Lily sighed as more cream-colored paint dripped onto her already mottled pants. She wiped her forehead with her arm and set the paint brush down on the edge of the can for the last time. With satisfaction she gazed around the room. She had finally finished. What had started out as an idle task to pass the time had turned into an all-intensive project that Lily was determined to see finished.
For some reason that Lily had yet to understand, her parents had gotten it into their heads that they wanted a quainter house, away from the city. So they had moved from the only home she had ever known, fifty kilometers west of all her favorite girlhood friends and hideouts. Not very happy with the change, but knowing there was no arguing with her mother once she got that look in her eyes, Lily had accepted her fate and begun exploring and assessing their new habitat. It was clear that some major renovations needed to take place, starting with the repulsive mustard-yellow paint covering the walls in her new room. She was planning on changing the light fixture, as well as finding some new curtains that didn’t clash with the new, more neutral color, before she moved on to the other rooms in the house. It had taken her what seemed like forever to finish sealing and coating over the putrid color, but she still had the trims to go. That would have to wait though, because she was going to take a well-deserved break and spend some time outside, in the fresh unpaint-fumed air.
“You better not smell like that when Vernon gets here in an hour,” Lily heard Petunia call from her room across the hall. “He already thinks you’re too much of a freak without that obnoxious odor warding off anyone within 10 meters of you,” she added before slamming the door.
Lily rolled her eyes and climbed down off the stepladder. That was the other unhappy change in her life: Petunia had met a boy when they moved. His name was Vernon Dursley. He had graduated from Smelting’s where he had been a star wrestler “something he liked to brag about a lot. He worked at a company that made drills, where he was sure he would be moving up any time soon --something else he was very proud of and never failed to mention when he was over for dinner, which was quite a lot. Too often for Lily’s liking, in fact.
Tonight would definitely be a test of character. She, Petunia, and Vernon were heading into London to show Vernon some of their old haunts while their parents hosted a party to meet their new neighbors. Though she couldn’t wait to see some of her old childhood playgrounds and favorite shops, Lily was not looking forward to spending the night as an unwanted third wheel, listening to Petunia gloat over the fact that she had a boyfriend and Lily didn’t. (Lily hardly cared about that point; it was just that the superior looks were getting a bit annoying.). On the other hand, just the thought of not having to watch her parents fawn over Vernon’s latest news about drills for one night was enough to lighten her mood. Smiling and gathering the paint supplies, Lily cleared the room and headed downstairs to rinse the used brushes before they dried and got all clumpy.
“What time are you leaving?” her father asked her between puffs of smoke as she passed him walking through the parlor. Though they had been in the house for little over a month, already, the parlor smelled like his pipe. He usually spent his evenings in there in his favorite chair, smoking and reading a book, or conversing with her mother. Lily traced her finger along the edge of the chair before answering in a monotone voice.
“Vernon’s going to get here in an hour.”
Mr. Evans chuckled.
“Really Lily. He’s not all that bad. I’m sure you two will warm to each other in time”
“Not unless I suddenly learn the art of drill making or he has a change of heart about magic,” she scoffed.
“Now, Lilykins,” he intoned, standing up and ruffling her hair like he used to when she was a small girl. “You should have seen me and your mother’s sister when she first brought me home. Of all the miserable cases in the world, there was hardly one as hopeless as mine. The girl wouldn’t talk to me for a full year, and that was before she started walking all over me.”
“Only because she hadn’t learned to talk or walk yet,” Lily laughed, walking into the kitchen and turning on the water to clean the paint supplies. She was surprised that her father had brought up her late aunt. She had been in a car accident three years ago and her mother had taken it very hard. Then again, maybe he had just forgotten about it, as he was prone to do in his old age.
She glanced back into the parlor as her father stood up and moved towards the windows that looked out into their little garden and front pathway. Lily missed these quiet moments with her father when she was away at school. She and her father had somewhat of a special bond because they were more like each other, just as Petunia and her mother were. At their old house they used to sit out on the front porch on the swing and watch the stars come out as Petunia and her mum would sit in the kitchen, discussing the latest fashion trends. It seemed like the summer months were quickly slipping by and her time with her father was growing shorter by the minute.
