January 29th, 1971
Spring, summer, Autumn and Winter had passed again. Lily, a little older and sporting two plaits over the shoulders of her green jumper sat at her dressing table. It now had a few little round jewellery boxes on it, and a poster of the Beatles given to her by Mrs Evans, who saw no use for it just sitting in a trunk at the end of her bed. She'd had to chaperone her niece to one of their performances in Liverpool, and had ended up quite enjoying it herself (though she had not relayed that to anyone at the church). Lily could see Petunia in the relection of the mirror sitting at her own dressing table across the room. It was littered with posters and a letter sat in the bottom corner of it from a friend she had made at her Grammar school. It was called 'Cokeworth Moor' and was part of some coalition with a few other posh schools around the country, including 'St Martins', 'Marsh Hall' and 'Smeltings'. She'd been overly proud of the fact that she had gotten in, and their mother had scolded her for boasting. Lily had taken the test in December to try and get in for September 71', but soon found out that they did not find her adequately intellegent, and Petunia liked to dangle that fact over the girls head, leaving around little trinkets she had gotten from school with their logos proudly facing upwards. She still wore her school uniform too, despite Lily already having changed out of hers. Though it didn't bother her much. The people at Cokeworth Moor seemed to be quite miserable and mean, meaning that they often suited Petunia quite terrifically.
After making sure her plaits were neat, Lily climbed up from her desk, walking over to the end of her bed to grab her coat. "Where are you going?", Petunia turned, revealling some terribly blue eyelids and red lipstick. She looked like a shocked and mistreated doll.
"Where did you get that makeup?", rebutted Lily quietly.
"My friend sent it to me. Her mothers a model". Petunia wiped her lips with a tissue. " Next year the girls are going to start wearing makeup, so im learning how to do it too". There was no way that their mother was going to let Petunia wear makeup. Not that she would listen to that of course. Lily decided to just nod, shrugging her coat over her shoulders. "Where are you going?".
"Out, to see a friend".
"You have friends?", scoffed Petunia, highly suspicious, "Did mother say you could?".
"Mummy said yes yesterday". Before Petunia could dare to inquire as to who Lilys friend was, she made her way quickly from the bedroom and into the hallway. After tripping over one of Petunias blazers, she skipped down the steps to near the Kitchen archway, through which Mrs Evans was cleaning up ready for dinner later that evening. "I'm going out to play mummy".
"Okay- be careful", she called back, counting the knives and forks, "Be back before its too dark".
Lily opened the front door with a shiver as an icy gust struck her skin. It had snowed earlier that year, and recent rain had washed all of the brilliant white left behind into piles of sludge at the edges of the streets. It was grey, miserable , wet and cold. Though Lily chose to ignore all of these factors. She skipped from her front door, waving at Mrs Dibbins as she tried to wrangle her sons inside, before passing down the street, across the zebra crossing, and towards the park on the other side. The ground was muddy and with each step she felt fit to slide onto her bottom. Though with great effort she stayed upright, heading across the boggy grass to where Severus perched in the distance on the dried roots of the twisted oak. In his hands was a book. He'd told Lily that he often took them from his mothers private collection, and that they were full of impressive, but dangerous magic. He never let Lily see them, and she didn't know why. In the end she just supposed that it was one of Severus Snapes strange qualities, like how his hair was always thick with grease, or how he hunched over his shoulders whilst walking, and frowned most of the time. The only time Lily really ever saw the boy smile was when he would look up to see her. He waved her over as she scaled the hill, coming to plop herself down on one of the lower roots.
"Afternoon, Prince", smiled Lily, leaning to rest her elbows on her knees.
Severus brushed some of his hair back behind his ear, reclining a bit. "Afternoon, Evans". Lily tried to take a peak into his book. He promptly shut it, placing it down on his lap. "How are things in the better side of town?", he asked sarcastically.
"Boring", chuckled Lily, "Normal, I suppose. Since Tuney left for big school I feel sort of lonely a lot. She's always out with her new friends or glued to her dresser, mothers always busy, and fathers always at work. Y'know...I didn't even go out in the last bit of snow- not further than the garden".
"No", gasped Severus falsley.
She nudged him playfully with her elbow."-Anyway, how was your trip to see your mothers family".
The boy went strangely quiet. His fingers tapped on the top of his book for a moment before he dared to speak. "They are terrible people". He inhailed sharply. "Anyhow- It is your birthday tommorow, is it not".
