"There you are, Lily," Mrs. Weasley said, handing over a bowl of peeled potatoes. "Throw those in that pot over there, if you would."
Mrs. Weasley turned back to the pan she was watching over, giving Lily a quick once over.
"How did you get covered in scratches?" she asked, stirring what appeared to be gravy.
"Doesn't matter," Lily mumbled, still in a foul mood.
"Well, we'll get it all sorted out later," Mrs. Weasley said.
Lily stayed silent and dropped the potatoes into the pot.
"Ginny, why don't you take Lily's things up to your room once you've finished chopping those onions?"
Lily glanced at the table, noticing the ginger girl was sitting there alone. She had no idea where Ron, Neville, Gan, the twins, Percy, or Mr. Weasley were, although she could hear loud chatter in the living room.
"Do I have to?" Ginny asked, setting down the knife she was using to slice the celery.
"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said.
"I can take them up," Lily offered.
"Absolutely not," Mrs. Weasley said, "You're a guest here, you shouldn't have to lift a finger."
Lily paused as she began slicing some carrots.
"Then why does she have to help cook?" Ginny asked, bringing a voice to Lily's thoughts.
"This isn't work, everybody should learn how to cook," Mrs. Weasley said.
"I already know how to cook," Lily said, taking over chopping the celery for Ginny; the way she handled the knife made Lily very uncomfortable.
"Do you now?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a tone of surprise and interest. "Where did you learn that?"
"Aunt Petunia had me cooking every meal since I was six." Lily's mood was starting to brighten as she sliced, and she started humming a tune to herself.
"That's far too young," Mrs. Weasley snapped. "What was that woman thinking, throwing a six-year-old into the kitchen? Really! Imagine giving a child a knife!"
Lily was a little surprised at the flash of anger, but she calmed once she realized it wasn't directed towards her.
"I only cut myself a few times," Lily said, eyeing the scars on her hands. She couldn't tell what had come from the kitchen prep anymore; she had a very big one left by Hagrid's former pet dragon, Norbert.
"That's a few times too many," Mrs. Weasley said. "You could have seriously burnt yourself, or even lost a finger. Why, Ginny here-"
"It's all right, I like cooking," Lily interrupted. The Dursleys never dared to mistreat her while she was behind the stove, and she always enjoyed those brief moments of peace.
Of course, that never stopped them from shoving her into the cupboard at the slightest provocation. But, still, her happiest memories of the household were in front of the stove, even though they were still terrible.
"Oh, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, voice full of sympathy. "You're welcome to help me in the kitchen any time you'd like, I'd love to show you my recipes."
Lily was a bit taken a back by the emotional reaction. She didn't realize she said anything even worth reacting to, but Mrs. Weasley was staring at her as if she just said the saddest thing.
"What about me?" Ginny asked, standing in the middle of the room, having returned from taking Lily's belongings upstairs.
"Of course, you're welcome to help, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, patting her on the shoulder as she passed. "But you've always hated being in the kitchen with me."
"That's just because you always tell me what to do," Ginny said, trying to stir some sauce Mrs. Weasley had on the stovetop. The matriarch smacked her hand away, taking over, which Lily found a little funny.
"You're not ready for the hard stuff yet, you almost- oh, look, your fathers on his way home, finally." Mrs. Weasley eyed a clock they kept on the kitchen wall. Lily looked over, noticing it for the first time.
It had too many hands and no numbers on the clock face. Instead, it had a label in each time slot, (one of which read "work," while another read "mortal peril"), and the handles had the name of each Weasley on it. Mr. Weasley's (labelled "Dad") slid from "Work" to "Travelling."
"I thought he was already here," Lily said, confused. "Didn't he help bring my things?"
"Yes, dear, but he got a call soon after asking him to come back to work. There was a bit of an emergency that he needed to sort out, but he did say it wouldn't take long." Mrs. Weasley didn't sound happy about it, even if he had held true to his word.
The clock hand slid once more, locking in at the "Home" position with the rest of the family. Lily briefly noticed between her chopping duties that there were two more family members, labelled "Bill" and "Charlie," also pointed towards "Away."
"Where are they?" Lily asked.
"Bill and Charlie live alone," Ginny piped up from Mrs. Weasley's side of the kitchen. Lily heard another brief slap and assumed Ginny had tried to stir something again.
There was a knock on the door and Ginny almost went for it before her mother stopped her.
"I'll get that, dear, you stir the pot," she said.
"I was trying to," Ginny grumbled.
Mrs. Weasley swung the door open, throwing her arms around the man outside. He returned the hug, briefcase clattering against his wife's posterior. Mr. Weasley looked rather tired, but he smiled anyway, clearly happy to be home. He was wearing business robes, and they looked rather well-used. He had a rather frayed hat to go along with it, which he swept off as he entered, revealing his balding, ginger head.
