Chapter 1: The Odd Wispy GirlChapter Text
Mr. And Mrs. Evans of number 7 Wisteria Street were proud to say they were perfectly happy, thank you very much. They were the kind of people you'd expect to see in a romance movie. The two lovers who had reached their happily ever after, spending their days in pure bliss.
Mr. Evans practices medicine, he had earned a name for himself for his contributions in his work. The first thing you'd notice were his bright green eyes with a glint of knowledge, with his well-kept dark blonde hair, he's a charming man indeed.
Mrs. Evans was beautiful, her red hair swayed with the wind as she tends to their garden. Her chocolate brown eyes shone as she talks to others. Her husband hung on to every word she says with eyes full of pride. Mrs. Evans have been pregnant for nine months, they are expecting their first child anytime soon.
The Evans's had everything they wanted, but Mr. Evans had a secret, and his greatest fear was for his wife to discover it. While Mr. Evans was away in France for his work, the two lovers had broken up, the long-distance had taken a toll on their relationship.
Mr. Evans had met a beautiful mysterious lady, her white gold hair complimented her striking violet eyes, her skin appeared to shine in the bright moon light whenever they took a walk at night. Mr. Evans thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, though he would never dare tell that to his wife.
"It was only a fling." Mr. Evans had told himself, unaware of the arrival of that woman in front of his home, carrying a small bundle that was breathing quietly.
Mr. Evans woke up on an unusually bright day for the town Cokeworth. The birds were chirping merrily, bees and butterflies rested on top of the flowers Mrs. Evans was tending to at the back garden. Mr. Evans happily hugged his wife tightly from the back.
"Oh! You've startled me." Giggled Mrs. Evans, her cheeks red. "Can you go grab the milk at the door? Breakfast is almost ready."
"I'll go get it." replied Mr Evans, he kissed his wife on the cheek and made his way to the front door.
When he had opened the door, there instead of the bottles of milk was a basket, inside of it was a bundle of white cloth and a letter on top of it. Mr. Evans stared; he couldn't comprehend as to why the milkman would go out of his way to wrap the milk bottles in cloth. Then he was startled, something inside the cloth had moved.
"Jasper?" Mrs. Evans had called out to him. "What's wrong?" She had walked to the front door as Mr. Evans had been standing there for quite some time.
"Dahlia." Mr. Evans whispered as he reached out for the letter, his words stuck on the roof of his mouth. "There's something I must tell you."
Dahlia stared at him, then at the bundle. She reached out and carried something wrapped in that white cloth, it was a baby that looked as if it was barely months old. A pair of pale violet eyes met her brown eyes, she stared, her small face scrunching up.
"We have a lot to talk about." Dahlia said calmly as she carried the baby inside, still staring at her odd eyes, her small face red as a tomato as her tiny mouth trembled slightly. Dahlia hummed as she brushes her hands across her small face, cooing the infant as it started to cry.
Wrapped around in cloth, a small hand reaches out to a woman holding her face tenderly. The woman was beautiful, her strange violet eyes were red with tears as if she had been crying for days. Her white gold hair covered half of her face as it laid there like curtains above.
"I'm sorry." Her beautiful voice sounded like a sirens song echoed through the cold wind. Slowly fading through the brightening sky.
"Tuney!" shrieked a loud voice, her eyes full of excitement as she slightly trembled, her arms together as she looked on her sister. "You said we'd play early at the playground!"
The girl looked around the room waving away the girls red hair and glancing at her bright green eyes, waking up from a dream which she couldn't quite remember. She squeezed her temple, thinking hard, she felt like whatever the dream was, it was important.
"Tuney? Are you alright? Did I shake you too much? Why are you holding your head? I'm sorry!"
"I'm fine." the girl said, frowning while rubbing her head. "Just give me a minute."
"Mum gave us money for sweets, come quickly!" The red-haired girl said very quickly as she leapt from her feet running out of sight.
