Arrival at Hogwarts!-A Bonehead and a Carrot Head
AN: Thank you Angelisa Snape, Carrie Ann, Charismatic Charm, Jake(), and Reader gurl 765 (no particular order, other than ABC). I hope you all consider this original, 'cause it all came from my twisted mind, and I hope it doesn't become too clichéd. Thank you for all your support! And I'll try not to turn green (too often) with jealousy when I see people with tons and tons of reviews! Keep reading and reviewing! Your reviews mean a LOT to me (even if the ones from June 4 got deleted, I received them via e-mail)!!!! Thank you everyone who is reading this!!!!
Harry recognized the girl and he couldn't believe the relationship Lily shared with her... It was Narcissa Malfoy!!! Harry recognized the pretty blond as Draco Malfoy's mother and Lucius Malfoy's wife. "Lily!" Narcissa cried out. "I've missed you so much!!!!! Where've you been? How are you?!!!"
MENTALLY ILL!!!!!!!!
(Did you people actually believe me? SURE you didn't. Well, here's the real thing. : ) Harry recognized the girl and he couldn't believe the relationship Lily shared with her...Petunia Evans! (You people are good guessers, eh?)
Petunia and Lily were hugging/choking each other senseless. "How have you been? Where have you been? Are you going to be okay now? Aren't these people cool? I saw someone flying! And a frog tried to kiss me. Can I go to your school with you? Met any cute guys? I've missed you! Did you miss me?" Petunia asked in one breath.
Harry watched in continued astonishment as his mother responded in kind. "I've been horrible. I've been in the hospital. I'm definitely going to be okay now. Yeah, aren't they? Same here! I can't wait 'til my turn. A FROG?! Ewww. No, I'm sorry, but I'll visit! One (glance at Harry with a smile), but he's not really here anymore. Of course I missed you!!!!!"
As the two girls rambled on in their own little combined world, Harry continued standing there, unaware of the heavy things falling from his arms onto his toes. Lily and Petunia hustled after their parents who were joyously discussing Lily's health and Petunia's progress in school and elsewhere. Harry remained where he was, until Lily returned (using the excuse that she forgot her purchases) and dragged him (and her purchases) into the car.
Lily was staying at home for the next two days, a surprise from her mother. "You aren't going to be in walking distance for a long time," she said, trying desperately not to cry. "I arranged it with your doctors. You're going to go in daily for check-ups and medication, but you'll be spending the majority of the next two days at home with all of us."
"YAY!" Petunia cried. "We're goin' up to get settled in!!!! Come on, Lily!" With that, Lily was dragged up to the attic, which she shared with her sister for a bedroom. They had their own bathroom and used to pretend that the attic was their own house. Their parents had even paid for a miniature refrigerator, so that they could have a carton of ice cream in their bedroom. Harry, still in a daze, climbed up the stairs and collapsed on the bed Lily was sitting on. Petunia and Lily were discussing things that no males could understand, and Harry drifted off into sleep.
The next day, Petunia had to attend school, although she groaned and whined when she and Lily were separated. Harry was still clueless, concerning Petunia and Lily's obvious love for one another. This Petunia Evans was a completely different person from the Petunia Evans Dursley that he knew. THAT Petunia was mean-spirited, nosy, bossy, hated magic, hated Harry, and treated him worse than she would treat a rat. At least she would kindly kill a rat living under her stairs. He was treated with contempt and couldn't even escape his aunt through death.
When Harry asked about her sister, Lily laughed. "She's the best. Mum and Dad are great parents, but they're too busy, and it's always been Tuna (pet name, because she couldn't pronounce Petunia as a babe) and me. My parents used to work and work and work. They were strangers to me until I turned five when they were forced to notice us. When I first entered the hospital, permanently, we arranged nights when I would mute the phone's rings (patients (in my story) had the option to silence their phones so they weren't disturbed). She would call and we would talk for hours. She knew I suffered from nightmares, and she spent so many nights comforting me. Our parents never knew, and they wondered how the phone bill would get so large."
Harry was beyond confounded. When Petunia came home, he watched her closely. He also watched Mr. and Mrs. Evans and realized that they were so engrossed in their work, they didn't have the time to love their daughters. Even though Mrs. Evans went out to a deli and bought them hoagies for lunch, Petunia was the one who saw that Lily had no appetite and made her pasta salad from left over noodles. She knew what was healthy for her younger sister and did a good job making food from things lying around the kitchen.
Petunia was slowly earning Harry's respect. She was gentle and kind with Lily, and her love was almost tangible. Harry lost count of the times when she went out of her way to ensure that Lily was comfortable and to make her feel at home in the house that hadn't been her home for basically six years. The only place Lily was really comfortable with was her attic room. She and Petunia spent most of their time there, leaving their parents to the rest of the large house.
That night, Harry awoke to crying. The sobs were quiet and muffled, but he had grown sensitive (more sensitive) to tears since his first meeting with his mother. He got up and walked to comfort her, but was mildly shocked that she was fast asleep with a smile on her face. He turned to the other bed across the room and walked over to Petunia. He was more than mildly shocked to find her crying, and he tried to comfort her. She just sobbed harder as Harry "embraced" her and woke Lily up.
"Tuna?" Lily asked, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"It's just that you're leaving," Petunia sobbed angrily. "Again! I've been taking such good care of you, but you're never getting better, not even with all the medicine and money they use trying to cure you. Why is life so unfair? We were so happy before your fifth birthday. And I don't want to say good-bye again! You're never home, and you'll keep leaving me alone with our parents. They don't even notice my existence. The week before you came home, I asked Mum to sign a permission slip for a trip, and she was surprised when she saw a young girl walking into her home! Why do you have to leave?! I'm always so ALONE!"
