Hey guys, this is my first fanfic ever. Please, do review and tell me how it is. I'm a big L/J fan and this is my first fanfiction on them. :)
Don't hesitate to be critical! :)

Disclaimer: The characters in the story do not belong to me (even if I wish!), JK Rowling is the mastermind, but the plot does belong to me.

"Father, don't worry – you'll be alright." She said, comforting herself more than him. Richard Evans looked at her, and opened his mouth to say something but instead went into a coughing fit. She rubbed her father's back.

"My only regret is that I was unable to see you get married, my dear." He said.

She shook her head, "Nothing's going to happen to you, father."

"My dear, now I leave you on your own. I have left you no money and no fortune my dear. Forgive me." He said.

She shook her head frantically, "Just wait, I'll call the doctor." She turned to call the doctor in this damn big hospital.

Perhaps she should have taken him to St. Mungo's, but she couldn't go there, no she would only have been killed. No Muggle was allowed in St. Mungo's no matter what the problem. Plus, she didn't think that magic could cure her father any better. There had after all been no cure for cancer even at St. Mungo's.

Ever since Petunia got married and moved to America and her mother died in an accident, her father had been her sole support. She let out a few tears fall from her eyes.

"Don't cry, Princess. I'll always be with you." Her father said, wiping a few of her tears away, "Do well at school. Make me and your mother proud. And always remember, Lils, life is uncertain and you never know when the last thing you expected comes to knock at your door"

She nodded and smiled sadly as the nurse came in and whispered in her ear, "He's got only a few hours left with him, Ms. Evans." And during his last moments, she held his hand, until it gradually slipped away. And then she realized that she had just lost her father. She cried the whole night.

Home. It hardly seemed as home without her parents there. Petunia, was there, but still never there. The lawyer had just come in to announce her father's will and as expected, he had said that her father had left 90% of his money to Petunia and her husband, Vernon Dursley, 5% to a charity and the remaining to her.

It was as she expected, he had always told her that he thought that she was capable of more money than he had, and therefore he had told her that she would not get much money. She had gotten some money only so that she could complete her last year of education. Petunia hadn't talked to her since their mother's death, who had died in gas explosion. Her reasoning was that somehow Lily should have saved her mother, even though she was millions of miles away at Hogwarts. "You can do magic, can't you?" she had reasoned.

She sat in her room after her father's quiet funeral, even as Petunia and Vernon Dursley sat downstairs, talking quietly.

Petunia may be a lot of things, but Lily knew that she too was truly disturbed after their parents' death. She after all loved them as much as she did. But Petunia still had her husband to comfort her, she – she had no one, except maybe her friends, but they themselves had suffered losses in their family by Voldemort. A broken person cannot comfort another broken person. She was glad that she still had a year left at Hogwarts, it would take off her mind from these things. She took out a parchment and quill and wrote her friend, Alice a short and meaningful letter –

Can I come over?

-Lily

She then took her owl, Spikes out of his cage and handed him the letter.

An hour later, after a quiet goodbye to Petunia and her oaf of a husband, she apparated with her bags to Alice's home.

Alice's house was a medium sized mansion. She was of course pure-blooded and rich, but as she was an only child, her parents loved and pampered her a lot. She knocked at her door, which was opened by Alice's mother.

"Hello, Mrs. Prewett."

Alice's mother gave her a small understanding smile as she motioned her to come in, "How are you doing, Lily?"

Lily shrugged, "Of course. Alice is in her room with her friends. Make yourself at home," she said, in an understanding voice. Lily dragged herself to Alice's room, and pushed it open.

She saw Alice sitting on her bed, with Frank Longbottom and Melanie Smith.

Alice smiled at her when she saw her, "Hey Lils! Come in."

Frank waved at her and Melanie gave her a smile. Lily gave them a small smile, and putting her bags next to the bed, sat down.

"You know what Alice, I really have to go. I have to report to the Auror office." Said Frank, Alice's boyfriend. He was an Auror-in-training and had completed his seventh year just that year, and with excellent N.E.W.T.s had got into Auror training almost at once. Alice nodded, and Frank got up, gave Alice a peck on her lips and left the room.

There was an awkward silence. "So Melanie, how have you been?" Lily asked, in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence that had built up around the three best friends.

Melanie shrugged, "Nothing. Just got my house blasted and set on fire by Death Eaters. My parents and I got through, but it took my grandma."

Melanie had tears in her eyes by then, Lily put her hand on her shoulder, she knew how close Melanie was to her grandmother.

"It's alright, though. My grandma always said she wanted to die for a cause, and she did – she died saving us all."

She licked her lips, "Anyway, why are we discussing this? Let's just not…" Alice nodded. Lily nodded.

"Lily, you should write to Hogwarts and let them know that you're at my house, for all you know, they might send over your letter to your home." Lily nodded.

"Yeah, I'll do that." She took out a parchment, and began to write a letter.

"Lils, I know that this isn't the best time to tell you this, but I just thought you should know that my parents have got some people coming over for dinner tomorrow night."

Lily looked up from her letter, "So, I was sort of hoping that since you are staying here, you could also be a part of it."

Lily shook her head, "Alice, I really don't want to be interrupting or anything. I'll just stay up in your room, and not even peep out of it until everyone's gone."

Alice looked at her as if she had slapped her, "Lily, are you mad? I want you to meet those people. It might cheer you up."

Lily smiled sadly, "If I must, I will. But I really doubt anything can cheer me up right now." Melanie put her hand over hers and gave her a small smile.

"Well – you always have me!" Melanie had always been the life of their group of Lily, Alice and her. She had been the one to lighten up their moods, she just had a way with words. But Lily wasn't quite sure that Melanie would be her same self after her grandma's death. She knew that she herself wouldn't ever be.

Lily finished her letter and tied to Alice's owl. She then sent him to Dumbledore's office. Melanie too got up, and said that she had to go to home. After exchanging hugs with Alice and Lily she departed.

"Alice, do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?" Alice gave her a strange look, but agreed.

Later at night, as they lay in bed next to each other, Lily said, "I really can't wait for school to start. I just wanna escape all this."

"Me too, Lily. Studies have never before seemed so nice." Both of them smiled at one another.

Both of them lay there, not knowing what tomorrow would hold for them and yet, could not stop wishing for the next day to arrive soon…

Please review and tell me how you like it. :)