Life choices (Remus Lupin Marauders era)

Chapter 24

I sit on my bed, doodling on a piece of parchment when an owl appears at my window. I smile and open it up for him, carefully feeding him a couple of owl pellets. I pull the letter off his ankle and smile as I realise it's an answer from Lily.

Dear Immy,

Poor you! I'll come over tomorrow and give you a break from dealing with the guests, whoever they may be. I hope you can hold on until I arrive.

My sister is practically unbearable. I can't wait to get away from her for a bit. She keeps on insisting that I'm a freak of nature and not meant to exist. We're not freaks, are we? Just because I'm the only witch in my family doesn't make me a freak, there are hundreds of other witches and wizards like me. Sev says that she only treats me like she does because she's jealous, but I can't help how I was born.

Anyway, soon I'll be free of her, I can't wait until I move out from home and become a full witch.

See you soon, love Lily xxx

I smile as I realise my plan is hopefully going to work. She and James will be forced to spend the day or maybe even two days, together and we'll have each other's company to live through it all.

I slip downstairs and corner mum in the kitchen.

A friend's coming to stay for a day or two. I hope that's ok, she won't take up much space.

"That's absolutely fine, probably a good idea actually." She smiles. "Why didn't I think of it?"

You don't have my brains. I smile and she swats me with her oven gloves.

"It's comments like that which will lose you the right to have friends over." She teases.

"What? Immy is having a friend over? I thought when you told us you had friends you were joking." Gideon teases and so I grab the even gloves off mum and start repeatedly hitting him with them. "Ow! Ok! Ok! You have friends! I give up!" He laughs between cries of pain and annoyance.

I get up off him and smirk victoriously. I may be small but I know how to hit.

"Who is it? When is she coming?"

It's Lily, and she's coming tomorrow. But don't tell James.

"Trying to do a little matchmaking are we?" Mum smiles. "I think it's a great idea, he's obviously smitten with her and they're both lovely people."

Lily just doesn't realise that they'd be perfect for each other. I sigh.

James and Sirius walk through at that moment and I quickly erase the words with a flick of my wand.

"How come you're able to cast spells like that outside of school?" Sirius frowns. "Isn't it illegal?"

It's only these two spells I'm allowed to do, they made an exception.

"Why?" James tries to delve deeper into my past and so I wish for something to happen so that I can avoid the question, or I can come up with an amazing excuse.

"Imogen! An Owl has arrived for you!" Dad shouts and I thankfully run upstairs to see him.

He smiles and holds out the letter for me, the owl perched on his arm eating something out of his free hand. I take the letter up to my room and the Owl follows me up the stairs. I smile as I see the letter is written in the same elegant, cursive script as Lily's handwriting. I open it up and quickly read through the short but kind note.

Dear Immy,

I'm so sorry, but would it be possible for me to come tonight? I was able to buy some floo powder at Diagon Alley and I think it will work in our fireplace. Mum and dad are going out tonight and Petunia is staying with a friend, I don't want to be stuck with the both of them or a child minded.

I will be absolutely fine if you say no though, one night is no different, I've had to put up with them both before.

Please reply soon, all my love, Lily xxx

I hastily start to scribble a reply back saying that it is absolutely fine for her to come earlier and I can't wait to see her. I send the owl off with a kiss pressed to its soft brown feathers and race downstairs to tell mum the good news.

She's almost as happy as me when she hears. She adores and the other three girls, she's so happy that they try to include me in everything they do. Lily and I joke about us being swapped at birth due to her red hair and my absence of it.

I'm a tiny bit nervous about how she is going to react to James and Sirius being here, but then again, she did say that she would come whoever they may be.

I set about preparing my room for Lily and mum magics up another bed for her in my room. I start frantically tidying and sorting out everything until my room is spotless. I smile at my work and head downstairs, waiting for her to appear in our fireplace.

I'm waiting for around fifteen minutes until it flares up and she appears with a suitcase and an empty owl cage. She runs forwards and attacks me with a hug.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for letting me stay." She gushes and hugs me even tighter.

It's ok. I smile. You're the one saving me.

"Oh yeah, who are these hideous guests?"

Someone walks through the door and I turn to face him, shielding Lily behind me.

"I didn't know you were describing us as hideous, Imogen." James smirks.

"WHAT!" Lily roars. "HE'S HERE?!"

His eyes go wide and his cheeks turn visibly darker. "Lily."

She spins away from him and grabs her suitcase and my hand. She drags me upstairs, pushing James out of the way and almost knocking him over. She dumps her bag on her bed and turns to me, eyes blazing.

"You have a lot of explaining to do."

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Wooo! I'm almost at 500 reads!!!!

Anyway, how are you all today? I've just come back from a sleepover where we didn't sleep much so I'm pretty tired.

Qotd: what Hogwarts house are you in?

I'm in Ravenclaw and my dogs in hufflepuff