Salt of the Earth

Chapter 2: Over at Evans's house

Disclaimer: See the previous chapter

"Petunia! Get your oversized butt down here this instant!" Lily called, before turning to her disapproving mother and saying, "Bet she will come down soon."

"Honestly Lily, you really should be nicer to Pet," Her mother chided but Lily paid no heed as she sniggered silently as her sister stormed down, complete with gaudy make up and mismatching clothes. She had a purple top and a bright lime green skirt and shoes that a clown would envy. However, Lily had to give it to her, she did have guts to go out in that garb, and she said so, earning a light smack from her mother, who was considerably trying to keep a straight face, and a snobbish look from Petunia.

"At least I have a figure, unlike you." Was the best Petunia could come up with and Lily shook her head, shaking with silent laughter. What was so funny, she wasn't very sure, she had gotten quite used to her sister's obscenely disgusting way of dressing, so it had to be the fact that she was using an accent on her. Not on purpose, she guessed, Vernon must be coming over. What sort of name was Vernon anyway? She thought to herself, sounds like some washing detergent brand.

"Of course Petty dear." She replied, flashing Petunia a million watt smile before calling her dad down for breakfast.

Very soon, the whole Evans family was down, Ivan Evans sat at the head of the table, his wife, Heather Evans and the pair of sisters were down, munching on toast and drinking milo. Well, only Lily was drinking that, the rest of them were drinking tea.

"Teri and Katie are coming today." Lily commented, as she spread butter onto her second piece of toast.

"Tewi and Kwatie are coming today!" Imitated Petunia and Lily shot her a glare before continuing, "And we are planning to squash Petunia with a piece of wood, but don't tell her, she might object." She finished, with a mock whisper.

"I'll get you for that you twerp." Petunia hissed, but you could see that she was amused. She lunged for Lily and Lily danced out of her reach, and dashed upstairs, with Petunia hot on her heels. Ivan and Heather sighed, their children were as unpredictable as the weather, one moment they were scathing in their remarks, the next they acted like best friends.

"GET OFF PET!" Lily imitated her sister's squeaky voice and one could hear laughter erupting on the second floor of the house, accompanied by footsteps clomping around.

"Keep it down girls!" Yelled Ivan Evans, but did not really seem to be heard, by the squeals and squawks of the girls.

"RIIIIIIIIING!" The doorbell ran and immediately there was silence.

"I'll get it!" Both girls hollered at the same time, and raced to who could reach the bottom first, Petunia winning as Lily for some strange reason, her legs taped together. Both girls were laughing, but the moment Petunia opened the door revealing a man who seemed extremely rounded, she tensed up, and shooting everyone in the house a disdainful look, crowed, "Vern is here, I will be going. Lily, do get that tape off."

Lily sighed, it wasn't as though she expected the harmony to last long, she sneered at her sister, as she removed the tape but Petunia had already closed the door.

Lily hobbled off, struggling to take off the tape before walking upstairs, planning to send a letter to Teri and Katie, asking them to come earlier if possible.

She opened the door to her room, which was done up in a light blue, with posters of Quidditch players all over the room. The Evans were rather well- off and Lily had her very own bathroom, and walk in wardrobe. First of all, Lily searched for two pieces of parchment, scribbled, "come now" on both, before tying one onto Hades, and the other one to their family owl, the one which her parents used to send mail to her in Hogwarts, Lionel. Her parents had insisted on giving their owl a normal name, much to Lily's amusement. She sent Lionel to Teri's house, and Hades to Katie's.

After that, she decided to change her outfit. She was still in her pyjamas, and it was getting rather late, as she checked the clock. It was 11 o'clock, time for her bath and exercises. First of all, she did the 100 push-ups and sit-ups assigned to all the Quidditch team players of Gryffindor before doing the crunches and leg lifts. After all of that, which took a grueling twenty minutes, and a whole load of grunting, Lily received a reply from Teri.

Not fair, you gave me the boring owl! Doom on you. Anyways, I will come ASAP, my brother is gonna give me a lift there, as I don't think your fireplace is connected to the floo network and your parents won't want me blasting into your posh place. SO, I think I'll be there in about an hour, if you are lucky. If not, you will have to live without me, I know it will be difficult. See ya!

Lily chuckled, she could picture Teri with her dramatic posing at certain parts of the letter and crumpled it up, and threw it into the bin. She went to the bathroom, whistling a random tune as she began to bathe.

After a refreshing bath, she emerged looking much fresher. She dried her hair the muggle way, as she did not have the privilege of using magic, she was in a muggle neighbourhood. After that, she combed it a few times and then threw on a pair of khaki pants and a tye dye t shrit. She tuned into the radio station, and listened to a few muggle bands. She was supposed to be doing her homework, but she never was a very good friend with work, she was more of a "leave it to the last minute in case Jesus comes" type of girl, and she decided to just listen to some music or maybe give a few muggle friends a call. Halfway through a Donny Osmond song, the reply from Katie came.

