Lily Evans chatted amiably with her two best friends on September first as they wheeled their Hogwarts trunks through King’s Cross Station. Checking for Muggles before walking through the barrier wall protecting Platform 9 ¾ had become second nature to the students, who were now entering their seventh year. The girls strolled through the brick barrier as if it wasn’t even there (for them, it really wasn't), towards the scarlet Hogwarts Express waiting for them.



“So Andy, how was your summer?� Lily asked her friend Andromeda Black, grinning as they sat down in their usual compartment.



“Nothing, really- except for Sirius apparating all the time. He so loves the attention,� Andy rolled her eyes and smiled a little.



Sirius Black was Andromeda’s cousin, and he was in seventh year with the three girls. He had taken his apparition test over the summer, when he turned seventeen. He and his best friends James, Remus, and Peter were the school’s most popular troublemakers, and they loved that title.



Dorcas Meadowes, the third friend in the group, smiled. Cassie liked Sirius a lot, and Lily and Andromeda were the only people who knew.



Andromeda said, “Why don't you just ask him out already, Cass? He may be a git, but he likes you… you’re totally gorgeous, and I know him.� Sirius and Andy had been friends since they were tiny; they were very close and knew everything about each other. Especially how to get on each other's last nerve.



Andy was right; Cassie was easily one of the most beautiful girls in their year, tall and slim, with exotic dark skin, black eyes, and shining black hair. However, she was painfully shy. Cassie looked out the window and tried to hide her blushing cheeks with her dark curtain of hair.



“Cassie, you’ve only got one more year, go on! Just ask him, or you'll lose your chance,� Andromeda interjected. Andy was more on the cute side than Cassie. She was medium height and curvy, with short, spiky blonde hair, huge blue eyes, and fair skin. Despite her sweet looks, she was usually rather blunt, sometimes with disastrous results.



Lily looked at Cassie with her bright green eyes. Lily was insecure because she was the shortest of the group. It seemed to her that the whole world towered over her; she believed she had to make people see her. Pushing her long, wavy auburn hair back from her face, Lily said, “Cassie, don’t worry. What’s the worst he can say?�



“No?� said Cassie, smiling. Her friends could always make her feel better when she was down on herself. “Oooh, look, the snack cart!�



The girls giggled at Cassie’s abrupt change of subject, but they did take the hint and began talking about their summers.



Lily had gone to America with her family (she was Muggle-born). It had been interesting, but her sister Petunia was completely horrible, just the same as every summer, for seven years now.



The two had once been not just sisters but best friends, before Lily's Hogwarts letter came. Petunia had been fiercely jealous of Lily, and longed for magic power of her own. As Petunia grew up, she learned to hide her jealousy under a thick mask of disdain for Lily.



Now, Petunia was twenty, and engaged to a horrid, uptight, fat Muggle named Vernon Dursley.



Lily wished she could have her best friend back, but seven years of trying had gotten her nowhere. If her sister wanted nothing to do with her, Lily would let her go, no matter how much it hurt Lily herself.



Andromeda really got into telling her friends about the Black family reunion. The whole, extended Black family had been invited to Sirius’s family’s London mansion for three weeks. It had been all Andromeda and Sirius could do not to just up and leave because most of the family were dark wizards. Andy and Sirius were against these morals, but they had had to suck it up for what had seemed like the longest three weeks in eternity. Andy described Sirius’s mother with a grimace, and said she would never go back there, because the house was filled with the dark arts.



Cassie was telling about her summer, a trip to her family’s home in the South of France, when the Hogwarts Express finally arrived at school. The girls had already changed into their long black robes; Lily’s with a big HEAD GIRL button pinned to the front. They walked awkwardly with their trunks toward the horseless carriages, talking with several other people they knew. Among them were, Alice Winters and her boyfriend Frank Longbottom; Sirius, talking to Cassie (who had turned very red) and Andy; and James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin.



Lily said, “Hi, Remus… Peter! How were your summers?� She deliberately ignored James, who had always been very obnoxious, asking her to go out with him every other thing since fourth year. James lagged behind as she chatted easily with Remus (they’d been good friends ever since they had been assigned prefects together) while Peter walked along silently. It seemed as if James hadn’t even noticed her snub. He looked so deep in his thoughts, even sad! Lily did her best not to scream when she saw that James had also been made Head Boy! How can that be? she wondered. He wasn’t even a prefect! Remus should be Head!

______________________________________________



It was, so far, an uneventful ride to Hogwarts this year for the Marauders. Sirius ribbed James for being made Head Boy, Remus was reading a book, and Peter was acting thicker than usual.



James wondered. About his new classes, his upcoming NEWTs, his friends. Hmm, he thought, Wormtail seems odd lately. It was true that the quiet, round boy had become more and more detached since they had last seen each other in July. He had refused to tell any of them about the rest of his summer, shrugging their questions off with a blustery, “Oh, nothing…�



Then James thought of Lily. He hadn’t seen her all summer. Would she be any different? He doubted it. She would probably still hate him. But maybe-



“Hey Prongs, you think that girl likes me?� Sirius aked, interrupting James’s train of thought.



“What girl? Have I heard this question before? Yesterday, maybe?� James said sarcastically.



“I’m serious this time!" (Peter laughed nervously at the old joke, and Sirius glared.) "You know, the Meadowes girl. Cassie, or something?�



"Oh, probably, she's always looking at you! Hey, why didn’t you just ask Andromeda over the summer?� Sirius’s cousin was best friends with the girl.



"Well, obviously. I just noticed her today! I think I’m going to ask her to go with me to the first Hogsmeade weekend. She is really pretty! Gorgeous in fact.�



“You do that, buddy. When you break up with her, be nice, OK? She’s one of Lily’s best friends. You could mess up my chances!�



“Will do, sergeant,� Sirius said with a salute and his usual harsh laugh; as always, it was similar to the bark of a dog.



The friends became quiet once again. James’ thoughts drifted back to Lily. Whenever he thought about her, he wanted to either be sick or snog her. Obviously asking her out every other second wasn’t working. He decided he would have to try a new tactic this year.



As the boys struggled with their trunks, pulling them off the racks clumsily and narrowly avoiding squashing Peter, James continued his reverie. What if I just let Lily come to me? It was what Moony had told him just a few years ago, and he had ignored it then. But now… He needed to try a new plan; maybe this would work.



James motioned to Remus to hang back, and told him quietly about his theory, so as not to get teased by Sirius.



Remus seemed to think carefully before he answered. “Prongs, I’m not like Sirius. I get what you’re talking about, and I think you should act less big headed and prat-ish around her. You know she is Head Girl, right?�



“She is? That’s great! I’ll have plenty of time to show her I’ve got a small head and I'm not a prat!� James said excitedly, not even realizing how idiotic he sounded.



Remus shook his head at the strangeness. James was very bright and outgoing, but lately all he had seemed to do was slip inside, a shell of himself. Probably thinking about Lily, Remus convinced himself.



