The Princess and the Pauper
One is a spoiled, rich brat from a muggle family. The other, a poor yet satisfied pauper that comes from a wizarding family. Could they ever meet and… fall in love? Not your average Cinderella story, I promise you!
Sierra Sitruc- please don't go insane! I've been reading one of your fics… I think I reviewed, but it might've been one of the ones I brought up and logged off with so I didn't tie up the phone line. I hope this is kinda soon.
Taracollowen- thanks, glad it's funny ;-)
Clavel- I'm feeling bad for Lily, too! Things should get better eventually.
Saphire- thanks!
Thistlemeg- tank you greatly!
Lillily- thanks, I will!
Jellybean Oasis- yes, her attitude will tone down, thank you. Thanks for likin' me lil' ol' theory. Just felt like blowing up some stuff… KABOOM!
Danie- it might get shorter. Maybe. I don't know… thanks, and I'm hurrying (but not too much).
Xavier- cool works. Thesauruses aren't necessary when you have a very workable word. That was an alliteration… I put those in my fics a lot, accidental-like.
Sailor Capricorn- I'm so flattered! ::big HUGE smile:: oh dear, I'm reminding myself of my friend… not good. Obsessions are not bad! They're very good! Especially if it's an obsession with my story ::big, fake wink::
Sirena Oculare- tankies!
Hyper Princess- thanks! I twill.
Ashylnn Black- I twill! I twill! I twill! I like the word 'twill.' Twilltwilltwilltwill!
FairySpirite- ::BIG BOW!:: thank you. Thanks for reading those others of my fics… ß that was one WEIRD sentence.
The girl who is obsessed with Harry Potter- can I just call you TGWIOWHP? That works… yes… Tgwiowhp, pronounced tih-gwee-owe-hip (light on the 'i'). Thanks, and thanks for the quotes! I'll put them in when I dredge up a few minutes.
Ooooobbooyy- thanks for the insight. I was actually thinking that myself, believe it or not. The reason I was showing a lotta Binah was 'cause of what the great Arthur Weasley once said, "To get the true measure of a man, look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals," or thereabouts on the matter of Barty Crouch. I was showing that Binah was a decent person, but Lily was just being a b!+ch. And people will start being a little nicer soonish.
*** *** *** ***
That Halloween, there was to be a costume contest. Many people had their costumes planned far in advance. Others were ready last minute. Lily had paid for her expensive costume long ago; Binah was still deciding what to wear as the others dressed. She glanced around the room, hoping for inspiration, and said, quite simply, "Aha!" as her eyes settled on a certain bedside object.
"Are you coming, Bean?" Bella queried from the door. "We're going to be late for the contest if you don't hurry!" Arabella was dressed as a Sphinx, with her eyes painted as the huge, almond shaped ones that all Sphinxes sport, and her hair was dyed pure black. Kora was dressed as a mermaid. There isn't really much more you can say about that.
Lily's long hair was held down with a circlet of gold doubloons, huge golden hoops gracing her ears. She wore a three-quarter-length white peasant shirt, with dark green ties, and a shin length dark skirt of an unclear color. It appeared to be black, or blue, or green, depending on the amount of light thrown on it. Tatters at the bottom revealed many layers of underskirts, all different colors. Her ankles, bare above her shoeless feet, bore several golden anklets, as her wrists had a huge amount of bracelets. The other girls had to admit that Lily made a marvelous Gypsy Queen, although they wouldn't tell her that. She'd just get all obnoxious about how they really knew that she was beautiful, and nice, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Literally.
"Well, I'm not going to wait for people who don't even know to get a costume," Lily said as she settled a shawl on her shoulders, "but I'd hurry up if I was you!" The last statement was accompanied by a dramatic exit in which Lily threw a huge black, hooded cloak around herself.
"Sometimes I think the only reason she isn't in Slytherin is because she's muggle born!" Kora exclaimed after the subject had swept down the stairs.
"Yes, well, let's forget about her! Help me with these pillows," Binah said, changing the subject and drawing attention to herself. She had been attempting to fasten pillows around her middle, and was having a hard time of it.