As her sister broke into heart-wrenching sobs, Lily held her tightly. "I'm sorry, Tuna. I miss you, too! You're the only person in the world who really loves me. Not wanting to sound cliché, but you're my rock in the sea. Please don't cry, Tuna. I'll always be here for you, just like you've always been here for me. I love you, and you haven't really been alone, at least not since I was born, right?" Waiting for her sister's nod, Lily went on. "We're always together, and I'll owl you constantly. Don't worry. Nothing can keep us apart."
Harry again felt like he was intruding on a private moment, and his eyes were damp when he raised them from his sobbing aunt. He looked at his mother, and saw a smile amidst tears. She was feeling glad that SHE was helping her sister, not the other way around, but she was surprised that her sister had been so hurt, and she had never known. "I'll always be here for you, Tuna, and I'll always love you."
"I'm s-sorry," Petunia hiccupped. "Hold on, a moment. Before you leave, I want to give you something. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I think you should have this. If you won't accept it as a gift, think of it as a permanent loan."
As Petunia staggered to a chest of drawers, Lily sat there, looking sadly at her sister. "Why hadn't she noticed?" she thought. "I thought I knew her so well, so how could she have hidden this from me?"
Harry could easily guess her thoughts, and looked into eyes that could have been part of his reflection. Lily knew that Harry had guessed her thoughts, they had spent so much time together, they didn't need words to communicate. Lily and Harry exchanged smiles, before turning their attention back to Petunia.
"I need to give you something, Carrots," Petunia said, with a return of the spirit that Harry had never thought she had. "I've always felt so guilty, pretending to be strong, while you're the only strong person in this family. Mum and Dad hide behind their work and I hide behind you. Did you know why I stopped calling you Carrots?" Lily shook her head. "I felt awful, having my hair, and you without that gorgeous mane that I had always envied, even when you were a newborn baby. I couldn't call you that, because I felt bad about wishing you bald and seeing it come true. I'm sorry, and I hope you'll accept this."
Finishing her speech, she took out a wooden box. Harry saw that it was almost identical to the one that was currently sitting on Lily's bedside table, the one that Lily's hand had gone through as she reached for the table to get a balance when she woke up. Except that instead of a lily on the cover, it was covered completely with names. All of them were flowers and Harry saw that the newest looking additions to the list were the names of Petunia and Lily.
"I already put your name under mine, so it's already officially yours," Petunia said happily.
Harry looked at the box carefully and saw many other differences. Even though the carvings on the box were beautiful, they weren't the same as the ones that were on his. His were more delicate with a touch that suited his mother better. The box was still a piece of art, but in Harry's opinion, the refinements done made it truly Lily's (maybe because of the lily on the cover?). From Lily's expression, however, you would have assumed that Petunia just gave her a cure for her cancer.
"THANK YOU!" she screeched and launched herself at her beloved sister. "I never thought that I would even HOLD this! Thank you, Tuna, thank you."
Petunia was smiling, genuinely again. "It's all yours if you want it, which I know you do. Grandma gave it to me after she received it from her grandma. Take care of it Lily. I expect to see it intact the next time you come home, which better be soon!"
With that, and many hugs and kisses, the two sisters once again fell asleep. Lily surprised Harry by giving him a peck on the cheek and a whispered, "Good night, Harry. I love you."
Harry smiled as Lily quickly lay down and closed her eyes. "I love you, too, Lily. You're like the sister I never had."
"I'm glad you understand, Harry," Lily said drowsily. "I knew you would. I love you, but it's not romantic love. It's more a love that you would imagine you'd have for a brother. Thanks for being my brother, even if you and Tuna DO fuss too much." She said the last nine words with emphasis.
"I HEARD that, Lily Evans," Petunia retorted from her bed. "Get some sleep, 'cause I'll be fussing for all I'm worth tomorrow. Who knows when I'll get another chance?"
Lily and Harry laughed. Harry kissed Lily on the forehead, wishing her a good night's sleep and many bedbugs' bites.
~~~~~
"Carrot!" Petunia called. "You ready? We're all waiting for you!"
Lily patted her head scarf one more time before turning from the mirror and screaming, "I'M COMING, TUNA. Hold your horses!"
"You look great," Harry said, honestly. "Don't worry. If anyone actually cares about your lack of hair, they're not worth your concern."
Lily smiled a silent "thank you" and kissed him on the cheek. Shoving Hagrid into his arms before walking slowly down the stairs, she herself clutched the wooden box to her thin chest. Mr. and Mrs. Evans were still worried about Lily going off to a strange school where there were no doctors and medicine. They didn't even know where the school was located! "And where was Platform 9 ¾?" they asked, starting to panic.
Reassuring her parents, Lily put on a bright happy mask. Her parents were convinced, but Tuna and Harry could easily tell that Lily was pretending for all she was worth. She was still exhausted and even though she desperately wanted to attend Hogwarts, she was very self-conscious about her appearance and her experience in the "real world". As she watched her parents unload her luggage, she clutched the hands of Petunia and Harry. No one was around, it was so early that Harry explained to his mother how to get on Platform 9 ¾ and she explained to her parents and sister. Deciding to stay in the Muggle part of the train station, Mr. and Mrs. Evans kissed their daughter good-bye.
Petunia ran through the barrier with Lily's luggage and nearly caused her parents to die of shock. Lily said her final good-byes, adjusted her head scarf, and walked through the barrier with Harry following at her heels. At the other side, Harry was surprised that the Hogwarts Express hadn't already arrived. There were a couple of other nervous first years with their families standing on the platform. Looking frantically for Petunia, Lily met a nasty shock.
"Leave me alone, you big bullies!" Petunia cried.
