Chapter Text
July 1976
Lily put her forehead against the cool glass of the compartment window. The vibration of the train hummed softly beneath her, steady and almost comforting. It was a weird feeling, travelling by train from King’s Cross to Scotland and not going to school. Usually, this journey meant uniforms, heavy trunks, and the familiar knot of anticipation in her stomach. Now her lap was empty and the air felt lighter somehow. They still had a month of summer holidays and were now going with Dorcas to visit Marlene and Mary for a week in Edinburgh, since they both lived there.
Lily was enjoying the view outside the window. The day was drawing to a close and the sun began to sink lower over the hills they were passing, painting the landscape in shades of gold and soft green. Fields stretched lazily into the distance, broken by clusters of trees and the occasional farmhouse. She loved travelling by train, and many little towns and mountains were already familiar to her. They passed them on their way to school.
“I’m so happy we get to spend our summer together for once, even if it’s only two weeks.” Dorcas pulled her out of her thoughts, her voice warm and genuine.
“It’s so exciting. I can’t wait to wander through Edinburgh. It’s such a beautiful place, there are so many places I wanna see.” Lily smiled to herself as she said it, already imagining narrow streets, old stone buildings, and the smell of the sea.
“Me too. Hey, look what I got!” Dorcas reached into her pocket and pulled out two packs of Chocolate Frogs, the cardboard edges slightly bent from being carried around all day. She handed Lily one of them. They were alone in their compartment, the door slid shut, so they could easily unpack them without curious looks.
“Cool. I hope I finally get Helga Hufflepuff, then I’ll have all the Hogwarts founders. Oh no, Merlin again.” Lily said disappointedly, unfolding the card with practiced fingers before popping the frog into her mouth.
“I got Salazar Slytherin. I’ve got ten of them.” Dorcas groaned, holding the card up like it offended her personally.
“Maybe give it to Marlene.” Lily said, and both girls burst out laughing, the sound echoing slightly in the small compartment.
Marlene was well known for her despise of the Slytherins. She ripped every Salazar Slytherin card she got in her Chocolate Frogs without hesitation. Ever since Edwin Mulciber jinxed Mary last year, her hatred toward them had only grown stronger, sharper, and far less joking.
“She’s a maniac, our Marlene.” Lily said, laughing, though there was a note of fondness in her voice.
“She is. But somehow we’re friends with her. She’s got a point though, those Slytherins are getting worse and worse every year.”
“I know something about it…” Lily said, her expression immediately changing, the easy smile fading as anger crept onto her face. She was thinking about her childhood friend Severus Snape, whom she was friends with no longer after he dared to call her a mudblood.
“After all I did for him…” Lily said her thoughts out loud, barely louder than the rattling of the train.
“Lily, please. Don’t think about this slimy git. He doesn’t deserve any of your attention. We’re supposed to chill out a little.”
“You’re right.” Lily said, though she didn’t quite believe it. She was unable to think about anything else. Severus had hurt her deeply and permanently, in a way she wasn’t sure would ever fully heal. She had met him a few times over the last month, in the grocery shop, in the park, and he even once tried to visit her at the café where she was working. Each time, her chest tightened. He wanted to talk to her desperately, but she swore to herself that she was not going to talk to him ever again.
The girls fell silent for another hour. Dorcas was reading some romantic novel, occasionally smiling at the page, and Lily was trying hard to focus her thoughts on anything but Severus Snape. The rhythm of the train, the soft turning of pages, and the distant whistle should have calmed her. When she was trying not to think about him, though, another annoying person slipped into her mind. James Potter.
She despised James Potter, or at least she was trying very hard to convince herself she hated him. She tried to remember all the cruel things he and his friends had done, all the public humiliations and arrogant grins, but it wasn’t working the way it should have. Instead, she saw the image of his jet-black hair flowing in the wind when he flew on his broomstick. His stupid smile, confident and infuriating, and the voice that had gotten much deeper during the last year. Was she really that shallow? What was happening to her? She hated him. She definitely hated him. He was nothing but a bully and a flirt.
He got kinder, though. No, he didn’t.
After the O.W.L.s he got much kinder.
No. He. Didn’t.
Lily was trying to battle her own mind when the buildings outside the window started to appear more often, replacing hills and fields with rows of stone and narrow streets. They were getting closer to Edinburgh.
