of hope .

“ and if i’m on fire , you’ll be made of ashes too . “ 

SHE BURNS by FOY VANCE .

" she is a little explosion of hope, never turns the lights down low, but she can go there if you wanna go ."

This song just has so much hope. Both the music and the lyrics just scream Lily's undying spirit, her dreams for the future. Since it talks about burning, it also reminds me of Lily's anger, how it propels her both in good and bad ways. And it catches other people in its web, which can be both endearing & probably quite frustrating at times.

MY TEARS RICOCHET by TAYLOR SWIFT .

" and if i'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? cursing my name, wishing i stayed, look at how my tears riccochet . "

This song specifically reminds me of Snape & Lily. The way that she feels after their friend breakup & how she believe that he thinks about her. There's so much love and hatred in this song, and I think that's exactly how Lily feels about Snape. He was her home for so long, that it still feels strange not to be able to travel there.

AFTERGLOW by ALL TIME LOW .

" alright, we can go all night cause we've got a whole lot of fight in us. and i see a long road that we've got to follow before tomorrow catches up . "

Reminds me of how Lily feels with James right out of Hogwarts -- their starry romance, the beginning of their lives together. There's so much fun in this song, but also a bit of melancholy as she knows that they're heading out into a war. But she holds onto James now, no matter what. She truly sees their relationship as a glowing star.

LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE by FALL OUT BOY .

" sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse. and i just about snapped, don't look back. every lover's got a little dagger in their hand . "

WIZARDING WORLD .

My dear Peter,

Harry insisted he talk to you today. Over and over again, he kept asking for Uncle Peter to come over so he could ask him questions. I didn't know what else to do, to say, so I told him we'd write you a letter. That's seemed to appease him for now. He wants you to know he loves you, and can't wait to bake with you again next time you're over. He misses you. So do I.

This is the hardest letter I'll ever write, mostly because I know you'll never see it, and it's a ploy to shield my child from this horrible fact. He knows something is wrong, of course. I can barely get through this without crying. I don't want to pretend with him, not about something so serious, but he's so young and none of this is fair.

It's even sadder, maybe, that I tried to owl you this morning. It was truly a question about nothing. A question so mundane that people would think you were still sitting in your flat, waiting for our weekly correspondence. I asked about which flowers you'd like to see planted next in the community garden. I think I'll plant some Sea Lavender, anyways. You always seemed to like those.

I'm so bloody angry. Not at you, of course. These circumstances couldn't be your fault. Wouldn't be. You chose to help us when we needed you most, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that kindness. No, I'm angry at them. For taking, and taking, and ripping and shredding us all apart like we are nothing to them. I'm angry at them for believing they own this world. They have ownership over nothing.

I will teach them that. I promise you Peter Pettigrew.

Godric, you deserved so much better.

With all my love,

⚖️

Amelia let out a deep sigh, rolling her eyes at Lily’s words. “Or,” she snorted at her, “It’s Greasers making something up, and not understanding something, just so they can play the victim all over again. You do know just how much that happens, don’t you?” Though, who was to say if they were or weren’t, or if Amelia was just too used to seeing them as such.

“Of course, but you’d assume that you’d be used to a long day of work,” She quipped simply, “And I suppose if there’s something we can do, is donate to the poor among us, yes?” She smiled, a sickly sweet one, clear she didn’t really care, “I suppose I’ve never been the holiday sort.”

Pausing, Amelia then shook her head. “I’m not leaving so early. Just not quite in the mood to go in just yet,” She stated with a slight huff, “Not with some of that riff raff that’s in there currently.”

---

The snort didn’t really help Amelia’s words, but it was impossible to get through that thick skull of hers. Lily had never seen the world in such stark contrast; Greaser versus Soc hadn’t meant much to her, other than the fact that Soc’s seemed to hate her simply for being born in her situation. It was a tough pill to swallow, one that consistently kept her coming back with kindness. “And you do know how often you generalize and see the worst in people?” Lily said, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them. “A little kindness, empathy even, goes a long way, Ms. Bones.”

