Phyllis stood in front of the Evans' door steeling her nerve to knock. Under normal circumstances she would never be so nervous over such a simple action, after living for nearly fifty years across both lives she is above such things. However, her cheek was purple and yellow from Tobias' abuse, and she was frightened of what the ramifications could be if the Evans' discovered it. She had seen the glances the couple had given each other when they thought she couldn't see. She knew they had their suspicions regarding her home life. Yet, here she was at their home anyway. She had promised Lily she would come the day after they got their Hogwarts letters, and she refused to break a promise to Lily.

"Welcome- Oh dear! What happened to you, Lissy?" Rose Evans' shocked voice rang from the brick home's front door.

"Get in here and let me get a good look at it, it looks downright nasty," the blonde woman said as she ushered Phyllis into the pristine kitchen

"We oughta get some ice on that dear," Mrs Evans remarked as she rummaged around the refrigerator, "This oughta do," she said as she brought out a bag of frozen peas.

Phyllis lightly flinched as the bag made contact with the contusion on her cheek. She hated having to deal with her injuries the muggle way when the wizarding method was far superior, as most wizarding things tended to be. If she had access to magic the bruise would have been gone already and the healing process far less painful.

"Lily come down, Lissy's here!" The blonde shouted up the steps to her daughter.

"Oh Lissy it was wonderful, there was an owl and- what happened to your face," Lily rambled as she rushed down the stairs. Mrs Evans chastised her daughter for running in the house the whole while.

"Nothing much, I tripped and fell into the corner of the table as I was chasing after the owl for my letter. The stubborn thing wouldn't give it up," Phyllis lied. The acting skills she acquired from her time as a spy appeared to convince Lily for the time being. Mrs Evans on the other hand narrowed her eyes in suspicion at Phyllis' claim.

"Why don't you spend the night dear?" Rose Evans spoke in a tone that left no confusion about the fact she was telling and not asking you what to do. "The graduation to a new school is cause for celebration don't you think?"

Phyllis had no choice but to nod her consent to the woman's whims. For if she refused Mrs Evans would surely worry even more, coming up with more and more outlandish theories as to what could be happening in that run-down house on Spinner's End.

The Evans' had never offered her refuge in their home in her past life, whether that was because they didn't want a boy spending the night in their house, or because they didn't notice the signs of abuse because she was a boy, she was unsure. When she had been a child for the first time she was convinced it was because they simply didn't care for the little, ratty stray their daughter had brought home from the bad side of town. This second chance at life however has given her a slightly different perspective, and she is not so quick to assume the absolute worst in people. Or perhaps that perspective simply came with time, age, and experience.

"Oh Lissy it was just wonderful," the redhead exclaimed as she pulled Phyllis up the stairs to her bedroom. "The letter was delivered by an owl, an actual owl! I know you said it would be, but it's an entirely different thing to see it with your own eyes. And the one delivering my letter was so kind too, it even let me pet it. Oh, and its feathers were just so soft. When Tuney tried to pet it, it bit her finger. I swear she squealed louder than an actual owl when it happened." Lily finished with a giggle. And Phyllis could not help but to smile at her friend. It was nice to see her so excited about Hogwarts. Phyllis wished she could be that excited too, but her experiences have soured her opinion of the place

"Anyway, I got a letter back this morning that a professor would be coming sometime in the next two weeks to show me how to get my supplies and explain a bit about the school. I hope the professor is nice," Lily said as she wrung her hands and subtly bit her lip, a sign she was nervous.

"I'm sure it will be fine Lee, my mother doesn't have many complaints about the professors from her time at Hogwarts. Besides the HIstory of Magic teacher, he is, apparently, dreadfully boring." What she was saying was not necessarily a lie, but it also was not the exact truth. Phyllis really had not heard her mother complain about her professors, but that was only because the woman typically refused to talk about her past or magic in general if she did not have to. The only time she had heard her mother talk about her professors was to complain about Binns. But that was beside the point, she only wanted to calm Lily's nerves.

"Well surely he can't still be teaching," Lily remarked.

"He almost definitely is. He's a ghost, he could theoretically teach at Hogwarts forever."

"Why don't they just like… exorcise him or something?"

"I imagine it is a combination of the fact that it is highly frowned upon to banish ghosts from the mortal plane without their consent and that since ghosts technically do not have living expenses it is not exactly necessary to pay them."

"Well, rude or not, if he's truly that boring I may just banish him myself," Lily stated confidently.

"I may just help you," Phyllis added. The thought to get rid of Binns had never really crossed her mind before, but she liked the sound of the idea. And it's not like she had a strict moral code preventing her from doing it.

"Do you think there's a spell for it?"