“Oh my God, the house will never be ready in time!” her mother exclaimed as she slowly came down the stairs holding a stack of boxes that looked like it would topple over at any second. Drying her hands, Lily hurried to help her mother unpack the decorative china pieces. Usually she tried to stay as much out of her way as possible when she slipped into her cleaning mode, because that was when her temper was on a short leash “a temper that Lily had inherited. Yes, her mother was a clean freak, something her sister Petunia was well on her way to becoming as well. Lily, like her father, was most certainly not. You could easily tell the difference between the two girls’ rooms, though they were set up in the same manner, because Petunia kept hers pristine while Lily liked to categorize the state of her bedroom as an “organized mess.”
“This isn’t even all of them,” her mother fretted. “But I don’t have time to look for the rest of them and tidy up both the parlor and the kitchen. What will the neighbors think? ... This house is a wreck!”
At this she nearly collapsed in tears were it not for the timely appearance of Mr. Evans who took the last bit of china out of her hands, calmly placed it on the table, and beckoned for her to let herself be enfolded in a hug.
“Now dear. The neighbors know we haven’t been here all that long and haven’t had a chance to get ourselves completely settled in. They moved here once too, I’m sure, and know what it’s like to have to find a new home for every little thing,” he said while patting her back.
“That’s right,” Lily chimed in. “And anyway, I don’t think any of them will have that new style of curtains yet that you bought last week.”
Lily knew this would lift her mother’s spirits, as she always liked to be the first on the block to have the latest new trend.
“Well,” her mother sniffed, “you know I’ve been over to the Whiteman’s house down the street, and they did have the most hideous curtains you had ever seen. They were lace, so I’m sure they were pretty at one time, but now they’re just all faded and horrid looking…”
Lily made a face as her mother continued. Motioning to her father, she quietly made her way towards the stairs to escape her mother’s speech about the fine points of the evolution of curtain styles. Once at the top of the stairs she headed to the lavatory to start the hot water for her shower. Humming a little as she went back to her room for some clean clothes, Lily rolled her eyes as she heard her sister shout through her closed door something about not hogging the bathroom. Honestly, like Petunia really needed to try to impress that dolt of a boy. And since when do I spend more than fifteen minutes in the bathroom? She rarely ever even bothered to style her hair, much less put on makeup. In fact, she could count the number of times on her hand that she had actually tried to get all dressed up, most of which, she was forced to by her mother. Stepping into the hot stream of water, Lily let her body relax. Tonight all she had to worry about was not accidentally killing her sister or her boyfriend. That wouldn’t be too hard, right?
* * * * *
Three hours later, Lily was finding this task more difficult than she had previously thought it would be. She, Petunia, and Vernon had spent the last half hour walking up and down Charing Cross Road searching for a specific shop Petunia had heard about from one of her friends. Lily was beginning to doubt if it even existed. Every few minutes Petunia and Vernon would erupt at each other and start arguing about, ‘had we tried that shop?’ and, “no, because that one could not possibly be the one they were looking for as it was surrounded by small children,’ and so on. Lily had learned early on that her logical advice to ask someone in one of the shops where the place was located was unappreciated and unwanted. Holding her tongue and grinding her teeth, she followed behind them for the rest of the trip silently brooding about how long this was likely to last before they gave it up as a lost cause and got some dinner, or better yet, went home.
“But we know Diagon Alley like the back of our hands. Why not see how the other half lives?... Stir things up a bit,” Lily heard a somewhat familiar voice say as she passed an alley way.
Wait a minute. Lily stopped walking and looked around. She was standing right in front of the Leaky Cauldron, which Vernon and Petunia had walked right past and stopped to argue in front of the shop next to it. Just then two teenagers walked around the corner of the building and nearly ran into her.
“Evans!” the one with the glasses cried.