But, in truth, James had a lot more on his mind since the end of last term. His father had been killed by a man with a weird, made-up name, Voldemort, and he was trying to numb himself, by thinking about other things and forcing his brain into overdrive. He had so far avoided telling his friends, and hoped they wouldn't ask him what was wrong anytime soon. He wasn't ready to tell them why he was so upset. He wasn't even ready to admit to himself that his dad was gone.



The four boys caught up with Lily, Andy, and Cassie. Some other people were there from their year, too. Sirius immediately struck up a conversation with Andromeda and Cassie.



“Hey Rommie. And it’s Cassie, right?� Andromeda glared at being called her baby nickname and swore loudly at Sirius, but he just laughed at her. He smiled at Cassie. The three talked for a while, until they reached the horseless carriages. Then Sirius helped Cassie into the carriage and sat next to her. He whispered something into her ear. Cassie blushed and nodded. He must’ve asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him, James thought.



Then, Lily's soft voice broke through his thoughts. She said to him, “Why so quiet today, Potter?�



James lied. “Just tired, I guess. Hey Evans, when is the first Head Meeting?�



“Thursday, at five. After lessons.�



James spent the rest of the ride wondering why Lily was acting so much more civil than usual.



And wondering why this Voldemort guy had killed his dad.

Finally the students’ carriages arrived at the gates of the school. After they stepped out, Cassie continued walking and talking animatedly with Sirius. When they entered through the double doors of the school, Andy and Lily separated themselves from some Ravenclaw friends that they’d been chatting with, and sat down at the end of the Gryffindor table with Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Alice Winters, and some loud third year boys. Cassie met Andy, Lily, and the others at the table after she said goodbye to the Marauders.



The room, which had been extremely loud a moment before, silenced. The headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, stood up behind the long staff table. The man was kind, but he commanded respect. He had startlingly blue eyes, and a long beard and hair, which had once been auburn but had gone mostly gray now. He smiled at the students wanly in his blue, peacock feather-adorned wizard hat.



“Welcome, one and all, to our old students and new! And, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Greenbaum.� Lily clapped along with the usual polite applause that echoed through the hall for the new teacher, a prim, black-haired woman who looked to be about thirty. The students had had a different DADA teacher every year since their first, and they were used to this. “Professor Ludwig had to go on a bit of a hiatus, I’m afraid.� Dumbledore said with another small smile. He sat down.



“It is time to begin the Sorting of the new students!� Professor McGonagall said loudly as she summoned a stool from the corner of the hall while carrying over the frayed old hat. The students already sitting at tables knew the drill. Gideon complained about his empty stomach while McGonagall coached the tiny, knock-kneed, frightened first years about the use of the Hat. Lily knew all her friend ever wanted was food, especially steak and kidney pie.



She shushed him. Lily loved the Sorting. Most of the students didn’t really care about it, like Gid, but every year, Lily couldn’t wait to see who would be new in her house. This year was even more exciting- Andromeda’s little sister, Vega, was getting sorted.



Soon the hat had sung its song, and McGonagall began reading off the names on her list in alphabetical order. Lily watched eagerly.



“Abrams, Liza!�



“Hufflepuff!� The redhead grinned and ran off to her table with a flushed face.



“Anton, Mitchell!�



“Slytherin!� The boy, pale and thin, placed the hat down and strolled coolly to his cheering table.



After a few more names had been called, Vega’s was. Andy looked kind of nervous. Most of the Black family had been Slytherins, except for her and Sirius.



After a long pause, the tatty old hat shouted out, “GRYFFINDOR!�



Andy practically fainted with relief. She couldn't bear to see her baby sister turn out like the rest of the Blacks- cruel, bitter, and dissatisfied, not to mention dabbling in the Dark Arts.



Vega was grinning widely as she ran over to her sister. Andy, Lily, and Cassie congratulated and hugged Vega.



Soon all the first years had been sorted. Vega introduced another first year, Nina Mullins, to Lily, Andy, and Cassie. Nina was awed to meet the seventh years, even the Head Girl. They seemed so old and mature to her, like real grown-ups. Soon, Vega and Nina moved off to sit with a few other girls they’d met on the train.



After some huge helpings of mashed potatoes, baked beans, and pork, Gideon and Fab left for the other end of the table to talk to some of their friends as well.



Andromeda, the champion gossiper, turned to Alice Winters. “Alice- guess what? Cassie and Sirius are-�



“Hey, I didn’t even tell you yet!� Cassie laughed.



“Oh, yeah. Tell away!�



Lily had known it was coming for a while now. Cassie and Sirius would be perfect. She had been trying to tell Cass for years, for goodness' sakes. At least it was finally going to happen. They would probably be going to Hogsmeade together.



“He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him!� Cassie said happily.



Lily said, “Well, when’s the Hogsmeade trip? Two weeks?�



The trip was scheduled for a September Saturday this year. There wasn’t going to be a Hogsmeade trip in October, so it was scheduled a month early. Lily grinned at the thought of Honeydukes'.



As the girls brainstormed about possible outfits, Lily thought about how very excited she was to start the new term. She was finally going to take her NEWTs this year, and she could go on to become a St. Mungo’s Healer, like she had always dreamed of. Since her third year anyways, when she broke her wrist practicing Quidditch with Cassie, who was a Chaser. Needless to say, Lily was not a good flyer. But she had been fascinated by the medical magic Madam Pomfrey had used on her and the other few sick students she’d seen while holed up in the infirmary.



After supper she, James, and Remus directed the eleven Gryffindor first years to the common room. The children stared up at the two Heads and the Prefect. Remus and James, whose heads almost touched the top of the doorframe, and even petite Lily, towered over them.



“I was never that small!� James leaned down to whisper in Lily’s ear. She giggled, surprising herself.



James looked a little smug for making Lily laugh, but luckily Lily didn’t notice. She was feeling exhilarated all of a sudden and she didn’t know why.



They reached the painting of the fat lady, and Lily said the password, “Fortunato.�



The new students looked around in awe at their new common room. It was cozy, filled with armchairs and fireplaces, as always. Then Remus and James led the six small boys up one long flight of stairs. Lily took the girls up the other. Vega spoke up.



“Hey Lily!�



“What?�



“The Head Boy is so cute!�



Lily laughed and said, “You think so?�



“Yeah. I heard his name’s James. James Potter. He plays Seeker on the Gryffindor team- he’s supposed to be really good,� Vega said to the other first year girls.



“He’s pretty good,� Lily allowed.



Then the tiniest girl of all spoke up. “My dad works at the ministry, in the Auror office. A friend of his named Harold Potter was killed this summer. But there’s no relation, right?� she asked in a squeaky voice.



Lily stopped. Could it have been James’ dad? “I don’t really…know,� she said slowly.



