The Beginning Of Something Good
Disclaimer: I don't own squat. We all know that. ON WITH THE STORY!
Chapter 2: Alone?
Lily surveyed her surroundings carefully, five tables, one at the front of the room, four running parallel to each other and perpendicular to the one at the front. She looked up, there seemed to be no ceiling at all, just the sky above them, at this moment, clear and starry. A stern woman who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall called for their attention. Lily saw a hat sitting on a three-legged stool ahead of them.
"Abbot, Thomas." The bespectacled professor called. A short, black-haired boy walked up and put the old hat on his head. To Lily's surprise, the hat yelled out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
She soon figured that this was how students were sorted, and she was slightly surprised when, "Black, Sirius" became a Gryffindor. Soon enough it was her turn, and as her name was called and she stepped toward the hat, she could not help feeling a bit nervous. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and she heard a quiet voice speak soothingly into her ear.
"No need to be frightened, dear, this isn't going to hurt, I'm only reading your thoughts. Ahh, you're a very clever one, I see, and extremely loyal, fine qualities for either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Extremely cunning, and brave, too. My, my, you'd fit exceptionally into any of our four houses. Though I doubt that you'd prosper in Slytherin, you're a mite too innocent, and your morals are too strong. Deep in your head, and in your heart, your bravery is your most powerful strength, so Lily Evans, join your family away from home in GRYFFINDOR!" Lily felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she walked silently to the Gryffindor house table. She reluctantly found a seat next to Sirius Black, the boy from the train, who had called her Red, and turned her attention to the sorting ceremony.
Lily paid special attention as the other two boys from the train, who turned out to be Lupin, Remus and Potter, James were both sorted into Gryffindor. She breathed a sigh of relief, because Remus, despite his choice in company, seemed very nice and, she noted silently to herself, not bad looking either. And without at least one friend, she had no hope.
*_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_*
Lillian Evans sat resolutely staring at the bright dancing flames in the common room fireplace. She held a folded sheet of paper in her shaking hands. It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening, and almost everyone had left the common room. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and even she didn't notice. Remus sat in an armchair on the other side of the common room, watching her. He'd watched over her all year, and it was nearly April now. Now, she was torn up over whatever was in that letter, and though he was barely older than she, Lily looked so much like somebody's little sister that he felt that he needed to comfort her. The only thing worrying him was that she'd shy away. She seemed to him like the baby bird he'd found, nearly dead, in the woods by his home. He'd brought it into his house, and fed it, but when it was strong enough, it had pecked at his hand when he tried to feed it again. Remus knew enough to know that it reacted this way because it was scared, but it had still hurt him. The bird had flown away one morning, before it was entirely healed, and a couple of days later, he had found its body. After that, Remus had been more careful about giving comfort. Would-be comfort could sometimes make a situation worse.
Deciding that, at the very least, Lily needed to be told that it was nearly ten, and she ought to get some sleep, Remus walked over and sat down carefully next to her. She didn't even look away from the fire.
"Lily?" he asked tentatively.
"What?" she turned her head to look at him, obviously surprised.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, why do you ask?" she defended herself quickly. She didn't want him to think that she was a weak-minded little girl.
"Lily, obviously something's wrong, you're crying, and you've been crying for quite some time," Remus reasoned gently.
"I haven't been, I'm not-" but Remus had grasped the hand that wasn't holding the sheet of paper and had brought it to her face, which was wet with her tears.
"You have, you are. What's wrong, Lily?" Remus asked worriedly.
"My. grandmother." began Lily taking great breaths after every sobbed word. Remus knew that if pressed, she might clam up, so he let her continue at her own pace.
"My favourite grandmother she died yesterday afternoon. I didn't even get to say goodbye. She's gone, now I'll never get to say goodbye. And, my sister, Petunia, she's the one who wrote the letter," at this she waved the paper, "she tried to make me feel all guilty, because I'm here and she's there, she's sixteen, and, she's a muggle. We used to be really close, until I got my letter, then, she wouldn't have anything to do with me," Lily was now sobbing wholeheartedly, "And you," she sobbed, "Must think I'm a total fruitcake." Remus didn't try to tell her that he didn't know what a fruitcake was, he was more worried about getting Lily calmed down.
"I don't think you're a fruitcake, Lily, why would I? Because you're crying? That's just ridiculous," Remus reassured her. Lily smiled slightly and hugged Remus, who was a bit taken aback, but began to rub Lily's back gently. The late hour, the taxing nature of the day, and the crying episode all combined to make Lily exceptionally tired, and before Remus could say or do anything about it, indeed, before he even knew it, Lily was asleep in his arms. Not wanting to make her day any worse, Remus just let her sleep. He silently hoped that she would wake up before anyone came down to the common room the next morning, and wondered how that person would react, seeing two first year students laying together on the couch in the common room.