The girl, Petunia Evans collected herself after her afternoon nap. Although she thinks she's too old for afternoon naps their mother insists on making them rest at this time of the day. She straightened her rumpled skirt as she stood up, scrunching her nose. She rummaged through the top of her bedside desk, grabbing a silver necklace with an ornate ring on it and putting it on her long thin neck. She grabbed the bronze coloured pocket watch lying on the top of a pile of books and shove it in her pockets.
Petunia slowly walked down the plight of stairs, the wooden boards creaked ever so slightly with her light steps, she was taking her sweet time so Lily can have time to calm down. Seeing Lily speaking with their mother at the end of the stairs Petunia quickly strode down.
"Mum, we'll be fine." Petunia said quickly as she saw the worried look on her mothers face.
"Oh, Petunia... Make sure to look after your sister," she said grabbing Petunia's shoulder and glancing at Lily, "She always gets too rowdy."
"Mum!" Lily yells in protest.
"See?"
"Its fine mum, I'll look after her." Petunia replied calmly as her mother leaned in to kiss her and Lily's' cheeks.
"Never talk to strangers, okay?"
"Okay!" "Bye mum!" both girls replied quickly as they run off.
Lily handed Petunia their sweets money, it was a couple of coins, they walk through the doors of the local sweets shop, a sour looking man was sitting across the counter, his brows furrowed and nose scrunched as if he had smelled something off, his eyes met theirs and immediately his sour face became filled with a bright smile.
"Uncle Tom! I want my sweets!" Lily burst through the shop door walking in with her head up high, followed by her sister Petunia walking swiftly.
The shop was small and cramped, a few people were looking around the collection of colourful sweets displayed in small jars. Mr. Tom whose balding head shone and his round stomach protruded while standing upright at the counter, nodded goodbye to a customer wearing an odd dark hood.
"Hello uncle Tom, we want the usual." Petunia said glancing at the hooded figure leaving the store.
"You two oddballs are right on time as usual." Uncle Tom smiled and handed them two chocolate bars. "And here, it's on the house!" he says as he handed the two additional lollies, laughing to himself while looking at Lily swirling around, eyes darting from corner to corner.
"Thank you! Is Ms. Fritz here today?" asked Petunia, glancing at the man in cloak leaving the store as she and Lily tiptoed to look over the counter.
"I'm afraid not today as the poor cat is still taking care of her babies."
"Oh... You seem busy!" Lily said looking around the other customers. "We'd get going then! Bye uncle Tom! Thank you for the lollys!" she exclaimed, striding out of the shop without looking back.
"Lily!" shrieked Petunia, Lily stopped at her tracks and stood at the wide open door, her brows furrowed. Petunia ignored her and faced the shopkeeper. "That man... Was there something wrong?" Petunia asked, staring directly into Mr. Toms eyes.
"Oh, it was nothing." Replied Mr. Tom coldly. "He's a beggar, I believe. He tried buying with some odd looking coins, some of it was even gold! Bet it was fake though." He said, his eyes grim as he looked out through the open door.
"Oh.. . I see." Drawled Petunia, her fingers clutching the ornate ring on her neck. "Goodbye then... Thank you for the sweets, Uncle Tom." Petunia walked to her sister, looking back and waving goodbye.
"Be careful out there! And don't talk to strangers!" Uncle Tom waved goodbye as the two left the store. Tending to the other customers.
Petunia and Lily arrived in a deserted playground, a single huge chimney dominated the distant skyline. The two girls immediately sat at the swings taking out their chocolate bars and biting into it with leisure.
Petunia was staring across the street, it was as deserted as the playground they are in, a large lonesome lamppost stood there, looking old and worn, its green paint chipping off as the light from its lamp flickered, her eyes darted from the lamp post to her pocket watch, her hand clutched against the ring tied to her neck.
"Tuney? Are you looking for the ghost again?"
