considering it normally had furniture in it. Lily thought she had been hiding birthday presents, to be honest, not every single thing in the room. She found herself feeling a little let down, surprised she expected anything at all. That was very unlike her. Maybe she was getting better after all.

"What's going on, Gran?" Neville asked.

"Yeah., Gran, why's the room empty?" Lily followed up.

"I figured it was time to teach you both another spell," Gran said, whipping out her wand.

Lily bit her lip (causing Gran to narrow her eyes). "Gran, we aren't allowed to do magic out of school."

Gran rolled her eyes. "You both'll be fine, so long as you do it while I'm around. I'm certainly not going to rat you out."

Lily looked over to Neville, who shrugged as a response. Neville took out his wand, choosing obedience.

"Come on, Lily, it'll be fun," Gran said, assuming a stance. "If you get it right, I'll even give you your present early."

Lily pulled her tie (earning another glare from Gran). "I left my wand upstairs."

"Well, go get it, then," Gran said, exasperated. "Honestly what good is a witch if she can't even remember to bring her wand with her?"

"I'm not supposed to-"

"Go," Gran commanded, throwing her hands in the air.

Lily hurried to obey, fast walking out the door and running up the stairs. She grabbed her wand off the desk, then ran down the hall, taking the steps two at a time.

She made it down to the second-floor landing. As she took the first step, her foot slipped on something, and she tumbled down the rest of the staircase.

Lily swore as she hit every step, landing with a painful crunch on the next landing. She groaned, wishing for death. She felt something snap underneath her as she landed, and she had a brutal feeling she knew what it was.

"Good Lord," Gran yelled from the parlour. "Are you all right, girl?"

"No," Lily shouted, sitting up, staring at the consequences of her actions, her breathing coming in panicked gasps.

"Did you break anything?"

"My wand," Lily said, staring at the two snapped halves of her hazel friend. She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes.

"Good Lord," Gran repeated.