“So Saturday then?” a seventeen-year-old James Potter whispered conspiratorially with his friends that were all huddled together.

Lily Evans sat upright, trying not to listen to the conversation going on behind her as she tried to concentrate on the review session that Professor McGonagall was giving at the front of the class. Why did I pick this seat?

Lily dipped her quill into her pot of black ink and scribbled notes down without really knowing what she was writing.

“It’s all set then? Everything is in place?” Sirius Black whispered back.

Ignore them, Lily thought to herself, trying to concentrate on her quill scratching her piece of parchment. Lily glanced, annoyed, up at the large clock on the wall. Five more minutes and you can leave. Five more minutes and you won’t have to listen to them talking anymore.

“It’s going to be amazing! Greatest thing we have done yet!” James exclaimed while still whispering.

“Better than the rain in the Great Hall in fourth year?”

“Definitely.”

Four more minutes, Lily’s quill now went through her piece of parchment. She bent over to get another out of her bag. Three more minutes.

“More of a thrill than the famous Slytherin Robe change of ’75?”

“Child’s play,” James stated simply while leaning his chair back on two legs.

Lily dipped her quill in the ink. All Animagi must register with the Ministry after learning of their powers,

Two more minutes

“What about the greatest prank that never was finished?” Sirius said, a hint of spite in his voice.

One

Lily stiffened in her chair. No matter how much rivalry there was between Severus Snape and James Potter, she could not just sit there silently. She had to tell them off. If they were going to flounce about how they had almost gotten Severus killed, they had another thing coming. Who cared if they are Animagi? Does that make them gods or something? Does that give them the right to try and , however unintentionally it had been, kill someone and then gloat about it?

Hell, no.

Lily turned around.

“No,” James said sternly. “That, was a mistake.

The bell rang, leaving Lily with her mouth open, poised to tell of the arrogant James Potter and his sidekick, Sirius Black for being the prats that they were. She couldn’t move, she felt as though she were stuck to the chair.

James and Sirius grabbed their packed bags, like they had to take notes, and left the room, still deep in discussion.

What were they talking about? And since when did James think that was a mistake?

---

Lily tapped her foot impatiently, glaring daggers at the large clock hanging over the fireplace in the large Gryffindor Common Room.

8:23

Twenty-three minutes? Remus feels guilty if he’s three minutes late for patrolling! She looked again.

8:24

Lily, the impatient person that she had been since she was born, looked at the stairs to the boys’ dormitories, and without consciously making a decision, began to ascend the creaky wooden stairs. Once at the top of the stairs, the long hallway stretched out in front of her. For some reason, she felt as though she should be quiet and took care to walk gingerly down the crimson carpet hallway towards the door that had the plaque that was marked “Sixth Years” hanging crookedly.

“-right outside the Room of Requirement, right?” a familiar voice was muffled by the large wooden door.

Curiosity had the best of her, as Lily crept forward to place her ear against the door.

“Right, then we’ll meet downstairs,” said a voice that Lily recognized as the one and only James Potter.

“I still don’t understand why I have to be the one to take it. I mean, can’t we get Peter to do it? Or pay off a first year?”

“Take what?” Lily whispered to herself, pressing herself more against the door.

Suddenly it got very quiet and Lily pressed even more against the door, trying to hear if they were still talking, her original purpose for going up those stairs completely forgotten.

That’s when she stumbled forward, straight into something hard and stationary. Something hard and stationary that smelled amazingly good.

Lily threw up in her mouth a little bit at the thought.

Someone in a very high place obviously hated her.

“Wow Evans, you know, I’ve imagine this in a million different scenarios over the years, but this one, this one never came up!” James said mockingly as Lily pushed herself off of him, straightening her shirt over her skirt.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Potter. I just came up here to see what was taking Remus so long.”

“Moony? What do you want with him?” Sirius asked, seriously confused.

“Patrolling? It is Thursday you know,” Lily shot back in a patronizing way, her arms crossed across her chest, glaring at Sirius and then back to James.

“Patrolling is on Saturday’s now aren’t they? Either way he’s not here. It’s his um, “time of the month” tomorrow, so he decided to be especially precocious, you know after what happened,” James said, his voice suddenly not so cocky.

“Oh, I guess I forgot the date got switched. Well, I guess I’ll just go then,” Lily said, turning on her heel, but was stopped as James stepped in front of the doorway.

“Oh, not so fast, Evans. Why didn’t you just knock?” James asked smugly, staring down at Lily’s shocked face.

“How do you know that I hadn’t just got there? You know Potter, I have better things to do than stand outside your door.”

“What? Like falling through it?” James asked.

Lilly was seriously about to hit him. She lifted up her hand and….

She had waited to long. James’ handy sidekick had come and grabbed her hand.

“Sorry Evans, but I need his brain without Moony here.”

‘Fine, I was just about to leave anyway.”

“Hold it, Sirius, we could use her,” James said in a pleading sort of voice.

Lily stopped in her tracks.

“Use me? Use me? What makes you think that I would let you use me in anyway at all?” Lily replied savagely, tapping her foot impatiently while she waited for an explanation.

James pulled Sirius aside and whispered in his ear, “With Moony not available, we need someone he’ll trust because you know that he won’t trust either of us.”

“But James, its Evans. Once we tell her what we’re doing, she’ll just rat us out to Filch anyway!”

“How do you know that? I think I could get her to change her mind.”

“Prongs, sorry to break it to you, but you haven’t been able to persuade Lily Evans to do anything in the last six years, why do you think she’ll start listening now?”

“Just give me a shot, I won’t reveal the whole plan until she promises not to tell Filch on us, or anyone else for that matter,” James answered pleadingly.

“Fine Prongs, but you better be able to pull this off.”

James turned around to face the still impatient Lily, her foot still tapping the ground.

“So, Evans, are you doing anything Saturday night?” James started, his sly tone coming out easily.

“No,” Lily said as she turned around.

“Don’t flatter yourself Evans, I wasn’t asking for a date,” James replied matter-of-factly.

Now he had her attention.

“Then why-,”

“It’s a simple question Evans; what are you doing Saturday?”

“Well, I was planning on studying for McGonagall’s Transfiguration final.”

“You mean the one that is two weeks away?” Sirius interrupted, unable to stop himself.

“Yes, do you have a problem with that?”

“Really Evans? That’s your fun-packed Saturday night plans?”

“Some of us care about our grades, Potter.”

“And some of us don’t need to study,” James added slyly. “But does that mean your plans could change,” but when he saw Lily’s face he added, “if you wanted them to?”

Lily tried staring into James’ eyes, trying to see what he was getting at. She finally added somewhat defeated, “If I wanted them to, I suppose they could. Why?”

“We were wondering if you would be interested in taking dear old Moony’s place in a certain, shall we say event on Saturday night,” James replied, carefully dancing around any terms that would give away exactly what they were doing.

“What? For you little cult?”

“I like to think of it as super secret society, but whatever floats your boat,” Sirius added.

“You could say that.”

“A prank I’m assuming then,“ Lily said as she turned around, yet again to leave.

“It’s your decision,” James said. “I just thought that you might want to get back at a certain Bellatrix Lestrange, but you know I guess I was wrong.”

Lily stopped dead in her tracks. Bellatrix Lestrange Lily thought menacingly. I can’t believe that Potter would even know about that! I guess this confirms that he is in fact a stalker. And working with Potter? Could I honestly do that? But I would love to get back at her…

Lily slowly turned around.

“Okay, Potter, what do you have in mind?”

Lily hadn’t been asleep at all. Yes, she had been lying in bed, with her curtains drawn since ten o’clock, but her eyes had never closed. She lay, facing her clock, watching the minutes tick closer and closer to twelve, thinking the whole time about what she had agreed to.

But she wasn’t regretting it. She wasn’t regretting telling Potter and Black that she would help with their little prank. She wasn’t regretting telling James that she would meet him in the common room at midnight to discuss the finer details of the plan in which she was a co-conspirator.

If she were regretting it, she wouldn’t be awake, thinking of how good it was going to feel to get back at Bellatrix for what she did.

Lily walked down the hall at 9:30 on a Wednesday night, having taken advantage of her later curfew. All she could hear were her footsteps on the marble of the staircase. And someone else’s.

Lily looked up from the book that she was caring in her arms and looked around what seemed to be a deserted hallway.

That’s when she saw her walking around the corner, twirling her wand between her fingers.

Bellatrix Black, with her long straight black hair, heavy eye makeup and short skirt, looked rather intimidating next to Lily who practically looked like a saint with her curly red locks, natural looking makeup, and plain skirt.

“Oh, hello Mudblood, how are you doing this fine evening?”

“It’s after hours Bellatrix, you should be in your common room,” Lily answered with as much force as should could muster.

“And you are allowed to be out?” Bellatrix asked with mock interest as they walked closer to each other, Bellatrix twisting her finger around a lock of black hair.

“I’m a prefect, if your teeny little brain can’t remember. I could report you to Slughorn,” Lily shot back.

“Oh! Little Lily Evans is trying to threaten Big Bad Bella! You don’t seem so sure of yourself without Potter around to protect you.”

Those words stung Lily more than Mudblood.

“Ickle Potter isn’t around to save you. And you know he won’t always be, and without him around, what will happen to you?”

Lily tightened her jaw as she and Bellatrix circled each other.

“I don’t need Potter,” Lily replied icily.

“Oh, is that right?” Bellatrix asked in a teasing manner.

“Yeah, that’s right. I can take care of myself, no matter what he thinks. I can take care of my own problems and my own life, and I don’t need his help or input.”

“But what if something were to happen to you? What would happen to those dear parents of yours? And your sister, Petunia right?”

“What are you talking about?” Lily asked, suddenly alarmed.

“Well, what if someone was to hurt those cute little parents of yours and you weren’t around to save them?”

“Is that a threat?”

“Only if you want it to be,” Bellatrix answered, a smirk playing upon her lips.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that the Dark Lord is growing stronger and soon there will be no one around to protect you, and slowly everyone you love will fall. That is, of course, unless you join the right side, the good side. With every person that joins him, there is one less person standing in their way of greatness.”