Harry recognized the boys as the fathers of Crabbe and Goyle, the "bodyguards" of Draco Malfoy. Lily recognized them as the two clouts that had terrorized her on her birthday six years ago. They turned and saw Malfoy approaching with a sneer on his face. "Oh," he drawled. "Look who's here.It's another Mudblood."
At that moment, three things happened at once. Harry tried (yet again) to kill Malfoy, and the moment he jumped towards him, Crabbe and Goyle lost there hold on Petunia. The third thing that happened was a loud whistle as the Hogwarts Express came into view. Lily screamed as she saw Petunia fall down into the tracks, desperately trying to climb up before the train came. Lily's arm wasn't long enough to reach her sister and she jumped up, looking around frantically.
Suddenly, a young boy popped through the barrier, followed quickly by an older man with a lot of luggage and a handsome broom. Without thinking, Lily said a quick "Excuse me, may I borrow this,", grabbed the broom, mounted it, whispered a quick prayer, and flew down to grab her sister. Pulling her up, she looked to see the quickly approaching train and flew out of the tracks.
There is some good news, and there is some bad news. Good news first. Lily displayed a great deal of skill on broomstick and stunned all the spectators, including her son. She and Petunia were also (almost) perfectly fine. Malfoy and his crew were all so stunned that they couldn't say anything insulting, a first for them. Bad news, now. Petunia was frightened to death and couldn't stop staring at the red train engine. Lily couldn't get up to her feet she was so scared, and a boy's screams filled the air.
As Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were pushed onto the train by their parents, Lily looked up, dazed. With a great deal of help from Harry, she got up onto her feet and looked at the screaming boy. She looked at her hand, which was holding only the broom's handle, uncomprehending what had happened for a moment. As she saw the old man come back from having deposited Petunia in the care of her parents, she saw him put a comforting hand on the boy's shaking frame.
"SHE B-BROKE IT!" the boy screamed, crazed. "SHE BROKE MY BROOM!"
Lily woke from her trance, instantly aware of what was unfolding in front of her. As the boy looked up, she recognized James Potter, the boy she had met so many years ago. Looking at the broken broom handle in her hand, she apologized profusely. Her hero looked at her with hate-filled eyes, looking her from the top of her uncovered head to the bottom of her scuffed sneakers.
"Do not say another word," he said, coldly, calmly. "Do not ever approach me again. Ever."
With that, James Potter broke Lily Evan's heart. Turning away from them, James got onto the train, slamming the door. As the door slammed, Lily lost consciousness.
~~~~~
"I'm sorry for my grandson's rudeness," the old gentlemen said as he set Lily down. "Molly here will take care of you. Good-bye and good luck, little blossom."
Leaving Lily to Molly-almost-Weasley was a wise decision. She was a Hogwarts graduate who was working at the school for the last year before her marriage with Arthur Weasley. Molly was a mothering soul and stuffed chocolate in Lily's mouth as fast as the poor girl could swallow. After half a pound of the best chocolate she had ever eaten was shoved down her throat, Lily was almost feeling normal.
As she force-fed Lily, Molly was cheerfully telling her about Hogwarts. "You're a Muggle-born, aren't you?" Molly asked when she saw Lily's shocked expression. "Most of the people who come as early as you did are worried Muggle-borns who need as much time as they can get to adjust to the wizarding world. I heard what happened to you from Mr. Potter, and I can't blame you for being sick. I hope you're in Gryffindor, because that's the house that I was in and it's the house that I'm supervising this year."
As soon as Molly mentioned the name Potter, Lily sat up. Reminded of the "nasty broom incident" as she now called it, she excused herself from Molly's ministrations and hurried out to the platform. As most of the students had boarded the train, Lily was the only person that was out on the platform. Whipping out her wand, she recalled the charm that she had memorized yesterday. It wasn't for a witch of her caliber, but that was the first charm she had laid eyes on and it didn't sound too difficult.
Shaking a little, she steadied her wand arm and, for the first time, attempted to do magic herself. "Accio," she whispered, focusing on the broom she had taken from the kind gentleman.
Waiting, she was flooded by disappointment when the charm didn't work. Turning to get back on the train, she didn't see the person right beside her. She mumbled a quick apology, looking quickly to Harry for comfort (he had followed her out without her knowledge). Harry smiled quickly and stepped to her side.
"Wait," the stranger said. "Be quiet for a minute and listen."
Saying this, the strange boy turned Lily back towards the direction of the broken broom. Following the boy's instructions, Harry and Lily listened closely. They could hear a rattling noise, and were both extremely pleased when every bit of the broken broom zoomed out of the tracks an into Lily's arms. Smiling joyfully at Harry and the stranger, she gathered every twig and put it into her cloak pocket.
"That was your first spell, wasn't it?" the boy asked.
"Yes," Lily said, surprised at the boy's intuition. "Thank you. I hope you forgive me for crashing into you a moment ago."
Looking down at her feet, she missed the quick smile that crossed the boy's face. "I was spying on you, and it was my fault." With a grin that Harry suddenly recognized, the boy's tone subtly changed. "Are you sure that's what you meant to say? Didn't you want to know how I guessed?"
Lily looked up at the stranger and was entranced by his grin. She nodded expectantly and waited. "I'm Remus Lupin," the boy smiled. "And I'm a know-it-all. I've done countless spells and since you looked so ready for defeat, I guessed that you were less experienced."
Lily laughed and smiled back at Remus, surprised by Harry's reaction to the boy's introduction. "I'm Lily," she responded. "I'd still like to apologize for bumping into you like that."