"Welcome home, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, giving Mr. Weasley a peck on the cheek.
"Hello, dear," Mr. Weasley said, returning the kiss, then pushing inside.
"How was work?" Ginny asked from the stove where she was dutifully stirring a pot and getting sauce all over the countertop.
"Long day, long day. You'd never believe what came in today, Perkins about threw a fit."
"You go have a seat at the table, Arthur, while we finish up supper," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to guide him to the table.
Lily left her position with the celery finished, intending to dump them in the proper dish. She left the knife on the cutting board; she'd need to do the onions next.
"Here you are, Ginny, hang that up for me," Mr. Weasley said, handing his hat to Lily as he sat down at the table.
Lily stood there, hat in one hand, celery in the other, looking confused, and Ginny sniggered from her corner of the kitchen.
"That's Lily, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said, standing back in front of the stovetop after moving Ginny out of the way. She waved her wand with one hand, vanishing all the mess Ginny caused.
Mr. Weasley did a doubletake, eyes moving across Lily. He seemed flustered, and Lily felt his eyes briefly stop at her scar. He extended his hand, clearly embarrassed, and Lily took the offered handshake, feeling rather the same emotions.
"Sorry about that," Mr. Weasley said, "Not used to having another girl around the house. The hair threw me off, too."
Mr. Weasley rubbed his own balding head as he said that, as if to compare his own red hair to Lily's.
"Mine's darker," Lily said, messing with the hat in her hands, unsure what to do with it.
"Right you are," Mr. Weasley said, handing the suitcase off to Ginny as she attempted to sit down at the table with her father. "Take that upstairs, would you, Ginny?"
"I just sat down," Ginny grumbled, standing up to do as she was told. She was soon heard stomping up the staircase.
"Why doesn't that girl ever argue with you?" Mrs. Weasley said.
"Who knows?" Mr. Weasley said, winking at Lily. He gestured for her to sit down across from him, and she did so, feeling a little nervous. She'd never met the man before, and unlike Mrs. Weasley, she'd heard very little about him.
"So," he started, digging into his pockets. "I found this with the rest of your things."
Lily suddenly felt nervous, wondering if he'd found the unicorn hair she'd kept from her adventure in the forbidden forest; she was still unsure how legal it was to have.
Mr. Weasley pulled out a thin, cylindrical object. "Care to explain?"
"It's a pen," Lily said, feeling immense relief. "Muggles use it to write."
"Fascinating," Mr. Weasley said, staring at the foreign object. "How does it work?"
Lily blushed. "I don't know, exactly, but it holds ink. It's like a quill, but you don't have to dip it every few seconds."
"Fascinating," Mr. Weasley said, taking the pen back. He held it in his hands, then tried to write on his hand.
"You're holding it backwards," Lily said, taking it from him. "The tip is here, on the other end."
"But that end is blunt," Mr. Weasley said, pointing at the thick cover.
"You have to take the cap off first," Lily said, reaching over and yanking it off with a pop.
"Fascinating," Mr. Weasley said again. "Do you mind if I keep this?"
"Go ahead," Lily said. "McGonagall said we aren't allowed to use them at Hogwarts."
"It's quite interesting what muggles will do to get along without magic, isn't it?" Mr. Weasley said.
"Well, supper is almost ready," Mrs. Weasley said. "Just waiting on those potatoes, now."
"Oh, good," Mr. Weasley said, placing the pen back in his pocket. Lily had to stop herself from pointing out that he forgot to put the cap back on. "Where are the others, then?"
"Ron and Neville are outside setting up the table, you just sent Ginny up, and the twins are keeping Mrs. Longbottom company in the living room."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Lily had to agree; if Gran thought her untrustworthy, the twins would be a foreign creature to her.
"It's fine," Mrs. Weasley said. "They seem to actually listen to her. I'll have to ask her how she does it before she leaves."
"Well, why don't we go join the boys outside?" Mr. Weasley said, rising from the table. Lily followed him up, then out.
"I need a word, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said first, catching the two of them with an outstretched arm. "Why don't you go freshen up, Lily, and then come right back down?"
Lily wasn't one to argue, and she was still very nervous around the Weasley adults. She took as much time as she dared before heading back down. When she reentered the kitchen, both Weasleys stopped their whispered, nervous conversation, and Mr. Weasley led her out the door.
"How do you like living with the Longbottoms?" he asked as they headed out towards the garden.
Lily bit her lip, trying to think of a way to answer the question that wouldn't get her in more trouble than Gran.