"I get this side, you get that one," Bella instructed Kora in a business-like way. Shortly they had the pillows strapped to Binah, with a cream-colored blanket shaped over them to give her a vase-like shape. Her blonde hair was done up in a light-bulb type bun on the top of her head, and a huge piece of brown cardboard that they'd scrounged up was at the bottom of the vase shape. Binah's brown leggings were visible underneath the "table."
"What do you think?" she asked, twirling around.
"Erm, what are you supposed to be?" Kora responded uncertainly.
"A lamp, silly! Oh, I forgot the lampshade!" Binah wriggled the lampshade off the lamp beside her bed and placed it gently on her head.
Bella laughed and said, "Marvelous! Now let's go."
Meanwhile, the boys were fastening swords to their belts and settling feathered caps on their heads. Yes, my friends, they had dressed up as the Three Musketeers and young D'Artagnan. "To the Hall!" they cried, drawing their swords and rushing down the stairs. They nearly trampled the two sixth years that appeared to be waiting for someone before rushing out the portrait hole.
"Goodness me!" the Fat Lady sighed. "It seems like we end up doing more and more foolish things each year."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Lily stood at the top of the stairs. She had to admit that the costume competition had been a good idea. It took people's minds off the threat of a growing dark wizard named Voldemort. Vol de mort, Lily thought amusedly, 'flight of dead' in French. Fitting, I suppose, seeing as how he supposedly should begin killing people soon. Maybe a good wizard named Voldemal, 'vol de mal', should come along and beat him. 'Flight of evil.'
Lily's wandering thoughts were cut off as something rammed into her back and she began to fly towards the stairs. So much for my dramatic entrance, she thought grimly as she neared the banister. Her momentum was too much to stop, and would certainly hurt her if she went down the stairs at the rate she was going. She gathered just enough control to jump on the banister and slide down, standing up. It looked as if she were attempting to surf or something, the way she wobbled a bit but still remained on her feet. Just as the banister ended, she jumped and landed a few feet away, still standing.
Everyone applauded, and she, knowing that they didn't know it was her (because of the heavy cloak), took a few joking bows.
"I'm so sorry!" James cried, rushing up to the girl he'd nearly murdered. "It was Dung, we were sword fighting and he pushed me and-"
"It's all right," Lily replied quietly. For once, people had been nice to her, congratulating her amazing save, and she owed the few precious moments of fitting in to James. She pushed back her hood and said, "We all run into people sometimes."
James gaped at Lily as she pushed through the crowd. Had she just been decent to him? That was a weird thought.
"Who was it?" Remus asked as the other boys joined him.
"Lily. And she was actually decent! No remarks about my money or anything!" James responded, still in shock.
"Wow," Sirius breathed, also going into a major state of shock. "Wow," he repeated.
At that moment, it was time to go into the Great Hall to be judged. Lily had discarded her cloak, and stood in a place that was half in the light, half in the shadows, which added to the aura of mystery her costume demanded. The four boys stood a little ways off, and the other three girls were at the opposite end of the line.
The judges were teachers, prefects, and the Head Boy and Girl, all with the understanding that this was not to be a prejudiced decision. One of the older Gryffindor prefects laughed when they saw Binah's costume. It was quite comical to look at. When he reached the other end of the line, though, the costume that stood out the most in his mind was Lily's. It wasn't just a pretty costume, but the whole thing suited her, as did the attitude she had assumed.
A disturbance a few places away from Lily broke out, and all the teachers, prefects and the Heads rushed to see what had happened. Or who had happened, actually. Dung and Remus were sword fighting, while Sirius and James were bopping the nearest people on the head, egging on both their friends in turn.
Lily couldn't help it. She began giggling, then out right laughing. They all looked so silly! James and Sirius were holding off the Head Boy and Girl with swords as they attempted to reach the fighters and a third year had begun tugging on McGonagall's hand to distract her.
Lily's laughter seemed contagious. Soon, the entire population of Hogwarts was laughing, and the sword fight had ended with neither boy the victor; they both were rolling around on the floor, laughing.
"If I may have your attention!" Dumbledore announced. "You may all sit and eat, while the judges tally the votes."
Lily sat down near the other first-year Gryffindors, but they all ignored her for the most part. Aside from the boys, that is. They kept shooting her suspicious glances.
