Word Count: 3,484
Rating: PG-13
Category: AU, Fairy Tale
Notes: Written for HP Next Gen 2010 Fest. I blame the 2010 Winter Olympics and a prompt for giving me this plot bunny. Many thanks to Groolover for the beta!
Summary: When Lily Potter finds out she’s a squib, she’s devastated. But then, with the help of her fairy “godfathers”, she finds talent in unexpected places.
Pairing: Gen but see warning
Warnings: Some Slash — minor Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter, “voyeurism”
Dedications: HP Next Gen 2010 Fest community
Completed Date: February 24, 2010
Once upon a time, there lived a young girl named Lily, and she looked forward to turning eleven. At eleven, she knew something wonderful would occur. It was a time where every young wizard and witch would go to the best wizarding school in the world, and that place was known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
She was only three when her oldest brother, James, went off first, and only four when her middle brother, Albus, left as well. Every time her brothers came back during the summer and winter holidays, they told her all sorts of fascinating stories. She heard stories about the Sorting Hat, the Hogwarts ghosts and portraits, the Giant Squid, the Quidditch matches, and so on. Everything simply amazed her, and she couldn’t wait until that September 1 of her eleventh year.
Soon, her eleventh year came, and by then she’d gone through a couple of major changes in her life.
When she was eight, her parents had divorced. That life-changing event upset everyone, but it influenced her the most since that was her first wake-up call to how difficult life could be. She had always envisioned that her parents would stay married and grow old together like her grandma and grandpa. To be told otherwise gave her an unpleasant shock, and she cried for a long time, fearing that it was all her fault no matter how much her mum and dad tried to say the opposite.
Eventually, though, she accepted the divorce. She told herself that big girls did not cry, but rather they learned to adapt and move on. When she saw how much happier her parents were with other people, she decided that it was better to see them happy than being miserable around each other.
The same thing happened when Albus and Scorpius came out and told everyone they were gay and seeing each other when she was ten. While she was taught to be open-minded and accepting, it was still a bit hard to see her brother dating a boy. But, like that time with her parents, when she saw how happy Albus was with Scorpius, she became accustomed to this new period of adjustment.
However, when her dreams were crushed in her eleventh year, she felt like the end of the world had come.
“Daddy? Mummy?” Lily looked at her parents, who had come together to tell her this bit of news, and her lips quivered as she tried to blink the tears away. “What do you mean I can’t go to Hogwarts?”
“Sweetheart . . . ” Harry sighed as he looked at Lily. “I’m sorry we have to tell you this, but you’re a Squib.”
“A Squib?” she whispered fearfully. “I . . . I don’t have magic?”
“Yes . . . ” Ginny said.
“But I can still go to Hogwarts, right? Please say I can! I want to go!” Lily shouted, standing up, hugging herself in protection. “Please, Daddy! Please, Mummy! Let me go.”
“I’m sorry, Lily, but you can’t. Hogwarts doesn’t accept non-magical children,” Ginny explained calmly.
“But . . . but . . . ” The tears she tried to hold in valiantly came down her lightly freckled cheeks. She knew what Squibs were; she knew about people like Mr Filch and Mrs Figg. She heard stories about how Mr Longbottom’s relatives thought he was a Squib at first. Like Mr Longbottom, she hadn’t displayed any magical abilities, but she told herself she’d get them when she became older. Her parents even told her that not everyone developed at the same rate, so she waited patiently for her magical powers to awaken.
But now to be told she’d never have any magic and to be told she couldn’t attend Hogwarts . . . she didn’t want to believe it.
As she sobbed in her father’s arms, she had to say one thing. “Please, don’t disown me.”
“Never,” Harry said firmly. “Magical or not, you’ll always be our daughter. You’ll always be our baby girl.”
Hearing her father’s strong words made her feel a bit at ease, but she still felt miserable at knowing she could never be a proud witch at Hogwarts.
September 1 came and went. Lily moped around in her room whenever she wasn’t at the local Muggle school. Her brothers had attended Muggle schools themselves, too, before they went to Hogwarts. Her parents had wanted them to grow up in both cultures, since they knew how clueless many wizards and witches were about the Muggle world. Lily never minded. She enjoyed school, and she knew it was only until she went to Hogwarts. Now, she’d have to attend until she grew up. For the first time ever, she found herself hating school, and her hatred showed in her attitude and in her schoolwork, her marks dropping to dismal numbers.
