Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film.
A Cinderella Story
By Araidel
Truth Revealed
An owl flew towards the middle floor of the library tower. It soared threw the open window and landed, with a soft flump, on the couch pillow. Linda came into the room and spotted the owl on the pillow.
"Who are you delivering to?" she asked it, sweetly.
The owl hooted and held out its' leg. There was a bundle of letters tied to its legs and it was clear that many letters were being delivered to the same place by this one owl. Linda untied the package of letters and the owl took off, flying once around Linda's peroxide head before zooming out of the window.
Linda looked at the letters and untied them. She sorted through the parchment envelopes, looking for letters addressed to her. The first one, when Linda opened it, was about a new order for Newt Salamander posters. However, just under the second letter, Linda spotted an official looking letter addressed, not to her, but to Lily.
She tore it open, wondering what the Ministry would want with her step-daughter. Linda gasped as her eyes travelled down the letter, reading it.
Dear Miss Evans
I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted in the years training course needed to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Please send us your owl accepting this place as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Amanda Berth
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Linda's eyes widened. "Accepted in the years training course needed to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement..." she muttered.
Suddenly she shook her head. "Oh no." she said loudly. Linda stuffed the letter back into the envelope. "This really won't do."
"I got in." James muttered to himself. A similar letter was in James' hands. This letter, however, was offering a place in the three years Auror training school.
James then looked down at his other letter. It was from his father, telling him that he had been offered a place to play Quidditch professionally. James sighed and tipped his chair onto its two back legs. His father had been telling James for ages that he was going to play Quidditch professionally and his father had stopped at nothing to get James into the training camp. James, on the other hand, didn't want to become a professional Quidditch player, but an Auror. Only DMLEgirl knew this.
James' chair hit the floor with a loud thud. DMLEgirl! He thought gleefully. She would understand and, perhaps, she would tell him her identity too.
James pulled a fresh piece of parchment towards him and tapped it with his wand. "Instansus" he muttered and wrote 'DMLEgirl?' as his first message.
Lily looked up as a piece of parchment started to vibrate. She pulled it towards her and saw the words 'Prongs42 to DMLEgirl' appear on the top. Then the message 'Prongs42: DMLEgirl?'
Lily picked up her quill and wrote back. 'DMLEgirl: Yes, James?'
'Prongs42: Two things; One my father is bugging me again and ...'
'Let's deal with number one first' she wrote back quickly. Lily knew exactly what his number two was.
'Prongs42: Ok. How do I so to him that I don't want to become a professional Quidditch Player?'
'DMLEgirl: You know my answer, James; tell him the truth. Talk to him.'
'Prongs42: But what do I say?'
'DMLEgirl: I dunno, something like "Dad, I need to tell you something .... I am not going to be a professional Quidditch Player." And stress the not.'
'Prongs42: I'll try. Thanks. And ... will you tell me who you are? Or are you intimidated by the fact that I am James Potter?'
Lily sighed. She really wanted to tell James the truth about her identity. Joseph had been telling her to tell him since he had left the library yesterday. She wrote back 'DMLEgirl: I'm not intimidated by you, James.'
The reply came instantly. 'Prongs42: Then tell me. Please tell who you are...'
Lily put her quill to her parchment and wrote out 'DMLEgirl:' she then stopped; thinking hard. This was the moment to tip the scales. If she told James who she was and he was disappointed ... but Lily wasn't sure if she could stand another day of James searching the school for her.
However, her decision was made for her. Petunia pocked her head round the door and said "Lily? Mum wants you in the library."
Lily sighed, with gladness or disappointment even she didn't know. "I'll be there in a minute." She said. Lily looked back down at the parchment and wrote 'I can't'. She then tapped it again and the spell ended.
Lily stood up and walked out of her attic room, leaving Petunia in it. Petunia walked over to Lily's desk and sat down in the chair. She began flicking through the pieces of parchment littered over her step-sister's desk.
"Anything interesting?" came a voice from behind Petunia. Petunia jumped and turned around to see Rose standing behind her.
"Not yet ..." Petunia said, turning back to the desk. The twins began to move he pages around again until Petunia said "Hang on. What's this?"
She was holding up the parchment bearing the conversation between Lily and James only a few minutes ago. Rose and Petunia reread the conversation. Their mouths fell open as the realisation hit them.
"Lily ..." Petunia said weakly
"Is ..." Rose added, just as feebly.