"It sounds more like something that you would need a ritual to do. Though I am unsure if it is a topic we would be able to research in the school's library," Phyllis responded.

"We'll just have to make our own then, it can't be that hard. Especially with our combined brain power, seeing as you skipped two years and I'm at the top of my year."

It would be a fun extracurricular project for the two of them to have. and if they ended up in different houses, as she almost certainly would, she did not care what Dumbledore may think she did not belong in Gryffindor, it would be something to keep them together. She refused to lose Lily again. She had already lived one life without her friend, she refused to live another.

"You have another stupid letter from your stupid school," Petunia complained as she barged into Lily's room.

"Really!" Lily exclaimed excitedly, "what's the other letter?"

"Nothing!" The blonde sister shouted as she hastily hid the other letter she had been holding. Not that it mattered, Phyllis already knew what it was. It was a response to the letter the muggle girl had written to Dumbledore begging to be let into Hogwarts despite not having a drop of magic in her.

"What do you think it was Lissy? It's awfully suspicious of her to hide it like that. Maybe she has a secret boyfriend she doesn't want mum and dad to know about?" Lily speculated, completely ignoring her own letter.

"Does it really matter? If it is a boyfriend she will tell you sooner or later. Besides, would you want Petunia snooping about your mail?" Phyllis attempted to de-escalate. In her last life, Lily's curious nature would not let her drop the suspicious letter and they ended up digging around the older girl's room for it. She remembered how heartbroken Lily was when Petunia yelled at them for it. She did not want that to happen again so she would try her best to convince the redhead that the letter did not matter.

"I… suppose you're right," Lily said consideringly before opening her letter and brightening again.

"A professor will be coming round on Monday to tell me all about the school, a professor McGonagal apparently."

Phyllis could visibly see how excited her friend was. Lily was practically vibrating from her seat on her baby blue comforter. Phyllis was glad her friend had always favoured soft blue and green tones and not the obnoxious shades of pink she saw some girls favour. Thankfully with the women's movement of the '60s and 70's the pink-for-girls stereotype wasn't nearly as strong as it had been in the '80s and '90s. And wasn't that a weird thought, to view the 1980s as coming before the 1960s? Being reborn in the past was an odd experience that often messed with her head.

The weeks leading up to September first were spent with Lily and Phyllis fantasising about what their Hogwarts years would be like and numerous sleepovers at Mr and Mrs Evans' insistence. Well, it would be more accurate to say they were spent with Lily fantasising about what their Hogwarts years would be like and Phyllis plotting how she would go about navigating school life a second time around and how she would deal with the dark lord's Horcruxes. She would like to nip that flower in the bud long before he got the chance to target Lily should fate lead them in that direction again.

"Lissy! There you are," Lily exclaimed as she spotted Phyllis at the park, "My parents want you to spend the night so that getting us ready for the Hogwarts express won't be so stressful tomorrow."

"I can go and get my things right now." Though she would have to be quick about it. When she had left the house that morning Tobias had been passed out on the sofa surrounded by liquor bottles but there was no guarantee how long he would stay that way.

"I'll come with you," Lily said as she skipped beside the black-haired girl.

"That's not necessary." Phyllis really did not want Lily to be at her house. Not because of the state of it. On the list of reasons she did not want Lily at Spinner's End her poverty was at the bottom. Her main concern was Tobias. She did not want to think of what the man may do to her for bringing a friend to the house, or what he would do to Lily for being there.

As the two girls approached the small run-down house Phyllis subtly slowed down her steps. She wanted the chance to listen in on what was happening in the house before walking in, especially since she also had Lily to worry about. She didn't hear her father yelling, the house was silent as they walked up to the front door, which meant it was safe.

"Make sure to be quiet, my father is asleep and gets very… cranky when woken up unexpectedly," Phyllis told the redhead as she slowly and carefully opened the door.

"Hello mother, Lily and I came to get my things for Hogwarts. I will be spending the night at her house," Phyllis quietly said to her mother who was trying to scrub away an alcohol stain on one of the kitchen cabinets.

"Just be quiet about it. And Lily, take care of my little girl for me will you?" The pale woman whispered back.

"Will do Mrs Snape." While Lily had not been loud by any means, both Phyllis and Eileen flinched in worry that it had been enough to rouse Tobias from his slumber.

It was fine. If Tobias was awake they would know immediately.

Phyllis quickly led Lily to her room. It was a sad excuse for a bedroom, the door was splintered in some areas from Tobias banging on it, her bed had no bed frame, she was using a cardboard box as a side table, and her dresser looked like it would fit in better at a junkyard.

The two girls quickly and carefully carried Phyllis' trunk down the steps. Phyllis was amazed they were getting away with it. She simply did not have that type of luck, typically when something could go wrong in her life it would.