With another smile, Remus waved a hand in dismissal of her apology and thanked her "for such a fine performance of common sense, courtesy, and charm work." Harry laughed at Lily's astounded expression. She suddenly lifted her hand to her skull, sighing when she realized she had talked to one of the best looking males she had ever seen with her bald head exposed. She remembered James's revulsion when he had looked at her earlier and shivered. "Remus is so great," she told Harry as they walked back onto the train, which was just getting ready to leave.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "He doesn't care much about appearances, either."
Lily laughed, knowing that Harry's comment was referring to her hairless state. "He's also pretty good looking," Harry winked, enjoying the flush that appeared in Lily's otherwise pale cheeks. "And he seemed to like you, too."
Laughing, Lily elbowed Harry and walked back to her compartment. Molly had settled in, and she had gathered a whole flock of sheep to her. As soon as Lily walked in with Harry, Molly greeted them with a smile and happily introduced her companions.
Arabella Figg, Frank Longbottom, and Olivia Giguere were all seemingly shy as was Lily. Luckily for them, Molly got frustrated with their lack of socializing and bullied them into talking. As soon as they started to open up, (took Molly's stubbornness and Harry's fabulous elbow a while) they were immediately great friends. They all shared a love of Quidditch, except for Olivia who was also Muggle-born. It took them all of two minutes to get her obsessed however, and Molly's frustrated snort at "another crazy group of broom-hogs" was lost amidst all the laughter.
Finally, Lily and the rest of her new friends arrived at Hogwarts. Molly had run out of the compartment as soon as they stopped, saying that she had to mingle (and get away from the newest broom-hogs). Shouting a "hello" to Hagrid and proudly showing him his namesake, Lily hurried into a boat with "Bella", Frank, and "Giggy". As they sailed across the lake, nerves set into all of them. They had discussed Houses, and they had all decided they wanted to be in Gryffindor. "I'm brave," Frank said, sticking out his thin chest.
All the girls laughed, and their nerves diminished greatly. Giggy, Lily, Frank, and Bella couldn't stand still as the Deputy Headmistress welcomed them into the school. Professor McGonagall reminded Lily of a cat, and reminded the rest of the groupie of a gargoyle. Laughing, Lily replied that Goyle looked a lot more like a gargoyle. (Haha. Weak, isn't it? But J.K. Rowling said that's why she chose that name.)
As they realized that they were being "Sorted" in alphabetical order, they all turned pitying eyes on Lily. They were relieved to see that all they had to do was put on the "Sorting Hat". ("FRANK!" Bella whispered loudly. "You told us we had to fight a troll!")
As Lily put on the hat, she was surprised to hear a voice. "Hmmm.Great mind and talent in here. You'd do nicely in Ravenclaw or better yet, Slytherin."
Remembering what Frank had said about that Malfoys all being in Slytherin and Harry's nod of confirmation, she thought frantically, "I don't WANT to be in Slytherin."
"Not Slytherin, eh?" the Hat said. "Hmmm. Better be GRYFFINDOR!"
As Lily took the hat off, she smiled at her friends and practically ran to the table full of clapping people. She turned around and saw Bella, Giggy, and Frank all smiling at her. She turned her head towards Malfoy and saw him smirk. Next to him was Remus, and she replied instinctively to the happy smile on his face and smiled back. Next to Remus was James Potter and he was glowering angrily at her. Turning back to the table, she high-fived Molly and watched as the F's began.
Crossing her fingers tightly, she watched as Bella, Giggy, and a green Frank were sorted into Gryffindor with her. Cheering louder than anyone else, she was very happy that they were all in Gryffindor and smiled at Remus sitting across the table. Malfoy and all his cronies were sorted into Slytherin, ("Not surprising," Remus snorted."). The only case of unhappiness that first night at Hogwarts was James Potter. He was also sorted into Gryffindor and with a glare in her direction he sat between Remus and another dark-haired boy, named Sirius.
Following Molly and the Prefects of Gryffindor, Lily and her friends settled into their dormitories and fell like flies onto their beds. Harry smiled and sneaked off to see what his father, godfather, and Remus were up to. Seeing the door was closed, Harry took off the ring of hair and slipped through the door.
"We have to do something to pay her back," James said, pacing through the room.
"Who?" Remus and Sirius asked in (almost) perfect unison.
"That EVANS girl." James glowered and investing a great deal of emphasis on the name, which he had discovered when she had been sorted. "The one that broke the only family heirloom that really matters."
"Hmmm." Sirius said thoughtfully. "Ever since I've known you (forever), all you've cared about is Quidditch and flying. You wouldn't be talking about that babe of a broom, would you?"
"What happened?" said Remus who was new to the pack and uncertain why "that babe of a broom" had gotten his new friends so riled up.
Before the drama could continue, a loud and sudden snore interrupted the heroes of this story. James, Sirius, and Remus all exchanged glances before they joined Harry on the floor, rolling and clutching their stomachs when Frank suddenly mumbled "Not my toad!". Catching their breaths after laughing at Peter's continuous snores and Frank's sudden remark as he slept, the boys scrambled back onto their beds from which they had fallen. Harry sat on the floor, listening to James's side of the story.
With a great deal of detail to his hatred towards the dreaded Evans, but very little detail describing her, James told his friends what had happened. Sirius was all for "wringing that little wretch's neck" while Remus thought it would be wiser to do something a little less obvious and better planned. James's hot temper urged him to follow Sirius's lead and simply murder Evans. His brain told him that Remus was right, though, and he decided to plan a more subtle attack. It would be worth it to lose House points, but it would be better to make her suffer without damaging Gryffindor. Having decided, James made a vow to pay Evans back, and developed a plan while the sane-I mean, the-NORMAL people slept.
~~~~~
AN: So, do you think this chapter was worth it? I've been ill lately, and I hope it didn't affect my writing too much. Reviews would be lovely, and I would love it if more people read my story. Thank you to those of you who have already reviewed. I really appreciate it. La la! Don't forget to review!