"Cinderella?" They said on unison. Their faces turned towards each other; Petunia slightly looking up at her smaller sister because Rose was standing. Then they looked back at the parchment conversation again.
Without any warning, the twins both jumped up and hurtled towards the door. Rose burst out of it before Petunia but they flew down the corridor together, searching.
Petunia, having longer legs, reached the lake edge first. She and Rose had spotted James skimming stones alone from a window as they ran through the castle looking for him. Petunia ran flat out and slowed down when she came nearer the bank.
James looked up at the sound of pounding footsteps. He stood up as Petunia stopped by him and held her steady until she caught her breath.
"James." She panted. "I need to tell you something."
However, at that precise moment, Rose caught up with her twin. She, too, was breathing hard and collapsed onto the ground trying to get her own breath back. James helped Rose up and stood looking from one girl to the other.
"James. I have something to tell you." Rose repeated.
James raised his eyebrows and motioned with his arms for the girls to continue. Rose glared at Petunia before bursting out with "I'm Cinderella." James' eyebrows lifted higher. "I didn't want to tell you because it would have ruined to –"
"What are you talking about?" Petunia interrupted her sister. "I am Cinderella. I wanted to keep the secret going for as long as possible."
James folded his arms and watched them, waiting.
Rose looked at her sister and said, through clenched teeth, "No Petunia. I am Cinderella."
"I am." Countered Petunia.
"No. You think you are. But I-"
"Ladies, ladies." James stopped them. "If one of you is Cinderella, then you will be able to answer this simple question. What did Cinderella drop when she ran out of the hall?"
Petunia ad Rose's faces froze and then changed into thoughtful expression. James turned to Rose first and waited for her answer.
"A wand." Rose said quickly. "I dropped my wand."
James shook his head and turned to look at Petunia. "A bag of ... of ... cheese!" Petunia burst out, under pressure.
James smiled sceptically and shook his head. "Nice try girls." He said and walked off, leaving Petunia and Rose glaring at each other.
"A bag of cheese, Petty?" Rose asked. "How stupid can you get?"
"I was under pressure." Petunia answered quickly.
"I hate you, did you know that. You ruined my chance with James Potter as his Cinderella –"
"Don't give me that shit." Petunia said nastily. "Even if I wasn't here, you wouldn't have been Cinderella. You didn't know the answer to that question."
"Yes I would've." Countered Rose.
"No you wouldn't have."
"Bitch!" Rose shouted and grabbing her sister by the arms, they began to fight.
Petunia slapped Rose and they shuffled a bit nearer the edge of the lake. Rose shook Petunia very hard and was dragged down the slope. They were now ankle deep in the lake.
"I hate you!" Petunia shouted
"I hate you!" Rose screamed.
Then, both girls pushed each other and fell backwards; into the lake water. They came up to the surface breathing hard. Laughter rang around the grounds and Petunia and Rose swam back to the edge.
Petunia pulled herself onto dry land and then helped Rose up as well. However, just as Petunia began to climb up the muddy slope, Rose pulled her back down. Petunia came sliding down and stood next to her sister.
Rose's eyes were alight with malice and she had them fixed on a point on the grounds. "Do you know what our only other option is now, Petty?" she said quietly
When Petunia shook her head, Rose pointed in the direction of a table. Looking round, Petunia saw Rosanna, Noël and Natasha sitting there. Petunia caught onto Rose's plan and looked eagerly at Rose for confirmation.
Rose nodded and said "We tell Rosanna."
After the twins had slipped into clean robes and picked up all of the parchments with Lily and James' conversations on it, they headed down to the grounds again.
Petunia steered Rose towards a table near the greenhouses. Rosanna, Noël and Natasha looked up as the twins approached and Rosanna looked them up and down.
"What do you want?" she sneered.
Petunia and Rose looked at each other and Rose, the braver twin, stepped forward holding out the file of parchment sheets.
"We found something that you might find interesting." She said.
Rosanna took the file and opened it with a bored look on her face. Her eyes widened as she glanced at the first piece of parchment and motioned for the twins to sit down.
"Where did you get this?" she asked.
"Well," Petunia began but Rose cut across her.
"In our step-sister's room." Rose said
"And your step sister is...?" Noël asked
"Lily Evans" Petunia answered a smirk on her face.
