Friday, June 10, 1977
How had this happened? Somehow, an entire week had passed, and now Lily Evans was skidding to a stop in front of McGonagall's office. Damn Career Advice sessions. She checked her watch - it was 4:30; she was right on time, as always. This was something else that Lily was good at - being punctual.
Or rather, arriving just in the nick of time, a slight hair before anybody would consider her late. Fiona was rather envious of this ability, since the poor girl could set off ten minutes early and somehow show up late, whereas Lily could, from classes to Quidditch games, be unfailingly on time. However, professors were often marginally irritated with her for, as they often put it, "not showing initiative and showing up early." Apparently, prefects were supposed to be good role models. Strange concept, that.
"Bye, Professor." Lily grinned at Fiona Adler as the other girl stepped out of McGonagall's office, a pile of books in her arms. "Oh, hi, Lily. Your turn next?"
She nodded. "How was it?"
Fiona shrugged. "She hasn't got much to do with me, really. Healing runs in my blood." Lily was almost envious of Fiona's practically predetermined path - she had nothing of the sort. Fiona was still talking. "Anyway, McGonagall's in a good mood, so you should thank me. Well, her happiness might also be because I think all the Gryffindors passed their Transfiguration exams. I'm off to pack - Julian and I have plans later. See you tonight?" Without waiting for an answer the girl walked away, leaving Lily completely on her own.
"Hello, Ms. Evans. Take a seat." Minerva McGonagall peered over her spectacles at her prefect. "What ideas do you have for me?"
"Well…" Lily cast about for an idea. "Erm…I like Charms," she began hesitantly, thinking that McGonagall's eyes had brightened marginally. "And since I'm helping my aunt with her flower shop, er - I know I'm not very good with plants, but -"
"You haven't thought about it at all, have you." It wasn't a question. Lily averted her eyes - she didn't want to see the look of disappointment in her professor's eyes.
"Erm…"
A loud sigh. "Ms. Evans, let's try a different approach, seeing as you seem to have misplaced all of those pamphlets." Lily was trying to not simultaneously blush and giggle. Fiona had brought the papers to her last night, saying that James had instructed her to give them to Lily. When the red-haired girl tried to vanish them, they had apparently appeared in various parts of the castle - at least Lily no longer had to contend with them. "Well? What do you like to do?"
"Read," she replied promptly, then blushed at how silly that sounded. "And I like Charms, I guess. More so than Herbology, anyway. Erm, I like Ancient Runes too, actually." She stole a look at her Head of House, relieved that the woman was nodding slightly. Emboldened, she went on. "I dunno, I want to create things, I think. Translating Runes is only fun because, well, because it goes back to the fundamental building blocks of magic, and you can play around with those." She didn't even know where that last bit had come from.
A flicker of a smile appeared on McGonagall's lips - had Lily just imagined it? "I see," the professor replied slowly. "So, what about a job in which you could learn to create your own spells?"
Lily gave this thought a moment's pause. "Create…anything? Really?" It had never even occurred to her, this idea. Then again, she hadn't thought about jobs at all, Muggle or magical. Oh, Isabella was going to be a Wizengamot intern this summer, and Fiona had her Healer ambitions, and even Emmeline had a plan, even if it was to marry a rich bloke (preferably one named Benjy Fenwick) and have half a dozen children. But Lily…Lily was the one who was trying to drift through life without a plan. Besides the whole flower shop thing. But this sounded…almost interesting, actually. She pasted a nonchalant smile on her face. "I'll look into it, Professor."
McGonagall sniffed. "Please don't lose this one." She handed the girl a dark green roll of parchment, labeled: "Spellcrafting: A Preparations Guide." "This has a list of recommended reading, all of which can be found at Flourish and Blotts. I'll see you at the beginning of next year to discuss which courses will help in this direction, if you are still interested." That last bit might have been sarcastic, Lily thought. Still, the idea of the job was intriguing, though perhaps the job wouldn't be. "You're dismissed - please send in Mr. Black."
Lily stood up and already had her hand on the doorknob when McGonagall said, "And, Ms. Evans - " Lily waited, slightly impatient - she had a lot to do today. "Have a good summer."
000
Five hours later, Lily could be found in her room, methodically packing. It was the last day of the term; exams were finished that morning, and she had nothing else to do, really. The feast had been good; she was pleasantly full, but she'd slipped away before everyone else so that she'd have time to walk through these hallowed halls one last time, alone. And so that she could avoid that Potter boy - he had been haranguing her all week about careers.
"Hey, Lily, I don't know if you've heard…" Lily looked up - Fiona had just walked into the room, twirling her wand idly with her right hand. "We have this thing called "magic," now." She paused for effect. "And it simplifies things." In demonstration, she waved her wand (Fee was great at nonverbal magic) and both of them watched as all of Fiona's clothing flew out of her drawers and into a trunk, neatly folding themselves as they did so. "See? Magic!"
