Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Princess Hours ❯ P: Grandpa's Dying Wish ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Author's Note: Okay, I know... too many stories at once is going to slow you down, but I loved the series. I was itching to write this for a long time. Now the time comes, so I'm happy! This is also told in Lily's POV.

...edit (6/26/07)... - OOPSIES. Yes, I know Lily is one of the main characters, but I just realized that the story isn't going to work if it's just in her POV. So it will be distributed between the four main characters respectively: Lily Evans, James Potter, Marlene McKinnon, and Sirius Black. I know it's a major 'boo-boo'... or at least I think it is. I'll try to keep it in-character, but since there isn't enough about Marlene that I know, I'm just going to make her up off the basis of her counterpart in the actual manga/TV series.

Summary: Although her family had been scrounging around for money, Lily Evans couldn't be happier. That is, until she finds out about her grandfather's promise to marry her off to his friend's grandson. Lily has always believed in falling in love before getting married, but she has no choice when her family's home is about to be taken away from them. But what happens when her fiancé is the Crown Prince of England?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the plot. I used the characters from Harry Potter and the plot from Goong/Princess Hours/Palace. I won't use the same exact moments from the series, but it will be somewhat like it. Not everything will be word for word because that would be completely boring. I recommend you watch Goong (it's also a manga), because it's one of the best Korean dramas I've seen.

Prologue - Grandpa's Dying Wish...

I absolutely hated the hospital, especially the hospital's restroom. I looked at the reflection that was staring right back at me while I was washing my hands.

There before me was the rich auburn hair that I had inherited from my mother. It was wavy, but I could never tame it. My hair was probably the one thing that I hated about myself. My skin was fair and smooth, just like my grandmother's, and I had the vibrant emerald eyes of my father. But those eyes were apparently swollen because of my dried out tears. Kind-of sad to be crying in the restroom all by yourself, don't you think?

After straightening my blouse and attempting to fix my untamable hair, I exited the ladies' room with a fake smile plastered on my face which soon turned into a frown as I entered the room.

Another place, I hated: the waiting room. The icky smell, the plain white walls, the uncomfortable furniture, and last but not least the miserable people inside. Can people get any fashion sense? Some of these people just need to know how to wear their clothes. I had to fight the urge to just paint the walls a vibrant color, cheer everyone up with a happy song, and makeover most of the room's inhabitants. It seemed like everyone was sick. What else did I expect? We are in the emergency room after all...

Yes, I know. My family is included in the group of miserable people. Right now, we're waiting impatiently in the waiting room to see if our grandfather would survive his very recent heart attack.

I had cried a few moments earlier. I loved granddad. I was his little princess, as he liked to call me. It was hard to believe that he might leave us because he had been with our family for so long. With him gone, a part of me would be taken away. He had been the reason I was crying my heart out earlier.

"Lily, don't sit there pouting. Your grandfather will be all right," my mom advised. "It's not like he hasn't had a heart attack before."

I looked to my left to look at my mom in disbelief. My mother, Amelia Evans, has got to be one of the stiffest people I've ever met in my life. She wasn't the least bit nice, like a mother should be. Her auburn hair (ugh, I hate my hair color) was almost always neatly styled into a bun. A frown always seemed to grace her fair features. Not only that, but she was extremely temperamental (which Petunia got, tee hee hee). She worked for an insurance company, providing the main income of our family. It was a rare moment whenever she smiled, but I still loved her as a daughter would love her mother. She came from a rich family, and defied her parents to be with my father.

It really was a wonder why my father fell in love with her and vice versa. They were practically polar opposites. Joshua Evans loved to garden, cook, and fix things around the house. He was pretty much the perfect househusband. Unlike my mother, he was domesticated. He knew how to do things around the house (Mom can't cook for crap! She burns everything she makes!). His wavy blonde hair may have been permanently messy (coming from a family of country hicks), but those beautiful emerald eyes (which I luckily inherited, take that Petty!) were always vibrant and full of life compared to my mother's boring gray eyes. My father was always quite the clown and you could trick him into anything (like buying new clothes or something). Then, my mother would get mad at him for wasting money and not thinking. He loved us both, and Petunia and I loved him back.

People say that I'm like my father in personality, which is sort-of cool actually. I've always admired his optimism and his goofy moments.

"Don't say that honey. It brings bad luck," Dad muttered to her. "Lily, don't listen to your mother. Worry for your grandfather."

Mom's silver-colored eyes bulged out of their sockets. "Joshua, do you really want your kids to be depressed? She needs to concentrate on other things so she won't be crying every night. You know how Lily and Petunia are. They love their grandfather!" she whispered harshly.

