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zero, ࿐ growing pains
"YOU DID WHAT?" Stevie nearly yelped, nervously pulling at her yellow and black tie that she had knotted rather poorly that morning in a haste to get to class after she'd slept through her alarms and waking up ten minutes before Divination, which was to her luck, the opposite direction of the Hufflepuff common room.
Lily Evans shrugged, the two girls ducking around the corner to head into the Hufflepuff common room. Stevie tapped out the rhythm on the barrels, and yanked Lily inside, before anyone could see. "I- uh rejected James Potter in front of the entire Gryffindor quidditch team even though I really wanted to say yes to Hogsmeade?"
"Christ, Lils," Stevie sighed, as they made it to the seventh year girls dormitory, which was thankfully empty. Lily, a sixth year and a Gryffindor stuck out like a sore thumb, especially with her fiery hair, but most Hufflepuffs didn't mind; they were always very welcoming to other houses, even the Slytherins. Lily sniffled, obviously still very beat up about it. "Wait here," Stevie smiled, as Lily flopped onto Stevie's bed. "I'll be right back."
Stevie quickly made a mad dash for the kitchens, returning with two big bowls of ice cream, which made Lily smile a little. It was a bit of a strange friendship, when Stevie was a year older, but the Monroe girl had protected Lily from bullying when the redhead was in her fourth year, and they had grown rather close since then. Stevie felt like Lily's big sister, and Lily had even admitted that she considered Stevie to be more close to her than her biological sister, Petunia, who she had fallen out with after she'd discovered she was a witch.
Both Stevie and Lily were raised by muggles, and although Stevie had grown up in an orphanage, she had discovered she was a halfblood, and that both of her parents were considerably wealthy before they were murdered when she was a baby. It meant she didn't have to worry much about money, and robes were never shabby. With war on the horizon, and prejudice against anyone with muggle heritage rising, that would prove quite useful.
Lily swatted Stevie's shoulder. "So, how's the job search coming along Eve?"
Stevie let out a shriek of laughter, she'd gotten a very special letter at breakfast but had not told anyone about it yet. She dug the crumpled parchment from her pocket and inhaled sharply. "Dear Miss Monroe. On behalf of Alastor Moody-"
"You got in!" Lily screamed loudly, throwing her arms around Stevie. "You're going to be an auror!"
"Like my mum and dad," Stevie added wistfully. "Besides, it's only an invitation to start training, and it's conditional, based upon my N.E.W.T. scores."
"They'd be proud, you know," Lily whispered, honeyed voice soft, and sweet. "And plus, you are one of the brightest witches in the school, you're Head Girl for a reason, and captain of the dueling club. You probably aced exams. Your only flaw is that you're single but that's not even a flaw, I can find you someone very nice! My friend Marlene, she's also-"
"Is into girls?" Stevie giggled, Lily nodding. "It's okay, Lily. I don't think I should be getting into a relationship with a sixth year, I'm leaving Hogwarts this month."
One of the curtains was suddenly yanked open, a curly haired girl with smooth, bronze skin, and freckles standing there with her arms crossed. Dorcas Meadows grinned at the two of them, before fixating her eyes on Lily. "Peter told me that Remus told him that Mary told him that Sirius said James is looking for you, Lily, or should I say, Lily-Flower."
"Merlin's beard," Lily sighed shaking her head, Dorcas letting out a suppressed giggle. "Potter has got to let it go- don't look at me like that!"
"Lily-Flower here wants to snog Potter," Stevie grinned triumphantly. Dorcas let out one of shrieking laughs, tossing a pillow at Lily, who lazily flicked her wand to tighten the Hufflepuff's tie, which was hanging loosely around her neck.
Dorcas proceeded to hit Lily with a pillow, Stevie hopping off her bed and walking away, flipping the two sixth years off as she slipped into the common room, balancing the two bowls in her hand. "Don't you fucking dare get my bed messed up," she added over her shoulder.
By the time she returned, Lily was the only one left. "Dorcas went to her dormitory," the redhead shrugged. "I'll get going, love you Evie!" Lily smiled, kissing her friend on the cheek, the older girl chuckling.
"Lily, wait," Stevie called. "Please, tell Potter you fancy him. Preferably, at breakfast, tomorrow. You two need to be dating by the time I graduate, okay?"
Lily rolled her eyes, but still smiled. "Okay Stevie. Sleep well."
Stevie retreated back into the safety of her bed, flicking her wand to draw the curtains, before she pulled a small photo album from under her pillow and flicking to one of the pages. David Monroe and Honoria Macmillan grinned back at her, a toddler Stevie perched on his thigh. This must have been a couple of months before they'd been murdered, she'd just turned four when it had happened.
"I did it!" she cheered silently to herself, stroking a finger over the pictures. "I hope you are proud of me, mum and dad."
࿐ AUTHOR NOTE thank you for reading!! this is not my usual style, it's way more dialogue heavy but i needed to emphasize how close stevie and lily are!! and yes, stevie is a year ahead of the marauders and marlene.
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