Enjoy! :D

Chapter 5 - A Surprise Via Owl

An annoying and loud buzzing noise echoed through the air, practically ripping her out of her peaceful slumber. Her eyes flew open instantly without the usual dread of having to crawl out of her warm and comfy bed, and her hand hit the off button before her brain had had enough time to comprehend what was happening.

Her room was brightly lit by the sun that streamed in through her windows. She hadn't pulled the curtains closed yesterday, hoping that if the alarm clock didn't wake her up, the bright sunlight shining in her face would. Because she knew herself – her body and mind loved to sleep and barely anything could rise her if not absolutely necessary. So, it was important to make sure that, either way, she would wake up.

Today was the day. The day of the summer party. And she could feel it inside her very core as her body practically already vibrated with more energy than she had on a regular day. Ever.

Slowly, Lily sat up, feeling more awake than she ever did at half past eight in the morning. It was surprising, honestly, how a subconscious knowledge of something could actually turn you into a morning person. Then again, her sister truly was a morning person and Petunia got up at around seven each day – even on Sundays – and Lily wasn't even close to that level of masochism.

She stretched her arms to the sides, enjoying the feeling of her muscles preparing for movement, before she reached down to untangle her legs from her blanket. It was already a warm day, the air stuffy despite the open window, so she wasn't surprised that her sleeping form had kicked off the light blanket whilst turning around in her sleep.

Her feet touched the soft carpet she'd insisted on putting underneath her bed years ago as she got out of bed. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes at the feeling of oxygen – no matter how warm the air was – enter her lungs before she pushed her breath out through her nostrils. Today would be a good day, she decided on her way to the bathroom, if she only got through the dressing stage.

Because she still didn't have a clue what to wear. Honestly, you'd think she'd know by now, having asked three people on separate occasions, and none of them had given her an answer apart from, "You'll be fine" and, "Anything goes, really. Don't worry about it." Well, she did worry about it. Why else would she bother asking in the first place?

But that was an issue after-breakfast-Lily would address as she padded down the stairs and entered the kitchen.

Her mother was standing at the oven, humming softly to herself, while her sister was sitting at the table, sipping her usual green tea – without sugar or honey because that would add unnecessary calories – and reading the newest gossip about Great Britain's celebrities in one of her many magazines she'd signed a submission for.

"Anyone's killed their spouses recently?" Lily couldn't help but ask sarcastically as she passed the table on her way to the coffee machine.

She didn't even need to turn around to know how Petunia glared at her. "Do you have to be so inappropriate?" she demanded harshly and turned to another page. "Gosh, do those freaks in that school of yours not teach you any manners?"

"Well, there are more important things to learn at freak schools, if you must know," Lily shot back as she filled her mug with coffee. It was a special mug; one Marlene had given her two years ago. It was bigger than normal cups, one of the many reasons she loved it. "But those things usually involve a magic stick and magic words."

"Girls, can we please be civil?" Katherine sighed, clanking the spatula against the pan, in which eggs and small sausages were sizzling merrily. "At least until it's noon."

"I didn't start." Lily shrugged and sipped the bitter liquid.

"You sure did."

Rolling her eyes, the redhead bit back a response and instead leant back against the counter.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Lily!"

Before she could do more than swallow her mouthful of coffee and take a breath to verbally shoot back, Lily's eyes caught something she'd been waiting days, if not weeks, for just above one of the houses in the neighbourhood. Something moving – flying.

She slammed her mug onto the counter behind her, making both her mother and sister flinch – the latter shot her a glare that would kill anyone who didn't know her – and hurried to the window, ripping it open as soon as she'd reached it.

"What the— Lily, close the window, it's freaking humid outside!"

But Lily ignored Petunia's complaints as she stared at the owl that came swooping down from the sky, a letter tied to its foot.

"Finally," she breathed before stepping aside to allow the bird to fly through the open window and land on the kitchen table. Petunia shrieked and threw herself back into her chair, which skitted slightly and threatened to tumble over and take her down to the floor. The owl, in return, screeched indignantly and glared at her sister.