“Oh, not this greatness rubbish again. Do you honestly think that by hurting innocent people you will become the greatest witch ever known? Do you seriously believe that?”

“If you were on the good side, you would.” Bellatrix replied without a moment’s hesitation.

“I’m already on the good side, your ‘Dark Lord’, he won’t last through this year before someone takes him down.”

“Is that a threat? You, a mere Mudblood, plan to take him on? The greatest wizard ever known?”

“Only if you want it to be,” Lily answered smartly. “Your little ‘Lord Voldemort’,” Lily scoffed, “Will never be the greatest wizard as long as someone is there to challenge him.”

Bellatrix shrugged, “Fine Miss Evans, but don’t be too shocked when your perfect little life, becomes, shall we say, not so perfect anymore.”

With that, Bellatrix walked away, still holding her wand in front of her.

And for probably the first time in Lily’s life, she was scared.

And Lily Evans didn’t like that one little bit.


Lily silently slipped out of bed at midnight. She walked over to her trunk and opened it with a loud squeak. Lily slammed her eyes shut, looking around the room with half lidded eyes, but none of her roommates had stirred. She quickly grabbed her things and changed from her dressing gown into some Muggle clothes jeans and a blue jumper, sliding on her worn trainers. Lily closed the curtains around her four poster, slipped her wand from her nightstand into the pocket of her jeans, and walked silently across the dormitory. She stopped briefly to look at herself in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair to try and tame her wild curls. Lily was halfway through fixing her makeup with her wand when she thought to herself in disgust Evans! What the hell are you doing? It’s Potter! She instantly stopped and opened the door and closed it carefully trying to make as little noise as possible.

As she descended the stairs to the common room, she wondered if this wasn’t a trick to get her in trouble. Knowing Potter, it wasn’t a complete impossibility. She stopped on the stairs, seriously considering going back. Was revenge enough of a reason to threaten her chances at Head Girl? What she heard next made the decision for her.

“Evans? Are you there?” she heard a familiar voice whisper.

It was now or never.

“Yeah,” she whispered back, descending the rest of the stairs.

It was pitch black in the common room, so Lily took out her wand and wordlessly lit the tip, bringing James into focus.

“So are you ready to learn the details?” James asked as he started to walk toward the portrait hole.

“Wait, we’re leaving the Tower? Why can’t we do it here?” Lily questioned, suddenly alarmed.

“Too risky. It is too easy to be overheard in this place. Trust me, you learn from experience,” James explained, walking again toward the portrait hole. Lily still hadn’t moved. “Well? Are you helping me or not Evans?”

Lily sighed and walked forward and said, “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Lily followed James out of the portrait hole, getting a good look at the back of James.

He’s got a good rear, Lily thought to herself as they stepped out of the tower. Stop that Lily! You don’t like him! She shook her head violently, trying to rid her head of those thoughts.

James stopped and took a silvery piece of fabric out of the pocket of his pants. He took it and put it around himself, extending one arm out so that Lily could get under the cloak as well.

Lily stayed where she was.

“Is this your idea of a sick joke?” Lily questioned seriously. “You’re pushing your luck getting me out of Gryffindor Tower. Now you think we’re going to stand within a foot of each other? Were you dropped on your head as a child?” Lily continued sarcastically.

“Fine, I won’t get caught. You try explaining to Filch why you’re out and about, by yourself I might add, at one o’clock in the morning. Tell me how that ends,” James shot back in a fierce whisper as he covered himself with the cloak.

And then he vanished.

“Potter! Potter!” she whispered desperately, waiting for that ruddy head of his to pop out of thin air.

Nothing.

“Fine! James! James!” the words felt strange coming from her mouth.

“You rang?” he answered cockily as his head appeared ten feet away from her.

Lily mumbled something that she knew he could here.

“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that. You might want to speak up, Evans.”

She could hear the smile in his voice.

“Can I come under the cloak with you?” Lily said, wincing as if it caused her physical pain to say the words.

“Why Evans, I thought you would never ask,” he replied, opening up the cloak again. Lily walked over with as much dignity as she could to stand next to James and he closed the cloak around them both.

“Don’t try anything funny, Potter,” Lily told him menacingly while James just laughed.

As they walked, James reached into his pocket again, this time pulling out a piece of ragged parchment along with his wand.

“I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good,” James murmured as he held the piece of parchment off to the side, trying to make it so that Lily couldn’t see it.

Lily tried to look around James’ body as they walked, trying to see what was appearing, but James was effectively blocking her view.

“What is th-“ Lily started but was cut off.

“I’m not going to show you,” James replied hastily without looking away from the parchment.

“But why do you-“she began again.

“Now Evans, you don’t need to know, I’m not going to tell you, and you are never going to know.”

“Don’t I-“ Lily began for a third time, but this time she stopped herself. His words seemed to be law and she tried to contain her curiosity.

Lily looked straight ahead, trying to look ahead and ignore the mumblings that she heard coming from the person next to her. She occasionally glanced over, but she still couldn’t see.

“What the hell is that thing?” Lily asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.

“Just one of the secrets that belongs to the Marauders,” James answered mischievously.

“Well I had assumed that much,” Lily replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “But I guess that means you won’t tell me what your using it for?”

“No, I’ll tell you. I’m using to help us reach our destination without getting caught. Good with you?”

Lily nodded. “Yeah, but what is it?”

“Do I really need to repeat myself? Mischief Managed!” he concluded, bringing the ragged piece of parchment into her view again.

Lily grabbed it out of his hands, opening it up and trying to see a trace of anything. She took out her wand and began tapping it when words appeared.

Mr. Padfoot would like to know how a certain Ms. Evans came across the piece of parchment and would like to ask Mr. Prongs if he betrayed one of the Marauder secrets.

Mr. Prongs would like to tell Ms. Evans that she is the most beautiful girl that he has ever seen and would like to tell Mr. Padfoot that no, he would never betray one of our secrets. Ms. Evans must have come across it on her own.

Mr.Moony would like to tell Ms. Evans that she should not dive into their business anymore than she already has

Mr. Wormtail would like to congratulate Ms. Evans on finding one of the secrets of the Marauders but would advise her to give it away.

“Where did you get this? What is it anyway? An advice parchment or something?”

“I didn’t get it anywhere if you must know, “James stated simply. “I made it.”

“What? But how? I mean your not that smar- I mean, I didn’t know you could do that!” Lily whispered excitedly.

“You can say it, Lily. You didn’t know I was smart enough to do something like that, did you?”

“It’s not that. I mean, I know your good at Transfiguration, how else could you have managed to become an Animagus, but I thought you were really bad at Charms!”

“Do my ears deceive me? Did Lily Evans actually give me, James Potter, a compliment?” James asked with a mock aura of shock.

Lily swatted his shoulder and said, “Oh come on Potter, we both know that you’re not a complete airhead.”

“Yes, but I thought when this day would come I would at least have some witnesses. I mean, how am I supposed to prove that you said it? Would you be willing to put that in writing?”

Lily laughed and said, “Take what you can get Potter.”

They fell silent after that, as James led them, to what Lily thought was aimless, to their destination.

“We’re here,” James said, but he kept walking.

Lily followed as James walked twenty feet in one direction, and then to her surprise turned around and walked twenty feet in the opposite direction.

“James, what the hell are you doing?”

He didn’t respond but repeated the process.

“There isn’t even a door here. What’s going to happen? Are we going to pace in an empty hallway? That’s your brilliant plan?”

James finally stopped and said, “Evans, for once in your life, could you shut up for five seconds?”

He finished his final pace as Lily gave him what she thought was a death glare, and then he stopped and Lily turned and saw…

A door.

“What? But how did you?” Lily asked as she followed him in through the door.

“Wow,” was all she could manage as she stepped into the room.

“Evans, welcome to the Come and Go Room, also known as the Room of Requirement,” James said as he plopped himself down on a large red couch. “Or the Marauder’s Planning Room. Founded by the Marauders only this year. Shame we missed it before.”

The large cathedral ceiling seemed to reach on forever as tall windows gave a view to the entire grounds. One whole side of the room was a giant bookshelf, filled with books about every subject under the sun. The majority of the room was filled with large couches and tables filled to the brim with food. On one wall, was what seemed to be a larger version of the map that James had used only minutes before.

James grabbed a handful of grapes off of one of the large platters of food and was throwing them up into the air and catching them in his mouth as Lily walked and sat down on the couch opposite of him.

“I take it you didn’t know this room existed,” James guessed as he looked at Lily’s face as she still tried to take in all the details of the room.

“No clue,” Lily admitted as she finally looked at James.

James laughed as he sank back into the couch.

“So are you ready?” James asked nonchalantly.

“Ready for what?” Lily questioned.

“To become an honorary Marauder.”




When Lily woke up later that day, she groaned as she looked at the time.

7:14

Lily took a pillow and placed it over head.

Go back to sleep! she ordered herself.

She knew she should be tired. She had stayed up until nearly three o’clock in the morning.

Doing what exactly she still couldn’t believe.

Lily could still not believe that she had stayed up until three o’clock in the morning. She had never done that with anyone before.

Especially not James Potter.

She should want to sleep until noon, not be awake after only four hours of sleep. She should have to be woken up by Emma because she was sleeping the day away. And above all, she should have not have stayed up talking and eating food until three o’clock in the morning.

Especially not with James Potter.

She groaned again as she tried to smash her head farther into the mattress. She hated herself. She hated that she had hung out with James Potter. And she hadn’t been threatened to. Or blackmailed. She had done it willingly. That was what was making her angry at herself. The fact that she was looking forward to hanging out with James again that night was why she didn’t want to leave the confines of her dormitory.

She started screaming into her pillow, knowing it muffled her screams. Lily screamed again when she heard her curtains being drawn back.

“Lily, what are you doing?” Mary Macdonald asked her longtime friend. “May I remind you that it is not even seven thirty on a SATURDAY MORNING?”

“Sorry, Mary, I just can’t sleep,” Lily answered as she sat up and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.

“Well, now that you have woken me up, you are being forced to come with me to breakfast. So get dressed my friend, before I decide to kill you,” Mary stated with finality and turned around to get ready herself.

