Chapter 26

"How long are you going for?"

"Only a couple of days,"

"That's ages!"

"Now you're sounding like a child,"

"Is that so bad?"

"Yes,"

James made a face.

"You're sulking? Very grown up!" Lily laughed.

"I don't want to be grown up,"

"Now you're definitely sounding like a child! Be a good boy while I'm gone and I'll bring you back a lollipop,"

"A muggle one?"

"Yeah,"

James thought for a moment. "How long did you say you were going for?"

"Two or three days,"

"I can be boring for a couple of days," he decided. "But I will be waiting for my lolly!"

"I'm sure you will. I'll see you later," Lily said as she put her bag over her shoulder and kissed James goodbye.

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Lily took a deep breath. She hadn't seen her family since Christmas, and she was slightly dreading going home for a while. She had spent so much time away from them, that she felt more comfortable around her friends and teachers than she did around her own family.

Her mother gave her the typical 'Oh Lily darling, it's so good to see you again!' her dad -the sympathetic smile and a brief hug; and Petunia the usual 'Oh. You're back.'

"We haven't heard from you for ages," Mrs Evans said raising an eyebrow.

"I expect there's been a lot going on," her dad added. Lily thought of everything that had happened in the last term.

"You could say that!"

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"-in a coma for two weeks," Lily finished her story as they sat around for dinner. Normally they would eat in front of the TV but as Lily was home Mrs Evans insisted that they tried to be a family and that they sit around the kitchen table.

"Poor James,"

"Is he alright now though?"

"Stuck in his room, but other than that, yeah he's fine now,"

"Shame,"

"PETUNIA!" But Petunia had already walked out. Nobody bothered to go after her, fights between her and Lily were common; if she was dragged back she would only fight and storm out again.

Lily could hardly believe that they were even related, let alone sisters. She was quite small whereas Petunia was much taller; Lily's green eyes compared to Petunia's grey; and deep red hair compared to the blondey brown colour of her sister's.

She used to wonder if one of them was adopted. Perhaps Petunia had been raised by wolves before being rescued by Lily's parents. It would explain her personality. And her teeth.

Lily hadn't realised that she was grinning, until her dad asked her what she was smirking about.

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Mia came to meet her the next day. Thankfully.

"How was the family?" Mia asked Lily, knowing full well what Lily thought of her family.

"Hmmm.... there's the over-protective mother, the bitchy sister, and the absent father. So same as ever really," Mia laughed, some things never changed.

"How was yours?"

"I....er....they're.....fine. Just fine,"

"You did go and see them, didn't you?" Lily asked narrowing her eyes. She didn't reply.

"Can you believe it's our last term?" Mia asked looking at everywhere but at her friend.

"MIA!"

"Ok, so I didn't go and see them,"

"Of course you didn't," Lily said smiling. Mia had a nasty feeling that Lily had known all along where she had spent her two weeks holiday. "So how's Thomas?"

"Oliver," Mia corrected.

"I thought Oliver was boring,"

"He is,"

"Then why are you still seeing him?"

Mia grinned.

"I never had you down as a gold digger," Lily laughed.

"A girl's got to eat! What are you grinning about now?"

"Oh nothing," replied Lily. "I was just thinking of the bollocking you'd get if someone found out where you actually were,"

"You wouldn't?!" Mia said looking horrified.

"Course not. We're mates aren't we?" Lily asked. She didn't seem quite comforted.

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They made it to Kings Cross with just five minutes to spare, when Lily remembered that she had forgotten something.

"You haven't seen a muggle sweet shop anywhere have you?" Lily asked Mia.

"Don't think so, but there's probably one on the muggle platform. Why?" Lily didn't feel like explaining that she needed to buy James a muggle lollipop, so she told her that she wanted some chocolate.

Buying the first one she could find she hurried back to platform 9 and ¾.

Only to find that the train had already left.

