"Would you read me a bedtime story mommy?" she asked, her little pink mouth forming a pout and her green eyes larger and tearful.
"How could I say no to that?" Olivia asked grabbing Lily by the waist and tickling her. "Up the stairs we go, up the stairs we go," they sang walking up the many stairs. Olivia gently dropped Lily in her very pink and toy filled bed. Lily hid under the covers as her mother put away the toy dragons and and other monsters. She picked up an exceptionally ugly looking ogre, studying it, she tried to remember what had possessed her to buy it. She then gathered the beautiful little princesses dolls with long blond hair and the handsome brown haired princes and placed them in the toy box with the others.
"Where'd you go?" asked Olivia looking trough the blankets for a head of red among the pink. At that moment a giggle came from behind the curtains, she looked over and sure enough, a little pair of feet were sticking out from underneath. "Hum, I wonder were she went, I hope a griffin hasn't decided to come flying through the window!" Just then a screaming red head came out, Olivia caught her in her arms, pulled her shirt up and gave her a long wet raspberry. As Lily laughed and screamed to her mother to stop, she ignored her and continued to blow on her little round belly.
"Thou is to be tortured and punished, but if you yield?" said Olivia laughing at the faces her daughter was making, "I eld, I eld!" she screamed.
"Aw! Well if it's what you want? So how about that story?"
"Yes! Yes!" Lily said jumping up and down on her newly made bed.
"Alright, alright! Once upon a time...."
When I was just a little girl
My momma used to tuck me in to bed
And she'd read me a story
"HELP! She yelled from the highest room, in the highest tower. The handsome prince looked up and saw the most gorgeous girl he had ever laid eyes upon. Her long blonde hair-"
"Momma? Why do the princesses all have blonde and brown hair? Don't handsome princes like aub...aubbu...red hair?" she asked.
"Of course! Of course they do, honey."
"Well then why isn't their hair red like mine in the pictures? Won't my prince charming come and rescue me one day? Or is Petunia right? I'm ugly? Too ugly to have a prince fall in love with me?" she asked, her eyes filling up.
"Oh no, honey, your prince charming will come, you just have to be patient," she told her.
It always was about a princess
In destress and how a guy would save her
And end up with the glory
Eleven years later
"Goodnight Lily!" said Arabella to my right.
"Night, Bella," I replied. An old forgotten memory flashed behind my closed eye lids.
'Why isn't there red hair like me in the pictures? Won't my prince charming come and rescue me one day? Or is Petunia right? I'm ugly? Too ugly to have a prince fall in love with me?' she asked her eyes filling up. 'Oh no hunny, your prince charming will come, you just have to be patient.' her mother told her.
I have mother, she told herself. I have. My prince charming hasn't knocked yet and I'm always waiting, always patient, but when will he come? Or will he ever?
"I'm a very independent person!" she yelled, "I don't need someone behind me, urging me forward!"
"Lily! I just, I wanted to help! You mean a lot to me, like a little sister!" he replied.
"A little sister? So tell me James, do you go around kissing your little sisters?"
"I thought you said the kiss meant nothing to you!"
"Well guess what? It did! It was my first kiss after all!" she said her eyes filling up, she was so confused, did she love him? Or was the kiss fooling her? Hiding the truth?
"Well you should have told me that two weeks ago before you started avoiding me!" he said.
"You're such an ass Potter!"
"Back to last name basis Lils? C'mon, I-"
"Screw you!" she said walking away from him. "I hate you," she said softly not intending it to reach his ears, but wether luck or unfortunate cruel faith, he did. His heart gave a little pang and his eyes started to water.
"I love you Lily," he said to the empty hallway.
She threw herself onto her bed, letting the tears fall softly onto her pillow.
I don't need him, she thought. I can make my own 'happily ever after,' without anyone! What's the use of waiting for prince charming if he doesn't come? Besides, princes don't like auburn hair, they like long haired blonde bimbos. I can be myself without him or any other man. We are in the 1970's, woman don't depend on man any more as they used to.
I'd lie in bed and think about the person that I wanted to be
That is when I realized
That fairy tale life
Wasn't me
ooohh
"Uh, hi Lily," a boy said shyly. "Er, I was wondering, there's a Hogsmade weekend coming up and uh, do you want to go?" he asked.
"Oh um, sorry Jonathan, I've already got plans," she answered, sadness erupting in her like a giant volcano. Deep down she really had wanted to go, but she had promised herself she wouldn't go out with an other guy until after graduation, which was still in two years, she never broke a promise. Besides most boys here are too imature.