Lily got up, finding her skirt and shirt, hastily throwing them on and was tying her tie when Emma walked back into the room. They both walked to the mirror by the door, fixing their hair and makeup with a wave of their wands.

“This is one of those moments when I love being a witch,” Mary said happily as they both left the dormitory.

When they entered the Great Hall, Lily wasn’t sure what to do. Should she sit near James? Or sit farther away? She didn’t have to worry though because Mary made her decision for her. Lily ended up sitting diagonally from James and Emma sat on her left.

“So, why were you up this early, Lily?” Mary asked nonchalantly as she buttered a piece of toast.

“Oh, no reason really, just couldn’t sleep well is all,” Lily said, deliberately avoiding eye contact with James.

“Oh,” Mary replied, disappointedly.

Lily grabbed two pieces of toast and began putting jelly on them. That’s when it hit Lily.

What is Mary going to think? What is everyone else going to think? How could I just agree to do this? What are the consequences going to be? Lily’s frantic thoughts caused her to stare blankly at her piece of toast.

“That piece of toast must be really interesting, Evans,” James said, laughing.

This snapped Lily out of her trance and she finally looked at him.

“Just thinking,” Lily said.

Then something happened that made everyone at the table think that hell was freezing over.

“Potter, I mean James, can I talk to you? You know, alone?” Lily said in a whisper that everyone heard.

Mary instantly looked up from the Daily Prophet that she had been reading, Remus looked up from his book, Sirius stopped eating, a piece of egg hanging out of his mouth, and Peter continued loading his plate with bacon as if nothing had happened.

“Um, sure,” James answered as both he and Lily stood up and walked toward the door to the Great Hall.

Lily felt stares on her back as they walked away. If it’s this bad when we are just going to talk, how bad will it be when they find out that I was in on a prank with him?

Once they were out of view of the Great Hall, Lily stopped and James stopped with her.

“So, what is this little get together about exactly? You know, not that I’m not excited to be alone with you in a deserted hallway,” James commented when Lily hadn’t said anything.

“Well, I was thinking about, you know tonight and I realized I can’t do it,” Lily said in a rush.

“What? Why not?” James asked shocked. “I thought you were all up for it? I thought you wanted to get back at Bellatrix?”

“I did, but now I realized it’s not really worth getting in trouble for,” Lily said, trying to pass it off as nothing.

“Evans, I mean Lily, you do remember what she did to you? You didn’t forget that did you?”

“No, I didn’t forget, but I’m not going to sink to her level.”

James saw from the look on her face that wasn’t the real reason.

“That’s not what this is about, is it Lily.”

“What?”

“You’re afraid, that’s why you don’t want to do this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lily commented as she turned around to face the wall.

“Oh yes you do, you still want revenge, you’re just scared,” James said simply.

“I am not scared.”

“Oh come on Lily, we both know it. You’re afraid to take a little risk.”

Lily looked at him appalled, “I am not afraid to take a risk!”

“Okay, tell me one time that you broke the rules, just one time,” James said, laughing at her all the while.

“Well just because I never have taken a risk, doesn’t mean I’m afraid to!”

“Oh, come on Lily, take a risk, take a chance! Just this once!”

“No! You can’t tell me what to do!” Lily said as she started to walk away.

“I’m not telling you what to do! It’s not my fault that you haven’t lived a single moment in your life!”

Lily whirled around. “Excuse me, but what is this exactly?” she shouted back as she breathed in and out at a faster pace, exaggerating the inhale and exhale. “I would call that living!” Lily turned around again, walking towards the large marble staircase.

“Oh, Evans you know what I mean! You haven’t truly lived a second! You haven’t broken the rules, taken a risk, hell done anything that you really want to do your entire life!”

“Don’t act like you know me because you don’t!”

“Oh really Evans, when has your adrenaline ever been pumping through you? Have you ever been running so hard, so fast, away from someone that is going to catch you that you feel like your heart is going to explode? Have you ever done something your parents told you NOT to do? Have you ever done something because YOU wanted to do it, not because someone told you to? Have you ever done something so reckless that you’re hoping the whole time it doesn’t get you killed? Have you ever been snogging someone so hard that you are praying to Merlin every second that someone doesn’t walk it? Have you ever been so in love with someone that you would jump off a cliff for them? Hell, have you ever jumped off a cliff? When has that happened to you? Any of it?”

Lily just stood there and stared him in the eyes, not saying a word.

“See Lily, you can’t say you have, can you? If you don’t come with me tonight, if you don’t do this thing that I know deep down that you want to do, it is one more night that you haven’t lived. But fine, do what you want, spend your whole life not truly living. I don’t care,” James finished and walked up the stairs.

Lily just stood at the bottom of the stairs, unable to say a word.

Lily stalked angrily across the Entrance Hall and out the large oak doors separating her from the beautiful day outside. She kept her poise as she walked toward her favorite oak tree, which so happened to be conveniently on the opposite side of the lake from the tree that James Potter was often found at. Eyeing the tree, that was all she kept in mind. The sound of her feet hitting the grass, the rippling of the water in the lake, and large, safe oak tree a hundred metres away were the only thoughts that she let pass over her mind.

Once she reached the tree, she leaned against the tree, sliding down until she felt the grass and ground underneath her. Still not letting a sound escape her, she stared blanking at the gently moving water.

He is definitely wrong! she thought indignantly. I most certainly have lived! I mean, I’ve done lots of things! Lily nodded her head, as to reassure herself that Potter was wrong, and that she was right.

Lily wanted so badly to be right.

I have done plenty of things in these past seventeen years. I mean, I’ve gone to school, I got great O.W.L. scores, I became a prefect, I, I, Lily stopped her thoughts again as she had run out of big accomplishments for herself. She began angrily ripping the grass out of the ground, putting all her anger into the task. Then she thought of another.

Hey! I stood up to Bellatrix! Yeah, I stood up to Bellatrix all by myself, no help from dear old Potter.

Well, she thought truthfully, okay, I didn’t really stand up to Bellatrix. I just, kind of conspired to. Which I didn’t exactly follow through with. And Potter helped me with that too…

Lily sighed loudly. She simply couldn’t believe it. She really hadn’t done anything. She looked away from the water, instead glancing across it and the large amount of students that were on the opposite side. A few were throwing a Quaffle back and forth; others were swimming in the lake as others screamed that the giant squid was behind them. And then there was a lone girl, sitting with a book open while her friend tried to convince her to come in the water.

That’s me, Lily couldn’t help but think.

Dammit, she admitted silently, Potter was right.

*****

James sighed loudly as he fell onto his four poster bed. He stared up at the gold leafed ceiling trying to wake up from the dream he was sure he was in.

Only in a dream would James Potter truly yell at Lily Evans.

And tell her that she hadn’t lived.

And basically insult her to no end so that she would probably never speak to him again.

Great, he thought to himself as he heard the dorm door open and slam shut.

“What are you doing, Prongs?” Sirius said as he sat on his own bed, facing James, and twirling his wand between his fingers with apparent ease.

“Dying,” James replied simply.

“Lily? Again? What did she do now? Wait, she didn’t rat us out to Filch did she?” Sirius asked sharply.

“Yes and no, well at least I think she didn’t rat us out. At least, I don’t think she did, or would…”

“What did she do?” Sirius insisted tiredly.

“She didn’t do anything. I am simply an idiot.”

“You didn’t ask her out again did you? I thought your whole strategy or whatever you’re calling it now, was to not ask her out?” Sirius said with a hint of sarcasm.

“No, Padfoot, I didn’t ask her out. I did something a hundred times worse and she will probably never forgive me and hate me forever,” James exclaimed, exasperated as he hit himself on the head with his fist.

“Wait, did you kiss her, Prongs? Seriously? Because, at least if you did that then you wouldn’t go forever without getting your dream!” Sirius added hopefully, but was to no avail as James face just went into a deeper frown.

“No, but I wish that was why she won’t speak to me.”

“Then what did you do?”

James sat up, running his hands through his hair as he faced his best friend. Maybe admitting it is the first step… he thought.

“I basically told her that she was being a coward and that she hadn’t lived a moment in her life, and I possibly insulted her beyond return,” James blurted out.

Sirius let out a low whistle.

“I have to admit, James, you have dug yourself into some pretty deep holes when it comes to Evans, but, wow. I don’t know how you’re getting out of this one.”

“Thanks for the encouragement, Padfoot.”

*****

Lily still sat by her tree as she saw almost all of the students on the opposite side of the lake heading in for lunch. She still didn’t move, even though she could feel the hunger pains eating away at her. She couldn’t go in and have the chance of seeing him. She didn’t think she could face him at all.

Especially since she knew that he was right.

He had been right about everything. He had been right about the long list of things that she had never done and he had. He was right that she was afraid of what would happen, what her friends and everyone else would think if she helped him carry out a prank. Hadn’t that been the reason she had asked to see him alone? To tell him that she didn’t want to go through with it? Even though she knew deep down it was because she was afraid?

That wasn’t even the part that scared her the most.

If James Potter was right about this, what else was he right about?

*****

James walked down to the Great Hall with Sirius. Even if he had ruined all his chances with Lily, that didn’t mean he wasn’t still hungry. Sirius and he sat down, instantly loading their plates high with some of everything until it was a mountain of indiscernible food. James stuck his fork into it, pulling out a jumble of the concoction as Sirius had already had five forkfuls. James could never keep up with his best friend.

James had to admit, part of the reason he came down to lunch at all, and hadn’t simply had one of the house elves bring up some food for him was the slight hope that Lily would be there. Girls have to eat don’t they? he had thought when Sirius moaned of his starving body and how his was shriveling into nothing. He had an even slighter chance of her talking to him.

But, he thought, putting another forkful of food into his mouth, if she shows up, she might talk to me. James was eating much slower than his normal pace because subconsciously, his mind made him look up from his food and toward the door to the Great Hall between every bite. His hope skyrocketed when he saw her best friend, Mary Macdonald, walk into the great hall, her blonde hair blowing behind her as she walked quickly towards where the two marauders were sitting.

