Disclaimer: oh bad...writer's block...NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T THINK OF
ANYTHING STUPID TO PUT FOR THE DISCLAIMER!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M RUINED!! Just
kidding. *starts singing at the top of her lungs* DANCE A CACHUCA FANDANGO
BOLERO XERES WE'LL DRINK MANZANILLA MONTERO LOVE WHEN IT RUNS IN ABUNDANCE
ENHANCES THE RECKLESS DELIGHT OF THAT WILDEST OF DANCES ok, I'll shut up
now before Michelle kills me.
It was the middle of July - summer holidays. Lily woke up early, and went down the stairs as silently as she could manage. She could never remember which stair it was that squeaked, and she didn't want to wake up her mother.
For as long as Lily could remember, she had loved getting up early, unlike Petunia. Petunia was fond of sleeping in as late as she could get away with. Lily loved the time before everyone else was up. She had it to herself.
She crept into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice, then snuck out the door and sat on the stoop, watching the sun peak over the hills in the distance. She sipped her orange juice slowly, thinking about the day to come. She was sure that Petunia would wake in a horrible mood, and that their mother would seem just as uptight, and their father just as worried. For some reason, as her eleventh birthday approached, her parents became more and more worried.
The sun had fully risen by the time she finished her orange juice, so Lily went back inside. She rinsed out her glass and put it on the drain board, then went into the living room and sat down on the couch.
"Why are you up so early?"
Lily looked up.
"Good morning, Daddy," she said, smiling and going over to him. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.
"Sweetie, would you do me a favor and go start the coffee?" Andrew asked.
"Sure, Daddy," Lily said. She scampered into the kitchen.
Andrew was sitting in the living room with Lily, reading the newspaper, when Rose came downstairs, wearing her bathrobe.
"Good morning," she said cheerfully. She went into the kitchen and came back with a cup of coffee in her hand. "Did you sleep well, Lily Rose?"
"Yes, Mum," Lily replied.
They sat in the living room for about half an hour, talking quietly so they didn't wake Petunia up. When the click of the mail coming through the slot came, Lily volunteered to go get it.
She had just picked up the letters when she heard a high-pitched shriek coming from upstairs.
"MUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP MEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Petunia!" Lily gasped, dropping the letters. She heard someone going down the stairs with a speed that rivaled lightning and dashing into the living room.
"Mummy, help me!!!! There's a huge thing in my room!" Petunia wailed.
Lily ran into the living room to see Petunia crouching behind Andrew and Rose looking from Petunia to Andrew with a terrified look on her face.
Andrew unplugged the lamp that sat on the table besides the couch.
"I'll go see what it is," he said, striding out of the room and up the stairs. Lily followed him cautiously, wanting to know what it was that scared Petunia so.
"Lily, be careful," Petunia said, in a rare moment of kindness toward her younger sister. "Don't get hurt!"
"I won't, Petty," Lily said in a hushed tone.
Andrew pushed open Petunia's door and walked in, brandishing his lamp. Lily crept in behind him, hoping the thing wouldn't attack her.
"Oh...my...ROSE!" Andrew shouted.
"Daddy, what is it?" Lily asked, peeking around her father. Sitting on Petunia's bed was a large, feathered creature, holding something in its beak.
It was an owl.
Rose ran up the stairs, followed closely by Petunia.
"Andrew, what's wrong?" Rose demanded.
Andrew pointed, wordlessly, at the owl. He had a strange expression on his face - a combination of fear, excitement, sadness, and wonderment.
"Daddy, why is there an owl on Petunia's bed?" Lily asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Rose stopped short in the doorway, causing Petunia to smash into her.
"Mum, look out!" Petunia complained.
Rose made no reply, just stared at the owl with much the same expression as her husband, only with one more thing showing on her face - hope.
"Mum?" Lily said tentatively.
Her mother didn't answer, just crossed to the owl and took the thing out of its beak.
