EDITED! (18/07/2012)

-July 17th, 1976-

Timeline: Directly following the events in Chapter 28 of the Order of the Phoenix. The fifth years have just finished their DADA exam and Snape just called Lily a Mudblood.

Also, I decided today with a little assistance from DarkDramaLady to just overlap this story with this new version and post another story with the old stuff. So any updates coming from here will be the new and improved version. For the first few chapters, I'll mostly just take what I had and upgrade it to fit the new plot.

Anything after this, if not otherwise indicated, is not changed.

Hope you enjoy!

-Violet Sky

'I don't need help from filthy Mudblood's like her!'

'Lily! Lily, wait up!'

Lily ignored them; swallowing back tears and hiccoughs as she ran through the halls of Hogwarts. She passed Marlene McKinnon on the way through the Charms corridor, but didn't stop for sediments. She needed a place to hide, and fast. Nothing they could say would make this hurt go away, or even lessen enough to stop her from sobbing.

'Lils, please-please stop!'

She jumped up another staircase, spotting an open broom closet on that floor. Lily pushed past an entire group of Hufflepuff fourth years and let the darkness swallow her.

She finally let herself go, and fat, wet tears fell quietly onto folded arms. He was the only thing she had from home, and now even that was gone.

And that Potter! He was the reason Severus said that, that awful word. It was his entire fault!

Lily coughed violently, tears scrambling down her cheeks, and silently, a broom swayed in the darkness, taking its bucket and mop along with it- falling with a slap on her shaking knees.

'Lily? You in here?'

Lily cursed silently, using her wand to hover the accused back to its spot in the crammed cupboard. She hastily wiped the tears from her school robes and sat up, watching the heavy, wooden door creak to opening.

'Thank goodness,' Mary Macdonald said hurriedly, pulling her into a tight hug, then held her at arm's length. 'Merlin, Lils. I'm… so sorry. Please let me do something for you.'

'We could cover your Prefect duties for tonight,' Alice Hunter, another one of my friends suggested from behind Mary. 'And you could just tuck into bed?'

'I don't need to be treated as a child.' She said quickly, looking down again to hide her face. Mary huffed.

'Come on. You will, no listen to me.' Mary said, lifting her chin so she was facing her. 'You will pay attention. You just finished an O.W.L exam. Rest. Study for Transfiguration, I know your worst at that. Or so help me if I hear different Lily Evans.'

Lily scowled, shoving her off and walking stiffly away. Alice attempted to follow her, but Mary's long arm held her back.

'It's best if you just leave her be.' Lily heard her whisper as they walked in the opposite direction.

Lily walked sullenly away, just barely able to constrain herself before bursting out in a hiccoughing sprint through the empty Hogwarts halls.

…

'You think she'll be alright?' a soft voice whispered.

Lily sighed. Of course they'd be fussing when she just wanted to be alone. Couldn't they see that? Lily just wanted to grieve, and sleep for a very long time. Was that too much to ask?

'She'll survive.' Marlene said gruffly from my left. 'No telling what she'll think to do next.'

A gentle hand brought itself to my neck- checking my pulse, and then hastily leaving.

'She's awake.' The voice confirmed. 'Now she's just ignoring us.'

Lily rolled her eyes.

'Lily? Lils? Lily, come on! We know you're awake. Some of us are hungry!'

'Alice Hunter!' Mary's voice scolded.

'What?'

Lily sat up, automatically reaching for her wand on the bedside cabinet, rubbing her eyes in a haze. When she blinked, three very somber faces were looking down at her.

Lily shrunk down at Marlene's concerned face, barely able to hide a hiccough at the look before bursting into tears.

She hated this. Hated crying, hated feeling worthless and sad. Severus had betrayed her. Betrayed her.

And she knew he wasn't going to come back this time.

…

-James-

'Prongs!'

I faintly heard my best mate's voice, but as soon as I turned to rise, it disappeared again. That's when I realized that I was staring at Evans.

That girl has it out for me. I mean us, you know, the Marauders. She always seemed to ignore my, our, gazes, and never ceased to surprise me. Her long, red hair caught the flames reflection, casting a shadow of perfection on the Gryffindor common room floor…

I felt someone shaking me.