AN: Thank you Angelisa Snape, Carrie Ann, Charismatic Charm, Jake(), and Reader gurl 765 (no particular order, other than ABC). I hope you all consider this original, 'cause it all came from my twisted mind, and I hope it doesn't become too clichéd. Thank you for all your support! And I'll try not to turn green (too often) with jealousy when I see people with tons and tons of reviews! Keep reading and reviewing! Your reviews mean a LOT to me (even if the ones from June 4 got deleted, I received them via e-mail)!!!! Thank you everyone who is reading this!!!!
Harry recognized the girl and he couldn't believe the relationship Lily shared with her... It was Narcissa Malfoy!!! Harry recognized the pretty blond as Draco Malfoy's mother and Lucius Malfoy's wife. "Lily!" Narcissa cried out. "I've missed you so much!!!!! Where've you been? How are you?!!!"
MENTALLY ILL!!!!!!!!
(Did you people actually believe me? SURE you didn't. Well, here's the real thing. : ) Harry recognized the girl and he couldn't believe the relationship Lily shared with her...Petunia Evans! (You people are good guessers, eh?)
Petunia and Lily were hugging/choking each other senseless. "How have you been? Where have you been? Are you going to be okay now? Aren't these people cool? I saw someone flying! And a frog tried to kiss me. Can I go to your school with you? Met any cute guys? I've missed you! Did you miss me?" Petunia asked in one breath.
Harry watched in continued astonishment as his mother responded in kind. "I've been horrible. I've been in the hospital. I'm definitely going to be okay now. Yeah, aren't they? Same here! I can't wait 'til my turn. A FROG?! Ewww. No, I'm sorry, but I'll visit! One (glance at Harry with a smile), but he's not really here anymore. Of course I missed you!!!!!"
As the two girls rambled on in their own little combined world, Harry continued standing there, unaware of the heavy things falling from his arms onto his toes. Lily and Petunia hustled after their parents who were joyously discussing Lily's health and Petunia's progress in school and elsewhere. Harry remained where he was, until Lily returned (using the excuse that she forgot her purchases) and dragged him (and her purchases) into the car.
Lily was staying at home for the next two days, a surprise from her mother. "You aren't going to be in walking distance for a long time," she said, trying desperately not to cry. "I arranged it with your doctors. You're going to go in daily for check-ups and medication, but you'll be spending the majority of the next two days at home with all of us."
"YAY!" Petunia cried. "We're goin' up to get settled in!!!! Come on, Lily!" With that, Lily was dragged up to the attic, which she shared with her sister for a bedroom. They had their own bathroom and used to pretend that the attic was their own house. Their parents had even paid for a miniature refrigerator, so that they could have a carton of ice cream in their bedroom. Harry, still in a daze, climbed up the stairs and collapsed on the bed Lily was sitting on. Petunia and Lily were discussing things that no males could understand, and Harry drifted off into sleep.
The next day, Petunia had to attend school, although she groaned and whined when she and Lily were separated. Harry was still clueless, concerning Petunia and Lily's obvious love for one another. This Petunia Evans was a completely different person from the Petunia Evans Dursley that he knew. THAT Petunia was mean-spirited, nosy, bossy, hated magic, hated Harry, and treated him worse than she would treat a rat. At least she would kindly kill a rat living under her stairs. He was treated with contempt and couldn't even escape his aunt through death.
When Harry asked about her sister, Lily laughed. "She's the best. Mum and Dad are great parents, but they're too busy, and it's always been Tuna (pet name, because she couldn't pronounce Petunia as a babe) and me. My parents used to work and work and work. They were strangers to me until I turned five when they were forced to notice us. When I first entered the hospital, permanently, we arranged nights when I would mute the phone's rings (patients (in my story) had the option to silence their phones so they weren't disturbed). She would call and we would talk for hours. She knew I suffered from nightmares, and she spent so many nights comforting me. Our parents never knew, and they wondered how the phone bill would get so large."
Harry was beyond confounded. When Petunia came home, he watched her closely. He also watched Mr. and Mrs. Evans and realized that they were so engrossed in their work, they didn't have the time to love their daughters. Even though Mrs. Evans went out to a deli and bought them hoagies for lunch, Petunia was the one who saw that Lily had no appetite and made her pasta salad from left over noodles. She knew what was healthy for her younger sister and did a good job making food from things lying around the kitchen.
Petunia was slowly earning Harry's respect. She was gentle and kind with Lily, and her love was almost tangible. Harry lost count of the times when she went out of her way to ensure that Lily was comfortable and to make her feel at home in the house that hadn't been her home for basically six years. The only place Lily was really comfortable with was her attic room. She and Petunia spent most of their time there, leaving their parents to the rest of the large house.
That night, Harry awoke to crying. The sobs were quiet and muffled, but he had grown sensitive (more sensitive) to tears since his first meeting with his mother. He got up and walked to comfort her, but was mildly shocked that she was fast asleep with a smile on her face. He turned to the other bed across the room and walked over to Petunia. He was more than mildly shocked to find her crying, and he tried to comfort her. She just sobbed harder as Harry "embraced" her and woke Lily up.
"Tuna?" Lily asked, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"It's just that you're leaving," Petunia sobbed angrily. "Again! I've been taking such good care of you, but you're never getting better, not even with all the medicine and money they use trying to cure you. Why is life so unfair? We were so happy before your fifth birthday. And I don't want to say good-bye again! You're never home, and you'll keep leaving me alone with our parents. They don't even notice my existence. The week before you came home, I asked Mum to sign a permission slip for a trip, and she was surprised when she saw a young girl walking into her home! Why do you have to leave?! I'm always so ALONE!"