"They treating you all right?" Mr. Weasley asked. "You eating well?"
"Yes," Lily said nervously, not quite sure what else to say.
"You're always welcome here, if you want," Mr. Weasley offered. Lily looked up and could see him smiling reassuringly. They were now stopped in the garden, Mr. Weasley leaning down slightly to look Lily in the eye.
"I don't know," Lily mumbled, biting her lip again.
"That lip of yours," Mr. Weasley said quietly, nodding towards her split one. "How did you get that?"
"Fell down the stairs," Lily said just as quietly.
Mr. Weasley stared at her for a long time. Lily could feel her hands wringing together, and she wondered when she started doing that.
"I meant what I said," Mr. Weasley said, putting on a kind smile. "If you want to stay here, you can."
"Thanks," Lily said awkwardly.
"Ron's told us quite a bit about you, did you know?" Mr. Weasley said as they began walking again. They could hear Ron and Neville around the corner, laughing about something.
"What's Ron been talking about me for?" Lily asked, puzzled.
"Well," Mr. Weasley said, scratching his nose. "I shouldn't say, don't want to get the boy into trouble. How did my advice work out for you?"
"Advice?" Lily asked.
"Dad!" Ron called out from the table. "When did you get home?"
"Just now," Mr. Weasley said, taking a seat next to his son. Lily took the seat across from him, right next to Neville. "You wrote last term, right before your exams, remember?"
"Oh!" Lily said, remembering. "I'm not sure yet, but the exam was really easy!"
"Well, give it a try this year, and then let me know," Mr. Weasley said. "I'll try to think of a backup, just in case."
"How was work, dad?" Ron asked, trying to grab his father's attention. Lily didn't mind at all; she wasn't a member of the family.
"Long," Mr. Weasley said. "We got a call about a Muggle fire hose that was shooting actual fire, and that took ages to sort out."
"That's dreadful!" Lily said, thinking it actually sounded quite interesting. She would have loved to see it and would have loved knowing how to make it happen even more.
"What's a fire hose?" Neville asked.
"It's what the fire-flighters use to shoot at water," Mr. Weasley said.
"Almost," Lily said. "But they're shooting the water at fire."
"Fascinating," Mr. Weasley said. "How do those suits work, do you know?"
Lily blushed. "I have no idea," she admitted.
"I'll have to remember to ask one the next time I see one," he said. "It'll have to be before the Obliviators arrive, of course, that way I don't break things further."
"Obliviators?" Lily asked.
"They're the people in charge of wiping the memories of Muggles who accidentally encounter magic," Ron said proudly.
"Very delicate work, you have to be very precise," Mr. Weasley clarified.
"Wizards can go around just erasing people's memories?" Lily asked, horrified.
"Well, it's heavily regulated," Mr. Weasley said. "You have to be well-trained to become an Obliviator. They receive almost as much training as those in St. Mungo's. And unauthorized use of a Memory Charm can land you some serious time in Azkaban."
"I know that one!" Lily said, excited. "That's the wizard prison, right?"
"That's the one," Mr. Weasley said, smiling. "And what about you boys, what have you been talking about?"
"Quidditch," Ron said happily.
"That's about all you talk about," Mr. Weasley said. "Don't you ever get tired of discussing the Chudley Cannons?"
"Never," Ron said. "Hey dad, did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Lily and me are both trying out for the Quidditch team this year," Ron said in the same excited tone. "She said she'd let me use her broom if I got in!"
"Oh, really?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking over at Lily. "Already got your birthday present, then?"
"What present?" Lily asked.
"Disregard that," Mr. Weasley quickly said, looking away. "What about you, Neville? You trying out, too?"
"I hate flying," Neville said sheepishly.
"It's not for everyone," Mr. Weasley said. "Charlie was a natural, the team was no good once he left, but Percy is miserable at it."
"Charlie used to play Quidditch?" Lily asked. All she knew about him was that he really liked dragons and that he lived in Romania. Lily didn't even know where Romania was; she never liked geography.
"Course he did," Ron said. "I must have told you a thousand times, he played Seeker, just like you."
"He was good, too," Mr. Weasley threw in. "He could have played for England, if he wanted to."
"Why'd he go with dragons?" Neville asked.
"That's the mystery, isn't it?" Ron said.
"It's really no mystery at all," Mr. Weasley said. "Charlie likes working outside, and he always really enjoyed Care of Magical Creatures. He was offered a position in Romania, and he jumped on it."
"I still don't get it," Ron said, shaking his head. "If I get the chance, I'm taking Quidditch."
"Going to play for your dear Cannons?" Fred asked, taking the last remaining seat next to Ron.
