lyinginthegrass. // lily&albus!

[mj]

The sun just barely peaked through the clouds on that cold autumn day. Its rays shined down over a fragile-framed boy, who tilted his head back and smiled just slightly. In the light, his faint freckles stood out a bit more; anyone watching would have realised they were in the presence of a Weasley. He had untidy black hair and eyes that were the brightest shade of green most people ever come across. He had a mature face, but a small body, and he was often mistaken as the younger version of his father. In a way, he supposed he was, but the male honestly hated that comparison at times.

Albus Severus Potter—a sixteen-year-old wizard of few words and better known as just “Al”—released a small sigh and sat down in the grass. Putting his broomstick to the side, he set his green-eyed gaze on the lake before him. In the faint light, the water glimmered and sparkled. A few ripples appeared, and Albus wondered if the giant squid was close. Not wanting to find out, he lied down in the grass and pulled his arms behind his head. The breeze blew over him, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly; he could never understand why people spent their days off inside the castle.

Since breakfast, Albus had been outside on his broomstick. He had taken a few laps around the quidditch pitch before flying just short of the boundaries. It was hardly fair, those markers, because he felt like he could fly forever without restraints. Rules were rules, he supposed, but if he knew how, he would have flown straight through the boundaries; like the rest of his family, he had inherited the quality of being a “nortorious rule-breaker” (though few knew, and Albus mostly kept to himself anyway.)

It must have been four o’ clock by that point, Albus assumed, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wondered where his brother and sister were; he enjoyed the silence, but he had spent the entire day alone. James, as per normal, was probably up to no good, and Albus couldn’t quite place Lily; he had been surprised not to see her on the pitch. He thought on it for a moment before relaxing into the grass.

He would get inside eventually, he supposed, but for now, this was good.

TAGS?! my baby sistahhh!
CREDIT?! text credit goes to helloHAILEY?! of caution 2.0.
LYRICS?! tswizzle - change
WORDS?! 406!

[lily luna potter]

So hold on tight and don't look back !!

---------

Most of the time, when Lily was stuck indoors on a beautiful day, her behavior was to blame. More than one of her mornings or afternoons had been spent serving a detention and ‘seeing the errors of her ways’. She would endure her punishment, fake an apology, flash the professor one of her sweetest smiles, and then hurry out into the sunshine. Today had been different. Lily had spent pretty much the entire day sleeping. She honestly hadn’t meant to spend the entire previous night wandering around in her fox form, but time had gone by faster than expected. It was too easy to spend the entire evening and early morning exploring the peaceful grounds of Hogwarts. By the time she had staggered into her welcoming bed, it was already six in the morning.

Her hazel eyes finally fluttered open a little after three in the afternoon. She couldn’t believe that she had actually slept that long. By the time she had finished calming down her unruly hair and making herself look presentable, half an hour had already passed by. This was crazy. An entire day had been wasted. Most teenagers might not have minded, but Lily enjoyed her free days. Between school and Quidditch, they were rare things. At least she hadn’t missed a practice. That would have been a way bigger pain.

She shivered as she stepped out into autumn afternoon. It was a little cool outside for the Gryffindor’s liking. Maybe this hadn’t been as big of a loss as she had thought. Her pale arms crossed across her midsection. A jacket would have been a good idea, but it was too late now. Oh well. She would warm up. No one familiar caught her eye, so she decided to take a little stroll. Despite its chill, the fall air had a pleasant feel to it. It had a scent that was much different from the summer breeze. She tried to focus on that rather than her shivering body.

For some reason, her legs carried her to the lake. It wasn’t her favorite destination. The giant squid might not have been able to leave the water, but that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t reach out and drag her in. It was a silly fear, yes, and she would never admit to it. Still, she did shoot paranoid looks at the lake when no one was looking. Her gaze fell on a figure lying in the grass. Most of the time, she would have had to get closer to see who it was, but his hair alone was enough to tell her that the boy happened to be her brother. A wide grin spread across her face as she broke into a run. Despite their differences, she loved Al. He was much more reserved while she was bubbly and loud. Then, of course, there was the different houses thing. Everyone knew that Albus was a Slytherin. It had sort of bothered Lily at first, but she had gotten over it. He was still her big brother and he still meant the world to her.