"It is", smiled Lily, letting his previous comment pass by, "Im going to be eleven, which isn't all that special".
"It is incredibly special", informed Severus, coming to rummage around in his coat pocket. He revealed an old looking letter, stamped with wax, and written on with the finest, most delicate quill. The boy handed it cautiously to Lily, who examined the letter. "You'll get your Hogwarts letter tommorow".
He had expected Lily to seem quite overjoyed. He knew he was. He would finally leave Cokeworth for longer than just a few weeks. Though Lily seemed discomforted. "...What if my parents believe that the letter is fake. They won't let me go to Hogwarts...and I'm not sure I want to".
"Don't want to?", Severus grabbed the letter, "Lily, you have to. You're a witch. You have to go to Hogwarts. You'll love it".
"How do you know...Sev...you told me that people don't often like people like me- how do you know other children wont be cruel? How do you know that they wont treat me terribly?...". Snape had to quickly come up with an answer.
"-Because you are kind, Lily. Anyone who hates a kind person is a fool".
Lily blushed a little. "...Thank you, Sev". Though there was still a hint of discomfort about her. She played with the hem of her skirt, coming to stare off into the miserable distance. As she did, Severus reached into his trouser pocket, bringing out a bit of crumpled newspaper from one of his mothers Daily Prophets. The face of the Minister, Eugenia Jenkins, still shifted about on it, warped and half torn. He waited until Lily had finished looking out beyond them, studying her profile, before jutting his hand forwards. "Whats that?".
"-Well...Its your birthday tommorow...so...its a gift".
"A gift?", inquired Lily, carefully taking the crumpled paper. She then began to unfold it . Within the makeshift parcel was a tiny little vial in which a lily stood, preserved in some sort of potion. The potion was attached to a bit of parcel twine, frayed at some points. Severus worried that she wouldn't appreciate something so poorly made, though Lily studied it as though the present was propped up in a Tiffany & Co store window.
"Oh Severus", she closed her hand around it, giving the boy a tight hug. So tight in fact that they both toppled off of the log, squelching into the mud. Lilys white tights were stained black, and Severus shirt, which had already been dirty, would now require a rather brilliant spell to bring it back to life. Lily sat up on her knees and Severus did so to, slapping mud from his hands. She then helped the boy up, before taking the necklace to tie around her neck.
It had already started to get dark by this point. Though neither Severus nor Lily had noticed. That was until the light suddenly seemed to dissapear, leaving them alone in the park with no way of seeing their path out. When something rustled nearby, Lily shoved towards Severus. She yelped then when the vial around her kneck lit up. Snape tugged it out from underneath the neck of her dress so that the ground around them was illuminated a strange bluish- green.
"That is marvelous", exclaimed Lily.
"Well, I know you are scared of the dark".
"I am not!", she returned quickly, "...Okay...maybe a little".
"Here", he gave Lily his arm, "Hold onto me and we'll walk onto the street". Lily, trusting Severus with all her being, took the boys arm, holding close to him. Severus led her forwards, over the muddy ground, past the now terrifying looking trees, towards the road in the distance where the street lamps were visible. Once they reached the pavement near the zebra crossing, Lily breathed a deep sigh of relief just in time to hear a set of wellies trudging through the snow.
"Lily, where have you... ". Petunia looked at Severus, then Lily, and then where the two joined in the middle. The necklace around Lilys neck went dark again as Petunia snatched the girl away. "Scram rat boy- stay away from my sister you freak".
"Tuney!".
"You are the freak", hissed Severus, "Look at that neck".
"Sev-".
Petunia shoved Lily behind her, slapping Severus across the cheek. It left him rather unfazed. However he took it as a cue to leave, giving a little nod to Lily before making his way down the street. Petunia watched him plod off, making sure that he didn't turn back around.
"Why did you hit him?!", cried Lily, wanting desperately to make sure that her friend was okay.
"He started it", Petunia looked Lily up and down, "...What did he do to you?".
"Nothing".
"Nothing?", scoffed Petunia, "You're covered in mud...lets sneak in around the back, get you washed up. Dinner isn't ready yet, so mother and father are in the sitting room".
"...Okay", quietly agreed Lily.