"She's not a ghost Lily." Replied Petunia quickly, as if she had heard the same question before.
"But you always say there's someone there that only you can see."
"No, she was there... She just disappears when someone else looks"
"Just tell me when she's there!" Lily mumbled through words as she stuffs her pink cheeks with chocolate, looking like a small hamster. Petunia giggled at the sight, pulling out her hanky and wiping the chocolate off Lily's cheek.
The two grew quiet as they finish their chocolate bars and started eating their lolly's, there wasn't much movement at the deserted place except the two girls and the bushes nearby rustling by itself when there is no wind.
Petunia was staring with dazed eyes across the road swinging slightly as her sister giggles grew louder and louder. She glanced at her sister and realized that she was swinging higher and higher, her dark red hair flowing wildly at the wind she had created through her swings and her loud giggles reverberating though the air.
"Lily, don't do it!" Petunia commanded, her loud voice echoing through the empty space.
But then it was already too late, Lily had let go of the swing at the very height of its arc and flown into the air, quite literally flown, launched herself skyward with a great shout of laughter, and instead of crumpling on the playground asphalt, she soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, landing far too lightly.
"Lily!" Petunia shrieked at her sister.
Petunia stopped her swing by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground, making a crunching, grinding sound, then leapt up, hands on hips, her eyes filled with rage and worry.
"It's dangerous!"
"But I'm fine," said Lily, still giggling as she ran. "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do now."
"But still..."
Petunia glanced around. The playground was deserted apart from themselves unaware of the slight shuffling of the bushes nearby. She hesitated but decided to follow her sister.
Lily had picked up a fallen flower from a bush at the side. Petunia advanced, evidently torn between curiosity and worry. Lily waited until Petunia was near enough to have a clear view, then held out her palm.
The flower sat there, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster.
"Odd." whispered Petunia.
"Isn't it?" said Lily, as she handed the blossom to Petunia's palm.
"Watch this." said Petunia, her eyes then followed the flower as it flew up the sky, like a petal flowing up a water stream, both of the girls' eyes lingered upon it as it bursts into flames, falling into the ground in ashen red. "I wonder how we do it?" she added, curiosity in her voice.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" a skinny boy with overlarge clothes had jumped out from behind the bushes. Petunia flinched and ushered Lily behind her. The boy seemed to regret his appearance. A dull flush of colour mounted his sallow cheeks as he looked at both girls.
"What's obvious?" asked Lily.
The boy had an air of nervous excitement. With a glance at Petunia, shielding Lily with her arms, he lowered his voice and said, "I know what you two are."
"What do you mean?" asked Petunia, wary in her eyes.
"You...you're witches." whispered the boy.
Both girls looked affronted.
"That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"
Lily turned as Petunia let go, nose in the air, and marched off toward the swings, Petunia lingered but followed soon.
"No!" said the boy. He was highly coloured now. He flapped after the girls, looking ludicrously bat like.
The sisters considered him, united in disapproval, both holding on to one of the swing poles, as though it was the safe place in tag.
"You are," said the boy to both girls. "You are witches. I've been watching you two for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one, and I'm a wizard."
Petunia stared at the boy, a sense of realization in her eyes as if it made sense, what the boy was saying. But she didn't show it, her eyes steeled and her face hardened.
"Wizard?" she asked, her courage returned now that she had recovered from the shock of his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy. They live down Spinner's End by the river," she told Lily, and it was evident from her tone that she considered the address a poor recommendation. "Why have you been spying on us?"
"Haven't been spying," said the boy, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright sunlight. "I was just watching." He said averting his eyes from Petunias dagger-like stare.
Though Petunia was evidently still curious she was reminded of what their parents said about the people from Spinner's End. She stared down at the boy, his ears grew redder as he shuffled where he stood.
"Tuney, come on, lets go." Lily said quietly. Petunia continued to stare but followed her sister at once, glaring at Snape as she left. He stood watching them as they marched through the playground gate...
