And here is the second chapter of Black & White! Thank you for the reviews, they really made my day :)
cara-meLiSsa: yes, I'm going to go through Lily's seven years at Hogwarts. I believe... Unless people stop liking the story, that is.
Saphhrine: thanks for the review, love! I'm eagerly waiting that you update Intuition :)
*~*~*~*
Saturday, 31st of July, 1971
Lily Evans woke up at eight o'clock next morning, too excited to eat breakfast or do any of her usual morning rituals. She got up from the bed and ran to her parents' bedroom, where her father and mother were still sleeping peacefully, George Evans' soft snoring filling the room.
"Daddy, Daddy, wake up!" Lily cried, pulling the blanket off her father. George opened his eyes sleepily and looked at his watch.
"Lily, honey, it's – five past eight," he muttered, slowly getting up from the bed. Next to him Rose Evan continued to sleep without any distraction. She had always been a heavy sleeper. George looked at his wife lovingly and placed a small kiss on her forehead.
"Let's go downstairs," George said, lifting Lily up. "Let's not wake up your mother or she'll be furious," he said and Lily giggled.
"When are we going to London, Daddy?" Lily asked eagerly. George laughed and put her daughter down. They were on the root of the stairs and Lily was squirming excitedly in his father's lap.
"A bit later, dear," he replied and walked to the kitchen. Lily ran after him and sat down by the table. "What do you want for breakfast?" George asked.
"Bacon and eggs and toast," Lily said absent-mindedly. All she could think were all things witchy – witch's hat, robes, a toad, an owl. She giggled when she remembered the witches in fairy tales, the witches that had a big wart in the nose.
Suddenly Petunia stepped into the kitchen, yawning widely and wearing a dark green pyjama.
"Good morning, Petunia-dear," George said when his older daughter gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Good morning, Dad," she replied and sat down, facing Lily. "So, you're still excited about going to that weird school, eh?" she said quietly. Lily nodded eagerly.
"Of course I am," she said with a bit hurt voice. "And it's not a weird school." Petunia snorted.
"Well what is it then, if not weird? I, for one, don't know many schools that teach how to say abracadabra or how to enchant white bunnies off thin air," she said nastily.
"Petunia," George said warningly. She rolled her eyes.
"You know it's not possible to do magic," Petunia said quietly, in a way that only Lily heard. "I'm sure it's a joke."
"It's not a joke, Petunia," Lily said angrily. "You are just jealous because you didn't get a letter!" she snapped. Petunia narrowed her eyes.
"At least I'm normal," she spat before darting out of the kitchen and running to her room. George looked after her and shook his head.
"What's wrong with her?" Lily asked, flabbergasted. "I didn't do anything. She is jealous, I can tell."
"That's the point, dear," George said, sighing deeply. He took the frying pan and two plates, putting two slices of bacon and some eggs on both of them. He took a can of orange juice from the fridge and two glasses from the cupboard and poured juice for himself and Lily.
"Petunia is jealous because she is not a witch," he said seriously, taking a sip of his juice. "You must understand how she must feel like, being so different from you now," he continued.
"I didn't want to be a witch. What can I do about it?" Lily asked sadly. "What if I don't like to be in the school?" she asked suddenly.
"Then we'll resign you," George said with a soft voice. "You can go to an ordinary school if you don't enjoy yourself at that school." Lily nodded. "Anyway, we'll meet that Rubeus Hagrid today, you can ask him about anything you have in mind about that school, can't you?" he said encouragingly.
"Yes," she replied, taking a bit from her toast. George smiled widely.
"That's my girl," he said and they both laughed.
*~*~*~*
"So, here we are, then," George Evans said when he and his daughter arrived at the King's Cross Station a couple of hours later. Lily squeezed her father's hand in excitement. He looked around, as if trying to find this Rubeus Hagrid they were supposed to meet.
"Hullo there," they heard someone say. Lily turned around and gasped – there was the biggest person she had ever seen. And with him was a small, thin boy who had sandy hair and a shy expression.
"Er – so, you must be Rubeus Hagrid, then?" George said and shook the giant's hand.
"Too right yeh are," Hagrid said, smiling widely. "I s'pose this is Lily, then," he said, nodding towards her. "Yes... Remus here, he's a Muggle born as well," Hagrid continued.