Rosanna looked through the conversations in the file. She picked up a few; the first on they had had, the conversation where James asked Lily to the ball and the latest one where Lily wouldn't tell James her identity.
"Rosie?" Natasha said quietly. "What are we going to do?"
Rosanna looked up and regarded the twins over the top of the file. "You have done the right thing to give me these. And, now, we need your help to stop her stealing my man."
Rose smiled proudly and Petunia said "And we're Petunia and Rose Evan-"
"What do we need to do?" Rose interrupted her sister but elbowing her in the ribs.
Rosanna leaned closer over the table and beckoned her companions in closer. "Well..." she said and explained her plan.
"Lily?" Linda asked as she came into her room holding a tray of biscuits and an envelope.
Lily looked up from the bed and said "Come in, Linda."
Linda walked in and offered the tray of biscuits of her step-daughter. "This came for you." She said and placed the envelope in Lily's hand.
Lily looked at it and her eyes widened. It was an envelope that she recognised; it was from the Ministry.
"It's from the Ministry!" she breathed.
"Open it!" Linda said with fake enthusiasm.
Lily missed the fake tone of Linda's tone and tore open the envelope hurriedly. She took out the piece of parchment inside and opened it with shaking hands.
Dear Miss Evans
I am upset to inform you that you have been rejected in the years training course needed to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Ministry of Magic thanks you for taking an interest in out Department and wishes you good luck in any future jobs.
Yours sincerely,
Amanda Berth
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Lily's eyes welled with tears. She was rejected! She shook her head, trying to clear the disappointment that was filling her like water filled a bath.
"Lily?" Linda asked. Lily, who had closed her eyes to try and stop tears, didn't see a faint smile cross Linda's face. "Lily, what is wrong?"
Lily opened her eyes and tears spilled out. "I was rejected from my dream job." She said simply.
Linda's face contorted into a well-rehearsed look of sadness. "Oh, no. That's awful." She said
Lily smiled weakly. She shrugged and footsteps were heard on the stairs outside. The door burst open and Joseph came in. He took one look at Lily crying silently on the bed and leapt onto it, hugging his best friend.
Lily looked out at her step-mother and said, quietly, "Thanks Linda." Linda nodded her reply and took the tray out of Lily's attic room. As she stopped at the door, Linda smiled evilly to herself having achieved her goal; destroying Lily's dream.
Joseph summoned a tissue and dabbed Lily's eyes delicately. Lily laughed and swatted the tissue away.
"What happened?" Joseph asked, sitting on his knees next to Lily.
As an answer, Lily handed Joseph the letter. His eyes widened as he read the rejection letter from the Ministry.
"What?" he asked as he finished it. "But they were so pleased with you before."
Lily shrugged again and said "They probably found someone better to fill the job."
"Are you kidding?" Joseph said incredibly. "No one is better than you, Lils"
"Thanks Jo." Lily said quietly. Joseph smiled and hugged Lily again.
A voice sounded over the magical intercom. "I have a message from James Potter to Cinderella." Came Lucy's voice from the Hogwarts radio. "He says to come to the Quidditch Pitch and the rehearsal for the big game in the week."
Lily and Joseph looked at each other. "That's my queue." Lily said quietly.
"Also," Lucy continued. "Can everybody in Hogwarts join Cinderella and James at the pitch because there is something that he wishes to give to Cinderella and needs witnesses for it."
"And that's my queue." Joseph added. "Ready to tell James the truth?" he asked, more tentatively.
Lily shrugged and got off her bed. She led Joseph out of her room and down the library stairs. They walked towards the Quidditch Pitch, joining the crowd of people also heading towards the large stadium. They were all discussing the scandal and Lucy's message on the radio. Lily and Joseph shared another knowing look and as the crowd reached the doors, Joseph whispered "Truth is never overrated." in Lily's ear.
James was sitting with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team at the front seats in a large section of seats in the middle of the pitch. A large stage had been conjured in front of the seats. A hand tapped James on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw his father sitting behind him.
"Win the next match, son, and your place as a professional Quidditch player is secure." Jonathon Potter whispered to his son.
James nodded, DMLEgirl's message echoing in his mind. 'Tell him the truth. Talk to him'. This was a perfect chance to tell his father that he didn't want to go into Quidditch professionally. James actually turned around to tell his father the truth but as he did so he saw the rest of the school file into the stadium and the cheerleaders jump onto the stage.