Lily almost had to laugh at Amelia’s next words, the hypocrisy laced in them. A part of her wanted to point it out, but it felt impossible in this moment, especially at the woman’s next words. “Truth be told, this isn’t my favorite holiday either,” she said, breathing out a sigh. “I’m more of a Halloween girl, myself.”

It took everything not to roll her eyes at Amelia. Was she always this ridiculous? How did someone put up with her? How did Dol? “Well, you’re going to miss all that food you so generously provided. Seems like a waste, if you ask me. Besides, shouldn’t someone get in there and show us Greasers how to dance properly?”

When: April 15th, after delivering the cupcakes Where: Lily’s Tagging: @ofevcns​

Peter hadn’t been able to stop feeling like he was about to burst into tears again since the flash of memory or vision or whatever it had been had happened. There was something so painful in it, something that cut so deep, that Peter just felt like he couldn’t shake it. He still couldn’t understand any reason for it though, and perhaps that was the worst part of all of it.

He’d managed to get the cupcakes done and delivered, listening to the Soc snap at him for being a little late with it. Peter apologized of course, though that made no difference, and he sighed as he knew his boss would hear about it later. That wasn’t anything to look forward to. As soon as he was done with it, and he knew Lily would be home, he headed straight for her.

If anyone would understand, he thought, it would be Lily. She could help him. So, he went inside without knocking, as he always did.

“Lil?” He called out, voice cracking as he did so, and slightly cursing it to himself.

---

The soft fabric of her couch swallowed Lily whole as she and Harriet sunk into the cushions. A part of her felt like this day was four hours -- a blur of usual activity, mixed with that one strange hour. The lunch break, the memory, still haunted her. So real, and yet so out of place. There was so much said that confused her, and so much said that intrigued her, and so much left out that had her aching for more.

What was happening?

Peter’s voice, comfortingly familiar, pulled her from these thoughts and she stood up so fast her head swayed a bit as she wrapped him in her arms. She knew, then, that it had happened to him too. The way his voice cracked... Lily put a hand on the back of his head and closed her eyes for a moment before pulling back and looking at him, any confirmation she needed there in his eyes.

“Do you want to tell me about yours?” she asked, quietly. “Or would you rather we drink ourselves silly and watch that bandstand they’ve been advertising for weeks?”

James smiled. “Then I’m happy to help.” He wasn’t too good for it, no matter what others of his social standing said. James wasn’t about to feel bad that he had the privilege of money and connections, but that didn’t meant he had to be rude about it either. The situation was what it was; he might as well ease her burden a little when he was here anyway.

He added another wrapper to his pile as she spoke. Yeah, he should be familiar, but James knew compared to someone like Sirius, he just didn’t stand out as much. He didn’t want to. “Not fully yet,” he admitted. “My parents still own it and make most of the big decisions, but I’m there, yeah. And somebody it’s mine.” For better or for worse. James wavered based on the day and how shitty the customers were. He tried to always be pleasant to them, but oof, he did not get the same curtesy. 

Sometimes people were nice. People his age tended to be. Younger men were usually bored and in a hurry but not as rude about it as their parents. Younger women tended to be patient and sometimes even sweet, as long as they didn’t have a toddler waiting in the car. James had noticed the pattern, but aside from generational generalizations, he didn’t have much to say about it.

He jerked his head up hopefully. “Well now you’ve made a promise,” he said. “You better not be kidding. I’ll be crushed if you dangle chocolate before my face and take it away like a dangling carrot never to be.” James offered her a crooked grin, the one older ladies at work always called charming. He didn’t know that it would work on someone like Lily, but if chocolate was on the line, he had to at least attempt a little charm.

---

There was something different about James Potter. A kindness that Lily hadn’t expected, maybe. She found herself staring a little too long, trying to figure him out. Her cheeks flushed when he glanced back her way, busying herself with a wrapper particularly stuck to the grass as she listened to his words about the store. There was hesitation there, Lily realized, and she met his eyes with a clarity, an understanding. “Hard to leave this place, isn’t it?” she said, softly, hoping he could tell she got it. “Well, you’ve been doing a great job, anyways. The town loves you.”

