Regicide

Sinister Spiders

FIVE

You told your mother you had a detention

You lied.

Instead you are standing on Lily Evan's front doorstep, waiting in the biting cold snow and howling wind for her to find her house keys in the bottom of her school bag. You have asked her numerous times whether she had charmed it to hold so much stuff but she says no, no charm… In that case you decide it must be a bottomless pit.

With a triumphant cry she pulls a fluffy, rainbow, knitted ball from her bag with three tinkling silver keys tied to it. The smile on her face makes you grin; she looks just as pleased finding her keys as she would if she won a thousand pounds.

The smile on her face is one of the reasons you are still her friend. Three months ago you tried to tell her that you couldn't see her anymore. You decided that, at the very least, you owed her an explanation before you disappeared from her life. Despite all of your apologies and excuses she shrugged and said;
'So, your Mother doesn't want us to be friends?' You nodded and she shrugged 'Well, in that case what she doesn't know won't hurt her!'. Then she grabbed your arm and pulled you over to the swings, begging you to tell her everything you knew about unicorns.

Ever since that day you have been her friend. You decided that even if you wanted to stop being her friend you couldn't, any attempt you made to end the relationship would fail miserably as Lily would refuse to accept it. When you first realised this your chest swelled with happiness, your heart fluttered in your ribcage like a bird, and you finally felt wanted.

Thinking about it now still makes you feel the same way.

Wanted.

The front door to the Evans' house swings open and you both step inside before Lily slams the door shut behind you.

"Brrrrr." Lily shivers and rubs her hands together while stamping furiously to shake the cold from her bones. You, however, look around.

"It's so… normal!" You saw, awestruck, as you look around. The house looks as though it could be from a Good Home magazine! Everything is neatly in its place. And everything so nice! Not a single item of furniture or bric-a-brack was old or shabby or even dusty. Your head spins at the sheer perfection of the hall way. Your head spins at the sheer fact that they even have a hallway! It sure beats your ramshackle two-up-two-down house.

"Normal?" Lily asked, turning to you with a frown. Your breath catches in your throat and you realize that she might just take this as an insult.

"Normal as in…. Well- it's just that… It's so…" You look around and your forehead creases as you try to find the right words.

"What did you expect? Buckingham Palace?" Lily asks incredulously. You throw your hands up in front of you defensively.

"No- Lily! Not like that!" You manage to stammer, annoyed that a proper explanation eludes you "It's just that everything is so nice…" She looks at you skeptically but before she is able to ask what you mean a tall man with auburn hair almost bounces down the stairs.

"Lily! You're home!" He actually sounded happy to see her. "And this must be Severus!" He turns to you and gives you a charming smile that makes you look past his two crooked front teeth to see the genuine happiness beyond. "Put it there young man!" He thrusts out his hand and grips yours, giving it a vigorous shake. "Lil! Have you forgotten your manners? It's freezing! Go into the parlor and get warm by the fire while I get you both a hot chocolate, eh?"

Ten minutes later you and Lily are huddled together in front of the fire, each nursing a steaming mug of hot chocolate. As you take a sip of yours you feel the warmth slide down your throat, sweet and molten, and your lips settle decidedly into a smile.

"Dad makes good hot chocolate. Better than Mum… But don't tell her that." Lily whispers to you, you laugh and turn to face her. Her green eyes twinkling in the fire light.

"When I said normal," you begin as the right words finally come to you, bolstered by the fire and the tasty drink "I meant perfect."

She rolls her eyes at you and laughs that carefree laugh of hers. You laugh along with her, forgetting all about the fact that your mother thinks you have detention, and the fact that you shouldn't be Lily's friend.