Finally it was the day. The day Lily went to Hogwarts. She packed her bags silently but surely, nervously but confidently. She went downstairs warily, not wanting to be seen by her family just yet. Ever since Petunia had found out about Lily being a witch, she had tortured her nearly to death. Lily felt lucky that she was leaving finally.
She walked out the door and down the street, not even thinking about where she was going. She stopped in front of Lola's house and stared at it. It was barely sunrise; she wouldn't be awake to say goodbye. She probably didn't even care anyway.
Lily began to slowly walk by, but kept glancing backward towards the house. Surely she'd want to say goodbye, wouldn't she? I mean, she is, was, my best friend! She has been since we were 3 years of age! I can't believe she would be mad at me for coming to say one last goodbye…
She walked up to the door with practiced ease and gently knocked thrice. No answer arose, so she cautiously opened it.
She walked up the stairs and knocked on Lola's bedroom door.
"Mum! It's not time to get up!" a groggy and annoyed voice snapped.
"Lola! It's Lily, not your mum."
"Lily? What are you doing here? Come in!" Lily opened the door to find Lola sitting up in bed, her hair everywhere and her face puzzled. "Why're you here?" she asked dazedly.
Lily sighed deeply, suppressing oncoming tears. "I-I leave in only a few hours, a-and I won't be back until h-holidays," she stuttered as steadily as possible. Lola looked a little taken aback at first, then her look changed to look much like Lily's.
"I was afraid you wouldn't say goodbye. I mean, after that phone call, we haven't talked."
"I almost didn't. I can always write to you you know! And, and teach you all about magic stuff and tell you about the school!" Lily suggested. Lola's expression didn't change. She obviously still thought it was some hoax, that Lily was off to a boarding school. Exasperated, Lily added something more to Lola's thoughts.
"I will write to you, just so you know it's NOT an awful boarding school. Ugh, I can't believe you still think that!" Lily's unshed tears were immediately dried in her resurfaced anger.
"Please Lily, don't get angry at me again. Let's just enjoy this short time together!" Lola said as she began fixing her hair in the mirror by her bed.
"All right, but only if you say one thing. I want you to say you're not happy I'm going."
"Lily, of course I'm not happy you're going! You've been my best friend forever! Now I'll have to hang out with…Kelsey or someone! Or maybe even Yolie! But you'll always be my best friend Lily. I'm sure the distance will mean almost nothing to two best friends like us, right?" Lola said confidently.
"I suppose not, but how can you be so sure? I'm not sure what the school will be like, how often we'll be able to talk, what new friends I might make. Lola, I'm gonna miss being here!" The tears were restored to her eyes as she spoke again of leaving.
"Lily! Honestly, we'll have the holidays for you to come back, and it's not like we'll never see eachother again. You're leaving for now, but you'll be back! And when you do return, I'll be right here waiting for you. That's a promise, a promise of friendship. Now all we have to do is seal the promise!" Lola turned towards Lily.
"W-what do we have to do?" Lily asked shakily, not sure whether or not to trust Lola again so readily.
"All we do is write a note that contains a secret we've never told anyone before. After you've written it down, we exchange papers. The first one to look at the other's paper has broken the promise and has to tell the other person another big secret to keep it again. The secret has to be so big that we won't be able to contain it from eachother because we're so close! Get it?"
Lily thought it over for a minute. "Where'd you come up with that?"
"My mum suggested it when she found out you were going to a board-new school."
"Yeah I get it. Shall we do it now?"
"Yeah! Great! Here's my prettiest paper-" Lola said excitedly searching through her dresser drawer and pulling out some stationary, "to write them down on. I assure you I won't break the promise!" Lily forced a smile while spite coursed through her at her friend's assurance of her breaking the promise.
She took the offered paper and scribbled something down hastily. She quickly glanced up at Lola who was still writing. She casually set down the pen and paper and watched her write. When Lola finished she smiled at Lily.
"Ready to trade?" Lily nodded. They switched papers. Though eager to read what was written within, Lily restrained herself. So did Lola.
"So, when do you leave?" Lily checked her watch.
"One hour!" she exclaimed. "Oh Lola, I've got to go!"
They both got very emotional and burst into tears. "Lily, you can't leave, you're my best friend!" After many hugs, Lola finally stammered, "May our promise never be broken."
"Never." Lily agreed. They hugged once more, then Lily set out back home.
She still carried the paper in her hand, but her promise to keep the promise she just made she refused to break, at least not 2 seconds after making it.
But back at Lola's house…
She was reading the short scribble Lily had written without hesitation. She gasped involuntarily and dropped the paper. Then she went to tears.