"That'll really improve their odds," George said, sitting next to Lily.
"A second year can't be any worse than Lindell," Fred said.
"Sod off," Ron said, ears turning red. "Lindell is a fine Keeper, it's the chasers that are the problem."
"And the Beaters," Fred said.
"And the Seeker," George said.
"And the coach," Mr. Weasley said.
"They just need some better talent, is all," Ron said. Lily didn't know about that one; they sounded hopeless.
"The problem there, Ron, is that nobody wants to play for them," Mr. Weasley said. "Why take a contract with the Cannons when you could take one with the Arrows, Catapults, or Falcons? Their glory days are long gone; Dorkins has run them into the ground." Lily never heard of any of those teams, she just nodded along in agreement, making a mental note to learn as much as she could over the summer.
"The Minstrels got made just so all the players could avoid the Cannons," Gran said, taking a seat next to Neville. Lily hadn't heard of that team, either.
"They're halfway decent, too," Mr. Weasley said. "They might even have a shot at the Cup in a few years, once they get some more experience."
"Here's supper," Mrs. Weasley said, guiding all sorts of platters over with her wand. A roast chicken placed itself directly in front of Lily, with rolls placed right next to it. She had a sneaking suspicion that Ron had told his mother what Lily's favourite foods at Hogwarts were, because the table was filled with them.
Aside from the rolls and turkey, there was mashed potatoes, gravy, cabbage (which she knew Ron hated, but quite liked herself), pudding, and even some plump sausages. Lily could hardly contain herself and eagerly piled food onto her plate. She never even noticed Ginny squeezing in besides her, pushing George to the side.
"Good Lord, Lily," Gran said. "Do try to contain yourself."
"What?" Lily asked, pausing as she lifted another forkful to her mouth.
"You eat just like Ron," Mrs. Weasley said, chuckling. "Barely take the time to breath."
"I'm winning, though," Ron said, mouth stuffed with food.
"Not for long," Lily said, cramming a roll down her gullet.
"Truly marvelous," Gran said, rolling her eyes. "At this rate, you'll need some new robes before the term even starts."
"Oh, Augusta, let the girl eat," Mrs. Weasley said, patting Lily on the hand. The two women briefly glared at each other, but Lily was the only one who noticed.
By the end of the meal, Lily won by a full plate, but only because they simply ran out of food. Fred and George ran interference, trying to keep Ron from grabbing things faster than Lily could, and she needed all the help she could get. She was completely full by the time the last carrot was devoured and could not have eaten another bite. Had they been at Hogwarts, where everything magically refills, Lily would never have come close to winning.
"I'm still hungry," Ron said, rubbing his stomach in a way that seemed like he was not, in fact, still hungry.
"Of course you are," Fred said.
"Hardly eaten, haven't you?" George said.
"You're practically starving," Fred said.
"Truly remarkable," Gran said, shaking her head. Lily didn't know which youngster she was referring to, but the tone was full of disappointment.
"I don't suppose anyone's in the mood for cake?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I could go for some," Lily said, suddenly not quite as full.
"I think you've had quite enough," Gran said.
"Oh, let the girl have some cake, Augusta," Mrs. Weasley said, standing up to go fetch it. She was off before Gran could argue any further.
Gran sniffed. "I suppose we'll need those new robes after all, then," she said snidely.
"Best get on it, then," Lily said, tired of Gran's complaining.
"Now don't you start," Gran said, wagging a finger.
Lily opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it again. She wasn't in the mood to argue, not in front of this many people.
"Here you are, dears," Mrs. Weasley said, setting the cake down in front of Lily (who was in the middle of the table). It read "Happy Birthday Lily and Neville" in large, red letters on white icing, and had two different sets of candles, both numbering twelve each. Lily realized she'd never had a birthday cake before as she and Neville both blew out their own set.
The first bite was the sweetest thing Lily ever tasted. It was a mix of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, reminding Lily of a large tub of Neapolitan (not that she ever had any). Lily wasn't sure how she'd made it, but she'd love to find out.
An hour later, after the cake was devoured (mostly by Ron and Lily), the family all retreated back inside, sitting in front of a toasty fire in the living room.
Lily was quite content; she hadn't felt this good since she left Hogwarts. The Longbottoms hardly ever just sat around, talking with each other, but the Weasleys had been doing that since they all arrived home. Ron and Neville were talking with Fred and George about various Quidditch teams, Ginny was regaling her father with tales of today's shopping, Mr. Weasley then started talking about his own workday in response, Mrs. Weasley was chatting with Gran quietly in the corner (with both sets of eyes occasionally darting towards Lily) while trying to listen in on what her husband was saying.
