Lacy, oh Lacy
Lily Evans liked to think that she was a perfectly good younger sister. She always shared everything with her sister, she always stood up for her sister and she always loved her unconditionally. Lily was perfectly fine being second place as long as her older sister was content.
But for Petunia, this never seemed to be enough. Lily tried to be her sister's friend but every time she ended up shunned or bossed around. Most of the time Petunia regarded Lily as nothing more than an inconvenience.
She voiced all of these opinions to her best friend Severus. Lily had never had a proper friend before, not one who willingly became friends with her at least.
Most people in primary school thought she was weird. She stood out from her pretty, popular, brunette older sister. Lily had bright ginger hair and freckles dotted over her face. Even her emerald eyes made her stick out like a sore thumb.
It wasn’t just her looks that differed from her sister's. Petunia spent most of her time painting her nails and reading those trashy teenage magazines, discussing which film stars dreamier. She was only 13 but she and her stuck-up friends spent most of their time following around boys from school and giggling. Lily thought the whole thing was ridiculous; they looked like a troupe of buffoons.
Lily's endeavours were decidedly more academic. A whole wall in her room was taken up by a wide bookshelf, filled with various novels- from Jane Austen to Roald Dahl. Her teachers always said her work was exceptional though school itself was a drag. She was glad that it was the summer holidays now, and she could just spend time with Sev.
“Petunia just doesn't understand how nice you are.” Severus comforted, eyes glued to Lily as she half sat, half laid, on the grass making a daisy chain. “Besides, in a month we’re leaving for Hogwarts, you won't have to deal with her much longer.”
“Oh don't, Sev” Lily wailed. “You can be so insensitive sometimes”
He huffed and averted his eyes, choosing to focus on the blades of grass in front of him.
There was a moment of silence. “Sorry,” Lily whispered, hugging her knees to her chest.
What was wrong with her? Just because things with Petunia are tense, doesn't mean she gets to take it out on Severus. “I know you don't like her, but I don't want to leave her behind. I feel bad enough after the other week”
To say that Severus didn't like Petunia was a bit of an understatement. The week previously, Lily and he had found a letter in Petunia's things, addressed to Headmaster Dumbledore, begging to attend Hogwarts with Lily. Severus had teased her relentlessly. Lily was so furious she didn’t speak to him for three days.
He didn't say anything this time, just gave her a wary look. They spent a few minutes in comfortable silence, her making a necklace and a bracelet from daisies. she attached the bracelet around Severus' wrist, making him blush uncontrollably.
“Oh,” Lily said suddenly sitting up, “I need to go, Mum wants me back for tea” She gave him a quick hug, before running off, leaving him staring at the spot where she had sat only seconds prior.
The walk home was long, and when she closed the rickety front door she saw Petunia. Lily smiled.
“Oh, Tunes, why don't you come with me next time! It was really fun, me and Sev--“ but she was cut off with a scoff.
“I don't want to hear about you and your little charity case” Petunia trilled in a false accent, making her sound posher than she was. “Besides one of your freaks is here” she spat, and with that, she dramatically turned and stomped up the stairs to her room.
Severus had said that a teacher would probably come to her house to explain she was a witch, as she hadn't yet received her letter, but she wasn't expecting it to be today.
She took a second to compose herself, fixing her hair from the wind and covering the grass stain on the corner of her dress.
Lily opened the living room door and saw her parents, her mother pouring four cups of tea and her father speaking to someone on the sofa in front, whose face was obscured, Lily could only see the back of her head.
She walked in and the lady stood up turning around. She looked around fifty, with greying hair in a bun, glasses and a warm smile.
“Miss Evans,” she greeted and Lily could barely hold back her grin of excitement. “I am Professor McGonagall, and I'm a teacher at a school called Hogwarts. Would you like some tea?”
A cup of tea and two biscuits later, Professor McGonagall had left and Lily's head felt like it was going to drop off from the amount of nodding she had done. Her parents still seemed to be in a state of shock, which was quite understandable. Lily had already known for a few years now, of course, thanks to Severus, but she’d likely react the same otherwise.
She now had her school list and Mum and Dad promised to take her to Diagon Alley at the end of August. She was giddy with anticipation and could only hope that Hogwarts would turn out to be as impressive as it had been made out to be.
——
Diagon Alley was packed with the before-school rush. Children gathered around shop windows and parents bustled about, holding shopping bags and looking at school lists.
This still felt like a dream, no matter how much Severus had described it to her. Magic still seemed to be a concept of her imagination, though she knew it to be real. She couldn’t explain it but she felt as though she’d finally figured out where she fits in.
The moment she walked into Flourish and Blotts, the shop she needed to get her school books from, she was awestruck. Lily had never seen so many books in one place, never mind ones as interesting as these seemed to be. Her parents had waited outside and Lily suspected they still felt slightly overwhelmed. They were thrilled for her though, of course.
She spotted the first book on her list, A History of Magic, on a nearby display. On her way across the room, she walked into a boy who seemed to be around her age, causing him to drop the books he was holding onto the floor. Lily started apologising, crouching down to collect all his school books, which were scattered on the floor by his robes.
She still wasn’t used to all this weird wizard fashion, how are robes considered a casual outfit? It didn't make sense, she’d rather stick to her clothes, thank you very much.
She stood up and handed the books back to the boy. His hair was the messiest thing Lily had ever seen, glasses and the stupidest grin plastered all over his face.
“Sorry,” Lily grimaced. It was just her luck to do something as clumsy as that, her hand-eye coordination was pathetic and she was just generally a clutz. Petunia had always scolded her for it.
“Nah it's alright” the boy replied dopily. His smile never faded. He looked as if he was going to say something else, then a woman called to him, in a language Lily didn’t understand and he shot her a friendly look before walking off in the direction the voice came from. He didn't even say goodbye.
She shook the boy from her thoughts and carried on with her shopping. After fifteen minutes, she’d finally located all 8 books on her list, paid and left.
Her mum and dad promised to buy her a pet, as a going-away present, so they walked to the pet shop. This felt even more magical than the bookshop. Several of the creatures Lily saw she’d never recognised. It was scary to think that there was so much she didn't know, even after two years of tutoring on the wizarding world from Severus.
It took her a while to decide on what to purchase, everything seemed too interesting. She eventually settled on a cat though, deciding to name her Hazel, because of her large, knowing, hazel eyes.
When she returned home, Petunia was in a sulk at Lily getting a pet and her not. Lily didn't think it was really about the cat though, she was just jealous of their parents' attention.
Severus had been just as ecstatic as Lily about her receiving her letter. he talked nonstop about how much fun it would be, them both being in Slytherin house together.