She sat down next to Sirius and asked, “Have either of you seen Lily? I can’t find her anywhere.”

“What do you mean? Haven’t you seen her?” James answered, Sirius finishing off his mountain of food.

“Not since breakfast when she left with you to have that ‘talk’. What was that about anyway?” Mary replied questioningly.

“Nothing important,” Sirius spoke up quickly, before eyeing James still full plate.

James sighed and pushed his plate across the table while Mary watched on in disgust and awe, temporarily losing her train of thought.

“Oh, well, if you do see her, could you tell her to meet me in the library? She promised me she would help me with my Charms paper.”

“Sure, Mary, we’ll tell her,” James reassured, running his hands through his hair again.

“Thanks!” Mary said, grabbing her bag and once again walking out of the now almost empty Great Hall.

James then took up the position of staring blankly across the Great Hall as Sirius finished his portion of shepherd’s pie. The sound of Sirius’ fork hitting the plate snapped James from his trance. Sirius eyes snapped up to James now concentrated face.

“So, are we still going through with tonight?” Sirius whispered conspiratorially. “Even without Evans?”

James had to think about this. Could they pull it off without her?

“Yeah, we’ll still do it. We just have to be a tad more creative,” James faked a smile as they both stood up and began walking out of the Great Hall.

Well, it’s not like she could hate me anymore than she already does. Right?

*****

Lily walked into the library.

It was impulse.

She always came here when she just needed to be, the books and silence were comforting, the only part of the Muggle world that was unchanged in all of Hogwarts. Lily sat down at a table in the midst of it all and simply traced the lines of the wood on the table with her fingers as she let her mind wander.

“Lily! Oh, thank Merlin I found you! I’ve been looking for you every where!” Lily’s best friend’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Lily snapped her head up and forced a smile upon her face.

“Yeah, I was just outside enjoying the weather, I hear it’s supposed to rain tonight and I wanted to enjoy it,” Lily replied as Mary sat down across from her, her golden locks falling over her face as she reached down to pull a piece of parchment and quill and ink from her bag.

“Well, I’m just glad I found you! This Charms essay is really tough for me. I still don’t know why I took this class at N.E.W.T. level. You were always the expert. Thanks for agreeing to help me,” Mary rambled.

Somewhere, the words struck a chord.

Thanks for agreeing to help me, Lily thought.

“That’s what I told James,” she said, staring at the parchment that Mary had begun scribbling on.

“What?” Mary asked, her quill poised over the table.

Lily’s eyes snapped up to her face, “I told James I would help him, and then, and then, I just didn’t.”

“Are you okay? Lily what are you talking about?”

“I have to go find him, tell him I changed my mind,” Lily said with finality in her voice. “I need to do this. For him. For me.”

Lily stood and walked out of the library.

Mary shouted after her, getting a glare from the librarian, “Lily? Lily? James? As in James Potter? You have to help James Potter? Lily where are you going? I still need your help?”

But Lily didn’t hear her questions.

*****

“So, we have to wait outside? Prongs, that’s awfully risky, I mean what if-“ Sirius was interrupted as the dorm door banged open.

A flushed Lily stood in the doorway before saying defiantly, “I’m back in.”

She was turning around when James stood up and grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from leaving.

“Wh-what?” James managed to get out.

“I’m… Back… In,” Lily enunciated.

“Why?” James asked, exasperated.

“You were right, James. About everything. I want to do this.”

James couldn’t believe the words. Lily wasn’t mad at him.

She said he was right. He could have danced.

But he stopped himself.

“How do we know we can trust you? How do we know you haven’t already run to McGonagall about this? Or Filch?” Sirius questioned skeptically.

“What? You want me to swear that I didn’t tell anyone?”

“Yes, that would be nice,” James replied, smiling.

“Fine. I swear I didn’t tell anyone. Happy?”

“I’m not convinced,” Sirius stated.

“Okay, how about a deal. If you find out, that I set you guys up, I’ll kiss James.”

Dead silence filled the room. Incredulous looks on the boys’ faces.

“I’m serious, I know that is the only way that you guys will trust me again. We have a deal?”

James nodded, “Yeah, yeah, we have a deal.”

“Okay then,” Lily responded happily. “See you at eight, boys.”

With that, Lily turned and left the room.

Sirius whistled low. “You’ve got it so bad, Prongs.”

Lily closed the door and turned to walk down the stairs into the common room. She couldn’t help but smile a little bit. She still couldn’t believe that she was going to be in on a prank. Especially one with James Potter and Sirius Black.

Lily smiled happily as she exited the portrait hole, walking without destination, through the halls of Hogwarts. She wandered the hallways, up one staircase and down the next. The anticipation of the night ahead of her gave her new found energy. She didn’t feel tired. Another thing that Potter was right about; taking risks was healthy.

Homework had been erased from her mind, finals seemed distant, and school seemed a place just to be. She felt weightless, as though there wasn’t a care in the world. It was a nice feeling. As she descended the large marble staircase, she heard someone call her name.

She turned in the direction of the voice, and the smile that had been on her face faltered for a second before she put it back on. “Hi, Liam,” she greeted, somewhat exasperated.

It wasn’t as though she didn’t like Liam. Lily really did. How could one not at least like their boyfriend of two months? She had always thought he was attractive. His blonde hair and baby blue eyes were the envy of many girls. She thought that he was handsome as well. It was just that lately, Lily had been thinking of him as well,

Annoying. But, he was what the model boyfriend should be. Exceedingly smart and what appeared to be exceedingly perfect.

“What are you doing down here? I thought you were going to help Mary with her Charms essay,” Liam asked, a genuine smile mixed with confusion on his face.

“Umm….yeah. I was, but then I told her I would start it with her a little later. I really need to work on studying for McGonagall’s Transfiguration final,” Lily stated easily.

“Oh, well I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out tonight, you know spend some time together. We haven’t in ages,” he asked hopefully as they began to walk back up the stairs.

“I know. I’ve just been busy with all these finals and rounds with Remus. I just want to make a good impression before the summer so I make sure that I make Head Girl,” Lily justified.

Liam looked at her as if she were crazy. “C’mon Lily, we both know that we are shoe-ins for Heads next year. Who else beside us?”

Another reason Lily thought he should be perfect; he was a Ravenclaw prefect as well.
“Well, there’s always Emma Vance from your house, and Remus Lupin has a pretty good shot too,” Lily answered lamely.

“Emma Vance?” he scoffed. “Please, she’s been with every guy in our year practically, not exactly Head Girl material. Just now I saw her running off with a fifth year. Ran out of guys in our grade. As for Head Boy, Remus Lupin? The nut job that is sick for a week once a month? Dumbledore isn’t that far off of his rocker. He hangs out with Potter and Black, what kind of example would that set?”

“Just because they aren’t obsessed with schoolwork, doesn’t mean that they aren’t leaders,” Lily said as they eyed the library. “That is what the Heads are supposed to do. Lead the school, being picture perfect isn’t in the job description.”

“But it sure does help! What kind of leader is running off, poking fun and pulling pranks on Slytherins every month? What kind of leader disappears for a fourth of the school year?” Liam asked laughing. “Stop trying to kid yourself, Lily. We are going to get the spots, don’t worry.”

He leaned over and put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Lily shifted uncomfortably, finally reaching the library. The wonder of walking around aimlessly stopped abruptly as she saw it. She pulled out of his embrace and forced a smile.

“So, do you want to hang out or not?” Liam asked, still smiling.

Would he stop smiling for one second? Could that be any more annoying? Lily thought to herself.

“Can’t. I promised Mary I would help her with Charms remember? I’m sorry, I’ve got to go study, I’ll talk to you later, right?” Lily replied.

“Yeah,” Liam leaned his head down and kissed Lily, who kissed him back before waving and walking towards the library.

She looked back as he walked away and held his hand up in farewell. She turned to face the library and shook her head a little.

“Lily! What was that all about? Why did you run off talking about James Potter?” Mary ambushed Lily the second she walked into the library and at full volume, causing the librarian to kick them out. They angrily walked out of the door that Lily had just walked through. Lily started the conversation this time.

“I’ll tell you,” Lily answered, trying to calm down her friend as they walked. “But you have to promise not to tell anyone and you have to do something for me.”

“Sure, no problem, Lily, just tell me what this is all about,” Mary asked with obvious curiosity.

“Well, I’ll help you with your paper now, but if Liam comes looking for me tonight, you have to tell him that I’m helping you then. You know, cover for me. I have stuff to do tonight, and I swear I’ll fill you in tomorrow morning. Just if he sees you by yourself, tell him that you went to get a book or something. Can you do that?”

Mary nodded her head as they walked into the common room. Lily smiled and thought See Potter, you’re not the only one who can plan.

***

“We’re going to have to do it kind of late, Prongs. We have to make sure that no one is going to wake up in the middle of it,” Sirius whispered to James as they walked through the halls toward the library. A final bit of research was needed to make sure the execution of the prank that night went smoothly.

“Yeah, I guess we’re going to have to tell Evans a later time. Do you think one would work?” James conspiratorially whispered.

“One would work for what, exactly?” the voice of Liam Burke cut into their conversation, effectively causing the three of them to stop in the middle of the hallway just outside the library.

“Oh, Burke, how absolutely unpleasant it is to see you. Been well?” James asked with mock concern.

“Just as well as you, Potter. Care to tell me what you were talking about?” Liam asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Not in particular, no, but thanks for the concern,” Sirius answered. “It’s not like its really any of your business anyway. C’mon, Prongs.”

Sirius knew they didn’t have time for James to get in another Lily argument. He grabbed James shoulder to turn him around. Then, they both started to walk away, their backs to the Ravenclaw, when Liam said exactly the wrong thing.

“As a prefect, and as Lily’s boyfriend, it’s my business,” Liam said, summoning every voice of authority he could muster to put into the sentence.

James turned around causing Sirius to stop. James gave Liam a smug look while Sirius rolled his eyes, an expression that clearly read, here we go again.

“That is the best you’ve got? The prefect card? Really? See, Burke, I thought you were so much smarter than that. I guess just let anyone into Ravenclaw these days,” James retorted patronizingly.