Petunia's plan worked. She sneaked Lily around the back, through the kitchen, which smelled quite marvelous, and up the stairs, where the girl changed into her pyjamas before dinner, explaining that she had gotten a little wet whilst playing out. Though after dinner, Lily had some questions. It was entirely unlike Petunia to help her sneak in, or to come and check on her. She must have wanted something out of it. Lily perched at the end of her bed as Petunia brushed back her hair, peering in the reflection at Lily every so often. Then finally she span around on her seat, folding her arms.
"Why did you help me sneak around the back?". She didn't want to just say 'help me'. For the most part Petunia had not helped her but had instead upset her friend.
"-Because you are my sister?", she replied, which was obviously not very true.
"Petunia".
"Okay, Okay". She grabbed one of her letters, tossing it to Lily. Lily opened it. It was from one of her friends called 'Vanellope' at Cokeworth Moor. Included in it was a picture of a band called 'The Rolling Stones'. She had never heard Petunia listen to them, though her friend seemed to be a big fan, and had sent a ticket for her. It seemed to be in march, in Liverpool. "I need you to help me get mum to let me go to 'stay with my friend' in march".
"Mummy wouldn't let you go to a concert-".
"Thats why Mummy wont know", she returned, taking the letter back, "Please Lily. You'll understand why I need to go when you have friends".
"I have a friend".
"Severus is not a friend, hes a disease". Lily frowned, deciding to make her own end of the bargain.
"-Fine- But you have to be nice to Sev- then, and only then I'll help you go to your concert thing".
"Yes!", Petunia flew across the room, hugging Lily, "Thank you- Thank you- I promise I'll never be mean to you again". Lily was sure that Petunia's promise was as hollow as a tunnel, but it was nice for once for her sister to be hugging her, rather than scorning her entire existance.
30th January, 1971
A happy Petunia, a present from Severus - Lilys birthday seemed like it was going to be perfect. She stayed awake that night as Petunia snored like a deranged bear in bed, tossing and turning, waiting for the clock in the corner to strike midnight. She held her necklace in her hands, lighting up the darkness so that she didn't need to be frightened of it. When the clock struck twelve, finally, she smiled.
"Happy birthday Lily", she said to herself, settling down into her flowery bed covers. Moments later, or what felt like moments, the sun pierced through her eyelids. Sun, for the first time in ages. Lily blinked through sleep and lingering dreams into the light, slowly coming to sit up. Petunia was nowhere to be found. She must have been downstairs with her parents, waiting for her to come down and open her presents. She was excited to open them, and to have breakfast. They always had pancakes on birthdays.
Lily scrambled out of bed, grabbing her dressing gown whilst slipping her toes into a pair of fluffy slippers. Yet as she reached the door she was halted in her tracks by something. She could hear Mr and Mrs Evans talking. Though whom they were talking to, well , she couldn't quite make out. It was someone she had never heard before, that was for sure. Maybe it was a new neighbour or something. Though she was sure that Petunia would have come up and said something to her if it had been a new neighbour. She would have mentioned if she had fat ancles, or a wide nose, or if she spoke to much or too little. Lily opened the door to hear better. It didn't much help. So she stepped out into the hallway, looming at the top of the steps. Eventually she decided to make her way down them. Her foot creaking on one step brought the conversations in the kitchen to silence.
From halfway down the steps Lily could see Petunia sitting in a chair by the door to the garden, arms crossed and looking miserable. She could smell pancakes, and also tea. When taking a look there were three cups set out. Petunia didn't like tea. The third cup belonged to the stranger, who had fluffy brown hair and a strange green coat on. To her left on the table was a pointy hat, and to her right, a closed envelope. It was just like Severus'. Mr Evans hunched over the table with his fingers interlocked on his forehead, and Mrs Evans paced, pausing when spotting her bewildered daughter step down onto the kitchen floor through the archway.
"Good morning Lily", her voice wavered, "Happy birthday dear".
Mr Evans shot up straight, pulling a smile onto his face. "Yes- Happy birthday darling".
Lily watched the woman as she stepped towards the table, jumping a little when she rose up from within her chair. She had large blue eyes, and a thin nose, with full lips and white teeth. "Good morning, Miss Evans", she greeted, folding her hands over her lap, "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". Mrs Evans slowly took a seat, leaning over to see her daughters face properly. "Now, I am here today to formally give you your letter to our esteemed school, and answer any queries you may have about...well I suppose why I am here, and what it means for you-".
"I know", stated Lily quietly, "...Hogwarts is a school for magical people...my friend told me. He got his letter too...".
