A/N Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been so long (and I know I say that a lot :S but I just haven't got around to writing since starting my A levels...but here we go!)

Chapter 4

"You are so annoying Hugo Weasley!" Lily's red hair blew out behind her as she stomped away from her best friend. Her mouth was stubbornly set into a frown, her eyes ablaze with her annoyance.

"Aw come on Lil, I was only teasing!" Hugo hurried to catch up with her and swung her round, his hands on her shoulders. As Lily looked into his deeply apologetic face with his wide hazel eyes forming a look more cute and adorable than a puppy dog could ever manage, she struggled to keep a smile off of her face. There was just something about Hugo that made her want to laugh when she saw him. He had inherited his father's natural air of comedy and always managed to brighten her mood. Even if he was the one who had upset her in the first place. But she was determined not to let him get away as easily as he always did. Suddenly a plan formed in her mischievous, yet brilliant mind.

"Oh yeah? Only teasing? I'll show you teasing!" She jabbed her hand forward, lightly punching him on the stomach. She waited, a triumphant grin on her face, knowing that this was just the start.

Hugo's eyebrows were slightly pulled together in confusion before a smirk spread across his face.

"You really think that hurt? You are such a girl!" And he struck his hand out, reciprocating the punch, directly to Lily's stomach.

She collapsed to the floor with a bloodcurdling scream that split the warm summer air. She writhed on the floor, tossing her head from side to side, shrieking in agony. Hugo dropped to her side, a look of upmost horror on his face. His hands fluttered helplessly over his screaming friend.

"Lily, Lily! I'm so sorry! What happened? I didn't hit you that hard! Lily, please talk to me," Hugo begged as tears spilled onto his cheeks.

Lily turned her red face to him, her eyes filled with pain. "You hit me where that glass cut me! Hugo, help me, I can't breathe! Hugo, it hurts so much!

Hugo bit down on his lip, a sob erupting from him without his permission. He leapt to his feet.

"I- I'll go and get Mum! I'll tell her the truth I promise! I'll tell her I hit you, I will," swore Hugo and he meant it. He didn't care how much trouble he would get into. He had hurt Lily so badly, how could it matter? He began to turn around when he realised her screams had stopped. He spun back around, fearing she had slipped into unconsciousness, only to find her sitting up clutching at her stomach for a completely different reason as she tried to control her hysterical laughter.

Understanding dawned on Hugo's face and he thudded to the ground, his annoyance counterbalanced by his huge relief. Unable to stay annoyed for more than a millisecond, he began to laugh along with Lily. Soon both of them lay on the grass, panting for breath, grins spread across their faces.

Lily sat up and looked at her watch. "Oh shoot! Hugo we have to go! I didn't realise how long we'd been and Aunt Hermione said we could only go outside until 5 o'clock! Ooooh she's going to be so mad!"

Hugo's eyes widened. "Crap!"

"Oi! There's no need for that language!" Hugo rolled his eyes before grabbing Lily's hand. The two cousins sprinted back from the park and careered onto their road. Their shoulders jostled together as they struggled through the front door. They slowed to a walk inside the hallway, hoping that Hermione wouldn't have noticed. It was very quiet inside the house, almost strangely so. They crept towards the kitchen door, desperately hoping that Hermione wasn't in one of her scary-calm moods. Lily looked back at Hugo as she pushed open the door, a nervous look passing silently between them.

Both Lily and Hugo jumped violently as a huge roar of "Congratulations!" rang throughout the kitchen. Lily's eyes opened in awe as she saw the kitchen crammed full of people, all wearing party hats. There were huge banners hung around the room, flashing and changing colour and fizzing candles floating above their head like tiny fireworks.

Confusion was clearly ablaze on both Hugo and Lily's faces as they glanced at each other and the whole room laughed good-heartedly. Ron stepped towards them, his hand hidden behind his back.

"Dad, what's going on?" Hugo asked quietly, afraid that he should already know. Ron grinned goofily.

"Well, you both got something delivered this morning." He held out two thick parchment envelops, one addressed to Lily and the other to Hugo. "Why don't you open them?"

The whole room held its breath as the children hurriedly slit the seals and pulled out an identical pair of letters. Lily quickly began to read.

Dear Miss Lily Potter,

We are delighted to offer you a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry this-

She had to stop there because her Nana Weasley had rushed forward and swept both her and Hugo into a huge hug.

"We are so proud sweethearts! Congratulations!" Lily giggled as she caught Hugo's eye, still squashed tightly against Mrs Weasley's chest.

