Chapter 2-Not Like That
DISCLAIMER-I haven't magically become JK Rowling since the last chapter, so I'm pretty sure everytg you recognize is all Jo's lovely work. :)
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song...just go ahead, let your hair down! -Corinne Bailey Ray "Put Your Records On"
"Petunia, stop! You don't understand! Vernon really is walrus, he's just pretending to be human so he can marry you!" I watched Petunia as she put her blonde hair up for her wedding day. She eyed me in the mirror-my mother, who was also with us, seemed to be deaf. I looked disheveled and had a crazy gleam in my eye.
"Vernon is a perfect man, Lily. I wouldn't expect you to understand," she put her nose in the air haughtily. Part of me knew this was a dream. Petunia had only been dating Vernon the Terrible for six months. Which was six months too long, in my opinion.
"Tuney, listen," I pleaded.
"Liiiiily! Lily!" My dream shuddered like a bubble before it popped-someone was disturbing the walls that protected my sleeping mind. The next time I opened my eyes, I was looking at a red faced Marlene.
"It's Saturday!" I protested, rolling over. "Don-wake-meup." I slurred my words together, trying to grasp on to the last, fading tendrils of sleep. I opened one eye, looking at the clock- "It's only seven!" I screeched. I pushed red strands out of my face, sitting up. I had always been a heavy sleeper-I guessed that, judging by the fact that Emmy and Marlene each had their wands out and were glaring at each other fiercely, I'd slept through a spat.
Rolling out of bed and stretching like a cat, I realized I'd slept in my clothes. And that Marlene and Emmy were staring me expectantly, and Alice and Dorcas were also, but sympathetically.
"Lily, what could I have done? Emmy's not the only girl in Hogwarts who likes Sirius Black!" Marlene fumed, pointing her wand at aforementioned girl.
"Yeah? Well none of those other girls are your best friend!" Emmy seethed.
"Weeeeell, honestly, I think Black is a player and BOTH of you can do better...but my other real, true, honest opinion is that I stink and need a shower." I skedaddled into the bathroom, pulling out the ponytail I'd slept in last night, peeling off my clothes and stepping into the steamy bliss of the hot water. I hated drama, especially between my own friends, and I would stay in this shower 'til the water turned cold, if I could, to avoid it. Fortunately, I didn't have to go quite to that extreme.
By the time we were in the carriages on our way to Hogsmeade, Emmy and Marlene's squabble had toned down into frosty indifference. In other words, it was cold-shouldering time. Marlene bid all of us good-bye (except Emmy) and left with Sirius once we arrived, Alice and Emmy branched off toward Zonko's, and Dorcas and I lingered inside the Three Broomsticks.
"How's your family, Lily?" Dorcas asked me quietly, sipping her butterbeer.
"They're...they're good, minus Petunia, who is suffering from serious delusional episodes in which she thinks Vernon Dursley is handsome," Dorcas threw her head back and laughed, having seen some of the pictures of my sister's boyfriend. Dorcas, being almost pureblood, immediately assumed something was incredibly suspicious when the people inhabiting the pictures didn't move.
"Seriously, though," she sobered up, looking over her shoulder before leaning across the table to me. "Haven't you been reading the newspaper lately? You-Know-Who has giants working for him now...muggle killings and such." The smile dropped off my face.
"I've been hearing about that," I looked down at my fingers wrapping about the butterbeer. "I'm worried, but...I've told them to be careful. My last letter from them was yesterday," I nodded, satisfied. "And they were fine." Dorcas nodded slowly.
"And over Christmas break? Nothing happened?"
"Nothing except getting tissues from Petunia," I laughed. "Besides, I don't think they'd go after a town as small as Cokeworth," I smiled confidently.
