It was a cold crisp autumn day. The first of September to be exact. Lily felt like she was about to puke. Two weeks ago she was more than happy to return to Hogwarts. But that was two weeks ago and this was now.

"Lily sweet are you coming?" Ginny asked her daughter. Ginny smiled down on the tiny incarnation of herself. How the years flew by. Ginny glanced around at her children, Albus was about to start his final year at Hogwarts and Lily was just about to begin her Fifth.

How the years flew by.

'Ya, I'm coming." Lily shook her head to clear her thoughts. She smiled at her mother taking her arm. "Write to me everyday?" She asked as they walked slowly down the crowded platform.

"Don't I always?" Ginny fixed her daughters collar. Looking her up and down she noticed how Lily looked more and more like Harry every day. Well sort of. Lily had her mothers flaming red hair and slight build. But she had her father's eyes and with those eyes she held all the mischief that came along with them. Ginny sighed like any other exasperated mother.

"Try not to get into trouble this time? Neville and McGonagall are already worried enough. They don't need to worry about you too!" She chastised her reckless daughter.

"What are they worried about?" Lily asked before her mother could say anything else.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with young lady now go find your brother!" Ginny smiled lovingly.

"Fine!" Lily sighed dramatically and turned on her heels trying to get through the crowd. This is what it had been like for the last two weeks.

Secrets.

Something was happening and Lily wanted to know what. For the last few weeks Lily hadn't seen her father. He came in the middle of the night and left again early the next morning. James was nearly the same way. He had always been her favorite brother but now that he had left Hogwarts and was starting a Job as…… Lily thoughts trailed off. What did James do? She thought that he wanted to be an Auror. A family obsession Lily decided a long time ago. But for the last year or so James had been doing odd jobs and such. It was insane really And It left Lily with the thought that she really knew nothing about her favorite brother.

"AL!" Lily hollered over the heads of some lowly- First years. "AL!"

Albus Severus Potter looked up from his friends. Glancing at his sister he kicked his best mate Fred (For some reason his parents liked the name) For smiling when he saw her approaching.

"Hey Lil," Albus feigned a smile at her before returning to talking to his friends.

"Al, mum wants to say goodbye." She placed her hands on her hips in a very Ginny like movement.

"Fine. See ya." He nodded towards his friends. "Has dad shown up yet?" He asked Lily. Albus was never much for caring what the adults did around him. Even thought he was soon to be one himself he never got why Harry and Ginny were so uptight some times. Now that he thought about it Ron and Hermione were like that as well about a few select things.

"No," Lily walked next to her brother not showing him how much it worried her. Dad was usually the one to escort them every step when they had to leave home. And he was the first face they saw when they had to come home from Hogwarts.

"He'll be here." Lily wondered how he could be so sure of himself. Al was always sure. Lily was always confused.

"There you are!" Ginny caught sight of her children again smiling to herself. She had no reason to be so worked up! She thought. Harry would smooth this over with in no time. And she was not the only one. James Potter's face lit up when he saw his brother and sister.

"James!" Lily shrieked running into his arms. Forgetting that at fifteen she should be concerned about appearances. Or at least that is what Mimi (Scorpio's resident girlfriend) had said.

"How you been?" James was happy to see her again. After all he had barely slept in nearly a month.

"Better than you!" She observed.

"Well that's a good thing." James looked over to his mother, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled in gratitude and covered up her feelings. She was a bit out of practice but it still did the trick. When Albus gave her a hug goodbye he barely noticed how hard she was trying to keep it together.

"Where's Hermione and Ron?" Al asked.

"Right here!" Hermione smiled at Albus and James. Lily saw her and gave her a hug so big Hermione nearly go the wind knocked out of her.

"Hey gorgeous." Hermione greeted her favorite niece.

"Where have you been?" Lily asked of her aunt.

"Busy." Ron replied for his wife. Coming up behind her. Everyone but Lily missed that look that went from Ron to Ginny.

A loud whistle came from the train.

"Okay you know what that means get on the train!" Ginny said to her children. "Get going I wont have you miss it now!"

"Where's Hugo and Rose?" James whispered Hermione.

"On the train." She replied flatly. Hermione was just as worried about her children as Ginny was of her own. At this moment Ron was waiting for the children to leave so he could go and rejoin Harry.

Lily didn't really know what else to say. There were so many questions but there was little time. She settled for giving everyone a great big hug. As if it would be the last hug she would give any of them for a while.

"Wait!" Al stopped his mother before she could push them both onto the train. "Where's dad? He has never missed sending us off."

"He's busy! But he'll write!" She smiled half heartily. The only thing she could do. Ginny waved to her children watching their innocent faces. There was a reason that Harry and her had decided not to tell them about what had happened to them when they were at Hogwarts. People rarely spoke about it anymore and they had both denied any rumor that had come their way. It just wasn't something that they wanted their children to deal with. She sighed when the train started to move away from platform nine and three quarters. Ron and Hermione came by her side and they walked away slowly. Stares-like always-followed them, but they paid no attention this time. Their thoughts were nearly Twenty-six years away.

"Lily!" Lily's best friend Jessica was holding a door to a compartment open for her. "Come on!" The bright eyes blond smiled at her best friend surprised that they had lived the summer apart.

Lily ran over and slid into the tight compartment. Embracing Lily and then nearly tackling Hugo she finally settled down. Only to have a knock on the door come a few seconds later.

"Anything from the trolley dears?"

"What do you guys want?" Lily asked counting orders at the door shaking her head. Jessica was a tiny girl but she could eat like there was no tomorrow.

By the time Lily had ordered all her food she had been joined. A tall dark haired boy was ordering beside her.

She couldn't stop herself, something in her made her talk to the boy. "Hi." She smiled shyly.

He looked up a little amazed that she had talked to him. "Hi." He replied in a deep voice.

The awkward silence seemed to go on forever. Finally she looked at his robes. Slytherin, fifth year.

"My names Lily." She rushed the words, looking up into his eyes. There was an evil glint in them that made her catch her breath.

When he didn't answer she tried to think of something else to say. "Your new here." She stated the obvious. She took a quick glance around her. The trolley had moved on(she was having difficulty holding all the food) and she was alone in the hall with him.

"Ya just started. Had to see the headmaster to get these." He fingered his robes. She had to admit he looked a little awkward in them.

"Well I guess I better go." Lily moved a little away.

"See you around?" he asked.

"Defiantly!"

"Great, My names Tom by the way." In the time it took Lily to blink he was gone.