She became listless and apathetic. She simply didn’t care.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Lily?” She heard Albus’ voice. “We’re here. Can we come in?”
“Yeah.” She sat up on her bed.
Albus walked in with Scorpius, both looking very fit and handsome and both carrying ice skates over their shoulders. At Hogwarts, Quidditch wasn’t the only sport offered now. Under Headmistress McGonagall, Muggle sports were introduced to the school, and ice skating was one of them. Both Albus and Scorpius had become interested in figure skating. First they were solo skaters, but then they became the first gay pair to skate together on the ice at Hogwarts. Lily had watched them on the ice many times already. Watching them was quite an experience.
But right now she had no desire to watch the two of them act lovey-dovey on the ice or off it.
Albus handed his skates to Scorpius, and he sat on the bed next to her. “How’ve you been?”
“You asked me that just this morning. I’m fine,” Lily said unkindly. Now that Albus and Scorpius were done with Hogwarts, she saw them every day. “Don’t you have some competition to practise for?”
“We’ve just finished,” Scorpius answered. “We came to ask if you wanted to go to the local rink. Or we could go to the rink at my place.”
“No,” she stubbornly refused.
“Aw, come on,” Albus coaxed. “It’ll be fun. Look, we even bought you new, beautiful white skates!” He nodded towards Scorpius, who revealed the skates.
She eyed them. They were new, and they were pretty. And while she didn’t skate much compared to them, she did enjoy the few times she’d tried. “Fine.”
“Excellent! We’ll be your ‘fairy godfathers’ and change you into the Cinderella of the skating world. Get your warmest jumper and your gloves!” Albus looked pleased at her choice.
“Whatever,” Lily muttered. Though, she did wish they were her fairy godfathers. If they were, they probably could grant her wish to go to Hogwarts. For now, though, she decided to settle for breaking in her new skates. She imagined them to be magical skates, and she longed for them to give her magical power instantaneously.
The skates didn’t give Lily the powers she yearned, but she still had fun. As she skated on the vast rink belonging to the Malfoys, she zipped across the clean ice. It wasn’t like broom riding, but it still almost made her feel like flying. She quite enjoyed it.
While she skated to her heart’s content, she saw Albus and Scorpius taking a hot chocolate break inside a little resting area, and she knew they were watching her. They looked like they were having a serious discussion. Curious, she touched her earrings, a present from Uncle George, some new variation of the Extendable Ears, only they were called Extendable Earrings. When she touched a button on them, she could hear conversations nearby. Nobody knew she had these since Uncle George had made them specifically for her. Sneakily, she listened to their conversation.
“I think she has potential,” Scorpius said.
“So do I,” Albus admitted. “More than us, I’m afraid. She has a natural grace about her that we both lack. Then again, maybe it’s because she took ballet lessons before? I’m not sure.”
“Whatever’s the case, I’m willing to help her train.”
“Yeah.” Albus’ voice held a hint of sadness. “I just want her to be happy. Let’s ask if she’d want both of us train her, hm?”
“Sure, but first . . . ” Scorpius leaned over and kissed Albus deeply. It was done slowly and deliberately.
Lily raised her eyebrows. She wondered why they were kissing as openly as this. They had never done that before. She stilled her movements and watched through the window of the resting area in fascination.
She watched Albus kissing back, his arms coming to wrap around Scorpius’ neck. She wasn’t certain, but she figured their tongues met inside, and she envisioned them both twirling and swirling against each other, just like the way they skated on the ice together. On the ice, they became one with each other, each complementing the other’s strengths and weaknesses. When they kissed and hugged, their bodies meshed well together. Or that was what she thought.
While she found them to be interesting to watch, she didn’t really want to watch them go any further. She was only eleven, but she definitely knew about the whole sex thing, all thanks to her Muggle classmates and the Muggle entertainment industry; although, she wasn’t quite sure how two boys had sex. She skated closer towards them and shouted, “Hey! Can you two get a room and do it?!”
Scorpius and Albus broke apart. Albus gave Scorpius a horrified expression. “I thought you said the glass was spelled so nobody can see us!
“Father must’ve disabled them,” Scorpius said, his cheeks pink.
Lily giggled, feeling happier than she had for weeks. She gave them time to compose themselves, and when they came out, Albus said, “Lily, we wanted to ask you something.”
“Ow!” Lily landed on the ice, and she could feel a new bruise already forming on her sore hips.