"I'm sorry, we don't have the money to pay you," Rose said to the owl, which blinked and soared out the window.
"Mum, you're talking to a giant bird," Petunia said, inching away from them all like they were something dangerous.
"It's an owl, Petunia," Andrew said sharply. His face relaxed and he took the object from his wife. Lily saw that it was a letter, on some sort of parchment.
"What is it, Daddy?" she asked, stepping toward her parents.
Her father turned over the letter, looking at the back. Lily could see something written on the front, in green ink that was the same color as her eyes.
"It has the seal," Andrew whispered, staring at the letter.
"Which one of them is it for?" Rose asked softly. "Please, if only it could be for both of them..." she trailed off.
"Mum, Dad, what are you talking about?" Petunia demanded.
Ignoring her, Andrew flipped over the letter. He read to who it was addressed, his eyes growing wide.
"Lily."
"What, Daddy?"
"It's for you."
With shaking hands, Lily reached out and took the envelope, a sense of fear and excitement filling her. She opened it cautiously, not wanting to rip it. Inside the envelope was another piece of parchment, which she pulled out and unfolded.
"Dear Ms. Evans," she read. "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
She looked up at her mother, who was crying. Andrew put his arms around her and held her.
"See, Rose? Lily's a witch!" he said, his eyes both happy and sad at the same time.
"I'm a witch," Lily said, a disbelieving expression on her face.
"She's a witch?" Petunia said, a look of utter revulsion on her face. "I knew it! I always knew there was something - batty - about her!"
"Don't insult your sister!" Andrew yelled, holding Rose closer.
"Daddy...Mum...I don't understand," Lily said desperately. "How can I be a witch?
"I think we should go sit down and tell you girls everything," Rose said, wiping away her tears.
"Yes, I think we need an explanation," Petunia snapped.
"Come on, everyone. I'll make hot chocolate and we'll talk everything over," Rose said briskly, taking charge once more.
Once everyone was downstairs and in the living room with a cup of hot chocolate, Rose started explaining.
"I think the first thing you need to know is that I'm a witch and your father is a wizard," she said, taking a deep breath.
"WHAT?" Petunia yelled. "You mean, you're freaks as well?" She seemed horrified.
"We are NOT freaks, Petunia," Andrew said sternly.
"No, we most certainly are not freaks," Rose said, looking at her older daughter with troubled eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like I'm the one that's the freak?" Petunia demanded.
"Because, dear," Rose said gently. "In our world, you would be the 'freak.' But you aren't a freak, sweetheart, you're just different," Rose said quickly.
"How am I so different from you? Because I'm not a witch, that makes me a freak?" Petunia shrieked.
"To some people, yes, it does!" Andrew said. "Now, if you can't sit down and talk about this like the reasonable twelve-year-old we thought you were, go to your room!"
Petunia sat back sullenly.
"I don't get it, Mum," Lily said, speaking for the first time. "How come you never told us that you were magical?"
Rose sighed.
"It begins, I guess, when you were three and Petty was four. We had Petty tested because we had suspicions that she was a Squib - a nonmagical person that was born into a wizarding family," she added, seeing Petunia's and Lily's blank looks. "It turned out she was. In order to not make her feel...left out, we decided to raise the two of you as Muggles. Muggles are plain, nonmagic people."
"I wish that this were easier to understand," Lily said, an overwhelmed look on her face.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I know it's a lot to be hit with at one time," Andrew said sympathetically.
"What about me? You think this isn't hard for me to understand?" Petunia demanded, tears coming to her eyes.
"I know it's hard for both of you to understand," Andrew said. "It's just...Lily's the one that's going to have to be dealing with magic as a part of everyday life pretty soon."
"So you mean that you three are all going to be using magic all the time now?" Petunia asked, her eyes widening. "Even when my friends are around?"
"No, we aren't," Rose said gently. "I think we'll continue living the way we are. I can't promise that we won't use magic once in a while, now that both of you know, but we most definitely will not use it when you have friends over."