Ah... another argument between my mother and father was brewing... Just what I needed right now. My parents foolish bickering always seemed to cheer me up.

I took a quick glance at Petunia, my sister, who was sitting beside me. She seemed to be quiet and deep-in-thought, her glassy gray eyes staring blankly into the distance. She too, was worried about our grandfather. I loved her, even if we didn't get along most of the time. She'd steal my clothes, and I'd steal her accessories (almost always a win-win situation with her). Her blonde hair always seemed to be in up in the newest fashions (it's great to have a sister who has the same passions as you) and she loved to show off her 'assets', but now that she was engaged to her boyfriend (who I can't stand most of the time), Vernon Dursley, she seemed to have turned a new leaf.

"Petty, Mom and Dad are at it again," I muttered so that only she could hear. I nudged her so that she could look at our parents and she just sighed.

"Since when are they never at it, Witch?" she joked with a cheeky grin. We both giggled as we continued to admire our parents' love for one another.

You probably might think that it's crazy, but those are our pet names for one another. She calls me 'Witch' because I was blessed with the gift of magic. Yes, magic is real. I didn't think that at first, but that was because I was of muggle blood. The muggle and magic worlds were at harmony with one another. Some still held prejudice, but it wasn't that big of a deal.

"That's why they love their grandfather. It's only right for the girls to worry. They should be. How can you pretend that something is not wrong?" my dad kept insisting. "So, are you saying that if you're sick that I shouldn't worry about you?"

"Yes," my mother answered, "I want you to be happy, not pulling your hairs out. Come to think of it Joshua, you're balding."

"I can see a lot of gray hairs growing out of your head too, Amelia," Dad commented as he caressed my mother's wavy auburn locks. Aww... they were just too cute.

My parents were practically growing old together, and it was refreshing to see that.

Petunia had been staring at the television with a lovesick smile on her face. That must mean the Prince James Potter of England had to be on television. Yes, a royal family. You'd think that they should've gotten over the whole kingdom thing by now, but they haven't.

"And today we have James Potter as our guest!" the TV show host exclaimed with the same lovesick grin that happened to be on my sister's face. "So I hear that the King has a deadly disease. Will that mean you'll be King soon?"

James Potter: Crown Prince of England. He won the hearts of girls everywhere with his killer smile, dashingly good looks, sexy muscles, etc. He was perfect from the messy jet-black hairs that topped his head to his toes. It didn't hurt to look, but I didn't like getting myself caught up with things that would never happen. Sure, we went to Hogwarts together, but we never met. Two of my friends have die-hard crushes on him, as my best friend and I thought that they were just arrogant prats who just used the people's money and thought they ruled the world. Well, he does sort-of rule England...

"Ugh, isn't he just gorgeous!" Petunia exclaimed with a dreamy look in her silver eyes. "If only Vernon looked like him..." She continued to stare as if she was lost in her own world. Wait a minute, I take that back. She is lost in her own world.

"Petty, Vernon would be furious to see you staring lovingly at someone else. Aren't you guys engaged?" I questioned with a slight smirk tugging at my lips.

"Vernon would appreciate the fact that I have a good taste in men, thank you very much. Besides, he knows that I love him. What about you, Witch? You haven't even gotten a boyfriend yet," my sister remarked. Darn, she caught me there.

"No one fits to my standards," I quickly replied.

"Which are extremely high," she retorted with a snort.

It's true. I've never really cared if I was with someone or not though. I was fine just the way I am. I'm Lily Evans: future fashion designer! Why should I care? I'm living the life that some people would be envious of. I've got a father who loves me (and cooks for me, tee hee hee), a mother who cares for me, a sister to argue with, friends that will always be there for me, magic powers and a sewing machine for my latest designs (woot woot)! I'm told that I can be somewhat of crybaby and spoiled. Being the youngest in the family does have its curse. I like to look at the brighter side of life. I like to embrace the fact that I live on the brighter side of the mountain.

When a nurse dressed in scrubs emerged from the double doors with a frown on her face, I knew I had to wake up from my illusion. Reality hits really hard I tell you.

"Mr. Evans," the nurse called. My father immediately stood up from his place. "I have bad news..."

The time that those words escaped from the nurse's thin lips, our family pushed her aside and dashed through the double doors. Our grandfather was played a big role in the family so we didn't really care if those darn doctors would tell us to get out.

