Summary: Lily awakes from a bad dream to discover that it is snowing... in her room. Surprised and feeling uneasy she goes to her sister for company. Pre-Hogwarts. Oneshot.

Rating: K

Disclaimer: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter does not belong to LittleTee, (who shall henceforth be referred to as "The Author.") While the plot of this fanfiction, (henceforth to be referred to as the "Story,") is of The Author's creation, neither the characters nor the locations therein belong to The Author, as they belong to JK Rowling, with the exception of any characters or locations within this Story which have no representation in cannon-these original characters and locations are the property of The Author. This is a work of fiction produced for the single purpose of entertaining fans of Harry Potter, and no Copyright infringement is intended.

Submission for: Care of Magical Creatures lesson 12 assignment over at HSWW forum.

Task: Write about someone forgetting, or not realising, something important. Alternately, write a story that takes place during the night.

Required word count range: 500 minimum. No maximum.

Word count: 960

oooOOOooo

Lily woke shuddering and shivering under her favorite fuzzy yellow blanket. It was still night. Her nightlight was still casting its soft light onto the surrounding furniture. Everything on its surface looked like it should, but the temperature was peculiarly chilly. Even with the usually warm blanket Lily felt cold. Her nose felt like ice and her breath elicited puffs of vapor in its wake.

Wrapping herself tighter into her blanket she turned her glaze from her nightlight to her window. The first tendrils of a thunderstorm began its onslaught of pelting rain and wind against the modest Evan's homestead. Lily's window rattled as a nasty thunderclap exploded nearby. The sudden deafening noise also startling Lily to dive herself under the safety of her blanket. Thankful and yet sad she didn't share her room with Tuney anymore. Thankful in that she didn't have to defend her fears to her sister, and sad for not having someone else around to remind her that it was just a storm.

After several minutes hunched under her blanket she slowly straightened and peeked out from the safety, and warmth, of the covers and gasped.

"Snow?" she whispered. She had to be seeing things. Had to be. It simply didn't snow indoors. Anyone knew that. . . But, if it wasn't snow then what was the white powder lazily drifting down around her?

Stretching out her hand she allowed the mysterious falling white powder to collide and collect on her open palm. It was cold, wet and it felt oddly like snow. Bringing her hand closer, she took a tentative lick and frowned. It even tasted like snow.

The old idiom; If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck; echoed in her thoughts.

It was snowing, in her room, while a thunderstorm raged on out past her window. A small, startled scream escaped her as a bolt lightening flashed close by, bathing her, and her room, in a white blinding light for a whole second before the darkness reclaimed its hold on everything once more.

With a small sigh Lily slipped on slippers and carefully, trying not to unduly wake her parents, made her way to Tuney's room. She did not want to be alone when nature began to go goofy.

"Tuney?" she called out as she sightly pushed open her sister's door.

Silence was her only response.

"Tuney?" she repeated, this time louder as she took a step into the room. "Are you awake?"

A groan followed by a sigh told Lily that Petunia was now, indeed, awake.

"I am now. What's wrong Lily?" Her tone growing softer as she asked what was bothering her baby sister.

Lily bit her lip. Should she tell Tuney about the snow? She didn't want to get into another fight with her about what was and wasn't suppose to happen. She knew that snow wasn't suppose to snow inside but yet it was. Arguing about it wouldn't change anything. But, then again, she didn't want to lie.

"It's snowing."

"Snowing?" Petunia asked, now fully awake. She quickly looked out her window and frown when she didn't see snow, but just rain. "It's raining Lily. Not snowing."

"No, no. Not outside Tuney."

"Then where?"

"In my bedroom."

"Your bedroom?"

Lily nodded. Petunia shook her head.

"You must have been having a dream or nightmare. It doesn't snow indoors."

Lily remained silent, only rubbing her arms. It was warmer here than her room, but she still felt chilled, and she didn't want to get into another debate with Petunia and be forced to return to her room. Alone.

"I did have a nightmare. A bad one." it was the truth. The nightmare had been the reason why she had awoken. It wasn't a lie, not exactly.

Petunia sighed and moved over, making room for Lily, and ushered her over. "Want to stay here for awhile? Till the storm's over?"

"Please." she gladly accepted the covers as she joined her sister. Her squeak and sudden jerk as the next thunderclap roared around them caused Petunia to inquire about Lily's nightmare.

"I-I" Lily faltered, wringing her hands, "Someone evil was creeping up the stairs... There were a shout to get myself and someone else out of the house. Then an evil looking man burst through the door. I pleaded with him but he wouldn't listen. Then there was a flash of light and I was back in my bed. In my room."

Petunia hugged Lily and reminded her what their mother always told them after a bad dream, "Bad dreams are just ghosts of our fears and worries, haunting us while we sleep.* -"

"For the night is dark and full of terrors.**" Lily finished. Sharing a smile with her sister at the oddity of their mother's comforting words of wisdom.

"You want me to read a story to you, or do you think you can sleep now?"

Lily contemplated having Petunia read to her. It would feel like old times. But, she decided against in the end. She was seven now. She didn't have to read back to sleep to. "I think I can sleep now. Thanks Tuney."

Petunia nodded and resettled herself down into the warmth of her bed. "G'night Lily."

"Night Tuney." Lily replied before allowing herself to relax and drift back off to sleep. Only briefly wondering what hidden fear manifested itself as that evil, red-eyed man from her nightmare. Whatever ghost of a fear he was she never wanted to face it again. In her dreams or awake.

Fini

Author's note: A short oneshot that came about after experiencing a weird dream a couple nights ago. And, before you ask, yes it did involve snow and thunderstorms, but no evil Tom Riddle though, that was added for fictional flare and dramatic purposes ;).

For those that are wondering when This Impossible Love, or for that matter Wishes for a Happy Christmas, will be updated; I am editing the next chapter of This Impossible Love now and you should expect Wishes for a Happy Christmas sometime over the following days before Christmas.

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*A quote from Maria V. Snyder.

**A quote from George R.R. Martin