Chapter Two x Contemplations x

One by one they fall to flood the world. One by one they echo to shake the ground I walk on. One by one my days drift away from me and with every hour a part of me dies. Piece by piece I am falling apart until all that is left of me is shards of a shattered life. From which I can shape a perfect life to call my own. My mask, built from my broken life will hide me for the rest of my days. Until I die…

      • Lily M. Evans •

A warm summer breeze blew, lifting Lily’s hair into the air. The wind sent her hair spiraling around her face like a tornado of fire. Softly, strands brushed across her face wiping a stray tear off her cheek.

She raised her face for a second to look at the sun, and quickly lowered it again to concentrate on the ground beneath her feet. It was early morning, and her mom would not miss her for many hours.

Abruptly, Lily stopped and looked around her. She was on the corner of Oak Wood and Shade Dell. The Leaky Cauldron was left, but she didn’t turn but instead kept going straight. Turning onto Haven Wood, Lily found herself in Forest Dell Park.

Walking a little further she sat gracefully onto a park bench and closed her eyes willing the tears not to come.

Finally she opened her eyes and looked around at the large park. A soft smile played on her lips as she watched little kids chasing after each other, laughing and playing in the warm summer sun. How happy and uncaring of trouble they were.

Many years ago, before Lily found out what she was, and before Petunia decided she wanted nothing to do with Lily, the two of them had come her almost everyday. Lily remember how much she loved being on the swings and feeling like you were flying. A smile graced Lily’s lips. Petunia had always beat Lily at tag and Lily would get so mad because of it.

So many things had changed. Maybe things would have been better if she had never become a witch. What would life be like if Lily had just thrown the letter away and forgotten it? No, Lily didn’t, she took the letter and that September she was on a train to a school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Sighing, Lily stood up and walked over to the swing set, leaving her backpack sitting on the bench.

It didn’t matter; Petunia was Petunia and Lily could have done nothing to stop her from becoming what she was.

Lily sat down in the swing and kicked off the ground. A smile stretched across her face as she felt the wind comb through her hair. The warm air brushed her face as she flew through the air. She closed her eyes and pretended she was on a broom flying through the Quidditch field.

Even though Lily didn’t have time to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team she still loved the feeling of flying. When she was on a broom flying above the ground all she could think was, ‘if you could defy gravity then anything is possible’.

-

It was close to noon by the time Lily started off toward the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. It was about a half an hour walk, but it didn’t bother her. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder as she walked into the smoky pub.

“Ah, Miss Evans!” Lily smiled and gave a friendly nod in the pub owner’s direction.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Brone.”

Lily pushed through the crowded room shaking hands with a few acquaintances, keeping a smile on her face. As quick as she could manage she opened the back door and walked into the small back alley.

Pulling her wand out of her bag, Lily tapped the bricks on the south wall and stood back. At first nothing happened but slowly the bricks folded away and revealed a larger archway leading into a bustling alley full of many different kinds of people.

Lily closed her eyes for a second soaking up the sounds of the familiar street; the sound of owls rustling in the cages, of kids talking about Quidditch, the sound of hundreds of people living in their own world not caring of the muggles. This was who she was, she was a witch.