Disclaimer: All settings and characters belong to J.K Rowling.
"Thanks for coming." Repeated Lily, as yet another teenager emerged from the emerald fire.
"No problem." Replied the black haired Chinese girl, as she pulled Lily into a swift hug. "There's quite a queue in the network to get here, you know. Looks like you invited the whole year!"
"As if!" retorted Lily, accepting the gift the girl held out with a wicked smile, "Slytherins in a muggle house- now that would be a travesty."
"Pretty much why my parents don't know I'm here." Interrupted a new voice causing both girls to look round.
"You might want to move away from the fire by the way," continued the dark haired boy, now with a suggestive smile at the pair. "Unless you want James to fall into you?"
At the sound of his name, James Potter appeared- steadying himself just in time to prevent himself from falling out of the fire place.
"Happy Birthday Lily." He greeted, offering to her his gift, as he nodded politely at me before moving on to shake hands with my mother.
No sooner did he disappear that a third boy replaced him, this one had sandy blonde hair and the faint beginnings of facial hair covering his face. I watched his and Lily's interactions with interest, he obviously knew Lily slightly better than the other two, and as I watched he said something quietly that made her laugh, before taking a small box out of his pocket.
Lily frowned slightly as she pulled it open, and there set on cotton wool was her red and gold prefects badge, only now instead of prefect it said purrfect and where the lion's head had previously been there was a Persian cat mewing quietly.
Lily chuckled lightly at a joke that I clearly didn't understand.
"Turn it over."
'To Lily, the only she-cat of Gryffindor we know. From the Marauders.'
Laughing harder, and shaking her head slightly, Lily pulled the sandy haired boy into a hug.
"Thanks."
"Don't thank me, I just umm.. borrowed your badge. James did the transfiguration and it was Peter who did the engraving. Sirius..."
"Petunia?…Petunia!"
Dragging my eyes away from the tall sandy haired boy, I turned to face my mother whom had obviously being trying to get my attention for quite a while and subsequently looked rather annoyed.
"I think there's enough people here now for us to start serving the food." Informed my mother, "Grab that tray over there would you, dear."
Picking up the tray, along with a stack of napkins, I stalked into the living room and began to circle the room.
Who would have thought it? Someone normal like me, serving freaks. Nevertheless for my mother's sake I politely offered the food to our guests.
" And then," continued a loud male voice, over much laughter " She locked the damn cupboard, with James in it!"
This was greeted by even more laughter, with the sandy haired boy, placing his arm on James shoulder to prevent himself from falling over. Potter himself seemed a little disgruntled by this, I could only assume the story had been about him, and he neatly stepped out of the other's boy's grip, causing him to lose his balance which led to even more laughter, this time with James joining in.
"Do you want any?" I interrupted offering my tray up to them with a strained smile.
"Thanks." Responded the tallest member of the group, selecting a spring roll," So you're Evan's sister huh?"
"Petunia isn't it?" interrupted James Potter. "I'm James by the way, and these are Remus, Sirius and Peter" he added, pointing to each in turn.
"Hi." I greeted briefly, hoping to make a quick escape.
No such luck.
"So, what was Lily like as a kid?" asked Sirius curiously. "Has she always been the way she is now?
"If you mean weird then yes. Not as weird is she is now mind you." I responded bitterly, suddenly angry that Lily got to spend time with these good looking boys, "She's always been a freak if that's what you're wondering."
Looking up I noticed that all four boys had their eyebrows raised. Ok, so obviously not quite the response they were expecting to hear.
"Pet?"
Turning around I found myself face to face with my sister, who looked more than a little angry.
Without a second glance at the boys, I moved on to serve food to a tall Asian witch, who was examining a plug with a disconcerting amount of interest.
"So that's your sister huh?" Sirius asked Lily.
"No, she's just some random cow I invited to my party, and then forced to serve food." Responded Lily her voice laden with sarcasm.
"Well, she seems really nice." Responded Sirius in a similar tone, " It seems to run in the family."
"And there I was worrying that you'd actually be nice to me at my party." joked Lily, rolling her eyes.
"Nah, we wouldn't want to ruin our reputation." Interrupted James, in a mock horrified voice, "After all some of us,"- and here he threw a dirty look at Sirius- "are known to be men of great fortitude." He continued ignoring the snickers from Remus and Peter.
"Don't worry though Lily." Smiled Remus, "We can't do anything too crazy. If there's one person these two are scared off, its James' mum." He smirked.
"Remus!" cried Sirius, who was now pouting (and looking very cute whilst doing so), " You're ruining my reputation!"
"Trust me Siri," interrupted the last member of the group- Peter I think his name was " If I had a rep like yours I'd want to ruin it too. He's doing you a favour!"
"That's enough about favours I think" interrupted Lily with a devilish smile, "Anyway, I actually came over to say thanks for the gift. It was really thoughtful."
"Well you know us." Responded James jauntily with a quick wink.
"That's half the problem," responded Kat, coming up behind the group, before turning to me. "By the way Petunia, I doubt they really want any snacks right now."
Blushing red, at having been caught eavesdropping, I snuck a glance at the people in front of me, and blushed even more. The couple in front of me were making out heavily, to the extent that they hadn't even noticed my presence in front of them.
Damn. Sniffing and looking pointedly away from the laughing group, I stalked out of the room, slamming the tray onto the table on my way out…
…and promptly ran into someone.
"Ouch!" cried a male voice. "Watch where you're going!"