“Lily? You’re overdoing the jumps.” Albus skated over and helped her up.
“But I can do it! I know I can! I almost got it!” she eagerly said, readjusting her ponytail.
Scorpius glided over. “I agree with Albus. It’s only been two weeks.”
Stubbornly, she said, “If Johnny Weir can do a single axel jump in a week, then I can do the same in a few weeks!”
As she skated off, she heard Albus said, “Well, at least she’s determined.”
“Persistent, too. And stubborn. She takes after you.”
“Shut up and stop that rhyming!”
She ignored them as she skated away, gearing up to do another jump.
Every day, except for Sunday, Lily practised. She’d wake up early in the morning to practise at the Malfoys’ rink before school started. She’d practise after school at the local rink, so she could be motivated and challenged by skaters her age. Her practices ran well into the night as long as she didn’t have any homework to work on. It was a rough schedule, but she didn’t mind.
She enjoyed skating, and the more she practised and zigzagged across the ice, the more she became passionate about it. Whenever she skated, she’d forget about all her worries and troubles, and she’d let herself be transported into a magical world of her own.
Whenever she was off the ice, she’d use her laptop to look up clips of figure skaters from the past. She’d watch the men’s, the ladies’, and the pairs’ competitions. She paid close attention to the choreography, the complex jumps, footwork, and spins, and she admired the beautiful costumes and outfits the skaters would don. She read and had Albus and Scorpius explain the International Skating Union judging system, wanting to familiarise herself with it. She kept tabs on current skaters, keeping an eye out for her future competitors. She even raided James’ MP3 collection to listen to a variety of music, so she could get some ideas for future song selections.
It wasn’t long before she set a goal for herself. A new dream formed in her mind as she decided to aim for the gold at the World Junior Figure Skating Championship and eventually the Olympics.
She knew it would take a lot of work, and she was willing to do it.
A year later, Lily grinned as she landed a triple jump. Her jumps were coming along nicely, as well as her spins and footwork.
Albus told her that she was ready to enter the local competition, and her two coaches helped prepared her for it. Albus focused more on the technical abilities, and Scorpius helped with the artistry of her movements and on expressing her emotions. These were their personal strengths in their skating, and Lily listened and followed their guidance.
Soon, she had a choreographer. She was thrilled at this new step. Now, she’d have a programme to work on, a short programme and the free skate. That made it feel more official as she prepared for the competition in a few months.
At her first competition, she fretted before she did her programmes.
“What if I fall? What if I forget my steps?” She attached herself to Albus’ arm, her nervousness claiming her.
“Lily.” Albus looked into her eyes. “You told me before that skating feels like magic to you. You also said you feel like you’re in another world when you get on that ice, right?”
She nodded.
“Just remember that when you’re out there,” Scorpius said. “Close your eyes, imagine yourself to be at the practice rink all alone, and skate your heart away.”
She took their advice. She skated a clean short programme, placing first. In the free skate, she nearly forgot her moves, but her muscles remembered them. She listened to the rhythm of the music, associating them with her moves, and she made it through the free skate with no major problems.
When she was done, she breathed hard on the ice. She heard the clapping. She heard and saw a sea of red as her family and relatives all cheered for her. She caught Albus and Scorpius looking very proud, and she gave them a beaming smile.
When the scores came out, she outclassed the other girls, and she won the gold. As she stood on the podium, waving to the flashing cameras, she knew she could achieve her dreams, and that was without any magic. She was ready to show the Muggle and the wizarding world just what a so-called Squib could do.
“‘Fifteen year-old Gets Closer to the World Junior Championship’,” Scorpius read the headline of the article. “Blimey. Can’t they be a bit more creative with their titles?”
“What would you suggest?” Albus asked.
“Oh, something like ‘Gorgeous Teen Skater Aims for the Gold’.”
Lily laughed. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s any better than the original.”
Scorpius pretended to look hurt. He turned to look at Albus and pouted. “Her words wound me deeply! Heal me with a kiss, love!”
Albus and Lily exchanged a look. Albus questioned, “Should I?”
“Why not?” Lily agreed. “It’ll make him less loony, I reckon.”
“Naw, I know a better way.” Albus smirked and summoned a pillow. With it, he whacked Scorpius in the face.
“Ow! I never knew the Potters were so violent. Don’t you know the old saying ‘make love, not war’?”
