Okay I'm gonna say this now because it won't make sense if I don't (what did I just say?). I'm titling chapter based on whose point of view it is and what number it is (like Lily 1, Lily 2, James 1, Lily 3, James 2, etc.) because I suck at chapter names. Also, my summary is going to take a while to come into effect, but that stuff will happen. Please just be patient :) I'm making the timeline confusing on purpose, trust me... ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, as much as I wish I did. J. K. Rowling does, and pretty much all of the characters in here belong to her. Except a couple I made up that aren't quite as good. All things HP belong to Rowling

This chapter is significantly longer than the last... Will you tell me how you like it? PLEASE?! Reviews would be greatly appreciated :)


2 Days Earlier

"Lily, just listen to me!" Severus shouted, walking quickly to keep up with me.

"I don't want to hear it, Severus," I said back, my voice cold. I don't look at him.

"Lily, I'm sorry!"

I whirled around, all the anger and hurt I'd been bottling up inside me coming out at once.

"I told you, Severus! You had your chance to apologize. I've been making excuses for why I'm friends with you for far too long now. I can't just sit here while you do all this… this stuff to people! What happened to Mary MacDonald wasn't okay, and until you stop taking part in those acts, you have way too much to apologize to me for."

"Lily, I never meant to hurt you," he said.

I stare into his depthless black eyes, and know that he means it.

"But it doesn't matter, Severus," I told him, "because you've done it too many times before now. You call all other witches and wizards born to Muggles Mudbloods. I'm not any different."

"I can explain myself!" he protested.

"You don't need to," I said. "There's nothing to protest."

With that, I turned on my heel and hurriedly walked away from him. I didn't want him to see me crying.

There aren't many places you can go to get some privacy at Hogwarts. There's always the first floor girls' bathroom, but Myrtle's in there. Then again, she's why no one ever goes in there.

Eventually, I decided to just go for a walk. All my books were in my dormitory upstairs, and I didn't have another class for a few hours. When I made my way out to the grounds, I was reminded why I didn't go out there earlier. The snow on the ground was frozen, making it slippery. Not to mention I could see my breath in the cold.

Stupid, stupid Lily. Why did it have to be so difficult? I felt awful for what I did to Severus, but how can he expect me to forgive him again? Doing all that Dark stuff just isn't okay to me, and I've told him to stop. I've told him I don't like his friends. What else can I do?

Not to mention my friends. Sylvia and Janice never ceased drawling on and on about whatever mischief Severus had been up to recently. "Severus cursed Wilma," or "Severus hexed Hannah," was all I ever heard these days.

Maybe the worst part about it was that I knew there was truth to their words. The Severus that told me about witches, wizards, and wands was a different person. Sev was always kind and sort of introverted, which was fine with me. Sylvia and Janice could never seem to shut up, while Sev always knew that sometimes silence was golden.

I kick the ground in anger. What was I supposed to do? You can't relive the past, and things change. Severus definitely has. I knew I hadn't… Or had I? Was I the hypocritical one here? No, no. I'd never approved of Dark magic. I'd never thought bullying was okay, and using magical powers for that was even worse. So why had Severus changed? Was it something I had done?

I was only out for a few minutes when I saw them. The Marauders, all out by that one stupid tree. I hadn't realized I was heading near that tree before. Probably because I was too caught up on Severus.

I quickly changed my direction, hoping Potter wouldn't catch me.

"Evans!"

Damn. I started walking faster.

"Evans, wait up!" Potter shouts, moving closer to me.

"I'm not in the mood right now, Potter," I growl. I make a point not to look at him.

"Oh, don't worry," he says, his stride falling perfectly next to mine. Damn his long legs. "I can make anyone in the mood for James Potter."

"Seriously," I say, hoping all evidence of my crying fit from earlier was gone. "Not now."

"What's wrong?" he says, seeming to finally catch on to my obvious bad mood.

"Nothing you should concern yourself with," I said, my tone still unwelcoming. It didn't seem to bother him.

"Was it Snivellus again, Evans? Should I get him for you?" he asked, pulling out his wand and playing with it.

"Shut your mouth, Potter," I snarled.

"I was only offering to help, Lillykins. Say the words and he'll be hexed to a pulp," he said cheerfully, relishing in the thought.

"You disgust me, Potter," I said, turning to pace him. It was never easier than that moment for me to stare at his handsome face, deep into those brown eyes that searched mine so endlessly, and turn him down. Not that to had ever been difficult before, but his complete lack of sensitivity made it even easier.

"Don't be mean, Evans," he said, giving me the puppy dog face.