"Take that thing off the table!" Petunia screamed before scrambling away, one hand desperately clutching her magazine, while the other covered her chest.

"Petunia, stop yelling already! Lily, please take the owl off that table. It's scratching the wood."

But Lily didn't hear her mother say anything as she was already busy untying the letter from the bird's talon. "Thank you, beautiful," she mumbled softly, and the owl cooed before, with a big swing of her wings, she lifted up into the air, brushed past a still screeching Petunia and swept out of the window again.

As soon as the owl was out of sight, Lily broke the seal of the letter and opened the envelope. Her mother and sister were yelling at each other in the background, but she didn't pay them any mind as, finally, her brain registered the difference to all of the other letters that she had ever received from Hogwarts.

The weight.

The redhead peeked inside and pulled out the first piece of parchment, which turned out to be the list of books and utensils she would need for the classes she had chosen for her seventh and last year at the school. She put it behind herself onto the kitchen counter and reached for the next letter.

Dear Miss Evans,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen for the position of Head Girl by the headmaster and staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Please arrive at the Hogwarts Express on September 1st, 1978, at 10 am to be introduced to your duties concerning Prefect management and student tutoring.

Find appended your badge that you are to wear at all times when in uniform.

Congratulations on this achievement. You have certainly earnt it.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Head of Gryffindor House

Lily's eyes grew to the size of golf balls as she gaped at the letter in her hand. Lots of people had told her that she would be the obvious choice for the position, having been a Prefect since her fifth year and having no detention record to speak of, but even though she had sometimes hoped for it, she had never truly believed that she stood a chance.

And yet, here she was.

Slowly, she turned to the envelope she was still loosely holding onto. It was heavier than normal parchment, she noticed, and as she turned it upside down, a shiny metal badge fell out of it and landed on her palm. It was the Hogwarts emblem, each house coloured in its respective colour, and surrounded by the deepest red she had ever seen.

A Gryffindor Head student of Hogwarts, her brain supplied helpfully as she cautiously tilted the badge in her hand. The metal caught the light and sparkled prettily.

Head Girl. She was a Head Girl. She, Lily Evans, got awarded the highest rank that a student could ever—

"I swear to God, if this owl business doesn't stop and Lily moves out, I will!"

Lily blinked and looked over to Petunia, who was clutching her magazine so tightly that it would surely rip any moment now.

"Now, now, Petunia. There's no need to react that way," their mother tried to placate her eldest daughter, but to no avail.

"No, Mother, I'm serious about this! Every year when she gets back from that—that place, it gets worse! Her weirdness and those owls and those friends of hers and— Don't you dare walk out on me, Lily! You listen when I tell you something!"

"No, thank you." Lily had grabbed all of the pieces of folded parchment that she had previously pulled out of the envelope, badge securely in her palm, and was walking towards the door, out of the kitchen, and up the stairs. She didn't breathe until she felt the door click shut behind her.

She walked over to her desk, as if in trance, and gently laid the pieces of parchment onto its wooden surface, not taking her eyes off the badge in her hand. She couldn't believe it. She'd actually done it! If someone had told her eleven-year-old self that one day, she would walk out on Petunia yelling at her, demanding her move out, just being awarded with the highest position a student could achieve… She wouldn't have believed it. Not only would she not have believed that she would disrespect her sister to such a degree, but she definitely would never have even dared to hope that she would one day hold the badge in her hand that she had wanted all of her years at Hogwarts.

Whenever she had had a problem, no matter how small, the Head students would always help her. She'd had major respect for them; juggling schoolwork, preparing for N.E.W.T.s, organising the Prefect tasks and patrols, tutoring younger students, and generally lending an open ear to whoever needed it. It was an important position, one that might be even more important in uncertain times as everything seemed to be turning South, so being awarded that position as a Muggle-born, no less, meant the world to her.