“I thought it was ‘peace’,” Lily interjected.
“Close enough,” Scorpius retorted.
Lily rolled her eyes. “I’ll let you two have some ‘together time’. Just remember the silencing charm, please?”
They blushed as she scampered out. As soon as she closed the door, she heard one of them casting the spell, but then she stopped and opened the door a smidgen. She peeked inside, and she watched the love visible on their faces. She observed the half-closed eyes and the gentle smile on Scorpius’ face. She saw Albus’ green eyes darkened with emotion.
The two moved fluidly, Scorpius with more grace than Albus. Their lips came in contact with each other. The kiss was light at first, but she could see them deepening it. Albus buried his hands in Scorpius’ long blond hair. Scorpius’ slender and elegant fingers hooked themselves into Albus’ trousers’ belt loops. Every action, everything they did was more intense than when she had watched them at the tender age of eleven. She smiled to herself as she stared at the sweet scene. She knew Albus and Scorpius really loved and cared for each other. Their love was deeply rooted and genuine, and it was noticeable the most when they kissed like this.
Deciding to give them the privacy they needed, she quietly closed the door and leaned heavily against it. Two things floated in her mind as she stared at the wall in front of her. First, she hoped to find a man who’d love her just like Scorpius and Albus did for each other. Second, in her next competition, she wanted to emulate the emotions she just saw in her skating. She wanted to show the judges and the audience just how much she loved being on the ice and how much she wanted to win. She longed to feel a sense of accomplishment, and she would do it. She was ready to prove to the world that she could do anything.
The competition at the World Junior Championship was stiff. The best skaters from all over the world were here, and Lily could feel the tense atmosphere. In her short programme, due to nervousness, she messed up on a triple-triple combination, and that resulted in her being in fourth place. She felt discouraged by the results, chastising herself that she could have done better.
In her hotel room, she threw herself on the sofa.
“Lily?” Albus sat next to her. His arm rested on her shoulders, and she leaned into the half-embrace.
“I did poorly.”
“No, Lily. Fourth place is not bad. There’s always the free skate. That will bring a lot of surprises, you know.”
“Albus is right.” Scorpius joined them on the sofa. “Fourth place is nothing to be ashamed of. You did great.”
She gave a small smile. Half-teasing and half-serious, she asked, “Know of any spells that might help me in the free skate?”
“Lily, listen to me.” Albus’ voice took on an authoritative tone. “You don’t need magic to win this. I know you’re still sore about not being able to go to Hogwarts, but I want you to remember something. You did this with your determination and talent. You came this far in a short amount of time like Johnny Weir did. You did this without any spells or potions. This was all you.”
Scorpius squeezed her hand. “Just skate your best and have fun. That’s all we ask of you.”
Lily nodded with tears in her eyes. “Thanks. You two are the best ‘fairy godfathers’ I could ever hope for.”
“Well, we are indeed fairies . . . should we invest in some wings, too?” Albus teased.
All three burst out laughing, and Lily knew then just how lucky she was with her life. Like all those other times, she’d learned to adapt. Whatever results she received in her free skate, she was ready to accept and move on.
Lily was the last skater to do the free skate. Similar to her short programme, she arrived on the ice nervously. She did her warm-ups, her legs feeling like jelly and her stomach doing flip-flops. Many things went through her mind, but the thing that stuck out was the kiss she saw of Albus and Scorpius. As she pictured the serene scene, she closed her eyes and went into her starting stance.
At the first beat of the music, her eyes opened, and she began her routine. Through every spin and every jump combination, she poured her love and passion for the sport into her body movements, her facial expression, and her soul. As she skated, she smiled beautifully. A peaceful aura surrounded her, and she felt a magical and special feeling burst inside of her as she continued her programme to the very end.
When finished, she listened to the applause and the cheering. She saw the flowers being thrown here and there. She skated around, bowing to her supporters and her loved ones.
Years ago, she had found out she had no magical abilities. However, now she knew magic came in many different forms. Skating on the ice was magical in its own way. It allowed her to cast a spell on those who watched her perform.
By her definition, she was no longer just a Squib but rather a Magical Squib. And it was all thanks to her “fairy godfathers”. She skated up towards them, and her eyes sparkled as they both sandwiched her in a hug.
Ending Notes
– I used Wikipedia as a source to read up on Johnny Weir and Kim Yu-Na. I based Lily’s “skating achievements” on them.