'James, you have to stop doing that, mate,' Sirius said, trying (and failing) not to laugh. 'She already hates you; try not to throw us under the broom again, eh?'

Looking up, I noticed two laughing faces.

I scowled. 'Blimey, Padfoot. She doesn't hate me. At least, I hope not.'

Sirius chuckled and helped me up. Standing, I turned my gaze back to Lily.

She was sitting with a friend in front of the hearth fire, and the girl was muttering something to her. Her back was turned, but even then I could spot her shaking form. The Lily I knew never cried…

I pushed my way through the hordes of Gryffindor's, knocking over pots of ink and rolls of parchment from tables and chairs on my way to the fireplace with very vocal complaints. I believe I even managed to hit Lily's outrageous ginger cat, who hissed at me.

'Watch it, Potter!' Marlene McKinnon glared at me from below, her hand on Lily's knee.

'Well, if you weren't in my spot, perhaps I'd have more grace.'

'Don't push it,' she said, rolling her eyes. 'I have to re-do that last bit of Slughorn's essay now, thanks to you.'

'Whatever, McKinnon,'

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I made it to Lily's side.

'Go away, James.' she made out, her form continuing to shudder. Her friend glared at me.

'Now, now, let's not get hasty. I can help, you know.'

Lily wiped her eyes on her jumper sleeve.

'All of this is-is your fault, you know.' She exclaimed, tears still slipping from her eyes.

'My fault? What did I do?'

'You're the one that caused Severus to say that-that awful word.'

'Awe, come on, Evans. That slimeball had it coming for him,'

'She just lost her best-friend.' Lily's consultant spat. 'How would you feel if one of your precious little Marauder friends abandoned you? Hm?'

'What's your name?' I asked her, putting a hand on my chin in deep contemplation. 'You don't look familiar to me at all.'

'Alice Hunter.' She said, holding her hand out with a look of true distaste in her eyes. 'Oh, don't shake it, Potter. Who knows what sorts of rubbish are on those hands of yours.'

'Pleasure,'

'Would you like a hot chocolate, Lils?' Alice asked in a much softer tone, turning her back to me. 'I can summon one for you if you'd like.

'With some of those little marshmallows?' Mary MacDonald said from beside her, getting up.

'P-please,'

After a nod from Marlene, Mary ran off.

'Why's she so upset in the first place?' I asked, mussing up my hair. 'Oh! Is it about Sniv-'

'Severus!' Lily exploded, anger rippling on her face. 'Severus Snape! Not Snivellus! This is why you can't help me, Potter! You don't get me!'

With that, she ran out of the common room and into the girl's dormitories, sobbing her eyes out. Alice and Marlene looked at me with clear loathing and ran after her, shouting her name.

I flumped down on my now-vacant spot, leaning my head up against the warm stone. What on earth was I thinking? Why would Perfect Prefect Lily even look my way?

'Well said, Prongs. Well said.' Sirius clapped in mock salute, appearing at my side almost instantly. 'I don't think it could've gone any worse than that mate!'

I scowled at my fellow Marauders. 'I did it again, didn't I?'

Remus looked up at me in confusion. 'Mate, you've messed up in front of Lily since you were eleven. This won't be the first time you've said something quite that insensitive.'

'And nowhere near the last.' Sirius jumped in, crowding me in the narrow hearth-fire seat. 'Ah, you fancy her. Why not just admit it?'

I shoved him to the floor. 'What good would that do? She hates me now. Well, more than usual. Why oh why does it always come back to Snivellus? That Slytherin's a git.'

Sirius rolled his eyes in agreement, now sitting cross-legged on the floor. He made no sign that he was at all insulted. In fact, he almost looked pleased. That's the good thing about him: he always understands what I don't have the courage to say.

Behind us, the portrait hole opened, revealing the round, baby-faced Peter Pettigrew no one can help but tease. His lanky arms and rucksack were filled with books and notes, no doubt been harassing Minnie for help in the Transfiguration O.W.L for two hours.

Peter waddled up to us, a smirk on his wide face. 'So, how'd it go with Evans?'

Sirius turned to look at him. 'Where the heck were you?'

I put my head in my hands and moaned. 'How do you think it went, Pete?'

