"Lily? Lily Luna Potter, are you here?"

"I'm in here, Mum," I yelled back.

"I'm coming in," she called back.

Mum burst into my room, I nearly fell off my dressing table stool in fright.

"Whoa! Mum! What's going on?" I asked, my heart pounding.

"Is it true?" she demanded.

"Is what true?" I asked, confused.

"That you have a date with that smarmy git, Phillip Corner?"

"How..." "How did I find out?

"I've just come back from your Aunt Hermione's; Hugo told me, he said he'd overheard you and Rose talking about it."

"I'm going to kill him," I muttered.

"So it's true then? Well in that case I forbade you to see that boy."

"But mum why? Also at any rate I'm eighteen now, I'm not a baby and I can date who-"

"Because as I said he's a smarmy git and a user, just like his father Michael. I don't care if you are eighteen, whilst you live in this house you live by our rules and I don't want you seeing that boy."

I stared at Mum in shock. I'd never seen her get so angry before, well not since the time James broke my arm when I was ten - James hadn't been able to sit down properly for two days after that.

"How do you know his dad, Mum?" I asked timidly.

"We dated at school in fifth year, if you must know. He used me," Mum said through gritted teeth as if the memory pained her.

"Well I'm sorry Mum, I am. But Phillip isn't like that, he's sweet and caring and he's funny and we tell each other everything, so you don't have to worry," I said trying to smooth mums ruffled feathers.

Mum threw up her hands in exasperation, and headed towards the door. Before she left she turned to me.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Lily."

With that she shut the door. I sat there shocked. Could what she have said, could it be true? I hoped not. So far Phillip had been so nice to me, but then we'd only been dating a couple of weeks. I shook myself, my gut told me that all would be well. I carried on getting ready for my date.

Six months later…

I was sat in our usual booth in a cafe in Diagon Alley waiting for Phillip to arrive to take me on our six month anniversary date. I sat alone in that booth all night waiting for him to show up. The next day he'd floo'd me to apologise for being a no show, apparently he'd had to take his young sister to St Mungos. He arranged to take me out next weekend. I forgave him and forgot all about it.

We met as arranged and we had a lovely time, we went to dinner then he took me dancing and after I snuck him into the house into my bedroom. That night I gave myself to him. In the morning he snuck out and I didn't hear from him again for a good week or more. I tried owling him a few times over the days, but I never did get a reply. Eventually he replied saying that he'd been busy, he didn't say with what. Again, I chose to forgive and forget.

Eventually our seven month anniversary rolled around and I'd only seen him the once since the night we slept together. Then he'd been a little distant, and off. I asked him if I'd done something wrong to upset him, and if I had to let me make it up to him. He replied that everything was fine and that I was paranoid, I snuck him into my room again and gave myself to him again, but it wasn't like the first time. This time he seemed to just be going through the motions. I faked it that night. My gut was telling me things were over.

Before he left I asked him if things were okay, and that he seemed to be just going through the motions. He just said he was tired and he left. I felt confused. I headed to the shower, I thought best in the shower. I decided to follow him. I knew something wasn't right, I felt, as much as it hurt to admit it, that he was cheating on me.

I was right. He was.

I followed him from his house under the cover of a disillusionment charm to a restaurant. He sat at a table with a woman who I can only describe as looking like a Muggle supermodel. She was a brunette with long hair swept into a low side pony tail, large perky breasts that seemed to poke out the top of her dress, her make-up was perfect too. Next to her I would feel a short fat mess. They were all over each, and I felt so sick.

I fled to home. I forgot I had the disillusionment charm on me when I arrived and dad had is wand pointed on me.

"Who's there?" "Daddy it's me," I said in a small voice.

Dad lifted the charm from me and studied me.

"What's happened Lils?" he asked.

He held out his arms and I ran to him and sobbed on his chest. He just silently stood there in the hallway and held me, stroking my hair. When I was calm enough, Dad took me into the parlour and sat me down.

"Lily, has Phillip hurt you?" asked dad gently.

All I could do was nod. I couldn't speak. The words were stuck in my throat.

"Take your time Lils," said Dad, giving my hand a squeeze.

I took a few steadying breaths and told him everything that had happened. Dad sat there silently, but I could see his jaw working. Afterwards he asked me calmly what I was going to do. I told him I was going to dump Phillip.

Dump him I did too. A few days later he arranged to meet me in Diagon Alley and I pretended I knew nothing about his indiscretion. As he went to kiss me in greeting I smacked him hard across the face with the heel of my hand. The sound ricocheted all around the Alley.

"PIG!" I hissed.

He stumbled backwards, a hand clasping his face.

"What in the name of Merlin was that for?" he asked angrily. "For cheating on me you damn pig," I said loudly.

His face fell in shock. His mouth was a perfectly comical 'O'.

"See, you don't even deny it," I hissed. "I hate you," I kicked him in the shin and stormed off.

He came after me, and grabbed me by the arm to stop me.

"How did you find out?" he asked crossly. "I followed you! I was under a disillusionment charm, I saw you and that brunette in the restaurant all over each other," I said vehemently.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like that Lily, but you're just too immature for me, I need a real woman."

I felt my face flush with anger. I pulled my wand on him, and the rest was a blur. I woke up in my bed at home; I ached from head to foot.

"Oh good, you're awake," said Mum.

"What happened?" I asked confusedly.

"You were hit hard with a Stupefy, you flew backwards into a wall and it knocked you unconscious."

"Did I get Phillip at all?" I asked hopefully.

"Oh apparently you brought off an excellent Bat-Bogey Hex, or so the bystanders told Magical Law Enforcement," said Mum with a grin.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Mum," I said sadly, then promptly burst into tears.

Mum moved so she was sat beside me on the bed, she put my head in her lap and stroked my hair.

"You had to learn Lils," said Mum quietly. "I know, Mum," I sniffled.

"You're better off without Lily, trust me, you can do so much better."

I hugged her legs.