disclaimer: all you recognize herein belongs to JKRowling. I'm merely borrowing for my own amusement. And yours, I hope.
Chapter Twenty
Christmas day came and went as it always did: a quiet modest, affair in the Evans household. It began with a few presents exchanged around the Christmas tree and a late breakfast in pajamas before everyone got dressed up and walked down to the local church for the afternoon service, and wrapped up with them drinking cocoa and watching a movie on the telly.
Boxing day was usually just a day spent lazing around, but that morning Lily's mother made the surprising announcement she had invited Vernon Dursley to call for an afternoon tea.
It was a nice gesture, Lily supposed, and Petunia had certainly perked up since the announcement (which was obviously her mother's intent), but she was hardly looking forward to spending an afternoon biting her tongue. It's not as if she purposely instigated conflict, still, she was under strict orders from her mother to "rise above it" and not engage in any behavior her mother deemed "unnecessary".
Which meant when Vernon arrived promptly at one o'clock and was shown into the sitting room by Petunia, Lily did her best to become as inconspicuous as the chair in which she sat in.
Perhaps their mother had also given Petunia a stern warning beforehand, or perhaps Petunia had too seen through their mother and recognized a white flag when she saw one, but so far everyone was on their best behavior. A half-an-hour in and no shots had been fired from either side, only pleasantries.
Maybe it was Lily's efforts paying off. She hadn't been so much as glanced at by her sister or Vernon. It was as if she didn't even exist at the moment.
As Lily's mother excused herself to bring out the tea, Vernon took to discussing his prospects for promotion at the drill factory he worked in. Evidently, thinking this would win him points with his future father-in-law. It was certainly working on Petunia. She hung onto his arm, adopting that besotted puppy look Lily was ever so fond of.
Vernon paused his boasting when Lily's mother returned with the tea tray, to turn his would-be charms onto her.
"What a dignified arrangement. I can see where Petunia gets her flair for proper entertaining, Mrs. Evans."
"Thank you, Vernon," she replied politely.
Lily resisted the urge to make gagging sounds in the background.
It was as her mother proceeded to dole out the tea that it happened. She'd only just begun filling up the third cup when the unassuming white china gave a sudden, loud squeak and transformed, into a small white mouse.
For a moment there was only shocked silence. Then the mouse blinked and chaos erupted.
Screams and shrieks and the crash of the teapot falling out of Lily's mother's hands onto the table sent the mouse scampering in fright.
Petunia leapt onto the couch.
"Harold! Harold, quick!" Lily's mother shouted frantically over Petunia's shrill squeals and shrieks, flapping her arms, "Do something! Catch it!"
"No! Wait!" Lily jumped up as her father sprung into action, "It'll change back in a minute! Don't both-"
It was too late. Her father gave a desperate, flying lunge after the mouse in an attempt to catch it, but only succeeded in landing sprawled out across the floor, hands grasping air, as the mouse easily evaded his clutches.
It made a mad dash for the hall but didn't get very far, transforming mid-run back into a teacup. The cup toppled sideways, rolled onto its side and came to a stop.
Silence fell once more.
Then, Lily's father stood and scooped up the teacup and Vernon, who'd been sitting, frozen in place, stood abruptly. Wild-eyed and breathing like winded rhinoceros, he took one shaking step back and then bolted.
"V-Vernon?" Petunia's stunned voice hung in the room.
They heard the front door open and slam shut.
"Vernon!" Petunia scrambled down off the sofa, running for the door. "Vernon! Wait! Wait!"
There came the sound of a car engine starting up out front and then the squeal of tires screeching off asphalt.
Lily's stomach plummeted.
And then disappeared altogether.
"You!" Petunia shrieked reappearing in the doorway of the sitting room, pointing one long finger at Lily. It shook with rage. "You did that on purpose!"
"Petunia-" Their mother hastily stepped forward to intervene but Petunia ignored her.
"Thought it was funny, didn't you! Couldn't bare that you weren't the center of attention for one afternoon so you had to go and ruin it!" she spat at Lily.
"Petunia, please -"
"You've ruined everything! Everything! He'll call off the wedding! He won't want to marry me now!" Petunia cried, her anger abruptly giving way to panic.
"Petunia, please - please, it was my fault," their mother beseeched, "I wasn't paying attention! I just grabbed things out of the cupboard. I'd forgotten all about that silly trick cup. It wasn't Lily's fault-"
That was the wrong thing to say. Petunia fired up once more.
"She bought it! She brought it home!" she shouted at her mother.
"That was ages ago. Ages! Lily never meant -"
"If she wasn't such a freak she'd never been going to that freak school! And she'd never been able to bring it home and Vernon would still - Vernon would still-" Petunia broke off with a heartbreaking sob that crushed Lily's insides.
