A/N: SRY don't kill me please. I know it has been a while since I updated but my dance teachers were killing us with nutcracker rehearsals and we have a company performance next week and a competition last week, and tons of homework so it's not totally my fault. This chapter is a little longer, I was going to make it longer than this but I really wanted to post the chapter. Oh and yes I know Lily is supposed to have a perfect life, I did read the first book, but this is a different story and it is my own little fan fic so… yeah. And I have two editors, so a round of applause for Koneko and Dorky Princess. ::Clap Clap::
And to all my reviewers I love you all:
Sarah
R (Avenante@aol.com)
Spiderweb of faith
cateyes824
Allie
gryffcat
Lilyflower8602
Nathali
Tiger Girl
hpfan1750
chickensoup3
Myrtle
koneko
White Ivy
Tyyon
Hikahi
cute-crazy-chick1
kristatwen
Arianna
SiriDragon
littleginblossom
Gabby Evans
PeBbLeS
SnowDevil
qwerty
iamgeorgeweasley
devilishly sexy
Hermione1909
Disclaimer: I really don't have time for a big lawsuit, it would take away from writing time, so I confess ::sniff sniff:: ::sob sob:: I am not J.K. Rowling and therefore I do not own the Harry Potter characters.
Lily groaned as she shut off her alarm clock and slowly stood up, not hurting her battered body too much this time.
'I can handle the pain better every day. Hurray for me!' Lily thought bitterly. The pain and suppressed anger that had built up after all these years was finally starting to get to her. Lily walked over to the window watching the sunrise as she slowly stretched her sore muscles and shot a quick glanced at her calendar. Her heart practically leaped for joy as she realized that today her mother would be coming to take her to the Hogwarts express. 'Thank god, I am leaving. Leaving my own personal hell. Thank you father dearest for everything. Not.' She thought shaking her head. 'But I am leaving and I will get to see mother' and with that she started downstairs feeling slightly more lighthearted, or at least as lighthearted as one could get in her situation. She started down the hallway when she tripped, landing on her arm, smashing it into her broken rib.
'Shit! You just had to bring me down didn't you' she made her way to the kitchen, made breakfast, actually eating some herself, set out the aspirin for her father and headed back upstairs before her father could come down.
Back up in her room Lily decided she should get dressed and get all packed for school. 'I'll have to pick out something that won't hurt too much, but I can't let the bruises show.' So she picked out a dark emerald green tank top and put that on, giving her a little breathing room, not to mention she had been feeling increasingly hotter and dizzy all week and she hoped it would not be too hot on the train. But just in case she would wear it. Over that she put on a very loose, long-sleeve black button down shirt that she wore open. Then she slipped on a long white cotton skirt that went past her feet. Checking in the mirror for any showing bruises other than the ones on her face, which where pretty much hopeless. Sweltering hot even with nothing too thick on she turned on the fan high power and set to packing, using only her good arm and good leg, making this a considerably hard task.
She took one of her robes and threw it over her shoulders to see if she had to alter it. Desperately trying to ignore the pain in her back, which was scaring, scabbing, and for some unknown reason still bleeding. The last few nights her father had discovered his belt served as a nice substitute for a whip. It proved to be a very painful abuse tool, and had been useful in the threat from her father not to tell her mother about the abuse. He had even made Petunia give Lily some of her concealer to wear, which she did.
Seeing the robes were fine she piled that one and the rest of them into her trunk along with some school supplies, and muggle clothes. Then after wiping off the sweat that had been gathering on her forehead and taking off the black shirt, she turned to the Egyptian artifacts. The things she probably valued most, they were all splendid gifts from her mother. There were many Egyptian necklaces and miniatures copies of the sculptures of Egyptian gods and a black-jeweled cat statue, hieroglyphic writings, stories of the myths of almost every god.
'Proof that someone loves me' Lily thought as she lovingly stroked the cat sculpture. ' I'll never forget Petunia's face each time I got something and she was sent a little letter and some papyrus and a key chain'
Lily closed her trunk and slowly picked up Remus's letter, reread it, folded it nicely and placed it into the hidden compartment in the mouth of the cat, placed it in the trunk and pulled up a chair to the window and took out "Hogwarts, A History" to read as she awaited her mothers return.