"I'm here, you know," she promised. "If you or your family even need a place to stay...I offer my closet-or Marlene's, hers is huge!" She grinned. "Her closet is the size of my room" I teased, but I wasn't exaggerating by much. "So, about-"
A loud bang and a shout came from outside, and unclear chanting permeated the mellow atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks. Dorcas and I looked to each other, wide-eyed, standing up, butterbeers forgotten.
We rushed the door along with a few other students, bursting out to see...
Snow falling heavily on a scene that made me gasp in horror. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were standing around a figure that I knew was James-Marlene was holding a Protego shield that Sirius was begging her to remove.
"You evil prat!" Sirius roared. "You slimy, greasy bastard!" A spew of language more colorful than an angry Vernon's spewed from his mouth at the second party.
"Lily," Dorcas whispered, pointing. Snape, Mulciber, Avery-but it was Snape. Only Snape. I could tell because he was pocketing his wand and looking at me, horrified. Blood roaring in my ears I strode forward, Snape's stupid Death Eater friends looking at me with disgust.
Probably thinking I wasn't a threat because I didn't have my wand.
"Lily, he attacked James from behind!" Remus roared. He thought I was going to side with Snape.
"Did you start it, Severus?" I growled in his face. Mulciber and Avery had their wands pointed at me menacingly, but I didn't care. Snape waved them away and they lowered them a bit, reluctantly. I was furious, even more so when Snape nodded, lip curled, new coldness in his eyes.
My Sev had been gone for a long time now, I realized with a start.
"He's never done it to you, Snape, he's never attacked you from behind like that!" I was shouting now, eyes locked intently on Snape. I was furious.
"What's this, Lily, are you finally falling in love-" he spat the word like a curse. "-with Potter? Because, yes he has, and you know it, Lily!" he fumed. "Four on one, you've seen it!"
"Not like that, Snape, whatever you hit him with was a dark curse," I growled, blinking at the slow flakes coating my lashes. "Not like that."
And I slapped him. And then I walked to James. Because with Snape nowadays, especially with his friends-scared me. And I was concerned for Potter's safety.
"Nice one, Evans," Sirius said weakly.
I ran over, ignoring the insults Mulciber and Avery were screaming. I didn't care about two goons like them.
"We need to get him to Pomfrey," Remus looked to Sirius grimly. All four of us were crouching protectively over James, who looked unconscious. "Levitate him," Remus commanded, and both Sirius and I took to doing so while Remus and Peter ran ahead, making sure the horseless carriages were still parked and waiting for students. By now we'd gathered a small crowd, and the owners of the Three Broomsticks were reprimanding the three Slytherins. The snow suddenly seemed colder, more slippery, but I didn't complain. Both Sirius and I were shaking with cold.
"Get in, I'll drive," Remus hopped up grimly, taking the reins. I tried to jump up with one hand, the other wand-occupied. My blue fingers slipped on the handle and I lost my footing, but a strong hand on my back steadied me, pushing me back up-after I was safely seated, I thanked Sirius with a grateful smile. As soon as we got myself, Sirius, and Peter all wedged onto one seat and James laying across our laps, we set off for the castle. Blessedly, with the driving snow and wind at our backs.
"What was he hit with?" I asked no one in particular, resting my head against the side wall of the carriage.
"Some kind of powerful stunner," Sirius said bitterly from next to me.
"That was a right good slap Lily, he deserved that, he did!" I smiled briefly at Peter.
"I know." I closed my eyes.
"So what caused this?" Sirius asked, looking down worriedly at his best friend.
"What?" I opened my eyes, locking them with Sirius's.
"This. You kind of slapped someone for attacking him. You went all mad McGonagall on him. I almost feel bad for Snivelly. Ah, I can't even joke about that one. No, no I don't." Remus chuckled softly from the front at Sirius's comment.
"I don't hate him, you know," I told Black rather defensively. "Potter, I mean. I was just worried that Snape hurt him. And no, Black, before you go flying off the handle, that does not mean I love him," I looked at him sternly.