"A – Muggle – born?" George repeated slowly.
"Oh yeah," Hagrid said, scratching his head. "Muggle – means non-magic folk," he explained and George nodded. "C'mon, now, say hi to Lily," Hagrid suggested and patted the boy's shoulder. Remus blushed and stepped towards Lily who was eyeing him curiously.
"I am Lily Evans," Lily said bravely, holding out her hand. Remus lifted his gaze. He looked at Lily's hand and lifted his own, shook her hand and smiled.
"Remus Lupin," he said quietly. Lily smiled widely.
"Nice to meet you, Remus," she said.
"Well – you too," he forced himself to say. Hagrid smiled widely behind his beard.
"We better get goin' now, we've lots to buy and talk 'bout," Hagrid said and George nodded. "Firs' of all, yeh need to exchange yer money, they don' accept Muggle money," Hagrid said. George nodded again.
"And – where are we going to do that, if I may ask?" George asked politely. Hagrid smiled.
"In Gringotts," he said. "A wizardin' bank, 'tis in Diagon Alley." Lily exchanged a look with Remus. The boy shrugged. "So, as I said, let's get goin'."
*~*~*~*
Lily, her father and Remus followed Hagrid to the Leaky Cauldron. They stepped out of the back door and Lily watched in awe, how Hagrid tapped some bricks in the wall. A hole opened in the wall and a moment later they were on Diagon Alley, a completely wizards-dedicated street.
When they arrived to Gringotts, Lily gasped and Remus held his breathe. The building was enormous; many double doors had to be entered before they saw a teller where a bitter-looking goblin was writing a parchment.
"Hello there," Hagrid said and took a deep breathe. The goblin lifted his eyes from the parchment. "I came to get some money for Remus here – " Hagrid pointed at Remus who blushed " – and they want to change Muggle money," he explained.
"Very well," the goblin croaked. "What is your name?" Hagrid pronounced his name loudly and the goblin wrote it down. "Follow Knobbler there, he'll lead you to your vault," the goblin said and pointed a young goblin dressed in red and golden suit. Hagrid smiled at the goblin and he and Remus set off.
"Hello," George Evans said, after taking a deep breathe.
"You want to have Wizard money, eh?" the goblin said with a sour voice. "What's your name?"
"Eh – George Evans," Lily's father said. He couldn't take his eyes off the goblin; he had never seen anything like it before. "But the money is for my daughter here, Lily," he said and pulled Lily in front of him. Lily looked at the goblin, her eyes wide.
"How much?" goblin asked.
"Er – well, I have fifty pounds to change to – Wizard money," George said slowly.
"Very well," the goblin said and received the notes from George. The goblin opened a cashier and took some golden and silver coins. "Here you go," he said and handed ten golden coins and some silver ones. George stared at them for a while.
"Ah – thank you," he muttered and smiled. He took a few steps backwards and turned to his daughter. "Here, Lily – " he gave Lily the coins. "I think – I think this is enough. We will of course have to open an account for you here," he added a bit proudly. Lily nodded and looked at her father in awe.
"Thank you, Dad," she said and pocketed the money.
"Now, where did – Hagrid and Remus go?" he wondered, looking at Lily.
"They are coming soon," the goblin behind the counter said. "Now will you please step aside, you are blocking the way, sir." George blushed a bit.
"I am very sorry," he muttered, took Lily's hand and stepped aside.
And, soon enough, Hagrid and Remus Lupin stepped out from a room, Hagrid carrying a small bag which, according to the chiming, included wizard coins.
"Got yer money already, eh?" he asked, smiling at Lily. "Good. Let's go then."
*~*~*~*
"Now, first thing I'd suggest yeh to buy, are the robes," Hagrid said, once they were back at Diagon Alley, wondering where to start from. "I'd say yer go to Madame Malkin's – it's over there – it's the best robes shop there is, and reasonably priced," he added.
"Ah – alright," George said, nodding.
"After the robes, yeh should buy the cauldron and Potions supplies and such. Then, the books. Wand should be the last thing to be purchased. An' if yeh want to buy an animal, like an owl or a toad, yeh might want to do it right before yeh leave," Hagrid said.
"Did you hear, Lily?" George asked, beaming. "What animal would you like to have?" he asked.
