Please note this work was inspired by reading the wonderful 'A Single Girl's To-Do List' by Lindsay Kelk. The concept of a 'single list' and any other similarities to the book belong to Ms Kelk and I in no way try to take credit for them.

PROLOGUE

"I bet you never thought you'd be doing this six years ago, when you received your Hogwarts letter." Remus sighs and flicks his wand again.

"Well, no, not really." I answer and mimic his action.

As usual, this was the work of Greta Catchlove. In an attempt to better Hogwarts (read: become Head Girl) Greta had put together a 'teensy little publication' that detailed how to catch the Hogwarts Express safely. The fact that every single student had already caught the Express to school was apparently irrelevant. As Remus and I duplicate the notice for each dormitory, the laughing face of Greta simpers up at me from her by-line.

"Lillian, darling, how is it going?" Greta crosses the room daintily and snatches up one of the pieces of parchment, "Are you nearly done?"

I want to scream that my name isn't Lillian but instead I bite my tongue and smile politely.

"Another five minutes I think." I reply and continue flicking my wand.

"You angel, and if you wouldn't mind just putting them up around the school that would be wonderful." She blows me a kiss and walks away, leaving Remus and I to our work.

I look despairingly at Remus who just shakes his head. Whilst Greta spends her time thinking up these 'wonderful' ideas, she had yet to actually implement any of them. That job was usually left to me as Greta has decided that my role was to put in place all her ideas this year. When she became Head Girl next year, I was going to strangle her.

"You don't have to help Remus, it's me she asked to do it." I sigh, the monotony of the task increasing with each wand flick, "It's a bloody stupid idea in the first place."

"Whilst I agree with you, I'm not leaving you to do this alone on the last day of school, Lily. Besides she's probably attached to James' side by now and I'd rather not see her face again today." Remus laughs at me, stopping the duplication to pat me on the shoulder.

"What on earth Potter sees in her is beyond me." I giggle, "Imagine waking up to that everyday…"

I gesture to the parchment with Greta's moving picture just as she points her finger at me with gusto before smiling and flicking her hair. Remus and I burst into laughter before finishing the final few notices.

"I guess we'd better go and put these up." Remus grabs a stack of parchment but I stop him.

"Depulso." I mutter at one pile of parchment and it goes whizzing off to the Slytherin dorm.

Repeating the charm three times, the parchment pile has completely disappeared and Remus' mouth is hanging open.

"What? You think this is the first time I've had to put up her 'publications' around school…" I grin.

"Excellent use of the Banishing Charm, Miss Evans. 10 points to Gryffindor, I think." Professor McGonagall walks up behind me and I jump at the sound of her voice.

"Thank you, Professor." I squeak and Remus starts to chuckle.

"I am very impressed at your dedication, Miss Evans… very impressed indeed. Though the subject matter is, perhaps, a little excessive I am sure Miss Catchlove is grateful for prefects like Remus and yourself. Enjoy your holiday." McGonagall nods to Remus and I.

The sharp, staccato tap of her heels sounds throughout the Great Hall and I turn to face Remus, " Ready to go and catch the train?"

Together we climb the stairs to Gryffindor common room, chatting about our summer plans. After a year of preparing for NEWTS and pandering to Greta Catchlove's every desire, my summer plans are very simple. I plan to sleep a lot, eat a lot, make the occasional journey to Diagon Alley to meet Alice and Benjy, and watch a lot of TV, preferably with my boyfriend Bertram. Yes, I know how insanely boring that sounds but after the year I've had I can't wait to just relax and listen to Fleetwood Mac on repeat.

"…We'll probably be over at James' house for most of the holiday, since Sirius is staying with him now." Remus finishes as we clamber through the portrait hole and I reach my arms round him for a hug.

"Have a lovely holiday." I tell him and he hugs me back.

"I'll send you an owl or two." He winks at me before striding off to sit with the Marauders and Greta, who is perched on the arm of James' chair.

"Oi, Lils!" Comes a shout and I whip my head round to see the advancing form of my best friend Alice Hamilton, my other best friend trailing behind.

"Why'd you leave me with her." Benjy grumbles, "As if I had to spend my last hours as a sixth-year in her company."

Alice hits him lightly before grabbing me and dragging me to where our luggage is stacked, "Did you finally finish that witch's dirty work?"

I nod and roll my eyes, "I can't wait 'til next year when I'm the Head Girl's lackey…"

"Do you really think she'll get it?" Asks Benjy and Alice looks at him disparagingly.

"Oh come off it, Benjy, she's spent all year creating stupid safety campaigns that poor Lils has to carry out just to impress the teachers. They love that sort of stuff."

We all grab our trunks and begin hauling them down the stairs. Alice, as always, has found some nice boy to carry them for her. Poor fourth year Reg Cattermole is struggling with two trunks whilst Alice saunters along with us.

