Thanks K"lari for posting. You are my very first reader for my very first FF. I hope you stick with it and I hope you enjoy it. I'm glad you like my writing style.

I don't know how often I should post, so I'll post a new chapter now. I hope it's enjoyable to anyone reading it. I welcome comments good or bad.


CHAPTER TWO

A Witch in the Family

Tom found out very early on that Lily was a witch. He tried to keep the family in the dark about this matter, until it was safe for them to find out. He was afraid they might think she was possessed and call in an exorcist. They were proper people of course, and it would not do for them to have a possessed child.

Whenever Lily had a little tantrum, he would run to Petunia, and when Lily’s magic unleashed, he would meow, hiss, spit, and make his hair stand on end as if petunia had stepped on his tail. Then he would appear wherever the object of magic was and knock it to the floor. A slight magic of his own temporarily confused them and it all seemed as though Tom had bolted in pain from Petunia stepping on him, and knocked something over.


This ruse worked fine until Lily and Petunia went to the park to play Knights and Princesses. The jungle gym made a magnificent castle, and the boys playing rugby were the knights fighting wars to win favor for the beautiful princesses. If it happened, there were not any knights on the field of honor then they were flying high in the clouds doing air battles to save them. It was truly wondrous the spectacular maneuvers they made putting their lives in peril in every barrel roll, or loop de loop they made. Today though, there were not any boys on the field or a single cloud in the sky.

“We can swing and swing up to the sky,” said Lily “I bet I can get higher than you Tuney, come on.” she coached her laughing.

“Okay, you can try, but I swing all the time at the school playground, so don’t cry when I beat you.” Petunia teased. They were laughing and trying so hard to outdo each other.

“Jump off and fly, Tuney!”

Petunia screamed. “Lily! Lily! No! You will get killed you are too high!” Nevertheless, completely disregarding Petunia’s warnings, and pleads, she jumped. Petunia took in a great gasp for Lily was not falling to the ground; instead, she was floating down to the ground. Petunia got her swing slowed enough to jump out easily. She grabbed Lily and hugged her tightly.

“I thought you was going to be dead, Lily.” She cried. She was on her knees, sitting on her heels, sobbing and hiccupping, and petting Lily’s head.

“I don’t like it when you do these things Lily. It scares me so! Momma said you weren’t to do things that scare me.” She went on lamenting as though Lily had died.

Tom, meanwhile, had become his human self so he could follow the girls. No one noticed the small boy climbing the jungle gym pretending to play. He knew Lily was okay, but he was not sure about the boy that had been hiding in the bushes watching the girls every time they came to the park. Anyone who hides, rather than playing, needs to be someone to ponder. He could sense agitation when Lily jumped out of the swing. Yet, he did not run over to see if she was okay. Jim searched his mind deeper, and found the reason.

“This boy is a wizard. He seems to have feelings for Lily. He knew she used magic.” This boy was not Jims’ first pick for Lily to be friends with, but he would be good for Lily to have someone like her. He would keep her from doing magic, and keep her from getting scared of Petunias’ horror stories. She would have a friend like her. Of course, Petunia will be mighty jealous.

“Here Tuney,” She said, as she gently pushed her off. Let me make you all better. She looked at some clover growing close bye and held out her hand to it. The flowers plucked themselves out of the ground and went to Lily’s outstretched hand. “Here you go Tuney,” she said kindly.

Petunia smiled and took them. “I do love flowers.” she started, still hiccupping softly then, “Lily! Mamma said you are not to do these things! “It’s not normal! Some people will come and put you in a sairium, where you’ll never get to see us again, and they lock you up in little rooms where they make you run at the walls and bounce off of them all day long, till that UN normal stuff comes out of you!”

“No they don’t.” said a voice behind them. ”Don’t tell her things like that. You don’t know what you’re saying. It’s natural for her to do the things she’s been doing.”

“Who are you?” both girls asked at once. Lily stepped behind Petunia. Petunia recovered first. She folded her arms, and tapped her toes. “Well,” she said. “We’re waiting for your answer. Who are you, and, how dare you spy on us! You better leave or I’ll scream and the police will come and throw you in the dungeon!”

