AN: Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
The early morning light seeped into the small room through the curtains, rousing me from sleep. I stretched with a yawn, cursing my light-sleeping before cracking my eyes open. As I took in my surroundings, I suddenly felt very disorientated. Light blue walls, covered in photographs and posters, books on shelves lining the wall opposite me. This definitely wasn't my room. Where was I? Feeling slightly nervous now, I sat up in the bed that wasn't my own and surveyed the room more closely. A messy desk, wardrobe and another bed were among the other furniture. Hang on- another bed? With a jolt, I realised I wasn't alone. I caught sight of the petite figure of a slumbering redhead and breathed a sigh of relief as the previous day's events came rushing back to me- it was Lily.
I sank back down onto the bed as I realised I was safe. More than safe, I was better than I had been for the past six months because I had a family again. I even had siblings, something I had always longed for. I smiled slightly as I looked over at Lily, fast asleep in the early morning. It was hard to believe this was the same excitable girl I had met only yesterday, with her endless questions and chatter.
I felt tentatively happy as I contemplated being Lily's twin. From what I could tell so far, we would get along really well. In fact, I really liked the whole Evans family. Robert and Izzy reminded me very much of my own mum and dad- Izzy was happy and bubbly, like Lily, and full of love just like Mum was, while Robert, with his quiet confidence and devotion to his family, reminded me so much of Dad. Thinking of my parents, I felt slightly guilty about the happiness that was beginning to blossom in my chest as I thought about my new life with the Evans's. What if they were upset with me? What if they thought I was forgetting about them? What if I did forget about them? A lump formed in my throat as the sadness and guilt overwhelmed me. What if the Evans's were in danger because of me? What if whoever killed my parents came looking for me and killed the Evans's too? Tears began to fall thick and fast as horrible questions raced through my head.
"I'm a horrible person, I don't deserve another family", I thought. With that, I leapt up out of bed and began grabbing the few belongings that had managed to make their way out of my trunk the previous night, stuffing them back in. I shut my trunk with a click and, wiping the tears from my cheeks, dragged it to Lily's door as quietly as I could.
"Where are you going, Sophie?" A voice groaned from behind me. I froze before turning around slowly to see Lily groggily sitting up in bed and wiping the sleep from her eyes. "It's seven A.M. What on earth are you doing at this time?" Lily huffed.
I stood by the door, caught like a deer in the headlights. I couldn't tell her I was leaving because I knew she'd tell Robert and Izzy and they would make me stay, and I couldn't stay. I just couldn't, not when bad things would happen to them like they had to my parents. I cast around frantically for a suitable excuse.
"Toilet," I managed to croak out. To my horror, that one word made it obvious I had been crying as my voice was thick and my throat still tight. Lily looked at me closely with concern before she got out of bed and crossed the room to me, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.
"It's alright," she whispered, "it's alright to miss them, I know I would. Mum and Dad don't want to replace your parents, we just want you to be safe and happy and part of our little family. You're safe here, Sophie. I bet your Mum and Dad are watching over you right now." I looked at Lily in shock as she smoothed my hair back in a surprisingly maternal gesture.
"Don't pretend to know how I feel," I snapped at her, pulling myself out of her embrace. "You've got your perfect little life with your perfect little family, so don't think you know anything about what I'm going through," I spat at her, seeing the hurt flash across Lily's face.
"I don't understand," she began, "you seemed so happy to be here yesterday. What changed, Soph?" My heart twisted in my chest as I heard Lily use the nickname that was reserved only for Dad.
"Stop pretending that you care about me!" I practically yelled at her.
"Sophie? Lils?" A voice called from outside the door. I cursed my loud voice for alerting Izzy that we were arguing as she pushed the door open and peered into the room. "What's the matter, girls?"
Lily was sitting on her bed now, looking at me in shock and confusion. Izzy glanced between us, a concerned look forming on her face before she came over to where I was standing in the middle of the room.
"Why don't you come downstairs for some tea?" She asked me gently, putting an arm around my shoulders and steering me downstairs.
I sat across from Izzy at the small kitchen table, sipping my tea slowly as she contemplated me with concern.