Maybe that was part of it, why it was so hard to think of putting any plan of leaving into motion. The town. They were, at their worst, judgmental and cruel, but she also had her parents. Peter and Petunia. Dolores and her kindergartners. There was a life here, one that Lily wasn’t entirely sure she wanted, but one she loved dearly. “Of course, I’m sure you’ve got to deal with your fair share of... unpleasantness. For me, comes from the parents. One made me take down a painting I had of a bird because it was ‘too soft’ for the students.”

A playful roll of her eyes followed that statement, but it was quickly followed by a grin. Easy. That’s what it was, talking to James. Like they’d teased each other a hundred times before. “I’m not a promise breaker, Potter,” she grinned, pausing and holding out her pinky. “If you don’t believe me, the pinkie promise is an unbreakable vow. There’s chocolate abound for you and me, don’t you worry.” Lily wiggled her pinkie for good measure, waiting for him to take it. 

Lunch time always came as a welcome reprieve. A wave of quiet, a book in her hand, Lily took lunch at her desk, allowing the peacefulness of the moment to settle into her shoulders. A springtime sun shone through the windows, leaving colder weather in hindsight. There were brighter days ahead, she knew.

After the Easter festival, she felt as though the memory might haunt her. And it did, sometimes. In her sleep, in her dreams. That castle felt so real, and hung in her mind's eye as a reminder of a life she might've lived. Still, it was a dream. Nothing more. Lily had to keep reminding herself of that fact. And yet, there was a nagging feeling that it wasn't the end. That the castle was only the start of something else entirely. Lily didn't want to admit it, but she could feel it was true in her bones.

What was coming? What did the dreams mean?

Even now, as she tried to read, Lily found herself unable to focus. Her gaze drifting out to the window and to the trees outside. And it was then, when her mind drifted away, to a shop full of silk dresses, and robes of all things. But it didn't feel unfamiliar. No, rather, those robes felt normal, common, even. Lily's fingers ran over the material she was trying on, a white dress. A wedding dress. And then the voices, rude and cruel and utterly too loud. They knew she was here. That word, mudblood, thrown like an insult, hitting like one despite her upraised chin.

Coming back to the classroom, Lily found herself standing, leaning her forehead against the glass of the window. She blinked allowing herself to come back, her heartbeat to come back down, the anger in her bones to settle. At first, she thought only of the wedding dress. Lily had never tried one on, not even for fun. The shop in town probably wouldn't let her near it unless they knew she was serious. She wouldn't have the money, anyways, to buy a new one. And yet, this daydream, this memory, had her in a shop she'd never seen. The voices lilted with what she believed to be British accents.

There was also the feeling that she was to marry someone, which was almost laughable as Lily didn't have any prospects at the moment. At least, none that she knew of. Being with Severus had felt all too normal, but that didn't mean he'd felt anything at all. It could've been one sided. And it wasn't like they were going to get married anyways.

And then there was that word.

Mudblood. That was the word that stuck, glued on her skin like a brand. She wracked her brain for any time a Soc had used that as an insult, tried to understand what it meant. But, nothing came. Nothing but white hot anger, that didn't want to fade; that remained even as she sat back down and tried to think of happier thoughts. Her kids would return soon, and she might be able to get her head out of this dream.

Dolores hadn’t thought about needing an artist… A publisher too… Would anyone even want their book? It seemed highly unlikely. They were getting far too ahead of themselves. People like them didn’t get opportunities like that. The back and forth between day dreaming about a life like that and the sinking reality that it could never happen felt like it was pulling Dolores in two different directions. She so badly wanted to believe this was something that one day they could do, only the idea of that day coming and having to put a plan into action was scary. 

“Oh, so London’s on the list too? What about Norway? I want to see the fjords. And Berlin! I hear their nightlife is like nothing else.” She had skimmed through enough travel magazines to have a list of destinations ready to go, the glossy photos so alluring that it felt like these places called to her.

