Lily never imagined this day would come.
All her life she’d dreamed of a happy family, healthy and smart. Her and her husband with their children.
It was simple and ordinary. Just how she wanted it.
But then her husband died, and now… Lily would have to tell her son that she had moved on.
It had been ten years since her husband had died. Her James.
It still hurt to think about him. The pain ached in her whole body when she thought of him. With sadness over his death and fondness over him.
James was the sun, and every human needed the sun to survive.
The first years without him, Lily was sure she wouldn’t make it. But recently she had realised that she would never truly be without the sun. Because she and James had created something. Their sunshine.
Harry was their sunshine. Their sunflower. He was her light in the dark. Her saviour.
She had never been apart from her son for more than a few days until now. Harry turned eleven this summer and was now at Hogwarts. Writing letters to his mother every week. Telling her about the teachers and students. The new friends he’d made and all the interesting things he’d learned.
Lily wasn’t sure where James was, if he was, but she still told him about Harry. Everything their son wrote her. She would look up at the sky, feel the warmth from the sun caressing her face and talk. She told her husband that their sunflower was blooming, that he was happy.
But being apart from Harry had made Lily have to care for herself. Lily was merely human. She needed sun, but she also needed air.
Her friends.
When Lily stepped out of her house they were there. When Lily couldn’t leave her bed, they were there. When Lily couldn’t breathe, they were there.
She would never be without air, and it was keeping her alive. But for quite some time now Lily had been… to put it simply, parched.
And with Harry away at Hogwarts she had realised that she had been exhausted. Her sunshine was the most beautiful thing in her life, and she did everything she could to stay in the light. But after just a week in the shadow, she was thirsty. She was thirsty and craved a drink. She was dehydrated.
Dried up.
And with this newfound knowledge, she had realised that not only had Mary been a breath of fresh air, but also a tall glass of icy water.
James would always be her sun, the person she created their sunflower with. But Mary… Mary was, and had possibly always been, the ocean, the sea, the rain.
When Lily realised this she didn’t try to hide it. She told her friend, that she was in love with her. And she felt the same.
And now it was Christmas and it had been weeks since the women shared their first kiss. Harry and Lily never kept secrets from each other.
“But, mum, what have you been doing?”
That was the question that initiated the conversation. Lily and her son were sitting in the sofa, sharing a pizza and talking about Harrys first term at Hogwarts.
Lily took a deep breath, “There has actually happened something… quite new.”
The silence from her son and his stare filled with curiosity urged her to continue.
“You know Aunt Mary?”
Panic instantly flooded her son, “Has something happened? Is she alright?”
Lily shook her head and smiled, “Oh, no- she’s alright. Nothing bad has happened. It’s something… good. Happy.”
“Oh.”
She put down her slice of pizza and wiped her hands on her jeans, turning so she was looking directly at her son, “You see, Mary and I, we… are in love.”
Seconds passed, and Lily did her best to keep calm.
“In love? But- what about dad?” Harrys voice was laced with confusion, and Lily felt a pang in her chest.
“I will always love your dad. James- James was my best friend, my soulmate. But I also love Mary.”
Her son nodded slowly, “Sooo, are you together?”
“We are. And we’re very happy.” Lily couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her face.
Harry smiled cheekily, “Do I have to call her mum?”
A laugh escaped Lily, “No- no. You call her whatever want.”
“Okay, I think I will continue to call her Mary.”
“Hello, Harry!” It was the Holidays in his fifth year, and Mary was picking him up from the train station.
“Hi, Mary! Where's mum?” They shared a hug and waved to his friends leaving the platform.
“She was a little busy, I hope it's okay I came!"
Harry snorted, "Uh, no. I'm going to stay here until mum comes and gets me."
"Mhmm, sure. I guess I'll just have to stay here with you and try to figure out who your boyfriend is..." Mary teased.
"NO. Let's go-" Harry rushed to get his bag and started walking away, "Also, he's not my boyfriend."
Mary laughed, "I don't know... Your letters were very clear on what was going on with him. Come on, you can tell me."
“No... Maybe. But later."
“Why the fancy dinner?” Harry observed.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
The boy's eyebrows rose, “If you’re not going to talk I have to fill the silence.”
Mary laughed, “We actually have something we wanted to ask you.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why? We want to ask you something because it’s an important family question.” Lily said, taking a sip of wine.
“Are you getting married?”
“No, uhm- I- we have been thinking-”
“About what? Why are you nervous?”
“Don’t interrupt your mum.” Mary softly swatted his arm.
“Sorry.”
Lily took a deep breath, “We’ve been talking about- maybe- I- how would you feel about a sibling?”
Silence filled the room.
“What.”
Lily stared intensely at her son, “A sibling. Would you want one?”
“... How would that even happen?”
“That’s not important," a blush spread on the women's cheeks, "We’re asking you, how you feel about the thought of a sibling.”
“I- I… don’t know? I’ve never really thought about it.”
Mary sighed and grabbed Harrys hand, “It’s important that you know that it’s not- a sibling wouldn’t mean that we’re… replacing you, or restarting or creating a new family. It would be an addition to our family. You, Lily, James and me.”
Harry looked down at their joined hands and mumbled, “Dad’s not really here though, is he?”
“He’s always here, Harry.”
“I… I- can I think about it?” The thought of life with a sibling was flooding his mind.
“Of course!”
“It was just a thought, Harry. It’s a big decision, one we want you to be a part of.”
He smiled, “Thank you… I love you guys.”
“We love you too.”
“Now, tell us about your boy.”
“Oh my god... I have no idea what's going on with him."
The conversation wasn’t forgotten. Harry thought about it. During dinner, during showers. Cooking and cleaning, playing quidditch and reading. And before he returned to school he told them what he’d want.
“I want you to be happy, mum. And, I know you already are. But I think- I do like the idea of a tiny human. I want you and Mary to really discuss it. Seriously. Because, I… yes, I think I would like a sibling.”
When Harry was fifteen he got a baby sister. Lotus Jamie Macdonald.
Mary had been right. She wasn't a replacement, she wasn't a new beginning. She was a new chapter. And Harry absolutely adored her.
"Hi, little Lola. Little Lotus."