Sevens ✓

Y E A R F O U R

preferably, smother by daughter for the audio, please — but it's up to you! and then continue with the other songs in the readymade playlist; i just thought it was particularly good for the first part.
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It was bloody freezing.

Lily clenched her teeth as she hurried down one corridor; past a couple of students, her only thoughts on the warm fire that was no doubt in full toll in the Gryffindor common room.

She had forgotten her scarf and coat: instead only bearing her usual uniform and thin cloak that did next to nothing to help stop the biting cold from reaching her skin.

She grabbed onto the staircase banister, after turning a corner, making a little show by leaning back and spinning.

Please don't change, she begged — and luck must've been on her side, because it indeed stayed put and she got off at the next floor.

But that's when she heard it.

Crying.

She had only heard a few people cry before.

One was her mother, who of which had cried after her grandmother passed away. One was her dad, after him and Lily's mum had fought. One was Petunia ... But that was many many times. One was her childhood best friend, Susan, after she had cut her knee, and also after her hamster had died.

But there were also different kinds of crying. Maybe people felt things deeper than others, but there was definitely a difference.

And often, whether a person were to stomp around and shout and sob, or cry silently into their hair, said a lot about them.

It was sort of painful, like, they had held this inside them for far, far too long.

It was also the type that was filled with lots of quiet gulps and pauses and gasps.

Lily froze, her foot paused in mid-step. She knew that it wasn't her thing to get involved with, whoever it was, but she also knew that she would feel guilty for a good day or two or maybe forever if she just walked away.

And so, feeling very cold and anxious, Lily Evans turned left and down a dark corridor, which was rarely used. Clever choice if you didn't want to be found — it's a pity that sound echoes.

Her black leather flats also echoed on the stone floor as she hurried down the corridor, rubbing up her arms to rid of goosebumps.

"Hello?" She spoke very hesitantly, and waited for a response.

It was silent. Silent, because, now, the crying had stopped too.

Lily pulled out her wand and muttered a quick Lumos, illuminating the corridor, doors of old and unused classrooms. A chill slipped down her back, and she wasn't sure if it was just the cold anymore.

"Hello?" This time she whispered, the pool of blue light shaking as she shook, too.

She walked on a little further, and soon noticed a door that, unlike the others, was ajar.

Taking a deep breath, the redhead clenched her fist tighter around her wand and the other, which was clutching her robes sweatily. She entered.