No Matter What Happens
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All familiar characters, events, etc. belong to J. K. Rowlings. Anything else is mine.
Prologue: Back to School Blues
Lily Evans was at her desk responding to the letters of her friends when she heard a sharp rapping noise at her windowpane. Glancing briefly at the window, Lily saw what appeared to be a large brown owl carrying a letter. She brushed her thick auburn hair aside to reveal bright emerald eyes and stood up to let the owl in.
The owl fluttered in onto her desk, dropped a thick letter, and then started back from its delivery. Lily knew what was in the letter as soon as she laid eyes on the familiar wax seal bearing four animals. She hastily picked up the letter, vaguely noticing a difference in the thickness and wait, and opened it curiously. The all-too-familiar Hogwarts letter lay inside, but something else caught her attention. A gold and scarlet badge landed in her hand, followed by an extra note.
Ms. Lily Evans,
Congratulations. We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Gryffindor prefect for the following year. Please note that, if you accept, all prefects are required to meet at the prefect compartment on the train to Hogwarts. There you will be informed of and given your duties. We expect your owl by no later than July 31.
Sincerely yours,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
Lily smiled widely and ran to tell her parents the good news. "Mum, dad!" she cried breathlessly as she entered the dining room. Mrs. Evans gave her daughter a warm smile as she noticed the letter in her hands, "Hogwarts letter, dear?"
She nodded eagerly, gripping the badge in her hands even harder. "But that's not all I got, mu— "
"Mum!" another voice called excitedly. Lily's older sister Petunia came rushing in with a giddy smile across her blushed face. Mrs. Evans held up her hands to make her stop. "Wait a second, Petunia. Lily was just about to tell me something."
Petunia glanced down at the letter clutched in Lily's hands a frowned slightly, though she said nothing. Lily held up her prefect badge and exclaimed, "I'm a prefect!"
Her mother hugged the girl tightly and cried, "Oh Lily, that's wonderful! We'll have to do something special for you… is there anything you want to do in particular?"
Lily shrugged, her eyes searching the letter yet again. "I'd better go send a response back," she murmured to them. She started going back to her room when she suddenly whirled around, where she saw Petunia glaring at her hatefully. "What's your good news?"
Petunia scowled at her sister and muttered, "Nothing." Then she stormed past Lily angrily to her own room. Lily gave Mrs. Evans a puzzled look, who shrugged helplessly in return. Pushing the matter aside, the girl continued to her room and quickly wrote her response. She gave the letter to her own barn owl, Callie, and watched as she flew out of her window after eating a quick treat. If only September 1st could come sooner…
The Evans family gathered around the table that night, eating a strangely silent dinner. Petunia sat at the end, staring glumly at her plate and picking at her food. For a while Lily's parents tried coaxing a sentence out of Petunia, but finally they gave up when they received no response. Instead, they turned towards Lily and started praising her and asking questions about being a prefect. She was in the middle of answering a question when Petunia suddenly blurted out, "Is it okay if someone comes to dinner tomorrow?"
Mr. Evans eyed Petunia sharply, "What kind of someone?" He had made it a habit of losing it every time one of the girls even mentioned a boy. Clearly he thought his fifteen-year-old daughter and eighteen-year-old daughter were too young to date. He was in denial that his daughters were growing up and never handled the news of a new boyfriend very well.
"A boy," Petunia mumbled, barely audible.
"And what is this boy's name?" Mr. Evans rumbled threateningly. Lily winced at the sign of him losing his temper, but Petunia stared at him boldly and replied in a calm tone, "Vernon Dursley. He works at his father's firm, dad. He's nice and he likes me and is completely normal." At this last word Petunia shot Lily a deathly glare. Lily was the only one who noticed this, however, since her parents were exchanging looks of their own.
"I think that's wonderful," Mrs. Evans replied hastily before Mr. Evans could start his typical boy talk. Petunia gave a squeal and jumped out of her seat. "I'm going to go call him now," she called over her shoulder as she raced to her room. Lily watched her sister with a sinking feeling. For some reason she felt that this Vernon would have the same nasty attitude towards her as Petunia had recently. Before she found out about Hogwarts, Lily and Petunia were rather close. But now Lily could notice a steady decline in their once happy friendship. Any mention of the word 'magic' caused Petunia to cringe, and whenever she even so much as saw Callie she would shriek and run from the room.
"Anything wrong, Lily?" Mrs. Evans asked her hushed daughter. Lily shook her head quickly and said with false cheerfulness, "Nothing, mum. I'm just thinking about going back to Hogwarts. Actually, I need to write to 'Rissa and Jen about me becoming a prefect." Then she pushed her chair back and started for her comforting room. Hopefully her friends would be able to lift her spirits a little.
When Lily shut the door to her room softly, her gaze traveled over to her desk. She suddenly didn't feel much like writing. Instead she thought of her new responsibility. Who would be the other Gryffindor prefect? Lily thought about it for a second, her mind going through the list of the Gryffindor boys for possible choices. The only logical choice seemed to be Remus Lupin, though she paled at the very thought. It wasn't that he was rude or anything like that. On the contrary, she would be good friends with Remus if it weren't for him.
James Potter would be a nightmare this year, if things were still the same. Since the beginning of her third year, Potter had been like a second shadow to Lily. It seemed that he had taken an interest in Lily and spent much of his time trying to be with her every second of his spare time.
Suddenly the prospect of being prefect didn't sound as appealing as before. Lily groaned out loud and reached for a quill and piece of paper; she had a lot of complaining to do.
Sorry for how short it is... I know the next chapter will be longer for sure. Tell me how you like it! (No flames, please!) Suggestions are welcome for this, though I already have some idea where this is going.
-Shadow Riku
