Author's Note: Hey guys, so this chapter is quite short to get things going, as you read in the bio this story is Steam engine only from Lily's point of view. So this version is more Jily themed and has some more detail to it that you don't get from Sirius's perspective obviously. Since I've got a large proportion of Steam engine already written updates for this story should come out fairly frequently to a point. Though I am still in the middle of university (Yay for procrastination). So anyway here it is and don't forget to leave a cheeky review because I love those.

Yours Lauren

Chapter One: The Phone Call

Lily was beginning to enjoy having a day to herself at home for a change. Petunia had finally travelled back to London for her typing course, and her father was back at work. The house was oddly quiet without her mother and she missed her dearly. Lily's heart still quaked with grief as strongly as the day she died, even with it having been over a month since her passing. But now she needed to focus on getting her own life back to some resemblance of normal before returning for 6th year in September. So with the house at long last to herself lily plopped herself down on the sofa and switched the telly on. As Murphy's law would have it she had just got comfortable watching an episode of M.A.S.H when the phone rang, just typical. Maybe if she ignored it they'd just go away, she turned the volume on the television set it and allowed the phone to keep ringing. Thankfully after a couple of minutes it stopped ringing. Satisfied she turned the volume down but the phone started to ring all over again. Oh bloody hell. Who was ringing in the middle of the day? Probably telemarketers after all the condolence calls had stopped about a week ago. In a huff she slung herself off the couch and marched over to the phone, grabbing it violently from the wall before it rang off the hook.

"Hello?" She answered gruffly.

"Hello? Ugh is this the Evans house?" The voice on the other end of the line was a masculine voice she recognised but couldn't quick place.

"Yes this is Lily speaking." She responded tapping her foot in annoyance.

"Hi Lily… it's James… James Potter." Lily nearly dropped the phone in shock. "Hello? Lily? Lily are you there?"

"What? Oh yes I'm still here sorry I was just getting over the shock of you calling my home phone. I didn't even know you knew how to use a muggle telephone." She brushed it off quickly with a shake of her head.

"Yeah sorry to bother you at home, Remus gave me your telephone number I hope you don't mind. I'm calling from his house actually. Anyway the reason I called is I wondered if you'd heard from Sirius at all? Or maybe even seen him?" He fumbled over his words. Lily raised an eye brow even though she was aware he wouldn't see it. She wrapped the telephone cord around her fingers.

"Why would I have seen or heard from your best mate Potter? I was under the impression he lived with you over the summer." She asked, not unkindly but bluntly.

"He's missing. You were the last person I could think to contact in a last ditch hope in all honesty. I've seen Remus, Peter, Marlene, Alice… you name it I've tried them. My mum's beside herself it's getting to the point where we're going to end up filing a report with the ministry." He explained the exasperation coming through clear in his voice. Lily clenched the phone tighter in her hand and pressed it more firmly to her ear, using her free hand to twirl her fingers through the cord.

"What caused him to run off… It's odd for him not to be with you boys." She replied softly.

"Yeah I know, that's why I'm starting to get real worried. He got news one of his uncle's died. One he actually got along with like considering he left Sirius a considerable inheritance. He just up and took off on us, we thought maybe he just needed a few days to himself to calm down and process you know? But now he hasn't come home and none of our owls have been answered they keep coming back unopened so Merlin knows where he is. I'm sorry to bother you Lily I really am. Thanks for not hanging up on me I appreciate it…." He trailed off.

"Hang on a minute Potter. Have you checked Knockturn alley?" Lily asked. "Um no I haven't actually why's that?" He returned.

"I know for a fact he goes down there for prank materials. I caught him last year stuffing a fanged Frisbee into his pocket as he came out the alley when I was shopping for new robes back in Easter. Do you want me to go poke around for you?" Merlin's beard what was she saying? Why was she offering Potter to go down Knockturn alley, practically the dodgiest place in London to look for his best mate?