“No, I’m pulling the “Lily’s-my-girlfriend-stay-the-hell-away-from-her” card,” Liam replied with the same tone James had just used.

By now, the two of them were within a foot of each other, glaring openly into the others face. James laughed a little, a small scoff as if what he said was hilarious, and raised his eyebrows, shaking his head up and down.

“Okay, you can play the card. That doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you anything,” James smiled and turned around and started walking again with Sirius. Without turning around he shouted, “Hogwarts’ girlfriends don’t last forever, Burke. You won’t be playing that card much longer.”
***
Liam stared at the retreating bodies of Potter and Black and instantly turned towards the Gryffindor Common Room. Legs pumping hard as he made it up the staircases to the portrait of the Fat Lady, once he finally made it he began to look around instantly for a Gryffindor to let him come inside.

Anger was not the word he would have used to describe his emotions at that very moment. Perhaps royally annoyed was a better phrase. Royally annoyed at James Potter.

Royally annoyed that no one was coming along to let him into the Common Room. He began to pace in front the portrait, the Fat Lady not even noticing his presence for all the wine that she had consumed. No one was coming along, or coming out, until a tall, thin, Mary MacDonald came out from behind it, followed by the one person he wanted to see.

“Afternoon, Lily,” he said with a hint of ice in his tone.

She hadn’t noticed his presence, and now that it was announced she tensed up. Wondering in her mind about why he was, well she would have said, royally annoyed at her.

“Hey, Liam, Mary and I were just going-“ she started but was interrupted by his accusation.

“What are you and Potter doing together at one?” Liam questioned.

Lily’s tried to downplay her facial expressions as she asked what he was talking about. He couldn’t be talking about the prank could he? How could he have known? Potter wouldn’t….would he? she thought to herself.

“I just ran into Potter and he and that Sirius Black were talking about how they were changing the time of something to one and they had to tell you. Care to explain?” Liam’s annoyance, quickly turning into anger at her act of ignorance.

Lily just stood there, opening and closing her mouth, unable to form a justification.

“Oh, you remember, Lily. McGonagall asked him to help you with the new Transfiguration notes. Didn’t you say that was tomorrow sometime,” Mary, who had been silent for the entire conversation, answered and then widened her eyes, giving Lily a look that clearly said I’m covering for you, now agree.

Lily recovered quickly, “Yeah, that’s right. Thanks, Mary. It must have just slipped my mind. He had originally said at noon, he must have some other plans or something.”

She smiled, trying to pass off her innocence, and Mary did too. Liam looked between them skeptically, full understanding lacking on his face.

“C’mon Mary,” Lily started again, “Let’s go get that Charms book from the library. I’ll see you later, Liam,” she reached up and kissed his cheek before turning around and walking away.

Once out of earshot of Liam who they had left at the portrait hole, Lily opened her mouth to thank Mary profusely but she held up her hand to stop the flow of thanks.

“Don’t sweat it, Lily. I’ve got your back. You just have to promise me one thing,” Mary stated matter-of-factly.

“After what you did for me back there? You name it, Mary,” Lily replied instantly, as for the third time that day they eyed the library door.

“Stop being so damn blind, Liam’s not for you.”

***
“Your boyfriend’s going to punch me.”

“Do you deserve it?”

“Possibly.”

Lily gave him a knowing look, a small smile on her face.

“Ok, probably.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Basically that you two are going to break up any day now because its not like you two are going to get married right out of Hogwarts.”

“I can’t believe you told him that! People get married right out of Hogwarts!” Lily stated, smacking James shoulder. Lily and James had stayed behind researching the finer points of the prank in the library, while Sirius insisted that he would be no help and Mary suddenly realizing that she could write the essay on her own. They were walking back to the common room when James shouted a loud “Hey!” in response to Lily punching him.

“Seriously though Evans, the only people who do that are crazy,” James retorted.

“No! What if they are really in love with each other?” Lily asked, looking for his honest answer.

“Well, are you really in love with Liam?” James asked not really expecting an answer and therefore was surprised when she did answer.

“I don’t think so,” Lily said barely above a whisper, looking straight ahead.

“It does seem like he thinks you are,” James added off-hand. “I mean, he just acts like he knows everything about you, but I don’t think he does.”

“How do you know? You don’t know everything about me,” Lily replied and then stopped outside of the portrait hole as James gave her the password and they both walked through the portrait hole into the common room.

“Yeah, but at least I’m trying,” James said sincerely. He walked up the stairs and shouted from inside them, “See you at one, Lily.”

Lily and Mary sat in the Common Room together for what seemed like forever. They had come down at around eight o’clock, Mary with every Charms note she had ever taken, and sat on the large red couch in the middle of the room. Lily had no idea where James and Sirius were at the moment, but that is what she spent most of those three hours thinking about, while Mary sat and pretended to be working on her final Charms essay of the year.

Occasionally, Lily would ask Mary if she wanted some help. After all, her friend was helping her out immensely with covering for her if Liam happened to come by. But, every time that Lily asked Mary would simply reply, “No, Lily. I’ll be fine.”

James and Sirius bounded into the room at about 11:15PM, surprised to see Mary scratching words feverishly onto a piece of parchment while Lily stared off out of the window. The sound of the portrait hole closing and the two Marauders coming into the room snapped her out of her trance.

She smiled. Lily gave a small wave to Mary, who gave her a knowing look, before standing up and walking out after the Marauders.

Mary laughed to herself as she heard the portrait hole close.

***

“Not backing out yet?” Sirius asked, somewhat threateningly.

“No,” Lily said confidently. “I want to do this.”

James laughed, putting his hands in his pockets. Lily smacked his arm as they walked.

“So,” Lily started, trying to get off the subject. “Where exactly did you hide the potion?”

“Second floor, girl’s bathroom. It’s a bit scary in there, but no one ever goes in,” Sirius stated matter-of-factly.

“Did you just say a girls’ bathroom?” Lily asked, looking between Sirius and James for confirmation. They both nodded and looked at her as if it were the stupidest question in the world. “Why didn’t you use the Room of Requirement?”

“Ah, Prongs, she’s so naïve!” Sirius replied.

“What?” Lily asked, turning to stare at James for an answer.

“Well, think about it Evans. All someone would have to do if they saw us go in there was ‘require’ to see what we were up to. Or if we put it in the room of random things, well, you do know how many people probably know about that room? This way, if anyone found it, well, who would guess that it was the Marauders that had put it there?” James explained smiling.

“You’re diabolical,” Lily said, a bit shocked.

“Why, Miss Evans, I’ll take that as a compliment,” James responded as he held the door to the girls’ bathroom open. “After you?”

***

Lily tried to keep her footsteps silent as she approached the Entrance Hall. Half of her really expected their carefully laid out plan to go down in flames within the next thirty seconds. How could James Potter possibly know where Dan McCulley, the current Head Boy, be at one o’clock on a Saturday night? Lily knew that if Dan wasn’t where James said he was, the potion would wear off of Sirius before she could find him on her own.

On the other hand, part of Lily thought that there was some way that James could know where he was. The night that Lily had gone with him to help plan, he had known that there would be no teachers or prefects on the path. But how had he known that?

She reached the bottom of the stairs leading into the Entrance Hall, and began to look around. She didn’t see Dan anywhere. Calling out his name seemed like an immensely stupid idea. Lily sighed loudly and swore under her breath; what was she going to do now?

“It’s one o’clock in the morning, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”

The voice startled Lily, causing her to clutch her hand to her heart.

“Lily Evans?”

“Oh, Dan! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Lily said in her most authoritative voice.

She walked over to where Dan was standing, which was somewhat intimidating. Dan McCulley was, in one word, gorgeous. Well over six feet, with dark hair that hung into his eyes, he could have easily passed for twenty, maybe even twenty-five, instead of eighteen. Lily flashed a smile at him on her way over.

“Why?” Dan asked, skepticism thick in his voice.

Lily put on her ‘concerned prefect’ voice, which she had perfected in the last two years.

“I just walked by the Slytherin Common Room, and this little first or second year was sitting outside crying. He can’t remember his password, he says he has been sitting there for hours and no one has come in or out. I don’t know the password so I came to find you, I mean you know everything around here,” Lily flashed what she thought was a flirtatious smile in his direction.

“Sure, no problem. The Slytherin password is 'Pureblood'.”

“Thanks, Dan! I’ll go tell him,” Lily turned around as fast as she could, smiling a bit to herself as she descended the stairs toward the dungeons.


***

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Mary looked up from her essay, peaking around the corner.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone was knocking on the portrait hole… at eleven o’clock at night. Mary put all her books onto the table in front of her before making her way to the portrait hole. She swung it open.

Oh, shit. Mary thought to herself in shock, as none other than Liam Burke pushed his way into the Common Room.

“Liam, hey, how is it going?” Mary asked, trying to sound normal.

Liam’s eyes swept the room as if he were in a mad trance. He didn’t answer the question.

“Where’s Lily?” he asked, not looking Mary in the eyes.

“Lily?”

“Yes, you said you were studying with her tonight, that’s why she couldn’t be with me, right?” Liam practically shouted in frustration.

“Right, of course Liam, she was studying with me,” Mary replied at a normal volume, keeping her voice calm.

“Then where the hell is she?” Liam asked, folding his arms across his chest.

“Sleeping, Liam, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s eleven o’clock. She was tired so I told her I could finish my essay on my own,” Mary answered, shrugging her shoulders as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Sleeping?” he asked and Mary could tell his was calming down.

“Right upstairs in her dormitory, as a matter of fact.”

“Okay, well, I guess I’ll go then,” Liam said, running his hand through his hair.

“You do that,” Mary said, relieved that that was over.

Liam turned, but as he was exiting the portrait hole he called Mary’s name again.

“Yeah?” she answered

“Lily wouldn’t lie to me, would she?”

Mary crossed her fingers behind her back, “No, Lily wouldn’t lie.”

***

“Where the hell is she, Prongs?”

“Give her time, Sirius, it’s only been thirty minutes since she left,” James replied defensively.

