DISCLAIMER: I don't owe the characters, or the song.

A/N: I hope you enjoy this.

This beautiful city seems empty... all the people in the world, and you can still feel lonely. What's the point of having it all, without the person you love? Sometimes you just need to start again, in order to fly...

Lily Luna Potter gazed out of the window, staring out over London. Her arms were held loosely around her knees, which she had drawn up to her chin. She sat on the window seat, head resting on the window. She snuffled once, then looked around at the empty room. Her eyes rested on the place where the picture of Lysander used to stand, then flickered away.

There was a noise from downstairs; James was calling to her. "Lils? You got everything?" She unfolded her jean-clad legs and swivelled, before sliding off of the window seat. She walked over to the middle of the room, and stood there for a second, gazing around. Then she left for the last time, and as if in a dream, drifted through all the rooms before walking down the spiralling stairs with one hand trailing along the mahogany banister.

Her eldest brother waited at the bottom of the stairs, eyes anxious and expression slightly worried. He smiled at her, noticing the bags under her eyes and the redness around them. Her mouth was slightly downturned as she twisted the right sleeve of her baggy woollen jumper in her hands absentmindedly.

He caught her hand. "Don't; you'll stretch it."

She nodded and then stepped away from him, walking through the rooms downstairs with a slight air of relief.

James watched her, leaning against the banister and frowning slightly. His brother came through the open front door and raised an eyebrow. "She saying goodbye?" He asked, nodding in Lily's direction.

James nodded, and sighed slightly, hazel eyes darkened with worry.

His brother's expression stayed neutral, but anyone who knew Al would see his eyebrows lower slightly, and his green eyes turning sombre. "She's not coping." He stated quietly.

James snorted. "That's an understatement and a half." Since Lysander left to start a new job in New York, Lily had retreated into herself, blaming herself for pushing him away.

Al closed his eyes for a second, then sighed. "She'll never admit to it, much less accept any help."

"It's a miracle she let us help her move out!" James pointed out. The two of them quit talking as their sister came back in, then walked out the front door. They followed her, exchanging looks.

Scorpius waited outside, and Lily walked straight past him. His blue eyes flickered with worry as he glanced at Al and James.

James shook his head and called, "Lils, you wanna lift?"

She shook her head, some of the fire returning to her dull blue eyes. "I can manage. I am 23, you know, you can stop babying me." Then she returned to her monotonous state as she got into the car.

She'd brought the house that they were just leaving 2 years ago, and managed to fill it with all manner of beautiful things with the money she earned from the job she loved. Then Lysander had left, after being with her for nearly nine years, and she'd quit her job, sold her house and given away most of her possessions. She'd retreated into herself and hardly ever went out anymore.

Scorpius slipped an arm around Al and gave him a comforting hug. "She'll survive. She's strong."

"It's been 3 months, Scorp. I dunno." He leant his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and sighed. "I don't know if she can survive."

The three of them stood there, James with his hands in his pockets, and watched Lily drive away.

Lily drove on auto-pilot; perfectly as always, but she hardly noticed. As she reached her destination, number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, she stopped the car and gave herself a few seconds to prepare, before getting out and shutting the door.

She walked slowly up to the door and knocked. There were a few noises from inside, then her mother opened the door and enveloped her in a hug.

Ginny stood back and looked at Lily with worry, noticing how ill and sad she looked. "Harry? Put the kettle on, I think Lily needs caffeine." She called, smiling comfortingly at her.

Lily took a few moments to look around the bright house. The various photos up of the entire family had replaced the portraits of the Black family that had used to be there. The entire house, in fact, looked nothing like how her father had described it used to be like. Anything related to the Black family, apart from pictures of Sirius and Tonks, had gone. Sirius' mother would have been turning in her grave.

Ginny gave Lily a concerned look. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Lily seemed to be looking straight through her when she replied. "Yes. I'm fine." She walked past her mother and into the kitchen, where Harry hugged her and ruffled her hair. She sat down and stared blankly at the table, breathing in the scent of the tea, before being overtaken by an overwhelming urge to cry. She stood up and faked a yawn. "Actually, I'm really tired. I presume I'm in my old room?" She asked, before she heard voices in the living room and realised Ron and Hermione had arrived, along with Rose and Hugo. She winced slightly at the thought of having to speak to them.