Lily smiled faintly. "Never heard of it. I like doing things by hand. Keeps me humble, you know?" She rolled up a scarf and wedged it between two pairs of shoes.
"Whatever. Takes up more time," Fiona informed her. She held up a rather large amber bottle in one hand and a stack of cups in the other, smiling wickedly. "You ought to be proud of me - I managed to procure us some Firewhisky." Her eyebrows waggled. "With some…other, unnamable liquids too."
"Isabella will be so pleased."
"Isabella is pleased." Isabella Marquez strode into the room and grinned. "Hello darlings. I brought a pack of Butterbeer. Fee, I thought you were going to be out with Julian." She flopped down onto her bed, thick dark hair fanning out on the coverlet.
"And you with Michael?" Fiona retorted. She set the bottle down on her trunk and went to the mirror, examining her freckles closely. "Julian…wasn't extraordinary. I have yet to find such a boy. Why is everyone just second-rate?" The tall, thin girl pouted at herself in the mirror, then giggled and pulled her bright blonde curls out of a ponytail so that they fell on her shoulders.
"Well, Emmeline's not back yet," Lily observed. Of course, neither was Tracy, but her bed was practically always empty since she'd taken up with that Hufflepuff bloke. Tracy seemed to reserve a bit of disdain for her fellow Gryffindors, so, for the most part, Lily and her friends ignored the other girl. "And what do you mean, `Julian wasn't extraordinary?' He's Head Boy - there's bound to be something special in that."
"Yes, but Emmy will settle. Fenwick is nothing special." Isabella pointed out.
Fiona laughed. "Don't let Emmeline hear that. And I think I'm done with our dear Head Boy. As of tomorrow, he's stripped of that status anyway."
Two scarves, a pair of jeans…a skirt. That damned green scroll. There. That was it. Lily closed the trunk and locked it with a satisfying set of clicks, then rested her cheek against the cool wood. It felt nice. "Guys," she murmured. "It's our last night."
"So it is." Fiona nodded agreeably. "Can we get piss-drunk now?" Fiona Adler - raging drunkard.
"Sure, now that I'm here." Emmeline appeared in the doorway looking a bit rumpled, her normally careful bun quite mussed, the skirt hiked too high. She wasn't even wearing her school robes - they were in a large bundle under her arm.
Fiona let out a low whistle. "Have a nice time with your little Ravenclaw, I see." The others giggled.
Emmeline, always so poised and confident, managed a disdainful sniff before she too collapsed into laughter. "He groped a bit, but all in all, rather satisfying."
"Erm, Emmy," Lily said. "Your shirt buttons don't line up."
She looked down. "So they don't," she said, bemused.
"That's okay. Here, look, I've got Firewhisky!" Fiona gestured to the bottle proudly.
"Where in Merlin's name did you find that?" Emmeline looked at it cautiously. "Spiked butterbeer is one thing, but we could get in trouble for - "
"Oh, lay off, will you? I didn't kill anyone for this, and Lily won't report us, right?" Fiona yawned widely, and Lily pretended to not see the flare of anger in Emmeline's eyes. The two girls had never quite gotten along. "If you must know, I bought it from Black. Maybe not exactly legal, but he and Potter have a stash."
"Of course they do. Can we drink now?" Isabella pleaded, sitting up. "I really want to forget the fact that Michael can't kiss a girl properly. Last time I checked, strangling a girl with your tongue is not very romantic."
Fiona wrinkled her nose in disgust, but obligingly uncorked the bottle and carefully poured some out for everyone. Lily passed the cups around, and they raised them together. "Can we toast extraordinary boys?" Fiona asked.
"Of which there are none, apparently," Lily said, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, well, I expect to find some this summer," Fiona replied haughtily. "And Lily dearest, you'll have to help me. To extraordinary boys!" she yelled, and they all nodded and repeated the phrase, smiling.
As Lily looked around the room, watching her friends drink and chatter happily, she realized that this was one of those moments that she wanted to remember forever. The joy, the smiles, the ring of laughter. Sure, they would see each other over the summer, and they would be back the next year, but it wouldn't be the same. Isabella had turned seventeen in February, and Fiona and Emmeline had birthdays in May. Lily herself was a summer birthday. And when they came back to school, as seventeen, they would be of age, technically, legally, adults in the wizarding world. To be frank, the thought of adulthood frightened her. That meant decisions. And fighting. In a war that had been thrust upon them all.
And Lily wasn't sure that she wanted any part of it.
ooo
A/n: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Penny for your thoughts?
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