At that moment, they reached the top of the stairs and Lily showed the girls their room. It had a sign on it reading, “First years�; with a chalkboard underneath for them each to write their names on. The girls signed. The list read, Vega Black, Nina Mullins, Paula McMahon, Lee-Ann Summer, and Nat Clearwater.



Lily left the girls to explore their dorm. She was tired, and wanted to fall asleep listening to the quiet buzzing of her friends' chatter. She entered the seventh year room. Andy and Cass still hadn’t arrived. Lily put her purple pajamas on and lay on her four-poster bed, thinking about Harold Potter. She had seen that name somewhere over the summer, but where?



Cassie and Andy walked in loudly talking with the two other girls in their year, June Fitzpatrick and Elaine Feldman. The girls were friendly, and Andy liked them, but they’d never really clicked too well with Lily and Cassie. June and Elaine pretty much kept to themselves, but now they wanted to know everything on Cassie and Sirius’ status.



“Oh my God!� Lily screeched, interrupting their conversation. They all looked at her.



It had come to her- she had seen an obituary for the man in the Daily Prophet stating that he was succeeded by a wife called Maggie and a son called… James!

“James’ dad was killed over the summer!�

It was the end of summer and James Potter was at his family’s mansion. He was sleeping soundly in the heat of the late night. The entire house was silent.



“BLOOD TRAITORS!�



James awoke sharply as he heard the unfamiliar voice, harsh and filled with hatred. He jumped out of bed, grabbed his wand off of the nightstand, and ran out into the hallway. There cowered the terrified-looking House Elf, called Blinky.



“It’s the Death Eaters!� She squeaked, her eyes twice their normal saucer-size. She was shaking, and James realized that he was too.



He bounded down the stairs two at a time. In the living room he saw his father standing in front of his mother, protecting her. There were four Death Eaters standing before them, wands brandished. One man James recognized as a semi-recent graduate of Hogwarts, some foul Slytherin called Crabbe. The three others were strangers. All of them were wearing black cloaks with the sleeves rolled up, to show off the grotesque tattoos on their forearms.



James’ father sent him a darting glance, obviously telling James to go back and save himself. But James was a Gryffindor. He would stand and fight. He would be brave. He ran into the room shouting hexes at the Death Eaters.



“Well, well, well… the junior mudblood-lover!� a Death Eater sneered.



James sneered right back, hitting the offender easily with a well-placed Body Binding Jinx.



Soon there was a war going on. Hexes and curses flew everywhere, showering the room in brightly colored, highly lethal fireworks.



“We’re here for only one reason!� a female Death Eater shrieked. “We’re supposed to dispose of the blood traitor!�



Crabbe sent an unforgivable curse towards James, who dodged it. “But we’re just having a bit of fun!� he whined.



James’ father angrily sent a hex at Crabbe. “No one hurts my son!� he shouted, enraged.



Then Crabbe sent another unforgivable at James. “Crucio!� he said, laughing. This time he hit his target.



So much pain...it seemed like it would never stop...it was horrible! James writhed on the floor. Everywhere! Everywhere it hurt! It was as though someone was soaking him in boiling oil, slicing him with millions of long sharp swords, jumping on his chest. James could barely breathe. He wished he were dead.



James screamed in extreme pain as another voice rang out. The female Death Eater. “AVADA KEDAVRA!� she shouted. James could do nothing but watch as his own father fell, lifeless, to the cold, stone floor.



“Dad, help me! Dad! Dad, come back! Dad… help him mum, help me… please…�

______________________________________________



James woke up in a cold sweat. Remus, Peter, Sirius, Frank Longbottom, and Dan Hopkins were looking at him, clearly almost as shaken as he was. If they had seen what he had seen, they would have been much, much more worried.



“James, mate, you were having a funny dream or something. You kept shouting for your dad and mum and for help. You all right?� Remus asked nervously.



“Yeah, I’m fine. It was just some weird dream,� James said slowly. He sounded quite unconvincing, but Peter, Sirius, Frank, and Dan seemed to fall for the lie. Remus didn’t look like he believed James at all, but dropped the subject. James hoped his friends wouldn’t bring it up again.



The rest of the early Thursday morning passed quickly, and relatively without a hitch. James and his friends hurriedly got dressed so they wouldn’t miss breakfast. When they reached the common room, Lily, Andy, and Cassie were waiting for them. Sirius and Cassie walked off together. Andromeda, Remus, and Peter walked together, and that left only two- Lily and James.



It was surprising to him how little he wanted to talk to her this morning. Usually, if she was willing to walk with him, which never happened, James would be ecstatically happy. Not so today. He was still reeling from his dream and the very real memory of pain he could still feel all over his body from the Cruciatus Curse.



She looked nervous and bit her lip. “James, I have to talk to you.�



“OK, shoot.�



“Alone.� She looked even more worried now. Concerned. She grabbed his arm and pulled him into an unused classroom. James went with her willingly, not even realizing the “opportunity� because he was feeling so off.



“James- I have to just say this.�



“What, already?�



“I know what happened to you this summer. And I’m so sorry.�



“What?� James said, dumbstruck.



“I know what happened to your dad in July. I am so sorry.� Tears were running down Lily’s face quickly now. She looked at him, staring hard.



James’ face darkened. Thoughts of the terrible night when his father had been killed, anger at the Death Eaters, filled his mind. “Dad.�



James hadn’t realized it but his eyes were damp. Under any other circumstance he would have blinked the tears back or wiped his eyes. But now he just let them fall. He slid down against the wall and buried his head in his arms.



Lily sat down next to him and half-hugged him. “James, it’s OK. It’s going to be all right,� she said soothingly.



“Lily, it’s not going to be OK. It’s never going to be OK again! I’LL never be OK again! My dad is gone!� He sobbed, his heart broken yet again.



“James, we can help you. It’s really sad, losing a loved one. My grandmother died last year. I was devastated. You can’t hold it all in James, you’ll explode.�



They sat together like that for a few minutes before James started trying to pull himself together. “Thanks, Lily. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m sorry.�



“That’s OK, James. I know you didn’t mean it.� Lily wiped at her own eyes. “We must look like a messy pair!� she said. Her mascara was running a little and James’ eyes were all red.



“I really mean it Lily- thanks. Thanks for caring.�



“Anytime.� Lily smiled at James. Surprisingly, he smiled back, even though he was still overwhelmed with emotion. They walked together out of the classroom and into the hall. As they walked, Lily tentatively reached out her hand to James, who he took it. He was glad for her; right now, Lily's small, soft hand was the only tether keeping him from drowning in his own grief.



In the Great Hall they found Lily’s friends and James’ friends sitting together in a big group. It seemed to James that that was what they would be from now on-- real friends, and each other's support. That was just what James needed then.



He really, really needed to tell the Marauders soon.

