And I would be the one (to hold you down) | Yandere Lily Evans

A hope (Part II)

Minor CW for clingy behavior and friend policing.

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Classes at Hogwarts are better than she ever could have imagined. Natsumi's completely invigorated in her lessons, absolutely at home in her house (full of students with so many interests, her brain's overloaded with information the first week), and fitting in comfortably (enough) with Lily and Severus. The former is constantly helpful and affectionate, and the later is growing more civil as time goes on (it helps, perhaps, that her placement is in Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor, because two lads from that house have taken to picking on him, much to Lily's chargin'.) Natsumi estimates that they'll be on a first name basis by the time their seventh year rolls around. As for Lily: it feels wrong, somehow still, to refer to her by her first name rather than Evans, but the girl insists. Persists! If the two were in the land of Natsumi's ancestors (or rather: if they both had shared ancestry), Natsumi would compromise by calling her Evans-chan or Lily-san, but there's not much of a direct parallel of either of those in English, and so she relents and calls her Lily in private and public, and slowly it becomes more and more comfortable.

Lily doesn't really let her out of her sight, it feels almost like she's gained a shadow in the form of a very pretty friend. When she wasn't around, Natsumi felt a little lighter, a little lonelier. Aimless, perhaps (and that is why she is not a Slytherin). With Lily, there was something to do, something to achieve. Together with Severus, the two of them joined up with whatever cause Lily had taken up that day. It gets to the point where she almost has trouble reciting some of her favorite things to do when others ask her. Instead, she lists off things she likes to do with Lily.

The subject of their closeness had been addressed by nearly every Ravenclaw by the time Halloween rolled around. By then, there had been rumors swirling around that they were half-siblings (absurd and dishonorable, of course), which called into question both Natsumi's pureblood and Lily's Muggle heritage. Luckily Lily's as tough as nails, and Severus is excellent at doing damage control in his house (he mentions that he'd prefer Natsumi to Petunia anyday, causing Lily to scold him and Natsumi to quietly smile).

"She's your partner in every class you have together, share some of Akiyama with the rest of us!" Zhang jests, teasing Lily with a smile.

She responds with sticking her tongue out, "I called dibs because Nat here is clearly prime best friend material." Natsumi's face grows hot, "You guys should have worked faster."

Lily's easy attachment to her is a tad bit unusual, perhaps, but Natsumi excuses it by reminding herself that Westerners are strange (even if she, herself, was born and raised in the West). There is also her growing theory that Lily is terribly lonely without her sister--She's always talking about Tuney this and Tuney that, and lamenting that she wasn't there at Hogwarts with her. And is it a crime to be lonely? She's already a Muggleborn, knows no one but one other in the school, and he's in an entirely different house. It's fine. Natsumi doesn't mind. In fact: she quite enjoys the attention. Particularly when she doesn't have to share it with Severus (and even then, Lily is attentive to them both).

This being said, Natsumi has friendly relationships with those outside of Lily...The two do not share a potions class, for example, and in that time period, Natsumi has taken to speaking to Natalie Olivander: a prim and laidback witch in her house, with a reputation for being a bit of a teacher's pet (something she finds odd, considering school had barely started a few weeks ago). Natalie is, however, very easy to work with, and patient with Natsumi's occasional stutter and clumsy outburst. She doesn't even mind when Lily bops in suddenly during their conversations in the common room or library to steal Natsumi away for something or other. A flexible girl. She wishes to know her better--says as much to her fellow redhead one day...And encounters some resistance.