“Dorcas, I think we’re here.”
At the same time, a conductor looked into their compartment, announcing that they were approaching the final station: Edinburgh Waverley.
They grabbed their bags and got off the train, stepping onto the busy platform still humming with arriving and departing passengers. Before Lily even had time to look around properly, she spotted familiar figures in the crowd. Marlene and Mary were already running in their direction, arms waving wildly, faces split by wide smiles.
“Hi!”
All four girls crashed into each other in a tangle of hugs, bags slipping off shoulders, laughter echoing across the platform. They drew a lot of attention while trying to out-yell one another, talking over themselves and laughing at nothing in particular.
“We’re so happy you’re here! We’ve got so many plans!” Marlene said excitedly, immediately looping her arm through Lily’s, Mary grabbed Dorcas, and all four friends happily made their way off the platform together, still buzzing with energy.
“There’s been a change of plans. We were supposed to stay at my place, but…” Mary started, her voice already carrying a hint of suspense.
“But my parents are going out of town for a few days, so we’re moving. WE’VE GOT THE WHOLE HOUSE FOR OURSELVES.” Marlene announced a little too loudly, just as her father approached their little group.
“Now, Marlene, I hope you don’t scare off your friends with your shouts before they even have the chance to get into our place.” His tone was amused rather than scolding.
“Oh, hi Daddy, I thought you’d be waiting in the car. Daddy agreed to drive us home.” Marlene said sweetly, flashing him an innocent smile that fooled absolutely no one.
“Hello, girls.” Marlene’s father smiled warmly at them and gestured for them to follow. He was a tall, good-looking man, carrying himself with an air of quiet confidence. He was wearing a black robe and clutching a pointed hat in one hand and car keys in the other, an interesting contrast that made Lily smile. They already knew Marlene’s parents; they had seen each other on King’s Cross many times, usually in the chaos before the Hogwarts Express departed.
“You’ll have to forgive me for my attire, I just got out of work. I didn’t even have time to change. So much work in the Ministry right now, really…” The last part he muttered to himself, shaking his head as if the weight of it all sat permanently on his shoulders.
“But you’re going on vacation now, Dad.” At that, Marlene winked at her friends. “You’ll finally have some peace.”
“I hope so, darling. I hope so.”
They got into the car and set off, Edinburgh’s streets slowly unfolding around them. The road wasn’t long, and the girls filled the car with chatter and laughter, interrupting one another as they shared half-finished stories and inside jokes.
The McKinnons’ house appeared at the end of a quiet street, grand and unmistakable. It was a huge house with a huge garden, the kind Lily had only ever seen in magazines or during school trips. She had always known Marlene came from a wealthy family, but the house still overwhelmed her. She exchanged a glance with Dorcas and Mary, and judging by their expressions, they were just as stunned as she was.
They were about to spend two weeks in a palace.
The moment they stepped inside, Mrs McKinnon came rushing toward them, wiping her hands on a towel, her face lighting up.
“Hello, hello! Come in. Dorcas, Lily, you must be starving. It’s not a short journey from London. Mary, come in, darling. I’ll get you something cold to drink. It’s a wonder it’s been so hot. Weather like that in Edinburgh!” She spoke quickly with a heavy Scottish accent, barely pausing for breath. Mrs McKinnon was a short woman with a beautiful freckled face and a head full of blonde curls that Marlene had inherited. She was awfully nice and always talked a lot, but in a comforting way.
“We’ll freshen up a bit, Mum, and then we’ll come down.” Marlene promised.
“Of course. Prepare yourselves for homemade hot dogs!”
The girls laughed, thanked her, grabbed their bags, and followed Marlene upstairs, their footsteps echoing softly along the wide staircase.
“This is my room. Two of us can sleep in here and the other two will take Eveline’s room, at least in theory. I’m planning a slumber party every night and a minimum amount of sleep. Orders from your lady of the house!”
Marlene’s room was huge, and they could all easily fit in there without bumping into one another. It was a beautiful room with a four-poster bed, but not like in their Hogwarts dormitory. This felt more like a princess’s bedchamber, bright and airy, with soft fabrics and large windows.
Another bedroom was no less big and no less beautiful, well decorated with a huge pull-out sofa, a chaise longue, and a king-size bed that looked far too luxurious to actually sleep in. The room belonged to Marlene’s sister, Eveline, who got married few months before and moved out to California with her husband.