The next day Petunia couldn't get the boy out of her mind, she knew that Lily felt the same as she kept glancing outside ever since they woke up. Perking up like a squirrel every time a bush shuffles through the wind, her head twitching at every sound.
"Lily." Petunia called out to her sister, poking her on her round pink cheeks. "Let's go back to the playground after school."
Lily stared at her sister, questioning her with her green eyes. "Should we tell mum, about that boy?"
"No need, you know how Mum talks about people from down spinners end. It'll be better not to... for now" replied Petunia, her arms crossing as her eyes glazed for a moment.
"Okay! Let's go to school quickly!" replied Lily, quickly running to the door, expecting that arriving to school early would make the day end quickly.
"Don't run." Petunia said calmly, grabbing hold of her sisters' hand and walking out the unusually bright morning.
The two sisters arrived at the playground, hand in hand they walked swiftly. The place was nearly deserted if it weren't for the lone boy stiffly sat on one of the swings, he wore the same overlarge clothes and he had a look of longing as he stared at the two girls approaching him.
Petunia stood in front of him with Lily right behind her, tugging at the hem of her shirt. Her pale eyes met his sullen eyes, unwavering she spoke.
"You said we were witches?"
The boy's voice trembled with excitement as he replied.
"Do you believe me?"
"Well... since you seem confident about it." Petunia paused looking bemused at the idea. Her eyes narrowed, eyeing his appearance. "You might as well spill it out."
"Tuney, at least say it nicely!"
"Don't want to." Petunia replied quickly, staring right into the boys' eyes. He flinched and she continued "You were spying on us."
"I... I wasn't." the boy seemed embarrassed as his sallow cheeks became full with colour, looking down and scraping his worn out shoe at the ground.
"Mum told us. We shouldn't talk to anyone from spinners end." Petunia stopped, her eyes looked dazed. "But I think I can handle you."
"What's that supposed to mean..."
"Its two against one." Petunia said firmly as she cut him off eyeing him from head to toe. "Mums a bit of a worrywart you see."
"That's not very nice Tuney." Lily said cutting her off and stepping up front, a worried smile on her face. "My name is Lily! Lily Evans! And this is my sister Petunia!" She beamed reaching out her hand to the boy who looked smaller than her.
The boy wiped his hand on his large coat seemingly ashamed, but Lily paid no mind as she grabbed the boys' hand tightly smiling brightly.
"My name's Severus, Severus Snape."
Petunia also reached her hand out grabbing Severus hand and quickly letting go. Her nose wrinkled at his greasy hands but had still held it tightly.
"Nice to meet you Severus! Your names a bit long! Can I give you a nickname? How about Sev?" Lily said all this in one breath and without hearing his reply she added. "Sev, can you tell us about witches and wizards?"
"No." Petunia interjected grabbing Lily's shoulder, her eyes falling back on the boy smaller than her. "What makes you think we're witches."
Severus contemplated for a while, he looked up, staring them directly in the eyes and slowly answered. "I've been watching for a while." He flinched at his own words, glancing at Petunia's eyes that frowned at the word watching. "You've been doing magic. Floating, making flowers move... I saw you weeks ago." He glanced at Petunia. "You set a girls teddy bear on fire when she pulled on your sisters hair."
"Thats..." Petunias voice faded remembering that annoying girl who constantly picked on the two of them. The bear was her priced possession as it was a gift from her father who was away. She remembered how she wanted to burn the thing to teach her a lesson and as if on command, it suddenly burst into flames while it was still on the girls arms.
"Tuney!" Lily called out to her sister, shocked. "You did that? She burned her hand..."
"I don't know..." said Petunia, her eyes filling with tears at the thought of harming the girl, but deep down she thought she deserved it. "I don't know how to control it."
"Don't worry." Said Severus, inserting himself back into the conversation. "You'll learn how to control it once we go to school!"