"Well, that saves me some trouble", chuckled the woman kindly, before handing Lily her letter, "In that letter is a list of things you will need. Now myself, or a member of staff will accompany you to Diagon Alley to get everything you need for the school year beggining September 1st".
"-W-Where is this Diagon alley", stuttered Mrs Evans, asking a very simple question for being in such a bewildering situation.
"London", stated McGonagall shortly, before, "Your travel can be covered if it is any issue. Though it is imperitive that Miss Evans gets everything she needs for her new school year".
"-And what sort of school is it- Grammar...Prep- we can't afford a prep-".
"It is a free...boarding school- alike to most magical schools, Mr Evans", answered the woman.
Lily was quite shocked her parents werent up in arms denying the existence of a magical school and calling the woman a con artist, preying on the imagination of children. Though neither Mr or Mrs Evans had ever been very confrontational people. That was why they were rather surprised how Petunia had turned out so sour. Lily opened her letter slowly, reading the adress. It certainly was for her. The list below also existed, including items such as a 'couldron' and books on spells, and a wand. She then turned her attention to her mother, who began to frown.
"I know this must come as a shock", then added McGonagall, feeling the air in the room shift uncomfortably.
"No...well....Yes of course. But...Lily always has been different". Petunia, who had been glaring at the ground, snapped her head up so quickly it almost flew off of her shoulders. Lily seemed quite shocked too. Mrs Evans avoided looking at her husband, who clasped his hands together in a prayer, muttering beneath his breath. "When she was two she sent a book flying across the room and into the neighbours cat who was trying to steal some fish from the window sill". She smiled faintly at her daughter. "Then in school...your teacher said that, I quote 'she sent the chalk jumping from the box'. I tried not to believe her, until you came home and I watched your chalk board start dancing around the kitchen...".
"...And I saw you show your sister how to make a flower dance", added Mr Evans, settling back into his chair stiffly. He then reached out his hands towards Lily, and she carefully made her way towards her father, placing her little palms in his. "Your mother told me to stay out of it...".
"Harold-".
"...But I thought about it every day since". Lily had been a little frightened of her parents finding out. Yet Mr and Mrs Evans had known something all along. They didn't seem horrified, or mad...maybe a little scared. "...Tell us more about this school, Miss McGonagall".
Petunia was the only person in the room who appeared to be horrified. Her mouth was wide agape, and she teetered on the edge of her seat, fit to topple off. Finally after a few moments she decided to giver her thoughts. "So you are okay with her being a freak!?".
"A freak?", scoffed McGonagall, shaking her head. She placed her palms on Lilys shoulder. "It is a gift to be magical. She is no freak".
"She is a freak- and so are you!".
"Petunia!", Mr Evans slammed his foot down, before pointing towards the hall, "To your room- now".
"Fine", she scoffed, "I don't want to be in here anyway". She snatched up an apple from the fruit bowl in the centre of the table, before hastily making her leave. Though it was quite obvious that she didn't make it all the way up to her room as her foosteps stopped halfway to the top.
"A gift?", inquired Lily.
"I suppose it is a gift", then affirmed Mrs Evans, "Not every parent finds out their child is...magical. Its a very special gift".
"Precisely", agreed McGonagall, "-And I am sure that Miss Evans will make a brilliant witch".
Lily still didn't like being called a witch. Severus frequently refrained from using the term. Though she saw it in a slightly different light in that moment. "...Are you a witch?", she asked, then feeling a little silly afterwards. Of course she was. Severus had told her that only magical people could go to Hogwarts, and that more than likely extended to the staff. There was no use for someone like Mr Evans who often slaved his hours away in an office teaching magical people how to make things explode.
"I am", she affirmed, "As are my colleagues and all whom you will meet at Hogwarts". The feel of the letter against her skin began to melt away into a sense of excitement. Terrified, strange excitement, but excitement no less. Lily was a witch. A witch in a good way. She was magical, and now, it was no longer a secret, and she would learn to be an even greater magical person, and meet other magical people. Maybe, like Petunia, she would make a whole group of friends, for her and Sev of course, and do well in school. In normal school she had been rather average, but maybe in magical school she would be amazing. Maybe she would bring home awards, or little trinkets with symbols on them like Petunia. Maybe she would boast about amazing days out and school adventures.
Mrs Evans took her daughters silence for concern. She made her way over to Lily giving her a hug. "It will be alright my darling. We will...come will understand this all".