Petunia's eyes returned to their normal squinty size. "I still think Lily's a freak, and you and Dad are too!"
"We are not freaks," Andrew said, clearly losing his patience. "Please stop referring to your mother, sister, and I as freaks!"
Petunia sat back, sulking.
"But I don't understand why I got this letter," Lily said, looking up from the letter.
"You got it because you were accepted at the wizard school," Rose said, her eyes lighting up. "It's a wonderful place - a huge castle, with gorgeous grounds and the best teachers there are!"
"You'll be with other witches and wizards, learning how to cast spells and make potions, and the history of magic," Andrew said, clearly reminiscing about his days at Hogwarts.
"And I'll be stuck going to the public school still," Petunia said, glaring at her family."
"Yes, you'll still be attending Stonewall," Rose said. "But it's a wonderful school," she added. "Petunia, we don't want anything to change drastically. Just because your sister is a witch, it doesn't mean that your whole life has to be turned upside down."
But it will, Petunia thought. It will.
Little did she know that her life would be turned upside down, but it wouldn't happen for ten years...
Meanwhile, on the other side of town...
"Mail, Mum!"
"Thank you, Chelle! Put it on the table!"
"Okay!"
Michelle Potter crossed to the table and set the different letters on the table. She heard a soft whooo behind her.
"Go on, all of you," she said to the four owls that were sitting on the kitchen counter. "Shoo, we don't pay you, your owners do."
The owls flew out the open door, disappearing into the hazy morning sky. Michelle turned around and looked through the letters on the table.
"Letter from Grammy, letter from Mum's friend, letter for James, and another letter for James," she said, disgusted. "Why don't I ever get mail?"
"BOO!"
"Eeeik! JAMES, you IDIOT!" Michelle shrieked. She attempted to kick him.
James jumped back, laughing so hard he was nearly crying. "Scared you!"
"I'm going to KILL YOU!" she shrieked.
"Kids, calm down!" Kathleen yelled from the living room.
"Mum, tell James to leave me alone!" Michelle yelled.
"James, don't touch your sister!"
"I didn't!" James grinned evilly at his sister. "I just...sort of...scared her."
"James!" Kathleen stuck her head in the door. "Be nice to your sister!"
"Yes, Mum," James said. He dropped into a chair and took one of his letters, opened it, and quickly read it. "Sirius got his letter from Hogwarts yesterday," he informed his mother and sister.
"I'm sure you'll get yours any day now, dear," Kathleen reassured.
"I'm not worried," James said, a little too quickly. "Did I get any other mail?"
"Yes," Michelle said, throwing the other letter in his face.
"Michelle," Kathleen said warningly.
Michelle sighed. "Sorry," she muttered.
"Yes!" James suddenly yelled. He jumped on top of his chair and started punching the air. "YES! Wooo hooo! I'm in!"
"Is that from Hogwarts?" Kathleen asked, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back into a sitting position.
"You bet it is!" he said, grinning. "Can we go to Diagon Alley next week? That's when Sirius is going, and I'd like to meet up with him," he added.
"What day is he going?" Kathleen asked.
"Wednesday," James replied.
"I don't see why not," Kathleen said. "And then maybe you could have Sirius come over for a while afterwards."
"But Mum," Michelle whined. "Sirius is annoying!"
"You are too, pesky," James said, rolling his eyes.
"Mum!"
"Cut it out, you two," Kathleen said, standing. "James, write Sirius and ask if he wants to come over afterwards on Wednesday."
"Okay, Mum. Thanks," he added, kissing her cheek and running down the hallway to his bedroom. He could still be heard yelling "YES! I'm IN!"
"Mum, can I go to Hogwarts?" Michelle asked, knowing what the reply would be but still asking.
"Not till next year, sweetie," Kathleen said absently.
"That's not fair," Michelle said, pouting.
"Life isn't fair," Kathleen replied, hugging her daughter.
"It sure isn't," Michelle agreed.
