A/N: I do not own Harry Potter no matter how much I wish I did. xP

Prologue:

Their beady, thirsty eyes burned holes through the young girl's soul. She stood at the entrance of the gigantic Great Hall with her slim chin slightly turned up. She refused to let them in; she wouldn't let them tear her down into tiny pieces. She would show them that she wasn't just a little girl with a fragile heart on her sleeve. She would show them that she was more than that now. She was a young woman who had determination and curiosity sparkling in her warm chocolate eyes and a fiery personality that made it clear where she stood. No one was going to break her this time. No one was going to ruin this even if that meant watching everything else burn up in flames, but for a reason she didn't mind thinking about it all blowing up. She didn't know, but it could be fun.

With her head up, she strutted into their stares and ignored the head turns as she passed by. For once in her life, she was getting a taste of what it was like in the spotlight and found its poison addicting and wasn't sure if she wanted to give it up. She had sprinklets of the spotlight when she was a kid for just being Harry Potter's daughter, but now the spotlight was much different. It wasn't because of who she was; it was because of what she did- who she had been caught with. And what was never said. It was honestly not a big deal at all. Well, to her it wasn't, but to everybody else it seemed to be quite serious.

She stood proudly with perfect posture as she made she every curve popped out in the right spot because she was determined to make them all eat their own words. She wasn't a little girl and she was positive that her family knew that now. Maybe they would bit their tongues before trying to shelter her next time, because she was not going to listen. They had no right to believe that they could control her. She was her own person and she could make her own decisions. If they dared to challenge her again, she would just hit the headlines with a larger title. It didn't bother her to do it one bit. She didn't think about it or feel regret about things. She just did it.

She walked beside the Gryffindor table and raised her eyebrows at many peers that had astonished unexplainable visages. Their expressions were so ludicrous that she snickered on the inside. However, on the outside, she kept her hard, blazing, seductive appearance as she played with her mid-stomach length, flaming red hair. Her eyes continued to flutter from person to person checking out everyone who was in the room. Occasionally, she would bite her bottom lip that was as voluptuous and red as her top lip as the wheels in her mind churned and reeled as thoughts and ideas cascaded around in there.

As time slowly crept by, Lily found what she was looking for. Without looking at any of them, she sat among them at the table despite their apauld looks. After she was all ready piling food on her plate, she looked into the eyes of her brothers and acted like she had no idea why everyone was staring at her. She acted like she was the innocent Lily Potter that she had lost about ten hours ago to that moment. The innocent Lily Potter that she had lost from lies that spread through the school like fire. Why wasn't the truth ever spread thirstily through the school? That was right, the truth was never as appealing and satisfying as the lie and now it was Lily's turn to play along.

James stared at Lily through dark, uninviting brown eyes with a scowl painted on his cold face and Al stared at her with cold, disappointed emerald eyes with an identical scowl on his face. Lily replied to their looks with a hand through her straight hair and a simple, friendly smile.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked with a confused tone of voice.

Merlin, she was an excellent actress. She had always known that fact but for the first time in her life she could actually use her unknown talent.

Al raised his eyebrows at her as James lost it. James punch the table to the right of his full plate and rose to his feet. He bent over the table so his face was only inches away from Lily's face and spit in her face.

"Is there something wrong?" James mimicked in a rather incredibly actuate voice.

"Is there something wrong?" He repeated, but this time in a strong, bold voice. He was slowly erupting and no one wanted to be around him when he erupted. He was worse than a volcano, but Lily knew he would never dare to touch a finger on her. No matter what she did or didn't do. He wasn't like that.

"Yes, I do believe that is what I asked," spoke Lily as she tilted her head to the right a bit.

"Bloody hell, Lil-"

"Don't curse at me, Al. It makes me uncomfortable." Lily said, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

James and Al froze and shared a glance with each other, before James jumped into the conversation again.

"Al cursing makes you uncomfortable?"

"Yes." A simple answer to a not-so simple conversation and situation.

James growled, "That was a rhetorical question."

"Oho, rhetorical, nice diction choice, Jamie." Lily nodded, as she took a sip of her Pumpkin Juice.

"Damn it, Lily, we are being serious." Al yelled, as he tried to get through to his younger sister.

"Don't you remember what I just said?" She asked, before taking a bite of her beans and adding, "I don't doubt that you are."

"Then, pay attention."

"You don't have the right to tell me what to do, Albus." She emphasized his name knowing that he had a strong dislike for it; even if it was the name of the greatest Headmaster that Hogwarts had ever had, but Al found it more of a hassle than an honor to share the name with the guy.

James cursed a train of quite impressive curse words, before turning to Al and snapping, "I told you your settle but strong idea wouldn't work. Now, it's time to use my idea."

"James, your idea-"

"Enough! I've had enough with-with whatever the bloody hell that is going on!" James bashed out, as he sharply turned back to Lily with daggers in his normally playful eyes. He took a breath before pointing behind her- before pointing at the Slytherin table. As he exhaled, he darkly ordered, "Go. Go join them. Go join him."

Lily shrugged and stood up. She had a wicked look in her eyes as she stared her older brother down. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stepped over the bench that matched the table. She leaned in towards James and Al and smirked, "Maybe, I will. They do have a lot less rules and restrictions for me over there anyway. They trust me and let me make my own decisions without blowing up at me afterwards. It was only a matter of time since the beginning that I finally realized that. We all knew that. We always did."

With one final glance, Lily turned around and proudly marched across the Great Hall towards the Slytherin table. Her head was high, her decisions made up, and all eyes burning through her again. She didn't mind. Let them stare and she would soak up every bit of it. It was the only way she would remain sane. It was the only way she would make it out all right.

She strutted down the Slytherin table, as her eyes rummaged through the people in search for one in particular. Many at the table glared at her and she only returned a smile to them. Others welcomed her with cheerful looks and acceptance and to them she gave a small wave.

As she walked down the table, she spotted the one she was searching for. He was one of the only ones in the room that wasn't staring at her and instead, he was bent over his plate eating and chatting away to a couple of friends. She glided over to him, before tapping him on the shoulder and grinning. He turned around with a dazed expression on his face, before greeting her with a smile, scouting over, and patting the spot beside him on the bench.

She sat and began filling her plate with food once more. Before taking a bite of anything, she turned her head slightly and placed a light, swift kiss on his cheek. As she pulled away from him, she whispered in his ear a quick, "Thank you Malfoy. I owe you."

They shared a small, knowing glance, before engulfing themselves with what was around them. The entire time ignoring the fact that the entire Great Hall was watching them with bewildered expressions as Al and James tempers boiled to a high. This was going to be an eventual year. This was going to be the finest year yet.

And Lily didn't mind that she just burned down one of the most ancient bridges in her life, because she found a new, more enchanting one to replace it. That was all that mattered. All that she cared about. All there was to worry about without any regret.

A/N: Hopefully, I can update soon and won't string this out as long as I normally do. :/

Hope you liked it and remember to review-good or bad- I'll love you forever. The good ones motivate me and the bad ones sculpt me and help me become a better writer, so the way I see reviewing is that you are helping me becoming a better writer and I thank you for that. (:

- randomgirloutthere110