Breaking Even (Open)

[Teagan Kelly]

Teagan found herself outside again. She usually carried around her bag, constantly stocked with a book or two and a bit of parchment, and it was for this purpose she did so. Sometimes she let her feet carry her to wherever they wanted to go. It seemed to her that she always ended outside somewhere.

She found herself standing in front of the Whomping Willow, a careful distance away. It had just been built. No one knew it's purpose but to Teagan, it didn't really matter. It was beautiful and young and mysterious. It seemed full of secrets and she loved puzzles. Teagan found herself wondering just what it was that the Tree had been planted for.

Teagan decided to sit down so she just plopped down right where she stood. She wasn't stupid, not by any means, and she didn't want to get closer to the Tree than this. Her head cocked to the side and she studied it intently. The Tree swayed back and forth, seeming to whisper into the wind but it was a voice that she did not have the ability to understand. It wasn't something most people knew about her but she loved to draw. She drew out her pad and started to draw it.

Her hands faultered momentarily and her jaw began to tremble. She had just recieved a letter from her Grandmum and it bothered her, to say the least. Teagan wanted so badly to race home, scoop up her sister, and take her to safety. The only problem was that there was nowhere safe to be nowadays. The world was cold, dark, and dangerous and absolutely no place for a young girl.

Teagan lifted her face up to the Tree once again and pondered it. It seemed to be a symbol. A symbol that all things beautiful have two sides. Life and death coexist just like summer and winter are two halves of a whole. She wasn't sure she liked this but she returned to her picture, more determined to set it in the right light, be it dark or not.

[Lily Evans]

Lily had gone for a walk on the grounds, just to get some fresh air. James and Sirius had been up to their usual obnoxious antics in the common room, and she needed to get away. She had no destination in mind as she walked, and she soon found herself wandering close to the Whomping Willow. She had seen a few boys taunting the tree the other day, but curiously, James and his friends all seemed to stay away from it. Remus Lupin actually seemed scared of the tree, and she imagined that he had somehow influenced the others to stay away from it.

She was on the other side of the tree from Teagan, and did not see the Ravenclaw girl at first. She walked slowly around the tree, giving it a wide berth as she went. When she caught a glimpse of the girl sitting there, she stopped for a moment, observing her. She seemed to be deep involved in whatever she was drawing, and Lily wondered if the girl would be annoyed at the interruption.

But Lily was a social person by nature, and she liked getting to know new people. So she broke into a smile as she approached the girl.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked.

[Teagan Kelly]

Teagan started and looked up, a hesitant smile spreading across her face. She hadn't even noticed the red-head girl walking up to her, having been so involved in her picture. She was a Gryffindor and she seemed vaguely familiar..... Searching her mind, she realized with a shock that this must be Lily Evans.

She's really pretty, she thought with some awe.

"No, not at all. I was just... drawing but I'm probably not going to finish it. There's just too much to think about," she said and then almost smacked her forehead against the tree, as suicidal as that sounded.

"I mean, it's so nice out. I just get side-tracked. I feel so closed in when I'm in the common room. The others are nice but..." she trailed off, feeling relieved that she had stopped herself from rambling.

[Lily Evans]

Lily sat down next to the girl and looked up at the tree for a moment. It was strangely beautiful in a way, and she could see why the girl had chosen to sit so close to it.

“I know what you mean,” she said. “I have to share a common room with James Potter and Sirius Black. With the size of their egos, it’s amazing that there’s enough room in there for anyone else.”

Lily turned slightly to look at Teagan. She couldn’t remember the girl’s name, but she knew she had seen her around before. Judging by her robes, she was a Ravenclaw. “I’m Lily,” she said, holding out her hand. “You’re in Ravenclaw, right? I always thought I should have been in Ravenclaw. But Gryffindor’s good, too.”

[Teagan Kelly]

The corners of her mouth twitched as Lily spoke. Teagan had heard of the two Gryffindor boys and she happened to share Lily's opinion of them. She also thought that the second year girl in front of her should have been a Ravenclaw but she wasn't about to say it. It might seem rude.

"Yes, I'm in Ravenclaw. My name is Teagan," she said with a smile, accepting Lily's hand.

[Lily Evans]

Lily smiled, her sparkling green eyes focusing on Teagan with interest. She seemed like a girl who thought carefuly before she spoke, and who always had more on her mind than she was letting on. Lily could understand that, even though she wasn't that way at all. Instead, she had a tendency to say whatever came to mind, and she seldom held anything back. It was probably because of this one tendency that led to her being placed in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw.

"Teagan," she said, shaking Teagan's hand quickly before releasing it. "That's a pretty name. What does it mean?"

[Teagan Kelly]

Teagan regarded her in silence for a moment. She was a bit startled by that question because no one had ever asked her it before. She herself loved her name but no one had ever commented on it. The girl in front of her was different, she could tell, and she thought it was a bit refreshing.

"Teagan is Irish for 'poet'," she offered quietly.

