A.N Okay this is probably not my best work. I just hope it works.

My next chapter is definitely the first sight of Hogwarts and new friends. Harry and Lily will see each other soon I mean its sort of hard not to miss is at the sorting ceremony.


Well no dedication this chapter round. If I promised it to you I am deeply sorry shout at me and another chapter will be yours.

Amandarine I hope you have your computer back. It's sort of sad not hearing from you.

Butterflies, Mud and Family

Lily sat Indian style on the grass in the Aarons' backyard. In front of her tugging on his brand new tug toy was Echo. Echo was the name she gave to the crup once she was inside. Joe and Catherine were fine with having a dog and welcome the dog easily; even if he didn't get along with 'Muggles'.
She had decided to get his name from a joke Joe had made about him. It turned out every time Lily said anything the crup puppy would follow with a bark so hence he was named Echo.

Lily let out a laugh as Echo growled in frustration.
He just couldn't get the toy away from Lily and it was starting to annoy him.
He wanted the toy that's it.

Lily mocked growl towards the puppy as he tugged on the toy a few more times.
"LILY" called out Catherine "Harry's at the door to see you"
Lily grinned widely. She hadn't seen Harry in ages. She let go of the toy and didn't truly notice the puppy stumble before running off with his toy.
She pulled herself off the grass and ran towards the back door that led through the house.
She ran all the way to the front door to be greeted by the messy black hair of Harry.

"HEY!" she yelled when she pulled to a stop.
Harry fumbled with his words and open and shut is mouth numerous times "Ah Yea Hi"
Lily's smile faltered. Harry rarely ever spoke like that. Something was up.
Stepping to the side she motioned for him to come inside. "Come up to my room?" she asked as she closed the door. Harry only nodded his head and followed her to the room he knew so well.

Lily waltzed right in and sat down hard on her bed, Harry, well he just continued to stand in the doorway not saying anything and not even hinting if he was to come into the room.
"Well are you coming in or what?" Lily questioned

Harry walked slowly into the room and sat down awkwardly on the bed a few spaces away from Lily, as if he didn't know her at all.
"What's going on" Lily began "It's as if the Dursley's told you we can't be friends anymore"

She watched as Harry's face dropped even more "Oh my god did they?" She didn't like this, he was her only friend.
Harry shook his head "Its just well I ah ……"
Lily rolled her eyes in short frustration "Spit it out"
"I'm not going to Stonewall with you next year"
Lily was taken back. She had completely forgotten that she was going to school with him next year. She had even forgotten that she would have eventually had to tell him she wasn't going with him. But he just broke the news first.
Lily held up her hands in the shape of a T. "Wow time out. What?"
Harry seemed to become even more nervous.
"Well I sort of got accepted in another school because my parents enrolled me"

Lily looked at him weirdly "You mean to say your parents enrolled you in a school when you were little?"

Harry lowered his head and nodded
"that's good I suppose" Lily concluded "I mean you won't be going to school with those jerks anymore and besides well I was sort of not going there as well"
Harry looked at her shocked "I had a headmaster come from well ……… as special? School and I was accepted to go"
Harry looked at the wall as did Lily. This was so much to take in.
"So is yours a boarding school or just one of those schools around in the next part of town?" questioned Lily
"Boarding school" Harry answered "I will be gone all year until the summer holidays come"

Lily's lip raised slightly as she nodded her head as if to say 'nice'
"You?" he asked her
"Oh umm its boarding school too gone the same as you till summer" Lily spoke "To be honest I don't really know where it is exactly"
Another silence fell upon the room and both 11 year olds sat looking all around the room except at each other.
"So ummm......" Harry began in hoped to start up a conversation and stop the awkward silence. Yet when he opened his mouth once more to ask his question a voice ran through
"LILLIAN ADELA AAR..........SAMUELS ! !" Catherine's voice rang out "Come handle this mutt of yours this instance"

Harry was completely confused while Lily just groaned in frustration. Motioning for Harry to follow her as she pulled herself off the bed and out into to hall.
As she descended the stairs she was greeted by the sight of Catherine Aarons standing at the end on the flight on stairs, her hands on her hips and she appeared to be anything but happy.

"I told you before he isn't a mutt" complained Lily
Catherine didn't seem to care; she just glared at Lily and pointed in the direction of the kitchen.

"Well whatever he is, he got loose in the kitchen and if you want dinner on time I suggest you keep him occupied"
Lily let out a sigh and walked in the direction of the kitchen where the clattering of pots and pans could be heard.