Suddenly losing her appetite, Lily pushed her plate away and buried her head in her folded arms. Even when I try, they hate me. It isn't my fault I was raised always having my way! I wish Mum and Dad had said 'no.' They never did, and now I have no friends. Why am I cursed with this stupid life? A picture of her family floated into Lily's mind, and she realized something she never had before. I don't look like any of them! Lily had green eyes and red hair, and none of her family did. Her facial features, skin shade, everything, was different. Did they adopt me? If they did, why didn't they tell me? Lily began to get up and go to the Owlery to write them when she remembered she couldn't. She had to wait until after the costume contest.
Dumbledore arose and began to talk. "There were a few categories for this friendly little contest. One was most original. Another was most fitting for the wearer. There was also most last-minute, most entertaining…" he went on for a moment more with the categories.
"For most original, we have Miss Arabella Figg, a first-year Gryffindor who dressed as a Sphinx!" Everyone applauded as Bella went forward to retrieve her ribbon. "Most last-minute was Miss Binah Dumbledore, also a first-year Gryffindor, who threw together a lovely lamp ensemble!" Everyone laughed as they clapped when they saw Binah's costume. "Most entertaining goes to Misters James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Mundungus Fletcher, more first-year Gryffindors, who were the Three Musketeers and D'Artagnan. I think we all agree that theirs was a most entertaining display!" Hogwarts roared its approval as the four went to receive their ribbons. "Most fitting for the wearer was, yes, yet another first-year Gryffindor, Miss Lily Evans! Her Gypsy Queen costume was not all that she was chosen for, but also her Gypsy Queen style!"
Lily collected herself for a long, silent walk up to the High Table, but to her surprise, it was only a brief pause before the Hall erupted with applause and catcalls. She gracefully accepted the ribbon, turned to face the Hall, and did a Gypsy-like curtsy before returning to her seat. As she was returning to her thoughts, she didn't notice the four boys filling in the seats around her.
"Lily?" Remus said tentatively. She was staring at a spot somewhere over Sirius's head, seemingly deep in thought. "Lily!" he said a bit louder, waving his hands in front of her face. "Anyone in there? Hello! Earth to Lily!"
"Hey, Evans, wake up!" Dung shouted in her ear.
"What?" Lily said, jumping. She looked around for a second, then seemed to notice that the four boys were all staring at her. "What?" she said, a bit calmer and less confused. "Whatever it was, I didn't do it, so…" she slowly inched her chair away.
"We just wanted to talk," James explained.
"Well, maybe not just talk," Sirius said in an undertone meant for her to hear-but-not-hear, flashing an evil grin.
"Well, what is it?" Lily said.
"We just wanted to apologize for being so mean," James explained.
"You weren't mean," Lily said uncomfortably, "I mean, you play pranks on everyone, not just me, and it's not like you're going out of your way to be nasty." Although you do go out of your way to avoid me and not talk, she added silently.
"Well, it's not like we're going out of our way to try to be friends, either," Remus pointed out.
"Right, then, now that that's settled," Lily said, standing up, "I need to go owl someone."
"We'll go with you!" Sirius offered happily.
"No, no, I wouldn't want to put you to the trouble…" Lily began a very unconvincing argument.
"Nonsense. We're coming," Dung said, following her from the hall.
Fine, Lily thought. They can come. It's not like they'll know what I'm going to owl Mum and Dad about, anyway.
When they reached the Owlery, Lily stopped and pulled out a piece of parchment and a pen from a hidden pocket in her skirt. She sat down and began to write.
Dear Mother and Father,
This is so hard to write, and I don't know how to ask this. But I need to know something. Was I adopted? If you want to know why I'm wondering this, it's because of our family. I look nothing like all of you! You've all been blondes or brunettes, with blue eyes or brown eyes. Red and green don't quite fit in there. And then there's the fact that I just don't look like you all physically, either. And height! Everyone else has always been a bit on the tall side, and I'm practically a midget.
I need the truth. I can't live a lie for the rest of my life, and I don't want to think that I've lived one even so far as this.
Lily
"Why do you think you're adopted?" Sirius asked. He'd been reading over her shoulder!
Near tears, Lily snapped, "You should know that, since you've been poking into my private business. I'm surprised at you, Sirius Black, reading over people's shoulders. I would have thought that your parents raised you better than that."
Lily swiftly tied the letter to her owl's leg and ran from the Owlery.
