“Psst, Lil…”
“Tuney, why are you whispering?”
“Because it’s a secret, you dolt!”
“That’s not a nice thing to say to someone —”
“I know where mum hid our Christmas presents!”
“What? Where? I wanna know!”
“In the hall closet, on the very top shelf. I can’t reach them though.”
“Well, neither can I… I’m smaller than you! Now what?”
“We’ll just have to use a chair when mum is outside and dad is at work, so they don’t catch us spying.”
“Alright…”
However, later that evening the redhead found herself standing in the open closet, staring up at the top shelf. Her gaze was unwavering, concentrated on that top shelf and the idea of hidden presents…
“Lily, what in heaven’s name are you —”
There was a shriek and a crash and running footsteps.
“Rose? Lil? What’s going on?”
“Lily!”
“Mummy! My wrist hurts, and, and, and…”
“What happened?” Jerold demanded, staring at the pale faces of his wife and youngest daughter.
“She was standing in the closet and the whole thing just fell on her, Jerry, I thought this thing was sturdy…”
“It is — was. It was. Lily, why were you in the closet?”
“Tuney said you had hidden our presents for Christmas on the top shelf, and I wanted to see them — My wrist hurts really bad!”
“Oh, God, Jerry, she held up her arms to protect her held from the shelves —”
Jerold Evans leaned over the debris in the closet, picking up his daughter out of the mess, and easily planted her on feet on the other side of hall. He was kneeling, eye to eye with his daughter, concern etching lines in his face.
“Let me see your wrist, baby.”
“But, daddy, it hurts!”
“Lily, you know I’m a doctor. I help people, make them better. Let me see your wrist.”
“Okay, but don’t… don’t hurt it!”
He waited until her wrist was laying in his hands before he answered.
“Baby, sometimes you have to hurt more before you can get better.”
“WHAT?”
“Shhh.”
“Ow!”
“Daddy, ow!”
“I said, ouch!”
“DADDY!”
“Alright, Lil, calm down. I’m done pressing on it and bending it.”
“Jerry, what’s wrong? Is it broken? Is her wrist broken? Does she need surge —”
“No, Rose. She’s fine. It’ll bruise for a while, and it’ll be sore and swollen, but no lasting damage. No broken bones or torn tissue.”
Both pairs of green eyes shed tears of relief.

“Mummy, Anna told me today that her parents are divorced.”
“She did?”
“Yeah! And she said she only sees her dad once a week!”
“Does she miss her daddy?”
“I dunno… she didn’t seem to, but I think she must. I mean, if I only got to see daddy once a week, I’d cry, I think.”
“That means you love your daddy very much, Ri.”
“So Anna doesn’t love her daddy?”
“Well… Lily, there are different levels of love…”
“Really?”
“Yes. You know how you spend so much time with your daddy?”
“Yeah…”
“That’s why you love him so much, baby. You spend so much time with him. But if you didn’t spend so much time with him, you wouldn’t love him as much as you do now.”
“Whoah.”
“Mmm. A relationship needs time spent together, Ri, just as much as it needs space apart. More so, really.”
“Mummy?”
“Hmm?”
“Why are you so smart?”
“It’s a mum thing, I suppose.”
“So when I grow up and I have babies, I’ll be as wise as you?”
“One can only help, baby.”
“I’m going to go tell Tuney!”
“She’s in her room doing her homework, Lily.”
“But —”
“You can tell her at dinner.”
“Fine.”
“Don’t go sneaking off into her room.”
Lily froze, and then sighed.
”Fine.”

”I don’t want to talk to you,” she got out, her voice constricted. “Why not?” He said, having sat across from her in the train compartment. “Tooney hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore.” Another few tears dripped down from her eyes. “So what?” She glared at him before speaking. “So she’s my sister!” She reached up to wipe the tears away, missing Severus’ comment: “She’s only a —” He started over. “But we’re going! This is it! We’re off to Hogwarts!” The exhilaration evident in his tone was infectious, and Lily gave him a small smile. “You’d better be in Slytherin.” And now, the two boys in the corner spoke up, letting themselves be known.

