Chapter two – The end of summer holidays
"Lily!" The brunette exclaimed upon seeing her. She gave her a hug before holding her at an arm's length. Her red-headed friend looks pale and sickly. Her beautiful thick dark red hair fell to the middle of her back in tangles. Her startling green eyes were puffy and red from crying. They no longer held the usual happiness but were now filled with sorrow and guilt.
"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly after giving Lily the once-over.
"I guess so." Lily replied in sadness, avoiding her best friend's eyes.
"Lily, I'm so sorry about your parents." Esther said gently. She tried to get Lily to look at her but she kept looking away.
"Look at me, Lily." Reluctantly, Lily looked at her best friend in the eye. Unable to resist, she started crying all over again. Esther pulled her in for another hug. She tried to stop tears from escaping her eyes too. Mr and Mrs Evans were like second parents to her.
"Come on," Esther pulled away after a few minutes, "We better get going." They stuffed Lily's trunk into the boot and sat in the front. Esther had recently gotten her driving license that summer.
They began the short ride to Esther house in silence. Lily was busy drying her tears while Esther had her thoughts filled about how haggard Lily looked.
After what felt like an hour, Esther pulled up to her house. It was just as Lily had remembered from the last visit. It was an average looking house on a muggle street. What made it looked different was that it was kept lovingly with care in the best condition. Unlike the other houses that looked cold though it was in good condition as well.
"Lily!" Mrs Madison engulfed her in a motherly fashion hug as she stepped out of the car. "I hope you're alright?" She asked with an air of concern after pulling back. Lily nodded, not trusting herself to speak without crying all over again. Mr Madison came over and gave her a smile. She nods at him and gave him a small one before following Esther into the house while Mr Madison took her trunk.
"Well, here we are, your favourite room." Mr Madison put her trunk down and left, leaving them to themselves.
"Is there anything you want, Lily?" Esther asked, concerned. She shook her head and sat down on the bad facing the window. Esther took it as a sign to leave her alone and left after telling Lily to shout for her if she needed anything.
As soon as Esther left, Lily felt like crying again. She missed her parents terribly though it was only a day. A tear drop fell on her hand and she wiped it away half-heartedly. After crying for several times, she had thought that there were no more tears left but apparently, she was wrong.
For the next few days, Lily stayed in her rooms and ate meals in there too. The Madisons knew that she was going through a difficult stage so they didn't bother her but they were extremely worried about her. Though she ate her meals, she didn't eat much. She often ate one or two spoons before declaring that she was full.
On the last night before the two girls returned to Hogwarts, Lily came out of her room for the first time within the time she stayed there to eat dinner with the family and thank them for having her.
She appeared normal, except that she wasn't as chatty or cheerful as she used to be. Though she put up a brave front, trying to carry on with life after her parents' deaths, Esther could tell that her heart was shattering upon seeing Mr and Mrs Madison. They reminded her too much of her own parents.
After dinner, Lily went back to her room and Esther went to write a letter each to her other friends, Ashlee MacDougal and Fern Boot, on the update of Lily. She told them that she appeared much better than she did the day she came and that they will see them the next day at King's Cross station. After leaving the letters to her owl, Amble, she let out a tired yawn and crawled into bed for a night of sleep, unaware that Lily was tossing and turning, finding it difficult to sleep.
"Lily!" The brunette exclaimed upon seeing her. She gave her a hug before holding her at an arm's length. Her red-headed friend looks pale and sickly. Her beautiful thick dark red hair fell to the middle of her back in tangles. Her startling green eyes were puffy and red from crying. They no longer held the usual happiness but were now filled with sorrow and guilt.
"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly after giving Lily the once-over.
"I guess so." Lily replied in sadness, avoiding her best friend's eyes.
"Lily, I'm so sorry about your parents." Esther said gently. She tried to get Lily to look at her but she kept looking away.
"Look at me, Lily." Reluctantly, Lily looked at her best friend in the eye. Unable to resist, she started crying all over again. Esther pulled her in for another hug. She tried to stop tears from escaping her eyes too. Mr and Mrs Evans were like second parents to her.
"Come on," Esther pulled away after a few minutes, "We better get going." They stuffed Lily's trunk into the boot and sat in the front. Esther had recently gotten her driving license that summer.
They began the short ride to Esther house in silence. Lily was busy drying her tears while Esther had her thoughts filled about how haggard Lily looked.
After what felt like an hour, Esther pulled up to her house. It was just as Lily had remembered from the last visit. It was an average looking house on a muggle street. What made it looked different was that it was kept lovingly with care in the best condition. Unlike the other houses that looked cold though it was in good condition as well.
"Lily!" Mrs Madison engulfed her in a motherly fashion hug as she stepped out of the car. "I hope you're alright?" She asked with an air of concern after pulling back. Lily nodded, not trusting herself to speak without crying all over again. Mr Madison came over and gave her a smile. She nods at him and gave him a small one before following Esther into the house while Mr Madison took her trunk.
"Well, here we are, your favourite room." Mr Madison put her trunk down and left, leaving them to themselves.
"Is there anything you want, Lily?" Esther asked, concerned. She shook her head and sat down on the bad facing the window. Esther took it as a sign to leave her alone and left after telling Lily to shout for her if she needed anything.
As soon as Esther left, Lily felt like crying again. She missed her parents terribly though it was only a day. A tear drop fell on her hand and she wiped it away half-heartedly. After crying for several times, she had thought that there were no more tears left but apparently, she was wrong.
For the next few days, Lily stayed in her rooms and ate meals in there too. The Madisons knew that she was going through a difficult stage so they didn't bother her but they were extremely worried about her. Though she ate her meals, she didn't eat much. She often ate one or two spoons before declaring that she was full.
On the last night before the two girls returned to Hogwarts, Lily came out of her room for the first time within the time she stayed there to eat dinner with the family and thank them for having her.
She appeared normal, except that she wasn't as chatty or cheerful as she used to be. Though she put up a brave front, trying to carry on with life after her parents' deaths, Esther could tell that her heart was shattering upon seeing Mr and Mrs Madison. They reminded her too much of her own parents.
After dinner, Lily went back to her room and Esther went to write a letter each to her other friends, Ashlee MacDougal and Fern Boot, on the update of Lily. She told them that she appeared much better than she did the day she came and that they will see them the next day at King's Cross station. After leaving the letters to her owl, Amble, she let out a tired yawn and crawled into bed for a night of sleep, unaware that Lily was tossing and turning, finding it difficult to sleep.