As she curled up in bed that night, she thought, I should've been watching out. One of them would do that, wouldn't they? I just hope Mum and Dad write me soon, with the truth… and she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a land of clouds that she did not remember when she awoke.
James was awake, thinking. Why had Lily suddenly been, well, human? The Snob Queen changed after he'd accidentally knocked her down the stair rail. Then it hit him. Of course she'd be nice! Everyone had accepted her, laughed with her, something no one had done so far this year, and it was because he'd pushed her. She felt she owed him some kindness.
Yeah, well, I wish she wouldn't be nice because of that, James thought as he rolled over, attempting to sleep.
The next morning, Lily went to breakfast, watching the owls swooping around anxiously. She was still pretty mad at Sirius for butting into her personal business, but the truth was far more important than being nasty to him. Instead, she ignored him.
"Mornin'," Dung yawned, plopping into the seat next to her.
"Good morning," Lily said politely.
"What's going on?" Remus queried, slipping into the chair across from them.
"Waiting for the post," Lily remarked as Dung yawned.
"Ew, Dung, do you ever brush your teeth?" James asked, getting the full effect of his friend's show of sleepiness.
"Obviously he doesn't," Lily smiled. "He needs to smell like his name."
"Good one, Lily," Sirius said, sitting next to Remus.
"Did you hear something?" she pointedly asked Remus.
"Don't put me in the middle of this," he said, leaning back slightly with his hands up in a 'my-hands-are-not-getting-dirty' type of gesture.
"Fine, I won't," Lily said calmly, smearing more butter on her over-buttered toast.
After a few moments, her owl flew over, dropped the letter in her lap, and flew off quickly before it could get in more trouble. Lily had a feeling that her parents had taken her question out on the poor bird. Taking a quick account of the people around her, Lily picked up her bag and carried the letter off to her first class (Charms). She sat in her regular seat and slowly opened the letter with trembling hands.
Dear Lily,
Yes, you are adopted. (The writing was rather shaky) We meant to tell you earlier, but we just never did. I am really sorry for forcing you to be the one to tell yourself, and so is your father.
You'll probably be wanting the full story. Your father and I decided we wanted another child, but I was unable to have one. So we went to an orphanage, and found you there. You were a tiny, tiny baby that they had just found on the street. They hazarded a guess at your birthday, and made up a very incomplete birth certificate. That is all we know, darling, truly.
Write soon with more news!
Mother and Father
Lily blinked tears out of her eyes, and hands trembling with rage, she crinkled up the letter and threw it into the air. It burst into fire, and came down as a light drizzle, landing in Lily's hair. She sobbed silently into her arms until the bell rang, then hurriedly wiped her eyes on her sleeve and blew her nose. It doesn't matter, Lily thought savagely, they probably don't love me. Obviously my first family didn't love me, seeing as how they left me on the streets, so why should these people love me?
She kept the boys distant, learning nothing much past their names (and same for them with her). She knew they'd figured out she was, indeed, adopted, but was afraid to say anything to them in case they told the whole school. Quite a few people were orphaned in the school, but she had always prided herself on being born to a well-placed family, and she didn't want to lose that reputation.
The year flew by for Lily once she'd immersed herself in her studies. Since she had stopped being nasty to everyone- she was simply withdrawn now- she wasn't prone to be the victim of as many pranks. She needn't confront anyone during the Christmas and Easter holidays since she went home, and successfully came out on top in the classes, with James's scores being identical to her own and Sirius, Remus, Dung, Binah, Arabella, and Kora not far behind, mixed in with the Ravenclaws and Snape.
Curled up in a compartment of her own on the Hogwarts Express, staring out the window as the train chugged south, Lily felt that something important would happen this summer, although she didn't know what kind of important.
"Hello, Mother, hello, Father. Hi Pia!" Lily said as she approached her adoptive family. She'd always called her Mum and Dad 'Mum and Dad' when she wasn't in front of them, but she'd been trained to call them Mother and Father when addressing them.
"Hi, Lily," Petunia said, briefly embracing her sister. She stepped back and searched in vain for Binah.
Lily, knowing what Petunia was looking for, said softly, "She's going to a wizard orphanage. Her grandfather, the headmaster at school, is a really important wizard, and he wants his only family safe."
"Oh," Petunia responded in a detached manner. So much for being able to see her again.
