Chapter One:
'I want her.'
Bellatrix sat, thinking of a way to get ahold of this Lillith Deacon. She was beyond excited. First, she got to do away with Sirius…and now, she might be able to do the same with his daughter…after they had used her for her purpose, of course.
There were so many ways to trick the child. Letters from 'Sirius' or making her believe that the Death Eaters had kidnapped one of her other friends. However, in Bellatrix's eyes, there was no need to trick and connive. It would be so much more satisfactory if Lillith was caught because of her own stupidity.
She'd go to Hogsmeade eventually, and Bellatrix Lestrange would be waiting for her.
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Harry's birthday came and passed, leaving me feeling guilty for not being able to get my god-brother something special for his sweet sixteen. After a bit of thinking, I decided that I would get something from Diagon Alley with the money I earned working for the Weasley Twins when we went to get our school supplies. Though it'd be a late gift, I was sure Harry wouldn't actually mind as he wasn't that type of person.
Two days after the booklists arrived for Hogwarts, we all decided to go shopping, that way we'd have the rest of the month to ourselves before having to start school at the beginning of September. I split away from the group immediately, I just needed time alone even if I was shopping while having that time. Just seeing Harry, and how depressed he was, made me feel ten times worse. I caused that. I caused Harry's already crap life to become even worse.
Sighing, I did my best to make an attempt at forgetting everything. Just for a while, I didn't want to think of my biological father, or Snape, my adoptive father. I didn't want to think about my godbrother, or his friends…or anything at all, really. I just wanted to forget.
Unfortunately, that wouldn't ever happen, no matter how badly I wished it would and so I would endure through it all.
I kept walking, stopping once in a while at the appropriate shops to pick up robes, books and supplies. It took longer than expected, but I was happier than I'd been in a while due to my clear mind without having a Weasley shouting to another Weasley every other second of the day.
A flash of jaw length slightly greasy black hair caught my eye, and I jerked my head over to see if it was who I thought it was. Severus Snape was stalking towards me, but I don't think he actually knew I was there until I called out to him.
"Father!" I smiled, falling into step beside him. It'd been months since I saw him, since the end of term, actually. He didn't look different at all, same old sneer and scowl, same old hair, obsidian eyes and pale face. Same black billowing cloak. I sighed at the familiar feeling seeing him caused me.
His eyes took in my appearance, giving me a quick one over before he resumed his usual scowl.
"I don't have time for this," he muttered.
I knew he wanted me to leave, but I'd missed him so much and just being in his presence made me feel a lot happier than I had been lately, I felt like I actually had energy to spare. I simply couldn't bring myself to leave, I felt like being selfish and reveling in this newfound happiness and energy, though I didn't deserve it.
"I haven't seen you in a while, is anything new happening, Father?"
"I said, I do not have time for you, you stupid child!" I froze in my steps as my mood once again plummeted and watched as he continued walking as if he hadn't just killed me a little bit on the inside.
* * * * *
"Hey Lils!" George called out as I entered Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, waving like a madman. I hadn't seen the twins for about a week and a half, so I had missed them terribly.
"Hi George," I mumbled, setting all my bags down behind the counter so that I could, hopefully, start to regain some feeling in in my arms. "What do you have here that you think Harry would like?"
"Ah well, I have several answers to that question. He may like a bag of puking pastels, or perhaps some Nosebleed Nougets…or… Oh! I got it! Get him the trial pack, it contains a couple of pieces of every candy in this store."
Smiling, I nodded before searching for the 'trial pack' and buying it, despite George's claim that it was free since I worked here.
"So, where's Fred?"
"He..uh. Well, he went to, um. I'm not allowed to say, actually. He should be back any minute, though." The moment that sentence left his mouth, he ambled over to some new costumers and got them laughing with undoubtedly hilarious jokes. I couldn't seem to pay attention however, as my mind was on what Fred Weasley was doing and where he was.
Sighing, I shook away the thoughts before stepping behind the cash register. If I was going to be here, I might as well make myself useful, right? Fifteen minutes, and seven customers later, the store was actually empty besides me, George and the two other workers and I plopped down on a couch that they had in the break room. I felt as if all my energy were depleted, I doubted that I could get up off the couch even if there were a fire and I had to save myself.
"What's got your wand in a twist?" I blew a big breath out of my lips before looking over to George.
"Nothing," I muttered, playing with my hands in my lap but he didn't believe me. For ten minutes straight, he bugged me to tell him what was wrong and finally he decided that torture by tickles would work better.
"N-no. St-stop, George!" I laughed, not being able to help myself and fell backwards so that I was lying on the couch, George hovering over me, the usual mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Tell me, Lily. What's wrong?" I probably would have given up and told him everything, but I just couldn't get a good breath in to speak, my ribs hurt and my face was undoubtedly red. I probably looked like a hysterical tomato.
"Are you going to talk?" I nodded vehemently, desperately trying to push his hands away with my own. Immediately the torture ended and we were left breathing heavily. He pushed himself away from me, smirking happily at getting his own way. Prat.
"Well?" George encouraged, giving me his best You-Better-Talk-Woman look.
"I saw my father earlier."
His face showed concern as he eyed me up and down, looking for something but I wasn't quite sure what.
"I didn't know he was a wizard. Did he touch you at all?"
Confused, I wondered what he could have been talking about before the answer hit me. He thought I was talking about the muggle man I had always thought to be my father.
Shaking my head, I corrected him. "No, I meant Professor Snape."
George blew out a big breath, his face showing his relief. "Oh. So what? You see him all the time, don't you?"
I stared around the empty room before turning back to the carrot-topped man in front of me. "He said he didn't have time for me…" I trailed off, the familiar feeling of hollowness spreading through my veins. I was used to physical abuse, not mental. Mentally, I don't think I was stable enough to deal with it, I'd already been through so much that I felt like my mind was simply going to explode any day now.
George didn't bother saying anything, he simply enveloped me in his arms, they felt so much like his twins but they didn't fill my stomach with butterflies like Fred's did.
"I want to join!" The familiar voice filled me with longing as the second half of George jumped over the couch and jumped atop of us. Laughing, I attempted to get out of the dog-pile but it was impossible. George was still hugging my midsection and Fred had attached himself to my legs, like some weird parasite.
"Leggo!" I moaned, my hands beating on George's back making loud smacking sounds, only it did no good. If anything, the twins squeezed even tighter.
"What's…going on?" The three of us froze and our eyes settled on the Golden Trio that was standing in the doorway. It took just a couple of seconds before I was released and could stand back up.
"Err…nothing?" Fred smiled his crooked smile as he pulled me by the waist so that I pressed up against him. "Just making happiness. You know, that thing we do that makes people laugh." His eyes sparkled with mischief, as they always did and I couldn't help myself as I stood on tip-toes to give him a kiss on his cheek.
"You do it very well," I muttered before going back to my bags where I had put Harry's birthday gift before picking it up and walking back over to my god-brother.
I stared at him for a moment before thrusting my arm out, present in hand.
"Here... I didn't really get you anything for your birthday, so, uh…happy belated birthday!"