Family
The train ride home was fun at first. They spent their time talking about the previous semester and the next one to come. But Lily couldn't help but feel depressed. The further they were from Hogwarts, the more the feeling of dread weighed her down.
When they got to the station she felt even worse. She stepped off the train with her friends and they all ran through the barrier. The first thing Lily saw was her father looking at the group disapprovingly.
Turning back to the group she said "Bye guys, I'll see you next term."
"You could do so much better if you went to a normal school, Lilian." Andrew said sourly.
Sirius cracked his knuckles and James tensed his muscles. No one was going to speak about them like that, even if it was Lily's dad. So they fought back.
Not with fists and magic as they normally would. This fight would only be won with cunning and intelligence.
"Yes, Lilian." Remus started. "Imagine if you were prefect at a school without us!"
"Yeah, no offence, but you were pretty shy and average before you met us." Ebony added.
"But you have a great future now." Kim said politely.
"You probably wouldn't go as well at a muggle school." Sirius said with a fake laugh. "You're so successful at Hogwarts, and you're an interesting person. Being at a muggle school is a bit of an insult to your intelligence."
"Intelligence?" Andrew scoffed. "Let's go Lily."
Frank and Kirstin had just come through the barrier and had been listening to the conversation. Frank whispered something to Kirstin and they joined the group.
"Hello, my name is Kirstin Kent. I'm Head Girl at Hogwarts. And this is Frank, the Head Boy. Would you be Andrew Evans."
"Yes, what's it to you." He growled back.
"Well, we'd just like to congratulate you on an excellent job. You're daughter has become a fine young lady. You must have raised her well." Frank said pompously.
"Yes, and we think she'll be great next year." Kirstin smiled fakely, "I will be sad to leave our little haven of education, but I know that Lily will do a great job as Head Girl in my place."
"Oh, come on. I might not get Head Girl." Lily joined in. "Only the most prestigious and academically enhanced students become school leaders, like you two."
"Well those are qualities that you display, Lily." Frank had a look of pride on his face.
"No one else has a chance Lil." James finally spoke. "You and me could do great things." He gave a little smirk. "Great, great things."
Lily knew that he was being serious. He had finally decided that he wanted to be Head Boy.
His smirk grew. "I'll think about you, Lily. When you're hanging out with the muggles, more bored than in History of Magic, I'll be hanging out with the Wiccapot's and thinking about you. I always think about you. I want to grow old with you and have kids with you. I want to come home and see you. I want home to be where ever you are, because the only time I ever feel safe is when you're around. I want you..." He got down on his knee's and held her hand. "To marry me."
Lily gave a smile as her father spluttered behind her. He had kept a straight face the whole time and put on a very convincing act. Sirius was trying very hard not to laugh.
No one knew that most of what James had said was the complete and utter truth, but James knew that these were things that he wanted her to know and was going to tell her, one day.
"James, I've only known you for two days." Lily giggled as Andrew coughed behind her. When he heard her giggles, he sighed.
"Lets go Lily." Andrew walked away and Lily followed with her bags, grinning with hilarity.
"Lily, wait. What do think about the name Harry? Wait, there's something I have to do." James said loud enough so that Andrew would notice. He did notice and when he turned around he saw the dark haired boy put his arms around Lily and kiss her.
"Lily? Get away from him." Andrew was utterly horrified yet his eyes seemed to be distracted by James' hand moving down to touch her butt. "You, get away from her."
James pulled away and whispered. "Come with us, you don't have to go."
"See you next term James." She said sternly and walked away.
"I love you Lily Evans." He called out dramatically.
She looked back and saw his eyes, already missing her and as she turned back to follow her father, she felt a tear escape her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to forget about him, but there was nothing she could do, she'd already fallen.
Lily and her father ignored each other for the whole drive home. When they arrived home, Lily went up to her room and got out a book. She didn't read it, just pretended to as she thought of James and how much she wanted to be with her new group of friends. It was true, they were her new friends. She had never really hung out with any of them before, except for Remus, and that was only in the library or at prefect meetings. Lily had never had as much fun as she had since she fell in love with James. She could imagine spending the rest of her life with James, but right now she was stuck in this house with people she hated and she didn't know why.