Just as the two girls were carrying the trunk out of the door, the end Lily was holding slipped from her grip and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Eileen swivelled toward them with a look of horror on her face.

"Sorry," Lily muttered sheepishly.

"The fuck was that!" Tobias' gravelly voice yelled from the living room, "I house, clothe, and feed the two of ya, but no! That still ain't enough for you devil worshippers. You still gotta go and make nuisances of yourselves."

Phyllis quickly pulled both the trunk and Lily from the house and slammed the door shut, completely ignoring how much noise it made before Tobias could make it out of the living room. She felt horrible about leaving her mother alone with that disgusting excuse for a man in the mood he was in, but she did not have much of a choice. She had to get Lily out of there before Tobias could see her.

"Come on, let's go, quickly," Phyllis said nervously as she heaved the trunk over her shoulder. She wanted to get Lily away from Spinner's End before her mother's inevitable beating started.

Luck really wasn't on Phyllis' side that day, as before they made it hardly two steps from the door there slap brutal enough it could be heard from outside the house.

Lily quickly began speed walking alongside Phyllis at the noise.

"That bruise… the one you said was from chasing the owl with your letter, it was from your dad, wasn't it?" Lily asked as they made it to the street her house was on.

Phyllis' silence was enough of an answer for the young redhead. Phyllis would have liked to deny it, but it would have been far too obvious she was lying. She had never told anyone just how bad she had it in Spinner's End, even in her past life, especially not in her past life.

"We have to tell my parents!" Lily insisted voice laced with righteous fury.

"I'm pretty sure they already know."

"Why do you say that?"

"Haven't you seen the worried glances they exchange with each other whenever I'm around? Or perhaps the fact that ever since that day after our Hogwarts letters arrived they have insisted I sleep over as often as possible."

"No, not really, but now that you mention it, it seems pretty obvious. Oh, Lissy! I've been a horrible friend, haven't I? How could I not notice what was happening to you? All those times you would just stop appearing at the park for a few days, claiming to have been sick. All those bruises you excused away as you just being clumsy. It seems so obvious now, I should have known," Lily said as she broke down into tears and pulled Phyllis into a tight hug.

"It's alright Lily," Phyllis said comfortingly, "I did not want you to know, I did not want anyone to know."

"But the signs were still there!" Lily said distressingly.

"Nobody wants to think that another person could be so evil as to harm their own child, and for that reason, people tend to overlook the signs. Besides you are young you aren't expected to know all of the signs let alone be able to recognize them."

"How are you always so wise, Lissy?" Lily said as her crying slowed.

"I suppose I have had to age beyond my years." It was not the complete truth, but close enough to it. She was far older than the years she has spent inhabiting her current body suggested.

"Please don't make me cry again, Lissy."

"I'll try my best," Phyllis responded.

"Mum, dad," Lily called out uneasily as they entered the Evans residence. "Why haven't you done anything about Lissy's dad?"

"Come have a seat Lilster, you too Lissy," Mr Evans said, "It's not as simple as you might think. We could call the police or even the NSPCC about our suspicions, but it's unlikely anything would be done since we don't have any proof and because of where in Cokeworth Lissy's from."

"But- but that's not right!" Lily exclaimed angrily.

"We never said it was Lily," Mrs Evans said trying to calm down her daughter, "but without proof, or testimony from Eileen or Lissy we can't do much, but we can provide a safe space for Lissy to stay."

"You would testify against him, wouldn't you Lissy?" Lily practically pleaded with Phyllis.

"I… would not be opposed. It is just that I am unsure if my mother would discredit my claims or testify alongside me. And if she were to discredit me… well it is unlikely any authority would believe me if I were to try and claim abuse again."

"I'll go get Tuney. I think after a conversation like that we all deserve some ice cream," Mr Evans said, trying to lighten the, quite frankly, depressing mood.

It was the next day and Phyllis was in the backseat of the Evans' car, sat between a petulant Petunia and Lily, who still managed to be excited despite the events of the previous day. Her hand-me-down trunk from her mother was in the boot of the car alongside Lily's brand-new one. She could only hope her materials would last better this time around. Her mother's old robes were made from much better quality than the ones she had in her old life, and hopefully, sexism would be on her side when it came to the damned marauders and they would leave her and her stuff the bloody hell alone.

The Hogwarts Express, while the beginning of a joyous seven years for most, was nothing but a prelude to worse things to come. It had marked the beginning of seven years of torment at the hands of the oh-so-great Gryffindors. Sure, she had always given as good as she got, but they weren't the ones the entire school was laughing at, at the end of the day. They weren't the ones who were sexually assaulted in front of the entire school, because that's what that so-called prank was, sexual assault. And maybe if she had been a girl when they had done that people would have cared more. Maybe someone other than Lily would have tried to stop them.

