A/N: For a backround of what's going on, I suggest reading The Gift of Love and The Threatening Darkness before reading this as there are quite a few references in this story to the first two of the trilogy. However, I am trying to write it to make sense if you not and choose not to read the first two. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own HP or their universe, only the character's I've created and the plot. And no, this is not compatible with HBP or DH.

Chapter 1

Lily Potter stood and stretched after fourteen long hours of working. She quickly organized her papers before leaving her office. At twenty-one, she was the youngest auror to become assistant to the head of the auror department. While she knew it had been because of who her father was, she worked extra hard to prove she truly deserved the position and was complimented often.

She rolled her shoulders to try to ease the tension. The past five years had not gotten any better dealing with the Dark Lord who had risen from nowhere. With Voldemort, they had at least known who he was. After five years, still, no one knew who this dark wizard was. No even his followers, whom they had caught very few. It seemed this wizard must have still been a student for the adult wizards kept a low profile, but students kept the rumors going. Even student death eaters were low profile as the Dark Lord had devised a way to hide the marks, trademark of a Death Eater and only able to be seen by the wearer or fellow comrades. Lily, being and auror, went home everday exhausted. She worked determinedly to find new leads or figure out ones they had. At that moment, all she wanted was a old shower, a glass of firewhiskey, and her warm bed.

"Hey, Potter."

Lily's eyes brightened at the voice and a smile came to her lips. Her best friend stepped next to her. "Hi, Thead. How are you?"

"Beat. Your father is kicking our arses."

Lily laughed. "I have no doubt about that."

"You have off tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Finally."

"So do I. Would you like to come over for dinner tonight then?"

At this offer, thoughts of home and her bed vanished. "I'd like that. I haven't had a nice dinner in long time."

Thead flashed her his breathtaking smile. "Great. See you at 8 then?"

"Sounds perfect."

With a smile and wave, both disappeared in the Apparation Box to their respective homes.

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Andrew Thead kept his rather large flat very tidy. Anyone could tell it was a bachelor's pad. There was absolutely no feminine touch and the flat consisted of black leather furniture. The only place in the house that seemed out of place was his kitchen. He loved to cook the muggle way, rarely using magic unless he needed to.

When Thead walked in, his smile that Lily loved was gone and his face showed his exhaustion. He hadn't lied when he told Lily her father had been kicking his arse. Thead worked in the Department of Defensive Magic, a department created and ran by Harry Potter himself. It was dedicated to creating spells and counter curses to the Dark Arts. It was hard work as they had to research and the create them, experimenting on each other before issuing it to the Aurors. If they produced good results, they were recorded with the intent on an advanced Defense against the Dark Arts book for students in their 7th year.

Thead admired Harry Potter for many reasons. It was not for Harry Potter's triumph over Lord Voldemort that gave him Thead's respect, but his personality. His boss was extremely gifted, intelligent, and determined. He also had a kind heart, despite all he had been through his life. Not to mention, the man was fair, understanding, and forgiving. Perhaps, far too forgiving, for Harry Potter knew of Andrew Thead's darkest secret. Though Thead had gone through many tests and the hours of questioning and permission to allow Potter to enter his mind, he had never regretted his life altering decision. He regretted his beginning immensely, wishing every day he could change time, but with Harry's words of wisdom, he had learned to deal with the regret and was determined as much as his mentor to end this Second War, as it was now known.

You see, Andrew Thead was not your average twenty-three year old wizard. Far from it in fact. In a strange turn of events, he had followed his disowned distant cousin's way and had turned traitor to a cause he once believed in. Andrew Thead was a Death Eater turned spy for the Order of the Phoenix. His deception was known only by Harry Potter and the Heads of the Order. Lately, his life's mission was weighing down on him with a weight seemingly unbearable. Mainly for one reason- Lily Potter. She was his best friend and…the love of his life, a secret known to no one. Six years ago, the two had shared a kiss so simple and perfect, Thead had fallen in love instantly. And in that instant, he had known he could never let anything progress between them. It was too dangerous. So he had held steadfast to his love for her to protect her. He was sure, if she would ever learn of his true life, that she would hate him for it. Not only for becoming a Death Eater, but for keeping it a secret for so long.

Thead stepped from his ice cold shower, dried himself with his wand and dressed. With his mind running wild with thoughts of Lily, he knew only one person to turn to.

Grabbing some powder he kept in a dish by the fireplace, he through it in calling out "Potter Mansion, Mr. Potter's Study!"