"I dunno. Wormtail, what do you think? Reckon she'd have smacked old Snivelly if he hexed me from behind?"
"Oh, no," Peter shook his head furiously, eager to please Sirius.
"Whatever, Marauders," I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile.
"Whatever, Evans," Sirius mimicked.
"That doesn't mean I won't tell him you announced your profound love and attraction to him after he fell unconscious, that you nursed him back to health and never left his bedside," he finished dramatically, looking to me for a reaction. I gave him a half-hearted smile, trying to block out what Mulciber and Avery yelled at me before an unknown savior cast a silencing charm over them both.
Don't let them get to you, I chided myself. Just because they say it, it doesn't change you at all. It doesn't change me.
James was beginning to stir by the time we had jumped out of our illegally taken carriage, rushing him to the hospital wing.
"My, my, you boys again," Madame Pomfrey talked as she worked; we all leaned over Potter as she muttered a few spells over him. "Excuse me, Potter needs some space!" She protested. If the Marauders had their faces any closer over him, it would have looked like they were eating him. They moved back a bit, albeit reluctantly.
"He'll just sleep it off, and be fine in a couple hours," Pomfrey dropped her wand back into the folds of her robes. "Nasty spell it was, though. Who'd you say did it?"
"Severus Snape!" Every one of us talked over one another, eagerly tattling.
"I'll have Professor Slughorn have a word with him," she nodded grimly. "And nice to see you too, Miss Evans, though not under these circumstances," she nodded over her shoulder at me before retreating into her office.
"I'm going to the Owlery," I stood abruptly. Three Marauders looked up at me, simultaneously, and nodded, also simultaneously. Those boys were way too close. I walked out, but once I got to the hallway I began to run. Suddenly, I was anxious for my family's safety. In truth, these killing sprees on muggles by Voldemort and his followers were scaring me a lot more than I was letting on.
January 4th
Dear Mum and Dad, Remember the wizard I was telling you about? The one who went dark? Well, lately, he and his followers, the Death Eaters, and now the giants, apparently, have been going on a lot of killing sprees, targeting-
No, that wouldn't do. My tawny owl Maverick hopped around impatiently, clicking his beak hyper-actively.
"I can't think when you do that, you know." Maverick cocked his head, looking at me intently with large eyes.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I know I just wrote to you, but I just wanted to remind you of some problem in the wizarding world...probably nothing to worry about, but all the same, you and Petunia (and even Vernon, I suppose...) should be careful. You remember the dark wizard I was telling you about? Voldemort? Well, he and his followers, the Death Eaters, think that muggles and muggle-borns aren't good enough to live with other wizards and witches. I'm enclosing a few newspaper clippings of the reports of his recent activities. Please be careful, I love you, and I'll see you in five months' time.
Lily
I folded it up neatly and tied it tightly to Maverick's leg, watching him fly off until he was no longer visible. From the twisting road uphill from Hogsmeade the carriages were starting to pull in, black tops bobbing slightly as they passed over bumps. I stood watching them for a moment, not really thinking of anything in particular except a certain thought that followed me around often, like an annoying, insistent fly. Which was one of the downfalls of being redheaded, by the way-horseflies couldn't keep away from my hair.
But my thought was-why me? Why had a bloke like James Potter fancied me since...well, since first year, was it? He could have any other girl in school. He really could. I wasn't stunningly beautiful. Sure, I was the awkward kind of pretty, in the right lighting-like the tilt-your-head-close-your-eyes-a-bit-and-squint-really-hard-there-see. I wasn't the kind of girl who you'd do a double take to see again on the streets. I was just me. Honestly.
But 'me' currently had to go meet the carriages and find Harlem Mckenzie, the Head Boy, and find who I was prefect-patrolling with next week.
Later that night, at dinner in the great hall, Marlene and Emmy were still squabbling-it was enough to drive anyone mad.