As her sister broke into heart-wrenching sobs, Lily held her tightly. "I'm sorry, Tuna. I miss you, too! You're the only person in the world who really loves me. Not wanting to sound cliché, but you're my rock in the sea. Please don't cry, Tuna. I'll always be here for you, just like you've always been here for me. I love you, and you haven't really been alone, at least not since I was born, right?" Waiting for her sister's nod, Lily went on. "We're always together, and I'll owl you constantly. Don't worry. Nothing can keep us apart."
Harry again felt like he was intruding on a private moment, and his eyes were damp when he raised them from his sobbing aunt. He looked at his mother, and saw a smile amidst tears. She was feeling glad that SHE was helping her sister, not the other way around, but she was surprised that her sister had been so hurt, and she had never known. "I'll always be here for you, Tuna, and I'll always love you."
"I'm s-sorry," Petunia hiccupped. "Hold on, a moment. Before you leave, I want to give you something. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I think you should have this. If you won't accept it as a gift, think of it as a permanent loan."
As Petunia staggered to a chest of drawers, Lily sat there, looking sadly at her sister. "Why hadn't she noticed?" she thought. "I thought I knew her so well, so how could she have hidden this from me?"
Harry could easily guess her thoughts, and looked into eyes that could have been part of his reflection. Lily knew that Harry had guessed her thoughts, they had spent so much time together, they didn't need words to communicate. Lily and Harry exchanged smiles, before turning their attention back to Petunia.
"I need to give you something, Carrots," Petunia said, with a return of the spirit that Harry had never thought she had. "I've always felt so guilty, pretending to be strong, while you're the only strong person in this family. Mum and Dad hide behind their work and I hide behind you. Did you know why I stopped calling you Carrots?" Lily shook her head. "I felt awful, having my hair, and you without that gorgeous mane that I had always envied, even when you were a newborn baby. I couldn't call you that, because I felt bad about wishing you bald and seeing it come true. I'm sorry, and I hope you'll accept this."
Finishing her speech, she took out a wooden box. Harry saw that it was almost identical to the one that was currently sitting on Lily's bedside table, the one that Lily's hand had gone through as she reached for the table to get a balance when she woke up. Except that instead of a lily on the cover, it was covered completely with names. All of them were flowers and Harry saw that the newest looking additions to the list were the names of Petunia and Lily.
"I already put your name under mine, so it's already officially yours," Petunia said happily.
Harry looked at the box carefully and saw many other differences. Even though the carvings on the box were beautiful, they weren't the same as the ones that were on his. His were more delicate with a touch that suited his mother better. The box was still a piece of art, but in Harry's opinion, the refinements done made it truly Lily's (maybe because of the lily on the cover?). From Lily's expression, however, you would have assumed that Petunia just gave her a cure for her cancer.
"THANK YOU!" she screeched and launched herself at her beloved sister. "I never thought that I would even HOLD this! Thank you, Tuna, thank you."
Petunia was smiling, genuinely again. "It's all yours if you want it, which I know you do. Grandma gave it to me after she received it from her grandma. Take care of it Lily. I expect to see it intact the next time you come home, which better be soon!"
With that, and many hugs and kisses, the two sisters once again fell asleep. Lily surprised Harry by giving him a peck on the cheek and a whispered, "Good night, Harry. I love you."
Harry smiled as Lily quickly lay down and closed her eyes. "I love you, too, Lily. You're like the sister I never had."
"I'm glad you understand, Harry," Lily said drowsily. "I knew you would. I love you, but it's not romantic love. It's more a love that you would imagine you'd have for a brother. Thanks for being my brother, even if you and Tuna DO fuss too much." She said the last nine words with emphasis.
"I HEARD that, Lily Evans," Petunia retorted from her bed. "Get some sleep, 'cause I'll be fussing for all I'm worth tomorrow. Who knows when I'll get another chance?"
Lily and Harry laughed. Harry kissed Lily on the forehead, wishing her a good night's sleep and many bedbugs' bites.
~~~~~
"Carrot!" Petunia called. "You ready? We're all waiting for you!"
Lily patted her head scarf one more time before turning from the mirror and screaming, "I'M COMING, TUNA. Hold your horses!"
"You look great," Harry said, honestly. "Don't worry. If anyone actually cares about your lack of hair, they're not worth your concern."
Lily smiled a silent "thank you" and kissed him on the cheek. Shoving Hagrid into his arms before walking slowly down the stairs, she herself clutched the wooden box to her thin chest. Mr. and Mrs. Evans were still worried about Lily going off to a strange school where there were no doctors and medicine. They didn't even know where the school was located! "And where was Platform 9 ¾?" they asked, starting to panic.
Reassuring her parents, Lily put on a bright happy mask. Her parents were convinced, but Tuna and Harry could easily tell that Lily was pretending for all she was worth. She was still exhausted and even though she desperately wanted to attend Hogwarts, she was very self-conscious about her appearance and her experience in the "real world". As she watched her parents unload her luggage, she clutched the hands of Petunia and Harry. No one was around, it was so early that Harry explained to his mother how to get on Platform 9 ¾ and she explained to her parents and sister. Deciding to stay in the Muggle part of the train station, Mr. and Mrs. Evans kissed their daughter good-bye.
Petunia ran through the barrier with Lily's luggage and nearly caused her parents to die of shock. Lily said her final good-byes, adjusted her head scarf, and walked through the barrier with Harry following at her heels. At the other side, Harry was surprised that the Hogwarts Express hadn't already arrived. There were a couple of other nervous first years with their families standing on the platform. Looking frantically for Petunia, Lily met a nasty shock.
"Leave me alone, you big bullies!" Petunia cried.
