Chapter Five:
A Revelation on the Hogwarts Express
Three months had passed, and it was the first of September. Lily Evan's was in her bedroom checking her suitcase for all of her clothes.
"Right, I have my black robes, and a shirt for the trip to the station.. Where are my pants?" she exclaimed and began to rummage through her bag, laughing at herself for forgetting pants.
"Oh here they are." she sighed and kicked off her loafers, then stepped her feet through the pant legs. "These jeans are rather short, and tight, but oh well, I won't need them until next summer."
Lily looked up at the sound of someone knocking on her door.
"Lily Marie Evans, hurry up or we'll be late." She heard her mother's admonishing voice from the other side of the door.
"Yes Mum, sorry I was just making sure I have everything." Lily apologized as she tugged at the zipper, in a helpless attempt to close her overflowing bag.
After several minutes of struggling Lily went to the door and called to her mother for help.
"I'm coming Lily, just go fetch Harry and get in the car!" Mrs. Evan's shouted up to her daughter as she recklessly shoved a pan in the cereal cupboard.
Lily obediently went to fetch her owl. She had named him after the snowy one that had delivered her the letter from Hogwarts, requesting that she study there to acquire the skills necessary to be a witch. Then she hurried into the backseat of the family volvo, and hurriedly fastened her seatbelt.
Twenty minutes later her family was standing on platform 9 ¾ waving goodbye to her as the train sped out of sight.
"Dear, dear. I miss her already. What shall we do since she's going to be gone for an entire year?" moaned Mrs. Evans, her eyes overflowing with tears.
Her husband embraced her tightly and replied consolingly, "She'll be home for Christmas." Which caused his wife to laugh through her tears.
"How pathetic I am, weeping over saying goodbye to Lily after she's only been gone for five minutes." Lily's mother said, as she stepped into the car beside Tom. "Let's go."
*** Meanwhile on the train Lily sat alone in a tiny compartment. She looked terribly homesick, and dreadfully lonely. She longed for that Potter boy to find her. Even if he was a boy, and Lily wasn't overly fond of boys, anyone would be a comfort. When she was just about to give in to her desperate need to cry the door to her compartment opened, and in walked her savior.
"James!" Lily was so excited to see him that she threw her arms around his neck, then when she realized the embarrassing position she had put herself in and lowered her arms. "S, sorry." she muttered her cheeks bright pink.
James laughed good-naturedly.
"How splendid to see you too Lily Evans." His deep blue eyes gazed into hers, and Lily noticed how gorgeous and alluring they were. Acknowledging that she had a crush on James caused her to blush even more and James laughed.
"How are you?" he inquired politely.
"Fair. Oh who am I kidding. I was about to have a good cry when you came in. That's why I was so excited to see you, I wouldn't be alone anymore." Lily admitted.
James feigned that he was terribly upset, and said. "Oh but I thought you were just excited to see me, because it was me."
Lily laughed. "I'm sorry, I was."
"Okay, well I'm starved." he said, and reached his hand into his bag. It reappeared holding a bag of candy. "Want some Lil?"
"Oh no thanks," and she blushed. This boy who she barely knew, had already come up with a nickname for her.
"Come on, take some. They're home made. an imitation of Bertie Botts ever flavor beans."
Lily wrinkled her nose. "No thanks. I found those quite unappealing when we were at Diagon Alley. I ate one that tasted like barf."
James laughed. "Not to worry, mum only made yummy flavors."
"Oh all right. Obviously it won't please you unless I take one."
James playfully tugged on her hair. "You're right. I can't eat with other people watching me. It makes me feel like a selfish pig for not offering them some."
"So then you force feed them," she joked.
James leaned over and tickled her. "Funny, funny, now let's see where are you ticklish."
"Stop!" Lily squealed. "Stop it James!!!"
"Oh fine. Can't you let me have a bit of fun?" He sighed. "None of the girls let me get away with it."
"Of course not James." and she pretended to be annoyed, but his lopsided grin caused her to laugh hysterically. "Will you stop smiling like that, or I'll laugh during the sorting ceremony, and I'll die of humiliation."
"Really now, would you? We'll find out if that's true when that ridiculous hat is deciding what house to put you in!" He taunted her.
"You wouldn't dare!!!" Lily shrieked. "No seriously James, don't do that to me."
"I can't promise you anything Lil." As he handed her, her suitcase. "Better change. I heard we're nearing Hogwarts."