'On the optimistic side,' he said, putting his armful of extra Transfiguration and Potions homework on the mantle. 'I could say spontaneous, or perhaps even, Merlin forgive, insightful-'

'Or perhaps not.' Remus said, leaning against the coffee table.

'Or,' Peter pushed forward. 'You could be three steps back from where you started. I'm assuming the latter is reality?'

'Shove off Pettigrew,' Sirius said. 'Poor blokes had a tough break. But don't worry about it; Evans is too bloody proud to admit that Snivellus is up to here in the dark arts, so why would she even consider your stunning amazingness?'

'Yeah!' Remus interjected. 'I mean, I heard from Marlene on the way up here that she and Snape aren't even friends anymore! We might've just secured you a spot today, mate!'

'I suppose.'

'Suppose?' Sirius exclaimed. 'Suppose? Do we need to hang you by your ankle for you to get it too?'

'Oh, I get it,' I said sadly. 'I get that she hates me now.'

'Yes, you've already said that.' Remus said.

'Shove off, the lot of you. I jus' wanna be alone.'

'You sure, mate?' Peter asked. 'The nights still young, we could go prank someone, get your mind off things.'

'No. I'll see you upstairs.'

Peter was about to interject again, but after a sullen look from Sirius, Remus grabbed his elbow securely and dragged them both upstairs.

Sirius sat on the floor dragging his quill against the grains in the rug. He looked fascinated with his discovery, especially when I turned to look at him.

'Why're you still here?'

Sirius rolled his eyes.

'Whatever you say, Prongs- I'm not leaving.' He said stubbornly, pulling out a scrap of parchment to scribble on. I don't care what he says- that bloke's a brilliant artist.

I shrugged.

'But… you have to revise Transfiguration-'

'Transfiguration's bullocks.' Sirius said. 'You know how much I hate it.'

'Whatever.'

Sirius gave off a long, dramatic sigh.

I snuck a glance at him and rolled my eyes.

'Well that was dramatic.'

'Only the best for my Jamie,' Sirius retorted, folding his arms up against his chest, his drawing long forgotten.

This is why I supposed I still had Sirius as a friend. Stubborn as hell, headstrong-but undeniably loyal. Sirius Black would never leave me if I was in trouble. He had always listened to my rants on Lily, kicked me in the shin when I deserved it, and cared enough to stay around.

'I reckon I need a drink,' Sirius said, smirking wildly and grabbing his wand. 'Any suggestions? I'll need a strong one, I reckon.'

'Hot chocolate?' I asked meekly.

'Seriously?'

'It's my favourite.' I said. 'Especially when you put those little marshmallows on top.'

'You are a poor excuse of a drinking partner, mate.'

I grinned sheepishly.

Sirius grabbed an empty Butterbeer bottle from Sandra Nestahale beside him- his smirk alone a fine substitute, and concentrated madly.

Nothing happened. Sandra sighed happily, watching his arms with high interest.

'Mate, you're rubbish at this,' I said finally, after a long moment of, well, nothing. 'Perhaps you should practise for the O.W.L.'

'Shut up.'

'Here,' I said, waving my wand carefully, reciting the complex conjuring spell McGonagall had hastened to teach me. She won't admit it, but she and I both know I'm her favourite prodigy. Sure enough, a steaming cup of Odgen's Firewhiskey appeared a moment later, along with a small mug of marshmallow excessive hot chocolate.

'Good choice, Prongs. Getting drunk's a fine way to end any day.'

'There isn't even enough there to get you drunk.' I laughed, trying, and failing to conceal the teddy bear on my hot chocolate mug. 'I swear, you absorb liquor like no one I've ever met.'

'Is that baby Jamie's teddy cup I see?' Sirius said in a falsetto baby voice. 'Them and their little waistcoats and bobble hats. So cute, Jamie. Here,' he threw me the glass bottle. 'Get a little liquor in you. You'll need it.'

I drank deeply from the large bottle, feeling the liquid fire slip down my throat. I held up the bottle in a toast.

'To us!' Sirus laughed, taking the bottle from me.

To Lily. I thought, taking another large sip.

…

Back again! I hope you like this new version, with, you know, actual grammar and stuff, this one will be here for a while. ;)

As for the teddy bear cup- totally have one. Go James!

Love,

Violet Sky