"Owls are good 'cause they can deliver letters," Hagrid said. "Toads are very likely to get lost. Cats then, they are a diff'rent thing."
"I – I would like an owl, Dad," Lily said. "So I can write letters to you when I'm away," she added, smiling widely.
"An owl it is, then. But we shall first buy the other things first, like Mr. Hagrid said," George said.
"Mister Evans, just call me Hagrid," Hagrid said cheerfully.
"Right," George said.
"Daddy, let's go, I want to buy my robes," Lily begged, jumping up and down. Hagrid smiled.
"Now she's got the right attitude," he said and they all laughed.
From the corner of her eye Lily noticed Remus was looking at her. She turned her eyes towards Remus who quickly turned away his gaze and blushed deeply.
*~*~*~*
After buying the cauldron, robes, books and so on, Hagrid led Lily and George to Ollivander's where Lily would purchase the item she had been most anxiously waiting to buy – her wand.
Mr. Ollivander was an old, silver-haired man with magical-looking eyes. He seemed a bit grumpy but when he greeted Hagrid, it was in a way you greet an old friend.
"Well, well. And who is this young lady?" Mr. Ollivander asked politely when approaching Lily and George.
"Lily Evans," she said shyly. "I am here to buy a wand," she added. Mr. Ollivander laughed a bit.
"But of course you are. Now, let's see..." Mr. Ollivander disappeared somewhere between the shelves and returned after a while, carrying a big pile of long, narrow boxes. He opened one of them and carefully, lovingly, took a wand from it.
"Here. Oak, ten inches and a unicorn hair as the core," he said and handed Lily the wand. "Give it a swing, dear."
Lily swung the wand and some wand boxes fell from the shelves. Lily blushed deeply and gave the wand back.
Mr. Ollivander had to give Lily many wands to try, but finally he seemed to have found a matching wand. He smiled, touched the wand gently and handed it to her.
"This one is great for Charms. Quite swishy, if we might say. Willow, ten and a quarter inches long, including a centaur hair," he said, watching curiously as Lily took the wand.
Lily didn't have to swing it. She felt a sudden warmth as she took the wand and it lit up, illuminating the dimly lighted room. Mr. Ollivander smiled widely. He took the wand from her, put it back to its box and gave it back.
"That would be seven Galleons," he said. Lily handed him almost all the money she had left from the other supplies and put the box in her bag. "It was nice to do business with you, Miss Evans," Ollivander said, accepting the money.
Then he looked at Remus.
"Let's find you a wand, shall we?"
Remus only had to try three wands. His wand was made of Yew, it was eleven inches long and it had a wolf's hair as the core. Hagrid paid for Remus' wand and the four of them left Ollivander's.
*~*~*~*
After Mr. Evans bought her daughter a beautiful Eagle owl, Lily and her father were ready to leave.
Remus Lupin and Hagrid, however, stayed at Diagon Alley. Suddenly George Evans remembered Lily's train ticket.
"Excuse me, Hagrid," he started politely.
"Yes?" Hagrid asked.
"It's this ticket," George said, taking the ticket from his pocket. "Platform 9 ¾. There is no such thing, is there?" he said suspiciously. Hagrid let out a hearty laugh.
"Ah, I knew I'd forget to tell yeh 'bout it," he replied. "Let's jus' meet at King's Cross on the First of September and someone'll show yeh how to get there," he said, smiling behind his bushy beard.
"Ah," George said, smiling back. "Very well, then. Eh – we'll meet you in September, then, right?" he held out his hand and Hagrid shook it as a goodbye.
"Too righ' yeh are," Hagrid grinned. "Have a nice ride home!"
A moment later Lily and her father were back in the Muggle world again, walking to King's Cross.
*~*~*~*
When Lily went to sleep the same evening, she curiously took one of her text books. It was called The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk. She read about some simple spells and uttered them out loud, practising the pronunciation.
When her father came to give her a good night's kiss, he found his daughter asleep, a spell book open on her stomach. He smiled to himself, put the book away and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Good night, Lily," he whispered.
After he left, Lily smiled in her sleep.
*~*~*~*
To Be Continued...
A bit lame ending, yeah. In the next chapter Lily will finally go to Hogwarts and befriend James, Sirius and Remus and some girls on her year. I promise the next chapter will be longer!