Alice, Benjy and I have been friends since first year, when we were all sorted into Gryffindor House. Alice and I bonded immediately in our dorm as the other three girls somewhat snobbish about my parents, whereas Alice had a fierce love for the underdogs in life. We quickly accepted Benjy, never Benjamin, into our group after the first week when we shared a table in Herbology. He was put in a dorm with Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew but although they seemed to get along amicably, Benjy never quite fitted in with their 'marauding' activities. It wasn't until fourth year, when we realised that the opposite sex weren't disgusting, that we fully understood Benjy. It was Easter term, otherwise known as 'embarrassing-never-to-be-spoken-of crush term', where Alice had a crush on Potter, I had a crush on Remus and Benjy, to our surprise, had a crush on Sirius Black. Thankfully that period in our lives is over or prefect duties would be incredibly awkward.

As we make it to the platform, I catch sight of my other close friend, Frank Longbottom.

"Wait here a second." I tell my friends before diving across the sea of people to get to Frank.

"Longbottom!" I shout, "Wait up!"

Frank was head boy this year so today is his last day at Hogwarts. A serial player, Frank has dated or otherwise been seen with the majority of the seventh year girls as well as some of the girls in my year. Frank's the closest thing I have to a brother; vetting my boyfriends and teasing me about my clothes.

"Well, if it isn't Lily Evans." He smiles at me, 'Where's that lovely friend of yours?"

"Oh you mean Benjy? Right over there." I smile blithely and he rolls his eyes.

This is what you get for having an attractive best friend. Alice has a round face, which she constantly moans about but coupled with masses of wavy black hair and almost-bright blue eyes, you can barely tell. Plus she has amazing cleavage which, next to flat-chested me, only enhances her figure to boys. Frank's been after her for a while and I know she likes him too but I'm not going to let him break her heart. I've made her promise not to date him.

"Oh Lils, I'm going to miss you." He grins and pulls me into a huge bear hug, "Owl me a lot won't you?"

I kiss him lightly on the cheek before waving and picking my way through the students thronging the station.

"That boy really is fit, you know…" Alice drools as I reach them again.

"Please don't, it'd be like you dating my brother…" I groan and start walking to the train.

"Off to see lover boy?" Benjy teases and I roll my eyes at him.

"As a matter of fact, I am meeting Bertram. I'll see you all a little later." I throw my trunk into the luggage cart and search for Bertram's carriage, leaving Alice and Benjy to their wolf whistles and snide comments.

Bertram and I have been dating since the last term of fifth year. I met him whilst at the Slug Club; a gathering which Professor Slughorn throws for selected students. Bertram's Grandfather invented the Confusing and Befuddlement Draught meaning that Bertram was a Slug Club perennial. He asked me out to Hogsmeade and we've been dating ever since.

Passing the toilet, I stop by and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My waist-length hair, which is unfortunately decidedly ginger, is a little greasy and piled in a huge topknot on my head. My skin is slightly grey and tired-looking since I've been up all morning running after Greta. My ripped jeans are a little too ripped and worn to be considered fashionable and my sweatshirt, already an unflattering yellow-green colour, has splotches of ink on the cuffs. I smile at the mirror – Lily 'Sexpot' Evans. The truth is, of course that when you have a best mate like Alice who shops like it's an Olympic sport, fashion can get boring. Plus with classes, homework, tutoring, prefect duties as well as little 'publications', it's not as if my appearance takes presidence over day-to-day life. I'm not Potter, obsessed with my hair!

I wash my hands and splash my face a little before walking down the hallway, still searching for Bertram. Finally, I find him sat in a carriage on his own.

"Hey!" I smile at him, "Finally found you then."

"Hi Lily." He smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

I flop down on the seat across from him and sigh. To be honest, I'm bloody knackered and the last thing I want to do is have to cheer up Bertram.

"Hey Lils, you want to do something tonight?" Bertram asks suddenly, "You know hit 'The Green Man' or go out to the… cinema… isn't it?"

"Bertram, I'm knackered, I've been running after first years all day and helping Greta. How about a takeaway instead?" I placate him, not wanting to say that I really just want to crawl into bed.

His face takes on a set look, somewhere between stubbornness and irritability, "Lily, I've been thinking… maybe it's time for a break."

"Oh, that would be lovely, get away from Petunia for a bit! How about the Peak District?" I suggest but Bertram shakes his head.

"Yeah." He sighs and looks out the window, "No. I mean take a break… from like us."

"A break?" I demand.

The amount of interest he's displaying towards the window there must be a cow indulging in a bit of Highland dancing out there.

"You're dumping me?" I whisper.

"No, it's a break. Completely different." He attempts to touch my arm but I shake him off.

"I dunno. Sounds like I'm being dumped to me…" I whimper, tears forming in my eyes and he shakes his head, exasperated.

"Oh come on Lils, you know I hate it when you go all dramatic." He starts crossly, "I can't talk to you like this."

He stands up and exits the carriage quickly but not before I ask him one last question.

"Is it because I want a takeaway?" I stutter, tears running unchecked down my face as I watch him stop for a second before carrying on. The carriage door slammed and I hugged my knees to my chest as my perfect summer sailed away like the scenery outside.

He was gone.