Her father looked at her with unease. "Yes, but are you sure you don't want to see your cousins first...?" He asked.

She was about to shake her head, but then Rose and Hugo burst in and it was too late. She fixed a smile to her face. "Hi."

Later, she reflected. Her cousins kept giving her worried looks; but she supposed it was only to be expected. She sighed, leaning on the windowsill and staring out over the moonlit garden.

Hearing a howl, her head jerked up. She stared out over the garden and saw the wolf, head raised and eyes meeting hers. Full moon, she noticed as she smiled properly for the first time in months.

Teddy. Her best friend, confidant, favourite werewolf and cousin-in-law.

She couldn't go and speak to him, but just him being there was enough. She breathed easily and then scowled slightly. The way she was acting irritated her. This wasn't Twilight. She wasn't Bella, and her Edward was never coming back. Even if he thought she was dead.

What could Lily give her? All the money she had, and she didn't know what to buy her cousin's child. Advice; would that be the best thing? "Never fall in love," that was the best advice anyone could've given Lily.

Dawn was going to be six soon, too. Another child to buy presents for.

Her hand went to her stomach, and she held it there, wondering if she'd have loved a child. Lysander had wanted one.

Lysander had wanted marriage, children. And Lily had pushed him away because she felt she wasn't ready. She'd turned down his proposal.

My fault.

Her tears fell down her cheeks and left tracks, salty tracks to prove her sadness.

She snuffled, raising a hand to wipe her swimming eyes.

The radio came on; she'd plugged it back in and not bothered to change the time, meaning the alarm had gone off 7 and a half hours after.

She began to sing along, recognising the song as Alicia Keys' Doesn't Mean Anything.

"Used to dream of being a millionaire, without a care. But if I'm seeing my dreams and you aren't there, cos it's over, that just won't be fair."

A tear escaped her eye as she sang sweetly, voice growing louder and full of passion.

"Darling, rather be a poor woman, living on the streets, no food to eat, cos I don't want no pie if I have to cry. Cos it's over, when you said goodbye."

She walked around her room slowly, twirling once and singing soulfully. Louder now as she reached the chorus.

"All at once, I had it all. But it doesn't mean anything, now that you're gone. From above, seems I had it all!"

And it was true; she had had it all. The perfect boyfriend, and a chance for marriage. Then she'd told him no, pushed him away and gone partying too much. It was no wonder he'd left.

The words felt bittersweet.

"But it doesn't mean anything, since you're gone... Now I'm seeing myself through different eyes, it's no surprise. Being alone will make you realise, when it's over."

Nothing meant anything without Lysander, and nothing ever could.

She knew she was a good singer, she'd been told several times. But she'd never sang like she was now.

"All in love is fair, should've been there, should've been there, should've bee, should've, should've. All at once, I had it all. But it doesn't mean anything, now that you're gone."

She was an idiot to have done that. She'd had a wonderful life, and now she'd ruined it. Higher pitched, this next bit. She meant every word she said.

"From above, seems I had it all. But it doesn't mean anything, since you're gone. I know I pushed you away, what can I do that will save our love?"

He would never take her back. He was in New York now, and he'd find someone else. Someone better. Someone who deserved him like she never had.

The song was the only thing there was.

"Babe, these material things, they don't mean nothing, it's you that I want. All at once, I had it all."

She'd get rid of everything, all she had, to get Lysander back. She wished she could turn back time, accept him, love him like she now knew she really did.

"But it doesn't mean anything, now that you're gone. From above, seems I had it all. But it doesn't mean anything, since you're gone."

She shook her head, putting all of her soul and her heart into the song. Tears threatened, but she pushed them back, determined to finish.

"All at once, I had it all. But it doesn't mean anything, now that you're gone. From above, seems I had it all. But it doesn't mean anything, since you're gone."

The song ended. She lowered her head and let the tears overcome her.

A/N: The sequel to this is Do You Remember.