"Why don't you?" I responded, my eyes quickly taking in the long lank black hair, and hooked nose.
He obviously was doing the same.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Evans' sister. Quite the medieval muggle I hear." He sneered, idly twirling his wand between his fingers.
His tone immediately put my back up, "At least I'm not a freak."
"A freak? Is that what you call us? You've got it backward, it's you who are the freaks, the vermin, you're the lesser ones, and you can't even deny it."
"Your sister's obviously the lucky one in this family. The skill, the brains and the beauty." He sneered, though his eyes betrayed another emotion, which I instantly latched onto.
"Dreaming of Lily are you?" I snickered cruelly, "Well that's all they'll ever be, just dreams."
Even before I'd finished the sentence his wand was against my chest.
"Say that again vermin and I swear I will." He muttered, breathing heavily.
Suddenly I was terrified, what was this boy, this abomination going to do to me. Was I to be punished simply because he was jealous of all I had that he didn't?
"And you know the best part?" he continued, raising his voice slightly, " No one will even care. Your sister hates you, and to everyone else you're just another muggle."
Closing my eyes, against the pressure of his wand, I waited for the curse to come.
"Petrificus Totallus" shouted a male voice suddenly, from behind me.
To my surprise I felt no immediate impact and as I warily opened my eyes the reason for this became instantly clear.
The curse (or whatever it was), had not been meant for me.
It had been meant for 'grease-boy'. Who now lay rigidly in front me, with only his eyes moving rapidly from side to side.
"Tut tut." Continued the voice, walking towards us, "Cursing Evan's sister, eh Snape? Couldn't even take on another witch or wizard."
Finally the boy came into vision and it was then that I recognised Potter's tall frame, and messy hair.
"I'll take that your wand I think, just as a precaution." He continued absently, lifting his wand once more.
Before he had the chance to speak however, he was interrupted.
"Potter!" shouted a voice, that I immediately recognised as my sister's.
I winced, and was gratified to notice that Potter did also. Obviously it was not only me who was terrified of Lily's wrath.
Turning around slowly, he out on a jaunty smile as he greeted a fuming Lily.
"Everything all right Evans?" he asked in a perky voice, accompanied by a winning smile.
"Don't even try it." Responded my sister angrily, " You are a bullying toe-rag Potter. Just an arrogant, conceited little toe-rag."
"We've been through this already." Interrupted Potter, now looking annoyed and yawning pointedly, "By the lake after the DADA OWL. I'm sure you pretty much covered this all then, so why don't you just skip the rant?"
'Ouch. Bad move Potter.' I thought, wincing inwardly.
To my surprise however Lily merely stared at him in shock, opening and closing her mouth several times, without actually saying anything.
"Something to say, Evans?" asked the boy, still looking incredibly bored and disinterested in my sister's reaction.
"Let him go, James." Interrupted a new voice firmly.
Looking up, I was surprised to notice the sandy haired boy standing slightly behind Lily.
"James." Repeated Remus warningly, when his friend made no move to raise his wand.
Sighing exaggeratedly, James finally freed the long haired boy, who stood up, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone in the room.
"Severus?"
"I'll be leaving now." Responded the boy, ignoring Lily's unasked question. " Thank you for inviting me, Evans."
"Thank you for coming." Responded my sister, with a slight smile at the formality of his words.
No sooner had he walked out the door, that Lily turned furiously to James.
" What the hell did you think you were doing?" she shouted furiously, ignoring Remus and myself momentarily.
"Well Evans, I'm not really sure." Replied James sarcastically, "maybe I was stopping him from practicing his dark arts on your sister?"
"Dark arts? Don't be ridiculous James, just because he's in Sly…" Began Lily, before his words finally penetrated through.
"What!"
Turning away from Potter, she now addressed me.
"Are you alright?" she asked hurriedly, " Did he really do that?"
With a quick glance at James, who was now frowning and watching Lily intently, I instantly made up my mind.
"Grease- boy? Attack me? I have no idea what he's talking about." I responded, ignoring James immediate expression of confusion followed swiftly by anger.
Lily however immediately turned on James.
"Don't lie to me Potter. Don't ever bloody lie to me."
That was just the first time I saw Lily argue with James, and certainly nowhere near the last. Their relationship continued to be one filled with passion. Not only did they have a true love for each other, but a passion for the one other thing that all hold dear, but few couples ever achieve, a passion for the truth.
There are three categories of men. The men that treat their women like glass, as if they are precious treasures that need careful handling or are at risk of self combusting. There are the men who, like Vernon, who provide security for their wives yet treat them as one might treat their secretary, with kindness and firmness, knowing that it is their word, and not their wife's that is final.
And finally, the third category, are the men, who treat their wives like the independent, educated and loving women that they really are. There are the ones who aren't afraid to tell their wives they're wrong, and who aren't annoyed to hear from her that they are wrong. They are the ones who aren't ashamed to have their wives earn the same amount that they are, or accept that however much they might want them to, their wives don't need to hide behind them, but instead are capable of standing up for themselves.
These are the essentially the men who see more in their wives than just their looks, or their homely skills but also look into their heads and their hearts, and love what they see there. These are the men who love their wives as a women and not just a wife, and this was how James loved Lily.
Ok, so that's chapter 4, with chapter five well underway! Hope you're enjoying the fic and please please review as all comments, views or questions are welcome!
Coming up: Snape has a busy day. First a run in with Sirius, then a brush with death. So what's Petunia got to do with it?