"Have you got everything?" My mother called, from downstairs.
"Yes, mum!" I answered yelling.
"Did you remember your Quidditch things?" My dad yelled.
"Harry, she has more things than Quidditch to worry about!" She scolded, probably waving a spoon at him.
"Oh? Oh, yeah. Make sure you take something warm!" He yelled.
I rolled my eyes, my dad was a good person and he was great at his job but sometimes he was a bit...strange. I could hear my mother going off at him again.
"She's got her N.E.W.Ts this year!"
"Already?" He asked, faking shock because he was the one who helped me study.
"It's ok mum! I've got all my books and Matts going to help me study! You know how Hermione gets!" I yelled down to them, throwing my books in my bag that I nearly forgot.
I looked around the room, satisfied that I had packed everything, but just in case I picked up my remembrall. It was glowing red. I groaned and looked around, what could I have missed? I did a sweep of my room and found nothing. Stupid thing must be broken again. I picked up my case and dragged it downstairs, until my father saw me and waved his wand, my case floated down the stairs and neatly landed by the front door. I ate my breakfast and said goodbye to my dad, who almost started crying. My mum picked up my case and drove me over to the burrow. It was huge and impressive but still felt homey. Apparently, there was an attack on it when my dad was in school. But I couldn't believe it. The burrow was half underground and the other half was a three-story house. My mum came inside with me and couldn't resist catching up with Ron.
I said hello to just about everyone whose name I could remember and went upstairs to find Matt. I opened his door, without knocking. He was stilling crossed legged on the bed, his wild red hair a complete mess on his head. His freckled face stared at me, surprised, even though he knew I was coming. His case was packed and laying on the bed, closed. He jumped up and rushed forward to hug me.
"Lily! I'm so glad you came! I didn't think you'd come!"
I giggled.
"Matt, I saw you at Christmas, I told you I was coming."
He seemed to remember something and a wave of sadness, or was it shock, washed over his face as he let me go.
"Y-yeah, of course." He stammered.
"Matt, you ok?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Hum? Oh yeah, I'm fine." He said, rushed, before quickly changing the topic. "When are Sai and Stryker coming?"
I knew what he was doing but I let it slide and answered the question.
"Stryker's not coming, he said Lucius wanted to drop him off."
"L-Lucius, but he's banned from 9 and 3 quarters?"
"That's what I said, if you ask me, I'd say he's looking for a fight," I replied.
"What about your friend? Sai?" He asked.
I smiled.
"What's it to you?"
He blushed, making his freckles stand out even more.
"Aw, come on Lil, that ain't fair. You know I've got a thing for 'er."
His speech always got worse when he was embarrassed.
I laughed, enjoying my cousins' frustration.
"She'll be here any time now, but you might have some competition." I smiled.
His face turned red in anger.
"Really? Who? Is she dating?" He practically yelled.
I pretended to zip my mouth closed, trying not to laugh at the look on his face.
Just then the doorbell rang.
"Ah, that'll be her," I said. "Merlin I need to get out of this place, I'm starting to sound like you." I joked.
He took a pillow and whacked me with it, some feathers came out. I took another pillow and in minutes we were having a full-fledged pillow fight. Matts door swang open and I could hear a voice from the other side.
"Lily, is your dad here? I saw your mum but..." She trailed off when she saw the feathers all over the bedroom. A stray father floated down and landed in Matts absolutely messy hair. He turned as red as a tomato, and angrily brushed it out.
"G' day Sai. H-how ya d-doin'?" He stuttered.
I groaned, and hid my head in my hands, embarrassed for him and because of him.
"Ah, yeah. Not bad Matt, H-how are you?" She muttered, also blushing.
Merlin, these two were going to make me sick.
An awkward silence filled the air, Matt seemed to have forgotten how to talk. I gave him a hard kick.
"Ouch, um. Ah."
He looked at me. I looked from him to her. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"He's good, aren't you, Matt?" I said.
"Oh um, yeah, I-I good."
