Disclaimer: I do not own these lovely characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 2: Changes

"Lily!"

Go away.

"Lily!"

Leave me alone.

"LILY!"

I cracked an eye open. It was still dark, and I had just fallen into bed. I actually had a chance at getting more than four hours of sleep, and my whale of a stepsister was ruining it. I pushed myself off my blankets, knowing that if I didn't answer her calls, all hell would break lose.

"What is it Petunia?" I asked sleepily, trudging into her bedroom.

"Where were you? I've been calling for ages."

No. You have been calling me for about five minutes you nitwit.

"What do you want?" I asked, not bothering to hide my disdain. Petunia smiled.

"Tone. Tone. Remember who you are talking to, Mudblood." She said. My hand twitched towards my wand, but I thought better of it.

"What do you need, Petunia?" I asked again, trying to keep my composure.

"My clothes need to be ready for tomorrow. I haven't had them washed yet, and I need them ironed. Oh, and if another button is missing, I'll tell mother all about your little practice in the garden." She smiled wickedly, and I rolled my eyes. Idle threats. Lovely.

"Is that all, dear Tuney?" I asked.

"Get out of here, you freak." She said before resting back against her pillows.

"As you wish." I said, leaving the room quickly.

Life in Hogsmeade was so aggravating. It was so normal, so mundane. Nothing magical happened in my house. I was forbidden from casting any spells or enchantments and told not to speak of my school. But I was told to do laundry, to clean, to cook, to tend to the garden or tend to my sisters. Feed the cat, wash the dog, buy the food, do this, do that, without magic or no food. Needless to say, I lost a few pounds each summer.

But then I would go to Hogwarts, were it was beautiful and magical and enchanting. I could gaze up at the ceiling in the great hall and lose myself in its spell, watching as stars twinkled in front of the great stone beams. I could brew glory, bottle wit, transfigure anything and everything, face beasts and monsters and come out unscathed. I can't wait to go back tomorrow.

Returning to my room, I flopped back down on the bed and waved my wand at Petunias dress, cleaning it and erasing all wrinkles from the fabric.

I won Violet. And you will never know.

I laughed to myself. What had a won? Nothing. I broke a rule. And I probably wouldn't be punished for it, because no one would know a thing about it. What a surprise.

Nobody knows a thing about my life as it is. Not even my closest friends, save one, know who I truly am. Nobody knows that I am a scar on the wizarding world, a mistake that should never have happened, a rarity that was presumed nonexistent. A muggle born witch. How absurd.

I roll onto my back and gaze back at the ceiling, wondering if there was a possible way for me to enchant my room like the Great Hall. Maybe I could break another rule.

I am lost in my thoughts when I hear the tapping on my window. My own, Fagan, has a letter clutched in his beak and he is gazing back at me from behind the glass. I smile and get up once again, opening the window and pulling him inside. He hoots gratefully. I take the letter and after about three seconds drop the parchment in shock.

A metal badge clangs to the floor. It says Head Girl.

It says Head Girl. IT SAYS HEAD GIRL.

All of a sudden I feel giddy. I don't generally feel giddy. My life doesn't give out a giddy vibe. But right now I am giddy. Then I start to laugh.

I can appreciate irony. I love irony. And this has got to be ironic. Me, Lily Evans, the scum of the wizarding world, a girl who shouldn't have magical powers at all, is Head Girl, the highest honor a student at Hogwarts can hope to receive. A Mudblood will be in charge of hundreds of purebloods. I can't stop laughing.

But I do, because then I begin to cry. My shoulders shake and I weep silently, pushing my face into my hands so my tears wont fall far. My breath hitches and I realize that I shouldn't appreciate the irony or feel giddy alone. I should have been able to save the people who could laugh with me, hold me, and tell me how proud they were.

Instead, I am sitting alone in a corner, crying next to a grey owl.

I wake up early the next morning with swollen eyes above dark circles. I know I don't look completely presentable, but I feel better. Silently, I grab my trunk and Fagan's cage and make my way out of the house. I am going back to Hogwarts today, and thus am content with the world.

The streets are silent as I pull my trunk along behind me. The wheels rattle on the cobblestones and Fagan hoots happily under my arm. It is cool outside, and I breathe deeply, loving how clean the air feels on my lungs.

The pathway to the castle is very long, but each year, Dumbledore arranges to have a carriage meet me at the start of the forest so I don't have to walk for long. Thank God for Dumbledore. Any other headmaster, and I would be left alone, rotting in my cell of a home.

Like every other year, the carriage is waiting for me. The white wood contrasts with the black skin of the Thestral that pulls it. I glance at the creature as I settle in and it blinks a white eye at me. I don't think normal witches and wizards are comfortable around them, but I am.

It's very curious.

The castle is magnificent as my carriage pulls me forward, and I finally feel that sense of calm wash over me. The grounds are inviting. The Quidditch pitch is just visible over the second tower and the dark blue sky reflects in the lake.

The Thestral stops at the entrance hall and I get out slowly, patting the creatures neck before I leave. Quietly, I drag my trunk into the hall, grinning like a loon. A part of me wants to spring forward to take it all in, but I don't. I remain composed and happy.

It is still very early, and no students are out yet, so my journey to the Gryffindor Common room is uninterrupted- until the fifth floor. As I round the corner on the staircase, I crash into another body and fall forward, Fagan hooting indignantly all the while.

"Sorry! I didn't see— Evans!" Somebody shouts. I look up, annoyed.

Oh…

"I'm so sorry! I was going out for an early practice and…" He raked a hand through his messy black hair.

You can't be serious.

James Potter looks down at me, an impish grin on his face. He looks older from when I saw him last. The last vestiges of baby fat are completely gone. His hair is a bit longer and messier, and his glasses look new. I never said that James Potter wasn't handsome. He was, in fact, very attractive. His personality just ruined it.

"Hello Potter."

Goodbye Potter.

"Do you need help, Lily?" He asks, looking eager. I give him a blank stare and confusion crosses his face. Deciding that I would, in fact, appreciate the help, I nod. James smiles and grabs my trunk, following me to the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, thanks." I say simply. I am very tired, and James Potter is the last person I want to talk to.

"No problem. And Evans-," He starts. I smirk, knowing what he is going to say before he does.

"-Will you go out with me?" He says. At this point in our relationship, it feels like the conversation is scripted.

"No way in hell, Potter."

Again, you can't be serious.

His face falls for a moment, but he perks back up quickly and smiles at me. I smile right back.

"Better luck next time." I say, and without another word, I grab my belongings and head to the girls' dormitory. I collapse on my bed next to the window and smile.

I'm home.

Authors Note: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I am really excited to start this, but it is the first story I have ever written, so I am still figuring this out. But I hope you enjoy what has happened so far! Thanks!