Once she got closer to the Slytherin she tried to stop, but her feet seemed to slide out from under her. Next thing she knew, the girl was on her back by her brother. She was laughing too hard to acknowledge the slight pain that had come with her fall. “Hey Al!” she greeted once her giggling calmed. “Just thought I’d drop in to say hello!” It was a cheesy joke, but she just couldn’t help herself.

---------

We don't care about the message or the rules they make !!

word count;; five hundred ninety-three
tag;; albus potter!
lyrics;; the kids from yesterday – my chemical romance
status;; done!
notes;;siblings ftw!

[mj]

Albus never honestly realised just how tired he was. He had risen early, had a quick breakfast, and spent the entire day on his broom. Somewhere along those lines, Al flew right through lunch and taking a break; he had forgotten just how much energy that could take away from a person. His eyes fluttered shut, their lids suddenly too heavy to keep open. He felt the world disappear around him—the picturesque scene before him vanishing from his mind. Despite being a bit lonely, Albus knew he couldn’t complain; the day had been fairly good to him so far.

Letting his small frame sink into the grass, he took a deep breath and let sleep begin to take over. On any other day, Al would pick himself up and get inside to stress over prefect duties, quidditch practice, or homework, but that wasn’t the case on this certain day. He didn’t have to do rounds until late that night, quidditch practice had been cancelled until tomorrow, and his homework was done. Stress-free, he really had no problem with taking a little nap by the lake. Free days were definitely some of the best at Hogwarts.

Without warning, something fell hard beside him. Albus jerked out of sleep and cracked a green eye open, looking in the direction the thump had come from. His vision was a bit hazy, but he quickly picked up the very familiar sound of someone’s laughter—someone he had grown up with. Sure enough, when Al set his full green-eyed gaze on the figure before him, it proved to be none other than his little sister, Lily, laughing wildly. He raised an eyebrow at her but couldn’t stop the grin that flashed across his face. She always succeeded at making him smile—even when she didn’t mean to.

“Hey, Al!” she greeted as soon as her laughter died slightly. “Just thought I’d drop in to say hello!”

Albus scoffed almost instantly. His dear sibling had very obviously fallen right beside him, but the joke she made was just too cheesy for words. “Drop in to say hello?” he repeated, his neck craned towards her and both eyebrows raised. “With jokes like that, I’d think you’ve been spending too much time with our holey Uncle George.” He winked at her and sat up, not feeling quite as tired as he had been. “It’s funny, I was just wondering where you were…” he explained, his fingers tapping his broomstick subconsciously. “How’s Gryffindor treating you, Lil…? Wait.” He paused and held up a finger. “How’s James treating you?”

Al couldn’t stop himself from asking; he had to make sure James was fulfilling his duties as their older brother. That was one of the hard things about being in a different house from his siblings—he couldn’t keep an eye on them and make sure they were all right… especially Lily. She was his little sister and closest friend, and not being around each other much during the school year meant that it was up to James to look after her. Albus knew his brother though, and he couldn’t help but worry about that. He had been so bothered the day that Lily had been sorted; it just didn’t seem fair.

TAGS?! my EPIC baby sistahhh!
CREDIT?! text credit goes to helloHAILEY?! of caution 2.0.
LYRICS?! tswizzle - change
WORDS?! 542!

[lily luna potter]

So hold on tight and don't look back !!

---------

There was something about being around her siblings that just made Lily happy. Her mood could go from horrible to wonderful just from a conversation with one of her brothers. Seeing as she had already been content when she walked outside, there was no way that the smallest bit of negativity could thrive inside of her. The only thing that would really change that would be an argument with Al, but she had no intention of that happening. She didn’t get to see him as much as she did James. They weren’t supposed to be in each other’s common rooms and when they saw each other on the Quidditch pitch, they were often rivals. The only exception to that would be if they were practicing together, but even that wasn’t common. That was why she was so thrilled to see the boy alone and not busy.

Her grin widened even more when she saw his eyes open. “Good morning, sunshine,” she teased, reaching to ruffle his hair. His smile just added to her cheerfulness. Times like this reminded her of when they were kids. Playing outside had been one of her very favorite things, especially when it was just her and Albus. Of course she loved James, but he was so ornery and too similar to her. Al was much more quiet and easier for her to get along with. In a way, their personalities balanced each other out. Even today that still held true. Their difference in houses didn’t matter one bit.

