Lily and James- The Summer that Changed it All
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Lily woke up abruptly on a Saturday morning, for no known reason. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyelids. It was much too early to be up, the alarm clock on her bedside table told her, as its luminous light read, "7:15". No kid in their right mind was up at this hour.
But even though her brain was telling her to go back to sleep, she was still wide-awake. Lily gazed in the mirror at her reflection, tousled hair and freckles standing out. She grabbed the lavender bathrobe that hung on her chair and pulled it on. Might as well get ready for the day.
The hallway was full of light from the big bay window opposite the stairway, and Lily could see it was going to be another beautiful summer's day, by the way the sun was already shining brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky.
Lily shuffled into the bathroom, took a shower and changed into some clean undies, a blue and white striped top and white denim shorts. She grabbed her hairbrush and brushed her long auburn-coloured hair, one hundred strokes to keep it strong and healthy, and pulled it into a ponytail with a blue scrunchie.
She was about to come out when Petunia barged in.
"Come ON Lily. You've been in there, like, the whole morning." Petunia pushed Lily to the side and started rinsing her face under the tap.
"What are you doing up so early?" Lily asked, dumbfounded. The Evans family was lucky to see Petunia at the breakfast table before eleven o'clock, let alone seven thirty.
Petunia dried her face on the hand towel instead of on her pink towel, and grabbed Lily's hairbrush to start brushing her hair. "C'mon Lily. I need to be at camp by ten o'clock."
Oh, camp. Summer camp. Petunia had been talking about this all year. It was Twinkle Toes camp, a camp for destined ballerinas. Petunia had always wanted to be a ballerina, and had spent several weeks prior to the summer holidays telling everyone that they chose her because the leaders of the camp were convinced that she had talent. Lily decided not to tell anyone that even though Petunia had danced for five years, she was still enrolled in the "Beginners" camp because of her, ah, "original" dancing style.
Petunia finished pulling her hair into its usual side pigtail, and dragged Lily by the hand into her very... ballerina-decorated bedroom. "Oh Lily, you just have to help me decide what to wear."
Lily sat down on Petunia's ballerina-print bedspread, next to two duffel bags, which had been stuffed to the brim with clothes and leotards. Petunia held up a leopard-print dress and a fairy-floss pink skirt with a poodle patterned blouse to match. "Which do you think, eh?"
Lily blinked at Petunia's choices. Not exactly the most stylish.
"Er... do you still have those jeans, Petunia?"
Petunia reached into the back of her closet and took out a pair of white jeans which had been tie-dyed various colours, leaving the look that someone had spewed on your pants.
"Yes, wear them, and your red t-shirt."
Petunia pulled on the jeans and the red polka-dot t-shirt, and although it was still a disaster, she looked slightly better than what she usually looked, which was totally GROSS.
"Oh Lily, help me carry these bags downstairs. Puh-lease?"
As Lily grasped the handle of a flower-patterned bag, she realised how much she was going to miss Petunia. The two, although very different, were unusually close. Petunia was thirteen, with thin, curly blonde hair and grey eyes. Lily was only a year older, fourteen, with thicker auburn hair, and a natural curvy figure. Lily knew how much Petunia hated it when she went to Hogwarts and she had to stay home, going to the local school.
The two of them trooped down the stairs and into the kitchen, where their mother was taking out bowls and cereal for them. Katherine Evans had Lily's hair and Petunia's eyes, and if it hadn't been for the large bruise on her forehead she would have been very pretty.
Katherine smiled feebly at the girls. "Hello, my gorgeous ones. I'm sorry I didn't make you something special for your camp day, Petunia, but I have the worst headache."
"Mum!" Lily said. "How'd you get that bruise?"
"Oh, this?" She gestured to the sore as if it was a tiny mosquito bite instead of a purple, swollen mess. "Just banged my head on the cupboard last night. Nothing serious."
"Mum... could you put some foundation on it or something? It's not a good look for camp," unconcerned Petunia complained as she shovelled in her Crispy Crunchies.
Lily was suspicious. She had heard that argument late last night while in bed, and was a little anxious. "Mum... where's Dad?"
"Oh, your father was paged last night. He had to go to the office," her mother replied, but something in her eyes told Lily that she was lying.
"Okay," Lily answered, and started eating her cereal.
"Now Petunia, I'll drop you off at camp, and then Lily... you can stay home, I have a surprise for you!"
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"Lily dear... are you home?"
"Yea, mum," answered Lily. She was sprawled out on the couch watching old cartoons, wearing her grey tracksuit pants and eating a cinnamon doughnut for late brunch. She had been at home alone for the past hour, and felt like moping a bit. After all, Petunia had gone to camp, while she was stuck at home for another two months.
"Lily, there's someone here to see you."
Katherine came into the room carrying a strange blue bag. And following her, walking in his usual confident fashion was...
JAMES POTTER.
The hottest guy in Hogwarts. The one which all the girls were chasing after. With his shiny black hair, beautiful hazel eyes and impressive facial features, James Potter was damn good-looking, and he knew it.
Now Lily's biggest crush was standing right there, in her living room.
Lily jumped to her feet, turning off the TV and dropping her doughnut in the process. She wiped her mouth, hoping she didn't have cinnamon all over it. "James? What are you doing here?"
"Knitting," James replied, flashing her that killer smile of his.
"Don't be silly," Katherine said. She gestured to the bags clustered around James's feet. "Lily, James's mother has gone on a business trip to France for the rest of the summer. I promised her that we'd look after James while she was gone, and take him to Hogwarts at the end of summer for the start of fourth year."
Lily was speechless. JAMES POTTER? In her house for a month and a half? What would happen if he saw her changing, or her Dad told him embarrassing stories? She couldn't live with him, at least not in the same house!
"Lily, stop gawping and show James the guest bedroom. That's where he'll be staying."
"Thanks, Mrs Evans. I'm totally grateful," James said as they started up the stairs.
"Oh James, it's all my pleasure. You just have a wonderful summer here. And you two behave yourselves!" added Mrs Evans with a wink.
"We will," Lily said, and blushed furiously. And the adventure's just beginning, she added to herself silently.