The two Marauders were sitting on the floor outside of the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, James under the Invisibility Cloak, Sirius wasn’t. Instead, a small eleven-year-old boy with mousy brown hair sat next to James, visible to any passerby.

“You don’t think she turned us in, do you?”

“Not this again. She did not turn us in, she is not going to turn us in,” James clarified. “Cause there is no way in hell that she is going to kiss me.”

“Oh, I forgot that tiny little detail,” Sirius laughed.

“Ha ha, so funny Padfoot. Don’t forget, you are in the body of an eleven year old, I could kick your arse.”

Sirius stopped laughing.

“But seriously James, what do you think you are going to get out of this? She’s just doing it for revenge, not for you.” Sirius leaned his head back against the wall.

“Yeah, but at least she is talking to me. Actual talking, not yelling like she usually does.”

“Good clarification.”

They both laughed.

***

“Are you kidding me? Where’s Danny boy?” Sirius shouted down the hallway.

Lily walked purposefully down the hall. “Nice to see you too, Black.”

When Lily arrived in front of the large stone wall that was the entrance, Sirius Black was practically in a fit.

“He just told me the password, I didn’t have to bring him down here. It’s easier this way, now I can help,” Lily said matter-of-factly, shrugging her shoulders.

“So I stole hair from that second year, drank that disgusting potion just to look like this, for nothing?” Sirius gestured to his small frame. “Instead of remaining the stunning creature that usually stands before you?”

Lily put on a look like she was thinking, and then said, “Yeah, pretty much.”

James and Lily started laughing as he stepped out from under the Invisibility Cloak.

“It’s not funny!” Sirius exasperated.

“You’re right Padfoot, it’s not,” James said, pretending to sober up, but there was still a smile on his face.

“Let’s get this done before someone hears your cackling,” Sirius said, kind of impatiently.

“Okay, okay,” Lily stopped laughing long enough to say the password.

The three of them entered silently, looking around at the green décor, the gloominess sinking into them.

“Ugh, am I the only that can smell that? And why is it so dark in here?” Sirius added sarcastically.

“Let’s just get this over with before dawn, shall we?” James replied, pulling out his wand, which Lily and Sirius copied.

“Okay, I’ll do the girls’ dorms, considering neither of you would make it up the stairs, and we’ll meet back in Gryffindor Tower,” Lily suggested, to which both boys nodded.

“Don’t have too much fun, Evans,” James whispered with a wave as they each made it up their assigned staircase.

“Oh, don’t worry, I will,” she whispered back.

***

Lily closed the door to the first year girls’ dorm at around three o’clock in the morning. She crept down the dormitory stairs, pleased with herself at what she had accomplished without getting caught and smiling at what she would see tomorrow morning in the Great Hall.

She had just reentered the dark and gloomy Common Room when she saw movement and ducked quickly behind a large curtain near the staircase she had just exited.

“Snape, you need to realize. This is no different then what we have been doing, what you’ve been doing. It is just making your allegiance official, it will make you truly one of us,” a condescending voice said.

“I know, I know, it shouldn’t make a difference. It just feels darker, more sinister than what we have done before.” she heard Snape respond.

“No, it shouldn’t make a difference. This just means that he trusts you more, now that you have shown some allegiance through past actions. I will contact you before next term, sometime in early August.”

“Yes, I will be waiting.”

With that, Lily heard a faint pop as Lucius Malfoy’s face disappeared from the fire.

Lily’s breathing had gotten faster as questions rushed through her mind. She needed to get out of there, now.

She quietly crept out from behind the curtain, falling to her knees and crawling towards the exit. Lily saw Severus Snape, her old friend, with his head in his hands, sitting on the couch. Seeing this as what could be her only chance to get out of the dungeon without being caught, she opened the door and left.

She ran back to Gryffindor Tower, praying no one would catch her. When she reached her bed next to a sleeping Mary, her mind continued to run with question after question.

What was Sev doing? Why was he talking to Lucius Malfoy? What was he going to have to do?

Some of the questions, Lily didn’t want the answers to.

***

Even with her lack of sleep, Lily still rolled out of bed at seven, not wanting to miss a moment of the reaction of the Slytherins. She pulled on her skirt and shirt before throwing her robes on over it. While she was brushing her hair, Mary stirred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“How was last night?” she asked through a yawn.

“You’ll see,” Lily said, smiling to herself.

Mary laughed and Lily waited for her to get ready. Mary kept asking questions as they walked to the Great Hall for breakfast, but Lily refused to answer them until she saw with her own eyes. Mary then told Lily about what had happened with Liam.

“Are you serious? Who does he think he is? Storming into our common room like that! As if he has complete control over my life! Where did you tell him I was?” Lily ranted

“I told him you were asleep, and he calmed down, but I would be prepared for him to approach you about it. He seemed really angry,” Mary answered, tucking a piece of her white blonde hair behind her ear.

They entered the Great Hall, and she was a bit disappointed, and a bit amused, when she saw that the Slytherin table was completely empty. She glanced at the Gryffindor table, occupied by a few early bird Gryffindors, among them James Potter and Sirius Black.

Lily smiled when James waved, causing Mary to give her a look.

“I guess it went well last night, huh?” she asked.

“Mary, it’s not like that,” Lily defended.

“Sure it’s not, sure,” Mary replied skeptically.

They arrived at the table, sitting opposite each other next to James and Sirius.

“Any sightings yet?” James asked Lily

“No, it is a bit disappointing, but it’s amusing as well. It must mean it worked, otherwise they wouldn’t be afraid to show their faces,” Lily smiled.

At that very moment, someone - or something - walked into the Great Hall, marching between the now filling tables, toward the High Table where Professor Dumbledore was seated.

Mary’s mouth dropped open.

“Why does she have cow ears and a tail, and why is her skin all black and white?” Mary said through peals of laughter.

Bellatrix had in fact, taken on many of the characteristics of the animal most like her: a cow.

“Professor! Professor! Look what they did to me!” Bella Black screamed at Dumbledore, which was followed by a loud moo.

More laughter filled the previously silent hall. James, Sirius, Lily, and Mary staring at their plates while sniggering.

“Who did what to you?” Dumbledore asked.

“Look at me! I look like, like,” she stumbled.

“A cow?” Sirius offered helpfully.

“Ugh! Black, I’m going to murder you with my bare hands! Professor, do something!” she screamed yet again, followed by another loud moo. “All the Slytherins are like this! I was the only one brave enough to come down and do something about it!”

“Brilliant,” James muttered, causing Lily and Mary to laugh harder.

“I want to see some punishment! You know who did this!” Another “moo”.

Another scream of frustration.

“Why, I’m sure that I don’t Miss Black, who do you believe did it?” Dumbledore asked calmly, his eyes twinkling.


“Them! Black and Potter, and Evans!” she yelled, pointing viciously at the Gryffindors.

“Lily Evans? Really?” McGonagall piped in.

The person in question started laughing, along with James and Sirius.

“See! See! They know that they did it! That’s a confession!” Bella accused.

“Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans? Did you turn the Slytherins into well, animals?” Professor McGonagall asked.

“You could say that,” Sirius confessed.

“But, you have to admit, she looks a lot better now,” James added while Lily laughed. She was laughing more than she ever had.

“Detention! All three of you!” McGonagall proclaimed.

“There is only three days of term left before final exams, when exactly would these detentions be?” Lily asked smartly, somehow not phased in the least that she had gotten her first detention.

At that, the teachers stumbled, before Dumbledore said, “I guess it will have to be the first two weeks of next term, then.”

Even with the prospect of detentions at the beginning of her seventh year, Lily couldn’t help but smile.

Bella Black stormed out of the Great Hall, and the conversation picked up.

Dumbledore looked down at the Gryffindor table and couldn’t help saying to Professor McGonagall, “You have to admit, the Gryffindors have got style.”

Throughout the days leading up to their final exams, Lily and Mary spent most of their time in Gryffindor Tower. Lily had successfully been avoiding Liam. He had tried to force his way into the common room again, but when James and Sirius answered, with a few insults added as greeting, he had stopped trying. Lily was silently dreading the last day of term, where, on the Hogwarts’ Express, it would be much harder to avoid him.

Lily and Mary studied for their finals, with the occasional visit from the Marauders, who insisted that they didn’t need to study in order to pass their exams. The days passed much too quickly for Lily’s liking, and before she knew it, she was in her dormitory, trying to cram all of her scattered belongings into her trunk. She had to admit though, she was being particularly organized and thorough with the packing of her trunk, trying to avoid the opportune moments for Liam to talk to her before going onto the Hogwarts Express.

Lily was just trying to slam the lid down onto her overfilled trunk with all her might, when a hand pushed the lid down with what looked to be no effort, and she heard the click of her trunk.

“James,” Lily said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

He sat down nonchalantly on the bed opposite of Lily’s while she pulled open the drawers on her bedside table, checking that she hadn’t forgotten anything.

“Everyone else is heading down to Hogsmeade for the train, I was just wondering if you were trying to barricade yourself in here, so you could avoid Burke again,” James commented, laughing.

Lily shot him a withering look. “I am not avoiding Liam.”

“Really?” James crossed his arms over his chest, obviously amused. “You’re not? So, after our Charms final, you just fancied to go into that broom closet. By yourself, I might add?”

“Yes,” Lily replied immediately, angrily throwing some odds and ends into her bag. Then she sighed in defeat, “No.”

James laughed again. “So, why exactly are you avoiding him?”

“I’m not avoiding him!”

“I think we just established that you are,” James said with a smug look on his face.

“You are so - so -” Lily started.

“Charming? Amazing? Terribly good-looking?” he offered, standing up and taking Lily’s trunk off her bed.

Lily grabbed her bag. “Well, I was going to say frustrating.”

“Because I am so terribly good-looking?” he suggested, laughing as they exited the dormitory.

Lily rolled her eyes, “How did you even get up here?” she asked trying to change the subject.

“Well when you are a Marauder, OH SHIT!” James and Lily screamed as they stepped onto the first step, which instantly turned the staircase into a slide.