His reaction to her joke, well, that had been expected. She had meant for it to be corny and stupid. That was why it had been so funny. “Oh, c’mon, Ally. You know it was at least kind of funny,” she chuckled, narrowing her lips into a cheeky smirk. His mentioning of their ‘holey Uncle George’ just made her laugh again. The story behind that joke had been sad and amusing at the same time. Only George could have made something as bad as losing an ear into a funny story. “Well, Mom always does say how much I act like him.” That was certainly true. The uncle and niece had always gotten along well and their similarities made it no surprise that they were related.

Lily took a moment to sit up. It felt so nice to just lay there and enjoy the day, even if it was getting cooler. “I was…sleeping in. I decided to pull an all-nighter last night and didn’t wake up until about an hour ago,” she explained, obviously leaving out the part about her little night out. Even her brothers didn’t know about her being an Animagus. It was one of the few secrets that she had kept so well and there was no way she was going to let it slip to anyone. She sat up, shaking a few blades of grass from her hair. Her hand rose to pick of few that clung to the red, slightly messy strands. Despite her attempts to get her hair to behave, it always seemed to prefer the ‘hot mess’ style. “Gryffindor’s great. Especially the Quidditch team. As for our brother,” she shrugged, “he’s been James. Don’t worry; he still doesn’t let other boys go within five feet of me.” She loved her siblings, but they definitely took protecting her seriously. It got a little annoying, but they hadn’t given her any real reason to be irritated with them for it. They were her big brothers and, according to them, it was their job.

---------

We don't care about the message or the rules they make !!

word count;; five hundred ninety-one
tag;; albus potter!
lyrics;; the kids from yesterday – my chemical romance
status;; done!
notes;;they’re so epic!

[mj]

“Good morning, sunshine.”

He grinned at his little sister, always the joker. She and James were definitely alike in that regard, though Al preferred his sister to his brother, who was ruthless. He groaned when she ruffled his already-messy ebony hair, but his good mood didn’t diminish. He missed his siblings more than anyone could ever understand. Growing up as a Potter-Weasley offspring, you better believe that you and your family are undoubtedly close, and that’s what he, James, and Lily were. Coming from a big family meant it was unbearable to be the single, solitary Slytherin. There were days when he felt awkward just to explain his family to his housemates.

He listened carefully as his sister chuckled and tried to cover for her horrible joke. He missed the sound of her laughter; it reminded him of their childhood. Lily was easy to please and making her laugh was a personal favourite pastime of his and James’s. And while there were “big brothers” days, Albus was particularly fond of the “younger siblings” days. If James was being rather bothersome or just flat-out-obnoxious, he would play with Lily. She was gentler than their older brother, and there were times when Al truly believed she loved and understood him more. Being her older brother, he wanted so badly to be there for her too—as long as he could.

Al remembered being young like it was just yesterday. He thought of the days he would talk to the snakes and lead them out of the garden just so Lily wouldn’t see them and get scared. His “older brother” persona had always been there, and it certainly would never diminish. Lily, James, Harry, and Ginny were his entire life.

“Ally,” Albus repeated, his eyebrows knitting together. “Haven’t heard that one in a while. Thanks for reminding me about my range of completely embarrassing nicknames, Lils,” he chuckled, then shrugged. “Though I suppose my name as a whole pretty much does the trick. You’ve got Lily Luna, James Sirius, and I get stuck with Albus Severus. I’ll have to get mum and dad for that one day.” He shook his head and rolled his bright green eyes. “Can’t complain though, really… it’s better than Malfoy’s name. Scorpius Hyperion? Yikes.”

Laughing a bit, Albus leaned his back against the tree and sighed. Noticing Lily seemed a bit cold, he took his own black jacket off his thin body and threw it to her. He didn’t mind. Al was particularly fond of the cold weather; though his small frame wasn’t much of a defense against it, he had a good tolerance against the cold. He would much rather his sister be comfortable, after all.

His jaw dropped when she announced she had only awoken an hour ago. “I’ve been flying since six in the morning, and you just woke up? Lily Potter!” he cried, a mix of laughter and shock in his voice. “What on earth were you doing last night?” Sure, Lily was adventurous and fun-loving, but what was there to do so late? Even prefect rounds were early!

He watched her pick the grass from her messy hair (a trait they had both obviously inherited) and explain her place in Gryffindor. Then she mentioned their brother keeping her from the boys, and at those very words, Albus failed to hold back the huge smile that crossed his face.

