Lily had gotten up early that day, deciding to take a shower later as not to wake up her fellow dorm mates and with a swift Warming Charm on her robes she ventured downstairs. Little light was coming through the windows, not that the castle had a shortage of light. Light was one thing Wizardkind was never short of. The impressive looking Whomping Willow was shedding it's brown leaves, a sure sign that winter was creeping about.
There wasn't going to be the usual mail call consisting of the besieging owls but nevertheless the house-elves had already worked their miracles. The tables were covered from beginning till end in delicious looking food. Marmalade, toast,tea, fruit, everything you could possibly think of.
She settled for a steaming mug of Lemon tea when she felt the familiar prickle in her neck. Severus was already at his usual spot flanked by Zabini and Rosier. She seated herself bravely (and partially selfishly) facing them with a unconcerned look on her face. Her heart skipped a beat as his thick curtains of hair swayed forward just a bit, enough to give her the merest flicker of a smile. Zabini ignored her while Rosier gave her a filthy smirk and mouthed the obvious "Mudblood".
Lily took pity in his unoriginality and clamped her cold hands around the steaming mug, the smell of lemons reaching her nose. She wanted nothing more then to smile at Severus but she knew it would only lead the way of trouble, not with those stooges present. Alice,who had just joined her,was in between spreading a piece of toast and opening her mouth when Professor McGonagall walked into the Great Hall. Her face, normally stern,had an uncharactiscally worried look. She towered over the Gryffindor table.
"Good morning Miss Evans,Miss McKinnon" she greeted.
"Morning Professor", they chimed in together.
"Miss Evans, I wonder if you could follow me into the Headmasters' office?" she said in a very definite tone of voice.
"Certainly Professor" Lily answered, scrambling on her feet, waving in good bye to Alice .
She felt the familiar pickle on the back of her back again and knew that Severus was following her all the way down the corridor. There was a painfull silence as Lily stared down the billowing green robes that lead her.
A large and rather ugly looking gargoyle stood fiercely in position infront of the entrance to what must be Dumbledore's office. McGonagall commandingly called "Ice Mice" and to Lily's great suprise the ugly statue moved aside leaving a clear path up another round of stairs.
Several voices were in an apparantly heated disccusion in Dumbledore's office. It sounded like he was entertaining at least two dozen people. When McGonagall knocked, the voices had suddenly silenced and the doors opened on their own accord.
It was a first time visit for Lily into Dumbledores' office and she marvelled at the extraordinaire of it all. There was a high ceiling and at least a hundred portraits were plastered all over the wall, some of them were snoozing, others were leaning forward or shooting down curious glances. Little silver tinklings were smoking and one of them started shivering vigorously as Lily touched it, little puffs of smoke coming from its silvery end. Dumbledore's face lightend with a mysterious smile as he continued watching the scenery.
"Headmaster?" McGonagall interrupted his daze.
"Ah yes Minerva. And good moring Miss Evans", he said in a warm voice, "if you would please take a seat" His long slender hand pointed invitingly to a chair infront of his desk.
He joined her in sitting down and gazed upon her with his blue eyes from above his halfmoonglasses,his long fingers interlocked in concentration. He fumbled with a little brown bag in his magnificent blue robes as he spoke.
"There will be no easy way of saying this Miss Evans and I shall not insult your intelligence by not adressing the matter directly. You have been called home,urgently. We have been requested to portkey you there. You shall have no need to pack as I have instructed the house- elves to do so."
"Headmaster, what is going on? Why this sudden urgency? I had arranged to see my parents at Christmas. "
"I'm afraid that is something between you and your parents Lily" he answered calmly, "I know it is of short day but I can only tell you that the matter is of great importance and you will come to understand why".
Having the Headmaster address her by her given name calmed Lily down as she relaxed in the comfortable chair. Nevertheless a feeling of great unease overcame her.
"When do I leave?"
"As soon as possible" Dumbledore answered.
"But Headmaster I have so many things left unfinished and I have an evening assignment today!"
"I will make sure that young Master Snape will be updated on the current situation and that you shall have no problems upon your return" Dumbledore said reassuring looking up at McGonagall as though he had two persons to convince.
Dumbledore's wizened face looked down on Lily filled with kindness as he touched her cheek and whispered "You will understand".
His long fingers were grapsing a small figuring and as he tapped it with his wand it turned a violent shade of blue. When the colour had returned to normal, he passed it on to Lily.
"This is your portkey Miss Evans, it will serve for today and it shall bring you back at any given time you wish, you only need to speak the word "Hogwarts" and it shall take you back.
Overwhelmed by thoughts, Lily simply nodded. Dumbledore put his hand on her shoulder in comfort,something wich strengthend Lily beyond anything. She stood up, ready to go and to meet whatever might be awaiting her at home.
"Headmaster,Professor" she waved in good-bey with her free hand.