“You just keep making up stories. I’m not leaving and you’re not going to scream.” He was staring into her eyes without any emotion showing in his own. Petunia trembled with fear, but stood her ground. He looked at Lily and spoke to her, and simply told her the reason she could do what she does is that she is a witch. He told her he knows it because he is a wizard.

“ My name is Severus,” he said quite pleased with himself for being able to talk to Lily without scaring her. She was actually interested in him.

“Would you like me to push you on the swing Lily?” he said almost sweetly. He did have a small smile on his face. He couldn’t help it. He was going to have a friend, and he knew she didn’t hate him.

“No, she doesn’t want you to push her in the swing.” Petunia cut in mocking him. “You look weird and you smell bad, and your hair’s disgusting!”

“And do you think I care anything about what you think? He said with his head back and staring down his nose at her, in a very scary calm voice.

The quietness of it sent threats exploding clear down to her heart. Petunia swallowed hard.
“I’m not afraid of you!” She said quite a bit louder than she meant to. She really was, but she could not let Lily see that. She enjoyed being Lily’s hero, and she was not going to give up being her hero because she was afraid of this freak. “Just leave us alone, I’m not afraid of you!” she screamed!

He was taking a step towards her and said, “You should be.” in a very even tone.

Jim was afraid Petunia’s screaming was going to attract attention. He made use of a little of his magic. Petunia gasped and froze to the spot she was standing. A small branch broke, from the tree she was near, and brushed just the heel of her foot.

“Don’t you hurt her!” Lily jumped forward and slapped Severus in the face. I did want to be friends with you, but not if you’re going to hurt my sister!" she said vehemently. “Come on Tuney, let’s go home.”

Severus tried calling after her. “Lily, it wasn’t me, I didn’t do it! I would not do that. Lily, please stop!”

Severus turned and left with a red face and extremely confused. He could not believe he had lost control of his magic, and worse yet, his emotions. He knew he was not allowed to do magic. He didn’t want to be in trouble at school before he even had a chance to start. He was desperate to leave home. He calmed himself down, as he walked. He was all right; there is no way of proving he was the one that did magic. This is a mixed community, and he didn’t even have a wand. Yes, he would be ok. Nevertheless, he determined to himself that he would need to work on his emotions. Well, it’s ok to have emotions, just don’t ever show them, and always be in control of your powers. When people see your emotions, you let them in your head. That was the way you enable people to hurt you. He had made a vow to himself that he would learn how to keep people out of his head.

During the next few days Lily, Severus, and Petunia became the best of friends. Lily could not stay mad at him after he had apologized so sweetly to Petunia, and she accepted. They had jumped to conclusions when they blamed him for the branch falling on her. He had showed them the rotten where it broke. It was just a coincident that it broke when it did. Little did they know that he had come back late in the night and put a rotting potion on the branch end where it was broke, then climbed the tree and put some where the branch broke.

The three of them were inseparable, but to eat and sleep. Severus loved being with Lily so much that he didn’t mind the deception he was using so he could be with her. He had to pretend that he enjoyed playing with Petunia, when the very idea revolted him. At least this way he could be with Lily; and Petunia not get angry and make trouble for him. It seems that Severus was a bit too charming, for it was not long before Petunia started laughing at anything he said, claiming he was the funniest person in the world. She took to wearing her prettiest dresses to play in, and she would hang on his arm, telling him he was the best Knight in Armor that they ever had.

Days turned into years and the time was just before Lily turned eleven. One day after the evening meal, there came a knock on the Evans’ door. It was the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It would not do to send a letter to say they had a witch in the family. They were dealing with Muggles. They needed to practice the utmost delicacy. It used to be a letter would arrive by owl post informing the parents that their child(ren) would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where to get their supplies, their ticket for the train, and when to begin the term. However, this terrorized them. Some thought it was someone plotting to kidnap their child(ren), while others thought it was a practical joke. Therefore, admittance was down for a while. People did not believe in witchcraft or they did not believe there was any in the family, until they received notices of hearings and such for use of underage magic. It was for this reason when Professor Dumbledore became Headmaster that he or a trusted associate would visit the Muggles.

Therefore, it was for this reason that he was sitting on the sofa in the Evans’ home having a very nice visit. They were very gracious hosts even to a guest that showed up uninvited. Professor Dumbledore told them all about the school and the academics and other lessons Lilly would have.
Harry and Grace were so excited, but they were still a bit reserved with the whole idea. They were proper people after all, and witches were bad, even to say evil.