"Petunia," she said gently, stepping forward to comfort, to console but Petunia lashed out.
"I hate you!"
Lily was stopped in her tracks.
It wasn't that she hadn't said those words before. But she hadn't said them in a very long time. Not since they were children. And then they'd been said with childish meaning, not any real substance. Not like now.
"Petunia!" Their parents echoed cries of shock and anger only spurred her on.
"I hate you!" she screamed at Lily again, defiantly. Then she turned on her heel and tore upstairs.
Lily registered her father wrapping an arm around her shoulders, but she didn't feel it.
"I just wanted a nice, happy Christmas," her mother whispered to the room tearfully.
Lily's father sighed.
"I know, love. I know."
They were all still standing in the living room when Petunia thundered back down the stairs not ten minutes later. Sparing none of them a glance or even a word, she marched past to the door, dressed in a coat, with a suitcase in hand, and slamming the front door behind her with enough force to rattle the windows, she left.
xxx
The days that followed that made up the rest of Lily's holiday were not happy ones.
It was two days before Lily's mother finally managed to track down Petunia's whereabouts. She'd taken to hiding out at a workmate, Yvonne's, flat and had refused to come to the telephone to speak to either of her parents or Lily. When Lily's mother had pressed Yvonne for information, such if Petunia had seen or spoken to Vernon yet, Yvonne had coldly informed her that was for Petunia to say and had hung up the phone.
Her mother, wracked with guilt, became an emotional rollercoaster. A swinging pendulm that went between all the stages of grief and manifested several times into wild, unwise ideas that mostly revolved around dragging Petunia home, kicking and screaming, and calling to Vernon's to set things straight themselves.
Lily and her father had firmly shut down each one. Which led to several arguments and two loud shouting matches between her parents.
Meanwhile, Lily simply tried not to drown in the misery of it all.
When the day arrived for her to return to Hogwarts, she was both relieved to be going and uncertain if she should leave behind such a precarious situation. The hard truth of the matter was that there was nothing she, nor her parents, could do to mend things. Infact she was quite certain that any attempts, no matter how well intentioned, would only cause more damage. And she didn't think any more damage could be sustained. She felt that the already thin string between her and Petunia had frayed to within inches of severing. She could only hope that her returning to school would ease some the tension and lend to healing. Not just for Petunia and herself, but for Petunia and Vernon as well.
"Have a good term, love. Send us a letter when you get back, so we know you arrived safely."
Lily's mother gave her arm a squeeze and attempted an encouraging smile. It didn't quite reach the eyes but it was an improvement.
"I will," Lily promised.
"Chin up. Everything will sort itself out soon enough," her father assured her with a confident, cheery bluster, "You'll see."
Hiding her misty eyes, Lily bid them a last goodbye and then passed through the barrier for platform nine and three quarters.
With worried, unhappy thoughts preoccupying her mind, Lily pushed her trolley through the crowded platform. She paid little mind to the going ons around her. She didn't pause to wonder when her trolley hit a bump. Nor at the "Ouch!" that followed.
She was forced to though when a called out after her,
"Oi! You just ran over my foot!"
"Best mind your feet than hadn't you?" she tossed behind her, not looking back.
"That's a funny apology."
With a blinding surge of annoyance, Lily whirled around to tell the whinging bloke where he could shove his complaints but the words died on her lips.
In fact, there were no words at all.
Lily took a hasty step back. But in her hurry, her heel caught the wheel of her trolley and she wound up tripping backwards. She barely felt the pain in her backside though as she landed on the floor of the platform.
"Well, there's no need to go falling at my feet to beg forgiveness," said James, looking down at her crumpled form with amusement, "A simple sorry will do."
Lily blinked at him.
James frowned with concern.
"Are you alright? Here." He offered her a hand up.
Ignoring it, Lily clambered back to her feet and turned her back to him, gripping the handle of her trolley and willing sense to return.
"I-I'm fine," she said, "Excuse me."
She began pushing her trolley again, intent on putting as much distance between them as quickly as possible.
"Why don't I help you with that?" James suggested following after her as people jumped out of the way.
"I've got it."
"My foot begs to differ."
"I'm fine."
He kept following.
"You're a bit of a bloody terror with that thing," he informed her, amused again, as they came to a stop at the side of the train.
Lily ignored him and made to drag her trunk onboard but James placed a hand on her trunk, stopping her.
"I insist I help with your trunk," he said. "I shudder to think of the damage you could do with it. You'd probably bludgeon someone to death."