James wandered through the rest of the day without really paying attention to anything going on outside of his own mind. He was glad Lily had come to talk to him, because it was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders- keeping a secret as huge as his was very draining. But James still hated the Death Eaters, and he always would. They were going to pay next year, when he became an Auror. He would get vengeance for his father’s death; James swore it to himelf.



James had found out in fifth year that Voldemort had been out to get his dad ever since they had gone to school together. Professor Dumbledore had deemed it unnecessary to put a Fidelius Charm on Potter Mansion. The Potters had lived normally- they had always thought they were safe.



He remembered his mum’s teary goodbye to him on September first. His poor mother was living all alone in a huge home full of House Elves and painful memories she would, James was sure, much rather forget.



"Look out for yourself, James. I love you always," she had choked out between swallows.

__________________________________________



After James's talk with Lily, he had felt like everything was going to work out fine, now. He had hoped the broken pieces of him would heal togther that easily: quickly, seamlessly. How wrong he was.



“JAMES POTTER!�



“Umm, what, Professor McGonagall?�



“I GAVE DIRECTIONS FOR EVERYONE TO TURN THEMSELVES BLUE TWENTY MINUTES AGO!�



James looked around and sure enough he found all twenty-four of his classmates to be various shades of periwinkle. Sirius, although it was hard to tell it was really him, was trying hard not to laugh. He was failing.



“Sorry, Professor, I’ll get on that right now.�



“NO you won’t, Mr. Potter. Class dismissed!�



When James tried to sneak out, she called him back.



“Potter, I know you had a tough summer, but you better get that attention back to normal or you are going to fail my class,� she said, frowning. Professor McGonagall’s face, which had been hard and lined a minute earlier, had softened slightly. She looked at him with her light brown eyes.



“Yes- wait, you aren’t giving me detention?�



“No, Mr. Potter. But one more problem and it’s a week of them.�



“Thanks, Professor.�



He went to his last class, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Greenbaum. It was his favorite class, and crucial to his ambition of becoming an Auror, so he listened to the professor’s words carefully.



“I will divide you into pairs, for practice in combat. Use nonverbal spells only, please. And nothing illegal or painful.� she added this last bit solely for this class, the Gryffindor and Slytherin class. The two houses hated each other and always would; it was a fact of life for Hogwarts students.



A few girls tittered, but the guys all knew the teacher was completely serious. Professor Greenbaum then began calling out names of pairs.



“Sirius Black, Cassie Meadowes.�



Frank Longbottom, Lucius Malfoy.� The boys glared at each other evilly.



“Remus Lupin, Andromeda Black.�



“Lily Evans, Dan Hopkins.�



And all the way down to…



“James Potter, Severus Snape.�



James and Snape were mortal enemies. Hatred had been mutual as soon as they had laid eyes on each other. James thought Snape to be a dirty, ugly, Dark Arts-loving git (which he was.). Snape… well, Snape hated James for being everything he wasn’t- popular, handsome, a good student, great Quidditch player, etc.



James stared at the professor with shock.



“Potter, you and your partner may not be best friends, but you WILL do this exercise and you WILL NOT complain,� she said in a sharp voice.



Across the room, Cassie was trying extremely hard to curse Sirius, who was teasing her. They were grinning.



The other pair that caught James' eye was Lily and Dan Hopkins. They were getting along fine. Lily was smiling as she sent a minor hex his way, which he cleared his face of immediately. Well, James thought sourly, They would make a good couple. The smartest two Gryffindors in our year. When Lily broke out in a peal of giggles, he felt a large volcano erupt in his chest. Doesn’t she know I lo- like her? You’d think I never told her, the way she acts!



James pushed aside his anger and got ready to duel his worst enemy.



“Hey Snivellus! You might not have noticed, but your robes haven’t been cleaned in several centuries,� James taunted.



“Oh REALLY!� Snape said furiously as his normally sallow complexion turned rather pinkish. He pointed his wand sharply at James and squinted. James crashed loudly down onto the floor. He sent a jinx at Snape who then froze and fell backwards.



James straightened up while Snape was still frozen on the floor, glaring at him. James pointed his wand at the unmoving Slytherin and forced him up into the air upside down by his ankle. Now James grinned. He was in control.



Snape got his body movement back at the exact same moment James glanced over to look at Lily. He pointed his wand at James and huge gashes appeared all over his body, gushing blood.



Professor Greenbaum finally noticed the illegal and quite painful curse Snape had cast on James, who had now lost so much blood he was completely white on the floor. She rushed over as the classroom became silent as the students watched.



The professor ran her wand over and over the cuts until they had covered over again. The cuts were healed, but James was still unconscious.



“He needs to go to the Infirmary NOW!� she shouted. Sirius and Remus rushed over to help take him. When they had conjured up a stretcher and laid the limp James down upon it, Lily sighed fretfully and ran after them down the hall.



Sirius and Remus glanced at Lily, raised their eyebrows at each other, and then nodded at her. She blushed and they speed-walked towards the Nurse.



When they reached it, Madam Pomfrey hurried around the room, gathering supplies to help the scarring and then to revive James. Lily, Remus, and Sirius stood silent, nervously waiting for him to wake. Lily was very white.



An hour after being given the potion, James shook. His three friends jumped; they had been lost in their own thoughts for so long. He opened his eyes and said groggily, “What happened?�



“Snape cast a really bad curse on you, it made you bleed so much you passed out,� Lily said. James was surprised to hear her voice. The combination of grogginess and not wearing his glasses had caused James not to notice who was there, but he had expected only Remus and Sirius.



“Evans?� he said dumbly.



“Yes, James, it’s me.�



“Why are you here?�



“You were hurt, I had to make sure you were OK,� she said, blushing slightly.



“Oh…� James said. He was quite drained and quickly fell back asleep surrounded by his friends.

______________________________________________



James was on an unfamiliar Quidditch Pitch, clutching his Comet tightly. He looked all around, but the field was as empty as a moor. He looked up at the stands. At the top, the best seats, he saw his father. He waved madly. His father couldn’t see him. James mounted his broom and flew to the top of the stands. When he got there, his dad was gone.



“Dad?� he called down. His voice echoed strangely around him. Then he saw Lily at the end of the row of seats. He jogged over to her. She frowned sadly.



“Goodbye, James.� She disapparated.



James lost his footing and fell silently off of his perch on the bleachers. He felt for his broom, and discovered that it, too, had disappeared. James closed his eyes and embraced the wind.

___________________________________________



A/N- Sorry 2 James chapters in a row—Lily will come back, I promise! (just so you know, Peter isn't in their DADA class- he failed OWLs in fifth year)

Lily sat on her bed struggling to finish a letter she had promised to send her parents.



Dear Mum and Dad,



My start of term has been great! Thank you so much for the money you gave me for becoming Head Girl! I have sent away for a pair of beautiful new dress robes to wear to the seventh year Christmas Ball. I can’t wait to show them to you both at break.



