C/Z: Hey, all! I hope you enjoy this fic; I am!!
DISCLAIMER: Story plot (though not vair vair original) is mine. Lily Evans and Hogwarts are NOT (J.K. beat me there). And the song lyrics used here are "Everytime We Touch", by Cascada. Thanks!
Chapter One: A Flower's Start
"Tune up. Checking, one, two three."
"Cue music!"
"She's on stage! Cue spotlight One!"
Deep breath. One, two. Just like any other night. Showtime…
I still hear your voice,
When you sleep next to me.
I still feel your touch, in my dreams.
Forgive me my weakness,
But I don't know why,
Without you it's hard to survive…
"Go spotlights 3, 4, 9! Now!"
Suddenly, the once semi-darkened stage is lit up, to reveal a petite singer with a brilliant smile and a microphone. Her blood red hair reaching her ankles is braided with a multitude of brightly colored lilies of all shapes and sizes, her emerald eyes twinkling merrily. Her dazzling costume of bright sequins and jewels amaze the crowd, who in unison howl at seeing their favorite idol on stage.
Cause every time we touch,
I get this feeling
And every time we kiss,
I swear I can fly
Can't you feel my heart beat fast,
I want this to last,
Need you by my side
'Cause every time we touch,
I feel the static,
And every time we kiss,
I reach for the sky,
Can't you hear my heart beat slow
I can't let you go,
Want you in my life!
And so went the night, the singer driving her fans wild with song after song, some slow, some energetic, but always full of power that was echoed in the thousands of screaming spectators. After all, Flora Hyacinthus, more commonly known as Flor, was one of England's biggest stars, and her popularity was rocketing around the world.
Finally came the glorious end, full of show, colors, and the shower of flower petals that was a trademark for Flor. Amidst the hurricane of rainbow-colored little petals, Flor shouted, "Thank you for coming! I hope you had as much fun as I did tonight. I love you all!"
While the crowd roared in her favor once more, Flor gave a sweeping bow as the raised platform she had been standing on slowly sank into the ground. After a last burst of light, the arena went dark, the dome still ringing with cries for an encore.
*˜*˜*
"Baby, that was beautiful!" A tall woman with a spotless blue suit accosted her client as she climbed down from the raised platform she had been standing on during the final moments of the show. "We sold out, and your performance was just inspiring! Your record sales are going through the roof! Flora Hyacinthus, you are a PHENOMENON!"
"Thank you," winced the starlet as she tottered back to her dressing room on four-inch platform shoes. According to Miss Collins, her agent, Flor's slender 5 foot 2 frame was too tiny to be properly seen from the audience, so heels were a must.
As Miss Collins went on gushing about her miracle client, Flor plopped down on her padded stool and started to take her stage costume off. While Flor dearly appreciated everything Miss Collins had done for her these pasts few years, she was a little excitable. After a long and strenuous performance, Flor was a little too tired to put up with her agent at the moment.
"Miss Collins – " started the redhead.
"Andrea, sweetie. Now that you're my number one client, we are on first name basis! Besides, it makes me feel old." Andrea quickly jotted something down on her palm pilot and looked up expectantly.
"It's just – I'm a little tired and I was wondering if I could – you know, continue this conversation tomorrow – "
"Oh, of course! But before I go…" Andrea stood up and pulled out her wand. She lightly tapped Flor's head, and suddenly, The singer's ankle length hair turned a softer color, still vibrantly red, but with gold flecks in it, and it shortened drastically, to end up in the middle of Flor's back. Her emerald eyes became less striking, morphing into a lovely mix of bottle green cool blue. Finally, her white porcelain complexion turned once more peachy, with a sprinkling of freckles covering her body lightly, like powdered cinnamon.
And just like that, Flora Hyacinthus became Lily Evans once again.
"Thank you," murmured Lily, blinking owlishly as she reached for her glasses. When she was Flor, her eyes had 20/20 vision, but when the appearance-altering spell was lifted, her eyes went back to their normal 10/20 sight, rendering Lily blind as a bat without her glasses.
Andrea smiled kindly at her cute little charge. Andrea had never been a very good at magic and academics, but she was persistent, and best of all, lucky. When she had stumbled upon this little gem four years earlier at a recital, she had immediately known that Lily Evans was a star, or at least, had the potential to be big.
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Little 12-year-old Lily was oblivious to the world as she let her minute fingers glide over the piano pieces, weaving an enchantment with her voice and talent at a little studio on Diagon Alley. It had taken her nearly a year to scrape the money to buy a membership card to the Music Box club, but it had been worth it.
Andrea sighed in disgust. Her new client, a snotty 14-year-old, was once again late to her appointment at the Music Box to practice her mediocre singing skills. She had been all right at the beginning, but she was now insufferable, already thinking herself a big star, not practicing her songs, forgetting appointments…
The tirade was stopped short as Andrea heard a haunting melody, just barely in earshot. She found herself drawn to the beautiful medley of pure voice and magical playing. Her ears led her to a small little room, occupied by a girl and a piano. The child paid no attention to the fact that she had an audience. Andrea felt a big grin erupting on her face. She had finally received her big break.
_____________________FlAsHbAcK________________________________________
"When you go back to Hogwarts, I want you to rest up, alright? With all those classes you take, when the weekend rolls around, you're like a limp flower that hasn't been watered in a days." Andrea chuckled at her own little pun, and then suddenly frowned.
"You know, maybe I could write another letter to that Defense Against the Dark Arts professor of yours. She gives you too much homework, and she never did answer back to that first letter I sent…"
Lily nearly choked on her herbal tea at those words. The last thing she needed was a repeat performance of what had happened last year: to keep incognito about her "identity", Lily had been put through a number of grueling tasks to intercept Andrea's letter before it reached her prickly teacher, Professor Burns. Already that the young teacher had taken an instant dislike to one of her star pupils years before, a letter from that student's agent demanding less homework would have marked Lily Evans' imminent death.
"Oh, please, no, Andrea it's really not necessary." Lily got up and started to gently yet firmly lead Andrea out of her room. "It's nothing really… Don't concern yourself. I'll Owl you tomorrow then, toodles!" And before Andrea could utter one squawk of protest, the door was firmly shut and bolted.
Lily sighed and rubbed her eyes. Andrea was right; this double life was starting to get to her. At first, it had been fun, to go out at night and be an international rising star/idol, and return at dawn to Hogwarts and morph back into shy, bookworm-queen Lily Evans, nerd extraordinaire, but it wasn't so fun anymore, making sure your secret never got out (fame being already enough of a pressure, Lily was very firm on remaining anonymous at school so as not to be distracted), staying up all night recording or dancing or practicing songs, and coming up with more and more excuses to keep teachers and friends at bay. It was getting a little too hectic.
After changing out of her costume into her pajamas, Lily was so tired, she barely remembered flooing out of her dressing room and into her private rooms that she used on weekends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, taking of her glasses and plopping down on her bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow, never knowing that at right this moment, she was under scrupulous scrutiny, and in a very short while, life as Lily knew it was going end abruptly, ushering in a new era… of chaos and madness.
C/Z: So? Let me know what you think! :)