"Oh no." Lily looked like a frightened deer. "I don't want to be there yet."
"What's the matter? There's nothing to be scared about." James looked concerned.
Lily simply gave him a look of disdain, and began to fish for her robes.
"Oh you're scared that no one's going to like you. Don't worry, my older sister Martha was afraid of the same thing, she told me, but she was accepted immediately when she joined the Gryffindor house."
"Thanks James." Lily said as she walked subdued to the door with her robes. "I'll be back soon."
* Five minutes later Lily returned to the compartment. She smiled rather weakly at her companion. He beckoned for her to sit down beside him.
"Don't worry Lil. They'll all love you. How could they not?"
Lily sighed deeply. "I'm a, a muggle."
"Don't say that. You are a witch. They only send you to Hogwarts if you have the potential to become one. It's odd though that you have magical blood since your parents don't."
Lily realized that this was the time to reveal the truth of her past to him. " James," she gulped. "I, I'm adopted. I got a letter from this lady saying she was my mother and that she was a witch. I guess she died though a long time ago. The letter was written ten years ago."
James looked shocked. "Wow that's an interesting story."
Lily stared up at his face. It was obvious that he didn't know how to respond.
"I, I'm um, sorry that your mum died." he muttered.
"Oh that's okay. She wasn't really my mum. She just gave birth to me. My real mum is, well you know her." she paused.
"I'm confused." James said rather bluntly.
"Well the woman who gave birth to me never took care of me. My real mum is the woman who adopted me, because it was she who held me when I cried, and punished me for arguing with my sister Petunia." Lily explained.
"Oh," James nodded. "I understand now."
Lily suddenly began to cry. "And they won't like me because I grew up with muggles."
James drew her to him and let her cry into his robes. "That's not true. Anyway only losers won't accept you for who you are."
"Thanks James." Lily's voice was muffled against his robes. Then she lifted her head. "Thanks for giving me a shoulder to cry on."
Jokingly James touched his chest. "A shoulder to cry on. This isn't my shoulder, but you're welcome anyway."
At that moment the train slowed to a halt. And then they heard a voice on the intercom welcoming them to Hogwarts. Lily and James arose to get their bags, and stepped out of the train into the crowd of new students gazing up at a castle in awe.
.
.
Three months had passed, and it was the first of September. Lily Evan's was in her bedroom checking her suitcase for all of her clothes.
"Right, I have my black robes, and a shirt for the trip to the station.. Where are my pants?" she exclaimed and began to rummage through her bag, laughing at herself for forgetting pants.
"Oh here they are." she sighed and kicked off her loafers, then stepped her feet through the pant legs. "These jeans are rather short, and tight, but oh well, I won't need them until next summer."
Lily looked up at the sound of someone knocking on her door.
"Lily Marie Evans, hurry up or we'll be late." She heard her mother's admonishing voice from the other side of the door.
"Yes Mum, sorry I was just making sure I have everything." Lily apologized as she tugged at the zipper, in a helpless attempt to close her overflowing bag.
After several minutes of struggling Lily went to the door and called to her mother for help.
"I'm coming Lily, just go fetch Harry and get in the car!" Mrs. Evan's shouted up to her daughter as she recklessly shoved a pan in the cereal cupboard.
Lily obediently went to fetch her owl. She had named him after the snowy one that had delivered her the letter from Hogwarts, requesting that she study there to acquire the skills necessary to be a witch. Then she hurried into the backseat of the family volvo, and hurriedly fastened her seatbelt.
Twenty minutes later her family was standing on platform 9 ¾ waving goodbye to her as the train sped out of sight.
"Dear, dear. I miss her already. What shall we do since she's going to be gone for an entire year?" moaned Mrs. Evans, her eyes overflowing with tears.
Her husband embraced her tightly and replied consolingly, "She'll be home for Christmas." Which caused his wife to laugh through her tears.
"How pathetic I am, weeping over saying goodbye to Lily after she's only been gone for five minutes." Lily's mother said, as she stepped into the car beside Tom. "Let's go."
*** Meanwhile on the train Lily sat alone in a tiny compartment. She looked terribly homesick, and dreadfully lonely. She longed for that Potter boy to find her. Even if he was a boy, and Lily wasn't overly fond of boys, anyone would be a comfort. When she was just about to give in to her desperate need to cry the door to her compartment opened, and in walked her savior.