How are you? I hope you are both well. And how is Petunia? Is the wedding still scheduled for Christmas vacation? And, Mum, don’t worry about her not making me a bridesmaid. Yellow doesn't suit me, anyway.



Take care of yourselves, for the world isn’t as safe a place as it was when I first started at Hogwarts. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you because of me.



I love you.



Lily



She sighed as she signed her name at the end of the note. Lily did not want to worry her parents, so she had tried to be discreet with her warning. But in truth Lily was petrified for her family, friends, even for her own life. Lily would never forgive herself if her parents were harmed because of her.



That was Lily- she always blamed herself for things she could never have prevented.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



“OH MY GOD! JAMES’ DAD WAS KILLED OVER THE SUMMER!�



“What are you talking about?� Andromeda asked nervously. It was not normal for Lily to yell. In fact, it was so out of character, Andy and Cassie were worried for Lily’s sanity.



“James! Potter- his dad! DEAD! DEATH EATERS!� Lily stuttered.



Andromeda and Cassie’s eyes were wide. If Lily couldn’t even put together a perfect, grammatically correct sentence, they knew they should definitely be worried.



Lily even looked crazed. Her hair was sticking out in random directions from lying down, and her emerald eyes were wide and shiny. She took a deep, frustrated breath and said, semi-calmly, “Don’t you get it? James Potter’s father was killed by the Death Eaters this summer.� She sat down abruptly on the floor and cupped her white face in her hands.



“Lily,� Cassie asked cautiously, “Are you feeling alright?�



“Of course. Don’t you… believe me?� she asked incredulously.



“Sure we believe you, Lils,� Andromeda said quickly, not wanting to cause an explosion. Lily was like a field. She was beautiful and happy on the outside but there was always the possibility you might step on a hidden landmine.



Lily went limp where she sat, hugging herself, on the ground. Cassie went over and sat next to her to comfort Lily.



“Lily, don’t worry, I’m sure James is OK. Don’t worry about him,� she said in a soft voice.



“No, Cass. His dad died. Would you be OK if YOUR dad died?�



“Lily, if his dad died, that is not your problem to take care of. I’m sure he is dealing with it in his own way,� Andy said.



“Did you see how weird he was acting? He barely talked to me at all, let ALONE ask me out. For Potter that is VERY weird. And I don’t think he even told his friends!� Lily cried.



“Of course he told his friends! Why wouldn’t he tell them?� Cassie questioned.



“You know guys. They never want to show their emotions.� This time it was Andy who spoke. “I should know. Sirius’ parents would always pick on him, always favoring Regulus. And he never, ever cried. I've been around Sirius since I was born and I have never seen him cry. Not once.�



“What am I going to DO?� Lily wailed.



“Maybe you should just talk to him. I mean, not in front of his friends or anything. In private, because we think he's keeping it a secret,� Andy said. She ran her hand through her short blonde hair, making it stand on end.



“I guess I’ll have to talk to him tomorrow. What will I say?� Lily said softly to herself.



She curled up in bed, shivering even though it was quite warm in the room. She shut her eyes tightly, wishing that everything and everyone would just go away. The Death Eaters had never come so close to home before. They had not been real; they had just been nameless, faceless monsters mentioned in the Daily Prophet, harming nameless, faceless people she did not know. Lily wondered how much danger she was in; if her friends were, if her family was.