“Ha!” said Sirius. “If it isn’t our old pal. So what are the likes of you doing around here?”
“Well, I am a witch if you’ll remember correctly, though I am not visiting Diagon Alley today,” she said motioning to the Leaky Cauldron. “I’m here with my sister and her boyfriend looking at the shops.”
James made a point of looking around her for her companions before saying with a cheeky grin, “Nice cover, Evans. But next time you’re waiting around the Leaky Cauldron hoping you’ll run into me, think up a better story.”
“Of all the…” she started, but checked herself. It wouldn’t do to start a verbal spat in front of Muggles that would quickly turn into a duel where sparks were sure to fly. Starting again, she more calmly said, “Petunia was looking for a specific shop and she must have found it when I bumped into you two. Or rather, you bumped into me.”
Just then Petunia and Vernon came out of the shop ahead of them still arguing and made their way towards them. Lily didn’t know which would be worse, Petunia and Vernon’s reaction to James and Sirius, or James and Sirius’ impression of her sister and her portly boyfriend. Maybe Petunia wouldn’t figure out that they were wizards. Right.
“Come on Lily, we’re going to the theatre. Apparently the shop’s closed down because the owners are on holiday,” Petunia snapped, paying no attention to either James or Sirius.
“So you must be Lily’s charming sister I’ve heard so much about,” James said, offering his hand and donning one of his most charming smiles. Lily nearly gagged.
Petunia narrowed her eyes at his hand and without taking it, said, “Who are you?”
“I’m James Potter and this is Sirius Black. We’re friends of Lily’s from school.”
Those were the magic words. Lily had one second to give James a look that clearly said, “you idiot” before Petunia started shouting at her.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TOLD THOSE FREAKS ABOUT ME. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO GIVE THEM INFORMATION ABOUT ME. OR VERNON. WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY MIGHT TRY TO PULL. FROM NOW ON IF ANYONE ASKES, YOU’RE AN ONLY CHILD. OR BETTER YET, ADOPTED SO MUM AND DAD DON’T GET INVOLVED EITHER.”
James stared with his mouth open and his hand still out. This was Lily’s sister? He didn’t think they could be more different. Even Sirius and Regulus looked alike and had one or two of the same mannerisms. But this girl, with her long face, bony nose, and sour disposition was nothing like the Lily he knew. No wonder Lily never mentioned her. Not that he’d ever had a conversation with her himself that didn’t turn into a shouting match.
“Right,” Lily said in an eerily calm voice that James knew all too well.
“Exactly,” cut in Sirius.
They all stared at him.
“Why don’t you let us take this foul creature off your hands for the evening,” he continued. “That way you won’t have to have a sister for another… three hours.”
Lily looked doubtfully at the two Gryffindors. Did she really want to spend the evening with these two troublemakers?
“Well Vernon and I were going to go to the show, and it would be a lot cheaper if you didn’t go too,” Petunia sniffed, talking only to Lily and not to Sirius.
Lily glanced at James and Sirius to gauge how much trouble she was likely to get in if she spent the evening with them. She found James giving her a funny look that created some butterflies in her stomach. It almost seemed like his eyes held some sympathy in them. Almost. Well, however aggravating Potter could be, he couldn’t possibly be worse than my sister, Lily thought. Making up her mind and following the feeling in her stomach that told her to go with the boys, she turned to her sister and said, “We’ll meet you back here at nine o’clock. You don’t tell mum about this and I won’t either”
They had promised their mother before they left that they would stick together while they were in London.
“Fine,” Petunia replied, and grabbed Vernon to go to the theatre.
Turning in the opposite direction, Lily folded her arms and marched down the street.
“Coming?” she called to the two boys who were still standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron, giving each other amused looks.
“Yes darling,” James replied with a genuine smile on his face.
Stronger Together by Pevensies_Pensieve
Chapter Notes: Lily, Petunia, and Vernon make a trip to London and who should they run into but a certain "arrogant, bullying toerag."