She spoke with a chirpy tone, trying to gloss over her strange admission of those dark feelings that had accompanied the vision. She knew she’d failed in hiding it though when Lily’s hand reached out to hers and there was a sense of solidarity and that they shared something that not everyone could understand. “Yes. If you can’t create those opportunities at your school at least we can write about it.”

It felt like they should be doing more, but Dolores didn’t know what. These conversations always ended up in the same place - blaming those in charge who had too much power to ever be forced to change. She shook her head with a slight laugh trying to push away those depressing thoughts. “When did we get so serious?”

---

The whole world, maybe, was on this list they were creating. The whole world was out there waiting for them, and they were stuck here, in Erised, watching the same movie play at the drive-in over and over again. Lily almost sighed at the thought, at the wistfulness it created. There was a whole world she would likely never see. It terrified her.

“Norway, for sure, I want to see that sort-of expansive snow,” Lily grinned. “Snow you can get lost in.” A shake of her head followed Dolores’s mention of nightlife, at the thought of the two of them in it. “You’ll have to keep me awake somehow. I’m barely up past 10pm these days.” It was almost sad, being this young but feeling as if she’d become much older in the past few years. Lily wasn’t certain what it was, but there was a heaviness here, in this conversation, even as they spoke of travel and 

Opportunities were slowly building, Lily knew, in this small town of theirs. But there was still the rivalry, the incessant need to prove themselves. To prove they’re just as good as the Soc’s. And the constant societal reminder that they weren’t, and never could be, no matter how hard they tried. The world was out to get them, in many ways, and Lily didn’t refuse to see it. She just refused to accept it. “We’ll write about it,” Lily agreed. “And I’ll try to make some change at the school too. Least I could do.”

A chuckle followed her words and Lily sighed, setting her chin in her hands. “And to think we could be out on the dance floor. Instead, we’re dreaming of impossibilities.” She looked to her friend, careful, almost playful scrutinization on her features. “Are we boring, Dol? Is that what we are?”

James stepped back, giving her space. She seemed familiar, but it took a moment for him to place her as that outspoken greaser girl in his class in school. He’d always thought she seemed rather fearless in ways that he couldn’t imagine being. James knew he was many things, but courageous had never been one of them.

He shrugged awkwardly, especially as he put the pieces together that she was being paid. “I’m not cutting into your wages by helping, am I?” he asked. He didn’t know if this was some kind of hourly situation. He hoped not. She deserved to be done as quick as possible, especially if food was on his mind. 

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to show off for ages,” he said with a ruefully smile. “Everything’s exciting at that age.”

He took her hand, automatically answering, “I know.” James flushed as he realized how that sounded. “I mean, uh, I remember you from school. I was in your class.”

As he dropped her hand and shoved both of his in his pockets, James surveyed the ground around them. “Not yet, but I suppose the day’s still young. Well, young enough. And the young ones certainly did a thorough job gathering their goodies. Not so much as a half-eaten nibble of chocolate.”

---

A small shake of her head followed his question, although Lily felt curiosity settle in her stomach. It was rare that a Soc cared so much about cutting into their wages; taking time away from them getting paid. Kindness, rare as it was, still gave her hope for a world outside this town. “Oh, no, at least I don’t think so.” A little laugh fell from her lips. “Truth be told, I’m starving and the help is very appreciated.”

Her eyes flitted over his face, wondering, carefully, why she’d never noticed him before. Or, rarely. His smile was bright, warm and friendly, even in as it appeared in it’s half-form. Lily found herself holding onto his hand for one moment too long, and she quickly pulled away as he did, turning her cheek to look at the ground (and so he couldn’t see the blush that formed there).

“Oh, right,” she said brightly, smile wide as she looked up at him with a glimmer in her eyes. “I thought you looked familiar.” A pause as she found a piece of trash hidden in the grass. “You took over the pharmacy, right? My mom couldn’t stop talking about it... They were all excited to see it stay in the family.” And she distinctly remembered her mother trying to set up a few of the other Greaser girls with the new, handsome Soc pharmacist. She couldn’t tell him that, of course.

Twinkle in her eyes, Lily stood, pointing at him playfully as she explained, “If it’s chocolate you’re after, I may or may not have direct access to the remaining bags. You’re already helping so, it’s the least I could do.” 