Lily leaned back in her armchair, breathing in deeply to try and settle the ache in her stomach. Weasley chose that moment to hop up into her lap; he'd spent most of the evening exploring the household or staring up at the attic while listening to the ghoul groan. Lily stroked his back as the cat snuggled into her lap.
She smiled, feeling happier than she ever had before. For just this once, she was surrounded by people she liked, and not a single person was yelling at her. She wished it could last forever.
"So, I said to Perkins," Mr. Weasley said, reaching the end of his work story. "That if they want to keep the desk as is, that's fine, but we still have to fill out the paperwork."
"And what did he say, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Well, Perkins, he turned right around, and he just blasted the desk apart."
"Why would he do that?" Neville asked, confused.
"Because the forms for damage of property are significantly shorter than those for a misused artifact," Mr. Weasley explained. "He shaved two hours off the workday with that shortcut."
Percy sniffed. "That doesn't seem very proper, you both could have gotten in a lot of trouble."
"Well, sure," Mr. Weasley said. "But we got the job done, didn't we?"
"You should have reported him," Percy said. "You could have gotten a reward."
"Son," Mr. Weasley said gently, "You can't just go around reporting on everyone, you'll not be well-liked if word gets around that you're a rat."
"Percy can't help it," Fred said.
"It's in his nature," George said.
"He and Scabbers are brothers," Fred said.
"And he even gave him up to Ron," George said, shaking his head.
"And all because Scabbers drooled a little on his pillow," Fred said.
"That's enough, you two," Mrs. Weasley said, standing up and heading towards the hallway closet. "Well, shall we get along to the presents, then?"
"Presents?"
"Yes, Lily, what did you think we were all here for?" Gran said. Lily looked down at the floor, feeling stupid.
"We even sang 'happy birthday' for you," Ron said.
"Sorry," she mumbled to the carpet.
Mrs. Weasley produced a bin full of packages, placing them in the center of the room. She wiped her brow, then placed her hands on her hips, smiling as she looked between Lily and Neville.
"Who's first, then?" she asked.
"I already gave Neville his present," Lily said.
"We'll start with you then, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, handing Lily a wrapped parcel. Lily flipped it around, trying to find a label. It was crudely packaged and a bit lumpy, just like the sweater Lily received for Christmas.
"That's from me and Arthur," she said, patting her husband on the hand. "Hope you like it."
Lily tore the paper off, pulling out a set of gold and red ties.
"Gryffindor ties?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light to hide her disappointment; ties were definitely not her favourite thing in the world. She was hoping for another sweater; hers no longer fit.
"A bit disappointing of a reveal," Mr. Weasley admitted. "Except, Ron told us you're always loosening yours, they're always too tight for you. These loosen themselves, and then readjust with a single touch whenever you need them to."
"That should keep McGonagall off you," Mrs. Weasley said, winking at Lily.
"For just the one thing," Gran added, snorting. Lily decided to ignore that comment, although Mrs. Weasley certainly shot the older woman a stern look.
"Thanks!" Lily said, genuinely touched that they had put so much thought into something Lily had never even considered.
"Just touch the knot to loosen them," Mr. Weasley said, poking at his one throat. "Then touch it again whenever you need it tight again."
"And for you, Neville," Mrs. Weasley said, handing Neville a parcel of his own.
"You really didn't need to get him anything," Gran said. Neville frowned slightly at that, which was a reaction mimicked in full by Mrs. Weasley, who shot Gran another stern look.
"Oh, we really wanted to," Mrs. Weasley said, throwing a smile back on. Neville tore open the paper, producing a green notebook. He opened it, flipping through the pages. He let it fall back to the cover and ran his fingers over the engraved spine.
"Took me a while to get my hands on that," Mr. Weasley said, as Neville teared up slightly. Lily was shocked; Neville rarely ever showed any emotion.
"What is it?" Gran said, furrowing her brow.
"It's Frank's old journal, from his Auror days," Mr. Weasley said. "It got packed away with the rest of his stuff. They found it in storage, gathering dust. The Aurors don't usually give up any personal belongings, but Kingsley let me have it for a few favours."
"It doesn't have any investigation notes in it, does it?" Gran asked. "I don't want to get you into any trouble."
"No," Mr. Weasley said. "They'd never give me those. That was just his daily thoughts. All Aurors are required to keep one, so that if they get Imperius'd, the others can use that to hopefully figure it out before they can do any damage. They have to turn them in for monthly inspections."
"That seems a little personal," Ron said.
"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures," Mr. Weasley said gravely. "The protocol saved many lives. They should have rolled it out for the rest of the Ministry; we might have caught more spies if they had, and things might not have been so bad."
