Stratford, East London. 1st September 1939

"Lily, get down here, now!" huffed her mother loudly.

Eleven year old Lily, sighed and pushed herself off of her bed, grabbing her jacket and the pillowcase with all her belongings stuffed into it, meager though they were. Her gasmask was in a box with a string attached so it could be carried with ease.

"Coming Mum," called Lily.

Lily sighed again and gave her bedroom one last sweep, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Satisfied she had everything she would need, Lily quietly left her room for the last time and closed the door.

"Sit and eat that," said her Mother huffily, pointing to a plate of bread and dripping.

Lily did as she bade, she placed her jacket on the back of a chair, her pillowcase of belongings under the chair, with her boxed gasmask on top.

"Mum, do I really have to go?" asked Lily quietly.

"Yes, you do!" answered her Mother harshly, causing Lily to flinch.

War had just be declared, the government had deemed it prudent to send children, mothers with young babies, old folks, and the infirm, were being sent to the country to safety.

"What about you Mum?" asked Lily sadly.

"I'm staying here, I've got me work."

Lily sniffled and coughed. Her home life with her Mother may not be the greatest, but it was all she'd ever known. Now she was to be sent away from the familiar streets, and her friends. Her mother turned to glare at her small daughter.

"Stop that bloody sniveling child, and eat, you'll have to leave soon, though I can't take you to school, you can walk by yourself."

Tears ran down Lily's cheeks, couldn't her mother at least take the morning off and take her to school? She had no idea when she would see her again, if at all. A knock came at the back door. Helen Evans moved to answer the door, whilst Lily wiped her nose with the back of her hand, she knew her mother would skin her alive if she gave any outward show of misery.

"Oh it's you," said Helen to her next door neighbour Marge Lupin.

Marge was a large woman all over, but she was a jolly sort of woman, and she adored Lily. Lily was best friends with her only son Remus.

"Hello ducks, are you both ready to go?"

"You take her Marge, I've to get ready to go to work," said Helen happily.

Marge glared at her neighbour. She couldn't believe the nerve of the woman, they had no idea when they'd see their children again, and her work was still more important than seeing her only daughter off. Marge's heart broke for the child.

"Are you ready love?" asked Marge kindly.

"Please, Aunty Marge, I don't want to go, I want to stay here," said Lily in a small voice.

"I know you don't duck, but it'll be safer than staying here. I don't want my Remus to go either, but his dad is insisting he go, things could get nasty here, an' we don't want you kiddies being scared or worse hurt," Marge said comfortingly.

Helen gave a snort of derision. Which made Marge glare at her neighbour again.

"Be glad to get rid of the little mare for a while," sniffed Helen.

Marge stiffened with outrage. Lily's eyes were as huge as saucers with shock, unshed tears brimmed ready to fall at any moment. Marge's arm landed protectively across Lily's small shoulders.

"You evil, nasty, little chit Helen Evans, but then you've never made any secret of the fact that you didn't want her," stormed Marge.

"Don't you talk to me like that Marge Lupin, this is my house, and I'll say what I likes," huffed Helen.

Marge just glared at Helen again. Once Lily was safely out of the way, she would tear Helen Evans, limb from limb.

"Come along love, our Remus is waiting for yer."

Marge helped the girl slip her well worn jacket on, making sure Helen had sewn her name label onto the jacket's lapel. Which she'd actually bothered to do, Marge thought she'd have have to do it herself. The cuffs were frayed and the elbows were shiny. Her dress was also well worn, and now show no discernable pattern, it was also grubby. Lily wore no socks, her plimpsolls seemed a size too small for her feet. Her hair was lank and greasy. Compared to her mother, Lily, looked a right ragbag. Marge sighed for the poor child. She knew Lily had nits again too, she'd watched the child scratch her head just moments before. She felt sorry for whomever had to take Lily into their home.

"Come on then love,"

Lily shuffled behind her neighbour, she looked back at her mother for one last time, she wanted to say goodbye, but the words stuck in her throat. Her mother neither said a word or looked at her, she'd turned to the mirror above the fireplace to check her hair and face. Lily bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling.

Once outside, and away from her mothers hearing, Marge, spoke.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that love, I didn't mean to upset you,"

"You didn't upset me, Aunty Marge, she did," replied Lily in a small voice.

"I'm sorry you had to click for one like her love, come on lets go get my boy and I'll walk you both to school," said Marge loathing to say more.

The walk to school was normally a fun affair, she and Remus would kick tin cans all the way down the street, or play chase all the way to the school gates, but this morning it was a subdued, sad walk.

Remus, was twelve, and the only child of Marge and John Lupin. He was rather tall for his age, his sandy coloured hair fell into his face, every so often he would flick his hair back off his face. He was normally as jolly as his mother, but this morning he was quiet, and his face was ashen.

"Now my loves, you be good children, and if you don't like it, write and we'll come and get you, no matter the cost," said Marge softly.

"Me too Aunty Marge?" asked Lily quietly.

"Yes love, you too," said Marge determinedly.

The walk to school had gone all too quickly. The children stood in groups on the playground. Some of the teachers also stood by, suitcases by their feet, and clipboards in their hands. Some of the parents had stayed to see their children off, Marge included.

"Children, quiet now," boomed the headmasters voice. "Will all the children now please go and stand by your teachers, so we can make sure we have you all, once you have all be marked in, we shall be leaving to walk to the railway station. Quietly and quickly now, we haven't a lot of time."

The children moved to stand by their teachers, Lily moved towards her teacher, Miss Greer, Remus towards his teacher, Mr Thompson.

Soon the children were walking in crocodile fashion towards the local underground station, where the children would board a train into London to catch a connection to wherever they were going.

The walk to the station was extremely traumatic for some of the younger children. Already there was tears, as the parents had said goodbye at the school gates, for the teachers had insisted that the parents didn't follow them, and make things harder for the children. Some of the older girls looked wet eyed, some of the older boy also looked suspiciously wet eyed too.

The train was pulling in as they arrived at the platform. Some of the older children helped the younger children to climb aboard. Remus gave Lily his hand and helped her step up in to the carriage, before climbing in himself. The guard walked along the length of the train on the platform, slamming doors shut. Moments later the train gave a jolt and started to move out of the station.

An hour later, and they were stood on a draughty platform at Euston station.

"Please, Miss Greer, where are we going?" asked Lily loudly over the hubbub.

But Miss Greer, couldn't hear her.

Finally their train pulled into the station. Lily gripped Remus' hand tightly in fear of being lost, the platform was teeming with other children from different schools. Boys in caps, blazers, short trousers, long grey socks and shoes. Girls with straw hats, clean white blouses, dark skirts and long white socks with stout looking shoes, their hair clean and well looked after. Lily stared at them mulishly, she wished she could look that neat and tidy. Lily, felt Remus, pulling on her hand as he moved toward the train.

"Come on Lils, time to move."

Lily allowed herself to be pulled along and helped to climb aboard the train. Remus put his suitcase and Lily's pillowcase on the luggage rack and settled in a seat next to Lily.

"It'll be fine Lily, you always said you wanted to go on an adventure, and now we are," Remus tried to cajole.

Lily tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace. The train began to move, Lily hung her head and allowed silent tears to fall, and fear to wash over her as the train carried her even further away.