She huffed out a breathy laugh before pulling back her desk chair, placing the badge onto her Hogwarts letters, and reaching for her quill. She needed to tell James about it, and maybe even Remus. He was the most likely option for a Head Boy, as she couldn't imagine anyone from the other Houses getting the badge. Adrian Birch, a friendly Hufflepuff that she'd had gotten to know during her numerous evenings spent with the Slug Club, had been a secret favourite amongst the Prefects last year, however, Adrian had the tendency of backing out of arguments and letting rule-breaking go if he felt like he'd draw the short straw. Stebbins McNallin, a Ravenclaw who she would have thought suitable for the job, told her at the end of last year that he wanted to step back from his position as a Prefect because he wanted to spend more time on his studies. The third and only other suitable person, at least in her opinion, was Remus, and she knew for a fact that he would be an amazing Head Boy.

But as she reached for a piece of parchment, still contemplating on whether she should first write to Remus or James, her stomach dropped, and her hand froze in mid-air. James.

She whirled around on her seat, eyes instantly seeking out the alarm clock resting on her night table. 10:30 am. James had said he'd pick her up at noon and she still had to get ready! She didn't even know what she should wear!

Forgotten was the letter she had just been excited to write as panic fought to take control of her thoughts.

She jumped out of her chair and crossed her room within two seconds. The wardrobe doors burst open on their own accord as she approached, and as soon as she set her eyes on the eclectic assortment of random clothes, she halted and took a deep breath.

It was going to be fine. She still had over an hour to take a shower, style her hair, apply a bit of makeup, and choose a nice outfit to wear. Marlene had said that the Potters were pretty relaxed about proper attire, and James hadn't mentioned anything that would lead her to assume otherwise. So, she would be fine.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed her knotted hair behind her ears, grabbed the fluffiest towel she could find, and marched out of her bedroom and towards the bathroom. It was free, thank Merlin for that. Lily didn't know what she would have done – accidentally or on purpose – if Petunia had decided on re-curling her hair that morning, but thankfully, that scenario stayed in the safe confinement of her imagination.

She locked the door behind her, placed her wand and towel onto the closed toilet seat, and stepped into the shower. The hot water hitting her skin calmed her nerves and loosened her tense shoulders. It was calming to breathe in the hot, humid air and allow it to heat up every little alveolus, every vein, every cell in her body. She didn't know why she was so nervous all of a sudden. It was just James. She huffed a strangled laugh as her mind replayed what she had just thought – just James. A year ago, she would have scoffed at her behaviour, having been on a few dates before and never-ending as a nervous wreck, but her mother had hit the nail on the head the other day – she hadn't wanted those dates to work out. She hadn't had hopes for any future with these boys, no matter how nice and charming they were.

But did she hope for a future with James, out of all people? And what did she mean when she thought future? Did she just want to enjoy her last year at Hogwarts, or did she want more, something more personal and lasting? She sighed through her nose at the thought. Everything would play itself out, she figured as she tilted her head back and allowed the hot water to run over her face. She'd just need to stay patient, wait, and see.

After she'd allowed her mind and body to relax for a minute or two, she reached behind herself and grabbed her shampoo. The sweet strawberry scent filled the air and helped calm her fried nerves even more. She scrubbed at her scalp, willing every oil molecule to be washed away, before rinsing her hair and moving on to her body wash. She wanted to smell nice today.

Usually, whenever it was hot outside, or she had been very active physically – like climbing five stories of the moving stairs at Hogwarts – she tended to get slightly sweaty. She hated it and had no idea where those particular genes that were responsible for that unfortunate trait had come from – she didn't even think Petunia was physically able to sweat, although she might have just learnt how to suppress it; honestly, Lily wouldn't be surprised – but with the moisture came the smell. Not when she had applied deodorant, at least, but even that could fail after a while. And Merlin knew that she tended to get a tad bit sweaty whenever she was nervous. She couldn't start sweating today! Nu-uh! Not today out of all days!

So, she made sure to be squeaky clean before she stepped out of the shower, dried her skin off with the fluffy towel, removed all annoying body air from her legs and armpits, applied a generous amount of deodorant, and turned around to face the mirror, wand in hand.

