Lily
They say she was seen on occasion
Pacing the rocks, staring out at the midnight sea
Friday, August 30th 1989
The Gentian Inn had seen better days — that was likely the first thought anyone had upon seeing it for the first time, Lily guessed. The faded blue paint was chipped on most of the second floor, the windows all creaked with the feeblest of whiffs, and weeds had long conquered most of the lawn. She had meant to fix all of it before the anniversary celebration, but, as usual, life had gotten in her way (and never in the way of the limitless imperfections that kept appearing everywhere). The day had started with yet another of those godsends, and she had spent all morning bent under the kitchen sink, digging neverending amounts of wet, mushy food scraps that were clogging the drain.
"Miss?" she heard Mrs. Nellie Moore, the only employee she could afford, call her.
"One second", she replied. Everything was now back in its place, assuming she had screwed everything back in correctly. She crawled out and took a second to stretch before testing the sink. The water disappeared down the drain immediately.
Mrs. Moore was waiting patiently by the door.
"Yes, Nellie?"
"There seems to be a problem with Ms. Driscoll’s door. Oh, and we ran out of eggs and milk, but I’ve already sent Harry to the shop."
"Perfect, thank you."
"Are you done with the sink, then? I shall get started with lunch."
"Yes. Thanks again!"
"No worries, miss."
Lily collected the tools box and only sighed when she was no longer in Mrs. Moore’s hearing radius — which, to be honest, was quite small. She went upstairs and knocked on Ms. Driscoll’s room, where she got to fixing the damn lock.
This was not, in the least, how she had imagined she would be spending her last few days with Harry. The entire purpose of throwing this big celebration was so that they could have fun together, but instead she was stuck doing housework and sending him off with chores.
Maybe it is better that he’s going to Hogwarts, she thought bitterly. At least there he would be free to act more like an actual kid.
Obviously that was only a throwaway thought: the truth was she was still absolutely terrified of sending him away. The wizarding world was harsh, especially for someone who would be entering it for the first time — as she had been. And, as it turns out, she would rather spend her mornings unclogging sinks and fixing faulty locks than resorting to the discarded wand she had stashed away in the attic.
But Lily knew better than to try and hold Harry back; after all, some of her fondest memories were from her time at school, even in spite of how it all had ended.
"Miss!" she heard Mrs. Moore calling her again.
"I’ll be right down!" she shouted back, even though she probably wouldn’t be heard. She insisted on the lock for at least ten more minutes, finally settling for what she knew was the best she could do.
"You have to push it when you lock it", she explained to Ms. Driscoll. "And then push it again to unlock it. But, if you’d like, I believe we can move you to another room."
"I think I’d like that better", Ms. Driscoll admitted.
"Right, of course. I’ll call you when it’s ready. And my apologies for the inconvenience."
Lily smiled and left. She’d have to check, but she was pretty sure there were no more available single rooms; all she could do was lend Ms. Driscoll her own bedroom and sleep with Harry for the remainder of the weekend. Though, as she was considering it, it didn’t sound like a bad idea at all — in fact, it was splendid! She could be closer to Harry for his two last nights.
She was on her way to get fresh beddings when Mrs. Moore called for her again.
"Shit", she muttered, rushing to the kitchen.
"Oh, there you are, miss", Mrs. Moore greeted her back. "I’ve been calling you."
"What is it, Nellie?"
"You got more guests, miss. Three gents. I told them to wait until you returned, and that we might not have room for all of them."
"We can always make room", Lily said, checking her reflection in a window to see if she looked like a presentable enough hostess. A good summer season could sometimes be essential to surviving a quiet winter, and she was in no position to turn away guests. "Where are the gentlemen?"
"I think they went to the beach, miss."
"I’ll go and fetch them, then!"
She almost skipped on her way out — it was all great news! Perhaps the flyers she had spread downtown had worked, after all, and people from all over the island would be joining their bonfire night. They might just make enough money to repaint the walls or fix the creaky windows. Or better: she could save up enough to buy Harry his first broomstick. He had been so enthralled with the quidditch shop he barely spoke on their way back from Diagon Alley that day, the poor thing. Of course it would have to be a used, not so recent model, but it would probably be just fine in case he wanted to try for a team…
Lily suddenly froze. She had just crossed the road that led to the beach when she caught sight of her three prospective guests, and her stomach seemed to fold on itself. Her legs got weaker by the second, but she managed to take a couple of steps backwards before turning and sprinting back to the inn.
This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening…
What were they doing there? And all three of them?
Her heart was in her throat, but she swallowed it down. Maybe this was all a dream, she thought. Or maybe — maybe there was a logical explanation. Yes, there would be a logical, sensible explanation as to why Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and James Potter were trying to check in at her inn, eleven years later, completely unannounced.
Maybe that was a boggart! Oh, a boggart! After all, the three of them together, coming to haunt her after all these years, was certainly her biggest fear. But the theory crumbled only a second later, when she remembered boggarts rarely left dark, enclosed spaces, and wouldn’t likely be found roaming a beach during the summer.
She reached the inn, and only then did she dare to look back — to her relief, they were nowhere in sight. They had all had their backs to her at the beach, probably watching the sea, so perhaps they hadn’t noticed her at all. She was safe.
"Miss?" Mrs. Moore called when she stormed in.
"Don’t let them in!" she cried, rushing to close the doors and the window blinds.
"Are you okay? Did they do anything?"
"I’m fine", she replied, breathless, not fine at all. "Just… tell them we’re booked. Tell them to find housing elsewhere. Actually, tell them to go back to the continent, we’re all better off without them."
The woman had a puzzled look.
"Please, Nellie?" she begged.
