FOREVER
Year three
Part one
Photo albums
Lily stared down the dirt road desperately wishing she had asked for more specific instructions. The mud clung to the moist path. It had soiled Lily's new red shoes and her mood. She scanned the hills for a house, or a structure of any kind and much to her disappointment though not her surprise they were barren except for the forest to her right. The hills were green with summer grass and reminded her of the hills back home. She and Petunia used to sit there and just watch the clouds or maybe play tag. It hadn't really mattered.
"But that was then and this is now." Said Lily to herself, remembering where she was and the going away talk Petunia had given her. Of course where she was, was the problem; she didn't know. Sirius had only said to take a right at the yellow sign and that she'd know when she got there. Lily shook her head.
"Typical Sirius." Lily was losing her patience and her feet were killing her. She didn't know how much further she could walk and the path was getting kind of creepy. She shivered; a low fog had descended reminding Lily of a very bad horror movie. She shifted her attention away from the darkening sky and the forest and to the hills, which were slightly more cheerful. A soon as her back was turned she herd a crackle, like breaking sticks. She stopped walking and stiffened noticeably, straining to her anything else. The silence was unbearable. She whirled around, as though trying to catch something or someone by surprise. The surprise was on her though. Two hands from nowhere grabbed her. She screamed, panic filling her body like a volcano. Until she thought she would explode. The hands where cold and the fact that they appeared from thin air only scared her more. Another hand clamped over her mouth.
"Shut up! Someone will hear us!" Someone hissed in her ear. She struggled desperately trying to escape.
"What's that matter with you, huh?" said the owner of the hand. The hand moved upward and pulled something down, revealing James Potter and Sirius Black. Sirius was the one holding her arms and James had been the one holding her mouth. Lily's fear quickly changed to anger.
"How DARE you sneak up on me, in a foreign village, by a creepy forest, right before dark. What is wrong with you! What could possibly possessed you to do that?" She was fuming. Sirius grinned in a would-be apologetic way.
"Sorry Lily, but you should have seen your face!" His grin turned to a weak chuckle and then a full-blown laugh. "Your…::laugh:: eyes… ::laugh:: were…::laugh::… hu.. Hu... huge!" Soon James had joined in laughing, leaving Lily staring sullenly at them.
"If your quite finished, do you mind telling me where your house is? Or is that going to sneak up on me as well?" Asked Lily folding her arms over her chest. Sirius grinned even wider. He mumbled a few words under his breath, which Lily tried but failed to catch.
"Sorry, what?" She asked even more irritated then before. He pointed to the hills behind her. "Oh, don't be ridiculous those hills are completely-"she turned around talking to them all the while. "-Bare." She whispered the last part; staring at the once bare hills astounded. In place of just grass there was a sprawling mansion, that would put Britain's greatest landowners to shame. She suspected that it had been magically extended. It had multiple turrets, wings and towers. They were all tastefully done all though they were definitely magic. This became even more apparent when the towers started to play musical spots and moved around in a circle. Periodically they stopped and the loser had to go to they other end. She could even hear a faint bit of Mozart coming from that direction.
"Um... wow." Said Lily, unable to tear her emerald eyes from the curious scene. "It wasn't there a second ago, did you throw a giant invisibility cloak over it or something?" Sirius laughed at the silly suggestions.
"Nope, not quite. It 's a spell, so that it's, you know, muggle protected." Lily nodded, if she hadn't known about magic, the site on the hill would have been just enough to land her in a mental institution. They started up the hill.
"Do they always do that?" She pointed to the towers racing for the last spot. James looked at it slightly green. He nodded.
"Oh yeah! The first time I came here, I slept in one of those towers and I've never been so sick in my life!" He gave a hollow sort of laugh and a ghost of a smile. Lily grinned, that was definitely a good sign. James' parents had died earlier in the year and this was the first time she had seen him even attempt a smile. As they headed up the hill Lily was glad she decided to visit Sirius for the first time that night.
*****
Lily found that the food at Sirius' house was just as good as Hogwarts and served in the same way. House elves darted this way and that, allowing Lily only occasional glimpses at them. She was extremely happy there, but she still couldn't wait until it was time to go back to Hogwarts. The days flew by and one evening near the end of the summer the three of them were rummaging through one of Sirius' many attics. This one was on the top of the West wing, which was rarely used. The attic was covered in a thick film of dust and grim. Causing Lily to cringe on more than one occasion. She sifted through an old burgundy trunk near a window. The dust was making her constantly sneeze, and "bless yous" could be heard throughout the large room. James and Sirius were at the opposite end looking through old family picture albums.
"That's me, that's my mum, that's my dad, that's me." Sirius chanted continuously until they came to the end of yet another picture album. When that happened, James banged it shut, shooting dust everywhere and Sirius picked up the next one, starting the system over again.
"Look it's us!" James' finger touched a picture of two very small children of about two. Both had brown hair but only one had blue eyes, James. Sirius liked this new game.
"There we are again, and again, and again, and-" Suddenly though Sirius fell silent and James spoke up for the first time.
"Hey, I didn't know you knew Lily before Hogwarts!" He said sounding surprised. Lily ran over.
"What?" She asked reaching the two boys.
"I didn't." Sirius' voice was deathly quiet, sending shivers down their backs.