Lily could feel a little twinge of fear at the talk of darker times; they mentioned no names, but she knew exactly who they were talking about. The other children seemed unaware of the change in atmosphere, however, and were mostly focused on Neville's reaction. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, then stood up and threw Mr. Weasley into a hug. Mr. Weasley seemed surprised, but he returned it, smiling in content.
"Thanks," Neville said after regaining his composure. Ron gave him a pat on the back, looking uncomfortable and unsure what to do.
"You take good care of that, Neville," Gran said. "I don't want to hear about you losing it like you do everything else."
"I will," Neville said, placing it gently on the armrest of his chair.
"This is from Neville and Ron, Lily," Mrs. Weasley said, handing Lily a suspiciously book-shaped parcel. Lily tore off the wrappings, confirming her suspicions.
"A Series of Advanced Charms, Vol. 1," Lily read aloud. She looked up at her two friends, beaming. "Thanks! Where did you find it?"
"Flourish and Blotts," Neville said.
"They have a whole section on advanced work," Ron said. "This won't be the last time we dip in there for a present, so, please, stay out of it."
Lily flipped through the first few pages. This was definitely all beyond her current abilities; the diagrams and explanations made no sense, and likely wouldn't for quite some time. Some of the spells didn't even have incantations to work off of, and Lily had no idea how that would work.
"Ron came up with the idea," Neville said. "I didn't have any idea what to get you before he did."
Ron seemed slightly proud of this fact, although his ears did turn red when his mother gave him a kiss on the cheek for being so thoughtful. Lily continued flipping through the pages, trying to find a single spell she could work on over the summer.
With this book in hand, she'd have two advanced sources to dig through this year (with the Potions book she received from the mystery sender), on top of the one Hermione gave her for Christmas the last year that she barely dipped into. Perhaps she should go through that one first. It'd be much easier than this new one.
Neville went next again, opening up A Selection of Magical Foreign Plant-life. Ron gifted that as well (the book was notably secondhand, although Neville didn't seem to mind), and he just seemed confused that both of his friends were so happy to receive an additional textbook.
"You're both mad," Ron said, shaking his head, ignoring that he had been the one to pick out both of the gifts.
Lily opened a gift from Ginny next, while Neville opened one from Fred and George (they wanted to give Lily's hers in private later, to which both Gran and Mrs. Weasley were suspicious). Lily received a bracelet from Ginny. It was silver, with little red hearts embedded around the center ring.
"Dad shaped it for me," Ginny said, turning red from embarrassment. "I hope you like it."
"I love it," Lily said, slipping it on her left wrist to offset the single earring on her right side.
Lily received a pocket-sized telescope from Percy, while Neville received a planner. They both thanked him eagerly, although Lily could tell neither of their hearts were in it. It seemed to satisfy Percy, though, who wore a smile the rest of the night. After him, the bin was empty, with all the Weasley gifts gone.
"Well, I suppose it's my turn," Gran said standing up. "I'll be back in a flash," she said, spinning in place and disappearing with a pop.
"Well, now," Mrs. Weasley said. "She really could have brought them with her in the first place, she didn't need to go back for them."
"I tried to tell her that, dear," Mr. Weasley said. "But Augusta does things her way. There's no arguing with her."
Lily leaned further back in her armchair. She gave Weasley a scratch on his belly, and the cat snuggled closer, purring affectionately.
"Reminds me of someone else we know," Fred said, staring at his mother, who crossed her arms sternly.
"Or maybe two," George said, staring at Ginny, who crossed her arms in a huff.
"Or maybe three," Ron said, staring at Lily, who had no argument and was perfectly happy to sit there and wait for Gran to return.
A moment later, and Gran appeared back in the living room with another pop, startling Ginny, who hadn't been prepared for it. Weasley looked up lazily, but then laid his head back down shortly after. Lily scratched his chin.
"Here you are," Gran said, tossing a long, thin package at Lily, and another smaller, thicker package at Neville. She sat back down in her seat, placing her hands across her belly in satisfaction.
Lily barely caught her present, and the sudden movement startled Weasley from his perch. The cat was soon slinking away into the kitchen, deciding the sitting room was no longer safe.
Lily looked over at Neville, who looked back at her, both waiting for the other one to go first. Lily had no idea what Gran would even get her, and she didn't want to seem disappointed if it ended up being something terrible. Neville seemed to have the same idea; his track of presents had never been very impressive before today.
"What are you waiting for?" Gran barked. "Get on with it!"
Neville took the initiative, opening his present first. He pulled out a small, purple potted plant. He beamed, looking quickly up at his grandmother. "Gran! Is this-"
"Animated Froggrass," she said, nodding her head. Everybody else in the room leaned forward, trying to get a look at the strange foliage.