The only person I want to bludgeon around here is you, you stupid great prat, Lily wanted to snap back at him in exasperation as she yanked her trunk back from his hands. Couldn't he take a bloody hint and bugger off already?
But she thought better of it. Lest she want to engage in a wrestling match and prolong their encounter.
Grudgingly, she allowed him to carry her trunk onto the train and directed him into the first empty compartment they came across. After safely tucking her trunk away in the overhead storage, James turned back to her.
"I'm James Potter, by the way," he said, putting out a hand to shake.
"I know," she said shortly, not taking it.
"Do you?" He seemed pleasantly surprised by that.
Sticking his hand in his pocket, he began regarding her curiously.
"Thanks for the help," Lily said quickly, turning her face away and making a show of giving him space to pass.
"You're welcome." He made no moves to leave. "Are you not going to tell me your name then?" he asked after an expectant pause.
"Elizabeth Windsor," she snapped. Her neck was at a funny angle.
"Elizabeth Windsor," He repeated, testing it out. "That's a good name. Fake I expect, but, lovely all the same…"
"Don't you have a trunk of your own that needs tending to?" Lily demanded impatiently. "Train's about the leave."
"My, how much has changed in such a short amount of time," he remarked, "Three minutes ago you weren't the least concerned about having caused me bodily harm. Now, here you are worried about me losing all my worldly possessions..."
"Goodbye James," said Lily flatly, motioning to the door.
He relented.
"Until we meet again, Elizabeth," he said with a smile in his voice.
Once he'd exited the compartment, pulling the compartment door closed behind himself, Lily relaxed.
Blasted fool, she cursed yanking down the shade on the door. She wasn't sure if that was directed at James or herself. She always had to wait to apply her disguise until she got on the train when she was going to Hogwarts, but she'd always been careful to keep a low profile. Not that she reckoned anyone could recognize her, but it was best to be cautious. Seven years she'd gone without a slip-up!
She supposed it was bound to happen eventually. But why did it have to be with James, of all people!
Ten minutes later done up in her Hogwarts finest, Lily left the compartment and set about searching the train. She found them occupying a compartment a little way down.
"Maybe you just never noticed," Remus was saying as Lily let herself in.
"I'd've noticed," James responded to him matter-of-factly.
"Was she a very tall first year, perhaps?" Sirius suggested, not very seriously.
"That would explain it," Remus agreed.
As James scowled at them, Lily took the moment to interject.
"What's all this about?" she asked taking the seat next to Peter and Sirius, across from James and Remus.
"He's gone mental," said Sirius flippantly.
"James, apparently, has just met the girl of his dreams," Remus explained.
"Has he?" Lily folded her arms. She had a bad feeling about this. "What distressing news that comes to his current girlfriend," she deadpanned, playing cool.
"Are you back on the clock then?" James asked her, a tad surly by all the teasing.
"So who is this brazen woman that's stolen your heart?" Lily returned, raising an eyebrow at him.
Sirius smirked.
"I don't reckon it's his heart that's involved."
"The problem is," said Remus, "James doesn't have a clue who she is."
"None? Whatsoever?" Lily watched James's reaction carefully.
"Never seen her before," he confirmed with begrudging honesty. "And she didn't give me her name."
"She did give him a name though. Elizabeth Windsor," Remus shared pointedly with Lily. As a half-blood he evidently recognized it.
"Ah," said Lily, "so you met the Queen of England, did you? That's a treat."
"I'd have preferred to meet the girl instead," grumbled James. Then, he perked up abruptly. "Maybe you might know her though," he said looking at Lily.
"Why's that?" she asked, a bit too defensively.
"You're a girl."
"I see…" she waited for more to follow but that was it apparently. "Well, that is quite clever," she finished sarcastically.
"You girls all know each other don't you?" said James, "You're always moving around in groups and giggling and running off to the loo together."
Before Lily could enlighten him to just how mistaken he was in his assessment, he went on, excitedly, "Listen, this girl," he said, "she's got red hair - not red, red though. It's darker. And real shimmery like. And she's got green eyes. Bright ones. Like grass. And freckles, just across the bridge of her nose, just a little dusting...Does any of that sound familiar? Do you reckon you've seen a girl that looks like that before?" he finished hopefully.
"No," said Lily firmly, "I don't reckon I have."
"Well she didn't just pop out of bloody thin air!" said James frustratedly, deflating back into his seat.
"What does it matter though, who she is?" asked Lily. "It's not as if you can - ... pursue her or anything. You have a girlfriend, remember? And besides, it doesn't sound as if she was much interested in you."
"She wasn't," agreed James. "She was a bit rude, actually," he added.