Life really would be unfair to these two families, but for now, they were happy with their families. Their paths would soon cross, however, and stay crossed.
A/N: Okay, okay, so my endings to the chapters are a little...well, weird. But it's the only way I can think of to end them!!! Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's a little longer than usual, but oh well. Please review!!
It was the middle of July - summer holidays. Lily woke up early, and went down the stairs as silently as she could manage. She could never remember which stair it was that squeaked, and she didn't want to wake up her mother.
For as long as Lily could remember, she had loved getting up early, unlike Petunia. Petunia was fond of sleeping in as late as she could get away with. Lily loved the time before everyone else was up. She had it to herself.
She crept into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice, then snuck out the door and sat on the stoop, watching the sun peak over the hills in the distance. She sipped her orange juice slowly, thinking about the day to come. She was sure that Petunia would wake in a horrible mood, and that their mother would seem just as uptight, and their father just as worried. For some reason, as her eleventh birthday approached, her parents became more and more worried.
The sun had fully risen by the time she finished her orange juice, so Lily went back inside. She rinsed out her glass and put it on the drain board, then went into the living room and sat down on the couch.
"Why are you up so early?"
Lily looked up.
"Good morning, Daddy," she said, smiling and going over to him. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.
"Sweetie, would you do me a favor and go start the coffee?" Andrew asked.
"Sure, Daddy," Lily said. She scampered into the kitchen.
Andrew was sitting in the living room with Lily, reading the newspaper, when Rose came downstairs, wearing her bathrobe.
"Good morning," she said cheerfully. She went into the kitchen and came back with a cup of coffee in her hand. "Did you sleep well, Lily Rose?"
"Yes, Mum," Lily replied.
They sat in the living room for about half an hour, talking quietly so they didn't wake Petunia up. When the click of the mail coming through the slot came, Lily volunteered to go get it.
She had just picked up the letters when she heard a high-pitched shriek coming from upstairs.
"MUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP MEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Petunia!" Lily gasped, dropping the letters. She heard someone going down the stairs with a speed that rivaled lightning and dashing into the living room.
"Mummy, help me!!!! There's a huge thing in my room!" Petunia wailed.
Lily ran into the living room to see Petunia crouching behind Andrew and Rose looking from Petunia to Andrew with a terrified look on her face.
Andrew unplugged the lamp that sat on the table besides the couch.
"I'll go see what it is," he said, striding out of the room and up the stairs. Lily followed him cautiously, wanting to know what it was that scared Petunia so.
"Lily, be careful," Petunia said, in a rare moment of kindness toward her younger sister. "Don't get hurt!"
"I won't, Petty," Lily said in a hushed tone.
Andrew pushed open Petunia's door and walked in, brandishing his lamp. Lily crept in behind him, hoping the thing wouldn't attack her.
"Oh...my...ROSE!" Andrew shouted.
"Daddy, what is it?" Lily asked, peeking around her father. Sitting on Petunia's bed was a large, feathered creature, holding something in its beak.
It was an owl.
Rose ran up the stairs, followed closely by Petunia.
"Andrew, what's wrong?" Rose demanded.
Andrew pointed, wordlessly, at the owl. He had a strange expression on his face - a combination of fear, excitement, sadness, and wonderment.
"Daddy, why is there an owl on Petunia's bed?" Lily asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Rose stopped short in the doorway, causing Petunia to smash into her.
"Mum, look out!" Petunia complained.
Rose made no reply, just stared at the owl with much the same expression as her husband, only with one more thing showing on her face - hope.
"Mum?" Lily said tentatively.
Her mother didn't answer, just crossed to the owl and took the thing out of its beak.
"I'm sorry, we don't have the money to pay you," Rose said to the owl, which blinked and soared out the window.
"Mum, you're talking to a giant bird," Petunia said, inching away from them all like they were something dangerous.
"It's an owl, Petunia," Andrew said sharply. His face relaxed and he took the object from his wife. Lily saw that it was a letter, on some sort of parchment.