Lily surprised them all by saying, "Can we go to a fast-food place?" At the look of shock printed on her parents' faces- Lily always wanted to go to the posh places, not a fast-food restaurant- she demanded, "What? I want some chicken fingers and a shake!"
"Are you sure you want to go there, dear?" Mrs. Evans asked.
"Yes."
As the sisters drew ahead, Mister Evans remarked to his wife, "I don't know what that school did, but I think I like it."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The letter came mid-August, the day after Lily had purchased her school supplies. It was for Petunia, but it came by owl.
Dear Petunia Evans (and family),
I regret to inform you that there was an attack on Merciful Merlin's Orphanage three days ago. As you know, that was the residence of the late Binah Dumbledore. The Dark Lord, Voldemort, and his Death Eaters murdered her, along with several other children.
You have been invited to attend the funeral, as Binah spoke so highly of you. Two people of your choice may accompany you.
It went on to give details as to when the funeral was and such truck. Petunia turned stark white, and began to tremble.
"Pia?" Lily asked with concern, gently touching her sister's arm, thinking she was about to cry.
Unfortunately, the trembling had been due to repressed fury as opposed to tears. "Get away from me, freak!" Petunia shouted, smacking away Lily's hand. "That was Binah's nickname for me, and it always will be! If I ever hear you using it again, I'll tell everyone what you are." Her voice lowered dangerously, "Never mention magic in front of me again. If magic were such a great thing as you make it out to be, Binah wouldn't be dead now. She'd be getting ready to go back to school!" As Lily made a move to calm her sister, Petunia completely snapped. With amazing strength, she picked up the kitchen chair and threw it at Lily. "Stay away from me. Freak! You abnormal girl! Stay away!"
Lily stood rubbing her arm, staring after her sobbing sister. She ran back to her room and began to sob. Why was the world against her? It wasn't her fault that Voldemort had begun killing and the imaginary white wizard, Voldemal, hadn't shown up to rescue everyone yet. Then, in a frenzy, she packed everything she would need for Hogwarts and the two extra weeks before she was going there and lugged her trunk to the front door. She whipped out parchment, ink and quill and scrawled a quick, explanatory note to her parents.
"If they don't want me here, I don't want to be here!" she muttered angrily as she lugged her trunk down the walk. "Let's see… how did that guy said he got the Knight Bus? Oh yeah, wand hand out…" As she stuck out her wand hand, a big, triple-decker purple bus pulled up, and an aging man jumped out. "I want to go to the Leaky Cauldron," Lily said before he could begin a promisingly long spiel about the Knight Bus.
Sulking rather, he told her the price and helped her tuck her trunk underneath a bunk towards the back of the bus, then told the driver to take off. A little while later, Lily was requesting a room for the remainder of her summer holidays in the Leaky Cauldron, not yet wondering about how she'd get to the train. I'll worry about that when the time comes, she told herself, curling up in the bed. It was only six thirty at night, but she still managed to sleep until nine the next morning. When she ventured down the stairs in muggle clothes, she knew that she'd need to purchase some every-day robes to wear, especially if she was planning on returning the next summer.
After a quick breakfast of ice cream, Lily went to the robe shop and bought four new robes. One was blue-green, one was lavender, one was white, and the other was dark green. She ran back to her rooms and changed before slipping into the bookstore and poking through the shelves. One particular volume caught her eye. It looked very old, and (when she took it off the shelf) like a diary. Curious, she opened the first page and marveled at what she saw. It was a beautiful picture of-
She hurriedly shoved the book back onto the shelf when she heard familiar voices approaching. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, not them! she thought frantically. They'll know that I ran away! She slipped down the outside of the aisles as they walked up the center.
"Oh, look at this!" Remus exclaimed.
"Get it," James said solemnly. "It'll be great for us to use on Snape."
"I like the looks of this," Sirius said in a very evil tone.
"Put that back, Sirius! We'll get in trouble if we even are seen touching that!" Dung hissed.
Lily didn't hear any more of their conversation as she had slipped out the door. I am not going to come back out here until a few days before the first, Lily decided. The muggle world would suit her just fine. But first, she had to go to the post service located in Diagon Alley.
"Excuse me, sir, but I would like to know if it is possible to block letters sent by owl post?" Lily said timidly as she faced the imposing man behind the counter.