[Lily Evans]

Lily smiled. “That’s really pretty,” she said again. “I wish I had a cool name like that. I mean, my name is OK, but it’s kind of obvious what it means. My mum likes flowers. She named me and my sister after her favorite kinds of flowers.”

Her mind traveled to thoughts of Petunia for just a moment. Her sister had stopped speaking to her after her letter to Professor Dumbledore had been rejected. Lily knew her sister well enough to know that she was jealous, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it. If Lily could have, she would have shared her powers with her sister; anything to prevent this distance between them.

[Teagan Kelly]

Teagan smiled and said shyly, "I like your name, though. It's very pretty. My favorite flower is a tiger lily."

It was then that she noticed the slight trace of sadness on the girl's face. She thought that it really wasn't a look that should be on that face. Suddenly, she wanted to know more about the sister that caused such sadness.

"What's her name? Does she go to Hogwarts as well?" she questioned eagerly.

[Lily Evans]

"Thank you," Lily said simply.

As the conversation turned to her sister, however, a frown came over Lily's face. Most people knew her story; in her first year she had been unable to disguise her wonder and amazement at being in a magical school. Not knowing that muggleborns were considered by some to be undesirable, she had told everyone who would listen about her muggle family. But this girl was younger than Lily, and perhaps she had not heard about it. She was more guarded now, more careful about who she told. But this girl seemed harmless...

"My sister, Petunia, is a muggle. When I got my letter, she wanted to come here so badly that she wrote to Professor Dumbledore and asked if she could come, too. But she has no magic in her blood... I'm the only one in my family that does. Now Tuney doesn't speak to me... she says I'm a freak, but I know it's just because she's hurt. And I wish I could help her..."

[Teagan Kelly]

She was shocked and that was very clearly an understatement. Yes, she had heard quite a bit about Lily Evans but, as she searched her mind, she had never heard this. It came as a surprise to her but she didn't care. She wasn't like the other Purebloods, although she hadn't necessarily been raised that way. In fact, Teagan knew her father would probably be astounded to find her conversing with a Muggleborn.

"So, you're a Muggleborn," it was a statement not a question that was closely followed by a single sentence that was filled with fascination, "It must have come as a great shock to you to find out that you were a witch. I mean, it's rather like culture shock, I'd suppose."

She thought for a moment about what else to say to this girl. It made her feel bad that she had been the one to put the frown on her face. Teagan wanted to try to make her feel better or, at least, let her know that she understood very well.

"I have two younger siblings, Shannon and Bryna. Shannon is only a year or so younger than me. He'll be at Hogwarts next year. Bryna is the baby. She's my best friend," she offered, feeling a smile form on her face as she thought of her sister, "It would hurt me terribly if Bryna suddenly decided that she hated me..."

Yes, wasn't that the truth. She knew that it would hurt her very badly if her sister didn't like her anymore and called her a freak. It was rather sad that Lily didn't have that anymore. She didn't think that anyone should be alone. Ever. Even if it was alone in the sense of alienation from a girl that you should be able to count on and be able to tell your secrets to. That made her look at the girl with sadness in her eyes but also something else.

Admiration.

[Lily Evans]

“It was pretty shocking,” Lily said. “The first time I went to Diagon Alley to get my books, it was like I had wandered into some kind of fantasy land. And when I first saw the castle… I was so amazed that I cried. But I always kind of knew I was different. Things would happen around me… things that couldn’t be explained. “

She remembered sometimes she would do things—make things float or change colors—in front of Petunia, not knowing that it was wrong. Petunia had always hated it and yelled at her for it, but later tried to do the same thing with no luck. And now it seemed that she had lost her sister for good. It hurt, but Lily was not one to let such things get her down. Her parents had not turned their backs on her, and she had lots of friends to lean on. Maybe Teagan could be a new friend.

“I miss my sister… but at least I have friends who understand. It’s like my mum always says, when a door closes, just look for a window.”

[Teagan Kelly]

That was a wonderful thing to keep in mind. It made a lot of sense to Teagan and she briefly wondered what other sayings Muggles had like that. They obviously weren't as stupid as she had been led to belive. The girl in front of her was proof of that and sayings like that that kept popping up in conversations around her was just another point in favor of them.

Her situation at home had been different, of course, being a Pureblood. Things Lily would have thought amazing Teagan took for granted. She couldn't really imagine what it must have been like for her to see all of those thing. And the thing with Hogwarts? She could totally understand that.

Licking her lips, she studied the grass carefully and picked up a long stem, twirling it between her fingers. She wondered if this girl could possibly be her friend. It would be really cool and she felt the girl would become something of an older sister if it got to that point...

"Yes, Hogwarts was amazing to see for the first time. Even though I've grown up in this world, I've never been to Hogwarts or even Hogsmeade before I came here for school. And just to let you know, your mother sounds like she is a very intelligent person. I'm sure that you don't feel left out with all the people you seem to know," she said with a crooked smile on her face, a dimple appearing in her right cheek.