The girl that stared back at her looked like a right mess. Her eyes were shining brightly and with their already piercing colour, they looked as if they were close to glowing. Her skin was pale, with the exception of her rosy cheeks which had darkened from the heat of the water. Freckles dusted over her face, concentrating on her cheeks, her nose, her forehead and right above her upper lip, leaving out most of her neck and reappearing on her shoulders and chest. Her hair looked darker wet, almost as if it was a dark brown instead of auburn red, making her eyes pop even more.

She tilted her head, wondering what she should do with her hair. It would be wise to pull it up and out of her face. As long and thick as her hair was, it served as a warming hat or earmuffs, which was fabulous in the winter months, but not necessarily preferable in the middle of summer. She raised her eyebrows slightly, twirled her wand around her head and watched it starting to steam and hiss as the water evaporated out of it, leaving it shiny, healthy, and dry. She quickly pulled it up with both hands, wand resting in between her teeth, and secured it with a random hairband she had found on the counter, which she was almost entirely certain belonged to her and not her sister.

Satisfied with how she looked, she wrapped herself in the now damp towel and made her way back to her bedroom, where she immediately discarded the towel, hurried over to her wardrobe and pulled on some underwear before facing her previous dilemma again. What should she wear?

One quick glance at the clock told her that James would pick her up in exactly one hour, so she took a deep breath, nodded to herself, and started pulling item after item out of her wardrobe, spreading the clothes all over her room. Soon, not only her bed and the rug before that, but her desk, her desk chair, her nightstand as well as the open door of the wardrobe were covered in items of various colour and pattern. There were shirts, tank tops, strapless tops, calf-length shorts, knee-length shorts, thigh-length shorts, and none of them fit the occasion. You didn't show up to an official summer party wearing shorts and a tank top with flowers on it.

A frustrated sigh escaped her as she was looking at the mess she had made. Another glance at the clock told her that she had about half an hour to spare, and she was slowly losing her composure. She literally had nothing to wear. She couldn't believe it! She'd had nearly a week to process the invitation and the fact that she would actually go to a party with James, out of all people, and she still managed to be surprised and overwhelmed by it in the end.

This was so much like her. Why was she even taken aback by it? The only time she managed to stay organised and ahead of schedule was when she was dealing with school things. Doing homework, studying for exams, practising spells and charms… That was the world she thrived in. Not… this.

Still wearing nothing but her underwear, she stepped over a pair of shorts with butterflies on them that she should have gotten rid of years ago and hurried out of her room and down the stairs. This was an emergency. She needed her mother's help!

*~*Take Me Home*~*

The knock on the door made Lily twitch violently. The mascara wand in her hand jammed right into her eye causing her to curse loudly.

"Lily!" called her mother's voice from downstairs as mentioned witch desperately tried to wipe black mascara from her eyeball. "Lily, James is here!"

"Oh God, umm, yes, I'll be down in just a second! Shit, shit, shit!" She squeezed her tearing eyes shut for a few seconds before blinking rapidly. One peek into her small mirror on her desk showed her shiny, bright green eyes that were framed beautifully with black, thick lashes. Although she looked as if she had just cried, her eyes sporting a bloodshot look, she couldn't do much more about that. Her light brown eyeshadow was still looking good, there were no smudges on her cheeks or underneath her eyes due to her applying a cosmetic charm that helped to keep her face from getting shiny throughout the day, and she had to admit that with her hair pulled back, she actually looked quite presentable. She just hoped she hadn't overdone it.

Casual, Marlene had said, and a ponytail, light makeup, and her mum's floral summer dress that reached just below her knees was casual enough to not look sloppy but rather put together and thought-through. She couldn't change it now, even if she wanted to, so she hurriedly pulled her purse off her bed, put her wand, a spare hair tie, her wallet and a lip balm into it, grabbed her leather sandals, and hurried out of her bedroom.

Laughter and a sight that she would have never expected she'd ever see greeted her as she entered the kitchen. James Potter, clad in tan-coloured slacks and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his sun-kissed forearms was sitting at her family's kitchen table, a glass of water in front of him. He was grinning widely as her mother was talking to him.

"And you have to understand that Petunia needs structure in her day, so when Lily just burst into her room with all sorts of cleaning utensils flying around her head, it's not that surprising that she had a fit and couldn't stop screaming."

