Hello and thank you for reading my story! Just a few quick notes to get you started: This is a work in progress, but I do have about ten or eleven chapters already written. It's in Lily's POV but will switch occasionally (as indicated). The first few chapters are very childish in nature- FOR A REASON. These kids are eleven years old, people! But after chapter three I skip to the sixth year. Anyway, please do review- it helps so much, you can't even imagine (unless you're a writer of one of these things too)

Disclaimer: Pretty much anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Dreaming of You

By Samantha

Chapter One: "A Not So Bright Beginning"

There once was a girl named Lily Evans. One day she would fall in love. One day she would marry. One day she would have a son. And then one day she would die for that son. That is a wonderful story, but told much better by a much wiser woman. My story is that of a young Lily Evans. A girl with a bright future full of hope and love and…

"Magic!" A small red head exclaimed as she rounded a corner down Diagon Alley. Her mouth dropped as wide as her eyes, attempting to soak in as much as possible. Cauldrons and owls and floating pumpkins, too. A wand shop here, fantastic toys there- it was all just too much for such a small child.

"Oh mum, let's go to the wand shop first! Oh, please!" Lily pointed enthusiastically at Ollivander's Wand Shop.

"Darling, calm down. You're attracting a bit of…attention," Mrs. Evans asked looking at all the strangers who were staring at them, some mildly amused. Other's not so mildly amused.

"Oh sorry, mother! I'm just so excited, I guess," Lily said in a whisper as she blushed a rosy shade.

"It's quite alright," the mother smiled at the energetic eleven-year-old. Lily dragged her mother toward the door of the wand shop while Mrs. Evans told her husband to get a head start at the bookstore. Mrs. Evans knew all too well how long Lily could take in a book shop.

As soon as Lily closed the door, she felt the presence of something great around her. She looked at the stacks of wand boxes- hundreds, maybe thousands! All containing magic. The very idea enthralled her. She spotted an old man with exuberant white hair and small half-moon glasses already taking care of a customer.

"I'll be with you in a minute, Miss. I must finish tending to Mr. Potter here first." The old man smiled at a young boy with messy, raven-colored hair. Lily blushed at how cute he looked despite the disarrayed state of his hair. She gave him a meek smile, which was immediately returned. Her gaze then wandered to the left some and landed on an older woman with her hair pulled back into a low bun. The woman, whom she took to be Mrs. Potter, smiled mildly at Lily and her mother and then returned her attention to her son.

Lily's mother introduced herself to her fellow mother. The other mother gave her name as Marianne Potter. Marianne was friendly with Mrs. Evans, nodding and responding at all the right places. In fact, everything about Marianne Potter was proper and right. The way she folded her hands together in front of her, the way her back was straighter than the wall behind it, the way she held her nose aloft just the slightest…

"Oh so both our children will be going to the same school! We were thrilled when Lily got her letter. She is the first witch in our family, " Mrs. Evans carried on about her daughter, never noticing how Marianne's eyes widened ever so slightly upon this subject.

Lily turned her attention to the boy trying out different wands and giggled when he made a glass lamp shatter.

"What are you laughing at?" he snapped, frustrated that none of the wands fit him.

"You," Lily stated simply.

"Well its not very nice," he replied. "You just wait until it's your turn."

"I'm sorry," Lily apologized with the smirk still on her face. This of course was not very nice of Lily to mock the poor boy who was so frustrated. We all know, however, how tempting it can be.

"What are you smirking at?" James retorted.

"I'm not smirking," Lily said. Of course the smirk only got wider.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not"

"Yes you are"

"No I'm not."

"No you're not."

"Yes I – hey! No fair! You tricked me!" Lily exclaimed while stomping her foot

"You deserved it," he said, grinning at his victory.

"And why, might I ask, did I deserve it?" Lily looked as if she might murder the boy just by staring at him.

"Because you were smiling at me," the boy said as if the answer should have been obvious.

"And since when was that against the law," Lily folded her arms across her and leaned back on her left foot: a favorite move by any eleven-year-old girl.

"Since I said so!" he gave the perfect eleven-year-old boy response. Lily was about to make a sly remark when they were interrupted by Mr. Ollivander.

"Here, Mr. Potter. Try this one," he handed over a long, pliable, mahogany wand. The boy swished it around and the wand began to shoot out red and gold sparks. "Ah, we have finally found you a wand, Mr. Potter. Let me ring you up."

The boy put the wand back in the box, glad that he was finished with that ordeal. He turned back around to Lily.

"I'm James, by the way," he said while sticking out his hand for her to shake.

"I'm Lily," she said while taking his hand. They both introduced themselves so normally that one would think that rows such as that one were average occurrences. Well it was Lily and James, after all. Both could argue their way out of a shoe box and into Timbuktu.

Marianne saw James had finished picking out a wand and began to fish through her purse for her wallet. James then took the time to take in Lily Evans.

"Wow, you're eyes… they're emerald," he said transfixed.

"I know they look funny- you don't have to make fun of me," Lily said a bit annoyed.

"I wasn't making fun. I've just never seen such bright eyes before," he said still amazed by their color.

"Er…thanks," Lily said feeling a bit uncomfortable. James just shrugged.

Ollivander then brought a few wands for Lily to try out. He handed her a willow wand first with a curious glint in his eye.

"Here you go, Miss Evans. Ten and a quarter inches, unicorn hair, swishy. Very good for charms work," he stated while handing her the wand. Lily swished it around as she had seen James do and watched as silver sparks shot from the tip.

"That's interesting," Mr. Ollivander said as he stared closely at the small little red head before him. His gaze lingered on her emerald eyes. "It usually takes three or four wands before the right one finds you. This is quite interesting. I can't wait to see what we can expect from you, Miss Evans." Lily smiled at the man and turned around to a shocked James.

"You found yours on the first try! I must have tried fifty wands before I found mine!" James exclaimed.

Lily merely smiled, "Well I am a girl, you know." James mouth dropped open as the girl sashayed over to her mother. Marianne quickly paid Ollivander and turned to go out the door.

"Close your mouth James!" She ordered. James's jaw snapped shut, but his eyes remained wide open and staring at the red head.

"It was nice meeting you," Marianne said curtly. James gave one last look at the porcelain-skinned, red-haired girl before he followed his mother out the door. Marianne began to scold James about something before the door had even closed. Lily could not help but listen in and her heart immediately dropped when she heard what his mother had to say.

"I don't want you affiliating with that Evans girl, you hear me? You are better than she is. She is muggle born for Merlin's sake-" Marianne continued talking but Lily chose to block out the rest of her speech.

Rose finished paying Ollivander and turned around to a very depressed child.

"What is the matter, darling?" the concerned mother asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a bit tired, I guess," Lily quickly lied.

"Ok, well lets get the rest of your things," Rose gave her daughter a squeeze around the shoulders and guided her out the door.

Lily felt completely heart broken. It had not occurred to her that other witches and wizards would judge her non-magic heritage. What really hurt, though, was that James had not stuck up for her. Yes they had not exactly been on good terms but that fight was just a bit of fun to pass the time.

If only Lily continued to listen at the door. Then she would hear James tell his mother to bugger off. Then she would hear James go on about her pretty smile. If only she could hear James tell his mother about how unique and beautiful her eyes were. Then she would hear him say that it did not matter if she were the daughter of a couple of goblins; he was still going to be her friend.

If only she had listened…

But she didn't.

Therefore, Lily bought the rest of her supplies with a sad heart and a questionable outlook on her future at Hogwarts.

So tell me what you think and please Review! (I'll give you a cookie! lol)

hugs, Sam

xoxo