Rosanna, Noël and Natasha had gone to Dumbledore saying that they wanted to start up a cheerleading squad. He, of course, had agreed and they led the chants for all of the matches in Hogwarts. They now stood on the stage, waiting for the rest of the school to sit in their seats.
The squad all wore black uniforms with the Hogwarts crest blazing on their tiny tops. Their flared skirts lifted as they spun around on the stage, beginning the routine.
Rosanna moved to the front and tapped the magical microphone. She lent up to it and said "Today, ladies and gentlemen, we will tell you a story. A story of a secret love." Rosanna smiled flirtatiously at the boys in the audience and then turned around.
Behind her stood the rest of the squad. They had formed a fence through the middle of the stage, with the curtains behind them. A single figure stood away from the line of cheerleaders; one in Quidditch robes and the other in a copy of Lily's ball dress.
"Prongs42 and DMLEgirl started out as pen-pals, meeting in a Ministry owl-room." Rosanna said, beginning her story.
The two figures moved into the light; Petunia was wearing Gryffindor Quidditch robes and had an owl on her shoulder and a quill, parchment and her wand in her hands. On the other side of the fence stood Rose. She wore the golden replica dress and also had an owl perched on her shoulder and a quill, parchment and her own wand in her hands.
Petunia placed the quill on the parchment and mimed writing. "Dearest DMLEgirl," she said.
As the sequence of events went on, James' face contorted into a deeper scowl and Lily's eyes filled with tears. The crowd of completely silent deeply interested in the beginnings of the Cinderella Scandal.
"Of course, Prongs." Rose said in a mock high voice writing on the parchment again. "I will go to the ball with you."
"DMLEgirl and Prongs went to the ball together and that is when the school was alerted of the secret relationship." Rosanna narrated. She moved her eyes from James' face that was steadily growing red with anger to Lily's face, which had tears tracks staining it.
Joseph slipped his arm around Lily's shoulders and hugged her to him. He caught Rosanna's eye and glared at her. Rosanna smiled smugly and then looked back at her fellow cheerleaders.
When Rosanna nodded, the line split into couples. Petunia and Rose were in the middle talking loudly.
"Tell me who you are, DMLEgirl." Petunia said as she twirled her twin around.
"I can't James." Rose said. Half the people in the crowd looked at James as she said this but were quickly drawn back tot the stage at Rosanna's words.
"We knew that James was out Prince Charming, but Cinderella did a Cinderella and fled the ball." Rosanna said. She flicked her eyes to Lily again who was fully crying now, tears pouring down her face. "And now, we find out Cinderella."
The crowd was silent with anticipation. James felt another hand on his shoulder and heard his father's voice saying "What is she on about James?"
James shrugged and looked back at Rosanna. She raised her hand and made a point with her finger. "Library Girl, Lily Evans." She concluded, with a smug smile. Rosanna pointed directly at the crying Lily and every face in the stadium turned to stare at the newly revealed Cinderella.
James stood up and caught Lily's eye. She took at deep breath and James' eyes widened realising the truth.
Joseph bent down and whispered in his friend's ear. "Get back to the tower, Lily."
Lily nodded and turned away from James. She began to walk out of the stadium. Joseph turned around to follow but something made him turn around. He also caught James' line of sight.
James and Joseph looked directly at each other for a few moments before Joseph raised his eyebrows and jerked his head in Lily's direction as if saying 'Get here!'
When James didn't move, Joseph shook his head and also turned away. He led Lily out of the crowds and up to her room in the tower. James watched them go and felt all of the eyes on him. He, however, didn't take any notice but stood in the same position watching the place where his Cinderella had been standing.
AN: Finally! I have been waiting to write this for ages! But I really need your opinion; I need to know how the story should end. There are two endings; one is to end it where the film ends, ie when James and Lily leave Hogwarts and nothing after. Or I can include their wedding and then finish it with Harry. Well, both with finish with Harry in the library anyway but how should the Lily and James bit end? Please choose!
IceCrystal: Thanks for all of your reviews! And your story - A Little Cinderella Magic- is like mine, only your include time travel... it is a good story! And how on earth do I write good chapters – I practice. Thanks for the compliment though, but if I had posted my first drafts then you really wouldn't be saying those things – they were that bad.
AN (2): Please can you read my other Lily and James story, The Days of Old. It isn't based on anything and, while it is probably like most of the ones out there, I have at least four sequels planned so ...please tell me what you think.