I'll admit it, his puppy dog face was good. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough. At least not for me, anyway.

"I'll stop being mean to you when you stop being mean to everyone else, Potter."

"Oh, come on," he said. "I'm only really mean to Snivellus, anyway."

"You're mean to anyone who doesn't adore you."

"I'm not mean to you."

"I guess I'm the unfortunate exception then, huh?"

"Go out with me, Evans," he said.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Not this again. Not his pathetic asking out again. "Potter, don't make me do this again with you."

"I'm not making you do anything. I'm just encouraging you to say yes," he said. "Just go out with me, Evans."

"I will not go out with you, Potter. Now please, leave me alone." With that, I hurried off. I could only take so much of Potter at a time, especially when he was so infuriating.

Back in the common room, I tried to calm myself down. I grabbed my Charms book, opened it up to the first page I found, and started reading. Well, I tried to. My eyes kept going over the same line over and over again, my brain elsewhere as I attempted to calm myself down with one of my best subjects. I gave up after a few minutes.

"Lily! I thought you were out with Sev," Janice said, walking into the common room. Sylvia was right behind her.

"Severus had other priorities," said, my struggling to keep my voice smooth.

"Oh," Sylvia said, knowing what that meant. "Well, you'll never believe what just happened!" she shrieked.

"What?" I asked, closing my book and putting away. I'd never be able to focus with my friends here if I couldn't even focus without them.

"Sirius just–" Sylvia started.

"Asked me out!" Janice finished, obviously too excited to hold in the news.

"That's great!" I said, giving her a hug. "How did it happen?"

I didn't listen too closely to Janice's tale. I caught bits and pieces. Sirius had left with James right after they'd seen me, and they somehow made the clouds spell "Janice." They'd gotten her out there and Sirius had asked her out, and of course she said yes. There really wasn't that much to the story, but Janice embellished it.

As she told me all the little details, I felt sort of sad. I didn't have that many problems with Sirius. I mean, he was pretty similar to Potter and all, but he wasn't as bad. He wasn't as arrogant, but he was pretty close. Janice was now on her third boyfriend, after Gordon Bones and William Finnigan. Sylvia hadn't had nearly as many boyfriends, but she and Ben Prewitt had gone steady all last year and half of this year. So far, I was the only one of us that hadn't gotten a boyfriend.

I felt silly worrying about such things. I know I shouldn't care. I could easily fix that by going out with Potter, but I'm too stubborn for that. I'd sooner throw myself off the astronomy tower than date that arrogant toerag.

I can't pretend I don't know why Janice has so many guys after her. Her thick, wavy blonde hair makes her look like a beach babe, not to mention her startlingly electric blue eyes and gorgeous smile. She has long, thin legs and a perfect hourglass figure. I can't pretend I'm not jealous.

Sylvia's black hair isn't as long as Janice's, and it's thinner, but it's very shiny and soft. She has a few freckles, not nearly as many as I do. She's just a few inches shorter than Janice, and few inches taller than me.

"Isn't that amazing?" Janice's excitement brought me back to reality.

"Yeah!" I say. "That's so adorable!"

I paid more attention to the conversation after that, but my mind still wandered.

I couldn't get my mind of Severus that night. I knew I should get some sleep, because I had exams tomorrow, but I couldn't. My mind wouldn't let me rest.

Giving up, I decided on another walk. Maybe I could make my body tired and force my brain into sleep.

I probably should have been patrolling anyway, as a prefect, but I took the night off. Sort of. The corridors were long and empty, with only my unsettling thoughts to fill them.

I just couldn't forgive myself for what I did to Severus, but I couldn't bring myself to go apologize to him. If the guilt would eat me like this for the next year, I didn't think I could do it.

I found the corridor I was looking for. The one closest to the Quidditch pitch, the one with windows lining the entire south side. I looked out at the night sky. It was so much prettier here, away from the city. Magic keeps the sky clear of all pollutants, so some night you could see the Milky Way. Tonight wasn't one of those nights, but I could see the full moon shining brightly in the sky, not a cloud in sight.

I heard footsteps. I knew I shouldn't be caught out of bed. Except that I'm a prefect, and that doesn't mean that whoever else is out of bed is.

I tiptoed quietly towards the footsteps, keeping my wand out. I peeked around a corner, knowing I can't be far away. I kept hearing more footsteps.

I turned another corner, and found myself walking right into…

"Remus?" But he was supposed to take the night off, too. All the prefects were. For exams…

"Lily?" he said, turning around. His eyes were wide, like he's scared. "Lily, you have to get out of here!" he said. He paid no attention to how loud his voice was. "Tell the teachers, tell Dumbledore and Dippet that I–"

"Lily, get out of there!" I heard James shout for somewhere behind me.