"What is it, Daddy?" she asked, stepping toward her parents.
Her father turned over the letter, looking at the back. Lily could see something written on the front, in green ink that was the same color as her eyes.
"It has the seal," Andrew whispered, staring at the letter.
"Which one of them is it for?" Rose asked softly. "Please, if only it could be for both of them..." she trailed off.
"Mum, Dad, what are you talking about?" Petunia demanded.
Ignoring her, Andrew flipped over the letter. He read to who it was addressed, his eyes growing wide.
"Lily."
"What, Daddy?"
"It's for you."
With shaking hands, Lily reached out and took the envelope, a sense of fear and excitement filling her. She opened it cautiously, not wanting to rip it. Inside the envelope was another piece of parchment, which she pulled out and unfolded.
"Dear Ms. Evans," she read. "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
She looked up at her mother, who was crying. Andrew put his arms around her and held her.
"See, Rose? Lily's a witch!" he said, his eyes both happy and sad at the same time.
"I'm a witch," Lily said, a disbelieving expression on her face.
"She's a witch?" Petunia said, a look of utter revulsion on her face. "I knew it! I always knew there was something - batty - about her!"
"Don't insult your sister!" Andrew yelled, holding Rose closer.
"Daddy...Mum...I don't understand," Lily said desperately. "How can I be a witch?
"I think we should go sit down and tell you girls everything," Rose said, wiping away her tears.
"Yes, I think we need an explanation," Petunia snapped.
"Come on, everyone. I'll make hot chocolate and we'll talk everything over," Rose said briskly, taking charge once more.
Once everyone was downstairs and in the living room with a cup of hot chocolate, Rose started explaining.
"I think the first thing you need to know is that I'm a witch and your father is a wizard," she said, taking a deep breath.
"WHAT?" Petunia yelled. "You mean, you're freaks as well?" She seemed horrified.
"We are NOT freaks, Petunia," Andrew said sternly.
"No, we most certainly are not freaks," Rose said, looking at her older daughter with troubled eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like I'm the one that's the freak?" Petunia demanded.
"Because, dear," Rose said gently. "In our world, you would be the 'freak.' But you aren't a freak, sweetheart, you're just different," Rose said quickly.
"How am I so different from you? Because I'm not a witch, that makes me a freak?" Petunia shrieked.
"To some people, yes, it does!" Andrew said. "Now, if you can't sit down and talk about this like the reasonable twelve-year-old we thought you were, go to your room!"
Petunia sat back sullenly.
"I don't get it, Mum," Lily said, speaking for the first time. "How come you never told us that you were magical?"
Rose sighed.
"It begins, I guess, when you were three and Petty was four. We had Petty tested because we had suspicions that she was a Squib - a nonmagical person that was born into a wizarding family," she added, seeing Petunia's and Lily's blank looks. "It turned out she was. In order to not make her feel...left out, we decided to raise the two of you as Muggles. Muggles are plain, nonmagic people."
"I wish that this were easier to understand," Lily said, an overwhelmed look on her face.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I know it's a lot to be hit with at one time," Andrew said sympathetically.
"What about me? You think this isn't hard for me to understand?" Petunia demanded, tears coming to her eyes.
"I know it's hard for both of you to understand," Andrew said. "It's just...Lily's the one that's going to have to be dealing with magic as a part of everyday life pretty soon."
"So you mean that you three are all going to be using magic all the time now?" Petunia asked, her eyes widening. "Even when my friends are around?"
"No, we aren't," Rose said gently. "I think we'll continue living the way we are. I can't promise that we won't use magic once in a while, now that both of you know, but we most definitely will not use it when you have friends over."
Petunia's eyes returned to their normal squinty size. "I still think Lily's a freak, and you and Dad are too!"
"We are not freaks," Andrew said, clearly losing his patience. "Please stop referring to your mother, sister, and I as freaks!"
Petunia sat back, sulking.