"Marlene, you knew-"
"Would you pass the potatoes, please?" I spoke over the buzz of the great hall and more importantly, my friends' petty argument. Dorcas, Alice and I had settled in on a nice routine of promptly ignoring their spat. Speaking right over it, if it was necessary.
"-that I fancied him!" Emmy continued on, picking up right where she had left off. Alice gave me an bemused look as I scooped myself another serving of potatoes. I looked up at the ceiling-the sight of the floating candles always intrigued me, always mystified me how ignorantly the mortals lived, completely oblivious to the magical yin to their yang. I tried to find a pattern in the midnight-blue mixed in with gauzy clouds a shade lighter in the night, stars sprinkled in the top it all off. The half-moon threw light on all of it.
"But why wouldn't you want me to be happy? I liked him too, you know!" Marlene snapped.
"I have an idea. I've got a galleon, let's flip," I smiled, catching both of them off-guard. At that very moment, the boy in question, Potter, Black, and Pettigrew were not very subtly sneaking in the Great Hall, trying to get to their seats without being noticed-and not doing a very good job.
"-told you, Evans slapped him!" Black was telling Potter excitedly. Several Gryffindors turned to look at me in shock-I slapped my forehead into my hand, heat rushing to my cheeks.
"No way, Padfoot," Potter shook his head as they sat down several feet away from us.
"Well, I'm going to sit with Sirius, because obviously, not all of you are comfortable with me being here," Marlene cast a wounded look at Emmy, who was looking rather perturbed, down at her food.
A week later, and Sirius and Marlene were outlasting all our bets for how long they would continue to stay a couple. Marcus Blewstry, another Gryffindor prefect, who I was coincidentally Friday-night patrolling with, had a rather high-stakes bet going with me-five galleons. He was one of the more laid-back prefects, making him much more pleasant to patrol with.
"What do you want to do when you graduate, Lily?" The question surprised me.
"Well, er-I'm not quite sure, actually. Being an auror has always interested me, actually-I think that would be exciting. How about yourself?"
"Something to do with dragons, definitely," he grinned, and I smiled back.
Shuffle-bump. The sound of someone's foot scuffing the floor was followed by a sound similar to someone knocking into a wall-Marcus and I stopped, looking around for the source of the noise.
"Broom closet," he nudged me, pointing to the door. I nodded, although the noise didn't seem to be coming from that direction.
The Marauder's General POV
"Something to do with dragons, definitely," a faint, though familiar sounding voice comes from around the corner-
"We've got to get Moony out! Wormtail, I thought you were checking the map!" James hissed while Sirius whacked the perpetrator upside the head.
"Let's just-go," Moony hissed through clenched teeth. He shuffled along under the invisibility cloak, clenching his hands, his teeth, locking all his muscles-anything to keep him rooted to the world of humans.
"Hold on, Moony, almost there-ouch!" James's foot slid across the floor as Sirius stepped on his heel, and James abruptly ran into Peter.
"Broom closet."
Marcus and Lily come into view-the Marauders look at each other, hearts racing and coming to a silent conclusion-now.
Stealthily as church rats, they scurried across down the middle of the hallway-James forced himself to keep his eyes forward, not to look at Lily, who was standing there, so close and yet so oblivious to his presence-
"Anything in there-whoa!" she jumped back, startled, snatching her hand, which James had bumped accidentally.
Sirius whipped his head around toward James, startled. James gave him a panicked look, throwing a glance back at Moony who looked paler than the moon and was sweating bullets. Peter just stood, eyes darting back and forth like a cornered rat's. And they all stood there, hunched over in an incredibly uncomfortable position so their ankles wouldn't be visible. It was very hard to conceal four almost-full grown students under the same invisibility cloak, you know.
Lily stood stock still, sharp green eyes moving back and forth across the air in front of her face, waiting for something to reveal itself to her. James held his breath, inches away, not daring to move, or make a sound. Up this close he could see the freckles dotting Lily's nose, her red eyebrows and lashes. She slowly put her hand forward-
"Lily, there's no one in here. What are you doing?" Marcus turned back towards her. For a moment, suspicion dawned in her eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.