Harry recognized the boys as the fathers of Crabbe and Goyle, the "bodyguards" of Draco Malfoy. Lily recognized them as the two clouts that had terrorized her on her birthday six years ago. They turned and saw Malfoy approaching with a sneer on his face. "Oh," he drawled. "Look who's here.It's another Mudblood."
At that moment, three things happened at once. Harry tried (yet again) to kill Malfoy, and the moment he jumped towards him, Crabbe and Goyle lost there hold on Petunia. The third thing that happened was a loud whistle as the Hogwarts Express came into view. Lily screamed as she saw Petunia fall down into the tracks, desperately trying to climb up before the train came. Lily's arm wasn't long enough to reach her sister and she jumped up, looking around frantically.
Suddenly, a young boy popped through the barrier, followed quickly by an older man with a lot of luggage and a handsome broom. Without thinking, Lily said a quick "Excuse me, may I borrow this,", grabbed the broom, mounted it, whispered a quick prayer, and flew down to grab her sister. Pulling her up, she looked to see the quickly approaching train and flew out of the tracks.
There is some good news, and there is some bad news. Good news first. Lily displayed a great deal of skill on broomstick and stunned all the spectators, including her son. She and Petunia were also (almost) perfectly fine. Malfoy and his crew were all so stunned that they couldn't say anything insulting, a first for them. Bad news, now. Petunia was frightened to death and couldn't stop staring at the red train engine. Lily couldn't get up to her feet she was so scared, and a boy's screams filled the air.
As Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were pushed onto the train by their parents, Lily looked up, dazed. With a great deal of help from Harry, she got up onto her feet and looked at the screaming boy. She looked at her hand, which was holding only the broom's handle, uncomprehending what had happened for a moment. As she saw the old man come back from having deposited Petunia in the care of her parents, she saw him put a comforting hand on the boy's shaking frame.
"SHE B-BROKE IT!" the boy screamed, crazed. "SHE BROKE MY BROOM!"
Lily woke from her trance, instantly aware of what was unfolding in front of her. As the boy looked up, she recognized James Potter, the boy she had met so many years ago. Looking at the broken broom handle in her hand, she apologized profusely. Her hero looked at her with hate-filled eyes, looking her from the top of her uncovered head to the bottom of her scuffed sneakers.
"Do not say another word," he said, coldly, calmly. "Do not ever approach me again. Ever."
With that, James Potter broke Lily Evan's heart. Turning away from them, James got onto the train, slamming the door. As the door slammed, Lily lost consciousness.
~~~~~
"I'm sorry for my grandson's rudeness," the old gentlemen said as he set Lily down. "Molly here will take care of you. Good-bye and good luck, little blossom."
Leaving Lily to Molly-almost-Weasley was a wise decision. She was a Hogwarts graduate who was working at the school for the last year before her marriage with Arthur Weasley. Molly was a mothering soul and stuffed chocolate in Lily's mouth as fast as the poor girl could swallow. After half a pound of the best chocolate she had ever eaten was shoved down her throat, Lily was almost feeling normal.
As she force-fed Lily, Molly was cheerfully telling her about Hogwarts. "You're a Muggle-born, aren't you?" Molly asked when she saw Lily's shocked expression. "Most of the people who come as early as you did are worried Muggle-borns who need as much time as they can get to adjust to the wizarding world. I heard what happened to you from Mr. Potter, and I can't blame you for being sick. I hope you're in Gryffindor, because that's the house that I was in and it's the house that I'm supervising this year."
As soon as Molly mentioned the name Potter, Lily sat up. Reminded of the "nasty broom incident" as she now called it, she excused herself from Molly's ministrations and hurried out to the platform. As most of the students had boarded the train, Lily was the only person that was out on the platform. Whipping out her wand, she recalled the charm that she had memorized yesterday. It wasn't for a witch of her caliber, but that was the first charm she had laid eyes on and it didn't sound too difficult.
Shaking a little, she steadied her wand arm and, for the first time, attempted to do magic herself. "Accio," she whispered, focusing on the broom she had taken from the kind gentleman.
Waiting, she was flooded by disappointment when the charm didn't work. Turning to get back on the train, she didn't see the person right beside her. She mumbled a quick apology, looking quickly to Harry for comfort (he had followed her out without her knowledge). Harry smiled quickly and stepped to her side.
"Wait," the stranger said. "Be quiet for a minute and listen."
Saying this, the strange boy turned Lily back towards the direction of the broken broom. Following the boy's instructions, Harry and Lily listened closely. They could hear a rattling noise, and were both extremely pleased when every bit of the broken broom zoomed out of the tracks an into Lily's arms. Smiling joyfully at Harry and the stranger, she gathered every twig and put it into her cloak pocket.
"That was your first spell, wasn't it?" the boy asked.
"Yes," Lily said, surprised at the boy's intuition. "Thank you. I hope you forgive me for crashing into you a moment ago."
Looking down at her feet, she missed the quick smile that crossed the boy's face. "I was spying on you, and it was my fault." With a grin that Harry suddenly recognized, the boy's tone subtly changed. "Are you sure that's what you meant to say? Didn't you want to know how I guessed?"
Lily looked up at the stranger and was entranced by his grin. She nodded expectantly and waited. "I'm Remus Lupin," the boy smiled. "And I'm a know-it-all. I've done countless spells and since you looked so ready for defeat, I guessed that you were less experienced."
Lily laughed and smiled back at Remus, surprised by Harry's reaction to the boy's introduction. "I'm Lily," she responded. "I'd still like to apologize for bumping into you like that."
With another smile, Remus waved a hand in dismissal of her apology and thanked her "for such a fine performance of common sense, courtesy, and charm work." Harry laughed at Lily's astounded expression. She suddenly lifted her hand to her skull, sighing when she realized she had talked to one of the best looking males she had ever seen with her bald head exposed. She remembered James's revulsion when he had looked at her earlier and shivered. "Remus is so great," she told Harry as they walked back onto the train, which was just getting ready to leave.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "He doesn't care much about appearances, either."