"But I don't understand why I got this letter," Lily said, looking up from the letter.
"You got it because you were accepted at the wizard school," Rose said, her eyes lighting up. "It's a wonderful place - a huge castle, with gorgeous grounds and the best teachers there are!"
"You'll be with other witches and wizards, learning how to cast spells and make potions, and the history of magic," Andrew said, clearly reminiscing about his days at Hogwarts.
"And I'll be stuck going to the public school still," Petunia said, glaring at her family."
"Yes, you'll still be attending Stonewall," Rose said. "But it's a wonderful school," she added. "Petunia, we don't want anything to change drastically. Just because your sister is a witch, it doesn't mean that your whole life has to be turned upside down."
But it will, Petunia thought. It will.
Little did she know that her life would be turned upside down, but it wouldn't happen for ten years...
Meanwhile, on the other side of town...
"Mail, Mum!"
"Thank you, Chelle! Put it on the table!"
"Okay!"
Michelle Potter crossed to the table and set the different letters on the table. She heard a soft whooo behind her.
"Go on, all of you," she said to the four owls that were sitting on the kitchen counter. "Shoo, we don't pay you, your owners do."
The owls flew out the open door, disappearing into the hazy morning sky. Michelle turned around and looked through the letters on the table.
"Letter from Grammy, letter from Mum's friend, letter for James, and another letter for James," she said, disgusted. "Why don't I ever get mail?"
"BOO!"
"Eeeik! JAMES, you IDIOT!" Michelle shrieked. She attempted to kick him.
James jumped back, laughing so hard he was nearly crying. "Scared you!"
"I'm going to KILL YOU!" she shrieked.
"Kids, calm down!" Kathleen yelled from the living room.
"Mum, tell James to leave me alone!" Michelle yelled.
"James, don't touch your sister!"
"I didn't!" James grinned evilly at his sister. "I just...sort of...scared her."
"James!" Kathleen stuck her head in the door. "Be nice to your sister!"
"Yes, Mum," James said. He dropped into a chair and took one of his letters, opened it, and quickly read it. "Sirius got his letter from Hogwarts yesterday," he informed his mother and sister.
"I'm sure you'll get yours any day now, dear," Kathleen reassured.
"I'm not worried," James said, a little too quickly. "Did I get any other mail?"
"Yes," Michelle said, throwing the other letter in his face.
"Michelle," Kathleen said warningly.
Michelle sighed. "Sorry," she muttered.
"Yes!" James suddenly yelled. He jumped on top of his chair and started punching the air. "YES! Wooo hooo! I'm in!"
"Is that from Hogwarts?" Kathleen asked, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back into a sitting position.
"You bet it is!" he said, grinning. "Can we go to Diagon Alley next week? That's when Sirius is going, and I'd like to meet up with him," he added.
"What day is he going?" Kathleen asked.
"Wednesday," James replied.
"I don't see why not," Kathleen said. "And then maybe you could have Sirius come over for a while afterwards."
"But Mum," Michelle whined. "Sirius is annoying!"
"You are too, pesky," James said, rolling his eyes.
"Mum!"
"Cut it out, you two," Kathleen said, standing. "James, write Sirius and ask if he wants to come over afterwards on Wednesday."
"Okay, Mum. Thanks," he added, kissing her cheek and running down the hallway to his bedroom. He could still be heard yelling "YES! I'm IN!"
"Mum, can I go to Hogwarts?" Michelle asked, knowing what the reply would be but still asking.
"Not till next year, sweetie," Kathleen said absently.
"That's not fair," Michelle said, pouting.
"Life isn't fair," Kathleen replied, hugging her daughter.
"It sure isn't," Michelle agreed.
Life really would be unfair to these two families, but for now, they were happy with their families. Their paths would soon cross, however, and stay crossed.
A/N: Okay, okay, so my endings to the chapters are a little...well, weird. But it's the only way I can think of to end them!!! Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's a little longer than usual, but oh well. Please review!!