One...two...three!
Lily felt an immense tug around her navel, as though she was being hurtled around. Colours were mixed, sound was thrashing about and her stomach clenched. She never could stand Magical Travelling, be it broomstick or Floo or any other form.
The journey ended abruptly when she landed fairly hard in her parents' living room and crashing noise followed by a piercing shriek. Lily recognised the voice of her mother, father and older sister Petunia as she straightend up.
There was a strong sent of apple pie and potporri in the air. She was ...home.
And indeed, soon enough her mother had taken her into a tight hug.
"Oh sweetheart, I am so glad you're home", she cried out.
Lily looked up in her mothers green eyes and a pang shot trough her. Red marks surrounded her eyes and her face was gloom. She had been crying. The fake smile her mother currently had on display could not hide this.
"Hello pumpkin", came the deep voice of her father.
Her fathers kind face looked like it had suddenly aged 10 years. She then turned to her sister, but as soon as she made eyecontact with her, Petunia gave Lily a disgusted look and strode off.
"Never mind, your sister pumpkin, she is in a bit of a ackward mood" her father soothed, taking the three of them into the large kitchen where her parents tried to get her engaged in some small talk and apple pie ,but the looks on both of their faces worried Lily too much.
"Mum...dad..", she turned,"Why am I here?" The cup her mother was holding started trembling onto its cup and her fathers' adamsapple bounced up and down a couple of times too much.
The doors to the kitchend closed with a thud. Lily supposed Petunia had eavesdropped enough.
"We need to talk", her father said, his face graver then Lily had ever seen. He shared a glance look with his wife, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"I'm afraid I haven't been ..very honest...with your or your mother or sister for that matter", he said his voice trembeling down his troat, "A few weeks ago, when your mother was doing a rather vigorously cleaning of the house, she found ...this." He explained, laying a large wand on the table.
Her father picked up the wand with an amazingly correct grip and looking very grim he said "Orchideous!"
Several gorgeous colourfull flowers sprouted from the wandtip.
There was no air in the room anymore , or so it seemed to Lily, whos longues left her gasping. She shook her head as though she were hoping that whatever just happend would disappear.
Still gasping for air, all Lily could muster was "I though, I mean,you're a muggle...both of you are non magic!"
Once more her father shook his head.
"I am, infact, a wizard.. I am a halfblood wizard Lily".
Her mothers sobs pierced the silence, her chest heaving up and down under a flow of tears. Her husband tried to grab her hand gently but she withdrew herself so quickly as if it were something contagious.
"25 years ago I graduated from Hogwarts -", her father continued, "- there after I spend 3 more years on getting my Potions Collectum. I started a job with the Ministry immediatly after in the P.A.M department, the Potions And Mixtures departement. It no longer excists at the Ministry as it was closed soon after I left there. Our department was often called upon when a Witch or Wizard came to die unexpectedly and the Ministry thought the death was of .criminal influence.
I soon made a promissing career, in 2 years I became Head of PAM and it was under my influence that our departement solved a high number of "sudden" deaths. But I grew enemies, people who's families or friends where in Azkaban by our account.
In the end, the Ministry voted for me to go into Wrelop, Wizard Relocational Program. It took untill I had done my last testify before the whole process was speeded up. --"
"Why?", Lily interrupted her father.
"Because of the nature of the crime. It was both brutal and very sudden, a family murder. I met your mother during all this, thanks to the relocation program she has never known me other then being a Sales representative"
Lily looked upto her mother, who had silent tears dripping onto her Kashmir sweater.
"How come nobody ever found you? Your so called enemies? It's not impossible to retrace anyone by magic" Lily demanded.
"Just as it is not hard to disappear completely via magic Lily. There were many spells and Charms envoked on my person",her father explained, " A Fidelius charm to begin with and several Intracable Charms. Even the use of my wand is limited. And ofcourse major Defensive Spells are surrounding our house. And last but not least, I had my name changed", he ended.
"Now what?", Lily said, " Won't the rescent use of your wand be traced, somebody may already know your current whereabouts."
"I have already visited The Ministry about this and measurements are being taken as we speak" her father tried to smile, receiving none in return.
The little henhouse clock in the kitchen ticked softly counting every silence filled second.
"There's something else you should kn----", her father started but stopped when Lily's mother ran out of the room.
Lily made to follow her mother when her father grabbed her by the wrist: "Lily please, I need to explain----"
"I think I've heard enough from you. I'm going to see to Mum", Lily said angrily, wringing herself from her fathers grasp.
Taking the familiar path upstairs, Lily knocked politely but didn't bother waiting for an answer as she entered her parents bedroom. Her mother was sitting in her favorite highbacked chair, infront of the giant bedroom windows, peering between halfclosed curtains. Silent streams were flowing down her kind face.
"Oh Lilyth", she said with the air of someone commenting on yesterdays weather.