James chuckled. "I totally get Lily's side, though. I wouldn't be happy either if my sibling refused to do their chores and I'd be the one stuck with them."

Warmth crept up her chest and neck as she felt a small smile tug on the corners of her mouth at hearing his words.

"Lily! There you are, darling!" her mother exclaimed before she rushed over to her daughter and pulled her further into the kitchen. "I was just telling James about that one time when you accidentally made the toilet cleaner bottle attack Petunia."

"Yeah, that was an emotional day." Her voice sounded off, even to her ears, so when she saw James' hazel eyes blaze, she knew he'd caught it. He knew her well, too well sometimes, but if she was being honest with herself, she liked it that way. She trusted him and she knew he would never do anything that would cause her pain.

Which was why her heart stuttered excitedly as she heard him say the next words.

"It was a true pleasure meeting you, Mrs Evans, but if we don't leave now, my mother will have my head. That woman can be rather scary sometimes and I don't want her wrath directed at me." A light-hearted chuckle escaped him as he stood up and shook her mother's hand.

"Likewise, James, likewise. And it's Katherine. Do come around again for a spot of tea. You're always welcome here!"

A charming smile lit up James' face that distracted her mother from his slightly darkening cheeks. "Thank you, Katherine, I'd really like that."

Lily looked from James to her mother and back again, eyes narrowing as she took in the smitten expression on her mother's face. Not being able to believe what she had just witnessed, she shook her head, baffled, as James winked at her and left the kitchen so she could say goodbye to her mum. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing.

"He's very charming, Lily," Katherine whispered into her daughter's ear before Lily had the chance to follow James out into the hallway. "And rather handsome, as well."

"Mum!"

Her indignant cry was met with a soft chuckle. "I know, I know, I'll shut up now. Have fun you two," she said loudly so James could hear her as well before muttering to Lily, "and tell me everything when you come back. I want to know everything." With a giddy grin, she ushered her daughter into the hallway and both of them out of the house.

As the door clicked shut behind them, a heavy sigh escaped Lily's lips, causing James to snicker.

"I'm sorry about my mum," she said dejectedly as they started walking down the path and out onto the street, turning left. "She can be a handful sometimes."

"She was just excited to talk about your magic. There's nothing to apologise for."

Lily blinked and came to an abrupt stop on the sidewalk. "She was what?"

"She was happy that she could talk about you using magic," he said as he spun around to smile at her. He didn't even look as it he was even remotely warm in this over-30 degrees weather. In his slacks and a button-down shirt. "I'm guessing that your family was told that they had to keep it a secret?"

Mute, Lily nodded.

"See? It's part of the Statute of Secrecy that only allows Muggles that are close family to the witch or wizard to know about magic. They can't speak to anyone outside of those few people about what you are experiencing." James walked back the few steps that were separating them from when Lily had abruptly stopped walking before continuing, "Up until about a few years ago, the Ministry even made the professors who would visit the families of the Muggle-borns cast a spell that physically prohibited them from talking about the wizarding world. I don't think they're doing it now, though. My parents said that it got something to do with Dumbledore making a scene at the Ministry."

A breathy laugh escaped Lily as she looked into those beautiful hazel eyes in front of her. "I didn't know that…"

"Not a lot of people do." James shrugged, turned around and started walking down the street again. "I only know because my father has a lot of friends that work in the Ministry, and they know because they know people who know people who decided to get rid of that stupid rule."

"It makes sense, though, in a weird way." Lily looked up into the bright blue sky. Not a single cloud could be seen, allowing the sun to shine down onto the bituminised street without mercy. She could feel the heat radiating off the ground, heating up the already stuffy and humid air to an almost unbearable level. "I don't think it would be a good thing if too many Muggles knew about the wizarding world."

"As they did during Grindelwald's reign, you mean?" James chuckled. "Yeah, that didn't end well. I'm guessing that was part of the reason why the Ministry decided on that rule in the first place."

"True…"

They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes. She could hear excited screams and laughter somewhere down the road, followed by what sounded like water splashing, but other than that, the street was completely empty. The heat from the sun was relentless and she felt herself get sweatier the longer they were walking.

