Beater 2, Wigtown Wanderers QLFC Season 10

Main Prompt: "Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?" - Lover

Optional Prompts: 4. [emotion] regret, 5. [restriction] Include at least 2 flashbacks and 6. [word] idyllic

Word Count: 1006

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy,

~wWw~

Lily's mouth upturned into a smile as her eyes drifted across the paper before her. Her childhood best friend, and although she loathed to admit it, her first crush, had been awarded a potions mastery. Unsurprisingly he was the youngest potions master in a century. She was glad he had succeeded in gaining his potions mastery. It was something he had worked for for so long.

Lily's mind drifted away from her home in Godrics Hollow and to a time many years ago in Cokeworth. It drifted to the streets filled with identical brick houses, terraced together. It drifted to a young boy with long dark locks and pale skin. It was a simpler time, magic, this war. None of it was even a hint in her mind.

It was just her, Sev, and Petunia. Playing at the park, running from the grumpy old man at the end of the street. Their laughter ringing through the streets. The moments of idyllic silence, where she and Sev would just stare at each other, green eyes meeting black. Sometimes she missed it.

She missed the peaceful moments they shared. The quiet connection that bound them together. In some ways, she regretted the ways things ended. Their peaceful connection shattered in a fit of anger and fury. Deep down, she knew he didn't mean it. She saw the hurt bubbling up in his eyes. At the very least, she could have talked to him, but she didn't. Now she was married to James, and Sev was a Death Eater. In ways, she regretted it.

~wWw~

Lily took in her childhood home. Everything was exactly as she remembered. The only difference was everyone was a little older and the somewhat noticeable absence of Sev. Ever since she and Petunia had met him and became friends, he had become a fixture in their home, practically a third child in the eyes of the Evan parents.

She shook her head, pushing the memories away and directing her attention to her parents sitting before her. Her mother watched her with a knowing look in her eyes, and her father sat patiently, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm pregnant," Lily said. Her mother immediately rose up, pulling her into a hug. Her father quickly joined the hug, wrapping his wife and youngest child in a strong embrace.

"I can't believe it. Both my babies are having babies this year," Lily's mom gushed, tightening her embrace before pulling away. "Where's James?"

"He sends his regards. He was supposed to be here but got called away for work. You know how it is," Lily said, internally rolling her eyes. He didn't have to go in today, Moody even gave him permission not to, but the stubborn man he was insisted.

"That's the life of a detective," her father said, making his way to his feet, "Juice?" At both women's nods, he headed into the kitchen. Lily engaged in conversation with her mom absent-mindedly, her mind again drifting to Sev and running through these very hallways with him.

Lily grinned back at Sev as they ducked into the closet at the end of the hall. Petunia screeching at them for interrupting her doing her makeup. Sevs back pressed into Lily's front as they squished against each other in the closet. Lily slightly shifted her head, her hair brushing against his neck. Sev giggled as her hair tickled his neck.

"Stop that, you are going to get us caught!" Lily whisper-shouted, the idea of her sister finding the pair unappealing in her eyes.

"Then stop moving your hair, it tickles," Sev hissed back.

Both fell silent as Petunia turned down the hallway they were in. Her footsteps grew louder. Then they stopped. The pair tucked away in the closet fell silent. Their eyes fell to the door handle, the only thing between them and Petunia.

"Lily? Are you listening?" her mom asked. Lily shook her head, pushing the memory of Sev away.

"Sorry Mom, I'm listening now."

~wWw~

Lily carefully climbed the stairs to the attic, pushing her hands above her she opened the hatch door and her head popped up into the dusty attic. Even though they had only been living there for the past two years the dust had accumulated.

Brushing a cobweb out of her face she turned, her eyes scanning the room. Looking for the cardboard box that contained her childhood photos. She was looking for a photo to prove to Sirius that she wasn't always short for her age. Her eyes quickly found the box she was looking for.

Carefully, she pulled it towards herself and maneuvered so she was sitting crisscross on the floor. She gently opened the box and pulled out the top photo album. Pulling it onto her lap, she opened it. It fell open to a picture of her and Sev after their first year at Hogwarts. The pair were standing beside each other on the platform. The distinctive Hogwarts express shining behind them. The sight of Sev in his Slytherin robes brought tears to her eyes.

"Mudblood," he spat at her. Even through his harsh words she could see the pain in his eyes. But she ignored the pain, she focused on the laughter of the other Slytherins around him. The joy in their voices.

After that the letters came in droves, each from a different school owl, each landing in front of her during breakfast, everyday for a week. She knew they were all from Sev without even opening them. His distinctive scrawl with her name made it clear. She refused to open them and just stashed them away.

Now she stared at those very same letters, regret filled her entire body. Tears built up in her eyes. She should have at the very least heard him out, but she didn't even give him that. And now, now they were nothing, a whisper in each other's memory. No longer a part of each other's lives. He was once every for her, but now he was nothing.