It was purple, short, and stout, with razor sharp edges around the surface. It was also in the shape of a fat frog, although what would have been limbs were actually roots extending down into the soil. It certainly did not seem animated, as it was currently sitting very still.
"How old is it?" Neville asked in an excited tone.
"Only two years," Gran said, smiling. "It'll be another three before it starts moving."
"I'll have to repot it over the summer," Neville said, looking around at all the confused redheads in the room. "Froggrass doesn't start growing until the spring, when it starts to sing."
"Does it sound like a frog?" Lily asked, then blushed, since it seemed like a stupid question. Gran never seemed to like her asking questions.
"Actually," Neville said, smiling at the question, "the sound changes depending on the plant, they each get a different set of sounds depending on the environment they're grown in."
"When will we find out?" Ron asked, actually managing to take an interest for once. Normally he never perked up unless the discussion was about Quidditch or a Professor trying to steal a magic stone that could make them immortal.
"They start singing before they start moving," Neville said. "So, if not this year, then the next one for sure."
Neville got up, setting the plant carefully on the floor next to his seat. He strode over to his grandmother and then threw her into a hug.
"Thanks, Gran," he said.
"Happy birthday, Neville," Gran said, returning the hug (which was quite rare, from what Lily observed). She seemed uncomfortable, although she had no reason to be. Lily may not have spent much time around the boy during the holidays, but she'd gotten plenty of hugs from him at school.
Neville sat back down, scooping the plant back up so he could admire it some more. The eyes all fell back on Lily, waiting for her to open her own gift.
She shook it, but that didn't really tell her anything.
"Oh, just open it already," Gran said. "It won't bite you."
"I hope not," Lily said, peeling away the corner. When she saw twigs, she let out a scream, then tore off the rest of the paper.
It was a new broomstick, and the black, sleek handle proudly bore the words "Nimbus 2001." The broom handle was shorter than the previous model, but the bristles were much longer, and the stirrups were silver instead of gold.
"Wicked," Ron and the twins said together from across the room.
"They weren't supposed to launch until mid-August," Gran said, smiling again. "I had to call in a lot of favours to get this one, so don't you go breaking it."
Lily hopped up, quickly throwing her arms around Gran. That seemed to make the old lady more uncomfortable, but Lily didn't care, she was too caught up on the excitement. She hopped a couple more times, then ran out of the living room, heading straight out the front door.
"Lily, wait!" Mrs. Weasley called. "It's too dark to fly!"
Lily mounted the broom and then kicked off before anybody could get out to stop her. She needed this after how poorly the summer had gone so far.
Lily breathed in deeply as she soared into the air, then let out a loud yell of triumph. She circled the house a few times, not wanting to go too far in the dark. She realized, once again, just how fun flying was, and she also realized that she was looking forward to playing Quidditch again. She'd be unstoppable with this new broom.
Lily came to a stop, staring up at the moon. The 2001 accelerated and came to a stop far more quickly than the previous model. She tapped her fingers on the handle, considering flying it over the nearby village real quick; nobody would notice with it this dark out.
"Lily!" Gran shouted from below. "You get down here this instant!"
Lily bit her lip. That was the exact tone that Uncle Vernon always used right before- well, it didn't matter. She descended into a dive so she could get down quickly; she could see where the ground was from the house lights shining on the lawn.
Five metres above, Lily's broom came to a sudden stop, and she flew straight off of it. She landed hard on the ground, rolling several times before coming to a halt.
"Lily!" she heard from a collection of voices.
"Are you all right, dear? Didn't break anything, did you?" Mrs. Weasley asked when she made it over, voice full of worry.
"M'fine," Lily managed between spitting out dirt and grass. She could feel warmth covering her face, and when she wiped at it, she realized her nose was bleeding.
"Oh, that's wonderful," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling in relief. Lily could only assume her face wasn't currently visible, otherwise she'd still be worried. "Let's just get you inside, then, and we'll fix you right-"
"Pardon me," Gran interrupted, voice full of wrath, as she yanked Lily to her feet and then marched the both of them a dozen metres away. Lily glanced back, noticing Mrs. Weasley pushing the rest of the Weasleys into the house while she stayed behind to watch the two of them.
"What were you thinking?" Gran demanded, holding Lily's arm in a tight grip.
"Let go," Lily said, yanking her arm away and rubbing at it. She could still feel where Gran's fingertips had been.
"I want an answer, Lily," Gran demanded. "What in the bloody hell did you think you were doing?"
"I was going for a fly," Lily said, hoping that was the correct term for it.