"School?!" "School?" Both girls looked at Severus their eyes shining with curiosity and excitement.
"Yes..." His face flushed with the colour red once again as he looked at the girls' eyes staring right at him, eager to hear more. "Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, its where we'll be going when we turn eleven."
"Tell us more!" said Lily, grabbing hold of Severus, dragging him up a slope. "Quickly!" she shrieked as Petunia followed behind, although she was a bit sceptical, a part of her wanted to strongly believe the boys words.
The three talked throughout the day eagerly asking Severus everything about this magical world as the sky slowly darkened as night came.
"I can't wait to get our letter!" Lily said, her eyes staring up the stars in the sky, pointing upward, trying to reach the twinkling stars.
"Oh no!" Petunia yelped, leaping up from the grassy floor. "Its really dark now! We need to go! Hurry Lily! Bye Severus!"
"Bye Sev! See you tomorrow!" said Lily, waving goodbye, her feet quick as she ran after her sister.
The boy sat up, looking at the two girls silhouette slowly fading away, waving his hand goodbye. A bit of sadness on his face but smiling, his head filled with the thought of his new friends.
"Where have you been?!" Mrs. Evans face was red with anger as she stared at the two girls in front of her, her arms were crossed and her brows furrowed with rage. "Can't you see how dark it is outside? Petunia, I thought I told you to take care of your sister?"
"Sorry, Mum... we were having so much fun we didn't notice the time..."
"Mum! It's not Tuney's fault! I also didn't notice the time too!"
"Quiet Lily." Mrs. Evans said firmly. She looked at her two daughters faces and sighed. "This is my last warning to you two, if you come home again at this time of the day you'll never be allowed to go to that playground again, do you understand?"
"Yes..." "Yes Mum."
"Petunia, be more mindful as you are the older one what if something happened to your sister?" Mrs. Evans said flatly, looking down at her eldest child.
"I'm sorry..."
"Go wash up, the two of you... Dinners ready and your dad is about to arrive."
The two hurried down the hall to clean up, the two shared the stream of water coming from the faucet, Lily squeeled as she splashed the water across Petunias face and shirt.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" said Lily, worry in her tone, fussing over her sister who is standing over there, a blank look on her face.
"It's fine. I'll go change, you go on."
Lily quickly sat at the dining table while Petunia went upstairs. After a while the front door opened and a man with dark blonde hair entered the room. His face looked tired as the dark circles under his eyes where huge and swollen. He announced himself with a bright smile on his face opening his arms wide open.
"I'm home!"
"Daddy!" Lily yelped and ran to her father, smothering him with a hug.
"I miss you Lils!"
"Jasper, welcome back." Mrs. Evans had arrived at their side and received a peck on the lips as she smiled. "How was work?'
"Good, not much happened." Replied Mr. Evans, hiding his tired voice with a smile.
The two spoke for a while until they arrived at the dining table.
"Where's Petunia?" asked Mr. Evans, glancing around the room looking for a pale blonde girl, his neck craning around every inch.
"She just went upstairs, Petunia! Dear, come downstairs! Your father's home!" Mrs. Evans yelled up the stairs expecting her to come down fast as she missed her father dearly, there was no reply, they looked at each other then Mr. Evans nodded.
"I'll go get her." Said Mr. Evans, as he started slowly striding up the stairs, Mrs. Evans stopped him, taking off his coat and patting him on the back, Mr. Evans laughed, kissing her on the cheek.
"Ah! Me too!" screamed Lily, tugging at Mr. Evans shirt.
"Okay! Okay!" laughed Mr. Evans.
While all of this was happening downstairs, Petunia was in a trance. She was looking far out across the street, she had noticed her father go inside their house, but then her eyes fell on someone else. There, was the wispy looking woman with long white gold hair she always sees on this day.
