Critical ~ S. Black

𝐸𝒫𝐼𝐿𝒪𝒢𝒰𝐸

*RILEY*

"Rileyyyyyyyyyyy!" A voice choruses down the stairs. I laugh as I recognize the voice of my baby sister. Nearly 17 years younger than I am, she's finally old enough to attend Hogwarts.

"Lilyyyyyyyyyy," I respond, in the exact same tone of voice. She walks downstairs, glaring at me.

"Not funny! Do I have to go?" She pouts. I sigh and wrap my arms around her, holding her close.

"Yes you do. And you know what? You'll get there and you'll wonder why you were so scared in the first place." I stroke her hair.

"But what if I don't make any friends?" I shake my head, kissing her forehead.

"You will, don't worry. You're very likeable." She sighs but nods, running to the kitchen to get breakfast from George.

No, we aren't married yet. Yeah I do want him to ask, but if he doesn't want to then he doesn't have to. Simple as that. I can't help but smile when I watch him interacting with Lily. He looks at her like she's his everything – second only to me of course.

The contrast between the two couldn't be more obvious when it comes to looks. George has fiery red hair, lots of freckles, and only one ear (we never did figure out how to regrow an ear for him). Meanwhile Lily is – in dad's words – a carbon copy of mom. Dark hair, that nobody can decide if it's brown or black (it's that color right on the border), hazel-brown eyes, and no freckles. But the similarities between them are also painfully obvious. They've always lived with this mischievous look on their faces, like at any minute they'll pull some prank on you. And when they're together you can guarantee they always have something to talk about.

At times it makes me wonder... Is this what George would be like as a father? I mean, Lily may as well be our child. We care for her since it was too painful for dad to live with a carbon copy of mom alone. If this is what he's like as a dad, I can't wait to have children. He's caring, putting Lily before himself. And the way he looks at her could make anyone smile. I think her personality reminds him of Fred, and it's like they both got family back. Lily gets a parent to replace the mother she'll never meet, and George gets his brother back. I smile sadly as I remember mom, and how she should be the one sending Lily off to school. But she was so determined to protect others, and I'm sure that she was able to protect many when she fought. I just wish she'd survived.

"Ready to go?" I call to Lily as I look at the time. 10:45am. The train leaves in 15 minutes and I want Lily to have time to find a compartment before the train moves.

"Yes!" She grins and puts on the ankle boots I'd gotten her last week. She'd been begging me to get them, so I did.

I grab hold of her trunk with one hand, and her arm with the other. George joins, holding Lily's other arm, and I apparate the three of us to Kings cross. It feels good to see it bustling and happy again, after the atmosphere it'd had when I boarded and got off after repeating my seventh year.

"Riley?" I look down to meet Lily's eyes, smiling kindly as she looks up at me. "What happens if I get Slytherin? Or if I don't make any friends?"

I laugh softly and kneel down to meet her eyes. "Lily Marls, I promise you that you will make friends. You're such a wonderful and loveable girl, how could anyone stay away? Besides, you'll have Teddy there with you remember? You're barely the same year, but you are the same year. As for being in Slytherin? Well if that happens, then Slytherin will be the proud house of a stunning young witch. There's nothing bad about Slytherin, it's just a few stereotypes."

She nods, taking a deep breath, and we walk with George over to where Harry and Ginny are with Teddy. Teddy and Lily talk for a minute before racing each other to the train, quickly finding an empty compartment. They wave to us as the train begins to leave and Harry, Ginny, George, and I all wave back with smiles on our faces.