“Slytherin?” The boy stopped, waiting for Lily and Severus to look at him, before continuing. “Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?” He asked the boy lounging on the seats across from him, who answered blandly, “my whole family has been in Slytherin.” The first boy looked surprised. “Blimey! And I thought you seemed all right!” This time, the second boy grinned. “Maybe I’ll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?” The first boy lifted an invisible sword, his chest puffing out just a little. “Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad.” Severus made a grunting sound, and the boy turned toward him. “Got a problem with that?” Severus, sneering, answered, “No. If you’d rather be brawny than brainy – “ The second boy shot in a comment here, making James burst into laughter: “Where’re you hoping to go, seeing as you’re neither?” Lily however sat up finally, glaring at the two boys. “Come on, Severus, let’s find another compartment.” As they left, the boys mimicked her voice and the first tried to trip Severus, calling after them, “See ya, Snivellus!”

“Bye, daddy.” She said softly, hugging her father fiercely. He was smiling. “You really are my little witch, Lil. I know you’ll make me,” he paused, his eyes trailing to his wife, “us proud. You always do.” He ruffled her hair as the hug ended, and she turned to embrace her mother next. She was smiling, a tear or two escaping her filled eyes. “My baby, off to learn magic. We always knew you were special.” Her eyes were glowing, and Lily took the extra moment to bury her face in her mother’s neck, inhaling the scent of her perfume. This was family, and this was home… and it always would be to her, no matter how great Hogwarts was.

Letting go of her mother, she turned to her sister… and smiled, despite the fight. Petunia, however, did not accept the silent apology. She crossed her arms, looking away determinedly. “Petunia!” their mother admonished, but Petunia did not relent. Lily didn’t stay to see if she would. She picked up the last thing of hers that remained on the platform — the cage containing her already beloved owl, Hermes — and walked bravely onto the train… ignoring the restriction of her chest and throat.

People all around them were happy, running around and waving goodbye, whereas Lily and Tooney stood separately from them, arguing. “I’m sorry, Tooney, I’m sorry! Listen – “ Managing to catch her sister’s hand to try one last time to convince her to not hate her, she continued, “Maybe once I’m there – no, listen, Tooney! Maybe once I’m there, I’ll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!” Her sister pulled her hand away, speaking as she did so. “I don’t want to go! You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a – a –“ she paused, eyes taking in the scene around her, “— you think I want to be a – a freak?” After a second, Lily’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m not a freak. That’s a horrible thing to say.” Petunia did not relent, her jealousy and anger fueling her, despite Lily’s tears. “That’s where you’re going. A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy… weirdos, that’s what you two are. It’s good you’re being separated from normal people. It’s for our safety.”

Lily looked at her parents, who were looking around them in awe, and then back at her sister, her tears drying up in her own anger. Defiantly, her voice was low as she berated her sister. “You didn’t think it was such a freak’s school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you.” The words had been said to hurt her sister in return, and if her sister turning scarlet was any indication, it had worked. “Beg? I didn’t beg!” Lily ignored this. “I saw his reply. It was very kind.” Petunia was whispering, embarrassed and upset. “You shouldn’t have read — that was my private — how could you —?” Lily did not answer, but she unfortunately gave herself away by glancing at Severus long enough for Petunia to notice and gasp. “That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!”

Now it was Lily’s turn to go defensive. “No — not sneaking…. Severus saw the envelope, and he couldn’t believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that’s all! He says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of —” Petunia had heard enough of the ramble. “Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!” She was pale now. “Freak!” She spat the final work, flouncing back to her parents where the fight could not continue, leaving Lily behind to stare…

after lily’s mum died, she and petunia took it upon themselves to send each other short, snotty letters and generally horrid presents. they rarely saw each other in person, but they never deviated from the letters and presents. even such paltry contact would have made their mum happy, so they didn’t stop.

The two sisters couldn’t really be further apart personality-wise, Lily with her kindness and Petunia with her snobbish attitude. Even appearance wise, the only feature they really share is their father’s height and their mother’s fast metabolism. They are as different as night and day otherwise, aside from those few characteristics that bite them in the ass… namely their vanity, pride, and temper. Go figure.