"I just-nothing," she finished, lowering her hand. "Let's check the next hall."
None of the Marauders dared to twitch a muscle, dared to breath until their footsteps and voices could be heard no longer.
"Good going, mate!" Sirius whispered feverishly to James as they shuffled furiously in the opposite direction while Remus stifled a moan, trying not to look through the windows, to see the full moon that was climbing higher and higher... "Did you have to try and hold her hand?" Sirius continued.
"I didn't try and hold her hand," James hissed back. "Although that does sound like an idea I would have cooked up," Sirius shrugged, nodding his assent as he let his hand travel out of the confinements of the invisibility cloak, searching for the indent in the statue of Gregory the Smarmy's shield. A small series of clicks ensued and moments later and the statue slid to the side, revealing a well-concealed handle to a trapdoor. Remus began to tremble visibly-
"Hurry, we haven't got much time, we need to leave earlier next month," James muttered darkly as they threw off the invisibility cloak, discarding it and the map where they could find it later. As they burst out onto the grounds of Hogwarts, they quickly transformed into their Anamagi- James grew until he was a handsome stag, Sirius grew four legs to become a coal-black dog, Peter's body condensed until he was a tiny rat-he scampered up onto Sirius's back to hop a ride.
And Remus continued to moan, the sheen of sweat on his skin obvious in the growing moonlight. It was almost time for his transformation. Any onlookers would have seen a very strange sight had they looked out any of the windows of Hogwarts at that time-fortunately, no one did.
Animal hearts pounding and limbs shaking as they came upon the Shrieking Shack after the now familiar obstacle of the Whomping Willow-
Barely a second after storming into the Shrieking Shack, the quartet lost their last human member to the clutches of his Lycanthropy. Remus's form changed, bones grinding and twisting as he shouted out what was halfway in-between howling and moaning-soon, panting on the floor, was no longer Remus-but the werewolf. His friends waited in the shadows, unseen, but not for long.
Werewolf-Remus lifted his head, letting a long, blood-curling howl toward the moon, sending a tiny spark of a shiver down the backs of all who heard the mournful cry.
Lily's Point of View
I still hadn't entirely ruled out Potter that night in the hallway half a week ago. I thought I had heard his voice- and something did touch my hand, no matter how many times Marcus assured me it was probably just a ghost. Although we'd never found anything that caused the noise.
"Miss Evans?" Professor Slughorn looked at me jovially.
"Oh, yes. Sorry, Professor, would you repeat the question?" I mentally shook myself for becoming unfocused during class.
"What is the main sensory ingredient, or ingredients, in Amortentia, and what does this certain potent mix cause?" Slughorn beamed at me, obviously not a doubt in his mind that I would get this wrong. As a matter of fact, I had done some reading on this very love potion, mainly so I would recognize it if Potter ever tried to slip me one. So far, fortunately, that knowledge hadn't needed to be used.
"The elements that makes up the illusion of your favorite scents are a combination of powdered moonstone and essence of rose thorn," I rattled off. Marlene high-fives me under the table.
"Brilliant! Ten points for Gryffindor!" Slughorn practically jumped into the air. Several Slytherins shifted in their seats to throw me dirty looks. Remus, who was looking rather pale-but better than he had on Monday-smiled weakly at me.
"...produces a strong infatuation-in other words, an obsession, but even Amortentia cannot replicate actual love. No potion has ever been made that can replicate such a powerful emotion, although Amortentia is the closest. And for today's lesson, we will be brewing the antidote...so if you will open your books to page three-hundred and ninety-four, the ingredients are all in the back cabinets and tables-you may began!" He clapped his hands and chairs from tables were pushed back, scraping against the brick floor, and students began to shout out to each other, choosing partners and communicating who would get what.