They both landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs after each being hit a few times by Lily’s trunk. James rubbed his head, muttering to himself, as Lily broke out into peals of laughter. James just looked over at her before he started laughing too. They sat there for a minute, just looking at each other and laughing.

“Why are you laughing?” James asked through his chuckling.

“Life is never boring when you’re around, is it?”

James smiled, “No, it’s definitely not.”

***

“You know, we are going to be late because of you,” James stated, as they hurried down the path to Hogsmeade, the trains’ horn sounding.

“Because of me? You are the one, that made the staircase turn into a slide and insisted that you had to stop in the kitchens for food before you got on the train,” she practically yelled.

“Have you had the food on the train? It’s like eating cardboard. Besides, you could have gone to the train without me.”

“No, you had my trunk! Who knows what you would do with it if I left it with you!”

“Oh, yeah. Well, you are the one that just had to triple check that you brought home your copy of Hogwarts, A History once we were already in the Entrance Hall. What do you need that for - a bit of light reading?” he answered sarcastically.

“You are unbelievable! You didn’t have to come with me!”

“Because you could have carried your trunk by yourself? What do you keep in this thing? Rocks? Bricks? The entire contents of a Gringotts’ Vault?”

Lily scoffed, “I could have carried my trunk all by myself!”

“Fine then, take it!” James instantly dropped the trunk on the cobblestone path. They were now about a hundred metres from the platform. He kept walking in front of her.

Lily huffed and then tried to lift the handle, but only succeeded in lifting up one side. She then proceeded to drag the trunk up the platform steps. James was waiting impatiently at the end of the train.

“Thanks for the help,” Lily said sarcastically, as he lifted up the trunk and threw it into the train, just as it began to move.

“No problem,” James smiled.

“You are so frustrating sometimes.”

“Yes, but I do make life interesting.”

“Oh, that you do,” Lily glared up into his hazel eyes as they entered the compartment at the back of the train. “Where is your stuff anyway?”

“Already in a compartment up front, I did come down here before stopping you from barricading yourself in your dormitory,” he answered.

“Well, don’t you just have all the answers?” There was silence between them, as they sat down opposite each other. Then, they heard an all too familiar voice from outside of their compartment.

“Have you seen, Lily, Lily Evans anywhere?”

Lily and James looked at each other.

“Shit! Does that guy have an over-possessive complex or something?”

“Well, you have been avoiding him for almost a week…”

“Oh, shut up, James! What am I going to do now?”

“Well, you could talk to him.”

Lily gave him an evil look. James rolled his eyes before reaching into his robes and pulling out a familiar silver cloak.

“Here, put it on,” James told Lily before she disappeared beneath it.

James lounged down on the seat in the compartment, pulling out an issue of Quidditch Today and flipping it open.

It was only a matter of seconds before James heard Liam open the door to the compartment they were in.

“Well, Potter, what are you doing all by yourself? Friends abandon you again?” Liam asked condescendingly.

“Oh, I was just catching up on my reading. Did you know that the Nimbus 1500 is supposed to rebel Bludgers? Load of rubbish if you ask me. But,” James said while flipping a page, “if you owl them before July 15th you get a free broomstick care kit!”

“That’s all very funny, Potter,” he answered.

“No, it’s really a good deal. You don’t have a quill on you, do you?”

“You seriously think I’m here for a social call? I’m looking for Lily, haven’t see her, have you?”

“Nope, haven’t seen her since,” James looked down at his watch, pretended to do some calculations in his head before answering, “the Charms final two days ago. Why, did you lose her?”

“No, I didn’t lose her. I just need to talk to her about something,” Liam replied.

“Well, I am personally a great listener if you ever need someone to talk to, Burke,” James suggested, while he continued to flip through the magazine.

“I’ll take a pass,” Liam sneered.

“Well if you ever need to, I’m all ears.”

“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind,” and with that Liam left the compartment, slamming the door with a bang.

James stood up and poked his head out of the compartment door, seeing Liam’s retreating figure enter a compartment about halfway down the train.

He sauntered back to his seat before announcing that he was gone. Lily pulled the Invisibility Cloak off her head.

“Thanks,” Lily said, sincerely grateful.

“No problem, I mean, what was I going to do? Make you talk to your boyfriend? I’m not that cruel, Lily,” he answered, laughing.

Lily laughed too. “Well, it was a really nice thing for a friend to do,” she added, emphasizing a particular word.

“Friend? So, we’re friends now, huh?” James asked, trying to hide the pleasure in his voice.

“I think friend-ish is the more appropriate term, but as a loose definition, yes. I consider us friends.”

“Well, it only took me six years for you to go from mortal enemy to friend. So, what, I’ll be 23 by the time you agree to go out with me?” he suggested.

“I would say 25,” Lily laughed.

James just smiled.

***

About halfway through the journey, Lily excused herself to go and talk to Mary and James left for the Marauders. Lily and Mary gossiped most of the way to King’s Cross, trying to guess what kind of animals each of the Slytherins had turned into. When the train pulled into the station, Lily dragged her trunk and bag off the train and out into the Muggle world.

She put her trunk down by a nearby bench while she hugged Mary goodbye. Then, once her friend left, she looked around the crowd for her family, or at least for Petunia, who was supposed to be picking her up. She was late again, as usual, so Lily took a book out of her bag and sat down on the bench to wait.

Lily had just begun to settle into her book when she felt someone standing over her. She looked up and who did she see.

“Hello, James, long time no see?”

“Well, I didn’t think it was right to let a friend sit all alone on this dangerous train station. Is someone picking you up?” James asked as he sat down next to her.

“My sister and her whale of a fiancé, but knowing her she probably forgot,” Lily said exasperatedly.

“Well, I could give you a ride. My parents dropped off my car in the parking lot this morning. They are going to visit some relatives, so I get to drive myself home.”

“You? Drive? How do you even know how to drive?”

“Yes, I can drive!” James replied indignantly. “Sirius and I have always had a fascination with cars. Well, cars in my case, Sirius is really into motorbikes. But that is a completely different story. Besides, I’m still not too keen on the whole Apparition thing,” James smiled.

“Me neither, it feels like you are getting pushed through a really small tube,” Lily confessed.

“Exactly! So, do you want a ride? I mean I understand if you don’t want to, your sister will probably be really angry if you leave without her, right?”

“Yeah she will. So, let’s go,” Lily answered, while she grabbed her bag. James went and put both of their trunks on one of the carts, and they made small talk as they walked to his car.

“This is your car?” Lily asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, got it last year. A black ’75 Mustang. My parents had it shipped over from the States for my Christmas present. Passed the test over the Easter holidays,” James replied as he closed the trunk and he and Lily got into the front seat.

“I wish my parents would get me a car, they say I’m not home enough to use one. Plus, they got my sister one, and she is supposed to drive me around.”

“Won’t she be angry when you aren’t at the train station?” he asked, though he was glad that Lily had accepted a ride home with him.

“Yeah,” she replied nonchalantly.

“And you don’t care?” he guessed.

“Not in the slightest,” Lily laughed.

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before she realized that James didn’t know where she lived, yet they were taking the right path out of London towards her home.

“How do you know where I live?” she asked.

“Well, I know you live by Snape,” he answered evasively.

“And you know where he lives?”

“Yes…”he trailed off as they stopped at a light.

“And how do you know where he lives?” she asked, knowing that he not telling her the whole story.

“Lily, do we really have to get into this now?”

“No, you are right. We don’t, its not like I care what happens to him anymore anyways,” She clarified.

“You don’t?”

“No, we aren’t really friends anymore. He… he’s done things that are against what I believe in, and he’s not worth it,” Lily explained.

“Am I worth it?” James asked jokingly.

“Maybe,” Lily smiled.

They spent the rest of the ride in the car talking about nothing, really. Their families (Lily laughed when James told her that his mother had pet names for himself and Sirius), their lives outside of Hogwarts, and anything else that passed their fancy during the drive from the heart of London towards Lily’s home.

James secretly wished that he could drive around in his car with Lily all of the time. The way she was outside of school, now that he was inside her small group of people that she talked to, he didn’t want it to end.

When they turned down her street, Lily sensed something was wrong. She suddenly stopped her anecdote about how in third year she had sent a whole plate of treacle tart flying across her mother’s living room on Christmas, which made James look over to see her face as she pointed urgently up the street.

“Lily? Lily? What’s wrong? Why did you…..oh my God.”

“That’s my house,” Lily replied with an edge of panic in her voice as she looked towards a house up the street, one with a large looming skull and snake floating above the roof. James eyes popped open as Lily opened the door to his car, getting out, and started running down the street.

“Lily! Lily, wait!” James yelled after her. He stepped on the gas, propelling the car forward, catching up with Lily just outside the house. James hopped out of the car, running up to stand next to her on her front porch.

Lily placed her hand on the doorknob, hesitating as a thousand different thoughts run through her mind. What did the sign mean? Were her parents okay? Is this why Petunia never showed up at King’s Cross? She wasn’t even thinking about the dangers that may lie inside, just that she needed to see her parents.

“Lily, wait,” James said, grabbing her other hand to stop her from entering the house. “What if it's, what if whoever put that mark up, is you know, still in there?”

She hadn’t even thought of that. “If this was your house and your family, what would you do?” she asked.

“I would have already been in the house,” James answered truthfully, seeing her point.

“Plus, you’ll come with me, right?” she asked again, looking up into his eyes.

“Lead the way,” he replied, pointing his arm towards the door.

Lily gave a small smile. She took another look at the door, it seemed normal enough. Untouched. She tuned the doorknob gently, entering the house.

The house was in complete disarray. Furniture was up ended in their sitting room, papers strewn carelessly across the floor. Some furniture lay in several pieces spread across the room, a large chunk of wall missing, no longer separating the next room from this one. The house was eerily silent, no noise coming from the kitchen, as it would have if her mother had been home. No noise from the television, her father yelling at the football game on it.

Lily had never heard it this quiet.

“I’m guessing this isn’t how this room usually looks,” James said with an attempt at humor that went unnoticed.