"You don't have to tell me what's wrong if you don't want to, but all the same I'll be here if you need to talk about anything." I looked at Izzy with some gratitude and she seemed to understand. Talking was still just too painful.
"Izzy, can I- can I ask you something?" I hesitated. Izzy nodded her head at me, smiling.
"Anything, sweetheart."
"Are you in danger because of me?" Izzy looked taken aback by my question, "what if the people who killed my parents came looking for me? I'd lead them straight to you," I asked, the worry apparent in my voice.
"Oh, Sophie, is that why you were upset?" Izzy exclaimed, "no, don't worry about that. Professor Dumbledore, he put all sorts of protections in place before he brought you here. They're a 'just in case' precaution anyway, the Professor told us he really doesn't expect anyone to come looking for you. We're all safe, darling."
I felt tears burn in my eyes once more that morning as I contemplated the kindness of these virtual strangers, feeling a wash of happiness that my new family was safe and sound. The happiness, however, was short-lived as I remembered with horror the way I had treated Lily only a few moments prior.
"Is it alright if I go back upstairs?" I asked, "I want to apologise to Lily."
Izzy nodded her head kindly at me, so I stood and made my way back to Lily's room. Opening the door, I saw her sitting on the same spot on her bed as when I had left. She looked up as I entered the room, before swiftly looking down at the floor again. I caught a glimpse of her face and immediately felt terrible at the sight of her red, puffy eyes. She'd been crying.
"Lily, I'm really sorry for what I said this morning. I know you were only trying to make me feel better and I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. I really am sorry."
Lily still didn't look at me, stubbornly staring at the ground. I crossed the room and sat on the bed next to her. I really did feel horrible for how I treated Lily earlier- she had been nothing but kind to me, she didn't deserve my snapping. I glanced at the redhead beside me, nervously waiting for her to speak. As the silence stretched out, I began to worry that I had ruined everything already. I was mean to Lily when she didn't do anything wrong and now she hates me and she'll make Robert and Izzy kick me out and-
"You were nasty this morning," she started, breaking me out of my internal panic, "but I don't blame you, really, not after everything you've been through." I stared for a minute. Was I hearing this right? Was she really just forgiving me after what I said to her? Lily finally looked up and saw the obvious disbelief on my face.
"I'm not saying I'll forgive you as easily next time, call this a one-time free pass," she nudged me with a small smile on her face. I grinned back, causing her to laugh and grab my shoulder, squeezing me in a one-armed hug.
"Do you want to talk about them?" She asked me softly. I started to shake my head- my standard response whenever anyone asked to talk about my parents- but stopped mid-shake. I felt some inexplicable urge to talk to this girl, whom I had known all of a day, and tell her everything about my family. I supposed that, given we were meant to be twins, she was probably the best person to talk to anyway. Wasn't that was siblings did? Confide in each other?
"They were brilliant," I started quietly, "really clever people. Mum was a researcher, she helped find cures for loads of different diseases. Dad was an accountant, but he knew loads about other stuff too, history especially. He used to tell me stories about medieval times- knights and dragons and witches and wizards. I guess it makes sense now, all his talk about magic." Lily gave me a questioning look. "Dad was a squib, apparently. Professor Dumbledore says it means he was born to a magical family but he didn't have any magic." Lily nodded her head, signalling she understood. "They told me I was going to be a sister. Mum was six months pregnant when they died." At this, Lily put her arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a side hug as I struggled not to cry again. "I loved them so much. We had picked names and everything. Alex for a boy, Molly for a girl. I always wanted to be a sister." My voice was barely above a whisper now, and Lily could sense that I was close to breaking down again.
"You've got two sisters now, Soph," she started gently, "I know we don't replace the baby or your parents, but we're here." I looked at her and smiled gratefully and we sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes as I sniffed and composed myself.
With a grin, Lily stood up and stretched, grabbing her dressing gown from the foot of her bed.
"Since you woke me up at this infernal hour, how about we go downstairs and find some food?" She suggested before opening the door and bouncing downstairs. I wondered at her seemingly endless amounts of energy as I followed after my energetic twin, smiling softly to myself.