But there was something different about her this time, something odd. That woman was floating, Petunia was sure of it as she followed the woman's silhouette gliding from one side of the street to the other. And she wasn't just floating, Petunia let out a tiny scream as the woman glided under a streetlight, she couldn't believe it, that woman, she was transparent.
Petunia felt odd as the initial shock went away, she thought she ought to fear what she was seeing and yet she felt calm, as if that woman did not meant harm. She peered through the window further and further out, her hand slipped and she fell out of the window, she let out a squeal but instead of falling down flat on the grassy floor underneath, she floated down, like a feather carried by the wind.
Petunia felt the soft grass as she landed face first, the floor was cold, so was the air of the night. She stood up and she was not in pain as she patted herself down, she then looked up, the woman was looking straight at her from across the street. The woman sobbed, covering her face with both hands.
Petunia felt sorry for the woman and approached her slowly, crossing the road and feeling the cold asphalt floor underneath her uncovered feet. "Are you alright?" asked Petunia, her hand clutching the ring on her neck.
The woman looked up at her, her eyes swollen with tears. Her hand stretched her way as if she's trying to reach out for a hug, her hand limply reached out to Petunia. Petunia instinctively reached out and tried to hold her hand, but there was nothing to hold, instead it felt as if she had plunged her hand in a bucket of ice water.
{I'm sorry.} The woman's beautiful voice echoed in Petunia's ears, her hand glazing through Petunias face. Petunia shuddered, the woman flinched, her eyes lingering at Petunias face. Then as suddenly as she had always arrived behind the lamppost, Petunia remembered, she disappeared like before, but this time Petunia saw her falling under the ground.
Petunia stood there, staring at the ground where the woman had disappeared. Sitting down, her hand shivered as she touched the cold cement floor. Petunia looked around, there was no light aside from a few lamppost and the light coming out of other peoples houses. Petunia walked back up their house, her feet grazing through the ticklish grassy floor, her knees gave in as entire body shook, falling on the grass, Petunia sat and held her head across her arms.
"Pet?!" A scream of a man above snapped Petunia out of her trance. She looked up to see her father leaning out of the window. "What are you doing down there?! How did you get there!?" Half of his body was out of the window, his face twisted with worry staring at his daughter sprawled on the grassy floor.
Mr. Evans screams were heard by his wife, she bursts through the door her eyes falling on her daughters dishevelled appearance. She shrieked, running to her daughters' aid as she quickly knelt on the cold grassy floor.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? My baby." Cried Mrs. Evans, her hands inspecting every inch of Petunias body. She sobbed as she hugged Petunia, cradling her in her arms.
"Mum... I'm fine."
"Really? I swear I saw you go upstairs! Did you fall? Does it hurt anywhere? I - "
"Pet!" Mr. Evans quickly ran to their side followed by Lily on his tail. "Did you fall? Let's take you to the hospital!" said Mr Evans, grabbing Petunia in his arms, his eyes falling on Petunia's scratched knees.
"Thats! I'm fine! See!" quickly replied Petunia, she quickly waved her arm around. "Tell them Lily! I'm fine!"
"Did you fly!" said Lily, mimicking her sister waving her arm frantically, giggling to herself.
The two adult Evans's shared a confused look with each other. Mr. Evans coughed, "Is this one of your games? Just how did you get down without falling from upstairs?" he asked, more of a question to himself rather than with Petunia.
Mr. Evans looked at his wife, he could see her confused worried look as she shook her head. He looked at Petunia, his eyes furrowed as he carried her back inside, his wife holding Lily's hands following behind him.
"Tell me if something hurts, I'll also check if there's any injuries."
"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital?"
"Mum! Really, I'm fine!"
"She flew with magic!"
"Maybe we should." said Mr. Evans, smiling at Lily's giggling at her own words.
As all four headed inside their home, a wispy beautiful woman looked from afar with a smile on her face, her transparent body slowly falling to pieces, like flower petals being cradled by the wind.