My Girl

"Mummy, that hurts."

"Sorry Gwenny, but it won't stay down." Lily was currently attacking her daughter's hair. She knew that since Gwen had inherited James' hair, there was no chance of it ever being neat. But right now she was panicking and all sensible thoughts had flown out of her head.

Lily looked at Gwen critically; she was wearing a white and pink dress that puffed out at the layered skirt. The skirt was made of the same material a tutu was and had pale green ribbons attached. It was clearly a Do-It-Yourself dress, but it was cute and the best thing Lily could find.

She sighed and chucked the comb on the bench in frustration. Gwen scurried off, not keen on having her hair ripped out. Her hair would never be anything but messy.

Sighing again, Lily surveyed herself in her bedroom mirror. Her hair was tied back in an elegant twist and was wearing an old strapless faded black dress that flared out and went to her knee.

Right now, more than ever, Lily wished she hadn't sent that letter to her parents. They had replied telling her to meet up with them at a fancy French restaurant. This was the last thing Lily expected. She had thought that if by the smallest chance they did want to meet up, it would be for coffee at their house, and definitely not somewhere in public.

Figuring that she would go crazy if she didn't meet up with them soon, Lily walked into the living room to grab Gwen.

*************

"Mummy, who are we meeting?"

Lily and Gwen were heading towards the restaurant that was up ahead.

"We're meeting your Gran and Pop."

"Why?"

"Because you haven't met them before. Don't you want to meet them?"

"Will they have presents?"

Lily smiled. "No, I don't think they will. Ok, we're here now. Be nice and polite to them, and they'll just love you."

"What if they don't?"

"Then they're not our friends."

"I thought they were. Why aren't they our friends?"

Lily ignored her and led her into the restaurant. She was already panicking and her daughter wasn't helping by asking incessant questions. Lily didn't understand how her daughter, having never met James, be so much like her father. At least Gwen wasn't arrogant and conceited

Lily walked up to the waiter at the front desk.

"Uh, Evans table please."

The waiter looked over her critically and gave her a disapproving look when he realized she was Gwen's mother. Unfortunately for him, Lily was a customer so he had no choice but to show her to her table.

The waiter led her to a table where a man with blonde hair and light green eyes sat with a woman who had red hair and blue eyes. Lily cleared her throat as she approached the table and the couple looked up. William Evans gave Lily a curt nod when she and Gwen sat down, whilst his wife, Meredith, gave her a small smile.

"Hi Mum, Dad. This is Gwen."

Lily's parents looked at Gwen critically. Gwen gave them an innocent, happy smile which did not melt their hard exteriors one little bit. This was going to be a very long dinner.

***************

While eating the main course, the atmosphere was still tense. "So Lily," her mother began, "what do you do?"

"I'm an Auror for the ministry of magic. I was transferred back to London a few weeks ago..."

Lily broke off when Gwen sighed. "What's wrong honey?"

"Mummy, I'm bored. Can we go see Marly? She promised me ice cream."

William made a small humph and Lily gave him a questioning look. "What?" she asked coldly.

"You asked us to meet you to prove that we were wrong in doubting your capabilities as a mother, but I see that your mother and I were both correct in our decisions. By the looks of it, you let that girl run wild wearing that atrocious thing you call a dress. And I see you look no better yourself. What is that in your nose?"

Lily opened her mouth to reply when she heard a cool voice behind her. "More wine miss?"

Lily looked up to see the smarmy waiter that led her to the table and by the smirk on his face, he had heard all of what her Dad had said.

"No, she's all right," her father replied for her. "She could be a drunk for all we know. She looks like one."

Lily's mother just sat there and groaned. Lily snapped. "Shut the hell up Dad. You don't..." She turned to her daughter. "Cover your ears sweetie." Gwen promptly put her hands over her ears and Lily turned back to her father. "You don't have a fucking clue what I've been through! And that's right, you don't fucking know me and you know why? YOU KICKED ME OUT WHEN I WAS 17! 17 FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! WHO DOES THAT? I've had to raise a child with hardly any money in a foreign country. Do you know what that's like? This thing in my nose is a piercing, which you know, and the dress my daughter is wearing is the best thing I could afford!"

The restaurant had gone silent and William glared stonily at Lily, realisation creeping into his eyes. "So this is why you wanted to meet up with us," he said angrily. "You need money. Well you're not getting a cent out of us. You already took your university fund, you should be grateful we didn't call the police.

Lily stood up and grabbed Gwen's hand. "This was a mistake. Sorry for wasting your time Mum." Unfortunately for Lily she didn't get the smooth exit she wanted. As she turned she bumped into the smarmy waiter, and the wine in his hands sloshed all down her front.

At fancy restaurants such as the one Lily was dining at, you would expect that all staff would be courteous to their guests and in a situation like this, apologizing profusely. "You should watch where you're going," the waiter merely said.

"I beg your pardon?" Lily asked incredulously.

The waiter shrugged and pushed past Lily. Gwen, who was watching this encounter, didn't like this man who was treating Lily (the best person in the world according to her) like dirt. She let go of Lily's hand and ran up to the man and bit him as hard as she could on his leg and did not let go. The waiter yelped and dropped what was left of the wine he was holding.

Horrified, Lily had to pull Gwen off the not-so-smarmy-anymore man. She picked up her daughter and ran the hell out of there, past all the staring customers and away from her parents whom she doubted she would ever see again.

She stopped running when she entered a park two blocks away and sat down on a bench panting, putting Gwen down next to her. Lily leaned back and closed her eyes. She knew it was a bad idea to meet up with her parents, but she had hoped they still loved her and wanted to know their granddaughter. It seemed it was not so.

"Mummy?" Lily opened her eyes and looked at Gwen. "They're not our friends are they?"

"No Gwenny, they're not. You shouldn't have bit that man, that was a very bad thing to do."

Gwen looked at her indignantly. "But he was mean!"

Lily sighed and ruffled her daughter's hair. "I know, but you could have just ignored him. Don't do it again!"

Gwen nodded reluctantly and hugged her mother. I am such a pushover, Lily thought to herself.

******************

Lily sat in her apartment drinking coffee, trying to wake herself up. She had no work as it was a Sunday but she had to start on some of the paperwork she had brought home.

The day before she had told Marlene about the disastrous incident in which her parents and the waiter were involved. Marlene had reacted by taking Gwen out for as much ice cream as she wanted as praise for 'beating up' the waiter.

Yawning, she opened up the incredibly dull paperwork. She hated working on the weekends and as it was paperwork at home, she didn't get paid overtime.

The knocking at the door came as a welcome distraction. Lily got up, wondering why Marlene didn't just apparate like she usually did. She found out the answer to that question when she opened the door. Marlene didn't apparate because it wasn't Marlene. It was her mother. She looked at Lily worriedly whilst Lily looked back in shock.

"Hello Lily dear. Can I come in?"