🐀

Peter couldn’t help but snort and laugh at Lily’s words about it being jealousy. He glanced out towards the sea of dancing people, watching them for a moment and thinking about it. Maybe he was a little jealous of the Soc’s that got to fall in love and run around with people, but then again.. he had his girls, and did he really need anything else besides the happiness they brought him?

“Lil, if there was anyone that I was pining after, you’d be the first to know, and I’m pretty sure you’d be the one to point it out to me,” Peter stated with a chuckle, shaking his head but still holding onto her shoulder, “I think you’d figure it out far sooner than I could, you know, thick skull of mine and all.”

He was grinning still, but it fell and one hand fell from her shoulder as she looked at him and brought up the owls; the owls that he hadn’t mentioned, and he wasn’t sure how she could know about them. He furrowed his brows and slowly nodded, trying to figure out how she knew, what that meant, and then she continued, and he felt himself becoming even more confused.

“… You saw the same thing? The castle, the owls, … the boat?” He asked slowly, then absently rubbed her shoulder a bit, worry flickering onto his face at hearing that she’d fainted. “You’re alright though, yeah?” he asked, before continuing, “Dolores said she saw the same thing today too? Like, everything we both just said?”

He paused, then added with a faint snort, “Fuck, maybe people were right about us being a little cult together.”

---

A simple roll of her eyes fell on him as Peter mentioned anyone he was pining after. If she were being truthful, Lily couldn’t remember a crush that really lasted for Peter. She wanted that happiness for him, the same way she wanted it for that face-painted Soc out on the dance floor. Everyone deserved it, she believed, although fairytales were often hard to come by these days. “If you tell Tuney first, I will be devastated,” she teased him. “Just remember that, whenever you do find someone. Do you want to break my heart?”

It was a gentle tease, but one that Lily did hope would come true. One day. Peter deserved that much, and more, in her opinion. Still, the world was black and white here in Erised. It was hard to see a future where they could win, and be completely happy, without the scorn of the town on their backs. 

Her heart felt like it might pound out of her chest, though, as Peter voiced her growing suspicion. Multiple people had voiced the idea aloud, exactly how she saw it. The castle, the boat, the shimmering lake. Her eyes blinked once, almost laughing at Peter’s retort, his attempt to brush off the growing fear in the pit in her stomach. She assumed it was in his too, festering mildew. “Yea, exactly the same,” she whispered. “Cult or no, that’s... That’s a bit strange, don’t you think? Dol felt so... calm about it, but I feel uneasy. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Lily sucked in an inhale, meeting his eyes. “It’s probably nothing. I’m probably overthinking whatever this is. Maybe it’s the unusual heat?”

⚖️

Amelia couldn’t help but let out a half scoff, half laugh at hearing Lily’s words. She rolled her eyes, shifting to cross her arms over her chest as she looked at the younger girl. There was something so irritating about her, something so annoying and Amelia truthfully couldn’t put her finger on it. She supposed it came from her being a Greaser, because what else was there?

“I didn’t say you didn’t ‘have a right to be here’,” Amelia quoted, rolling her eyes lightly at Lily, “Though I would prefer if you Greasers paid a little more attention and tried to stay out of the way for once, instead of being little gremlins.” She glanced back towards where she could still hear some children running around, then looked back at Lily.

Her eyes narrowed at the younger girl’s next set of words, and she cleared her throat, pointedly. “Oh, I’d hate to ruin your thrift shop shoes, wouldn’t want to put another hole in them that you can’t afford to fix,” She snickered lightly, “But no, I’m not headed in. I’m sure you’re in a rush for the free food though.”

---

It was almost laughable, how much Amelia hated her. If she weren’t so annoyed by the fact that she did, Lily might back off. She might just walk away, learn when that sickly sweetness she’d learned to pour was too much. Still, she couldn’t help herself from adding, quickly, “Well, I can’t quite say that your tone or your words are at all welcoming. People do learn to read between the lines, even us Greasers.”