Silence fell again. This was way too awkward. Every time I tried to start a conversation they would say one word each and fall silent again. I was so glad when Ron came upstairs He knocked on the door.
"Hiya kids, am I interrupting something?"
"Not at all uncle Ron, in fact, it was just getting weird in here."
He looked at me confused and I pointed to them, when they weren't looking, and make a gagging gesture. He nodded and smiled, before clapping his hands together.
"Right! Let's get you three to kings cross." He took out his wand and brought Matts case downstairs.
Matt, Sai and I followed him. When we got downstairs, I said goodbye to my mum and Matt and Sai said goodbye to their parents, apart from Ron, who was dropping us off.
Sai took out her wand and floated her case into the car. I was about to do the same. I reached for my wand, only to find an empty pocket. I cursed. My mother heard me.
"Lily Potter! Is that any way to behave!" She scolded.
"I left my wand at home." I sulked, looking at the floor to avoid her angry face.
She groaned.
"Lily! What am I going to do with you? Every single time you always forget something! Every time! I'm going to have to post it to you when I get home until then you'll have to do without."
I opened my mouth to protest, the post could take ages! I'm not living like a muggle! Why doesn't she just apprate or accio?
"That's final! This way you'll learn to be more careful, and I'm not risking any holes in my wall by accioing it here."
I sulked off, dragging my case behind me and got into Ron's car. Matt and Sai were in the back with the animals and I was in the front with my uncle. We drove in silence for a while until Ron made a stab at a conversation.
"So Lily did you register as an..."
He trailed off when he saw me shaking my head, eyes wide.
"Oh, she doesn't..."
I nodded, eyes still wide.
"Ok, then."
Then we drove in silence for a little longer.
"Did you three want me to come to 9 and 3 quarters with you?" Ron asked.
I was just about to say no but Matt cut in.
"Actually dad, I think you better come with us, Lucius is dropping Stryker off."
Ron nearly crashed the car.
"What?!" He yelled, swerving around oncoming traffic. "But isn't he banned?"
"Yep, I think he wants a fight," I said, cutting in.
Ron turned to me in surprise.
"You knew?!" He asked, shocked.
"Yeah, Stryker told me, I told Matt."
"Well then, that settles it. I'm coming with you three, and I'm calling your dad."
"No uncle Ron, please! He's so overprotective!"
"Don't give me that Lily! He's a fine man and an excellent Aurora. He'll fight much better than me if something happens."
I rolled my eyes and suck into my seat. This was so unfair.
Ron pulled over and took out his wand, he tapped it on the door and muttered something. Then he put his wand back in his pocket and kept driving
"I told your dad to meet us at kings cross and to bring his wand." He explained.
I sighed again. Why was everyone being so overdramatic? Ever since my first year at Hogwarts, everyone treated me like I was made of glass, and before that, they acted like I was the second coming of my father.
We finally reached kings cross and my dad was standing there, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, his wand poking out through the top of his pocket. He smiled and waved at me. Despite myself, I smiled and waved back. He walked up to Ron when we reached the entrance and spoke in a very low voice.
"What's wrong?"
"Lucius is here, Lily told me he's dropping off Stryker."
My fathers' eyes bulged and his face turned slightly red.
"What! Isn't he banned?!" He yelled.
Muggles stopped walking and looked at him. The wizards where dressed like muggles but you could tell they weren't because they look to see what the fuss was about, then they saw my father so they put their heads down and kept walking, ushering their children in front of them.
"Um, sorry. Nothing to see here folks, just keep moving." Ron said, loudly.
And, muggles being muggles, did exactly as they were told. Soon the only sign that there had ever been an incident was one man. One man standing about a meter away, blending in with the crowd. He was dressed in back jeans and a black t-shirt, his long hair tied back and he was clutching the sleeve of a young adult. He was looking straight at my father and holding the boy like he was vermin. The boy had bruises all up his arms, hidden by his sleeves, he had burns from magical torture on his chest and back, hidden by his shirt. The boy had his hair slicked back by gell and unless you looked closely the boy looked like his father.