[Lily Evans]

Lily, meanwhile, laid her head back on the grass, with her hands behind her head. The sky was very clear that day, with only a few fluffy clouds wafting by. It was still a little chilly, but overall, it was just the perfect day to relax and enjoy nature.

"Thanks," she said. "My parents have really been very supportive ever since they found out I was a witch. They always want me to tell them everything about it when I come home, but I'm not really supposed to tell them everything. But they loved hearing about what Hogwarts is like. And they're excited to hear that I'm doing well. It's just strange sometimes... like I'm living two lives. When I'm here, I'm a witch and everything is magical, and then I go back home and it's all--ordinary. Like I just woke up from a dream."

[Teagan Kelly]

Teagan smiled as she listened to the girls words and reclined backwars, propping herself up with her elbows. Her face tilted so that she could feel the delicate touch of the sun on it and it was like being caressed by a lover. So sweet and warm.... There was so much she loved at this time of year and that just happened to be one of them.

"Hmm. Well, you know, I think that everday life is pretty magical. You know? Because everyday you wake up and breathe and that's a miracle. It's something that you do without even knowing it. Just like magic. We all have it, it's just buried too deep in Muggles," she said matter-of-factly.

[Lily Evans]

Lily smiled, but didn't open her eyes. While Teagan was enjoying the warmth of the sun, Lily loved the feel of the cool breeze rustling through her red hair. At a moment like this, she could definitely agree that there was magic in everyday life. The world, with all of its beauty, was the true magic in this world. Humans could try and tame it with magic or with muggle sciences or other things, but nature by its very definition was untamed and wild and beautiful.

"That's a lovely way of looking at things," Lily replied. "I mean, really, when it comes right down to it, muggles and magical folks aren't that different. We all share this world, and we all are at its mercy. We all have the chance to find love and live our lives. It's pretty amazing when you think about it."

[Teagan Kelly]

She smiled and looked at the grass again. Yes, it was definitely true and she thought that it was pretty cool that someone shared her views on the world that they inhabited. There was many things she didn't understand yet but sometimes Teagan felt older then she was. Now was one of those times.

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way," she sighed out softly, really needing to know that she had the approval of someone else and so relieved that she might have found it, "You should have been a Ravenclaw, you know."

She was shocked at herself. Ever since Lily had mentioned it earlier, it had been on her mind. Now she really did believe that. Looking at the older girl, she realized there must be more to her if the Hat had decided Gryffindor would suit her better. That was interesting to her but she wouldn't push it.

After all, she wanted the girl to be her friends and pushy people usually end up on the other end of the field. That's what Grandmum had always told her anyways.

[Lily Evans]

Lily smiled at Teagan's comment. Her personal opinion was that the houses really didn't mean all that much in the long run. No hat could fully judge a person's character. Yes, she was smart. She was also loyal. And she was bold and outspoken. She could also be clever and cunning when she wanted to be. By those qualifications, she really could have gone in any house, although Slytherin probably wouldn't have her because of her "impure" blood status. She could only assume that the sorting hat had its reasons for putting her where it did, and she was OK with that. She would just wait to see what hand life had dealt her.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she replied. "The whole house thing... a lot of people really take it so seriously. I'm really just happy to be here at all."

[Teagan Kelly]

Teagan nodded, understanding what the girl meant. When she had had her own Sorting, the Hat hadn't even thought of putting her anywhere else. Not really. It had fleeting mentioned Gryffindor but she wasn't brave at all. She was not much of a leader and was more of a follower. She knew that she'd never have courage to stand up to someone bigger then her.

Hufflepuff wasn't even considered for her. Of course, one could expect that. Teagan wasn't really the easiest person to befriend due to her shyness. It just wasn't her. The Hat might have considered Slytherin if not for the fact that she wasn't in the least bit cunning.

Houses only showed the inner workings of a person. There wasn't a thing wrong with any of the Houses whatsoever. It was only what people made of it that had caused rivalry between the Houses.

"Yes, you're right. It was a compliment, by the way," she said with a smile.

[Lily Evans]

“Thank you. I think the only reason it put me in Gryffindor was because I can be kind of… outspoken,” Lily said. “I’m not really the shy type, and I don’t hesitate to speak my mind. I honestly thought I would get in trouble for that more often than I do.”

In fact, she was rather surprised that most of her professors seemed to like her very much. A few spiteful kids (mostly Slytherins, not that she really judged them for their house) had referred to her as a teacher’s pet for this very reason. But she studied hard and did her work, so most professors seemed to give her a pass if she occasionally spoke out of turn.

As she looked at Teagan, who was so obviously shy, Lily wanted to do something for the girl, to reach out to her somehow. And then an idea occurred to her.

“You know what might be fun? What if we got a bunch of girls together and had a picnic or something one day next week? We could listen to music. Do you like muggle music at all? The only wizard music I know are the Wrackspurts and Celestina Warbeck… but I have a really good collection of muggle music.”