For the first time that day Lily's courage gave way as she saw her mother being such a helpless creature. Her eyes were watereing salty painfull tears as she grabbed her mother in the most intimate hug they had ever shared.
"I'm so sorry mum", she said honestly, not knowing what for but simply in acknowledgement that her mother was the real victim of this whole mess. Her mother had lived in what was a lie her whole life, deceaded by the man she loved most.
"How could he do this to his own flesh and blood, I don't know how he can stare you and your sister in the face anymore" her mother sniffed.
"Petunia? What's wrong with her?"
Looking petrified from head to foot her mother broke into renewed sobs, but still tried to look her daughter in the face defiantely.
"Your father,he.. when he had to go into hiding, there were things that needed to be done to protect him. All kinds of Charms and P-p-p-potions -",she plucked up her couradge and took a deep breath,"-and those magical doctors you have -"
"Healers", Lily corrected her mother.
"--those healers told him that because of the force,combinding everything,would squash any magic out of the firsborn child" she finished with a mixture of digust and helplessness in her voice.
The full impact of those words hit Lily hard in the face leaving her gasping for breath. She simply didnt know what say on this. Tears were now running down her face too, silently dripping on the robes she was still wearing.
Her mother found it a perfect diversion and said : "Why don't you go freshen up a bit sweetheart it must be terribly warm in your outfit"
Lily merely nodded,kissed her on the cheeck and made a quick pace to the bathroom. When the door had falling in its place with a wellknown "click" she broke down completely.
Crumpling down against the bath, thoughts were raging in her mind, repeating all things wich have been said that dreadfull day as if her mind wanted to make sure she'd remember. How could she forget? Her heart felt as if it was hurting more with every beat.
The water streaming down from the tabs disguisd her cries. When she let her body sink into the roseperfumed hot water her muscles were the only thing relaxing but the tension in her heart and mind only became more entangled.
Awareness grew that she was yet to face another unpleasant task. She had to face her sister. A feeling she shunted aside quickly with a deep sink into the hot water. A nasty little voice in her mind nagged "At least it clears things up for me,at least some things make sence now" No longer a mudblood but a Wizards daughter A halfblood. She spent minutes on that thought, familiarising herself with the fact that she was no longer "a mudblood". Grasping that thought she stepped out of the water and wrapped herself in a darkgreen bathrobe.
The first sincere smile played on her lips when he saw witnessed herself in the large bathroommirror and thought about what Severus would have to say about her chosen colour of robe, when she suddenly heared a small tapping sound on the window. She let the brown barnowl wich had been ticking impatiently onto the window in, only one scroll of parchement was tied to his paw.
Lily opend the letter trembling, as she couldn't stand for more bad news today, her body reacted to the spidery handwriting that was plastered across the parchement
"Severus", she thought.
Lily,
Your charming Head of House just told me that were rushed home. .
Thinking of you.
- SS-
There was a clicking noise when the owl who had made the delivery was clicking his beak open and shut, apparantly expecting a reward for delivery.
Lily looked around but she chould not think of single thing only apologised. "I'm awefully sorry but I havent got anything".
The owl ruffled his feathers digusted and flew off, leaving her on her own to get an answer back to Severus. But first things first. Lily had to talk to Petunia. She didn't want to or even felt like it but she had to. A letter to Severus was much more enjoyable but she couldn't ignore her sister like this.
Putting on a nice pair of jeansand a simple black shirt, Lily walked towards her sisters bedroom.
She politely knocked but knowing how Petunia hated invastion of her privacy she didn't open the door before an "enter" came from within.
Petunia was sitting on her large bed, reading "Gardens and Homes".
She didn't greet Lily as she entered, or even admitted she was there. Lily felt like having to face a Hippogriff and waited for Petunia to make the first move. She didnt have to wait very long. Petunia quickly snapped "What do you want from me?"
"To talk Petunia, we need to talk about what has happend", sitting down nexto her on the bed.
"I think you have been well enough informed by your mother and father have you not?"
"OUR mother and father Petunia, but I want to talk to you"
"I don't feel like talking to you. I know all I need to know right now. It seems that everything has been settled weather any of us agree or not.
"Petunia please, we must try, we have to...make it through this all. If we don't we'll end up being some sort of soap-opera sisters who don't talk to eachother untill someone dies."
Home and Gardens was trown on the floor and Petunia was now a mere inch away from Lily, her boney face was light with a fury Lily had never seen before.
"As far as I'm concerned, you and I are no sisters. You are a freak, your whole kind are unnatural freaks who care only about themselves. Mother and I are victims of your kind and I don't want anything to do with you ! Or any of you, get out of my room and do us all a favor and get back to that madhouse you call a "school" preferably today!
Lily could only stare. She didn't mean this. She could never. She wouldn't.
"GET OUT!" Petun
ia now postively shouted.
Lily ran out.