Her head tilted to the side, as if playing dumb, although they both knew she was much more than that. Maybe that was what irked Amelia. Lily challenged her worldview, made her realize that not all Greasers were the way she was taught. That made Lily’s skin crawl, especially because there were so many amazing people among her so-called “greasers”. Why her?

“I’m rather hungry, yes,” she said, shrugging. “Long day of work will do that to you. And I appreciate that the town came together to give free food to everyone. Quite a lovely celebration, don’t you think? And, rather reminiscent of the holiday’s meaning itself.” Lily couldn’t help but ask, “And you’re leaving? So early? I hear the dessert will be the best part.”

“Best kept secret?” Severus asked with a grin, “Makes you wonder what other things are hiding out in the far reaches of this town, doesn’t it?” Which, for Snape, it did. While the town seemed small - and the young man had tried to explore every inch of it for as far back as his memories would allow - and was still continuing to find new aspects each and every day. He supposed that’s how so many things were meant to be: secret. Like his newfound memory…

Shaking his thoughts back to reality, Severus was caught a tad off-guard at the the remark Lily had made. Little faith in his own self and insecure, Severus chuckled softly. It must have been an innocent joke and could never refer to him. Rather than linger on that topic and make it awkward, Snape gratefully took a fork from the cup she handed him and listened. Feeling rather famished, he began eating the bits of food he had gathered on his plate from - thanks to those Socs, he thought for a moment grimly.

As Lily continued on, Severus tilted his head, wondering how he never knew that Peter had been so close to someone like that, “You both grew up together, then?” he asked smiling, “He’s a good friend to have. Especially with those lemon loafs.” Surely Snape wasn’t this dense - was he? To completely neglect a huge aspect of someone’s life? Someone he called friend The day was seemingly getting stranger and stranger…ever since those lanterns…

“Lily,” Severus began, “this might seem odd, but really, we haven’t met before?” his brows furrowed slightly, “It almost feels like I’ve known you my whole life…in some capacity,” he rationalized aloud.

---

Lily had never quite thought of the town itself holding secrets, not really. The Socs? Sure. They kept secrets all the time; held resources and power as if it were gold. But now that Severus pointed it out... A small shake of her head followed. “I’m more interested in the secrets outside of it,” she said, honestly, almost blushing at the fact that she’d admitted something more personal. “I mean, not that I’ve ever left. But, I’ve always wanted to, at least for a little while. See more of this big ol’ world."

An almost dreamy look settled on her features, and Lily quickly tried to pull her thoughts of the clouds. It didn’t do any good living in fantasies, although it was nice to think of that world. It was nice to think that one day she could really do it, see everything, although she knew it wasn’t realistic. Not that hand she was dealt.

“He’s my brother,” Lily told him, laughing slightly. “I mean... In all the ways that matter. Our moms are close, so we were raised together. Thought he’d might grow sick of me one of these days, but somehow he still sticks around.” If she were being honest, Lily knew she could never picture a life without Peter. She loved his mom, like her own, and knew he felt the same way in return. They just were there for each other, in all the ways a family could be. It meant so much to her, and Lily could feel the love in her voice, even as she tried not to get too sentimental.

And then, Severus asked his next question and Lily swore her heart skipped a beat. That eternal metronome droned for one second, and she felt a warmth flood her body as she leaned forward. “I don’t think so,” she practically whispered. “I do too -- I mean, feel like I’ve known you. Like you’re--” Lily shook her head, laughing. “Like we’ve been friends for far longer than today.” Her eyes searched his for a minute before adding, “I feel like I can trust you. Is that insane?” 

Lily’s optimism wasn’t something Dolores shared. This town wouldn’t get better, she couldn’t see how, but she wasn’t about to drag Lily into her misery. No, Dol would nod and smile all while plotting their escape from this place. That was her way of coping, holding onto a fantasy that one day her life would change. It was easy when Lily spoke of book tours and their partnership.

“Maybe we should come up with the plot before we start talking about book tours.” Her words suggested a scepticism of the idea, but her tone was entirely different. She was hopeful, encouraging - if Lily couldn’t do it, then who could? “You’d be coming with me though wouldn’t you? I wouldn’t want to do the tour entirely alone.”