"Oh no, no Lily you don't have to do that. I can probably go myself this afternoon once I've checked out a few other places. Not the sort of place you want to go skulking about on your own." He insisted. Lily seriously questioned her own judgement with the words that tumbled out of her mouth next.

"Potter don't flatter yourself I'd take Alice with me. I've been meaning to catch up with her after everything but I haven't had a chance…. We can go have a look for Sirius around Knockturn while you check your other places then go get ice cream or whatever… I'd be killing two birds with one stone so to speak."

"Would you? I'd be so grateful if you did but you don't have to if you don't want to. I'd ask Remus but well… Um he's not been very well… just getting over the flu see. But I'd appreciate it if you and Alice could do this huge favour for me."

"Not a problem, we've gotta look out for each other in this mess of a war that's going on. If the Gryffindor's can't have each other's backs who can? I'll Just let my dad know where I'm going and send an owl to Alice to let her know to meet me in Diagon Alley… Where can I reach you if we do or don't find him?" She quizzed. He spieled off that he would be hoping around all over the place so it would probably be best to send an owl to his house, he's see it when he got the chance or his mother would be sure to intercept it on his behalf.

"Alright then, I'll speak to you later Potter… Best of luck"

"You too. Thanks Lily." She hung up, placed a call to her father at work while scribbling a note to Alice, then made her way onto the street to summon the night bus.

Why Lily had signed herself and Alice up for searching Diagon Alley and then snooping around Knockturn alley looking for the notorious Sirius Black she had no idea. They'd gone along the alley holding hands and staying very closely pressed to one another attempting to avoid the eyes of unsavoury wizards and witches. They popped into a few shops along their way that might have taken Sirius's interest. But it was no use he was nowhere to be found and anyone they deemed friendly enough to ask hadn't seen him either. After a couple of hours, they abandoned the search and reappeared into the much brighter Diagon Alley heading straight for the ice cream parlour.

"I have to admit Lils I was pretty shocked to get your note." Alice told her lapping at her strawberry cone.

"I surprised myself I think" Lily admitted sticking her spoon further into her banana split. "Under any other circumstance my gut instinct would have been to slam the phone on Potter the minute I knew it was him. But there was something in my mind that clicked that for him to call me something wasn't right. He sounded really concerned."

"I can imagine" Alice nodded sympathetically "Sirius is a bit of a train wreck at times but normally his mates can attempt to steer him back on track. But anyway how've you been… with your mum and all. I'm sorry I didn't come to the funeral, I wanted to but I just don't know how to act around muggles in a situation like that. I feel I would have just made things worse for you"

"Oh its fine Alice honestly there's no need to guilt yourself over it I understood. It's probably for the best you didn't come; Petunia would have had a fit with more than one witch there. I have a feeling she didn't want me there to begin with."

"Oh Lils don't say that." Alice patted her hand gently. Lily watched her own sleeves start to slide up and reveal some of the bruises still present on her arms, cautiously hoping Alice wouldn't notice she pulled away and slipped them down again.

"Alice I mean it. She didn't want me there. Petunia hates me as is but with mum gone there's one less parent to tell her to behave and I don't think my dad has the strength to argue with her at present. Besides she's back here in London now doing some sort of typing course so she's out of my hair for the remainder of the summer. It'll be nice to spent the last little bit with my dad and get myself together."

Alice smiled and nodded at her in agreement before returning to her ice cream. Lily was thankful that she had not pried further, she was unsure if she could take more of her friends probing and tell her about the summer's other events just yet. With them marked so freshly on her skin. Her arm was starting to throb a bit now above the elbow joint where a jagged cut was still healing. If she were able to perform magic outside of Hogwarts she'd have been able to fix it up much better. Now she'd probably end up being left with a scar thanks to Jareth. At least that part of her life was hopefully out of her hair too, she could do without the abusive and manipulative ex-boyfriend. She had enough to deal with, with the prospect of facing her ex-best friend Severus Snape on her return to Hogwarts. They continued to eat their ice cream in peaceful silence together, wondering where on Earth Sirius Black had gotten to.