Disclaimer: I don't own squat. We all know that. ON WITH THE STORY!
Chapter 2: Alone?
Lily surveyed her surroundings carefully, five tables, one at the front of the room, four running parallel to each other and perpendicular to the one at the front. She looked up, there seemed to be no ceiling at all, just the sky above them, at this moment, clear and starry. A stern woman who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall called for their attention. Lily saw a hat sitting on a three-legged stool ahead of them.
"Abbot, Thomas." The bespectacled professor called. A short, black-haired boy walked up and put the old hat on his head. To Lily's surprise, the hat yelled out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
She soon figured that this was how students were sorted, and she was slightly surprised when, "Black, Sirius" became a Gryffindor. Soon enough it was her turn, and as her name was called and she stepped toward the hat, she could not help feeling a bit nervous. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and she heard a quiet voice speak soothingly into her ear.
"No need to be frightened, dear, this isn't going to hurt, I'm only reading your thoughts. Ahh, you're a very clever one, I see, and extremely loyal, fine qualities for either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Extremely cunning, and brave, too. My, my, you'd fit exceptionally into any of our four houses. Though I doubt that you'd prosper in Slytherin, you're a mite too innocent, and your morals are too strong. Deep in your head, and in your heart, your bravery is your most powerful strength, so Lily Evans, join your family away from home in GRYFFINDOR!" Lily felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she walked silently to the Gryffindor house table. She reluctantly found a seat next to Sirius Black, the boy from the train, who had called her Red, and turned her attention to the sorting ceremony.
Lily paid special attention as the other two boys from the train, who turned out to be Lupin, Remus and Potter, James were both sorted into Gryffindor. She breathed a sigh of relief, because Remus, despite his choice in company, seemed very nice and, she noted silently to herself, not bad looking either. And without at least one friend, she had no hope.
*_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_* *_*
Lillian Evans sat resolutely staring at the bright dancing flames in the common room fireplace. She held a folded sheet of paper in her shaking hands. It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening, and almost everyone had left the common room. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and even she didn't notice. Remus sat in an armchair on the other side of the common room, watching her. He'd watched over her all year, and it was nearly April now. Now, she was torn up over whatever was in that letter, and though he was barely older than she, Lily looked so much like somebody's little sister that he felt that he needed to comfort her. The only thing worrying him was that she'd shy away. She seemed to him like the baby bird he'd found, nearly dead, in the woods by his home. He'd brought it into his house, and fed it, but when it was strong enough, it had pecked at his hand when he tried to feed it again. Remus knew enough to know that it reacted this way because it was scared, but it had still hurt him. The bird had flown away one morning, before it was entirely healed, and a couple of days later, he had found its body. After that, Remus had been more careful about giving comfort. Would-be comfort could sometimes make a situation worse.
Deciding that, at the very least, Lily needed to be told that it was nearly ten, and she ought to get some sleep, Remus walked over and sat down carefully next to her. She didn't even look away from the fire.
"Lily?" he asked tentatively.
"What?" she turned her head to look at him, obviously surprised.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, why do you ask?" she defended herself quickly. She didn't want him to think that she was a weak-minded little girl.
"Lily, obviously something's wrong, you're crying, and you've been crying for quite some time," Remus reasoned gently.
"I haven't been, I'm not-" but Remus had grasped the hand that wasn't holding the sheet of paper and had brought it to her face, which was wet with her tears.
"You have, you are. What's wrong, Lily?" Remus asked worriedly.
"My. grandmother." began Lily taking great breaths after every sobbed word. Remus knew that if pressed, she might clam up, so he let her continue at her own pace.
"My favourite grandmother she died yesterday afternoon. I didn't even get to say goodbye. She's gone, now I'll never get to say goodbye. And, my sister, Petunia, she's the one who wrote the letter," at this she waved the paper, "she tried to make me feel all guilty, because I'm here and she's there, she's sixteen, and, she's a muggle. We used to be really close, until I got my letter, then, she wouldn't have anything to do with me," Lily was now sobbing wholeheartedly, "And you," she sobbed, "Must think I'm a total fruitcake." Remus didn't try to tell her that he didn't know what a fruitcake was, he was more worried about getting Lily calmed down.
"I don't think you're a fruitcake, Lily, why would I? Because you're crying? That's just ridiculous," Remus reassured her. Lily smiled slightly and hugged Remus, who was a bit taken aback, but began to rub Lily's back gently. The late hour, the taxing nature of the day, and the crying episode all combined to make Lily exceptionally tired, and before Remus could say or do anything about it, indeed, before he even knew it, Lily was asleep in his arms. Not wanting to make her day any worse, Remus just let her sleep. He silently hoped that she would wake up before anyone came down to the common room the next morning, and wondered how that person would react, seeing two first year students laying together on the couch in the common room.