Until We Came

By: Naeginnie6

A Re-Written Version

Chapter Two:

            "Lily? What are you doing out there?" Petunia's shrill voice came from the downstairs bathroom, two windows down and three across. "Who's up there with you?"

            Lily panicked. "Quick, go! She'll tell my mum! Just… I don't know, hide, I'll go down and get her attention away!"

            "Oh- ok!" James lay flat on his back, waiting for Lily to leave. "Don't forget-" he whispered, "tomorrow at six!"

            Lily sprinted out the doors with a quick, "I won't!"

~*¤*~

            Lily burst into the bathroom, flinging the door open, and hitting Petunia square in the nose. "Oh, sorry! Pet, are you alright?"

            Petunia clutched her nose in agony. She let out a pitiful groan.

            "Lily! I'll have your head for that you twit!"

            "Petty! Please, it was an accident! I'm only eleven, you know!" Lily looked truly crest-fallen. "I seriously wouldn't do that, and you know it!"

            "Fine," Petunia said frostily. "But, ooh!" She cut herself short as she touched her nose gingerly and winced. "Get me ice!"

            Lily, once again sprinted out of the room.

~*¤*~

            Petunia got up from where she was sitting, on the closed lid of the toilet seat. She looked out the window. A full moon. Perfect! Plenty of light to see that person, whoever they were.

            'I know I shouldn't be doing this,' she thought. 'I'm not that kind of a person, but… I can't let Lily fall in with the wrong crowd.'

            She peered out the window. She saw a short figure, most likely Lily's age, peering around apprehensively. She rubbed her eyes to get a better look, but she heard a swish and looked up… and nothing was there.

~*¤*~

            "Got it!" Lily side stepped into the room, clutching a bag of ice. She eyed Petunia looking out the window, and raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "What are you looking at?"

            Lily stepped over to the window. She looked about tentatively for James. Nothing.

            "Oh, nothing," Lily grinned a bit. Petunia frowned at her. "What are you all smirking about?"

            "Well," Lily started, "first of all I looked out the window and saw nothing. Then, you said, 'oh, nothing'. Just a silly coincidence."

            "Right." Petunia decided to jump the gun. "So, who was that boy, Lily?"

            "B-b-boy? Ha! You're just hallucinating, Pet. No boy. No next door neighbor. No dinner tomorrow at six."

            Petunia smirked in triumph.

            "Oops."

            "Dinner at six, eh?" Petunia gave a "Hm!" of triumph.

            "Pet? Please, please, please don't tell Mum. I'll tell her. Tomorrow. PLEASE!"

            Petunia looked with distaste upon the pleading face of her sister. She frowned at her. "I don't know, Lils. I mean, what have you done for me?"

            Lily racked her brain. "Last week, packing. Frisbee. Broken window. Shards all over her good sweaters? And, somehow, I managed not to tell, and the shards went away before she even came in the room. No need for her to find out about that, no need for her to find out about this!"

            Petunia frowned. "I didn't clean up that glass."

            Lily frowned back at her. "Neither did I!"

            "Well Mum would have said something," Petunia said.

            "Weird!"

            "Maybe… maybe you have, like, special powers or something! Lily, do you know what this means?"

            Lily thought quickly. "They'll stick me in a lab and study me for years on end, only to conclude that I'm just a freak. You've been watching too many sci-fi films, Pet. You're just fooling yourself."

            "Fine, Lily. I guess you're right anyways. I won't tell Mum. Not this time. But, only because I'm so generous."

            Lily smiled gratefully at Petunia. "Thanks."

            Petunia turned to leave.

            "Oh, Pet!" Lily called after her. She brandished a dripping bag full of water. "You forgot your ice."

~*¤*~

            "Lily, dear! Can you please come to the kitchen for a minute?" Rachel Evans called to her daughter.

            "Um, yes, Mum!"

            Lily scurried in to her mother's room, which now was full of boxes, bubblewrap, a bed frame, and a bamboo mat.

            "Yes?"

            "Lily, I thought I heard voices outside. Were you talking to anyone?"

            "Actually," Lily took a deep breath, "yes."

            Her mother raised an eyebrow. "And this 'voice' belonged to?"

            "The boy next door, James Potter. He just wanted to meet me. And, er- invite me to dinner tomorrow at six…"

            "Oh?" Rachel arched her eyebrow higher.

            "Yes. I told him I could go. We don't have anything planned, do we?"

            "No, but Lily, what do you know about these… these…. These people?"

            "Mum, they're not going to kill me. They live next door."

            Rachel sighed. "Okay, fine. BUT we have to get the trunk tomorrow, remember?"
            Lily sighed pathetically. "Mum!" She pouted. "Fine. But can he come? I mean, I know I just met him, but he looks like he needs someone to talk to. He started talking about hog warts and I was like… uh, ok? He just looks so out of things! Please Mum?"

            "Fine. But, I want no funny business out of you two!"

            "EEEEEE! Thanks!"

~*¤*~

            Later that night, Lily snuggled herself into her sleeping bag, laying in her room, looking at the blank walls. She thought she heard a faint taping on her window sill. She looked to her left, and she saw a flutter of wings go by. She dismissed it and sleep engulfed her.

~*¤*~

            "Hi Mum, hi Lily. Good morning!" Petunia said cheerfully as she walked in to the kitchen.

            Lily rubbed her eyes blearily. "What's so good about it?"

            "I don't know," Petunia said slowly, smirk slowly spreading. "Dinner should be fun tonight. For you, I mean."

            "Oh, yes. That." Lily's cheeks grew hot. "What time is it, by the way?"

            Her mother looked over the top of a cereal box at her. "Ten thirty, why?"

            "MUM!" Lily shouted. "This trip," she said more calmly, "will take sixteen hours! I can't go. I already promised James I'd have dinner with him. Plus," she added in a superior tone, "it is formal dress only! His family looks rich, and not that it matters, but I need a friend and James is the first person who's ever really been truly nice to me! Can't we go in a few days and rent a motel room, or something? I mean- please!"

            "Fine, Lily. But don't you have anything to wear?"

            Lily gasped and ran up the stairs, Petunia chasing after her, brandishing two toasted bagels.

~*¤*~

            "Here," Petunia emerged from the closet. "How's this?"

            Lily gaped at her older sister. "ABSOLUTELY NOT! That was my Christmas dress when I was seven!"

            "I was just kidding, you know. I meant you should wear this."

            Lily gasped and goggled at the dress her sister was holding up. "Where… where… did you… get that?!"

            "It's your Christmas present. But I figure, you need it now more than you'll need it then!"

            Lily ran her hands over the soft, silky fabric. The black dress was tight, but not too tight, and was cut just above her knees.

            "Petunia! Where did you ever get money for this?"

            Petunia smiled warmly. "I've been saving my allowance for four months. Luckily it went on sale for 50% off, so I could get it." She smiled sheepishly. "I thought it'd look good on you."

            Lily looked at her sister and ran to her. She enveloped her in a hug and screeched happy praises at her.

            "Thanks! Ooooooh thanks!"

            "Ok! Ok! I get it- you're welcome."

            Lily ran out of the room and waited expectantly for the hour to come. 'Only seven left!' She thought excitedly.

            A/N: Yes, I changed Maryanne's name. Cuz I kinda stole it by accident from Kegogi, my bestest buddy. I've heard her story so many times, it's just in my head, and I didn't even know I took it. And the house, and the car, and the table (only that was a bed) and the trunk. Oops. BUT they all come into the plot, part of the rising action!!! So please don't hurt me Chrissy!!! Oh, yeah, and by the way, have you ever heard the expression, 'Imitation is the best form of flattery'?