Lily laughed, knowing that Harry's comment was referring to her hairless state. "He's also pretty good looking," Harry winked, enjoying the flush that appeared in Lily's otherwise pale cheeks. "And he seemed to like you, too."
Laughing, Lily elbowed Harry and walked back to her compartment. Molly had settled in, and she had gathered a whole flock of sheep to her. As soon as Lily walked in with Harry, Molly greeted them with a smile and happily introduced her companions.
Arabella Figg, Frank Longbottom, and Olivia Giguere were all seemingly shy as was Lily. Luckily for them, Molly got frustrated with their lack of socializing and bullied them into talking. As soon as they started to open up, (took Molly's stubbornness and Harry's fabulous elbow a while) they were immediately great friends. They all shared a love of Quidditch, except for Olivia who was also Muggle-born. It took them all of two minutes to get her obsessed however, and Molly's frustrated snort at "another crazy group of broom-hogs" was lost amidst all the laughter.
Finally, Lily and the rest of her new friends arrived at Hogwarts. Molly had run out of the compartment as soon as they stopped, saying that she had to mingle (and get away from the newest broom-hogs). Shouting a "hello" to Hagrid and proudly showing him his namesake, Lily hurried into a boat with "Bella", Frank, and "Giggy". As they sailed across the lake, nerves set into all of them. They had discussed Houses, and they had all decided they wanted to be in Gryffindor. "I'm brave," Frank said, sticking out his thin chest.
All the girls laughed, and their nerves diminished greatly. Giggy, Lily, Frank, and Bella couldn't stand still as the Deputy Headmistress welcomed them into the school. Professor McGonagall reminded Lily of a cat, and reminded the rest of the groupie of a gargoyle. Laughing, Lily replied that Goyle looked a lot more like a gargoyle. (Haha. Weak, isn't it? But J.K. Rowling said that's why she chose that name.)
As they realized that they were being "Sorted" in alphabetical order, they all turned pitying eyes on Lily. They were relieved to see that all they had to do was put on the "Sorting Hat". ("FRANK!" Bella whispered loudly. "You told us we had to fight a troll!")
As Lily put on the hat, she was surprised to hear a voice. "Hmmm.Great mind and talent in here. You'd do nicely in Ravenclaw or better yet, Slytherin."
Remembering what Frank had said about that Malfoys all being in Slytherin and Harry's nod of confirmation, she thought frantically, "I don't WANT to be in Slytherin."
"Not Slytherin, eh?" the Hat said. "Hmmm. Better be GRYFFINDOR!"
As Lily took the hat off, she smiled at her friends and practically ran to the table full of clapping people. She turned around and saw Bella, Giggy, and Frank all smiling at her. She turned her head towards Malfoy and saw him smirk. Next to him was Remus, and she replied instinctively to the happy smile on his face and smiled back. Next to Remus was James Potter and he was glowering angrily at her. Turning back to the table, she high-fived Molly and watched as the F's began.
Crossing her fingers tightly, she watched as Bella, Giggy, and a green Frank were sorted into Gryffindor with her. Cheering louder than anyone else, she was very happy that they were all in Gryffindor and smiled at Remus sitting across the table. Malfoy and all his cronies were sorted into Slytherin, ("Not surprising," Remus snorted."). The only case of unhappiness that first night at Hogwarts was James Potter. He was also sorted into Gryffindor and with a glare in her direction he sat between Remus and another dark-haired boy, named Sirius.
Following Molly and the Prefects of Gryffindor, Lily and her friends settled into their dormitories and fell like flies onto their beds. Harry smiled and sneaked off to see what his father, godfather, and Remus were up to. Seeing the door was closed, Harry took off the ring of hair and slipped through the door.
"We have to do something to pay her back," James said, pacing through the room.
"Who?" Remus and Sirius asked in (almost) perfect unison.
"That EVANS girl." James glowered and investing a great deal of emphasis on the name, which he had discovered when she had been sorted. "The one that broke the only family heirloom that really matters."
"Hmmm." Sirius said thoughtfully. "Ever since I've known you (forever), all you've cared about is Quidditch and flying. You wouldn't be talking about that babe of a broom, would you?"
"What happened?" said Remus who was new to the pack and uncertain why "that babe of a broom" had gotten his new friends so riled up.
Before the drama could continue, a loud and sudden snore interrupted the heroes of this story. James, Sirius, and Remus all exchanged glances before they joined Harry on the floor, rolling and clutching their stomachs when Frank suddenly mumbled "Not my toad!". Catching their breaths after laughing at Peter's continuous snores and Frank's sudden remark as he slept, the boys scrambled back onto their beds from which they had fallen. Harry sat on the floor, listening to James's side of the story.
With a great deal of detail to his hatred towards the dreaded Evans, but very little detail describing her, James told his friends what had happened. Sirius was all for "wringing that little wretch's neck" while Remus thought it would be wiser to do something a little less obvious and better planned. James's hot temper urged him to follow Sirius's lead and simply murder Evans. His brain told him that Remus was right, though, and he decided to plan a more subtle attack. It would be worth it to lose House points, but it would be better to make her suffer without damaging Gryffindor. Having decided, James made a vow to pay Evans back, and developed a plan while the sane-I mean, the-NORMAL people slept.
~~~~~
AN: So, do you think this chapter was worth it? I've been ill lately, and I hope it didn't affect my writing too much. Reviews would be lovely, and I would love it if more people read my story. Thank you to those of you who have already reviewed. I really appreciate it. La la! Don't forget to review!