"Ah, Miss Evans, Miss McKinnon," halfway into the hour, Slughorn had begun to make his rounds, triple-checking that those he invited to his infamous Slug-Club party would not only be there, but would dress for the occasion. He grinned broadly at us, hands out. I gave the potion a last stir and Marlene set down the eye of newt she had been about to throw in.
"Professor," we both acknowledged him.
"I trust both of you will be attending my party this Saturday evening, correct?" My eyes flitted to James and Sirius over my shoulder-both of them were whispering madly to each other, pointing around wildly, and Sirius grinning wider than I thought was possible. I narrowed my eyes slightly, wondering what they were up to-a few cauldrons down, Remus and Peter didn't seem to notice.
"Yes sir, we both will," Marlene beamed charmingly, speaking for both of us.
"Good, good! If I may..." he leaned forward, stirring our cauldron a bit, examining the lime-green color.
"Good progress, ladies," he moved on to the next cauldron-
"Ah, Blewtsry, Longbottom-I think the potion should be emitting more of a light mist coming off, not this tarry substance...ah...keep trying, boys..."
Several Days Later, Slughorn's Party
"This is boring," Marlene hissed to me in the brief second in which we passed each other on the dance floor, both of us being twirled around with different partners.
"Are you having a good time, Lily?" Marcus, who I was dancing with, questioned. "You seem rather quiet."
"Oh, yes, it's very fun," I told him half-heartedly, the other half of my attention bent on trying to calculate when Marlene would pass again so I could whisper my reply. Marcus spun me, which brought a grin to my face-the musics tempo increased, and my green dress swished around my knees. The dance called for a swap in partners, and the males bustled about, not leaving the girls alone for very long. Before I could blink, a familiar face was in front of me, taking one of my hands before I could protest, putting the other on my hip.
"Potter," I remarked in a strangled voice as we twirled to the music.
"Lily," he winked a hazel eye, which, for some reason, caused me to blush. "You look beautiful as always."
"And you don't look too terrible yourself," I said grudgingly.
"Am I a better dancer than Marcus?" He pulled me into a complicated spin-step that I could only accomplish because he was leading.
I narrowed my eyes and his grin widened.
"Do you enjoy teasing me?" I already knew the answer.
"Very much so, Flower," and in a whisk he was gone, and I was staring at Sirius Black.
"Wait-what?" I blinked, trying to process how James disappeared so fast. I craned my neck to see who was dancing with him now. "How did both you and Potter get here?" I narrow my eyes in suspicion, taking in Sirius's dress robes.
"Prongs and I happen to come from old, wealthy wizarding lines. Also because of our dashing good looks, cleverness-," he said neutrally.
"Big-headedness, egotistical pratishness," I interrupted, looking at him pointedly.
"You and James dance well together," Sirius said devilishly and I rolled my eyes at him, not putting any stock into his words. Of course he would say that, Potter was his best mate. The song soon ended, and I excused myself from Sirius and slipped away to the drink table.
"Lily!" Marlene hissed from behind me. "Let's ditch! Slughorn won't notice." I wanted to agree, but just then Potter appeared at the refreshment table.
"Need a drink, Evans?" He looked a bit nervous, most unlike him. "Try the pumpkin juice, it's delicious."
"Alright," I nodded, glancing at Marlene with a hint of suspicion in my eyes.
"Well, bye," Potter left abruptly.
"That was odd," I said into my drink. Oddly enough, it doesn't smell like pumpkin juice. Which was exactly as I suspected. It smelt like...a summer breeze scented with orange trees, fresh baked bread, my mother's perfume...
"Amortentia," I hissed, fuming. "Potter put Amortentia in this." I set the drink down amd vanished the substance so no unsuspecting party-goer would suddenly find themselves with the horrible misfortune of being irrevocably attracted to Potter. I caught a glimpse of the very boy in question's black robes as he vanished out of the door. This was low, even for him.