"No, you must of. Look, there she is, and there you are." James pointed to a picture that showed two, two year-olds, both looked identical to Lily and Sirius. The baby girl had red hair and the same piercing green eyes. The boy was the same brown-eyed beauty as all the other photos, Sirius.
"I met Sirius for the first time at Hogwarts, James." She was beginning to feel really creepy.
"Lily, I'm not blind! You obviously knew him before! Look you're right there playing. I just don't see why you can't admit it." He pointed stubbornly to the picture.
"I swear James, I don't know who that little girl is but she isn't me. I grew up at the other end of Britain! It must be a coincidence." Lily took the album out of her friend's hands and put it down. James shrugged n agreement.
"Yeah Okay, come on let's eat." He headed down the stairs. Meanwhile Sirius took one last look at the two children, why did he remember them? They seemed so familiar. Below him, his friends raced to the dining room. Without another glance he ran after them.
*****
That night Sirius tossed in turned in a fitful sleep. Those, eyes, those green eyes.
"Come on! Come to your mum." The brown haired child walked proudly over to his mother. He was quite arrogant of his ability to walk and he would have strutted if he could have managed it.
"Good boy." She cooed. "Now go play." The lady placed him into a small pen with a girl about his age and left the room. She was glaring disdainfully at him. He knew her; they were good friends, and what's more she couldn't walk nearly as well as he could. The little girl's wild hair was every where making the brown haired child smile. They started to play and giggle. He really liked her. Suddenly there was a scream from the next room.
"OH must you?" He heard his mother say.
"Yes Sarah it's for the best." Said a lady the boy didn't know. His mother walked in looking scared, and the little girl's mother came in crying. She was clutching a blond girl also their age. She swooped down to the pen and picked the girl up. The boy started to cry. They had been playing. Now who was he going to play with? He hoped not the blond girl. The red haired girl also must have realized this because now she to was howling. GONE GONE GONE the words echoed in the little boys head.
There was a flash and the boy was older.
Now he was sitting all along outside. His mother came out holding another little boy by the hand. He had interesting eyes too. But his weren't green, not like the girls. They were blue.
"Hello," He said "I'm-" The boy was gone and all the little boy could hear was GONE GONE GONE!
Sirius screamed "GONE." at the top of his lungs.
"You git! Who's gone?" Lily and James stood at the foot of his bed. Lily had her hands on her hips and was frowning worriedly.
"What?" Sirius asked confused. "What do you mean?" Lily and James exchanged looks.
"You were screaming GONE." Said James, his face matching Lily's. Sirius blinked his eyes in confusion. He hadn't been screaming anything at least not that he remembered. He looked at the clock it was 4 AM. No wonder he couldn't think straight.
"I dunno, bad dream or something. Go back to bed." They exchanged looks again but didn't move from the dark room. "Go on! Standing their isn't any good." Reluctantly they left, eyeing Sirius as though he would soon blow up.
*****
The rest of the summer passed without incident and Sirius didn't speak of his dream to anyone. Meanwhile James was nearly back to his old self. The last week before going back he had put a dungbomb in Lily's bed. She was so happy that he was himself again she didn't even curse him. On September 1st the three of them headed to King's Cross-Station. The day was cool for September, reminding Lily more of November. Fog was everywhere and Lily was grateful when they finally boarded. Sirius went ahead to get them a compartment. Lily and James loaded their trunks and walked onto the train in silence, each in their own thoughts. Half way up the steps onto the train Lily tripped. James, who had been walking behind her, fell under the weight of her fall. And she toppled onto him. When Lily opened her eye's she realized that she was face down on top of James Potter and his eyes were more than she could bare. They were intense making her shiver unconsciously. Neither moved at first until a clumsy fifth year named Bertha Jorkins, stepped on Lily's hand. She blushed with realization of just where she was and got up quickly.
"Right ,well, let's go then." She started up the ladder again. Incredibly embarrassed. By the time they found their compartment both were more than willing to be separated. Lily headed to the seat next to Sirius and much to her horror so did James. They collided causing them both to turn scarlet.
"Um…sorry." Said James lamely moving toward Anna.
"Uh…yeah." She said looking desperately for escape. It came in the form of Peter who had just entered and Lily rushed over to talk to him. Their friends had watched this exchange, each with a different idea forming, all with the same purpose.
*****
The trip to Hogwarts was filled with catching up and story swapping and everyone in the compartment wasn't too happy about leaving the comfortable compartment. One by one they made their way through the crowded passageway to the carriages. Lily was very relieved and yet disappointed when James chose the first carriage instead of the second, which Lily was riding in. The carriages rode none to smoothly to the old castle and Lily felt her heart, if not her body, warm considerably at the site of her home. It was wonderful to be back, and Lily couldn't wait to get her hands on that food!
A/N- OKAY let me know what your theory's are on that dream thing. Someone requested for them to fall in love soon so I'm gonna try to work it in. I had originally planned for that to happen in their fourth year because I've got something very special planned for this year. If there is anything you'd like me to include, let me know! Please review the really mean a lot to me!
Disclaimer - I own a few of Lily's friends including Roslyn, and Eric. Lessie, Tina, Anna, and Maggie belong to themselves. Their names have been changed to protect the innocent (or not so innocent depending on the character)
PLEASE REVIEW IN THAT BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BOX RIGHT DOWN THERE |
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