Jily Oneshots (pt2)

Peanuts

Her mother shook her head and sighed. "Where did we go wrong?"

Dad chuckled and tugged Lily's braid. "Not wrong, she just looks at the world from an angle when everyone else sees it head on. Lilykins, I'm afraid this is one time you'll just have to get used to it. You can't ban peanut butter."

"Yeah," Petunia glared smugly at her sister. "Everyone but you isn't crazy, so you just have to—"

"But that doesn't mean anyone can go around shoving it in your face." Dad cut in. "Petunia, you've been goading your sister, and it has to stop."

"Yes, Dad," Tuney sulked.

"I think that's a fair compromise," Mum said, in the tone that meant 'after this we are done talking about it.' "Lily, you hold your peace about it, and Petunia doesn't force it on you. Agreed?"

There was a tense moment while the sisters eyed each other carefully. Each knew she could be trusted, but what about the other?

"Yes, Mum," they said at last.

"Jinx!" Lily shouted. She giggled. It had been weeks since she'd gotten the drop on Tuney in a jinx. Now she was practically guaranteed an ice cream, since Tuney couldn't stay silent above five minutes. Lily could hold out all day, even at school, and was proud of it.

Petunia scowled, but said nothing, and breakfast concluded without further incident. But as she stood under the bright new sun waiting for the bus, Lily thought long and hard about what Dad said, that nobody should force something on her, just because she didn't like it. And Lily determined that the next time someone tried to shove peanut butter in her face, she'd shove it right back.

September 1971 – Hogwarts, Great Hall

Lily stared in amazement at the lofty ceiling. Last night it had been dark and starry, and lit by a brilliant moon and thousands of candles. Now it shone clear blue, and the brilliant day light glittered on the dishes ranged down the table. It was all still so staggering, and she'd known for nearly a year. Witches were real, and she was one, and they studied at Hogwarts, and if that wasn't a magic name she didn't know what was!

The familiar quiet breakfast noises of home were replaced by a rather raucous din of hundreds of students and a dozen or so teachers. Lily felt a bit small, and lost as she looked up and down the length of the Gryffindor table. She thought with a pang of Sev turning to the opposite side of the room at the sorting last night. She had so hoped they could stay together. Instead, Lily was stuck in the same house with stupid James Potter and his stupid snotty friend.

Between them, they accounted for at least seventy percent of the present noise level in the hall, and Lily rolled her eyes before focusing hard on her cereal. James Potter had been instantly noticeable when she arrived on Platform 9 ¾ yesterday morning. She'd held tight to Mum's hand, while Dad pushed her trunk. Petunia wouldn't get out of the car.

The Potter family had stood a bit further down the platform, and first she'd thought James' grandparents had come to see him off. He looked nice enough, at first, but by the time the train stopped in the dark and all the first years had gotten into the boats, James Potter had placed himself squarely on Lily's "beware" list. That was fine though, she wasn't really looking for more friends.

Lily's musings were interrupted by a burst of hot, smelly breath right next to her face. Peanut butter breath. Potter.

"Homesick?" he bleated. "You look sad." Potter had moved next to her on the bench, and held a large piece of toast—generously slathered in grossness—in one hand, and a few rashers of bacon in the other. He chewed with his mouth open.

Lily swallowed hard and turned away. "I'm fine."

"Because sometimes Muggleborns are, you know," he continued. "It's all a bit new for them."