A few days after her impromptu visit to Knockturn alley an owl arrived at the Evan's window while Lily and her father shared breakfast. Her father had become accustomed to the strange comings and goings of otherwise nocturnal creatures, not even batting an eye lid as his daughter opened the window. The bird was not one Lily recognised, she untied the letter from around its foot. She did however recognise the loopy cursive that spelled out her name. She's seen this particular scrawl during so many classes and supervised detentions it was hard not to know James Potter's hand writing. Releasing the bird out the window after a tickle Lily turned the letter over in order to open it.

Lily,

I just thought you might like to know that Sirius turned up last night. Looking a little worse for wear but otherwise unharmed.

Thanks again for the other day.

James

"Who's the letter from little lady? You're scowling at it" Her father questioned as he sipped at his tea.

"James Potter, the bloke who rang the other day looking for his missing mate. He's turned up unscathed apparently." Lily responded tossing the letter aside and returning to her breakfast. Her father nodded knowing all too well about the tales of the so called marauders, the infamous James Potter and Sirius Black.

"Well I'm glad to hear that the lad's safe and sound." He offered giving a yawn. Mr Evans glanced at the wrist watch he was wearing and sighed. He was sure to be late for work. "I got to get running poppet you gonna be okay here on your own today?"

"I'm fine here on my own most days' dad this one shouldn't be any different." She responded convincingly. "That idiot turns up again what do you do?" He asked his voice almost a growl.

They'd been over this more times than she cared to recall by now. If Jareth were to turn up: don't open the door. Keep it locked. The only words you shout at him through the door are to remind him you have a restraining order and he is trespassing and you're going to call the police. Call the police and report it even if he's already left. "Door locked call the cops" Lily recited back to her father. She had doubts Jareth would turn up here currently he was winning this game.

He'd beaten, stalked and abused her their entire relationship. She'd finally broken free from him and now had a restraining order and yet he still had the upper hand. Why? Because he was better known around these parts then Lily thanks to her yearly departures to Hogwarts. Everyone believed Jareth was a teddy bear who wouldn't harm a fly. Despite the physical evidence saying otherwise. So when she'd finally found her nerve and Gryffindor courage to leave him, buried under piles of self-pity and doubt, he turned it around to the small town of Cokeworth saying he'd left her. Yep he'd left that strange Evans girl because she was supposedly a bit of a slag and a delinquent. Of course people believed him, why wouldn't they when they'd had Petunia for years telling people her sister went to school for special people, for delinquents up in Scotland. Lily was left without a leg to stand on. She could hardly turn around and say "No you've got it all wrong he's an abusive prick, my sister is a liar. I go to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I can do magic. I'm a witch I can prove it!".

"Good girl. Why don't you ask one of your friends to come over? Get yourself out of the house a bit. Alice?" He suggested as he packed his breakfast dishes into the sink.

"She's gone on Holiday with her family for the remainder of the summer. I won't see her til Kingscross." Lily supplied sipping on her tea. "Well what about your other friends? Marlene, Dorcas Mary? They're your roommates right?"

She knew full well her father was trying to be encouraging, Lily wasn't purposely attempting to knock him down for it. But having one of her friends over would still mean locking herself in the house. She couldn't risk going outside and bumping into someone on the street who would possible throw snide comments at her. Not to mention there was attempting to avoid Severus Snape. Then there's trying to keep her elbow and the last few traces of bruising covered up. No having friends over right now would just be too hard.

"Marlene is also on holiday; I think she said something about France." Lily lied. "Mary's family are funny about her going to places where they've never met people so they wouldn't let her go." Which was a half-truth. Barely anyone went anywhere now with the war going on. But she hadn't told her father that so he wouldn't worry. "As for Dorcas she's terrible at responding to invites. She still hasn't returned my last two letters yet." Another fib.

"Ah well, you've only got just over a week until you're back at school now anyway I suppose. Have a nice day love I'll see you later" Lily let her father kiss her on the forehead as he said good bye and waited until she heard the firm click of him locking the front door behind him. Now, for a short while at least, she had all the time in the world.