“It’s a good thing he can when I can’t,” he said with a chuckle. “Sorry, pal.” He reached over to pull a lasting strand of grass from his sister’s hair. “It’s just what big brothers do… though I wish I could be around just as often as James.”

TAGS?! my epic baby sistahhh!
CREDIT?! text credit goes to helloHAILEY?! of caution 2.0.
LYRICS?! tswizzle - change
WORDS?! 610!

[lily luna potter]

So hold on tight and don't look back !!

---------

Albus’ reaction to her attack on his hair just egged her on. Like her, he had messy hair in the first place, so it wasn’t like she was doing major damage. She was just giving it a bit more…volume. “Don’t worry, Al…I think it actually looks better now! It has a windswept look to it,” she teased, finally pulling her hand back and ‘admiring’ her work, “Actually, hurricane-swept might be a tad more accurate.” Thank Merlin he was patient with her. She was quite capable of annoying him to death if that didn’t prove to be true. James was much less tolerant. He would have tossed her in the lake by now. That would have led to the giant squid rising from the depths and eating her. “Has the giant squid ever killed anyone?” she blurted out, shooting a weary look at the water. It came off as a random question, but surely Al was used to his sister’s randomness by now. She had always had a habit of bringing up things out of the blue. That was just one of the many quirks that came with being Lily Potter.

It wasn’t fair that she didn’t get to spend time with her middle brother every day. She blamed many things for it, but a huge one was probably the detentions. They were such a massive waste of time. Why couldn’t the professors just yell at her and consider that good enough? Not that it would have much of an effect on her. She could try behaving, but that was like asking water to not be wet. Mischief was part of who she was. “Has your year been off to a good start?” she asked. She hoped his answer was a positive one. From what she had heard, a number of the Slytherins found his last name to be a good enough reason to act like jerks. The very idea of someone giving Al trouble was enough to irk Lily. If she ever discovered who those people were, they would be hexed mercilessly. She might have been the youngest, but that didn’t stop her from being protective of her family.

“I know, right? It needed to be used. Ally, Alby, Albers…there’s just so many that have been neglected lately!” She had no intention of being cruel. Teasing her brother was just impossible to pass up. “Shush. You have a great name,” she reassured him with a smile. Their father had told hundreds of stories about the great Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. Both were honorable namesakes. At the mere mention of Scorpius, a subtle blush rushed up into Lily’s cheeks. Stupid crush. She wished that she could get over it, but it was hopeless. “His name makes me think of a hyper scorpion,” she stated simply. She didn’t trust herself to say much more about the Slytherin boy. One stupid comment about his blonde hair or his beautiful eyes or that charming smirk of his would be enough to make her brother suspicious. That wouldn’t have been good at all.

Despite her attempts to hide her shivers, she wasn’t surprised that he had noticed. A smile pulled at her lips. “Al, you don’t have to…” she began to insist, but she had a feeling that arguing would just be a waste of her breath. “Thanks.” She pulled the jacket on, causing her body to warm up almost instantly. She had the best brothers in the world. There was no doubt in her mind about it.

She bit her lip sheepishly. A grin found its way back onto her face as she started to laugh at his reaction. “Easy, Mr. Prefect! It isn’t like I do it often,” she smirked, “and I wasn’t doing anything destructive, I swear.” He never failed to amuse her. Most of the time, he probably didn’t even mean to. “Schoolwork,” she lied without hesitating. “Y’know, studying, essays, stuff like that.” There was a slim chance that he would actually believe that, but it was worth a shot. Maybe it would at least be enough to prevent her from having to come up with another excuse. She wasn’t sure how he would react to her secret, but now really wasn’t the time to find out.

Her eyes rolled playfully at his smile. That was just what he had wanted to hear. No good brother would be okay with his baby sister hooking up with boys. Lily feared for the poor soul that she would actually end up dating one day. There was no way Al and James would make it easy for him. “Yeah, because if it wasn’t for him, I would’ve had some lip action with every boy in my year by now,” she joked. “I know, I know. You guys fulfill your brotherly duties, that’s for sure.” Her smile wavered briefly, turning sympathetic for a moment at the end of his last statement. “That isn’t your fault.”

---------

We don't care about the message or the rules they make !!

word count;; eight hundred twenty-two
tag;; albus potter!
lyrics;; the kids from yesterday – my chemical romance
status;; done!
notes;;ILOVETHEM.