Lily’s friends had the sense to go to bed too, leaving her all alone. She lay awake in a dark, quiet room with only her friends’ deep, even breathing and her own thoughts for company.



~~~~~~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



“Time to do my Charms homework!� Lily said brightly. She took out a quill and ink and her parchment and started writing an essay on the pros and cons of Tickling Charms.



Andy and Cassie walked in when Lily was putting the finishing touches on her essay. (‘All in all, the use of Tickling Charms is cruel because…’) She looked up and smiled.



“Hi guys!�



They were a bit muddy, because they had just been at a Quidditch practice. Andromeda was one of the Beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Cassie was a Chaser, James Potter was the Captain and Seeker, and Sirius Black was the other Beater.



“Hi, Lily!� they chorused. Andy switched her soiled robes for a pair of old sweatpants and a t-shirt and sat on her bed Indian-style. She started brushing her hair.



“Oh, it’s only the first week and already I’m behind on homework!� Andy exclaimed.



Lily just smiled and bragged, “I’m all done for the week!�



Cassie and Andy stared at her. They were very smart, like Lily, but didn’t have the same amount of discipline. Well, Cass had more than Andy, who had scraped by OWLs by cramming the night before.



They looked at her with puppy-dog eyes until she gave in. “All right, I’ll help you! Are you happy now?� she said with false anger.



By the time Lily’s friends were all caught up with their work, it was very very late. They climbed into bed sluggishly.



“Hey Lily?� Cassie asked.



“What?� Lily replied.



“How was the talk you had with Potter yesterday?�



“Fine,� Lily said. In truth, it was all she had thought about since that time. How good it had felt to just be with him, not yelling at him to go away. How she felt trusted because he had shared how he felt with her, in whatever small way. Nice job, Lils, she thought. Fall for the guy least likely to ever want to date you. Even if he did, it would never work out. He’s arrogant, she told herself.



“I am NOT falling for Potter!� she said out loud. Realizing what she had just done, Lily slapped a hand over her mouth. But a hand would never be able to catch the words she had said and make them disappear. Now her friends would know the thoughts that had been haunting her since the day before.



“Oh my God, Lils,� Andromeda groaned. “The almighty Lily Evans has finally fallen for the guy who has had a crush on her since fourth year!�



“I said, I am NOT falling for Potter. NOT falling. As in, never. Ever!�



Her friends laughed at her, annoying her as usual.



“He is an arrogant, big- headed creep. I would NEVER like him. He finds joy in cursing people who are- GOD FORBID- less cool than himself! OH I hate him I HATE him!� Lily had a strange look on her face. She was thinking about the way James had acted with her when they were alone. “NO.�



“OK, Lily. We get it. You don’t like Potter, and you never, ever will. Wow, I’ve never heard that one before,� Andy said sarcastically.



Cassie said, “You can like him. It’s OK, he likes you too.�



“No he doesn’t! He only ever asked me out to tease me! He never ceases to infuriate me!�



“Then why did you follow Remus and Sirius down the hall when they were bringing him to the Infirmary during DADA?� Andromeda asked smugly.



Lily muttered something about “being Head Girl� and rolled over, stuffing the pillow on top of her head forcefully.



Andy said, to Cassie, "I think she really is falling for him this time."



"I really am," Lily whispered to herself. As soon as she said it out loud, even though no one heard, Lily felt lighter than she had in weeks. She turned over onto her side and smiled a little before drifting off to sleep.

“Come on! Get up!� Remus called. James opened his eyes. Remus was banging a couple of frying pans together cheerfully, playing that old favorite morning tune, Mary Had a Little Lamb. Peter was sitting on his four-poster, giggling nervously as he tied his shoes.



“Moony… wuzgoinon…� Sirius asked groggily.



“What’s up with the frying pans anyway?� asked James rhetorically. He hopped out of bed. James was usually the first one up, but Quidditch had run late the night before, and then he’d had to finish some stray homework. He’d gotten to sleep only a few hours ago.



Sirius, however, was never a morning person. Last year, James and Remus had gotten him a pair of joke boxers for his birthday. They were bright pink and said, in lime green, “I’m Allergic to Mornings� on them. Ironically, when Sirius finally slid out of bed, they saw that he was wearing them.



They were running a bit late for breakfast, so Remus and Peter stood impatiently by the door while James and Sirius rushed around getting ready.



“Hey Moony, have you seen my hair gel?� Sirius called from the bathroom. Remus tapped his foot, annoyed, and sighed.



“Sirius, the only one vain enough here to use gel is you. Anyway, if I wanted to style my hair, I’d get my own gel.�



“But it’s the best kind!�



“Padfoot, hurry up!� James called.



Peter giggled nervously again. James walked over to wait with Remus and Peter, shoving his school supplies into his bag and hitching it over his shoulder.



“Come on, Sirius, breakfast ends in fifteen minutes!� James called.



Finally Sirius walked out of the bathroom. He looked kind of disheveled.



The boys speed-walked towards the Great Hall. They entered the room as everyone was finishing eating. Students glanced over and when they noticed it was the notoriously late Marauders, they continued their conversations.



As they passed Lily, Andromeda, and Cassie eating, they caught a few words concerning outfits for the ball. James recalled the poster he had seen yesterday morning.



All Seventh-years are invited to…

The Annual Christmas Ball!

~Formal Robes will be required.

~Time- 9:00-Midnight on Sat. Dec. 24th

Following an optional Hogsmeade trip.

~Entertainment will be…

The One-Eyed Cats!

~Head Boy and Girl traditionally

accompany each other.

If you have any questions, ask the

Organizational crew, headed by



Ravenclaw Blair Southerson

Slytherin Narcissa Black

Gryffindor Martha Maddock

Hufflepuff Maria Silver



James grinned when he remembered a specific part of it.



“Prongs. Here you are grinning when we are discussing double Potions first this morning. What is wrong with you?� Sirius spat disgustedly.



“I think the Christmas Ball is wrong with him,� Remus said slyly.



A rare look of comprehension lit up Sirius’ face. “Only two months away. I can hardly wait!� He looked over at Cassie and grinned. She saw him and smiled shyly.



After a few more mindless words uttered from Sirius’ mouth and endless giggles from an extremely jumpy Peter, it was time for classes to begin. Peter headed off to Care of Magical Creatures. Remus, Sirius, and James sauntered off to dreaded double potions.



When they got there, they started working on the Wit-Increasing Potion Professor Slughorn had set for their work. Lily’s was the perfect shade of citrine. James’ was the color of a traffic cone. He had put twice as many frog toenails in than he was supposed to.



The Christmas Ball was the only thing he could think of. What would happen there? Did Lily still hate his guts? He was panicking inside.



Professor McGonagall caught him after Transfiguration class.



“Potter! Wait up!� she called.



“Yes, Professor?�



“Are you asking Lily to the Christmas Ball?�



James scuffed his feet on the floor and looked down.



“Umm, well….. I haven’t…..err….asked her yet?� he said timidly.



McGonagall got a strange look in her eyes. Maybe she felt bad for him. Or had tests to grade; he wasn’t sure.



“Well, James, you really should ask her, because we wouldn’t want to break tradition, now would we?� Now James was sure, she had a twinkle in her eye.



He saluted. “Sir yes sir!�



McGonagall allowed herself a tiny prim smile, before telling him, “Well, hurry up! It’s almost time for your next class!�



He left as quickly as he could.



Next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, and then they had lunch. James sat down with Remus and Sirius and right away decided to tell them about the whole thing with McGonagall.



“…So McGonagall told you to ask Lily? D’ you think that’s a hint or something?� Sirius mumbled with his mouth full of turkey sandwich.



Remus gave him a look. “Obviously, Sirius. She was trying to tell him to ask her. That much is clear.�



James asked, “You think I should go invite her right now?�



Sirius and Remus considered him. Sirius shook his head. “I dunno, mate. She might say no. She ALWAYS says no.�



But Remus said, “Prongs, I think you should. She’s been acting different this year. Sort of like maybe she doesn’t hate you. I think you might have a chance.�



That was all the encouragement James needed. “I’ll do it!� he said, hopping up from the table and nearly tripping. He took a deep breath and messed up his hair with his hand.



“Hold up, mate!� Remus called.