Lily stepped farther into the house cautiously, James behind her. She peered around. She looked up the stairs, listening for any movement, but no noise came. She glanced into the dining room, the cabinets hastily thrown open and her mother’s best china on the floor.

“Mum? Dad? Tuney?” she called out, pausing between each name as she made her way towards he kitchen.

Lily looked around the kitchen and saw it was completely destroyed, just like the sitting room. As though someone was looking for something.

James looked at Lily’s face, the look of pure shock and fear was a new one that James had never seen. Condescending, yes. Angry, yes. Happy, though a new one, yes. Shocked and terrified, never. He looked down at the floor to find a handwritten note, he picked it up.

Lily it read in a loopy handwriting,

Went out for a bit. Be back soon.

Love,

Mum and Dad

James looked up to see that Lily had left the room while he had read the note.

“Lily?” he asked as she appeared back in the doorway to the kitchen.

“They’re not here,” she said, relief and uncertainty mixing in her voice.

“I think they are okay though,” James said, holding up the note.

Lily quickly scanned over the letter, her body visibly relaxing. “So, whoever came and did all this, were here when my parents weren’t. That’s good, I guess, unless my parents didn’t write the note.”

“But what were they looking for?” James asked, trying to distract her.

“I don’t know,” Lily whispered, staring off into space, obviously thinking.

“Listen, Lily,” James started, snapping Lily out of her trance. “Maybe we should get out of here. What if they come back?”

Lily obviously hadn’t thought of that, by the look on her face.

“Especially if, well, what if,” Lily paused then said what she had been thinking since seeing the mark outside her house, "they were looking for me?”

Before James could respond, there was a polite knock on the door. Both of their heads turned to look in the direction of the door.

“Should we answer it?” Lily asked in a whisper.

“I don’t think it matters. They already know that we are here. My car’s out front, remember?”

They heard the door creep open, the steps of a person on the floor in the entry way, and the gentle closing of the door. Lily froze; James pulled his wand out of his back pocket.

“Miss Evans? And Mr. Potter I presume by the Mustang out front?” a familiar voice said as the foot steps neared the kitchen.

“Dumbledore?” James mouthed to Lily.

“Ah yes, good,” Dumbledore said as he entered the kitchen and saw the two, visibly relaxed.

“How do we know it is really you?” James asked before he could stop himself. “Auror parents,” he added as an explanation.

“True, very true,” Dumbledore responded. “Ask me a question.”

James thought for a moment then asked, “What was the first thing that I ever said to you?”

“I believe it was, ‘I like your beard professor, is it real?’” Dumbledore chuckled.

“It’s him,” James said positively.

“You actually asked him that?” Lily asked, incredulous.

“I was eleven, give me some credit,” James replied.

“James, Lily, can this be saved for a moment when time is not of the essence?” Dumbledore injected politely.

“Sorry,” Lily answered.

“Now, do either one of you know what the Dark Mark above this house means?” Dumbledore asked.

“It means that the nutter who has the Slytherins chasing him like a freaking god was here. Very recently,” James replied, deathly coldness resonating through his voice.

“I’m afraid that it is a very real possibility and that is why we need to get both of you out of here. Obviously they might come back because they did not get what they came for,” Dumbledore answered solemnly.

“What were they looking for?” Lily asked.

“You,” Dumbledore said simply. “Or at least more information about you.”

“What do you mean they were looking for me? What have I ever done?”

“Well, in the views of Lord Voldemort, a powerful Muggle-born, should not grace the world with their presence for very long,” he put nicely. “Unless, that is, they are willing to join his side.”

“He wants to kill Lily?” James incredulously asked.

“All Muggle-borns really, but the powerful ones are the people he is starting with. He first will try to get you to join his group of followers, and if you refuse he will try to kill you. I believe he will try the same with you as well, Mr. Potter. Which is why I am here. You cannot reside in a Muggle neighborhood unprotected while not at school. We need to move you. Now,” Dumbledore said simply.

“Move me? What about my family? What if they come looking for me here again?” Lily demanded.

“They will stay with your grandmother for the time being, while a Fidelius Charm is placed upon them.”

“And that’s safe? What if the person with the secret gives them up? It’s not exactly fool proof,” Lily inquired.

“I assure you, I am a very trustworthy person, Ms. Evans. Unless of course, you wish to be the Secret Keeper? However, if they did find you they could then have your family as well.” Dumbledore waited for her to shake her head. “Well, what we need to do now is move you,” Dumbledore said, getting somewhat annoyed at all the questions.

“Am I going to my grandmother’s house as well?” Lily asked, wanting to see her family.

“No, you and James are going to get into his car and go to his home. I’ve contacted his parents and they have agreed to let you stay at their estate for the holidays off from school until the end of your seventh year. It will be easier for you if you can stay in contact with the Wizarding World.”

“Lily’s staying at my house?” James asked, not believing his luck.

“Yes, Mr. Potter. Now, you both need to leave. You need to be inside Potter Manor before sundown, otherwise you will not be protected by the charms I have placed around the manor.”

“Uh, sorry, but Potter Manor?” Lily asked.

“Miss Evans,” Dumbledore said in a slightly condescending tone.

“Yes, yes, we are going,” James said grabbing Lily’s arm as the three of them walked out of Lily’s home.

Lily and James climbed back into the Mustang and Dumbledore Disapparated on the spot.

“Potter Manor? Seriously?” Lily asked as he began to drive back down the road.

“Yeah, it’s been in my family for ages. Almost a 1000 years, someone had to give it a name in the meantime.”

Lily laughed a little before turning serious, “I can’t believe that Dumbledore is playing hide-and-go-seek with me and my family.”

“Don’t worry Lily. I’ve always been a kick-ass hide-and-seek player,” James assured her.

Lily couldn’t help but smile.

*******
"Okay, come on Malfoy, obviously no one is here. Let's just go," Severus Snape rationalized as Lucius Malfoy walked through the room, leafing through a stack of papers before discarding them haphazardly upon the floor.

He couldn't believe that they were in her house. One, he couldn't believe that he actually got to step foot into Lily Evan's house. He had had many fantasies over the last seven years about the circumstances under which he would first step into Lily's house. She would announce her love for him and he would come to meet her parents. She would invite him over to study but much studying wouldn't get done. Secondly, he couldn't believe that he was here to kidnap Lily Evans, or if she wasn't around, her parents and sister. He was secretly glad that Lily hadn't been home. This way he wouldn't have to show her what he was becoming.

"You still don't get it, do you Snape?" Lucius answered viciously, snapping Snape from his thoughts.

"What don't I get, exactly?" he shot back

"If we don't come back with her, her parents, or something telling us where they went, it's our heads on the chopping block. It's us that will be put under the Dark Lord's Cruciatus Curse not the little Mudblood. Understand now?" Malfoy sneered as he continued to root through drawers and cabinets, Snape standing stationary nearby.

Malfoy looked up to see Snape standing in the doorway, not moving or helping him.

"Snape, if you don't help me, I swear I'll curse your head off. You want to prove your allegiance to the Dark Lord? Keep looking," he demanded.

Snape had agreed to join this "Voldemort"'s side. In Slytherin, it was the only way to be accepted. And he wanted to be accepted. Ever since the fact that he was on the tract to become a Death Eater had become rather public at Hogwarts, things between Lily and he hadn't been the same. She hated him, absolutely and thoroughly hated him. Almost as much as she hated Potter, which hurt, really hurt. And now she was becoming friends with Potter instead of him. What had the world become? He had tried to talk to her but nothing seemed to work, she was clearly avoiding him. He was just going to have to get used to it.

Snape glanced up the stairway across from the living room, getting an idea. "I'll go search her room, maybe she left something up there," Snape said and Malfoy grunted his approval as he threw open the china cabinet, plates and cups crashing to the ground.

Snape made his way up the stairs passing what he assumed was Lily's parents’ room and then passed another room with fashion magazines spread about. Neither of those were what he was looking for. He knew he had found the right room when he saw several moving pictures placed around the space.

The room was simple, plain, and it made it obvious that someone did not live here yearlong. The bed looked as though it hadn't been slept in in weeks; there was no rubbish in the bin and personal affects were scarce. He opened her wardrobe, looking inside to find nothing but a few pieces of clothing. Nothing there he could give the Dark Lord. Snape went over to her desk, rifling through the drawers. He was looking half-heartedly; half-hoping that he wouldn't find anything so she would be safe, hoping he would so that he would be safe. He stopped looking when he found a picture.

He saw Lily's face smiling up from the picture. He frowned when he saw it was a picture of her arm in arm with that damn Liam Burke. Man, was he an idiot. Strutting around the castle like Potter, thinking he was the best, that he was a shoe-in for Head Boy. It did nothing in Snape's opinion of him that he had been dating Lily for almost a year. Snape absolutely loathed Burke. Not as much as Potter, but close enough.

He kept the picture in hand as he looked around the rest of the room. You could tell that Lily didn't like being there. No personal touches at all, very neat. No one would have wanted to spend much time there. Snape sat down on her bed, still glaring daggers at the Burke in the picture who was laughing along with Lily. Snape took the photo in his hands, ripped it into pieces, and threw them in the bin.

All of a sudden, he heard Lucius screaming his name.

"Snape! Snape! He's calling us! Get down here!"

He ran down the stairs, into the kitchen to find Lucius staring at his arm, the Dark Mark.

"What do we do?" Lucius asked Snape, a hint of fear evident in his voice. Snape was slightly pleased with himself that he wasn't panicking as much as Malfoy was.

"Cast the mark above the house," Snape answered quickly. "That way, she'll know exactly who is looking for her."

Lucius nodded his approval and he and Snape ran outside. Lucius raised his wand arm up and wordlessly launched the skull and serpent into the sky. They both took a moment to look at it.

As they waited to Apparate, Snape couldn't help thinking about the group he had just joined. Doing this, meant he was officially one of them. Lucius had told the Dark Lord that this should be his initiation, proving that he was against Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers alike. He still didn't know how he felt about it, but it looked as though now, he had no choice. Now that he had chosen his side, he just hoped the Dark Lord believed that his actions in Lily's house were enough. Lily was gone, out of the picture. This was going to be his life now.