"Wait," said Hugo slowly as he drew away," did everybody come here just for us?" As he looked around he literally could see everybody in the room. There was Uncle George and Auntie Angelina, with Fred and Roxanne, Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey, with Molly and Lucy, Auntie Fleur and Uncle Bill, with Dominique, Victoire and Louis, Uncle Charlie, Neville and Hannah, Luna and Newt, Grandpa and Nana Weasley and of course his Mum and Dad and Rose.

"Well of course we did!"said George loudly. "Hardly going to let you get off without the amazingly crazy celebrations were we now! Gosh, I remember Mum made Fred and me new jumpers at ours. New jumpers in the middle of the summer, what were you thinking Mum?"

"They were actually very flattering I thought!" said Nana Weasley, laughing at George's expression.

Lily was standing reading her letter quietly. She was so grateful that everybody was here but it was days like these where she really felt the empty hole inside her that had been left by her parents' deaths. It should have been them congratulating her. It should have been them chasing her as she had ridden her first toy broomstick. It should have been their faces glowing with pride when she had shown her first signs of magical ability. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione had been brilliant, never treating her as anything other than their own child, but even they couldn't take away the ache she would feel. It should have been James and Albus teasing her about going to Hogwarts. It should have been them next to her in all her pictures. She had never known the brothers she should have grown up with. It wouldn't be her parents who took her to buy her wand, or to get her robes or her schoolbooks. It wouldn't be them who bought her an owl or stood with her as she got her O.W.L results. It would never be them.

Suddenly it all became too much for Lily. A tear dribbled down her cheek as she pushed out of the room and ran up the stairs to her room. She slumped on her bed, the heel of her hand pressed against her forehead as the tears slid down her cheeks. She knew she should be grateful. She had a massive surprise party, with everyone so excited for her and Hugo. She thought of the story Uncle Ron had told her of how her father had received his letter and she knew that it must have been so much worse for him. But a bitter thought wouldn't stop nagging in her mind, telling her it would've been easier if no one had cared. At least then she wouldn't have known what she was missing.

There was a soft tap on the door. "Lily, can I come in?" It was Aunt Hermione. Lily walked over to the door and pulled it open slowly, to look up into her aunt's worried face. Hermione took one look at Lily's forlorn eyes and soaking cheeks and swept her up into her arms like she had down when Lily was just a toddler. She carried her over to the bed and sat down, rocking her back and forth as a new wave of tears escaped. Lily wasn't exactly sure why she was still crying. There wasn't one exact reason that she could put her finger on. Aunt Hermione gently hummed her favourite childhood lullaby in her ear as they waited together for the tears to stop. When the lump in her throat had shrunk down and her eyes were dry, Lily looked up into Hermione's face and simply whispered, "Thank You".

Hermione's heart ached every time she thought of the loss that they had all gone through. Hermione had grown up with Harry and Ginny, had gone through some of their best and some of their hardest times with them and it had been so hard to think they were gone. But she couldn't imagine what Lily must feel. For Lily had lost her future before it had even existed. She had lost a lifetime of memories and that was unimaginable. So it was with a heavy heart that Hermione now spoke.

"Your mother and father are watching down on you right now and I know that they are so proud of the amazing girl you've become. You have the best qualities of both of them. You've got your father's courage and bravery and your mother's mischievous but cunning brain. When I see your beautiful face I see your mother lingering in that little cheeky smile and I see your father when your eyebrows pull together when you're confused. Your eyes are your Dad's and when you look up at me I can see everything that everyone loved him for.

"I know that they are watching right now and they are so pleased for you and so excited. Going to Hogwarts will be the best time of your life. You'll get to challenge and prove yourself, to try new things, to get into all sorts of terrible trouble. I know I did!" Lily giggled at the thought of Aunt Hermione ever getting into trouble. "Hogwarts was where I met your father and your Uncle Ron. And now you've got the chance to go and make friendships like I did and I know your parents must be so thrilled for you. And whenever you feel like there's a time when they should have been there, just close your eyes and listen. That beating you can hear deep within you, the beating of your heart, is where your mother and father are, and always will be. They'll be with you wherever you go Lily." Aunt Hermione rested her head on Lily's flame-red hair and gave her a squeeze. "Now come on, let's go and enjoy your party!"

A/N So I hope you enjoyed it and please please review! I have loads of ideas right now so I'll definitely be updating soon :)