"Let's go get him back!" Marlene cried, tugging at my arm. "What are we waiting for?" We slipped out as subtly as we could, stopped only for a moment by McGonagall, who we stammered excuses to-something about a bathroom. Whisking out in the hallway, following Marlene, her light blue dress floating around her legs, a low hoot stops me.
"Did you hear that?" We stopped in the middle of a half-lit hallway, halfway down the corridor from the party, light and music spilling out the door. Glimpses of dancing couples whizzed through the open doorway.
"Hear what?" Marlene stepped beside me, looking around.
"Maverick!" I cried, holding my arm out for my owl, who must have been flying toward the party to get me-which he would have done only if the contents of whatever he was delivering was incredibly important...
He landed heavily, fluttering his wings as I untied to scroll from his legs with shaking fingers. As soon as I had the note he flew off toward the Owlery-whoever had sent it hadn't been looking for an immediate response.
Marlene read over my shoulder, and my eyes quickly swept over the handwriting, recognizing it as Petunia's.
"It's from my sister," I turned around to Marlene, trying to put off reading it for as long as possible. Petunia had sent me an owl herself...well, I wasn't exactly sure of the total, but I knew the count was one that I could tick off on the fingers of one hand. "She hasn't sent me an owl herself for the longest time..."
"Read it then, Lily! It can't be too bad," Marlene turned back to the letter.
"Dear Lily," I read aloud.
"Vernon-has-proposed?!" I spluttered.
"Keep reading!" Marlene insisted. Even at this terrible news, I felt a flutter of relief against my heart that this letter hadn't brought news of death.
"And I have said yes. The wedding will take place next summer, at our home. Preparations will be made in the months before. I have expressed my wishes clearly to mother that I do not want you gallivanting around using magic whenever you please. And I will not tolerate any of your freak friends coming over and ruining my wedding. Mother has absolutely refused to send you away for that summer, but Lily, I am begging you-I despise magic. I want none of it in my life. I don't want it to spoil my relationship with Vernon. I don't want you running around underfoot. If you could find it in your heart to do me a final favor, please stay with one of your friends until the wedding takes place. I do not wish to hurt your feelings, Lily, but this is the most special time of my life, and I want magic to have no part with it."
"Yours truly, Petunia," Marlene finished off by reading the closing. She gently took the letter from my hand, crumpling it up. She set fire to it with a quick spell, and the brightness of it seared into my eyelids. Bits of ash drop onto the floor-that was all that was left of my sister's letter.
"She doesn't want me to be a part of her life," I whispered. All of my anger toward Potter had burned away with the letter, forgotten- an empty hollowness filled my chest instead, right where Petunia had sucked all the life out with half a page of a letter. "I wish I weren't a muggleborn...I don't belong anywhere!" I said mournfully, knowing myself to be in a very self-pitying moment. "When I'm in the muggle world I'm a freak, and here I'm a...well, you know what they call us!" I waved my hands wildly.
"That's not true," Marlene said softly, shaking her head. "You're a muggle born so you belong in both. And Petunia...well, she can go and...she's bogus, that's what she is," Marlene said firmly, taking me shoulders and making sure I looked her in the eye. "Your sister is officially insane, you have to realize that now. And Lily, you must come stay with us for the summer-I can't even think about you being miserable there all summer with your snobby sister and her horrible fiancee." For once, I didn't chastise her for talking down Petunia. I silently agreed.
"I'll write my mum," I nodded miserably. "I would like that." I give her a smile, and she grinned back.
"Me too, Lily."
Author's note-Whew, that was a long one! They won't normally be this long, don't worry. If you find Petunia's letter harsh, remember that Jo stated that Petunia didn't even want Lily in the wedding, and they did not even correspond for at least a year after Lily finished Hogwarts. Also, it's true that James and Sirius tried to smuggle Lily a love potion-as Harry was going through records of punishments in one of the books, he found a report that said this. :)