Lily couldn’t remember the last time she had been this excited. Just Eveline’s room alone was the size of her and Petunia’s bedroom combined.
“Here’s the bathroom. Leave your bags, freshen up and come down. I’m gonna help Mum.” Marlene said, and when she was already on the staircase, they heard her mutter to herself, “We’re gonna have so much fun.”
They all laughed at their friend. Marlene always seemed crazy and overexcited, but she was the best friend anyone could ever imagine. It was obvious how happy she was to have her girlfriends there with her.
“So, what do we think?” Mary asked as they started looking through their bags for some fresh clothes.
“This place is amazing.” Lily sighed, walking over to the guest room window. In the distance, beyond rooftops and greenery, she could see the sea glimmering faintly.
“Oh, we’re gonna be ladies of leisure all week, aren’t we?”
“I expect nothing less, Dory.” Mary said, pulling a shirt over her head.
Lily shook her head and laughed. “Don’t forget we’re about to go sightseeing.”
“Oh yeah. I think I already forgot, Lils.”
“Unfair!”
“I’m joking. Of course we will. Maybe we’ll even go to the beach.”
“Ooh!” Lily loved the sea and beaches. The thought of salty air and sand between her toes made her chest ache pleasantly. She wanted to live somewhere on the coast one day.
“We better go downstairs now. I’m starving.”
The homemade hot dogs Mrs McKinnon prepared were delicious, warm and comforting. They washed them down with strawberry lemonade, and everyone felt pleasantly full and content by the end of the meal.
“So where are you going on holiday?” Lily asked Mr and Mrs McKinnon.
“We’re going to the French Riviera. Hector got a break from work just as our anniversary approaches, so we’ll celebrate it there.”
“So romantic!” Mary squealed, and Mr McKinnon gave Mrs McKinnon a quick peck on the cheek, making her laugh.
“I’m sure it will be. Poor Hector has so much work in the Ministry with all those Death Eaters running around. He deserves some good rest.”
At the mention of Death Eaters, everyone flinched, the atmosphere shifting just slightly. Lily was very curious about Mr McKinnon’s work, but she didn’t want to pry. Last year, the Death Eater attacks had become more frequent and violent, and she wanted to know everything, which was difficult while living in a Muggle household. Marlene and Dorcas, whose families were entirely wizarding, often kept their friends informed about the latest news from the Wizarding World.
No one dared to mention anything more about Mr McKinnon’s work, sensing it would ruin their idyllic evening, so they steered the conversation toward holidays, the approaching school year, and their plans for the following week.
After supper, everyone exchanged goodbyes, since Mr and Mrs McKinnon were leaving in the middle of the night.
Later, when all the girls were already in their pajamas, they gathered comfortably in Marlene’s room, sprawled across the bed and floor, sharing updates from the past month.
Lily talked about her part-time job and her uncomfortable encounters with Severus, earning disgusted looks and sympathetic noises from the others. Mary talked about spending the last few weeks in Spain with her family, Dorcas talked about her brother’s wedding, and Marlene, grinning, talked about the new boy she had met at the beach.
“Oh, and by the way, he’s invited to the party.” Marlene said matter-of-factly.
“Party?”
“Yeah. I’m planning it for Tuesday.”
“You didn’t tell us about any party!”
“Didn’t I? I thought it was obvious there was going to be a party. Shall I remind you that my parents aren’t going to be here?”
“I have nothing to wear!” Dorcas shouted, horrified.
“Me too.” Lily said, mentally analysing the clothes she had brought and finding them all terribly inadequate.
“I’ll lend you something, of course. In fact, I’m planning on dolling you all up. Maybe you’ll finally meet some suitable gentlemen…”
“Marlene!”
“So who are you gonna invite?”
“Oh, I already invited a few people.” Marlene said mysteriously. “I still have to send a couple of owls tomorrow.”
“Wait, you said that your new friend is a Muggle. You’re inviting him to a wizarding party?”
“Where’s the problem?”
“Breaking the Statue of Secrecy?”
“We can’t use magic anyway!”
“Are you sure it’s a good idea?”
“I’m sure.”
And so the girls talked through the night, planning the party, teasing one another, and laughing at silly things they remembered, until sleep finally crept up on them.
The party was going to be interesting.