[mj]

Windswept was definitely an understatement when it came To Albus’s untamable black hair. Lily pulled back and seemed to admire her handy-work, before deciding that “hurricane-swept” was a better description. Al stuck his tongue out slightly at her, but he let the teasing slide as he generally did; it wasn’t like it wasn’t totally true. There were some mornings when Albus spent as much time on his hair as Lily did… but it wasn’t like he wanted to! He would love to just wake up and have his hair fall perfectly in place, but he really only spent enough time on it to make it look “acceptable.” Like dad and Lily, his hair seemed to be permanently untidy, though his sister made it work better than he did.

When Lily glanced wearily at the water, and the childish question rushed past her lips before she could stop it, Al chuckled and raised his eyebrows. “Has it ever killed anyone?” he repeated, looking out over the lake. “Well, only once. When a little red-haired girl was picking on her older brother’s hair and asking random questions.” He feigned a serious expression and widened his bright green eyes at his sister. “Yeah, didn’t you ever hear? The thing just went ruthless on her and pulled her back into the water before the brother could do anything. It was a shame, really…” he whispered, shaking his head as if dealing with a load of grief. After a moment of egging it on, he smiled at her and patted her on the back. “You don’t have to worry, Lils. You’re quite safe where you are.”

Albus shrugged when she asked him about the beginning of his year, looking hopeful. “It’s the same old thing, I suppose…” he said, tilting his head back to watch the sky as it began to cloud over. He didn’t want to worry her, but everyone in the family knew how easily he stressed and panicked. Al wished he could be as easygoing as his brother and sister, but he was too ambitious to ever not be successful—he couldn’t afford to lose. Quite regretfully, he supposed that he took after Uncle Percy in that regard. Al literally shuddered at the thought. “Not all Slytherins are friendly, as you know—especially to a Potter—but I’ve gotten used to it. The biggest problem this year has been the younger students. They look at me as if I have three heads. Hopefully you never come across that problem.”

He chuckled and shook his head. When Lily started listing off his nicknames, he glared at her playfully. “Albers!” he cried. “You little git. You’re lucky I don’t start calling you Loony Lily.” Smiling when she complimented his name, he added, “I’m just kidding. You have a great name too. I guess I should be honoured to be named after them and not after a…” he made quotes with his fingers… “hyper scorpion.” He saw the slight blush that crept onto Lily’s face, but he played it off as a reaction to his name. Potters and Malfoys did not mix, after all. Scorpius had no reason not to like him, and yet, that was how it was. For that reason, Albus wanted nothing to do with him either… other than quidditch, of course.

He smiled warmly at his sister when she thanked him for his jacket. After everything that she and James had done for him over the years, what he had done was nothing. They put up with so much—especially Lily. “You’re welcome…” he whispered back, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his jaw on them. “Anytime, sis.”

It was awfully funny to see Lily break into a row of excuses for her late rise from bed. “Please,” he said with a scoff. “You and I both know that on your list of things to do at night, studying and essays aren’t on there.” He grinned. “I’m not as gullible as our dear older brother; I think I read you a bit better.” Al shrugged and shut his eyes briefly. “I’m also not as persistent as James, so I won’t bother you by asking what you were really doing.” He intended for the end of his sentence to enforce some guilt, but he really didn’t want to push it if he didn’t want to tell him.

Al’s smile grew when she teased him but faded when she explained that his absence was “not his fault.” Sighing lightly, he locked his green-eyed gaze on Lily’s brilliant hazel eyes—almost as if he was trying to explain just by looking. “In a way, it is…” he started, shaking his head again. “I should be able to find the time. If you had been sorted into Slytherin….” He stopped himself, then glanced at Lily apologetically. “I’m sorry… if I had been sorted into Gryffindor… I don’t know. There are days when I wish I could be like you and James and mum and dad. I hardly ever see you anymore. Some brother that makes me.”

TAGS?! my epic baby sistahhh!
CREDIT?! text credit goes to helloHAILEY?! of caution 2.0.
LYRICS?! tswizzle - change
WORDS?! 846!

[lily luna potter]

So hold on tight and don't look back !!

