Lily Evans sighed. James was being a real idiot, going out with the Marauders. But not tonight! He'd promised her a real night in, with romantic food and the like. Since they'd started dating, James had been really cruel to her, and she'd only begun going out with him because he'd promised to be good to her, to change. Why was she putting up with this, anyway? He hadn't changed, he'd hexed and hit her every once in a while, when he was drunk, but he'd still done it. She looked at the clock. She only had an hour until he came home from work. Standing up quickly, she ran up the stairs, packed her clothes, photos, anything that had any value. She shrunk the cases, put them in her pocket, and sat down and wrote a note. She didn't want to leave him in any doubt.
An hour later, James came home, with Sirius and Remus, laughing like a hyena. They'd played a prank on Marlene McKinnon, Peter's girlfriend. She'd cried. Remus didn't think it was funny, but to James and Sirius, it was a huge laugh. James sat down, and hollered, "Lily, sweetie, are you here? Did you go out for something to eat? I'm going out with the lads tonight, change of plans." It was Remus who spotted the letter first. "James, maybe you should read the letter." There was a piece of parchment with his name on it in Lily's cursive script. "It'll be a letter saying she's gone out to buy some food, or something."
James, it read, I didn't want to do this. In fact, I hate myself for it. But I have to, for my own sake. You have treated me like dirt, James, and remember what I said when you asked me to Hogsmeade? "Only if you change, James Potter." And you did, so I went with you. And after a few dates, you went back to what you were before. An immature idiot is what you were then, and what you are now, with cruelty and violence your middle names. You hit me, James, and I can't ignore that. Yes, you were drunk, but I've seen Mary and Marlene and Amelia drunk, and they don't hit people. I've seen Remus drink, Severus drink, and they didn't, either. And I couldn't leave you, because I was frightened of you. And now I still am frightened, but you weren't here, you were at work, and you know you'll never get a promotion if you drink at work, so you won't be drunk as you read this. Remus, I know you're there, because they always pick you up after work, a word of advice. Get out of the hole you're in. I know you and Sirius and James have been best friends forever, but leave. Tell Peter the same. And if he doesn't, then he's an idiot...or worse. A word of warning, now, I saw a tattoo on Peter's arm through that white shirt he wore on James' birthday. His left arm, and it was a very dark tattoo, and he grabbed it just before he made an excuse to leave. Please don't look for me. I am leaving England, I think. Getting a job, a house, maybe a new man, getting my life back on track. I want to say I love you, but I don't want to lie, either. Give my love to Marlene, Amelia and Mary. Lily Evans.
"Did you hit her, James?" Asked Remus in a deathly quiet voice, "because if you did, I'm leaving, and not looking back."
"It's ok, James," said Sirius. "She'll come back, begging to be taken back to you. And Moony, of course it's not true. None of it is. Is it?"
"It's true, I hit her. Everything she said about me is true. So I guess Peter's got the dark mark, as well." Without a word, Sirius and Remus turned and walked out of the kitchen, but only after they'd kicked their once best friend in the crotch.
A few months later, Lily Evans was doing well. She lived in Muggle London now, having set up a shop with handmade necklaces, bracelets and earrings. She had a steady boyfriend, a Muggle named Nigel Black, who had black hair and blue eyes. And she was pregnant with Nigel's baby. A few weeks later, her and Nigel split up, and she was left alone with the baby. And that was how Shadow Evans' life as a witch, a Muggle business woman, and a lovely person, was born.