I don't wanna be like Cinderella
Sittin in a dark cold dusty cellar
Wait'in for somebody
To come and set me free
17th of September 1976
Dear Journal,
I used to think I would need to depend on someone. That love was the most important thing in one's life. I was wrong, what good is love anyway? I remember this one time, when I still believed prince charming would come and rescue me like he did to Cinderella, Snow White and even Sleeping Beauty. My parents and I had been walking through old London, I had been around the age of seven. A large white horse was trotting on the side of road, out of the way of passing people and cars. A young black haired boy had been riding him. As soon as my eyes fell upon him, I had tugged my mothers sleeve. "Look mother," I had said. "It's prince charming on his dazzling white horse. And look there's room for one more on his saddle." I was so foolish then.
I don't wanna be like Snow White waiting
For a handsome prince to come and save me
On a horse of white
Unless we're riding side by side
Don't wanna depend on no one else I'd rather rescue myself.
"Don't you understand? I want someone to complete me! To love me! To know everything about me! I don't want just some guy, what good will he do?"
"Lily, I thought you were over that whole 'waiting on a window-sill for prince charming to come and rescue me' shit."
"It's not shit, and I'm talking about a soul-mate, Arabella! Not some guy to screw around with. I want to be loved! There's no one left in my life! No who loves me! My mom and dad are dead, my sister has hated me since the age of eleven and the only person I liked more then them was James! The only one left and he's also gone! I'm just...so alone," she said sliding down the wall, softly sobbing.
It made Arabella nervous. She had never seen Lily cry before. She always took life as it came, not caring what others thought. When Arabella had been sad and depressed, Lily had always been there for her.
"He just wanted to mess with me, to laugh at my expense. I don't need anyone to take care of me, I can do that on my own. I just want someone to be there along with me for the ride."
Someday I'm gonna find someone who wants my soul, heart and mind. Who's not afraid to show that he loves me. Somebody who will understand I'm happy just the way I am. Don't need nobody takin care of me.
I will be there for him just as long as he will be there for me. When I get myself that it has got to be an equal thing.
"Uh, hi Lily!"
She'd recognize that voice anywhere, it was the voice that had been haunting her dreams for the past year.
"What do you want James?" she asked, not bothering to turn around. She was sitting at a table in a Muggle bar, slowly sipping a drink.
Maybe I'm just dreaming again, she thought. I'll wake up to find it all a dream, I'll be in my large empty house, with my expensive drapes. I'll find he never was there and that I hadn't heard his voice, so close by, just behind me. Besides what would James be doing in a Muggle bar? Maybe I never even left the house.
"You've been ignoring my owls," he said cautiously.
"Oh, so you came to make sure I wasn't a dead rotting carcass or something? Don't bother, I'm just fine. Oh! Wait! I've got it, you're here to make me miserable. I don't need you! I don't need anyone."
"I know. You told me so, three years ago, when we were still in Hogwarts. You made it big, huh? Always knew you had it in you," he said smiling to her turned back. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat across from her. "Lily, will you look at me?" he demanded.
"No, James, I won't. You aren't really here. I think this joke you keep playing on me is not only getting old, but is still just as cruel. Stop haunting and torturing me! I'm happy, so leave me the bloody hell alone!" she said. Getting up, she took out a pound note from her pockets and left it on the table and preceded to walk away. She left behind, for the second time in her life, the only person left, who really cared for her.
Saddened and feeling defeated he cried out, "Bartender! Gimme the strongest stuff you've got." As he slowly drank his thoughts away for the time being, he couldn't help but feel like he was riding a non-stop emotional roller coaster, the same one he had went on with Lily two years back.
I can slay my own dragons
I can dream my own dreams
My knight in shining armor
Is me SO I'M GONNA SET ME FREE
"You may kiss the bride!"
"Finally!" yelled Sirius Black. Everyone laughed at his outburst as the newly married couple kissed.
Yes finally, Lily and James both thought. He smiled at her, his chocolate brown eyes bearing into hers. This is all they've ever wanted, love and happiness all rolled into one. A feeling of lust, compassion, someone who completed them. Someone who years after, when they were old and dying, would still make their heart somersault at the site of the other.
As they got out of the large church, family and friends in tow, cheering and throwing rice. The two newly weds got on two large white horses. Waving to their family, friends and guest, they galloped into the setting sun.
Now this is my very own happily ever after!, she thought riding next to James, her love and prince.
I don't wanna be like Cinderella
Sittin in a dark cold dusty cellar
Wait'in for somebody
To come and set me free
I don't wanna be like Snow White waiting
for a handsome prince to come and save me on a horse of white unless were riding side by side Don't wanna depend on no one else I'd rather rescue my self...