4.
For the fourth file, she was a bit stumped. The only particularly significant thing form this year of Lily's life was when they found out that Harold had cancer. Lily probably didn't need reminding of that today. As she flicked through the pile unsuccessfully, she discarded each she came across with a sigh. Then, her eyes alighted on one that looked promising.
14th February
Dear Mum and Dad,
How's your week been? Mine's been just as crazy as usual; I suppose that's inevitable, going to a school of magic.
On Tuesday in Charms we were doing summoning charms (making objects fly towards you) and I beat Potter in our private competition for the third time this week- Hah! We have this competition to see who can master the spell fastest. Of course, I managed the spell first time, because I taught it to myself in second year. Professor Flitwick was so pleased he gave me 15 points to Gryffindor! Then he started me on banishing objects (making them fly away from me). I had got the hang of that one by the end of the lesson as well, while Potter was still struggling with summoning. Unfortunately, he always beats me at Transfiguration (git.)
Hey, you remember I was telling you that Alice was really worried because she thought Frank was going to dump her? Well, it turns out he was just anxious because he wanted to say "I love you" for the first time, and he thought she might not be ready! Crazy, eh? They went on a lovely romantic Valentines date today in Hogsmeade- everyone was very pleased when Valentine's day fell on a Saturday this year, and there was a Hogsmeade visit scheduled. Alice was all giggly when she came back; they went in Madam Puddifoot's and Frank kissed her. Madam Puddifoot's is a sickeningly sweet teashop that just opened up recently- full of confetti and cherubs and revolting stuff like that. Marlene has dumped her third boyfriend this term, and I (you will be pleased to hear, Daddy Dear) am between boyfriends at the moment, so we stalked her and Frank around the village. A couple of times I heard footsteps close behind me, and I thought I heard Potter's obnoxious laughter, but when I turned around there was no-one there. Marlene says I've got Potter on the brain.
Considering his antics this morning, it's hardly surprising.
At breakfast today, Potter tried to feed me love potion. Fortunately for me he chose a sort of cheaper version of Amortentia, the strongest love potion of all, so I could tell what it was straight away. I've read all about it in a book called "500 Tricky Potions for the Budding Potioneers" (recommended to me by Professor Slughorn); it smells of whatever attracts us most. I could smell chocolate, walnuts and a sort of fresh, springtime smell. Anyway, I didn't fall for it. I threw it back in his smirking face. According to Remus, who caught me up after breakfast, it wasn't proper love potion; it wouldn't have made me obsessed with him like amortentia would. To quote Remus, it would "just make you kind of fancy him a little bit". JUST. Even that is absolutely unforgivable.
I got my revenge later though; I borrowed a bottle of "Prankortentia" from my friend Elena in Hufflepuff. She got it from Zonko's, the new joke shop in Hogsmeade. Basically, instead of causing the drinker to fall in "love" with the giver of the potion, you decide who they start obsessing over by putting one hair from that person into the bottle before shaking it and pouring a few drops on the victim's food. Anyway, Potter spent most of the evening after dinner chasing after the Slytherin Quidditch captain, Georgina Flint. And, much as I pride myself in not judging people, she really is quite awful. I can't wait for him to get over the effect of the potion- he's going to be so embarrassed. Serves him right.
Well that's more or less it for this week's news; nothing else very interesting, unless you count Potter breaking his record and asking me out nine times before Wednesday. Not that he stopped there, oh no. He was on fifteen by the time I punched him in the mouth and stormed upstairs to bed last night. Oh don't look at me like that, Mum. He had it coming. Tell her, Dad.
How's the job going, Mum? Still writing lots of pieces for that newspaper of yours? You must send me a clipping of that story you did about the malfunctioning toilets, it sounds hilarious. Better keep it out of Potter's reach though; don't want him and Black getting any ideas!
Love,
Lily
She hesitated; was she really willing to share these details of her job with those people, especially after Lily had explained that the whole regurgitating toilets problem was probably a prank played by wizard "muggle baiters"? Yes, of course. She was thinking like her dear daughter Petunia now. She knew that none of the ones Lily was friends with would discriminate against muggles like that. This wasn't about her, this was about Lily.
Her eyes flickered to a letter she had purposefully tossed right to the other side of the table. More of a brief note than a letter- it had been written hastily. She knew she shouldn't read it; she had a job to do, and that letter wasn't going to help her. But she couldn't resist; the memories were too strong.
16th April
Dear Dad,
When I got your letter, I couldn't believe it. My Dad, with cancer? It didn't seem possible. This is a very hard letter to write, because I'm so confused and anxious. I talked to professor McGonagall about it, but she said there's nothing magic can do for incurable muggle diseases like cancer. I feel so helpless; there ought to be something I can do. You didn't mention in your letter something very important. You must tell me truthfully, Daddy. Did your doctor say if you... did he mention...I need to just say this. Did he say if you were going to live? I'm going to send this now, because I need to hear your answer. At the same time, I feel terribly afraid of hearing it.
Please don't die, Daddy.
Love,
Lily
She wiped away a stray tear. Yes, she had a job to do.
I hope you liked it- please give me your opinion, especially on the last bit. I'm not sure if I got the second letter, to her dad, quite right. Hey, who can guess how come she was hearing James' disembodied laughter in Hogsmeade? ;)