"It is," he said severely.
"Well, then, I would like to block letters from these people," she said, pushing a piece of parchment across the counter.
"Petunia Evans, Robert Evans, and Sarah Evans to Lily Evans?" he asked, reading off the parchment.
Lily nodded violently and said, "Yes, them. they've been bothering me for a while, and I'd like to get them to leave me alone."
"That's three sickles for each person," the man said, tucking the parchment into a box.
Lily counted out the money, handed it over, and walked out of the post office feeling freer than she ever had before. She had just washed her hands of her family for the time being, and meant to enjoy herself.
Four days before she was due to return to school, Lily began wandering Diagon Alley. She'd pretty much exhausted the book shop and other stores along the street outside the Leaky Cauldron, so Lily gambled with the chance that no Hogwarts students should be at Diagon Alley this late.
She was poking through Flourish and Blotts the last day, attempting to find the book with the pretty picture in it, when a voice rang out across the store.
"Lily Evans! Who would have thought that I'd find you here?"
"Er- hello, Molly?" she tentatively greeted the fourth year Gryffindor.
"What are you doing here?" the older girl asked, coming nearer.
"Just looking," Lily said, glancing around and shrugging.
"Right. Well, I wanted to tell you now, since I saw you anyway, that we have a few open spots on the Quidditch Team. I've seen how you fly, and thought you might like to try out."
"Quidditch?" Lily knew how to play, but… "I don't think I'd be any good, and I don't have a broom."
"Nonsense, you'd do fine! And there's always Quality Quidditch Supplies for a broom, right over there."
"All… right then," Lily said, allowing herself to be steered over to the shop. Why was this girl being so nice to her? The money wasn't a problem, as Lily had always had a large amount of pocket money saved up, and her parents had opened her a Gringotts account during the Christmas hols.
"Now, you have your average broom, like this one…" Lily tuned out the girl until she heard her say wistfully, "Then there's the best broom of them all. The IceFire 220, the fastest broom ever. Great control, everything. Unfortunately," she added, seeing Lily's look of 'I'm-buying-this-broom-in-about-three-seconds,' "no one can afford to buy one. Only the rich families, like the Blacks or the… or the…" she shuddered in disgust, "the Snapes can get them."
"I happen to be in one of those 'rich families,'" Lily reminded the older girl, "so I am getting that broom!"
"I take it you're going for the team?" Molly called after her as she marched up to the counter to pay.
"Yes!" Lily shouted over her shoulder. The counter happened to be very, very far away.
"Well, there's no way you won't make it, not with that broom!" Molly waved and skipped out of the store, her good deed for the day done.
"You know, I think I might actually make it!" Lily murmured to herself.
"Eh?" a man said, coming up from under the counter.
"Nothing," Lily said as she paid for the broom. She headed back to the room in the Leaky Cauldron, book forgotten, to pack away her extremely expensive purchase and to make sure that she had everything all set for the next day.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Let's see," Lily mumbled, running her finger down the list of numbers, "Tablecloths… Taco Table… Tango School… Tarot readings… yeah right! Majorly fake, most likely… Tattoos for Less… Ah! Here it is! Taxicab Rentals." Keeping her finger, she picked up the phone from the hook, and making sure that the door to the both was secured, dialed. "Hello? Yes, I need a cab to pick me up from in front of the book shop and record store on…" Lily paused for a moment, gave the name of the stores (after a quick peek outside) and then the name of the street. "So what's the earliest you can get here? That's fine, thank you." After a moment more, she hung up. {A/N: a very one-sided conversation, in't it?}
Lily lugged her trunk to the sidewalk outside the Leaky Cauldron, sat down on it, and began munching on the croissant she'd picked up. It was chocolate-filled. {A/N: those are sooooo good! Have you ever had chocolate-filled croissants? They are super yummy!}
After a short wait, a taxicab pulled up and a woman jumped out to help Lily fit her trunk into the back of the car, and then slammed the door shut after Lily had wedged herself in next to it.
"Where to?" the woman asked, smiling at Lily through the rear-view mirror. It was a scary smile, as her teeth were very crooked and rather pointy, not to mention a sick shade of yellow-brown.
"King's Cross Station," Lily replied promptly.