“Come now, Harry, Grace“ Nodding to each as he acknowledged them. ”I assure you that just as there are good and bad people, if you would, in every section of the world, the same holds true for us. We are the same as any other human being. We are just, say, born magically enhanced.”

Professor Dumbledore had been very patient and positive with Harry and Grace to put them completely at rest so they could send Lily off to school, without worry.

Although they were excited, Petunia was not. In fact, she was so jealous she could not even afford a little happiness for her little sister. She grew hateful and distant. No more was there any picnics for the three inseparable friends, long walks and talks when there wasn’t anything else to do, just something to do to be together. Petunia refused to come in Lily’s room and talk and giggle girlishly about; Severus, and how she loved him so. She dwelt in the bitterness until a savage hatred started forming a cold hard stonewall around her heart. She of course felt justified and wallowed in her self-pity.

It had been just a few days after the Headmaster left, that Petunia wrote a letter to Professor Dumbledore asking could he please let her enroll at Hogwarts to learn magic. She had received a reply right away, explaining kindly that, ”people are not taught magic, that you must be born with it. We teach how to control what is already there and develop it to useful and practical actions to serve all humanity.”

Tom had seen Petunia single this letter out and take it to her room. She hid the letter under the doily on her chest of drawers. Then she flung herself on her bed and wept until she fell asleep. She was just waking when she heard soft voices outside her door. It was Lily saying she would get Petunia and they could all go to the movies one last time. Petunia started to run to the door when she heard Severus stop her.

“Why do we always have to have her along? I want to have time with you, without her foolish crush coming between us.” Lily was irate with him.

“Shut up! She’ll hear you, and I will not have you hurting her like that. Now you’ve ruined everything!” she accused him in a hard whisper. “You best forget about the movies or anything else, and shut the door on your way out.”

Petunia thought her world was going to collapse on her, and frankly, she wished it would, and end her misery. This was when the hardness in her heart started forming. She had nothing in common with this magical life, and she was loosing her sister to it. There would be no reason for Lily to need a hero and the boy she was hopelessly in love with, cared nothing for her, but thought of her as a foolish girl who was always in the way. He used her all these years just so he could be with Lily. Life was not fair.

Of course, Lily had no idea what was going on. She was desperately lonely for Petunia, but Petunia would have nothing to do with her. She called her freak all the time, and said she couldn’t wait until school started so she wouldn’t have to have her around. Lily was devastated and cried her heart out alone in her room. She propped herself up with several pillows in a half lying down position staring ahead at nothing but the inner thoughts that tormented her heart and caused this horrific pain.

Tom crawled up to her neck and cuddled there purring in a relaxing rhythm. She instinctively stroked his fur and spoke to him softly the whole time rivers of tears rolled down her soft pale face. A song came to mind and she started singing it. “For every season, turn, turn, turn…” by the time she completed the song she had stopped crying.

“Many people think that song is depressing. Some people think it’s a song pleading for world peace, but actually, it is written nearly in its entirety from the Bible, The Book of Ecclesiastes 3; 1-8. What it means is that God has a plan for everything under the sun. Often time’s man messes things up and we have to have faith that He will fix them. It is a song of hope for me. Oh Tom,” she whispered, “I do hope He fixes things before my heart is broke apart. I am only eleven years old; surely, my happiest years are not already behind me. Why is Tuney all hateful, and spiteful? Why doesn’t she want to be my sister anymore? Surely, she knows she has always been my hero. Tom, you’re such a good friend. If you could talk, you would help me. I know you would. You are my hero now, please don’t ever leave me.”

This tore him up. She said it not realizing that he can indeed talk. Whether to tell her, or not to tell her, tore him apart. It was his experience that whenever humans found he could talk then things turned very ugly for him. On the other hand, Lily was desperate for his help, and she trusted him to be a hero. Wouldn’t a real hero sacrifice everything to help? Would it help if she knew he could talk? What a conundrum! He wrestled with his thoughts as Lily was humming her Seasons song. He came to a decision; he knew what he could do without talking to her. He only had to wait until the right moment came.