"It will be alright", McGonagall agreed.
"... But the church", then breathed Mrs Evans, pushing away from her daughter a little, "They wont like this...it is pagan".
"Stuff the church darling", replied Mr Evans.
"They must never know", stated Professor McGonagall, "No non-magical person aside from immediate family- mother, father, sister, brother, whomever- may know. No grandparents, or great aunts with a blabbing mouth. It is an offence to the stature of secrecy, and threatens the entire world that your daughter will be entering. So I can tell you that the church will not have an opinion as it cannot have an opinion- lest we wish to return to a time of Witch trials ". She shuddered at the thought
***
Lily knew of someone who could have an opinion. The first opportunity she got she flew out of the front door with her letter and down the street, accepting birthday congratulations from the neighbours as she whizzed by. She slipped on sludge, and hopped around lampposts before frantically sprinting through town the the precepice of 'the other side'. Loomed in darkness from the factory smoke it looked as though it was another world. She hesitated a little before heading down the street, ignoring grafitti and cracked windows. Sneering boys geered at her as she fluttered by in her neat clothes, and some threw stones as the turned a corner to pass between two soot lathered houses and through to the otherside where the most crooked house of the bunch stood. The curtains were forever shut, and the paint on the front door splintered as Lily used the knocker carefully to announce her presence. She remembered the address, and had met Severus in town once where he had directed her eyes to his house on Spinners end. It was a terribly depressing place, and nothing like Lilys part of town. The houses were a similar, though maybe a bit bigger, but aside from that it was completely different.
Then she waited - and waited- and waited. After a little while the curtains in the front window shifted and she saw a big blue eye peer out for a moment, before slinking back into the darkness of the front room. It sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine.
"We want no charity", then hissed a voice through the letterbox.
Lily stepped back a little. "I-I'm not here for charity...or to give it".
"Then go away". She recognised the tone as belonging to Mrs Prince. She could see the tips of her blackened nails perched on the edge of the metal rim.
"...Im here to see Severus...".
The nails dragged away slowly. The door unlocked. It unlocked with an inhuman speed. Mrs Prince, wrapped in a black robe, flew out of the door to tower over Lily. "What do you want with my son, girl?". She squinted her eyes. "You are that womans girl- the ginger thing".
"Lily", smiled Severus a little from behind his mother, "What are you doing here?". Mrs Prince backed away slightly. "She came to tell me something, mother", he informed, spotting the letter in her hand. The vengeful woman scoffed, before reclusing back inside and shutting the door on her sons back. Though it was obvious she was watching them through the curtains. "...You shouldn't be here Lily- this isn't your bit of town. You need to stay up the hill- people arent so nice here".
"But I came to show you this", she brandished the letter, "I got one!- and my parents were fine with it!". Snape seemed to be a little dismayed by the fact that Mr and Mrs Evans had not gone up in arms at the fact their daughter had been bestowed a letter for a strange school likely by a strange Professor. He'd been wholly prepared to comfort her.
"Shhh- Keep it down. Its meant to be secret".
"I know, but...", Lily looked down at the letter, then up at Severus, "...I was a little worried that I wouldn't get one... or that mummy and daddy wouldn't let me go...or that I wouldn't want to go. But if I stayed... like at Christmas...I would be so bored all the time. I wouldn't have my friend..and now we get to go to school together!". Her glee flattered Severus to a degree that Mrs Prince had never seen before. It resulted in her rapping in the window with her knuckle. "...I-I should be getting back- mummy and Daddy are still not settled with it- and its my birthday so were having a nice lunch...". Lily then looked Severus up and down. "You should come!".
"After your sister hit me?". Her excitement dwindled a little. "...Go and enjoy your birthday Lily- I will see you again tommorow". Her necklace lit up a little beneath the neck of her jumper as she span around, begining to dance up the street. Severus watched her go, to occupied to notice his mothers hand reaching out before she snatched him back into the darkness of the hallway.
"She is not your friend", the woman hissed, "You have none".
"I do!", he argued.
"You dont-", she returned, "When you start Hogwarts you will see. Pretty little things like that don't stay friends with people like us. Pretty little things like that aren't in Slytherin. They dont stick. Especially not when better things come along....now go upstairs". Snape glared at his mother, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.
Lily would never turn him over for some other friend. Lily was different. Lily was kind, kind to her core.