"Oh, just going for a fly, is that all?" Gran said in a mocking tone. She gave Lily a sharp smack on her forehead. Lily winced away, feeling frightened.
"Don't-" Lily started, rubbing at the spot.
"I've given you too much leeway, I think," Gran said. "I knew the broom was a mistake, but Neville talked me into it, said you'd just love it. Clearly you can't even handle that much."
Lily clenched her fists tightly to her sides. "I can handle the broom just fine, it just stopped."
"Just stopped," Gran scoffed. "Brooms don't just stop, Lily, you stopped it and then you jumped off.
"Why would I do that?" Lily shouted.
"I can only assume it was for the attention," Gran said, raising her own voice. "And don't you dare take that tone with me."
"I'm not-"
"I'm warning you, young lady," Gran said, pointing her finger in the younger girl's face, ignoring the look of terror Lily was wearing. "I've given you plenty of warnings, and you still haven't gotten it. You need to behave yourself."
"Gran, I was just-"
"I think that's quite enough," Mrs. Weasley interrupted, striding towards the both of them.
Gran frowned, glaring at the other woman. "I think I decide when it's enough, thank you very much."
"I don't believe you do," Mrs. Weasley said. "For Merlin's sake, Augusta, it's the girl's birthday, she was just having a bit of fun."
"After you told her not to?" Gran said, scoffing.
"Of course I asked her not to, she could have hurt herself," Mrs. Weasley admitted, "But I knew full-well there was no stopping her. Kids are always doing dumb things and getting themselves hurt."
"I'm not a kid," Lily muttered.
"I don't think I'll have you telling me how to raise the girl, thank you very much," Gran said. "I believe Dumbledore gave me the authority."
"Dumbledore said I could pick," Lily butted in.
"And you picked me," Gran snapped.
"While she's here, we'll be taking care of her," Mrs. Weasley said firmly, placing her foot down.
"Maybe I'll just be taking the both of them back with me then, hmm?" Gran said.
"I'm staying," Lily said.
"Don't you start, Lily," Gran said. "I had my reservations, with the way you've been acting, but I thought since it was your birthday I'd give you a chance, and that's the third time you've gone and broken that trust."
"Gran, please," Lily said, losing a bit of her determination. "I want to stay, don't make me leave."
"I think-" Gran started.
"I think she'll be staying," Mrs. Weasley said. "After all, Dumbledore did say it was her choice, didn't he?"
"That isn't quite what he meant," Gran grumbled.
"I'm staying," Lily said quickly, taking her chance.
"Fine," Gran relented. "But I'll be taking back that broom, clearly you aren't ready for it yet."
"I think not," Mrs. Weasley said. "Lily didn't mean to fall off her broom, and she needs more practice with it."
"Fine," Gran said again, tone getting more fed up. "I assume you'll be willing to accept the damages, then? I won't be footing the bill if she breaks the thing."
"You're really more concerned about the damages to the broom than to Lily?" Mrs. Weasley shouted.
"Of course not, Lily's fine," Gran said. "She spent the whole summer falling down the stairs, I don't think anything's capable of doing her in."
"Fine?" Mrs. Weasley screeched. "Look at her, Augusta, she's covered in blood!"
"A broken nose or two's never done someone in," Augusta said, waving it off. "Why, Frank-"
"Enough," Mrs. Weasley said, yanking Lily to her side. "I'll go get her fixed up while you-"
"I'll be heading off, then," Gran said, losing her cool again. "Do give Neville my regards. I'll be seeing you at the station."
"You're just leaving?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a surprised voice.
"You seem to have everything under control here, don't you?" Gran said snidely. "I see no reason to stay, now that the party's over."
"Fine, then," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to throw on a false smile. "We'll be seeing you at the station."
"Have a good summer, Lily," Gran said, throwing on an equally fake smile. With a turn and a pop, Gran was gone.
"The nerve of that woman," Mrs. Weasley said as she led Lily back to the house. Lily could see the rest of the Weasleys, plus Neville, waiting for the both of them in the kitchen. Ginny waved, looking relieved to see Lily reenter the light.
"Thanks," Lily muttered, wiping away the tears in her eyes so the others couldn't see them.
"For what, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"For letting me s-stay," Lily said, sniffing and wiping her eyes again. "I- I didn't want to- to-"
Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Of course, dear, I couldn't let you go home like that, now could I?"
Lily shook her head. "Hogwarts is my home," she said.
Mrs. Weasley got that sad look in her eyes again as they flitted up towards Lily's scar. Lily didn't have the time to hide it. Mrs. Weasley had her pinned into the tightest hug she ever received. Lily didn't pull away, this time; she returned it eagerly.