"No! Grandpa!" I screamed when my gaze landed on his pale and lifeless body. I ran over to his body and cried on his cold chest. His green eyes that had been full of life had been drained from its usual brightness. I knew I was sobbing real hard, because if anything, I had been the closest to my grandpa. He wasn't supposed to leave yet. I could feel my parents' sorrowful gaze on me. Even my sister had pitied my position.

"Oh yeah! He told me that I had to give you a note before he died. It was his dying wish Lily," my father informed with an unusually cheerful voice.

I looked to him strangely as my mother slapped his shoulder. "Joshua, I don't think now is the time..."

I wiped my tears and made my way over to my father. "Where's... the letter?" I questioned as I was trying to hold back my tears. My nose was becoming stuffy and it was difficult to speak clearly when I was in this condition.

Dad began to rummage through his pockets to find a crumpled letter that looked older than me. The edges were torn and the paper seemed aged, but I could see from afar that the writing was still clear.

He handed me the letter sheepishly. "Sorry I couldn't take good care of it," he apologized as he tried to avoid my gaze. "It's been a while since he first gave it to me."

"You know your father," Mom continued for him, "He can't seem to keep track of things."

"But somehow he seemed to be able to hold onto this letter," Petunia interrupted Mother with a knowing grin.

"That's the way to think Petunia!" Dad proclaimed as he held his hand up for a high-five. Seeing them act like that brought a smile to my face. Petunia returned the action with a small giggle.

"Shouldn't you be feeling sad that now your grandfather has died instead?" Mom questioned. Dad and Petunia immediately transfigured their smiles into a frown. Soon enough, Dad handed me the letter from Grandpa. I unfolded the letter, anxious to read its contents. I wonder why it was written to me instead of dad. Then again, I was Grandpa's favorite little princess, as he loved to call me.

Dear Princess,

If you're reading this, I'd probably be with your grandmother. You don't have to feel sad Princess, because I'm in a better place. I told your father to keep up with this letter when I felt like my time with you and Petunia was going to end pretty soon. If you do receive this letter, tell your father that I'm proud of him for actually keeping up with it.

After reading that line, I laughed even if tears were streaming down my cheeks. It was true after all. Dad could never keep up with something for more than a week. My gaze transferred to the next paragraph.

But to get to the main point of my letter, I must tell you of a promise that I had made years ago to a true friend of mine. He was like a brother to me, even though we weren't related. I had gone to school with him when I was around your age and continued to be good friends with him ever since. Before he died however, he had made me promise something to him.

Now you're wondering what part you play in this promise. My best friend had a wonderful grandson. If you've gotten to know him, I'd think you'd be the best of friends. We were of different worlds, but still managed to be good friends. He was amazed at that fact so he wanted to pass it down to his grandson.

I'm sure you remember the ring that I had given you on your 10th birthday. In fact, I know you'd be wearing it right now.

I've always cherished that ring that he gave me. It was beautiful and Petunia was extremely jealous. That is, until she got some earrings that were once grandmother's. Come to think of it, he was right. I was wearing it on my finger. Taking a quick glance at the expensive antique ring (which was real white gold with a beautiful diamond with sapphires around it), I knew I had to finish reading the letter.

My good friend had asked me to reward his grandson by your hand in marriage, and I agreed, knowing that it would be a blessing to you both. Once his family knows of my passing, I'm sure that his family is going to show up.

You're probably wondering why I ever thought about this, but it would be a reward to be with a good family like his. I cannot stress that enough. This is why I want you to accept. You don't have to, Princess, if you've found someone you love deeply and don't wish to participate in the act, but it would make me happy if you agreed. I'll always love you my Princess, no matter what you choose.

From your grandfather who loves you very much.

After reading the letter, the words suddenly imprinted themselves in my brain. What? I'm getting married! I'm only 16! I can't get married yet! I'm not even out of school yet! Then again, it says I don't absolutely have to marry him. Sticking the letter in my pocket, I completely disregarded what the letter said. I'm sure Grandpa would be happy to see me in a loving marriage, not a loveless.

To Be Continued...

I know, I shouldn't have started a new story, but I was itching to get this one out. I'm also working on my other stories of course... Hope you like and please review!

I know that Lily and Petunia aren't supposed to be necessarily close, but for this story, they have to be. This is also based on Goong/Princess Hours/Palace but will not be exactly moment-by-moment, word-by word. That would be too boring now, wouldn't it?

...edit... - And I'm really sorry about that 'boo-boo'. I'm also going to change up the summary too. Thanks for reviewing! I'm really happy that you like this and I'm so pumped up and ready to write the next chapter!