WOOHOO I GOT HADES! KISS MY ASS TERI! Anyway yes sarah, I'll come soon. Just got your letter, Hades just couldn't' stop flirting with Carapace! Oh and my toad looked rather frightened, what did you do to Hades' beak? He looks like he has gone for some plastic surgery gone wrong. I'll be there approximately about now.

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Lily grinned. Trust Katie to be mathematical. She probably spent about 2 minutes calculating that. She could hear footsteps on the wooden stairs and soon a brunette burst into her room, her messy hair flying all over her face.

"I'M HERE!" She announced, this was Katie, with her hair in two braids and wearing a denim skirt with a sleeveless top.

"You don't say?" Remarked Lily, as she helped Katie with her bags. She was staying over along with Teri at Lily's house for a week, and after that they were going to Diagon Alley in advance to get their school stuff, then to Atlantis, the main wizard shopping complex, for a shopping trip.

"Clam it, I brought work to do, I need help with the potions essay." Katie demanded, shoving herself onto the bed and rummaging Lily's bedside table.

"I haven't done it yet. Honestly, Summer's just begun."

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!" Ever the dramatist, Katie fell over, but then straightened up and commented, "Ah well can't mourn forever. Where's Ter?"

"Her brother is sending her over." Lily replied, watching amusedly at her friend's mood swings. Katie made a face and said that with luck she would be here that millennium and Lily agreed. They both began chatting idly about their holidays so far, and Lily learnt that Katie's older sister, Ella Richmond, had found a job at the Ministry.

Katie had brown hair with streaks of gold in it, which she said was caused by the sun, much to Teri's and Lily's amusement. It was shoulder length, and it was always done up in plaits, for some strange reason. She was a bit shorter than Lily who was 5 feet 3, standing at around 5 feet 2. She wasn't in the Quidditch team as she was president of the Gobstone's club, and was basically a fanatic. Her dark brown eyes seemed to have a maniacal gleam in them whenever she played against anyone, even if it was a first year. She was known to chase people around the school asking them to join in this "enriching" activity, and was known to be very persuasive as well.

At that moment, she was trying to engage Lily in a debate whether or not Gobstone's should rise to an international level such as Quidditch, and Lily was trying desperately to avoid the debate.

"They both require the same mental and physical stamina!" Insisted Katie, and Lily, hearing the part about physical stamina, snorted and could not resist making a snide comment.

"Terribly tiring it must be, lifting gobstones." She snickered, and the debate started.

"Gobstones requires more mental activity, you just need a good broom to do well in quidditch!"

"Quidditch requires skill! If not everybody could be an international player! Gobstones is just throwing a couple of rocks around!"

"THEY AREN'T ROCKS! THEY ARE CRAFTED PIECES OF GRANITE!" Shouted Katie, standing up on the bed, and bouncing up and down, more excited than angry.

"Quidditch so rules!" Lily persisted, now standing on the bed as well, and they both bounced up and down, forgetting the argument as Katie suddenly remembered something.

"How are we gonna get our school stuff if we don't have our letters yet?" She pointed out, and Lily pondered the point.

"Good point, oh what the hell we'll just go anyway to buy some other stuff." Lily decided and Katie shrugged her shoulders, showing that she agreed.

They could hear the tooting of the horn outside, signaling the arrival of Teri. Katie and Lily raced downstairs, Lily winning due to her Quidditch training, though Katie was not far behind, pulling Lily's waist long auburn hair which was in a messy ponytail.

"TERI!" They both yelled, and the raven haired girl grinned. She had short raven hair and mischievous blue eyes, which sparkled most of the time. Teri and Katie were both pureblooded, but while Katie's roots ran way back, Teri's mother was muggle-born. Lily was muggle-born but blood didn't really matter, as Teri and Katie constantly assured her.

Katie helped carry Teri's sleeping bag, while Sarah began to ask Teri whether she had done her Quidditch exercises. Teri nodded and Sarah and Katie could tell from experience that she was bursting to tell them something.

"Spit it out!" Katie and Sarah said at the same time.

"JINX! You owe me a soda!" They said again at the same time, before laughing and jinxing each other again, this time Lily won, and Katie merely grumbled. Teri stood there watching expectantly, and it seemed as though Katie and Lily had forgotten they were going to get something out of Teri as they began to debate over whether Lily should or should not get the soda.

"SHUT UP!" Teri finally yelled, and they both swiveled around to face Teri.

"Oh yes, you were saying?" Katie started while Lily chuckled in a corner. Teri drew a deep breath and said, "I'm going out with Severus Snape."

A/N: I have to end here because my cousin Celine wants to read it.