"Oh, Lissy isn't this so exciting!" Lily exclaimed happily. Lily's open excitement caused Petunia's scowl to deepen further and Phyllis' mood to brighten. Lily always had the extraordinary ability to make her day better no matter what happened.

"I'm sure it will be fun," That was a lie. Phyllis was not at all certain that her second time at Hogwarts would be fun, but Lily did not need to know that.

"Do you think we'll be in the same house? I hope we are. I've gotten so used to you always being around over the summer I don't think I could stand it if we didn't get sorted into the same house. How are students sorted again, Lissy? I'm sure we could find a way to cheat the system so we get put in the same house." Lily rambled. Phyllis could hear Petunia grumbling about 'stupid Hogwarts' and 'stupid magic' the entire time.

"There's a hat that gets put on your head and decides which house fits you best based on the traits associated with each house," Phyllis responded.

"Which house do you think you'll get put in? I think they all sound lovely and I could picture myself going to any one of them."

"Probably Ravenclaw or Slytherin, though I'm hoping for Ravenclaw." If the hat didn't agree with her she would just have to bully it until it did, hopefully letting it have access to all her memories would help sway the hat into the idea that Ravenclaw was the best place for her to accomplish her goals.

"Well, then I'll just have to convince some silly old hat to put me in Ravenclaw, shouldn't be too hard," Lily stated confidently.

The car ride passed with Lily excitedly making plans for all the adventures they would go on at Hogwarts and Mr Evans laughing at his daughter's enthusiasm. Petunia on the other hand spent the ride quietly grumbling to herself.

"Here we are girls, platform nine and three-quarters," Mr Evans announced as they passed through the fake wall.

"I'm going to miss you so much Lily," Mrs Evans sobbed out, "you too Lissy, over these six years you've come to feel like part of the family. Write us, both of you." Mrs Evans finished her speech by pulling both Phyllis and Lily into a hug.

Phyllis could hear Petunia snort at the display somewhere in the background and subsequent chastisement from Mr Evans.

"Let go, mum. We have to get on the train before all the good seats are gone," Lily complained.

"Oh alright, off you go you two," Mrs Evans said as she reluctantly let the two of them go.

"This is gorgeous," Lily said wondrously as they settled into an empty compartment. And objectively speaking she was not wrong. With its deep wood tones and luxurious velvet seats, the inside of the Hogwarts Express was a sight to behold.

Phyllis was feeling cautiously optimistic about her future at Hogwarts as they settled into the compartment. That optimism however was quickly dashed when James Potter followed by his mangy lapdog, Sirius Black, entered the compartment laughing loudly.

"Mind if we sit here?" Potter asked. Phyllis wanted nothing more than to shove that arrogant bastard out of the door but had no justifiable reason to do so at this point in time

"Not at all," Lily replied. Curse you Lily for being so kind, Phyllis thought to herself.

"I'm Sirius Black and that's James Potter," Black said as they sat down in front of them with a smug smirk on his boyish face.

"Lily Evans and that's Lissy-"

"Phyllis Snape," Phyllis finished before Lily could finish. The redhead huffed but did not fight her. Phyllis refused to let any of the marauders get any thoughts about calling her Lissy. They would refer to her by her surname or not at all, she preferred not at all.

"What houses are you hoping to be in? We're going to be in Gryffindor for sure," Potter said pridefully.

"We're both hoping for Ravenclaw," Lily responded.

"Ravenclaw, really? Why would you want to be a nerd? Gryffindor's so mu-"

"Out! Get out! I won't stand to have you bully my friend and me because of something as arbitrary as a school house," Lily cut Potter off furiously.

"But I- fine," Potter said before storming out of the compartment with Black in tow.

"Thank you, Lily," Phyllis stated. She had almost forgotten what it was like to have Lily by her side and standing up for her.

"It's not a big deal. Besides, they were making you uncomfortable. I could tell, you were getting tense all over."

The ride to Hogwarts went much better once the marauders were not there to muck things up. She and Lily were eventually joined by Pandora Chronis, last of her line, mother to Luna Lovegood, and died from a failed spell-crafting experiment if she remembered correctly. She might be a good person to pick the brain of when it comes to spell-crafting, once the girl matures that is. Marlene McKinnon also joined them, she was a friend of Lily's the first time around and died young as a victim of death eaters.

Phyllis could only hope that the fairly peaceful and friendly ambience in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express served as a precursor of good things to come.

Notes:

Yes, Lily's reaction to James Potter's juvenile insults is extreme, but keep in mind she has just found out her best friend is abused at home, she is going to be overprotective.

I'm also considering creating a scenario where Phyllis would get adopted by the Evans, what do you think?