"What's going on?" I said.

"Lily! Leave! Now!" Remus shouted. His voice got deeper, more like a growl.

My body froze. I watched in horror as the kind, intelligent person I had known started to disfigure horrible. His back curved in ways that should have made his spine snap. His face morphed, his nose growing out from his face, along with his mouth, hair sprouting from every inch of his skin–

I screamed. Remus wasn't Remus anymore. He was… he was…

James grabbed my arm and started running.

"Don't just stand there, run!" he commanded, dragging me along like a ragdoll.

My body refused to react for a moment. What just happened? When I gained back composure, I started running with James beside me.

"What," I start.

"Not now," he says. "Dumbledore first," he pants, sprinting faster now.

I caught up with him. His legs may be much longer than mine, but mine are quicker.

James wasted no time pounding on Dumbledore's door when he got to the office.

"Dumbledore!" he shouted, "Dumbledore, Dumbledore, please!"

I pulled out my wand and shakily unlocked the door.

"Good heavens, children," Dumbledore said as we ran into his office. He seemed to be just getting up. "What is so horrible that it cannot wait until morning?"

"Lupin didn't get his potion," Potter said, all in one breath.

Dumbledore's face registered little shock, but rather more concern. "Oh, dear. I thought I had some whipped up… Where is he?" he asked.

"Last we saw, in the South wing."

This seemed to make Dumbledore slightly more urgent.

"In the castle?"

"He was trying to get out, sir, because he knew it was coming, and he hadn't gotten the potion, but he…" Potter said. I haven't seen him this serious since… I've never seen him so serious.

"We'll have to get him out. It will take too long to evacuate the school… Potter, I must say, if you would please," Dumbledore began.

"I'll help," he said, nodding his head dutifully.

"What wrong?" I asked, wondering if the two forgot about me.

"You stay here, Evans," Potter said to me, before turning to Dumbledore again.

"I'm afraid we will need her help, Potter, and we will need it now. Come. I will explain on the way. Firstly, we must catch young Lupin's attention before anything else does."

Somehow, as we ran to find a demented Lupin in the castle, I still found myself worrying about exams.

"Professor Dumbledore," I said as we ran through the corridors, "What about exams tomorrow?"

"We will have to discuss that later, Miss Evans," Dumbledore replied.

"Worrying about exams, Evans?" Potter said to me, elbowing me.

"Shut up," I snapped.

It was fairly easy to find Lupin. He hadn't done too much damage yet, unless you count ripping up a few paintings and crashing some suits of armor, but that wasn't the difficult part.

"I must ask too much of you right now," Dumbledore said to us quietly as we watch Lupin from afar. I hoped he couldn't smell my new strawberry shampoo. "Only I can open the gate to let him out into the forest tonight, and I must do that. But I must ask you two to distract him and lead him there, so that when he gets there, the door will be open. Can you two do that?"

It wasn't a question of whether we would. It was a question of whether we could.

"Yes, sir," I said to him.

James nodded.

"Good. Then I hope to see you both alive and well by the front door in a few minutes. Good luck." With that, he started running much faster than I would have expected Dumbledore to be able to run towards the front of the school.

"I think we were just told my Dumbledore to distract a demented Lupin."

"He's not demented," Potter said angrily.

"Then what's wrong with him?"

Just then, my foot accidentally kicked one of the fallen suits of armor. What once was Lupin stared up at me and sniffed the air. I bet it smelled like strawberries to him.

He started charging us. Potter grabbed my hand for the second time tonight and I ran with him away.

"Where do we go?" I asked.

"Somewhere we won't get trapped," he said.

Of course, that meant it was such a brilliant idea for us to go up to the astronomy tower. I could hear the snarls of the Lupin beast behind us, going marginally slower than we were. But that didn't mean he wouldn't catch up with us when we had nowhere else to go.

When we reached the top, I knew we were doomed. There was only one staircase after all, and Lupin was close behind us.

We ran to the wall and looked over. That was a fall I wasn't willing to take. Turning back around, I could hear the footsteps growing louder and louder, the snarls becoming more and more pronounced.

"Do you trust me, Lily Evans?" James said to me.

What sort of question was that? "No," I said, looking at him.

"I guess you'll have to," he said. With that, he wrapped his arms around me, and before I could get out of his grip, he swung us over the edge of the castle, launching us into free fall, towards the earth below.

The last thing I remember is a howl, calling to us from the tower, as if the human behind it knew what it had forced us to do.