Almost screaming in frustration, Lily silently cursed James; and disapparated to Hogsmeade.

Only find that it was pouring with rain.

Now she was cursing him aloud and calling him every name she could think of. Even some that Sirius would have been proud of.

An hour later and she was staggering back into Hogwarts, extremely pissed off and soaked to the skin. She had arrived at Hogsmeade too early for the carriages to take her back, so she had to walk.

Lily decided that she would go to see James, then go back to her rooms and get showered and changed before going to find everyone else. Only her and Mia had left Hogwarts for Easter, so everyone else should be in the Common Room.

As it turned out, she didn't have to look very far for the other seventh years. All of them were crowded into James's room and they all fell silent as she wobbled into the room.

Why is it that the floor never swallows up when you need it to?

"Merlin Lily, what happened to you?" Sirius asked.

"Are you okay?" asked Remus, more concerned and less amused than Sirius.

"What is it?" asked James, trying to see over everyone's heads. He was stuck in his bed, until Madam Pomfrey decided that he was well enough to go back to lessons.

"Sit down Lily, Sirius stop laughing and go and get her a blanket or something!" Isabelle commanded.

"WHAT'S HAPPENED? IS LILY ALRIGHT?" James shouted, now starting to panic, over the confusion in the room.

"Yeah James, I'm fine,"

"Just a bit soggy," Sirius added trying not to laugh.

"Here's your bloody lolly," Lily said as she walked off to have a bath.

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An hour later, once she was clean and dry, Lily went back to James's room. He seemed very relieved once he saw that she was all right, and much happier.

"Lily! You got any ideas on how to get back at Snivellus?" Sirius asked as she walked in.

"Beat him to a mushy pulp and leave him for dead?" she said as she curled up next to James.

"Something slightly less obvious?"

James was eating his muggle lolly, and commenting on how boring it was.

"Why do they eat these? It doesn't burn through your tongue or make you fly or.....do anything! It's just food,"

He was running his fingers through her hair, reminding her that she needed to brush it.

Lily froze as she pulled her hairbrush out of her bag. "Please tell me I'm hallucinating! Please, please, please!"

"Elle! What colour is this?" she asked her urgently.

"Blonde, brown, I don't know why?"

"Can I have a look?" asked Remus, she handed it to him. Sometimes being a werewolf came in handy; his senses were much more acute than anyone else's, save Padfoot maybe, and he could tell that this smelled nothing like Lily. "Who's is it?"

Suddenly James caught on.

"That's-"

Lily nodded.

"And you've-"

She nodded again.

"CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN THE BLOODY HAIRBRUSH?" yelled Sirius, frustrated by not knowing what was going on.

"Lily's got her sister's hairbrush instead of hers," James explained.

"Oh. Is that it?"

"THAT IT? It's got bits of Petunia in it!"

"I didn't know you had a sister," Sirius said.

"She's a muggle, a few years older than Lily," James told him.

"And a bitch," Lily added.

A smile was starting on Sirius's face.

James recognised the expression that had formed on his mates face.

"Why young Sirius Black, do you have a plan?" he asked.

"That depends. Lily, how much do you look like your sister?"

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Sorry it's bad! If i didn't post it now then i would be messing it around for the next few weeks, and you'd never get your chapter!

Please review it and let me know if its as bad as i think it is.

Certified-weirdo: yes he is and it's about time too!

misakichi1, firewalker32, gldnsunsprite21: Thank you! Your reviews really cheered me up!

James's girl: YES IT'S SUMMER! it wouldn't happen to be the italien part that you don't get would it?!

Rose-Mariann-Johnston: I'm sorry I forgot Remus, it's just that i like Sirius more. Sorry! Don't worry he'll be in it much more in later chapters.

Emerald Eyed Cutie: I'm pretty sure that only half of them are words! Thank you for the compliments.

Thanks for reading. If you don't get the italien bit, let me know and i post what he is saying (Its really not that important!)

Leo x