“What?� James said, agitated.



“Just fix your hair better.�



“All right, already!� James said, now flattening his ebony locks.



Moony and Padfoot gave him twin thumbs-ups as he walked down the length of the table to where Lily and her friends sat.



He tapped her on the back. “Hey, Evans…�



She turned. “Yeah?�



“Can I talk to you?�



“Umm, sure,� she said, getting up from her seat. He led her away from the tables.



“What’s up; you okay?� she asked him.



“Lily, er… will you go to the Christmas ball with me?�



Lily looked at him as if she were judging whether an apple was rotten or not. She squinted one eye. “Well…� she said, “Dan Hopkins already asked me.�



James’ face fell.



She quickly said, “But I haven’t said yes to him yet. Let me think about it.�



And with that, Lily walked back to her friends at the Gryffindor table, flipping her thick auburn hair across her shoulder.



James walked back to his friends in a state of shock. Moony and Padfoot stared at him for about thirty seconds.



Finally, Sirius asked, “WELL?�



James said, “She didn’t say no.�



“And…� Remus prompted.



“She didn’t say yes either.�

A/N: I’m sorry it took me such a ridiculously long time to update- VERY unprofessional/ uncool of me! I have edited chapters 1-6 extensively and have now picked the story back up again, finally. If you read it when it was originally posted, I would recommend reading it again, because a few things have changed.

Characters/setting/etc. are obviously JKR’s. Thanks!

Chapter Seven: Betrayal

Lily was curled up, exhausted, in a plump, red armchair next to the fire in Gryffindor Common Room. She was attempting to write her Potions essay, but could not concentrate. If you didn’t look at her very closely, it appeared as though Lily was working diligently; her quill was poised above the parchment, freshly loaded with ink. But if you paid a bit more attention, you would see that all she had written, so far, was her name.

Cassie and Andromeda were at Quidditch practice, leaving Lily, as usual, alone with her work and her thoughts- which, today, were overwhelming her. The dark circles under Lily’s eyes were a result of late evening homework sessions with Cassie and Andromeda, and patrolling the halls nightly; as Head Girl she had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders.

After a few more minutes of relative silence, in which Lily continued to stare at the blank parchment on her lap, she heard footsteps, and glanced up. It was Vega, Andromeda’s sister. Lily smiled slightly. “Hi, Vega.�

The little girl grinned back, her dark, warm eyes crinkling up. “You looked like you could use a friend,� she said, plopping down on the arm of Lily’s chair.

Lily laughed. “You’re right,� she said, “Can I ask your advice about something?�

“Shoot,� Vega nodded.

It did not seem at all strange to Lily, that she was asking a girl six years her junior for help. Vega was incredibly mature for her age. She was smart and soft-spoken, and completely lacked her older sister’s sometimes-cruel bluntness.

“Okay, so, Dan Hopkins asked me to the ball yesterday evening. He’s sweet and good-looking and everything, but I told him I wasn’t sure. I don’t know why I said that, but I did, anyway…and yesterday, at lunch, James asked me to go with him, and I said that Dan asked me. I don’t know what to do!� Lily sighed, rubbing her eyes.

Vega grinned wickedly at her. “Lils, I think you do know.�

“I don’t.�

“Why would you have turned Dan down if you hadn’t been hoping for a better offer?�

Lily looked at Vega, green eyes wide, and laughed a little. Suddenly, she couldn’t believe that it had been at all difficult for her to reach a decision; the answer seemed glaringly obvious. Sometimes, to make a choice, all you need to do is stop worrying, she realized.

“Thanks, Vay,� she smiled, letting her parchment and quill flutter gently to the ground as she stood up. She wiggled her fingers at the girl, a quick wave, as she hopped out of the portrait hole.

Lily walked quickly towards the grounds. With her every step, butterflies in her stomach seemed to double; for once, they didn’t even bother her. When she reached the large double doors, she broke into a run. Lily was small, but fast, and it hardly took her any time at all to reach the pitch.

When Lily arrived, she ran to the middle of the field. She tilted her head back and stared hard up at the players, flying far above her. Lily took a deep breath before yelling, “JAMES!� as loud as she possibly could. Birds fled their perches in nearby trees, and James immediately barreled towards her on his broom.

“What is it, Lily?� he asked. His eyes, squinting in the setting sun, were full of concern. He dismounted his broom, striding towards her.

“This,� Lily said softly. Her cheeks glowed pink as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, tipped her head up, and kissed him. She reveled in the scent of him, in the feeling of his strong arms snaking around her waist, in the softness of his lips on hers, and she could not believe she had ever detested this boy. A minute and several wolf-whistles later, Lily pulled back. Breathless, she whispered in his ear, “Will you go to the ball with me?�

“Yes!� James yelled triumphantly.

“Okay, good, now go back to practice,� Lily smiled slyly. “They’re waiting for you.�

James looked at her, questions in his eyes. His lips were swollen and as pink as his cheeks.

“I’ll wait for you,� she smiled, and waved her gloved hand as she jogged towards the stands. James mounted his Comet and zoomed up into the clear, cold air, feeling as light as the wind on his face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Quidditch practice ended late that night. It was long past sunset by the time James dismissed his team, stored his broom in the shed, and hurried cheerfully over to meet Lily in the stands. He was flushed from the cold and exertion, and grinning from the rush of flying and Lily.

At first he didn’t even see her, but then a flash of dark red caught his eye. She was slumped on the floor of the top row, asleep. James crept over to her. She was out like a light, snoring softly, almost delicately. James gently lifted her and began walking back to school.

James cradled Lily, still sleeping soundly, in his arms. He was so glad to be with her, that it didn’t even occur to him to grow tired from the soft, warm weight of her against his chest. Her brilliant auburn hair brushed against James’s chin, making him smile slightly.

The stars were all out and twinkling brightly by the time James entered the quiet castle, through one of the Marauders’ many secret passages. This one let out quite near the Fat Lady’s portrait. He cautiously pulled open the door, so as not to wake Lily up, and stepped inside. There were a few fifth and seventh years frequenting the overstuffed sofas, with their quills and parchment and books spread around messily, but mostly everyone had gone up to bed.

No one so much as glanced at James as he gently laid Lily down on one of the worn couches and spread a striped, knobbly knitted blanket over her. He then sat down on the braided rug and leaned against Lily’s couch, her sentinel. He sat, simply watching, as, slowly, the rest of the students went up to their warm beds.

James had just Summoned his Charms book when he saw a pair of black and blue trainers plant themselves in front of him. He looked up slowly, taking in the form of a boy wearing jeans and a deep green sweater, and glaring daggers at him.

“Hello,� James said, trying valiantly to keep any trace of smugness from leaking into his voice.

“James,� Dan Hopkins nodded. His voice was rough, hard, and James was not surprised when Dan’s trainers did not continue on their merry way up the stairs like everyone else’s.

“What is it?� James said after a moment, annoyed that Dan would not edge off. He stood up now, nose to nose with his dorm-mate.

Dan took a ragged breath. “So you’re with…her…Evans, now?�

“You’ve got a problem with it?�

“As a matter of fact, yes. She’s going to the ball with me.�

“She won’t,� James said calmly.

“I recommend that she does.�

“And why would that be?�

“Mark my words, James Potter, if she doesn’t, you’d better watch the hell out.�

James stared incredulously at Dan. He’d never thought Dan would stoop down to threatening him, to get Lily. They were Gryffindors. They were stoic. They stuck together. They were not enemies; did James really need another one of those, anyway?

“I’m not ever giving her up. You just try and take me, Hopkins- go right ahead,� said James heatedly.

“No, Potter. I won’t try to ‘take you’. But I will hit you where it hurts, remember that,� he said coldly.

James looked hard at Dan for what felt like the very first time, although he’d known the boy for years. He saw how serious Dan really was, through the boy’s blank, light gray-purple eyes; against his dark skin, those eyes were so out of place, making Dan’s eyes look, to James, like an old Seer’s. Dan’s stony, dead-set features were both handsome and disconcerting. James noticed a deep, rough, almost heart-shaped scar on the side of the boy’s cheek. James wondered if the scar was new, or if he had just never looked close enough at Dan before to see it.