While she spoke cheerfully about their silly ideas, a nagging sensation that something wasn’t right grew in Dolores’s mind, begging for attention. How had they had the same vision? The same feeling too. It was so specific with the boat and the owls. Maybe they’d both caught a glimpse of it on the television, but then they’d surely remember. She wondered if she should say something to Lily, about how unsettling it was. But then she was brought back to the memory, that wonderful feeling.

“Whatever we write, I want the kids to feel that feeling I had with that vision when they read it. That hope. That one day they might be loved, have friends…” She trailed off. It was such a strange thing to come out of her mouth. The truth, but one she hadn’t recognised until she said it and now that she had she couldn’t understand. She had been loved. She had friends. Her eyebrows crinkled into a frown as she tried to understand her own words. 

---

It was almost funny to think of a book, written by the two of them. Could they actually do it? Lily thought so, if they’d wanted. Maybe it would sell, if they could find someone to publish it of course. And illustrate. “I suppose we’d need to find someone who can actually draw as well,” she laughed, looking at her and nodding her head. “Course. Can’t leave the seeing of the world only to you, can I? No one else I’d rather go to London with for the first time, anyways.”

Paris was a must see, of course, but Lily had always been drawn to London. A timeless city. Lawless, some of the Socs might say. But Lily was drawn there inexplicably, to the never ending streets and sights and sounds. To the castles and giant bridges and clock towers. So different, she assumed from the world in which she lived. Erised was beautiful in its own ways, but London... maybe it was the lure of the unknown, of the fairytale life that might be lived there, but Lily couldn’t help but dream of it. One day.

At Dolores’s admission, Lily found an ache in her chest. A similarity, between them, she supposed. A shared feeling between all the Greasers, maybe. That feeling that you haven’t fit in your whole life, and you’re searching for the people who make you fit there. Lily gently squeezed her friends’ hand, smiling at her with a softness. “That’s the theme then,” she said, nodding. “Acceptance. Coming home. A place where any child can be themselves and have the same opportunities presented to them.”

It was dangerous, maybe, for two Greasers to write a book about equality, but if anyone could do it... Well, Lily believed they could. It might not tear down any boundaries, but it might start to make people see what they felt. That had to be enough. 

🐀

Peter snorted, shaking his head a little. The idea of a Soc finding someone to settle down with sounded like a weird idea to him; he knew they were people the same as them, of course, but it always felt like they were all too high and mighty to actually feel love. He couldn’t imagine the ones who had been so rude to him actually having hearts enough to fall in love with someone else.

Playfully, Peter clasped his hands over Lily’s one shoulder, leaning down against her and resting his chin on his hands; close enough to be a bother, and also to make a playful face, eyes crossed and nose wrinkled. “I don’t know if I should feel more grossed out about the idea of a Soc settling down with someone, or jealous that it’s a thing they can just do,” He laughed out then, leaning back then, but still keeping his hands on Lily’s shoulder.

“It would be an act of service, wouldn’t it?” He agreed, “I’d be in wonder on what girl it could be.” He hummed softly, then took a deep breath at her words. “I could use seeing a few more of them in silly face paint,” He agreed, “Had a weird vision or something and dropped a Soc’s change. Off here day dreaming about castles instead of selling cupcakes, and the husband was a right jerk about it.”

Laughing, he shook his head, then continued, “What about you? The kids keep you all busy too? I think they all had enough sugar to last a thousand lifetimes, yeah?” He snickered at the thought.

---

A snort fell from her lips at Peter’s words, and she scanned his side profile now, the slight lilt of his smile. Lily knew the bitterness so many of her friends held for the Socs, and she understood it. They were still, in her mind, people. Different in so many ways, but still human beings, and she’d never forgotten that. In fact, doing so gave them too much credit; solidified that otherness that the elite were so focused on creating. 