Harry now completely curious as to who they were talking about followed into the kitchen only to be greeted by a cluttered floor of pots and pans and right within the centre of it all sat a black and white puppy.

Lowering himself onto his knees Harry held his hand out to the puppy who became interested in not the pots and pans but the boy that was in front of him.

Lily didn't react fast enough. She knew this puppy wouldn't like Harry as he only liked magical people but before she could say a word, Echo had approached Harry's hand and began to try and nibble on his fingers.

"Hello fella" smiled Harry suddenly forgetting about the awkward conversation moments before hand. The puppy in front of him gave up on the hands and seemed to believe that the glasses upon his nose looked like a new toy.

"Whoa boy" exclaimed Harry as Echo began to climb onto his chest and try to reach his glasses. "I need those"

Lily rushed forward and pulled the puppy off of her friends lap. "Sorry about Echo" she explained "He doesn't do well with a lot of people"

Harry laughed deeply and shrugged it off "I'm sure he was just playing"
If only you knew thought Lily sadly as she placed the struggling puppy down and pushed him towards to back door.

"Yea I'm sure that's it" Lily spoke with no enthusiasm.
With a tone like that Harry knew there was something more to it but he didn't push on. Lily was his friend they told each other everything.............. Well almost everything.

When both Harry and Lily got outside the puppy was out chasing butterflies completely distracted by them, Lily and Harry decided to sit aside in the yard and talk. The puppy wouldn't be annoying them for a while. Especially with all the butterflies in the backyard.
Harry let out an audible sigh and sat on the grass next to his best and only friend. "I still can't believe that today is the last day of summer"
Lily who had her head resting in her hands just nodded her head sadly. "It's gone so fast" she eventually commented.

It was true. The summer for both of them had gone so fast. There was all the drama of Dudley's birthday. And then each others secret shopping trips. But besides from that they had met up occasionally but never at each others house. Each concluded that the other was hiding something, but let it be as they themselves were also hiding something major.

"We both head of to different schools tomorrow" Lily whispered as she pulled her knees into her chest. "We will write to each other though wont we?"
Harry looked right at Lily and smiled slightly "Definitely" he said "Your my best friend no one could replace you"
Lily became slightly happier after that and they easily broke into conversation. Never noticing the sun sink in the sky nor that the Puppy was now rolling in mud. The shadows that grew larger by the minute didn't distract them either. Nothing broke their conversation with each other until Joe himself walked into the back yard and greeted them.

"Ahhh there you two are" he greeted "I'm sorry to break it up you two but Lily dinner is ready, and you still need to pack for tomorrow and wash that echo of yours cause Catherine is going off about him" he chuckled at the last minute.

While the two pulled themselves off of the grass, Joe turned his attention to Harry. "So... Harry my boy..... Are you still going to Stonewall?"
Harry shook his head "No sir"
Joe let out a bellow of a laugh "How many times have I told you Harry, call me Joe"
Harry's cheeks went a light shade of pink while Lily giggled behind her hand.
"Well I take it that you two will be keeping in touch then over the year?" Joe questioned "And we hope to see you back around here next summer"
"You can count on that sir....... I mean Joe"
Joe chuckled some more and slapped Harry in the back in a good way; he just didn't notice that he had completely knocked the wind out of Harry.
"Well I guess you will have some packing to do also?"
"No sir, it's been packed for ages"
Joe raised an eyebrow at Harry's reply. "Is that so? Maybe Lily should take a leaf out of your book"
"JOE" whined Lily
Laughter rang out as all three had a good chuckle about Lily's last comment.

"So Harry interested in staying for dinner?" Joe continues on talking "Knowing Catherine she has probably made enough to feed half of Surrey"
Harry glanced in Lily's direction who nodded energetically
"If I am welcome"
Joe smiled as the walked towards the backdoor. "Your always welcome here Harry. Remember that"
And with those final words spoken. Joe held the door open so both 11 year olds could race into the dinning room and sit down for dinner.
They all shared in with jokes and had a good time. Moments like this always made Harry feel wanted. He felt in a way loved. His friend Lily that sat opposite him broke into laughter from a joke told from Joe. He felt like part of this family.
He had no idea that everything was going to change, starting from tomorrow. No one had any idea what was going to happen the moment Harry walked onto the train to his school.
Everything was going to change and no one was going to be able to stop it.