An hour later she saw her mother's red convertible drive up. Lily practically fell off her chair, but managed to quickly walk down stairs, throwing her black cover up on as she did.
She got down stairs just as her mother came through the door, clad in a light colored sun hat, which contrasted with her vibrant red curly hair and khaki pants and a white shirt.
"Lily, my Egyptian jewel, how are you," she said lovingly engulfing her in a huge motherly hug. Lily tried as hard as she could not to flinch from the pain shooting through her back.
"I'm wonderful mother" Lily replied putting a very convincing smile on her face.
"Don't let me forget, Lily dear, I have a special something for you" her mother said as Petunia and Darren came in from the kitchen.
"Petty, sweetie how are you" their mother said, with much less enthusiasm than when she greeted Lily.
"Splendid, mother, simply splendid" Petunia replied shooting Lily a glare out of the corner of her eye. Then Rose, Lily's mother, turned to her husband who, due to his hangover, was having much trouble with the loud noise and bright light. Rose went up and kissed her husband in a greeting and then turned back to Lily.
"Lily, are you ready to go?"
"Of course mother…um could you help me grab my trunk."
"Sure Lily. Darren, will you take my things up to our room." Lily's mother said starting up the stairs with her daughter and calling over her shoulder to her husband said "you and petty be back down in 5 minutes so we can say goodbye."
Lily walked with her mother and up the stairs and when they reached her room Rose took Lily's hand and spun her around.
"Lets get a better look at you." She said while spinning her daughter. " Lily darling you are so thin and pale. Have you been eating right? Then again your father is not the best chef, is he?"
"I'm fine mother, I eat, really, and I help sometimes, you know father really doesn't like to cook." Lily replied.
Her mother looked skeptical as she made for Lily's trunk asking her about what she had done over the summer, and Lily was lying easily, having many excuses already prepared.
"Oh I almost forgot, hold on a moment Lily, I have a present for you." Lily's mother disappeared down the hall for a moment and came back carrying a bundle in her arms. She placed the bundle in Lily's arms (Lily adjusted it slightly for her hidden broken arm) and slowly opened the loose cloth to reveal a small, sleeping, midnight black kitten. Just as she touched its head the kitten stirred opening it eyes, which were the exact same deep emerald color as Lily's. Around its neck was a replica of an old Egyptian color, made of gold and emeralds, sky blue sapphires and blood red rubies. It looked up at lily and gave a soft "meow" before purring softly as Lily stroked its head.
"It is beautiful Mum!!! Thank you" Lily exclaimed giving her mother a semi hug, her arms being somewhat full."
"You're welcome, Lily, Anything for my favorite little witch."
"What is its name?"
"Her name is Isis."
"Mum she is beautiful," cooed Lily, shockingly close to tears.
"I'm glad you like her. I saw her and her eyes and she reminded me instantly of you." Rose gazed at her daughter and her new kitten lovingly. "Now lets get this trunk down stairs." Lily, shifting Isis carefully over to her injured arm, ignoring the pain, threw on her robe, using her good hand even though she was already burning hot, and fitting it protectively over her kitten. Then with her good arm grabbed her trunk and helped her mother carry it down stairs and into the car.
Once they got back into the house they found Petunia and Darren in the entryway. They all stood there in a moment of awkward silence before Rose said pointedly "Well say goodbye, we don't want to make Lily late for her train."
Petunia stepped forward and said "goodbye" loud enough for their mum to hear and then muttered "freak" in Lily's ear. Looking down she realized Lily was holding a kitten.