"James!" Lily was so excited to see him that she threw her arms around his neck, then when she realized the embarrassing position she had put herself in and lowered her arms. "S, sorry." she muttered her cheeks bright pink.
James laughed good-naturedly.
"How splendid to see you too Lily Evans." His deep blue eyes gazed into hers, and Lily noticed how gorgeous and alluring they were. Acknowledging that she had a crush on James caused her to blush even more and James laughed.
"How are you?" he inquired politely.
"Fair. Oh who am I kidding. I was about to have a good cry when you came in. That's why I was so excited to see you, I wouldn't be alone anymore." Lily admitted.
James feigned that he was terribly upset, and said. "Oh but I thought you were just excited to see me, because it was me."
Lily laughed. "I'm sorry, I was."
"Okay, well I'm starved." he said, and reached his hand into his bag. It reappeared holding a bag of candy. "Want some Lil?"
"Oh no thanks," and she blushed. This boy who she barely knew, had already come up with a nickname for her.
"Come on, take some. They're home made. an imitation of Bertie Botts ever flavor beans."
Lily wrinkled her nose. "No thanks. I found those quite unappealing when we were at Diagon Alley. I ate one that tasted like barf."
James laughed. "Not to worry, mum only made yummy flavors."
"Oh all right. Obviously it won't please you unless I take one."
James playfully tugged on her hair. "You're right. I can't eat with other people watching me. It makes me feel like a selfish pig for not offering them some."
"So then you force feed them," she joked.
James leaned over and tickled her. "Funny, funny, now let's see where are you ticklish."
"Stop!" Lily squealed. "Stop it James!!!"
"Oh fine. Can't you let me have a bit of fun?" He sighed. "None of the girls let me get away with it."
"Of course not James." and she pretended to be annoyed, but his lopsided grin caused her to laugh hysterically. "Will you stop smiling like that, or I'll laugh during the sorting ceremony, and I'll die of humiliation."
"Really now, would you? We'll find out if that's true when that ridiculous hat is deciding what house to put you in!" He taunted her.
"You wouldn't dare!!!" Lily shrieked. "No seriously James, don't do that to me."
"I can't promise you anything Lil." As he handed her, her suitcase. "Better change. I heard we're nearing Hogwarts."
"Oh no." Lily looked like a frightened deer. "I don't want to be there yet."
"What's the matter? There's nothing to be scared about." James looked concerned.
Lily simply gave him a look of disdain, and began to fish for her robes.
"Oh you're scared that no one's going to like you. Don't worry, my older sister Martha was afraid of the same thing, she told me, but she was accepted immediately when she joined the Gryffindor house."
"Thanks James." Lily said as she walked subdued to the door with her robes. "I'll be back soon."
* Five minutes later Lily returned to the compartment. She smiled rather weakly at her companion. He beckoned for her to sit down beside him.
"Don't worry Lil. They'll all love you. How could they not?"
Lily sighed deeply. "I'm a, a muggle."
"Don't say that. You are a witch. They only send you to Hogwarts if you have the potential to become one. It's odd though that you have magical blood since your parents don't."
Lily realized that this was the time to reveal the truth of her past to him. " James," she gulped. "I, I'm adopted. I got a letter from this lady saying she was my mother and that she was a witch. I guess she died though a long time ago. The letter was written ten years ago."
James looked shocked. "Wow that's an interesting story."
Lily stared up at his face. It was obvious that he didn't know how to respond.
"I, I'm um, sorry that your mum died." he muttered.
"Oh that's okay. She wasn't really my mum. She just gave birth to me. My real mum is, well you know her." she paused.
"I'm confused." James said rather bluntly.
"Well the woman who gave birth to me never took care of me. My real mum is the woman who adopted me, because it was she who held me when I cried, and punished me for arguing with my sister Petunia." Lily explained.
"Oh," James nodded. "I understand now."
Lily suddenly began to cry. "And they won't like me because I grew up with muggles."
James drew her to him and let her cry into his robes. "That's not true. Anyway only losers won't accept you for who you are."
"Thanks James." Lily's voice was muffled against his robes. Then she lifted her head. "Thanks for giving me a shoulder to cry on."
Jokingly James touched his chest. "A shoulder to cry on. This isn't my shoulder, but you're welcome anyway."
At that moment the train slowed to a halt. And then they heard a voice on the intercom welcoming them to Hogwarts. Lily and James arose to get their bags, and stepped out of the train into the crowd of new students gazing up at a castle in awe.
.
.