"Right then! Fasten your seat belt, we're in for a bumpy ride!" So said and cackling evilly, the lady took off at a break-neck speed, threading through traffic. On-coming traffic, that is.
Is this lady insane? Lily thought as she gripped her trunk and the window pump. She's trying to kill us! She must have a death wish… oh, my, that was a very close call. Maybe if I close my eyes, it will be better… Indeed, after she closed her eyes, the ride was much less scary.
"Here we are then! I'll go and fetch a trolley, and then help you with your trunk!" the (there was no other word to describe her) insane lady said happily, bouncing off. {A/N: yes, a crazy taxi driver, probably in her mid-forties and really ugly, bouncing off for a trolley. Icky thought…}
Lily hurriedly paid the driver and pushed her trunk off. Dear lord, I will never ride in another taxicab my whole life, she thought fervently as she balanced the cage holding her owl on top of the trunk and trolley. She'd left her cat at home before she returned to Hogwarts after the Christmas break. It had proved too much work to care for the cat. The owl, at least, was taken care of, but pets other than birds were the students' own responsibilities.
As Lily faced the barrier, thoughts flitted through her head. Maybe I should try to be nicer this year. Bella and Kora will be devastated about… about… about the mishap at the orphanage, and I'm getting lonely. I won't go back home for the hols, I can't. I wonder if I'll make the Quidditch team? It would be nice if I could…
"Are you going to stand there staring all day, holding up everyone, or are you going to let the rest of us through?" a cold voice hissed in her ear. Lily shivered, and was about to make a remark back when he added, "Mudblood."
Instead of coming up with a clever retort, Lily turned and smacked the speaker across the face, then caught it in her hand and forced him to look at her. "Apologize," she ordered through gritted teeth.
"Why would I apologize to a mudblood?" he said, spitting at her.
She punched him in the groin and ordered again, "Apologize before you really regret it."
Leering down at her, he said scathingly, "What can the little mudblood do to me?"
"More than you want to know," Lily said, remembering the hand-to-hand combat training she'd received pre-Hogwarts.
"I will never apologize to an inferior that carries empty threats," he said disdainfully.
"If you won't apologize, your loss, Snape," she sweetly said, releasing him. As he began to smirk, she broke into a whirlwind of karate kicks and hits, leaving him bent over and gasping on the ground. She purposely left him conscious and without blood spilling all over the place. Bending low over him, she whispered, "I can do so much more than that. Watch out next time you pick a fight with me, pure blood." Somehow she had managed to make calling him a pure blood sound like an insult. Giving him a kick in the stomach for good measure, Lily turned and strutted through the barrier to load her trunk on the train.
"Did you see that?" Sirius asked Remus, James and Dung in a low voice. "She slaughtered him! Remind me never to get on her bad side."
"Hate to break it to you, Sirius old buddy, but you already are," James said jovially, clapping his friend on the back, "Thanks to your obtrusive letter-reading at about Halloween time. She's still holding a grudge."
"Train time!" Remus reminded, pointing at the clock.
"Woo, woo! Chugga chugga chugga chugga woo woo!" Dung said, moving around with his arms pumping like a train's wheels.
"Let's go before they embarrass us more," James remarked to Sirius. Suddenly, as if realizing something, he said, "Never mind, you'll just embarrass me, too. I'll go on my own!" He ran forward through the barrier, laughing at the looks on his friends' faces. After he passed through, he stuck his head back out and yelled, "Come on, then!"
The other three laughed as they saw their friend's head hung on the barrier wall, then ran after him. Several on-looking muggles scratched their own heads. The tiny girl beating up the tall boy had drawn their attention, and then she disappeared right in front of the barrier. Then, several crazy boys came and had a loud discussion, during which one also disappeared through the barrier. Of course, his head has to reappear for a moment before disappearing again, followed by the other boys. They would have pondered over this if it hadn't been for the sudden appearance of a tall man wearing robes who shouted a single word ("Obliviate!") and their memories of the incidents being wiped clear.
Which could explain why, when they all came to their senses the moment after he disappeared, none of them could account for the mutilated boy on the floor, and none of them really wanted to touch him. Luckily for Snape, it wasn't long until a fellow Slytherin showed up to peel him from the floor and escort him onto the train.
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I know that this is a really bad stopping place, but as it is, the chapter is two to three times longer than the others, and I wanted to post it. R&R!