James opened and closed his mouth several times, like a shocked goldfish, before getting out, in a hoarse whisper, “You can’t hurt her.� He stepped back, closer to the couch, protectively. James’s forehead creased as he glared at Dan furiously.

“We’ll have to see about that, now won’t we?� Dan said, calm as anything, before turning on his black and blue heel and retreating up the stairs to the boy’s dormitories.

James sat on the edge of Lily’s couch. His face contorted in anger as he turned, over and over in his mind, the conversation he had just exchanged with a boy he’d thought he knew. He conjured his Patronus shakily, and sent the comfortingly familiar stag up the stairs to his best friend.

A minute later, Sirius stumbled down the spiral staircase in his striped pajamas. He rubbed his eyes, and, in the midst of a huge yawn, asked James, “Whaddya wake me up for?�

James quickly filled Sirius in on what had just happened. Sirius’s sleepy brown eyes widened and his face darkened in anger. “Well, there’s only one thing we can do,� he growled, his voice even more canine than usual.

“What?�

“We have to have one of us with her at all times. We have to get you up to her dorm. It’s the only way.�

James sighed with relief. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. I knew I had to be with her, but obviously we couldn’t take her up there,� he nodded angrily at the boys’ stairs, “So, good plan. Do you know how to get that spell off the stairs? So I won’t slide down?�

Sirius stared at James. “Of course I know. Did you really just ask that?�

James laughed tensely with his friend, before Sirius brandished his wand at the girls’ staircase and said confidently, “Ameliorus.�

The stairs glowed golden for a second, before returning to normal. James reached down and picked up Lily again. His eyes hardened with determination, and, tentatively, he planted a soft kiss on her pale forehead before stepping on the bottom stair.

James then turned to face his best friend again. “Thanks, mate,� he said roughly, and Sirius nodded.

“No problem.�

James continued up the steep staircase with a growing sense of trepidation about the days ahead.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily opened her bright eyes and blinked, disoriented, up at James, who was carrying her up a set of stairs. He did not notice that she was awake. His dark eyes were set, and his thin face was serious, but still he held her gently, carefully. Lily was comfortable, and she reached a hand up to cup his cheek. James started.

“Hi,� she whispered.

He said nothing, but leaned down and kissed her deeply. There was love in his kiss, but an urgent, frantic quality that Lily associated with fear was also present. When he pulled away, Lily opened her eyes and found that they were in front of her dorm room. She reached out to open the door for him without asking questions, and they entered quietly.

“What the bloody hell?� was the first sound Lily heard.

“Andy,� Lily admonished, as James set her down on the end of her bed, and then plopped down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders protectively. She turned and reached her arms around him in a hug, and when they were nose to nose, she whispered, “Should I be worried?�

James’s eyebrows rose at her perceptiveness. He shook his head, then, after a pause, sighed and nodded. He leaned his head onto her shoulder, as though he was defeated.

Before Andromeda opened her mouth again, James held up a finger. Cassie and Andy got out of their beds, which bracketed Lily’s like bookends, and sat cross-legged on the floor at James’s and Lily’s feet. Cassie’s black eyes were wide with worry; Andy looked impatient.

After a deep breath, James explained what had happened, quietly, so that the two other girls, who were sleeping, would not wake up and overhear his words. Cassie’s face grew more and more distraught, while Andromeda looked ready to spit fire at Dan.

Lily was dumbfounded. How could Dan, of all people, threaten her? She believed James, but could not understand why Dan would want her so much that it would come to this- threats, deceit. What’s so important about me? Lily wondered. Her head was beginning to ache, and she was growing numb with fear.

James finished, “Sirius and I decided that one of us- one of the Marauders- will always be with Lily, so Dan can’t get near her.�

Lily made a small sound in the back of her throat, before saying, “James, I can take care of myself.�

“Lily-� he pleaded, before Andromeda interrupted him.

“You don’t think our protection adequate, Potter?� Lily’s best friend spat angrily, sounding for all the world like a furious Professor McGonagall.

“Of course I do, Andy. But can I kip on the floor, just in case? You won’t even know I’m here.�

Andy was unsettled by James’s polite words, and she shrugged, because she didn’t know what else she could do. “You better not take advantage of this, Potter,� she said, but this time, she smiled a little.

Lily said, “James, are you sure you don’t mind staying? I’ll be fine without you.� She hoped that he would stay; she knew she would sleep easier if James was there, but she didn’t want him staying if he didn’t want to.

“Please let me,� he said softly.

Lily nodded. “Okay,� she whispered, “But you can’t sleep on the floor.�

James laughed and held her. Lily did not want him to let go. She could not believe how quickly he had become her comfort source, but guessed that it had been years coming, now. Lily planted a kiss on his lips before going to change into her pajamas, a pair of baggy navy sweatpants and a t-shirt. When she got back from the washroom, James was sitting on her bed. He had pulled back the covers for her. She climbed in and scooted over, giggling, as she whispered, “Now don’t get any ideas, you.�

He snuggled next to her, and wrapped his arms around her. Lily’s body relaxed, and she thought about how content it made her, just to have James’s warm hand at her back. Even though she knew she should be worried about Dan’s threat, she couldn’t bring herself to be. She buried her face into James’s shirt, and within minutes, her breathing was steady.

“I’m here, Lils, don’t worry, love,� James whispered. Lily heard it as she was drifting to sleep, but she would not remember in the morning.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily was standing in an unfamiliar, yet exquisitely decorated, bedroom with one big stained glass window. She picked up a small, gilded mirror that was lying on a nightstand, but she did not see her own familiar visage in the ancient cracked glass.

A distorted vision of Vega Black’s small, pale face looked back at her, appraisingly. The first inconsistency Lily noticed was that Vega’s dark brown hair was now red, like Lily’s. It was as though the little girl had decided to dress up as her sister’s best friend.

Vega’s dark eyes still shone bright and large, although her thin face was smudged with soot and dirt. Her dirty white shirt was torn rudely at the left shoulder to expose a grotesque skull and snake tattoo there. The mark looked exceedingly out of place on the small girl, and it made Lily’s skin crawl.

Vega parted her swollen, bruised, petal-pink lips, eyes widened beseechingly. Suddenly panicked, Lily threw the mirror to the marble floor, before the little girl could speak.

Regret overwhelmed Lily almost before she heard the mirror shatter, and she scrabbled on the ground to pick up the pieces. Lily’s knees were bloodied from the shards of mirror she had kneeled upon, but she barely noticed. She looked for Vega in a particularly large piece of broken glass, and was disappointed when she saw nothing but her own bright emerald eye looking back at her.

Lily flopped onto the large, ornate bed in defeat. Her stomach ached with fear and hunger; she worried that breaking the mirror had been the wrong thing to do. Lily turned her head towards the colorful window beside the bed. When she saw the carefully concealed metal bars in the jewel-toned glass, Lily knew that she had destroyed her only means of escape.

No windows. No doors, she saw now. No mirror. No wand. Lily was utterly and completely trapped, and she let herself cry. She knew inherently that there was nothing she could do to save either herself, or Vega, wherever the little girl was.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James woke with a start. It was two in the morning, according to his watch. It took his eyes a moment to get adjusted, to remember where he was.

Lily was whimpering, in her sleep. Inexplicably, she was calling for Vega Black. James tried to wake Lily, whose small pale hands were clutching the front of his t-shirt in a death grip. He called her name, tapped her shoulder, even shook her gently, but she refused to open her eyes.

Finally, James ceded defeat; Lily was trapped. He pulled her closer to him, hoping that wherever she was, she would know he was there for her. After a few minutes, Lily stopped calling for Vega, and sobbed the silent tears of a broken heart into James’s chest.