She must have looked desperate enough, because Mrs. Moore nodded — though still too stunned to speak. Lily thanked her and rushed to the office, where she took the telephone and hid behind her desk. She dialled the only number she knew by memory.
"Hello?"
"Mary?" she cried. "Oh, thank goodness!"
"Lily!" Mary’s cheerful voice seemed to slow the trembling of her hands. "I was just about to call you! Marls and I just finished packing, and…"
"Mary", she interrupted. She gasped for air, not finding the words.
"Lils? You alright, babe?"
Lily took a deep breath. "They’re here", she whispered. "All of them."
"Who?"
"The… the guys. R-Remus, Sirius and…"
"Oh. Oh. Oh my God, Lily! Are you serious?"
"Yes", she breathed.
"What happened? Why… Did you talk to them? How…"
"I don’t know! They just appeared out of nowhere, wanting to check in. I… I don’t think they saw me, though. I came inside and hid."
Mary laughed. "Good girl."
"Mary, can you and Marlene get here? Like, right now?"
"Shit, yeah", she mumbled. Lily heard a few clangs and other undistinguishable noises on Mary’s side. "We’ll go right now."
"Thank you. Just… just apparate directly inside. I’m in the office."
"Right. See you in a jiffy!"
"See you", Lily whispered to the phone, but Mary had already hung up. She tried focusing on her breathing as she waited, attempting to somehow clear her mind in the process, but the image of the three men standing on the beach kept making its way back in her head…
There was a loud crack. Lily jolted up, and in the following second Mary and Marlene were embracing her from both sides. Her posture fell almost immediately, and she cried on her friends shoulders.
"Thank you so much for coming", she whimpered.
Marlene laughed softly. "We were already coming, Lils."
"Yeah, but still." She pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes to look at her two best friends. Their mere presence already made her feel much stronger. "Thank you."
"So", Mary made her sit on the office chair while they crouched in front of her. "What happened?"
Lily sighed. "I already told you essentially everything. Nellie told me three men wanted to stay at the inn, so I went after them. Found them at the beach, and that’s when I recognized them. Then I ran back and hid here. Now you’re all caught up."
Marlene looked somewhat excited. "They’re outside?"
"God, I hope not."
"Did they ask for you?"
"I don’t think they asked specifically for me, but… what else would they be doing here? All three of them, together? Today, of all days?"
Her friends only shrugged.
"You didn’t… tell them, did you? Or anyone?"
"No", Mary protested. "No, of course not!"
"I know, sorry. It’s just… no one else from Hogwarts knows where I am. How did they find me, then?"
"A tracking spell?" Marlene suggested.
"But we put spells against that! And, besides, why would they have waited so many years?"
"I’m as much at a loss as you are, babe", Mary said. "Certainly feels a bit dodgy, doesn’t it?"
Lily cupped her face, groaning. "This isn’t happening."
"Do you want us to kick them out?" Marlene asked.
"Well", Mary made a face. "Now that they’re here… I was wondering if, maybe… if you’re comfortable, of course. But maybe it would be beneficial… or at least interesting", she corrected herself, "to talk to them. I mean, it’s been almost twelve years. We’re turning thirty now. Maybe you can all sort things out. And it might be good for Harry…"
"Harry", Lily repeated, widening her eyes in terror. "Oh no… He can’t meet them."
She jumped out of the chair and rushed outside. Mary and Marlene followed her as she stomped outside, marching towards the beach in the same beat of her accelerated pulse. She didn’t care anymore about the awkwardness of the reunion or about what they would think of her, she knew she couldn’t let Harry meet them — so she would have to kick them out herself.
Lily’s heart sank as she approached the beach. They were nowhere in sight, not for miles on either side. Once more, she forced a few deep breaths to try and calm herself.
"Maybe they left?" Marlene suggested, having just reached her side.
Lily ran back to the inn. She checked every room, calling for Harry, but the boy was not there. She ran around the property, looking inside any possible hiding spot.
"Nellie!" she screamed when the matron reappeared at the front door, carrying a box with egg cartons. "Did you see Harry? Is he back from the shop?"
"Yes, miss, you just missed him", Mrs. Moore replied. "He left with those gentlemen, went to give them a tour of the island."
Her body seemed to give up at last. She lost her balance and tripped on her own feet, collapsing in the ground.
Harry had gone with them. He had met them, at last.
"Miss? What is it? Do you need water?"
"A cup of water, perhaps", Mary said. Mrs. Moore returned moments later with the cup, and only left once Lily had chugged the whole thing down.
Mary and Marlene waited patiently by her side.
"Oh, come on, Lils", Marlene said, brushing her on the back. "It’s okay."
She shook her head. "It’s not okay."
"At least we know Harry’s safe. The boys won’t do anything to him."
"They might tell him something."
"Oh, I don’t think they will. They might tell him some of their prank stories from Hogwarts, but that’s all. I mean, all that happened between you is not the kind of thing you’d say to an eleven year old."
"They know. Oh, God, they know. And Harry will know too."
Mary frowned. "Know what?"
"Who Harry’s father is."
Mary and Marlene looked at each other, startled.
"But…" Marlene started. "I thought James was the father."
Lily sighed, shaking her head. "I wanted James to be the father. I wanted, so badly…" She sniffed. "But the truth is I don’t know. It… it could be any of them."
Mary’s mouth fell open. "Any of them? Any of the three?"
Lily only nodded.
"Lily Evans!" Marlene protested, covering her mouth.
Neither of them said anything for an entire minute. As she waited for her friends to process the news — the most shameful truth she had ever tried to keep from the rest of the world — Lily tried herself to accept the fact that this was the day her secret would come out. And all she could do was hope that Harry, her son, the person she loved more than anything in her life, would not hate her for it.