“Hmmm, think it’s the jealousy,” she teased him, grinning wide as she looked back out to the dance floor, eyes following the twirling skirts of the women. Her own outfit was much plainer than the ones on the floor, but she’d at least gotten the color scheme right. “Didn’t know there was anyone you were pining after these days, though.” The question was simple, not prying, just... a statement. Lily hadn’t brought up her crush on Severus, after all, and didn’t plan to until it was something more than a lingering glance every once in a while. 

Listening to Peter’s story of his day, Lily felt her eyebrows furrowing together. A castle. That similar chill fell down her spine, as she recalled her conversation with Dol, all they’d discussed, and looked to him. “A castle?” she asked, carefully, meeting his eyes. “You didn’t happen... There weren’t owls were there?” 

Lily paused, debating what to tell him before he agreed with her. “They were all over the place,” she agreed, shaking her head. “But it was nice. I mean, I fainted... I also...” The image of the castle appeared again, shimmering on that lake. “I thought it was just a dream, but... Can people share dreams? Dolores said she saw the same thing. Today.”

Severus practically burst out in laughter at her joke and had to contain himself as Lily turned away. It had tickled him though. Taking the expression to its religious meaning when he had innocently put it out there for companionship and to affirm some sort of trust. After all, her pet was a client and Severus had a bit of amends to make for forgetting such a lovely person so easily. Snape thought he’d never be able to forgive himself for that. Especially with how content and easy it was to be in each other’s company.

“Lucky,” he nodded with a soft chuckle, “Only if there’s something with lemon. Peter seems to bring a pastry or two along with Harriet from the bakery.”

With her sheepish smile and small snort, Severus couldn’t help but grin. Everything the young woman did was quite endearing. It made his mind flicker ever so slightly to Charity…how he had developed feelings for her and take note of her own quirks as he was now noticing in Lily. And…he almost felt guilty. For what in particular, he did not know in that moment. For not having befriended this fiery red-headed girl before. Or asking Charity out on a proper date; how hard he had to work to get over his nerves, whereas now it was practically second nature.

“That is a brilliant bright side,” Severus interrupted his own thoughts in response to her, “Water does get expensive these days,” he mused before picking it back up with, “but no need to apologize. I’ve handled much bigger handfuls.”

As their hands met, another sensation of warmth overcame him. That same, familiar spark. Ridiculous, Severus chided himself internally, but presented a smile to her as they began walking. Passing the desserts, Severus reached for another plate and cut a fairly large slice of the chocolate cake, “If it tastes as good as it looks, I think we’re in for a treat.”

---

The thought of the bakery was fresh in her mind, and Lily knew that Peter would be absolutely thrilled to know Severus enjoyed the treats enough to bring them up. “Oh, those are the best,” she said, sighing ever so slightly. “I tried to get him to give me the recipe but he refuses. Best kept secret in all of Erised, if you ask me.” The lemon loafs were, truly, some of her favorite treats on this planet. Then again, Lily had never actually been out of town, so it wasn’t like she’d tried pastries from some of the best places in the world.

Still, even then, she couldn’t imagine liking anything more than Peter’s lemon loafs.

The grin on Severus’ lips sent butterflies through her stomach, fluttering annoyingly around as they stood in front of the chocolate cake. It was enough, Lily knew, to send her rambling, on a tangent. So she kept her lips shut as he spoke, taking a deep breath before continuing, “That sounds like a swell job. I mean, being around dogs all day? A dream. If only my place was big enough for more than one.”

Cake on their plates, Lily led him to a table nearby and plopped down, leaning over to grab a fork from the cups in the middle of the table and holding it out to him. “A man after my own heart,” she teased, almost regretting saying it as soon as it crossed her lips. Still, it was out there, even as her heart thudded in her chest at the admission. “I, uh... Chocolate cake was-- Peter and I used to bake it all the time, when were kids. Mum would supervise, of course, but I’d like to think it’s what got him so into baking. Anyways, it’s my favorite, besides the lemon loafs, of course.”

The thought of Peter had her smiling gently down at the cake in front of her, but she took a bite of the cornbread instead, preferring to start with the more savory option before filling her mouth with chocolate. Besides, it’d been a long day, and both were welcomed, especially if it kept some of her nerves at bay.