Why am I here? I hate them, and they hate me. Why don't we just hate each other happily? Why don't I get along with my family? Why don't I belong here?
There was a knock on the door and Linda walked in. She sat on the bed next to Lily and sighed.
I feel a lecture is coming.
"You're father told me what happened." Linda finally said.
"What did he say happened?" Lily asked without looking up from her book.
"Are you having sex with that boy?"
"Mum! No, of course I'm not." Lily cursed James for kissing her in front of her father. "I'm not irresponsible. We kiss, but that's all. We barely even see each other alone." She decided that lying was the best option. "Neither of us want to take chances, we're too young."
Linda spent the next half an hour telling Lily the rules of dating. These included the not after dark rule, the hands off the goods rule and the third person present at all times. Lily laughed to herself at the thought of Sirius offering to be the third party and encouraging them to pretend he wasn't there.
When Linda finally left, she was replaced by Petunia.
"You have to come downstairs. Dad doesn't want you to be unsupervised. He doesn't want you to get in touch with that boy." She giggled.
"Tell him I'm busy."
"No." Petunia annoyed her until Lily finally gave up and went downstairs.
That night, dinner was almost in silence, so Lily decided to have some conversation.
"So, how has everyone been?" She asked seriously.
"Fine." Andrew snapped.
"Weather's pretty lousy."
"Uhuh." Linda mumbled.
"Why do you all hate me?"
No one answered. Lily lost her temper, she was sick of being nice.
"I try to be normal, but do you know what I've figured out? I'm not." Just as she stood up a bolt of lightning cracked across the sky. "I'm not normal and I don't want to be. I don't want to be like you. I want to be something. I can't be something when I'm stuck here pretending to be boring. I just can't."
Her family stared at her in an akward silence.
"I'm sick of pretending I belong in this family and I'm sick of the way that you always change your mind about me. At first you act all excited and happy for me, but now I don't even know what to think. Do you hate me, or do you hate what I am? Who I am." She stopped yelling as tears welled in her eyes. "This is who I am. I can't change. If you can't accept what I am...I can't keep pretending to be part of this family."
Andrew stood up and crossed the room.
"Then leave." He said quietly. "We don't hate you, maybe its that we love you too much. It's time to let you be where you want to be and if thats somewhere that isn't here, maybe you should go."
"Okay." Lily remained standing where she was. She didn't expect that reaction. She didn't know what she expected, but that definitely wasn't it.
"NOW!" Andrew yelled. He marched over to the door and yanked it open. To his surprise there was a boy standing on the doorstep.
"James!" Lily cried, "You're soaking wet! How long have you been out there?"
"A while." He was shivering slightly. "I had to come. I couldn't stand being away from you." He stepped inside the house. Petunia ran up the stairs.
"Its your life Lily." Andrew said almost calmly. "You can leave here and live your life with your friends, reckless and care-free. Just remember who your famliy is."
"Mr and Mrs Evans, I have something to say." James remained looking at Lily. "I love your daughter. I want her to be happy, but she's not happy here."
"She's never been happy here." Linda stood up and joined her husband by the door. "That's why I let her go back to Hogwarts. But I don't want to lose you Lily, you're still a part of this family."
"I don't think I am. I'm not like you, I never will be. I said I didn't want to pretend so here's the truth. Famliy is where you feel you belong" Lily fought to hold her tears back. She wasn't sad but she was caught up in a wave of mixed emotions. "And I don't belong here."
Petunia came back down the stairs with Lily's bag and dropped it at her feet. "I'll really miss you Lily." She said apathetically.
"Goodbye Lilian." Andrew sighed wearily as Lily and James stepped out the door.
So this is freedom?
The two disappeared with a pop as they apparated to Ebony's house in Australia, leaving the small house that Lily had once called home to be with the people she now called her family.
Thanks to all my great reviewers. If you have read this chapter I really would love you to review and tell me exactly what you think. If you love it or hate it, please tell me why. I need to know what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right.
And a huge thanks to Kim who was my beta reader for this chapter. Ps to Kim, I'm glad I concentrated on the schoolwork instead of fanfiction!