---------

Messy hair must have just been a Potter thing. Despite their mother’s calm and behaved hair, their father’s was the dominant gene. Both Al and Lily had hair that liked to put up a fight against being tamed. Hers might have seemed like a challenge, but her green-eyed brother had it worse. She could successfully coax hers into falling straight and pretty with some work. Albus was a boy; he wasn’t supposed to have to deal with hours of styling. Then again, boys could pull off unruly hair better than most girls. Hers would be poofy and a bit frizzy if she spent any less than half an hour on it while guys could look like male models if theirs was messy. Oh well, there were worse things than having crazy hair. She grinned when he stuck his tongue out and responded by returning the gesture. It was immature, but she loved it.

Why did she fail so badly at keeping her hidden fears a secret? She deserved being teased for this one. The redhead gave him a slight smirk and rolled her eyes. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not little.” She laughed at his act. It was so nice to be able to joke around with him like this. Most brothers preferred to be annoyed with their younger sisters rather than play along with their antics. “You’re so mean! Now I’m actually going to be eaten by the monster and you’ll feel horrible!” she pretended to sulk, but another grin was trying to force its way through the façade. Just in case, she scooted a little closer to her brother and gave the lake one more suspicious look. It was better to be safe than sorry. “But if it wanted to kill someone…I mean, it has those long tentacles…” she allowed herself to trail off. She tried to play it off like she was joking, but there was still that paranoia in the back of her mind.

Poor Albus. Being sorted into Slytherin wasn’t that bad of a thing, but she knew how cruel a good part of its students could be. Especially toward a Potter. “It hasn’t gotten any better?” Lily’s disappointment was clear. She wanted him to be happy more than anything and, to her, his house situation wasn’t accomplishing that. It made her question how accurate the sorting hat really was. “Yeah, they don’t bother hiding it,” she sighed, “but if you need someone to put the first years in their place, I’m not against smacking a few brats in the head.” She would have said ‘hexing’ instead of ‘smacking’, but she wouldn’t do that. They were too inexperienced to protect themselves from spells and there was no way she would take advantage of that. It would be cruel and not her style. “I get stared at by the new ones, but it doesn’t bother me.”

“Oh shut up! You know you love being called Albers!” She grinned widely. “Loony Lily? Well, I can’t say it isn’t fitting,” she joked, shrugging. Yeah, she was quirky. So what? Calling her crazy or odd really didn’t affect her. “Mhm, we’re named after heroes,” she agreed proudly. Curses, he mentioned Scorpius again. Even that made those pesky butterflies in her stomach fly around. It was just silly. “It kind of makes me wonder if his parents actually love him,” she tried to cover up her behavior by making a jab at the Malfoy boy. If James or Albus found out that she had even a smidgen of feelings for Scorpius, they wouldn’t be happy. The families were rivals and she was pretty sure that nothing could change that.

She was such a lucky girl. Many people were unfortunate enough to have messed up or split families. It was difficult to imagine living like that. If Lily didn’t have her parents or brothers or extended family, she didn’t know what she would do. They had a strong bond and really loved each other. “If you get cold, just say the word and I’ll give it back,” she offered. There was no way she was going to let Al freeze because she was too stupid to grab a jacket. However, she really was thankful for the relief from the cold. It wasn’t her kind of weather. She was more into late spring and summer. Winter was her least favorite, but autumn wasn’t much better.

Of course he didn’t fall for her effortless excuse. Anyone that knew Lily, even just a little, knew that school wasn’t her priority. “Are you kidding me? I’m completely dedicated to school! There’s nothing on earth that I would rather do than my essays!” she exclaimed with mock passion. It was hard to not giggle at her own performance. “I wouldn’t call James ‘gullible’, but you do know me better.” A pang of guilt did strike her at his next statement, but she just bit her lower lip for a moment and shook her head. “You’ll be happier if you don’t know, Al. Trust me,” she promised.

Her expression grew more serious. This was a very touchy subject and she knew it. “No, Albus, it honestly isn’t,” she corrected him in a firm voice. It wasn’t sharp or pushy, but it made it clear that she didn’t believe that Albus was responsible for any of it. “We’re both busy. Schoolwork’s a pain and we’re both Quidditch stars…I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t leave much free time for me,” she managed to make that sound a bit lighter, but she prevented herself from sounding goofy. “It entire house thing doesn’t mean anything. Sure, we might see each other around the commons, but we would still hang out with our separate friends.” She shook her head. “You shouldn’t wish that. You’re great the way you are and I think you are a fantastic brother.”