"Ah, Andrew, please, do come in," Harry said with a warm smile at his young friend. Thead immediately appeared before him. "Have a seat, son. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm sorry, sir, to bother you at home, but my mind is spinning and.." He stopped as Potter raised his hand to silence him. He sat.

"I have an idea why you are here, Andrew. Your double life, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir. I know why I am doing this, for my own reasons as well as others, but sir, I don't know how much longer I can continue. This secrecy from…those close to me…I can't keep lying to…" He trailed off.

"You can't keep lying to her."

"Sir?"

Harry's smile was warm and teasing despite the weight of the conversation. "Lily. Andrew, you are a friend and someone I consider a sort of second son, well, fourth I suppose. I saw it long ago. Perhaps I noticed the night you came to see her in the hospital at Hogwarts all those years ago. Never the less, I have seen the longing in your eyes, the love in your face when you smile at her. It's in hers as well. You both have kept it hidden for your own reasons. Yours, I'm well aware of. Hers, I am clueless. What I do know is what it feels like to have love kept inside of you to protect the other. It wrecks havoc on your emotions. My advice to you is to tell her. Shout it from a rooftop if need be. Just tell her. Everything else will fall into place. Son, you are a Slytherin with a Gryffindor's heart."

Never had he had a conversation such as this and he had especially never expected this to come from his mentor and Lily's own father. But under Harry's bright green eyes, Thead let his words sink in. He looked the man in the eyes with a smile. "You know, sir, you are quite brilliant for a lowly Gryffindor."

Harry laughed heartily. "And you, you slimy Slytherin, have my blessings. Now, get out of my office."

Thead laughed, thanked and shook Harry's hand, and disappeared through the fire back to his flat. With his mind and his heart now focused on the same goal, he began dinner.

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Lily had arrived at the flat she shared with her cousin Luna and went straight to shower. When she emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed, she found Luna rummaging through her closet.

"Lun, what are you doing?" She said with a laugh."

Luna Weasley jumped a foot into the air and turned all at once. "Lily! You scared the magic out of me. I didn't even know you were home. I'm looking for something to wear to dinner."

"Oh. Well, have at it. Just give it back this time. I don't want to find it a year later in your closet."

"Yeah yeah," Luna laughed with a wave of her hand. Just then, the doorbell rang. "Lil, can you get that? It's Matt."

Lily just gave a nod and went to open the door. "Malfoy," she said with a hint of hate in her voice.

"Potter," he returned in the same way as he walked past her.

Lily forced herself to give him a weak smile. Even now, she had to admit, Matthew Malfoy was good looking. He had dark blonde hair that was wavy and full. But his eyes were just like his father Draco's. She hated the man who stood before her, but tolerated him only for the fact that he was dating Luna and his father was a man who stood beside her own father in his defeat of Voldemort. She loved Draco as an uncle for she had thought of him as such her entire life. The downside to Matthew was that she had once loved him and he her. But those feelings had left her long ago and had left a deep hate in her heart for him. The boy she had once loved was dead and before her now stood a man of evil. For Matthew Malfoy, a man whose father would die of a broken heart if he knew, was a Death Eater. Unfortunately, Matthew had never stopped loving his childhood love though kept it deep inside and had turned to her cousin instead.

"Matt!" Came Luna's sweet voice and hugged him.

"Hey, babe," he said with a quick glance at Lily before giving Luna a kiss. "You ready?"

"Yup. Don't wait up, Lil."

Lily smiled at her cousin, the poor girl, for didn't know of Matt's secret. "I won't. I'm going out."

Luna took a good look at the blush in her cousin's cheeks and the smile on her face. "No!" She shrieked in excitement. "You are?"

Lily nodded. "Yes."

"AH!" Luna lunged at her and gave her a tight squeeze. "Finally. Perhaps you two will finally have a good snog and get it over with."

"What?"

Lily looked to Matt. "I'm having dinner with Thead, if you must know."

"Andrew? Andre Thead?"

"Yes. And I should be going. Have fun you two." And she was gone, not wanting to be in Matt's presence any longer.

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Thead had put on muggle music that he had grown to love, soft jazz. Luckly, dinner had just finished when his door bell rang. "Coming!" he called. He smiled when his eyes met beautiful green. "Hey, Potter."

"Hi, Thead," she said sweetly with a smile of her own. She walked in. "Wow, dinner smells great."

Thead took a breath when she turned to look at him. "Lily," he said, closing the gap between them with a couple steps. Damn those green eyes. "I… um… we need….oh, bloody hell." And his lips pressed hotly down on hers.