'FINE THEN!' screamed Lily at her equally furious older sister. She stormed upstairs and within 10 minutes had packed her trunk and left what used to be her home, for good. As soon as she was out of the house, panic overtook her. Where would she go next? Her mind wandered hurriedly over the possible places. The Leaky Cauldron? No, she didn't want to be alone, and too dangerous, as she was muggle born…

Rosa's house? She'd be off on some luxurious and expensive holiday, with her fabulously rich and fussy mother. Marlene's or Alice's? Also on holiday. Lily suddenly remembered what James had said to her, as they were getting off the train, only a few days ago.

'If you want to visit me over the holidays, or perhaps stay, then I live in Lytes Cary Manor, Charlton Mackrell, Somerset. So look me up Lily-bean'

She remembered teasing him about living in a Manor House, and assured him, somewhat cruelly maybe, that she would definitely NOT come. With a sudden surge of remorse, his hurt face clouded her eyes.

She and James were…cordial… towards each other. They had stopped going for each others throats at least. Given the circumstances, she felt he was the only person she could go to. She couldn't intrude on Remus and his parents, it was full moon…

It goes against all my morals, thought Lily. Then again, my morals could be wrong…


As Lily was not of age, she could not apparate, so she would have to take the Knight Bus. Reluctantly, she stuck out her right arm. Almost instantly a neon, purple, double decker bus flashed out of thin air, almost knocking Lily off her feet. A portly conductor appeared and leered at her as she staggered onto the bus with her heavy trunk.

'Where to?' inquired the conductor, speaking more to her chest than her face.

'Charlton Mackrell' replied Lily coldly and dug some coins out of her jeans pocket.

The bus hurtled forward, weaving through the busy streets of London. It was soon in the cold, clear air of the countryside, the darkness of the night growing stronger against the fading lights of the city.

The conductor stomped upstairs, muttering something about 'girls these days' and 'frigid'.

Lily smirked and looked around the vacant bus. Obviously few wizarding folk dared to travel now, for fear of attack from death eaters. She noticed an abandoned Prophet lying on a bed. She unfolded it and the headline blared into view

MUGGLE DEATH TOLL RISES

Even more muggles, all over Britain, are being tortured and killed at the hands of He Who Must Not Be Named and his so called 'Death Eaters'. 60 new cases have sprung up this week along with wizarding deaths that leave the wizarding community almost without hope. The collapsement of two apartment buildings contributed greatly to the muggle death number, which stands at 1,000. The Ministry is expecting another mass muggle murder soon, but there is little they can do to prevent it. You Know Who continues to strike fear, and a sense of hopelessness into the wizarding world.

Lily scrunched up the paper and threw it violently into the corner. Lord Voldemort was the reason her kind, gentle, loving parents were dead. Their deaths were the reason Tuney and I were arguing thought Lily bitterly. Tuney hates me even more now she knows the real reason for our parents' death. At the hands of cruel, merciless Lord Voldemort.

The bus abruptly shuddered to a halt beside a signpost that read:

WELCOME TO CHARLTON MACKRELL

Thank you for driving safely through our village

Little chance of that when the Knight Bus is around, thought Lily wryly. It was drizzling with grey rain. The twisting country lanes were edged with dark, ominous looking box hedges. Lily sighed and plodded off through the downpour, dragging her trunk behind her.


Lily stared at the house, scared to begin her descent down the gravel path. She slowly pushed open the gate and took a few shuffling steps, shivering at every one. The rain had gotten through her clothes and her skin felt icy cold. It seemed to take an age to get to the door, where Lily leant against the wall, breathing heavily, trying to get over her nervousness and work up the courage to knock on James Potter's door. She had hated him for 6 years, yet here she was, about to knock on his door and ask if she could stay. She couldn't do it; she couldn't bring herself to see the triumphant 'I told you so' look on his face. She turned away from the door, but as she did, the door creaked open and a soft, lined face peered out…

'Oh goodness gracious me, Come out of the rain deary!'

Lily was ushered in to an entrance hall by a short plump woman, wearing a flowery apron and whose hands were covered in flour.

'Lily Evans? Yes I thought so; James has told us all about you'. The woman smiled and took Lily's trunk from her icy fingers.

The woman must have been in her mid sixties, but age suited her. She had soft silver hair, drawn back into a loose bun, with a few wispy bits around her pixie-like ears. The lines on her face were soft, only deep around her mouth which was in a constant smile.

She beckoned Lily to follow her into a Great Hall that was lit with many tall beeswax candles and a huge roaring fire, that sparkled blue and purple from dried driftwood, and gave off a delicious aroma.

'Lets get you out of those wet things, I expect your trunk is wet through too'

LIly could only nod and mutter her thanks. Her lips seemed frozen together. Her vision was hazy from cold. The rest of that evening was a bur of the woman's bright chatter and flickering golden glows from candlelight. Lily suddenly found herself between clean, warm sheets and drifting off into a deep sleep...