---------

We don't care about the message or the rules they make !!

word count;; nine hundred seventy-eight
tag;; albus potter!
lyrics;; the kids from yesterday – my chemical romance
status;; done!
notes;;<3.

[mj]

It felt good to laugh. His little sister never failed to put him in a good mood, that was for sure, and it was one of the reasons he missed her so much. Nobody else was quite like Lily, and there was nobody that Albus felt the need to protect more. Sure, the three Potter siblings were only a year apart from one another, but in the very same way that James tended to look over Al, Al felt protective of Lily. If anyone messed with her, they were as good as gone, and with Albus’s short-fused temper, he wasn’t somebody that many people messed with. He couldn’t even imagine why somebody would want to bother his sister. Though Al knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, he couldn’t stop himself from being so defensive.

Shaking his head, the corners of his lips turned up, and he set his gaze on the lake again. “I guess I shouldn’t be calling you little. Seems a little hypocritical of me, I suppose.” He shrugged, not really minding his fragile frame. “Ah, c’mon! What kind of big brother would I be if I didn’t tease you every once in a while? Better me than James, wouldn’t you say?” Al knitted his fingers together and placed his jaw over them, looking in Lily’s direction. “Okay, so if the squid “ate” you, I reckon I’d feel a little bad… but hey, I warned you!” he added playfully. Nevertheless, he almost ate those words when Lily flanked his side carefully; she was obviously still a bit frightened. Albus didn’t even respond to her expressed fears. Instead, he wrapped an arm over her shoulders and leaned his head on hers briefly.

His smile widened when Lily offered her assistance in dealing with the younger students. “Oh, because having my baby sister fight my battles for me would make all my problems just go away. No offense, Lils, but for some reason, I think that would make things worse.” He grinned at her. Taking his hand away to yawn into his palm, he said, “Besides, they don’t really bother me much either. Being Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley’s offspring, you sort of have to expect that sort of treatment. They’re just curious kids is all.” He remembered being at King’s Cross Station for the first time, demanding to know why everyone was staring. Sure, Uncle Ron had insisted that it was because he was “extremely famous,” but Albus knew better.

“I certainly do not like being called Albers!” he bristled at his sister, who seemed to be getting a great kick out of his nicknames. “Don’t you worry, Lils, I’ll find one you’ll hate someday. One that’ll even give “hyper scorpion” a match!” Albus shook his head. “It’s great to be named after heroes and all, but you gotta wonder what mum and dad—specifically dad—were thinking sometimes. If you think off all the connections that our namesakes have with each other, it’s a little… awkward.” He chuckled. “Oh, well.”

He waved a dismissing hand at her when she told him she’s give his jacket back. Albus was too stubborn and generous to take something back he had already given away. What sort of brother would he did that? A bad one, clearly. The day he let his little sister freeze just so he could keep himself warm was the day that pigs flew. Besides, he knew that Lily was less partial to the cold weather than he was. As much as they loved each other, Albus knew that they were totally and completely opposites. They had more differences than he could name, and Albus honestly believed that, for Lily’s sake, that was a good thing.

“Oh, yes, you and homework…” Al started, his eyebrows raised. “I’d forgotten how close the two of you were. Please, with the whole-wide-world of excuses before you, you say you were doing schoolwork. It’s like you don’t know me at all! I’m hurt!” he teased, crossing a hand to his heart. “Perhaps James isn’t “gullible,” per say, but he certainly can be thick. at times.” The teasing died down at Lily’s next statement, and Albus’s smile quickly diminished. “Happier if I don’t know…?” he asked. “Well, okay… but if you need to talk….”

He didn’t have to finish. She knew what he meant, and when the time was right, she would come to him when and if that was. It definitely bothered Albus that he was keeping something from her, and for a moment, he even considered the possibility of James knowing. He dismissed the thought quickly, though, knowing that thought would just lead him down an aggravated road.

Al forced a small smile when Lily tried to change his point-of-view. “Sure, sure…” he replied, rolling his eyes. “But there are days when I feel like I’m not a great brother. I feel… sort of out-of-touch with the family. I can’t really explain what makes me feel that way. I just get in a mood.” He sighed and glanced back at her meaningfully. She didn't need to know about all his insecurities, so he decided to let the little rant go. “Thank you. You know that if you ever need anything, and you can’t talk to James, you can talk to me. It’s the least I can do is listen.”