"So then," demanded Lily, "what are we having this discussion for?"
"It was ... intriguing."
"Intriguing?! What could you possibly find so intriguing about a rude girl who wanted nothing to do with you? I'm rude to you all the time!" she pointed out without thinking.
"Yeah," said James not seeming to have noticed anything suspicious, "but it's not the same, is it? I don't know why she didn't like me. We'd only just met. She did seem to know me though - well of me, I guess. When I told her my name she said she knew already. In this real unhappy tone. With a cute little wrinkle to her nose..."
"You found it cute she reacted to your name like an unpleasant odor?" Lily demanded wryly.
James shrugged. "It was cute."
Lily scoffed.
"This is madness."
She looked to the others for support.
"I agree with Evans," said Sirius. "I reckon you've taken one too many bludgers to the head, mate."
"And whose fault would that be?" Remus quipped back at him.
"I'm telling you," said James ignoring them all, "There was something … different about this girl. Special."
"How long did you actually spend with her? Five minutes? That hardly seems like sufficient time to come to such a conclusion," Lily sniffed dismissively.
"Do my ears deceive me? Or are you sounding jealous there, Evans?" Sirius asked slyly.
"Hardly." she replied unfazed, "I'm just attempting to talk some sense into your mate."
"It was seven and a half minutes, I'll have you know. Not five," James informed her.
"Oh, and I suppose in those extra two and a half minutes she bared her soul to you did she?" Lily asked.
"No-"
"How do you know she's so special then?"
"I got a feeling," said James staunchly.
Lily snorted derisively.
"Was it coming from your nether regions perchance?" suggested Sirius innocently.
James shot him a flat look.
"A gut feeling," he clarified.
"A need for the loo?" suggested Remus.
"Did you have porridge for breakfast, James?" Peter piped in naively, "You know how that always gives you the -"
"Alright! Alright!" James cut across, glaring at Sirius and Remus as they burst into raucous, wicked laughter. "Sod off you wankers."
"Shouldn't you lot have outgrown poo jokes by now?" asked Lily dryly, though she'd had to hide a smile.
"You're never too old for a good poo joke, Evans," Sirius wheezed, still laughing.
That was the last they spoke on the subject for the rest of the journey. Instead, they passed the time, until several hours, twelve rounds of exploding snap, three signed eyebrows, a handful of pumpkin pasties and a number of boxes of sweets, later the train finally pulled into Hogsmeade station.
After an icy, snowy carriage ride up to the castle, everyone, shivering and damp, filed into the Great Hall. Only when the last student had taken their seat at their respective table did Dumbledore stand from his chair at High Table.
"Hello! Hello again to you all!" He spoke warmly, surveying them in kind. "I do hope you had a wonderful winter holiday. I expect, however, you all are delighted and eager to be returning to your studies." Resounding silence met that remark. "Alas," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling brightly, "wishful thinking on my part. I am quite certain, though, we are all in agreement in terms of our hunger and with that I say:Enjoy!"
On cue the empty gold serving plates filled themselves with towering mounds of hot food and the clatter of silverware and chatter filled the hall.
Despite having eaten two pasties and more sweets than she cared to admit on the train, Lily found herself starving. She helped herself to a slice of shepherd's pie, a bowl of carrot soup, one large sausage roll, and pumpkin pudding for dessert. Utterly full, but content for what felt like the first time in weeks, Lily's happy mood was soured some as they headed off to bed.
"Are you in the midst of some kind of fit?" she asked James. He was turning his head this way and that, craning his neck as they joined the mass exodus into the Entry Hall.
"Don't see any redheads do you?"
"Just any redheads? Or are we on the lookout for ones with glimmering hair and pea green eyes?" asked Sirius.
"I reckon it was shimmering hair and frog green eyes," Remus corrected him.
"Frog green?" Peter frowned thoughtfully. "Wasn't it leaf?"
"It was grass green, you tossers," James replied, without pausing his search.
"So touchy about his imaginary friend," Sirius pretended to mutter in an undertone.
James made to cuff him but Sirius managed to duck. A light scuffle broke out between the boys, drawing amused looks, and Professor McGonagall's attention.
"James Potter and Sirius Black!" she shouted, sweeping towards them. "Already causing mischief in your first hours back?"
"He started it." Both boys pointed at the other.
"I don't care if You-Know-Who himself started it," she replied tartly, "It's off to bed with the both of you. Off!"
She shooed them all the way up the marble staircase.
I know right? Twice in one month! I did tell you I had more. And I'll tell you again: more's coming.
Maybe not this month, but we'll see.
Thank you for the kind reviews, favorites & follows!
- GoddessoftheMaan