"Where are we going anyway?" Lily asked after a few silent moments and squinted back up towards the cloudless sky. She should have packed her sunglasses… "Have we been neighbours all this time and I didn't know?"

James laughed out loud at this, hand running through his hair. "Wouldn't you like that?" he said cheekily and for a short, reckless moment, Lily thought about answering, "I would, actually", but the moment was over as soon as he sucked in a deep breath to calm himself.

"No, there's an Apparition point somewhere near here and I'm trying to figure out where." He turned to her and grinned. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire and the hot sun really didn't help.

"You don't know where it is?"

"Nope, haven't got a clue." His right hand jumped to his hair again, ruffling it before he scratched the back of his neck. "For all I know we could've walked in the wrong direction to begin with."

"We could've—" Lily sputtered before starting to laugh. "H–How do you know that there's an A–Apparition spot nearby?"

James grinned. "There's always one nearby."

"But we're in a Muggle neighbourhood."

This time, it was James' turn to freeze on the spot and stare at Lily before saying, "Oh, right. I forgot about that."

"I honestly can't believe you!" Lily laughed and wiped away her tears. "What should we do now? Because if we keep walking for much longer, I might melt into a puddle, and you'd need to scoop me into a bucket to get me to your parents' party."

James snickered and continued on down the road. They walked side by side in the midday heat until they reached a crossing with an empty playground on the other side of the road. As they walked towards it, Lily could see that the grass covering the majority of it was of a light-yellow colour. It hadn't rained in weeks, and slowly but surely nature was struggling to keep up.

Upon entering the playground, James stopped, eyes narrowing as he took everything in – the old set of swings, the chains slightly rusted, the metal slide, the little roundabout, two wooden benches. "This should be it."

Lily turned in time to see him pick up speed, aiming for a bush right behind the set of swings. Once there, he pushed a couple of branches out of the way to have a peek inside. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded before turning back to Lily and motioning her to join him.

"I knew there would be one."

Not really knowing what to expect – why was she even still asking herself how this kept happening to her? –, she slowly walked over to where James was waiting. Next to a half-dead bush. Behind a set of swings. On an abandoned playground.

"Yes?" she asked, oddly suspicious, as she, herself, peeked through the branches of the plant. Only to find – "A stone with a rune on it?"

A proud grin lit up his face as he bent down and pushed more branches out of the way, succeeding in breaking those particularly dead and dried-up ones off the bush altogether. "It's one the Order installed, I think," he said before straightening again. "At least, it looks like one. An older one, that is. They usually don't use runes for transportation anymore. Dad told me once that there's been a time in which Muggles found the marked Apparition points and were sucked into a limbo of sorts because they couldn't direct the magic to the place they wanted to go." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. Which, thinking about how old of a family the Potters were and how much they had seen in their days, it probably wasn't. "Members of the Department of Mysteries had to track them down and physically pull them out of wherever they were stuck. Neither the Unspeakables nor the Muggles would tell anyone where they'd ended up. Although, come to think of it, I doubt the Muggles would remember anything…"

He took a look around the playground and winced. "And leaving one on a playground really isn't all that clever."

Lily's head was practically spinning with yet another proof that wizards and witches that had grown up in the wizarding world were just pure chaos concentrated in one body. "I see."

"Anyway!" James clapped his hands and rubbed them against each other in eager anticipation. "Ready for a party filled with people who will follow us everywhere we go to drown you in questions because they're as nosey as a werewolf on a full moon's night?"

Not sure what to expect when she would step onto the stone, Lily nodded hesitantly, and James took her hand. He crunched a couple of more dead branches underneath his feet as he pulled her into the middle of the bush, right on top of the marked stone. His arms slowly wrapped around her waist, holding her gently.

"Don't worry," he muttered before looking her in the eyes. The sun sparkled in his hazel irises and made them shine in the colour of honey. She gulped down the urge to touch his cheek. "It's just like side-along Apparition."

And with that, he gave her one last reassuring smile and turned on the spot, pulling her with him into the unknown.