TAGS?! my epic baby sistahhh!
CREDIT?! text credit goes to helloHAILEY?! of caution 2.0.
LYRICS?! tswizzle - change
WORDS?! 874!

[lily luna potter]

So hold on tight and don't look back !!

---------

Even if it did mean that she might never have a love life at Hogwarts, Lily loved having her brother around. Sure she was pretty independent, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like someone having her back. He was someone she could depend on, no matter what. It made it even harder for her to keep secrets from him. There was no one else in the entire school that knew her and understood her better than he did. If there was anyone she could tell anything to, it was Albus. The Animagus thing might not have made him flip out too badly, but the interest she had for Scorpius was a different story. To put it simply, there was no way her brother would just accept the fact that his baby sister had feelings for a Malfoy and move on. No, it would be way more dramatic than that.

“You aren’t little,” the redhead insisted with a teasing smile, “You’re just slender! It’s better than being morbidly obese!” That was very true. Lily preferred being skinny and a little short over not being able to see her own toes. “If I had to pick between you and James, I would pick you. You’re much nicer than him.” James’ pranks could get a little cruel. He had never really hurt her, but some of it was embarrassing. She grinned slightly. “No, you would never forget yourself! You’d go mad with guilt!” she declared rather dramatically, shooting him a fake glare. The Gryffindor knew that Albus had no intention of upsetting her, nor did he actually do so, but she couldn’t help the unease she felt about the squid. It was like he could read her mind. She smiled softly when she felt his arm go around her shoulders. Her arm slipped around his middle and tightened briefly, giving him a light hug to show that she was alright.

Lily’s eyebrow rose. “I wouldn’t be fighting your battles for you! I’d just be…helping to keep the first years from getting too obnoxious,” she corrected. That wording sounded better, at least. “Eh…yeah, I would prolly make things worse. I tend to do that.” She did have a bad habit of making bad situations worse. She didn’t do it intentionally, but that didn’t stop it. “I guess it is sort of fun. A little uncomfortable and irritating at times, but I can’t say I hate the attention,” she admitted with a shrug. It wasn’t like she was attention-starved, but she did enjoy it. That was half of why she was always acting up. People would laugh and she would, for a short time, be the center of attention. She had liked it since she was a small child and doubted that she would be changing any time soon.

“But it’s so fun to say!” she egged him on with a wicked grin. It was so funny when he got wound up like this. “I’d love to see you try. Lily Luna isn’t much to work with!” Maybe challenging him wasn’t too smart. He was capable of coming up with something, she just didn’t want to acknowledge it. “Yeah, I know…like James and I being named after our grandparents,” she agreed and nodded.

She really was thankful for the jacket. It was so much easier to be outside when she wasn’t shivering and uncomfortable. If the situation was reversed, she definitely would’ve done the same for Albus. The siblings really did look out for each other. Things had always been that way. It just sort of came with being in a large family, she supposed.

“We’re like best friends!” she joked. Hah, yeah right. The only time schoolwork was fun was when it was being set on fire or destroyed in some other way. “It was worth a try! If you had fallen for it, you would have been proud of me,” she fake pouted. “Yeah, thick is accurate.” Oh James. Their brother was easier to fool than Albus, but she couldn’t call him a complete git. His reaction to her refusal to tell him…that just made her even more frustrated. She was torn between blurting it out and just keeping her mouth shut. “I’ll tell you…soon. Just not right now, alright? I’m okay, I swear. I’m not in any danger or anything,” she promised. Soon was general enough. It could be anywhere from tomorrow to in five years. Perhaps he would forget about it. That would probably be the best thing.

Albus being unhappy bothered her. “If you’re ‘not a great brother’, then I’m a bad sister,” she said firmly, “I should put more effort into seeing you more often. If I spent the same amount of time with you as I did in detention, we wouldn’t have this problem.” If Al was going to blame himself, then she was going to do her best to take part of the burden off of his shoulders. “As for the mood…whenever you feel that way, just come find me. I’m never too busy to talk,” she added with a gentle smile. Lily nodded. “And vice versa. I know that I kind of suck at listening, but I’ll do my best for you.”

---------

We don't care about the message or the rules they make !!

word count;; eight hundred sixty-six
tag;; albus potter!
lyrics;; the kids from yesterday – my chemical romance
status;; done!
notes;; sorreh...I got tired x.x