"Mum," she whined. "Why didn't I get a present? Lily got a present"
"Oh Petunia, this is a special gift I got just for Lily, besides she had been made a prefect at her school, so she deserves something special." Petunia scowled at Lily and returned to her father's side. There was another awkward silence and Rose looked sternly at her husband who went up to Lily a tight hug, making sure to press on every injured limb. Saying for his wife through gritted teeth "I love you sweetie and I'll miss you." Lily tensed immediately, tears coming to her eyes as she tried not to cry out in pain. The kitten sensing this man was hurting Lily hissed menacingly and stuck out her front claws, unfortunately Lily's father moved away before Isis could scratch him. Rose had already turned and walked out the door and Lily quickly followed her got into the car and spent the ride to platform nine- and- three- quarters listening to her mother tell her familiar and new tales of Egypt and all of its wonderful mysteries as she stroked a softly purring Isis.
They pulled into the station and Lily's mother got a trolley. Then Lily's mom walked her up to the barrier and then handed the trolley over to Lily. Then with many hugs and a few tears they parted. Lily, who refused to put Isis down, had much difficulty pushing her cart through the barrier and just got through, stopping to put a charm on her face to cover her bruises, she hoped it would last. Then started towards the train when she lost control of her cart and fell. She was waiting for contact with the ground but it never came.
************
Remus, James and Sirius (Peter was sleeping in their compartment on the train) had just put away their trunks and were looking around trying to find Lily. Remus instantly spotted her fiery red hair in the crowd and said to his friends "There she is!" before running over to her
He saw her struggling with her cart and caught up to her just as she slipped, and caught her light form easily in his arms.
She looked up at him dazed for a moment before saying "Remus, thank you."
"Its no problem Lils." Remus replied and pulled her up and into a friendly hug. She hesitated for a second before hugging him back. He stepped back and held her at arms length, Remus noticed she now came up to his shoulders and had many more curves than last year but her eyes held more pain.
"Wow Remus you have changed." It was true, he was much more muscular than last year and 6 inches taller. James, Remus, Sirius and Peter were all in a group called the marauders, all of them were over 6 feet tall except Peter who was a mere 5'5".
"So have you Lils," he replied. Then his gaze fell on the bruises that were appearing on her face. Lily adverted her eyes under his questioning look, feeling the charm wear off.
Lily what happened?" Lily remained silent her face turned from him. Remus was worried. She always came back from summer vacation with something cut or bruised, but never this bad.
"Lily…."
"Meoooow." Lily's cat poked its tiny black head out from under the Lily's cloak. Swatting Lily's cloak back with her claws. Lily absentmindedly pushed the cloak back, but immediately wished she hadn't. Remus's eyes widened, as did Sirius's and James's who had just come up behind Remus. All shocked at the arm, which somehow managed to hold the cat even at the odd angle in which it was sticking out. There was a long silence, all of them looking at Lily while she tried to get her cloak back over her arm while desperately trying to avoid their eyes. Then someone came up behind them, a woman with long black hair and warm brown eyes, just like James.
"James, honey, you need to get on to the train, it should be leaving in a few minutes. Make sure to help out you sister this year. Oh and don't get expelled since it is hopeless to tell you not to pull pranks." She looked at them expectantly, waiting for them to move. "Good bye."
"Yes mum, goodbye." He said the first and only one to snap out of his trance.
"Goodbye dear."
"Here Lily I'll help you with your trunk." He said turning back to her his cinnamon brown eyes showing concern.
"Thanks James" Lily replied softly as he took hold of her trolley and loaded her trunks, nudging Remus and Sirius out of their reverie as he passed them. He caught Lily's eye and she smiled and mouthed thank you. He flashed one of his trademark smiles, which made most of the female population swoon, at her and nodded softly. They all boarded the train and entered the compartment that Peter had saved for them. They sat down, James then Lily then Remus on one side and Sirius and a sleeping Peter on the other side.
The train whistle sounded and the train started. The marauders for once were all silent and, if they were awake, looking at Lily awaiting her explanation.
"Its nothing" Lily murmured.
"Lily, look at me." Remus said softly but firmly, knowing Lily was never able to look him in the eye and lie to him. "What happened?"
A/N: Look at that; I am evil, mmuuuuuuaaaaahhhhhaaaaaahhhhaaaa. (Evil laugh). I included Peter. Go me! It's really hard not to throw him off a cliff but oh well. LOL. I'll try to update sooner I promise. TTFN. U KNOW U LOVE ME